Structural architecture of a highly oblique divergent plate boundary segment

The Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland is a highly oblique spreading segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge oriented about 30° from the direction of absolute plate motion. We present a complete and spatially accurate map of fractures for the Reykjanes Peninsula with a level of detail previously unattained. Our map reveals a variability in the pattern of normal, oblique- and strike-slip faults and open fractures which reflects both temporal and spatial strain partitioning within the plate boundary zone. Fracture density varies across the length and width of the peninsula, with density maxima at the ends and at the northern margin of the zone of volcanic activity. Fractures with similar strike cluster into distinct structural domains which can be related to patterns of faulting predicted for oblique extension and to their spatial distribution with respect to volcanic fissure swarms. Additional structural complexity on the Reykjanes Peninsula can be reconciled with magmatic periodicity and associated temporal strain partitioning implied by GPS data, as well as locally perturbed stress fields. Individual faults show variable slip histories, indicating that they may be active during both magmatic and amagmatic periods associated with different strain fields.     

3D behaviour of contamination in landfill sites using 2D resistivity/IP imaging: case studies in Portugal

Aiming at defining a valid spatial contamination model, resistivity and induced polarization (IP) measurements were used to investigate contamination plumes in the vicinity of two municipal landfills (Ovar and ílhavo). Previous geophysical surveys and underground water samples confirmed the contamination. However 2D resistivity/IP surveys enabled in obtaining a more accurate spatial model. The Ovar survey consisted of two profiles with nine Wenner soundings each; the ílhavo survey was carried out along two individual lines using a Wenner standard pseudo-section. In both situations, negative IP values were found associated with positive IP values, which can be explained mainly by 2D or 3D geometric effects caused by the presence of the conductive plumes. The data were modelled using a 2D inversion program (RES2DINV) and the resulting resistivity and chargeability distributions were displayed as pseudo-sections. The resistivity and chargeability pseudo-sections define the contamination plumes and the sedimentary structure. These case studies illustrate the advantages of 2D resistivity/IP surveys for the mapping of shape and dimension of contamination associated with landfills.     

Cascaded Evolution of Mantle Plumes and Metallogenesis of Core- and Mantle-derived Elements

Mineral deposits are unevenly distributed in the Earth's crust, which is closely related to the formation and evolution of the Earth. In the early history of the Earth, controlled by the gravitational contraction and thermal expansion, lighter elements, such as radioactive, halogen-family, rare and rare earth elements and alkali metals, migrated upwards; whereas heavier elements, such as iron-family and platinum-family elements, base metals and noble metals, had a tendency of sinking to the Earth's core, so that the elements iron, nickel, gold and silver are mainly concentrated in the Earth's core. However, during the formation of the stratified structure of the Earth, the existence of temperature, pressure and viscosity differences inside and outside the Earth resulted in vertical material movement manifested mainly by cascaded evolution of mantle plumes in the Earth. The stratifications and vertical movement of the Earth were interdependent and constituted the motive force of the mantle-core movement.     

辽宁地区的幔枝构造

将辽宁地区划分为4个幔枝构造:山海关幔枝、辽东南幔枝、建平-阜新幔枝、西丰幔枝,文章分述了它们各自组成与构造特点,并举例说明了辽宁幔枝构造通过其三个次级构造单元对成矿的控制规律.     

云南保山卧牛寺组玄武岩成因：地幔柱活动的产物？

保山卧牛寺组玄武岩为低钛拉斑玄武岩，具有大陆板内玄武岩的特征，总体与蛾眉山玄武岩中的低钛玄武岩相似。其分异程度较高，富集大离子亲石元素和高场强元素，有明显的Nb、Ta负异常，Zr和Hf正异常，Eu无异常或弱负异常。该玄武岩由3个大喷发旋回形成3个岩石单元，其中下部早期第1单元由致密块状玄武岩、斜斑玄武岩、杏仁玄武岩和凝灰岩组成，第2和第3单元中见少量橄榄玄武岩和粒玄岩以及辉绿岩脉。有较高的^86Sr／^87Sr值(0．705966—0．706657)、较低的^143Nd／^144Nd值(0．512212—0．512283)，εNd(t)多为负值，源区为介于EMI和EMⅡ端员之间的富集岩石圈地幔。上述地球化学和同位素特征均可与蛾眉山玄武岩下部低钛拉斑玄武岩对比，表明该期岩浆作用可能同为地幔柱活动的产物，并暗示蛾眉山大火成岩省向西有很大的延伸。     

Geology of the Heimaey volcanic centre, south Iceland: early evolution of a central volcano in a propagating rift?

Heimaey is the southernmost and also the youngest of nine volcanic centres in the southward-propagating Eastern Volcanic Zone, Iceland. The island of Heimaey belongs to the Vestmannaeyjar volcanic system (850 km²) and is situated 10 km off the south coast of Iceland. Although Heimaey probably started to form during the Upper Pleistocene all the exposed subaerial volcanics (10 monogenetic vents covering an area of 13.4 km²) are of Holocene age. Heimaey is composed of roughly equal amounts of tuff/tuff-breccias and lavas as most eruptions involve both a phreatomagmatic and an effusive phase. The compositions of the extrusives are predominantly alkali basalts belonging to the sodic series. Repeated eruptions on Heimaey, and the occurrence of slightly more evolved rocks (i.e. hawaiite approaching mugearite), might indicate that the island is in an early stage of forming a central volcano in the Vestmannaeyjar system. This is further substantiated by the development of a magma chamber at 10–20 km depth during the most recent eruption in 1973 and by the fact that the average volume of material produced in a single eruption on Heimaey is 0.32 km³ (dense rock equivalent), which is twice the value reported for the Vestmannaeyjar system as a whole. We find no support for the previously postulated episodic behaviour of the volcanism in the Vestmannaeyjar system. However, the oldest units exposed above sea level, i.e. the Norðurklettar ridge, probably formed over a 500-year interval during the deglaciation of southern Iceland. The absence of equilibrium phenocryst assemblages in the Heimaey lavas suggests that magma rose quickly from depth, without long-time ponding in shallow-seated crustal magma chambers. Eruptions on Heimaey have occurred along two main lineaments (N45°E and N65°E), which indicate that it is seismic events associated with the southward propagation of the Eastern Volcanic Zone that open pathways for the magma to reach the surface. Continuing southward propagation of the Eastern Volcanic Zone suggests that the frequency of volcanic eruptions in the Vestmannaeyjar system might increase with time, and that Heimaey may develop into a central volcano like the mature volcanic centres situated on the Icelandic mainland.     

Seismic evidence for deep low-velocity anomalies in the transition zone beneath West Antarctica

We present a three-dimensional (3D) SV-wave velocity model of the upper mantle beneath the Antarctic plate constrained by fundamental and higher mode Rayleigh waves recorded at regional distances. The good agreement between our results and previous surface wave studies in the uppermost 200 km of the mantle confirms that despite strong differences in data processing, modern surface wave tomographic techniques allow to produce consistent velocity models, even at regional scale. At greater depths the higher mode information present in our data set allows us to improve the resolution compared to previous regional surface wave studies in Antarctica that were all restricted to the analysis of the fundamental mode. This paper is therefore mostly devoted to the discussion of the deeper part of the model. Our seismic model displays broad domains of anomalously low seismic velocities in the asthenosphere. Moreover, we show that some of these broad, low-velocity regions can be more deeply rooted. The most remarkable new features of our model are vertical low-velocity structures extending from the asthenosphere down to the transition zone beneath the volcanic region of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica and a portion of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge close to the Balleny Islands hotspot. A deep low-velocity anomaly may also exist beneath the Ross Sea hotspot. These vertical structures cannot be explained by vertical smearing of shallow seismic anomalies and synthetic tests show that they are compatible with a structure narrower than 200 km which would have been horizontally smoothed by the tomographic inversion. These deep low-velocity anomalies may favor the existence of several distinct mantle plumes, instead of a large single one, as the origin of volcanism in and around West Antarctica. These hypothetical deep plumes could feed large regions of low seismic velocities in the asthenosphere.     

冀北地区金矿床He、Ar、Pb同位素组成及其成矿物质来源

成矿物质来源一直是成矿理论研究和找矿实践的焦点问题。选择了冀北地区3个幔枝构造金矿集中区11个金矿床黄铁矿及部分围岩进行了He、Ar同位素测定。研究表明,冀北地区主要金矿的3He/4He的值域为(0.93～7.30)×10-6,平均3.55×10-6;R/Ra=0.66～4.93,平均2.53;40Ar/36Ar=426～2073,40Ar平均为8.20×10-7cm3/g,4He/40Ar平均为2.17。矿区外围片麻岩和花岗岩的3He/4He值仅为(0.001～0.55)×10-6,反映来源上有明显差别。3He和4He在He同位素浓度图上落于地幔区附近。64个Pb同位素数据表现为矿质以幔源为主,确有部分壳源物质加入。研究认为,本区成矿物质应源于地球深部,随地幔柱多级演化,深部成矿流体由地球深部迁移到浅部,期间不可避免地存在壳幔流体的混合作用,故其值域往往界于地幔和地壳之间。     

攀西裂谷存在吗？

大陆裂谷以地幔上隆、岩石圈伸展、减薄、断陷和沉降为特征，伸展构造环境是大陆裂谷形成的必要条件和本质特征。中国学者以前所认为攀枝花-西昌裂谷的主要标志是海西期层状堆晶杂岩、晚二叠世峨眉山玄武岩、印支期环状碱性杂岩和晚三叠世裂谷盆地沉积。最近一系列研究成果表明攀西地区海西期-印支期构造岩浆热事件是地幔柱和岩石圈相互作用的结果，不是裂谷作用的产物。进一步对上扬子西缘二叠纪-三叠纪的沉积作用和构造特征综合分析表明攀西地区不存在裂谷盆地沉积。该区晚二叠世-中三叠世为古陆隆起遭受剥蚀，晚三叠世断陷型类磨拉石建造是前陆走滑复合盆地的产物。本文根据对攀西地区二叠纪-三叠纪的岩浆活动、沉积作用、构造特征和地球物理资料等方面综合研究对攀西裂谷的存在提出质疑，并以峨眉山地幔柱活动为主线探讨了攀西地区古生代和中生代的地质构造演化历史。