The Agulhas Ridge, South Atlantic: The Peculiar Structure of a Fracture Zone

The Agulhas Ridge is a prominent topographic feature that parallels the Agulhas-Falkland Fracture Zone (AFFZ). Seismic reflection and wide angle/refraction data have led to the classification of this feature as a transverse ridge. Changes in spreading rate and direction associated with ridge jumps, combined with asymmetric spreading within the Agulhas Basin, modified the stress field across the fracture zone. Moreover, passing the Agulhas Ridge’s location between 80 and 69 Ma, the Bouvet and Shona Hotspots may have supplied excess material to this part of the AFFZ thus altering the ridge’s structure. The low crustal velocities and overthickened crust of the northern Agulhas Ridge segment indicate a possible continental affinity that suggests it may be formed by a small continental sliver, which was severed off the Maurice Ewing Bank during the opening of the South Atlantic. In early Oligocene times the Agulhas Ridge was tectono-magmatically reactivated, as documented by the presence of basement highs disturbing and disrupting the sedimentary column in the Cape Basin. We consider the Discovery Hotspot, which distributes plume material southwards across the AAFZ, as a source for the magmatic material.     

Chemical alternation of waters in the Kuroshio/Oyashio Interfrontal Zone

An intensive survey has been conducted of the distributions of some chemical properties (dissolved oxygen, nutrients and carbonate properties) in the Kuroshio/Oyashio Interfrontal Zone. Many low-salinity water patches were found down to depths of 640 m. Each chemical property also showed anomalies in these patches, but the degree of variation showed a low correlation with salinity. This may be due to the high variability of biological processes in the surface waters where these patches are formed. Vertical profiles of the chemical properties were also observed along the Kuroshio extension axis from 140.50°E to 146.75°E. The concentrations of nutrients and total carbonate (TC) in the water having densities greater than σ_θ=26.60 can be regarded as being formed by the isopycnal mixing of the Kuroshio component water and Oyashio component water and biological degradation within the density surfaces. This implies that the transport of chemical properties by the diapycnal mixing is negligible in these density layers in the K/O zone.     

南海北部最小含氧带水下滑翔机观测结果初步分析*

最小含氧带(Oxygen Minimum Zone, OMZ)是指海洋中层水体处存在的稳定的溶解氧(Dissolved Oxygen, DO)极小值层, OMZ的分布与变化对南海生态系统和生地化循环具有重要意义。本文利用2019年7—9月“海翼”号水下滑翔机(Sea-wing Glider)在南海北部陆坡区的组网观测数据, 对南海北部陆坡区OMZ的空间分布特征进行了分析。结果显示, 在垂向上, 研究区域内DO极小值层出现在深度约700~900m处, 其浓度约为80~100μmol·L^-1, 且700~900m深度范围内DO浓度变化不大, 形成了厚度约为200m的OMZ。在水平方向上, OMZ自陆坡西南部起向东北方向延伸, 厚度由西南至东北逐渐变薄, 整体呈楔形分布, 并在靠近吕宋海峡处逐渐消失。此外, 本研究还选取了两台水下滑翔机7—8月连续两周内的观测数据, 经计算显示, OMZ区域内的DO浓度在跨陆坡方向上的平均变化速率为0.023μmol·L^-1·d^-1(增加), 在沿陆坡方向上为-0.034μmol·L^-1·d^-1(减少)。沿吕宋海峡入侵南海的高氧水能够解释OMZ东北部DO浓度局部升高的现象, OMZ的分布特征和形成原因与海水的平流运动、水团分布和水体层化等物理过程, 以及生物呼吸、有机物分解和还原性物质的氧化等多种影响因素有关。     

甘肃大佛寺、金佛寺花岗岩体的锆石U-Pb年龄、Hf-O同位素和全岩地球化学特征及地质意义

走廊过渡带大佛寺花岗岩为弱过铝质(A/CNK=1.03~1.06),SiO_2(76.7%~78.9%)、全碱(Na2O+K2O=7.7%~8.3%)、Rb(303×10~(-6)~383×10~(-6))、Nb(32×10~(-6)~42×10~(-6))、重稀土(Yb~8×10~(-6))含量以及和FeOT/MgO(6.3~7.6)、Ga/Al(3×10-4)、Rb/Ba(3.0~6.2)比值较高,MgO(~0.1%)、CaO(0.5%~0.6%)含量较低,Ba、Sr、Eu、Ti强烈亏损,属A型花岗岩,其源岩可能为泥质岩。大佛寺花岗岩中锆石δ18O和εHf(t)值分别为7.8‰~8.6‰(平均8.24±0.13‰)和-4.8~-2.0,Hf同位素两阶段亏损地幔模式年龄1540~1717Ma,岩浆温度达到~820℃以上。北祁连造山带北缘金佛寺花岗岩为过铝质(A/CNK=1.0~1.1),SiO_2(65.5%~75.0%)、MgO(0.6%~2.2%)、Fe2O3(1.9%~5.2%)、TiO_2(0.3%~0.8%)含量变化较大,其主量和微量元素特征与北祁连造山带的柴达诺花岗岩相似,源岩可能包括杂砂岩和角闪岩。金佛寺花岗岩的锆石δ18O为7.4%~9.7‰(平均8.03±0.36‰),εHf(t)在-0.5~+1.9之间,Hf同位素两阶段亏损地幔模式年龄为1289~1439Ma,岩浆温度达到800~900℃。走廊过渡带大佛寺花岗岩、北祁连造山带北缘金佛寺花岗岩的锆石U-Pb SIMS年龄分别为426.1±2.8Ma、424.0±1.6Ma,不同构造单元发育同时期岩浆活动以及A型花岗岩的出现,表明在~425Ma北祁连洋盆已经闭合,北祁连造山带及邻区进入到后碰撞拉伸阶段。     

Experimental and numerical investigation of groundwater head losses on and nearby short intersections between disc-shaped fractures

Discrete fracture models are used for investigating precise processes of groundwater flow in fractured rocks,while a disc-shaped parallel-plates model for a single fracture is more reasonable and efficient for computational treatments.The flow velocity has a large spatial differentiation which is more likely to produce non-linear flow and additional head losses on and nearby intersections in such shaped fractures,therefore it is necessary to understand and quantify them.In this study,both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations were performed to investigate the total head loss on and nearby the intersections as well as the local head loss exactly on the intersections,which were not usually paid sufficient attention or even ignored.The investigation results show that these two losses account for 29.17%-84.97%and 0-73.57%of the entire total head loss in a fracture,respectively.As a result,they should be necessarily considered for groundwater modeling in fractured rocks.Furthermore,both head losses become larger when aperture and flow rate increase and intersection length decreases.Particularly,the ratios of these two head losses to the entire total head loss in a fracture could be well statistically explained by power regression equations with variables of aperture,intersection length,and flow rates,both of which achieved high coefficients of determination.It could be feasible through this type of study to provide a way on how to adjust the groundwater head from those obtained by numerical simulations based on the traditional linear flow model.Finally,it is practicable and effective to implement the investigation approach combining laboratory experiments with numerical simulations for quantifying the head losses on and nearby the intersections between disc-shaped fractures.     

Structural and stratigraphical constraints on the kinematics history of the Southern Tan–Lu Fault Zone during the Mesozoic Anhui Province, China

The Tan–Lu Fault Zone (TLFZ) extends in a NNE–SSW direction for more than 2000 km in Eastern China. It has been considered either as a major sinistral strike-slip fault, as a suture zone or as a normal fault. We have conducted a structural analysis of the southern segment of this fault zone (STLFZ) in the Anhui Province. The ages (Triassic to Palaeocene) of the formations affected by the faults have been re-appraised taking into account recent stratigraphical studies to better constraint the ages of the successive stages of the kinematics of the STLFZ. Subsequently, the kinematics of the faults is presented in terms of strain/stress fields by inversion of the striated fault set data. Finally, the data are discussed in the light of the results obtained by previous workers.We propose the following history of the STLFZ kinematics during the Mesozoic. At the time of collision, a  NNE orientated Tan–Lu margin probably connected two margins located north of the Dabie and Sulu collision belts. During the Middle–Late Triassic, the SCB has been obliquely subducted below the NCB along this margin which has acted as a compressional transfer zone between the Dabie and Sulu continental subduction zones. The STLFZ has been initiated during the Early Jurassic and has acted as a sinistral transform fault during the Jurassic, following which the NCB/SCB collision stopped. A  NW-trending extension related to metamorphic domes was active during the basal Early Cretaceous ( 135–130 Ma); it has been followed by a NW–SE compression and a NE–SW tension during the middle–late Early Cretaceous ( 127 to  105 Ma, possibly  95 Ma); at that time the TLFZ was a sinistral transcurrent fault within the eastern part of the Asian continent. During the Late Cretaceous–Palaeocene, the STLFZ was a normal fault zone under a WNW–ESE tension.     

易门赵普新沟白钨矿矿床地质及控制因素

新沟白钨矿属典型的接触交代(矽卡岩)变质矿床。晋宁晚期的岩浆活动强烈,黑云二长花岗岩是矿区主要成矿岩体。钨矿体赋存在花岗岩体两侧与昆阳群大龙口组灰岩接触带矽卡岩中,地层、岩石、构造对矽卡岩及矿体都有控制作用。     

A study of the depth of weathering and its relationship to the mechanical properties of near-surface rocks in the Mojave Desert

Weathered granite extends 70 m deep at Hi Vista in the arid central Mojave Desert of southern California. The low strength of this granite is due to the alteration of biotite and chlorite montmorillonite. Deep weathering probably occurs in most granites, although we cannot rule out some anomalous mechanisms at Hi Vista. Geophysical instruments set in these slightly altered rocks are limited by the unstable behavior of the rocks. Thus, tectonic signals from instruments placed in shallow boreholes give vague results. Geophysical measurements of these weathered rocks resemble measurements of granitic rocks near major faults. The rheology of the rocks in which instruments are placed limits the useful sensitivity of the instruments.     

裂缝性储层的电各向异性响应特征研究

以水平裂缝分布的孔隙介质模型为基础,建立了水平裂缝面的平行裂缝分布和带粗糙表面的点接触裂缝模型,导出了两类裂缝模型的水平和垂直电阻率响应关系,分析了两类裂缝模型在没有围压和存在围压条件下的水平电阻率、垂直电阻率变化规律和电各向异性系数的变化特征.讨论了裂缝开度、裂缝密度和裂缝粗糙度等裂缝特征参数对裂缝性储层电各向异性的影响.为简化讨论,所有电性响应特征的分析都忽略了裂缝和孔隙表面的导电性和极化的影响.利用平行分布水平裂缝面模型和带粗糙面的裂缝模型,考察了围压条件下的裂缝性岩石的电各向异性响应特征,得到了对实际应用有意义的结果.     

Stress Field Estimations for Colima Volcano, Mexico, Based on Seismic Data

 For first time, during 1991, seismic activity was recorded during an eruption at Colima volcano. We analyze these data to obtain a stress pattern using a composite focal mechanism technique. From the analysis of regional seismicity, the Tamazula Fault and the Armeria River appear as active features and the dip of the slab east of the Jalisco Block is approximately 12°. Southwest of Colima volcano a vertical alignment of seismic events was observed. We estimate five different composite focal mechanism solutions from our data set, which indicate a change of the stress field at the volcano after the 1991 eruption. These solutions suggest that the stress field in the volcanic edifice was controlled by stresses related to the emplacement of magma superimposed on the regional stress field. No evidence of active local faults in the volcanic edifice was found. We propose a model for the eruptive process that involves tilting of the volcanic edifice. Received: 15 October 1995 / Accepted: 26 October 1998