Probabilities of occurrence of great earthquakes in the Himalaya

Long-term conditional probabilities of occurrence of great earthquakes along the Himalaya plate boundary seismic zone have been estimated. The chance of occurrence of at least one great earthquake along this seismic zone over a period of 100 years (beginning the year 1999) is estimated to be about 0.89. The 100-year probability of such an earthquake occurring in the Kashmir seismic gap is about 0.27, in the central seismic gap about 0.52 and in the Assam gap about 0.21. The 25-year probabilities of their occurrence in these gaps are 0.07, 0.17, and 0.05 respectively. These probability estimates may be used profitably to assess the seismic hazard in the Himalaya and the adjoining Ganga plains.     

地幔上涌对鄂尔多斯西缘岩石圈的改造:来自远震多尺度层析成像的证据

本文利用喜马拉雅二期科学探测台阵的678个地震台站及26个固定台站记录到的9,641个地震共约160000条远震P波走时数据,采用基于稀疏约束的多尺度层析成像方法,获得了鄂尔多斯西缘及邻区上地幔800 km深度范围内P波速度结构.结果显示,在东经104°附近阿拉善地块与鄂尔多斯盆地间存在岩石圈深度的构造边界,这表明阿拉善地块与鄂尔多斯可能分别从属于不同的大地构造单元.以北纬38°线为界,鄂尔多斯地块西缘在岩石圈范围内南北存在明显的速度差异,鄂尔多斯南部上地幔200~300 km深度范围显示为高速异常,而鄂尔多斯北部上地幔显示大面积的低速异常.这一现象表明,鄂尔多斯地块南北两部分经历了不同的构造演化过程.根据本文的结果可以进一步推断,由于青藏高原、阿拉善地块向东北方向推挤以及岩石圈的拆离引起的上地幔扰动导致了地幔上涌,上涌的热物质改造了鄂尔多斯西北缘地区的岩石圈,并使该区的岩石圈减薄.地幔上涌也可能是东经104°边界带和北纬38°构造带形成的深部动力学因素.     

2015年尼泊尔MS8.1大地震孕育的深层过程与发生的动力学响应

2015年4月25日发生在尼泊尔博克拉M_S8.1大地震的深层动力过程与“地中海-喜马拉雅-南亚地震带”的中段喜马拉雅地震活动带密切相关.这次大地震是该地震强烈活动带上长期以来深部物质与能量强烈交换、运动,并导致构造活动和应力积累的产物.综合分析与研究提出：（1）博克拉M_S8.1大地震的孕育、发生和发展具有长期活动和近年来相邻地带地震活动频繁的背景;这一地带自1505年-2015年,即500多年来相继发生多次M_S≥8.0的大地震.（2）这一地带具有特异的地球物理边界场响应和深层动力过程,显示深部物质的重新分异、调整与能量交换.（3）大地震发生与周边地带应力场分布特异,壳、幔结构与介质属性变异及破裂响应与断层面解的属性相关.（4）喜马拉雅地带的三条北倾断裂带以不同角度向深部延伸、震源位置及浅表层的变形特征尚应深化理解.（5）M_S8.1大地震的发生对相邻地带的波场影响强烈,故应强化高精度地球物理场的观测和探测,以“捕捉”未来可能大地震的孕育与发生.     

小兴安岭-张广才岭铁力地区侏罗纪辉绿岩年代学、地球化学、锆石Hf同位素特征及其构造意义

小兴安岭-张广才岭地区中生代岩浆活动的成因及动力学背景对于揭示古太平洋的构造演化具有重要意义。本文选取小兴安岭-张广才岭铁力地区出露的辉绿岩墙为研究对象,进行锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年代学、全岩地球化学和锆石Hf同位素等分析,对该基性岩的形成时代、岩石成因、岩浆源区以及形成的大地构造背景进行讨论。研究表明:辉绿岩锆石具有高Th/U比值( 0.3),CL图像显示微弱的振荡环带结构,具有岩浆锆石特征,~(206)Pb/~(238)U加权平均年龄为187±2Ma,即形成于早侏罗世;该岩体主要经历了橄榄石和单斜辉石的分离结晶作用,未遭受明显的地壳混染作用,并且具有Rb、Ba、U、Pb、K和Sr等流体活动元素相对富集,Th、Nb和Ta等非流体活动性元素相对亏损的地球化学特征,暗示其形成于被俯冲流体富集交代的亏损地幔部分熔融,源区可能为尖晶石-石榴石二辉橄榄岩,部分熔融程度约为6%～20%。结合该地区同时代的岩浆岩、变形构造、矿床特征和黑龙江蓝片岩的相关报道,本文认为小兴安岭-张广才岭地区在中生代期间处于活动大陆边缘环境,其岩浆岩的形成主要是由于存在于佳木斯地块和松嫩-小兴安岭地块间的牡丹江洋西向俯冲造成的。     

Northward cooling of the Kuncha nappe and downward heating of the Lesser Himalayan autochthon distributed to the south of Mt. Annapurna,western central Nepal

We investigated the tectonothermal history of the Lesser Himalayan sediments (LHS), which are tectonically overlain by the Higher Himalayan Crystalline. Fission‐track dating and the track length measurement of detrital zircons obtained from the Kuncha nappe and the Lesser Himalayan autochthonous sediments in western central Nepal revealed northward cooling of the nappe and possible downward heating of the autochthon by the overlying hot nappe. Nine zircon fission‐track (ZFT) ages of the nappe showed northward‐younging linear distribution from 11.6 Ma in the front at Tamghas, 6 Ma in the central at Naudanda, and 1.6 Ma in the northernmost point at Tatopani. Thermochronological invert calculation of the ZFT length elucidated that the Kuncha nappe gradually cooled down (30 °C/Myr) at the front and rapidly cooled down (120 °C/Myr) at the root zone. In contrast, the ZFT age of the Chappani Formation, located just beneath the Kuncha nappe in the central part, demonstrated a totally reset age of 6.8 Ma, whereas the Virkot Formation, structurally far from the nappe, yielded a partially reset age of 457.3 Ma. This suggests that the LHS underwent downward heating, resulting in a thermal print on the upper part of the LHS; however, the thermal effect was not sufficient to anneal ZFT totally in the deeper part. Presently, the nappe cover is eroded and denuded from this area. Detrital zircons from the Chappani Formation in Tansen area to the south of the Bari Gad Fault did not show any evidence of annealing, suggesting that nappe never covered the LHS distributed to the south of the fault.     

Northward younging zircon fission‐track ages from 13 to 2 Ma in the eastern extension of the Kathmandu nappe and underlying Lesser Himalayan sediments distributed to the south of Mt. Everest

This study is concerned with the tectono‐thermal history of the Kathmandu nappe and the underlying Lesser Himalayan sediments (LHS) that are distributed in eastern Nepal. We carried out zircon fission‐track(ZFT) dating and obtained 16 ZFT ages from the eastern extension of the Kathmandu nappe, the Higher Himalayan Crystalline, Kuncha nappe, and the Main Central Thrust (MCT) zone. The ZFT ages of the frontal part of the Kathmandu nappe range from 13.0 ±0.8 Ma to 10.7 ±0.7 Ma and exhibit a northward‐younging tendency. These Middle Miocene ZFT ages indicate that the frontal part of the Kathmandu nappe remained at a temperature above 240 °C until the termination of its southward emplacement at 12–11 Ma. The ZFT ages of the LHS range from 11.1 ±0.9 Ma in the southern part of the Okhaldhunga Window to 2.4 ±0.3 Ma of the augen gneiss in the northern margin and also exhibit a northward‐younging age distribution. The ZFT ages show the northward‐younging linear distribution pattern (?0.16 Ma/km) along the across‐strikesection from the frontal part of the Kathmandu nappe to the root zone, without a significant age gap. This distribution pattern indicates that the Kathmandu nappe, the underlying MCT zone, and the Kuncha nappe cooled from the frontal zone to the root zone as a thermally united geologic body at a temperature below 240 °C. An older ZFT age (456.3 ±24.3 Ma), which was partially reset at the axial part of the Midland anticlinorium in the central part of the Okhaldhunga Window, was explained by downward heating from the “hot” Kathmandu nappe. The above evidence supported a model that southward emplacement of the hot Kathmandu nappe resulted in a thermal imprint on the upper part of the LHS; however, the lower part did not reach 240 °C.     

土耳其-高加索-喜马拉雅一线白垩纪大洋红层对比

通过收集土耳其、高加索和特提斯喜马拉雅地区的白垩纪地层资料,着重对比研究上白垩统大洋红层的分布格局和沉积特征,为进一步进行全球大洋红层对比提供基础数据和资料。对比分析表明:它们具有环特提斯该时代近于同期地层的一般特征,其时代一般为Turonian Campanian期,在特提斯喜马拉雅地区跨度较大,为Albian Campanian期,岩性主体为灰岩,颜色与Fe2O3 的含量密切相关,富含浮游有孔虫及其组合,沉积速率低,沉积环境一般为半深海,沉积深度为500~1 000 m。     

东喜马拉雅构造结气候构造作用下热史演化的40Ar/39Ar年代学记录

以喜马拉雅山系为典型实例,究竟是气候作用还是构造作用引起山体隆升的问题已经成为地球系统科学研究中的重要前沿问题。无论是气候因素还是构造因素引起山体隆升,二者都与一个共同的地表过程——剥蚀作用相关,剥蚀作用对山体中地质体的影响可以用岩石矿物经历的热史演化来描述,所以,在造山作用研究中,山体或山脉的热史演化是揭开地质体经历地质过程、山体隆升研究的重要途径。利用河砂组成矿物来研究流域的地质过程和构造演化已经成为现代地质科学的重要手段。本文采集了雅鲁藏布江下游墨脱县以南约50 km处地东河段内的现代河砂,对其中的角闪石、白云母、黑云母及钾长石等四种矿物进行了高精度单颗粒激光⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar年代学测试,并进行了概率统计。地东河段河砂中富钾矿物⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar年代学统计结果显示,大峡谷流域的热史演化可以确定有多个阶段,分别可以识别出70~69、61~60、43~42、35~34、26~25、25~23、22~20、20~18、17~14、12~11、8~6、5~4及<2Ma等13个热史演化阶段。通过将上述热史信息与印度大陆与欧亚大陆碰撞角度和碰撞速率变化曲线的对比,可以确定70~69、61~60、43~42、35~34、22~20和12~11Ma等6个阶段的年代学信息是两大陆碰撞角度和碰撞速率变化事件在东喜马拉雅构造结热史上的记录;通过与全球深海氧、碳同位素记录曲线的对比,可以认为26~25、25~23、17~14、8~6、5~4和<2Ma等6个阶段的年代学信息是气候变化在东喜马拉雅构造结热史上的记录。东喜马拉雅构造结地质体热史演化是构造与气候相互作用的结果。     

特提斯喜马拉雅带东段列麦白云母花岗岩年代学及成因

列麦白云母花岗岩位于特提斯喜马拉雅东段,侵位于雅拉香波穹窿边部早古生代浅变质岩中。为揭示其形成时代及成因,本文对其开展LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学、Hf同位素及岩石地球化学研究。结果表明列麦白云母花岗岩具有高SiO_2(71.08%～71.49%)、Al_2O_3(15.55%～15.72%)和K_2O(4.32%～4.57%),高的A/CNK比值(1.17～1.21),低的CaO/Na_2O比值(0.22～0.28),属于高钾钙碱性过铝质花岗岩;富集Rb、Th和Hf,亏损Ba、Nb、Sr和Ti,稀土元素呈轻稀土(LREE)富集,重稀土(HREE)相对亏损的向右倾斜的配分模式(LREE/HREE=16.57～17.91),具有弱负Eu异常(δEu=0.78～0.79)。与二云母花岗岩比较,列麦白云母花岗岩具有较高的Rb含量(204.1×10~(-6)～293.8×10~(-6))、较低的Sr(134.6×10~(-6))及显著的重稀土分馏效应。锆石新生边年龄为48.5±1.1 Ma(MSWD=2.1),代表其结晶年龄,该年龄为目前报道的最早年龄,其初始Hf同位素组成ε_(Hf)(t)=-6.4～-2.3,显示物源为壳源性质,二阶段模式年龄介于731～839 Ma之间,表明成岩物质形成于新元古代;核部继承锆石年龄变化在135.7～3339.2 Ma之间,表明其源岩为早白垩世沉积岩,是在印度与欧亚大陆主碰撞阶段,陆-陆碰撞导致地壳缩短加压升温,引起早白垩世沉积岩部分熔融而形成的。     

Protracted thrusting followed by late rapid cooling of the Greater Himalayan Sequence,Annapurna Himalaya,Central Nepal: Insights from titanite petrochronology

The Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS) has commonly been treated as a large coherently deforming high‐grade tectonic package, exhumed primarily by simultaneous thrust‐ and normal‐sense shearing on its bounding structures and erosion along its frontal exposure. A new paradigm, developed over the past decade, suggests that the GHS is not a single high‐grade lithotectonic unit, but consists of in‐sequence thrust sheets. In this study, we examine this concept in central Nepal by integrating temperature–time (T–t) paths, based on coupled Zr‐in‐titanite thermometry and U–Pb geochronology for upper GHS calcsilicates, with traditional thermobarometry, textural relationships and field mapping. Peak Zr‐in‐titanite temperatures are 760–850°C at 10–13 kbar, and U–Pb ages of titanite range from c. 30 to c. 15 Ma. Sector zoning of Zr and distribution of U–Pb ages within titanite suggest that diffusion rates of Zr and Pb are slower than experimentally determined rates, and these systems remain unaffected into the lower granulite facies. Two types of T–t paths occur across the Chame Shear Zone (CSZ). Between c. 25 and 17–16 Ma, hangingwall rocks cool at rates of 1–10°C/Ma, while footwall rocks heat at rates of 1–10°C/Ma. Over the same interval, temperatures increase structurally upwards through the hangingwall, but by 17–16 Ma temperatures converge. In contrast, temperatures decrease upwards in footwall rocks at all times. While the footwall is interpreted as an intact, structurally upright section, the thermometric inversion within the hangingwall suggests thrusting of hotter rocks over colder from c. 25 to c. 17–16 Ma. Retrograde hydration that is restricted to the hangingwall, and a lithological repetition of orthogneiss are consistent with thrust‐sense shear on the CSZ. The CSZ is structurally higher than previously identified intra‐GHS thrusts in central Nepal, and thrusting duration was 3–6 Ma longer than proposed for other intra‐GHS thrusts in this region. Cooling rates for both the hangingwall and footwall of the CSZ are comparable to or faster than rates for other intra‐GHS thrust sheets in Nepal. The overlap in high‐T titanite U–Pb ages and previously published muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar cooling ages imply cooling rates for the hangingwall of ≥200°C/Ma after thrusting. Causes of rapid cooling include passive exhumation driven by a combination of duplexing in the Lesser Himalayan Sequence, and juxtaposition of cooler rocks on top of the GHS by the STDS. Normal‐sense displacement does not appear to affect T–t paths for rocks immediately below the STDS prior to 17–16 Ma.