Tectonic evolution of the Cape and Karoo basins of South Africa

The Cape and Karoo basins formed within the continental interior of Gondwana. Subsidence resulted from the vertical motion of rigid basement blocks and intervening crustal faults. Each basin episode records a three-stage evolution consisting of crustal uplift, fault-controlled subsidence, and long periods of regional subsidence largely unaccompanied by faulting or erosional truncation. The large-scale episodes of subsidence were probably the result of lithospheric deflection due to subduction-driven mantle flow. The early Paleozoic Cape basin records the combined effects of a north-dipping intra-crustal décollement (a late Neoproterozoic suture) and a right-stepping offset between thick Rio de la Plata craton and Namaqua basement. Following the Saldanian orogeny, a suite of small rift basins and their post-rift drape formed at this releasing stepover. Great thicknesses of quartz sandstone (Ordovician–Silurian) and mudstone (Devonian) accumulation are attributed to subsidence by rheological weakening and mantle flow. In contrast, the Karoo basin is a cratonic cover that mimics the underlying basement blocks. The Permian Ecca and lower Beaufort groups were deposited in a southward-deepening ramp syncline by extensional decoupling on the intra-crustal décollement. Reflection seismic and deep-burial diagenetic studies indicate that the Cape orogeny started in the Early Triassic. Deformation was partitioned into basement-involved strike-slip faults and thin-skinned thrusting. Uplift of the Namaqua basement resulted in erosion of the Beaufort cover. East of the Cape fold belt, contemporaneous subsidence and tilting of the Natal basement created a late Karoo transtensional foreland basin, the Stormberg depocentre. Early Jurassic tectonic resetting and continental flood basalts terminated the Karoo basin.     

Mantle plumes and the metamorphism of the lower crust and their influence on basin evolution

Since the stretching model appears to be not applicable to the subsidence of accretionary crust, basins located on this crust type may have an alternative origin. Examples of such basins are the West Siberia Basin and the North German Basin. Both basins showed intensive volcanism and magmatism during the initial phase of their development. Remarkably, the West Siberia Basin is closely located to the (hotspot related) Siberian flood basalts with a similar Permo-Triassic age, and the location of the North German Basin in Permian times is identical with the present day position of the Tibesti hotspot in Northern Africa. These two basins may have specific relations to hotspot heat sources of the Earth's underlying mantle. Due to these heat sources, thermal metamorphism within the lower layers of the (accretionary) crust may occur, resulting in rock density increase and subsequent shrinkage of the affected rock volumes. These shrinkage processes will lead to the development of topographic lows, their filling with sediments, and the subsequent start of an exponentially declining isostatic/metamorphic basin subsidence. In addition to the analyses of metamorphic processes, potential field anomalies, temperature fields, and histories of subsidence have been integrated into one single model that can explain the development of the North German Basin. Similarly, the East African Rift and Eifel Hotspots affected parts of the overriding continental plates. The East African Rift Hotspot can be traced back to the Afar flood basalts and the Dniepr–Donets Basin, whereas the Eifel Hotspot can be linked to the North Sea Basin. Continental drift templates, present day hotspot locations, flood basalt areas, metamorphic facies as function of temperature, and crust categories are taken as published in recent literature.     

2019年10月12日广西玉林北流MS 5.2地震深部孕震环境

地震是地壳或岩石圈构造变形的一种方式,施加于边界断层及其活动块体内的力决定了它们的变形方式(伸展、挤压、走滑),而变形(或地震)的空间分布受岩石圈流变学控制,尤其是受断层和其间块体强度以及这些块体与岩石圈耦合作用的控制( Thatcher,2009).而火山岩浆作为低粘度熔体,其活动通常也会产生地震,地震类型和大小与岩...     

对橄榄石相变形核率的估算

地幔主要矿物橄榄石［(Mg089Fe011)2SiO4］的相变与深源地震的解释以及俯冲带和周围地幔的相互作用相关. 其中,形核率和长大率是刻画其相变动力学的两个重要参数. 因为实验技术的原因,目前人们还没有基于实验数据给出橄榄石的形核率. 本文首先通过对挤碰物理图像的分析,对边界形核情形的相变动力学理论中表征挤碰程度的无量纲参数进行了修正. 在此基础上,根据已有的实验资料,首次对橄榄石相变的形核率进行了估计. 通过对形核率数据的拟合,可以得到形核率参数K0和γ1/3. 得到两个形核率参数的变化范围分别为K0=55×1021～87×1027s-1·m-2·K-1,γ1/3=0～020 J·m-2,最佳拟合值为：K0=69×1024s-1·m-2·K-1,γ1/3=016 J·m-2.     

南海北部陆缘新生代玄武岩地球化学特征及成因

南海盆地及周缘地区新生代玄武岩对揭示南海盆地的演化历史至关重要,然而这些玄武岩的成因还存在争议。本文研究了位于南海北部陆缘的海南岛临高县多文组玄武岩岩石地球化学和矿物地球化学特征,并探讨其成因和构造背景。多文组玄武岩主要由橄榄石、单斜辉石、斜长石、斜方辉石、铬尖晶石和铁钛氧化物等组成。橄榄石Fo值变化于55.5～71.1之间,Ni的含量较低,Fe/Mn比值较高。铬尖晶石Cr^#值为74.1～82.7,Mg^#值为45.5～63.8, Ti的含量较高。斜方辉石Mg^#值为63.9～79.6,单斜辉石为66.0～80.6。单斜辉石稀土配分曲线富集MREE,亏损LREE和HREE,呈拱形分布。斜长石以中-拉长石为主(Ab_{36.56～52.78}),富集LREE、Ba、Sr和Eu。铁钛氧化物的TiO₂含量为50.19%～51.46%。多文组玄武岩原始岩浆的主量和微量元素组成与夏威夷、峨眉山、塔里木等玄武岩组成一致,地幔源区包含了辉石岩的成分,而且其地幔潜在温度(>1400℃)和氧逸度(Δ...     

The influence of medium-range transport on O3 levels at a rural site in Israel

Simultaneous ozone measurements were made at a rural site, 25 km SSW of the city of Jerusalem, and in the center of the city during a period of 28 months. The ozone data were supplemented by SO₂, NO/NO _x ,and meteorological measurements at both sites. Elevated ozone concentrations were recorded at the rural site, mostly during the spring months (May and June) during which the monthly averages and the monthly averages of the daily 30 min maximum levels equalled those measured in the city. During the summer months, both average and peak levels were lower at the rural site by 20 and 35 ppb. The increased ozone levels at the rural site were accompanied by a parallel increase of SO₂ and NO _x ,suggesting hat the excess ozone at the rural site is a result of a transformation during transport of air pollutants from coastal sources.     

地幔滞弹性对Chandler摆动的影响

基于简正模扰动理论和勒夫数扰动方法,采用Zschau 的地幔流变模型,在假设Chandler摆动的能量全部耗散于地幔滞弹性摩擦的条件下,导出Chandler 摆动Q(Q_w)的理论值.还考虑了滞弹地球的平衡极潮对摆动的影响,所得结果与绝大部分天文实测值非常一致.分析表明.平衡部分的影响大,地幔滞弹性很可能是Chandler 摆动最主要的能量耗散源,Q_w 的理论值约为71.还推算了吸收带模型参数α,研究了该模型的适用性,并讨论了Q_w 与地幔Q(Q_m)的关系.     

地震层析地球内部密度分布横向不均匀研究

本文使用Woodhouse和Dziewonski等分别用S波和P波层析分析提供的,以670km深度为分界的上地幔和下地幔地震波传播所反映出的横向不均匀的球谐函数系数,假定地幔内部密度与正常水平的偏离分别与P波和S波的速度V_p和V_s成比例（下地幔δρ=γδV_p,上地幔δρ=σδV_S²）,并用一组新的球谐函数系数表示全地幔密度分布模型.计算结果表明:1.比例系数γ=0.199,σ=3.13×10^-5时,该全地幔密度模型可以70％恢复Dziewonski提供的下地幔密度模型,50％恢复Woodhouse提供的上地幔密度模型.合成密度分布基本上反映了分别由P波和S波速度异常所提供的地幔密度分布特征;2.所有穿过太平洋中部的剖面均明显地显示出一个低密度异常从地表一直延伸到核-幔边界;3.所有大陆下部均存在一个高密度异常区,而且深入到1200-1300km深度处;4.由密度异常的正、负交替基本上将部分地区地幔分成为3层,其深度依次为:第1层25-1300km左右,第2...     

华南铀矿省铀矿构造成矿作用及其时空演化

华南铀矿省内已发现的工业铀矿床类型有花岗岩型、火山岩型、碳硅泥岩型、碳酸盐岩型和砂岩型。在空间上。铀矿床受环形及线性构造控制,并受上地幔构造制约。幔凸、幔凹阳地幔变异带互相交错,造成本区地幔的极不均一性,这是本矿省成矿的深部地质构造背景。通常铀矿床呈面型成环状分布,大型环形构造控制铀矿省,中型和小型环形构造控制铀矿田和矿床的产出。