Determining magma flow in sills,dykes and laccoliths and their implications for sill emplacement mechanisms

Three-dimensional seismic data from the Faeroe-Shetland Basin provides detailed information on the relationships between sills, dykes, laccoliths and contemporaneous volcanic activity. The data shows that sills are predominantly concave upwards, being complete or partial versions of radially or bilaterally symmetrical forms that possess flat inner saucers connected to a flat outer rim by a steeply inclined sheet. Such morphologies are only partially modified by pre-existing faults. Sills can be sourced from dykes or the steep climbing portions of deeper sills. Both sills and dykes can provide magma to overlying volcanic fissures and sills can be shown to feed shallow laccoliths. Magma flow patterns, as revealed by opacity rendering, suggest that sills propagate upwards and outwards away from the magma feeder. As an individual sill can consist of several leaves emplaced at different stratigraphic levels, and as a sill or dyke can provide magma to volcanic fissures, other sills and laccoliths, the data suggests that neutral buoyancy concepts may not provide a complete explanation for the mechanism and level of sill emplacement. Instead, the data suggests that the presence of lithological contrasts, particularly ductile horizons such as overpressured shales may permit sill formation at any level below the neutrally buoyant level. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Ken Thomson–deceased, April 2007     

Numerical experiments on the generation of long ocean waves in coastal waters of the Buenos Aires province,Argentina

A numerical model (two horizontal dimensions, vertically integrated) is used to investigate the generation of long ocean waves, ranging from 20 min to almost 2 h, at Buenos Aires continental shelf. The domain includes the Río de la Plata estuary and the continental shelf together and extends from 33.5° to 40.5°S latitude, and from 51° to 63°W longitude. Sea-level oscillations are modeled by forcing with passage of atmospheric cold fronts and atmospheric gravity waves. Both forcing mechanisms, which have been present during high activity lapses of long ocean waves, are mathematically implemented. After several numerical simulations, it is concluded that the pressure and wind fields associated to cold fronts do not generate long ocean waves in the area, though they do produce disturbances with periods longer than the tidal ones. On the other hand, it is so concluded that atmospheric gravity waves are an effective mechanism to force long ocean waves. Results obtained show that generation of long ocean waves is highly sensitive depending on the propagation direction and the phase speed of the atmospheric gravity waves. The long ocean wave event detected during the large-amplitude gravity-wave event of 13 October 1985 is successfully simulated. Finally, all our results suggest that atmospheric gravity waves are a highly effective mechanism forcing for the generation of long ocean waves in Buenos Aires coastal waters.     

Unstructured,anisotropic mesh generation for the Northwestern European continental shelf,the continental slope and the neighbouring ocean

A new mesh refinement strategy for generating high quality unstructured meshes of the Northwestern European continental shelf, the continental slope and the neighbouring ocean is presented. Our objective is to demonstrate the ability of anisotropic unstructured meshes to adequately address the challenge of simulating the hydrodynamics occurring in these three regions within a unique mesh. The refinement criteria blend several hydrodynamic considerations as the tidal wave propagation on the continental shelf and the hydrostatic consistency condition in steep areas. Several meshes illustrate both the validity and the efficiency of the refinement strategy. The selection of the refinement parameters is discussed. Finally, an attempt is made to take into account tidal ellipses, providing another cause for anisotropy in the mesh.     

河北沽源—多伦地区中生代含铀火山岩地球化学

沽源和多伦地区是燕辽多金属成矿带的重要组成部分，中生界主要发育上侏罗统白旗组、张家口组，下白垩统大北沟组和花吉营组。张家口组火山岩分布广、厚度大，是铀（钼）矿床的主要含矿主岩。中生代火山岩属于钙碱性系列，化学成分富硅、偏碱，δ值1.17-7.60。稀土元素特征反映火山岩有壳幔混合和壳源改造两种成因。火山岩形成于弱造山环境，其年龄与库拉—太平洋板块向亚洲板块俯冲的时间吻合。张家口组酸性火山岩具有我国相山产铀火山杂岩富硅、富钾，铕极亏损的地球化学特征。     

上黑龙江断陷火山岩特征及岩金找矿方向

研究区处于上黑龙江断陷盆地中段，中生代火山岩出露面积广泛，区内12处岩金矿床（点）均与中生代火山活动有关，塔木兰沟期和上库力期火山岩是成矿的岩体标志，3期火山岩均属碱性系列，以富Zr,Ti,Cr,P及轻稀土富集型为特征。硅化，绢云母化，绿泥石化，黄铁矿化，黄铜矿化。方铅矿化和褐铁矿化是找矿的蚀变标志，断陷盆地边缘和推覆构造边缘，火山带交汇部位，NE或NNE向断裂与其他方向断裂交汇部位以及火山机构周围的环状，放射状断裂是成矿的有利部位。     

准噶尔盆地陆梁地区基底火山岩的岩石地球化学及其构造环境

准噶尔盆地腹地陆梁起基底火山岩岩性为富钠玄武岩及流纹岩，总体显示出板内双峰火山岩特点。玄武岩的特征是：岩石的五晶和基质中普遍出现橄榄石；辉石为普通辉石；斑晶和基质中的长石为偏酸性的斜长石（平均牌号为30－50）；全岩化学成分CIPW计算结果表明，绝大部分含有Ne（2．8％－4．6％），均含有O1（19．3％－10．1％）和Di（0．2％－24．6％），标准矿物分子组合为Ne＋O1＋Di＋An；在全碱－SiO2图上玄武岩投影于碱性区；Mg^#＜65；REE总量为110．29－158．06μg/g。（La/Y）N变化范围为3．10－4．51。δEu变化于0．93－1．04；弱武岩的微量元素标准化图解为LILE相对于LREE适度富集，Nb,Ta相对于LREE和LILE亏损。Ni,Cr含量略低于原始岩浆的参考值；以上特征表明，弱武岩总体上属于碱性橄榄玄武岩；玄武岩具有较同正的εNd(t)和低的^87Sr/^86Sr，而流纹岩则具有较低的εNd(t)和较高的^87Sr/^86Sr，反映它们的同源性和遭受陆壳物质同化混染程度的不同。同位素Rb-Sr等时线年龄和单颗粒锆石蒸发年龄集中在323－395Ma。以上特点表明，陆梁玄武岩来自于亏损的地幔源区，并经历了一定程度的分异作用和陆壳物质的混染作用，其形成于板内环境，与泥盆纪－石灰纪区域伸展作用有关，因此，陆梁隆起带基底很可能是一个大陆裂谷带。     

对青藏高原末次冰盛期降温值、平衡线下降值与模拟结果的讨论

1999年 5期《第四纪研究》刊登的“青藏高原冰期环境与冰期全球降温”论文 ,内容丰富 ,提出了许多重大问题和新鲜讯息 ,发人深思。本文就部分内容进行讨论 ,认为根据新近若干冰期降温值较大的信息 ,就得出冰期降温幅度为过去认识的两倍的普遍性推断 ,还为时过早。青藏高原新近研究表明夏季降温值是较小的 ;冰川平衡线高度取决于以夏季温度为标志所提供的消融热量与全年降雪积累量的平衡 ,单纯就降温值 ,不能决定平衡线下降值 ;全球各地气候、地形差别很大 ,冰期变化也很悬殊 ,不存在全球均一的 1 0 0 0m左右平衡线下降值 ,干旱区的下降值多低于此数。青藏高原末次冰盛期 (LGM)冰川堆积 (终碛、侧碛 )和侵蚀形态(冰斗、槽谷 )一般保存良好、形态鲜明 ,较易识别 ,近年已获取测年资料 ,证明过去地貌法判别的LGM冰川规模 ,并以此决定的LGM平衡线位置基本恰当 ,当然也有误判者。从 2 0世纪 2 0年代起 ,研究者逐渐认识高原内部主要是中西部LGM平衡线下降值较小 ,经过多次改进的LGM平衡线高度分布图显示约有 1 /3左右地区 ,平衡线下降值不足 30 0m ,实为世所罕见。其原因可能主要在高原西北部是全球惟一高海拔寒旱核心区域 ,为极大陆型或极地型冰川分布区 ,以现代西昆仑山崇测冰川、古里雅冰帽为例 ,平衡线高度