Effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere from joint inversion in western China and its implications*

The western China lies in the convergence zone between Eurasian and Indian plates. It is an ideal place to study the lithosphere dynamics and tectonic evolutions on the continental Earth. The lithospheric strength is a key factor in controlling the lithosphere dynamics and deformations. The effective elastic thickness (T_e) of the lithosphere can be used to address the lithospheric strength. Previous researchers only used one of the admittance or coherence methods to investigate the T_e in the western China. Moreover, most of them ignored the internal loads of the lithosphere during the T_e calculation, which can produce large biases in the T_e estimations. To provide more reliable T_e estimations, we used a new joint inversion method that integrated both admittance and coherence techniques to compute the T_e in this study, with the WGM2012 gravity data, the ETOPO1 topographic data, and the Moho depths from the CRUST1.0 model. The internal loads are considered and investigated using the load ratio (F). Our results show that the joint inversion method can yield reliable T_e and F values. Based on the analysis of T_e and F distributions, we suggest (1) the northern Tibetan Plateau could be the front edge of the plate collision of Eurasian and Indian plates; (2) the southern and part of central Tibetan Plateau have a strong lithospheric mantle related to the rigid underthrusting Indian plate; (3) the southeastern Tibetan Plateau may be experiencing the delamination of lithosphere and upwelling of asthenosphere.     

The use of 3D modeling for the prediction of the seismic demands on the gravity dams

Seismic behavior of gravity dams has long been evaluated using a representative two‐dimensional (2D) system. Formulated for the gravity dams built in wide canyons, the assumption is nevertheless utilized extensively for almost all concrete dams due to the established procedures as well as the expected computational costs of a three‐dimensional model. However, a significant number of roller‐compacted concrete dams, characterized as such systems, do not conform to the basic assumptions of these methods by violating the conditions on canyon dimensions and joint‐spacing/details. Based on the premise that the 2D modeling assumption is overstretched for practical purposes in a variety of settings, the purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the use of 2D modeling for the prediction of the seismic demands on these systems. Using a rigorous soil–structure interaction approach, the difference between the two and three‐dimensional response for gravity dams was investigated first in the frequency domain for a range of canyon widths and foundation to dam moduli ratios. Then, the time domain differences between the crest displacements and the maximum principal stress were obtained using 70 different ground motions in order to show the possible bias introduced into the analysis results due to the modeling approach. The results of the study show that even for relatively wide canyons, the 2D analysis can lead to misleading predictions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于布格重力异常研究运城盆地的构造特征

利用运城及周边地区的布格重力资料,对布格重力数据进行小波分解得到不同阶次的重力异常信息。依据各个阶次的小波变换结果并结合该区域的地质构造环境,对小波变换细节图中存在的特征较为明显的布格重力异常带进行深入分析,对异常所揭示的构造现象在地壳不同深度的分布特性等进行分析研究。结果表明:小波变换细节与区内地壳内部的隆起、凹陷及断裂构造具有很好的对应关系,可以对运城盆地的构造特征及地壳结构做更加深入的研究。     

内蒙拜仁达坝银铅锌多金属矿床地球化学异常分带模型研究

拜仁达坝银锌多金属矿床为岩浆热液矿床,通过分析该矿床不同中段微量元素和烃类组分的含量变化特征及其异常展布规律,建立了该矿床的地球化学异常分带模型。     

全张量重力梯度数据误差分析及补偿

针对用于航空移动平台的高精度全张量重力梯度测量系统,深入研究了梯度仪12个加速度计按3个不同旋转轴圆盘形成差分组合的结构。在确认该结构具有有效抑制运动共模加速度、减少外界环境干扰、实现高精度探测优点的同时,着重分析了重力梯度仪测量误差的来源和影响。研究表明,主要影响包括仪器固有随机噪声和外界确定性噪声。为定量描述影响程度,推导了在航空动态环境下的测量方程,并分离出加速度计的性能不匹配、平台不稳定、圆盘转速不稳定3个主要固有因素,从时间域和频率域角度定量分析固有影响因素的噪声水平。试验分析表明,通过利用Simulink仿真系统可以获得固有因素产生的噪声水平,并提出抑制方案。针对搭载环境测量误差,还分析了实测飞行中姿态和质量的改变对重力梯度测量值造成的环境影响,提出了基于点质量源的自身梯度校正方法。     

利用重力异常的小波模方法识别断层

利用小波特性可以提取航空重力异常的重要信息,笔者采用小波分析方法建立三维地质体模型,讨论了小波模与地质体边界的对应关系。以我国某海域航空重力资料为例,利用小波模极大值识别了断裂信息,并与航空布格重力异常及其方向导数识别的断裂进行对比分析。结果表明,利用小波模不仅可以识别断裂构造,在航空布格异常和方向导数识别模糊的地区效果更为明显。     

梁家沟矿区土壤地球化学特征及找矿意义

在1∶1万土壤地球化学测量的基础上,对梁家沟矿区的地球化学特征进行了初步分析,对元素的分布特征及单元素异常特征进行了研究,发现Ag、Pb、Mo、W为矿区具有一定潜力的找矿指标。结合矿区内异常元素组合特征、地球化学—地质成因和找矿远景分析,圈定矿区内冰冷沟、苇子沟和乔沟为找矿靶区。     

城镇周边土壤中含铅矿物的环境意义

通过对长江下游南京至苏州一带铅污染土壤中含铅矿物的鉴定识别和来源分析,确定土壤中铅的来源,既有附近含铅矿床开采过程中带出的含铅矿物,也有人为叠加的成分。作为相对稳定的含铅矿物,方铅矿、白铅矿和人工含铅颗粒含量越高,土壤中有效态铅所占比例就越低。对Pb异常土壤中含Pb矿物的研究,可以解释土壤与农作物籽实中铅含量间的复杂关系,同时也可以为生态地球化学评价标准和预测预警方案的制定提供参考。     

滇西北地区地磁短周期变化特征研究

利用滇西北地磁台阵8个测点的秒采样观测数据,对短周期事件的地磁三分量变化幅度进行统计,得到不同周期的垂直分量和水平分量变化幅度比值ΔZ/ΔH在观测区的空间分布,由此推测地下存在一条NNW走向的高导带,从地壳延伸至上地幔,且位置随深度不断变化。     

Increasing critical sensitivity of the Load/Unload Response Ratio before large earthquakes with identified stress accumulation pattern

The Load/Unload Response Ratio (LURR) method is proposed for short-to-intermediate-term earthquake prediction [Yin, X.C., Chen, X.Z., Song, Z.P., Yin, C., 1995. A New Approach to Earthquake Prediction — The Load/Unload Response Ratio (LURR) Theory, Pure Appl. Geophys., 145, 701–715]. This method is based on measuring the ratio between Benioff strains released during the time periods of loading and unloading, corresponding to the Coulomb Failure Stress change induced by Earth tides on optimally oriented faults. According to the method, the LURR time series usually climb to an anomalously high peak prior to occurrence of a large earthquake. Previous studies have indicated that the size of critical seismogenic region selected for LURR measurements has great influence on the evaluation of LURR. In this study, we replace the circular region usually adopted in LURR practice with an area within which the tectonic stress change would mostly affect the Coulomb stress on a potential seismogenic fault of a future event. The Coulomb stress change before a hypothetical earthquake is calculated based on a simple back-slip dislocation model of the event. This new algorithm, by combining the LURR method with our choice of identified area with increased Coulomb stress, is devised to improve the sensitivity of LURR to measure criticality of stress accumulation before a large earthquake. Retrospective tests of this algorithm on four large earthquakes occurred in California over the last two decades show remarkable enhancement of the LURR precursory anomalies. For some strong events of lesser magnitudes occurred in the same neighborhoods and during the same time periods, significant anomalies are found if circular areas are used, and are not found if increased Coulomb stress areas are used for LURR data selection. The unique feature of this algorithm may provide stronger constraints on forecasts of the size and location of future large events.