Mass heterogeneities and convection in the earth's mantle inferred from gravity and core-mantle boundary irregularities

Mass heterogeneities in the earth's mantle are retrieved from the gravity data and the topography of the core-mantle boundary as well as the topography of the earth's surface. A mantle circulation induced by the heterogeneities is modelled by solving the Stokes problem for incompressible Newtonian fluid. The derived models of mantle motions correlate well with the plate tectonics and point at a close relation between the surface tectonic activity and the processes in the vicinity of the core-mantle boundary.     

Crustal and upper mantle structures of the brazilian coast

The Rayleigh wave phase and group velocities in the period range of 24–39 sec, obtained from two earthquakes which occurred in northeastern brazil and which were recorded by the Brazilian seismological station RDJ (Rio de Janeiro), have been used to study crustal and upper mantle structures of the Brazilian coastal region. Three crustal and upper mantle models have been tried out to explain crustal and upper mantle structures of the region. The upper crust has not been resolved, due basically to the narrow period range of the phase and group velocities data. The phase velocity inversions have exhibited good resolutions for both lower crust and upper mantle, with shear wave velocities characteristic of these regions. The group velocity data inversions for these models have showed good results only for the lower crust. The shear wave velocities of the lower crust (3.86 and 3.89 km/sec), obtained with phase velocity inversions, are similar to that (=3.89 km/sec) found byHwang (1985) to the eastern South American region, while group velocity inversions have presented shear velocity (=3.75 km/sec) similar to that (=3.78 km/sec) found byLazcano (1972) to the Brazilian shield. It was not possible to define sharply the crust-mantle transition, but an analysis of the phase and group velocity inversions results has indicated that the total thickness of the crust should be between 30 and 39 km. The crustal and upper mantle model, obtained with phase velocity inversion, can be used as a preliminary model for the Brazilian coast.     

Melting of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle by the Emeishan mantle plume; evidence from the basal alkaline basalts in Dongchuan, Yunnan, Southwestern China

The Emeishan continental flood basalt (ECFB) sequence in Dongchuan, SW China comprises a basal tephrite unit overlain by an upper tholeiitic basalt unit. The upper basalts have high TiO₂ contents (3.2–5.2 wt.%), relatively high rare-earth element (REE) concentrations (40 to 60 ppm La, 12.5 to 16.5 ppm Sm, and 3 to 4 ppm Yb), moderate Zr/Nb and Nb/La ratios (9.3–10.2 and 0.6–0.9, respectively) and relatively high _{Nd (t)} values, ranging from − 0.94 to 2.3, and are comparable to the high-Ti ECFB elsewhere. The tephrites have relatively high P₂O₅ (1.3–2.0 wt.%), low REE concentrations (e.g., 17 to 23 ppm La, 4 to 5.3 ppm Sm, and 2 to 3 ppm Yb), high Nb/La (2.0–3.9) ratios, low Zr/Nb ratios (2.3–4.2), and extremely low _{Nd (t)} values (mostly ranging from − 10.6 to − 11.1). The distinct compositional differences between the tephrites and the overlying tholeiitic basalts cannot be explained by either fractional crystallization or crustal contamination of a common parental magma. The tholeiitic basalts formed by partial melting of the Emeishan plume head at a depth where garnet was stable, perhaps > 80 km. We propose that the tephrites were derived from magmas formed when the base of the previously metasomatized, volatile-mineral bearing subcontinental lithospheric mantle was heated by the upwelling mantle plume.     

Li-Sr-Nd isotope signatures of the plume and cratonic lithospheric mantle beneath the margin of the rifted Tanzanian craton (Labait)

Lithium concentrations and isotopic compositions of olivine and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd of coexisting clinopyroxene from peridotite xenoliths from the Quaternary Labait volcano, Tanzania, document the influence of rift-related metasomatism on the ancient cratonic mantle. Olivines show negative correlations between Fo content and both δ⁷Li and Li concentrations. Olivines in iron-rich peridotites (Fo_85–87) have high Li concentrations (3.2–4.8 ppm) and heavy δ⁷Li (+5.2 to +6.6). In contrast, olivines in ancient, refractory peridotites have lower Li concentrations (∼2 ppm) and relatively light δ⁷Li (+2.6 to +3.5). This reflects mixing between ancient, refractory cratonic lithosphere and asthenosphere-derived rift magmas. A uniquely fertile, deformed, high-temperature garnet lherzolite, interpreted to be from the base of the lithosphere, has a ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of 0.7029 and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd of 0.51286, similar to HIMU oceanic basalts. It provides the best estimate of the Sr–Nd isotope composition of the upwelling mantle (i.e., plume, sensu lato) underlying this portion of the East African Rift, and is slightly less radiogenic compared to previous estimates of the plume that were based on rift basalts. Although elevated δ⁷Li are not exclusive to HIMU source regions, the data collectively indicate that the plume beneath Labait has HIMU characteristics in Sr, Nd and Li isotope composition. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Phase Relations and Melting of Anhydrous K-bearing Eclogite from 1200 to 1600{degrees}C and 3 to 5 GPa

To investigate eclogite melting under mantle conditions, wehave performed a series of piston-cylinder experiments usinga homogeneous synthetic starting material (GA2) that is representativeof altered mid-ocean ridge basalt. Experiments were conductedat pressures of 3·0, 4·0 and 5·0 GPa andover a temperature range of 1200–1600°C. The subsolidusmineralogy of GA2 consists of garnet and clinopyroxene withminor quartz–coesite, rutile and feldspar. Solidus temperaturesare located at 1230°C at 3·0 GPa and 1300°C at5·0 GPa, giving a steep solidus slope of 30–40°C/GPa.Melting intervals are in excess of 200°C and increase withpressure up to 5·0 GPa. At 3·0 GPa feldspar, rutileand quartz are residual phases up to 40°C above the solidus,whereas at higher pressures feldspar and rutile are rapidlymelted out above the solidus. Garnet and clinopyroxene are theonly residual phases once melt fractions exceed 20% and garnetis the sole liquidus phase over the investigated pressure range.With increasing melt fraction garnet and clinopyroxene becomeprogressively more Mg-rich, whereas coexisting melts vary fromK-rich dacites at low degrees of melting to basaltic andesitesat high melt fractions. Increasing pressure tends to increasethe jadeite and Ca-eskolaite components in clinopyroxene andenhance the modal proportion of garnet at low melt fractions,which effects a marked reduction in the Al₂O₃ and Na₂O contentof the melt with pressure. In contrast, the TiO₂ and K₂O contentsof the low-degree melts increase with increasing pressure; thusNa₂O and K₂O behave in a contrasted manner as a function ofpressure. Altered oceanic basalt is an important component ofcrust returned to the mantle via plate subduction, so GA2 maybe representative of one of many different mafic lithologiespresent in the upper mantle. During upwelling of heterogeneousmantle domains, these mafic rock-types may undergo extensivemelting at great depths, because of their low solidus temperaturescompared with mantle peridotite. Melt batches may be highlyvariable in composition depending on the composition and degreeof melting of the source, the depth of melting, and the degreeof magma mixing. Some of the eclogite-derived melts may alsoreact with and refertilize surrounding peridotite, which itselfmay partially melt with further upwelling. Such complex magma-genesisconditions may partly explain the wide spectrum of primitivemagma compositions found within oceanic basalt suites. KEY WORDS: eclogite; experimental petrology; mafic magmatism; mantle melting; oceanic basalts     

苏北盘石山、练山地幔捕虏体的PGE地球化学

通过锍镍火试金预富集法,分析了位于郯庐断裂带东侧的盘石山、练山地幔橄榄岩包体中铂族元素(PGE)和Au含量.不同于部分熔融残留成因地幔橄榄岩中通常所观察到的负斜率型或平坦型的分布模式,这两地的地幔橄榄岩以Pt、Pd、Ru相对富集,Ir、Rh相对亏损的"燕子型"分布模式为特征.Pt、Pd等不相容元素富集说明上地幔除经历过早期的部分熔融外,还经历了后期富Pt、Pd的高熔/岩比的熔(流)体的层析分离交代作用影响.盘石山地幔橄榄岩的PGE总量比练山高,Os的含量也比原始地幔值高;而练山地幔橄榄岩的Os含量比原始地幔值低,说明交代作用带走了练山地幔橄榄岩中的Os,却没有很大改变盘石山地幔橄榄岩中的Os含量,这可能与交代熔(流)体含硫量饱和程度有关.Rh的负异常可能与部分熔融过程中熔体较低的fo2有关.     

饱和软黏土动力学特性循环扭剪试验研究

以饱和软黏土的循环扭剪试验研究为基础,阐明不固结不排水条件下饱和软黏土的动力学特性。在循环扭剪和循环三轴两种不同试验应力状态下,通过研究不同围压和不同静、动应力组合下饱和软黏土的应力等效破坏关系和应变等效破坏关系,提出在循环荷载作用下饱和软黏土的循环破坏同样遵循Mises屈服准则,且在Mises屈服准则下,饱和软黏土的循环强度趋于不变量。循环破坏的过程可以等效为一种拟静力弹塑性循环蠕变,建立了饱和软黏土循环累积变形随静荷载、循环荷载以及循环破坏振次之间的关系式。上述结论分别从应力和变形两个方面阐述饱和软黏土的动力学特性,与试验应力状态和围压无关,可以推广到一般应力状态下。     

西藏西南部拉昂错地幔橄榄岩的地球化学特征及其构造意义

拉昂错蛇绿岩位于西藏西南部雅鲁藏布缝合带(YZSZ)的西段,由地幔橄榄岩和侵入其中的基性岩墙组成.拉昂错地幔橄榄岩普遍发育碎斑结构及熔体注入和交代结构,尖晶石的Cr#值具有较广泛的变化(0.32～0.70),大多数样品富集LREE并伴随HFSE的明显增加,少数亏损LREE,前者部分熔融程度为15%～23%,后者为10%左右,这表明它们并不是地幔单阶段部分熔融的残余物,而是MORB型亏损橄榄岩在俯冲过程中再度部分熔融后熔体与残余地幔相互作用的产物,由于熔体不同程度的混合与交代,形成了各种再饱满程度不同的橄榄岩.对拉昂错地幔橄榄岩岩石学和地球化学特征的研究,为探讨YZSZ蛇绿岩带所代表的特提斯洋盆的形成和演化提供了新的证据.