MTS studies on the upper mantle conductivity in China

Based on the data from more than 200 MTS sites distributed within different areas of the Chinese continent, general characteristics of upper mantle conductivity have been described. At least two conductive layers have been found in the upper mantle of some areas. The first is thin with a resistivity of a modicum to few tens m; the second one is thicker with a resistivity of one to m. Nearly 300 heat-flow values indicate that there exists an exponential correspondent relationship between a depth of the upper mantle conductive layer with a thickness and an average value of heat flow. Based on the above results, the top depth map of this upper mantle conductive layer has been outlined for parts of the Chinese continent. This conductive layer is basically consistent with the low velocity zone in the upper mantle, and Cenozoic tectonism and current seismicity are significantly related to the variation of depth of the conductive layer in the upper mantle. The possible origins of the conductive layers in the upper mantle have been discussed here.     

Substitute conductors for electromagnetic response estimates

Various concepts exist to define substitute conductors for empirical response estimates at singular frequencies: Chapman's shell-core model, the Cagniard-Tikhonov apparent resistivity, the Niblett-Bostick and Molochnov transformation, thep ^* —z ^* transformation. They are all interrelated and assign comparable resistivities to the substitute conductor at a given frequency. Applications to synthetic response data of plane and spherical conductors show under which conditions these substitutions come closest to the model and which influence of source dimensions and Earth's sphericity can be expected.p ^* —z ^* transformed global response data forS andDst variations demonstrate how substitute conductors may serve as useful guides in inverse procedures.     

Temperature profiles in the earth of importance to deep electrical conductivity models

Deep in the Earth, the electrical conductivity of geological material is extremely dependent on temperature. The knowledge of temperature is thus essential for any interpretation of magnetotelluric data in projecting lithospheric structural models. The measured values of the terrestrial heat flow, radiogenic heat production and thermal conductivity of rocks allow the extrapolation of surface observations to a greater depth and the calculation of the temperature field within the lithosphere. Various methods of deep temperature calculations are presented and discussed. Characteristic geotherms are proposed for major tectonic provinces of Europe and it is shown that the existing temperatures on the crust-upper mantle boundary may vary in a broad interval of 350–1,000°C. The present work is completed with a survey of the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity for selected crustal and upper mantle rocks within the interval 200–1,000°C. It is shown how the knowledge of the temperature field can be used in the evaluation of the deep electrical conductivity pattern by converting the conductivity-versustemperature data into the conductivity-versus-depth data.     

Crustal Growth Rate of the North China Platform：a Method of Estimating Mass Equilibrium between Crust and Mantle

The following equation is proposed in this paper to estimate the crustal growth rate of the North China Platform on the basis of mass equilibrium between the crust and the mantle:

The trace element composition of silicate inclusions in diamonds: a review

On a global scale, peridotitic garnet inclusions in diamonds from the subcratonic lithosphere indicate an evolution from strongly sinusoidal REE_N, typical for harzburgitic garnets, to mildly sinusoidal or “normal” patterns (positive slope from LREE_N to MREE_N, fairly flat MREE_N–HREE_N), typical for lherzolitic garnets. Using the Cr-number of garnet as a proxy for the bulk rock major element composition it becomes apparent that strong LREE enrichment in garnet is restricted to highly depleted lithologies, whereas flat or positive LREE–MREE slopes are limited to less depleted rocks. For lherzolitic garnet inclusions, there is a positive relation between equilibration temperature, enrichment in MREE, HREE and other HFSE (Ti, Zr, Y), and decreasing depletion in major elements. For harzburgitic garnets, relations are not linear, but it appears that lherzolite style enrichment in MREE–HREE only occurs at temperatures above 1150–1200 °C, whereas strong enrichment in Sr is absent at these high temperatures. These observations suggest a transition from melt metasomatism (typical for the lherzolitic sources) characterized by fairly unfractionated trace and major element compositions to metasomatism by CHO fluids carrying primarily incompatible trace elements. Melt and fluid metasomatism are viewed as a compositional continuum, with residual CHO fluids resulting from primary silicate or carbonate melts in the course of fractional crystallization and equilibration with lithospheric host rocks.

Eclogitic garnet inclusions show “normal” REE_N patterns, with LREE at about 1× and HREE at about 30× chondritic abundance. Clinopyroxenes approximately mirror the garnet patterns, being enriched in LREE and having chondritic HREE abundances. Positive and negative Eu anomalies are observed for both garnet and clinopyroxene inclusions. Such anomalies are strong evidence for crustal precursors for the eclogitic diamond sources. The trace element composition of an “average eclogitic diamond source” based on garnet and clinopyroxene inclusions is consistent with derivation from former oceanic crust that lost about 10% of a partial melt in the garnet stability field and that subsequently experienced only minor reenrichment in the most incompatible trace elements. Based on individual diamonds, this simplistic picture becomes more complex, with evidence for both strong enrichment and depletion in LREE.

Trace element data for sublithospheric inclusions in diamonds are less abundant. REE in majoritic garnets indicate source compositions that range from being similar to lithospheric eclogitic sources to strongly LREE enriched. Lower mantle sources, assessed based on CaSi–perovskite as the principal host for REE, are not primitive in composition but show moderate to strong LREE enrichment. The bulk rock LREE_N–HREE_N slope cannot be determined from CaSi–perovskites alone, as garnet may be present in these shallow lower mantle sources and then would act as an important host for HREE. Positive and negative Eu anomalies are widespread in CaSi–perovskites and negative anomalies have also been observed for a majoritic garnet and a coexisting clinopyroxene inclusion. This suggests that sublithospheric diamond sources may be linked to old oceanic slabs, possibly because only former crustal rocks can provide the redox gradients necessary for diamond precipitation in an otherwise reduced sublithospheric mantle.     

Partial Crystallization of Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts in the Crust and Mantle

Pressures at which partial crystallization occurs for mid-oceanridge basalts (MORB) have been examined by a new petrologicalmethod that is based on a parameterization of experimental datain the form of projections. Application to a global MORB glassdatabase shows that partial crystallization of olivine + plagioclase+ augite ranges from 1 atm to 1·0 GPa, in good agreementwith previous determinations, and that there are regional variationsthat generally correlate with spreading rate. MORB from fast-spreadingcenters display partial crystallization in the crust at ridgesegment centers and in both mantle and crust at ridge terminations.Fracture zones are likely to be regions where magma chambersare absent and where there is enhanced conductive cooling ofthe lithosphere at depth. MORB from slow-spreading centers displayprominent partial crystallization in the mantle, consistentwith models of enhanced conductive cooling of the lithosphereand the greater abundance of fracture zones through which theypass. In general, magmas that move through cold mantle experiencesome partial crystallization, whereas magmas that pass throughhot mantle may be comparatively unaffected. Estimated pressuresof partial crystallization indicate that the top of the partialmelting region is deeper than about 20–35 km below slow-spreadingcenters and some ridge segment terminations at fast-spreadingcenters. KEY WORDS: MORB; olivine gabbro; partial crystallization; partial melting; ridge segmentation; fracture zones; crust; mantle; lithosphere     

Rheological Properties of Partially Molten Lherzolite

Lherzolite samples synthesized from fine-grained powders preparedfrom a natural xenolith were deformed at P = 300 MPa and 1373     

An Archean(?) to Paleozoic Evolution for a Garnet Peridotite Lens with Sub-Baltic Shield Affinity within the Seve Nappe Complex of Jamtland, Sweden, Central Scandinavian Caledonides

Mineralogical, isotopic, geochemical and geochronological evidencedemonstrates that the Friningen body, a garnet peridotite bodycontaining garnet pyroxenite layers in the Seve Nappe Complex(SNC) of Northern Jämtland, Sweden, represents old, certainlyProterozoic and possibly Archean, lithosphere that became incorporatedinto the Caledonian tectonic edifice during crustal subductioninto the mantle at c. 450 Ma. Both garnet peridotite and pyroxenitecontain two (M₁ and M₂) generations of garnet-bearing assemblagesseparated by the formation of two-pyroxene, spinel symplectitearound the M₁ garnet and the crystallization of low-Cr spinel_1Cin the matrix. These textures suggest initial high-pressure(HP) crystallization of garnet peridotite and pyroxenite succeededby decompression into the spinel stability field, followed byrecompression into the garnet peridotite facies. Some pyroxenitelayers appear to be characterized solely by M₂ assemblages withstretched garnet as large as several centimeters. Laser ablationmicroprobe–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometryRe–Os analyses of single sulfide grains generally definemeaningless model ages suggesting more than one episode of Reand/or Os addition and/or loss to the body. Pentlandite grainsfrom a single polished slab of one garnet peridotite, however,define a linear array on an Re–Os isochron diagram that,if interpreted as an errorchron, suggests an Archean melt extractionevent that left behind the depleted dunite and harzburgite bodiesthat characterize the SNC. Refertilization of this mantle bymelts associated with the development of the pyroxenite layersis indicated by enriched clinopyroxene Sr–Nd isotope ratios,and by parallel large ion lithophile-enriched trace elementpatterns in clinopyroxene from pyroxenite and the immediatelyadjacent peridotite. Clinopyroxene and whole-rock model Sm–Ndages (T_DM = 1·1–2·2 Ga) indicate that fertilizationtook place in Proterozoic times. Sm–Nd garnet₂–clinopyroxene₂–wholerock ± orthopyroxene₂ mineral isochrons from three pyroxenitelayers define overlapping ages of 452·1 ± 7·5and 448 ± 13 Ma and 451 ± 43 Ma (2     

Nature of the Source Regions for Post-collisional, Potassic Magmatism in Southern and Northern Tibet from Geochemical Variations and Inverse Trace Element Modelling

Neogene potassic lavas in northern and southern Tibet have differentisotopic (     

鄂东南铜山口、殷祖埃达克质（adakitic）侵入岩的地球化学特征对比：（拆沉）下地壳熔融与斑岩铜矿的成因

鄂东南地区铜山口花岗闪长斑岩体是与斑岩铜钼矿床共生的岩体,但殷祖花岗闪长岩体是与金属成矿无关的岩体。铜山口和殷祖侵入岩的元素地球化学特征与埃达克岩的地球化学特征非常类似,如高Al2O3、Sr含量与La/Yb、Sr/Y比值,富Na2O(Na2O/K2O>1.0),亏损Y与Yb,极弱负Eu异常-正Eu异常以及正Sr异常等。但是铜山口和殷祖侵入岩也存在 明显的差别:前者比后者更偏酸性,但具有较高的K2O,MgO,Cr,Ni和Sr含量,较低的Y和Yb含量,轻重稀土元素分异更明显,并主要显示出正铕异常,区别于后者的极弱负Eu异常-不明显Eu异常。这表明铜山口埃达克质侵入岩的岩浆来源可能比殷祖埃达克质侵入岩的岩浆来源更深:前者可能由拆沉的下地壳熔融形成,残留物主要含石榴子石;而后者可能由增厚的下地壳熔融形成,残留物可能为石榴子石±斜长石±角闪石。另外,热的地幔上涌,底辟(diapir)进入下地壳,导致含角闪石的榴辉岩发生熔融也可形成铜山口埃达克质岩浆。铜山口埃达克质岩浆在穿过地幔的过程中,将会与地幔橄榄岩发生交换反应:一方面由于受橄榄岩的混染而使得岩浆的MgO,Cr和Ni增高;另一方面岩浆中的Fe2O3不断加入到地幔中,导致地幔的氧逸度(fo2)增高,地幔中金属硫化物被氧化并进入岩浆中,富含Cu-Mo等成矿物质的岩浆上升很容易形成斑岩铜钼矿