Intra-arc opening and closure of a marginal sea: The case of the Guerrero Terrane (SW Mexico)

Abstract The pre-Oligocene structure of southwest Mexico, south of the trans-Mexico volcanic axis, is investigated from Taxco (Guerrero state, abbreviation: Gro) to the Pacific coast. Three volcano-sedimentary units are recognized; from east to west the calc-alkaline Teloloapan, tholeiitic Arcelia and calc-alkaline Zihuatanejo suites. Structural and stratigraphic data show that the Teloloapan volcanic arc, active during ?Late Jurassic and early Cretaceous, was built upon continental basement. The Teloloapan lavas are overlain by the Albian–Cenomanian Morelos platform carbonates and followed by the Upper Cretaceous Mexcala flysch. In contrast, the Arcelia pillow lavas are associated with sandstones and cherts of Albian-?Cenomanian age. The Zihuatanejo arc was also installed upon continental basement and its magmatic activity was in part coeval with Arcelia magmatism. Unlike the almost undeformed Zihuatanejo volcanic rocks, all the other volcanic units are involved in east-vergent thrusting and recumbent folding associated with ductile tectonics, as well as the Late Cretaceous Mexcala flysch overlying the Morelos platform carbonates. Contrasting with previous views, the present results do not support a major mid-Cretaceous thrusting event in the study area. The new geodynamic interpretation proposed here considers that the Arcelia rocks were formed in a marginal basin situated east of the Zihuatanejo arc. Closure of this basin in Paleocene times is responsible for the east vergent thrust tectonics in SW Mexico.     

我国玄武岩地下水的基本特征

论述了玄武岩的空隙类型及其网络系统、玄武岩水文性质基本特征,分析了玄武岩地下水的富集规律和补径排条件,同时,还对玄武岩地下水资源及其开发利用,以及玄武岩地区广泛分布的饮用天然矿泉水做了简要介绍。     

关于Stokes公式的球面卷积和平面卷积的注记

讨论了Stokes公式球面卷积和平面卷积形式的近似性和严密性问题,分析了Stokes函数球面卷积形式和平面卷积形式的关系,推导了其间的差值表达式,估算了最大差值及其对计算大地水准面差距的误差影响。同时指出,将顾及Stokes函数全项的平面卷积公式称为严密公式的提法,仅仅是相对仅顾及Stokes函数首项的简单平面卷积公式而言,认为更合理的提法应该是“高精度Stokes平面近似卷积公式”。理论分析表明,球面卷积不可能严格转化为等效的平面卷积。     

NOC model of the earth's main magnetic field

The international geomagnetic reference field (IGRF) is a standard model for describing the spatial structure and temporal variation of the earth抯 main magnetic field[1—3]. The first IGRF model, designated IGRF 1965, was adopted by IAGA in 1968[4]. In l…     

The Deformation of Active Tectonic Blocks on the Chinese Mainland and Its Relationship with Seismic Activity

Based on the hypothesis of the active tectonic blocks on the Chinese continent and its adjacent regions (both the method of the DDA on a spherical surface and the GPS survey results observed from 1991 to 2001 are used), the movements and deformations of each active tectonicblock are calculated. The calculation results show that although the movements and deformations of active tectonic-blocks in the eastern region and in the western region of China are different, active tectonic blocks in the same active tectonic block region are coherent.Then, the relative velocities of the active tectonic-blocks‘ boundary zones are calculated, and the relationship between current crustal motion and strong seismic activities is discussed. Earthquakes (Ms≥7.0) on the Chinese continent since 1988 all occurred on boundary zones of active tectonic blocks with high slipping speed.     

Cenozoic Magmatism of the North-Eastern Eurasian Margin: The Role of Lithosphere Versus Asthenosphere

Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalin are located in the Russian Far Eastflank of the northernmost part of the Sea of Japan. Magmatismin this region preceded, was concurrent with, and continuedafter the extension and sea-floor spreading (25–18 Ma)that formed the Sea of Japan. Among the Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalinvolcanic suites, Eocene–Oligocene (55–24 Ma) lavasare characterized by greater large ion lithophile element andrare earth element enrichments compared with Early–Mid-Miocene(23–15 Ma) tholeiites, and also show a depletion in highfield strength elements (HFSE). The geochemical characteristicsof the Eocene–Oligocene and Early–Mid-Miocene basaltsare consistent with migration of the locus of magma generationbeneath the Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalin areas from subduction-modifiedlithospheric mantle into mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-sourceasthenosphere as spreading in the Sea of Japan progressed. Mid-Miocene–Pliocene(14–5 Ma) lavas, erupted following the opening of theSea of Japan, include alkaline and sub-alkaline basalts withwide ranges in trace-element abundances, varying between twodistinct end-members: (1) volumetrically minor alkaline basaltswith Zr–Nb and Sr–Nb–Pb isotope compositionssimilar to asthenosphere-derived, intra-plate–hotspotbasalts from eastern China; (2) more abundant, lithosphere-derived,low-alkali tholeiites depleted in HFSE. The similarity of isotopicsignatures coupled with systematically different rare earthelement (REE) abundances in the Mid-Miocene–Pliocene andChinese basalts are best modeled by similar extents of meltingof spinel lherzolite and garnet lherzolite, respectively. TheMid-Miocene–Pliocene alkali basalts were generated bysmall degrees of partial melting of hot asthenosphere beneatha thin lithospheric lid; the thin lithospheric mantle beneaththe Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalin region resulted from heating andextension associated with the opening of the Sea of Japan. KEY WORDS: north-eastern Eurasian margin; Sikhote-Alin–Sakhalin; Japan Sea opening; subcontinental lithosphere; asthenosphere     

An analysis of near-circular lunar mapping orbits

Numerical investigations have been carried out to analyse the evolution of lunar circular orbits and the influence of the higher order harmonics of the lunar gravity field. The aim is to select the appropriate near-circular orbit characteristics, which extend orbit life through passive orbit maintenance. The spherical harmonic terms that make major contributions to the orbital behaviour are identified through many case studies. It is found that for low circular orbits, the 7th and the 9th zonal harmonics have predominant effect in the case of orbits for which the evolution is stable and the life is longer, and also in the case of orbits for which the evolution is unstable and a crash takes place in a short duration. By analysing the contribution of the harmonic terms to the orbit behaviour, the appropriate near-circular orbit characteristics are identified.