日本海沟俯冲带热结构与深源地震

本文利用有限差分方法,计算了全地幔对流模式和双层地幔对流模式下日本海沟俯冲带热结构、浮力及P波速度异常分布,基于亚稳态橄榄石相变模型推测亚稳态橄榄石的存在范围,同时分析了热传导系数、热膨胀系数和热源对俯冲带热结构的影响,以及俯冲带所受浮力与俯冲带形态的关系.结果表明,双层地幔对流模式下模拟的P波速度异常分布与层析成像结果更为相符,也与深源地震的分布有较好的相关性.板块内部亚稳态橄榄石的存在范围随热传导系数和热膨胀系数的减小而增大,同时忽略相变潜热和剪切生热的影响也会造成模型所预测的亚稳态橄榄石范围偏大.俯冲带所受负浮力在400 km深度附近达到最大值,亚稳态橄榄石的存在使负浮力逐渐减小,甚至在板块内部产生正浮力,不利于俯冲带穿透660 km相变界面.     

The Role of History-Dependent Rheology in Plate Boundary Lubrication for Generating One-Sided Subduction

We have developed a two-dimensional dynamical model of asymmetric subduction integrated into the mantle convection without imposed plate velocities. In this model we consider that weak oceanic crust behaves as a lubricator on the thrust fault at the plate boundary. We introduce a rheological layer that depends on the history of the past fracture to simulate the effect of the oceanic crust. The thickness of this layer is set to be as thin as the Earth's oceanic crust. To treat 1-kilometer scale structure at the plate boundary in the 1000-kilometer scale mantle convection calculation, we introduce a new numerical method to solve the hydrodynamic equations using a couple of uniform and nonuniform grids of control volumes. Using our developed models, we have systematically investigated effects of basic rheological parameters that determine the deformation strength of the lithosphere and the oceanic crust on the development of the subducted slab, with a focus on the plate motion controlling mechanism. In our model the plate subduction is produced when the friction coefficient (0.004–0.008) of the modeled oceanic crust and the maximum strength (400 MPa) of the lithosphere are in plausible range inferred from the observations on the plate driving forces and the plate deformation, and the rheology experiments. In this range of the plate strength, yielding induces the plate bending. In this case the speed of plate motion is controlled more by viscosity layering of the underlying mantle than by the plate strength. To examine the setting of the overriding plate, we also consider the two end-member cases in which the overriding plate is fixed or freely-movable. In the case of the freely-movable overriding plate, the trench motion considerably changes the dip angle of the deep slab. Especially in the case with a shallow-angle plate boundary, retrograde slab motion occurs to generate a shallow-angle deep slab.     

Excess of bottom-released methane in an Arctic shelf sea polynya in winter

Latent heat polynyas are regions generating strong ice formation, convection and extensive water mass formation. Here we report on the effects of these processes on resuspension of sediments and subsequent methane release from the seafloor and on the resulting excess methane concentration in surface water on a polar shelf during winter. The study is based on measurements of concentration and δ¹³C values of methane, water temperature, salinity, light transmission and sea ice data collected in March 2003 in Storfjorden, southern Svalbard. In winter, strong and persistent northeasterly winds create polynyas in eastern Storfjorden and cause ice formation. The resulting brine-enriched water cascades from the Storfjordbanken into the central depression thereby enhancing the turbulence near the seafloor. A distinct benthic nepheloid layer was observed reflecting the resuspension of sediments by the cascading dense bottom water. High concentrations of ¹³C-depleted methane suggest submarine discharge of methane with the resuspended sediments. As the source of the submarine methane, we propose recent bacterial methanogenesis near the sediment surface because of extremely high accumulation rates of organic carbon in Storfjorden. Convective mixing transports newly released methane from the bottom to the sea surface. This eventually results in an excess concentration in surface water with respect to the atmospheric equilibrium, and a sea-air flux of methane during periods of open water. When a new ice cover is formed, methane becomes trapped in the water column and subsequently oxidized. Thus, the residual methane is strongly enriched in ¹³C in relation to the δ¹³_CCH4${\delta }^{13}{\mathrm{C}}_{{\mathrm{CH}}_4}$ signature of atmospheric methane. Our results show that latent heat polynyas may induce a direct pathway for biogases like methane from sediments to the atmosphere through coupling of biogeochemical and oceanographic processes. Extrapolating these processes to all Arctic ocean polynyas, we estimate a transfer of CH₄ between 0.005 and 0.02 Tg yr⁻¹. This is not a large contribution but the fluxes from the polynyas are 20–200 times larger than the ocean average and the methane evasion process in polynyas is certainly one that can be altered under climate change.     

Cretaceous length of day perturbation by mantle avalanche

These last 10 years, numerical models of mantle convection have emphasized the role of the 670 km endothermic phase change in generating avalanches that trigger catastrophic mass transfers between upper and lower mantle. On the other hand, scientists have emphasized the concomitance of large-scale worldwide geophysical and tectonic events, which could find their deep thermal roots in the huge mass transfers induced by the avalanches. In particular, the paleontological records show two periods of length of day (l.o.d.) shortening between 420 and 360, and 200 and 80 Myr BP. This last event is synchronous with a strong true polar wander and a global warming of the upper mantle. In order to study the potential effects of the avalanche on the main component of the Earth’s rotation, the Liouville equation has been solved and the l.o.d. evolution has been calculated from the perturbations of the inertia tensor. The results show that the inertia tensor of the Earth’s is mainly sensitive to the global transfers through the 670 km discontinuity. The l.o.d. perturbations will be synchronous with the global thermal effects of the avalanche. These theoretical results allow proposing a self-consistent physical mechanism to explain periods of the Earth’s rotation acceleration. Within this context, the l.o.d. shortening during the Cenozoic and Cretaceous brings one more clue to the possible participation of a mantle avalanche in generating the concomitant large scale events which have occurred during this very particular period of the Earth’s history.     

A positivity preserving method for simulation of steam injection for NAPL site remediation

Numerical modelling of steam injection methods for cleanup of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contamination of groundwater requires consideration of multiphase, multicomponent convective and dispersive transport. Standard techniques do not ensure that the solution of the discrete equations has positive mole fractions, for finite mesh sizes. Negative mole fractions may cause the simulation to abort due to failure of the Newton iteration. A method for alleviating this problem is described. This method ensures that the mole fractions are positive, and results in an error that is the same size as the usual finite element discretization error. Example computations are presented for cartesian and axisymmetric two-dimensional geometries.     

A preliminary study of the effects of some flow parameters in the generation of poloidal and toroidal energies within a 3-D spherical thermal-convective system with variable viscosity

The effects of variable viscosity on flow dynamics within spherical shells are investigated using a finite-element thermal convection model, and preliminary result for cases with relatively low Rayleigh numbers and small viscosity contrasts are reported. These results demonstrate some general effects of viscosity variation on mantle dynamics, and, in particular, the generation of toroidal energy. Since lateral viscosity variations are necessary in the generation of toroidal motion in a thermally driven convective system, it is not surprising our results show that flows with greater viscosity contrasts produce greater amounts of toroidal energy. Our preliminary study further shows that solutions become more time-dependent as viscosity contrasts increase. Increasing the Rayleigh number is also found to increase the magnitude of toroidal energy. Internal heating, on the other hand, appears to lead to less toroidal energy compared wth bottom heating because it tends to produce a thermally more uniform interior and thus smaller viscosity variations.     

基于随温度变化的热系数模拟板块俯冲动力学过程

热传导系数和热膨胀系数是影响板块俯冲动力学过程的两个重要参数. 由于地球介质的不均匀性,热系数也会随深度发生变化.然而,这种变化在地球动力学模拟研究中往往被忽略.本文针对随温度变化的热传导系数和热膨胀系数, 模拟板块俯冲的动力学过程,分析热系数、黏度对板块俯冲形态的影响及其对应的地幔对流特征.结果表明,依温度变化的热传导系数和热膨胀系数会影响地幔温度及黏度分布,进而改变板块的俯冲角度;黏度是控制板块俯冲动力学演化过程的重要因素;地幔对流受黏度结构的影响,呈现分层对流及局部多个对流环等多种不同形态的对流场特征.     

极隙区粒子和电流的观测和研究

处于高纬向日面的极隙区是太阳风能量、动量和质量可以直接进入地球磁场并到达地球的近地空间的区域。本文简要介绍了极隙区的观测和研究，综述了极隙区的粒子沉降、场向电流、等离子体对流和电离层电流的特征。     

A nonlinear stability analysis of convection in a generalized incompressible fluid

Abstract

We establish a nonlinear stability result for convection in a generalized incompressible fluid. Both numerical calculations and an asymptotic analysis are carried out. The linear and nonlinear results are shown to be very close in both cases, implying that the region of possible subcritical instabilities is very small.

During this work I was supported by a research studentship awarded by the Science and Engineering Council of the United Kingdom.     

Two-and three-dimensional linear convection in a rotating annulus

Abstract

An exceptional case to the model-independent theory of Knobloch (1995) is presented, by investigating a rotating cylindrical annulus of height H and side wall radii r _o and r _i, with non-slip, perfectly thermally conducting side walls and thermally insulating stress-free ends. Radial heating permits the possibility of either two- or three-dimensional convective solutions being the preferred mode. An analytical solution is obtained for the two-dimensional case and a numerical solution for the three-dimensional solution, which is also applied to the two-dimensional solution. It is shown that both two- and three-dimensional solutions can be realized depending on the aspect ratio, γ = H/d, where d = r _o-r _i is the thickness of the annulus, the radii ratio λ = r _i/r _o and the rotation rate of the model. For γ = O(1) and λ = 0.4, the preferred convective solution is three-dimensional when the Taylor number, T < 10² and two-dimensional for T > 10². For small aspect ratios, γ ? 1, the preferred mode is two-dimensional for all rotation rates.