淮南深地重力观测的环境噪声评估与慢地震探测潜力

深地实验室的低噪声特性为高精度连续重力观测提供了理想的外部条件.为了揭示深地观测环境对重力观测精度的提升效果,本研究利用CG-5型和CG-6型各两台重力仪,在淮南煤矿的地下和地表同时开展重力观测.为减小仪器性能差异对结果的影响,先在淮北重力站进行同址观测.研究结果表明,相比于地表观测,地下观测可以减少1/3至1/2的线性漂移和1/3左右的非线性漂移,提取的潮汐因子精度也更高.地下非线性漂移的功率谱密度比地表低,二者差异在半日波频段最大可达15 dB.相比于地表和山洞,深地观测在次地震频段有明显的低噪声优势.地震位错理论计算结果表明,冲绳海沟7级左右的地震可在淮南深地试验场产生大约0.003 μGal的重力变化,超过0.001 μGal的超导重力静态观测精度.因此有望利用淮南深地实验室,在次地震频段的低噪声优势环境下开展超导连续重力观测,捕捉冲绳海沟可能存在的7级以上慢地震事件.

     

Analysis of gravity anomalies over an inclined fault with quadratic density function

An attempt is made to interpret the gravity anomalies over an inclined fault with variable density contrast. The decrease of density contrast with depth in sedimentary rocks is approximated by a quadratic function. The anomaly equation of an inclined fault is derived with the quadratic density function. The constantsa ₀,a ₁ anda ₂ of the quadratic density function can be found from the known density-depth values. A synthetic anomaly profile of the fault model is interpreted by the non-linear optimisation technique using the Marquardt algorithm. The distances are measured from an arbitrary reference point and thus the origin of the fault model is also treated as an unknown parameter. For the assumed values of the constantsa ₀,a ₁ anda ₂, the various parameters of the fault model are found by the non-linear optimisation technique. The convergence of the method is shown by plotting the values of the objective function, lamda, and the parameters of the fault model with respect to iteration number. The two parameters inclination and origin are found to be correlated. The same program is used to interpret the gravity anomalies with different density contrasts. Finally, the use of modelling with the quadratic density function is discussed.     

Three-dimensional admittance analysis of lithospheric elastic thickness over the Louisville Ridge

Using bathymetry and altimetric gravity anomalies, a 1° 9 1° lithospheric effective elastic thickness(Te) model over the Louisville Ridge and its adjacent regions is calculated using the moving window admittance technique. For comparison, three bathymetry models are used: general bathymetric charts of the oceans, SIO V15.1,and BAT_VGG. The results show that BAT_VGG is more suitable for calculating T e than the other two models. T e along the Louisville Ridge was re-evaluated. The southeast of the ridge has a medium Te of 10–20 km, while Te increases dramatically seaward of the Tonga-Kermadec trench as a result of the collision of the Pacific and IndoAustralian plates.     

Review paper: Exploration geophysics for intrusion‐hosted rare metals

Igneous intrusions, notably carbonatitic–alkalic intrusions, peralkaline intrusions, and pegmatites, represent significant sources of rare‐earth metals. Geophysical exploration for and of such intrusions has met with considerable success. Examples of the application of the gravity, magnetic, and radiometric methods in the search for rare metals are presented and described. Ground gravity surveys defining small positive gravity anomalies helped outline the shape and depth of the Nechalacho (formerly Lake) deposit within the Blatchford Lake alkaline complex, Northwest Territories, and of spodumene‐rich mineralization associated with the Tanco deposit, Manitoba, within the hosting Tanco pegmatite. Based on density considerations, the bastnaesite‐bearing main ore body within the Mountain Pass carbonatite, California, should produce a gravity high similar in amplitude to those associated with the Nechalacho and Tanco deposits. Gravity also has utility in modelling hosting carbonatite intrusions, such as the Mount Weld intrusion, Western Australia, and Elk Creek intrusion, Nebraska. The magnetic method is probably the most successful geophysical technique for locating carbonatitic–alkalic host intrusions, which are typically characterized by intense positive, circular to sub‐circular, crescentic, or annular anomalies. Intrusions found by this technique include the Mount Weld carbonatite and the Misery Lake alkali complex, Quebec. Two potential carbonatitic–alkalic intrusions are proposed in the Grenville Province of Eastern Quebec, where application of an automatic technique to locate circular magnetic anomalies identified several examples. Two in particular displayed strong similarities in magnetic pattern to anomalies accompanying known carbonatitic or alkalic intrusions hosting rare‐metal mineralization and are proposed to have a similar origin. Discovery of carbonatitic–alkalic hosts of rare metals has also been achieved by the radiometric method. The Thor Lake group of rare‐earth metal deposits, which includes the Nechalacho deposit, were found by follow‐up investigations of strong equivalent thorium and uranium peaks defined by an airborne survey. Prominent linear radiometric anomalies associated with glacial till in the Canadian Shield have provided vectors based on ice flow directions to source intrusions. The Allan Lake carbonatite in the Grenville Province of Ontario is one such intrusion found by this method. Although not discovered by its radiometric characteristics, the Strange Lake alkali intrusion on the Quebec–Labrador border is associated with prominent linear thorium and uranium anomalies extending at least 50 km down ice from the intrusion. Radiometric exploration of rare metals hosted by pegmatites is evaluated through examination of radiometric signatures of peraluminous pegmatitic granites in the area of the Tanco pegmatite.     

Gravity anomaly and crustal density structure in Jilantai rift zone and its adjacent region

This paper deals with the interpretation of Bouguer gravity anomalies measured along a 250 km long Suhaitu-Etuokeqi gravity profile located at the transitional zone of the Alxa and Ordos blocks where geophysical characteristics are very complex. The analysis is carried out in terms of the ratio of elevation and Bouguer gravity anomaly, the normalized full gradient of a section of the Bouguer gravity anomaly (G ^h ) and the crustal density structure reveal that (1) the ratio of highs and lows of elevation and Bouguer gravity anomaly is large between Zhengyiguan fault (F4) and Helandonglu fault (F6), which can be explained due to crustal inhomogeneities related to the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet block in the northeast; (2) the main active faults correspond to the G ^h contour strip or cut the local region, and generally show strong deformation characteristics, for example the Bayanwulashan mountain front fault (F1) or the southeast boundary of Alxa block is in accord with the western change belt of G ^h , a belt about 10 km wide that extends to about 30 km; (3) Yinchuan-Pingluo fault (F8) is the seismogenic structure of the Pingluo M earthquake, and its focal depth is about 15 km; (4) the Moho depth trend and Bouguer gravity anomaly variation indicates that the regional gravity field is strongly correlated with the Moho discontinuity.     

Gravity field and tectonic features of Block L2 in the Lamu basin,Kenya

A gravity survey on the scale of 1: 250 000 was carried out in Block L2 located in the Lamu basin of south‐east Kenya in order to study tectonic features and find out favourable petroleum prospects in the block. This paper, through data processing and synthetic interpretation of the measured gravity data in the block, discusses characteristics of the gravity field and their geological implications, determines the fault system and the basement depth, analyses features of the main strata, divides structure units and predicts favourable petroleum zones. In the block, the regional gravity anomaly is mainly caused by the inclined Moho surface that rises in the east and subsides in the west topographically and the Bouguer gravity anomaly primarily reflects the superimposition of the gravity effect derived from the Moho surface and the basement relief. Two groups of faults extending NW (NWW) and NE (NEE) respectively are dominant in the block and their activities resulted in the framework of east‐west zoning and south‐north blocking. The basement depth greatly changes in an alternative high and low pattern. The Permian‐Triassic, Jurassic and Tertiary strata are extensively developed, while the Cretaceous is only developed in the east of the block. Structurally, the block can be divided into five units, of which the Tana sag shows excellent source‐reservoir‐seal associations and is a favourable target for future petroleum exploration.     

High‐accuracy practical spline‐based 3D and 2D integral transformations in potential‐field geophysics

Potential, potential field and potential‐field gradient data are supplemental to each other for resolving sources of interest in both exploration and solid Earth studies. We propose flexible high‐accuracy practical techniques to perform 3D and 2D integral transformations from potential field components to potential and from potential‐field gradient components to potential field components in the space domain using cubic B‐splines. The spline techniques are applicable to either uniform or non‐uniform rectangular grids for the 3D case, and applicable to either regular or irregular grids for the 2D case. The spline‐based indefinite integrations can be computed at any point in the computational domain. In our synthetic 3D gravity and magnetic transformation examples, we show that the spline techniques are substantially more accurate than the Fourier transform techniques, and demonstrate that harmonicity is confirmed substantially better for the spline method than the Fourier transform method and that spline‐based integration and differentiation are invertible. The cost of the increase in accuracy is an increase in computing time. Our real data examples of 3D transformations show that the spline‐based results agree substantially better or better with the observed data than do the Fourier‐based results. The spline techniques would therefore be very useful for data quality control through comparisons of the computed and observed components. If certain desired components of the potential field or gradient data are not measured, they can be obtained using the spline‐based transformations as alternatives to the Fourier transform techniques.     

九江-瑞昌矿集区的3D结构及对区域找矿的启示

本文分析了九瑞地区重、磁场的分布特征.运用最新的方法技术对已有的重磁资料重新进行处理:采用重磁多尺度边缘检测方法,对九瑞矿集区区域重力和航磁数据进行了边缘检测,并根据检测结果重新厘定了断裂系统的展布位置.在整理、分析九瑞地区地质、地层物性资料的基础上,对实测的1∶5万重磁数据进行较细致的准三维反演.同时将重磁三维物性反演应用到岩浆岩空间结构研究中,获得了矿集区地层结构及岩浆岩三维空间形态特征.根据反演所得磁化率强弱,分析了岩体的基性程度,为寻找与火山岩、侵入岩体有关的金属矿产提供了指示信息.最终建立的模型给出了地下地层的分布特征、控矿构造的展布规律、与成矿相关岩体的三维形态以及已知矿点的空间分布特征,为在九瑞矿集区的深部寻找隐伏矿体提供了新的信息.     

2013年四川芦山Ms7.0地震前的重力变化

利用川西地区2010-2012年期间的流动重力观测资料,系统分析了区域重力场变化及其与2013年4月20日四川芦山7.0级地震发生的关系.结果主要表明:①区域重力场异常变化与北东向龙门山断裂带南段和北北西向马尔康断裂带在空间上关系密切,反映沿该两断裂带(段)在2010-2012年期间发生了引起地表重力变化效应的构造活动或变形.②芦山7.0级地震前,测区内出现了较大空间范围的区域性重力异常,而震源区附近产生了局部重力异常,沿龙门山断裂带南段形成了重力变化高梯度带,其中,宝兴、天全、康定、泸定、石棉一带重力差异变化达100×10^-8m·s^-2以上;这些可能反映芦山地震前,区域及震源区附近均产生与该地震孕育、发生有关的构造运动或应力增强作用.③重力场差分动态演化图像和重力场累积变化动态图像均反映芦山7.0级地震孕育过程的最后2~3年出现较显著的流动重力异常变化,可视为该地震的中期前兆信息;本文第一作者等也曾基于该流动重力异常变化在芦山7.0级地震前做过一定程度的中期预测,尤其是地点预测.本文的例子再次证明流动重力观测能较好地捕捉到强震孕育发生过程中,特别是该过程最后阶段的重力异常变化信息.因此,区域流动重力场观测对未来强震的中-长期预测,尤其是在发震地点的判定上具有优势.     

3D Gravity Inversion by Growing Bodies and Shaping Layers at Mt. Vesuvius (Southern Italy)

To improve our knowledge of the structural pattern of Mt. Vesuvius and its magmatic system, which represents one of the three volcanoes located in the Neapolitan area (together with Campi Flegrei and Ischia; southern Italy), we analyze here the Bouguer gravity map that is already available through its interpretation by means of 2.5-dimensional modelling. We have carried out a three-dimensional interpretation using a new and original algorithm, known as ‘Layers’, that has been especially processed for this purpose. Layers works in an automatic and non-subjective way, and allows the definition of the structural settings in terms of several layers, each representing a specific geological formation. The same data are also interpreted in terms of isolated and shallow anomalous density bodies using a well tested algorithm known as ‘Growth’. We focus our inversions on the Mt. Vesuvius volcano, while globally analyzing the entire Neapolitan area, in order to investigate the deep structures, and in particular the deep extended ‘sill’ that has been revealed by seismic tomography. The final models generally confirm the global setting of the area as outlined by previous investigations, mainly for the shape and depth of the carbonate basement below Mt. Vesuvius. The presence of lateral density contrasts inside the volcano edifice is also shown, which was only hypothesized in the 2.5-dimensional inversion. Moreover, the models allow us to note a high density body that rises from the top of the carbonate basement and further elongates above sea level. This probably represents an uprising of the same basement, which is just below the volcano and which coincides with the V_P and V_P/V_S anomalies detected under the crater. The three-dimensional results also reveal that the two inversion methods provide very similar models, where the high density isolated body in the Growth model can be associated with the rising high density anomaly in the Layers model. Taking into account the density of these modelled bodies, we would also suggest that they represent solidified magma bodies, as suggested by other studies. Finally, we did not clearly detect any deep anomalous body that can be associated with the sill that was suggested by seismic tomography.