Continental margin basins in East Asia: tectonic implications of the Meso‐Cenozoic East China Sea pull‐apart basins

The East China Sea basins, located in the West Pacific Continental Margin (WPCM) since the late Mesozoic, mainly include the East China Sea Shelf Basin (ECSSB) and the Okinawa Trough (OT). The WPCM and its adjacent seas can be tectonically divided into five units from west to east, including the Min‐Zhe Uplift, ECSSB, the Taiwan–Sinzi Belt, OT, and the Ryukyu Island Arc, which record regional tectonic evolution and geodynamics. Among those tectonic units, the ECSSB and the OT are important composite sedimentary pull‐apart basins, which experienced two stages of strike‐slip pull‐apart processes. In seismic profiles, the ECSSB and the OT show a double‐layer architecture with an upper half‐graben overlapping on a lower graben. In planar view, the ECSSB and the OT are characterized by faulted blocks from south to north in the early Cenozoic and by a zonation from west to east in the late Cenozoic. The faulted blocks with planar zonation and two‐layer vertical architecture entirely jumped eastward from the Min‐Zhe Uplift to the OT during the late Cenozoic. In addition, the whole palaeogeomorphology of the ECSSB changed notably, from pre‐Cenozoic highland or mountain into a Late Eocene continental margin with east‐tilting topography caused by the eastward tectonic jumping. The OT opened to develop into a back‐arc basin until the Miocene. Synthetic surface geological studies in the China mainland reveal that the Mesozoic tectonic setting of the WPCM is an Andean‐type continental margin developing many sinistral strike‐slip faults and pull‐apart basins and the Cenozoic tectonic setting of the WPCM is a Japanese‐type continental margin developing dextral strike‐slip faults and pull‐apart basins. Thus, the WPCM underwent a transition from Andean‐type to Japanese‐type continental margins at about 80 Ma (Late Cretaceous) and a transition in topography from a Mesozoic highland to a Cenozoic lowland, and then to below sea‐level basins. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Petrologic perspectives on tectonic evolution of a nascent basin (Okinawa Trough) behind Ryukyu Arc：A review

Okinawa Trough is a back-arc, initial marginal sea basin, located behind the Ryukyu Arc–Trench System. The formation and evolution of the Okinawa Trough is intimately related to the subduction process of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate since the late Miocene. The tectonic evolution of the trough is similar to other active back-arcs, such as the Mariana Trough and southern Lau Basin, all of which are experiencing the initial rifting and subsequent spreading process. This study reviews all petrologic and geochemical data of mafic volcanic lavas from the Okinawa Trough, Ryukyu Arc, and Philippine Sea Plate, combined with geophysical data to indicate the relationship between the subduction sources(input) and arc or back-arc magmas(output) in the Philippine Sea Plate–Ryukyu Arc–Okinawa Trough system(PROS). The results obtained showed that several components were variably involved in the petrogenesis of the Okinawa Trough lavas: sub-continental lithospheric mantle underlying the Eurasian Plate, Indian mid-oceanic ridge basalt(MORB)-type mantle, and Pacific MORB-type mantle. The addition of shallow aqueous fluids and deep hydrous melts from subducted components with the characteristics of Indian MORB-type mantle into the mantle source of lavas variably modifies the primitive mantle wedge beneath the Ryukyu and subcontinental lithospheric mantle(SCLM) beneath the Okinawa Trough. In the northeastern end of the trough and arc, instead of Indian MORB-type mantle, Pacific MORB-type mantle dominates the magma source. Along the strike of the Ryukyu Arc and Okinawa Trough, the systematic variations in trace element ratios and isotopic compositions reflect the first-order effect of variable subduction input on the magma source. In general, petrologic data, combined with geophysical data, imply that the Okinawa Trough is experiencing the "seafloor spreading" process in the southwest segment, "rift propagation" process in the middle segment, and "crustal extension" process in the northeast segment, and a nascent ocean basin occurs in the southwest segment.     

东海蛾螺科(软体动物:腹足纲)一新记录属和一新记录种

通过整理分类中国科学院海洋生物标本馆历年采集的蛾螺科标本,发现了在东海大陆架生物资源调查时于冲绳海槽水深850—1685m深海处采集的3号蛾螺科标本。经研究发现为一新记录属深海蛾螺属Bathyancistrolepis的一新记录种车轴深海蛾螺Bathyancistrolepis trochoideus(Dall,1907)。文中对其贝壳的形态特征进行了详细描述,对齿舌进行了解剖学研究,并对其分类地位进行了讨论。     

冲绳海槽西部陆坡第四纪沉积地层划分

冲绳海槽西部陆坡是认识深海斜坡沉积的重要区域。通过对高分辨率地震资料的精细解释,结合已有的研究成果,在冲绳海槽西部陆坡海底以下识别出4个主要的地震层序界面,相应地划分出四个主要地震层序,各层序分别对应全新世沉积层(Q4)、晚更新世沉积层(Q3)、中更新世沉积层(Q2)和早更新世沉积层(Q1)。从陆坡上部往下由斜交前积反射结构过渡到杂乱的反射结构,在地震剖面上可识别出杂乱的丘形反射单元,是滑塌体和重力流沉积的典型地震反射特征,反映出一种高能的、极不稳定的沉积环境。海槽轴部以平行-亚平行的地震反射特征为主,显示了稳定的深海-半深海的沉积环境。地震反射结构的多样性反映了冲绳海槽西部陆坡沉积环境的复杂性和沉机作用类型的多样性,沉积地层结构是多种因素共同作用的结果。东海陆架和冲绳海槽发育相同的第四纪地层垂向序列,同时冲绳海槽西部陆坡与东海陆架第四纪沉积层在层序界面、沉积层厚度、变形程度和产状等方面存在着差异,单靠地震资料来进行两个地区的地层对比存在着不确定性。     

东海和冲绳沉积物中自生铀蓄积过程及控制机理

采用同位素稀释ICP-MS测定法,对中国东海陆架及日本冲绳海槽的6个沉积物芯中U和Th的同位素地球化学行为进行了研究,以了解氧化还原敏感元素U在近海次氧化性沉积物中的蓄积行为,并评价其在全球海洋铀平衡中的意义。东海沉积物芯中,238U浓度及238U/232Th比值随深度变化不明显。但是在冲绳海槽沉积物芯中,238U浓度及238U/232Th比值在沉积芯表层氧化带显示较低值,然后在次氧化层随深度增加而增加。230Th和232Th浓度在所有沉积物芯中基本不随深度变化。这些结果说明,冲绳沉积物中有“自生铀”的蓄积过程发生,蓄积速率约为(47±5)～(90±8)ng/(cm2·a),与文献报道的世界其他海域次氧化性沉积区大致相当。进一步证明了U在近海次氧化性沉积区的蓄积对于全球海洋铀平衡有重要意义。“自生铀”的主要蓄积机制是海水U(Ⅵ)向沉积物迁移,在还原条件下被还原为惰性的U(Ⅳ)并被吸附在沉积物固体相上。     

Mercury Anomaly in the Okinawa Trough Sediments—An Indicator of Modern Seafloor Hydrothermal Activity

The Okinawa Trough is located between the shelf-sea area of the East China Sea and the deep-sea area of western Pacific Ocean. More than 60 chemical elements in the sediments from the shelf area of the East China Sea, the Okinawa Trough and western Pacific Ocean were determined by advanced techniques including neutron activation analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, atomic fluorescence spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry. Quantitative comparisons of the element abundances of the sediments were made in terms of the enrichment coefficients (K) of the elements.K > 1.5 indicates enrichment (K = 1.5–2, weak enrichment; K = 2–4, strong enrichment) andK > 4, anomalous enrichment. The results show that the Okinawa Trough sediments are characterized by Hg anomaly and the enrichment of such elements as Au, Ag, Se, Te, Sb, Cd, Mn, Mo, etc. Detailed studies show that the excess Hg comes from hydrothermal solutions rather than from the continent, sea water, marine organisms, cosmic dust or volcanic rocks. Attributed to modern hydrothermal activities on the sea floor, Hg anomaly can be used as a geochemical indicator of modern seafloor hydrothermal activity. This project was granted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Geochemical constraints on the origin of bimodal magmatism at the Okinawa Trough, an incipient back-arc basin

The magmatism at the axial zone of the middle Okinawa Trough, a young continental back-arc basin, comprises a bimodal basaltic–rhyolitic suite, accompanied by minor intermediate rocks. We report major and trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the intermediate to silicic suites, to provide constraints on their petrogenesis. The rhyolites, recovered as lava and pumice, fall into three geochemical groups (type 1, 2, and 3 rhyolites). Type 1 rhyolites have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7040–0.7042) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.5128–0.5129) identical to those of associated basalts, and are characterized by highly fractionated REE patterns. Petrogenesis of type 1 rhyolites is explicable in terms of fractional crystallization of the associated basalt. In contrast, type 2 rhyolites and andesite have slightly higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7044–0.7047) but similar ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.5128) compared to those of the basalts. The compositions of type 2 rhyolite and andesite can be explained by assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) processes of the basalt magma; quantitative analysis suggests assimilation/fractional crystallization (M_a/M_c) ratios of ≤0.05. Hybrid andesite generated by mixing of evolved basalt and type 1 rhyolite is also present. We emphasize that mechanical extension in this part of the Okinawa Trough involves gabbroic lower crust that resulted from fractionation of mantle-derived basaltic magmas. Type 3 rhyolite occurs only as pumice, which makes its derivation questionable. This rhyolite has major and trace element compositions and Sr–Nd isotopic ratios, which suggests that it may be derived from volcanic activity on the southern Ryukyu volcanic front, and arrived in the Okinawa Trough by drifting on the Kuroshio Current.     

冲绳海槽中部火山事件的环境磁学记录

对冲绳海槽中部DH180岩心沉积物进行了AMS14C测年、磁化率、非磁滞剩余磁化强度和饱和等温剩余磁化强度等试验,在含火山物质高的两段层位各磁学参数发生了异常变化。在57.5~82.5和212.5~252.5 cm深度处磁化率、非磁滞剩余磁化强度和饱和等温剩余磁化强度表现出增大的变化趋势,饱和度则出现相对减小的变化趋势。根据磁学参数异常变化的位置和测年数据,对所记录的两次火山事件发生年代进行了计算,它们分别为距今约12.6和6.2 ka,最近一次火山喷发的年代与K-Ah火山喷发的年代基本一致。     

末次盛冰期以来冲绳海槽中部沉积物有机碳和磷的地球化学研究

利用元素及同位素地球化学方法研究了冲绳海槽中部沉积物岩芯中有机碳及磷的地球化学特征及影响因素。结果表明,冲绳海槽沉积速率(16.5～32.5 cm/ka)变化小,不是沉积物中有机碳埋藏的重要影响因素。相对于全新世氧化性底水环境,末次盛冰期/冰消期冲绳海槽缺氧底水环境提高了沉积物对有机碳的埋藏效率。冲绳海槽沉积物中各形态磷的相对含量与其他边缘海沉积物中的相似。交换态磷(Ex-P)含量低、变化小。末次盛冰期/冰消期缺氧底水环境下铁氧化物的还原溶解导致铁结合磷(Fe-P)释放以及自生磷矿物(Au-P)的形成。全新世氧化性底水条件有利于铁氧化物的有效再生及对磷的再吸附,但不利于Au-P的保存。总有机碳(TOC)和有机磷(Org-P)之间良好的相关性表明TOC埋藏对Org-P含量的重要控制作用。冲绳海槽沉积物中碎屑磷(De-P)含量低于长江口及东海陆架沉积物中的含量,这与陆源碎屑向外海传输减弱有关。在约9.3kaBP(岩芯200cm深度),TOC、Fe-P、Org-P、De-P以及FeHR均出现的极小值可能由物质坡移造成。     

冲绳海槽火山岩地球化学特征及岩浆源区地幔性质探讨

冲绳海槽是因菲律宾海板块俯冲于欧亚板块之下,在陆壳上发育起来的一个初始的弧后盆地,是研究弧后扩张作用早期盆地演化、岩浆作用和壳幔过程的天然实验室.尽管迄今对冲绳海槽已经做了大量的调查研究工作,但仍存在一些颇有争议或亟待解决的科学问题,如:冲绳海槽酸性浮岩与基性玄武岩之间的成因联系,冲绳海槽不同区段构造背景对岩浆作用的控...