Structure and tectonic evolution of the Southern Eurasia Basin, Arctic Ocean

Multichannel seismic reflection data acquired by Marine Arctic Geological Expedition (MAGE) of Murmansk, Russia in 1990 provide the first view of the geological structure of the Arctic region between 77–80°N and 115–133°E, where the Eurasia Basin of the Arctic Ocean adjoins the passive-transform continental margin of the Laptev Sea. South of 80°N, the oceanic basement of the Eurasia Basin and continental basement of the Laptev Sea outer margin are covered by 1.5 to 8 km of sediments. Two structural sequences are distinguished in the sedimentary cover within the Laptev Sea outer margin and at the continent/ocean crust transition: the lower rift sequence, including mostly Upper Cretaceous to Lower Paleocene deposits, and the upper post-rift sequence, consisting of Cenozoic sediments. In the adjoining Eurasia Basin of the Arctic Ocean, the Cenozoic post-rift sequence consists of a few sedimentary successions deposited by several submarine fans. Based on the multichannel seismic reflection data, the structural pattern was determined and an isopach map of the sedimentary cover and tectonic zoning map were constructed. A location of the continent/ocean crust transition is tentatively defined. A buried continuation of the mid-ocean Gakkel Ridge is also detected. This study suggests that south of 78.5°N there was the cessation in the tectonic activity of the Gakkel Ridge Rift from 33–30 until 3–1 Ma and there was no sea-floor spreading in the southernmost part of the Eurasia Basin during the last 30–33 m.y. South of 78.5°N all oceanic crust of the Eurasia Basin near the continental margin of the Laptev Sea was formed from 56 to 33–30 Ma.     

Origin of the northern Indus Fan and Murray Ridge, Northern Arabian Sea: interpretation from seismic and magnetic imaging

The nature and origin of the sediments and crust of the Murray Ridge System and northern Indus Fan are discussed. The uppermost unit consists of Middle Miocene to recent channel–levee complexes typical of submarine fans. This unit is underlain by a second unit composed of hemipelagic to pelagic sediments deposited during the drift phase after the break-up of India–Seychelles–Africa. A predrift sequence of assumed Mesozoic age occurring only as observed above basement ridges is composed of highly consolidated rocks. Different types of the acoustic basement were detected, which reflection seismic pattern, magnetic anomalies and gravity field modeling indicate to be of continental character. The continental crust is extremely thinned in the northern Indus Fan, lacking a typical block-faulted structure. The Indian continent–ocean transition is marked on single MCS profiles by sequences of seaward-dipping reflectors (SDR). In the northwestern Arabian Sea, the Indian plate margin is characterized by several phases of volcanism and deformation revealed from interpretation of multichannel seismic profiles and magnetic anomalies. From this study, thinned continental crust spreads between the northern Murray Ridge System and India underneath the northern Indus Fan.     

Post-mid-Cretaceous eastern North Sea evolution inferred from 3D thermo-mechanical modelling

The Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic evolution of the eastern North Sea region is investigated by 3D thermo-mechanical modelling. The model quantifies the integrated effects on basin evolution of large-scale lithospheric processes, rheology, strength heterogeneities, tectonics, eustasy, sedimentation and erosion.

The evolution of the area is influenced by a number of factors: (1) thermal subsidence centred in the central North Sea providing accommodation space for thick sediment deposits; (2) 250-m eustatic fall from the Late Cretaceous to present, which causes exhumation of the North Sea Basin margins; (3) varying sediment supply; (4) isostatic adjustments following erosion and sedimentation; (5) Late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic Alpine compressional phases causing tectonic inversion of the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone (STZ) and other weak zones.

The stress field and the lateral variations in lithospheric strength control lithospheric deformation under compression. The lithosphere is relatively weak in areas where Moho is deep and the upper mantle warm and weak. In these areas the lithosphere is thickened during compression producing surface uplift and erosion (e.g., at the Ringkøbing–Fyn High and in the southern part of Sweden). Observed late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic shallow water depths at the Ringkøbing–Fyn High as well as Cenozoic surface uplift in southern Sweden (the South Swedish Dome (SSD)) are explained by this mechanism.

The STZ is a prominent crustal structural weakness zone. Under compression, this zone is inverted and its surface uplifted and eroded. Contemporaneously, marginal depositional troughs develop. Post-compressional relaxation causes a regional uplift of this zone.

The model predicts sediment distributions and paleo-water depths in accordance with observations. Sediment truncation and exhumation at the North Sea Basin margins are explained by fall in global sea level, isostatic adjustments to exhumation, and uplift of the inverted STZ. This underlines the importance of the mechanisms dealt with in this paper for the evolution of intra-cratonic sedimentary basins.     

Documentary and Geological Records of Tsunamis in the Aegean Sea Region of Greece and their Potential Value to Risk Assessment and Disaster Management

Understanding the nature and impacts of tsunamis within the Aegean Sea region ofGreece is of importance to both the academic community and those organisationsconcerned with tsunami disaster management. In order to determine hazard and riskand consequently pre-plan mitigative strategies, it is necessary to analyse historical(documentary) and geological records of former tsunami events. Therefore, firstlythis paper provides a summary of the written sources of information on Aegeantsunamis paying particular attention to published catalogues. From the availabledata, it is noted that a large number of events have been reported during the last3500 years. Secondly, the paper provides a review of the published on-shore(terrestrial) geological records of tsunamis within the region. From this analysisit is seen that little geological evidence has been identified for the large numberof tsunamis reported in the catalogues. Thirdly, the paper considers the reliabilityof the written and geological records and how problems of accuracy, coverage,extent and reliability, may have potential implications for the estimation of hazardand risk. The paper concludes by making recommendations for disaster managers,geologists and historians to work closely together.     

Volcanological and petrological evolution of Marsili Seamount (southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

A swath bathymetric survey was conducted on Marsili Volcano, the biggest seamount in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It stands 3000 m above the surrounding oceanic crust of the 3500 m-deep Marsili back-arc basin and is axially located within the basin. The seamount has an elongated shape and presents distinctive morphology, with narrow (<1000 m) ridges, made up of several elongated cones, on the summit zone and extensive cone fields on its lower flanks. A dredging campaign carried out at water depths varying between 3400 and 600 m indicates that most of Marsili Seamount is composed of medium-K calc-alkaline basalts. Evolved high-K andesites were only recovered from the small cones on the summit axis zone. Petrological and geochemical characteristics of the least differentiated basalts reveal that at least two varieties of magmas have been erupted on the Marsili Volcano. Group 1 basalts have plagioclase and olivine as dominant phases and show lower Al, Ca, K, Ba, Rb and Sr, and higher Fe, Na, Ti and Zr with respect to a second type of basaltic magma. Group 2 basalts reveal the presence of clinopyroxene as an additional phenocryst phase. In addition, the two basaltic magmas have different original pre-eruptive H₂O content (group 1, H₂O-poor and group 2, H₂O-rich). Moreover, comparison of the compositional trends and mineralogical compositions obtained from MELTS [Ghiorso, M.S., Sack, R.O., Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 119 (1995) 197–212] fractional crystallization calculations reveal that the evolved andesites can only exclusively be derived from a low-pressure (0.3 kbar) fractionation of magmas compositionally similar to the least evolved group 2 basalts. Finally, we suggest that the high vesicularity of the basalts sampled at relatively great depths (>2400 m) on the edifice is governed by H₂O and, probably, CO₂ exsolution and is not a feature indicative of shallow water depth eruption.     

Chemical equilibria of thermal waters for the application of geothermometers from the Guanzhong basin, China

In this study, representative samples from thermal wells and springs were chemically analyzed and geothermometers were used to calculate the deep temperatures of geothermal reservoirs on the basis of water–mineral equilibrium. In some cases, however, the chemical components are not in equilibrium with the minerals in the reservoir. Therefore, log(Q/K) diagrams are used to study the chemical equilibrium for the minerals that are likely to participate. The Na–K–Mg triangular diagram is also applied to evaluate the equilibrium of water with reservoir rocks. Standard curves at the reference temperatures are prepared to reveal which type of silica geothermometer is appropriate for the specified condition. This study shows that water samples from geothermal wells W9 and W12 are in equilibrium with the selective minerals, and chalcedony may control the fluid–silica equilibrium. It is estimated that there is an exploitable low-temperature reservoir with possible temperatures of 80–90°C in the Guanzhong basin.     

南海地球物理场特征及基底断裂体系研究

南海海域主体可划分为南海北缘、中西沙、南沙南海海盆四块，各块具有明显不同的重磁场特征。反演得到的莫霍面总体趋势由陆向洋抬升，反映陆壳、拉伸陆壳、过渡壳、洋壳的分布。东沙高磁异常含一定的高频成份，与新生代玄武岩及中生代岩浆岩有关，而其低频成份可能反映了发育的下地壳高速层，南海海域断裂极为发育，可分为北东向断裂组、东西向断裂组、北西向断裂组和南北向断裂组，南海北缘、南缘均以北东向张性断裂与北西向张剪性、剪性断裂为主要格架，形成了、南北分带、东西分块”构造格局。     

1999年台湾7.6级大震与江苏-南黄海地区中强震预测

分析讨论了台湾地区7级大震与本区中强震之间相关关系，指出1999年台湾7.6级大震后2－3年内，本区将有5－6级中强震发生。同时应用可公度模型和“带头地震”的异年倍九法联合对本区中强震发震时间进行分析预测。结论表明，该方法可以较好地应用于本区短临地震预报实践。     

The experimental studies on electrical con-ductivities and P-wave velocities of anortho-site at high pressure and high temperature

Introduction The measurements of the compressional wave velocity and electrical conductivity of minerals and rocks are of fundamental importance to look into the earths interior, including composition, geotherm, generation and distribution of fluids and melts. Hydrous minerals formed by metamatu-siom are abundant within the earth. Previous studies have been carried out on the dehydration effect on the electrical conductivity and wave velocity of rocks such as serpentine, amphibole, most of whi…     

黄海及其沿岸历史地震初步研究

黄海及其边缘，经历史地震资料整理，地震参数估定与编目，截至1949年8月，共有M≥3级地震2187次，其中M≥43/4级地震259次，资料显示大致有三个相对集中活跃区，16世纪曾有过历史地震活动高潮。