Bending-related faulting of the incoming oceanic plate and its effect on lithospheric hydration and seismicity: A passive and active seismological study offshore Maule,Chile

We have studied the dependency between incoming plate structure, bending-related faulting, lithospheric hydration, and outer rise seismic activity offshore Maule, Chile. We derived a 2D Poisson's ratio distribution from P- and S-wave seismic wide angle data collected in the trench-outer rise. High values of Poisson's ratio in the uppermost mantle suggest that the oceanic lithosphere is highly hydrated due to the water infiltration through bending-related normal faults outcropping at the seafloor. This process is presumably facilitated by the presence of a seamount in the area. We conclude that water infiltrates deep into the lithosphere, when it approaches the Chile trench, producing a reduction of crustal and upper mantle velocities, supporting serpentinization of the upper mantle. Further, we observed a mantle Vp anisotropy of 8%, with the fast velocity axis running normal to the abyssal hill fabric and hence in spreading direction, indicating that outer rise processes have yet not affected anisotropy.The first weeks following the megatrust Mw = 8.8 Maule earthquake in 2010 were characterized by a sudden increase of the outer rise seismic activity, located between 34° S and 35°30′ S. We concluded that this phenomenon is a result of an intensification of the water infiltration process in the outer rise, presumably triggered by the main shock, whose epicenter was located some 100 km to the south east of the cluster.     

Petrological and chronological characteristics of medium-high grade metamorphic rocks in Gonjo area,southeastern margin of Qamdo block,eastern Tibet.SCIEI北大核心CSCD

青藏高原东缘的昌都地块是连接青藏高原腹地和藏东南三江-印支地区的关键区域,发育有较完整的晚古生界,以三叠系、侏罗系-白垩系广泛分布为特色;但其前寒武纪基底岩系出露较少,主要以宁多岩群(Pt_(1-2)Nd.)和草曲群(Pt_(3)C)为代表。本文针对昌都地块东南缘贡觉地区出露的一套被前人称为“宁多岩群”的中深变质岩系,开展了系统的野外地质调查、显微薄片分析、锆石U-Pb年代学等研究工作,认为该套中深变质岩系属于一套变质杂岩,其岩石组合既包括了原岩沉积时代不早于奥陶纪的片麻岩、变粒岩和大理岩等副变质岩,又包含了原岩时代分别为中二叠世的斜长角闪岩和中三叠世花岗质片麻岩等正变质岩。其原岩时代特征与昌都地块北缘的宁多岩群有较大差别,不应当归属为昌都地块的前寒武纪结晶基底。结合片麻岩的变质新生云母类矿物Ar-Ar测年数据和变质后期侵入的闪长玢岩脉锆石U-Pb年龄,认为贡觉地区出露的中深变质岩的变质时代为ca.260~244Ma(P_(2)-T_(2))。该期发生在昌都地块东南缘的角闪岩相变质作用,是金沙江古特提斯洋向西俯冲-碰撞的构造响应。     

2021年美国阿拉斯加半岛MW8.2地震震源特征分析

采用远场地震波资料和有限断层反演方法获得2021年7月29日6时15分(UTC)美国阿拉斯加州以南海域MW8.2地震的震源破裂过程模型,探讨此次地震发生的动力学背景。破裂过程反演的结果显示这次地震的滑动量分布比较集中,破裂长度约为160km,地震主体破裂发生在20～40km深度范围内,破裂由深部向浅部发展,表明此次地震释放了俯冲带浅部的应变能,破裂持续时间近120s,破裂面上最大滑移量达5m。此外,主震破裂区域中的余震分布较小,大部分余震发生在主震南部,出现这种现象表明震源区的破裂较为彻底并触发了俯冲带浅部位置的地震,本次地震的有限断层反演结果和余震分布均显示破裂向东发展,但未破裂至震中以西的舒马金空区,表明舒马金空区东部的地震危险性仍然存在。     

Fission track and fault kinematics analyses for new insight into the Late Cenozoic tectonic regime changes in West-Central Sulawesi (Indonesia)

A 3-D density model for the Cretan and Libyan Seas and Crete was developed by gravity modelling constrained by five 2-D seismic lines. Velocity values of these cross-sections were used to obtain the initial densities using the Nafe–Drake and Birch empirical functions for the sediments, the crust and the upper mantle. The crust outside the Cretan Arc is 18 to 24 km thick, including 10 to 14 km thick sediments. The crust below central Crete at its thickest section, has values between 32 and 34 km, consisting of continental crust of the Aegean microplate, which is thickened by the subducted oceanic plate below the Cretan Arc. The oceanic lithosphere is decoupled from the continental along a NW–SE striking front between eastern Crete and the Island of Kythera south of Peloponnese. It plunges steeply below the southern Aegean Sea and is probably associated with the present volcanic activity of the southern Aegean Sea in agreement with published seismological observations of intermediate seismicity. Low density and velocity upper mantle below the Cretan Sea with ρ  3.25 × 10³ kg/m³ and V_p velocity of compressional waves around 7.7 km/s, which are also in agreement with observed high heat flow density values, point out at the mobilization of the upper mantle material here. Outside the Hellenic Arc the upper mantle density and velocity are ρ ≥ 3.32 × 10³ kg/m³ and V_p = 8.0 km/s, respectively. The crust below the Cretan Sea is thin continental of 15 to 20 km thickness, including 3 to 4 km of sediments. Thick accumulations of sediments, located to the SSW and SSE of Crete, are separated by a block of continental crust extended for more than 100 km south of Central Crete. These deep sedimentary basins are located on the oceanic crust backstopped by the continental crust of the Aegean microplate. The stretched continental margin of Africa, north of Cyrenaica, and the abruptly terminated continental Aegean microplate south of Crete are separated by oceanic lithosphere of only 60 to 80 km width at their closest proximity. To the east and west, the areas are floored by oceanic lithosphere, which rapidly widens towards the Herodotus Abyssal plain and the deep Ionian Basin of the central Mediterranean Sea. Crustal shortening between the continental margins of the Aegean microplate and Cyrenaica of North Africa influence the deformation of the sediments of the Mediterranean Ridge that has been divided in an internal and external zone. The continental margin of Cyrenaica extends for more than 80 km to the north of the African coast in form of a huge ramp, while that of the Aegean microplate is abruptly truncated by very steep fractures towards the Mediterranean Ridge. Changes in the deformation style of the sediments express differences of the tectonic processes that control them. That is, subduction to the northeast and crustal subsidence to the south of Crete. Strike-slip movement between Crete and Libya is required by seismological observations.     

Structural analysis of the ‘Internal’ Units of Cilento, Italy: New constraints on the Miocene tectonic evolution of the southern Apennine accretionary wedge

Based on the structural analysis of the ‘Internal’ Units cropping out in the Cilento area (southern Italy), this article provides new geodynamic constraints on the Miocene tectonic evolution of the southern Apennine accretionary wedge. The studied sedimentary successions, forming part of the tectonically superposed Nord-Calabrese (in the hanging-wall) and Parasicilide Units, are characterized by three superposed fold sets. The analysis of the attitudes of the main structures allowed us to unravel the shortening directions experienced by the accretionary wedge in the Miocene time. The reconstructed deformation sequence, characterized by initial NW-SE shortening and subsequently by west-east and NE-SW shortening, is related to the inclusion of the studied successions into the accretionary wedge and to their subsequent tectonic emplacement on top of outer domains of the foreland plate. Accretionary wedge overthickening and uplift, probably associated with footwall imbrication involving carbonate units of the foreland plate, was followed by wedge thinning, which also enhanced the creation of accommodation space in wedge-top basin depocentres.     

Edge wave and non-trapped modes of the 25 april 1992 Cape Mendocino tsunami

The 25 April 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake generated a tsunami characterized by both coastal trapped edge wave and non-trapped tsunami modes that propagated north and south along the U.S. West Coast. Both observed and synthetic time series at Crescent City and North Spit are consistent with the zero-order edge wave mode solution for a semi-infinite sloping beach depth profile. Wave amplitudes at Crescent City were about twice that observed at North Spit, in spite of the fact that the source region was three times farther from Crescent City than North Spit. The largest observed amplitude was due to an edge wave which arrived almost three hours after the initial onset of the tsunami; since such waves are highly localized nearshore, this suggests that the enhanced responsiveness at Crescent City is at least partly due to local dynamic processes. Furthermore, the substantially delayed arrival of this wave, which was generated at the southern end of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, has significant implications for hazard mitigation efforts along the entire U.S. West Coast. Specifically, this study demonstrates that slow-moving but very energetic edge wave modes could be generated by future large tsunamigenic earthquakes in the CSZ, and that these might arrive unexpectedly at coastal communities several hours after the initial tsunami waves have subsided.     

黑龙江省新生代火山岩构造环境与地震活动

黑龙江省是中国新生代火山岩广泛分布的地区之一。通过对该省新生代火山岩构造环境的分析指出，本省西部火山岩区为大陆板内裂谷环境，地慢上隆、底辟是裂谷形成火山与地震活动的主要原因，而东部火山岩区火山与地震活动的动力则主要来自西太平洋板块对欧亚板块的俯冲作用。     

Stable isotope geochemistry of Alpine ophiolites: a window to ocean-floor hydrothermal alteration and constraints on fluid–rock interaction during high-pressure metamorphism

 The subduction of hydrated oceanic lithosphere potentially transports large volumes of water into the upper mantle; however, despite its potential importance, fluid–rock interaction during high-pressure metamorphism is relatively poorly understood. The stable isotope and major element geochemistry of Pennine ophiolite rocks from Italy and Switzerland that were metamorphosed at high pressures are similar to that of unmetamorphosed ophiolites, suggesting that they interacted with little pervasive fluid during high-pressure metamorphism. Cover sediments also have oxygen isotope ratios within the expected range of their protoliths. In the rocks that escaped late greenschist-facies retrogression, different styles of sub-ocean-floor alteration may be identified using oxygen isotopes, petrology, and major or trace element geochemistry. Within the basalts, zones that have undergone high- and low-temperature sub-ocean-floor alteration as well as relatively unaltered rocks can be distinguished. Serpentinites have δ¹⁸O and δ²H values that suggest that they were formed by hydration on or below the ocean floor. The development of high-pressure metamorphic mineralogies in metagabbros occurred preferentially in zones that underwent sub-ocean-floor alteration and which contained hydrated, fine-grained, reactive assemblages. Given that the transformation of blueschist-facies metabasic rocks to eclogite-facies assemblages involves the breakdown of hydrous minerals (e.g. lawsonite, zoisite, and glaucophane), and will thus liberate considerable volumes of fluids, metamorphic fluid flow must have been strongly channelled. High-pressure (quartz+calcite±omphacite±glaucophane±titanoclinohumite) veins that cut the ophiolite rocks represent one possible channel; however, stable isotope and major element data suggest that they were not formed from large volumes of exotic fluids. Fluids were more likely channelled along faults and shear zones that were active during high-pressure metamorphism. Such strong fluid channelling may cause fluids to migrate toward the accretionary wedge, especially along the slab–mantle interface, which is probably a major shear zone. This may preclude all but a small fraction of the fluids entering the mantle wedge to flux melting. Additionally, because fluids probably interact with relatively small volumes of rock in the channels, they cannot "scavenge" elements from the subducting slab efficiently. Received: 28 January 1999 / Accepted: 2 February 1999     

两种地幔对流模式下俯冲带的热结构

根据准动力学计算方案，通过采用等效热源和等效热传导系数的方法，用有限元法计算了不同俯冲角度，而俯冲速度为８ｃｍ／ａ、年龄为１００Ｍａ的俯冲带在稳定俯冲状态的热结构．计算结果表明俯冲带在接近６７０ｋｍ间断面的最低温度可达到１１００℃．全地幔对流模式热结构的计算结果表明６７０ｋｍ间断面以下可存在最低温度达１０００℃的低温区，相应于有０．７％-３．０％的Ｐ波低速异常存在．双层地幔对流模式表明，在６７０ｋｍ间断面以上可有与周围地幔相差约４００℃的水平舌状低温区存在，相应于０．５％-１．４％的Ｐ波低速异常．     

Multiple ophiolite generation preserved in the northern Philippines and the growth of an island arc complex

Although all oceanic arcs grow through the addition of subduction-generated magmas, the geology of the northern Philippines demonstrates that a major contribution to arc crustal growth can come from repeated, episodic, intra-arc, back-arc, and/or fore-arc oceanic crust generation with subsequent preservation of the basic–ultrabasic units in the arc complex. At least five episodes of oceanic crust generation are represented in the northern Philippines by preserved ophiolitic sequences and recent intra-arc seafloor spreading. Each episode is distinct in age as confirmed by modern dating techniques, with the ages ranging from pre(?)-Jurassic to Quaternary. Although the Philippines is widely regarded as an amalgamation of allochthonous terranes, a review of the available data shows that there is currently no compelling evidence that these ophiolites are of exotic origin and that they have been tectonically accreted to the Philippine arc complex. Rather, the evidence suggests that most—and possibly all—of the ophiolites were generated as back-arc, fore-arc, or intra-arc crust within the Philippine arc complex. Hence, there is a close spatial association of several ophiolitic terranes of diverse ages spanning 150 Myr that formed as part of the arc complex. Such an association may have arisen from episodic generation of oceanic crust during periods of local extension in a suprasubduction zone setting, which has experienced changing and possibly overlapping subduction from the east and west sides (in the current reference frame). Disruption of the ophiolitic basement terranes has been, and continues to be, effected primarily by wrench faulting. This style of arc growth has implications for the paleotectonic interpretation of ancient ophiolite-arc terranes in continents and the petrologic evolution of island arcs.