Carbonate deposits on submerged seamounts in the northwestern Pacific Ocean

Abstract   The lithology of shallow-water carbonates collected from 19 sites on 16 seamounts in six areas of the northwestern Pacific Ocean using the Deep-sea Boring Machine System are described. The areas include the Amami Plateau, Daito Ridge, Oki-Daito Ridge, Urdaneta Plateau, Kyushu-Palau Ridge and Ogasawara Plateau. Chronological constraint is provided by calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy, planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy, larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy and strontium (Sr) isotope stratigraphy. Large amounts of shallow-water carbonates accumulated on the seamounts during the Oligocene, a relatively cool period, whereas limited carbonate deposits formed during the Early Miocene, a relatively warm period. This might indicate that deposition of shallow-water carbonates on seamounts in the northwestern Pacific Ocean was not necessarily controlled by climatic conditions, but was related to volcanism and tectonics that served as foundations for reef/carbonate-platform formation. Remarkable differences in biotic composition exist between Cretaceous and Cenozoic shallow-water carbonates. Late Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates are distinguished by the occurrence of rudists, solenoporacean algae and microencrusters. Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene shallow-water carbonates are dominated by Halimeda or nummulitid and discocyclinid larger foraminifers. Scleractinian corals became common from the Oligocene onward. Nongeniculate coralline algae and larger foraminifers were common to abundant throughout the Eocene to the Pleistocene. The replacement of major carbonate producers in the shallow-water carbonate factory during post-Cretaceous time is in accordance with previous studies and is considered to reflect a shift in seawater chemistry.     

中太平洋海山多金属结壳的成矿特征

根据我国大洋多金属结壳的调查资料并结合其他相关的研究结果，对中太平洋海山区多金属结壳的类型，产状，成分，结构，分布等成矿特征进行了初步的研究，结果表明，中太平洋海山区富钴结壳广泛发育，但成矿特征较大地受地形，水溶，基岩类型等成矿环境因素的影响与制约。     

K–Ar ages from seamount chains in the back-arc region of the Izu–Ogasawara arc

The Izu–Ogasawara arc contains, from east to west, a volcanic front, a back-arc extensional zone (back-arc knolls zone), and a series of across-arc seamount chains that cross the extensional zone in an east-northeast and west-southwest direction and extend into the Shikoku Basin. K–Ar ages of dredged volcanic rocks from these across-arc seamount chains and extension-related edifices in the back-arc region of the Izu–Ogasawara arc were measured to constrain the volcanic and tectonic history of the arc since the termination of spreading in the Shikoku Basin. K–Ar ages range between 12.5 and 1 Ma. Andesitic to dacitic rocks of 12.5–2.9 Ma occur mainly on the western part of the chains. The western part of the chains are the locus of volcanism behind the front which erupted mainly calc-alkaline andesitic lavas. The youngest rocks (< 2.8 Ma), characterized by cpx-ol basalt, occur along the western margin of the back-arc knolls zone. Basaltic rocks of 12.5–2.9 Ma have relatively high concentrations of Na₂O (> 2.0 wt%), Zr (> 50 p.p.m.) and Y (> 20 p.p.m.) and low CaO (< 12 wt%). On the other hand, basalts of 2.8–1 Ma have lower Na₂O (< 1.8 wt%), Zr (< 50 p.p.m.) and Y (< 20 p.p.m.), but significantly higher CaO (> 12 wt%). The age inferred for the initiation of back-arc rifting (∼ 2.35–2.9 Ma: Taylor 1992 ) behind the current volcanic arc coincides with the time that basalt chemistry changed drastically (eruption of the low-Na₂O and high-CaO basalt). This implies that post-2.8 Ma volcanism in the back-arc knolls zone is associated with rifting. Similarly, the change in chemical composition might be explained by a different type of source mantle following rift initiation. Volcanism in the western seamounts ceased after the onset of rifting at ∼ 2.8 Ma.     

全球三大洋海山钴结壳资源量估算

钴结壳具有Co、Ni、Cu和Mn及其他金属的潜在矿产资源和储存在结壳层中古环境信息的双重意义。与深海多金属结核和热液硫化物矿床相比,具有较高Co、Ni和Pt含量的海山钴结壳有可能成为商业勘探的潜在目标。为合理地估算出全球三大洋海山钴结壳资源量,基于我国西太平洋海山钴结壳拖网采样调查资料和对太平洋海山钴结壳资源分布规律和钴结壳矿区圈定参数指标的深入研究,按海山不同高度、不同洋壳年龄赋予不同结壳厚度,进而计算出全球三大洋海山钴结壳分布面积为3 039 452.14km2和干结壳资源量为(1 081.166 1~2 162.332 2)×108 t。太平洋海山钴结壳分布面积为2 123 087.12km2和干结壳资源量为(513.244~1 026.488)×108 t,大西洋海山钴结壳分布面积为512 509.74km2和干结壳资源量为(116.503 2~233.006 4)×108 t,印度洋海山钴结壳分布面积为403 855.28km2和干结壳资源量为(81.484 9~162.969 8)×108 t。三大洋海山钴结壳的Mn、Co、Ni和Cu金属量分别为(138.848 0~277.696 0)×108 t,(3.967 6~7.935 2)×108 t、(2.793 6~5.587 2)×108 t和(0.825 1~1.650 2)×108 t。根据钴结壳的Co含量、Co通量和厚度相关分析,所赋予的钴结壳厚度占理论推测厚度的6.10%~12.20%,这与Ku等得出"钴结壳生长时间约占其整个生命史4%"的认识非常相近。三大洋海山钴结壳实测厚度与赋值厚度对比分析表明,太平洋海山钴结壳赋值厚度平均值为1.87cm,实测厚度平均值为1.77cm,相对误差为5.35%,大西洋和印度洋相对误差分别为18.18%和23.23%。研究数据表明按海山高度和洋壳年龄所赋的钴结壳厚度基本合理,估算出的钴结壳资源量基本可靠。本文首次估算出三大洋海山钴结壳资源量,为整个海盆和三大洋海山钴结壳资源量估算提供了新方法。     

西准噶尔蛇绿岩:古大洋俯冲增生过程的记录

蛇绿岩记录了大洋岩石圈形成、演化、消亡的全过程,是刻画区域板块构造和洋 陆格局演化的关键证据。本文通过系统梳理前人相关研究,总结西准噶尔蛇绿岩最新研究成果,探讨大陆地壳增生方式、恢复古大洋演化历史,从而对西准噶尔构造体制转化提供新制约。西准噶尔地区发育多条震旦纪—石炭纪被构造肢解的蛇绿岩带,具有典型的岩块 基质结构,绝大多数蛇绿岩包括正常洋壳组分和海山/大洋高原残片,其中基性岩具有MORB和OIB的地球化学特征。基于前人研究,本文认为在西准噶尔古大洋发育过程中,发育不同时代与地幔柱有关的海山/大洋高原,同时存在增生型和侵蚀型两类汇聚板块边界。另外,大洋高原增生不仅是大陆地壳增生的有效途径之一,还可能诱发俯冲极性反转和传递。而在大洋高原形成初期,还可能存在地幔柱诱发俯冲起始机制。     

海山区浮游生态学研究

本文综述了海山浮游生态学研究的现状。海山是大洋中常见的地形单元,在有的海山附近鱼类和底栖生物的生物量比周围大洋中要多,针对这些鱼类和底栖生物的饵料来源提出了三种假说,第一种假说认为海山区特殊的物理环境导致初级生产力较高(经典假说),第二种假说认为海山区的饵料不是本地生产的,地形和流场使得外来的浮游生物在海山区富集或通量加大(外来营养补充假说),第三种假说认为海山上部的颗粒有机物营养较高,是鱼类和底栖生物的营养来源之一(颗粒有机物补充假说)。对海山浮游生态学的研究基本围绕这几个假说进行。目前只在9座海山进行了浮游生态学研究,这些研究表明单个假说并不能解释海山附近鱼类生物量较大的现象,海山鱼类和底栖生物的营养来源可能有很多,这些假说阐述的机制并不互相矛盾,海山生物之间的营养关系也比原来想象的复杂得多。已有研究都是针对其中某个假说进行验证研究,建议我国即将进行的海山浮游生态学研究针对三种假说进行海上调查,以提供完备的数据支持。     

无震脊或海山链俯冲对超俯冲带处的地质效应

全球海底分布着众多的无震脊或海山链,且在太平洋、印度洋及大西洋均存在靠近俯冲带的海岭。除小安德列斯弧外的巴拉克达脊和蒂勃朗脊起源自转换断层外,一般认为它们由与板块构造动力学迥异的地幔柱动力学所形成的。在板块汇聚边缘处,与扩张脊处所形成的正常洋壳一起,无震脊或海山链俯冲于陆缘弧或洋内弧之下,其对弧及弧后地区的地质效应(构造、地貌、地震以及岩浆作用等)有别于正常洋壳俯冲。无震脊或海山链的俯冲通常造成俯冲带地区的上驮板块的局部异常抬升、俯冲剥蚀作用效应的加强、海沟的向陆迁移以及地震强度的增加。同时,无震脊或海山链俯冲时,其携带的具富集地球化学特征的物质不仅影响着地幔地球化学,也对弧及弧后火山熔岩化学产生明显影响,并对超俯冲地区的热液矿床的形成产生重要影响。最后,本文指出了我国有关无震脊或海山链俯冲的可能的研究方向包括黄岩海山链俯冲对吕宋岛弧的可能影响、印度洋无震脊俯冲对青藏高原局部地区的影响,有我国学者参与的IODP344航次的研究对象——科科斯脊俯冲对哥斯达黎加地震成因的效应以及位于西太平洋地区靠近俯冲带的一些无震脊等。     

“大洋板块地层”的重建与意义——以藏南仲巴地区为例

混杂岩是古增生楔存在的标志之一,一般由枕状玄武岩、灰岩、放射虫硅质岩、硅质页岩、砂岩等混乱无序组成。目前"大洋板块地层"(OPS)运用放射虫地层学方法对混乱的增生楔断片进行重建取得了良好效果,并清晰地展示了大洋板块俯冲和洋底物质连续增生的历史。在西藏仲巴地区填图过程中,结合放射虫年代学分析鉴定结果,以OPS重建的思路和理论作为指导,重建了仲巴地区混杂岩的大洋板块地层,并恢复了该区域特提斯洋在洋中脊大洋板块增生至消亡的岩石序列,自下而上分别为侏罗纪海山玄武岩、海山覆盖物侏罗系—白垩系碳酸盐岩、海山周围沉积的侏罗系—白垩系放射虫硅质岩和硅质页岩,以及海沟附近的白垩系陆源碎屑岩等,为特提斯洋大洋板块俯冲的方向、持续时间和古大地构造环境提供了信息。     

Geochemical constraints on the contribution of Louisville seamount materials to magmagenesis in the Lau back-arc basin,SW Pacific

Seamounts are an integral part of element recycling in global subduction zones. The published trace element and Pb-Sr-Nd isotope data for basaltic lavas from three key segments (Central Lau Spreading Ridge (CLSR), Eastern Lau Spreading Ridge (ELSR), and Valu Fa Ridge (VFR)) of the Lau back-arc basin were compiled to evaluate the contribution of Louisville seamount materials to their magma genesis. Two geochemical transitions, separating three provinces with distinct geochemical characteristics independent of ridge segmentation, were identified based on abrupt geochemical shifts. The origin of the geochemical transitions was determined to be the result of drastic compositional changes of subduction components added into the mantle source, rather than the transition from Indian to Pacific mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle, or due to variable mantle fertilities. The most likely explanation for the drastic shifts in subduction input is the superimposition of Louisville materials on ‘normal’ subduction components consisting predominantly of aqueous fluids liberated from the down-going altered oceanic crust and minor pelagic sediment melts. Quantitative estimation reveals that Louisville materials contributed 0–74% and 21–83% of the Th budget, respectively, to CLSR and VFR lavas, but had no definite contribution to the lavas from the ELSR, which lies farthest away from the subducted Louisville seamount chain (LSC). The spatial association of the subducted LSC with the Louisville-affected segments suggests that the Louisville signature is regionally but not locally available in the Tonga subduction zone. Besides, the preferential melting of subducted old Cretaceous LSC crust instead of the old normal Pacific oceanic crust at similar depths implies that elevated temperature across the subduction interface or seamount erosion and rupture were required to trigger melting. A wider implication of this study, thus, is that seamount subduction may promote efficiency of element recycling in subduction zones.     

西太平洋Y3海山对营养盐的影响及其生态环境效应

作为大洋典型地貌特征的海山,其邻近的海洋生境并不被人熟知。依据2014年冬季对热带西太平洋Y3海山及其邻近海域的综合调查,首次探讨了该海山区海水中营养盐的分布特征及其与生态环境的耦合关系。结果表明Y3海山区是典型的热带寡营养海域。在50~125 m的深度,温跃层和高盐区双重作用对底部高浓度营养盐向上输送的阻碍,是导致真光层上部营养盐浓度较低的重要原因;同时,浮游植物和异养细菌的消耗也加剧了该区域营养盐的缺乏。Y3海山突出的地形地貌对营养盐的分布产生重要的影响,海山对流经的海流产生阻碍,形成上升流,使底部高浓度的营养盐突破温跃层和高盐区的阻碍向上输送,从而使海山周围营养盐的平均浓度高于远离海山的海域。相关性分析显示,Y3海山区真光层中营养盐浓度与温度、盐度、叶绿素a浓度和异养细菌丰度分别呈负相关、正相关、负相关(除NO₂-N外)和负相关关系。海山区特殊的营养盐分布及其与生态环境的耦合是其成为一种独特的大洋生态系统的重要因素。