Morphology of a ‘superfast’ Mid-Ocean Ridge crest and flanks: The East Pacific Rise, 7°–9° S

Detailed bathymetric data from a Hydrosweep multibeam sonar survey of a 250 km-long portion of the superfast-spreading southern East Pacific Rise crest and flanks show that the along-axis variation in morphology and axial depth differs significantly from that observed at the fast-spreading northern East Pacific Rise. While the deep mantle upwelling pattern is similar under the northern and southern East Pacific Rise, our observations require that the connectivity of the shallow, subcrestal plumbing system be more efficient beneath the super-fast spreading southern East Pacific Rise than beneath the slower spreading northern East Pacific Rise.     

The origin of bathymetric highs at ridge-transform intersections: A multi-disciplinary case study at the Clipperton Fracture Zone

Bathmetric highs on the old crust proximal to ridge-transform intersections (RTIs), termed intersection highs, are common but poorly understood features at offsets of fast to intermediate rate spreading centers. We have combined new reflection seismic, photographic, and geochemical data with previously published Seabeam, SeaMARC I, and SeaMARC II data to address the nature of the intersection highs at the Clipperton Fracture Zone. The Clipperton Intersection Highs are both topped by a carapace of young lavas at least 100 m thick. These lavas, which were erupted on the intersection highs, are chemically similar to their adjacent ridge segments and different from the surrounding older crust. At least some of the erupted magma traveled directly from the adjacent ridge at a shallow crustal level. Ridge-related magma covers and intrudes at least the upper 500 m of the transform tectonized crust at the RTI. We suspect that additional magma enters the intersection highs from directly below, without passing through the ridge. The young oceanic crust near the western Clipperton RTI is not thin by regional comparison. The 1.4 m.y. old crust near the eastern Clipperton RTI thickens approaching the transform offset. If the thermal effects of the proximal ridge were negligible, the eastern intersection high crust would appear to be in isostatic equilibrium. We believe that thermal effects are significant, and that the intersection high region stands anomalously shallow for its crustal thickness. This is attributable to increased temperature in the mantle below the ridge-proximal crust. Although ridge magma is injected into the proximal old crust, plate boundary reorganization is not taking place. Intersection high formation has been an ongoing process at both of the Clipperton RTIs for at least the past 1 m.y., during which time the plate boundary configuration has not changed appreciably. We envision a constant interplay between the intruding ridge magma and the disrupting transform fault motion. In addition, we envision a nearly constant input of magma from below the high, as an extension of the magma supply to the ridge from the mantle. Because the proximal ridge profoundly affects the juxtaposed crust at the RTI, sea floor fabric along the aseismic extensions of this fast-slipping transform fault is primarily a record of processes at work at the RTI rather than a record of transform tectonism.     

东太平洋海隆1°N洋中脊玄武岩斜长石斑晶的 化学特征及其对岩浆作用的指示意义

东太平洋海隆为世界典型的扩张脊,其上的洋中脊玄武岩为研究快速扩张作用下的岩浆作用提供了机会。在东太平洋海隆1°N采集到的洋中脊玄武岩内发现了大量结晶状况良好的斜长石斑晶。基于玄武岩的常量元素测试分析,洋脊下部的原始岩浆经历了以橄榄石为主的结晶分离过程,并未发生大规模的斜长石结晶分离。对样品中斜长石斑晶的电子探针测试表明,这些斜长石斑晶为岩浆自生矿物,而非捕掳晶。部分环带斜长石斑晶成分的规律性的变化主要受控于原始岩浆温度的变化,而非岩浆混合作用。我们推测Galapagos三联点下部可能存在一个相对封闭的岩浆体系,为斜长石矿物的结晶提供了时间和空间条件。这些斜长石斑晶形成后并未分离成岩,而是被岩浆带至洋底喷发形成玄武岩。     

Recent Sea Level and Sea Surface Temperature Trends Along the Bangladesh Coast in Relation to the Frequency of Intense Cyclones

Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, is a victim of frequent natural calamities like tropical cyclones, tornadoes, floods, storm surges and droughts. Now the sea level rise (SLR) has also been included in these natural calamities. The SLR is likely to have greater impact on that part of Bangladesh having low topography and a wide flood plain. Since 21% of the population lives in the low coastal belt, any increase in sea level will be a problem of ominous proportion for Bangladesh. Since the cyclogenesis enhances over the Bay of Bengal during May and November, the sea level and sea surface temperature (SST) trends of these two months have been analyzed and calculated. The results of the selected stations one in the eastern coast and another in the western coast of Bangladesh show that Bangladesh coastal sea level is rising in the same way as the global sea level, but the magnitude is quite different. The difference in the behavior of sea level rise along the Bangladesh coast and the global trend may be due to the tectonic activity such as subsidence of the land. The mean tide level at Hiron Point (in Sunderbans) has shown an increasing trend of about 2.5 mm/year in May and 8.5 mm/year in November. Similarly near Cox?s Bazar (in the eastern coast of Bangladesh) it has registered a positive trend of about 4.3 mm/year in May and 10.9 mm/year in November. Thus the increment in the sea level along the Bangladesh coast during cyclone months is much more pronounced. In coastal waters near Hiron Point the SST has registered an increasing trend of about 1°C in May and 0.5°C in November during the 14-year period from 1985?1998. Near Cox?s Bazar, SST has shown a rising trend of about 0.8°C in May and about 0.4°C in November during the same 14-year period. The magnitude of SST trend is slightly more along the west coast. Any change in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones will have far reaching implications in the South Asian region. The rise in SST in the cyclone months seems to be correlated with the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones. During these months, an increasing trend in the frequency and intensity of severe cyclones has been observed.     

Elemental and isotopic compositions of the hydrothermal sulfide on the East Pacific Rise near 13°N

The mineralogical,elemental,and isotopic characteristics of a hydrothermal sulfide sample from one dredge station (12°42.30'N,103°54.48'W,water depth 2655 m) on the East Pacific Rise near 13°N were analyzed.The hydrothermal sulfide was composed mainly of sphalerite,chalcopyrite,and pyrite and was a Zn-rich sulfide;in layer ep-s-1,goethite formed by secondary oxidation was found.The concentrations of rare elements,such as Li (0.15×10-6-0.30×10-6),Be (0.01×10-6-0.05×10-6),Zr (73.8×10-9-1344×10-9),Nb (8.14×10-9-64.7×10-9),Hf (2.54×10-9-28.0×10-9),and Ta (0.203×10-9-1.21×10-9),were far lower in the hydrothermal sulfide than in the ocean crust,whereas the content of Au was higher and the contents of Co,Ni,Sr,Cs,Ba,Bi,and U were low.The correlations between Zn and Cr,Cd and Ga,Cu and P,P and In (R2 0.8) were positive,whereas those between Zn and Fe,Cu,and Ba (R2 0.8) were distinctly negative.From low-temperature mineral assemblages to high-temperature mineral assemblages,the spatial distributions of dispersive and rare elements (e.g.In,Li,Cs) in the hydrothermal sulfide displayed corresponding variations.The variations observed in some elements (e.g.,Cd,Cs,P) are controlled by Zn,Fe,and Cu sulfides,respectively.Seafloor weathering accounts for the enrichment of V,Mn,and rare earth elements (REE) in the henna sulfide-oxidation layer that bears the secondary oxide mineral,leading to identical REE patterns for this layer (ep-s-1) and seawater.Seafloor weathering also distinctly affects the correlations between the element ratios of the hydrothermal sulfide.From high-temperature mineral assemblages to low-temperature mineral assemblages,Fe content and δ 34S value of the hydrothermal sulfide increase gradually,and Zn content and lead isotopic ratios decrease gradually on the contrary,which indicate the influences of seawater on elements and the sulfur and lead isotopic compositions enhance gradually during the formation of hydrothermal sulfides.     

东太平洋海隆13°N 附近洋中脊玄武岩微量元素特征

对33件采自东太平洋海隆(EPR)13°N附近的玄武岩和火山玻璃样品进行了微量元素分析,以探讨该区域玄武岩的演化过程和物质来源。测试分析结果显示所有样品的微量元素含量比值m(Tb)/m(Lu)(1.74~2.03),m(Sm)/m(Nd)(0.29~0.35)和m(Nd)/m(Y)(0.32~0.48)存在不能忽略的变化,表明它们可能受到了非均一质地幔来源的影响。m(La)/m(Nb),m(La)/m(Sm)和m(La)的线性相关性辨别结果,以及稀土元素分布型式图表现的元素分布特征等均表明东太平洋海隆13°N附近的洋中脊玄武岩可能来自不同的端元组分,也证明研究区域内的玄武岩除N-MORB(常规型MORB)外,还有E-MORB(富集型MORB)。此外,玄武岩m(Ce)/m(Pb)和m(Ce),m(Nb)/m(U)和m(Nb),以及m(Nb)/m(La)和m(La)线性相关性,均显示了这些微量元素比值和微量元素含量的正相关趋势,这可能与双组分地幔熔融有关。m(Nb)/m(Th)和m(Th)线性相关性显示出负相关,显示该区域玄武岩的地幔来源组成可能受到了富集组分的影响。分析显示,样品的Nb*值均大于1,而大部分样品的Ta*值大于1,这表示大部分玄武岩的来源很可能是从俯冲区域循环的物质。     

Palaeoproterozoic high-pressure granulite overprint of the Archean continental crust: evidence for homogeneous crustal thickening (Man Rise, Ivory Coast)

The character of mountain building processes in Palaeoproterozoic times is subject to much debate. Based on the discovery of high-pressure granulites in the Man Rise (Côte d'Ivoire), several authors have argued that Eburnean (Palaeoproterozoic) reworking of the Archean basement was achieved by modern-style thrust-dominated tectonics.
A mafic granulite of the Kouibli area (Archean part of the Man Rise, western Ivory Coast) displays a primary assemblage (M1) containing garnet, diopsidic clinopyroxene, red-brown pargasitic amphibole, plagioclase (andesine), rutile, ilmenite and quartz. This assemblage is associated with a subvertical regional foliation. Symplectites that developed at the expense of the M1 assemblage contain orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase (bytownite), green pargasitic amphibole, ilmenite and magnetite (M2). Multiequilibrium thermobarometric calculations and P–T pseudosections calculated with thermocalc suggest granulite facies conditions of ∼ 13 kbar, 850 °C and <7 kbar, 700–800 °C for M1 and M2, respectively. In agreement with the qualitative information obtained from reaction textures and chemical zoning of minerals, this suggests an evolution dominated by decompression accompanied by moderate cooling. A Sm–Nd garnet – whole-rock age of 2.03 Ga determined on this sample indicates that this evolution occurred during the Palaeoproterozoic. It is argued that from the geodynamic point of view the observed features are best explained by homogeneous thickening of the margin of the Archean craton, re-heated and softened due to the accretion of hot, juvenile Palaeoproterozoic crust, as well as coeval intrusion of juvenile magmas. Crustal shortening was mainly accommodated by transpressive shear zones and by lateral crustal spreading rather than large-scale thrust systems.     

Geological Consequences of the Accretion of Benham Rise to Northern Luzon, Philippines

Benham Rise is a large igneous province that has been accreted to the eastern seaboard of northern Lu-zon since Early Miocene. It started forming during the Eocene at a hotspot/mantle plume in the vicinity of the Central basin Spreading Center in the West Philippine Basin (CBSC) of the Philippine Sea Plate. Seafloor spreading from the CBSC and Parece Vela pushed Benham Rise towards Luzon. Eventually Benham Rise jammed against Luzon at the end of the Oligocene, with consequences that impacted on the geology of the Philippines which have been similarly noted in colli-sions of large igneous provinces in other areas. These are manifested as follows:     

鲁西隆起北侧博兴洼陷古近系泥岩地球化学特征及其构造意义

对博兴洼陷始新统和渐新统所取的20件泥岩样品的地球化学特征分析表明:始新统与渐新统样品稀土元素分布模式与上地壳稀土元素分布模式一致。稀土特征元素之间的比值显示始新统和渐新统沉积物源岩虽都来自后太古代,但存在着明显的差异性。根据源岩属性判别图解可以看出始新统源岩主体为长英质火山岩,渐新统则为长英质和基性岩的火山岩混合物源。多方面对比认为:始新统和渐新统沉积物源存在较大的差异性,表明始新世与渐新世之间可能存在较为明显的沉积物源改造,从一个新的视角揭示了鲁西隆起与邻近盆地在始新世与渐新世之间所发生的构造分异事件,而这次构造分异也造成了邻近盆地内始新统与渐新统之间油气藏成藏要素的差异。     

江南隆起带皖赣相邻区燕山期岩浆岩Nd-Sr同位素特征

江南隆起带皖南地区与赣东北地区燕山期岩浆岩Nd-Sr同位素特征的对比研究表明,皖南燕山期花岗岩体、斑岩体及赣东北燕山期花岗岩与赣东北燕山期斑岩体在成岩物质来源上具有明显差异。皖南燕山期花岗岩和斑岩体及赣东北燕山期花岗岩成岩物质以壳源为主,成岩物质来源区夹有一定的幔源物质,而赣东北燕山期斑岩体则具有幔源特征,这是赣东北地区燕山期与岩浆岩有关的多金属矿床发育、而皖南地区不发育的重要原因。Nd-Sr同位素的研究结果与地球物理、成岩构造背景和稀土元素等研究结果相吻合。