Thermal evolution of the Northern Cordillera Volcanic Province: implication for heat flow in remnant back-arc regions

ABSTRACT

Active and remnant back-arc regions do not follow a typical conductive lithosphere cooling model, but instead have an apparent two-stage cooling, defined by a high heat flow back-arc region during subduction and a second post-subduction heating event that extends elevated heat flow for several 10s million years. Numerical one-stage cooling models have not reproduced observed heat flow anomalies in active subduction zones using physically realistic parameters and require a secondary post-subduction heating mechanism. Here, an extension driven-volcanism model is developed to examine extension driven heating and volcanism as a mechanism to produce a prolonged thermal anomaly within back-arc lithosphere. This model is tested using the recorded thermal evolution of the Northern Cordillera Volcanic Province (NCVP), a Neogene-Quaternary alkaline volcanic province located in the remnant back-arc region of the Pacific-North American subduction zone in British Columbia, Canada. A single steady-state lithosphere geotherm does not intersect all previously published temperature estimates, suggesting previous data record the thermal evolution of the NCVP. Calculated geotherms at equilibrium with the minimum and maximum MELTS temperatures predict an increase in reduced mantle heat flow (Q_m ) from 43 to 72 mW/m² and lithosphere thinning from a depth of 87 to 48 km. The newly developed extension-volcanism model reproduced the calculated pre- and post-volcanism thermal regimes for the NCVP and supports that extension within the remnant back-arc could produce the present heat flow anomaly and volcanism. The model most readily produces volcanism when Q_m is ~45–65 mW/m², a typical range for back-arcs. Back-arc regions are prime locations for limited volcanism because their warmer thermal regime minimizes tectonic stress requirements to produce volcanism. Additionally, two-stage cooling of back-arcs can be explained with a time-dependent extension-volcanism thermal feedback mechanism that is possible because of the subduction driven pre-heating of back-arc regions.     

1998 Adana-Ceyhan (Turkey) Earthquake and a Preliminary Microzonation Based on Liquefaction Potential for Ceyhan Town

A moderate earthquake (M_s = 6.2) occurred in the Cukurova region in the southern part of Turkey, on 27 June 1998. It resulted in loss of 145 lives and significant damage particularly in the settlements close to the epicenter at the south of Ceyhan town. Widespread liquefaction and associated sand boils, ground fissures and ground deformations due to lateral spreading occurred during this earthquake. In this study, main characteristics of the earthquake are presented and liquefaction throughout the site was assessed. An attempt was also made to establish preliminary microzonation maps for Ceyhan using the data from liquefaction susceptibility analyses. The results of the analyses indicated that the data from the liquefied sites were within the empirical bounds suggested by the field-performance evaluation method. Fortunately, most of the riversides were used for agricultural purposes alone, damage to structures from liquefaction and associated ground failures were rather limited. Preliminary assessments indicated that at depths of about 5 m the liquefaction potential of thin sand layers tends to diminish.     

In-Plane Ray Tracing with Calculation of Out-of-Plane Geometrical Spreading in Anisotropic Media

The objective is to provide, in one single paper, a complete collection of equations governing kinematic and dynamic ray tracing related to a symmetry plane of an anisotropic medium. Well known systems for kinematic ray tracing and in-plane dynamic ray tracing are reformulated for the purpose of clarity, by taking advantage of a vector representation of the Christoffel matrix elements and related quantities. A generalized formula is derived for the integrand in out-of-plane dynamic ray tracing, pertaining to a monoclinic medium. Integrands corresponding to non-tilted orthorhombic and transversely isotropic media are obtained as special cases.     

藏北阿索构造混杂岩的发现及其地质意义

在藏北尼玛县西边阿索一带首次发现最宽约14km的阿索构造混杂岩带。该带西宽东窄，呈喇叭状，由复理石岩片、深海硅质岩、泥质岩岩片、蛇纹质岩片、火山岛弧岩片、碳酸盐岩岩片、大陆碎片岩片等组成。其中以复理石岩片为基质包含其它外来构造岩片。阿索构造混杂岩带所包含的蛇绿岩主要岩性单位有：蛇纹岩、辉石岩、英云闪长岩、似层状花斑岩和辉长岩、粒玄岩、辉长辉绿岩、枕状玄武岩、角斑岩、硅质岩、含铁锰粉砂岩、薄层灰岩、浊积岩等，属弧后盆地扩张一消减产物。根据硅质岩中放射虫、复理石岩片中孢粉时代及构造片岩中同位素年龄等资料，该弧后盆地扩张于晚侏罗世、闭合于早白垩世早期。空间上将狮泉河、永珠湖一纳木湖蛇绿岩带相连。     

盐边群地层特征及其大地构造属性

通过对盐边群各岩性段地层的产出、构造变形特征及相互问的接触关系的确认，在对碎屑岩组段进行颗粒骨架分析的基础上，结合已有的地球化学和同位素年代学研究结果，盐边群火山岩及其南侧的深成岩均不是蛇绿岩的组份．该火山岩可能形成于弧后伸展环境，盐边群中下碎屑岩段形成于弧后盆地，而上部碎屑岩段则可能形成于前陆盆地。研究表明，在华南板块西缘存在南北向格林威尔期的板块碰撞事件，盐边群地层可能记录了格林威尔期发生在华南地块西缘由弧后盆地到前陆盆地的整个演化历史。     

Common-ray tracing and dynamic ray tracing for S waves in a smooth elastic anisotropic medium

Anisotropic common S-wave rays are traced using the averaged Hamiltonian of both S-wave polarizations. They represent very practical reference rays for calculating S waves by means of the coupling ray theory. They eliminate problems with anisotropic-ray-theory ray tracing through some S-wave slowness-surface singularities and also considerably simplify the numerical algorithm of the coupling ray theory for S waves. The equations required for anisotropic-common-ray tracing for S waves in a smooth elastic anisotropic medium, and for corresponding dynamic ray tracing in Cartesian or ray-centred coordinates, are presented. The equations, for the most part generally known, are summarized in a form which represents a complete algorithm suitable for coding and numerical applications.     

Assessment of liquefaction and lateral spreading on the shore of Lake Sapanca during the Kocaeli (Turkey) earthquake

The 1999 Kocaeli earthquake of Turkey (M_w = 7.4) caused great destruction to buildings, bridges and other facilities, and a death tall of about 20,000. During this earthquake, severe damages due to soil liquefaction and associated ground deformations also occurred widespread in the eastern Marmara Region of Turkey. Soil liquefaction was commonly observed along the shorelines. One of these typical sites is Sapanca town founded on the shore of Lake Sapanca. This study was undertaken as quantitative measurement of ground deformations induced by liquefaction along the southern shore of Lake Sapanca. The permanent lateral ground deformation was measured through the aerial photogrammetry technique at several locations both along the shoreline and in the town. In situ soil profiles and material properties at Sapanca area were obtained based on the data from 55 borings and standard penetration tests (SPT), and laboratory tests, respectively. The data and the empirical methods recommended by an NCEER workshop were employed to evaluate the liquefaction resistance of the soils. In addition, simple shaking tests on a limited number of samples were also performed. The permanent ground displacements were estimated from the existing empirical models, sliding block method and residual visco-elastic finite element methods. Then these estimations were compared with the observed ground displacements. The assessments suggested that liquefaction at Sapanca have occurred within Quaternary alluvial fan deposits at depths 1 and 14 m, and the major regions of liquefaction and associated ground deformations were located along the shore and creeks. The evaluations also indicated that for sites with no sand boils but with ground displacement greater than 1 m, thickness of the non-liquefiable layer was large. It is also noted that no liquefaction-induced ground surface disruption is expected at the site when the thickness of the liquefiable and non-liquefiable layers vary between 0.5 and 1.5 m, and 3.5 and 5.5 m, respectively. Except one model, all the empirical models employed in the study over-predicted the observed lateral ground displacements, while sliding block method and residual visco-elastic finite element methods yielded reasonably good results if the known properties of liquefied soils are used.     

Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U-Pb ages of the Latest Oligocene-Early Miocene rift-related Hidaka high-temperature metamorphism in Hokkaido, northern Japan

Abstract   In order to define the timing of granulite facies metamorphism, sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb analyses were performed on zircons of three pelitic granulites from the lower metamorphic sequence of the Hidaka Metamorphic Belt, southern central Hokkaido, Japan. Both rounded and prismatic zircons were found in the granulite samples. The rounded zircons had thin (10–20 µm) concentric overgrowth rims on detrital cores, while the prismatic zircons did not have detrital cores. Both the overgrowth rims on the rounded zircons and the entire prismatic zircons were formed under granulite facies metamorphism and consistently yield Latest Oligocene–Early Miocene ages (23.7 ± 0.4 Ma to 17.2 ± 0.5 Ma; ²⁰⁶Pb/ ²³⁸U ages ( n  = 31) with low Th/U ratios, mostly <0.1). The internal structure of zircons and their SHRIMP U-Pb ages provide strong evidence in support of the granulite facies event occurring during the Latest Oligocene-Early Miocene. The detrital cores of rounded zircons show a huge variety of ages; Mesoarchean to Paleoproterozoic, Paleozoic to Mesozoic and Paleogene. The interior and marginal portions of the Eurasian continent including cratonic areas are suggested for their source provenances. These wide variations in age suggest that the protolith of the granulites of the lower metamorphic sequence were deposited near the trench of the Eurasian continental margin during Paleogene. The protolith of the lower metamorphic sequence of the Hidaka metamorphic belt was thrust under the upper metamorphic sequence, which had already been metamorphosed in early Paleogene. The Latest Oligocene-Early Miocene Hidaka high-temperature metamorphic event is presumed to have been caused by asthenospheric upwelling during back-arc rifting of the Kuril and Japan basins.     

The Reykjanes Ridge: structure and tectonics of a hot-spot-influenced, slow-spreading ridge, from multibeam bathymetry, gravity and magnetic investigations

We report a comprehensive morphological, gravity and magnetic survey of the oblique- and slow-spreading Reykjanes Ridge near the Iceland mantle plume. The survey extends from 57.9°N to 62.1°N and from the spreading axis to between 30 km (3 Ma) and 100 km (10 Ma) off-axis; it includes 100 km of one arm of a diachronous ‘V-shaped' or ‘chevron' ridge. Observed isochrons are extremely linear and 28° oblique to the spreading normal with no significant offsets. Along-axis there are ubiquitous, en-echelon axial volcanic ridges (AVRs), sub-normal to the spreading direction, with average spacing of 14 km and overlap of about one third of their lengths. Relict AVRs occur off-axis, but are most obvious where there has been least axial faulting, suggesting that elsewhere they are rapidly eroded tectonically. AVRs maintain similar plan views but have reduced heights nearer Iceland. They are flanked by normal faults sub-parallel to the ridge axis, the innermost of which occur slightly closer to the axis towards Iceland, suggesting a gradual reduction of the effective lithospheric thickness there. Generally, the amplitude of faulting decreases towards Iceland. We interpret this pattern of AVRs and faults as the response of the lithosphere to oblique spreading, as suggested by theory and physical modelling. An axial, 10–15 km wide zone of high acoustic backscatter marks the most recent volcanic activity. The zone's width is independent of the presence of a median valley, so axial volcanism is not primarily delimited by median valley walls, but is probably controlled by the lateral distance that the oblique AVRs can propagate into off-axis lithosphere. The mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) exhibits little mid- to short-wavelength variation above a few milliGals, and along-axis variations are small compared with other parts of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Nevertheless, there are small axial deeps and MBA highs spaced some 130 km along-axis that may represent subdued third-order segment boundaries. They lack coherent off-axis traces and cannot be linked to Oligocene fracture zones on the ridge flanks. The surveyed chevron ridge is morphologically discontinuous, comprising several parallel bands of closely spaced, elevated blocks. These reflect the surrounding tectonic fabric but have higher fault scarps. There is no evidence for off-axis volcanism or greater abundance of seamounts on the chevron. Free-air gravity over it is greater than expected from the observed bathymetry, suggesting compensation via regional rather than pointwise isostasy. Most of the observed variation along the ridge can be ascribed to varying distance from the mantle plume, reflecting changes in mantle temperature and consequently in crustal thickness and lithospheric strength. However, a second-order variation is superimposed. In particular, between 59°30′N and 61°30′N there is a minimum of large-scale faulting and crustal magnetisation, maximum density of seamounts, and maximum axial free-air gravity high. To the north the scale of faulting increases slightly, seamounts are less common, and there is a relative axial free-air low. We interpret the 59°30′N to 61°30′N region as where the latest chevron ridge intersects the Reykjanes Ridge axis, and suggest that the morphological changes that culminate there reflect a local temperature high associated with a transient pulse of high plume output at its apex.     

Rheological Properties of Mantle Peridotites at Yushigou in the North Qilian Mountains and Their Implicationsfor Plate Dynamics

This paper discusses in detail the deformation textures, glide system, petrofabrics and olivine dislocation microstructures of mantle peridotites at Yushigou in the North Qilian Mountains, northwestern China. The peridotites have undergone high-pressure, high-temperature and low-strain rate plastic flow deformation. According to the dynamic recrystallized-grain size of olivine and the average spacing between the dislocation walls as well as the chemical composition of enstatite, the authors calculated the rheological parameters of the ancient upper mantle in the study area as follows: temperatures 1025-1093℃; pressures 3043-4278 MPa; depths 95-132 km; deviatoric stress 28-32 MPa; strain rates 0.2×10-14-2.13×10-14s-1 and equivalent viscosities 0.45×1020-4.65×1020 Pa · s. These parameters suggest that the position where plastic flow took place was correspondent to the low-velocity zone beneath the oceanic lithosphere and that oceanization characterized by middle-velocity (1-3 cm/a) sea-floor spreadi