Strain accumulation along an oblique plate boundary: the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest Iceland

We use annual GPS observations on the Reykjanes Peninsula (RP) from 2000 to 2006 to generate maps of surface velocities and strain rates across the active plate boundary. We find that the surface deformation on the RP is consistent with oblique plate boundary motion on a regional scale, although considerable temporal and spatial strain rate variations are observed within the plate boundary zone. A small, but consistent increase in eastward velocity is observed at several stations on the southern part of the peninsula, compared to the 1993–1998 time period. The 2000–2006 velocities can be modelled by approximating the plate boundary as a series of vertical dislocations with left-lateral motion and opening. For the RP plate boundary we estimate left-lateral motion  18⁺⁴₋₃ mm yr⁻¹  and opening of  7⁺³₋₂ mm yr⁻¹  below a locking depth of  7⁺¹₋₂ km  . The resulting deep motion of  20⁺⁴₋₃ mm yr⁻¹  in the direction of  N(100⁺⁸₋₆)°E  agrees well with the predicted relative North America–Eurasia rate. We calculate the areal and shear strain rates using velocities from two periods: 1993–1998 and 2000–2006. The deep motion along the plate boundary results in left-lateral shear strain rates, which are perturbed by shallow deformation due to the 1994–1998 inflation and elevated seismicity in the Hengill–Hrómundartindur volcanic system, geothermal fluid extraction at the Svartsengi power plant, and possibly earthquake activity on the central part of the peninsula.     

Neotectonics of the Kharaulakh sector of the Laptev Shelf

Seismotectonic deformation and crustal stress pattern have been studied comprehensively in major seismogenic structures of the Kharaulakh sector of the Verkhoyansk fold system and adjacent parts of the Chersky seismotectonic zone. The study focuses on neotectonic structures, deep structure, and systems of active faults, as well as tectonic stress fields inferred by tectonophysical analysis of Late Cenozoic faults and folds. The results, along with geological and geophysical data, reveal main strain directions and structural patterns of crustal stress and strain in the Arctic segment of the Eurasia-North America plate boundary. The area is a junction of mid-ocean and continental structures evolving in a mixed setting of extension, compression, and their various combinations. The rotation pole of the two plates is presumably located near Buor-Khaya Bay. In this case, extension is expected to act currently upon the neotectonic structures north of the bay and compression to control those in the south and southeast. This inference is consistent with the identified zoning of stress and strain in the Kharaulakh sector.     

Major Features of Topography,Geology, and Crustal Stability in the Taiwan Strait: A Scientific Approach to the Problem of the Taiwan Strait Tunnel Project

This article discusses briefly the major features of topography, geology, and crustal stability of the possible Taiwan Strait Tunnel Project (TST Project) area. Any one route of the conceived TST Project is larger than either of the English Channel Tunnel or the Seikan submarine Tunnel (Japan) by at least three times in length, and the topographic and geologic conditions are rather more complex and complicated than those of the former two projects. Moreover, the Taiwan Strait is a seismic risk area. Hence, the selection of the route of the submarine tunnel should take advantage of the favorable conditions in the topographic, geologic, seismologic, and other fields to avoid the unfavorable circumstances. At the end of the article, two supposed by comparable routes, especially the south one of TST Project are discussed.     

冲绳海槽北段的重磁场特征及地质意义

１９９２年之前,国内对冲绳海槽的调查研究主要集中在海槽的中部和南部,而对其北段的调查研究工作却很少。根据实测的重磁异常,较深入地分析了海槽北段的地球物理场特征,构造活动地壳结构及应力状态,结果表明冲绳海槽北段同样具有强烈的地壳构造活动。     

Deep crustal structure and rheology of the Gascoyne volcanic margin,western Australia

Interpretation of deep seismic reflection data across the Gascoyne Margin reveals six distinct seismic facies units related to the tectono-magmatic breakup history. On the outer Exmouth Plateau four large scale units are identified: (1) an extensively block-faulted upper crust; (2) a middle-crustal unit of discontinuous, undulatory reflectors; (3) a reflection-free deep crustal unit; and (4) a lower-crustal band of low-frequency, high-amplitude reflectors. Two additional units are found near the continent-ocean boundary (COB); (5) seaward-dipping reflectors (SDR); and (6) landward-dipping reflectors in the lower crust below the SDR. The lower-crustal high-reflectivity band, located near the top of a high-velocity unit (V_p > 7 kms^–1), is interpreted as magmatic underplating. There is a spatial correlation between the underplated area and the presence of extensive upper-crustal block-faulting and intrusive rocks in the shallow crust. The undulatory middle-crustal reflector unit is also only identified in the outer plateau area, and is interpreted as a zone in which the upper-crustal faults terminate. The inner parts of the margin consist of a deep basin showing little upper-crustal faulting and no evidence of middle crustal deformation or underplating. Theoretical modeling of the effect of rifting and magmatic underplating on crustal strength profiles suggests that the brittle-ductile transition may migrate at least 5 km upwards during several million years after the underplating event. Based on the seismic interpretation and crustal strength modeling we propose that the seismic structure of the outer Exmouth Plateau is severely modified by a transient change in the crustal rheological structure associated with magmatic underplating.     

Three-dimensional inversion of marine magnetic anomalies: Implications for crustal accretion along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (28°–31°30′ N)

We present magnetic field data collected over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the vicinity of the Atlantis Fracture Zone and extending out to 10 Ma-old lithosphere. We calculated a magnetization distribution which accounts for the observed magnetic field by performing a three-dimensional inversion in the presence of bathymetry. Our results show the well-developed pattern of magnetic reversals over our study area. We observe a sharp decay in magnetization from the axis out to older lithosphere and we attribute this decay to progressive low temperature oxidation of basalt. In crust which is 10 Ma, we observe an abrupt increase in magnetic field intensity which could be due to an increase in the intensity of magnetization or thickness of the magnetic source layer. We demonstrate that because the reversal epoch was of unusually long duration, a two-layer model comprised of a shallow extrusive layer and a deeper intrusive layer with sloping polarity boundaries can account for the increase in the amplitude of anomaly 5. South of the Atlantis Fracture Zone, high magnetization is correlated with bathymethic troughts at segment end points and lower magnetization is associated with bathymetric highs at segment midpoints. This pattern can be explained by a relative thinning of the magnetic source layer toward the midpoint of the segment. Thickening of the source layer at segment endpoints due to alteration of lower oceanic crust could also cause this pattern. Because we do not observe this pattern north of the fracture zone, we suggest it is a result of the nature of crustal formation process where mantle upwelling is focused. South of the fracture zone, reversals along discontinuity traces only continue to crust 2 Ma old. In crust >2 Ma, we observe bands of high, positive magnetization along discontinuity traces. We suggest that within the discontinuity traces, a high, induced component of magnetization is produced by serpentinized lower crust/upper mantle and this masks the contribution of basalts to the magnetic anomaly signal.     

区域网GPS观测得到的2008年汶川M_S 8.0地震前的地壳水平运动

2008年5月12日汶川（31.0°N,103.4°E）MS8.0大地震发生在中国地壳运动观测网络区域网GPS观测站相当密集的地区．1000个站的GPS 非连续观测区域网分别在1999,2001,2004年和2007年作了4次观测．震前区域网GPS观测站得到的水平位移表明,汶川大地震主要力源是印度板块向北对中国大陆的挤压,但同时也受到东部与南部板块的挤压．与其它地区相比,震前震中附近水平位移最显著的特点是,汶川地震发生在南北地震带上位移分叉部位,即震中北部明显向东北位移,震中南部明显向东南位移,而震中附近的水平位移则明显小于其北面和南面的水平位移．简要讨论了应变计算结果的精度．为获取地震前的异常信息,分别采用趋势曲面拟合和统计方法研究了汶川地震前（1999—2007年）区域网的应变积累,寻找震中的大致区域．除了2001年昆仑山口西大地震震中及其周围地区外,1999—2007年震前区域网的应变积累的趋势曲面拟合表明,汶川地震发生在中国大陆第一剪应变积累大、范围最广的区域的东侧,且在此区域内积累较大的面压缩区的东北边缘．应变分量的统计分析表明,震前其分布在此区域及其附近同样有明显的异常,剪应变和面膨胀积累均增强．      

Møre Margin: Crustal structure from analysis of Expanded Spread Profiles

Analysis in both the x—t and —p domains of high-quality Expanded Spread Profiles across the Møre Margin show that many arrivals may be enhanced be selective ray tracing and velocity filtering combined with conventional data reduction techniques. In terms of crustal structure the margin can be divided into four main areas: 1) a thicker than normal oceanic crust in the eastern Norway Basin; 2) expanded crust with a Moho depth of 22 km beneath the huge extrusive complex constructed during early Tertiary breakup; 3) the Møre Basin where up to 13–14 km of sediments overlie a strongly extended outer part with a Moho depth at 20 km west of the Ona High; and 4) a region with a 25–27 km Moho depth between the high and the Norwegian coast. The velocity data restricts the continent-ocean boundary to a 15–30 km wide zone beneath the seaward dipping reflector wedges. The crust west of the landward edge of the inner flow is classified as transitional. This region as well as the adjacent oceanic crust is soled by a 7.2–7.4 km s^–1 lower crustal body which may extend beneath the entire region that experienced early Tertiary crustal extension. At the landward end of the transect a 8.5 km s^–1 layer near the base of the crust is recognized. A possible relationship with large positive gravity anomalies and early Tertiary alkaline intrusions is noted.     

南海輓近海平面变化与构造升降初步研究

揭示南海輓近海平面变动和古岸线诸多遗迹,探讨晚更新世以来海平面变化一般规律,初步分析南海周缘中全新世和现代地壳构造升降速率,得出本区海平面上升率适中参考值为0.10—2.0mm/a,初步估算未来50年内海平面变化趋势在1.26—4.0mm/a之间;而构造升降受块断差异运动控制,一般规律是南海北部沿岸自东向西递减,由福建南部1.15mm/a至海南岛南部0.54mm/a。近代地壳形变资料亦证实这种变化规律。     

白云凹陷地球物理场及深部结构特征

珠江口盆地白云凹陷是南海最具代表性的第三系深水陆坡沉积区。以穿过白云凹陷中部的一条深反射地震剖面(14s)为研究基础，采用综合地球物理研究方法分析了该区地球物理场特征，根据重力异常平面等值线勾画了白云凹陷的形态，并提取该测线相对应的重磁剖面数据，利用重磁资料和地震剖面进行了综合反演。以深剖面地震资料建立了地质模型，利用所得的重力数据进行了研究深部结构的正演拟合，实测与计算值拟合较好，支持中生代俯冲洋壳存在的观点；同时结合地震资料对深部结构进行了分析，该区莫霍面由陆向海抬升，呈阶梯状变化，地壳厚度逐渐减薄，具有大陆边缘陆壳向洋壳过渡的特征。根据地质模型还进行了变密度综合反演拟合来分析基底岩性特征，该区基底主要为中酸性岩浆岩，部分为变质岩和基性火山岩，岩石密度由陆向洋逐渐减小，磁性体分布不均。