Short-lived radium isotopes in the Hawaiian margin: Evidence for large fluid fluxes through the Puna Ridge

We measured significant activities of short-lived radium isotopes, ²²³Ra (half-life = 11 days) and ²²⁴Ra (half-life = 3.7 days), around the margins of the Hawaiian Islands to water depths of 3500 m. These measurements suggest fluid inputs from the basalt to the surrounding ocean. In general ²²³Ra activities were considerably greater than ²²⁴Ra in spite of the expected higher production rate of ²²⁴Ra activity in basalt. The ²²³Ra was not supported by dissolved ²²⁷Ac. The highest enrichments of ²²³Ra were measured over the Puna Ridge (2100 m depth) east of Hawaii. Here ²²³Ra activities reached 19 dpm/m³, similar to activities measured near sites of active submarine groundwater discharge in the South Atlantic Bight. To explain the high activities of ²²³Ra unaccompanied by ²²⁴Ra, we postulate that thermally-driven circulation of seawater through the Puna Ridge deposits ²³¹Pa on basalt surfaces. With time the ²³¹Pa produces ²²⁷Ac and ²²³Ra; and ²²³Ra desorbs into the circulating fluids. These fluids then transport ²²³Ra into the overlying ocean. Based on the inventory of ²²³Ra above the Puna Ridge, we estimate the flow of fluids through the ridge to be on the order of 20–60 cm³ cm^− 2 day^− 1. In less than 1000 years the incoming seawater could provide enough ²³¹Pa to basalt surfaces to balance the inventory of ²²³Ra above the ridge if only 8% of the ²²³Ra was transported to the overlying water. These observations on the flanks of a volcanically-active ocean island have significant implications for quantifying fluid fluxes from the flanks of the mid-ocean ridge system. By mapping ²²³Ra inventories in the ocean above ridge flanks and measuring the activity of ²²³Ra in the emerging fluids, the fluid flux can be obtained.     

二维沙丘迎风坡沙粒跃移运动的数值模拟

为了研究沙丘迎风坡面上沙粒的跃移运动,本文根据风工程和空气动力学的最新理论,给出了沙丘迎风坡面上风场的空间分布规律,在此基础上对沙粒跃移运动进行了数值计算。由于沙丘周围流场情况较为复杂,各处的风速廓线也不同,故选取不同的坡面位置进行跃移计算,其中各处的起沙率由已有的实验结果或拟合公式给出。计算结果表明：从坡脚到坡顶,平均风速加速比和摩阻风速逐渐增加,到沙丘顶部达到最大值;同时沿坡面向上,各截面处单宽输沙率和距离当地地面相同高度处输沙浓度逐渐加强,这与已有文献报道的结果吻合良好。     

长江三角洲北翼ZKA4钻孔剖面第四纪磁性地层特征及其意义

对长江三角洲北翼南通地区ZKA4钻孔岩心进行了磁性地层学研究,结果表明,302.7 m的岩心记录了布容正向极性时（Brunhes）、松山负向极性时（Matruyama）和部分高斯正极性时（Gauss）。在系统古地磁样品采集、处理和测试的基础上,应用磁性地层、AMS 14C加速器测年等方法,结合岩性特征,对ZKA4钻孔剖面进行了详细地层划分,分别确定了下更新统、中更新统、上更新统和全新统的埋深及沉积厚度,其中Q/N界线位于291.72 m处,Qp1/Qp2、Qp2/Qp3、Qp3/Qh界线分别定位于189.39 m、132.44 m和26.14 m处。本项研究结果为该区域第四纪地层划分对比、古地理环境演化及岸线变迁等相关研究提供了可靠的地层年代框架。     

天山北麓黄土发育特征及形成年代

对天山北麓黄土年代的认识还存在一定分歧.文章在对天山北麓河流阶地进行划分的基础上,通过分析黄土分布与地貌单元(河流阶地与冲积扇)的依附关系,同时结合黄土-古土壤序列分析与ESR测年,初步确定天山北麓地貌面上覆盖的最老黄土年代为0.54Ma B.P.,这为分析黄土所赋含的环境信息提供时间标尺.     

风动力场对沉积体系的作用

风作为大气流场活动的表现形式,是一种重要的地质营力,风场对沉积体系的展布有着重要的控制作用。风不但本身具有侵蚀、搬运和沉积的能力,形成风成沉积,它还可以向水体传输能量和动量,产生波浪和风生水流,侵蚀基岩、改造已有的沉积物,形成独特的沉积体系。以风场对沉积物的直接作用和间接作用为依据,将风场作用下的碎屑岩及碳酸盐岩沉积体系进行了分类:背风体系、迎风体系及侧风体系。风场概念的引入,为解释沉积体系（包括油气储集体）形成及预测其分布提供了新的视角,也完善了古气候学中古风场的恢复。     

冬季中国海涡旋和逆风海流的数值实验

用一个正压太平洋区域模式做了些数值实验，考察了黑潮、海底地形和岛屿对中国海海流，特别是对南海暖流的影响。计算结果表明：在南海暖流和一些涡旋的形成机制当中，中国海的大陆架地形起着主要的作用。黑潮在巴士海峡的分支或入侵对南海暖流有着重要的影响，但并不是南海暖流得以形成的根本原因。另外，关于冬季南海暖流的驱动机制和水的来源问题，根据数值试验得到的一些结果也做了一些初步分析。     

碳酸盐岩早成岩岩溶作用及油气地质意义

碳酸盐岩早成岩岩溶作用可发育溶蚀孔洞或具有规模的溶洞,这对于认识我国塔里木盆地、四川盆地碳酸盐岩内幕岩溶区孔洞成因与分布具有重要参考价值。然而碳酸盐岩早成岩岩溶在我国现代岩溶发育较少,研究程度低。文章通过总结国外在碳酸盐岩早成岩岩溶形成机理及孔洞发育特征的研究成果,探讨早成岩岩溶的油气地质意义:（1）成岩早期碳酸盐岩胶结程度差,岩石疏松,孔隙度、渗透率极高,介质空间较均匀;（2）早成岩岩溶作用与海平面升降具有明显的关系,尤其海岛或滨岸地区的淡水-海水交互带,以混合水岩溶为特征的岩溶作用较强烈;（3）早成岩岩溶孔洞发育分布具有一定特点,岛屿岩溶以发育侧面边缘洞穴为特征,而滨海岩溶以发育混合带管道为特征;（4）孔洞的发育主要受淡水中CO2含量、水流通过混合过渡带的水动力及海平面变化速率控制;（5）早成岩岩溶为研究我国地质历史时期碳酸盐岩短期暴露岩溶作用提供借鉴,对其孔洞发育分布特征的认识,将促进碳酸盐岩内幕区孔洞型油气储层形成机理研究,指导内幕区孔洞储层分布预测和油气勘探。      

东喜马拉雅缺口的地质与地貌成因

东喜马拉雅缺口位于西藏东南部米林地区,平均海拔高度只有4500m,远远低于喜马拉雅山其它地段。我们的研究揭示,它的形成是由一条规模很大的,称之为米林韧性正断层的活动造成的。断层带的宽度至少有20km,大体倾向西,主要由眼球状糜棱岩组成,岩石中的拉伸线理以及眼球旋转的方式表明位于其东西两侧的高喜马拉雅深变质岩系和特提斯喜马拉雅中浅变质岩系之间发生过大规模的拆离运动,导致了东喜马拉雅构造结的最高峰——南迦巴瓦(7756m)的早期抬升以及特提斯喜马拉雅的重力垮塌。该断裂的南西端和藏南拆离系(STDS)相交,因此,它很可能是藏南拆离系的东翼断裂,同样形成于中新世。拆离构造的发生表明喜马拉雅山在中新世发生南北向构造缩短的同时还伴随着近东西向的拉伸。米林断裂的北东端和派区断裂相接。后者在中新世呈左旋剪切,构成东喜马拉雅挤入构造的西边界。米林断裂和上述两个断裂的衔接关系表明该断裂是一个协调高喜马拉雅和特提斯喜马拉雅之间斜向拆离运动的转换断层。     

Asymmetric crustal structure of the ultraslow-spreading Mohns Ridge

ABSTRACT

New analysis of the geophysical data of the ultraslow-spreading Mohns Ridge and its off-axis structure reveals a distinctive asymmetric structure. We calculate residual bathymetry (RB) and residual mantle Bouguer gravity anomaly (RMBA) and decompose the anomalies into symmetric and asymmetric components between the ridge conjugates. The western flank of the Mohns Ridge at crustal age of ~50–15 Ma is characterized by a broad zone of elevated RB and more negative RMBA, which we term the Vesteris Plateau (VP). The VP anomaly has a surface area of ~1.12 × 10⁵ km² and an excess crust volume of ~2.33 × 10⁵ km³, making it a significant anomaly comparable to other anomalies such as the Bermuda Rise. Extending north of the Kolbeinsey Ridge for more than 500 km, the VP lies above an anomalous upper mantle region of low shear-wave seismic velocity, indicating that the VP might represent the northernmost reach of the Iceland-Jan Mayen mantle anomaly. In addition, the western ridge flank of the Mohns Ridge at crustal age of 6–0 Ma is associated with higher RB and more positive RMBA relative to the eastern conjugate, indicating tectonic uplift and associated exposure of lower crust and upper mantle near the ridge axis.     

Seawater transport and reaction in upper oceanic basaltic basement: chemical data from continuous monitoring of sealed boreholes in a ridge flank environment

Osmotically pumped fluid samplers were deployed in four deep-sea boreholes that were drilled during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 168 on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Samplers were recovered from ODP Sites 1024 and 1027 and aliquots were analyzed for a variety of dissolved ions. Results from both of the samplers show a drastic change in the major ion composition within the first 20-40 days after the borehole was sealed at the seafloor followed by a more gradual change in composition. This gradual change ceased after 820 days at Site 1024 but continued throughout the 3-year deployment at Site 1027. We modeled this change in composition to estimate the flux of formation fluid through the open borehole. The rapid early change requires a flow of ∼1500 kg of formation fluid per day. The more gradual later change requires flow rates of 38 kg/day at Site 1024 and 17.5 kg/day at Site 1027. The latter fluxes require a minimum average specific discharge of meters to hundreds of meters per year through the surrounding basaltic matrix. Trace element data show surprisingly little contamination given the presence of steel casing, Li-organic-rich grease at each joint, cement, and drilling muds. Observed changes in trace element concentrations relative to those of bottom seawater provide a measure for the global significance of cool (23°C; ODP Site 1024) ridge flank hydrothermal systems relative to warm (64°C; Baby Bare and ODP Site 1027) hydrothermal systems and illustrate the importance of these cooler systems to global geochemical budgets.