Seismic scattering at the top of the mantle Transition Zone

We document strong seismic scattering from around the top of the mantle Transition Zone in all available high resolution explosion seismic profiles from Siberia and North America. This seismic reflectivity from around the 410 km discontinuity indicates the presence of pronounced heterogeneity in the depth interval between 320 and 450 km in the Earth’s mantle. We model the seismic observations by heterogeneity in the form of random seismic scatterers with typical scale lengths of kilometre size (10-40 km by 2-10 km) in a 100-140 km thick depth interval. The observed heterogeneity may be explained by changes in the depths to the α-β-γ spinel transformations caused by an unexpectedly high iron content at the top of the mantle Transition Zone. The phase transformation of pyroxenes into the garnet mineral majorite probably also contributes to the reflectivity, mainly below a depth of 400 km, whereas we find it unlikely that the presence of water or partial melt is the main cause of the observed strong seismic reflectivity. Subducted oceanic slabs that equilibrated at the top of the Transition Zone may also contribute to the observed reflectivity. If this is the main cause of the reflectivity, a substantial amount of young oceanic lithosphere has been subducted under Siberia and North America during their geologic evolution. Subducted slabs may have initiated metamorphic reactions in the original mantle rocks.     

Photometric Studies of Twelve Deep, Low-mass Ratio Overcontact Binary Systems

The formations of the blue straggler stars and the FK Com-type stars are unsolved problems in stellar astrophysics. One of the possibilities for their formations is from the coalescence of W UMa-type overcontact binary systems. Therefore, deep (f > 50%), low-mass ratio (q < 0.25) overcontact binary stars are a very important source to understand the phenomena of Blue Straggler/FK Com-type stars. Recently, 12 W UMa-type binary stars, FG Hya, GR Vir, IK Per, TV Mus, CU Tau, V857 Her, V410 Aur, XY Boo, SX CrV, QX And, GSC 619-232, and AH Cnc, were investigated photometrically. Apart from TV Mus, XY boo, and GSC 619-232, new observations of the other 9 binaries were obtained. Complete light curves of the 10 systems, FG Hya, GR Vir, IK Per, TV Mus, CU Tau, V857 Her, GSC 619-232, V410 Aur, XY Boo, and AH Cnc, were analyzed with the 2003 version of the W-D code. It is shown that all of those systems are deep (f > 50%), low-mass ratio (q < 0.25) overcontact binary stars. We found that the system GSC 619-232 has the highest degree of overcontact (f = 93.4%). The derived photometric mass ratio of V857 Her, q = 0.0653, indicates that it is the lowest-mass ratio system among W UMa-type binaries.Of the 12 sample stars, long-term period changes of 11 systems were found. About 58% (seven) of the sample binaries show cyclic period oscillation. No cyclic period changes were discovered for the other 5 systems, which may be caused by the short observational time interval or by insufficient observations. Therefore, we think that all W UMa-type binary stars may contain cyclic period variations. By considering the long-term period changes (both increase and decrease) of those binary stars, we proposed two evolutionary scenarios evolving from deep, low-mass ratio overcontact binaries into Blue Straggler/FK Com-type stars.     

基于波形拟合的中国东海地区410 km间断面附近速度结构研究

410 km间断面是地幔转换带的顶界面,对其速度结构和起伏形态开展地震学探测有助于认识地球内部物质组成和相关的地球动力学过程.本文选取了由中国数字地震台网记录到的位于琉球俯冲区的一个中源地震P波宽频带波形资料,利用三重震相波形拟合研究了中国东海地区410 km间断面附近的精细速度结构.结果表明：中国东海地区下方410 km间断面整体表现为一尖锐的速度界面且有8~15 km的小幅抬升;该间断面之上存在52~62 km厚的低速层,其P波速度降低0.5%~1.6%;440 km深度以下存在1.0%~3.0%的P波高速异常.结合前人在该地区的层析成像结果,我们推测该高速异常体与西太平洋俯冲板片在中国东海地区地幔转换带内的滞留有关;板片内水相E分解使得转换带内水含量增加,这引发了410 km间断面的抬升;410 km间断面之上的低速层应与含水矿物脱水导致的地幔橄榄岩部分熔融有关.     

基于P波三重震相的下扬子克拉通地幔转换带顶部低速层初探

本文基于中国地震观测台网记录到的震中距为10°~23°之间琉球俯冲区一个中深源地震的P波三重震相信息,研究了下扬子克拉通转换带顶部P波速度结构.通过射线追踪和理论地震图与观测地震波形的对比,发现下扬子克拉通下方的410 km间断面为一厚度20 km的梯度带,其上存在一由西南向东北变厚的低速层,厚度变化40~57 km,P波速度减低2.7%~4.5%.该低速层可以被认为是由于地幔橄榄岩部分熔融引起的.     

缅甸弧中部俯冲带下方地幔间断面起伏形态研究

新生代以来,印度板块和欧亚板块发生碰撞形成了喜马拉雅造山带和青藏高原,印度板片在喜马拉雅东构造结处缅甸弧俯冲带进入深部地幔.开展缅甸弧俯冲带下方地幔间断面的研究有助于认识印度大陆岩石圈的碰撞-俯冲过程及其对上地幔结构的影响.本文选用了发生于缅甸弧地区的3个中源地震事件,获取了欧洲和美国阿拉斯加地区多个密集地震台网/台阵...     

The structure and sharpness of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 phase transformations in the transition zone

To calculate accurately the pressure interval and mineral proportions (i.e. yields) across the olivine to wadsleyite and wadsleyite to ringwoodite transformations requires a detailed knowledge of the non-ideality of Fe-Mg mixing in these (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄ solid solutions. In order to constrain the activity-composition relations that describe non-ideal mixing, Fe-Mg partitioning experiments have been conducted between magnesiowüstite and (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄ olivine, wadsleyite and ringwoodite as a function of pressure at 1400°C. Using known activity-composition relations for magnesiowüstite the corresponding relations for the three polymorphs were determined from the partitioning data. In all experiments the presence of metallic iron ensured redox conditions compatible with the Earth’s transition zone. The non-ideality of the (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄ solid solutions was found to decrease in the order W^wadsleyite_FeMg>W^ringwoodite_FeMg>W^olivine_FeMg. These partitioning data were used, along with published phase equilibria measurements for the Mg₂SiO₄ and Fe₂SiO₄ end-member transformations, to produce an internally consistent thermodynamic model for the Mg₂SiO₄-Fe₂SiO₄ system at 1400°C. Using this model the pressure interval of the olivine to wadsleyite transformation is calculated to be significantly smaller than previous determinations. By combining these results with Fe-Mg partitioning data for garnet, the widths of transition zone phase transformations in a peridotite composition were calculated. The olivine to wadsleyite transformation at 1400°C in dry peridotite was found to occur over a pressure interval equivalent to approximately 6 km depth and the mineral yields were found to vary almost linearly with depth across the transformation. This transformation is likely to be even sharper at higher temperatures or could be significantly broader in wet mantle or in regions with a significant vertical component of mantle flow. The entire range of estimated widths for the 410 km discontinuity (4-35 km) could, therefore, be explained by the olivine to wadsleyite transformation in a peridotite composition over a range of quite plausible mantle temperatures and H₂O contents. The wadsleyite to ringwoodite transformation in peridotite mantle was calculated to take place over an interval of 20 km at 1400°C. This transformation yield was also found to be near linear.     

帕米尔—兴都库什深俯冲残留体对410km间断面起伏形态的影响

受俯冲残留体影响的410km间断面起伏形态的研究对于确定地球内部物质构成及地球动力学过程具有重要作用.帕米尔—兴都库什俯冲区域拥有全球少有的中、深源地震,为研究410km间断面起伏提供了良好的资源.利用日本Hi-net地震台网和美国TA台阵记录的帕米尔—兴都库什俯冲区域的6个震源深度为154.0~220.9km、震级为Mb5.6~6.4的中、深源地震的短周期/宽频带波形资料,经过4次根倾斜叠加处理,获得了36组Hi-net子台网和TA记录资料的倾斜叠加灰度图,从中提取了与410km间断面相关的次生转换震相SdP,发现受俯冲残留体影响下的410km间断面的深度位于372~398km.较之持续俯冲的西太平洋地区海洋岩石圈,研究区域俯冲滞留体对于410km间断面的相变线的影响要小得多.     

Thin flux tube models for star spots

The possibility of understanding stellar activity as an up‐scaled version of the activity of our Sun is investigated. A theoretical model to explain properties of sunspots is used for explaining observed latitudes of star spots. The model is based on thin‐flux‐tube simulations that study the path of magnetic flux tubes from their origin in a stellar overshoot layer to photospheric layers. A direct comparison of the simulation results with individual stars is given. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)