Evidence for compressionally induced high subsidence rates in the Kurile Basin (Okhotsk Sea)

A combined volcanological, geochemical, paleo-oceanological, geochronological and geophysical study was undertaken on the Kurile Basin, in order to constrain the origin and evolution of this basin. Very high rates of subsidence were determined for the northeastern floor and margin of the Kurile Basin. Dredged volcanic samples from the Geophysicist Seamount, which were formed under subaerial or shallow water conditions but are presently located at depths in excess of 2300 m, were dated at 0.84±0.06 and 1.07±0.04 Ma with the laser ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar single crystal method, yielding a minimum average subsidence rate of 1.6 mm/year for the northeast basin floor in the Quaternary. Trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data from the volcanic rocks show evidence for contamination within lower continental crust and/or the subcontinental lithospheric mantle, indicating that the basement presently at 6-km depth is likely to represent thinned continental crust. Average subsidence rates of 0.5–2.0 mm/year were estimated for the northeastern slope of the Kurile Basin during the Pliocene and Quaternary through the determination of the age and paleo-environment (depth) of formation of sediments from a canyon wall. Taken together, the data from the northeastern part of the Kurile Basin indicate that subsidence began in or prior to the Early Pliocene and that subsidence rates have increased in the Quaternary. Similar rates of subsidence have been obtained from published studies on the Sakhalin Shelf and Slope and from volcanoes in the rear of the Kurile Arc. The recent stress field of the Kurile Basin is inferred from the analysis of seismic activity, focal mechanism solutions and from the structure of the sedimentary cover and of the Alaid back-arc volcano. Integration of these results suggests that compression is responsible for the rapid subsidence of the Kurile Basin and that subsidence may be an important step in the transition from basin formation to its destruction. The compression of the Kurile Basin results from squeezing of the Okhotsk Plate between four major plates: the Pacific, North American, Eurasian and Amur. We predict that continued compression could lead to subduction of the Kurile Basin floor beneath Hokkaido and the Kurile Arc in the future and thus to basin closure.     

Microearthquakes and faulting in the southern Okinawa Trough

Southern Okinawa Trough represents an early stage of back-arc rifting and is characterized by normal faulting and microearthquakes. Earthquake distribution and deep structure of fault was investigated to clarify active rifting in the southern Okinawa Trough, where two parallel grabens are located. A network of ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) that displayed the hypocenters of 105 earthquakes were observed for a period of 4 days in southern-graben (SG). Most of the microearthquakes occurred in a cluster about 7 km wide, which on a cross-section striking N45°E dips 48° to the southwest. Relocated hypocenters, which are recorded by a local seismic network, show scattered distribution around the southern-graben. There are no remarkable surface faults in the southern-graben. On the other hand, the recalculation of hypocenter locations of 1996 earthquakes swarm recorded by a local seismic network suggests that the swarm is associated with normal faulting on the southern side of northern-graben (NG). Thus, the undeveloped southern-graben is located to the south of the developed northern-graben. Southward migration of rifting, which may be caused by migration of volcanism, could thus be occurring in the southern Okinawa Trough. The extension rate computed for the southern Okinawa Trough from the fault model of the northern-graben is 4.6 cm/year, which is 59–102% of the extension rate (GPS measurements). This result indicates that the majority of extensional deformation is concentrated within the center of the northern-graben in the Okinawa Trough.     

伊宁地块早石炭世球泡流纹岩的发现及地球化学特征

伊宁地块西段中部阿腾套山一带发现的球泡流纹岩,多数产于早石炭世海相无球泡流纹岩夹层中,整体呈层状、互层状,球泡通气孔顺层平行于流纹构造定向分布,推断是海相极浅水环境下的产物,因而具有精细指相意义。该球泡流纹岩与同期A型花岗岩类共生,属碱性岩类,SiO_2含量为69.18%~77.69%,K_2O大于4%,Al_2O_3为11.32%~16.24%,Ga/Al×10~4=2.1~7.8,∑REE=85.22×10~(-6)~348.8×10~(-6),(La/Yb)_N=6.7~14.8,相对富集轻稀土,δEu具明显负异常,稀土配分及大离子元素蛛网图均与A型花岗岩类地球化学特征总体相同。ε_(Hf)(t)均大于0(+12.5~+15.5),两阶段锆石Hf模式年龄大于锆石U-Pb年龄,表明源区可能为早古生代新生地壳物质部分熔融演化而来。A型球泡流纹岩与同期A型花岗岩类均形成于拉张构造环境,是区内早石炭世大哈拉军山组中迄今唯一发现的显示拉张构造环境的珍贵实例。为揭示和探讨伊宁地块总体处于汇聚大背景下的局部拉张环境,以及东窄西宽之楔形构造形态提供了可能。     

Structural characteristics of the KPR-CBR triple-junction inferred from gravity and magnetic interpretations,Philippine Sea Plate

The intersection of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR) and the Central Basin Rift (CBR) of the West Philippine Basin (WPB) is a relic of a trench-trench-rift (TTR) type triple-junction, which preserves some pivotal information on the cessation of the seafloor spreading of the WPB, the emplacement and disintegration of the proto-Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) Arc, and the transition from initial rifting to steady-state spreading of the Parece Vela Basin (PVB). However, the structural characteristics of this triple-junction have not been thoroughly understood. In this paper, using the newly acquired multi-beam bathymetric, gravity, and magnetic data obtained by the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey, the authors depict the topographic, gravity, and magnetic characteristics of the triple-junction and adjacent region. Calculations including the upward continuations and total horizontal derivatives of gravity anomaly are also performed to highlight the major structural features and discontinuities. Based on these works, the morphological and structural features and their formation mechanisms are analyzed. The results show that the last episode amagmatic extension along the CBR led to the formation of a deep rift valley, which extends eastward and incised the KPR. The morphological and structural fabrics of the KPR near and to the south of the triple-junction are consistent with those of the western PVB, manifesting as a series of NNE-SSW- and N-S-trending ridges and troughs, which were produced by the extensional faults associated with the initial rifting of the PVB. The superposition of the above two reasons induced the prominent discontinuity of the KPR in deep and shallow crustal structures between 15°N–15°30′N and 13°30′N–14°N. Combined with previous authors’ results, we propose that the stress produced by the early spreading of the PVB transmitted westward and promoted the final stage amagmatic extension of the CBR. The eastward propagation of the CBR destroyed the KPR, of which the magmatism had decayed or ceased at that time. The destruction mechanism of the KPR associated with the rifting of the PVB varies along strike the KPR. Adjacent to the triple-junction, the KPR was destroyed mainly due to the oblique intersection of the PVB rifting center. Whereas south of the triple-junction, the KPR was destroyed by the E-W-directional extensional faulting on its whole width.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.     

马里亚纳海槽扩张轴(中心)玄武岩铂族元素特征

马里亚纳海槽扩张轴中心玄武岩铂族元素(PGE)总量变化范围为0.418×10-9~1.022×10-9,其原始地幔标准化配分模式呈正倾斜型,表现出PPGE(包括Pt,Pd,Rh)和金的相对富集.与其他幔源岩石相比,该区玄武岩PGE总量较低,(Pd/Ir)N,(Pd/Pt)N,(Pd/Ru)N变化较大,表现出铂、铱的相对亏损和明显的铂负异常(Pt/Pt*=0.01~0.15).PGE的分布特征一方面反映了该区地幔熔融度不高,另一方面,大离子亲石元素LILE(铷、锶、钾等)、铅和轻稀土LREE略富集,暗示扩张中心之下的软流圈地幔源受到了岛弧地幔的混染.上述特征反映了马里亚纳海槽玄武岩是MORB型与岛弧型地幔源不同程度混合后部分融熔的产物.     

Formation and evolution of the South China Sea since the Late Mesozoic: A review

The existing genetic models of the South China Sea(SCS) include an extrusion model of the Indochina Peninsula, a back-arc extension model, and a subduction and dragging model of the Proto-South China Sea(PSCS). However, none of these models has been universally accepted because they do not fully match a large number of geological phenomena and facts. By examining the regional tectonics and integrating them with measured data for the SCS, in this study, a back-arc spreading-sinistral shear model ...     

俯冲带的后撤与弧后扩张

西太平洋地壳年龄较老,因而岩石层较冷和比重较大,俯冲带的角度也较大,活动和成熟的弧后盆地则较多;条件与之相反的东太平洋弧后盆地则较少.本文探讨这种相关关系的力学成因,计算了俯冲板块诱生的弧后上涌地幔流动.计算表明,俯冲角度大及存在后撤俯冲时,有利于在弧后地区产生明显的上涌地幔流,这种深部热物质的上涌会导致弧后扩张.反之,年龄较轻的海洋地块较热和较轻,俯冲角度一般也较小,不易诱生上涌地幔物质流动和弧后扩张.大陆地壳密度小于地幔物质,大陆碰撞区就更不具备弧后扩张的条件.     

环太平洋地震带与柯里奥利力

柯里奥利力是地球自转的一种惯性力，它使垂直下降的物体向东偏转，垂直上升的物体向西偏转，是形成环太平洋地震带中东西两岸构造应力差别的根本原因。     

Petrology,geochemistry and geochronology of the magmatic suite from the Jianzha Complex,central China: Petrogenesis and geodynamic implications

The intermediate–mafic–ultramafic rocks in the Jianzha Complex (JZC) at the northern margin of the West Qinling Orogenic Belt have been interpreted to be a part of an ophiolite suite. In this study, we present new geochronological, petrological, geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data and provide a different interpretation. The JZC is composed of dunite, wehrlite, olivine clinopyroxenite, olivine gabbro, gabbro, and pyroxene diorite. The suite shows characteristics of Alaskan-type complexes, including (1) the low CaO concentrations in olivine; (2) evidence of crystal accumulation; (3) high calcic composition of clinopyroxene; and (4) negative correlation between FeO^tot and Cr₂O₃ of spinels. Hornblende and phlogopite are ubiquitous in the wehrlites, but minor orthopyroxene is also present. Hornblende and biotite are abundant late crystallized phases in the gabbros and diorites. The two pyroxene-bearing diorite samples from JZC yield zircon U–Pb ages of 245.7 ± 1.3 Ma and 241.8 ± 1.3 Ma. The mafic and ultramafic rocks display slightly enriched LREE patterns. The wehrlites display moderate to weak negative Eu anomalies (0.74–0.94), whereas the olivine gabbros and gabbros have pronounced positive Eu anomalies. Diorites show slight LREE enrichment, with (La/Yb)_N ratios ranging from 4.42 to 7.79, and moderate to weak negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu¹ = 0.64–0.86). The mafic and ultramafic rocks from this suite are characterized by negative Nb–Ta–Zr anomalies as well as positive Pb anomalies. Diorites show pronounced negative Ba, Nb–Ta and Ti spikes, and typical Th–U, K and Pb peaks. Combined with petrographic observations and chemical variations, we suggest that the magmatism was dominantly controlled by fractional crystallization and crystal accumulation, with limited crustal contamination. The arc-affinity signature and weekly negative to moderately positive ε_Nd(t) values (−2.3 to 1.2) suggest that these rocks may have been generated by partial melting of the juvenile sub-continental lithospheric mantle that was metasomatized previously by slab-derived fluids. The lithologies in the JZC are related in space and time and originated from a common parental magma. Geochemical modeling suggests that their primitive parental magma had a basaltic composition. The ultramafic rocks were generated through olivine accumulation, and variable degrees of fractional crystallization with minor crustal contamination produced the diorites. The data presented here suggest that the subduction in West Qinling did not cease before the early stage of the Middle Triassic (∼242 Ma), a back-arc developed in the northern part of West Qinling during this period, and the JZC formed within the incipient back-arc.     

柴北缘绿梁山地区早古生代弧后盆地型蛇绿岩的年代学、地球化学及大地构造意义

岩石学、地球化学、年代学及Lu-Hf同位素综合研究表明在柴北缘西段绿梁山大平沟地区出露一套弧后盆地型蛇绿岩,岩石类型主要包括变质橄榄岩、变火山岩、变辉长岩及斜长花岗岩。其中变火山岩具有LREE亏损,类似N-MORB的稀土配分模式,同时又具有富集大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、Ta等高场强元素的岛弧火山岩的地球化学特征,应形成在弧后盆地环境。斜长花岗岩为低钾准铝质花岗岩,具有LREE略微富集,HREE平坦的稀土配分型式,显示强烈Eu正异常,其εHf(t)值介于13.7～15.3之间,为变辉长岩部分熔融的产物,熔融温压条件可能为P=0.8～0.9GPa和T=～800℃。年代学研究结果表明变辉长岩的形成时代为535±2Ma,斜长花岗岩的形成时代为493±3Ma,指示本地区弧后盆地拉张时限至少介于493～535Ma之间,而柴北缘地区古大洋俯冲消减作用应早于535Ma。