Anelasticity of the crust and upper mantle beneath north and central India from the inversion of observed Love and Rayleigh wave attenuation data

The fundamental mode Love and Rayleigh waves generated by earthquakes occurring in Kashmir, Nepal Himalaya, northeast India and Burma and recorded at Hyderabad, New Delhi and Kodaikanal seismic stations are analysed. Love and Rayleigh wave attenuation coefficients are obtained at time periods of 15–100 seconds, using the spectral amplitude of these waves for 23 different paths along northern (across Burma to New Delhi) and central (across Kashmir, Nepal Himalaya and northeast India to Hyderabad and Kodaikanal) India. Love wave attenuation coefficients are found to vary from 0.0003 to 0.0022 km^–1 for northern India and 0.00003 km^–1 to 0.00016 km^–1 for central India. Similarly, Rayleigh wave attenuation coefficients vary from 0.0002 km^–1 to 0.0016 km^–1 for northern India and 0.00001 km^–1 to 0.0009 km^–1 for central India. Backus and Gilbert inversion theory is applied to these surface wave attenuation data to obtainQ ^–1 models for the crust and uppermost mantle beneath northern and central India. Inversion of Love and Rayleigh wave attenuation data shows a highly attenuating zone centred at a depth of 20–80 km with lowQ for northern India. Similarly, inversion of Love and Rayleigh wave attenuation data shows a high attenuation zone below a depth of 100 km. The inferred lowQ value at mid-crustal depth (high attenuating zone) in the model for northern India can be by underthrusting of the Indian plate beneath the Eurasian plate which has caused a low velocity zone at this shallow depth. The gradual increase ofQ ^–1 from shallow to deeper depth shows that the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary is not sharply defined beneath central India, but rather it represents a gradual transformation, which starts beneath the uppermost mantle. The lithospheric thickness is 100 km beneath central India and below that the asthenosphere shows higher attenuation, a factor of about two greater than that in the lithosphere. The very lowQ can be explained by changes in the chemical constitution taking place in the uppermost mantle.     

内蒙古敖包吐萤石矿床的Sr、Nd、Pb同位素地球化学特征

敖包吐萤石矿床是内蒙古北部苏莫查干地区单一萤石矿集区中的一个代表性矿床,产于早二叠世大石寨组火山-沉积岩与早白垩世敖包吐花岗岩的接触带上。文章通过分析该矿床岩、矿石的微量元素和稀土元素,揭示出萤石的成矿作用可分为2个阶段,即交代作用和充填作用。交代作用过程中大石寨组的结晶灰岩可能为萤石的形成提供了部分Ca来源,萤石矿石的稀土元素配分模式与海水基本类似,具有Ce负异常;成矿作用后期主要表现为充填作用,形成颗粒粗大的萤石,表现为重稀土元素富集的特征,并随着萤石的沉淀析出,稀土元素总量逐渐下降,反映出成矿流体经历了较长期的演化过程。各地层单元、花岗岩体和萤石矿石的Sr、Nd、Pb同位素研究表明,萤石的放射性同位素组成具有壳、幔源混合的特点,成矿物质来源具有多源性。早白垩世敖包吐花岗岩可能是萤石中F的主要来源,而大石寨组的结晶灰岩则可能提供了Ca。另外,Pb、Nd同位素的极大不均一性,有可能是成矿流体在运移过程中对艾力格庙群放射性组分的选择性吸收的结果。萤石成矿作用与钾玄岩的时空关系暗示了萤石的成矿过程可能是中国东部岩石圈减薄和下地壳的置换地质事件的结果。在构造转型的过程中,燕山中期富碱的酸性花岗岩浆的活动分异出富含F的成矿流体,与幔源流体混合,沿区域重新活化的深大断裂和大石寨组的层间破碎带上升,交代其间的灰岩透镜体,从而形成敖包吐中型萤石矿床。     

A seismic refraction study of cretaceous oceanic lithosphere in the Northwest Pacific Basin

A seismic refraction study on old (110 Myr) lithosphere in the northwest Pacific Basin has placed constraints on crustal and uppermantle seismic structure of old oceanic lithosphere, and lithospheric aging processes. No significant lateral variation in structure other than azimuthally anisotropic mantle velocities was found, allowing the application of powerful amplitude modeling techniques. The anisotropy observed is in an opposite sense to that expected, suggesting the tectonic setting of the area may be more complex than originally thought. Upper crustal velocities are generally larger than for younger crust, supporting current theories of decreased porosity with crustal aging. However, there is no evidence for significant thickening of the oceanic crust with age, nor is there any evidence of a lower crustal layer of high or low velocity relative to the velocity of the rest of Layer 3. The compressional and shear wave velocities rule out a large component of serpentinization of mantle materials. The only evidence for a basal crustal layer of olivine gabbro cumulates is a 1.5 km thick Moho transition zone. In the slow direction of anisotropy, upper mantle velocities increase from 8.0 km s^-1 to 8.35 km s^-1 in the upper 15 km below the Moho. This increase is inconsistent with an homogeneous upper mantle and suggests that compositinal or phase changes occur near the Moho.     

大陆岩石圈在张裂和分离时的变形模式

通过对南海南北共轭边缘地壳剖面的对比研究,发现大陆岩石圈的物理性质是分层的：上、中地壳呈脆性,下地壳表现出塑性,而岩石圈上地幔则仍呈脆性。因此,在它受张性应力场作用时,其变形和破裂分离方式也是分层进行的：上、中地壳能发生犁式断裂,产生的断块沿断面转动在地表产生一系列半地堑,并使地壳厚度减薄;如拉张应力继续作用时,上、中地壳将沿犁式断裂被拉开,从而形成上、下板块边缘,并彼此分开。下地壳则发生塑性变形,使地壳厚度减薄,并最终将其拉断。岩石圈上地幔亦可产生陡倾断裂,形成的断块沿断面转动亦使其厚度减薄,并最终沿陡倾断裂被拉断。这就是我们称之为岩石圈变形和破裂分 离时的分层变形及分层破裂分离模式。     

The Vema Transverse Ridge (Central Atlantic)

Transverse ridges are elongate reliefs running parallel and adjacent to transform/fracture zones offsetting mid-ocean ridges. A major transverse ridge runs adjacent to the Vema transform (Central Atlantic), that offsets the Mid-Atlantic Ridge by 320 km. Multibeam morphobathymetric coverage of the entire Vema Transverse ridge shows it is an elongated (300 km), narrow (<30 km at the base) relief that constitutes a topographic anomaly rising up to 4 km above the predicted thermal contraction level. Morphology and lithology suggest that the Vema Transverse ridge is an uplifted sliver of oceanic lithosphere. Topographic and lithological asymmetry indicate that the transverse ridge was formed by flexure of a lithospheric sliver, uncoupled on its northern side by the transform fault. The transverse ridge can be subdivided in segments bound by topographic discontinuities that are probably fault-controlled, suggesting some differential uplift and/or tilting of the different segments. Two of the segments are capped by shallow water carbonate platforms, that formed about 3–4 m.y. ago, at which time the crust of the transverse ridge was close to sea level. Sampling by submersible and dredging indicates that a relatively undisturbed section of oceanic lithosphere is exposed on the northern slope of the transverse ridge. Preliminary studies of mantle-derived ultramafic rocks from this section suggest temporal variations in mantle composition. An inactive fracture zone scarp (Lema fracture zone) was mapped south of the Vema Transverse ridge. Based on morphology, a fossil RTI was identified about 80 km west of the presently active RTI, suggesting that a ridge jump might have occurred about 2.2 m.a. Most probable causes for the formation of the Vema Transverse ridge are vertical motions of lithospheric slivers due to small changes in the direction of spreading of the plates bordering the Vema Fracture Zone.     

岩石圈中热压系数的计算

中国中西部地区发育众多前陆冲断带,它们具有构造变形复杂、油气潜力大和有别于经典前陆盆地的沉积和油气地质特征,但其成因过程和动力学并不清楚。文中利用中西部盆地区的地温、岩石热物性参数和地热学模拟技术,分析该区岩石圈热状态和流变学特征,进一步结合其他地质、地球物理资料,揭示盆地区的深部构造特征和岩石圈性质。研究表明,中西部各主要盆地的岩石圈具有厚度大、强度高、地温低等热-流变学特征,表现为刚硬块体;而其周缘和造山带区却表现为温度高、强度低和厚度小等特征,是构造变形的易发区。在此基础上讨论了岩石圈性质和变形过程等深部构造对前陆盆地成因演化的控制作用,进而初步归纳这类陆内再生前陆盆地的成因演化机制:发育于小型克拉通块体的边缘,其就位受控于岩石圈热-流变学非均质性和构造继承性,其动力来源是新生代印度-欧亚大陆碰撞及其持续的挤压作用。上述研究为探讨中国中西部地区的前陆盆地成因机制提供了深部资料和岩石圈热-流变学约束。     

大陆岩石圈对扩张机制的响应—辽蒙地质走廊中—新生代火山活动的时空分布

选择辽西为中心,以近东西向延伸800km的辽蒙地质走廊为研究区,通过年代学研究,确认130Ma以来的中、新生代火山活动对称分布的时空格局,具有“中间老、两侧新”的特点,而且随着时间的推移,软流圈来源的岩浆向东西两侧侧向流动,岩浆来源不断加深。在此基础上提出“软流圈底辟体上涌和水平侧向流动”的模式。     

华北克拉通东部早白垩世伸展盆地的发育过程及其对克拉通的破坏

在晚侏罗世华北克拉通东部破坏之初出现了区域性隆起,全区缺失上侏罗统沉积。在早白垩世早期,出现了区域性的伸展活动,断陷盆地形成,克拉通南、北缘伸展活动最强,北部燕山构造带以出现变质核杂岩为特征,南部出现宽裂谷型盆地。早白垩世中期华北克拉通东部普遍出现了火山活动与岩浆侵入。早白垩世晚期克拉通上以出现窄裂谷型盆地为特征,沿北北东走向的郯庐断裂带断陷活动最强。这些断陷盆地的演化过程揭示,经历地表抬升后,克拉通破坏之初的岩石圈热而弱,从而形成变质核杂岩或宽裂谷型盆地。这期间的破坏强度在空间上具有不均匀分布的特征,受控于早期岩石圈地幔的结构。经过早白垩世中期的大量岩浆活动之后,早白垩世晚期克拉通岩石圈温度降低、强度变大,从而利用早期大型断裂构造形成窄裂谷型盆地。这现象支持华北克拉通东部晚中生代的岩石圈减薄是以逐渐拆沉机制为主。     

Mantle plumes from top to bottom

Hotspots include midplate features like Hawaii and on-axis features like Iceland. Mantle plumes are a well-posed hypothesis for their formation. Starting plume heads provide an explanation of brief episodes of flood basalts, mafic intrusions, and radial dike swarms. Yet the essence of the hypothesis hides deep in the mantle. Tests independent of surface geology and geochemistry to date have been at best tantalizing. It is productive to bare the current ignorance, rather than to dump the plume hypothesis. One finds potentially fruitful lines of inquiry using simple dynamics and observations. Ancient lithospheric xenoliths may reveal heating by plumes and subsequent thermal equilibration in the past. The effect at the base of the chemical layer is modest 50-100 K for transient heating by plume heads. Thinning of nonbuoyant platform lithosphere is readily observed but not directly attributable to plumes. The plume history in Antarctica is ill constrained because of poor geological exposure. This locality provides a worst case on what is known about surface evidence of hotspots. Direct detection of plume tail conduits in the mid-mantle is now at the edge of seismic resolution. Seismology does not provide adequate resolution of the deep mantle. We do not know the extent of a chemically dense dregs layer or whether superplume regions are cooler or hotter than an adiabat in equilibrium with the asthenosphere. Overall, mid-mantle seismology is most likely to give definitive results as plume conduits are the guts of the dynamic hypothesis. Finding them would bring unresolved deep and shallow processes into place.