Dynamics of the mid-ocean ridge plate boundary: Recent observations and theory     

Yongshun John Chen 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》1996,146(3-4):621-648

The global mid-ocean ridge system is one of the most active plate boundaries on the earth and understanding the dynamic processes at this plate boundary is one of the most important problems in geodynamics. In this paper I present recent results of several aspects of mid-ocean ridge studies concerning the dynamics of oceanic lithosphere at these diverging plate boundaries. I show that the observed rift valley to no-rift valley transition (globally due to the increase of spreading rate or locally due to the crustal thickness variations and/or thermal anomalies) can be explained by the strong temperature dependence of the power law rheology of the oceanic lithosphere, and most importantly, by the difference in the rheological behavior of the oceanic crust from the underlying mantle. The effect of this weaker lower crust on ridge dynamics is mainly influenced by spreading rate and crustal thickness variations. The accumulated strain pattern from a recently developed lens model, based on recent seismic observations, was proposed as an appealing mechanism for the observed gabbro layering sequence in the Oman Ophiolite. It is now known that the mid-ocean ridges at all spreading rates are offset into individual spreading segments by both transform and nontransform discontinuities. The tectonics of ridge segmentation are also spreading-rate dependent: the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge is characterized by distinct bulls-eye shaped gravity lows, suggesting large along-axis variations in melt production and crustal thickness, whereas the fast-spreading East-Pacific Rise is associated with much smaller along-axis variations. These spreading-rate dependent changes have been attributed to a fundamental differences in ridge segmentation mechanisms and mantle upwelling at mid-ocean ridges: the mantle upwelling may be intrinsically plume-like (3-D) beneath a slow-spreading ridge but more sheet-like (2-D) beneath a fast-spreading ridge.  相似文献   

The gravitational field of topographic-isostatic masses and the hypothesis of mass condensation II-the topographic-isostatic geoid     

J. Engels  E. W. Grafarend  P. Sorcik 《Surveys in Geophysics》1996,17(1):41-66

In Part I we focussed on a convergent representation of the gravitational potential generated bytopographic masses on top of the equipotential surface atMean Sea Level, thegeoid, and by those masses which compensate topography. Topographic masses have also been condensated, namely represented by a single layer. Part II extends the computation of the gravitational field of topographic-isostatic masses by a detailed analysis of itsforce field in terms ofvector-spherical harmonic functions. In addition, the discontinuous mass-condensated topographic gravitational force vector (head force) is given. Once we identify theMoho discontinuity asone interface of isostatically compensated topographical masses, we have computed the topographic potential and the gravitational potential which is generated by isostatically compensated masses atMean Sea Level, the geoid, and illustrated by various figures of geoidal undulations. In comparison to a data oriented global geoid computation ofJ. Engels (1991) the conclusion can be made that the assumption of aconstant crustal mass density, the basic condition for isostatic modeling, does not apply. Insteaddensity variations in the crust, e.g. betweenoceanic and continental crust densities, have to be introduced in order to match the global real geoid and its topographic-isostatic model. The performed analysis documents that thestandard isostatic models based upon aconstant crustal density areunreal.  相似文献   

Deep structure of the Central Alps in the light of recent seismic data     

H. Laubscher 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》1994,83(2):237-248

The deep seismic reflection traverses across the Central Alps (NFP 20, ECORS-CROP) contain a new set of data on the lower crust which has been interpreted in different ways. One currently fashionable model depicts the European lower crust (ELC) as gently dipping below the Adriatic crust. However, this model requires that an observed sharp termination of the ELC under the internal border of the External Massifs is due to the non-transmission of organized seismic energy through the complex upper crust. This explanation is questioned as other reflections in this and similarly complex areas are recorded, and as the same sharp termination of the ELC under the internal border of the External Massifs is observed on all seismic lines for a length of 300 km. A tectonic — metamorphic cause appears to more satisfactorily explain the obeservations, and therefore an alternative model combining surface and deep geophysical data is proposed. It consists of three mutually largely decoupled tectonic levels. (1) The shallow obducted part or lid, bounded at its base by the combined Late Miocene Jura and Lombardic basal thrusts. Estimates of shortening based on balanced sections are at least about 100 km. (2) The intermediate level between the brittle-ductile transition and the top of the subducted mantle. It contains a stack of lower crust imbrications (with a minor admixture of upper mantle) accommodated by (inducted into) the ductile middle crust. Estimates of shortening based on area balancing are again of the order of slightly more than 100 km. (3) The subducted upper mantle, for which there are no reflection data.In the Central Alps the Late Miocene phase was dextrally transpressive, producing flower structures at the shallow level (External Massifs); the stacks of lower crust imbrications at the intermediate level may be the equivalent of the External Massifs at that level. Inverted flower structures of the subducted mantle are possible, but no detailed data are available.  相似文献   

“全新特提斯洋”概念与广义特提斯构造域     

余星  许绪成  韩喜球  丁巍伟  胡航  何虎  余娅娜 《地质学报》2022,96(12):4131-4139

特提斯最初是指欧亚大陆南缘的古海洋，后逐渐引申出从元古宙、古生代到中生代的一系列位于劳亚大陆与冈瓦纳大陆之间的古大洋，如原特提斯洋、古特提斯洋和新特提斯洋，不同大洋在时间上前后交叠。如今横亘在冈瓦纳大陆(南极洲)和欧亚大陆之间的是印度洋，是新特提斯洋的继承者，可以另称为“全新特提斯洋”。这一概念的引申直接体现了印度洋与特提斯构造域一脉相承的关系，有助于将今论古、由此及彼，更直观地了解特提斯构造域的演化过程。本文按时间序列梳理了印度洋的大地构造演化和岩浆作用过程，识别了印度洋在155 Ma、120 Ma、90~84 Ma、76 Ma、65 Ma、52 Ma、45 Ma、38 Ma等关键时期的异常海底扩张记录，这些扩张事件将为标定新特提斯构造域的演化提供参照。其中155 Ma可能指示了新特提斯洋的鼎盛期，90 Ma指示了新特提斯洋的洋中脊俯冲，76~52 Ma是非洲- 阿拉伯大陆与欧亚大陆初始碰撞- 主碰撞(即新特提斯洋西部关闭)的时期，65~45 Ma是印度次大陆与欧亚大陆初始碰撞- 主碰撞(即新特提斯洋中部关闭)的时期，38 Ma是澳大利亚北部大洋开始净俯冲(即新提斯洋东部开始消减)的时间。印度洋扩张历史的研究为理解新特提斯洋消亡提供参考标尺。站在“后方”印度洋的角度，可以更清晰地透视“前线”特提斯构造域的演化过程，为理解板块构造活动规律提供支撑。  相似文献   

On the spatial characteristic of the short term and imminent anomalies of underground water behaviors before strong earthquake     

杜学彬  刘耀炜  倪明康 《地震学报(英文版)》1997,10(4):523-533

Ｏｎｔｈｅｓｐａｔｉａｌｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｉｓｔｉｃｏｆｔｈｅｓｈｏｒｔ┐ｔｅｒｍａｎｄｉｍｍｉｎｅｎｔａｎｏｍａｌｉｅｓｏｆｕｎｄｅｒｇｒｏｕｎｄｗａｔｅｒｂｅｈａｖｉｏｒｓｂｅｆｏｒｅｓｔｒｏｎｇｅａｒｔｈｑｕａｋｅＸＵＥ－ＢＩＮＤＵ（杜学彬）...  相似文献   

库姆塔格沙漠"羽毛状沙丘"形态的示量特征   总被引：10，自引：2，他引：10  

刘虎俊  王继和  廖空太  郑庆中  张锦春  丁峰  唐进年  俄有浩  苏志珠  翟新伟  张国忠 《干旱区地理》2006,29(3):314-320

通过卫星照片判读和实地观测,库姆塔格沙漠的“羽毛状沙丘”由两种风沙地貌构成：东北-西南走向的新月形“沙垄”为“羽轴”；垄间分布的波状微起伏的“大沙波”为“羽枝”,“大沙波”与沙垄的夹角为75°～103°。二者组合成类似“羽毛”的风沙地貌。新月形“沙垄”由单个新月形沙丘的前一沙丘的迎风坡与后一沙丘东翼相连构成“沙垄”。组成“沙垄”的新月形沙丘的两翼平均长37．5m,翼间距30～66m,沙丘高3～19m；在所观测区域内,沙丘沙的分选性由南向北变差。新月形“沙垄”长为3～22km,垄间距为1～3km,其问分布浅色和暗色相间的波状微地貌,暗色部分平均宽24．3m,浅色部分的平均宽11．6m。暗色部分表层沙粒的粒径有60%在1．00～0．25mm之间,以暗色矿物为主,而浅色部分表层沙粒的粒径的90%在1．00～0．25mm之间,分选性相对暗色部分较好,以石英等浅色矿物为主。暗色和浅色微地貌成对出现,相对高差约7cm。这种波状微地貌在库姆塔格沙漠中北部重复出现,类似于风沙地貌分类的沙波,暂称其为“大沙波”。  相似文献   

Insight into the structure of the Upper Rhine Graben and its basement from a new compilation of Bouguer Gravity     

Y. Rotstein  J.-B. Edel  G. Gabriel  D. Boulanger  M. Schaming  M. Munschy 《Tectonophysics》2006,425(1-4):55-70

A compilation of gravity data from the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) is presented that includes all the main data sources from its German and French parts. This data is used to show that the URG consists of, at least, two arc-shaped and asymmetric rift units that tectonically are the basic building blocks of the graben. In this sense the URG does not differ from other continental rifts, such as the African rifts. This division should replace the now classical geomorphologic division of the URG into three segments, based on their different trends. Moreover, the gravity suggests that the faults in the central and southern segments are continuous and have the same trend, appearing to respond as a single kinematic unit. Changes in the gravity field in the graben are shown to reflect not only the structure of the graben, but also the highly variable composition of the basement. In this respect, the URG is quite different from some other Tertiary continental rifts, where possible changes in the composition of the basement are mostly masked in the gravity field by the effect of the overlying low-density sediments. This characteristic is used to study the extent of some of the main basement units that underlie the graben.  相似文献   

Variability in Early Amazonian Tharsis stress state based on wrinkle ridges and strike-slip faulting     

Chris H. Okubo  Richard A. Schultz   《Journal of Structural Geology》2006,28(12):2169

We present evidence for a decrease in the magnitude of Tharsis-circumferential compressive stress during the Late Hesperian to the Middle Amazonian based on chronologic changes in the predominant style of faulting in southern Amazonis Planitia. Using high-resolution MOLA topography, we identify a population of strike-slip faults that exhibit Middle Amazonian-aged displacements of regional chrono-stratigraphic units. These strike-slip faults are adjacent to an older population of previously documented Late Hesperian-aged thrust faults (wrinkle ridges). Along-strike orientations of these thrust and strike-slip faults reveal the Tharsis-radial stress to be the area's most compressive remote principal stress and that this stress orientation and magnitude persisted throughout the Late Hesperian to the Middle Amazonian. We show that the change in the predominant style of faulting from thrust faulting to strike-slip faulting during this time requires a decrease of the Tharsis-circumferential compressive stress to a magnitude less than lithostatic load, with negligible change in stress orientation.  相似文献   

A pronounced dry event recorded around 4.2 ka in brine sediments from the northern Red Sea     

Helge W. Arz  Frank Lamy  Jürgen Ptzold 《Quaternary Research》2006,66(3):432-441

Partly laminated sediments were sampled from the brine-filled, anoxic Shaban Deep basin in the northern Red Sea. At about 4200 cal yr BP more than two millennia of anoxic sedimentation is replaced by a sub-oxic facies strongly suggesting the episodic absence of the brine. At the same time stable oxygen isotopes from surface dwelling foraminifera show a sharp increase (within less than 100 yr) pointing to a strong positive salinity anomaly at the sea surface. This major evaporation event significantly enhanced the renewal of deep water and the subsequent ventilation of the small Shaban Deep basin. The timing and strength of the reconstructed environmental changes around 4200 cal yr BP suggest that this event is the regional expression of a major drought event, which is widely observed in the neighboring regions, and which strongly affected Middle East agricultural civilizations.  相似文献   

Non-volcanic deep low-frequency tremors accompanying slow slips in the southwest Japan subduction zone   总被引：5，自引：1，他引：5  

Kazushige Obara  Hitoshi Hirose 《Tectonophysics》2006,417(1-2):33

Non-volcanic deep low-frequency tremors in southwest Japan exhibit a strong temporal and spatial correlation with slow slip detected by the dense seismic network. The tremor signal is characterized by a low-frequency vibration with a predominant frequency of 0.5–5 Hz without distinct P- or S-wave onset. The tremors are located using the coherent pattern of envelopes over many stations, and are estimated to occur near the transition zone on the plate boundary on the forearc side along the strike of the descending Philippine Sea plate. The belt-like distribution of tremors consists of many clusters. In western Shikoku, the major tremor activity has a recurrence interval of approximately six months, with each episode lasting over a week. The tremor source area migrates during each episode along the strike of the subducting plate with a migration velocity of about 10 km/day. Slow slip events occur contemporaneously with this tremor activity, with a coincident estimated source area that also migrates during each episode. The coupling of tremor and slow slip in western Shikoku is very similar to the episodic tremor and slip phenomenon reported for the Cascadia margin in northwest North America. The duration and recurrence interval of these episodes varies between tremor clusters even on the same subduction zone, attributable to regional difference in the frictional properties of the plate interface.  相似文献