Three-dimensional inversion of marine magnetic anomalies: Implications for crustal accretion along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (28°–31°30′ N)     

J. E. Pariso  C. Rommevaux  J. -C. Sempere 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1996,18(1):85-101

We present magnetic field data collected over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the vicinity of the Atlantis Fracture Zone and extending out to 10 Ma-old lithosphere. We calculated a magnetization distribution which accounts for the observed magnetic field by performing a three-dimensional inversion in the presence of bathymetry. Our results show the well-developed pattern of magnetic reversals over our study area. We observe a sharp decay in magnetization from the axis out to older lithosphere and we attribute this decay to progressive low temperature oxidation of basalt. In crust which is 10 Ma, we observe an abrupt increase in magnetic field intensity which could be due to an increase in the intensity of magnetization or thickness of the magnetic source layer. We demonstrate that because the reversal epoch was of unusually long duration, a two-layer model comprised of a shallow extrusive layer and a deeper intrusive layer with sloping polarity boundaries can account for the increase in the amplitude of anomaly 5. South of the Atlantis Fracture Zone, high magnetization is correlated with bathymethic troughts at segment end points and lower magnetization is associated with bathymetric highs at segment midpoints. This pattern can be explained by a relative thinning of the magnetic source layer toward the midpoint of the segment. Thickening of the source layer at segment endpoints due to alteration of lower oceanic crust could also cause this pattern. Because we do not observe this pattern north of the fracture zone, we suggest it is a result of the nature of crustal formation process where mantle upwelling is focused. South of the fracture zone, reversals along discontinuity traces only continue to crust 2 Ma old. In crust >2 Ma, we observe bands of high, positive magnetization along discontinuity traces. We suggest that within the discontinuity traces, a high, induced component of magnetization is produced by serpentinized lower crust/upper mantle and this masks the contribution of basalts to the magnetic anomaly signal.  相似文献   

The Mid-atlantic Ridge (31°S–34°30′S): Temporal and spatial variations of accretionary processes     

P. J. Fox  N. R. Grindlay  K. C. MacDonald 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1991,13(1):1-20

The ridge located between 31° S and 34°30′S is spreading at a rate of 35 mm yr⁻¹, a transitional velocity between the very slow (≤20 mm yr⁻¹) opening rates of the North Atlantic and Southwest Indian Oceans, and the intermediate rates (60 mm yr⁻¹) of the northern limb of the East Pacific Rise, and the Galapagos and Juan de Fuca Ridges. A synthesis of multi-narrow beam, magnetics and gravity data document that in this area the ridge represents a dynamically evolving system. Here the ridge is partitioned into an ensemble of six distinct segments of variable lengths (12 to 100 km) by two transform faults (first-order discontinuities) and three small offset (< 30 km) discontinuities (second-order discontinuities) that behave non-rigidly creating complex and heterogeneous morphotectonic patterns that are not parallel to flow lines. The offset magnitudes of both the first and second-order discontinuities change in response to differential asymmetric spreading. In addition, along the fossil trace of second-order discontinuities, the lengths of abyssal hills located to either side of a discordant zone are observed to lengthen and shorten creating a saw-toothed pattern. Although the spreading rate remains the same along the length of the ridge studied, the morphology of the spreading segments varies from a deep median valley with characteristics analogous to the rift segments of the North Atlantic to a gently rifted axial bulge that is indistinguishable from the shape and relief of the intermediate rate spreading centers of the East Pacific Rise (i.e., 21°N). Like other carefully surveyed ridge segments at slow and fast rates of accretion, the along-axis profiles of each ridge segment are distinctly convex upwards, and exhibit along-strike changes in relief of 500m to 1500 between the shallowest portion of the segment (approximate center) and the segment ends. Such spatial variations create marked along-axis changes in the morphology and relief of each segment. A relatively low mantle Bouguer anomaly is known to be associated with the ridge segment characterized by a gently rifted axial bulge and is interpreted to indicate the presence of focused mantle upwelling (Kuo and Forsyth, 1988). Moreover, the terrain at the ends of each segment are known to be highly magnetized compared to the centers of each segment (Carbotte et al, 1990). Taken together, these data clearly establish that these profound spatial variations in ridge segment properties between adjoining segments, and along and across each segment, indicate that the upper mantle processes responsible for the formation of this contrasting architecture are not solely related to passive upwelling of the asthenosphere beneath the ridge axis. Rather, there must be differences in the thermal and mechanical structure of the crust and upper mantle between and along the ridge segments to explain these spatial variations in axial topography, crustal structure and magnetization. These results are consistent with the results of investigations from other parts of the ridge and suggest that the emplacement of magma is highly focused along segments and positioned beneath the depth minimum of a given segment. The profound differences between segments indicate that the processes governing the behavior of upwelling mantle are decoupled and the variations in the patterns of axis flanking morphology and rate of accretion indicate that processes controlling upwelling and melt production vary markedly in time as well. At this spreading rate and in this area, the accretionary processes are clearly three-dimensional. In addition, the morphology of a ridge segment is not governed so much by opening rate as by the thermal structure of the mantle which underlies the segment.  相似文献   

Northward transport of pacific summer water along the Northwind Ridge in the Western Arctic Ocean     

Hiroshi Sumata  Koji Shimada 《Journal of Oceanography》2007,63(3):363-378

The recent sea-ice reduction in the Arctic Ocean is not spatially uniform, but is disproportionally large around the Northwind Ridge and Chukchi Plateau compared to elsewhere in the Canada Basin. In the Northwind Ridge region, Pacific Summer Water (PSW) delivered from the Bering Sea occupies the subsurface layer. The spatial distribution of warm PSW shows a quite similar pattern to the recent ice retreat, suggesting the influence of PSW on the sea-ice reduction. To understand the regionality of the recent ice retreat, we examine the dynamics and timing of the delivery of the PSW into this region. Here, we adopt a two-layer linearized potential vorticity equation to investigate the behavior of Rossby waves in the presence of a topographic discontinuity in the high latitude ocean. The analytical results show a quite different structure from those of mid-latitude basins due to the small value of β. Incident barotropic waves excited by the sea-ice motion with large annual variation can be scattered into both barotropic and baroclinic modes at the discontinuity. Since the scattered baroclinic Rossby wave with annual frequency cannot propagate freely, a strong baroclinic current near the topographic discontinuity is established. The seasonal variation of current near the topographic discontinuity would cause a kind of selective switching system for shelf water transport into the basin. In our simple analytical model, the enhanced northward transport of summer water and reduced northward transport of winter water are well demonstrated. The present study indicates that these basic dynamics imply that a strengthening of the surface forcing during winter in the Canada Basin could cause sea-ice reduction in the Western Arctic through the changes of underlying Pacific Summer Water.  相似文献   

Seasonal Variability of Near-Surface Heat Budget of Selected Oceanic Areas in the North Tropical Indian Ocean   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Chithra Shaji  Satoshi Iizuka  Tomonori Matsuura 《Journal of Oceanography》2003,59(1):87-103

The results obtained from an Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM), the Modular Ocean Model 2.2, forced with the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data, and observational data have been utilized to document the climatological seasonal cycle of the upper ocean response in the Tropical Indian Ocean. We address the various roles played by the net surface heat flux and the local and remote ocean dynamics for the seasonal variation of near-surface heat budget in the Tropical Indian Ocean. The investigation is based in seven selected boxes in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Equatorial Indian Ocean. The changes of basin-wide heat budget of ocean process in the Arabian Sea and the Western Equatorial Indian Ocean show an annual cycle, whereas those in the Bay of Bengal and the Eastern Equatorial Indian Ocean show a semi-annual cycle. The time tendency of heat budget in the Arabian Sea depends on both the net surface heat flux and ocean dynamics while on the other hand, that in the Bay of Bengal depends mainly on the net surface flux. However, it has been found that the changes of heat budget are very different between western and eastern regional sea areas in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, respectively. This difference depends on seasonal variations of the different local wind forcing and the different ocean dynamics associated with ocean eddies and Kelvin and Rossby waves in each regional sea areas. We also discuss the comparison and the connection for the seasonal variation of near-surface heat budget among their regional sea areas. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.  相似文献   

稳定同位素在天然气水合物地球化学勘查中的应用简介--以"布莱克海隆"海区为例   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

陆尊礼  凌洪飞  蒋少涌  杨竞红  倪培 《海洋地质前沿》2003,19(2):28-32

介绍了国外在布莱克海隆（包括ODP164航次994、995、997站位）进行天然气水合物勘查过程中应用稳定同位素的研究实例；通过对这3个站位样品的甲烷、CO2、DIC（dissolved inorganic carbon)、有机碳以及自生碳酸盐的δ^13C分析，指出浅部（0－30m)甲烷和DIC的δ^13C值随深度迅速降低又迅速升高的变化可以作为天然气水合物存在的地球化学指标。994站位孔隙水δ^18O值深度从0.30‰下降到-0.37‰；氢同位素δD随深度略有下降（从11‰到-12‰），这与水合物形成时氢氧重同位素相对富集于固相有关，表明天然气水合物的存在。997站位δ^37Cl从海底沉积物表层以下30m处为接近海水的最大值0，至钻孔底746.85m处降为-3.68‰，可能也与天然气水合物的形成有关。  相似文献   

Tectonic core of a sedimentary drift: a potential ridge propagation feature beneath the Blake Outer Ridge     

Dayton Dove  Steven C. Jaume  Erin Beutel 《Marine Geophysical Researches》2007,28(1):1-11

The Blake Outer Ridge is a 480–kilometer long linear sedimentary drift ridge striking perpendicular to the North American coastline. By modeling free-air gravity anomalies we tested for the presence of a crustal feature that may control the location and orientation of the Blake Outer Ridge. Most of our crustal density models that match observed gravity anomalies require an increase in oceanic crustal thickness of 1–3 km on the southwest side of the Blake Outer Ridge relative to the northeast side. Most of these models also require 1–4 km of crustal thinning in zone 20–30 km southwest of the crest of the Blake Outer Ridge. Although these features are consistent with the structure of oceanic fracture zones, the Blake Outer Ridge is not parallel to adjacent known fracture zones. Magnetic anomalies suggest that the ocean crust beneath this feature formed during a period of mid-ocean ridge reorganization, and that the Blake Outer Ridge may be built upon the bathymetric expression of an oblique extensional feature associated with ridge propagation. It is likely that the orientation of this trough acted as a catalyst for sediment deposition with the start of the Western Boundary Undercurrent in the mid-Oligocene.  相似文献   

The contribution of nano- and micro-planktonic assemblages in the surface layer (0-30 m) under different hydrographic conditions in the upwelling area off Concepción, central Chile     

V. Anabalón  R. Escribano  M. Angélica Varas 《Progress in Oceanography》2007,75(3):396-414

In the highly productive region off central Chile, the structure and temporal and spatial variability of planktonic assemblages, and the factors that determine changes in this structure are poorly understood. In the region, wind-driven upwelling, heating by solar radiation and freshwater inputs are highly seasonal processes, which, together with higher frequency events, can promote changes in the planktonic communities, especially in the upper layer. This study focuses on the structure of nano- through to micro-planktonic assemblages (2-200 μm) of unicellular organisms (protists) in surface waters (0-30 m) during different hydrographic conditions. Samples were taken from a fixed shelf station off Concepción (COPAS time series Station 18) on eight occasions between September 2003 and August 2004. The nano-plankton flagellate-dominated fraction was numerically important during the whole period. Maxima in flagellate abundance and biomass occurred during the upwelling period (November-April samplings) but these maxima appear to be unrelated to the degree of water column stratification. The micro-plankton diatom-dominated fraction was usually the largest component in terms of biomass during the study period and the diatoms made important numerical contributions during the upwelling period, with maxima in abundance and biomass when water column stability was lowest. The dominant genera and morphotypes in each functional group were found throughout the study period, with maxima in abundance and biomass co-occurring under similar environmental upwelling conditions. The mean macro-nutrient concentrations (nitrate and silicate) were relatively high in the top 30 m during both upwelling and non-upwelling periods, and did not explain the maxima in plankton or functional group replacements. The persistence of the dominant taxa in the planktonic assemblages suggests a high degree of flexibility, though probably not at the specific level, to withstand the highly variable environmental conditions in this upwelling area.  相似文献   

Native aluminium (spherules and particles) in the Central Indian Basin sediments: Implications on the occurrence of hydrothermal events     

Sridhar D. Iyer  M.B.L. Mascarenhas-Pereira  B. Nagender Nath 《Marine Geology》2007,240(1-4):177-184

We have sampled particles of native aluminium (Al°) in two sediment cores from the Central Indian Basin (CIB). The cores are geographically separated but are located at the base of two seamounts. The native Al° particles occurring as grains and spherules, have an average Al content of  95% and are associated with volcanogenic–hydrothermal material. Morphologically and compositionally, the specimens are similar to those reported from the East Pacific Rise. After ruling out several processes for the presence of the native Al°, we hypothesize that during progressive melting of magma, a basaltic magma is produced which has high contents of reductants such as methane and hydrogen, and a low oxygen fugacity. During the upward migration of such magma, reduction to metallic aluminium and the formation of native Al° particles takes place.  相似文献   

The Loyalty—New Hebrides Arc collision: Effects on the Loyalty Ridge and basin system,Southwest Pacific (first results of the ZoNéCo programme)     

Yves Lafoy  Francois Missegue  Dominique Cluzel  Raymond Le Suave 《Marine Geophysical Researches》1996,18(2-4):337-356

The ZoNéCo 1 and 2 cruises of Ifremer's Research Vessel L'Atalante, collected new swath bathymetry and geophysical data over the southern and northern segments of the basins and ridges forming the Loyalty system. Between the two surveyed areas, previous studies found evidence for the resistance of the Loyalty Ridge to subduction beneath the New Hebrides trench near 22°S–169°E. On the subducted plate, except for seismicity related to the downbending of the Australian plate, recorded shallow seismicity is sparse within the Loyalty system (Ridge and Basin) where reliable focal mechanism solutions are almost absent.Swath bathymetry, seismic reflection and magnetic data acquired during the ZoNéCo 1 and 2 cruises revealed a transverse asymmetric morphology in the Loyalty system, and an along-strike horst and graben structure on the discontinuous Loyalty Ridge. South of 23°50S and at 20°S, the two WSW-ENE-trending fault systems, respectively, sinistral and dextral, that crosscut the southern and northern segments of the Loyalty system, are interpreted as due to the early effects of collision with the New Hebrides Arc. A NNW-SSE trend, evident along the whole Loyalty system and on the island of New Caledonia, is interpreted as an inherited structural trend that may have been reactivated through flexure of the Australian lithospheric plate at the subduction zone.Overall then, the morphology, structure and evolution of the southern and northern segments of the Loyalty system probably result from the combined effects of the Australian plate lithospheric bulge, the active Loyalty-New Hebrides collision and the overthrust of the New Caledonian ophiolite.  相似文献   

Spatial Patterns in Nutrient and In Vivo Fluorescence Distributions in the Marginal Ice Zone and the Seasonally Open Oceanic Zone in the Indian Sector of the Antarctic Ocean, in Austral Summer     

Tsuneo Odate  Toru Hirawake  Atsushi Tanimura  Mitsuo Fukuchi 《Journal of Oceanography》2000,56(2):185-196

Surface temperature, salinity, concentrations of silicate (Si) and nitrate + nitrite (N), and in vivo fluorescence (Fluor) were investigated in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) and the seasonally open oceanic zone (SOOZ) (32–40°E, 64–69°S) from February 23 to 28 1992. In the MIZ the mean Si and N were 67.8 ± 2.2 M and 32.5 ± 1.7 M, respectively. There was a trend that low N values coincided with high Fluor values. Observation conducted at one point (64°S, 38°E) revealed a diel variation pattern in Fluor. Applying this pattern of deviation from noon value, all Fluor data were normalized to value at local noon. In the MIZ a significant negative correlation was observed between the normalized Fluor and N but not Si. On the other hand, Si decreased continuously from south to north in the SOOZ and was negatively correlated with the normalized Fluor. Difference in Si concentration was about 30 M between the sea around 64°S and the MIZ, while the difference in N concentration was estimated as less than 10 M. If diatoms take up silicate and nitrogen at an approximate ratio of 1:1, additional nitrogenous nutrients other than nitrate and nitrite (e.g. ammonia, urea etc.) would be required. In this case, an f-ratio of lower than 33% is obtained. It is suggested that in the MIZ abundance of phytoplankton community dominated by non-diatom increases utilizing nitrate while in the SOOZ abundance of phytoplankton community dominated by diatoms increases consuming Si and regenerated nitrogen.  相似文献