Whole-mantle convection and the transition-zone water filter

Because of their distinct chemical signatures, ocean-island and mid-ocean-ridge basalts are traditionally inferred to arise from separate, isolated reservoirs in the Earth's mantle. Such mantle reservoir models, however, typically satisfy geochemical constraints, but not geophysical observations. Here we propose an alternative hypothesis that, rather than being divided into isolated reservoirs, the mantle is filtered at the 410-km-deep discontinuity. We propose that, as the ascending ambient mantle (forced up by the downward flux of subducting slabs) rises out of the high-water-solubility transition zone (between the 660 km and 410 km discontinuities) into the low-solubility upper mantle above 410 km, it undergoes dehydration-induced partial melting that filters out incompatible elements. The filtered, dry and depleted solid phase continues to rise to become the source material for mid-ocean-ridge basalts. The wet, enriched melt residue may be denser than the surrounding solid and accordingly trapped at the 410 km boundary until slab entrainment returns it to the deeper mantle. The filter could be suppressed for both mantle plumes (which therefore generate wetter and more enriched ocean-island basalts) as well as the hotter Archaean mantle (thereby allowing for early production of enriched continental crust). We propose that the transition-zone water-filter model can explain many geochemical observations while avoiding the major pitfalls of invoking isolated mantle reservoirs.     

利用SS前驱波研究纳斯卡–南美俯冲带周边上地幔间断面起伏及其动力学意义

利用USArray的远震记录资料, 对1万多条地震记录的SS前驱波进行共反射点叠加分析(叠加范围是半径为5°的球冠), 得到纳斯卡板块南部及南美板块西部(120°W—60°W, 30°S—5°N)上地幔间断面的起伏形态。由于数据很好地覆盖了研究区域, 叠加范围更小, 因此比以往的结果具有更高的空间分辨率。在Galapagos, Easter和 San Felix这3个热点下方观测到的间断面起伏形态符合地幔深部存在高温异常的假设。还观测到: 在东太平洋洋隆南段下方, 410 km间断面深度增加; 在俯冲带下方, 410 km和 660 km间断面深度增加。     

The low-velocity layer at the depth of 620 km beneath Northeast China

Based on the 3-D Earth model, the common convert points-phase weighted stacks （CCP-PWS） migration method is used to image the upper mantle discontinuities beneath Northeast China （longitude 120°―132°; latitude 38°―40°） with 802 observed receiver functions. Teleseismic records are obtained from 4 stations belonging to CCDSN and 19 stations belonging to PASSCAL. A low-velocity layer has been detected at the depth of 620 km. This low-velocity layer rises to 600 km in the east of the study region close to the subducted slab. We consider that this low-velocity layer might be the accumulated oceanic crustal material delaminated from the western Pacific subducted slab. Additionally, we detect the obvious depression of 660 km discontinuity which was attributed to the interaction between the upper mantle and subducted slab. The maximum depth of 660 km discontinuity approaches 700 km, and 660 km discontinuity splits into multiple discontinuities in the northeast of the study region.     

Multiple seismic discontinuities near the base of the transition zone in the Earth's mantle

The seismologically defined boundary between the transition zone in the Earth's mantle (410-660 km depth) and the underlying lower mantle is generally interpreted to result from the breakdown of the gamma-spinel phase of olivine to magnesium-perovskite and magnesiowustite. Laboratory measurements of these transformations of olivine have determined that the phase boundary has a negative Clapeyron slope and does indeed occur near pressures corresponding to the base of the transition zone. But a computational study has indicated that, because of the presence of garnet minerals, multiple seismic discontinuities might exist near a depth of 660 km (ref. 4), which would alter the simple negative correlation of changes in temperature with changes in the depth of the phase boundary. In particular, garnet minerals undergo exothermic transformations near this depth, acting to complicate the phase relations and possibly effecting mantle convection processes in some regions. Here we present seismic evidence that supports the existence of such multiple transitions near a depth of 660 km beneath southern California. The observations are consistent with having been generated by garnet transformations coupling with the dissociation of the gamma-spinel phase of olivine. Temperature anomalies calculated from the imaged discontinuity depths--using Clapeyron slopes determined for the various transformations--generally match those predicted from an independent P-wave velocity model of the region.     

Low-velocity zone atop the 410-km seismic discontinuity in the northwestern United States

The seismic discontinuity at 410 km depth in the Earth's mantle is generally attributed to the phase transition of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 (refs 1, 2) from the olivine to wadsleyite structure. Variation in the depth of this discontinuity is often taken as a proxy for mantle temperature owing to its response to thermal perturbations. For example, a cold anomaly would elevate the 410-km discontinuity, because of its positive Clapeyron slope, whereas a warm anomaly would depress the discontinuity. But trade-offs between seismic wave-speed heterogeneity and discontinuity topography often inhibit detailed analysis of these discontinuities, and structure often appears very complicated. Here we simultaneously model seismic refracted waves and scattered waves from the 410-km discontinuity in the western United States to constrain structure in the region. We find a low-velocity zone, with a shear-wave velocity drop of 5%, on top of the 410-km discontinuity beneath the northwestern United States, extending from southwestern Oregon to the northern Basin and Range province. This low-velocity zone has a thickness that varies from 20 to 90 km with rapid lateral variations. Its spatial extent coincides with both an anomalous composition of overlying volcanism and seismic 'receiver-function' observations observed above the region. We interpret the low-velocity zone as a compositional anomaly, possibly due to a dense partial-melt layer, which may be linked to prior subduction of the Farallon plate and back-arc extension. The existence of such a layer could be indicative of high water content in the Earth's transition zone.     

下地幔可以发生地震吗?

大部分的地震发生在比较浅的位置,但是部分地震的深度可以达到600 km以上.目前已有的破裂机制预测地震只存在于上地幔中,但是一些地震的初步定位深度却可以超过670 km(1998年2月9号Okhotsk海地震,地震目录中被定为678 km).研究表明大多数浅震是由于断层失稳,沿着已有的断层面突然滑动引发的,而深震的发震机制目前尚无定论,尤其是下地幔中是否发生地震对于研究深震机制可以提供重要的约束.因为地球中的横向不均匀性,地震的绝对深度有较大的误差,所以我们根据观测地震图中明显的三重值特征,对上述那次深地震进行波形模拟,把相对深度和绝对深度结合起来,最终确定地震实际发生在670公里间断面以上,因此我们认为目前目录中那些最深的地震仍然发生在上地幔中.     

The Earth's mantle

Seismological images of the Earth's mantle reveal three distinct changes in velocity structure, at depths of 410, 660 and 2,700 km. The first two are best explained by mineral phase transformations, whereas the third-the D" layer-probably reflects a change in chemical composition and thermal structure. Tomographic images of cold slabs in the lower mantle, the displacements of the 410-km and 660-km discontinuities around subduction zones, and the occurrence of small-scale heterogeneities in the lower mantle all indicate that subducted material penetrates the deep mantle, implying whole-mantle convection. In contrast, geochemical analyses of the basaltic products of mantle melting are frequently used to infer that mantle convection is layered, with the deeper mantle largely isolated from the upper mantle. We show that geochemical, seismological and heat-flow data are all consistent with whole-mantle convection provided that the observed heterogeneities are remnants of recycled oceanic and continental crust that make up about 16 and 0.3 per cent, respectively, of mantle volume.     

Effect of phase transitions on compressional-wave velocities in the Earth's mantle

The velocities of seismic waves in the Earth are governed by the response of the constituent mineral assemblage to perturbations in pressure and stress. The effective bulk modulus is significantly lowered if the pressure of the seismic wave drives a volume-reducing phase transformation. A comparison between the amount of time required by phase transitions to reach equilibrium and the sampling period thus becomes crucial in defining the softening and attenuation of compressional waves within such a two-phase zone. These phenomena are difficult to assess experimentally, however, because data at conditions appropriate to the Earth's deep interior are required. Here we present synchrotron-based experimental data that demonstrate softening of the bulk modulus within the two-phase loop of olivine-ringwoodite on a timescale of 100 s. If the amplitude of the pressure perturbation and the grain size are scaled to those expected in the Earth, the compressional-wave velocities within the discontinuities at 410, 520 and, possibly, 660 km are likely to be significantly lower than otherwise expected. The generalization of these observations to aluminium-controlled phase transitions raises the possibility of large velocity perturbations throughout the upper 1,000 km of the mantle.     

冬季北极海冰面积异常与中国气温变化之间的年际关系

利用1957-2001年冬季的北极海冰资料、中国160站气温资料以及NCEP再分析的大气环流资料分析了冬季北极海冰面积异常与中国气温变化之间的年际关系.过去44年来,北极海冰面积总体上具有减小趋势(鄂霍次克海是例外,那里海冰面积有增加趋势),相应地北极涛动趋于增强,我国大部分地区趋于增暖.叠加这种趋势变化之上的是年际变化.在年际时间尺度上,冬季海冰变化的主要空间型表现为格陵兰海和白令海的海冰异常总是和鄂霍次克海、巴伦支海东部、喀拉海(新地岛附近)以及哈得孙湾的海冰异常符号相反,并且与500 hPa高度场上的EU和WP型遥相关对应.当冬季格陵兰海和白令海的海冰异常偏少,而鄂霍次克海、巴伦支海东部、喀拉海(新地岛附近)以及哈得孙湾的海冰异常偏多时,西伯利亚高压和阿留申低压都偏弱,冬季风减弱,东亚西风增强,我国冬季大部分地区温度升高;反之亦然.     

Stability of hydrous melt at the base of the Earth's upper mantle

Seismological observations have revealed the existence of low-velocity and high-attenuation zones above the discontinuity at 410 km depth, at the base of the Earth's upper mantle. It has been suggested that a small amount of melt could be responsible for such anomalies. The density of silicate melt under dry conditions has been measured at high pressure and found to be denser than the surrounding solid, thereby allowing the melt to remain at depth. But no experimental investigation of the density of hydrous melt has yet been carried out. Here we present data constraining the density of hydrous basaltic melt under pressure to examine the stability of melt above the 410-km discontinuity. We infer that hydrous magma formed by partial melting above the 410-km discontinuity may indeed be gravitationally stable, thereby supporting the idea that low-velocity or high-attentuation regions just above the mantle transition zone may result from the presence of melt.     

Moho offset beneath the central Bangong-Nujiang suture of Tibetan Plateau

By analyzing teleseismic waveforms recorded by 53 stations of Hi-Climb profile passing through the central Bangong-Nujiang suture(BNS) ,a total of 4764 high-quality receiver functions are obtained.The average crustal thickness and Poisson's ratio beneath each station are estimated using the travel time of Ps and PpPs of the Moho.The discontinuities such as the Moho,the 410and 660-km interfaces are also studied using the common converted points(CCP) time to depth migration of receiver functions. The main res...     

The post-spinel transformation in Mg2SiO4 and its relation to the 660-km seismic discontinuity

The 660-km seismic discontinuity in the Earth's mantle has long been identified with the transformation of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 from gamma-spinel (ringwoodite) to (Mg,Fe)SiO3-perovskite and (Mg,Fe)O-magnesiowüstite. This has been based on experimental studies of materials quenched from high pressure and temperature, which have shown that the transformation is consistent with the seismically observed sharpness and the depth of the discontinuity at expected mantle temperatures. But the first in situ examination of this phase transformation in Mg2SiO4 using a multi-anvil press indicated that the transformation occurs at a pressure about 2 GPa lower than previously thought (equivalent to approximately 600 km depth) and hence that it may not be associated with the 660-km discontinuity. Here we report the results of an in situ study of Mg2SiO4 at pressures of 20-36 GPa using a combination of double-sided laser-heating and synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a diamond-anvil cell. The phase transformation from gamma-Mg2SiO4 to MgSiO3-perovskite and MgO (periclase) is readily observed in both the forward and reverse directions. In contrast to the in situ multi-anvil-press study, we find that the pressure and temperature of the post-spinel transformation in Mg2SiO4 is consistent with seismic observations for the 660-km discontinuity.     

Water content in the transition zone from electrical conductivity of wadsleyite and ringwoodite

The distribution of water in the Earth's interior reflects the way in which the Earth has evolved, and has an important influence on its material properties. Minerals in the transition zone of the Earth's mantle (from approximately 410 to approximately 660 km depth) have large water solubility, and hence it is thought that the transition zone might act as a water reservoir. When the water content of the transition zone exceeds a critical value, upwelling flow might result in partial melting at approximately 410 km, which would affect the distribution of certain elements in the Earth. However, the amount of water in the transition zone has remained unknown. Here we determined the effects of water and temperature on the electrical conductivity of the minerals wadsleyite and ringwoodite to infer the water content of the transition zone. We find that the electrical conductivity of these minerals depends strongly on water content but only weakly on temperature. By comparing these results with geophysically inferred conductivity, we infer that the water content in the mantle transition zone varies regionally, but that its value in the Pacific is estimated to be approximately 0.1-0.2 wt%. These values significantly exceed the estimated critical water content in the upper mantle, suggesting that partial melting may indeed occur at approximately 410 km depth, at least in this region.     

Electromagnetic detection of a 410-km-deep melt layer in the southwestern United States

A deep-seated melt or fluid layer on top of the 410-km-deep seismic discontinuity in Earth's upper mantle, as proposed in the transition-zone 'water filter' hypothesis, may have significant bearing on mantle dynamics and chemical differentiation. The geophysical detection of such a layer has, however, proved difficult. Magnetotelluric and geomagnetic depth sounding are geophysical methods sensitive to mantle melt. Here we use these methods to search for a distinct structure near 410-km depth. We calculate one-dimensional forward models of the response of electrical conductivity depth profiles, based on mineral physics studies of the effect of incorporating hydrogen in upper-mantle and transition-zone minerals. These models indicate that a melt layer at 410-km depth is consistent with regional magnetotelluric and geomagnetic depth sounding data from the southwestern United States (Tucson). The 410-km-deep melt layer in this model has a conductance of 3.0 x 10(4) S and an estimated thickness of 5-30 km. This is the only regional data set that we have examined for which such a melt layer structure was found, consistent with regional seismic studies. We infer that the hypothesized transition-zone water filter occurs regionally, but that such a layer is unlikely to be a global feature.     

Mapping the Hawaiian plume conduit with converted seismic waves

The volcanic edifice of the Hawaiian islands and seamounts, as well as the surrounding area of shallow sea floor known as the Hawaiian swell, are believed to result from the passage of the oceanic lithosphere over a mantle hotspot. Although geochemical and gravity observations indicate the existence of a mantle thermal plume beneath Hawaii, no direct seismic evidence for such a plume in the upper mantle has yet been found. Here we present an analysis of compressional-to-shear (P-to-S) converted seismic phases, recorded on seismograph stations on the Hawaiian islands, that indicate a zone of very low shear-wave velocity (< 4 km s(-1)) starting at 130-140 km depth beneath the central part of the island of Hawaii and extending deeper into the upper mantle. We also find that the upper-mantle transition zone (410-660 km depth) appears to be thinned by up to 40-50 km to the south-southwest of the island of Hawaii. We interpret these observations as localized effects of the Hawaiian plume conduit in the asthenosphere and mantle transition zone with excess temperature of approximately 300 degrees C. Large variations in the transition-zone thickness suggest a lower-mantle origin of the Hawaiian plume similar to the Iceland plume, but our results indicate a 100 degrees C higher temperature for the Hawaiian plume.     

Seismic reflection imaging of two megathrust shear zones in the northern Cascadia subduction zone

At convergent continental margins, the relative motion between the subducting oceanic plate and the overriding continent is usually accommodated by movement along a single, thin interface known as a megathrust. Great thrust earthquakes occur on the shallow part of this interface where the two plates are locked together. Earthquakes of lower magnitude occur within the underlying oceanic plate, and have been linked to geochemical dehydration reactions caused by the plate's descent. Here I present deep seismic reflection data from the northern Cascadia subduction zone that show that the inter-plate boundary is up to 16 km thick and comprises two megathrust shear zones that bound a >5-km-thick, approximately 110-km-wide region of imbricated crustal rocks. Earthquakes within the subducting plate occur predominantly in two geographic bands where the dip of the plate is inferred to increase as it is forced around the edges of the imbricated inter-plate boundary zone. This implies that seismicity in the subducting slab is controlled primarily by deformation in the upper part of the plate. Slip on the shallower megathrust shear zone, which may occur by aseismic slow slip, will transport crustal rocks into the upper mantle above the subducting oceanic plate and may, in part, provide an explanation for the unusually low seismic wave speeds that are observed there.     

Faulting induced by precipitation of water at grain boundaries in hot subducting oceanic crust

Dehydration embrittlement has been proposed to explain both intermediate- and deep-focus earthquakes in subduction zones. Because such earthquakes primarily occur at shallow depths or within the core of the subducting plate, dehydration at relatively low temperatures has been emphasized. However, recent careful relocation of subduction-zone earthquakes shows that at depths of 100-250 km, earthquakes continue in the uppermost part of the slab (probably the former oceanic crust that has been converted to eclogite) where temperatures are higher. Here we show that at such pressures and temperatures, eclogite lacking hydrous phases but with significant hydroxyl incorporated as defects in pyroxene and garnet develops a faulting instability associated with precipitation of water at grain boundaries and the production of very small amounts of melt. This new faulting mechanism satisfactorily explains high-temperature earthquakes in subducting oceanic crust and could potentially be involved in much deeper earthquakes in connection with similar precipitation of water in the mantle transition zone (400-700 km depth). Of potential importance for all proposed high-pressure earthquake mechanisms is the very small amount of fluid required to trigger this instability.     

各向异性结构面模型研究的探讨

本文从工程地质中结构面的原型出发，着重考虑了结构面的表面形态、结构面变形（法向位移及剪切位移）的约束效应及地应力作用情况等因素的相互关系，提出了在不同剪切方向的剪切过程中剪切滑移问题，建立了各向异性结构面模型，引入了伪披坡角概念，并给出了一些重要结论和计算公式，以求真实地反映岩体工程中结构面的力学性质。     

奇异积分方程在E面鳍形膜片不连续性问题中的应用

本文将横向谐振法与奇异积分方程技术相结合,分析了E面鳍形膜片不连续性,有效地避开了计算不连续性两侧E面介质填充波导中的高次本征模,建立了具有快速收敛特性的特征方程,给出了一组实用的不连续性等效电路参量曲线。     

滑动楔形体的简捷极限变形平衡法

介绍了考虑楔形体滑面变形的简捷极限变形平衡法，认为该法概念明确，分析快捷。传统的极限平衡法只考虑了沿滑动面交线方向的切向力，而忽略了与交线垂直方向的切向力，由此得到一个静定体系并求得静力解。文章经分析及与实验对比，说明不考虑与交线垂直方向的切向力的影响是偏于不安全的，因此在的方法中考虑滑面的变形以求解静不定体系。对楔形体稳定分析的实例表明该简捷分析法的计算结果与实验成果相一致，而极限平衡法得到的安全系数偏高。通过分析，认为楔形体滑面的相对刚度系数对其稳定性影响较大，因此在实际工程中应加以重视。