Reflection signature of seismic and aseismic slip on the northern Cascadia subduction interface

At the northern Cascadia margin, the Juan de Fuca plate is underthrusting North America at about 45 mm x yr(-1) (ref. 1), resulting in the potential for destructive great earthquakes. The downdip extent of coupling between the two plates is difficult to determine because the most recent such earthquake (thought to have been in 1700) occurred before instrumental recording. Thermal and deformation studies indicate that, off southern Vancouver Island, the interplate interface is presently fully locked for a distance of approximately 60 km downdip from the deformation front. Great thrust earthquakes on this section of the interface (with magnitudes of up to 9) have been estimated to occur at an average interval of about 590 yr (ref. 3). Further downdip there is a transition from fully locked behaviour to aseismic sliding (where high temperatures allow ductile deformation), with the deep aseismic zone exhibiting slow-slip thrust events. Here we show that there is a change in the reflection character on seismic images from a thin sharp reflection where the subduction thrust is inferred to be locked, to a broad reflection band at greater depth where aseismic slip is thought to be occurring. This change in reflection character may provide a new technique to map the landward extent of rupture in great earthquakes and improve the characterization of seismic hazards in subduction zones.     

A wide depth distribution of seismic tremors along the northern Cascadia margin

The Cascadia subduction zone is thought to be capable of generating major earthquakes with moment magnitude as large as M(w) = 9 at an interval of several hundred years. The seismogenic portion of the plate interface is mostly offshore and is currently locked, as inferred from geodetic data. However, episodic surface displacements-in the direction opposite to the long-term deformation motions caused by relative plate convergence across a locked interface-are observed about every 14 months with an unusual tremor-like seismic signature. Here we show that these tremors are distributed over a depth range exceeding 40 km within a limited horizontal band. Many occurred within or close to the strong seismic reflectors above the plate interface where local earthquakes are absent, suggesting that the seismogenic process for tremors is fluid-related. The observed depth range implies that tremors could be associated with the variation of stress field induced by a transient slip along the deeper portion of the Cascadia interface or, alternatively, that episodic slip is more diffuse than originally suggested.     

Growth of early continental crust controlled by melting of amphibolite in subduction zones

It is thought that the first continental crust formed by melting of either eclogite or amphibolite, either at subduction zones or on the underside of thick oceanic crust. However, the observed compositions of early crustal rocks and experimental studies have been unable to distinguish between these possibilities. Here we show a clear contrast in trace-element ratios of melts derived from amphibolites and those from eclogites. Partial melting of low-magnesium amphibolite can explain the low niobium/tantalum and high zirconium/samarium ratios in melts, as required for the early continental crust, whereas the melting of eclogite cannot. This indicates that the earliest continental crust formed by melting of amphibolites in subduction-zone environments and not by the melting of eclogite or magnesium-rich amphibolites in the lower part of thick oceanic crust. Moreover, the low niobium/tantalum ratio seen in subduction-zone igneous rocks of all ages is evidence that the melting of rutile-eclogite has never been a volumetrically important process.     

Phase transition in the subducted oceanic lithosphere and generation of the subduction zone magma

Two metamorphic processes, i.e. subsolidus dehydration and partial melting occurring in MORB, metasediments and peridotite of subducted oceanic lithosphere are discussed on the basis of available experimental work and phase equilibrium modeling. Phase diagrams of hydrous MORB show that in most cold subduction P-T （pressure-temperature） regimes a large portion of water in the basic layer has released below the onset of blueschist facies （〈 20 km）, and at a depth （60--70 km） of transition from lawsonite blueschist to lawsonite eclogite facies through glaucophane dehydration; only a smaller portion of water will escape from the slab through dehydration of lawsonite and chloritoid in the depth range suitable for arc magma formation; and a very small portion of water stored in lawsonite and phengite will fade into the deeper mantle. The role of amphibole for arc magma formation is still arguable. In cold subduction P-Tregimes, the dehydration of chlorite and talc in AI-poor metasediments, and chloritoid and carpholite in AI-rich metapelites at a depth around 80--100 km will make some con- tributions to the formation of arc magma. Comparatively, dehydration of serpentine in hydrated peri- dotite occurs at depths of 120--180 km, playing an important role in the arc magmatism. Subduction of oceanic crust along warm P-T regimes will cross the solidi at a depth over 80 km, resulting in partial melting under fluid-saturated and fluid-absent conditions in the metasediments involving biotite and phengite, and in the basic rocks involving epidote and amphibole. The melt compositions of the basic crust are adakitic at pressures 〈 3.0 GPa, but become peraluminous granitic at higher pressures.     

滑带土抗剪强度特性的环剪试验研究

以黄土坡滑坡滑带土为研究对象,采用环剪仪研究了天然含水率的滑带土在不同法向应力与剪切速率下的抗剪强度特性。试验结果表明:滑带土的峰值强度和残余强度均随着法向应力的增大而增大,并呈现出较强的线性关系;0.1~10mm/min范围内的剪切速率对滑带土的残余剪切强度影响不明显,变化幅度在±6%以内;但剪切速率越大,滑带土需要更多的变形以达到残余强度;随着剪切速率地增大残余黏聚力不断地减小,残余内摩擦角逐渐地增大,峰值强度及峰值黏聚力、内摩擦角均增大;剪切速率对滑带土的软化特性影响明显,并且较大的剪切速率使得剪切过程中从剪切盒侧壁流失的黏粒与孔隙水增多,因此在进行滑带土排水环剪时,宜采用较小的剪切速率。     

Hydroxyl in continental deep subduction zone: Evidence from UHP eclogites of the Dabie Mountains

Infrared spectra in the region of 3 000 to 4 000 cm⁻¹ have been measured by an FTIR spectrometer on minerals in UHP eclogites from the Bixiling and Shuanghe areas, the Dabie Mountains. It is shown that omphacite is the most important hydrous mineral (100–200 μg/g) in UHP eclogites. Garnet and quartz contain virtually no H₂O or OH. Accessory mineral rutile contains a significant amount of OH (>1 000 μg/g). Coesite gives no indication of the presence of OH but apparent H₂O bands. The results have considerable implications for existing forms and contents of hydroxyl in the continental deep subduction zone, the eastern Dabie Mountains.     

夹皮沟主剪切带基本地质特征及资源远景

夹皮沟主剪切带位于太古宙中朝古陆板块与元古宙蒙古海板块之间的缝合线上,受北西向的富尔河—古洞河岩石圈断裂带控制。金矿床多数产在主剪切带中,与成矿有关的中酸性侵入杂岩体多为深熔花岗岩浆产物,容矿构造往往为韧性剪切带或脆性构造破碎带内的片理化带。金矿床为少硫化物石英脉型。该带具有优异的成矿条件,是吉林省金矿主要的资源。     

Seismic tomography showing subduction and slab breakoff of the Yangtze block beneath the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt

Seismic tomography reveals that a subducted ancient block has been preserved beneath the Moho of the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. Taking into account of geological and geochronological data, we inferred from the tomographic images that the Yangtze block was subducted northward beneath the Sino-Korean block and broken off at the depth <200 km during 200—190 Ma. The slab breakoff of the Yangtze block is the most important dynamic mechanism to control the exhumation of UHP rocks.     

公式法与数值模拟法在水源地保护区划分中的应用——以北方地区水源地为例

2007年颁布的《饮用水水源保护区划分技术规范》中,提出运用公式法和数值模拟法两种方法对地下水水源地保护区进行划分。本文以北方地区水源地为例,分别应用两种方法对水源地保护区进行划分。通过对比与分析看出,公式法简便易行,但具有较强的主观性,划分结果与实际地质条件脱离较大;数值模拟法能客观详细地刻画实际含水层的结构与水文地质条件,划分结果比较可靠,但应用复杂,概化时也会产生一定的误差。在实际应用中,应将公式法和数值模拟法结合起来加以应用。     

大别山东缘郯庐断裂带早期韧性剪切带的形成温度

年龄的解释强烈依靠于构造热事件的发生温度和矿物的封闭温度,在缺少构造热事件的温度资料的情况下,很难对年龄数据做出正确合理的解释.利用白云母-绿泥石地质温度计,计算了大别山东缘郯庐早期左旋走滑韧性剪切带的形成温度,获得了350～450℃的温度区间,并且多数温度值位于430～450℃之间.该温度值大于40Ar/39Ar法中自云母的封闭温度,从而由主要以残斑形式存在的白云母获得的年龄值记录了郯庐断裂带的活动时间,190 Ma左右的白云母年龄值为接近于韧性剪切带变形年龄的冷却年龄.并由此年龄和温度数据得出郯庐断裂带形成于大别造山带造山作用后期.该韧性剪切带形成温度明显低于所叠加的造山带高角闪岩相变质岩,也指示为造山后期走滑运动的结果.     

大别山东缘郯庐断裂带早期韧性剪切带的形成温度

年龄的解释强烈依靠于构造热事件的发生温度和矿物的封闭温度,在缺少构造热事件的温度资料的情况下,很难对年龄数据做出正确合理的解释。文章利用白云母-绿泥石地质温度计,计算了大别山东缘郯庐早期左旋走滑韧性剪切带的形成温度,获得了350～450℃的温度区间,并且多数温度值位于430～450℃之间。该温度值大于40Ar/39Ar法中白云母的封闭温度,从而由主要以残斑形式存在的白云母获得的年龄值记录了郯庐断裂带的活动时间,190Ma左右的白云母年龄值为接近于韧性剪切带变形年龄的冷却年龄。并由此年龄和温度数据得出郯庐断裂带形成于大别造山带造山作用后期。该韧性剪切带形成温度明显低于所叠加的造山带高角闪岩相变质岩,也指示为造山后期走滑运动的结果。     

Seismic reflection images of the Moho underlying melt sills at the East Pacific Rise

The determination of melt distribution in the crust and the nature of the crust-mantle boundary (the 'Moho') is fundamental to the understanding of crustal accretion processes at oceanic spreading centres. Upper-crustal magma chambers have been imaged beneath fast- and intermediate-spreading centres but it has been difficult to image structures beneath these magma sills. Using three-dimensional seismic reflection images, here we report the presence of Moho reflections beneath a crustal magma chamber at the 9 degrees 03' N overlapping spreading centre, East Pacific Rise. Our observations highlight the formation of the Moho at zero-aged crust. Over a distance of less than 7 km along the ridge crest, a rapid increase in two-way travel time of seismic waves between the magma chamber and Moho reflections is observed, which we suggest is due to a melt anomaly in the lower crust. The amplitude versus offset variation of reflections from the magma chamber shows a coincident region of higher melt fraction overlying this anomalous region, supporting the conclusion of additional melt at depth.     

Adakites related to subduction in the northern margin of Junggar arc for the Late Paleozoic: Products of slab melting

Volcanic rocks with adakitic compositional signature have been recognized in the northern margin of ancient Junggar island arc for the Late Paleozoic. These adakites for the early Devonian from the Tuoranggekudouke Group (D_1t) are characteristic of high Sr, Sr/Y and (La/Yb)_N but low Y, Yb and HREE. Their compositional characteristics are much similar to those of the typical adakites in the world but distinct from those of the normal arc volcanic rocks from the same Group. We conclude that these adakitic volcanic rocks were produced by slab melting during the early period of Paleoasia-ocean lithosphere subduction. This infers that the Paleoasia Ocean in the north Junggar area began a new subduction process in the early Devonian.     

武当地块中的走滑韧性剪切带初步研究

从基性岩墙群区域形态差异、韧性剪切带产状特点、构造岩类型与矿物变形特征、区域褶皱样式差异等方面初步论证了走滑韧性剪切带的存在。认为南秦岭武当地区的构造格局不是前人认定的以推覆构造为主,而确实有走滑韧性剪切带存在。     

高速切削淬硬钢主剪切区绝热剪切失稳微观机理研究

使用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对高速切削淬硬30CrNi3MoV高强度钢形成的锯齿状切屑主剪切区内材料微观特征进行了观察,并对绝热剪切失稳的微观机理进行了分析.微观观察和分析结果表明,绝热剪切带中心由平均直径0.4～0.6μm的细小等轴晶粒组成,过渡区内为碎化并沿剪切方向拉长的马氏体板条组织.锯齿状切屑的形成应归因子主剪切区材料绝热剪切失稳的发生,在此过程中,动态回复和再结晶成为微结构演化的主要冶金过程,绝热温升起到了关键作用.等轴晶组织的形成机制为旋转式动态再结晶.     

Decadal-scale precipitation variations in arid and semiarid zones of northern China during the last 500 years

Regional decadal precipitation reconstructions for the arid and semi-arid zones of northern China were established by the use of different palaeoclimate archives such as ice-cores, tree-rings, lake sediments and written historical documents. Local rainfall reconstructions from single sites were averaged to obtain regional precipitation records for western and eastern regions of an arid and semiarid zone of northern China, respectively. All established regional precipitation curves display 5 dry periods, each lasting about 50 years. Meanwhile, precipitation reconstructions show regional dissimilarities. During the last 500 years, the trends of precipitation change in the eastern arid region are basically consistent with those in the western and eastern regions of the semiarid zone. Precipitation variations in the western arid region are unique, showing significant local patterns of rainfall variability. Maximum entropy method (MEM) spectral estimates show that each regional precipitation series contains stationary century-scale periodicities of about 120 a.Singular spectrum analysis was applied to isolating the century-scale oscillation signals from the regional proxy precipitation series. Significant periods with wavelengths of 121.4a, 154.6a, 124.3a, 118.6a, 108.5a and 121.4a were found 26.56%, 26.44%, 28.87%, 18.67%, 33.48% and 34.04% of the variances of the original series for the western arid zone,the eastern arid zone, the whole arid zone, the western semiarid zone, the eastern semiarid zone and whole northern China, respectively.     

大兴安岭北部漠河韧性剪切带白云母40Ar-39Ar年龄及地质意义

漠河韧性剪切带位于大兴安岭北部上黑龙江盆地内.作者对该韧性剪切带糜棱岩中自云母样品进行了40Ar-30Ar法测定年龄工作,获得了(120.6±1.1)Ma的坪年龄和(121.7±1.5)Ma的39Ar/36Ar-40Ar/39Ar等时线年龄,表明其形成于早白垩世.结合韧性剪切带特征,笔者认为漠河韧性剪切带与蒙古-鄂霍茨克造山带的造山过程有关,形成于蒙古-中朝板块与西伯利亚板块之间的陆-陆碰撞造山阶段的晚期或后碰撞期间.早白垩世期间,蒙古-鄂霍茨克造山带进入后碰撞阶段,发生大规模左行走滑运动,使位于蒙古-鄂霍茨克缝合带南部的中国东北地区,乃至华北北部发生了向东的挤出、逃逸,辽西、冀北、冀西北和京西地区的晓中生代右行走滑和逆冲、推覆构造是蒙古-鄂霍茨克中生代造山过程的远程效应.因此,蒙古-鄂霍茨克造山带造山过程对中国东北及华北地区中生代期间的构造演化具有重要影响.     

Sinistral shear and extension of the northern section of Lijiang Basin in northwest Yunnan in quaternary

The northern section of Lijiang Basin (NSLB) has the features of a zigzag fault, a kind of “tracing extension” in the shape. Fault slip is characterized by both extension and sinistral shear. Average sinistral-shear and extensional displacements are respectively 1950 and 1730 m. This kind of movement began in middle Pleistocene, which is about 800 ka ago. Average sinistral and extensional slip-rates can be acquired, which are 2.44 and 2.16 mm/a. Geological evidence at different segments of the NSLB demonstrates results of geomorphic analysis, and is consistent with our knowledge about the zigzag fault. Realization of sinistral shear and extension of the NSLB provides direct evidence for the model of clockwise rotation of northwest Sichuan active block and the understanding of dynamic features of the Red River fault zone.     

不同含水率下滑带土抗剪强度特性研究

利用环剪试验仪可以研究土体在较大剪切位移下抗剪强度的变化规律。试验以三峡库区黄土滑坡滑带土为研究对象,研究了在不同法向压力和含水率下该滑带土抗剪强度的特性。试验结果表明:滑带土的抗剪强度与轴向应力的大小呈现出较强的线性关系,并随有效轴向应力的增大而增大;试样在剪切过程中呈现出应变软化的特征,当轴向应力一致时,低含水率的滑带土其抗剪强度峰后软化现象表现的越明显;不同含水率滑带土试样之间的c、值降幅百分比基本一致,c、值减小范围比较同步,塑限含水率可作为影响滑带土抗剪强度增降百分比的重要分界点。     

天山北坡经济带城镇体系分形研究

在分析天山北坡经济带城镇体系现状的基础上,定量计算了其城市首位指数、规模结构分维数和空间关联维数.结果表明,研究区城镇体系具有分形特征,城市首位度过大,发展不平衡,中心城市辐射功能较弱;空间上呈线形密集分布,并受自然条件和交通干线的显著影响,城市空间相互作用力较弱,整体功能发挥受阻.最后提出了优化城镇体系的一些合理对策.