Widespread active detachment faulting and core complex formation near 13 degrees N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Oceanic core complexes are massifs in which lower-crustal and upper-mantle rocks are exposed at the sea floor. They form at mid-ocean ridges through slip on detachment faults rooted below the spreading axis. To date, most studies of core complexes have been based on isolated inactive massifs that have spread away from ridge axes. Here we present a survey of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 13 degrees N containing a segment in which a number of linked detachment faults extend for 75 km along one flank of the spreading axis. The detachment faults are apparently all currently active and at various stages of development. A field of extinct core complexes extends away from the axis for at least 100 km. Our observations reveal the topographic characteristics of actively forming core complexes and their evolution from initiation within the axial valley floor to maturity and eventual inactivity. Within the surrounding region there is a strong correlation between detachment fault morphology at the ridge axis and high rates of hydroacoustically recorded earthquake seismicity. Preliminary examination of seismicity and seafloor morphology farther north along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge suggests that active detachment faulting is occurring in many segments and that detachment faulting is more important in the generation of ocean crust at this slow-spreading ridge than previously suspected.     

Evidence for recycled Archaean oceanic mantle lithosphere in the Azores plume

The compositional differences between mid-ocean-ridge and ocean-island basalts place important constraints on the form of mantle convection. Also, it is thought that the scale and nature of heterogeneities within plumes and the degree to which heterogeneous material endures within the mantle might be reflected in spatial variations of basalt composition observed at the Earth's surface. Here we report osmium isotope data on lavas from a transect across the Azores archipelago which vary in a symmetrical pattern across what is thought to be a mantle plume. Many of the lavas from the centre of the plume have lower 187Os/188Os ratios than most ocean-island basalts and some extend to subchondritic 187Os/188Os ratios-lower than any yet reported from ocean-island basalts. These low ratios require derivation from a depleted, harzburgitic mantle, consistent with the low-iron signature of the Azores plume. Rhenium-depletion model ages extend to 2.5 Gyr, and we infer that the osmium isotope signature is unlikely to be derived from Iberian subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Instead, we interpret the osmium isotope signature as having a deep origin and infer that it may be recycled, Archaean oceanic mantle lithosphere that has delaminated from its overlying oceanic crust. If correct, our data provide evidence for deep mantle subduction and storage of oceanic mantle lithosphere during the Archaean era.     

Central role of detachment faults in accretion of slow-spreading oceanic lithosphere

The formation of oceanic detachment faults is well established from inactive, corrugated fault planes exposed on sea floor formed along ridges spreading at less than 80 km Myr(-1) (refs 1-4). These faults can accommodate extension for up to 1-3 Myr (ref. 5), and are associated with one of the two contrasting modes of accretion operating along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The first mode is asymmetrical accretion involving an active detachment fault along one ridge flank. The second mode is the well-known symmetrical accretion, dominated by magmatic processes with subsidiary high-angle faulting and the formation of abyssal hills on both flanks. Here we present an examination of approximately 2,500 km of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between 12.5 and 35 degrees N, which reveals asymmetrical accretion along almost half of the ridge. Hydrothermal activity identified so far in the study region is closely associated with asymmetrical accretion, which also shows high levels of near-continuous hydroacoustically and teleseismically recorded seismicity. Increased seismicity is probably generated along detachment faults that accommodate a sizeable proportion of the total plate separation. In contrast, symmetrical segments have lower levels of seismicity, which occurs primarily at segment ends. Basalts erupted along asymmetrical segments have compositions that are consistent with crystallization at higher pressures than basalts from symmetrical segments, and with lower extents of partial melting of the mantle. Both seismic evidence and geochemical evidence indicate that the axial lithosphere is thicker and colder at asymmetrical sections of the ridge, either because associated hydrothermal circulation efficiently penetrates to greater depths or because the rising mantle is cooler. We suggest that much of the variability in sea-floor morphology, seismicity and basalt chemistry found along slow-spreading ridges can be thus attributed to the frequent involvement of detachment faults in oceanic lithospheric accretion.     

Intense mixing of lower thermocline water on the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Buoyancy exchange between the deep and the upper ocean, which is essential for maintaining global ocean circulation, mainly occurs through turbulent mixing. This mixing is thought to result primarily from instability of the oceanic internal wave field, but internal waves tend to radiate energy away from the regions in which they are generated rather than dissipate it locally as turbulence and the resulting distribution of turbulent mixing remains unknown. Another, more direct, mixing mechanism involves the generation of turbulence as strong flows pass through narrow passages in topography, but the amount of turbulence generated at such locations remains poorly quantified owing to a lack of direct measurements. Here we present observations from the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean that suggest that passages in rift valleys and ridge-flank canyons provide the most energetic sites for oceanic turbulence. Our measurements show that diffusivities as large as 0.03 m2 s(-1) characterize the mixing downstream of a sill in a well-stratified boundary layer, with mixing levels remaining of the order of 10(-4) m2 s(-1) at the base of the main thermocline. These mixing rates are significantly higher than the diffusivities of the order of 10(-5) m2 s(-1) that characterize much of the global thermocline and the abyssal ocean. Our estimates suggest that overflows associated with narrow passages on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean produce as much buoyancy flux as has previously been estimated for the entire Romanche fracture zone, a large strait in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that connects the North and South Atlantic basins. This flux is equivalent to the interior mixing that occurs in the entire North Atlantic basin at the depth of the passages, suggesting that turbulence generated in narrow passages on mid-ocean ridges may be important for buoyancy flux at the global scale.     

A novel eye in 'eyeless' shrimp from hydrothermal vents of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Rimicaris exoculata is a shrimp that swarms over high-temperature (350 degrees C) sulphide chimneys at Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal fields (3,600 m). This shrimp lacks an externally differentiated eye, having instead a pair of large organs within the cephalothorax immediately beneath the dorsal surface of the transparent carapace, connected by large nerve tracts to the supraesophageal ganglion. These organs contain a visual pigment with an absorption spectrum characteristic of rhodopsin. Ultrastructural evidence for degraded rhabdomeral material suggests the presence of photoreceptors. No image-forming optics are associated with the organs. We interpret these organs as being eyes adapted for detection of low-level illumination and suggest that they evolved in response to a source of radiation associated with the environment of hydrothermal vents.     

Geochemical evidence for the melting of subducting oceanic lithosphere at plate edges

Most island-arc magmatism appears to result from the lowering of the melting point of peridotite within the wedge of mantle above subducting slabs owing to the introduction of fluids from the dehydration of subducting oceanic crust. Volcanic rocks interpreted to contain a component of melt (not just a fluid) from the subducting slab itself are uncommon, but possible examples have been recognized in the Aleutian islands, Baja California, Patagonia and elsewhere. The geochemically distinctive rocks from these areas, termed 'adakites, are often associated with subducting plates that are young and warm, and therefore thought to be more prone to melting. But the subducting lithosphere in some adakite locations (such as the Aleutian islands) appears to be too old and hence too cold to melt. This implies either that our interpretation of adakite geochemistry is incorrect, or that our understanding of the tectonic context of adakites is incomplete. Here we present geochemical data from the Kamchatka peninsula and the Aleutian islands that reaffirms the slab-melt interpretation of adakites, but in the tectonic context of the exposure to mantle flow around the edge of a torn subducting plate. We conclude that adakites are likely to form whenever the edge of a subducting plate is warmed or ablated by mantle flow. The use of adakites as tracers for such plate geometry may improve our understanding of magma genesis and thermal structure in a variety of subduction-zone environments.     

Magnetism and opaque mineralogy of basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 45 degrees N

The volcanic layer may be only 200 m thick at 45 degrees N and oxidation of titanomagnetite may be responsible for the decrease in amplitude of the magnetic anomalies away from the ridge axis.     

Discovery of a magma chamber and faults beneath a Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal field

Crust at slow-spreading ridges is formed by a combination of magmatic and tectonic processes, with magmatic accretion possibly involving short-lived crustal magma chambers. The reflections of seismic waves from crustal magma chambers have been observed beneath intermediate and fast-spreading centres, but it has been difficult to image such magma chambers beneath slow-spreading centres, owing to rough seafloor topography and associated seafloor scattering. In the absence of any images of magma chambers or of subsurface near-axis faults, it has been difficult to characterize the interplay of magmatic and tectonic processes in crustal accretion and hydrothermal circulation at slow-spreading ridges. Here we report the presence of a crustal magma chamber beneath the slow-spreading Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The reflection from the top of the magma chamber, centred beneath the Lucky Strike volcano and hydrothermal field, is approximately 3 km beneath the sea floor, 3-4 km wide and extends up to 7 km along-axis. We suggest that this magma chamber provides the heat for the active hydrothermal vent field above it. We also observe axial valley bounding faults that seem to penetrate down to the magma chamber depth as well as a set of inward-dipping faults cutting through the volcanic edifice, suggesting continuous interactions between tectonic and magmatic processes.     

Seismic evidence of negligible water carried below 400-km depth in subducting lithosphere

Strong evidence exists that water is carried from the surface into the upper mantle by hydrous minerals in the uppermost 10-12?km of subducting lithosphere, and more water may be added as the lithosphere bends and goes downwards. Significant amounts of that water are released as the lithosphere heats up, triggering earthquakes and fluxing arc volcanism. In addition, there is experimental evidence for high solubility of water in olivine, the most abundant mineral in the upper mantle, for even higher solubility in olivine's high-pressure polymorphs, wadsleyite and ringwoodite, and for the existence of dense hydrous magnesium silicates that potentially could carry water well into the lower mantle (deeper than 1,000?km). Here we compare experimental and seismic evidence to test whether patterns of seismicity and the stabilities of these potentially relevant hydrous phases are consistent with a wet lithosphere. We show that there is nearly a one-to-one correlation between dehydration of minerals and seismicity at depths less than about 250?km, and conclude that the dehydration of minerals is the trigger of instability that leads to seismicity. At greater depths, however, we find no correlation between occurrences of earthquakes and depths where breakdown of hydrous phases is expected. Lastly, we note that there is compelling evidence for the existence of metastable olivine (which, if present, can explain the distribution of deep-focus earthquakes) west of and within the subducting Tonga slab and also in three other subduction zones, despite metastable olivine being incompatible with even extremely small amounts of water (of the order of 100?p.p.m. by weight). We conclude that subducting slabs are essentially dry at depths below 400?km and thus do not provide a pathway for significant amounts of water to enter the mantle transition zone or the lower mantle.     

Detection of methane plumes in the water column of Logatchev hydrothermal vent field,Mid-Atlantic Ridge

During DY105-17 cruise onboard the R/V "Da Yang Yi Hao" in 2005,methane concentrations in the wa-ter column above Logachev hydrothermal vent field were measured by applying stripping/trapping-gas chromatographic (GC) and the distinct methane plumes were detected. Results show that the back-ground methane concentration within the Logachev area is from 1.05 nmol/L to 1.68 nmol/L,signifi-cantly higher than the background level of the Atlantic abyssal plain of 0.4―0.5 nmol/L,suggesting that hydrothermal venting is a major source of dissolved methane to the ocean. The highest anomalies of methane concentrations in the water column range from 7.14 nmol/L to 113.9 nmol/L and occur just at 180―500 m above the seafloor. The distribution of methane concentration and the structural charac-teristics of hydrothermal plumes are strongly influenced by the supply of underlying hydrothermal fluids,the mixing process of ocean bottom currents and the microbial oxidation. Furthermore,the dif-ferences in distribution of methane plume between the station MAR-CTD3 and the other stations indi-cate a probable unknown hydrothermal vent site nearby. There occurs high concentration of methane along with temperature and nephelometry anomalies,which strongly confirms that the subtle meas-urement of methane concentration in water column is one of the effective ways to locate active sites of hydrothermal venting.     

Modeling spatial and temporal variations in soil moisture in China

On the basis of station observations, an atmospheric field (ObsFC) was constructed for the Community Land Model version 3.5 (CLM3.5). The model (CLM3.5 driven with ObsFC, hereafter referred as to CLM3.5/ObsFC) was used to simulate soil moisture (SM) from 1951 to 2008 in China. The resulting SM was compared with in situ observations, remote-sensing data and estimations made by various land models, indicating that CLM3.5/ObsFC is capable of reproducing the temporospatial characteristics and long-term variation trends of SM over China. Using an in situ observation-based forcing field improves the simulation of SM. Analysis of SM simulated using CLM3.5/ObsFC shows that the overall spatial pattern of SM was characterized by a gradually decreasing and alternating distribution of arid-humid zones from the southeast to northwest. Regionally averaged SM was the driest over southern Xinjiang Province and western Inner Mongolia, while the most humid regions were located over the Northeast Plain, Jianghuai region and the Yangtze River basin. The long-term variation trends of SM were generally characterized by increases in arid and humid regions and decreases in semiarid regions. Moreover, the variation was relatively intense from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s in the arid region. The time series was more stable in the humid region except for a period near 1970 and after the year 2003. A downward trend was most prominent in the semiarid region from the 1990s to the end of the time series. For 1951–2008, in the arid, semiarid and humid regions, the SM volume percentage changed by 2.35, −1.26 and 0.08, respectively. The variation trends and intensity remarkably differed among the different regions, with the most notable changes being over the arid and semiarid regions north of 35°N.     

利用GPS观测值反演电离层总电子含量的时空变化

为了便于电离层总电子含量时空变化的研究,利用区域电离层模型获得了GPS系统硬件延迟,从而进一步获取了绝对电离层总电子含量值.利用北京IGS站的GPS观测数据分别计算了2000年至2004年各个不同季节的总电子含量,经比较发现,电离层总电子含量表现出明显的季节性变化.利用中国地壳观测网络25个测站的观测数据计算发现,电离层总电子含量空间变化幅度大,在低纬度地区总电子含量值相对较大,而在中纬度地区相对较小.     

Spatial and temporal variations of zooplankton composition and quantity distribution in the upper waters around Nansha Islands

This study aims to examine spatial and temporal variations of zooplankton species composition, density and biomass distribution and community structure, based on the data obtained from three separate cruises carded out in November 1997, April and July 1999. Results show that 244 species of zooplankton and 8 groups of planktonic larvae were identified, which were dominated by copepods, followed by amphipods, ostracods and medusae. The total species were 201 and 198 for the cruises of November 1997 and July 1999, respectively, and no obvious seasonal variation of species richness was observed. The distribution of zooplankton species richness decreased from pelagic to coastal waters. Average richness of species in each station was higher in the cruises of November 1997（62） and April 1999（61） than in the cruise in July 1999 （56）, which was mainly a result from the pelagic or coastal water mass movement made by the monsoon. Zooplankton in the upper waters （0--100 m） around Nansha Islands belonged to the typical tropic pelagic fauna, most of them were pelagic warm-water species, followed by coastal warm-water species and euryhaline warm-water species. The number of dominant species ranged from 5 to 7 in each cruise. No obvious seasonal succession of dominant species was ob- served. Sagitta enflata, Cypridina narni, Cosmocalanus darwinii, Pleuromamma gracilis and Echino-pluteus larva were the main dominant species. The average of zooplankton biomass and density in three cruises were 31, 32, 28 mg·m^-3 and 31, 39, 35 ind·m^-3, respectively. Copepods were the most abundant, followed by chaetognaths. Zooplankton high biomass distributed mainly in the northwestern waters around Nansha Islands, and generally occurred in the areas of oceanic front and upweUing. The main reason for zooplankton quantity without obvious seasonal variation was the relative steady temperature dynamics in the waters around Nansha Islands.     

西北地区暴雨时空变化及异常年夏季环流特征

利用中国西北地区248个观测站1981-2010年逐日降水量资料、NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,对西北地区暴雨的时空变化及环流异常特征进行了分析.结果表明:暴雨主要出现在陕西、甘肃东南部、宁夏东南部,暴雨出现次数依次由东南向西北减少.暴雨的年际差异较大,年内主要集中在7-8月,两个月的暴雨日数占全年的64%,7月最多,8月次之,区域性暴雨7月下旬最多.西北地区大范围暴雨过程偏多年份夏季(7月和8月),西太平洋副热带高压偏强,西脊点伸到110?E附近,亚洲中高纬度多低值系统活动,低层(700 hPa)来自南海的偏东气流与青藏高原南侧的偏西气流合并为偏南气流向北伸展到西北地区东部,将充沛的水汽输送到这一区域,到达35?N附近与西北气流相遇;反之,西北地区大范围暴雨过程偏少年份夏季(7月和8月),西太平洋副热带高压偏弱,远离大陆,亚洲高纬度多高值系统活动,低层是一支偏北气流控制西北地区东部.     

Reconstruction and analysis of temporal and spatial variations in surface soil moisture in China using remote sensing

An ensemble method was used to combine three surface soil moisture products,retrieved from passive microwave remote sensing data,to reconstruct a monthly soil moisture data set for China between 2003 and 2010.Using the ensemble data set,the temporal and spatial variations of surface soil moisture were analyzed.The major findings were:(1) The ensemble data set was able to provide more realistic soil moisture information than individual remote sensing products;(2) during the study period,the soil moisture increased in semiarid regions and decreased in arid regions with anoverall drying trend for the whole country;(3) the soil moisture variation trends derived from the three retrieval products and the ensemble data differ from each other but all data sets show the dominant drying trend for the summer,and that most of the drying regions were in major agricultural areas;(4) compared with the precipitation trends derived from Global Precipitation Climatology Project data,it is speculated that climate change is a possible cause for the drying trend in semiarid regions and the wetting trend in arid regions;and (5) combining soil moisture trends with land surface temperature trends derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiomete,the study domain was divided into four categories.Regions with drying and warming trends cover 33.2%,the regions with drying and cooling trends cover 27.4%,the regions with wetting and warming trends cover 21.1% and the regions with wetting and cooling trends cover 18.1%.The first two categories primarily cover the major grain producing areas,while the third category primarily covers nonarable areas such as Northwest China and Tibet.This implies that the moisture and heat variation trends in China are unfavorable to sustainable development and ecology conservation.     

低挥发分煤飞灰热处理过程中方石英的形成

为了解低挥发分煤飞灰热处理时方石英的形成机理,使用X射线衍射(XRD)分析方法对一台燃烧低挥发分煤的W型火焰锅炉的现场煤粉、飞灰及飞灰热处理样品的物相组成进行了研究。锅炉空预器飞灰和炉膛飞灰均没有方石英存在,在飞灰950℃热处理时仍未有明显的方石英生成,经1050℃热处理飞灰中开始有方石英生成,并随加热时间的延长而增加。飞灰中可转化为方石英的非晶质SiO2是由煤中的高岭石等粘土矿物分解得到的,即煤中高岭石在煤粉锅炉内短暂加热的过程中只分解生成莫来石和非晶质SiO2,不生成方石英。     

Ni-Fe-Zr-Si-B非晶合金的形成和热稳定性研究

通过旋铸急冷工艺在真空中制备出了(Ni0.75Fe0.25)78-xZrxSi10B12(x=1、3、5、8、10)合金带材,获得了镍基非晶合金.采用XRD、DTA等测试手段分析了该工艺制备的合金非晶条带,研究了Zr对该合金体系的非晶形成能力和热稳定性的影响.X射线衍射分析表明,该合金体系皆为完全非晶.Diamond TG/DAT差热分析仪对非晶薄带的热稳定性及其相关参数Tg、Tx、Tm等的测量分析表明,该合金系中(Ni0.75Fe0.25)70Zr8Si10B12的过冷液相区温度范围ΔTx达58.62 K,约化玻璃转变温度trg约为0.666,表明该合金具有较高的非晶形成能力和热稳定性.当Zr原子分数较小(x≤8)时,Zr的添加提高Tg、Tx,并扩大过冷液相区ΔTx,使合金的非晶形成能力和热稳定性增加;Zr原子分数较大(x>8)时,Zr的添加诱导富Zr-Ni和Zr-Fe的原子团的形成,这些原子团会成为均质形核的核心,降低合金的非晶形成能力和热稳定性.     

下地幔钙钛矿顽火辉石相稳定性研究及其进展

介绍了钙钛矿顽火辉石的晶体结构,概述了钙钛矿顽火辉石在下地幔条件下的结构及稳定性研究状况,并展望了钙钛矿顽火辉石的研究发展方向.     

鄱阳湖乐安江流域非点源磷输移的时空变化

在鄱阳湖乐安江子流域设立了17个水质采样点,通过实验室测量获得2010年10月—2011年8月河流水体总磷(TP)的浓度数据.数据分析结合模型模拟得出以下结论:监测期内,流域内河流水体TP浓度变化范围为0.024 2~0.358 4 mg/L,水质情况春季最好,秋冬季其次,夏季最差.夏季河流水体TP浓度总体上由上游至下游逐渐增加,其他季节空间上无明显变化规律.降雨径流是TP输出的主要驱动因素,河流水体TP浓度与降雨量变化趋势一致.汛期河流水体TP浓度与土地利用类型的统计模型显示,河流水体TP浓度与耕地和城乡用地面积占流域总面积的比例呈正相关关系,与林地和草地面积占流域总面积的比例呈负相关关系;其中,河流水体TP浓度对耕地、城乡用地及林地面积的变化更为敏感.