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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Detection of methane plumes in the water column of Losatchev hydrothermal vent field, Mid-Atlantic Ridse

During DY105-17 cruise onboard the PJV ＂Da Yang Yi Hao＂ in 2005, methane concentrations in the water 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 background methane concentration within the Logachev area is from 1.05 nmol/L to 1.68 nmol/L, significantly 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 characteristics 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 differences in distribution of methane plume between the station MAR-CTD3 and the other stations indicate 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 measurement of methane concentration in water column is one of the effective ways to locate active sites of hydrothermal venting.     

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.     

Re-Os isotopic system and formation age of subcontinental lithosphere mantle

The determination of the formation age of subcontinental Lithosphere Mantle (SCLM) is a widely concerned issue in mantle geochemistry. It is difficult to obtain the formation age of SCLM using lithophile isotopic systems such as Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, U-Th-Pb, etc., but as siderophile elements, the Re-Os isotopic system provides a powerful tool for that work. Here a comprehensive review on the recent development in Re-Os dating for SCLM has been given.     

西太平洋洋底高原内部结构与形成演化

洋底高原是在深海盆地中最显著的大火成岩省,记录着海洋大规模的岩浆活动,对研究地壳结构、板块构造、地幔动力学乃至地球演化历史都具有重要意义。西太平洋是洋底高原分布最密集的区域,是研究洋底高原内部结构与形成演化的最佳场所。选取西太平洋中最具代表性的6座洋底高原——沙茨基海隆、赫斯海隆、麦哲伦海隆、翁通爪哇高原、马尼希基高原以及希古朗基高原,通过对这6座洋底高原地质概况的简要描述,归纳近年来获得的地球物理与地球化学重要观测结果,揭示其内部结构的共性,包括大面积地形隆起、异常厚的地壳、异常负的地幔重力异常以及形成于洋中脊之上或者附近的位置特征;探索了其形成机制,即地幔柱与洋中脊的相互作用可能是洋底高原的主要成因。     

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.     

渤海湾西南部近岸海域环境状况及其时空变化

依据2014年在渤海湾西南部海域进行的海洋环境调查结果,对该海域海洋水环境要素的时空变化特征进行研究,评价该海域水环境质量和营养状态水平,结合文献资料探讨自1982年以来的海洋环境状况及变化趋势.结果表明:无机氮(DIN)是该海域最主要的污染物且污染较重,秋季污染最重;春、 夏季基本满足二类海水水质标准,秋、冬季超标较...     

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.     

淀山湖浮游植物群落时空分布动态初步研究

为了解淀山湖浮游植物群落时空变化特点,于2008年10月至2009年9月对淀山湖浮游植物进行四季调查.调查发现浮游植物8门126属384种,群落组成以绿藻、隐藻、蓝藻和硅藻为主,尖尾蓝隐藻(Chroomonas acuta Uterm)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris Beij)为淀山湖全年主要优势种,微囊藻属(Microcystis)藻类为夏季主要优势种之一.浮游植物平均密度为4.01×10~6cells·L~(-1),且夏季春季冬季秋季.浮游植物Shannon-Wiener,Margalef和Pielou指数分别在0.31～1.59,2.22～7.98和0.17～0.82之间波动,指示淀山湖浮游植物多样性和均匀度较好.通过聚类分析法将淀山湖浮游植物分为4个主要类群:类群Ⅰ位于中部及西南部(S3,S6,S7)区域,类群Ⅱ为湖东-东南(S1,S2)区域,类群Ⅲ为湖北-湖西(S4,S5)区域,类群Ⅳ为S,类群间差异与种群密度及优势种不同有关.根据历史调查资料,分析了淀山湖浮游植物群落结构长期变化情况,为淀山湖富营养化防治提供依据.     

Spatio.temporal variations of the bacterioplankton community composition in Chaohu Lake,China

Despite considerable attention paid to Chaohu Lake in China,the dynamics of bacterioplankton community composition(BCC) on spatial and seasonal scales are poorly understood.In this study.water samples were collected from autumn 2006 to summer 2007 at five positions in Chaohu Lake with different trophic status.BCC of these samples was determined by both the PCR amplifieation of the 16S rDNA gene and the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).The abundance and diversity of bacterioplankton communities at different sampling positions showed similar seasonal pattems.The BCCs in the samples varied substantially,and the pattern of changes indicated that the seasonal difiefence might have a significant impact on the BCC'S structure iU the lake.Canonical correspondence anal-ysis(CCA)on the DGGE patterns and physicochemical parameters indicated that the temperature and the levels of 5-d biochemical O2 demand(BODs),NH3-N,CODMn,total nitrogen,total phosphorous,and dissolved oxygen significantly influenced the BCC,and four of the seven variables were related to the level of eutrophication.Our results indicate that eutrophic status and season are the most inttu-ential factors in determining BCC in Chaohu Lake.