Mid-mantle deformation inferred from seismic anisotropy

With time, convective processes in the Earth's mantle will tend to align crystals, grains and inclusions. This mantle fabric is detectable seismologically, as it produces an anisotropy in material properties--in particular, a directional dependence in seismic-wave velocity. This alignment is enhanced at the boundaries of the mantle where there are rapid changes in the direction and magnitude of mantle flow, and therefore most observations of anisotropy are confined to the uppermost mantle or lithosphere and the lowermost-mantle analogue of the lithosphere, the D" region. Here we present evidence from shear-wave splitting measurements for mid-mantle anisotropy in the vicinity of the 660-km discontinuity, the boundary between the upper and lower mantle. Deep-focus earthquakes in the Tonga-Kermadec and New Hebrides subduction zones recorded at Australian seismograph stations record some of the largest values of shear-wave splitting hitherto reported. The results suggest that, at least locally, there may exist a mid-mantle boundary layer, which could indicate the impediment of flow between the upper and lower mantle in this region.     

Mesozoic plate-motion history below the northeast Pacific Ocean from seismic images of the subducted Farallon slab

The high-resolution seismic imaging of subducted oceanic slabs has become a powerful tool for reconstructing palaeogeography. The images can now be interpreted quantitatively by comparison with models of the general circulation of the Earth's mantle. Here we use a three-dimensional spherical computer model of mantle convection to show that seismic images of the subducted Farallon plate provide strong evidence for a Mesozoic period of low-angle subduction under North America. Such a period of low-angle subduction has been invoked independently to explain Rocky Mountain uplift far inland from the plate boundary during the Laramide orogeny. The computer simulations also allow us to locate the largely unknown Kula-Farallon spreading plate boundary, the location of which is important for inferring the trajectories of 'suspect' terrain across the Pacific basin.     

The depth distribution of azimuthal anisotropy in the continental upper mantle

The most likely cause of seismic anisotropy in the Earth's upper mantle is the lattice preferred orientation of anisotropic minerals such as olivine. Its presence reflects dynamic processes related to formation of the lithosphere as well as to present-day tectonic motions. A powerful tool for detecting and characterizing upper-mantle anisotropy is the analysis of shear-wave splitting measurements. Because of the poor vertical resolution afforded by this type of data, however, it has remained controversial whether the splitting has a lithospheric origin that is 'frozen-in' at the time of formation of the craton, or whether the anisotropy originates primarily in the asthenosphere, and is induced by shear owing to present-day absolute plate motions. In addition, predictions from surface-wave-derived models are largely incompatible with shear-wave splitting observations. Here we show that this disagreement can be resolved by simultaneously inverting surface waveforms and shear-wave splitting data. We present evidence for the presence of two layers of anisotropy with different fast-axis orientations in the cratonic part of the North American upper mantle. At asthenospheric depths (200-400 km) the fast axis is sub-parallel to the absolute plate motion, confirming the presence of shear related to current tectonic processes, whereas in the lithosphere (80-200 km), the orientation is significantly more northerly. In the western, tectonically active, part of North America, the fast-axis direction is consistent with the absolute plate motion throughout the depth range considered, in agreement with a much thinner lithosphere.     

Global anisotropy and the thickness of continents

For decades there has been a vigorous debate about the depth extent of continental roots. The analysis of heat-flow, mantle-xenolith and electrical-conductivity data all indicate that the coherent, conductive part of continental roots (the 'tectosphere') is at most 200-250 km thick. Some global seismic tomographic models agree with this estimate, but others suggest that a much thicker zone of high velocities lies beneath continental shields, reaching a depth of at least 400 km. Here we show that this disagreement can be reconciled by taking into account seismic anisotropy. We show that significant radial anisotropy, with horizontally polarized shear waves travelling faster than those that are vertically polarized, is present under most cratons in the depth range 250-400 km--similar to that found under ocean basins at shallower depths of 80-250 km. We propose that, in both cases, the anisotropy is related to shear in a low-viscosity asthenospheric channel, located at different depths under continents and oceans. The seismically defined 'tectosphere' is then at most 200-250 km thick under old continents. The 'Lehmann discontinuity', observed mostly under continents at about 200-250 km, and the 'Gutenberg discontinuity', observed under oceans at depths of about 60-80 km, may both be associated with the bottom of the lithosphere, marking a transition to flow-induced asthenospheric anisotropy.     

Deformation of the lowermost mantle from seismic anisotropy

The lowermost part of the Earth's mantle-known as D″-shows significant seismic anisotropy, the variation of seismic wave speed with direction. This is probably due to deformation-induced alignment of MgSiO(3)-post-perovskite (ppv), which is believed to be the main mineral phase present in the region. If this is the case, then previous measurements of D″ anisotropy, which are generally made in one direction only, are insufficient to distinguish candidate mechanisms of slip in ppv because the mineral is orthorhombic. Here we measure anisotropy in D″ beneath North and Central America, where material from subducting oceanic slabs impinges on the core-mantle boundary, using shallow as well as deep earthquakes to increase the azimuthal coverage in D″. We make more than 700 individual measurements of shear wave splitting in D″ in three regions from two different azimuths in each case. We show that the previously assumed case of vertical transverse isotropy (where wave speed shows no azimuthal variation) is not possible, and that more complicated mechanisms must be involved. We test the fit of different MgSiO(3)-ppv deformation mechanisms to our results and find that shear on (001) is most consistent with observations and the expected shear above the core-mantle boundary beneath subduction zones. With new models of mantle flow, or improved experimental determination of the dominant ppv slip systems, this method will allow us to map deformation at the core-mantle boundary and link processes in D″, such as plume initiation, to the rest of the mantle.     

高能核-核碰撞中喷注淬火效应增强与直接光子各项异性的研究

通过计算给出了在LHC能区非对心核一核碰撞中由椭圆流v_2表示的高横动量直接光子的方位角不对称性.该高横动量光子是由喷注与热密介质相互作用而辐射出来的.光子椭圆流与强子椭圆流v_2相差π/2的相位,是直接光子椭圆流中负值的来源.同时,计算表明LHC能区直接光子v_2随粒子横动量p_T的变化趋势与RHIC上的实验结果一致,但LHC能区较RHIC能区直接光子流v_2值更小,且v_2值由负到正对应的转换p_T值更高.这表明在LHC能区喷注淬火效应更为明显,表面发射的直接光子对光子椭圆流的贡献份额增强.     

方位各向异性裂缝预测在泥页岩钻井漏失研究中的应用

页岩气钻井漏失会极大增加钻井成本,影响页岩气勘探开发的经济效益。如何利用地球物理技术较为准确的预测钻井漏失区,成为页岩气勘探开发中亟待解决的问题。研究认为,当泥页岩地层发育高角度缝时更易发生井漏,并以此为基础提出了一种新的钻井漏失预防思路：以叠前地震数据为基础,基于方位各向异性技术预测高角度缝的分布特征,并将其作为预防井漏的依据。研究中选取川东南某地区龙马溪组的页岩气勘探区作为应用实例,通过钻井漏失点与预测高角度缝的对比分析,证实了新方法的有效性。     

Trench-parallel flow and seismic anisotropy in the Mariana and Andean subduction systems

Shear-wave splitting measurements above the mantle wedge of the Mariana and southern Andean subduction zones show trench-parallel seismically fast directions close to the trench and abrupt rotations to trench-perpendicular anisotropy in the back arc. These patterns of seismic anisotropy may be caused by three-dimensional flow associated with along-strike variations in slab geometry. The Mariana and Andean subduction systems are associated with the largest along-strike variations of slab geometry observed on Earth and are ideal for testing the link between slab geometry and solid-state creep processes in the mantle. Here we show, with fully three-dimensional non-newtonian subduction zone models, that the strong curvature of the Mariana slab and the transition to shallow slab dip in the Southern Andes give rise to strong trench-parallel stretching in the warm-arc and warm-back-arc mantle and to abrupt rotations in stretching directions that are accompanied by strong trench-parallel stretching. These models show that the patterns of shear-wave splitting observed in the Mariana and southern Andean systems may be caused by significant three-dimensional flow induced by along-strike variations in slab geometry.     

Detection of coalbed fractures with P-wave azimuthal AVO in 3-D seismic exploration

The detection of fractures is important for production and safety in coal fields. Subsurface fractures result in azimuthal anisotropy of the seismic wave, and the amplitude of reflection wave varies with offset and azimuth. In case of weak anisotropy, the reflection coefficients of P-wave are concisely denoted as the analytic function of fracture parameters. For the purpose of predicting the coal-bed fracture distribution through analyzing variation of the reflection amplitudes with offset and azimuth, 3-D seismic data with full-azimuth were acquired in a coal field in Huainan, Anhui Province. The careful analysis and process of seismic data showed that the reflection amplitude of the primary coalbed varied with azimuth in much consistent with the theoretical model. The conclusion was drawn that the coal-bed fracture in this coal field could be predicted through the method of the P-wave azimuthal AVO.     

Crystallographic preferred orientation of akimotoite and seismic anisotropy of Tonga slab

The mineral akimotoite, ilmenite-structured MgSiO(3), exists at the bottom of the Earth's mantle transition zone and within the uppermost lower mantle, especially under low-temperature conditions. Akimotoite is thought to be a major constituent of the harzburgite layer of subducting slabs, and the most anisotropic mineral in the mantle transition zone. It has been predicted that if akimotoite crystals are preferentially oriented by plastic deformation, a cold subducted slab would be extremely anisotropic. However, there have been no studies of crystallographic preferred orientations and very few reports of plastic deformation experiments for MgSiO(3) ilmenite. Here we present plastic deformation experiments on polycrystalline akimotoite, which were conducted at confining pressures of 20-22 GPa and temperatures of 1,000-1,300 degrees C. We found a change in crystallographic preferred orientation pattern of akimotoite with temperature, where the c-axis maximum parallel to the compression direction develops at high temperature, whereas the c axes are preferentially oriented parallel to the shear direction or perpendicular to the compression direction at lower temperature. The previously reported difference in compressional-wave seismic anisotropy between the northern and southern segments of the Tonga slab at depths of the mantle transition zone can conceivably be attributed to the difference in the crystallographic preferred orientation pattern of akimotoite at varying temperature within the slab.     

软土震陷特性的试验研究

基于饱和软粘性土与福建标准砂的静力孔压软化试验和动三轴震陷试验的分析研究，揭示了饱和松砂的软化应变具有突变性，当其孔压比小于某一限值时基本无软化现象，而饱和软粘性土则呈现随孔压增长而渐软化的特点。按文中建议的软化试验与动三轴震陷试验结果的对比，可区分震陷中的软化应变和惯性应变，为进一步综合分析计算土体由这两种应变形成的震陷奠定了基础。     

Pressure sensitivity of olivine slip systems and seismic anisotropy of Earth's upper mantle

The mineral olivine dominates the composition of the Earth's upper mantle and hence controls its mechanical behaviour and seismic anisotropy. Experiments at high temperature and moderate pressure, and extensive data on naturally deformed mantle rocks, have led to the conclusion that olivine at upper-mantle conditions deforms essentially by dislocation creep with dominant [100] slip. The resulting crystal preferred orientation has been used extensively to explain the strong seismic anisotropy observed down to 250 km depth. The rapid decrease of anisotropy below this depth has been interpreted as marking the transition from dislocation to diffusion creep in the upper mantle. But new high-pressure experiments suggest that dislocation creep also dominates in the lower part of the upper mantle, but with a different slip direction. Here we show that this high-pressure dislocation creep produces crystal preferred orientations resulting in extremely low seismic anisotropy, consistent with seismological observations below 250 km depth. These results raise new questions about the mechanical state of the lower part of the upper mantle and its coupling with layers both above and below.     

Boundary-layer mantle flow under the Dead Sea transform fault inferred from seismic anisotropy

Lithospheric-scale transform faults play an important role in the dynamics of global plate motion. Near-surface deformation fields for such faults are relatively well documented by satellite geodesy, strain measurements and earthquake source studies, and deeper crustal structure has been imaged by seismic profiling. Relatively little is known, however, about deformation taking place in the subcrustal lithosphere--that is, the width and depth of the region associated with the deformation, the transition between deformed and undeformed lithosphere and the interaction between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle flow at the plate boundary. Here we present evidence for a narrow, approximately 20-km-wide, subcrustal anisotropic zone of fault-parallel mineral alignment beneath the Dead Sea transform, obtained from an inversion of shear-wave splitting observations along a dense receiver profile. The geometry of this zone and the contrast between distinct anisotropic domains suggest subhorizontal mantle flow within a vertical boundary layer that extends through the entire lithosphere and accommodates the transform motion between the African and Arabian plates within this relatively narrow zone.     

柴达木盆地中新世中期以来构造的运动学模型

柴达木盆地是位于青藏高原内部的山间盆地,盆地新生代的变形受到两侧山体隆升的主导.通过贯穿盆地地震剖面的精细构造解释和分析,依据生长地层的结构,我们认为自中新世中期以来昆仑山前冲断楔体以平均4.7 mm/a的速度向盆地逆冲,导致盆地南斜坡向昆仑山方向仰冲;这为东昆仑山北麓出露的倾向北向南逆冲的多条断层和盆地南部向南逆冲的断层控制的断层相关褶皱作用所证实.盆地北部祁连山前冲断楔体向盆地方向逆冲,导致盆地北部向北逆冲的断层在地表形成北翼陡、南翼缓的断层相关褶皱背斜,向北逆冲的断层在盆地东部局部位置出露地表.昆仑山前冲断楔体和祁连山前冲断楔体的楔顶已经相向冲断至盆地中部,并造成第四系的变形.     

各向异性现浇混凝土空心板挠度和应力的计算

文章选定一大跨度各向异性现浇混凝土空心板,采用平行于长跨方向和平行于短跨方向两种不同的布管方式,选用有限单元法(Ansys)、日本计算软件Superbuild以及直接设计法3种不同的方法计算板的挠度和应力,将3种方法计算所得的结果进行分析比较,并给出了设计建议.     

濮阳台电磁波异常与地震活动关系的研究

介绍了台站所处的地震地质环境条件及电磁波观测仪器基本情况。对濮阳市地震台电磁波观测资料进行了分析研究。结果表明 ,电磁波异常对 10 0km范围内的M 13.0级以上地震及 30 0km左右Ms5 .0级以上地震和 10 0 0km左右的Ms6 .0级以上地震有很好的对应关系。电磁波异常是一种地震前兆短临异常 ,异常一般在震前几天到五十几天出现 ;异常幅度大 ,异常易于识别 ;地震多发生在异常结束之后或异常高值回落的过程中。濮阳台曾依据电磁波异常变化 ,成功地进行了两次地震短临预报 ,地震三要素均在预报范围之内。     

斜拉桥地震响应特点及抗震设防标准的探讨

针对斜拉桥这种桥型在我国桥梁建设中得到大量应用的现状,以及近年来频繁发生的地震灾害,以国内某一混凝土斜拉桥为例,分析比较了不同结构体系斜拉桥的地震响应特点,总结了斜拉桥的主要震害形式以及特点,分析了国内几座大跨径斜拉桥的抗震设计方法和性能要求,在此基础上归纳出了斜拉桥抗震设计的基本原则和标准,为我国同类型斜拉桥的抗震设计提供一些思路和建议.     

关于函数芽的相对通用形变与通用形变

用奇点理论的方法对函数芽的相对通用形变进行了研究,定义了函数芽的相对余维数和相对通用形变,给出了相对函数芽的相对通用形变定理及相对通用形变与通用形变之间的关系,并给出一个具体的例子.     

变形参数对AZ31镁合金变形抗力的影响

利用Gleeble-1500热模拟试验机对AZ31镁合金在变形温度为250～400℃、变形速率为0.5～3.0s-1下进行热变形模拟实验,得到了AZ31镁合金真实应力-真实应变曲线,并通过光学显微镜观察了试样在变形中的微观组织.结果表明,动态再结晶是该实验条件下晶粒细化的主要机制,变形参数影响了再结晶的程度.