A comprehensive investigation of an offshore active fault in the Western Sagami Bay, central Japan

Offshore active faults, especially those in the deep sea, are very difficult to study because of the water and sedimentary cover. To characterize the nature and geometry of offshore active faults, a combination of methods must be employed. Generally, seismic profiling is used to map these faults, but often only fault-related folds rather than fracture planes are imaged. Multi-beam swath bathymetry provides information on the structure and growth history of a fault because movements of an active fault are reflected in the bottom morphology. Submersible and deep-tow surveys allow direct observations of deformations on the seafloor (including fracture zones and microstructures). In the deep sea, linearly aligned cold seep communities provide indirect evidence for active faults and the spatial migration of their activities. The Western Sagami Bay fault (WSBF) in the western Sagami Bay off central Japan is an active fault that has been studied in detail using the above methods. The bottom morphology, fractured breccias directly observed and photographed, seismic profiles, as well as distribution and migration of cold seep communities provide evidence for the nature and geometry of the fault. Focal mechanism solutions of selected earthquakes in the western Sagami Bay during the period from 1900 to 1995 show that the maximum compression trends NW-SE and the minimum stress axis strikes NE-SW, a stress pattern indicating a left-lateral strike-slip fault.

He, Ne and Ar isotope compositions of fluid inclusions in hydrothermal sulfides from the TAG hydrothermal field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Helium, rieon and argon isotope compositions of fluid inclusions have been measured in hydrothermal sulfide samples from the TAG hydrothermal field at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Fluid-inclusion He-3/He-4 ratios are 2.2-13.3 times the air value (Ra), and with a mean of 7.2 Ra. Comparison with the local vent fluids (He-3/He-4=7.5-8.2 Ra) and mid-ocean ridge basalt values (He-3/He-4=6-11 Ra) shows that the variation range of He-3/He-4 ratios from sulfide-hosted fluid inclusions is significantly large. Values for Ne-20/Ne-22 are from 10.2 to 11.4, which are significantly higher than the atmospheric ratio (9.8). And fluid-inclusion Ar-40/Ar-36 ratios range from 287 to 359, which are close to the atmospheric values (295.5). These results indicate that the noble gases of fluid inclusions in hydrothermal sulfides are a mixture of mantle- and seawater-derived noble gases; the partial mantle-derived components of trapped hydrothermal fluids may be from the lower mantle; the helium of fluid inclusions is mainly from upper mantle; and the Ne and Ar components are mainly from seawater.

Two possible hydrothermal vents in the northern Okinawa Trough

As the Okinawa Trough is a back-are basin in early spreading, modern submarine hydrothermal activity and minerallization have many characteristics which have aroused wide attention. Up to now three well-known hydrothermal venting areas are all located in the middle part of the trough, During two cruise investigations to map and sample the seafloor numbers of Calyptogena sp, shells were dredged at two sites in the northern trough with comparatively thicker crust and numerous submarine volcanoes. Based on the fact that Calyptogena sp, is only observed around the hydrothermal vents and lives on hydrothermal activities, it is predicted that there is the possibility of modern hydrothermal activities in the northern part of the trough. In this note, the shell is carefully characterized and the sample locations with possible hydrothermal activity are given. it Is pointed out that the research of biogenic fossils to trace hydrothermal activity changes in venting time, strength fluctuations, evolution In chemical compositions and so on should be stressed in the future in addition to the study of the ecological characteristics of hydrothermal organisms.

The characteristics of BSRs and their derived heat flow on the profile 973 in the northeastern South China Sea

Processing of a recently acquired seismic line in the northeastern South China Sea by Project 973 has been conducted to study the character and the distribution of gas hydrate Bottom-Simulating Reflectors (BSRs) in the Hengchun ridge. Analysis of different-type seismic profiles shows that the distribution of BSRs can be revealed to some extents by single-channel profile in this area, but seismic data processing plays an important role to resolve the full distribution of BSRs in this area. BSR' s in the northeastern South China Sea have the typical characteristics of BSRs on worldwide continental margins: they cross sediment bed reflections, they are generally parallel to the seafloor and the associated reflections have strong amplitude and a negative polarity. The characteristics of BSRs in this area are obvious and the BSRs indicate the occurrence of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in the northeastern South China Sea. The depth of the base of the gas-hydrate stability zone was calculated using the phase stability boundary curve of methane hydrate and gas hydrate with mixture gas composition and compared with the observed BSR depth. If a single gradient geothermal curve is used for the calculation, the base of the stability zone for methane hydrate or gas hydrate with a gas mixture composition does not correspond to the depth of the BSRs observed along the whole seismic profile. The geothermal gradient therefore changes significantly along the profile. The geothermal gradient and heat flow were estimated from the BSR data and the calculations show that the geothermal gradient and heat flow decrease from west to east, with the increase of the distance from the trench and the decrease of the distance to the island arc. The calculated 2 heat flow changes from 28 to 64 mW/m(2), which is basically consistent with the measured heat flow in southwestern offshore Taiwan.

Origin of a native sulfur chimney in the Kueishantao hydrothermal field, offshore northeast Taiwan

Analyses of rare earth and trace element concentrations of native sulfur samples from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field were performed at the Seafloor Hydrothermal Activity Laboratory of the Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Using an Elan DRC II ICP-MS, and combining the sulfur isotopic compositions of native sulfur samples, we studied the sources and formation of a native sulfur chimney. The results show, when comparing them with native sulfur from crater lakes and other volcanic areas, that the native sulfur content of this chimney is very high (99.96%), the rare earth element (REE) and trace element constituents of the chimney are very low (Sigma REE < 21x10(-9)), and the chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the native sulfur samples are similar to those of the Kueishantao andesite, implying that the interaction of subseafloor fluid-andesite at the Kueishantao hydrothermal field was of short duration. The sulfur isotopic compositions of the native sulfur samples reveal that the sulfur of the chimney, from H2S and SO2, originated by magmatic degassing and that the REEs and trace elements are mostly from the Kueishantao andesite and partly from seawater. Combining these results with an analysis of the thermodynamics, it is clear that from the relatively low temperature (< 116 degrees C), the oxygenated and acidic environment is favorable for formation of this native sulfur chimney in the Kueishantao hydrothermal field.

Estimation of gas hydrate saturation using constrained sparse spike inversion: Case study from the northern South China Sea

Bottom-simulating reflectors (BSRs) were observed beneath the seafloor in the northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS). Acoustic impedance profile was derived by Constrained Sparse Spike Inversion (CSSI) method to provide information on rock properties and to estimate gas hydrate or free gas saturations in the sediments where BSRs are present. In general, gas hydrate-bearing sediments have positive impedance anomalies and free gas-bearing sediments have negative impedance anomalies. Based on well log data and Archie's equation, gas hydrate saturation can be estimated. But in regions where well log data is not available, a quantitative estimate of gas hydrate or free gas saturation is inferred by fitting the theoretical acoustic impedance to sediment impedance obtained by CSSI. Our study suggests that gas hydrate saturation in the Taixinan Basin is about 10 - 20% of the pore space, with the highest value of 50%, and free gas saturation below BSR is about 2 - 3% of the pore space, that can rise to 8 - 10% at a topographic high. The free gas is non-continuous and has low content in the southeastern slope of the Dongsha Islands. Moreover, BSR in the northern continental margin of the SCS is related to the presence of free gas. BSR is strong where free gas occurs.

Rifting process and formation mechanisms of syn-rift stage prolongation in the deepwater basin, northern South China Sea

Based on the latest seismic and geological data, tectonic subsidence of three seismic lines in the deepwater area of Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB), the northern South China Sea (SCS), is calculated. The result shows that the rifting process of study area is different from the typical passive continental margin basin. Although the seafloor spreading of SCS initiated at 32 Ma, the tectonic subsidence rate does not decrease but increases instead, and then decreases at about 23 Ma, which indicates that the rifting continued after the onset of seafloor spreading until about 23 Ma. The formation thickness exhibits the same phenomenon, that is the syn-rift stage prolonged and the post-rift thermal subsidence delayed. The formation mechanisms are supposed to be three: (1) the lithospheric rigidity of the northern SCS is weak and its ductility is relatively strong, which delayed the strain relaxation resulting from the seafloor spreading; (2) the differential layered independent extension of the lithosphere may be one reason for the delay of post-rift stage; and (3) the southward transition of SCS spreading ridge during 24 to 21 Ma and the corresponding acceleration of seafloor spreading rate then triggered the initiation of large-scale thermal subsidence in the study area at about 23 Ma.

海底底质声学性质及原位测量技术研究

海底表层沉积物的声学特性（主要指纵波声速和声衰减系数）研究对海洋军事以及海洋环境声场的研究都具有重要的意义。海底表层沉积物声速和声衰减系数的测量方法主要有两种：取样测量和原位测量。由于取样测量存在着一些难以克服的弊端，例如取样过程中对沉积物的扰动，原位测量正逐渐成为海底沉积物声学性质测量的核心技术。 国外在20世纪50年代就已经开始了海底表层沉积物声学特性的研究，并取得了一些研究成果。20世纪90年代初，国外相继研制了多种海底底质声学特性原位测量系统，大大的提高了海底底质声学参数测量的效率和精度。我国在这方面的研究还是一个非常薄弱的环节，相关的实际需求急需国内的科研人员开展这方面的研究工作，为海底表层沉积物的声学特性提供测量技术支持。 本文主要分析了国外在海底表层沉积物声学性质以及原位测量技术方面的研究成果，根据海底表层沉积物的声学特性，研究了表层沉积物的原位测量方法，在此测量方法的基础上，开发了海底声学参数原位测量技术。利用我们初步研制的原位测量系统，分别在实验室内和海滩上对不同类型的沉积物进行了测量试验，试验测量数据分析证明研制的测量系统能够有效地测出沉积物的声速和声衰减系数。 总结本文的研究工作，主要取得如下成果： 1) 提出了新的海底表层沉积物声学性质原位测量方法； 2) 设计开发了海底表层沉积物声学参数原位测量系统； 3) 利用测量数据，分析研究了海底表层沉积物的声学特性。

南海北部陆缘深水区构造演化及其资源效应

南海北部陆缘深水区（水深>300m）蕴藏着丰富的资源，我国对深水区的地质研究刚刚起步，但相关领域已成为科研热点。深水油气盆地的构造演化是油气勘探中最重要的基础性研究之一，因此针对我国南海北部陆缘深水区开展构造演化及其资源效应的研究具有重要的理论意义和实际意义。 本文利用钻井和地震资料并结合区域地质资料，重点研究了珠江口盆地深水区的结构和构造演化，取得如下创新性成果：1）首次利用半地堑分析方法系统解剖了研究区的结构、各构造单元发育特征，在此基础上指出五个有利油气运聚带；2）采用回剥法并利用最新资料进行校正，得到了研究区更为可靠的构造沉降曲线，重新划分了裂陷期和裂后期的分界，认为32Ma南海海底扩张之后裂陷作用仍在持续，直到23Ma左右才开始大规模裂后热沉降，并进一步解释了裂陷期延迟的形成机制；3）应用非连续拉张模型计算拉张系数的方程计算了研究区的壳幔拉张系数，指出了深水区地幔相对于地壳的优势伸展作用；首次运用平衡剖面技术重建了研究区的构造发育史，计算了各构造期的拉张率和沉积速率，指出研究区新生代整体呈现持续拉张，拉张系数在1.1-1.24之间；4）精细刻画了水合物钻采区的地质构造特征，建立了该区天然气水合物成藏的概念模式；建立了一套根据地震叠加速度计算流体势的方法，为水合物成藏规律的研究提供了新的思路。

潜山油藏裂缝分布规律研究－－以辽河盆地大民屯凹陷潜山油藏为例

With the example of Damintun Depression, Liaohe Oilfield, different methods to study fracture distribution were propsosed, i.e. combined crop, core, log, with seismic attribute and paleo-stress field to predict fractural reservoir. The following conclusions are drawn: 1. Secondary fracture and dissolution pore are the main reservoir space of fractured reservoir in Damintun buried hills through observing more than 270 meters core in 27 wells. Among them, structural fracture is the main reservoir spcace in Archaean metamorphism whose main mineral are silicates, while dissolution pore and structural fracture are the main reservoir space in Protozoic carbonate which has been proved with high dissolution. Structural fracture is not only the main reservoir space but also the influent path. 2. Actual core observation and log identification proved that the formation of buried hills have the following zone: weathering crust, fracturaed zone and compact zone, among which the weathering crust and fractured zone are the main reservoir. 3. The mineralogical component of rock is the inner factor and the tectonization is the outer factor, which control the development of structural fracture. The content of brittle material in rock influences the development of structural fracture. Dissolution, chemical eluviations, weathering and fill-up affect the development of structural fracture. 4. Basement faults control the distribution of structural fracture in Damintun Depression. The trend of fracture is consistent with that of faults and there is often large-scale fractural zone around faults. 5. Based on log response, the fracture is identified with core observation, imaging well log and ANN, which can provide geological basis for optimized perforation. 6. The methods for predicting fracture with structure restoration, seismic inversion and paleo-stress simulation aiming at different types of buried-hills reservoir, and then the spatial distribution of the fracture and density is obtained, which can provide geological basis for well site adjustment.

南海大陆边缘地壳结构与盆地形成机制--以珠江口－琼东南盆地为例

South China Sea is located in the convergence of Eurasian plate, the Pacific Ocean plate and Indian Ocean-Australia plate. The total area is about 3,500,000 km2, the geologic structure is complicated, and the structure line cut off reciprocal is the marginal sea taking form by that the seafloor spreads during the middle Oligocene. South China Sea continental margin have developed more than 10 large oil-gas bearing basins and a number of medium-small sized basins. These basins contain abundant mineral resources such as oil & gas. The marginal deepwater area in the north part of South China Sea has become our country’s strategic energy prospecting frontier. The deepwater area of Zhujiangkou and Qiongdongnan basins is the research target in this thesis. The thesis studied deep structure and the earth dynamics of the north part of South China Sea margin, and these researches provide scientific basis for oil-gas resources strategic investigation and valuation in deepwater sea area of north part slope of South China Sea. In order to develop the research of rebuilding velocities and density architecture of earth shell in region of interest, in marginal deepwater area in the north part of South China, we adopted 14 long-cable seismic reflection profile data of 3556.41 kilometers in total, the gravity measurement data along profiles (3851.44 kilometers in total), the magnetic observation along profiles (3838.4 kilometers in total) and depth measurement along profile, the logging data of 11 wells in project, the interpreted fault parameter and preexisting geologic and geophysical research achievement. This thesis has carried out concretely studying research as follows: 1. Overlay-velocity data sampling and analysis, interval velocity calculation, time-depth conversion, model building of earth shell velocity and layering character of earth shell are studied on 14 deep sections. Velocity structure in region of interest has revealed: Changchang is the sag with thinnest crust in Qiongdongnan basin; the sedimentary thickness lowers gradually from north to south, and the thickness change from west to east is milder. The sags’ sedimentary velocities in Qiongdongnan basin have obvious demarcation. The velocity of the 8000 meters sedimentary rocks is 4700 m/s in Shunde sag and Baiyun sag, and is the lowest; at that depth, the velocity very different in Liwan sag and Baiyun sag, which is about 800m/s. 2. Extracting gravity data and building of initial crust density model along the section; With Bouguer gravity anomaly data as constraint, revising density distributes of initial model, and building the crust density model. 3. With crust velocity and density as constraint, correcting the effect of thermobaric field and constructing constitution structure of rock in region of interest. By this research, we known that rocks in Zhujiangkou upper crustal layer are chiefly granite-gneiss, quartzite, granodiorite and basalt, however, rocks in Qiongdongnan basin upper earth shell are chiefly composed of granite-gneiss, quartzite, granodiorite, diorite and basalt. 4. Synthetically crust velocity and density structure, gaining expanding factor on crust and entire crust along section. The result is indicated: the expanding factor in every sag rises from northwest to southeast, which have reflected thinning characteristic of crust from continent to ocean. Intra-crustal deformation degree in Changchang and Ledong-Lingshui sag is bigger than that in Songnan-Baodao sag. Entire crust extension factor in Changchang and Songnan-Baodao sag is greater than that in Ledong-Lingshui sag, which can make an explanation of frequently event and longer heating process in middle-east of Qiongdongnan basin. 5. Synthesize multidisciplinary information to discuss the earth dynamics significance of discordogenic seismic profile in deepwater area of Zhujiangkou and Qiongdongnan basins.

胶东地区三类金矿成矿系统地质地球化学及动力学

The East Shandong gold province is located on the southeastern margin of the North China Craton and features uplift in the north and depression in the south. The uplift area is made up of the Archaean Jiaodong Group, the Proterozoic Jingshan Group and Yanshannian granites. Most gold deposits in the uplift area are spatially associated with the Yanshannian granites. Two types of gold mineralization occur in the region: the quartz-vein type hosted in the Linglong granite suite, and the shear zone type hosted by either the Linglong granite or Guojialing granitoid suites. The mineralization ages are 113～126 Ma. The southern part of East Shandong contains the Mesozoic Jiaolai basin, which formed during regional extension. The basin is bounded by the Wulian-Rongcheng fault in the southeast and the Tanlu fault in the west. The Pengjiakuang, Fayunkuang and Dazhuangzi gold deposit occurs on the northeastern margin of the basin. The mineralization ages of these deposits are 110～128 Ma. This paper focuses on a low-angle detachment fault developed between the Proterozoic Jingshan Group metamorphic complex and the northeastern margin of the basin. Our field work shows that the distribution of the Pengjiakuang gold deposit was controlled by the detachment fault. Moreover, the Fayunkuang, Guocheng and Liaoshang gold deposits also occurr in the periphery of the basin, and their features are similar to Pengjiakuang gold deposit. The study of geological geochemistry of the gold deposits has shown: ①three-type gold deposit was situated in the Jiaodong area, including altered rock type (Jiaojia type), quartz vein type (Linglong type) and breccia type (Pengjiakuang type); the ore-forming materials and fluid for Pengjiakuang type gold deposit shows multiple source; ②the ore materials of Jiaojia and Linglong type deposits are mainly from deep source. The author has studied geological-geochemical dynamics of three types deposits in Jiaodong area. The study of tectonic dynamics shows that ore-forming structure differential stress values of Pengjiakuang gold deposit is 100 * 10~6～130 * 10~6 Pa, and that of Jiaojia gold deposit is 100 * 10~5～194 * 10~6 Pa. Dynamics of hydrothermal ore-forming fluid has also been studied in this paper. Author applies Bernoulli equation to dynamic model of hydrothermal fluid motion in brittle fracture and cracks (quartz vein type gold mineralization), and applies Darcy law to dynamic model of hydro thermal fluid motion in porous medium (altered rock type gold mineralization). Author does daring try in order to study quantitativly transport mechanism of hydrothermal ore-forming fluid in this paper. The study of fluid inclusions and crystal dynamics shows that reaction system of hydrothermal ore-forming includes three types, as follows: ore-forming reaction, controlling reaction and buffer controlling reaction. They depend on each other, controlling each other, which form a organic system. Further research shown that formation of ore shoots was controlled by coincidence processes of tectonic dynamic condition and thermodynamic evolution. This paper has summaried reginoal metallogenic laws and seted up metallogenic(dynamics) models for Jiaodong gold ore belt.

大兴安岭南段中生代火山-侵入杂岩带的双层叠置构造体制兼论滇中武定、易门碳酸质火山岩年代、来源及矿库与找矿研究

These are two parts included in this report. In the first part, the zonation of the complexes in its series, lithofacies, the depth of magma source and chambers is discussed in detailed for the first time based on the new data of petrol-chemistry, isotopes, tectono-magma activity of Mesozoic volcano-plutonic complexes in the southern Great Hinggan Mts. Then, the genetic model of the zonality, double overlapped layer system, is proposed. The main conclusions are presented as follows: The Mesozoic volcanic-plutonic complexes in the southern Great Hinggan were formed by four stages of magma activity on the base of the subduction system formed in late Paleozoic. The Mesozoic magmatic activity began in Meso-Jurassic Epoch, flourished in late Jurassic Epoch, and declined in early Cretaceous Epoch. The complexes consist dominantly of acidic rocks with substantial intermediate rocks and a few mefic ones include the series of calc alkaline, high potassium calc alkaline, shoshonite, and a few alkaline. Most of those rocks are characterized by high potassium. The volcano-plutonic complexes is characterized by zonality, and can be divided mainly into there zones. The west zone, located in northwestern side of gneiss zone in Great Xinggan mountains, are dominated of high potassium basalts and basaltic andesite. The middle zone lies on the southeast side of the Proterozoic gneiss zone, and its southeast margin is along Huangganliang, Wushijiazi, and Baitazi. It composed of dominatly calc-alkaline, high potassium calc-alkaline rocks, deep granite and extrusive rhyolite. The east zone, occurring along Kesheketong Qi-Balinyou Qi-Balinzuo Qi, is dominated of shoshonite. In generally, southeastward from the Proterozoic gneiss zone, the Mesozoic plutons show the zones-mica granitites zone, hornblende-mica granitite zone, mica-hornblende granitite zone; the volcanic rocks also display the zones of calc alkaline-high potassium calc alkaline and shoshonites. In the same space, the late Paleozoic plutons also display the same zonality, which zones are combined of binary granite, granodiorite, quartz diorite and diorite southeast wards from the gneiss. Meso-Jurassic Epoch granite plutons almost distribute in the middle zone on the whole. Whereas late Jurassic Epoch volcanic rocks distribute in the west and east zone. This distribution of the volcano-plutonic complexes reveals that the middle zone was uplifted more intensively then the other zones in Meso-Jurassic and late Jurassic Epoches. Whole rock Rb-Sr isochron ages of the high potassium calc-alkaline volcanic rocks in the west zone, the calc-alkaline and high potassium calc-alkaline granite the middle zone, shoshonite in the east zone are 136Ma, 175Ma and 154Ma, respectively. The alkaline rocks close to the shoshonite zone is 143Ma and 126Ma. The isochron ages are comparable well with the K-Ar ages of the rocks obtained previously by other researchers. The compositions of Sr ans Nd isotopes suggest that the source of Mesozoic volcanic-plutonic complexes in Great Hinggan Mts. is mostly Paleo-Asia oceanic volcanic-sedimentary rocks, which probably was mixed by antiquated gneiss. The tectonic setting for Mesozoic magmatism was subductive continental margin. But this it was not directly formed by present west Pacific subduction. It actully was the re-working of the Paleozoic subduction system( which was formed during the Paleo-Asia ocean shortening) controlled by west Pacific subduction. For this reason, Although Great Hinggan Mts. is far away from west Pacific subduction zone, its volcanic arc still occurred echoing to the volcanic activities of east China, it, but the variation trend of potassium content in volcano-plutonic complexes of Great Hinggan is just reverse to ones of west Pacific. The primitive magmas occurred in the southern Great Hinggan Mts. Include high-potassium calc-alkaline basalt, high potassium calc-alkaline rhyolite, high potassium rhyolite, non-Eu negative anomaly trachy-rhyolite et al. Therefore, all of primitive magmas are either mafic or acid, and most of intermediate rocks occurring in the area are the products of Mesozoic acid magma contaminated by the Paleozoic volcanic- sedimentary rocks. The depth of those primitive magma sources and chambers gradually increase from northwest to southeast. This suggests that Paleozoic subduction still controlled the Mesozoic magmatism. In summary, the lithosphere tectonic system of the southern Great Hinggan Mts. controlling Mesozoic magmatism is a double overlapped layer system developing from Paleozoic subduction system. For this reason, the depth of crust of the southern Great Hinggan Mts. is thicker than that of its two sides, and consequently it causes regional negative gravity abnormity. The second part of this report shows the prolongation of the research work carried on in my doctor's period. Author presents new data about Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic compositions and ages, geochamical features, genesis mineralogy and ore deposit geology of the volcanic rocks in Kunyang rift. On the base of the substantial work, author presents a prospect of copper bearing magnetite ore deposit. The most important conclusions are as follows: 1. It is proved that all of these carbonatites controlled by a ringing structure system in Wuding-Lufeng basin in the central Yunnan were formed in the Mesoproterozoic period. Two stages could be identified as follows: in the first stage, carbonatitic volcanic rocks, such as lavas(Sm-Nd, 1685Ma), basaltic porphyrite dykes(Sm-Nd, 1645Ma), pyroclastic rocks and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, formed in the outer ring; in the second stage, carbonatitic breccias and dykes(Rb-Sr, 1048 Ma) did in the middle ring. The metamorphic age of the carbonatitic lavas (Rb-Sr, 893 Ma) in the outer ring was determined. The magma of carbonatitic volcanic rocks derived mainly form enriched mantle whose basement is depleted mantle that had been metasomated by mantle fluid and contaminated by Archaean lower crust. Carbonatitic spheres were discovered in ore bearing layers in Lishi copper mining in Yimen recently, which formed in calcite carbonatitic magma extrusion. This discovery indicates that the formation of copper ore deposit genesis relates to carbonatitic volcanic activity. The iron and copper ore deposits occurring in carbonatitic volcanic- sedimentary rocks in Kunyang rift results from carbonatitic magmatism. Author calls this kind of ore deposits as subaqueous carbonatitic iron-copper deposit. The magnetic anomaly area in the north of Lishi copper mining in Yimen was a depression more lower than its circumference. Iron and copper ores occurrig on the margin of the magnetic anomaly are volcanic hydrothermal deposit. The magnetic body causing the magnetic anomaly must be magnetite ore. Because the anomaly area is wide, it can be sure that there is a large insidious ore deposit embedding there.

Global Rates of Free Hydrogen (H2) Production by Serpentinization and other Abiogenic Processes within Young Ocean Crust

The main conclusion of this dissertation is that global H2 production within young ocean crust (<10 Mya) is higher than currently recognized, in part because current estimates of H2 production accompanying the serpentinization of peridotite may be too low (Chapter 2) and in part because a number of abiogenic H2-producing processes have heretofore gone unquantified (Chapter 3). The importance of free H2 to a range of geochemical processes makes the quantitative understanding of H2 production advanced in this dissertation pertinent to an array of open research questions across the geosciences (e.g. the origin and evolution of life and the oxidation of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans).

The first component of this dissertation (Chapter 2) examines H2 produced within young ocean crust [e.g. near the mid-ocean ridge (MOR)] by serpentinization. In the presence of water, olivine-rich rocks (peridotites) undergo serpentinization (hydration) at temperatures of up to ~500°C but only produce H2 at temperatures up to ~350°C. A simple analytical model is presented that mechanistically ties the process to seafloor spreading and explicitly accounts for the importance of temperature in H2 formation. The model suggests that H2 production increases with the rate of seafloor spreading and the net thickness of serpentinized peridotite (S-P) in a column of lithosphere. The model is applied globally to the MOR using conservative estimates for the net thickness of lithospheric S-P, our least certain model input. Despite the large uncertainties surrounding the amount of serpentinized peridotite within oceanic crust, conservative model parameters suggest a magnitude of H2 production (~1012 moles H2/y) that is larger than the most widely cited previous estimates (~1011 although previous estimates range from 1010-1012 moles H2/y). Certain model relationships are also consistent with what has been established through field studies, for example that the highest H2 fluxes (moles H2/km2 seafloor) are produced near slower-spreading ridges (<20 mm/y). Other modeled relationships are new and represent testable predictions. Principal among these is that about half of the H2 produced globally is produced off-axis beneath faster-spreading seafloor (>20 mm/y), a region where only one measurement of H2 has been made thus far and is ripe for future investigation.

In the second part of this dissertation (Chapter 3), I construct the first budget for free H2 in young ocean crust that quantifies and compares all currently recognized H2 sources and H2 sinks. First global estimates of budget components are proposed in instances where previous estimate(s) could not be located provided that the literature on that specific budget component was not too sparse to do so. Results suggest that the nine known H2 sources, listed in order of quantitative importance, are: Crystallization (6x1012 moles H2/y or 61% of total H2 production), serpentinization (2x1012 moles H2/y or 21%), magmatic degassing (7x1011 moles H2/y or 7%), lava-seawater interaction (5x1011 moles H2/y or 5%), low-temperature alteration of basalt (5x1011 moles H2/y or 5%), high-temperature alteration of basalt (3x1010 moles H2/y or <1%), catalysis (3x108 moles H2/y or <<1%), radiolysis (2x108 moles H2/y or <<1%), and pyrite formation (3x106 moles H2/y or <<1%). Next we consider two well-known H2 sinks, H2 lost to the ocean and H2 occluded within rock minerals, and our analysis suggests that both are of similar size (both are 6x1011 moles H2/y). Budgeting results suggest a large difference between H2 sources (total production = 1x1013 moles H2/y) and H2 sinks (total losses = 1x1011 moles H2/y). Assuming this large difference represents H2 consumed by microbes (total consumption = 9x1011 moles H2/y), we explore rates of primary production by the chemosynthetic, sub-seafloor biosphere. Although the numbers presented require further examination and future modifications, the analysis suggests that the sub-seafloor H2 budget is similar to the sub-seafloor CH4 budget in the sense that globally significant quantities of both of these reduced gases are produced beneath the seafloor but never escape the seafloor due to microbial consumption.

The third and final component of this dissertation (Chapter 4) explores the self-organization of barchan sand dune fields. In nature, barchan dunes typically exist as members of larger dune fields that display striking, enigmatic structures that cannot be readily explained by examining the dynamics at the scale of single dunes, or by appealing to patterns in external forcing. To explore the possibility that observed structures emerge spontaneously as a collective result of many dunes interacting with each other, we built a numerical model that treats barchans as discrete entities that interact with one another according to simplified rules derived from theoretical and numerical work, and from field observations: Dunes exchange sand through the fluxes that leak from the downwind side of each dune and are captured on their upstream sides; when dunes become sufficiently large, small dunes are born on their downwind sides (“calving”); and when dunes collide directly enough, they merge. Results show that these relatively simple interactions provide potential explanations for a range of field-scale phenomena including isolated patches of dunes and heterogeneous arrangements of similarly sized dunes in denser fields. The results also suggest that (1) dune field characteristics depend on the sand flux fed into the upwind boundary, although (2) moving downwind, the system approaches a common attracting state in which the memory of the upwind conditions vanishes. This work supports the hypothesis that calving exerts a first order control on field-scale phenomena; it prevents individual dunes from growing without bound, as single-dune analyses suggest, and allows the formation of roughly realistic, persistent dune field patterns.

Ecosystem function and services provided by the deep sea

The deep sea is often viewed as a vast, dark, remote, and inhospitable environment, yet the deep ocean and seafloor are crucial to our lives through the services that they provide. Our understanding of how the deep sea functions remains limited, but when treated synoptically, a diversity of supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services becomes apparent. The biological pump transports carbon from the atmosphere into deep-ocean water masses that are separated over prolonged periods, reducing the impact of anthropogenic carbon release. Microbial oxidation of methane keeps another potent greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere while trapping carbon in authigenic carbonates. Nutrient regeneration by all faunal size classes provides the elements necessary for fueling surface productivity and fisheries, and microbial processes detoxify a diversity of compounds. Each of these processes occur on a very small scale, yet considering the vast area over which they occur they become important for the global functioning of the ocean. The deep sea also provides a wealth of resources, including fish stocks, enormous bioprospecting potential, and elements and energy reserves that are currently being extracted and will be increasingly important in the near future. Society benefits from the intrigue and mystery, the strange life forms, and the great unknown that has acted as a muse for inspiration and imagination since near the beginning of civilization. While many functions occur on the scale of microns to meters and timescales up to years, the derived services that result are only useful after centuries of integrated activity. This vast dark habitat, which covers the majority of the globe, harbour processes that directly impact humans in a variety of ways; however, the same traits that differentiate it from terrestrial or shallow marine systems also result in a greater need for integrated spatial and temporal understanding as it experiences increased use by society. In this manuscript we aim to provide a foundation for informed conservation and management of the deep sea by summarizing the important role of the deep sea in society.