青藏高原壳幔形变与层圈耦合数值模拟

Based on multi-principle (such as structures, tectonics and kinematics) exploratory data and related results of continental dynamics in the Tibetan plateau, the author reconstructed the geological-geophysical model of lithospherical structure and tectonic deformation, and the kinetics boundary conditions for the model. Then, the author used the numerical scheme of Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC), to stimulate the possible process of the stress field and deformational field in the Tibetan plateau and its adjacent area, since the convergence-collision between the Indian continent and Eurasia continent about 50Ma ago. With the above-mentioned results, the author discussed the relationship between crustal movement in shallow layer and the deformational process in interior layers, and its possible dynamic constraints in deep. At the end of the paper, an integrative model has been put forward to explain the outline images of crust-mantle deformation and coupling in the Tibetan Plateau. (1) The characteristics of crust-mantle structure of the Tibetan plateau have been shown to be very complex, and vertical and horizontal difference is significant. The general characteristics of crust-mantle of the Tibetan plateau may be that it's layering in depth direction, and shows blocking from south to north and belting from east to west, mainly according to the results of about 20 seismic sections, such as wide-angle seismic profiles, CMP, seismic tomography and so on. (2) The crust had shortened about 2200km, while the shortening is different for different block from south to north in the Tibetan plateau. It is about 11.5mm/a in Himalayan block, about 9.0mm/a in Lhas-Gangdese block, about 7.0mm/a in Qiangtang block and Songpan-Ganzi-Kekexili block, about 8.0mm/a in Kunlun-Qaidam, and about ll.Omm/a in Qilian block, since the convergence-collision between the Indian continent and Eurasia continent about 50Ma ago. Which - in demonstrates the shortening rate decreases from south to north, but this rate increases near the north edge of the Tibetan plateau. The crust thickening rate is about 0.4mm/a in the whole Tibetan plateau; and this rate is about 0.5mm/a in Himalayan block, about 0.4mm/a in Lhas-Gangdese block, about 0.3mm/a in Qiangtang block, about 0.2mm/a in Songpan-Ganzi-Kekexili block and about O.lmm/a in Kunlun-Qaidam-Qilian block, since the convergence-collision between the Indian continent and Eurasia continent about 50Ma ago. This implies that the thickening rate decreases in the blocks of the Tibetan plateau. From south to north, the displacement of eastern boundary in the Tibetan plateau is about 37mm/a in Himalayan block, about 45mm/a in Lhas-Gangdese block, about 47mm/a in Qiangtang block, about 43mm/a in Songpan-Ganzi-Kekexili block, and about 35mm/a in Kunlun-Qaidam-Qilian block, since the collision-matching between the Indian continent and Eurasia continent had happened about 50Ma ago. This implies that the rate of eastward displacement is biggest in the middle of plateau, and decreases to both sides. The transition of S-N compression stress field in Tibetan Plateau, since about 28Ma+ ago, may be caused by two reasons: On one hand, the movement direction of Eurasia continent changed from northward to southward about 28Ma± ago in the northern plateau. On the other hand, the front belt that is located between India continent's and Eurasia continent's convergence-collision, had moved southward to high Himalayan from Indus-Brahmaputra suture almost at the same time in southern plateau. Affected by the stress field, the earlier tectonics rotated clockwise, NE and NW conjugate strike-slip faults developed, and the SN rift formed. This indicated that the EW movement started. The ratio between upper crust and lower crust of different blocks from south to north in the Tibetan plateau during the process of deformation are as following: about 3.5~5:1 in Himalayan block, about 1~5: 3-4 (which is about 1:3o--4 in south and about 4~5:3 in north) in Lhas-Gangdese block, about 1:3~447mm/a in these blocks: Which is located to the north of Banggong-nujiang suture.

接收函数方法与中国及邻区上地幔间断面的研究

The receiver function method applied in researching the discontinuities in upper mantle was systematically studied in this paper. Using the theoretical receiver functions, the characteristics of P410S and P660S phases were analyzed, and the influencing factors for detection of these phases were discussed. The stability of receiver function was studied, and a new computational method of receiver function, RFSSMS (Receiver Function of Stack and Smooth of Multi seismic-records at a Single station), was put forward. We built initial reference velocity model for the media beneath each of 18 seismic stations respectively; then estimated the buried depths of 410-km and 660-km discontinuities(simply marked as '410' and '660') under the stations by using the arrive time differences of P410S and P660S with P. We developed a new receiver function inversion method -PGARFI (Peeling-Genetic Algorithm of Receiver Function Inversion), to obtain the whole crust and upper mantle velocity structure and the depths of discontinuities beneath a station. The major works and results could be summarized as follows: (1) By analysis of the theoretical receiver functions with different velocity models and different ray parameters, we obtain the knowledge: The amplitudes of P410S and P660S phases are decreasing with the increasing of epicentral distance A , and the arrival time differences of these phases with P are shorter as A is longer. The multiple refracted and/or reflected waves yielded on Moho and the discontinuities in the crust interfere the identification of P410S. If existing LVZ under the lithosphere, some multiple waves caused by LVZ will interfere the identification of P410S. The multiple waves produced by discontinuity lied near 120km depth will mix with P410s phase in some range of epicentral distance; and the multiple waves concerned with the discontinuity lied near 210km depth will interfere the identification of P660S. The epicentral distance for P4i0s identification is limited, the upper limit is 80° . The identification of P660S is not restricted by the epicenter distance obviously. The identification of P410S and P6gos in the theoretical receiver functions is interfered weakly from the seismic wave attenuation caused by the media absorption if the Q value in a reasonable range. (2) The stability of receiver function was studied by using synthetic seismograms with different kind of noise. The results show that on the condition of high signal-noise-ratio of seismic records, the high frequency background noise and the low frequency microseism noise do not influence the calculating result of receiver function. But the media "scattering noise" influence the stability of receiver function. When the scattering effect reach some level, the identification of P4iOs and P66os is difficult in single receiver function which is yielded from only one seismic record. We provided a new method to calculate receiver function, that is, with a group of earthquake records, stacking the R and Z components respectively in the frequency domain, and weighted smooth the stacked Z component, then compute the complex spectrum ratio of R to Z. This method can improve the stability of receiver function and protrude the P4i0s and P66os in the receiver function curves. (3) 263 receiver functions were provided from 1364 three component broadband seismograms recorded at 18 stations in China and adjacent areas for the tele-earthquakes. The observed arrival time differences of P410S and P660S with P were obtained in these receiver functions. The initial velocity model for every station was built according to the prior research results. The buried depths of '410' and '660' under a station were acquired by the way of adjusting the depths of these two discontinuities in the initial velocity model until the theoretical arrival time differences of P410S and P660S with P well conformed to the observed. The results show an obvious lateral heterogeneity of buried depths of ' 410' and (660' . The depth of '410' is shallower beneath BJI, XAN, LZH and ENH, but deeper under QIZ and CHTO, and the average is 403km . The average depth of '660' is 663km, deeper under MDJ and MAJO, but shallower under QIZ and HYB. (4) For inversing the whole crust and upper mantle velocity structure, a new inversion method -PGARFI (Peeling-Genetic Algorithm of Receiver Function Inversion) has- been developed here. The media beneath a station is divided into segments, then the velocity structure is inversed from receiver function from surface to deep successively. Using PGARFI, the multi reflection / refraction phases of shallower discontinuities are isolated from the first order refraction transform phase of deep discontinuity. The genetic algorithm with floating-point coding was used hi the inversion of every segment, and arithmetical crossover and non-uniform mutation technologies were employed in the genetic optimization. 10 independent inversions are completed for every segment, and 50 most excellent velocity models are selected according to the priority of fitness from all models produced in the inversion process. The final velocity structure of every segment is obtained from the weighted average of these 50 models. Before inversion, a wide range of velocity variation with depth and depth range of the main discontinuities are given according to priori knowledge. PGARFI was verified with numerical test and applied in the inversion of the velocity structure beneath HIA station down to 700km depth.

青藏高原东部电性结构特征及地球动力学意义

As the largest and highest plateau on the Earth, the Tibetan Plateau has been a key location for understanding the processes of mountain building and plateau formation during India-Asia continent-continent collision. As the front-end of the collision, the geological structure of eastern Tibetan Plateau is very complex. It is ideal as a natural laboratory for investigating the formation and evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. Institute of Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) carried out MT survey from XiaZayii to Qingshuihe in the east part of the plateau in 1998. After error analysis and distortion analysis, the Non-linear Conjugate Gradient inversion(NLCG), Rapid Relaxation Inversin (RRI) and 2D OCCAM Inversion algorithms were used to invert the data. The three models obtained from 3 algorithms provided similar electrical structure and the NLCG model fit the observed data better than the other two models. According to the analysis of skin depth, the exploration depth of MT in Tibet is much more shallow than in stable continent. For example, the Schmucker depth at period 100s is less than 50km in Tibet, but more than 100km in Canadian Shield. There is a high conductivity layer at the depth of several kilometers beneath middle Qiangtang terrane, and almost 30 kilometers beneath northern Qiangtang terrane. The sensitivity analysis of the data predicates that the depth and resistivity of the crustal high conductivity layer are reliable. The MT results provide a high conductivity layer at 20~40km depth, where the seismic data show a low velocity zone. The experiments show that the rock will dehydrate and partially melt in the relative temperature and pressure. Fluids originated from dehydration and partial melting will seriously change rheological characteristics of rock. Therefore, This layer with low velocity and high conductivity layer in the crust is a weak layer. There is a low velocity path at the depth of 90-110 km beneath southeastern Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas from seismology results. The analysis on the temperature and rheological property of the lithosphere show that the low velocity path is also weak. GPS measurements and the numerical simulation of the crust-mantle deformation show that the movement rate is different for different terranes. The regional strike derived from decomposition analysis for different frequency band and seismic anisotropy indicate that the crust and upper mantle move separately instead of as a whole. There are material flow in the eastern and southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, the faults, the crustal and upper mantle weak layers are three different boundaries for relatively movement. Those results support the "two layer wedge plates" geodynamic model on Tibetan formation and evolution.

环渤海地区地壳和上地幔地震层析成像研究

In Circum-Bohai region (112°~124°E, 34°~42°N ), there exists rich gas-petroleum while inner-plate seismic activity is robust. Although the tectonic structure of this region is very complicated, plenty of geological, geophysical and geochemical researches have been carried out.In this paper, guided by the ideas of "One, Two, Three and Many" and "The depth controls the shallow, the regional constrains the local", I fully take advantage of previous results so as to establish a general image of this region. After collecting the arrival-time of P-wave phases of local events and tele-seismic events recorded by the stations within this region from 1966 to 2004, I process all these data and build an initial model. Then, a tomography image of crust and upper-mantle of this region is obtained. With reference to previous results, we compare the image of various depths and five cross-profiles traverse this region along different direction. And finally, a discussion and conclusion is made.The principle contents is listed as below: 1) in the first chapter, the purpose and meaning of this thesis, the advance in seismic tomography, and the research contents and blue-print is stated; 2) in the second chapter, I introduce the regional geological setting of Circum-Bohai region, describe the tectonic and evolutionary characteristics of principle tectonic units, including Bohai Bay Basin, Yanshan Fold Zone, Taihangshan Uplifted Zone, Jiao-Niao Uplifted Zone and Luxi Uplifted Zone, and primary deep faults; 3) In the third chapter, the previous geophysical researches, i.e., gravity and geomagnetic characters, geothermal flow, seismic activity, physical character of rocks, deep seismic sounding, and previous seismic tomography, are discussed; 4) in the fourth chapter, the fundamental theory and approach of seismic tomography is introduced; 5) in the fifth chapter, the technology and approaches used in this thesis, including collecting and pre-processing of data, the establishment of initial velocity model and relocation of all events; 6) in the sixth chapter, I discuss and analyze the tomography image of various depth and five cross-sections; 7)in the seventh chapter, I make a conclusion of the results, state the existing problems and possible solutions.

利用宽频带台阵资料研究华北地区地壳及上地幔间断面结构

Intense tectonic renovation has occurred in the eastern continent of china since Mesozoic, as evidenced by the high heat flow, widespread magma extrusion and volcanic activities, and development of large sedimentary basins. To explain the cause and mechanism for the tectonic process in this period, some researchers have put forward various models, such as mantle plume, subduction of the Pacific slab, Yangtze Block-North China Block collision, etc. Their seismological evidence, however, is still scarce..During the period from 2000 to 2003, large temporary seismic arrays were established in North China by the Institute of the Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Total 129 portable seismic stations were linearly emplaced across the western and eastern boundaries of the Bohai Bay Basin, and accumulated a large amount of high-quality data. Moreover, abundant data were also collected at the capital digital seismic network established in the ninth five-year period of national economic and social development. These provide an unprecedented opportunity for us to study the deep structure and associated geodynamic mechanism of lithospheric processes in North China using seismological techniques.Seismology is a kind of observation-based science. The development of seismic observations greatly promotes the improvement of seismologic theory and methodology. At the beginning of this thesis, I review the history of seismic observation progress, and present some routine processing techniques used in the array seismology. I also introduce two popular seismic imaging methods (receiver function method and seismic tomography).Receiver function method has been widely used to study the crustal and upper mantle structures, and many relevant research results have been published. In this thesis I elaborate the theory of this method, including the basic concept of receiver functions and the methodology for data pre-processing, stacking and migration. I also address some problems often encountered in practical applications of receiver function imaging.By using the teleseismic data collected at the temporary seismic arrays in North China, in particular, the traveltime information of P-to-S conversion and multiple reverberations of the Moho discontinuity, I obtain the distributions of the crustal thickness and the poisson ratio at the northwest boundary area of the Bohai Bay Basin and discuss the geological implications of the results.Through detailed intestigations on the crustal structural feature around the middle part of the Tanlu fault, considerable disparity in poisson ratios is found in the western and eastern sides of the Tanlu fault. Moreover, an obvious Moho offset is coincidently observed at the same surface location. A reasonable density model for the Tanlu fault area is also derived by simulating the observed gravity variations. Both receiver function study and gravity anomaly modeling suggest that the crustal difference between the western and eastern sides of the Tanlu fault is mainly resulted from their different compositions.With common conversion point imaging of receiver functions, I estimate the depths of the upper and lower boundaries of the mantle transition zone, i.e., the 410 and 660 km discontinuities, beneath most part of the North China continent The thickness of the transition zone (TTZ) in the study area is calculated by subtracting the depth of .410 km discontinuity from that of the 660km discontinuity. The resultant TTZ is 10-15 km larger in the east than in the west of the study area. Phase transitions at the 410 km and the 660 km discontinuities are known to have different Clapeyron slopes. Therefore, the TTZ is sensitive to the temperature changes in the transition zone. Previous studies have shown that the TTZ would be smaller in the mantle plume areas and become larger when the remnants of subducted slabs are present The hypothesis of mantle plume cannot give a reasonable interpretation to the observed TTZ beneath North China, Instead, the receiver function imaging results favor a dynamic model that correlates the thermal structure of the mantle transition zone and associated upper mantle dynamics of North China to the Pacific plate subduction process.

Evidence of mass failure in the Hess Deep Rift from multi-resolutional bathymetry data

New regional swath and near-bottom bathymetric data provide constraints on shallow structures at the Hess Deep Rift, an oceanic rift that exposes the crust and upper mantle of fast-spreading oceanic lithosphere created at the East Pacific Rise. These data reveal the presence of a lobate structure with a length of ~ 4 km and a width of ~ 6 km south of an Intrarift Ridge, north of Hess Deep. The lobe consists of a series of concentric benches that are widest in the center of the lobe and narrower at the edges, with a dominant bench separating two distinct morphologic regions in the lobe. There are two end-member possible interpretations of this feature: 1) the lobate structure represents a mass failure with little translation that contains coherent blocks that preserve rift-related lineaments; or 2) it represents degraded tectonic structures, and the lobate form is accounted for by, for example, two intersecting faults. We favor the slump interpretation because it more readily accounts for the lobate form of the feature and the curved benches and based on the presence of other similar lobes in this region. In the slump model, secondary structures within the benches may indicate radial spreading during or after failure. The large lobate structure we identify south of the Intrarift Ridge in Hess Deep is one of the first features of its kind identified in an oceanic rift, and illustrates that mass failure may be a significant process in these settings, consistent with the recognition of their importance in mid-ocean ridges, oceanic islands, and continental rifts. Understanding the structure of the Hess Deep Rift is also important for reconstructing the section of fast-spreading oceanic crust exposed here.

Recent contribution of sediments and fluids to the mantle's volatile budget

Subduction modifies the cycling of Earth's volatile elements. Fluid-rich sediments and hydrated oceanic lithosphere enter the convecting mantle at subduction zones. Some of the sediments and volatile components are released from the subducting slab, promote mantle melting and are returned to the surface by volcanism. The remainder continue into the deeper mantle. Quantification of the fate of these volatiles requires an understanding of both the nature and timing of fluid release and mantle melting(1). Here we analyse the trace element and isotopic geochemistry of fragments of upper mantle rocks that were transported to the surface by volcanic eruptions above the Batan Island subduction zone, Philippines. We find that the mantle fragments exhibit extreme disequilibrium between their U-Th-Ra isotopic ratios, which we interpret to result from the interaction of wet sediment melts and slab-derived fluids with rocks in the overlying mantle wedge. We infer that wet sediments were delivered from the slab to the mantle wedge between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago, whereas aqueous fluids were delivered separately much later. We estimate that about 625 ppm of water is retained in the wedge. A significant volume of water could therefore be delivered to the mantle transition zone at the base of the upper mantle, or even to the deeper mantle.

Deep crustal structure of the Parana Basin from receiver functions and Rayleigh-wave dispersion: Evidence for a fragmented cratonic root

The deep crustal structure of the Parana Basin of southern Brazil is investigated by analyzing P- and PP-wave receiver functions at 17 Brazilian Lithosphere Seismic Project stations within the basin. The study area can be described as a typical Paleozoic intracratonic basin that hosts one of the largest Large Igneous Province of the world and makes a unique setting for investigating models of basin subsidence and their interaction with mantle plumes. Our study consists of (1) an analysis of the Moho interaction phases in the receiver functions to obtain the thickness and bulk Vp/Vs ratio of the basin`s underlying crust and (2) a joint inversion with Rayleigh-wave dispersion velocities from an independent tomographic study to delineate the detailed S-wave velocity variation with depth. The results of our analysis reveal that Moho depths and bulk Vp/Vs ratios (including sediments) vary between 41 and 48 km and between 1.70 and 1.76, respectively, with the largest values roughly coinciding with the basin`s axis, and that S-wave velocities in the lower crust are generally below 3.8 km/s. Select sites within the basin, however, show lower crustal S-wave velocities slightly above 3.9 km/s suggestive of underplated mafic material. We show that these observations are consistent with a fragmented cratonic root under the Parana basin that defined a zone of weakness for the initial Paleozoic subsidence of the basin and which allowed localized mafic underplating of the crust along the suture zones by Cenozoic magmatism.

Sulfur and carbon isotopes in scapolite-bearing granulites of the São José do Rio Pardo area, Brazil

Sulfur and carbon isotope compositions of ten scapolites from granulite-facies rocks of the São José do Rio Pardo area, Guaxupé Complex, Brazil, were measured. Scapolite is the primary and major rock-forming mineral in these rocks (up to 40 volume %). The isotopic composition of the sulfate and carbonate group in the scapolite structure has δ34S values of +1.0‰ to +6.7‰, and δ13C values of -14.3‰ to -6.3‰, respectively. The sulfur isotope data may be related to an upper mantle (external) or lower crustal (internal) source for the sulfur, whereas the carbon appears to have been derived from an internal source. Thus, the carbon and sulfur isotope data can be explained without invoking an external (mantle) source. © 1993.

Crustal growth in the 3.4-2.7Ga São José de Campestre Massif, Borborema Province, NE Brazil

The Archean (3.45-2.70Ga) rocks of the São José do Campestre Massif (SJCM) in the Borborema Province (NE Brazil) make up a small area (~6000km2) and are composed of granitoids and metasupracrustal rocks that define a complex magmatic and deformational history. The massif provides the opportunity to study mantle- and crustal-derived magmas generated since the Palaeoarchean. The orthogneisses of the SJCM are composed of: (1) tonalite to granodiorite with diorite enclaves (Bom Jesus gneiss, 3412±8Ma; TDM Nd model ages from 4.1 to 3.5Ga and negative epsilon Nd values); (2) biotite and ferroan-diopside monzogranite (Presidente Juscelino complex, 3356±21Ma and 3251±44Ma; TDM model ages range from 4.1 to 3.4Ga and epsilon Nd values that are slightly positive to negative); (3) hornblende tonalite to granodiorite (Brejinho complex, 3333±77Ma and 3187±8Ma; dominantly positive epsilon Nd values and TDM ages from 3.6 to 3.2Ga); (4) biotite monzogranite (São Pedro do Potengi gneiss, 3120±22Ma; TDM =3.5Ga; negative epsilon Nd value); (5) ferroan-diopside-grossular anorthosite and metagabbro (Senador Elói de Souza complex, 3033±3Ma); and (6) quartz diorite to syenogranite (São José do Campestre complex; 2685±9Ma and 2655±4Ma; negative epsilon Nd values and TDM ages from 3.9 to 3.3Ga). The orthogneisses are subalkaline to faintly alkaline, magnesian to ferroan, M- and I-type granitoids that follow either the K-enrichment or the trondhjemite trends. Each group has a subset with REE characteristics similar to Archean TTG and another that is analogous to Phanerozoic granitoids. They have negative Ta-Nb and Ti anomalies and have trace element contents of granitoids from subduction zones. Geochemical and Nd isotope data suggest that subducted oceanic crust and a depleted and metasomatised mantle wedge both acted as the magma sources. We propose a convergent tectonic model in which hybridisation of the upper mantle occurs through interactions with adakitic or trondhjemitic melts and recycling of earlier crust. The results imply that both the subducted oceanic crust and the mantle wedge played major roles in continent formation throughout successive episodes of arc accretion in Palaeo- and Mesoarchean times. The Archean rocks of the SJCM shares some similarities with the Pilbara, Kaapvaal, West African, and São Francisco cratons. However, the most reliable comparisons with the SJCM are with the neighbouring basement of the Nigeria and Cameroon shields. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Inversão de dados de ondas de superfície Rayleigh

Neste trabalho compilamos informações sobre um grande número de medidas de velocidade de grupo para ondas Rayleigh do modo fundamental, com período até 100 segundos. Tais dados consistiram de informações retiradas da literatura geofísica e cobriram toda a Terra. Parte dos dados foi organizada em trabalhos anteriores e uma segunda parte foi apresentada aqui de forma inédita. Para a América do Sul, selecionamos os principais conjuntos de dados de tais ondas e elaboramos diversos perfis onde a distribuição de velocidade de ondas cisalhantes foi obtida a partir da inversão das curvas de dispersão de velocidade de grupo. Tais perfis serviram para termos uma ideia inicial da estrutura interna da Terra em nosso continente. Com o conjunto global de dados de velocidade de grupo foi possível obtermos os mapas de distribuição lateral de valores de velocidade para cada período referencial entre 20 e 100 segundos. Tais mapas foram produzidos da mesma forma que os mapas de velocidade de fase de ROSA (1986), onde a amostragem for para realizada para blocas medindo 10x10 graus, englobando toda a Terra, em projeção mercator. O valor de velocidade de grupo em cada bloco, para cada período, foi obtido a partir da inversão estocástica dos dados de anomalia de velocidade em relação aos modelos regionalizados de JORDAN (1981) com os valores de velocidade de grupo de ROSA et al. (1992). Os mapas de velocidade de grupo obtidos aqui foram então empregados, na América do Sul, com os valores de velocidade de fase dos mapas obtidos por ROSA (1986). Assim, foi possível determinarmos, em profundidade, os mapas de variação de velocidade de onda cisalhante e os mapas de distribuição de valores de densidade. Com isto, pudemos construir o primeiro mapa de profundidade do Moho (todo do Manto Superior) da América do Sul.

Dispersão das ondas de Rayleigh na Plataforma Sulamericana

Este trabalho representa um estudo de dispersão da componente vertical da onda de superfície de Rayleigh com trajetórias na plataforma Sulamericana. Os registros utilizados são provenientes das estações localizadas no território Brasileiro; sendo a do Rio de Janeiro (RDJ), a de Brasília (BDF), a de Caicó (CAI) e a de Belém (BEB), pois estas são as únicas estações sismológicas no Brasil que têm sensores de período longo e que servem para o estudo de dispersão no intervalo de 4 a 50 segundos, aqui realizados. Os terremotos utilizados estão localizados ao longo da parte leste da cadeia Andina e dentro da plataforma Sulamericana com trajetórias tipicamente continental. Foram selecionados 34 eventos com a utilização dos seguintes critérios práticos: a localização, a magnitude m_b e a profundidade, ocorridos durante o período de Janeiro de 1978 até Junho de 1987. O estudo de dispersão aqui abordado significa a determinação da velocidade de grupo e das amplitudes espectrais correspondentes aos harmônicos fundamental e primeiro superior. Normalmente os harmônicos de ordem segunda ou maior são raramente disponíveis na observação. Dois tipos de medidas foram feitas: (i) velocidade de grupo vs. período e (ii) amplitude vs. período. Os estudos de dispersão são fundamentais para determinação da estrutura da crosta e manto superior que estão diretamente relacionados com os fenômenos geológicos. Neste trabalho, regionalização é definida como a identificação das diferentes formas de curvas de dispersão, que estão relacionadas com as trajetórias epicentro-estação ao longo da plataforma Sulamericana e que venham ter uma correlação geológica como está descrito no item 4.3 deste trabalho. A distribuição dos epicentros se faz desde o extremo sul da Argentina até o extremo norte da Venezuela, objetivando iniciar com este trabalho uma sistemática voltada aos estudos de regionalização da plataforma Sulamericana na nossa instituição. Neste trabalho foram observados três tipos distintos de curvas em 27 trajetórias e agrupadas por famílias 1,2 e 3 respectivamente, onde procurou-se correlacionar suas diferentes formas com a geologia regional da plataforma Sulamericana. A obtenção da curva de dispersão foi feita através da técnica do filtro múltiplo (Dziewonski et al, 1969). Este filtro tem a propriedade de separar os harmônicos através das suas velocidades de grupo para cada frequência selecionada, e também de recuperar as amplitudes características dos harmônicos (Herrmann, 1973). O desenvolvimento teórico do filtro bem como suas limitações e forma de uso são tratados por Dziewonski et al (1972). Como parte do trabalho há a implantação, adaptações e o desenvolvimento de parte do fluxograma do filtro múltiplo, bem como a estruturação da digitalização dos dados para o processamento e interpretação não-automática dos resultados do processamento.

Petrogenesis of dunite, wehrlite and websterite xenoliths from Kimberley, South Africa: Origin as mantle peridotites of cumulates

Dunite, wehrlite and websterite xenoliths occur amongst a large abundance of mantle xenoliths in kimberlites of the Kimberley cluster in South Africa. Up to know they have mostly been neglected. On the basis of texture, major and trace elements, oxygen isotopes as well as Re-Os isotope characteristics, they can be subdivided into two groups. A coarse-grained mantle peridotite group, comprising dunite, wehrlite and websterite xenoliths, that are similar to fertile peridotites and represent upper mantle assemblages that are differently influenced by mantle metasomatism. And a cumulate group, containing fine-grained Fe-rich dunite xenoliths that represent cumulates of flood basalt magmatism related to ~183 Ma Karoo and ~2.7 Ga Ventersdorp events in southern Africa. Dunite, wehrlite and websterite xenoliths have preserved a complex history of melt depletion and metasomatic re-enrichment events, which gives information about the different re-enrichment stages of the subcratonic lithospheric mantle and the spatial differences within the Kaapvaal craton upper mantle. Websterite xenoliths comprise orthopyroxene (40-85 Vol. %), clinopyroxene (5-42 Vol. %), garnet (4-10 Vol. %) and subordinately olivine, while dunite and wehrlite xenoliths contain predominantly olivine (65-100 Vol %) and subordinately orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and garnet. High melt depletion and a dunitic to harzburgitic protolith composition are reflected by high forsterite (Fo90-92) and high olivine NiO contents (2800-5000 ppm) and high orthopyroxene Mg# (Mg/(Mg+Fe)) of 0.91-0.93. Re-depletion ages of predominantly 2.9 Ga reflect a minimum age of melt depletion. Melt depletion ceased in conjunction with collision of the Kimberley block with the Witwatersrand block ~2.9 Ga ago. Subduction related re-fertilisation of the previously depleted mantle xenoliths is documented by i) amoeboid textured orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and garnet, which crystallized in schlieren along olivine grain boundaries, ii) high whole-rock SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, TiO2, FeO contents, iii) low oxygen isotope ratios in clinopyroxene and garnet of 4.8-5.4 ‰ and 4.7-5.3 ‰, respectively and iv) trace element compositions of wehrlitic clinopyroxene and garnet in equilibrium with high-pressure partial melts of eclogite. Trace element disequilibrium of orthopyroxene with clinopyroxene and garnet indicates a separate origin for orthopyroxene, on one side as primary mantle orthopyroxene in dunite and wehrlite xenoliths and on the other side as reaction product with Si-rich melts produced by partial melting of eclogite. This reaction triggered replacement of olivine by orthopyroxene in the surrounding mantle and produced the typical Si-rich composition of Kaapvaal mantle peridotites. Partial melting of eclogite at higher temperatures produced a second metasomatic melt with lower SiO2, but higher Al2O3, CaO, FeO, Ti, Zr, Hf and a low oxygen isotope ratio. This melt triggered clinopyroxene and locally garnet and rutile crystallization in percolation veins, replacing olivine and orthopyroxene in the Kaapvaal upper mantle. Additionally, websterite xenoliths have experienced late stage cryptic metasomatism by the host kimberlite melt, changing the trace element composition of clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and garnet to different extent. Hence websterite and most fertile lherzolite xenoliths have experienced three metasomatic events: i) reaction with high-Si melt, ii) percolation of subduction related silica melt with lower SiO2 content and iii) cryptic metasomatism by kimberlite. In contrast, dunite and wehrlite xenoliths have only experienced the second metasomatic event. They represent mantle lithologies further away from metasomatising agents. The Fe-rich dunites comprise olivine neoblasts with subordinate olivine porphyroclasts and parallel-orientated needles of ilmenite, which may enclose spinel. The lower forsterite and NiO contents of olivine in Fe-rich dunites compared to mantle peridotite xenoliths (Fo87-89 vs. Fo93-95 and 1300-2800ppm vs. 2200-3900 ppm, respectively), rules out a restitic origin. Cr-rich spinels are remnants of the original cumulate mineralogy that survived a late stage metasomatic overprint related to the production of the host kimberlite, producing ilmenite and phlogopite in some samples. Olivine porphyroclasts and neoblasts have different trace element compositions, the latter having high Ti, V, Cr and Ni and low Zn, Zr and Nb contents, indicating contrasting origins for neoblasts and porphyroclasts. The dunites have high 187Os/188Os ratios (0.11-0.15) indicating young (Phanerozoic) model ages for most samples, whereas three samples show isotopic mixtures between Phanerozoic neoblasts and ancient porphyroclastic material. Most Fe-rich dunite xenoliths can be interpreted as cumulates of fractional crystallization of Karoo magmatism, whereas the porphyroclasts are interpreted to be remnants from the much earlier Archaean Ventersdorp magmatism.

Deciphering petrological signatures of reactive melt stagnation and cooling in the oceanic mantle underneath ultraslow-spreading ridges

The global mid-ocean ridge system creates oceanic crust and lithosphere that covers more than two-thirds of the Earth. Basalts are volumetrically the most important rock type sampled at mid-ocean ridges. For this reason, our present understanding of upper mantle dynamics and the chemical evolution of the earth is strongly influenced by the study of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). However, MORB are aggregates of polybarically generated small melt increments that can undergo a variety of physical and chemical processes during their ascent and consequently affect their derivative geochemical composition. Therefore, MORB do not represent “direct” windows to the underlying upper mantle. Abyssal peridotites, upper mantle rocks recovered from the ocean floor, are the residual complement to MORB melting and provide essential information on melt extraction from the upper mantle. In this study, abyssal peridotites are examined to address these overarching questions posed by previous studies of MORB: How are basaltic melts formed in the mantle, how are they extracted from the mantle and what physical and chemical processes control mantle melting? The number of studies on abyssal peridotites is small compared to those on basalts, in part because seafloor exposures of abyssal peridotites are relatively rare. For this reason, abyssal peridotite characteristics need to be considered in the context of subaerially exposed peridotites associated with ophiolites, orogenic peridotite bodies and basalt-hosted xenoliths. However, orogenic peridotite bodies are mainly associated with passive continental margins, most ophiolites are formed in supra-subduction zone settings, and peridotite xenoliths are often contaminated by their host magma. Therefore, studies of abyssal peridotites are essential to understanding the primary characteristics of the oceanic upper mantle free from the influence of continental rifting, subduction and tectonic emplacement processes. Nevertheless, numerous processes such as melt stagnation and cooling-induced, inter-mineral exchange can affect residual abyssal peridotite compositions after the cessation of melting. The aim of this study is to address these post-melting modifications of abyssal peridotites from a petrological-geochemical perspective. The samples in this study were dredged along the axis of the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean within the “Sparsely Magmatic Zone”, a 100 km ridge section where only mantle rocks are exposed. During two expeditions (ARK XVII-2 in 2001 and ARK XX-2 in 2004), exceptionally fresh peridotites were recovered. The boulders and cobbles collected cover a range of mantle rock compositions, with most characterized as plagioclase-free spinel peridotites or plagioclase- spinel peridotites. This thesis investigates melt stagnation and cooling processes in the upper mantle and is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on processes in the stability field of spinel peridotites (>10 kb) such as melt refertilization and cooling related trace element exchange, while the second part investigates processes in the stability field of plagioclase peridotites (< 10 kb) such as reactive melt migration and melt stagnation. The dissertation chapters are organized to follow the theoretical ascent of a mantle parcel upwelling beneath the location where the samples were collected.

Computer simulations of microstructures related to the olivine spinel transition

Tiefherd-Beben, die im oberen Erdmantel in einer Tiefe von ca. 400 km auftreten, werden gewöhnlich mit dem in gleicher Tiefe auftretenden druckabhängigen, polymorphen Phasenübergang von Olivine (α-Phase) zu Spinel (β-Phase) in Verbindung gebracht. Es ist jedoch nach wie vor unklar, wie der Phasenübergang mit dem mechanischen Versagen des Mantelmaterials zusammenhängt. Zur Zeit werden im Wesentlichen zwei Modelle diskutiert, die entweder Mikrostrukturen, die durch den Phasenübergang entstehen, oder aber die rheologischen Veränderungen des Mantelgesteins durch den Phasenübergang dafür verantwortlich machen. Dabei sind Untersuchungen der Olivin→Spinel Umwandlung durch die Unzugänglichkeit des natürlichen Materials vollständig auf theoretische Überlegungen sowie Hochdruck-Experimente und Numerische Simulationen beschränkt. Das zentrale Thema dieser Dissertation war es, ein funktionierendes Computermodell zur Simulation der Mikrostrukturen zu entwickeln, die durch den Phasenübergang entstehen. Des Weiteren wurde das Computer Modell angewandt um die mikrostrukturelle Entwicklung von Spinelkörnern und die Kontrollparameter zu untersuchen. Die Arbeit ist daher in zwei Teile unterteilt: Der erste Teil (Kap. 2 und 3) behandelt die physikalischen Gesetzmäßigkeiten und die prinzipielle Funktionsweise des Computer Modells, das auf der Kombination von Gleichungen zur Errechnung der kinetischen Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit mit Gesetzen der Nichtgleichgewichtsthermodynamik unter nicht-hydostatischen Bedingungen beruht. Das Computermodell erweitert ein Federnetzwerk der Software latte aus dem Programmpaket elle. Der wichtigste Parameter ist dabei die Normalspannung auf der Kornoberfläche von Spinel. Darüber hinaus berücksichtigt das Programm die Latenzwärme der Reaktion, die Oberflächenenergie und die geringe Viskosität von Mantelmaterial als weitere wesentliche Parameter in der Berechnung der Reaktionskinetic. Das Wachstumsverhalten und die fraktale Dimension von errechneten Spinelkörnern ist dabei in guter Übereinstimmung mit Spinelstrukturen aus Hochdruckexperimenten. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit wird das Computermodell angewandt, um die Entwicklung der Oberflächenstruktur von Spinelkörnern unter verschiedenen Bedigungen zu eruieren. Die sogenannte ’anticrack theory of faulting’, die den katastrophalen Verlauf der Olivine→Spinel Umwandlung in olivinhaltigem Material unter differentieller Spannung durch Spannungskonzentrationen erklärt, wurde anhand des Computermodells untersucht. Der entsprechende Mechanismus konnte dabei nicht bestätigt werden. Stattdessen können Oberflächenstrukturen, die Ähnlichkeiten zu Anticracks aufweisen, durch Unreinheiten des Materials erklärt werden (Kap. 4). Eine Reihe von Simulationen wurde der Herleitung der wichtigsten Kontrollparameter der Reaktion in monomineralischem Olivin gewidmet (Kap. 5 and Kap. 6). Als wichtigste Einflüsse auf die Kornform von Spinel stellten sich dabei die Hauptnormalspannungen auf dem System sowie Heterogenitäten im Wirtsminerals und die Viskosität heraus. Im weiteren Verlauf wurden die Nukleierung und das Wachstum von Spinel in polymineralischen Mineralparagenesen untersucht (Kap. 7). Die Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit der Olivine→Spinel Umwandlung und die Entwicklung von Spinelnetzwerken und Clustern wird durch die Gegenwart nicht-reaktiver Minerale wie Granat oder Pyroxen erheblich beschleunigt. Die Bildung von Spinelnetzwerken hat das Potential, die mechanischen Eigenschaften von Mantelgestein erheblich zu beeinflussen, sei es durch die Bildung potentieller Scherzonen oder durch Gerüstbildung. Dieser Lokalisierungprozess des Spinelwachstums in Mantelgesteinen kann daher ein neues Erklärungsmuster für Tiefbeben darstellen.