Change in Pacific Northwest coastal ecosystems. Proceedings of the Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystems Regional Study Workshop, August 73-14, 1996, Troutdale, Oregon

Over the past one hundred and fifty years, the landscape and ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest coastal region, already subject to many variable natural forces, have been profoundly affected by human activities. In virtually every coastal watershed from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Cape Mendocino, settlement, exploitation and development of resou?-ces have altered natural ecosystems. Vast, complex forests that once covered the region have been largely replaced by tree plantations or converted to non-forest conditions. Narrow coastal valleys, once filled with wetlands and braided streams that tempered storm runoff and provided salmon habitat, were drained, filled, or have otherwise been altered to create land for agriculture and other uses. Tideflats and saltmarshes in both large and small estuaries were filled for industrial, commercial, and other urban uses. Many estuaries, including that of the Columbia River, have been channeled, deepened, and jettied to provide for safe, reliable navigation. The prodigious rainfall in the region, once buffered by dense vegetation and complex river and stream habitat, now surges down sirfiplified stream channels laden with increased burdens of sediment and debris. Although these and many other changes have occurred incrementally over time and in widely separated areas, their sum can now be seen to have significantly affected the natural productivity of the region and, as a consequence, changed the economic structure of its human communities. This activity has taken place in a region already shaped by many interacting and dynamic natural forces. Large-scale ocean circulation patterns, which vary over long time periods, determine the strength and location of currents along the coast, and thus affect conditions in the nearshore ocean and estuaries throughout the region. Periodic seasonal differences in the weather and ocean act on shorter time scales; winters are typically wet with storms from the southwest while summers tend to be dry with winds from the northwest. Some phenomena are episodic, such as El Nifio events, which alter weather, marine habitats, and the distribution and survival of marine organisms. Other oceanic and atmospheric changes operate more slowly; over time scales of decades, centuries, and longer. Episodic geologic events also punctuate the region, such as volcanic eruptions that discharge widespread blankets of ash, frequent minor earthquakes, and major subduction zone earthquakes each 300 to 500 years that release accumulated tectonic strain, dropping stretches of ocean shoreline, inundating estuaries and coastal valleys, and triggering landslides that reshape stream profiles. While these many natural processes have altered, sometimes dramatically, the Pacific Northwest coastal region, these same processes have formed productive marine and coastal ecosystems, and many of the species in these systems have adapted to the variable environmental conditions of the region to ensure their long-term survival.

Offshore geology of Pakistan and non-living resource prospects

Offshore geology of Pakistan is characterized by active and passive continental margins. These continental margins show very unique features such as an active Makran subduction zone in the west and the Indus delta and a submarine fan in the east. The geology of these features of Pakistan EEZ is inadequately known. This is a major obstacle in exploring mineral resources. Detailed study of coastal and shelf geology is needed for better understanding of the geology of the area and comprehensive evolution of its non-living resource potential. An understanding of the geological events including tectonic movements, sedimentation processes and geochemical history that comprise the geological history is very important to help in identification and estimation of resources. In Pakistan EEZ applying the current technology and undertaking research work to understand the seafloor features and mineral deposits associated with it will be very fruitful.

Gas hydrate occurrence on the continental slope of the northern South China Sea

High-resolution multi-channel seismic data and geological samples were collected during two research cruises of the R/V FENDOU 4 in 1999 and 2000. Studies on these data and samples together with results from sites 1143-1145 and 1148 of ODP Leg 184 suggest that the geological structure on the continental slope of the northern South China Sea is favorable for the formation of gas hydrates. Bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) and geochemical anomalies which indicate the existence of gas hydrates have been recognized in sediments of the Xisha Trough, the Dongsha Rise and the accretionary wedge of the Manila subduction zone. These gas hydrates are generated by two different mechanisms depending on the tectonic regime and the seismic and geochemical characteristics. The first applies to the passive continental margin of the nor-them South China Sea on the Dongsha Rise and in the Xisha Trough. The gas hydrates are associated with diapiric structures, active faults, slumps and gravity flows as well as high Late Cenozoic sedimentation rates. Their seismic expression includes BSRs, seismic blanking zones and velocity anomalies. The second mechanism is operative on the active continental margin along the Manila subduction zone, especially in the accretionary wedge. Here, gas hydrate occurrence is marked by widespread BSRs and acoustic 'pull-down' possibly related to the existence of free gas in the sediments beneath the BSR. The thickness of the seismic blanking zones averages 250 m, suggesting that the stable gas hydrate zone has about the same thickness. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

基于三重震相波形模拟研究亚洲东北部上地幔过渡带速度结构

Both the global and regional P wave tomographic studies have revealed significant deep structural heterogeneities in subduction zone regions. In particular, low-velocity anomalies have been observed beneath the descending high-velocity slabs in a number of subduction zones. The limited resolution at large depths and possible trade-off between the high and low velocities, however, make it difficult to substantiate this feature and evaluate the vertical extent of the low-velocity structure. From broadband waveform modeling of triplicated phases near the 660-km discontinuity for three deep events, we constrained both the P and SH wave velocity structures around the base of the upper mantle in northeast Asia. For the two events beneath the southern Kurile, the rays traveled through the lowermost transition zone and uppermost lower mantle under the descending Pacific slab. Our preferred models consistently suggest normal-to-lower P and significantly low SH velocities above and below the 660-km discontinuity extending to about 760-km depth compared with the global IASP91 model, corroborating previous observations for a slow structure underneath the slab. In contrast, both high P and SH velocity anomalies are shown in our preferred models for the Japan subduction zone region, likely reflecting the structural feature of a slab stagnant above the 660-km discontinuity. The velocity jumps across the 660-km discontinuity were found to be on average 4.5% and 7% for P and S waves under the south Kurile, and 3% and 6% under the Japan subduction zone. The respective velocity contrasts in the two regions are consistent with mineralogical models for colder slab interior and hotter under-slab areas. Based on mineral physics data, the depth-averaged ~1.5% P and ~2.5% SH velocity differences in the depth range of 560-760 km between the two regions could be primarily explained by a 350~450K temperature variation, although the presence of about 0.5wt%~1wt% water might also contribute to the subtle velocity variations near the base of the transition zone in the southern Kurile. From our modeling results, we speculate that the slow structure in the southern Kurile may be correlated to the low velocity zone observed previously around the 410-km discontinuity under Northern Honshu. Both are probably associated with a thermal anomaly rooted in the lower mantle beneath the subduction zone in northeast Asia.

大别－苏鲁造山带与华北陆块东部岩石层三维速度结构

The 3-D velocity images of the crest and upper mantle beneath the region of 112° -124°E, 28°-39°N including the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt are reconstructed by using 36405 P-wave arrivals of 3437 regional and 670 distant earthquakes during the period from 1981 to 1996, and gridding the area of 0.5° * 0.5°. The results of tomography demonstrate that: 1. The results of tomographic imaging show a broad heterogeneity in P wave velocity structure for the lithosphere beneath the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. 2. In the Dabie orogenic belt, the velocity patterns in the crust are different among various tectonic units. The Dabie and Qinling orogenic belts are remarkable in the tomographic images, and in mm the Hongan and Dabie blocks in the Dabie orogenic belt are also imaged very distinguishably. 3. A velocity (about 5.9～6.0 km/s) layer exists in the Dabie block at depth between 15～25 km, which is coincident with the low-resistance layer at the depth of 12-23 km, being inferred to be the tectonic detachment zone and suggesting that the extension detachment structure was formed in the middle crust. Beneath the southern and northerm Dabie tectonic units, the north-dipping high-velocity (at level of 6.5 ～ 6.6 km/s) block was developed in the crust, which might be correlated with the UHP rockswith low content of the meta-ultramafic rocks. This result is in agreement with the geological observation on the surface. 4. The velocity image at 40 km depth reveals the features at the top of mantle and the configuration of the Moho discontinuity. The depth of the Moho changes slightly along the trend of the orogenic belt. It in Hongan block is less than 40 km, but it is different in the western and eastern parts of the Dabie block, the former is more than 40 km, and the latter less than or equal to 40 km. The remnant of the mountain root exists between the Shangcheng-Macheng fault and the line of Huoshan-Yuexi-Yingshan in the Dabie orogenic belt, and beneath the southern and northern Dabie tectonic units. However, the thickness of the Moho is about 40 km and there is no obvious changes, which suggest that the Dabie orogenic belt has been experienced quite in the gravity equilibration. The Moho's depth in the Sulu is less than 40 km. 5. There is a dipping slab-like high-velocity body in the uppermost mantle. It is sandwiched by slow velocities and exists beneath the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in the range of depths between the Moho discontinuity and 110 km at least. This high-velocity body outlines a picture of the slab interpreted as the remnant of the Triassic subducted YZ. 6. The Sulu orogenic belt displays "crocodilian" velocity structure, the upper crust of the Yangtze thrusted over the Huabei crest, and the Huabei crust indented into the Yangtze crust, where the ancient subduction zone of the Yangtze lithosphere located. Based on the previous geological data, this structure is not related with the collision between the Yangtze and Sino-Korean Blocks, but caused by the sinistral offset of the Tan-Lu Fault. Studied on the velocity structure of the eastern Huabei lithosphere indicates: 1. The 'present-day' lithosphere of the eastern Huabei is between 40-100 km thick with greatly thinned lithosphere around the Bohai Sea. Generally, thickness of the lithosphere in this region decreased eastwards. 2. The attenuation of the lithosphere is attributed to the strongly uplift of the asthenosphere. In the area between the Taihang Mountains and the Tan-Lu Fault, there is a 'lever' with red low velocity belt, it is clearly defined, transverse continuity, depth between 100-150 km, local variations visible, and an upwards trend towards the Bohai Sea. Generally, the velocity structure in the mantle beneath the lithosphere displays irregular column-shape consisting of alternating high and low velocities, and when cold high velocity ancient lithosphere connects with the hot low velocity mantle materials forming precipitous compact structure. More heat pathways from the mantle occur towards the Tan-Lu Fault. 3. The strongly irregular characteristics of the contact between the asthenosphere and the lithosphere is induced by the long-term hot, chemical erosion and alteration on the contact. 4. There are still preserved high velocity lithosphedc root beneath Huabei with 'block-shape' distribution and surrounded by hot materials. Results of our studies indicate that the evolution models of the eastern China mantle are characterized by the direct contact between the uplifted lithosphere and the Huabei Craton accompanying the upwelling of the deep mantle materials. At the contact betwen the lithosphere and the asthenosphere, the upwelled mantle materials replaced and altered the lower lithosphere forming the metasome through the hot and chemical modifications impacted on the Craton lithosphere, and changed it into the lithosphere gradually, resulting in the lithospheric thinning. Thus, the lithospheric thinning is the result of the upwelling of the asthenosphere.

阿尔金蛇绿混杂带构造岩石组合及其大地构造意义

The Alytn fault is a huge left-slip fault zone within the Asian continent, and locates such zone that is linked to main tectonic units in the western China, which makes it is very important to the tectonic framework and ore distribution in the western China. Selecting two ophiolite zones (namely Hongliugou-Lapeiquan ophiolite zone and Sulamutage ophiolite zone) respectively located within the southern and northern part of the Altyn fault and based on analysis of field geology characteristics and geochemistry, this paper recognized the rock types (mainly mafic and ultramafic rocks) within the melanges and subdivided each lithological unit based on tectonic environment. At last, this paper rebuilt the paleo-tectonic framework in the Alytn region by the method of tectonic facies and discussed its tectonic evolution with the theory of collision orogens. Combining former results with hard field observation and geochemical analysis, this paper acquired such recognitions to two ophiolte zones within the Altyn fault zone as follows: To the typical regions (Hongliugou, Lapeiquan, Mangya and Sulamutage) within the two ophiolte zones in the Altyn fault zone, this paper offered the field geology profiles. Field geology characteristics show that they are composed of melange bases (mainly abyssal flysch and carbonate rocks) and melange blocks from various tectonic environments, often with fault contact among each lithological units, belonging to typical ophiolitic melange zone. The ultramafic rocks outcropped at the Altyn region are all harzburgites. Remant grains of primary minerals have melted residual texture and elastic deformation texture under high temperature and pressure. The whole-rock analyses show their low TiO_2 contents (0.01～0.04%), low Al, Ca and high MgO contents and wide Mg~# range (89.35～95.57). Rare earth patterns have two types, namely tabacco pipe-shped and LREE-shaped, of which the former is often seen. The chondrite-nomalized Yb values of these analyses are all lower than 1. The spinels have low Ti and high Cr content and most spinels have Cr# higher than 60. All of the above characteristics show that the ultramafic rocks in the Altyn fault zone are components of metmorphic peridotites of ophiolite from depleted mantle source and most ophiolites from this zone belong to supra-subduction zone (SSZ) type ophiolite with a few mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) type. Geochemical analyses show that the melange blocks within the Altyn ophiolitic melange zone have different characteristics from various tectonic environments. This paper recognized such tectonic-lithological assemblages as mid-ocean basalts, oceanic island basalts, oceanic island arc tholeiites, island arc calalkaline basalts and island arc granites and inferred that these tectonic-lithological units respectively belongs to such tectonic units as ophiolites, oceanic islands and/or oceanic seamounts, oceanic island arc and a~creting arcs, which show these blocks from oceanic crust and subduction zone for the most part. For the Altyn ophiolites, the chronological data show they become new from the north to the south. Combined with the study on late slip of Altyn fault and North Qilianshan orogeny, the author inferred that the Altyn region had belonged to one part of the North Qilianshan accreting wedge-arc orogeny at paleozoic, and later huge left-slip made it locate modem site.

新疆东昆仑蛇绿岩岩石学、地球化学特征及其大地构造意义

The East Kunlun area of Xinjiang (briefly EKAX) is the western part of broadly speaking East Kunlun orogenic zone. The absence of geological data (especially ophiolites) on this area has constrained our recognition to its geology since many years. Fund by National 305 Item (96-915-06-03), this paper, by choosing the two ophiolite zones (Muztag and Southwestern Margin of Aqikekule Lake ophiolite zones) exposed at EKAX as the studied objects and by the analysis of thin section, electron probe, XRF, ICP-MS, SEM and Sm-Nd isotope, totally and sys ematically dealt with the field geological, petrological, minerological, petrochemical and geochemical characteristics (including trace, rare earth element and Sm-Nd isotope) and the tectonic setting indicated by them for each ophilite zone. Especially, this paper discussed the trace and rare earth element patterns for metamorphic peridotites, their implications and related them to the other components of ophiolite in order to totally disclose ophiolite origins. Besides, this paper also studied the petrological, geochemical and paleobiological characteristics for the cherts coexsisted with the Muztag ophiolite and the tectonic setting indicated by them. Based on these, the author discussed the tectonic evolution from Proterozoic to Permian for this area. For Muztag ophiolite, their field geological, petrological, minerological, petrochemical and geochemical characteristics show that: ① outcropped along the Muztag-Jingyuhu fault with west-to-east strike, the ophiolite is composed of such three components as metamorphic peridotites, cumulates and volcanic rocks; ② metamophic peridotites consist of such types as lherzolites, serpentinized lherzolites and serpentinites, only pyroxenites is seen of cumulates and volcanic rocks include basalts, basaltic andesites and andesites; ③ mineralogical data on this ophiolite suggest it formed in supra-subduction zone (SSZ)environment, and its mantle wedge is heterogeneous; ④ whole-rock TiO_2 and Al_2O_3 of metamorphic peridotites indicate their original environment with the MORB and SSZ characteristics; ⑤ metamorphic peridotites have depleted LREE and flat REE patterns and volcanic rocks have enriched LREE patterns; ⑥ trace element characteristics of metamorphic peridotites imply that they had undergone Nb and Ta enrichment event after partial melting; ⑦ trace element characteristics of volcanic rocks and their tectonic diagrams show they are formed in the spreading and developed island arc environment with back-arc basin, such as rifted island arc, which is supported by the ε_(Nd)(t) -2.11～+3.44. In summary, the above evidence implies that Muztag ophiolite is formed in SSZ environment, where heterogeneous mantle wedge was metasomatised by the silica-enriched melt from subducted sediments and/or oceanic crust, which makes the mantle wedge enriched again, and this enriched mantle wedge later partially melted to form the volcanic rocks. For Southwestern Margin of Aqikekule Lake ophiolite, their field geological, petrological, minerological, petrochemical and geochemical characteristics show that: ① it outcropped as tectonic slices along the near west-to-east strike Kunzhong fault and is composed of metamorphic perodotties, cumulates and volcanic rocks, in which, chromites are distributed in the upper part of metamorphic peridotites as pods, or in the lower part of cumulates as near-strata; ② metamorphic peridotites include serpentinites, chromite-bearing serpentinites, thlorite-epidote schists and chromitites, of which, chromitites have nodular and orbicular structure, and cumulates include pyroxenits, serpentinites, chromite-bearing serpentinites, chromites and metamorphically mafic rocks and only basalts are seen in volcanic rocks; ③ Cr# of chromites suggest that they formed in the SSZ and Al_2O_3 and TiO_2 of metamorphic peridotites also suggest SSZ environment; ④metamorphic peridotites have V type and enriched LREE patterns, cumulates have from strongly depleted LREE, flat REE to enriched LREE patterns with universally striking positive Eu anomalies and basalts show flat REE or slight enriched LREE patterns with no Eu anomalies; ⑤ trace element and Sm-Nd isotope characteristics of metamorphic peridotites imply their strikingly heterogeneous mantle character(ε_(Nd)(t)+4.39～+26.20) and later Nb, Ta fertilization; ⑥ trace element characteristics of basalts and their tectonic diagrams show they probably formed in the rifted island arc or back-arc basin enviromnent. In summary, the above evidence shows that this ophiolite formed in the SSZ environment and melts from subudcted plate are joined during its formation. Rare earth element, whole-rock and sedimentary characteristics of cherts with the Muztag ophiolite show that they formed in the continental margin environment with developed back-arc basin, and radiolarias in the cherts indicate that the upper age of Muztag ophiolite is early carboniferous. Based on the accreted wedge models of Professor Li Jiliang for Kunlunshan Mountain and combined with study on the two typical ophiolite profiles of EKAX, the author discussed the tectonic evolution of EKAX from Proterzoic to Permian.

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.

地幔对流理论及其在解释地球物理观测的应用

With the improving of mantle convection theory, the developing of computing method and increasing of the measurement data, we can numerically simulate more clearly about the effects on some geophysical observed phenomenons such as the global heat flow and global lithospheric stress field in the Earth's surface caused by mantle convection, which is the primary mechanism for the transport of heat from the Earth's deep interior to its surface and the underlying force mechanism of dynamics in the Earth.Chapter 1 reviews the historical background and present research state of mantle convection theory.In Chapter 2, the basic conception of thermal convection and the basic theory about mantle flow.The effects on generation and distribution of global lithospheric stres s field induced by mantle flow are the subject of Chapter 3. Mantle convection causes normal stress and tangential stresses at the bottom of the lithosphere, and then the sublithospheric stress field induces the lithospheric deformation as sixrface force and results in the stress field within the lithosphere. The simulation shows that the agreement between predictions and observations is good in most regions. Most of subduction zones and continental collisions are under compressive. While ocean ridges, such as the east Pacific ridge, the Atlantic ridge and the east African rift valley, are under tensile. And most of the hotspots preferentially occur in regions where calculated stress is tensile. The calculated directions of the most compressive principal horizontal stress are largely in accord with that of the observation except for some regions such as the NW-Pacifie subduction zone and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in which the directions of the most compressive principal horizontal stress are different. It shows that the mantel flow plays an important role in causing or affecting the large-scale stress field within the lithosphere.The global heat flow simulation based on a kinematic model of mantle convection is given in Chapter 4. Mantle convection velocities are calculated based on the internal loading theory at first, the velocity field is used as the input to solve the thermal problem. Results show that calculated depth derivatives of the near surface temperature are closely correlated to the observed surface heat flow pattern. Higher heat flow values around midocean ridge systems can be reproduced very well. The predicted average temperature as a function of function of depth reveals that there are two thermal boundary layers, one is close to the surface and another is close to the core-mantle boundary, the rest of the mantle is nearly isothermal. Although, in most of the mantle, advection dominates the heat transfer, the conductive heat transfer is still locally important in the boundary layers and plays an important role for the surface heat flow pattern. The existence of surface plates is responsible for the long wavelength surface heat flow pattern.In Chapter 5, the effects on present-day crustal movement in the China Mainland resulted from the mantle convection are introduced. Using a dynamic method, we present a quantitative model for the present-day crustal movement in China. We consider not only the effect of the India-Eurasia collision, the gravitational potential energy difference of the Tibet Plateau, but also the contribution of the shear traction on the bottom of the lithosphere induced by the global mantle convection. The comparison between our results and the velocity field obtained from the GPS observation shows that our model satisfactorily reproduces the general picture of crustal deformation in China. Numerical modeling results reveal that the stress field on the base of the lithosphere induced by the mantle flow is probably a considerable factor that causes the movement and deformation of the lithosphere in continental China with its eflfcet focuing on the Eastern China A numerical research on the small-scale convection with variable viscosity in the upper mantle is introduced in Chapter 6. Based on a two-dimensional model, small-scale convection in the mantle-lithosphere system with variable viscosity is researched by using of finite element method. Variation of viscosity in exponential form with temperature is considered in this paper The results show that if viscosity is strongly temperature-dependent, the upper part of the system does not take a share in the convection and a stagnant lid, which is identified as lithosphere, is formed on the top of system because of low temperature and high viscosity. The calculated surface heat flow, topography and gravity anomaly are associated well with the convection pattern, namely, the regions with high heat flow and uplift correspond to the upwelling flow, and vice versa.In Chapter 7, we give a brief of future research subject: The inversion of lateral density heterogeneity in the mantle by minimizing the viscous dissipation.

Early Holocene M similar to 6 explosive eruption from Plosky volcanic massif (Kamchatka) and its tephra as a link between terrestrial and marine paleoenvironmental records

We report tephrochronological and geochemical data on early Holocene activity from Plosky volcanic massif in the Kliuchevskoi volcanic group, Kamchatka Peninsula. Explosive activity of this volcano lasted for similar to 1.5 kyr, produced a series of widely dispersed tephra layers, and was followed by profuse low-viscosity lava flows. This eruptive episode started a major reorganization of the volcanic structures in the western part of the Kliuchevskoi volcanic group. An explosive eruption from Plosky (M similar to 6), previously unstudied, produced tephra (coded PL2) of a volume of 10-12 km(3) (11-13 Gt), being one of the largest Holocene explosive eruptions in Kamchatka. Characteristic diagnostic features of the PL2 tephra are predominantly vitric sponge-shaped fragments with rare phenocrysts and microlites of plagioclase, olivine and pyroxenes, medium- to high-K basaltic andesitic bulk composition, high-K, high-Al and high-P trachyandesitic glass composition with SiO2 = 57.5-59.5 wt%, K2O = 2.3-2.7 wt%, Al2O3 = 15.8-16.5 wt%, and P2O5 = 0.5-0.7 wt%. Other diagnostic features include a typical subduction-related pattern of incompatible elements, high concentrations of all REE (> 10x mantle values), moderate enrichment in LREE (La/Yb similar to 5.3), and non-fractionated mantle-like pattern of LILE. Geochemical fingerprinting of the PL2 tephra with the help of EMP and LA-ICP-MS analyses allowed us to map its occurrence in terrestrial sections across Kamchatka and to identify this layer in Bering Sea sediment cores at a distance of > 600 km from the source. New high-precision C-14 dates suggest that the PL2 eruption occurred similar to 10,200 cal BP, which makes it a valuable isochrone for early Holocene climate fluctuations and permits direct links between terrestrial and marine paleoenvironmental records. The terrestrial and marine C-14 dates related to the PL2 tephra have allowed us to estimate an early Holocene reservoir age for the western Bering Sea at 1,410 +/- A 64 C-14 years. Another important tephra from the early Holocene eruptive episode of Plosky volcano, coded PL1, was dated at 11,650 cal BP. This marker is the oldest geochemically characterized and dated tephra marker layer in Kamchatka to date and is an important local marker for the Younger Dryas-early Holocene transition. One more tephra from Plosky, coded PL3, can be used as a marker northeast of the source at a distance of similar to 110 km.

Tsunami Hazard Assessment of the Strait of Juan de Fuca

This study presents and discusses the tsunami hazard posed by an updated CSZ earthquake scenerio to the coastal communities of Port Angeles and Port Townsend, based on the results of a high resolution GeoClaw simulation with 2/3 arc second resolution (about 20.56 meters) surrounding these towns. In addition, we will also present the results of a coarse regional simulation of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This coarse study encompasses 28 regions that span the Strait’s coast, including the communities of Anacortes, Bellingham, Friday Harbor, and Victoria, BC in addition to extended areas around Port Angeles and Port Townsend. The finest grid for these 28 regions where we collected results had 2 arc sec resolution (around 62 meters). Finally, we will discuss some inherent uncertainties in the specification of the earthquake scenario, the limitations of the GeoClaw model, and the associated uncertainites in the results.

Depleted arc volcanism in the Alboran Sea and shoshonitic volcanism in Morocco: geochemical and isotopic constraints on Neogene tectonic processes

Samples of volcanic rocks from Alboran Island, the Alboran Sea floor and from the Gourougou volcanic centre in northern Morocco have been analyzed for major and trace elements and Sr-Nd isotopes to test current theories on the tectonic geodynamic evolution of the Alboran Sea. The Alboran Island samples are low-K tholeiitic basaltic andesites whose depleted contents of HFS elements (similar to0.5xN-MORB), especially Nb (similar to0.2xN-MORB), show marked geochemical parallels with volcanics from immature intra-oceanic arcs and back-arc basins. Several of the submarine samples have similar compositions, one showing low-Ca boninite affinity. Nd-143/Nd-144 ratios fall in the same range as many island-arc and back-arc basin samples, whereas Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios (on leached samples) are somewhat more radiogenic. Our data point to active subduction taking place beneath the Alboran region in Miocene times, and imply the presence of an associated back-arc spreading centre. Our sea floor suite includes a few more evolved dacite and rhyolite samples with (Sr-87/Sr-86)(0) up to 0.717 that probably represent varying degrees of crustal melting. The shoshonite and high-K basaltic andesite lavas from Gourougou have comparable normalized incompatible-element enrichment diagrams and Ce/Y ratios to shoshonitic volcanics from oceanic island arcs, though they have less pronounced Nb deficits. They are much less LIL- and LREE-enriched than continental arc analogues and post-collisional shoshonites from Tibet. The magmas probably originated by melting in subcontinental lithospheric mantle that had experienced negligible subduction input. Sr-Nd isotope compositions point to significant crustal contamination which appears to account for the small Nb anomalies. The unmistakable supra-subduction zone (SSZ) signature shown by our Alboran basalts and basaltic andesite samples refutes geodynamic models that attribute all Neogene volcanism in the Alboran domain to decompression melting of upwelling asthenosphere arising from convective thinning of over-thickened lithosphere. Our data support recent models in which subsidence is caused by westward rollback of an eastward-dipping subduction zone beneath the westemmost Mediterranean. Moreover, severance of the lithosphere at the edges of the rolling-back slab provides opportunities for locally melting lithospheric mantle, providing a possible explanation for the shoshonitic volcanism seen in northern Morocco and more sporadically in SE Spain. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Constraining the active tectonic deformation of Andaman-Nicobar Arc in the background of December 26,2004 Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake

The Andaman-Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal lies in a zone where the Indian plate subducts beneath the Burmese microplate, and therefore forms a belt of frequent earthquakes. Few efforts, not withstanding the available historical and instrumental data were not effectively used before the Mw 9.3 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake to draw any inference on the spatial and temporal distribution of large subduction zone earthquakes in this region. An attempt to constrain the active crustal deformation of the Andaman-Nicobar arc in the background of the December 26, 2004 Great Sumatra-Andaman megathrust earthquake is made here, thereby presenting a unique data set representing the pre-seismic convergence and co-seismic displacement.Understanding the mechanisms of the subduction zone earthquakes is both challenging sCientifically and important for assessing the related earthquake hazards. In many subduction zones, thrust earthquakes may have characteristic patterns in space and time. However, the mechanism of mega events still remains largely unresolved.Large subduction zone earthquakes are usually associated with high amplitude co-seismic deformation above the plate boundary megathrust and the elastic relaxation of the fore-arc. These are expressed as vertical changes in land level with the up-dip part of the rupture surface uplifted and the areas above the down-dip edge subsided. One of the most characteristic pattern associated with the inter-seismic era is that the deformation is in an opposite sense that of co-seismic period.This work was started in 2002 to understand the tectonic deformation along the Andaman-Nicobar arc using seismological, geological and geodetic data. The occurrence of the 2004 megathrust earthquake gave a new dimension to this study, by providing an opportunity to examine the co-seismic deformation associated with the greatest earthquake to have occurred since the advent of Global Positioning System (GPS) and broadband seismometry. The major objectives of this study are to assess the pre-seismic stress regimes, to determine the pre-seismic convergence rate, to analyze and interpret the pattern of co-seismic displacement and slip on various segments and to look out for any possible recurrence interval for megathrust event occurrence for Andaman-Nicobar subduction zone. This thesis is arranged in six chapters with further subdivisions dealing all the above aspects.

Geodynamics of the Andaman - Sumatra - Java Trench - Arc System Based on Gravity and Seismotectonic Study

This work aims to study the variation in subduction zone geometry along and across the arc and the fault pattern within the subducting plate. Depth of penetration as well as the dip of the Benioff zone varies considerably along the arc which corresponds to the curvature of the fold- thrust belt which varies from concave to convex in different sectors of the arc. The entire arc is divided into 27 segments and depth sections thus prepared are utilized to investigate the average dip of the Benioff zone in the different parts of the entire arc, penetration depth of the subducting lithosphere, the subduction zone geometry underlying the trench, the arctrench gap, etc.The study also describes how different seismogenic sources are identified in the region, estimation of moment release rate and deformation pattern. The region is divided into broad seismogenic belts. Based on these previous studies and seismicity Pattern, we identified several broad distinct seismogenic belts/sources. These are l) the Outer arc region consisting of Andaman-Nicobar islands 2) the back-arc Andaman Sea 3)The Sumatran fault zone(SFZ)4)Java onshore region termed as Jave Fault Zone(JFZ)5)Sumatran fore arc silver plate consisting of Mentawai fault(MFZ)6) The offshore java fore arc region 7)The Sunda Strait region.As the Seismicity is variable,it is difficult to demarcate individual seismogenic sources.Hence, we employed a moving window method having a window length of 3—4° and with 50% overlapping starting from one end to the other. We succeeded in defining 4 sources each in the Andaman fore arc and Back arc region, 9 such sources (moving windows) in the Sumatran Fault zone (SFZ), 9 sources in the offshore SFZ region and 7 sources in the offshore Java region. Because of the low seismicity along JFZ, it is separated into three seismogenic sources namely West Java, Central Java and East Java. The Sunda strait is considered as a single seismogenic source.The deformation rates for each of the seismogenic zones have been computed. A detailed error analysis of velocity tensors using Monte—Carlo simulation method has been carried out in order to obtain uncertainties. The eigen values and the respective eigen vectors of the velocity tensor are computed to analyze the actual deformation pattem for different zones. The results obtained have been discussed in the light of regional tectonics, and their implications in terms of geodynamics have been enumerated.ln the light of recent major earthquakes (26th December 2004 and 28th March 2005 events) and the ongoing seismic activity, we have recalculated the variation in the crustal deformation rates prior and after these earthquakes in Andaman—Sumatra region including the data up to 2005 and the significant results has been presented.ln this chapter, the down going lithosphere along the subduction zone is modeled using the free air gravity data by taking into consideration the thickness of the crustal layer, the thickness of the subducting slab, sediment thickness, presence of volcanism, the proximity of the continental crust etc. Here a systematic and detailed gravity interpretation constrained by seismicity and seismic data in the Andaman arc and the Andaman Sea region in order to delineate the crustal structure and density heterogeneities a Io nagnd across the arc and its correlation with the seismogenic behaviour is presented.

Evaluation of petrogenetic models for intermediate and silicic plutonic rocks from the Sierra de Valle Fertil-La Huerta, Argentina: Petrologic constraints on the origin of igneous rocks in the Ordovician Famatinian-Puna paleoarc

The whole Valle Fertil-La Huerta section appears as a calc-alkaline plutonic suite typical of a destructive plate margin. New Sr and Nd isotopic whole-rock data and published whole-rock geochemistry suggest that the less-evolved intermediate (dioritic) rocks can be derived by magmatic differentiation, mainly by hornblende + plagioclase +/- Fe-Ti oxide fractional crystallization, from mafic (gabbroic) igneous precursors. Closed-system differentiation, however, cannot produce the typical intermediate (tonalitic) and silicic (granodioritic) plutonic rocks, which requires a preponderant contribution of crustal components. Intermediate and silicic plutonic rocks from Valle Fertil-La Huerta section have formed in a plate subduction setting where the thermal and material input of mantle-derived magmas promoted fusion of fertile metasedimentary rocks and favored mixing of gabbroic or dioritic magmas with crustal granitic melts. Magma mixing is observable in the field and evident in variations of chemical elemental parameters and isotopic ratios, revealing that hybridization coupled with fractionation of magmas took place in the crust. Consideration of the whole-rock geochemical and isotopic data in the context of the Famatinian-Puna magmatic belt as a whole demonstrates that the petrologic model postulated for the Sierra Valle Fertil-La Huerta section has the potential to explain the generation of plutonic and volcanic rocks across the Early Ordovician paleoarc from central and northwestern Argentina. As the petrologic model does not require the intervention of old Precambrian continental crust, the nature of the basement on which thick accretionary turbiditic sequences were deposited remains a puzzling aspect. Discussion in this paper provides insights into the nature of magmatic source rocks and mechanisms of magma generation in Cordilleran-type volcano-plutonic arcs of destructive plate margins. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.