Multitaper spectral method to estimate the elastic thickness of South China: Implications for intracontinental deformation

The effective elastic thickness （Te） represents the thickness of the elastic layer or the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere, the equivalent of which can be calculated from the spectral analysis of gravity and topographic data. Studies of Te have profound influence on intracontinental deformation, and coupling of the tectonic blocks. In this paper, we use the multitaper spectral estimation method to calculate the coherence between Bouguer gravity and topography data, and to obtain the Te map of South China. Through the process of correction, we discuss the relationships of Te versus heat flow, and Te versus seismicity. The results show that Te distribution of South China is affected by three factors：the original age, which controls the basic feature;the Mesozoic evolution, which affects the Te distribution;and the neotectonic movement, which shaped the final distribution. The crust age has a positive correlation with the first-order Te distribution;thus the Yangtze Craton has a relatively higher Te （about 50 km） whereas the Te in Cathaysia block is only 10e20 km. By analysis and comparison among the tectonic models of South China, the Te distribution can be well explained using the flat-subduction model. As is typical with neotectonics, the region with a higher heat flow is related with a lower Te. The seismicity does not have a clear relationship with Te, but the strong seismicity could cause a low Te. Seismogenic layer （Ts） has a similar trend as Te in the craton, whereas in other areas the relationship is complex.

The gravity and isostatic Moho in North China Craton and their implications to seismicity

The Bouguer gravity is the combination of field sources in different depths. Based on the multi-scale analysis of the Bouguer gravity,we can get the gravity anomaly caused by the Moho undulation. This study presents the various orders of approximation of gravity anomaly in North China Craton（NCC）,the possible source depths with radial logarithmic power spectrum,and the relationship between the deep structure and gravity anomaly. Furthermore,we discuss the isostatic compensation about the Moho depth from gravity and deep seismic sounding profiles（DSS）. The results show that：（1） the fourth approximation could have resulted from the Moho undulation,（2） in contrast to the isostatic Moho,the inverted gravity Moho and the DSS Moho show that most of NCC has been isostatically compensated,and（3） the isostatic compensation rate has some close relation to the seismicity.

K-Ar dating of late Mesozoic volcanism and geochemistry of volcanic gravels in the North Huaiyang Belt, Dabie orogen: Constraints on the stratigraphic framework and exhumation of the northern Dabie orthogneiss complex

Two eruption episodes are identified through systematic field investigations and K-Ar dating of the late Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the North Huaiyang belt (NHB), Dabie orogenic belt, of which the earlier volcanic suite termed Maotanchang Fm. (Fm.) occurring at Jinzhai, Xianhualing and Maotanchang, etc., was erupted from 149 Ma to 138 Ma. The other named Xiaotian Fm. mainly distributed at Xiaotian, Shucheng, etc., was formed between 132 Ma and 116 Ma. During the eruption gap of the two volcanic suites deposited a volcano-sedimentary conglomerate layer, which are composed of the multi-compositional gravels, including the North Dabie orthogneiss complex (NDOC), volcanic gravels, etc. These volcanic gravels in the conglomerate layer show identical geochemical and isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr(t) =0.7084-0.7092,εNd(t) =-21.8--24.4) to the Maotanchang Fm. volcanic rocks (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7086-0.7102,εNd = -19.2-24.4), but significantly distinct from those of Xiaotian Fm. (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7076-0.7084, εNd=

地幔柱-洋脊相互作用诱导的夏威夷-帝王海山迁移

利用帝王海山链不同海山的年龄和相邻海山间的距离获得的板块漂移速度与利用GPlates板块重建获得的结果有很大的差异,说明海山的喷发位置相对于地幔柱发生了迁移.地球化学和地球动力学模拟显示上述现象是地幔柱与洋脊相互作用的结果.在约85 Ma前,太平洋与伊泽纳吉之间的洋脊到达了19°N附近,夏威夷地幔柱此时位于21°N附近.由于地幔柱与洋脊的相互作用,地幔柱上部被吸引向南,在洋脊上喷发,形成梅吉火山.此后约10 Ma,地幔柱随洋脊一起向北漂移,因此底特律海山的喷发纬度变化很大.随着洋脊继续向北迁移,其对地幔柱的影响不断减弱,在75 Ma后,地幔柱上部开始摆脱洋脊的束缚向南迁移.玄武岩组成从梅吉、底特律海山的亏损特征逐渐转为洋岛玄武岩的富集特征.

Effects of Crustal Eclogitization on Plate Subduction/Collision Dynamics: Implications for India-Asia Collision

2D thermo-mechanical models are constructed to investigate the effects of oceanic and continental crustal eclogitization on plate dynamics at three successive stages of oceanic subduction, slab breakoff, and continental subduction. Crustal eclogitization directly increases the average slab density and accordingly the slab pull force, which makes the slab subduct deeply and steeply. Numerical results demonstrate that the duration time from initial continental collision to slab breakoff largely depends on the slab pull force. Specifically, eclogitization of subducted crust can greatly decrease the duration time, but increase the breakoff depth. The detachment of oceanic slab from the pro-continental lithosphere is accompanied with obvious exhumation of the subducted continental crust and a sharp uplift of the collision zone in response to the disappearance of downward drag force and the induced asthenospheric upwelling, especially under the condition of no or incomplete crustal eclogitization. During continental subduction, the slab dip angle is strongly correlated with eclogitization of subducted continental lower crust, which regulates the slab buoyancy nature. Our model results can provide several important implications for the Himalayan-Tibetan collision zone. For example, it is possible that the lateral variations in the degree of eclogitization of the subducted Indian crust might to some extent contribute to the lateral variations of subduction angle along the Himalayan orogenic belt. Moreover, the accumulation of highly radiogenic sediments and upper continental crustal materials at the active margin in combination with the strong shear heating due to continuous continental subduction together cause rising of isotherms in the accretionary wedge, which facilitate the development of crustal partial melting and metamorphism.