Seismic Evidence for Plume and Subducting Slab in West Yunnan,Southwestern China

Western Yunnan is located within a gigantic Tethys orogenic zone between Gondwana and Laurasia.Magmatic activity records of the associated Wilson orogenic cycle show that the causes of plate spreading in the region might have been related to sub-mantle plume.Tectonics,geophysics, sedimentary strata,tectonic evolution of the lithosphere and other research results indicate that there is geological evidence for mantle plume magmatic activities in West Yunnan.Tomography also supports the idea that there is a subducting slab near the Red River fault and an upwelling mantle plume in West Yunnan.Here our research presents seismic evidence for upwelling mantle plume,which is a main cause leading to subducting slab in West Yunnan.The analysis is based on compressional-to-shear（P-to -S）converted seismic phases,recorded on seismograph stations in the Sichuan-Yunnan seismic network,and made a study on 410-km and 660-km discontinuities,as well as on three sections of CCP stacking.

Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Implications of Early Cretaceous(~130 Ma)Magmatism in the Baingoin Batholith,Central Tibet:Products of Subducting Slab Rollback

The Baingoin batholith is one of the largest granitic plutons in the North Lhasa terrane.Its petrogenesis and tectonic setting have been studied for decades,but remain controversial.Here we report data on geochronology,geochemistry and isotopes of Early Cretaceous granitoids within the Baingoin batholith,which provide more evidence to uncover its petrogenesis and regional geodynamic processes.The Early Cretaceous magmatism yields ages of 134.4–132.0 Ma and can be divided into I-type,S-type and highly fractionated granites.The I-and S-type granites exhibit medium SiO2,high K_(2)O/Na_(2)O with negativeεNd(t)andεHf(t)values,whereas,the albite granites have very high SiO_(2)(79.04%–80.40%),very low K_(2)O/N_(2)O,negativeεNd(t)and a large variation inεHf(t).Our new data indicate that these granitoids are derived from unbalanced melting in a heterogeneous source area.The granodiorites involved had a hybrid origin from partial melting of basalt-derived and Al-rich rocks in the crust,the porphyritic monzogranites being derived from partial melting of pelitic rocks.The albite granites crystallized from residual melt separated from K-rich magma within the‘mush’process and underwent fractionation of K-feldspar.We believe that the Early Cretaceous magmatism formed in an extensional setting produced by the initial and continuous rollback of a northward-subducting slab of the NTO.

Origin of ULVZs near the African LLSVP: Implications from their distribution and characteristics

Ultra-low velocity zones(ULVZs)provide important information on the composition and dynamics of the core-mantle boundary(CMB).However,their global distribution and characteristics are not well constrained,especially near African large low-shear velocity provinces(LLSVPs).Here,we used ScS precursor(SdS)and postcursor(ScscS)phases recorded by various seismic networks in Africa and South America to investigate the ULVZ characteristics underlying the South Atlantic Ocean.We found no evidence of ULVZs near the SE boundary of South America,but an ULVZ was found within the SW boundary of the African LLSVP,with thicknesses ranging from 11–18 km and reductions in S-wave velocities of 18%–34%.Our results,combined with the global distribution of ULVZs,suggest that thermal activity may be essential to ULVZ formation.Moreover,subducted slab and mantle flow may also play a key role,depending on the location of the ULVZs.

Deep structure and origin of active volcanoes in China

We synthesize significant recent results on the deep structure and origin of the active volcanoes in China's Mainland. Magmatism in the western Pacific arc and back-arc areas is caused by dehydration of the subducting slab and by corner flow in the mantle wedge, whereas the intraplate magmatism in China has different origins. The active volcanoes in Northeast China （such as the Changbai and Wudalianchi） are caused by hot upwelling in the big mantle wedge （BMW） above the stagnant slab in the mantle transition zone and deep slab dehydration as well. The Tengchong volcano in Southwest China is caused by a similar process in the BMW above the subducting Burma microplate （or Indian plate）. The Hainan volcano in southernmost China is a hotspot fed by a lower-mantle plume which may be associated with the Pacific and Philippine Sea slabs＇ deep subduction in the east and the Indian slab＇s deep subduction in the west down to the lower mantle. The stagnant slab finally collapses down to the bottom of the mantle, which can trigger the upwelling of hot mantle materials from the lower mantle to the shallow mantle beneath the subducting slabs and may cause the slab-plume interactions.

Geochemical and Petrological Studies on the Early Carboniferous Sidingheishan Mafic-Ultramafic Iintrusion in the Southern Margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt,NW China

The Sidingheishan mafic-ultramafic intrusion is located in the eastern part of the Northern Tianshan Mountain, along the southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in northern Xinjiang autonomous region of China. The Sidingheishan intrusion is mainly composed of wehrlite, olivine websterite, olivine gabbro, gabbro and hornblende gabbro. At least two pulses of magma were involved in the formation of the intrusion. The first pulse of magma produced an olivine-free unit and the second pulse produced an olivine-bearing unit. The magmas intruded the Devonian granites and granodiorites.An age of 351.4±5.8 Ma(Early Carboniferous) for the Sidingheishan intrusion has been determined by U-Pb SHRIMP analysis of zircon grains separated from the olivine gabbro unit. A U-Pb age of 359.2±6.4 Ma from the gabbro unit has been obtained by LA-ICP-MS. Olivine of the Sidingheishan intrusion reaches 82.52 mole% Fo and 1414 ppm Ni. On the basis of olivine-liquid equilibria, it has been calculated that the MgO and FeO included in the parental magma of a wehrlite sample were approximately10.43 wt% and 13.14 wt%, respectively. The Sidingheishan intrusive rocks are characterized by moderate enrichments in Th and Sm, slight enrichments in light REE, and depletions in Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf. The εNd(t) values in the rock units vary from +6.70 to +9.64, and initial87Sr/86Sr ratios range between 0.7035 and0.7042. Initial206Pb/204Pb,207Pb/204Pb and208Pb/204Pb values fall in the ranges of 17.23-17.91,15.45-15.54 and 37.54-38.09 respectively. These characteristics are collectively similar to the Heishan intrusion and the Early Carboniferous subduction related volcanic rocks in the Santanghu Basin, North Tianshan and Beishan area. The low(La/Gd)PMvalues between 0.26 and 1.77 indicate that the magma of the Sidingheishan intrusion was most likely derived from a depleted spinel-peridotite mantle.(Th/Nb)PMratios from 0.59 to 20.25 indicate contamination of the parental magma in the upper crust.Crystallization modeling methods suggest that the parental magma of the Sidingheishan intrusion was generated by flush melting of the asthenosphere and subsequently there was about 10 vol%contamination from a granitic melt. This was followed by about 5 vol% assimilation of upper crustal rocks. Thus, the high-Mg basaltic parental magma of Sidingheishan intrusion is interpreted to have formed from partial melting of the asthenosphere during the break-off of a subducted slab.

Regionalized difference of the 660 km discontinuity beneath Izu-Bonin

Digital waveform data recorded by the vertical component short period stations at the American networks of SCSN, NCSN and PNSN and three components broadband stations at the Germany and Swiss networks and arrays of GRFN, GRSN and SDSNet for the events between 1981 and 2000 under Izu-Bonin are used as data sets. The N-th root slant stack method was used to pick up the SdP phase converted at the velocity interface beneath source and the regionalized difference of the 660 km discontinuity beneath Izu-Bonin is studied. It is found that while the dip angles of the subducting slab and the maximal depths of sources increase gradually from 35N to 26N, the 660 km discontinuity appears regionalized differences. The discontinuity exists at 660 km while there is no effect from subducting slab, but it is depressed to the depth of 720 km while there are obvious effects. The dispersion of converted points is still an unsolved problem which maybe result from the complex structure of the discontinuity, converted phases which were misjudged, or the assumption of one dimensional spherical earth model.

Recycling process and proto-kimberlite melt metasomatism in the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath the Amazonian Craton recorded by garnet xenocrysts and mantle xenoliths from the Carolina kimberlite

Here we present new data on the major and trace element compositions of silicate and oxide minerals from mantle xenoliths brought to the surface by the Carolina kimberlite,Pimenta Bueno Kimberlitic Field,which is located on the southwestern border of the Amazonian Craton.We also present Sr-Nd isotopic data of garnet xenocrysts and whole-rocks from the Carolina kimberlite.Mantle xenoliths are mainly clinopyroxenites and garnetites.Some of the clinopyroxenites were classified as GPP–PP–PKP(garnet-phlogopite peridotite,phlogopite-peridotite,phlogopite-K-richterite peridotite)suites,and two clinopyroxenites(eclogites)and two garnetites are relicts of an ancient subducted slab.Temperature and pressure estimates yield 855–1102℃ and 3.6–7.0 GPa,respectively.Clinopyroxenes are enriched in light rare earth elements(LREE)(La_(N)/Yb_(N)=5–62;Ce_(N)/Sm_(N)=1–3;where N=primitive mantle normalized values),they have high Ca/Al ratios(10–410),low to medium Ti/Eu ratios(742–2840),and low Zr/Hf ratios(13–26),which suggest they were formed by metasomatic reactions with CO_(2)-rich silicate melts.Phlogopite with high TiO_(2)(>2.0 wt.%),Al_(2)O_(3)(>12.0 wt.%),and FeOt(5.0–13.0 wt.%)resemble those found in the groundmass of kimberlites,lamproites and lamprophyres.Conversely,phlogopite with low TiO_(2)(<1.0 wt.%)and lower Al_(2)O_(3)(<12.0 wt.%)are similar to those present in GPP-PP-PKP,and in MARID(mica-amphibole-rutile-ilmenite-diopside)and PIC(phlogopite-ilmenite-clinopyorxene)xenoliths.The GPP-PP-PKP suite of xenoliths,together with the clinopyroxene and phlogopite major and trace element signatures suggests that an intense proto-kimberlite melt metasomatism occurred in the deep cratonic lithosphere beneath the Amazonian Craton.The Sr-Nd isotopic ratios of pyrope xenocrysts(G3,G9 and G11)from the Carolina kimberlite are characterized by high ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd(0.51287–0.51371)and eNd(+4.55 to+20.85)accompanied with enriched ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr(0.70405–0.71098).These results suggest interaction with a proto-kimberlite melt compositionally similar with worldwide kimberlites.Based on Sr-Nd whole-rock compositions,the Carolina kimberlite has affinity with Group 1 kimberlites.The Sm-Nd isochron age calculated with selected eclogitic garnets yielded an age of 291.9±5.4 Ma(2σ),which represents the cooling age after the proto-kimberlite melt metasomatism.Therefore,we propose that the lithospheric mantle beneath the Amazonian Craton records the Paleozoic subduction with the attachment of an eclogitic slab into the cratonic mantle(garnetites and eclogites);with a later metasomatic event caused by proto-kimberlite melts shortly before the Carolina kimberlite erupted.

Proto-South China Sea Plate Tectonics Using Subducted Slab Constraints from Tomography

The past size and location of the hypothesized proto-South China Sea vanished ocean basin has important plate-tectonic implications for Southeast Asia since the Mesozoic. Here we present new details on proto-South China Sea paleogeography using mapped and unfolded slabs from tomography. Mapped slabs included： the Eurasia-South China Sea slab subducting at the Manila trench; the northern Philippine Sea Plate slab subducting at the Ryukyu trench; and, a swath of detached, subhorizontal, slab-like tomographic anomalies directly under the South China Sea at 450 to 700 km depths that we show is subducted ‘northern proto-South China Sea’ lithosphere. Slab unfolding revealed that the South China Sea lay directly above the ‘northern Proto-South China Sea’ with both extending 400 to 500 km to the east of the present Manila trench prior to subduction. Our slab-based plate reconstruction indicated the proto-South China Sea was consumed by double-sided subduction, as follows：（1） The ‘northern proto-South China Sea’ subducted in the Oligo–Miocene under the Dangerous Grounds and southward expanding South China Sea by in-place ‘self subduction’ similar to the western Mediterranean basins;（2） limited southward subduction of the proto-South China Sea under Borneo occurred pre-Oligocene, represented by the 800–900 km deep ‘southern proto-South China Sea’ slab.

Searching for the remains of subducted continental slabs

On the basis of oceanic geological and geophysical observations the global plate tectonics theory wasput forward in the late 1960s. It inherited the essence of mobilism of continental drift and sea-floorspreading, caused a revolution of earth sciences in the twentieth century. But plate tectonics cannotsatisfactorily explain the complicated geological phenomena of continents, it fails in elucidating

Late Mesozoic rifting and its deep dynamic mechanisms in the central Sulu orogenic belt: Records from Lingshan Island

The Lingshan Island scientific drill confirms that two episodes(Laiyang period and Qingshan period) of rifting developed in the central Sulu orogenic belt(SOB) in Late Mesozoic. With a set of methods including fieldwork, drilling, core logging, zircon U-Pb dating and whole rock geochemistry applied, the age, the depositional sequence and the deep dynamic mechanisms of rift evolution were unraveled. The stratigraphic sequence of the Laiyang-Qingshan Groups on Lingshan Island was composed of two different rifting sequences:(1) Laiyang Group(147–125 Ma), which consists of deep-water gravity flow deposits with interlayers of intermediate volcanic rocks;and(2) Lower Qingshan Group(125–119 Ma), which unconformably overlies the former sequence and contains subaerial volcanic deposits and terrestrial deposits. The tectonic environment changed during the evolution of these two episodes of rifting: the rift was in a NNW-SSE extensional environment in the Laiyang period and showed the typical passive rifting character that “lithospheric extension and rifting preceded volcanism”. The passive rifting period was ended by a short WNW-ESE compression at about 125 Ma. After that, the tectonic environment transferred to a strong NW-SE extensional environment and the rifting evolved into a volcanic arc basin in the Qingshan period. The igneous rocks are shoshonitic to high-K calc-alkaline trachyandesites to trachytes with a few intercalated lamprophyres and a rhyolite.The geochemical characteristics of the igneous rocks indicate that they are mantle-derived melts with a metasomatized mantle source and/or crustal contamination. In addition, an increased thinning of the lithosphere happened during the rifting episodes.The low-angle subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate in the Jurassic weakened the thickened SOB lithospheric mantle. The rollback of the subducting plate started in late Jurassic to early Cretaceous, and the SOB lithospheric mantle was delaminated synchronously because of the gravity collapse. Thus, this caused passive rifting in the Laiyang period. Thereafter, the rollback and trench retreat of the high-angle subducting Paleo-Pacific plate would have achieved its climax, resulting in the strong regional extension. Passive rifting was ended by the crustal uplift caused by asthenospheric upwelling beneath the rift. The lower crust was heated by the upwelling asthenosphere and partially melted to form felsic melts, which were emplaced upwards and erupted explosively. The rift evolved into a volcanic arc basin in the Qingshan period and showed some characteristics of active rifting. Above all, a passive rifting in the Laiyang period and a volcanic arc basin in the Qingshan period developed successively in the Lingshan Island area(the central SOB). This records the transfer of the study area from the Paleo-Tethys tectonic domain to the circum-Pacific tectonic domain. The delamination of SOB lithospheric mantle and the upwelling of asthenospheric material were the deep dynamic mechanisms driving the development and evolution of two rift episodes. Additionally, the rift development was controlled remotely by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate.

Hydration Effect on Equations of State for Minerals in the Peridotite System:Implication for Geotherms in the Mantle

Water in the deep Earth’s interior has important and profound impacts on the geodynamical properties at high-temperature(T)and high-pressure(P)conditions.A series of dense hydrous Mg-silicate(DHMS)phases are generated from dehydration of serpentines in subduction slabs below the lithosphere,including phase A,chondrodite,clinohumite,phase E,superhydrous phase B and phase D.On the other hand,olivine and its high-P polymorphs of wadsleyite and ringwoodite are dominant nominally anhydrous minerals(NAMs)in the upper mantle and transition zone,which could contain significant amount of water in the forms of hydroxyl group(OH-)defects.The water solubilities in wadsleyite and ringwoodite are up to about 3 weight percent(wt.%),making the transition zone a most important layer for water storage in the mantle.Hydration can significantly affect the pressure-volumetemperature equations of state(P-V-T EOSs)for the DHMS and NAM phases,including the thermal expansivities and isothermal bulk moduli.In this work,we collected the reported datasets for the DHMS and NAM phases,and reconstruct internally consistent EOSs.Next,we further evaluated the thermodynamic Grüneisen parameters,which are fundamental for constraining the temperature distribution in an isentropic process,such as mantle convection.The adiabatic temperature profiles are computed for these minerals in the geological settings of normal mantle and subduction zone,and our calculation indicates that temperature is the dominant factor in determining the gradient of a geotherm,rather than the mineralogical composition.