Unstable Rifts,a Leaky Transform Zone and a Microplate:Analogues from South Iceland

A structural analysis was undertaken in the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ) transform zone, and in the Hreppar Microplate (HMP) located between the propagating Eastern Rift Zone (ERZ) and the receding Western Rift Zone (WRZ). The age of the oceanic crust in these areas is 3.4 Ma to present. About 20,000 fracture segments on aerial images reflect the dominance of NNE extensional structures in the WRZ. Around 9,000 basement faults, intrusions, secondary fractures, surface ruptures of earthquakes, and leakages were mapped in the outcrops of the HMP and the SISZ. About 23% of these fractures strike NNE, while 77% are dominantly northerly dextral and ENE sinistral, and secondarily E-W, WNW and NW sinistral strike- and oblique-slip structures, forming a Riedel shear pattern typical of a transform zone. Dyke injections into Riedel shears indicate a leaky transform zone. Fractures reactivated, accumulated slip, and re-opened for fluid flow. The ENE faults dip mostly to the southeast and could be the present boundary of the SISZ to the north. A 10 - 30 km wide ENE structural zone hosts a valley to the east, which could be deeper in the west. This ENE zone contains all the earthquakes, dominant ENE rivers, frequent ENE secondary fractures, and is likely the active part of the SISZ. The HMP does not show rotation since 3.4 Ma despite being between two rift segments. Future propagation/recession of the rift segments along their N55°E sections would cause a migration and a clockwise rotation of the SISZ from ENE to E-W. The boundary faults of the SISZ would then be E-W, with unchanged internal Riedel shears, compensating its sinistral motion. Insights into complexities of diverging plate boundaries are critical for resource management in such tectonic contexts.

Modulation of the Aleutian–Icelandic Low Seesaw and Its Surface Impacts by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation

Early studies suggested that the Aleutian–Icelandic low seesaw(AIS) features multidecadal variation. In this study, the multidecadal modulation of the AIS and associated surface climate by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation(AMO) during late winter(February–March) is explored with observational data. It is shown that, in the cold phase of the AMO(AMO|-),a clear AIS is established, while this is not the case in the warm phase of the AMO(AMO|+). The surface climate over Eurasia is significantly influenced by the AMO’s modulation of the Aleutian low(AL). For example, the weak AL in AMO|-displays warmer surface temperatures over the entire Far East and along the Russian Arctic coast and into Northern Europe,but only over the Russian Far East in AMO|+. Similarly, precipitation decreases over central Europe with the weak AL in AMO|-, but decreases over northern Europe and increases over southern Europe in AMO|+.The mechanism underlying the influence of AMO|-on the AIS can be described as follows: AMO|-weakens the upward component of the Eliassen–Palm flux along the polar waveguide by reducing atmospheric blocking occurrence over the Euro–Atlantic sector, and hence drives an enhanced stratospheric polar vortex. With the intensified polar night jet, the wave trains originating over the central North Pacific can propagate horizontally through North America and extend into the North Atlantic, favoring an eastward-extended Pacific–North America–Atlantic pattern, and resulting in a significant AIS at the surface during late winter.

Iceland Spar Occurrence

In the Yifeng County, Jiangxi Province, an iceland spar occurrence was discovered recently. Itis associated with limestone, and the calcite is discovered therein also. Specialists suggested that thereserve of iceland spar is considerable. In the deposit of iceland spar the minor crystal is tens gramsby weight, and the large one is hundreds kilograms by weight. The crystals are typicalparallelepiped, transparent and with fine quality. The crystals exhibit uinque double refraction.

Fracture Permeability: Outcrop Analogues from Active Plate Boundaries and Intraplate Contexts of Iceland

We bring new insights into fracture permeability with 7 analogues from the intraplate outcrops of West Iceland (WI), the active South Iceland transform zone (SISZ), the intersection of rift and SISZ near Hengill (Reykjafjall-RF), and the Reykjanes oblique rift (RP). WI formed at Tertiary plate boundaries, shifted away, is now cut by the Quaternary intraplate Snæfellsnes volcanic zone (SVZ), and undergoes occasional earthquakes. By contrast, fractures are being formed and reactivated under intense plate boundary earthquakes in the younger SISZ, RF and RP. Our mapping of stratigraphy, basement fractures, surface ruptures of earthquakes, and leakages of cold and hot water in all areas shows that: 1) In active SISZ, RF and RP, permeable fractures are identical to N-S to NNW dextral, ENE to E-W sinistral, and WNW to NNW sinistral source faults of earthquakes, acting as Riedel shears that accommodate the sinistral motion of the transform zone. The NNE/NE rift-parallel extensional fractures are the least frequent permeable set. Notably, the NW and WNW sets also show dextral motions in RP where they could be splay of each other but belong to a separate developed fracture system, and in the SISZ where the NW set is a splay of a N-S source fault of earthquake. However, permeable fractures in the intraplate WI are only oblique-slip sets striking N-S to NNW dextral, ENE sinistral, and WNW dextral parallel to the SVZ. 2) In each area, the permeable sets fit the fault plane solutions of intraplate or plate boundary earthquakes, as well as the latest stress fields that allow fracture opening for fluid flow. 3) Fractures are more open in the younger SISZ, RF, and RP, with leakages along the fractures and their splays rather than by their tips or in the stepovers. In the older WI where the crust and fractures are filled with secondary minerals, leakages are as much along fractures as where numerous fracture intersections facilitate fluid flow. 4) In case of intersecting fractures, the strike and dip direction of the structures determine which set acts as a carrier or a barrier to the flow. 5) Although Iceland is more known for rifting, these analogues demonstrate that fracture permeability, block compartmentalisation, and fluid flow are controlled by the oblique-slip structures developed under transform mechanism.

Iceland Spring——高pH值的健康水

水是生命之源,世界上最早的生命诞生于水,人体组织中水的比重占70％,离开了水,人体的一切新陈代谢会变得紊乱,生命也将不复存在.水在人体中如此重要,那么,我们该喝什么样的水？什么才是符合健康标准的水？专家称:喝水一定要喝干净的水.祛除水中的有害污染物质,无色无味、甘甜可口,软度、酸碱度适中,含氧量高的小分子水为标准饮用水. 权威杂志调查指出,冰岛男人的平均年龄在79.4岁,而女人则在80岁.实际上,冰岛人健康和长寿的秘诀,与冰岛天然泉水的品质是分不开的,他们每天都在饮用世界上最优质的饮用水——Iceland Spring.实验证明,冰岛天然泉水Iceland Spring矿泉水是现有品质最高的瓶装饮用水.

Tectonic Control of the Theistareykir Geothermal Field by Rift and Transform Zones in North Iceland:A Multidisciplinary Approach

This paper presents a multidisciplinary structural analysis of a 165 km2 area in the Northern Rift Zone and the Tjörnes Fracture Zone of Iceland, and unravels the tectonic control of the Theistareykir geothermal field and its surroundings. About 10729 fracture segments (faults, open fractures, joints) are identified in the upper Tertiary to Holocene igneous series. The segments were extracted from aerial images and hillshade, and then analyzed in terms of number of sets, geometry, motions, frequency, and relative age. The correlation with surface geothermal manifestations, resistivity, earthquakes, and occasional well data reveals the critical regional and local fractures at the surface, reservoir level and greater depth. The main conclusions of this study are: 1) The structural pattern consists of N-S rift-parallel extensional fractures and the Riedel shears of the transform zone striking NNE, ENE, E-W, WNW and NW, which compartmentalize together the blocks at any scale. 2) The en échelon segmentation shows strike and oblique slips on the Riedel shears, with a dextral component on the WNW and NW planes and a sinistral component on the NNE to ENE faults. 3) Fractures form under the influence of the transform mechanism and the effect of rifting becomes significant only with time. 4) The WNW dextral oblique-slip Stórihver Fault of the transform zone has a horsetail splay that extends eastwards into the geothermal field. There, this structure, along with few NW, ENE, NNE and N-S fractures, controls the alteration, alignment of fumaroles, emanating deep gases. These fractures also rupture during natural or induced earthquakes. 5) The resistivity anomalies present en échelon geometries controlled by the six fracture sets. These anomalies display clockwise and anticlockwise rotations within the upper 8 km crustal depth, but at 8 km depth, only three sets (the N-S rift structures, and the E-W and the NW Riedel shears) are present at the rift and transform plate boundaries. Results of this study are relevant to resource exploration in other complex extensional contexts where rift and transform interact.ööö

Structures and Styles of Deformation in Rift,Ridge,Transform Zone,Oblique Rift and a Microplate Offshore/Onshore North Iceland

The diverging plate boundaries in North Iceland and its shelf display a complex tectonic at the Kolbeinsey Ridge (K-R), the Northern Rift Zone (NRZ), and the Tj?rnes Fracture Zone containing the Grímsey Oblique Rift (GOR), the Húsavík-Flatey Fault (HFF), and the Dalvík Lineament (DL). While active deformation is well-known, the structural pattern is sporadically mapped and a comprehensive account of the upper Tertiary-present deformation is not fully at hand. To address the gaps, this paper provides new regional tectonic maps with continuous coverage, and detailed analyses of the deformation. Faults, open fractures, prominent joints and volcanic edifices were identified on Multibeam/Single beam, Spot 5, and Digital Elevation Model, and subjected to multidisciplinary structural analysis and correlation with selected data. Some of the results are: 1) Six sets constitute the structural pattern. The N-S rift-parallel normal faults are 1/3, and the shear fractures of the transform zone and the oblique rift 2/3 of the fracture population. The en échelon arrangements above deep-seated shear zones indicate dextral slip on WNW to NW, and sinistral slip on NNE to ENE faults, conformable with earthquake data. 2) During the polyphase tectonic, the six sets led to basin and horst formation, block compartmentalisation, rotation, horsetail splay, rhomb-graben in relay zone of strike-slips, and volcanism. 3) Listric faults are absent and the steeply-dipping faults are antithetic, synthetic, or form extensional flower structures above 4 km depth. The Plio-pleistocene/present syn-sedimentary deformation caused a deep half graben in the Eyjafjarearáll Basin (Ey), fault growth, rollover, and sediment onlaps, with some of the faults still active. 4) The plate boundaries of K-R/Ey, GOR/?xarfjreur/NRZ, and DL delimit a major microplate labelled here as Grímsey-Tj?rnes-Dalvík. 5) The WNW earthquake cluster in GOR corresponds either to a blind horsetail splay fault or to initiation of a transform segment parallel to the HFF. The described tectonic-sedimentary-magmatic deformation is relevant to other diverging plate boundaries where similar sets control the hydrocarbon and geothermal resources.

Decadal Variation of the Aleutian Low-Icelandic Low Seesaw Simulated by a Climate System Model(CAS-ESM-C)

Based on a simulation using a newly developed climate system model(Chinese Academy of Sciences-Earth System Model-Climate system component, CAS-ESM-C), the author investigated the Aleutian Low- Icelandic Low Seesaw(AIS) and its decadal variation. Results showed that the CAS-ESM-C can reasonably reproduce not only the spatial distribution of the climatology of sea level pressure(SLP) in winter, but also the AIS and its decadal variation. The period 496–535 of the integration by this model was divided into two sub-periods: 496–515(P1) and 516–535(P2) to further investigate the decadal weakening of the AIS. It was shown that this decadal variation of the AIS is mainly due to the phase transition of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO), from its positive phase to its negative phase. This transition of the PDO causes the sea surface temperature(SST) in the equatorial eastern(northern) Pacific to cool(warm), resulting in the decadal weakening of mid-latitude westerlies over the North Pacific and North Atlantic. This may be responsible for the weakening of the inverse relation between the Aleutian Low(AL) and the Icelandic Low(IL).

Iceland,Small Country Witnessing Diversified H.E.Mr,Cooperation with China——Interview with Ambassador of Iceland H.E.Mr.Gunnar Snorri Gunnarsson

Located in the North Europe,Iceland is a very beautiful country. Although very small with an area of 103,000 sq.km and a population of 308,000, and quite different in most respects such as geographical location,size,history,climate and political structures,it has developed very good relations with China.For in- stance,Iceland was the first European coun- try to recognize China as a market economy. In many areas such as trade,investment, industrial cooperation,from fishing,food processing,tourism,information technol- ogy,geothermal,finance,etc.,Iceland has made pragmatic activities,for instance,last summer Icelandic and Chinese authorities concluded a feasibility study on negotiating Free Trade Agreement;in June an Iceland Business Forum was held,which groups to- gether over twenty Icelandic companies that have established offices in China;etc. In July,China's Foreign Trade inter- viewed H.E.Mr.Gunnar Snorri Gunnars- son,Ambassador of Iceland in Beijing. According to him,Iceland has developed diversified and active economic and trade cooperation with China in many areas.The following is a written interview with Mr. Gunnar Snorri Gunnarsson.

我国冰洲石矿床成因类型及成矿条件

冰洲石,或称为光学方解石、复晶石,是一种透明的方解石。具有透明矿物中最高的双折射率和偏光性能。主要用于国防工业和制造高精度光学仪器。在空间技术等领域还有应用,冰洲石越来越受到现代工业的青睐,成为现代国防、航空航天和科研事业不可缺少的非金属矿产材料。

Spatial and temporal dynamics of growth of woody plant species (birch and willows) on the foreland of a retreating glacier in southern Iceland

Background:The forelands of retreating glaciers are invaluable natural laboratories in which to explore the processes of primary succession.Numerous studies have been conducted on foreland chronosequences to identify temporal and spatial trends of the successional communities.This study focused on the spatio-temporal distribution of three woody plant species on the foreland of a retreating glacier in southern Iceland where historical observations provide precise age control of the moraines.To evaluate colonization and successional trends,we examined which species increase in abundance with time and tested the role of proximity to a seed source in colonization.Additionally,we quantified the rate at which biomass carbon is added to the landscape.Results:The density of stems of Betula pubescens increases with moraine age across the foreland chronosequence while the density of stems of both Salix lanata and Salix phylicifolia decreases.We found low statistical significance to the relationship between the density of B.pubescens and distance from a forested ridge nor did we find a relationship between the lengths of the stems and the moraine ages.Woody biomass increased fastest during early successional stages and reached a maximum of 28.5 g C m^(−2) on the oldest moraine.Conclusions:Early colonization of moraines was controlled by environmental filters which favored both Salix species.Colonization by B.pubescens followed as environmental factors,e.g.,favorable soil properties,improved.We found no conclusive evidence that proximity to a potential source of B.pubescens propagules was a significant factor in controlling colonization.The assumption that the abundance of individuals increased with time through later successional stages proved valid for B.pubescens,but not for either species of Salix.These findings are consistent with the classical spatial successional model of community homogenization.Thus,general successional processes at the landscape scale control the temporal dynamics of individual species.

Summer sea-surface temperatures and climate events on the North Icelandic shelf through the last 3000 years

Diatom data from core MD992271 on the North Icelandic shelf record a cooling trend through the last 3000 years. This is indicated by a general decrease in warm water species and an increase in cold water taxa. The relative abundance of these two diatom groups changed periodically, suggesting that the climate also fluctuated within this time period. The results of diatom-based transfer function calculation show that the summer sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) before 1400 cal. a BP were generally higher than the mean value for the last 3000 years and the summer SSTs fluctuated around the mean between 1400 and 700 cal. a BP, and dropped to the values below the mean after 700 cal. a BP. Four cooling events were distinguished, centered at around 2600, 1900, 1300 and 600 cal. a BP respectively. The results are not only consistent with the data from neighbouring cores HM107-03 and MD992275, but also comparable with those from the GISP2 ice core and from other marine sediment records in the North Atlantic. This suggests that changes in the summer SSTs reflect regional climate variations in the North Atlantic. On the North Icelandic shelf, the summer SST variation is a result of changes in the in-teraction between the cold and the warm currents in the area.

Palaeo-sea-ice changes on the North Icelandic shelf during the last millennium:Evidence from diatom records

A high resolution record of sea-ice concentration on the North Icelandic shelf during the last millennium has been reconstructed using a diatom-based sea-ice transfer function. The reconstructed sea-ice record for the top of sediment core MD99–2275 exhibits a slightly increasing trend over the last 1000 years. Prior to AD 1300 sea-ice abundance was generally below the mean value, suggesting the strong influence of warm waters from the Irminger Current during the Medieval Warm Period. A marked increase of sea-ice concentration indicates an abrupt change to colder conditions after AD 1300, corresponding to the onset of the Little Ice Age. The agreement between the reconstructed sea-ice concentration and IP25 data obtained from the same core, as well as with historical records of Icelandic sea ice, suggests that diatoms may provide a valuable tool for future quantitative reconstructions of past sea-ice variability. In addition, agreement between changes in the reconstructed sea-ice record and variations in the abundance of the major diatom components indicates that sea-ice conditions on the North Icelandic shelf are generally strongly influenced by changes in the strength of two different water masses, the cold Polar water periodically derived from the East Greenland Current and the warm Irminger Current derived from the North Atlantic Current. Our proxy evidence also indicates that variations in solar activity have a considerable impact on ocean dynamics, which in turn affects sea-ice abundance.

Use of environmental magnetic measurements to characterize and correlate tephra-A case study in Iceland

A set of environmental magnetic parameters(i.e. magnetic susceptibility, xARM, IRMs, hysteresis loops and thermomagnetic curves) has been applied to two soil sections from SE Iceland. Results demonstrate that the main magnetic minerals in the tephras are ferrimagnetic minerals (e.g.magnetite) and canted antiferromagnetic minerals (e.g.haematite), with abundant paramagnetic material also present. Cross plots of Mrs/Ms vs. (B0)cr/(B0)c and xfd% vs.xARM/SIRM indicate that the main magnetic grain sizes in tephras are pseudo single domain (PSD) and multidomain(MD). Initial correlation of tephra layers was achieved, usingall the measured magnetic parameters, by use of the multi-variate statistical measures of Similarity Coefficient (SC) andEuclidean Distance (ED). This demonstrates that magnetictechniques can potentially assist in the identification andcorrelation of distal tephra.

冰岛个别可转让配额制度及其对中国的启示

个别可转让配额制度是当前世界渔业管理的发展趋势之一。鉴于冰岛是最早实施个别可转让配额制度的国家,其成功经验和发展过程中长期存在的问题及成因值得探究。文章通过冰岛个别可转让配额制度的研究,深入分析其发展历程、特点、存在的问题及解决方案,在此基础上结合中国国情及限额捕捞试点情况,发现其对中国渔业管理的启示体现在以下五个方面:一是加强近海渔业资源的调查和研究,科学确定总可捕捞量;二是合理分配初始配额,保障生计渔民的权益;三是制定有关配额的灵活性措施,解决副渔获物丢弃的问题;四是建立上岸登陆和交易控制系统,提高渔业监督与执法能力;五是发展基层渔民组织,鼓励更多渔民提供决策建议。

火星探测和天体矿物手性

从地球到月球到火星,人类一直没有停下探矿寻宝的脚步。从冰洲石到水晶到紫水晶,这些晶莹剔透矿石所呈现的光学现象给科学家带来“光是什么”和“手性起源”的百折不挠探究,贯穿整个科学发展史,促进科学、技术和现代社会进步,并将持续为未来科技发展带来不可估量的影响。

基于地下水位观测的震后孔隙回弹:以2000年冰岛地震为例

以2000年两次MW 6.5冰岛地震为例,利用近场地下水位的同震响应和震后响应约束孔隙模型参数,分析了孔隙回弹效应造成的地表变形大小和时间演化过程。首先利用数值模拟方法获得地震造成的孔隙压力变化和测井水位响应的时间序列,并以测井水位的同震阶跃幅值和震后水位恢复速率分别约束孔隙模型中的Skempton系数和扩散系数;然后基于孔隙弹性模型使用最优孔隙参数模拟震后孔隙回弹效应引起的地壳变形。结果显示:孔隙压力的同震响应控制着孔隙回弹引起的地壳变形,其变形速率与流体扩散系数呈正相关关系;孔隙回弹造成的变形以垂直向为主,且随时间快速衰减。因此,利用近场地下水位的同震响应和震后响应可以约束孔隙模型参数,为获取震后孔隙回弹机制所致的地壳变形提供依据。

曲边冰洲石的发现及其矿床成因的探讨

在各类型冰洲石矿床中发现了大量的冰洲石弯晶，通过对冰洲石矿床野外考察的归纳总结，联系到晶体生长和材料力学的有关知识，提出冰州石矿床的成因极可能是原矿床中方解石受到构造运动强烈影响后，在长期的水淋滤改造作用下发生冰洲石化，并由此而形成冰洲石矿床。

冰洲石晶体材料紫外光谱分析

利用岛津分光光度计双光路法测试了 5种外观颜色不同的天然冰洲石晶体的透射光谱 ;结果表明 ,冰洲石样品外观为微黄色的晶体 ,在紫外透光性能最好 ,是制作紫外偏光镜的理想材料。

北大西洋大青鲨渔业生物学初步研究

大青鲨(Prionace glauca)是金枪鱼延绳钓渔业中最主要的兼捕鱼种之一,作为海洋生物链的顶端物种对海洋生态系统的稳定性和多样性起到了重要作用。作者根据中国金枪鱼渔业科学观察员在北大西洋海域(3°~55°N,15°~40°W)采集的2 112尾大青鲨数据,按不同性别对其渔业生物学特征进行初步研究。结果表明:雌、雄大青鲨的优势叉长组分别为180~220 cm、190~230 cm,雄性叉长均值显著大于雌性,雌、雄性比符合1︰1;大青鲨叉长-全长、尾凹长-全长的线性关系分别为L_F=0.8008L_T+7.3361,L_P=0.7576L_T–1.8479;北大西洋热带海域(3°~13°N)兼捕的大青鲨群体组成以大个体为主(180~240 cm),冰岛附近海域(48°~51°N)兼捕的大青鲨群体组成以小个体为主(100~210 cm);大青鲨叉长和质量关系式为W_R=7×10^(–6)L_F^(2.9994);大青鲨肝脏为性腺的发育提供能量,成熟个体的肝质量指数显著小于未成熟个体;热带海域兼捕的大青鲨以性成熟个体为主(96.9%),冰岛海域兼捕的大青鲨以未成熟个体居多(77.1%);50%雌性性成熟个体对应的叉长为178.7 cm,50%雄性性成熟个体对应叉长为173.6 cm;雌性怀仔大青鲨的叉长与其怀仔数量线性关系为L_S=0.419×L_F–49.7(R^2=0.3905),幼仔雌雄性比符合1︰1;胃含物中以沙丁鱼和鱿鱼出现频率最高。作者的研究有助于更好地了解北大西洋大青鲨的生物学特征,为区域性渔业管理组织评估大青鲨种群资源状态提供数据参考。