Meso-scale circulation at the intermediate-depth east of Mindanao observed by Argo profiling floats

The meso-scale circulation at the intermediate depth east of Mindanao is studied using Argo profiling floats observations. The trajectories and the parking-depth velocities of Argo floats show that the intermediate-depth circulation east of Mindanao contains significant meso-scale features that are highly variable both in space and in time. Both cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies at the intermediate depth (1000–2000 m) are indicated by the trajectories east of Mindanao. The mean tangential velocities of these eddies are about 10 cm/s at 2000 m and over 20 cm/s at 1000 m, which indicates that the geostrophic calculation may contain large errors due to the vigorous eddy activity at the reference levels. The analyses also suggest that these eddies might play an important role in mass and vorticity balances of the intermediate-depth circulation east of Mindanao.

Characteristics of seismic activity before Chile M_W8.8 earthquake in 2010

The tempo-spatial variation of seismic activity before great Chile Mw8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010 is studied. Some results are as follows： ①Two types of seismic gaps appeared before the Chile MwS.8 shock. One is background gap of Mw≥8.0 earthquakes with 360 km length since 1900, the other is seismogenic gap formed by M≥5.5 earth- quakes with 780km length five years before the Chile earthquake; ②There was only one Mw7.1 earthquake in the middle and southern part of Chile from 1986 to 2010. The obvious quiescence of Mw≥7.0 earthquake is the long-term background anomaly for the Chile earthquake; ③ The quiescence of M≥6.5 earthquakes appeared in South American block and its vicinity during the period from 2007 to 2009, and the quietude state has been disappeared three months before the Chile Mw8.8 earthquake; ④ The deep and intermediate-depth earthquake activity has been noticeablely strengthened in the subduction zone of South American block since 1993; ⑤The great Chile earthquake shows that global seismicity is still in the active period of Mw≥8.5 earthquakes since 2004. Based on the characteristics of the former two active periods, several great earthquakes with Mw≥8.5 would take place in a few years. In addition, the circum-Pacific seismic belt would be the main region for Mw≥8.0 earthquakes.

Geodynamic processes of the continental deep subduction: Constraints from the fine crustal structure beneath the Pamir plateau

The Pamir plateau,located north of the western syntaxis of the India-Eurasia collision system,is regarded as one of the most possible places of the ongoing continental deep subduction.Based on a N-S trending linear seismic array across the Pamir plateau,we use the methods of the harmonic analysis of receiver functions and the cubic spline interpolation of surface wave dispersions to coordinate their resolutions,and perform a joint inversion of these datasets to construct a 2-D S-wave velocity model of the crust and uppermost mantle there.A spatial configuration among the intermediate-depth seismicity,Moho topography,and low-velocity anomalies within the crust and upper mantle is revealed,which provides new seismological constraints on the geodynamic processes of the continental subduction.These results not only further confirm the deep subduction of the Asian continental lower crust beneath the Pamir plateau,but also indicate the importance of the metamorphic dehydration of the subducting continental crustal material in the genesis of the intermediate-depth seismicity and the crustal deformation.