Study of crust-mantle transitional zone along the northeast margin of Qinghai-Xizang plateau

This study deals with complexity, frequency spectrum and velocity model of the crust-mantle transitional zone in different tectonic units along the northeast margin of Qinghai-Xizang plateau, based on PmP waveform data from two deep seismic sounding profiles passing through the area. It reveals that Moho has stable tectonic features in Ordos and Lingzhong basins, where crust and mantle are coupled as first-order discontinuity. Moho shows obvious signs of activity in Haiyuan seismic region and in the contact zone between Bayanhar block and Qaidam block. Crust and mantle in these two areas are coupled as complicated crust-mantle transitional zone consisting of multiple laminae with alternate high and low velocities, totaling 20 km in thickness. The difference between Moho of different tectonic units reflects heterogeneity of the coupled crust-mantle zone; the difference between fine structures of Haiyuan seismic region and Maqin fault zone reflects different deep material composition of the two continent-continent collision zones and the interaction between blocks.

2-D P-wave velocity structure in the mideast segment of Zhangjiakou-Bohai tectonic zone: Anxin-Xianghe-Kuancheng DSS profile

In order to get the 3-D fine velocity structure in the Capital-circle area of China, 6 explosions, ranging from 1800 to 2500 kg, were conducted and recorded by an array of 240 seismographs. A reflection/refraction survey was carried out along the profile extending from Anxin county, Hebei Province northeastward to Yanshan Mountains, crossing the Zhangjiakou-Bohai tectonic zone. The 2-D velocity structure of P wave was imaging along the profile. The results show that abnormality exists in the deep structure of the Zhangjiakou-Bohai tectonic zone: The base- ment is significantly depressed, the interfaces and Moho are uplifted, and a strong velocity gradient layer is existed above the Moho that may be dislocated by deep fault. The crust of Huabei basin is thin and low velocity body ex- ists in the crust. The Yanshan Mountains′ crust is thick, the layers in the crust are quite clear and the velocity in the layer is homogeneous. Huabei basin differs from Yanshan Mountains in structure.

Subduction-zone peridotites and their records of crust-mantle interaction

Subduction is the core process of plate tectonics. The mantle wedge in subduction-zone systems represents a key tectonic unit, playing a significant role in material cycling and energy exchange between Earth's layers. This study summarizes research progresses in terms of subduction-related peridotite massifs, including supra-subduction zone(SSZ) ophiolites and mantle-wedge-type(MWT) orogenic peridotites. We also provide the relevant key scientific questions that need be solved in the future. The mantle sections of SSZ ophiolites and MWT orogenic peridotites represent the mantle fragments from oceanic and continental lithosphere in subduction zones, respectively. They are essential targets to study the crust-mantle interaction in subduction zones. The nature of this interaction is the complex chemical exchanges between the subducting slab and the mantle wedge under the major control of physical processes. The SSZ ophiolites can record melt/fluid-rock interaction, metamorphism,deformation, concentration of metallogenic elements and material exchange between crust and mantle, during the stages from the generation of oceanic lithosphere at spreading centers to the initiation, development, maturation and ending of oceanic subduction at continental margins. The MWT orogenic peridotites reveal the history of strong metamorphism and deformation during subduction, the multiple melt/fluid metasomatism(including silicatic melts, carbonatitic melts and silicate-bearing C-HO fluids/supercritical fluids), and the complex cycling of crust-mantle materials, during the subduction/collision and exhumation of continental plates. In order to further reveal the crust-mantle interaction using subduction-zone peridotites, it is necessary to utilize high-spatial-resolution and high-precision techniques to constrain the complex chemical metasomatism, metamorphism,deformation at micro scales, and to reveal their connections with spatial-temporal evolution in macro-scale tectonics.

Two types of the crust-mantle interaction in continental subduction zones

Plate subduction is an important mechanism for exchanging the mass and energy between the mantle and the crust,and the igneous rocks in subduction zones are the important carriers for studying the recycling of crustal materials and the crust-mantle interaction.This study presents a review of geochronology and geochemistry for postcollisional mafic igneous rocks from the Hong’an-Dabie-Sulu orogens and the southeastern edge of the North China Block.The available results indicate two types of the crust-mantle interaction in the continental subduction zone,which are represented by two types of mafic igneous rocks with distinct geochemical compositions.The first type of rocks exhibit arc-like trace element distribution patterns(i.e.enrichment of LILE,LREE and Pb,but depletion of HFSE)and enriched radiogenic Sr-Nd isotope compositions,whereas the second type of rocks show OIB-like trace element distribution patterns(i.e.enrichment of LILE and LREE,but no depletion of HFSE)and depleted radiogenic Sr-Nd isotope compositions.Both of them have variable zircon O isotope compositions,which are different from those of the normal mantle zircon,and contain residual crustal zircons.These geochemical features indicate that the two types of mafic igneous rocks were originated from the different natures of mantle sources.The mantle source for the second type of rocks would be generated by reaction of the overlying juvenile lithospheric mantle with felsic melts originated from previously subducted oceanic crust,whereas the mantle source for the first type of rocks would be generated by reaction of the overlying ancient lithospheric mantle of the North China Block with felsic melts from subsequently subducted continental crust of the South China Block.Therefore,there exist two types of the crust-mantle interaction in the continental subduction zone,and the postcollisional mafic igneous rocks provide petrological and geochemical records of the slab-mantle interactions in continental collision orogens.

Crust-mantle transitional zone of Tianshan orogenic belt and Junggar Basin and its geodynamic implication

The traveling time of the reflection waves of each shot point from the crust-mantle transitional zone has been obtained by data processing using wavelet transform to the waves reflected from the crust-mantle transitional zone. The crust-mantle transitional zone of the Xayar-Burjing geoscience transect can be divided into three sections: the northern margin of the Tarim Basin, the Tianshan orogenic belt and Junggar Basin. The crust-mantle transitional zone is composed mainly of first-order discontinuity in the Tarim Basin and the Junggar Basin, but in the Tianshan orogenic belt, it is composed of 7–8 thin layers which are 2-3 km in thickness and high and low alternatively in velocity, with a total thickness of about 20km. The discovery of the crust-mantle transitional zone of the Tianshan orogenic belt and Junggar Basin and their differences in tectonic features provide evidence for the creation of the geodynamic model “lithospheric subduction with intrusion layers in crust” for the Tianshan orogenic belt.

滇西北地区富碱岩体(脉)地球化学特征及成因

滇西北地区广泛分布以富碱为特点的岩浆岩。这些富碱岩体(脉)主要形成于50～30Ma,由区内近平行分布的近EW向构造控制,空间上可以划分为多个近EW岩带,各岩带内又可划分为多个岩体(脉)集中区;富碱岩体(脉)由正长(斑)岩、二长斑岩、花岗斑岩及相关的火山岩组成,具有多次活动的特征,是由同源演化产物组成的富有特色的岩浆岩系列。微量元素、稀土元素、同位素等地球化学特征的研究表明,岩体产出于经多次板块开合作用之后形成的统一但不稳定的陆块内部、古深大断裂于喜山期重新活动引发的张性环境中,岩浆源于壳幔混合带,是地幔富碱质流体经由深断裂上升至混合带内并引发该区岩石部分熔融的产物。

Regional characteristics of the lithospheric structure in the southeast of North China revealed by explosion seismology

Based on the blasting seismic detection data obtained in the southeast of North China in recent years,this paper comprehensively analyzes and studies the crust-mantle lithospheric structure and seismological characteristics of different tectonic regions,such as offshore basins,west Shandong uplift,Tanlu fault zone and Jiangsu-Shandong orogenic belt.The low-velocity Pg waves in Dongying depression and Northern Jiangsu basin reveal the unstable basement structure with extremely thick sediments.The travel time of Pg wave is characterized by relatively low propagation velocity and small crustal thickness of offshore continental margin;the first break time and high apparent velocity of Pg wave in west Shandong uplift indicate that the sedimentary basement is relatively thin.The Pm wave shows the characteristic of dominant wave in the first-order velocity discontinuity of the crust-mantle interface,which reflects the high crustal velocity and stable structure in west Shandong uplift.The Pm and Pl wave are obviously complicated,which can reflect the crust-mantle lithospheric structure of the transitional zone between Tanlu fault zone and Jiangsu-Shandong orogenic belt.The small time difference between Pn and PL waves can be regarded as the highly destructive seismological manifestation of Tanlu fault zone on the crust-lithosphere scale.Based on many geophysical phenomena such as electrical structure,density structure and terrestrial heat flow,it is believed that the lithospheric destruction degree of Tanlu fault zone and Jiangsu-Shandong orogenic belt was high during the destruction of the North China Craton.

Early Mesozoic mantle-crust transitional zone in eastern Inner Mongolia: Evidence from measurements of compressional velocities of xenoliths at high pressure and high temperature

Compression wave velocity Vp has been measured on 10 representative rock samples from the Early Mesozoic granulite and mafic-ultramafic cumulate xenoliths population from the Harqin area of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (for short Inner Mongolia) as an aid to interpreting in-situ seismic velocity data and investigating velocity variation with depth in a mafic lower crust. The experiments have been carried out at constant confining pressures up to 1 000 MPa and temperatures ranging from 20 to around 1 300℃, using the ultrasonic transmission technique. After corrections for estimated in situ crustal pressures and temperatures, elastic wave velocities range from 6.5 to 7.4 km · s-1, indicating that they are components of the Early Mesozoic crust-mantle transitional zone. Combining with previous experimental data, we have also reestablished the Early-Mesozoic continental compression velocity profile and compared it with those of the present and of the different tectonic environments in the world. The result shows that it is similar to the velocity pattern of the extensional tectonic area, providing new clues to the Mesozoic continental structure of the North China Craton.

Ultramafic xenoliths in Mesozoic diorite in west Shandong Province

Ultramafic xenoliths are common in Tietonggou intrusion, Laiwu, Shandong Prov-ince. Peridotite xenoliths develop two-stage metasomatism popularly: (i) The early metasoma-tism is characterized by intergranular clinopyroxene and phlogopite; (ii) The later metasomatism is characterized by orthopyroxene veins with a few plagioclases and amphiboles. These ul-tramafic xenoliths are thought to be mostly from the crust-mantle transitional zone on the basis of their combination, mineral chemistry, equilibrium temperature, and metasomatic characteristics. Major elements, rare earth elements, and Sr-Nd isotopic composition of the ultramafic xenoliths indicate that there is a petrogenetic relationship between the silica-enriched xenoliths and their host diorites. We propose that such silica enrichment might be an indicator of melt-rock interac-tions in the Mesozoic lithosphere beneath western Shandong.

The Dabie-Sulu orogenic peridotites:Progress and key issues

Orogenic peridotites in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt are commonly subdivided into‘crustal’type and‘mantle’type.They exhibit distinct mineral textures,metamorphic evolution,and whole-rock and mineral compositions.Most‘mantle’type peridotites originated from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle(SCLM)of the North China Craton and thus provide direct evidence of crust-mantle interactions in the continental subduction channel.In garnet peridotites,both garnet and Cr-spinel can be equilibrated at peak pressure conditions.Their stabilities are mainly controlled by the refertilized degree of whole-rock;therefore,spinel composition cannot be used to discriminate the partial melting degree of orogenic peridotites.Refractory mantle-derived dunites contain the textures of low Mg and high Ca olivine veins that crosscut orthopyroxene porphyroblasts,which is considered as evidence for silica-undersaturated melt-rock reactions.Such reactions occurring before subduction may potentially affect Re-Os isotopic compositions.Rutile,Ti-clinohumite and zircon in mantle-derived peridotites or pyroxenites provide direct mineralogical evidence for the transport of high field strength elements(HFSEs)from the subducted crust into the mantle wedge.Based on detailed in situ element and isotope analyses,we can constrain the source of metasomatic agents,the metasomatic time and the process of mass transfer.The mantle wedge above continental subduction zones has a wide range of oxygen fugacity values(FMQ=?5.50–1.75),showing a roughly negative correlation with the subducted depths.However,the calculated results of oxygen fugacity are significantly affected by mineral assemblages,P-T conditions and dehydrogenation-oxidation of nominally anhydrous mantle olivine during exhumation.Although significant progress has been made in the study of orogenic peridotites in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt,many critical questions remain.With new approaches and advanced technologic applications,additional knowledge of the phase relation in the peridotite-pyroxenite complex system,the mantle geodynamic process before continental subduction,the effects of crustal metasomatism on chemical composition,the oxygen fugacity,and the physical properties of the mantle wedge is anticipated.