Elastic and Seismic Properties of Dabie-Sulu Ultrahigh Pressure Metamorphic Rocks

Lame modulus （λ） and shear modulus （μ） are among the most important, intrinsic, elastic constants of rocks. Using 7. and μ could be much more advantageous than using P- and S-wave velocities （Vp and Vs）. Here we quantified these equivalent isotropic elastic moduli for 115 representative rocks from the ultrahigh pressure （UHP） metamorphic terrane of the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt （China） and their variations with pressure （P）, temperature （T）, density （p）, Vp, Vs and mineralogical composition. Both moduli increase nonlinearly and linearly with increasing pressure at low （〈200-300 MPa） and high （〉200-300 MPa） pressures, respectively. In the regime of high pressures, 7. and IX decrease quasi-linearly with increasing temperature with temperature derivatives dλ/dT and dμ/dT generally in the range of -10×10-3 to -1×10-3 GPa/℃. Dehydration of water-bearing minerals such as serpentine in peridotites and chlorite in retrograde eciogites results in an abrupt drop in 7. while μ remains almost unchanged. In Z-p, μ-p and 7.-IX plots, the main categories of UHP rocks can be characterized. Serpentinization leads to significant decreases in μ and 7. as serpentine has extremely low values of Z, μ and p. Eclogites, common mafic rocks （mafic gneiss, metagabbro and amphibolite）, and felsic rocks （orthogneiss and paragneiss） have high, moderate and low μ and λ values, respectively. For pyroxenes and olivines, λ increases but μ decreases with increasing Fe/Mg ratios. For plagioclase feldspars, both Z and μ exhibit a significant positive correlation with anorthite content. SiO2-rich felsic rocks and quartzites are deviated remarkably from the general trend lines of the acid-intermediate-mafic rocks in Vs-p, μ-p, λ-Vp,λ-Vs and μ-λ diagrams because quartz has extremely low λ （-8.1 GPa） and p （2.65 g/cm3） but moderate μ （44.4 GPa） values. Increasing the contents of garnet, rutile, ilmenite and magnetite results in a significant increase in the λ and μ values of the UHP metamorphic rocks. However, either λ or μ is insensitive to the compositional variations for pyralspite （pyrope-almandine-spessartine） solution series. The results provide potentially improved constraints on characterization of crustal composition based on the elastic properties of rocks and in situ seismic data from deep continental roots.

The Minimum Stable Pressure and Geological Significants of Supersilic Garnet in Continental Felsic Rocks: Constraints from HT-HP Experiments

A lot of previous experimental studies on ultramafic rocks(SiO2 unsaturated system)(Ringwood and Major, 1971;Irifune et al., 1986;Gasparik, 1989;Ono and Yasuda, 1996) have demonstrated that characteristics of Si-rich and Al-deficient in garnet are resulted from coupled substitution of SiⅥ+MⅥ=AlⅥ+AlⅥ and SiⅥ+NaⅧ=AlⅥ+MⅧ(M=Mg, Fe, Ca) at ultrahigh pressures(UHP)(>5 GPa). The degree of substitution will be enhanced by increasing pressure which has a positive correlation with the content of SiⅥ, but a negative correlation with the content of AlⅥ in supersilic garnet. These experimental results established a theoretical foundation for further understanding the formation mechanism of the exsolution of pyroxene in garnet observed in deep mantle xenoliths and some ultrahigh pressure rocks, and also for estimating the pressure conditions of the formation of supersilic garnet before exsolution(Haggerty and Sautter, 1990;Sautter et al., 1991;van Roermund et al., 1998;Ye et al., 2000). Although some experimental studies on SiO2 saturated system have been reported(Irifune et al., 1994;Ono., 1998;Dobrazhinetskya and Green.,2007;Wu et al., 2009), the stability conditions of supersilic garnet are still lack of unified understanding. Therefore, HP-HT experiments were carried out on felsic rocks under conditions of 6–12 GPa and 1000℃–1400℃. Combined with previous experimental data, we try to figure out the minimum stable pressure and geological significants of supersilic garnet in SiO2 saturated system. Our experimental results from SiO2 saturated system show the minimum stable pressure of supersilic garnet should be ≥10 GP of stishovite stability field. These results are similar as that from experiments using starting composition similar to average upper continental crust reported by Irifune et al(1994) who yielded that garnet gradually became supersilic and Al-deficient as pressures increased above 10 GPa, especially in a pressure interval between 13 and 18 GPa. Moreover, experiments with different starting materials(Ono, 1998;Dobrazhinetskya and Green, 2007;Wu et al. 2009) also indicate the stable pressure condition of supersilic garnet is mainly ≥9 –10 GPa in SiO2 saturated system if data of small-size grains at low temperature are ignored due to measuring errors. Thus, it can be concluded that the minimum stable pressure of supersilic garnet in SiO2 saturated system is distinctly different from that in SiO2 unsaturated ultramafic rock system. The minimum pressure of the former is ≥9–10 GPa of stishovite stability field, while that of the latter is >5 GPa. Therefore, whether independent SiO2 phase exist or rock system is SiO2 saturated must be taken into considered when estimating the peak pressure of exsolutions in supersilic garnet in UHP rocks. Furthermore, pressure of >5 GPa directly estimated by supersilic garnet based on conclusion from SiO2 unsaturation system rather than SiO2 saturation in previous sdudies may have been underestimated and need to be re-estimated. Supersilic garnets have been recognized by interior exsolutions of clinopyroxene in garnet pyroxene from Yinggelisayi South Altyn(Liu et al., 2005), and exsolutions of rodlike quartz+rutile in felsic gneiss from Songshugou North Qinling(Liu et al., 2003). According to the experimental results from SiO2 unsaturated system, the peak metamorphic pressure of the both SiO2 saturated rocks have been estimated to be >7 Gpa and >5 Gpa, respectively. However, combined with the new experimental results above, we re-estimated that the peak metamorphic pressure of these SiO2 saturated rocks should be≥9–10 GPa at least, implying an ultra-deep subduction to mantle depth of stishovite stability field. This research, together with previous findings(Liu et al., 2007, 2018), shows that continental subduction to mantle depth(300 km) of stishovite stability field and then exhumation to the surface is obviously more common than previously thought, and the rock types are also diverse. At the same time, it provides a new indicator and thought for recognizing the subduction to the mantle depth of stishovite stability field in UHP metamorphic belt.

Extensional Tectonic Framework of Post High and Ultrahigh Pressure Metamorphism in Dabieshan,China

The most prominent feature of the extensional tectonic framework of post high pressure (HP) and ultrahigh pressure (UHP) metamorphism in Dabieshan is the development of the multi layered extension detachment zones surrounding the core of the Luotian dome, and the separation of the UHP, HP and epidote blueschist units by the detachment zones, which form the vertically stacking sheet like slices of the HP and UHP metamorphic rocks. From the core outwards, exist the HP and UHP rock barren Dabie complex, UHP unit, HP unit and epidote blueschist unit. The extension tectonics of post HP and UHP metamorphic event constrain the distribution and present configuration of the HP and UHP metamorphic rocks, and the extensional tectonic framework bears some similarities to the Cordillera metamorphic core complex. It is suggested that partial melting happened in the Dabie gneiss complex (DGC) and UHP unit contemporaneously with the extrusion of UHP metamorphic rocks into the lower-middle crust. The formation and emplacement of the migmatite and granites are the response to the change in thermal state, facilitating the transfer from the compressive regime to extensional regime in the crust. The large scale crustal extension and uplift and the accompanying anatexis in Dabieshan are probably related to the delamination and magmatic underplating in the mantle and the lower crust.

PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM THE CONTRIBUTION OF BOTH GEOTHERMAL AND GRAVITY IN THE LITHOSPHERE

The pressure gradient of the lithosphere is a key to explaining various geological processes, and varies also in time and space similar to the geothermal gradient. In this paper a correlation formula of geothermal gradients and pressure gradients was built with the thermocomprestion coefficients. Based on this formula, the article has studied the relation between the pressure gradients and the geothermal gradients in the lithosphere, and the results indicate that the pressure gradient in the lithosphere is nonlinear, and its minimum value is the lithostatic gradient, and that the pressure gradient of the lithosphere will increase obviously with the contribution of both geothermal and gravity, and could be twice times more than the lithostatic gradient.

A Study on the Classification and Well-Logging Identification of Eclogite in the Main Hole of Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project

Eclogite, one of the important lithologies in the main hole of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling （CCSD） Project, exists above the depth of 3 245 m and has distinctive responses of gamma-ray, compensating density and neutron well-logging, and so on. In this study, according to the diversities of minerals and chemical components and well-logging responses, edogites are classified from three aspects of origin, content of oxygen, and sub-mineral. We studied the logging identification method for eclogite sub-classes based on multi-element statistics and reconstructed 11 kinds of eclogite. As a result, eclogites can be divided into 6 types using well logs. In the light of this recognition, the eclogite in the main hole is divided into 20 sections, and the distribution characters of all sub-classes of eclogite are analyzed, which will provide important data for geological research of CCSD.

Upper Limit for Rheological Strength of Crust in Continental Subduction Zone:Constraints Imposed by Laboratory Experiments

The transitional pressure of quartz coesite under the differential stress and highly strained conditions is far from the pressure of the stable field under the static pressure. Therefore, the effect of the differential stress should be considered when the depth of petrogenesis is estimated about ultrahigh pressure metamorphic (UHPM) rocks. The rheological strength of typical ultrahigh pressure rocks in continental subduction zone was derived from the results of the laboratory experiments. The results indicate the following three points. (1) The rheological strength of gabbro, similar to that of eclogite, is smaller than that of clinopyroxenite on the same condition. (2) The calculated strength of rocks (gabbro, eclogite and clinopyroxenite) related to UHPM decreases by nearly one order of magnitude with the temperature rising by 100 ℃ in the range between 600 and 900 ℃. The calculated strength is far greater than the faulting strength of rocks at 600 ℃, and is in several hundred to more than one thousand mega pascals at 700-800 ℃, which suggests that those rocks are located in the brittle deformation region at 600 ℃, but are in the semi brittle to plastic deformation region at 700-800 ℃. Obviously, the 700 ℃ is a brittle plastic transition boundary. (3) The calculated rheological strength in the localized deformation zone on a higher strain rate condition (1.6×10 -12 s -l ) is 2-5 times more than that in the distributed deformation zone on a lower strain rate condition (1.6×10 -14 s -1 ). The average rheological stress (1 600 MPa) at the strain rate of 10 -12 s -1 stands for the ultimate differential stress of UHPM rocks in the semi brittle flow field, and the average rheological stress (550-950 MPa) at the strain rate of l0 -14 - 10 -13 s -l stands for the ultimate differential stress of UHPM rocks in the plastic flow field, suggesting that the depth for the formation of UHPM rocks is more than 20-60 km below the depth estimated under static pressure condition due to the effect of the differential stress.

Well Logging Responses of UHP Metamorphic Rocks from CCSD Main Hole in Sulu Terrane,Eastern Central China

The lithologies of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling main hole （CCSD-MH） are mainly comprised of orthogneiss,paragneiss,eclogite,amphibolite,and ultramafic rocks.The statistical results of logs of CCSD-MH indicate that ultramafic rocks are characterized by very high CNL （neutron log） and very low GR （gamma ray log） and RD （resistivity log）;eclogites are characterized by high DEN （density）,VP （P-wave velocity） and PE （photoelectric absorption capture cross section）;orthogneiss and paragneiss are characterized by high GR,U （uranium content）,Th （thorium content）,K （potassium content） and RD,and low DEN,PE,and CNL;logging values of amphibolite are between the logging values of eclogites and paragneiss.In addition,the logs could reflect the degree of retrograde metamorphism of eclogites.The upper section （100-2 000 m） shows higher DEN,PE,VP,and lower GR,U,Th,K,RD than the lower section （2 000-5 000 m）.Most logs of the upper section are more fluctuant than those of the lower section.This indicates that the upper section has more heterogeneities than the lower section.The cross plots of logs indicate that DEN,GR,K,and CNL are more powerful in identifying ultrahigh pressure metamorphic （UHPM） rocks at the CCSD-MH.GR value of the rocks from CCSD-MH shows obviously an increasing trend from ultramafic rock （the most mafic rocks at CCSD-MH） to orthogneiss （the most acid rocks at CCSD-MH）.On the contrary,DEN value decreases from the ultramafic rock to the orthogneiss.CNL log is a good indicator of the content of structure water in crystalline rocks.