Elastic properties of CaCO3 high pressure phases from first principles

Elastic properties of three high pressure polymorphs of CaCO_3 are investigated based on first principles calculations.The calculations are conducted at 0 GPa–40 GPa for aragonite, 40 GPa–65 GPa for post-aragonite, and 65 GPa–150 GPa for the P2_1/c-h-CaCO_3 structure, respectively. By fitting the third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state（EOS）, the values of bulk modulus K_0 and pressure derivative K~＇_0 are 66.09 GPa and 4.64 for aragonite, 81.93 GPa and 4.49 for post-aragonite, and 56.55 GPa and 5.40 for P2_1/c-h-CaCO_3, respectively, which are in good agreement with previous experimental and theoretical data. Elastic constants, wave velocities, and wave velocity anisotropies of the three highpressure CaCO_3 phases are obtained. Post-aragonite exhibits 25.90%–32.10% V_P anisotropy and 74.34%–104.30% V_S splitting anisotropy, and P2_1/c-h-CaCO_3 shows 22.30%–25.40% V_Panisotropy and 42.81%–48.00% V_S splitting anisotropy in the calculated pressure range. Compared with major minerals of the lower mantle, CaCO_3 high pressure polymorphs have low isotropic wave velocity and high wave velocity anisotropies. These results are important for understanding the deep carbon cycle and seismic wave velocity structure in the lower mantle.

Effect of Temperature upon Fe-Mg Composition of Garnet in Pelitic System

Garnet is an essential phase in a wide range of metamorphic grades. Ratios of Fe and Mg concentrations in garnet have been widely used as a geothermometer for the crystallization, cooling rate and tectonic uplift rate because garnets in natural rocks always show a variety of Fe-Mg compositional partition. Normally, Fe-Mg concentrations of natural garnets vary widely and the Fe-Mg exchange reactions usually occur in a complex chemical system. Effect of pressure and temperature on Fe-Mg compositions of garnet in natural pelitic system was studied experimentally at temperatures of 700 to 780 ℃ and pressures from 21 to 29.4 kbar. The concentrations of FeO and MgO of garnet in the run products showed a linear relation with experimental temperatures. The result provided experimental evidence of Fe-Mg partition trend with temperature in a complex natural rock and therefore improved our understanding in the determinations of metamorphic temperature calculated by garnet geothermometer. Although the accurate geological application of our results requires the knowledge of the effects of other components upon [D(Mg)] and [D(Fe)] which is largely unknown currently, the data provided in this study are useful to build the relation between FeO-MgO contents and temperature, which is useful in the metamorphic temperatures determine of rocks with pelitic composition.

Preliminary results pertaining to coseismic displacement and preseismic strain accumulation of the Lushan M_S7.0 earthquake,as reflected by GPS surveying

This paper presents the coseismic displacement and preseismic deformation fields of the Lushan MS7.0 earthquake that occurred on April 20,2013.The results are based on GPS observations along the Longmenshan fault and within its vicinity.The coseismic displacement and preseismic GPS results indicate that in the strain release of this earthquake,the thrust rupture is dominant and the laevorotation movement is secondary.Furthermore,we infer that any possible the rupture does not reach the earth’s surface,and the seismogenic fault is most likely one fault to the east of the Guanxian-Anxian fault.Some detailed results are obtainable.(1)The southern segment of the Longmenshan fault is locked preceding the Lushan earthquake.After the Wenchuan earthquake,the strain accumulation rate in the southeast direction accelerates in the epicenter of the Lushan earthquake,and the angle between the principal compressional strain and the seismogenic fault indicates that a sinistral deformation background in the direction of the seismogenic fault precedes the Lushan earthquake.Therefore,it is evident that the Wenchuan MS8.0 earthquake accelerated the pregnancy of the Lushan earthquake.(2)The coseismic displacements reflected by GPS data are mainly located in a region that is 230 km(NW direction)×100 km(SW direction),and coseismic displacements larger than 10 mm lie predominantly in a100-km region(NW direction).(3)On a large scale,the coseismic displacement shows thrust characteristics,but the associated values are remarkably small in the near field(within 70 km)of the earthquake fault.Meanwhile,the thrust movement in this70-km region does not correspond with the attenuation characteristics of the strain release,indicating that the rupture of this earthquake does not reach the earth’s surface.(4)The laevorotation movements are remarkable in the 50-km region,which is located in the hanging wall that is close to the earthquake fault,and the corresponding values in this case correlate with the attenuation characteristics of the strain release.

Global crustal movement and tectonic plate boundary deformation constrained by the ITRF2008

On the basis of the newly released International Terrestrial Reference Frame（ITRF2008） by the International Earth Rotation Service （IERS）, a new global plate model ITRF2008 plate for the major plates is established. This ITRF2008-derived model is analyzed in comparison with NNR-NUVEL1A model, which is mainly based on geological and geophysical data. The Eurasia and Paeifi6 plates display obvious differences in terms of the velocity fields derived from the two plate motion models. Plate acceleration is also introduced to characterize the differences of the two velocity fields which obtained from ITRF2008-plate and NNR-NUVEL1A models for major individual plates. The results show that the Africa, South America and Eurasia plates are undergoing acceleration, while the North America and Australia plates are in the state of deceleration motion