菲律宾海四国海盆地壳结构重力反演及其形成演化过程分析

四国海盆是位于菲律宾海板块内由岛弧张裂形成的弧后盆地,其深部地壳结构对认识伊豆小笠原岛弧的裂解和弧后盆地的扩张过程有重要的意义.在反射多道地震剖面和深部海底地震（OBS）探测剖面的约束下,结合磁异常条带数据,利用两条横穿四国海盆的重力测线数据对海盆的地壳物性结构反演,对比重力反演剖面与深部探测剖面地壳厚度和密度特征,得到更加精细的四国海盆地壳结构.研究结果显示,四国海盆洋壳厚度自西向东逐渐增厚,在残留扩张脊处莫霍面深度迅速增加.根据地壳密度和厚度将四国海盆分为:洋壳减薄区、洋壳增厚区、后扩张洋壳增生区,分别对应初始慢速张裂、单翼快速扩张、对称慢速扩张3期扩张活动.南北测线不同构造分区得到的扩张速率与由磁异常条带得到扩张速率相同;洋壳减薄区下地壳均有高密度体,与OBS剖面中下地壳高速体相对应,可能是由于洋壳慢速扩张过程中强烈拆离作用,地幔蛇纹石化导致.      

南海西北次海盆及其邻区地壳结构和构造意义

西北次海盆的深部地壳结构蕴含着南海北部陆缘拉张过程的重要信息.广角反射/折射测线(OBS2006-2)长386 km,是目前唯一的一条沿NEE向穿过西沙地块、并平行于西北次海盆扩张脊的深地震测线.通过射线追踪与走时模拟方法(RAYINVR),获得了OBS2006-2测线下方的速度结构.结果表明:西沙地块的沉积层厚度约为1~2 km,而西北次海盆的沉积层厚度大约为2~3 km;Moho界面从西沙地块的27 km逐步抬升到西北次海盆的12 km,Moho界面下方的速度为7.8~8.0 km/s;未发现壳内高速层和低速层.在西沙地块和西北次海盆的过渡区,有着较大量的岩浆活动信息,推测与西北次海盆的初始扩张有关.OBS2006-2测线中114.5°E以西的地区为减薄的陆壳,而114.5°E以东的地区为洋壳,莫霍面在陆壳与洋壳的结合处剧烈抬升,地壳厚度明显减薄.西北次海盆的扩张脊下方可能有残余岩浆的存在.      

南海西南次海盆深部结构研究进展与展望

西南次海盆位于南海渐进式扩张的西南端,共轭陆缘结构和残留扩张脊保留完整,是研究南海深部结构和动力学机制的关键区域。前期研究发现,西南次海盆洋陆过渡带较窄、同扩张断层发育、地震反射莫霍面不清晰、具有慢速扩张等特征。然而,由于不同探测方法获取的地壳结构具有多解性,使得西南次海盆洋陆转换过程、慢速扩张洋壳结构与增生模式以及龙门海山岩石性质与地幔成因机制等基础科学问题尚存争议。为此我们建议在西南次海盆开展地质取样获取海山岩石样品,确定其年龄与性质,分析扩张后海山形成的深部动力过程;并对关键构造部署高精度的地震反射/折射联合探测,结合岩石物理分析,对西南次海盆进行构造成像和物质组成参数正反演,以实现壳幔尺度的地震学透视,为探索西南次海盆洋陆转换过程和洋壳增生模式提供重要的地球物理证据,以丰富和完善南海的动力学演化模式。     

南海海盆区深部结构的不对称性及控制因素

南海海盆区具有复杂的构造演化史,但目前对其深部结构的不对称性的研究和控制因素的探讨还存在不足.利用南海最新的重力数据和从27条地震剖面上获取的海盆范围沉积物精确数据计算了全海盆的剩余地幔布格重力异常（residual mantle Bouguer anomaly,RMBA）,并反演了海盆的地壳厚度,运用Crust1.0数据进行了相关性分析.研究结果表明,南海海盆的残留扩张脊两翼在地形、RMBA和洋壳厚度上存在明显的不对称性,北翼比南翼有更多的海山分布、更低的RMBA值以及更厚的洋壳.这种明显的南北不对称性表明北侧比南侧有更高的地幔温度和更活跃的岩浆活动,反映了南海深部结构的不对称性.南海深部结构的不对称性可能与洋中脊向南的跃迁有关.洋脊跃迁导致在新老洋脊之间产生部分熔融,使扩张中心北侧产生更高的地幔温度,以及更强烈的岩浆活动,从而显示出更低的RMBA值和更厚的洋壳,并形成更多的后扩张期海山.      

南海大陆边缘动力学:从陆缘破裂到海底扩张

边缘海如何形成是地球科学的基本问题.本研究通过对南海区域深反射地震数据及钻井数据的综合解释,聚焦地壳深部结构和三维全变形机制,在南海陆缘张裂-海盆扩张的构造动力学研究中取得重要进展:(1)“大陆破裂非均一”:拉张过程垂向上分层非均一,受拆离断层系统控制;裂离过程横向上高度变化,中-东侧受岩浆作用主导,西侧受构造作用主导.(2)“海盆扩张非对称”:受周期性地幔对流活动主导,扩张表现为两次洋脊南向跃迁,方向也发生多次转变,导致南海扩张的不连续-非对称性.据此提出西太俯冲背景下周缘受限型海盆高度变化-非均衡扩张模式的新认识,丰富大陆边缘动力学理论.      

南海北部洋-陆过渡带深部结构与岩石圈破裂过程

洋-陆过渡带是理解大陆岩石圈破裂和海底初始扩张的关键位置,但是在南海北部地区仍然存在关于相关地质过程的诸多疑问.通过近年开展的国际大洋发现计划航次以及深部地质地球物理探测,取得以下4个方面的认识.（1）南海北部的洋-陆边界一般与自由空间重力异常的正-负值过渡位置对应,而更加准确地限定需要结合反射、折射地震资料.稳定大洋岩石圈生成与大陆岩石圈最终破裂之间的洋-陆过渡边界的位置比以往认为的还应往深海盆方向移动.（2）洋-陆过渡带代表了远端带构造作用减弱和岩浆作用逐渐增强的区域.陆坡地壳发育扩张后岩浆底侵、洋-陆过渡带发育同破裂期岩浆喷出结构和侵入反射体.（3）在中生代的古俯冲带弧前区域,新生代的断裂沿着早期的构造开始活动,岩石圈多处发生强烈的共轭韧性剪切作用.随着大陆岩石圈的进一步拉伸减薄,部分靠陆一侧的裂谷中心停止张裂,成为夭折裂谷,以台西南盆地南部凹陷、白云凹陷、西沙海槽为代表,而南海陆缘异常伸展和最终破裂的地方集中在南侧裂谷中心.夭折裂谷下亦发现地幔蛇纹石化,进一步反映了较弱的同破裂岩浆活动.（4）南海初始洋壳的增生沿着大陆边缘走向具有显著的变化,南海东北部洋-陆过渡带下伏地幔明显抬升和部分蛇纹石化,地震纵、横波速度以及折射波衰减特征都支持此观点,反映南海东北部是一个贫岩浆型大陆边缘.未来,南海北部洋-陆过渡带有望成为南海“莫霍钻”的理想备选钻探区.      

南海中央次海盆OBS位置校正及三维地震探测新进展

南海中央次海盆首次开展的三维海底地震仪(ocean bottom seismometer, OBS)探测试验, 对于全面认识南海扩张脊处速度展布特征及海底扩张历史有着重要意义.海底地震仪的位置是研究三维地震结构的关键参数之一, 高精度的三维OBS数据处理, 决定着后期地震结构反演模型的分辨率与准确性.利用直达水波走时信息, 综合最小二乘法反演原理, 并采用蒙特卡罗法模拟OBS降落海底的过程, 完成了南海中央次海盆试验区39台OBS数据格式转换与位置校正工作; 同时探讨了蒙特卡罗法应用于位置校正的精度问题.处理后OBS综合记录剖面中展示了多组清晰可靠、来自珍贝-黄岩火山链下深部结构中的P波震相, 如Pg、PmP和Pn震相, 为下一步南海中央次海盆的三维层析成像奠定了坚实数据基础.      

南海南部地壳结构的重力模拟及伸展模式探讨

对南海南部地壳结构研究有助于揭示南海完整的演化历史。本研究对南海南部获取的两条多道地震剖面进行了地震 解释,并对重力数据进行了壳幔密度反演。其中 NH973-1 测线始于南海西南次海盆,覆盖了南沙中部的北段;NH973-2 测 线始于南海东部次海盆,穿越礼乐滩东侧。反演结果显示,莫霍面埋深在海盆区 10~11 km,陆缘区 15~21 km 左右,洋壳向 陆壳莫霍面深度迅速增加。海盆区厚度在 6~7 km,为典型的洋壳;陆缘区地壳厚度在 15~19 km,为减薄型地壳。进一步研 究表明(1)在西南次海盆残余扩张脊之下,莫霍面比两侧略深;(2)在礼乐滩外侧海盆区有高值重力异常体,推测为洋壳与深 部岩浆混合的块体;(3)南沙区域上地壳存在高密度带,且横向上岩性可能变化。南海南部陆缘未发现有下地壳高速层,有 比较一致的构造属性和拉张样式,为非火山型陆缘。我们对两条测线陆缘的伸展因子进行了计算,发现上地壳脆性拉伸因 子与全地壳拉伸因子存在差异,其陆缘的拉张模式在纵向上是不均匀一的。     

发育大洋斜长花岗岩的南海管事平顶海山：深部地壳和莫霍面钻探的优选区？

本文紧密围绕IODP“面向2050年大洋钻探科学框架”中的“地球深部探测”旗舰计划和“莫霍面”梦想，研究并总结全球现代洋壳发现的大洋斜长花岗岩的分布规律、岩石组合特征和成因模式，探讨发育大洋斜长花岗岩的南海管事平顶海山是否为深部地壳和莫霍面钻探潜在优选区。统计结果表明大洋斜长花岗岩在多种不同构造背景形成的洋壳上均有发现，包括西南印度洋超慢速扩张构造环境，大西洋、西北太平洋、西印度洋和中印度洋慢速扩张构造环境，东太平洋快速扩张构造环境，南海等边缘海构造环境，伊豆- 小笠原- 马里亚纳(IBM)岛弧、九州- 帕劳海脊、Amami海底高原等洋内俯冲构造环境。多数大洋斜长花岗岩呈脉状零散分布于辉长岩中，意味大洋斜长花岗岩可能形成于洋壳深部，在后期断裂等地质作用下被剥蚀而更容易被发现，成为了解洋壳深部岩浆过程和洋壳结构的一个窗口。管事平顶海山位于南海东部次海盆古扩张脊附近，拖网获得MORB型大洋斜长花岗岩，前人基于地球化学数据认为其可能为辉长岩部分熔融形成。本文推测管事平顶海山大洋斜长花岗岩很可能为洋壳深部物质剥露海底，是南海的一个重要构造窗口，有望成为南海深部地壳和莫霍面钻探的潜在优选区，但需要开展进一步调查研究以验证推测：① 海山大洋斜长花岗岩为拖网所得，位置误差较大，需开展可精确定位的电视抓斗、浅钻或有缆遥控水下机器人(ROV)调查；② 海山目前只发现大洋斜长花岗岩，需调查海山是否发育辉长岩等深部地壳岩石组合；③ 需开展重磁、深反射地震、海底地震仪(OBS)、大地电磁等调查研究，建立管事平顶海山洋壳和上地幔结构模型，查明断裂带分布，揭示莫霍面深度。     

OBS广角地震探测在海洋沉积盆地研究中的作用

海洋沉积盆地是地球系统中重要的构造单元之一,其形成演化涉及到壳—幔、岩石圈—软流圈以及沉积地层和沉积流体体系等一系列深浅部耦合作用和地球动力学机制的演变。海洋沉积盆地的研究既包括地球深部结构状态、物质组成和构造演化等区域构造方面,也包括盆地内部结构、构造特征以及沉积地层孔隙流体特征等盆地自身构造特征。海底地震仪(Ocean Bottom Seismometer,OBS)广角地震探测,以其深度上穿透能力强和能够同时获取P波和S波速度结构等方面的优势,近年来在海洋沉积盆地区域构造演化、内部结构与构造以及沉积地层孔隙流体发育特征等研究中发挥了越来越重要的作用。在张裂大陆边缘的研究中,OBS广角地震探测所获取的地壳结构模型为划分"火山型"和"非火山型"张裂陆缘提供了直接证据,地壳拉张减薄的程度和空间变化特征为海洋沉积盆地构造演化的动力学模拟提供了约束条件。在盆地内部结构和构造特征方面,OBS深地震探测对盆地内部的盐体构造、岩浆底辟构造等提供了有效成像,并获取了盆地内部超压状态的分布特征,弥补了常规多道地震在探测深度和复杂地质构造背景等方面的缺陷。在海洋沉积盆地内部流体体系的研究方面,OBS深地震探测揭示了天然气水合物储集区的速度结构,进而计算获取了储集区的厚度以及水合物和游离气体在孔隙中的含量。当然,随着OBS地震探测技术的发展、数据处理能力的提高以及仪器设备参数的改善等,未来OBS广角地震探测在海洋沉积盆地动力学演化过程和机制方面的研究中将继续发挥更大更广泛的作用。     

Seismic imaging of the transitional crust across the northeastern margin of the South China Sea

Crustal structure across the passive continental margin of the northeastern South China Sea (SCS) is presented based on a deep seismic survey cooperated between Taiwan and China in August 2001. Reflection data collected from a 48-hydrophone streamer and the vertical component of refraction/reflection data recorded at 11 ocean-bottom seismometers along a NW–SE profile are integrated to image the upper (1.6–2.4 km/s), lower (2.5–2.9 km/s), and compacted (3–4.5 km/s) sediment, the upper (4.5–5.5 km/s), middle (5.5–6.5 km/s) and lower (6.5–7.5 km/s) crystalline crust successively. The velocity model shows that the thickness (0.5–3 km) and the basement of the compacted sediment are strongly varied due to intrusion of the magma and igneous rocks after seafloor spreading of the SCS. Furthermore, several volcanoes and igneous rocks in the upper/middle crust (7–10 km thick) and a high velocity layer (0–5 km thick) in the lower crust of the model are identified as the ocean–continent transition (OCT) below the lower slope in the northeastern margin of the SCS. A thin continent NW of the OCT and a thick oceanic crust SE of the OCT in the continental margin of the northeastern SCS are also imaged, but these transitional crusts cannot be classified as the OCT due to their crustal thickness and the limited amount of the volcano, the magma and the high velocity layer. The extended continent, next to the gravity low and a sag zone extended from the SW Taiwan Basin, may have resulted from subduction of the Eurasian Plate beneath the Manila Trench whereas the thick oceanic crust may have been due to the excess volcanism and the late magmatic underplating in the oceanic crust after seafloor spreading of the SCS.     

Crustal Structure across the Northwestern Margin of South China Sea: Evidence for Magma‐poor Rifting from a Wide‐angle Seismic Profile

We present results from a 484 km wide-angle seismic profile acquired in the northwest part of the South China Sea (SCS) during OBS2006 cruise. The line that runs along a previously acquired multi-channel seismic line (SO49-18) crosses the continental slope of the northern margin, the Northwest Subbasin (NWSB) of the South China Sea, the Zhongsha Massif and partly the oceanic basin of the South China Sea. Seismic sections recorded on 13 ocean-bottom seismometers were used to identify refracted phases from the crustal layer and also reflected phases from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho). Inversion of the traveltimes using a simple start model reveals crustal images in the study area. The velocity model shows that crustal thickness below the continental slope is between 14 and 23 km. The continental part of the line is characterized by gentle landward mantle uplift and an abrupt oceanward one. The velocities in the lower crust do not exceed 6.9 km/s. With the new data we can exclude a high-velocity lower crustal body (velocities above 7.0 km/s) at the location of the line. We conclude that this part of the South China Sea margin developed by a magma-poor rifting. Both, the NWSB and the Southwest Sub-basin (SWSB) reveal velocities typical for oceanic crust with crustal thickness between 5 and 7 km. The Zhongsha Massif in between is extremely stretched with only 6–10 km continental crust left. Crustal velocity is below 6.5 km/s; possibly indicating the absence of the lower crust. Multi-channel seismic profile shows that the Yitongansha Uplift in the slope area and the Zhongsha Massif are only mildly deformed. We considered them as rigid continent blocks which acted as rift shoulders of the main rift subsequently resulting in the formation of the Northwest Sub-basin. The extension was mainly accommodated by a ductile lower crustal flows, which might have been extremely attenuated and flow into the oceanic basin during the spreading stage. We compared the crustal structures along the northern margin and found an east-west thicken trend of the crust below the continent slope. This might be contributed by the east-west sea-floor spreading along the continental margin.     

Distinct continental margins and associated stratigraphic architecture patterns during the seafloor spreading of South China Sea

In this paper we compare four types of stratigraphic architectures around the continental margins in the South China Sea (SCS) based on a plentiful of seismic profiles. The results indicate that stratigraphic patterns are not only related closely to structure regimes of peripheral of the SCS, but also are restrained by crust structure from continental crust to oceanic crust. In the extensional setting, depositional centres during the syn‐spreading stage are located in the strong extensional area. A wedge‐decrease continental crust represented by the Pearl River Mouth type is characterized by high deposition and subsidence rate during the syn‐rifting and syn‐spreading stages in the distal zone. And in the Zhongjiannan type with a continental ribbon, high deposition and subsidence rate during the syn‐rifting and syn‐spreading stages are present in the proximal zone. However, in the southern and eastern margins with compressional setting, the Liyue and Zengmu microcontinent blocks are separated from the South China with the seafloor spreading of SCS, in which a confined or relative thin syn‐spreading deposits are presence. High deposition and subsidence rate is closely related to the collision or subduction condition during the post‐spreading stage in the Liyue bank type and the Zengmu type, a huge progradational clinoforms are present along the subduction and collision margin. Therefore, this study shows distinct stratigraphic architecture in different continental rifted margins, distinct depositional and subsidence characteristics formed during the process of lithospheric rupture can provide an effective method for the study on the continental marginal sea in the western Pacific.     

Crustal structure of the continental margin of Korea in the East Sea (Japan Sea) from deep seismic sounding data: evidence for rifting affected by the hotter than normal mantle

Despite the various opening models of the southwestern part of the East Sea (Japan Sea) between the Korean Peninsula and the Japan Arc, the continental margin of the Korean Peninsula remains unknown in crustal structure. As a result, continental rifting and subsequent seafloor spreading processes to explain the opening of the East Sea have not been adequately addressed. We investigated crustal and sedimentary velocity structures across the Korean margin into the adjacent Ulleung Basin from multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection and ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) data. The Ulleung Basin shows crustal velocity structure typical of oceanic although its crustal thickness of about 10 km is greater than normal. The continental margin documents rapid transition from continental to oceanic crust, exhibiting a remarkable decrease in crustal thickness accompanied by shallowing of Moho over a distance of about 50 km. The crustal model of the margin is characterized by a high-velocity (up to 7.4 km/s) lower crustal (HVLC) layer that is thicker than 10 km under the slope base and pinches out seawards. The HVLC layer is interpreted as magmatic underplating emplaced during continental rifting in response to high upper mantle temperature. The acoustic basement of the slope base shows an igneous stratigraphy developed by massive volcanic eruption. These features suggest that the evolution of the Korean margin can be explained by the processes occurring at volcanic rifted margins. Global earthquake tomography supports our interpretation by defining the abnormally hot upper mantle across the Korean margin and in the Ulleung Basin.