Comparing gravity-based to seismic-derived lithosphere densities : A case study of the British Isles and surrounding areas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Root, B.C.; Ebbing, J; van der Wal, W.; England, R.W.; Vermeersen, L.L.A.

2017-01-01

Lithospheric density structure can be constructed from seismic tomography, gravity modelling, or using both data sets. The different approaches have their own uncertainties and limitations. This study aims to characterize and quantify some of the uncertainties in gravity modelling of lithosphere

Global thermal models of the lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Cammarano, F.; Guerri, M.

2017-12-01

Unraveling the thermal structure of the outermost shell of our planet is key for understanding its evolution. We obtain temperatures from interpretation of global shear-velocity (VS) models. Long-wavelength thermal structure is well determined by seismic models and only slightly affected by compositional effects and uncertainties in mineral-physics properties. Absolute temperatures and gradients with depth, however, are not well constrained. Adding constraints from petrology, heat-flow observations and thermal evolution of oceanic lithosphere help to better estimate absolute temperatures in the top part of the lithosphere. We produce global thermal models of the lithosphere at different spatial resolution, up to spherical-harmonics degree 24, and provide estimated standard deviations. We provide purely seismic thermal (TS) model and hybrid models where temperatures are corrected with steady-state conductive geotherms on continents and cooling model temperatures on oceanic regions. All relevant physical properties, with the exception of thermal conductivity, are based on a self-consistent thermodynamical modelling approach. Our global thermal models also include density and compressional-wave velocities (VP) as obtained either assuming no lateral variations in composition or a simple reference 3-D compositional structure, which takes into account a chemically depleted continental lithosphere. We found that seismically-derived temperatures in continental lithosphere fit well, overall, with continental geotherms, but a large variation in radiogenic heat is required to reconcile them with heat flow (long wavelength) observations. Oceanic shallow lithosphere below mid-oceanic ridges and young oceans is colder than expected, confirming the possible presence of a dehydration boundary around 80 km depth already suggested in previous studies. The global thermal models should serve as the basis to move at a smaller spatial scale, where additional thermo-chemical variations

S-Wave's Velocities of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere System in the Caribbean Region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, O'Leary; Alvarez, Jose Leonardo; Moreno, Bladimir; Panza, Giuliano F.

2010-06-01

An overview of the S-wave velocity (Vs) structural model of the Caribbean is presented with a resolution of 2 o x2 o . As a result of the frequency time analysis (FTAN) of more than 400 trajectories epicenter-stations in this region, new tomographic maps of Rayleigh waves group velocity dispersion at periods ranging from 10 s to 40 s have been determined. For each 2 o x2 o cell, group velocity dispersion curves were determined and extended to 150 s adding data from a larger scale tomographic study (Vdovin et al., 1999). Using, as independent a priori information, the available geological and geophysical data of the region, each dispersion curve has been mapped, by non-linear inversion, into a set of Vs vs. depth models in the depth range from 0 km to 300 km. Due to the non-uniqueness of the solutions for each cell a Local Smoothness Optimization (LSO) has been applied to the whole region to identify a tridimensional model of Vs vs. depth in cells of 2 o x2 o , thus satisfying the Occam razor concept. Through these models some main features of the lithosphere and asthenosphere are evidenced, such as: the west directed subduction zone of the eastern Caribbean region with a clear mantle wedge between the Caribbean lithosphere and the subducted slab; the complex and asymmetric behavior of the crustal and lithospheric thickness in the Cayman ridge; the diffused presence of oceanic crust in the region; the presence of continental type crust in the South America, Central America and North America plates, as well as the bottom of the upper asthenosphere that gets shallower going from west to east. (author)

Lithospheric Strength Beneath the Zagros Mountains of Southwestern Iran

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Adams, A. N.; Nyblade, A.; Brazier, R.; Rodgers, A.; Al-Amri, A.

2006-05-01

The Zagros Mountain Belt of southwestern Iran is among the most seismically active mountain belts in the world. Early seismic studies of this area found that the lithosphere underlying the Zagros Mountains follows the "jelly sandwich" model, having a strong upper crust and a strong lithospheric mantle, separated by a weak lower crust. More recent studies, which analyzed earthquakes originating within the Zagros Mountains that were recorded at teleseismic distances, however, found that these earthquakes occurred only within the upper crust, thus indicating that the strength of the Zagros Mountains' lithosphere lies only within the upper crust, in accordance with the "creme brulee" lithospheric model. Preliminary analysis of regionally recorded earthquakes that originated within the Zagros Mountains is presented here. Using earthquakes recorded at regional distances will allow the analysis of a larger dataset than has been used in previous studies. Preliminary results show earthquakes occurring throughout the crust and possibly extending into the upper mantle.

Lithospheric rheology and Moho upheaval control the generation mechanism of the intraplate earthquakes in the North China Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang; Zhu, Bojing; Shi, Yaolin

2016-05-01

Many devastating intraplate earthquakes, such as the 1966 Xingtai earthquake (Ms 7.2) and the 1976 Tangshan earthquake (Ms 7.8), occurred in the North China Basin (NCB). This study aims to investigate the generation mechanism of the large intraplate earthquakes in the NCB and the spatial distribution of earthquake activity through numerical experiments. In order to simulate the interseismic stress accumulation process in the NCB, we set up several 3D finite element models based on different lithospheric rheological structure and apply boundary conditions of horizontal compression. We find that stress concentration with high rate in the regions where Moho upheaves is responsible for the large earthquakes in the NCB. During the interseismic period large stress rate is located nearly around the bottom of the brittle upper crust, where stress accumulates fast to reach fault strength and active the main shocks. Aftershocks in the seismogenic layers could be triggered by the main shocks. Two factors are critical to the crustal stress accumulation process. (1) The first is Moho upheaval in the seismic zones. (2) The second is viscosity contrast among the crustal layers. Our results support the lithospheric rheological structure in the NCB as following: the brittle upper crust, brittle-ductile transition in the middle crust, the ductile lower crust, and the ductile lithospheric upper mantle.

Lithospheric flexure beneath the Freyja Montes Foredeep, Venus: Constraints on lithospheric thermal gradient and heat flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solomon, S.C.; Head, J.W.

1990-01-01

Analysis of Venera 15 and 16 radar images and topographic data from the Freyja Montes region on Venus suggest that this mountain belt formed as a result of a sequence of underthrusts of the lithosphere of the North Polar Plains beneath the highlands of Ishtar Terra. The Freyja Montes deformation zone consists, south to north, of a linear orogenic belt, an adjacent plateau, a steep scarp separating the plateau from the North Polar Plains, a linear depression at the base of the scarp, and an outer rise. The topographic profile of the depression and outer rise are remarkably similar to that of a foreland deep and rise formed by the flexure of the underthrusting plate beneath a terrestrial mountain range. The authors test the lithospheric flexure hypothesis and they estimate the effective thickness T e of the elastic lithosphere of the underthrusting portion of the North Polar Plains by fitting individual topographic profiles to deflection curves for a broken elastic plate. The theoretical curves fit the observed topographic profiles to within measurement error for values of flexural rigidity D in the range (0.8-3) x 10 22 N m, equivalent to T e in the range 11-18 km. Under the assumption that the base of the mechanical lithosphere is limited by the creep strength of olivine, the mean lithospheric thermal gradient is 14-23 K/km. That the inferred thermal gradient is similar to the value expected for the global mean gradient on the basis of scaling from Earth provides support for the hypothesis that simple conduction dominates lithospheric heat transport on Venus relative to lithospheric recycling and volcanism

The westward drift of the lithosphere: A tidal ratchet?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Carcaterra

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Is the westerly rotation of the lithosphere an ephemeral accidental recent phenomenon or is it a stable process of Earth's geodynamics? The reason why the tidal drag has been questioned as the mechanism determining the lithospheric shift relative to the underlying mantle is the apparent too high viscosity of the asthenosphere. However, plate boundaries asymmetries are a robust indication of the ‘westerly’ decoupling of the entire Earth's outer lithospheric shell and new studies support lower viscosities in the low-velocity layer (LVZ atop the asthenosphere. Since the solid Earth tide oscillation is longer in one side relative to the other due to the contemporaneous Moon's revolution, we demonstrate that a non-linear rheological behavior is expected in the lithosphere mantle interplay. This may provide a sort of ratchet favoring lowering of the LVZ viscosity under shear, allowing decoupling in the LVZ and triggering the westerly motion of the lithosphere relative to the mantle.

Lithospheric Structure, Crustal Kinematics, and Earthquakes in North China: An Integrated Study

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, M.; Yang, Y.; Sandvol, E.; Chen, Y.; Wang, L.; Zhou, S.; Shen, Z.; Wang, Q.

2007-12-01

The North China block (NCB) is geologically part of the Archaean Sino-Korean craton. But unusual for a craton, it was thermally rejuvenated since late Mesozoic, and experienced widespread extension and volcanism through much of the Cenozoic. Today, the NCB is characterized by strong internal deformation and seismicity, including the 1976 Tangshan earthquake that killed ~250,000 people. We have started a multidisciplinary study to image the lithospheric and upper mantle structure using seismological methods, to delineate crustal kinematics and deformation via studies of neotectonics and space geodesy, and to investigate the driving forces, the stress states and evolution, and seismicity using geodynamic modeling. Both seismic imaging and GPS results indicate that the Ordos plateau, which is the western part of the NCB and a relic of the Sino-Korean craton, has been encroached around its southern margins by mantle flow and thus is experiencing active cratonic destruction. Some of the mantle flow may be driven by the Indo-Asian collision, although the cause of the broad mantle upwelling responsible for the Mesozoic thinning of the NCB lithosphere remains uncertain. At present, crustal deformation in the NCB is largely driven by gravitational spreading of the expanding Tibetan Plateau. Internal deformation within the NCB is further facilitated by the particular tectonic boundary conditions around the NCB, and the large lateral contrasts of lithospheric strength and rheology. Based on the crustal kinematics and lithospheric structure, we have developed a preliminary geodynamic model for stress states and strain energy in the crust of the NCB. The predicted long-term strain energy distribution is comparable with the spatial pattern of seismic energy release in the past 2000 years. We are exploring the cause of the spatiotemporal occurrence of large earthquakes in the NCB, especially the apparent migration of seismicity from the Weihe-Shanxi grabens around the Ordos to

In situ rheology of the oceanic lithosphere along the Hawaiian ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Pleus, A.; Ito, G.; Wessel, P.; Frazer, L. N.

2017-12-01

Much of our quantitative understanding of lithospheric rheology is based on rock deformation experiments carried out in the laboratory. The accuracy of the relationships between stress and lithosphere deformation, however, are subject to large extrapolations, given that laboratory strain rates (10-7 s-1) are much greater than geologic rates (10-15 to 10-12 s-1). In situ deformation experiments provide independent constraints and are therefore needed to improve our understanding of natural rheology. Zhong and Watts [2013] presented such a study around the main Hawaiian Islands and concluded that the lithosphere flexure requires a much weaker rheology than predicted by laboratory experiments. We build upon this study by investigating flexure around the older volcanoes of the Hawaiian ridge. The ridge is composed of a diversity of volcano sizes that loaded seafloor of nearly constant age (85+/-8 Ma); this fortunate situation allows for an analysis of flexural responses to large variations in applied loads at nearly constant age-dependent lithosphere thermal structure. Our dataset includes new marine gravity and multi-beam bathymetry data collected onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor. These data, along with forward models of lithospheric flexure, are used to obtain a joint posterior probability density function for model parameters that control the lithosphere's flexural response to a given load. These parameters include the frictional coefficient constraining brittle failure in the shallow lithosphere, the activation energy for the low-temperature plasticity regime, and the geothermal gradient of the Hawaiian lithosphere. The resulting in situ rheological parameters may be used to verify or update those derived in the lab. Attaining accurate lithospheric rheological properties is important to our knowledge, not only of the evolution of the Hawaiian lithosphere, but also of other solid-earth geophysical problems, such as oceanic earthquakes, subduction

Craton Heterogeneity in the South American Lithosphere

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Lloyd, S.; Van der Lee, S.; Assumpcao, M.; Feng, M.; Franca, G. S.

2012-04-01

We investigate structure of the lithosphere beneath South America using receiver functions, surface wave dispersion analysis, and seismic tomography. The data used include recordings from 20 temporary broadband seismic stations deployed across eastern Brazil (BLSP02) and from the Chile Ridge Subduction Project seismic array in southern Chile (CRSP). By jointly inverting Moho point constraints, Rayleigh wave group velocities, and regional S and Rayleigh wave forms we obtain a continuous map of Moho depth. The new tomographic Moho map suggests that Moho depth and Moho relief vary slightly with age within the Precambrian crust. Whether or not a correlation between crustal thickness and geologic age can be derived from the pre-interpolation point constraints depends strongly on the selected subset of receiver functions. This implies that using only pre-interpolation point constraints (receiver functions) inadequately samples the spatial variation in geologic age. We also invert for S velocity structure and estimate the depth of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) in Precambrian South America. The new model reveals a relatively thin lithosphere throughout most of Precambrian South America (< 140 km). Comparing LAB depth with lithospheric age shows they are overall positively correlated, whereby the thickest lithosphere occurs in the relatively small Saõ Francisco craton (200 km). However, within the larger Amazonian craton the younger lithosphere is thicker, indicating that locally even larger cratons are not protected from erosion or reworking of the lithosphere.

Impact of lithospheric rheology on surface topography

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, K.; Becker, T. W.

2017-12-01

The expression of mantle flow such as due to a buoyant plume as surface topography is a classical problem, yet the role of rheological complexities could benefit from further exploration. Here, we investigate the topographic expressions of mantle flow by means of numerical and analytical approaches. In numerical modeling, both conventional, free-slip and more realistic, stress-free boundary conditions are applied. For purely viscous rheology, a high viscosity lithosphere will lead to slight overestimates of topography for certain settings, which can be understood by effectively modified boundary conditions. Under stress-free conditions, numerical and analytical results show that the magnitude of dynamic topography decreases with increasing lithosphere thickness (L) and viscosity (ηL), as L-1 and ηL-3. The wavelength of dynamic topography increases linearly with L and (ηL/ ηM) 1/3. We also explore the time-dependent interactions of a rising plume with the lithosphere. For a layered lithosphere with a decoupling weak lower crust embedded between stronger upper crust and lithospheric mantle, dynamic topography increases with a thinner and weaker lower crust. The dynamic topography saturates when the decoupling viscosity is 3-4 orders lower than the viscosity of upper crust and lithospheric mantle. We further explore the role of visco-elastic and visco-elasto-plastic rheologies.

The continental lithosphere: a geochemical perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawkesworth, C.J.; Person, G.; Turner, S.P.; Calsteren, P. Van; Gallagher, K.

1993-01-01

The lithosphere is the cool strong outler layer of the Earth that is effectively a boundary layer to the convecting interior. The evidence from mantle xenoliths and continental basalts is that the lower continental crust and uppermost mantle are different beneath Archaen and proterozoic areas. Mantle xenoliths from Archaen terrains, principally the Kaapvaal craton in southern Africa, are significantly depleted in Fe and other major elements which are concentrated in basalts. Nd and Os isotope data on inclusions in diamonds and peridoties respectively, indicate that such mantle is as old as the overlying Archaen crust. Since it appears to have been coupled to the overlying crust, and to have been isolated from the homogenising effects of convection for long periods of time, it is inferred to be within the continental lithosphere. The mantle lithosphere beneath Proterozoic and younger areas is less depleted in major elements, and so it is more fertile, less buoyant, and therefore thinner, than the Archaen mantle lithosphere. (author). 136 refs, 14 figs

Characterizing Lithospheric Thickness in Australia using Ps and Sp Scattered Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, H. A.; Fischer, K. M.; Rychert, C. A.

2008-12-01

The purpose of this study is to constrain the morphology of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary throughout Australia using scattered waves. Prior surface wave studies have shown a correlation between lithospheric thickness and the three primary geologic provinces of Australia, with the shallowest lithosphere located beneath the Phanerozoic province to the east, and the thicker lithosphere located beneath the Proterozoic and Archean regions. To determine lithospheric thickness, waveform data from twenty permanent broadband stations spanning mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania were analyzed using Ps and Sp migration techniques. Waveform selection for each station was based on epicentral distance (35° to 80° for Ps and 55° to 80° for Sp), and event depth (no greater than 300 km for Sp). For both Ps and Sp a simultaneous deconvolution was performed on the data for each of the twenty stations, and the resulting receiver function for each station was migrated to depth. Data were binned with epicentral distance to differentiate direct discontinuity phases from crustal reverberations (for Ps) and other teleseismic arrivals (for Sp). Early results in both Ps and Sp show a clear Moho discontinuity at most stations in addition to sharp, strong crustal reverberations seen in many of the Ps images. In the eastern Phanerozoic province, a strong negative phase at 100-105 km is evident in Ps for stations CAN and EIDS. The negative phase lies within a depth range that corresponds to the negative velocity gradient between fast lithosphere and slow asthenosphere imaged by surface waves. We therefore think that it is the lithosphere- asthenosphere boundary. On the island of Tasmania, a negative phase at 70-75 km in Ps images at stations TAU and MOO also appears to be the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. In the Proterozoic and Archean regions of the Australian continent, initial results for both Ps and Sp migration indicate clear crustal phases, but significantly

Effect of the lithospheric thermal state on the Moho interface: A case study in South America

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Bagherbandi, Mohammad; Bai, Yongliang; Sjöberg, Lars E.; Tenzer, Robert; Abrehdary, Majid; Miranda, Silvia; Alcacer Sanchez, Juan M.

2017-07-01

Gravimetric methods applied for Moho recovery in areas with sparse and irregular distribution of seismic data often assume only a constant crustal density. Results of latest studies, however, indicate that corrections for crustal density heterogeneities could improve the gravimetric result, especially in regions with a complex geologic/tectonic structure. Moreover, the isostatic mass balance reflects also the density structure within the lithosphere. The gravimetric methods should therefore incorporate an additional correction for the lithospheric mantle as well as deeper mantle density heterogeneities. Following this principle, we solve the Vening Meinesz-Moritz (VMM) inverse problem of isostasy constrained by seismic data to determine the Moho depth of the South American tectonic plate including surrounding oceans, while taking into consideration the crustal and mantle density heterogeneities. Our numerical result confirms that contribution of sediments significantly modifies the estimation of the Moho geometry especially along the continental margins with large sediment deposits. To account for the mantle density heterogeneities we develop and apply a method in order to correct the Moho geometry for the contribution of the lithospheric thermal state (i.e., the lithospheric thermal-pressure correction). In addition, the misfit between the isostatic and seismic Moho models, attributed mainly to deep mantle density heterogeneities and other geophysical phenomena, is corrected for by applying the non-isostatic correction. The results reveal that the application of the lithospheric thermal-pressure correction improves the RMS fit of the VMM gravimetric Moho solution to the CRUST1.0 (improves ∼ 1.9 km) and GEMMA (∼1.1 km) models and the point-wise seismic data (∼0.7 km) in South America.

Lateral heterogeneity and vertical stratification of cratonic lithospheric keels: a case study of the Siberian craton

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Artemieva, Irina; Cherepanova, Yulia; Herceg, Matija

2014-01-01

by regional xenolith P-T arrays,lithosphere density heterogeneity as constrained by free-board and satellite gravity data, and the non-thermalpart of upper mantle seismic velocity heterogeneity based on joint analysis of thermal and seismic tomography data.Density structure of the cratonic lithosphere...... and strongly depleted lithospheric mantle of the Archean nuclei, particularly below the Anabar shield.Since we cannot identify the depth distribution of density anomalies, we complement the approach by seismicdata. An analysis of temperature-corrected seismic velocity structure indicates strong vertical...

Seismic imaging of lithospheric discontinuities and continental evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Bostock, M. G.

1999-09-01

Discontinuities in physical properties within the continental lithosphere reflect a range of processes that have contributed to craton stabilization and evolution. A survey of recent seismological studies concerning lithospheric discontinuities is made in an attempt to document their essential characteristics. Results from long-period seismology are inconsistent with the presence of continuous, laterally invariant, isotropic boundaries within the upper mantle at the global scale. At regional scales, two well-defined interfaces termed H (˜60 km depth) and L (˜200 km depth) of continental affinity are identified, with the latter boundary generally exhibiting an anisotropic character. Long-range refraction profiles are frequently characterized by subcontinental mantle that exhibits a complex stratification within the top 200 km. The shallow layering of this package can behave as an imperfect waveguide giving rise to the so-called teleseismic Pn phase, while the L-discontinuity may define its lower base as the culmination of a low velocity zone. High-resolution, seismic reflection profiling provides sufficient detail in a number of cases to document the merging of mantle interfaces into lower continental crust below former collisional sutures and magmatic arcs, thus unambiguously identifying some lithospheric discontinuities with thrust faults and subducted oceanic lithosphere. Collectively, these and other seismic observations point to a continental lithosphere whose internal structure is dominated by a laterally variable, subhorizontal layering. This stratigraphy appears to be more pronounced at shallower lithospheric levels, includes dense, anisotropic layers of order 10 km in thickness, and exhibits horizontal correlation lengths comparable to the lateral dimensions of overlying crustal blocks. A model of craton evolution which relies on shallow subduction as a principal agent of craton stabilization is shown to be broadly compatible with these characteristics.

Ancient Continental Lithosphere Dislocated Beneath Ocean Basins Along the Mid-Lithosphere Discontinuity: A Hypothesis

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Wang, Zhensheng; Kusky, Timothy M.; Capitanio, Fabio A.

2017-09-01

The documented occurrence of ancient continental cratonic roots beneath several oceanic basins remains poorly explained by the plate tectonic paradigm. These roots are found beneath some ocean-continent boundaries, on the trailing sides of some continents, extending for hundreds of kilometers or farther into oceanic basins. We postulate that these cratonic roots were left behind during plate motion, by differential shearing along the seismically imaged mid-lithosphere discontinuity (MLD), and then emplaced beneath the ocean-continent boundary. Here we use numerical models of cratons with realistic crustal rheologies drifting at observed plate velocities to support the idea that the mid-lithosphere weak layer fostered the decoupling and offset of the African continent's buoyant cratonic root, which was left behind during Meso-Cenozoic continental drift and emplaced beneath the Atlantic Ocean. We show that in some cratonic areas, the MLD plays a similar role as the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary for accommodating lateral plate tectonic displacements.

Mercury's Lithospheric Magnetization

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Johnson, C.; Phillips, R. J.; Philpott, L. C.; Al Asad, M.; Plattner, A.; Mast, S.; Kinczyk, M. J.; Prockter, L. M.

2017-12-01

Magnetic field data obtained by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft have been used to demonstrate the presence of lithospheric magnetization on Mercury. Larger amplitude fields resulting from the core dynamo and the strongly time-varying magnetospheric current systems are first estimated and subtracted from the magnetic field data to isolate lithospheric signals with wavelengths less than 500 km. These signals (hereafter referred to as data) are only observed at spacecraft altitudes less than 120 km, and are typically a few to 10 nT in amplitude. We present and compare equivalent source dipole magnetization models for latitudes 35°N to 75°N obtained from two distinct approaches to constrain the distribution and origin of lithospheric magnetization. First, models that fit either the data or the surface field predicted from a regional spherical harmonic representation of the data (see Plattner & Johnson abstract) and that minimize the root mean square (RMS) value of the magnetization are derived. Second, models in which the spatial distribution of magnetization required to fit the data is minimized are derived using the approach of Parker (1991). As seen previously, the largest amplitudes of lithospheric magnetization are concentrated around the Caloris basin. With this exception, across the northern hemisphere there are no overall correlations of magnetization with surface geology, although higher magnetizations are found in regions with darker surfaces. Similarly, there is no systematic correlation of magnetization signatures with crater materials, although there are specific instances of craters with interiors or ejecta that have magnetizations distinct from the surrounding region. For the latter case, we observe no correlation of the occurrence of these signatures with crater degradation state (a proxy for age). At the lowest spacecraft altitudes (source depths less than O(10 km) are unlikely in most regions

Piecewise delamination of Moroccan lithosphere from beneath the Atlas Mountains

Science.gov (United States)

Bezada, M. J.; Humphreys, E. D.; Davila, J. M.; Carbonell, R.; Harnafi, M.; Palomeras, I.; Levander, A.

2014-04-01

The elevation of the intracontinental Atlas Mountains of Morocco and surrounding regions requires a mantle component of buoyancy, and there is consensus that this buoyancy results from an abnormally thin lithosphere. Lithospheric delamination under the Atlas Mountains and thermal erosion caused by upwelling mantle have each been suggested as thinning mechanisms. We use seismic tomography to image the upper mantle of Morocco. Our imaging resolves the location and shape of lithospheric cavities and of delaminated lithosphere ˜400 km beneath the Middle Atlas. We propose discontinuous delamination of an intrinsically unstable Atlas lithosphere, enabled by the presence of anomalously hot mantle, as a mechanism for producing the imaged structures. The Atlas lithosphere was made unstable by a combination of tectonic shortening and eclogite loading during Mesozoic rifting and Cenozoic magmatism. The presence of hot mantle sourced from regional upwellings in northern Africa or the Canary Islands enhanced the instability of this lithosphere. Flow around the retreating Alboran slab focused upwelling mantle under the Middle Atlas, which we infer to be the site of the most recent delamination. The Atlas Mountains of Morocco stand as an example of large-scale lithospheric loss in a mildly contractional orogen.

The Lithosphere in Italy: Structure and Seismicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandmayr, Enrico; Blagoeva Raykova, Reneta; Zuri, Marco; Romanelli, Fabio; Doglioni, Carlo; Panza, Giuliano Francesco

2010-07-01

We propose a structural model for the lithosphere-asthenosphere system for the Italic region by means of the S-wave velocity (V S ) distribution with depth. To obtain the velocity structure the following methods are used in the sequence: frequency-time analysis (FTAN); 2D tomography (plotted on a grid 1 o x 1 o ); non-linear inversion; smoothing optimization method. The 3D V S structure (and its uncertainties) of the study region is assembled as a juxtaposition of the selected representative cellular models. The distribution of seismicity and heat flow is used as an independent constraint for the definition of the crustal and lithospheric thickness. The moment tensor inversion of recent damaging earthquakes which occurred in the Italic region is performed through a powerful non-linear technique and it is related to the different rheologic-mechanic properties of the crust and uppermost mantle. The obtained picture of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system for the Italic region confirms a mantle extremely vertically stratified and laterally strongly heterogeneous. The lateral variability in the mantle is interpreted in terms of subduction zones, slab dehydration, inherited mantle chemical anisotropies, asthenospheric upwellings, and so on. The western Alps and the Dinarides have slabs with low dip, whereas the Apennines show a steeper subduction. No evidence for any type of mantle plume is observed. The asymmetric expansion of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which may be interpreted as related to a relative eastward mantle flow with respect to the overlying lithosphere, is confirmed. (author)

Permeability Barrier Generation in the Martian Lithosphere

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Schools, Joe; Montési, Laurent

2015-11-01

Permeability barriers develop when a magma produced in the interior of a planet rises into the cooler lithosphere and crystallizes more rapidly than the lithosphere can deform (Sparks and Parmentier, 1991). Crystallization products may then clog the porous network in which melt is propagating, reducing the permeability to almost zero, i.e., forming a permeability barrier. Subsequent melts cannot cross the barrier. Permeability barriers have been useful to explain variations in crustal thickness at mid-ocean ridges on Earth (Magde et al., 1997; Hebert and Montési, 2011; Montési et al., 2011). We explore here under what conditions permeability barriers may form on Mars.We use the MELTS thermodynamic calculator (Ghiorso and Sack, 1995; Ghiorso et al., 2002; Asimow et al., 2004) in conjunction with estimated Martian mantle compositions (Morgan and Anders, 1979; Wänke and Dreibus, 1994; Lodders and Fegley, 1997; Sanloup et al., 1999; Taylor 2013) to model the formation of permeability barriers in the lithosphere of Mars. In order to represent potential past and present conditions of Mars, we vary the lithospheric thickness, mantle potential temperature (heat flux), oxygen fugacity, and water content.Our results show that permeability layers can develop in the thermal boundary layer of the simulated Martian lithosphere if the mantle potential temperature is higher than ~1500°C. The various Martian mantle compositions yield barriers in the same locations, under matching variable conditions. There is no significant difference in barrier location over the range of accepted Martian oxygen fugacity values. Water content is the most significant influence on barrier development as it reduces the temperature of crystallization, allowing melt to rise further into the lithosphere. Our lower temperature and thicker lithosphere model runs, which are likely the most similar to modern Mars, show no permeability barrier generation. Losing the possibility of having a permeability

The rheological structure of the lithosphere in the Eastern Marmara region, Turkey

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Oruç, Bülent; Sönmez, Tuba

2017-05-01

The aim of this work is to propose the geometries of the crustal-lithospheric mantle boundary (Moho) and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) and the 1D thermal structure of the lithosphere, in order to establish a rheological model of the Eastern Marmara region. The average depths of Moho and LAB are respectively 35 km and 51 km from radially averaged amplitude spectra of EGM08 Bouguer anomalies. The geometries of Moho and LAB interfaces are estimated from the Parker-Oldenburg gravity inversion algorithm. Our results show the Moho depth varies from 31 km at the northern part of North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) to 39 km below the mountain belt in the southern part of the NAFZ. The depth to the LAB beneath the same parts of the region ranges from 45 km to 55 km. Having lithospheric strength and thermal boundary layer structure, we analyzed the conditions of development of lithosphere thinning. A two-dimensional strength profile has been estimated for rheology model of the study area. Thus we suggest that the rheological structure consists of a strong upper crust, a weak lower crust, and a partly molten upper lithospheric mantle.

Lithosphere mantle density of the North China Craton based on gravity data

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, B.; Artemieva, I. M.; Thybo, H.

2017-12-01

Based on gravity, seismic and thermal data we constrained the lithospheric mantle density at in-situ and STP condition. The gravity effect of topography, sedimentary cover, Moho and Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary variation were removed from free-air gravity anomaly model. The sedimentary covers with density range from 1.80 g/cm3 with soft sediments to 2.40 g/cm3 with sandstone and limestone sediments. The average crustal density with values of 2.70 - 2.78 g/cm3 which corresponds the thickness and density of the sedimentary cover. Based on the new thermal model, the surface heat flow in original the North China Craton including western block is > 60 mW/m2. Moho temperature ranges from 450 - 600 OC in the eastern block and in the western block is 550 - 650 OC. The thermal lithosphere is 100 -140 km thick where have the surface heat flow of 60 - 70 mW/m2. The gravity effect of surface topography, sedimentary cover, Moho depth are 0 to +150 mGal, - 20 to -120 mGal and +50 to -200 mGal, respectively. By driving the thermal lithosphere, the gravity effect of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary ranges from 20 mGal to +200 mGal which shows strong correction with the thickness of the lithosphere. The relationship between the gravity effect of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and the lithosphere thickness also for the seismic lithosphere, and the value of gravity effect is 0 to +220 mGal. The lithospheric mantle residual gravity which caused by lithospheric density variation range from -200 to +50 mGal by using the thermal lithosphere and from -250 to +100 mGal by driving the seismic lithosphere. For thermal lithosphere, the lithospheric mantle density with values of 3.21- 3.26 g/cm3 at in-situ condition and 3.33 - 3.38 g/cm3 at STP condition. Using seismic lithosphere, density of lithosphere ranges from 3.20 - 3.26 g/cm3 at in-situ condition and 3.31 - 3.41 g/cm3 at STP condition. The subcontinental lithosphere of the North China Craton is highly heterogeneous

DESTRUCTION OF THE LITHOSPHERE: FAULTBLOCK DIVISIBILITY AND ITS TECTONOPHYSICAL REGULARITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Semen I. Sherman

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A new concept is proposed concerning the origin and inception of ‘initial’ faults and formation of large blocks as a result of cooling of the Archaean lithosphere, during which Benard cells had formed (Fig. 5. At locations where cooling convection currents went down, partial crystallization took place, stresses were localized, and initial fault occurred there. The systems of such fault developed mainly in two directions and gradually formed an initial block pattern of the lithosphere. This pattern is now represented by the largest Archaean faults acting as boundaries of the lithospheric plates and large intraplate blocks (Fig. 6. This group of faults represents the first scaletime level of destruction of the lithosphere. Large blocks of the first (and may be the second order, which are located on the viscous foundation, interacted with each other under the influence of the sublithospheric movements or endogenous sources and thus facilitated the occurrence of high stresses inside the blocks. When the limits of strength characteristics of the block medium were exceeded, the intrablock stresses were released and caused formation of fractures/faults and blocks of various ranks (Fig. 14. This large group, including faultblock structures of various ranks and ages, comprises the second level of the scaletime destruction of the lithosphere.The intense evolution of ensembles of faults and blocks of the second scaletime level is facilitated by shortterm activation of faultblock structures of the lithosphere under the influence of strain waves. Periods of intensive shortterm activation are reliably detected by seismic monitoring over the past fifty years. Investigations of periodical processes specified in the geological records over the post-Proterozoic periods [Khain, Khalilov, 2009] suggest that in so far uninvestigated historical and more ancient times, the top of the lithosphere was subject to wave processes that �

The lithosphere-asthenosphere system in the Calabrian Arc and surrounding seas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panza, G F [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste (Italy); [Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, SAND Group, Trieste (Italy)]. E-mail: panza@dst.univ.trieste.it; Pontevivo, A [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste (Italy)

2002-10-01

Through the non-linear inversion of Surface-Wave Tomography data, using as a priori constraints seismic data from literature, it has been possible to define a fairly detailed structural model of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system (thickness, S-wave and P-wave velocities of the crust and of the upper mantle layers) in the Calabrian Arc region (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Calabria and the Northern-Western part of the Ionian Sea). The main features identified by our study are: (1) a very shallow (less then 10 km deep) crust-mantle transition in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea and very low S-wave velocities just below a very thin lid in correspondence of the submarine volcanic bodies in the study area; (2) a shallow and very low S-wave velocity layer in the mantle in the areas of Aeolian islands, of Vesuvius, Ischia and Phlegraean Fields, representing their shallow-mantle magma source; (3) a thickened continental crust and lithospheric doubling in Calabria; (4) a crust about 25 km thick and a mantle velocity profile versus depth consistent with the presence of a continental rifled, now thermally relaxed, lithosphere in the investigated part of the Ionian Sea; (5) the subduction of the Ionian lithosphere towards NW below the Tyrrhenian Basin; (6) the subduction of the Adriatic lithosphere underneath the Vesuvius and Phlegraean Fields. (author)

Lithospheric strucutre and relationship to seismicity beneath the Southeastern US using reciever functions

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, E.; Lekic, V.

2017-12-01

Despite being on a passive margin for millions of years, the Southeastern United States (SEUS) contains numerous seismogenic zones with the ability to produce damaging earthquakes. However, mechanisms controlling these intraplate earthquakes are poorly understood. Recently, Biryol et al. 2016 use P-wave tomography suggest that upper mantle structures beneath the SEUS correlate with areas of seismicity and seismic quiescence. Specifically, thick and fast velocity lithosphere beneath North Carolina is stable and indicative of areas of low seismicity. In contrast, thin and slow velocity lithosphere is weak, and the transition between the strong and weak lithosphere may be correlated with seismogenic zones found in the SEUS. (eg. Eastern Tennessee seismic zone and the Central Virginia seismic zone) Therefore, I systematically map the heterogeneity of the mantle lithosphere using converted seismic waves and quantify the spatial correlation between seismicity and lithospheric structure. The extensive network of seismometers that makes up the Earthscope USArray combined with the numerous seismic deployments in the Southeastern United States allows for unprecedented opportunity to map changes in lithospheric structure across seismogenic zones and seismic quiescent regions. To do so, I will use both P-to-s and S-to-p receiver functions (RFS). Since RFs are sensitive to seismic wavespeeds and density discontinuities with depth, they particularly useful for studying lithospheric structure. Ps receiver functions contain high frequency information allowing for high resolution, but can become contaminated by large sediment signals; therefore, I removed sediment multiples and correct for time delays of later phases using the method of Yu et. al 2015 which will allow us to see later arriving phases associated with lithospheric discontinuities. S-to-p receiver functions are not contaminated by shallow layers, making them ideal to study deep lithospheric structures but they can

Petrology of Serpentinites and Rodingites in the Oceanic Lithosphere

OpenAIRE

Klein, Frieder

2009-01-01

Serpentinization, steatitization, and rodingitization are consequences of seawater reaction with lithospheric mantle. These processes take place coevally within the oceanic lithosphere and are related to circulation pathways, lithologic makeup of rocks along the flow path, fluid flux, and temperature. While the boundary conditions are set by the history of magmatic and tectonic accretion of the lithosphere, fluid-rock equilibria determine what reactions take place and where in the system. Pet...

Numerical modeling of continental lithospheric weak zone over plume

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Perepechko, Y. V.; Sorokin, K. E.

2011-12-01

The work is devoted to the development of magmatic systems in the continental lithosphere over diffluent mantle plumes. The areas of tension originating over them are accompanied by appearance of fault zones, and the formation of permeable channels, which are distributed magmatic melts. The numerical simulation of the dynamics of deformation fields in the lithosphere due to convection currents in the upper mantle, and the formation of weakened zones that extend up to the upper crust and create the necessary conditions for the formation of intermediate magma chambers has been carried out. Thermodynamically consistent non-isothermal model simulates the processes of heat and mass transfer of a wide class of magmatic systems, as well as the process of strain localization in the lithosphere and their influence on the formation of high permeability zones in the lower crust. The substance of the lithosphere is a rheologic heterophase medium, which is described by a two-velocity hydrodynamics. This makes it possible to take into account the process of penetration of the melt from the asthenosphere into the weakened zone. The energy dissipation occurs mainly due to interfacial friction and inelastic relaxation of shear stresses. The results of calculation reveal a nonlinear process of the formation of porous channels and demonstrate the diversity of emerging dissipative structures which are determined by properties of both heterogeneous lithosphere and overlying crust. Mutual effect of a permeable channel and the corresponding filtration process of the melt on the mantle convection and the dynamics of the asthenosphere have been studied. The formation of dissipative structures in heterogeneous lithosphere above mantle plumes occurs in accordance with the following scenario: initially, the elastic behavior of heterophase lithosphere leads to the formation of the narrow weakened zone, though sufficiently extensive, with higher porosity. Further, the increase in the width of

Lithospheric thermal-rheological structure of the Ordos Basin and its geodynamics

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Pan, J.; Huang, F.; He, L.; Wu, Q.

2015-12-01

The study on the destruction of the North China Craton has always been one of the hottest issues in earth sciences.Both mechanism and spatial variation are debated fiercely, still unclear.However, geothermal research on the subject is relatively few. Ordos Basin, located in the west of the North China Craton, is a typical intraplate. Based on two-dimensional thermal modeling along a profile across Ordos Basin from east to west, obtained the lithospheric thermal structure and rheology. Mantle heat flow in different regions of Ordos Basin is from 21.2 to 24.5 mW/m2. In the east mantle heat flow is higher while heat flow in western region is relatively low. But mantle heat flow is smooth and low overall, showing a stable thermal background. Ratio of crustal and mantle heat flow is between 1.51 and 1.84, indicating that thermal contribution from shallow crust is lower than that from the mantle. Rheological characteristics along the profile are almost showed as "jelly sandwich" model and stable continental lithosphere structure,which is represent by a weak crust portion but a strong lithospheric mantle portion in vertical strength profile. Based on above , both thermal structure and lithospheric rheology of Ordos Basin illustrate that tectonic dynamics environment in the west of North China Craton is relatively stable. By the study on lithospheric thermal structure, we focus on the disparity in thickness between the thermal lithosphere and seismic lithosphere.The difference in western Ordos Basin is about 140km, which decreases gradually from Fenwei graben in the eastern Ordos Basin to the Bohai Bay Basin.That is to say the difference decreases gradually from the west to the east of North China Craton.The simulation results imply that viscosity of the asthenosphere under North China Craton also decreases gradually from west to east, confirming that dehydration of the Pacific subduction is likely to have great effect on the North China Craton.

Lithospheric-scale centrifuge models of pull-apart basins

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Corti, Giacomo; Dooley, Tim P.

2015-11-01

We present here the results of the first lithospheric-scale centrifuge models of pull-apart basins. The experiments simulate relative displacement of two lithospheric blocks along two offset master faults, with the presence of a weak zone in the offset area localising deformation during strike-slip displacement. Reproducing the entire lithosphere-asthenosphere system provides boundary conditions that are more realistic than the horizontal detachment in traditional 1 g experiments and thus provide a better approximation of the dynamic evolution of natural pull-apart basins. Model results show that local extension in the pull-apart basins is accommodated through development of oblique-slip faulting at the basin margins and cross-basin faults obliquely cutting the rift depression. As observed in previous modelling studies, our centrifuge experiments suggest that the angle of offset between the master fault segments is one of the most important parameters controlling the architecture of pull-apart basins: the basins are lozenge shaped in the case of underlapping master faults, lazy-Z shaped in case of neutral offset and rhomboidal shaped for overlapping master faults. Model cross sections show significant along-strike variations in basin morphology, with transition from narrow V- and U-shaped grabens to a more symmetric, boxlike geometry passing from the basin terminations to the basin centre; a flip in the dominance of the sidewall faults from one end of the basin to the other is observed in all models. These geometries are also typical of 1 g models and characterise several pull-apart basins worldwide. Our models show that the complex faulting in the upper brittle layer corresponds at depth to strong thinning of the ductile layer in the weak zone; a rise of the base of the lithosphere occurs beneath the basin, and maximum lithospheric thinning roughly corresponds to the areas of maximum surface subsidence (i.e., the basin depocentre).

The impact of lateral variations in lithospheric thickness on glacial isostatic adjustment in West Antarctica

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Nield, Grace A.; Whitehouse, Pippa L.; van der Wal, Wouter; Blank, Bas; O'Donnell, John Paul; Stuart, Graham W.

2018-04-01

Differences in predictions of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) for Antarctica persist due to uncertainties in deglacial history and Earth rheology. The Earth models adopted in many GIA studies are defined by parameters that vary in the radial direction only and represent a global average Earth structure (referred to as 1D Earth models). Over-simplifying actual Earth structure leads to bias in model predictions in regions where Earth parameters differ significantly from the global average, such as West Antarctica. We investigate the impact of lateral variations in lithospheric thickness on GIA in Antarctica by carrying out two experiments that use different rheological approaches to define 3D Earth models that include spatial variations in lithospheric thickness. The first experiment defines an elastic lithosphere with spatial variations in thickness inferred from seismic studies. We compare the results from this 3D model with results derived from a 1D Earth model that has a uniform lithospheric thickness defined as the average of the 3D lithospheric thickness. Irrespective of deglacial history and sub-lithospheric mantle viscosity, we find higher gradients of present-day uplift rates (i.e. higher amplitude and shorter wavelength) in West Antarctica when using the 3D models, due to the thinner-than-1D-average lithosphere prevalent in this region. The second experiment uses seismically-inferred temperature as input to a power-law rheology thereby allowing the lithosphere to have a viscosity structure. Modelling the lithosphere with a power-law rheology results in behaviour that is equivalent to a thinner-lithosphere model, and it leads to higher amplitude and shorter wavelength deformation compared with the first experiment. We conclude that neglecting spatial variations in lithospheric thickness in GIA models will result in predictions of peak uplift and subsidence that are biased low in West Antarctica. This has important implications for ice-sheet modelling

Constraints on Composition, Structure and Evolution of the Lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchini, Gianluca; Bonadiman, Costanza; Aulbach, Sonja; Schutt, Derek

2015-05-01

The idea for this special issue was triggered at the Goldschmidt Conference held in Florence (August 25-30, 2013), where we convened a session titled "Integrated Geophysical-Geochemical Constraints on Composition and Structure of the Lithosphere". The invitation to contribute was extended not only to the session participants but also to a wider spectrum of colleagues working on related topics. Consequently, a diverse group of Earth scientists encompassing geophysicists, geodynamicists, geochemists and petrologists contributed to this Volume, providing a comprehensive overview on the nature and evolution of lithospheric mantle by combining studies that exploit different types of data and interpretative approaches. The integration of geochemical and geodynamic datasets and their interpretation represents the state of the art in our knowledge of the lithosphere and beyond, and could serve as a blueprint for future strategies in concept and methodology to advance our knowledge of this and other terrestrial reservoirs.

Imaging Canary Island hotspot material beneath the lithosphere of Morocco and southern Spain

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Miller, Meghan S.; O'Driscoll, Leland J.; Butcher, Amber J.; Thomas, Christine

2015-12-01

The westernmost Mediterranean has developed into its present day tectonic configuration as a result of complex interactions between late stage subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, continental collision of Africa and Eurasia, and the Canary Island mantle plume. This study utilizes S receiver functions (SRFs) from over 360 broadband seismic stations to seismically image the lithosphere and uppermost mantle from southern Spain through Morocco and the Canary Islands. The lithospheric thickness ranges from ∼65 km beneath the Atlas Mountains and the active volcanic islands to over ∼210 km beneath the cratonic lithosphere in southern Morocco. The common conversion point (CCP) volume of the SRFs indicates that thinned lithosphere extends from beneath the Canary Islands offshore southwestern Morocco, to beneath the continental lithosphere of the Atlas Mountains, and then thickens abruptly at the West African craton. Beneath thin lithosphere between the Canary hot spot and southern Spain, including below the Atlas Mountains and the Alboran Sea, there are distinct pockets of low velocity material, as inferred from high amplitude positive, sub-lithospheric conversions in the SRFs. These regions of low seismic velocity at the base of the lithosphere extend beneath the areas of Pliocene-Quaternary magmatism, which has been linked to a Canary hotspot source via geochemical signatures. However, we find that this volume of low velocity material is discontinuous along strike and occurs only in areas of recent volcanism and where asthenospheric mantle flow is identified with shear wave splitting analyses. We propose that the low velocity structure beneath the lithosphere is material flowing sub-horizontally northeastwards beneath Morocco from the tilted Canary Island plume, and the small, localized volcanoes are the result of small-scale upwellings from this material.

Post-processing scheme for modelling the lithospheric magnetic field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Lesur

2013-03-01

Full Text Available We investigated how the noise in satellite magnetic data affects magnetic lithospheric field models derived from these data in the special case where this noise is correlated along satellite orbit tracks. For this we describe the satellite data noise as a perturbation magnetic field scaled independently for each orbit, where the scaling factor is a random variable, normally distributed with zero mean. Under this assumption, we have been able to derive a model for errors in lithospheric models generated by the correlated satellite data noise. Unless the perturbation field is known, estimating the noise in the lithospheric field model is a non-linear inverse problem. We therefore proposed an iterative post-processing technique to estimate both the lithospheric field model and its associated noise model. The technique has been successfully applied to derive a lithospheric field model from CHAMP satellite data up to spherical harmonic degree 120. The model is in agreement with other existing models. The technique can, in principle, be extended to all sorts of potential field data with "along-track" correlated errors.

Lithospheric flexural strength and effective elastic thicknesses of the Eastern Anatolia (Turkey) and surrounding region

Science.gov (United States)

Oruç, Bülent; Gomez-Ortiz, David; Petit, Carole

2017-12-01

The Lithospheric structure of Eastern Anatolia and the surrounding region, including the northern part of the Arabian platform is investigated via the analysis and modeling of Bouguer anomalies from the Earth Gravitational Model EGM08. The effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere (EET) that corresponds to the mechanical cores of the crust and lithospheric mantle is determined from the spectral coherence between Bouguer anomalies and surface elevation data. Its average value is 18.7 km. From the logarithmic amplitude spectra of Bouguer anomalies, average depths of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB), Moho, Conrad and basement in the study area are constrained at 84 km, 39 km, 16 km and 7 km, respectively. The geometries of the LAB and Moho are then estimated using the Parker-Oldenburg inversion algorithm. We also present a lithospheric strength map obtained from the spatial variations of EET determined by Yield Stress Envelopes (YSE). The EET varies in the range of 12-23 km, which is in good agreement with the average value obtained from spectral analysis. Low EET values are interpreted as resulting from thermal and flexural lithospheric weakening. According to the lithospheric strength of the Eastern Anatolian region, the rheology model consists of a strong but brittle upper crust, a weak and ductile lower crust, and a weak lower part of the lithosphere. On the other hand, lithosphere strength corresponds to weak and ductile lower crust, a strong upper crust and a strong uppermost lithospheric mantle for the northern part of the Arabian platform.

Updated Reference Model for Heat Generation in the Lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Wipperfurth, S. A.; Sramek, O.; Roskovec, B.; Mantovani, F.; McDonough, W. F.

2017-12-01

Models integrating geophysics and geochemistry allow for characterization of the Earth's heat budget and geochemical evolution. Global lithospheric geophysical models are now constrained by surface and body wave data and are classified into several unique tectonic types. Global lithospheric geochemical models have evolved from petrological characterization of layers to a combination of petrologic and seismic constraints. Because of these advances regarding our knowledge of the lithosphere, it is necessary to create an updated chemical and physical reference model. We are developing a global lithospheric reference model based on LITHO1.0 (segmented into 1°lon x 1°lat x 9-layers) and seismological-geochemical relationships. Uncertainty assignments and correlations are assessed for its physical attributes, including layer thickness, Vp and Vs, and density. This approach yields uncertainties for the masses of the crust and lithospheric mantle. Heat producing element abundances (HPE: U, Th, and K) are ascribed to each volume element. These chemical attributes are based upon the composition of subducting sediment (sediment layers), composition of surface rocks (upper crust), a combination of petrologic and seismic correlations (middle and lower crust), and a compilation of xenolith data (lithospheric mantle). The HPE abundances are correlated within each voxel, but not vertically between layers. Efforts to provide correlation of abundances horizontally between each voxel are discussed. These models are used further to critically evaluate the bulk lithosphere heat production in the continents and the oceans. Cross-checks between our model and results from: 1) heat flux (Artemieva, 2006; Davies, 2013; Cammarano and Guerri, 2017), 2) gravity (Reguzzoni and Sampietro, 2015), and 3) geochemical and petrological models (Rudnick and Gao, 2014; Hacker et al. 2015) are performed.

Robust high resolution models of the continental lithosphere: Methodology and application to Asia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stolk, W.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/323259170

2013-01-01

Asia is a key natural laboratory for the study of active intra-continental deformation in far-field response to the ongoing collision ofIndiaandEurasia. The resulting tectonic processes strongly depend on the thermo-mechanical structure of the lithosphere. This lithosphere can be separated into

Lithosphere structure in Madagascar as revealed from receiver functions and surface waves analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rindraharisaona, E. J.; Tilmann, F. J.; Yuan, X.; Dreiling, J.; Priestley, K. F.; Barruol, G.; Wysession, M. E.

2017-12-01

The geological history of Madagascar makes it an ideal place to study the lithospheric structure and its evolution. It comprises Archean to Proterozoic units on the central eastern part, which is surrounded by a Triassic to Jurassic basin formation in the west and Cretaceous volcanics along the coasts. Quaternary volcanic rocks have been embedded in crystalline and sedimentary rocks. The aim of the present work is to characterize the crustal structure and determine the imprint of the dominant geodynamic events that have affected Madagascar: the Pan-African orogeny, the breakup of Gondwanaland and Neogene tectonic activity. From 2011 to 2014 different temporary seismic arrays were deployed in Madagascar. We based the current study mostly on SELASOMA project, which is composed of 50 seismic stations that were installed traversing southern Madagascar from the west to the east, sampling the different geological units. To measured seismic dispersion curves, one a wide period ranges using ambient noise, Rayleigh and Love surface waves. To compute the average crustal Vp/Vs ratio internal crustal structure and discontinuities in the mantle, we use both P- and S-waves receiver functions. To better resolve of the crustal structure, we jointly inverted P-wave receiver functions and Rayleigh wave group velocity.The crustal extension during the Carboniferous to Cenozoic has thinned the igneous crust down to 15 km in the western Morondava basin by removing much of the lower crust, while the thickness of the upper crust is nearly identical in the sedimentary basin and under Proterozoic and Archaean rocks of the eastern two thirds of Southern Madagascar. In general, the Archean crust is thicker than the Proterozoic, because mafic component is missing in the Proterozoic domain while it forms the bottom of the Archean crust. The lithosphere thickness in the southern part of Madagascar is estimated to be between 90 and 125 km.

Analysis of Lithospheric Stresses Using Satellite Gravimetry: Hypotheses and Applications to North Atlantic

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Minakov, A.; Medvedev, S.

2017-12-01

Analysis of lithospheric stresses is necessary to gain understanding of the forces that drive plate tectonics and intraplate deformations and the structure and strength of the lithosphere. A major source of lithospheric stresses is believed to be in variations of surface topography and lithospheric density. The traditional approach to stress estimation is based on direct calculations of the Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE), the depth integrated density moment of the lithosphere column. GPE is highly sensitive to density structure which, however, is often poorly constrained. Density structure of the lithosphere may be refined using methods of gravity modeling. However, the resulted density models suffer from non-uniqueness of the inverse problem. An alternative approach is to directly estimate lithospheric stresses (depth integrated) from satellite gravimetry data. Satellite gravity gradient measurements by the ESA GOCE mission ensures a wealth of data for mapping lithospheric stresses if a link between data and stresses or GPE can be established theoretically. The non-uniqueness of interpretation of sources of the gravity signal holds in this case as well. Therefore, the data analysis was tested for the North Atlantic region where reliable additional constraints are supplied by both controlled-source and earthquake seismology. The study involves comparison of three methods of stress modeling: (1) the traditional modeling approach using a thin sheet approximation; (2) the filtered geoid approach; and (3) the direct utilization of the gravity gradient tensor. Whereas the first two approaches (1)-(2) calculate GPE and utilize a computationally expensive finite element mechanical modeling to calculate stresses, the approach (3) uses a much simpler numerical treatment but requires simplifying assumptions that yet to be tested. The modeled orientation of principal stresses and stress magnitudes by each of the three methods are compared with the World Stress Map.

Seismic structure of the lithosphere beneath NW Namibia: Impact of the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume

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Yuan, Xiaohui; Heit, Benjamin; Brune, Sascha; Steinberger, Bernhard; Geissler, Wolfram H.; Jokat, Wilfried; Weber, Michael

2017-01-01

Northwestern Namibia, at the landfall of the Walvis Ridge, was affected by the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume during continental rupture between Africa and South America, as evidenced by the presence of the Etendeka continental flood basalts. Here we use data from a passive-source seismological network to investigate the upper mantle structure and to elucidate the Cretaceous mantle plume-lithosphere interaction. Receiver functions reveal an interface associated with a negative velocity contrast within the lithosphere at an average depth of 80 km. We interpret this interface as the relic of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) formed during the Mesozoic by interaction of the Tristan da Cunha plume head with the pre-existing lithosphere. The velocity contrast might be explained by stagnated and "frozen" melts beneath an intensively depleted and dehydrated peridotitic mantle. The present-day LAB is poorly visible with converted waves, indicating a gradual impedance contrast. Beneath much of the study area, converted phases of the 410 and 660 km mantle transition zone discontinuities arrive 1.5 s earlier than in the landward plume-unaffected continental interior, suggesting high velocities in the upper mantle caused by a thick lithosphere. This indicates that after lithospheric thinning during continental breakup, the lithosphere has increased in thickness during the last 132 Myr. Thermal cooling of the continental lithosphere alone cannot produce the lithospheric thickness required here. We propose that the remnant plume material, which has a higher seismic velocity than the ambient mantle due to melt depletion and dehydration, significantly contributed to the thickening of the mantle lithosphere.

Global model for the lithospheric strength and effective elastic thickness

OpenAIRE

Magdala Tesauro; Mikhail Kaban; S. A. P. L. Cloetingh

2013-01-01

Global distribution of the strength and effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere are estimated using physical parameters from recent crustal and lithospheric models. For the Te estimation we apply a new approach, which provides a possibility to take into account variations of Young modulus (E) within the lithosphere. In view of the large uncertainties affecting strength estimates, we evaluate global strength and Te distributions for possible end-member ‘hard’ (HRM) and a ‘soft’ (SR...

Thinning of heterogeneous lithosphere: insights from field observations and numerical modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Petri, B.; Duretz, T.; Mohn, G.; Schmalholz, S. M.

2017-12-01

The nature and mechanisms of formation of extremely thinned continental crust (N Italy) and in the Southern Alps (N Italy) were selected for their exceptional level of preservation of rift-related structures. This situation enables us to characterize (1) the pre-rift architecture of the continental lithosphere, (2) the localization of rift-related deformation in distinct portion of the lithosphere and (3) the interaction between initial heterogeneities of the lithosphere and rift-related structures. In a second stage, these observations are integrated in high-resolution, two-dimensional thermo-mechanical models taking into account various patterns of initial mechanical heterogeneities. Our results show the importance of initial pre-rift architecture of the continental lithosphere during rifting. Key roles are given to high-angle and low-angle normal faults, anastomosing shear-zones and decoupling horizons. We propose that during the first stages of thinning, deformation is strongly controlled by the complex pre-rift architecture of the lithosphere, localized along major structures responsible for the lateral extrusion of mid to lower crustal levels. This extrusion juxtaposes mechanically stronger levels in the hyper-thinned continental crust, being exhumed by subsequent low-angle normal faults. Altogether, these results highlight the critical role of the extraction of mechanically strong layers of the lithosphere during the extreme thinning of the continental lithosphere and allows to propose a new model for the formation of continental passive margins.

Oceanization of the lithospheric mantle: the study case of the spinel peridotites from Monte Maggiore (Corsica, France).

Science.gov (United States)

Piccardo, G. B.

2009-04-01

The Monte Maggiore peridotite body, cropping out within the Alpine Corsica metamorphic belt, is an ophiolite massif derived from the more internal setting of the Jurassic Ligurian Tethys basin. It is mostly composed by spinel and plagioclase peridotites that are cut by MORB gabbroic dykes. The spinel peridotites, similarly to other ophiolitic peridotites from the Internal Ligurides, have been considered, on the basis of their low abundance of fusible components, low Si and high Mg contents, as refractory residua after MORB-type partial melting related to the formation of the Jurassic basin (e.g. Rampone et al., 1997). Recent studies (e.g. Müntener & Piccardo 2003; Rampone et al. 2008) have evidenced that these depleted spinel peridotites show diffuse melt-rock interaction micro-textures and contrasting bulk vs. mineral chemistry features which cannot be simply reconciled with partial melting. Accordingly, these peridotites have been recognized as reactive peridotites, formed by interaction of pristine peridotites with melts percolating by porous flow. Geochemical data have evidenced the depleted MORB signature of the percolating melts. Recent field studies at Monte Maggiore (Piccardo, 2007; Piccardo & Guarnieri, 2009), have revealed: 1) the presence and local abundance of pyroxenite-bearing, cpx-rich spinel lherzolites and 2) the replacement relationships of the reactive peridotites on the pyroxenite-bearing lherzolite rock-types. The pyroxenite-veined spinel lherzolites record a composite history of subsolidus evolution under lithospheric P-T conditions, thus indicating their provenance from the sub-continental lithospheric mantle. Accordingly, the pristine sub-continental mantle protoliths were infiltrated by MORB melts and transformed by melt-rock interaction to reactive spinel peridotites and refertilized by melt impregnation to plagioclase-enriched peridotites. Available isotopic data on the Mt. Maggiore spinel and plagioclase peridotites and gabbroic rocks

Lithospheric discontinuities beneath the U.S. Midcontinent - signatures of Proterozoic terrane accretion and failed rifting

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chen; Gilbert, Hersh; Fischer, Karen M.; Andronicos, Christopher L.; Pavlis, Gary L.; Hamburger, Michael W.; Marshak, Stephen; Larson, Timothy; Yang, Xiaotao

2018-01-01

Seismic discontinuities between the Moho and the inferred lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) are known as mid-lithospheric discontinuities (MLDs) and have been ascribed to a variety of phenomena that are critical to understanding lithospheric growth and evolution. In this study, we used S-to-P converted waves recorded by the USArray Transportable Array and the OIINK (Ozarks-Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky) Flexible Array to investigate lithospheric structure beneath the central U.S. This region, a portion of North America's cratonic platform, provides an opportunity to explore how terrane accretion, cratonization, and subsequent rifting may have influenced lithospheric structure. The 3D common conversion point (CCP) volume produced by stacking back-projected Sp receiver functions reveals a general absence of negative converted phases at the depths of the LAB across much of the central U.S. This observation suggests a gradual velocity decrease between the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Within the lithosphere, the CCP stacks display negative arrivals at depths between 65 km and 125 km. We interpret these as MLDs resulting from the top of a layer of crystallized melts (sill-like igneous intrusions) or otherwise chemically modified lithosphere that is enriched in water and/or hydrous minerals. Chemical modification in this manner would cause a weak layer in the lithosphere that marks the MLDs. The depth and amplitude of negative MLD phases vary significantly both within and between the physiographic provinces of the midcontinent. Double, or overlapping, MLDs can be seen along Precambrian terrane boundaries and appear to result from stacked or imbricated lithospheric blocks. A prominent negative Sp phase can be clearly identified at 80 km depth within the Reelfoot Rift. This arrival aligns with the top of a zone of low shear-wave velocities, which suggests that it marks an unusually shallow seismic LAB for the midcontinent. This boundary would correspond to the top of a

Three-dimensional lithospheric density distribution of China and surrounding regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuantao Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we analyze lithospheric density distribution of China and surrounding regions on the basis of 30′ × 30′ gravity data and 1° × 1° P-wave velocity data. Firstly, we used the empirical equation between the density and the P-wave velocity difference as the base of the initial model of the Asian lithospheric density. Secondly, we calculated the gravity anomaly, caused by the Moho discontinuity and the sedimentary layer discontinuity, by the Parker formula. Thirdly, the gravity anomaly of the spherical harmonics with 2–40 order for the anomalous body below the lithosphere is calculated based on the model of EGM96. Finally, by using Algebra Reconstruction Techniques (ART, the inversion of 30′ × 30′ residual lithospheric Bouguer gravity anomaly caused by the lithosphere yields a rather detailed structural model. The results show that the lithospheric density distribution of China and surrounding regions has a certain connection with the tectonic structure. The density is relatively high in the Philippine Sea plate, Japan Sea, the Indian plate, the Kazakhstan shield and the Western Siberia plain, whereas the Tibetan Plateau has low-density characteristics. The minimum value of density lies in the north of Philippines, in the Taiwan province and in the Ryukyu island arc.

Towards an improved determination of Earth’s lithospheric field from satellite observations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kotsiaros, Stavros; Olsen, Nils; Finlay, Chris

Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties in modelling the Earth’s lithospheric magnetic field is the separation of contributions from sources of internal and external origin. In particular, the determination of smaller-scale lithospheric magnetic field features is problematic because the lithosphe......Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties in modelling the Earth’s lithospheric magnetic field is the separation of contributions from sources of internal and external origin. In particular, the determination of smaller-scale lithospheric magnetic field features is problematic because...

Satellite gravity gradient views help reveal the Antarctic lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Ferraccioli, F.; Ebbing, J.; Pappa, F.; Kern, M.; Forsberg, R.

2017-12-01

Here we present and analyse satellite gravity gradient signatures derived from GOCE and superimpose these on tectonic and bedrock topography elements, as well as seismically-derived estimates of crustal thickness for the Antarctic continent. The GIU satellite gravity component images the contrast between the thinner crust and lithosphere underlying the West Antarctic Rift System and the Weddell Sea Rift System and the thicker lithosphere of East Antarctica. The new images also suggest that more distributed wide-mode lithospheric and crustal extension affects both the Ross Sea Embayment and the less well known Ross Ice Shelf segment of the rift system. However, this pattern is less clear towards the Bellingshousen Embayment, indicating that the rift system narrows towards the southern edge of the Antarctic Peninsula. In East Antarctica, the satellite gravity data provides new views into the Archean to Mesoproterozoic Terre Adelie Craton, and clearly shows the contrast wrt to the crust and lithosphere underlying both the Wilkes Subglacial Basin to the east and the Sabrina Subglacial Basin to the west. This finding augments recent interpretations of aeromagnetic and airborne gravity data over the region, suggesting that the Mawson Continent is a composite lithospheric-scale entity, which was affected by several Paleoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic orogenic events. Thick crust is imaged beneath the Transantarctic Mountains, the Terre Adelie Craton, the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains and also Eastern Dronning Maud Land, in particular beneath the recently proposed region of the Tonian Oceanic Arc Superterrane. The GIA and GIU components help delineate the edges of several of these lithospheric provinces. One of the most prominent lithospheric-scale features discovered in East Antarctica from satellite gravity gradient imaging is the Trans East Antarctic Shear Zone that separates the Gamburtsev Province from the Eastern Dronning Maud Land Province and appears to form the

Probing magnetic bottom and crustal temperature variations along the Red Sea margin of Egypt

Science.gov (United States)

Ravat, D.; Salem, A.; Abdelaziz, A.M.S.; Elawadi, E.; Morgan, P.

2011-01-01

Over 50 magnetic bottom depths derived from spectra of magnetic anomalies in Eastern Egypt along the Red Sea margin show variable magnetic bottoms ranging from 10 to 34. km. The deep magnetic bottoms correspond more closely to the Moho depth in the region, and not the depth of 580??C, which lies significantly deeper on the steady state geotherms. These results support the idea of Wasilewski and coworkers that the Moho is a magnetic boundary in continental regions. Reduced-to-pole magnetic highs correspond to areas of Younger Granites that were emplaced toward the end of the Precambrian. Other crystalline Precambrian units formed earlier during the closure of ocean basins are not strongly magnetic. In the north, magnetic bottoms are shallow (10-15. km) in regions with a high proportion of these Younger Granites. In the south, the shoaling of the magnetic bottom associated with the Younger Granites appears to be restricted to the Aswan and Ras Banas regions. Complexity in the variation of magnetic bottom depths may arise due to a combination of factors: i) regions of Younger (Precambrian) Granites with high magnetite content in the upper crust, leaving behind low Curie temperature titanomagnetite components in the middle and lower crust, ii) rise in the depth of 580??C isotherm where the crust may have been heated due to initiation of intense magmatism at the time of the Red Sea rifting (~. 20. Ma), and iii) the contrast of the above two factors with respect to the neighboring regions where the Moho and/or Curie temperature truncates lithospheric ferromagnetism. Estimates of fractal and centroid magnetic bottoms in the oceanic regions of the Red Sea are significantly below the Moho in places suggesting that oceanic uppermost mantle may be serpentinized to the depth of 15-30 km in those regions. ?? 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Geodynamic inversion to constrain the non-linear rheology of the lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, T. S.; Kaus, Boris J. P.

2015-08-01

One of the main methods to determine the strength of the lithosphere is by estimating it's effective elastic thickness. This method assumes that the lithosphere is a thin elastic plate that floats on the mantle and uses both topography and gravity anomalies to estimate the plate thickness. Whereas this seems to work well for oceanic plates, it has given controversial results in continental collision zones. For most of these locations, additional geophysical data sets such as receiver functions and seismic tomography exist that constrain the geometry of the lithosphere and often show that it is rather complex. Yet, lithospheric geometry by itself is insufficient to understand the dynamics of the lithosphere as this also requires knowledge of the rheology of the lithosphere. Laboratory experiments suggest that rocks deform in a viscous manner if temperatures are high and stresses low, or in a plastic/brittle manner if the yield stress is exceeded. Yet, the experimental results show significant variability between various rock types and there are large uncertainties in extrapolating laboratory values to nature, which leaves room for speculation. An independent method is thus required to better understand the rheology and dynamics of the lithosphere in collision zones. The goal of this paper is to discuss such an approach. Our method relies on performing numerical thermomechanical forward models of the present-day lithosphere with an initial geometry that is constructed from geophysical data sets. We employ experimentally determined creep-laws for the various parts of the lithosphere, but assume that the parameters of these creep-laws as well as the temperature structure of the lithosphere are uncertain. This is used as a priori information to formulate a Bayesian inverse problem that employs topography, gravity, horizontal and vertical surface velocities to invert for the unknown material parameters and temperature structure. In order to test the general methodology

Space geodesy validation of the global lithospheric flow

Science.gov (United States)

Crespi, M.; Cuffaro, M.; Doglioni, C.; Giannone, F.; Riguzzi, F.

2007-02-01

Space geodesy data are used to verify whether plates move chaotically or rather follow a sort of tectonic mainstream. While independent lines of geological evidence support the existence of a global ordered flow of plate motions that is westerly polarized, the Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) presents limitations in describing absolute plate motions relative to the mantle. For these reasons we jointly estimated a new plate motions model and three different solutions of net lithospheric rotation. Considering the six major plate boundaries and variable source depths of the main Pacific hotspots, we adapted the TRF plate kinematics by global space geodesy to absolute plate motions models with respect to the mantle. All three reconstructions confirm (i) the tectonic mainstream and (ii) the net rotation of the lithosphere. We still do not know the precise trend of this tectonic flow and the velocity of the differential rotation. However, our results show that assuming faster Pacific motions, as the asthenospheric source of the hotspots would allow, the best lithospheric net rotation estimate is 13.4 +/- 0.7 cm yr-1. This superfast solution seems in contradiction with present knowledge on the lithosphere decoupling, but it matches remarkably better with the geological constraints than those retrieved with slower Pacific motion and net rotation estimates. Assuming faster Pacific motion, it is shown that all plates move orderly `westward' along the tectonic mainstream at different velocities and the equator of the lithospheric net rotation lies inside the corresponding tectonic mainstream latitude band (~ +/-7°), defined by the 1σ confidence intervals.

The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath the Korean Peninsula from S receiver functions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, S. H.; Rhie, J.

2017-12-01

The shallow lithosphere in the Eastern Asia at the east of the North-South Gravity Lineament is well published. The reactivation of the upper asthenosphere induced by the subducting plates is regarded as a dominant source of the lithosphere thinning. Additionally, assemblage of various tectonic blocks resulted in complex variation of the lithosphere thickness in the Eastern Asia. Because, the Korean Peninsula located at the margin of the Erasian Plate in close vicinity to the trench of subducting oceanic plate, significant reactivation of the upper asthenosphere is expected. For the study of the tectonic history surrounding the Korean Peninsula, we determined the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) beneath the Korean Peninsula using common conversion point stacking method with S receiver functions. The depth of the LAB beneath the Korean Peninsula ranges from 60 km to 100 km and confirmed to be shallower than that expected for Cambrian blocks as previous global studies. The depth of the LAB is getting shallower to the south, 95 km at the north and 60 km at the south. And rapid change of the LAB depth is observed between 36°N and 37°N. The depth change of the LAB getting shallower to the south implies that the source of the lithosphere thinning is a hot mantle upwelling induced by the northward subduction of the oceanic plates since Mesozoic. Unfortunately, existing tectonic models can hardly explain the different LAB depth in the north and in the south as well as the rapid change of the LAB depth.

Subduction initiation, recycling of Alboran lower crust, and intracrustal emplacement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle in the Westernmost Mediterranean

Science.gov (United States)

Varas-Reus, María Isabel; Garrido, Carlos J.; Bosch, Delphine; Marchesi, Claudio; Hidas, Károly; Booth-Rea, Guillermo; Acosta-Vigil, Antonio

2015-04-01

Unraveling the tectonic settings and processes involved in the annihilation of subcontinental mantle lithosphere is of paramount importance for our understanding of the endurance of continents through Earth history. Unlike ophiolites -- their oceanic mantle lithosphere counterparts -- the mechanisms of emplacement of the subcontinental mantle lithosphere in orogens is still poorly known. The emplacement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle peridotites is often attributed to extension in rifted passive margins or continental backarc basins, accretionary processes in subduction zones, or some combination of these processes. One of the most prominent features of the westernmost Mediterranean Alpine orogenic arcs is the presence of the largest outcrops worldwide of diamond facies, subcontinental mantle peridotite massifs; unveiling the mechanisms of emplacement of these massifs may provide important clues on processes involved in the destruction of continents. The western Mediterranean underwent a complex Alpine evolution of subduction initiation, slab fragmentation, and rollback within a context of slow convergence of Africa and Europe In the westernmost Mediterranean, the alpine orogeny ends in the Gibraltar tight arc, which is bounded by the Betic, Rif and Tell belts that surround the Alboran and Algero-Balearic basins. The internal units of these belts are mostly constituted of an allochthonous lithospheric domain that collided and overthrusted Mesozoic and Tertiary sedimentary rocks of the Mesozoic-Paleogene, South Iberian and Maghrebian rifted continental paleomargins. Subcontinental lithospheric peridotite massifs are intercalated between polymetamorphic internal units of the Betic (Ronda, Ojen and Carratraca massifs), Rif (Beni Bousera), and Tell belts. In the Betic chain, the internal zones of the allochthonous Alboran domain include, from bottom to top, polymetamorphic rock of the Alpujarride and Malaguide complexes. The Ronda peridotite massif -- the

Global model for the lithospheric strength and effective elastic thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Tesauro, Magdala; Kaban, Mikhail K.; Cloetingh, Sierd A. P. L.

2013-08-01

Global distribution of the strength and effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere are estimated using physical parameters from recent crustal and lithospheric models. For the Te estimation we apply a new approach, which provides a possibility to take into account variations of Young modulus (E) within the lithosphere. In view of the large uncertainties affecting strength estimates, we evaluate global strength and Te distributions for possible end-member 'hard' (HRM) and a 'soft' (SRM) rheology models of the continental crust. Temperature within the lithosphere has been estimated using a recent tomography model of Ritsema et al. (2011), which has much higher horizontal resolution than previous global models. Most of the strength is localized in the crust for the HRM and in the mantle for the SRM. These results contribute to the long debates on applicability of the "crème brulée" or "jelly-sandwich" model for the lithosphere structure. Changing from the SRM to HRM turns most of the continental areas from the totally decoupled mode to the fully coupled mode of the lithospheric layers. However, in the areas characterized by a high thermal regime and thick crust, the layers remain decoupled even for the HRM. At the same time, for the inner part of the cratons the lithospheric layers are coupled in both models. Therefore, rheological variations lead to large changes in the integrated strength and Te distribution in the regions characterized by intermediate thermal conditions. In these areas temperature uncertainties have a greater effect, since this parameter principally determines rheological behavior. Comparison of the Te estimates for both models with those determined from the flexural loading and spectral analysis shows that the 'hard' rheology is likely applicable for cratonic areas, whereas the 'soft' rheology is more representative for young orogens.

Synthetic Analysis of the Effective Elastic Thickness of the Lithosphere in China

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Z.; Li, C.

2017-12-01

Effective elastic thickness (Te) represents the response of the lithosphere to a long-term (larger than 105 years) geological loading and reflects the deformation mechanism of plate and its thermodynamic state. Temperature and composition of the lithosphere, coupling between crust and lithospheric mantle, and lithospheric structures affect Te. Regional geology in China is quite complex, influenced by the subduction of the Pacific and Philippine Sea plates in the east and the collision of the Eurasia plate with the India-Australia plate in the southwest. Te can help understand the evolution and strength of the lithospheres in different areas and tectonic units. Here we apply the multitaper coherence method to estimate Te in China using the topography (ETOPO1) and Bouguer gravity anomalies (WGM2012) , at different window sizes (600km*600km, 800km*800km, 1000km*1000km) and moving steps. The lateral variation of Te in China coincides well with the geology. The old stable cratons or basins always correspond to larger Te, whereas the oceanic lithosphere or active orogen blocks tend to get smaller Te. We further correlate Te to curie-point depths (Zb) and heat flow to understand how temperature influences the strength of the lithosphere. Despite of a complex correlation between Te and Zb, good positive correlations are found in the North China Block, Tarim Basin, and Lower Yangtze, showing strong influence of temperature on lithospheric strength. Conversely, the Tibetan Plateau, Upper and Middle Yangtze, and East China Sea Basin even show negative correlation, suggesting that lithospheric structures and compositions play more important roles than temperature in these blocks. We also find that earthquakes tend to occur preferably in a certain range of Te. Deeper earthquakes are more likely to occur where the lithosphere is stronger with larger Te. Crust with a larger Te may also have a deeper ductile-brittle boundary, along which deep large earthquakes tend to cluster.

Electromagnetic study of lithospheric structure in the marginal zone of East European Craton in NW Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Jóźwiak, Waldemar

2013-10-01

The marginal zone of the East European Platform, an area of key importance for our understanding of the geotectonic history of Europe, has been a challenge for geophysicists for many years. The basic research method is seismic survey, but many important data on physical properties and structure of the lithosphere may also be provided by the electromagnetic methods. In this paper, results of deep basement study by electromagnetic methods performed in Poland since the mid-1960s are presented. Over this time, several hundred long-period soundings have been executed providing an assessment of the electric conductivity distribution in the crust and upper mantle. Numerous 1D, 2D, and pseudo-3D electric conductivity models were constructed, and a new interpretation method based on Horizontal Magnetic Tensor analysis has been applied recently. The results show that the contact zone is of lithospheric discontinuity character and there are distinct differences in geoelectric structures between the Precambrian Platform, transitional zone (TESZ), and the Paleozoic Platform. The wide-spread conducting complexes in the crust with integral conductivity values reaching 10 000 S at 20-30 km depths are most spectacular. They are most likely consequences of geological processes related to Caledonian and Variscan orogenesis. The upper mantle conductivity is also variable, the thickness of high-resistive lithospheric plates ranging from 120-140 km under the Paleozoic Platform to 220-240 km under the East European Platform.

Life in the lithosphere, kinetics and the prospects for life elsewhere.

Science.gov (United States)

Cockell, Charles S

2011-02-13

The global contiguity of life on the Earth today is a result of the high flux of carbon and oxygen from oxygenic photosynthesis over the planetary surface and its use in aerobic respiration. Life's ability to directly use redox couples from components of the planetary lithosphere in a pre-oxygenic photosynthetic world can be investigated by studying the distribution of organisms that use energy sources normally bound within rocks, such as iron. Microbiological data from Iceland and the deep oceans show the kinetic limitations of living directly off igneous rocks in the lithosphere. Using energy directly extracted from rocks the lithosphere will support about six orders of magnitude less productivity than the present-day Earth, and it would be highly localized. Paradoxically, the biologically extreme conditions of the interior of a planet and the inimical conditions of outer space, between which life is trapped, are the locations from which volcanism and impact events, respectively, originate. These processes facilitate the release of redox couples from the planetary lithosphere and might enable it to achieve planetary-scale productivity approximately one to two orders of magnitude lower than that produced by oxygenic photosynthesis. The significance of the detection of extra-terrestrial life is that it will allow us to test these observations elsewhere and establish an understanding of universal relationships between lithospheres and life. These data also show that the search for extra-terrestrial life must be accomplished by 'following the kinetics', which is different from following the water or energy.

Preferential mantle lithospheric extension under the South China margin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clift, P.; Jian Lin

2001-01-01

Continental rifting in the South China Sea culminated in seafloor spreading at ∼ 30Ma (Late Oligocene). The basin and associated margins form a classic example of break-up in a relatively juvenile arc crust environment. In this study, we documented the timing, distribution and amount of extension in the crust and mantle lithosphere on the South China Margin during this process. Applying a one-dimensional backstripping modeling technique to drilling data from the Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB) and Beibu Gulf Basin, we calculated subsidence rates of the wells and examined the timing and amount of extension. Our results show that extension of the crust exceeded that in the mantle lithosphere under the South China Shelf, but that the two varied in phase, suggesting depth-dependent extension rather than a lithospheric-scale detachment. Estimates of total crustal extension derived in this way are similar to those measured by seismic refraction, indicating that isostatic compensation is close to being local. Extension in the Beibu Gulf appears to be more uniform with depth, a difference that we attribute to the different style of strain accommodation during continental break-up compared to intra-continental rifting. Extension in PRMB and South China slope continues for ∼ 5m.y. after the onset of seafloor spreading due to the weakness of the continental lithosphere. The timing of major extension is broadly mid-late Eocene to late Oligocene (∼ 45-25Ma), but is impossible to correlate in detail with poorly dated strike-slip deformation in the Red River Fault Zone. (author)

Using natural laboratories and modeling to decipher lithospheric rheology

Science.gov (United States)

Sobolev, Stephan

2013-04-01

Rheology is obviously important for geodynamic modeling but at the same time rheological parameters appear to be least constrained. Laboratory experiments give rather large ranges of rheological parameters and their scaling to nature is not entirely clear. Therefore finding rheological proxies in nature is very important. One way to do that is finding appropriate values of rheological parameter by fitting models to the lithospheric structure in the highly deformed regions where lithospheric structure and geologic evolution is well constrained. Here I will present two examples of such studies at plate boundaries. One case is the Dead Sea Transform (DST) that comprises a boundary between African and Arabian plates. During the last 15- 20 Myr more than 100 km of left lateral transform displacement has been accumulated on the DST and about 10 km thick Dead Sea Basin (DSB) was formed in the central part of the DST. Lithospheric structure and geological evolution of DST and DSB is rather well constrained by a number of interdisciplinary projects including DESERT and DESIRE projects leaded by the GFZ Potsdam. Detailed observations reveal apparently contradictory picture. From one hand widespread igneous activity, especially in the last 5 Myr, thin (60-80 km) lithosphere constrained from seismic data and absence of seismicity below the Moho, seem to be quite natural for this tectonically active plate boundary. However, surface heat flow of less than 50-60mW/m2 and deep seismicity in the lower crust ( deeper than 20 km) reported for this region are apparently inconsistent with the tectonic settings specific for an active continental plate boundary and with the crustal structure of the DSB. To address these inconsistencies which comprise what I call the "DST heat-flow paradox", a 3D numerical thermo-mechanical model was developed operating with non-linear elasto-visco-plastic rheology of the lithosphere. Results of the numerical experiments show that the entire set of

Peeling back the lithosphere: Controlling parameters, surface expressions and the future directions in delamination modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Göğüş, Oğuz H.; Ueda, Kosuke

2018-06-01

Geodynamical models investigate the rheological and physical properties of the lithosphere that peels back (delaminates) from the upper-middle crust. Meanwhile, model predictions are used to relate to a set of observations in the geological context to the test the validity of delamination. Here, we review numerical and analogue models of delamination from these perspectives and provide a number of first-order topics which future modeling studies may address. Models suggest that the presence of the weak lower crust that resides between the strong mantle lithosphere (at least 100 times more viscous/stronger) and the strong upper crust is necessary to develop delamination. Lower crustal weakening may be induced by melt infiltration, shear heating or it naturally occurs through the jelly sandwich type strength profile of the continental lithosphere. The negative buoyancy of the lithosphere required to facilitate the delamination is induced by the pre-existing ocean subduction and/or the lower crustal eclogitization. Surface expression of the peeling back lithosphere has a distinct transient and migratory imprint on the crust, resulting in rapid surface uplift/subsidence, magmatism, heating and shortening/extension. New generation of geodynamical experiments can explain how different types of melting (e.g hydrated, dry melting) occurs with delamination. Reformation of the lithosphere after removal, three dimensional aspects, and the termination of the process are key investigation areas for future research. The robust model predictions, as with other geodynamic modeling studies should be reconciled with observations.

Impact of the lithosphere on dynamic topography: Insights from analogue modeling

OpenAIRE

Sembroni, Andrea; Kiraly, Agnes; Faccenna, Claudio; Funiciello, Francesca; Becker, Thorsten W.; Goblig, Jan; Fernandez, Manel

2017-01-01

Density anomalies beneath the lithosphere are expected to generate dynamic topography at the Earth's surface due to the induced mantle flow stresses which scale linearly with density anomalies, while the viscosity of the upper mantle is expected to control uplift rates. However, limited attention has been given to the role of the lithosphere. Here we present results from analogue modeling of the interactions between a density anomaly rising in the mantle and the lithosphere in a Newtonian sys...

Global model for the lithospheric strength and effective elastic thickness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tesauro, M.; Kaban, M.K.; Cloetingh, S.A.P.L.

2013-01-01

Global distribution of the strength and effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere are estimated using physical parameters from recent crustal and lithospheric models. For the Te estimation we apply a new approach, which provides a possibility to take into account variations of Young

Preliminary three-dimensional model of mantle convection with deformable, mobile continental lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Masaki

2010-06-01

Characteristic tectonic structures such as young orogenic belts and suture zones in a continent are expected to be mechanically weaker than the stable part of the continental lithosphere with the cratonic root (or cratonic lithosphere) and yield lateral viscosity variations in the continental lithosphere. In the present-day Earth's lithosphere, the pre-existing, mechanically weak zones emerge as a diffuse plate boundary. However, the dynamic role of a weak (low-viscosity) continental margin (WCM) in the stability of continental lithosphere has not been understood in terms of geophysics. Here, a new numerical simulation model of mantle convection with a compositionally and rheologically heterogeneous, deformable, mobile continental lithosphere is presented for the first time by using three-dimensional regional spherical-shell geometry. A compositionally buoyant and highly viscous continental assemblage with pre-existing WCMs, analogous to the past supercontinent, is modeled and imposed on well-developed mantle convection whose vigor of convection, internal heating rate, and rheological parameters are appropriate for the Earth's mantle. The visco-plastic oceanic lithosphere and the associated subduction of oceanic plates are incorporated. The time integration of the advection of continental materials with zero chemical diffusion is performed by a tracer particle method. The time evolution of mantle convection after setting the model supercontinent is followed over 800 Myr. Earth-like continental drift is successfully reproduced, and the characteristic thermal interaction between the mantle and the continent/supercontinent is observed in my new numerical model. Results reveal that the WCM protects the cratonic lithosphere from being stretched by the convecting mantle and may play a significant role in the stability of the cratonic lithosphere during the geological timescale because it acts as a buffer that prevents the cratonic lithosphere from undergoing global

Earthquake Source Depths in the Zagros Mountains: A "Jelly Sandwich" or "Creme Brulee" Lithosphere?

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, A. N.; Nyblade, A.; Brazier, R.; Rodgers, A.; Al-Amri, A.

2006-12-01

The Zagros Mountain Belt of southwestern Iran is one of the most seismically active mountain belts in the world. Previous studies of the depth distribution of earthquakes in this region have shown conflicting results. Early seismic studies of teleseismically recorded events found that earthquakes in the Zagros Mountains nucleated within both the upper crust and upper mantle, indicating that the lithosphere underlying the Zagros Mountains has a strong upper crust and a strong lithospheric mantle, separated by a weak lower crust. Such a model of lithospheric structure is called the "Jelly Sandwich" model. More recent teleseismic studies, however, found that earthquakes in the Zagros Mountains occur only within the upper crust, thus indicating that the strength of the Zagros Mountains' lithosphere is primarily isolated to the upper crust. This model of lithospheric structure is called the "crème brûlée" model. Analysis of regionally recorded earthquakes nucleating within the Zagros Mountains is presented here. Data primarily come from the Saudi Arabian National Digital Seismic Network, although data sources include many regional open and closed networks. The use of regionally recorded earthquakes facilitates the analysis of a larger dataset than has been used in previous teleseismic studies. Regional waveforms have been inverted for source parameters using a range of potential source depths to determine the best fitting source parameters and depths. Results indicate that earthquakes nucleate in two distinct zones. One seismogenic zone lies at shallow, upper crustal depths. The second seismogenic zone lies near the Moho. Due to uncertainty in the source and Moho depths, further study is needed to determine whether these deeper events are nucleating within the lower crust or the upper mantle.

Metamorphism and Shear Localization in the Oceanic and Continental Lithosphere: A Local or Lithospheric-Scale Effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Montesi, L.

2017-12-01

Ductile rheologies are characterized by strain rate hardening, which favors deformation zones that are as wide as possible, thus minimizing strain rate and stress. By contrast, plate tectonics and the observation of ductile shear zones in the exposed middle to lower crust show that deformation is often localized, that is, strain (and likely strain rate) is locally very high. This behavior is most easily explained if the material in the shear zone is intrinsically weaker than the reference material forming the wall rocks. Many origins for that weakness have been proposed. They include higher temperature (shear heating), reduced grain size, and fabric. The latter two were shown to be the most effective in the middle crust and upper mantle (given observational limits restricting heating to 50K or less) but they were not very important in the lower crust. They are not sufficient to explain the generation of narrow plate boundaries in the oceans. We evaluate here the importance of metamorphism, especially related to hydration, in weakening the lithosphere. Serpentine is a major player in the dynamics of the oceanic lithosphere. Although its ductile behavior is poorly constrained, serpentine is likely to behave in a brittle or quasi-plastic manner with a reduced coefficient of friction, replacing stronger peridotite. Serpentinization sufficiently weakens the oceanic lithosphere to explain the generation of diffuse plate boundaries and, combined with grain size reduction, the development of narrow plate boundaries. Lower crust outcrops, especially in the Bergen Arc (Norway), display eclogite shear zones hosted in metastable granulites. The introduction of water triggered locally a metamorphic reaction that reduces rock strength and resulted in a ductile shear zone. The presence of these shear zones has been used to explain the weakness of the lower crust perceived from geodesy and seismic activity. We evaluate here how much strain rate may increase as a result of

A lithospheric perspective on structure and evolution of Precambrian cratons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Artemieva, Irina

2012-01-01

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a summary of geophysical data on the structure of the stable continental lithosphere and its evolution since the Archean. Here, the term lithosphere is used to define the outer layer of the Earth which includes the crust and uppermost mantle, forms the ro...

Double subduction of continental lithosphere, a key to form wide plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Replumaz, Anne; Funiciello, Francesca; Reitano, Riccardo; Faccenna, Claudio; Balon, Marie

2016-04-01

The mechanisms involved in the creation of the high and wide topography, like the Tibetan Plateau, are still controversial. In particular, the behaviour of the indian and asian lower continental lithosphere during the collision is a matter of debate, either thickening, densifying and delaminating, or keeping its rigidity and subducting. But since several decades seismicity, seismic profiles and global tomography highlight the lithospheric structure of the Tibetan Plateau, and make the hypotheses sustaining the models more precise. In particular, in the western syntaxis, it is now clear that the indian lithosphere subducts northward beneath the Hindu Kush down to the transition zone, while the asian one subducts southward beneath Pamir (e.g. Negredo et al., 2007; Kufner et al., 2015). Such double subduction of continental lithospheres with opposite vergence has also been inferred in the early collision time. Cenozoic volcanic rocks between 50 and 30 Ma in the Qiangtang block have been interpreted as related to an asian subduction beneath Qiangtang at that time (De Celles et al., 2011; Guillot and Replumaz, 2013). We present here analogue experiments silicone/honey to explore the subduction of continental lithosphere, using a piston as analogue of far field forces. We explore the parameters that control the subductions dynamics of the 2 continental lithospheres and the thickening of the plates at the surface, and compare with the Tibetan Plateau evolution. We show that a continental lithosphere is able to subduct in a collision context, even lighter than the mantle, if the plate is rigid enough. In that case the horizontal force due to the collision context, modelled by the piston push transmitted by the indenter, is the driving force, not the slab pull which is negative. It is not a subduction driving by the weight of the slab, but a subduction induced by the collision, that we could call "collisional subduction".

Lithospheric controls on magma composition along Earth's longest continental hotspot track.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, D R; Rawlinson, N; Iaffaldano, G; Campbell, I H

2015-09-24

Hotspots are anomalous regions of volcanism at Earth's surface that show no obvious association with tectonic plate boundaries. Classic examples include the Hawaiian-Emperor chain and the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain province. The majority are believed to form as Earth's tectonic plates move over long-lived mantle plumes: buoyant upwellings that bring hot material from Earth's deep mantle to its surface. It has long been recognized that lithospheric thickness limits the rise height of plumes and, thereby, their minimum melting pressure. It should, therefore, have a controlling influence on the geochemistry of plume-related magmas, although unambiguous evidence of this has, so far, been lacking. Here we integrate observational constraints from surface geology, geochronology, plate-motion reconstructions, geochemistry and seismology to ascertain plume melting depths beneath Earth's longest continental hotspot track, a 2,000-kilometre-long track in eastern Australia that displays a record of volcanic activity between 33 and 9 million years ago, which we call the Cosgrove track. Our analyses highlight a strong correlation between lithospheric thickness and magma composition along this track, with: (1) standard basaltic compositions in regions where lithospheric thickness is less than 110 kilometres; (2) volcanic gaps in regions where lithospheric thickness exceeds 150 kilometres; and (3) low-volume, leucitite-bearing volcanism in regions of intermediate lithospheric thickness. Trace-element concentrations from samples along this track support the notion that these compositional variations result from different degrees of partial melting, which is controlled by the thickness of overlying lithosphere. Our results place the first observational constraints on the sub-continental melting depth of mantle plumes and provide direct evidence that lithospheric thickness has a dominant influence on the volume and chemical composition of plume-derived magmas.

Effects of upper mantle heterogeneities on the lithospheric stress field and dynamic topography

Science.gov (United States)

Osei Tutu, Anthony; Steinberger, Bernhard; Sobolev, Stephan V.; Rogozhina, Irina; Popov, Anton A.

2018-05-01

The orientation and tectonic regime of the observed crustal/lithospheric stress field contribute to our knowledge of different deformation processes occurring within the Earth's crust and lithosphere. In this study, we analyze the influence of the thermal and density structure of the upper mantle on the lithospheric stress field and topography. We use a 3-D lithosphere-asthenosphere numerical model with power-law rheology, coupled to a spectral mantle flow code at 300 km depth. Our results are validated against the World Stress Map 2016 (WSM2016) and the observation-based residual topography. We derive the upper mantle thermal structure from either a heat flow model combined with a seafloor age model (TM1) or a global S-wave velocity model (TM2). We show that lateral density heterogeneities in the upper 300 km have a limited influence on the modeled horizontal stress field as opposed to the resulting dynamic topography that appears more sensitive to such heterogeneities. The modeled stress field directions, using only the mantle heterogeneities below 300 km, are not perturbed much when the effects of lithosphere and crust above 300 km are added. In contrast, modeled stress magnitudes and dynamic topography are to a greater extent controlled by the upper mantle density structure. After correction for the chemical depletion of continents, the TM2 model leads to a much better fit with the observed residual topography giving a good correlation of 0.51 in continents, but this correction leads to no significant improvement of the fit between the WSM2016 and the resulting lithosphere stresses. In continental regions with abundant heat flow data, TM1 results in relatively small angular misfits. For example, in western Europe the misfit between the modeled and observation-based stress is 18.3°. Our findings emphasize that the relative contributions coming from shallow and deep mantle dynamic forces are quite different for the lithospheric stress field and dynamic

The Lithosphere-asthenosphere Boundary beneath the South Island of New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, J.; Fischer, K. M.; Savage, M. K.

2017-12-01

Lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) properties beneath the South Island of New Zealand have been imaged by Sp receiver function common-conversion point stacking. In this transpressional boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates, dextral offset on the Alpine fault and convergence have occurred for the past 20 My, with the Alpine fault now bounded by Australian plate subduction to the south and Pacific plate subduction to the north. This study takes advantage of the long-duration and high-density seismometer networks deployed on or near the South Island, especially 29 broadband stations of the New Zealand permanent seismic network (GeoNet). We obtained 24,980 individual receiver functions by extended-time multi-taper deconvolution, mapping to three-dimensional space using a Fresnel zone approximation. Pervasive strong positive Sp phases are observed in the LAB depth range indicated by surface wave tomography (Ball et al., 2015) and geochemical studies. These phases are interpreted as conversions from a velocity decrease across the LAB. In the central South Island, the LAB is observed to be deeper and broader to the west of the Alpine fault. The deeper LAB to the west of the Alpine fault is consistent with oceanic lithosphere attached to the Australian plate that was partially subducted while also translating parallel to the Alpine fault (e.g. Sutherland, 2000). However, models in which the Pacific lithosphere has been underthrust to the west past the Alpine fault cannot be ruled out. Further north, a zone of thin lithosphere with a strong and vertically localized LAB velocity gradient occurs to the west of the fault, juxtaposed against a region of anomalously weak LAB conversions to the east of the fault. This structure, similar to results of Sp imaging beneath the central segment of the San Andreas fault (Ford et al., 2014), also suggests that lithospheric blocks with contrasting LAB properties meet beneath the Alpine fault. The observed variations in

Fossil plume head beneath the Arabian lithosphere?

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Mordechai; Hofmann, Albrecht W.

1992-12-01

Phanerozoic alkali basalts from Israel, which have erupted over the past 200 Ma, have isotopic compositions similar to PREMA ("prevalent mantle") with narrow ranges of initial ɛ Nd(T) = +3.9-+5.9; 87Sr/ 86Sr(T)= 0.70292-0.70334; 206Pb/ 204Pb(T)= 18.88-19.99; 207Pb/ 204Pb(T)= 15.58-15.70; and 208Pb/ 204Pb(T)= 38.42-39.57. Their Nb/U(43 ± 9) and Ce/Pb(26 ± 6) ratios are identical to those of normal oceanic basalts, demonstrating that the basalts are essentially free of crustal contamination. Overall, the basalts are chemically and isotopically indistinguishable from many ordinary plume basalts, but no plume track can be identified. We propose that these and other, similar, magmas from the Arabian plate originated from a "fossilized" head of a mantle plume, which was unable to penetrate the continental lithosphere and was therefore trapped and stored beneath it. The plume head was emplaced some time between the late Proterozoic crust formation and the initiation of the Phanerozoic magmatic cycles. Basalts from rift environments in other continental localities show similar geochemistry to that of the Arabian basalts and their sources may also represent fossil plume heads trapped below the continents. We suggest that plume heads are, in general, characterized by the PREMA isotopic mantle signature, because the original plume sources (which may have HIMU or EM-type composition) have been diluted by overlying mantle material, which has been entrained by the plume heads during ascent. On the Arabian plate, rifting and thinning of the lithosphere caused partial melting of the stored plume, which led to periodic volcanism. In the late Cenozoic, the lithosphere broke up and the Red Sea opened. N-MORB tholeiites are now erupting in the central trough of the Red Sea, where the lithosphere has moved apart and the fossil plume has been exhausted, whereas E-MORBs are erupting in the northern and southern troughs, still tapping the plume reservoir. Fossil plumes, which are

Lithosphere destabilization by melt percolation during pre-oceanic rifting: Evidence from Alpine-Apennine ophiolitic peridotites

Science.gov (United States)

Piccardo, Giovanni; Ranalli, Giorgio

2017-04-01

Orogenic peridotites from Alpine-Apennine ophiolite Massifs (Lanzo, Voltri, External and Internal Ligurides, - NW Italy, and Mt. Maggiore - Corsica) derive from the mantle lithosphere of the Ligurian Tethys. Field/structural and petrologic/geochemical studies provide constraints on the evolution of the lithospheric mantle during pre-oceanic passive rifting of the late Jurassic Ligurian Tethys ocean. Continental rifting by far-field tectonic forces induced extension of the lithosphere by means of km-scale extensional shear zones that developed before infiltration of melts from the asthenosphere (Piccardo and Vissers, 2007). After significant thinning of the lithosphere, the passively upwelling asthenosphere underwent spinel-facies decompression melting along the axial zone of the extensional system. Silica-undersaturated melt fractions percolated through the lithospheric mantle via diffuse/focused porous flow and interacted with the host peridotite through pyroxenes-dissolving/olivine-precipitating melt/rock reactions. Pyroxene dissolution and olivine precipitation modified the composition of the primary silica-undersaturated melts into derivative silica-saturated melts, while the host lithospheric spinel lherzolites were transformed into pyroxene-depleted/olivine-enriched reactive spinel harzburgites and dunites. The derivative liquids interacted through olivine-dissolving/orthopyroxene+plagioclase-crystallizing reactions with the host peridotites that were impregnated and refertilized (Piccardo et al., 2015). The saturated melts stagnated and crystallized in the shallow mantle lithosphere (as testified by diffuse interstitial crystallization of euhedral orthopyroxene and anhedral plagioclase) and locally ponded, forming orthopyroxene-rich/olivine-free gabbro-norite pods (Piccardo and Guarnieri, 2011). Reactive and impregnated peridotites are characterized by high equilibration temperatures (up to 1250 °C) even at low pressure, plagioclase-peridotite facies

Finding the last 200Ma of subducted lithosphere in tomography and incorporating it into plate reconstructions

Science.gov (United States)

Suppe, J.; Wu, J.; Chen, Y. W.

2016-12-01

Precise plate-tectonic reconstruction of the Earth has been constrained largely by the seafloor magnetic-anomaly record of the present oceans formed during the dispersal of the last supercontinent since 200Ma. The corresponding world that was lost to subduction has been only sketchily known. We have developed methodologies to map in 3D these subducted slabs of lithosphere in seismic tomography and unfold them to the Earth surface, constraining their initial size, shapes and locations. Slab edges are commonly formed at times of plate reorganization (for example bottom edges typically record initiation of subduction) such that unfolded slabs fit together at times of reorganization, as we illustrate for the Nazca slab at 80Ma and the western Pacific slabs between Kamchatka and New Zealand at 50Ma. Mapping to date suggests that a relatively complete and decipherable record of lithosphere subducted over the last 200Ma may exist in the mantle today, providing a storehouse for new discoveries. We briefly illustrate our procedure for obtaining slab-constrained plate-tectonic models from tomography with our recent study of the Philippine Sea plate, whose motions and tectonic history have been the least known of the major plates because it has been isolated from the global plate and hotspot circuit by trenches. We mapped and unfolded 28 subducted slabs in the mantle under East Asia and Australia/Oceania to depths of 1200km, with a subducted area of 25% of present-day global oceanic lithosphere, and incorporated them as constraints into a new globally-consistent plate reconstruction of the Philippine Sea and surrounding East Asia, leading to a number of new insights, including: [1] discovery of a major (8000 km x 2500 km) set of vanished oceans that we call the East Asia Sea that existed between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, now represented by flat slabs in the lower mantle under present-day Philippine Sea, eastern Sundaland and northern Australia and [2] the Philippine Sea

Birth of the Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCAL)

Science.gov (United States)

James, D. E.; Sacks, I. S.

2002-05-01

As recently as 1984 institutions doing portable seismology depended upon their own complement of instruments, almost all designed and built in-house, and all of limited recording capability and flexibility. No data standards existed. Around 1980 the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), with National Science Foundation (NSF) support, empanelled a committee to study a major new initiative in Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (SSCL). The SSCL report in 1983 recommended that substantial numbers (1000 or more) of new generation digital seismographs be acquired for 3-D high resolution imaging of the continental lithosphere. Recommendations of the SSCL committee dovetailed with other NRC/NAS and NSF reports that highlighted imaging of the continental lithosphere as an area of highest priority. For the first time in the history of portable seismology the question asked was "What do seismologists need to do the job right?" A grassroots effort was undertaken to define instrumentation and data standards for a powerful new set of modern seismic research tools to serve the national seismological community. In the spring and fall of 1983 NSF and IASPEI sponsored workshops were convened to develop specifications for the design of a new generation of portable instrumentation. PASSCAL was the outgrowth of these seminal studies and workshops. The first step toward the formal formation of PASSCAL began with an ad-hoc organizing committee, comprised largely of the members of the NAS lithospheric seismology panel, convened by the authors at Carnegie Institution in Washington in November 1983. From that meeting emerged plans and promises of NSF support for an open organizational meeting to be held in January 1984, in Madison, Wisconsin. By the end of the two-day Madison meeting PASSCAL and an official consortium of seismological institutions for portable seismology were realities. Shortly after, PASSCAL merged with the complementary

Craton stability and continental lithosphere dynamics during plume-plate interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, H.; Van Hunen, J.; Pearson, D.

2013-12-01

Survival of thick cratonic roots in a vigorously convecting mantle system for billions of years has long been studied by the geodynamical community. A high cratonic root strength is generally considered to be the most important factor. We first perform and discuss new numerical models to investigate craton stability in both Newtonian and non-Newtonian rheology in the stagnant lid regime. The results show that only a modest compositional rheological factor of Δη=10 with non-Newtonian rheology is required for the survival of cratonic roots in a stagnant lid regime. A larger rheological factor (100 or more) is needed to maintain similar craton longevity in a Newtonian rheology environment. Furthermore, chemical buoyancy plays an important role on craton stability and its evolution, but could only work with suitable compositional rheology. During their long lifespan, cratons experienced a suite of dynamic, tectonothermal events, such as nearby subduction and mantle plume activity. Cratonic nuclei are embedded in shorter-lived, more vulnerable continental areas of different thickness, composition and rheology, which would influence the lithosphere dynamic when tectonothermal events happen nearby. South Africa provides a very good example to investigate such dynamic processes as it hosts several cratons and there are many episodic thermal events since the Mesozoic as indicated by a spectrum of magmatic activity. We numerically investigate such an integrated system using the topographic evolution of cratons and surrounding lithosphere as a diagnostic observable. The post-70Ma thinning of pericratonic lithosphere by ~50km around Kaapvaal craton (Mather et al., 2011) is also investigated through our numerical models. The results show that the pericratonic lithosphere cools and grows faster than cratons do, but is also more likely to be effected by episodic thermal events. This leads to surface topography change that is significantly larger around the craton than within

Structure of the oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle north of the Gloria Fault in the eastern mid-Atlantic by receiver function analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hannemann, Katrin; Krüger, Frank; Dahm, Torsten; Lange, Dietrich

2017-10-01

Receiver functions (RF) have been used for several decades to study structures beneath seismic stations. Although most available stations are deployed on shore, the number of ocean bottom station (OBS) experiments has increased in recent years. Almost all OBSs have to deal with higher noise levels and a limited deployment time (˜1 year), resulting in a small number of usable records of teleseismic earthquakes. Here we use OBSs deployed as midaperture array in the deep ocean (4.5-5.5 km water depth) of the eastern mid-Atlantic. We use evaluation criteria for OBS data and beamforming to enhance the quality of the RFs. Although some stations show reverberations caused by sedimentary cover, we are able to identify the Moho signal, indicating a normal thickness (5-8 km) of oceanic crust. Observations at single stations with thin sediments (300-400 m) indicate that a probable sharp lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) might exist at a depth of ˜70-80 km which is in line with LAB depth estimates for similar lithospheric ages in the Pacific. The mantle discontinuities at ˜410 km and ˜660 km are clearly identifiable. Their delay times are in agreement with PREM. Overall the usage of beam-formed earthquake recordings for OBS RF analysis is an excellent way to increase the signal quality and the number of usable events.

Global maps of the magnetic thickness and magnetization of the Earth’s lithosphere

OpenAIRE

Foteini Vervelidou; Erwan Thébault

2015-01-01

We have constructed global maps of the large-scale magnetic thickness and magnetization of Earth’s lithosphere. Deriving such large-scale maps based on lithospheric magnetic field measurements faces the challenge of the masking effect of the core field. In this study, the maps were obtained through analyses in the spectral domain by means of a new regional spatial power spectrum based on the Revised Spherical Cap Harmonic Analysis (R-SCHA) formalism. A series of regional spectral analyses wer...

Extensional and compressional instabilities in icy satellite lithospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrick, D.L.; Stevenson, D.J.

1990-01-01

The plausibility of invoking a lithospheric instability mechanism to account for the grooved terrains on Ganymede, Encedalus, and Miranda is presently evaluated in light of the combination of a simple mechanical model of planetary lithospheres and asthenospheres with recent experimental data for the brittle and ductile deformation of ice. For Ganymede, high surface gravity and warm temperatures render the achievement of an instability sufficiently great for the observed topographic relief virtually impossible; an instability of sufficient strength, however, may be able to develop on such smaller, colder bodies as Encedalus and Miranda. 15 refs

Global equivalent magnetization of the oceanic lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Dyment, J.; Choi, Y.; Hamoudi, M.; Lesur, V.; Thebault, E.

2015-11-01

As a by-product of the construction of a new World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map over oceanic areas, we use an original approach based on the global forward modeling of seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies and their comparison to the available marine magnetic data to derive the first map of the equivalent magnetization over the World's ocean. This map reveals consistent patterns related to the age of the oceanic lithosphere, the spreading rate at which it was formed, and the presence of mantle thermal anomalies which affects seafloor spreading and the resulting lithosphere. As for the age, the equivalent magnetization decreases significantly during the first 10-15 Myr after its formation, probably due to the alteration of crustal magnetic minerals under pervasive hydrothermal alteration, then increases regularly between 20 and 70 Ma, reflecting variations in the field strength or source effects such as the acquisition of a secondary magnetization. As for the spreading rate, the equivalent magnetization is twice as strong in areas formed at fast rate than in those formed at slow rate, with a threshold at ∼40 km/Myr, in agreement with an independent global analysis of the amplitude of Anomaly 25. This result, combined with those from the study of the anomalous skewness of marine magnetic anomalies, allows building a unified model for the magnetic structure of normal oceanic lithosphere as a function of spreading rate. Finally, specific areas affected by thermal mantle anomalies at the time of their formation exhibit peculiar equivalent magnetization signatures, such as the cold Australian-Antarctic Discordance, marked by a lower magnetization, and several hotspots, marked by a high magnetization.

Abnormal lithium isotope composition from the ancient lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yan-Jie; Zhang, Hong-Fu; Deloule, Etienne; Su, Ben-Xun; Ying, Ji-Feng; Santosh, M; Xiao, Yan

2014-03-04

Lithium elemental and isotopic compositions of olivines in peridotite xenoliths from Hebi in the North China Craton provide direct evidence for the highly variable δ(7)Li in Archean lithospheric mantle. The δ(7)Li in the cores of olivines from the Hebi high-Mg# peridotites (Fo > 91) show extreme variation from -27 to +21, in marked deviation from the δ(7)Li range of fresh MORB (+1.6 to +5.6) although the Li abundances of the olivines are within the range of normal mantle (1-2 ppm). The Li abundances and δ(7)Li characteristics of the Hebi olivines could not have been produced by recent diffusive-driven isotopic fractionation of Li and therefore the δ(7)Li in the cores of these olivines record the isotopic signature of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Our data demonstrate that abnormal δ(7)Li may be preserved in the ancient lithospheric mantle as observed in our study from the central North China Craton, which suggest that the subcontinental lithospheric mantle has experienced modification of fluid/melt derived from recycled oceanic crust.

Earthquake rupture below the brittle-ductile transition in continental lithospheric mantle.

Science.gov (United States)

Prieto, Germán A; Froment, Bérénice; Yu, Chunquan; Poli, Piero; Abercrombie, Rachel

2017-03-01

Earthquakes deep in the continental lithosphere are rare and hard to interpret in our current understanding of temperature control on brittle failure. The recent lithospheric mantle earthquake with a moment magnitude of 4.8 at a depth of ~75 km in the Wyoming Craton was exceptionally well recorded and thus enabled us to probe the cause of these unusual earthquakes. On the basis of complete earthquake energy balance estimates using broadband waveforms and temperature estimates using surface heat flow and shear wave velocities, we argue that this earthquake occurred in response to ductile deformation at temperatures above 750°C. The high stress drop, low rupture velocity, and low radiation efficiency are all consistent with a dissipative mechanism. Our results imply that earthquake nucleation in the lithospheric mantle is not exclusively limited to the brittle regime; weakening mechanisms in the ductile regime can allow earthquakes to initiate and propagate. This finding has significant implications for understanding deep earthquake rupture mechanics and rheology of the continental lithosphere.

European Lithospheric Mantle; geochemical, petrological and geophysical processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ntaflos, Th.; Puziewicz, J.; Downes, H.; Matusiak-Małek, M.

2017-04-01

The second European Mantle Workshop occurred at the end of August 2015, in Wroclaw, Poland, attended by leading scientists in the study the lithospheric mantle from around the world. It built upon the results of the first European Mantle Workshop (held in 2007, in Ferrara, Italy) published in the Geological Society of London Special Publication 293 (Coltorti & Gregoire, 2008).

Lithospheric structure and deformation of the North American continent

OpenAIRE

Magdala Tesauro; Mikhail Kaban; S. Cloetingh; W. D. Mooney

2013-01-01

We estimate the integrated strength and elastic thickness (Te) of the North American lithosphere based on thermal, density and structural (seismic) models of the crust and upper mantle. The temperature distribution in the lithosphere is estimated considering for the first time the effect of composition as a result of the integrative approach based on a joint analysis of seismic and gravity data. We do this via an iterative adjustment of the model. The upper mantle temperatures are initially e...

Seismic and Thermal Structure of the Arctic Lithosphere, From Waveform Tomography and Thermodynamic Modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Lebedev, S.; Schaeffer, A. J.; Fullea, J.; Pease, V.

2015-12-01

Thermal structure of the lithosphere is reflected in the values of seismic velocities within it. Our new tomographic models of the crust and upper mantle of the Arctic are constrained by an unprecedentedly large global waveform dataset and provide substantially improved resolution, compared to previous models. The new tomography reveals lateral variations in the temperature and thickness of the lithosphere and defines deep boundaries between tectonic blocks with different lithospheric properties and age. The shape and evolution of the geotherm beneath a tectonic unit depends on both crustal and mantle-lithosphere structure beneath it: the lithospheric thickness and its changes with time (these determine the supply of heat from the deep Earth), the crustal thickness and heat production (the supply of heat from within the crust), and the thickness and thermal conductivity of the sedimentary cover (the insulation). Detailed thermal structure of the basins can be modelled by combining seismic velocities from tomography with data on the crustal structure and heat production, in the framework of computational petrological modelling. The most prominent lateral contrasts across the Arctic are between the cold, thick lithospheres of the cratons (in North America, Greenland and Eurasia) and the warmer, non-cratonic blocks. The lithosphere of the Canada Basin is cold and thick, similar to old oceanic lithosphere elsewhere around the world; its thermal structure offers evidence on its lithospheric age and formation mechanism. At 150-250 km depth, the central Arctic region shows a moderate low-velocity anomaly, cooler than that beneath Iceland and N Atlantic. An extension of N Atlantic low-velocity anomaly into the Arctic through the Fram Strait may indicate an influx of N Atlantic asthenosphere under the currently opening Eurasia Basin.

Regional Crustal Deformation and Lithosphere Thickness Observed with Geodetic Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeer, M.; Poutanen, M.; Kollo, K.; Koivula, H.; Ahola, J.

2009-04-01

The solid Earth, including the lithosphere, interacts in many ways with other components of the Earth system, oceans, atmosphere and climate. Geodesy is a key provider of data needed for global and environmental research. Geodesy provides methods and accurate measurements of contemporary deformation, sea level and gravity change. The importance of the decades-long stability and availability of reference frames must be stressed for such studies. In the future, the need to accurately monitor 3-D crustal motions will grow, both together with increasingly precise GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning, demands for better follow-up of global change, and local needs for crustal motions, especially in coastal areas. These demands cannot yet be satisfied. The project described here is a part of a larger entity: Upper Mantle Dynamics and Quaternary Climate in Cratonic Areas, DynaQlim, an International Lithosphere Project (ILP) -sponsored initiative. The aims of DynaQlim are to understand the relations between upper mantle dynamics, mantle composition, physical properties, temperature and rheology, to study the postglacial uplift and ice thickness models, sea level change and isostatic response, Quaternary climate variations and Weichselian (Laurentian and other) glaciations during the late Quaternary. We aim at studying various aspects of lithospheric motion within the Finnish and Fennoscandian area, but within a global perspective, by the newest geodetic techniques in a multidisciplinary setting. The studies involve observations of three-dimensional motions and gravity change in a multidisciplinary context on a range of spatial scales: the whole of Fennoscandia, Finland, a regional test area of Satakunta, and the local test site Olkiluoto. Objectives of the research include improving our insight into the 3-D motion of a thick lithosphere, and into the gravity effect of the uplift, using novel approaches; improving the kinematic 3-D models in the

Gravity signals from the lithosphere in the Central European Basin System

Science.gov (United States)

Yegorova, T.; Bayer, U.; Thybo, H.; Maystrenko, Y.; Scheck-Wenderoth, M.; Lyngsie, S. B.

2007-01-01

We study the gravity signals from different depth levels in the lithosphere of the Central European Basin System (CEBS). The major elements of the CEBS are the Northern and Southern Permian Basins which include the Norwegian-Danish Basin (NDB), the North-German Basin (NGB) and the Polish Trough (PT). An up to 10 km thick sedimentary cover of Mesozoic-Cenozoic sediments, hides the gravity signal from below the basin and masks the heterogeneous structure of the consolidated crust, which is assumed to be composed of domains that were accreted during the Paleozoic amalgamation of Europe. We performed a three-dimensional (3D) gravity backstripping to investigate the structure of the lithosphere below the CEBS. Residual anomalies are derived by removing the effect of sediments down to the base of Permian from the observed field. In order to correct for the influence of large salt structures, lateral density variations are incorporated. These sediment-free anomalies are interpreted to reflect Moho relief and density heterogeneities in the crystalline crust and uppermost mantle. The gravity effect of the Moho relief compensates to a large extent the effect of the sediments in the CEBS and in the North Sea. Removal of the effects of large-scale crustal inhomogeneities shows a clear expression of the Variscan arc system at the southern part of the study area and the old crust of Baltica further north-east. The remaining residual anomalies (after stripping off the effects of sediments, Moho topography and large-scale crustal heterogeneities) reveal long wavelength anomalies, which are caused mainly by density variations in the upper mantle, though gravity influence from the lower crust cannot be ruled out. They indicate that the three main subbasins of the CEBS originated on different lithospheric domains. The PT originated on a thick, strong and dense lithosphere of the Baltica type. The NDB was formed on a weakened Baltica low-density lithosphere formed during the Sveco

Magma explains low estimates of lithospheric strength based on flexure of ocean island loads

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, W. Roger; Lavier, Luc L.; Choi, Eunseo

2015-04-01

One of the best ways to constrain the strength of the Earth's lithosphere is to measure the deformation caused by large, well-defined loads. The largest, simple vertical load is that of the Hawaiian volcanic island chain. An impressively detailed recent analysis of the 3D response to that load by Zhong and Watts (2013) considers the depth range of seismicity below Hawaii and the seismically determined geometry of lithospheric deflection. These authors find that the friction coefficient for the lithosphere must be in the normal range measured for rocks, but conclude that the ductile flow strength has to be far weaker than laboratory measurements suggest. Specifically, Zhong and Watts (2013) find that stress differences in the mantle lithosphere below the island chain are less than about 200 MPa. Standard rheologic models suggest that for the ~50 km thick lithosphere inferred to exist below Hawaii yielding will occur at stress differences of about 1 GPa. Here we suggest that magmatic accommodation of flexural extension may explain Hawaiian lithospheric deflection even with standard mantle flow laws. Flexural stresses are extensional in the deeper part of the lithosphere below a linear island load (i.e. horizontal stresses orthogonal to the line load are lower than vertical stresses). Magma can accommodate lithospheric extension at smaller stress differences than brittle and ductile rock yielding. Dikes opening parallel to an island chain would allow easier downflexing than a continuous plate, but wound not produce a freely broken plate. The extensional stress needed to open dikes at depth depends on the density contrast between magma and lithosphere, assuming magma has an open pathway to the surface. For a uniform lithospheric density ρL and magma density ρM the stress difference to allow dikes to accommodate extension is: Δσxx (z) = g z (ρM - gρL), where g is the acceleration of gravity and z is depth below the surface. For reasonable density values (i.e. �

Interaction between mantle and crustal detachments: a non-linear system controlling lithospheric extension

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, G.; Regenauer-Lieb, K.; Weinberg, R. F.

2009-12-01

We use numerical modelling to investigate the development of crustal and mantle detachment faults during lithospheric extension. Our models simulate a wide range of rift systems with varying values of crustal thickness and heat flow, showing how strain localization in the mantle interacts with localization in the upper crust and controls the evolution of extensional systems. Model results reveal a richness of structures and deformation styles, which grow in response to a self-organized mechanism that minimizes the internal stored energy of the system by localizing deformation at different levels of the lithosphere. Crustal detachment faults are well developed during extension of overthickened (60 km) continental crust, even when the initial heat flow is relatively low (50 mW/m2). In contrast, localized mantle deformation is most pronounced when the extended lithosphere has a normal crustal thickness (30-40 km) and an intermediate (60-70 mW/m2) heat flow. Results show a non-linear response to subtle changes in crustal thickness or heat flow, characterized by abrupt and sometime unexpected switches in extension modes (e.g. from diffuse rifting to effective lithospheric-scale rupturing) or from mantle- to crust-dominated strain localization. We interpret this non-linearity to result from the interference of doming wavelengths. Disharmony of crust and mantle doming wavelengths results in efficient communication between shear zones at different lithospheric levels, leading to rupturing of the whole lithosphere. In contrast, harmonious crust and mantle doming inhibits interaction of shear zones across the lithosphere and results in a prolonged rifting history prior to continental breakup.

High-temperature peridotites - lithospheric or asthenospheric?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hops, J.J.; Gurney, J.J.

1990-01-01

High-temperature peridotites by definition yield equilibration temperatures greater than 1100 degrees C. On the basis of temperature and pressure calculations, these high-temperature peridotites are amongst the deepest samples entrained by kimberlites on route to the surface. Conflicting models proposing either a lithospheric or asthenospheric origin for the high-temperature peridotites have been suggested. A detailed study of these xenoliths from a single locality, the Jagersfontein kimberlite in the Orange Free State, has been completed as a means of resolving this controversy. 10 refs., 2 figs

Experimental Study on the Measurement of Water Bottom Vibration Induced by Underwater Drilling Blasting

OpenAIRE

Wenbin, Gu; Jianghai, Chen; Zhenxiong, Wang; Zhihua, Wang; Jianqing, Liu; Ming, Lu

2015-01-01

Due to the lack of proper instrumentations and the difficulties in underwater measurements, the studies about water bottom vibration induced by underwater drilling blasting are seldom reported. In order to investigate the propagation and attenuation laws of blasting induced water bottom vibration, a water bottom vibration monitor was developed with consideration of the difficulties in underwater measurements. By means of this equipment, the actual water bottom vibration induced by underwater ...

Short wavelength lateral variability of lithospheric mantle beneath the Middle Atlas (Morocco) as recorded by mantle xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

El Messbahi, Hicham; Bodinier, Jean-Louis; Vauchez, Alain; Dautria, Jean-Marie; Ouali, Houssa; Garrido, Carlos J.

2015-05-01

The Middle Atlas is a region where xenolith-bearing volcanism roughly coincides with the maximum of lithospheric thinning beneath continental Morocco. It is therefore a key area to study the mechanisms of lithospheric thinning and constrain the component of mantle buoyancy that is required to explain the Moroccan topography. Samples from the two main xenolith localities, the Bou Ibalghatene and Tafraoute maars, have been investigated for their mineralogy, microstructures, crystallographic preferred orientation, and whole-rock and mineral compositions. While Bou Ibalghatene belongs to the main Middle Atlas volcanic field, in the 'tabular' Middle Atlas, Tafraoute is situated about 45 km away, on the North Middle Atlas Fault that separates the 'folded' Middle Atlas, to the South-East, from the 'tabular' Middle Atlas, to the North-West. Both xenolith suites record infiltration of sub-lithospheric melts that are akin to the Middle Atlas volcanism but were differentiated to variable degrees as a result of interactions with lithospheric mantle. However, while the Bou Ibalghatene mantle was densely traversed by high melt fractions, mostly focused in melt conduits, the Tafraoute suite records heterogeneous infiltration of smaller melt fractions that migrated diffusively, by intergranular porous flow. As a consequence the lithospheric mantle beneath Bou Ibalghaten was strongly modified by melt-rock interactions in the Cenozoic whereas the Tafraoute mantle preserves the record of extensional lithospheric thinning, most likely related to Mesozoic rifting. The two xenolith suites illustrate distinct mechanisms of lithospheric thinning: extensional thinning in Tafraoute, where hydrous incongruent melting triggered by decompression probably played a key role in favouring strain localisation, vs. thermal erosion in Bou Ibalghatene, favoured and guided by a dense network of melt conduits. Our results lend support to the suggestion that lithospheric thinning beneath the Atlas

Lithosphere erosion and continental breakup : Interaction of extension, plume upwelling and melting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lavecchia, Alessio; Thieulot, Cedric; Beekman, Fred; Cloetingh, Sierd; Clark, Stuart

2017-01-01

We present the results of thermo-mechanical modelling of extension and breakup of a heterogeneous continental lithosphere, subjected to plume impingement in presence of intraplate stress field. We incorporate partial melting of the extending lithosphere, underlying upper mantle and plume, caused by

The role of mechanical heterogeneities during continental breakup: a 3D lithospheric-scale modelling approach

Science.gov (United States)

Duclaux, Guillaume; Huismans, Ritske S.; May, Dave

2015-04-01

How and why do continents break? More than two decades of analogue and 2D plane-strain numerical experiments have shown that despite the origin of the forces driving extension, the geometry of continental rifts falls into three categories - or modes: narrow rift, wide rift, or core complex. The mode of extension itself is strongly influenced by the rheology (and rheological behaviour) of the modelled layered system. In every model, an initial thermal or mechanical heterogeneity, such as a weak seed or a notch, is imposed to help localise the deformation and avoid uniform stretching of the lithosphere by pure shear. While it is widely accepted that structural inheritance is a key parameter for controlling rift localisation - as implied by the Wilson Cycle - modelling the effect of lithospheric heterogeneities on the long-term tectonic evolution of an extending plate in full 3D remains challenging. Recent progress in finite-element methods applied to computational tectonics along with the improved accessibility to high performance computers, now enable to switch from plane strain thermo-mechanical experiments to full 3D high-resolution experiments. Here we investigate the role of mechanical heterogeneities on rift opening, linkage and propagation during extension of a layered lithospheric systems with pTatin3d, a geodynamics modeling package utilising the material-point-method for tracking material composition, combined with a multigrid finite-element method to solve heterogeneous, incompressible visco-plastic Stokes problems. The initial model setup consists in a box of 1200 km horizontally by 250 km deep. It includes a 35 km layer of continental crust, underlaid by 85 km of sub-continental lithospheric mantle, and an asthenospheric mantle. Crust and mantle have visco-plastic rheologies with a pressure dependent yielding, which includes strain weakening, and a temperature, stress, strain-rate-dependent viscosity based on wet quartzite rheology for the crust, and wet

Lithospheric thickness jumps at the S-Atlantic continental margins from satellite gravity data and modelled isostatic anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Shahraki, Meysam; Schmeling, Harro; Haas, Peter

2018-01-01

Isostatic equilibrium is a good approximation for passive continental margins. In these regions, geoid anomalies are proportional to the local dipole moment of density-depth distributions, which can be used to constrain the amount of oceanic to continental lithospheric thickening (lithospheric jumps). We consider a five- or three-layer 1D model for the oceanic and continental lithosphere, respectively, composed of water, a sediment layer (both for the oceanic case), the crust, the mantle lithosphere and the asthenosphere. The mantle lithosphere is defined by a mantle density, which is a function of temperature and composition, due to melt depletion. In addition, a depth-dependent sediment density associated with compaction and ocean floor variation is adopted. We analyzed satellite derived geoid data and, after filtering, extracted typical averaged profiles across the Western and Eastern passive margins of the South Atlantic. They show geoid jumps of 8.1 m and 7.0 m for the Argentinian and African sides, respectively. Together with topography data and an averaged crustal density at the conjugate margins these jumps are interpreted as isostatic geoid anomalies and yield best-fitting crustal and lithospheric thicknesses. In a grid search approach five parameters are systematically varied, namely the thicknesses of the sediment layer, the oceanic and continental crusts and the oceanic and the continental mantle lithosphere. The set of successful models reveals a clear asymmetry between the South Africa and Argentine lithospheres by 15 km. Preferred models predict a sediment layer at the Argentine margin of 3-6 km and at the South Africa margin of 1-2.5 km. Moreover, we derived a linear relationship between, oceanic lithosphere, sediment thickness and lithospheric jumps at the South Atlantic margins. It suggests that the continental lithospheres on the western and eastern South Atlantic are thicker by 45-70 and 60-80 km than the oceanic lithospheres, respectively.

Extension of thickened and hot lithospheres: Inferences from laboratory modeling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tirel, C.; Brun, J.P.; Sokoutis, D.

2006-01-01

The extension of a previously thickened lithosphere is studied through a series of analogue experiments. The models deformed in free and boundary-controlled gravity spreading conditions that simulate the development of wide rift-type and core complex-type structures. In models, the development of

Comparative Study of the Use of Different Biomass Bottom Ash in the Manufacture of Ceramic Bricks

OpenAIRE

Eliche-Quesada, D; Felipe Sesé, Manuel Ángel (UNIR); Martínez-Martínez, S; Pérez-Villarejo, L

2017-01-01

The present study evaluates the suitability of several types of biomass bottom ashes [wood bottom ash (WBA), pine-olive pruning bottom ash (POPBA), olive stone bottom ash (OSBA), and olive pomace bottom ash (OPBA)] as an alternative source to replace ceramic raw material in the production of clay bricks. The clay and biomass bottom ash were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) (crystallinity), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) (chemical composition), carbon, nitrogen, hydroge...

Sub-Moho Reflectors, Mantle Faults and Lithospheric Rheology

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, L. D.

2013-12-01

One of the most unexpected and dramatic observations from the early years of deep reflection profiling of the continents using multichannel CMP techniques was the existing of prominent reflections from the upper mantle. The first of these, the Flannan thrust/fault/feature, was traced by marine profiling of the continental margin offshore Britain by the BIRPS program, which soon found them to be but one of several clear sub-crustal discontinuities in that area. Subsequently, similar mantle reflectors have been observed in many areas around the world, most commonly beneath Precambrian cratonic areas. Many, but not all, of these mantle reflections appear to arise from near the overlying Moho or within the lower crust before dipping well into the mantle. Others occur as subhorizontal events at various depths with the mantle, with one suite seeming to cluster at a depth of about 75 km. The dipping events have been variously interpreted as mantle roots of crustal normal faults or the deep extension of crustal thrust faults. The most common interpretation, however, is that these dipping events are the relicts of ancient subduction zones, the stumps of now detached Benioff zones long since reclaimed by the deeper mantle. In addition to the BIRPS reflectors, the best known examples include those beneath Fennoscandia in northern Europe, the Abitibi-Grenville of eastern Canada, and the Slave Province of northwestern Canada (e.g. on the SNORCLE profile). The most recently reported example is from beneath the Sichuan Basin of central China. The preservation of these coherent, and relatively delicate appearing, features beneath older continental crust and presumably within equally old (of not older) mantle lithosphere, has profound implications for the history and rheology of the lithosphere in these areas. If they represent, as widely believe, some form of faulting with the lithosphere, they provide corollary constraints on the nature of faulting in both the lower crust and

Interaction between mantle and crustal detachments: A nonlinear system controlling lithospheric extension

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, Gideon; Regenauer-Lieb, Klaus; Weinberg, Roberto F.

2010-11-01

We use numerical modeling to investigate the development of crustal and mantle detachments during lithospheric extension. Our models simulate a wide range of extensional systems with varying values of crustal thickness and heat flow, showing how strain localization in the mantle interacts with localization in the upper crust and controls the evolution of extensional systems. Model results reveal a richness of structures and deformation styles as a response to a self-organized mechanism that minimizes the internal stored energy of the system by localizing deformation. Crustal detachments, here referred as low-angle normal decoupling horizons, are well developed during extension of overthickened (60 km) continental crust, even when the initial heat flow is relatively low (50 mW m-2). In contrast, localized mantle deformation is most pronounced when the extended lithosphere has a normal crustal thickness (30-40 km) and an intermediate heat flow (60-70 mW m-2). Results show a nonlinear response to subtle changes in crustal thickness or heat flow, characterized by abrupt and sometimes unexpected switches in extension modes (e.g., from diffuse extensional deformation to effective lithospheric-scale rupturing) or from mantle- to crust-dominated strain localization. We interpret this nonlinearity to result from the interference of doming wavelengths in the presence of multiple necking instabilities. Disharmonic crust and mantle doming wavelengths results in efficient communication between shear zones at different lithospheric levels, leading to rupturing of the whole lithosphere. In contrast, harmonic crust and mantle doming inhibits interaction of shear zones across the lithosphere and results in a prolonged history of extension prior to continental breakup.

The 2010 Southern California Ocean Bottom Seismometer Deployment

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, C. M.; Kohler, M. D.; Weeraratne, D. S.

2010-12-01

Subduction, mid-ocean ridge spreading, and transpressional deformation are all processes that played important roles in the evolution of the diffuse Pacific-North America plate boundary offshore Southern California. Existing seismic data for the boundary typically end at the coastline due to the fact that onshore data collection is easier and more feasible. As a result, current models for plate boundary deformation and mantle flow lack data from nearly half the plate boundary offshore. In August 2010, twenty-four broadband and ten short period ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) were deployed on a research cruise as part of a year-long passive OBS experiment off the coast of Southern California. The Asthenospheric and Lithospheric Broadband Architecture from the California Offshore Region Experiment (ALBACORE) will study local seismicity, and crustal and upper mantle seismic structure. Studies using onshore data have shown a high velocity anomaly that exists in the region of convergence under the Transverse Ranges. The Transverse Ranges belong to a large crustal block that experienced clockwise rotation of at least ninety degrees. Geologic studies indicate that the entire Channel Islands on the western end belongs to the region of convergence and have been a part of this rotation. In anticipation of OBS data analysis, a hypothetical velocity model is being developed for the crust and uppermost mantle for the region under the Channel Islands. P-wave arrival times are predicted by propagating teleseismic waves through the model. Different possible P-wave arrival patterns are explored by varying the lithospheric thickness. The long-term goal for developing this model will be to compare it with the actual OBS travel-time residual data to assess the best-fitting model. In preparation for the ALBACORE cruise, existing gravity data near the Channel Island region were examined for correlations with geologic features. Gravity data collected during the ALBACORE cruise will help

Seismic anisotropy and compositionally induced velocity anomalies in the lithosphere above mantle plumes: a petrological and microstructural study of mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

Science.gov (United States)

Tommasi, Andréa; Godard, Marguerite; Coromina, Guilhem; Dautria, Jean-Marie; Barsczus, Hans

2004-11-01

In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we investigated the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from different hotspots tracks in South Pacific Superswell region: the Austral-Cook, Society, and Marquesas islands in French Polynesia. Olivine forsterite contents in the studied spinel peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83. Dunites and wehrlites display the lowest forsterite contents. Their microstructure and high Ni contents preclude a cumulate origin, suggesting that these rocks result from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution. In addition, lherzolites and wehrlites display evidence of late crystallization of clinopyroxene, which may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. These compositional changes, particularly iron enrichment in olivine, result in lower P- and S-waves velocities. Relative to normal lithospheric mantle, compositionally induced seismic anomalies may attain -2.2% for S-waves and -1% for P-waves. Smaller negative anomalies for P-waves are due to a higher sensitivity to modal composition. Conversely, crystal-preferred orientations (CPO) and seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO. Very weak, almost random olivine CPO is nevertheless rare, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of

Widespread melt/rock interaction and seismic properties of the lithosphere above mantle plumes: A petrological and microstructural study of mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

Science.gov (United States)

Tommasi, A.; Godard, M.

2002-12-01

In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we studied the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from the Austral-Cook, Society and Marquesas islands. Olivine forsterite contents in our sp-peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83, the lowest Fo being observed in dunites and wehrlites. Yet, their high Ni content (up to 2500 ppm) precludes a cumulate origin. These rocks are rather interpreted as resulting from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution, the dunites indicating high melt-rock ratios. Moreover, wehrlites display poikiloblastic diopside enclosing corroded olivines. Late crystallization of clinopyroxene, also observed in lherzolites, may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction occurring at the boundary of a partial melting domain developed at the expenses of lithospheric mantle. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. Yet, crystal preferred orientations and thus seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Although dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO, very weak CPO are limited to a few dunites and wehrlites, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of intense magma-rock interaction due to localized flow or accumulation of magmas. Conversely, the compositional changes result in lower seismic velocities for P- and S-waves. Relative to normal mantle, seismic anomalies may attain -2

Highly CO2-supersaturated melts in the Pannonian lithospheric mantle - A transient carbon reservoir?

Science.gov (United States)

Créon, Laura; Rouchon, Virgile; Youssef, Souhail; Rosenberg, Elisabeth; Delpech, Guillaume; Szabó, Csaba; Remusat, Laurent; Mostefaoui, Smail; Asimow, Paul D.; Antoshechkina, Paula M.; Ghiorso, Mark S.; Boller, Elodie; Guyot, François

2017-08-01

Subduction of carbonated crust is widely believed to generate a flux of carbon into the base of the continental lithospheric mantle, which in turn is the likely source of widespread volcanic and non-volcanic CO2 degassing in active tectonic intracontinental settings such as rifts, continental margin arcs and back-arc domains. However, the magnitude of the carbon flux through the lithosphere and the budget of stored carbon held within the lithospheric reservoir are both poorly known. We provide new constraints on the CO2 budget of the lithospheric mantle below the Pannonian Basin (Central Europe) through the study of a suite of xenoliths from the Bakony-Balaton Highland Volcanic Field. Trails of secondary fluid inclusions, silicate melt inclusions, networks of melt veins, and melt pockets with large and abundant vesicles provide numerous lines of evidence that mantle metasomatism affected the lithosphere beneath this region. We obtain a quantitative estimate of the CO2 budget of the mantle below the Pannonian Basin using a combination of innovative analytical and modeling approaches: (1) synchrotron X-ray microtomography, (2) NanoSIMS, Raman spectroscopy and microthermometry, and (3) thermodynamic models (Rhyolite-MELTS). The three-dimensional volumes reconstructed from synchrotron X-ray microtomography allow us to quantify the proportions of all petrographic phases in the samples and to visualize their textural relationships. The concentration of CO2 in glass veins and pockets ranges from 0.27 to 0.96 wt.%, higher than in typical arc magmas (0-0.25 wt.% CO2), whereas the H2O concentration ranges from 0.54 to 4.25 wt.%, on the low end for estimated primitive arc magmas (1.9-6.3 wt.% H2O). Trapping pressures for vesicles were determined by comparing CO2 concentrations in glass to CO2 saturation as a function of pressure in silicate melts, suggesting pressures between 0.69 to 1.78 GPa. These values are generally higher than trapping pressures for fluid inclusions

Samovar: a thermomechanical code for modeling of geodynamic processes in the lithosphere-application to basin evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elesin, Y; Gerya, T; Artemieva, Irina

2010-01-01

We present a new 2D finite difference code, Samovar, for high-resolution numerical modeling of complex geodynamic processes. Examples are collision of lithospheric plates (including mountain building and subduction) and lithosphere extension (including formation of sedimentary basins, regions...... of extended crust, and rift zones). The code models deformation of the lithosphere with viscoelastoplastic rheology, including erosion/sedimentation processes and formation of shear zones in areas of high stresses. It also models steady-state and transient conductive and advective thermal processes including...... partial melting and magma transport in the lithosphere. The thermal and mechanical parts of the code are tested for a series of physical problems with analytical solutions. We apply the code to geodynamic modeling by examining numerically the processes of lithosphere extension and basin formation...

Global map of lithosphere thermal thickness on a 1 deg x 1 deg grid - digitally available

Science.gov (United States)

Artemieva, Irina

2014-05-01

This presentation reports a 1 deg ×1 deg global thermal model for the continental lithosphere (TC1). The model is digitally available from the author's web-site: www.lithosphere.info. Geotherms for continental terranes of different ages (early Archean to present) are constrained by reliable data on borehole heat flow measurements (Artemieva and Mooney, 2001), checked with the original publications for data quality, and corrected for paleo-temperature effects where needed. These data are supplemented by cratonic geotherms based on xenolith data. Since heat flow measurements cover not more than half of the continents, the remaining areas (ca. 60% of the continents) are filled by the statistical numbers derived from the thermal model constrained by borehole data. Continental geotherms are statistically analyzed as a function of age and are used to estimate lithospheric temperatures in continental regions with no or low quality heat flow data. This analysis requires knowledge of lithosphere age globally. A compilation of tectono-thermal ages of lithospheric terranes on a 1 deg × 1 deg grid forms the basis for the statistical analysis. It shows that, statistically, lithospheric thermal thickness z (in km) depends on tectono-thermal age t (in Ma) as: z=0.04t+93.6. This relationship formed the basis for a global thermal model of the continental lithosphere (TC1). Statistical analysis of continental geotherms also reveals that this relationship holds for the Archean cratons in general, but not in detail. Particularly, thick (more than 250 km) lithosphere is restricted solely to young Archean terranes (3.0-2.6 Ga), while in old Archean cratons (3.6-3.0 Ga) lithospheric roots do not extend deeper than 200-220 km. The TC1 model is presented by a set of maps, which show significant thermal heterogeneity within continental upper mantle. The strongest lateral temperature variations (as large as 800 deg C) are typical of the shallow mantle (depth less than 100 km). A map of the

Experimental Study on the Measurement of Water Bottom Vibration Induced by Underwater Drilling Blasting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gu Wenbin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the lack of proper instrumentations and the difficulties in underwater measurements, the studies about water bottom vibration induced by underwater drilling blasting are seldom reported. In order to investigate the propagation and attenuation laws of blasting induced water bottom vibration, a water bottom vibration monitor was developed with consideration of the difficulties in underwater measurements. By means of this equipment, the actual water bottom vibration induced by underwater drilling blasting was measured in a field experiment. It shows that the water bottom vibration monitor could collect vibration signals quite effectively in underwater environments. The followed signal analysis shows that the characteristics of water bottom vibration and land ground vibration induced by the same underwater drilling blasting are quite different due to the different geological environments. The amplitude and frequency band of water bottom vibration both exceed those of land ground vibration. Water bottom vibration is mainly in low-frequency band that induced by blasting impact directly acts on rock. Besides the low-frequency component, land vibration contains another higher frequency band component that induced by followed water hammer wave acts on bank slope.

Three-Dimensional Rheological Structure of North China Craton Determined by Integration of Multiple observations: Controlling Role for Lithospheric Rifting

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, X.; Shan, B.; Li, Y.

2017-12-01

The North China Craton (NCC) has undergone significant lithospheric rejuvenation in late Mesozoic and Cenozoic, one feature of which is the widespread extension and rifting. The extension is distinct between the two parts of NCC: widespread rifting in the eastern NCC and localized narrow rifting in the west. The mechanism being responsible for this difference is uncertain and highly debated. Since lithospheric deformation can be regarded as the response of lithosphere to various dynamic actions, the rheological properties of lithosphere must have a fundamental influence on its tectonics and deformation behavior. In this study, we investigated the 3D thermal and rheological structure of NCC by developing a model integrating several geophysical observables (such as surface heatflow, regional elevation, gravity and geoid anomalies, and seismic tomography models). The results exhibit obvious lateral variation in rheological structure between the eastern and western NCC. The overall lithospheric strength is higher in the western NCC than in the east. Despite of such difference in rheology, both parts of NCC are characterized by mantle dominated strength regime, which facilitates the development of narrow rifting. Using ancient heatflow derived from mantle xenoliths studies, and taking the subduction-related dehydration reactions during Mesozoic into account, we constructed the thermal and rheological structure of NCC in Ordovician, early Cretaceous and early Cenozoic. Combining the evidence from numerical simulations, we proposed an evolution path of the rifting in NCC. The lithosphere of NCC in Ordovician was characterized by a normal craton features: low geotherm, high strength and mantle dominated regime. During Jurassic and Cretaceous, the mantle lithosphere in the eastern NCC was hydrated by fluid released by the suduction of the Pacific plate, resulting in weakening of the lithosphere and a transition from mantle dominated to crust dominated regime, which

Thermal classification of lithospheric discontinuities beneath USArray

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Steven M.; Dueker, Ken; Schmandt, Brandon

2015-12-01

Broadband seismic data from the United States were processed into Ps and Sp receiver function image volumes for the purpose of constraining negative velocity gradients (NVG) at depths between the Moho and 200 km. Moho depth picks from the two independent datasets are in good agreement, however, large discrepancies in NVG picks occur and are attributed to free-surface multiples which obscure deep NVG arrivals in the Ps data. From the Sp data, shallow NVG are found west of the Rockies and in the central US while deep and sporadic NVG are observed beneath the Great Plains and northern Rockies. To aid the interpretation of the observed NVG arrivals, the mantle thermal field is estimated by mapping surface wave tomography velocities to temperature assuming an anelastic olivine model. The distribution of temperature versus NVG depth is bi-modal and displays two distinct thermal populations that are interpreted to represent both the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) and mid-lithosphere discontinuities (MLD). LAB arrivals occur in the western US at 60-85 km and 1200-1400 °C depth suggesting that they manifest partial melt near the base of the thermal plate. MLD arrivals primarily occur at 70-110 km depth and 700-900 °C and we hypothesize that these arrivals are caused by a low-velocity metasomatic layer containing phlogopite resulting from magma crystallization products that accumulate within long-lived thick lithosphere.

Seismic evidence of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath Izu-Bonin area

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, H.; Gao, Y.; Zhou, Y.

2016-12-01

The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB), separating the rigid lithosphere and the ductile asthenosphere layers, is the seismic discontinuity with the negative velocity contrast of the Earth's interior [Fischer et al., 2010]. The LAB has been also termed the Gutenberg (G) discontinuity that defines the top of the low velocity zone in the upper mantle [Gutenberg, 1959; Revenaugh and Jordan, 1991]. The seismic velocity, viscosity, resistivity and other physical parameters change rapidly with the depths across the boundary [Eaton et al., 2009]. Seismic detections on the LAB in subduction zone regions are of great help to understand the interactions between the lithosphere and asthenosphere layers and the geodynamic processes related with the slab subductions. In this study, the vertical broadband waveforms are collected from three deep earthquake events occurring from 2000 to 2014 with the focal depths of 400 600 km beneath the Izu-Bonin area. The waveform data is processed with the linear slant stack method [Zang and Zhou, 2002] to obtain the vespagrams in the relative travel-time to slowness domain and the stacked waveforms. The sP precursors reflected on the LAB (sLABP), which have the negative polarities with the amplitude ratios of 0.17 0.21 relative to the sP phases, are successfully extracted. Based on the one-dimensional modified velocity model (IASP91-IB), we obtain the distributions for six reflected points of the sLABP phases near the source region. Our results reveal that the LAB depths range between 58 and 65 km beneath the Izu-Bonin Arc, with the average depth of 62 km and the small topography of 7 km. Compared with the results of the tectonic stable areas in Philippine Sea [Kawakatsu et al., 2009; Kumar and Kawakatsu, 2011], the oceanic lithosphere beneath the Izu-Bonin Arc shows the obvious thinning phenomena. We infer that the lithospheric thinning is closely related with the partial melting, which is caused by the volatiles continuously released

Structure of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system in the vicinity of the Tristan da Cunha hot spot as seen by surface waves

Science.gov (United States)

Bonadio, Raffaele; Geissler, Wolfram H.; Ravenna, Matteo; Lebedev, Sergei; Celli, Nicolas L.; Jokat, Wilfried; Jegen, Marion; Sens-Schönfelder, Christoph; Baba, Kiyoshi

2017-04-01

Tristan da Cunha is a volcanic island located above a hotspot in the South Atlantic. The deep mantle plume origin of the hotspot volcanism at the island is supported by anomalous geochemical data (Rohde et al., 2013 [1]) and global seismological evidences (French and Romanovicz, 2015 [2]). However, until recently, due to lack of local geophysical data in the South Atlantic and especially around Tristan da Cunha, the existence of a plume has not yet been confirmed. Therefore, an Ocean Bottom Seismometer experiment was carried out in 2012 and 2013 in the vicinity of the archipelago, with the aim of obtaining geophysical data that may help to get some more detailed insights into the structure of the upper mantle, possibly confirming the existence of a plume. In this work we study the shear wave velocity structure of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system beneath the Island. Rayleigh surface wave phase velocity dispersion curves have been obtained using a recent powerful implementation of the inter-station cross-correlation method (Meier et al., 2004 [3]; Soomro et al., 2016 [4]). The measured dispersion curves are used to invert for the 1D shear wave velocity structure beneath the study area and to obtain phase velocity tomographic maps. Our results show a pronounced low shear wave velocity anomaly between 70 and 120 km depth beneath the area; the lid shows high velocity, suggesting a cold, depleted and dehydrated shallow lithosphere, while the deeper lithosphere shows a velocity structure similar to young or rejuvenated Pacific oceanic lithosphere (Laske et al., 2011 [5]; Goes et al., 2012 [6]). Below the base of the lithosphere, shear wave velocities appear to be low, suggesting thermal effects and partial melting (as confirmed by petrological data). Decreasing velocities within the lithosphere south-westward reflect probably a thermal imprint of an underlying mantle plume. References [1] J.K. Rohde, P. van den Bogaard, K. Hoernle, F. Hauff, R. Werner, Evidence for an

Bottom-linked innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Catharina Juul

2018-01-01

hitherto been paid little explicit attention, namely collaboration between middle managers and employees in innovation processes. In contrast to most studies, middle managers and employees are here both subjects of explicit investigation. The collaboration processes explored in this article are termed...... ‘bottom-linked innovation’. The empirical analysis is based on an in-depth qualitative study of bottom-linked innovation in a public frontline institution in Denmark. By combining research on employee-driven innovation and middle management, the article offers new insights into such collaborative......Employee-driven innovation is gaining ground as a strategy for developing sustainable organisations in the public and private sector. This type of innovation is characterised by active employee participation, and the bottom-up perspective is often emphasised. This article explores an issue that has...

Mantle Earthquakes in Thinned Proterozoic Lithosphere: Harrat Lunayyir, Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchette, A. R.; Klemperer, S. L.; Mooney, W. D.; Zahran, H. M.

2017-12-01

Harrat Lunayyir is an active volcanic field located in the western Arabian Shield 100 km outside of the Red Sea rift margin. We use common conversion point (CCP) stacking of P-wave receiver functions (PRFs) to show that the Moho is at 38 km depth, close to the 40 km crustal thickness measured in the center of the craton, whereas the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is at 60 km, far shallower than the 150 km furthest in the craton. We locate 67 high-frequency earthquakes with mL ≤ 2.5 at depths of 40-50 km below the surface, located clearly within the mantle lid. The occurrence of earthquakes within the lithospheric mantle requires a geothermal temperature profile that is below equilibrium. The lithosphere cannot have thinned to its present thickness earlier than 15 Ma, either during an extended period of rifting possibly beginning 24 Ma or, more likely, as part of the second stage of rifting following collision between Arabia and Eurasia.

Strain localization at the margins of strong lithospheric domains: insights from analogue models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calignano, Elisa; Sokoutis, Dimitrios; Willingshofer, Ernst; Gueydan, Frederic; Cloetingh, Sierd

The lateral variation of the mechanical properties of continental lithosphere is an important factor controlling the localization of deformation and thus the deformation history and geometry of intra-plate mountain belts. A series of three-layer lithospheric-scale analog models, with a strong domain

Implications for anomalous mantle pressure and dynamic topography from lithospheric stress patterns in the North Atlantic Realm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiffer, Christian; Nielsen, Søren Bom

2016-01-01

With convergent plate boundaries at some distance, the sources of the lithospheric stress field of the North Atlantic Realm are mainly mantle tractions at the base of the lithosphere, lithospheric density structure and topography. Given this, we estimate horizontal deviatoric stresses using a wel...

Lithospheric shear velocity structure of South Island, New Zealand, from amphibious Rayleigh wave tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Justin S.; Sheehan, Anne F.; Stachnik, Joshua C.; Lin, Fan-Chi; Yeck, William L.; Collins, John A.

2016-05-01

We present a crust and mantle 3-D shear velocity model extending well offshore of New Zealand's South Island, imaging the lithosphere beneath the South Island as well as the Campbell and Challenger Plateaus. Our model is constructed via linearized inversion of both teleseismic (18-70 s period) and ambient noise-based (8-25 s period) Rayleigh wave dispersion measurements. We augment an array of 4 land-based and 29 ocean bottom instruments deployed off the South Island's east and west coasts in 2009-2010 by the Marine Observations of Anisotropy Near Aotearoa experiment with 28 land-based seismometers from New Zealand's permanent GeoNet array. Major features of our shear wave velocity (Vs) model include a low-velocity (Vs 50 km) beneath the central South Island exhibits strong spatial correlation with upper mantle earthquake hypocenters beneath the Alpine Fault. The ~400 km long low-velocity zone we image beneath eastern South Island and the inner Bounty Trough underlies Cenozoic volcanics and the locations of mantle-derived helium measurements, consistent with asthenospheric upwelling in the region.

Use of along-track magnetic field differences in lithospheric field modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kotsiaros, Stavros; Finlay, Chris; Olsen, Nils

2015-01-01

. Experiments in modelling the Earth's lithospheric magnetic field with along-track differences are presented here as a proof of concept. We anticipate that use of such along-track differences in combination with east–west field differences, as are now provided by the Swarm satellite constellation......We demonstrate that first differences of polar orbiting satellite magnetic data in the along-track direction can be used to obtain high resolution models of the lithospheric field. Along-track differences approximate the north–south magnetic field gradients for non-polar latitudes. In a test case......, using 2 yr of low altitude data from the CHAMP satellite, we show that use of along-track differences of vector field data results in an enhanced recovery of the small scale lithospheric field, compared to the use of the vector field data themselves. We show that the along-track technique performs...

The electrical lithosphere in Archean cratons: examples from Southern Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Khoza, D. T.; Jones, A. G.; Muller, M. R.; Webb, S. J.

2011-12-01

The southern African tectonic fabric is made up of a number Archean cratons flanked by Proterozoic and younger mobile belts, all with distinctly different but related geological evolutions. The cratonic margins and some intra-cratonic domain boundaries have played major roles in the tectonics of Africa by focusing ascending magmas and localising cycles of extension and rifting. Of these cratons the southern extent of the Congo craton is one of the least-constrained tectonic boundaries in the African tectonic architecture and knowledge of its geometry and in particular the LAB beneath is crucial for understanding geological process of formation and deformation prevailing in the Archean and later. In this work, which forms a component of the hugely successful Southern African MagnetoTelluric Experiment (SAMTEX), we present the lithospheric electrical resistivity image of the southern boundary of the enigmatic Congo craton and the Neoproterozoic Damara-Ghanzi-Chobe (DGC) orogenic belt on its flanks. Magnetotelluric data were collected along profiles crossing all three of these tectonic blocks. The two dimensional resistivity models resulting from inverting the distortion-corrected responses along the profiles all indicate significant lateral variations in the crust and upper mantle structure along and across strike from the younger DGC orogen to the older adjacent craton. The are significant lithospheric thickness variations from each terrane. The The Moho depth in the DGC is mapped at 40 km by active seismic methods, and is also well constrained by S-wave receiver function models. The Damara belt lithosphere, although generally more conductive and significantly thinner (approximately 150 km) than the adjacent Congo and Kalahari cratons, exhibits upper crustal resistive features interpreted to be caused by igneous intrusions emplaced during the Gondwanan Pan-African magmatic event. The thinned lithosphere is consistent with a 50 mW.m-2 steady-state conductive

Rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault zones

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzaras, Vasileios; Tikoff, Basil; Kruckenberg, Seth C.; Newman, Julie; Titus, Sarah J.; Withers, Anthony C.; Drury, Martyn R.

2016-04-01

How well constrained is the rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault systems? Further, how do lithospheric layers, with rheologically distinct behaviors, interact within the strike-slip fault zones? To address these questions, we present rheological observations from the mantle sections of two lithospheric-scale, strike-slip fault zones. Xenoliths from ˜40 km depth (970-1100 ° C) beneath the San Andreas fault system (SAF) provide critical constraints on the mechanical stratification of the lithosphere in this continental transform fault. Samples from the Bogota Peninsula shear zone (BPSZ, New Caledonia), which is an exhumed oceanic transform fault, provide insights on lateral variations in mantle strength and viscosity across the fault zone at a depth corresponding to deformation temperatures of ˜900 ° C. Olivine recrystallized grain size piezometry suggests that the shear stress in the SAF upper mantle is 5-9 MPa and in the BPSZ is 4-10 MPa. Thus, the mantle strength in both fault zones is comparable to the crustal strength (˜10 MPa) of seismogenic strike-slip faults in the SAF system. Across the BPSZ, shear stress increases from 4 MPa in the surrounding rocks to 10 MPa in the mylonites, which comprise the core of the shear zone. Further, the BPSZ is characterized by at least one order of magnitude difference in the viscosity between the mylonites (1018 Paṡs) and the surrounding rocks (1019 Paṡs). Mantle viscosity in both the BPSZ mylonites and the SAF (7.0ṡ1018-3.1ṡ1020 Paṡs) is relatively low. To explain our observations from these two strike-slip fault zones, we propose the "lithospheric feedback" model in which the upper crust and lithospheric mantle act together as an integrated system. Mantle flow controls displacement and the upper crust controls the stress magnitude in the system. Our stress data combined with data that are now available for the middle and lower crustal sections of other transcurrent fault

Deformation of the Pannonian lithosphere and related tectonic topography: a depth-to-surface analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dombrádi, E.

2012-01-01

Fingerprints of deep-seated, lithospheric deformation are often recognised on the surface, contributing to topographic evolution, drainage organisation and mass transport. Interactions between deep and surface processes were investigated in the Carpathian-Pannonian region. The lithosphere beneath

Localization instability and the origin of regularly- spaced faults in planetary lithospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Montesi, Laurent Gilbert Joseph

2002-10-01

Brittle deformation is not distributed uniformly in planetary lithospheres but is instead localized on faults and ductile shear zones. In some regions such as the Central Indian Basin or martian ridged plains, localized shear zones display a characteristic spacing. This pattern can constrain the mechanical structure of the lithosphere if a model that includes the development of localized shear zones and their interaction with the non- localizing levels of the lithosphere is available. I construct such a model by modifying the buckling analysis of a mechanically-stratified lithosphere idealization, by allowing for rheologies that have a tendency to localize. The stability of a rheological system against localization is indicated by its effective stress exponent, ne. That quantity must be negative for the material to have a tendency to localize. I show that a material deforming brittly or by frictional sliding has ne mechanical properties. When this model is subjected to horizontal extension or compression, infinitesimal perturbation of its interfaces grow at a rate that depends on their wavelength. Two superposed instabilities develop if ne Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253- 1690.)

Preservation of an Archaean whole rock Re-Os isochron for the Venetia lithospheric mantle: Evidence for rapid crustal recycling and lithosphere stabilisation at 3.3 Ga

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meer, Quinten H. A.; Klaver, Martijn; Reisberg, Laurie; Riches, Amy J. V.; Davies, Gareth R.

2017-11-01

Re-Os and platinum group element analyses are reported for peridotite xenoliths from the 533 Ma Venetia kimberlite cluster situated in the Limpopo Mobile Belt, the Neoarchaean collision zone between the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons. The Venetian xenoliths provide a rare opportunity to examine the state of the cratonic lithosphere prior to major regional metasomatic disturbance of Re-Os systematics throughout the Phanerozoic. The 32 studied xenoliths record Si-enrichment that is characteristic of the Kaapvaal lithospheric mantle and can be subdivided into five groups based on Re-Os analyses. The most pristine group I samples (n = 13) display an approximately isochronous relationship and fall on a 3.28 ± 0.17 Ga (95 % conf. int.) reference line that is based on their mean TMA age. This age overlaps with the formation age of the Limpopo crust at 3.35-3.28 Ga. The group I samples derive from ∼50 to ∼170 km depth, suggesting coeval melt depletion of the majority of the Venetia lithospheric mantle column. Group II and III samples have elevated Re/Os due to Re addition during kimberlite magmatism. Group II has otherwise undergone a similar evolution as the group I samples with overlapping 187Os/188Os at eruption age: 187Os/188OsEA, while group III samples have low Os concentrations, unradiogenic 187Os/188OsEA and were effectively Re-free prior to kimberlite magmatism. The other sample groups (IV and V) have disturbed Re-Os systematics and provide no reliable age information. A strong positive correlation is recorded between Os and Re concentrations for group I samples, which is extended to groups II and III after correction for kimberlite addition. This positive correlation precludes a single stage melt depletion history and indicates coupled remobilisation of Re and Os. The combination of Re-Os mobility, preservation of the isochronous relationship, correlation of 187Os/188Os with degree of melt depletion and lack of radiogenic Os addition puts tight constraints on

Amount of Asian lithospheric mantle subducted during the India/Asia collision

OpenAIRE

Replumaz, A.; Guillot, S.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Negredo, A. M.

2013-01-01

Body wave seismic tomography is a successful technique for mapping lithospheric material sinking into the mantle. Focusing on the India/Asia collision zone, we postulate the existence of several Asian continental slabs, based on seismic global tomography. We observe a lower mantle positive anomaly between 1100 and 900 km depths, that we interpret as the signature of a past subduction process of Asian lithosphere, based on the anomaly position relative to positive anomalies related to Indian c...

Mantle weakening and strain localization: Implications for the long-term strength of the continental lithosphere

OpenAIRE

Précigout , Jacques; Gueydan , Frédéric

2009-01-01

International audience; Mechanics of the continental lithosphere require the presence of a high-strength uppermost mantle that defines the "jelly sandwich" model for lithosphere strength layering. However, in deforming regions, growing numbers of geological and geophysical data predict a sub-Moho mantle strength lower than the crustal strength, or a "crème brûlée" model. To reconcile these two opposite views of lithosphere strength layering, we account for a new olivine rheology, which could ...

Lu-Hf isotope constraints on plume-lithosphere interaction during emplacement of the Bushveld Large Igneous Province at 2.06 Ga: Implications for the structure and evolution of the Kaapvaal Craton's lithospheric mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Zirakparvar, N. A.; Mathez, E. A.; Rajesh, H.; Vervoort, J. D.; Choe, S.

2016-12-01

The Bushveld Large Igneous Province (B-LIP) comprises a diverse array of >30 magma bodies that intruded the Kaapvaal Craton at 2.06 Ga. In this talk we use zircon and bulk-rock Lu-Hf isotope data to show that the B-LIP formed in response to the arrival of a plume(s) from the deep mantle. New zircon Hf isotope compositions for four B-LIP bodies yield intrusion-specific average ɛHf (2.06 Ga) values that range from -20.7 ± 2.8 to -2.7 ± 2.8, largely consistent with literature zircon data for other B-LIP intrusions. Bulk-rock solution ɛHf (2.06 Ga) values for a variety of B-LIP intrusions range from -2.1 ± 0.2 to -10.6 ± 0.2. Because the most radiogenic Hf isotope compositions across the entire B-LIP are nearly primordial with an ɛHf (2.06 Ga) close to 0, it is likely that the heat source of the B-LIP was a plume(s) from deep mantle. The Hf isotope data further suggests that individual intrusions in the B-LIP can be grouped into four categories based on their ultimate sources: 1) melts generated in subduction and plume modified continental lithospheric mantle; 2) melts generated by melting of a mafic-ultramafic reservoir composed of older ( 2.7 Ga) plume-related material trapped in the Kaapvaal lithosphere; 3) melts generated in the mid- to upper crust; and 4) melts generated from the 2.06 Ga mantle plume itself. The presence of 2.7 Ga mafic-ultramafic material in the Kaapvaal lithosphere may have acted to strengthen the lithosphere so that it was able to resist being dispered by the arrival of the B-LIP plume at 2.06 Ga. Because the B-LIP extends into a 2.7 Ga aged suture zone between the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe cratons, it is also possible to understand the role of the lithospheric mantle in producing the Lu-Hf signatures observed in the various B-LIP intrusions as a function of two different types of the continental lithosphere: The very old lithosphere comprising the Kaapvaal Craton and the somewhat younger lithosphere comprising the suture zone. A basic

Lithospheric Strength and Stress State: Persistent Challenges and New Directions in Geodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Hirth, G.

2017-12-01

The strength of the lithosphere controls a broad array of geodynamic processes ranging from earthquakes, the formation and evolution of plate boundaries and the thermal evolution of the planet. A combination of laboratory, geologic and geophysical observations provides several independent constraints on the rheological properties of the lithosphere. However, several persistent challenges remain in the interpretation of these data. Problems related to extrapolation in both scale and time (rate) need to be addressed to apply laboratory data. Nonetheless, good agreement between extrapolation of flow laws and the interpretation of microstructures in viscously deformed lithospheric mantle rocks demonstrates a strong foundation to build on to explore the role of scale. Furthermore, agreement between the depth distribution of earthquakes and predictions based on extrapolation of high temperature friction relationships provides a basis to understand links between brittle deformation and stress state. In contrast, problems remain for rationalizing larger scale geodynamic processes with these same rheological constraints. For example, at face value the lab derived values for the activation energy for creep are too large to explain convective instabilities at the base of the lithosphere, but too low to explain the persistence of dangling slabs in the upper mantle. In this presentation, I will outline these problems (and successes) and provide thoughts on where new progress can be made to resolve remaining inconsistencies, including discussion of the role of the distribution of volatiles and alteration on the strength of the lithosphere, new data on the influence of pressure on friction and fracture strength, and links between the location of earthquakes, thermal structure, and stress state.

COMPOSITIONAL AND THERMAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LITHOSPHERIC AND ASTHENOSPHERIC MANTLE AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CONTINENTAL DELAMINATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. I. Kiselev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The lower part of lithosphere in collisional orogens may delaminate due to density inversion between the asthenosphere and the cold thickened lithospheric mantle. Generally, standard delamination models have neglected density changes within the crust and the lithospheric mantle, which occur due to phase transitions and compositional variations upon changes of P-T parameters. Our attention is focused on effects of phase and density changes that may be very important and even dominant when compared with the effect of a simple change of the thermal mantle structure. The paper presents the results of numerical modeling for eclogitization of basalts of the lower crust as well as phase composition changes and density of underlying peridotite resulted from tectonic thickening of the lithosphere and its foundering into the asthenosphere. As the thickness of the lower crust increases, the mafic granulite (basalt passes into eclogite, and density inversion occurs at the accepted crust-mantle boundary (P=20 kbar because the newly formed eclogite is heavier than the underlying peridotite by 6 % (abyssal peridotite, according to [Boyd, 1989]. The density difference is a potential energy for delamination of the eclogitic portion of the crust. According to the model, P=70 kbar and T=1300 °C correspond to conditions at the lower boundary of the lithosphere. Assuming the temperature adiabatic distribution within the asthenosphere, its value at the given parameters ranges from 1350 °C to 1400 °C. Density inversion at dry conditions occurs with the identical lithospheric and asthenospheric compositions at the expense of the temperature difference at 100 °C with the density difference of only 0.0022 %. Differences of two other asthenospheric compositions (primitive mantle, and lherzolite KH as compared to the lithosphere (abyssal peridotite are not compensated for by a higher temperature. The asthenospheric density is higher than that of the lithospheric base

Low Seismic Attenuation in Southern New England Lithosphere Implies Little Heating by the Upwelling Asthenosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Lamoureux, J. M.; Menke, W. H.

2017-12-01

The Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA) is a patch of the asthenosphere in southern New England that is unusually hot given its passive margin setting. Previous research has detected large seismic wave delays that imply a temperature of 770 deg C higher than the mantle below the adjacent craton at the same depth. A key outstanding issue is whether the NAA interacts with the lithosphere above it (e.g. by heating it up). We study this issue using Po and So waves from two magnitude >5.5 earthquakes near the Puerto Rico Trench. These waves, propagating in the cold oceanic lithosphere at near Moho speeds, deliver high frequency energy to the shallow continental lithosphere. We hypothesized that: (1) once within the continental lithosphere, Po and So experience attenuation with distance that can be quantified by a quality factor Q, and that (2) any heating of the lithosphere above the NAA would lead to a higher Q than in regions further north or south along the continental margin. Corresponding Po and So velocities would also be lower. The decay rates of Po and So are estimated using least-squares applied to RMS coda amplitudes measured from digital seismograms from stations in northeastern North America, corrected for instrument response. A roughly log-linear decrease in amplitude is observed, corresponding to P and S wave quality factors in the range of 394-1500 and 727-6847, respectively. Measurements are made for four margin-perpendicular geographical bands, with one band overlapping the NAA. We detect no effect on these amplitudes by the NAA; 95% confidence bounds overlap in every case; Furthermore, all quality factors are much higher than the 100 predicted by lab experiments for near-solidus mantle rocks. These results suggest that the NAA is not causing significant heating of the lithosphere above it. The shear velocities, however, are about 10% slower above the NAA - an effect that may be fossil, reflecting processes that occurred millions of years ago.

Global strength and elastic thickness of the lithosphere

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tesauro, M.; Kaban, M.K.; Cloetingh, S.A.P.L.

2012-01-01

Thestrengthand effective elasticthickness (Te) ofthelithosphere control its response to tectonic and surface processes. Here, we present the first globalstrengthand effective elasticthickness maps, which are determined using physical properties from recent crustal and lithospheric models. Pronounced

A Study on the Environmental Standard of Sediment on the Bottom of the Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Chang Hee; Yoo, Hye Jin [Korea Environment Institute, Seoul (Korea)

2000-12-01

Sediment on the bottom of the water has been considered one of the water pollutants in the environmental management of Korea so treated as a management on pollutants, as you can see the examples in the dragging operation in the polluted sea area. To healthily maintain and conserve the water ecosystem including bottom living things in the water, sediment on the bottom of the water should be recognized as the independent medium, which should maintain the certain quality like the water, the atmosphere, and soil, rather than the source of water pollution. Such recognition means that the management of sediment on the bottom of the water should change the fragmentary goal, centered the post management focusing on the water management, to the ecosystematic goal including the bottom living things. In a point of the view, this study has a great significance to suggest not only the final goal for the management of sediment on the bottom of the water but also the necessity of developing the environmental standard of the sediment on the bottom of the water, which is a standard of the management or judgment in the actual managing the sediment on the bottom of the water - an estimation on the pollution of sediment, a removal of the polluted sediment, a purification of sediment, and an abandonment of the dragged sediment -, and the development measures. Considering the situation that even the basic scheme related to the management of sediment is not prepared in the Government level, the concept of the environmental standard of sediment, the foreign example of the environmental standard of sediment, the current state of the domestic sediment pollution, and the development scheme of the environmental standard in this study must be the important foundation to establish the management system of sediment in the Government level. 121 refs., 10 figs., 45 tabs.

Bottom head assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fife, A.B.

1998-01-01

A bottom head dome assembly is described which includes, in one embodiment, a bottom head dome and a liner configured to be positioned proximate the bottom head dome. The bottom head dome has a plurality of openings extending there through. The liner also has a plurality of openings extending there through, and each liner opening aligns with a respective bottom head dome opening. A seal is formed, such as by welding, between the liner and the bottom head dome to resist entry of water between the liner and the bottom head dome at the edge of the liner. In the one embodiment, a plurality of stub tubes are secured to the liner. Each stub tube has a bore extending there through, and each stub tube bore is coaxially aligned with a respective liner opening. A seat portion is formed by each liner opening for receiving a portion of the respective stub tube. The assembly also includes a plurality of support shims positioned between the bottom head dome and the liner for supporting the liner. In one embodiment, each support shim includes a support stub having a bore there through, and each support stub bore aligns with a respective bottom head dome opening. 2 figs

A Review of Recent Developments in the Study of Regional Lithospheric Electrical Structure of the Asian Continent

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Letian

2017-09-01

The Asian continent was formed through the amalgamation of several major continental blocks that were formerly separated by the Paleo-Asian and Tethyan Oceans. During this process, the Asian continent underwent a long period of continental crustal growth and tectonic deformation, making it the largest and youngest continent on Earth. This paper presents a review of the application of geophysical electromagnetic methods, mainly the magnetotelluric (MT) method, in recent investigations of the diverse tectonic features across the Asian continent. The case studies cover the major continental blocks of Asia, the Central Asian orogenic system, the Tethyan orogenic system, as well as the western Pacific subduction system. In summary, most of the major continental blocks of Asia exhibit a three-layer structure with a resistive upper crust and upper mantle and a relatively conductive mid-lower crust. Large-scale conductors in the upper mantle were interpreted as an indication of lithospheric modification at the craton margins. The electrical structure of the Central Asian orogenic system is generally more resistive than the bordering continental blocks, whereas the Tethyan orogenic system displays more conductive, with pervasive conductors in the lower crust and upper mantle. The western Pacific subduction system shows increasing complexity in its electrical structure from its northern extent to its southern extent. In general, the following areas of the Asian continent have increasingly conductive lithospheric electrical structures, which correspond to a transition from the most stable areas to the most active tectonic areas of Asia: the major continental blocks, the accretionary Central Asian orogenic system, the collisional Tethyan orogenic system, and the western Pacific subduction system. As a key part of this review, a three-dimensional (3-D) model of the lithospheric electrical structure of a large portion of the Tibetan Plateau is presented and discussed in detail

Pool Structures: A New Type of Interaction Zones of Lithospheric Plate Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Garetskyi, R. G.; Leonov, M. G.

2018-02-01

Study of tectono-geodynamic clusters of the continental lithosphere (the Sloboda cluster of the East European Platform and the Pamir cluster of Central Asia) permitted identification of pool structures, which are a specific type of zone of intraplate interaction of rock masses.

Simultaneous estimation of lithospheric uplift rates and absolute sea level change in southwest Scandinavia from inversion of sea level data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lars; Hansen, Jens Morten; Hede, Mikkel Ulfeldt

2014-01-01

the relative sea level data. Similar independent data do not exist for ancient times. The purpose of this study is to test two simple inversion approaches for simultaneous estimation of lithospheric uplift rates and absolute sea level change rates for ancient times in areas where a dense coverage of relative...... sea level data exists and well-constrained average lithospheric movement values are known from, for example glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models. The inversion approaches are tested and used for simultaneous estimation of lithospheric uplift rates and absolute sea level change rates in southwest...... Scandinavia from modern relative sea level data series that cover the period from 1900 to 2000. In both approaches, a priori information is required to solve the inverse problem. A priori information about the average vertical lithospheric movement in the area of interest is critical for the quality...

Seismological Constraints on Lithospheric Evolution in the Appalachian Orogen

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, K. M.; Hopper, E.; Hawman, R. B.; Wagner, L. S.

2017-12-01

Crust and mantle structures beneath the Appalachian orogen, recently resolved by seismic data from the EarthScope SESAME Flexible Array and Transportable Array, provide new constraints on the scale and style of the Appalachian collision and subsequent lithospheric evolution. In the southern Appalachians, imaging with Sp and Ps phases reveals the final (Alleghanian) suture between the crusts of Laurentia and the Gondwanan Suwannee terrane as a low angle (Kellogg, 2017) isostatic arguments indicate crustal thicknesses were 15-25 km larger at the end of the orogeny, indicating a thick crustal root across the region. The present-day residual crustal root beneath the Blue Ridge mountains is estimated to have a density contrast with the mantle of only 104±20 kg/m3. This value is comparable to other old orogens but lower than values typical of young or active orogens, indicating a loss of lower crustal buoyancy over time. At mantle depths, the negative shear velocity gradient that marks the transition from lithosphere to asthenosphere, as illuminated by Sp phases, varies across the Appalachian orogen. This boundary is shallow beneath the northeastern U.S. and in the zone of Eocene volcanism in Virginia, where low velocity anomalies occur in the upper mantle. These correlations suggest recent active lithosphere-asthenosphere interaction.

The extending lithosphere (Arthur Holmes Medal Lecture)

Science.gov (United States)

Brun, Jean-Pierre

2017-04-01

Extension of the lithosphere gives birth to a wide range of structures, with characteristic widths between 10 and 1000 km, which includes continental rifts, passive margins, oceanic rifts, core complexes, or back-arc basins. Because the rheology of rocks strongly depends on temperature, this variety of extensional structures falls in two broad categories of extending lithospheres according to the initial Moho temperature TM. "Cold extending systems", with TM 750°C and crustal-dominated strength, lead, depending on strain rate, to either wide rifts or metamorphic core complexes. A much less quoted product of extension is the exhumation of high-pressure (HP ) metamorphic rocks occurring in domains of back-arc extension driven by slab rollback (e.g. Aegean; Appennines-Calabrian) or when the subduction upper plate undergoes extension for plate kinematics reasons (e.g. Norwegian Caledonides; Papua New Guinea). In these tectonic environments, well-documented pressure-temperature-time (P - T - t) paths of HP rocks show a two-stage retrogression path whose the first part corresponds to an isothermal large pressure drop ΔP proportional to the maximum pressure Pmax recorded by the rocks. This linear relation between ΔP and Pmax, which likely results from a stress switch between compression and extension at the onset of exhumation, is in fact observed in all HP metamorphism provinces worldwide, suggesting that the exhumation of HP rocks in extension is a general process rather than an uncommon case. In summary, the modes and products of extension are so diverse that, taken all together, they constitute a very versatile natural laboratory to decipher the rheological complexities of the continental lithosphere and their mechanical implications.

Implications of a visco-elastic model of the lithosphere for calculating yield strength envelopes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ershov, A.V.; Stephenson, R.A.

2006-01-01

The dominant deformation mechanism in the ductile part of the lithosphere is creep. From a mechanical point of view, creep can be modelled as a viscous phenomenon. On the other hand, yield-strength envelopes (YSEs), commonly used to describe lithosphere rheology, are constructed supposing creep to

A numerical model of mantle convection with deformable, mobile continental lithosphere within three-dimensional spherical geometry

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, M.

2010-12-01

A new numerical simulation model of mantle convection with a compositionally and rheologically heterogeneous, deformable, mobile continental lithosphere is presented for the first time by using three-dimensional regional spherical-shell geometry (Yoshida, 2010, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.). The numerical results revealed that one of major factor that realizes the supercontinental breakup and subsequent continental drift is a pre-existing, weak (low-viscosity) continental margin (WCM) in the supercontinent. Characteristic tectonic structures such as young orogenic belts and suture zones in a continent are expected to be mechanically weaker than the stable part of the continental lithosphere with the cratonic root (or cratonic lithosphere) and yield lateral viscosity variations in the continental lithosphere. In the present-day Earth's lithosphere, the pre-existing, mechanically weak zones emerge as a diffuse plate boundary. However, the dynamic role of the WCM in the stability of continental lithosphere has not been understood in terms of geophysics. In my numerical model, a compositionally buoyant and highly viscous continental assemblage with pre-existing WCMs, analogous to the past supercontinent, is modeled and imposed on well-developed mantle convection whose vigor of convection, internal heating rate, and rheological parameters are appropriate for the Earth's mantle. The visco-plastic oceanic lithosphere and the associated subduction of oceanic plates are incorporated. The time integration of the advection of continental materials with zero chemical diffusion is performed by a tracer particle method. The time evolution of mantle convection after setting the model supercontinent is followed over 800 Myr. Earth-like continental drift is successfully reproduced, and the characteristic thermal interaction between the mantle and the continent/supercontinent is observed in my new numerical model. Results reveal that the WCM protects the cratonic lithosphere from being

Lithospheric architecture of the South-Western Alps revealed by multiparameter teleseismic full-waveform inversion

Science.gov (United States)

Beller, S.; Monteiller, V.; Operto, S.; Nolet, G.; Paul, A.; Zhao, L.

2018-02-01

The Western Alps, although being intensively investigated, remains elusive when it comes to determining its lithospheric structure. New inferences on the latter are important for the understanding of processes and mechanisms of orogeny needed to unravel the dynamic evolution of the Alps. This situation led to the deployment of the CIFALPS temporary experiment, conducted to address the lack of seismological data amenable to high-resolution seismic imaging of the crust and the upper mantle. We perform a 3-D isotropic full-waveform inversion (FWI) of nine teleseismic events recorded by the CIFALPS experiment to infer 3-D models of both density and P- and S-wave velocities of the Alpine lithosphere. Here, by FWI is meant the inversion of the full seismograms including phase and amplitude effects within a time window following the first arrival up to a frequency of 0.2 Hz. We show that the application of the FWI at the lithospheric scale is able to generate images of the lithosphere with unprecedented resolution and can furnish a reliable density model of the upper lithosphere. In the shallowest part of the crust, we retrieve the shape of the fast/dense Ivrea body anomaly and detect the low velocities of the Po and SE France sedimentary basins. The geometry of the Ivrea body as revealed by our density model is consistent with the Bouguer anomaly. A sharp Moho transition is followed from the external part (30 km depth) to the internal part of the Alps (70-80 km depth), giving clear evidence of a continental subduction event during the formation of the Alpine Belt. A low-velocity zone in the lower lithosphere of the S-wave velocity model supports the hypothesis of a slab detachment in the western part of the Alps that is followed by asthenospheric upwelling. The application of FWI to teleseismic data helps to fill the gap of resolution between traditional imaging techniques, and enables integrated interpretations of both upper and lower lithospheric structures.

Bridging the gap between the deep Earth and lithospheric gravity field

Science.gov (United States)

Root, B. C.; Ebbing, J.; Martinec, Z.; van der Wal, W.

2017-12-01

Global gravity field data obtained by dedicated satellite missions can be used to study the density distribution of the lithosphere. The gravitational signal from the deep Earth is usually removed by high-pass filtering of the data. However, this will also remove any long-wavelength signal of the lithosphere. Furthermore, it is still unclear what value for the truncation limit is best suited. An alternative is to forward model the deep situated mass anomalies and subtract the gravitational signal from the observed data. This requires knowledge of the mantle mass anomalies, dynamic topography, and CMB topography. Global tomography provides the VS distribution in the mantle, which is related to the density distribution in the mantle. There are difficulties in constructing a density model from this data. Tomography relies on regularisation which smoothens the mantle anomalies. Also, the VS anomalies need to be converted to density anomalies with uncertain conversion factors. We study the observed reduction in magnitude of the density anomalies due to the regularisation of the global tomography models. The reduced magnitude of the anomalies cannot be recovered by increasing the conversion factor from VS-to-density transformation. The reduction of the tomographic results seems to resemble the effect of a spatial Gaussian filter. By determining the spectral difference between tomographic and gravimetric models a reverse filter can be constructed to reproduce correct density variations in the complete mantle. The long-wavelengths of the global tomography models are less affected by the regularisation and can fix the value of the conversion factor. However, the low degree gravity signals are also dominated by the D" region. Therefore, different approaches are used to determine the effect of this region on the gravity field. The density anomalies in the mantle, as well as the effect of CMB undulations, are forward modelled into their gravitational potential field, such that

The lithospheric mantle below southern West Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sand, Karina Krarup; Waight, Tod Earle; Pearson, D. Graham

2009-01-01

Geothermobarometry of primarily garnet lherzolitic xenoliths from several localities in southern West Greenland is applied to address the diamond potential, pressure and temperature distribution and the stratigraphy of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle ~600 Ma ago. The samples are from kimbe...... into the reworked Archean North of the Naqssugtoqidian deformation front....

Detachments of the subducted Indian continental lithosphere based on 3D finite-frequency tomographic images

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, X.; Tian, X.; Wang, M.

2017-12-01

Indian plate collided with Eurasian plate at 60 Ma and there are about 3000 km crustal shortening since the continental-continental collision. At least one third of the total amount of crustal shortening between Indian and Eurasian plates could not be accounted by thickened Tibetan crust and surface erosion. It will need a combination of possible transfer of lower crust to the mantle by eclogitization and lateral extrusion. Based on the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary images beneath the Tibetan plateau, there is also at least the same amount deficit for lithospheric mantle subducted into upper/lower mantle or lateral extrusion with the crust. We have to recover a detailed Indian continental lithosphere image beneath the plateau in order to explain this deficit of mass budget. Combining the new teleseismic body waves recorded by SANDWICH passive seismic array with waveforms from several previous temporary seismic arrays, we carried out finite-frequency tomographic inversions to image three-dimensional velocity structures beneath southern and central Tibetan plateau to examine the possible image of subducted Indian lithosphere in the Tibetan upper mantle. We have recovered a continuous high velocity body in upper mantle and piece-wised high velocity anomalies in the mantle transition zone. Based on their geometry and relative locations, we interpreted these high velocity anomalies as the subducted and detached Indian lithosphere at different episodes of the plateau evolution. Detachments of the subducted Indian lithosphere should have a crucial impact on the volcanism activities and uplift history of the plateau.

Lithospheric architecture of NE China from joint Inversions of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion through Bayesian optimisation

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, Nita; Kim, Seongryong; Tkalčić, Hrvoje; Sippl, Christian

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated inference on the lithospheric structure of NE China using three passive seismic networks comprised of 92 stations. The NE China plain consists of complex lithospheric domains characterised by the co-existence of complex geodynamic processes such as crustal thinning, active intraplate cenozoic volcanism and low velocity anomalies. To estimate lithospheric structures with greater detail, we chose to perform the joint inversion of independent data sets such as receiver functions and surface wave dispersion curves (group and phase velocity). We perform a joint inversion based on principles of Bayesian transdimensional optimisation techniques (Kim etal., 2016). Unlike in the previous studies of NE China, the complexity of the model is determined from the data in the first stage of the inversion, and the data uncertainty is computed based on Bayesian statistics in the second stage of the inversion. The computed crustal properties are retrieved from an ensemble of probable models. We obtain major structural inferences with well constrained absolute velocity estimates, which are vital for inferring properties of the lithosphere and bulk crustal Vp/Vs ratio. The Vp/Vs estimate obtained from joint inversions confirms the high Vp/Vs ratio ( 1.98) obtained using the H-Kappa method beneath some stations. Moreover, we could confirm the existence of a lower crustal velocity beneath several stations (eg: station SHS) within the NE China plain. Based on these findings we attempt to identify a plausible origin for structural complexity. We compile a high-resolution 3D image of the lithospheric architecture of the NE China plain.

Linking plate reconstructions with deforming lithosphere to geodynamic models

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, R. D.; Gurnis, M.; Flament, N.; Seton, M.; Spasojevic, S.; Williams, S.; Zahirovic, S.

2011-12-01

While global computational models are rapidly advancing in terms of their capabilities, there is an increasing need for assimilating observations into these models and/or ground-truthing model outputs. The open-source and platform independent GPlates software fills this gap. It was originally conceived as a tool to interactively visualize and manipulate classical rigid plate reconstructions and represent them as time-dependent topological networks of editable plate boundaries. The user can export time-dependent plate velocity meshes that can be used either to define initial surface boundary conditions for geodynamic models or alternatively impose plate motions throughout a geodynamic model run. However, tectonic plates are not rigid, and neglecting plate deformation, especially that of the edges of overriding plates, can result in significant misplacing of plate boundaries through time. A new, substantially re-engineered version of GPlates is now being developed that allows an embedding of deforming plates into topological plate boundary networks. We use geophysical and geological data to define the limit between rigid and deforming areas, and the deformation history of non-rigid blocks. The velocity field predicted by these reconstructions can then be used as a time-dependent surface boundary condition in regional or global 3-D geodynamic models, or alternatively as an initial boundary condition for a particular plate configuration at a given time. For time-dependent models with imposed plate motions (e.g. using CitcomS) we incorporate the continental lithosphere by embedding compositionally distinct crust and continental lithosphere within the thermal lithosphere. We define three isostatic columns of different thickness and buoyancy based on the tectonothermal age of the continents: Archean, Proterozoic and Phanerozoic. In the fourth isostatic column, the oceans, the thickness of the thermal lithosphere is assimilated using a half-space cooling model. We also

The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary observed with USArray receiver functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Kumar

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The dense deployment of seismic stations so far in the western half of the United States within the USArray project provides the opportunity to study in greater detail the structure of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system. We use the S receiver function technique for this purpose, which has higher resolution than surface wave tomography, is sensitive to seismic discontinuities, and is free from multiples, unlike P receiver functions. Only two major discontinuities are observed in the entire area down to about 300 km depth. These are the crust-mantle boundary (Moho and a negative boundary, which we correlate with the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB, since a low velocity zone is the classical definition of the seismic observation of the asthenosphere by Gutenberg (1926. Our S receiver function LAB is at a depth of 70–80 km in large parts of westernmost North America. East of the Rocky Mountains, its depth is generally between 90 and 110 km. Regions with LAB depths down to about 140 km occur in a stretch from northern Texas, over the Colorado Plateau to the Columbia basalts. These observations agree well with tomography results in the westernmost USA and on the east coast. However, in the central cratonic part of the USA, the tomography LAB is near 200 km depth. At this depth no discontinuity is seen in the S receiver functions. The negative signal near 100 km depth in the central part of the USA is interpreted by Yuan and Romanowicz (2010 and Lekic and Romanowicz (2011 as a recently discovered mid-lithospheric discontinuity (MLD. A solution for the discrepancy between receiver function imaging and surface wave tomography is not yet obvious and requires more high resolution studies at other cratons before a general solution may be found. Our results agree well with petrophysical models of increased water content in the asthenosphere, which predict a sharp and shallow LAB also in continents (Mierdel et al., 2007.

Spatial variations of effective elastic thickness of the Lithosphere in the Southeast Asia regions

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Xiaobin; Kirby, Jon; Yu, Chuanhai; Swain, Chris; Zhao, Junfeng

2016-04-01

The effective elastic thickness Te corresponds to the thickness of an idealized elastic beam that would bend similarly to the actual lithosphere under the same applied loads, and could provide important insight into rheology and state of stress. Thus, it is helpful to improve our understanding of the relationship between tectonic styles, distribution of earthquakes and lithospheric rheology in various tectonic settings. The Southeast Asia, located in the southeastern part of the Eurasian Plate, comprises a complex collage of continental fragments, volcanic arcs, and suture zones and marginal oceanic basins, and is surrounded by tectonically active margins which exhibit intense seismicity and volcanism. The Cenozoic southeastward extrusion of the rigid Indochina Block due to the Indo-Asian collision resulted in the drastic surface deformation in the western area. Therefore, a high resolution spatial variation map of Te might be a useful tool for the complex Southeast Asia area to examine the relationships between surface deformation, earthquakes, lithospheric structure and mantle dynamics. In this study, we present a high-resolution map of spatial variations of Te in the Southeast Asia area using the wavelet method, which convolves a range of scaled wavelets with the two data sets of Bouguer gravity anomaly and topography. The topography and bathymetry grid data was extracted from the GEBCO_08 Grid of GEBCO digital atlas. The pattern of Te variations agrees well with the tectonic provinces in the study area. On the whole, low lithosphere strength characterizes the oceanic basins, such as the South China Sea, the Banda sea area, the Celebes Sea, the Sulu Sea and the Andaman Sea. Unlike the oceanic basins, the continental fragments show a complex pattern of Te variations. The Khorat plateau and its adjacent area show strong lithosphere characteristics with a Te range of 20-50 km, suggesting that the Khorat plateau is the strong core of the Indochina Block. The West

Insights into the lithospheric architecture of Iberia and Morocco from teleseismic body-wave attenuation

Science.gov (United States)

Bezada, Maximiliano J.

2017-11-01

The long and often complicated tectonic history of continental lithosphere results in lateral strength heterogeneities which in turn affect the style and localization of deformation. In this study, we produce a model for the attenuation structure of Iberia and northern Morocco using a waveform-matching approach on P-wave data from teleseismic deep-focus earthquakes. We find that attenuation is correlated with zones of intraplate deformation and seismicity, but do not find a consistent relationship between attenuation and recent volcanism. The main features of our model are low to moderate Δt* in the undeformed Tertiary basins of Spain and high Δt* in areas deformed by the Alpine orogeny. Additionally, low Δt* is found in areas where the Alboran slab is thought to be attached to the Iberian and African lithosphere, and high Δt* where it has detached. These features are robust with respect to inversion parameters, and are consistent with independent data. Very mild backazimuthal dependence of the measurements and comparison with previous results suggest that the source of the attenuation is sub-crustal. In line with other recent studies, the range of Δt* we observe is much larger than can be expected from lithospheric thickness or temperature variations.

Garnet Pyroxenites from Kaula, Hawaii: Implications for Plume-Lithosphere Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Bizimis, M.; Garcia, M. O.; Norman, M. D.

2006-12-01

The presence of garnet pyroxenite xenoliths on Oahu and Kaula Islands, Hawaii, provides the rare opportunity to investigate the composition of the deeper oceanic mantle lithosphere and the nature of plume-lithosphere interaction in two dimensions, downstream from the center of the Hawaiian plume. Kaula (60 miles SW of Kauai) is on the same bathymetric shallow as Kauai and the Kaula-Niihau-Kauai islands form a cross-trend relationship to the Hawaiian Island ridge. Here, we present the first Sr-Nd isotope data on clinopyroxenes (cpx) from Kaula pyroxenites, and we compare them with the Salt Lake Crater (SLC) pyroxenites from Oahu. The Kaula cpx major element compositions overlap those of the (more variable) SLC pyroxenites (e.g. Mg# = 0.79-0.83), except for their higher Al2O3 contents (9% vs. 5-8%) than the SLC. The Kaula cpx are LREE enriched with elevated Dy/Yb ratios, similar to the SLC pyroxenites and characteristic of the presence of garnet that preferentially incorporates the HREE. In Sr-Nd isotope space, the Kaula pyroxenite compositions (87Sr/86Sr= 0.70312-0.70326, ɛNd= 7.2-8.6) overlap those of both the Oahu-Kauai post erosional lavas and the SLC pyroxenites, falling at the isotopically depleted end of the Hawaiian lava compositions. The depleted Sr-Nd isotope compositions of the Kaula pyroxenites suggest that they are not related to the isotopically enriched shield stage Hawaiian lavas, either as a source material (i.e. recycled eclogite) or as cumulates. Their elevated 87Sr/86Sr ratios relative to MORB also suggests that they are not likely MORB-related cumulates. The similarities between the Oahu and Kaula pyroxenites, some 200 km apart, suggest the widespread presence of pyroxenitic material in the deeper (>60km) Pacific lithosphere between Oahu and Kaula-Kauai, as high pressure cumulates from melts isotopically similar to the secondary Hawaiian volcanism. The presence of this material within the lower lithosphere is consistent with seismic observations

Using crustal thickness and subsidence history on the Iberia-Newfoundland margins to constrain lithosphere deformation modes during continental breakup

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanniot, Ludovic; Kusznir, Nick; Manatschal, Gianreto; Mohn, Geoffroy

2014-05-01

Observations at magma-poor rifted margins such as Iberia-Newfoundland show a complex lithosphere deformation history during continental breakup and seafloor spreading initiation leading to complex OCT architecture with hyper-extended continental crust and lithosphere, exhumed mantle and scattered embryonic oceanic crust and continental slivers. Initiation of seafloor spreading requires both the rupture of the continental crust and lithospheric mantle, and the onset of decompressional melting. Their relative timing controls when mantle exhumation may occur; the presence or absence of exhumed mantle provides useful information on the timing of these events and constraints on lithosphere deformation modes. A single lithosphere deformation mode leading to continental breakup and sea-floor spreading cannot explain observations. We have determined the sequence of lithosphere deformation events for two profiles across the present-day conjugate Iberia-Newfoundland margins, using forward modelling of continental breakup and seafloor spreading initiation calibrated against observations of crustal basement thickness and subsidence. Flow fields, representing a sequence of lithosphere deformation modes, are generated by a 2D finite element viscous flow model (FeMargin), and used to advect lithosphere and asthenosphere temperature and material. FeMargin is kinematically driven by divergent deformation in the upper 15-20 km of the lithosphere inducing passive upwelling beneath that layer; extensional faulting and magmatic intrusions deform the topmost upper lithosphere, consistent with observations of deformation processes occurring at slow spreading ocean ridges (Cannat, 1996). Buoyancy enhanced upwelling, as predicted by Braun et al. (2000) is also kinematically included in the lithosphere deformation model. Melt generation by decompressional melting is predicted using the parameterization and methodology of Katz et al. (2003). The distribution of lithosphere deformation, the

Building and Modification of the Continental Lithosphere: the History of the Contiguous U.S. as told by MLDs and LABs

Science.gov (United States)

Hopper, E.; Fischer, K. M.

2016-12-01

The lithosphere preserves a record of past and present tectonic processes in its internal structures and its boundary with the underlying asthenosphere. We use common conversion point stacked Sp converted waves recorded by EarthScope's Transportable Array, as well as other available permanent and temporary broadband stations, to image such structures in the lithospheric mantle of the contiguous U.S. In the tectonically youngest western U.S., a shallow, sharp velocity gradient at the base of the lithosphere suggests a boundary defined by ponded melt. The lithosphere thickens with age of volcanism, implying the lithosphere is a melt-mitigated, conductively cooling thermal boundary layer. Beneath older, colder lithosphere where melt fractions are likely much lower, the velocity gradient at the base of such a layer should be a more diffuse, primarily thermal boundary. This is consistent with observations in the eastern U.S. where the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is locally sharp and shallower only in areas of inferred enhanced upwelling - such as ancient hot spot tracks and areas of inferred delamination. In the cratonic interior, the LAB is even more gradual in depth, and is transparent to Sp waves with dominant periods of 10 s. Although seismic imaging only provides a snapshot of the lithosphere as it is today, preserved internal structures extend the utility of this imaging back into deep geological time. Ancient accretion within the cratonic lithospheric mantle is preserved as dipping structures associated with relict subducted slabs from Paleoproterozoic continental accretion, suggesting that lateral accretion was integral to the cratonic mantle root formation process. Metasomatism, melt migration and ponding below a carbonated peridotite solidus explain a sub-horizontal mid-lithospheric discontinuity (MLD) commonly observed at 70-100 km depth. This type of MLD is strongest in Mesoproterozoic and older lithosphere, suggesting that it formed more

Study of droplet flow in a T-shape microchannel with bottom wall fluctuation

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Yan; Wang, Xiang; Liu, Zhaomiao

2018-03-01

Droplet generation in a T-shape microchannel, with a main channel width of 50 μm , side channel width of 25 μm, and height of 50 μm, is simulated to study the effects of the forced fluctuation of the bottom wall. The periodic fluctuations of the bottom wall are applied on the near junction part of the main channel in the T-shape microchannel. Effects of bottom wall's shape, fluctuation periods, and amplitudes on the droplet generation are covered in the research of this protocol. In the simulation, the average size is affected a little by the fluctuations, but significantly by the fixed shape of the deformed bottom wall, while the droplet size range is expanded by the fluctuations under most of the conditions. Droplet sizes are distributed in a periodic pattern with small amplitude along the relative time when the fluctuation is forced on the bottom wall near the T-junction, while the droplet emerging frequency is not varied by the fluctuation. The droplet velocity is varied by the bottom wall motion, especially under the shorter period and the larger amplitude. When the fluctuation period is similar to the droplet emerging period, the droplet size is as stable as the non-fluctuation case after a development stage at the beginning of flow, while the droplet velocity is varied by the moving wall with the scope up to 80% of the average velocity under the conditions of this investigation.

Combined constraints on the structure and physical properties of the East Antarctic lithosphere from geology and geophysics.

Science.gov (United States)

Reading, A. M.; Staal, T.; Halpin, J.; Whittaker, J. M.; Morse, P. E.

2017-12-01

The lithosphere of East Antarctica is one of the least explored regions of the planet, yet it is gaining in importance in global scientific research. Continental heat flux density and 3D glacial isostatic adjustment studies, for example, rely on a good knowledge of the deep structure in constraining model inputs.In this contribution, we use a multidisciplinary approach to constrain lithospheric domains. To seismic tomography models, we add constraints from magnetic studies and also new geological constraints. Geological knowledge exists around the periphery of East Antarctica and is reinforced in the knowledge of plate tectonic reconstructions. The subglacial geology of the Antarctic hinterland is largely unknown but the plate reconstructions allow the well-posed extrapolation of major terranes into the interior of the continent, guided by the seismic tomography and magnetic images. We find that the northern boundary of the lithospheric domain centred on the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains has a possible trend that runs south of the Lambert Glacier region, turning coastward through Wilkes Land. Other periphery-to-interior connections are less well constrained and the possibility of lithospheric domains that are entirely sub-glacial is high. We develop this framework to include a probabilistic method of handling alternate models and quantifiable uncertainties. We also show first results in using a Bayesian approach to predicting lithospheric boundaries from multivariate data.Within the newly constrained domains, we constrain heat flux (density) as the sum of basal heat flux and upper crustal heat flux. The basal heat flux is constrained by geophysical methods while the upper crustal heat flux is constrained by geology or predicted geology. In addition to heat flux constraints, we also consider the variations in friction experienced by moving ice sheets due to varying geology.

Lithospheric structure of northwest Africa: Insights into the tectonic history and influence of mantle flow on large-scale deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Meghan S.; Becker, Thorsten

2014-05-01

Northwest Africa is affected by late stage convergence of Africa with Eurasia, the Canary Island hotspot, and bounded by the Proterozoic-age West African craton. We present seismological evidence from receiver functions and shear-wave splitting along with geodynamic modeling to show how the interactions of these tectonic features resulted in dramatic deformation of the lithosphere. We interpret seismic discontinuities from the receiver functions and find evidence for localized, near vertical-offset deformation of both crust-mantle and lithosphere-asthenosphere interfaces at the flanks of the High Atlas. These offsets coincide with the locations of Jurassic-aged normal faults that have been reactivated during the Cenozoic, further suggesting that inherited, lithospheric-scale zones of weakness were involved in the formation of the Atlas. Another significant step in lithospheric thickness is inferred within the Middle Atlas. Its location corresponds to the source of regional Quaternary alkali volcanism, where the influx of melt induced by the shallow asthenosphere appears restricted to a lithospheric-scale fault on the northern side of the mountain belt. Inferred stretching axes from shear-wave splitting are aligned with the topographic grain in the High Atlas, suggesting along-strike asthenospheric shearing in a mantle channel guided by the lithospheric topography. Isostatic modeling based on our improved lithospheric constraints indicates that lithospheric thinning alone does not explain the anomalous Atlas topography. Instead, an mantle upwelling induced by a hot asthenospheric anomaly appears required, likely guided by the West African craton and perhaps sucked northward by subducted lithosphere beneath the Alboran. This dynamic support scenario for the Atlas also suggests that the timing of uplift is contemporaneous with the recent volcanismin the Middle Atlas.

Estimation of Water Within the Lithospheric Mantle of Central Tibet from Petrological-Geophysical Investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Vozar, J.; Fullea, J.; Jones, A. G.

2013-12-01

Investigations of the lithosphere and sub-lithospheric upper mantle by integrated petrological-geophysical modeling of magnetotelluric (MT) and seismic surface-wave data, which are differently sensitive to temperature and composition, allows us to reduce the uncertainties associated with modeling these two data sets independently, as commonly undertaken. We use selected INDEPTH MT data, which have appropriate dimensionality and large penetration depths, across central Tibet for 1D modeling. Our deep resistivity models from the data can be classified into two different and distinct groups: (i) the Lhasa Terrane and (ii) the Qiangtang Terrane. For the Lhasa Terrane group, the models show the existence of upper mantle conductive layer localized at depths of 200 km, whereas for the Qiangtang Terrane, this conductive layer is shallower at depths of 120 km. We perform the integrated geophysical-petrological modeling of the MT and surface-wave data using the software package LitMod. The program facilitates definition of realistic temperature and pressure distributions within the upper mantle for given thermal structure and oxide chemistry in the CFMAS system. This allows us to define a bulk geoelectric and seismic model of the upper mantle based on laboratory and xenolith data for the most relevant mantle minerals, and to compute synthetic geophysical observables. Our results suggest an 80-120 km-thick, dry lithosphere in the central part of the Qiangtang Terrane. In contrast, in the central Lhasa Terrane the predicted MT responses are too resistive for a dry lithosphere regardless its thickness; according to seismic and topography data the expected lithospheric thickness is about 200 km. The presence of small amounts of water significantly decreases the electrical resistivity of mantle rocks and is required to fit the MT responses. We test the hypothesis of small amounts of water (ppm scale) in the nominally anhydrous minerals of the lithospheric mantle. Such a small

Trace element behavior during serpentinization/de-serpentinization of an eclogitized oceanic lithosphere: A LA-ICPMS study of the Lanzo ultramafic massif (Western Alps)

OpenAIRE

DEBRET, Baptiste; ANDREANI, Muriel; GODARD, Marguerite; NICOLLET, Christian; SCHWARTZ, Stéphane; LAFAY, Romain

2013-01-01

Serpentinites are one of the major components of the oceanic lithosphere and are stable in the slab and the mantle wedge up to 100-150 km depth in subduction zones. During oceanic mantle hydration and alteration, they trap trace and fluid mobile (FME: B, Li, As, Sb, Rb, Ba, Cs, Sr, U and Pb) elements that participate to elemental transfer occurring between the dehydrating slab and the mantle wedge in subduction context. The Lanzo massif is an eclogitized oceanic lithosphere that preserved its...

Global map of lithosphere thermal thickness on a 1 deg x 1 deg grid - digitally available

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Artemieva, Irina

2014-01-01

with no or low quality heat flow data. This analysis requires knowledge oflithosphere age globally.A compilation of tectono-thermal ages of lithospheric terranes on a 1 deg 1 deg grid forms the basis forthe statistical analysis. It shows that, statistically, lithospheric thermal thickness z (in km) depends......This presentation reports a 1 deg 1 deg global thermal model for the continental lithosphere (TC1). The modelis digitally available from the author’s web-site: www.lithosphere.info.Geotherms for continental terranes of different ages (early Archean to present) are constrained by reliabledata...... on borehole heat flow measurements (Artemieva and Mooney, 2001), checked with the original publicationsfor data quality, and corrected for paleo-temperature effects where needed. These data are supplemented bycratonic geotherms based on xenolith data.Since heat flow measurements cover not more than half...

Lateral heterogeneity and vertical stratification of cratonic lithospheric keels: examples from Europe, Siberia, and North America

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Artemieva, Irina; Cherepanova, Yulia; Herceg, Matija

of the Precambrian lithosphere based on surface heat flow data, (ii) non-thermal part of upper mantle seismic velocity heterogeneity based on a joint analysis of thermal and seismic tomography data, and (iii) lithosphere density heterogeneity as constrained by free-board and satellite gravity data. The latter...... of the Gondwanaland does not presently exceed 250 km depth. An analysis of temperature-corrected seismic velocity structure indicates strong vertical and lateral heterogeneity of the cratonic lithospheric mantle, with a pronounced stratification in many Precambrian terranes; the latter is supported by xenolith data...

How To Design A Triple Bottom Line Organization: A Start-Up Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernhard Schroeder

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In today’s business environment, where success for a start-up company is measured by early revenue and profit, it can be quite challenging to design a triple bottom line organization (people/planet/profit from the very beginning. We present a case study of a U.S.-based start-up firm and discuss its early challenges, developmental processes, and current success as a triple bottom line firm. The company’s founder and CEO, with no initial product, distribution, or revenue strategy, sought to develop a company that could provide the marketplace with a valuable product while also staying true to a corporate vision of positively affecting less fortunate people. Our analysis of the case suggests that the founder’s vision, passion, transparent communication, and leveraging of partners’ resources were key elements in building the firm. We draw implications of our case study for the designers of future triple bottom line organizations.

Interaction Between Downwelling Flow and the Laterally-Varying Thickness of the North American Lithosphere Inferred from Seismic Anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Behn, M. D.; Conrad, C. P.; Silver, P. G.

2005-12-01

Shear flow in the asthenosphere tends to align olivine crystals in the direction of shear, producing a seismically anisotropic asthenosphere that can be detected using a number of seismic techniques (e.g., shear-wave splitting (SWS) and surface waves). In the ocean basins, where the asthenosphere has a relatively uniform thickness and lithospheric anisotropy appears to be small, observed azimuthal anisotropy is well fit by asthenospheric shear flow in global flow models driven by a combination of plate motions and mantle density heterogeneity. In contrast, beneath the continents both the lithospheric ceiling and asthenospheric thickness may vary considerably across cratonic regions and ocean-continent boundaries. To examine the influence of a continental lithosphere with variable thickness on predictions of continental seismic anisotropy, we impose lateral variations in lithospheric viscosity in global models of mantle flow driven by plate motions and mantle density heterogeneity. For the North American continent, the Farallon slab descends beneath a deep cratonic root, producing downwelling flow in the upper mantle and convergent flow beneath the cratonic lithosphere. We evaluate both the orientation of the predicted azimuthal anisotropy and the depth dependence of radial anisotropy for this downwelling flow and find that the inclusion of a strong continental root provides an improved fit to observed SWS observations beneath the North American craton. Thus, we hypothesize that at least some continental anisotropy is associated with sub-lithospheric viscous shear, although fossil anisotropy in the lithospheric layer may also contribute significantly. Although we do not observe significant variations in the direction of predicted anisotropy with depth, we do find that the inclusion of deep continental roots pushes the depth of the anisotropy layer deeper into the upper mantle. We test several different models of laterally-varying lithosphere and asthenosphere

Earth's evolving subcontinental lithospheric mantle: inferences from LIP continental flood basalt geochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Greenough, John D.; McDivitt, Jordan A.

2018-04-01

Archean and Proterozoic subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SLM) is compared using 83 similarly incompatible element ratios (SIER; minimally affected by % melting or differentiation, e.g., Rb/Ba, Nb/Pb, Ti/Y) for >3700 basalts from ten continental flood basalt (CFB) provinces representing nine large igneous provinces (LIPs). Nine transition metals (TM; Fe, Mn, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) in 102 primitive basalts (Mg# = 0.69-0.72) from nine provinces yield additional SLM information. An iterative evaluation of SIER values indicates that, regardless of age, CFB transecting Archean lithosphere are enriched in Rb, K, Pb, Th and heavy REE(?); whereas P, Ti, Nb, Ta and light REE(?) are higher in Proterozoic-and-younger SLM sources. This suggests efficient transfer of alkali metals and Pb to the continental lithosphere perhaps in association with melting of subducted ocean floor to form Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite terranes. Titanium, Nb and Ta were not efficiently transferred, perhaps due to the stabilization of oxide phases (e.g., rutile or ilmenite) in down-going Archean slabs. CFB transecting Archean lithosphere have EM1-like SIER that are more extreme than seen in oceanic island basalts (OIB) suggesting an Archean SLM origin for OIB-enriched mantle 1 (EM1). In contrast, OIB high U/Pb (HIMU) sources have more extreme SIER than seen in CFB provinces. HIMU may represent subduction-processed ocean floor recycled directly to the convecting mantle, but to avoid convective homogenization and produce its unique Pb isotopic signature may require long-term isolation and incubation in SLM. Based on all TM, CFB transecting Proterozoic lithosphere are distinct from those cutting Archean lithosphere. There is a tendency for lower Sc, Cr, Ni and Cu, and higher Zn, in the sources for Archean-cutting CFB and EM1 OIB, than Proterozoic-cutting CFB and HIMU OIB. All CFB have SiO2 (pressure proxy)-Nb/Y (% melting proxy) relationships supporting low pressure, high % melting

Evaluation of surface-wave waveform modeling for lithosphere velocity structure

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Tao-Ming

Surface-waveform modeling methods will become standard tools for studying the lithosphere structures because they can place greater constraints on earth structure and because of interest in the three-dimensional earth. The purpose of this study is to begin to learn the applicabilities and limitations of these methods. A surface-waveform inversion method is implemented using generalized seismological data functional theory. The method has been tested using synthetic and real seismic data and show that this method is well suited for teleseismic and regional seismograms. Like other linear inversion problems, this method also requires a good starting model. To ease reliance on good starting models, a global search technique, the genetic algorithm, has been applied to surface waveform modeling. This method can rapidly find good models for explaining surface-wave waveform at regional distance. However, this implementation also reveals that criteria which are widely used in seismological studies are not good enough to indicate the goodness of waveform fit. These two methods with the linear waveform inversion method, and traditional surface wave dispersion inversion method have been applied to a western Texas earthquake to test their abilities. The focal mechanism of the Texas event has been reestimated using a grid search for surface wave spectral amplitudes. A comparison of these four algorithms shows some interesting seismic evidences for lithosphere structure.

A Swarm lithospheric magnetic field model to SH degree 80

OpenAIRE

Thébault, Erwan; Vigneron, Pierre; Langlais, Benoit; Hulot, Gauthier

2016-01-01

International audience; The Swarm constellation of satellites was launched in November 2013 and since then has delivered high-quality scalar and vector magnetic field measurements. A consortium of several research institutions was selected by the European Space Agency to provide a number of scientific products to be made available to the scientific community on a regular basis. In this study, we present the dedicated lithospheric field inversion model. It uses carefully selected magnetic fiel...

Lithospheric strength variations in Mainland China : Tectonic implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deng, Yangfan; Tesauro, M.

2016-01-01

We present a new thermal and strength model for the lithosphere of Mainland China. To this purpose, we integrate a thermal model for the crust, using a 3-D steady state heat conduction equation, with estimates for the upper mantle thermal structure, obtained by inverting a S wave tomography model.

Impact of bottom trawling on sediment characteristics - A study along inshore waters off Veraval coast, India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Bhagirathan, U.; Meenakumari, B.; Jayalakshmy, K.V.; Panda, S.K.; Madhu, V.R.; Vaghela, D.T.

The present communication is a study on the impact of bottom trawling on the sediment characteristics along Veraval coast, which is the largest trawler port of India. Experimental bottom trawling was conducted from MFV Sagarkripa at five transects...

Thermodynamic, geophysical and rheological modeling of the lithosphere underneath the North Atlantic Porcupine Basin (Ireland).

Science.gov (United States)

Botter, C. D.; Prada, M.; Fullea, J.

2017-12-01

The Porcupine is a North-South oriented basin located southwest of Ireland, along the North Atlantic continental margin, formed by several rifting episodes during Late Carboniferous to Early Cretaceous. The sedimentary cover is underlined by a very thin continental crust in the center of the basin (10 in the South. In spite of the abundant literature, most of the oil and gas exploration in the Porcupine Basin has been targeting its northern part and is mostly restricted to relatively shallow depths, giving a restrained overview of the basin structure. Therefore, studying the thermodynamic and composition of the deep and broader structures is needed to understand the processes linked to the formation and the symmetry signature of the basin. Here, we model the present-day thermal and compositional structure of the continental crust and lithospheric mantle underneath the Porcupine basin using gravity, seismic, heat flow and elevation data. We use an integrated geophysical-petrological framework where most relevant rock properties (density, seismic velocities) are determined as a function of temperature, pressure and composition. Our modelling approach solves simultaneously the heat transfer, thermodynamic, geopotential, seismic and isostasy equations, and fit the results to all available geophysical and petrological observables (LitMod software). In this work we have implemented a module to compute self-consistently a laterally variable lithospheric elastic thickness based on mineral physics rheological laws (yield strength envelopes over the 3D volume). An appropriate understanding of local and flexural isostatic behavior of the basin is essential to unravel its tectonic history (i.e. stretching factors, subsidence etc.). Our Porcupine basin 3D model is defined by four lithological layers, representing properties from post- and syn-rift sequences to the lithospheric mantle. The computed yield strength envelopes are representative of hyperextended lithosphere and

Origin of Starting Earthquakes under Complete Coupling of the Lithosphere Plates and a Base

Science.gov (United States)

Babeshko, V. A.; Evdokimova, O. V.; Babeshko, O. M.; Zaretskaya, M. V.; Gorshkova, E. M.; Mukhin, A. S.; Gladskoi, I. B.

2018-02-01

The boundary problem of rigid coupling of lithospheric plates modeled by Kirchhoff plates with a base represented by a three-dimensional deformable layered medium is considered. The possibility of occurrence of a starting earthquake in such a block structure is investigated. For this purpose, two states of this medium in the static mode are considered. In the first case, the semi-infinite lithospheric plates in the form of half-planes are at a distance so that the distance between the end faces is different from zero. In the second case, the lithospheric plates come together to zero spacing between them. Calculations have shown that in this case more complex movements of the Earth's surface are possible. Among such movements are the cases described in our previous publications [1, 2].

Crustal seismicity and the earthquake catalog maximum moment magnitudes (Mcmax) in stable continental regions (SCRs): correlation with the seismic velocity of the lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, Walter D.; Ritsema, Jeroen; Hwang, Yong Keun

2012-01-01

A joint analysis of global seismicity and seismic tomography indicates that the seismic potential of continental intraplate regions is correlated with the seismic properties of the lithosphere. Archean and Early Proterozoic cratons with cold, stable continental lithospheric roots have fewer crustal earthquakes and a lower maximum earthquake catalog moment magnitude (Mcmax). The geographic distribution of thick lithospheric roots is inferred from the global seismic model S40RTS that displays shear-velocity perturbations (δVS) relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM). We compare δVS at a depth of 175 km with the locations and moment magnitudes (Mw) of intraplate earthquakes in the crust (Schulte and Mooney, 2005). Many intraplate earthquakes concentrate around the pronounced lateral gradients in lithospheric thickness that surround the cratons and few earthquakes occur within cratonic interiors. Globally, 27% of stable continental lithosphere is underlain by δVS≥3.0%, yet only 6.5% of crustal earthquakes with Mw>4.5 occur above these regions with thick lithosphere. No earthquakes in our catalog with Mw>6 have occurred above mantle lithosphere with δVS>3.5%, although such lithosphere comprises 19% of stable continental regions. Thus, for cratonic interiors with seismically determined thick lithosphere (1) there is a significant decrease in the number of crustal earthquakes, and (2) the maximum moment magnitude found in the earthquake catalog is Mcmax=6.0. We attribute these observations to higher lithospheric strength beneath cratonic interiors due to lower temperatures and dehydration in both the lower crust and the highly depleted lithospheric root.

Crustal seismicity and the earthquake catalog maximum moment magnitude (Mcmax) in stable continental regions (SCRs): Correlation with the seismic velocity of the lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, Walter D.; Ritsema, Jeroen; Hwang, Yong Keun

2012-12-01

A joint analysis of global seismicity and seismic tomography indicates that the seismic potential of continental intraplate regions is correlated with the seismic properties of the lithosphere. Archean and Early Proterozoic cratons with cold, stable continental lithospheric roots have fewer crustal earthquakes and a lower maximum earthquake catalog moment magnitude (Mcmax). The geographic distribution of thick lithospheric roots is inferred from the global seismic model S40RTS that displays shear-velocity perturbations (δVS) relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM). We compare δVS at a depth of 175 km with the locations and moment magnitudes (Mw) of intraplate earthquakes in the crust (Schulte and Mooney, 2005). Many intraplate earthquakes concentrate around the pronounced lateral gradients in lithospheric thickness that surround the cratons and few earthquakes occur within cratonic interiors. Globally, 27% of stable continental lithosphere is underlain by δVS≥3.0%, yet only 6.5% of crustal earthquakes with Mw>4.5 occur above these regions with thick lithosphere. No earthquakes in our catalog with Mw>6 have occurred above mantle lithosphere with δVS>3.5%, although such lithosphere comprises 19% of stable continental regions. Thus, for cratonic interiors with seismically determined thick lithosphere (1) there is a significant decrease in the number of crustal earthquakes, and (2) the maximum moment magnitude found in the earthquake catalog is Mcmax=6.0. We attribute these observations to higher lithospheric strength beneath cratonic interiors due to lower temperatures and dehydration in both the lower crust and the highly depleted lithospheric root.

Observatory geoelectric fields induced in a two-layer lithosphere during magnetic storms

Science.gov (United States)

Love, Jeffrey J.; Swidinsky, Andrei

2015-01-01

We report on the development and validation of an algorithm for estimating geoelectric fields induced in the lithosphere beneath an observatory during a magnetic storm. To accommodate induction in three-dimensional lithospheric electrical conductivity, we analyze a simple nine-parameter model: two horizontal layers, each with uniform electrical conductivity properties given by independent distortion tensors. With Laplace transformation of the induction equations into the complex frequency domain, we obtain a transfer function describing induction of observatory geoelectric fields having frequency-dependent polarization. Upon inverse transformation back to the time domain, the convolution of the corresponding impulse-response function with a geomagnetic time series yields an estimated geoelectric time series. We obtain an optimized set of conductivity parameters using 1-s resolution geomagnetic and geoelectric field data collected at the Kakioka, Japan, observatory for five different intense magnetic storms, including the October 2003 Halloween storm; our estimated geoelectric field accounts for 93% of that measured during the Halloween storm. This work demonstrates the need for detailed modeling of the Earth’s lithospheric conductivity structure and the utility of co-located geomagnetic and geoelectric monitoring.

3D Numerical Examination of Continental Mantle Lithosphere Response to Lower Crust Eclogitization and Nearby Slab Subduction

Science.gov (United States)

Janbakhsh, P.; Pysklywec, R.

2017-12-01

2D numerical modeling techniques have made great contribution to understanding geodynamic processes involved in crustal and lithospheric scale deformations for the past 20 years. The aim of this presentation is to expand the scope covered by previous researchers to 3 dimensions to address out-of-plane intrusion and extrusion of mantle material in and out of model space, and toroidal mantle wedge flows. In addition, 3D velocity boundary conditions can create more realistic models to replicate real case scenarios. 3D numerical experiments that will be presented are designed to investigate the density and viscosity effects of lower crustal eclogitization on the decoupling process of continental mantle lithosphere from the crust and its delamination. In addition, these models examine near-field effects of a subducting ocean lithosphere and a lithospheric scale fault zone on the evolution of the processes. The model solutions and predictions will also be compared against the Anatolian geology where subduction of Aegean and Arabian slabs, and the northern boundary with the North Anatolian Fault Zone are considered as two main contributing factors to anomalous crustal uplift, missing mantle lithosphere, and anomalous surface heat flux.

Electrical Conductivity Model of the Mantle Lithosphere of the Slave Craton (NW Canada) and its tectonic interpretation in the context of Geochemical Results

Science.gov (United States)

Lezaeta, P.; Chave, A.; Evans, R.; Jones, A. G.; Ferguson, I.

2002-12-01

The Slave Craton, northwestern Canada, contains the oldest known rocks on Earth, with exposed outcrop over an area of about 600x400 km2. The discovery of economic diamondiferous kimberlite pipes during the early 1990s motivated extensive research in the region. Over the last six years, four types of deep-probing magnetotelluric (MT) surveys were conducted within the framework of diverse geoscientific programs, aimed at determining the regional-scale electrical structures of the craton. Two of the surveys involved novel acquisition; one through frozen lake ice along ice roads during winter, and the second deploying ocean-bottom instrumentation from float planes during summer. The latter surveys required one year of recording between summers, thus allowing long period transfer functions that lead to mantle penetration depths of over 300 km. Two-dimensional modeling of the MT data from along the winter road showed the existence of a high conductivity zone at depths of 80-120 km beneath the central Slave craton. This anomalous region is spatially coincident with an ultradepleted harzburgitic layer in the upper mantle that was interpreted by others to be related to a subducted slab emplaced during the mid-Archean. A 3-D electrical conductivity model of the Slave lithosphere has been obtained, by trial and error, to fit the magnetic transfer and MT response functions from the lake experiments. This 3-D model traces the central Slave conductor as a NE-SW oriented mantle structure. Its NE-SW orientation coincides with that of a late fold belt system, with the first phase of craton-wide plutonism at ca 2630-2590 Ma, three-part subdivision of the craton based on SKS results, and with a G10 (garnet) geochemical mantle boundaries. All of these highlight a NE-SW structural grain to the lithospheric mantle of the craton, in sharp contrast to the N-S grain of the crust. Constraints on the depth range and lateral extension of the electrical conductive structure are obtained

Deformation of the Pannonian lithosphere and related tectonic topography: a depth-to-surface analysis

OpenAIRE

Dombrádi, E.

2012-01-01

Fingerprints of deep-seated, lithospheric deformation are often recognised on the surface, contributing to topographic evolution, drainage organisation and mass transport. Interactions between deep and surface processes were investigated in the Carpathian-Pannonian region. The lithosphere beneath the Pannonian basin has formerly been extended, significantly stretched and heated up and thus became extremely weak from a rheological point of view. From Pliocene times onward the ‘crème brulee’ ty...

3-D lithospheric structure and regional/residual Bouguer anomalies in the Arabia-Eurasia collision (Iran)

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Munt, I.; Fernãndez, M.; Saura, E.; Vergés, J.; Garcia-Castellanos, D.

2012-09-01

The aim of this work is to propose a first-order estimate of the crustal and lithospheric mantle geometry of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone and to separate the measured Bouguer anomaly into its regional and local components. The crustal and lithospheric mantle structure is calculated from the geoid height and elevation data combined with thermal analysis. Our results show that Moho depth varies from ˜42 km at the Mesopotamian-Persian Gulf foreland basin to ˜60 km below the High Zagros. The lithosphere is thicker beneath the foreland basin (˜200 km) and thinner underneath the High Zagros and Central Iran (˜140 km). Most of this lithospheric mantle thinning is accommodated under the Zagros mountain belt coinciding with the suture between two different mantle domains on the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone. The regional gravity field is obtained by calculating the gravimetric response of the 3-D crustal and lithospheric mantle structure obtained by combining elevation and geoid data. The calculated regional Bouguer anomaly differs noticeably from those obtained by filtering or just isostatic methods. The residual gravity anomaly, obtained by subtraction of the regional components to the measured field, is analyzed in terms of the dominating upper crustal structures. Deep basins and areas with salt deposits are characterized by negative values (˜-20 mGal), whereas the positive values are related to igneous and ophiolite complexes and shallow basement depths (˜20 mGal).

Tectonically asymmetric Earth: From net rotation to polarized westward drift of the lithosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo Doglioni

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The possibility of a net rotation of the lithosphere with respect to the mantle is generally overlooked since it depends on the adopted mantle reference frames, which are arbitrary. We review the geological and geophysical signatures of plate boundaries, and show that they are markedly asymmetric worldwide. Then we compare available reference frames of plate motions relative to the mantle and discuss which is at best able to fit global tectonic data. Different assumptions about the depths of hotspot sources (below or within the asthenosphere, which decouples the lithosphere from the deep mantle predict different rates of net rotation of the lithosphere relative to the mantle. The widely used no-net-rotation (NNR reference frame, and low (1°/Ma net rotation (shallow hotspots source, all plates, albeit at different velocity, move westerly along a curved trajectory, with a tectonic equator tilted about 30° relative to the geographic equator. This is consistent with the observed global tectonic asymmetries.

Elysium region, mars: Tests of lithospheric loading models for the formation of tectonic features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, J.L.; Solomon, S.C.; Head, J.W.

1986-01-01

The second largest volcanic province on Mars lies in the Elysium region. Like the larger Tharsis province, Elysium is marked by a topographic rise and a broad free air gravity anomaly and also exhibits a complex assortment of tectonic and volcanic features. We test the hypothesis that the tectonic features in the Elysium region are the product of stresses produced by loading of the Martian lithosphere. We consider loading at three different scales: local loading by individual volcanoes, regional loading of the lithosphere from above or below, and quasi-global loading by Tharsis. A comparison of flexural stresses with lithospheric strength and with the inferred maximum depth of faulting confirms that concentric graben around Elysium Mons can be explained as resulting from local flexure of an elastic lithosphere about 50 km thick in response to the volcano load. Volcanic loading on a regional scale, however, leads to predicted stresses inconsistent with all observed tectonic features, suggesting that loading by widespread emplacement of thick plains deposits was not an important factor in the tectonic evolution of the Elysium region. A number of linear extensional features oriented generally NW-SE may have been the result of flexural uplift of the lithosphere on the scale of the Elysium rise. The global stress field associated with the support of the Tharsis rise appears to have influenced the development of many of the tectonic features in the Elysium region, including Cerberus Rupes and the systems of ridges in eastern and western Elysium. The comparisons of stress models for Elysium with the preserved tectonic features support a succession of stress fields operating at different times in the region

Mixing Phenomena in a Bottom Blown Copper Smelter: A Water Model Study

Science.gov (United States)

Shui, Lang; Cui, Zhixiang; Ma, Xiaodong; Akbar Rhamdhani, M.; Nguyen, Anh; Zhao, Baojun

2015-03-01

The first commercial bottom blown oxygen copper smelting furnace has been installed and operated at Dongying Fangyuan Nonferrous Metals since 2008. Significant advantages have been demonstrated in this technology mainly due to its bottom blown oxygen-enriched gas. In this study, a scaled-down 1:12 model was set up to simulate the flow behavior for understanding the mixing phenomena in the furnace. A single lance was used in the present study for gas blowing to establish a reliable research technique and quantitative characterisation of the mixing behavior. Operating parameters such as horizontal distance from the blowing lance, detector depth, bath height, and gas flow rate were adjusted to investigate the mixing time under different conditions. It was found that when the horizontal distance between the lance and detector is within an effective stirring range, the mixing time decreases slightly with increasing the horizontal distance. Outside this range, the mixing time was found to increase with increasing the horizontal distance and it is more significant on the surface. The mixing time always decreases with increasing gas flow rate and bath height. An empirical relationship of mixing time as functions of gas flow rate and bath height has been established first time for the horizontal bottom blowing furnace.

Weaver Bottoms Wildlife Habitat Restoration: A Case Study

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Davis, Mary M; Damberg, Carol

1994-01-01

.... The Weaver Bottoms Rehabilitation Project is a large scale wetland restoration project that is directed at regaining lost habitat by creating hydrological and energy conditions conducive to marsh growth and production. Davis et al. (1993...

Evidence for multiphase folding of the central Indian Ocean lithosphere

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Krishna, K.S.; Bull, J.M.; Scrutton, R.A.

Long-wavelength (100-300 km) folding in the central Indian Ocean associated with the diffuse plate boundary separating the Indian, Australian, and Capricorn plates is Earth's most convincing example of organized large-scale lithospheric deformation...

Comparison of Oceanic and Continental Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, and the LAB Through Shear Velocity Inversion of Rayleigh Wave Data from the ALBACORE Amphibious Array in Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Amodeo, K.; Rathnayaka, S.; Weeraratne, D. S.; Kohler, M. D.

2016-12-01

Continental and oceanic lithosphere, which form in different tectonic environments, are studied in a single amphibious seismic array across the Southern California continental margin. This provides a unique opportunity to directly compare oceanic and continental lithosphere, asthenosphere, and the LAB (Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary) in a single data set. The complex history of the region, including spreading center subduction, block rotation, and Borderland extension, allows us to study limits in the rigidity and strength of the lithosphere. We study Rayleigh wave phase velocities obtained from the ALBACORE (Asthenospheric and Lithospheric Broadband Architecture from the California Offshore Region Experiment) offshore seismic array project and invert for shear wave velocity structure as a function of depth. We divide the study area into several regions: continent, inner Borderland, outer Borderland, and oceanic seafloor categorized by age. A unique starting Vs model is used for each case including layer thicknesses, densities, and P and S velocities which predicts Rayleigh phase velocities and are compared to observed phase velocities in each region. We solve for shear wave velocities with the best fit between observed and predicted phase velocity data in a least square sense. Preliminary results indicate that lithospheric velocities in the oceanic mantle are higher than the continental region by at least 2%. The LAB is observed at 50 ± 20 km beneath 15-35 Ma oceanic seafloor. Asthenospheric low velocities reach a minimum of 4.2 km/s in all regions, but have a steeper positive velocity gradient at the base of the oceanic asthenosphere compared to the continent. Seismic tomography images in two and three dimensions will be presented from each study region.

Lithospheric-scale analogue modelling of collision zones with a pre-existing weak zone, in "Deformation Mechanisms, Rheology and Tectonics: from Minerals to the Lithosphere"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Willingshofer, E.; Sokoutis, D.; Burg, J.P.

2005-01-01

Lithospheric-scale analogue experiments have been conducted to investigate the influence of strength heterogeneities on the distribution and mode of crustal-scale deformation, on the resulting geometry of the deformed area, and on its topographic expression. Strength heterogeneities were

Characterising East Antarctic Lithosphere and its Rift Systems using Gravity Inversion

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughan, Alan P. M.; Kusznir, Nick J.; Ferraccioli, Fausto; Leat, Phil T.; Jordan, Tom A. R. M.; Purucker, Michael E.; Golynsky, A. V. Sasha; Rogozhina, Irina

2013-04-01

Since the International Geophysical Year (1957), a view has prevailed that East Antarctica has a relatively homogeneous lithospheric structure, consisting of a craton-like mosaic of Precambrian terranes, stable since the Pan-African orogeny ~500 million years ago (e.g. Ferracioli et al. 2011). Recent recognition of a continental-scale rift system cutting the East Antarctic interior has crystallised an alternative view of much more recent geological activity with important implications. The newly defined East Antarctic Rift System (EARS) (Ferraccioli et al. 2011) appears to extend from at least the South Pole to the continental margin at the Lambert Rift, a distance of 2500 km. This is comparable in scale to the well-studied East African rift system. New analysis of RadarSat data by Golynsky & Golynsky (2009) indicates that further rift zones may form widely distributed extension zones within the continent. A pilot study (Vaughan et al. 2012), using a newly developed gravity inversion technique (Chappell & Kusznir 2008) with existing public domain satellite data, shows distinct crustal thickness provinces with overall high average thickness separated by thinner, possibly rifted, crust. Understanding the nature of crustal thickness in East Antarctica is critical because: 1) this is poorly known along the ocean-continent transition, but is necessary to improve the plate reconstruction fit between Antarctica, Australia and India in Gondwana, which will also better define how and when these continents separated; 2) lateral variation in crustal thickness can be used to test supercontinent reconstructions and assess the effects of crystalline basement architecture and mechanical properties on rifting; 3) rift zone trajectories through East Antarctica will define the geometry of zones of crustal and lithospheric thinning at plate-scale; 4) it is not clear why or when the crust of East Antarctica became so thick and elevated, but knowing this can be used to test models of

The Two Subduction Zones of the Southern Caribbean: Lithosphere Tearing and Continental Margin Recycling in the East, Flat Slab Subduction and Laramide-Style Uplifts in the West

Science.gov (United States)

Levander, A.; Bezada, M. J.; Niu, F.; Schmitz, M.

2015-12-01

The southern Caribbean plate boundary is a complex strike-slip fault system bounded by oppositely vergent subduction zones, the Antilles subduction zone in the east, and a currently locked Caribbean-South American subduction zone in the west (Bilham and Mencin, 2013). Finite-frequency teleseismic P-wave tomography images both the Atlanic (ATL) and the Caribbean (CAR) plates subducting steeply in opposite directions to transition zone depths under northern South America. Ps receiver functions show a depressed 660 discontinuity and thickened transition zone associated with each subducting plate. In the east the oceanic (ATL) part of the South American (SA) plate subducts westward beneath the CAR, initiating the El Pilar-San Sebastian strike slip system, a subduction-transform edge propagator (STEP) fault (Govers and Wortel, 2005). The point at which the ATL tears away from SA as it descends into the mantle is evidenced by the Paria cluster seismicity at depths of 60-110 km (Russo et al, 1993). Body wave tomography and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) thickness determined from Sp and Ps receiver functions and Rayleigh waves suggest that the descending ATL also viscously removes the bottom third to half of the SA continental margin lithospheric mantle as it descends. This has left thinned continental lithosphere under northern SA in the wake of the eastward migrating Antilles subduction zone. The thinned lithosphere occupies ~70% of the length of the El Pilar-San Sebastian fault system, from ~64oW to ~69oW, and extends inland several hundred kilometers. In northwestern SA the CAR subducts east-southeast at low angle under northern Colombia and western Venezuela. The subducting CAR is at least 200 km wide, extending from northernmost Colombia as far south as the Bucaramanga nest seismicity. The CAR descends steeply under Lake Maracaibo and the Merida Andes. This flat slab is associated with three Neogene basement cored, Laramide-style uplifts: the Santa Marta

The interplay between rheology and pre-existing structures in the lithosphere and its influence on intraplate tectonics: Insights from scaled physical analogue models.

Science.gov (United States)

Santimano, T. N.; Adiban, P.; Pysklywec, R.

2017-12-01

The primary controls of deformation in the lithosphere are related to its rheological properties. In addition, recent work reveals that inherited zones of weakness in the deep lithosphere are prevalent and can also define tectonic activity. To understand how deformation is genetically related to rheology and/or pre-existing structures, we compare a set of physical analogue models with the presence and absence of a fault in the deep lithosphere. The layered lithosphere scaled models of a brittle upper crust, viscous lower crust and viscous mantle lithosphere are deformed in a convergent setting. Deformation of the model is recorded using high spatial and temporal stereoscopic cameras. We use Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to acquire a time-series dataset and study the velocity field and subsequently strain in the model. The finished model is also cut into cross-section revealing the finite internal structures that are then compared to the topography of the model. Preliminary results show that deformation in models with an inherited fault in the mantle lithosphere is accommodated by displacement along the fault plane that propagates into the overlying viscous lower crust and brittle upper crust. Here, the majority of the deformation is localized along the fault in a brittle manner. This is in contrast to the model absent of a fault that also displays significant amounts of deformation. In this setting, ductile deformation is accommodated by folding and thickening of the viscous layers and flexural shearing of the brittle upper crust. In these preliminary experiments, the difference in the strength profile between the mantle lithosphere and the lower crust is within the same order of magnitude. Future experiments will include models where the strength difference is an order of magnitude. This systematic study aids in understanding the role of rheology and deep structures particularly in transferring stress over time to the surface and is therefore fundamental in

Comprehensive analysis of Curie-point depths and lithospheric effective elastic thickness at Arctic Region

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Y.; Li, C. F.

2017-12-01

Arctic Ocean remains at the forefront of geological exploration. Here we investigate its deep geological structures and geodynamics on the basis of gravity, magnetic and bathymetric data. We estimate Curie-point depth and lithospheric effective elastic thickness to understand deep geothermal structures and Arctic lithospheric evolution. A fractal exponent of 3.0 for the 3D magnetization model is used in the Curie-point depth inversion. The result shows that Curie-point depths are between 5 and 50 km. Curie depths are mostly small near the active mid-ocean ridges, corresponding well to high heat flow and active shallow volcanism. Large curie depths are distributed mainly at continental marginal seas around the Arctic Ocean. We present a map of effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere using a multitaper coherence technique, and Te are between 5 and 110 km. Te primarily depends on geothermal gradient and composition, as well as structures in the lithosphere. We find that Te and Curie-point depths are often correlated. Large Te are distributed mainly at continental region and small Te are distributed at oceanic region. The Alpha-Mendeleyev Ridge (AMR) and The Svalbard Archipelago (SA) are symmetrical with the mid-ocean ridge. AMR and SA were formed before an early stage of Eurasian basin spreading, and they are considered as conjugate large igneous provinces, which show small Te and Curie-point depths. Novaya Zemlya region has large Curie-point depths and small Te. We consider that fault and fracture near the Novaya Zemlya orogenic belt cause small Te. A series of transform faults connect Arctic mid-ocean ridge with North Atlantic mid-ocean ridge. We can see large Te near transform faults, but small Curie-point depths. We consider that although temperature near transform faults is high, but mechanically the lithosphere near transform faults are strengthened.

The contribution of the Precambrian continental lithosphere to global H2 production.

Science.gov (United States)

Lollar, Barbara Sherwood; Onstott, T C; Lacrampe-Couloume, G; Ballentine, C J

2014-12-18

Microbial ecosystems can be sustained by hydrogen gas (H2)-producing water-rock interactions in the Earth's subsurface and at deep ocean vents. Current estimates of global H2 production from the marine lithosphere by water-rock reactions (hydration) are in the range of 10(11) moles per year. Recent explorations of saline fracture waters in the Precambrian continental subsurface have identified environments as rich in H2 as hydrothermal vents and seafloor-spreading centres and have suggested a link between dissolved H2 and the radiolytic dissociation of water. However, extrapolation of a regional H2 flux based on the deep gold mines of the Witwatersrand basin in South Africa yields a contribution of the Precambrian lithosphere to global H2 production that was thought to be negligible (0.009 × 10(11) moles per year). Here we present a global compilation of published and new H2 concentration data obtained from Precambrian rocks and find that the H2 production potential of the Precambrian continental lithosphere has been underestimated. We suggest that this can be explained by a lack of consideration of additional H2-producing reactions, such as serpentinization, and the absence of appropriate scaling of H2 measurements from these environments to account for the fact that Precambrian crust represents over 70 per cent of global continental crust surface area. If H2 production via both radiolysis and hydration reactions is taken into account, our estimate of H2 production rates from the Precambrian continental lithosphere of 0.36-2.27 × 10(11) moles per year is comparable to estimates from marine systems.

Implications for anomalous mantle pressure and dynamic topography from lithospheric stress patterns in the North Atlantic Realm

Science.gov (United States)

Schiffer, Christian; Nielsen, Søren Bom

2016-08-01

With convergent plate boundaries at some distance, the sources of the lithospheric stress field of the North Atlantic Realm are mainly mantle tractions at the base of the lithosphere, lithospheric density structure and topography. Given this, we estimate horizontal deviatoric stresses using a well-established thin sheet model in a global finite element representation. We adjust the lithospheric thickness and the sub-lithospheric pressure iteratively, comparing modelled in plane stress with the observations of the World Stress Map. We find that an anomalous mantle pressure associated with the Iceland and Azores melt anomalies, as well as topography are able to explain the general pattern of the principle horizontal stress directions. The Iceland melt anomaly overprints the classic ridge push perpendicular to the Mid Atlantic ridge and affects the conjugate passive margins in East Greenland more than in western Scandinavia. The dynamic support of topography shows a distinct maximum of c. 1000 m in Iceland and amounts <150 m along the coast of south-western Norway and 250-350 m along the coast of East Greenland. Considering that large areas of the North Atlantic Realm have been estimated to be sub-aerial during the time of break-up, two components of dynamic topography seem to have affected the area: a short-lived, which affected a wider area along the rift system and quickly dissipated after break-up, and a more durable in the close vicinity of Iceland. This is consistent with the appearance of a buoyancy anomaly at the base of the North Atlantic lithosphere at or slightly before continental breakup, relatively fast dissipation of the fringes of this, and continued melt generation below Iceland.

A lithospheric magnetic field model derived from the Swarm satellite magnetic field measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hulot, G.; Thebault, E.; Vigneron, P.

2015-12-01

The Swarm constellation of satellites was launched in November 2013 and has since then delivered high quality scalar and vector magnetic field measurements. A consortium of several research institutions was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to provide a number of scientific products which will be made available to the scientific community. Within this framework, specific tools were tailor-made to better extract the magnetic signal emanating from Earth's the lithospheric. These tools rely on the scalar gradient measured by the lower pair of Swarm satellites and rely on a regional modeling scheme that is more sensitive to small spatial scales and weak signals than the standard spherical harmonic modeling. In this presentation, we report on various activities related to data analysis and processing. We assess the efficiency of this dedicated chain for modeling the lithospheric magnetic field using more than one year of measurements, and finally discuss refinements that are continuously implemented in order to further improve the robustness and the spatial resolution of the lithospheric field model.

Imaging rifting at the lithospheric scale in the northern East African Rift using S-to-P receiver functions

Science.gov (United States)

Lavayssiere, A.; Rychert, C.; Harmon, N.; Keir, D.; Hammond, J. O. S.; Kendall, J. M.; Leroy, S. D.; Doubre, C.

2017-12-01

The lithosphere is modified during rifting by a combination of mechanical stretching, heating and potentially partial melt. We image the crust and upper mantle discontinuity structure beneath the northern East African Rift System (EARS), a unique tectonically active continental rift exposing along strike the transition from continental rifting in the Main Ethiopian rift (MER) to incipient seafloor spreading in Afar and the Red Sea. S-to-P receiver functions from 182 stations across the northern EARS were generated from 3688 high quality waveforms using a multitaper technique and then migrated to depth using a regional velocity model. Waveform modelling of data stacked in large conversion point bins confirms the depth and strength of imaged discontinuities. We image the Moho at 29.6±4.7 km depth beneath the Ethiopian plateaux with a variability in depth that is possibly due to lower crustal intrusions. The crust is 27.3±3.9 km thick in the MER and thinner in northern Afar, 17.5±0.7 km. The model requires a 3±1.2% reduction in shear velocity with increasing depth at 68.5±1.5 km beneath the Ethiopian plateaux, consistent with the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). We do not resolve a LAB beneath Afar and the MER. This is likely associated with partial melt near the base of the lithosphere, reducing the velocity contrast between the melt-intruded lithosphere and the partially molten asthenosphere. We identify a 4.5±0.7% increase in velocity with depth at 91±3 km beneath the MER. This change in velocity is consistent with the onset of melting found by previous receiver functions and petrology studies. Our results provide independent constraints on the depth of melt production in the asthenosphere and suggest melt percolation through the base of the lithosphere beneath the northernmost East African rift.

Lithosphere Response to Intracratonic Rifting: Examples from Europe and Siberia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Artemieva, I. M.; Thybo, H.; Herceg, M.

2012-01-01

is based on critically assessed results from various seismic studies, including reflection and refraction profiles and receiver function studies. We also use global shear-wave tomography models, gravity constraints based on GOCE data, and thermal models for the lithosphere to speculate on thermo...... of basaltic magmas and consequently in a change in mantle density and seismic velocities. Although kimberlite magmatism is commonly not considered as a rifting events, its deep causes may be similar to the mantle-driven rifting and, as a consequence, modification of mantle density and velocity structure may...... in it seismic wave velocity and density structure....

How does continental lithosphere break-apart? A 3D seismic view on the transition from magma-poor rifted margin to magmatic oceanic lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Emmanuel, M.; Lescanne, M.; Picazo, S.; Tomasi, S.

2017-12-01

In the last decade, high-quality seismic data and drilling results drastically challenged our ideas about how continents break apart. New models address their observed variability and are presently redefining basics of rifting as well as exploration potential along deepwater rifted margins. Seafloor spreading is even more constrained by decades of scientific exploration along Mid Oceanic Ridges. By contrast, the transition between rifting and drifting remains a debated subject. This lithospheric breakup "event" is geologically recorded along Ocean-Continent Transitions (OCT) at the most distal part of margins before indubitable oceanic crust. Often lying along ultra-deepwater margin domains and buried beneath a thick sedimentary pile, high-quality images of these domains are rare but mandatory to get strong insights on the processes responsible for lithospheric break up and what are the consequences for the overlying basins. We intend to answer these questions by studying a world-class 3D seismic survey in a segment of a rifted margin exposed in the Atlantic. Through these data, we can show in details the OCT architecture between a magma-poor hyper-extended margin (with exhumed mantle) and a classical layered oceanic crust. It is characterized by 1- the development of out-of-sequence detachment systems with a landward-dipping geometry and 2- the increasing magmatic additions oceanwards (intrusives and extrusives). Geometry of these faults suggests that they may be decoupled at a mantle brittle-ductile interface what may be an indicator on thermicity. Furthermore, magmatism increases as deformation migrates to the future first indubitable oceanic crust what controls a progressive magmatic crustal thickening below, above and across a tapering rest of margin. As the magmatic budget increases oceanwards, full-rate divergence is less and less accommodated by faulting. Magmatic-sedimentary architectures of OCT is therefore changing from supra-detachment to magmatic

Lithospheric-scale structures from the perspective of analogue continental collision.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sokoutis, D.; Burg, J.P.; Bonini, M.; Corti, G.; Cloetingh, S.A.P.L.

2005-01-01

Analogue models were employed to investigate continental collision addressing the roles of (1) a suture zone separating different crustal blocks, (2) mid-crustal weak layers and (3) mantle strengths. These models confirmed that low-amplitude lithospheric and crustal buckling is the primary response

Constraints on the Lithospheric Strength at Volcanic Rifted Margins from the Geometry of Seaward Dipping Reflectors Using Analytic and Numerical Models

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, X.; Buck, W. R.

2017-12-01

Seaward dipping reflectors (SDRs) are found at many rifted margins. Drilling indicates SDRs are interbedded layers of basalts and sediments. Multi-channel seismic reflection data show SDRs with various width (2 100 km), thickness (1 15 km) and dip angles (0 30). Recent studies use analytic thin plate models (AtPM) to describe plate deflections under volcanic loads. They reproduce a wide range of SDRs structures without detachment faulting. These models assume that the solidified dikes provide downward loads at the rifting center. Meanwhile, erupted lava flows and sediments fill in the flexural depression and further load the lithosphere. Because the strength of the lithosphere controls the amount and wavelength of bending, the geometries of SDRs provide a window into the strength of the lithosphere during continental rifting. We attempt to provide a quantitative mapping between the SDR geometry and the lithospheric strength and thickness during rifting. To do this, we first derive analytic solutions to two observables that are functions of effective elastic thickness (Te). One observable (Xf) is the horizontal distance for SDRs to evolve from flat layers to the maximum bent layers. Another observable is the ratio between the thickness and the tangent of the maximum slope of SDRs at Xf. We then extend the AtPM to numerical thin plate models (NtPM) with spatially restricted lava flows. AtPM and NtPM show a stable and small relative difference in terms of the two observables with different values of Te. This provides a mapping of Te between NtPM and AtPM models. We also employ a fully two-dimensional thermal-mechanical treatment with elasto-visco-plastic rheology to simulate SDRs formation. These models show that brittle yielding due to bending can reduce the Te of the lithosphere by as much as 50% of the actual brittle lithospheric thickness. Quantification of effects of plastic deformation on bending allow us to use Te to link SDRs geometries to brittle lithospheric

Numerical Simulation Study on Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Performance in a Heavy Oil Reservoir with a Bottom Water Zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Ni

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the Pikes Peak oil field near Lloydminster, Canada, a significant amount of heavy oil reserves is located in reservoirs with a bottom water zone. The properties of the bottom water zone and the operation parameters significantly affect oil production performance via the steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD process. Thus, in order to develop this type of heavy oil resource, a full understanding of the effects of these properties is necessary. In this study, the numerical simulation approach was applied to study the effects of properties in the bottom water zone in the SAGD process, such as the initial gas oil ratio, the thickness of the reservoir, and oil saturation of the bottom water zone. In addition, some operation parameters were studied including the injection pressure, the SAGD well pair location, and five different well patterns: (1 two corner wells, (2 triple wells, (3 downhole water sink well, (4 vertical injectors with a horizontal producer, and (5 fishbone well. The numerical simulation results suggest that the properties of the bottom water zone affect production performance extremely. First, both positive and negative effects were observed when solution gas exists in the heavy oil. Second, a logarithmical relationship was investigated between the bottom water production ratio and the thickness of the bottom water zone. Third, a non-linear relation was obtained between the oil recovery factor and oil saturation in the bottom water zone, and a peak oil recovery was achieved at the oil saturation rate of 30% in the bottom water zone. Furthermore, the operation parameters affected the heavy oil production performance. Comparison of the well patterns showed that the two corner wells and the triple wells patterns obtained the highest oil recovery factors of 74.71% and 77.19%, respectively, which are almost twice the oil recovery factors gained in the conventional SAGD process (47.84%. This indicates that the optimized SAGD process

Continental lithosphere of the Arabian Plate: A geologic, petrologic, and geophysical synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Robert J.; Johnson, Peter

2010-07-01

The Arabian Plate originated ˜ 25 Ma ago by rifting of NE Africa to form the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. It is one of the smaller and younger of the Earth's lithospheric plates. The upper part of its crust consists of crystalline Precambrian basement, Phanerozoic sedimentary cover as much as 10 km thick, and Cenozoic flood basalt (harrat). The distribution of these rocks and variations in elevation across the Plate cause a pronounced geologic and topographic asymmetry, with extensive basement exposures (the Arabian Shield) and elevations of as much as 3000 m in the west, and a Phanerozoic succession (Arabian Platform) that thickens, and a surface that descends to sea level, eastward between the Shield and the northeastern margin of the Plate. This tilt in the Plate is partly the result of marginal uplift during rifting in the south and west, and loading during collision with, and subduction beneath, the Eurasian Plate in the northeast. But a variety of evidence suggests that the asymmetry also reflects a fundamental crustal and mantle heterogeneity in the Plate that dates from Neoproterozoic time when the crust formed. The bulk of the Plate's upper crystalline crust is Neoproterozoic in age (1000-540 Ma) reflecting, in the west, a 300-million year process of continental crustal growth between ˜ 850 and 550 Ma represented by amalgamated juvenile magmatic arcs, post-amalgamation sedimentary and volcanic basins, and granitoid intrusions that make up as much as 50% of the Shield's surface. Locally, Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks are structurally intercalated with the juvenile Neoproterozoic rocks in the southern and eastern parts of the Shield. The geologic dataset for the age, composition, and origin of the upper crust of the Plate in the east is smaller than the database for the Shield, and conclusions made about the crust in the east are correspondingly less definitive. In the absence of exposures, furthermore, nothing is known by direct observation about the

Cylinder-type bottom reflector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elter, C.; Fritz, R.; Kissel, K.F.; Schoening, J.

1982-01-01

Proposal of a bottom reflector for gas-cooled nuclear reactor plants with a pebble bed of spherical fuel elements, where the horizontal forces acting from the core and the bottom reflector upon the side reflector are equally distributed. This is attained by the upper edge of the bottom reflector being placed levelly and by the angle of inclination of the recesses varying. (orig.) [de

Generation of continental rifts, basins, and swells by lithosphere instabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Fourel, Loïc.; Milelli, Laura; Jaupart, Claude; Limare, Angela

2013-06-01

Continents may be affected simultaneously by rifting, uplift, volcanic activity, and basin formation in several different locations, suggesting a common driving mechanism that is intrinsic to continents. We describe a new type of convective instability at the base of the lithosphere that leads to a remarkable spatial pattern at the scale of an entire continent. We carried out fluid mechanics laboratory experiments on buoyant blocks of finite size that became unstable due to cooling from above. Dynamical behavior depends on three dimensionless numbers, a Rayleigh number for the unstable block, a buoyancy number that scales the intrinsic density contrast to the thermal one, and the aspect ratio of the block. Within the block, instability develops in two different ways in an outer annulus and in an interior region. In the outer annulus, upwellings and downwellings take the form of periodically spaced radial spokes. The interior region hosts the more familiar convective pattern of polygonal cells. In geological conditions, such instabilities should manifest themselves as linear rifts striking at a right angle to the continent-ocean boundary and an array of domal uplifts, volcanic swells, and basins in the continental interior. Simple scaling laws for the dimensions and spacings of the convective structures are derived. For the subcontinental lithospheric mantle, these dimensions take values in the 500-1000 km range, close to geological examples. The large intrinsic buoyancy of Archean lithospheric roots prevents this type of instability, which explains why the widespread volcanic activity that currently affects Western Africa is confined to post-Archean domains.

DEFORMATION WAVES AS A TRIGGER MECHANISM OF SEISMIC ACTIVITY IN SEISMIC ZONES OF THE CONTINENTAL LITHOSPHERE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. I. Sherman

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Deformation waves as a trigger mechanism of seismic activity and migration of earthquake foci have been under discussion by researchers in seismology and geodynamics for over 50 years. Four sections of this article present available principal data on impacts of wave processes on seismicity and new data. The first section reviews analytical and experimental studies aimed at identification of relationships between wave processes in the lithosphere and seismic activity manifested as space-and-time migration of individual earthquake foci or clusters of earthquakes. It is concluded that with a systematic approach, instead of using a variety of terms to denote waves that trigger seismic process in the lithosphere, it is reasonable to apply the concise definition of ‘deformation waves’, which is most often used in fact.The second section contains a description of deformation waves considered as the trigger mechanism of seismic activity. It is concluded that a variety of methods are applied to identify deformation waves, and such methods are based on various research methods and concepts that naturally differ in sensitivity concerning detection of waves and/or impact of the waves on seismic process. Epicenters of strong earthquakes are grouped into specific linear or arc-shaped systems, which common criterion is the same time interval of the occurrence of events under analysis. On site the systems compose zones with similar time sequences, which correspond to the physical notion of moving waves (Fig. 9. Periods of manifestation of such waves are estimated as millions of years, and a direct consideration of the presence of waves and wave parameters is highly challenging. In the current state-of-the-art, geodynamics and seismology cannot provide any other solution yet.The third section presents a solution considering record of deformation waves in the lithosphere. With account of the fact that all the earthquakes with М≥3.0 are associated with

A rapid method to map the crustal and lithospheric thickness using elevation, geoid anomaly and thermal analysis. Application to the Gibraltar Arc System, Atlas Mountains and adjacent zones

Science.gov (United States)

Fullea, J.; Fernàndez, M.; Zeyen, H.; Vergés, J.

2007-02-01

We present a method based on the combination of elevation and geoid anomaly data together with thermal field to map crustal and lithospheric thickness. The main assumptions are local isostasy and a four-layered model composed of crust, lithospheric mantle, sea water and the asthenosphere. We consider a linear density gradient for the crust and a temperature dependent density for the lithospheric mantle. We perform sensitivity tests to evaluate the effect of the variation of the model parameters and the influence of RMS error of elevation and geoid anomaly databases. The application of this method to the Gibraltar Arc System, Atlas Mountains and adjacent zones reveals the presence of a lithospheric thinning zone, SW-NE oriented. This zone affects the High and Middle Atlas and extends from the Canary Islands to the eastern Alboran Basin and is probably linked with a similarly trending zone of thick lithosphere constituting the western Betics, eastern Rif, Rharb Basin, and Gulf of Cadiz. A number of different, even mutually opposite, geodynamic models have been proposed to explain the origin and evolution of the study area. Our results suggest that a plausible slab-retreating model should incorporate tear and asymmetric roll-back of the subducting slab to fit the present-day observed lithosphere geometry. In this context, the lithospheric thinning would be caused by lateral asthenospheric flow. An alternative mechanism responsible for lithospheric thinning is the presence of a hot magmatic reservoir derived from a deep ancient plume centred in the Canary Island, and extending as far as Central Europe.

The electrical conductivity of the upper mantle and lithosphere from the magnetic signal due to ocean tidal flow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schnepf, Neesha Regmi; Kuvshinov, Alexey; Grayver, Alexander

galvanically with Earth’s lithosphere (i.e. by direct coupling of the source currents in the ocean with the underlying substrate), enabling conductivity estimations at shallower depths. Here we present the results of determining a 1-D conductivity-depth profile of oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle using...

Influence of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary on the stress field northwest of the Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Maury, J.; Cornet, F. H.; Cara, M.

2014-11-01

In 1356, a magnitude 6-7 earthquake occurred near Basel, in Switzerland. But recent compilations of GPS measurements reveal that measured horizontal deformation rates in northwestern continental Europe are smaller than error bars on the measurements, proving present tectonic activity, if any, is very small in this area. We propose to reconcile these apparently antinomic observations with a mechanical model of the lithosphere that takes into account the geometry of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, assuming that the only loading mechanism is gravity. The lithosphere is considered to be an elastoplastic material satisfying a Von Mises plasticity criterion. The model, which is 400 km long, 360 km wide and 230 km thick, is centred near Belfort in eastern France, with its width oriented parallel to the N145°E direction. It also takes into account the real topography of both the ground surface and that of the Moho discontinuity. Not only does the model reproduce observed principal stress directions orientations, it also identifies a plastic zone that fits roughly the most seismically active domain of the region. Interestingly, a somewhat similar stress map may be produced by considering an elastic lithosphere and an ad-hoc horizontal `tectonic' stress field. However, for the latter model, examination of the plasticity criterion suggests that plastic deformation should have taken place. It is concluded that the present-day stress field in this region is likely controlled by gravity and rheology, rather than by active Alpine tectonics.

Lithospheric expression of geological units in central and eastern North America from full waveform tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Huaiyu; French, Scott; Cupillard, Paul; Romanowicz, Barbara

2014-09-01

The EarthScope TA deployment has provided dense array coverage throughout the continental US and with it, the opportunity for high resolution 3D seismic velocity imaging of both lithosphere and asthenosphere in the continent. Building upon our previous long-period waveform tomographic modeling in North America, we present a higher resolution 3D isotropic and radially anisotropic shear wave velocity model of the North American lithospheric mantle, constructed tomographically using the spectral element method for wavefield computations and waveform data down to 40 s period. The new model exhibits pronounced spatial correlation between lateral variations in seismic velocity and anisotropy and major tectonic units as defined from surface geology. In the center of the continent, the North American craton exhibits uniformly thick lithosphere down to 200-250 km, while major tectonic sutures of Proterozoic age visible in the surface geology extend down to 100-150 km as relatively narrow zones of distinct radial anisotropy, with Vsv >Vsh. Notably, the upper mantle low velocity zone is present everywhere under the craton between 200 and 300 km depth. East of the continental rift margin, the lithosphere is broken up into a series of large, somewhat thinner (150 km) high velocity blocks, which extend laterally 200-300 km offshore into the Atlantic Ocean. Between the craton and these deep-rooted blocks, we find a prominent narrow band of low velocities that roughly follows the southern and eastern Laurentia rift margin and extends into New England. We suggest that the lithosphere along this band of low velocities may be thinned due to the combined effects of repeated rifting processes and northward extension of the hotspot related Bermuda low-velocity channel across the New England region. We propose that the deep rooted high velocity blocks east of the Laurentia margin represent the Proterozoic Gondwanian terranes of pan-African affinity, which were captured during the Rodinia

An Equivalent Source Method for Modelling the Lithospheric Magnetic Field Using Satellite and Airborne Magnetic Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kother, Livia Kathleen; Hammer, Magnus Danel; Finlay, Chris

. Advantages of the equivalent source method include its local nature and the ease of transforming to spherical harmonics when needed. The method can also be applied in local, high resolution, investigations of the lithospheric magnetic field, for example where suitable aeromagnetic data is available......We present a technique for modelling the lithospheric magnetic field based on estimation of equivalent potential field sources. As a first demonstration we present an application to magnetic field measurements made by the CHAMP satellite during the period 2009-2010. Three component vector field...... for the remaining lithospheric magnetic field consists of magnetic point sources (monopoles) arranged in an icosahedron grid with an increasing grid resolution towards the airborne survey area. The corresponding source values are estimated using an iteratively reweighted least squares algorithm that includes model...

Can We Probe the Conductivity of the Lithosphere and Upper Mantle Using Satellite Tidal Magnetic Signals?

Science.gov (United States)

Schnepf, N. R.; Kuvshinov, A.; Sabaka, T.

2015-01-01

A few studies convincingly demonstrated that the magnetic fields induced by the lunar semidiurnal (M2) ocean flow can be identified in satellite observations. This result encourages using M2 satellite magnetic data to constrain subsurface electrical conductivity in oceanic regions. Traditional satellite-based induction studies using signals of magnetospheric origin are mostly sensitive to conducting structures because of the inductive coupling between primary and induced sources. In contrast, galvanic coupling from the oceanic tidal signal allows for studying less conductive, shallower structures. We perform global 3-D electromagnetic numerical simulations to investigate the sensitivity of M2 signals to conductivity distributions at different depths. The results of our sensitivity analysis suggest it will be promising to use M2 oceanic signals detected at satellite altitude for probing lithospheric and upper mantle conductivity. Our simulations also suggest that M2 seafloor electric and magnetic field data may provide complementary details to better constrain lithospheric conductivity.

Using crustal thickness, subsidence and P-T-t history on the Iberia-Newfoundland & Alpine Tethys margins to constrain lithosphere deformation modes during continental breakup

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanniot, L.; Kusznir, N. J.; Manatschal, G.; Mohn, G.; Beltrando, M.

2013-12-01

Observations at magma-poor rifted margins such as Iberia-Newfoundland show a complex lithosphere deformation history and OCT architecture, resulting in hyper-extended continental crust and lithosphere, exhumed mantle and scattered embryonic oceanic crust before continental breakup and seafloor spreading. Initiation of seafloor spreading requires both the rupture of the continental crust and lithospheric mantle, and the onset of decompressional melting. Their relative timing controls when mantle exhumation may occur; the presence or absence of exhumed mantle provides useful information on the timing of these events and constraints on lithosphere deformation modes. A single kinematic lithosphere deformation mode leading to continental breakup and sea-floor spreading cannot explain observations. We have determined the sequence of lithosphere deformation events, using forward modelling of crustal thickness, subsidence and P-T-t history calibrated against observations on the present-day Iberia-Newfoundland and the fossil analogue Alpine Tethys margins. Lithosphere deformation modes, represented by flow fields, are generated by a 2D finite element viscous flow model (FeMargin), and used to advect lithosphere and asthenosphere temperature and material. FeMargin is kinematically driven by divergent deformation in the topmost upper lithosphere inducing passive upwelling beneath that layer; the upper lithosphere is assumed to deform by extensional faulting and magmatic intrusions, consistent with observations of deformation processes occurring at slow spreading ocean ridges (Cannat, 1996). Buoyancy enhanced upwelling is also included in the kinematic model as predicted by Braun et al (2000). We predict melt generation by decompressional melting using the parameterization and methodology of Katz et al., 2003. We use a series of numerical experiments, tested and calibrated against crustal thicknesses and subsidence observations, to determine the distribution of lithosphere

Constraining lithospheric removal and asthenospheric input to melts in Central Asia: A geochemical study of Triassic to Cretaceous magmatic rocks in the Gobi Altai (Mongolia)

Science.gov (United States)

Sheldrick, Thomas C.; Barry, Tiffany L.; Van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Kempton, Pamela D.

2018-01-01

Throughout northeast China, eastern and southern Mongolia, and eastern Russia there is widespread Mesozoic intracontinental magmatism. Extensive studies on the Chinese magmatic rocks have suggested lithospheric mantle removal was a driver of the magmatism. The timing, distribution and potential diachroneity of such lithospheric mantle removal remains poorly constrained. Here, we examine successions of Mesozoic lavas and shallow intrusive volcanic plugs from the Gobi Altai in southern Mongolia that appear to be unrelated to regional, relatively small-scale deformation; at the time of magmatism, the area was 200 km from any active margin, or, after its Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous closure, from the suture of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean. 40Ar/39Ar radiometric age data place magmatic events in the Gobi Altai between 220 to 99.2 Ma. This succession overlaps Chinese successions and therefore provides an opportunity to constrain whether Mesozoic lithosphere removal may provide an explanation for the magmatism here too, and if so, when. We show that Triassic to Lower Cretaceous lavas in the Gobi Altai (from Dulaan Bogd, Noyon Uul, Bulgantiin Uul, Jaran Bogd and Tsagaan Tsav) are all light rare-earth element (LREE) and large-ion lithophile element (LILE)-enriched, with negative Nb and Ta anomalies (Nb/La and Ta/La ≤ 1). Geochemical data suggest that these lavas formed by low degrees of partial melting of a metasomatised lithospheric mantle that may have been modified by melts derived from recycled rutile-bearing eclogite. A gradual reduction in the involvement of garnet in the source of these lavas points towards a shallowing of the depth of melting after 125 Ma. By contrast, geochemical and isotope data from the youngest magmatic rocks in the area - 107-99 Ma old volcanic plugs from Tsost Magmatic Field - have OIB-like trace element patterns and are interpreted to have formed by low degrees of partial melting of a garnet-bearing lherzolite mantle source. These rocks did

Deep magmatism alters and erodes lithosphere and facilitates decoupling of Rwenzori crustal block

Science.gov (United States)

Wallner, Herbert; Schmeling, Harro

2013-04-01

The title is the answer to the initiating question "Why are the Rwenzori Mountains so high?" posed at the EGU 2008. Our motivation origins in the extreme topography of the Rwenzori Mountains. The strong, cold proterozoic crustal horst is situated between rift segments of the western branch of the East African Rift System. Ideas of rift induced delamination (RID) and melt induced weakening (MIW) have been tested with one- and two-phase flow physics. Numerical model parameter variations and new observations lead to a favoured model with simple and plausible definitions. Results coincide in the scope of their comparability with different observations or vice versa reduce ambiguity and uncertainties in model input. Principle laws of the thermo-mechanical physics are the equations of conservation of mass, momentum, energy and composition for a two-phase (matrix-melt) system with nonlinear rheology. A simple solid solution model determines melting and solidification under consideration of depletion and enrichment. The Finite Difference Method with markers is applied to visco-plastic flow using the streamfunction in an Eulerian formulation in 2D. The Compaction Boussinesq and the high Prandtl number Approximation are employed. Lateral kinematic boundary conditions provide long-wavelength asthenospheric upwelling and extensional stress conditions. Partial melts are generated in the asthenosphere, extracted above a critical fraction, and emplaced into a given intrusion level. Temperature anomalies positioned beneath the future rifts, the sole specialization to the Rwenzori situation, localize melts which are very effective in weakening the lithosphere. Convection patterns tend to generate dripping instabilities at the lithospheric base; multiple slabs detach and distort uprising asthenosphere; plumes migrate, join and split. In spite of appearing chaotic flow behaviour a characteristic recurrence time of high velocity events (drips, plumes) emerges. Chimneys of increased

Using open sidewalls for modelling self-consistent lithosphere subduction dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chertova, M.V.; Geenen, T.; van den Berg, A.; Spakman, W.

2012-01-01

Subduction modelling in regional model domains, in 2-D or 3-D, is commonly performed using closed (impermeable) vertical boundaries. Here we investigate the merits of using open boundaries for 2-D modelling of lithosphere subduction. Our experiments are focused on using open and closed (free

The lithospheric structure of the Western Carpathian-Pannonian Basin region based on the CELEBRATION 2000 seismic experiment and gravity modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Tašárová, Alasonati; Afonso, J. C.; Bielik, M.; Götze, H.-J.; Hók, J.

2009-10-01

The lithospheric structure of the Western Carpathian-Pannonian Basin region was studied using 3-D modelling of the Bouguer gravity anomaly constrained by seismic models and other geophysical data. The thermal structure and density distribution in the shallow upper mantle were also estimated using a combination of petrological, geophysical, and mineral physics information (LitMod). This approach is necessary if the more complicated structure of the Pannonian Basin is to be better constrained. As a result, we have constructed the first 3-D gravity model of the region that combines various geophysical datasets and is consistent with petrological data. The model provides improved estimates of both the density distribution within the lithosphere and the depth to major density discontinuities. We present new maps of the thickness of major sedimentary basins and of the depth to the Moho and the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. In our best-fitting model, the Pannonian Basin is characterised by extremely thin crust and lithospheric mantle, both of which have low density. A low-density uppermost asthenospheric mantle layer is also included at depths of 60-100 km. The Western Carpathians have only a thin crustal root and moderate densities. In contrast, the European Platform and Eastern Alps are characterised by lithosphere that is considerably thicker and denser. This inference is also supported by stripped gravity anomalies from which sediment, Moho and asthenospheric gravity contributions have been removed. These residual anomalies are characteristically low in the Western Carpathian-Pannonian Basin region, which suggests that both the ALCAPA and Tisza-Dacia microplates are 'exotic terranes' that are markedly different to the European Platform.

Preliminary studies of soil erosion in a valley bottom in Ibadan under ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Preliminary studies of soil erosion in a valley bottom in Ibadan under some tillage practices. EA Aiyelari, SO Oshunsanya. Abstract. No Abstract. Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp.221-228. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ...

An Equivalent Source Method for Modelling the Global Lithospheric Magnetic Field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kother, Livia Kathleen; Hammer, Magnus Danel; Finlay, Chris

2014-01-01

We present a new technique for modelling the global lithospheric magnetic field at Earth's surface based on the estimation of equivalent potential field sources. As a demonstration we show an application to magnetic field measurements made by the CHAMP satellite during the period 2009-2010 when...... are also employed to minimize the influence of the ionospheric field. The model for the remaining lithospheric magnetic field consists of magnetic point sources (monopoles) arranged in an icosahedron grid. The corresponding source values are estimated using an iteratively reweighted least squares algorithm...... in the CHAOS-4 and MF7 models using more conventional spherical harmonic based approaches. Advantages of the equivalent source method include its local nature, allowing e.g. for regional grid refinement, and the ease of transforming to spherical harmonics when needed. Future applications will make use of Swarm...

Mars: Lithospheric Flexure of the Tharsis Montes Volcanoes and the Evolutionary Relationship to Their Tectonic History

Science.gov (United States)

Chute, H.; Dombard, A. J.; Byrne, P. K.

2017-12-01

Lithospheric flexure associated with Arsia, Pavonis, and Ascraeus Montes has been previously studied to constrain the timeline and breadth of endogenic surface features surrounding these volcanoes. Here, we simulate the radial extent of two specific load-related features: annular graben and flank terraces. Detailed mapping of Ascraeus Mons (the youngest of the three volcanoes) showed a phase of compression of the edifice, forming the terraces and an annulus of graben immediately off the flanks, followed by a period of extension that formed additional graben superposed on the terraces on the lower flanks of the edifice. This transition from compression to extension on the lower flanks has been difficult to reconcile in mechanical models. We explore, with finite-element simulations, the effects of a thermal anomaly associated with an intrusive crustal underplate, which results in locally thinning the lithosphere (in contrast to past efforts that assumed a constant-thickness lithosphere). We find that it is primarily the horizontal extent of this thermal anomaly that governs how the lithosphere flexes under a volcano, as well as the transition from flank compression to a tight annulus of extensional stresses. Specifically, we propose that the structures on Ascraeus may be consistent with an early stage of volcanic growth accompanied by an underplate about the same width as the edifice that narrowed as volcanism waned, resulting in an inward migration of the extensional horizontal stresses from the surrounding plains onto the lower flanks. By linking the surface strains on the volcano with the volcano-tectonic evolution predicted by our flexure model, we can further constrain a more accurate timeline for the tectonic history of Ascraeus Mons. More broadly, because these tectonic structures are commonly observed, our results provide a general evolutionary model for large shield volcanoes on Mars.

The stretching amplitude and thermal regime of the lithosphere in the nonvolcanic passive margin of Antarctica in the Mawson Sea region

Science.gov (United States)

Galushkin, Yu. I.; Leitchenkov, G. L.; Guseva, Yu. B.; Dubinin, E. P.

2018-01-01

The burial history and thermal evolution of the lithosphere within the passive nonvolcanic Antarctic margin in the region of the Mawson Sea are numerically reconstructed for the margin areas along the seismic profile 5909 with the use of the GALO basin modeling system. The amplitudes of the lithosphere stretching at the different stages of continental rifting which took place from 160 to 90 Ma ago are calculated from the geophysical estimates of the thickness of the consolidated crust and the tectonic analysis of the variations in the thickness of the sedimentary cover and sea depths during the evolution of the basin. It is hypothesized that the formation of the recent sedimentary section sequence in the studied region of the Antarctic margin began 140 Ma ago on a basement that was thinned by a factor of 1.6 to 4.5 during the first episode of margin stretching (160-140 Ma) under a fairly high heat flux. The reconstruction of the thermal regime of the lithosphere has shown that the mantle rocks could occur within the temperature interval of serpentinization and simultaneously within the time interval of lithospheric stretching (-160 serpentinization could take place in these areas as in the other margin segments at the stage of presedimentation ultra slow basement stretching.

Dynamics of Lithospheric Extension and Residual Topography in Southern Tibet

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, B.; Shahnas, M. H.; Pysklywec, R.; Sengul Uluocak, E.

2017-12-01

Although the north-south (N-S) convergence between India and Eurasia is ongoing, a number of north-south trending rifts (e.g., Tangra Yum Co Rift, Yadong-Gulu Rift and Cona Rift) and normal faulting are observed at the surface of southern Tibet, suggesting an east-west (E-W) extension tectonic regime. The earthquake focal mechanisms also show that deformation of southern Tibet is dominated by E-W extension across these N-S trending rifts. Because the structure of the lithosphere and underlying mantle is poorly understood, the origin of the east-west extension of southern Tibet is still under debate. Gravitational collapse, oblique convergence, and mantle upwelling are among possible responsible mechanisms. We employ a 3D-spherical control volume model of the present-day mantle flow to understand the relationship between topographic features (e.g., rifts and the west-east extension), intermediate-depth earthquakes, and tectonic stresses induced by mantle flow beneath the region. The thermal structure of the mantle and crust is obtained from P and S-wave seismic inversions and heat flow data. Power-law creep with viscous-plastic rheology, describing the behavior of the lithosphere and mantle material is employed. We determine the models which can best reconcile the observed features of southern Tibet including surface heat flow, residual topography with uplift and subsidence, reported GPS rates of the vertical movements, and the earthquake events. The 3D geodynamic modeling of the contemporary mantle flow-lithospheric response quantifies the relative importance of the various proposed mechanism responsible for the E-W extension and deep earthquakes in southern Tibet. The results also have further implications for the magmatic activities and crustal rheology of the region.

GENETIC SOURCES AND TECTONOPHYSICAL REGULARITIES OF DIVISIBILITY OF THE LITHOSPHERE INTO BLOCKS OF VARIOUS RANKS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF ITS FORMATION: TECTONOPHYSICAL ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Semen I. Sherman

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the first tectonophysical reconstruction of initial divisibility of the protolithosphere as a result of convection in the cooling primitive mantle. Initial division of the protolithosphere into separate masses, i.e. prototypes of the blocks, and their size are predetermined by the emerging Rayleigh-Benard convection cells. In studies of geology and geodynamics, the Rayleigh-Benard convection cells were first referred to as a factor to explain the formation of initial continental cores. Considering the Rayleigh-Benard cells and their structural relics can help clarify initial divisibility of the protolithosphere and the origin of the major lithospheric plates, i.e. prototypes of continents. In our opinion, the initial mega-scale block structure of the protolithosphere and the emerging lithosphere were predetermined by the Rayleigh-Benard cells as they were preserved in the emerging lithosphere and their lower boundaries corresponded to the core-mantle boundary, i.e. one of the major discontinuities of the planet. Our theoretical estimations are in good agreement with the number and sizes of the Earth's theorized first supercontinents, Vaalbara and Ur. In our tectonophysical discussion of the formation of the lithospheric block structure, we analyze in detail the map of modern lithospheric plates [Bird, 2003] in combination with the materials from [Sherman et al., 2000]. In the hierarchy of the blocks comprising the contemporary lithosphere, which sizes are widely variable, two groups of blocks are clearly distinguished. The first group includes megablocks with the average geometric size above 6500 km. Their formation is related to convection in the Earth mantle at the present stage of the geodynamic evolution of the Earth, as well as at all the previous stages, including the earliest one, when the protolithosphere emerged. The second group includes medium-sized blocks with the average geometric size of less than 4500 km and

Upper mantle beneath foothills of the western Himalaya: subducted lithospheric slab or a keel of the Indian shield?

Science.gov (United States)

Vinnik, L.; Singh, A.; Kiselev, S.; Kumar, M. Ravi

2007-12-01

The fate of the mantle lithosphere of the Indian Plate in the India-Eurasia collision zone is not well understood. Tomographic studies reveal high P velocity in the uppermost mantle to the south of the western Himalaya, and these high velocities are sometimes interpreted as an image of subducting Indian lithosphere. We suggest that these high velocities are unrelated to the ongoing subduction but correspond to a near-horizontal mantle keel of the Indian shield. In the south of the Indian shield upper-mantle velocities are anomalously low, and relatively high velocities may signify a recovery of the normal shield structure in the north. Our analysis is based on the recordings of seismograph station NIL in the foothills of the western Himalaya. The T component of the P receiver functions is weak relative to the Q component, which is indicative of a subhorizontally layered structure. Joint inversion of the P and S receiver functions favours high uppermost mantle velocities, typical of the lithosphere of Archean cratons. The arrival of the Ps converted phase from 410 km discontinuity at NIL is 2.2 s earlier than in IASP91 global model. This can be an effect of remnants of Tethys subduction in the mantle transition zone and of high velocities in the keel of the Indian shield. Joint inversion of SKS particle motions and P receiver functions reveals a change in the fast direction of seismic azimuthal anisotropy from 60° at 80-160 km depths to 150° at 160-220 km. The fast direction in the lower layer is parallel to the trend of the Himalaya. The change of deformation regimes at a depth of 160 km suggests that this is the base of the lithosphere of the Indian shield. A similar boundary was found with similar techniques in central Europe and the Tien Shan region, but the base of the lithosphere in these regions is relatively shallow, in agreement with the higher upper-mantle temperatures. The ongoing continental collision is expressed in crustal structure: the crust

Lithospheric Contributions to Arc Magmatism: Isotope Variations Along Strike in Volcanoes of Honshu, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Kersting; Arculus; Gust

1996-06-07

Major chemical exchange between the crust and mantle occurs in subduction zone environments, profoundly affecting the chemical evolution of Earth. The relative contributions of the subducting slab, mantle wedge, and arc lithosphere to the generation of island arc magmas, and ultimately new continental crust, are controversial. Isotopic data for lavas from a transect of volcanoes in a single arc segment of northern Honshu, Japan, have distinct variations coincident with changes in crustal lithology. These data imply that the relatively thin crustal lithosphere is an active geochemical filter for all traversing magmas and is responsible for significant modification of primary mantle melts.

Magnetotelluric Imaging of Lower Crustal Melt and Lithospheric Hydration in the Rocky Mountain Front Transition Zone, Colorado, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Feucht, D. W.; Sheehan, A. F.; Bedrosian, P. A.

2017-12-01

We present an electrical resistivity model of the crust and upper mantle from two-dimensional (2-D) anisotropic inversion of magnetotelluric data collected along a 450 km transect of the Rio Grande rift, southern Rocky Mountains, and High Plains in Colorado, USA. Our model provides a window into the modern-day lithosphere beneath the Rocky Mountain Front to depths in excess of 150 km. Two key features of the 2-D resistivity model are (1) a broad zone ( 200 km wide) of enhanced electrical conductivity (minerals, with maximum hydration occurring beneath the Rocky Mountain Front. This lithospheric "hydration front" has implications for the tectonic evolution of the continental interior and the mechanisms by which water infiltrates the lithosphere.

Lithospheric structure of southern Indian shield and adjoining oceans: integrated modelling of topography, gravity, geoid and heat flow data

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Niraj; Zeyen, H.; Singh, A. P.; Singh, B.

2013-07-01

For the present 2-D lithospheric density modelling, we selected three geotransects of more than 1000 km in length each crossing the southern Indian shield, south of 16°N, in N-S and E-W directions. The model is based on the assumption of local isostatic equilibrium and is constrained by the topography, gravity and geoid anomalies, by geothermal data, and where available by seismic data. Our integrated modelling approach reveals a crustal configuration with the Moho depth varying from ˜40 km beneath the Dharwar Craton, and ˜39 km beneath the Southern Granulite Terrane to about 15-20 km beneath the adjoining oceans. The lithospheric thickness varies significantly along the three profiles from ˜70-100 km under the adjoining oceans to ˜130-135 km under the southern block of Southern Granulite Terrane including Sri Lanka and increasing gradually to ˜165-180 km beneath the northern block of Southern Granulite Terrane and the Dharwar Craton. This step-like lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) structure indicates a normal lithospheric thickness beneath the adjoining oceans, the northern block of Southern Granulite Terrane and the Dharwar Craton. The thin lithosphere below the southern block of Southern Granulite Terrane including Sri Lanka is, however, atypical considering its age. Our results suggest that the southern Indian shield as a whole cannot be supported isostatically only by thickened crust; a thin and hot lithosphere beneath the southern block of Southern Granulite Terrane including Sri Lanka is required to explain the high topography, gravity, geoid and crustal temperatures. The widespread thermal perturbation during Pan-African (550 Ma) metamorphism and the breakup of Gondwana during late Cretaceous are proposed as twin cause mechanism for the stretching and/or convective removal of the lower part of lithospheric mantle and its replacement by hotter and lighter asthenosphere in the southern block of Southern Granulite Terrane including Sri Lanka

Cathodic protection for the bottoms of above ground storage tanks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohr, John P. [Tyco Adhesives, Norwood, MA (United States)

2004-07-01

Impressed Current Cathodic Protection has been used for many years to protect the external bottoms of above ground storage tanks. The use of a vertical deep ground bed often treated several bare steel tank bottoms by broadcasting current over a wide area. Environmental concerns and, in some countries, government regulations, have introduced the use of dielectric secondary containment liners. The dielectric liner does not allow the protective cathodic protection current to pass and causes corrosion to continue on the newly placed tank bottom. In existing tank bottoms where inadequate protection has been provided, leaks can develop. In one method of remediation, an old bottom is covered with sand and a double bottom is welded above the leaking bottom. The new bottom is welded very close to the old bottom, thus shielding the traditional cathodic protection from protecting the new bottom. These double bottoms often employ the use of dielectric liner as well. Both the liner and the double bottom often minimize the distance from the external tank bottom. The minimized space between the liner, or double bottom, and the bottom to be protected places a challenge in providing current distribution in cathodic protection systems. This study examines the practical concerns for application of impressed current cathodic protection and the types of anode materials used in these specific applications. One unique approach for an economical treatment using a conductive polymer cathodic protection method is presented. (author)

Gravity anomalies and flexure of the lithosphere at the Middle Amazon Basin, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Nunn, Jeffrey A.; Aires, Jose R.

1988-01-01

The Middle Amazon Basin is a large Paleozoic sedimentary basin on the Amazonian craton in South America. It contains up to 7 km of mainly shallow water sediments. A chain of Bouguer gravity highs of approximately +40 to +90 mGals transects the basin roughly coincident with the axis of maximum thickness of sediment. The gravity highs are flanked on either side by gravity lows of approximately -40 mGals. The observed gravity anomalies can be explained by a steeply sided zone of high density in the lower crust varying in width from 100 to 200 km wide. Within this region, the continental crust has been intruded/replaced by more dense material to more than half its original thickness of 45-50 km. The much wider sedimentary basin results from regional compensation of the subsurface load and the subsequent load of accumulated sediments by flexure of the lithosphere. The observed geometry of the basin is consistent with an elastic lithosphere model with a mechanical thickness of 15-20 km. Although this value is lower than expected for a stable cratonic region of Early Proterozoic age, it is within the accepted range of effective elastic thicknesses for the earth. Rapid subsidence during the late Paleozoic may be evidence of a second tectonic event or lithospheric relaxation which could lower the effective mechanical thickness of the lithosphere. The high-density zone in the lower crust, as delineated by gravity and flexural modeling, has a complex sinuous geometry which is narrow and south of the axis of maximum sediment thickness on the east and west margins and wide and offset to the north in the center of the basin. The linear trough geometry of the basin itself is a result of smoothing by regional compensation of the load in the lower crust.

Bottom friction models for shallow water equations: Manning’s roughness coefficient and small-scale bottom heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Dyakonova, Tatyana; Khoperskov, Alexander

2018-03-01

The correct description of the surface water dynamics in the model of shallow water requires accounting for friction. To simulate a channel flow in the Chezy model the constant Manning roughness coefficient is frequently used. The Manning coefficient nM is an integral parameter which accounts for a large number of physical factors determining the flow braking. We used computational simulations in a shallow water model to determine the relationship between the Manning coefficient and the parameters of small-scale perturbations of a bottom in a long channel. Comparing the transverse water velocity profiles in the channel obtained in the models with a perturbed bottom without bottom friction and with bottom friction on a smooth bottom, we constructed the dependence of nM on the amplitude and spatial scale of perturbation of the bottom relief.

Lithospheric low-velocity zones associated with a magmatic segment of the Tanzanian Rift, East Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Plasman, M.; Tiberi, C.; Ebinger, C.; Gautier, S.; Albaric, J.; Peyrat, S.; Déverchère, J.; Le Gall, B.; Tarits, P.; Roecker, S.; Wambura, F.; Muzuka, A.; Mulibo, G.; Mtelela, K.; Msabi, M.; Kianji, G.; Hautot, S.; Perrot, J.; Gama, R.

2017-07-01

Rifting in a cratonic lithosphere is strongly controlled by several interacting processes including crust/mantle rheology, magmatism, inherited structure and stress regime. In order to better understand how these physical parameters interact, a 2 yr long seismological experiment has been carried out in the North Tanzanian Divergence (NTD), at the southern tip of the eastern magmatic branch of the East African rift, where the southward-propagating continental rift is at its earliest stage. We analyse teleseismic data from 38 broad-band stations ca. 25 km spaced and present here results from their receiver function (RF) analysis. The crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio are retrieved over a ca. 200 × 200 km2 area encompassing the South Kenya magmatic rift, the NTD and the Ngorongoro-Kilimanjaro transverse volcanic chain. Cratonic nature of the lithosphere is clearly evinced through thick (up to ca. 40 km) homogeneous crust beneath the rift shoulders. Where rifting is present, Moho rises up to 27 km depth and the crust is strongly layered with clear velocity contrasts in the RF signal. The Vp/Vs ratio reaches its highest values (ca. 1.9) beneath volcanic edifices location and thinner crust, advocating for melting within the crust. We also clearly identify two major low-velocity zones (LVZs) within the NTD, one in the lower crust and the second in the upper part of the mantle. The first one starts at 15-18 km depth and correlates well with recent tomographic models. This LVZ does not always coexist with high Vp/Vs ratio, pleading for a supplementary source of velocity decrease, such as temperature or composition. At a greater depth of ca. 60 km, a mid-lithospheric discontinuity roughly mimics the step-like and symmetrically outward-dipping geometry of the Moho but with a more slanting direction (NE-SW) compared to the NS rift. By comparison with synthetic RF, we estimate the associated velocity reduction to be 8-9 per cent. We relate this interface to melt ponding

FAULTING IN THE LITHOSPHERE: THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRKUTSK SCHOOL OF TECTONOPHYSICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. I. Sherman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The history of tectonophysical studies in Irkutsk began in the 1950s at the initiative of Prof. V.N. Danilovich. Tectonophysics as a new scientific field in geology was enthusiastically supported by research institutes of the actively develo­ping Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, including the Institute of the Earth's Crust (IEC. In late 1950s, V.N. Danilovich, G.V. Charushin, O.V. Pavlov, P.M. Khrenov, S.I. Sherman and other scientists began to conduct large-scale studies of faults and rock fracturing with application of methods of structural analysis of fault tectonics and taking into account types of physical and mechanical destruction of the crust. In 1979, the IEC Scientific Council reviewed the initiative of Prof. S.I. Sherman, who was supported by Academician N.A. Logachev and Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy O.V. Pavlov, and approved the decision to establish the Laboratory of Tectonophysics, that has been and is the only scientific research team of the kind in the territory of Russia eastward of the Urals and, in fact, the second in the Russian Federation. Its studies are based on concepts dealing with physical regularities of crustal faulting that are described in the monograph published by S.I. Sherman [Sherman, 1977], three co-authored volumes of Faulting in the Lithosphere [Sherman et al., 1991, 1992, 1994] and other scientific papers. These publications have consolidated results of studies conducted by the team of researchers from the Laboratory, which can be called the Irkutsk school of tectonophysics. On the eve of the 21st century, the Laboratory successfully extended application of physics of destruction of materials and mathematical methods of analysis to studies of structural patterns of faults varying in ranks in the crust and the upper lithosphere.We conducted comprehensive studies of tectonophysical regularities of formation of large crustal faults, pioneered in establishing quantitative relationships

Lithospheric Structure of Northeastern Tibet Plateau from P and S Receiver Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C.; Guo, Z.; Chen, Y. J.

2017-12-01

We obtain the lithospheric structure of the Northeast Tibet (NE Tibet) along an N-S trending profile using P- and S-wave receiver function recorded by ChinArray-Himalaya II project. Both P- and S-receiver function migration images show highly consistent lithospheric features. The Moho depth is estimated to be 50 km beneath the Songpan-ganzi (SPGZ) and Qaidam-Kunlun-West Qinling (QD) blocks with little or no fluctuation. However, at the northern boundary of QD, the crust abruptly uplifts to 40 km depth within a distance of 50 km. Meanwhile, at the southernmost of QD, the Moho is found at the depth of 60 km, which forms a double Moho conversion beneath the western Qinling fault (WQF). At the Qilian block, the first order feature of the PRF image is the northward crustal thinning from 60 km to 45 km. The strong Moho fluctuations beneath the Qilian block reflects the on-going mountain building processes. Further to the north, the Moho depth begins to deepen to 55 km and then gradually thins to 40 km at the Alxa block. We observe significant Moho variations at the Central Asian Orogenic belt (CAOB). Furthermore, Moho jumps and offsets are shown beneath major thrust and strike-slip faults zones, such as the a >5 km Moho uplift across the North Qilian Fault (NQF), implying that these faults cut through the crust and partly accommodate the continuous deformation/crustal shorting that is propagated from the India-Eurasia collision. Strong negative signals found in both P and S receiver functions at around 100-150 km depth can be interpreted as the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). The LAB deepens from 100 km at the northern to a maximum of 150 km at the southern end of the CAOB. A relatively flat LAB with the depth of 150 km is shown beneath the Alax block, and then it gradually thins to 100 km from the QD to SPGZ. Beneath the SPGZ, our results indicate a thin and flat lithosphere ( 100 km).

Recycling of Oceanic Lithosphere: Water, fO2 and Fe-isotope Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Bizmis, M.; Peslier, A. H.; McCammon, C. A.; Keshav, S.; Williams, H. M.

2014-01-01

Spinel peridotite and garnet pyroxenite xenoliths from Hawaii provide important clues about the composition of the oceanic lithosphere, and can be used to assess its contribution to mantle heterogeneity upon recycling. The peridotites have lower bulk H2O (approximately 70-114 ppm) than the MORB source, qualitatively consistent with melt depletion. The garnet pyroxenites (high pressure cumulates) have higher H2O (200-460 ppm, up to 550 ppm accounting for phlogopite) and low H2O/Ce ratios (less than 100). The peridotites have relatively light Fe-isotopes (delta Fe -57 = -0.34 to 0.13) that decrease with increasing depletion, while the pyroxenites are significantly heavier (delta Fe-57 up to 0.3). The observed xenolith, as well as MORB and OIB total Fe-isotope variability is larger that can be explained by existing melting models. The high H2O and low H2O/Ce ratios of pyroxenites are similar to estimates of EM-type OIB sources, while their heavy delta Fe-57 are similar to some Society and Cook-Austral basalts. Therefore, recycling of mineralogically enriched oceanic lithosphere (i.e. pyroxenites) may contribute to OIB sources and mantle heterogeneity. The Fe(3+)/Sigma? systematics of these xenoliths also suggest that there might be lateral redox gradients within the lithosphere, between juxtaposed oxidized spinel peridotites (deltaFMQ = -0.7 to 1.6, at 15 kb) and more reduced pyroxenites (deltaFMQ = -2 to -0.4, at 20-25kb). Such mineralogically and compositionally imposed fO2 gradients may generate local redox melting due to changes in fluid speciation (e.g. reduced fluids from pyroxenite encountering more oxidized peridotite). Formation of such incipient, small degree melts could further contribute to metasomatic features seen in peridotites, mantle heterogeneity, as well as the low velocity and high electrical conductivity structures near the base of the lithosphere and upper mantle.

Lithosphere structure and upper mantle characteristics below the Bay of Bengal

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rao, G.S.; Radhakrishna, M.; Sreejith, K.M.; Krishna, K.S.; Bull, J.M.

The oceanic lithosphere in the Bay of Bengal (BOB) formed 80-120 Ma following the breakup of eastern Gondwanaland. Since its formation, it has been affected by the emplacement of two long N-S trending linear aseismic ridges (85°E and Ninetyeast...

Widespread melt/rock interaction and seismic properties of the lithosphere above mantle plumes: Evidence from mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

Science.gov (United States)

Tommasi, A.; Godard, M.; Coromina, G.; Dautria, J. M.; Barczus, H.

2003-04-01

In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we studied the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from the Austral-Cook, Society and Marquesas islands. Olivine forsterite contents in our sp-peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83, the lowest Fo being observed in dunites and wehrlites. Yet, their high Ni content (up to 2500 ppm) precludes a cumulate origin. These rocks are rather interpreted as resulting from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution, the dunites indicating high melt-rock ratios. Moreover, wehrlites display poikiloblastic diopside enclosing corroded olivines. Late crystallization of clinopyroxene, also observed in lherzolites, may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction occurring at the boundary of a partial melting domain developed at the expenses of lithospheric mantle. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. Yet, crystal preferred orientations and thus seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Although dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO, very weak CPO are limited to a few dunites and wehrlites, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of intense magma-rock interaction due to localized flow or accumulation of magmas. Conversely, the compositional changes result in lower seismic velocities for P- and S-waves. Relative to normal mantle, seismic anomalies may attain -2.5 (2

Recent progress in modelling 3D lithospheric deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Kaus, B. J. P.; Popov, A.; May, D. A.

2012-04-01

Modelling 3D lithospheric deformation remains a challenging task, predominantly because the variations in rock types, as well as nonlinearities due to for example plastic deformation result in sharp and very large jumps in effective viscosity contrast. As a result, there are only a limited number of 3D codes available, most of which are using direct solvers which are computationally and memory-wise very demanding. As a result, the resolutions for typical model runs are quite modest, despite the use of hundreds of processors (and using much larger computers is unlikely to bring much improvement in this situation). For this reason we recently developed a new 3D deformation code,called LaMEM: Lithosphere and Mantle Evolution Model. LaMEM is written on top of PETSc, and as a result it runs on massive parallel machines and we have a large number of iterative solvers available (including geometric and algebraic multigrid methods). As it remains unclear which solver combinations work best under which conditions, we have implemented most currently suggested methods (such as schur complement reduction or Fully coupled iterations). In addition, we can use either a finite element discretization (with Q1P0, stabilized Q1Q1 or Q2P-1 elements) or a staggered finite difference discretization for the same input geometry, which is based on a marker and cell technique). This gives us he flexibility to test various solver methodologies on the same model setup, in terms of accuracy, speed, memory usage etc. Here, we will report on some features of LaMEM, on recent code additions, as well as on some lessons we learned which are important for modelling 3D lithospheric deformation. Specifically we will discuss: 1) How we combine a particle-and-cell method to make it work with both a finite difference and a (lagrangian, eulerian or ALE) finite element formulation, with only minor code modifications code 2) How finite difference and finite element discretizations compare in terms of

The Study on Stability and Seakeeping Characteristics of the Glass Bottom Boat Trimaran in Karimunjawa Island

Science.gov (United States)

Arswendo Adietya, Berlian; Windyandari, Aulia; Fauzan Zakki, Ahmad

2018-03-01

Recently the diversity of fish populations in the waters Karimunjawa Island is only appreciated by those who have the ability to play diving and snorkeling. It is due to the unavailability of a vehicle that is specially made to delight in the fascination of the underwater panorama. One of the alternative solutions is using the glass bottom boat technology which is using transparent bottom that might look out the underwater scenery instead of swimming and snorkeling. The paper has focused on the study of intact stability and seakeeping characteristics of glass bottom boat trimaran in Karimunjawa Island. The intact stability characteristics will be investigated at the various load cases and weight distribution configurations which are influenced by the passenger positions and fuel tank condition. Regarding the seakeeping performance analysis, the ITTC-Bretschneider will be adopted as the wave spectrum at the wave parameters defined from the operational environment. The influence of the parameters on the stability and seakeeping of the glass bottom boat trimaran are presented and discussed.

Integrated elemental and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic studies of Mesozoic mafic dykes from the eastern North China Craton: implications for the dramatic transformation of lithospheric mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shen; Feng, Caixia; Santosh, M.; Feng, Guangying; Coulson, Ian M.; Xu, Mengjing; Guo, Zhuang; Guo, Xiaolei; Peng, Hao; Feng, Qiang

2018-02-01

Evolution of the lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton (NCC) from its Precambrian cratonic architecture until Paleozoic, and the transformation to an oceanic realm during Mesozoic, with implications on the destruction of cratonic root have attracted global attention. Here we present geochemical and isotopic data on a suite of newly identified Mesozoic mafic dyke swarms from the Longwangmiao, Weijiazhuang, Mengjiazhuang, Jiayou, Huangmi, and Xiahonghe areas (Qianhuai Block) along the eastern NCC with an attempt to gain further insights on the lithospheric evolution of the region. The Longwangmiao dykes are alkaline with LILE (Ba and K)- and LREE-enrichment ((La/Yb) N > 4.3) and EM1-like Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic signature ((87Sr/86Sr) i > 0.706; ε Nd (t) 16.6, (207Pb/204Pb) i > 15.4, (208Pb/204Pb) i > 36.8, ε Hf (t) 3.7), and display similar EM1-like isotopic features ((87Sr/86Sr) i > 0.706; ε Nd (t) 16.7, (207Pb/204Pb) i > 15.4, (208Pb/204Pb) i > 36.9, ε Hf (t) 2.4) and EM1-like isotopic features((87Sr/86Sr) i > 0.706; ε Nd (t) 16.7, (207Pb/204Pb) i > 15.4, (208Pb/204Pb) i > 36.9, ε Hf (t) 3.7) and EM1-like Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic features ((87Sr/86Sr) i > 0.706; ε Nd(t) 16.7, (207Pb/204Pb) i > 15.4, (208Pb/204Pb) i > 36.9, ε Hf (t) 9.3) and EM1-like isotopic composition ((87Sr/86Sr) i > 0.705; ε Nd (t) 16.9, (207Pb/204Pb) i > 15.5, (208Pb/204Pb) i > 36.9, ε Hf (t) 0.705; ε Nd (t) 16.9, (207Pb/204Pb) i > 15.5, (208Pb/204Pb) i > 36.9, ε Hf (t) < -8.6). Our data from the various mafic dyke suites suggest that the magmas were derived from EM1-like lithospheric mantle, corresponding to lithospheric mantle modified by the previously foundered lower crust beneath the eastern NCC. Our results suggest contrasting lithospheric evolution from Triassic (212 Ma) to Cretaceous (123 Ma) beneath the NCC. These mafic dykes mark an important phase of lithospheric thinning in the eastern North China Craton.

Technical and economic study of Stirling and Rankine cycle bottoming systems for heavy truck diesel engines

Science.gov (United States)

Kubo, I.

1987-01-01

Bottoming cycle concepts for heavy duty transport engine applications were studied. In particular, the following tasks were performed: (1) conceptual design and cost data development for Stirling systems; (2) life-cycle cost evaluation of three bottoming systems - organic Rankine, steam Rankine, and Stirling cycles; and (3) assessment of future directions in waste heat utilization research. Variables considered for the second task were initial capital investments, fuel savings, depreciation tax benefits, salvage values, and service/maintenance costs. The study shows that none of the three bottoming systems studied are even marginally attractive. Manufacturing costs have to be reduced by at least 65%. As a new approach, an integrated Rankine/Diesel system was proposed. It utilizes one of the diesel cylinders as an expander and capitalizes on the in-cylinder heat energy. The concept eliminates the need for the power transmission device and a sophisticated control system, and reduces the size of the exhaust evaporator. Results of an economic evaluation indicate that the system has the potential to become an attractive package for end users.

To fractionate municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash: Key for utilisation?

Science.gov (United States)

Sormunen, Laura Annika; Rantsi, Riina

2015-11-01

For the past decade, the Finnish waste sector has increasingly moved from the landfilling of municipal solid waste towards waste incineration. New challenges are faced with the growing amounts of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash, which are mainly landfilled at the moment. Since this is not a sustainable or a profitable solution, finding different utilisation applications for the municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash is crucial. This study reports a comprehensive analysis of bottom ash properties from one waste incineration plant in Finland, which was first treated with a Dutch bottom ash recovery technique called advanced dry recovery. This novel process separates non-ferrous and ferrous metals from bottom ash, generating mineral fractions of different grain sizes (0-2 mm, 2-5 mm, 5-12 mm and 12-50 mm). The main aim of the study was to assess, whether the advanced bottom ash treatment technique, producing mineral fractions of different grain sizes and therefore properties, facilitates the utilisation of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash in Finland. The results were encouraging; the bottom ash mineral fractions have favourable behaviour against the frost action, which is especially useful in the Finnish conditions. In addition, the leaching of most hazardous substances did not restrict the utilisation of bottom ash, especially for the larger fractions (>5 mm). Overall, this study has shown that the advanced bottom ash recovering technique can be one solution to increase the utilisation of bottom ash and furthermore decrease its landfilling in Finland. © The Author(s) 2015.

Anomalous variations of lithosphere magnetic field before several earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Z.; Chen, B.

2015-12-01

Based on the geomagnetic vector data measured each year since 2011 at more than 500 sites with a mean spatial interval of ~70km.we observed anomalous variations of lithospheric magnetic field before and after over 15 earthquakes having magnitude > 5. We find that the field in near proximity (about 50km) to the epicenter of large earthquakes shows high spatial and temporal gradients before the earthquake. Due to the low frequency of repeat measurements it is unclear when these variations occurred and how do them evolve. We point out anomalous magnetic filed using some circles with radius of 50km usually in June of each year, and then we would check whether quake will locat in our circles during one year after that time (June to next June). Now we caught 10 earthquakes of 15 main shocks having magnitude > 5, most of them located at less than10km away from our circles and some of them were in our circles. Most results show that the variations of lithosphere magnetic filed at the epicenter are different with surrending backgroud usually. When we figure out horizontal variations (vector) of lithosphere magnetic field and epicenter during one year after each June, we found half of them show that the earthquakes will locat at "the inlands in a flowing river", that means earthquakes may occur at "quiet"regions while the backgroud show character as"flow" as liquid. When we compared with GPS results, it appears that these variations of lithospere magnetic field may also correlate with displacement of earth's surface. However we do not compared with GPS results for each earthquake, we are not clear whether these anomalous variations of lithospere magnetic field may also correlate with anomalous displacement of earth's surface. Future work will include developing an automated method for identifying this type of anomalous field behavior and trying to short repeat measurement period to 6 month to try to find when these variations occur.

Continents as lithological icebergs: The importance of buoyant lithospheric roots

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, D.H.; Drury, R.; Mooney, W.D.

1997-01-01

An understanding of the formation of new continental crust provides an important guide to locating the oldest terrestrial rocks and minerals. We evaluated the crustal thicknesses of the thinnest stable continental crust and of an unsubductable oceanic plateau and used the resulting data to estimate the amount of mantle melting which produces permanent continental crust. The lithospheric mantle is sufficiently depleted to produce permanent buoyancy (i.e., the crust is unsubductable) at crustal thicknesses greater than 25-27 km. These unsubductable oceanic plateaus and hotspot island chains are important sources of new continental crust. The newest continental crust (e.g., the Ontong Java plateau) has a basaltic composition, not a granitic one. The observed structure and geochemistry of continents are the result of convergent margin magmatism and metamorphism which modify the nascent basaltic crust into a lowermost basaltic layer overlain by a more silicic upper crust. The definition of a continent should imply only that the lithosphere is unsubductable over ??? 0.25 Ga time periods. Therefore, the search for the oldest crustal rocks should include rocks from lower to mid-crustal levels.

Lithosphere stress changes due to groundwater unloading in North China Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Yajin; Zhang, Huai; Shi, Yaolin

2015-04-01

find that the earthquake events between1978-2014 are obviously less than that during the former 35-year period. There are 11 earthquakes with magnitude greater than M6.0 occurred during 1942-1977 and none in the period of 1978-2014. Although the seismicity may have natural fluctuations, the human effects cannot be excluded, as earthquake events are controlled by regional tectonic stress, which is significantly perturbed by groundwater overpumping in North China Plain. This study also suggests that earth is a complex system, in which each part interacts with others. Human activities on the earth surface may not only affect the atmosphere and the hydrosphere as well known, but also affect the lithosphere.

Formation and temporal evolution of the Kalahari sub-cratonic lithospheric mantle: Constraints from Venetia xenoliths, South Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hin, R.C.; Morel, M.L.A.; Nebel, O.; Mason, P.R.D.; van Westrenen, W.; Davies, G.R.

2009-01-01

The ~533 Ma Venetia Diamond Mine is located between the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons and the study of selected xenoliths provides the opportunity to investigate the temporal evolution of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) underneath southern Africa, as well as the extent and potentially

Isotopic characterisation of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle beneath Zealandia, a rifted fragment of Gondwana

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waight, Tod Earle; Scott, James M.; van der Meer, Quinten Har Adriaan

2013-01-01

The greater New Zealand region, known as Zealandia, represents an amalgamation of crustal fragments accreted to the paleo-Pacific Gondwana margin and which underwent significant thinning during the subsequent split from Australia and Antarctica in the mid-Cretaceous following opening of the Tasma...... Sea and the Southern Ocean. We present Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes and laser ablation trace element data for a comprehensive suite of clinopyroxene separates from spinel peridotite xenoliths (lherzolite to harzburgite) from the sub-continental lithospheric mantle across southern New Zealand...... composition, age or geographical separation. These isotopic compositions indicate that the sub-continental lithospheric mantle under southern New Zealand has a regionally distinct and pervasive FOZO to HIMU – like signature. The isotopic signatures are also similar to those of the alkaline magmas...... that transported the xenoliths and suggest that most of the HIMU signature observed in the volcanics could be derived from a major source component in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle. Trace element abundances in clinopyroxene are highly heterogeneous and vary from LREE-enriched, relatively flat and MORB...

Modeling the interaction between lithospheric and surface processes in foreland basins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Garcia-Castellanos, D.; Cloetingh, S.

2012-01-01

This chapter reviews a number of key advances in quantitative understanding of foreland basins since the early 1990s, with a focus on the interplay between lithospheric flexure, erosion, and river transport. Flexure can be the result of topographic loading and slab-pull forces, though can also

Fundamentals of converging mining technologies in integrated development of mineral resources of lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Trubetskoy, KN; Galchenko, YuP; Eremenko, VA

2018-03-01

The paper sets forth a theoretical framework for the strategy of the radically new stage in development of geotechnologies under conditions of rapidly aggravating environmental crisis of the contemporary technocratic civilization that utilizes the substance extracted from the lithosphere as the source of energy and materials. The authors of the paper see the opportunity to overcome the conflict between the techno- and bio-spheres in the area of mineral raw materials by means of changing the technological paradigm of integrated mineral development by implementing nature-like technologies oriented to the ideas and methods of converging resources of natural biota as the object of the environmental protection and geotechnologies as the major source of ecological hazards induced in the course of development of mineral resources of lithosphere.

Detailed Configuration of the Underthrusting Indian Lithosphere Beneath Western Tibet Revealed by Receiver Function Images

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qiang; Zhao, Junmeng; Yuan, Xiaohui; Liu, Hongbing; Pei, Shunping

2017-10-01

We analyze the teleseismic waveform data recorded by 42 temporary stations from the Y2 and ANTILOPE-1 arrays using the P and S receiver function techniques to investigate the lithospheric structure beneath western Tibet. The Moho is reliably identified as a prominent feature at depths of 55-82 km in the stacked traces and in depth migrated images. It has a concave shape and reaches the deepest location at about 80 km north of the Indus-Yarlung suture (IYS). An intracrustal discontinuity is observed at 55 km depth below the southern Lhasa terrane, which could represent the upper border of the eclogitized underthrusting Indian lower crust. Underthrusting of the Indian crust has been widely observed beneath the Lhasa terrane and correlates well with the Bouguer gravity low, suggesting that the gravity anomalies in the Lhasa terrane are induced by topography of the Moho. At 20 km depth, a midcrustal low-velocity zone (LVZ) is observed beneath the Tethyan Himalaya and southern Lhasa terrane, suggesting a layer of partial melts that decouples the thrust/fold deformation of the upper crust from the shortening and underthrusting in the lower crust. The Sp conversions at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) can be recognized at depths of 130-200 km, showing that the Indian lithospheric mantle is underthrusting with a ramp-flat shape beneath southern Tibet and probably is detached from the lower crust immediately under the IYS. Our observations reconstruct the configuration of the underthrusting Indian lithosphere and indicate significant along strike variations.

The Bottom Boundary Layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Trowbridge, John H; Lentz, Steven J

2018-01-03

The oceanic bottom boundary layer extracts energy and momentum from the overlying flow, mediates the fate of near-bottom substances, and generates bedforms that retard the flow and affect benthic processes. The bottom boundary layer is forced by winds, waves, tides, and buoyancy and is influenced by surface waves, internal waves, and stratification by heat, salt, and suspended sediments. This review focuses on the coastal ocean. The main points are that (a) classical turbulence concepts and modern turbulence parameterizations provide accurate representations of the structure and turbulent fluxes under conditions in which the underlying assumptions hold, (b) modern sensors and analyses enable high-quality direct or near-direct measurements of the turbulent fluxes and dissipation rates, and (c) the remaining challenges include the interaction of waves and currents with the erodible seabed, the impact of layer-scale two- and three-dimensional instabilities, and the role of the bottom boundary layer in shelf-slope exchange.

The Bottom Boundary Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Trowbridge, John H.; Lentz, Steven J.

2018-01-01

The oceanic bottom boundary layer extracts energy and momentum from the overlying flow, mediates the fate of near-bottom substances, and generates bedforms that retard the flow and affect benthic processes. The bottom boundary layer is forced by winds, waves, tides, and buoyancy and is influenced by surface waves, internal waves, and stratification by heat, salt, and suspended sediments. This review focuses on the coastal ocean. The main points are that (a) classical turbulence concepts and modern turbulence parameterizations provide accurate representations of the structure and turbulent fluxes under conditions in which the underlying assumptions hold, (b) modern sensors and analyses enable high-quality direct or near-direct measurements of the turbulent fluxes and dissipation rates, and (c) the remaining challenges include the interaction of waves and currents with the erodible seabed, the impact of layer-scale two- and three-dimensional instabilities, and the role of the bottom boundary layer in shelf-slope exchange.

Bottom-up guidance in visual search for conjunctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Proulx, Michael J

2007-02-01

Understanding the relative role of top-down and bottom-up guidance is crucial for models of visual search. Previous studies have addressed the role of top-down and bottom-up processes in search for a conjunction of features but with inconsistent results. Here, the author used an attentional capture method to address the role of top-down and bottom-up processes in conjunction search. The role of bottom-up processing was assayed by inclusion of an irrelevant-size singleton in a search for a conjunction of color and orientation. One object was uniquely larger on each trial, with chance probability of coinciding with the target; thus, the irrelevant feature of size was not predictive of the target's location. Participants searched more efficiently for the target when it was also the size singleton, and they searched less efficiently for the target when a nontarget was the size singleton. Although a conjunction target cannot be detected on the basis of bottom-up processing alone, participants used search strategies that relied significantly on bottom-up guidance in finding the target, resulting in interference from the irrelevant-size singleton.

Lithosphere and upper-mantle structure of the southern Baltic Sea estimated from modelling relative sea-level data with glacial isostatic adjustment

Science.gov (United States)

Steffen, H.; Kaufmann, G.; Lampe, R.

2014-06-01

During the last glacial maximum, a large ice sheet covered Scandinavia, which depressed the earth's surface by several 100 m. In northern central Europe, mass redistribution in the upper mantle led to the development of a peripheral bulge. It has been subsiding since the begin of deglaciation due to the viscoelastic behaviour of the mantle. We analyse relative sea-level (RSL) data of southern Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Lithuania to determine the lithospheric thickness and radial mantle viscosity structure for distinct regional RSL subsets. We load a 1-D Maxwell-viscoelastic earth model with a global ice-load history model of the last glaciation. We test two commonly used ice histories, RSES from the Australian National University and ICE-5G from the University of Toronto. Our results indicate that the lithospheric thickness varies, depending on the ice model used, between 60 and 160 km. The lowest values are found in the Oslo Graben area and the western German Baltic Sea coast. In between, thickness increases by at least 30 km tracing the Ringkøbing-Fyn High. In Poland and Lithuania, lithospheric thickness reaches up to 160 km. However, the latter values are not well constrained as the confidence regions are large. Upper-mantle viscosity is found to bracket [2-7] × 1020 Pa s when using ICE-5G. Employing RSES much higher values of 2 × 1021 Pa s are obtained for the southern Baltic Sea. Further investigations should evaluate whether this ice-model version and/or the RSL data need revision. We confirm that the lower-mantle viscosity in Fennoscandia can only be poorly resolved. The lithospheric structure inferred from RSES partly supports structural features of regional and global lithosphere models based on thermal or seismological data. While there is agreement in eastern Europe and southwest Sweden, the structure in an area from south of Norway to northern Germany shows large discrepancies for two of the tested lithosphere models. The lithospheric

The electrical conductivity of the upper mantle and lithosphere from satellite magnetic signal due to ocean tidal flow

Science.gov (United States)

Schnepf, N. R.; Kuvshinov, A. V.; Grayver, A.; Sabaka, T. J.; Olsen, N.

2015-12-01

Global electromagnetic (EM) studies provide information on mantle electrical conductivity with the ultimate aim of understanding the composition, structure, and dynamics of Earth's interior. There is great much interest in mapping the global conductivity of the lithosphere and upper mantle (i.e., depths of 10-400 km) because recent laboratory experiments demonstrate that the electrical conductivity of minerals in these regions are greatly affected by small amounts of water or by partial melt. For decades, studies of lithospheric/mantle conductivity were based on interpretation of magnetic data from a global network of observatories. The recent expansion in magnetic data from low-Earth orbiting satellite missions (Ørsted, CHAMP, SAC-C, and Swarm) has led to a rising interest in probing Earth from space. The largest benefit of using satellite data is much improved spatial coverage. Additionally, and in contrast to ground-based data, satellite data are overall uniform and very high quality. Probing the conductivity of the lithosphere and upper mantle requires EM variations with periods of a few hours. This is a challenging period range for global EM studies since the ionospheric (Sq) source dominates these periods and has a much more complex spatial structure compared to the magnetospheric ring current. Moreover, satellite-based EM induction studies in principle cannot use Sq data since the satellites fly above the Sq source causing the signals to be seen by the satellite as a purely internal source, thus precluding the separation of satellite Sq signals into internal and external parts. Lastly, magnetospheric and ionospheric sources interact inductively with Earth's conducting interior. Fortunately, there exists an alternative EM source in the Sq period range: electric currents generated by oceanic tides. Tides instead interact galvanically with the lithosphere (i.e. by direct coupling of the source currents in the ocean with the underlying substrate), enabling

Implications for Crustal Structures and Heat Fluxes from Depth-to-the-Bottom of the Magnetic Source Estimates in West Antarctica, Amundsen Sea Sector

Science.gov (United States)

Dziadek, R.; Ferraccioli, F.; Gohl, K.; Spiegel, C.; Kaul, N. E.

2017-12-01

The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the least understood rift systems on earth, but displays a unique coupled relationship between tectonic processes and ice sheet dynamics. Geothermal heat flux (GHF) is a poorly constrained parameter in Antarctica and suspected to affect basal conditions of ice sheets, i.e., basal melting and subglacial hydrology. Thermomechanical models demonstrate the influential boundary condition of geothermal heat flux for (paleo) ice sheet stability. Young, continental rift systems are regions with significantly elevated geothermal heat flux (GHF), because the transient thermal perturbation to the lithosphere caused by rifting requires 100 Ma to reach long-term thermal equilibrium. We discuss airborne, high-resolution magnetic anomaly data from the Amundsen Sea Sector, to provide additional insight into deeper crustal structures related to the West Antarctic Rift System in the Amundsen/Bellingshausen sector. With the depth-to-the-bottom of the magnetic source (DBMS) estimates we reveal spatial changes at the bottom of the igneous crust and the thickness of the magnetic layer, which can be further incorporated into tectonic interpretations. The DBMS also marks an important temperature transition zone of approximately 580°C and therefore serves as a boundary condition for our numerical FEM thermal models in 2D and 3D.

Structure of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary Onshore and Offshore the California Continental Margin from Three-Dimensional Seismic Anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, C. D.; Escobar, L., Sr.; Rathnayaka, S.; Weeraratne, D. S.; Kohler, M. D.

2016-12-01

The California continental margin, a major transform plate boundary in continental North America, is the locus of complex tectonic stress fields that are important in interpreting both remnant and ongoing deformational strain. Ancient subduction of the East Pacific Rise spreading center, the rotation and translation of tectonic blocks and inception of the San Andreas fault all contribute to the dynamic stress fields located both onshore and offshore southern California. Data obtained by the ALBACORE (Asthenospheric and Lithospheric Broadband Architecture from the California Offshore Region Experiment) and the CISN (California Integrated Seismic Network) seismic array are analyzed for azimuthal anisotropy of Rayleigh waves from 80 teleseismic events at periods 16 - 78 s. Here we invert Rayleigh wave data for shear wave velocity structure and three-dimensional seismic anisotropy in the thee regions designated within the continental margin including the continent, seafloor and California Borderlands. Preliminary results show that seismic anisotropy is resolved in multiple layers and can be used to determine the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) in offshore and continental regions. The oldest seafloor in our study at age 25-35 Ma indicates that the anisotropic transition across the LAB occurs at 73 km +/- 25 km with the lithospheric fast direction oriented WNW-ESE, consistent with current Pacific plate motion direction. The continent region west of the San Andreas indicates similar WNW-ESE anisotropy and LAB depth. Regions east of the San Andreas fault indicate NW-SE anisotropy transitioning to a N-S alignment at 80 km depth north of the Garlock fault. The youngest seafloor (15 - 25 Ma) and outer Borderlands indicate a more complex three layer fabric where shallow lithospheric NE-SW fast directions are perpendicular with ancient Farallon subduction arc, a mid-layer with E-W fast directions are perpendicular to remnant fossil fabric, and the deepest layer

Study of tritium permeation through Peach Bottom Steam Generator tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, L.; Baugh, W.A.; Baldwin, N.L.

1977-06-01

The report describes the equipment developed, samples tested, procedures used, and results obtained in the tritium permeation tests conducted on steam generator tubing samples which were removed from the Peach Bottom Unit No. 1 reactor

A Seismic Transmission System for Continuous Monitoring of the Lithosphere : A Proposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Unger, R.

2002-01-01

The main objective of this thesis is to enhance earthquake prediction feasibility. We present the concept and the design layout of a novel seismic transmission system capable of continuously monitoring the Lithosphere for changes in Earth physics parameters governing seismic wave propagation.

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF DEFORMATION OF THE CONTINENTAL AND OCEANIC LITHOSPHERE AS A RESULT OF THE EARTH CORE NORTHERN DRIFT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikhail A. Goncharov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Drifting and submeridional compression of the continental and oceanic lithosphere, both with the northward vector (Figure 1 are revealed at the background of various directions of horizontal displacement combined with deformations of horizontal extension, compression and shear of the lithosphere (Figures 7–14. Among various structural forms and their paragenezises, indicators of such compression, the north vergence thrusts play the leading role (Figures 15–17, 19, and 22–24. This process was discontinuous, manifested discretely in time, and superimposed on processes of collisional orogenesis and platform deformations of the continental lithosphere and accretion of the oceanic lithosphere in spreading zones. Three main stages of submeridional compression of the oceanic lithosphere are distinguished as follows: Late Jurassic-Late Cretaceous, Late Miocene, and the contemporary stages.Based on the concept of balanced tectonic flow in the Earth’s body, a model of meridional convection (Figure 25 is proposed. In this case, meridional convection is considered as an integral element of the overglobal convective geodynamic system of the largest-scale rank, which also includes the western component of the lithosphere drift (Figure 6 and the Earth’s ‘wrenching’. At the background of this system, geodynamic systems of smaller scale ranks are functioning (Table 1; Figures 2, and 3. The latters are responsible for the periodic creation and break-up of supercontinents, plate tectonics and regional geodynamical processes; they also produce the ‘structural background’, in the presence of which it is challenging to reveal the above mentioned submeridional compression structures. Formation of such structures is caused by the upper horizontal flow of meridional convection.Meridional convection occurs due to drifting of the Earth core towards the North Pole (which is detected by a number of independent methods and resistance of the mantle to

Evolution of Meso-Cenozoic lithospheric thermal-rheological structure in the Jiyang sub-basin, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern North China Craton

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wei; Qiu, Nansheng; Wang, Ye; Chang, Jian

2018-01-01

The Meso-Cenozoic lithospheric thermal-rheological structure and lithospheric strength evolution of the Jiyang sub-basin were modeled using thermal history, crustal structure, and rheological parameter data. Results indicate that the thermal-rheological structure of the Jiyang sub-basin has exhibited obvious rheological stratification and changes over time. During the Early Mesozoic, the uppermost portion of the upper crust, middle crust, and the top part of the upper mantle had a thick brittle layer. During the early Early Cretaceous, the top of the middle crust's brittle layer thinned because of lithosphere thinning and temperature increase, and the uppermost portion of the upper mantle was almost occupied by a ductile layer. During the late Early Cretaceous, the brittle layer of the middle crust and the upper mantle changed to a ductile one. Then, the uppermost portion of the middle crust changed to a thin brittle layer in the late Cretaceous. During the early Paleogene, the thin brittle layer of the middle crust became even thinner and shallower under the condition of crustal extension. Currently, with the decrease in lithospheric temperature, the top of the upper crust, middle crust, and the uppermost portion of the upper mantle are of a brittle layer. The total lithospheric strength and the effective elastic thickness ( T e) in Meso-Cenozoic indicate that the Jiyang sub-basin experienced two weakened stages: during the late Early Cretaceous and the early Paleogene. The total lithospheric strength (approximately 4-5 × 1013 N m-1) and T e (approximately 50-60 km) during the Early Mesozoic was larger than that after the Late Jurassic (2-7 × 1012 N m-1 and 19-39 km, respectively). The results also reflect the subduction, and rollback of Pacific plate is the geodynamic mechanism of the destruction of the eastern North China Craton.

Top-Down Beta Enhances Bottom-Up Gamma.

Science.gov (United States)

Richter, Craig G; Thompson, William H; Bosman, Conrado A; Fries, Pascal

2017-07-12

Several recent studies have demonstrated that the bottom-up signaling of a visual stimulus is subserved by interareal gamma-band synchronization, whereas top-down influences are mediated by alpha-beta band synchronization. These processes may implement top-down control of stimulus processing if top-down and bottom-up mediating rhythms are coupled via cross-frequency interaction. To test this possibility, we investigated Granger-causal influences among awake macaque primary visual area V1, higher visual area V4, and parietal control area 7a during attentional task performance. Top-down 7a-to-V1 beta-band influences enhanced visually driven V1-to-V4 gamma-band influences. This enhancement was spatially specific and largest when beta-band activity preceded gamma-band activity by ∼0.1 s, suggesting a causal effect of top-down processes on bottom-up processes. We propose that this cross-frequency interaction mechanistically subserves the attentional control of stimulus selection. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Contemporary research indicates that the alpha-beta frequency band underlies top-down control, whereas the gamma-band mediates bottom-up stimulus processing. This arrangement inspires an attractive hypothesis, which posits that top-down beta-band influences directly modulate bottom-up gamma band influences via cross-frequency interaction. We evaluate this hypothesis determining that beta-band top-down influences from parietal area 7a to visual area V1 are correlated with bottom-up gamma frequency influences from V1 to area V4, in a spatially specific manner, and that this correlation is maximal when top-down activity precedes bottom-up activity. These results show that for top-down processes such as spatial attention, elevated top-down beta-band influences directly enhance feedforward stimulus-induced gamma-band processing, leading to enhancement of the selected stimulus. Copyright © 2017 Richter, Thompson et al.

Imaging pockets and conduits of low velocity material beneath the lithosphere of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco: links to volcanism and orogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, M. S.; Sun, D.; O'Driscoll, L.; Holt, A.; Butcher, A.; Becker, T. W.; Diaz Cusi, J.; Thomas, C.

2014-12-01

The Atlas Mountains of Morocco have unusually high topography, with no apparent deep crustal root, and regions of localized Cenozoic alkaline volcanism. Previous seismic imaging and geophysical studies have implied a hot mantle upwelling as the source of the volcanism and high elevation, but the existence and physical properties of such an upwelling are debated. Recent temporary deployments of over 100 broadband seismometers that extended across Morocco as part of the PICASSO, Morocco-Münster, and IberArray experiments along with select permanent stations have provided a dataset to image the detailed mantle and lithospheric structure beneath the Atlas. We present results from S receiver functions (SRF), shear wave splitting, waveform modeling, and geodynamic models that help constrain the tectonic evolution of the Atlas and the localized alkaline volcanism. The receiver functions show that the lithosphere is thin (~65 km) beneath the Atlas, but thickens (~105 km) over a very short length scale at the flanks of the mountains and near the Quaternary volcanoes. These changes in lithospheric thickness also correspond to dramatic decreases in delay times inferred from S and SKS splitting observations. SRFs also indicate a broad, low seismic velocity anomaly (~150 km) below the shallow lithosphere that extends along much of the Atlas and beneath the Anti-Atlas and correlates with the location of Pliocene-Quaternary magmatism. Waveform analysis from the linear array across the Middle and High Atlas constrains the position, shape, and physical characteristics of a localized, low velocity conduit that extends up from the uppermost mantle (~200 km). The shape, position and temperature of the imaged low velocity anomaly, offsets in the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, and correlation with mantle flow inferred from shear wave splitting suggest that the unusually high topography of the Atlas Mountains is due to active mantle support.

An experimental study on the hazard assessment and mechanical properties of porous concrete utilizing coal bottom ash coarse aggregate in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Seung Bum; Jang, Young Il; Lee, Jun; Lee, Byung Jae

2009-07-15

This study evaluates quality properties and toxicity of coal bottom ash coarse aggregate and analyzes mechanical properties of porous concrete depending on mixing rates of coal bottom ash. As a result, soundness and resistance to abrasion of coal bottom ash coarse aggregate were satisfied according to the standard of coarse aggregate for concrete. To satisfy the standard pertaining to chloride content, the coarse aggregates have to be washed more than twice. In regards to the result of leaching test for coal bottom ash coarse aggregate and porous concrete produced with these coarse aggregates, it was satisfied with the environment criteria. As the mixing rate of coal bottom ash increased, influence of void ratio and permeability coefficient was very little, but compressive and flexural strength decreased. When coal bottom ash was mixed over 40%, strength decreased sharply (compressive strength: by 11.7-27.1%, flexural strength: by maximum 26.4%). Also, as the mixing rate of coal bottom ash increased, it was confirmed that test specimens were destroyed by aggregate fracture more than binder fracture and interface fracture. To utilize coal bottom ash in large quantities, it is thought that an improvement method in regards to strength has to be discussed such as incorporation of reinforcing materials and improvement of aggregate hardness.

The helium flux from the continents and ubiquity of low-3He/4He recycled crust and lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Day, James M. D.; Barry, Peter H.; Hilton, David R.; Burgess, Ray; Pearson, D. Graham; Taylor, Lawrence A.

2015-03-01

New helium isotope and trace-element abundance data are reported for pyroxenites and eclogites from South Africa, Siberia, and the Beni Bousera Massif, Morocco that are widely interpreted to form from recycled oceanic crustal protoliths. The first He isotope data are also presented for Archaean peridotites from the Kaapvaal (South Africa), Slave (Canada), and Siberian cratons, along with recently emplaced off-craton peridotite xenoliths from Kilbourne Hole, San Carlos (USA) and Vitim (Siberia), to complement existing 3He/4He values obtained for continental and oceanic peridotites. Helium isotope compositions of peridotite xenoliths vary from 7.3 to 9.6 RA in recently (volcanics that contain a contribution from asthenospheric sources. Using the new He isotope data for cratonic peridotites and assuming that significant portions (>50%) of the Archaean and Proterozoic continental lithospheric mantle are stable and unaffected by melt or fluid infiltration on geological timescales (>0.1 Ga), and that U and Th contents vary between cratonic lithosphere and non-cratonic lithosphere, calculations yield a 3He flux of 0.25-2.2 atoms/s/cm2 for the continental lithospheric mantle. These estimates differ by a factor of ten from non-cratonic lithospheric mantle and are closer to the observed 3He flux from the continents (<1 atoms/s/cm2). Pyroxenites and eclogites from the continental regions are all characterized by 3He/4He (0.03-5.6 RA) less than the depleted upper mantle, and relatively high U and Th contents. Together with oceanic and continental lithospheric peridotites, these materials represent reservoirs with low time-integrated 3He/(U + Th) in the mantle. Pyroxenites and eclogites are also characterized by higher Fe/Mg, more radiogenic Os-Pb isotope compositions, and more variable δ18O values (∼3‰ to 7‰), compared with peridotitic mantle. These xenoliths are widely interpreted to be the metamorphic/metasomatic equivalents of recycled oceanic crustal protoliths. The

Formation of cratonic lithosphere: An integrated thermal and petrological model

Science.gov (United States)

Herzberg, Claude; Rudnick, Roberta

2012-09-01

The formation of cratonic mantle peridotite of Archean age is examined within the time frame of Earth's thermal history, and how it was expressed by temporal variations in magma and residue petrology. Peridotite residues that occupy the lithospheric mantle are rare owing to the effects of melt-rock reaction, metasomatism, and refertilization. Where they are identified, they are very similar to the predicted harzburgite residues of primary magmas of the dominant basalts in greenstone belts, which formed in a non-arc setting (referred to here as "non-arc basalts"). The compositions of these basalts indicate high temperatures of formation that are well-described by the thermal history model of Korenaga. In this model, peridotite residues of extensive ambient mantle melting had the highest Mg-numbers, lowest FeO contents, and lowest densities at ~ 2.5-3.5 Ga. These results are in good agreement with Re-Os ages of kimberlite-hosted cratonic mantle xenoliths and enclosed sulfides, and provide support for the hypothesis of Jordan that low densities of cratonic mantle are a measure of their high preservation potential. Cratonization of the Earth reached its zenith at ~ 2.5-3.5 Ga when ambient mantle was hot and extensive melting produced oceanic crust 30-45 km thick. However, there is a mass imbalance exhibited by the craton-wide distribution of harzburgite residues and the paucity of their complementary magmas that had compositions like the non-arc basalts. We suggest that the problem of the missing basaltic oceanic crust can be resolved by its hydration, cooling and partial transformation to eclogite, which caused foundering of the entire lithosphere. Some of the oceanic crust partially melted during foundering to produce continental crust composed of tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG). The remaining lithosphere gravitationally separated into 1) residual eclogite that continued its descent, and 2) buoyant harzburgite diapirs that rose to underplate cratonic nuclei

Using open sidewalls for modelling self-consistent lithosphere subduction dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. V. Chertova

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Subduction modelling in regional model domains, in 2-D or 3-D, is commonly performed using closed (impermeable vertical boundaries. Here we investigate the merits of using open boundaries for 2-D modelling of lithosphere subduction. Our experiments are focused on using open and closed (free slip sidewalls while comparing results for two model aspect ratios of 3:1 and 6:1. Slab buoyancy driven subduction with open boundaries and free plates immediately develops into strong rollback with high trench retreat velocities and predominantly laminar asthenospheric flow. In contrast, free-slip sidewalls prove highly restrictive on subduction rollback evolution, unless the lithosphere plates are allowed to move away from the sidewalls. This initiates return flows pushing both plates toward the subduction zone speeding up subduction. Increasing the aspect ratio to 6:1 does not change the overall flow pattern when using open sidewalls but only the flow magnitude. In contrast, for free-slip boundaries, the slab evolution does change with respect to the 3:1 aspect ratio model and slab evolution does not resemble the evolution obtained with open boundaries using 6:1 aspect ratio. For models with open side boundaries, we could develop a flow-speed scaling based on energy dissipation arguments to convert between flow fields of different model aspect ratios. We have also investigated incorporating the effect of far-field generated lithosphere stress in our open boundary models. By applying realistic normal stress conditions to the strong part of the overriding plate at the sidewalls, we can transfer intraplate stress to influence subduction dynamics varying from slab roll-back, stationary subduction, to advancing subduction. The relative independence of the flow field on model aspect ratio allows for a smaller modelling domain. Open boundaries allow for subduction to evolve freely and avoid the adverse effects (e.g. forced return flows of free-slip boundaries. We

Global Models of Ridge-Push Force, Geoid, and Lithospheric Strength of Oceanic plates

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Mahatsente, Rezene

2017-12-01

An understanding of the transmission of ridge-push related stresses in the interior of oceanic plates is important because ridge-push force is one of the principal forces driving plate motion. Here, I assess the transmission of ridge-push related stresses in oceanic plates by comparing the magnitude of the ridge-push force to the integrated strength of oceanic plates. The strength is determined based on plate cooling and rheological models. The strength analysis includes low-temperature plasticity (LTP) in the upper mantle and assumes a range of possible tectonic conditions and rheology in the plates. The ridge-push force has been derived from the thermal state of oceanic lithosphere, seafloor depth and crustal age data. The results of modeling show that the transmission of ridge-push related stresses in oceanic plates mainly depends on rheology and predominant tectonic conditions. If a lithosphere has dry rheology, the estimated strength is higher than the ridge-push force at all ages for compressional tectonics and at old ages (>75 Ma) for extension. Therefore, under such conditions, oceanic plates may not respond to ridge-push force by intraplate deformation. Instead, the plates may transmit the ridge-push related stress in their interior. For a wet rheology, however, the strength of young lithosphere (stress may dissipate in the interior of oceanic plates and diffuses by intraplate deformation. The state of stress within a plate depends on the balance of far-field and intraplate forces.

Lithosphere/asthenosphere interaction during continental breakup: preliminary isotopic date on the passive Galicia margin (North-Atlantic)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charpentier, S.; Kornprobst, J.; Chazot, G.; Cornen, G.

1998-01-01

The Galicia Margin ultramafic ridge has been cross-cut by diorites, pyroxenites and gabbros before the end of the rifting stage, and then by dolerites, after the continental break-full; it has been further overlaid by basaltic lava flows. The younger the rocks, the higher the initial ξ Nd (2.2-8.8). This evolution would be the result of the contamination of liquids extracted from the asthenosphere, by the enriched (ξ Ndi =4.0) and partially melted previous continental lithosphere. Time-decreasing contamination is related to progressive lithospheric thinning from the end to the beginning of oceanic spreading. (authors)

High-Resolution Gravity Field Modeling for Mercury to Estimate Crust and Lithospheric Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Goossens, S.; Mazarico, E.; Genova, A.; James, P. B.

2018-05-01

We estimate a gravity field model for Mercury using line-of-sight data to improve the gravity field model at short wavelengths. This can be used to infer crustal density and infer the support mechanism of the lithosphere.

The study of the stress - strain state of the tank with bottom water drainage during operation

Science.gov (United States)

Shchipkova, Yu V.; Tokarev, V. V.

2018-04-01

Bottom drainage from tank is a current problem in modern tank usage. This article proposes the use of the bottom drainage system from the tank with the shape of the sloped cone to the centre of it. Changing the bottom design alters the stress - strain state to be analyzed in the Ansys. The analysis concluded that the proposed drainage system should be applied.

On the Elastic Strength (and Its Anisotropy) of the North American Continental Lithosphere (in a Global Perspective)

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, D. V.; Simons, F. J.

2010-12-01

While we are have become aware of the difficulties and pitfalls of estimating the effective elastic strength of the lithosphere via the spectral analysis and inversion of the coherence between gravity anomalies and topography - and will provide a brief summary on what we have discovered in this regard - we have made one final attempt at characterizing the elastic lithosphere via the coherence of Bouguer anomalies with topography. We have conducted a global study, on each of the worlds' continents, and will use this global scope to guide our presentation of the results for the North American region. Two key innovations distinguish our approach. The first is that we are investigating a possible anisotropy in the coherence or isostatic response, based on advanced spectral analysis methods and sound statistical judgment. For North America, the results are not unambiguous: lithospheric elastic anisotropy may be weakly expressed but is certainly hard to measure with confidence. The second innovation is that we have definitely thrown off the yoke of needing to analyze rectangular regions when Fourier-based methods are involved. For this we developed a Cartesian technique of spatiospectral localization in the sense of Slepian, with which regions of arbitrary geometry can be handled, and directionally sensitive (or agnostic) analyses carried out. This in contrast to any other Fourier based method. By "final attempt" we mean that while we are now in the position to analyze gravity/topography with the theoretically "best", geologically sensitive, method of spectral analysis, the quality of the results remains strongly influenced by the marriage (of convenience and of popular choice) to coherence or admittance, as we will show. Thus, after presenting what we have learned about lithospheric-thickness estimation in general, and the results for the North American continent in particular, we will conclude our presentation with a series of caveats as to the general applicablity of

Three-Dimensional Adjustment of Stratified Flow Over a Sloping Bottom

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chapman, David

2002-01-01

This study focused on understanding how advection of density within the bottom boundary layer influence the three-dimensional structure, evolution, and dynamics of both the bottom boundary layer and the overlying (interior) flow...

Imaging Lithospheric-scale Structure Beneath Northern Altiplano in Southern Peru and Northern Bolivia

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, A.; Wagner, L. S.; Beck, S. L.; Zandt, G.; Long, M. D.

2014-12-01

The northern Altiplano plateau of southern Peru and northern Bolivia is one of the highest topographic features on the Earth, flanked by Western and Eastern Cordillera along its margin. It has strongly influenced the local and far field lithospheric deformation since the early Miocene (Masek et al., 1994). Previous studies have emphasized the importance of both the crust and upper mantle in the evolution of Altiplano plateau (McQuarrie et al., 2005). Early tomographic and receiver function studies, south of 16° S, show significant variations in the crust and upper mantle properties in both perpendicular and along strike direction of the Altiplano plateau (Dorbath et. al., 1993; Myers et al., 1998; Beck and Zandt, 2002). In order to investigate the nature of subsurface lithospheric structure below the northern Altiplano, between 15-18° S, we have determined three-dimensional seismic tomography models for Vp and Vs using P and S-wave travel time data from two recently deployed local seismic networks of CAUGHT and PULSE. We also used data from 8 stations from the PERUSE network (PERU Subduction Experiment). Our preliminary tomographic models show a complex variation in the upper mantle velocity structure with depth, northwest and southeast of lake Titicaca. We see the following trend, at ~85 km depth, northwest of lake Titicaca: low Vp and Vs beneath the Western Cordillera, high Vs beneath the Altiplano and low Vp and Vs beneath the Eastern Cordillera. This low velocity anomaly, beneath Eastern Cordillera, seems to coincide with Kimsachata, a Holocene volcano in southern Peru. At depth greater than ~85 km: we find high velocity anomaly beneath the Western Cordillera and low Vs beneath the Altiplano. This high velocity anomaly, beneath Western Cordillera, coincides with the well-located Wadati-Benioff zone seismicity and perhaps represents the subducting Nazca slab. On the southeast of lake Titicaca, in northern Bolivia, we see a consistently high velocity anomaly

Hf-Nd isotope decoupling in the oceanic lithosphere: constraints from spinel peridotites from Oahu, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Bizimis, Michael; Sen, Gautam; Salters, Vincent J. M.

2004-01-01

We present a detailed geochemical investigation on the Hf, Nd and Sr isotope compositions and trace and major element contents of clinopyroxene mineral separates from spinel lherzolite xenoliths from the island of Oahu, Hawaii. These peridotites are believed to represent the depleted oceanic lithosphere beneath Oahu, which is a residue of a MORB-related melting event some 80-100 Ma ago at a mid-ocean ridge. Clinopyroxenes from peridotites from the Salt Lake Crater (SLC) show a large range of Hf isotopic compositions, from ɛHf=12.2 (similar to the Honolulu volcanics series) to extremely radiogenic, ɛHf=65, at nearly constant 143Nd/ 144Nd ratios ( ɛNd=7-8). None of these samples show any isotopic evidence for interaction with Koolau-type melts. A single xenolith from the Pali vent is the only sample with Hf and Nd isotopic compositions that falls within the MORB field. The Hf isotopes correlate positively with the degree of depletion in the clinopyroxene (e.g. increasing Mg#, Cr#, decreasing Ti and heavy REE contents), but also with increasing Zr and Hf depletions relative to the adjacent REE in a compatibility diagram. The Lu/Hf isotope systematics of the SLC clinopyroxenes define apparent ages of 500 Ma or older and these compositions cannot be explained by mixing between any type of Hawaiian melts and the depleted Pacific lithosphere. Metasomatism of an ancient (e.g. 1 Ga or older) depleted peridotite protolith can, in principle, explain these apparent ages and the Nd-Hf isotope decoupling, but requires that the most depleted samples were subject to the least amount of metasomatism. Alternatively, the combined isotope, trace and major element compositions of these clinopyroxenes are best described by metasomatism of the 80-100 Ma depleted oceanic lithosphere by melts products of extensive mantle-melt interaction between Honolulu Volcanics-type melts and the depleted lithosphere.

Deformation and hydration state of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Styrian Basin (Pannonian Basin, Eastern Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Aradi, L. E.; Hidas, K.; Kovács, I. J.; Klébesz, R.; Szabo, C.

2016-12-01

In the Carpathian-Pannonian Region, Neogene alkali basaltic volcanism occurred in six volcanic fields, from which the Styrian Basin Volcanic Field (SBVF) is the westernmost one. In this study, we present new petrographic and crystal preferred orientation (CPO) data, and structural hydroxyl ("water") contents of upper mantle xenoliths from 12 volcanic outcrops across the SBVF. The studied xenoliths are mostly coarse granular lherzolites, amphiboles are present in almost every sample and often replace pyroxenes and spinels. The peridotites are highly annealed, olivines and pyroxenes do not show significant amount of intragranular deformation. Despite the annealed texture of the peridotites, olivine CPO is unambiguous, and varies between [010]-fiber, orthogonal and [100]-fiber symmetry. The CPO of pyroxenes is coherent with coeval deformation with olivine, showing [100]OL distributed subparallel to [001]OPX. The CPO of amphiboles suggest postkinematic epitaxial overgrowth on the precursor pyroxenes. The "water" content of the studied xenoliths exhibit rather high values, up to 10, 290 and 675 ppm in olivine, ortho- and clinopyroxene, respectively. Ortho- and clinopyroxene pairs show equilibrium in all samples, however "water" loss in olivines is observed in several xenoliths. The xenoliths show equilibrium temperatures from 850 to 1100 °C, which corresponds to lithospheric mantle depths between 30 and 60 km. Equilibrium temperatures show correlation with the varying CPO symmetries and grain size: coarser grained xenoliths with [100]-fiber and orthorhombic symmetry appear in the high temperature (>1000 °C) xenoliths, which is characteristic for asthenospheric origin. Most of the samples display transitional CPO symmetry between [010]-fiber and orthogonal, which indicate extensive lithospheric deformation under varying stress field from transtensional to transpressional settings. Based on the estimated seismic properties of the studied samples, a significant part of

Density heterogeneity of the cratonic lithosphere

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cherepanova, Yulia; Artemieva, Irina

2015-01-01

Using free-board modeling, we examine a vertically-averaged mantle density beneath the Archean-Proterozoic Siberian craton in the layer from the Moho down to base of the chemical boundary layer (CBL). Two models are tested: in Model 1 the base of the CBL coincides with the LAB, whereas in Model 2...... the base of the CBL is at a 180 km depth. The uncertainty of density model is density structure of the Siberian lithospheric mantle with a strong...... correlation between mantle density variations and the tectonic setting. Three types of cratonic mantle are recognized from mantle density anomalies. 'Pristine' cratonic regions not sampled by kimberlites have the strongest depletion with density deficit of 1.8-3.0% (and SPT density of 3.29-3.33 t/m3...

Asymmetric lithosphere as the cause of rifting and magmatism in the Permo-Carboniferous Oslo Graben, in Permo-Carboniferous Rifting and Magmatism in Europe.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pascal Candas, C.; Cloetingh, S.A.P.L.; Davies, G.R.

2004-01-01

Compared to other Permo-Carboniferous rift basins of NW Europe, the Oslo Graben has two distinct characteristics. First, it initiated inside cold and stable Precambrian lithosphere, whereas most Permo-Carboniferous basins developed in weaker Phanerozoic lithosphere, and second, it is characterized

Lithospheric electrical structure of the middle Lhasa terrane in the south Tibetan plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Hongda; Jin, Sheng; Wei, Wenbo; Gao, Rui; Ye, Gaofeng; Zhang, Letian; Yin, Yaotian; Lu, Zhanwu

2018-04-01

The Lhasa terrane in southern Tibetan plateau is a huge tectono-magmatic belt and an important metallogenic belt. Its formation evolution process and mineralization are affected by the subduction of oceanic plate and subsequent continental collision. However, the evolution of Lhasa terrane has been a subject of much debate for a long time. The Lithospheric structure records the deep processes of the subduction of oceanic plate and continental collision. The magnetotelluric (MT) method can probe the sub-surface electrical conductivity, newly dense broadband and long period magnetotelluric data were collected along a south-north trending profile that across the Lhasa terrane at 88°-89°E. Dimensionality analyses demonstrated that the MT data can be interpreted using two-dimensional approaches, and the regional strike direction was determined as N110°E.Based on data analysis results, a two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model of crust and upper mantle was derived from inversion of the transverse electric mode, transverse magnetic mode and vertical magnetic field data. Inversion model shows a large north-dipping resistor that extended from the upper crust to upper mantle beneath the Himalaya and the south of Lhasa Terrane, which may represent the subducting Indian continental lithosphere. The 31°N may be an important boundary in the Lhasa Terrane, the south performs a prominent high-conductivity anomaly from the lower crust to upper mantle which indicates the existence of asthenosphere upwelling, while the north performs a higher resistivity and may have a reworking ancient basement. The formation of the ore deposits in the study area may be related to the upwelling of the mantle material triggered by slab tearing and/or breaking off of the Indian lithosphere, and the mantle material input also contributed the total thickness of the present-day Tibetan crust. The results provide helpful constrains to understand the mechanism of the continent-continent collision and

Lithospheric Structure of Antarctica and Implications for Geological and Cryospheric Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Wiens, Douglas; Heeszel, David; Sun, Xinlei; Lloyd, Andrew; Nyblade, Andrew; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Aster, Richard; Chaput, Julien; Huerta, Audrey; Hansen, Samantha; Wilson, Terry

2013-04-01

Recent broadband seismic deployments, including the AGAP/GAMSEIS array of 24 broadband seismographs over the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains (GSM) in East Antarctica and the POLENET/ANET deployment of 33 seismographs across much of West Antarctica, reveal the detailed crust and upper mantle structure of Antarctica for the first time. The seismographs operate year-around even in the coldest parts of Antarctica, due to novel insulated boxes, power systems, and modified instrumentation developed in collaboration with the IRIS PASSCAL Instrument Center. We analyze the data using several different techniques to develop high-resolution models of Antarctic seismic structure. We use Rayleigh wave phase velocities at periods of 20-180 s determined using a modified two-plane wave decomposition of teleseismic Rayleigh waves to invert for the three dimensional shear velocity structure. In addition, Rayleigh wave group and phase velocities obtained by ambient seismic noise correlation methods provide constraints at shorter periods and shallower depths. Receiver functions provide precise estimates of crustal structure beneath the stations, and P and S wave tomography provides models of upper mantle structure down to ~ 500 km depth along transects of greater seismic station density. The new seismic results show that the high elevations of the GSM are supported by thick crust (~ 55 km), and are underlain by thick Precambrian continental lithosphere that initially formed during Archean to mid-Proterozoic times. The absence of lithospheric thermal anomalies suggests that the mountains were formed by a compressional orogeny during the Paleozoic, thus providing a locus for ice sheet nucleation throughout a long period of geological time. Within West Antarctica, the crust and lithosphere are extremely thin near the Transantarctic Mountain Front and topographic lows such as the Bentley Trench and Byrd Basin, which represent currently inactive Cenozoic rift systems. Slow seismic

Strong Flows of Bottom Water in Abyssal Channels of the Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Morozov, E. G.

Analysis of bottom water transport through the abyssal channels of the Atlantic Ocean is presented. The study is based on recent observations in the Russian expeditions and historical data. A strong flow of Antarctic Bottom Water from the Argentine Basin to the Brazil Basin through the Vema Channel is observed on the basis of lowered profilers and anchored buoys with current meters. The further flow of bottom water in the Brazil Basin splits in the northern part of the basin. Part of the bottom water flows to the East Atlantic through the Romanche and Chain fracture zones. The other part follows the bottom topography and flows to the northwester into the North American Basin. Part of the northwesterly flow propagates through the Vema Fracture Zone into the Northeastern Atlantic. This flow generally fills the bottom layer in the Northeastern Atlantic basins. The flows of bottom waters through the Romanche and Chain fracture zones do not spread to the Northeast Atlantic due to strong mixing in the equatorial zone and enhanced transformation of bottom water properties.

Lithospheric Expressions of the Precambrian Shield, Mesozoic Rifting, and Cenozoic Subduction and Mountain Building in Venezuela

Science.gov (United States)

Levander, A.; Masy, J.; Niu, F.

2013-05-01

The Caribbean (CAR)-South American (SA) plate boundary in Venezuela is a broad zone of faulting and diffuse deformation. GPS measurements show the CAR moving approximately 2 cm/yr relative to SA, parallel to the strike slip fault system in the east, with more oblique convergence in the west (Weber et al., 2001) causing the southern edge of the Caribbean to subduct beneath northwestern South America. The west is further complicated by the motion of the triangular Maracaibo block, which is escaping northeastward relative to SA along the Bocono and Santa Marta Faults. In central and eastern Venezuela, plate motion is accommodated by transpression and transtension along the right lateral San Sebastian- El Pilar strike-slip fault system. The strike-slip system marks the northern edge of coastal thrust belts and their associated foreland basins. The Archean-Proterozoic Guayana Shield, part of the Amazonian Craton, underlies southeastern and south-central Venezuela. We used the 87 station Venezuela-U.S. BOLIVAR array (Levander et al., 2006) to investigate lithospheric structure in northern South America. We combined finite-frequency Rayleigh wave tomography with Ps and Sp receiver functions to determine lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) depth. We measured Rayleigh phase velocities from 45 earthquakes in the period band 20-100s. The phase velocities were inverted for 1D shear velocity structure on a 0.5 by 0.5 degree grid. Crustal thickness for the starting model was determined from active seismic experiments and receiver function analysis. The resulting 3D shear velocity model was then used to determine the depth of the LAB, and to CCP stack Ps and Sp receiver functions from ~45 earthquakes. The receiver functions were calculated in several frequency bands using iterative deconvolution and inverse filtering. Lithospheric thickness varies by more a factor of 2.5 across Venezuela. We can divide the lithosphere into several distinct provinces, with LAB depth

Pressing technology for large bottoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jilek, L.

1986-01-01

The technology has been selected of a circular plate bent into the shape of a trough, for pressing bottoms of pressure vessels from a circular plate of large diameter. The initial sheet is first bent in the middle by heating with the edges remaining straight. These are then welded longitudinally by electroslag welding and the circular shape is flame cut. The result will be a plate with a straight surface in the middle with raised edges which may be pressed into the desired shape. In this manner it is also possible to press pressure vessel bottoms with tube couplings from plates which are thickened in the middle and drilled; additional welding is then eliminated. Deformation from heat treatment may be avoided by the use of a fixture in the shape of a ring with a groove into which is fixed the edge of the bottom. During hardening of the bottom it will be necessary to care for the withdrawal of vapours and gases which would hamper uniform cooling. Bottom hardening with the grill and the cupola downwards has been proven. Deformation which occurs during treatment may to a certain extent be removed by calibration which cannot, however, be made without special fixtures and instruments. (J.B.)

Structure of the lithosphere-asthenosphere and volcanism in the Tyrrhenian Sea and surroundings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panza, G.F.; Aoudia, A.; Pontevivo, A.; Sarao, A.; Peccerillo, A.

2003-01-01

The Italian peninsula and the Tyrrhenian Sea are some of the geologically most complex regions on Earth. Such a complexity is expressed by large lateral and vertical variations of the physical properties as inferred from the lithosphere-asthenosphere structure and by the wide varieties of Polio-Quaternary magmatic rocks ranging from teacloth to calcalkaline to sodium- and potassium-alkaline and ultra- alkaline compositions. The integration of geophysical, petrological and geochemical data allows us to recognise various sectors in the Tyrrhenian Sea and surrounding areas and compare different volcanic complexes in order to better constrain the regional geodynamics. A thin crust overlying a soft mantle (10% of partial melting) is typical of the back arc volcanism of the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Magnaghi, Vavilov and Marsili) where tholeiitic rocks dominate. Similar lithosphere-asthenosphere structure is observed for Ustica, Vulture and Etna volcanoes where the geochemical signatures could be related to the contamination of the side intraplate mantle by material coming from the either ancient or active roll-back. The lithosphere-asthenosphere structure and geochemical-isotopic composition do not change significantly when we move to the Stromboli-Campanian volcanoes, where we identify a well developed low-velocity layer, about 10 km thick, below a thin lid, overlain by a thin continental crust. The geochemical signature of the nearby Ischia volcano is characteristic of the Campanian sector and the relative lithosphere-asthenosphere structure may likely represent a transition to the back arc volcanism sector acting in the central Tyrrhenian. The difference in terms of structure beneath Stromboli and the nearby Vulcano and Lipari is confirmed by different geochemical signatures. The affinity between Vulcano, Lipari and Etna could be explained by their common position along the Tindari-Letoianni-Malta fault zone. A low velocity mantle wedge, just below the Moho, is present

Colorado Plateau magmatism and uplift by warming of heterogeneous lithosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Mousumi; Jordan, Thomas H; Pederson, Joel

2009-06-18

The forces that drove rock uplift of the low-relief, high-elevation, tectonically stable Colorado Plateau are the subject of long-standing debate. While the adjacent Basin and Range province and Rio Grande rift province underwent Cenozoic shortening followed by extension, the plateau experienced approximately 2 km of rock uplift without significant internal deformation. Here we propose that warming of the thicker, more iron-depleted Colorado Plateau lithosphere over 35-40 Myr following mid-Cenozoic removal of the Farallon plate from beneath North America is the primary mechanism driving rock uplift. In our model, conductive re-equilibration not only explains the rock uplift of the plateau, but also provides a robust geodynamic interpretation of observed contrasts between the Colorado Plateau margins and the plateau interior. In particular, the model matches the encroachment of Cenozoic magmatism from the margins towards the plateau interior at rates of 3-6 km Myr(-1) and is consistent with lower seismic velocities and more negative Bouguer gravity at the margins than in the plateau interior. We suggest that warming of heterogeneous lithosphere is a powerful mechanism for driving epeirogenic rock uplift of the Colorado Plateau and may be of general importance in plate-interior settings.

Rita Bottoms: Polyartist Librarian

OpenAIRE

Bottoms, Rita; Reti, Irene; Regional History Project, UCSC Library

2005-01-01

Project Director Irene Reti conducted fourteen hours of interviews with Rita Bottoms, Head of Special Collections at the University Library, UC Santa Cruz, shortly before her retirement in March 2003. This oral history provides a vivid and intimate look at thirty-seven years behind the scenes in the library's Special Collections. For thirty-seven years Bottoms dedicated herself to collecting work by some of the most eminent writers and photographers of the twentieth century, includin...

Shallow flows with bottom topography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijst, van G.J.F.; Kamp, L.P.J.; Theunissen, R.; Rodi, W.; Uhlmann, M.

2012-01-01

This paper discusses laboratory experiments and numerical simulations of dipolar vortex flows in a shallow fluid layer with bottom topography. Two cases are considered: a step topography and a linearly sloping bottom. It is found that viscous effects – i.e., no-slip conditions at the non-horizontal

The Kenya rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3-D gravity and thermal modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Sippel, Judith; Meeßen, Christian; Cacace, Mauro; Mechie, James; Fishwick, Stewart; Heine, Christian; Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena; Strecker, Manfred R.

2017-01-01

We present three-dimensional (3-D) models that describe the present-day thermal and rheological state of the lithosphere of the greater Kenya rift region aiming at a better understanding of the rift evolution, with a particular focus on plume-lithosphere interactions. The key methodology applied is the 3-D integration of diverse geological and geophysical observations using gravity modelling. Accordingly, the resulting lithospheric-scale 3-D density model is consistent with (i) reviewed descriptions of lithological variations in the sedimentary and volcanic cover, (ii) known trends in crust and mantle seismic velocities as revealed by seismic and seismological data and (iii) the observed gravity field. This data-based model is the first to image a 3-D density configuration of the crystalline crust for the entire region of Kenya and northern Tanzania. An upper and a basal crustal layer are differentiated, each composed of several domains of different average densities. We interpret these domains to trace back to the Precambrian terrane amalgamation associated with the East African Orogeny and to magmatic processes during Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting phases. In combination with seismic velocities, the densities of these crustal domains indicate compositional differences. The derived lithological trends have been used to parameterise steady-state thermal and rheological models. These models indicate that crustal and mantle temperatures decrease from the Kenya rift in the west to eastern Kenya, while the integrated strength of the lithosphere increases. Thereby, the detailed strength configuration appears strongly controlled by the complex inherited crustal structure, which may have been decisive for the onset, localisation and propagation of rifting.

LITHOSPHERIC STRUCTURE OF THE CARPATHIAN-PANNONIAN REGION BASED ON THE GRAVITY MODELING BY INTEGRATING THE CELEBRATION2000 SEISMIC EXPERIMENT AND NEW GEOPHYSICAL RESULTS

Science.gov (United States)

Bielik, M.; Alasonati Tašárová, Z.; Zeyen, H. J.; Afonso, J.; Goetze, H.; Dérerová, J.

2009-12-01

Two different methods for the 3-D interpretation of the gravity field have been applied to the study of the structure and tectonics of the Carpathian-Pannonian lithosphere. The first (second) method provided a set of the different stripped gravity maps (the new lithosphere thickness map). The contribution presents the interpretation of the gravity field, which takes into account the CELEBRATION2000 seismic as well as new geophysical results. The sediment stripped gravity map is characterized by gravity minima in the Eastern Alps and Western Carpathians, and gravity maxima in the Pannonian Back-arc Basin system and the European platform. The gravity low in the Eastern Alps is produced by the thick crust (more than 45 km). The Western Carpathian gravity minimum is a result of the interference of two main gravitational effects. The first one comes from the low-density sediments of the Outer Western Carpathians and Carpathian Foredeep. The second one is due to the thick low-density upper and middle crust, reaching up to 25 km. In the Pannonian Back-arc Basin system can be observed the regional gravity high which is a result of the gravity effect of the anomalously shallow Moho. The most dominant feature of the complete 3-D stripped gravity map (crustal gravity effect map) is the abrupt change of the gravity field along the Klippen Belt zone. While the European platform is characterized by positive anomalies, the Western Carpathian orogen and the Pannonian Back-arc Basin system by relatively long-wavelength gravity low (several hundred kilometers). The lowest values are associated with the thick low-density upper and middle crust of the Inner Western Carpathians. That is why we suggest that the European Platform consists of the significantly denser crust with respect to the less dense crust of the microplates ALCAPA and Tisza-Dacia. The contrast in the gravity fields over the European platform and microplates ALCAPA and Tisza-Dacia reflect also their different crustal

Bottom head failure program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, R.O.

1989-01-01

Earlier this year the NRC staff presented a Revised Severe Accident Research Program Plan (SECY-89-123) to the Commission and initiated work on that plan. Two of the near-term issues in that plan involve failure of the bottom head of the reactor pressure vessel. These two issues are (1) depressurization and DCH and (2) BWR Mark I Containment Shell Meltthrough. ORNL has developed models for several competing failure mechanisms for BWRs. INEL has performed analytical and experimental work directly related to bottom head failure in connection with several programs. SNL has conducted a number of analyses and experimental activities to examine the failure of LWR vessels. In addition to the government-sponsored work mentioned above, EPRI and FAI performed studies on vessel failure for the Industry Degraded Core Rulemaking Program (IDCOR). EPRI examined the failure of a PWR vessel bottom head without penetrations, as found in some Combustion Engineering reactors. To give more attention to this subject as called for by the revised Severe Accident Research Plan, two things are being done. First, work previously done is being reviewed carefully to develop an overall picture and to determine the reliability of assumptions used in those studies. Second, new work is being planned for FY90 to try to complete a reasonable understanding of the failure process. The review and planning are being done in close cooperation with the ACRS. Results of this exercise will be presented in this paper

Peridotites and mafic igneous rocks at the foot of the Galicia Margin: an oceanic or continental lithosphere? A discussion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korprobst, J.; Chazot, G.

2016-10-01

An ultramafic/mafic complex is exposed on the sea floor at the foot of the Galicia Margin (Spain and Portugal). It comprises various types of peridotites and pyroxenites, as well as amphibole-diorites, gabbros, dolerites and basalts. For chronological and structural reasons (gabbros were emplaced within peridotites before the continental break-up) this unit cannot be assigned to the Atlantic oceanic crust. The compilation of all available petrological and geochemical data suggests that peridotites are derived from the sub-continental lithospheric mantle, deeply transformed during Cretaceous rifting. Thus, websterite dykes extracted from the depleted MORB mantle reservoir (DMM), were emplaced early within the lithospheric harzburgites; subsequent boudinage and tectonic dispersion of these dykes in the peridotites, during deformation stages at the beginning of rifting, resulted in the formation of fertile but isotopically depleted lherzolites. Sterile but isotopically enriched websterites, would represent melting residues in the peridotites, after significant partial melting and melt extraction related to the thermal erosion of the lithosphere. The latter melts are probably the source of brown amphibole metasomatic crystallization in some peridotites, as well as of the emplacement of amphibole-diorite dykes. Melts directly extracted from the asthenosphere were emplaced as gabbro within the sub-continental mantle. Mixing these DMM melts together with the enriched melts extracted from the lithosphere, provided the intermediate isotopic melt-compositions - in between the DMM and Oceanic Islands Basalts reservoir - observed for the dolerites and basalts, none of which are characterized by a genuine N-MORB signature. An enriched lithospheric mantle, present prior to rifting of the Galicia margin, is in good agreement with data from the Messejana dyke (Portugal) and more generally, with those of all continental tholeiites of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP

Large scale deformation of the oceanic lithosphere: insights from numerical modeling of the Indo-Australian intraplate deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Royer, J.; Brandon, V.

2011-12-01

The large-scale deformation observed in the Indo-Australian plate seems to challenge tenets of plate tectonics: plate rigidity and narrow oceanic plate boundaries. Its distribution along with kinematic data inversions however suggest that the Indo-Australian plate can be viewed as a composite plate made of three rigid component plates - India, Capricorn, Australia - separated by wide and diffuse boundaries either extensional or compressional. We tested this model using the SHELLS numerical code (Kong & Bird, 1995) where the Indo-Australian plate was meshed into 5281 spherical triangular finite elements. Model boundary conditions are defined only by the plate velocities of the rigid parts of the Indo-Australian plate relative to their neighboring plates. Different plate velocity models were tested. From these boundary conditions, and taking into account the age of the lithosphere, seafloor topography, and assumptions on the rheology of the oceanic lithosphere, SHELLS predicts strain rates within the plate. We also tested the role of fossil fracture zones as potential lithospheric weaknesses. In a first step, we considered different component plate pairs (India/Capricorn, Capricorn/Australia, India/Australia). Since the limits of their respective diffuse boundary (i.e. the limits of the rigid component plates) are not known, we let the corresponding edge free. In a second step, we merged the previous meshes to consider the whole Indo-Australian plate. In this case, the velocities on the model boundaries are all fully defined and were set relative to the Capricorn plate. Our models predict deformation patterns very consistent with that observed. Pre-existing structures of the lithosphere play an important role in the intraplate deformation and its distribution. The Chagos Bank focuses the extensional deformation between the Indian and Capricorn plates. Reactivation of fossil fracture zones may accommodate large part of the deformation both in extensional areas, off

Global variations in gravity-derived oceanic crustal thickness: Implications on oceanic crustal accretion and hotspot-lithosphere interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, J.; Zhu, J.

2012-12-01

We present a new global model of oceanic crustal thickness based on inversion of global oceanic gravity anomaly with constrains from seismic crustal thickness profiles. We first removed from the observed marine free-air gravity anomaly all gravitational effects that can be estimated and removed using independent constraints, including the effects of seafloor topography, marine sediment thickness, and the age-dependent thermal structure of the oceanic lithosphere. We then calculated models of gravity-derived crustal thickness through inversion of the residual mantle Bouguer anomaly using best-fitting gravity-modeling parameters obtained from comparison with seismically determined crustal thickness profiles. Modeling results show that about 5% of the global crustal volume (or 9% of the global oceanic surface area) is associated with model crustal thickness 8.6 km and is interpreted to have been affected by excess magmatism. The percentage of oceanic crustal volume that is associated with thick crustal thickness (>8.6 km) varies greatly among tectonic plates: Pacific (33%), Africa (50%), Antarctic (33%), Australia (30%), South America (34%), Nazca (23%), North America (47%), India (74%), Eurasia (68%), Cocos (20%), Philippine (26%), Scotia (41%), Caribbean (89%), Arabian (82%), and Juan de Fuca (21%). We also found that distribution of thickened oceanic crust (>8.6 km) seems to depend on spreading rate and lithospheric age: (1) On ocean basins younger than 5 Ma, regions of thickened crust are predominantly associated with slow and ultraslow spreading ridges. The relatively strong lithospheric plate at slow and ultraslow ridges might facilitate the loading of large magmatic emplacements on the plate. (2) In contrast, crustal thickness near fast and intermediately fast spreading ridges typically does not exceed 7-8 km. The relatively weak lithosphere at fast and intermediately fast ridges might make it harder for excess magmatism to accrete. We further speculate that

Plume-stagnant slab-lithosphere interactions: Origin of the late Cenozoic intra-plate basalts on the East Eurasia margin

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Jun-Ichi; Sakuyama, Tetsuya; Miyazaki, Takashi; Vaglarov, Bogdan S.; Fukao, Yoshio; Stern, Robert J.

2018-02-01

Intra-plate basalts of 35-0 Ma in East Eurasia formed in a broad backarc region above the stagnant Pacific Plate slab in the mantle transition zone. These basalts show regional-scale variations in Nd-Hf isotopes. The basalts with the most radiogenic Nd-Hf center on the Shandong Peninsula with intermediate Nd-Hf at Hainan and Datong. The least radiogenic basalts occur in the perimeters underlain by the thick continental lithosphere. Shandong basalts possess isotopic signatures of the young igneous oceanic crust of the subducted Pacific Plate. Hainan and Datong basalts have isotopic signatures of recycled subduction materials with billions of years of storage in the mantle. The perimeter basalts have isotopic signatures similar to pyroxenite xenoliths from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath East Eurasia. Hainan basalts exhibit the highest mantle potential temperature (Tp), while the Shandong basalts have the lowest Tp. We infer that a deep high-Tp plume interacted with the subducted Pacific Plate slab in the mantle transition zone to form a local low-Tp plume by entraining colder igneous oceanic lithosphere. We infer that the subducted Izanagi Plate slab, once a part of the Pacific Plate mosaic, broke off from the Pacific Plate slab at 35 Ma to sink into the lower mantle. The sinking Izanagi slab triggered the plume that interacted with the stagnant Pacific slab and caused subcontinental lithospheric melting. This coincided with formation of the western Pacific backarc marginal basins due to Pacific Plate slab rollback and stagnation.

Ocean Thermal Conversion (OTEC) Project Bottom Cable Protection Study: Environmental Characteristics and Hazards Analysis,

Science.gov (United States)

1981-10-01

Chesaneake Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, DC) 34. "Strait of Belle Isle Crossing HVDC Transmission - Submarine Cable...phenomena; such as wind storm generated wave action, bottom currents, bottom mudslides, or seismic activity; as well as human activity, such as...engaging a cable. Ship anchors are used to develop holding power on the seafloor for mooring a floating body permanently or temporary on site. The major

Anomalous Structure of Oceanic Lithosphere in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans: A Preliminary Analysis Based on Bathymetry, Gravity and Crustal Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Barantsrva, O.

2014-12-01

We present a preliminary analysis of the crustal and upper mantle structure for off-shore regions in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. These regions have anomalous oceanic lithosphere: the upper mantle of the North Atlantic ocean is affected by the Iceland plume, while the Arctic ocean has some of the slowest spreading rates. Our specific goal is to constrain the density structure of the upper mantle in order to understand the links between the deep lithosphere dynamics, ocean spreading, ocean floor bathymetry, heat flow and structure of the oceanic lithosphere in the regions where classical models of evolution of the oceanic lithosphere may not be valid. The major focus is on the oceanic lithosphere, but the Arctic shelves with a sufficient data coverage are also included into the analysis. Out major interest is the density structure of the upper mantle, and the analysis is based on the interpretation of GOCE satellite gravity data. To separate gravity anomalies caused by subcrustal anomalous masses, the gravitational effect of water, crust and the deep mantle is removed from the observed gravity field. For bathymetry we use the global NOAA database ETOPO1. The crustal correction to gravity is based on two crustal models: (1) global model CRUST1.0 (Laske, 2013) and, for a comparison, (2) a regional seismic model EUNAseis (Artemieva and Thybo, 2013). The crustal density structure required for the crustal correction is constrained from Vp data. Previous studies have shown that a large range of density values corresponds to any Vp value. To overcome this problem and to reduce uncertainty associated with the velocity-density conversion, we account for regional tectonic variations in the Northern Atlantics as constrained by numerous published seismic profiles and potential-field models across the Norwegian off-shore crust (e.g. Breivik et al., 2005, 2007), and apply different Vp-density conversions for different parts of the region. We present preliminary results

Numerical modelling of lithospheric flexure in front of subduction zones in Japan and its role to initiate melt extraction from the LVZ.

Science.gov (United States)

Bessat, A.; Pilet, S.; Duretz, T.; Schmalholz, S. M.

2017-12-01

Petit-spot volcanoes were found fifteen years ago by Japanese researchers at the top of the subducting plate in Japan (Hirano 2006). This discovery is of great significance as it highlights the importance of tectonic processes for the initiation of intraplate volcanism. The location of these small lava flows is unusual and seems to be related to the plate flexure, which may facilitate the extraction of low degree melts from the base of the lithosphere, a hypothesis previously suggested to explain changes in electric and seismic properties at 70-90 km depth, i.e. within the low velocity zone (LVS) (Sifré 2014). A critical question is related to the process associated with the extraction of this low degree melts from the LVZ. First models suggested that extension associated to plate bending allows large cracks to propagate across the lithosphere and could promote the extraction of low degree melts at the base of the lithosphere (Hirano 2006 & Yamamoto 2014). However, the study of petit-spot mantle xenoliths from Japan (Pilet 2016) has demonstrated that low degree melts are not directly extracted to the surface but percolate, interact and metasomatize the oceanic lithosphere. In order to understand the melt extraction process in the region of plate bending, we performed 2D thermo-mechanical simulations of Japanese-type subduction. The numerical model considers viscoelastoplastic deformation. This allows the quantification of state of the stress, strain rates, and viscosities which will control the percolation of melt initially stocked at the base of the lithosphere. Initial results show that plate flexure changes the distribution of the deformation mechanism in the flexure zone, between 40 km to 80 km depth. A change of the dominant deformation mechanism from diffusion creep to dislocation creep and from there to Peierls creep was observed about 200 to 300 km from the trench. These changes are linked to the augmentation of the stresses in the flexure zone. At the

Ocean bottom seismometer technology

Science.gov (United States)

Prothero, William A., Jr.

Seismometers have been placed on the ocean bottom for about 45 years, beginning with the work of Ewing and Vine [1938], and their current use to measure signals from earthquakes and explosions constitutes an important research method for seismological studies. Approximately 20 research groups are active in the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Japan, Canada, and the United States. A review of ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) instrument characteristics and OBS scientific studies may be found in Whitmarsh and Lilwall [1984]. OBS instrumentation is also important for land seismology. The recording systems that have been developed have been generally more sophisticated than those available for land use, and several modern land seismic recording systems are based on OBS recording system designs.The instrumentation developed for OBS work was the topic of a meeting held at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in July 1982. This article will discuss the state of the art of OBS Technology, some of the problems remaining to be solved, and some of the solutions proposed and implemented by OBS scientists and engineers. It is not intended as a comprehensive review of existing instrumentation.

Fluidized bed combustion bottom ash: A better and alternative geo-material resource for construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, A K; Paramkusam, Bala Ramudu; Sinha, O P

2018-04-01

Though the majority of research on fly ash has proved its worth as a construction material, the utility of bottom ash is yet questionable due to its generation during the pulverized combustion process. The bottom ash produced during the fluidized bed combustion (FBC) process is attracting more attention due to the novelty of coal combustion technology. But, to establish its suitability as construction material, it is necessary to characterize it thoroughly with respect to the geotechnical as well as mineralogical points of view. For fulfilling these objectives, the present study mainly aims at characterizing the FBC bottom ash and its comparison with pulverized coal combustion (PCC) bottom ash, collected from the same origin of coal. Suitability of FBC bottom ash as a dike filter material in contrast to PCC bottom ash in replacing traditional filter material such as sand was also studied. The suitability criteria for utilization of both bottom ash and river sand as filter material on pond ash as a base material were evaluated, and both river sand and FBC bottom ash were found to be satisfactory. The study shows that FBC bottom ash is a better geo-material than PCC bottom ash, and it could be highly recommended as an alternative suitable filter material for constructing ash dikes in place of conventional sand.

Crust-Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Dynamics in Mantle Plume Provinces with Emphasis on the Galapagos =

Science.gov (United States)

Orellana, Felipe

variable age, unusual spatial patterns of geochemical enrichment, spectacular and enigmatic bathymetric features, important lithospheric and elastic thickness discontinuities, pronounced regional faults, the presence of the Nazca-Cocos spreading center nearby, and a Nazca plate - Galapagos hotspot relative velocity that varied through time. These factors have combined to create what is arguably the most complex mantle plume province on Earth, rivaled in this regard perhaps only by the Reunion and the Kerguelen-Ninetyeast hotspot provinces. The present-day Galapagos archipelago sits over a broad massive platform that has been formed primarily by intrusion and secondarily by extrusion, and that exhibits remarkable bathymetric gradients (comparable to those on the Hawaiian hotspot track). In the second chapter of this dissertation we show that some of these bathymetric features may be reasonably explained in the context of thermo-mechanical processes occurring on locally-weak crust/lithosphere, responding to internal gradients in lithostatic stresses, and that these processes of Quaternary history continue to the present day. Studies in evolutionary biology, dating back to Darwin's famous discoveries, have shown that many of the endemic Galapagos species (flora and fauna) must have evolved from species derived largely from South and Central America. Thus there is much scientific incentive to complement current phylogenetic knowledge regarding the origins of these endemic Galapagos species, with state-of-the-art geophysical models for the emergence and subsidence of the islands habitat on which these species must have evolved, most of which is no longer above sea level ! The third chapter of this dissertation represents a preliminary effort in this direction, combining multiple sources of dynamic topography during and following the formation of the Carnegie/Cocos ridges, which were constructed by the Galapagos mantle plume. We show that plate tectonic reconstructions, mantle

P-T Equilibrium Conditions of Xenoliths from the Udachnaya Kimberlite Pipe: Thermal Perturbations in the Lithospheric Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Tychkov, Nikolay; Agashev, Alexey; Malygina, Elena; Pokhilenko, Nikolay

2014-05-01

harzburgites. The temperature range of stability of these rocks is 600-900oC (average 754oC) for the geotherm curve of 45 mW/m2. The paleogeotherm obtained as a result of our study has a relatively complicated stepped structure. The geotherm knee in the deep part of the sequence, described for different regions, is connected with the temperature perturbations at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. The increased heat flow at the depth corresponding to a pressure of <4.2 GPa is rather unusual. It is obvious that it is not connected with deep processes on the CLM bottom. We assume, that thermal perturbations of this interval are due to large-scale crystallization and heating when going up silicate-carbonate kimberlitic magma reach the depth of peridotite+CO2 solidus curve bend. 11-05-91060-PICS

Thermo-mechanical models of the European lithosphere for geothermal exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Limberger, Jon; van Wees, Jan-Diederik; Tesauro, Magdala; Bonté, Damien; Lipsey, Lindsay; Beekman, Fred; Cloetingh, Sierd

2015-04-01

One of the critical exploration parameters for geothermal systems is the subsurface temperature. Temperature data are reliable up to a depth of 1 km in most parts of Europe. Accordingly, the robustness of temperature estimation rapidly decreases with depth, as temperature data from wells become sparser and unevenly distributed. We developed a two-layer temperature model for assessing the prospective resource base of enhanced geothermal systems in Europe. The surface heat flow and the Moho depth were used to constrain the radiogenic heat production in the upper crust. Only conduction was considered for heat transfer. The most recent and comprehensive regional temperature models and maps available were directly used to constrain the 3D temperature distribution up to a depth of 6 km. The model shows high average geothermal gradients of up to 60 °C in volcanically active regions such as Iceland, parts of Italy, Greece and Turkey. Temperatures at 5 km depth range between 40 °C and 310 °C and at 10 km depth between 80 °C and 590 °C. However, this direct use of regional models is not fully consistent with the calculated and observed heat flow. Furthermore, only fixed thermal conductivity values were assigned to the sediments and the crystalline basement. As part of the EU FP7-funded Integrated Methods for Advanced Geothermal Exploration (IMAGE) project we are going to develop a methodology to obtain a more advanced 3D lithosphere-scale thermal model of Europe. This will include a more realistic distribution of thermal properties, according with lithological variations of the European crust. Further improvements of the thermal model, aiming at consistency between temperature and heat flow observations and tectonic model predictions, will be obtained by adopting data assimilation techniques derived from reservoir engineering best practices. The newly derived thermal model of the European lithosphere together with compositional data will be used to estimate the strength

Dynamics of the Pacific Northwest Lithosphere and Asthenosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Humphreys, E.

2013-12-01

Seismic imaging resolves a complex structure beneath the Pacific Northwest (PNW) that is interpreted as: an high-velocity piece of accreted (~50 Ma) Farallon lithosphere that deepens from being exposed (at coast, where it is called Siletzia) to lower crust in SE Washington and then descending vertically to ~600 km as a 'curtain' beneath central Idaho; a stubby Juan de Fuca slab (to directed tractions on the Cascadia mega-thrust average ~4 TN per meter of along-strike fault length, or probably a shear stress of ~40 MPa over much of the locked mega-thrust (i.e., much more shear stress than the typical earthquake stress drop of 1-10 MPa). Normal to the coast, southern Cascadia is relatively tensional (where margin-normal compression is less than typical ridge push by ~4 TN/m of along-strike fault length) whereas northern Cascadia is compressional. This indicates that the southern Cascadia mega-thrust is more weakly coupled than the northern mega-thrust. Southern Cascadia slab rollback and extension of the Cascade graben and Basin-and-Range are enabled by the weak coupling, in conjunction with high gravitational potential energy of the southern Oregon arc and back-arc. Juan de Fuca-Gorda lithosphere experiences the same stress on its eastern margin as North America does on the PNW Cascadia margin (by stress continuity), although current models of the individual plates do not show this continuity. Gorda plate is strongly compressed across the Mendocino transform by the north-moving Pacific Plate. Development of the NW-trending Blanco transform has created a fault that avoids this strong compression.

Numerical Simulation of the Variation of Schumann Resonance Associated with Seismogenic Processe in the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere system

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, L.; Huang, Q.; Wang, Y.

2012-12-01

The variations in the strength and frequency shift of the Schumann resonance (SR) of the electromagnetic (EM) field prior to some significance earthquakes were reported by a number of researchers. As a robust physical phenomenon constantly exists in the resonant cavity formed by the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere system, irregular variations in SR parameters can be naturally attributed to be the potential precursory observables for forecasting earthquake occurrences. Schumann resonance (SR) of the EM field between the lithosphere and the ionosphere occurs because the space between the surface of the Earth and the conductive ionosphere acts as a closed waveguide. The cavity is naturally excited by electric currents generated by lightning. SR is the principal background in the electromagnetic spectrum at extremely low frequencies (ELF) between 3-69 Hz. We simulated the EM field in the lithosphere-ionosphere waveguide with a 2-dimensional (2D), cylindrical whole-earth model by the hybrid pseudo-spectral and finite difference time domain method. Considering the seismogensis as a fully coupled seismoelectric process, we simulate the seismic wave and EM wave in this 2D model. The excitation of SR in the background EM field are generated by the electric-current impulses due to lightning thunderstorms within the lowest 10 kilometers of the atmosphere . The diurnal variation and the latitude-dependence in ion concentration in the ionosphere are included in the model. After the SR has reached the steady state, the impulse generated by the seismogenic process (pre-, co- and post-seismic) in the crust is introduced to assess the possible precursory effects on SR strength and frequency. The modeling results explain the observed fact of why SR has a much more sensitive response to continental earthquakes, and much less response to oceanic events; the reason is simply due to the shielding effect of the conductive ocean that prevents effective radiation of the seismoelectric

ICESat-derived lithospheric flexure as caused by an endorheic lake's expansion on the Tibetan Plateau and the comparison to modeled flexural responses

Science.gov (United States)

Madson, Austin; Sheng, Yongwei; Song, Chunqiao

2017-10-01

A substantial and rapid expansion beginning in the late 1990s of Siling Co, the largest endorheic lake on the central Tibetan Plateau (TP), has caused a measurable lithospheric deflection in the region adjacent to the lake. Current broad-scale measuring of this flexural response is mainly derived from InSAR processing techniques or time-consuming field campaigns. The rheological constraints of the lithosphere from the underlying lithospheric response to large lake loads in this region are not well understood. This paper highlights a more efficient spaceborne LiDAR remote sensing technique to measure the deflection in the vicinity of Siling Co and to investigate the mechanisms of the observed lithospheric response in order to garner a better understanding of the local rheology. A lake-adjacent deflection rate and Siling Co water load variations are calculated utilizing the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) onboard NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and the joint NASA/USGS Landsat series of Earth observing satellites. A downward deflection rate of ∼5.6 mm/yr for the first 4 km of lake-adjacent land is calculated from the GLAS instrument, and this response is compared to the flexural outputs from a spherically symmetric, non-rotating, elastic, and isotropic (SNREI) Earth model in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms of the lithospheric response to the rapid increase of Siling Co loads. The modeled elastic response is ∼6.9 times lower than the GLAS derived flexure, thereby providing further evidence that a purely elastic lithospheric response cannot explain the deflection in this region. The relationship between the modeled elastic response and the GLAS derived flexure is applied to a long-term lake load change dataset to create the longest-running flexural response curve as caused by the last ∼40 years of Siling Co load variations, and these results show an accumulated lake-adjacent flexure of ∼12.6 cm from an

A feasibility study for the application of seismic interferometry by multidimensional deconvolution for lithospheric-scale imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Ruigrok, Elmer; van der Neut, Joost; Djikpesse, Hugues; Chen, Chin-Wu; Wapenaar, Kees

2010-05-01

Active-source surveys are widely used for the delineation of hydrocarbon accumulations. Most source and receiver configurations are designed to illuminate the first 5 km of the earth. For a deep understanding of the evolution of the crust, much larger depths need to be illuminated. The use of large-scale active surveys is feasible, but rather costly. As an alternative, we use passive acquisition configurations, aiming at detecting responses from distant earthquakes, in combination with seismic interferometry (SI). SI refers to the principle of generating new seismic responses by combining seismic observations at different receiver locations. We apply SI to the earthquake responses to obtain responses as if there was a source at each receiver position in the receiver array. These responses are subsequently migrated to obtain an image of the lithosphere. Conventionally, SI is applied by a crosscorrelation of responses. Recently, an alternative implementation was proposed as SI by multidimensional deconvolution (MDD) (Wapenaar et al. 2008). SI by MDD compensates both for the source-sampling and the source wavelet irregularities. Another advantage is that the MDD relation also holds for media with severe anelastic losses. A severe restriction though for the implementation of MDD was the need to estimate responses without free-surface interaction, from the earthquake responses. To mitigate this restriction, Groenestijn en Verschuur (2009) proposed to introduce the incident wavefield as an additional unknown in the inversion process. As an alternative solution, van der Neut et al. (2010) showed that the required wavefield separation may be implemented after a crosscorrelation step. These last two approaches facilitate the application of MDD for lithospheric-scale imaging. In this work, we study the feasibility for the implementation of MDD when considering teleseismic wavefields. We address specific problems for teleseismic wavefields, such as long and complicated source

ICT-ENABLED BOTTOM-UP ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burak Pak

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at discussing the potentials of bottom-up design practices in relation to the latest developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT by making an in-depth review of inaugural cases. The first part of the study involves a literature study and the elaboration of basic strategies from the case study. The second part reframes the existing ICT tools and strategies and elaborates on their potentials to support the modes of participation performed in these cases. As a result, by distilling the created knowledge, the study reveals the potentials of novel modes of ICT-enabled design participation which exploit a set of collective action tools to support sustainable ways of self-organization and bottom-up design. The final part explains the relevance of these with solid examples and presents a hypothetical case for future implementation. The paper concludes with a brief reflection on the implications of the findings for the future of architectural design education.

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of crystal violet in bottom ash column

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puthiya Veetil Nidheesh

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This study described adsorption of Crystal Violet (CV by bottom ash in fixed-bed column mode. Equilibrium of adsorption was studied in batch mode for finding adsorption capacity of bottom ash. In fixed bed column adsorption, the effects of bed height, feed flow rate, and initial concentration were studied by assessing breakthrough curve. The slope of the breakthrough curve decreased with increasing bed height. The breakthrough time and exhaustion time were decreased with increasing influent CV concentration and flow rates. The effect of bed depth, flow rate and CV concentration on the adsorption column design parameters were analyzed. Bed depth service time (BDST model was applied for analysis of crystal violet adsorption in the column. The adsorption capacity of bottom ash was calculated at 10% breakthrough point for different flow rates and concentrations. Desorption studies reveals that recovery of CV from bottom ash was effective by using CH3COOH than H2SO4, NaOH, HCl and NaCl solutions.

ADSORPTION AND DESORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF CRYSTAL VIOLET IN BOTTOM ASH COLUMN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puthiya Veetil Nidheesh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This study described adsorption of Crystal Violet (CV by bottom ash in fixed-bed column mode. Equilibrium of adsorption was studied in batch mode for finding adsorption capacity of bottom ash. In fixed bed column adsorption, the effects of bed height, feed flow rate, and initial concentration were studied by assessing breakthrough curve. The slope of the breakthrough curve decreased with increasing bed height. The breakthrough time and exhaustion time were decreased with increasing influent CV concentration and flow rates. The effect of bed depth, flow rate and CV concentration on the adsorption column design parameters were analyzed. Bed depth service time (BDST model was applied for analysis of crystal violet adsorption in the column. The adsorption capacity of bottom ash was calculated at 10% breakthrough point for different flow rates and concentrations. Desorption studies reveals that recovery of CV from bottom ash was effective by using CH3COOH than H2SO4, NaOH, HCl and NaCl solutions.

Bottom friction optimization for a better barotropic tide modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Boutet, Martial; Lathuilière, Cyril; Son Hoang, Hong; Baraille, Rémy

2015-04-01

At a regional scale, barotropic tides are the dominant source of variability of currents and water heights. A precise representation of these processes is essential because of their great impacts on human activities (submersion risks, marine renewable energies, ...). Identified sources of error for tide modelling at a regional scale are the followings: bathymetry, boundary forcing and dissipation due to bottom friction. Nevertheless, bathymetric databases are nowadays known with a good accuracy, especially over shelves, and global tide models performances are better than ever. The most promising improvement is thus the bottom friction representation. The method used to estimate bottom friction is the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) which consists in the approximation of the gradient based on a fixed number of cost function measurements, regardless of the dimension of the vector to be estimated. Indeed, each cost function measurement is obtained by randomly perturbing every component of the parameter vector. An important feature of SPSA is its relative ease of implementation. In particular, the method does not require the development of tangent linear and adjoint version of the circulation model. Experiments are carried out to estimate bottom friction with the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) in barotropic mode (one isopycnal layer). The study area is the Northeastern Atlantic margin which is characterized by strong currents and an intense dissipation. Bottom friction is parameterized with a quadratic term and friction coefficient is computed with the water height and the bottom roughness. The latter parameter is the one to be estimated. Assimilated data are the available tide gauge observations. First, the bottom roughness is estimated taking into account bottom sediment natures and bathymetric ranges. Then, it is estimated with geographical degrees of freedom. Finally, the impact of the estimation of a mixed quadratic/linear friction

Evolving lithospheric flexure and paleotopography of the Pyrenean Orogen from 3D flexural modeling and basin analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, M. E.; van der Beek, P.; Huismans, R. S.; Muñoz, J. A.

2017-12-01

The Pyrenees are an asymmetric, doubly-vergent orogen with retro- and pro- foreland basins that preserve a record of deformation since the Mesozoic. The extensive research and exploration efforts on the mountain belt and flanking foreland basins provide an exceptional dataset for investigating geodynamics and surface processes over large spatial and temporal scales in western Europe. We present the results of a numerical modeling study investigating the spatio-temporal variation in lithospheric flexure in response to the developing orogen. We employ a finite element method to model the 3D flexural deformation of the lithosphere beneath the Pyrenean orogen since the onset of convergence in the late Cretaceous. Using subsurface, geophysical, and structural data, we describe the evolving geometry of both the French Aquitaine and Spanish Ebro foreland basins at the present (post-orogenic), the mid-Eocene (peak orogenic), the Paleocene (early orogenic), and the end of the Cretaceous (pre- to early orogenic). The flexural modeling provides insight into how both the rigidity of the lithosphere and the paleotopographic load have varied over the course of orogenesis to shape the basin geometry. We find that the overriding European plate has higher rigidity than the subducting Iberian plate, with modern Effective Elastic Thickness (EET) values of 20 ± 2 and 12 ± 2 km, respectively. Modeling indicates that the modern rigidity of both plates decreases westward towards the Bay of Biscay. The lithospheric rigidity has increased by 50% since the Mesozoic with early Cenozoic EET values of 13 ± 2 and 8 ± 1 km for the European and Iberian plates, respectively. The topographic load began increasing with convergence in the late Cretaceous, reaching modern levels in the central and eastern Pyrenees by the Eocene. In contrast, the topographic load in the western Pyrenees was 70% of the modern value in the Eocene, and experienced topographic growth through the Oligo-Miocene. The

Spatial Patterns in Distribution of Kimberlites: Relationship to Tectonic Processes and Lithosphere Structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chemia, Zurab; Artemieva, Irina; Thybo, Hans

2014-01-01

of kimberlite melts through the lithospheric mantle, which forms the major pipe. Stage 2 (second-order process) begins when the major pipe splits into daughter sub-pipes (tree-like pattern) at crustal depths. We apply cluster analysis to the spatial distribution of all known kimberlite fields with the goal...

Shallow and buoyant lithospheric subduction : causes and implications from thermo-chemical numerical modeling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hunen, Jeroen van

2001-01-01

Where two lithospheric plates converge on the Earth, one of them disappears into the mantle. The dominant driving mechanism for plate motion is regarded to be `slab pull': the subducted plate, the slab, exerts a pulling force on the attached plate at the surface. However, what has been puzzling

Polymethylmethacrylate-based luminescent solar concentrators with bottom-mounted solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yi; Sun, Song; Kang, Rui; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Ningning; Yan, Wenhao; Xie, Wei; Ding, Jianjun; Bao, Jun; Gao, Chen

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrators on dye-doped plates were studied. • The mechanism of transport process was proposed. • The fabricated luminescent solar concentrator achieved a gain of 1.38. • Power conversion efficiency of 5.03% was obtained with cell area coverage of 27%. • The lowest cost per watt of $1.89 was optimized with cell area coverage of 18%. - Abstract: Luminescent solar concentrators offer an attractive approach to concentrate sunlight economically without tracking, but the narrow absorption band of luminescent materials hinders their further development. This paper describes bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrators on dye-doped polymethylmethacrylate plates that absorb not only the waveguided light but also the transmitted sunlight and partial fluorescent light in the escape cone. A series of bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrators with size of 78 mm × 78 mm × 7 mm were fabricated and their gain and power conversion efficiency were investigated. The transport process of the waveguided light and the relationship between the bottom-mounted cells were studied to optimize the performance of the device. The bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrator with cell area coverage of 9% displayed a cell gain of 1.38, to our best knowledge, which is the highest value for dye-doped polymethylmethacrylate plate luminescent solar concentrators. Power conversion efficiency as high as 5.03% was obtained with cell area coverage of 27%. Furthermore, the bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrator was found to have a lowest cost per watt of $1.89 with cell area coverage of 18%. These results suggested that the fabricated bottom-mounted luminescent solar concentrator may have a potential in low-cost building integrated photovoltaic application

Calculation of temperature distribution and rheological properties of the lithosphere along geotransect in the Red Sea region

Science.gov (United States)

Dérerová, Jana; Kohút, Igor; Radwan, Anwar H.; Bielik, Miroslav

2017-12-01

The temperature model of the lithosphere along profile passing through the Red Sea region has been derived using 2D integrated geophysical modelling method. Using the extrapolation of failure criteria, lithology and calculated temperature distribution, we have constructed the rheological model of the lithosphere in the area. We have calculated the strength distribution in the lithosphere and constructed the strength envelopes for both compressional and extensional regimes. The obtained results indicate that the strength steadily decreases from the Western desert through the Eastern desert towards the Red Sea where it reaches its minimum for both compressional and extensional regime. Maximum strength can be observed in the Western desert where the largest strength reaches values of about 250-300 MPa within the upper crust on the boundary between upper and lower crust. In the Eastern desert we observe slightly decreased strength with max values about 200-250 MPa within upper crust within 15 km with compression being dominant. These results suggest mostly rigid deformation in the region or Western and Eastern desert. In the Red Sea, the strength rapidly decreases to its minimum suggesting ductile processes as a result of higher temperatures.

Magnetotelluric investigations of the lithosphere beneath the central Rae craton, mainland Nunavut, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Spratt, Jessica E.; Skulski, Thomas; Craven, James A.; Jones, Alan G.; Snyder, David B.; Kiyan, Duygu

2014-03-01

New magnetotelluric soundings at 64 locations throughout the central Rae craton on mainland Nunavut constrain 2-D resistivity models of the crust and lithospheric mantle beneath three regional transects. Responses determined from colocated broadband and long-period magnetotelluric recording instruments enabled resistivity imaging to depths of > 300 km. Strike analysis and distortion decomposition on all data reveal a regional trend of 45-53°, but locally the geoelectric strike angle varies laterally and with depth. The 2-D models reveal a resistive upper crust to depths of 15-35 km that is underlain by a conductive layer that appears to be discontinuous at or near major mapped geological boundaries. Surface projections of the conductive layer coincide with areas of high grade, Archean metasedimentary rocks. Tectonic burial of these rocks and thickening of the crust occurred during the Paleoproterozoic Arrowsmith (2.3 Ga) and Trans-Hudson orogenies (1.85 Ga). Overall, the uppermost mantle of the Rae craton shows resistivity values that range from 3000 Ω m in the northeast (beneath Baffin Island and the Melville Peninsula) to 10,000 Ω m beneath the central Rae craton, to >50,000 Ω m in the south near the Hearne Domain. Near-vertical zones of reduced resistivity are identified within the uppermost mantle lithosphere that may be related to areas affected by mantle melt or metasomatism associated with emplacement of Hudsonian granites. A regional decrease in resistivities to values of 500 Ω m at depths of 180-220 km, increasing to 300 km near the southern margin of the Rae craton, is interpreted as the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary.

Structure of the mantle lithosphere in continental collision zones of Europe, North America and China from S-receiver functions

Science.gov (United States)

Kind, R.; Shen, X.

2017-12-01

Seismic tomography and receiver functions are the most common methods to study the structure of the mantle lithosphere. We use S-receiver functions to study continent-continent collision zones in Europe, North America and China. In order to avoid possible numerical problems caused by filtering effects (side lobes) we process the data practically without filtering (also excluding deconvolution). Side lobes are still a fundamental question to check the reality of the Mid-Lithospheric Discontinuity (MLD). We use openly available data of mostly permanent seismic broadband stations from the European portal EIDA, from IRIS and from the Chinese Seismic Network. We obtained several ten thousands of useful records in each region by visual and fully automatic processing. We observed the MLD in all cratonic regions near 100 km depth and the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) partly in cratonic regions near 200 km depth. The observation of the cratonic LAB with converted waves requires a relatively sharp discontinuity which excludes temperature as only cause of the LAB. In younger tectonic active regions we observed the LAB near 100 km depth. TheLAB and MLD are in collision zones significantly structured. In central Europe we observed the deep cratonic LAB reaching far to the west of the Tornquist-Teisseyre Zone below Phanerozoic cover. Below the northern edge of the Bohemian Massif seems to be a tear in the LAB leading to a jump in its depth of about 100 km. In North America we see north of Yellowstone a smooth deepening of the western LAB from about 100 km depth to 200 km depth at the Mid-Continental Rift System. Similarly to the LAB jump below the Bohemian Massif in Europe, we see below the Sevier Thrust Belt also a jump of about 100 km in the LAB depth. In China we see the cratonic LAB deepening to the south-west far below eastern Tibet. Below the craton in north-east China is only the shallow LAB/MLD visible. These observations in three continents show that the

Oblique reactivation of lithosphere-scale lineaments controls rift physiography - the upper-crustal expression of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, offshore southern Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Thomas B.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Bell, Rebecca E.; Duffy, Oliver B.

2018-04-01

Pre-existing structures within sub-crustal lithosphere may localise stresses during subsequent tectonic events, resulting in complex fault systems at upper-crustal levels. As these sub-crustal structures are difficult to resolve at great depths, the evolution of kinematically and perhaps geometrically linked upper-crustal fault populations can offer insights into their deformation history, including when and how they reactivate and accommodate stresses during later tectonic events. In this study, we use borehole-constrained 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection data to investigate the structural development of the Farsund Basin, offshore southern Norway. We use throw-length (T-x) analysis and fault displacement backstripping techniques to determine the geometric and kinematic evolution of N-S- and E-W-striking upper-crustal fault populations during the multiphase evolution of the Farsund Basin. N-S-striking faults were active during the Triassic, prior to a period of sinistral strike-slip activity along E-W-striking faults during the Early Jurassic, which represented a hitherto undocumented phase of activity in this area. These E-W-striking upper-crustal faults are later obliquely reactivated under a dextral stress regime during the Early Cretaceous, with new faults also propagating away from pre-existing ones, representing a switch to a predominantly dextral sense of motion. The E-W faults within the Farsund Basin are interpreted to extend through the crust to the Moho and link with the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, a lithosphere-scale lineament, identified within the sub-crustal lithosphere, that extends > 1000 km across central Europe. Based on this geometric linkage, we infer that the E-W-striking faults represent the upper-crustal component of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone and that the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone represents a long-lived lithosphere-scale lineament that is periodically reactivated throughout its protracted geological history. The upper-crustal component of

Experimental Investigation of Discharge Coefficient in Mesh Panel Bottom Intakes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

keivan bina

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Bottom racks is a hydraulic structure which is placed in the bed of stream through which, part of flow in the main channel is diverted. These structures have very wide application in industry, irrigation, drainage and etc. Of course much attention had been paid to the study of such structures, but characteristics of flow through bottom racks are complex. The present study was directed to estimate the discharge coefficient of a new kind of bottom racks including both transverse and longitudinal bars that named "mesh panel racks" without considering any solids in the fluid. This kind of bottom intake has advantages from structural point of view and has less deformation under static and dynamic loads. Laboratory setup with three mesh panel intakes was built and the effects of various parameters such as racks slope, porosity and geometry were explored. A dimensional analysis using Buckingham theory showed the effective hydraulic and geometric factors that affect the discharge coefficient (Cd of bottom racks. Then, a statistical approach to determine the discharge coefficient of a rack structure was developed with linear and nonlinear regression using SPSS software. The efficiency of the proposed technique is high enough that the associated error is limited to 10%. Finally, hydraulic performance of mesh panel intakes was compared with regular type of bottom intakes, which consist of longitudinal bars. For this purpose, diverted discharge through both type of intakes calculated in same situation

Satellite Tidal Magnetic Signals Constrain Oceanic Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary Earth Tomography with Tidal Magnetic Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Grayver, Alexander V.; Schnepf, Neesha R.; Kuvshinov, Alexey V.; Sabaka, Terence J.; Chandrasekharan, Manoj; Olsen, Niles

2016-01-01

The tidal flow of electrically conductive oceans through the geomagnetic field results in the generation of secondary magnetic signals, which provide information on the subsurface structure. Data from the new generation of satellites were shown to contain magnetic signals due to tidal flow; however, there are no reports that these signals have been used to infer subsurface structure. Here we use satellite-detected tidal magnetic fields to image the global electrical structure of the oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle down to a depth of about 250 km. The model derived from more than 12 years of satellite data reveals an Approximately 72 km thick upper resistive layer followed by a sharp increase in electrical conductivity likely associated with the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, which separates colder rigid oceanic plates from the ductile and hotter asthenosphere.

Probing the Cypriot Lithosphere: Insights from Broadband Seismology

Science.gov (United States)

Ogden, C. S.; Bastow, I. D.; Pilidou, S.; Dimitriadis, I.; Iosif, P.; Constantinou, C.; Kounoudis, R.

2017-12-01

Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, is an ideal study locale for understanding both the final stages of subduction, and the internal structure of so-called `ophiolites' - rare, on-land exposures of oceanic crust. The Troodos ophiolite offers an excellent opportunity to interrogate a complete ophiolite sequence from mantle rocks to pillow lavas. However, determining its internal architecture, and that of the subducting African plate deep below it, cannot be easily achieved using traditional field geology. To address this issue, we have built a new network of five broadband seismograph stations across the island. These, along with existing permanent stations, record both local and teleseismic earthquakes that we are now using to image Cyprus' crust and mantle seismic structure. Receiver functions are time series, computed from three-component seismograms, which contain information about lithospheric seismic discontinuities. When a P-wave strikes a velocity discontinuity such as the Moho, energy is converted to S-waves (direct Ps phase). The widely-used H-K Stacking technique utilises this arrival, and subsequent crustal reverberations (PpPs and PsPs+PpSs), to calculate crustal thickness (H) and bulk-crustal Vp/Vs ratio (K). Central to the method is the assumption that the Moho produces the largest amplitude conversions, after the direct P-arrival, which is valid where the Moho is sharp. Where the Moho is gradational or upper crustal discontinuities are present, the Moho signals are weakened and masked by shallow crustal conversions, potentially rendering the H-K stacking method unreliable. Using a combination of synthetic and observed seismograms, we explore Cyprus' crustal structure and, specifically, the reliability of the H-K method in constraining it. Data quality is excellent across the island, but the receiver function Ps phase amplitude is low, and crustal reverberations are almost non-existent. Therefore, a simple, abrupt wavespeed jump at the

Bottom production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baines, J.; Baranov, S.P.; Bartalini, P.; Bay, A.; Bouhova, E.; Cacciari, M.; Caner, A.; Coadou, Y.; Corti, G.; Damet, J.; Dell-Orso, R.; De Mello Neto, J.R.T.; Domenech, J.L.; Drollinger, V.; Eerola, P.; Ellis, N.; Epp, B.; Frixione, S.; Gadomski, S.; Gavrilenko, I.; Gennai, S.; George, S.; Ghete, V.M.; Guy, L.; Hasegawa, Y.; Iengo, P.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jones, R.; Kharchilava, A.; Kneringer, E.; Koppenburg, P.; Korsmo, H.; Kramer, M.; Labanca, N.; Lehto, M.; Maltoni, F.; Mangano, M.L.; Mele, S.; Nairz, A.M.; Nakada, T.; Nikitin, N.; Nisati, A.; Norrbin, E.; Palla, F.; Rizatdinova, F.; Robins, S.; Rousseau, D.; Sanchis-Lozano, M.A.; Shapiro, M.; Sherwood, P.; Smirnova, L.; Smizanska, M.; Starodumov, A.; Stepanov, N.; Vogt, R.

2000-03-15

In the context of the LHC experiments, the physics of bottom flavoured hadrons enters in different contexts. It can be used for QCD tests, it affects the possibilities of B decays studies, and it is an important source of background for several processes of interest. The physics of b production at hadron colliders has a rather long story, dating back to its first observation in the UA1 experiment. Subsequently, b production has been studied at the Tevatron. Besides the transverse momentum spectrum of a single b, it has also become possible, in recent time, to study correlations in the production characteristics of the b and the b. At the LHC new opportunities will be offered by the high statistics and the high energy reach. One expects to be able to study the transverse momentum spectrum at higher transverse momenta, and also to exploit the large statistics to perform more accurate studies of correlations.

Bottom production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baines, J.; Baranov, S.P.; Bartalini, P.; Bay, A.; Bouhova, E.; Cacciari, M.; Caner, A.; Coadou, Y.; Corti, G.; Damet, J.; Dell-Orso, R.; De Mello Neto, J.R.T.; Domenech, J.L.; Drollinger, V.; Eerola, P.; Ellis, N.; Epp, B.; Frixione, S.; Gadomski, S.; Gavrilenko, I.; Gennai, S.; George, S.; Ghete, V.M.; Guy, L.; Hasegawa, Y.; Iengo, P.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jones, R.; Kharchilava, A.; Kneringer, E.; Koppenburg, P.; Korsmo, H.; Kramer, M.; Labanca, N.; Lehto, M.; Maltoni, F.; Mangano, M.L.; Mele, S.; Nairz, A.M.; Nakada, T.; Nikitin, N.; Nisati, A.; Norrbin, E.; Palla, F.; Rizatdinova, F.; Robins, S.; Rousseau, D.; Sanchis-Lozano, M.A.; Shapiro, M.; Sherwood, P.; Smirnova, L.; Smizanska, M.; Starodumov, A.; Stepanov, N.; Vogt, R.

2000-01-01

In the context of the LHC experiments, the physics of bottom flavoured hadrons enters in different contexts. It can be used for QCD tests, it affects the possibilities of B decays studies, and it is an important source of background for several processes of interest. The physics of b production at hadron colliders has a rather long story, dating back to its first observation in the UA1 experiment. Subsequently, b production has been studied at the Tevatron. Besides the transverse momentum spectrum of a single b, it has also become possible, in recent time, to study correlations in the production characteristics of the b and the b. At the LHC new opportunities will be offered by the high statistics and the high energy reach. One expects to be able to study the transverse momentum spectrum at higher transverse momenta, and also to exploit the large statistics to perform more accurate studies of correlations

Images of lithospheric heterogeneities in the Armorican segment of the Hercynian Range in France

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Judenherc, S.; Granet, M.; Brun, J. P.; Poupinet, G.; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Mocquet, A.; Achauer, U.

2002-01-01

Roč. 358, 1/4 (2002), s. 121-134 ISSN 0040-1951 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3012916 Keywords : seismic tomography * seismic anisotropy * continental collision * Hercynian lithosphere Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure Impact factor: 1.409, year: 2002

Seismic and mechanical anisotropy and the past and present deformation of the Australian lithosphere

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simons, Frederik J.; Hilst, R.D. van der

2003-01-01

We interpret the three-dimensional seismic wave-speed structure of the Australian upper mantle by comparing its azimuthal anisotropy to estimates of past and present lithospheric deformation. We infer the fossil strain field from the orientation of gravity anomalies relative to topography,

Bottom depth and type for shallow waters: Hyperspectral observations from a blimp

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, ZhongPing; Carder, K.; Steward, R. [Univ. of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL (United States)] [and others

1997-08-01

In a study of a blimp transect over Tampa Bay (Florida), hyperspectral upwelling radiance over the sand and seagrass bottoms was measured. These measurements were converted to hyperspectral remote-sensing reflectances. Using a shallow-water remote-sensing-reflectance model, in-water optical properties, bottom depths and bottom albedos were derived analytically and simultaneously by an optimization procedure. In the process, curvatures of sand and seagrass albedos were used. Also used was a model of absorption spectrum of phytoplankton pigments. The derived bottom depths were compared with bathymetry charts and found to agree well. This study suggests that a low-flying blimp is a useful platform for the study and mapping of coastal water environments. The optical model as well as the data-reduction procedure used are practical for the retrieval of shallow water optical properties.

Lithospheric origin for Neogene-Quaternary Middle Atlas lavas (Morocco): Clues from trace elements and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Bosch, Delphine; Maury, René C.; El Azzouzi, M'hammed; Bollinger, Claire; Bellon, Hervé; Verdoux, Patrick

2014-09-01

This study presents new geochemical data on 26 mafic lavas from the Middle Atlas and Central Morocco volcanic provinces, including Miocene nephelinites and Pliocene-Quaternary (3.9-0.6 Ma) nephelinites, basanites, alkali and subalkaline basalts. Most of them represent near-primary magmas, although some alkali basalts were derived from the minor fractionation of olivine and diopside phenocrysts. These evolved samples and the subalkaline basalt display higher 207Pb/204Pb and Zr/Nb ratios and lower εNd consistent with their contamination by lower crustal granulites during an open fractionation process. The progressive enrichment in incompatible elements observed from alkali basalts to nephelinites suggests their derivation from decreasing partial melting degrees of an enriched mantle source located at the garnet-spinel transition zone. The strong negative spikes observed for K in multielement patterns indicate that this source contained a residual pargasitic amphibole. We propose that partial melting occurred at around 2 GPa, i.e. near the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath the Middle Atlas (60-80 km). The trace element and isotopic Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf signature of the uncontaminated lavas displays a geochemical flavour intermediate between those of high μ (HIMU), “C”, and enriched mantle components. It is very similar to that of abundant metasomatic amphibole- and clinopyroxene-rich lithospheric peridotites and pyroxenites carried by Middle Atlas lavas, which likely represent an analog of the source of these lavas. It is therefore not necessary to postulate the contribution of a “fresh” asthenospheric mantle to their genesis. We propose that they resulted from the partial melting of the base of a veined lithospheric mantle metasomatised during the late Cretaceous by alkaline melts from the Central Atlantic plume, the ancestor of the Canary plume. Melting was probably triggered by the flux of a hot mantle within a regional SW-NE sub-lithospheric channel, in

Looking at the roots of the highest mountains: the lithospheric structure of the Himalaya-Tibet and the Zagros orogens. Results from a geophysical-petrological study

Science.gov (United States)

Tunini, L.; Jimenez-Munt, I.; Fernandez, M.; Villasenor, A.; Afonso, J. C.; Verges, J.

2013-12-01

The Himalaya-Tibet and Zagros orogens are the two most prominent mountain belts built by continental collision. They are part of a huge belt of Cenozoic age which runs from the Pyrenees to Burma. In its central sector, the collision with the southern margin of the Eurasian plate has resulted not only in the building of mountain ranges over the north-eastern edges of the Arabian and Indian plates but also in widespread deformation 1000-3000 km from the suture zones. Zagros and Himalaya-Tibet orogens share many geodynamic processes but at different rates, amount of convergence and stage of development. The study of their present-day structures provides new insights into their quasi coeval collisional event pointing out differences and similarities in the mountain building processes. We present 2D crust and upper mantle cross-sections down to 400 km depth, along four SW-NE trending profiles. Two profiles cross the Zagros Mountains, running from the Mesopotamian Foreland Basin up to the Alborz and Central Iran. Two other profiles run through the Himalaya-Tibetan orogen: the western transect crosses the western Himalaya, Tarim Basin, Tian Shan Mountains and Junggar Basin; the eastern transect runs from the Indian shield to the Beishan Basin, crossing the eastern Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau, Qaidam Basin and Qilian Mountains. We apply the LitMod-2D code which integrates potential fields (gravity and geoid), isostasy (elevation) and thermal (heat flow and temperature distribution) equations, and mantle petrology. The resulting crust and upper mantle structure is constrained by available data on elevation, Bouguer anomaly, geoid height, surface heat flow and seismic data including P- and S-wave tomography models. Our results show distinct deformation patterns between the crust and the lithospheric mantle beneath the Zagros and Himalaya-Tibetan orogens, indicating a strong strain partitioning in both areas. At crustal level, we found a thickening beneath the Zagros and the

Lithospheric structure of the westernmost Mediterranean inferred from finite frequency Rayleigh wave tomography S-velocity model.

Science.gov (United States)

Palomeras, Imma; Villasenor, Antonio; Thurner, Sally; Levander, Alan; Gallart, Josep; Harnafi, Mimoun

2016-04-01

The Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, separated by the Alboran Sea and the Algerian Basin, constitute the westernmost Mediterranean. From north to south this region consists of the Pyrenees, the result of interaction between the Iberian and Eurasian plates; the Iberian Massif, a region that has been undeformed since the end of the Paleozoic; the Central System and Iberian Chain, regions with intracontinental Oligocene-Miocene deformation; the Gibraltar Arc (Betics, Rif and Alboran terranes) and the Atlas Mountains, resulting from post-Oligocene subduction roll-back and Eurasian-Nubian plate convergence. In this study we analyze data from recent broad-band array deployments and permanent stations on the Iberian Peninsula and in Morocco (Spanish IberArray and Siberia arrays, the US PICASSO array, the University of Munster array, and the Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccan National Networks) to characterize its lithospheric structure. The combined array of 350 stations has an average interstation spacing of ~60 km, comparable to USArray. We have calculated the Rayleigh waves phase velocities from ambient noise for short periods (4 s to 40 s) and teleseismic events for longer periods (20 s to 167 s). We inverted the phase velocities to obtain a shear velocity model for the lithosphere to ~200 km depth. The model shows differences in the crust for the different areas, where the highest shear velocities are mapped in the Iberian Massif crust. The crustal thickness is highly variable ranging from ~25 km beneath the eastern Betics to ~55km beneath the Gibraltar Strait, Internal Betics and Internal Rif. Beneath this region a unique arc shaped anomaly with high upper mantle velocities (>4.6 km/s) at shallow depths (volcanic fields in Iberia and Morocco, indicative of high temperatures at relatively shallow depths, and suggesting that the lithosphere has been removed beneath these areas

Aluminium alloys in municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yanjun; Rem, Peter

2009-05-01

With the increasing growth of incineration of household waste, more and more aluminium is retained in municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash. Therefore recycling of aluminium from bottom ash becomes increasingly important. Previous research suggests that aluminium from different sources is found in different size fractions resulting in different recycling rates. The purpose of this study was to develop analytical and sampling techniques to measure the particle size distribution of individual alloys in bottom ash. In particular, cast aluminium alloys were investigated. Based on the particle size distribution it was computed how well these alloys were recovered in a typical state-of-the-art treatment plant. Assessment of the cast alloy distribution was carried out by wet physical separation processes, as well as chemical methods, X-ray fluorescence analysis and electron microprobe analysis. The results from laboratory analyses showed that cast alloys tend to concentrate in the coarser fractions and therefore are better recovered in bottom ash treatment plants.

Ancient melt depletion overprinted by young carbonatitic metasomatism in the New Zealand lithospheric mantle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scott, James M.; Hodgkinson, A.; Palin, J.M.

2014-01-01

radiogenic than, the HIMU mantle reservoir. Metasomatism appears to pre-date ubiquitous pyroxene core to rim Al diffusion zoning, which may have resulted from cooling of the lithospheric mantle following cessation of Late Cretaceous-Eocene rifting of Zealandia from Gondwana. Nd isotope data, however, suggest...

Unraveling African plate structure from elevation, geoid and geology data: implications for the impact of mantle flow and sediment transfers on lithospheric deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Bajolet, Flora; Robert, Alexandra; Chardon, Dominique; Rouby, Delphine

2017-04-01

The aim of our project is to simulate the long-wavelength, flexural isostatic response of the African plate to sediment transfers due to Meso-Cenozoic erosion - deposition processes in order to extract the residual topography driven by mantle dynamics. The first step of our project consists in computing crustal and lithospheric thickness maps of the African plate considering its main geological components (cratons, mobile belts, basins, rifts and passive margins of various ages and strengths). In order to consider these heterogeneities, we compute a 2D distribution of crustal densities and thermal parameters from geological data and use it as an input of our modeling. We combine elevation and geoid anomaly data using a thermal analysis, following the method of Fullea et al. (2007) in order to map crustal and lithospheric thicknesses. In this approach, we assume local isostasy and consider a four-layer model made of crust and lithospheric mantle plus seawater and asthenosphere. In addition, we compare our results with crustal and lithospheric thickness datasets compiled from bibliography and existing global models. The obtained crustal thicknesses range from 28 to 42km, with the thickest crust confined to the northern part of the West African Craton, the Kaapvaal craton, and the Congo cuvette. The crust in the East African Rift appears unrealistically thick (40-45 km) as it is not isotatically compensated, highlighting the dynamic effect of the African superswell. The thinnest crust (28-34km) follows a central East-West trend coinciding with Cretaceous rifts and the Cameroon volcanic line. The lithosphere reaches 220 km beneath the Congo craton, but remains globally thin (ca. 120-180 km) compared to tomographic models and considering the age of most geological provinces. As for the crust, the thinnest lithosphere is located in areas of Cretaceous-Jurassic rifting, suggesting that the lithosphere did not thermally recover from Mesozoic rifting. A new elastic

Bottom-up modeling of oil production: A review of approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakobsson, Kristofer; Söderbergh, Bengt; Snowden, Simon; Aleklett, Kjell

2014-01-01

Bottom-up models of oil production are continuously being used to guide investments and policymaking. Compared to simpler top-down models, bottom-up models have a number of advantages due to their modularity, flexibility and concreteness. The purposes of this paper is to identify the crucial modeling challenges, compare the different ways in which nine existing models handle them, assess the appropriateness of these models, and point to possibilities of further development. The conclusions are that the high level of detail in bottom-up models is of questionable value for predictive accuracy, but of great value for identifying areas of uncertainty and new research questions. There is a potential for improved qualitative insights through systematic sensitivity analysis. This potential is at present largely unrealized. - Highlights: • Bottom-up models are influential in the study of the oil production supply chain. • Nine existing bottom-up models are reviewed. • The high level of detail is of questionable value for predictive accuracy. • There is a potential for more systematic sensitivity analysis

Culture from the Bottom Up

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Dwight; Sohn, Jija

2013-01-01

The culture concept has been severely criticized for its top-down nature in TESOL, leading arguably to its falling out of favor in the field. But what of the fact that people do "live culturally" (Ingold, 1994)? This article describes a case study of culture from the bottom up--culture as understood and enacted by its individual users.…

Heat flow, heat transfer and lithosphere rheology in geothermal areas: Features and examples

Science.gov (United States)

Ranalli, G.; Rybach, L.

2005-10-01

Surface heat flow measurements over active geothermal systems indicate strongly positive thermal anomalies. Whereas in "normal" geothermal settings, the surface heat flow is usually below 100-120 mW m - 2 , in active geothermal areas heat flow values as high as several watts per meter squared can be found. Systematic interpretation of heat flow patterns sheds light on heat transfer mechanisms at depth on different lateral, depth and time scales. Borehole temperature profiles in active geothermal areas show various signs of subsurface fluid movement, depending on position in the active system. The heat transfer regime is dominated by heat advection (mainly free convection). The onset of free convection depends on various factors, such as permeability, temperature gradient and fluid properties. The features of heat transfer are different for single or two-phase flow. Characteristic heat flow and heat transfer features in active geothermal systems are demonstrated by examples from Iceland, Italy, New Zealand and the USA. Two main factors affect the rheology of the lithosphere in active geothermal areas: steep temperature gradients and high pore fluid pressures. Combined with lithology and structure, these factors result in a rheological zonation with important consequences both for geodynamic processes and for the exploitation of geothermal energy. As a consequence of anomalously high temperature, the mechanical lithosphere is thin and its total strength can be reduced by almost one order of magnitude with respect to the average strength of continental lithosphere of comparable age and thickness. The top of the brittle/ductile transition is located within the upper crust at depths less than 10 km, acts as the root zone of listric normal faults in extensional environments and, at least in some cases, is visible on seismic reflection lines. These structural and rheological features are well illustrated in the Larderello geothermal field in Tuscany.

Low crustal velocities and mantle lithospheric variations in southern Tibet from regional Pnl waveforms

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, Arthur J.; Schwartz, Susan Y.

We report low average crustal P-wave velocities (5.9-6.1 km/s, Poisson's ratio 0.23-0.27, thickness 68-76 km) in southern Tibet from modelling regional Pnl waveforms recorded by the 1991-1992 Tibetan Plateau Experiment. We also find that the mantle lithosphere beneath the Indus-Tsangpo Suture and the Lhasa Terrane is shield-like (Pn velocity 8.20-8.25 km/s, lid thickness 80-140 km, positive velocity gradient 0.0015-0.0025 s-1). Analysis of relative Pn travel time residuals requires a decrease in the mantle velocities beneath the northern Lhasa Terrane, the Banggong-Nujiang Suture and the southern Qiangtang Terrane. Tectonic and petrologic considerations suggest that low bulk crustal velocities could result from a thick (50-60 km) felsic upper crust with vertically limited and laterally pervasive partial melt. These results are consistent with underthrusting of Indian Shield lithosphere beneath the Tibetan Plateau to at least the central Lhasa Terrane.

Layered growth with bottom-spray granulation for spray deposition of drug.

Science.gov (United States)

Er, Dawn Z L; Liew, Celine V; Heng, Paul W S

2009-07-30

The gap in scientific knowledge on bottom-spray fluidized bed granulation has emphasized the need for more studies in this area. This paper comparatively studied the applicability of a modified bottom-spray process and the conventional top-spray process for the spray deposition of a micronized drug during granulation. The differences in circulation pattern, mode of growth and resultant granule properties between the two processes were highlighted. The more ordered and consistent circulation pattern of particles in a bottom-spray fluidized bed was observed to give rise to layered granule growth. This resulted in better drug content uniformity among the granule batches and within a granule batch. The processes' sensitivities to wetting and feed material characteristics were also compared and found to differ markedly. Less robustness to differing process conditions was observed for the top-spray process. The resultant bottom-spray granules formed were observed to be less porous, more spherical and had good flow properties. The bottom-spray technique can thus be potentially applied for the spray deposition of drug during granulation and was observed to be a good alternative to the conventional technique for preparing granules.

Geothermal structure of the eastern Black Sea basin and the eastern Pontides orogenic belt: Implications for subduction polarity of Tethys oceanic lithosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafiz Maden

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The numerical results of thermal modeling studies indicate that the lithosphere is cold and strong beneath the Black Sea basin. The thermal lithospheric thickness increases southward from the eastern Pontides orogenic belt (49.4 km to Black Sea basin (152.2 km. The Moho temperature increases from 367 °C in the trench to 978 °C in the arc region. The heat flow values for the Moho surface change between 16.4 mW m−2 in the Black Sea basin and 56.9 mW m−2 in the eastern Pontides orogenic belt. Along the southern Black Sea coast, the trench region has a relatively low geothermal potential with respect to the arc and back-arc region. The numerical studies support the existence of southward subduction beneath the Pontides during the late Mesozoic–Cenozoic.

Thermal regime of the lithosphere and prediction of seismic hazard in the Caspian region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, L.E.; Solodilov, L.N.; Kondorskaya, N.V.; Gasanov, A.G; Panahi, B.M.

2002-01-01

Full text : Prediction of seicmicity is one of elements of ecology hazard warning. In this collective research, it is elaborated in three directions : quantitative estimate of regional faults by level of seismic activity; ascertainment of space position of earthquake risk zones, determination of high seismic potential sites for the period of the next 3-5 years. During elaboration of prediction, it takes into account that peculiar feature all over the is determined by relationship of about 90 percent of earthquake hypocenters and released energy of seismic waves with elactic-brittle ayer of the lithosphere. Concetration of earthquakes epicenters is established predominantly in zones of complex structure of elastic-brittle layer where gradient of it thickness is 20-30 km. Directions of hypocenters migration in the plastic-viscous layer reveal a space position of seismic dangerous zones. All this provides a necessity for generalization of data on location of earthquakes epicenters; determination of their magnitudes, space position of regional faults and heat flow with calculation of thermal regime being made for clarification of the lithosphere and elastic-brittle thickness variations separately. General analysis includes a calculation of released seismic wave energy and determination of peculiar features of its distribution in the entire region and also studies of hypocenters migration in the plastic-viscous layer of the litosphere in time.

Asthenosphere versus lithosphere as possible sources for basaltic magmas erupted during formation of the Red Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altherr, R.; Henjes-Kunst, F.; Baumann, A.

1990-01-01

Representative basalts from the axial trough of the Red Sea and from volcanic fields of the Arabian Peninsula ranging in composition from N-type MORB to basanite and in age from Early Miocene to Recent show a limited variation in their isotopic compositions: 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.70240-0.70361, 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.040-19.634, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb = 15.496-15.666, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 37.808-39.710, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd = 0.513194-0.512670. There is a poorly constrained correlation between chemical composition and isotope ratios: with increasing alkalinity, Sr and Pb isotope ratios increase and the Nd isotope ratio tends to decrease. In Pb isotope variation diagrams most of the basalts plot significantly above the NHRLs, irrespective of tectonic setting, i.e. thickness of underlying crust and/or lithosphere. MORBs from the axial trough of the Red Sea have higher Pb isotope ratios for a given 87 Sr/ 86 Sr than MORBs from the Indian Ocean ridges, including the Carlsberg Ridge. It is therefore suggested that both spreading ridges tap different convective systems in the asthenosphere. The tectonic setting of the basalts is reflected in their Nd-Sr isotope characteristics. Basalts from areas where the continental lithosphere is drastically thinned or absent (i.e. Red Sea axial trough and coastal plain, Afar) plot along a reference line defined by N-type MORB and Tristan da Cunha. Basalts erupted in areas with Pan-African crust of normal thickness and moderately thinned lithospheric mantle (i.e. rift shoulder) are characterized by relative low 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ratios and plot below the reference line towards an EM I component which is also found in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. These differences in the Nd-Sr isotopic compositions of the basalts are independent of bulk-rock chemistry and are therefore controlled by tectonic setting alone. (orig./WL)

Southward Ejection of Subcontinental Lithosphere and large-scale Asthenospheric Enrichment beneath central Chile resulting from Flat Subduction

Science.gov (United States)

Jacques, G.; Hoernle, K.; Schaefer, B. F.; Hauff, F.; Gill, J.; Holm, P. M.; Bindeman, I. N.; Folguera, A.; Lara, L.; Ramos, V. A.

2015-12-01

Flat subduction is a common process in subduction zones, causing crustal shortening and thickening and possibly subduction erosion. These processes can lead to the contamination of asthenospheric melts either by lithospheric assimilation (e.g. MASH) or by subduction erosion of lithosphere into the asthenospheric source. We present new major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf-O-Os isotope data for a transect of Quaternary volcanic rocks across the Northern Southern Volcanic Front (NSVZ) of Chile at ~33.5°S, just south of the area of flat subduction, extending from the volcanic front (VF) to the rear arc (RA). The newly discovered calc-alkaline to alkaline RA rocks are more mafic (MgO~4-9wt.%) than the VF rocks (MgO~2.0-4.5wt.%). Both groups have overlapping Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions that are more enriched than lavas from further south in the SVZ with two RA trachybasalts displaying extreme 87Sr/86Sr (0.710), eNd (-6) and eHf (-9). The RA samples, however, have less radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions with the two extreme RA trachybasalt samples having the least radiogenic Pb. The 207Pb/204Pb vs. Nd/Pb, Ce/Pb and Nb/U form good inverse linear correlations extending from subducted sediments to a mantle-like component. Mesozoic/Paleozoic crust and Grenvillian Argentinian lower crust do not fall on or along an extension of these arrays. The ol, plag and groundmassd18O (normalized to melt) of samples covering the full range in Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic composition lie within the mantle range (5.5-5.9). High Os abundances (~330ppt) in radiogenic Os (187Os/188Os=0.18) samples are not consistent with derivation from a mantle plume or continental crust. eNd and eHf increase to the south along the VF, e.g. eHf ranges from -9 to +10, forming an excellent linear correlation (r2=0.99), indicating that the enriched component is present in the source for >1000km to at least ~43°S. We propose that flattening of the Pampean slab 1) triggered subduction erosion of enriched

Observation and study of bottom-meson decays to a charm meson, a proton-antiproton pair, and pions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Tae Min [Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)

2010-04-27

Bottom-meson decays with baryons show two unusual features—the branching fractions are enhanced for multibody decays and the baryon-antibaryon subsystem recoils against the other decay products—and their reasons are not yet well understood. Moreover, measurements using explicit reconstruction techniques constitute only about 1% out of about 8% of such decays. This Dissertation reports the study of ten bottom-meson decays (labeled 0– 9) to a proton-antiproton pair, a charm meson, and a system of up to two pions, using the BABAR Experiment’s 455×10⁶ BB pairs produced with the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e⁺e^- collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

Bottom quark contribution to spin-dependent dark matter detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinmian Li

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We investigate a previously overlooked bottom quark contribution to the spin-dependent cross section for Dark Matter (DM scattering from the nucleon. While the mechanism is relevant to any supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model, for illustrative purposes we explore the consequences within the framework of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM. We study two cases, namely those where the DM is predominantly Gaugino or Higgsino. In both cases, there is a substantial, viable region in parameter space (mb˜−mχ≲O(100 GeV in which the bottom contribution becomes important. We show that a relatively large contribution from the bottom quark is consistent with constraints from spin-independent DM searches, as well as some incidental model dependent constraints.

Long memory of mantle lithosphere fabric — European LAB constrained from seismic anisotropy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Plomerová, Jaroslava; Babuška, Vladislav

2010-01-01

Roč. 120, č. 1-2 (2010), s. 131-143 ISSN 0024-4937 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA300120709; GA ČR GA205/07/1088 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30120515 Keywords : lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary * fossil anisotropy * travel - time residuals Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure Impact factor: 3.121, year: 2010

Spatial patterns in the distribution of kimberlites: relationship to tectonic processes and lithosphere structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chemia, Zurab; Artemieva, Irina; Thybo, Hans

2015-01-01

of kimberlite melts through the lithospheric mantle, which forms the major pipe. Stage 2 (second-order process) begins when the major pipe splits into daughter sub-pipes (tree-like pattern) at crustal depths. We apply cluster analysis to the spatial distribution of all known kimberlite fields with the goal...

Earth's lithospheric magnetic field determined to spherical harmonic degree 90 from CHAMP satellite measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maus, S.; Rother, M.; Hemant, K.

2006-01-01

of the lithospheric field down to an altitude of about 50 km at lower latitudes, with reduced accuracy in the polar regions. Crustal features come out significantly sharper than in previous models. In particular, bands of magnetic anomalies along subduction zones become visible by satellite for the first time....

Properties of the Water Column and Bottom Derived from AVIRIS Data

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Zhong-Ping; Carder, Kendall L.; Chen, F. Robert; Peacock, Thomas G.

2001-01-01

Using AVIRIS data as an example, we show in this study that the optical properties of the water column and bottom of a large, shallow area can be adequately retrieved using a model-driven optimization technique. The simultaneously derived properties include bottom depth, bottom albedo, and water absorption and backscattering coefficients, which in turn could be used to derive concentrations of chlorophyll, dissolved organic matter, and suspended sediments. The derived bottom depths were compared with a bathymetry chart and a boat survey and were found to agree very well. Also, the derived bottom-albedo image shows clear spatial patterns, with end members consistent with sand and seagrass. The image of absorption and backscattering coefficients indicates that the water is quite horizontally mixed. These results suggest that the model and approach used work very well for the retrieval of sub-surface properties of shallow-water environments even for rather turbid environments like Tampa Bay, Florida.

Nature of the basement of the East Anatolian plateau: Implications for the lithospheric foundering processes

Science.gov (United States)

Topuz, G.; Candan, O.; Zack, T.; Yılmaz, A.

2017-12-01

The East Anatolian Plateau (Turkey) is characterized by (1) an extensive volcanic-sedimentary cover of Neogene to Quaternary age, (2) crustal thicknesses of 42-50 km, and (3) an extremely thinned lithospheric mantle. Its basement beneath the young cover is thought to consist of oceanic accretionary complexes of Late Cretaceous to Oligocene age. The attenuated state of the lithospheric mantle and the causes of the young volcanism are accounted for by slab steepening and subsequent break-off. We present field geological, petrological and geochronological data on three basement inliers (Taşlıçay, Akdağ and Ilıca) in the region. These areas are made up of amphibolite- to granulite-facies rocks, comprising marble, amphibolite, metapelite, quartzite and metagranite. The granulite-facies domain is equilibrated at 0.7 GPa and 800 ˚C at 83 ± 2 Ma (2σ). The metamorphic rocks are intruded by subduction-related coeval gabbroic, quartz monzonitic to tonalitic rocks. Both the metamorphic rocks and the intrusions are tectonically overlain by ophiolitic rocks. All these crystalline rocks are unconformably overlain by lower Maastrichtien clastic rocks and reefal limestone, suggesting that the exhumation at the earth's surface and juxtaposition with ophiolitic rocks occurred by early Maastrichtien. U-Pb dating on igneous zircon from metagranite yielded a protolith age of 445 ± 10 Ma (2σ). The detrital zircons from a metaquartzite point to Neoproterozoic to Early Paleozoic provenance. All these data favor a more or less continuous continental substrate to the allochthonous ophiolitic rocks beneath the young volcanic-sedimentary cover. The metamorphism and coeval magmatism can be regarded as the middle- to lower-crustal root of the Late Cretaceous magmatic arc that developed due to northward subduction along the Bitlis-Zagros suture. The presence of a continental basement beneath the young cover requires that the loss of the lithospheric mantle from beneath the East

Lithospheric Layering beneath the Contiguous United States Constrained by S-to-P Receiver Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, L.; Liu, K. H.; Kong, F.; Gao, S. S.

2017-12-01

The greatly-improved spatial coverage of broadband seismic stations as a result of the deployment of the EarthScope Transportable Array (TA) stations and the diversity of tectonic environments in the contiguous United States provide a unique opportunity to investigate the depth variation and nature of intra-lithospheric interfaces in different tectonic regimes. A total of 284,121 high-quality S-to-P receiver functions (SRFs) are obtained from 3,809 broadband seismic stations in the TA and other permanent and temporary deployments in the contiguous United States. The SRFs are computed using frequency domain deconvolution, and are stacked in consecutive circles with a radius of 2°. They are converted to depth series after move-out corrections using the IASP91 Earth model. Similar to previous SRF studies, a robust negative arrival, representing a sharp discontinuity of velocity reduction with depth, is visible in virtually all the stacked traces in the depth range of 30-110 km. Beneath the western US, the depth of this discontinuity is 69±17 km, and beneath the eastern US, it ranges from 75 to 90 km, both of which are comparable to the depth of the tomographically-determined lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). In contrast, the depth of the discontinuity beneath the central US is 83±10 km which is significantly smaller than the 250 km LAB depth determined by seismic surface wave tomography. Based on previous seismic tomography, shear-wave splitting and mantle xenolith studies, we interpret this discontinuity as the top of a frozen-in layer of volatile-rich melt beneath the central US. The observations and the discrepancy between the SRF and seismic tomography results for the central US as well as the amplitude of the corresponding arrival on the SRFs may be explained by spatial variations of the thickness of the transitional layer between the "pure" lithosphere and the "pure" asthenosphere. Under this hypothesis, the consistency between the results from the

Reuse potential of low-calcium bottom ash as aggregate through pelletization.

Science.gov (United States)

Geetha, S; Ramamurthy, K

2010-01-01

Coal combustion residues which include fly ash, bottom ash and boiler slag is one of the major pollutants as these residues require large land area for their disposal. Among these residues, utilization of bottom ash in the construction industry is very low. This paper explains the use of bottom ash through pelletization. Raw bottom ash could not be pelletized as such due to its coarseness. Though pulverized bottom ash could be pelletized, the pelletization efficiency was low, and the aggregates were too weak to withstand the handling stresses. To improve the pelletization efficiency, different clay and cementitious binders were used with bottom ash. The influence of different factors and their interaction effects were studied on the duration of pelletization process and the pelletization efficiency through fractional factorial design. Addition of binders facilitated conversion of low-calcium bottom ash into aggregates. To achieve maximum pelletization efficiency, the binder content and moisture requirements vary with type of binder. Addition of Ca(OH)(2) improved the (i) pelletization efficiency, (ii) reduced the duration of pelletization process from an average of 14-7 min, and (iii) reduced the binder dosage for a given pelletization efficiency. For aggregate with clay binders and cementitious binder, Ca(OH)(2) and binder dosage have significant effect in reducing the duration of pelletization process. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combining Top-down and Bottom-up Accountability: Evidence from a Bribery Experiment.

OpenAIRE

Danila Serra

2008-01-01

Monitoring corruption typically relies on top-down interventions aimed at increasing the probability of external controls and the severity of punishment. An alternative approach to fighting corruption is to induce bottom-up pressure for reform. Recent studies have shown that both top-down and bottom-up mechanisms are rarely able to keep service providers accountable. This paper investigates the effectiveness of an accountability system that combines bottom-up monitoring and top-down auditing ...

Geochemical Consequences of Lithospheric Delamination in the Eastern Mediterranean: Evidence From Young Turkish Basalts

Science.gov (United States)

Furman, T.; Kurkcuoglu, B.; Plummer, C.

2007-12-01

Magmatism associated with continental collision is increasingly attributed to major disturbance of or within the lithosphere. Geochemical and isotopic data on post-collisional primitive mafic lavas from across the Anatolian plate enable us to assess the effects of lithospheric delamination (slab rollback and breakoff) as indicated by geophysical studies. The Anatolian province displays geodynamically complex manifestations of the closure of neo-Tethys and the collision between Africa and Europe that commenced circa 30 Ma. The current south- southwestward motion of Anatolia, a.k.a. "Turkish escape", is accommodated by slab rollback along the Hellenic trench and orogenic collapse along both the eastern and western margins of the microplate. Volcanism occurs primarily along the fault zones that border and cross-cut Anatolia, and major element characteristics of the lavas vary with both space and time. In Western Anatolia, early Miocene collisional calc- alkaline magmatism was followed by Quaternary alkaline volcanism (Alici et al. 1998, 2002; Aldanmaz et al. 2000, 2006) related to orogenic collapse, presumably resulting from slab rollback. Orogenic collapse in Eastern Anatolia is facilitated by slab breakoff as determined by geophysical studies (Zor et al. 2003; Angus et al. 2006; Lei & Zhao 2007). This transition was accompanied a change from mid-Miocene calc-alkaline to Quaternary alkaline volcanism (e.g., Yilmaz 1990; Pearce et al. 1990). Central Anatolia displays calc-alkaline and tholeiitic volcanism, including alkali olivine basalts; plate tectonic reconstructions (Lyberis et al. 1992) indicate that the African slab did not reach Central Anatolia. Sr-Nd isotope values from each volcanic province define linear arrays that converge upon a common unradiogenic value typical of global depleted mantle. We suggest that mafic volcanism throughout Anatolia is supported by a common asthenospheric component, modified by identifiable, location-specific additions. In areas

A note on 2-D lithospheric deformation due to a blind strike-slip fault

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

mic deformation. Several researchers have devel- oped models of coseismic lithospheric deformation. Rybicki (1971) found a closed-form analytical solu- tion for the problem of a long vertical strike-slip fault in a two-layer model of the earth. Chinnery and Jovanovich (1972) extended the solution to a three-layer model.

The Lu-Hf isotope composition of cratonic lithosphere: disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene in kimberlite xenoliths

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simon, N.S.C.; Carlson, R.W.; Pearson, D.G.; Davies, G.R.

2002-01-01

12th Annual V.M. Goldschmidt Conference Davos Switzerland, The Lu-Hf isotope composition of cratonic lithosphere: disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene in kimberlite xenoliths (DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington), Pearson, D.G. (University of Durham)

Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Peach Bottom case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pijawka, K.D.

1982-07-01

This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Peach Bottom nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

Bottom friction. A practical approach to modelling coastal oceanography

Science.gov (United States)

Bolanos, Rodolfo; Jensen, Palle; Kofoed-Hansen, Henrik; Tornsfeldt Sørensen, Jacob

2017-04-01

Coastal processes imply the interaction of the atmosphere, the sea, the coastline and the bottom. The spatial gradients in this area are normally large, induced by orographic and bathymetric features. Although nowadays it is possible to obtain high-resolution bathymetry, the details of the seabed, e.g. sediment type, presence of biological material and living organisms are not available. Additionally, these properties as well as bathymetry can also be highly dynamic. These bottom characteristics are very important to describe the boundary layer of currents and waves and control to a large degree the dissipation of flows. The bottom friction is thus typically a calibration parameter in numerical modelling of coastal processes. In this work, we assess this process and put it into context of other physical processes uncertainties influencing wind-waves and currents in the coastal areas. A case study in the North Sea is used, particularly the west coast of Denmark, where water depth of less than 30 m cover a wide fringe along the coast, where several offshore wind farm developments are being carried out. We use the hydrodynamic model MIKE 21 HD and the spectral wave model MIKE 21 SW to simulate atmosphere and tidal induced flows and the wind wave generation and propagation. Both models represent state of the art and have been developed for flexible meshes, ideal for coastal oceanography as they can better represent coastlines and allow a variable spatial resolution within the domain. Sensitivity tests to bottom friction formulations are carried out into context of other processes (e.g. model forcing uncertainties, wind and wave interactions, wind drag coefficient). Additionally, a map of varying bottom properties is generated based on a literature survey to explore the impact of the spatial variability. Assessment of different approaches is made in order to establish a best practice regarding bottom friction and coastal oceanographic modelling. Its contribution is also

The effects of subduction termination on the continental lithosphere: Linking volcanism, deformation, surface uplift, and slab tearing in central Anatolia

Science.gov (United States)

Delph, Jonathan R.; Abgarmi, Bijan; Ward, Kevin M.; Beck, Susan L.; Arda Ozacar, A.; Zandt, George; Sandvol, Eric; Turkelli, Niyazi; Kalafat, Dogan

2017-04-01

The lithospheric evolution of Anatolia is largely defined by processes associated with the terminal stages of subduction along its southern margin. Central Anatolia represents the transition from the subduction of oceanic lithosphere at the Aegean trench in the west to the Arabian - Eurasian continental collision in the east. In the overriding plate, this complicated transition is contemporaneous with uplift along the southern margin of central Anatolia (2 km in 6 Myr), voluminous felsic-intermediate ignimbrite eruptions (>1000 km3), extension, and tectonic deformation reflected by abundant low-magnitude seismic activity. The addition of 72 seismic stations as part of the Continental Dynamics - Central Anatolian Tectonics project, along with development of a new approach to the joint inversion of receiver functions and dispersion data, enables us obtain a high-resolution 3D shear wave velocity model of central Anatolia down to 150 km. This new velocity model has important implications for the complex interactions between the downgoing, segmenting African lithosphere and the overriding Anatolian Plate. These results reveal that the lithosphere of central Anatolia and the northern Arabian Plate is thin (4.5 km/s), indicating the presence of the Cyprean slab beneath central Anatolia. Thus, uplift of the Central Taurus Mountains may be due to slab rebound after the detachment of the oceanic portion of the Cyprean slab beneath Anatolia rather than the presence of shallow asthenospheric material. These fast velocities extend to the northern margin of the Central Taurus Mountains, giving way to a NE-SW trend of very slow upper mantle shear wave velocities (interpreted to be shallow, warm asthenosphere in which melt is present. The combination of a shallow asthenosphere and lithospheric-scale weaknesses associated with relict tectonic structures formed during the assembly of Anatolia are responsible for the spatial distribution of volcanism in the Central Anatolian

Convective removal of the Tibetan Plateau mantle lithosphere by 26 Ma

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Haijian; Tian, Xiaobo; Yun, Kun; Li, Haibing

2018-04-01

During the late Oligocene-early Miocene there were several major geological events in and around the Tibetan Plateau (TP). First, crustal shortening deformation ceased completely within the TP before 25 Ma and instead adakitic rocks and potassic-ultrapotassic volcanics were emplaced in the Lhasa terrane since 26-25 Ma. Several recent paleoelevation reconstructions suggest an Oligocene-early Miocene uplift of 1500-3000 m for the Qiangtang (QT) and Songpan-Ganzi (SG) terranes, although the exact timing is unclear. As a possible response to this uplift, significant desertification occurred in the vicinity of the TP at 26-22 Ma, and convergence between India and Eurasia slowed considerably at 26-20 Ma. Subsequently, E-W extension was initiated no later than 18 Ma in the Lhasa and QT terranes. In contrast, the tectonic deformation around the TP was dominated by radial expansion of shortening deformation since 25-22 Ma. The plateau-wide near-synchroneity of these events calls for an internally consistent model which can be best described as convective removal of the lower mantle lithosphere. Geophysical and petrochemical evidence further confirms that this extensive removal occurred beneath the QT and SG terranes. The present review concludes that, other than plate boundary stress, the internal stress within the TP lithosphere could have contributed to rapid wholesale uplift and a series of concomitant tectonic events, accompanied by major aridification, since 26 Ma.

46 CFR 173.058 - Double bottom requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... PERTAINING TO VESSEL USE School Ships § 173.058 Double bottom requirements. Each new sailing school vessel... service must comply with the double bottom requirements in §§ 171.105 through 171.109, inclusive, of this...

Surface heat flow and lithosphere thermal structure of the larger Luxembourg area as a basis for the evaluation of its geothermal potential

Science.gov (United States)

Schintgen, Tom; Förster, Andrea

2014-05-01

The evaluation of the geothermal potential and the type of geothermal use necessitates knowledge of the subsurface temperature distribution in combination with hydraulic properties (e.g. porosity, permeability and hydraulic conductivity). In the larger Luxembourg area, only a few subsurface temperature data are available restricted to shallow depth. This paucity in data required to assess the thermal regime to drillable depths by modeling. The thermal model was constrained by surface heat flow and the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) characterized by the 1300° C isotherm. A surface heat-flow value of 75 ± 7 (2σ) mW m-2 was determined in central Luxembourg, which corroborates most values known from adjacent areas. The conceptual geological model for thermal modeling has a high resolution in the upper 15 km due to a wealth of geological data, while refraction seismic data and xenoliths provide petrological constraints for the lower part of the model down to the crust/mantle boundary. Thermal rock properties assigned to geological units are based on a large set of laboratory data, complemented by some literature data for the lower parts of the crust. The thermal structure is investigated by calculating 2-D steady-state thermal models along three crustal cross sections developed for the study area assuming a purely conductive lithosphere. The location of the LAB at 100 km depth, as typical for the Ardennes, provides the best fit with the measured surface heat flow of about 75 mW m-2. This LAB model provides temperatures at 5 km of 115-118° C on average and of about 600° C at the Moho. The resulting mantle heat flow in this model is 39-40 mW m-2. A reduced lithosphere thickness of 50 km as typical for the Eifel area to the east results in an increase of surface heat flow to 97 mW m-2 and of the mantle heat flow to 65 mW m-2, respectively. If heating from the Eifel plume had reached the surface yet, temperatures at 5 km would be about 20° C higher (and

Tracing the HIMU component within Pan-African lithosphere beneath northeast Africa: Evidence from Late Cretaceous Natash alkaline volcanics, Egypt

Science.gov (United States)

Abu El-Rus, M. A.; Chazot, G.; Vannucci, R.; Paquette, J.-L.

2018-02-01

A large late Cretaceous ( 90 Ma) volcanic field (the Natash volcanic province) crops out in southeast Egypt at the northwestern boundary of the Arabian-Nubian shield. The lavas are mainly of alkaline affinity and exhibit a continuous compositional range from alkali olivine basalt (AOB) to trachyte and rhyolite. All basaltic lavas in the province record various extents of fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase and spinel. The basaltic lavas show variations in Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic ratios [(87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7030-0.70286; (143Nd/144Nd)i = 0.512653-0.512761; (206Pb/204Pb)i = 19.28-19.94; (177Hf-176Hf)i = 0.28274-0.28285], that correlate markedly with the major and trace element ratios and abundances. Assimilation of crustal material cannot explain these correlations, and we invoke instead melting of a multicomponent mantle source. We infer the existence of High-μ (HIMU), Enriched mantle type-I (EM-I) and Depleted mantle (DM) domains in the melting source, with a predominant contribution from the HIMU-type. We suggests further that the basaltic lavas originate from low degrees of partial melting (F negative K-anomalies in the primitive mantle-normalized patterns of the fractionation-corrected melts. The presence of amphibole within the lithosphere is a strong evidence that the lithospheric mantle underwent metasomatic enrichment prior to melting in Late Cretaceous. This metasomatic event affected on the Pb isotopic compositions of the Natash volcanics by adding Th and U to the melting source. Time-integrated calculations to remove the decoupling between 206Pb and 207Pb isotopes that most probably resulted from the metasomatic event indicate a tentative link between the metasomatism occurring in the Pan-African lithospheric mantle and the formation of juvenile crust during the Pan-African Orogeny. A two stage evolution model is therefore proposed for volcanism in the Natash area: fluxing of the lithosphere by hydrous fluids during Pan

Intracratonic asthenosphere upwelling and lithosphere rejuvenation beneath the Hoggar swell (Algeria): Evidence from HIMU metasomatised lherzolite mantle xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Beccaluva, L.; Azzouni-Sekkal, A.; Benhallou, A.; Bianchini, G.; Ellam, R. M.; Marzola, M.; Siena, F.; Stuart, F. M.

2007-08-01

The mantle xenoliths included in Quaternary alkaline volcanics from the Manzaz-district (Central Hoggar) are proto-granular, anhydrous spinel lherzolites. Major and trace element analyses on bulk rocks and constituent mineral phases show that the primary compositions are widely overprinted by metasomatic processes. Trace element modelling of the metasomatised clinopyroxenes allows the inference that the metasomatic agents that enriched the lithospheric mantle were highly alkaline carbonate-rich melts such as nephelinites/melilitites (or as extreme silico-carbonatites). These metasomatic agents were characterized by a clear HIMU Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic signature, whereas there is no evidence of EM1 components recorded by the Hoggar Oligocene tholeiitic basalts. This can be interpreted as being due to replacement of the older cratonic lithospheric mantle, from which tholeiites generated, by asthenospheric upwelling dominated by the presence of an HIMU signature. Accordingly, this rejuvenated lithosphere (accreted asthenosphere without any EM influence), may represent an appropriate mantle section from which deep alkaline basic melts could have been generated and shallower mantle xenoliths sampled, respectively. The available data on lherzolite xenoliths and alkaline lavas (including He isotopes, Ra Pan-African basement. This can be considered a far-field foreland reaction of the Africa-Europe collisional system since the Eocene.

Constraining the dynamic response of subcontinental lithospheric mantle to rifting using Re-Os model ages in the Western Ross Sea, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, C.; Class, C.; Goldstein, S. L.; Shirey, S. B.; Martin, A. P.; Cooper, A. F.; Berg, J. H.; Gamble, J. A.

2012-12-01

In order to understand the dynamic response of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) to rifting, it is important to be able to distinguish the geochemical signatures of SCLM vs. asthenosphere. Recent work demonstrates that unradiogenic Os isotope ratios can indicate old depletion events in the convecting upper mantle (e.g. Rudnick & Walker, 2009), and allow us to make these distinctions. Thus, if SCLM can be traced across a rifted margin, its fate during rifting can be established. The Western Ross Sea provides favorable conditions to test the dynamic response of SCLM to rifting. Re-Os measurements from 8 locations extending from the rift shoulder to 200 km into the rift basin reveal 187Os/188Os ranging from 0.1056 at Foster Crater on the shoulder, to 0.1265 on Ross Island within the rift. While individual sample model ages vary widely throughout the margin, 'aluminochron' ages (Reisberg & Lorand, 1995) reveal a narrower range of lithospheric stabilization ages. Franklin Island and Sulfur Cones show a range of Re-depletion ages (603-1522 Ma and 436-1497 Ma) but aluminochrons yield Paleoproterozoic stabilization ages of 1680 Ma and 1789 Ma, respectively. These ages coincide with U-Pb zircon ages from Transantarctic Mountain (TAM) crustal rocks, in support of SCLM stabilization at the time of crust formation along the central TAM. The Paleoproterozoic stabilization age recorded at Franklin Island is especially significant, since it lies 200km off of the rift shoulder. The similar ages beneath the rift shoulder and within the rift suggests stretched SCLM reaches into the rift and thus precludes replacement by asthenospheric mantle. The persistence of thinned Paleoproterozoic SCLM into the rifted zone in WARS suggests that it represents a 'type I' margin of Huismans and Beaumont (2011), which is characterized by crustal breakup before loss of lithospheric mantle. The Archean Re-depletion age of 3.2 Ga observed on the rift shoulder suggests that cratonic

Processed bottom ash for replacing fine aggregate in making high-volume fly ash concrete

OpenAIRE

Antoni; Sulistio Aldi Vincent; Wahjudi Samuel; Hardjito Djwantoro; Hardjito Djwantoro

2017-01-01

Bottom ash is a coal plant by-product that is abundant and underutilized. There is the potential use of bottom ash as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete mixtures; however, the problems of water absorption and uniformity of quality of the material need to be overcome first. In this study, bottom ash was treated by sieve separation and pounding to smaller particle size for use as a sand substitute. The physical and chemical characteristics of bottom ash were tested after treatment includi...

Utilization of power plant bottom-ash particles as stabilizer in aluminum foams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asavavisithchai, Seksak; Prapajaraswong, Attanadol [Chulalongkorn Univ., Bangkok (Thailand). Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering

2013-07-01

Aluminum foams, produced via powder metallurgical (PM) process, normally require the addition of ceramic particles in compaction stage, in order to increase both foamability of precursors and mechanical properties of the final foam products. Bottom ash particles are a by-product waste obtained from thermoelectric power plants which are commonly found to be used in landfill facilities. The major chemical constituent, approximately between 30 wt.-% and 60 wt.-%, of bottom ash particles is SiO{sub 2}, depending on chemical composition in coal, sintering condition and environment, and other process parameters. In this study, we explore the feasibility of utilizing bottom ash particles of thermoelectric power plant wastes as stabilizer in aluminum foams. A small amount of two-size bottom ash particles (mean size of 78 {mu}m and 186 {mu}m), between 1 wt.-% and 5 wt.-%, have been added to aluminum foams. Foam expansion, macro- and microstructures as well as mechanical properties, such as compressive strength and microhardness, were investigated. The results from the present study suggest that bottom ash particles can be used as a stabilizing material which can improve both cellular structure and mechanical properties of aluminum foams. (orig.)

Inward migration of faulting during continental rifting: Effects of pre-existing lithospheric structure and extension rate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corti, G.; Ranalli, G.; Agostini, A.; Sokoutis, D.

Lithospheric-scale analogue models are used to analyse the parameters controlling the typical evolution of deformation during continental narrow rifting, characterized by early activation of large boundary faults and basin subsidence, followed by localization of tectonic activity in internal faults

Mapping practices of project management – merging top-down and bottom-up perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuesen, Christian

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new methodology for studying different accounts of project management practices based on network mapping and analysis. Drawing upon network mapping and visualization as an analytical strategy top-down and bottom-up accounts of project management practice are analysed...... and compared. The analysis initially reveals a substantial difference between the top-down and bottom-up accounts of practice. Furthermore it identifies a soft side of project management that is central in the bottom-up account but absent from the top-down. Finally, the study shows that network mapping...

Daylighting performance evaluation of a bottom-up motorized roller shade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kapsis, K.; Athienitis, A.K.; Zmeureanu, R.G. [Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC (Canada); Tzempelikos, A. [School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States)

2010-12-15

This paper presents an experimental and simulation study for quantifying the daylighting performance of bottom-up roller shades installed in office spaces. The bottom-up shade is a motorized roller shade that opens from top to bottom operating in the opposite direction of a conventional roller shade, so as to cover the bottom part of the window, while allowing daylight to enter from the top part of the window, reaching deeper into the room. A daylighting simulation model, validated with full-scale experiments, was developed in order to establish correlations between the shade position, outdoor illuminance and work plane illuminance for different outdoor conditions. Then, a shading control algorithm was developed for application in any location and orientation. The validated model was employed for a sensitivity analysis of the impact of shade optical properties and control on the potential energy savings due to the use of daylighting. The results showed that Daylight Autonomy for the bottom-up shade is 8-58% higher compared to a conventional roller shade, with a difference of 46% further away from the facade, where the use of electric lighting is needed most of the time. The potential reduction in energy consumption for lighting is 21-41%. (author)

Assessment of sludges and tank bottoms treatment processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhutto, A.W.; Bazmi, A.A.

2005-01-01

The petroleum refining industries generate considerable amounts of sludge and tank bottoms as waste. Petroleum refinery receives crude oil containing emulsified water and solids. As the crude oil storage tanks are repeatedly filled and emptied, the water and solids settle towards the bottom as sludge. For tanks that have been in service for several years, the sludge accumulation becomes several feet deep, results in a loss of ullage in refinery crude storage tanks. The accumulation of crude storage tank bottoms is a serious problem experienced by local refineries. The refinery sludge waste is categorized as hazardous waste, which is at present buried in the tankform ground. Since the no hazardous material land filling option available, the disposal of these hazardous materials has become a major problem because of the ISO-14000 certification requirements and expectation of stakeholder. To maximize the waste oil recovery from sludge and tank bottoms and to minimize the volume of the hazardous waste, a number of waste recovery and treatment processes are available. The process designs and unit operations of each process are different and each has its own merits, in terms of the technical complexity, operation friendliness, and costs and economics. A study on each of these technologies and the subsequent tide-up to the existing unit operations is conducted, and the associated technical comparisons are made. (author)

Use of Incineration Solid Waste Bottom Ash as Cement Mixture in Cement Production

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, N. H.; Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Jin, T. S.; Kadir, A. A.; Tugui, C. A.; Sandu, A. V.

2017-06-01

Incineration solid waste bottom ash was use to examine the suitability as a substitution in cement production. This study enveloped an innovative technology option for designing new equivalent cement that contains incineration solid waste bottom ash. The compressive strength of the samples was determined at 7, 14, 28 and 90 days. The result was compared to control cement with cement mixture containing incineration waste bottom ash where the result proved that bottom ash cement mixture able achieve its equivalent performance compared to control cement which meeting the requirement of the standards according to EN 196-1. The pozzolanic activity index of bottom ash cement mixture reached 0.92 at 28 days and 0.95 at 90 and this values can be concluded as a pozzolanic material with positive pozzolanic activity. Calcium hydroxide in Portland cement decreasing with the increasing replacement of bottom ash where the reaction occur between Ca(OH)2 and active SiO2.

Utilization of power plant bottom ash as aggregates in fiber-reinforced cellular concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, H K; Kim, H K; Hwang, E A

2010-02-01

Recently, millions tons of bottom ash wastes from thermoelectric power plants have been disposed of in landfills and coastal areas, regardless of its recycling possibility in construction fields. Fiber-reinforced cellular concrete (FRCC) of low density and of high strength may be attainable through the addition of bottom ash due to its relatively high strength. This paper focuses on evaluating the feasibility of utilizing bottom ash of thermoelectric power plant wastes as aggregates in FRCC. The flow characteristics of cement mortar with bottom ash aggregates and the effect of aggregate type and size on concrete density and compressive strength were investigated. In addition, the effects of adding steel and polypropylene fibers for improving the strength of concrete were also investigated. The results from this study suggest that bottom ash can be applied as a construction material which may not only improve the compressive strength of FRCC significantly but also reduce problems related to bottom ash waste.

Lithospheric stresses due to radiogenic heating of an ice-silicate planetary body - Implications for Ganymede's tectonic evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Zuber, M. T.; Parmentier, E. M.

1984-01-01

Thermal evolution models of differentiated and undifferentiated ice-silicate bodies containing long-lived radiogenic heat sources are examined. Lithospheric sresses arise due to volume change of the interior and temperature change in the lithosphere. For an undifferentiated body, the surface stress peaks early in the evolution, while in the differentiated case, stresses peak later and continue to accumulate for longer periods of time. The variation of near-surface stress with depth shows that stresses for the undifferentiated body initially penetrate to great depths, but rapidly concentrate within a few kilometers of the surface. For the differentiated body, elastic stresses never accumulate at a depth greater than a few kilometers. These models are applied to consider long-term rdioactive heating as a possible mechanism of tectonic activity and bright terrain formation on Ganymede.

Analysis of Maisotsenko open gas turbine bottoming cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saghafifar, Mohammad; Gadalla, Mohamed

2015-01-01

Maisotsenko gas turbine cycle (MGTC) is a recently proposed humid air turbine cycle. An air saturator is employed for air heating and humidification purposes in MGTC. In this paper, MGTC is integrated as the bottoming cycle to a topping simple gas turbine as Maisotsenko bottoming cycle (MBC). A thermodynamic optimization is performed to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of MBC as compared with air bottoming cycle (ABC). Furthermore, detailed sensitivity analysis is reported to present the effect of different operating parameters on the proposed configurations' performance. Efficiency enhancement of 3.7% is reported which results in more than 2600 tonne of natural gas fuel savings per year. - Highlights: • Developed an accurate air saturator model. • Introduced Maisotsenko bottoming cycle (MBC) as a power generation cycle. • Performed Thermodynamic optimization for MBC and air bottoming cycle (ABC). • Performed detailed sensitivity analysis for MBC under different operating conditions. • MBC has higher efficiency and specific net work output as compared to ABC

Nuclear reactor construction with bottom supported reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharbaugh, J.E.

1987-01-01

This patent describes an improved liquid metal nuclear reactor construction comprising: (a) a nuclear reactor core having a bottom platform support structure; (b) a reactor vessel for holding a large pool of low pressure liquid metal coolant and housing the core; (c) a containment structure surrounding the reactor vessel and having a sidewall spaced outwardly from the reactor vessel side wall and having a base mat spaced below the reactor vessel bottom end wall; (d) a central small diameter post anchored to the containment structure base mat and extending upwardly to the reactor vessel to axially fix the bottom end wall of the reactor vessel and provide a center column support for the lower end of the reactor core; (e) annular support structure disposed in the reactor vessel on the bottom end wall and extending about the lower end of the core; (f) structural support means disposed between the containment structure base mat and bottom end of the reactor vessel wall and cooperating for supporting the reactor vessel at its bottom end wall on the containment structure base mat to allow the reactor vessel to expand radially but substantially prevent any lateral motions that might be imposed by the occurrence of a seismic event; (g) a bed of insulating material disposed between the containment structure base mat and the bottom end wall of the reactor vessel and uniformly supporting the reactor vessel at its bottom end wall; freely expand radially from the central post as it heats up while providing continuous support thereof; (h) a deck supported upon the wall of the containment vessel above the top open end of the reactor vessel; and (i) extendible and retractable coupling means extending between the deck and the top open end of the reactor vessel and flexibly and sealably interconnecting the reactor vessel at its top end to the deck

Seismic anisotropy of the mantle lithosphere beneath the Swedish National Seismological Network (SNSN)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Eken, T.; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Roberts, R.; Vecsey, Luděk; Babuška, Vladislav; Shomali, H.; Bodvarsson, R.

2010-01-01

Roč. 480, č. 1-4 (2010), s. 241-258 ISSN 0040-1951 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA300120709; GA AV ČR(CZ) KJB300120605 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30120515 Keywords : Baltic Shield * mantle lithosphere * seismic anisotropy * domains and their boundaries in the mantle Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure Impact factor: 2.509, year: 2010

Processed bottom ash for replacing fine aggregate in making high-volume fly ash concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoni

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Bottom ash is a coal plant by-product that is abundant and underutilized. There is the potential use of bottom ash as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete mixtures; however, the problems of water absorption and uniformity of quality of the material need to be overcome first. In this study, bottom ash was treated by sieve separation and pounding to smaller particle size for use as a sand substitute. The physical and chemical characteristics of bottom ash were tested after treatment including water absorption, sieve analysis, and fineness modulus. Highvolume fly ash (HVFA mortar specimens were made and the compressive strength and flowability test using bottom ash after treatment are compared with that of the sand specimen. Low water to cementitious ratio was used to ensure higher strength from the cementitious paste and superplasticizer demand was determined for each treatment. The result showed that bottom ash can be used as fine aggregate replacement material. Sieve separation of the bottom ash could produce 75% of the compressive strength compared with the control sand specimen, whereas pounded bottom ash could have up to 96% of the compressive strength of the control specimen. A 28-day compressive strength of 45 MPa was achievable with 100% replacement of fine aggregate with bottom ash.

Continental lithospheric subduction and intermediate-depth seismicity: Constraints from S-wave velocity structures in the Pamir and Hindu Kush

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Chen, Yun; Yuan, Xiaohui; Schurr, Bernd; Mechie, James; Oimahmadov, Ilhomjon; Fu, Bihong

2018-01-01

The Pamir has experienced more intense deformation and shortening than Tibet, although it has a similar history of terrane accretion. Subduction as a primary way to accommodate lithospheric shortening beneath the Pamir has induced the intermediate-depth seismicity, which is rare in Tibet. Here we construct a 3D S-wave velocity model of the lithosphere beneath the Pamir by surface wave tomography using data of the TIPAGE (Tien Shan-Pamir Geodynamic program) and other seismic networks in the area. We imaged a large-scale low velocity anomaly in the crust at 20-50 km depth in the Pamir overlain by a high velocity anomaly at a depth shallower than 15 km. The high velocity anomalies colocate with exposed gneiss domes, which may imply a similar history of crustal deformation, partial melting and exhumation in the hinterland, as has occurred in the Himalaya/Tibet system. At mantle depths, where the intermediate-depth earthquakes are located, a low velocity zone is clearly observed extending to about 180 km and 150 km depth in the Hindu Kush and eastern Pamir, respectively. Moreover, the geometry of the low-velocity anomaly suggests that lower crustal material has been pulled down into the mantle by the subducting Asian and Indian lithospheric mantle beneath the Pamir and Hindu Kush, respectively. Metamorphic processes in the subducting lower crust may cause the intermediate-depth seismicity down to 150-180 km depth beneath the Pamir and Hindu Kush. We inverted focal mechanisms in the seismic zone for the stress field. Differences in the stress field between the upper and lower parts of the Indian slab imply that subduction and detachment of the Indian lithosphere might cause intense seismicity associated with the thermal shear instability in the deep Hindu Kush.

Estimates of bottom roughness length and bottom shear stress in South San Francisco Bay, California

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, R.T.; Ling, C.-H.; Gartner, J.W.; Wang, P.-F.

1999-01-01

A field investigation of the hydrodynamics and the resuspension and transport of participate matter in a bottom boundary layer was carried out in South San Francisco Bay (South Bay), California, during March-April 1995. Using broadband acoustic Doppler current profilers, detailed measurements of turbulent mean velocity distribution within 1.5 m above bed have been obtained. A global method of data analysis was used for estimating bottom roughness length zo and bottom shear stress (or friction velocities u*). Field data have been examined by dividing the time series of velocity profiles into 24-hour periods and independently analyzing the velocity profile time series by flooding and ebbing periods. The global method of solution gives consistent properties of bottom roughness length zo and bottom shear stress values (or friction velocities u*) in South Bay. Estimated mean values of zo and u* for flooding and ebbing cycles are different. The differences in mean zo and u* are shown to be caused by tidal current flood-ebb inequality, rather than the flooding or ebbing of tidal currents. The bed shear stress correlates well with a reference velocity; the slope of the correlation defines a drag coefficient. Forty-three days of field data in South Bay show two regimes of zo (and drag coefficient) as a function of a reference velocity. When the mean velocity is >25-30 cm s-1, the ln zo (and thus the drag coefficient) is inversely proportional to the reference velocity. The cause for the reduction of roughness length is hypothesized as sediment erosion due to intensifying tidal currents thereby reducing bed roughness. When the mean velocity is <25-30 cm s-1, the correlation between zo and the reference velocity is less clear. A plausible explanation of scattered values of zo under this condition may be sediment deposition. Measured sediment data were inadequate to support this hypothesis, but the proposed hypothesis warrants further field investigation.

Wet physical separation of MSWI bottom ash

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muchova, L.

2010-01-01

Bottom ash (BA) from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) has high potential for the recovery of valuable secondary materials. For example, the MSWI bottom ash produced by the incinerator at Amsterdam contains materials such as non-ferrous metals (2.3%), ferrous metals (8-13%), gold (0.4 ppm),

A geochemical study of lithospheric mantle beneath Northern Victoria Land (Antarctica): main evidences from volatile content in ultramafic xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Correale, Alessandra; Pelorosso, Beatrice; Rizzo, Andrea Luca; Coltorti, Massimo; Italiano, Francesco; Bonadiman, Costanza

2017-04-01

A geochemical study of ultramafic xenoliths from Northern Victoria Land (Green Point, GP and Handler Ridge, HR), is carried out in order to investigate the features of the lithosphere mantle beneath the Western Antarctic Ridge System (WARS). The majority of samples is spinel anhydrous lherzolite with rare presence of secondary phases (secondary cpx and glass). Geothermobarometric calculations, based on the Fe/Mg distribution among the peridotite minerals reveal that Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle (SCLM) beneath Handler Ridge records temperatures and redox conditions higher then Greene Point (P fixed at 15 Kbar). Moreover, geochemical models evidence that, GP mantle domain represents a residuum after ˜7 to 21 % of partial melting in the spinel stability field, which was variably affected by interaction with infiltrating melts, acting in different times, from at least Jurassic to Cenozoic (Pelorosso et al., 2016). Fluid inclusions (FI) entrapped in olivine and pyroxene crystals were investigated for elemental and isotopic contents of both, noble gases (He, Ne, Ar) and CO2. He, Ar and Ne concentrations range from 1.52×10-14 to 1.07×10-12, from 4.09×10-13 to 3.47×10-11and from 2.84×10-16 to 7.57×10-14 mol/g, respectively, while the CO2amounts are between 7.08×10-10 and 8.12×10-7 mol/g. The 3He/4He varies between 5.95 and 20.18 Ra (where Ra is the 3He/4He ratio of air), being the lowest and the highest values measured in the He-poorer samples. Post-eruptive input of cosmogenic 3He and radiogenic 4He seems to influence mainly the samples associated to a lower He concentrations, increasing and decreasing respectively their primordial 3He/4He values, that for all the other samples range between 6.76 and 7.45 Ra. This range reasonably reflects the isotope signature of mantle beneath the investigated areas. The 4He/40Ar* ratio corrected for atmospheric-derived contamination ranges between 0.004 and 0.39. The lowest 4He/40Ar* values (4He/40Ar*correspondence of

Physical and Chemical Properties of Coal Bottom Ash (CBA) from Tanjung Bin Power Plant

Science.gov (United States)

Izzati Raihan Ramzi, Nurul; Shahidan, Shahiron; Zulkhairi Maarof, Mohamad; Ali, Noorwirdawati

2016-11-01

The objective of this study is to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of Coal Bottom Ash (CBA) obtained from Tanjung Bin Power Plant Station and compare them with the characteristics of natural river sand (as a replacement of fine aggregates). Bottom ash is the by-product of coal combustion during the electricity generating process. However, excess bottom ash production due to the high production of electricity in Malaysia has caused several environmental problems. Therefore, several tests have been conducted in order to determine the physical and chemical properties of bottom ash such as specific gravity, density, particle size distribution, Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) and X- Ray Fluorescence (XRF) in the attempt to produce sustainable material from waste. The results indicated that the natural fine aggregate and coal bottom ash have very different physical and chemical properties. Bottom ash was classified as Class C ash. The porous structure, angular and rough texture of bottom ash affected its specific gravity and particle density. From the tests, it was found that bottom ash is recommended to be used in concrete as a replacement for fine aggregates.

Lithospheric Structure of Central Europe: Puzzle Pieces from Pannonian Basin to Trans-European Suture Zone Resolved by Geophysical-Petrological Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Bielik, M.; Tašárová, Z. A.; Fullea, J.; Sroda, P.

2017-12-01

We have analysed the thermochemical structure of the mantle in Central Europe comprising the Western Carpathians, Pannonian Basin and parts of the European Platform, Bohemian Massif and easternmost Eastern Alps. This area is very complex and characterized by a highly heterogeneous lithospheric structure reflecting the interplay of contraction, strike slip, subduction, and extension tectonics. Our modelling is based on an integrative 3-D approach (LitMod) that combines in a self-consistent manner concepts and data from thermodynamics, mineral physics, geochemistry, petrology, and solid Earth geophysics. This approach minimizes uncertainties of the estimates derived from modelling of various data sets separately. To further constrain our 3-D model we have made use of the vast geophysical and geological data (2-D and 3-D, shallow/crustal versus deep lithospheric experiments) based on experiments performed in Central Europe in the past decades. Given the amount and the different nature/resolution of the available constraints, one of the most challenging tasks of this study was to consistently combine them. Our goal was to find a trade-off between all local and regional data sets available in a way that preserves as many structural details as possible and summarizes those data sets into a single robust regional model. The resulting P/T-dependent mantle densities are in LitMod 3-D calculated based on a given mineralogical composition. Therefore, they provide more reliable estimates compared to pure gravity models and enhance modelling of the crustal structures. Our results clearly indicate presence of several lithospheric domains characterized by distinct features, Pannonian Basin being one of the most outstanding ones. It has the thinnest crust and lithosphere in the area modelled, characterized by relatively fertile composition. Z. Alasonati Tašárová's research project was financed by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (project TA553/1-2); M. Bielik was funded by the

Mantle dynamics in Mars and Venus: Influence of an immobile lithosphere on three-dimensional mantle convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, G.; Bercovici; Glatzmaier, G.A.

1990-01-01

Numerical calculations of fully three-dimensional convection in constant viscosity, compressible spherical shells are interpreted in terms of possible convective motions in the mantles of Venus and Mars. The shells are heated both internally and from below to account for radiogenic heating, secular cooling, and heat flow from the core. The lower boundary of each of the shells is isothermal and shear stress free, as appropriate to the interface between a mantle and a liquid outer core. The upper boundary of each of the shells is rigid and isothermal, as appropriate to the base of a thick immobile lithosphere. Calculations with shear stress-free upper boundaries are also carried out to assess the role of the rigid surface condition. The ratio of the inner radius of each shell to its outer radius is in accordance with possible core sizes in both Venus and Mars. A calculation is also carried out for a Mars model with a small core to simulate mantle convection during early core formation. Different relative proportions of internal and bottom heating are investigated, ranging from nearly complete heating from within to almost all heating from below. The Rayleigh numbers of all the cases are approximately 100 times the critical Rayleigh numbers for the onset of convection. Cylindrical plumes are the prominent form of upwelling in the models independent of the surface boundary condition so long as sufficient heat derives from the core. Thus major volcanic centers on Mars, such as Tharsis and Elysium, and the coronae and some equatorial highlands on Venus may be the surface expressions of cylindrical mantle plumes

Cost development of future technologies for power generation-A study based on experience curves and complementary bottom-up assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neij, Lena

2008-01-01

Technology foresight studies have become an important tool in identifying realistic ways of reducing the impact of modern energy systems on the climate and the environment. Studies on the future cost development of advanced energy technologies are of special interest. One approach widely adopted for the analysis of future cost is the experience curve approach. The question is, however, how robust this approach is, and which experience curves should be used in energy foresight analysis. This paper presents an analytical framework for the analysis of future cost development of new energy technologies for electricity generation; the analytical framework is based on an assessment of available experience curves, complemented with bottom-up analysis of sources of cost reductions and, for some technologies, judgmental expert assessments of long-term development paths. The results of these three methods agree in most cases, i.e. the cost (price) reductions described by the experience curves match the incremental cost reduction described in the bottom-up analysis and the judgmental expert assessments. For some technologies, the bottom-up analysis confirms large uncertainties in future cost development not captured by the experience curves. Experience curves with a learning rate ranging from 0% to 20% are suggested for the analysis of future cost development

Flexural modeling of the elastic lithosphere at an ocean trench: A parameter sensitivity analysis using analytical solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras-Reyes, Eduardo; Garay, Jeremías

2018-01-01

The outer rise is a topographic bulge seaward of the trench at a subduction zone that is caused by bending and flexure of the oceanic lithosphere as subduction commences. The classic model of the flexure of oceanic lithosphere w (x) is a hydrostatic restoring force acting upon an elastic plate at the trench axis. The governing parameters are elastic thickness Te, shear force V0, and bending moment M0. V0 and M0 are unknown variables that are typically replaced by other quantities such as the height of the fore-bulge, wb, and the half-width of the fore-bulge, (xb - xo). However, this method is difficult to implement with the presence of excessive topographic noise around the bulge of the outer rise. Here, we present an alternative method to the classic model, in which lithospheric flexure w (x) is a function of the flexure at the trench axis w0, the initial dip angle of subduction β0, and the elastic thickness Te. In this investigation, we apply a sensitivity analysis to both methods in order to determine the impact of the differing parameters on the solution, w (x). The parametric sensitivity analysis suggests that stable solutions for the alternative approach requires relatively low β0 values (rise bulge. The alternative method is a more suitable approach, assuming that accurate geometric information at the trench axis (i.e., w0 and β0) is available.

Carbonate metasomatism and CO2 lithosphere-asthenosphere degassing beneath the western Mediterranean: An integrated model arising from petrological and geophysical data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frezzotti, Maria Luce; Peccerillo, Angelo; Panza, Giuliano

2009-03-01

We present an integrated petrological, geochemical, and geophysical model that offers an explanation for the present-day anomalously high non-volcanic deep (mantle derived) CO 2 emission in the Tyrrhenian region. We investigate how decarbonation or melting of carbonate-rich lithologies from a subducted lithosphere may affect the efficiency of carbon release in the lithosphere-asthenosphere system. We propose that melting of sediments and/or continental crust of the subducted Adriatic-Ionian (African) lithosphere at pressure greater than 4 GPa (130 km) may represent an efficient mean for carbon cycling into the upper mantle and into the exosphere in the Western Mediterranean area. Melting of carbonated lithologies, induced by the progressive rise of mantle temperatures behind the eastward retreating Adriatic-Ionian subducting plate, generates low fractions of carbonate-rich (hydrous-silicate) melts. Due to their low density and viscosity, such melts can migrate upward through the mantle, forming a carbonated partially molten CO 2 -rich mantle recorded by tomographic images in the depth range from 130 to 60 km. Upwelling in the mantle of carbonate-rich melts to depths less than 60 - 70 km, induces massive outgassing of CO 2 . Buoyancy forces, probably favored by fluid overpressures, are able to allow migration of CO 2 from the mantle to the surface, through deep lithospheric faults, and its accumulation beneath the Moho and within the lower crust. The present model may also explain CO 2 enrichment of the Etna active volcano. Deep CO 2 cycling is tentatively quantified in terms of conservative carbon mantle flux in the investigated area. (author)

Gammametry of sea bottom in prospecting for minerals. Gammametriya morskogo dna pri poiskakh poleznykh iskopaemykh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shatsov, A N [Vsesoyuznyj Nauchno-Issledovatel' skij Inst. Yadernoj Geofiziki i Geokhimii, Moscow (USSR)

1977-01-01

The main aspects of study of the natural gamma field in the geological investigations of sea bottom are considered. Problems of development of sea scintillation radiometers for continuous (in profiles) and discrete, in (in stations) measurements of the natural gamma-radiation of the superficial layer of modern sea sediment and rock of sea bottom in conditions of natural occurence are discussed. The significance of gammametry of shallow-water zones, in the Caspian, Baltic, Black and Japan seas for the study of the geological structure of the sea bottom and its mineral base is shown. Geophysical methods are briefly described which must be used in combination with gammametry of the sea bottom. According to the Soviet and foreign sources the future of using spectrometry of natural and also induced and captured gamma radiation is shown for the study of ferro-manganese and phosphorus concretions, depressions in the sea bottom, filled by highly mineralized brines and silts.

Power law olivine crystal size distributions in lithospheric mantle xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Armienti, P.; Tarquini, S.

2002-12-01

Olivine crystal size distributions (CSDs) have been measured in three suites of spinel- and garnet-bearing harzburgites and lherzolites found as xenoliths in alkaline basalts from Canary Islands, Africa; Victoria Land, Antarctica; and Pali Aike, South America. The xenoliths derive from lithospheric mantle, from depths ranging from 80 to 20 km. Their textures vary from coarse to porphyroclastic and mosaic-porphyroclastic up to cataclastic. Data have been collected by processing digital images acquired optically from standard petrographic thin sections. The acquisition method is based on a high-resolution colour scanner that allows image capturing of a whole thin section. Image processing was performed using the VISILOG 5.2 package, resolving crystals larger than about 150 μm and applying stereological corrections based on the Schwartz-Saltykov algorithm. Taking account of truncation effects due to resolution limits and thin section size, all samples show scale invariance of crystal size distributions over almost three orders of magnitude (0.2-25 mm). Power law relations show fractal dimensions varying between 2.4 and 3.8, a range of values observed for distributions of fragment sizes in a variety of other geological contexts. A fragmentation model can reproduce the fractal dimensions around 2.6, which correspond to well-equilibrated granoblastic textures. Fractal dimensions >3 are typical of porphyroclastic and cataclastic samples. Slight bends in some linear arrays suggest selective tectonic crushing of crystals with size larger than 1 mm. The scale invariance shown by lithospheric mantle xenoliths in a variety of tectonic settings forms distant geographic regions, which indicate that this is a common characteristic of the upper mantle and should be taken into account in rheological models and evaluation of metasomatic models.

Finite-frequency Rayleigh wave tomography of the western Mediterranean: Mapping its lithospheric structure

Science.gov (United States)

Palomeras, I.; Thurner, S.; Levander, A.; Liu, K.; Villasenor, A.; Carbonell, R.; Harnafi, M.

2014-01-01

We present a 3-D shear wave velocity model for the crust and upper mantle of the western Mediterranean from Rayleigh wave tomography. We analyzed the fundamental mode in the 20-167 s period band (6.0-50.0 mHz) from earthquakes recorded by a number of temporary and permanent seismograph arrays. Using the two-plane wave method, we obtained phase velocity dispersion curves that were inverted for an isotropic Vs model that extends from the southern Iberian Massif, across the Gibraltar Arc and the Atlas mountains to the Saharan Craton. The area of the western Mediterranean that we have studied has been the site of complex subduction, slab rollback, and simultaneous compression and extension during African-European convergence since the Oligocene. The shear velocity model shows high velocities beneath the Rif from 65 km depth and beneath the Granada Basin from ˜70 km depth that extend beneath the Alboran Domain to more than 250 km depth, which we interpret as a near-vertical slab dangling from beneath the western Alboran Sea. The slab appears to be attached to the crust beneath the Rif and possibly beneath the Granada Basin and Sierra Nevada where low shear velocities (3.8 km/s) are mapped to >55 km depth. The attached slab is pulling down the Gibraltar Arc crust, thickening it, and removing the continental margin lithospheric mantle beneath both Iberia and Morocco as it descends into the deeper mantle. Thin lithosphere is indicated by very low upper mantle velocities beneath the Alboran Sea, above and east of the dangling slab and beneath the Cenozoic volcanics.

Fall Bottom Trawl Survey

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The standardized NEFSC Fall Bottom Trawl Survey was initiated in 1963 and covered an area from Hudson Canyon, NY to Nova Scotia, Canada. Throughout the years,...

Winter Bottom Trawl Survey

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The standardized NEFSC Winter Bottom Trawl Survey was initiated in 1992 and covered offshore areas from the Mid-Atlantic to Georges Bank. Inshore strata were covered...

Bottom-up vs. top-down effects on terrestrial insect herbivores: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal, Mayra C; Murphy, Shannon M

2018-01-01

Primary consumers are under strong selection from resource ('bottom-up') and consumer ('top-down') controls, but the relative importance of these selective forces is unknown. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the strength of top-down and bottom-up forces on consumer fitness, considering multiple predictors that can modulate these effects: diet breadth, feeding guild, habitat/environment, type of bottom-up effects, type of top-down effects and how consumer fitness effects are measured. We focused our analyses on the most diverse group of primary consumers, herbivorous insects, and found that in general top-down forces were stronger than bottom-up forces. Notably, chewing, sucking and gall-making herbivores were more affected by top-down than bottom-up forces, top-down forces were stronger than bottom-up in both natural and controlled (cultivated) environments, and parasitoids and predators had equally strong top-down effects on insect herbivores. Future studies should broaden the scope of focal consumers, particularly in understudied terrestrial systems, guilds, taxonomic groups and top-down controls (e.g. pathogens), and test for more complex indirect community interactions. Our results demonstrate the surprising strength of forces exerted by natural enemies on herbivorous insects, and thus the necessity of using a tri-trophic approach when studying insect-plant interactions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

46. annual meeting of the Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft e.V. Joint symposium of the ILP/SFB 108 on the continental lithosphere - structure, composition and processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

198 papers were read on continental lithosphere investigations. Physical, and especially seismic methods were given particular attention. Geothermal exploration, safety studies on salt strata, and the identification of nuclear weapons tests were gone into. Separate records are available for 22 papers. (PW) [de

ANALYSIS OF DEFORMATION PROCESSES IN THE LITHOSPHERE FROM GEODETIC MEASUREMENTS BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yury V. Gabsatarov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of data from permanent GPS observation stations located in tectonically active regions provides for direct observation of deformation processes of the earth's surface which result from elastic interaction of the lithospheric plates and also occur when accumulated stresses are released by seismic events and postseismic processes.This article describes the methodology of applying the regression analysis of time series of data from GPS-stations for identification of individual components of the stations’ displacements caused by the influence of various deformation processes. Modelling of the stations’ displacements caused only by deformations of the marginal zone, wherein the lithospheric plates interact, allows us to study variations of the steady-state deformation in the marginal zone.he proposed methodology is applied to studies of variations of fields of cumulative surface displacements, surface displacement velocity and maximum shear strain velocity which are determined from the GPS data recorded prior to the Parkfield earthquake of 28 September 2004 (Mw=6.0.Combined analysis of the variations of the above-mentioned fields shows that measurable anomalies of the elastic deformation of the transform fault’s edge took place prior to the seismic event of 28 September 2004, and such anomalies were coincident in space and time with the focal area of the future seismic event.

Rifting in heterogeneous lithosphere inferences from numerical modeling of the northern North Sea and the Oslo Graben.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pascal Candas, C.; Cloetingh, S.A.P.L.

2002-01-01

Permian rifting and magmatism are widely documented across NW Europe. The different Permian basins often display contrasting structural styles and evolved in lithospheric domains with contrasting past evolution and contrasting thermotectonic ages. In particular, the Oslo Graben and the northern

Summer Bottom Trawl Survey

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Sampling the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine using the Northeast Fishery Science Center standardized bottom trawl has been problematic due to large areas of hard...

Spring Bottom Trawl Survey

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The standardized NEFSC Spring Bottom Trawl Survey was initiated in 1968 and covered an area from Cape Hatteras, NC, to Nova Scotia, Canada, at depths >27m....

Pretreatment and utilization of waste incineration bottom ashes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Astrup, Thomas

2007-01-01

Within recent years, researchers and authorities have had increasing focus on leaching properties from waste incineration bottom ashes. Researchers have investigated processes such as those related to carbonation, weathering, metal complexation, and leaching control. Most of these investigations......, however, have had a strong emphasis on lab experiments with little focus on full scale bottom ash upgrading methods. The introduction of regulatory limit values restricting leaching from utilized bottom ashes, has created a need for a better understanding of how lab scale experiences can be utilized...

Bottom water circulation in Cascadia Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Hautala, Susan L.; Paul Johnson, H.; Hammond, Douglas E.

2009-10-01

A combination of beta spiral and minimum length inverse methods, along with a compilation of historical and recent high-resolution CTD data, are used to produce a quantitative estimate of the subthermocline circulation in Cascadia Basin. Flow in the North Pacific Deep Water, from 900-1900 m, is characterized by a basin-scale anticyclonic gyre. Below 2000 m, two water masses are present within the basin interior, distinguished by different potential temperature-salinity lines. These water masses, referred to as Cascadia Basin Bottom Water (CBBW) and Cascadia Basin Deep Water (CBDW), are separated by a transition zone at about 2400 m depth. Below the depth where it freely communicates with the broader North Pacific, Cascadia Basin is renewed by northward flow through deep gaps in the Blanco Fracture Zone that feeds the lower limb of a vertical circulation cell within the CBBW. Lower CBBW gradually warms and returns to the south at lighter density. Isopycnal layer renewal times, based on combined lateral and diapycnal advective fluxes, increase upwards from the bottom. The densest layer, existing in the southeast quadrant of the basin below ˜2850 m, has an advective flushing time of 0.6 years. The total volume flushing time for the entire CBBW is 2.4 years, corresponding to an average water parcel residence time of 4.7 years. Geothermal heating at the Cascadia Basin seafloor produces a characteristic bottom-intensified temperature anomaly and plays an important role in the conversion of cold bottom water to lighter density within the CBBW. Although covering only about 0.05% of the global seafloor, the combined effects of bottom heat flux and diapycnal mixing within Cascadia Basin provide about 2-3% of the total required global input to the upward branch of the global thermohaline circulation.

New large-scale lithospheric model of the Western Carpathian-Pannonian Basin region based on the 3-D gravity modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Alasonati Tasarova, Zuzana; Bielik, Miroslav; Götze, Hans-Jürgen; Afonso, Jaun Carlos; Fullea, Javier

2010-05-01

A 3-D forward modelling of the Bouguer gravity field was performed for the Western Carpathian-Pannonian Basin region. The gravity model extends to depth of 220 km and includes also the surrounding units (the Eastern Alps, Bohemian Massif, Trans-European Suture Zone and East European Craton). It is constrained by seismic models, mainly from the CELEBRATION 2000 seismic experiment, and other geophysical data. Additionally, the density distribution and thermal structure in the shallow upper mantle were estimated using a combination of petrological, geophysical, and mineral physics information (LitMod). This approach is necessary in order to better constrain the more complicated structure of the Pannonian Basin. As a result, we present the first 3-D gravity model of the region that combines various geophysical datasets and is consistent with petrological data. Realistic density values within the uppermost mantle provide a better control on the regional gravity signal. In turn, this generates a model with refined and enhanced crustal structure. This means that deeper parts of the model are better accounted for, which helps to better constrain the nature of shallower crustal layers. Although not commonly applied in potential field modelling, we find that this approach is advantageous when modelling large areas with insufficient near-surface constraints. Also, a density distribution within the crust and uppermost mantle that is consistent with petrological data allows better estimates of the depth to the Moho (where it is not constrained by seismic data) and to the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. Hence, our model provides improved estimates of both the density distribution within the crust and uppermost mantle and the depth to major density discontinuities (sediments, Moho, lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary). The results of the modelling reveal a markedly different nature of the Western Carpathian-Pannonian region (ALACAPA and Tisza-Dacia microplates) from the

Analysis of the local lithospheric magnetic activity before and after Panzhihua Mw = 6.0 earthquake (30 August 2008, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Li

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Lithospheric ultra low frequency (ULF magnetic activity is recently considered as a very promising candidate for application to short-time earthquake forecasting. However the intensity of the ULF lithospheric magnetic field is very weak and often masked by much stronger ionospheric and magnetospheric signals. The study of pre-earthquake magnetic activity before the occurrence of a strong earthquake is a very hard problem which consists of the identification and localization of the weak signal sources in earthquake hazardous areas of the Earth's crust. For the separation and localization of such sources, we used a new polarization ellipse technique (Dudkin et al., 2010 to process data acquired from fluxgate magnetometers installed in the Sichuan province, China. Sichuan is the region of the strongest seismic activity on the territory of China. During the last century, about 40 earthquakes with magnitude M ≥ 6.5 happened here in close proximity to heavy populated zones. The Panzhihua earthquake Mw = 6.0 happened in the southern part of Sichuan province on 30 August 2008 at 8:30:52 UT. The earthquake hypocentre was located at 10 km depth. During the period 30–31 August – the beginning of September 2008, many clustered aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 5.6 occurred near the earthquake epicentre. The data from three fluxgate magnetometers (belonged to China magnetometer network and placed near to the clustered earthquakes at a distance of 10–55 km from main shock epicenter have been processed. The separation between the magnetometers was in the range of 40–65 km. The analysis of a local lithospheric magnetic activity during the period of January–December 2008 and a possible source structure have been presented in this paper.

Model for the topographic evolution in NW Iberia during the lithospheric delamination at the end of the Variscan Orogeny

OpenAIRE

Muñoz Quijano, I. N.; Gutiérrez Alonso, Gabriel

2007-01-01

Through a simple isostatic balance modelization we attempt an approach to one of the possible lithosphericand topographical scenarios that took place in the aftermath of the Variscan Orogeny. From this point ofview, the results obtained, together with their comparison with the geologic, sedimentary and igneousrecord, during the Upper Carboniferous and the Early Permian, allow to explain most of the geologicalprocesses that took place in the studied region due to a process of lithospheric thic...

Electrical structure of the lithosphere across the Western Paraná suture zone: the role of a Neoproterozoic-Cambrian subduction in generating the Paraná Magmatic Province

Science.gov (United States)

Dragone, G. N.; Bologna, M.; Gimenez, M. E.; Alvarez, O.; Lince Klinger, F. G.; Correa-Otto, S.; Ussami, N.

2017-12-01

The Paraná Magmatic Province (PMP) together with the Etendeka Province (EP) in Africa is one of the Earth's largest igneous provinces originated prior to the Western Gondwanaland break-up and the inception of the South Atlantic Ocean in the Lower Cretaceous. Geochemical data of PMP-EP basalts collected since late 1980's indicate the origin of PMP-EP by melting of a heterogeneous and enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle with fast rate of eruption (borders of the PMP, the Western Paraná suture zone (WPS in Fig. 1). We discuss the electrical properties of the lithosphere along three MT profiles across the WPS. MT-A profile (Padilha et al., 2015, JGR) extends from Rio Apa craton towards the center of PMP (high-TiO2 basalts). Profile MT-B extends from Tebicuary craton towards the center of PMP (low-TiO2) and profile MT-C extends from Rio de la Plata craton towards the southern PMP (low- and high-TiO2). All profiles show a resistive ( 104 ohm m) and thick (> 150 km) lithosphere in the cratonic areas whereas the electrical lithosphere is thinner (<100 km) with alternating high and low resistivities within PMP. Vertically elongated and high electrical conductivity anomalies ( 10 ohm m) centered at 40 km depth occur along the -30 mGal contour line in the three profiles, and are interpreted as the location of the suture and former subduction zone. We will discuss the correlation between geochemical and petrological characteristics of basalts and the electrical properties of the lithospheric mantle underneath.

Development of cask body integrated with bottom plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Takuji; Sasaki, Tomoharu; Koyama, Yoichi; Kumagai, Yasuyuki; Watanabe, Yuichi; Takasa, Seiju

2017-01-01

The main parts of a metal cask for storage and transport of spent nuclear fuel consists of main body, neutron shield material and external cylinder. The forged main body has been manufactured as a cup shape by welding of 'forged body' and 'forged bottom plate' which are independently forged. JSW has developed the manufacturing technology of 'cask body integrated with bottom plate' which has no weld line with the goal of cost reduction, manufacturing period shortening and further reliability improvement. Manufacturing for the prototype of 'cask body integrated with bottom plate' has completed to verify mechanical properties and uniformity of the product which satisfy the specified values stipulated in JSME Code S FA1 2007 edition. Here, we report the manufacturing technology and obtained properties of 'cask body integrated with bottom plate'. (author)

Bottom Raking Damage to High-Speed Craft

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Bo Cerup

1998-01-01

This paper presents a comparative study of the raking damage to high speed craft (HSC) and conventional ships. The analysis is based on a detailed theoretical model for the raking resistance of an assembled ship bottom structure and on the idea that the impact conditions for various ship types have...

Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Near-Bottom Sediments to Determine Geoacoustic and Geotechnical Properties

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Stoll, R

1998-01-01

.... These tools include a motorized penetrometer designed to measure quasi static cone penetration resistance up to depths of two meters into the bottom, a Love wave source and linear receiving array...

Lithosphere tectonics and thermo-mechanical properties: An integrated modeling approach for enhanced geothermal systems exploration in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wees, J.D. van; Cloetingh, S.; Ziegler, P.A.; Lenkey, L.; Beekman, F.; Tesauro, M.; Förster, A.; Norden, B.; Kaban, M.; Hardebol, N.; Voorde, M.T.; Willingshofer, E.; Cornu, T.; Bonté, D.

2009-01-01

For geothermal exploration and the development of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) knowlegde of temperature at drillable depth is a prerequisite for site selection. Equally important is the thermo-mechanical signature of the lithosphere and crust which allow to obtain critical constraints for the

Economic burden associated with alcohol dependence in a German primary care sample: a bottom-up study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakob Manthey

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A considerable economic burden has been repeatedly associated with alcohol dependence (AD – mostly calculated using aggregate data and alcohol-attributable fractions (top-down approach. However, this approach is limited by a number of assumptions, which are hard to test. Thus, cost estimates should ideally be validated with studies using individual data to estimate the same costs (bottom-up approach. However, bottom-up studies on the economic burden associated with AD are lacking. Our study aimed to fill this gap using the bottom-up approach to examine costs for AD, and also stratified the results by the following subgroups: sex, age, diagnostic approach and severity of AD, as relevant variations could be expected by these factors. Methods Sample: 1356 primary health care patients, representative for two German regions. AD was diagnosed by a standardized instrument and treating physicians. Individual costs were calculated by combining resource use and productivity data representing a period of six months prior to the time of interview, with unit costs derived from the literature or official statistics. The economic burden associated with AD was determined via excess costs by comparing utilization of various health care resources and impaired productivity between people with and without AD, controlling for relevant confounders. Additional analyses for several AD characteristics were performed. Results Mean costs among alcohol dependent patients were 50 % higher compared to the remaining patients, resulting in 1836 € excess costs per alcohol dependent patient in 6 months. More than half of these excess costs incurred through increased productivity loss among alcohol dependent patients. Treatment for alcohol problems represents only 6 % of these costs. The economic burden associated with AD incurred mainly among males and among 30 to 49 year old patients. Both diagnostic approaches were significantly related to the

Bottom production asymmetries at the LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norrbin, E.; Vogt, R.

1999-01-01

We present results on bottom hadron production asymmetries at the LHC within both the Lund string fragmentation model and the intrinsic bottom model. The main aspects of the models are summarized and specific predictions for pp collisions at 14 TeV are given. Asymmetries are found to be very small at central rapidities increasing to a few percent at forward rapidities. At very large rapidities intrinsic production could dominate but this region is probably out of reach of any experiment.

Bottom production asymmetries at the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norrbin, E.; Vogt, R.

1999-01-01

We present results on bottom hadron production asymmetries at the LHC within both the Lund string fragmentation model and the intrinsic bottom model. The main aspects of the models are summarized and specific predictions for pp collisions at 14 TeV are given. Asymmetries are found to be very small at central rapidities increasing to a few percent at forward rapidities. At very large rapidities intrinsic production could dominate but this region is probably out of reach of any experiment

An Analysis Model for Water Cone Subsidence in Bottom Water Drive Reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianjun; Xu, Hui; Wu, Shucheng; Yang, Chao; Kong, lingxiao; Zeng, Baoquan; Xu, Haixia; Qu, Tailai

2017-12-01

Water coning in bottom water drive reservoirs, which will result in earlier water breakthrough, rapid increase in water cut and low recovery level, has drawn tremendous attention in petroleum engineering field. As one simple and effective method to inhibit bottom water coning, shut-in coning control is usually preferred in oilfield to control the water cone and furthermore to enhance economic performance. However, most of the water coning researchers just have been done on investigation of the coning behavior as it grows up, the reported studies for water cone subsidence are very scarce. The goal of this work is to present an analytical model for water cone subsidence to analyze the subsidence of water cone when the well shut in. Based on Dupuit critical oil production rate formula, an analytical model is developed to estimate the initial water cone shape at the point of critical drawdown. Then, with the initial water cone shape equation, we propose an analysis model for water cone subsidence in bottom water reservoir reservoirs. Model analysis and several sensitivity studies are conducted. This work presents accurate and fast analytical model to perform the water cone subsidence in bottom water drive reservoirs. To consider the recent interests in development of bottom drive reservoirs, our approach provides a promising technique for better understanding the subsidence of water cone.

Deformation and fluid-enhanced annealing in subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the Pannonian Basin (Styrian Basin, Eastern Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Aradi, Laszlo; Hidas, Károly; János Kovács, István; Tommasi, Andrea; Garrido, Carlos; Szabó, Csaba

2017-04-01

In the Carpathian-Pannonian region, xenolith-bearing Neogene alkali basaltic volcanism occurred in five volcanic fields [1], from which the Styrian Basin Volcanic Field (SBVF) is the westernmost one. In this study, we present new petrographic and crystal preferred orientation (CPO) data, and structural hydroxyl ("water") contents of upper mantle xenoliths from 12 volcanic outcrops across the SBVF. The studied xenoliths are mostly coarse granular hydrous spinel lherzolites. Amphiboles, replacing pyroxenes and spinels, are present in almost every sample. The peridotites are highly annealed, olivines and pyroxenes show no significant amount of intragranular deformation. Despite the annealed texture of the peridotites, olivine CPO is unambiguous and varies between [010]-fiber, orthogonal and [100]-fiber symmetry. The CPO of pyroxenes is coherent with coeval deformation with olivine. The fabric and CPO of amphiboles suggest postkinematic epitaxial overgrowth on the precursor pyroxenes. The structural hydroxyl content of the studied xenoliths exhibits rather high, equilibrium values, up to 10, 290 and 675 ppm in olivine, ortho- and clinopyroxene, respectively. The olivines contain more structural hydroxyl in the annealed xenoliths than in the more deformed ones. The xenoliths show equilibrium temperatures from 850 to 1100 °C, which corresponds to lithospheric mantle depths between 30 and 60 km. Equilibrium temperatures show correlation with the varying CPO symmetries and grain size: coarser grained xenoliths with [100]-fiber and orthorhombic symmetry appear in the high temperature (>1000 °C) xenoliths, which is characteristic for asthenospheric environments [2]. Most of the samples display transitional CPO symmetry between [010]-fiber and orthogonal, which indicate lithospheric deformation under varying stress field from transtensional to transpressional settings [3], probably related to the Miocene evolution of the Pannonian Basin, during which varying compressive and

Z decay into a bottom quark, a light sbottom, and a light gluino

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung Kingman; Keung Waiyee

2003-01-01

The discrepancy between the measured and theoretical production cross section of b quarks at the Fermilab Tevatron can probably be explained by the recently proposed scenario of light gluinos of mass 12-16 GeV and light sbottoms of mass 2-5.5 GeV. In this scenario, we study a related process at the Z pole, Z→bb-tilde 1 * g-tilde+b-barb-tilde 1 g-tilde followed by g-tilde→bb-tilde 1 */b-barb-tilde 1 . The hadronic branching ratio for this channel is (1-3)x10 -3 , which is of the order of the size of the uncertainty in R b . We find that a typical event consists of an energetic prompt bottom jet back to back with a 'fat' bottom jet, which consists of a bottom quark and two bottom squarks. Such events with a 10 -3 branching ratio may affect the measurement of R b ; they are even more interesting if the fat bottom jet can be identified

Mesoproterozoic and Paleoproterozoic subcontinental lithospheric mantle domains beneath southern Patagonia: Isotopic evidence for its connection to Africa and Antarctica

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mundl, A.; Ntaflos, T.; Ackerman, Lukáš; Bizimis, M.; Bjerg, E. A.; Hauzenberger, Ch. A.

2015-01-01

Roč. 43, č. 1 (2015), s. 39-42 ISSN 0091-7613 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : lithospheric mantle * Mesoproterozoic * Paleoproterozoic Subject RIV: DD - Geochemistry Impact factor: 4.548, year: 2015

Flowable Backfill Materials from Bottom Ash for Underground Pipeline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung-Joong Lee

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between strength and strain in manufacturing controlled low strength materials to recycle incineration bottom ash. Laboratory tests for controlled low strength materials with bottom ash and recycled in-situ soil have been carried out. The optimum mixing ratios were 25%–45% of in-situ soil, 30% of bottom ash, 10%–20% of fly ash, 0%–3% of crumb rubber, 3% of cement, and 22% of water. Each mixture satisfied the standard specifications: a minimum 20 cm of flowability and 127 kPa of unconfined compressive strength. The average secant modulus (E50 was (0.07–0.08 qu. The ranges of the internal friction angle and cohesion for mixtures were 36.5°–46.6° and 49.1–180 kPa, respectively. The pH of all of the mixtures was over 12, which is strongly alkaline. Small-scale chamber tests for controlled low strength materials with bottom ash and recycled in-situ soil have been carried out. Vertical deflection of 0.88–2.41 mm and horizontal deflection of 0.83–3.72 mm were measured during backfilling. The vertical and horizontal deflections of controlled low strength materials were smaller than that of sand backfill.

Silicate melt metasomatism in the lithospheric mantle beneath SW Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Puziewicz, Jacek; Matusiak-Małek, Magdalena; Ntaflos, Theodoros; Grégoire, Michel; Kukuła, Anna

2014-05-01

The xenoliths of peridotites representing the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath SW Poland and adjacent parts of Germany occur in the Cenozoic alkaline volcanic rocks. Our study is based on detailed characterization of xenoliths occurring in 7 locations (Steinberg in Upper Lusatia, Księginki, Pilchowice, Krzeniów, Wilcza Góra, Winna Góra and Lutynia in Lower Silesia). One of the two major lithologies occurring in the xenoliths, which we call the "B" lithology, comprises peridotites (typically harzburgites) with olivine containing from 90.5 to 84.0 mole % of forsterite. The harzburgites contain no clinopyroxene or are poor in that mineral (eg. in Krzeniów the group "B" harzburgites contain pfu in ortho-, and pfu in clinopyroxene). The exception are xenoliths from Księginki, which contain pyroxenes characterised by negative correlation between mg# and Al. The REE patterns of both ortho- and clinopyroxene in the group "B" peridotites suggest equilibration with silicate melt. The rocks of "B" lithology were formed due to alkaline silicate melt percolation in the depleted peridotitic protolith. The basaltic melts formed at high pressure are usually undersaturated in both ortho- and clinopyroxene at lower pressures (Kelemen et al. 1992). Because of cooling and dissolution of ortho- and clinopyroxene the melts change their composition and become saturated in one or both of those phases. Experimental results (e.g. Tursack & Liang 2012 and references therein) show that the same refers to alkaline basaltic silicate melts and that its reactive percolation in the peridotitic host leads to decrease of Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios of olivine and pyroxenes. Thus, the variation of relative volumes of olivine and orthopyroxene as well as the decrease of mg# of rock-forming silicates is well explained by reactive melt percolation in the peridotitic protolith consisting of high mg# olivine and pyroxenes (in the area studied by us that protolith was characterised by olivine

Where to start? Bottom-up attention improves working memory by determining encoding order.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravizza, Susan M; Uitvlugt, Mitchell G; Hazeltine, Eliot

2016-12-01

The present study aimed to characterize the mechanism by which working memory is enhanced for items that capture attention because of their novelty or saliency-that is, via bottom-up attention. The first experiment replicated previous research by corroborating that bottom-up attention directed to an item is sufficient for enhancing working memory and, moreover, generalized the effect to the domain of verbal working memory. The subsequent 3 experiments sought to determine how bottom-up attention affects working memory. We considered 2 hypotheses: (1) Bottom-up attention enhances the encoded representation of the stimulus, similar to how voluntary attention functions, or (2) It affects the order of encoding by shifting priority onto the attended stimulus. By manipulating how stimuli were presented (simultaneous/sequential display) and whether the cue predicted the tested items, we found evidence that bottom-up attention improves working memory performance via the order of encoding hypothesis. This finding was observed across change detection and free recall paradigms. In contrast, voluntary attention improved working memory regardless of encoding order and showed greater effects on working memory. We conclude that when multiple information sources compete, bottom-up attention prioritizes the location at which encoding should begin. When encoding order is set, bottom-up attention has little or no benefit to working memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Segmentation and Positioning in the Brazilian Kids Market: A Case Study on the Bottom of the Pyramid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andres Rodriguez Veloso

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This article approaches the kids market, focusing on the Bottom of the Pyramid. A case study is developed within the toy industry. Because few studies have been developed on this subject (kids marketing, the option of this study is to focus on basic marketing strategies, market segmentation and positioning. Results exemplify how can a company structure its marketing strategy in order to have a clear focus on a given segment of the kids market.

Water in the oceanic lithosphere: Salt Lake Crater xenoliths, Oahu, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Peslier, A. H.; Bizimis, M.

2010-12-01

Water can be present in nominally anhydrous minerals of peridotites in the form of hydrogen bonded to structural oxygen. Such water in the oceanic upper mantle could have a significant effect on its physical and chemical properties. However, the water content of the MORB source has been inferred indirectly from the compositions of basalts. Direct determinations on abyssal peridotites are scarce because they have been heavily hydrothermally altered. Here we present the first water analyses of minerals from spinel peridotite xenoliths of Salt Lake Crater, Oahu, Hawaii, which are exceptionally fresh. These peridotites are thought to represent fragments of the Pacific oceanic lithosphere that was refertilized by alkalic Hawaiian melts. A few have unradiogenic Os and radiogenic Hf isotopes and may be fragments of an ancient ( 2 Ga) depleted and recycled lithosphere. Water contents in olivine (Ol), orthopyroxene (Opx), and clinopyroxene (Cpx) were determined by FTIR spectrometry. Preliminary H_{2}O contents show ranges of 8-10 ppm for Ol, 151-277 ppm for Opx, and 337-603 ppm for Cpx. Reconstructed bulk rock H_{2}O contents range from 88-131 ppm overlapping estimates for the MORB source. Water contents between Ol minerals of the same xenolith are heterogeneous and individual OH infrared bands vary within a mineral with lower 3230 cm^{-1} and higher 3650-3400 cm^{-1} band heights from core to edge. This observation suggests disturbance of the hydrogen in Ol likely occurring during xenolith entrainment to the surface. Pyroxene water contents are higher than most water contents in pyroxenes from continental peridotite xenoliths and higher than those of abyssal peridotites. Cpx water contents decrease with increasing degree of depletion (e.g. increasing Fo in Ol and Cr# in spinel) consistent with an incompatible behavior of water. However Cpx water contents also show a positive correlation with LREE/HREE ratios and LREE concentrations consistent with refertilization. Opx

Water in the Oceanic Lithosphere: Salt Lake Crater Xenoliths, Oahu, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Peslier, Anne H.; Bizimis, Michael

2010-01-01

Water can be present in nominally anhydrous minerals of peridotites in the form of hydrogen bonded to structural oxygen. Such water in the oceanic upper mantle could have a significant effect on its physical and chemical properties. However, the water content of the MORB source has been inferred indirectly from the compositions of basalts. Direct determinations on abyssal peridotites are scarce because they have been heavily hydrothermally altered. Here we present the first water analyses of minerals from spinel peridotite xenoliths of Salt Lake Crater, Oahu, Hawaii, which are exceptionally fresh. These peridotites are thought to represent fragments of the Pacific oceanic lithosphere that was refertilized by alkalic Hawaiian melts. A few have unradiogenic Os and radiogenic Hf isotopes and may be fragments of an ancient (2 Ga) depleted and recycled lithosphere. Water contents in olivine (Ol), orthopyroxene (Opx), and clinopyroxene (Cpx) were determined by FTIR spectrometry. Preliminary H_{2}O contents show ranges of 8-10 ppm for Ol, 151-277 ppm for Opx, and 337-603 ppm for Cpx. Reconstructed bulk rock H_{2}O contents range from 88-131 ppm overlapping estimates for the MORB source. Water contents between Ol minerals of the same xenolith are heterogeneous and individual OH infrared bands vary within a mineral with lower 3230 cm^{-1} and higher 3650-3400 cm^{-1} band heights from core to edge. This observation suggests disturbance of the hydrogen in Ol likely occurring during xenolith entrainment to the surface. Pyroxene water contents are higher than most water contents in pyroxenes from continental peridotite xenoliths and higher than those of abyssal peridotites. Cpx water contents decrease with increasing degree of depletion (e.g. increasing Fo in Ol and Cr# in spinel) consistent with an incompatible behavior of water. However Cpx water contents also show a positive correlation with LREE/HREE ratios and LREE concentrations consistent with refertilization. Opx water

STURM: Resuspension mesocosms with realistic bottom shear stress and water column turbulence for benthic-pelagic coupling studies: Design and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Sanford, L. P.; Porter, E.; Porter, F. S.; Mason, R. P.

2016-02-01

Shear TUrbulence Resuspension Mesocosm (STURM) tanks, with high instantaneous bottom shear stress and realistic water column mixing in a single system, allow more realistic benthic-pelagic coupling studies that include sediment resuspension. The 1 m3 tanks can be programmed to produce tidal or episodic sediment resuspension over extended time periods (e.g. 4 weeks), over muddy sediments with or without infaunal organisms. The STURM tanks use a resuspension paddle that produces uniform bottom shear stress across the sediment surface while gently mixing a 1 m deep overlying water column. The STURM tanks can be programmed to different magnitudes, frequencies, and durations of bottom shear stress (and thus resuspension) with proportional water column turbulence levels over a wide range of mixing settings for benthic-pelagic coupling experiments. Over eight STURM calibration settings, turbulence intensity ranged from 0.55 to 4.52 cm s-1, energy dissipation rate from 0.0032 to 2.65 cm2 s-3, the average bottom shear stress from 0.0068 to 0.19 Pa, and the instantaneous bottom shear stress from 0.07 to 2.0 Pa. Mixing settings can be chosen as desired and/or varied over the experiment, based on the scientific question at hand. We have used the STURM tanks for four 4-week benthic-pelagic coupling ecosystem experiments with tidal resuspension with or without infaunal bivalves, for stepwise erosion experiments with and without infaunal bivalves, for experiments on oyster biodeposit resuspension, to mimic storms overlain on tidal resuspension, and for experiments on the effects of varying frequency and duration of resuspension on the release of sedimentary contaminants. The large size of the tanks allows water quality and particle measurements using standard oceanographic instrumentation. The realistic scale and complexity of the contained ecosystems has revealed indirect feedbacks and responses that are not observable in smaller, less complex experimental systems.

Uptake study of some radionuclides by Suez Canal bottom sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shinawy, R.M.K.; Abdel Fattah, A.T.; Essa, M.W.A.

1986-01-01

Chemical and physical analyses of Suez Canal bottom sediment at its south entrance (Port Taweffek) were carried out. The sediment was separated into its particle size fractions (clay, silt and sand). The different sediment fractions can be arranged with respect to their sorption capacity as follows: clay, natural sediment, sit and sand. The increase of pH results in small increase in the uptake reaching in some cases a maximum value of pH 6 or 8. More significant increase of uptake is observed when the carrier concentration is increased from 10 -6 to 10 -2 M/L

Characterisation of MSWI bottom ash for potential use as subbase in Greenlandic road construction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkelund, Gunvor Marie; Jørgensen, Anders Stuhr; Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas

2012-01-01

of infrastructure due to increased oil and mineral exploitation. Thus, in this study MSWI bottom ash from a Greenlandic incinerator was tested for possible reuse as subbase in road construction. The mechanical properties (grain size distribution, wear resistance and bearing capacity) showed that the bottom ash...... grain sizes and could be reduced by removing some of these smaller grain sizes to obtain the stability requirement of the bottom ash. All in all, this study showed that the Greenlandic bottom ash has potential for being reused in road construction....... was acceptable for reuse after some small adjustments in the grain size distribution to prevent frost sensitivity. Results obtained from heavy metal content and heavy metal leaching complied with the Danish guideline values for reuse of waste materials in construction. Leaching of Cu and Cr was high from small...

Ongoing lithospheric removal in the western Mediterranean: Evidence from Ps receiver functions and thermobarometry of Neogene basalts (PICASSO project)

Science.gov (United States)

Thurner, Sally; Palomeras, Imma; Levander, Alan; Carbonell, Ramon; Lee, Cin-Ty

2014-04-01

The western Mediterranean tectonic system consists of the Betic Mountains in southern Spain and the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco curved around the back-arc extensional Alboran basin. Multiple tectonic models have been developed to explain the coeval compressional and extensional tectonic processes that have affected the western Mediterranean since the Oligocene. In order to provide constraints on these evolutionary models, we use Ps teleseismic receiver functions (RF), thermobarometric analyses of post-Oligocene basalts, and previous teleseismic tomography images to investigate the lithospheric structure of the region. Ps RFs were calculated using seismic data from 239 broadband seismic stations in southern Iberia and northern Morocco and thermobarometric analysis was performed on 19 volcanic samples distributed throughout the region. The RF images reveal a highly variable Moho depth (˜25 to ˜55 km), as well as a strong positive, sub-Moho horizon between ˜45 and ˜80 km depth beneath the central Betic and Rif Mountains, which we interpret to be the top of the previously imaged Alboran Sea slab. Thermobarometric constraints from magmas in the eastern Betics and Rif indicate mantle melting depths between 40 and 60 km, typical of melting depths beneath mid-oceanic ridges where little to no lithosphere exists. Together, the RF and thermobarometric data suggest ongoing and recent slab detachment resulting from delamination of the continental lithosphere.

Driving Forces of Plate Tectonics and Evolution of the Oceanic Lithosphere and Asthenosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Forsyth, D. W.

2017-12-01

As plate tectonics became established as an excellent kinematic description of the relative motions of different blocks of the Earth's lithosphere, many investigators also began exploring the forces involved in driving the plate motions. Because the plates move at nearly constant velocities over long periods of time and inertial terms are unimportant, driving forces must always be balanced by resisting forces in a way that regulates the velocities. Forsyth and Uyeda (1975) incorporated the balancing of torques on the individual plates to help constrain the relative importance of the driving and resisting forces, as parameterized in a way based on prior model investigations of individual parts of the convecting system. We found that the primary driving force was sinking of subducting lithosphere at trenches, balanced largely by viscous resisting forces in the sub-asthenospheric mantle; that viscous drag beneath the oceanic plates was negligible; and that mid-ocean ridges provided a relatively small push. One of the early questions was whether there was buoyant upwelling on a large scale beneath mid-ocean ridges as part of a whole mantle convection system with subduction of the plates representing the downwelling limb. If so, then it would be likely that the plates were just riding on top of large convection cells. Seismic tomography has demonstrated that, on average, there are no deep roots beneath mid-ocean ridges, so that active, buoyant upwelling from the deep mantle does not exist beneath spreading centers. However, more recent tomographic studies have found asymmetry of the shear velocity structure beneath ridges in some areas, pointing to a smaller scale of active convection in the shallow mantle perhaps induced by melt retention buoyancy or the local effects of ridge/hotspot interaction.

Extreme Hf-Os Isotope Compositions in Hawaiian Peridotite Xenoliths: Evidence for an Ancient Recycled Lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Bizimis, M.; Lassiter, J. C.; Salters, V. J.; Sen, G.; Griselin, M.

2004-12-01

We report on the first combined Hf-Os isotope systematics of spinel peridotite xenoliths from the Salt Lake Crater (SLC), Pali and Kaau (PK) vents from the island of Oahu, Hawaii. These peridotites are thought to represent the Pacific oceanic lithosphere beneath Oahu, as residues of MORB-type melting at a paleo-ridge some 80-100Ma ago. Clinopyroxene mineral separates in these peridotites have very similar Nd and Sr isotope compositions with the post erosional Honolulu Volcanics (HV) lavas that bring these xenoliths to the surface. This and their relatively elevated Na and LREE contents suggest that these peridotites are not simple residues of MORB-type melting but have experience some metasomatic enrichment by the host HV lavas. However, the SLC and PK xenoliths show an extreme range in Hf isotope compositions towards highly radiogenic values (ɛ Hf= 7-80), at nearly constant Nd isotope compositions (ɛ Nd= 7-10), unlike any OIB or MORB basalt. Furthermore, these Oahu peridotites show a bimodal distribution in their bulk rock 187Os/186Os ratios: the PK peridotites have similar ratios to the abyssal peridotites (0.130-0.1238), while the SLC peridotites have highly subchondritic ratios (0.1237-0.1134) that yield 500Ma to 2Ga Re-depletion ages. Hf-Os isotopes show a broad negative correlation whereby the samples with the most radiogenic 176Hf/177Hf have the most unradiogenic 187Os/186Os ratios. Based on their combined Hf-Os-Nd isotope and major element compositions, the PK peridotites can be interpreted as fragments of the Hawaiian lithosphere, residue of MORB melting 80-100Ma ago, that have been variably metasomatized by the host HV lavas. In contrast, the extreme Hf-Os isotope compositions of the SLC peridotites suggest that they cannot be the source nor residue of any kind of Hawaiian lavas, and that Hf and Os isotopes survived the metasomatism or melt-rock reaction that has overprinted the Nd and Sr isotope compositions of these peridotites. The ancient (>1Ga

Origin and Distribution of Water Contents in Continental and Oceanic Lithospheric Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Peslier, Anne H.

2013-01-01

The water content distribution of the upper mantle will be reviewed as based on the peridotite record. The amount of water in cratonic xenoliths appears controlled by metasomatism while that of the oceanic mantle retains in part the signature of melting events. In both cases, the water distribution is heterogeneous both with depth and laterally, depending on localized water re-enrichments next to melt/fluid channels. The consequence of the water distribution on the rheology of the upper mantle and the location of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary will also be discussed.

Bottom Trawl Survey Protocol Development (HB0706, EK60)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Cruise objectives include: 1) Investigate performance characteristics of new research bottom trawl; 2) Develop standard operating procedures for the NEFSC Bottom...

EFFECT FOR A SINGLE ROUGHNESS E=5,63mm OF EXPERIMENTAL TO STUDY HYDRAULIC JUMP PROFILE IN A CHANNEL IN U A ROUGH BOTTOM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ghomri

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to study the hydraulic jump controlled by threshold, moving in a channel profile 'U' bottomed rough for a single roughness E=5,63mm. Functional relations in dimensionless terms, linking the different characteristics of the projection, showing the effect of roughness of the bottom of the channel are obtained. The hydraulic jump is the primary means used by hydraulic structures to dissipate energy. This hydraulic jump is formed at the sharp transition from a supercritical flow a stream flow.

EFFECT FOR A SINGLE ROUGHNESS E=5,63mm OF EXPERIMENTAL TO STUDY HYDRAULIC JUMP PROFILE IN A CHANNEL IN U A ROUGH BOTTOM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ghomri

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This study aims to study the hydraulic jump controlled by threshold, moving in a channel profile 'U' bottomed rough for a single roughness E=5,63mm. Functional relations in dimensionless terms, linking the different characteristics of the projection, showing the effect of roughness of the bottom of the channel are obtained. The hydraulic jump is the primary means used by hydraulic structures to dissipate energy. This hydraulic jump is formed at the sharp transition from a supercritical flow a stream flow.

Lithosphere structure and subsidence evolution of the conjugate S-African and Argentine margins

Science.gov (United States)

Dressel, Ingo; Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena; Cacace, Mauro; Götze, Hans-Jürgen; Franke, Dieter

2016-04-01

The bathymetric evolution of the South Atlantic passive continental margins is a matter of debate. Though it is commonly accepted that passive margins experience thermal subsidence as a result of lithospheric cooling as well as load induced subsidence in response to sediment deposition it is disputed if the South Atlantic passive margins were affected by additional processes affecting the subsidence history after continental breakup. We present a subsidence analysis along the SW African margin and offshore Argentina and restore paleobathymetries to assess the subsidence evolution of the margin. These results are discussed with respect to mechanisms behind margin evolution. Therefore, we use available information about the lithosphere-scale present-day structural configuration of these margins as a starting point for the subsidence analysis. A multi 1D backward modelling method is applied to separate individual subsidence components such as the thermal- as well as the load induced subsidence and to restore paleobathymetries for the conjugate margins. The comparison of the restored paleobathymetries shows that the conjugate margins evolve differently: Continuous subsidence is obtained offshore Argentina whereas the subsidence history of the SW African margin is interrupted by phases of uplift. This differing results for both margins correlate also with different structural configurations of the subcrustal mantle. In the light of these results we discuss possible implications for uplift mechanisms.

Formation and Evolution of the Continental Lithospheric Mantle: Perspectives From Radiogenic Isotopes of Silicate and Sulfide Inclusions in Macrodiamonds

Science.gov (United States)

Shirey, S. B.; Richardson, S. H.

2007-12-01

Silicate and sulfide inclusions that occur in diamonds comprise the oldest (>3 Ga), deepest (>140 km) samples of mantle-derived minerals available for study. Their relevance to the evolution of the continental lithosphere is clear because terrestrial macrodiamonds are confined to regions of the Earth with continental lithospheric mantle keels. The goals of analytical work on inclusions in diamond are to obtain paragenesis constraints, radiogenic ages, and initial isotopic compositions. The purpose is to place diamond formation episodes into the broader framework of the geological processes that create and modify the continental lithosphere and to relate the source of the C and N in diamond-forming fluids to understanding the Earth's C and N cycles in the Archean. Although sulfide and silicate inclusions rarely occur in the same diamond, they both can be grouped according to their geochemical similarity with the chief rock types that comprise the mantle keel: peridotite and eclogite. Silicate inclusions are classified as harzburgitic (depleted; olivine > Fo91, garnet Cr2O3 > 3 wt% and CaO from 0 to 5 wt%), lherzolitic (fertile), or eclogitic (basaltic; garnet Cr2O3 14 wt%; Os > 2 ppm) versus eclogitic (Ni bearing kimberlites, and the generosity of mining companies because of the extreme rarity of inclusions in suites of mostly gem-quality diamonds. Most isotopic work has been on the Kaapvaal-Zimbabwe craton with lesser work on the Slave, Siberian, and Australian cratons. Sm-Nd ages on silicate suites and Re-Os ages on sulfide suites confirm diamond formation from the Mesoarchean though the Neoproterozoic. Most important are the systematics across cratons in the context of crustal geology that lead to generalities about craton evolution. Inclusion suites date mantle keels as Mesoarchean and clearly point to subduction as the major process to form the earliest continental nuclei and to amalgamate the cratons in their present form. This is evident from the elevated

Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils around a Hospital Waste Incinerator Bottom Ash Dumps Site.

Science.gov (United States)

Adama, M; Esena, R; Fosu-Mensah, B; Yirenya-Tawiah, D

2016-01-01

Waste incineration is the main waste management strategy used in treating hospital waste in many developing countries. However, the release of dioxins, POPs, and heavy metals in fly and bottom ash poses environmental and public health concerns. To determine heavy metal (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ag) in levels in incinerator bottom ash and soils 100 m around the incinerator bottom ash dump site, ash samples and surrounding soil samples were collected at 20 m, 40 m, 60 m, 80 m, 100 m, and 1,200 m from incinerator. These were analyzed using the absorption spectrophotometer method. The geoaccumulation (I geo) and pollution load indices (PLI) were used to assess the level of heavy metal contamination of surrounding soils. The study revealed high concentrations in mg/kg for, Zn (16417.69), Pb (143.80), Cr (99.30), and Cd (7.54) in bottom ash and these were above allowable limits for disposal in landfill. The study also found soils within 60 m radius of the incinerator to be polluted with the metals. It is recommended that health care waste managers be educated on the implication of improper management of incinerator bottom ash and regulators monitor hospital waste incinerator sites.

Peridotitic lithosphere metasomatised by volatile-bearing melts, and its association with intraplate alkaline HIMU-like magmatism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scott, James; Brenna, Marco; Crase, Jordan

2016-01-01

The role of lithospheric mantle metasomatized by CO2-bearing melts in the genesis of HIMU-like alkaline intraplate basalts is investigated using a suite of peridotite xenoliths from New Zealand. The xenoliths have Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr =0.7029, eNd = +5 to +6, 206Pb/204Pb = ...

Large Eddy Simulations of a Bottom Boundary Layer Under a Shallow Geostrophic Front

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman, S. P.; Simeonov, J.; Calantoni, J.

2017-12-01

The unstratified surf zone and the stratified shelf waters are often separated by dynamic fronts that can strongly impact the character of the Ekman bottom boundary layer. Here, we use large eddy simulations to study the turbulent bottom boundary layer associated with a geostrophic current on a stratified shelf of uniform depth. The simulations are initialized with a spatially uniform vertical shear that is in geostrophic balance with a pressure gradient due to a linear horizontal temperature variation. Superposed on the temperature front is a stable vertical temperature gradient. As turbulence develops near the bottom, the turbulence-induced mixing gradually erodes the initial uniform temperature stratification and a well-mixed layer grows in height until the turbulence becomes fully developed. The simulations provide the spatial distribution of the turbulent dissipation and the Reynolds stresses in the fully developed boundary layer. We vary the initial linear stratification and investigate its effect on the height of the bottom boundary layer and the turbulence statistics. The results are compared to previous models and simulations of stratified bottom Ekman layers.

The lithosphere structure and deep processes of the Mesozoic metallogenic belt in eastern China: constraints from passive and active seismic methods

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Q.; Shi, D.; Jiang, G.; Yan, J.

2013-12-01

The lithosphere structure and deep processes are keys to understanding mineral system and ore-forming processes. Lithosphere-scale process could create big footprints or signatures which can be observed by geophysics methods. SinoProbe-03 has conducted a Transect exploration across middle and lower Yangtze Metallogenic Belt (YMT) in Eastern China. Broadband seismic, reflection seismic, wide-angle reflection and magnetotellurics survey were carried out along the Transect. Seismic reflection profiles and MT survey were also performed in Luzong, Tongling and Ningwu ore districts to construct 3D geological model. The resulting geophysical data provides new information which help to better understanding the lithosphere structure, deep processes and deformation history of the Metallogenic Belt. The major results are: (1) Lower velocity body at the top of upper mantle and a SE dipping high velocity body were imaged by teleseismic tomography beneath YMB; (2) Shear wave splitting results show NE parallel fast-wave polarization direction which parallel with tectonic lineament; (3) The reflection seismic data support the crustal-detachment model, the lower and upper crust was detached during contraction deformation near Tanlu fault and Ningwu volcanic basin; (4) Broadband and reflection seismic confirm the shallow Moho beneath YMB; (5) Strong correlation of lower crust reflectivity with magmatism; (6) The lower crust below Luzong Volcanics shows obvious reflective anisotropy both at the crust-mantle transition and the brittle-ductile transition in the crust. All these features suggest that introcontinental subduction, lithosphere delamination, mantle sources magmatic underplating, and MASH process are responsible for the formation of this Mesozoic metallogenic belt. Acknowledgment: We acknowledge the financial support of SinoProbe by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Land and Resources, P. R. China, under Grant sinoprobe-03, and financial support by National Natural

The lithosphere architecture and geodynamic of the Middle and Lower Yangtze metallogenic belt in eastern China: constraints from integrated geophysical data

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Qingtian; Shi, Danian; Jiang, Guoming; Dong, Shuwen

2014-05-01

The lithosphere structure and deep processes are keys to understanding mineral system and ore-forming processes. Lithosphere-scale process could create big footprints or signatures which can be observed by geophysics methods. SinoProbe has conducted an integrated deep exploration across middle and lower reaches of Yangtze Metallogenic Belt (YMB) in Eastern China, these included broadband seismic, reflection seismic, wide-angle reflection and magnetotellurics survey. Seismic reflection profiles and MT survey were also performed in Luzong, Tongling and Ningwu ore districts to construct 3D geological model. The resulting geophysical data provides new information which help to better understanding the lithosphere structure, geodynamic, deformation and heat and mass transportation that lead to the formation of the Metallogenic Belt. The major results are: (1) Lower velocity body at the top of upper mantle and a SE dipping high velocity body were imaged by teleseismic tomography beneath YMB; (2) Shear wave splitting results show NE parallel fast-wave polarization direction which parallel with tectonic lineament; (3) The reflection seismic data support the crustal-detachment model, the lower and upper crust was detached during contraction deformation near Tanlu fault and Ningwu volcanic basin; (4) Broadband and reflection seismic confirm the shallow Moho beneath YMB; (5) Strong correlation of lower crust reflectivity with magmatism; (6) The lower crust below Luzong Volcanics shows obvious reflective anisotropy both at the crust-mantle transition and the brittle-ductile transition in the crust. All these features suggest that introcontinental subduction, lithosphere delamination, mantle sources magmatic underplating, and MASH process are responsible for the formation of this Mesozoic metallogenic belt. Acknowledgment: We acknowledge the financial support of SinoProbe by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Land and Resources, P. R. China, under Grant sinoprobe-03, and

Effects of the bottom boundary condition in numerical investigations of dense water cascading on a slope

Science.gov (United States)

Berntsen, Jarle; Alendal, Guttorm; Avlesen, Helge; Thiem, Øyvind

2018-05-01

The flow of dense water along continental slopes is considered. There is a large literature on the topic based on observations and laboratory experiments. In addition, there are many analytical and numerical studies of dense water flows. In particular, there is a sequence of numerical investigations using the dynamics of overflow mixing and entrainment (DOME) setup. In these papers, the sensitivity of the solutions to numerical parameters such as grid size and numerical viscosity coefficients and to the choices of methods and models is investigated. In earlier DOME studies, three different bottom boundary conditions and a range of vertical grid sizes are applied. In other parts of the literature on numerical studies of oceanic gravity currents, there are statements that appear to contradict choices made on bottom boundary conditions in some of the DOME papers. In the present study, we therefore address the effects of the bottom boundary condition and vertical resolution in numerical investigations of dense water cascading on a slope. The main finding of the present paper is that it is feasible to capture the bottom Ekman layer dynamics adequately and cost efficiently by using a terrain-following model system using a quadratic drag law with a drag coefficient computed to give near-bottom velocity profiles in agreement with the logarithmic law of the wall. Many studies of dense water flows are performed with a quadratic bottom drag law and a constant drag coefficient. It is shown that when using this bottom boundary condition, Ekman drainage will not be adequately represented. In other studies of gravity flow, a no-slip bottom boundary condition is applied. With no-slip and a very fine resolution near the seabed, the solutions are essentially equal to the solutions obtained with a quadratic drag law and a drag coefficient computed to produce velocity profiles matching the logarithmic law of the wall. However, with coarser resolution near the seabed, there may be a

Lithospheric strength in the active boundary between the Pacific Plate and Baja California microplate constrained from lower crustal and upper mantle xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzaras, Vasileios; van der Werf, Thomas; Kriegsman, Leo M.; Kronenberg, Andreas; Tikoff, Basil; Drury, Martyn R.

2017-04-01

The lower crust is the most poorly understood of the lithospheric layers in terms of its rheology, particularly at active plate boundaries. We studied naturally deformed lower crustal xenoliths within an active plate boundary, in order to link their microstructures and rheological parameters to the well-defined active tectonic context. The Baja California shear zone (BCSZ), located at the western boundary of the Baja California microplate, comprises the active boundary accommodating the relative motion between the Pacific plate and Baja California microplate. The basalts of the Holocene San Quintin volcanic field carry lower crustal and upper mantle xenoliths, which sample the Baja California microplate lithosphere in the vicinity of the BCSZ. The lower crustal xenoliths range from undeformed gabbros to granoblastic two-pyroxene granulites. Two-pyroxene geothermometry shows that the granulites equilibrated at temperatures of 690-920 oC. Phase equilibria (P-T pseudosections using Perple_X) indicate that symplectites with intergrown pyroxenes, plagioclase, olivine and spinel formed at 3.6-5.4 kbar, following decompression from pressures exceeding 6 kbar. FTIR spectroscopy shows that the water content of plagioclase varies among the analyzed xenoliths; plagioclase is relatively dry in two xenoliths while one xenolith contains hydrated plagioclase grains. Microstructural observations and analysis of the crystallographic texture provide evidence for deformation of plagioclase by a combination of dislocation creep and grain boundary sliding. To constrain the strength of the lower crust and upper mantle near the BCSZ we estimated the differential stress using plagioclase and olivine grain size paleopiezomtery, respectively. Differential stress estimates for plagioclase range from 10 to 32 MPa and for olivine are 30 MPa. Thus the active microplate boundary records elevated crustal temperatures, heterogeneous levels of hydration, and low strength in both the lower crust and

Bottom and top physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foley, K.J.; Fridman, A.; Gilman, F.J.; Herten, G.; Hinchliffe, I.; Jawahery, A.; Sanda, A.; Schmidt, M.P.; Schubert, K.R.

1987-09-01

The production of bottom quarks at the SSC and the formalism and phenomenology of observing CP violation in B meson decays is discussed. The production of a heavy t quark which decays into a real W boson, and what we might learn from its decays is examined

Area-intensive bottom culture of blue mussels Mytilus edulis in a micro-tidal estuary

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dolmer, Per; Christensen, Helle Torp; Hansen, Benni Winding

2012-01-01

Dredge fishery for blue mussels Mytilus edulis (L.) impacts the benthic ecosystem, and substitution by area-intensive bottom culture production may reduce adverse effects on the ecosystem. Two different field studies in 2007 and 2009 tested the productivity of bottom culture of blue mussels, and ...

A Comparative Prospective Study of Two Different Treatment Sequences i.e. Bottom Up-Inside Out and Topdown-Outside in, in the Treatment of Panfacial Fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Degala, Saikrishna; Sundar, S Shyam; Mamata, K S

2015-12-01

To compare the sequence bottom-up inside-out with top-down outside-in, in the treatment of pan facial fractures and to evaluate the outcome of these approaches. The data from 11 patients with panfacial fracture are prospectively analysed. Five cases are treated with bottom-up approach and six patients with top-down approach. There were 11 male patients (six in top-down approach and five in bottom-up approach), ranging in age from 24 to 50 years. All injuries were result of RTA (n = 11, 100 %). Final treatment outcome was excellent in 3 (50 %), 1 (16 %) good and 2 (32 %) cases were fair in topdown approach, 3 (60 %) excellent and 2 (40 %) fair in bottom up approach with contingency coefficient value (P reconstruction of the remaining. Choice of the bottom-up inside-out or top-down outside-in sequence should be according to the pattern of fractures and preference of the surgeon. However, further controlled clinical trials, comparative studies with a larger sample size would be better to evaluate the final clinical outcome of individual techniques.

Domains of Archean mantle lithosphere deciphered by seismic anisotropy – inferences from the LAPNET array in northern Fennoscandia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Plomerová, Jaroslava; Vecsey, Luděk; Babuška, Vladislav

2011-01-01

Roč. 2, č. 2 (2011), s. 303-313 ISSN 1869-9510 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA300120709 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30120515 Keywords : Baltic Shield * continental lithosphere * teleseismic tomography Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure

Status analysis of keyhole bottom in laser-MAG hybrid welding process.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Gao, Xiangdong; Chen, Ziqin

2018-01-08

The keyhole status is a determining factor of weld quality in laser-metal active gas arc (MAG) hybrid welding process. For a better evaluation of the hybrid welding process, three different penetration welding experiments: partial penetration, normal penetration (or full penetration), and excessive penetration were conducted in this work. The instantaneous visual phenomena including metallic vapor, spatters and keyhole of bottom surface were used to evaluate the keyhole status by a double high-speed camera system. The Fourier transform was applied on the bottom weld pool image for removing the image noise around the keyhole, and then the bottom weld pool image was reconstructed through the inverse Fourier transform. Lastly, the keyhole bottom was extracted from the de-noised bottom weld pool image. By analyzing the visual features of the laser-MAG hybrid welding process, mechanism of the closed and opened keyhole bottom were revealed. The results show that the stable opened or closed status of keyhole bottom is directly affected by the MAG droplet transition in the normal penetration welding process, and the unstable opened or closed status of keyhole bottom would appear in excessive penetration welding and partial penetration welding. The analysis method proposed in this paper could be used to monitor the keyhole stability in laser-MAG hybrid welding process.

INVESTIGATION OF LITHOSPHERIC STRUCTURE IN MONGOLIA: INSIGHTS FROM INSAR OBSERVATIONS AND MODELLING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Jing

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The western Mongolia is a seismically active intracontinental region, with ongoing tectonic deformation and widespread seismicity related to the far-field effects of India-Eurasia collision. During the 20th century, four earthquakes with the magnitude larger than 8 occurred in the western Mongolia and its surrounding regions, providing a unique opportunity to study the geodynamics of intracontinental tectonic deformations. The 1957 magnitude 8.3 Gobi-Altai earthquake is one of the largest seismic events. The deformation pattern of rupture zone associated with this earthquake is complex, involving left-lateral strike-slip and reverse dip-slip faulting on several distinct geological structures in a 264 × 40 km wide zone. To understand the relationship between the observed postseismic surface deformation and the rheological structure of the upper lithosphere, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR data are used to study the 1957 earthquake. Then we developed a postseismic model in a spherical, radially layered elastic-viscoelastic Earth based on InSAR results, and further analysed the dominant contribution to the surface deformation. This work is important for understanding not only the regional tectonics, but also the structure and dynamics of the lithosphere. SAR data were acquired from the ERS1/2 and Envisat from 1996 to 2010. Using the Repeat Orbit Interferometry Package (ROI_PAC, 124 postseismic interferograms are produced on four adjacent tracks. By stacking these interferograms, the maximum InSAR line-of-sight deformation rate along the Gobi-Altai fault zone is obtained. The main results are as follows: (1 The maximum InSAR line-of-sight deformation velocity along this large fault zone is about 6 mm/yr; (2 The modelled surface deformation suggests that the viscoelastic relaxation is the most reasonable mechanism to explain the observed surface motion; (3 The optimal model cover the Gobi-Altai seismogenic thickness is 10�

Small Engines as Bottoming Cycle Steam Expanders for Internal Combustion Engines

OpenAIRE

Weerasinghe, Rohitha; Hounsham, Sandra

2017-01-01

Heat recovery bottoming cycles for internal combustion engines have opened new avenues for research into small steam expanders [1]. Dependable data for small steam expanders will allow us to predict on their suitability as bottoming cycle engines and the fuel economy achieved by using them as bottoming cycles. Wankel Engines, with its lower resistance properties at small scale provide excellent contenders for bottoming cycle expanders. Present paper is based on results of experiments carried ...

The influence of triple bottom line on international operations management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Sperotto Flores

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper takes a triple bottom line perspective to analyze how the international operations literature integrates economic, social, and environmental issues. Additionally, it shows the main drivers of and barriers to the adoption of triple bottom line practices by companies in an international context. We conducted a literature review in English language journals which publish research of production and operations management and sustainability, resulting in a final sample of 29 papers. Results show that social and legal pressure for companies to adopt a responsible behavior prompts an isomorphic process that leads them to conduct their operations on behalf of triple bottom line goals. Behavioral differences between spin-offs in various countries caused institutions to create mechanisms that can press and change private standards through regulation and enforcement. There is room for progress in studies that seek to analyze the company’s relationships in its international experience and its multi-institutional relations.

Analysis of hydrodynamic characteristics of unmanned underwater vehicle moving close to the sea bottom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-xu Du

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The accurate research on the hydrodynamics of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV, which moves close to the sea bottom, has a great significance for its maneuverability. The structured grid of the computational models with different distances to the sea bottom and attack angles is generated by Ansys ICEM, and the flow field near the sea bottom is simulated using CFX. The characteristics of the drag, lift, pitching moment influenced by the distance to sea bottom and the attack angle are studied. The result shows that the drag coefficient increases with the decrease of distance, while it increases with the increase of attack angle. There exists attraction force when UUV moves close to the sea bottom, and the attraction force increases with the decrease in distance. The lift coefficient increases with the increase in attack angle. The absolute value of the pitching moment coefficient increases with the decrease in distance and the increase in attack angle.

Speciation of Chromium in Bottom Ash Obtained by the Incineration of the Leather Waste Shavings

OpenAIRE

k. louhab; H. Assas

2006-01-01

The evolution of bottom ash morphology and chromium metals behavior during incineration of a leather waste shavings at different incineration temperature have been studied. The Cr, Ca, Mg, Cl rates in bottom ashes, flay ashes and emitted gases in different incineration temperature of the tannery wastes are also determined. The morphology of the bottom ashes obtained by incineration at different temperature from the leather waste shavings was examined by MEB. The result sho...

Intermediate-Depth Subduction Earthquakes Recorded by Pseudotachylyte in Dry Eclogite-Facies Oceanic Lithosphere from the Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Scambelluri, M.; Pennacchioni, G.; Gilio, M.; Bestmann, M.

2016-12-01

While geophysical studies and laboratory experiments provide much information on subduction earthquakes, field studies identifying the rock types for earthquake development and the deep seismogenic environments are still scarce. To date, fluid overpressure and volume decrease during hydrous mineral breakdown the widely favoured trigger of subduction earthquakes in serpentinized lithospheric mantle and hydrated low-velocity layers atop slabs. Here we document up to 40 cm-thick pseudotachylyte (PST) in Alpine oceanic gabbro and peridotite (2-2.5 GPa-550-620°C), the analogue of a modern cold subducting oceanic lithosphere. These rocks mostly remained unaltered dry systems; only very minor domains (<1%) record partial hydration and static eclogitic metamorphism. Meta-peridotite shows high-pressure olivine + antigorite (garnet + zoisite + chlorite after mantle plagioclase); meta-gabbro develops omphacite + zoisite + talc + chloritoid + garnet. Abundant syn-eclogitic pseudotachylyte cut the dry gabbro-peridotite and the eclogitized domains. In meta-peridotite, PST shows olivine, orthopyroxene, spinel microliths and clasts of high-pressure olivine + antigorite and garnet + zoisite + chlorite aggregates. In metagabbro, microfaults in damage zones near PST cut brecciated igneous pyroxene cemented by omphacite. In unaltered gabbro, glassy PST contains micron-scale garnet replacing plagioclase microliths during, or soon after, PST cooling. In the host rock, garnet coronas between igneous olivine and plagioclase only occur near PST and between closely spaced PST veins. Absence of garnet away from PST indicates that garnet growth was triggered by mineral seeds and by heat released by PST. The above evidence shows that pseudotachylyte formed at eclogite-facies conditions. In such setting, strong, dry, metastable gabbro-peridotite concentrate stress to generate large intermediate depth subduction earthquakes without much involvement of free fluid.

Peabody Western Coal cuts costs with bottom-dump haulers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perla, S.; Baecker, G.; Morgan, W. [Empire Machinery, Mesa, AZ (United States)

1995-04-01

A new hauling concept has been introduced at the Black Mesa and Kayenta coal mines of the Peabody Western Coal Co. in northern Arizona, USA. The article describes the switch from Caterpillar 992 wheel loaders with 136 t bottom-dump trucks to 272 t bottom-dump trucks. Cat 789 off-highway trucks were modified to pull bottom-dump trucks. Haulage costs per ton of coal and cost per ton-mile have fallen significantly since the introduction of the new large hauling method. 7 figs., 2 photos.

Spreading of Antarctic Bottom Water in the Atlantic Ocean

OpenAIRE

Morozov, E.; Tarakanov, R. Y.; Zenk, Walter

2012-01-01

This paper describes the transport of bottom water from its source region in the Weddell Sea through the abyssal channels of the Atlantic Ocean. The research brings together the recent observations and historical data. A strong flow of Antarctic Bottom Water through the Vema Channel is analyzed. The mean speed of the flow is 30 cm/s. A temperature increase was found in the deep Vema Channel, which has been observed for 30 years already. The flow of bottom water in the northern part of the Bra...

Quality assurance of MSWI bottom ash. Environmental properties; Kvalitetssaekring av slaggrus. Miljoemaessiga egenskaper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flyhammar, Peter [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Engineering Geology

2006-04-15

In Sweden several hundred tonnes of MSWI bottom ash are generated annually at 29 incineration plants for municipal solid waste. So far bottom ash has mainly been disposed in to landfills or used as cover material in landfills or in other construction works at landfills. A few applications of bottom ash in construction works outside landfills have been reported. A large problem for the market of bottom ash and other secondary materials outside Swedish waste treatment plants is the lack of roles and regulations for a non-polluting use. During 2002 Hartlen and Groenholm (HG) presented a proposal to a system to assure the quality of bottom ash after homogenization and stabilization. A quality assurance of environmental properties should be based on leaching tests. The aim of this project was to study how the control of environmental properties of bottom ash earlier described in e.g. a product information sheet should be worked out. The starting-point has been a control system for bottom ash developed by the Sysav company. Different leaching tests illustrate however different aspects of the environmental properties, e.g. short-term and long-term leaching. Limit and target values for different variables could affect both the possibilities to use bottom ash as well as the sampling from storage heaps. We have chosen to investigate: pH, availability and leached amount and the connection between these variables; the possibilities to use pH or the availability to assess both short-term and long term leaching properties; how the number of subsamples that should be collected from a storage heap is affected by different control variables and quality requirements; how bottom ash is stabilized by today's storage technology and how the technology could be improved. Our sample test of bottom ash from Swedish incineration plants indicates that the availability of elements such as Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn in bottom ash usually is below Sysav's target values. Extreme values

Mapping lithosphere thickness beneath the Southern Caribbean and Venezuela using body wave reflectivity and surface wave tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Masy, J.; Niu, F.; Levander, A.; Schmitz, M.

2012-12-01

The Caribbean (CAR) and South American (SA) plate boundary in Venezuela is a broad zone of diffuse deformation and faulting. GPS measurements indicate that the CAR is moving approximately 2 cm/yr respect to SA, parallel to the strike slip fault system in the east, but with an oblique convergence component in the west (Weber et al., 2001). Along the central and eastern Venezuela coast, most of the motion is accommodated by both transpression and transtension along the right lateral strike-slip San Sebastian- El Pilar fault system. The main tectonic features of the area include accretionary wedges and coastal thrust belts with their associated foreland basins (e.g. Sierra del Interior and Espino Graben). Southern of the plate boundary is located the Guayana Shield, which is part of the Amazonian Craton, and is an elevated plain consisting of Precambrian rocks. BOLIVAR (Broadband Onshore-Offshore Lithospheric Investigation of Venezuela and the Antilles Arc Region) was a multidisciplinary, international investigation to determine the evolution of the CAR-SA plate boundary (Levander et al., 2006) that included a 47 station broadband seismic array to complement the 40 station Venezuelan national array operated by FUNVISIS. The goal of this study is to map out lithosphere thickness across the region in order to understand its role for the various types of deformations observed at surface. We combined surface wave tomography and body wave reflectivity to locate the depth of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). To generate a coherent 3D reflectivity volume of the study area, we used both P- and S-wave receiver-function data, as well as the ScS reverberation records of two deep earthquakes occurring in South America. We also measured Rayleigh phase velocities in the frequency range of 20-100 s using the two plane-wave method to remove multi-pathing effects (Forsyth and Li, 2005). Finite-frequency kernels were computed for a total of 63 teleseismic events to improve

Rayleigh and S wave tomography constraints on subduction termination and lithospheric foundering in central California

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chengxin; Schmandt, Brandon; Hansen, Steven M.; Dougherty, Sara L.; Clayton, Robert W.; Farrell, Jamie; Lin, Fan-Chi

2018-01-01

The crust and upper mantle structure of central California have been modified by subduction termination, growth of the San Andreas plate boundary fault system, and small-scale upper mantle convection since the early Miocene. Here we investigate the contributions of these processes to the creation of the Isabella Anomaly, which is a high seismic velocity volume in the upper mantle. There are two types of hypotheses for its origin. One is that it is the foundered mafic lower crust and mantle lithosphere of the southern Sierra Nevada batholith. The alternative suggests that it is a fossil slab connected to the Monterey microplate. A dense broadband seismic transect was deployed from the coast to the western Sierra Nevada to fill in the least sampled areas above the Isabella Anomaly, and regional-scale Rayleigh and S wave tomography are used to evaluate the two hypotheses. New shear velocity (Vs) tomography images a high-velocity anomaly beneath coastal California that is sub-horizontal at depths of ∼40–80 km. East of the San Andreas Fault a continuous extension of the high-velocity anomaly dips east and is located beneath the Sierra Nevada at ∼150–200 km depth. The western position of the Isabella Anomaly in the uppermost mantle is inconsistent with earlier interpretations that the Isabella Anomaly is connected to actively foundering foothills lower crust. Based on the new Vs images, we interpret that the Isabella Anomaly is not the dense destabilized root of the Sierra Nevada, but rather a remnant of Miocene subduction termination that is translating north beneath the central San Andreas Fault. Our results support the occurrence of localized lithospheric foundering beneath the high elevation eastern Sierra Nevada, where we find a lower crustal low Vs layer consistent with a small amount of partial melt. The high elevations relative to crust thickness and lower crustal low Vs zone are consistent with geological inferences that lithospheric foundering drove

Rayleigh and S wave tomography constraints on subduction termination and lithospheric foundering in central California

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chengxin; Schmandt, Brandon; Hansen, Steven M.; Dougherty, Sara L.; Clayton, Robert W.; Farrell, Jamie; Lin, Fan-Chi

2018-04-01

The crust and upper mantle structure of central California have been modified by subduction termination, growth of the San Andreas plate boundary fault system, and small-scale upper mantle convection since the early Miocene. Here we investigate the contributions of these processes to the creation of the Isabella Anomaly, which is a high seismic velocity volume in the upper mantle. There are two types of hypotheses for its origin. One is that it is the foundered mafic lower crust and mantle lithosphere of the southern Sierra Nevada batholith. The alternative suggests that it is a fossil slab connected to the Monterey microplate. A dense broadband seismic transect was deployed from the coast to the western Sierra Nevada to fill in the least sampled areas above the Isabella Anomaly, and regional-scale Rayleigh and S wave tomography are used to evaluate the two hypotheses. New shear velocity (Vs) tomography images a high-velocity anomaly beneath coastal California that is sub-horizontal at depths of ∼40-80 km. East of the San Andreas Fault a continuous extension of the high-velocity anomaly dips east and is located beneath the Sierra Nevada at ∼150-200 km depth. The western position of the Isabella Anomaly in the uppermost mantle is inconsistent with earlier interpretations that the Isabella Anomaly is connected to actively foundering foothills lower crust. Based on the new Vs images, we interpret that the Isabella Anomaly is not the dense destabilized root of the Sierra Nevada, but rather a remnant of Miocene subduction termination that is translating north beneath the central San Andreas Fault. Our results support the occurrence of localized lithospheric foundering beneath the high elevation eastern Sierra Nevada, where we find a lower crustal low Vs layer consistent with a small amount of partial melt. The high elevations relative to crust thickness and lower crustal low Vs zone are consistent with geological inferences that lithospheric foundering drove uplift

Search for scalar bottom quarks from gluino decays in collisions at.

Science.gov (United States)

Abulencia, A; Acosta, D; Adelman, J; Affolder, T; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Ambrose, D; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Anikeev, K; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Aoki, M; Apollinari, G; Arguin, J-F; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Bachacou, H; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Bedeschi, F; Behari, S; Belforte, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Ben-Haim, E; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bishai, M; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Bloom, K; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Bourov, S; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carron, S; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chapman, J; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, I; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Chu, P H; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciljak, M; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Coca, M; Connolly, A; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cooper, B; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Cruz, A; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cyr, D; DaRonco, S; D'Auria, S; D'onofrio, M; Dagenhart, D; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lentdecker, G; Dell'Orso, M; Demers, S; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; De Pedis, D; Derwent, P F; Dionisi, C; Dittmann, J R; Dituro, P; Dörr, C; Dominguez, A; Donati, S; Donega, M; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Ebina, K; Efron, J; Ehlers, J; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, I; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Flores-Castillo, L R; Foland, A; Forrester, S; Foster, G W; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Fujii, Y; Furic, I; Gajjar, A; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garcia, J E; Garcia Sciverez, M; Garfinkel, A F; Gay, C; Gerberich, H; Gerchtein, E; Gerdes, D; Giagu, S; di Giovanni, G P; Giannetti, P; Gibson, A; Gibson, K; Ginsburg, C; Giokaris, N; Giolo, K; Giordani, M; Giunta, M; Giurgiu, G; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Goldstein, J; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Gotra, Y; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Griffiths, M; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Haber, C; Hahn, S R; Hahn, K; Halkiadakis, E; Hamilton, A; Han, B-Y; Handler, R; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, M; Harper, S; Harr, R F; Harris, R M; Hatakeyama, K; Hauser, J; Hays, C; Hayward, H; Heijboer, A; Heinemann, B; Heinrich, J; Hennecke, M; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Holloway, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Huston, J; Ikado, K; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ishizawa, Y; Ivanov, A; Iyutin, B; James, E; Jang, D; Jayatilaka, B; Jeans, D; Jensen, H; Jeon, E J; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kang, J; Karagoz-Unel, M; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kemp, Y; Kephart, R; Kerzel, U; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, M S; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kirby, M; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Klute, M; Knuteson, B; Ko, B R; Kobayashi, H; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Kordas, K; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kovalev, A; Kraus, J; Kravchenko, I; Kreps, M; Kreymer, A; Kroll, J; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kuhlmann, S E; Kusakabe, Y; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lai, S; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; Lecci, C; Lecompte, T; Lee, J; Lee, J; Lee, S W; Lefèvre, R; Leonardo, N; Leone, S; Levy, S; Lewis, J D; Li, K; Lin, C; Lin, C S; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Liss, T M; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, T; Liu, Y; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Loreti, M; Loverre, P; Lu, R-S; Lucchesi, D; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lyons, L; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Lytken, E; Mack, P; MacQueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Maksimovic, P; Manca, G; Margaroli, F; Marginean, R; Marino, C; Martin, A; Martin, M; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Maruyama, T; Matsunaga, H; Mattson, M E; Mazini, R; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McGivern, D; McIntyre, P; McNamara, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Menzemer, S; Menzione, A; Merkel, P; Mesropian, C; Messina, A; von der Mey, M; Miao, T; Miladinovic, N; Miles, J; Miller, R; Miller, J S; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Miquel, R; Miscetti, S; Mitselmakher, G; Miyamoto, A; Moggi, N; Mohr, B; Moore, R; Morello, M; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Mulhearn, M; Muller, Th; Mumford, R; Munar, A; Murat, P; Nachtman, J; Nahn, S; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Naumov, D; Necula, V; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Nielsen, J; Nigmanov, T; Nodulman, L; Norniella, O; Ogawa, T; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Okusawa, T; Oldeman, R; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Paoletti, R; Papadimitriou, V; Papikonomou, A; Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Pope, G; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Rakitin, A; Rappoccio, S; Ratnikov, F; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; van Remortel, N; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Rinnert, K; Ristori, L; Robertson, W J; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Rott, C; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Ryan, D; Saarikko, H; Sabik, S; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Salto, O; Saltzberg, D; Sanchez, C; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sato, K; Savard, P; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Semeria, F; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfiligoi, I; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Siegrist, J L; Sill, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Sjolin, J; Skiba, A; Slaughter, A J; Sliwa, K; Smirnov, D; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spinella, F; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; Staveris-Polykalas, A; St Dennis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sumorok, K; Sun, H; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Tafirout, R; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Takikawa, K; Tanaka, M; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Tether, S; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Tönnesmann, M; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tsuchiya, R; Tsuno, S; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Unverhau, T; Uozumi, S; Usynin, D; Vacavant, L; Vaiciulis, A; Vallecorsa, S; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Velev, G; Veramendi, G; Veszpremi, V; Vickey, T; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vollrath, I; Volobouev, I; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner, W; Wallny, R; Walter, T; Wan, Z; Wang, M J; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Ward, B; Waschke, S; Waters, D; Watts, T; Weber, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Worm, S; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, Y; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zetti, F; Zhang, X; Zhou, J; Zucchelli, S

2006-05-05

We searched for scalar bottom quarks 156 pb(-1) of pp collisions at radicalS = 1.96 recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab II experiment at the Tevatron. Scalar bottom quarks can be produced from gluino decays in -parity conserving models of supersymmetry when the mass of the gluino exceeds that of the scalar bottom quark. Then, a scalar bottom quark can decay into a bottom quark and a neutralino. To search for this scenario, we investigated events with large missing transverse energy and at least three jets, two or more of which were identified as containing a secondary vertex from the hadronization of quarks. We found four candidate events, where 2.6 +/- 0.7 are expected from standard model processes, and placed 95% confidence level lower limits on gluino and scalar bottom quark masses of up to 280 and 240 GeV/c(2), respectively.

Characterizing the Relationship Between Lithospheric Deformation and Seismic Anisotropy in the Basin and Range Province and San Andreas Fault System using Ps Receiver Function Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, H. A.; Schnorr, E.

2017-12-01

The presence of complex and spatially variable anisotropy in many parts of the western U.S. has been tied to regional tectonic and dynamic processes that go beyond the (frequently) assumed plate motion oriented shear. In the Basin and Range, a well-imaged "swirl" of shear wave splitting observations has been explained via a number of different dynamic processes, including a lithospheric drip and toroidal flow. In central California, rapid variations in splitting direction across the plate boundary have been attributed to a relatively narrow, well-defined shear zone. Ambient noise tomography has further complicated the picture, indicating that some of the observed complexity can be explained by incorporating multiple layers of anisotropy. The goal of this study is to place firm constraints on vertical variations in anisotropy over two tectonically distinct, yet related, regions- the Basin and Range province and the San Andreas fault system, in order to better understand how deformation of the lithosphere is accommodated. To do this, radial and transverse component Ps receiver functions have been calculated for 14 stations within the two regions. Within both study areas, variability exists between most stations at crust and lithospheric mantle depths. This is particularly true for stations located near the San Andreas Fault system. These differences may be attributed to variations in the provenance of the lithospheric "packages" in some areas, however several stations are located near or within the plate boundary system and may be sampling multiple regions with varying deformation fabrics. To account for this, future work will include binning as a function of piercing point. One notable exception to the generally observed variability is along the western margin of the Basin and Range, where several stations show similarities in back azimuthal variations at lower crust and uppermost mantle depths. Preliminary forwarding modeling of two of these stations indicates that

Constraints on the Chemistry and Abundance of Hydrous Phases in Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle: Implications for Mid-Lithospheric Discontinuities

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, S.; Dasgupta, R.; Fischer, K. M.; Mookherjee, M.

2017-12-01

The origins of a 2-10% reduction in seismic shear wave velocity (Vs) at depths of 60-160 km in sub continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) regions, identified as the Mid Lithospheric Discontinuity (MLD) [e.g., 1] are highly debated [e.g., 2, 3]. One of the proposed explanations for MLDs is the presence of hydrous minerals such as amphibole and phlogopite at these depths [e.g., 2, 4, 5]. Although the stability and compositions of these phases in peridotite + H2O ± CO2 have been widely explored [e.g., 6], their composition and abundance as a function of permissible SCLM chemistry remain poorly understood. We have compiled phase equilibria experiments conducted over a range of pressure (0.5-8 GPa), temperature (680-1300 °C), major element peridotite compositions, and volatiles (H2O: 0.05-13.79 wt.% and CO2: 0.25-5.3 wt.%). The goal was to constrain how compositional parameters such as CaO and alkali/H2O affect the chemistry and abundance of amphibole and phlogopite. We observe that the abundance of amphibole increases with CaO content and decreasing alkali/H2O. The abundance of phlogopite varies directly with K2O content. Unlike phlogopite compositions that remain consistent, amphibole compositions show variability (pargastitic to K-richterite) depending on bulk CaO and Na2O. Mineral modes, obtained by mass balance on a melt/fluid free basis, were used to calculate aggregate shear wave velocity, Vs for the respective assemblages [e.g., 7] and compared with absolute values observed at MLD depths [e.g., 8]. Vs shows a strong inverse correlation with phlogopite and amphibole modes (particularly where phlogopite is absent). For the Mg# range of cratonic xenoliths, 5-10% phlogopite at MLD depths can match the observed Vs values, while CaO contents in cratonic xenoliths limit the amphibole abundance to 10%, which is lower than previous estimates based on heat flow calculations [e.g., 4]. The modes of hydrous and other phases and corresponding Vs values could be used to

Spectroscopy and lifetime of bottom and charm hadrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

F. Ukegawa

2000-01-01

There are several motivations for studying masses and lifetimes of the hadrons containing a heavy quark, either the bottom or the charm quark. First, the mass and the lifetime are fundamental properties of an elementary particle. Second, the spectroscopy of hadrons gives insights into the QCD potential between quarks. In particular, a symmetry exists for heavy hadrons when the heavy quark mass is taken to be infinite, providing a powerful tool to predict and understand properties of those heavy hadrons. Third, studies of the lifetimes of heavy hadrons probe their decay mechanisms. A measurement of the lifetime, or the total decay width, is necessary when the authors extract magnitudes of elements of the Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. Again, in the limit of an infinite heavy quark mass things become simple and decay of a heavy hadron should be the decay of the heavy quark Q. This leads to a prediction that all hadrons containing the heavy quark Q should have the same lifetime, that of the quark Q. This is far from reality in the case of charm hadrons, where the D + meson lifetime is about 2.5 times longer than the D 0 meson lifetime. Perhaps the charm quark is not heavy enough. The simple quark decay picture should be a better approximation for the bottom hadrons because of the larger b quark mass. On the experimental side, the measurements and knowledge of the heavy hadrons (in particular bottom hadrons) have significantly improved over the last decade, thanks to high statistics data accumulated by various experiments. The authors shall review recent developments in these studies in the remainder of this manuscript

SPREADING OF ANTARCTIC BOTTOM WATER IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugene Morozov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the transport of bottom water from its source region in the Weddell Sea through the abyssal channels of the Atlantic Ocean. The research brings together the recent observations and historical data. A strong flow of Antarctic Bottom Water through the Vema Channel is analyzed. The mean speed of the flow is 30 cm/s. A temperature increase was found in the deep Vema Channel, which has been observed for 30 years already. The flow of bottom water in the northern part of the Brazil Basin splits. Part of the water flows through the Romanche and Chain fracture zones. The other part flows to the North American Basin. Part of the latter flow propagates through the Vema Fracture Zone into the Northeast Atlantic. The properties of bottom water in the Kane Gap and Discovery Gap are also analyzed.

Cathodic protection simulation of above ground storage tank bottom: Experimental and numerical results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultz, Marcelo [Inspection Department, Rio de Janeiro Refinery - REDUC, Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Brasil, Simone L.D.C. [Chemistry School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Baptista, Walmar [Corrosion Department, Research Centre - CENPES, Petrobras (Brazil); Miranda, Luiz de [Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Program, COPPE, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Brito, Rosane F. [Corrosion Department, Research Centre, CENPES, Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2004-07-01

The deterioration history of Above ground Storage Tanks (AST) of Petrobras' refineries - shows that the great incidence of corrosion in the AST bottom is at the external side. This is a problem in the disposability of storage crude oil and other final products. At this refinery, all AST's are built over a concrete base with a lot of pile to support the structure and distribute the charge homogeneously. Because of this it is very difficult to use cathodic protection as an anti-corrosive method for each one of these tanks. This work presents an alternative cathodic protection system to protect the external side of the tank bottom using a new metallic bottom, placed at different distance from the original one. The space between the two bottoms was filled with one of two kinds of soils, sand or clay, more conductive than the concrete. Using a prototype tank it was studied the potential distributions over the new tank bottom for different system parameters, as soil resistivity, number and position of anodes localized in the old bottom. These experimental results were compared to numerical simulations, carried out using a software based on the Boundary Element Method. The computer simulation validates this protection method, confirming to be a very useful tool to define the optimized cathodic protection system configuration. (authors)

Single production of an exotic bottom partner at LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Álvarez, Ezequiel; Rold, Leandro Da; Vietto, Juan Ignacio Sanchez

2014-01-01

We study single production and detection at the LHC run II of exotic partners of the bottom quark. For masses larger than 1 TeV single production can dominate over pair production that is suppressed due to phase space. The presence of exotic partners of the bottom is motivated in models aiming to solve the A FB b anomaly measured at LEP and SLC. Minimal models of this type with partial compositeness predict, as the lightest bottom partner, a new fermion V of electric charge −4/3, also called mirror. The relevant coupling for our study is a WVb vertex, which yields a signal that corresponds to a hard W, a hard b-jet and a forward light jet. We design a search strategy for the leptonic decay of the W, which avoids the large QCD multijet background and its large uncertainties. We find that the main backgrounds are W+jets and tt-bar, and the key variables to enhance the signal over them are a hard b-jet and the rapidity of the light jet. We determine the discovery reach for the LHC run II, in particular we predict that, for couplings of order ∼g/10, this signal could be detected at a 95% confidence level with a mass up to 2.4 TeV using the first 100 fb −1

Air bottoming cycle, an alternative to combined cycles. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaikko, J. [Royal Inst. of Techn., Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Energy Technology

2001-10-01

In this work, the idea of Air Bottoming Cycle (ABC) has been studied. The objectives for the work have been to establish an understanding of the concept for power and heat generation as well as to find - if possible - feasible concepts for future use in the Swedish energy system. Combined cycle in power generation is an established technology. In the conventional combined cycle, a gas turbine works as a topping cycle together with the steam (Rankine) bottoming cycle. In the ABC the steam bottoming cycle is replaced with a gas turbine (Brayton) bottoming cycle having air as a working fluid. The two gas turbines are thermally connected over a gas-to-gas heat exchanger. This concept promises savings in weight and cost, as well as operating benefits, compared to the Rankine bottoming technology. The ABC has been modelled using a heat balance program, and a parametric study for the concept optimisation as well as for off-design analysis has been performed. Performance of the ABC has been compared to other, established technologies. A preliminary economic evaluation has been made. As a result of the study, it is clarified that the Rankine bottoming cycle with steam remains superior to the ABC as regards electrical efficiency in the medium and large power scale. For small-scale applications (<10 MW{sub e}) where the thermodynamic advantage of the Rankine cycle is not dominating any longer and its economy is burdened by the heavy investment structure, the ABC becomes the better alternative for energy utilisation. A preliminary economic evaluation shows that (at energy prices autumn 2000) the ABC is at the same level as the comparable small-scale cogeneration installations. Due to high power-to-heat ratio however, higher electricity prices will favour the ABC. One interesting feature of the ABC is that about 50% of the dissipated low-value heat from the cycle is carried by clean (sterile) air at the temperature around 200 deg C. This air can be utilised for space heating or

Bottom-water observations in the Vema fracture zone