Gravity Measurements Near Japan and Study of the Upper Mantle Beneath the Oceanic Trench-Marginal Sea Transition Zones

Author(s):  
Jiro Segawa ◽  
Yoshibumi Tomoda
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-31
Author(s):  
V.V. GORDIENKO ◽  
L.Ya. GORDIENKO

A new element is included in the study of velocity sections of the upper mantle of regions of continents, oceans, and transition zones with different endogenous regimes (according to the advection-polymorphic hypothesis — APH). This is the flanking plateaus (FP) of the mid-ocean ridges (MOR). It is assumed that these regions underwent the process of oceanization in the Mesozoic along with other parts of the oceans. In the Neogene MORs were formed. Significant parts of the basins were engulfed in modern activation, including magmatism. Between these parts of the oceans, relatively narrow strips (200—300 km wide) have survived, which some authors refer to as flanking plateaus. They are located at the edges of the MOR. FP did not experience young activization. This is indicated by the features of the bottom topography, magnetic, gravitational and thermal fields, and a velocity section of the upper horizons of the mantle. An element of checking the nature of the FP can be the construction of a velocity section of the mantle beneath these regions. According to the APH, it should differ from the neighboring ones by the increased velocity of seismic waves in the upper about 200 km. The experimental data for such work turned out to be extremely small. It was possible to build only one travel-time, using data on the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. Insignificant information was also attracted on the southern part of the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Indian Ridge. The travel-time corresponds to the velocity section, which completely coincides with the forecast. The latter was calculated according to the heat and mass transfer scheme in the APH version and the thermal model of the mantle. The velocity section of the FP mantle does not contain indications of a partial melting layer. Consequently, there should be no manifestations of young magmatism in FP. Verification showed that in most of the studied fragments of MOR this is true.


1973 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 633-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald V. Helmberger

abstract Long-period wave propagation in the upper mantle is investigated by constructing synthetic seismograms for proposed models. A model consisting of spherical layers is assumed. Generalized ray theory and the Cagniard-de Hoop method is used to obtain the transient response. Preliminary calculations on producing the phases P and PP by ray summation out to periods of 50 sec is demonstrated, and synthetic seismograms for the long-period World Wide Standard Seismograph Network (WWSSN) and Long Range Seismic Measurement (LRSM) instruments are constructed. Models containing prominent transition zones as well as smooth models predict a maximum in the P amplitude near 20°. The LRSM synthetics are quite similar for the various models because the instrument is relatively narrow-band, peaked at 20 sec. The upper mantle appears smooth at wavelengths greater than 200 km. On the other hand, the WWSSN synthetics are very exciting for models containing structure. The triplications are apparent and the various pulses contain different periods. The amplitude of the P phase at 30° is down to about 25 per cent of its 20° maximum. The amplitude of the PP phase at 35° is comparable to P. Near 37°, the PP phase grows rapidly reaching about twice the P phase amplitude near 40°. Models containing sharp transition zones produce high-frequency interferences at neighboring ranges. A profile of observations is presented for comparison.


1966 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Keen ◽  
B. D. Loncarevic

The results of several seismic refraction profiles on the continental shelf and slope of the eastern seaboard of Canada are now available. Gravity measurements which begin near the coast of Nova Scotia and end over the abyssal plain have also been made along two tracks perpendicular to the shelf edge. Various models for the crustal and upper mantle structure are presented. A density distribution assumed for each model resulted in a computed gravity field satisfying the observed gravity measurements. The models in agreement with all seismic data suggest that horizontal and vertical density variations occur in the upper mantle down to 100 km. The results indicate a mantle density of 3.42 g/cm3 under the continental shelf and 3.32 g/cm3 under the ocean basin.


1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ram ◽  
R. F. Mereu ◽  
D. H. Weichert

There is broad agreement among various seismological studies that the upper mantle has two regions where very high positive velocity gradients or transition zones exist. In most cases, the presence of these zones implies that two major triplications are likely to exist in the body-wave travel-time curve for distances less than 30°. Because of the difficulties in observing and identifying later arrivals belonging to the various travel-time branches, the inversion of the seismic data is often very difficult. In this paper an adaptive processing technique was employed to examine the variations in slowness that occur along the first 36 s of the short-period P-wave trains recorded at the Yellowknife medium aperture seismic array. Over 100 earthquakes from the Alaska Peninsula and California regions were selected. From the California results we were able to clearly observe the 12–13 s/deg slowness branch as a later arrival out to distances as great as 26°. Other later arrival branches as well as cusps associated with the 400 and 650 km discontinuities were not well defined even though the cross-over point as determined from slowness measurements on first arrivals were clearly located. An inversion of the data showed that the '650 km' transition zone occurred at a much shallower depth west of the array compared to the corresponding region to the south.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nore Stolte ◽  
Junting Yu ◽  
Zixin Chen ◽  
Dimitri A. Sverjensky ◽  
Ding Pan

The water-gas shift reaction is a key reaction in Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis, which is widely believed to generate hydrocarbons in the deep carbon cycle, but is little known at extreme pressure-temperature conditions found in Earth’s upper mantle. Here, we performed extensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to study the water-gas shift reaction. We found the direct formation of formic acid out of CO and supercritical water at 10∼13 GPa and 1400 K without any catalyst. Contrary to the common assumption that formic acid or formate is an intermediate product, we found that HCOOH is thermodynamically more stable than the products of the water-gas shift reaction above 3 GPa and at 1000∼1400 K. Our study suggests that the water-gas shift reaction may not happen in Earth’s upper mantle, and formic acid or formate may be an important carbon carrier, participating in many geochemical processes in deep Earth.<br>


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document