410-km和660-km间断面对太平洋板块向长白山火山区下俯冲过程和板片结构的影响

Effects of 410-km and 660-km seismic discontinuities on the Pacific Plate subduction and slab geometry beneath the Changbaishan volcanic province

  • 摘要: 长白山火山的形成机制被认为主要与太平洋板块俯冲有关,探究该机制需重建新生代以来太平洋板块向长白山火山区下俯冲的动力学过程。这需考虑上地幔中410-km和660-km间断面的克拉伯龙斜率和厚度的影响。然而它们的分布范围较广,在重建时如何合理地选择这些参数是亟待解决的问题。因此,本文的主要目的是通过模拟410-km和660-km间断面的克拉伯龙斜率和厚度对太平洋板块俯冲动力学的影响,最终为选择合理的参数来重建新生代以来太平洋板块在长白山火山区下的俯冲过程提供参考。本文通过建立具有一系列克拉伯龙斜率和厚度不同的410-km和660-km间断面的伴随数据同化的三维地球动力学模型,开展了系统性的数值模拟研究。结果表明,所有地球动力学模型预测的新生代以来的太平洋板块俯冲的动力学过程、行为和俯冲板片在地幔中的一级结构是相似的;当660-km间断面的克拉伯龙斜率γ660的绝对值|γ660|<4 MPa/K时,较小的410-km间断面的克拉伯龙斜率γ410可以明显地促进俯冲板片在地幔内的水平西向移动,而较大的γ410则有利于俯冲板片下沉,但下沉深度差异较小;当|γ660|≥4 MPa/K时,γ410的影响明显减弱,可以忽略不计;γ660对太平洋板片在地幔中水平西向移动的距离和下沉深度均具有显著的影响;随着|γ660|的增大,太平洋板片在地幔中下沉的深度显著而单调地变浅,但其水平西向移动距离则先显著增大而后减小;当|γ660|≥4 MPa/K时,太平洋板片的主体部分才位于地幔转换带内;两个间断面的厚度对太平洋俯冲板片俯冲的动力学过程和结构影响甚微。

     

    Abstract: The origin of the Changbaishan volcanic province (CBSVP) has been considered to mainly relate to the Pacific Plate subduction. Therefore, it is necessary to dynamically reconstruct the Pacific Plate subduction processes towards and beneath the CBSVP since the Cenozoic in order to investigate its origin. This reconstruction requires consideration of the seismic discontinuities in the upper mantle. There are two main global seismic discontinuities in the upper mantle: the 410-km and 660-km discontinuities, which have been considered as phase transition boundaries. The 410-km discontinuity represents the exothermic boundary of the α-olivine to β-spinel transition, featuring a positive Clapeyron slope. Consequently, negative buoyancy is generated and attaches to a subducting slab near this discontinuity, accelerating the slab’s subduction into the the mantle transition zone (MTZ) and slightly enhancing the transportation of upper mantle materials and the penetration of the slab through the 660-km discontinuity. However, some investigators hold opposing views regarding the effects of the olivine-spinel transition on the penetration of the 660-km discontinuity. The Clapeyron slope (γ410) and thickness (δh410) of the 410-km discontinuity range from 1.0 to 3.8 MPa/K and from 2 to 40 km. The 660-km discontinuity is the endothermic boundary of the transition from ringwoodite to bridgmanite and magnesiowüstite. This boundary, generally speaking, exhibits a negative Clapeyron slope. Consequently, positive buoyancy is generated and attaches to a subducting slab near the discontinuity, hindering the slab’s sinking into the lower mantle. Some investigators have considered this to be the primary cause of stagnant slabs in the MTZ, while others do not believe that the buoyancy resulting from the phase transition at this boundary is sufficient to compensate for the density of a cold subducting slab. The Clapeyron slope (γ660) and thickness (δh660) of the 660-km discontinuity range from −0.4 to −6 MPa/K and from approximately 2 km to 70 km. The δh660 is between 35 km and 70 km in Northeast China. These results indicate that the two discontinuities have the wide ranges of the Clapeyron slopes and thicknesses. It favors predicting a stagnant slab in the MTZ mapped by seismic tomography, using a geodynamic model that incorporates a γ660 ranging from −1.5 to −8 MPa/K, without considering the 410-km discontinuity, while when considering the 410-km discontinuity, the γ410 generally takes 3 to 4 MPa/K and the γ660 −2 to −6 MPa/K. It may well reproduce the stagnant Pacific slab in the MTZ beneath East Asia using geodynamic models that consider either γ660=−1.5 — −3 MPa/K and δh660=40 km or γ660=−2 MPa/K and δh660=40 km in the absence of the 410-km discontinuity. Alternatively, when considering the 410-km discontinuity, it may use models with either γ410=4 MPa/K, γ660=−2 MPa/K and δh410=δh660=64 km or γ410=3 MPa/K and γ660=−3 MPa/K in the presence of the 410-km discontinuity. These studies have provided us with basic knowledge of the effects of the two discontinuities on slab subduction dynamics, but in the meantime, we find that previous researches have presented a wider range of Clapeyron slopes and thicknesses for the 410-km and 660-km discontinuities, aiming to replicate the stagnant slab structure in the MTZ. Consequently, it is essential to clarify the impacts of these two discontinuities on the dynamic process of Pacific Plate subduction, as well as the slab structure, westward movement distance, and sinking depth within the mantle. Therefore, in this study, we set up a series of data-assimilation three-dimensional geodynamic models that incorporate varying values of γ410, γ660, δh410 and δh660 to predict the westernmost positions, bottom depths and subduction processes of the Pacific Plate since the Cenozoic. It is found that: ① The γ410, to a certain degree, affects the westward movement distance of the Pacific slab in the mantle, while it slightly influences the sinking depth of the slab. As the γ410 decreases, the average movement distance increases gradually, and the sinking depth becomes slightly shallower. The maximum differences are about 80 km and 50 km for the distance and sinking depth, respectively, over a range of γ410 from 0 to 6 MPa/K; ② With the increase of |γ660|, the effect of γ410 gradually weakens. When |γ660|≥4 MPa/K, the effect of γ410 can be almost ignored; ③ The γ660 has significant effects on both the westward movement distance and sinking depth of the Pacific slab in the mantle. When |γ660|≤5 MPa/K, the average slab westward movement distance increases as |γ660| increases. However, when |γ660|>5 MPa/K, the situation reverses, that is, the larger the |γ660|, the smaller the average slab westward movement distance. The sinking depth consistently becomes shallower with the increase of |γ660|. The maximum differences exceed 300 km and 600 km for the distance and sinking depth, respectively, over a range of γ660 from −1 MPa/K to −6 MPa/K; ④ Both δh410 and δh660 have slight effects on the dynamic processes of the Pacific slab and the slab structure within the mantle; ⑤ A geodynamic model that merely considers the effects of both 410-km and 660-km discontinuities may predict the westernmost position of the Pacific slab in the modern mantle reasonably, but it struggles to reproduce the slab’s sinking depth reasonably.

     

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