Volume 47 Issue 11
Nov.  2022
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Article Navigation >  Earth Science  > 2022  >  47(11): 4245-4255
Peng Xi, Li Chunfeng, Song Taoran, Wan Xiaoli, Hou Wenai, Wen Yonglin, Li Yaqing, Liu Yutao, Tang Fugui, 2022. Deep Structures and Lithospheric Breakup Processes at Northern Continent-Ocean Transition Zone of the South China Sea. Earth Science, 47(11): 4245-4255. doi: 10.3799/dqkx.2022.366
Citation: Peng Xi, Li Chunfeng, Song Taoran, Wan Xiaoli, Hou Wenai, Wen Yonglin, Li Yaqing, Liu Yutao, Tang Fugui, 2022. Deep Structures and Lithospheric Breakup Processes at Northern Continent-Ocean Transition Zone of the South China Sea. Earth Science, 47(11): 4245-4255. doi: 10.3799/dqkx.2022.366
shu

Deep Structures and Lithospheric Breakup Processes at Northern Continent-Ocean Transition Zone of the South China Sea

doi: 10.3799/dqkx.2022.366
  • 1.

    College of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China

  • 2.

    Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China

  • 3.

    Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China

  • 4.

    Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China

  • 5.

    School of Marine Science and Technology, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China

  • 6.

    School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

  • Received Date: 2022-07-22
    Available Online: 2022-12-07
  • Publish Date: 2022-11-25
    Abstract
  • Continent-ocean transition zone is a key position to understand the breakup of continental lithosphere and the initial seafloor spreading processes, but some questions about related geological processes still remain controversial in the northern margin of the South China Sea (SCS) today. Four new perspectives have been acquired by International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and deep geological and geophysical surveys in recent years. (1) Spatially, the continent-ocean boundary generally corresponds to positive-negative transition zone of the free-air gravity anomaly, but more accurate delimitation needs to be calibrated with seismic reflection and refraction data. True continent-ocean boundary between steady oceanic lithosphere and final breakup point of continental lithosphere should be located further toward the oceanic basin by about 20 km on average than previous definitions. (2) The continent-ocean transition zone represents a region with gradually weakened tectonism and strengthened magmatism in the distal margin, where magma underplated the lower crust of the continental slope after cessation of seafloor spreading. (3) In forearc areas of Mesozoic paleo-subduction zone, Cenozoic faulting inherited from early structures was reactivated to generate strong conjugated ductile shear deformation in the lithosphere. With further thinning of the lithosphere, rift center on the continental side stopped stretching and evolved into failed rift, represented by the southern sag of the Taixinan basin, the Baiyun sag and the Xisha trough. The hyper-extended crust and final continental breakup focused on the rift axis in the southern branch of the two conjugated rifts. Serpentinized mantle is found beneath failed rift, further indicating relatively weak syn-rifting magmatism. (4) The accretion pattern of initial oceanic crust in the SCS has significant variations along the marginal trend. Evidenced by seismic P-and S-wave velocities and attenuation characteristics, deep mantle upwelling and serpentinization, along with syn-rifting eruptive magma and intrusive reflectors occurred in the continent-ocean boundary of the northeastern SCS. This indicates a magma-poor northeastern continental margin. The continent-ocean boundary of the SCS could be an ideal candidate site of Moho drilling in the future with its elevated Moho and extremely thinned crust.

     

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