According to the geological and seismic reflection data of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) main-hole (MH), and the anomalies of CH4, CO2, and He are correlated to the three-component seismic reflectors, especially in horizontal component profiles. However, the seismic response is dif-ficult to be explained as the porosity of crystalline rocks is only about 1% in well section where the gas anomalies occur. Seismic velocity measurement of the MH cores indicated that compared with wa-ter-saturated rock samples, seismic velocity (especially the S-wave) could be distinctly decreased by gas contained in tiny cracks despite of the low porosity, and then notable seismic response could be induced in gas-filled crystalline rocks. It could be predicated that if the porosity of certain rocks in the middle crust rose due to water-rock interaction and had natural gas filled, then there would be more probability for natural gas in top of the mid-crust to fill in the crystalline rocks with increased porosity. In such case, based on the decrease of Swave velocity in crystalline rocks, seismic method could be applied in the future to explore natural gas reservoirs in the middle crust.
In previous papers (Wencai, 2002, 2003), the author has analyzed the deep seismic reflection profiles along some of the Mesozoic plutons in East China, and has pointed out that the crustal structures around these intrusions usually correlate with a special seismic fabric called the seismic multi-arch structure. This paper will continue to show main characteristics of the seismic multi-arch structures and discuss their relationship with mantle-origin magmatism and the lithospheric thinning process. Calibration of seismic reflectors in Chinese continental drilling sites shows that small-scale arch-like reflectors can be generated by fractured eclogites or other plutons, they do not belong to the multi-arch structure specially discussed in the paper. The multi-arch structure is char-acterized by several arch-like reflectors distributed in both the upper and lower crust with granitoid plutons or stocks exposed on the surface, which do not have obvious negative Europium anomalies. Based on the distribution pattern of arch reflectors, the multi-arch magmatic structures can be divided into three main types, namely the simple vertical combination type, the spread arch magmatic struc-ture and the arch-bouquet structure. All of them correlate to mantle-origin magmatism, but occur in different places. The spread arch magmatic structures occur within a Mesozoic/Cenozoic rift zone with very thin and hot lithosphere. The vertical combination type of the multi-arch structures occurred near the rift zones where lithosphere was thin and hot. The arch-bouquet magmatic structures occur far from the rift zones where the lithosphere is not hot. The continental rifting acted as the late episode of the lithospheric thinning process seeing that the rift zones usually coincide with the thinnest parts of the lithosphere in East China. In different locations within the lithospheric thinning areas, mantle-origin magmatic activities have different characteristics, which might generate different types of crustal structures revealed by the dif
YANG Wencai1 & CHEN Zhide2 1.Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
