SEISMOLOGY AND GEOLOGY ›› 2024, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4): 876-892.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-4967.2024.04.007

• Research paper • Previous Articles     Next Articles

LATE CENOZOIC FLOOD BASALT ERUPTION IN DALINOR, INNER MONGOLIA

CHANG Li-wen(), ZHAO Yong-wei*(), LI Ni, SUN Jin-heng   

  1. Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China
  • Received:2023-07-22 Revised:2024-06-21 Online:2024-08-20 Published:2024-09-23
  • Contact: ZHAO Yong-wei

内蒙古达里诺尔晚新生代火山裂隙喷发特征

常枥文(), 赵勇伟*(), 李霓, 孙金恒   

  1. 中国地震局地质研究所, 吉林长白山火山国家野外科学观测研究站, 北京 100029
  • 通讯作者: 赵勇伟
  • 作者简介:

    常枥文, 女, 1998年生, 2023年于中国地震局地质研究所获矿物学、 岩石学、 矿床学专业硕士学位, 研究方向为火山地球化学, E-mail:

  • 基金资助:
    中国地震局地质研究所基本科研业务专项(IGCEA2105); 国家自然科学基金(41872255)

Abstract:

Fissure eruption refers to volcanic activity where magma is expelled to the Earth's surface through cracks in the crust. During such eruptions, large volumes of low-viscosity lava flow rapidly along these fissures, forming extensive flood-like lava fields known as “flood basalts”. Fissure eruptions are characterized by their significant magma scale and devastating impact. Although there is no historical record of volcanic fissure eruptions in China, numerous late Cenozoic lava platforms have been discovered in XilinGol League and Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. These platforms likely represent overflow basalts formed by continental volcanic fissures. In this study, we focus on investigating the lava platform within the Dalinor volcano group located in XilinGol area using tools from volcanic physics and geochemistry. The XilinGol League in Inner Mongolia hosts extensive late Cenozoic lavas, encompassing an area of approximately 10 000km2 and representing one of China's largest basaltic provinces. This volcanic field, formed through flood basalt volcanism, has remained active since the late Cenozoic and poses potential risks of future eruptions. To enhance our understanding of its origin and assess eruption hazards associated with intracontinental flood basalt volcanism, this study focuses on the latest lava platforms within the Beilike region of the Dalinor Volcanic Field. In this study, we investigate volcanic activity by examining its eruptive characteristics, including magma temperature, lava viscosity, and lava flow velocity. During the volcanic eruption, a significant portion of the lava engulfed the gently sloping surfaces of fluvial and lacustrine deposits, resulting in the topographic formation of expansive lava plateaus. Throughout this process, surface lava underwent condensation to give rise to pahoehoe lavas. In contrast, the underlying plastic lava continued its effusion along eruptive fissures, causing vertical compression of the solidified crust and subsequent formation of lava ridges. In the vicinity of the eruptive fissure, a series of low ridges measuring 3-8 meters in height and tens to hundreds of meters in length emerged. At a distance over 3km from the eruption fissure, the lava flow exhibits a banded distribution with an elevated central portion and inclined edges, displaying characteristic lava levees. Columnar jointing is commonly observed at the periphery of the plateau profile. The profile exhibits stacked layers of lava, indicating a laminar flow movement of the lava flow. These geological features are consistent with the characteristics typically associated with flood basalt eruptions. The whole rock geochemistry indicates that the lava in Beilike belongs to olivine tholeiitic basalt and alkali olivine basalt. The lava is characterized by phenocrysts primarily composed of olivine and clinopyroxene, particularly augite. The Mg# values of clinopyroxene vary between 58.59 and 80.69. The eruption temperature of Beilike lava is determined by applying clinopyroxene-melts geothermo-barometry inversion, yielding a range of 1 123.2-1 173.4℃. Additionally, the viscosity of the erupting lava is obtained using a previously established calculation model, resulting in values ranging from 30 to 187Pa·S. This paper investigates the flow dynamics of “fissure eruption” through an analysis based on principles of lava fluid mechanics while considering relevant physical properties. We assume that high-temperature lava behaves as a Newtonian fluid and consider zero overflow velocity near the vent during fissure eruptions. The influence on lava flow primarily stems from surface slope, gravity, and inherent fluid properties rather than temperature variations throughout the process. We assume that the surface slope is 0.5 degrees. The lava temperature is 1 120℃, and the thickness of the lava is 1m. By adopting this approach, we can calculate the maximum attainable flow velocity upon reaching a stable state. It has been calculated that during fissure eruptions in the study area, the velocity of lava flows primarily ranged from 0.4m/s to 1m/s, with occasional instances reaching as high as 2.5m/s. The present study unveils the eruptive characteristics of flood basaltic volcanism in the Belike region. It establishes the physical parameters of the lava flows, thereby providing essential data for formulating strategies to mitigate future volcanic eruption disasters. The key parameters presented here not only contribute to the understanding of volcanism in Inner Mongolia but also hold significant reference value for basaltic volcanism in other continental intraplate environments across China. This research will enhance our understanding of this unique form of volcanism while providing a scientific basis for mitigating volcanic disasters. Moreover, the calculation methods and steps employed to derive these parameters may readily apply to other volcanic fields.

Key words: flood basalt eruption, Late Cenozoic volcanoes, Dalinor, lava flow velocity

摘要:

内蒙古锡林郭勒盟地区分布近万平方千米的熔岩台地, 它们是裂隙式火山喷发的产物。这类火山作用在晚新生代以来仍有过强烈活动, 未来具有潜在喷发危险性。锡林郭勒盟达里诺尔火山群中的贝力克地区分布了该区域形成时代最晚的熔岩台地。文中以贝力克熔岩台地为研究对象, 分析其喷发特征, 研究熔岩喷发时的温度、 黏度和流动速度, 以限定其灾害效应。区内火山产物主要由结壳熔岩组成, 在接近喷发裂隙地区成群出露高3~8m、 长数十米至数百米的低矮山脊, 推测该熔岩脊代表近火口熔岩地貌。在距喷发裂隙较远处(>3km), 熔岩流整体呈带状分布, 熔岩流中部隆起, 向两侧边缘呈外倾产状, 显示熔岩堤特征。在距喷发裂隙最远的熔岩台地边缘, 熔岩表面平坦, 常出现大型龟裂状裂理。一些台地边缘剖面显示出层状熔岩相互叠置的特点, 说明其流动过程以层流形式进行。这些地质特征均符合溢流玄武岩喷发的特征。全岩地球化学和矿物地球化学研究表明研究区的熔岩属于橄榄拉斑玄武岩和碱性橄榄玄武岩, 熔岩中包含橄榄石和单斜辉石(主要为普通辉石)斑晶。利用单斜辉石-熔体地质温压计估算得到贝力克熔岩的喷发温度为1 123.2~1 173.4℃, 利用前人的黏度计算模型得到熔岩喷发时的黏度为30~187Pa·S。 在此基础上, 文中计算了研究区发生溢流玄武岩喷发时熔岩的流动速度大部分在0.4~1m/s区间内, 个别熔岩流速度可达2.5m/s。文中揭示了贝力克地区溢流玄武岩喷发特征, 限定了岩浆喷发温度、 黏度和速度等物理参数, 可为未来火山喷发灾害防御提供基础数据支撑。

关键词: 火山裂隙, 晚新生代火山, 达里诺尔, 熔岩流动速度