Abstract: The results of physical modeling for plastic-flow waves in the lower lithosphere indicate that in addition to "fast" waves, which roughly correspond to the plastic-flow waves with velocities of 10⁰～10²km/a in the prototype, the "slow" waves with significantly lower velocities also exist in the model compressed at its driving boundary. The experimental procedure and similarity principle for the "slow" waves are essentially the same with those for the "fast" waves (Wang et al., 2001). The measuring markers placed on the model's surface are arranged along a longitudinal line with constant initial spacing of about 10mm. The "slow" waves are also decomposed into major and subsidiary waves, and both of them are viscous gravity waves: the major wave is similar to solitary wave or surge, and the subsidiary wave is manifested as wave group. Note that the "slow" waves described here are mainly induced by the "fast" waves when they arrive somewhere with a distance X₀ away from the boundary, where X₀ is called wave-generating distance. The value of X₀, as shown in Fig. 6, tends to get larger with increase of the nominal relaxation number , a ratio of the duration of test to the relaxation time of media in the ductile layer. As a matter of fact, it is impossible for "fast" waves to induce the "slow" waves when the distance X₀ required is too large and the wave-propagation range is limited. On the contrary, the "slow" waves can be considered as the waves originated at plate boundary as the distance X₀ is approximate to zero. As inferred from the models according to the similarity principle, the "slow" waves are associated with some slow processes of tectonic deformation in the geological history of the prototype, which are characterized in orders of magnitude by wave velocities of 10^-1～10⁰m/a, time intervals of 10⁰Ma and spatial spans of 10²～10³km. They control the long-term fluctuation and migration of seismic activities and influence the evolution of tectonic movements. The horizontal strains (along longitudinal axis) Δε and vertical strains Δε_z are estimated in terms of the measurements of horizontal and vertical displacements of the measuring markers, while the Poisson's ratio and volumetric strain increment of each marker pair can be calculated for each time step. As a result, the average Poisson's ratio υ =0.465 (approximate to 0.5) and the average volumetric strain increment Δε_v=-0.002 7 (its absolute value is less than the strain measuring error of 0.002 9) are obtained, indicating the volume of the model without considerable variation. It means that the strain response along the horizontal direction is mainly transformed into the variations of the thickness of the layer and the elevation of the model's surface, and it is therefore confirmed that the "slow" waves are similar to viscous gravity waves. The strain rates in the lower lithosphere inferred from the models are 10^-15～10^-14/s in orders of magnitude, which are comparable to those in tectonically active regions. However, the pushing velocities of the driving boundary inferred from the models, 4.1～12.9m/a, are significantly greater than those in the prototype, for instance, about 0.05 m/a for the Himalayan driving boundary. It implies that the physical modeling stated in this paper is qualitative or semi-quantitative.

Key words: Lithosphere, Plastic-flow wave, Physical modeling, Tectonic deformation, Seismic activity

摘要： 岩石圈塑性流动波的物理模拟实验表明,在板块边界驱动下,模型中除了产生“快波”(波速量级大致相当于原型的10⁰～10²km/a)外,还存在着相当于原型波速量级为10^-1～10⁰m/a的“慢波”。“慢波”也可分解为主波和辅波,主波类似于涌波(孤立波),辅波则以波群的方式传播,二者均系粘性重力波。板块边界的驱动作用通过不同波速的多重塑性流动波向板内传播,控制地震能量背景的起伏振荡,并导致缓慢构造运动的韵律性变化。

关键词: 岩石圈, 塑性流动波, 物理模拟, 构造变形, 地震活动