我们为什么要钻穿完整的洋壳?

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2025.8.63

摘要/Abstract

摘要：

我们只有钻穿完整洋壳,回答长期被忽略的基本科学问题,才能完善板块构造理论。这些问题包括:洋壳由哪些岩石组成,它的厚度变化幅度有多大,洋壳-地幔地震波速不连续莫霍面(即Mohorovičić或Moho面)究竟反映什么样的岩石学变化?这些问题似乎都是众所周知的事实,但事实并非如此。准确地讲,我们目前的认知远不完整,一些流行的误解来自对方便假设的选择性解读。最流行的假设之一是,从地震波速推断的洋壳(即莫霍面之上的岩石)是岩浆成因的。检验这一假设是当年“莫霍面计划”(Project Mohole:1957—1966)的核心动机:钻透完整洋壳,钻穿莫霍面,钻入地幔。“莫霍面计划”因技术挑战和造船预算成本不断飙升等因素而终结,但所研发的技术使随后的大洋科学钻探取得了成功。因此,对初始的假说一直未能检验,只是人们一直简单地认为莫霍面之上的洋壳是在洋中脊由岩浆冷凝形成的。因为全球莫霍面的深度(即,洋壳厚度)很均一,为(6.0±1.0) km,所以整个固体地球科学界,被误导30多年,误认为地震波速揭示的洋壳(“地震洋壳”)是岩浆成因的“岩浆洋壳”,在全球厚度均匀一致,与洋脊扩张速率无关。然而在许多慢速、超慢速扩张洋脊地段有一致厚度的“地震洋壳”,却裸露有大量蛇纹岩化地幔橄榄岩。因此,我们必须客观严谨地审视关于洋脊岩浆作用的流行观点,这需要钻穿完整洋壳,钻入地幔。因为只有快速扩张洋脊有可能形成完整的岩浆洋壳,所以只有在太平洋海底地质简单的理想部位打钻才有可能实现钻穿岩浆洋壳的目标。美国引领全球大洋科学钻探的“决心号”(D/V JOIDES Resolution)已于2024年底退役。目前公认中国建造的“梦想号”(D/V Meng Xiang)大洋钻探船是当今唯一具备钻穿洋壳能力的钻井船,其先进的钻探能力和较低的运行成本使钻穿洋壳的科学梦想成为可能。

亮点:

• 我们必须钻穿完整洋壳,圆满回答基本科学问题,完善板块构造理论。

• “地震洋壳”等于“岩浆洋壳”的流行观点误导多年,必须结束。

• “地震洋壳”,至少是慢速扩张洋脊形成的洋壳,是岩浆岩和蛇纹岩化的地幔橄榄岩的无序混合。

• 只有快速扩张洋脊能形成完整岩浆洋壳,所以钻穿完整太平洋洋壳才能准确认知莫霍面的岩石学性质。

• 中国的“梦想号”是目前唯一能钻穿洋壳的科学钻探船。

关键词: 洋壳的形成, 洋壳的组成和厚度变化, Hess型洋壳, 海洋Moho的岩石学性质, 国际大洋科学钻探, “梦想号”钻穿完整洋壳的使命

Abstract:

The current view on the formation and architecture of ocean crust is a cornerstone of the plate tectonics theory, yet this theory remains incomplete because several fundamental questions remain unresolved: What rocks actually constitute the oceanic crust? To what extent does its thickness vary? And what is the petrological nature of the crust-mantle boundary, i.e., the Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho)? Much of our present understanding relies on assumptions that have never been rigorously tested, and some widely held misconceptions stem from selective interpretations of convenient hypotheses. One of the most pervasive is that the crust inferred from seismic velocities above the Moho is entirely of magmatic origin. Testing this idea was the primary motivation for “Project Mohole” (1957-1966), which aimed to drill through the entire ocean crust, penetrate the Moho, and sample the mantle. Although the project was terminated due to escalating technical challenges and rising costs, it laid the technological foundation for subsequent international ocean drilling programs. The central hypothesis, that the ocean crust above the Moho is entirely magmatic, remains untested. Because the global Moho lies at a nearly uniform depth of (6.0±1.0) km, Earth scientists have long assumed that this “seismic crust” corresponds to a magmatic crust of globally uniform thickness, independent of spreading rate. However, at slow- and ultraslow-spreading ridges, serpentinized mantle peridotites are exposed on the seafloor and in places dominate the crustal rock association, contradicting this view. To critically and objectively evaluate prevailing models of ocean ridge magmatism, it is therefore essential to drill through intact oceanic crust into the mantle. Since only fast-spreading ridges are likely to generate a complete magmatic crust, drilling should target geologically simple areas of the Pacific seafloor. With the decommission of the U.S. drillship JOIDES Resolution in late 2024, China’s D/V Meng Xiang has become the world’s only vessel currently capable of drilling through the ocean crust; its advanced technology and lower operational costs now make the longstanding goal of penetrating intact ocean crust a realistic prospect.

Highlights:

• Drilling through intact ocean crust is essential to resolve fundamental scientific questions and complete plate tectonics theory.

• The assumption that “seismic crust” equals “magmatic crust” has misled Earth science for decades and must be corrected.

• At slow- and ultraslow-spreading ridges, “seismic crust” is not purely magmatic but a chaotic mixture of magmatic rocks and serpentinized mantle peridotite.

• Only direct drilling through intact crust in the Pacific can reveal the true petrological nature of the Moho.

• China’s D/V Meng Xiang is now the world’s only drillship capable of penetrating the intact ocean crust, making this longstanding scientific dream achievable.

Key words: ocean crust formation, composition and thickness variation of the ocean crust, Hess-type ocean crust, petrological nature of oceanic Moho, International Scientific Ocean drilling, The mission of drilling through a complete magmatic ocean crust using China’s D/V Meng Xiang

中图分类号:

P736
P756.5

牛耀龄. 我们为什么要钻穿完整的洋壳?[J]. 地学前缘, 2025, 32(6): 156-178.

NIU Yaoling. Why should we drill through intact ocean crust?[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2025, 32(6): 156-178.

图/表 11

图1 全球海底地图与洋壳结构解译图 (a)海底年龄,展示覆盖约三分之二固体地球表面的洋壳正在沿着围绕全球约60 000 km长的扩张洋脊形成,并随年龄往洋脊两侧扩张。请注意,在20世纪60年代板块构造发现之前,我们并不知道洋盆如此年轻(<2亿年),也不知道海底扩张和洋壳在洋脊的形成。(b)与大陆地壳(25~70 km;平均约35 km)相比,洋壳厚度很薄且均一(5~7 km;平均(6.1±1.0) km;引自文献[48])。 (c) 洋壳地震波速(vP)与“典型”蛇绿岩套岩性和波速的比较。沿造山带蛇绿岩套的识别是板块构造理论在大陆地质研究中最早和最成功的应用之一。蛇绿岩套被认为是在古海底扩张洋脊形成的古洋壳,代表古板块边界。请注意令人困惑的“地震Moho”和“岩石学Moho”,如果“层状橄榄岩”和地幔橄榄岩的顶部蛇纹岩化了,就会有另一个“地震Moho”。资料来源如图所示。

Fig.1 Global seafloor map and interpreted ocean crust architecture

图2 从地震波速资料,洋壳范围内的蛇纹岩化地幔橄榄岩可能被误判为岩浆岩 (a)修改自文献[2],展示地幔橄榄岩的密度和地震波速(vP)变化与蛇纹岩化程度的关系。新鲜地幔橄榄岩vP>8 km/s。≥30%蛇纹岩化的地幔橄榄岩具有和地壳岩浆岩相似的密度和地震波速(如浅蓝色点画矩形所示)。请注意,暴露在海底的深海橄榄岩通常具有90%~100%的蛇纹岩化(引自文献[30,55-56])。 (b)显示实验对(a)的确认(引自文献[16-17])。其中彩色区域对应于地质上合理的条件。彩色带近似于图1c中的层状岩性条件。关键是蛇纹岩化的地幔橄榄岩具有与岩浆地壳岩(例如玄武岩、辉绿岩和辉长岩;见图1c)无法区分的地震波速性质。

Fig.2 Serpentinized mantle peridotites can be seismically interpreted as crustal rocks of magmatic origin

图3 洋中脊之下岩浆生成过程示意图 (a)扩张洋脊地幔热结构示意(左)和定性(右)描述,其中所有要素均显而易见(改自Niu,2016,2021)。板块分离导致软流圈地幔绝热上升,与固相线在Po处(即To)相交时开始减压熔融,抵达Pf(Tf)时地幔熔融终止(固体-熔体平衡的最终深度),即传导(“冷”) 热边界层(CTBL;区域)限制了地幔熔融 ②)。由于浮力差,熔体(红色箭头细虚线)比固体残余(蓝色箭头实线)上升更快。熔体抽取形成洋壳,而熔融残余橄榄岩加入了岩石圈地幔的增生。后者暴露在海底时,被称为深海橄榄岩(AP)。(b)和(c)分别表示快速和慢速扩张洋脊的情形,展示软流圈地幔的上涌速率与扩张速率(见图5)、减压区间 [Po-Pf] 和熔融程度(F)成正比,而与CTBL的厚度(或 Pf 深度)成反比。

Fig.3 Illustrations of magma generation beneath ocean ridges

图4 热损失模型预测:洋中脊地幔熔融程度随扩张速率增加而增大地幔热损失模型展示洋脊地幔上涌速率(U)随着扩张速率的增加而增加(2v; 引自文献[65-66,77])。左上公式中,U为软流圈地幔上涌流场速率,2v洋脊扩张速率,x和z分别为流场中某点位到洋脊中心轴线的距离和深度。由于减压熔融深度区间(Po-Pf),亦即地幔熔融程度(F),与地幔流上升速率成正比(见图3),岩浆的产量和岩浆洋壳的厚度必须随着扩张速率的增加而增加,与全球洋脊玄武岩(MORB)化学组成(见图4)和热损失模型(见图6b的[3,4,5])一致。为了便于说明,图中只显示当x=0时(洋脊正下方),地幔上涌流的最大速率即U=2v/π。当洋脊扩张速率2v<20 mm/a时(红色),也只是线性延伸,没有突减。因此,全球均一Moho深度(即地震地壳厚度,(6.3±0.9) km;见图6a;引自文献[47-48])不代表岩浆成因洋壳。

Fig.4 Thermal model prediction of the extent of ocean ridge mantle melting and magma production that increases with increasing spreading rate

图5 洋中脊玄武岩(MORB)组成表明:洋中脊地幔熔融程度随扩张速率增加而增大修改自文献[73](a-c)是基于当时有限的MORB数据(引自文献[68])。(d-f)是基于更新的全球 MORB 数据(引自文献[75]),这证实了近30 年前得出的结论(亦即a-c),洋脊地幔的熔融程度随着洋脊扩张速率的增加而增加(g;并见图3)。数据点是扩张速率区间的平均值(引自文献[54,73])。

Fig.5 Ocean ridge basalt (MORB) composition shows the extent of ocean ridge mantle melting and magma production that increase with increasing spreading rate

图6 地震洋壳厚度(莫霍面深度)及模型解释 (a)洋脊“地震洋壳”厚度(即Moho面深度)与扩张速率的关系图(引自文献[47-48])。这些作者简单地将“地震洋壳”厚度称为“岩浆洋壳”厚度。他们强调全球FSR>20 mm/a洋脊近于均一的“岩浆洋壳厚度”为(6.3±0.9) km,但超慢速扩张洋脊(FSR<20 mm/a;如西南印度洋脊和北极夹克洋脊),“岩浆洋壳”变薄。(b)“岩浆洋壳厚度”模型与全扩张速率(FSR)的关系。模型 [1](引自文献[47])和[2](引自文献[76]) 只是用地震数据(a)作为制约条件,模拟“岩浆洋壳”,忽略了岩石学数据(图5)和物理学原理(图4),所以模型[1,2]没有意义。洋脊热损失热模型[3](引自文献[65]),[4](引自文献[77])和[5](引自文献[78])显示预测的岩浆生成量转换为“岩浆地壳厚度”与洋脊扩张的速率的关系。尽管这3种模型略有不同,但它们显示出总体一致的曲线趋势,因为它们都考虑了地幔上涌速率,因此减压熔融区间与扩张速率成正比的关系(引自文献[66]),如图4,并与MORB化学组成得到的结论一致(图5)。

Fig.6 Seismic ocean crust thickness (Moho depth) and model interpretations

图7 展示许多慢速与超慢速扩张洋中脊部位出露大量蛇纹岩化地幔橄榄岩,但这些地区仍然具有正常地震洋壳厚度((6.0±1.0) km) (a)主要板块漂移速度矢量的全球板块构造图(用APM模型: http://jules.unavco.org/Voyager/GEM_GSRM)以显示蛇纹岩化地幔橄榄岩或深海橄榄岩 (AP)出露的位置,这些蛇纹岩化橄榄岩暴露在超慢速扩张洋脊裂谷(例如,北极Gakkel洋脊和西南印度洋脊)和慢速扩张大西洋洋脊(MAR;紫色矩形框内;>20 mm/a和<40 mm/a)(引自文献[59-62])。请注意,所有暴露蛇纹岩的MAR洋脊地段均为FSR>20 mm/a (21~35 mm/a;见图6a),所以 FSR>20 mm/a的洋脊均具有“均匀岩浆壳厚度”的解释(引自文献[48])不正确。快速扩张东太平洋隆的特点是具有宽缓轴脊和丰富的熔岩,绝对没有蛇纹岩。请注意,来自东太平洋的蛇纹岩不是来自洋脊,而是来自 Garrett和Terevaka转换断层及Hess Deep,如图所示(引自文献[57-58,68])。 (b) 从南极俯视的南大洋板块构造图(资料来源见(a)),表明南极大陆板块基本上是静止不动的,因为它周边是被动大陆边缘,并且被洋脊包围,这些洋脊以外的所有其他板块都向远端俯冲带漂移(引自文献[102])。(c)左侧示意海沟后撤是大陆漂移的驱动力(引自文献[101-102]);在重力作用下,俯冲板块不仅会向后回卷,而且其弯曲“肩膀”必然会在重力作用下向海移动,被描述为“海沟后撤”,也叫俯冲带后撤。虚线表示海沟/俯冲带随时间变化的新位置:T1→T2→T3。因此,大陆板块被动地跟随后撤的海沟,这就是大陆向左漂移的原因。这个概念在右((a)的一部分)展示,Nazca板块向东俯冲到南美洲大陆之下,海沟向西后撤,南美洲大陆向西漂移,因此造就了海底扩张和南大西洋的增长。

Fig.7 Slow- and ultraslow-spreading ridge locations with normal seismic thickness (6.0±1.0 km) where serpentinized mantle peridotites are exposed on the seafloor

图8 洋中脊横向地貌形态随扩张速率变化示意图示意图(改自文献[83])来说明洋脊地形地貌和岩浆生产量与洋脊扩张速率的关系,进一步支持岩浆产量、补给量(引自文献[82])和地幔熔融程度随洋脊扩张速率的增加而增(引自文献[30,54,68,73])。请注意在北极等超慢速扩张洋脊(Gakkel Ridge和Southwest Indian Ridge)发现常有“无(乏)岩浆”脊段的情景,引自文献[62,79,92])。

Fig.8 Illustration of across-ocean ridge morphology varying as a function of spreading rate

图9 洋中脊横向地貌形态随扩张速率变化的定量分析全球洋脊地形地貌与扩张速率的关系(引自文献[85])。横跨脊轴的地形起伏是脊轴相对于洋脊两侧40 km处水深的相对深度。显然,FSR>80 mm/a的快速洋脊以“轴脊”的正地形为特征,FSR<50 mm/a的慢速扩张洋脊以“轴谷”的负地形为特征,而FSR介于约50~80 mm/a 扩张速率的过渡洋脊同时有正地形和负地形,这种地形地貌模式与洋脊扩张速率的关系恰好对应于MORB主量元素与洋脊扩张速率的关系(引自文献[71])。这些全球资料证实了早期的认识(引自文献[82]),反映地幔熔融程度,岩浆生产量以及岩浆补给量与岩浆扩张速率的成因关系。

Fig.9 Quantitative analysis of across-ocean ridge morphology varying as a function of spreading rate

图10 洋中脊横向与纵向剖面示意图。展示快速扩张与慢速扩张洋中脊的洋壳-地幔岩石结构关系修改自文献[99],总结了快速扩张洋脊横向(a)、纵向(b)(修改自文献[69])和慢速扩张洋脊横向(c)、纵向(d)在地貌形态和洋壳/地幔岩石构造方面的差异(修改自文献[60]),以及他们对热液变质作用的理解。请注意,(c)展示了经过充分研究的海底核杂岩复合体(OCCs),其中蛇纹岩化深海橄榄岩和携带的辉长岩裸露在海底(引自文献[92])。

Fig.10 Cartoon illustrations of across-ridge and along-ridge cross sections to show the lithological architecture of ocean crust/mantle relationships between fast- and slow-spreading ocean ridges

邓老师(左)、吴老师(右)(2018-12-21,中国地质大学(北京))

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