Upper mantle geotherm for eastern China and its geological implications

摘要

The equilibrium temperature and pressure of both spinel and garnet peridotite xenolithsfrom eastern China have been estimated by using different geothermobarometers that are currentlyconsidered to be reliable.Based on these data,the upper mantle geotherm for eastern China has beenconstructed.The obtained geotherm is higher than that for old craton regions,but is similar to that for southeasternAustralia.The most prominent feature of the geotherm is that there is a slight gradient at about 60 kmdepth,and the inflection of the geotherm just passes through the transition line between spinel and garnetfacies.It is likely that the inflection represents the botmdary between the lithosphere and asthenosphere.Thestructures of the upper mantle beneath eastern China have also been discussed by combining the results ofpetrologic,rheological and dynamical studies of the upper mantle.