Electromagnetic 3D tomography of the Elbrus volcanic center according to magnetotelluric and satellite data

A geoelectric 3D model of the potentially active Elbrus volcano and its vicinities has been constructed using magnetotelluric data, which takes the volume model of the tectonic fragmentation field developed based on deciphering satellite photographs into account. An original method of searching for the correlation and determination of the character of the interrelation between the ground-based and satellite data has been used in this construction. The geoelectric 3D model constructed includes two conducting objects located at different depths. One of the objects, with a resistivity of 25–40 Ω m, located at depths of 0–10 km, is most intense at a depth of 5 km, where the object is quasi-isometric in shape and has a radius of 10 km along the 40–60 Ω m contour lines. Another object with a resistivity of 10–40 Ω m is located at a depth of ～45 km, where its dimensions along the contour line for 40 Ω m are 35 and 15 km in latitude and longitude, respectively. The thickness of the conducting core is approximately 20 km. The upper and lower objects can be interpreted as a volcano magma chamber and a volcano parent chamber, respectively.     

Seismic constraints on magma chambers at Hekla and Torfajökull volcanoes,Iceland

Hekla and Torfajökull are active volcanoes at a rift–transform junction in south Iceland. Despite their location next to each other they are physically and geologically very different. Hekla is an elongate stratovolcano, built mainly of basaltic andesite. Torfajökull is a prominent rhyolitic centre with a 12-km-diameter caldera and extensive geothermal activity. The scope of this study is to examine the propagation of body waves of local earthquakes across the Hekla–Torfajökull area and look for volumes of anomalous S-wave attenuation, which can be evidence of magma chambers. So far the magma chamber under Hekla has been modelled with various geophysical means, and its depth has been estimated to be 5–9 km. A data set of 118 local earthquakes, providing 663 seismic rays scanning Hekla and Torfajökull, was used in this study. The major part, 650 seismograms, did not show evidence for S-wave attenuation under these volcanoes. Only six seismograms had clear signs of S-wave attenuation and seven seismograms were uncertain cases. The data set samples Hekla well at depths of 8–14 km, and south part of it also at 4–8 km and 14–16 km. Western Torfajökull is sampled well at depths of 4–14 km, eastern and southern Torfajökull at 6–12 km. Conclusions cannot be drawn regarding the existence of magma beyond these depth ranges. Also, magma volumes of smaller dimensions than about 800 m cannot be detected with this method. If a considerable molten volume exists under Hekla, it must be located either above 4 km or below 14 km. The former possibility seems unlikely, because Hekla lacks geothermal activity and persistent seismicity, usually taken as expressions of a shallow magma chamber. An aseismic volume with a diameter of 4 km at the depth of 8 km in the west part of Torfajökull has been inferred in earlier studies and interpreted as evidence for a cooling magma chamber. Our results indicate that this volume cannot be molten to a great extent because S-waves travelling through it are not attenuated. Intense geothermal activity and low-frequency earthquakes are possibly signs of magma in the south part of Torfajökull, but a magma chamber was not detected there in the areas sampled by this study.Editorial responsibility: T. Druitt     

Superposition of different stress orientations in the western sector of the northern Apennines (Italy)

Previous studies of the stress regime in the northern Apennines report compression in the outer sector and extension in the inner sector. In this study we focus on the relationships between the two regimes and, by making use of 54 focal mechanism solutions, we try to shed some more light on a tectonic setting that appears more complex than the previous models. The focal mechanisms, computed using the first onset technique, are inverted for stress parameters. The method applied requires subdividing the volume to be investigated into homogeneous sectors: to comply with the complexity of the area under study, we included depth as a parameter for sub-zoning. Our results show that the shallow regime (0–10 km of depth) is transtensive even in the sector previously reported to be compressive. In fact, at a shallow depth, very few thrust focal solutions lie in a spatially limited sector in the eastern part of the area under study. Just below 10 km in depth, the stress regime converts to transpressional: stress axes are approximately inverted. Deeper than 45 km, thrust solutions are found. They are not numerous enough to perform an inversion but indicate the existence of a compressional regime at depth. It is worth noting that a gap of seismicity is observed in the layer 30–45 km.     

滇西北地区的现代构造应力场

通过区内活断层性质、盆地生成和水系分布极向等的研究,进一步从地质上论证了该区北北西—近南北向的现代构造应力场。认为这一局部应力场是川滇菱块作南向滑移引起的地壳上部的构造变形事件。晚新生代以来的断陷盆地是这一滑移过程造成的地壳表层的拉分盆地。在地壳的下部有可能受到大区域板块北(偏东)向推挤作用的影响。中小地震和强震在深度分布、破裂特征及应力方向上的区别有可能是这种不同深度层次上应力差异作用的某些信息     

S-wave shadows in the Krafla Caldera in NE-Iceland,evidence for a magma chamber in the crust

During the present tectonic activity in the volcanic rift zone in NE-Iceland it has become apparent that the attenuation of seismic waves is highly variable in the central region of the Krafla volcano. Earthquakes associated with the inflation of the volcano have been used to delineate two regions of high attenuation of S-waves within the caldera. These areas are located near the center of inflation have horizontal dimensions of 1–2 km and are interpreted as the expression of a magma chamber. The top of the chamber is constrained by hypocentral locations and ray paths to be at about 3 km depth. Small pockets of magma may exist at shallower levels. The bottom of the chamber is not well constrained, but appears to be above 7 km depth. Generally S-waves propagate without any anomalous aftenuation through laver 3 (v_p=0.5 km sec^?1) across the volcanic rift zone in NE-Iceland. The rift zone therefore does not appear to be underlain by an estensive magma chamber at crustal levels. The Krafla magma chamber is a localized feature of the Krafla central volcano.     

THE RADIATION OF ACOUSTIC WAVES FROM AN AIR-GUN*

A theoretical model is developed for predicting three important parameters of the pressure pulse radiated by an air-gun, namely the rise time, the amplitude of the initial pulse, and the period of the bubble pulse. A knowledge of these three parameters is essential for the efficient design of air-guns arrays. The prediction of the amplitude of the initial pulse is based on the assumption that the initial pulse is radiated by a spherical source with surface area equal to that of the air-gun ports and not by a spherical source with initial volume equal to that of the air-gun chamber, as has been assumed previously. A simple equation is obtained for predicting the period of the bubble pulsation, taking into account the effect of the air-gun body, boundaries such as the sea-surface and seabed and the presence of a number of identical air-guns placed at the same depth and fired simultaneously.     

Stresses along the metastable wedge of olivine in a subducting slab: possible explanation for the Tonga double seismic layer

A numerical calculation of the stresses associated with changes in volume during phase transitions of olivine in a descending slab results in a double layer of high shear stress along the metastable olivine wedge in the depth range 350-460 km. Stress in the upper layer is in-plane tensional and stress in the lower layer is down-dip compressional. The modeled stress field agrees with observations of stress in the Tonga double seismic zone. High shear stress also exists in the slab at depths below the metastable wedge. This stress distribution involves down-dip compression and trench-parallel tension, which agrees with about half of the focal mechanisms in the Tonga slab at depths of 460-690 km. The model supports the idea that at least two possible stress release mechanisms for deep earthquakes may act in the Tonga subducting slab. One, transformational faulting, is restricted to the metastable wedge while the other one acts below the metastable wedge.     

Magma contamination by direct wall rock interaction: constraints from xenoliths from the walls of a carbonate-hosted magma chamber (Vesuvius 1944 eruption)

During the 1944 eruption of Vesuvius different types of xenoliths were ejected. They represent fragments of the walls of a low volume (<0.5 km³) shallow (3–4 km depth) magma chamber. The study of these xenoliths enables us to estimate the amount of contamination occurring at the boundary of a high-T alkaline magma chamber hosted in carbonate rocks. The process of contamination of the magma by carbonates can be modelled, using isotopic and chemical data, as a mixing between magma and marbles. Mass exchanges occur at the boundary between the crystallizing magma and marble wall rocks, where endoskarn forms. The contamination of the solidification front of the chamber is very limited. The solidification front and the skarn shell effectively isolate the interior of the magma chamber from new inputs of contaminants from the carbonate wall rocks. Therefore, the main volume of magma, hosted in the magma chamber, did not undergo any significant mass exchange with the wall rocks.     

长白山火山区地壳S波速度结构的背景噪声成像

利用探测深俯冲的中国东北地震台阵NECsaids的60个流动台与固定地震台2010年7月至2014年12月的垂向连续波形数据,采用地震背景噪声成像方法获得了研究区6~40 s周期的瑞雷波相速度分布,并通过相速度频散反演得到了研究区下方0~50 km的三维S波速度结构.结果表明:研究区下方地壳S波速度结构存在明显的横向和纵向不均匀性,浅部速度结构与浅表地质构造单元有较好的对应,深部速度结构较好地反映了区域火山活动及深部热物质作用的结构特征;在长白山火山下方9~30 km深度范围内存在明显低速区并有向下延伸的趋势,推测可能为长白山火山地壳岩浆囊;在龙岗火山下方12~30 km深度范围内发现较弱的低速区,可能代表火山喷发后的残留物,而在镜泊湖火山下方没有明显的低速异常,说明镜泊湖火山地壳内可能不存在部分熔融的岩浆物质.     

利用尾波包络线反演方法研究伽师强震群区地壳的非均匀结构

以单次散射模型、球形辐射源、一维线性速度模型为基础计算理论包络线,通过尾波归一化方法把理论与观测包络线结合起来形成非线性方程组,用迭代最小二乘方法反演伽师强震群区的散射系数空间分布.结果表明,伽师强震群区下方中上地壳中存在明显的非均匀结构.在10~25 km各深度图像上,研究区中部都存在一低散射系数区,这个低散射系数区在10 km、15 km深度被高散射系数区包围,在20 km深度仅其东侧存在高散射系数区.1997年的7次M_s≥6.0级地震发生在研究区中部的低散射系数区内或低散射系数区向高散射系数区过渡带的低散射系数一侧.     

The critical point and two-phase boundary of seawater, 200–500°C

The two-phase boundary of seawater was determined by isothermal decompression of fully condensed seawater in the range of 200–500°C. The pressure at which phase separation occurred for each isotherm was determined by a comparison of the refractive index of fluid removed from the top and bottom of the reaction vessel. The critical point was determined to be in the range of 403–406°C, 285–302 bar and was located by the inflection in the two-phase boundary and by the relative volume of fluid and vapor as a function of temperature. The two-phase boundary of 3.2% NaCl solution was found to coincide exactly with that of seawater over the range tested in the present study. The boundary for both is described by a single seventh-order polynomial equation. The two-phase boundary defines the maximum temperature of seawater circulating at depth in the oceanic crust. Thus the boundary puts a limit of about 390°C for seawater circulating near the seafloor at active ocean ridges (2.5 km water depth), and about 465°C at the top of a magma chamber occurring at 2 km below the seafloor.     

地壳中岩浆沿已有断层运移的数值模拟——在长白山天池火山的应用

本文利用有限元及有限差分的方法,对壳内岩浆房或岩浆囊中的岩浆在构造应力及由于围岩与岩浆的密度差产生的浮力作用下,沿已有断层向上运移的动力学过程进行了数值模拟.在岩浆囊顶部与上覆岩层接触处,沿着已有微小破裂,岩浆在一定超压力条件下使已有断层张开并继续向上延伸,从而形成岩浆向上运移的通道.研究了岩浆黏度、密度差、模型深度对最小超压力（岩浆运移到地表所需的最小岩浆房超压力）的影响.在10 km深度的地壳中,若岩浆黏度为0.1~10³ Pa·s,当超压力达到17~20 MPa时,岩浆压力可以驱动岩浆运移到地表层;同时,岩浆动力黏度越大,使岩脉运移到地表需要的超压力就越大.当密度差为300~700 kg·m^-3,其变化对超压力的影响比较小.本文亦对比了三维应力条件和二维平面应变条件下不同结果,比较了不同条件下岩浆运移造成的地表垂直位移变化.结合长白山天池火山地区的区域地质环境,对长白山天池火山岩浆运移条件进行了参数试验性计算分析,估算了在给定长白山天池火山模型条件下地下可能存在的岩浆囊的大小,其结果对认识长白山天池火山地区岩浆活动及相关的预测和监控有参考意义.     

Net gravity decrease at Askja volcano,Iceland: constraints on processes responsible for continuous caldera deflation, 1988–2003

Askja caldera in northeast Iceland has been in a state of unrest for decades. Ground-deformation surveys show that the rate of deformation, i.e., deflation, is much higher then observed at any other dormant volcano in Iceland. This work presents the results from microgravity and deformation studies at Askja from 1988 to 2003. The deflation reaches a maximum of −0.46 m in the centre of the caldera, relative to a station outside the caldera, during the study period. The source of deformation is inferred to be at ∼3 km depth and a recent study infers a second deeper source at ∼16 km depth. The deflation is consistent with a subsurface volume change of −0.018 km³. We find a net microgravity decrease of 115 μGal in the centre of the caldera relative to the same station. This corresponds to a subsurface mass decrease of 1.6×10¹¹ kg between 1988 and 2003 based on the use of a point source model. A combination of magma drainage and cooling and contraction of the shallow magma reservoir at 3 km depth is our favoured model, consistent with the integrated observations. We suggest that extensional tectonic forces generate space in the ductile part of the crust to accommodate ongoing magma drainage from the shallow magma chamber.     

Subduction zone seismicity and the thermo-mechanical evolution of downgoing lithosphere

In this paper we discuss characteristic features of subduction zone seismicity at depths between about 100 km and 700 km, with emphasis on the role of temperature and rheology in controlling the deformation of, and the seismic energy release in downgoing lithosphere. This is done in two steps. After a brief review of earlier developments, we first show that the depth distribution of hypocentres at depths between 100 km and 700 km in subducted lithosphere can be explained by a model in which seismic activity is confined to those parts of the slab which have temperatures below a depth-dependent critical valueT _cr.Second, the variation of seismic energy release (frequency of events, magnitude) with depth is addressed by inferring a rheological evolution from the slab's thermal evolution and by combining this with models for the system of forces acting on the subducting lithosphere. It is found that considerable stress concentration occurs in a reheating slab in the depth range of 400 to 650–700 km: the slab weakens, but the stress level strongly increases. On the basis of this stress concentration a model is formulated for earthquake generation within subducting slabs. The model predicts a maximum depth of seismic activity in the depth range of 635 to 760 km and, for deep earthquake zones, a relative maximum in seismic energy release near the maximum depth of earthquakes. From our modelling it follows that, whereas such a maximum is indeed likely to develop in deep earthquake zones, zones with a maximum depth around 300 km (such as the Aleutians) are expected to exhibit a smooth decay in seismic energy release with depth. This is in excellent agreement with observational data. In conclusion, the incoroporation of both depth-dependent forces and depth-dependent rheology provides new insight into the generation of intermediate and deep earthquakes and into the variation of seismic activity with depth.Our results imply that no barrier to slab penetration at a depth of 650–700 km is required to explain the maximum depth of seismic activity and the pattern of seismic energy release in deep earthquake zones.     

2013-2016年乳山震群b值深度变化特征及意义

利用双差定位方法,对2013年10月—2016年12月乳山震群进行重定位,并计算乳山震群中地震集中活动区域b值,分析其深度分布变化。结果显示：地震重定位后表现为近NW向集中分布;b值在震源深度7.4 km上下最小,反映该深度处应力最强;乳山震群b值并不随震源深度增大而呈系统性减小变化,且深度10.2 km以下无有效b值,进一步证实该震群近NW向发震断裂的存在。根据b值随深度的变化特征,推测断裂活动的高应力区域集中在6.5—10.2 km深度范围内,断裂活动在深度7.4 km处应力最强,且水平分布最广;相比上下两侧地壳介质b值在5.5—6.2 km深度层位明显增大,反映该深度层位介质性质存在明显差异。     

Stress field around the Coloumbo magma chamber,southern Aegean: Its significance for assessing volcanic and seismic hazard in Santorini

Coloumbo submarine volcano lies 6.5 km offshore the NE part of the Santorini island complex and exhibits high seismicity along with vigorous hydrothermal activity. This study models the local stress field around Coloumbo's magma chamber and investigates its influence on intrusion emplacement and geometry. The two components of the stress field, hoop and radial stress, are calculated using analytical formulas that take into account the depth and radius of the magma chamber as these are determined from seismological and other observations. These calculations indicate that hoop stress at the chamber walls is maximum at an angle of 74° thus favouring flank intrusions, while the radial stress switches from tensile to compressive at a critical distance of 5.7 km from the center of the magma chamber. Such estimates agree well with neotectonic and seismological observations that describe the local/regional stress field in the area. We analyse in detail the case where a flank intrusion reaches the surface very near the NE coast of Thera as this is the worst-case eruption scenario. The geometrical features of such a feeder dyke point to an average volumetric flow rate of 9.93 m³ s⁻¹ which corresponds to a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3 if a future eruption lasts about 70 days. Hazards associated with such an eruption include ashfall, ballistic ejecta and base surges due to explosive mixing of magma with seawater. Previous studies have shown that areas near erupting vents are also foci of moderate to large earthquakes that precede or accompany an eruption. Our calculations show that a shallow event (3–5 km) of moment magnitude 5.9 near the eruptive vent may cause Peak Ground Acceleration in the range 122–177 cm s⁻² at different locations around Santorini. These values indicate that seismic hazard even due to a moderate earthquake near Coloumbo, is not trivial and may have a significant impact especially on older buildings at Thera island.     

A geomechanical interpretation of the local seismicity related to eruptions and renewed activity on Tolbachik,Koryakskii, and Avacha Volcanoes,Kamchatka, in 2008–2012

The local seismicity during the 2012–2013 eruption of Tolbachik Volcano and the 2008–2009 steam–gas eruption of Koryakskii Volcano is here considered as resulting from injections of magma that produced dikes, sills, and renewed activity at preexisting faults. We identified plane-oriented earthquake clusters in order to reveal the above zones using earthquake catalogs made at the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KB GS RAS). Subsequent space–time analysis of these observations lends itself to the following interpretation. The November 27, 2012 Tolbachik lava eruption was preceded by an injection of magma resulting in a series of dikes trending west-northwestward in the range of absolute depths between–4 and +3 km in a zone situated southeast of the Ploskii Tolbachik Volcano edifice. The dikes penetrated into a nearly horizontal permeable zone at an absolute depth of approximately zero, producing sills and emplacing a magma-conducting dike along the top of the zone of cinder cones (the dip angle is 50° toward the azimuth 300°) 5.5 km from the epicenter of the initial magma injection. The summit steam–gas eruption of Koryakskii Volcano in 2008–2009 was preceded by magma filling a crustal chamber (the top of the chamber is at–3 km absolute depth; the chamber is 2.5 km across) close to the southwestern base of Koryakskii. Further, magma injection in a nearly north–south zone (7.5 by 2.5 km), the absolute depth between–2 and–5 km) in the north sector of Koryakskii Volcano was occurring concurrently with the summit steam–gas eruption. The injection of magma into the cone of Avacha Volcano (2010) produced sills (at altitudes between +1600 and +1900 m) and dikes (mostly striking northwest).     

Modelling of surface ground deformations in the Phlegraean Fields volcanic area,Italy

A preliminary finite elements model of the ground deformations observed at Phlegraean Fields is proposed. The model assumes an oblate-spheroid magma chamber at the depth of 5.4 km with major semiaxis of 1.5 km and minor semiaxis of 0.75 km. The dimensions of the magma chamber have been evaluated by using a thermal model based on the assumptions that a progressively cooling huge magmatic body is responsible for the volcanic activity at Phlegraean Fields in the last 35,000 years. Surface deformations caused by an over-pressure of 30 MPa in the magma chamber have been calculated. Constant, and temperature-dependent elastic parameters of the surrounding medium have been considered. Vertical displacements of the order of those presently observed at Phlegraean Fields can be obtained only with temperature-dependent elastic properties of the medium.     

Regionalized difference of the 660 km discontinuity beneath Izu-Bonin

Introduction The detail structure of the Earths interior is a major field of geophysics and the existences and properties of mantle discontinuities are its important content. Based on the seismic tomographic results (Fukao, et al, 1992, Van der Hilst, et al, 1991) and the distribution of earthquake hypocenters in the Circum-Pacific region and other regions, the effects of subducting slab at different regions on the 660 km discontinuity are different: some subducting slabs penetrate through; …     

长白山天池火山岩浆系统分析

针对外媒报道长白山天池火山在近2年内有可能喷发的言论,在长白山天池火山区布测了一条长度约为103 km的二维大地电磁测深观测剖面,对火山区深部电性结构进行探测研究.由于研究区内不明来源的电磁干扰非常强,对数据采用了远参考处理、Robust处理、Rhoplus分析、张量阻抗分解和基于一维层状介质电阻率与相位互算方法等先进处理技术,获取到一批在强干扰区质量较为可靠的电磁数据,利用数据计算分析了长白山天池火山区二维构造走向和感应矢量特征,采用NLCG二维反演技术对资料进行了二维反演解释,并将反演结果与前人探测结果进行了对比分析.探测结果表明:在天池火山口下方存在明显的直立型岩浆通道,岩浆通道在下方约5~8 km位置形成关闭;在火山口下方往北方向附近,在埋深位置约7 km深处存在一个明显的低阻异常体,电阻率小于10 Ωm,且与岩浆通道对接,推测其可能是地表浅部发育的岩浆囊;在长白山山门附近C07-C09号测点之间和C04-C05号测点之间,在埋深约7~17 km深处发现近直立型低阻带,低阻带与下方低阻体直接相连,推测低阻带内赋存有活动的岩浆;随着埋深的增加,从天池火山口南部约20 km位置往北方向,在埋深13~30 km之间壳内广泛发育明显的低阻异常体,推测其可能是活动的岩浆囊.反演结果与前人探测结果整体电性特征相似,但又局部不同.