On the synchronism in the events within the core and on the surface of the earth: the changes in the organic world and in the polarity of the geomagnetic field in the phanerozoic

The data on geomagnetic reversals are compared with the changes in the organic world and with the lower-mantle plumes. The times of the formation of plumes and the times of their appearance on the Earth’s surface relate to the intervals characterized by the different frequencies of geomagnetic reversals, i.e., there is no interrelation between the formation of plumes and the frequency of the changes in the geomagnetic field polarity. At the same time, a certain synchronism is observed between the frequency of the geomagnetic reversals and the boundaries of the biostratigraphic ages, i.e., the changes in the organic world in the long-period range. A hypothesis is proposed, which explains the change in the sign of the geomagnetic field by the combined effect of the irregular rotation of the internal core relative to the mantle and the changes in the slope angle of the axis of the Earth’s rotation, which, in turn, results in synchronous events on the Earth’s surface: the rates of changes in the organic world.     

On the maintenance of the axisymmetric part of the flow in the atmosphere

Summary The maintenance of the axisymmetric component of the flow in the atmosphere is investigated by means of a steady-state, quasi-geostrophic formulation of the meteorological equations. It is shown that the meridional variations in the time-averaged axisymmetric variables can be expressed as the sum of three contributions, one being due to the eddy heat transport, another to the eddy momentum transport, and a third to the convective-radiative equilibrium temperature which enters the problem through the specification of a Newtonian form of diabatic heating. The contributions by the large scale eddies are evaluated through the use of observed values for the eddy heat and momentum transports.The contributions from each of the three forcing mechanisms to the temperature and zonal wind fields are invstigated individually and found to be of about equal importance. The sum of the three contributions are also presented for the temperature, the zonal wind, the stream function associated with the mean meridional circulation and the corresponding vertical motion. Although the results fail to reproduce the main observed features of the lower stratosphere, they are found to be in good agreement with observations in the middle latitude troposphere. At any pressure level, for example, the computed mean zonal wind has a jet-like profile and the axis of the jet is found to slope to the south with height, as observed in the atmosphere.Based in part on a thesis submitted by the first author as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at the University of Michigan. — Publication No. 194 from the Department of Meteorology and Oceanography, The University of Michigan.     

On the gravimetric undulations of the geoid and the deflections of the vertical

Summary The author mentions the aims of the World-wide gravity project he established in the Ohio State University in Columbus, in 1950. He outlines the practical procedure of the gravimetric computations of the undulationsN and the vertical deflection components and and emphasizes that only by the global international cooperation and additional gravity observations at sea carried out during the last decade it has been possible to gather to Columbus the needed gravity material. Since there exist still large gravimetrically unsurveyed areas it is of vital significance to study what gravity anomalies are best to be used for these regions. The given figures concerning the accuracy of theN, and , estimated theoretically and obtained in practice, indicate that in the gravimetrically well surveyed parts of the world like in Europe and the United States we can get gravimetrically on basis of existing gravity material theN-values with accuracy of about 5–10 meters, and and with the accuracy of about 1. The geoid undulationsN are already computed in Columbus for more than 6000 points of the northern hemisphere. The sample maps show the interesting geoid of Europe and vicinity between the latitudes 60° and 30° and longitude 5° W and 30° E, drafted on basis of more than 1000N-values computed at the corners of 1°×1° squares. It is interesting to realize that the geoid undulations in all this area are positive, the extreme values being between 40 and 50 meters. The geophysical significance of the geoid maps of this kind is pointed out.     

太平洋中部地磁台11年周期变化的研究

综合APIA、HONOLULU、PAMATAI 3个地磁台三分量的11年周期变化的形态后,可定性地提出该变化源于内场。如内源为核幔边界的电涡流,则其中心点应位于3台之间。     

Macrobenthic communities of the Pechora Sea: the past and the present on the threshhold of the prirazlomnoye oil-field exploitation

On data of bottom sampling, carried out by means of grab, trawl and underwater photography in August–September of 1993 in the area of the Pechora Sea, quantitative regularities of macrobenthos distribution are described for the ecological monitoring purposes. Maps of -biodiversity and biomass indices, bottom communities and trophic zones, singled out by dominant method, are presented. Assessment of structure changes of the investigated area bottom communities during the last 60–70 years is fulfilled. It is shown that the described communities on the whole are of natural undisturbed character and that the revealed changes are within the natural fluctuations in the abundance of benthic populations or may be interpreted in terms of methodical differences in the data analysis and generalization by different authors.     

Magnetic stratigraphy of the Ordovician in the lower reach of the Kotuy River: the age of the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum and the rate of geomagnetic reversals on the eve of the superchron

Until recently, the existing data prevented the geophysicists from accurately dating the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum, which outcrops in the middle reach of the Kotuy River, constraining the time of its formation to a wide interval from the end of the Late Cambrian to the beginning of the Silurian. The obtained paleomagnetic data unambiguously correlate the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum to the Nyaian regional stage and constrain its formation, at least a considerable part of it, by the Tremadocian. This result perfectly agrees with the data on the Bysy-Yuryakh conodonts studied in this work and yields a spectacular example of the successful application of paleomagnetic studies in solving important tasks of stratigraphy and, correspondingly, petroleum geology. Within the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum, we revealed a large normal-polarity interval corresponding to the long (>1 Ma) period when the geomagnetic reversals were absent. This result, in combination with the data for the Tremadocian and Middle–Upper Cambrian sequences of the other regions, indicates that (1) the rate of occurrence of the geomagnetic reversals on the eve of the Ordovician Moyero superchron of reversed polarity was at most one reversal per Ma; (2) the superchron does not switch on instantaneously but is preceded by a certain gradual change in the operation conditions of the dynamo mechanism which, inter alia, manifests itself by the reduction of the frequency of geomagnetic reversals with the approach of the superchron. This finding supports the views according to which a process preparing the establishment of the superchrons takes place at the core–mantle boundary.     

固体潮的地震预测研究与地球动力学研究之分析比较

本文分析了现行固体潮地震研究中的历史影响,对比研究了固体潮地震预测研究和固体潮地球动力学研究二者在振动频率、振动源体积、传输距离与介质等方面的地球物理特点与本质区别,强调了固体潮地震预测研究中最根本的工作是建立地震预测的目标和基本概念.     

Comparison Between the Nutations of the Planet Mars and the Nutations of the Earth

The nutations of the planets Mars andEarth are investigated and compared. Alarge number of interior structureparameters are involved in the nutationcomputations. The comparison between the observations and the computationsprovides several constraints on these parmeters andtherefore allows a better understanding of the physics of the interior of theplanet. For the Earth, the high precision of the observations of the nutationshas led to a very good determination of interior properties of the planet. ForMars, observations of nutations are not yet available, and we review how theamplitude of the Martian nutations depends on the hypotheses consideredfor its interior. Although Mars is very similar to the Earth, its interior is not well known;for example, we don't knowif its core is liquid or solid. Only if the core is liquid,the Free Core Nutation (FCN) normal mode exists and can alter the nutationswhich are close to the resonance. From the observed geoids, it is known thatboth planets are not in hydrostatic equilibrium. The departure is larger forMars than for the Earth, and consequently, the implication of considering a convective mantle instead of a mantle in hydrostatic equilibrium described byClairaut's equation for the initial equilibrium state of the planet is largeron the Martian nutations than on the Earth nutations. The consequences of theuncertainty in the core dimensions are also examined and shown to be of a veryhigh influence for Mars if the core is liquid, due to the potential changes inthe FCN resonance. The influence of the presence of an inner core, which isknown to exist for the Earth, could be more important for Mars than for theEarth if the inner core is large. Due to the presence of Tharsis on Mars, thetriaxiality of this planet has, additionally, larger effects than on Earth.     

Theory of the evolution of the earth and the earth's crust

Summary The paleomagnetic field (declination and inclination) in different geological epochs is represented through the field of the so-called magnetic dipole. The optimal dipole coordinates so obtained show that during older geological times the optimal dipole lay outside the earth's centre and moved towards and around the earth centre. It is supposed that the optimal dipole trajectory in the earth coincides with earth core trajectory. This core motion brought about a motion of the masses of the mantle in a direction opposite to the motion of the core. This in turn brought about the break-down of Pangea and the separation of the continents. The drift of the continents, the relative changing of the earth's rotational axis and many other geological and geophysical phenomena may be explained through such a motion, that is through the motion of an eccentrical core towards the earth centre.     

Structure of the poleward wall of the trough and the inclination of the geomagnetic field above the EISCAT radar

A special high-resolution routine of the EISCAT radar has been used to investigate the structure and development of the poleward wall of a deep trough in electron density. The feature was tracked by the radar during a 7-hour period under very quiet geomagnetic conditions. The field-aligned nature of the structure enabled an estimate to be made of the inclination of the geomagnetic field above EISCAT that was in good agreement with the current model. Observations of narrow field-aligned enhancements in electron temperature demonstrated that the wall of this trough is a dynamic feature, reforming regularly as the electron density responds on a time scale of tens of minutes to energy input from soft-particle precipitation.     

On the intensity of the geomagnetic field in the geological past

A detailed analysis of the data on the intensity of the geomagnetic dipole and frequency of its reversals presented in the world’s paleointensity databases provided the arguments in favor of the hypothesis of the negative correlation between the average virtual dipole moment (VDM) and the frequency of the reversals on the interval from 5 Ma to 100 Ma ago. However, the statistical confidence level of this hypothesis is only 60–70%, which is far below 95%, the standard required confidence level of a hypothesis to be considered statistically reliable. At a high level of confidence (above 99%), the presence of a positive correlation between the mean value and variance of VDM for a number of intervals of stable polarity in the Cenozoic and Mesozoic is confirmed. This finding means that the distribution of VDM on these time intervals is certainly non-Gaussian and is rather described by the gamma- or lognormal law. At the same time, in contrast to the earlier intervals, the histogram of VDM for the Brunhes epoch is closer to the normal distribution. Compared our conclusions with the published results on the numerical modeling of the geodynamo, we found that they are consistent in terms of a probable negative correlation between the average VDM and reversal frequency, as well as the lack of correlation between the average VDM and the length of the interval of stable polarity.     

Temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium in the vicinities of the sources of catastrophic earthquakes

The idea of predicting earthquakes by continuously monitoring temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium was suggested by Beaumont and Berger in 1974. However, it became possible to implement the idea only recently. This possibility has arisen due to the deployment of Global Seismic Network (GSN), which collects the data on tidal tilts and gravity in the epicenters of strong earthquakes before and after the strongest events. In this paper, we present the results of model analytical and numerical calculations of the elastic displacements of the Earth’s surface caused by the earthquakes and their preparatory processes. The analytical calculations are limited to the model of a uniform elastic halfspace; the numerical calculations, in addition to this model, also cover the models with radially heterogeneous distributions of elastic moduli in the crust and in the upper mantle, which are determined by the PREM model. We describe the results of modeling temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium in the vicinity of the source of a catastrophic earthquake. The model of seismic source is specified by the length and the orientations of the fault plane and by the value of the discontinuity in the tangential component of the displacement vector on the opposite sides of the fault. The model is based on the GPS data on the horizontal and vertical displacements of the Earth’s surface. We suggest the method for determining temporal changes in the tidal response of the medium in the seismically active regions. This method improves the sensitivity and time resolution of the standard techniques of sliding-window analysis by more than an order of magnitude. The comparative analysis of temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium in the zones of the magnitude 9 earthquake in Japan (March 9, 2011) illustrates the described approach.

     

Temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium in the vicinities of the sources of catastrophic earthquakes

The idea of predicting earthquakes by continuously monitoring temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium was suggested by Beaumont and Berger in 1974. However, it became possible to implement the idea only recently. This possibility has arisen due to the deployment of Global Seismic Network (GSN), which collects the data on tidal tilts and gravity in the epicenters of strong earthquakes before and after the strongest events. In this paper, we present the results of model analytical and numerical calculations of the elastic displacements of the Earth??s surface caused by the earthquakes and their preparatory processes. The analytical calculations are limited to the model of a uniform elastic halfspace; the numerical calculations, in addition to this model, also cover the models with radially heterogeneous distributions of elastic moduli in the crust and in the upper mantle, which are determined by the PREM model. We describe the results of modeling temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium in the vicinity of the source of a catastrophic earthquake. The model of seismic source is specified by the length and the orientations of the fault plane and by the value of the discontinuity in the tangential component of the displacement vector on the opposite sides of the fault. The model is based on the GPS data on the horizontal and vertical displacements of the Earth??s surface. We suggest the method for determining temporal changes in the tidal response of the medium in the seismically active regions. This method improves the sensitivity and time resolution of the standard techniques of sliding-window analysis by more than an order of magnitude. The comparative analysis of temporal variations in the tidal response of the medium in the zones of the magnitude 9 earthquake in Japan (March 9, 2011) illustrates the described approach.     

The QBO effect on the solar signal in the global stratosphere in the winter of the Northern Hemisphere

This paper contains correlations between the NCEP/NCAR global stratospheric data below 10 hPa and the 11-year solar cycle. In the north summer the correlations between the stratospheric geopotential heights and the 11-year solar cycle are strong and positive on the Northern Hemisphere and as far south as 30°S, whereas they are weak in the north winter all over the globe. If the global stratospheric heights and temperatures in the north winter are stratified according to the phase of the QBO in the lower stratosphere, their correlations with the solar cycle are large and positive in the Arctic in the west years of the QBO but insignificantly small over the rest of the earth, as far as the South Pole. In the east years, however, the arctic correlations with the solar cycle are negative, but to the south they are positive and strong in the tropical and temperate regions of both hemispheres, similar to the correlations with the full series of stratospheric data in the other seasons. The influence of the solar cycle in the Arctic is stronger in the latter half of the winter. The global difference, in the northern winter, in the sign and strength of the correlations between the stratospheric heights and temperatures and the solar cycle in east and west years of the QBO can be ascribed to the fact that the dominant stratospheric teleconnection and the solar influence work in the same direction in the east years, but oppose each other in the west years.     

Evolutionary Changes in the Configuration of the Magnetic Field of the Solar Corona in the Epoch of the Minimum

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The evolution of the magnetic configuration in the solar corona is studied. The curvature of the K-corona helmets obtained from an analytical approximation of the...     

On the solution stability in the problem of determining the time variations of the tidal responses of a medium in the vicinity of the sources of severe earthquakes

In (Molodenskii M.S. et al., 2016), the data from horizontal pendulums recording the tilts in the closest vicinity of the Great Tohoku earthquake of March 11, 2011 in Japan were analyzed. A significantly improved method for statistical analysis of the observational data enabled the authors to reveal a slow growth in tidal tilts during a period of six years before the earthquake, which was superseded by an instantaneous drop in the amplitudes at the time of the earthquake. After this, during the subsequent four years, the tidal amplitudes have remained at a significantly lower level than their average values before the earthquake. These changes in tidal amplitudes testify to the nonlinear character of the tidal response of the medium in the presence of large tectonic stresses: as is well known, the linear relationship between stresses and strains in a real medium is only the case for stresses that are far below the yield stress. When the stresses approach the failure limit, two counteracting effects come into play: (1) the shear moduli in some areas decrease as a result of the avalanche growth of the crack formation processes, and (2) the moduli increase due to the compression in the other areas. Irrespective of which particular effect of these two is predominant, in either case the linearity of the relationship between the stresses and strains should be violated. This violation cannot but affect the amplitudes of the tidal tilts and strains characterizing this relationship in the presence of fairly low additional tidal stresses (i.e., the derivative of the off-diagonal stress tensor components with respect to the same components of the strain tensor). Since there is presently a sufficiently dense network of the horizontal pendulums recording the tilts (the global IRIS network and the particularly dense F-NET network in Japan), monitoring the changes in the amplitudes of tidal tilts can be considered as a key instrument for capturing the signs of the approach of tectonic stresses to their critical values. The increase in tidal amplitudes before the Tohoku earthquake and their drop at the moment of the earthquake, which were revealed by us, as well as the constancy of the amplitudes during four years after the event, unambiguously indicate that the accumulation of tectonic stresses caused the growth in tidal amplitudes, whereas the stress release by the earthquake caused their diminution. This does not however mean that stress accumulation is accompanied by a decrease in the elastic moduli and that the release of stresses is accompanied by the growth of elastic moduli all over the source area. As was shown in (Molodenskii M.S. et al., 2012), even in the simplest model of spatially homogeneous variations of elastic modules, the variations in tidal tilts are an odd function of the distance from the epicenter. Therefore, irrespective of whether the elastic moduli decrease or increase, the amplitudes of tidal tilts should decrease in some areas and increase in other areas. Hence, the very fact of the growth of tidal tilt amplitudes with time cannot be considered as a sign of the growth of tectonic stresses. To be positive about the latter, one should make sure that the consistent (unidirectional) changes have been observed during a sufficiently long time interval and that their magnitudes were significantly larger than the measurement errors. Hence, it is important to reliably estimate the errors of the observational data.     

琼中地震台重力仪记录同震响应特征分析

2013年2月6-8日圣克鲁斯群岛发生6次强震,琼中地震台的重力仪记录都有同震响应出现。本文从重力仪记录的面波的延迟时间、最大变形幅度、同震持续时间3个方面研究了6次强震的同震响应特征。     

测井技术的应用及其在科学钻探研究中的意义

测井技术是从上世纪20年代发展起来,60年代渐趋成熟,现已被广泛应用于油田、煤田等地质勘探工作中.上世纪开始的DSDP(深海钻探)、ODP(大洋钻探)I、CDP(国际大陆科学钻探计划)、KTB(德国的大陆科学钻探计划)等项目采用测井曲线研究古环境、古气候,确定地层性质等方面取得了进展,极大的拓展了地球物理测井在地质上的应用范围,使测井技术由油气、煤炭测井的地层分析上升到测井地质的成因研究,也渗透到提取古气候信息的领域上.我们在柴达木盆地盐湖科学钻探工程中也采用了测井技术,旨在通过与岩芯多指标对比分析,探索应用其指示意义测井技术在石油、盐类资源普查及古环境研究中.     

帕米尔—兴都库什地区构造应力场反演及拆离板片应力形因子特征研究

从Global CMT目录搜集了1976年1月至2016年6月之间的震源深度大于70km的255个震源机制解,用阻尼应力反演方法,分70～160km和170～310km两个深度,计算了帕米尔—兴都库什地区的构造应力场;同时以10km为间隔计算了兴都库什地区深度介于70～310km之间的应力形因子.得到以下初步结论:兴都库什板片向下俯冲和帕米尔地区断裂带的横向拉张,可能是导致应力场不同的原因.兴都库什俯冲带与帕米尔俯冲带碰撞,导致交汇地区(37°N—37.5°N)的应力场参数突变.兴都库什俯冲板片受到深部温度、压力等因素,出现薄弱面进而形成拆离板片.其脱离了主俯冲板片的束缚后,重力的上下拉张作用导致空区附近张轴倾伏角接近90°,拆离板片俯冲至上地幔不连续面,导致板片部分熔融进而应力形因子随着深度变小.而拆离板片受到地幔挤压其内部发生破碎,其压应力轴由西部的NS到东部NW-SE方向偏转及纵向张应力轴倾伏角变小.     

On the Mechanism of the Secular Tidal Acceleration of the Solid Inner Core and the Viscosity of the Liquid Core

As is known, the secular deceleration of the Earth's diurnal rotation is explained mainly by the tidal friction in the ocean. Below we consider this mechanism in some detail, taking into account also elastic deformations of the mantle under the action of ocean loading and the interaction between the tide-generating body, ocean tidal wave, liquid outer core, and solid inner core. It is shown that elastic displacements of the core-mantle boundary under the action of ocean loading are of about the same amplitude and phase as the elastic loading displacements of the Earth's outer surface. As a result, side by side with the mechanism of secular deceleration of diurnal rotation of the mantle, there are also (1) the opposite mechanism of secular acceleration of diurnal rotation of the outer liquid core and of the solid inner core and (2) the mechanism of excitation of differential rotation in the liquid core. Taking these effects into account, we compare theoretical and modern observed data on the eastward drift of the solid inner core. It is shown that the best agreement may be obtained if the turbulent viscosity of the liquid core is about 2 × 10 ³ Poise