The egion fault, earthquake-related and long-term deformation, Gulf of Corinth, Greece

On 15 July 1995, the Egion earthquake (Ms = 6.2) occurred in the vicinity of Egion, west-central Greece. Macroseismic observations along the 12 km long E-W trending Egion fault represent short-term or earthquake-related deformation characterized by fairly straight E-W trending surface ruptures with small displacements that mimic the Egion fault geologic offsets and segmentation. Hanging wall converging slip vectors along the Egion fault are clearly related to fault motions at depth. Furthermore, peak accelerations of the built-up area of Egion amount to 0.54 g, that is double the estimated peak acceleration of the Egion coastal area, showing thus close relation between fault trace and attenuation of the ground motion.The Egion fault, with a total geological throw of 200 m and dips to the north at about 55 °, accommodating active tectonic deformation of the Egion area. Its morphotectonic expression reflects long-term deformation in competition with the 1995 earthquake related deformation. The Egion fault is controlling the geomorphic evolution of the Egion area as follows: 1) The fault is defining the evolution of fan-deltas (offshore) and the Meganitas river alluvial plain (onshore). 2) The hanging-wall's greatest subsidence is observed, at the Egion bay, at the central portion of the fault. The Egion bay is located at the central part of the fault showing a strong relationship between the long term slip-rate ratio and the recent coastal morphology. The subsidence gradient or the tectonic activity along the fault is defined by the valley-floor width to valley height index (V_f) of small rivers draining the fault scarp. The Meganitas river course is tilted, when crosses the Egion fault trace, towards the area with the highest subsidence along the fault. 3) Stream incision is more important than slope recession at areas close to the fault trace.All these observations suggest that the Egion fault, which probably hosted the last earthquake, are geomorphically controlling the evolution of a 15 km-long by 5 km-wide zone, fairly similar in dimensions to the surface length of the fault.     

Probable evidence for periodicities in global seismic energy release

A complete data set of globally distributed shallow (h , 60 Km) earthquakes have been used for first time to test the possible existence of periodicities in the seismic energy release. Only main shocks of magnitude,M 7.0 were considered, which occurred in the whole Earth during 1898–1985. These magnitudes are converted in seismic energy, which is released during the occurrence of earthquakes, through Bath's formula. The detection of such kind of periodicities is important in seismology, because these patterns may lead to the prediction of large earthquakes. Statistical techniques, such as Maximum Entropy (ME), and two Fourier approaches, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Power Spectrum (PS) of truncated subrecords of the whole time series have been applied to examine the possible existence of such periodicities in seismic energy release. Furthermore, the even-spacing technique is used to validate our results and a type-curve has been constructed for the data set.The results exhibit a network of periodicities with predominant periods at 3(±0.5), 4.5, 6.5, 8–9, 14–20, and 31–34 years. Some periods were occasionally interrupted. The latter implies that our time-series is not stationary, in that, the spectral peaks drift when the data are viewed through different time windows. The fact that the signal is weak and embedded in less accurate older data could contribute to this effect. The question of stability/validity of the apparently cyclic behaviour of the annual global seismic energy release, is one which requires further investigation.     

Organization of Emergency Response After a Major Disaster Event in an Urban Area with the Help of an Automatic Vehicle Location and Control System

The quick response of civil authorities after a major disaster event in an urban area is essential for the reduction of damages and impacts to human lives. One of the first critical problems to be solved at the very early stages of response is the optimum management of emergency vehicles and real time knowledge of the accessibility of the road network. In this article the concept of using a number of emergency vehicles as sensors for monitoring the traffic conditions in an urban area after a major disaster event is described. The fleet management system used for this taks is working with ral time DGPS. The system makes use of existing vehicle fleets in the urban area, rapidly collecting data and covering the whole road network. It records travel times with the help of the GPS system for every road segment driven through by each vehicle sensor, thus providing a digital time database from which traffic parameters can be also computed. It can be used for real time monitoring of traffic conditions under disaster or emergency situations where all the previously available data become invalid or unreliable. ? 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Floor spectra of mixed base isolated structures

This work investigates the efficiency of mixed base isolation, combining passive isolation bearings with semi-active (SAC) devices, to reduce the floor spectral acceleration in the vicinity of the non-isolated modes’ frequencies. Both analytical and experimental studies have been carried out. Analytical results of the behaviour of a multiple degree of freedom base isolated structure demonstrate the efficacy of the method. Though the considered controller is based on a reduced order model with only two degrees of freedom (2 DOF) without spillover compensation, the results show that, for the type of structures studied here, spillover effects are not considerable. An experimental study of a 2 DOF model of a base isolated structure equipped with a semi-active magneto-rheological (MR) damper has been carried out. Due to limitations of the experimental set-up, it has not been possible to obtain direct experimental evidence of the efficacy of SAC control to improve floor spectra. Nevertheless, based on the good agreement between analytical and experimental results which validate the considered MR model and control algorithm, numerical analyses of more relevant configurations illustrated the benefit of the utilization of such devices.     

Numerical treatment of progressive localization in relation to borehole stability

Results of large-scale finite element computations are presented for the problem of borehole failure due to the high stresses at great depths. Rock is modelled by an extension of the Mohr–Coulomb flow theory of plasticity for material with Cosserat micro-structure. The introduction of internal length (grain size) improves the computational stability and allows for robust post-localization computations. The presented results show clearly a progressive failure mechanism and the computed failure modes are in a good qualitative agreement with laboratory and field observations.     

Searching ancient territorium of Hygassos in Anatolia: settlement patterns and spatio-temporal investigations through aerial and GIS applications

This paper attempts to present and discuss the geomorphological and spatial analyses of Hygassos in the middle Mediterranean (a demos in ancient Bozburun Peninsula) through the application of GIS and photogrammetry, where necessary. The contextual data is composed of the settlement features and humanly constructed terrace relics. In search of the spatial and social territoria, the research questions greatly lean on the present geographical attributes and, the results of a recent survey concerning the ruins situated along a narrow valley in modern Selimiye-K?z?lköy and the Acropolis rising beside. The physical scope encompasses the khora of the Acropolis whose spatial coverage applies to ca. 27.26 km². As the results show, the socio-economic transformation of Hygassos, under the observance of a major stronghold (Kaletepe), must have been quite dependent on the interplay of the topographical and natural factors, as well as the likely shifts from or to the Acropolis over time. However, ambiguities remain for the resilient western half territory (near immediate Losta Bay) which perhaps encroaches on the frontiers of neighbouring Tymnos. Unfavourable but cultivable areas were preferably used for household construction and terracing whereas the land exposed to maximum erosion was refrained for settling purposes.     

Using detrital garnets to determine provenance: a case study from the Vertiskos Unit (Serbomacedonian Massif,N. Greece)

Garnet single crystals of several millimeters in diameter were collected from the uppermost horizon of a soil profile developing immediately on the gneissic rocks of the Vertiskos Unit of the Serbomacedonian Massif in northern Greece. The garnets were analyzed for major elements by EDS analyzer mounted on a scanning electron microscope, and the obtained data were utilized to determine their source rocks. Bivariate diagrams, spider diagrams as well as statistical analysis were used in order to correlate and compare the garnet composition of the basement rocks of the Vertiskos Unit with the existing reference data. This case study demonstrates the difficulty in assigning a source rock to sediment, using only the chemical compositional of detrital garnet. Direct linking of the detrital garnets and the outcropping rocks is not always possible despite well documented outcrop lithologies. This is largely due to a complex metamorphic evolution that leads to overlapping compositions between garnets originating from different lithologies that have undergone similar metamorphic processes and alteration effects.     

Assessment of a Mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystem (Lake Pamvotis, Greece) using benthic community diversity: Response to environmental parameters

Macroinvertebrates play a key role in freshwater lentic and lotic ecosystems. The macroinvertebrate benthic community of a shallow Mediterranean lake (Lake Pamvotis, NW Greece) was studied. The benthic assemblage was sampled monthly at five sites during a period of 1 year (Apr. 1998–Mar. 1999). In addition hypolimnetic water quality variables were monitored over the same period at each site.

The aim of the study was (a) to describe the intra-annual and spatial variability in benthic communities, (b) to relate possible community changes to environmental conditions and (c) to evaluate the responses of the lake's ecological status on community indices.

The benthic fauna of Lake Pamvotis was found to be very limited with a total of 10 species belonging to five taxonomic groups. The oligochaete community comprised 80% of the total benthic fauna with Potamothrix bavaricus as a new record for the Lake Pamvotis and Potamothrix hammoniensis, being the dominant benthic species represented more than 61% of the total benthic fauna. Chironomus plumosus was the most abundant chironomid species contributing with about 6% of the total benthic fauna, and Chaoborus flavicans with 19% was the important dipteran. Almost all benthic species showed the same intra-annual seasonal pattern, with peak population densities during spring and early summer except P. hammoniensis which predominated during the whole sampling period. Dissolved oxygen and temperature seemed to be the main environmental factors affecting community indices.

Benthic communities are affected by human disturbances in Lake Pamvotis shifting their composition to more tolerant taxa, reflecting also the eutrophic to hypertophic character of the lake.