The relationship between geothermal gradient and the composition of granitic magmas in orogenic belts

A comparison has been made between the average compositions of the granites in the Variscan, Caledonian, and Alpine orogenic belts of western Europe. Their respective compositions lie near the isobaric minima in the system Q-Or-Ab-H₂O for successively higher water pressures, whereas metamorphic facies series indicate that the three orogenic belts developed under successively lower geothermal gradients. These relationships are consistent with an origin of the granitic magmas by partial melting in the crust.     

Some exact solutions of unsteady boundary layer equations-I

Summary Unsteady boundary layer flows generated in a homogeneous, non-rotating viscous fluid are considered. The method of Laplace transform is used to obtain exact solutions of the unsteady boundary layer equations in a more general situation. The structures of the unsteady velocity field and the associated boundary layers are determined. Several particular solutions are recovered as special cases of the present general theory. The physical implications of the mathematical results are investigated.     

Seeing Conditions at Sutherland. Results of the 1992/93 seeing campaign

In order to decide whether the seeing conditions at SAAO/Sutherland justify the erection of a 3.5 m telescope and also to compare Sutherland with the Gamsberg/Namibia site, a seeing campaign covering 15 months has been carried out. For direct comparison with the results of the seeing campaign at Gamsberg twenty years before the same QUESTAR telescope was employed. The seeing is determined by the scattering of the star-trail exposed on a film in the focal plane of the telescope. The campaign commenced in February 1992. Up to May 1993, data for 204 nights, that is 47.3% of the total number of nights, were collected. Due to wind speeds above 30 km h^-1, 25 out of the 204 nights were not considered in the final reduction. The useful 179 nights are evenly distributed over the campaign period. The median seeing value for the whole period is = 0.52. There are differences during the year: the best season gives = 0.42, the worst = 0.67. Each night was divided into three intervals, although data for each of the three intervals were not always available. Generally, there is an improvement in the seeing during the course of a night. The results are compared to the seeing values of Gamsberg/Namibia and ESO/La Silla.     

Experimental test of the wind-shear theory. A reply—rocket-borne magnetometers do measure B

The apparent inconsistencies noted by Whitehead ⁽¹⁾ in the ionization, electron density, wind and magnetic field data of the rocket flights SL 130 and 131 (Hall et al. ⁽²⁾) are resolved by the presentation of further experimental detail. Observational accuracy and in particular the heading correction procedure for the magnetic field values are discussed. It is also pointed out that the interaction of the steady EW wind component with the E _g ionization profile provides an additional contribution to the E _g magnetic field. It is concluded that within the experimental limitations the experiment remains a fair test of the wind-shear theory.     

Radar determination of the spatial structure of hydraulic conductivity

Spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity exerts a predominant control on the flow of fluid through porous media. Heterogeneities influence advective pathways, hydrodynamic dispersion, and density-dependent dispersion; they are, therefore, a key concern for studies of ground water resource development, contaminant transport, and reservoir engineering. Ground-penetrating radar contributes to the remote, geophysical characterization of the macroscale variability of natural porous media. On a controlled excavation of a glacial-fluvial sand and gravel deposit in the Fanshawe Delta area (Ontario, Canada), the hydraulic conductivity field of a 45 x 3 m vertical exposure was characterized using constant-head permeameter measurements performed on undisturbed horizontal sediment cores. Ground-penetrating radar data were collected along the excavation face in the form of both reflection and common midpoint surveys. Comparison of geostatistical analyses of the permeameter measurements and the radar data suggests thatthe horizontal correlation structure of radar stack velocity can be used to directly infer the horizontal correlation structure of hydraulic conductivity. The averaging nature of the common midpoint survey is manifest in the vertical correlation structure of stack velocity, making it less useful. Radar reflection data do not exhibit a spatial structure similar to that of hydraulic conductivity possibly because reflections are a result of material property contrasts rather than the material properties themselves.     

Volume contents

Volume Contents

Volume contents     

System identification of a concrete arch dam and calibration of its finite element model

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake occurred near Pacoima Dam on 13 January 2001. An accelerometer array that had been upgraded after the Northridge earthquake recorded the motion with 17 channels on the dam and the dam–foundation interface. Using this data, properties of the first two modes are found from a system identification study. Modal properties are also determined from a forced vibration experiment performed in 2002 and indicate a significantly stiffer system than is estimated from the 2001 earthquake records. The 2001 earthquake, although small, must have induced temporary nonlinearity. This has implications for structural health monitoring. The source of the nonlinear behaviour is believed to be loss of stiffness in the foundation rock. A finite element model of Pacoima Dam is constructed and calibrated to match modal properties determined from the system identification study. A dynamic simulation of the 2001 earthquake response produces computed motions that agree fairly well with the recorded ones. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time-lapse seismic analysis of pressure depletion in the Southern Gas Basin

In the Southern Gas Basin (SGB) of the North Sea there are many mature gas fields where time‐lapse monitoring could be very beneficial in extending production life. However, the conditions are not immediately attractive for time‐lapse seismic assessment. This is primarily because the main production effect to be assessed is a pore pressure reduction and frame stiffening because of gas production in tight sandstone reservoirs that also have no real seismic direct hydrocarbon indicators. Modelling, based on laboratory measurements, has shown that such an effect would be small and difficult to detect in seismic data. This paper makes two main contributions. Firstly, this is, to our knowledge, the first time‐lapse study in the SGB and involves a real‐data assessment of the viability for detecting production in such an environment. Secondly, the feasibility of using markedly different legacies of data in such a study is addressed, including an assessment of the factors influencing the crossmatching. From the latter, it is found that significant, spatially varying time shifts need to be, and are successfully, resolved through 3‐D warping. After the warping, the primary factors limiting the crossmatching appear to be residual local phase variations, possibly induced by the differing migration strategies, structure, reverberations and different coherencies of the volumes, caused by differences in acquisition‐structure azimuth and acquisition fold. Despite these differences, a time‐lapse amplitude signature is observed that is attributable to production. The character of the 4‐D amplitude anomalies may also indicate variations in stress sensitivity, e.g. because of zones of fracturing. Additionally, warping‐derived time attributes have been highlighted as a potential additional avenue for detection of pressure depletion in such reservoirs. Although the effects are subtle, they may indicate changes in stress/pressure in and around the reservoir because of production. However, to fully resolve the subtle time‐lapse effects in such a reservoir, the data differences need to be better addressed, which may be possible by full re‐processing and pre‐stack analysis, but more likely dedicated 4‐D acquisition would be required.