Application of laser strainmenters to the study of earthquake physics

The paper considers possibilities of applying laser strainmeters for the study of earthquake physics. One of laser strainmeters is described. A high efficiency of using the laser strainmeters for the study of earthquakes and their precursors is shown. In records of the spaced laser strainmeters, anomalous deformations propagating from the east to the west with the speed comparable with that of migration of earthquakes were found.     

Rate of collisional deformation in Kamchatsky Peninsula,Kamchatka

Detailed data are discussed on the rate of Holocene horizontal and vertical movements along a fault in the southeastern Kamchatsky Peninsula, which is situated between the converging Aleutian and Kamchatka island arcs. The fault is the northern boundary of the block invading into the peninsula under pressure of the Komandorsky Block of the Aleutian arc. The rate of right-lateral slip along the fault was increasing in the Holocene and reached 18–19 mm/yr over the last 2000 years and 20 mm/yr by contemporary time. Comparison of these estimates with those that follow from offsets of older rocks also indicates acceleration of horizontal movements along the fault from the early Quaternary to the present. The results obtained from rates of GPS station migration show that about half the rate of the northwestern drift of the Komandorsky Block is consumed for movement of the block of the southern side of the fault. The remainder of movement of the Komandorsky Block is consumed for movements (probably, underthrusting) at the eastern continental slope of the Kamchatsky Peninsula.     

Preface: Value and dynamics of salt lakes in a changing world

正Thestatementthattheworld’secosystemsare rapidly deteriorating due to human intervention and global warming is nowadays commonplace. Some o the ecosystems most heavily impacted are inland sal lakes. The salt lakes are among the most valuable and fascinating ecosystems on Earth, and their study has both basic scientifi c interest as well as applied aspects     

Multi-proxy climate and environmental records from a Holocene eutrophic mire,southern taiga subzone,West Siberia

Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from peat are strongly focused on ombrotrophic mires, but this study demonstrates that eutrophic mires can also be used. A multi-proxy approach was applied to a eutrophic mire on a floodplain terrace in the southern taiga of West Siberia. The results of the reconstruction were considered in the wide geographic context of the surrounding regions, including Siberia and Central Asia. Different palaeoecological proxies (analysis of plant macrofossils, testate amoebae, oribatid mites, molluscs, peat humification, ash content and spectral characteristics of humic acids) were used in this study. The results of different proxies showed a high level of consistency among themselves, which allowed for a robust interpretation of Holocene mire development. Throughout the ~7800 years history of the mire, there was a high level of surface wetness. The presence of mineral matter in the peat between 7800 and 5100 cal. a BP indicates regular flooding caused by the intensive fluvial activity, apparently resulting from increased precipitation. This was followed by a trend towards a gradual decrease in surface wetness from conditions of high surface moisture (stagnant water) between 5100 and 3000 cal. a BP to present day conditions of moderate surface moisture with a water table slightly below the mire surface. This pattern is consistent with the well-documented long-term trend from palaeoecological records throughout the taiga and arctic zones in West Siberia and central arid Asia. Our data further support the idea that the westerlies were the dominant driver of climate for the southern taiga of West Siberia during the Middle to Late Holocene.     

Active Tectonics of Central Asia

Geotectonics - Central Asia exceeds neighboring territories in the intensity of Quaternary uplifts and active faulting. The active fault kinematics differ in the northeast of the region, from...     

Evaluation of the reliability of hydrogeological information

Ground-water is of great importance for both natural processes and economic activities. However, because of a number of causes the hydrogeological information is not clear-cut. The consideration of this ambiguity is obligatory when making scientific and economic decisions. A method to evaluate the uncertainty of hydrogeological information when making decisions is suggested. It is elaborated for the Bayersian principle of decisions with the use of statistical analysis of experimental data. The suggested approach is useful for the economic justification of additional investigations.     

Raman study of MgCO3–FeCO3 carbonate solid solution at high pressures up to 55 GPa

Magnesite, siderite and ferromagnesites Mg_1?x Fe _x CO₃ (x = 0.05, 0.09, 0.2, 0.4) were characterized using in situ Raman spectroscopy at high pressures up to 55 GPa. For the Mg–Fe-carbonates, the Raman peak positions of six modes (T, L, ν₄, ν₁, ν₃ and 2ν₂) in the dependence of iron content in the carbonates at ambient conditions are presented. High-pressure Raman spectroscopy shows that siderite undergoes a spin transition at ~40 GPa. The examination of the solid solutions with compositions Mg_0.6Fe_0.4CO₃, Mg_0.8Fe_0.2CO₃, Mg_0.91Fe_0.09CO₃ and Mg_0.95Fe_0.05CO₃ indicates that with increase in the amount of the Fe spin transition pressure increases up to ~45 GPa.     

Reconstruction of Late Glacial Conditions of Exogenic Landscape Formation of Central Kamchatka: Data on Spore–Pollen Analysis

Doklady Earth Sciences - Spore–pollen analysis of lacustrine and subaerial sediments of the KamPlen reference section in the Central Kamchatka Depression (CKD) is conducted. The results of...