Expressions for the Global Gravimetric Moho Modeling in Spectral Domain

We apply a newly developed numerical method to improve the Moho geometry by the implementation of gravity data. This method utilizes expressions for the gravimetric forward and inverse modeling derived in a frequency domain. Methods for a spectral analysis and synthesis of the gravity field and crust density structures are applied in the gravimetric forward modeling of the consolidated crust-stripped gravity disturbances, which have a maximum correlation with the (a priori) Moho model. These gravity disturbances are obtained from the Earth’s gravity disturbances after applying the topographic and stripping gravity corrections of major known anomalous crust density structures; in the absence of a global mantle model, mantle density heterogeneities are disregarded. The isostatic scheme applied is based on a complete compensation of the crust relative to the upper mantle density. The functional relation is established between the (unknown) Moho depths and the complete crust-stripped isostatic gravity disturbances, which according to the adopted isostatic scheme have (theoretically) a minimum correlation with the Moho geometry. The system of observation equations, which describes the relation between spherical functions of the isostatic gravity field and the Moho geometry, is defined by means of a linearized Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. The Moho depths are determined based on solving the gravimetric inverse problem. The regularization is applied to stabilize the ill-posed solution. This numerical procedure is utilized to determine the Moho depths globally. The gravimetric result is presented and compared with the seismic Moho model. Our gravimetric result has a relatively good agreement with the CRUST2.0 Moho model by means of the RMS of differences (of 3.5 km). However, the gravimetric solution has a systematic bias. We explain this bias between the gravimetric and seismic Moho models by the unmodelled mantle heterogeneities and uncertainties in the CRUST2.0 global crustal model.     

Calc-alkaline volcanic rocks from NW Sardinia: Evaluation of a fractional crystallization model

The volcanic centre of Monte Seda Oro, N. W. Sardinia, representative of a Cenozoic calc-alkaline andesitic suite of rocks is composed of a variety of rocks ranging from high alumina basalts to dacites. The minerals of basaltic, andesitic and dacitic rocks show only limited variation in chemical composition. The geochemical data suggest that the various rock-types are related by a crystal-liquid fractionation. Least-squate numerical calculations, using major element data, support the derivation of andesites with SiO₃ content ranging from 53.8 to 59.0% from basalts having about 48.7% of SiO₂ by low pressure crystal fractionation of the phenocryst phases present in these rocks. However, the origin of dacites cannot be readily explained by this mechanism.     

Petrochemistry of quaternary pumiceous pyroclastic products in southern Guadeloupe (F.W.I.)

Pumiceous pyroclastic products are present as flows and falls at several stages of the evolution of the southern Guadeloupe volcanic island. An understanding of this volcanism had to rely on detailed petrochemical data of these products to complement similar data for effusive rocks so as to yield complete stratigraphical coverage. On the other hand most pumiceous rocks are more or less conspicuousily banded suggesting that mixing phenomena occurred to different degrees in their genesis. Three major classes of pumiceous products are found: (1) the Axial Chain deposits (2.0–0.5 My) are characterized by An90, 75-55 + En55 + Wo42En37 + Usp35-37 ± Fo68 ± Hble, SiO₂ 60%, SiO₂/Th 35.6, and La/Th 3.9. Banded samples have components that differ in evolution indices by about 50%; (2) the Bouillante Chaine pyroclastics (0.3–0.1 My) consist of scattered deposits with variable mineralogical and geochemical compositions that seem to have erupted from a number of small eruptive centers. Qz-dacitic pumice is common with An90, 70-45 + En66-56 + Usp32-38 + Ilm94 + Hble ± Wo40-42En40-42, SiO₂ 62%, SiO₂/Th 22.9, and La/Th >4. Mixed pumice samples have highly contrasted evolution indices differing by up to 120%; (3) the Pintade pumice flows and falls correspond to the major pyroclastic event (approx. 10 km³) in the southern Basse Terre area. They are characterized by An85-70 + En66-56 + Usp32-37 ± Wo42En42, SiO₂/Th 18.7-22?6, and La/Th 3.0-4.0. Banded pumice lumps are scarce and show slight compositional contrasts; differences in evolution indices do not exceed 38%. Axial and Bouillante chain pyroclastics and Grande Découverte volcano pumice respectively, form two different families in trace element plots. Minor elements in pyroxenes also are distinctive. These trends are similar to those obtained for effusive rocks and define comagmatic series. Major and trace element data for the separated components of inhomogeneous pumice in each formation always plot in the corresponding series. These chemical discriminants can be used to attribute samples of unknown provenance to a given volcanic ensemble. An inverse relationship between differences in evolution indices in inhomegeneous pumice and the volume of any single eruptive sequence is noted. This is an indication that pumiceous pyroclastic rocks were erupted from a zoned magma chamber. We favor an interpretation where zonation is produced by influx of less envolved magma in superficial differentiated chambers which is a direct cause for eruption.     

Evidence for an Independent 26-s Microseismic Source near the Vanuatu Islands

The 26 s peak in the ambient seismic noise spectrum is persistently excited and observed at stations globally. Using noise cross-correlation functions (NCFs), the location suggests that the source could be situated in the Gulf of Guinea and Fiji Basin. However, the Fiji Basin was proposed to be the mirror site (near antipode) of the Gulf of Guinea source instead of an independent source, assuming that the surface waves more efficiently propagate along the major-arc paths of oceanic movements. To investigate the propagation of the Rayleigh waves along continental and oceanic paths, we analyzed the surface wave data recorded from an earthquake near the Gulf of Guinea and found that Rayleigh waves travel along continental minor-arc paths more efficiently than along oceanic major-arc paths. We then located the source in the western Pacific Ocean from group velocities measured with earthquake data by using the travel time misfit in NCFs after calibration and concluded that the source is in the Vanuatu Islands. Moreover, the temporal variation of the 26 s microseismic peak observed in the western Pacific seismic stations is very different from that in stations near the Gulf of Guinea, which suggests that they are excited by independent sources. Therefore, the Vanuatu source should be an independent microseismic source. As it is close to volcanoes in the Vanuatu islands, the Pacific 26 s microseismic source might be excited by magmatic processes, which are also responsible for very-long-period volcanic tremors.     

STANOVA: a smoothed-ANOVA-based model for spatio-temporal disease mapping

Spatio-temporal disease mapping can be viewed as a multivariate disease mapping problem with a given order of the geographic patterns to be studied. As a consequence, some of the techniques in multivariate literature could also be used to build spatio-temporal models. In this paper we propose using the smoothed ANOVA multivariate model for spatio-temporal problems. Under our approach the time trend for each geographic unit is modeled parametrically, projecting it on a preset orthogonal basis of functions (the contrasts in the smoothed ANOVA nomenclature), while the coefficients of these projections are considered to be spatially dependent random effects. Despite the parametric temporal nature of our proposal, we show with both simulated and real datasets that it may be as flexible as other spatio-temporal smoothing models proposed in the literature and may model spatio-temporal data with several sources of variability.     

Microseismic monitoring of columnar jointed basalt fracture activity: a trial at the Baihetan Hydropower Station,China

Severe stress release has occurred to the surrounding rocks of the typically columnar jointed basalt after excavation at the Baihetan Hydropower Station, Jinsha River, China, where cracking, collapse, and other types of failure may take place occasionally due to relaxation fracture. In order to understand the relaxation fracture characteristics of the columnar jointed basalt in the entire excavation process at the diversion tunnel of the Baihetan Hydropower Station, real-time microseismic monitoring tests were performed. First, the applicability of a geophone and accelerometer was analyzed in the columnar jointed basalt tunnel, and the results show that the accelerometer was more applicable to the cracking monitoring of the columnar jointed basalt. Next, the waveform characteristics of the microseismic signals were analyzed, and the microseismic signals were identified as follows: rock fracture signal, drilling signal, electrical signal, heavy vehicle passing signal, and blast signal. Then, the attenuation characteristics of the microseismic signals in the columnar jointed basalt tunnel were studied, as well as the types and characteristics of the columnar jointed basalt fracture. Finally, location analysis was conducted on the strong rock fracture events, in which four or more sensors were triggered, to obtain the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics and laws of the columnar jointed basalt relaxation fracture after excavation. The test results are not only of important reference value to the excavation and support of diversion tunnel at the Baihetan Hydropower Station, but also of great referential significance and value to the conduction of similar tests.     

Melting of Mg2GeO4 under pressure

Melting point of germanate forsterite, Mg₂GeO₄, was raised by compression at the rate of 30°C/GPa. The triple point, at which three phases of olivine- and spinel-type solids and liquid coexisted, was fixed at 1950°C and 3.5GPa. Wen these results are combined with the thermodynamical data of forsterite, Mg₂SiO₄, it is estimated that the triple point of forsterite lies in a region ranging from 2700° to 3000°C in temperature and from 20 to 30GPa in pressure.     

On the ability of Moho reflections to affect the ground motion in northeastern Italy: a case study of the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence

It has been observed that post-critically reflected S-waves and multiples from the Moho discontinuity could play a relevant role on the ground motion due to medium to strong size earthquakes away from the source. Although some studies investigated the correlation between the Moho reflections amplitudes and the damage in the far field, little attention was given to the frequency content of these specific phases and their scaling with magnitude. The 2012 Emilia seismic sequence in northern Italy, recorded by velocimetric and accelerometric networks, is here exploited to investigate Moho reflections and multiples (SmSM). A single station method for group velocity-period estimation, based on the multiple filter technique, is applied to strong motion data to detect SmSM. Amplitude and frequency scaling with magnitude is defined for earthquakes from \(\hbox {Mw}=3.9\) to \(\hbox {Mw}=5.9\) . Finally, the ability of SmSM to affect the ground motion for a maximum credible earthquake within the Po plain is investigated by extrapolating observed engineering parameters. Data analysis shows that high amplitude SmSM can be recognized within the Po plain, and at the boundaries between the Po plain and the Alpine chain, at epicentral distances larger than 80 km, in the period range from 0.25 to 3 s and in the group velocity window from about 2.6 to 3.2 km/s. 5 % damped pseudo-spectral accelerations at different periods (0.3, 1.0 and 2.0 s), and Housner intensities, are obtained from data characterized by large amplitude SmSM. A scaling relationship for both pseudo-spectral accelerations and Housner intensities is found for the earthquakes of the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence. \(\hbox {I}_{\mathrm{MCS}}\) from VII to VIII is estimated, as a result of SmSM amplitude enhancement, at about 100 km for a maximum credible earthquake ( \(\hbox {Mw}=6.7\) ) in the Po plain, showing that moderate to high damage cloud be caused by these specific phases.     

The linear relation between temperatures based on the silica content of groundwater and regional heat flow: A new heat flow map of the United States

Application of the silica geothermometer to over 70,000 non-thermal groundwaters from the United States has shown that there is a correlation between the average silica geotemperatures for a region (T SiO₂ in °C) and the known regional heat flow (q in mW m^?2) of the form: 1 $$TSiO_2 = mq + b$$ wherem andb are constants determined to be 0.67°C m² mW^?1 and 13.2°C respectively. The physical significance of ‘b’ is the mean annual air temperature. The slope ‘m’ is related to the minimum average depth to which the groundwaters may circulate. This minimum depth is estimated to be between 1.4 and 2.0 km depending on the rock type. A preliminary heat flow map based on equation (1) is presented using theT SiO₂ for new estimates of regional heat flow where conventional data are lacking. Anomalously high localT SiO₂ values indicate potential geothermal areas.     

The deposition of silica in hot springs

Natural hot spring waters ascending rapidly to the surface become supersaturated with respect to quartz because of rapid cooling, separation of steam and sluggish deposition of quartz and other crystallineSiO ₂ phases. Large amounts of silica are likely to be deposited in hot spring systems only after the solubility of amorphous silica has been exceeded. Cristobalite and chaleedony probably form in hot spring systems only by the crystallization of previously deposited silica gel rather than by direct deposition from solution. Experimental data indicate that the solubilit of quartz in water rises with increasing temperature along the vapor pressure curve to a maximum value of 725 ppm at 330°C. However, the maximum amount of silica likely, to occur in hot spring systems where quartz precipitates at depth is appreciably greater. Steam formation during adiabatic cooling of a water quickly brought to the surface from 330°C at depth might leave the silica in the remaining liquid concentrated to about 1150 to 1400 ppm. Under such conditions, amorphous silica might precipitate (probably as a colloidal suspension) after the water cooled below about 200°C to 250°C. Waters initially in equilibrium with quartz at a temperature less than 210°C probably will precipitate amorphous silica in channelways underground only when and where large quantities of steam separate from the waters as a result of sudden decreases in pressure or hydrostatic head. Above 150° to 200°C amorphous silica and volcanic glass can contribute very large quantities of silica to the solution. However, at these temperatures in natural systems they are eventually converted to crystalline phases. Thus, control of dissolved silica at depth is likely to be relatively short lived in respect to the ages of most hot spring systems. The dissolved-silica content of 90 hot spring waters from Yellowstone National Park was measured colorimetrically in the field immediately after collection. Comparison with laboratory studies on the solubility of amorphous silica indicates that many waters in «alkaline» springs are markedly undersaturated with silica with respect to amorphous silica at the temperatures of the pools. Thus, the dissolved silica content of these waters cannot be accounted for by equilibria with amorphous silica. Rather, silica appears to be controlled by the dissolution, deposition, or alteration of other silica-bearing phases at depth. Furthermore, many springs now have compositions essentially identical (with respect to all components) to those determined in 1888, indicating that either equilibrium or steady state conditions have prevailed at depth for a long time. Veins of fine-grained quartz were found in drill core from the Upper Basin, and it is reasonable to assume that quartz controlled the quantity of silica in solution in those places of deposition. Possibly the silica content of the surface waters might allow an estimate of the temperatures at which these waters were last in equilibrium with quartz at depth. Assuming adiabatic cooling along the vapor pressure curve and correcting for steam formation, quartz solubility data compared with natural water analyses suggests that underground temperatures approach 205°C in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone. In the Norris Geyser Basin, underground temperatures of 245°C are suggested.     

The gravity field and crustal thickness of Venus

The gravity and topography of Venus obtained from observations of the Magellan mission, as well as the gravity and topography from our numerical mantle convection model, are discussed in this paper. We used the hypothesis that the geoid of degrees 2–40 is produced by sublithospheric mantle density anomalies that are associated with dynamical process within the mantle. We obtained the model dynamical admittance(the geoid topography ratio based on a convection model) by a numerical simulation of the Venusian mantle convection, and used it to correct the dynamical effect in the calculation of crustal thickness. After deducting the dynamical effect, the thickness of the Venusian crust is presented. The results show that the gravity and topography are strongly correlated with the Venusian mantle convection and the Venusian crust has a significant influence on the topography. The Venusian crustal thickness varies from 28 to 70 km. Ishtar Terra, and Ovda Regio and Thetis Regio in western Aphrodite Terra have the highest crustal thickness(larger than 50 km). The high topography of these areas is thought to be supported by crustal compensation and our results are consistent with the hypothesis that these areas are remnants of ancient continents. The crustal thickness in the Beta, Themis, Dione, Eistla, Bell, and Lada regiones is thin and shows less correlation with the topography, especially in the Atla and Imdr regiones in the eastern part of Aphrodite Terra. This is consistent with the hypothesis that these highlands are mainly supported by mantle plumes. Compared with the crustal thickness calculated with the dynamical effect, our results are more consistent with the crust evolution and internal dynamical process of Venus.     

Land–Water Boundary Treatment for a Tsunami Model With Dimensional Splitting

The Method of Splitting Tsunamis (MOST) model adapted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for tsunami forecasting operations is praised for its computational efficiency, associated with the use of splitting technique. It will be shown, however, that splitting the computations between \(x\) and \(y\) directions results in specific sensitivity to the treatment of land–water boundary. Slight modification to the reflective boundary condition in MOST caused an appreciable difference in the results. This is demonstrated with simulations of the Tohoku-2011 tsunami from the source earthquake to Monterey Bay, California, and in southeast Alaska, followed by comparison with tide gage records. In the first case, the better representation of later waves (reflected from the coasts) by the modified model in a Pacific-wide simulation resulted in twice as long match between simulated and observed tsunami time histories at Monterey gage. In the second case, the modified model was able to propagate the tsunami wave and approach gage records at locations within narrow channels (Juneau, Ketchikan), to where MOST had difficulty propagating the wave. The modification was extended to include inundation computation. The resulting inundation algorithm (Cliffs) has been tested with the complete set of NOAA-recommended benchmark problems focused on inundation. The solutions are compared to the MOST solutions obtained with the version of the MOST model benchmarked for the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program in 2011. In two tests, Cliffs and MOST results are very close, and in another two tests, the results are somewhat different. Very different regimes of generation/disposal of water by Cliffs and MOST inundation algorithms, which supposedly affected the benchmarking results, have been discussed.     

Petrology of tholeiitic lavas from Tanna Island (New Hebrides): Importance of cumulative processes in Island arc magmatism

Tanna, one of the southernmost islands of the New Hebrides volcanic arc, is made of Late Pliocene to Recent island arc tholeiitic basalts and andesites, with SiO₂ contents ranging from 45 to 57%. These lavas are highly porphyritic (30–50% in volume): phenocrysts of plagioclase are the most abundant, together with olivine and clinopyroxene. The groundmass contain plagioclase, augite, olivine, magnetite and glass; pigeonite, tridymite, sanidine and, rarely, biotite may also occur. The olivines and clinopyroxenes show an iron enrichment from the cores of phenocrysts to their rims and the groundmass crystals, but their compositional variations are not correlated with the Mg/Fe ratio of bulk host rocks, the most Fe-rich compositions being found in Mg-rich lavas. Plagioclase compositions range from An₉₅ to An₆₀ in the basalts and An₆₀ to An₅₀ in the andesites, but, within each group, they are not correlated with SiO₂ or Na₂O contents of host lavas. Consequently, the bulk major element compositions of Tanna volcanic rocks cannot be considered as primarily controlled by crystal separation from successive liquids. The oxyde-SiO₂ variations diagrams, and the modal compositions and mineral chemistry show that crystal accumulation is the predominant mechanism accounting for bulk rock compositions. However, this does not exclude fractional crystallization: the variation of the calculated groundmass mineralogy strongly suggest the occurrence of crystal removal mainly clinopyroxene and magnetite.     

Eruption of Piip Crater (Kamchatka)

In autumn of 1966 on the northern slope of Kliuchevskoy volcano a chain of new adventive craters broke out at the height of about 2200 m. Eighty-four hours before the beginning of the eruption a swarm of preliminary volcanic earthquakes had appeared. The number of preliminary shocks was 457 with total energy of 4 × 10¹⁷ erg. With the beginning of the lava flow the earthquakes stopped and a continuous volcanic tremor appeared. The total energy of volcanic tremor amounts to 10¹⁶ erg. During the eruption numerous explosive earthquakes with the energy of 10¹⁵–10¹⁶ erg were recorded and besides the microbarograph of the Volcanostation recorded 393 explosions with an energy more than 10¹³ erg and their total energy was equal to 10¹⁷ erg. All together it has been formed 8 explosive craters and the lowest 9th crater was effusive. The slag cone was formed round this effusive crater, the lava effusion of basaltic-andesite composition (52,5% SiO₂) tooke place from the lava boccas at the cone base and from the crater. The lava flow covered a distance of 10 km along the valley of the Sopochnoy river and descended to a height of about 800 m. The lava flow velocity at the outflow reached 800 m/hr, the lava temperature was 1050°C. The effused lava volume amounts to 0.1 km³. The eruption stopped on December 25–26, 1966.     

Significance of basic and ultramafic rock inclusions in the basalts of Canary Islands

This paper deals with the mineralogical, textural and chemical features of the dunite, peridotite, pyroxenite and gabbroic inclusions present in the Quaternary basalts of the Canary Islands. The mineralogical composition, structure and texture of the inclusions show that most of them have been formed as crystal cumulates from a nonalkaline basaltic magma in the earlier stages of its fractional crystallization. There are no co-genetic relationships between the inclusions and the host basalts, since the latter have a very strong alkaline-olivine character, although there are also some types with tholciitic aflinities. The study of the data leads to the conclusion that these inclusions can be considered as xenoliths from the basic and ultrabasic complexes that form the substratum and which outcrop in some of the Canary Islands. Attention is called to the fact that in many other volcanic zones of the world there has been a previous emplacement of basic and ultramafic layered complexes and is the question opened whether the association between stratiform-complexes and active basaltic volcanism is more frequent than has been assumed up to now.     

A thermal model of the magma reservoir feeding Plinian eruptions at Mt. Vesuvius (Italy)

A theoretical thermal model has been worked out for the magma reservoir that would have fed the two last Plinian eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius (Barberi et al., 1981). The effect of convective motions is discussed, and it is shown that the size of convective cells and the efficiency of the process in smoothing out temperature gradients evolves in time due to the progressive viscosity increase produced by the heat lost by conductive heat transfer through the host rock. Although convection will be important throughout the history of the reservoir, until very high viscosities are reached, the pure conductive model seems to account satisfactorily for the cumulative heat loss by the reservoir. Gravitative crystal settling can occur, even in presence of convective motions, mostly during several hundred years after the magma emplacement when viscosity is not yet increased to high values.     

Petrology of seamounts northwest of Samoa and their relation to Samoan volcanism

Petrological and geochemical data on dredged samples from five submarine volcanos northwest of Samoa indicate that three of these volcanos belong to the Samoan volcanic province (Field, Lalla Rookh, and Combe banks), and two belong to separate magmatic zones (Wallis Islands and Alexa Bank). The Samoan volcanic province increases in age westward and both shield-building tholeiitic and alkalic lavas (Combe Bank) and strongly undersaturated (post-erosional?) melilitites or nephelinites and ankaramites (Field and Lalla Rookh banks) are present. The age progression and petrochemical character of these rocks is consistent with a fixed hotspot beneath eastern Samoa. Slightly askew from this trend is Alexa Bank where dredged lavas are ocean-island tholeiites; however, its radiometric age and compositional characteristics apparently preclude its association with Samoa by a fixed-hotspot model. Dredged volcanic rocks from near the Wallis Islands are geochemically, petrologically, and temporally different from Samoan volcanism, but are similar in these respects to Quaternary volcanism in Rotuma and Fiji and may be related to plate reorganization accompanying opening of the North Fiji Basin.     

Seismic risk and damage prediction: case of the buildings in Constantine city (Algeria)

Located at the North-Eastern part of Algeria (Tellian Atlas), Constantine has crucial administrative, economic, scientific and cultural importance. It has continuously experienced significant urban evolutions during the different periods of its history. The city is located in an active seismic region within Algeria and has been struck in the past by several moderate and strong earthquakes. The strongest earthquake recorded since the beginning of instrumental seismology took place on October 27, 1985 with a magnitude M \(_\mathrm{S}=\) 5.9. Constantine presents a high seismic risk, because of its dense housing and high population density (2,374 inhabitants/km \(^{2})\) . This requires a risk assessment in order to take preventive measures and reduce the losses in case of potential major earthquake. For this purpose, a scenario based approach is considered. The building damage assessment methodology adopted for the Algerian context is adapted from HAZUS approach. In the present case, the effective Algerian seismic code response spectrum (RPA 99/2003) is considered as a seismic hazard model. The prediction of the expected damages is performed for a set of almost 29,000 buildings.     

Volcan ceboruco: A major composite volcano of the mexican volcanic belt

Ceboruco is a major composite volcano at the western end of the Mexican Volcanic Belt, near the junction between the North American and Pacific plates. The volcano is built from successive eruptions of andesite lavas and pyroclastic rocks, and major eruptions during its history have resulted in the formation of two concentric calderas. The youngest volcanic activity has included the extrusion of dacites within the inner caldera and a voluminous flank eruption of andesite during 1870–72. Fumarolic activity persists to the present day. Chemical analyses show that the lavas are of cale-alkaline type and rangs from andesite (SiO₂=58–61%) to acid dacite (SiO₂=68%) in composition. The rate of increase of K₂O relative to SiO is greater than that in volcanic rocks from the Mexican Volcanic Belt as a whole. This indicates that simple models based on the application of such relationships may not be adequate to explain the petrogenesis of calc-alkaline lavas.