Fractal approaches in investigating the time dynamics of self-potential hourly variability

Fractal tools have been used to investigate the time dynamics of hourly self-potential data, recorded during the year 2001 by five geoelectrical stations located in one of the most seismic areas of southern Italy. Scaling behaviour has been revealed by means of different statistics: the Lomb Periodogram method, the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, the Higuchi analysis and the mean distance spanned within the time L. The values of the scaling exponents estimated by means of these methods indicate that the temporal fluctuations of the geoelectrical signals are not typical of purely random stochastic processes (i.e. white noise), but evidence the presence of long-range correlations. Furthermore, it is found that these correlations are linear.     

Fractal dynamics of geomagnetic storms

We explore fluctuations of the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field to identify scaling behaviour of the temporal variability in geomagnetic data recorded by the Intermagnet observatories during the solar cycle 23 (years 1996 to 2005). In this work, we use the remarkable ability of scaling wavelet exponents to highlight the singularities associated with discontinuities present in the magnetograms obtained at two magnetic observatories for six intense magnetic storms, including the sudden storm commencements of 14 July 2000, 29–31 October and 20–21 November 2003. In the active intervals that occurred during geomagnetic storms, we observe a rapid and unidirectional change in the spectral scaling exponent at the time of storm onset. The corresponding fractal features suggest that the dynamics of the whole time series is similar to that of a fractional Brownian motion. Our findings point to an evident relatively sudden change related to the emergence of persistency of the fractal power exponent fluctuations precedes an intense magnetic storm. These first results could be useful in the framework of extreme events prediction studies.     

Enhancing PIV image and fractal descriptor for velocity and shear stresses propagation around a circular pier

In this study,the fractal dimensions of velocity fluctuations and the Reynolds shear stresses propagation for flow around a circular bridge pier are presented.In the study reported herein,the fractal dimension of velocity fluctuations(u′,v′,w′) and the Reynolds shear stresses(u′v′ and u′w′) of flow around a bridge pier were computed using a Fractal Interpolation Function(FIF) algorithm.The velocity fluctuations of flow along a horizontal plane above the bed were measured using Acoustic Doppler Velocity meter(ADV)and Particle Image Velocimetry(P1V).The PIV is a powerful technique which enables us to attain high resolution spatial and temporal information of turbulent flow using instantaneous time snapshots.In this study,PIV was used for detection of high resolution fractal scaling around a bridge pier.The results showed that the fractal dimension of flow fluctuated significantly in the longitudinal and transverse directions in the vicinity of the pier.It was also found that the fractal dimension of velocity fluctuations and shear stresses increased rapidly at vicinity of pier at downstream whereas it remained approximately unchanged far downstream of the pier.The higher value of fractal dimension was found at a distance equal to one times of the pier diameter in the back of the pier.Furthermore,the average fractal dimension for the streamwise and transverse velocity fluctuations decreased from the centreline to the side wall of the flume.Finally,the results from ADV measurement were consistent with the result from PIV,therefore,the ADV enables to detect turbulent characteristics of flow around a circular bridge pier.     

Scaling of transfer zones in the British Isles

Widths of transfer zones between stepping normal faults obey power-law scaling relationships, probably from widths of millimetres to tens or hundreds of kilometres. Relay ramp widths in the Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Somerset coast obey a power-law up to ∼50 m, above which there is a censoring effect caused by the width of the wave-cut platform. A structural map of the British Isles indicates that transfer zones obey a power-law up to widths of at least 250 km. This indicates that normal faults can interact over tens or hundreds of kilometres, especially where transfer zones occur between stepping half-grabens. Interaction is therefore another aspect of faulting that obeys fractal behaviour.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987110000320

The self-similar is a common phenomena arising in the field of geology.It has been shown that geochemical element data,mineral deposits,and spacial distribution conform to a fractal structure.A fractal distribution requires that the number of objects larger than a specified size have a power-law dependence on size.This paper shows that a number of distributions,including power-function,Pareto, lognormal,and Zipf,display fractal properties under certain conditions and that this may be used as the mathemat...     

岩石碎裂作用的分形尺度(英文)

各种各样的统计幂定律关系经常成功地被用来描述碎屑大小分布和断口形状 (不平整度 )的分级规律 ,表明碎裂作用是一种尺度不变的作用过程。一条新的有关岩石碎裂作用破裂能量的尺度律 ,可以由分形几何以及Griffith能量平衡的概念推导出来 ,而且它与先前三条关于大小缩减或Hall Petch关系的理论是相一致的。从材料强度的观点来看 ,断口形状的分形维数是形状因子和岩石Weibull均质系数的函数。在任何一次采集中 ,如果碎屑都是致密压实的 ,那么大小分布和碎屑不平整度的分形维数是相同的。然而有些地壳碎屑在三维体积上已不再是致密压实的 ,破裂的地壳可被当作分形的多孔物质来处理。在此情况下 ,地壳碎屑形状的分形容量与地壳断口大小分布的分形维数相关 ,可以预期 ,在大地构造及地震强度的分形分析中 ,地壳断口大小分布的分形维数可作为断裂制约条件之一。     

Fractal-Based Wavelet Filter for Separating Geophysical or Geochemical Anomalies from Background

The widely used wavelet filtering technique holds potential to approach anomaly–background separation in geophysical and geochemical data processing. Wavelet statistics provide crucial information on such filtering methods. In general, conventional (Gaussian-type) statistical modeling is insufficient to adequately describe the heavily tailed and sharply peaked (at zero) distribution of the wavelet coefficients of irregular geo-anomaly patterns. This paper demonstrates that the cumulative (frequency) number of the wavelet coefficient yields a power-law scaling relationship with the coefficient based on wavelet transform of a fractal/singular measure. This wavelet coefficient–cumulative number power-law model is proven to be more flexible and appropriate than the Gaussian model for characterizing the scaling nature of the coefficient distribution. Accordingly, a fractal-based filtering technique is developed based on the wavelet statistical model to decompose mixed patterns into components based on the distinct self-similarities identified in the wavelet domain. The decomposition scheme of the fractal-based wavelet filtering method considers not only the coefficient frequency distribution but also the fractal spectrum of singularities and the self-similarity of real-world features. Finally, a synthetic data test and real applications from two metallogenic provinces of China are used to validate the proposed fractal filtering method for anomaly–background separation and identification of geophysical or geochemical anomalies related to mineralization and other geological features.     

Fractal scaling and power-law landslide distribution in a micromodel of geomorphological evolution

Recent analyses of geographical data have shown that mountains can be well described in terms of fractals, which raises the fundamental question about the mechanisms producing fractal surfaces in geomorphological evolution. Because the formation of mountain ranges takes place over an extremely long period of time, direct observations of erosion mechanisms are hardly feasible. Therefore, we expect that model experiments on the erosion of mountain ridges taking place on a limited time scale should contribute significantly to our understanding of the emergence of fractal structures in geomorphological phenomena. During the watering of an initially smooth ridge made of a mixture of silica sand and earthy soil the surface evolves into a shape analogous to actual mountain profiles with self-affine geometry. For the exponents describing, respectively, the spatial and the temporal scaling of the surface width, α=0.78±0.05 and β=0.8±0.06 have been obtained. The former value is in a very good agreement with α=0.8±0.1 calculated for genuine transect profiles. The processes in our micromodel can be well described in terms of self-organized criticality: The system evolves into a critical state, where surface roughening takes place due to power-law distributed landslides.     

Analysis of Extreme Events in Geoelectrical Time Series Measured in a Seismic Area of Southern Appenine Chain (Italy)

In the present paper we analyse the series of extreme events in geoelectrical signals recorded at the monitoring station Tito located in a seismic area of southern Italy. Applying an objective criterion to estimate the probability of occurrence of extreme events in the time series (Cuomo et al., 1996; Cuomo et al., 1997), we found a correlation between the geoelectrical anomalies and earthquakes in the area monitored during the period of recording.     

1368—1948年陇中地区干旱灾害时间序列分形特征研究

采用标度变换法对陇中地区1368—1948年(明代至新中国建立前)各等级干旱灾害及旱季序列的时间分维值进行测算。并深入讨论了各旱灾序列时间分维与其线性特征之间的关系,以及分维随时间演进的变化趋势。对4个干旱等级、4个旱季序列的分维值进行研究,发现:①干旱灾害具有客观的分形结构,其时间序列是具有自组织性质的,干旱灾害是自组织系统;②各等级干旱灾害有自己的时间重演律,干旱灾害越轻,无标度区越宽,分维值越高,短周期更明显;③各旱季分维值与其发生频次成正比;④整个时期的动态总体上表现为:各旱灾序列(旱灾、大旱灾、中度干旱、春旱及伏旱)分维值逐渐增大,旱灾发生趋向混沌无序,旱灾系统趋向平衡态,稳定性减小;⑤分形分析法与常规统计方法之间有着内在联系。     

海南岛中西部金矿集中区断裂构造的分形研究

利用数盒子法对海南岛中西部金矿集中区断层分布统计表明 :断层系统在 5～ 75km尺度内符合分形分布 ,其分维值为 1 .70。根据成矿系统的差异 ,将全区分为 9个子区块 ,各子区块断层系统在 2 .5～ 2 5km尺度内均符合分形分布 ,其分维值介于 0 .6 6～ 1 .72之间。断层分维值的大小可作为判断矿化强弱的指标 :断层的分维值≥ 1 .5 ,是矿化集中区的标志 ;分维值小于 1 .4 ,不利于规模成矿 ;断层的分维值较大 ,是形成金矿化的有利条件 ,若形成超大型矿床 ,则断层系统需处于临界分维状态(Dc≈ 1 .5 )。白沙元门地区断层分维 (D =1 .4 9)接近于临界分维 ,预示该区有良好的找矿前景。基于离散元方法 (UDEC)的数值模拟显示 :随着断层分维值增大 ,则变形趋强、连通性更好、渗透率增大 ;临界状态下断层间的连通性好 ,变形及渗透率突然增加且变形及流体流动局限于骨干断层中 ,即临界状态下最有利于形成含矿流体的局域化分布     

Correlations in aftershock and seismicity patterns

Correlations in space and time play a fundamental role in earthquake processes. One direct manifestation of the effects of correlations is the occurrence of aftershocks due to the stress transfer in the vicinity of a main shock. Less obvious and more speculative changes in correlations may occur in the background seismicity before large earthquakes. Using statistical physics it is possible to introduce a measure of spatial correlations through a correlation length. This quantity characterizes how local fluctuations can influence the occurrence of earthquakes over distances comparable with the correlation length. In this work, the physical basis of spatial correlations of earthquakes is discussed in the context of critical phenomena and the percolation problem. The method of two-point correlation function is applied to the seismicity of California. Well defined variations in time of the correlation length are found for aftershock sequences and background seismicity. The scaling properties of our obtained distributions are analyzed with respect to changes in several scaling parameters such as lower magnitude cutoff of earthquakes, the maximum time interval between earthquakes, and the spatial size of the area considered. This scaling behavior can be described in a unified manner by utilizing the multifractal fit. Utilizing the percolation approach the time evolution of clusters of earthquakes is studied with the correlation length defined in terms of the radius of gyration of clusters. This method is applied to the seismicity of California.     

Fractal models for predicting soil hydraulic properties: a review

Modern hydrological models require information on hydraulic conductivity and soil-water retention characteristics. The high cost and large spatial variability of measurements makes the prediction of these properties a viable alternative. Fractal models describe hierarchical systems and are suitable to model soil structure and soil hydraulic properties. Deterministic fractals are often used to model porous media in which scaling of mass, pore space, pore surface and the size-distribution of fragments are all characterized by a single fractal dimension. Experimental evidence shows fractal scaling of these properties between upper and lower limits of scale, but typically there is no coincidence in the values of the fractal dimensions characterizing different properties. This poses a problem in the evaluation of the contrasting approaches used to model soil-water retention and hydraulic conductivity. Fractal models of the soil-water retention curve that use a single fractal dimension often deviate from measurements at saturation and at dryness. More accurate models should consider scaling domains each characterized by a fractal dimension with different morphological interpretations. Models of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity incorporate fractal dimensions characterizing scaling of different properties including parameters representing connectivity. Further research is needed to clarify the morphological properties influencing the different scaling domains in the soil-water retention curve and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Methods to functionally characterize a porous medium using fractal approaches are likely to improve the predictability of soil hydraulic properties.     

分形不变分布及其在山东地区金矿床中的应用

自相似性(标度不变性)是地学中的一个普遍现象。研究表明,地球化学元素含量、矿床储量规模及其空间分布具有分形结构。分形不变分布的特点要求大于某一尺度物体的数目与物体大小之间存在幂指数关系。论证了幂函数分布、帕累托分布、对数正态分布和齐波夫定律在一定条件下具有分形不变性质,它们是分形模型的数学基础。基于分形模型,用求和方法确定中国山东省金地球化学元素异常值范围。等值线大于或等于金地球化学元素临界值(200×10-9)围成的异常面积包含了已知的大型、超大型金矿床。     

Formation of the macroanisotropic geoelectric parameters of a thin-layered geologic medium and the resolution of electrical prospecting

The accuracy (detail, resolution) of controlled-source electrical prospecting is a combination of several disparate elements. They include the model framework used in the interpretation. A real geologic medium has a complex structure. Sedimentary rocks have a layered structure with fractal properties: The layers split into smaller ones. Large-scale geoelectrical studies (for example, electrical prospecting) require a proper geoelectrical model. By necessity, the 1D geoelectrical model in electrical prospecting is horizontally layered, with thick (hundreds of meters) homogeneous layers, whereas a fine structure is neglected. To study some aspects of this problem, we performed a set of numerical experiments. They were aimed at studying the TEM response from a formation consisting of many thin layers with random geoelectric parameters, mainly resistivity.     

Irreversible thermodynamic and viscoelastic model for power-law relaxation and attenuation of rocks

A constitutive law for viscoelastic behaviour of rocks is derived from irreversible thermodynamics. To this model, two specific parameters are introduced; one is an internal state variable which is a variable concerning the microstructures such as defects in crystals or microcracks, and the other is a temperature reduced time obtained by normalizing the various temperature behaviours. A large number of internal state variables have the respective relaxation times and show the respective time evolutions, while a set of the time evolutions generates temporal power-law behaviour of rocks. The time evolutions of internal states are regarded as dynamics of elements of the generalized Maxwell model, and the stress–strain relation is represented by a response function following a temporal power-law in terms of linear system theory. This relation is inversely formulated to investigate the source field from output data. This model enables us to explain experimentally-based constitutive laws for transient and steady-state behaviour of rocks (e.g., lherzolite) following a temporal power-law and for attenuation behaviour of polycrystals (e.g., olivine) represented by a relation between the quality factor and frequency. Both laws show power-laws on deformation time or frequency depending on the fractal structure in polycrystals or rocks, and the experimental high-temperature behaviours can be extrapolated to long deformation time or high frequency behaviour.     

Variation of singularity of earthquake-size distribution with respect to tectonic regime

Frequency-size relation of earthquakes in a region can be approximated by the Gutenberg-Richter law(GR). This power-law model involves two parameters: a-value measuring seismic activity or earthquake productivity, and b-value describing the relation between frequencies of small and large earthquakes.The spatial and temporal variations of these two parameters, especially the b-value, have been substantially investigated. For example, it has been shown that b-value depends inversely on differential stress. The b-value has also been utilized as earthquake precursor in large earthquake prediction.However, the physical meaning and properties of b-value including its value range still remain as an open fundamental question. We explore the property of b-value from frequency-size GR model in a new form which relates average energy release and probability of large earthquakes. Based on this new form of GR relation the b-value can be related to the singularity index(1-2/3 b) of fractal energy-probability power-law model. This model as applied to the global database of earthquakes with size M ≥ 5 from 1964 to 2015 indicates a systematic increase of singularity from earthquakes occurring on mid-ocean ridges, to those in subduction zones and in collision zones.     

吉林地区地电阻率震兆异常对比分析

对采用形态法、归一化变化速率法和各向异性度法提取到的吉林省内深源地震以及浅源地震前的地电阻率异常变化进行对比分析,结果表明:(1)震前地电阻率出现1~2年尺度中期异常,甚至短期异常,异常以负异常为主;(2)震前地电阻率原始月均值异常变化幅度1%,表明数字地电仪捕捉电信号灵敏度的提高,更与台址构造密不可分;(3)震前地电阻率出现异常变化,震后恢复到正常变化形态,反映出震前震中区地下应力的变化,震后区域构造应力场重新调整并逐渐恢复的过程。     

The fractal dimension of pores in sedimentary rocks and its influence on permeability

Perimeter-area power-law relationship of pores in five sedimentary rocks are estimated from scanning electron micrographs of thin sections. These relationships for the pores of four sandstones were found to lie between 1.43 and 1.49, while that of an Indiana limestone was found to be 1.67. We show how the perimeter-area power-law relationship of pores, along with a pore-size distribution, can be used to estimate the hydraulic permeability. A discussion is given of how the fractal dimension of the pore perimeter derived by Mandelbrot for islands whose boundaries are fractal: P = ε^DA^D/2, where ε is some constant that depends on the length of the measuring grid size and D is the fractal dimension of the pore perimeter, influences permeability.