Diagnostics of Turbulent Dynamo from the Flux Emergence Rate in Solar Active Regions

Line-of-sight magnetograms acquired by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) and by the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) for 14 emerging ARs were used to study the derivative of the total unsigned flux–the flux emergence rate, R(t). We found that the emergence regime is not universal: each AR displays a unique emergence process. Nevertheless, two types of the emergence process can be identified. First type is a “regular” emergence with quasi-constant behavior of R(t) during a 1–3 day emergence interval with a rather low magnitude of the flux derivative, R_max = (0.57 ± 0.22) × 10²² Mx day^–1. The second type can be described as “accelerated” emergence with a long interval (>1 day) of the rapidly increasing flux derivative R(t) that result in a rather high magnitude of R_max= (0.92 ± 0.29) × 10²² Mx day^–1, which later changes to a very short (about a one third of day) interval of R(t) = const followed by a monotonous decrease of R(t). The first type events might be associated with emergence of a flux tube with a constant amount of flux that rises through the photosphere with a quasi-constant speed. Such events can be explained by the traditional largescale solar dynamo generating the toroidal flux deep in the convective zone. The second-type events can be interpreted as a signature of sub-surface turbulent dynamo action that generates additional magnetic flux (via turbulent motions) as the magnetic structure makes its way up to the solar surface.     

Surface Deformation due to Loading of a Layered Elastic Half-space: Constructing the Solution for a General Polygonal Load

We describe an algorithm for rapidly computing the surface displacements induced by a general polygonal load on a layered, isotropic, elastic half-space. The arbitrary surface pressure field is discretized using a large number, n, of equally-sized circular loading elements. The problem is to compute the displacement at a large number, m, of points (or stations) distributed over the surface. The essence of our technique is to reorganize all but a computationally insignificant part of this calculation into an equivalent problem: compute the displacements due to a single circular loading element at a total of m n stations (where m n is the product m × n). We solve this “parallel” problem at high computational speed by utilizing the sparse evaluation and massive interpolation (SEMI) method. Because the product m n that arises in our parallel problem is normally very large, we take maximum possible advantage of the acceleration achieved by the SEMI algorithm.     

Terrestrial heat flow in Japan

Terrestrial heat flow, Q=K×ΔT/ΔZ cal/cm² sec has been determined at 51 localities (39 on land and 12 in the sea) in and around the Japanese Islands. The average values of observed heat flow in land and sea are 1.53µ cal/cm²sec and 1.48µcal/cm²sec respectively. These value do not differ greatly from the world’s averages. The outstanding features of the heat flow distribution are as follows:a) High heat flow region (Q>2.0µcal/cm²sec) exists in the Inner Zone of the Honshu Arc. This region of high heat flow is more distinct in the northeastern Japan than in the southwestern Japan.b) The High heat flow region seems to extend, through the Fossa Magna area, down to the Izu-Mariana Arc.c) It is also probable that a similar high heat flow zone exists in the inner side of the Kurile Arc.d) These zones of high heat flow precisely coincide with the zones of the Cenozoic orogeny in the area concerned.e) Far off the coast of the northeastern Japan, the area at about 150° E may be a high heat flow region.f) Low heat flow (Q<1.0µcal/cm²sec) prevails in the Pacific coast side of the northeastern Japan and in the oceanic area directly east of it, including the area of the Japan Trench.g) The region bounded by the above mentioned high and low heat flow regions has heat flow which is more or less normal. Based on these measurements, a « steady state ” temperature distribution in the crust has been calculated for each of the above regions of high, low and intermediate heat flow, and it was found that there is a large temperature differences between the bottom of the crust of the high and low heat flow regions: the temperature at the Moho boundary in the high heat flow regions should be as high as some 800～1000°C (d=27 km), whereas that under the low heat flow region should be only about 200°C (d=23 km). The high general temperature at the Moho under the high heat flow region seems to favor a production of magma in the upper mantle. Calculated Moho temperatures disfavor the hypothesis that the Moho boundary is due to phase transition.     

Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder water vapor and ozone profiles over the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent region during boreal summer

We present validation studies of MLS V2.2 and V3.3 water vapor(WV) and ozone profiles over the Tibetan Plateau(Naqu and Lhasa) and its adjacent region(Tengchong) respectively by using the balloon-borne Cryogenic Frost point Hygrometer and Electrochemical Concentration Cell ozonesonde. Coincident in situ measurements were selected to compare the MLS V2.2 and V3.3 WV and ozone profiles for understanding the applicability of the two version MLS products over the region. MLS V2.2 and V3.3 WV profiles respectively show their differences within ?2.2±15.7%(n=74) and 0.3±14.9%(n=75) in the stratosphere at and above 82.5 h Pa. Accordingly, at 100 h Pa, the altitude approaching the tropopuase height, differences are within 9.8± 46.0%(n=18) and 23.0±45.8%(n=17), and they are within 21.5±90.6%(n=104) and 6.0±83.4%(n=99) in upper troposphere. The differences of MLS ozone are within ?11.7±16.3%(n=135, V2.2) and 15.6±24.2%(n=305, V3.3) at and above 82.5 h Pa. At 100 h Pa, they are within ?3.5±54.4%(n=27) and ?8.7±41.6%(n=38), and within 18.0±79.1%(n=47) and 34.2±76.6%(n=160) in the upper troposphere. The relative difference of MLS WV and ozone profile has significant oscillation and scatter at upper troposphere and lower stratosphere partly due to the stronger gradients of WV and ozone concentrations here as well the linear interpolation of sonde data for the intercomparison. At and below 70 h Pa, the relative differences of MLS ozone are significantly larger over Lhasa during the Tibetan Plateau "ozone valley" season, which is also the Asian Summer Monsoon period. The MLS ozone differences over the three sites are similar in their vertical distributions during that period. A simple linear correlation analysis between MLS and sonde profiles indicates that the sensitivity of MLS profile products is related to concentrations at each pressure level. The MLS V3.3 product sensitivity is slightly improved for WV at and above 82.5 h Pa, whereas it is not obvious for ozone. The possible factors contributing to the differences of the MLS profile products of WV and ozone are discussed.     

Soil failure can be used for seismic protection of structures

A new seismic design philosophy is illuminated, taking advantage of soil “failure” to protect the superstructure. Instead of over-designing the foundation to ensure that the loading stemming from the structural inertia can be “safely” transmitted onto the soil (as with conventional capacity design), and then reinforce the superstructure to avoid collapse, why not do exactly the opposite by intentionally under-designing the foundation to act as a “safety valve” ? The need for this “reversal” stems from the uncertainty in predicting the actual earthquake motion, and the necessity of developing new more rational and economically efficient earthquake protection solutions. A simple but realistic bridge structure is used as an example to illustrate the effectiveness of the new approach. Two alternatives are compared : one complying with conventional capacity design, with over-designed foundation so that plastic “hinging” develops in the superstructure; the other following the new design philosophy, with under-designed foundation, “inviting” the plastic “hinge” into the soil. Static “pushover” analyses reveal that the ductility capacity of the new design concept is an order of magnitude larger than of the conventional design: the advantage of “utilising” progressive soil failure. The seismic performance of the two alternatives is investigated through nonlinear dynamic time history analyses, using an ensemble of 29 real accelerograms. It is shown that the performance of both alternatives is totally acceptable for moderate intensity earthquakes, not exceeding the design limits. For large intensity earthquakes, exceeding the design limits, the performance of the new design scheme is proven advantageous, not only avoiding collapse but hardly suffering any inelastic structural deformation. It may however experience increased residual settlement and rotation: a price to pay that must be properly assessed in design.     

Experimental study on the shear behavior of the interface between cushion materials and the concrete raft

Cushion is a layer of granular materials between the raft and the ground. The shear behavior of the interface between the cushion and the raft may influence the seismic performance of the superstructure. In order to quantify such influences, horizontal shear tests on the interfaces between different cushion materials and concrete raft under monotonic and cyclic loading were carried out. The vertical pressure P_v, material type and cushion thickness h_c were taken as variables. Conclusions include: 1) under monotonic loading, P_v is the most significant factor; the shear resistance P_(hmax) increases as P_v increases, but the normalized factor of resistance μ_n has an opposite tendency; 2) for the materials used in this study, μ_n varies from 0.40 to 0.70, the interface friction angle δ_s varies from 20° to 35°, while u_(max) varies from 3 mm to 15 mm; 3) under cyclic loading, the interface behavior can be abstracted as a "three-segment" back-bone curve, the main parameters include μ_n, the displacement u_1 and stiffness K_1 of the elastic stage, the displacement u_2 and stiffness K_2 of the plastic stage; 4) by observation and statistical analysis, the significance of different factors, together with values of K_1, K_2 and μ_n have been obtained.     

Earthquake Potential in the Zagros Region,Iran

Seismic strain and b value are used to quantify seismic potential in the Zagros region (Iran). Small b values (0.69 and 0.69) are related to large seismic moment rates (9.96×10¹⁷ and 4.12×10¹⁷) in southern zones of the Zagros, indicating more frequent large earthquakes. Medium to large b values (0.72 and 0.92) are related to small seismic moment rates (2.94×10¹⁶ and 6.80×10¹⁶) in middle zones of the Zagros, indicating less frequent large earthquakes. Small b value (0.64) is related to medium seismic moment rate (1.38×10¹⁷) in middle to northern zone of the Zagros, indicating frequent large earthquakes. Large b value (0.87) is related to large seismic moment rate (2.29×10¹⁷) in northwestern zone, indicating more frequent large earthquakes. Recurrence intervals of large earthquakes (M > 6) are short in southern (10 and 14 years) and northwestern (13 years) zones, while the recurrence intervals are long in the middle (46 and 114 years) and middle to northern (25 years) zones.     

Activation of seismicity in Central and South Asia after the Makran earthquakes: Possible acceleration of preparation of large seismic events in the Tien Shan region

Two zones of seismicity (ten events with M _w = 7.0–7.7) stretching from Makran and the Eastern Himalaya to the Central and EasternTien Shan, respectively, formed over 11 years after the great Makran earthquake of 1945 (M _w = 8.1). Two large earthquakes (M _w = 7.7) hit theMakran area in 2013. In addition, two zones of seismicity (M ≥ 5.0) occurred 1–2 years after theMakran earthquake in September 24, 2013, stretching in the north-northeastern and north-northwestern directions. Two large Nepal earthquakes struck the southern extremity of the “eastern” zone (April 25, 2015, M _w = 7.8 and May 12, 2015, M _w = 7.3), and the Pamir earthquake (December 7, 2015, M _w = 7.2) occurred near Sarez Lake eastw of the “western” zone. The available data indicate an increase in subhorizontal stresses in the region under study, which should accelerate the possible preparation of a series of large earthquakes, primarily in the area of the Central Tien Shan, between 70° and 79° E, where no large earthquakes (M _w ≥ 7.0) have occurred since 1992.     

A study of Guptkashi,Uttarakhand earthquake of 6 February 2017 (<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">w</Emphasis></Subscript>5.3) in the Himalayan arc and implications for ground motion estimation

The 2017 Guptkashi earthquake occurred in a segment of the Himalayan arc with high potential for a strong earthquake in the near future. In this context, a careful analysis of the earthquake is important as it may shed light on source and ground motion characteristics during future earthquakes. Using the earthquake recording on a single broadband strong-motion seismograph installed at the epicenter, we estimate the earthquake’s location (30.546° N, 79.063° E), depth (H?=?19 km), the seismic moment (M₀?=?1.12×10¹⁷ Nm, M _w 5.3), the focal mechanism (φ?=?280°, δ?=?14°, λ?=?84°), the source radius (a?=?1.3 km), and the static stress drop (Δσ _s ~22 MPa). The event occurred just above the Main Himalayan Thrust. S-wave spectra of the earthquake at hard sites in the arc are well approximated (assuming ω^?2 source model) by attenuation parameters Q(f)?=?500f^0.9, κ?=?0.04 s, and f_max?=?infinite, and a stress drop of Δσ?=?70 MPa. Observed and computed peak ground motions, using stochastic method along with parameters inferred from spectral analysis, agree well with each other. These attenuation parameters are also reasonable for the observed spectra and/or peak ground motion parameters in the arc at distances ≤?200 km during five other earthquakes in the region (4.6?≤?M _w ?≤?6.9). The estimated stress drop of the six events ranges from 20 to 120 MPa. Our analysis suggests that attenuation parameters given above may be used for ground motion estimation at hard sites in the Himalayan arc via the stochastic method.     

Contrasted turbulence intensities in the Indonesian Throughflow: a challenge for parameterizing energy dissipation rate

Microstructure measurements were performed along two sections through the Halmahera Sea and the Ombai Strait and at a station in the deep Banda Sea. Contrasting dissipation rates (??) and vertical eddy diffusivities (K _z ) were obtained with depth-averaged ranges of \(\sim [9 \times 10^{-10}-10^{-5}]\) W kg^??1 and of \(\sim [1 \times 10^{-5}-2 \times 10^{-3}]\) m² s^??1, respectively. Similarly, turbulence intensity, \(I={\epsilon }/(\nu N^{2})\) with ν the kinematic viscosity and N the buoyancy frequency, was found to vary seven orders of magnitude with values up to \(10^{7}\). These large ranges of variations were correlated with the internal tide energy level, which highlights the contrast between regions close and far from internal tide generations. Finescale parameterizations of ?? induced by the breaking of weakly nonlinear internal waves were only relevant in regions located far from any generation area (“far field”), at the deep Banda Sea station. Closer to generation areas, at the “intermediate field” station of the Halmahera Sea, a modified formulation of MacKinnon and Gregg (2005) was validated for moderately turbulent regimes with 100 < I < 1000. Near generation areas marked by strong turbulent regimes such as “near field” stations within strait and passages, ?? is most adequately inferred from horizontal velocities provided that part of the inertial subrange is resolved, according to Kolmogorov scaling.     

Characterization of the negative carbon isotope shift in segment C2, its global implications as a harbinger of OAE1a

Lower Cretaceous C-isotope records show intermittent negative/positive spikes, and consistent patterns of coeval chemostratigraphic curves thus document shifts that signal simultaneous responses of temporal changes in the global carbon reservoir. The standard pattern registered by the δ ¹³C_org and δ ¹³C_carb in Lower Aptian sediments includes distinct isotope segments C1 to C8 (Menegatti et al., 1998). In the El Pui section, Organyà Basin, Spain, C-isotope segment C2 is the longest interval preceding segments C3–C6 associated with oceanic anoxic event 1a (OAE 1a), and reveals a distinct negative shift of ~1.8‰ to ~2.23‰ defining the C-isotope pattern within that interval. Total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), δ ¹³C_org, microfacies, n-alkanes show no difference before, during, or after the negative inflection. The biomarkers indicate that organic matter (OM) mainly originates from algal/microbial sources because short-chain length homologues (≤nC₁₉) dominate. nC₂₀ through nC₂₅ indicate some contribution from aquatic vegetation, but little from higher plants (>nC₂₅), as also suggested by the terrestrial/aquatic ratio of n-alkanes or (TAR) = [(nC₂₇+nC₂₉+nC₃₁)/(nC₁₅+nC₁₇+nC₁₉)] (averages 0.085). We suggest that conjoint pulses of contemporaneous LIPs (Ontong Java) and massive explosive volcanism in northeast Asia, the Songliao Basin (SB-V), best conform to plausible causes of the negative intra-C2 carbon isotopic excursion (CIE) at that time. Because of its apparent common occurrence the intra-C2 inflection could be a useful marker harbinger to the more pronounced CIE C3, the hallmark of OAE1a.     

Two-coordinate string tiltmeter

The structure and theory of a tiltmeter with a liquid used as an inertial body and damper and a float with a string converter fitted with reliable remote system of arrestment used as acceleration indicator are described. The device’s calculated error is about ±4 × 10^?5 (±2 × 10^?10) g in the range of ±4 (±2 × 10^?5) g. In the arrestment state, a second sensitive system of a capacitive type is turned on and the device starts to register seismic accelerations.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> flux evaluation over the evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Dinghushan,China

The Dinghushan flux observation site, as one of the four forest sites of ChinaFLUX, aims to acquire long-term measurements of CO₂ flux over a typical southern subtropical evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest ecosystem using the open path eddy covariance method. Based on two years of data from 2003 to 2004, the characteristics of temporal variation in CO₂ flux and its response to environmental factors in the forest ecosystem are analyzed. Provided two-dimensional coordinate rotation, WPL correction and quality control, poor energy-balance and underestimation of ecosystem respiration during nighttime implied that there could be a CO₂ leak during the nighttime at the site. Using daytime (PAR > 1.0 μmol^?1·m^?2·s^?1) flux data during windy conditions (u* > 0.2 m·s^?1), monthly ecosystem respiration (Reco) was derived through the Michaelis-Menten equation modeling the relationship between net ecosystem C0₂ exchange (NEE) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Exponential function was employed to describe the relationship between Reco and soil temperature at 5 cm depth (Ts05), then Reco of both daytime and nighttime was calculated respectively by the function. The major results are: (i) Derived from the Michaelis-Menten equation, the apparent quantum yield (α) was 0.0027±0.0011 mgCO₂·μmol^?1 photons, and the maximum photosynthetic assimilation rate (Amax) was 1.102±0.288 mgCO₂·m^?2·s^?1. Indistinctive seasonal variation of α or Amax was consistent with weak seasonal dynamics of leaf area index (LAf) in such a lower subtropical evergreen mixed forest, (ii) Monthly accumulated Reco was estimated as 95.3±21.1 gC·m^?2mon^?1, accounting for about 68% of the gross primary product (GPP). Monthly accumulated WEE was estimated as ?43.2±29.6 gC·m^?2·mon^?1. The forest ecosystem acted as carbon sink all year round without any seasonal carbon efflux period. Annual NEE of 2003 and 2004 was estimated as ?563.0 and ?441.2 gC·m^?2·a^?1 respectively, accounting for about 32% of GPP.     

Gravity anomaly and crustal density structure in Jilantai rift zone and its adjacent region

This paper deals with the interpretation of Bouguer gravity anomalies measured along a 250 km long Suhaitu-Etuokeqi gravity profile located at the transitional zone of the Alxa and Ordos blocks where geophysical characteristics are very complex. The analysis is carried out in terms of the ratio of elevation and Bouguer gravity anomaly, the normalized full gradient of a section of the Bouguer gravity anomaly (G ^h ) and the crustal density structure reveal that (1) the ratio of highs and lows of elevation and Bouguer gravity anomaly is large between Zhengyiguan fault (F4) and Helandonglu fault (F6), which can be explained due to crustal inhomogeneities related to the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet block in the northeast; (2) the main active faults correspond to the G ^h contour strip or cut the local region, and generally show strong deformation characteristics, for example the Bayanwulashan mountain front fault (F1) or the southeast boundary of Alxa block is in accord with the western change belt of G ^h , a belt about 10 km wide that extends to about 30 km; (3) Yinchuan-Pingluo fault (F8) is the seismogenic structure of the Pingluo M earthquake, and its focal depth is about 15 km; (4) the Moho depth trend and Bouguer gravity anomaly variation indicates that the regional gravity field is strongly correlated with the Moho discontinuity.     

Attenuation coefficients of Rayleigh and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lg</Emphasis> waves

Analysis of the frequency dependence of the attenuation coefficient leads to significant changes in interpretation of seismic attenuation data. Here, several published surface-wave attenuation studies are revisited from a uniform viewpoint of the temporal attenuation coefficient, denoted by χ. Theoretically, χ( f) is expected to be linear in frequency, with a generally non-zero intercept γ?=?χ(0) related to the variations of geometrical spreading, and slope dχ/df = π/Q _e caused by the effective attenuation of the medium. This phenomenological model allows a simple classification of χ( f) dependences as combinations of linear segments within several frequency bands. Such linear patterns are indeed observed for Rayleigh waves at 500–100-s and 100–10-s periods, and also for Lg from ~2 s to ~1.5 Hz. The Lg χ( f) branch overlaps with similar linear branches of body, Pn, and coda waves, which were described earlier and extend to ~100 Hz. For surface waves shorter than ~100 s, γ values recorded in areas of stable and active tectonics are separated by the levels of \(\gamma _{D} \approx 0.2 \times 10^{-3}\) s^???1 (for Rayleigh waves) and 8 ×10^???3 s^???1 (for Lg). The recently recognized discrepancy between the values of Q measured from long-period surface waves and normal-mode oscillations could also be explained by a slight positive bias in the geometrical spreading of surface waves. Similarly to the apparent χ, the corresponding linear variation with frequency is inferred for the intrinsic attenuation coefficient, χ _i , which combines the effects of geometrical spreading and dissipation within the medium. Frequency-dependent rheological or scattering Q is not required for explaining any of the attenuation observations considered in this study. The often-interpreted increase of Q with frequency may be apparent and caused by using the Q-based model of attenuation and following preferred Q( f) dependences while ignoring the true χ( f) trends within the individual frequency bands.     

Influence of aquatic plants on the hydrogen isotope composition of sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes in the Lake Qinghai region,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The hydrogen isotopic composition(δD) of leaf wax long-chain n-alkanes(C27, C29, and C31) from lacustrine sediments has been widely applied to reconstruct terrestrial paleoclimatic and paleohydrological changes. However, few studies have addressed whether the aquatic-derived n-alkanes can affect the δD values of lake sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes, which are usually regarded as a recorder of the terrestrial hydrological signals. Here we systematically investigated δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from modern aquatic plants, both near-shore and off-shore surface sediments, surrounding terrestrial plant litters, as well as river water and lake water in Lake Qinghai and its satellite lakes on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our data showed that(i) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from aquatic plants varied from-184‰ to-132‰ for n-C27, from-183‰ to-138‰ for n-C29, and from-189‰ to-130‰ for n-C31, respectively, with no significant differences among the three n-alkanes homologues;(ii) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from aquatic plants were generally more positive than those from surrounding terrestrial plants, possibly because that they recorded the D-enrichment of lake water in this semi-arid region;(iii) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from surface sediments showed significant differences among the three n-alkanes homologues, due to the larger aquatic input of n-C27 to the sedimentary lipid pool than that of n-C31, and(iv) n-C27 δD values of near-shore aquatic plants and near-shore sediments are more negative than those from off-shore as a result of lower δD values of near-shore lake water. Our findings indicate that in this region(i) the offset between sedimentary n-C27 and n-C31 δD values(ΔδDC27-C31) could potentially be used to evaluate if sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes are derived from a single source;(ii) while δD values of n-C27 may be influenced by lake water hydrological changes, sedimentary n-C31 is derived predominantly from terrestrial plants and thus its δD can serve as a relatively reliable indicator for terrestrial paleoclimatic and paleohydrological reconstructions.     

Generation of superDreicer electric fields in the solar chromosphere

The electric field generation at the front of the current pulse, which originates in a coronal magnetic loop owing to the development of the Rayleigh–Taylor magnetic instability at loop footpoints, has been considered. During the τ_A ≈ l/V _A ≈ 5?25 s time (where l is the plasma plume height entering a magnetic loop as a result of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability), a disturbance related to the magnetic field tension B _?(r,t), “escapes” the instability region with the Alfvén velocity in this case. As a result, an electric current pulse I_z(z ? V _A t), at the front of which an induction magnetic field E _z, which is directed along the magnetic tube axis and can therefore accelerate particles, starts propagating along a magnetic loop with a characteristic scale of Δξ ≈ l. In the case of sufficiently large currents, when B _? ²/8π > p, an electric current pulse propagates nonlinearly, and a relatively large longitudinal electric field originates E _z ≈ 2I _z ³ V _A/c ⁴a²B_z ²l, which can be larger than the Dreicer field, depending on the electric current value.     

Body wave attenuation characteristics in the crust of Alborz region and North Central Iran

Attenuation of P and S waves has been investigated in Alborz and north central part of Iran using the data recorded by two permanent and one temporary networks during October 20, 2009, to December 22, 2010. The dataset consists of 14,000 waveforms from 380 local earthquakes (2 < M _L < 5.6). The extended coda normalization method (CNM) was used to estimate quality factor of P (Q _P) and S waves (Q _S) at seven frequency bands (0.375, 0.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 Hz). The Q _P and Q _S values have been estimated at lapse times from 40 to 100 s. It has been observed that the estimated values of Q _P and Q _S are time independent; therefore, the mean values of Q _P and Q _S at different lapse times have been considered. The frequency dependence of quality factor was determined by using a power-law relationship. The frequency-dependent relationship for Q _P was estimated in the form of (62 ± 7)f ^{(1.03 ± 0.07)} and (48 ± 5)f ^{(0.95 ± 0.07)} in Alborz region and North Central Iran, respectively. These relations for Q _S for Alborz region and North Central Iran have estimated as (83 ± 8)f ^{(0.99 ± 0.07)} and (68 ± 5)f ^{(0.96 ± 0.05)}, respectively. The observed low Q values could be the results of thermoelastic effects and/or existing fracture. The estimated frequency-dependent relationships are comparable with tectonically active regions.     

Geochemical characteristics of pyrolysis gas from epimetamorphic rocks in the northern basement of Songliao Basin,Northeast China

The Xushen gas field, located in the north of Songliao Basin, is a potential giant gas area for China in the future. Its proved reserves have exceeded 1000×10⁸ m³ by the end of 2005. But, the origin of natural gases from the deep strata is still in debating. Epimetamorphic rocks as a potential gas source are widely spreading in the northern basement of Songliao Basin. According to pyrolysis experiments for these rocks in the semi-confined system, gas production and geochemistry of alkane gases are discussed in this paper. The Carboniferous-Permian epimetamorphic rocks were heated from 300°C to 550°C, with temperature interval of 50°C. The gas production was quantified and measured for chemical and carbon isotopic compositions. Results show that δ ¹³C₁ is less than ?20‰, carbon isotope trend of alkane gas is δ ¹³C₁<δ ¹³C₂<δ ¹³C₃ or δ ¹³C₁<δ ¹³C₂>δ ¹³C₃, these features suggest that the gas would be coal-type gas at high-over maturity, not be inorganic gas with reversal trend of gaseous alkanes (δ ¹³C₁>δ ¹³C₂>δ ¹³C₃). These characteristics of carbon isotopes are similar with the natural gas from the basin basement, but disagree with gas from the Xingcheng reservoir. Thus, the mixing gases from the pyrolysis gas with coal-typed gases at high-over maturity or oil-typed gases do not cause the reversal trend of carbon isotopes. The gas generation intensity for epimetamorphic rocks is 3.0×10⁸–23.8×10⁸ m³/km², corresponding to R _o from 2.0% to 3.5% for organic matter.     

Effect of Time on Dynamic Shear Modulus of Selected Cohesive Soil of One Section of Express Way No. S2 in Warsaw

Several researches published comprehensive reports on dynamic soil properties of cohesive soils, in which many of them outlined, i.e., key factors affecting the dynamic shear modulus. For cohesive soils, the modulus at small strains (g < 10^t-3 %) is, first of all, a function of void ratio and effective confining stress. For clays, however, secondary time effects and clay mineralogy (fabric and structure) also appear to be important. The influence of confinement of laboratory-prepared as well as naturally deposited clays consists in an increase of shear modulus logarithmically as a function of time. In this paper, the effect of duration of the various confining pressures on dynamic shear modulus (G) of selected cohesive soils from Warsaw area was evaluated. Shear modulus was determined on the basis of resonant column tests, at low and high shearing strain amplitudes. It is shown that the calculated shear modulus is time-dependent; during approximately first 1000 minutes of consolidation, the moduli increased by almost 50%. Moreover, it is characterized by two phases: an initial one results from primary consolidation and a second one, which occurs after the end of primary consolidation, herein about 16-17 hours, and is called “long-term time effect”. This effect was found also for modulus at higher shearing strains (γ > 10³%, e.g., 3 × 10³%, 5 × 10³%, 8 × 10³%, 2 × 10³%).