Focal Mechanism Analysis for Determination of Potential Source Zones in South China and Its Adjacent Regions

INTRODUCTIONAfter theforthgenerationzoning map was set ,studies of tectonic activityonthe Chinese continentdeveloped greatly and more seismological data accumulated,whichsupplies plenty of datafor studyingpotential source zones .Seismic waves contain a lot of information about faulting activityin hypocenterregions .By analysis of focal mechanismsolutions ,alot of valuable information about actingforce andfault slipin hypocenters can be obtained.Other researchers have studied earthquake fo…     

Seismic Activity and Structures of the Crust and Upper Mantle in the Areas of Source Zones of the Largest Earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan Region

The results of studies of the shear wave attenuation field in source zones of the 2003 Chuya, 1970 Ureg-Nur, 1991 Busingol, 2011 Sayan, and 2011–2012 Tuva earthquakes are presented. Attenuation fields in these source zones include blocks with a high Q-factor and linear weakened zones. The surface ruptures from the mainshocks of the 2003 Chuya and 2011–2012 Tuva earthquakes are located in the zones of strong attenuation. Epicenters of the mainshocks are located where the maximum contrast in attenuation is observed. In the source zones of large earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan region or near them, the zones similar to so-called seimogenic bodies described in the literature are found. These objects tend to linear zones with high attenuation and are characterized by an increased density of deepened earthquakes and also by deformations of near-vertical elongation. The obtained data suggest that the fluid factor could play certain role in the occurrence of large earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan region.     

Does Pumping Volume Affect the Concentration of Micropollutants in Groundwater Samples?

Information on concentrations of micropollutants (such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals) in most highly dynamic riverbank filtration (RBF) systems is lacking, in contrast to data on standard chemical parameters. Sampling protocols have thus far been based on the stabilization of standard chemical parameters in relatively pristine environments. To determine whether groundwater samples for micropollutant analysis can be taken at a similar pumping volume as samples for testing standard chemical parameters in both environments, three groundwater monitoring wells in an RBF system were sampled at two points in time (after pumping of 3 well volumes and after pumping of 15 well volumes). Micropollutant concentrations were not significantly different between the two sampling points; therefore, appropriate samples can be drawn after pumping 3 well volumes. For a specific microbiological parameter (leucin incorporation), a statistically significant difference was found.     

How well do we understand production of 36Cl in limestone and dolomite?

We have evaluated all parameters for the calculation of cosmogenic ³⁶Cl production rates and thus surface exposure ages in dolomite and limestone. We found that we can use either of both published negative muon stopping rates until more information is available. The largest uncertainty of the age estimation in the upper meter of rock comes from the ³⁶Cl production rate from Ca spallation and, in the case of 50–100 ppm Cl content, from the production rate of epithermal neutrons, which we estimate at 760 ± 150 neutrons/g_air/yr (1σ). For a sample with representative amounts of Ca and Cl (20 wt% Ca and 50 ppm Cl, or 40 wt% Ca and 100 ppm Cl), the age can be calculated with a precision of 7–10% in the top 1.5 m of the depth profile. Further improvement of ³⁶Cl calculations depends on new calibration of ³⁶Cl production from Ca spallation, re-evaluation of ³⁶Cl production by low-energy neutron capture on ³⁵Cl, as well as of the muon flux and muon capture based on the most recent measurement data.     

Is ‘Centre of Volume’ a robust indicator of changes in snowmelt timing?

The centre of volume (COV), or the hydrograph centroid, is a measure of streamflow timing that is a widely used indicator of the effects of warmer temperatures on the hydrology of snowmelt streams. The COV was originally developed as a measure of land‐use effects, and its response is affected by several factors other than temperature, particularly total run‐off. A ‘toy’ model is used to demonstrate some of these effects, and these effects are also shown for streamflow data from Canada's Reference Hydrologic Basin Network. These deficiencies indicate that COV is neither specific nor robust as an indicator. Although these effects might be overcome by streamflow decomposition, the use of COV as an indicator of snowmelt timing should be avoided. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Is there any seasonal variation in marine nematodes within the sediments of the intertidal zone?

The sediment parameters and nematode assemblages in the intertidal zone of the Hichirippu shallow lagoon, Hokkaido, Japan, were investigated. The objectives of this study were to observe the seasonal variation in the nematodes in the sediment, and to investigate the relationships between the nematodes and environmental factors. Samples were collected bi-monthly from five stations on the tidal flat from April 2003 to February 2004. It was found that the sediment parameters (Chl a concentration, AVS, TOC and TN contents) varied throughout the 10-month study. Fifty-four species of nematodes were found in the study area. The density and biomass of the nematodes varied in accordance with the sediment temperature during the sampling period. In this study, there was a seasonal variation in the nematode assemblage found in the intertidal zone of this shallow lagoon. The important factors affecting this variation were sediment temperature, and food competition among the nematodes themselves. The seasonal variation of the nematode also showed a relationship with the Chl a concentration in the sediment during the sampling period.     

Is the cutting of oil contaminated marshes an efficient clean-up technique in a subtropical estuary?

Cutting and removal of oil-impacted marsh plants are still used worldwide as a clean-up and recovery technique. To experimentally test the efficacy of cutting and removing marsh plants under subtropical conditions, we simulated an oil spill (Bunker MF-180) in Spartina alterniflora marshes and compared the responses of plant height, biomass, density of culms and number of flowering plants in high and low energy areas in Paranaguá Bay (S Brazil) for about 9 months. Cutting and removal were inefficient in promoting or accelerating the recovery of the impacted areas. Cut or uncut impacted marshes fully recovered within 6 months, both in low and high energy areas. Plant cutting should be practiced only when there is an effective risk of contamination of groundwater near urban areas, when obvious aesthetical issues are involved in areas of touristic interest or when there are real short-term conservation risks to threatened species.     

How much water do Chilean forests use? A review of interception losses in forest plot studies

After several years of decreased annual rainfall and water shortages, the Chilean society is demanding that forest plantations take accountability of their role in consuming scarce water resources. Evidence has shown that interception losses are considerable when determining water production in watersheds. The aim of this study was to determine if site and stand variables explain interception losses by Chilean forests for the development of an empirical model that could predict the potential impacts of forest management practices and land‐use change. A total of 127 data from annual water balance plot studies in Chile were compiled to derive relationships between interception and precipitation, species composition, plantation age and other stand and site variables. The reviewed data indicated that annual interception losses are mainly explained by annual rainfall and basal area of the forest stands, with a clear difference between the northern (dryer) and southern (wetter) regions of Chile. For a wide latitudinal gradient, forest composition and age, annual interception accounted for approximately 21% of incoming precipitations. Broadleaved forest stands (including native broadleaved and eucalypt forests) generally presented higher interception losses than conifers. Interception was higher in northern zones, indicating that forests have greater impacts on water resources in dryer regions. Our results were compiled in empirical models, which can be used to estimate forest interception in a latitudinal gradient in Chile and to support policy making. These results are also proposed as an approximate analogue of the changes in forest interception losses, which may occur as vegetation belts shift latitudinally as a result of the impact of climate change. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How Can One Test the Seismic Gap Hypothesis? The Case of Repeated Ruptures in the Aleutians

—The test that Kagan and Jackson (1991, 1995) applied to the seismic gap hypothesis did not bring us closer to understanding the generation of large earthquakes. On the contrary, it led some to the conclusion that the rebound theory of earthquake generation should be rejected. We disagree with this point of view and argue that a global test of the simplified gap hypothesis cannot be done because it cannot account for differences in the slip history of fault segments and tectonic differences between separate plate boundaries. Kagan and Jackson did show, however, that the original gap hypothesis was oversimplified and should be refined. We propose that consideration of all the facts, including slip history and seismicity patterns in the Andreanof Islands, show that the concept of seismic gaps and the elastic rebound theory are correct for that segment of the plate boundary. The coseismic slip in the M _w 8.7 earthquake that broke this plate boundary segment in 1957 was only 2 m, as published before the repeat earthquake of 1986 (M _w 8), and thus, using a plate convergence rate of 7.3 cm/year, the return time in this cycle was expected to be less than 30 years, unless substantial aseismic creep occurs. This supports the time predictable model of mainshock recurrence. In addition, Kisslinger et al. (1985) and Kisslinger (1986) noticed a seismic quiescence in the subsequent source volume before the 1986 earthquake and attempted to predict it. The specific parameters he estimated were not entirely correct although his interpretation of the observed quiescence as a precursor was. We conclude that the 1986, M _w 8, Andreanof earthquake was not an example that disproves the seismic gap hypothesis. On the contrary, it shows that the hypothesis that plate motions reload plate boundaries after most of the elastic energy is released in great ruptures was correct in this case. This suggests that great earthquakes occur preferably in mature gaps. We believe the testing of the seismic gap hypothesis by algorithm on a global scale is an example that illustrates that overly simplified tests can lead to erroneous conclusions. To make progress in the actual understanding of the physics of the process of great earthquake ruptures, one must consider all the facts known for case histories.     

How wide is a road? The association of roads and mass-wasting in a forested montane environment

A spatial data base of 1609 landslides was analysed using a geographic information system to determine landslide frequency in relation to highways. A 126 km long transportation network in a 201 km² area of humid-tropical, mountainous, forested terrain in Puerto Rico was used in conjunction with a series of 20 buffer (disturbance) zones varying from 5 to 400 m in length, measured perpendicular to the highways. Average landslide frequency in the study area at distances greater than 85 m from roads was about six landslides per square kilometre. At distances of 85 m or less on either side of a highway, landslide frequency was about 30 landslides per square kilometre. On average, this elevated disturbance rate affected 330 m² km⁻² a⁻¹ within the 170 m swath. The mass-wasting rate outside of the disturbance zone affected 40 m² km⁻² a⁻¹. These results indicate that the rate of mass-wasting disturbance is increased from five to eight times in a 170 m wide swath along road corridors. The lateral extent of the environmental impact of roads in the study area is greater than is commonly perceived. The approach described herein demonstrates a simple method to assess the spatial association of mass-wasting with highways. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate control on summer precipitation in the Source Region of Three Rivers,China: East or South Asian summer monsoon?

ABSTRACT

The Source Region of Three Rivers (SRTR) has experienced wetter summer seasons than before in recent decades due to climate change. As the most important source of surface water, precipitation plays a key role in supplying the three largest rivers. This study investigates the impacts of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) on precipitation in the SRTR. Using wavelet analysis tools, we found that: (i) summer precipitation in the SRTR showed notably different responses to the monsoon variability among the 14 stations studied; (ii) the influence of the EASM and SASM on summer precipitation was stronger in the southern and eastern SRTR; but (iii) this influence quickly dampened from southeast to northwest and became almost indiscernible in the northwestern SRTR. This research may help to increase the accuracy of long-term monsoon-rainfall prediction and improve water resource management in the SRTR.     

Is there a hidden near surface salt diapir in the Guelma Basin,north-east of Algeria?

The diapiric province of north-eastern Algeria and Tunisia extends NE–SW over several hundreds of kilometres. Available, geophysical and geological investigations were focused on the study of known diapiric outcrop. In contrast to the existing work, our study is focused on to identify a new hidden near surface salt diapir in the Guelma Basin, north-east of Algeria.Integrated geophysical study comprising aeromagnetic, gravimetric and DC resistivity data calibrated with existing well information provides new insights into the geometry of the geologic structure of Guelma Basin. Spatial correlation between magnetic low, strong gravity minimum and resistivity high reveal a hidden near surface salt diapir. The Guelma salt diapir is topped by a local topographic high which follows exactly the underlying salt body. Joint gravity-magnetic modelling indicates that salt is deeply rooted and has a dome-like shape. The Guelma salt diapir was triggered by normal faulting and is directly controlled by regional extension.     

Accelerating ground warming in the Canadian Prairie provinces: Is it a result of global warming?

The results of precision temperature logs made to depths of several hundred meters in some 80 wells in Western Canada, most of which are located in the Prairie Provinces, show evidence of warming at the ground surface in the 0.5 K to 3.5 K range (average=2.2±0.7 K, for 80 unevenly distributed sites). Modeling shows that this warming mostly pertains to this century and it has been most substantal in the last four decades if the ramp function of the linear increase of surface temperature is assumed. Using the step function model's increase of surface temperature (land clearing, forest fires, etc.) the calculated onset of warming would pertain mostly to the last two decades. Contour maps of ground temperatures currently and previously and a contour map of the ground warming magnitude dilineate a large regional character of the ground temperature change at the southern marigin of permafrost for the large area of the Prairie Provinces. In many cases however, the magnitude of ground warming is much larger than the magnitude of air warming. This is especially evident for the northern areas of Alberta in the boreal forest ecoprovince. The magnitude of ground warming is equal to the magnitude of surface air warming in southern Alberta in the grassland and aspen parkland ecoprovinces. The analysis of the temperature depth response to the surface warming from well data shows the integrated effect of surface air warming together with the increases in ground temperature due to natural terrain effects and other anthropogenical changes to the surface of the earth.     

Sampling VOCs with Porous Suction Samplers in the Presence of Ethanol: How Much Are We Losing?

Porous suction samplers have been widely used to obtain ground water samples from the vadose zone. However, previous studies identified different mechanisms that may compromise the sample's representativeness, such as volatilization and sorption. This issue is particularly important when dealing with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as in gasoline spills. Ethanol is common in modern fuels and so may be present in ground water contamination from fuel releases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the losses of VOCs in the presence of ethanol when using porous suction samplers. Laboratory experiments were performed using a ceramic porous suction sampler to sample test solution containing benzene, toluene, xylenes, trimethylbenzenes, naphthalene, and different volumetric fractions of ethanol. Significant losses were found up to 30% for ethylbenzene. Ethanol was found to affect the accuracy of the readings by two main mechanisms: first, negatively, by increasing the headspace in the sampling tube, and second, positively, increasing partition to the aqueous phase due to the cosolvent effect and therefore decreasing the mass loss by volatilization. As a consequence, the highest losses of VOCs were found at intermediate ethanol volume fractions: 10% and 20% (v/v). The losses can be anticipated by measuring the ratio of gas to water in the sampling line and then by applying simple partition models considering cosolvency by ethanol. The importance of adequate purging when using porous suction samplers was also shown.     

How can the uncertainty in the natural inflow regime propagate into the assessment of water resource systems?

The Canadian Rocky Mountain headwaters support the water resource systems of the Canadian Prairies. Significant variations in natural headwater contributions have been observed due to warming climate. Projecting future natural headwater flows under climate change effects, however, has large uncertainty. First, there are difficulties in climate modeling and downscaling in alpine regions. Second, streamflow modeling in mountainous areas is extremely challenging. There is therefore a need to understand the effects of uncertainty in the natural inflow regime, and in particular how this translates into uncertainty in representing the state and the outflow of water resource systems. Considering the Oldman River basin in Alberta, Canada, we synthesized different inflow regimes based on site/inter-site properties of the historical inflow regime. The water resources system was then conditioned on the synthesized inflow regimes to identify the mechanisms of error propagation from the headwater streamflows to the water allocations. The results show that the response of the water resource system to the uncertainty in the generated inflow regime depends on the system state, flow condition and the component of interest. Generally, the response of the reservoirs to the uncertainty in the estimated inflow regime is more significant in dry years, in particular during low flow conditions. The response at the system outlet is rather different, as the propagation of the headwater uncertainty is more significant during high flow conditions. Also, similar inflow estimates in terms of error and uncertainty may result in different error and uncertainty estimates in the simulated outflows; therefore, lower bias and uncertainty in estimating the regional inflow regime does not necessarily mean lower bias and uncertainty in simulating the streamflow at the outlet of the system. Our results provide improved understanding of uncertainty propagation through complex water resource systems, but also portray the need for better climate and hydrological modeling in the Rocky Mountains for improved water management in the Canadian Prairies, particularly in the face of uncertain climate futures. This will be crucial if the natural headwater inflows decline and/or the system faces drought conditions.     

How is water availability related to the land use and morphology of an inland valley wetland in Kenya?

Small inland valley wetlands contribute substantially to the livelihoods of rural communities in East Africa. Their conversion into farmland is driven by water availability. We quantified spatial-temporal dynamics of water availability in a headwater wetland in the humid zone of Kenya. Climatic conditions, soil moisture contents, groundwater levels and discharge data were monitored. A land-use map and a digital elevation model of the valley bottom were created to relate variations in soil moisture to dominant land uses and valley morphology.Upland crops occupied about a third of the wetland area, while approximately a quarter of the wet, central part of the valley bottom was designated for flood-tolerant taro, grown either by itself or in association or in rotation with upland crops. Finally, natural vegetation was found in 3% of the mapped area, mainly in sections with nearpermanent soil saturation.The HBV rainfall-runoff model's overestimation of stream discharge during the long dry season of the hydrological year 2010/2011 can be explained by the strong seasonal impact of water abstraction on the wetland's water balance.Our study vividly demonstrates the necessity of multi-method approaches for assessing the impact of management practices on water availability in valley bottom wetlands in East Africa.     

Is correlation dimension a reliable proxy for the number of dominant influencing variables for modeling risk of arsenic contamination in groundwater?

The correlation dimension (CD) of a time series provides information on the number of dominant variables present in the evolution of the underlying system dynamics. In this study, we explore, using logistic regression (LR), possible physical connections between the CD and the mathematical modeling of risk of arsenic contamination in groundwater. Our database comprises a large-scale arsenic survey conducted in Bangladesh. Following the recommendation by Hossain and Sivakumar (Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 20(1–2):66–76, 2006), who reported CD values ranging from 8 to 11 for this database, 11 variables are considered herein as indicators of the aquifer’s geochemical regime with potential influence on the arsenic concentration in groundwater. A total of 2,048 possible combinations of influencing variables are considered as candidate LR risk models to delineate the impact of the number of variables on the prediction accuracy of the model. We find that the uncertainty associated with prediction of wells as safe and unsafe by LR risk model declines systematically as the total number of influencing variables increases from 7 to 11. The sensitivity of the mean predictive performance also increases noticeably for this range. The consistent reduction in predictive uncertainty coupled with the increased sensitivity of the mean predictive behavior within the universal sample space exemplify the ability of CD to function as a proxy for the number of dominant influencing variables. Such a rapid proxy, based on non-linear dynamic concepts, appears to have considerable merit for application in current management strategies on arsenic contamination in developing countries, where both time and resources are very limited.     

Is anthropogenic land subsidence a possible driver of riverine flood-hazard dynamics? A case study in Ravenna,Italy

We investigate possible changes in flood hazard over a 77-km² area around the city of Ravenna. The subsidence rate in the area, naturally a few mm year^?1, increased dramatically after World War II because of groundwater and natural gas extraction, exceeding 110?mm year^?1 and resulting in cumulative drops larger than 1.5?m. The Montone–Ronco river system flows in the southern portion of the area, which is protected against frequent flooding by levees. We performed two-dimensional simulations of inundation events associated with levee breaching by considering four different terrain configurations: current topography and a reconstruction of ground elevations before anthropogenic land subsidence, both neglecting and representing the main linear infrastructures (e.g. roads, artificial channels). Results show that flood-hazard changes due to anthropogenic land subsidence (e.g. significant changes in computed water depth and velocity) are observed over less than 10% of the study area and are definitely less important than those resulting from construction of the linear infrastructures.