Integration of P- and SH-wave high-resolution seismic reflection and micro-gravity techniques to improve interpretation of shallow subsurface structure: New Madrid seismic zone

Shallow high-resolution seismic reflection surveys have traditionally been restricted to either compressional (P) or horizontally polarized shear (SH) waves in order to produce 2-D images of subsurface structure. The northernmost Mississippi embayment and coincident New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) provide an ideal laboratory to study the experimental use of integrating P- and SH-wave seismic profiles, integrated, where practicable, with micro-gravity data. In this area, the relation between “deeper” deformation of Paleozoic bedrock associated with the formation of the Reelfoot rift and NMSZ seismicity and “shallower” deformation of overlying sediments has remained elusive, but could be revealed using integrated P- and SH-wave reflection. Surface expressions of deformation are almost non-existent in this region, which makes seismic reflection surveying the only means of detecting structures that are possibly pertinent to seismic hazard assessment. Since P- and SH-waves respond differently to the rock and fluid properties and travel at dissimilar speeds, the resulting seismic profiles provide complementary views of the subsurface based on different levels of resolution and imaging capability. P-wave profiles acquired in southwestern Illinois and western Kentucky (USA) detect faulting of deep, Paleozoic bedrock and Cretaceous reflectors while coincident SH-wave surveys show that this deformation propagates higher into overlying Tertiary and Quaternary strata. Forward modeling of micro-gravity data acquired along one of the seismic profiles further supports an interpretation of faulting of bedrock and Cretaceous strata. The integration of the two seismic and the micro-gravity methods therefore increases the scope for investigating the relation between the older and younger deformation in an area of critical seismic hazard.     

浅析浅层折射地震资料解释中检波距选择的合理性

检波距是浅层折射地震勘探中的一个重要参数,检波距的合理选择是资料解释结果可靠性的重要保证。特别是在二元和多元地形条件下的折射地震勘探资料解释中,选择平距或斜距来计算检波距在不同行业和单位是不统一的。这里从理论上探讨了在二元地形条件下,浅层折射地震资料解释中用平距和斜距二种方法计算检波距对表层有效速度的影响和误差大小,明晰了实际工作中二元或多元地形条件下,不同检波距计算方法所引起折射地震勘探资料解释结果的差异和误差大小及其合理性。     

塔里木地块-柴达木地块碰撞相关的同碰撞和碰撞后构造——塔里木盆地地震资料解释成果

位于塔里木盆地南侧的阿尔金山和西昆仑山是特提斯超级造山带最北部的两条缝合带。该处的早古生代造山作用是原特提斯构造演化的重要组成部分。根据地震资料解释在塔里木盆地发现的碰撞相关构造指示, 早古生代的碰撞事件发生于塔里木地块的东南侧, 是塔里木地块与柴达木地块之间的碰撞造山作用。这次碰撞形成了阿尔金早古生代碰撞造山带。其同碰撞构造主要包括前陆褶皱冲断带(塘沽孜巴斯前陆褶皱冲断带)和大型基底卷入型背斜构造(轮南、塔东和塔中背斜), 形成于晚奥陶世-早志留世。碰撞后构造为一系列正断层及其组合成的雁列状张扭性断层带, 形成时间是中志留世-中泥盆世。根据塔里木盆地内发现的碰撞相关构造分析, 结合造山带内的蛇绿岩和俯冲-碰撞相关岩浆岩、变质岩研究成果推论, 作为原特提斯洋分支的古阿尔金洋, 其洋壳自晚寒武开始向柴达木地块之下俯冲。至中奥陶世末-晚奥陶世初, 洋壳俯冲完毕, 古阿尔金洋闭合, 塔里木地块-柴达木地块碰撞开始。该碰撞造山作用持续至早志留世末结束, 然后进入中志留世-中泥盆世碰撞后应力伸展构造演化阶段。迄今, 尚无碰撞相关构造指示塔里木克拉通西南缘曾经发生早古生代碰撞造山事件。早古生代, 阿尔金山发生的是增生-碰撞型造山, 西昆仑山发生的是增生型造山作用。

     

Chronology of upper Quaternary offshore successions from the southeastern Mediterranean Sea,Israel

Pleistocene and Holocene transgressions advancing over the shelf that was exposed during glacial maxima drowned any continental and shallow marine sediments deposited during low sea level stands. To complement records from sequences exposed on land, core material from the shallow continental shelf is needed to reconstruct climatic and sea level fluctuations. Two cores drilled offshore Ashqelon off the southern Mediterranean coast of Israel, in a water depth of 10 and 25 m, were analyzed. Sedimentary facies and faunal analyses indicate that most of the sediments were deposited in nearshore environments, with only short intervals of continental episodes. Luminescence dating of alkali feldspar and quartz, as well as ¹⁴C ages of mollusks, date the cores to marine oxygen isotopic stages 6–1, between ∼140 and 5 ka. Comparison between the dating methods shows that most alkali feldspar ages agree with independent sea level and sedimentological constraints while quartz ages are overestimated.     

浅层三分量地震勘探技术在我国西部公路地下裂缝与陷穴调查中的应用

文章从公路地质缺陷的危害入手,介绍了浅层三分量地震勘探技术的进展及其在公路地质灾害调查中的应用。通过列举浅层三分量地震勘探技术在公路地下裂缝与陷穴调查中的应用实例与效果,说明三分量地震勘探技术是一项现代化勘查技术,也是地质灾害防治系统工程的一部分,在地质灾害调查领域可以发挥重要作用。     

Combining satellite and seismic images to analyse the shallow structure of the Dead Sea Transform near the DESERT transect

The left-lateral Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the Middle East is one of the largest continental strike-slip faults of the world. The southern segment of the DST in the Arava/Araba Valley between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, called Arava/Araba Fault (AF), has been studied in detail in the multidisciplinary DESERT (DEad SEa Rift Transect) project. Based on these results, here, the interpretations of multi-spectral (ASTER) satellite images and seismic reflection studies have been combined to analyse geologic structures. Whereas satellite images reveal neotectonic activity in shallow young sediments, reflection seismic image deep faults that are possibly inactive at present. The combination of the two methods allows putting some age constraint on the activity of individual fault strands. Although the AF is clearly the main active fault segment of the southern DST, we propose that it has accommodated only a limited (up to 60 km) part of the overall 105 km of sinistral plate motion since Miocene times. There is evidence for sinistral displacement along other faults, based on geological studies, including satellite image interpretation. Furthermore, a subsurface fault is revealed ≈4 km west of the AF on two ≈E–W running seismic reflection profiles. Whereas these seismic data show a flower structure typical for strike-slip faults, on the satellite image this fault is not expressed in the post-Miocene sediments, implying that it has been inactive for the last few million years. About 1 km to the east of the AF another, now buried fault, was detected in seismic, magnetotelluric and gravity studies of DESERT. Taking together various evidences, we suggest that at the beginning of transform motion deformation occurred in a rather wide belt, possibly with the reactivation of older ≈N–S striking structures. Later, deformation became concentrated in the region of today’s Arava Valley. Till ≈5 Ma ago there might have been other, now inactive fault traces in the vicinity of the present day AF that took up lateral motion. Together with a rearrangement of plates ≈5 Ma ago, the main fault trace shifted then to the position of today’s AF.     

Architecture of tunnel valleys in the southeastern North Sea: new insights from high-resolution seismic imaging

Tunnel valleys are assumed to form near the margin of ice sheets. Hence, they can be used to reconstruct the dynamics of former ice margins. The detailed formation and infill of tunnel valleys, however, are still not well understood. Here, we present a dense grid of high-resolution 2D multi-channel reflection seismic data from the German sector of the southeastern North Sea imaging tunnel valleys in very great detail. Three tunnel valley systems were traced over distances ranging between 11 and 21 km. All tunnel valleys are completely filled and buried. They differ in incision depth, incision width and number of incisions. The tunnel valleys cut 130–380 m deep into Neogene, Palaeogene and Cretaceous sediments; they show a lower V-shaped and an upper U-shaped morphology. For individual tunnel valleys, the overall incision direction ranges from east–west to northeast–southwest. Two tunnel valleys intersect at an oblique angle without reuse of the thalweg. These valleys incise into a pre-existing glaciotectonic complex consisting of thrust sheets in the northwest of the study area. The analysis of the glaciotectonic complex and the tunnel valleys leads us to assume that we identified several marginal positions of (pre-)Elsterian ice lobes in the southeastern North Sea.     

A structural interpretation of magnetometer and seismic profiler records in the Bismarck Sea,Melanesian Archipelago

During a marine geophysical survey of the Bismarck Sea by the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources in 1970, magnetic, gravity, and seismic reflection recordings were made along north‐south traverses with a spacing of 30 to 40 km. The magnetic data have been interpreted, first by visual inspection of magnetic and topographic trends and then by two‐dimensional computer modelling along typical profiles. The interpretation indicates that the Bismarck Sea is divided into two main tectonic provinces separated by a boundary which roughly coincides with a line joining Manus Island and the Willaumez Peninsula of New Britain. An area of apparently nonmagnetic basement about 10 km wide coincides with a well defined band of shallow earthquakes which runs east‐west across the centre of the Sea. A major boundary is present at the eastern end of the Sea along the west coast of the Gazelle Peninsula of New Britain; it continues along an offset in the band of earthquakes to New Hanover.     

环境同位素及其示踪技术在地震预测研究中的应用前景

随着新的观测技术和理论的快速发展,环境同位素示踪技术在分析与地震孕育、发生有关的地下水动态信息中有可能发挥重要作用。简单介绍了稳定同位素2H、18O以及放射性同位素3H、14C的特征与示踪技术,详细阐述前人应用环境同位素在地下水活动规律中所开展的研究,包括地下水的补给来源、地下热水的循环深度、水岩相互作用、地下水的年龄等,并重点分析了这种示踪技术在研究地下水对构造活动发生和对应力应变响应等方面的应用。积极推进环境同位素示踪技术的应用,对地下流体地震前兆信息的评估、地震活动性强度的判定、流体在孕震过程中作用的探讨,以及井孔映震效能的评价等方面的研究具有重要的意义。     

Geological structures of the Norilsk copper-nickel deposit: A new interpretation of the seismic refraction data

Regional seismic works in the area of the Norilsk copper-nickel deposit were made using the seismic refraction method in the 1980s. These data were used to derive new information about the studied area. The data of eight profiles of about 2900 km total length were processed by the homogeneous functions method and reinterpreted. Based on the seismic sections thus derived, horizontal slices were built to identify the spatial positions of structures and produce the volume image of the basement??s ledge. Seismic sections of 10?C20 km in depth and horizontal slices contain the information about the boundaries, reflect the volume internal structure of sedimentary strata and basement, and show the faults.     

The geology of the southeastern Baltic Sea: a review

The Baltic Sea, particularly its southeastern part, is discussed in the paper. Investigations of regional character as well as specialized studies in the area are reviewed. General historical works are mentioned briefly. Previous surveys since the 1950s are presented by the subject studied. The compilation of geological structure of the SE Baltic Sea bottom and adjacent land of Balticum (Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) is based on considerable amounts of summarized materials. The crystalline basement, sedimentary cover and Quaternary deposits are characterized in the comprehensive survey of geological structure. From a stratigraphical point of view, geological sequence of the platformal cover is comparatively complete: deposits of all geological systems (from the Archean to Cenozoic) are present in the Baltic Syneclise. Considering geotectonical cycles, the sedimentary cover of the syneclise is subdivided into four structural complexes. The thickness and distribution of Quaternary deposits are closely related to the recent bottom relief of the Baltic Sea that in turn is inherited from the Pre-Quaternary surface. Buried palaeo-valleys are characteristic of the Pre-Quaternary surface in the Baltic region and the Baltic Sea bottom. The Quaternary is characterized by layers of various geneses and by sharp changes of their thicknesses.     

Slope failures and stability analysis of shallow water prodeltas in the active margins of Western Greece,northeastern Mediterranean Sea

Sediment instabilities are common on the prodeltas of the seismically active continental margins of Western Greece. Sediment failures on the low-angle (0.5°–2°) prodelta slopes manifest themselves as successions of peripheral rotational block slumps restricted to the foresets of the late highstand systems tract (HST). The individual slump blocks are about 80–150 m long and are bounded by growth faults acting as curved slip planes that extend to a mean depth of 10–15 m below seafloor. Shear planes develop in the lower part of muddy and/or gas charged HST foresets. Deeper basal transparent muddy layers of the early HST bottomset, together with the late Pleistocene transgressive systems tract sequences (TST), are mostly unaffected. On the steeper (2^°–6^°) fan delta slopes of the western Gulf of Corinth debris flows and avalanches with a significant retrogressive component dominate slope destabilisation. Sediment cores taken from landslide scarps and slide planes penetrated gas bubble releasing sediments thereby indicating that failure planes are in the late HST foresets/upper part of the early HST bottomsets gas charged zone. The foresets of the HST prodelta deposits display high water content (30–80%), low bulk density (1.4–1.9 g cm⁻³) and relatively low values of undrained shear strength (3–20 kPa). The water content of the HST distal muddy bottomsets is relatively higher (50–110%) and bulk density relatively lower (1.3–1.7 g cm⁻³) with low values of shear strength (2–10 kPa). The shear strength of the gas releasing sediment layer displays lower values (2–9 kPa) relative to the overlying, post failure, muddy sediments of the late 100–300 years. Slope stability was calculated using the normalised soil parameter (NSP) method under undrained conditions for normally consolidated prodelta sediments. This analysis indicates that instabilities could be induced by critical earthquake ground accelerations of 26.6–29.6% g for the HST foresets and 12.4–14.1% g for the basal transparent layer belonging to the early HST bottomsets. Consequently the early HST bottomsets has to be considered a potentially unstable layer since the regional peak ground accelerations (PGAs) for the next 50 years are expected to range from 19 to 30% g. Moreover, our results show that new glide planes in the prodeltaic sediment bodies of the seismically active continental margins of Western Greece will likely develop from the gas charged sediments of the lower part of the HST foresets to the upper part of early HST bottomsets.     

银川盆地构造发展——深地震反射剖面揭示浅部地质与深部构造的联系

横跨银川盆地北西西向的深地震反射剖面,清晰揭示了银川盆地边界断裂以及整个地壳的结构构造特征,这对研究具活动大陆裂谷性质的银川盆地浅-深构造关系具有重大的意义。贺兰山东麓山前断裂、黄河断裂作为银川盆地的西、东边界断裂,前者为一条缓倾斜、延伸至上、下地壳边界的犁式断裂,而后者则为一条切穿地壳并延伸进入上地幔的深大断裂。根据深地震反射剖面揭示的地壳结构特征,银川盆地浅部结构并非前人认为的"堑中堑"结构,而是表现为由一系列东倾犁式正断层控制的新生代断陷。略微下凹的Moho面几何形态以及厚2~3.2 km的层状强反射带为下地壳最显著的反射特征。Moho面深度与强反射带厚度变化趋势与银川盆地沉积厚度变化趋势几乎一致。本文认为,强反射带的成因可能是由源自地幔的基性岩浆以岩席状的形式底侵进入地壳底部造成的,而这部分形成强反射带的物质可能补偿了因银川盆地断陷而造成的地壳减薄,最终导致银川盆地之下Moho面并未像之前所认为的那样隆起。     

地震方法在城市浅覆盖区活断层调查中的应用

反射地震方法是当前探测城市地震活断层的主要方法,该方法在厚覆盖区探测效果较好.在浅覆盖区采用的接收排列长度较短,震源干扰波对浅层反射波干扰严重,且要求的分别率较高,应用反射地震方法探测城市活断层难度较大.北戴河鸽子窝断裂是秦皇岛—大连断裂在陆地上的一部分.由于该断裂为隐伏断裂,对断裂的倾向、断距、上断点和空间展布存在不确定性.为查明该断裂的空间展布形态、性质以及活动性,采用高精度浅层地震探测技术探测该断裂获得了十分清晰的反射地震图像,依据该地震剖面能够对第四系内部界面、基岩和基岩风化层及断裂构造进行解释,为钻孔联合剖面位置的布设、钻孔深度的设计以及断裂活动性的评价提供了依据.最后经高精度钻孔联合地质剖面证实,地震勘探方法反演得到的主要地层界面和断裂构造特征与钻孔联合地质剖面吻合较好.     

The last glacial-interglacial transition and dinoflagellate cysts in the western Mediterranean Sea

Using the analysis of dinoflagellate cysts in three deep-sea sediments cores situated in the Sicilian-Tunisian Strait, in the Gulf of Lions and in the Alboran Sea, we reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes that took place during the last glacial-interglacial transition in the western Mediterranean Sea. The development of the warm microflora Impagidinium aculeatum and especially Spiniferites mirabilis appears to be an important proxy for recognizing warm periods as the Bölling/Alleröd and the Early Holocene. Bitectatodinium tepikiense, Spiniferites elongatus and Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus mark the end of the Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Dryas. This cold microfloral association confirms the drastic climate changes in the western Mediterranean Sea synchronous to the dry and cold climate which occurred in the South European margin. The dinocyst N. labyrinthus shows high percentages in all studied regions during the Younger Dryas. Its distribution reveals a significant increase from the South to the North of this basin during this cold brief event. Thus, we note that this species can be considered as a new eco-stratigraphical tracer of the Younger Dryas in the western Mediterranean Sea.     

Laboratory seismic measurements: an aid in the interpretation of seismic field data

This contribution reports data and evidence from laboratory measurements of compressional and shear-wave velocities and mineralogical, microstructural and chemical analyses in crustal rocks that may provide an aid to understanding and interpreting geophysical data. It is shown that the correlation of laboratory seismic data with stratigraphic field data can provide the necessary data base for constructing a seismic model of the Earth's crust in a particular geological area.     

Delivery of transuranic elements by rain to the Mediterranean Sea

The concentrations of ²³⁸Pu, ^{239 + 240}Pu, ²⁴¹Am and ¹³⁷Cs were determined in rain samples collected at Monaco in the course of 1978–1979. Based on these data, the annual deliveries of these radionuclides to the Mediterranean by rain are computed to be 0.18 ± 0.01 pCim^?2 for ²³⁸Pu, 8.1 ± 0.1 pCim^?2 for ^{239 + 240}Pu, 0.58 ± 0.02 pCim^?2 for ²⁴¹Am and 351 ± 4 pCim^?2 for ¹³⁷Cs.Comparing the delivery data with the mixed layer inventories of ^{239 + 240}Pu and ²⁴¹Am in the Mediterranean, the upper limits of the mean residence time of these radionuclides in the mixed layer were estimated to be 12.3 yr for ^{239 + 240}pu and 2.9 yr for ²⁴¹Am. These values are consistent with the conclusion deduced from the vertical distribution pattern of these transuranic elements in the Mediterranean.Based on delivery values, the annual activity ratios for ${}^{238}\text{pu}{}^{\mathrm{239\; +\; 240}}\text{Pu}$, ${}^{241}\text{Am}{}^{\mathrm{239\; +\; 240}}\text{Pu}$ and ${}^{\mathrm{239\; +\; 240}}\text{pu}{}^{137}\text{Cs}$ are found to be 0,022, 0.072 and 0.023 respectively. The ${}^{238}\text{pu}{}^{\mathrm{239\; +\; 240}}\text{pu}$ and ${}^{\mathrm{239\; +\; 240}}\text{Pu}{}^{137}\text{Cs}$ activity ratios vary within relatively narrow ranges with time, while a much wider variation was observed for the ${}^{241}\text{Am}{}^{\mathrm{239\; +\; 240}}\text{Pu}$ activity ratio. The cause of the wider variation of the ${}^{241}\text{Am}{}^{\mathrm{239\; +\; 240}}\text{Pu}$ ratio may be related to the difference in the mean age of fallout brought down in different seasons.     

地震相干技术在断层与沉积相解释中的应用

地震相干技术主要应用在断层和沉积相的解释中,确定有利储层沉积相带,正确指导油田的勘探与开发工作。本文着重论述了地震相干技术在断层与沉积相解释中的应用,研究发现当存在断层、地层岩性突变和特殊地质体时,相干图将展现出不同的相干特征,准确识别出现的地质现象。