(ϖμ/ϖT) P of the lower mantle

We estimate (/T) _P of the lower mantle at seismic frequencies using two distinct approaches by combining ambient laboratory measurements on lower mantle minerals with seismic data. In the first approach, an upper bound is estimated for |(/T) _P | by comparing the shear modulus () profile of PREM with laboratory room-temperature data of extrapolated to high pressures. The second approach employs a seismic tomography constraint ( lnV _S / lnV _P ) _P =1.8–2, which directly relates (/T) _P with (K _S /T) _P . An average (K _S /T) _P can be obtained by comparing the well-established room-temperature compression data for lower mantle minerals with theK _S profile of PREM along several possible adiabats. Both (K _S /T) and (/T) depend on silicon content [or (Mg+Fe)/Sil of the model. For various compositions, the two approaches predict rather distinct (/T) _P vs. (K _S /T) _P curves, which intersect at a composition similar to pyrolite with (/T) _P =–0.02 to –0.035 and (K _S /T) _P =–0.015 to –0.020 GPa/K. The pure perovskite model, on the other hand, yields grossly inconsistent results using the two approaches. We conclude that both vertical and lateral variations in seismic velocities are consistent with variation due to pressure, temperature, and phase transformations of a uniform composition. Additional physical properties of a pyrolite lower mantle are further predicted. Lateral temperature variations are predicted to be about 100–250 K, and the ratio of ( lnp/ lnV _S ) _P around 0.13 and 0.26. All of these parameters increase slightly with depth if the ratio of ( lnV _S / lnV _P ) _P remains constant throughout the lower mantle. These predicted values are in excellent agreement with geodynamic analyses, in which the ratios ( ln / lnV _S ) _P and ( / lnV _S ) _P are free parameters arbitrarily adjusted to fit the tomography and geoid data.     

The secular variation of the geomagnetic field in Egypt in the last 5000 years

The palaeo-intensities (F _a) of the geomagnetic field in Egypt at some ages are determined by archaeomagnetic measurements and found to be:F _a=36.2 T at 3100 B.C., F_a=46.8 T at 3000 B.C.,F _a=36.5 T at 2780 B.C., 49.0 T at 2500 B.C., 36.4 T at 2200 B.C., 57.5 T at 1990 B.C., 62.1 T atca 1400 B.C., 61.5 T at 1400 B.C., 69.9 T at 600 B.C., 59.3 T at 550 B.C., 79.9 T at 460 B.C., 73.7 T at 450 B.C., 69.7 T at 320 B.C., 56.2 T at A.D. 50, 64.9 T, at A.D. 400, 54.4 T at A.D. 300, 57.5 T at A.D. 700 and 43.0 T at A.D. 1975.The palaeo-inclinations (I _a) at some ages are found to be:I _a=24.2° at 420 B.C., 44° at A.D. 50, 60.7° at A.D. 703 and 42° at A.D. 1795.The measured values ofF _a are affected by the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility of the samples by 13% to 20% of the expected correct value. The suitable correction of this effect is by multiplyingF by 1/((1+0.2(/90)) andF by 1/((1–0.13 (/90)), whereF andF are the resultant values ofF _a if the laboratory field is perpendicular or parallel to the wall of the sample during the Thelliers' experiments, respectively, and is the angle between the direction of natural remnant magnetization of the sample and the direction of the laboratory field.The results of this paper, together with the previous results for Egypt and the neighbourhoods, lead to the production of the secular variation curve of the geomagnetic field in Egypt for the last 5000 years. The intensity of the field shows a periodicity of about 400 years with multiples.     

A generalized method for various data processing techniques in gravity interpretation

Summary The various data processing techniques (downward continuation, first and second derivatives and their downward continuation) used in gravity interpretation, are analogous to different types of linear filtering operations whose theoretical filter (amplitude) responses can be derived from by suitably choosingN andd, whereu andv are angular frequencies in two perpendicular directions,d the height or depth of continuation in unit of grid interval; andN denotes the order of the vertical derivative. By incorporating a mathematical smoothing function, ( being the smoothing parameter) in the theoretical filter response function, it has been possible, by selecting a suitable value of smoothing parameter, to establish an approximate equivalence of the effect of the mathematical smoothing with the inherent smoothing introduced, because of the numerical approximation (approximation error) for practically all data-processing techniques. This approximate equivalence leads to a generalized method of computing sets of weight coefficients for various data-processing techniques from filter response matching method. Several sets of weight coefficients thus have been computed with different smoothing parameter. The amplitude response curves of the various existing sets of weight coefficients have also been calculated for assessing the quality of the approximation in achieving the desired filtering operation.     

A comment on the effect of discretization on dispersion

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Gravity Anomalies of Arbitrary 3D Polyhedral Bodies with Horizontal and Vertical Mass Contrasts

During the last 15 years, more attention has been paid to derive analytic formulae for the gravitational potential and field of polyhedral mass bodies with complicated polynomial density contrasts, because such formulae can be more suitable to approximate the true mass density variations of the earth (e.g., sedimentary basins and bedrock topography) than methods that use finer volume discretization and constant density contrasts. In this study, we derive analytic formulae for gravity anomalies of arbitrary polyhedral bodies with complicated polynomial density contrasts in 3D space. The anomalous mass density is allowed to vary in both horizontal and vertical directions in a polynomial form of \(\lambda =ax^m+by^n+cz^t\), where m, n, t are nonnegative integers and a, b, c are coefficients of mass density. First, the singular volume integrals of the gravity anomalies are transformed to regular or weakly singular surface integrals over each polygon of the polyhedral body. Then, in terms of the derived singularity-free analytic formulae of these surface integrals, singularity-free analytic formulae for gravity anomalies of arbitrary polyhedral bodies with horizontal and vertical polynomial density contrasts are obtained. For an arbitrary polyhedron, we successfully derived analytic formulae of the gravity potential and the gravity field in the case of \(m\le 1\), \(n\le 1\), \(t\le 1\), and an analytic formula of the gravity potential in the case of \(m=n=t=2\). For a rectangular prism, we derive an analytic formula of the gravity potential for \(m\le 3\), \(n\le 3\) and \(t\le 3\) and closed forms of the gravity field are presented for \(m\le 1\), \(n\le 1\) and \(t\le 4\). Besides generalizing previously published closed-form solutions for cases of constant and linear mass density contrasts to higher polynomial order, to our best knowledge, this is the first time that closed-form solutions are presented for the gravitational potential of a general polyhedral body with quadratic density contrast in all spatial directions and for the vertical gravitational field of a prismatic body with quartic density contrast along the vertical direction. To verify our new analytic formulae, a prismatic model with depth-dependent polynomial density contrast and a polyhedral body in the form of a triangular prism with constant contrast are tested. Excellent agreements between results of published analytic formulae and our results are achieved. Our new analytic formulae are useful tools to compute gravity anomalies of complicated mass density contrasts in the earth, when the observation sites are close to the surface or within mass bodies.     

On the gravimetric undulations of the geoid and the deflections of the vertical

Summary The author mentions the aims of the World-wide gravity project he established in the Ohio State University in Columbus, in 1950. He outlines the practical procedure of the gravimetric computations of the undulationsN and the vertical deflection components and and emphasizes that only by the global international cooperation and additional gravity observations at sea carried out during the last decade it has been possible to gather to Columbus the needed gravity material. Since there exist still large gravimetrically unsurveyed areas it is of vital significance to study what gravity anomalies are best to be used for these regions. The given figures concerning the accuracy of theN, and , estimated theoretically and obtained in practice, indicate that in the gravimetrically well surveyed parts of the world like in Europe and the United States we can get gravimetrically on basis of existing gravity material theN-values with accuracy of about 5–10 meters, and and with the accuracy of about 1. The geoid undulationsN are already computed in Columbus for more than 6000 points of the northern hemisphere. The sample maps show the interesting geoid of Europe and vicinity between the latitudes 60° and 30° and longitude 5° W and 30° E, drafted on basis of more than 1000N-values computed at the corners of 1°×1° squares. It is interesting to realize that the geoid undulations in all this area are positive, the extreme values being between 40 and 50 meters. The geophysical significance of the geoid maps of this kind is pointed out.     

The probability of occurrence of largest earthquakes in the European area

Summary TheGumbel's theory of largest values has been applied to the estimation of probability of occurrence and of return periods of largest earthquakes in the European area. For this study shallow shocks from the period 1901–1955 and from 15 earthquake zones were used. For each zone the largest magnitudes corresponding to one-year intervals were arranged in order of increasingM, grouped in classes and then the probabilitiesF(x _j) were calculated. The data plotted on the probability paper fit a straight line fairly well. The extrapolated lines yield the possibility of estimating large magnitudes which will be exceeded with a given probability, e.g. 1%. Such values were compared with largest magnitudes observed during the period 1901–1955. Their return periods indicate that in most regions the largest probable shock already occurred. Following the procedure ofEpstein-Lomnitz the coefficients and were calculated and compared with corresponding values ofa andb of the magnitude-frequency relation.     

Truncation Error due to Geopotential Model EGM96

The truncation error for the harmonic EGM96 series has been investigated on the basis of 24 242 testing points covering about 70% of the Earth's surface. No degree n of harmonics retained was found at which the series becomes divergent. The EGM96 rms diminishes with increasing n. The truncation error due to EGM96 at the physical Earth's surface has no limiting consequences.     

Gravitational potential energy of terrestrial planets

Summary The gravitational potential energies of Mercury, Venus and Mars have been computed on the basis of density models and compared to that of the Earth. It has been stated that the specific potential energy per unit mass is very close as regards the pair Earth and Venus, as well as the pair Mercury and Mars.Dedicated to the Memory of K. P     

Computation of the vertical gradient of gravity for two dimensional bodies

Summary A method of computation of the vertical gradients of gravity, at different elevations, from the residual gravity profile due to a localised two dimensional causative body is presented. The vertical gradient at an elevation above a station has been expressed as a weighted summation of the gravity values at equally spaced stations along a profile. These weights (coefficients) depend only upon the positions of the individual stations, relative to the station of computation, and upon the ratio of the elevation at which the vertical gradient value is sought to the separation of the stations. Functional forms of these coefficients have been derived analytically and they have been computed for different relative positions of the individual stations and for different values for the ratio of elevation to separation.An analytical expression has been derived for the remainder term which is necessary when the above summation is performed over a finite length of the profile only. As this expression involves the parameters, (i) total mass per unit length and (ii) the positions of the centre of gravity of the causative body, a method has been developed separately for their accurate determination from the anomaly profile of finite length.The efficacy of the method has been assessed by applying it to an arbitrary theoretical model.     

Far-zone contributions to the gravity field quantities by means of Molodensky’s truncation coefficients

To reduce the numerical complexity of inverse solutions to large systems of discretised integral equations in gravimetric geoid/quasigeoid modelling, the surface domain of Green’s integrals is subdivided into the near-zone and far-zone integration sub-domains. The inversion is performed for the near zone using regional detailed gravity data. The farzone contributions to the gravity field quantities are estimated from an available global geopotential model using techniques for a spherical harmonic analysis of the gravity field. For computing the far-zone contributions by means of Green’s integrals, truncation coefficients are applied. Different forms of truncation coefficients have been derived depending on a type of integrals in solving various geodetic boundary-value problems. In this study, we utilise Molodensky’s truncation coefficients to Green’s integrals for computing the far-zone contributions to the disturbing potential, the gravity disturbance, and the gravity anomaly. We also demonstrate that Molodensky’s truncation coefficients can be uniformly applied to all types of Green’s integrals used in solving the boundaryvalue problems. The numerical example of the far-zone contributions to the gravity field quantities is given over the area of study which comprises the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The coefficients of a global geopotential model and a detailed digital terrain model are used as input data.     

Comparison of the effective pressure law for permeability and resistivity formation factor in Chelmsford granite

Permeability, resistivity formation factor, and pore volume change were simultaneously measured on samples of Chelmsford granite subjected to confining pressure and pore pressure cycles. Using a technique described in a previous paper, the tangent coefficients of the effective pressure law for permeability _k and for formation factor _F were determined. _k and _F did not differ significantly from one another. They showed a strong stress history dependence as has already been observed for _k in several crystalline rocks. According to the definition of the effective pressure law used here, two physical properties with identical 's must be related through a one-to-one functional relationship. Hence, the observation above suggests that such a relationship may be empirically found between permeability and formation factor. Indeed, analysis of the data revealed that, to a good approximation, permeability was inversely proportional to the formation factor. The same relation has previously been observed in other crystalline rocks. This relationship was included in a recent version of the so-called equivalent channel model. Using this model, the specific surface area of the cracksA _c/V_S, the standard deviation of the distribution of asperities heightsh and the hydraulic radiusm _o were evaluated. The following values were respectively found: 850 cm^–1, 0.008 m and 0.14 m. The specific surface area of the cracks was independently estimated on micrographs of polished sections using a standard quantitative stereology method. The result was in good agreement with the values estimated from the transport properties data.     

Gravity Anomaly Map over The Black Sea Using Corrected Sea Surface Heights from ERS1, ERS2 and Topex/Poseidon Satellite Altimetry Missions

Approximately nine-year data from ERS1, ERS2 and TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) satellite altimetry missions have been used for the recovery of gravity anomalies over the Black Sea. The Corrected Sea Surface Height product of Aviso/Altimetry has been proven to be homogeneous after a cross-over adjustment. The Least Squares Collocation method was applied in a so-called remove-restore procedure. The residual geoid heights, obtained by subtracting EGM96 geoid heights from cross-over adjusted sea surface heights, were inverted to recover residual gravity anomalies in a grid structure over the Black Sea. Finally, EGM96 free air gravity anomalies were added to the predicted residual gravity anomalies to obtain the free air gravity anomalies. In order to check the consistency with respect to an external source, these computed free air gravity anomalies were compared to ship gravity observations, and to alternative satellite altimetry derived gravity anomalies. Comparisons with the observed gravity data yielded that external consistency of the gravity anomalies computed in this study is about 3 mGal for individual ship tracks. Overall external consistency in the test area is 4.8 mGal. Comparison with other satellite altimetry derived gravity anomalies presented a good agreement.     

A Local Least-Squares Modification of Stokes’ Formula

The combination of Stokes formula and an Earth Gravity Model (EGM) for geoid determination has become a standard procedure. However, the way of modifying Stokes formula vary from author to author, and numerous methods of modification exist. Most methods are deterministic, with the primary goal of reducing the truncation bias committed by limiting the area of Stokes integration around the computation point, but there are also some stochastic methods with the explicit goal to reduce the global mean square error of the geoid height estimator stemming from the truncation bias as well as the random errors of the EGM and the gravity data. The latter estimators are thus, at least from a theoretical point of view, optimal in a global mean sense, but in a local sense they may be far from optimality.Here we take advantage of the error variance-covariance matrices of the EGM and the terrestrial gravity data to derive the modification parameters of Stokes kernel in a local least-squares sense. The solution is given for the unbiased type of modification of Stokes formula of Sjöberg (1991).     

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SHORTENING OPERATORS USED IN VARIOUS DATA PROCESSING TECHNIQUES IN GRAVITY INTERPRETATION*

Discrete Fourier transform analysis provides an infinite number of weight coefficients for filters like upward and downward continuation. For practical applicability, the lengths of such filters have been reduced to a manageable number by various shortening operators, viz. those by Peters, Martin, Mufti, v. Hann, Hamming, and the truncation operator. A comparative study for choosing an operator which approximates the theoretical filter response best has indicated that Martin's shortening operator and the truncation operator are best, respectively, for normalized and non-normalized sets of weight coefficients.     

Efficient Methods to Simulate Planar Free Surface in the 3D 4th-Order Staggered-Grid Finite-Difference Schemes

We numerically tested accuracy of two formulations of Levander's (1988) stress-imaging technique for simulating a planar free surface in the 4^th-order staggered-grid finite-difference schemes. We have found that both formulations (one with normal stress-tensor components at the surface, the other with shear stress-tensor components at the surface) require at least 10 grid spacings per minimum wavelength ( _min÷h = 10) if Rayleigh waves are to be propagated without significant grid dispersion in the range of epicentral distances up to 15 _dom ^S.Because interior 4^th-order staggered-grid schemes usually do not require more than 6 grid spacings per minimum wavelength, in the considered range of epicentral distances, it was desirable to find alternative techniques to simulate a planar free surface, which would not require denser spatial sampling than _min÷h = 6. Therefore, we have developed and tested new techniques: 1. Combination of the stress imaging (with the shear stress-tensor components at the surface) with Rodrigues' (1993) vertically refined grid near the free surface. 2. Application of the adjusted finite-difference approximations to the z-derivatives at the grid points at and below the surface that uses no virtual values above the surface and no stress imaging. The normal stress-tensor components are at the surface in one formulation, while the shear stress-tensor components are at the surface in the other formulation.The three developed formulations give for the spatial sampling _min÷h = 6 results very close to those obtained by the discrete-wavenumber method. Because, however, the technique with the vertically refined grid near the free surface requires 3 times smaller time step (due to the refined grid), the technique with adjusted finite-difference approximations is the most accurate and efficient technique from the examined formulations in the homogeneous halfspace.     

Gravity current down a steeply inclined slope in a rotating fluid

The sinking of dense water down a steep continental slope is studied using laboratory experiments, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. The experiments were made in a rotating tank containing a solid cone mounted on the tank floor and originally filled with water of constant density. A bottom gravity current was produced by injecting more dense coloured water at the top of the cone. The dense water plume propagated from the source down the inclined cone wall and formed a bottom front separating the dense and light fluids. The location of the bottom front was measured as a function of time for various experimental parameters. In the majority of runs a stable axisymmetric flow was observed. In certain experiments, the bottom layer became unstable and was broken into a system of frontal waves which propagated down the slope. The fluid dynamics theory was developed for a strongly non-linear gravity current forming a near-bottom density front. The theory takes into account both bottom and interfacial friction as well as deviation of pressure from the hydrostatic formula in the case of noticeable vertical velocities. Analytical and numerical solutions were found for the initial (t < 1/f), intermediate (t 1/f), and main (t 1/f) stages, where f is the Coriolis parameter. The model results show that during the initial stage non-linear inertial oscillations are developed. During the main stage, the gravity current is concentrated in the bottom layer which has a thickness of the order of the Ekman scale. The numerical solutions are close to the same analytical one. Stability analysis shows that the instability threshold depends mainly on the Froude number and does not depend on the Ekman number. The results of laboratory experiments confirm the similarity properties of the bottom front propagation and agree well with the theoretical predictions.     

陆态网络重力测网的分形特征与地震监测能力分析

介绍了“中国大陆构造环境监测网络”（简称“陆态网络”）重力观测体系。从分形几何学角度研究了陆态网络重力测网的分形特征,计算得到测网分维数D_f=1.5598、最佳网格化间距r=139km。综合测网分维数与重力时变距、重力异常范围、测网范围等量化指标,对陆态网络重力测网的地震监测能力进行分析,结果表明,测网最佳网格化间距等特征值与M_S6.0地震引发的重力场变化区域的特征异常区半径等统计量化指标接近,具备监测我国除边界及藏北无人区以外大陆区域的M_S6.0及以上地震的能力。     

Seismic source-parameter relations for earthquakes in Greece

A data set of nineteen, mainly shallow, moderate to large earthquakes, which occurred in the Aegean and the surrounding area, has been used to derive empirical relations for kinematic fault parameters. Thus the relations between seismic momentM ₀ and magnitudeM _s andm _b and betweenM ₀ andM _s and fault dimensionsS andL have been determined. From these relations and theoretical ones it was deduced that earthquakes in the Aegean and the surrounding events, chiefly interplate, are characterized by low average stress drop values. Values of ranging from 1 to 30 bar are consistent with the data. It was also found that, in general terms, most of the data obey the geometrical similarity conditionL=2w, whereL is the fault length measured along the strike andw is its width measured along the dip. For strike-slip faults, however, the conditionL=4w seems to hold.     

To Pizzetti's Theory of the Level Ellipsoid

The topic of the Earth's reference body, which has now been established as Pizzetti's level rotational ellipsoid, is analysed. Such a body is fully determined by four parameters: a, GM, J ₂ and . At present, the largest discrepancy in determining these parameters occurs in the value of a, which may in future be replaced by the gravity potential of the mean sea level W _o, with respect to Brovar's condition.Pizzetti's four parameters of the reference body are determined by solving the Dirichlet boundary value problem. The Dirichlet problem has only a unique solution, which, however, can be expressed in infinitely many ways. It turns out that the most important part in the form of the solution is played by Lamé's conditions, which determine the type of ellipsoidal coordinates.The solutions given by Pizzetti, Molodensky and another variant are considered. The last variant leads to a simple formula for the potential of the reference ellipsoid, but the formulae for Lamé's coefficients are inconvenient. Of course, all the methods lead to identical solutions, but some of them are more convenient for the historical use of logarithms, whereas others are more appropriate for use in computers.