The Vrancea earthquake of March 4, 1977 — a multiple seismic event and its seismotectonic implications

A study concerning the multiplicity character of Vrancea earthquake of March 4, 1977 based on records of the Romanian seismic network is presented. Four separate shocks within a 9 s interval were recognized of which three with M = 6.0–6.9. Some explanations regarding the macroseismic intensity are made. Also analysed are the shaking duration, the influence of the Carpathian Mountains on the shape of the isoseismal curves and the focal mechanism for the first two main shocks.     

Modeling the seismic response of basin-edge structure by a sequential waveform method

A sequential waveform method is developed to simulate the seismic response of basin-edge structure excited by a plane incident P-wave. The full procedure involves: (a) a previous parameterization of the investigated model using the seismic wave velocities and depths of the sedimentary stratifications; (b) an input motion determined from the records at stations installed on hard rock; (c) forward computation of the P-SV elastic wave field by means of a two-dimensional finite difference (FD) method; (d) the optimization of the model vector using simulated annealing technique and comparing the simulated seismic response of the tested structure with the observed wave field; (e) the correction of the initial model by trial-and-error by testing the differences between synthetics and observed data, and (f) the final solution obtained by iteration using the conjugate gradient algorithm. The search of an optimal basin-edge model has been parallel processed by varying the shapes and velocities of strata on the basis of the fitting of relative timing, amplitude and phase between the output and the observed data. The input motion and sensitivity have been checked and the validity of the method has been demonstrated by numeric analysis. Using the teleseismic records generated by 7 earthquakes recorded at 26 broadband seismic stations, we have studied the seismic velocity structure of the southern edge of the Jiyang depression located in the Bohai Bay basin, northern China. Two cross sections show an agreement between the velocity results and the geological sections available in the region. In addition, we obtain evidence of three hidden faults under the sections and features that suggest major extensions at the Paleogene.     

内蒙古二连断陷盆地陡带区地球物理响应及地震采集关键参数研究

断陷盆地陡带区多沉积于湖盆的边界同生断层一侧,具有山高坡陡、近物源、沉积速度快的特点,多发育有冲积扇、近岸水下扇或扇三角洲,在地震相上多表现为楔形杂乱相、 楔形空白相。本文所述内蒙古二连断陷盆地探区的陡带区沉积大量厚度大、延伸长、无分选的粗细混合碎屑物质,造成地震资料存在能量弱、信噪比低、成像差的问题。为有效改善陡带区地震资料品质难以满足地质需求的问题,本文在对大量陡带区地震资料的分析,在充分分析陡带区沉积模式基础上完成了断陷盆地陡带区地球物理建模以及地球物理响应论证。认为大量的粗碎屑物质未经分选、快速沉积是导致断陷盆地陡带区地震采集资料反射能量弱、资料信噪比低、成像困难的直接原因。据此,通过充分的理论论证、模拟以及实际资料验证,推荐断陷盆地陡带区地震资料采集时采用较高的覆盖次数、相对适中的面元、较宽方位和适宜的炮检距。该成果可为类似地区的地震勘探提供参考借鉴。     

Evolution and sedimentology of a channel fill in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River and its comparison to the deposits of an adjacent compound bar

The depositional stratigraphy of within‐channel deposits in sandy braided rivers is dominated by a variety of barforms (both singular ‘unit’ bars and complex ‘compound’ bars), as well as the infill of individual channels (herein termed ‘channel fills’). The deposits of bars and channel fills define the key components of facies models for braided rivers and their within‐channel heterogeneity, knowledge of which is important for reservoir characterization. However, few studies have sought to address the question of whether the deposits of bars and channel fills can be readily differentiated from each other. This paper presents the first quantitative study to achieve this aim, using aerial images of an evolving modern sandy braided river and geophysical imaging of its subsurface deposits. Aerial photographs taken between 2000 and 2004 document the abandonment and fill of a 1·3 km long, 80 m wide anabranch channel in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River, Canada. Upstream river regulation traps the majority of very fine sediment and there is little clay (< 1%) in the bed sediments. Channel abandonment was initiated by a series of unit bars that stalled and progressively blocked the anabranch entrance, together with dune deposition and stacking at the anabranch entrance and exit. Complete channel abandonment and subsequent fill of up to 3 m of sediment took approximately two years. Thirteen kilometres of ground‐penetrating radar surveys, coupled with 18 cores, were obtained over the channel fill and an adjacent 750 m long, 400 m wide, compound bar, enabling a quantitative analysis of the channel and bar deposits. Results show that, in terms of grain‐size trends, facies proportions and scale of deposits, there are only subtle differences between the channel fill and bar deposits which, therefore, renders them indistinguishable. Thus, it may be inappropriate to assign different geometric and sedimentological attributes to channel fill and bar facies in object‐based models of sandy braided river alluvial architecture.     

Discrete element method simulations of the seismic response of shallow foundations including soil‐foundation‐structure interaction

A novel three‐dimensional particle‐based technique utilizing the discrete element method is proposed to analyze the seismic response of soil‐foundation‐structure systems. The proposed approach is employed to investigate the response of a single‐degree‐of‐freedom structure on a square spread footing founded on a dry granular deposit. The soil is idealized as a collection of spherical particles using discrete element method. The spread footing is modeled as a rigid block composed of clumped particles, and its motion is described by the resultant forces and moments acting upon it. The structure is modeled as a column made of particles that are either clumped to idealize a rigid structure or bonded to simulate a flexible structure of prescribed stiffness. Analysis is done in a fully coupled scheme in time domain while taking into account the effects of soil nonlinear behavior, the possible separation between foundation base and soil caused by rocking, the possible sliding of the footing, and the dynamic soil‐foundation interaction as well as the dynamic characteristics of the superstructure. High fidelity computational simulations comprising about half a million particles were conducted to examine the ability of the proposed technique to model the response of soil‐foundation‐structure systems. The computational approach is able to capture essential dynamic response patterns. The cyclic moment–rotation relationships at the base center point of the footing showed degradation of rotational stiffness by increasing the level of strain. Permanent deformations under the foundation continued to accumulate with the increase in number of loading cycles. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

钓鱼城遗址始关门破坏机制研究与FLAC3D地震动力响应模拟

古遗址赋存于岩土体之中,是岩土体的一部分,故尝试采用岩土工程分析手段对其破坏机制进行研究。在"5.12"汶川地震中,重庆合川钓鱼城古战场遗址的始关门出现了局部开裂、错位等变形破坏现象。地质勘察表明,始关门赋存于滑坡、裂隙等复杂地质环境中,故抽取了始关门的地质模型,采用有限差分软件FLAC3D对其进行了三维地震动力响应模拟,分析其变形破坏机制。结果表明,始关门应力集中明显,并在地震波作用下有明显位移出现。始关门破坏是各种地质因素综合作用的结果。"5.12"汶川地震是诱导因素,滑坡、陡崖裂隙等地质结构是主要原因,古城门自身强度减小是发生破坏的内因。模拟结果为始关门修复设计提供了可靠的科学根据,具有一定的研究意义和推广价值。     

3D dynamic response of a transversely isotropic multilayered medium subjected to a moving load

The dynamic problem of a transversely isotropic multilayered medium is reducible to quasi‐static problem by introducing a moving system that travels synchronously with the load. Based on the governing equations in the moving system, the ordinary differential equations in the Fourier transformed domain are deduced. An extended precise integration method is adopted to solve the ordinary differential equations, and the solution in the physical domain is recovered by the inverse Fourier transform. Numerical examples are performed to verify the accuracy of the presented method and to analyze the influence of material properties and the load characteristic.     

Re‐analysis of key evidence in the case for a hemispherically synchronous response to the Younger Dryas climatic event

A south‐east Australian speleothem stable isotope record displaying an apparent cooling synchronous with the northern hemisphere Younger Dryas climate event (12.9–11.7 ka) has significantly influenced scientific thinking on the climatic response of the southern hemisphere following the Last Glacial Maximum. This is one of very few records displaying such a response, and yet the cooling was inferred from substantial extrapolation between just three uranium‐series ages. Technological advances since then have produced major improvements in both the spatial resolution and the accuracy of uranium‐series geochronologies. Re‐analysis of this sample has yielded ages of 7.96 ± 0.36 to 7.69 ± 0.33 ka for the interval previously inferred to span the Younger Dryas, and reveals a substantial hiatus in deposition from 6.93 ± 0.64 to 1.83 ± 0.16 ka. These data not only refute the original evidence for an inter‐hemispheric synchroneity of the Younger Dryas but also reject any evidence for neoglacial conditions at 3 ka. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study of the seismic response of the city of Benevento (Southern Italy) through a combined analysis of seismological and geological data

A previous analysis [Improta, L., G. Di Giulio, and A. Rovelli (2005). Variations of local seismic response in Benevento (Southern Italy) using earthquakes and ambient noise recordings, J. Seism. 9, 191–210.] of small magnitude earthquakes recorded at 12 sites within the city of Benevento has stressed the significant role played by near-surface geology in causing variability of the ground motion. In this paper, we extend the study of the seismic response from 12 sites to the entire urban area. Based on inferences from the comparison at the 12 sites between earthquake and ambient vibration results, we have collected ambient noise at about 100 sites within the city, intensifying measurements across the main shallow geological variations. We use borehole data to interpret ambient noise H/V spectral ratios in terms of near-surface geology comparing H/V curves to theoretical transfer functions of 1D models along five well-constrained profiles.

On the basis of geological, geotechnical, and seismic data, we identify three main typologies of seismic response in the city. Each type of response is associated to zones sharing common soil conditions and similar soil classes according to building codes for seismic design. Moreover, we find that the spatial variation of the seismic response in the ancient town area is consistent with the damage pattern produced by a very destructive, well-documented historical earthquake that struck the city in 1688, causing MCS intensity of IX–X in Benevento.

Finally, we use ground motions recorded during the experiment by Improta et al. [Improta, L., G. Di Giulio, and A. Rovelli (2005). Variations of local seismic response in Benevento (Southern Italy) using earthquakes and ambient noise recordings, J. Seism. 9, 191–210.] to generate synthetic seismograms of moderate to strong (Mw 5.7, Molise 2002 and Ms 6.9, 1980 Irpinia) earthquakes. We calibrate the random summation technique by Ordaz et al. [Ordaz, M., J. Arboleda, and S.K. Singh (1995). A scheme of random summation of an Empirical Green's Function to estimate ground motions for future large earthquakes, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 85, 1635–1647.] using recordings of these earthquakes available in Benevento. After a satisfactory fit between observed and synthetic seismograms, we compute response spectra at different sites and speculate on effects of the geology class at large level of shaking, including soil nonlinearity. We find that large discrepancies from design spectra prescribed by seismic codes can occur for a wide sector of Benevento, especially for periods < 0.5 s.     

金沙江“11·3”白格堰塞湖溃决洪水事件在奔子栏—石鼓段的地貌作用和沉积特征

古堰塞湖溃决洪水事件的重建是当前地学研究的热点问题之一,寻找足够的可参考的现代溃决洪水事件案例是顺利开展这项工作的基础。2018年11月13日发生在金沙江干流的白格堰塞湖超万年一遇的溃决洪水事件(学术界称之为“11·3”白格堰塞湖溃决洪水事件)就是一个难得的样本。这次溃决事件发生在枯水期,洪峰完全由溃决洪水产生,没有叠加其他来源,对评估流域地貌和沉积体系对堰塞溃决事件的响应有很好的参考价值。本文以溃决洪水事件受灾最为严重的奔子栏—石鼓段为研究区,通过详细的野外调查和初步的水力学估算发现“11·3”白格堰塞湖溃决洪水事件在奔子栏—石鼓段的地貌作用主要表现为洪水淹没区的岸坡塌岸和沉积物堆积,未发现明显的基岩侵蚀。沉积物主要由分选良好的具水平纹层的砂组成。受金沙江较低的河床比降影响,洪水产生的基底剪切应力较弱在27~142 N/m²,不能悬浮和搬运直径5 cm以上的砾石,也不能产生明显的磨蚀和冲(撞)击作用。在发生塌岸的部分段落,洪水沉积物中有砾石坠入,甚至会出现类似浊流沉积的层序。这些现象的发现对深入理解堰塞湖溃决洪水的复杂地貌过程和沉积特征有重要参考意义。     

Lower Triassic δC isotope curve from shallow-marine carbonates in Japan, Panthalassa realm: Confirmation of the Tethys δC curve

δ¹³C data from Tethyan sections provide evidence of profound changes in the carbon cycle during the Lower Triassic. Sections from the Panthalassa realm were investigated to establish whether these variations are also present there. In the Jurassic accretionary wedges in Japan, exotic blocks having a Panthalassan affinity, have been incorporated. The majority of the blocks are pelagic cherts but rare shallow-water carbonates are also present. We present a δ¹³C study on the Lower Triassic of a shallow-water carbonate succession deposited on a mid-oceanic seamount and accreted to the Chichibu Belt, Japan. Two sections have been measured at Kamura, central Kyushu Island. The carbon isotope curve shows depleted values across the Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB), subsequently followed by an increase to heavier values into the Dienerian, culminating in a maximum of almost +4‰ V-PDB, before a steep drop at a stratigraphic gap. Low values are recorded in the Smithian, but rise to enriched δ¹³C values > +3.5‰ near the Smithian–Spathian boundary. The observed trend of the stable carbon isotope curve from Japanese sediments mirrors the curves derived from sections in the Tethys (e.g. Italy, Iran, Turkey, Oman and the South China Nanpanjing Basin). Our results support the interpretation of this curve as representing a global trend across the PTB and in the Lower Triassic, although some distinct features are absent around the Dienerian/Smithian boundary. Profound variations of the carbon isotope curve in the Lower Triassic are presented for the first time from a marine section outside of the Tethys. They indicate severe, global changes in the Lower Triassic carbon cycle, and the causative processes must have significantly contributed to the delayed biotic recovery after the PTB. Large amounts of carbon were shifted between carbon reservoirs, most probably between shallow- and deep-ocean waters, and/or ocean and sediment. Anoxia followed by overturn of the ocean water masses may have been the mechanism which quickly altered ecological conditions in the ocean leading to variable availability of nutrients and oxygen, and changes in isotope composition of the available carbon in the surface waters that was incorporated in the precipitated carbonate.     

Three‐dimensional dynamic response of ground with a poroviscoelastic interlayer to a harmonic moving rectangular load

Stratification is a basic characteristic of ground. Due to the influence of ground water, saturated weak interlayers widely exist, particularly in soft soil area. An interlayer of high compressibility and low strength has a substantial effect on dynamic response of the ground, especially under high speed moving load. Thus, a comprehensive investigation in the influence of interlayer is essential and useful in geotechnical and transportation‐related engineering. This paper presents a three‐dimensional semi‐analytical approach to study the dynamic response of a layered ground with a soft saturated interlayer. The ground is modelled as a half‐space consisting of three parts: a viscoelastic upper layer, a saturated poroviscoelastic interlayer governed by Biot's theory and a viscoelastic half‐space. An ‘adapted stiffness matrix’ is proposed to obtain the semi‐analytical solution to the system. Comprehensive parametric study is conducted to investigate the influences of existence, geometrical and physical properties of the interlayer. Depth, thickness, hydraulic permeability of the interlayer, load speed and frequency significantly influence the dynamic response of the ground, among which the interlayer depth plays a dominant role. Resonant frequency exists, which is highly affected by the interlayer thickness, especially in low speed regime. Both hydraulic permeability and boundary conditions of the interlayer influence the characteristics of pore pressure distribution. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reloca Slide: an ~24 km3 submarine mass‐wasting event in response to over‐steepening and failure of the central Chilean continental slope

Reloca Slide is the relict of an ~24‐km³ submarine slope collapse at the base of the convergent continental margin of central Chile. Bathymetric and seismic data show that directly to the north and south of the slide the lower continental slope is steep (~10°), the deformation front is shifted landwards by 10–15 km, and the frontal accretionary prism is uplifted. In contrast, ~80 km to the north the lower continental margin presents a lower slope angle of about 4° and a wide frontal accretionary prism. We propose that high effective basal friction conditions at the base of the accretionary prism favoured basal accretion of sediment and over‐steepening of the continental slope, producing massive submarine mass wasting in the Reloca region. This area also spatially correlates with a zone of low coseismic slip of the 2010 Maule megathrust earthquake, which is consistent with high basal frictional coefficients.     

δ18O and δ13C in fossil shells of Radix sp. from the sediment succession of a dammed palaeo‐lake in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley,Tibet, China

A series of confirmed and suspected dammed palaeo‐lake sedimentary successions is scattered within the middle Yarlung Tsangpo valley in Tibet. However, the chronology, the genesis of the dam and its location, the water level of the dammed lake, the process of dam failure and the spatiotemporal relationships between the sedimentary successions remain controversial. Here, we focus on one sedimentary succession of the suspected dammed palaeo‐lake at Xigazê. We measured the grain‐size distribution, magnetic susceptibility, organic and inorganic carbon content, and δ¹³C_org and δ¹⁵N_total ratios of the sediments. In addition, we measured the δ¹⁸O_shell and δ¹³C_shell values of modern and fossil Radix sp. shells, and the δ¹⁸O_water and δ¹³C_DIC values of the ambient water with different hydrological regimes. The results indicate that the δ¹⁸O_shell values of modern Radix sp. and the δ¹⁸O_water of the ambient water body significantly depend on its hydrological status. In addition, a strong positive relationship was observed between δ¹⁸O_shell values of modern Radix sp. shells and the δ¹⁸O_water of the ambient water on the Tibetan Plateau. According to this correlation, the δ¹⁸O_water values of the palaeo‐water body are reconstructed using the δ¹⁸O_shell values of Radix sp. fossil shells in the Xigazê section. Further, based on the δ¹⁸O_shell values of fossil Radix sp., the reconstructed δ¹⁸O_water of the palaeo‐water body and the specific habitats of Radix sp., we infer that the sedimentary succession in the Xigazê broad valley was mainly formed within the backwater terminal zone of a dammed palaeo‐lake and that the elevation of the water level of the lake was approximately 3811 m a.s.l. AMS ¹⁴C dating indicates that the deposits of the dammed palaeo‐lake were formed at about 33–22 cal. ka BP. Finally, the presence of Radix sp. fossil shells within the Xigazê section suggests that Radix sp. survived the late Last Glacial Period on the Tibetan Plateau.