Seismicity at White Island volcano, New Zealand: a revised classification and inferences about source mechanism

The classification of earthquakes at White Island volcano, New Zealand, has been revised to address problems in existing classification schemes, to better reflect new data and to try to focus more on source processes. Seismicity generated by the direct involvement of magmatic or hydrothermal fluids are referred to as volcanic, and that generated by fault movement in response to stresses caused by those fluids, regional stresses, thermal effects and so on are referred to as volcano-tectonic. Spasmodic bursts form a separate category, as we have insufficient information to classify them as volcanic or volcano-tectonic. Volcanic seismicity is divided into short-duration, long-period volcanic earthquakes, long-duration volcanic earthquakes, and harmonic- and non-harmonic volcanic tremor, while volcano-tectonic seismicity is divided into shallow and deep volcano-tectonic earthquakes. Harmonic volcanic tremor is related to sub-surface intrusive processes, while non-harmonic volcanic tremor originates close to active craters at shallow depth, and usually occurs during eruptive activity. Short-duration, long-period volcanic earthquakes come from a single source close to the active craters, but originate deeper than non-harmonic volcanic tremor, and are not related to eruptive activity. Long-duration volcanic earthquakes often accompany larger discrete eruptions. The waveform of these events consists of an initial low-frequency part from a deep source, and a later cigar-shaped part of mixed frequencies from a shallow crater source.     

Analysis of water quality and circulation of four recreational Miami beaches through the use of Lagrangian Coherent Structures

Four popular, recreational beaches in Miami, FL are Hobie Beach, Virginia Key Beach, Crandon Park Beach, and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. While all of the beaches are within a few miles of each other in Biscayne Bay, they have greatly differing water qualities, as determined by the testing for fecal indicator bacteria performed by the Florida Department of Health. Using the geodesic theory of transport barriers, we identify Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) in each area. We show how these material curves, which shape circulation and mixing patterns, can be used to explain the incongruous states of the water at beaches that should be comparable. The LCSs are computed using a hydrodynamic model and verified through field experimentation at each beach.     

TWP-ICE试验期间一次热带深对流过程的拉格朗日输送特征

本文使用高分辨率WRFV3.4.1模式对TWP-ICE试验期间的一次热带深对流过程进行了数值模拟,利用第四重嵌套每五分钟输出一次的模拟资料对对流系统的上升气流质量通量廓线特征进行了分析,并结合FLEXPART拉格朗日粒子扩散模式对热带深对流系统进行拉格朗日轨迹分析.质量通量廓线特征及拉格朗日轨迹的分析结果表明,在条件不稳定层顶附近便有部分水凝物被输送出深对流系统.深对流系统中的水凝物主要沿环境引导气流向深对流下游方向输送.由于受低层风场扰动的影响,少量的水凝物被输送到深对流系统的上游.深对流系统中的水凝物向其下游方向输送的最远距离为200~300 km,并约有10%~20%的水凝物对对流系统下游50~150 km附近卷云砧的形成产生影响,其影响的时间尺度约为4~6 h.     

Response of the Changjiang diluted water around Jeju Island to external forcings: A modeling study of 2002 and 2006

The Changjiang diluted water (CDW) around Jeju Island between 2002 and 2006 in response to external forcings, such as wind, tidal forcing and low river discharge, is studied using a three-dimensional model. The model results suggest that wind largely determines spatial differences of CDW and the freshwater export toward Jeju Island between two years. In 2006, when northwestward wind blows during mid June to mid August, the wind-induced Ekman flow causes a broad northeastward extension of CDW and carries a significant amount of freshwater northeastward Jeju Island in August. On the other hand, in 2002 northward wind during mid July to early August drives the CDW to the southwest of Jeju Island, and thereafter the CDW is mainly advected northeastward along the Cheju Current during mid August when the wind becomes weak. Therefore, the amount of freshwater around Jeju Island increases in September, not in August. The response to tidal forcing shows that tide-induced vertical mixing tends to enhance a meander of CDW around Changjiang Bank and shift the CDW flowing into the Yellow Sea southeastward toward Jeju Island. As a result, the amount of freshwater toward Jeju Island becomes larger than that in no-tides case. The summer low river discharge as a flood control scenario has little influence on the spatial behavior of CDW around Jeju Island although the discharge contributes to the amount of freshwater around Jeju Island.     

Volcanic emissions of metals and halogens from White Island (New Zealand) and Erebus volcano (Antarctica) determined with chemical traps

Volcanic emission rates of As, Sb, Pb, Hg, Se, Cl, and F were determined at Erebus volcano, Antarctica and White Island, New Zealand, using chemical traps. The trace metal fluxes were determined by combining the species to S ratios in the solutions with SO₂ emission rates measured by correlation spectrometry at the two volcanoes. At Erebus volcano, fluxes for the metals Pb and Hg were 2.0 × 10^− 4 and 8.1 × 10^− 6 kg s^− 11, respectively. Fluxes for Cl, F, As, Sb and Se (0.35, 0.15, 2.5 × 10^− 4, 1.2 × 10^− 5, and 4.5 × 10^− 6 kg s^− 1, respectively) agreed within error limits for values determined previously by the LiOH impregnated filter method [Zreda-Gostynska, G., Kyle, P., Finnegan, D., Prestbo, K., 1997. Volcanic gas emissions from Mount Erebus and their impact on the Antarctic environment. Journal of Geophysical Research, 102(B7): 15039–15055.], demonstrating the utility of the chemical trap method. A fall in the As/S ratio from 7 × 10^− 4 in 1997/1999 to 3 × 10^− 4 in 2000 at Erebus coincided with a change in the frequency and style of eruptive activity that may have been due to injection of magma into the system. At White Island, chemical trap data indicated fluxes of Cl = 0.90, F = 0.0079, Pb = 2.7 × 10^− 4, Hg = 1.1 × 10^− 5, As = 1.3 × 10^− 4, Sb = 1.9 × 10^− 5 and Se = 1.5 × 10^− 5 kg s^− 1. Samples collected 600 m downwind of the active crater were comparable to samples collected adjacent to the main gas vent, showing that this method can still be used at some distance from a degassing vent.     

Genesis of lavas of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, North Island, New Zealand

The Taupo Volcanic Zone forms part of the Taupo-Hikurangi subduction system, and comprises five volcanic centres: Tongariro, Taupo, Maroa, Okataina and Rotorua. Tongariro Volcanic Centre is formed almost entirely of andesite while the other four centres contain predominantly rhyolitic volcanics and later fissure eruptions of high-Al basalt. Estimated total volume of each lava type are as follows: 2 km³ of high-Al basalt (< 0.1%); 260 km³ of andesite (< 2.5%); 5 km³ of dacite (< 0.1%); > 10,000 km³ of rhyolite and ignimbrite (> 97.4%).The location of the andesites and vent alignments suggest a source from a subduction zone underlying the area. However, the lavas differ chemically from island-arc andesites such as those of Tonga; in particular by having higher contents of the alkali elements, light REE and Sr and Pb isotopes. This suggests some crustal contamination, and it is considered that this may occur beneath the wide accretionary prism of the subduction system. Amphibolite of the subduction zone will break down between 80 and 100 km and a partial melt will rise. A multi-stage process of magma genesis is then likely to occur. High-Al basalts are thought to be derived from partial melting of a garnet-free peridotite near the top of the mantle wedge overlying the subduction zone, locations of the vents controlled largely by faults within the crust. Rhyolites and ignimbrites were probably derived from partial melting of Mesozoic greywacke and argillite under the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Initial partial melting may have been due to hydration of the base of the crust; the “water” having come from dehydration of the downgoing slab. The partial melts would rise to form granodiorite plutons and final release of the magma to form rhyolites and ignimbrites was allowed because of extension within the Taupo graben.Dacites of the Bay of Plenty probably resulted from mixing of andesitic magma with small amounts of rhyolitic magma, but those on the eastern side of the Rotorua-Taupo area were more likely formed by a higher degree of partial melting of the Mesozoic greywacke-argillite basement. This may be due to intrusion of andesite magma on this side of the Taupo volcanic zone.     

2009年7月15日新西兰南岛西海岸近海地震破裂过程快速反演

用地震破裂过程快速反演方法,在2009年7月15日新西兰南岛西海岸近海地震发生后,采用全球地震台网（GSN）的宽频带地震资料,快速反演了这次地震的破裂过程,并于震后4小时内得出了这次地震破裂过程的反演结果．结果表明,这次新西兰南岛西海岸近海地震的破裂过程具有如下基本特征:① 矩震级约为MW7.8;② 地震主要破裂持续时间约为40s;③ 滑动量在断层面上的分布比较简单,整个地震破裂只包含一个滑动量较大的区域;④ 这次地震基本上是一次单侧破裂事件,破裂主要朝向西南方向．      

Observations and simulations of an unsteady island wake in the Firth of Forth, Scotland

Beamer Rock, a 50-m-wide island in the Firth of Forth, produces a distinctive von Kármán vortex street wake, the characteristics of which depend on the speed and direction of the tidal flow. ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler), CTD (conductivity–temperature–depth) and aerial photograph data were collected from the region during flood and ebb tidal flow under neap and spring conditions. Good agreement was found between the observations and the results from a fixed-grid depth-averaged numerical tidal model. The island wake parameter correctly predicted the unsteady nature of the wake, and the Strouhal number (defined in terms of flow past a circular cylinder) was found to give excellent predictions of the wake wavelength when scaled on the island width. Contrary to published results, the study shows that it is possible to accurately simulate an unsteady island wake using a relatively coarse fixed-grid numerical model.Responsible Editor: Jens Kappenberg     

Early deformation fabrics of melange in the Mesozoic Waipapa Terrane, North Island, New Zealand

Abstract The Waipapa Terrane in northern North Island, New Zealand, is a Mesozoic accretion-ary complex formed along the Gondwana margin. It contains abundant melange rocks with distinctive characteristics. Precise analyses of their mesoscopic fabrics in Waiheke Island near Auckland have revealed the following sequence of deformation. The earliest phase of deformation of the sandstone/mudstone association, which is the main constituent of this terrane, originated by chaotic mixing of sand and mud due to liquidization of water-saturated, poorly consolidated sediments. The second phase was characterized by hydrofracturing and subsequent forceful injection of ductile mud into rather brittle sand. Local intrusions of sand forming dykes and sills followed these events, as well as intrusions of pelagic/hemipelagic green argillite originally underlying the sandstone/mudstone association. An abundant occurrence of these mixing and multi-stage injection/intrusion fabrics strongly suggest that the Waipapa Terrane around the study area was a site of high pore-fluid pressure. Scaly-foliated melange fabrics with monoclinic symmetry, originating from layer-parallel shearing, were then locally superimposed on the pre-existing melange fabrics. Similar scaly-foliated fabrics also developed in the chert beds originally intercalated between the green argillite and the uppermost part of the oceanic crust. These scaly fabrics might have been related to the regional stacking and juxtaposition of the accreted sediments. The sequence and variation in style of deformation forming the melange fabrics presumably reflected changes in porosity and state of compaction of accreted sediments in a shallow tectonic level.     

Variations in the carbon,sulfur and chlorine contents of volcanic gas discharges from White Island,New Zealand

On six occasions, Irom July 1971 to June 1973, discharge samples from twelve selected fumaroles on White Island in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, were collected and analysed. The large variations in the absolute and relative proportions of carbon, sulfur, and chlorine containing species, occurring simultaneously over the entire active area of the volcano, suggest that all fumaroles are essentially supplied with one common type of gas made up of at least three components. During quiet periods, with low fumarolic outlet temperatures (≤300), the component with ratios C:S:Cl of 92:3:5 predominates; during heating up periods the relative carbon contents decrease, considered to be due to admixture of a component with C:S:Cl ratios of 44:26:30. Coinciding with maximum outlet temperatures (≈ 800°), however, the component with C:S:Cl ratios of 70:29:1 predominates, causing a rapid and marked rise in the ratio S:Cl from unity to above ten. The latter component with low ratios of C:S of around 2.5 and ratios of S:Cl of above ten is considered to be most closely related to the primary magmatic gas phase.     

Cenozoic volcanism, stress gradient and back-arc opening in the North Island, New Zealand: Origin of Taupo-Rotorua Depression

Abstract Extensive subduction-related and intraplate volcanism characterize Cenozoic magmatism in the North Is., New Zealand. Volcanics in the central North Is., predominantly intermediate to felsic, form above the dipping seismic zone and show tectonic/geochemical features common to magmatism in most subduction zones. Basaltic volcanism in Northland, the northern part of the North Is., has chemical characteristics typical of intraplate magmatism and may be caused by the upwelling of asthenospheric materials from deeper parts of the mantle. The rifting just behind the present volcanic front (the Taupo-Rotorua Depression), which follows the trench ward migration of the volcanic front and the gradual steepening of the subducted slab, is also a feature of the North Is. A possible mechanism for the back-arc rifting in the area is injection of asthenospheric materials into the mantle wedge; this asthenospheric flow results from the mantle upwelling beneath Northland and pushes both the rigid fore-arc mantle wedge and the subducted slab trenchwards. This mechanism is also consistent with the stress fields in the North Is.: dilatation in Northland, northwest-southeast tension in the Taupo-Rotorua Depression, and the northeast-southwest compression in the fore-arc region.     

Rates and patterns of erosion on inter-tidal shore platforms,Kaikoura Peninsula,South Island,New Zealand

This paper presents measured rates of erosion on shore platforms at Kaikoura Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand. Surface lowering rates were measured with a micro-erosion meter and traversing micro-erosion meter. The mean lowering rate for all shore platforms was 1·130 mm a⁻¹. Differences in lowering rates were found between different platform types and lithologies. The rate of surface lowering on Type A (sloping) mudstone platforms was 1·983 mm a⁻¹, and 0·733 mm a⁻¹ on Type B mudstone platforms (subhorizontal). On limestone platforms the lowering rate was 0·875 mm a⁻¹. A previously reported cross-shore pattern of surface lowering rates from Kaikoura was not found. Rates were generally higher on the landward margins and decreased in a seaward direction. Season is shown statistically to influence erosion rates, with higher rates during summer than winter. The interpretation given to this is that the erosive process is subaerial weathering in the form of wetting and drying and salt weathering. This is contrary to views of shore platform development that have favoured marine processes over subaerial weathering. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sorted circles in the maritime Subantarctic,Marion Island

Active sorted circles are quantitatively described for the first time for the maritime Subantarctic. Increasing altitude and hence increasing frost penetration are associated with systematic increases in pattern spacing, cell width, height of the fine centre relative to the border, and depth of sorting (but not the width of coarse margins). These results imply consistent dimensional scaling of circle parameters. It is argued, on the basis of the altitudinal trends in pattern morphology, the dimensional scaling of forms, and the morphology of the patterns, that differential frost heave in association with convection cells is responsible for circle formation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Slope control on the frequency distribution of shallow landslides and associated soil properties,North Island,New Zealand

The extrapolation of results from field trials to larger areas of land for purposes of regional impact assessment is an important issue in geomorphology, particularly for landform properties that show high stochastic variability in space and time, such as shallow landslide erosion. It is shown in this study, that by identifying the main driver for spatial variability in shallow landslide erosion at field scales, namely slope angle, it is possible to develop a set of generic functions for assessing the impact of landslides on selected soil properties at larger spatial scales and over longer time periods. Research was conducted within an area of pastoral soft‐rock Tertiary hill country in the North Island of New Zealand that is subject to infrequent high intensity rainfall events, producing numerous landslides, most of which are smaller than several hundred square metres in size and remove soil to shallow depths. All landslides were mapped within a 0·6 km² area and registered to a high resolution (2 m) slope map to show that few landslides occur on slopes < 20° and 95% were on slopes > 24°. The areal density of landslides from all historical events showed an approximately linear increase with slope above 24°. Integrating landslide densities with soil recovery data demonstrates that the average value of a soil property fluctuates in a ‘saw‐tooth’ fashion through time with the overall shape of the curve controlled by the frequency of landslide inducing storm events and recovery rate of the soil property between events. Despite such fluctuations, there are gradual declines of 7·5% in average total carbon content of topsoil and 9·5% in average soil depth to bedrock, since the time of forest clearance. Results have application to large‐scale sediment budget and water quality models and to the New Zealand Soil Carbon Monitoring System (CMS). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tidal and residual circulation in the St. Andrew Bay system,Florida

Two 24-h surveys were conducted in St. Andrew Bay, Florida, during spring and neap tides to describe the tidal and non-tidal circulation patterns and to determine the factors that affect these patterns. In particular, the effect of tidal forcing in modulating such circulation patterns was explored. Observed velocities were fitted to diurnal and semidiurnal harmonics separating tidal motions from sub-tidal motions. Residual flows were compared with an analytic model that allowed variations in the relative contributions from Coriolis acceleration and friction using the Ekman number. A solution with an Ekman number of 0.04 resembled the observations best and indicated that the hydrodynamics were governed by pressure gradient, Coriolis and friction. Locally, advective accelerations became important around headlands in sub-estuaries in the system. The consistency of the mean pattern from October to March suggests that tides play a minor role in modulating the exchange flow. Deviations from the long-term mean are mainly caused by wind-driven coastal setup and setdown.     

海南岛早白垩世红层磁组构和古地磁新结果

海南岛白垩纪红层是迄今产出古地磁结果最多的地层,但古地磁结果难以在海南岛周边古地磁结果和地质限制条件下作出合理解释.为了更好地认识海南岛白垩纪红层古地磁方向的可靠性,我们对采自前人工作地区的14个采点132个样品开展了古地磁和磁组构的综合研究.磁化率各向异性测试显示14个采点样品平均各向异性度为1.018,线理度为1.014,面理度为1.004.各采点磁化率椭球体最小轴显著偏离地层法线,没有反映出沉积或压实特征.野外调查发现采点区域的节理组交线(代表中间应力轴)与磁化率椭球体中间轴一致,意味着采点磁性矿物的排列方位很可能因构造应力影响发生改变.逐步热退磁显示14个采点分离出的特征剩磁解阻温度高于660℃,方向区别于现代地磁场方向;褶皱检验表明在褶皱展平度为80.4%(95%置信范围内褶皱展平度为77%±12.2%)时精度参数达最大,对应方向为D=359.9°, I=43.4°,κ=70.2,α95=4.8°,与前人的古地磁方向一致.通过与华南地块参考极对比,以及综合分析海南岛围区古地磁和地质限制条件,表明该古地磁方向是不协调的.我们认为前人和本文采样红层剩磁很可能在沉积时获得,但在沉积后受到区域构造应力的影响,致使磁性矿物排列改变,从而导致古地磁方向也发生变化.因此,我们认为这些样品所记录的古地磁方向不能准确反映海南岛白垩纪古纬度.     

The morphodynamic responses to deposition-promoting projects in island and reef coasts of the Zhoushan Archipelago,China

China's island and reef coasts are mainly distributed along the coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. These areas have favorable deep-water conditions and great development potential. The Zhoushan Archipelago is a typical island and reef coast. In the midst of the islands, there are many tidal channels with high water depth and high current velocity. Daishan Island is located on the northern part of the Zhoushan Archipelago. The sea north of Daishan Island can be characterized as having great water depth (generally between 10 and 20 m), high current velocity (the maximum measured value is about 2 m/s), and hyperconcentrated suspended sediment (annual average concentration under normal weather conditions is about 0.6 kg/m3). Sediment transport is influenced by the co-action of waves and currents. Land reclamation can ease the contradiction between the desire for development and the land resource shortage on island and reef coasts. Land reclamation generally starts from deposition-promoting projects on island and reef coasts with hyperconcentration of suspended sediment with the aim of reducing the reclamation cost. Based on the morphodynamic characteristics of the sea area near north of Daishan Island, a two-dimensional mathematical model was developed to analyze the co-action of current and waves and the model was verified for spring as well as neap tides in 2007 and 2012. The simulated values of tidal stages, tidal current velocities, tidal current directions, and suspended sediment concentration at 15 stations in 2007 and 9 stations in 2012 were in good agreement with the in-situ measured values. Furthermore, the simulated magnitude and pattern of erosion and sedimentation agreed well with the observations. This model was used to evaluate the effects of a proposed siltation scheme on the hydrodynamic environment and morphological change of the study area. The results of this study can inform the protection, development, and utilization of shoal-channels on island and reef coasts, as well provide a scientific basis for comprehensive maritime protection and development.     

Sources and transport of As,Cu, Cd and Pb in the environmental compartments of Deception Island,Antarctica

Sources and transport processes of As, Cu, Cd and Pb were studied in different environmental compartments of Deception Island, an active volcano in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Element concentrations in fresh water samples are consistent with the lowest values reported elsewhere in Antarctica. Interestingly, higher concentration values of As were found in samples collected in or near spring water courses and its transport may be related with processes of lixiviation in underground waters. While in saline waters Cu and Pb had important punctual sources, concentration values for Cd were consistently high pointing to the existence of a natural and diffuse source possibly related with the hydrothermal activity. The high Si/Al ratio, low carbon content, and a non-significant anthropogenic heavy metal input may explain the surprisingly homogeneous heavy metal content found in sediment samples.