On the theory of the axially-symmetric,time-average,state of the atmosphere

Summary A possible formal approach to a closed steady-state theory of the mean axially-symmetric variables is outlined. The approach involves alternating iterative solutions of the energy and momentum equations. In these equations the effects of transient eddy phenomena of all frequencies are assumed to be parameterized in terms of the mean symmetric variables.     

Erosional unloading,hillslope geometry,and the height of the Cascade Range,Washington State,USA

Peaks in the Cascade Range in northern Washington State are on average ～800 m higher than in southern Washington. The influences of differential valley excavation and variations in hillslope length and average slope on these altitudinal trends were tested using a 3‐dimensional model for isostatic rock uplift and calculations of hillslope length and slope respectively. The magnitude of isostatic peak uplift calculated by the model is highly dependent on the flexural rigidity (D) and the related effective elastic thickness (T_e) of the crust of this region. Crustal rigidity was constrained using published estimates and by estimating the depth of the seismogenic zone in the area (D > 1 × 10²³ Nm and T_e > 24 km). With these constraints, isostatic compensation due to differential erosion added < 700 m and 300 m, or < 25% overall, of height to peaks in the northern and southern Cascades, respectively. Deeper valley incision in the northern Cascades accounts for < 300 m of the 800 m difference in peak altitudes between north and south. Similarly, variation in valley spacing and slope account for < 350 m of the difference in mean altitude between northern and southern regions. Hence, at least several hundred m difference in altitude between the northern and southern regions of the Cascades in Washington must be due to tectonic, geologic, or geophysical factors rather than surficial and geomorphic effects like isostatic response to valley incision and hillslope geometry. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A quantitative study of the energy release in the aftershocks of the Bhuj earthquake, 2001, India, using Lg phase

The devastating earthquake on 26 January 2001 at Bhuj, India, resulted in large-scale death and destruction of properties of several million US dollars. The moment magnitude of the earthquake was 7.7 and its maximum focal intensity exceeded X in MM scale. The rate of aftershocks of this earthquake, recorded at Gauribidanur seismic array station (GBA), shows a monotonic decay with time superposed with oscillations. For the Indian continent the Lg phase is a prominent arrival at regional distances. The estimate of Lg amplitude is obtained by optimally fitting the Lg wave train to a exponential decay curve. The logarithm of these amplitudes and logarithm of root mean square (rms) value of actual amplitudes of the Lg are calibrated with USGS m_b to create a local m_bLg magnitude scale. The energy released from these aftershocks is calculated from the rms value of Lg phase. The plot of cumulative energy release with time follows the power law of the form t^p, superposed with oscillations. The exponent of the power law, p, is estimated both by a time-window scanning method and by an interpolation method. The value of p is 0.434 for time-window scanning method and 0.432 for the interpolation method. The predominant periods found in the oscillatory part of the cumulative energy, obtained by differencing the observed from the power law fit, are 10.6, 7.9, 5.4, 4.6 and 3.5 h for time-window scanning method. The corresponding periods for interpolation method are 13.4, 11.5, 7.4, 4.2, 3.5, 2.6 and 2.4 h.     

Petrology of the dyke rocks of the western portions of Rajpipla hills,Broach district,Gujarat, India

The paper embodies the field, petrographic and petrochemical studies of the dykes occuring within the Deccan basalts, in the Western portions of Rajpipla hills. Major and minor dykes with different trends occur in the area varying in thickness from 2′ to 75′ and traceable lengthwise from few to several miles. The density of the dyke distribution is two per mile. The composition of the minor dykes ranges from teschenite to trachyte with dominant basaltic types and they seem to be coeval with the flows of the area. The major dolerite dykes are found to be post-lava. Both alkali-olivine basalt and tholeiitic types occur. The former phase preceeds the latter and includes the minor alkaline dykes. A differentiation trend based on new chemical analyses is proposed.     

Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in the water column and sediments of the Ob-Irtysh Rivers, Russia

Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb were determined in filtered water, suspended particulate matter, and bottom sediments from a 2000 km section of the Ob and Irtysh Rivers. Dissolved Cd, Cr, Cu and Ni concentrations are similar to, or higher than, results from other Russian Arctic and large world river-estuaries. Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in suspended particulate matter are generally comparable to results from other Russian Arctic and large world rivers and estuaries. Comparison of trace metal ratios in crustal material and suspended particulate matter and bottom sediment suggests that the source of Cr, Cu and Ni is continental weathering. Particulate Cd and Pb are elevated relative to their crustal abundance, suggesting a source of these metals to the Ob-Irtysh in addition to continental weathering.     

Mechanism of the June 4, 2000 Southern Sumatra, Indonesia, earthquake

Introduction The June 4, 2000 southern Sumatra, Indonesia, earthquake (16h28min26.2s UTC, 4.72, 102.09, 33 km, MS=8.0 [IRIS]) occurred under the Indian Ocean, near the Mentawai fault, along the well-known Sumatran subduction zone and the great Sumatran fault, all of which trend northwest-southeast. 1 800 houses were totally destroyed, 10 196 were heavily damaged, and 18 378 were slightly damaged by the earthquake. At least 97 people were killed, 1 900 were injured, and 122 000 were left…     

Eyewitness Accounts of the Impact of the 1998 Aitape Tsunami, and of Other Tsunamis in Living Memory, in the Region from Jayapura, Indonesia, to Vanimo, Papua New Guinea

Field investigations in 1999 confirmed that the tsunami that struck the Aitape coast of Papua New Guinea on 17 July, 1998 caused damage at points as far as 230 km to the west-northwest, particularly at locations where the coast is indented. Eyewitnesses saw the sea withdraw (in most cases), then surge to levels around 2 m higher than normal in a series of three waves. In some cases the time of arrival of the waves is known approximately by reference to the onset of darkness and to felt earthquakes. Seiche waves followed in some bays, notably in Yos Sudarso Bay, Indonesia, where waves persisted for 3–5 days. Damage was caused by the backwash from the waves. Bodies presumed to be those of Aitape victims were seen floating at sea off Jayapura five days after the tsunami. We record the recollections of people in the Yos Sudarso Bay area who experienced a number of tsunamis in the past 60 years; people that we interviewed on the Papua New Guinea side of the border recollected few or none.     

Rupture process of the Miyagi-Oki,Japan, earthquake of June 12, 1978

The faulting mechanism and multiple rupture process of the M = 7.4 Miyagi-Oki earthquake are studied using surface and body wave data from local and worldwide stations. The main results are as follows. (1) P-wave first motion data and radiation patterns of long-period surface waves indicate a predominantly thrust mechanism with strike N10° E, dip 20°W, and slip angle 76°. The seismic moment is 3.1 × 10²⁷ dyne-cm. (2) Farfield SH waveforms and local seismograms suggest that the rupture occurred in two stages, being concordant with the two zones of aftershock activity revealed by the microearthquake network of Tohoku University. The upper and lower zones, located along the westward-dipping plate interface, are separated by a gap at a depth of 35 km and have dimensions of 37 × 34 and 24 × 34 km², respectively. Rupture initiated at the southern end of the upper aftershock zone and propagated at N20°W subparallel to the trench axis. About 11 s later, the second shock, which was located 30 km landward (westward) of the first, initiated at the upper corner of the lower aftershock zone and propagated down-dip N80°W. Using Haskell modelling for this rupture process, synthetic seismograms were computed for teleseismic SH waves and nearfield body waves. Other parameters determined are: seismic moment $\text{M}{}_0\text{= 1.7 × 10}{}^{27}\text{dyne-cm, slip dislocation}\text{u}\text{= 1.9}\text{m}\text{, Δσ = 95}\text{bar, rupture velocity}\text{ν = 3.2}\text{km s}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}\text{,}\text{rise time}\text{τ = 2}\text{s}$, for the first event; $\text{M}{}_0\text{= 1.4 × 10}{}^{27}\text{dyne-cm}\text{,}\text{u}\text{= 2.4}\text{m}\text{, Δσ = 145}\text{bar}$, for the second event; and time separation between the two shocks ΔT = 11 s. The above two-segment model does not explain well the sharp onsets of the body waves at near-source stations. An initial break of a small subsegment on the upper zone, which propagated down-dip, was hypothesized to explain the observed near-source seismograms. (3) The multiple rupture of the event and the absence of aftershocks between the two fault zones suggests that the frictional and/or sliding characteristics along the plate interface are not uniform. The rupture of the first event was arrested, presumably by a region of high fracture strength between the two zones. The fracture energy of the barrier was estimated to be 10¹⁰ erg cm^?2. (4) The possible occurrence of a large earthquake has been noted for the region adjacent to and seaward of the area that ruptured during the 1978 event. The 1978 event does not appear to reduce the likelihood of occurrence of this expected earthquake.     

Water contents, temperatures and diversity of the magmas of the catastrophic eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, November 13, 1985

The petrology of the highly phyric two-pyroxene andesitic to dacitic pyroclastic rocks of the November 13, 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, reveals evidence of: (1) increasingly fractionated bulk compositions with time; (2) tapping of a small magma chamber marginally zoned in regard to H₂O contents (1 to 4%), temperature (960–1090°C), and amount of residual melt (35 to 65%); (3) partial melting and assimilation of degassed zones in the hotter less dense interior of the magma chamber; (4) probable heating, thermal disruption and mineralogic and compositional contamination of the magma body by basaltic magma “underplating”; and (5) crustal contamination of the magmas during ascent and within the magma chamber. Near-crater fall-back or “spill-over” emitted in the middle of the eruptive sequence produced a small pyroclastic flow that became welded in its central and basal portions because of ponding and thus heat conservation on the flat glaciated summit near the Arenas crater. The heterogeneity of Ruiz magmas may be related to the comparatively small volume (0.03 km³) of the eruption, nearly ten times less than the 0.2 km³ of the Plinian phase of Mount St. Helens, and probable steep thermal and P_H2O gradients of a small source magma chamber, estimated at 300 m long and 100 m wide for an assumed ellipsoidal shape.     

Growth rhythms,evolution of the Earth's interior,and origin of the Metazoa

Growth patterns preserved in the accretionary skeletons of fossils provide the only known method of directly measuring the rate of the Earth's rotation in the distant past. From seasonal and tidal growth patterns of fossils, one can determine the number of days per year and per month, respectively, in the distant past. Together, these values can be used to distinguish the effects of moment of inertia changes on the length of day from those of tidal friction. When the Metazoan accretionary skeleton originated in the Late Precambrian-Cambrian, the length of day determined from fossils was approximately 19 hr. This value requires that density differentiation of the Earth was essentially complete well the end of the Precambrian. The growing length of day, as well as prior differentiation of oxygenated outer layers (atmosphere, hydrosphere, and crust) from the Earth's dense layers within, were prerequisites for the origin of the Metazoa. Circadia (=approximatelly 24 hr) rhythms in living Metazoa do not readily adapt to environemtal cycles less than about 19hr. Prokaryotes generally lack circadian rhythms because their generation times are less than a day; prokaryotes were well-adapted to Precambrian days less than 19 hr duration, as well as to oxygen-poor environments. As the length of day increased to 19 hr or more during the Late Precambrian, eukaryotes with life spans substantially longer than a day (and consequently with an ability to postpone energyusage beyond a day) evolved. During the Phanerozoic, moment of inertia changes were relatively small, so that lunar tidal friction became the most important cause of changing length of day. However, some researchers believe that even the former may have left an imprint on fossil growth patterns. This conclusion is difficult to confirm, given the uncertainties of growth pattern analyses. But facies-by-facies comparisons of growth patterns can help reduce this uncertainty: presumed tidal growth patterns should change systematically with depth of habitat, for example. Preliminary analyses for Late Ordovician brachiopods from Indiana suggest that this approach will be productive, and may help evaluate the suggestion that the Late Ordovician-Silurian was a time of unusual evolution of the Earth's moment of inertia during the Phanerozoic.     

Composition,temperature, and thickness of the lithosphere of the Archean Kaapvaal craton

A new model is proposed for the structure of the Kaapvaal craton lithosphere. Based on chemical thermodynamics methods, profiles of the chemical composition, temperature, density, and S wave velocities are constructed for depths of 100–300 km. A solid-state zone of lower velocities is discovered on the S velocity profile in the depth interval 150–260 km. The temperature profiles are obtained from absolute values of P and S velocities, taking into account phase transformations, anharmonicity, and anelastic effects. The examination of the sensitivity of seismic models to the chemical composition showed that relatively small variations in the composition of South African xenoliths result in lateral temperature variations of ～200°C. Inversion of some seismic profiles (including IASP91) with a fixed bulk composition of garnet peridotites (the primitive mantle material) leads to a temperature inversion at depths of 200–250 km, which is physically meaningless. It is supposed that the temperature inversion can be removed by gradual fertilization of the mantle with depth. In this case, the craton lithosphere should be stratified in chemical composition. The depleted lithosphere composed by garnet peridotites exists to depths of 175–200 km. The lithospheric material at depths of 200–250 km is enriched in basaltoid components (FeO, Al₂O₃, and CaO) as compared with the material of garnet peridotites but is depleted in the same components as compared with the fertile substance of the underlying primitive mantle. The material composing the craton root at a depth of ～275 km does not differ in its physical and chemical characteristics from the composition of the normal mantle, and this allows one to estimate the thickness of the lithosphere at 275 km. The results of this work are compared with data of seismology, thermal investigations, and thermobarometry.     

Petrology of the rajmahal traps of the Northwestern Rajmahal Hills,Bihar, India

Nine basaltic lava-flows, which vary in thickness between 60 feet and 300 feet, were established in the NW Rajmahals. The flows were, at places, laid down one above the other and, at others, were found to contain intervening intertrappean horizons. All the flows are essentially of basaltic composition and are made up of labradoritie plagioclase, pigeonitic and augitic pyroxene, opaque ore, primary glass and secondary minerals (palagonite, secondary silica, calcite and zeolite). The phenocrystic plagioclase ranges in composition between An₇₂ and An₆₂, while the constituents of the groundmass range between An₅₀ and An₁₇. The microphenocrysts of pyroxene are mainly augitic and occasionally pigeonitic while the constituents of the groundmass are essentially pigeonitic. The opaque minerals are magnetite and ilmenite. Petrographically, the lava-flows are more or less similar to one another. The first three flows are, however, more remarkably porphyritic and a little coarser in grain size than the six overlying flows. The eighth flow is devoid of palagonite. Calcite occurs only in certain portions of the second flow. There is a gradual increase in the percentage of primary glass from the first to the ninth flow with a corresponding fall in the total percentage of plagioclase and pyroxene. Statistical analysis of the grain size variation in the plagioclases was carried out and the results were found to be directly related to the prevailing rates of cooling in the different flows and also in the different horizons of the same flow. Modal analysis of the nine flows (in all, 98 samples) was carried out and this brought out some interesting results. Samples from three of the flows were analysed chemically and the corresponding norms were calculated. The order of crystallisation of the primary constituents was established from petrographic and petrological studies. The basaltic magma, which gave rise to the lava-flows of this region, does not appear to have undergone any significant differentiation during the course of its cooling and consolidation. The only discernible effect of crystallisati on differentiation was an enrichment of silica (and, perhaps, alkalis) in the residual liquids and no noteworthy enrichment of iron appears to have occurred at any stage.     

Migration of Strontium,Calcium, Fluorine,and Boron in the Caucasian Coastal Area of the Black Sea

The distribution of dissolved Sr, Ca, F, and B in the mouths of small streams and the coastal areas of Golubaya and Gelendzhic bays is studied.     

Hydrochemical aspects of the negro river,patagonia, argentina

Water samples collected in the Negro River drainage basin (Patagonia, Argentina) during two different field trips—the first in May 1972 and the second in January 1973—were analysed for the major dissolved inorganic constituents. Q-mode factor analyses demonstrate that two factors account for over 98 per cent of the variance in both sample suites. They represent: a) the direct influence of solution of evaporites and associated carbonate rocks in an arid environment-type; b) the influence of the weathering products of metamorphic, igneous rocks, and varied non-calcareous sediments. R-mode factor analyses of the two sets of data suggest that although the main mechanisms controlling water chemistry were essentially the same, the principal sources of dissolved solids differed significantly in each separate occasion. Further, the major mechanisms controlling its water chemistry are within a wide spectrum of the so-called ‘rock dominance’.     

Meeting of the international gravity commission, Cairo, November 28, 1984

In closing the meeting, Tanner thanked the participants for their interest and contributions. He then briefly reviewed the plan of action leading up to the Paris meeting. An agenda had already been prepared and the draft plan for the project would be revised by early January in time to accompany a circular letter inviting participants to the meeting. Tanner would undertake to notofy the executive of the IGC and its regional vice-presidents who could then advise their colleagues of the steps the IGC proposes to take in support of the Africans.A major effort will be made to obtain meeting facility that was fully equipped to handle a meeting in French and English as this seemed essential to the success of the meeting. The usual projection facilities would also be available to ensure the fullest possible discussion.     

Damage Potential of the 1999 Athens, Greece, Accelerograms

Athens experienced a devastating earthquake on September 7, 1999, centred about 10km beneath the outskirts of the city, with peak accelerations in the meizoseismal area estimated above 0.5 g. While the magnitude of the earthquake was moderate (M_S=5.9), damage and loss of life were extensive, numbering over 143 fatalities, 90 collapsed buildings, and over 100,000 rendered homeless. The most severe losses took place within 8 km of the fault, and peak rock accelerations in excess of 0.35 g were recorded 12 km from fault in downtown Athens. Local geologic effects played an important role, as demonstrated by concentrations of building damage on pockets of soft soil and near river canyons in the northwest part of the city. The earthquake was the first to severely damage Athens in over 2500 years. This study examines the engineering characteristics of 12 triaxial strong motion accelerograms recorded during the main shock. Properties investigated include peak ground acceleration and velocity, bracketed duration, Housner intensity, and response spectra. Spectral values at different orientations in the horizontal plane (“planar spectra”) are computed to infer the interaction of source directivity effects and building period, on damage potential. The role of rupture directivity close to the fault is investigated by means of idealized triangular pulses. Inelastic effects are examined using ductility spectra and sliding block analyses. Evidence is presented that low-rise structures in the area may have higher strength and longer natural period than those anticipated by building codes. The implications of the damage potential calculations for earthquake hazard assessment in Eastern North America and Northern Europe are also addressed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Laws,place, history and the interpretation of landforms

The state of an Earth surface system (ESS) is determined by three sets of factors: laws, place, and history. Laws ( L = L₁, L₂, . . . , L_n) are the n general principles applicable to any such system at any time. Place factors ( P = P_1, P_2, . . . , P_m) are the m relevant characteristics of the local or regional environment. History factors ( H = H₁ , H₂, . . . , H_q) include the previous evolutionary pathway of the ESS, its stage of development, past disturbance, and initial conditions. Geoscience investigation may focus on laws, place, or history, but ultimately all three are necessary to understand and explain ESS. The LPH triad is useful as a pedagogical device, illustrated here via application to explaining the world's longest cave (Mammoth Cave, KY). Beyond providing a useful checklist, the LPH framework provides analytical traction to some difficult research problems. For example, studies of the avulsions of three southeast Texas rivers showed substantial differences in avulsion regimes and resulting alluvial morphology, despite the proximity and superficial similarity of the systems. Avulsions are governed by the same laws in all cases [ L (A) = L (B) = L (C)], and the three rivers have undergone the same sea‐level, climate, and tectonic histories, as well as the same general anthropic impacts [ H (A) ≈ H (B) ≈ H (C)]. Though regional environmental controls are similar, local details such as the location of the modern main channel relative to Pleistocene meander channels differ, and thus these place factors explain the differences between the rivers. The LPH framework, or similar types of reasoning, is implicit in many types of geoscience analysis. Explicit attention to the triad can help solve or address many specific problems and remind us of the importance of all three sets of factors. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palaeomagnetism,age, and geochemistry of the Denchai Basalt,northern Thailand

The Denchai Basalt of northern Thailand is part of a large continental alkalic basaltic province extending through Thailand into Laos, Kampuchea, and Vietnam. It covers an area of about 70 km² and consists of seven flows, all with reversed magnetic polarity. The uppermost flow has yielded an age of 5.64 ± 0.28 Ma by the K-Ar method. During the igneous activity, magmas were apparently erupted from only one vent area, but changed in chemical composition from “hawaiite” (transitional to continental tholeiite) to true hawaiite and then to basanite. The basanite is the probable source of gem-quality zircon and sapphire mined from placer deposits associated with the basalts.     

Study of the Seismogenic Structure of the October 12th, 2019 MS5.2 Beiliu Earthquake, Guangxi, China

On October 12~(th),2019,a M_S5.2 earthquake occurred in Beiliu City,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,China,with a focal depth of 10 km. The epicenter is located in the junction of Guangxi and Guangdong where the moderate-strong earthquakes are relatively active. The highest intensity of this earthquake is estimated up to Ⅵ besides the isoseismic line showed an ellipse shape with a long axis trend in the NW direction.The aftershocks are not evenly distributed. The parameters of the focal mechanism solutions are: strike 346°,dip 85°,rake 19° for the nodal planeⅠ,and strike 254°,dip 71°,rake 175° for the nodal planeⅡ. The type of the coseismic fault is strikeslip. After analyzing these results above and the active faults near the epicenter,we get that the nodal planeⅠ is interpreted as the coseismic rupture plane and the BamaBobai Fault is a seismogenic structure of M_S5.2 Beiliu earthquake.