2021年青海玛多MS7.4地震同震应力场与形变台站同震阶变分布关系探讨

利用基于升、降轨InSAR形变场及余震精定位结果反演得到的同震滑动模型,通过PSGRN/PSCMP程序获得同震水平形变场及应力场分布特征,结合玛多M_S7.4地震周边形变同震阶变台站分布特征,探讨同震应力场变化与同震阶变台站分布间的关系。模拟得到的水平形变场结果显示,此次玛多地震为左旋走滑运动特征,水平形变量主要集中在巴颜喀拉块体内,其次是北部的柴达木块体;羌塘块体以及祁连块体同震水平位移量较小;昆仑山口-江错断裂作为一条NE倾向的走滑型断裂,断层上盘区域滑动量明显大于下盘,模拟得到的最大水平形变量达1380mm;形变同震阶变的台站主要集中分布在祁连山断裂带中东段以及西秦岭等地区,祁连山断裂带中东段位于此次玛多地震同震正应力变化正值区域,而西秦岭等地区则处于玛多地震同震剪切应力变化的正值区域,即出现同震阶变的台站与同震应力场变化的正值区域具有较好的一致性。     

Synchrotron radiation applications to past volcanism archived in speleothems: An overview

Precise dating and correlation of past key volcanic eruptions over a wide geographic area in archives of past climate variability is necessary to support a direct causality between volcanism and climate changes. Research has mostly focused on ice cores and varved sediments, which capture a record of volcanic eruptions in geochemistry and the presence of tephra and criptotephra. Precisely dated cave carbonate deposits, collectively known as speleothems are other valuable palaeoclimate archives, and encode information on past volcanism in their sulphate concentration variability. Due to the physical characteristic of speleothems, detection of sulphate concentration variability requires techniques capable of high spatial resolution, very low limit of detection (ppm to ppb) and low background noise. Synchrotron radiation-based (SR) micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectrometry prove to be one of the most effective techniques to detect short-lived pulses of sulphate concentration increase, which may be interpreted as being related to atmospheric load due to volcanic eruptions. Here, we provide an overview of existing work as well as a novel interpretation of a SR µXRF-based sulphate series in an annually laminated stalagmite with robust chronology. Sulphate concentration peaks in the years 1815–1816, 1844 and 1947, possibly coinciding with Tambora, Krakatau, and Hekla eruptions. It is concluded that sulphate concentration in speleothems expand the potential to correlate volcanic eruption events at a global scale.     

Reconstructing fluvial incision rates based on palaeo-water tables in chalk karst networks along the Seine valley (Normandy,France)

Quantifying rates of river incision and continental uplift over Quaternary timescales offer the potential for modelling landscape change due to tectonic and climatic forcing. In many areas, river terraces form datable archives that help constrain the timing and rate of valley incision. However, old river terraces, with high-level deposits, are prone to weathering and often lack datable material. Where valleys are incised through karst areas, caves and sediments can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution because they can record the elevation of palaeo-water tables and contain preserved datable material. In Normandy (N. France), the Seine River is entrenched into an extensive karstic chalk plateau. Previous estimates of valley incision were hampered by the lack of preserved datable fluvial terraces. A stack of abandoned phreatic cave passages preserved in the sides of the Seine valley can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution of the region. Combining geomorphological observations, palaeomagnetic and U/Th dating of speleothem and sediments in eight caves along the Lower Seine valley, we have constructed a new age model for cave development and valley incision. Six identified cave levels up to ∼100 m a.s.l. were formed during the last ~1 Ma, coeval with the incision of the Seine River. Passage morphologies indicate that the caves formed in a shallow phreatic/epiphreatic setting, modified by sediment influxes. The valley's maximum age is constrained by the occurrence of late Pliocene marine sand. Palaeomagnetic dating of cave infills indicates that the highest-level caves were being infilled prior to 1.1 Ma. The evidence from the studied caves, complemented by fluvial terrace sequences, indicates that rapid river incision occurred during marine isotope stage (MIS) 28 to 20 (0.8–1 Ma), with maximal rates of ~0.30 m ka⁻¹, dropping to ~0.08 m ka⁻¹ between MIS 20–11 (0.8–0.4 Ma) and 0.05 m ka⁻¹ from MIS 5 to the present time. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

A flight of marine terraces along the Cuban coast records Quaternary sea‐level highstands and a general slowly uplifting trend during the Pleistocene. U/Th dating of these limestone terraces is difficult because fossil reef corals have been affected by open system conditions. Terrace ages are thus often based on geological and geomorphological observations. In contrast, the minimum age of the terraces can be constrained by dating speleothems from coastal mixing (flank margin) caves formed during past sea‐level highstands and carving the marine limestones. Speleothems in Santa Catalina Cave have ages >360 ka and show various cycles of subaerial–subaqueous corrosion and speleothem growth. This suggests that the cave was carved during the MIS 11 sea‐level highstand or earlier. Some stalagmites grew during MIS 11 through MIS 8 and were submerged twice, once at the end of MIS 11 and then during MIS 9. Phreatic overgrowths (POS) covering the speleothems suggest anchialine conditions in the cave during MIS 5e. Their altitude at 16 m above present sea level indicates a late Pleistocene uplift rate of <0.1 mm/ka, but modelling also shows uplift to have been insignificant over a long timespan during the middle Pleistocene since the cave was carved. Our study shows that some flank margin caves in the region of Matanzas are older than commonly believed (i.e. MIS 11 rather than MIS 5). These caves not only can be preserved but are good markers of interglacial sea‐level highstands, more reliable than marine abrasion surfaces. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

EARTHQUAKE-CAUSED SEISMIC VOLCANIC ROCKS AND THIXOTROPIC DEFORMATION OF SOFT SEDIMENTS IN THE UPPER CRETACEOUS SHIJIATUN MEMBER,JIAOZHOU CITY

A lot of seismic volcanic rocks and strong earthquake-induced thixotropic deformation structures in soft mud-sandy sediments(seismites)were identified from the Upper Cretaceous Shijiatun Member of the Hongtuya Formation for the first time in Jiaozhou City of the Zhucheng Sag, eastern China. Seismic volcanic rocks are volcanic rocks with co-seismic deformation structures which were produced by major earthquakes destroying volcano ejecta. Seismites are sediment layers with soft-sediment deformation structures formed by strong earthquake triggering saturated or semi-consolidated soft sediments to produce liquefaction, thixotropy, faults, cracks and filling and so forth. The Shijiatun Member of the Hongtuya Formation mainly consists of basaltic volcano rocks interbedded with mud-sandy(muddy sand and sandy mud)deposition layers of the river-lake facies. In the Shijiatun Member, main types of seismic volcanic rocks are shattered basalts with co-seismic fissures and seismic basaltic breccias. The thixotropic deformations of soft mud-sandy sediments mainly include thixotropic mud-sandy veins and thixotropic mud-sandy layers with tortuous boundaries. Under the strong earthquake action, saturated mud-sandy sediments could not be liquefied, instead resulting in thixotropy, i.e. their texture can be damaged and their flow-ability or rheology becomes strong. Because basaltic volcano rocks were damaged(shattered, seismic broken), a major earthquake can lead to thixotropic mud-sandy sediments flowing along seismic fissures in basalts, resulting in the formation of deformation structure of thixotropic veins, and boundaries between volcano rock and mud-sand layer became quite winding. Under the koinonia of gravity and vibration force, seismic breccia blocks sunk into thixotropic mud-sandy layers, resulting in the formation of inclusions of thixotropic mud-sandy sediments. Seismic intensity reflected by these strong earthquake records during the end stage of the Late Cretaceous was about Ⅶ to more than X degrees. The Shijiatun Member is mainly distributed in the south of the Baichihe fault in the northern Zhucheng Sag, and the fault has generated many strong tectonic and earthquake activities at the end of the late Cretaceous, also provided the channel for intrusion and eruption of basaltic magma then. At the end of the late Cretaceous, intermittent intrusion and eruption of basaltic magma took place along the Baichihe fault, meanwhile the volcano earthquakes took place or tectonic earthquakes were generated by the Baichihe fault which caused the deformation of the volcano lava and underlying strata of red saturated muddy-sand, resulting in the formation of various seismo-genesis deformations of volcanic rocks interbedded with mud-sandy sediment layers. Therefore, strong seismic events recorded by them should be responses to strong tectonic taphrogenesis of the Zhucheng Sag and intense activity of the Baichihe fault in the end of Late Cretaceous. In addition, these seismogenic deformation structures of rock-soil layers provide new data for the analysis of the failure effect produced by seismic force in similar rock-soil foundations.     

Modification of fault slip models of the Mw 9.0 Tohoku Earthquake by far field GPS observations

GPS data from Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) are used to derive far-field co-seismic displacements induced by the M_w 9.0 Tohoku Earthquake. Significant horizontal displacements about 30 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm were caused by this large event in northeast China, north China, and on the Korean peninsula respectively. Vectors of relatively large horizontal displacements with dominant east components pointed to the epicenter of this earthquake. The east components show an exponential decay with the longitude, which is characteristic of the decay of the co-seismic horizontal displacements associated with earthquakes of thrust rupture. The exponential fit of the east components shows that the influence of the co-seismic displacements can be detected by GPS at a distance of about 3200 km from the epicenter of the earthquake. By considering the capability of the far field displacements for constraining the inversion of the fault slip model of the earthquake, we use spherically stratified Earth models to simulate the co-seismic displacements induced by this event. Using computations and comparisons, we discuss the effects of parameters of layered Earth models on the results of dislocation modeling. Comparisons of the modeled and observed displacements show that far field GPS observations are effective for constraining the fault slip model. The far field horizontal displacements observed by GPS are used to modify the slips and seismic moments of fault slip models. The result of this work is applicable as a reference for other researchers to study seismic source rupture and crustal deformation.     

2013年巴基斯坦俾路支MW7.7地震震源过程研究

利用高分辨光学影像获取的同震水平位移场资料联合远场波形数据反演获得了2013年巴基斯坦俾路支M_W7.7地震的震源过程模型.结果显示这是发生在具有弧形铲状几何形态的Hoshab断层上的一次左旋走滑为主要运动特征的强烈地震事件.推断这种具有罕见运动模式的强烈地震是斜向应力场与特殊的断层几何形态共同作用的结果.研究工作中采用大数据量均匀分布的同震位移资料参与反演计算,结果表明这种以完整图像的形式使用位移场资料的方式可以克服资料可能存在的系统误差获得可信的结果.     

三维激光扫描技术与断层面形貌量化分析在基岩区古地震研究中的应用

由于对第四纪地层的严重依赖,传统古地震探槽研究方法在基岩区难以发挥作用,导致无法获取基岩区断层的强震活动历史。本研究以山西地堑系的交城断裂为目标断裂,以断裂北段2处基岩断层面为研究对象,通过三维激光扫描技术获取基岩断层面高精度形貌,基于变差函数法结合滑动窗口操作量化断层表面形貌特征,开展在基岩区提取断裂古地震信息的实例研究。结果显示,2处基岩断层面的形貌在高度上具有明显的分段特征,指示了断层面在地震事件作用下的分段出露过程。这种断层面形貌分段特征可以用来识别古地震事件和同震位移量。在思西村基岩断层面上,识别出由老到新的3次古地震事件,同震倾滑位移量依次为2.0 m、1.9 m和2.3 m,在上兰镇基岩断层面上,识别出由老到新的3次古地震事件,同震倾滑位移量依次为1.4 m、2.5 m和2.0 m,指示了交城断裂北、中段具有产生同震位移量大于2 m、震级大于7.5级的破裂型地震的能力。上述研究成果表明,基于三维激光扫描和形貌量化分析方法开展基岩断层面古地震研究,可以准确而高效地识别古地震事件次数和同震位移量,扩展古地震的研究对象,拓宽古地震的研究空间。在未来的研究中,可以适时地开展宇宙成因核素测年以测定断层面的暴露年龄,获得发震年代,给予地震序列年龄框架。     

2004年苏门答腊地震粘滞性松弛效应对华南地区地壳水平活动的影响

2004年苏门答腊地震后, 不同学者根据不同观测数据(地震波、 GPS), 得到了此次地震的断层滑动模型。 反演过程中使用半无限空间模型时, 无法利用远场观测数据进行约束, 势必影响远场形变的解释。 基于Hoechner等使用的断层几何模型和GPS同震位移数据, 本研究利用球体位错理论反演方法反演了2004年苏门答腊地震断层滑动模型, 得到的矩震级为9.24, 最大滑移量为30.4 m, 由于考虑了曲率的效应, 该模型在远场同震位移的计算结果与GPS数据吻合较好。 然后, 选取了2001—2004年和2004—2007年两期的GPS水平位移速度场, 研究2004年苏门答腊地震对华南地区地壳水平活动的影响, 从两期的GPS水平位移速度场差异可以看出地震后华南块体有向西南方向的运动趋势, 华南块体受到此次地震明显的震后影响。 最后, 基于反演得到的断层模型, 利用Tanaka等提出的粘弹性球体位错理论对华南块体两期GPS水平位移速度场差异进行模拟, 得到华南块体内部粘滞性系数为2×10¹⁹ Pa·s, 当考虑地幔粘滞性松弛效应后, 两期的速度场差异的均方根值由3.2 mm减少为1.9 mm。 可见在研究2004年前后中国大陆GPS水平位移速度场时, 若继续以华南块体为基准, 需考虑此次地震的地幔粘滞性松弛效应。     

历史大地震断层滑动模型的建立及其对同震数值计算的影响——以1920年宁夏海原MS8.5大地震为例

大地震的发生会引起区域位移场和应力场发生变化,进而改变区域内及临近断层的应力状态和地震活动性.目前,研究学者可据已有的断层滑动模型来计算分析大地震同震应力变化,同时采用库仑应力触发理论来进一步分析震后余震分布和断层危险性.然而,历史上曾经发生过不少大地震,例如,1920年的海原M_S8.5大地震,是全球范围内少见的特大地震之一.局限于无确切的地震台站地震波等资料,前人在研究历史地震的影响时往往给出一些简单的断层滑动模型,将断层面上错动量视为均匀分布.为更准确地了解历史地震对后续地震的影响,基于前人研究和一般地震滑动形态分布规律及地震反射剖面等资料,以海原M_S8.5大地震为例,探讨了如何建立海原大地震断层滑动模型,并分别搭建了简单断层滑动模型和复杂断层滑动模型的全球同震横向不均匀并行椭球型地球模型.通过对海原M_S8.5地震的同震位移场和应力场的计算,发现采用复杂断层滑动模型比简单断层滑动模型地表位错分布更切合实际.同时,进一步计算和分析了此次大地震对青藏高原东北缘近100年历史地震和周围断层的应力触发作用,得出断层滑动模型对同震计算结果的影响集中在发震断层附近而对远场影响较小.     

基于InSAR的青海大柴旦地震三维同震形变场获取与震源特征分析

本文利用Envisat ASAR的升、降轨和宽幅数据,通过基于先验知识的最小二乘迭代逼近获取大柴旦2次地震的地表三维同震形变.结果表明,2008年MW6.3地震垂直向形变主要发生在断层南盘,以隆升形变为主,最大隆升量约10cm,北盘沉降量小于等于-1cm.东西向形变在南盘呈向东运动的特征,最大运动量约4cm,北盘向西运动,最大运动量约为-2cm.2009年MW5.8地震垂直向形变显示断层南盘抬升的特征,最大抬升量约27cm,北盘最大沉降量约-3cm.东西向形变表现为南盘向东运动,最大约10cm,北盘向西运动,约为-4cm.可以看出这两次地震均表现为逆冲为主,兼少量左旋走滑的震源特征.视线向结果无法判定同震形变的少量走滑特征,而地表三维分量可以有效地识别出少量左旋还是右旋走滑的震源特性.本文以视线向、垂直向、东西向形变量作为约束条件,利用Okada模型正演了2008年地震同震三维形变场.结果显示,采用逆冲兼少量左旋走滑的发震断层参数,视线向、垂直向、东西向正演结果与观测结果吻合.这也表明采用分解后的地表三维同震形变场可以有效地识别出发震断层的少量左旋走滑特征.     

2008年于田MW7.2地震滑动分布反演及三维同震形变场解算

基于ENVISAT ASAR升降轨数据, 利用InSAR获取2008年于田M_W7.2地震同震形变场; 采用SDM反演本次地震断层滑动分布; 使用PSCMP正演获取于田M_W7.2地震南北向模拟形变量, 并结合升降轨同震形变场, 解算三维同震形变场。 同震形变场分析表明, 2008年于田M_W7.2地震以正断为主, 且带有走滑运动特征, 破裂带走向为NNE向。 同震滑动分布反演结果显示, 断层沿走向被分为4段F1、 F2、 F3、 F4, 其滑动分布集中在0~14 km区间, 以F2、 F3段为主, 最大滑动量约5.31 m, 位于F2段深部2.76 km处; 沿破裂带走向, 左旋走滑位移与垂直位移比值有增大的趋势; 反演获得的地震矩M₀=5.58×10¹⁹N·m, 相当于矩震级M_W7.1。 三维同震形变场解算结果显示, 断层上盘整体表现为沉降, 断层下盘整体表现为隆升, 且沉降量明显大于隆升量, 表明地震以正断破裂为主; 除靠近断裂带中上部表现为向东南运动外, 上盘整体上表现为向西南运动; 断层下盘则整体表现为向东北运动, 证明破裂兼有左旋走滑运动。 滑动分布反演、 正演与三维同震形变场解算结果皆表明, 于田M_W7.2地震破裂以正断为主, 且带有一定的左旋走滑。     

Evaluation of deformation of tunnel structure due to Izu-Oshima-Kinkai earthquake of 1978

Due to the Izu-Oshima-Kinkai earthquake of 1978, the Inatori tunnel, a single-track railway tunnel in Japan, was severely damaged. This damage was mainly caused by the main fault and a subsidiary fault which is estimated to have traversed the tunnel. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of available mathematical models of earthquake wave propagation by taking advantage of the actual damage data of this tunnel. This paper has also the purpose of contributing to the earthquake-resistant design procedure of the tunnel in the source region by estimating its deformation using the fault mechanical model. In this paper using a set of fault parameters previously proposed by seismologists for the Izu-Oshima-Kinkai earthquake, the longitudinal, transverse and vertical displacements of the tunnel axis are computed. These computed results are then compared with the surveyed residual deformation. For each of three deformation components a similar trend can be recognized, and the comparison indicates that a reasonably good correlation exists between these surveyed and computed displacements.     

2020年伽师MS6.4地震InSAR同震形变与滑动分布特征分析

利用Sentinel-1A升轨和降轨数据,基于D-InSAR技术,获取2020年1月19日伽师M_S6.4地震同震形变场,并结合其他研究机构给出的震源机制解参数和已有研究成果,反演得到伽师地震的发震断层几何特征和滑动分布。研究结果表明,伽师地震同震形变在地表有明显差异;升轨同震形变在卫星视线方向北侧抬升55 mm,南侧下降42 mm;降轨同震形变在卫星视线方面北侧抬升63 mm,南侧下降23 mm。通过反演得到发震断层走向为275°,倾角为20°,地震滑动主要分布在地下5 km处,最大滑动量约为0.32 m,平均滑动角为89.3°,累积地震矩为1.46×1018 N·m,合矩震级M_W6.1,发震构造为具有少量走滑性质的逆冲断裂。从发震构造特征、同震滑动分布推测,伽师地震发震构造是柯坪塔格褶皱带滑脱面以上沉积盖层内的逆冲断裂,支持了柯坪推覆体的薄皮构造模型观点。     

Late Quaternary surface deformation and rupture behavior of strong earthquake on the segment north of Mianning of the Anninghe fault

The Anninghe fault is an important active fault along the eastern boundary of Sichuan-Yunnan active tectonic block, and the study of its surface deformation and rupture behavior during strong earthquake in the late Quaternary is of fundamental importance for understanding the future seismic risk of the fault zone or even the entire western Sichuan region. Using the methods of detailed geomorphic and geological survey, digital image analysis, total station instrument survey, excavation of combined trench and dating, we analyze the geomorphologic sequences of the offset strata at several sites where the late Quaternary deformation remnants are fairly well preserved and obtain some new results as follows: Strong earthquake events with left-lateral displacements of about 3 m occurred at the two sites of Zimakua and Yejitong at 1634-1811, 1030-1050 and 280-550 a BP, respectively, and the recurrence interval is 520-660 a; The youngest event in the area of Dahaizi-Ganhaizi should be the earthquake of 1536, other events are at 1768-1826, 2755-4108 and 4108-6593 a BP, respectively, with a recurrence interval of 1300-1900 a. The strong earthquake activity shows a clustering character. The possibility of occurrence of a strong earthquake exists on the north segment of the Anninghe fault sometime in the future.     

利用同震和震后位移数据联合反演2011年日本MW9.0地震同震断层滑动

基于黏弹性球体位错理论,联合陆地和海底同震GPS数据以及日本本岛330个陆地GPS站点5～10年的震后数据,反演了日本Mw9.0地震的断层滑动模型,提升了断层滑动分布在细节上的合理性.首先,基于日本本岛330个陆地GPS站点震前2年和震后10年的连续观测数据,获取了日本Mw9.0地震震后5～10年的年平均位移,该时段的...     

Coupled U-series and OSL dating of a Late Pleistocene cave sediment sequence,Morocco, North Africa: Significance for constructing Palaeolithic chronologies

Cave sequences provide some of the most important archives of Palaeolithic archaeology that are currently available. The potential value of such sequences is, however, frequently limited by the problems associated with constructing robust chronologies for archaeologically significant levels. In this study, we apply ²³⁰Th/U and OSL SAR techniques to the dating of deposits from the Calcareous Group at Grotte des Pigeons, Taforalt, eastern Morocco. The advantage of combining these techniques is: 1) they allow the cross-checking of chronologies derived from independent sets of measurements and assumptions, and 2) they date different facies of cave sediments (i.e. clastic cave sediments as opposed to cave precipitates such as speleothems) allowing the timing of deposition by different cave processes to be constrained more robustly. The age estimates derived by these techniques from different sampling locations are in good agreement with one another, suggesting the potential of these techniques when used in tandem for producing more robust chronologies of Palaeolithic sequences. The deposition of the Calcareous Group is placed within the middle to late part of MIS 5 (MIS 5c to 5a). Furthermore, the Bayesian analysis of the dates derived in this study along with those that have been previously published, allows the duration of deposition of this unit to be estimated at 25.4 ± 3.7 ka (mean ± 1σ). The paper concludes by discussing the significance of these ages for the archaeology of the Taforalt sequence. We suggest that the collection of samples for multiple independent dating methods in direct association combined with the use of careful, stratigraphic constraints in Bayesian models results in the most robust dates available for such cave sequences.     

Hydrology of cave drip waters at varying bedrock depths from a karst system in southeastern Australia

The study of how cave drip‐water discharge responds to recharge events is fundamental to evaluating the potential of actively forming speleothems as high‐resolution climate archives. Most previous research has focused on caves of the Northern Hemisphere middle latitudes, where recharge is strongly seasonal. Few studies have explored drip‐water behaviour from regions where the expected seasonal rainfall pattern is significantly perturbed on an irregular basis by changing regional atmospheric circulation patterns. Here, we report the results of a 4‐year study of cave drip‐water–climate relationships from two caves in eastern Australia. The discharge of 10 drip sites located beneath bedrock thicknesses of 12, 22 and 45 m was monitored either continuously (using automated infrared sensors) or at discrete approximately monthly intervals and compared with local rainfall and water balance data. The study period traversed two major droughts, including the severe 2002–2003 El Niño. Drips at 12 and 22 m depths responded almost simultaneously to individual recharge events, although the time lag between individual events varied according to the volume of recharge and pre‐event storage. Overall, a steady decline in discharge is evident through the moisture‐deficit period, with increased flows through phases of positive water balance. Speleothems growing at these and similar shallow‐chamber sites have potential for reconstructing palaeo‐rainfall trends at high‐resolution, although the highly variable nature of year‐to‐year recharge would make it difficult to obtain data on a calendrical time‐scale. Drips at 45 m depth did not respond consistently to individual recharge events and displayed hydrological behaviour markedly dissimilar to one another and to the near‐surface drip sites, indicating great complexity in karst architecture and the absence of fissure flow. Although speleothems at this depth may well preserve information on longer‐term rainfall trends, their potential to encode a palaeo‐rainfall variability signal at interannual resolution is poor. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paleoflood events recorded by speleothems in caves

Speleothems are usually composed of thin layers of calcite (or aragonite). However, cemented detrital materials interlayered between laminae of speleothemic carbonate have been also observed in many caves. Flowstones comprising discontinuous carbonate layers form due to flowing water films, while flood events introduce fluviokarstic sediments in caves that, on occasion, are recorded as clayey layers inside flowstones and stalagmites. This record provides a potential means of understanding the frequency of palaeofloods using cave records. In this work, we investigate the origin of this type of detrital deposit in El Soplao Cave (Northern Spain). The age of the lowest aragonite layer of a flowstone reveals that the earliest flood period occurred before 500 ka, though most of the flowstone formed between 422 +69/‐43 ka and 400 +66/‐42 ka. This suggests that the cave was periodically affected by palaeoflood events that introduced detrital sediments from the surface as a result of occasional extreme rainfall events, especially at around 400 ka. The mineralogical data enable an evolutionary model for this flowstone to be generated based on the alternation of flood events with laminar flows and carbonate layers precipitation that can be extrapolated to other caves in which detrital sediments inside speleothems have been found. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

汶川8.0级地震地表破裂带与岩性关系

2008年汶川8.0级地震沿龙门山断裂带内的映秀—北川断裂和灌县—安县断裂分别形成约230 km和70 km的地表破裂带.震后地质考察研究表明,伴随地震断层出露地表的滑动面大多沿炭质泥岩和煤层发育.与1∶5万区域地质图进行对照,显示映秀—北川地震破裂带的西南段（虹口—清平段）和灌县—安县地震地表破裂带的展布与龙门山地区上三叠统须家河组煤系地层的出露范围相一致.龙门山地区的上三叠统须家河组地层中的薄煤层、炭质泥岩层以及志留系、寒武系的炭质页岩层是易于产生滑动的柔性岩层,易形成滑脱面或成岩片夹于断层带中.汶川地震产生的复杂地表破裂带是龙门山逆冲推覆构造带沿地表构造层中夹有煤层等柔性岩层的断层产生B型滑动的结果.