Fractal analysis applied to faults and earthquakes——A case study of China

Ｆｒａｃｔａｌａｎａｌｙｓｉｓａｐｐｌｉｅｄｔｏｆａｕｌｔｓａｎｄｅａｒｔｈｑｕａｋｅｓ———ＡｃａｓｅｓｔｕｄｙｏｆＣｈｉｎａＪＩＡＮＷＡＮＧ（王建）ＸＩＡＯＨＵＡＺＨＵ（朱晓华）ＹＯＮＧＨＵＩＸＵ（徐永辉）ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＧｅｏｇ...     

Fractal analysis applied to faults and earthquakes—A case study of China

The characteristics and correlation of faults and earthquakes are discussed based on fractal and statistical analysis of the earthquakes in the last 500 years and the active faults in China. It is found that fractal relationship exists between the frequency and the length of the active faults, and the fractal dimension is 1.70 in the continental region of China, and 1.40 in the northwest China. The fractal relationship also exists between the frequency and the scales of earthquakes during the last five centuries and the fractal dimension is 1.30 for the whole continental region of China and 1.08 for the northwest China. The differences of the fractal dimensions between the active faults and the earthquakes indicate that some of the active faults have not caused earthquakes during the last 500 years. The differences of fractal dimensions of the active faults and earthquakes between the northwest China and the whole continental region of China suggest that the frequency of strong earthquakes is greater in northwest China than that of the average level of China, because the number of longer active faults is larger in northwest China than that of the average in whole China. Thus, the fractal analysis is an effective method for studies of faults and earthquakes.     

Why and when it is useful to publish and share inconclusive results and failures: reply to “Reporting negative results to stimulate experimental hydrology”*

ABSTRACT

We thank van Emmerik et al. for their discussion of our opinion paper. We do not fully agree that publication of negative results will be very effective in promoting experimental hydrology. Instead, we think that experimental hydrology is considered to be more risky than modelling studies because of difficulties in publishing inconclusive results and the potential for failure.     

Why and when it is useful to publish and share inconclusive results and failures: reply to “Reporting negative results to stimulate experimental hydrology”*

We thank van Emmerik et al. for their discussion of our opinion paper. We do not fully agree that publication of negative results will be very effective in promoting experimental hydrology. Instead, we think that experimental hydrology is considered to be more risky than modelling studies because of difficulties in publishing inconclusive results and the potential for failure.     

Introduction to ‘A tribute to Edward P. Glenn (1947–2017): A legacy of scientific environmental assessment and applications in hydrological processes’

This special issue (SI) ‘A Tribute to Edward P. Glenn (1947-2017): A legacy of Scientific Environmental Assessment and Applications in Hydrological Processes’ is a celebration of the extensive work of Dr. Ed Glenn that was instrumental across multiple sub-disciplines of hydrology. The SI highlights four primary areas of hydrological processes that are cornerstones of Ed Glenn's over four decades of research. These contributions cover the following specialties: (i) Hydrology in the Colorado River Delta; (ii) Riparian ecosystem water use; (iii) Riparian Plant ecophysiology and ecohydrology; and (iv) Methods and models to characterize evapotranspiration. Since Ed was passionate about the dryland delta at the end of the Colorado River, we begin with four research studies that focus on this special region on the U.S.–Mexico border which encompasses four states (Baja and Sonora in Mexico and California and Arizona in United States) as well as tribal communities in the transboundary area. The Colorado River delta reaches the Northern Gulf of California in the Sea of Cortez which has been designated as a UNESCO international biosphere reserve (‘Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar’), which includes the Upper Gulf of California and Delta of the Colorado River (‘Reserva de la Biosfera Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Río Colorado’). Ed spent the majority of his last three decades on water balance studies and on ground-based transpiration quantification for validation of satellite and airborne remote sensing methods. We wrap up the special issue with contributions related to improving satellite and airborne remote sensing estimation of actual evapotranspiration. It is our pleasure to summarize the 16 research studies contributed to the special issue to honour Ed Glenn's research interests.     

Approaches to analyse and model changes in impacts: reply to discussions of “How to improve attribution of changes in drought and flood impacts”*

ABSTRACT

We thank the authors, Brunella Bonaccorso and Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen for their constructive contributions to the discussion about the attribution of changes in drought and flood impacts. We appreciate that they support our opinion, but in particular their additional new ideas on how to better understand changes in impacts. It is great that they challenge us to think a step further on how to foster the collection of long time series of data and how to use these to model and project changes. Here, we elaborate on the possibility to collect time series of data on hazard, exposure, vulnerability and impacts and how these could be used to improve e.g. socio-hydrological models for the development of future risk scenarios.     

On the material invariant of 110°-conjugate angle of shear bands——Reply to Gomez-Rivas and Griera(2015)

After their experimental data were re-explained in terms of the maximum-effective-moment(MEM) criterion, Gomez-Rivas and Griera(2015) challenge the validity of the MEM-Criterion in terms of shear fractures, which have mixed up with shear fractures and shear bands. The two features are similar in appearance but different in deformation mechanism(s). The MEM-criterion proves that ?55? to ?1 are the maximum effective moment directions and the shear bands that formed by material-line(beddings or fabrics) rotation mechanism have a constant conjugate angle of 110?. Theoretically, the 55? or 110? is a material-invariant, and practically, a statistic-invariant or preferred direction with average deviation of ~10?. By this angle, shear bands can be easily recognized from shear fractures with conjugate angle never over 90?. The High-strain deformation in the lozenges usually predates the surrounding shear bands. Two stress states can not coexisted simultaneously in the same place and the resolving ?1′ normal to the related shear zone represents 0–100% deformation partitioning, depending on the original kinematic vorticity of the shear zones.     

Strong earthquake activity all over the world and strong-moderate earthquake activity within and near China (April 2008～May 2008)

Illustration All the data in this catalog are chosen from the "Preliminary Seismological Report of Chinese Seismic Stations" (Its abbreviation is "Monthly Report").The catalog includes the events of     

Strong earthquake activity all over the world and strong-moderate earthquake activity within and near China (February 2008～March 2008)

Illustration All the data in this catalog are chosen from the ″Preliminary Seismological Report of Chi-nese Seismic Stations″ (Its abbreviation is ″Monthly Report″). The catalog includes the events of     

Equatorial temperature and wind anomaly (ETWA)—a review

We review the observational evidence for describing the characteristics of the equatorial temperature and zonal wind anomaly (ETWA) in the low-latitude thermosphere in solar maximum and minimum periods. In spite of some new results on ETWA in the last decade, including its discovery, there is no satisfactory explanation in our understanding of the phenomenon. The two suggested mechanisms for heating at the crests of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) to form the equatorial temperature anomaly (ETA) are due to (1) the ion-drag on the zonal winds resulting in the transfer of kinetic energy into heat energy and (2) the exothermic chemical reactions involved in the dominant O⁺ion re-combinations. To verify which of the two suggested mechanisms is the most effective in causing ETA, it is necessary to measure simultaneously a few parameters in situ by the satellite-borne instruments. They are (1) the electron density (N_e) and temperature (T_e), (2) the molecular and atomic ion densities (N_ij) and ion temperatures (T_i), (3) the gas temperatures (T) and densities of the gas constituents, (4) the vector winds or at least the zonal (Z) and vertical (V) wind components and (5) the drift velocities of the ionization. These together with the simultaneous ground-based measurements, will resolve identifying not only the dominant mechanism(s) for ETWA, but also the processes responsible for the enigmatic phenomena, such as the equatorial spread-F (ESF), the midnight temperature maximum (MTM) and the possible role of the EIA in their occurrences.     

The unified catalogue of earthquakes in central, northern, and northwestern Europe (CENEC)—updated and expanded to the last millennium

New databases motivate improvements and extensions of the catalogue by Grünthal and Wahlström (J Seismol 7:507–531, 2003a) – G&;W03 – of earthquakes in central, northern, and northwestern Europe with M _w?≥?3.50. Data from over 30 regional catalogues, the International Seismological Centre and U.S. National Earthquake Information Center bulletins for the NE Atlantic Ocean, and many special studies were analysed, largely along the lines of the previous study. Non-tectonic, non-seismic, and non-existing as well as duplicate events were identified and removed according to our current stage of knowledge. If not given by the original source, the moment magnitude, M _w, was calculated for each event with a specified epicentral location and a given strength measure (i.e., an original magnitude of any type or, for onshore events only, an intensity). The calculations follow transformation relations derived in the present or in our previous study. The investigated area is subdivided into 22 polygons, in each of which one or more local catalogues, supplemented by data from special studies, are used. If more than one catalogue lists an event, one entry was selected according to a priority algorithm specific for each polygon. If the selected catalogue entry contains more than one strength type, one was selected for the M _w calculation according to another priority scheme. The final catalogue, CENEC, is confined to the time period 1000–2004 and magnitudes M _w?≥?3.50. This is an extension of the time period covered by G&;W03 (1300–1993). The number of events has increased from about 5,000 to about 8,000. For each entry, available information on the date, time, location (including focal depth), intensity I ₀, magnitude M _w, and source (i.e., the local catalogue or special study) are given. The strength type and value from which M _w was calculated are also indicated. The catalogue is available on the website of the GFZ German Research Centre of Geosciences.     

Low-frequency E-field Detection Array(LFEDA)—Construction and preliminary results

In recent years, locating total lightning at the VLF/LF band has become one of the most important directions in lightning detection. The Low-frequency E-field Detection Array(LFEDA) consisting of nine fast antennas was developed by the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences in Guangzhou between 2014 and 2015. This paper documents the composition of the LFEDA and a lightning-locating algorithm that applies to the low-frequency electric field radiated by lightning pulse discharge events(LPDEs). Theoretical simulation and objective assessment of the accuracy and detection efficiency of LFEDA have been done using Monte Carlo simulation and artificial triggered lightning experiment, respectively. The former results show that having a station in the network with a comparatively long baseline improves both the horizontal location accuracy in the direction perpendicular to the baseline and the vertical location accuracy along the baseline. The latter results show that detection efficiencies for triggered lightning flashes and return strokes are 100% and 95%, respectively. The average planar location error for return strokes of triggered lightning flashes is 102 m. By locating LPDEs in thunderstorms, we find that LPDEs are consistent with convective regions as indicated by strong reflectivity columns, and present a reasonable distribution in the vertical direction.In addition, the LFEDA can reveal an image of lightning development through mapping the channels of lightning. Based on three-dimensional locations, the vertical propagation speed of the preliminary breakdown and the changing trend of the leader's speed in an intra-cloud and a cloud-to-ground flash are investigated. The research results show that the LFEDA has the capability for three-dimensional location of lightning, which provides a new technique for researching lightning development characteristics and thunderstorm electricity.     

A decade of Predictions in Ungauged Basins (PUB)—a review

Abstract

The Prediction in Ungauged Basins (PUB) initiative of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), launched in 2003 and concluded by the PUB Symposium 2012 held in Delft (23–25 October 2012), set out to shift the scientific culture of hydrology towards improved scientific understanding of hydrological processes, as well as associated uncertainties and the development of models with increasing realism and predictive power. This paper reviews the work that has been done under the six science themes of the PUB Decade and outlines the challenges ahead for the hydrological sciences community.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Hrachowitz, M., Savenije, H.H.G., Blöschl, G., McDonnell, J.J., Sivapalan, M., Pomeroy, J.W., Arheimer, B., Blume, T., Clark, M.P., Ehret, U., Fenicia, F., Freer, J.E., Gelfan, A., Gupta, H.V., Hughes, D.A., Hut, R.W., Montanari, A., Pande, S., Tetzlaff, D., Troch, P.A., Uhlenbrook, S., Wagener, T., Winsemius, H.C., Woods, R.A., Zehe, E., and Cudennec, C., 2013. A decade of Predictions in Ungauged Basins (PUB)—a review. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (6), 1198–1255.