New Insights on Mt. Etna’s Crust and Relationship with the Regional Tectonic Framework from Joint Active and Passive P-Wave Seismic Tomography

In the Central Mediterranean region, the production of chemically diverse volcanic products (e.g., those from Mt. Etna and the Aeolian Islands archipelago) testifies to the complexity of the tectonic and geodynamic setting. Despite the large number of studies that have focused on this area, the relationships among volcanism, tectonics, magma ascent, and geodynamic processes remain poorly understood. We present a tomographic inversion of P-wave velocity using active and passive sources. Seismic signals were recorded using both temporary on-land and ocean bottom seismometers and data from a permanent local seismic network consisting of 267 seismic stations. Active seismic signals were generated using air gun shots mounted on the Spanish Oceanographic Vessel ‘Sarmiento de Gamboa’. Passive seismic sources were obtained from 452 local earthquakes recorded over a 4-month period. In total, 184,797 active P-phase and 11,802 passive P-phase first arrivals were inverted to provide three different velocity models. Our results include the first crustal seismic active tomography for the northern Sicily area, including the Peloritan–southern Calabria region and both the Mt. Etna and Aeolian volcanic environments. The tomographic images provide a detailed and complete regional seismotectonic framework and highlight a spatially heterogeneous tectonic regime, which is consistent with and extends the findings of previous models. One of our most significant results was a tomographic map extending to 14 km depth showing a discontinuity striking roughly NW–SE, extending from the Gulf of Patti to the Ionian Sea, south-east of Capo Taormina, corresponding to the Aeolian–Tindari–Letojanni fault system, a regional deformation belt. Moreover, for the first time, we observed a high-velocity anomaly located in the south-eastern sector of the Mt. Etna region, offshore of the Timpe area, which is compatible with the plumbing system of an ancient shield volcano located offshore of Mt. Etna.     

Induced seismicity in large-scale mining in the kola peninsula and monitoring to reveal informative precursors

Large volumes of rock mass, mined-out and moved within these deposits, resulted in irreversible changes in the geodynamic regime in the upper earth's crust of the adjacent territory. These changes manifest themselves in a more frequent occurrence of such intensive dynamic phenomena as tectonic rock bursts due to fault movement adjacent to the area which is mined-out and man-made earthquakes which sharply decrease mining safety and result in great material losses.To develop the prediction techniques of such phenomena, a monitoring system is created, based on the program of the Kola Complex of geodynamic measuring stations. Most of this system is realized in the region of the Khibiny apatite mines. The system provides regional seismological monitoring, local prediction of seismicity in separate areas of a rock mass and, determination of stress and strain in rock masses, local geophysical monitoring over the state of rocks in a rock mass as well as physical and mathematical modelling of geodynamic processes in the upper earth's crust.The investigations have resulted in the distinguishing of some regularities in manifestations of induced seismicity and tectonic rock bursts and in the determination of strain precursors of intensive seismic events in the Khibiny mines.The mechanism is provided by the induced seismicity which resulted from the anthropogenic impact on the geological medium. A geodynamic monitoring complex is described, which is used to reveal the precursors of powerful seismic eventsin situ, and monitoring results are shown, obtained in the Kola Complex of geodynamic stations. Methods of preventing tectonic rock bursts and induced earthquakes are presented.     

On the Coupling of Geodynamic and Resistivity Models: A Progress Report and the Way Forward

Magnetotelluric (MT) studies represent the structure of crust and mantle in terms of conductivity anomalies, while geodynamic modelling predicts the deformation and evolution of crust and mantle subject to plate tectonic processes. Here, we review the first attempts to link MT models with geodynamic models. An integration of MT with geodynamic modelling requires the use of relationships between conductivity and rheological parameters such as viscosity and melt fraction, which are provided by laboratory measurements of rock properties. Owing to present limitations in our understanding of these relationships, and in interpreting the trade-off between scale and magnitude of conductivity anomalies from MT inversions, most studies linking MT and geodynamic models are qualitative rather than providing hard constraints. Some recent examples attempt a more quantitative comparison, such as a study from the Himalayan continental collision zone, where rheological parameters have been calculated from a resistivity model and compared to predictions from geodynamic modelling. We conclude by demonstrating the potential in combining MT results and geodynamic modelling with examples that directly use MT results as constraints within geodynamic models of ore bodies and studies of an active volcano-tectonic rift.     

Study of the Influence of the Indirect Effect of Ocean Tides and of the Direct Deformation Effect of the Atmosphere on the Results of GPS Observations

The geodynamic interpretation of the results of GPS observations among the permanently operating stations which establish the frame for defining and conserving the coordinate system and simultaneously for describing the fundamental tendencies of dynamics in the area represented by them, should be deprived of the effects of geodynamic phenomena, which can be either periodic or short-term (even non-periodic) so that secular changes may be found. Some of these influences are included in scientific processing software, others have to be modelled later. The purpose of this project is to determine the influences of the indirect effect of ocean tides and the direct deformational effect of the atmosphere on the results of GPS observations, performed at stations Pecný (Czech Republic), Wettzell (FRG) and Graz (Austria), and also for the GPS stations of the Central Europe Regional Geodynamic Project (CERGOP) in the region of Central and East Europe. On the basis of analyses and results it is possible to claim that at the present accuracy of GPS observations the influence of ocean loading and atmospheric pressure effects for geodynamic campaigns in the region of the Czech Republic is negligible. For campaigns in larger regions (i.e. Central Europe) atmospheric corrections will have to be applied to height differences. These corrections, however, due to their periodicity have negligible influence on secular changes.     

New Seismic and Tomography Data in the Southern Part of the Harghita Mountains (Romania, Southeastern Carpathians): Connection with Recent Volcanic Activity

The southern part of the southeastern Carpathians represents the site of the most recent volcanic eruptions of the entire Carpathian-Pannonian region. The products of these eruptions range from 42 to 10?Ka radiocarbon ages in the South Harghita Mountains (high K calc-alkaline rocks with adakite-like features), and at 1.2–0.6?Ma?K–Ar ages in the Per?ani Mountains (alkali basalts). They were emplaced in a post-collisional regime. Ciomadul volcano is located at the southernmost part of the NW–SE oriented C?limani-Gurghiu-Harghita range crossing the inner part of the southeastern Carpathians and in the rough proximity of the Vrancea seismic zone (at ca. 60?km toward NW). Its magma generation is attributed to geodynamic events closely related to the seismogenic area. A number of particular geophysical and geochemical features located in the study region, including (1) the abrupt attenuation of the seismic waves originating from the Vrancea intermediate-depth foci, (2) the most intense heat-flow anomaly in Romania, (3) the most prominent ³He/⁴He anomaly measured in natural “postvolcanic” gas emanations, are all in favor of the hypothesis of a still existing hot local magma chamber. Data acquired during recent seismic monitoring of the Vrancea zone and its neighborhoods suggest an enhancement of the local seismicity beneath the southern edge of the South Harghita Mts., both at crustal and subcrustal levels. At the same time, recent tomography images obtained using local earthquake data correlate well with the presence of a vertically extended low-velocity zone coming from the upper mantle to the assumed magmatic chambers located in the crust. The present data, supporting the presence of an active crustal magma chamber beneath Ciomadul, allow us to consider that future volcanic activity at this volcano cannot be discarded.     

Dynamics of interaction between fields of seismicity and surface deformations (Bishkek geodynamic test area)

The spatial-temporal dynamics of surface crustal movements revealed from GPS data is compared with seismicity in the Bishkek geodynamic test area documented in the regional KNET catalog. The geological information system (GIS) GeoTaim 2.0 is substantially improved, which allowed variations in seismicity and deformation fields to be analyzed in the 3D raster. It is shown that seismicity and surface deformations are correlative in the test area. The periods with extreme values of contraction and the extension rates of the Earth’s surface areas are accompanied by enhanced seismicity and strong earthquakes. The increase in the spatial gradient of surface crustal movements coincides with changes in the azimuths of compression axes indicated by mechanisms of earthquakes that occurred at depths of up to 25 km. For a better geological—geophysical interpretation of interactions between deformation and seismicity fields in the Bishkek geodynamic test area, the spatial system GPS stations and measurement frequency need substantial improvement.     

Subvertical clusters of earthquake hypocenters unrelated to the tectonic structure of the Earth’s crust

The existence of a subvertical pillar-like cluster of earthquake hypocenters is established in the central part of the Garm geodynamic test area (Tajikistan). Seismotectonic deformation of the subvertical uniaxial extension prevails in the lower part of the cluster. This cluster is characterized by the absence of any relation to elements of the tectonic structure of the region. It is supposed that this element of the seismogenic structure of the region represents a channel of supply of deep fluids. Clusters of aftershock sources, close in morphology and position, are known in connection with the Altai, Neftegorsk, and Kultuk earthquakes. The subvertical but flattened-out in plan accumulations of aftershocks, unrelated to any elements of the tectonic structure of the Greater Caucasus, correspond to the Dagestan earthquake. Some other accumulations of earthquake hypocenters, so-called nests, such as the Vrancea and Hindu Kush ones, can be probably regarded as formations of a similar type.     

Magma Intrusions and Earthquake Swarm Occurrence in the Western Part of the Bohemian Massif

We are proposing a hypothesis that earthquake swarms in the West Bohemia/Vogtland seismoactive region are generated by magmatic activity currently transported to the upper crustal layers. We assume that the injection of magma and/or related fluids and gases causes hydraulic fracturing which is manifested as an earthquake swarm at the surface. Our statements are supported by three spheres of evidence coming from the western part of the Bohemian Massif: characteristic manifestations of recent geodynamic activity, the information from the neighbouring KTB deep drilling project and from the 9HR seismic reflection profile, and the detailed analysis of local seismological data. (1) Recent manifestations of geodynamic activity include Quaternary volcanism, rich CO ₂ emissions, anomalies of mantle-derived ³ He, mineral springs, moffets, etc. (2) The fluid injection experiment in the neighbouring KTB deep borehole at a depth of 9 km induced hundreds of micro-earthquakes. This indicates that the Earth's crust is near frictional failure in the western part of the Bohemian Massif and an addition of a small amount of energy to the tectonic stress is enough to induce an earthquake. Some pronounced reflections in the closely passing 9HR seismic reflection profile are interpreted as being caused by recent magmatic sills in the crust. (3) The local broadband seismological network WEBNET provides high quality data that enable precise localization of seismic events. The events of the January 1997 earthquake swarm are confined to an extremely narrow volume at depths of about 9 km. Their seismograms display pronounced reflections of P- and S-waves in the upper crust. The analysis of the process of faulting has disclosed a considerable variability of the source mechanism during the swarm. We conclude that the mechanism of intraplate earthquake swarms generated by magma intrusions is similar to that of induced seismicity. As the recent tectonic processes and manifestations of geodynamic activity are similar in European areas with repeated earthquake swarm occurrence (Bohemian Massif, French Massif Central, Rhine Graben), we assume that magma intrusions and related fluid and gas release at depths of about 10 km are the universal cause of intraplate earthquake swarm generation     

Cretaceous tectonic and biotic evolution of the southeastern Russian continental margin

The Cretaceous tectonic and geodynamic settings of the southeastern Russian continental margin are discussed using data generated during several recent geological studies. The structural patterns of the East Asian Cretaceous continental margin are the result of the influence of global and regional processes. The interaction and reorganization of the Eurasian, Pacific and other related plates induced intraplate tectonic processes such as rifting, subduction, collision, transform faulting, and basin formation. Three major basin types are recognized in this area: (i) mainly marine active continental margins associated with shear components (Sangjian–Middle Amur Basin); (ii) passive continental margins (Bureya, Partizansk, and Razdolny basins); (iii) intracontinental basins (Amur–Zeya Basin). The evolution of the biota in this region allows the examination of Early and Late Cretaceous biostratigraphy, faunal and floral changes, and the phytogeography of the southeastern Russian continental margin.     

我国地震的现今地球动力学研究的进展与方向

本文从活动构造、大陆地壳形变与现代地壳运动、地震活动区与大震震源区的深部探测及动力学、大陆强震区的地壳介质结构与地震成因、构造的物理及数值模拟、大陆岩石圈动力学以及地球动力学模型研究七个方面扼要介绍了近年来我国开展的与地震有关的现今地球动力学研究进展和取得的一系列新认识以及研究动向。在此基础上提出了微动态地球动力学，上地幔的非均匀性、深浅部构造关系及其动力学和地球动力学模型的理论研究三个应该优先发展的研究领域。     

近海潮汐效应对测站位移的负荷影响

利用TPXO6全球海潮模型和中国东海和南海潮汐资料研究了近海潮汐效应对我国沿海部分台站负荷位移的影响.结果表明,近海效应对位移的水平和垂直分量的影响均达到了mm的量级,其中在厦门站的影响最大,水平和垂直分量的振幅分别接近3 mm和15 mm,因此近海潮汐效应是沿海地区GPS动力学应用中应该考虑的负荷效应中的一个因素.另外,各台站负荷位移水平分量随时间变化的规律是不一样的,最大值对于不同的台站出现在不同的方位,并且对于垂直分量,在上海站和在其他沿海站的影响存在着明显的反相关系.本文结果可为GPS资料处理提供有益参考.     

地球内部结构探测研究——以华北克拉通为例

本文立足对地球物理学科发展态势的分析认识,通过解剖华北克拉通研究实例,对地球内部结构探测研究,特别对壳幔结构的地震学探测研究,对中国近20多年的发展做了回顾;探讨了从区域问题认识全球构造的研究思路.     

Hardware complex for recording soil gas concentrations and searching for precursor anomalies before strong earthquakes in South Kamchatka

At the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky geodynamic test site the instrumental complex has operated for the registration of subsurface gas concentration since 2006. In this paper the main components of the complex and their capabilities are described. To illustrate the work of the complex the dynamics of subsurface gas concentrations in the period from February to March 2011 (before and after the earthquake off the coast of Japan, March 11, 2011, M = 9.0) in one of the registration points was analyzed. These data indicate geodynamic processes during this period in the considered area at the point of subsurface gas registration. Selected dynamics anomalies of the subsurface gas concentrations can be regarded as a short-term remote precursor of the earthquake off the coast of Japan.     

The role of slab detachment processes in the opening of the western–central Mediterranean basins: some geological and geophysical evidence

A review of the geological and geophysical data from the central and western Mediterranean region and the present-day upper mantle structure derived from tomographic studies are utilized in order to define the Oligocene–Recent geodynamic evolution for the area. In line with previous work, we suggest that the Miocene–Quaternary opening of the western and central Mediterranean basins is the result of back-arc extension due to the roll back toward the southeast of a northwestward subducting African slab in a geodynamic setting pinned between the Alpine and Betic collisional zones. We find, however, that this general pattern is complicated by four different detachment events which occurred beneath the Alps (Early Oligocene), the Betic chain (Aquitanian), northern Africa (Langhian) and the Apennines (Late Miocene?–Pliocene). We show that each of these events determines a major tectonic reorganization within the European plate.     

Study of the recent geodynamic processes in the Kopet-Dag region

The time series of the uniquely long geodetic observations of recent geodynamic processes in the Kopet-Dag region are analyzed. The regional observations of contemporary vertical movements cover a 75-year period; the zonal and local systems of leveling measurements, which provide an increased degree of spatiotemporal detail (the distance between the benchmarks is less than 1 km and the measurements are repeated with a frequency of once per month to two times per annum), have been functioning for 50 years. It is shown that during the last 40–50 years, the regional stress field in the forefront of the Main Kopet-Dag thrust and collision zone of the Turanian and Iranian plates is quasi static. The annual average trend rate of strains estimated from a set of the time series of uniquely long geodetic observations is (3–5) × 10^?8 yr^?1, which is only one to two amplitudes of tidal deformations of the solid Earth. The local deformations in the fault zone reach the rates that are by 1.5–2 orders of magnitude higher than in the block part of the region. It is found that the segments of the Earth’s surface within the axial part of the depression experience persistent uplifting, which indicates that they do not follow the scheme of inherited evolution characteristic of the fault-block structures of the region. It is demonstrated that these anomalous uplifts can be caused by the variations in the weak seismicity in the zone of the North Ashgabat Fault.     

华北GPS地形变监测网的建立

全球定位系统GPS是利用监测地壳运动进行地震预测的新手段。华北是一个重要的地震监视区。应用GPS技术在华北布设了一个四维地形变监测网。由于采取了一系列先进的方法和措施,首次观测获得了高精度的成果,为今后大震预测和地球动力学的研究奠定了基础。     

Geodynamic aspects of the development of offshore oil and gas deposits: Case study of Barents region

Geodynamic aspects of the development of offshore deposits in the Russian sector of Barents region are considered. The main technogenic geohazards at oil hydrocarbon extraction are shown to be land subsidence and earthquakes. A concept of studying geodynamic manifestations is substantiated. This concept is based on the evolution of oil-and-gas-producing enterprise with appropriate portion of geological environment, regarded as a complex open natural-engineering system. The geodynamic situation at the Shtokman gas-condensate field was simulated using a mathematical model. The model showed some regularities in the deformation of the fluid-bearing massif because of gas extraction, including the up to 30% volumetric compaction of the production strata, resulting in a regression deflection (subsidence) of seabed and considerable subhorizontal deformations and displacements of bottom rock beds. The specific features of gas pipeline laying from the Shtokman field through Murmansk province are discussed, and the structure of geodynamic monitoring is proposed. Substantiation is given to the need to carry out special geodynamic studies in the Barents region with the aim to ensure operation geosafety and stability of structures of oil-and-gas facilities and pipeline transportation of hydrocarbons materials.     

Magnetic properties of the Lower Old Red Sandstone lavas in the Midland Valley,Scotland; palaeomagnetic and tectonic considerations

Thermal demagnetization studies of lavas in the Strathmore area of the Midland Valley, Scotland, support overall palaeomagnetic data found in previous studies of these rocks. Reduced directional scatter as compared to some earlier studies, is attributed to more effective demagnetization, resolving some of the directional complexity of previous studies. Combined magnetic fabric and directional analysis suggest that at least some deviating directions may be explained by local tectonism. The existence of almost antiparallel directional groups and field tests give supporting evidence for a “primary” (deuteric) origin of the main magnetization of these rocks. Additionally, a second remanence component having shallow reverse directions of magnetization, is attributed to later remagnetization in Old Red Sandstone time. The Midland Valley results are seen in conjunction with other Palaeozoic palaeomagnetic results and possible geodynamic implications are discussed.