Characterising the hydrothermal alteration of the Broadlands–Ohaaki geothermal system, New Zealand, using short-wave infrared spectroscopy

Hydrothermal clay minerals present in the Broadlands–Ohaaki geothermal field were characterised by field portable short-wave infrared spectroscopy. Three major alteration zones, an upper smectite, a middle illite and a lower illite–chlorite, are spectrally separable. The zoning pattern is generally consistent with the thermal structure of the geothermal field, although occasionally zone boundaries cut present-day isotherms. The data indicate that temperature is the major control on clay zoning and permeability plays a subordinate role.Both beidellite and montmorillonite are common in the upper, low-temperature smectite zone. Kaolinite, mainly of low crystallinity, marks the margin of the field where cool acidic ground waters inflow. In the middle alteration zone, illite, dominantly K-rich, shows a narrow compositional variability. Some highly permeable zones are characterised by illite with low octahedral Al contents. Ammonium-bearing illite and buddingtonite are present locally in permeable horizons within the illite zone, where temperatures are above 200°C. Chlorite is most abundant in the lower alteration zone (temperature >250°C), although it also occurs unevenly in the upper and middle alteration zones. Chlorite varies from Mg- to Fe-rich varieties (but mostly with Mg# values <0.5), but no compositional trends with respect to depth are spectrally detectable.     

Characteristics of Soil Response in Near-Fault Zones During the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, Earthquake

Distribution of parameters characterizing soil response during the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake (M _w = 7.6) around the fault plane is studied. The results of stochastic finite-fault simulations performed in Pavlenko and Wen (2008) and constructed models of soil behavior at 31 soil sites were used for the estimation of amplification of seismic waves in soil layers, average stresses, strains, and shear moduli reduction in the upper 30 m of soil, as well as nonlinear components of soil response during the Chi-Chi earthquake. Amplification factors were found to increase with increasing distance from the fault (or, with decreasing the level of “input” motion to soil layers), whereas average stresses and strains, shear moduli reduction, and nonlinear components of soil response decrease with distance as ~ r ^?1 . The area of strong nonlinearity, where soil behavior is substantially nonlinear (the content of nonlinear components in soil response is more than ~40–50% of the intensity of the response), and spectra of oscillations on the surface take the smoothed form close to E(f) ~ f ^?n , is located within ~20–25 km from the fault plane (~ 1/4 of its length). Nonlinearity decreases with increasing distance from the fault, and at ~40–50 km from the fault (~ 1/2 of the fault length), soil response becomes virtually linear. Comparing soil behavior in near-fault zones during the 1999 Chi-Chi, the 1995 Kobe (M _w = 6.8), and the 2000 Tottori (Japan) (M _w = 6.7) earthquakes, we found similarity in the behavior of similar soils and predominance of the hard type of soil behavior. Resonant phenomena in upper soil layers were observed at many studied sites; however, during the Chi-Chi earthquake they involved deeper layers (down to ~ 40–60 m) than during lesser-magnitude Kobe and Tottori earthquakes.     

Clay mineralogy of the first and second members of the Nenjiang Formation,Songliao Basin: Implications for paleoenvironment in the Late Cretaceous

The first and second members of the Nenjiang Formation (K₂n¹⁺²) in the Songliao Basin, northeast China, are an interval of dark-colored mudstone. Paleoenvironmental studies of these strata are useful for understanding the terrestrial environment under a greenhouse climate and hydrocarbon accumulation in lake basins. In this study, clay mineralogy of the K₂n¹⁺² from four borehole or outcrop sections is investigated to understand terrestrial paleoenvironment during the depositional period in the Late Cretaceous. In the mudstone samples, smectite and illite are the predominant clay minerals, and were derived from weathering of parent rocks in a temperate, sub-humid to sub-arid climate; kaolinite and chlorite are minor clay species. The difference in the clay-mineral assemblages between the eastern and western margins of the basin was primarily controlled by provenance lithology, and the high smectite content in the western basin resulted from alteration of volcanic rocks exposed in the Greater Xing’an Range area. The increasing illite content and ratio of illite/smectite percentages in the upper part of the first member of the Nenjiang Formation indicate paleoenvironmental change. This temporal change in the clay-mineral composition was primarily caused by a regionally cooler and drier paleoclimate, consistent with previous paleoenvironmental reconstructions.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic setting of the Queershan composite granitic pluton,eastern Tibetan Plateau: Constraints from geochronology,geochemistry and Hf isotope data

The Queershan composite granitic pluton is located in the north of the late Paleozoic Yidun arc collision-orogenic belt, eastern Tibetan Plateau. The main rock types are coarse-grained porphyritic alkalic-monzonite granite with minor fine-grained porphyritic monzogranite and granodiorite distributed in the eastern and southwestern regions. Here we report their zircon U-Pb ages and geo- chemical data. The intrusive contact relations indicate that granodiorite was formed earlier than the alkalic-monzonite granite(105.9±1.3 Ma) and monzogranite(102.6±1.1 Ma). These suggest that the Queershan composite granitic pluton was formed through three-stage magmatic events. The alkalic-monzonite granite(105.9±1.3 Ma) and monzogranite(102.6±1.1 Ma) are characterized by high SiO2(73.5%–77.7%), K2O+Na2O(6.9%–8.5%), Ga/Al ratios(2.6–3.4) and low Al2O3(11.8%–14.5%), CaO(0.25%–1.5%), MgO(0.18%–0.69%), negative Ba, Sr and Eu anomalies, showing A-type granite affinities. The granodiorite exhibits lower SiO2, P2O5 and K2O+Na2O contents, but higher Al2O3, CaO and MgO contents than alkalic-monzonite granite and monzogranite, showing I-type granite affinity. 176Hf/177 Hf ratios of the alkalic-monzonite granite and the monzogranite are 0.282692–0.282749 and 0.282685–0.282765, respectively, and with similar ?Hf(t) values(?0.56 to 1.43 and ?0.87 to 1.90 respectively). They also present similar TDM2 model ages(1.04–1.22 and 1.07–1.2 Ga respectively), indicating they may be sourced from a similar rock source, mostly like Kangding Complex. The homogeneity of the Hf isotopic compositions and the absence of the MMEs demonstrate that little depleted mantle materials have contributed to the source. We propose that the Mesoproterozoic crust materials of the Yangtze Craton exist beneath the Yidun arc terrane and support it was a dismembered part of the Yangtze Craton. The A-type granites of Queershan composite granitic pluton are most probably related to the closure of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethys ocean.     

Imaging Faults and Shear Zones Using Receiver Functions

The geometry of faults at seismogenic depths and their continuation into the ductile zone is of interest for a number of applications ranging from earthquake hazard to modes of lithospheric deformation. Teleseismic passive source imaging of faults and shear zones can be useful particularly where faults are not outlined by local seismicity. Passive seismic signatures of faults may arise from abrupt changes in lithology or foliation orientation in the upper crust, and from mylonitic shear zones at greater depths. Faults and shear zones with less than near-vertical dip lend themselves to detection with teleseismic mode-converted waves (receiver functions) provided that they have either a contrast in isotropic shear velocity (V _s), or a contrast in orientation or strength of anisotropic compressional velocity (V _p). We introduce a detection method for faults and shear zones based on receiver functions. We use synthetic seismograms to demonstrate common features of dipping isotropic interfaces and contrasts in dipping foliation that allows determination of their strike and depth without making further assumptions about the model. We proceed with two applications. We first image a Laramide thrust fault in the western U.S. (the Wind River thrust fault) as a steeply dipping isotropic velocity contrast in the middle crust near the surface trace of the fault; further downdip and across the range, where basin geometry suggests the fault may sole into a subhorizontal shear zone, we identify a candidate shear zone signal from midcrustal depths. The second application is the use of microstructural data from exhumed ductile shear zones in Scotland and in the western Canadian Shield to predict the character of seismic signatures of present-day deep crustal shear zones. Realistic anisotropy in observed shear fabrics generates a signal in receiver functions that is comparable in amplitude to first-order features like the Moho. Observables that can be robustly constrained without significant tradeoffs are foliation strike and the depth of the foliation contrast. We find that an anisotropy of only a few percent in the shear zone is sufficient to generate a strong signal, but that the shear zone width is required to be >2 km for typical frequencies used in receiver function analysis to avoid destructive interference due to the signals from the boundaries of the shear zone.     

Alteration and mass transfer inferred from the Hirabayashi GSJ drill penetrating the Nojima Fault, Japan

Abstract Mineralogical and geochemical studies on the fault rocks from the Nojima–Hirabayashi borehole, south-west Japan, are performed to clarify the alteration and mass transfer in the Nojima Fault Zone at shallow depths. A complete sequence from the hornblende–biotite granodiorite protolith to the fault core can be observed without serious disorganization by surface weathering. The parts deeper than 426.2 m are in the fault zone where rocks have suffered fault-related deformation and alteration. Characteristic alteration minerals in the fault zone are smectite, zeolites (laumontite, stilbite), and carbonate minerals (calcite and siderite). It is inferred that laumontite veins formed at temperatures higher than approximately 100°C during the fault activity. A reverse component in the movement of the Nojima Fault influences the distribution of zeolites. Zeolite is the main sealing mineral in relatively deep parts, whereas carbonate is the main sealing mineral at shallower depths. Several shear zones are recognized in the fault zone. Intense alteration is localized in the gouge zones. Rock chemistry changes in a different manner between different shear zones in the fault zone. The main shear zone (MSZ), which corresponds to the core of the Nojima Fault, shows increased concentration of most elements except Si, Al, Na, and K. However, a lower shear zone (LSZ-2), which is characterized by intense alteration rather than cataclastic deformation, shows a decreased concentration of most elements including Ti and Zr. A simple volume change analysis based on Ti and Zr immobility, commonly used to examine the changes in fault rock chemistry, cannot account fully for the different behaviors of Ti and Zr among the two gouge zones.     

Characterization of the Tail of the Distribution of Earthquake Magnitudes by Combining the GEV and GPD Descriptions of Extreme Value Theory

The present work is a continuation and improvement of the method suggested in Pisarenko et al. (Pure Appl Geophys 165:1–42, 2008) for the statistical estimation of the tail of the distribution of earthquake sizes. The chief innovation is to combine the two main limit theorems of Extreme Value Theory (EVT) that allow us to derive the distribution of T-maxima (maximum magnitude occurring in sequential time intervals of duration T) for arbitrary T. This distribution enables one to derive any desired statistical characteristic of the future T-maximum. We propose a method for the estimation of the unknown parameters involved in the two limit theorems corresponding to the Generalized Extreme Value distribution (GEV) and to the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD). We establish the direct relations between the parameters of these distributions, which permit to evaluate the distribution of the T-maxima for arbitrary T. The duality between the GEV and GPD provides a new way to check the consistency of the estimation of the tail characteristics of the distribution of earthquake magnitudes for earthquake occurring over an arbitrary time interval. We develop several procedures and check points to decrease the scatter of the estimates and to verify their consistency. We test our full procedure on the global Harvard catalog (1977–2006) and on the Fennoscandia catalog (1900–2005). For the global catalog, we obtain the following estimates: \( \hat{M}_{{\rm max} } \)  = 9.53 ± 0.52 and \( \hat{Q}_{10} (0.97) \)  = 9.21 ± 0.20. For Fennoscandia, we obtain \( \hat{M}_{{\rm max} } \)  = 5.76 ± 0.165 and \( \hat{Q}_{10} (0.97) \)  = 5.44 ± 0.073. The estimates of all related parameters for the GEV and GPD, including the most important form parameter, are also provided. We demonstrate again the absence of robustness of the generally accepted parameter characterizing the tail of the magnitude-frequency law, the maximum possible magnitude M _max, and study the more stable parameter Q _T (q), defined as the q-quantile of the distribution of T-maxima on a future interval of duration T.     

Crystallization of tholeiitic basalt in Alae Lava Lake,Hawaii

The eruption of Kilauea Volcano August 21–23, 1963, left 600,000 cubic meters of basaltic lava in a lava lake as much as 15 meters deep in Alae pit crater. Field studies of the lake began August 27 and include repeated core drilling, measurements of temperature in the crust and melt, and precise level surveys of the lake surface. The last interstitial melt in the lake solidified late in September 1964; by mid August 1965 the maximum temperature was 690°C at a depth of 11.5 meters. Pumice air-quenched from about 1140°C contains only 5 percent crystals — clinopyroxene, cuhedral olivine (Fo ₈₀), and a trace of plagioclase, (An ₇₀). Drill cores taken from the zone of crystallization in the lake show that olivine continued crystallizing to about 1070°C; below that it reacts with the melt, becoming corroded and mantled by pyroxene and plagioclase. Below 1070°C, pyroxene and plagioclase crystallized at a constant ratio. Ilmenite first appeared at about 1070°C and was joined by magnetite at about 1050°C; both increased rapidly in abundance to 1000°C. Apatite first appeared as minute needles in interstitial glass at 1000°C. Both the abundance and index of refraction of glass quenched from melt decreased nearly linearly with falling temperature. At 1070°C the quenched lava contains about 65 percent dark-brown glass with an index of 1.61; at 980°C it contains about 8 percent colorless glass with an index of 1.49. Below 980°C, the percentage of glass remained constant. Progressive crystallization forced exsolution of gases from the melt fraction; these formed vesicles and angular pores, causing expansion of the crystallizing lava and lifting the surface of the central part of the lake an average of 19.5 cm. The solidified basalt underwent pneumatolitic alteration, including deposition of cristobalite at 800°C, reddish alteration of olivine at 700°C, tarnishing of ilmenite at 550°C, deposition of anhydrite at 250°C, and deposition of native sulfur at 100°C. Ferric-ferrous ratios suggest that oxidation with maximum intensity between 550°C and 610°C moved downward in the crust as it cooled; this was followed by reduction at a temperature of about 100°C. The crystallized basalt is a homogeneous fine-grained rock containing on the average 48.3 percent by volume intergranular pyroxene (augite > pigeonite), 34.2 percent plagioclase laths (An_{60 70}), 7.9 percent interstitial glass, 6.9 percent opaques (ilmenite > magnetite), 2.7 percent olivine (Fo_{70 80}), and a trace of apatite. Chemical analyses of 18 samples, ranging from initially quenched pumice to lava cored more than a year after the eruption from the center and from near the base of the lake, show little variation from silica-saturated tholeiitic basalt containing 50.4 percent SiO₂, 2.4 percent Na₂O, and 0.54 percent K₂O. Apparently there was no significant crystal settling and no appreciable vapor-phase transport of these components during the year of crystallization. However, seven samples of interstitial liquid that had been filter-pressed into gash fractures and drill holes from partly crystalline mush near the base of the crust show large differences from the bulk composition of the solidified crust—lower MgO, CaO, and Al₂O₃; and higher total iron, TiO₂, Na₂O, K₂O, P₂O₅, and F, and, in most samples, SiO₂. The minor elements Ba, Ga, Li, Y, and Yb and possibly Cu tend to be enriched in the filter-pressed liquids, and Cr and possibly Ni tend to be depleted.     

Holocene slip rate and paleoearthquake records of the Salt Lake segment of the Northern Zhongtiaoshan Fault,Shanxi Province

The Northern Zhongtiaoshan Fault is a major deep fault at the southern margin of the Yuncheng Basin. There have been few studies on the fault, and the historical earthquakes are few and weak. However, the intensity of activity on the fault should never be underestimated. Through interpretations of aerial images, topography measurements and excavation of trenches, this paper studied the fault distribution, the surface deformation and the activity of the normal fault south of Salt Lake near the city of Yuncheng. By tracing faults in the three trenches, it was found that there had been at least three large paleoseismic events, at 1–3.5, 3.6–4.4 and 7.4–8.8 ka BP. Employing 14 C dating, we determined the same gravel layers in the uplifted side and downthrown side. Making differential Global Positioning System measurements of the vertical difference and topographic profile, we obtained the mean slip rate of the Northern Zhongtiaoshan Fault since 24.7 ka BP(0.75±0.05 mm/a). Using the results of relevant studies, we calculated the possible vertical fault displacement of one earthquake(2.35 m) and obtained the recurrence interval of characteristic earthquakes as 2940–3360 a after dividing the displacement by the mean slip rate.     

S-wave envelope broadening characteristics of microearthquakes in the Canary Islands

This study analyzes the S-wave envelope broadening characteristics of 290 earthquakes recorded by 14 stations of the Spanish National Seismograph Network in the Canary Islands region. The S-wave peak delay time (t _p ) and envelope duration (t _q ) parameters are evaluated phenomenologically to infer the strength of velocity inhomogeneities of the medium along each seismic ray path. Crustal (0?≤?h?≤?18 km) and upper mantle (18?<?h?≤?80 km) events are analyzed separately. Results in the frequency range 1 to 12 Hz for hypocentral distances from 30 to 600 km show that both t _p and t _q increase according to a power of hypocentral distance and they are independent of frequency. The spatial distribution of the peak delay time reveals weak strength of heterogeneity in most of the region at shallow depths. Relatively strong inhomogeneous zones are generated under the island of Tenerife and Gran Canaria at depths of 11–22 km.     

The Beni-Ilmane (North-Central Algeria) Earthquake Sequence of May 2010

Starting on 14 May 2010 and lasting several months, the village of Beni-Ilmane (Msila District, North-Central Algeria) and its surroundings were struck by an important seismic crisis marked by three successive moderate shocks (5.0 ≤ M _d ≤ 5.2). This sequence of events caused severe damage in the Beni-Ilmane village and in the epicentral area. The poor quality of masonry construction and the cumulative effects of the large number of aftershock events played a key role in the destruction. To follow this earthquake sequence, 11 temporary seismic stations, in addition to the permanent stations of the Algerian seismic network, were deployed in the region. A representative set of well located aftershocks in the period of maximum activity (lasting 18 days) were selected. The horizontal distribution of the aftershocks shows two main earthquake clusters located near Beni-Ilmane village, one cluster oriented E–W and the other oriented NNE–SSW, crossing the first cluster at its eastern tip. The aftershocks distribution suggests that the three main shocks ruptured two distinct and adjacent fault segments of about 8 km length. The focal mechanisms of the first and third events, located in the NNE–SSW cluster, show near-vertical left-lateral strike-slip fault planes. In the second cluster, oriented E–W, focal mechanisms show a high-angle reverse fault. A field survey, initiated immediately after the first main shock, identified surface fissures generated by the three largest events in the sequence. The fissures, concentrated in a narrow area at the western termination of the NE–SW Jebel Choukchot anticline (location of Beni-Ilmane village), showed several orientations which were mainly related to gravity instabilities. The 2010 Beni-Ilmane earthquake sequence, located in the Bibans–Hodna Mountains transition zone, demonstrates that the Tellian Atlas–High Plateaus border region is an active seismic zone marked by moderate and possibly strong earthquakes; thus, a reevaluation of the seismic hazard in the region is needed.     

Distribution and significance of hydrothermal alteration minerals in the Tuzla hydrothermal system, Çanakkale, Turkey

Hydrothermal alteration zones have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, mineralogical–petrographical techniques, and geochemical analysis. Examination of cores and cuttings from two drill sites, obtained from a depth of about 814–1020 m, show that the hydrothermal minerals occuring in the rock include: K-feldspar, albite, chlorite, alunite, kaolinite, smectite, illite, and opaque minerals.In the studied area, silicified, smectite, illite, alunite, and opal zones have been recognized. These alteration mineral assemblages indicate that there are geothermal fluids, which have temperatures of 150–220°C in the reservoir.The distribution of the hydrothermal minerals shows changes in the chemical composition of the hydrothermal fluid, which are probably due not only to interaction with host rock, but also to dilution of the Na–K–Cl-rich hydrothermal fluid of the deep reservoir by cold sea water at shallow levels. Geochemical analyses of the solid and liquid phases indicate that the hydrothermal fluids of the Tuzla geothermal system are in equilibrium with alteration products.The tectonic structure of the studied area is caused by NW–SE and NE–SW directional forces. The volcanic rocks where hydrothermal zones are observed in the studied area are of Lower–Middle Miocene age comprise latite, andesite, dacite, rhyolite-type lavas, tuff, and ignimbrites.     

Probabilistic Appraisal of Earthquake Hazard Parameters Deduced from a Bayesian Approach in the Northwest Frontier of the Himalayas

A straightforward Bayesian statistic is applied in five broad seismogenic source zones of the northwest frontier of the Himalayas to estimate the earthquake hazard parameters (maximum regional magnitude M _max, β value of G–R relationship and seismic activity rate or intensity λ). For this purpose, a reliable earthquake catalogue which is homogeneous for M _W ≥ 5.0 and complete during the period 1900 to 2010 is compiled. The Hindukush–Pamir Himalaya zone has been further divided into two seismic zones of shallow (h ≤ 70 km) and intermediate depth (h > 70 km) according to the variation of seismicity with depth in the subduction zone. The estimated earthquake hazard parameters by Bayesian approach are more stable and reliable with low standard deviations than other approaches, but the technique is more time consuming. In this study, quantiles of functions of distributions of true and apparent magnitudes for future time intervals of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 years are calculated with confidence limits for probability levels of 50, 70 and 90 % in all seismogenic source zones. The zones of estimated M _max greater than 8.0 are related to the Sulaiman–Kirthar ranges, Hindukush–Pamir Himalaya and Himalayan Frontal Thrusts belt; suggesting more seismically hazardous regions in the examined area. The lowest value of M _max (6.44) has been calculated in Northern-Pakistan and Hazara syntaxis zone which have estimated lowest activity rate 0.0023 events/day as compared to other zones. The Himalayan Frontal Thrusts belt exhibits higher earthquake magnitude (8.01) in next 100-years with 90 % probability level as compared to other zones, which reveals that this zone is more vulnerable to occurrence of a great earthquake. The obtained results in this study are directly useful for the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in the examined region of Himalaya.     

Internal structures and high-velocity frictional properties of Longmenshan fault zone at Shenxigou activated during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

This paper reports internal structures of a wide fault zone at Shenxigou, Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, China, and high-velocity frictional properties of the fault gouge collected near the coseismic slip zone during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Vertical offset and horizontal displacement at the trench site were 2.8 m (NW side up) and 4.8 m (right-lateral), respectively. The fault zone formed in Triassic sandstone, siltstone, and shale about 500 m away from the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault, a major fault in the Longmenshan fault system. A trench survey across the coseismic fault, and observations of outcrops and drill cores down to a depth of 57 m revealed that the fault zone consists of fault gouge and fault breccia of about 0.5 and 250–300 m in widths, respectively, and that the fault strikes N62°E and dips 68° to NW. Quaternary conglomerates were recovered beneath the fault in the drilling, so that the fault moved at least 55 m along the coseismic slip zone, experiencing about 18 events of similar sizes. The fault core is composed of grayish gouge (GG) and blackish gouge (BG) with very complex slip-zone structures. BG contains low-crystalline graphite of about 30 %. High-velocity friction experiments were conducted at normal stresses of 0.6–2.1 MPa and slip rates of 0.1–2.1 m/s. Both GG and BG exhibit dramatic slip weakening at constant high slip rates that can be described as an exponential decay from peak friction coefficient μ _p to steady-state friction coefficient μ _ss over a slip-weakening distance D _c. Deformation of GG and BG is characterized by overlapped slip-zone structures and development of sharp slickenside surfaces, respectively. Comparison of our data with those reported for other outcrops indicates that the high-velocity frictional properties of the Longmenshan fault zones are quite uniform and the high-velocity weakening must have promoted dynamic rupture propagation during the Wenchuan earthquake.     

Location and source mechanism of the Karlsruhe earthquake of 24 September 2014

On 24 September 2014, a M_L 2.3 earthquake occurred southwest of the urban area of Karlsruhe, Germany, which was felt by a few people (maximum intensity I ₀?=?III). It was the first seismic event in this highly populated area since an I ₀?=?VII earthquake in 1948. Data of 35 permanent and temporary seismometers were analysed to localise the event and to determine the focal mechanism to compare it to previous seismicity. Restricting the data to P- and S-phases from 18 nearby stations and optimising the local earth model result in an epicentre in the southwest of the city at 48.986°N/8.302°E and in a hypocentral depth of 10 km. To calculate the focal mechanism, 22 P- and 5 S_H-polarities were determined that constrain a stable left lateral strike-slip focal mechanism with a minor thrusting component and nodal planes striking NE-SW and NW-SE. The epicentre lies in the vicinity of the I ₀?=?VII earthquake of 1948. Both events are part of the graben-parallel flower structure beneath the Upper Rhine Graben, parallel to the active Rastatt source zone, which runs 5 km further east and included the epicentre of the 1933 Rastatt I ₀?=?VII earthquake. The focal mechanisms of the 2014 and 1948 earthquakes show NE-SW striking nodal planes that dip to the southeast. However, for the 1948 event, a normal faulting mechanism was determined earlier. Taking the uncertainty of the epicentre and focal mechanism in 1948 and its fault dimensions into account, both events might have happened on the same fault plane.     

Retrospective Study on the Predictability of Pattern Informatics to the Wenchuan M8.0 and Yutian M7.3 Earthquakes

Two large earthquakes occurred in the western part of China in 2008, one of them being the Yutian (35.6°N, 81.6°E) M7.3 earthquake that occurred on March 21 (BJT) and the other the Wenchuan (31.0°N, 103.4°E) M8.0 earthquake that occurred on May 12 (BJT). In this paper, the West Continental China (included in 20.0°–50.0°N, 70.0°–110.0°E region) was the study region for verifyong the predictability of the pattern informatics (PI) method using the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) test and R score test. Different forecasting maps with different calculating parameters were obtained. The calculating parameters were the grid size Δx, base time t _b, reference interval t _b to t ₁, change interval t ₁ to t ₂, and forecasting interval t ₂ to t ₃. In this paper, the base time t _b fixed to June 1, 1971, the ending forecast time t ₃ fixed to June 1, 2008, and the forecasting interval t ₂ to t ₃ changed from 1 to 10 years, and the grid sizes were chosen as 1° × 1° and 2° × 2°, respectively. The results show that the PI method could forecast the Yutian M7.3 and Wenchuan M8.0 earthquakes only using suitable parameters. Comparing the forecast results of grid sizes 1° × 1° and 2° × 2°, the models with 2° × 2° grids were better. Comparing the forecast results with different forecasting windows from 1 to 10 years, the models with forecasting windows of 4–8 years were better using the ROC test, and the models with forecasting windows of 7–10 years were better using the R score test. The forecast efficiency of the model with a grid size of 2° × 2° and forecast window of 8 years was the best one using either the ROC test or the R score test.     

Geophysical Images of the North Anatolian Fault Zone in the Erzincan Basin, Eastern Turkey, and their Tectonic Implications

The collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plates in eastern Turkey causes the Anatolian block to move westward. The North Anatolian Fault (NAF) is a major strike-slip fault that forms the northern boundary of the Anatolian block, and the Erzincan Basin is the largest sedimentary basin on the NAF. In the last century, two large earthquakes have ruptured the NAF within the Erzincan Basin and caused major damage (M _s = 8.0 in 1939 and M _s = 6.8 in 1992). The seismic hazard in Erzincan from future earthquakes on the NAF is significant because the unconsolidated sedimentary basin can amplify the ground motion during an earthquake. The amount of amplification depends on the thickness and geometry of the basin. Geophysical constraints can be used to image basin depth and predict the amount of seismic amplification. In this study, the basin geometry and fault zone structure were investigated using broadband magnetotelluric (MT) data collected on two profiles crossing the Erzincan Basin. A total of 24 broadband MT stations were acquired with 1–2 km spacing in 2005. Inversion of the MT data with 1D, 2D and 3D algorithms showed that the maximum thickness of the unconsolidated sediments is ~3 km in the Erzincan Basin. The MT resistivity models show that the northern flanks of the basin have a steeper dip than the southern flanks, and the basin deepens towards the east where it has a depth of 3.5 km. The MT models also show that the structure of the NAF may vary from east to west along the Erzincan Basin.     

Fractional crystallization trends in the system Mg2SiO4-CaAl2Si2O8-FeO-Fe2O3-SiO2 over the range of oxygen partial pressures of 10−11 to 10−0.7 atm

A brief report is made of current laboratory investigations on phase relations among olivine, pyroxene, anorthite, magnetite, tridymite, liquid and gas in the system Mg₂SiO₄-CaAl₂Si₂O₈-FeO-Fe₂O₂-SiO₂ over a wide range of oxygen partial pressures. Courses of fractional crystallization under various conditions of oxygen partial pressure are depicted using an anorthite saturation diagram. Starting with a basalt-like composition in the system, fractional crystallization at a moderate oxygen partial pressure (10 atm.) results in an andesite-like residual liquid of composition 55 SiO₂, 14 iron oxide, 6 MgO, 9 CaO, 16 Al₂O₃ at a temperature of 1155°C. With fractional crystallization in a closed system, the end liquid approaches the composition of 45 SiO₂, 38 iron oxide, 6 CaO and 11 Al₂O₃, at a temperature of 1050°C and oxygen partial pressure of about 10^?12 atm. The andesitic final liquid in this system would be expected to further differentiate toward dacitic and rhyolitic compositions if alkalies and water were present in the system. On the basis of these studies, the derivation of liquids of andesitic, dacitic or rhyolitic composition from primary basalts by fractional crystallization seems entirely possible if the oxygen partial pressure is maintained at a moderate or high level.     

The earthquake of February 3, 2015, near Sumy,Ukraine: Source parameters and focal mechanism

The parameters of the earthquake that took place February 3, 2015, near the city of Sumy, Ukraine, were calculated from an analysis of records obtained by both Russian and Ukrainian seismic stations (Poltava, Skvira, Nikolaev, Dneropetrovsk, and Desna). The calculated hypocenter depth of 54 km was verified by several approaches: isolation of deep PP, SP phases from the records of remote stations and solution of the kinematic problem for the Poltava station. The focal mechanism as shear with a complex fault component was determined by the first arrivals of P-waves. The data on the azimuthal travel-time curve confirm the focal mechanism. We have calculated the earthquake parameters; they are as follows: length gap L₁ = 8.08 km, L₂ = 6.68 km, a destruction rate of C = 2 km/s. We have obtained the dynamic parameters of the event. The calculated fault length (L = 5.46 km) within the accuracy limits of the method coincides with the early result obtained by the azimuthal travel-time curve. On the basis of these results, we suggest that elastic energy release and formation of the dislocations in the earthquake source occurred on a smooth, prefractured fault (σ_r > 0). Association of the hypocenter with the tectonic node of the northern marginal fault of the Dnieper–Donets graben and northern branch of Kryvyi Rih–Kremenchuk suture confirm this. Here, we observe a considerable Moho depth, structural alteration, and high gradients of the temperature and magnetic and electric rock properties in the lower Earth’s crust and upper mantle. These circumstances are favorable for the earthquake occurring here.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Late-Triassic high εNd(t)-εHf(t) granites in the Ailaoshan tectonic zone(SW China)

High εNd(t)-εHf(t) granites are robust evidence for crustal growth. In this paper we report results of petrologic, geochronological and geochemical investigations on the Huashiban granites from the Ailaoshan tectonic zone in western Yunnan(SW China). Zircon grains separated from the two samples(10HH-119 A and 10HH-120A) yield the weighted mean 206Pb/238 U ages of 229.9 ± 2.0 Ma and 229.3 ± 2.3 Ma, respectively, interpreted as the crystallization ages of the granites. Based on our results, in combination with the existing U-Pb geochronological data for the Ailaoshan metamorphic rocks, we propose that the Ailaoshan Group might be a rock complex composed of the Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, Hercynian, Indosinian and Himalayan components, rather than a part of the crystalline basement of the Yangtze block. The zircon grains show highly depleted Lu-Hf isotope compositions, with positive εHf(t) values ranging from 8.4 to 13.1. The Huashiban granites have high SiO2(72.66 wt%–73.70 wt%), low Mg#(0.28–0.34) with A/CNK=1.01–1.05, and can be classified as peralumious high-K calc-alkaline I-type granites. A synthesis of these data indicates that the Ailaoshan tectonic zone had evolved into a post-collisional setting by the Late-Triassic(229 Ma). Genesis of the Huashiban high εNd(t)-εHf(t) granites involved into two processes:(1) underplating of the sub-arc mantle into the lower crust, and(2) remelting of the juvenile crustal materials in response to the upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle in the post-collisional setting.