The significance of stretching lineations in terms of progressive deformation and finite strain

Abstract

For a given increment of deformation, stretching lineations can be defined either by old grains or by new grains.

Progressive strain accumulated in a matrix causes reorientation of old grains. The velocity field acting within a grain depends on the degree of non-coaxiality of the progressive strain in the matrix, and on the competence contrast between grain and matrix (e.g. Lister & Williams, 1983). Deformed populations of old grains do not systematically track the principal directions of finite stretch; this depends on the mechanical behavior of the grains. On the other hand, these populations may be good markers of finite strain magnitude, provided that the initial distribution is known.

In contrast, the statistical shape orientation distribution of population of new grains cannot be related in a simple way to the finite strain magnitude, but their preferred orientation is considered to be the best indicator of the principal directions of finite stretch.

An example is considered from the schistes lustrés near Kenestrelle (Val Chisone, Western Alps), where the observed mineral lineation is attributed to a late E-W stretching event in the alpine orogenic history.     

Bilan,fonctionnement et protection du système karstique de la Fontaine de Vaucluse (sud-est de la France)

Résumén

L’aquifère karstique de la célèbre Fontaine de Vaucluse a fait l’objet de nouvelles investigations hydrogéologiqurs dont les résultats portent sur la définition et le fonctionnement du système.

Les données géologiques (lithologie, structure) nous ont permis la délimitation d’un impluvium de 1115 km² dont l’altitude moyenne. 870 m, est confirmée par les traceurs naturels physico-chimiques et isotopiques.

Le bilan hydrique, faute d’un réseau météorologique représentatif, a été calculé à partir d’un modèle climatique par tranches d’altitude, qui utilise les gradients pluviométriques et thermiques régionaux. On montre alors que les 3/4 des pluies efficaces proviennent des zones situées au-dessus de l’altitude moyenne de l’impluvium.

Les études hydrodynamiques et physico-chimiques nous ont permis de démontrer la faible inertie du système malgré sa taille, donc sa bonne karstification, ce qui confirme à l’échelle de l’ensemble les observations spéléologiques ponctuelles du plateau et de l’émergence.

Malgré leur faible apport au débit total, les précipitations estivales marquent la chimie de l’émergence et interrompent ainsi la phase de tarissement.

La contribution de l’eau des réserves au débit est prépondérante : respectivement les 3/4 et les 2/3 des volumes annuels écoulés en 1981 et 1982.

Compte tenu de l’absence de sols et de terrains poreux de couverture, ainsi que du développement de la karstification, la vulnérabilité du système est grande. Aussi une attention particulière doit-elle être portée à l’aménagement de la zone montagnarde de l’impluvium dont le rôle est prépondérant dans l’alimentation du système.     

Nappe stacking and first evidence of Late Variscan extension in the Belledonne Massif (External Crystalline Massifs,French Alps)

Abstract

In the southwestern part of the Belledonne Massif (External Crystalline Massifs, French Alps), superimposition of three distinct crustal units has been interpreted as the consequence of Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous thrusting toward the ENE under typical collisional metamorphic conditions (9–7 kbar, 600–650 °C). Structural relationships between the different units and the kinematic analysis of microstructures suggest that ductile extensional tectonics with a sinistral component towards the southwest is responsible for the late structure of this domain. Extensional tectonics are responsible for the exhumation of the deep level of the nappe pile (Allemont unit) that recorded an earlier HP-LT tectonometamorphic evolution (10 ± 1 kbar, 550 ± 50 °C) and for the syn-kinematic adiabatic decompression path recorded in the two lowest units (Livet and Allemont). Such isothermal decompression may have been related to rapid thinning (~ 3mm y^?1) and led to local decompressional melting at the base of the nappe pile. The thinning is best explained by extensional tectonics processes affecting the previously thickened Variscan crust during the Upper Carboniferous prior to its restoration to normal thickness. © Elsevier, Paris     

Estimation of anisotropic hydraulic conductivity using geophysical data in a coastal aquifer of Karnataka,India

Estimation of hydraulic parameters is essential to understand the interaction between groundwater flow and seawater intrusion. Though several studies have addressed hydraulic parameter estimation, based on pumping tests as well as geophysical methods, not many studies have addressed the problem with clayey formations being present. In this study, a methodology is proposed to estimate anisotropic hydraulic conductivity and porosity values for the coastal aquifer with unconsolidated formations. For this purpose, the one-dimensional resistivity of the aquifer and the groundwater conductivity data are used to estimate porosity at discrete points. The hydraulic conductivity values are estimated by its mutual dependence with porosity and petrophysical parameters. From these estimated values, the bilinear relationship between hydraulic conductivity and aquifer resistivity is established based on the clay content of the sampled formation. The methodology is applied on a coastal aquifer along with the coastal Karnataka, India, which has significant clayey formations embedded in unconsolidated rock. The estimation of hydraulic conductivity values from the established correlations has a correlation coefficient of 0.83 with pumping test data, indicating good reliability of the methodology. The established correlations also enable the estimation of horizontal hydraulic conductivity on two-dimensional resistivity sections, which was not addressed by earlier studies. The inventive approach of using the established bilinear correlations at one-dimensional to two-dimensional resistivity sections is verified by the comparison method. The horizontal hydraulic conductivity agrees with previous findings from inverse modelling. Additionally, this study provides critical insights into the estimation of vertical hydraulic conductivity and an equation is formulated which relates vertical hydraulic conductivity with horizontal. Based on the approach presented, the anisotropic hydraulic conductivity of any type aquifer with embedded clayey formations can be estimated. The anisotropic hydraulic conductivity has the potential to be used as an important input to the groundwater models.     

Estimates of surface drifter trajectories in the equatorial Atlantic: a multi-model ensemble approach

We compared the estimates of surface drifter trajectories from 1 to 7?days in the equatorial Atlantic over an 18-month period with five eddying ocean general circulation model (OGCM) reanalyses and one observational product. The cumulative distribution of trajectory error was estimated using over 7,000?days of drifter trajectories. The observational product had smaller errors than any of the individual OGCM reanalyses. Three strategies for improving trajectory estimates using the ensemble of five operational ocean analysis and forecasting products were explored: two methods using a multi-model ensemble estimate and also spatial low-pass filtering. The results were insensitive to the method used to create the ensemble estimates, and by most measures, the results were better than the observational product. Comparison of relative skill of the various OGCM reanalyses suggested promising avenues for exploration for further improvements: forcing with higher frequency wind stress and quality control of input data. One of the lowest horizontal resolution OGCMs, with 1/4° longitude horizontal resolution, made the best trajectory estimates. The individual OGCMs were dominated by errors at spatial scales smaller than about 100 to 200?km, i.e., less than the local deformation radius. But buried in those errors were valuable signals that could be retrieved by combining all the OGCM velocity fields to produce a multi-model ensemble-based estimate. This estimate had skill down to spatial scales about 75?km. Results from this study are consistent with previous work showing that ensemble-mean forecast skill is superior to individual forecasts.     

Design considerations for a dedicated gravity recovery satellite mission consisting of two pairs of satellites

Future satellite missions dedicated to measuring time-variable gravity will need to address the concern of temporal aliasing errors; i.e., errors due to high-frequency mass variations. These errors have been shown to be a limiting error source for future missions with improved sensors. One method of reducing them is to fly multiple satellite pairs, thus increasing the sampling frequency of the mission. While one could imagine a system architecture consisting of dozens of satellite pairs, this paper explores the more economically feasible option of optimizing the orbits of two pairs of satellites. While the search space for this problem is infinite by nature, steps have been made to reduce it via proper assumptions regarding some parameters and a large number of numerical simulations exploring appropriate ranges for other parameters. A search space originally consisting of 15 variables is reduced to two variables with the utmost impact on mission performance: the repeat period of both pairs of satellites (shown to be near-optimal when they are equal to each other), as well as the inclination of one of the satellite pairs (the other pair is assumed to be in a polar orbit). To arrive at this conclusion, we assume circular orbits, repeat groundtracks for both pairs of satellites, a 100-km inter-satellite separation distance, and a minimum allowable operational satellite altitude of 290 km based on a projected 10-year mission lifetime. Given the scientific objectives of determining time-variable hydrology, ice mass variations, and ocean bottom pressure signals with higher spatial resolution, we find that an optimal architecture consists of a polar pair of satellites coupled with a pair inclined at 72°, both in 13-day repeating orbits. This architecture provides a 67% reduction in error over one pair of satellites, in addition to reducing the longitudinal striping to such a level that minimal post-processing is required, permitting a substantial increase in the spatial resolution of the gravity field products. It should be emphasized that given different sets of scientific objectives for the mission, or a different minimum allowable satellite altitude, different architectures might be selected.     

Ophiolites and the oceanic crust: New evidence from the Tyrrhenian sea and the Western Alps

The succession recovered in ODP hole 107–651 in the young oceanic Vavilov basin (Tyrrhenian Sea) comprises, beneath a thick Pleistocene to Upper Pliocene sedimentary cover (chiefly volcanoclastics), four basement units: (1) MORB-type basaltic pillows and breccias; (2) a complex succession made of dolerites, albitites, basaltic breccias, metadolerite pebbles (including an intercalated sandy layer with periodotite clasts); (3) MORB-type basaltic pillows and breccias; (4) highly serpentinized peridotite. Between units 3 and 4, granitoid pebbles occur.This sequence is surprisingly similar to successions known in the Western Alps' Tethyan ophiolites. There, the sediments (Callovian-Oxfordian radiolarian cherts) lie stratigraphically upon breccias mostly derived from underlying serpentinite, and sometimes gabbroic basement. At some places, thin basaltic (tholeiitic) pillows and breccias occur between the radiolarian cherts and the breccias.From the comparison between a present day setting (the central Tyrrhenian Sea) and a formerly emplaced basement succession (the Western Alps), we stress the following (a) both the here-discussed ophiolites and oceanic basement are different from classical ophiolite sequences; (b) both occurrences imply unroofing of mantle rocks that therefore were directly outcropping on the seafloor; (c) such a comparison may indicate a very slow spreading rate for the Alpine Tethyan ocean.     

Long-wavelength global gravity field models: GRIM4-S4, GRIM4-C4

Summary.  GFZ Potsdam and GRGS Toulouse/Grasse jointly developed a new pair of global models of the Earth's gravity field to satisfy the requirements of the recent and future geodetic and altimeter satellite missions. A precise gravity model is a prerequisite for precise satellite orbit restitution, tracking station positioning and altimeter data reduction. According to different applications envisaged, the new model exists in two parallel versions: the first one being derived exclusively from satellite tracking data acquired on 34 satellites, the second one further incorporating satellite altimeter data over the oceans and terrestrial gravity data. The most recent “satellite-only” gravity model is labelled GRIM4-S4 and the “combined” gravity model GRIM4-C4. The models are solutions in spherical harmonics and have a resolution up to degree and order 60 plus a few resonance terms in the case of GRIM4-S4, and up to degree/order 72 in the case of GRIM4-C4, corresponding to a spatial resolution of 555 km at the Earth's surface. The gravitational coefficients were estimated in a rigorous least squares adjustment simultaneously with ocean tidal terms and tracking station position parameters, so that each gravity model is associated with a consistent ocean tide model and a terrestrial reference frame built up by over 300 optical, laser and Doppler tracking stations. Comprehensive quality tests with external data and models, and test arc computations over a wide range of satellites have demonstrated the state-of-the-art capabilities of both solutions in long-wavelength geoid representation and in precise orbit computation. Received 1 February 1996; Accepted 17 July 1996     

Radiative surface temperature and convective flux calculation over crop canopies

The analysis presented in this paper aims at a better understanding of the potential role of radiative temperature, as measured by a radiometer over crops, in sensible heat flux calculation. Defining radiative temperature as the mean temperature of the surfaces viewed by the radiometer (leaves and soil surface) and assuming that an Ohm's law type formula can be used to express sensible heat flux as a function of the difference between air temperature and radiative temperature, the aerodynamic resistance which divides this temperature difference has been analytically defined. The parameters which appear in the resistance expression depend essentially on wind velocity and canopy structure but also on the inclination angle of the radiometer. Finally an experimental verification is presented with data obtained over a potato crop.     

Recent fold growth and drainage development: The Janauri and Chandigarh anticlines in the Siwalik foothills, northwest India

The active growth of a fault-and-thrust belt in frontal zones of Himalaya is a prominent topographical feature, extending 2500 km from Assam to Pakistan. In this paper, kinematical analysis of frontal anticlines and spatial mapping of active faults based on geomorphological features such as drainage pattern development, fault scarps and uplifted Quaternary alluvial fans are presented. We analyse the geomorphic and hydrographic expressions of the Chandigarh and the Janauri active anticlines in the NW India Siwaliks. To investigate the morphological scenario during the folding process, we used spatial imagery, geomorphometric parameters extracted from digital elevation models and fieldwork. Folding between the Beas and Sutlej Rivers gives clear geomorphological evidence of recent fold growth, presumably driven by movements of blind thrust faults. Structural style within the Janauri and Chandigarh anticlines is highly variable (fault-propagation folds, pop-up structures and transfer faults). The approach presented here involves analysis of topography and drainage incision of selected landforms to detect growth of active anticlines and transfer faults. Landforms that indicate active folding above a southwest-dipping frontal thrust and a northeast-dipping back-thrust are described. Along-strike differences in ridge morphology are measured to describe the interaction of river channel patterns with folds and thrust faults and to define history of anticline growth. The evolution of the apparently continuous Janauri ridge has occurred by the coalescence of independent segments growing towards each other. By contrast, systematic drainage basin asymmetry shows that the Chandigarh anticline ridge has propagated laterally from NW to SE.