Spectral analysis of earthquake migration in South America

Earthquake migration along linear seismic belts is investigated by analyzing spacetime diagrams using spectral analysis. In order to sample the earthquakes in the space-time domain, they must first be convolved with a (sinx sint)/xt surface to obtain an unbiased and alias free twodimensional Fourier spectrum. Further enhancements are provided by selectively stacking patterns (a pattern is defined as the distribution of earthquakes in space and time before a particular earthquake), thereby reinforcing the similarities within the various patterns. With these techniques, it is possible to quantitatively estimate the migration rates (from theirspatial frequencies) and recurrence intervals (from theirtemporal frequencies) of large earthquakes in South America.Preliminary examination of the spectra for South America indicates that a low frequency peak occurs at approximately 2500 km and 27 years for earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 7.7. The results suggest a migration rate of approximately 95 km/yr from south to north and a recurrence interval of 27 years.     

Constraints on the Palaeoproterozoic tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Lewisian Gneiss Complex,NW Scotland: Implications for Nuna assembly

Despite extensive investigation, the tectono-thermal evolution of the Archean crust in the Lewisian Gneiss Complex in NW Scotland (LGC) is debated. Most U–Pb zircon geochronological and metamorphic studies have focused on rocks from the central region of the mainland LGC, where granulite facies assemblages associated with the oldest (Badcallian) tectono-metamorphic event at c. 2.75 Ga are overprinted by younger amphibolite facies assemblages related to the Inverian (c. 2.5 Ga) and subsequent Laxfordian (c. 1.9–1.65 Ga) tectono-thermal events. In the southern and northern regions of the mainland LGC, deformation and metamorphism associated with the Laxfordian event are pervasive, although the timing and conditions are poorly constrained. Here, we present new field, petrographic and structural data, U–Pb zircon and titanite geochronology and phase equilibrium modelling of amphibolite samples from the northern and southern regions. Our field observations show that in both regions, pre-Laxfordian structures are significantly reworked by steep NW-striking fabrics that are themselves pervasively overprinted by co-axial deformation and amphibolite facies metamorphism related to the Laxfordian event. In situ U–Pb titanite geochronology yields Laxfordian ages of 1853 ± 20 Ma in the southern region (P = 6–8 kbar and T = 640–690°C) and 1750 ± 20 Ma and 1776 ± 10 Ma in the northern region (P = 6–7.5 kbar and T = 740–760°C). While U–Pb dating of zircon rims from felsic gneisses in the central region shows a dominant Inverian metamorphic overprint at c. 2500 Ma, zircon rims in felsic gneisses from the northern and southern regions commonly yield Laxfordian dates as young as c. 1800 Ma. Combined, the results support the idea that, during the Palaeoproterozoic, the central region of the LGC acted as low-strain domain, in which intense deformation and metamorphism were restricted to crustal-scale shear zones. By contrast, in the southern and northern regions, early (c. 1.85 Ga) and late (c. 1.75 Ga) Laxfordian deformation and fluid-mediated metamorphism were much more pervasive and at higher P–T conditions than previously proposed. The diachronous Laxfordian evolution of the southern and northern regions indicate that they reflect early and late snapshots of collisional to transpressional tectonics in the mainland LGC. The long-lasting Laxfordian evolution documents the collision of the Rae and North Atlantic cratons during the Palaeoproterozoic amalgamation of the supercontinent Nuna, with implications for the palaeogeographic configuration of NW Scotland during Palaeoproterozoic Nuna.     

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of transverse extensional faults in a foreland basin: Response to changes in tectonic plate processes

Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene strata in the easternmost part of the Southern Pyrenees, up to 4 km thick, provide information on tectono-sedimentary evolution of faults transversal to the Pyrenean chain. To know how changes in tectonic plate processes control the structural evolution of transverse faults and the synchronous thickness and lithological distribution of sedimentary strata in a foreland basin, field observations, interpretation of 2D seismic lines tied to lithostratigraphic data of exploration wells and gravity modelling constrains were carried out. This resulted in the following two tectono-sedimentary phases in a foreland basin: first phase, dominated by transverse extensional faulting, synchronous with deposition of marine carbonates (ca. 57 to 51 Ma); and second phase, characterized by transverse contractional faulting, coeval to accumulation of marine and transitional siliciclastics (51 to 44 Ma). During the first phase, Iberia and Adria were moving to the east and west respectively. Therefore, lithospheric flexure in the easternmost part of the Iberian plate was developed due to that Sardinia was over-thrusting Iberia. Consequently, activation of E-dipping normal faults was generated giving rise to thick-deep and thin-shallow carbonate platform deposits across the hanging walls and footwalls of the transverse structures. During the second phase, a shearing interaction between Iberia and Sardinia prevailed re-activating the transverse faults as contractional structures generating thin-shelf and thick-submarine fan deposits across the hanging walls and footwalls of the transverse structures. In the transition between the first and second phases, evaporitic conditions dominated in the basin suggesting a tectonic control on basin marine restriction. The results of our study demonstrate how thickness and lithology distribution, controlled by transverse faulting in a compressional regimen, are influenced by phases related to processes affecting motions and interactions between tectonic plates and continental blocks.     

The volume and surface area of a uniformly rotating polytrope

This paper develops algebraic expressions for the volume and surface area of a uniformly rotating polytrope. The expressions depend on an analytic theory for boundary shape developed in previous papers. A comparison with the calculations of James indicates the present theory improves on the original Chandrasekhar theory by a factor 10 or more.     

Reduction of geomagnetic measurements at sea in the vicinity of the geomagnetic equator

Summary On the dayside of the Earth, a huge current system, the so-called equatorial electrojet, flows along the magnetic dip equator in the ionosphere, mainly in easterly direction. At the surface of the Earth it generates strong variations of the geomagnetic field which severely impair marine geomagnetic measurements. Independent of its changing intensity, the position of the current system is remarkably constant.For marine geomagnetic measurements in the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea the latitude dependence of the variations was determined from the data themselves, using an appropriate functional relation. By a digital filter it was taken into consideration that the slowly changing parts are less latitude-dependent. Thus, with one recording station, it was possible to reduce the variations to only 15% of their original size for distances up to 500 km.Using the comprehensive data set of two research cruises into the Dangerous Grounds area of the South China Sea, it is shown which statements on the structure of the crust are possible with the corrected data.

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Die Reduktion erdmagnetischer Messungen auf See in der Nähe des magnetischen Äquators

Zusammenfassung Entlang des magnetischen Inklinations-Äquators fließt auf der Tagseite der Erde in der Ionosphäre ein riesiges Stromsystem, der sogenannte Äquatoriale Elektroje. Es erzeugt an der Erdoberfläche starke zeitliche Veränderungen des erdmagnetischen Feldes, die seemagnetische Vermessungen erheblich beeinträchtigen. Die Lage des Stromsystems ist auch bei wechselnden Stromstärken bemerkenswert konstant. Für seemagnetische Messungen im Südchinesischen Meer wurde die Breitenabhängigkeit der Variationen unter Benutzung eines geeigneten Funktionsansatzes aus den Daten selbst bestimmt. Durch eine Filterung wurde berücksichtigt, daß langsam veränderliche Anteile weniger stark breitenabhängig sind. Dadurch gelang es, die Variationen unter Benutzung einer einzigen Registrierstation in Entfernungen bis 500 km auf nur 15% zu reduzieren.An Hand des umfangreichen Meßdatensatzes zweier Forschungsfahrten in das Gebiet der Dangerous Grounds im Südchinesischen Meer wird gezeigt, welche geowissenschaftlichen Aussagen über den Aufbau der Erdkruste nach der Verbesserung möglich werden.

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Réduction des mesures de magnétisme à la mer effectuées au voisinage de l'équateur géomagnétique

Résumé Du côté jour de la terre, un flux plasmatique puissant appelé électrojet équatorial s'écoule le long de l'équateur magnétique (champ total et composante horizontale identiques) dans l'ionosphère, principalement en direction de l'Est. Ce flux engendre à la surface du globe de fortes variations du champ géomagnétique, qui ont pour effet de perturber sévèrement les mesures de magnétisme à la mer. La position de ce courant est d'une constance remarquable, et indépendante de ses variations d'intensité.Pour les mesures de magnétisme effectuées dans les mers de Chine Sud et de Sulu, les variations en fonction de la latitude ont été déterminées à partir des données elles-mêmes, au moyen de relations fonctionelles appropriées. L'emploi d'un filtre digital a permis de tenir compte du fait que les éléments variables lentement sont moins dépendants de la latitude. C'est ainsi qu'avec une station d'enregistrement, il a été possible de réduire les variations à 15% seulement de leur valeur originale jusqu'à des distances de 500 km.En s'appuyant sur la collection très complète de données recueillies au cours de deux campagnes de recherche effectuées dans la zone des Hauts-fonds dangereux, au Sud de la mer de Chine, on montre les hypothèses qu'il est possible de formuler quant à la structure de la croûte, à partir des données corrigées.