A review of the NEMURO and NEMURO.FISH models and their application to marine ecosystem investigations

The evolution of the North Pacific Ecosystem Model for Understanding Regional Oceanography (NEMURO) family of models to study marine ecosystems is reviewed. Applications throughout the North Pacific have shown the models to be robust and to be able to reproduce 1D, 2D and 3D components of nutrient, carbon cycle and biogeochemical cycles as well as aspects of the lower trophic levels ecosystem (phyto- and zooplankton). NEMURO For Including Saury and Herring, an extension that includes higher trophic levels, can be run uncoupled or coupled to NEMURO. In the uncoupled mode, the growth and weight of an individual fish is computed using plankton densities simulated by NEMURO but with no feedback between fish consumption and plankton mortality. In the coupled mode, the feeding, growth and weight of a representative fish are computed, and prey removals due to feeding by fish appear as mortality terms on the prey. The NEMURO family of models continues to evolve, including effects of the microbial loop and iron limitation at lower trophic levels, and full life cycle, multi-species and multi-generational simulations at higher trophic levels. We outline perspectives for future end-to-end modeling efforts that can be used to study marine ecosystems in response to global environmental change.     

Timing of advance and basal condition of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the last glacial maximum in the Richardson Mountains,NWT

This study presents new ages for the northwest section of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) glacial chronology from material recovered from two retrogressive thaw slumps exposed in the Richardson Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada. One study site, located at the maximum glacial limit of the LIS in the Richardson Mountains, had calcite concretions recovered from aufeis buried by glacial till that were dated by U/Th disequilibrium to 18,500 cal yr BP. The second site, located on the Peel Plateau to the east yielded a fossil horse (Equus) mandible that was radiocarbon dated to ca. 19,700 cal yr BP. These ages indicate that the Peel Plateau on the eastern flanks of the Richardson Mountains was glaciated only after 18,500 cal yr BP, which is later than previous models for the global last glacial maximum (LGM). As the LIS retreated the Peel Plateau around 15,000 cal yr BP, following the age of the Tutsieta phase, we conclude that the presence of the northwestern margin of the LIS at its maximum limit was a very short event in the western Canadian Arctic.     

Geomorphic response to growing fault-related folds: example from the foothills of central Taiwan

Abstract

In this paper we concentrate particularly on the geomorphological indicators left by active tectonics. In the central foothills of Taiwan, we used topography, drainage pattern and structural data to perform quantitative morphometric analysis and to determine relative age of fault-related anticlines. The Tiehchen, Tatu and Pakua ridge belt is a fault-related anticline system located in the hanging wall of the Changhua fault along the western thrust front of the foothills. Geomorphic systems are analysed with intent to detect the various responses of landforms and drainage pattern to late Quaternary deformation. Topography and drainage basin register uplift and are valuable tools to discriminate lateral propagation of an active frontal fold. Geomorphic field evidence and quantitative morphometric parameters are used to define the evolution of the rising anticline ridges and to infer tectonism style along an active front. Geometry of alluvial fans, formed along the frontal side of the anticlines, and weathered terrace deposits provide relevant information on neotectonics. Knowledge concerning these younger anticline ridges, makes this area a good example of an actively forming mountain front. We discuss in detail the origin of N045°, N095 and N120° trending oblique fault scarps which delimite numerous fault blocks. The fault scarps morphology is characterized by imbricate talus facets. Steeper topography accompanied by breaks in the slope along some transverse profiles, seems to correspond to the traces of successive uplifts. © 2001 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS     

Multi-stage evolution of a sub-aerial volcanic ridge over the last 1.3 Myr: S. Jorge Island, Azores Triple Junction

New K/Ar dating and geochemical analyses have been carried out on the WNW–ESE elongated oceanic island of S. Jorge to reconstruct the volcanic evolution of a linear ridge developed close to the Azores triple junction. We show that S. Jorge sub-aerial construction encompasses the last 1.3 Myr, a time interval far much longer than previously reported. The early development of the ridge involved a sub-aerial building phase exposed in the southeast end of the island and now constrained between 1.32 ± 0.02 and 1.21 ± 0.02 Ma. Basic lavas from this older stage are alkaline and enriched in incompatible elements, reflecting partial melting of an enriched mantle source. At least three differentiation cycles from alkaline basalts to mugearites are documented within this stage. The successive episodes of magma rising, storage and evolution suggest an intermittent re-opening of the magma feeding system, possibly due to recurrent tensional or trans-tensional tectonic events. Present data show a gap in sub-aerial volcanism before a second main ongoing building phase starting at about 750 ka. Sub-aerial construction of the S. Jorge ridge migrated progressively towards the west, but involved several overlapping volcanic episodes constrained along the main WNW–ESE structural axis of the island. Mafic magmas erupted during the second phase have been also generated by partial melting of an enriched mantle source. Trace element data suggest, however, variable and lower degrees of partial melting of a shallower mantle domain, which is interpreted as an increasing control of lithospheric deformation on the genesis and extraction of primitive melts during the last 750 kyr. The multi-stage development of the S. Jorge volcanic ridge over the last 1.3 Myr has most likely been greatly influenced by regional tectonics, controlled by deformation along the diffuse boundary between the Nubian and the Eurasian plates, and the increasing effect of sea-floor spreading at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.     

An integrated multi-azimuth VSP study for fracture characterization in the vicinity of a well

We present the analysis of a multi-azimuth vertical seismic profiling data set that has been acquired in a tight gas field with the objective of characterizing fracture distributions using seismic anisotropy. We investigate different measurements of anisotropy, which are shear-wave splitting, P-wave traveltime anisotropy and azimuthal amplitude variation with offset. We find that for our field case shear-wave splitting is the most robust measure of azimuthal anisotropy, which is clearly observed over two distinct intervals in the target. We compare the results of the vertical seismic profiling analysis with other borehole data from the same well. Cross-dipole sonic and Formation MicroImager data from the reservoir section suggest that no open fractures intersect the well or are present within half a metre of the borehole wall. Furthermore, a detailed dispersion analysis of the sonic scanner data provides no indication of stress-induced seismic anisotropy along the logged borehole section. We therefore explain the azimuthal anisotropy measured in the vertical seismic profiling data with a model that contains discrete fracture corridors, which do not intersect the well itself but lie within the vertical seismic profiling investigation radius. We show that such a model can reproduce some basic characteristics of azimuthal anisotropy observed in the vertical seismic profiling data. The model is also consistent with well test data that suggest the presence of a fracture corridor away from the well. With this study we demonstrate the necessity of integrating different data types that investigate different scales of rock volume and can provide complementary information for understanding the characteristics of fracture networks in the subsurface.     

Loading effect of a self-consistent equilibrium ocean pole tide on the gravimetric parameters of the gravity pole tides at superconducting gravimeter stations

The gravimetric parameters of the gravity pole tide are the amplitude factor δ, which is the ratio of gravity variations induced by polar motion for a real Earth to variations computed for a rigid one, and the phase difference κ between the observed and the rigid gravity pole tide. They can be estimated from the records of superconducting gravimeters (SGs). However, they are affected by the loading effect of the ocean pole tide. Recent results from TOPEX/Poseidon (TP) altimeter confirm that the ocean pole tide has a self-consistent equilibrium response. Accordingly, we calculate the gravity loading effects as well as their influence on the gravimetric parameters of gravity pole tide at all the 26 SG stations in the world on the assumption of a self-consistent equilibrium ocean pole tide model. The gravity loading effect is evaluated between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2006. Numerical results show that the amplitude of the gravity loading effect reaches 10⁻⁹ m s⁻², which is larger than the accuracy (10⁻¹⁰ m s⁻²) of a SG. The gravimetric factor δ is 1% larger at all SG stations. Then, the contribution of a self-consistent ocean pole tide to the pole tide gravimetric parameters cannot be ignored as it exceeds the current accuracy of the estimation of the pole tide gravity factors. For the nine stations studied in Ducarme et al. [Ducarme, B., Venedikov, A.P., Arnoso, J., et al., 2006. Global analysis of the GGP superconducting gravimeters network for the estimation of the pole tide gravimetric amplitude factor. J. Geodyn. 41, 334–344.], the mean of the modeled tidal factors δ_m = 1.1813 agrees very well with the result of a global analysis δ_CH = 1.1816 ± 0.0047 in that paper. On the other hand, the modeled phase difference κ_m varies from −0.273° to 0.351°. Comparing to the two main periods of the gravity pole tide, annual period and Chandler period, κ_m is too small to be considered. Therefore, The computed time difference κ_L induced by a self-consistent ocean pole tide produces a negligible effect on κ_m. It confirms the results of Ducarme et al., 2006, where no convincing time difference was found in the SG records.     

Chemical evolution of thermal waters and changes in the hydrothermal system of Papandayan volcano (West Java,Indonesia) after the November 2002 eruption

Papandayan is a stratovolcano situated in West Java, Indonesia. Since the last magmatic eruption in 1772, only few hydrothermal explosions have occurred. An explosive eruption occurred in November 2002 and ejected ash and altered rocks. The altered rocks show that an advanced argillic alteration took place in the hydrothermal system by interaction between acid fluids and rocks. Four zones of alteration have been defined and are limited in extension and shape along faults or across permeable structures at different levels beneath the active crater of the volcano.