Present limitations of accurate satellite Doppler positioning for tectonics. An example: Djibouti

One of the possibilities of the Doppler positioning from satellite is to provide geodetic measurements continuous in time without the need for reference stations. If measurements of sufficient accuracy can be achieved they may be used to study local surface displacements in relation to tectonic activity. A Doppler receiver of the MEDOC network is located near Djibouti in the Ghoubhat-Asal rift region which corresponds to the accreting plate boundary between the Arabian and African plates. In November 1978, a seismic and volcanic crisis occured in this area. Surface geodetic measurements and levellings performed in 1973 and 1978–79, just after the crisis, reveal a 60–80 cm sinking of the graben floor and a lateral extension of about 2 meters. Here we analyse Doppler measurements for the period January 1977 to November 1980. Point positions are computed for 7 to 10 day intervals using a precise ephemeris, and a moving window analysis is applied to the data. An apparent 2 meter uplift preceding the November 1978 seismic crisis is detected at Djibouti, whereas no similar phenomenon is observed at the two closest stations, Pretoria and Uccle-Brussels. However, field observations rule out a tectonic origin for this uplift. In Djibouti, the correlation between the apparent vertical station position and the electron density in the ionospheric F-layer reveals that a bias may be induced by the third order term of the ionospheric refractive index not previously taken into account, or more probably by the ray curvature through the ionosphere. This bias is particularly strong for our data set, from a station located close to the magnetic equator, and related to a period of rapid increase in the solar activity. Although our analysis fails to detect any tectonic displacement related to the rift seismic activity, it shows that similar tectonic studies by the Doppler method will be possible once the residual ionospheric errors are removed, for example by use of higher radio frequencies.     

Eruptive history of the Colima volcanic complex (Mexico)

The evolution of the Colima volcanic complex can be divided into successive periods characterized by different dynamic and magmatic processes: emission of andesitic to dacitic lava flows, acid-ash and pumice-flow deposits, fallback nuées ardentes leading to pyroclastic flows with heterogeneous magma, plinian air-fall deposits, scoriae cones of alkaline and calc-alkaline nature. Four caldera-forming events, resulting either from major ignimbrite outbursts or Mount St. Helens-type eruptions, separate the main stages of development of the complex from the building of an ancient shield volcano (25 × 30 km wide) up to two summit cones, Nevado and Fuego.The oldest caldera, C1 (7–8 km wide), related to the pouring out of dacitic ash flows, marks the transition between two periods of activity in the primitive edifice called Nevado I: the first one, which is at least 0.6 m.y. old, was mainly andesitic and effusive, whereas the second one was characterized by extrusion of domes and related pyroclastic products. A small summit caldera, C2 (3–3.5 km wide), ended the evolution of Nevado I.Two modern volcanoes then began to grow. The building of the Nevado II started about 200,000 y. ago. It settled into the C2 caldera and partially overflowed it. The other volcano, here called Paleofuego, was progressively built on the southern side of the former Nevado I. Some of its flows are 50,000 y. old, but the age of its first outbursts is not known. However, it is younger than Nevado II. These two modern volcanoes had similar evolutions. Each of them was affected by a huge Mount St. Helens-type (or Bezymianny-type) event, 10,000 y. ago for the Paleofuego, and hardly older for the Nevado II. The landslides were responsible for two horseshoe-shaped avalanche calderas, C3 (Nevado) and C4 (Paleofuego), each 4–5 km wide, opening towards the east and the south. In both cases, the activity following these events was highly explosive and produced thick air-fall deposits around the summit craters.The Nevado III, formed by thick andesitic flows, is located close to the southwestern rim of the C3 caldera. It was a small and short-lived cone. Volcan de Fuego, located at the center of the C4 caldera, is nearly 1500 m high. Its activity is characterized by an alternation of long stages of growth by flows and short destructive episodes related to violent outbursts producing pyroclastic flows with heterogeneous magma and plinian air falls.The evolution of the primitive volcano followed a similar pattern leading to formation of C1 and then C2. The analogy between the evolutions of the two modern volcanoes (Nevado II–III; Paleofuego-Fuego) is described. Their vicinity and their contemporaneous growth pose the problem of the existence of a single reservoir, or two independent magmatic chambers, after the evolution of a common structure represented by the primitive volcano.     

Une mégaséquence d'émersion: la Lettenkohle (Trias Est de la France). Mise en évidence de marées par l'imbrication bipolaire de plaques de dessiccation

Résumé Dès la partie moyenne du Muschelkalk supérieur, les faciès marins francs deviennent de moins en moins profonds. Avec l'avènement de la Lettenkohle, la transgression marine à son maximum dans le Muschelkalk supérieur, semble s'épuiser. Le caractère régressif est attesté par le relais de faciès récifaux, par des dépÔts littoraux et des marais cÔtiers. Cette évolution est marquée par l'édification d'une mégaséquence d'émersion complète. Des indices de marées sous forme d'imbrications bipolaires de plaques de dessiccation ainsi que des chenaux tidaux ont été observés. Certaines structures tidales ont été comparées avec celles de l'estran du Mont-Saint-Michel en Normandie (France).

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From the Middle Upper Muschelkalk the marine facies are becoming less deep. At the beginning of the Lettenkohle the marine transgression which had reached a maximum in the Upper Muschelkalk now seems to decline. Regression is evidenced by progressive replacement of reef facies by coastal deposits and supratidal marshes. The process results in the erection of the coarsening upward cycle of a progressive complete emergence.The trace of tides, i.e. bipolar desiccation clast fabric as well as tidal channels have been observed. Some tidal structures are compared with those of the depositional environment of Mont Saint Michel (Normandie).

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Zusammenfassung Schon im mittleren Oberen Muschelkalk zeigen die vollmarinen Fazies eine allmähliche Verringerung der Meerestiefe. Mit dem Auftreten der Lettenkohle scheint die im Oberen Muschelkalk optimale Transgression langsam abzuklingen. Ein progressiver übergang von einer marinen Riffbildung zu einem Küstenlandmoor veranschaulicht eine Regression. Dieser Vorgang bildet die Megasequenz einer progressiven totalen Emersion.Gezeiteneinflüsse werden an eingeregelten Trockenri\klasten und Rinnen beobachtet. Wattgefüge werden mit denen des heutigen Wattablagerungsmilieu des Mont Saint Michel in der Normandie verglichen.

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Isotopic study of the Manaslu granite (Himalaya,Nepal): inferences on the age and source of Himalayan leucogranites

A detailed isotopic study of the Manaslu leucogranite was carried out. A U-Pb age of 25 Ma and a whole rock Rb-Sr age isochron of 18 Ma were obtained, suggesting that the magmatic activity lasted at least 7 Ma. Initial Sr isotopic ratios are very high (0.740 to 0.760) and initial Nd isotopic ratios are low ( _Nd ⁱⁿ : –13 to –16), and they show the existence of large isotopic variations even at the metre scale. These are not the result of perturbations by fluids but rather they reflect the initial isotopic heterogeneity of the source material which has not been obliterated by magmatic processes (e.g. fusion, mixing by convection). These results also support the crustal origin of this leucogranite. The Tibetan slab paragneisses, whose Sr and Nd isotopic ratios are very similar to those of the granite at an age of 20 Ma, are the most probable parental material. Nd model ages for both the leucogranite and the gneisses are in the range 1.5–2 Ga. A model of formation of the Manaslu granite by coalescence of different batches of magma is in agreement with the present data.     

Etude des Déformations et Inclinaisons du Sous-sol: Développements Instrumentaux et Applications dans la Région Sismique d’Arette,France

We present a modified version of a tilt and strain meter conceived to have great sensibility and good stability. These instruments were deployed in a cave at the seismic Pyrenean region of Arette (France). We set in evidence several types of phenomena, of which deformations brought about by water recharge filling up fissures on the massif are of importance. Owing to the redundance in the data, the study of the co-seismic deformations allows one to separate instrumental displacements and local readjustments from regional motions.     

A simplified approach for vulnerability assessment in moderate-to-low seismic hazard regions: application to Grenoble (France)

Due to the moderate seismic risks in France, the building vulnerability assessment methods developed for high seismic risk countries could not easily be used here because of their cost and the low-risk perception among the public and officials. A light vulnerability assessment method is proposed and tested in Grenoble (France), based on classes and scores provided in the GNDT method but simplified in terms of visual screening and number of structural parameters used. Compared to the RiskUE method, the damage obtained by our approach shows that 90% of buildings have residuals smaller than 0.2, i.e. one grade of the EMS98 damage scale. A large scale survey is devised and conducted among the inhabitants of Grenoble in order to collect the main structural parameters. By comparing the results from the survey to the historical urbanization of Grenoble and to expert surveys performed in two urban districts, the information useful for the light method of vulnerability assessment can be rapidly collected by non-experts reducing substantially the estimate cost. The average damage is then computed using the GNDT formula considering the probable intensities which could be observed in Grenoble (VII and VIII). The average damage reaches 0.4 in the oldest part of Grenoble mainly made of masonry buildings and 0.2 in reinforced concrete suburbs where reinforced concrete predominates. The results are a relative vulnerability assessment that provides useful initial information for the urban zones of Grenoble where the vulnerability is higher. This method can be used to classify the seismic vulnerability in wide seismic-prone regions to a fair degree of accuracy and at low cost.     

Inversion of interference hydraulic pumping tests in both homogeneous and fractal dual media

This work proposes a complete method for automatic inversion of data from hydraulic interference pumping tests based on both homogeneous and fractal dual-medium approaches. The aim is to seek a new alternative concept able to interpret field data, identify macroscopic hydraulic parameters and therefore enhance the understanding of flow in porous fractured reservoirs. Because of its much contrasted sensitivities to parameters, the dual-medium approach yields an ill-posed inverse problem that requires a specific optimization procedure including the calculation of analytical sensitivities and their possible re-scaling. Once these constraints are fulfilled, the inversion proves accurate, provides unambiguous and reliable results. In the fractal context inverting several drawdown curves from different locations at the same time reveals more accurate. Finally, hydraulic parameters drawn from inversion should be taken into account to improve in various situations the conditioning of up-scaled flow in fractured rocks.     

Adaptation of prestack migration to multi-offset ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data

In adapting the prestack migration technique used in seismic imaging to the inversion of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) from time‐ to depth‐sections, we show that the theoretical integral formulation of the inversion can be applied to electromagnetic problems, albeit with three assumptions. The first two assumptions concern the electromagnetic characteristics of the medium, primarily that the medium must be perfectly resistive and non‐dispersive, and the third concerns the antennae radiation pattern, which is taken to be 2D. The application of this adaptation of the inversion method is confirmed by migrating actual GPR measurements acquired on the test site of the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées. The results show good agreement with the geometry of the structures in the medium and confirm that the possible departure from the assumption of a purely resistive medium has no visible effect on the information concerning the geometry of scattering and reflecting structures. The field experiments also show that prestack migration processing is sufficiently robust with regard to the assumption of a non‐dispersive medium. The assumption of a 2D antennae radiation pattern, however, produces artefacts that could be significant for laterally heterogeneous media. Nevertheless, where the medium is not highly laterally heterogeneous, the migration gives a clear image of the scattering potential due to the geometry of structural contrasts in the medium; the scatterers are well focused from diffraction hyperbolae and well localized. Spatial geometry has limited dimensional accuracy and positions are located with a maximum error equal to the minimum wavelength of the signal bandpass. Objects smaller than one wavelength can nevertheless be detected and well focused if their dielectric contrasts are sufficiently high, as in the case of iron or water in gneiss gravels. Furthermore, the suitability of multi‐offset protocols to estimate the electromagnetic propagating velocity and to decrease the non‐coherent noise level of measurements is confirmed. Our velocity estimation is based on the semblance calculation of multi‐offset migrated images, and we confirmed the relevance of this quantification method using numerical data. The signal‐to‐noise ratio is improved by summing multi‐offset results after the addition of random noise on measurements. Thus the adaptation of prestack migration to multi‐offset radar measurements significantly improves the resolution of the scattering potential of the medium. Limitations associated with the methods used here suggest that 3D algorithms should be applied to strongly laterally heterogeneous media and further studies concerning the waveform inversion are necessary to obtain information about the electric nature of the medium.