Positioning requirements for the tsunami warning system

Abstract

Canada has increased the number of tsunami warning stations on the Pacific Coast from two to three. The last gauge was installed at the north end of Vancouver Island, thereby filling a large gap previously existing and providing full coverage along the coast. The record of gauges at two of the three locations is accessible either by telephone or by means of meteor burst communication, alleviating the difficulties experienced during the tsunami threat of May 6, 1986, when telephone communications were disrupted by heavy use. The gauge at Langara Island will be relocated in a more accessible and also a more tsunami‐responsive location at Rennell Sound in the Queen Charlotte Islands. All tsunami gauges also serve as tide gauges, recording the water level every 15 min. In the event of a tsunami, the recording interval can be altered to every 60 s. Suggestions have been made that Canada attempt deep‐sea recording of tsunamis off its Pacific Coast. Although this would be of great scientific value, no such program is contemplated at this time.     

The Bonneville Estates Rockshelter rodent fauna and changes in Late Pleistocene–Middle Holocene climates and biogeography in the Northern Bonneville Basin,USA

Excavations at Bonneville Estates Rockshelter, Nevada recovered rodent remains from stratified deposits spanning the past ca. 12,500 ¹⁴C yr BP (14,800 cal yr BP). Specimens from horizons dating to the late Pleistocene and early Holocene include species adapted to montane and moist and cool habitats, including yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) and bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea). Shortly after 9000 ¹⁴C BP (10,200 cal yr BP) these mammals became locally extinct, or nearly so, taxonomic diversity declined, and the region became dominated by desert woodrats (Neotoma lepida) and other species well-adapted to xeric, low-elevation settings. The timing and nature of changes in the Bonneville Estates rodent fauna are similar to records reported from nearby Homestead and Camels Back caves and provide corroborative data on terminal Pleistocene–early Holocene environments and mammalian responses to middle Holocene desertification. Moreover, the presence of northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) at Bonneville Estates adds to a sparse regional record for that species and, similar to Homestead Cave, it appears that the ca. 9500 ¹⁴C yr BP (10,800 cal yr BP) replacement of the northern pocket gopher by Botta's pocket gopher in the Great Salt Lake Desert vicinity was also in response to climate change.     

Relationship among titanium,rare earth elements,U–Pb ages and deformation microstructures in zircon: Implications for Ti-in-zircon thermometry

A zircon grain in an orthopyroxene–garnet–phlogopite–zircon–rutile-bearing xenolith from Udachnaya, Siberia, preserves a pattern of crystallographic misorientation and subgrain microstructure associated with crystal–plastic deformation. The zircon grain records significant variations in titanium (Ti) from 2.6 to 30 ppm that corresponds to a difference in calculated Ti-in-zircon temperatures of over several hundred degrees Celsius. The highest Ti concentration is measured at subgrain centres (30 ppm), and Ti is variably depleted at low-angle boundaries (down to 2.6 ppm). Variations in cathodoluminescence coincide with the deformation microstructure and indicate localised, differential enrichment of rare earth elements (REE) at low-angle boundaries. Variable enrichment of U and Th and systematic increase of Th/U from 1.61 to 3.52 occurs at low-angle boundaries. Individual SHRIMP-derived U–Pb ages from more deformed zones (mean age of 1799 ± 40, n = 22) are systematically younger than subgrain cores (mean age of 1851 ± 65 Ma, n = 7), and indicate that open system behaviour of Ti–Th–U occurred shortly after zircon growth, prior to the accumulation of significant radiogenic Pb. Modelling of trace-element diffusion distances for geologically reasonable thermal histories indicates that the observed variations are ~ 5 orders of magnitude greater than can be accounted for by volume diffusion. The data are best explained by enhanced diffusion of U, Th and Ti along deformation-related fast-diffusion pathways, such as dislocations and low-angle (< 5°) boundaries. These results indicate chemical exchange between zircon and the surrounding matrix and show that Ti-in-zircon thermometry and U–Pb geochronology from deformed zircon may not yield information relating to the conditions and timing of primary crystallisation.     

Future wave climate over the west-European shelf seas

In this paper, we investigate changes in the wave climate of the west-European shelf seas under global warming scenarios. In particular, climate change wind fields corresponding to the present (control) time-slice 1961–2000 and the future (scenario) time-slice 2061–2100 are used to drive a wave generation model to produce equivalent control and scenario wave climate. Yearly and seasonal statistics of the scenario wave climates are compared individually to the corresponding control wave climate to identify relative changes of statistical significance between present and future extreme and prevailing wave heights. Using global, regional and linked global–regional wind forcing over a set of nested computational domains, this paper further demonstrates the sensitivity of the results to the resolution and coverage of the forcing. It suggests that the use of combined forcing from linked global and regional climate models of typical resolution and coverage is a good option for the investigation of relative wave changes in the region of interest of this study. Coarse resolution global forcing alone leads to very similar results over regions that are highly exposed to the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, fine resolution regional forcing alone is shown to be insufficient for exploring wave climate changes over the western European waters because of its limited coverage. Results obtained with the combined global–regional wind forcing showed some consistency between scenarios. In general, it was shown that mean and extreme wave heights will increase in the future only in winter and only in the southwest of UK and west of France, north of about 44–45° N. Otherwise, wave heights are projected to decrease, especially in summer. Nevertheless, this decrease is dominated by local wind waves whilst swell is found to increase. Only in spring do both swell and local wind waves decrease in average height.     

Quantitative multi-risk analysis for natural hazards: a framework for multi-risk modelling

This paper introduces a generic framework for multi-risk modelling developed in the project ‘Regional RiskScape’ by the Research Organizations GNS Science and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd. (NIWA) in New Zealand. Our goal was to develop a generic technology for modelling risks from different natural hazards and for various elements at risk. The technical framework is not dependent on the specific nature of the individual hazard nor the vulnerability and the type of the individual assets. Based on this generic framework, a software prototype has been developed, which is capable of ‘plugging in’ various natural hazards and assets without reconfiguring or adapting the generic software framework. To achieve that, we developed a set of standards for treating the fundamental components of a risk model: hazards, assets (elements at risk) and vulnerability models (or fragility functions). Thus, the developed prototype system is able to accommodate any hazard, asset or fragility model, which is provided to the system according to that standard. The software prototype was tested by modelling earthquake, volcanic ashfall, flood, wind, and tsunami risks for several urban centres and small communities in New Zealand.     

Deccan volcanism linked to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary mass extinction: New evidence from ONGC wells in the Krishna-Godavari Basin

A scientific challenge is to assess the role of Deccan volcanism in the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (KTB) mass extinction. Here we report on the stratigraphy and biologic effects of Deccan volcanism in eleven deep wells from the Krishna-Godavari (K-G) Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India. In these wells, two phases of Deccan volcanism record the world’s largest and longest lava mega-flows interbedded in marine sediments in the K-G Basin about 1500 km from the main Deccan volcanic province. The main phase-2 eruptions (∼80% of total Deccan Traps) began in C29r and ended at or near the KTB, an interval that spans planktic foraminiferal zones CF1–CF2 and most of the nannofossil Micula prinsii zone, and is correlative with the rapid global warming and subsequent cooling near the end of the Maastrichtian. The mass extinction began in phase-2 preceding the first of four mega-flows. Planktic foraminifera suffered a 50% drop in species richness. Survivors suffered another 50% drop after the first mega-flow, leaving just 7 to 8 survivor species. No recovery occurred between the next three mega-flows and the mass extinction was complete with the last phase-2 mega-flow at the KTB. The mass extinction was likely the consequence of rapid and massive volcanic CO₂ and SO₂ gas emissions, leading to high continental weathering rates, global warming, cooling, acid rains, ocean acidification and a carbon crisis in the marine environment.     

Production of biosurfactant by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum and its role in biodegradation of crude oil

Nocardia otitidiscaviarum microbial type cultural collection 6471 isolated from oil contaminated Alang India seawater was examined for production of surface active compound. Isolate shows halos and α-heamolysis on cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and blood agar respectively indicating the production of biosurfactant. Biosurfactant was extracted by precipitation and was partially purified. Partially purified product was characterized by thin layer chromatography and Infra-red spectroscopy and was identified as glycolipid. Sugar present in glycolipid was rhamnose and hence, biosurfactant was quantified as rhamnose equivalent. Role of cell-surface hydrophobicity and emulsification activity in correlation with biosurfactant production was examined. Correlation between biosurfactant production, growth and crude oil degradation was also examined and showed positive correlation at significant level 0.001 and 0.01 respectively. Thus, this is a first report on a marine strain of Nocardia otitidiscaviarum microbial type culture collection 6471, which can be a potential candidate for restoration of oil contaminated marine environment.     

Analysis of photosynthetic picoeukaryote community structure along an extended Ellett Line transect in the northern North Atlantic reveals a dominance of novel prymnesiophyte and prasinophyte phylotypes

Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) of a size <3 ??m can contribute significantly to primary production. Here, PPE community structure was analysed along an extended Ellett Line transect, an area in the North Atlantic well studied by physical oceanographers but largely neglected in the field of microalgal ecology. Distribution patterns of specific PPE classes were determined using dot-blot hybridization analysis, while the taxonomic composition of specific PPE classes was revealed by phylogenetic analysis of plastid 16S rRNA gene sequences. In addition, we performed fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of seawater samples collected along the transect to provide a PCR-independent survey of class level PPE distribution patterns. We found the PPE community was dominated by members of the Prymnesiophyceae, Prasinophyceae and Mamiellophyceae. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis revealed several novel Prymnesiophyceae and Prasinophyceae phylotypes (with only 85-96% identity to neighbouring sequences) within lineages for which cultured counterparts are unknown.     

Timing and mechanisms controlling evaporite diapirism on Ellef Ringnes Island,Canadian Arctic Archipelago

The Permo‐Carboniferous to Eocene Sverdrup Basin in Canada's Arctic Archipelago is strongly influenced by evaporite diapirism. However, salt structures within the basin have not been extensively investigated recently due to their remote location. This study includes the interpretation of legacy seismic reflection and borehole data to characterize the geometry of selected evaporite domes, and 1D backstripping of wells to investigate tectonic and sedimentary influences on diapirism. Extensional rift‐structures appear to have played a significant role in the formation of evaporite domes by triggering and directing salt movement. Diapirism was initiated by at least the Middle Triassic and continued to develop during the Mesozoic. Differential loading of salt on opposing east–west dome margins led to their present day asymmetric geometries. Diapir growth rates in the Mesozoic were closely linked to the rate of sedimentation and influenced by regional tectonism.