Correction of the level of magnification of the SVK vertical seismograph at the seismic station of průhonice (PRU)

Summary Drawing on the results of new measurements of the mechanical parameters of the SVK seismometer No. 5055, the level of magnification of the vertical seismograph used in the past, has been corrected. The amplitudes of the seismic waves from earthquakes in the period 1963–1978 have to be increased by 88% and the station correction for determining the magnitudes of earthquakes decreased by 0.274.     

Comparison of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity Effects on the Northern Hemisphere Weather Changes

The changes of pressure and temperature fields in the winter lower troposphere observed in association with changes in solar and/or geomagnetic activity are compared. It is shown that the fact whether it was solar or geomagnetic activity was not so important as whether the levels of the two activities were high or low. The differences between the effects of solar/geomagnetic activity, however, are revealed, the pressure and temperature data being stratified according to the QBO phase. The relationship obtained are discussed from the viewpoint of mechanisms resting upon both the planetary wave propagation and the changes of atmospheric air currents in the global electric circuit.     

Present-day seismicity of the south-eastern Elbe Fault System (NE Bohemian Massif)

The Variscan Bohemian Massif is disrupted by the NW-SE striking Elbe Fault System in its northern part. The increased tectonic activity associated with this structure is manifested by increased seismicity in the eastern part of the Sudetes. With the use of a temporary local seismic network, the total number of micro-earthquakes located in this region increased to 153 for the period 1996–2003. The local magnitudes vary between −0.6 and 1.8 and the seismic energy was often released in swarm-like sequences. Five seismic events with well-defined P-onset polarities at five or six stations enabled the estimation of focal mechanisms. The present-day activity of the WNW-ESE to NNW-SSE fault systems is discussed on the basis of source mechanisms, the alignment of the epicentres, as well as morphological and geological evidence. The majority of the recent seismic activity is concentrated in a 40–60 km wide zone of a generally NW-SE trend. This structure represents a regional zone of weakness within the SE termination of the Elbe Fault System, defined by a mesh of interconnected faults, of which many are deep-seated and highly permeable and some are associated with light to moderate historical earthquakes. Both in the areas due south and due north of this zone the present-day seismic activity is very low. The increased tectonic activity can be interpreted as a result of the abundance of suitably oriented faults and their interconnection into major fault systems, the proximity of the Outer Carpathian indentor and the Cainozoic volcanic and associated recent post-volcanic activity. The similar character of swarms and their coincidence with the post-volcanic activity in the southeastern part of the Elbe Fault System and in some focal zones of the western Bohemian seismically active area suggests that overpressurized fluids may represent a potential swarm-triggering mechanism.     

Permafrost occurrence during the Last Permafrost Maximum in the Western Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia as inferred from cryogenic cave carbonate

Coarse crystalline cryogenic cave carbonate (CCC) forms during the slow freezing of standing water pools and represents indirect proof of freezing temperature in the past. The dating by U‐series of CCC deposits from nine caves in the Western Carpathians Mountains of Slovakia suggests that freezing conditions, and possible permafrost conditions, occurred during the Last Permafrost Maximum (LPM, c. 20–18 ka BP). The CCC deposits occur in caves at elevations of between 800 and 1800 m a.s.l. They point to widespread alpine permafrost, the lower limit of discontinuous/sporadic permafrost being approximately 800 m a.s.l. The thickness of permafrost probably varied between 30 and 180 m. In the Vysoké Tatry Mountains at altitudes of ～1800 m a.s.l., one occurrence of CCC suggests that subzero temperatures may have penetrated to a depth of over 285 m.     

The localization of fireball trajectories with the help of seismic networks

The seismic network can be used for the localization of the fireball trajectory in the atmosphere. The types of sonic or blasting waves, created during the meteorid’s penetration of the atmosphere, are discussed. The practical use of the localization based on cylindrical or spherical waves is shown on the examples of fireballs Morávka (2000), B?eclav (2007), Jesenice (2009) and Ko?ice (2010).     

Reflection/transmission laws for slowness vectors in viscoelastic anisotropic media

The reflection/transmission laws (R/T laws) of plane waves at a plane interface between two homogeneous anisotropic viscoelastic (dissipative) halfspaces are discussed. Algorithms for determining the slowness vectors of reflected/transmitted plane waves from the known slowness vector of the incident wave are proposed. In viscoelastic media, the slowness vectors of plane waves are complex-valued, p = P + iA, where P is the propagation vector, and A the attenuation vector. The proposed algorithms may be applied to bulk plane waves (A = 0), homogeneous plane waves (A ≠ 0, P and A parallel), and inhomogeneous plane waves (A ≠ 0, P and A non-parallel). The manner, in which the slowness vector is specified, plays an important role in the algorithms. For unrestricted anisotropy and viscoelasticity, the algorithms require an algebraic equation of the sixth degree to be solved in each halfspace. The degree of the algebraic equation decreases to four or two for simpler cases (isotropic media, plane waves in symmetry planes of anisotropic media). The physical consequences of the proposed algorithms are discussed in detail. vcerveny@seis.karlov.mff.cuni.cz     

Relation between the field of surface heat flow and the distribution ofP n -wave velocities for continents

Summary The dependence between P_n-wave velocities and the surface heat flow, temperature at the core-mantl boundary and thickness of the Earth's crust for continents (Europe, Asia, North America and Australia) was investigated statistically in connection with the problem of lateral inhomogeneities in the upper mantle. The relations obtained were compared with those determined under laboratory conditions. The conclusion is that temperature and pressure effects may provide additional explanations of the regional variations of P_n-wave velocities observed in most continents.

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auum ¶rt;auu mu n¶rt; a nmu uua(P_n ), nm mn nm, mnam a u m mum a u¶rt;aa u n uuuma ¶rt;¶rt;m mu P_n. nua ¶rt;a mama aam u¶rt;au nu m n¶rt; amuu u u ¶rt;au u mnam a¶rt;um mmmuu mamau n¶rt;aa am. am ¶rt;, m ua uu m P_n- ¶rt; amu muma n¶rt;m auu m¶rt;uauu u a nmu muua.

     

Stratospheric ozone variability near the IMF sector boundary

Summary We search for the effects of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) sector boundary crossing (SBC) in upper stratospheric ozone. The SBUV data (Nimbus-7) at the 10, 3 and 1 hPa levels are analysed for latitudes 45° N and 55° N for winters of the period December 1979 to December 1982. An effect of the IMF SBC wos only found at the 10 hPa level. These first results concerning the IMF SBC effect in upper stratospheric ozone are rather preliminary.

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¶rt;m uu nu mau () nam aum n () a mam. SBUV ¶rt;a (u-7) a nm ¶rt;au 10, 3 u 1a aauum ¶rt; um 45° u 55° . . ua nu¶rt;a ¶rt;a 1979 – ¶rt;a 1982. m uu a¶rt; m a 10a. mu n mam n uuu a mam m n¶rt;aumu.

     

The computation of the elastic constants of an anisotropic medium from the velocities of body waves

¶rt;m n¶rt;u nu nm n m . m¶rt; n¶rt;am nuuu am uma au muna (6) u (10). amua aumnu m m nn unam u u, m nmu ama mm (u. 2). uu nu nm ¶rt;u am mu n¶rt; uua 15mu anau u mu u nn uua mu anau. u unauu m nn ¶rt;u am mu n¶rt; uua ¶rt; 21 anau.

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Dedicated to 90th Birthday of Professor Frantiek Fiala