A deterministic approach to the prediction of free field ground motion and response spectra from stick-slip earthquakes

Theoretical and experimental results from computational physics and non-linear rock mechanics have been merged in order to obtain a deterministic model of a stick-slip earthquake. The model has been exercised to uncover the dependence of peak ground motion and response spectra on fault length, rupture velocity and dynamic stress drop during rupture. A particular method for generating a design spectrum has been tested against results from the model. Utilization of this deterministic technique seems especially appropriate when design information is required at sites located near the epicentre.     

Electromagnetic induction in spherical cap current layers under lunar and terrestrial conditions

We present the theory of electromagnetic induction in spherical cap current sheets of arbitrary angular size, with arbitrary axisymmetric integrated electrical conductivity variations and located at any radial position with respect to the surface of observation. The external time-varying magnetic field may be arbitrarily oriented with respect to the current layer cap and the induced fields are derived for vacuum boundary conditions appropriate to terrestrial induction and plasma confinement boundary conditions relevant to lunar induction in the solar wind or magnetosheath plasmas. Numerical evaluations show the induced magnetic field as a function of position over the current sheet cap, depth to the current layer, size of the cap, integrated electrical conductivity of the current sheet, and frequency of the fluctuating external field. The local vertical magnetic field component and the horizontal field component which is normal to the periphery of the cap exhibit peak inductive responses above the edge of the current sheet for external magnetic fields perpendicular to the axis of the cap. Thus, induced magnetic field fluctuations observed over the edge of a conductivity anomaly may exhibit a highly directional, or polarized behavior. This may provide an explanation for the asymmetric character of induced magnetic field fluctuations observed on the lunar surface.     

The effects of in situ light reduction on the growth of two subtropical seagrasses,Thalassia testudinum and Halodule wrightii

The effects of in situ light reductions on two species of subtropical seagrasses, Thalassia testudirum (reduced to 14% and 10% of surface irradiance; SI) and Halodule wrightii (reduced to 16% and 13% SI) were examined over a 10-mo period (October 1992-September 1993) in relation to leaf elongation rates, sediment pore-water ammonium, and blade chlorophyll concentrations. No significant changes in pore-water ammonium levels were noted among treatments with time, but blade chlorophyll concentrations in both species were higher in plants exposed to the darkest treatments (10% and 13% SI) relative to controls exposed to 50% SI. In all treatments, blade chlorophyll concentrations were highest and chlorophyll a:b ratios lowest during the warner months, coincident with higher water temperatures. Leaf elongation rates in T. testudinum plants decreased relative to unshaded controls after 1 mo of treatment in autumn, but no significant differences in leaf elongation were noted among treatments for H. wrightii in late autumn or winter when very low growth rates (<0.1 cm shoot^?1 d^?1) were recorded. There were no differences between treatments during the spring growth period for T. testudinum (no data are available for H. wrightii), suggesting that growth (ca. 1 cm shoot^?1 d^?1) was probably not related to available light but was supported by belowground reserves. After 10 mo of treatment, all H. wrightii plants at 13% SI (1,600 mol m^?2 yr^?1) and 16% SI (2,000 mol m^?2 yr^?1) disappeared from experimental plots; similarly, no T. testudinum plants exposed to 10% SI (1,300 mol m^?2 yr^?1) remained, although 4% of the plants at 14% SI (1,800 mol m^?2 yr^?1) survived nearly 12 mo of reduced irradiance. In neither species were leaf elongation rates, which showed little change among treatments, a reliable indicator of the underwater light environment.     

Primary productivity inHalodule wrightii: A comparison of techniques based on daily carbon budgets

Bimonthly variations in shoot density, biomass, and blade productivity were used to estimate diel rates of primary productivity in conjunction with in situ measurements of photosynthesis and irradiance for a monospecific meadow ofHalodule wrightii Ascherson in Laguna Madre, Texas. Four separate techniques for estimating areal primary productivity were compared to estimates of primary production calculated from in situ measurements of photosynthesis and continuous recording of underwater light using the H_sat model. The clip and reharvest method, which is commonly used to measure shoot production, provided estimates ranging from 0.003 mol C m^?2 d^?1 in winter to 0.054 mol C m^?2 d^?1 in summer. In contrast, a method using aboveground biomass values, previously determined turnover rates, and belowground: aboveground biomass ratios provided estimates of primary production ranging from 0.04 mol C m^?2 d^?1 (winter) to 0.49 mol C m^?2 d^?1 (spring), similar to values determined from the H_sat model using in situ measurements of photosynthesis and ambient light regimes. Our results indicate that the clip and reharvest method dramatically underestimates primary productivity forH. wrightii, and that the inclusion of belowground biomass in carbon budget calculations is essential to obtaining realistic estimates of plant productivity. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY069 00022     

Surface measurements of carbon dioxide and methane at Alert during an Arctic haze event in April, 1986

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been measured at Alert by grab flask sampling since 1975 as part of the World Meteorological Organization's Background Air Pollution Monitoring Program. Deviations of CO₂ concentration from the mean annual cycle have previously been attributed to air masses arriving at Alert from the source regions of the industrialized parts of Europe and the Soviet Union. In situ measurements of ambient CO₂ and methane (CH₄) were made at Alert using an automated gas chromatograph, as part of the Arctic Haze Study during April 1986. The temporal behaviour of CO₂ and CH₄ during this period was found to be highly correlated with measurements of particulate sulphate and other atmospheric trace species of anthropogenic origin. Examination of calculated air mass back-trajectories provided further evidence that the observed short-term increases in CO₂ and CH₄ mixing ratios were due to long-range transport from anthropogenic source regions.     

Surface currents and equatorial thermocline in a coupled upper ocean-atmosphere GCM

The Oregon State University coupled upper ocean-atmosphere GCM is evaluated in terms of the simulated winds, ocean currents and thermocline depth variations. Although the zonal wind velocities in the model are underestimated by a factor of about three and the zonal current velocities are underestimated by a factor of about five, the model is seen to qualitatively simulate the major features of the gyral scale currents, and the phases of the seasonal variation of the principal equatorial currents are in reasonable agreement with observations. The simulated tropical currents are dominated by Ekman transport and the eastern boundary currents do not penetrate far enough equatorward, while the western boundary currents do not penetrate far enough poleward. The subtropical trade wind belt and the mid-latitude westerlies are displaced equatorward of observations; hence, the mid-latitude eastward currents, principally the Kuroshio-North Pacific Drift and the Gulf Stream-North Atlantic Current are displaced equatorward. In spite of these shortcomings the surface current simulation of this two-layer upper ocean model is comparable with that of other ocean GCMs of coarse resolution. The coupled model successfully simulates the deepening of the thermocline westward across Pacific as a consequence of the prevailing Walker circulation. The region of most intense simulated surface forcing is located in the western Pacific due to a southwestward displacement of the northeast trade winds relative to observations; hence the equatorial Pacific is dominated by eastward propagation of thermocline depth variations. The excessively strong Ekman divergence and upwelling in the western Pacific cools the local warm pool, while incorrectly simulated westerlies in the eastern Pacific suppress upwelling and inhibit cooling from below. These features reduce the simulated trans-Pacific sea-surface temperature gradient, weakening the Walker circulation and the anomalies associated with the simulated Southern Oscillation. Offprint requests to: KR Sperber     

Evaluating the environmental risks associated with the use of chromated copper arsenate-treated wood products in aquatic environments

Chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood has been used worldwide since 1933. In properly fixed wood, the chromium, copper, and arsenic are tightly bound to the wood fibers. However, it has long been known that small amounts of these metals do leach from properly treated wood products. These metals, particularly the cupric ion (Cu²⁺), are known to be highly toxic to aquatic organisms at concentrations as low as 6 μg Cu l^?1. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has established a marine water quality standard of 2.9 μg Cu l^?1 total copper. Washington State has established a marine water quality standard of 2.5 μg Cu l^?1 and a marine sediment standard of 390 mg Cu g^?1 (dry sediment). Comparison of these standards with the results of bioassays suggests that these levels are sufficiently low to protect even the most sensitive organisms. Metal losses are an inverse function of time and decline to background levels within 60–90 d of treated wood immersion. Increasing use of CCA-treated wood to construct residential bulkheads in estuarine environments on the east coast of the United States has raised concerns regarding the near-term environmental risks associated with these uses. This paper reports the development of a spreadsheet-based computer model to predict water column and sediment concentrations of copper leached from bulkheads and piling. Model output is compared with data in Weis et al. (1991, 1993) and Weis and Weis (1992). The model predicts environmental levels of copper that are highly dependent on input parameters but below regulatory levels for most projects constructed in reasonably well-circulated bodies of water. The model does demonstrate the possibility of exceeding regulatory standards for up to 3 wk when bulkheads are installed in very poorly flushed aquatic environments or where the surface area of the CCA-treated wood structure is a significant proportion of the water body surface area.