Experimental verification of effective anisotropic crack theories in variable crack aspect ratio medium

Physical modelling of cracked/fractured media using downscaled laboratory experiments has been used with great success as a useful alternative for understanding the effect of anisotropy in the hydrocarbon reservoir characterization and in the crustal and mantle seismology. The main goal of this work was to experimentally verify the predictions of effective elastic parameters in anisotropic cracked media by Hudson and Eshelby–Cheng's effective medium models. For this purpose, we carried out ultrasonic measurements on synthetic anisotropic samples with low crack densities and different aspect ratios. Twelve samples were prepared with two different crack densities, 5% and 8%. Three samples for each crack density presented cracks with only one crack aspect ratio, whereas other three samples for each crack density presented cracks with three different aspect ratios in their composition. It results in samples with aspect ratio values varying from 0.13 to 0.26. All the cracked samples were simulated by penny‐shaped rubber inclusions in a homogeneous isotropic matrix made with epoxy resin. Moreover, an isotropic sample for reference was constructed with epoxy resin only. Regarding velocity predictions performed by the theoretical models, Eshelby–Cheng shows a better fit when compared with the experimental results for samples with single and mix crack aspect ratio (for both crack densities). From velocity values, our comparisons were also performed in terms of the ε, γ, and δ parameters (Thomsen parameters). The results show that Eshelby–Cheng effective medium model fits better with the measurements of ε and γ parameters for crack samples with only one type of crack aspect ratio.     

Effective anisotropic velocity model from surface monitoring of microseismic events

We develop a methodology to obtain a consistent velocity model from calibration shots or microseismicity observed on a buried array. Using a layered 1D isotropic model derived from checkshots as an initial velocity model, we invert P‐wave arrival times to obtain effective anisotropic parameters with a vertical axis of symmetry (VTI). The nonlinear inversion uses iteration between linearized inversion for anisotropic parameters and origin times or depths, which is specific to microseismic monitoring. We apply this technique to multiple microseismic events from several treatments within a buried array. The joint inversion of selected events shows a largely reduced RMS error indicating that we can obtain robust estimates of anisotropic parameters, however we do not show improved source locations. For joint inversion of multiple microseismic events we obtained Thomsen anisotropic parameters ε of 0.15 and δ of 0.05, which are consistent with values observed in active seismic surveys. These values allow us to locate microseismic events from multiple hydraulic fracture treatments separated across thousands of metres with a single velocity model. As a result, we invert the effective anisotropy for the buried array region and are able to provide a more consistent microseismicity mapping for past and future hydraulic fracture stimulations.     

Slab rollback and microcontinent subduction in the evolution of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex(Philippines):A review

New radiolarian ages show that the island arc-related Acoje block of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex is possibly of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age.Radiometric dating of its plutonic and volcanichypabyssal rocks yielded middle Eocene ages.On the other hand,the paleontological dating of the sedimentary carapace of the transitional mid-ocean ridge-island arc affiliated Coto block of the ophiolite complex,together with isotopic age datings of its dikes and mafic cumulate rocks,also yielded Eocene ages.This offers the possibility that the Zambales Ophiolite Complex could have:(1)evolved from a Mesozoic arc(Acoje block)that split to form a Cenozoic back-arc basin(Coto block),(2)through faulting,structurally juxtaposed a Mesozoic oceanic crust with a younger Cenozoic lithospheric fragment or(3)through the interplay of slab rollback,slab break-off and,at a later time,collision with a microcontinent fragment,caused the formation of an island arc-related ophiolite block(Acoje)that migrated trench-ward resulting into the generation of a back-arc basin(Coto block)with a limited subduction signature.This Meso-Cenozoic ophiolite complex is compared with the other oceanic lithosphere fragments along the western seaboard of the Philippines in the context of their evolution in terms of their recognized environments of generation.     

Naturaliste Plateau: constraints on the timing and evolution of the Kerguelen Large Igneous Province and its role in Gondwana breakup

Volcanism associated with the Kerguelen Large Igneous Province is found scattered in southwestern Australia (the ca 136 to ca 130 Ma Bunbury Basalts, and ca 124 Ma Wallaby Plateau), India (ca 118 Ma Rajmahal Traps and Cona Basalts), and Tibet (the ca 132 Ma Comei Basalts), but apart from the ～70 000 km² Wallaby Plateau, these examples are spatially and volumetrically minor. Here, we report dredge, geochronological and geochemical results from the ～90 000 km² Naturaliste Plateau, located ～170 to ～500 km southwest of Australia. Dredged lavas and intrusive rocks range from mafic to felsic compositions, and prior geophysical analyses indicate these units comprise much of the plateau substrate. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plagioclase ages from mafic units and U–Pb zircon ages from silicic rocks indicate magmatic emplacement from 130.6 ± 1.2 to 129.4 ± 1.3 Ma for mafic rocks and 131.8 ± 3.9 to 128.2 ± 2.3 Ma for silicic rocks (2σ). These Cretaceous Naturaliste magmas incorporated a significant component of continental crust, with relatively high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (up to 0.78), high ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴ Pb ratios (15.5–15.6), low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.511–0.512) and primitive-mantle normalised Th/Nb of 11.3 and La/Nb of 3.97. These geochemical results are consistent with the plateau being underlain by continental basement, as indicated by prior interpretations of seismic and gravity data, corroborated by dredging of Mesoproterozoic granites and gneisses on the southern plateau flank. The Cretaceous Naturaliste Plateau igneous rocks have signatures indicative of extraction from a depleted mantle, with trace-element and isotopic values that overlap with Kerguelen Plateau lavas reflect crustal contamination. Our chemical and geochronological results therefore show the Naturaliste Plateau contains evidence of an extensive igneous event representing some of the earliest voluminous Kerguelen hotspot magmas. Prior work reports that contemporaneous correlative volcanic sequences underlie the nearby Mentelle Basin, and the Enderby Basin and Princess Elizabeth Trough in the Antarctic. When combined, the igneous rocks in the Naturaliste, Mentelle, Wallaby, Enderby, Princess Elizabeth, Bunbury and Comei-Cona areas form a 136–124 Ma Large Igneous Province covering >244 000 km².     

Air–Sea/Land Interaction in the Coastal Zone

Atmospheric turbulence measurements made at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility (FRF) located on the Atlantic coast near the town of Duck, North Carolina during the CASPER-East Program (October–November 2015) are used to study air–sea/land coupling in the FRF coastal zone. Turbulence and mean meteorological data were collected at multiple levels (up to four) on three towers deployed at different landward distances from the shoreline, with a fourth tower located at the end of a 560-m-long FRF pier. The data enable comparison of turbulent fluxes and other statistics, as well as investigations of surface-layer scaling for different footprints, including relatively smooth sea-surface conditions and aerodynamically rough dry inland areas. Both stable and unstable stratifications were observed. The drag coefficient and diurnal variation of the sensible heat flux are found to be indicators for disparate surface footprints. The drag coefficient over the land footprint is significantly greater, by as much as an order of magnitude, compared with that over the smooth sea-surface footprint. For onshore flow, the internal boundary layer in the coastal zone was either stable or (mostly) unstable, and varied dramatically at the land-surface discontinuity. The offshore flow of generally warm air over the cooler sea surface produced a stable internal boundary layer over the ocean surface downstream from the coast. While the coastal inhomogeneities violate the assumptions underlying Monin–Obukhov similarity theory (MOST), any deviations from MOST are less profound for the scaled standard deviations and the dissipation rate over both water and land, as well as for stable and unstable conditions. Observations, however, show a poor correspondence with MOST for the flux-profile relationships. Suitably-averaged, non-dimensional profiles of wind speed and temperature vary significantly among the different flux towers and observation levels, with high data scatter. Overall, the statistical dependence of the vertical gradients of scaled wind speed and temperature on the Monin–Obukhov stability parameter in the coastal area is weak, if not non-existent.     

A carbonaceous inclusion from the Krymka LL-chondrite: noble gases and trace elements

A black inclusion from the Krymka LL3 chondrite was analyzed for 20 trace elements and five noble gases, by radiochemical neutron activation and mass spectrometry. The trace element pattern somewhat resembles that of C1 or C2 chondrites, but with several unique features. Elements of nebular condensation T ? 1000 K (U, Re, Os, Ir, Ni, Pd, Au, Sb and Ge) are essentially undepleted, as in C1 chondrites, but $\text{Re}\text{Ir}$ is 1.49 × higher than the characteristic Cl value. Among elements condensing below 1000 K, Cs, Se, Te, and In are depleted to approximately C2 levels (~0.6 × C1), whereas Ag, Bi, Tl are enriched to ~ 1.6 × C1. Such enrichments are thought to be characteristic of late nebular condensates.The noble-gas pattern also is unique. Gas contents are higher than in C1s, by factors of 2.6 to 19 for Ne through Xe. The $\text{Ar}{}^{36}\text{Xe}{}^{132}$ ratio of 500 is higher than mean values for C1s or C2s (109 or 89) and exceeds even the highest value seen in C3Os, 420, whereas the $\text{He}{}^4\text{Ne}{}^{20}$ ratio of 62 is much lower than the values for C1s and C2s (200–370). The $\text{Xe}{}^{129}\text{Xe}{}^{132}$ and $\text{Xe}{}^{136}\text{Xe}{}^{\mathrm{l32}}$ ratios of 1.040 and 0.320 resemble those of C1 chondrites, and seem to imply typical proportions of radiogenic Xe¹²⁹ and ‘fissiogenic’ xenon.It appears that the inclusion represents a new primitive meteorite type, similar to C-chondrites, but probably a late condensate from a region of higher nebular pressure.     

Sr and Nd isotopic investigations towards the origin of feldspar megacrysts in microgranular enclaves in two I‐type plutons of the Lachlan Fold Belt,southeast Australia

New Sr and Nd isotopic data are presented for several large feldspar crystals occurring in microgranular enclaves in the Swifts Creek and Bridle Track plutons, along with analyses of their host enclave groundmass and adjacent granitoid. In the Swifts Creek Pluton several previous studies have concluded that the microgranular enclaves represent admixed, more mafic and more primitive magmas, and new data presented here confirm that. Feldspar megacrysts in the microgranular enclaves have Sr and Nd isotopic signatures that are distinct from the surrounding enclave groundmass and from other enclaves in the pluton and therefore cannot have crystallised in situ. Isotopic compositions of these feldspars are more consistent with their having crystallised in a reservoir similar in composition to the most primitive granitoid analyses. The crystals were then physically transferred from the granitoid magma into the enclave while the latter was still partially liquid, thus invalidating arguments for a porphyroblastic origin. Field, petrographic and geochemical data are consistent with microgranular enclaves in the Bridle Track pluton also originating as admixed, more mafic magmas. However, Sr isotopic compositions of the enclaves are identical, within error, to the host granite and indicate that significant Sr isotopic equilibration has occurred. Nd isotopic compositions of the enclaves extend to slightly higher ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd_(i) and are consistent with a mingled magma origin followed by major isotopic equilibration. Feldspar phenocrysts in the studied enclave have isotopic compositions indistinguishable from both the enclave groundmass and host granite, preventing an interpretation of their origin using isotopic evidence alone.     

Possible northward extension of the Philippine Fault Zone offshore Luzon Island (Philippines)

The Philippine Fault Zone, a system of left-lateral strike-slip faults traversing the length of the Philippine Islands, is associated with the oblique convergence between the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and the Eurasian Plate (EP). Although it is a major deformational structure within the diffuse PSP–EP convergent boundary, some of its segments, particularly its marine extensions, are not well studied. To investigate the crustal deformation in the marine prolongation of the Philippine Fault Zone offshore Luzon Island, multi-channel seismic (MCS) data, gravity data and centroid moment tensor solutions were used in this study. Focal mechanism solutions from the Global CMT catalog were inverted to determine the average principal stress directions and consequently understand the prevailing stress regime in the study area. The stress inversion results indicate that the direction of maximum compression (σ1) is 321°N, which coincides with the PSP–EP convergence direction. From the MCS profiles, the study area was subdivided into deformation zone and a relatively stable zone. Thrust faulting, folding and general uplift are observed in the deformation zone. This zone is further subdivided into the active and inactive segments. In the active segment, uplift is occurring in the submarine ridge. This deformation pattern can be related to the ongoing uplift in some regions bisected by the PFZ. The inactive segment, characterized by intense folding of the sequences and faulting of the basement and overlying sequences, is suggested as the precursor of the Philippine Fault Zone. Deformation appears to be recently shifted to the east as delineated by an uplifted N-NW trending submarine ridge offshore NW Luzon Island.     

Understanding Causes and Impacts of the Dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium polykrikoides, Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

During August and September 2007, the lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries experienced a massive bloom of Cochlodinium polykrikoides Margalef (>10⁴ cells per milliliter) that persisted for over a month, was extremely patchy, and at times penetrated into the Atlantic Ocean. The onset of the bloom coincided with a period of intense rainfall and stormwater runoff after a protracted summer drought period. Genetic evidence showed this species to be distinct from many Asian strains but similar to other North American strains. Populations dominated by C. polykrikoides took up a variety of nitrogenous compounds to support their growth and were able to mobilize additional sources of organic nutrients through peptide hydrolysis. Bioassays determined that C. polykrikoides exerted a lethal affect on juvenile fish and shellfish, causing 100% mortality of juvenile fish (Cyprinodon variegates) in less than 24 h and 20% mortality in juvenile American oysters (~21 mm; Crassostrea virginica) within 72 h.     

Fluid geochemistry of the Mondragone hydrothermal systems (southern Italy): water and gas compositions vs. geostructural setting

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The geochemistry of natural thermal fluids discharging in the Mondragone Plain has been investigated. Thermal spring emergences are located along the...