A field test of imaging properties of rotational invariants of the magnetotelluric impedance tensor

A part of the Békés Basin (an extensional sub‐basin of the Pannonian Basin, where the basement under thick Pannonian sediments is well known from deep boreholes and from seismic measurements, and where many magnetotelluric (MT) soundings have been carried out for frequencies ranging from 1 to 10^?3 Hz) was selected as a test area to assess the imaging performances of various apparent‐resistivity definitions computed with rotational invariants of either the real part of the complex impedance tensor, or its imaginary part, or both. A comparison (based on earlier 3D numerical studies) has been made between the magnetotelluric images obtained in this way and the depths to the high‐resistivity basement, as known from boreholes and seismic investigations. The correlation coefficient between the series of basement depth values at 39 MT sites and the apparent‐resistivity values was found to be stronger and high correlation appeared at a shorter period when it was computed with apparent resistivities based on the real tensor rather than with apparent resistivities based on the imaginary tensor. In the light of our studies, ρ_{Re Z} and the impedance phase seem to be more informative than any other combination of magnetotelluric interpretation parameters.     

3D modelling and sensitivity in DC resistivity using charge density

A three‐dimensional (3D) electrical resistivity modelling code is developed to interpret surface and subsurface data. Based on the integral equation, it calculates the charge density caused by conductivity gradients at each interface of the mesh, allowing the estimation of the potential everywhere without the need to interpolate between nodes. Modelling generates a huge matrix, made up of Green's functions, which is stored by using the method of pyramidal compression. The potential is compared with the analytical and the numerical solutions obtained by finite‐difference codes for two models: the two‐layer case and the vertical contact case. The integral method is more accurate around the source point and at the limits of the domain for the potential calculation using a pole‐pole array. A technique is proposed to calculate the sensitivity (Jacobian) and Hessian matrices in 3D. The sensitivity is based on the derivative with respect to the block conductivity of the potential computed using the integral equation; it is only necessary to compute the electrical field at the source location. A direct extension of this technique allows the determination of the second derivatives. The technique is compared with the analytical solutions and with the calculation of the sensitivity according to the method using the inner product of the current densities calculated at the source and receiver points. Results are very accurate when the Green's function that includes the source image is used. The calculation of the three components of the electric field on the interfaces of the mesh is carried out simultaneously and quickly, using matrix compression.     

The influence of H2O-H2 fluids and redox conditions on melting temperatures in the haplogranite system

Solidus temperatures of quartz–alkali feldspar assemblages in the haplogranite system (Qz-Ab-Or) and subsystems in the presence of H₂O-H₂ fluids have been determined at 1, 2, 5 and 8 kbar vapour pressure to constrain the effects of redox conditions on phase relations in quartzofeldspathic assemblages. The hydrogen fugacity (f _H2) in the fluid phase has been controlled using the Shaw membrane technique for moderately reducing conditions (f _H2 < 60 bars) at 1 and 2 kbar total pressure. Solid oxygen buffer assemblages in double capsule experiments have been used to obtain more reducing conditions at 1 and 2 kbar and for all investigations at 5 and 8 kbar. The systems Qz-Or-H₂O-H₂ and Qz-Ab-H₂O-H₂ have only been investigated at moderately reducing conditions (1 and 5 kbar) and the system Qz-Ab-Or-H₂O-H₂ has been investigated at redox conditions down to IW (1 to 8 kbar). The results obtained for the water saturated solidi are in good agreement with those of previous studies. At a given pressure, the solidus temperature is found to be constant (within the experimental precision of ± 5°C) in the f _H2 range of 0–75 bars. At higher f _H2, generated by the oxygen buffers FeO-Fe₃O₄ (WM) and Fe-FeO (IW), the solidus temperatures increase with increasing H₂ content in the vapour phase. The solidus curves obtained at 2 and 5 kbar have similar shapes to those determined for the same quartz - alkali feldspar assemblages with H₂O-CO₂- or H₂O-N₂-bearing systems. This suggests that H₂ has the behaviour of an inert diluent of the fluid phase and that H₂ solubility in aluminosilicate melts is very low. The application of the results to geological relevant conditions [HM (hematite-magnetite) > f _O2 > WM] shows that increasing f _H2 produces a slight increase of the solidus temperatures (up to 30 °C) of quartz–alkali feldspar assemblages in the presence of H₂O-H₂ fluids between 1 and 5 kbar total pressure. Received: 4 March 1996 / Accepted: 22 August 1996     

Secondary Ca–Al silicates in plutonic rocks: implications for their cooling history

Secondary Ca-Al silicates are used to constrain the P-T-x conditions of the very early post-magmatic stage of the intermediate to basic Hercynian plutonic complexes of Charroux-Civray (NW Massif Central, France) and Fichtelgebirge (NE Bavaria, Germany). The secondary Ca-Al silicates hydrogarnet, prehnite, pumpellyite, epidote and laumontite form lenses within unaltered or only slightly chloritized biotite. Hydrogarnet as the first occurring Ca-Al silicate phase crystallizes at temperatures above 340 °C. The common paragenesis prehnite + pumpellyite post-dates hydrogarnet and indicates rather narrow ranges of temperature (200-280 °C) and pressure (2-3 kbar). Laumontite is formed at the end of Ca-Al silicate crystallization (180-260 °C, 1-3 kbar), mostly in small fractures in association with prehnite and adularia. The observed crystallization sequence of the Ca-Al silicates and their stabilities define a retrograde alteration path for the plutonic rocks. The Ca-Al silicate assemblage results from an early pervasive alteration of the plutonic rocks by low X_CO2 fluids during post-magmatic cooling. Subsolidus cooling starts at about 4 kbar at solidus temperatures as indicated by magmatic epidote stability, hornblende barometry and fluid inclusion data, and continues under slightly decreasing pressure (uplift) down to 2-3 kbar at 200-280 °C (prehnite-pumpellyite paragenesis). This shows that Ca-Al silicate assemblages may be a unique tool to constrain the P-T conditions of the subsolidus cooling of intermediate to basic plutonic bodies.     

Brood patch temperature during provocation of common eiders in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

In this short note we describe the behaviour and body changes of three incubating female common eiders ( Somateria mollissima ) during provocation made by humans approaching the nest. The study site was near the settlement of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Temperture transmitters were implanted subcutaneously at the brood patch and data recorded using a VHF receiver. We found that the female experiment exhibited a passive defence response ("freezing"), accompanied by a significant drop in brood patch temperature (0.6 °C) during provocation; this temperature drop lasted for 5 minutes. These accord with other studies of the physiological changes which the passive defence response in birds and other animals.     

Observations of the E-region horizontal winds in the auroral zone and at mid-latitudes by a ground-based interferometer

The MICADO instrument, consisting of a Michelson interferometer, has observed winds and temperatures during three winter campaigns in the auroral zone, and during 2 years at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence. The instrument observed the O(¹S) oxygen emission line. Emission from this line originates from both the E- and F-regions. A method to separate the contribution from these two regions is presented for cases when the thermospheric component is comparable to that for the mesosphere. For the auroral latitudes, a mean model of the meridional and zonal neutral wind components as a function of magnetic activity and time is presented and compared to predictions from recent empirical models. For the mid-latitudes, several properties of the semi-diurnal tides are shown and compared to radar observations and predictions from recent theoretical models.     

Turbulent heat transfer from a sparsely vegetated surface: Two-component representation

The conventional calculation of heat fluxes from a vegetated surface, involving the coefficient of turbulent heat transfer, which increases logarithmically with surface roughness (commonly taken as about 0.12 of the plant height), appears inappropriate for highly structured surfaces such as desertscrub or open forest. An approach is developed here for computing sensible heat flux from sparsely vegetated surfaces, where the absorption of insolation and the transfer of absorbed heat to the atmosphere are calculated separately for the plants and for the soil. This approach is applied to a desert-scrub surface for which the turbulent transfer coefficient of sensible heat flux from the plants is much larger than that from the soil below, as shown by an analysis of plant, soil and air temperatures measured in an animal exclosure in the northern Sinai. The plant density is expressed as the sum of products (plant-height) x (plant-diameter) of plants per unit horizontal surface area (the dimensionless silhouette parameter of Lettau). The solar heat absorbed by the plants is assumed to be transferred immediately to the airflow. The effective turbulent transfer coefficientk _g-eff for sensible heat from the desert-scrub/soil surface computed under this assumption increases sharply with increasing solar zenith angle, as the plants absorb a greater fraction of the incoming irradiation. The surface absorptivity (the co-albedo) also increases sharply with increasing solar zenith angle, and thus the sensible heat flux from such complex surfaces (which include open forests) is a much broader function of time of day than when computed under constantk _g-eff and constant albedo assumptions. The major role that desert-fringe plants play in the genesis of convection and advection cannot be evaluated properly in the conventional calculations....you know not the way of the wind... Ecclesiastes, Ch. XI, verse 5     

Sliders and tension controlled reinforced elastomeric bearings combined for earthquake isolation

Essential requirements from a base isolation system include wind restraint, stability and fail-safe capacity. A new base isolation system that satisfies all three requirements and possesses other advantages was tested on the earthquake simulator at the University of California under the base of a one-fourth scale nine storey steel structure. The base behaves as fixed for low magnitude inputs. When sliding starts the rubber bearings provide additional stiffness and recentering. Displacements are better controlled than the ones for a purely elastomeric isolation system. Vertical deflections due to large horizontal drift encountered in solely rubber systems are eliminated. The fail safe capacity is provided by tension restrainers installed inside the rubber bearings, and by the constant contact of the base with the sliders. Base shear hysteresis loops are drastically enlarged by the presence of the sliders.     

Calculated greenschist facies mineral equilibria in the system CaO−FeO−MgO−Al2O3−SiO2−CO2−H2O

The kinetic problems associated with the experimental determination of reactions among complex solidsolution phases at low temperatures have hindered our understanding of the phase relations in greenschist facies rocks. In the absence of reliable experimental data, we have used the new, expanded internally-consistent thermodynamic dataset of Holland and Powell (1990), to present calculated phase equilibria for the system CaO–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–CO₂ (CaFMASCH) with quartz in eccess, in the range 400°–500°C at low to intermediate pressures, involving the minerals amphibole, chlorite, anorthite, clinozoisite, dolomite, chloritoid, garnet, margarite, andalusite, and calcite. By solving independent sets of non-linear equations formed from equilibrium relationships, we calculate not only the loci of reactions in pressuretemperature-x(CO₂) space, but also the compositions of coexisting minerals in terms of the substitutions, FeMg_-1 and (Fe,Mg)SiAl_-1Al_-1. Invariant, univariant and divariant equilibria are calculated and discussed in relation to naturally-occurring greenschist facies metabasic and siliceous dolomitic mineral assemblages. We thus avoid the use of activity-corrected curves so commonly presented in the literature as a substitute for genuine univariant phase diagram boundaries.