Using modular 3D digital earth applications based on point clouds for the study of complex sites

This article discusses the use of 3D technologies in digital earth applications (DEAs) to study complex sites. These are large areas containing objects with heterogeneous shapes and semantic information. The study proposes that DEAs should be modular, have multi-tier architectures, and be developed as Free and Open Source Software if possible. In DEAs requiring high reliability in the 3D measurements, point clouds are proposed as basis for the 3D Digital digital earth representation. For the development of DEAs, we propose to follow a workflow with four components: data acquisition and processing, data management, data analysis and data visualization. For every component, technological challenges of using 3D technologies are identified and solutions applied for a case study are presented. The case study is a modular 3D DEA developed for the archaeological project Mapping the Via Appia. The 3D DEA allows archaeologists to virtually analyze a complex study area.     

Azimuth dependent wave amplification in alluvial valleys

An extension of the indirect boundary element method (IBEM) to three-dimensional scattering by two-dimensional alluvial valleys is presented. While the valley is two-dimensional, the incident plane waves can arrive outside the 2D plane so the scattering is three-dimensional with coupling of P---SV---SH waves. Such a method makes it possible to take earthquake location into account in the estimation of site effects in alluvial valleys. The method is validated by transparency tests, by comparison with 2D simulations, and by comparison with results of other authors. The advantage of the method is that is combines high accuracy with cost-efficiency in terms of computer-time. It is applied to theoretically estimate site effects across a simplified model of an alluvial valley in the French Alps where azimuth dependence of local amplification has been observed. A parametric study with simulations for a range of azimuths and incidence angles shows that (1) the local amplification depends strongly on both azimuth and incidence of the incoming waves, (2) the global pattern of amplification across the valley is very complex for all azimuths, and (3) it is not possible to predict the 3D response of the valley from 2D modeling. Theoretical spectral ratios are in approximate agreement with observed ones for a station in the center of the valley where the local structure justifies use of a simplified model for the comparison.     

Further constraints on the temporal evolution of the Oslo Rift from precise U-Pb zircon dating in the Siljan-Skrim area

Precise U-Pb ages have been obtained from zircon and baddeleyite in plutonic rocks from the Siljan-Skrim area in the Vestfold Graben Segment in the south-western part of the Permian Oslo Rift. In addition, common lead data from feldspars in the same rocks are presented. The measured common Pb compositions of the feldspars are used to correct for initial common Pb in the zircons. The common Pb data indicate that U has been present in the feldspars since the time of crystallisation, probably in a late magmatic volatile phase in fluid inclusions.

The Siljan-Skrim area comprises two intrusive complexes. The northern Skrim-Mykle complex consists of two large, composite intrusive bodies, the Skrim larvikite and the Mykle ekerite. The southern Siljan-Hvarnes complex consists of a series of monzonitic to syenitic intrusions, which are nested in a systematic way, indicating decreasing emplacement age from east to west.

U-Pb zircon ages range from 281.2 ± 0.6 Ma (2σ) to 279.8 ± 0.7 Ma for three samples from the northern part of the Siljan-Skrim area and from 278.5 ± 0.8 Ma to 277.3 ± 0.8 Ma for four samples from the southern part of the area.

The geochronological data suggest that large amounts of magma were emplaced within very short time spans, i.e. less than 2 Ma for each of the two complexes. The high precision of the U-Pb age results allows discrimination between intrusive activity in the northern and southern parts of the Siljan-Skrim area and suggests that emplacement of magmas was episodic.     

One dimensional diffusion of radiogenic 87Sr and fluid transport of volatile elements across the margin of a metamorphosed Archaean basic dyke from Saglek,Labrador

An example of diffusion in a natural solid rock is described using ⁸⁷Sr as a tracer. The distribution of excess radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr across the contact of a metamorphosed basic dyke in a granodioritic gneiss is shown to fit closely to a mathematically modelled theoretical diffusion curve. It is suggested that the excess radiogenic Sr was generated by the breakdown of older Rb-rich biotite in the country rock to form chlorite during a late-stage greenschist facies metamorphism, and then taken up into a fluid phase migrating along the country rock — dyke interface. This fluid introduced silica, alkalies, light REE, H₂O, CO₂, N and Cl into the marginal zone of the dyke, probably during fluid migration along grain boundaries. The present irregular distribution of the volatile constituents across the contact and in the dyke excludes a diffusion controlled distribution. The distribution of volatiles probably reflects the influence of the existing mineralogy on the geochemical anomaly actually recorded from a post magmatic process. Evidence is presented that the diffusivity of radiogenic Sr was enhanced by the presence of a volatile phase.     

Oxygen deficient Ti oxides (natural magnéli phases) from mudstone xenoliths with native iron from Disko,central West Greenland

Mudstone xenoliths in a strongly reduced andesitic subaquatic breccia with native iron from the Asuk Member on Disko contain Ti oxides which are oxygen deficient relative to rutile. Ore microscopy reveals that the mudstone xenoliths contain former clastic oxide grains which have equilibrated to blue Ti oxides and grey aluminous Ti oxides. They also contain still immature coal fragments in a glassy matrix with native iron.The blue oxides are compositionally similar to magnéli phases Ti_nO_2n–1 within the range n=4 to 7, and several grains contain more than one natural magnéli phase. Two other phases found are 1) pale orange blebs in magnéli phases with a composition approaching Al₁Ti ₁ ³⁺ Ti ₂ ⁴⁺ O₇ (AlTi phase B) and 2) grey oxide rims on magnéli phases or independent grains of the compositional series Al_2–x(Ti _0.5 ⁴⁺ (Mg,Fe)_0.5)_xTi _n–2 ⁴⁺ O_2n–1 with n mostly between 7 and 10 (AlTi phase A). The natural magnéli phases equilibrated at oxygen fugacities 4 to 5 log units below the Fe-W oxygen buffer at igneous temperatures and represent the most reduced high-temperature environment yet recorded among native iron bearing rocks from Disko. The extremely reducing conditions were met in rocks where coal fragments were still in a state of degassing hydrocarbon components at the time of quenching. Field geology and carbon barometry indicate equilibration at pressures of less than 10 bars.     

Magnetotelluric survey across the active spreading zone in Southwest Iceland

The results of 10 magnetotelluric soundings, performed along a 110-km-long profile crossing the constructive plate boundary in southwest Iceland, are presented. Apparent resistivities are interpreted by a horizontally stratified earth model to yield a pseudo cross-section along the profile. The crust-mantle interface contains a well conductive layer. The depth to the good conductor increases with age of the crust and the distance from the axial zone. This layer is interpreted as partially molten basalt, at a temperature about 1100°C and a volume fraction of the melt phase in the range 10–20%.The high-conductivity layer probably disappears west of the Borgarnes anticlinal axis, which separates the older (to the west) and younger (to the east) flood basalts in western Iceland, indicating that the temperature below the oldest part of the profile lies below the solidus curve of basalt. Recent seismic crustal investigations in the same area indicate a state of partial melting or a magma chamber, which agrees with the results of the magnetotelluric soundings.     

Basaltic glass with high-temperature equilibrated immiscible sulphide bodies with native iron from disko,central West Greenland

Immiscible sulphide bodies show eutectic quench textures in a basaltic glass rock (mg=66) from a native iron-bearing dyke chilled at T=1,200° C and P=250 bars. The sulphide bodies are composed of troilite (90–91%), iron (9–10%) and very scarce vanadium-rich chromite and approach a ternary cotectic in the Ni-poor part of the system Fe-Ni-S. Transition element partition between olivine (mg=83), silicate glass (mg=59) and sulphide blebs indicate that the phases were equilibrated at 1,200° C. D _{vanadium(olivine/glass)} is close to unity and reflect the reducing nature of the rock, for which estimates of f _O210^{–12 to –13} and f _S210^–5 have been made. D _{nickel, cobalt, copper (sulphide/glass)}=4,300, 230 and 380 respectively, are much higher than reported experimentally determined D's on_{monosulphide/basalt glass} at the same temperature and show increasing positive deviation (Ni>Co>Cu) with the increasingly siderophile character of the elements. K _{Dnickel-iron (sulphide/olivine)}=63 is much higher than an experimentally reported value (33) and comparison with published thermodynamic data on Ni-partition between olivine and iron metal suggests that the positive deviation is roughly proportional to the excess metal component in the sulphide melt. The occurrence of strongly Ni-depleted reduced basalts on Disko shows that fractionation of metal and sulphides was a common and geologically important process.     

A palaeomagnetic experiment on crustal uplift in West Greenland

In the Nordre Strømfjord shear zone of central West Greenland it is believed that the gneisses exposed at the coast reached a maximum depth of burial about 10 km deeper than those now adjacent to the inland ice. This theory was tested palaeomagnetically. Further sampling up the mountain K?llingeh?tten was carried out to ascertain changes of direction of magnetization with height.The magnetic susceptibility ellipsoids were determined for each specimen and were used to correct their directions of magnetization for the effects of anisotropy. Complicated but compact polar wander paths were derived for both the fjord and mountain traverses. The path for the fjord is consistent with the geological model but does not support it. This inconclusive result may be the consequence of a low rate of polar wander. The mean palaeomagnetic poles are 27.7°N, 276.6° E (dp = 13.8°,dm = 17.3°) for Nordre Strømfjord and 25.3°N, 300.4°E (dp = 11.5°,dm = 14.1°) for K?llingeh?tten.     

Conductivity structure of crust in the Tangshan seismic area and the possibility of exploring potential seismic sources by magnetotelluric method

It is shown by the result of digital magnetotelluric soundings in the Tangshan seismic area and its surrounding regions that the crust under the surface conductive sediments is divided into two layers,i. e., the resistive upper crust and the conductive lower crust. The upper crust wherein the Tangshan main shock and most of the aftershocks occurred is a convex lens-like body which is cut by faults at the east, south and west sides. The focus of the mainshock was located at the position of maximum thickness of the resistive upper crust while the spatial variation of Curie point isothermal surface and the deepest limit of the depths of aftershocks coincide with the downward depression of the bottom of the resistive upper crust. Thus, the Tangshan main shock and most of its aftershocks were related closely to the resistive upper crust from the view points of either vertical layering or lateral variations. And there were only a very few aftershocks in the conductive lower crust. The mechanical property of the rocks transforms from being brittle in the upper crust into ductile in the lower crust mainly due to the combination of different factors, e.g., increase of confining pressure, change in minerals, rise in temperature as well as stabilization of slips by high pore—pressure. A small amount of water and a rise in temperature may lead to a decrease of the electric resistivity within the rock while a change in the static pressure and mineral content within the rock causes very little change in the electric resistivity. Thus it is deduced that a resistive upper crust and a more conductive lower crust from the view points of either vertical or lateral variations are related to the brittle and ductile properties respectively. Hence it is possible that there is a relationship between the electric structure of the crust and zones of potential seismic hazard. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 354–363, 1991. The project is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation, and the Swedish International Development Authority.