Ground motions observed during the 15 August 2007 Pisco, Peru, earthquake

A M_w 7.9 earthquake event occurred on 15 August 2007 off the coast of central Peru, 60 km west of the city of Pisco. This event is associated with subduction processes at the interface of the Nazca and South American plates, and was characterised by a complex source mechanism involving rupture on two main asperities, with unilateral rupture propagation to the southeast. The rupture process is clearly reflected in the ground motions recorded during this event, which include two separate episodes of strong shaking. The event triggered 18 accelerographic stations; the recordings are examined in terms of their characteristics and compared to the predictions of ground-motion prediction equations for subduction environments, using the maximum-likelihood-based method of Scherbaum et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am 94(6):2164–2185, 2004). Additionally, macroseismic observations and damage patterns are examined and discussed in the light of local construction practices, drawing on field observations gathered during the post-earthquake reconnaissance missions.     

Pleistocene sediments of the eastern barents sea (Central Deep and Murmansk Bank Areas): Communication 1. Occurrence conditions and main structural features

The areal geological-geophysical study of Quaternary sediments was carried out in two areas of the eastern Barents Sea (Central Deep and Murmansk Bank). This communication is mainly dedicated to the results of seismoacoustic investigations. It has been established that the Quaternary sequence unconformably overlying the pre-Cenozoic strata in the studied areas is as follows (from bottom to top): marine-glaciomarine Late Glacial-Holocene sediments, massive diamictons (the main part of the section), and glaciotectonites formed after the underlying Mesozoic unconsolidated sediments. The Pleistocene diamictons, origin of which is still debatable, are the main studied object. They constitute two seismostratigraphic complexes (SSC). According to the accepted stratigraphic subdivision, they are represented by the Upper Weichselian SSC III (Maximum Last Glaciation) and Lower Weichselian SSC V (Middle Weichselian SSC IV is eroded here). Complexes SSC V and SSC III composed of till overlie the older sediments with the exaration unconformity. Complex SSC V is preserved locally, while SSC III is characterized by the regional distribution. Complex SSC III is universally enveloped unconformably without erosional surface by an acoustically uniform thin-bedded member of Late Glacial-Holocene glaciomarine and marine sediments (SSC II+I). Unlike SSC V, SSC III demonstrates lateral heterogeneity in both studied areas consisting of two seismofacies, one of which forms very specific acoustically transparent bodies (ATBs). Sediments of SSC III avoided subsequent erosion. Therefore, their glacial nature is distinctly reflected in the complex distribution of thickness and peculiar morphology of corresponding bodies.     

On the nature of “periodic” river bends

The formation of bends (meanders) can be described by a simple physical model, according to which, water flow in a gentle valley with gentle slopes, once deflected by a random obstacle, starts oscillating from one slope to another, while keeping moving down the valley. The sinuosity of the river (the ratio of the path along its channel to the direct path along the valley) depends on the ratio of the steepness of the slopes and the valley; the mean sinuosity is close to 1.5 in accordance with the available geographic data.     

Geodetic and geophysical implications of the homogeneous reduction of pole coordinates (1899–1979)

The new series ILS (H) of pole coordinates (1899.9–1979.0) computed in a homogeneous system has been employed for the determination of the period of Chandler's component of polar motion. The comparison with a value derived from a previous series ILS (VY) shows there is no significant variation in the period in spite of the known systematic errors affecting the ILS (VY) series. Any high precision geodetic network adjustment has to take account of the pole coordinates defined by the ILS (H) series. Such long series permitted the identification of another component of polar motion with a period of about 30 years. The polhode derived from the ILS (H) series shows greater regularity than previously deduced polhodes and, therefore, we can conclude that past investigations in geodesy and geophysics trying to correlated the irregularities of the polhode with different geophysical phenomena, for instance, earthquakes, may have to be revised.     

AN ALGORITHM FOR THE CALIBRATION OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS

The algorithm presented assumes a preliminary determination of the elements of inner orientation and bases its mathematical model on the collinearity condition, from which projective equations are derived. Linearisation of condition equations is based on Taylor's expansion, whilst the subsequent solution follows iteration cycles. The method aims to derive composite corrections to image coordinates, with the aid of test field data.

Résumé

L'auteur présente un algorithme oú l'on suppose déterminés au préalable les éléments d'orientation interne. La modélisation mathématique s'appuie sur les conditions de co-linéarité et sur les équations qui en résultent en projection. On linéarise les équations de conditions en utilisant un développement en série de Taylor, et l'on obtient la solution correspondante par itération. La méthode vise à apporter des corrections aux coordonnées images en utilisant les données d'un polygone d'essai.

Zusammenfassung

Bei dem dargestellten Algorithmus wird die vorläufige Bestimmung der Elemente der inneren Orientierung angenommen, und das mathematische Modell basiert aufder Kollinearitätsgleichung, woraus perspektive Gleichungen abgeleitet werden. Die Linearisierung der Bedingungsgleichungen erfolgt durch Anwendung der Taylor-Reihe, was für die folgenden Berechnungen einen iterativen Prozess bedingt. Mit der Methode wird angestrebt, Bildkoordinaten mit Hilfe von Testfelddaten zu verbessern.     

Neutrino bursts and gravitational waves experiments

Several experiments have been performed in many countries to observe gravitational waves or neutrino bursts. Since their simultaneous emission may occur in stellar collapses, we evaluate the effect of neutrino bursts on gravitational wave antennas and suggest the usefulness of a time correlation among the different detectors.     

Magnetic fields in methanol maser condensations based on data for related regions. Seven sources: Astrophysical parameters

The astrophysical parameters of seven OH maser condensations are estimated based on magnetic fields obtained from polarization observations carried out on the Nan cay Radio Telescope (France) in the 1665 and 1667 MHz lines in four Stokes parameters. Regions in the studied sources containing the observed clusters of maser condensations, as well as clusters of Class I and II methanol masers, have been identified. The associations of the masers are real; i.e., the magnetic field in the clusters can also extend to groups of methanol masers. The linear dimensions of these associations have been found. The ratio of the mass to the magnetic flux, ratio of the thermal to the magnetic pressure, and virial relationships between energies (kinetic, magnetic, and gravitational) in the regions containing the OH andmethanol masers have been obtained. In sources whose magnetic fields have been determined fairly reliably, the ratio of the mass to the magnetic flux exceeds a critical value, and the energies of chaotic motions and of the magnetic field are considerably smaller than the gravitational binding energy. On the other hand, in all cases, the ratio of the thermal to the magnetic pressure is <1, suggesting that the clouds may be in amagnetically dominated regime. This inconsistency is related to probable uncertainties in the the magnetic field values and the estimated distances to the sources, which may lead to overestimation of the sizes of the regions studied.