On the accuracy of the bathymetry-generated gravitational field quantities for a depth-dependent seawater density distribution

In geophysical studies investigating the lithosphere structure, the gravitational field generated by the ocean density contrast (i.e., bathymetry-generated gravitational field) represents a significant amount of the signal to be modelled and subsequently removed from the Earth’s gravity field. The ocean density contrast is typically calculated as the difference between the mean density values of the Earth’s crust and seawater. The approximation of the actual seawater density distribution by its mean value yields relative errors up to about 2% in computed quantities of the gravitational field. To reduce these errors, a more realistic model of the seawater density distribution is utilized based on the analysis of existing oceanographic data of salinity, temperature, and pressure (depth). We study the accuracy of the bathymetry-generated gravitational field quantities formulated for a depth-dependent model of the seawater density distribution. This density distribution approximates the seawater density variations due to an increasing pressure with depth, whereas smaller lateral density variations caused by salinity, temperature, and other oceanographic factors are not taken into consideration. The error analysis reveals that the approximation of the seawater density by the depth-dependent density model reduces the maximum errors to less than 0.6%. The corresponding depth-averaged errors are below 0.1%. The depth-dependent seawater density model is further facilitated in expressions for computing the bathymetry-generated gravitational field quantities by means of the spherical bathymetric (ocean bottom depth) functions. The numerical realization reveals large differences in the results obtained with and without consideration of the depth-dependent seawater density distribution. The maxima of absolute differences reach 201 m²/s² and 16.5 mGal in computed values of the potential and attraction, respectively. The application of the depth-dependent seawater density model thus significantly improves the accuracy in the forward modelling of the bathymetric gravitational field quantities.     

Spatio-temporal changes in land cover and aquatic macrophytes of the Danube floodplain lake

The aquatic vegetation of ?í?ov Lake in the Danube floodplain, which is listed in the Ramsar Convention, was investigated to address three main questions: (1) how have landscape composition and the structures of the lake and its buffer zone changed from the mid-20th century; (2) how have species richness and the abundance of the aquatic macrophyte assemblage in this lake ecosystem changed over the last 34 years; and (3) which landscape metrics can best explain these temporal changes for floating-leaved macrophytes? Two methodological approaches, remote sensing and botanical field surveys, were applied. Historical (1949, 1970, 1990) and contemporary (2006) aerial photographs were analysed to determine land cover. Landscape configuration and structure were analysed using eight landscape metrics selected in advance to measure spatio-temporal changes and the fragmentation of the lake ecosystem and its corresponding buffer zone. The species diversity, abundance and distribution of true aquatic macrophytes were surveyed eleven times in five survey stretches between 1973 and 2007.At the landscape level, a decrease in the area covered by floating-leaved macrophytes, as well as an increase in open water surface and fragmentation of the land cover classes in the lake ecosystem, were recorded from 1949 to 2006. Overall, 30 true aquatic macrophytes were found from 1973 to 2007. Species richness did not change considerably, but the abundance of aquatic species fluctuated over the years. Three groups of true aquatic vegetation, based on common structural characteristics, were found in 1973–1983, 1989–2002, and 2004–2007 over the last 34 years. The landscape metrics NP, PD, LPI, and SHDI, which all express patterns of landscape fragmentation mostly indicate temporal changes in floating-leaved macrophytes.     

Explicit formula for the geoid-quasigeoid separation

The explicit formula for the geoid-to-quasigeoid correction is derived in this paper. On comparing the geoidal height and height anomaly, this correction is found to be a function of the mean value of gravity disturbance along the plumbline within the topography. To evaluate the mean gravity disturbance, the gravity field of the Earth is decomposed into components generated by masses within the geoid, topography and atmosphere. Newton’s integration is then used for the computation of topography-and atmosphere-generated components of the mean gravity, while the combined solution for the downward continuation of gravity anomalies and Stokes’ boundary-value problem is utilized in computing the component of mean gravity disturbance generated by mass irregularities within the geoid. On application of this explicit formulism a theoretical accuracy of a few millimetres can be achieved in evaluation of the geoid-to-quasigeoid correction. However, the real accuracy could be lower due to deficiencies within the numerical methods and to errors within the input data (digital terrain and density models and gravity observations).     

Quantitative analysis of travel-time curves of seismic events in the Ostrava-Karviná coal mining district

Summary The paper is intended as a contribution to the quantitative analysis of travel-time curves of seismic events recorded in the Ostrava-Karviná District (OKD). The input data represent a set of 2621 seismic events, recorded by the local seismological network of 26 mine stations DSLA and a regional diagnostic polygon consisting of five surface Lennartz stations. All the events were processed automatically in the Operational Seismological Centre of the Czechoslovak Army Mine in Karviná and stored in the seismological data base. The results are presented in the form of graphs of arrival times versus distance for the whole OKD, for two mines and one tectonic block.Travel-time curves of direct P and S waves, as well as of reflected and refracted waves are given. The direct P and S waves propagate well practically throughout the whole region studied, but their apparent velocities of propagation are affected by the properties of the rock medium.As a result of the complicated geological conditions, the recorded wave image is quite complicated. Methods of mathematical modelling, using kinematic and dynamic parameters of seismic waves, will have to be applied to identify the separate wave groups uniquely.     

Predicting ground-motion variations at the Turkey-flat test site,California

Results of a single group participating in an international experiment are analyzed. The experiment served to verify computational predictions of the ground-motion variations due to near-surface geological effects at a site established for that purpose by the California Department of Conservation. Based on an acceleration record at a rock location, and geotechnical model of medium, records at the other locations of a nearby sedimentary deposit were predicted. A 2-D finite-difference sensitivity analysis suggested that the lateral wave-propagation effects are negligibly small, and locally 1-D computations are sufficient for the present site. Those computations are compared with observations not available to the authors during the blind prediction. Peak accelerations, peak velocities and RMS accelerations were predicted with errors less than 159%, 114% and 62%, respectively. Maxima of the response spectra were fitted within a factor of 2. The predicted and observed Husid's plots (i.e., the normalized cumulative plots of the acceleration squared) have the correlation coefficients 0.98. The detected misfits do not show any simple relation to the instrument location, component, frequency, or time.     

Seismically active fracture zones and distribution of thermal springs in Ecuador

Summary The analysis of the geometry of distribution of earthquake foci occurring in the continental South American plate above the subducted Nazca plate reveals that in the region of Ecuador these earthquakes accumulate in 8 well-separated fracture zones. These zones are interpreted as a system of deep seismically active fractures induced in the continental plate by the process of subduction. It is shown that the position of known thermal springs and of observed hydrothermal alterations in Ecuador correlates with the outcrops of the fracture zones.

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Studies of the biochemical composition of fresh-water plankton. Part 1: The protein contents in green and blue-green algae

Lowry's method, adapted to the analysis of small amounts of fresh-water plankton, was selected for the basic evaluation of the published methods of determination of proteins in algae. The protein contents were studied by this method in aqueous, alcohol and sodium hydroxide extract from green algae of the types Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus, Pediastrum boryanum, Chlorococcus spec. and from blue-green algae Microcystis pulverea, M. aeruginosa and Anacystis nidulans. These organisms were cultivated in artificial media under standard conditions and the analysis of proteins was carried out during the growth and stagnation phases. The largest amount of proteins was ascertained in extracts of 2N NaOH, amounting to 7 … 44% according to the dry substance (aqueous extract 1 … 48%, alcohol extract 1 … 23%). As the ageing of the cultures of green algae proceeded, the amount of dry substance increased, but the protein contents decreased. In the samples of blue-green algae there were in all cases the protein contents higher in the stationary phase than in the growth phase.     

Weighting of vertical angles

Summary According to the results of the adjustments of eight trigonometric and three-dimensional networks, the a priori variance m²() of the measured vertical angle is expressed by the formula: m²() = m²(a) + [C 1/2 m(k)]², where m(a) represents accidental observation errors; the constant C is estimated in the interval 0.5–1.5 according to the number of repreated observations and the variation of their changes with time; is the angle between the normals to the ellipsoid at the initial and final point of the line of sight, and m(k) is the mean square error of the coefficient of refraction which can be estimated for a given network from Tab. 1.Dedicated to 90th Birthday of Professor Frantiek Fiala     

Results of deep seismic soundings along international profile VII in Czechoslovakia and poland

Summary The paper deals with the results of DSS measurements along international profile VII, carried out by Czechoslovak and Polish geophysicists in 1970 – 71. The profile situation is shown in Fig. 1. By 1971 part of the profile in the region of the Bohemian Massif between points 1 and 3 and in Poland between points 5 and 7 had been surveyed (Fig. 2). The seismograms were used to construct the travel-time curves of the fundamental types of waves P^K, P^M, P_n (Fig. 4). The mean velocities were computed from the travel-time curves of the reflected waves (P^M and P^K) and the refracted waves (P_g). Isolines of the mean velocities could be constructed for the region of the Bohemian Massif (Fig. 6). The velocity data found were used for the depth interpretation of the travel-time curves of the principal types of waves and to construct a seismic section (Fig. 8). In the region of the Pre-Sudeten block the thickness of the crust was found to be 34–37 km, and in the Sudeten it increased to 40 km. Towards the south the thickness of the crust gradually reduces to 30 km in the system of the Luice faults. In the Bohemian Cretaceous the thickness of the crust is about 30 km. Further to the south, in the region of the Moldanubicum, the thickness of the Earth's crust increases rapidly, and at the southern border of the Central Bohemian pluton it reaches values of about 42 km.