Tectonic setting of the Azores Plateau deduced from a OBS survey

The studies of Azores seismicity generally show shocks with either normal faulting or right-lateral strike-slip along the ESE direction, compatible with a eastward relative motion of the Eurasian (EU) relative to the African (AF) plate. However, the 1 January 1980 earthquake was interpreted as a clear left-lateral strike-slip shock along the N150E direction. This pattern is difficult to explain in terms of the relative motion between the EU, AF and North American (NA) plates: all available models for the present day movement of this triple junction fail to explain the regional variability in the stress conditions of the area. Here we present data from a 34-day long Ocean Bottom Seismograph array deployment. We show that the seismicity is distributed along a band aligned with the island chain itself, and is concentrated along several faults with an approximate N150E strike, cutting the Azores plateau in all the area covered by the OBS network. The combination of these new results with other geophysical data permits us to conclude that the tectonic setting of the Azores plateau is characterised by the existence of two sets of faults, in the N120E and N150E directions, defining several crustal blocks, whose relative motion accommodates the interaction of the three megaplates. The deformation of these tectonic blocks is probably driven by the shear between the EU and AF plates. This model explains well the spatial variability of the stress conditions in the Azores domain, the combination of dextral and sinistral strike slip mechanisms and the observed seismotectonics of the Azores islands.     

Influence of the nodal tide on the morphological response of estuaries

The nodal tide causes a periodic variation in the mean tidal range, with a period of 18.6 years and amplitude of about 4% of the mean range. As the cross-sectional area of the channel in an estuary has been observed to be related to the tidal prism, such a variation of the tidal range can significantly influence the morphological development of tide-dominated estuaries. Field observations from the Humber Estuary in England confirm that there is indeed an 18.6 year cycle in the total water volume of the estuary. In this estuary, with a relatively small morphological time scale, the response to the nodal tide variation appears to dominate the long-term large-scale sediment budget changes of the estuary. The semi-empirical model ESTMORF was able to reproduce these observations, in terms of the observed amplitude and phase lag (relative to the variation of the tidal amplitude) of the morphological response. It also showed good agreement with the along estuary variation in both the magnitude and phase of the response. To examine the character of the response in more detail, a simplified analytical solution has been derived from the governing non-linear equations. This has been investigated in terms of the sensitivity of the model to the various model parameters and by comparison with the historic data. The results demonstrate how the system response is strongly dependent on the morphological time scale of the estuary. Furthermore, the response is not uniform but varies along the length of the estuary, being most marked at the mouth and decaying up estuary. When examining changes in geomorphological features, such as the intertidal area, an appreciation of the role of the nodal tide is shown to be essential if historic data are to be properly interpreted.     

Late quaternary seismic stratigraphy and active faults of the Gulf of İzmit (NE Marmara Sea)

The Upper Quaternary seismic stratigraphy and active faults of the Gulf of İzmit were investigated by means of high-resolution shallow seismic profiling data in the source region of 1999 İzmit earthquake. High-resolution seismic reflection data correlated with borehole data indicate that the stratigraphy of İzmit Bay consists of three distinct depositional sequences formed in response to middle Pleistocene-Holocene sea-level changes. Reflector R, separating the pre-Holocene sequences (1 and 2) from the Holocene sequence (3), represents an erosional unconformity produced by the subaerial fluvial erosion of the continental shelves at the time of the last glacial maximum. Occasional, anomalous reflections (acoustic turbidity) observed within the Holocene sequence are interpreted as gas accumulations. The maximum thickness of the Holocene sediments is found to be about 25 m. The isopach map of Holocene sediment implies that the thickness of the Holocene decreases from the east towards the central and western basins of İzmit Bay. Two distinct fault systems are interpreted in İzmit Bay. The main fault system extending roughly in an E-W direction along the Gulf of İzmit is an active right lateral strike slip fault with a normal component. The secondary faults are normal faults striking in different directions and these are identified as being both active and inactive. In addition, prominent compressive features are identified in the seismic cross-sections of some profiles acquired to the east of Hersek Peninsula where the focal mechanisms of the aftershocks of the 1999 İzmit earthquake also reveal predominantly reverse faulting mechanisms, as identified by a local dense seismic network.     

Environmental Impact Assessment of the Proposed Titanium Mining Project in Kwale District,Kenya

This article addresses both environmental and socioeconomic issues concerned with the development or operation of the envisaged titanium mining project in Kwale District of Kenya. TIOMIN Resources Inc., of Canada, through its wholly owned Kenyan subsidiary, Kenya Titanium Minerals Ltd., is proposing to develop a titanium sands mine and mineral processing plants which will produce high grades of heavy minerals including rutile, ilmenite, and zircon. In addition, TIOMIN has proposed to develop a ship loading facility at Shimoni, a significant marine habitat in Kenya. When properly designed and implemented, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a powerful tool for ensuring that environmental issues are given due consideration during project design, allowing the benefits of the project to be maximized, while reducing the environmental and social costs of development. In Kenya, the EIA has to be conducted according to the requirements of the Kenya Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (2000) and in compliance with World Bank standards. An EIA document submitted to the enforcement authority, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), enables the issuing of an Environmental Impact Assessment License and a Mining License. A number of exploration studies have been undertaken and several sites have been identified for the extraction of titanium minerals and zircon. Many have expressed concern that environmental matters should be considered before a decision about titanium mining is undertaken. Toxic chemicals used in heavy mineral separation processes and disturbance or redistribution of sediment could spell a disaster for the coastal waters. The Wasini channel is home to world class coral reefs, humpback and spotted dolphins, and marine turtles. Another contentious issue is that of radioactivity associated with the minerals zircon and monazite. The coastal zone is a crucial part of the economy, as it supplies a living for a large number of people along the coast. It is envisaged that involuntary resettlement without adequate compensation and viable alternative sites may result in serious socioeconomic consequences.     

North Brazil current: vertical structure

On the basis of the data ofin situ measurements of the velocities of currents and basic hydrophysical parameters (such as temperature and salinity) carried out during Cruise 41 of the R/VAkademik Vernadsky, we analyze the structure of the North Brazil Current near the continental slope and in the equatorial abyssal part of the ocean in winter, establish the regularities of changes in the current velocity with depth, and compare the structures of the North Brazil and Guiana Currents. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

Authigenic iron oxide formation in the estuarine mixing zone of the Yangtze River

Estuaries are elementary geochemical fronts where river water and seawater mix. Within this mixing zone, iron and other non-conservative elements can undergo complex reactions to form new solid phases. In order to understand authigenic iron oxide formation in the Yangtze River Estuary, two onsite water-mixing sets of experiments were conducted, one by mixing variable amounts of unfiltered Yangtze River water with filtered East China Sea water of different salinity (set 1), the other by mixing variable amounts of filtered Yangtze River water with filtered East China Sea water of different salinity (set 2). In set 2, the minerals newly formed in the course of mixing were investigated by means of a scanning electron microscope fitted with an energy-dispersive X-ray analytical system. It was found that ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite were formed in these mixing experiments, coexisting in nearly equal amounts. These iron oxides appear as aggregated particles with a large grain-size range of several microns to more than 100 μm. The electrolytic properties of seawater played an important role in the formation of these authigenic iron oxides. Kaolinite and organic aggregates were also found in the experimentally mixed pre-filtered waters. Amounts of newly formed suspended matter (set 2) were one to three orders of magnitude lower than those of total suspended matter (TSM) (set 1). This implies that newly formed minerals represent only a very small proportion of TSM in the estuarine mixing zone of the Yangtze River.     

Electromagnetic inertio-gravity waves in the Earth's ionosphere

Propagation of electromagnetic inertio-gravity (IG) waves in the partially ionized ionospheric E- and F-layers is considered in the shallow water approximation. Accounting of the field-aligned current is the main novelty of the investigation. Existence of two new eigen-frequencies for fast and slow electromagnetic waves is revealed in the ionospheric E-layer. It is shown that in F-layer slowly damping new type of inertial-fast magnetosonic waves can propagate. Slowly damping low-frequency oscillations connected with the field-aligned conductivity are found. Broad spectrum of oscillations is investigated.     

Dynamics of an elastically moored floating body by the three-dimensional infinite element method

The three-dimensional problem of the dynamics of a moored floating object under the action of regular waves is solved numerically as a boundary value problem by use of the finite-infinite element method. The cross-sectional shape of the floating body and the mooring arrangements may all be arbitrary. The mathematical formulations of the problem and procedures of the numerical method are presented in this paper. A corresponding computer program WALOAD has been developed, which is capable of computing wave forces on fixed and floating structures. Numerical computations using this program could give very accurate results, even though rather coarse meshes were used. The program is easy to use and is readily applicable in many practical situations.