Assessing volcanic origins within detrital zircon populations——A case study from the Mesozoic non-volcanic margin of southern Australia

Detrital zircon U/Pb geochronology is a common tool used to resolve stratigraphic questions,inform basin evolution and constrain regional geological histories.In favourable circumstances,detrital zircon populations can contain a concomitant volcanic contribution that provides constraints on the age of deposition.However,for non-volcanic settings,proving isolated detrital zircon grains are from contemporaneous and potentially remote volcanism is challenging.Here we use same grain(U-Th)/He thermochronology coupled with U/Pb geochronology to identify detrital zircon grains of contemporary volcanic origin.(U-Th)/He ages from Cretaceous zircon grains in southern Australia define a single population with a weighted mean age of 104±6.1 Ma.indistinguishable from zircon U/Pb geochronology and palynology(～104.0-107.5 Ma).Detrital zircon trace-element geochemistry is consistent with a continental signature for parent rocks and coupled with detrital grain ages,supports derivation from a2000 km distant early-to mid-Cretaceous Whitsunday Volcanic Province in eastern Australia.Thus,integration of biostratigraphy,single-grain zircon double-dating(geochronology and thermochronology)and grain geochemistry enhances fingerprinting of zircon source region and transport history.A distal volcanic source and rapid continental-scale transport to southern Australia is supported here.     

On the determination of propagation paths of mid-latitude whistlers for purposes of estimating the magnetospheric electron density

Zusammenfassung Mit dem Ziel das Profil der magnetosph?rischen Elektronendichte auf Grund einj?hriger Beobachtungsreihe der Station Panská Ves zu bestimmen, wurden M?glichkeiten von Ermittlung des tats?chlichen Ausbreitungsweges von Whistlern untersucht, die in den mittleren Breiten w?hrend des Minimums der Sonnenaktivit?t beobachtet wurden. Da die beobachteten Whistler keine “nose frequency” aufweisen, gründete sich die Bestimmung des Ausbreitungsweges auf Messungen der Dispersion auf 10 und 4 kHz, ?hnlich wie bei der Extrapolationsmethode der “nose frequency” [4]. Die gewonnenen Resultate zeigen, dass es m?glich ist, die Ausbreitungswege einer grossen Anzahl von Ein-Sprung-Whistler mit genügender Genauigkeit zu bestimmen. Alle auf diese Weise ermittelten Ausbreitungswege fallen in den BreitenbereichФ ₀=38°−56°, was der bekannten Tatsache entspricht, dass man verwendbare Whistler-Komponenten bis zu einer Entfernung von 1000 km vom Endpunkt ihres Ausbreitungsweges beobachten kann. Die analysierten Whistler entsprechen den unter Voraussetzung einer konstanten Elektronendichte in der H?he der Basis der Magnetosph?re (700 km) berechneten theoretischen Modellen. Unter diesen Bedingungen zeigte es sich als m?glich, alle analysierten Whistler zur Bestimmung des Profils der magnetosph?rischen Elektronendichte zu gebrauchen. Trotz aller Vereinfachungen, die bei der Konstruierung von Modellen angewendet wurden, ist es also m?glich, vernünftige Werte der Elektronendichte für den Breitenbereich L=1,5–3 unter Anwendung von Whistler-Beobachtungen aus einer einzigen Station in mittleren Breiten zu gewinnen.

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Address: Bočni II, Praha 4-Spořilov.     

In situ cyclic tests on existing stone masonry walls and strengthening solutions

The present work reports on an in situ experimental test campaign carried out on abandoned traditional masonry houses after the 9th July 1998 earthquake that seriously hit the Faial island of Azores. For the testing purposes, an experimental test setup was developed based on a self‐equilibrated scheme, which is herein described reporting on the advantages and drawbacks of this in situ test setup. Five specimens were tested aiming at characterizing the out‐of‐plane behavior of stone masonry walls and strengthening solutions recommended for post‐earthquake interventions. A detailed comparison between solutions' efficiency is presented including a cost vs benefit analysis. In order to assess the efficiency of the developed test setup for other applications on stone masonry walls, an in‐plane test on an existing URM panel is also presented. Several related issues are discussed, namely the advantages of dealing with the real boundary conditions and the capacity of providing valuable information of the response, as well as a detailed analysis of the obtained results. The authors believe that this work provides an increase in knowledge on the seismic behavior of the existing masonry constructions, resulting from the development of an in situ test setup and the efficiency quantification of strengthening solutions. Therefore, the work is thought to positively contribute for the preservation of architectural heritage and for its seismic vulnerability reduction. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental and numerical analyses of vibrations induced by high-speed trains on the Córdoba–Málaga line

This paper has two main purposes. One is to present and analyse soil and structural vibration data obtained experimentally during certification testing of the high-speed train line between Córdoba and Málaga (Spain) that was opened on December 2007. The second is to show the capabilities of a three-dimensional boundary element method (BEM)/finite element method (FEM) numerical approach for the analysis of train induced vibrations. The model can represent local soil conditions, discontinuities such as underpasses, as well as structures placed next to the rail track. Vibrations in those structures can be computed taking into account, in a rigorous way, dynamic soil–structure interaction and local soil properties. Experimental and numerical results at several points near the track are compared. Results for an overhead contact support structure are also evaluated. The comparison of numerically predicted and recorded results shows that the model is reliable for predicting the amplitude of vibrations produced in the soil and nearby structures by high-speed trains.     

A local approach to optimize the scale parameter in multiresolution segmentation for multispectral imagery

The results obtained using the object-based image analysis approach for remote sensing image analysis depend strongly on the quality of the segmentation step. In this paper, to optimize the scale parameter in a multiresolution segmentation, we analyse a high-resolution image of a large and heterogeneous agricultural area. This approach is based on using a set of agricultural plots extracted from official maps as uniform spatial units. The scale parameter is then optimized in each uniform spatial unit. Intra-object and inter-object heterogeneity measurements are used to evaluate each segmentation. To avoid subsegmentation, some oversegmentation is allowed, but is attenuated in a second step using the spectral difference segmentation algorithm. The statistical distribution of the scale parameter is not equal in all land uses, indicating the soundness of this local approach. A quantitative assessment of the results was also conducted for the different land covers. The results indicate that the spectral contrast between objects is larger with the local approach than with the global approach. These differences were statistically significant in all land uses except irrigated fruit trees and greenhouses. In the absence of subsegmentation, this suggests that the objects will be placed far apart in the space of variables, even if they are very close in the physical space. This is an obvious advantage in a subsequent classification of the objects.     

Topology of the Two Fixed Centers Problem

In this paper we give a complete topological characterization of the Two Fixed Centers (TFC) problem flow. This characterization is based on the link formed by some basic periodic orbits. The Restricted Circular Three-Body (RCTB) problem is considered as a perturbation of the TFC in the case of two primaries with equal masses. The basic periodic orbits of the integrable problem can be continued in the non-integrable one.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Biodiversity,ecological structure,and change in the sponge community of different geomorphological zones of the barrier fore reef at Carrie Bow Cay,Belize

Changes in the relative abundance of benthic groups on the barrier fore reef at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, point to a significant reduction of corals and an expansion of the sponge community in 1995–2009. Fifty‐one species are now present in the four geomorphological zones of this reef: the low‐relief spur‐and‐groove zone, the inner reef slope, the outer ridge, and the fore‐reef slope (to a depth of 30 m). Five species are new additions to the sponge fauna reported for Belize, and six species account for 42.6% of the total assemblage: Niphates erecta (9.60%), Aiolochroia crassa (8.8%), Niphates digitalis (6.9%), Callyspongia plicifera (6.63%), Aplysina archeri (5.37%) and Xestospongia muta (5.37%). Species richness, average density, diversity and evenness indexes are statistically similar in these four zones but some species appear to be more dominant in certain areas. In the same 30 years, coral cover has decreased by more than 90%, while the octocoral cover has greatly increased (by as much as 10‐fold in the low‐relief spur‐and‐groove zone). Thus the Carrie Bow fore reef appears to be undergoing a transition from coral dominance in the late 1970s to algae dominance today, with other benthic groups such as sponges and octocorals showing signs of gradual recovery.     

Landslides induced by the April 2007 Aysén Fjord earthquake, Chilean Patagonia

On the 21st of April 2007, the Aysén Fjord earthquake (Mw 6.2) in southern Chile (45.3° S, 73.0° W) triggered hundreds of landslides in the epicentral area along the fjord coast and surroundings. Some of these landslides induced large tsunami waves within the fjord causing fatalities and damaging several salmon farms, the most important economic activity of the area. The landslides included rock slides and avalanches, rock falls, shallow soil and soil–rock slides, and debris flows. The earthquake was the climax of a seismic swarm that began 3 months earlier. The seismicity is associated with tectonic activity along the Liquiñe–Ofqui fault zone (LOFZ), a major structural feature of the region. The earthquake-induced landslides were mapped and classified from field observations and remote sensing analysis. The landslide areas and epicentral distances are within the expected range for the earthquake magnitude according to worldwide data, while the position of landslides on the slopes strongly suggests topographic amplification effects in triggering the failures. The location of the landslides is also clearly related to some of the main fault branches of the LOFZ. The seismic event has configured a new situation of seismic and landslide hazard in the Aysén region and along the LOFZ, where the presence of towns and economic infrastructure along the coasts of several fjords constitutes a potential risk that was not considered before this seismic event.