Exploring local N-body simulations of Saturn's rings

The dynamical behavior of low and moderately high optical depth regions of Saturn's ring system of discrete, mutually gravitating, and inelastically colliding particles is studied by simplified local N-body simulations in Hill's linearized equations context. The focus is on a statistical analysis of time-evolution of fine-scale structures seen in the simulations and the comparison between theoretical predictions and computer experiments. Prospects for the Cassini spacecraft mission are briefly summarized.     

Wave refocusing for linear diffractor using the time-reversal principle

One of the problems encountered in a variety of near-surface investigations is detecting and mapping localized heterogeneities. The heterogeneities may be classified under two kinds of objects: (1) a point diffractor that can be considered as an approximation of a small quasi-isometric, such as small karstic cavities and caves; (2) a linear diffractor roughly approximating an elongated object, such as a tube or fault plane. The point and linear diffractors generate two types of seismic diffraction: tip and edge waves, respectively. During the last few decades, different methods were proposed by many researchers for detecting these heterogeneities utilizing seismic waves diffracted by them. An alternative method for detecting point diffractors using a time-reversal principle combined with focusing analysis is proposed in this study: we present an extension of the time-reversal method for linear diffractors. It consists of a coherent summation of seismic energy along edge-diffraction traveltimes. Real data examples show the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method.     

Magma dynamics at the base of an evolving mafic magma chamber: Incompatible element evidence from the Partridge River intrusion, Duluth Complex, Minnesota, USA

A characteristic feature of the Partridge River intrusion of the Keweenawan Duluth Complex is the approximately fivefold to ninefold increase in the concentrations of incompatible elements in the lower zone compared with cumulates stratigraphically higher. The concentrations of incompatible elements decrease from the lower zone upward to steady state values, which is ascribed to variations in the proportions of trapped liquid rather than variable degrees of fractional crystallization of a single parental magma. The calculated average composition of trapped liquid using our algorithm is similar to typical Keweenawan low-alumina, high Ti---P basalts associated with the Duluth Complex but is different from the leading edge ferrodioritic liquid quenched in the chilled margin of the intrusion. This difference suggests that the chilled margin does not represent the original (parental) magma composition from which the whole intrusion solidified, and that the enrichment of incompatible elements may be related to the local flotation of magmatic suspensions. To test the latter hypothesis numerically, we have used heat-mass transfer models, assuming a sheet-like magma chamber, to calculate the parameters of the model that best reproduce the observed distribution of incompatible elements in a mush zone at the base of the Partridge River intrusion. The results indicate that a mush zone enriched in the incompatible elements is produced if the velocity of movement of the lower solidification front into the magma body was less than the floating velocity of the bulk crystal mush. The dynamic parameters that best reproduce the observed distribution of incompatible elements include a magma emplacement pressure of 2 kbar, critical crystallinities of 50–68% in the mush zone from which the liquid is being expelled, and an emplacement temperature of 1160°C for the initial magma.     

Evaluation of embankment foundation creep in conditions of deep bedding of roof in permafrost soils

Railroad operating experience in permafrost conditions has shown that deformations of embankments on thawing foun-dations last for a long time. After an initial period of heat settlement due to permafr...     

Post-stack velocity analysis in the dip-angle domain using diffractions

Interval velocity analysis in complex geological areas is often considered as an unresolved problem. A novel approach to improve the velocity analysis process is to perform the analysis in a non-conventional domain and to use seismic events that are usually ignored during standard data processing and imaging. In this study, a method to analyse diffraction data for migration velocity analysis in the time- or depth-domain is presented. The method is based on the clear distinction between diffractions and reflections in the post-migration dip-angle domain. The attractive possibility to perform the analysis, using only stacked data as an input, is demonstrated on synthetic and real data examples.     

Operator-oriented CRS interpolation

In common‐reflection‐surface imaging the reflection arrival time field is parameterized by operators that are of higher dimension or order than in conventional methods. Using the common‐reflection‐surface approach locally in the unmigrated prestack data domain opens a potential for trace regularization and interpolation. In most data interpolation methods based on local coherency estimation, a single operator is designed for a target sample and the output amplitude is defined as a weighted average along the operator. This approach may fail in presence of interfering events or strong amplitude and phase variations. In this paper we introduce an alternative scheme in which there is no need for an operator to be defined at the target sample itself. Instead, the amplitude at a target sample is constructed from multiple operators estimated at different positions. In this case one operator may contribute to the construction of several target samples. Vice versa, a target sample might receive contributions from different operators. Operators are determined on a grid which can be sparser than the output grid. This allows to dramatically decrease the computational costs. In addition, the use of multiple operators for a single target sample stabilizes the interpolation results and implicitly allows several contributions in case of interfering events. Due to the considerable computational expense, common‐reflection‐surface interpolation is limited to work in subsets of the prestack data. We present the general workflow of a common‐reflection‐surface‐based regularization/interpolation for 3D data volumes. This workflow has been applied to an OBC common‐receiver volume and binned common‐offset subsets of a 3D marine data set. The impact of a common‐reflection‐surface regularization is demonstrated by means of a subsequent time migration. In comparison to the time migrations of the original and DMO‐interpolated data, the results show particular improvements in view of the continuity of reflections events. This gain is confirmed by an automatic picking of a horizon in the stacked time migrations.     

CENOZOIC VOLCANISM AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES IN NORTHEAST CHINA

1 INTRODUCTION Northeast China is located in the eastern marginal part of Eurasian plate. There are about 700 Cenozoic volcanoes and about 50 000km2 volcanic rocks in Northeast China. The Cenozoic volcanism is related to the Pacific plate subducting, back-arc spreading and corresponding marginal continental rifting. About 700 Cenozoic volcanoes in Northeast China are concentrated at some places, so Shuangliao, Keluo, Wudalianchi, Yitong, Shulan, Shangzhi, Longgang, Jingbo Lake, …     

Nitrogen and phosphorus species in the coastal and shelf waters of Southeastern North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic U.S. coast

The diversity of small-scale wetlands, high salinity tidal creeks, salt marshes, estuaries, and a wide and shallow shelf with the Gulf Stream close to the break makes the coastal zone of south-eastern North Carolina (U.S.) a natural laboratory for the study of the cycling of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in coastal and shelf waters. We assessed the summer concentrations, forms, and ratios for each N (total dissolved N, nitrate + nitrite, ammonium and dissolved organic N) and P (total dissolved P, o-phosphate and dissolved organic P) pool as these nutrients travel from tidal creeks, salt marshes and two large estuaries to Long and Onslow Bays. Additionally, we measured ancillary physical (temperature, salinity and turbidity) and chemical (dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a and pH) water properties. Highest concentrations of all individual N and P compounds were found in the upper parts of each tributary and were attributed to loads from agricultural and urban sources to the coastal watersheds, continuing downstream to receiving estuaries. In all areas, dissolved organic N and P species were predominant constituents of the total dissolved N and P pools (64–97% and 56–93%, respectively). The lower parts of estuaries and surface shelf waters were characterized by oceanic surface values, indicating removal of N and P downstream in all tributaries. The different watershed and hydrological characteristics also determined the different speciation of N and P pools in each estuary. Despite a high level of anthropogenic pressure on the uppermost coastal waters, there is self-regulation in this coastal ecosystem with respect to human perturbations; i.e. significant amounts of the N and P load are retained within estuarine and nearshore waters without reaching the shelf.     

Stratospheric wave activity and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

Using the monthly mean NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and NOAA Extended Reconstructed sea surface temperature (SST) datasets, strong correlations between the SST anomalies in the North Pacific and calculated three-dimensional Eliassen–Palm vertical fluxes are indicated in December 1958–1976 and 1992–2006. These correlations between the interannual variations of the SST anomalies and the penetration of planetary waves into the stratosphere are much less during the decadal sub-period 1976–1992 in the positive phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the decadal cold SST anomalies in the North Pacific. Interannual variations of the polar jet in the lower stratosphere in January are strongly associated with SST anomalies in the Aleutian Low region in December for the years with positive PDO index. This sub-period corresponds well with that of the violation of the Holton–Tan relationship between the equatorial Quasi-Beinnial Oscillation (QBO) and the stratospheric circulation in the extra-tropics. It is shown that interannual and interdecadal variations of stratospheric dynamics, including stratospheric warming occurrences in January, depend strongly on changes of the upward propagation of planetary waves from the troposphere to the stratosphere over North Eurasia in preceding December. These findings give evidences of a large impact of the decadal SST variations in the North Pacific on wave activity in early winter due to changes of thermal excitation of planetary waves during distinct decadal periods. Possible causes of the decadal violation of the Holton–Tan relationship, its relation to the PDO and an influence of the 11-year solar cycle on the stratosphere are discussed.     

Cation distribution and exsolution in the Luna-20 pyroxenes as the chronological indicator of their thermal history

During the process of continuous post-crystallization cooling, the degree of phase transformation in pyroxenes (ordering and decomposition of solid solutions) is determined by the total cooling time and by cooling rates at individual stages; this degree can also be applied to the estimation of the sub-solidus cooling time of pyroxenes and of rocks, genetically associated with them (geochronometer). The degree of Fe²⁺-Mg order in distribution between theM ₁ andM ₂ sites observed in orthopyroxenes can be used as the criterion for the sub-solidus cooling rates of orthopyroxenes. A technique for approximate estimation of cooling time (rates) of orthopyroxenes in the 1000–500°C interval is suggested on the basis of an ion exchange reaction kinetic model, with the adoption of a few assumptions. X-ray structural analysis study revealed the character of the Fe²⁺-Mg intersite distribution in the M-511 and M-533 orthopyroxenes from the Luna-20 regolith; the obtainedK _D values make 0.072(T _e ^o ~ 460°C) and 0.06 (T _e ^o ~ 480°C), respectively. The corresponding evaluation of the linear cooling rate in the 1000-500°C range, as inferred by the obtained data, gave the value of 0.2–0.25° h^–1. Two features of the exosolution relate to the sub-solidus cooling rate of clinopyroxenes: the degree of phase separation by composition W_o and the exsolution scale . The monocrystal X-ray diffraction study, the transmission electron microscopy and the X-ray microprobe analysis produced the exsolution parameters for clinopyroxenes 2001-3, 2001-6 and 559 from the Luna-20 regolith: W_o 26%, 28% and 45% respectively; 300 Å, 1000 Å and 60 , respectively. The solvus temperatures (T _e) of the clinopyroxenes 2001-3 and 2001-6 make, respectively, 1100 ± 25°C and 1095 ± 45°C; the spinodal temperatures (T _s) areT _s =T _e – 50°C and represent quenching temperatures of the given pyroxenes in relation to the exsolution process. The cooling time fromT _cryst. toT _s was estimated and the value of the formal linear cooling rate was found to be ~ 90° h^–1 (2001-3) and ~ 8° h^–1 (2001-6). The average value of the pyroxene 559 sub-soldius cooling rate in the 1150–1000°C range was four orders less. The obtained data were discussed in view of the possible genesis of the studied Luna-20 pyroxenes.