Interferometry basics in practice: Exercises

The following exercises aim to learn the link between the object intensity distribution and the corresponding visibility curves of a long-baseline optical interferometer. They are also intended to show the additional constraints on observability that an interferometer has.This practical session is meant to be carried out with the ASPRO software, from the Jean-Marie Mariotti Center, but can also be done using other observation preparation software, such as viscalc from ESO.There are two main parts with series of exercises and the exercises corrections. The first one aims at understanding the visibility and its properties by practicing with simple examples, and the second one is about UV coverage.     

Postseismic Deformation Following the 2010 $$M = 7.2$$ El Mayor-Cucapah Earthquake: Observations,Kinematic Inversions,and Dynamic Models

Due to its location on a transtensional section of the Pacific-North American plate boundary, the Salton Trough is a region featuring large strike-slip earthquakes within a regime of shallow asthenosphere, high heat flow, and complex faulting, and so postseismic deformation there may feature enhanced viscoelastic relaxation and afterslip that is particularly detectable at the surface. The 2010 \(M = 7.2\) El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake was the largest shock in the Salton Trough since 1892 and occurred close to the US-Mexico border, and so the postseismic deformation recorded by the continuous GPS network of southern California provides an opportunity to study the rheology of this region. Three-year postseismic transients extracted from GPS displacement time-series show four key features: (1) 1–2 cm of cumulative uplift in the Imperial Valley and \(\sim\)1 cm of subsidence in the Peninsular Ranges, (2) relatively large cumulative horizontal displacements \(>\)150 km from the rupture in the Peninsular Ranges, (3) rapidly decaying horizontal displacement rates in the first few months after the earthquake in the Imperial Valley, and (4) sustained horizontal velocities, following the rapid early motions, that were still visibly ongoing 3 years after the earthquake. Kinematic inversions show that the cumulative 3-year postseismic displacement field can be well fit by afterslip on and below the coseismic rupture, though these solutions require afterslip with a total moment equivalent to at least a \(M = 7.2\) earthquake and higher slip magnitudes than those predicted by coseismic stress changes. Forward modeling shows that stress-driven afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation in various configurations within the lithosphere can reproduce the early and later horizontal velocities in the Imperial Valley, while Newtonian viscoelastic relaxation in the asthenosphere can reproduce the uplift in the Imperial Valley and the subsidence and large westward displacements in the Peninsular Ranges. We present two forward models of dynamically coupled deformation mechanisms that fit the postseismic transient well: a model combining afterslip in the lower crust, Newtonian viscoelastic relaxation in a localized zone in the lower crust beneath areas of high heat flow and geothermal activity, and Newtonian viscoelastic relaxation in the asthenosphere; and a second model that replaces the afterslip in the first model with viscoelastic relaxation with a stress-dependent viscosity in the mantle. The rheology of this high-heat-flow, high-strain-rate region may incorporate elements of both these models and may well be more complex than either of them.     

Mafic pyroclastic flows at Santa Maria (Gaua) Volcano, Vanuatu: the caldera formation problem in mainly mafic island arc volcanoes

At Santa Maria Volcano (New Hebrides island arc), extensive ash and scoria flow deposits overlie the mainly effusive, pre-caldera cone. Hydromagmatic features characterize these deposits, the composition of juvenile clasts ranges from basalt to acid andesite/dacite (SiO₂= 51–63.6%) with a dominant basaltic composition. The stratigraphic position of this pyroclastic series and its spatial distribution around a 8.5 km × 6 km wide caldera provide evidence of a relationship between this series and the caldera formation. In addition, these pyroclastic deposits are co-genetic to parasitic cones and lava flows developed along faults concentric to the caldera. Both series result from a compositionally layered magma reservoir, the subordinate differentiated magmas being the result of fractional crystallization from the basalts. A model of caldera formation which implies a large hydromagmatic eruption at the central vent and minor magma withdrawal by flank eruptions is proposed. This model emphasizes the importance of mafic hydroclastic eruptions in the caldera forming event and contradicts a model implying only quiet subsidence, a process often proposed for the formation of calderas in island are volcanoes of mainly mafic composition.     

Morphology and sedimentology of a complex debris flow in a clay‐shale basin

Coupling morphological, sedimentological, and rheological studies to numerical simulations is of primary interest in defining debris‐flow hazard on alluvial fans. In particular, numerical runout models must be carefully calibrated by morphological observations. This is particularly true in clay‐shale basins where hillslopes can provide a large quantity of poorly sorted solid materials to the torrent, and thus change both the mechanics of the debris flow and its runout distance. In this context, a study has been completed on the Faucon stream (southeastern French Alps), with the objectives of (1) defining morphological and sedimentological characteristics of torrential watersheds located in clay‐shales, and (2) evaluating through a case study the scouring potential of debris flows affecting a clay‐shale basin. Morphological surveys, grain‐size distributions and petrographic analyses of the debris‐flow deposits demonstrate the granular character of the flow during the first hectometre, and its muddy character from there to its terminus on the debris fan. These observations and laboratory tests suggest that the contributing areas along the channel have supplied the bulk of the flow material. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrodynamic convergence of hydropressured and geopressured zones, Central Texas, Gulf of Mexico Basin, USA

Freshwater moving downdip in the Carrizo–Wilcox aquifer, Central Texas, USA, and saltwater and hydrocarbons moving updip from a geopressured zone come together in a groundwater convergence zone, marked by (1) a hydraulic-gradient reversal, (2) “updip” oil fields, and (3) the downdip limit of potable water beyond which there is a marked increase in salinity. Data combined from groundwater-supply and petroleum-extraction industries document the interface between the hydropressured and geopressured zones. The hydraulic-head gradient updip of the convergence zone is 0.001 to 0.002, directed toward the coast; farther downdip it is ?0.02 to ?0.04, directed inland. Salinity increases from <400 mg/L near the outcrop, to ～3,000 mg/L at the downdip limit of potable water, to >100,000 mg/L in the geopressured zone. Upward-directed flow paths probably predominate in the convergence zone. The convergence zone in the study area lies within only 30–50 km of the outcrop because updip extensional faulting offsets permeable aquifer units against low-permeability strata and restricts the downdip flux of recharged water. The major elements of the convergence zone may have been in place since the Miocene development of circulation in the updip coastal aquifer following incision of river valleys and lowering of base level.     

Caractérisation de la structure interne et de l'état hydrique de glissements argilo-marneux par tomographie géophysique : l'exemple du glissement-coulée de Super-Sauze (Alpes du Sud,France)

Geophysical methods such as seismic surveying and electrical resistivity imaging appear to be well-adapted to investigate and understand landslide mechanisms. They allow direct and non-intrusive measurement of acoustic velocity and electrical resistivity, two fundamental parameters used to define the physical properties of the reworked moving materials. Both methods were applied at the Super-Sauze site in the French South Alps, where a typical example of an intra-material earthflow-mudslide can be observed. Measurements were taken simultaneously along two orthogonal profiles: one 325 m in length is perpendicular to the axis of the earthflow; the other 235 m in length is located along the axis of the earthflow. The results show a correlation between the seismic and electrical resistivity data, confirming that the simultaneous use of both methods gives complementary information about landslide mechanisms. The seismic data provide information on fracture density variations, whereas the electrical resistivity data provide information on water content variations. To cite this article: G. Grandjean et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

Long-term monitoring of a large deep-seated landslide (La Clapiere,South-East French Alps): initial study

The large-scale deformation of high mountain slopes finds its origin in many phenomena (inherent parameters, external stresses) with very different time constants (instantaneous to geological scale). Gravitational effect, tectonic forces and water infiltration are generally the principal causes of slope instability. However, it can be very difficult to distinguish which cause is dominant and which are their respective effects. To gain a better understanding of the complex processes taking place during the evolution of an unstable slope and separate the causes responsible of the landslide dynamic, an observational study based on geodetic, meteorological, seismological and electrical data has been performed on the La Clapière rockslide (Southern French Alps). This deep-seated landslide (DSL) is known for many years as one of the largest and fastest rock slide in Europe (60 million m³ of highly weathered metamorphic material, moving at 1 to 3 m year^?1). The set-up of the “Observatoire Multidisciplinaire des Instabilités de Versants” (OMIV, http://omiv.osug.fr) in 2011 has allowed the production and availability of an important and original data set over several years of accurate monitoring. Thus, for the first time, the long-term study of geodetic data permitted us to highlight acceleration phases in the general movement of the landslide that affect its dynamic. These modifications are associated with variations of the velocity by a factor 3 to 6. The characterization of the origin of these variations was possible due to the comparison with meteorological, electrical and seismological data. Based on these various signals, we were able to establish correlations and contributions of meteorological water infiltration in the dynamic evolution of the La Clapière slope. We determine several response times to the meteorological stress for seismic endogenous events (mainly rockfalls), the resistivity of the ground (quasi-instantaneous) and the kinematics of the slope (from 2 weeks to 2.5 months). Moreover, our results strongly suggest the existence of rainfall threshold of 3.5?±?1 mm day^?1 from which the number of seismic endogenous events is highly increased.     

Projection of future climate change conditions using IPCC simulations, neural networks and Bayesian statistics. Part 1: Temperature mean state and seasonal cycle in South America

Projections for South America of future climate change conditions in mean state and seasonal cycle for temperature during the twenty-first century are discussed. Our analysis includes one simulation of seven Atmospheric-Ocean Global Circulation Models, which participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Project and provided at least one simulation for the twentieth century (20c3m) and one simulation for each of three Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2, A1B, and B1. We developed a statistical method based on neural networks and Bayesian statistics to evaluate the models’ skills in simulating late twentieth century temperature over continental areas. Some criteria [model weight indices (MWIs)] are computed allowing comparing over such large regions how each model captures the temperature large scale structures and contributes to the multi-model combination. As the study demonstrates, the use of neural networks, optimized by Bayesian statistics, leads to two major results. First, the MWIs can be interpreted as optimal weights for a linear combination of the climate models. Second, the comparison between the neural network projection of twenty-first century conditions and a linear combination of such conditions allows the identification of the regions, which will most probably change, according to model biases and model ensemble variance. Model simulations in the southern tip of South America and along the Chilean and Peruvian coasts or in the northern coasts of South America (Venezuela, Guiana) are particularly poor. Overall, our results present an upper bound of potential temperature warming for each scenario. Spatially, in SRES A2, our major findings are that Tropical South America could warm up by about 4°C, while southern South America (SSA) would also undergo a near 2–3°C average warming. Interestingly, this annual mean temperature trend is modulated by the seasonal cycle in a contrasted way according to the regions. In SSA, the amplitude of the seasonal cycle tends to increase, while in northern South America, the amplitude of the seasonal cycle would be reduced leading to much milder winters. We show that all the scenarios have similar patterns and only differ in amplitude. SRES A1B differ from SRES A2 mainly for the late twenty-first century, reaching more or less an 80–90% amplitude compared to SRES A2. SRES B1, however, diverges from the other scenarios as soon as 2025. For the late twenty-first century, SRES B1 displays amplitudes, which are about half those of SRES A2.     

Landslide kinematics inferred from in situ measurements: the Cliets rock-slide (Savoie,French Alps)

This paper presents an analysis of two large rock toppling/sliding events which occurred in January 2014 and February 2019 at the Cliets unstable slope (Savoie, French Alps). To understand the mechanism involved and its control by external forcings, a multi-technique analysis approach is used combining geological observations, meteorological data analysis, topographic measurements and simple physical modeling. The pre-failure stage of the events is more particularly analyzed. No direct relationships are found between triggering factors and surface motion though a kinematics analysis highlights the transition toppling-sliding. It showed that, at first order, this transition occurred 4 years before the first failure of 2014, while it happened 2 months before the second failure of 2019. From this date, the environment is considered like a block sliding on an inclined plane. By applying a frictional model (Helmstetter et al. in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 109(B2), 2004), we illustrated that the two events belong to an unstable velocity-weakening sliding regime. The time to failure (Voight in Science 243(4888):200–203, 1989) is forecasted with the model, and the results are consistent with the observations. They confirm that the gravitational factor is predominant over the triggering factors for the two events.