ARGO upper salinity measurements: perspectives for L-band radiometers calibration and retrieved sea surface salinity validation

With the view of preparing the strategy for the calibration/validation of future L-band satellite radiometers, we examine the salinity variability recorded by Array for Real-Time Geostrophic Oceanography (ARGO) floats in the upper 10-m layer of the surface ocean. Using one year of ARGO measurements,we show that the surface salinity variability at ten days and 200-km scales is above /spl plusmn/0.1 psu for 30% of the drifters and that this variability is larger than 0.2 psu in tropical regions affected by strong river discharges and by precipitations, and in frontal areas characterized by strong mesoscale activity. Vertical gradient observed between 5-10-m depth is much lower than the horizontal variability but leads to systematic biases in the tropics. The South Pacific Ocean appears to be the less variable both vertically and horizontally.     

A comparative study of geothermal and meteorological records of climate change in Kamchatka

To reconstruct the recent climate history in Kamchatka, a series of repeated precise temperature logs were performed in a number of boreholes located in a broad east-west strip (between 52 and 54°N) in the central part of Kamchatka west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. Within three years more than 30 temperature logs were performed in 10 holes (one up to six logs per hole) to the depth of up to 400 metres. Measured temperature gradients varied in a broad interval 0 to 60 mK/m and in some holes a sizeable variation in the subsurface temperatures due to advective heat transport by underground water was observed. Measured data were compared with older temperature profiles obtained in the early eighties by Sugrobov and Yanovsky (1993). Even when older data are of poorer precision (accuracy of about 0.1 K), they presented valuable information of the subsurface temperature conditions existing 20–25 years ago. Borehole observations and the inverted ground surface temperature histories (GSTHs) used for the paleoclimate reconstruction were complemented with a detailed survey of meteorological data. Namely, the long-term surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation records from Petropavlovsk station (in operation since 1890) were used together with similar data from a number of local subsidiary meteo-stations operating in Central Kamchatka since 1950. Regardless of extreme complexity of the local meteorological/climate conditions, diversity of borehole sites and calibration of measuring devices used during the whole campaign, the results of the climate reconstruction supported a general warming of about 1 K characteristic for the 20th century, which followed an inexpressive cooler period typical for the most of the 19th century. In the last three to four decades the warming rate has been locally increasing up to 0.02 K/year. It was also shown that the snow cover played a dominant role in the penetration of the climate “signal” to depth and could considerably smooth down the subsurface response to the changes occurred on the surface.     

Effect of common point selection on coordinate transformation parameter determination

The use of satellite positioning techniques commonly requires a transformation from a Conventional Terrestrial coordinate system to a Geodetic coordinate system, or vice versa. For such a transformation, the main problem is the determination of transformation parameters between these coordinate systems. The transformation parameters are estimated by a least-squares process using “common” points, i.e., those points whose coordinates are known in both systems. Therefore, the precision of so estimated transformation parameters is closely related to certain characteristics of the common points. In this contribution, we have formulated some theoretical relations between the transformation parameters and the number and the distribution of common points, and corroborated the theoretical results numerically, using a simulated geodetic network.     

Seismic Moment Tensor Resolution on a Local Scale: Simulated Rockburst and Mine-induced Seismic Events in the Kopanang Gold Mine, South Africa

Seismic records contain information about the effect of the source as well as the effect of wave propagation through the rock mass. The effect of wave propagation is usually not well known as only simplified models of geological structures are available. Therefore, the information about the source retrieved by inverting seismograms may include errors due to incomplete knowledge of the rock mass along the propagation path, which in turn cause a distortion in the calculated moment tensor (MT). The distortion of the MT on a local scale was observed by inverting records of a simulated rockburst conducted at the Kopanang gold mine in South Africa. A dominant isotropic component of the explosive characteristics was found from the inversion. The deviatoric components retrieved from the blast are spurious. A test of their stability indicated that they are not significant, assuming an uncertainty above 5% for velocities and 10% for attenuation within the homogeneous model available for the mine. Thus, the retrieval of the MT from records of local networks in mines using a homogeneous model of the rock mass seems to be feasible. However, the homogeneous model of the rock mass can only be applied to close stations, within a few kilometers of the source. The seismic records from distant stations were too complex to be modelled by a homogeneous rock mass. Records of six mine-induced seismic events recorded at the Kopanang gold mine were also inverted. A vertical linear dipole along the pressure (P) axis was found for three of the events, suggesting a pillar burst. The mechanism of two events contains an isotropic implosion together with a nearly vertical dip-slip, and seems to indicate a combination of a cavity collapse with a down dip-slip along a nearly vertical fault. One event corresponds to a dipole along the tensional (T) axis. However, it is vertical, thus its association with tensile faulting of the hangingwall is uncertain.     

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).     

快速精密星历替代精密星历定位的初步研究

由于GPS精密定位所需的IGS精密星历要在两周以后才能得到,因而利用两天后即可得到的快速精密星历、12小时后得到的超快速精密星历代替精密星历是GPS应用于地震短临预测的一个重要条件。本文利用北京市全球定位综合应用服务系统中五个GPS连续观测站一年半的数据,分别用三种星历进行精密定位计算,得到了小规模网中快速精密星历一般可以代替精密星历进行精密定位计算的结果。     

长波辐射(OLR)信息预测华北地震的方法研究

利用卫星对地遥测长波辐射(OLR)信息,分析了华北地块OLR信息场的空间分布及其变化特征,结合地震活动分布特点进行了短期预测中强地震判定指标的方法研究。结果表明该方法可对华北地区短期内有无可能发生M5以上的显著地震做出较为明确的诊断。经近一年的实际检验效果良好,对华北地区震情监测预报有实用价值。     

浙江及邻区尾波Q值研究

基于单次散射(Aki)模型,利用2000年至今浙江及安徽台网记录的37次ML3.0以上地震的数字地震波资料,计算了浙江及邻近省区平均尾波Q值,并拟合了Q值对频率的依赖关系数据。结果为:Q(f)=212±33.5f0.62±0.11,与国内其它区域相比,本区域为Q值高值、对频率低依赖性区域。认为本研究区内构造活动弱,地震活动水平低。本文就Q值对频率、尾波窗长等的依赖性特征及影响Q值计算的噪声水平、滤波器、数据采样等因素进行了深入分析。     

InSAR相位分解及其在生成DEM和研究地震形变场中的应用

InSAR是极具发展潜力的微波遥感新技术,可应用于数字高程模型的产生、制图和大范围微小地表形变的测量。考虑参考面、地形和地表形变等因素,本文从几何角度分析和讨论了In-SAR的相位分解,并给出了各相位分量的函数表达式,阐述了地表高程和形变信息提取的基本原理。最后以JERS和ENVISAT卫星数据为例,展示了合成孔径雷达干涉测量在生成数字高程模型和提取地震形变场中的应用及其数据处理过程。     

断裂带中的流体活动及其作用

大量证据表明活动断裂带中存在大量流体,不仅可以造成断裂带强度的变化,而且可以导致有效正应力减小,进而诱发地震。在野外观察与模拟的基础上,许多模式被用来解释这一现象。本文简要介绍了有关断裂带特征和分类、流体的来源和运动,以及流体对断裂带的影响和对地震的触发作用等方面的研究进展。