Lava channel roofing,overflows, breaches and switching: insights from the 2008–2009 eruption of Mt. Etna

During long-lived basaltic eruptions, overflows from lava channels and breaching of channel levées are important processes in the development of extensive 'a'ā lava flow-fields. Short-lived breaches result in inundation of areas adjacent to the main channel. However, if a breach remains open, lava supply to the original flow front is significantly reduced, and flow-field widening is favoured over lengthening. The development of channel breaches and overflows can therefore exert strong control over the overall flow-field development, but the processes that determine their location and frequency are currently poorly understood. During the final month of the 2008–2009 eruption of Mt. Etna, Sicily, a remote time-lapse camera was deployed to monitor events in a proximal region of a small ephemeral lava flow. For over a period of ~10 h, the flow underwent changes in surface elevation and velocity, repeated overflows of varying vigour and the construction of a channel roof (a required prelude to lava tube formation). Quantitative interpretation of the image sequence was facilitated by a 3D model of the scene constructed using structure-from-motion computer vision techniques. As surface activity waned during the roofing process, overflow sites retreated up the flow towards the vent, and eventually, a new flow was initiated. Our observations and measurements indicate that flow surface stagnation and flow inflation propagated up-flow at an effective rate of ~6 m h⁻¹, and that these processes, rather than effusion rate variations, were ultimately responsible for the most vigorous overflow events. We discuss evidence for similar controls during levée breaching and channel switching events on much larger flows on Etna, such as during the 2001 eruption.     

Improved NLDAS‐2 Noah‐simulated hydrometeorological products with an interim run

In North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 (NLDAS‐2) Noah simulation, the NLDAS team introduced an intermediate ‘fix’ to constrain the surface exchange coefficient when the atmospheric boundary layer is stable. In the current NLDAS‐2 Noah version, this fix is used for all stable cases including snow‐free grid cells. In this study, we simply apply this fix to the grid cells in which both stable atmospheric boundary layer and snow exist simultaneously, excluding the snow‐free grid cells as we recognize that the fix in NLDAS‐2 is too strong. We conduct a 31‐year (1979–2009) NLDAS‐2 Noah interim (Noah‐I) run and use observed streamflow, evapotranspiration, land surface temperature, soil temperature, and ground heat flux to evaluate the results, including comparisons with the original NLDAS‐2 Noah run. The results show that Noah‐I has the same performance as NLDAS‐2 Noah for snow water equivalent; however, Noah‐I significantly improved the simulation of other hydrometeorological products as noted earlier when compared with NLDAS‐2 Noah and the observations. This simple modification is being included in the next Noah version used in NLDAS. The hydrometeorological products from the improved NLDAS‐2 Noah‐I are being staged on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction public server. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Episodic post‐rift deformation in the south‐eastern Australian passive margin: evidence from the Lapstone Structural Complex

Identifying the influence of neotectonics on the morphology of elevated passive margins is complicated in that major morpho‐structural patterns might plausibly be explained by processes related to late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic rifting and/or differential erosion induced by Cenozoic epeirogenic uplift. The proportional contribution of each process can vary from continent to continent, and potentially even within the same passive margin. In the passive margin setting of the southeast Australian highlands the documented occurrence of neotectonic deformation is rare, and accordingly its role in landscape evolution is difficult to establish. The results of investigations within the Lapstone Structural Complex, which forms the eastern range front of the Blue Mountains Plateau, provide evidence for two periods of Cenozoic neotectonic uplift in this part of the highlands. The first, demonstrated by seismic and structural evidence, is suggested to have occurred in the Paleogene, and is thus unrelated to Cretaceous rifting. The second period, demonstrated by evidence from the Kurrajong Fault (presented herein) suggests that uplift occurred in both the Mio‐Pliocene and the Middle Pleistocene. The cumulative Neogene and younger uplift of ~15 m determined for the Kurrajong Fault is less than 10% of the 130 m of total measured throw across the fault. The apparently minor contribution of neotectonism to the current elevation of the Blue Mountains Plateau supports a predominantly erosional exhumation origin for the topographic relief at the plateau's eastern edge. This finding contrasts with evidence from fault complexes associated with similar topographic relief elsewhere in the south‐eastern highlands, indicating that present‐day topography cannot be directly related to relief generated by Neogene and younger uplift, even from relatively closely‐spaced (< 150 km) structures within the same passive margin. These findings have implications for understanding the spatio‐temporal variability of post‐rift faulting in continental passive margin settings and the evolution of landscapes therein. © Commonwealth of Australia. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of shale stiffness tensor from standard logs

A technique allowing inversion of the shale stiffness tensor from standard logging data: sonic velocities, density, porosity and clay content is developed. The inversion is based on the effective medium theory. The testing of the technique on laboratory measurements of the elastic wave velocities in shale samples shows that the inversion makes it possible to predict the elastic wave velocities V_P, V_S1 and V_S2 in any direction within an error of a few per cent. The technique has been applied for the stiffness tensor inversion along a well penetrating a shale formation of the Mississippian age altered by thin layers of limestone. It is demonstrated that the symmetry of a stiffness tensor inverted at the sonic frequency (2 kHz) is slightly orthorhombic and taking into account the experimental errors, can be related to the vertical transverse isotropy symmetry. For the productive interval of the shale formation, the Thomsen parameters ?, γ, and δ average, respectively, 0.32, 0.25 and 0.21, which indicate anelliptic behaviour of the velocities in this shale. The coefficients of anisotropy of this shale interval are around 24% and 20% for the compressional and shear waves, respectively. The values of the inverted velocities in the bedding plane for this interval are in good agreement with the laboratory measurements. The technique also allows inversion of the water saturation of the formation (Sw) and the inverted values are in agreement with the Sw values available for this formation. A Backus‐like upscaling of the inverted stiffness tensors is carried out for the lower and upper bounds of the frequency band used in the crosswell tomography (100 Hz and 500 Hz). These results can serve as an initial velocity model for the microearthquake location during hydrofracking of the shale formation.     

Imaging short period variations in lava flux

Short period (e.g. <1 h) variations in lava effusion rate have been detected previously on Mount Etna, Sicily, but the causes and effects of such changes are poorly understood because of difficulties in obtaining suitably high frequency measurements over long periods. Here, we report short period flux variations in active lava flows, recorded in dense time series imagery over a 7-night period using modified remote trail cameras. The sequences of night-time images show significant pulses of enhanced incandescence, interpreted as short period increases in lava flux, travelling down-channel at velocities of ∼10–20 m min⁻¹. Pulse generation decreased from an average of one pulse per hour on the first night to approximately one per night within a few nights. Effusion rate changes on these timescales are considered to reflect instabilities in magma ascent and, consequently, could provide insight into subsurface flow processes.     

Impacts of milkfish (Chanos chanos) aquaculture on carbon and nutrient fluxes in the Bolinao area,Philippines

Sediment oxygen consumption, TCO2 production and nutrient fluxes across the sediment-water interface were measured in sediments within and along a transect from four fish pens with production of milkfish (Chanos chanos) in the Bolinao area, The Philippines. The four fish pens were each representing a specific period in the production cycling. There was a positive linear relationship between the rates of sedimentation inside the fish pens and the sediment oxygen consumption indicating that the benthic processes were controlled by the input of organic matter from fish production. The nutrient fluxes were generally higher inside the fish pens, and nitrate was taken up (1.7-5.8 mmol m(-2) d(-1)) whereas ammonium (1-22 mmol m(-2) d(-1)) and phosphate (0.2-4.7 mmol m(-2) d(-1)) were released from the sediments. The sediments were enriched in organic matter with up to a factor 4 compared to outside. A mass balance for one crop of milkfish was constructed based on production data and on measured fluxes of nutrients in the fish pens to assess the loss of carbon and nutrients to the environment. There was a loss to the surroundings of carbon and nitrogen of 51-68% of the total input, whereas phosphorus was buried in the sediments inside the fish pens which acted as net sinks of phosphorus. The results obtained suggest that fish pen culture as practiced in the Bolinao area, leads to even greater impacts on benthic carbon and nutrient cycling than those found in suspended cage cultures.