State-of-the art and future of earthquake early warning in the European region

European researchers and seismic networks are active in developing new approaches to earthquake early warning (EEW), implementing and operating test EEW systems, and in some cases, offering operational EEW to end users. We present the key recent developments in EEW research in Europe, describe the networks and regions where EEW is currently in testing or development, and highlight the two systems in Turkey and Romania that currently provide operational systems to a limited set of end users.     

Acid volcanism on the south Arabian coast

Along the south coast of Arabia, between Aden and the southern entrance to the Red Sea, there are six central vent volcanoes of probable Pliocene age. All are characterised by the interstratification of basic and acidic extrusives, the formation of large central calderas at a late stage in the volcanic cycle and the subsequent infilling of these calderas with horizontal acidic ignimbrites and basic lavas. Lying 60 miles to the west of Aden and of particular interest is Jebel Khariz, the largest and best preserved of the six volcanic centres, covering a roughly circular area of about 100 square miles and rising to a height of 2,766 feet. The volcanic sequence of Jebel Khariz is broadly divisible into two suites: a) alkali-rich rhyolites and trachytes which occur as flows and pyroclastic horizons and form about 80 per cent of the volume of the cone, and b) effusives of basaltic composition that occur in the caldera, locally on the south-east and south-west flanks and in a small parasitic cone on the northern flank. The alkali-rich acidic suite includes lavas, ash-flow and ash-fall rocks as well as vent and flow breccias, Generally, all rocks of this suite have phenocrysts of anorthoclase, and may contain phenocrysts of fayalitic olivine, aegirine-augite, magnetite and/or quartz. The fine grained matrix is composed of the same minerals with skeletal riebeckite and, in some cases, cossyrite. The basaltic suite is characteristically porphyritic, the phenocrysts being of calcic plagioclase, clinopyroxene, olivine and magnetite in a fine-grained mesostasis of plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene and ore. The plagioclase, on initial investigation, appears to lie in the labradorite-bytownite range, the olivine is commonly replaced by iddingsite and the clinopyroxene is most commonly a pale mauve titanaugite. Near the centre of the volcanic pile, as exposed in the caldera wall, masses of rhyolitic composition can be seen to form over half of the volcanic sequence. These masses are markedly lenzoid in cross-section normal to the flow direction and display intricate flow folding; they are considered to have been extruded as viscous lava. Further from the volcanic centre, these acidic extrusives become less markedly lenzoid until in the distal areas of individual units, some 5 miles from the caldera, they have spread out to form sheet-like masses covering as much as 10 square miles to a uniform thickness rarely exceeding 25 feet. The presence of agglomeratic bases, hard compact central sections and less compact upper divisions, together with the ubiquitous presence of columnar jointing and occasional shard textures suggest that these distal parts of each extrusive unit have been formed by an ash-flow/ash-fall mechanism. It is postulated that the majority of the Jebel Khariz volcanic pile was formed by emission of acidic material, effusive in the central area, but deposited mainly by an ash-flow mechanism around the flanks of the cone. This could be due to either the synchronous eruption of viscous lava from the central vent with ash flow eruptions on the flanks; or, more probably, to the progression of an individual volcanic episode through an initial ash-flow phase followed by the effusion of viscous lava, all emanating from the central vent.     

Using low-density discrete Airborne Laser Scanning data to assess the potential carbon dioxide emission in case of a fire event in a Mediterranean pine forest

The aim of study is to map the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission of the aboveground tree biomass (AGB) in case of a fire event. The suitability of low point density, discrete, multiple-return, Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data and the influence of several characteristics of these data and the study area on the results obtained have been evaluated. A sample of 45 circular plots representative of Pinus halepensis Miller stands were used to fit and validate the model of AGB. The ALS point clouds were processed to obtain the independent variables and a multivariate linear regression analysis between field data and ALS-derived variables allowed estimation of AGB. Then, the influence of several characteristics on the residuals of the model was analyzed. Finally, conversion factors were applied to obtain the CO₂ values. The AGB model presented a R² value of 0.84 with a relative root-mean-square error of 27.35%. This model included ALS variables related to vegetation height variability and to canopy density. Terrain slope, aspect, canopy cover, scan angle and the number of laser returns did not influence AGB estimations at plot level.     

Variation of mineral composition,fabric and oxygen fugacity from massive to foliated eclogites during exhumation of subducted ocean crust in the North Qilian suture zone,NW China

Eclogites from the North Qilian suture zone are high‐pressure low‐temperature metamorphic rocks of ocean crust protolith, and occur in both massive and foliated varieties as individual blocks of tens to hundreds of metres in size. The massive type is weakly deformed and shows granoblastic texture characterized by a coarse‐grained peak mineral assemblage of Grt¹ + Omp¹ + Ph + Rt ± Lws (or retrograde Cz). In contrast, the foliated type is strongly deformed and shows a fine‐grained retrograde mineral assemblage of Grt² + Omp² + Cz + Gln + Ph. Both total FeO and aegirine contents in omphacite, as well as X_Fe[=Fe³⁺/(Fe³⁺ + Al^VI)] in clinozoisite/epidote, increase significantly from massive to foliated eclogites. Lattice preferred orientation (LPO) of omphacite, determined by electron back‐scatter diffraction analysis, is characterized by weak and strong SL‐type fabrics for massive and foliated eclogites, respectively. Clinozoisite/epidote also developed SL‐type fabric, but different from the LPOs of omphacite in <010> and <001> axes, owing to their opposite crystallographic long and short axis definitions. The transition of deformation mechanism from dislocation creep to diffusive mass transfer (DMT) creep in omphacite and the concomitant retrograde metamorphism both are efficiently facilitated when the original coarse‐grained Omp¹ + Grt¹ + Lws assemblage is dynamically recrystallized and retrogressed into the fine‐grained Fe³⁺‐rich assemblage of Omp² + Grt² + Cz + Gln. The DMT process with concomitant anisotropic growth assisted by fluids is considered to be an important deformation mechanism for most minerals in the foliated eclogite. P–T estimates yielded 2.3–2.6 GPa and 485?510 °C for the massive eclogite and 1.8–2.2 GPa and 450?480 °C for the foliated eclogite. The significant increase in total Fe and Fe³⁺ contents in omphacite and clinozoisite/epidote from massive to foliated eclogite suggests changes in mineral compositions accompanied by an increase in oxygen fugacity during ductile deformation associated with exhumation. The LPO transition of omphacite, clinozoisite and rutile from weak SL‐type in massive eclogites to strong SL‐type in foliated eclogites is interpreted to represent the increment of shear strain during exhumation along the ‘subduction channel’.     

Holocene reef growth in Torres Strait

The platform and fringing reefs of Torres Strait are morphologically similar to reefs of the northern Great Barrier Reef to the south, except that several are elongated in the direction of the strong tidal currents between the Coral Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Surface and subsurface investigations and radiocarbon dating on Yam, Warraber and Hammond Islands reveal that the initiation and mode of Holocene reef growth reflect antecedent topography and sea-level history. On the granitic Yam Island, fringing reefs have established in some places over a Pleistocene limestone at about 6 m depth around 7000 years BP. Emergent Holocene microatolls of Porites sp. indicate that the reefs have prograded seawards while sea level has fallen gradually from at least 0.8 m above present about 5800 years BP. On the Warraber Island reef platform drilling near the centre indicated a Pleistocene limestone foundation at a depth of about 6 m over which reefs established around 6700 years BP. Reef growth lagged behind that on Yam Island. Microatolls on the mature reef flat indicate that the reef reached sea level around 5300 years BP when the sea was around 0.8–1.0 m above present. On the reef flat on the western side of Hammond Island bedrock was encountered at 7–8 m depth, overlain by terrigenous mud. A progradational reef sequence of only 1–2 m thickness has built seaward over these muds, as sea level has fallen over the past 5800 years. Reef-flat progradation on these reefs is interpreted to have occurred by a series of stepwise buildouts marked by lines of microatolls parallel to the reef crest, marking individual coalescing coral heads. Detrital infill has occurred between these. This pattern of reef progradation is consistent with the radiocarbon dating results from these reefs, and with seismic investigations on the Torres Reefs.     

INCORPORATING INHERENT MAP ERROR INTO FLOOD-HAZARD ANALYSIS

Maps are an important source of data for planning and land use analysis of flood-prone areas. Map users with inadequate training are not aware that map errors can lead to ineffective decisions. Although inherent errors introduced by transformation, map construction, and symbolization are never identified on maps, they limit the effectiveness of maps as sources of data. Additional vertical and horizontal errors can be introduced during map use. Knowledge of the sources and amounts of such errors should result in more effective decisions regarding flood hazards.     

IMPLEMENTATION OF CLEANER PRODUCTION STRATEGIES TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE CITY

Rapid urbanization and growing size of cities will have an increasing impact on the global environment in the 21st century. As an engine of urban development to drive economic growth and technological innovations, industry has moved its focus from controlling environmental hazards to stimulating sustainable industrial development throughout the entire product lifecycle. These process- and technology-driven innovations for industrial production are prerequisites for enhancement of urban environment and sustainable development of cities. In this review, problems of environment and resources scarcity associated with rapid urbanization are demonstrated. And, on the basis of expatiations on the concepts and policies of the cleaner production (CP) and other similar initiatives with the goal of preventing pollution at the source and of managing the raw material more efficiently, two different ways to link the practice of cleaner production in industrial sector with performance of urban environment are discussed in detail. Then, the introduction, practice and legislation of CP strategies in China are outlined, and possibility for China to develop CPC (Cleaner Practices for Cities) approaches in the demonstration cities is discussed. Finally, some suggestions on implementation of CPC strategies are put forward.     

Genesis of the Nyiragongo lavas

Mt. Nyiragongo is one of the eight major volcanoes of the large Virunga volcanic field in the Lake Kivu area in the Eastern Congo. The lavas of Nyiragongo are rather unique. Starting from the top of the mountain, the rocks are nephelinites with some leucite and melilite. The molten material of the present-day lava lake belongs to this type of lava. Under the nephelinites, there is a thin series of leucite-rich lava beds. The main part of the volcano consists of bergalitic melitite lavas alternating with pyroclastics of similar composition. The nephelinitic material is considered to constitute the main portion of the pre-volcanic magma under the future volcano. It is pointed out that the Nyiragongo represents just the type of volcano with which the African volcanic carbonatites are associated. It is concluded that the Nyiragongo nephelinite must be interpreted in a way accepted for the Central African volcanic nephelinites in general. The bergalitic melilitite material is interpreted as a product of carbonation of the nephelinitic magma.     

Paleomagnetic study of satyavedu sandstones of cretaceous age from Andhra Pradesh,India

Summary The paleomagnetism of twenty six oriented samples of red sandstones from three different sites located in Satyavedu hills (near 13°30N, 79°55E) and belonging to coastal upper Gondwana formations of India has been studied. These sandstones have been considered to be equivalent of Tirupati sandstones of Lower to Middle Cretaceous age from Godavari valley on stratigraphic considerations. Consistent directions of magnetization were obtained from two different sites after stability tests. Results from one site gave ancient pole position at 26°N, 67°W, very close to that obtained for Tirupati sandstones, thus confirming the geologic correlation. Results from the second site were rejected on account of instability and those from the third site gave pole position at 79°48N, 76°58W. This site appears to have been remagnetized during Pleistocene times when there was large deposition of laterite in the area. Study of magnetic properties of these sandstones revealed that the magnetization was of the nature of CRM and the NRM was carried almost entirely by red coating on silica grains.N.G.R.I. Contribution No. 70-169.