Transtensional deformation in the Lake Tahoe region, California and Nevada, USA

Dextral transtensional deformation is occurring along the Sierra Nevada–Great Basin boundary zone (SNGBBZ) at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada microplate. In the Lake Tahoe region of the SNGBBZ, transtension is partitioned spatially and temporally into domains of north–south striking normal faults and transitional domains with conjugate strike-slip faults. The normal fault domains, which have had large Holocene earthquakes but account only for background seismicity in the historic period, primarily accommodate east–west extension, while the transitional domains, which have had moderate Holocene and historic earthquakes and are currently seismically active, primarily record north–south shortening. Through partitioned slip, the upper crust in this region undergoes overall constrictional strain.Major fault zones within the Lake Tahoe basin include two normal fault zones: the northwest-trending Tahoe–Sierra frontal fault zone (TSFFZ) and the north-trending West Tahoe–Dollar Point fault zone. Most faults in these zones show eastside down displacements. Both of these fault zones show evidence of Holocene earthquakes but are relatively quiet seismically through the historic record. The northeast-trending North Tahoe–Incline Village fault zone is a major normal to sinistral-oblique fault zone. This fault zone shows evidence for large Holocene earthquakes and based on the historic record is seismically active at the microearthquake level. The zone forms the boundary between the Lake Tahoe normal fault domain to the south and the Truckee transition zone to the north.Several lines of evidence, including both geology and historic seismicity, indicate that the seismically active Truckee and Gardnerville transition zones, north and southeast of Lake Tahoe basin, respectively, are undergoing north–south shortening. In addition, the central Carson Range, a major north-trending range block between two large normal fault zones, shows internal fault patterns that suggest the range is undergoing north–south shortening in addition to east–west extension.A model capable of explaining the spatial and temporal partitioning of slip suggests that seismic behavior in the region alternates between two modes, one mode characterized by an east–west minimum principal stress and a north–south maximum principal stress as at present. In this mode, seismicity and small-scale faulting reflecting north–south shortening concentrate in mechanically weak transition zones with primarily strike-slip faulting in relatively small-magnitude events, and domains with major normal faults are relatively quiet. A second mode occurs after sufficient north–south shortening reduces the north–south S_hmax in magnitude until it is less than S_v, at which point S_v becomes the maximum principal stress. This second mode is then characterized by large earthquakes on major normal faults in the large normal fault domains, which dominate the overall moment release in the region, producing significant east–west extension.     

Aftershock sequences of two great Sumatran earthquakes of 2004 and 2005 and simulation of the minor tsunami generated on September 12, 2007 in the Indian Ocean and its effect

We present the seismic energy, strain energy, frequency–magnitude relation (b-value) and decay rate of aftershocks (p-value) for the aftershock sequences of the Andaman–Sumatra earthquakes of December 26, 2004 (M _w 9.3) and March 28, 2005 (M _w 8.7). The energy released in aftershocks of 2004 and 2005 earthquake was 0.135 and 0.365% of the energy of the respective mainshocks, while the strain release in aftershocks was 39 and 71% for the two earthquakes, respectively. The b-value and p-value indicate normal value of about 1. All these parameters are in normal range and indicate normal stress patterns and mechanical properties of the medium. Only the strain release in aftershocks was considerable. The fourth largest earthquake in this region since 2004 occurred in September 2007 off the southern coast of Island of Sumatra, generating a relatively minor tsunami as indicated by sea level gauges. The maximum wave amplitude as registered by the Padang, tide gauge, north of the earthquake epicenter was about 60 cm. TUNAMI-N2 model was used to investigate ability of the model to capture the minor tsunami and its effect on the eastern Indian Coast. A close comparison of the observed and simulated tsunami generation, propagation and wave height at tide gauge locations showed that the model was able to capture the minor tsunami phases. The directivity map shows that the maximum tsunami energy was in the southwest direction from the strike of the fault. Since the path of the tsunami for Indian coastlines is oblique, there were no impacts along the Indian coastlines except near the coast of epicentral region.     

Thermosolutal instability of compressible hall plasma in porous medium

The thermosolutal instability of a plasma in porous medium in the presence of a vertical magnetic field is considered to include the effects of compressibility and Hall currents. The effects of stable solute gradient and compressibility are found to be stabilizing and the Hall currents have a destabilizing effect. The system is stable for (C _p/g)<1;C _p, , andg denoting specific heat at constant pressure, uniform temperature gradient, and acceleration due to gravity, respectively. In contrast to the non-oscillatory modes in the absence of magnetic field and stable solute gradient, the presence of magnetic field (and, hence, Hall currents) and stable solute gradient introduce oscillatory modes for (C _p/g)>1. The case of overstability is also studied wherein the necessary conditions for the existence of overstability are obtained.     

Chandra measurements of the X-ray core and cluster of 3C 220.1

We report results of an 18-ks exposure with the ACIS instrument on Chandra of the powerful z =0.62 radio galaxy 3C 220.1. The X-ray emission separates into cluster gas of emission-weighted kT ∼5 keV , 0.7–12 keV luminosity (to a radius of 45 arcsec) of 5.6×10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹ and unresolved emission (coincident with the radio core). While the extended X-ray emission is clearly thermal in nature, a straightforward cooling-flow model, even in conjunction with a point-source component, is a poor fit to the radial profile of the X-ray emission. This is despite the fact that the measured properties of the gas suggest a massive cooling flow of ∼130 M_⊙ yr⁻¹, and the data show weak evidence for a temperature gradient. The central unresolved X-ray emission has a power-law spectral energy index α ∼0.7 and 0.7–12 keV luminosity of 10⁴⁵ erg s⁻¹, and any intrinsic absorption is relatively small. The two-point spectrum of the core emission between radio and X-ray energies has α _rx=0.75 . Since this is a flatter spectrum than seen in other sources where the X-ray emission is presumed to be radio-related, regions close to the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in this source may dominate the central X-ray output, as is believed to be the case for lobe-dominated quasars. Simple unification models would be challenged if this were found to be the case for a large fraction of high-power radio galaxies.     

Three-dimensional visualization of mission planning and control forthe NPS autonomous underwater vehicle

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is constructing a small autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with an onboard mission control computer. The mission controller software for this vehicle is a knowledge-based artificial intelligence (AI) system requiring thorough analysis and testing before the AUV is operational. The manner in which rapid prototyping of this software has been demonstrated by developing a controller code on a LISP machine and using an Ethernet link with a graphics workstation to simulate the controller's environment is discussed. The development of a testing simulator using a knowledge engineering environment (KEE) expert system shell that examines AUV controller subsystems and vehicle models before integrating them with the full AUV for its test environment missions is discussed. This AUV simulator utilizes an interactive mission planning control console and is fully autonomous once initial parameters are selected     

Comparison of three oxidation methods used for the analysis of the dissolved organic carbon in seawater

Three methods for the determination of dissolved organic carbon in seawater were compared. Samples were analysed using persulphate oxidation, high-temperature combustion, and ultraviolet photo-oxidation. The dissolved organic carbon content of the seawater samples ranged from 0.6 to 1.6 mg C/I. This study shows that results of high-temperature oxidation and photo-oxidation procedures differ by less than 5%, whereas results with persulphate oxidation are about 15% less than those obtained with the high-temperature oxidation. The relative merits of each of the oxidation techniques for the determination of organic matter in seawater are discussed.     

Bayesian modelling of the cool core galaxy group NGC 4325

We present an X-ray analysis of the radio-quiet cool-core galaxy group NGC 4325  ( z = 0.026)  based on Chandra and ROSAT observations. The Chandra data were analysed using xspec deprojection, 2D spectral mapping and forward-fitting with parametric models. Additionally, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method was used to perform a joint Bayesian analysis of the Chandra and ROSAT data. The results of the various analysis methods are compared, particularly those obtained by forward-fitting and deprojection. The spectral mapping reveals the presence of cool gas displaced up to 10 kpc from the group centre. The Chandra X-ray surface brightness shows the group core to be highly disturbed, and indicates the presence of two small X-ray cavities within 15 kpc of the group core. The xspec deprojection analysis shows that the group has a particularly steep entropy profile, suggesting that an active galactic nucleus (AGN) outburst may be about to occur. With the evidence of prior AGN activity, but with no radio emission currently observed, we suggest that the group in a pre-outburst state, with the cavities and displaced gas providing evidence of a previous, weak AGN outburst.