Damage assessment of the 2015 Mw 8.3 Illapel earthquake in the North-Central Chile

Natural Hazards - Destructive megathrust earthquakes, such as the 2015 Mw 8.3 Illapel event, frequently affect Chile. In this study, we assess the damage of the 2015 Illapel Earthquake in the...     

Ground motion amplification at flange level of bushings mounted on electric substation transformers

A study was conducted to quantify the ground motion amplification that takes place at the base of bushings mounted on electric substation transformers as a result of the flexibility of the transformer tank and turrets to which they are connected. This study was undertaken to assess the adequacy of the amplification factor of 2.0 specified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in Standard IEEE 693‐1997 for the seismic qualification of transformer bushings. The study included field tests of typical 500‐kV transformers to obtain experimentally their natural frequencies and damping ratios, the development of simple analytical models that closely matched the experimental data, and the calculation of the transformers' dynamic response under different earthquake excitations using these analytical models. Amplification factors were then computed for each of the excitations considered, defining these amplification factors as the peak shear force at the base of the bushings over the corresponding shear force obtained when the bushings are assumed mounted directly on the ground. It is found that the amplification factors for the 500‐kV bushings are within the amplification factor of 2.0 specified by Standard IEEE 693, but not those for the 230‐kV bushings, which exceed the IEEE 693 amplification factor by almost a factor of two. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geomorphological evidence of the influence of pre-volcanic basement structure on emplacement and deformation of volcanic edifices at the Cofre de Perote–Pico de Orizaba chain and implications for avalanche generation

Pre-volcanic structure of the basement influences volcanism distribution and avalanche generation in volcanic edifices. Therefore, systematic studies of basement structure below volcanic chains are necessary to understand the deformation effects observed in the surface and vice versa. Based on a compilation of pre-existing data, interpretation of aerial photographs and satellite images, and a collection of structural data we analyzed morphological and structural features of the Cofre de Perote–Pico de Orizaba (CP–PO) volcanic chain and its basement. We have identified three sets of regional lineaments that are related to basement trends. (1) NW 55° SE fractures are parallel to anticline folds observed in Cretaceous rocks that originated during Laramide shortening. These folds present an abrupt morphology observed only in the eastern flank but that is likely to continue below the volcanic chain. (2) NE 55° SW fractures are parallel to normal faults at the basement. We infer that these basement faults confine the CP–PO chain within a stepped graben with a total normal displacement of about 400 m. These faults have been active through time since they have affected volcanic deposits and induced the emplacement of monogenetic vents. Notably, lineaments of monogenetic vents concentrate where the basement is relatively shallow. (3) Another set of faults, oriented N–S, has been observed affecting the scarce basement outcrops at the western flank of the chain covered by lacustrine deposits. Lineaments measured in the volcanic edifice of Pico de Orizaba correlate with the regional trends.In particular, the NE 55° SW alignment of monogenetic vents and fractures at Pico de Orizaba suggest that the same dike trend exists within the volcanic edifice. A normal fault with similar orientation was documented at the NE continuation of an alignment crossing the volcanic edifice along the Jamapa canyon. In the absence of magmatic activity related to collapses, the displacement of NE 55° SW faults represents a potential triggering mechanism for generating avalanches at Pico de Orizaba volcano. Instability is enhanced by the presence of N–S trending fractures crossing the entire volcanic edifice and E–W fractures affecting only the present day cone. We conclude that mechanical instability of the volcanic chain is influenced by the basement structure heterogeneity, but further detailed studies are necessary at individual volcanoes to evaluate their effects on volcano deformation.     

Multicyclic sediment transfer along and across convergent plate boundaries (Barbados,Lesser Antilles)

The main source of siliciclastic sediment in the Barbados accretionary prism is off‐scraped quartzose to feldspatho‐litho‐quartzose metasedimentaclastic turbidites, ultimately supplied from South America chiefly via the Orinoco fluvio‐deltaic system. Modern sand on Barbados island is either quartzose with depleted heavy‐mineral suites recycled from Cenozoic turbidites and including epidote, zircon, tourmaline, andalusite, garnet, staurolite and chloritoid, or calcareous and derived from Pleistocene coral reefs. The ubiquitous occurrence of clinopyroxene and hypersthene, associated with green‐brown kaersutitic hornblende in the north or olivine in the south, points to reworking of ash‐fall tephra erupted from andesitic (St Lucia) and basaltic (St Vincent) volcanic centres in the Lesser Antilles arc. Modern sediments on Barbados island and those shed by larger accretionary prisms such as the Indo‐Burman Ranges and Andaman‐Nicobar Ridge define the distinctive mineralogical signature of Subduction Complex Provenance, which is invariably composite. Detritus recycled from accreted turbidites and oceanic mudrocks is mixed in various proportions with detritus from the adjacent volcanic arc or carbonate reefs widely developed at tropical latitudes. Ophiolitic detritus, locally prominent on the Andaman Islands, is absent on Barbados, where the prism formed above a westward subduction zone with a shallow décollement plane. The four‐dimensional complexities inherent with multicyclic sediment dispersal along and across convergent plate boundaries require quantitative provenance analysis as a basic tool in paleogeographic reconstructions. Such analysis provides the link between faraway factories of detritus and depositional sinks, as well as clues on subduction geometry and the nature of associated growing orogenic belts, and even information on climate, atmospheric circulation and weathering intensity in source regions.     

Thermal structure and energy budget in a small high mountain lake: La Caldera,Sierra Nevada,Spain

This work examines the diel change of energy storage and its associated patterns of thermal stratification during the ice‐free period in a high mountain lake (La Caldera Lake, Sierra Nevada, Spain), in response to meteorological conditions. Bihourly data have been implemented to a standard methodology of surface heat exchange calculations in lakes. Strong variations have been observed on the diverse components of the energy budget at different time scales, ranging from diel to seasonal. Additionally, time‐series analyses have been applied to reveal the underlying periodicities involved in relation to the different variables studied. The results obtained from this study provided realistic conditions for the environmental modelling of such processes, which are very sensitive in time scale.     

Re-analysis of Lepping’s Fitting Method for Magnetic Clouds: Lundquist Fit Reloaded

The three-dimensional morphology and direction of propagation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are essential information for identifying their source on the solar disk, for understanding the processes of their ejection and propagation in the corona, and for forecasting their possible impact with the Earth or any other objects in the solar system. The polarization of the Thomson scattering by an electron is known to provide information on its position with respect to the plane of the sky. This polarimetric technique is applied to reconstruct 15 CMEs on the basis of white-light polarized images obtained with the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2, which have been extensively corrected for instrumental effects. It does provide valuable results in spite of the time delays between the three observations required to build the polarization maps. Most of these CMEs exhibit complex structures making a classification in terms of simple shapes such as arcade of loops or flux rope difficult or even questionable. Three of these CMEs benefited from multiple observations allowing us to follow their three-dimensional development as they propagated outward. All CMEs are tracked back to the solar surface and in several instances, active regions are identified as the probable sources. Finally, the projected speeds and masses derived from white-light unpolarized observations have been corrected for the projection angle to produce unbiased values.

     

A large epeiric methanogenic Bambui sea in the core of Gondwana supercontinent?

Carbon isotope compositions of both sedimentary carbonate and organic matter can be used as key proxies of the global carbon cycle and of its evolution through ...     

The conditional probability of earthquake occurrence and the next large earthquake in Tokyo, Japan

The use of probability distribution ofrecurrence times as described by theexponential, Weibull and Rayleihgprobability densities form the core of theprobabilistic seismic prediction analysispresented in this paper. Using these threeprobabilistic models we derive threeformulas to calculate the conditionalprobability P(t|t) than an earthquakeevent will occur in the time interval (t, t+ t), provide that it has not occurredin the elapsed time t since the last largeearthquake (M 6.4) in the Tokyo area.This paper proposes a new method toestimate the time interval t foroccurrence of a new large earthquake inTokyo area. This time interval is measuredafter the elapsed time (t) since the lastlarge earthquake. To do this we use thethree formulas for the conditionalprobability P(t|t) and the criterionof the maximum conditional probability ofearthquake occurrence.Using a list of historical earthquakeswhich have occurred in the Tokyo area asgiven by Usami (1976, pp. 235–243), wefound that: (1) Using the exponentialmodel, it is estimated that a highlydamaging earthquake magnitude M 6.4, mayoccur before the year 2009.50, orequivalently before June 2009; (2) Usingthe Weibull model, it is estimated that thedamaging earthquake (M 6.4) may occurbefore the year 2129.80, or equivalentlybefore October 2129.