Towards global space geodetic mapping of the dynamic deformation field after great earthquakes

GPS systems can be used as seismometers by sampling ground positions to detect travelling seismic waves. Data from dense geodetic networks near large earthquakes have been used to improve magnitude estimates, for tsunami warning, and to better understand the rupture processes. Here, we present 1 Hz GPS records of the March 11th, 2011, Mw = 9.0 Tohoku earthquake at unprecedented teleseismic distances. The spatial and temporal variations of the three‐dimensional GPS displacement vector field show various body waves, Love and Rayleigh surface waves along the direct path, and Love waves from the more than 31 000 km long major arc path. These results suggest that seismic wavefields can be mapped at teleseismic distances globally using space geodesy and could thus be used for source and structural studies. Data from numerous real‐time kinematic GPS networks could be combined to show the displacement field, giving unparalleled views of Earth's response to large earthquakes.     

The potential of an electrostatically clean geostationary satellite and its use in plasma diagnostics

Electrostatic charging has given rise to problems on several geostationary spacecraft. This has led to a rigorous electrostatic cleanliness approach in the case of the scientific geostationary satellite GEOS in order to secure correct electric field and low energy plasma measurements. The present paper outlines the relevant charging mechanism, describes a new method for the determination of the equilibrium potential, and reports on actual potential measurements. The potentials observed are very closely related to the actual plasma conditions at the geostationary orbit. It is generally possible to use the potential measurements to characterize the particle population encountered by the spacecraft.Measurements carried out over a period of 4 years are presented by way of examples. A careful analysis shows that the chosen examples are representative and reflect the conditions observed on all other days of the mission. The results lead to the overall conclusion that the equilibrium potential of GEOS in sunlight is always moderately positive and only rarely exceeds + 10 V with respect to ambient space. At no instance in the sunlit portion of the orbit does the spacecraft assume a negative potential. We find that the observed moderate positive equilibrium potential generally is a function of cold plasma density. During the night and early morning part of the orbit we can, however, identify periods where the high energy particle population dictates the equilibrium potential. The electrostatic cleanliness design of GEOS avoids negative charging also under these conditions. In eclipse, a negative potential cannot be avoided but here the electrostatic cleanliness approach chosen for GEOS prevents any differential charging and avoids potentials of several thousand volts which have appeared on other satellites. The cost, in time and effort, of the precautions employed has clearly been justified. The specially developed techniques have since been used on other satellites and the lessons learned have also been applied successfully to operational spacecraft such as METEOSAT 2.     

Basement controls upon basin development in the Caledonian foreland, NW Scotland

Abstract The Hebridean basins are part of a compartmentalized half-graben developed in the hanging wall of the partially reactivated Outer Isles Fault. The importance of geological inheritance in the development of these basins can be demonstrated clearly using the widespread exposure of metamorphic basement around the basin margins. The basement structures have been analysed using thematically mapped Landsat images in conjunction with selective field studies. Results of such studies have been integrated with maps generated from the interpretation of offshore multichannel seismic reflection profiles to produce an architectural framework for basin development.
It can be demonstrated that the principal basement faults originated in the early Proterozoic as mid-crustal shear zones and that they have subsequently been partially reactivated during post-Caledonian basin development beginning in the Carboniferous and probably also during an earlier period of basin development in the late Proterozoic (the Torridonian). It is the geometry of the pre-existing basement structures that has controlled the three-dimensional shape of the sedimentary basins and the spatial and temporal distribution of the basin fill.     

Cenozoic erosion and sediment yield in the drainage area of the Storfjorden Fan

The western Barents Sea continental margin, between 74° and 77°N, comprises 7–8 km post-Paleocene sediments. The margin sediments have been divided into four seismic sequences dated by seismic correlation to adjacent areas. This chronostratigraphy shows that the uppermost three sequences are of glacial origin, deposited during the last 2.3 m.y. A huge sedimentary wedge, the Storfjorden Fan, was deposited in front of the Storfjorden Trough between 2.3 and 0.44 Ma, whereas during the last 0.44 m.y. a more evenly distribution pattern is observed. The outbuilding of the fan is related to the onset of the northern hemisphere glaciations causing intense glacial erosion of predominantly consolidated rocks. Seismic facies interpretations indicates that the fan outbuilding was connected to large-scale mass movements. Within the uppermost part of the glacial sequence parallel and continuous reflectors and locally disturbed pattern on the upper slope are associated with downslope change in facies. Volumetric calculations, based on velocity studies and isopach maps, have been used to quantify Cenozoic erosion, sediment yield, sedimentation and erosion rates. Approximately 3300 m of post-Paleocene erosion is calculated within the drainage area of the Storfjorden Fan, of which about 1700 m was eroded in late Pliocene-Pleistocene times giving an average denudation rate of 0.63 mm/yr.     

A GIS‐based multi‐criteria seismic vulnerability assessment using the integration of granular computing rule extraction and artificial neural networks

This study proposes multi‐criteria group decision‐making to address seismic physical vulnerability assessment. Granular computing rule extraction is combined with a feed forward artificial neural network to form a classifier capable of training a neural network on the basis of the rules provided by granular computing. It provides a transparent structure despite the traditional multi‐layer neural networks. It also allows the classifier to be applied on a set of rules for each incoming pattern. Drawbacks of original granular computing (GrC) are covered, where some input patterns remained unclassified. The study was applied to classify seismic vulnerability of the statistical units of the city of Tehran, Iran. Slope, seismic intensity, height and age of the buildings were effective parameters. Experts ranked 150 randomly selected sample statistical units with respect to their degree of seismic physical vulnerability. Inconsistency of the experts' judgments was investigated using the induced ordered weighted averaging (IOWA) operator. Fifty‐five classification rules were extracted on which a neural network was based. An overall accuracy of 88%, κ = 0.85 and R² = 0.89 was achieved. A comparison with previously implemented methodologies proved the proposed method to be the most accurate solution to the seismic physical vulnerability of Tehran.     

Three-dimensional image of the Moho undulations beneath the Gulf of Bothnia using wide-angle seismic data

The BABEL marine seismic experiment has been carried out to investigate the lithospheric structure and antecedent tectonic signatures of the Baltic Shield, including the Archaean-Proterozoic collisional structure in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia.
Lithospheric seismic-reflection streamer data and simultaneously recorded wide-angle reflection and refraction data collected in the Gulf of Bothnia as part of the BABEL project have been used for 3-D modelling. The distribution of land stations around the Gulf provides a good 3-D ray coverage of the PMP reflection data recorded at the eight stations in the area and allows an estimation of strikes and dips of the Moho boundary in the area. The traveltimes of reflected phases are calculated using a method that utilizes the finite-difference solution of the eikonal equation. The Moho wide-angle-reflection (PMP) traveltimes are modelled using an inversion method. A 2-D model from the Gulf of Bothnia extended into the third dimension is used as an initial model. During the inversion the velocity is kept constant and only the Moho boundary is allowed to vary. To estimate the strike of the Moho boundary and the stability of the inversion, two initial models with different strikes are examined.
The results indicate that the Moho depth in the Gulf of Bothnia undulates and has a maximum depth of 55 km in the south, rising to 42 km in the north. The Moho depth variations seem to be step-like. This change in the Moho depth coincides with the location of the presumed fossil subduction zone in the area. The crustal-thickness variations seem to be well approximated by a nearly 2-D structure striking parallel to a postulated subduction zone immediately to the south of the Skellefte area. The presence of the step at the crust/mantle boundary can be interpreted as a result of a plate-collision event at about 2 Ga.     

Magmatism in the Iberian Pyrite Belt: petrological constraints on a metallogenic model

Igneous formations associated with massive sulphide deposits in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) are essentially composed of basic lavas and dolerites, and dacitic to rhyolitic volcanites; intermediate lavas are subordinate. The basic rocks show variable geochemical characteristics: lavas and dolerites comparable to recent within-plate alkaline basalts seem restricted to the western and southern parts of the IPB, whereas basic rocks comparable to continental tholeiites or arc-related basalts occur across the whole belt. The felsic rocks are classified as calc-alkaline and belong to the “low-Al₂O₃ and high-Yb type”. At given SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ contents, they show variable Zr, Nb, and HREE contents. Heavy-rare-earth element fractionation decreases from the dacites to the rhyolites ([Gd/Yb]_N ∼ 1), whereas the negative Eu-anomaly becomes more pronounced. The characteristics of the rhyolites are typical of sulphide-fertile volcanic packages. Trace-element modelling suggests that the felsic rocks evolved from a dacitic parent magma through fractional crystallization of hornblende and plagioclase. Partial melting of an amphibolite protolith, which appears as the most probable model for the origin of this dacitic magma, requires a high T/P gradient in the crust. The occurrence of alkaline basalts and continental tholeiites is consistent with formation of the IPB in a tensional tectonic setting. However, the associated island-arc tholeiites suggest a location in a domain of plate convergence. Emplacement in a fore-arc basin over a recently accreted crustal segment is envisaged as a possible hypothesis to account for the geological and petrological constraints. A high geothermal gradient and eruption in a submarine tensional basin could have been two key ingredients for the development of massive sulphide deposits within the IPB.

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Resumen (translated by E. Pascual) Las formaciones ígneas asociadas con los depósitos de sulfuros masivos de la Faja Pirítica Ibérica (IPB) se componen esencialmente de doleritas y lavas básicas y de rocas volcánicas dacíticas a riolíticas; las lavas intermedias son poco abundantes. Las rocas básicas muestran caracteres geoquímicos variables: lavas y doleritas comparables a basaltos alcalinos intraplaca recientes parecen hasta ahora restringidos a las partes W y S de la IPB, mientras que rocas básicas de caracteres comparables a las de toleítas continentales o basaltos relacionados con arcos aparecen en toda la zona. Las rocas ácidas se clasifican como calcoalcalinas del tipo “low-Al₂O₃, high-Yb”. Para un contenido dado en SiO₂, Al₂O₃ y TiO₂, muestran contenidos variables en Zr, Nb y REE. El contenido en tierras raras pesadas decrece de dacitas a riolitas ([Gd/Yb]_N ∼ 1), al tiempo que la anomalía de Eu se hace más pronunciada. La modelización de elementos trazas sugiere que las rocas evolucionaron a partir de un magma parental dacítico mediante cristalización fraccionada de hornblenda y plagioclasa. La fusión parcial de un protolito anfibolítico, que parece el modelo más plausible para el origen del magma dacítico, requiere un elevado gradiente T/P en la corteza. La existencia de basaltos alcalinos y de toleítas continentales es congruente con la formación de la IPB en un entorno tectónico distensivo. El emplazamiento en una cuenca “fore-arc”, en un segmento cortical de reciente acreción, se contempla como una hipótesis posible para explicar los caracteres geológicos y petrológicos. Un alto gradiente térmico, junto con la erupción en una cuenca submarina extensional, pueden haber sido los dos ingredientes clave en el desarrollo de los depósitos de sulfuros masivos en la IPB.

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Received: 3 March 1996 / Accepted: 7 April 1997