Seismic anisotropy within the uppermost mantle of southern Germany

This paper presents an updated interpretation of seismic anisotropy within the uppermost mantle of southern Germany. The dense network of reversed and crossing refraction profiles in this area made it possible to observe almost 900 traveltimes of the P_n phase that could be effectively used in a time-term analysis to determine horizontal velocity distribution immediately below the Moho. For 12 crossing profiles, amplitude ratios of the P_n phase compared to the dominant crustal phase were utilized to resolve azimuthally dependent velocity gradients with depth. A P -wave anisotropy of 3–4 per cent in a horizontal plane immediately below the Moho at a depth of 30 km, increasing to 11 per cent at a depth of 40 km, was determined. For the axis of the highest velocity of about 8.03 km s⁻¹ at a depth of 30 km a direction of N31°F was obtained. The azimuthal dependence of the observed P_n amplitude is explained by an azimuth-dependent sub-Moho velocity gradient decreasing from 0.06 s⁻¹ in the fast direction to 0 s⁻¹ in the slow direction of horizontal P -wave velocity. From the seismic results in this study a petrological model suggesting a change of modal composition and percentage of oriented olivine with depth was derived.     

The Uplift of the Longmenshan Thrust Belt and Subsidence of the West Sichuan Foreland Basin

Based on fission track dating of apatite, and measurement of vitrinite reflectance of rock samples from the Longmenshan (Longmen Mountain)area and the West Sichuan foreland basin and computer modelling it is concluded that (l)the Songpan-Garze fold belt has uplifted at least by 3-4 km with an uplift rate of no less than 0.3-0.4 mm/a since 10 Ma B.P.; (2) the Longmenshan thrust nappe belt has uplifted at least by 5-6 km with an uplift rate of more than 0.5- 0.6 mm /a since 10 Ma B.P.; (3) the Longmenshan detachment belt has uplifted by 1 - 2 km at a rate of 0.016-0.032 mm/a since 60 Ma B.P.; (4) the West Sichuan foreland basin has uplifted by 1.7-3 km at a rate of 0.028-0.05 mm/a since 60 Ma B.P.; (5) the uplift rate of the area on the west side of the Beichuan-Yingxiu-Xiaoguanzi fault for the last 10 Ma is 40 times as much as that on its east side; (6) the uplifting of the the Songpan - Garze fold belt and the subsidence of the West Sichuan foreland basin 60 Ma ago exhibit a mirro-image correlation, i.e     

The Best Natural Boundary:a New Concept Developed by Combining the Sequence Boundary with the GSSP

Through a detailed study of sequence boundaries, it is concluded that sequence stratigraphy is an independent regional and transitional stratigraphic system between local lithostratigraphy and global chronostratigraphy. Therefore, a new tripartite stratigraphic classification scheme has been proposed. By combining organically the concept of sequence boundaries with the GSSP, it is suggested that the GSSP should be chosen in a conformale portion of a related sequence boundary, and the boundary established in light of this concept is defined as the Best Natural Boundary (BNB). The definition of the BNB points out the working area and stratigraphic level for the GSSP. By referring to a case study of the Permian Guadalupian/Lopingian boundary, the concept of the BNB has been elaborated in detail, and it is proposed that the BNB of the Guadalupian and the Lopingian lies between the Mesogondolella granti Zone and the Ctarkina postbitteri Zone, which is also the sequence chronostratigraphic boundary between th     

Generating fracture networks using iterated function systems

In order to model flow and transport in fractured rocks it is important to know the geometry of the fracture network. A stochastic approach is commonly used to generate a synthetic fracture network from the statistics measured at a natural fracture network. The approach presented herein is able to incorporate the structures found in a natural fracture network into the synthetic fracture network. These synthetic fracture networks are the images generated by Iterated Function Systems (IFS) as introduced by Barnsley (1988). The conditions these IFS have to fulfil to determine images resembling fracture networks and the effects of their parameters on the images are discussed. It is possible to define the parameters of the IFS in order to generate some properties of a fracture network. The image of an IFS consists of many single points and has to be suitably processed for further use.     

Hydrous pyrolysis of a Type III source: fractionation effects during primary migration in natural and artificially matured samples

A core from the Cambay Shale Formation of the Cambay Basin, containing immature Type III organic matter, was pyrolysed at 300°C for different durations of time to different maturation levels. Fractionation effects were studied employing a three-step extraction technique after removal of the expelled pyrolysate. The extractable organic matter (EOM) obtained on extraction of the whole core is assumed to be that present in open pores, while that obtained on finely crushing the sample is assumed to be that present in closed pores. The EOM obtained from 1 cm chips is termed EOM from semi-open pores. The gross composition of the pyrolysates expelled during pyrolysis is not similar to the oils reservoired in the area, and there is no significant fractionation observed between expelled pyrolysates and unexpelled EOM. Our study indicates movement of fluids between closed, semi-open and open pores. In both systems, there is a higher concentration of EOM in open pores than in semi-open and closed pores, and the fraction of EOM in open pores is much greater in the artificial system than in the natural system. Fractionation effects on n-alkane and isoprenoid hydrocarbon-based parameters were also studied. n-Alkenes are present in semi-open and closed pores of the immature core and in the core after it was pyrolysed to 300°C for 6 and 48 h, but are absent in the open pores. n-Alkenes are present in closed pores in the naturally matured core. Presence of n-alkenes in the pyrolysates expelled during the 6 and 48 h experiments, but their absence in the open pores of the core, indicates that expulsion also occurs through temporary microfractures during laboratory pyrolysis, whereas in the natural system expulsion from closed pores seems to be only via semi-open and open pores.     

ASPI experiment: measurements of fields and waves on board the INTERBALL-1 spacecraft

The plasma-wave experiment ASPI (analysis of spectra of plasma waves and instabilities) on board the INTERBALL spacecraft is a combined wave diagnostics experiment. It performs measurements of the DC and AC magnetic field vector by flux-gate and searchcoil sensors, the DC and AC electric field vector by Langmuir double probes and the plasma current by Langmuir split probe. Preliminary data analysis shows the low noise levels of the sensors and the compatibility of new data with the results of previous missions. During several months of in-orbit operation a rich collection of data was acquired, examples of which at the magnetopause and plasma sheet are presented in second part of the paper.     

Multivariate nonparametric resampling scheme for generation of daily weather variables

A nonparametric resampling technique for generating daily weather variables at a site is presented. The method samples the original data with replacement while smoothing the empirical conditional distribution function. The technique can be thought of as a smoothed conditional Bootstrap and is equivalent to simulation from a kernel density estimate of the multivariate conditional probability density function. This improves on the classical Bootstrap technique by generating values that have not occurred exactly in the original sample and by alleviating the reproduction of fine spurious details in the data. Precipitation is generated from the nonparametric wet/dry spell model as described in Lall et al. [1995]. A vector of other variables (solar radiation, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, average dew point temperature, and average wind speed) is then simulated by conditioning on the vector of these variables on the preceding day and the precipitation amount on the day of interest. An application of the resampling scheme with 30 years of daily weather data at Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, is provided.     

Qualitätsanforderungen an Oberflächengewässer: Zielvorgaben,Qualitätsziele und chemische Gewässergüteklassifizierung

Quality Requirements for Fresh Waters: Water Quality Targets, Water Quality Objectives, and Chemical Water Quality Classification In the Federal Republic of Germany, water quality requirements for the protection of inland surface waters against hazardous substances are formulated on the basis of a quality targets derivation concept developed jointly by the Federal Government and the Federal States. The quality requirements were termed “water quality targets” in order to make it clear that the values derived are orientational values rather than legally binding limit values. The international comparison of quality requirements for surface waters shows that, on the whole, the national quality targets ensure a high level of protection. According to present scientific knowledge, impairments of uses, such as supply of drinking water, or risks to aquatic communities need not to be expected if the quality targets are complied with. A comparison of water quality data with the water quality targets makes it possible, on the one hand, to identify those substances whose inputs must be further reduced; on the other hand, it also shows that, for a number of substances, there is no need at present for concern over their adversely water quality. A further differentiation of the aquatic hazard potential of pollutants allows a water quality classification system to be developed on the basis of the quality targets derivation concept. The basic elements of this water quality classification system are presented, and its application is explained by way of examples.     

A reexamination of the valley wind system in the Alpine Inn Valley with numerical simulations

Summary This paper presents idealized numerical simulations of the valley wind circulation in the Alpine Inn Valley, which are compared with existing data and are used to improve our dynamical understanding of the valley wind. The simulations have been performed with the Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model MM5. They use a high-resolution realistic topography but idealized large-scale conditions without any synoptic forcing to focus on the thermally induced valley wind system. The comparison with the available observations shows that this simplified set-up is sufficient to reproduce the essential features of the valley wind.The results show that the tributaries of the Inn Valley have a considerable impact on the along-valley mass fluxes associated with the valley wind circulation. The upvalley mass flux is found to increase where tributaries enter the Inn Valley from the north, that is, from the direction where the Alpine foreland is located. On the other hand, the upvalley mass flux is reduced at the junctions with southern tributaries because part of the upvalley flow is deflected into these tributaries. For the downvalley flow, the situation is essentially reversed, but the influence of the valley geometry on the flow structure is larger than for the upvalley flow. The most important feature is a lateral valley contraction near the valley exit into the Alpine foreland. It reduces the downvalley mass flux at low levels, so that the wind maximum in the interior of the valley is shifted to a fairly large distance from the ground. North of the valley contraction, however, the downvalley flow strongly accelerates and forms a pronounced low-level jet. A dynamical analysis indicates that this acceleration can be interpreted as a transition from subcritical to supercritical hydraulic flow. Another interesting feature is that the low-level jet maintains its structure for several tenths of kilometres into the Alpine foreland. This appears to be related to the fact that the lateral wind shear on the flanks of the jet is associated with a strong dipole of potential vorticity (PV). Due to the conservation properties of the PV, the downstream advection of the PV dipole leads to the formation of a band-like feature that decays fairly slowly.     

On the relation between cloud cover amount and sunshine duration

Summary The total cloud cover is deduced from measurements of monthly mean averages of the percent of possible sunshine duration at three locations in Egypt, Cairo, Bahtim and Sedi-Barrani stations during the period 1987–1995. This sunshine-derived total cloud cover (C_s) is compared to conventional ground-based observations of total cloud covers (C_g) made by meteorological observers. A linear relationship between the two estimates is calculated, and the difference between the two estimates as a function of C_s and C_g is fitted with a least-squares linear equation. It is found that on the average the sunshine-derived values of total cloud cover are about 7% lower than the corresponding ground-based estimated of total cloud cover. Both of these parameters are mainly used in solar radiation models and the error sources are mainly depending upon the way to describe sky cover.