Editorial: The Future of Mathematical Geology

Mathematical Geosciences -     

Quaternary reactivation of Tertiary faults in the southeastern Korean Peninsula: Age constraint by optically stimulated luminescence dating

Abstract   Two groups of Quaternary faults occur in the southeastern Korean Peninsula. The first group is north-northeast-striking, high-angle dextral strike–slip faults. The second group is north-northeast-striking, low-angle reverse faults that represent the reactivation of the pre-existing normal faults. Optically stimulated luminescence dating of Quaternary sediments cut by one of the reverse faults constrains the faulting age to post-32 Ka. These faults seem to be capable of further slip under the current tectonic stress regime, as determined by recent earthquake events in northeast Asia. Therefore, the traditional concept that the southeastern Korean Peninsula is seismically stable should be reappraised.     

Correlation between individual waves in a real sea state

The correlation between individual waves in a real sea state has a central role in existing theories of wave grouping. The attractive Kimura (1980) theory has two critical assumptions, that the sequence of individual wave heights follows a Markov process and that the joint distribution of consecutive wave heights follows a bivariate Rayleigh form. Analysis of measured water surface records suggests that sequences of individual waves can reasonably be described as a first order mixed autoregressive, moving-average or ARMA process, though a distinction among ARMA (1,0), ARMA (0,1) and ARMA (1,1) models was beyond the resolution of the data. These include the Markov or ARMA (1,0) model. The decisive detail, the joint distribution of consecutive wave heights in the sea state, was evaluated by a simulation methodology that is consistent with the Gaussian random wave model. The estimates are dependent on spectral shape and are consistently narrower and more sharply focussed at the peak than the corresponding bivariate Rayleigh estimate. The resulting predictions of run and group length statistics differ from the Kimura theory, though not by a sufficient margin to displace the Kimura theory as a pragmatic choice for wave grouping.     

The seasonal growth of ice in the Antarctic

Composite pictures of the areal extent of Antarctic sea ice derived from satellite photographs, show that the growth and the rate of growth of the pack ice compare favorably to the values previously estimated on other bases. Anomalous growth patterns are found in the Weddell Sea. Possible causes of this anomaly include surface and subsurface advection of ice crystals. The rate of retrogradation of the pack ice is found to exceed the rate of progradation.     

Sub‐Permil Interlaboratory Consistency for Solution‐Based Boron Isotope Analyses on Marine Carbonates

Boron isotopes in marine carbonates are increasingly used to reconstruct seawater pH and atmospheric pCO₂ through Earth’s history. While isotope ratio measurements from individual laboratories are often of high quality, it is important that records generated in different laboratories can equally be compared. Within this Boron Isotope Intercomparison Project (BIIP), we characterised the boron isotopic composition (commonly expressed in δ¹¹B) of two marine carbonates: Geological Survey of Japan carbonate reference materials JCp‐1 (coral Porites) and JCt‐1 (giant clam Tridacna gigas). Our study has three foci: (a) to assess the extent to which oxidative pre‐treatment, aimed at removing organic material from carbonate, can influence the resulting δ¹¹B; (b) to determine to what degree the chosen analytical approach may affect the resultant δ¹¹B; and (c) to provide well‐constrained consensus δ¹¹B values for JCp‐1 and JCt‐1. The resultant robust mean and associated robust standard deviation (s*) for un‐oxidised JCp‐1 is 24.36 ± 0.45‰ (2s*), compared with 24.25 ± 0.22‰ (2s*) for the same oxidised material. For un‐oxidised JCt‐1, respective compositions are 16.39 ± 0.60‰ (2s*; un‐oxidised) and 16.24 ± 0.38‰ (2s*; oxidised). The consistency between laboratories is generally better if carbonate powders were oxidatively cleaned prior to purification and measurement.     

Settlement Prediction of Model Piles Embedded in Sandy Soil Using the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) Training Algorithm

This investigation aimed to examine the load carrying capacity of model piles embedded in sandy soil and to develop a predictive model to simulate pile settlement using a new artificial neural network (ANN) approach. A series of experimental pile load tests were carried out on model concrete piles, comprised of three piles with slenderness ratios of 12, 17 and 25. This was to provide an initial dataset to establish the ANN model, in attempt at making current, in situ pile-load test methods unnecessary. Evolutionary Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) MATLAB algorithms, enhanced by T-tests and F-tests, were developed and applied in this process. The model piles were embedded in a calibration chamber in three densities of sand; loose, medium and dense. According to the statistical analysis and the relative importance study, pile lengths, applied load, pile flexural rigidity, pile aspects ratio, and sand-pile friction angle were found to play a key role in pile settlement at different contribution levels, following the order: P?>?δ?>?lc/d?>?lc?>?EA. The results revealed that the optimum model of the LM training algorithm can be used to characterize pile settlement with good degree of accuracy. There was also close agreement between the experimental and predicted data with a root mean square error, (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R) of 0.0025192 and 0.988, respectively.     

Discriminating sources of PCB contamination in fish on the coastal shelf off San Diego, California (USA)

Management of coastal ecosystems necessitates the evaluation of pollutant loading based on adequate source discrimination. Monitoring of sediments and fish on the shelf off San Diego has shown that some areas on the shelf are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Here, we present an analysis of PCB contamination in fish on the shelf off San Diego designed to discriminate possible sources. The analysis was complicated by the variability of species available for analysis across the shelf, variable affinities of PCBs among species, and non-detects in the data. We utilized survival regression analysis to account for these complications. We also examined spatial patterns of PCBs in bay and offshore sediments and reviewed more than 20 years of influent and effluent data for local wastewater treatment facilities. We conclude that most PCB contamination in shelf sediments and fish is due to the ongoing practice of dumping contaminated sediments dredged from San Diego Bay.     

Visible–near infrared spectral indices for mapping mineralogy and chemistry with OSIRIS‐REx

The primary objective of the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS‐REx) mission is to return to Earth a pristine sample of carbonaceous material from the primitive asteroid (101955) Bennu. To support compositional mapping of Bennu as part of sample site selection and characterization, we tested 95 spectral indices on visible to near infrared laboratory reflectance data from minerals and carbonaceous meteorites. Our aim was to determine which indices reliably identify spectral features of interest. Most spectral indices had high positive detection rates when applied to spectra of pure, single‐component materials. The meteorite spectra have fewer and weaker absorption features and, as a result, fewer detections with the spectral indices. Indices targeting absorptions at 0.7 and 2.7–3 μm, which are attributable to hydrated minerals, were most successful for the meteorites. Based on these results, we identified a set of 17 indices that are most likely to be useful at Bennu. These indices detect olivines, pyroxenes, carbonates, water/OH‐bearing minerals, serpentines, ferric minerals, and organics. Particle size and albedo are known to affect band depth but had a negligible impact on interpretive success with spectral indices. Preliminary analysis of the disk‐integrated Bennu spectrum with these indices is consistent with expectations given the observed absorption near 3 μm. Our study prioritizes spectral indices to be used for OSIRIS‐REx spectral analysis and mapping and informs the reliability of all index‐derived data products, including a science value map for sample site selection.