Investigation of earthquake mechanisms and their impact on certain basic concepts in earthquake engineering and seismology

In this paper, mantle circulation flow, continental drift, earthquake origin and other mechanical principles are examined as they apply to earthquake engineering, seismology and dynamics of fluid saturated porous medium. The relationship of mantle flow to earthquakes is examined and clarified, and a new model, different from Haskell’s, is proposed for the earthquake mechanism. The proposed new model is based on the discovery that two pairs of jump stress and jump velocity will start to act from the fault plane. Records obtained directly from recent earthquakes nearby and right on the fault break show a very large velocity impulse, which verify, indirectly, the new mechanism proposed by the author. Further, at least two physical parameters that characterize the seismic intensity must be specified, because according to the discontinuous (jump) wave theory, at the earthquake source, the stress jump and the velocity jump of particle motion should act simultaneously when a sudden break occurs. The third key parameter is shown to be the break (fracture) propagation speed together with the break plane area. This parameter influences the form of the unloading time function at the source. The maximum seismic stress in and displacement of a building are estimated for two unfavorable combinations of the building and its base ground in terms of their relative rigidity. Finally, it is shown that Biot’s theory of wave propagation in fluid saturated porous media is valid only when fluid flow cannot occur.     

江苏-南黄海地区M≥6强震预测探索

江苏-南黄海地区自16世纪以来已发生17次6级以上强震,经研究发现它们存在着时间间隔为74年、57年、26年、7年的有序性结构,利用这种强震活动的有序性和可公度性理论相结合,试对该区6级以上强震进行预测探索,结论是1995-1996年、2001-2002年前后该区有发生6级以上强震的可能。     

新疆及其邻区M≥7强震的预测研究

新疆及其邻近地区Ｍ≥７强震活动在时间分布上具有明显的有序性。自１７１６年以来的２１次Ｍ≥７强震存在着时间间隔为１１、２５、３０、４１和６０年的有序值。利用强震活动时间的有序性结构，可对该区７级强震进行预测探索。本文同时还应用熵和经验分布函数，讨论了下次强震发生的地点和概率。     

2006年1月宝鸡强降雪过程综合分析

2006-01-17T 08—20T 08,宝鸡出现了一次中到大雪天气过程,18日08时到19日08时扶风降雪量达18.9 mm,为历史少见。通过环流背景和物理量场分析表明:低空急流输送丰沛水汽,东路冷空气南下与暖湿气流在河套交汇,造成这次强降雪;低空东风急流形成,使低层水汽输送增强,辐合加大,辐合层加厚,是降雪增大的关键。在卫星云图上,云顶亮温tBB为-10oC左右的低云稳定少动,对应降雪持续,当tBB<-60oC的高空对流云移经宝鸡时,降雪增强。     

Secondary Production of Macrobenthic Communities in Seagrass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera marina</Emphasis>, Eelgrass) Beds and Bare Soft Sediments Across Differing Environmental Conditions in Atlantic Canada

In nearshore ecosystems, habitats with emergent structure are often assumed to have higher ecosystem functioning than habitats lacking structure. However, such habitat-specific differences may depend on the surrounding environment. In this study, I examine the robustness of habitat-specific differences in ecosystem functioning for seagrass (Zostera marina) and adjacent bare soft sediments across varying environmental conditions on the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, using secondary production as a metric. I also examine relationships of community secondary production and faunal structure with measured environmental variables (water depth, temperature, exposure, sediment, and plant properties). Benthic secondary production (invertebrates ≥500 μm) was higher in seagrass compared to bare sediments only at exposed sites with sandy sediments low in organic content, deep and cool water, and high belowground plant biomass. A regression relating community secondary production to the environmental variables explained 56% of the variance, while a constrained ordination explained 16% of the community structure. Important environmental determinants of community production were shoot density, temperature, depth, exposure, sediment organic content, and belowground plant biomass. Community structure was influenced by these variables plus sediment sand content and canopy height. This study shows that habitat-specific differences in secondary production may not be consistent across varying environmental conditions. Furthermore, seagrass beds are not always associated with higher ecosystem functioning than adjacent bare sediment. Both the surrounding environmental conditions and the presence of habitat structure should be considered for optimal management of nearshore ecosystems.     

Distribution of erosion across bedrock channels

Lateral erosion in bedrock rivers is an important control on the shape of channel cross‐sections, and the coupling of channels and hillslopes. Recent observations link lateral erosion to the variability of flow. We propose two mechanisms to explain this. One is based on changing shear stress distributions within the channel with varying flood level, the other on the competition between cover and tool effects in fluvial bedrock erosion. We assess these processes for the Liwu River, Taiwan, and conclude that cover and tool effects dominate the partitioning of lateral and vertical erosion in this case. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ore-forming mechanism for the Xiaoxinancha Au-rich Cu deposit in Yanbian,Jilin Province,China: Evidence from noble gas isotope geochemistry of fluid inclusions in minerals

The Xiaoxinancha Au-rich copper deposit is one of important Au-Cu deposits along the continental margin in Eastern China. The deposit consists of two sections: the Beishan mine (North), composed of altered rocks with veinlet-dissemination sulfides and melnicovite-dominated sulfide-quartz veins, and the Nanshan mine (South), composed of pyrrhotite-dominated sulfide-quartz veins and pure sulfide veins. The isotope compositions of noble gases extracted from fluid inclusions in ore minerals, i.e. ratios of 3He/4He, 20Ne/22Ne and40Ar/36Ar are in the ranges of 4.45―0.08 Ra, 10.2―8.8 and 306―430, respectively. Fluid inclusions in minerals from the Nanshan mine have higher 3He/4He and 20Ne/22Ne ratios whereas those from the Beishan mine have lower 3He/4He ratios. The analysis of origin, and evolution of the ore fluids and its relations with the ore-forming stages and the ages of mineralization suggests that the initial hydrothermal fluids probably come from the melts generated by partial melting of oceanic crust with the participation of fluids from the mantle (mantle-plume type)/aesthenosphere. This also corresponds to the continental margin settings during the subduction of Izanagi ocaneic plate towards the palaeo-Asian continent (123―102 Ma). The veinlet-dissemination ore bodies of the Beishan mine were formed through replacement and crystallization of the mixed fluids generated by mixing of the ascending high-temperature boiling fluid with young crustal fluid whereas the melnicovite-dominated sulfide-quartz veins were formed subsequently by filling of the high-temperature ore fluid in fissures. Pyrrhotite-dominated sulfide-quartz veins in the Nanshan mine were formed by filling-deposition-crystallization of the moderate-temperature ore fluids and the pure sulfide veins were formed later by filling-deposition-crystallization of ore substance-rich fluids after boiling of the moderate-temperature ore fluids. The metallogenic dynamic processes can be summarized as: (1) formation of fluidand ore substance-bearing Adakitic magma by degassing, dewatering and partial melting during subduction of the Izanagi plate; (2) separation and formation of ore fluids from the Adakitic magma; and (3) success-sive ascending of the ore fluids and final formation of the Au-rich Cu deposit of veinlet-dissemination and vein types by secondary boiling.     

异常高压油气藏概论

异常高压是构成盆地区域流体势场的一种重要动力来源,是源控论中油气藏呈环状分布的重要原因。所以认识异常高压的起因具有特殊重要的意义。鲍格达诺夫M．M．(1989)认为,在深部油气富集和保存的特殊地质-地球化学条件中,最重要的是异常高压．但他仅仅认识到异常高压可以抑制有机质的成熟作用,使烃源岩成熟度明显降低,从而扩大了液态生油窗的深度区间．异常高压油气藏的形成应具有更深刻的原因和更明确的勘探意义．剖析以往文献对异常高压油气藏提出的各种成因机制,得出异常高压油气藏的成因源于深部流体供给的结论．     

The storm tracks and the energy cycle of the Southern Hemisphere: sensitivity to sea-ice boundary conditions

The effect of sea-ice on various aspects of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) extratropical climate is examined. Two simulations using the LMD GCM are performed: a control run with the observed sea-ice distribution and an anomaly run in which all SH sea-ice is replaced by open ocean. When sea-ice is removed, the mean sea level pressure displays anomalies predominantly negatives near the Antarctic coast. In general, the meridional temperature gradient is reduced over most of the Southern Ocean, the polar jet is weaker and the sea level pressure rises equatorward of the control ice edge. The high frequency filtered standard deviation of both the sea level pressure and the 300-hPa geopotential height decreases over the southern Pacific and southwestern Atlantic oceans, especially to the north of the ice edge (as prescribed in the control). In contrast, over the Indian Ocean the perturbed simulation exhibits less variability equatorward of about 50°S and increased variability to the south. The zonal averages of the zonal and eddy potential and kinetic energies were evaluated. The effect of removing sea-ice is to diminish the available potential energy of the mean zonal flow, the available potential energy of the perturbations, the kinetic energy of the growing disturbances and the kinetic energy of the mean zonal flow over most of the Southern Ocean. The zonally averaged intensity of the subpolar trough and the rate of the baroclinic energy conversions are also weaker.     

Temporal variation in abundance and fecundity of the invading copepod Eurytemora americana in Bahía Blanca Estuary during an unusual year

Eurytemora americana has been only reported as invader in Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina within the South Hemisphere. There are a few experimental researches under laboratory conditions done with this species and its reproductive behaviour around the world is very scarce. Consequently, it is still not possible to completely understand its population dynamics. In the present study, E. americana reproductive temporal behaviour and relationships among abundance, female size, egg production and hatching success were examined in the Bahía Blanca Estuary, during 2007 pulse. In order to determine the potential relationships between these variables and the environmental variables, experimental incubations were conducted in the laboratory simulating natural conditions. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to analyze the relationships among all variables. Temporal change of biotic and environmental variables was corroborated by a Mann–Whitney/Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests, with significant differences (p ? 0.01) in all variables throughout the study. Abundance population results showed very high values in relation to those recorded in recent years in Bahía Blanca Estuary. This response could be due to the unusual combination of environmental factors (polar wave with temperatures ≤6 °C and a drought period with high salinities, 32.7–36.6) recorded during the studied winter period. Significant positive correlations between abundance and salinity (p < 0.01, n = 226), and hatching success (p < 0.01, n = 25) as well as a significant negative correlation between abundance and chlorophyll a (p < 0.01, n = 226) were found. Although E. americana shows a k-strategy within its annual pulse, it presented two markedly distinct behaviours depending on temporal environmental variability. From July to early september, when the estuary evidenced high salinity, low temperature and high food availability, E. Americana showed large females, large clutch size and high hatching success. When environmental conditions became unfavorable from September to October, small females, small clutch size and very low hatching success were observed. The latter is associated with diapause egg laying which ensures population recruitment. According to our findings the particular combination of low temperatures, high salinities and high available food (i.e. variables which each year modulate its pulse) during 2007 winter–spring, favored the great development of E. americana. This invading species in its opportunistic role has managed to exploit a vacant niche in the estuary, developing two different behaviours within the k-strategy depending on change in environmental conditions.