DInSAR analysis of ALOS PALSAR images for the assessment of very slow landslides: the Tena Valley case study

In this work we analyse the performance of advanced land observing satellite (ALOS) phased array type L-band syntetic aperture radar (PALSAR) images for mapping and monitoring of very slow landslides using conventional differential interferometry in the Tena Valley (Central Pyrenees, Spain). These results are compared with those retrieved in previous works where multi-band advanced differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) analysis was performed for the same area using PSI techniques. The study area is largely underlain by slates (ca. 80 %) where large deep-seated very slow earth flows are dominant. The results reveal that DInSAR analysis is able to measure displacements of landslides with a greater spatial coverage than PSI analysis, but for a lower amount of them (nine against 51). Overall, the combination of the DInSAR and multi-band PSI analysis permitted to map and monitor 68 % of the landslides in Tena Valley. From this amount, 63 landslides are considered as active. The main advantage of DInSAR with respect to PSI analysis is the capability to detect faster movements (up to 145 cm?year^?1) derived from the 46 days interferograms. That is the case of Sextas and La Selva landslides where an acceleration of the moving mass was measured after intense rainfall periods producing major damages to linear infrastructures. The combination of measured displacement from ALOS interferograms, with the observed damages on the A-136 road, was useful to assess the potential damage that could cause these slow movements. In general, it is demonstrated that even though PSI analysis provides a better performance in terms of landslide mapping, L-band DInSAR analysis provides an added value for landslide hazard assessment through radar remote sensing. For this reason it is necessary to encourage the launch of new satellite missions similar to ALOS PALSAR that could operate with shorter revisiting time periods.     

Detrital Cr-spinel in the Šambron–Kamenica Zone (Slovakia): evidence for an ocean-spreading zone in the Northern Vardar suture?

The Šambron–Kamenica Zone is situated on the northern margin of the Levočské vrchy mountains and Šarišskà vrchovina Highland, where the Central Carpathian Paleogene joins the Pieniny Klippen Belt. Sandstone outcrops in this area. From Cretaceous to Late Oligocene in age, these sediments suggest transport directions from S and SE. The heavy mineral assemblages of this sandstone include Cr-spinel grains, mainly displaying types II and III alpine-peridotite affinities, and are representative of Ocean Island Basalt volcanism. A sample from Upper Eocene sediments at Vit’az shows a clear change in Cr-spinel composition, which turns out to have types I and II peridotite affinities, and to derive from arc and Middle Ocean Ridge Basalt volcanism, with sediment transport directions from SW and WSW. These data indicate major variations in the Upper Eocene tectonic setting, giving constraints to paleogeographic reconstruction of the Slovak Central Carpathians.     

Seismic attenuation,normal moveout stretch,and low‐frequency shadows underlying bottom simulating reflector events

In many cases, the seismic response of bottom‐simulating reflectors is characterised by low frequencies called “low‐frequency shadow”. Generally, this phenomenon is interpreted as attenuation due to partial saturation with free gas. Actually, this frequency loss may have multiple causes, with a normal moveout stretch as a possible candidate. To analyse this phenomenon, we compute synthetic seismograms by assuming a lossy bottom‐simulating layer, with varying quality factor and thickness, bounded by the upper hydrate‐brine/gas‐brine and lower gas‐brine/brine interfaces. First, we estimate the shift of the centroid frequency of the power spectrum as a function of the travelled distance of the seismic pulse. Then, we perform one‐dimensional numerical experiments to quantify the loss of frequency of the seismic event below the bottom‐simulating reflector as a function of the quality factor of the bottom‐simulating layer and its thickness (due to wave interference). Then, we compute shot gathers to obtain the stacked section, with and without the normal moveout stretch correction and with and without the presence of wave attenuation in the bottom‐simulating layer. The results indicate that the low‐frequency shadow due to the normal moveout stretch is stronger than that due to attenuation and may constitute a false indicator of the presence of gas. In fact, often, the low‐frequency shadow overlies events with higher frequencies, in contradiction with the physics of wave propagation. This is particularly evident when the low‐frequency shadow is so extensive that the presence of high frequencies below cannot be justified by the acquisition geometry.     

Spatial association of mud volcano and sandstone intrusions,Boyadag anticline,western Turkmenistan

The mud volcano and sandstone intrusions complex occurring in the Boyadag anticline, western Turkmenistan, is the only well‐documented example of co‐existing, but not synchronous, mud volcanism and sand intrusion. Integrated field and laboratory evaluation investigates the spatial and genetic relations between the mud extrusion and the later sand intrusion. A sandstone dike and a pillar pierce mud volcano deposits on the crest of Boyadag anticline. Two more dikes occur near the escarpment caused by a crestal normal fault. The rising of mud and hydrocarbons from the Oligocene Maykop Fm. fed the mud volcano after the exposure of the Lower Pleistocene units at the core of the anticline. The main physical process that later led to sand fluidisation is identified as the progressive increase in pore fluid pressure, during a stage of reduced or null activity of the mud volcano, caused by the up‐dip migration of hydrocarbons from the deep basin into the Pliocene sandstone reservoir within the Boyadag anticline. The hydrocarbons generated in the source rock levels of the Maykop Fm., whereas the saline water involved in the sand fluidisation is identified as the connate water of the Pliocene Red Beds Fm. The pressure rise was responsible for the fracturing of the sealing units, already weakened by the crestal normal fault and the mud volcano feeding system. The sand intruded into sealing units and mud breccia deposits, also using the mud volcano conduit and the crestal normal fault as preferential pathways. During the present‐day background activity, the outcropping sandstone intrusions provide high permeability pathways for continuous fluid leakage, precluding the re‐establishment of high pressures in the reservoir.     

An incentive mechanism for reducing emissions from conversion of intact and non-intact forests

This paper presents a new accounting mechanism in the context of the UNFCCC issue on reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries, including technical options for determining baselines of forest conversions. This proposal builds on the recent scientific achievements related to the estimation of tropical deforestation rates and to the assessment of ‘intact’ forest areas. The distinction between ‘intact’ and ‘non intact’ forests used here arises from experience with satellite-based deforestation measurements and allows accounting for carbon losses from forest degradation. The proposed accounting system would use forest area conversion rates as input data. An optimal technical solution to set baselines would be to use historical average figures during the time period from 1990 to 2005. The system introduces two different schemes to account for preserved carbon: one for countries with high forest conversion rates where the desired outcome would be a reduction in their rates, and another for countries with low rates. A ‘global’ baseline rate would be used to discriminate between these two country categories (high and low rates). For the hypothetical accounting period 2013–2017 and considering 72% of the total tropical forest domain for which data are available, the scenario of a 10% reduction of the high rates and of the preservation of low rates would result in approximately 1.6 billion tCO₂ of avoided emissions. The resulting benefits of this reduction would be shared between those high-rate countries which reduced deforestation and those low-rate countries which did not increase their deforestation over an agreed threshold (e.g., half of “global” baseline rate).     

The MgCr2O4–MgFe2O4 solid solution series: effects of octahedrally coordinated Fe3+ on T–O bond lengths

The influence on the spinel structure of Fe³⁺ → Cr substitution was studied in flux-grown synthetic single crystals of the magnesiochromite–magnesioferrite (MgCr₂O₄–MgFe₂O₄) solid solution series. Samples were analysed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe analyses, optical absorption and Mössbauer spectroscopy. With the exception of iron-poor samples (3–12 mol-% MgFe₂O₄), optical absorption and Mössbauer spectra show that iron occurs almost exclusively as trivalent Fe in the present samples. A very intense and broad absorption band at ca 7,800 cm^?1 dominates the optical absorption spectra of samples with higher Fe-contents. The appearance of this band is related to a distinct structural disorder of Fe³⁺ and a development of magnetic ordering as demonstrated by Mössbauer spectra. Profound composition-related changes are observed in the Mössbauer spectra, which are magnetically unsplit in the range 2–41 mol-% magnesioferrite, but become magnetically split in the range 59–100 mol-% magnesioferrite. Structural parameters a ₀ and M–O increase with magnesioferrite content and inversion degree, while u and T–O decrease. Our study confirms the previously reported (Lavina et al. 2002) influence of Fe³⁺ at the M site on T–O bond lengths in the spinel structure.