Morphological analysis of deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) in the western part of the Argentera massif. A morpho-tectonic control?

The western part of the Argentera–Mercantour massif (French Alps) hosts very large currently active landslides responsible of many disorders and risks to the highly touristic valleys of the Mercantour National Park and skiing resorts. A regional scale mapping of gravitational deformations has been compared to the main geo-structures of the massif. A relative chronology of the events has been established and locally compared to absolute ¹⁰Be dating obtained from previous studies. Two types of large slope destabilisations were identified as follows: deep-seated landslides (DSL) that correspond to rock volumes bounded by a failure surface, and deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSD) defined as large sagging zones including gravitation landforms such as trenches and scarps or counterscarps. Gravitational landforms are mainly collinear to major N140°E and N020°E tectonic faults, and the most developed DSGSD are located in areas where the slope direction is comparable to the orientation of faults. DSL are mostly included within DSGSD zones and located at the slopes foot. Most of DSL followed a similar failure evolution process according to postglacial over steepened topographies and resulting from a progressive failure growing from the foot to the top of the DSGSD that lasts over a 10 ky time period. This massif-scale approach shows that large-scale DSGSD had a peak of activity from the end of the last deglaciation, to approximately 7000 years bp. Both morphologic and tectonic controls can be invoked to explain the gravitational behaviour of the massif slopes.     

A note on the M w 6.3 earthquake in Iceland on 29 May 2008 at 15:45 UTC

This preliminary study aims to investigate a M _w 6.3 earthquake that occurred in South Iceland on Thursday 29 May 2008 at 15:45 UTC. The epicentre was in the Olfus District between the towns of Selfoss and Hveragerdi. This study examines the data recorded and the damage observed immediately after the event. Horizontal accelerations of up to 80%g were recorded in the epicentral region and there is visual evidence that the vertical acceleration exceeded 1 g. The PGA data is compared to a ground motion estimation model developed for the South Iceland earthquakes in June 2000. In general the basic properties of this event are found to be similar to the characteristics of the South Iceland earthquakes in June 2000. The duration of strong-motion is short and the intensity attenuates rapidly with increasing distance. The earthquake action resisted by buildings in the near fault area is inspected through evaluation of elastic as well as inelastic response spectra. The vast majority of structures seemed to withstand the strong-motion fairly competently and without significant visual damage due firstly to the low-rise, predominantly reinforced concrete or timber, style of buildings. Secondly, the short duration of strong-motion contributed to the endurance of structures.     

BRIGHTNESS VARIATIONS OF Mg Ib BRIGHT FEATURES

We study the temporal intensity variations of Mgib bright features and investigate the corresponding Hα velocity pattern. The network bright features are well visible in the continuum, in images averaged over the duration of the observations (130 min). We detected `flashing' bright features, which appear and disappear within two to five minutes, while the rest of the bright features undergo small variations of either their shape and/or their intensity. A power spectrum analysis reveals a 10-min oscillation for approximately half of the stable bright features. The 5-min oscillations are detected mainly at the network boundaries, where stable bright features are located, while 3-min oscillations coincide with few bright features, but are also quite intense inside the network cells. The majority of bright features are associated with Hα downflows. The downflow is very intense at the location of `flashing' bright features.     

Strain accumulation in sand due to cyclic loading: drained triaxial tests

Our aim is the prediction of the accumulation of strain and/or stress under cyclic loading with many (thousands to millions) cycles and relatively small amplitudes. A high-cycle constitutive model is used for this purpose. Its formulas are based on numerous cyclic tests. This paper describes drained tests with triaxial compression and uniaxial stress cycles. The influence of the strain amplitude, the average stress, the density, the cyclic preloading history and the grain size distribution on the direction and the intensity of strain accumulation is discussed.     

2D/3D Dust Continuum Radiative Transfer Codes to Analyze and Predict VLTI Observations

Radiative Transfer (RT) codes with image capability are a fundamental tool for preparing interferometric observations and for interpreting visibility data. In view of the upcoming VLTI facilities, we present the first comparison of images/visibilities coming from two 3D codes that use completely different techniques to solve the problem of self-consistent continuum RT. In addition, we focus on the astrophysical case of a disk distorted by tidal interaction with by-passing stars or internal planets and investigate for which parameters the distortion can be best detected in the mid-infrared using the mid-infrared interferometric device MIDI. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The planet Jupiter

Summary. The exploration of Jupiter, the closest and biggest giant planet, has provided key information about the origin and evolution of the outer Solar system. Our knowledge has strongly benefited from the Voyager and Galileo space missions. We now have a good understanding of Jupiter's thermal structure, chemical composition and magnetospheric environment. There is still debate about the nature of the heating source responsible for the high thermospheric temperatures (precipitating particles and/or gravity waves). The measurement of elemental abundance ratios (C/H, N/H, S/H) gives strong support to the “nucleation” formation model, according to which giant planets formed from the accretion of an initial core and the collapse of the surrounding gaseous protosolar nebula. The D/H and He/He ratios are found to be representative of their protosolar value. The helium abundance, in contrast, appears to be slightly depleted in the outer envelope with respect to the protosolar value; this departure is interpreted as an evolutionary effect, due to the condensation of helium droplets in the liquid hydrogen ocean inside Jupiter's interior. The cloud structure of Jupiter, characterized by the belt-zone system, is globally understood; also present are specific features like regions of strong infrared radiation (“hot spots”), colder regions (“white ovals”) and the Great Red Spot (GRS). Clouds were surprisingly absent at the hot spot corresponding to the Galileo probe entry site, and the water abundance measured there was strongly depleted with respect to the solar O/H value. This probably implies that hot spots are dry, cloud-free regions of subsidence, while “normal” air, rich in condensibles, is transported upward by convective motions. As a result, the Jovian meteorology, still based on Halley-type cells, seems to be much more complex than a simple zone-belt system. The nature of the GRS, a giant anticyclonic storm, colder and higher than its environment, has been confirmed by the Galileo observations, but its internal structure appears to be very complex. Strong winds, probably driven by the Jovian internal source, were measured at deep tropospheric levels. The troposphere might be statically stable at pressures higher than 18 bars, but the extent of this putative radiative layer is still unknown. Received 23 November 1998     

Modeling the Phase Transition Associated with Melting Snow in a 1D Kinematic Framework: Sensitivity to the Microphysics

A simple 1D kinematic cloud model coupled to a two-moment bulk microphysics scheme is used to perform quasi-idealized simulations of snow, with a prescribed upper boundary snow field based on observed radar reflectivity and temperature, falling into a low-level melting layer. The model realistically simulates the formation of a nearly isothermal layer below the melting level, the surface precipitation rate, and the phase transition from liquid to solid, consistent with observations for this case. A series of test runs is performed to examine the sensitivity of modeling the timing and duration of the phase transition period to details of specific parameterization aspects related to snow in the microphysics scheme. The sensitivity tests include varying the number of prognostic moments, the mass–diameter relation, the fall velocity–diameter relation, the treatment of aggregation, and the lower limit for the slope of the size distribution. It is shown that the simulated transition period, for such a case with the initial melting level being close to the surface, can be quite sensitive to model parameters specified within realistic ranges and/or ranges within our physical understanding.     

Pulsated hydromagnetic flow with free-convection currents and mass transfer along a vertical infinite porous plate

The influence of free-convection currents and mass transfer in the case of laminar, non-steady boundary layer is studied here. The fluid is the air, considered incompressible and electrically conductive. The free-stream velocity oscillates about a mean value. A pulsated suction is also taken into account. A second meterial lies in small concentration in the fluid and absorbs part of the radiation. The influence of various parameters (G. M. etc.) on the flow is examined.