Fault plane solutions using relative amplitudes of P and pP

Summary. One way of finding the fault plane orientations of small shallow earthquakes is by the generation of theoretical P -wave seismograms to match those observed at several distant stations. Here, a technique for determining the uniqueness of fault plane solutions computed using the modelling method of Douglas et al . is described. Relative amplitudes of P and pP , and their polarities if unambiguous, are measured on the observed seismograms to be modelled, and appropriate confidence limits are assigned to each measurement. A systematic search is then made for all fault plane orientations which satisfy these observations.
Examples show that if P and pP are not severely contaminated by other arrivals, a well-defined and unique fault plane orientation can often be computed using as few as three stations well distributed in azimuth. Further, even if pP is not identifiable on a particular seismogram, then an upper bound on its amplitude – deduced from the observed coda – still places a significantly greater constraint on the fault plane orientation than would be provided by a P onset polarity alone. Modelling takes account of all such information, and is able to further eliminate incompatible solutions (e.g. by the correct simulation of sP ). It follows that if solutions can be found which satisfy many observed seismograms, this places high significance on the validity of the assumed double-couple source mechanism.
This relative amplitude technique is contrasted with the familiar first motion method of fault plane determination which requires many polarity readings, whose reliabilities are difficult to quantify. It is also shown that fault plane orientations can be determined for earthquakes below the magnitude at which first motion solutions become unreliable or impossible.     

Oil and fishing — conflict in the North Sea

A programme of research is underway at Aberdeen University on the conflicts arising in the North Sea between the fishing and offshore oil and gas industries. This research note summarizes the work that has been undertaken to date and the main aspects on which future work will concentrate.     

Geochemical fingerprinting of oceanic basalts with applications to ophiolite classification and the search for Archean oceanic crust

Two geochemical proxies are particularly important for the identification and classification of oceanic basalts: the Th–Nb proxy for crustal input and hence for demonstrating an oceanic, non-subduction setting; and the Ti–Yb proxy for melting depth and hence for indicating mantle temperature and thickness of the conductive lithosphere. For the Th–Nb proxy, a Th/Yb–Nb/Yb projection demonstrates that almost all oceanic basalts lie within a diagonal MORB–OIB array with a principal axis of dispersion along the array. However, basalts erupted at continental margins and in subduction zones are commonly displaced above the MORB–OIB array and/or belong to suites with principal dispersion axes which are oblique to the array. Modelling of magma–crust interaction quantifies the sensitivity of the Th–Nb proxy to process and to magma and crustal compositions. For the Ti–Yb proxy, the equivalent Ti/Yb–Nb/Yb projection features a discriminant boundary between low Ti/Yb MORB and high Ti/Yb OIB that runs almost parallel to the Nb/Yb axis, reflecting the fact that OIB originate by melting beneath thicker lithosphere and hence by less melting and with residual garnet. In the case of volcanic-rifted margins and oceanic plume–ridge interactions (PRI), where hot mantle flows toward progressively thinner lithosphere (often becoming more depleted in the process), basalts follow diagonal trends from the OIB to the MORB field. Modelling of mantle melting quantifies the sensitivity of the Ti–Nb proxy to mantle potential temperature and lithospheric thickness and hence defines the petrogenetic basis by which magmas plot in the OIB or MORB fields. Oceanic plateau basalts lie mostly in the centre of the MORB part of that field, reflecting a high degree of melting of fertile mantle. Application of the proxies to some examples of MORB ophiolites helps them to be further classified as C (contaminated)-MORB, N (normal)-MORB, E (enriched)-MORB and P (plume)-MORB ophiolites, which may add a useful dimension to ophiolite classification. In the Archean, the hotter magmas, higher crustal geotherms and higher Th contents of contaminants all result in widespread crustal input that is easy to detect geochemically with the Th–Nb proxy. Application of this proxy to Archean greenstones demonstrates that almost all exhibit a crustal component even when reputedly oceanic. This indicates, either that some interpretations need to be re-examined or that intra-oceanic crustal input is important in the Archean making the proxy less effective in distinguishing oceanic from continental settings. The Ti–Yb proxy is not effective for fingerprinting Archean settings because higher mantle potential temperatures mean that lithospheric thickness is no longer the critical variable in determining the presence or absence of residual garnet.     

Earthshine: not just for romantics

Peter Thejll, Chris Flynn, Hans Gleisner and Andrew Mattingly explain how classic astronomical techniques, married to the latest technology, can be used to observe earthshine, and learn about Earth's climate, among many other things.     

Late Quaternary tephrostratigraphy,Ahklun Mountains,SW Alaska

Radiocarbon‐dated sediment cores from six lakes in the Ahklun Mountains, south‐western Alaska, were used to interpolate the ages of late Quaternary tephra beds ranging in age from 25.4 to 0.4 ka. The lakes are located downwind of the Aleutian Arc and Alaska Peninsula volcanoes in the northern Bristol Bay area between 159° and 161°W at around 60°N. Sedimentation‐rate age models for each lake were based on a published spline‐fit procedure that uses Monte Carlo simulation to determine age model uncertainty. In all, 62 ¹⁴C ages were used to construct the six age models, including 23 ages presented here for the first time. The age model from Lone Spruce Pond is based on 18 ages, and is currently the best‐resolved Holocene age model available from the region, with an average 2σ age uncertainty of about ± 109 years over the past 14.5 ka. The sedimentary sequence from Lone Spruce Pond contains seven tephra beds, more than previously found in any other lake in the area. Of the 26 radiocarbon‐dated tephra beds at the six lakes and from a soil pit, seven are correlated between two or more sites based on their ages. The major‐element geochemistry of glass shards from most of these tephra beds supports the age‐based correlations. The remaining tephra beds appear to be present at only one site based on their unique geochemistry or age. The 5.8 ka tephra is similar to the widespread Aniakchak tephra [3.7 ± 0.2 (1σ) ka], but can be distinguished conclusively based on its trace‐element geochemistry. The 3.1 and 0.4 ka tephras have glass major‐ and trace‐element geochemical compositions indistinguishable from prominent Aniakchak tephra, and might represent redeposited beds. Only two tephra beds are found in all lakes: the Aniakchak tephra (3.7 ± 0.2 ka) and Tephra B (6.1 ± 0.3 ka). The tephra beds can be used as chronostratigraphic markers for other sedimentary sequences in the region, including cores from Cascade and Sunday lakes, which were previously undated and were analyzed in this study to correlate with the new regional tephrostratigraphy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing the ‘usability’ of climate change research for decision-making: A case study of the Canadian International Polar Year

The creation of ‘usable science’ is widely promoted by many environmental change focused research programs. Few studies however, have examined the relationship between research conducted as part of such programs and the decision-making outcomes that the work is supposed to advance, and is constrained by limited methodological development on how to empirically assess the ‘usability’ of science. Herein, this paper develops a conceptual model and assessment rubric to quantitatively and systematically evaluate the usability of climate change research for informing decision-making. We focus on the process through which data is collected, analyzed and reported and examine the extent to which key principles of usable science are integrated into project design, using grant proposals as our data source. The approach is applied to analyze climate change research conducted as part of the International Polar Year in Canada, with 23 projects identified as having explicit goals to inform decision-making.While the creation of usable science was promoted by funded projects in the International Polar Year, this was not generally reflected in research design: fewer than half determined objectives with input of decision makers, decision context was not widely considered, and knowledge users were not widely reported to be engaged in assessing the quality of data or in resolving conflict in evidence. The importance of science communication was widely emphasized, although only 8/23 projects discussed tailoring specific results for end user needs. Thus while International Polar Year research has made significant advances in understanding the human dimensions of Arctic climate change, key attributes necessary for determining success in linking science to decision-making (pertinence, quality, timeliness) were not captured by many projects. Integrating these attributes into research design from the outset is essential for creating usable science, and needs to be at the forefront of future research programs which aim to advance societal outcomes. The framework for assessing usability here, while developed and tested in an Arctic climate change context, has broader applicability in the general environmental change field.