Nonuniform friction as a physical basis for earthquake mechanics

A review of simple models and observations suggests that the main first-order features of active faulting-mechanical instability, the frequency-magnitude relations, seismic and aseismie slip, seismic radiation, incoherency and rupture stoppage — may be explained by a single characteristic of crustal faults: the spatial variation of the effective frictional stress, which resists slippage on faults. Faultoffset data suggest that rupture propagation ceases in regions of high resistance which act, as barriers. In these regions slippage is associated with negative stress drop. The spacing and the amplitudeA() of the barriers, as inferred from the frequency-magnitude and moment relation for earthquakes, obeys a simple statistical relationA()^p. On the scale of particle motion, this variability of frictional stress provides a mechanical instability which may be associated with the concept of dynamic friction. Invariably, the rapid particle motion in the model is always preceded by accelerated creep. The particle acceleration is highly irregular, giving rise to an almost random acceleration record on the fault. The particle displacement is relatively smooth, giving rise to simple displacement time function in the far field. Rupture propagation time is approximately proportional to the gradient of frictional stress along the fault. Consequently sharp changes of this stress may cause multiple events and other long period irregularities in the fault motion.The power density spectrum associated with the frictional stress implies that stress may be related to a Poisson distribution of lengths. The autocorrelation of such type of distribution yields a correlation lengthk _L ^–1 , similar perhaps toHaskell's (1964) andAki's (1967) correlation lengths inferred from spectral analysis of seismic waves. The partial incoherency of faulting implies that preseismic deformation may be significantly incoherent, consequently the prediction of small moderate earthquakes may be subject to inherent uncertainties. We conclude that frictional stress heterogeneities may be necessary and sufficient to explain active faulting associated with small and moderate earthquakes.     

Groundwater behaviour in Tenerife,volcanic island (Canary Islands,Spain)

Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary Islands, encompassing an area of 2,058 km². It is situated in the Atlantic Ocean between 16–17°W longitude and 28–29°N latitude. The topography of the island is characterized by generally steep slopes. The Teide Volcano has an elevation of 3,718 m. Precipitation is caused mainly by invasions of maritime polar air. Maximum mean precipitation recorded for 25-year period (1940–1965) is 1,000 mm.The fractured volcanic aquifer of the Old Basaltic Series is the main supplier of groundwater in Tenerife. Smaller quantities of groundwater are supplied by the Cañadas Series and minor amounts by alluvial sediments. Groundwater compartments develop in areas of dikes and contacts between permeable and impermeable zones. These compartments are irregular in volume, shape, and structure. The groundwater system forms a tortuous chain of compartments. Water circulates from one groundwater compartment to another through secondary fractures and other permeable elements which branch and intersect. Fractures which extend to the surface play an important role in recharge.The hydrologic system at Tenerife is characterized by three zones: the upper vadose, the lower vadose, and the saturated zone. In both the upper and lower vadose zones the dominant direction of flow is vertical, while in the saturated zone flow is generally oblique toward the sea.     

A new digital method for three-dimensional stress analysis in elastic media

SummaryA New Digital Method for Three-Dimensional Stress Analysis in Elastic Media A new method for three-dimensional stress analysis in elastic media is outlined. According to this approach the problem is formulated purely in terms of conditions prevailing at the bounding surfaces of an elastic body. Stress and displacements on these surfaces, as well as inside the body, are expressed in terms of the superimposed effect of a set of basic solutions having suitable properties.The method is developed in matrix form. Some general properties of the governing matrices are established with a view to developing suitable numerical procedures.The convergence characteristics of two iterative schemes are considered.The paper concludes with observations concerning the generality of the approach.

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ZusammenfassungNeues digitales Verfahren zur dreidimensionalen Spannungsanalyse in elastischen Medien In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Grundlagen eines neuen Verfahrens der dreidimensionalen Spannungsanalyse beschrieben.Die Behandlung des allgemeinen Problems der Gebirgsmechanik, d. h. die Bestimmung der Spannungs- und Verschiebungsverteilungen in der Umgebung von untertägigen Hohlräumen, mit Hilfe konventioneller Verfahren — wie z. B. der Methode der Finiten Elemente — hat den Nachteil, daß der gesamte Gebirgskörper berücksichtigt werden muß. Dies hat zur Folge, daß sich realistische dreidimensionale Probleme auch mit modernsten Digitalrechnern nicht mehr innerhalb annehmbarer Rechenzeiten lösen lassen. Das hier vorgestellte Verfahren vermeidet diese Schwierigkeiten durch eine Formulierung, die ausschließlich die Randbedingungen an den Begrenzungsflächen des Mediums verwendet. Spannungen und Verschiebungen an diesen Flächen sowie im Inneren des Gebirgskörpers werden als Überlagerungseffekt einer Reihe von Grund-Lösungen mit geeigneten Eigenschaften ausgedrückt.Aus Gründen der Einfachheit wird in dieser Arbeit nureine solche Grund-Lösung verwendet. Diese beschreibt die Wirkungen einer Einzelkraft, die an einem Punkt eines unendlichen Mediums angreift. Mit Hilfe dieser Lösung kann die Wirkung eines Aggregates derartiger Kräfte in Matrizenform ausgedrückt werden.Läßt man eine Einzelkraft an jedem infinitesimalen Element einer kontinuierlichen Fläche angreifen, dann können die Spannungs- und Verschiebungsverteilungen im Körper mit Hilfe der an dieser Fläche herrschenden Randbedingungen beschrieben werden. Begrenzt die Fläche einen geschlossenen Hohlraum, so trennt sie das Medium in einen inneren und einen äußeren Teil. Auf diese Art entstehen zwei Problemklassen: Während der innere Bereich die Spannungsanalyse von Ingenieurbauten beinhaltet, entspricht der äußere Bereich dem Hohlraumproblem der Gebirgsmechanik.Die beschriebene Formulierung mittels Matrizen ist für beide Bereiche gültig. Es wird jedoch gezeigt, daß die entsprechenden Matrizen charakteristisch unterschiedliche Eigenschaften haben. Diese Beobachtung ist von grundlegender Bedeutung für die Entwicklung numerischer Lösungsverfahren. Die Konvergenz-Charakteristiken zweier Iterativ-Schemata werden in Betracht gezogen.Zusammenfassend wird noch einmal die generelle Gültigkeit des Verfahrens betont. Weitere Grund-Lösungen und ihre Anwendung auf spezielle Probleme werden erwähnt.

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RésuméUne nouvelle méthode pour la solution de problèmes à trois dimensions dans la théorie de l'élasticité Les auteurs élaborent une nouvelle méthode pour la solution de problèmes à trois dimensions dans la théorie de l'élasticité.En Mécanique des Roches, lorsque les excavations sont situées dans une masse infinie de roches, les méthodes courantes, telle que les éléments finis, ont le désavantage d'avoir à opérer sur une quasi-infinité d'éléments. Il en résulte que l'analyse de configurations réelles à trois dimensions devient impossible même avec les plus grands ordinateurs modernes. La nouvelle méthode évite ces difficultés en reformulant le problème entièrement en fonction des conditions régnant aux limites de la configuration. Les tensions et les déplacements aux limites, ainsi qu'à l'intérieur de la masse, sont produits par les actions superposées d'un ensemble convenablement choisi de fonctions — solutions élémentaires.Pour alléger l'exposé on n'a employé qu'une seule fonction — solution dans cette publication. Elle décrit l'action d'une force concentrée en un point d'un milieu infini. Les actions d'une distribution de pareilles forces concentrées peuvent s'exprimer sous forme matricielle.En appliquant une force concentrée à chaque élément infinitésimal d'une surface continue située dans le milieu on arrive à exprimer les tensions et les déplacements en un point quelconque en fonction des conditions régnant sur cette surface.Si cette surface est fermée elle divise le milieu en une région intérieure et une région extérieure, ce qui donne lieu a deux classes de problèmes. Le problème intérieur se présente surtout en Résistance des Matériaux, tandis que le problème extérieur se recontre en Mécanique des Roches.Le formalisme matriciel mentionné ci-dessus est applicable dans les deux régions. Cependant il apparaît que les matrices associées ont des propriétés foncièrement différentes. Cette constatation est de première importance lors de l'élaboration de méthodes de solutions numériques ayant recours à l'ordinateur.Deux procédés de calculs appropriés sont analysés dans cette publication.Dans leurs conclusions les auteurs mettent de nouveau en relief la généralité de la méthode. Quelques exemples de fonctions — solutions élémentaires, différentes de la fonction — solution (force concentrée) employée dans cette publication, sont cités.

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With 3 Figures     

Paleoenvironment of Jawa basalt plateau, Jordan, inferred from calcite speleothems from a lava tube

This paper explores the environmental conditions that faced the people of ancient Jawa during the Holocene, as well as previous prehistoric periods of the mid-late Pleistocene. Calcite speleothems in a lava tube are dated using the U-Th method, to marine oxygen isotope stage 7 from  250 to 240 ka and from  230 to  220 ka; and the stage 5/4 transition between  80 and 70 ka. The available evidence indicates general aridity of the Black Desert during most of the mid-late Quaternary, punctuated by short wetter periods, when the Mediterranean cyclonic systems intensified and penetrated the north Arabian Desert. These Mediterranean systems had a longer and more intense effect on the desert fringe closer to the Mediterranean and only rarely penetrated the Black Desert of Jawa. The results do not exclude some increase of rainfall which did not change water availability dramatically during the warm Holocene. The ancient Jawa city appears to have depended on technological ability to build elaborate runoff-collection systems, which became the prime condition for success.     

Acoustic reflectivity and shallow sedimentary structure in the Sea of Galilee, Jordan Valley

Mapping the floor of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) with a shallow seismic system of 3.5 kHz resulted in interesting data that were not obtained previously with standard single-channel seismic systems. Over most of the lake acoustic penetration is not possible, probably because of the high gas content in the top sedimentary sequence. However, in a few areas, excellent penetration of about 20 m was achieved. One area is a terrace in the southern part of the lake, south of a small bathymetric escarpment at depths of 13–21 m along Israel latitudinal Grid 238. It is unclear whether the existence of gas in the sediment or other parameters are responsible for the marked difference in acoustic penetration on both sides of the scarp.Another area with acoustic penetration is in the vicinity of hot and salty submarine springs. Although there is no difference in the composition of the upper sedimentary layers between these areas and neighbouring areas, there is a marked difference in the acoustic penetration. The contact between areas with acoustic penetration to areas without acoustic penetration is very sharp. The craters of the submarine springs are usually located on the borders of the areas with acoustic penetration or even at some distance away from them. It is possible that the activity of the hot and salty submarine springs controls the acoustic penetration. However, determination of the exact mechanism for the existence of the zones of acoustic penetration must await further studies of the sediments, especially for measurements of various parameters that control the seismic response of the rock.Another discovery made with the shallow seismic profiles is the existence of some bathymetric irregularities on the floor of the Sea of Galilee. In view of the high sedimentation rate in the lake, which tends to smooth the floor, a bathymetric irregularity such as a linear bathymetric step could be a surface expression of an active fault.     

Reappraised list of historical earthquakes that affected Israel and its close surroundings

Numerous historical reports of damaging earthquakes in the Levant have accumulated over the last 3000 years. Here, we screen that information and focus on the damaging earthquakes that affected Israel from the second millennia BCE to the 1927 CE Jericho earthquake and list the earthquakes by date, of major damage, type of sequence, and degree of size. The compilation results in three different lists: (i) 71 reliable earthquakes that in our opinion were most probably associated with the Dead Sea Transform (DST) and affected Israel and its close surroundings; (ii) 41 questionable earthquakes that should be re-evaluated or ignored; and (iii) 46 earthquakes that probably occurred but were erroneously associated with damage in Israel. What emerges from the list of the reliable earthquakes is that (i) Israel and its close surroundings suffered damage about 32 times during the last two millennia, that is, once in about 60 years, although not regularly; (ii) 21 of the earthquakes occurred during the last millennia, i.e., an event every ～45 years; and (iii) three intervals of increased reporting are noticed: between the fourth and the mid-eighth century, from the beginning of the eleventh to the end of the thirteenth century, and from the end of the eighteenth century up to the last entry in 1927, though this period may be extended until today. In-depth evaluation of the changing regimes over time within the study area, the historical reports of earthquake damage outside of Israel, and comparison with physical paleo- and archaeo-seismology evidence, such as the “137–206” and “165–236” paleoseismic earthquakes for which there is no historical match, indicates that the historical list is far from being complete. Thus, we argue that the apparent cycles of historical reporting do not necessarily reflect the actual rate of seismic activity and further investigation is needed to establish a compiled, multi-sourced list to decipher the true nature of cycles of strong earthquakes in this region during historical times.     

雪藻高密度连续培养中生物量和花生四烯酸的高产率

以 1 .4cm和 2 .8cm光径的平板光生物反应器 ,恒定高光强 [2 4 0 0 μE/(m2 ·s) ],通气、无菌高密度连续培养雪地绿藻 (简称雪藻 )。连续采收并补充等量新鲜培养液 ,当藻体生物量(以去灰分干重表示 ,AFDW)达恒态时 ,研究雪藻比生长速率 (SGR)、藻体的生物产量、总脂肪酸 (TFA)和花生四烯酸 (AA)产率。结果表明 ,尽管随着比生长速率增加 ,雪藻高密度连续培养体系的AA/TFA、TFA/AFDW和AA/AFDW三个指标有不同程度的降低 ,但生物产量、总脂肪酸及其花生四烯酸产出都相当高。 2 .8cm光径的平板光生物反应器中 ,雪藻SGR为0 .2d- 1 时 ,每平方米光照面积日获 35 .3gAFDW的高产量 ;SGR 0 .1 35d- 1 时 ,TFA产率最大 ,为7.0g/(m2 ·d) ,此时AA产率也最高 ,达 2 .6g/(m2 ·d)。尽管 1 .4cm光径的反应器的培养体积比前者下降了 5 0 % ,但细胞浓度明显提高 ,单位光照面积的AFDW和TFA最大日产率只下降了37.3%和 1 0 % ,分别为 2 2 .1和 6.3g/(m2 ·d) ,而AA的最大日产率也是 2 .6g/(m2 ·d)。结果还表明 ,氮或磷营养亏缺能明显提高雪藻AA含量的各项指标 ,同时高光强也有利于雪藻累积AA。