Seismic tomography constrained by bouguer gravity anomalies: Applications in western Washington

Tomographic inversions for velocity variations in western Washington indicate a high correlation with surface geology and geophysical measurements, including gravity observations. By assuming a simple linear relationship between density and velocity (Birch's law) it is possible to calculate the gravity field predicted from the velocity perturbations obtained by local tomographic inversion. While the predicted gravity matches observations in parts of the model, the overall correlation is not satisfactory. In this paper we suggest a method of constraining the tomographic inversion to fit the gravity observations simultaneously with the seismic travel time data. The method is shown to work well with synthetic data in 3 dimensions where the assumption of Birch's law holds strictly. If the sources of the gravity anomalies are assumed to be spatially localized, integration can be carried out over a relatively small volume below the observation points and sparse matrix techniques can be applied. We have applied the constrained inversion method to western Washington using 4,387 shallow earthquakes, to depths of 40.0 km, (36,865 raypaths) convering a 150×250 km region and found that the gravitational constraints may be satisfied with minor effect on the degree of misfit to the seismic data.     

Morphology and chronostratigraphy of a coastal dunefield; Groote Eylandt, northern Australia

A coastal dunefield on Groote Eylandt, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, northern Australia, is stratigraphically described and dated using the coarse fraction thermoluminescence dating technique. Four phases of dune activity have been identified: (1) Modern active transverse and parabolic dunes. (2) A parabolic dunefield apparently stabilized less than 2000 yr BP. (3) A parabolic dunefield stablized between 6000 and 4800 yr BP. (4) A basal dunefield unit emplaced prior to 100,000 yr BP.The current dune systems are an expression of dune activation and stabilization events in the Holocene, but were formed from the deflation of an extensive pre-Holocene dunefield. The destruction of the pre-Holocene dunefield appears to have been caused by sea-level rise at the end of the Pleistocene and during the early Holocene. The ages derived from the dunefield accord well with chronostratigraphic investigations of coastal dune systems elsewhere in northern Australia and support theories of regional environmental change during the Holocene.     

The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point （GSSP） for the base of the Cenomanian Stage, Mont Risou, Hautes-Alpes, France

Following the unanimous recommendation of the International Commission on Stratigraphy, the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Cenomanian Stage is defined at a level 36 metres below the top of the Marnes Bleues Formation, a level that corresponds to the the first appearance of the planktonic foraminiferan Rotalipora globotruncanoides Sigal, 1948, on the south side of Mont Risou, east of Rosans, Haute-Alpes, France, where it can be placed in the context of a series of secondary marker levels based on nannofossils, planktonic foraminifera, ammonites,and an ornate δ^13C curve.     

Comment on ‘Marine GIS: Identification of mesoscale oceanic thermal fronts’

In this paper, we aim to clear up a significant conceptual error in the use of the ‘sink method’ as presented by Valavanis et al. (2005) for oceanic thermal front detection. We argue that the features identified by the authors in their paper are mostly cyclonic or cold ring eddies in the Aegean Sea.     

Characterizing complex eruptive activity at Santiaguito,Guatemala using infrasound semblance in networked arrays

We implement an infrasound semblance technique to identify acoustic sources originating from volcanic vents and apply the technique to the generally low-amplitude infrasound (< 3 Pa at 1 km) signals produced by Santiaguito dome in Guatemala. Semblance detection is demonstrated with data collected from two-element miniature arrays with ~ 30 m spacing between elements. The semblance technique is effective at identifying a range of eruptive phenomena, including pyroclastic-laden eruptions, vigorous degassing events, and rockfalls, even during periods of high wind contamination Many of the detected events are low in amplitude (tens of mPa) such that they are observed only by select arrays positioned with proximity and line-of-sight to the source. Larger events, such as the pyroclastic-laden eruptions, which occurred bi-hourly in 2009, were detected by all five arrays and produced an infrasonic signal that was correlated across the network. Network correlated events can be roughly located and map to the summit of the Caliente Vent where pyroclastic-laden eruptions originate. In general, the degree of Santiaguito infrasound event correlation is poor across the network, suggesting that complex source geometry contributes to asymmetric sound radiation.     

Waulsortian buildups of Waulsort,Belgium

The biostratigraphy and sedimentology of the late Tournaisian, Waulsortian buildups of the type area, at Waulsort (Belgium), are examined in detail. Four buildups are present. Overall, they span the stratigraphic interval from the base of the Ivorian stage to the lower part of the Moliniacian stage, ending just below the base of the Viséan. Petrographic study shows that all Waulsortian Phases are represented, the older buildups being of Phases A and B, whereas the youngest ranges through Phases A to D. The relatively crude Phase classification is refined by correspondence analysis, which shows that the grain types present in the Waulsortian and associated limestones conform closely to the relay (systematic shift of relative importance of grain types) described from other Waulsortian buildups in Belgium. A Relay Index, derived from the correspondence analysis and defining the position of each sample in the compositional relay, is plotted on stratigraphic logs of the sections studied to allow detailed comparison with other Waulsortian and peri-Waulsortian sections in the Dinant area for which similar curves already exist. The Waulsort buildups are found to fit closely into the depositional and palaeobathymetric patterns established or suspected in the area. Two shallowing upward sequences seem to be present, separated by an abrupt deepening. The earlier, relatively minor shallowing trend, in the Polygnathus communis carina Zone, is here recorded in buildup facies for the first time: previous evidence had come from the laterally equivalent facies. The other shallowing trend, which extends through the Scaliognathus anchoralis Zone and culminates near the base of the Moliniacian stage, is the regional, late Tournaisian regression which had a major influence on the biota of the Waulsortian banks in Belgium and was probably largely responsible for cessation of bank growth over most of the area.     

Critical geography and the opening up of the academy: lessons from 'real life' attempts

Summary Two 'real' attempts that have been made to engage geography with everyday struggles are considered in the light of the critical geography movement. First, my experiences of an anti-gentrification workshop at the Inaugural International Conference on Critical Geography in Vancouver, Canada. Second, my experiences in speaking about a research project 'outside' the academy, through the media. These attempts illustrate that geographers may be overestimating the particular expertise and experience that we bring to the table. Stepping out of our so-called 'ivory towers' is but the first step in what can only be called an educational journey.     

Mineral magnetic properties of mixtures of environmental and synthetic materials: linear additivity and interaction effects

Mineral magnetic properties have been used recently to classify and to attempt to quantify the sources of sediments through environmental systems. Linear modelling techniques could be used with a wide range of concentration-dependent magnetic measurements to quantify the sources of sediments. To investigate wider application of linear modelling techniques using mineral magnetic properties, research has been conducted using laboratory mixtures of up to six source materials, including both natural environmental materials and synthetic compounds. While six sources may seem ambitious, this figure was used as an absolute upper limit rather than giving a real prospect of mathematically unmixing six sources. It has been found that even with the most magnetically differentiable materials, large errors are encountered when modelling the sources of the mixtures. This paper investigates the causes of 'non-additivity' of certain magnetic measurements and the failure of the linear modelling of the sources of the mixtures. Possible reasons for this failure include source homogeneity, calibration and linearity of equipment, magnetic viscosity of materials and/or the changing physical characteristics of the source materials once mixed together (interaction effects). In testing linear additivity, low-frequency susceptibility is the most reliable mineral magnetic measurement, while remanence measurements suffer from a systematic error in the expected results. Results have shown that in the best controlled conditions where the sources are identified and are artificially mixed together, the results of linear modelling are quite poor and at best four sources can be 'unmixed' with reasonable success. It is suggested that interaction within the mixtures, especially when containing highly ferrimagnetic burnt environmental materials, causes some of the non-additivity phenomena.     

Robust estimation of background noise and signal detection in climatic time series

We present a new technique for isolating climate signals in time series with a characteristic red noise background which arises from temporal persistence. This background is estimated by a robust procedure that, unlike conventional techniques, is largely unbiased by the presence of signals immersed in the noise. Making use of multiple-taper spectral analysis methods, the technique further provides for a distinction between purely harmonic (periodic) signals, and broader-band (quasiperiodic) signals. The effectiveness of our signal detection procedure is demonstrated with synthetic examples that simulate a variety of possible periodic and quasiperiodic signals immersed in red noise. We apply our methodology to historical climate and paleoclimate time series examples. Analysis of a 3 million year sediment core reveals significant periodic components at known astronomical forcing periodicities and a significant quasiperiodic 100 year peak. Analysis of a roughly 1500 year tree-ring reconstruction of Scandinavian summer temperatures suggests significant quasiperiodic signals on a near-century timescale, an interdecadal 16–18 year timescale, within the interannual El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) band, and on a quasibiennial timescale. Analysis of the 144 year record of Great Salt Lake monthly volume change reveals a significant broad band of significant interdecadal variability, ENSO-timescale peaks, an annual cycle and its harmonics. Focusing in detail on the historical estimated global-average surface temperature record, we find a highly significant secular trend relative to the estimated red noise background, and weakly significant quasiperiodic signals within the ENSO band. Decadal and quasibiennial signals are marginally significant in this series.     

Identifying sedimentation patterns in Lake Baikal using whole core and surface scanning magnetic suceptibility

Forty seven ca. 1 m sediment cores were collected from Lake Baikal during a summer cruise in 1996 and analysed for whole-core susceptibility. Fifteen of these cores were further analysed using a new prototype surface scanning sensor on board the ship R.V. Vereshchagin. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the measurement of Lake Baikal short cores using two susceptibility sensors gives valuable field data and can be used as a tool for identifying undisturbed sediment sequences. Four coring transects were sampled to identify sedimentation patterns reaching from the shelves and sub-basins of the near lake shore and across mainly the northern basin of Lake Baikal (water depth ca. 1500 m). Also in the sub-basins and in the southern basin other groups of cores were taken. One of the main sediment features of interest is that of turbidite sedimentation. Whole core magnetic susceptibility traces are used to identify turbidite fingerprints and correlate them between cores along the transects. The results from the two magnetic susceptibility sensors the whole-core sensor and the new prototype surface scanning sensor, both giving volume Kappa values, are compared and are found to be significantly correlated given the difference in resolution. The whole-core sensor gives a smoothed equivalent to a moving average curve of magnetic susceptibility while the surface scanner can give fine resolution (ca. 2 mm) results picking out fine peaks with Kappa values of between 150 to 650.The results show that most turbidite sedimentation can be clearly identified; they give a specific magnetic susceptibility fingerprint with larger Kappa values (up to 120) at the base of the turbidite corresponding with the settling of coarser sandy sediments and a steady and gradual decline in values to about 15 at the top of the turbidite where the fines settle incorporating the normal diatomaceous sedimentation. The main control on the magnetic susceptibility of the turbidite sediments is the concentration of ferrimagnetic minerals in different particle size fractions. The turbidites can be correlated between many of the cores collected along the transects but it must be noted that these correlations are partly speculative and will be confirmed with future dating, diatom analysis and geochemistry. Other very fine peaks of less than 5 mm in width identified using the surface scanning sensor may indicate concentrations of ferrimagnetic minerals, namely greigite, formed during the reduction phase.