Problems associated with quantitative magnetic sourcing of sediments of the scarborough to mablethorpe coast,Northeast England,U.K.

There are many problems associated with beach tracing and sand provenance in coastal studies over short and long timescales. Here, an attempt has been made to trace the source sediments of the beaches along the Holderness and Humberside coastline of northeast England, between Scarborough and Mablethorpe, using rapid field and laboratory magnetic techniques. The methodology employed involves classification and modelling of sediment sources and mixtures based on their magnetic properties. Focus is given to a strong ferrimagnetic black sand (heavy mineral) which dominates the magnetic signal of the beach mixtures. Delimiting the spatial extent, quantifying and tracing of this mineral may give a good indication of wave energy and sediment movement processes along this coastline. This paper represents results obtained during a short-time-scale survey.     

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.     

Sediment delivery from agricultural land to rivers via subsurface drainage

Diffuse sources of sediment and sediment‐associated nutrients are of increasing environmental concern because of their impacts on receiving water courses. The aim of the research reported here was to monitor the outflow from four field (land) drains at two farms in the English Midlands in order to estimate the quantity of sediment delivered to the local rivers and the most likely sources and processes involved. A multiparameter sediment unmixing model was employed, using environmental magnetic, geochemical and radionuclide tracers in order to determine the most likely origin of sediments transported through the drains. Results demonstrated that there was a generally linear relationship between drainflow sediment loss and drainflow volume and that the majority (>70%) of the sediment exported from the drains was derived from topsoil. Macropore flow through heavily cracked soils is supported by the data to be the most likely means of sediment delivery to the drains. In one catchment, drains contributed over 50% of the annual sediment budget. Spatial and temporal variations in the sources of sediment reaching one drain outlet were investigated in detail. A link between soil moisture deficit (SMD) and the frequency of high‐intensity rainfall events was used to explain the appearance and persistence of a new sediment source in this drain after October 1998. It is concluded that field drains have the potential to be significant conduits of sediment and agrochemicals in a wide variety of environments in the UK. It is also suggested that this potential may increase if projected climate change leads to more intense rainfall events and increases in SMD across a greater area of the UK. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic imaging of the geothermal field at Krafla,Iceland using shear-wave splitting

Shear-wave splitting is emerging as a useful exploration method for geothermal reservoirs as it can detect the geometry of the fracture system, the intensity of cracking and possibly, changes in fluid pressure within the reservoir. The method is based on the analyses of polarizations and time delays of shear-waves that have been distorted by the anisotropy of the medium through which the seismic waves have propagated. Observations of shear-wave splitting within the Krafla–Leirhnúkur geothermal field, Iceland, using a 20-station 3-component portable seismic array have provided evidence for at least two major crack systems of microfractures, oriented approximately N–S and E–W. Located microearthquakes align roughly along the E–W direction of the geothermal field, with shallow focal depths mostly around the injection well, probably related to the ongoing injection. This unexpected direction is however consistent with results from a simultaneous MT (magnetotelluric) survey.