Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility studies of depositional processes in the Campanian Ignimbrite,Italy

The late Pleistocene trachytic Campanian Ignimbrite underlies much of the Campanian Plain near Naples, Italy, and occurs in valleys in the mountainous area surrounding the plain out to about 80 km from its source, the Campi Flegrei caldera. At sites within 15 km of the Campi Flegrei, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) principal directions indicate that, in the absence of significant topography, deposition came from a flow moving in a roughly radial direction. AMS studies of the more distal ignimbrite reveal downhill and/or downvalley flow directions prior to deposition, even where these directions are at high angles to a generally radial transport direction from the vent. On the flanks of Roccamonfina Volcano, flow was directly downhill, as if the source of the ignimbrite was the summit of the volcano. In most localities, the ignimbrite consists of a single massive deposit. In a few localities in the Apennine Mountains, however, the confluence of multiple drainage systems off mountains resulted in multiple local flow units that cannot be correlated between valleys. A detailed study of the ignimbrite in the flat Titerno River valley near Massa shows that the AMS fabrics are not due to late-stage creeping during deposition or compaction. Well-defined, but non-parallel AMS fabrics from vertical and lateral sections in the Massa area are best explained by the merging of gravity currents flowing down the valley and steep valley sides to form a single aggradational deposit. Clast compositions and AMS axes at Mondragone indicate that the pyroclastic flow encountered the Monte Massico massif and was partially blocked, so that flow during deposition was toward the Campi Flegrei. Similar AMS data from sites along the edge of the Campanian Plain indicate back-flow off the first ridge of the Apennine Mountains reached at least 5 km from their base. The Campanian Ignimbrite was deposited from a density-stratified pyroclastic flow. The depositional system consisted of the lower, denser portion of the current, and was controlled by topography. The grouping of the AMS axes is interpreted to indicate that deposition occurred under laminar flow conditions.     

Empirical equations for the prediction of PGA and pseudo spectral accelerations using Iranian strong-motion data

A recently compiled, comprehensive, and good-quality strong-motion database of the Iranian earthquakes has been used to develop local empirical equations for the prediction of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and 5%-damped pseudo-spectral accelerations (PSA) up to 4.0 s. The equations account for style of faulting and four site classes and use the horizontal distance from the surface projection of the rupture plane as a distance measure. The model predicts the geometric mean of horizontal components and the vertical-to-horizontal ratio. A total of 1551 free-field acceleration time histories recorded at distances of up to 200 km from 200 shallow earthquakes (depth < 30 km) with moment magnitudes ranging from M_w 4.0 to 7.3 are used to perform regression analysis using the random effects algorithm of Abrahamson and Youngs (Bull Seism Soc Am 82:505–510, 1992), which considers between-events as well as within-events errors. Due to the limited data used in the development of previous Iranian ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) and strong trade-offs between different terms of GMPEs, it is likely that the previously determined models might have less precision on their coefficients in comparison to the current study. The richer database of the current study allows improving on prior works by considering additional variables that could not previously be adequately constrained. Here, a functional form used by Boore and Atkinson (Earthquake Spect 24:99–138, 2008) and Bindi et al. (Bull Seism Soc Am 9:1899–1920, 2011) has been adopted that allows accounting for the saturation of ground motions at close distances. A regression has been also performed for the V/H in order to retrieve vertical components by scaling horizontal spectra. In order to take into account epistemic uncertainty, the new model can be used along with other appropriate GMPEs through a logic tree framework for seismic hazard assessment in Iran and Middle East region.     

Intermediate-term seismic precursors for some coupled subduction zones

The paper discusses model results and then reviews observational data concerning some aspects of the mechanics of mature seismic gaps in coupled subduction zones. The concern is with space-and time-varying stresses, as signalled by the presence and mechanisms of earthquakes in the outer-rise zones adjacent to main thrust areas of large subduction events, and down-dip from such areas, in the downgoing slab. Observations are shown to be consistent with the expectation that in mature seismic gaps, as a result of interplate boundary locking in presence of sustained gravitational driving forces, at least the deeper portions of the ocean plate in the outer-rise zones are under increased compression, and the downgoing slab is under increased tension. The observational data cover two cases of closed seismic gaps, namely the region of the Chilean Valparaiso earthquake of March 3, 1985, and the earthquake of October 4, 1983. Four other cases concern still to-be-closed gaps in northern Chile and along the coast of Guatemala, and also the Kurile Islands Trench gap and the northern New Hebrides gap. It is concluded that the intermediate-term precursor, consisting of a combination of compressional outer-rise earthquake(s) and tensional intermediate-depth, intra-plate events in the downgoing slab, which mechanically signals the latter part of the earthquake cycle, could be useful in evaluating the maturity, and hence great earthquake potential of a seismic gap.     

Reproductive ecology of the seabob shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphopenaeus kroyeri</Emphasis> (Heller, 1862) in a coastal area of Southern Brazil

The predictability of certain environmental factors that affect the life cycle of the seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862) was evaluated in a study of its reproductive biology in an area adjacent to Babitonga Bay, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Monthly sampling was conducted from July 2010 through June 2011 at depths of 5, 8, 11, 14, and 17 m. 76 004 individuals were obtained, with a pronounced peak in absolute abundance in austral autumn (34 208), coinciding with the annual closed season from March to May. Grain size composition of the sediment showed the closest relationship to the distribution of individuals (multiple linear regression, P <0.05), related to their burying habit. The observed correlations between the abundance of reproductive males (bearing spermatophores) and females with spent gonads (cross-correlation, P <0.05), and between reproductive males and reproductive females (with a 1-month lag) suggest that the peak of reproductive males preceded the peak of female ones. This result agrees with the pattern expected for females, which copulate in post-ecdysis (spent gonads). Spawning seemed to take place at greater depths, as evidenced by the concentration of reproductive females in these areas. The reproductive activities observed here confirm that this species follows a tropical/subtropical reproductive pattern, spawning continuously throughout the year, with the highest peaks in spring and autumn. The data indicate that the juvenile recruitment period observed in August-September resulted from the reproductive output noted in April–May. Additionally, the reproductive period recorded in November led to the juvenile peak observed in March–May.     

Comparisons among the five ground-motion models developed using RESORCE for the prediction of response spectral accelerations due to earthquakes in Europe and the Middle East

This article presents comparisons among the five ground-motion models described in other articles within this special issue, in terms of data selection criteria, characteristics of the models and predicted peak ground and response spectral accelerations. Comparisons are also made with predictions from the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) models to which the models presented here have similarities (e.g. a common master database has been used) but also differences (e.g. some models in this issue are nonparametric). As a result of the differing data selection criteria and derivation techniques the predicted median ground motions show considerable differences (up to a factor of two for certain scenarios), particularly for magnitudes and distances close to or beyond the range of the available observations. The predicted influence of style-of-faulting shows much variation among models whereas site amplification factors are more similar, with peak amplification at around 1s. These differences are greater than those among predictions from the NGA models. The models for aleatory variability (sigma), however, are similar and suggest that ground-motion variability from this region is slightly higher than that predicted by the NGA models, based primarily on data from California and Taiwan.     

Water contents, temperatures and diversity of the magmas of the catastrophic eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, November 13, 1985

The petrology of the highly phyric two-pyroxene andesitic to dacitic pyroclastic rocks of the November 13, 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, reveals evidence of: (1) increasingly fractionated bulk compositions with time; (2) tapping of a small magma chamber marginally zoned in regard to H₂O contents (1 to 4%), temperature (960–1090°C), and amount of residual melt (35 to 65%); (3) partial melting and assimilation of degassed zones in the hotter less dense interior of the magma chamber; (4) probable heating, thermal disruption and mineralogic and compositional contamination of the magma body by basaltic magma “underplating”; and (5) crustal contamination of the magmas during ascent and within the magma chamber. Near-crater fall-back or “spill-over” emitted in the middle of the eruptive sequence produced a small pyroclastic flow that became welded in its central and basal portions because of ponding and thus heat conservation on the flat glaciated summit near the Arenas crater. The heterogeneity of Ruiz magmas may be related to the comparatively small volume (0.03 km³) of the eruption, nearly ten times less than the 0.2 km³ of the Plinian phase of Mount St. Helens, and probable steep thermal and P_H2O gradients of a small source magma chamber, estimated at 300 m long and 100 m wide for an assumed ellipsoidal shape.     

Larger foraminifera distribution and strontium isotope stratigraphy of the La Cova limestones (Coniacian–Santonian, “Serra del Montsec”, Pyrenees, NE Spain)

The Upper Cretaceous La Cova limestones (southern Pyrenees, Spain) host a rich and diverse larger foraminiferal fauna, which represents the first diversification of K-strategists after the mass extinction at the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary.The stratigraphic distribution of the main taxa of larger foraminifera defines two assemblages. The first assemblage is characterised by the first appearance of lacazinids (Pseudolacazina loeblichi) and meandropsinids (Eofallotia simplex), by the large agglutinated Montsechiana montsechiensis, and by several species of complex rotalids (Rotorbinella campaniola, Iberorotalia reicheli, Orbitokhatina wondersmitti and Calcarinella schaubi). The second assemblage is defined by the appearance of Lacazina pyrenaica, Palandrosina taxyae and Martiguesia cyclamminiformis.A late Coniacian-early Santonian age was so far accepted for the La Cova limestones, based on indirect correlation with deep-water facies bearing planktic foraminifers of the Dicarinella concavata zone. Strontium isotope stratigraphy, based on many samples of pristine biotic calcite of rudists and ostreids, indicates that the La Cova limestones span from the early Coniacian to the early-middle Santonian boundary. The first assemblage of larger foraminifera appears very close to the early-middle Coniacian boundary and reaches its full diversity by the middle Coniacian. The originations defining the second assemblage are dated as earliest Santonian: they represent important bioevents to define the Coniacian-Santonian boundary in the shallow-water facies of the South Pyrenean province.By means of the calibration of strontium isotope stratigraphy to the Geological Time Scale, the larger foraminiferal assemblages of the La Cova limestones can be correlated to the standard biozonal scheme of ammonites, planktonic foraminifers and calcareous nannoplankton. This correlation is a first step toward a larger foraminifera standard biozonation for Upper Cretaceous carbonate platform facies.     

Effects of atmospheric river landfalls on the cold season precipitation in California

Effects of atmospheric river (AR) landfalls in the California coast on the cold-season precipitation in California are examined for the cold seasons of 10 water years (WYs) 2001–2010 using observed data and regional modeling in conjunction with AR-landfall inventory based on visual inspections of precipitable water vapor (PWV) from remote sensing and reanalysis. The PWV in the SSM/I and SSMIS retrievals and the ERA-Interim reanalysis shows 95 AR-landfall days in the California coast that are almost evenly split between the northern and southern coasts across 37.5N. The CPC/NCEP gridded daily precipitation analysis shows that 10–30% of the cold-season precipitation totals in California have occurred during these AR landfalls. The analysis also reveals that the percentage of precipitation and the precipitation intensity during AR landfalls in California are characterized by strong north-to-south gradient. This north–south contrast in the AR precipitation is reversed for the non-AR precipitation in the coastal range. The frequency of AR landfalls and the cold-season precipitation totals in the Sierra Nevada region are only marginally correlated. Instead, AR landfalls are closely related with the occurrence of heavy precipitation events. The freezing-level altitudes are systematically higher for AR wet days than non-AR wet days indicating warmer low-troposphere during AR storms. Cold season simulations for the 10 WYs 2001–2010 show that the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model can reasonably simulate important features in both the seasonal and AR precipitation totals. The daily pattern correlation coefficients between the simulated and ERA-Interim upper-air fields exceed 0.9 for most of the period. This suggests that the simulated temporal variations in the atmospheric circulation agree reasonably with the reanalysis over seasonal time scales, characteristics critical for reliable simulations of regional scale hydrologic cycle. The simulated seasonal and AR precipitation totals also agree reasonably with the CPC/NCEP precipitation analysis. The most notable model errors include the overestimation (underestimation) of the season-total and AR precipitation in the northern (southern) California region. The differences in the freezing-level altitudes during the AR- and non-AR wet days in the simulation agree with those from the ERA-Interim reanalysis. The freezing level altitudes are systematically overestimated in the simulations, suggesting warm biases in the low troposphere. Overall, WRF appears to perform reasonably in simulating the key features in the cold season precipitation related with AR landfalls, an important capability for assessing the impact of global climate variations and change on future hydrology in California.