Age of the Lough Talt and Easky adamellites in the central Ox Mountains,N.W. Ireland,and their structural significance

The Lough Talt and Easky adamellites in the north-central Ox Mountains inlier were originally regarded as being nearly synchronous in age of emplacement with the more strongly deformed c. 480 Ma Ox Mountains granodiorite. They are now shown by Rb-Sr whole-rock dating to be significantly younger at c. 400 Ma. This recognition of the emplacement of late Silurian/early Devonian Newer Caledonian granites in the central Ox Mountains inlier indicates that the thermal overprinting by the adamellites of the regionally metamorphosed Ox Mountains succession is not an early Ordovician event. Earlier interpretations, using deformationai events and igneous intrusions, advanced by others to suggest that the Ox Mountains succession is pre-Caledonian are now greatly weakened since the deformationai sequence in the Ox Mountains succession is now known to span a longer period of time, ranging from Grampian (late Cambrian to early Ordovician) to Caledonian sensu stricto, and therefore leaves fewer events to have occurred prior to the early Ordovician emplacement of the Ox Mountains granodiorite.     

Scenarios of Seismic Risk in the United Arab Emirates,an Approximate Estimate

We estimate the losses due to 10 scenario earthquakes in 150 settlements of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For southern Iran, we use four source zones and the maximum magnitudes in them as determined by GSHAP (7.2 M 8.1). For six local scenario earthquakes, we use the range 5.5 M 6.5, place the sources mainly on mapped faults and vary the distance to major cities from 10 to 60 km. In the test case of the Masafi earthquake (M5, 11 March 2002), the method and data bank we use yield the correct results, suggesting that our approach to the problem is valid for the UAE. The sources in Iran are expected to cause only minor damage, except for an M8.1 earthquake in the Makran region. For such an event we expect some deaths, several hundred injured and a loss of 3–6% of the value to the building stock in the northeastern UAE, including Oman. The losses for local scenarios with epicenters in the unpopulated areas of the UAE and for scenarios with M < 5.8 are estimated to be minor. Because the two major mapped faults run through several of the large cities, scenarios with short epicentral distances from cities have to be considered. Scenarios with M6 near cities lead to estimates of about 1000 ± 500 deaths, and several thousand injured. Most buildings are expected to be damaged to a moderate degree and the loss to buildings is estimated around 1/4of their value. If the magnitude should reach 6.5, the losses to humans and to building value could be staggering. These estimates are approximate because: (1) there exists no local seismograph network that could map active faults by locating microseismicity; (2) there exist no historically old buildings that could serve as tests for effects due to strong ground motion in the past; (3) there exist no microzonation of the subsurface properties in this region of unconsolidated building ground; (4) there exist no detailed inventory of building fragility. Nevertheless, our conclusion that there exists a substantial seismic risk in the UAE is reliable, because our method yields accurate results in the cases of earthquakes with known losses during the last several decades in the Middle East.     

How Can One Test the Seismic Gap Hypothesis? The Case of Repeated Ruptures in the Aleutians

—The test that Kagan and Jackson (1991, 1995) applied to the seismic gap hypothesis did not bring us closer to understanding the generation of large earthquakes. On the contrary, it led some to the conclusion that the rebound theory of earthquake generation should be rejected. We disagree with this point of view and argue that a global test of the simplified gap hypothesis cannot be done because it cannot account for differences in the slip history of fault segments and tectonic differences between separate plate boundaries. Kagan and Jackson did show, however, that the original gap hypothesis was oversimplified and should be refined. We propose that consideration of all the facts, including slip history and seismicity patterns in the Andreanof Islands, show that the concept of seismic gaps and the elastic rebound theory are correct for that segment of the plate boundary. The coseismic slip in the M _w 8.7 earthquake that broke this plate boundary segment in 1957 was only 2 m, as published before the repeat earthquake of 1986 (M _w 8), and thus, using a plate convergence rate of 7.3 cm/year, the return time in this cycle was expected to be less than 30 years, unless substantial aseismic creep occurs. This supports the time predictable model of mainshock recurrence. In addition, Kisslinger et al. (1985) and Kisslinger (1986) noticed a seismic quiescence in the subsequent source volume before the 1986 earthquake and attempted to predict it. The specific parameters he estimated were not entirely correct although his interpretation of the observed quiescence as a precursor was. We conclude that the 1986, M _w 8, Andreanof earthquake was not an example that disproves the seismic gap hypothesis. On the contrary, it shows that the hypothesis that plate motions reload plate boundaries after most of the elastic energy is released in great ruptures was correct in this case. This suggests that great earthquakes occur preferably in mature gaps. We believe the testing of the seismic gap hypothesis by algorithm on a global scale is an example that illustrates that overly simplified tests can lead to erroneous conclusions. To make progress in the actual understanding of the physics of the process of great earthquake ruptures, one must consider all the facts known for case histories.     

Sea-floor methane blow-out and global firestorm at the K–T boundary

 A previously unsuspected source of fuel for the global firestorm recorded by soot in the Cretaceous–Tertiary impact layer may have resided in methane gas associated with gas hydrate in the end-Cretaceous seafloor. End-Cretaceous impact-generated shock and megawaves would have had the potential to initiate worldwide oceanic methane gas blow-outs from these deposits. The methane would likely have ignited and incompletely combusted. This large burst of methane would have been followed by longer-term methane release as a part of a positive thermal feedback in the disturbed ocean-atmosphere system. Received: 16 September 1998 / revision received: 11 January 1999     

Serpentinization of phlogopite phenocrysts from a micaceous kimberlite

Phenocrysts of phlogopite from a micaceous kimberlite contain finely interlayered serpentine. These phenocrysts occur in the kimberlite groundmass and are altered along the mica layers and are slightly deformed. Lizardite is the predominant serpentine mineral, but chrysotile and mixed structures also occur. The lizardite occurs as lamellae within phlogopite, oriented such that (001) layers of the two minerals are parallel and the [100] direction of lizardite is parallel to the [100] or 110 directions of phlogopite. The serpentinized regions of phlogopite are localized and extensive along the (001) layers. Chrysotile fibers and chrysotile-like curled serpentine occur within regions of disrupted material, and polygonal structures occur in folded lizardite lamellae. Textural relations suggest three events: 1) replacement of phlogopite by lizardite, 2) deformation of the phenocrysts, and 3) partial transformation of the lizardite to chrysotile-like structures. Deformation features include openings along (001), folds, and regions of disrupted or broken material. The folded and broken material consists of lamellar lizardite and phlogopite, indicating that lamellar replacement preceded deformation. Intergrowths of lizardite and curled serpentine are associated with cleavage openings and voids in disrupted material, suggesting that a partial transformation of lizardite to chrysotile occurred within openings created by deformation. Clay minerals also occur within phlogopite as either a minor product of serpentinization or of late-stage alteration.     

Bedload transport measurements with impact plate geophones: comparison of sensor calibration in different gravel‐bed streams

Indirect bedload transport measurements have been made with the Swiss plate geophone system in five gravel‐bed mountain streams. These geophone sensors record the motion of bedload particles transported over a steel plate mounted flush with the channel bed. To calibrate the geophone system, direct bedload transport measurements were undertaken simultaneously. At the Erlenbach in Switzerland, a moving‐basket sampler was used. At the Fischbach and Ruetz streams in Austria, a Helley–Smith type bedload sampler provided the calibration measurements. A Bunte‐type bedload trap was used at the Rofenache stream in Austria. At the Nahal Eshtemoa in Israel, Reid‐type slot bedload samplers were used. To characterize the response of the geophone signal to bedload particles impacting on the plate, geophone summary values were calculated from the raw signal and stored at one second intervals. The number of impulses, i.e. the number of peaks above a pre‐defined threshold value of the geophone output signal, correlated well with field measured gravel transport loads and was found to be a robust parameter. The relations of impulses to gravel transport loads were generally near‐linear, but the steepness of the calibration relations differed from site to site. By comparing the calibration measurements from the different field sites and utilizing insights gained during preliminary flume experiments, it has been possible to identify the main factors that are responsible for site specific differences in the calibration coefficient. The analysis of these calibration measurements indicates that the geophone signal also contains some information about the grain size distribution of bedload. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sea-floor methane blow-out and global firestorm at the K–T boundary

A previously unsuspected source of fuel for the global firestorm recorded by soot in the Cretaceous–Tertiary impact layer may have resided in methane gas associated with gas hydrate in the end-Cretaceous seafloor. End-Cretaceous impact-generated shock and megawaves would have had the potential to initiate worldwide oceanic methane gas blow-outs from these deposits. The methane would likely have ignited and incompletely combusted. This large burst of methane would have been followed by longer-term methane release as a part of a positive thermal feedback in the disturbed ocean-atmosphere system.     

Zur Methode der fortgesetzten Auslage in der Refraktionsseismik

Zusammenfassung Es wird die Methode der fortgesetzten Auslage in der Refraktionsseismik allgemein behandelt, und dazu werden einige Beispiele gegeben.

---

Summary The method of continuous profiling in the refraction seismic is generally treated and some examples are given.