Assessment of the decadal morphodynamic evolution of a mixed energy inlet using ocean color remote sensing

A consistent time series of synoptic and high-frequency bathymetric observations is fundamental to improving our understanding and predictive capabilities regarding the morphological behavior of large coastal inlets. Based on satellite observations, an original approach is proposed to characterize the long-term morphological evolution of the Arcachon lagoon inlet and to describe sediment bypassing and breaching mechanisms. The almost 26-year-long remotely sensed data archive used in this study is built from 78 suitable SPOT images (1986–2012) collected in the framework of the KALIDEOS-Littoral program. Bathymetric information is derived from satellite data using a physics-based model. A validation exercise performed on a large bathymetric survey data set (N?=?43,949) demonstrates that the inversion model performs excellently in estimating the depth of mildly to moderately turbid shallow waters. The performance of the model suggests that the minimum requirements are fulfilled to apply the SPOT-derived bathymetry to morphodynamic applications. We demonstrate that high-spatial-resolution multispectral sensors are well adapted to analyzing the morphological evolution of small- (i.e., sand dunes), medium- (i.e., sandbanks and channels), and large- (i.e., the entire inlet-lagoon system) scale sedimentary structures present in coastal inlets. For the first time, the long-term evolution of a flood and ebb-tidal delta is characterized by observations at a seasonal timescale. Finally, migration rates of sedimentary entities are quantified, and fundamental mechanisms driving the sediment transport cross the inlet are confirmed.     

Soil-structure interaction on shallow rigid circular foundation: plane SH waves from far-field earthquakes

A closed-form wave function analytic solution of two-dimensional scattering and diffraction of incident plane SH-waves by a fl exible wall on a rigid shallow circular foundation embedded in an elastic half-space is presented. This research generalizes the previous solution by Trifunac in 1972, which tackled only the semi-circular foundation, to arbitrary shallow circular-arc foundation cases, and is thus comparatively more realistic. Ground surface displacement spectra at higher frequencies are also obtained. As an analytical series solution, the accuracy and error analysis of the numerical results are also discussed. It was observed from the results that the rise-to-span ratio of the foundation profi le, frequency of incident waves, and mass ratios of different media(foundation-structure-soil) are the three primary factors that may affect the surface ground motion amplitudes near the structure.     

Tephrochronology of the Mont-Dore volcanic Massif (Massif Central,France): new 40Ar/39Ar constraints on the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene activity

The Mont-Dore Massif (500 km²), the youngest stratovolcano of the French Massif Central, consists of two volcanic edifices: the Guéry and the Sancy. To improve our knowledge of the oldest explosive stages of the Mont-Dore Massif, we studied ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar-dated (through single-grain laser and step-heating experiments) 11 pyroclastic units from the Guéry stratovolcano. We demonstrate that the explosive history of the Guéry can be divided into four cycles of explosive eruption activity between 3.09 and 1.46 Ma (G.I to G.IV). We have also ascertained that deposits associated with the 3.1–3.0-Ma rhyolitic activity, which includes the 5-km³ “Grande Nappe” ignimbrite, are not recorded in the central part of the Mont-Dore Massif. All the pyroclastites found in the left bank of the Dordogne River belong to a later explosive phase (2.86–2.58 Ma, G.II) and were channelled down into valleys or topographic lows where they are currently nested. This later activity also gave rise to most of the volcanic products in the Perrier Plateau (30 km east of the Mont-Dore Massif); three quarters of the volcano-sedimentary sequence (up to 100 m thick) was emplaced within less than 20 ky, associated with several flank collapses in the northeastern part of the Guéry. The age of the “Fournet flora” (2.69?±?0.01 Ma) found within an ash bed belonging to G.II suggests that temperate forests already existed in the French Massif Central before the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary. The Guéry’s third explosive eruption activity cycle (G.III) lasted between 2.36 and 1.91 Ma. It encompassed the Guéry Lake and Morangie pumice and ash deposits, as well as seven other important events recorded as centimetric ash beds some 60 to 100 km southeast of the Massif in the Velay region. We propose a general tephrochronology for the Mont-Dore stratovolcano covering the last 3.1 My. This chronology is based on 44 ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar-dated events belonging to eight explosive eruption cycles each lasting between 100 and 200 ky. The occurrence of only one pumice deposit in the 800-ky period between 1.9 and 1.1 Ma suggests that volcanic explosive activity was strongly reduced or quiescent.     

Diffraction of anti-plane SH waves by a semi-circular cylindrical hill with an inside concentric semi-circular tunnel

A closed-form analytic solution of two-dimensional scattering and diffraction of plane SH waves by a semicylindrical hill with a semi-cylindrical concentric tunnel inside an elastic half-space is presented using the cylindrical wave functions expansion method. The solution is reduced to solving a set of infinite linear algebraic equations. Fourier expansion theorem with the form of complex exponential function and cosine function is used. Numerical solutions are obtained by truncation of the infinite equations. The accuracy of the presented numerical results is carefully verified.     

Numerical study of tides in Ontario Lacus,a hydrocarbon lake on the surface of the Saturnian moon Titan

In the context of the emergence of extra-terrestrial oceanography, we adapted an existing oceanographic model, SLIM (www.climate.be/slim), to the conditions of Titan, a moon of Saturn. The tidal response of the largest southern lake at Titan’s surface, namely Ontario Lacus, is simulated. SLIM solves the 2D, depth-averaged shallow water equations on an unstructured mesh using the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method, which allows for high spatial resolution wherever needed. The impact of the wind forcing, the bathymetry, and the bottom friction is also discussed. The predicted maximum tidal range is about 0.56 m in the southern part of the lake, which is more than twice as large as the previous estimates (see Tokano, Ocean Dyn 60:(4) 803–817 10.1007/s10236-010-0285-3 (Tokano 2010)). The patterns and magnitude of the current are also markedly different from those of previous studies: the tidal motion is not aligned with the major axis of the lake and the speed is larger nearshore. Indeed, the main tidal component rotates clockwise in an exact period of one Titan day and the tidal currents can reach 0.046 ms ^?1 close to the shores depending on the geometry and the bathymetry. Except for these specific nearshore regions, the current speed is less than 0.02 ms ^?1. Circular patterns can be observed offshore, their rotational direction and size varying along the day.     

Multiscale mesh generation on the sphere

A method for generating computational meshes for applications in ocean modeling is presented. The method uses a standard engineering approach for describing the geometry of the domain that requires meshing. The underlying sphere is parametrized using stereographic coordinates. Then, coastlines are described with cubic splines drawn in the stereographic parametric space. The mesh generation algorithm builds the mesh in the parametric plane using available techniques. The method enables to import coastlines from different data sets and, consequently, to build meshes of domains with highly variable length scales. The results include meshes together with numerical simulations of various kinds.     

Stereotomography assisted by migration of attributes

Depth velocity model building remains a difficult step within the seismic depth imaging sequence. Stereotomography provides an efficient solution to this problem but was limited until now to a picking of seismic data in the prestack time un-migrated domain. We propose here a method for stereotomographic data picking in the depth migrated domain. Picking in the depth migrated domain exhibits the advantage of a better signal-to-noise ratio and of a more regular distribution of picked events in the model, leading to a better constrained tomographic inverse problem. Moreover, any improvement on the velocity model will improve the migrated results, again leading to improved picking. Our strategy for obtaining a stereotomographic dataset from a prestack depth migration is based on migration of attributes (and not on a kinematic demigration approach!). For any locally coherent event in the migrated image, migration of attributes allows one to compute ray parameter attributes corresponding to the specular reflection angle and dip. For application to stereotomography, the necessary attributes are the source/receiver locations, the traveltime and the data slopes. For the data slope, when the migration velocity model is erroneous, some additional corrections have to be applied to the result of migration of the attributes. Applying these corrections, our picking method is theoretically valid whatever the quality of the migration velocity model. We first present the theoretical aspects of the method and then validate it on 2D synthetic and real seismic reflection data sets.     

Earthquakes produce carbon dioxide in crustal faults

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microanalysis of pseudotachylytes (i.e. friction-induced melts produced by seismic slip) from the Nojima fault (Japan) reveals that earthquakes almost instantaneously expel 99 wt.% of the wall rock CO₂ content. Carbon is exsolved because it is supersaturated in the friction melts. By extrapolation to a crustal-scale fault rupture, large events such as the M7.2 Kobe earthquake (1995) may yield a total production of 1.8 to 3.4 × 10³ tons CO₂ within a few seconds. This extraordinary release of CO₂ can cause a flash fluid pressure increase in the fault plane, and therefore enhance earthquake slip or trigger aftershocks; it may also explain the anomalous discharge of carbon monitored in nearby fault springs after large earthquakes. Because carbon saturation in silicate melts is pressure-dependent, FTIR can be used as a new tool to constrain the maximum depth of pseudotachylyte formation in exhumed faults.     

Contour current imprints and contourite drifts in the Bahamian archipelago

New data collected along the slopes of Little and Great Bahama Bank and the abyssal plain of the Bahama Escarpment provides new insights about contour current‐related erosive structures and associated deposits. The Bahamian slope shows abundant evidence of bottom current activity such as furrows, comet‐like structures, sediment waves and drifts. At a seismic scale, large erosion surfaces and main periods of drift growth resulted from current acceleration related to plate tectonic processes and progressive opening and closure of gateways and long‐term palaeoclimate evolution. At present‐day, erosion features and contourite drifts are either related to relatively shallow currents (<1000 m water depth) or to deep currents (>2500 m water depth). It appears that the carbonate nature of the drifts does not impact the drift morphology at the resolution addressed in the present study. Classical drift morphologies defined in siliciclastic environments are found, such as mounded, plastered and separated drifts. In core, contourite sequences show a bi‐gradational trend that resembles classical contourite sequences in siliciclastic deposits showing a direct relationship with a change in current velocity at the sea floor. However, in a carbonate system the peak in grain size is associated with increased winnowing rather than increased sediment supply as in siliciclastic environments. In addition, the carbonate contourite sequence is usually thinner than in siliciclastics because of lower sediment supply rates. Little Bahama Bank and Great Bahama Bank contourites contain open‐ocean input and slope‐derived debris from glacial episodes. Inner platform, platform edge and open ocean pelagic input characterize the classical periplatform ooze during interglacials. In all studied examples, the drift composition depends on the sea floor topography surrounding the drift location and the type of sediment supply. Carbonate particles are derived from either the slope or the platform in slope and toe of slope drifts, very deep contourites have distant siliciclastic sources of sediment supply. The recent discovery of the importance of a large downslope gravitary system along Bahamian slopes suggests frequent interactions between downslope and along‐slope (contour currents) processes. The interlayering of mass flow deposits and contourites at a seismic scale or the presence of surface structures associated with both contour currents and mass flow processes shows that both processes act at the same location. Finally, contour currents have an important impact on the repartition of deep‐water coral mounds. Currents can actively interact with mounds as a nutrient and oxygen supplier or have a passive interaction, with mounds solely being obstacles orienting erosion and deposition.