3D seismic analysis of the structure and evolution of a salt-influenced normal fault zone: A test of competing fault growth models

In this paper we determine the structure and evolution of a normal fault system by applying qualitative and quantitative fault analysis techniques to a 3D seismic reflection dataset from the Suez Rift, Egypt. Our analysis indicates that the October Fault Zone is composed of two fault systems that are locally decoupled across a salt-bearing interval of Late Miocene (Messinian) age. The sub-salt system offsets pre-rift crystalline basement, and was active during the Late Oligocene-early Middle Miocene. It is composed of four, planar, NW–SE-striking segments that are hard- linked by N–S-striking segments, and up to 2 km of displacement occurs at top basement, suggesting that this fault system nucleated at or, more likely, below this structural level. The supra-salt system was active during the Pliocene-Holocene, and is composed of four, NW–SE-striking, listric fault segments, which are soft-linked by unbreached relay zones. Segments in the supra-salt fault system nucleated within Pliocene strata and have maximum throws of up to 482 m. Locally, the segments of the supra-salt fault system breach the Messinian salt to hard-link downwards with the underlying, sub-salt fault system, thus forming the upper part of a fault zone composed of: (i) a single, amalgamated fault system below the salt and (ii) a fault system composed of multiple soft-linked segments above the salt. Analysis of throw-distance (T-x) and throw-depth (T-z) plots for the supra-salt fault system, isopach maps of the associated growth strata and backstripping of intervening relay zones indicates that these faults rapidly established their lengths during the early stages of their slip history. The fault tips were then effectively ‘pinned’ and the faults accumulated displacement via predominantly downward propagation. We interpret that the October Fault Zone had the following evolutionary trend; (i) growth of the sub-salt fault system during the Oligocene-to-early Middle Miocene; (ii) cessation of activity on the sub-salt fault system during the Middle Miocene-to-?Early Pliocene; (iii) stretching of the sub- and supra-salt intervals during Pliocene regional extension, which resulted in mild reactivation of the sub-salt fault system and nucleation of the segmented supra-salt fault system, which at this time was geometrically decoupled from the sub-salt fault system; and (iv) Pliocene-to-Holocene growth of the supra-salt fault system by downwards vertical tip line propagation, which resulted in downward breaching of the salt and dip-linkage with the sub-salt fault system. The structure of the October Fault Zone and the rapid establishment of supra-salt fault lengths are compatible with the predictions of the coherent fault model, although we note that individual segments in the supra-salt array grew in accordance with the isolated fault model. Our study thereby indicates that both coherent and isolated fault models may be applicable to the growth of kilometre-scale, basin-bounding faults. Furthermore, we highlight the role that fault reactivation and dip-linkage in mechanically layered sequences can play in controlling the three-dimensional geometry of normal faults.     

Salt-influenced normal fault growth and forced folding: The Stavanger Fault System,North Sea

Displacement ratio (D_r) is the ratio between salt thickness (T_v) and sub-salt normal fault displacement (D) (D_r = T_v/D), and it is typically used to predict the degree of geometric and kinematic linkage between sub- and supra-salt fault populations, and the overall structural style in salt-influenced extensional settings. However, we currently lack natural examples of how D_r and the underlying geological controls vary, and how these may control the three-dimensional geometry and evolution of salt-influenced normal fault systems. Furthermore, it is currently unknown if kinematic coherence in salt-influenced extensional settings can be maintained over relatively long length-scales (10¹–10³ m) and for relatively long timeframes, and how this may impact the growth and geometry of large-throw (>500 m), salt-influenced normal fault systems. In this paper we use a 3600 km², high-quality 3D seismic reflection dataset and borehole data from the Stavanger Fault System (SFS), Egersund Basin, eastern North Sea Basin to investigate; (i) how pre-rift salt thickness (T_v) and sub-salt fault throw (T) control the structural style and evolution of a basin-bounding, salt-influenced normal fault system; and (ii) the role salt plays in maintaining kinematic coherence in normal fault systems. We demonstrate that; (i) pre-rift salt distribution (T_v), specifically its presence in the proto-footwall (i.e., when T_v > 0), is the primary control on partitioning of faulting and (forced) folding along the fault system, and the style of linkage (i.e., hard- or soft-linkage) between sub- and supra-salt fault populations; and (ii) sub- and supra-salt fault populations represent brittle elements of a single, geometrically and kinematically coherent structure, the geometry and evolution of which is related to the ductile translation of strain on a scale (up to 8 km) and duration (c. 65 Myr) that believe is significantly greater and longer than previously documented.     

Advance in Pollen Source Area

The conception of pollen source area has attracted broadly attention since it was proposed in the 1960s. In this paper,it can be subdivided into Normal Source Area of Pollen (NSAP) and Relevant Source Area of Pollen (RSAP) based on reviewing former studies and our recent work of vegetation survey and pollen analysis in the Northern China. The NSAP means a source area of pollen input a sedimentary basin,indicating a distance area beyond where the pollen contents of major pollen types do not show evident increase with increased distance. The RSAP means a source area of pollen assemblages in a basin has the closest relationship with surrounding plants,indicating a distance area beyond where the relationship between pollen assemblage and surrounding vegetation do not show obvious increase with increased distance. The changes of sedimentary basins radii and pollen grain size influence the NSAP and RSAP evidently. Wind speed also changes the NSAP, but does not significantly affect RSAP. The pollen of a sedimentary basin is composed of local pollen,regional pollen and extra regional pollen,which usually account for 30%~45%,25%~60% and 10%~30%,respectively. Local pollen which refers to the pollen coming within the RSAP range,is a reflection of the surrounding vegetation,and has important implications to the reconstruction and succession of local vegetation. Regional pollen which refers to the pollen coming from within the range of NSAP and excluding the range of local pollen,is the important carrier of studies for vegetation restoration and climate change. The pollen that comes outside the range of NSAP is called Extra regional pollen,which is mainly from greater distance by upper air flow,and has no indicator significance to the regional vegetation.     

A critical review of groundwater budget myth, safe yield and sustainability

The principle of water balance is well known, but its application often causes controversy. One recent debate is the use of the water balance equation to determine the safe yield and sustainable yield. Two extreme opinions exist on natural groundwater recharge. One misconception is that the development of groundwater is considered to be safe if the pumping rate does not exceed the rate of natural recharge. Another is that the sustainable pumping rate has nothing to do with natural recharge, but depends on the increased recharge and decreased discharge (called capture) induced by pumping. The truth is that both the natural recharge and dynamic development of the capture determine the safe yield or sustainable yield of a groundwater basin. This paper clarifies the water budget controversy and uses the water balance equation to critically analyse the concepts of safe yield and sustainable yield. Numerical simulation of a hypothetical case was used to demonstrate the natural groundwater balance, effects of pumping and the dynamic development of the capture.     

Analyzing spatial ecological data using linear regression and wavelet analysis

Spatial (two-dimensional) distributions in ecology are often influenced by spatial autocorrelation. In standard regression models, however, observations are assumed to be statistically independent. In this paper we present an alternative to other methods that allow for autocorrelation. We show that the theory of wavelets provides an efficient method to remove autocorrelations in regression models using data sampled on a regular grid. Wavelets are particularly suitable for data analysis without any prior knowledge of the underlying correlation structure. We illustrate our new method, called wavelet-revised model, by applying it to multiple regression for both normal linear models and logistic regression. Results are presented for computationally simulated data and real ecological data (distribution of species richness and distribution of the plant species Dianthus carthusianorum throughout Germany). These results are compared to those of generalized linear models and models based on generalized estimating equations. We recommend wavelet-revised models, in particular, as a method for logistic regression using large datasets.     

The dilemma of conducting research back in your own country as a returning student – reflections of research fieldwork in Zimbabwe

The research process is more like finding one's way through a complex maze. 'Home is where the heart is', but foreign students face a number of problems upon their return home to do research. This paper chronicles the dilemma of a Zimbabwean student conducting fieldwork for his UK-based doctoral studies in his own country. The dilemmas were critical in that the fieldwork was undertaken during the 'Zimbabwe crisis' and the inherent problems of researching government-related organisations. This has a bearing on any research process and invokes use of the etic/emic dilemma. This paper contributes to the gaps and growing literature on methods and techniques for conducting qualitative research in human geography.     

水库地震烈度衰减的研究

水库地震由于具有震源浅、震级小但破坏较同等级的天然地震重的特点,其地震烈度衰减关系在水库地震灾害预测中有着十分重要的研究意义。然而,由于水库地震事件数量少,历史震例往往缺乏地面烈度调查资料,这给研究工作带来了相当大的难度。为了解决资料不足的问题,文中采用聚类分析的方法,从丰富的天然地震中选择可与水库地震灾害类比的震例,把其烈度资料引入衰减模型进行回归分析,得到了新的地震烈度衰减关系;并与已有的研究成果和天然地震的烈度衰减进行比较,证明了这种方法具有合理性,所得到的水库地震烈度在近场普遍比天然地震烈度高,但由于加入了天然地震资料使得结果比已有水库地震烈度衰减慢且震中烈度稍低     

蒙城地震台地电阻率各向异性参量研究

地电阻率各向异性参量计算方法是由钱复业,赵玉林等研究出来的方法。我们试用该方法编制相应的计算机程序,对蒙城地震台1978～2008年地电阻率的数据进行处理;并结合震例进行对比分析,发现对于震中距300km内的中强震,与地电阻率各向异性参数的趋势性变化存在密切的关系;地电阻率各向异性参量特征可以反映孕震区地下介质的孕震信息,对未来地震的预测将起到一定作用。     

SOUTH CHINA REGIONAL SHORT RANGE CLIMATE PREDICTION MODEL AND ITS PERFORMANCE

In this paper, a newly established "South China Regional Short Range Climate Prediction Model System" is introduced and its performance is analyzed in real case simulation. It shows that the system has a good performance and suitable for short range climate modeling. The model simulates well the monthly mean, pentad mean and daily field, pentad mean and daily field and can depict more details than coarse resolution analyses. Weather systems and information can pass into and out of the model domain through lateral boundaries without notable damping. Almost all of the weather and climate changes can be reflected in the simulation, in which both the changing tendencies, amplitudes, speeds, and phases are consistent with the real cases. The simulated precipitation is much close to the observed one, both in the extent, position and in the intensity of rainfall. In addition, some smaller precipitation centers could also be reflected in the simulation.     

花岗岩在剪切带中定位机制的几个实例——赴英考察报告节摘

本文介绍了不列颠群岛地质背景和花岗岩在剪切带中定位机制的几个实例,即Donegal、Strantian,Ox山脉花岗岩和Ardnamurchan中心杂岩体。它是作者访英考察报告中的主要部分,也是英国花岗岩及其定位机制的最新成果。对我们了解花岗岩研究的现代水平,具有借鉴作用。