Seismic lamination and anisotropy of the Lower Continental Crust

Seismic lamination in the lower crust associated with marked anisotropy has been observed at various locations. Three of these locations were investigated by specially designed experiments in the near vertical and in the wide-angle range, that is the Urach and the Black Forrest area, both belonging to the Moldanubian, a collapsed Variscan terrane in southern Germany, and in the Donbas Basin, a rift inside the East European (Ukrainian) craton. In these three cases, a firm relationship between lower crust seismic lamination and anisotropy is found. There are more cases of lower-crustal lamination and anisotropy, e.g. from the Basin and Range province (western US) and from central Tibet, not revealed by seismic wide-angle measurements, but by teleseismic receiver function studies with a P–S conversion at the Moho. Other cases of lamination and anisotropy are from exhumed lower crustal rocks in Calabria (southern Italy), and Val Sesia and Val Strona (Ivrea area, Northern Italy). We demonstrate that rocks in the lower continental crust, apart from differing in composition, differ from the upper mantle both in terms of seismic lamination (observed in the near-vertical range) and in the type of anisotropy. Compared to upper mantle rocks exhibiting mainly orthorhombic symmetry, the symmetry of the rocks constituting the lower crust is either axial or orthorhombic and basically a result of preferred crystallographic orientation of major minerals (biotite, muscovite, hornblende). We argue that the generation of seismic lamination and anisotropy in the lower crust is a consequence of the same tectonic process, that is, ductile deformation in a warm and low-viscosity lower crust. This process takes place preferably in areas of extension. Heterogeneous rock units are formed that are generally felsic in composition, but that contain intercalations of mafic intrusions. The latter have acted as heat sources and provide the necessary seismic impedance contrasts. The observed seismic anisotropy is attributed to lattice preferred orientation (LPO) of major minerals, in particular of mica and hornblende, but also of olivine. A transversely isotropic symmetry system, such as expected for sub-horizontal layering, is found in only half of the field studies. Azimuthal anisotropy is encountered in the rest of the cases. This indicates differences in the horizontal components of tectonic strain, which finally give rise to differences in the evolution of the rock fabric.     

Seismic potential of Southern Italy

To improve estimates of the long-term average seismic potential of the slowly straining South Central Mediterranean plate boundary zone, we integrate constraints on tectonic style and deformation rates from geodetic and geologic data with the traditional constraints from seismicity catalogs. We express seismic potential (long-term average earthquake recurrence rates as a function of magnitude) in the form of truncated Gutenberg–Richter distributions for seven seismotectonic source zones. Seismic coupling seems to be large or even complete in most zones. An exception is the southern Tyrrhenian thrust zone, where most of the African–European convergence is accommodated. Here aseismic deformation is estimated to range from at least 25% along the western part to almost 100% aseismic slip around the Aeolian Islands. Even so, seismic potential of this zone has previously been significantly underestimated, due to the low levels of recorded past seismicity. By contrast, the series of 19 M6–7 earthquakes that hit Calabria in the 18th and 19th century released tectonic strain rates accumulated over time spans up to several times the catalog duration, and seismic potential is revised downward. The southern Tyrrhenian thrust zone and the extensional Calabrian faults, as well as the northeastern Sicilian transtensional zone between them (which includes the Messina Straits, where a destructive M7 event occurred in 1908), all have a similar seismic potential with minimum recurrence times of M ≥ 6.5 of 150–220 years. This potential is lower than that of the Southern Apennines (M ≥ 6.5 recurring every 60 to 140 years), but higher than that of southeastern Sicily (minimum M ≥ 6.5 recurrence times of 400 years). The high seismicity levels recorded in southeastern Sicily indicate some clustering and are most compatible with a tectonic scenario where the Ionian deforms internally, and motions at the Calabrian Trench are small. The estimated seismic potential for the Calabrian Trench and Central and Western Sicily are the lowest (minimum M ≥ 6.5 recurrence times of 550–800 years). Most zones are probably capable of generating earthquakes up to magnitudes 7–7.5, with the exception of Central and Western Sicily where maximum events sizes most likely do not exceed 7.     

Geophysical methods applied to fault characterization and earthquake potential assessment in the Lower Tagus Valley, Portugal

The study region is located in the Lower Tagus Valley, central Portugal, and includes a large portion of the densely populated area of Lisbon. It is characterized by a moderate seismicity with a diffuse pattern, with historical earthquakes causing many casualties, serious damage and economic losses. Occurrence of earthquakes in the area indicates the presence of seismogenic structures at depth that are deficiently known due to a thick Cenozoic sedimentary cover. The hidden character of many of the faults in the Lower Tagus Valley requires the use of indirect methodologies for their study. This paper focuses on the application of high-resolution seismic reflection method for the detection of near-surface faulting on two major tectonic structures that are hidden under the recent alluvial cover of the Tagus Valley, and that have been recognized on deep oil-industry seismic reflection profiles and/or inferred from the surface geology. These are a WNW–ESE-trending fault zone located within the Lower Tagus Cenozoic basin, across the Tagus River estuary (Porto Alto fault), and a NNE–SSW-trending reverse fault zone that borders the Cenozoic Basin at the W (Vila Franca de Xira–Lisbon fault). Vertical electrical soundings were also acquired over the seismic profiles and the refraction interpretation of the reflection data was carried out. According to the interpretation of the collected data, a complex fault pattern disrupts the near surface (first 400 m) at Porto Alto, affecting the Upper Neogene and (at least for one fault) the Quaternary, with a normal offset component. The consistency with the previous oil-industry profiles interpretation supports the location and geometry of this fault zone. Concerning the second structure, two major faults were detected north of Vila Franca de Xira, supporting the extension of the Vila Franca de Xira–Lisbon fault zone northwards. One of these faults presents a reverse geometry apparently displacing Holocene alluvium. Vertical offsets of the Holocene sediments detected in the studied geophysical data of Porto Alto and Vila Franca de Xira–Lisbon faults imply minimum slip rates of 0.15–0.30 mm/year, three times larger than previously inferred for active faults in the Lower Tagus Valley and maximum estimates of average return periods of 2000–5000 years for M 6.5–7 co-seismic ruptures.     

A way to synchronize models with seismic faults for earthquake forecasting: Insights from a simple stochastic model

Numerical models are starting to be used for determining the future behaviour of seismic faults and fault networks. Their final goal would be to forecast future large earthquakes. In order to use them for this task, it is necessary to synchronize each model with the current status of the actual fault or fault network it simulates (just as, for example, meteorologists synchronize their models with the atmosphere by incorporating current atmospheric data in them). However, lithospheric dynamics is largely unobservable: important parameters cannot (or can rarely) be measured in Nature. Earthquakes, though, provide indirect but measurable clues of the stress and strain status in the lithosphere, which should be helpful for the synchronization of the models.The rupture area is one of the measurable parameters of earthquakes. Here we explore how it can be used to at least synchronize fault models between themselves and forecast synthetic earthquakes. Our purpose here is to forecast synthetic earthquakes in a simple but stochastic (random) fault model. By imposing the rupture area of the synthetic earthquakes of this model on other models, the latter become partially synchronized with the first one. We use these partially synchronized models to successfully forecast most of the largest earthquakes generated by the first model. This forecasting strategy outperforms others that only take into account the earthquake series. Our results suggest that probably a good way to synchronize more detailed models with real faults is to force them to reproduce the sequence of previous earthquake ruptures on the faults. This hypothesis could be tested in the future with more detailed models and actual seismic data.     

地震快报系统

本文简述了开发地震快报系统的主要技术。     

不等电极距情况下高密度电阻率法的反演结果分析

通过高密度电阻率法的模型实验,得出不等电极距情况对直立高阻薄板和低阻球体反演结果的影响:缺失电极对它正下方的ρ_s影响最大,而异常形态主要在水平方向有明显的变化,异常体随电极缺失的位置有趋势变化,电极缺失的数目越多,异常形态变化越大,但是从整体来看反演剖面图基本相似。     

地面地震层析技术在金属矿勘查中的试验研究

由于金属矿区地质构造的复杂性和复杂的地表条件, 适合于探测层状介质的地震反射方法技术在金属矿勘查中的应用受到了限制。为提高地震记录的横向分辨率, 探测复杂的地质构造及隐伏岩体等, 需研究相应的地震方法技术, 地面地震层析技术在金属矿勘查中的试验研究就是为解决上述问题而开展的。本文就非线性地面地震层析技术的基本原理进行了阐述, 并就该方法在金属矿勘查中的试验效果进行了讨论。     

利用钻孔超声成像的图像特征进行岩石风化程度分类

钻孔超声成像方法能精确地反映井壁的光滑情况, 进而判断岩石的风化发育程度, 确定风化层的厚度。阐述了钻孔超声成像的走时和振幅图像特征, 给出了1个在香港地区的应用实例。     

中朝板块元古宙板内地震带与盆地格局

地史中发生的强地震事件在地层中留下固定的记录 (图 1～ 3) ,这些记录在区域上呈带状分布 ,代表地史中的地震带。中朝板块元古宙目前可识别出两个板内地震带 (图 5 )。中元古代板内地震带 (170 0～ 12 0 0Ma)西起太行山北段 ,经燕山山脉、辽宁西部、穿越辽河平原至辽宁北部的泛河流域分布 ,即燕山—泛河地震带 ,现今呈NEE向延伸。新元古代震旦纪地震带沿吉林南部、辽东半岛、山东中部及苏皖北部现今呈NNE走向分布 ,即古郯庐地震带 (6 5 0～ 6 0 0Ma)。上述两个板内地震带是元古宙不同时期超大陆裂解的响应。中元古代与新元古代两个不同方向的地震断裂带分别控制着两个时期的盆地边界。燕山泛河地震断裂带构成中元古代海盆南界 (指现在的位置 ) ,形成向北开放的海域。古郯庐地震断裂带将中朝板块裂解为华北块体与胶辽朝块体。古郯庐地震断裂带构成震旦纪海域的边界 ,震旦纪海盆通过朝鲜半岛与当时的外海相连接 ,华北块体则为陆源剥蚀区。文内四幅古地理图 (图 6～ 9)是以地震灾变思想为指导 ,以新的地层研究、对比为基础编制的 ,侧重反映了盆地的格局及其变化。根据地震、同沉积断裂新的思路 ,可提供地质学家重新认识与解释某些沉积矿床的成因 ,它们的成矿元素均来自地球深部而非地表风化作用。文中编制     

论三维等时线叠加反偏移中的有关问题

利用几何射线理论和一种考虑了积分域边缘贡献的二维稳想法，研究了三维等时线叠加反偏移中的反偏移场，反偏移加权函及反偏移孔径。结果证明，在有限孔径条件下，反偏移场的结构比已发表的结果要复杂和多。即使在最简单的条件下，反偏移场也是由反偏移信号的反偏移噪声（孔径效应）叠加而成的。而且，反偏移场的结构强烈地依赖于反偏移孔径边缘的位置。为了消除孔径效应，应采用最佳反偏移孔径和针对有限孔径的加权函数。根据定义，最佳反偏移孔径为稳相点的第一和第二Fresnel区之和。在第一Fresnel区内，有限孔径和加权函数与文献中所给出的加权函数完全一致。而在第二Fresnel区内，有限孔径加权函数为常规的加权函数与一窗函数的乘积。在反偏移孔径的边缘上，有限孔径加权函恒取零值。