Seismic reflection methods provide continuous access both to stratigraphy (vertical) and to subsurface morphology (horizontal), for which the scales of interest may differ by orders of magnitude. Seismic surveys of Quaternary successions have generally sought to optimise vertical resolution, through the use of higher source frequency content. Here, I show that low-frequency bandwidth is not necessarily a limiting factor for the seismic resolution of glacigenic morpho-sedimentary features. Observations are presented from a buried network of large mid-Pleistocene (Elsterian) tunnel-valleys in the southern North Sea Basin, across a 100×130 km study area with water depths less than 30 m. Low-frequency 2D and 3D seismic multi-channel data, acquired for deeper hydrocarbon exploration, are compared with previously available high-frequency single- and multi-channel profiles (5–15 km grid spacing). The low-frequency data contribute to a new understanding of the basal morphology and fill stratigraphy of the tunnel-valleys, in part due to higher data densities (≥1 km grid spacing), but also to improved imaging of reflectors at depth. The tunnel-valleys are seen to be overdeepened troughs, shallow (≤0.5 km) relative to their widths (≤6 km). The basal unconformity defines a series of arborescent elements, convergent to the south; erosional overlap by younger elements to the north has resulted in anastomosing patterns in places. The fill is dominated by axially downlapping clinoforms, descending to the north, onlapped and overlain by subhorizontal reflectors. Well data show that sand-dominated glaciofluvial sediments are overlain by glaciolacustrine to marine muds. Better definition of the clinoforms on low- versus high-frequency multi-channel data is suggested to reflect the coarse spatial scale of the backset glaciofluvial strata. The results support a simple interpretation of time-transgressive tunnel-valley formation by coeval glaciofluvial erosion and backfill beneath the outer tens of kilometres of the northward receding Elsterian ice sheet margin. Comparable submarginal interpretations have been proposed for drainage features (tunnel-valleys and eskers) of the last deglaciation of both northern Europe and North America using integrated geomorphologic and stratigraphic methods. Commercial 2D and 3D seismic data are widely available from exploration areas such as the North Sea and are argued to constitute an underexploited resource for Quaternary research. 相似文献
A hybrid indirect boundary element – discrete wavenumber method is presented and applied to model the ground motion on stratified alluvial valleys under incident plane SH waves from an elastic half-space. The method is based on the single-layer integral representation for diffracted waves. Refracted waves in the horizontally stratified region can be expressed as a linear superposition of solutions for a set of discrete wavenumbers. These solutions are obtained in terms of the Thomson–Haskell propagators formalism. Boundary conditions of continuity of displacements and tractions along the common boundary between the half-space and the stratified region lead to a system of equations for the sources strengths and the coefficients of the plane wave expansion. Although the regions share the boundary, the discretization schemes are different for both sides: for the exterior region, it is based on the numerical and analytical integration of exact Green's functions for displacements and tractions whereas for the layered part, a collocation approach is used. In order to validate this approach results are compared for well-known cases studied in the literature. A homogeneous trapezoidal valley and a parabolic stratified valley were studied and excellent agreement with previous computations was found. An example is given for a stratified inclusion model of an alluvial deposit with an irregular interface with the half-space. Results are displayed in both frequency and time domains. These results show the significant influence of lateral heterogeneity and the emergence of locally generated surface waves in the seismic response of alluvial valleys. 相似文献
The devastating earthquake on 26 January 2001 at Bhuj, India, resulted in large-scale death and destruction of properties of several million US dollars. The moment magnitude of the earthquake was 7.7 and its maximum focal intensity exceeded X in MM scale. The rate of aftershocks of this earthquake, recorded at Gauribidanur seismic array station (GBA), shows a monotonic decay with time superposed with oscillations. For the Indian continent the Lg phase is a prominent arrival at regional distances. The estimate of Lg amplitude is obtained by optimally fitting the Lg wave train to a exponential decay curve. The logarithm of these amplitudes and logarithm of root mean square (rms) value of actual amplitudes of the Lg are calibrated with USGS mb to create a local mbLg magnitude scale. The energy released from these aftershocks is calculated from the rms value of Lg phase. The plot of cumulative energy release with time follows the power law of the form tp, superposed with oscillations. The exponent of the power law, p, is estimated both by a time-window scanning method and by an interpolation method. The value of p is 0.434 for time-window scanning method and 0.432 for the interpolation method. The predominant periods found in the oscillatory part of the cumulative energy, obtained by differencing the observed from the power law fit, are 10.6, 7.9, 5.4, 4.6 and 3.5 h for time-window scanning method. The corresponding periods for interpolation method are 13.4, 11.5, 7.4, 4.2, 3.5, 2.6 and 2.4 h. 相似文献
Shallow seismic measurements in harzburgite from the Oman ophiolite performed in a zone where the maximum horizontal anisotropy is expected (vertical foliation and horizontal lineation) point to a dominant dependence of seismic properties on fracturing.
Optical microscopy studies show that microcracks are guided by the serpentine (lizardite) penetrative network oriented subparallel to the harzburgite foliation and subperpendicular to the mineral lineation, and that serpentine (lizardite) vein filling has a maximum concentration of (001) planes parallel to the veins walls. The calculated elastic properties of the oriented alteration veins filled with serpentine in an anisotropic matrix formed by oriented crystals of olivine and orthopyroxene are compared with seismic velocities measured on hand specimens.
Laboratory ultrasonic data indicate that open microcracks are closed at 100 MPa pressure, e.g. (J. Geophys. Res. 65, (1960) 1083) and (Proc. ODP Sci. Results Leg 118, (1990) 227). Above this pressure, laboratory measurements and modeling show that P-compressional and S-shear wave velocities are mainly controlled by the mineral preferred orientation. Veins sealed with serpentine are effective in slightly lowering P and S velocities and increasing anisotropy. The penetrative lizardite network does not affect directly the geometry of seismic anisotropy, but contributes indirectly in the fact that this network controls the microcrack orientations.
Comparison between seismic measurements of peridotite and gabbro in the same conditions suggest that P- and S-waves anisotropies are a possible discriminating factor between the two lithologies in the suboceanic lithosphere. 相似文献
The 3-D seismic tomographic data are used together with field, core and well log structural information to determine the detailed 3-D architecture of fault zones in a granitic massif of volume 500×575×168 m at Mina Ratones area in the Albalá Granitic Pluton. To facilitate the integration of the different data, geostatistical simulation algorithms are applied to interpolate the relatively sparse structural (hard) control data conditioned to abundant but indirect 3-D (soft) seismic tomographic data. To effectively integrate geologic and tomographic data, 3-D migration of the velocity model from the time domain into the depth domain was essential. The resulting 3-D model constitutes an image of the fault zone architecture within the granitic massif that honours hard and soft data and provides an evaluation of the spatial variability of structural heterogeneities based on the computation of 3-D experimental variograms of Fracture Index (fault intensity) data. This probabilistic quantitative 3-D model of spatially heterogeneous fault zones is suitable for subsequent fluid flow simulations. The modeled image of the 3-D fault distribution is consistent with the fault architecture in the Mina Ratones area, which basically consists of two families of subvertical structures with NNE–SSW and ENE–WSW trends that displaces the surfaces of low-angle faults (North Fault) and follows their seismically detected staircase geometry. These brittle structures cut two subvertical dykes (27 and 27′ Dykes) with a NNE–SSW to N–S trend. The faults present high FI (FI>12) adjacent bands of irregular geometry in detail that intersect in space delimiting rhombohedral blocks of relatively less fractured granite (FI<6). Both structural domains likely correspond with the protolith and the damaged zone/fault core in the widely accepted model for fault zone architecture. Therefore, the construction of 3-D grids of the FI in granitic areas affected by brittle tectonics permits the quantitative structural characterization of the rock massif. 相似文献
The traditional remove-restore technique for geoid computation suffers from two main drawbacks. The first is the assumption
of an isostatic hypothesis to compute the compensation masses. The second is the double consideration of the effect of the
topographic–isostatic masses within the data window through removing the reference field and the terrain reduction process.
To overcome the first disadvantage, the seismic Moho depths, representing, more or less, the actual compensating masses, have
been used with variable density anomalies computed by employing the topographic–isostatic mass balance principle. In order
to avoid the double consideration of the effect of the topographic–isostatic masses within the data window, the effect of
these masses for the used fixed data window, in terms of potential coefficients, has been subtracted from the reference field,
yielding an adapted reference field. This adapted reference field has been used for the remove–restore technique. The necessary
harmonic analysis of the topographic–isostatic potential using seismic Moho depths with variable density anomalies is given.
A wide comparison among geoids computed by the adapted reference field with both the Airy–Heiskanen isostatic model and seismic
Moho depths with variable density anomaly and a geoid computed by the traditional remove–restore technique is made. The results
show that using seismic Moho depths with variable density anomaly along with the adapted reference field gives the best relative
geoid accuracy compared to the GPS/levelling geoid.
Received: 3 October 2001 / Accepted: 20 September 2002
Correspondence to: H.A. Abd-Elmotaal 相似文献