Regional significance of kilometric-scale north-east vergent recumbent folds associated with east to south-east directed shear on the southern border of the Central Iberian Zone (Hornachos-Oliva region,Variscan belt,Iberian Peninsula)

On the southern border of the Central Iberian Zone there are two sectors with different styles of deformation. To the south-west, in the Hornachos sector, large-scale recumbent folds associated with ductile shearing can be seen. This shearing is characterized by a direction of movement parallel to the fold axes and can be correlated for 150 km along strike. The K-values of the strain ellipsoid range from 0.8 to 2.0. Stretching in the X direction, parallel to the recumbent fold axes, is more than 100%. To the north-east, in the Oliva sector, first-phase folds are upright and the strain intensity is lower than in the Hornachos sector. Metamorphic, geometric and kinematic considerations lead us to conclude that the shearing in the Hornachos sector is better explained as conjugate to a main shear zone along which the southern border of the Central Iberian Zone is moved onto the Ossa-Morena Zone. This main thrust is at present obliterated by a left-lateral extensional shear zone that affects a high pressure exotic unit located between the Central Iberian and the Ossa-Morena Zones. This high pressure unit constitutes a suture of the Variscan belt in the Iberian Peninsula.     

Ground stress determinations in Canada

SummaryGround Stress Determinations in Canada Stress determinations with the biaxial (Doorstopper) and the triaxial strain cell of the C. S. I. R., South Africa, are discussed and show that the triaxial cell is the more desirable instrument if good rock conditions exist. Vertical and average horizontal stresses in Canada are similar in magnitude to those from other parts of the earth's crust and show that vertical stresses are related to weight of overburden and average horizontal stresses increase in most of the cases with 0.407 kg/cm² per metre of depth. More data are necessary to make any prediction for the average horizontal stress beyond a depth of 800 m.Stress determinations and a tectonic analysis show that the unravelling of the geological stress-strain history allows some prediction of principal stress directions, but the attached uncertainties due to gaps in documentation require proof by stress determinations.With 8 Figures     

武都形变对岷县Ms5.2级地震的前兆异常反映

2003年11月13日岷县Ms5 2级地震前,武都应变、倾斜资料均出现了明显的前兆短临异常变化。应变在震前2个多月出现了加速变化,震前20多天受力状态发生变化;倾斜资料在震前3个多月出现NW方向的加速倾斜变化,震前数天模拟曲线、数字化资料都出现了明显的固体潮汐畸变。     

Plate kinematics, origin and tectonic emplacement of supra-subduction ophiolites in SE Asia

A unique feature of the Circum Pacific orogenic belts is the occurrence of ophiolitic bodies of various sizes, most of which display petrological and geochemical characteristics typical of supra-subduction zone oceanic crust. In SE Asia, a majority of the ophiolites appear to have originated at convergent margins, and specifically in backarc or island arc settings, which evolved either along the edge of the Sunda (Eurasia) and Australian cratons, or within the Philippine Sea Plate. These ophiolites were later accreted to continental margins during the Tertiary. Because of fast relative plate velocities, tectonic regimes at the active margins of these three plates also changed rapidly. Strain partitioning associated with oblique convergence caused arc-trench systems to move further away from the locus of their accretion. We distinguish “relatively autochthonous ophiolites” resulting from the shortening of marginal basins such as the present-day South China Sea or the Coral Sea, and “highly displaced ophiolites” developed in oblique convergent margins, where they were dismantled, transported and locally severely sheared during final docking. In peri-cratonic mobile belts (i.e. the Philippine Mobile Belt) we find a series of oceanic basins which have been slightly deformed and uplifted. Varying lithologies and geochemical compositions of tectonic units in these basins, as well as their age discrepancies, suggest important displacements along major wrench faults.We have used plate tectonic reconstructions to restore the former backarc basins and island arcs characterized by known petro-geochemical data to their original location and their former tectonic settings. Some of the ophiolites occurring in front of the Sunda plate represent supra-subduction zone basins formed along the Australian Craton margin during the Mesozoic. The Philippine Sea Basin, the Huatung basin south of Taiwan, and composite ophiolitic basements of the Philippines and Halmahera may represent remnants of such marginal basins. The portion of the Philippine Sea Plate carrying the Taiwan–Philippine arc and its composite ophiolitic/continental crustal basement might have actually originated in a different setting, closer to that of the Papua New Guinea Ophiolite, and then have been displaced rapidly as a result of shearing associated with fast oblique convergence.     

应用GPS建立区域独立坐标系中椭球变换的研究

阐述了在应用GPS技术建立区域独立坐标系过程中的椭球变换问题。通过椭球变换的广义模型,系统地描述了椭球膨胀法、平移法、变形法三种常用的椭球变换方法,并利用广义大地坐标微分公式从理论角度分析了各方法的共同点和区别,提出了量化分析指标,分别从不同角度反映和量化了椭球变换前后对长度和平面坐标影响的情况。     

Influence of object concentration on finite strain and effective viscosity contrast: insights from naturally deformed packstones

Deformed conglomerates and ooidal/oncoidal packstones are commonly used to evaluate finite strain in deformed sedimentary successions. In order to obtain a correct estimate of finite strain, it is necessary to consider not only the different behaviour of matrix and objects, but also object concentration. The analysis of two-component rocks characterised by high values of packing commonly results in a substantial underestimate of bulk strain and of viscosity contrast between objects and matrix. In this study, the effects of the volumetric fraction of competent inclusions on both object and bulk measured finite strain, as well as on apparent viscosity contrast, have been investigated in naturally deformed packstones characterised by variable object concentration on the scale of the hand specimen (and hence for homogenous viscosity contrast). Object finite strain has been obtained by Rf/ analysis, whereas the Fry method provides a measure of whole-rock strain that is also a function of inclusion concentration. Therefore, the finite strain measured by the Fry method is better termed effective bulk strain. In order to investigate the role of object concentration, this parameter has been plotted against object and effective bulk strain, and also against viscosity contrast. These diagrams show that: (i) for high values of packing, measured object and effective bulk strain show values that are significantly lower with respect to the calculated maximum value (that would result in the ideal case of no particle interaction and represents therefore the real bulk strain of the samples); (ii) the viscosity contrast shows lower values with respect to the calculated maximum one (that is equal for the three principal sections of the finite strain ellipsoid), and as packing reaches the maximum value, the viscosity contrast approaches a unit value. Empirical equations have also been found that link object concentration with both object and effective bulk finite strain.     

Influence of fluids on deep crustal Jabalpur earthquake of 21, May 1997: Geophysical evidences

We present the geophysical evidences on the role of fluids for generation of the lower crustal Jabalpur earthquake (21 May 1997, mb 6.0, Mw 5.8), in the mid-continental fracture zone of the Indian Peninsular Shield. With a focal depth of 35 km, it indicates a high angled (< 62^∘ enclosed with maximum principal stress direction) reverse fault with small component of left-lateral strike slip in the lower crust. The Son-Narmada-Tapti (SONATA) magalineament, during the past two centuries, has experienced about 25 moderate to strong earthquakes; two of which namely the Son Valley (1927, M 6.5) and Jabalpur (21 May 1997) were disastrous. Historical earthquakes and recent earthquake swarms indicate a moderate to high seismicity in SONATA belt that is due to high strain accumulation, flexuring of the crust and neotectonic movements of the faults in the rift zones. By analyzing geophysical parameters such as Zero-Free air-based (ZFb) gravity anomalies (∼ −10 to –30 mGals), heat flow values (45–47 mWm⁻²), magneto-telluric values (1- Ohm m), strain rate (1.5 × 10⁻⁸) and failure stress conditions, we identify plausible causative factors for the occurrence of lower crustal earthquake in this region Fluids, due to dehydration of serpentinite in the lower crust, are suggested to be present in the earthquake source zone. The estimated pore-fluid factor for the Jabalpur earthquake (λ _v ) is 0.95. The diffusion of pore-pressure relaxation, represented as pressure perturbation generated by coseismic stress change was seen in the form of swarm activity two years prior to the Jabalpur earthquake. We suggest the existence of a deep pre-fractured zone with low shear stress (τ = 15–18 MPa) that indicates the presence of fluid filled fractured mafic material in the felsic crust, in critical state of unstable failure condition, and also fluid driven migration of swarm activity before the Jabalpur earthquake.     

Rheological and kinematical responses to flow of two-phase rocks

Numerical simulations have been performed to investigate the strain-dependent behaviour of rheological and kinematical responses to flow of two-phase rocks using the commercial finite-difference program FLAC2D. It was assumed that the two phases have Maxwell rheology. Plane strain and velocity boundary condition, which produces a simple shear deformation, were also assumed. Two types of geometries were considered: strong phase supported (SPS) and weak phase supported (WPS). We calculated strain-dependent variations of effective viscosity and partitioning of strain rate, vorticity and kinematic vorticity number during deformation in both SPS and WPS structure models.The results show that the strain-dependent behaviour is largely influenced by the geometry of the composite. SPS models show both strain hardening and strain softening during the simulations, with strain hardening preceding strain softening. A critical shear strain is necessary to begin the strain softening behaviour. Strain hardening and strain softening are accompanied by a reduction and an increase of the partition of strain rate into the weak phase, respectively. On the other hand, WPS models show only weak strain hardening and strain softening, being the strain-dependent behaviour close to a steady state flow. In addition, the following results are obtained on vorticity and kinematic vorticity number; (1) in both SPS and WPS models the partition of vorticity into weak phase increases with progressive shear strain, i.e. the strong phase becomes less rotational, (2) in SPS models weak inclusions changes from sub-simple shear to super-simple shear with progressive strain, whereas the strong matrix changes from super-simple shear to sub-simple shear, (3) in WPS models the strong inclusions with high viscosity contrasts are less rotational but can be in super-simple shear condition to high strains.The observed strain-dependent behaviours have been compared with previous proposed analytical models. The degree of agreement is variable. Balshin and Ryshkewitch–Duckworth models are only applicable to SPS models. Ji-generalized mixture rule model is applicable to both models.The results suggest that polyphase rocks with SPS structure during ductile shear deformation respond as strain softening materials, after an initial strain hardening stage that may drive to the strain localization into the material.     

Differencing Reveals Hidden Changes in Baseline Length Time-series

In order to make successful earthquake predictions, detection and monitoring of baseline changes are important for investigating their origins, including precursory crustal deformations in tectonically active areas. In this study, differencing two baselines that run approximately parallel to each other and normal to the expected crustal deformations, and that share a station is proposed for analysis. Differencing reduces common systematic baseline errors, thereby enabling detection of subtle transient systematic changes in the baseline time-series that are otherwise buried in the measurement noise. Mean shift analysis, a well-known statistical technique to determine hether the mean of a stochastic process has shifted using cumulative sum charts, can then be used to locate the change points in the time-series. The application of this method to the differences of concurrently observed very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and global positioning system (GPS) baselines in the Japanese Keystone project, where periodic and persistent baseline changes are removed, revealed transient variations in the baseline lengths several months prior to the seismic activity in the Izu Islands that started on June 26, 2000. Reproduction of the results using GPS and VLBI, two alternative baseline measurement techniques, validated the accuracy of the proposed approach for detecting previously hidden transient changes in the baseline lengths.     

A local geoid determination based on ellipsoid approximation in Western China

A new methodology for precise geoid determination with finest local details based on ellipsoidal approximation is presented.This methodology is formulated through the “fixed-free two-boundary value problem“ based on the observable of the type modulus of gravity intensity,gravity acceleration and gravity potential at the GPS positioned stations,with support of the known geoid‘s potential value,W0.