A qualitative study of seismic-ionospheric precursor phenomena monitored by a very close to the epicenter VLF and LF receiver

This work investigates the occurrence of disturbances across a wide range of VLF and LF frequencies received prior to a seismic event (Mw = 4), that took place on May 12th 2012, the epicenter of which was very close (14 km) to the VLF/LF station. The signals analyzed were emitted from five VLF and five LF European transmitters. This seismic event produced precursory ionospheric disturbances, identified as spectral distortion, three days before its occurrence, providing a distinct pattern open to further investigation. Although the basis of the ionosphere interaction with seismic phenomena has been well documented in previous studies, the close proximity of the receiver to the seismic event provides a new perspective to this study. The monitored signals have undergone normalization and then they have been processed by means of the Hilbert-Huang Transform. Diagrams of the signals relevant to the phenomena are presented and the disturbances that are present in the raw data are accentuated through further processing.     

Progress on Sedimentation of Subaqueous Volcanic Eruption

In recent years, more and more originally regarded as black oil and gas-bearing shales have been found, whose formation has close relationship with subaqueous volcanic activities, with much more fundamental research work on tight oil in China. However, our study of sedimentations of subaqueous eruption has not been well studied since their sediments are very tiny, not easy to be sampled, and extremely difficult to differentiate from mud-size clastic sediments. This paper reviewed the advances of the processes of fragmentation, transportation, and deposition of sediments originated by subaqueous eruption, on the basis of publications and research experience on some special intervals in interlaminated shales and dolostones in Permian Lucaogou Formation in Santanghu Basin. Three main features and their implications were documented. ① Minerals in those intervals were angular with a low component maturity, and some of them were shard-like, suggesting volcanic-eruptive origin. ② Intervals were laminated and thin bedded. The former had a sharp erosional base, and was internal normal graded, and showed crude orientation of elongate grains parallel to bedding plane, suggesting deposition of lateral tractive current; the latter showed messy accumulation without internal structure, suggesting deposition of dense granular flow. ③ Intervals were localized and repetitive in stratigraphy, indicating origin from episodic-pulsating volcanic activities. We preliminarily interpreted those intervals as sedimentations of subaqueous volcanic-hydrothermal activities (phreatomagmatic/hydrovolcanic deposition). Then, the relationship of intraclasts, extraclasts, and deep-derived clasts, the difference of sedimentary rocks formed by subaqueous between subaerial eruptions, and the terminology of these eruptive rocks were discussed. Finally, macro to micro scale observation, micro-texture of minerals, attaching importance on hydrothermal exhalative sedimentations, and multidisciplinary studies were suggested for future research on those rocks.     

汶川M_s8.0地震前电离层VTEC的异常变化

利用地基GPS观测资料反演的垂直电子总含量(VTEC),本文考察了2008年5月12日汶川M_s8.0地震期间的电离层变化.在考察过程中,以前10天的VTEC均值和伴随的2倍标准偏差作为参考来识别电离层异常.最终的考察分析结果表明:(1)VTEC的异常增加出现在5月3日和5月9日,而VTEC的异常减小出现在4月29日和5月6日;(2)所有这4天的电离层VTEC异常持续时间均超过了4 h,且异常自东向西漂移;(3)相对于电离层的非扰动状态,在5次电离层异常的峰值时刻,震中附近VTEC增加或减小超过30%的空间区域沿经、纬向分别超过了4000 km和1500 km.鉴于地震期间的日-地空间环境和电离层VTEC异常特征,我们认为,5月3日下午和5月9日的VTEC正异常可能是本次汶川地震的电离层前兆.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF TEMPERATURE EVOLUTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF INSTABILITY POSITION OF PLANAR STRIKE-SLIP FAULT DURING PROCESS OF STICK-SLIP

Stick-slip of fault in laboratory accompanies change of temperature. Temperature change is not only concerned with sliding friction, but also with the stress state of the sample. In this article, we use infra-red thermal imaging system as wide-range observation means to study the temperature variation of different stages during the deformation of sample. The rock sample for the experiment is made of granodiorite from Fangshan County with a size of 300mm×300mm×50mm. It is cut obliquely at an angle of 45°, forming a planar fault. Two-direction servo-control system was used to apply load on the sample. The load in both directions was forced to 5MPa and maintained constant (5MPa) in the X direction, then the load in the Y direction was applied by a displacement rate of 0.5μm/s, 0.1μm/s and 0.05μm/s successively. The left and below lateral of the sample were fixed, and the right and top lateral of the sample were slidable when loaded. The experiment results show not only the temperature change from increase to decrease caused by conversion of stress accumulation to relaxation before and after the peak stress, but also opposite variation of temperature increase on fault and temperature decrease in rock during instability stage. Most important of all, we have found the temperature precursor identifying the position of instability through the temperature variation with time along the fault. It shows that rate of temperature increase of instability position keeps relative high value since the stage of strongly off-linear stage, and accelerates in stage of meta-instability. After separating the effect of friction and stress, we found that temperature increase occurs in the rock near the fault instead of on the fault, which means the mechanism of temperature increase is stress accumulation. Temperature of fault at the instability position does not increase, which means the position is locked. We speculate that the position of locked area on fault with high stress accumulation near the fault may be the future instability position. It is of significance of studying temperature variation during stick-slip to the monitoring of earthquake precursors. Heat caused by friction of earthquake needs long time to transfer to the surface and could not be detected as a precursor. While the stress of surface rock near the fault would change as the stress of interior rock changes, which could cause detectable temperature variations. The research purpose of this article is to find special change positions before instability. As the temperature variations are caused by stress and slip of fault, the results are also meaningful to analysis of stress and displacement data related to earthquake precursors.     

基于《中国震例》的地下流体异常特征统计分析

基于《中国震例》记录的1966年以来的震例, 按异常测项和变化类型分类统计了与地下流体相关的异常数量与震级、 震中距、 持续时间的相关性。 结果显示: 中国大陆M6.5以下地震的地下流体异常数量与震级无相关性, M6.5以上地震异常数量随震级的增大而增多, 二者呈指数关系; 地下流体异常多集中于距震中300 km范围内, 且各测项间无明显区别, 异常数量与震中距之间呈Gamma分布特征; 地下流体异常时空演化主要表现为 “向震中收缩”、 “构造控制”和“相对集中”三种典型特征, 震前异常数量主要表现为“持续增长”型和“先增后减”型两类, 且以“先增后减”型居多。 本文统计得到的地下流体前兆信息特征, 可为今后地震预报实践提供一定参考。     

Clarifying the distal to proximal tephrochronology of the Millennium (B–Tm) eruption,Changbaishan Volcano,northeast China

Tephra dispersed during the Millennium eruption (ME), Changbaishan Volcano, NE China provides one of the key stratigraphic links between Asia and Greenland for the synchronization of palaeoenvironmental records. However, controversy surrounds proximal-distal tephra correlations because (a) the proposed proximal correlatives of the distal ME tephra (i.e. B–Tm) lack an unequivocal chronostratigraphic context, and (b) the ME tephra deposits have not been chemically characterized for a full spectrum of element using grain-specific techniques. Here we present grain-specific glass chemistry, including for the first time, single grain trace element data, for a composite proximal sequence and a distal tephra from Lake Kushu, northern Japan (ca. 1100 km away from Changbaishan). We demonstrate a robust proximal-distal correlation and that the Kushu tephra is chemically associated with the ME/B–Tm. We propose that three of the proximal pyroclastic fall units were erupted as part of the ME. The radiocarbon chronology of the Kushu sedimentary record has been utilised to generate a Bayesian age-depth model, providing an age for the Kushu tephra which is consistent with high resolution ages determined for the eruption and therefore supports our geochemical correlation. Two further Bayesian age-depth models were independently constructed each incorporating one of two ice-core derived ages for the B–Tm tephra, providing Bayesian modelled ages of 933–949 and 944–947 cal AD (95.4%) for the Kushu tephra. The high resolution ice-core tephra ages imported into the deposition models help test and ultimately constrain the radiocarbon chronology in this interval of the Lake Kushu sedimentary record. The observed geochemical diversity between proximal and distal ME tephra deposits clearly evidences the interaction of two compositionally distinct magma batches during this caldera forming eruption.     

The influence of volcanism on paleoclimate in the northeast of China： Insights from Jinchuan peat, Jilin Province, China

Just like contemporary sediments, peat itself is a good repository of information about climate change, the effects of volcanic activity on climate change have been truly recorded in peat, since it is a major archive of volcanic eruption incidents. A section of sand was identified as tephra from the Jinchuan peat, Jilin Province, China, for the grains look like slag with surface bubbles and pits, characterized by high porosity, and loose structure with irregular edges and corners. According to the peat characteristics of uniform deposition, the tephra was dated at 2002–1976 a B.P. by way of linear interpolation, so the time of volcanic eruption was 15 B.C.–26 A.D. (the calibrated age). While the geochemical characteristics of tephra in this study are quite the same as those of tephra from the Jinlongdingzi volcano at Longgang and from alkaline basaltic magma, with the contents of SiO₂<55%, and the similar contents to Al₂O₃ and Fe, but the contents of Na₂O>K₂O. We speculated that the tephra in this study came from the Longgang volcano group. Compared with 11 recorded volcanic eruption events as shown on the carbon and oxygen isotope curves of the Jinchuan peat cellulose, it is obviously seen that adjacent or large-scale volcanic eruptions are precisely corresponding to the minimum temperature and humidity. It seems that these volcanic eruptions indeed affected the local climate, leading to the drop of regional temperature and humidity. As a result, there was prevailing a cold and dry climate there, and all these changes can be well recorded in peat. So the comparison of volcanic eruption events with information about climate change developed from peat, can provide strong evidence for the impact of volcanism on climate change.     

亚失稳阶段雁列断层热场演化的实验研究

寻找地震前兆是国内外地震预报的难点.在实验室开展岩石变形实验,观测相关物理量的演化特征和规律,是前兆探索中重要的基础工作.本文对压性雁列断层进行变形实验,根据应力时间曲线将具有前兆意义的变形阶段分为强偏离线性阶段、亚失稳阶段和失稳阶段,利用红外热像仪记录各个阶段的热场变化,特别是亚失稳阶段的热场表现.研究结果显示:强偏离线性阶段,岩桥区挤压升温;亚失稳阶段,断层带增温,且高温点扩展连通,断层带内侧卸载降温,断层带上的协同化增温和断层带内侧(包含岩桥区)的协同化降温是失稳前的重要信号;失稳阶段,应力释放,标本整体降温,只有断层带因摩擦升温.总之,亚失稳阶段的热场具有明显特征,利于识别出亚失稳态;不同变形阶段、不同构造部位温度变化不同,在寻找与构造活动相关的热异常时,应考虑变形所处的阶段及异常所处的构造部位.     

通用型地震前兆通讯控制软件的研制和应用

针对目前"九五"仪器数据采集工作中遇到的问题,应用Visual Basic编制通用型地震前兆通讯控制软件.其主要特点是,微机不需安装通讯控制卡,RS-232串口或网口均可,网络对时服务,并结合日常工作要求新增部分功能.结果发现,效果良好.     

全球变化背景下新疆地区气候跃变的可能影响因素分析

基于新疆过去50a气温和降水时间序列长期趋势的研究结果,结合对1986年及附近时段对全球气候产生重大影响的一系列事件（厄尔尼诺、火山爆发、核电站爆炸事故、温室气体增加等）的分析,探讨了1986年新疆气温和降水出现跳跃式变化的原因.具体表现为：当厄尔尼诺现象发生时,常常出现暖冬、早春,在该现象消退过程,往往降水有所增多;...