Structural controls on topography and river morphodynamics in Upper Assam Valley,India

The basement in Upper Assam foreland basin exhibits a typical flexure pattern. An elongated continuous subsurface basement high has developed between Himalaya and Naga-Patkai ranges. A few prominent basement lows have developed adjacent to the foothill regions. It is noticed that the general topographic slope near the foothill regions is not only controlled by aggradation process, but also influenced by the flexured basement of the region. The basement lows have influenced the overlying topography significantly. Rivers flowing over those regions have shown unidirectional lateral migration. North bank tributaries like Subansiri, Jiadhal and Dikrang have been affected by the Subansiri basement low. Coseismic subsidence of sediments over Subansiri basement low had resulted subsidence of the North Lakhimpur-Ranga Nadi region in 1950 Assam earthquake. Some south bank tributaries like Disang and Dikhow have been affected by Nazira basement low. Topographic elevation along the Subansiri river is lower than that part of the Brahmaputra located south of Majuli. This typical topographic setting of the region makes the mouth of the Subansiri river and Majuli region highly susceptible to erosion.     

二维簧片重力梯度仪的研制

利用簧片悬挂二维扭摆,并结合二维电容微位移传感器技术,开展了重力梯度测量装置的研制,这种设计使整个悬挂系统在2个方向上扭转灵敏,增强了系统的稳定性,确保了整个系统的灵敏度。初步实验结果表明,该簧片重力梯度仪的梯度分量W_xx-W_zz和W_xz的分辨率分别达到了47 E和37 E,它主要受到系统检测电路噪声的限制。     

Effectiveness of superelastic bars for seismic rehabilitation of clay‐unit masonry walls

This paper presents the results on shaking table tests of half‐scale brick walls performed to investigate the effectiveness of newly developed Cu–Al–Mn superelastic alloy (SEA) bars in retrofitting of historical masonry constructions. Problems associated with conventional steel reinforcing bars lie in degradation of stiffness and strength, or pinching phenomena, under cyclic loading, and presence of large residual cracks in structures during and after intense earthquakes. This paper attempts to resolve the problems by applying newly developed Cu–Al–Mn SEA bars, characterized by large recovery strain, low material cost, and high machinability, as partial replacements for steel bars. Sets of unreinforced, steel reinforced, and SEA‐reinforced specimens are subjected to scaled earthquake excitations in out‐of‐plane direction. Whereas steel‐reinforced specimens showed large residual inclinations, SEA‐reinforced specimens resulted in stable rocking response with slight residual inclinations. Corresponding nonlinear finite element (FE) models are developed to simulate the experimental observations. The FE models are further used to examine the sensitivity of the response with respect to the variations in experimental conditions. Both the experimental and numerical results demonstrate the superiority of Cu–Al–Mn SEA bars to conventional steel reinforcing bars in avoiding pinching phenomena. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

龙门山构造带深部动力学过程与地表地质过程的耦合关系

发生在地球浅层的2008年汶川地震驱动了龙门山及前陆地区的地表同震垂向位移.根据冲断带-前陆盆地弹性挠曲模型理论,在进行弹性挠曲模拟反演的基础上,结合对深部地球物理特征（泊松比、电性结构）的分析,发现龙门山前陆盆地现今岩石圈有效弹性厚度（T_e）具有自东向西逐渐减薄的趋势,自川中地区的30~40 km减至龙门山地区的10~20 km.在对晚三叠世以来前陆盆地各阶段盆地结构进行刻画的基础上,进行弹性挠曲模拟反演,推断龙门山前陆盆地的前渊地区（四川盆地西部）岩石圈的T_e值自晚三叠世以来具有逐渐减薄的趋势.这可能与松潘-甘孜地块下方广泛存在的软流圈热物质对四川盆地西部岩石圈下部的长期加热而导致的熔融有关,反映了地球深部动力学过程与地球表层盆地演化之间的耦合关系.

     

Accelerated sediment delivery to continental margins during post-orogenic rebound of mountain ranges

Changes in sediment flux to continental margins are commonly interpreted in terms of tectonic growth of topography or climatic change. Here, we show that variations in sediment yield from orogenic systems, previously considered as resulting from climate change, drainage reorganisation or mantle processes can be explained by intrinsic mechanisms of mountain belt/foreland basin systems naturally evolving during post-orogenic decay. Numerical modelling indicates an increase of sediment flux leaving the orogenic system synchronous with the cessation of deposition in the foreland basin and the transition from late syn- to post-orogenesis. Experiments highlight the importance of lithospheric flexure that causes the post-orogenic isostatic rebound of the foreland basin. Erosion of the rebounding foreland basin combined with continued sediment flux from the thrust wedge drives an acceleration in sediment outflux towards continental margins. Sediment budget records in natural settings such as the Northern Pyrenees or Western European Alps also indicate accelerated post-orogenic sediment delivery to the Bay of Biscay and Rhône Delta respectively. These intrinsic processes that determine sediment yield to continental margins must be accounted for prior to consideration of additional external tectonic or climatic controls.     

The Deccan tholeiite lavas and dykes of Ghatkopar–Powai area,Mumbai, Panvel flexure zone: Geochemistry,stratigraphic status,and tectonic significance

Mumbai City, situated on the western Indian coast, is well known for exposures of late-stage Deccan pillow basalts and spilites, pyroclastic rocks, rhyolite lavas, and trachyte intrusions. These rock units, and a little-studied sequence of tholeiitic flows and dykes in the eastern part of Mumbai City, constitute the west-dipping limb of a regional tectonic structure called the Panvel flexure. Here we present field, petrographic, major and trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic data on these tholeiitic flows and dykes, best exposed in the Ghatkopar–Powai area. The flows closely resemble the Mahabaleshwar Formation of the thick Western Ghats sequence to the east, in Sr–Nd isotopic ratios and multielement patterns, but have other geochemical characteristics (e.g., incompatible trace element ratios) unlike the Mahabaleshwar or any other Formation. The flows may have originated from a nearby eruptive center, possibly offshore of Mumbai. Two dykes resemble the Ambenali Formation of the Western Ghats in all geochemical characteristics, though they may not represent feeders of the Ambenali Formation lavas. Most dykes are distinct from any of the Western Ghats stratigraphic units. Some show partial (e.g., Sr–Nd isotopic) similarities to the Mahabaleshwar Formation, and these include several dykes with unusual, concave-downward REE patterns suggesting residual amphibole and thus a lithospheric source. The flows and dykes are inferred to have undergone little or no contamination, by lower continental crust. Most dykes are almost vertical, suggesting emplacement after the formation of the Panvel flexure, and indicate considerable east–west lithospheric extension during this late but magmatically vigorous stage of Deccan volcanism.