Characteristics of Seismic Activity in a 3-Dimensional Space before the Wen'an Earthquake,Hebei Province by Relocation of Small Earthquakes in the China's Capital Area

Characteristics of seismic activity before the M5.1 earthquake in Wen'an,Hebei Province on July 4,2006 are analyzed by relocation of small earthquakes in the China's capital area,and some results are obtained as follows:① The seismic activity of M L ≥3.0 in the middle part of the Hebei plain seismic belt displayed a feature of strengthening (lasting 43 months) quiescence (17 months) five years before the Wen'an earthquake.Simultaneously,the strain release curve showed a variation process of accelerating-flatting.② A seismogenic gap in a three-dimensional space,located at the depth of 15km ～ 20km,with 70km long in latitude direction and 90km long in longitude orientation,was formed by M≥2.0 earthquakes four years prior to the Wen'an earthquake.The initial rupture point of the Wen'an earthquake is situated at the bottom of the gap.③ The focal depths of earthquakes with M L ≥2.0 in the middle part of the Hebei plain seismic belt gradually increased from 10km to 30km during the period from April,2003 to October,2004.Meanwhile,the seismic activity obviously strengthened in the middle and lower crust (from 20km to 30km in depth).     

Boundaries Make a Difference: The Effects of Spatial and Temporal Parameters on Conservation Planning*

Conservation planning and resulting ecological target identification require selection of both a planning area boundary and temporal baseline or reference condition. We examined the effects that these selections can have on resulting amount and location of identified conservation targets. A gap analysis for California was conducted using five different sets of ecoregion boundaries to identify and compare existing conservation shortfalls in major land cover type representation in protected areas using a threshold of 30 percent per ecoregion per type as the minimum required for future ecological viability. Another gap analysis was run for a single ecoregion using two temporal baselines (current and pre-1900) for the land cover followed by a comparison of identified conservation needs. We found that the boundaries of different ecoregional schemes affected both the total area needed to meet the per ecoregion land cover conservation goals and the spatial location of underprotected land cover types. Choice of temporal baseline also had a significant effect on the establishment of conservation targets for the highly human-impacted Central Valley ecoregion. To meet the given conservation threshold using a historic rather than contemporary baseline, a substantial amount of restoration is required. The results can help identify areas of both conservation needs consensus and those that vary widely based on the chosen planning boundary, as well as aid in the selection of appropriate restoration targets in degraded ecosystems. Because all landscapes are continuous in nature and planning area boundaries are discrete, similar results are likely to be found in analyses conducted in other regions.     

MEASURING CHANNEL PLANFORM OF MEANDERING RIVERS

The traditional measure of river-channel sinuosity, P, is shown to vary with scale of measurement, the geometric character of the particular reach, and the starting point of the divider walk. Meander wavelength, L, suffers from non-reproducibility caused by the subjective identification of inflection points, a problem compounded by the irregularity of river meanders. Applicability of the angle measure technique (AMT) to the measurement of meander planform is demonstrated. The AMT considers variations in the complexity of meandering with scale, eliminating the dependence of results on scale of measurement. The AMT also samples the river at random points rather than sequentially, unlike the divider walk used to calculate P, avoiding the dependence of P on the starting position of the divider walk. The AMT also does not require subjective identification of inflection points as wavelength L does. Additionally, the traditional measures P and L are difficult to apply to manifestly underfit rivers. In this study, the AMT is applied to two underfit rivers and measures of meander size and sinuosity are calculated for each set of meanders. [Key words: sinuosity, meanders, wavelength, underfit river, fluvial geomorphology.]     

面向异构空间区域分片的3RM缝隙处理模型

针对分布式环境下区域分片片段间的各种原始缝隙,提出一种3RM(Three Relational Matrix)缝隙处理模型。该模型采用两阶段流程,第1步划分空间计算单元,对区域分片边界处的要素进行聚类分组;第2步对各个空间计算单元进行缝隙处理。模型研究区域分片边界处缝隙的描述和区分方法,依据要素拓扑关系、属性关系以及精度3种关系建立了3RM缝隙处理矩阵,发现线状和面状要素在分片数据边界处的38种潜在的缝隙,并建立了相应的缝隙处理方法。运用3RM模型对异构的土地利用分片数据进行缝隙处理试验,试验结果表明,本文提出的缝隙处理模型能够有效处理实际分片数据当中的各种缝隙。     

Geochemical evidence concerning sources and petrologic evolution of Faial Island,Central Azores

Volcanic rocks that make up Faial Island, Central Azores, consist of four volcano-stratigraphic units, with ages between 730 ka and the present. Lavas range from alkali basalts to trachyandesites and belong to the alkaline-sodic series. The oldest unit is the Ribeirinha Volcanic Complex, generally characterized by low MgO contents. The Cedros Volcanic Complex is composed of basalts to benmoreites with low MgO contents. The Almoxarife Formation represents fissure flows, containing MgO contents similar to to slightly higher than those of the underlying Cedros Volcanic Complex. The youngest unit, the Capelo Formation, consists of mafic rocks with MgO values higher than those of the other units. Bulk-rock major and trace element trends suggest that differentiation of the three earliest units were dominated by fractional crystallization of plagioclase ± clinopyroxene ± olivine ± titanomagnetite. Capelo bulk-rock compositions are the most primitive, and are related to a period when volcanic activity was fed by deep magmatic chambers, and melts ascended more rapidly. Comparison among geochemical patterns of the trace elements suggests a strong similarity between the lavas from Faial and Pico islands. Corvo Island volcanism contrasts with the geochemistry of Faial and Pico lavas, reflecting its strong K and Rb depletion, and Th, U, Ta, Nb, La, and Ce enrichment. Absence of the Daly gap in the Faial volcanics is attributed to early crystallization of Ti-Fe oxides. The probable source of the Faial magma coincides with the MORB-FOZO array, which implies the presence of ancient recycled oceanic crust in the mantle source. Ratios of incompatible trace elements suggest the similarity of Corvo volcanic rocks with magmas derived from HIMU sources, whereas the Faial and Pico volcanic rocks could have been produced from sources very close to EMII-type OIB.     

Terrestrial laser scanning to estimate plot-level forest canopy fuel properties

This paper evaluates the potential of a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) to characterize forest canopy fuel characteristics at plot level. Several canopy properties, namely canopy height, canopy cover, canopy base height and fuel strata gap were estimated. Different approaches were tested to avoid the effect of canopy shadowing on canopy height estimation caused by deployment of the TLS below the canopy. Estimation of canopy height using a grid approach provided a coefficient of determination of R² = 0.81 and an RMSE of 2.47 m. A similar RMSE was obtained using the 99th percentile of the height distribution of the highest points, representing the 1% of the data, although the coefficient of determination was lower (R² = 0.70). Canopy cover (CC) was estimated as a function of the occupied cells of a grid superimposed upon the TLS point clouds. It was found that CC estimates were dependent on the cell size selected, with 3 cm being the optimum resolution for this study. The effect of the zenith view angle on CC estimates was also analyzed. A simple method was developed to estimate canopy base height from the vegetation vertical profiles derived from an occupied/non-occupied voxels approach. Canopy base height was estimated with an RMSE of 3.09 m and an R² = 0.86. Terrestrial laser scanning also provides a unique opportunity to estimate the fuel strata gap (FSG), which has not been previously derived from remotely sensed data. The FSG was also derived from the vegetation vertical profile with an RMSE of 1.53 m and an R² = 0.87.     

2010年2月27日智利Mw8.8地震前全球地震活动特征分析

通过对智利地震前全球不同时空范围地震活动特征分析,发现:①智利地震前出现了两类地震空区:第一类空区为1900年以来形成的360 km长的Mw≥8.0地震空段,第二类空区为震前5年形成的780 km长的M≥5.5地震空段;②1986-2010年,智利中南部仅发生1次Mw7.1地震,表现为显著的Mw≥7.0地震平静异常;③...     

太康4．7级地震前地震活动图像和趋势分析

对苏、鲁、皖、豫交界地区地震活动进行研究,指出该区2006年10月-2010年10月出现一个长轴约230km的3级地震空区。该空区及附近地区存在多项中期异常,即ML≥3地震活动具有频度高、能量强,中等地震震中空间分布相对集中及低b值等。讨论认为,苏、鲁、皖、豫交界地区存在多项中期异常,与2004年10月24日太康4．7级地震的强度不匹配,未来具有发生中强以上地震的危险。     

A comparative slope stability analysis of sheet pile supported I-wall in New Orleans,Louisiana with sheet pile penetrating into sand layer

Computer modelling and stability analyses of the New Orleans I-walls with and without the consideration of gap formation has drawn significant attention of the engineering community during the post Katrina period. In addition, when the sheet pile penetrates into sand layer, seepage becomes an integral part of the stability analysis. Basic guidelines have been developed for the analysis of this problem by other researchers and documented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). However, the inherent complexity of the problem and uncertainties associated with the choice of analysis methods warrant for further investigation of this problem in detail so that more useful insights can be gained. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of this complex coupled problem of seepage and stability of a typical New Orleans I-wall is presented using different limit equilibrium methods of slope stability analysis. Useful comparisons are made between the analyses results and methodologies. The authors believe that the findings of this study will enhance the understanding of the behaviour of the I-wall sheet pile system subjected to seepage forces, when different limit equilibrium methods of analyses are invoked.     

汶川8.0级与昆仑山口西8.1级地震前地震活动异常特征与启示

两次特大地震前在不同时段、 不同范围出现了多项相似的地震活动性异常, 它们对预测特大地震具有一定意义: ① 两次大震前10余年, 青藏块体同期出现了两个规模巨大的中强以上地震增强区, 两次大地震发生在增强区内的空区里; ② 两次巨大地震前数年, 形成规模巨大的中强地震活动带, 地震发生在两个条带间的平静区里; 同期形成中等以上地震活动环, 其内部的地震频度、 加卸载响应比及非均匀度等参数甚高, 且随时间而变化, 这可作为孕震进入中期的信号; ③ 两次大震前的震群、 震丛均很显著, 昆仑山口西地震前四个显著震丛环绕震中四周分布, 汶川地震前震群在震中周围形成包围圈, 它们应视为大震孕育进入后期的显示; ④ 大震前数月, 靠近发震断裂带发生少量中小地震或少见的震群。 汶川地震前10个月, 龙门山断裂带北部发生两次青川4级多地震和松潘4.3级地震, 南部康定附近发生3次4级以上地震。 紫坪铺水库区小震群于震前3个月活动十分强烈。 昆仑山口西地震前约1年青海兴海发生6.6级地震, 昆仑山口西发生5.1级地震, 该地震距离8.1级地震约30 km。这些特征给我们的重要启示是: ① 特大地震前出现的前兆时空特征与常见的中强地震差异很大, 现行的监测预报体制(分省分片负责)与特大地震前兆不相适应; ② 特大地震的预测预报不能单纯依靠地震前兆, 必须与地质构造及深部探测紧密结合起来; ③ 特大地震的预测预报应有新的预报战略、 观测系统与组织机构相适应。