High-resolution structures of the Landers fault zone inferred from aftershock waveform data

High-frequency body waves recorded by a temporary seismic array across the surface rupture trace of the 1992 Landers, California, earthquake were used to determine fault-zone structures down to the seismogenic depth. We first developed a technique to use generalized ray theory to compute synthetic seismograms for arbitrarily oriented tabular low-velocity fault-zone models. We then generated synthetic waveform record sections of a linear array across a vertical fault zone. They show that both arrival times and waveforms of P and S waves vary systematically across the fault due to transmissions and reflections from boundaries of the low-velocity fault zone. The waveform characteristics and arrival-time patterns in the record sections allow us to locate the boundaries of the fault zone and to determine its P - and S -wave velocities independently as well as its depth extent. Therefore, the trade-off between the fault-zone width and velocities can be avoided. Applying the method to the Landers waveform data reveals a low-velocity zone with a width of 270–360 m and a 35–60 per cent reduction in P and S velocities relative to the host rock. The analysis suggests that the low-velocity zone extends to a depth of ∼7 km. The western boundary of the low-velocity zone coincides with the observed main surface rupture trace.     

Analysis of kinematic seismic response of tapered piles

In the present work, a two-phase analysis is used to assess the lateral movement of a tapered pile due to kinematic seismic loading resulted from earthquakes. First, the free-field horizontal displacement of the ground due to earthquake is estimated using available theory of wave propagation. Second, these estimated soil movements are imposed on the taper pile in a closed-form solution to compute the pile response. The governing differential equation for an arbitrary pile segment is obtained, which includes the free-field horizontal movement estimated from the first phase. The equation is solved explicitly to obtain the horizontal deflection. Parametric studies show that tapered piles tend to be more flexible than uniform piles of the same volume and length under earthquake loading, which is soundly interesting.     

Gaussian beams in inhomogeneous media: A review

The paper outlines the most important results of the paraxial complex geometrical optics (CGO) in respect to Gaussian beams diffraction in the smooth inhomogeneous media and discusses interrelations between CGO and other asymptotic methods, which reduce the problem of Gaussian beam diffraction to the solution of ordinary differential equations, namely: (i) Babich’s method, which deals with the abridged parabolic equation and describes diffraction of the Gaussian beams; (ii) complex form of the dynamic ray tracing method, which generalizes paraxial ray approximation on Gaussian beams and (iii) paraxial WKB approximation by Pereverzev, which gives the results, quite close to those of Babich’s method. For Gaussian beams all the methods under consideration lead to the similar ordinary differential equations, which are complex-valued nonlinear Riccati equation and related system of complex-valued linear equations of paraxial ray approximation. It is pointed out that Babich’s method provides diffraction substantiation both for the paraxial CGO and for complex-valued dynamic ray tracing method. It is emphasized also that the latter two methods are conceptually equivalent to each other, operate with the equivalent equations and in fact are twins, though they differ by names. The paper illustrates abilities of the paraxial CGO method by two available analytical solutions: Gaussian beam diffraction in the homogeneous and in the lens-like media, and by the numerical example: Gaussian beam reflection from a plane-layered medium.     

论防震减灾科普宣传与培训教育工作

文章从如何做好防震减灾科普知识的宣传与培训教育工作,提高群众在地震发生时的自救、互救能力和抢险救灾能力等方面进行了论述,并提出了相应的想法和建议。对切实提高社会公众防灾减灾的能力、普及防震减灾知识有一定的参考价值。     

Energy Balance Of A Sparse Coniferous High-Latitude Forest Under Winter Conditions

Measurements carried out in Northern Finland on radiation and turbulent fluxes over a sparse, sub-arctic boreal forest with snow covered ground were analysed. The measurements represent late winter conditions characterised by low solar elevation angles. During the experiment (12–24 March 1997) day and night were about equally long. At low solar elevation angles the forest shades most of the snow surface. Therefore an important part of the radiation never reaches the snow surface but is absorbed by the forest. The sensible heat flux above the forest was fairly large, reaching more than 100 W m^-2. The measurements of sensible heat flux within and above the forest revealed that the sensible heat flux from the snow surface is negligible and the sensible heat flux above the forest stems from warming of the trees. A simple model for the surface energy balance of a sparse forest is presented. The model treats the diffuse and direct shortwave (solar) radiation separately. It introduces a factor that accounts for the shading of the ground at low solar elevation angles, and a parameter that deals with the partial transparency of the forest.Input to the model are the direct and diffuse incoming shortwave radiation.Measurements of the global radiation (direct plus diffuse incoming shortwaveradiation) above the forest revealed a considerable attenuation of the globalradiation at low solar elevation. A relation for the atmospheric turbidity asfunction of the solar elevation angle is suggested. The global radiation wassimulated for a three month period. For conditions with a cloud cover of lessthan 7 oktas good agreement between model predictions and measurementswere found. For cloud cover 7 and 8 oktas a considerable spread can beobserved. To apply the proposed energy balance model, the global radiationmust be separated into its diffuse and direct components. We propose a simpleempirical relationship between diffuse shortwave and global radiation asfunction of cloud cover.     

Fault propagation and climatic control of sedimentation on the Ghoubbet Rift Floor: insights from the Tadjouraden cruise in the western Gulf of Aden

A detailed geophysical survey of the Ghoubbet Al Kharab (Djibouti) clarifies the small-scale morphology of the last submerged rift segment of the propagating Aden ridge before it enters the Afar depression. The bathymetry reveals a system of antithetic normal faults striking N130°E, roughly aligned with those active along the Asal rift. The 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiler shows how the faults cut distinct layers within the recent, up to 60 m thick, sediment cover on the floor of the basin. A large volcanic structure, in the centre of the basin, the 'Ghoubbet' volcano, separates two sedimentary flats. The organization of volcanism and the planform of faulting, with en echelon subrifts along the entire Asal–Ghoubbet rift, appear to confirm the westward propagation of this segment of the plate boundary. Faults throughout the rift have been active continuously for the last 8400 yr, but certain sediment layers show different offsets. The varying offsets of these layers, dated from cores previously retrieved in the southern basin, imply Holocene vertical slip rates of 0.3–1.4 mm yr⁻¹ and indicate a major decrease in sedimentation rate after about 6000 yr BP, and a redistribution of sediments in the deepest troughs during the period that preceded that change.     

Azimuthal variation of the P phase in Icelandic receiver functions

A curious observation has been made on radial receiver functions calculated from teleseisms recorded by 29 broad-band seismometers distributed over Iceland. The arrival time of the direct P phase of the radial receiver functions depends critically upon the azimuth of the teleseismic source. For a seismic station in West Iceland, the direct P  phase of the radial receiver function arrives consistently later for easterly source azimuths than for westerly source azimuths. The reverse applies for stations in East Iceland. In the original seismograms, the delayed P phase of the receiver function appears up to 450 ms later on the radial than on the vertical component. The seismometer locations in East and West Iceland are separated by the Neovolcanic Zone, a constructive plate boundary. The delayed P phases occur for seismic rays travelling across this zone. However, it is not obvious how wave propagation across the plate boundary zone could cause the observed delays. The tentative explanation proposed here involves the regional dip of the Icelandic lava sequences towards the Neovolcanic Zone. A dipping interface at shallow depth results in a P–S converted phase arriving shortly after the P phase. These phases cannot be separated in the radial receiver functions, given the bandwidth of the observed signals. However, a calculation of receiver functions from estimates of the P , SV and SH wavefields clearly reveals a P–S converted phase at about 500 ms for easterly source azimuths in West Iceland and for westerly source azimuths in East Iceland. The amplitudes of the direct P phase and the P–S phase converted at a dipping interface would be expected to vary strongly with azimuth in accordance with the observed behaviour.