Intercalibration of international and domestic 40Ar/39Ar dating standards

Four international standards, Ga1550, MMhb-1, Lp-6, Bem 4M, and one domestic standard BT-1 have been intercalibrated. The repeated measurements on MMhb-1 with different mass demonstrate that MMhb-1 is inhomogeneous in age and its average age is 519.8 Ma. The results of Bern 4M and Lp-6 reflect that they have an invariable value of ⁴⁰Ar*/³⁹Ar_k (F) and the ages we obtained are consensus with their K-Ar age: Lp-6=127.7Ma; Bern 4M=18.2 Ma. Analyses of BT-1 age spectra, Ca/K and Cl/K spectra as well as inverse isochrons indicate that the sample is homogeneous and invariable and keeps close chemically, with its trapped argon isotope composition close to the atmosphere. The dating results show that age values are reproducible and steady, total fusion age, step-heating age, plateau age and isochron age are in accord with each other within the error range (2σ). Therefore, we recommend 28.7 Ma as the calibrated age of BT-1. We also discuss the variation in neutron flux gradients of Beijing 49-2 reactor. It was found that the neutron flux gradient varies considerably, and more monitors (standard samples) are needed to fix the trend of variation. The coefficient of the 49-2 reactor that transfers the ratio of production rate of ³⁷Ar_Ca/³⁹Ar_K into Ca/K ratio is 1.78. This is different from that reported earlier, 2.0, which may be caused by the reconstruction of the reactor.     

用改进的经验格林函数方法模拟唐山地震动

建筑物的抗震设防需要尽可能地掌握未来大地震强震动记录信息,但大地震强震动记录的匮乏阻碍了抗震设防实践的发展。经验格林函数方法作为模拟地震动的主要方法,可以提供可靠的大地震强震动记录,但也存在着许多问题,如缺乏对大地震断层滑动分布不均匀的描述、用经验确定小震数目、模拟方法受到大小地震相似条件的限制等。文中对上述经验格林函数方法存在的问题进行了研究,改进的经验格林函数方法,有效地解决了上述问题。并用其对唐山大地震进行了模拟,并把模拟的地震动时程和反应谱与实际记录相比较,发现用改进方法模拟的地震动加速度反应谱比用未改进方法模拟结果更接近实际的地震动记录加速度反应谱。由此说明改进的经验格林函数可更准确的模拟地震动。     

Residual slip of sliding blocks induced by near‐fault ground motions

The response of a rigid block supported on a horizontally moving foundation through a dry‐friction contact is investigated to near‐fault ground motions. Such motions can be thought of as consisting of a coherent component (‘pulse’) and an incoherent component, which can be described as a band‐limited ‘random noise’. The equation of motion of this strongly nonlinear system is reduced to a normalized form that reveals important parameters of the problem such as the critical acceleration ratio. The response of the sliding block to a set of uniformly processed near‐fault motions, covering a sufficiently wide range of magnitudes, is evaluated numerically for selected discrete values of the acceleration ratio. For each value of the critical acceleration ratio, the numerically computed residual slips are fitted with a Weibull (Gumbel type III) extreme value probability distribution. This allows the establishment of regression equations that describe accurately design sliding curves corresponding to various levels of non‐exceedance probability. The analysis reveals that the coherent component of motion contributes significantly to the response of the sliding block. Furthermore, the relevant acceleration in specifying the critical acceleration ratio is the (normalized) amplitude, α_{H_pulse}, of the pulse and not the (normalized) amplitude of the incoherent component α_H. Finally, the incoherent component is described quantitatively in terms of the root‐mean‐square acceleration a_RMS, and an attempt is made to understand its influence on the response of the sliding block. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metamorphism and metamorphic K–Ar ages of the Mesozoic accretionary complex in Northland, New Zealand

Abstract A southwest dipping Mesozoic accretionary complex, which consists of tectonically imbricated turbiditic mudstone and sandstone, hemipelagic siliceous mudstone, and bedded cherts and basaltic rocks of pelagic origin, is exposed in northern North Island, New Zealand. Interpillow limestone is sometimes contained in the basaltic rocks. The grade of subduction‐related metamorphism increases from northeast to southwest, indicating an inverted metamorphic gradient dip. Three metamorphic facies are recognized largely on the basis of mineral parageneses in sedimentary and basaltic rocks: zeolite, prehnite‐pumpellyite and pumpellyite‐actinolite. From the apparent interplanar spacing d₀₀₂ data for carbonaceous material, which range from 3.642 to 3.564 Å, the highest grade of metamorphism is considered to have attained only the lowermost grade of the pumpellyite‐actinolite facies for which the highest temperature may be approximately 300°C. Metamorphic white mica K–Ar ages are reported for magnetic separates and <2 µm hydraulic elutriation separates from 27 pelitic and semipelitic samples. The age data obtained from elutriation separates are approximately 8 m.y. younger, on average, than those from magnetic separates. The age difference is attributed to the possible admixture of nonequilibrated detrital white mica in the magnetic separates, and the age of the elutriation separates is considered to be the age of metamorphism. If the concept, based on fossil evidence, of the subdivision of the Northland accretionary complex into north and south units is accepted, then the peak age of metamorphism in the north unit is likely to be 180–130 Ma; that is, earliest Middle Jurassic to early Early Cretaceous, whereas that in the south unit is 150–130 Ma; that is, late Late Jurassic to early Early Cretaceous. The age cluster for the north unit correlates with that of the Chrystalls Beach–Taieri Mouth section (uncertain terrane), while the age cluster for the south unit is older than that of the Younger Torlesse Subterrane in the Wellington area, and may be comparable with that of the Nelson and Marlborough areas (Caples and Waipapa terranes).     

K–Ar geochronology of the temporal change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula, central Japan

Abstract   A recent K–Ar study elucidated that eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula changed from polygenetic to monogenetic volcano at 0.3–0.2 Ma. To narrow down the time of change, we determined 10 K–Ar ages on Togasayama Andesite of Amagi volcano, the youngest polygenetic volcano in the area, and Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano, one of the oldest monogenetic volcanoes in the area, which overlies a part of the Togasayama Andesite. Dating results showed that the Togasayama Andesite effused at least from 0.34 to 0.20 Ma, whereas the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano erupted at 0.26–0.29 Ma, suggesting that the northern part of the Togasayama Andesite effused after the eruption of the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano. Considering previous data, it is therefore inferred that change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu area occurred during the period 0.29–0.20 Ma, with considerable overlap of both polygenetic and monogenetic volcanism.     

Matuyama-Brunhes reversal and Kamikatsura event on Maui: paleomagnetic directions, Ar/Ar ages and implications

Eighty-nine basaltic lava flows from the northwest wall of Haleakala caldera preserve a concatenated paleomagnetic record of portions of the Matuyama-Brunhes (M-B) reversal and the preceding Kamikatsura event as well as secular variation of the full-polarity reversed and normal geomagnetic field. They provide the most detailed volcanic record to date of the M-B transition. The 24 flows in the transition zone show for the first time transitional virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) that move from reverse to normal along the Americas, concluding with an oscillation in the Pacific Ocean to a cluster of VGPs east of New Zealand and back finally to stable polarity in the north polar region. All but one of the 16 Kamikatsura VGPs cluster in central South America. The full-polarity flows, with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages spanning a total of 680 kyr, pass a reversal test and give an average VGP insignificantly different from the rotation axis, with standard deviation consistent with that for other 0-5 Ma lava flows of similar latitude. Precise ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating consisting of 31 incremental heating experiments on 12 transitional flows yields weighted mean ages of 775.6±1.9 and 900.3±4.7 ka for the M-B and Kamikatsura transitional flows, respectively. This Matuyama-Brunhes age is ∼16 kyr younger than ages for M-B flows from the Canary Islands, Tahiti and Chile that were dated using exactly the same techniques and standards, suggesting that this polarity transition may have taken considerably longer to complete and been more complex than is generally believed for reversals.     

Ar/Ar ages of tephras intercalated in astronomically tuned Neogene sedimentary sequences in the eastern Mediterranean

We present new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data for sanidine and biotite derived from volcanic ash layers that are intercalated in Pliocene and late Miocene astronomically dated sequences in the Mediterranean with the aim to solve existing inconsistencies in the intercalibration between the two independent absolute dating methods. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar sanidine ages are systematically younger by 0.7-2.3% than the astronomical ages for the same ash layers. The significance of the discrepancy disappears except for the upper Ptolemais ashes, which reveal the largest difference, if an improved full error propagation method is applied to calculate the absolute error in the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages. The total variance is dominated by that of the activity of the decay of ⁴⁰K to ⁴⁰Ar (∼70%) and that the amount of radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar_p in the primary standard GA1550 biotite (∼15%). If the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages are calculated relative to an astronomically dated standard, the influence of these parameters is greatly reduced, resulting in a more reliable age and in a significant reduction of the error in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating.Astronomically calibrated ages for Taylor Creek Rhyolite (TCR) and Fish Canyon Tuff (FCT) sanidine are 28.53±0.02 and 28.21±0.04 Ma (±1 S.E.), respectively, if we start from the more reliable results of the Cretan A1 ash layer. The most likely explanation for the large discrepancy found for the younger Ptolemais ash layers (equivalent to FCT of 28.61 Ma) is an error in the tuning of this part of the sequence.     

强夯振动加速度的量测及现场试验研究

结合延安新区强夯加固地基工程,进行强夯振动加速度测试现场试验。选取填方区场地,结合地形设计监测方案,以测试强夯波沿水平方向和斜坡的传播规律。在选定试验段的某级填方场地上布置多组加速度传感器,运用多个8通道24位高速采集卡记录强夯振动加速度在平面和斜坡的传播和衰减过程,探讨强夯振动波沿水平面和斜坡的传播规律以及能级对振动加速度的影响。结果表明:径向和竖向加速度值均随与夯点距离的增大而减小;在与夯击点距离相同处,强夯振动波沿水平方向传播的径向和竖向加速度值要大于沿斜坡方向;随着能级的增大,强夯产生的夯击波增强,在与夯击点相同距离处产生的径向和竖向加速度均明显增大。     

应急演练中基于G-R关系的主余型地震余震震级模拟

在现有的日常地震演练过程中,与应急救援密切相关的地震余震信息产品较为缺乏,直接影响发震构造的判断以及影响场修正等关键环节。本文从计算机系统提供的均匀分布随机数出发,运用反函数法模拟生成余震序列,并进行系统检验,证实该方法产生的余震序列满足G-R频次关系。模拟生成的余震震级数据既有助于增强地震应急救援演练的现实性,也有助于丰富地震应急宣传产品,提升地震部门的履职能力。     

浙江临安4.2级地震特征及烈度调查

2017年4月12日,浙江省杭州市临安市发生4.2级地震,地震震中附近的潜川镇、河桥镇震感强烈,於潜镇、太阳镇、湍口镇等震感较为明显。在对震区地质构造、震源机制解资料分析的基础上,开展了烈度调查,并绘制了地震烈度图。本次地震震中烈度为Ⅴ度,面积22.6km2,烈度圈长轴方向北东向,与马金-乌镇断层走向一致。