Mitigating Risks From Fracking-Related Earthquakes: Assessing State Regulatory Decisions

Public concern about earthquakes linked to wastewater injection from fracking operations is rising. However, few have examined how “induced seismicity” is acted upon by state officials. For some, an incremental response to smaller quakes can be viewed as an acceptable risk policy orientation because of the sizeable economic benefits that accompany drilling activities while others prefer risk mitigation policies (such as the use of “threshold policies”) as a better way to address quake-related problems. To account for state response to induced seismicity impacts, we examine three factors: the emergence of quakes as focusing events, the economic importance of oil and gas to state jobs and revenue, and selected characteristics of earthquakes as a policy issue, i.e., complexity and categorical precedence. Using information drawn from documentary sources, we consider which factors are most helpful in accounting for agency decisions aimed at reducing seismic risks linked to nearby injection wells.     

MDD模式与快速冷却事件

ＭＤＤ 模式（Ｍｕｌｔｉｐｌｅ Ｄｉｆｆｕｓｉｏｎ Ｄｏｍａｉｎ ｍｏｄｅｌ） 是Ｄｏｄｓｏｎ 模式的扩展,它可以从一个钾长石样品分析中,得到温度在≤３５０ ～１５０ ℃之间的一条连续的冷却曲线,因此,ＭＤＤ 模式的一个突出贡献是对快速冷却事件的定量制约。冈底斯岩带与哀牢山－ 红河剪切带中新世的快速冷却事件与构造含义是利用这一模式进行研究的成功实例,它不仅定量厘定了快速冷却事件的时间,证实了其存在的普遍性,而且明确指出了中新世印度和欧亚板块碰撞后岩石圈质量转移过程的时间序列,定量地指出了冈底斯岩带逆冲抬升导致的地壳增厚与沿哀牢山－ 红河剪切带地壳块体的侧向挤出在时间上的同步性和差异性     

激光探针等离子体质谱同时测定锆石微区铀—铅年龄及微量元素

建立了一种利用激光探针等离子体质谱技术同时原位测定锆石Ｐｂ－Ｐｂ及Ｐｂ－Ｕ年龄和２５个微量元素的快速分析方法。Ｐ的检出限为１４μｇ／ｇ,Ｓｃ的检出限为３μｇ／ｇ,Ｒｂ、Ｎｂ、Ｂａ稀土元素Ｎｄ、Ｇｄ、Ｄｙ、Ｅｒ及Ｙｂ的检出限为０．１￣０．３μｇ／ｇ,Ｐｂ的检出限０．５μｇ／ｇ,其它稀土元素及Ｓｒ、ｙ、Ｈｆ、Ｔａ、Ｔｈ和Ｕ的检出限为１０￣９０ｎｇ／ｇ。方法对绝大多数微量元素的相对标准偏差为５￣１５％;     

河南新郑—太康断裂东段土壤气体地球化学特征

土壤气浓度测量能够揭示断裂位置和活动特征。 由于河南新郑—太康断裂北西向隐伏断裂带空间定位精度有待提高, 以及2016年5月该区出现地下逸出气异常的宏观现象, 在太康县西近垂直于断裂走向布设了一条长约13 km的NE—NNE走向的地球化学观测剖面, 用于分析隐伏断层浅层位置及其与地下逸出气宏观异常的关系。 观测结果表明: 该剖面的异常段与该区浅层地震勘探显示的断裂带地表出露位置相吻合, 其中Rn体积活度和H₂、 CO₂浓度异常揭示出南段有4条断层, 北段有2条断层, 且均具有高角度特征, 南段的CO₂浓度异常区与地下逸出气宏观异常位置相符, 但代表构造特征的Rn体积活度和H₂浓度没有出现异常, 认为与构造关系不密切。     

SHRIMP U–Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Early Cretaceous Nakdong Formation,South East Korea: Timing of initiation of the Gyeongsang Basin and its provenance

To constrain the depositional age of the lowermost Nakdong Formation in the Early Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin, SHRIMP U–Pb age determination was carried out on zircon separates. The U–Pb compositions of detrital zircons from the Nakdong Formation yield a wide range of ages from the Archean to the Cretaceous but show a marked contrast in age distribution according to the geographical locations within the basin. The provenance of the southern Nakdong Formation is dominantly the surrounding Yeongnam Massif, which is composed of Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks and Triassic to Jurassic plutonic rocks, whereas the central to northern Nakdong Formation records significant sediment derivation from the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, which is distributed to the northwest, in addition to the contribution from the Yeongnam Massif. It is suggested that the maximum depositional age of the Nakdong Formation is ca 127 Ma, based on its youngest detrital zircon age population. The onset of its deposition at 127 Ma coincided with the tectonic inversion in East Asia from a compressional to an extensional geodynamic setting, probably due to the contemporaneous change in the drift direction of the Izanagi Plate and its subsequent oblique subduction.     

秦岭—大别东段应力状态研究

本文首先通过Snoke发展的利用P波、 SV波和SH波的初动和振幅比方法计算秦岭—大别东段2008年以来83次M_L≥2.5地震的震源机制解, 然后通过FMSI方法反演得到平均应力场的方向特征: 近东西向的水平挤压和近南北向的水平拉张作用, 与参数统计结果一致; 进而通过震源机制的一致性参数分析应力场方向的变化信息。 分析表明震源机制解呈现了由变化紊乱、 偏离平均应力场到变化一致、 趋于平均应力场再到变化紊乱、 偏离平均应力场的变化过程, 在显著地震前, 研究区整体的震源机制一致性参数处于持续低值状态; 计算了2008年以来93次M_L≥2.5地震的视应力, 拟合视应力与震级的关系, 分析扣除震级影响的差视应力随时间变化特征, 近似反映研究区应力大小的变化。 分析表明显著地震前研究区的差视应力值呈现出明显的先上升后下降的变化过程, 在下降过程中发生地震; 最后利用震源机制一致性参数和差视应力综合分析研究区的应力状态, 均表明显著地震前震源区的构造应力场增强。 目前研究区的震源机制一致性参数较高、 差视应力较低, 研究区的应力水平较低。     

A New Appraisal of Sri Lankan BB Zircon as a Reference Material for LA‐ICP‐MS U‐Pb Geochronology and Lu‐Hf Isotope Tracing

A potential zircon reference material (BB zircon) for laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) U‐Pb geochronology and Hf isotope geochemistry is described. A batch of twenty zircon megacrysts (0.5–1.5 cm³) from Sri Lanka was studied. Within‐grain rare earth element (REE) compositions are largely homogeneous, albeit with some variation seen between fractured and homogeneous domains. Excluding fractured cathodoluminescence bright domains, the variation in U content for all analysed crystals ranged from 227 to 368 μg g^?1 and the average Th/U ratios were between 0.20 and 0.47. The Hf isotope composition (0.56–0.84 g/100 g Hf) is homogeneous within and between the grains – mean ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf of 0.281674 ± 0.000018 (2s). The calculated alpha dose of 0.59 × 10¹⁸ g^?1 for a number of BB grains falls within the trend of previously studied, untreated zircon samples from Sri Lanka. Aliquots of the same crystal (analysed by ID‐TIMS in four different laboratories) gave consistent U‐Pb ages with excellent measurement reproducibility (0.1–0.4% RSD). Interlaboratory assessment (by LA‐ICP‐MS) from individual crystals returned results that are within uncertainty equivalent to the TIMS ages. Finally, we report on within‐ and between‐grain homogeneity of the oxygen isotope systematic of four BB crystals (13.16‰ VSMOW).     

郯庐断裂带鲁苏皖段构造应力场及分段特征研究

利用Snoke方法求解和收集得到的77次中小地震的震源机制解资料, 采用Gephart应力张量反演方法, 获得了郯庐断裂带鲁苏皖段构造应力场, 最大主压应力方位角为80°, 最小主压应力方位角为172°, 最大、 中等和最小主压应力倾角分别为15°、 65°和19°, 反映了研究区处于近EW向水平作用和近NS向的水平拉张作用环境下。 根据地震活动、 地质构造及震源机制解差异, 我们将郯庐断裂带鲁苏皖段分5个区段开展研究, 结果显示: 5个分区应力场存在局部差异, 最大主压应力方位角处于63°～88°之间, 从北往南总体方向成顺时针偏转的趋势。 跨郯庐断裂带两侧的应力场研究结果显示, 从西到东最大主压应力方向有一个逆时针偏转的趋势, 西侧最大主压应力方向更接近EW向, 东侧更接近NE向, 郯庐断裂带内处于两侧的过渡地段。