Cretaceous and Tertiary terrane accretion in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of Ecuador

New field, geochronological, geochemical and biostratigraphical data indicate that the central and northern parts of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of Ecuador comprise two terranes. The older (Pallatanga) terrane consists of an early to late (?) Cretaceous oceanic plateau suite, late Cretaceous marine turbidites derived from an unknown basaltic to andesitic volcanic source, and a tectonic mélange of probable late Cretaceous age. The younger (Macuchi) terrane consists of a volcanosedimentary island arc sequence, derived from a basaltic to andesitic source. A previously unidentified, regionally important dextral shear zone named the Chimbo-Toachi shear zone separates the two terranes. Regional evidence suggests that the Pallatanga terrane was accreted to the continental margin (the already accreted Cordillera Real) in Campanian times, producing a tectonic mélange in the suture zone. The Macuchi terrane was accreted to the Pallatanga terrane along the Chimbo-Toachi shear zone during the late Eocene, probably in a dextral shear regime. The correlation of Cretaceous rocks and accretionary events in the Cordillera Occidental of Ecuador and Colombia remains problematical, but the late Eocene event is recognised along the northern Andean margin.     

城市地区抗御地震灾害风险评估项目综述

城市地区抗御地震灾害风险评估项目系联合国在上世纪末为减轻地震灾害所实施的规模宏大，影响甚远的国际性研究项目，其宗旨是为了提高社会公众防灾意识，有效地减轻城市地区的地震灾害。这一历时2年的项目在有限的经费支持下，取得了令人瞩目的成绩。结合自贡市开展这个项目的实践。综合介绍和总结了该项目的情况及经验。     

新疆伽师强震群区的横波分裂与应力场特征

利用在新疆伽师地区布设的流动台阵记录到的地方震波形数据,研究了伽师强震群附近各台站横波分裂现象,给出了相应的快波偏振方向的平面场分布. 发现在台阵的塔里木盆地一侧,波偏振方向为近SN向,与塔里木盆地的区域主压应力方向一致,但在塔里木盆地北部边缘的褶皱变形带内,快波偏振方向变为近EW向,特别是在柯坪断裂附近,快波偏振方向与阿图什地震的震源断层方向基本一致. 由于快波偏振方向平行于主压应力方向,给出的快波偏振方向反映了相应的主压应力场特征. 结果表明,伽师强震群的成因很可能是塔里木盆地北缘横向非均匀变形造成的局部张性剪切应变能的释放.     

Determination of silica sand stiffness

Site investigation and evaluation of properties of soil or rock are important aspects of geotechnical design. Determination of the ground stiffness is one of the important parameters in geotechnical engineering. Since the measurement of shear modulus is very sensitive to soil disturbance, especially for sand, determination of the stiffness of soil in the field is more reliable than in laboratory tests on sampled specimens. Measurement of shear modulus is one of the most common applications of self-boring pressuremeter testing. As an in situ device, the pressuremeter provides a unique method for assessing directly the in situ shear modulus of a soil. This paper describes a laboratory study of silica sand stiffness, which varies with stress level and strain amplitude. The results show that the elastic shear modulus value is mainly dependent on the value of the mean effective stress and relative density.     

Geomechanical Properties of Shear Zones in the Eastern Aar Massif,Switzerland and their Implication on Tunnelling

Summary ¶Rock zones containing a high fracture density and/or soft, low cohesion materials can be highly problematic when encountered during tunnel excavation. For example in the eastern Aar massif of central Switzerland, experiences during the construction of the Gotthard highway tunnel showed that heavily fractured areas within shear zones were responsible for overbreaks in the form of chimneys several metres in height. To understand and estimate the impact of the shear zones on rock mass behaviour, knowledge concerning the rock mass strength and deformation characteristics is fundamental. A series of laboratory triaxial tests, performed on samples from granite- and gneiss-hosted shear zones revealed that with increasing degree of tectonic overprint, sample strength decreases and rock behaviour shows a transition from brittle to ductile deformation. These trends may be explained by increasing fracture densities, increasing foliation intensity, increasing thickness of fine-grained, low cohesion fracture infill, and increasing mica content associated with the increasing degree of tectonic overprint. As fracture density increases and the influence of discrete, persistent discontinuities on rock mass strength decreases, behaviour of the test samples becomes more and more representative of rock mass behaviour, i.e. that of a densely fractured continuum. For the purpose of numerical modeling calculations, the shear zones may be subdivided with respect to an increasing fracture density, foliation intensity and mica content into a strongly foliated zone, a fractured zone and a cohesionless zone, which in turn exhibit brittle, brittle-ductile and ductile rock mass constitutive behaviour, respectively.Received December 17, 2001; accepted January 9, 2003 Published online April 29, 2003     

论环境流场切应变率对台风移动的作用

利用浅水波正压环境流场切应变率对台风移动的影响，得到的结果是：在环境流场切应变率空间不均匀条件下，正切应变率引起的台风偏差路径比负切应变率引起的偏差路径要长，特别在正切应变率的区域，正切应变率要比相对涡度梯度对台风移动有更大的影响。     

东北输油管道锦县,盖县,海城段地基土抗液化强度研究

对东北输油管道锦县，盖县，海城段的粉土细砂，中砂，粉砂进行了振动液化试验，取得了和类土的τｄ－ｌｏｇＮｆ曲线，τｄ／σ′－ｌｏｇＮｆ曲线，为在以上地区进行液化判别提供了重要的基础资料，同时也为研究其它的地区相同土质的振动性能提供借鉴。     

Observation of gravity waves in a boreal forest

In this paper we report the results of the analysis of two 60-min wave events that occurred in a boreal aspen forest during the 1994 BOREAS (Boreal Ecosystems-Atmosphere Study) field experiment. High frequency wind and temperature data were provided by three 3-D sonic anemometer/thermometers and fourteen fine-wire thermocouples positioned within and above the forest. Wave phase speeds, estimated from information revealed by spectral analysis and linear plane wave equations, are 2.2 and 1.3 m s^-1 for the two events. The wavelengths are 130 m and 65 m respectively and are much larger than the vertical wave displacements. There is strong evidence from the present analysis and from the literature supporting our postulate that these waves are generated by shear instability. We propose that wind shear near the top of the stand is often large enough to reduce the gradient Richardson number below the critical value of 0.25 and thus is able to trigger the instability. When external conditions are favorable, the instability will grow into waves.     

Large-Eddy Simulations of the Baroclinic Mixed Layer

The effects of baroclinicity, imposed on the dry mixed layer by the presenceof large-scale, horizontal temperature gradients, have been investigated basedon a large-eddy simulation model. The purpose of this investigation is to examinesimultaneous impacts of thermal stratification and shear in the atmospheric boundarylayer. For this purpose, five cases are considered – one barotropic, and four baroclinic.Based on the performed simulations, a new parametrization of the interfacial layer isproposed. The parameterization employs new interfacial scaling, which is valid at thetop of the mixed layer. In terms of new scales, dimensionless moments characterizingturbulence at the top of the shearless mixed layer are universal constants. In the shearedcase, dimensionless statistics of turbulence are shown to be functions of the interfacialRichardson number.     

Determination of S-wave velocity structure using microtremors and spac method applied in Thessaloniki (Greece)

Array measurements of microtremors at 16 sites in the city of Thessaloniki were performed to estimate the V_s velocity of soil formations for site effect analysis. The spatial autocorrelation method was used to determine phase velocity dispersion curves in the frequency range from 0.8–1.5 to 6–7 Hz. A Rayleigh wave inversion technique (stochastic method) was subsequently applied to determine the Vs profiles at all the examined sites. The determination of V_s profiles reached a depth of 320 m. Comparisons with V_s values from cross-hole tests at the same sites proved the reliability of the SPAC method. The accuracy of the V_s profiles, the ability to reach large penetration depths in densely populated urban areas and its low cost compared to conventional geophysical prospecting, make Mictrotremor Exploration Method very attractive and useful for microzonation and site effects studies. An example of its application for the site characterization in Thessaloniki is presented herein.