Spatial uniformity of sediment accumulation in varved lake sediments in northern Sweden

As part of an investigation aimed at assessing the potential of northern Swedish varved lake sediments for fine-resolution reconstruction of past climatic conditions, the following questions were addressed; how representative is a single core, does the appearance of varves change as the sediment ages, and how can varve thickness and within-varve structures be digitized? Analyses of replicate cores from Kassjön, using sample sequences of seasonal, annual and centennial time resolution, show that spatial variability of sediment accumulation in the varved sediment is very low. Comparisons of intensity curves from image analysis of freeze cores of recent sediments from Lake Nylandssjön, sampled in 1980 and 1985, indicate that the varves acquire their appearance at the sediment-water interface during sedimentation and that the varve structures are preserved during diagenetic processes. Measurement of varve thicknesses with a tree-ring microscope and with image analysis gave similar results. However, with image analysis, within-varve structures such as colour variations and thicknesses of seasonal layers, can also be recorded, increasing the possibilities for palaeolimnological and palaeoclimatic inferences.     

Determination of the fault plane using a single near-field seismic station with a finite-dimension source model

We explore the possibility of determining the actual fault plane of an earthquake from the inversion of near-source displacement seismograms of one station when a finite-dimension source is used instead of a point source model and when the complete displacement is taken into account, including near-field waves. Tests on synthetic seismograms and real data recorded at local distances show that this is possible even with a single, three-component station. A single accelerogram available for the Erzincan, Turkey, 1992 March 13, M _s = 6.8 earthquake is inverted and the solution found is compatible with other seismological studies and with the mechanism expected for the North Anatolian Fault.     

Analysis of digital elevation data for palaeosurfaces in south-western Sweden

A 3873-km² large rectangular area of the Precambrian basement in south-western Sweden has been investigated regarding gross morphology of palaeosurfaces. GIS and digital elevation data were used to construct maps of relative and absolute relief and E–W trending height profiles. Three different palaeosurfaces were recognised and delimited; the very even sub-Cambrian peneplain in the east at an intermediate altitudinal position, an uplifted and broken part of the sub-Cambrian peneplain in the centre at the highest present elevation, and in the western coastal areas a joint-aligned valley landscape with high relative relief, probably an exhumed Mesozoic etch-surface. Phanerozoic faulting has dissected the different palaeosurfaces into tectonic blocks, which are shown from trend surface analysis to be tilted in different directions and to different degrees, characteristic and decisive for the morphological development.