The Quaternary evolution of the Gulf of Corinth, central Greece: coupling between surface processes and flow in the lower continental crust

The Gulf of Corinth in central Greece is an active normal fault zone with particularly clear evidence of isostatic footwall uplift, constrained by Quaternary marine terraces, and hanging-wall subsidence and sedimentation. It is bounded to the south by a Pliocene to Early Pleistocene sedimentary basin, which is now eroding into the Gulf. Previous work has suggested that the relief across this region has increased dramatically since the Early Pleistocene, due to the isostatic response to increased rates of footwall erosion and hanging-wall sedimentation. It is indeed assumed here that incision accompanying the draw-down of global sea-level at 0.9 Ma, during the first major Pleistocene glaciation, initiated the erosion of the basin south of the Gulf of Corinth and so abruptly increased the sedimentation rate in the Gulf. The resulting transient thermal and isostatic response to these changes is modelled, with the subsiding depocentre and eroding sediment source coupled by flow in the lower continental crust. The subsequent enhancement of relief, involving an increase in bathymetry from near zero to 900 m and 500 m of uplift of the eroding land surface in the sediment source, is shown to be a direct consequence of this change. The model is sensitive to the effective viscosity of the lower crust, and can thus resolve this parameter by matching observations. A value of 6×10¹⁹ Pa s is indicated, suggesting a viscosity at the Moho no greater than 10¹⁸ Pa s. Similar transient topographic effects caused by increased rates of sedimentation and erosion are likely to be widespread within the geological record, suggesting that this coupling process involving flow in the weak lower crust may be of major geological and geomorphological importance.     

山东海阳断裂东石兰沟段晚更新世以来地表断错特征与最大潜在地震估计

海阳断裂是胶东半岛NE向牟平 -即墨断裂带东部一条规模较大的断裂 ,尽管晚更新世以来该断裂的地表断错活动总体上已基本停息 ,但东石兰沟段在晚更新世晚期以来仍有断错地表的活动。最后一次断错地表的活动发生在距今 3 7～ 1 2万年 ,但接近 1 2万年。地表破裂长度约6 5km ,活动段长度 8km。地表断错以走滑活动为主 ,可见最大倾滑位移 0 2m ;根据断层擦痕侧伏角推测最大水平位移 1 13m。最后一次断错地表的活动若以距今 1 2万年计算 ,则最大平均倾滑速率为 0 0 17mm/a ;最大平均右旋走滑速率为 0 0 94mm/a。野外观测到该活动段的断错活动表现为突发断错 ,根据地震地表破裂参数、活动段长度与地震的关系 ,估计其最大潜在地震为 6 级     

Fault plane solutions of the january 26th, 2001 bhuj earthquake sequence

A 12-station temporary microearthquake network was established by the Geological Survey of India for aftershock monitoring of the January 26th, 2001 Bhuj earthquake (M _w 7.6) in the Kutch district of Gujarat state, western India. The epicentres of the aftershocks show two major trends: one in the NE direction and the other in the NW direction. Fault-plane solutions of the best-located and selected cluster of events that occurred along the NE trend, at a depth of 15–38 km, show reverse faulting with a large left-lateral strike-slip motion, which are comparable with the main-shock solution. The NW trending upper crustal aftershocks at depth <10 km, on the other hand, show reverse faulting with right-lateral strike-slip motion, and the mid crustal and lower crustal aftershocks, at a depth of 15–38 km, show pure reverse faulting as well as reverse faulting with right-lateral and left-lateral strike-slip motions; these solutions are not comparable with the main-shock solution. It is inferred that the intersection of two faults has been the source area for stress concentration to generate the main shock and the aftershocks.     

山西大同盆地口泉断裂全新世古地震活动

野外调查表明 ,口泉断裂断错了断面附近的 3级地貌面 ,包括大同盆地西侧全新世形成的洪积扇后缘及位于洪积扇冲沟内的Ⅰ ,Ⅱ级阶地。其中冲沟内Ⅱ级阶地为剥蚀阶地 ,Ⅰ级阶地为堆积阶地 ,Ⅰ级阶地面的地层时代距今 2 52ka。在该断裂的悟道及上黄庄 2个地点开挖的大探槽表明 ,在距今 1 2 3万年以来该断裂曾发生 4次古地震事件 ,其中 3次分别发生在接近距今 2 52 ,5 6 8,13 73ka。另一次古地震事件发生在距今 6 76～ 10 82ka。这些数据有可能反映了口泉断裂具备准周期的强震活动。这 4次古地震事件的平均间隔约为 3 74ka ,最新一次古地震与上一次事件的时间间隔约为 3 16ka。 2个大探槽各次事件的平均最小同震垂直位移为 1 8m。这些资料对重新评价口泉断裂未来的地震潜势具有重要意义     

新疆南天山环境应力场特征

基于新疆强震固定台和流动观测记录的主要和余震加速度资料，选用了三个分向记录都完整的３７次地震。震级范围为１．８－６．８级，震中距为几至几十公里。根据用位错理论二维断裂力学模式推导的震源峰值、加速度与环境剪应力场关系式计算了新疆南天山环境剪应力值。计算结果表明，新疆南天山环境应力平均值偏高，这与新疆处于特殊构造环境条件有关。     

Multifractal analysis of the spatial distribution of earthquakes in southern Italy

We evaluate the complete spectrum of the generalized fractal dimension of the spatial pattern of microearthquakes in Southern Italy, revealing a multifractal distribution structure. Our analysis is focused on the dependence of the multifractal distribution on the size of the selected area and the kind of seismicity in the area. As the size of the window varies, we observe that the capacity, information and correlation dimensions vary significantly, while both d _∞ and d _−infin; remain unchanged within their errors limits. We interpret this result in terms of the observation that our data are mainly clustered around a linear fault (the Sisifo fault). When we restrict the selected windows around the fault, clustering around a line (the fault) is highlighted. The capacity dimension changes from about 1.8 to about 1.4 and the correlation dimension decreases because we observe in detail the clustering of the seismicity along the fault, which approximates the maximum intense clustering of the whole data set. Although our results are strongly influenced by the fact that the data are dominated by the epicentres located on the fault, we can conclude that multifractal analysis can be a very useful tool to discriminate the seismicity linked to a particular fault in a given area.     

Overburden deformation associated with halokinesis in the Southern North Sea: implications for the origin of the Silverpit Crater

Gravitational collapse in response to the creation of salt swells and diapirs is a common phenomenon within regions such as the Southern North Sea. Although collapse faulting and slumping of linear salt swell flanks has previously been documented, the existence of concentric collapse structures surrounding diapirs and isolated salt lows is a recently recognised feature. 3-D seismic data from the Southern North Sea demonstrates that concentric collapse faulting around both diapirs and subcircular salt lows is common. The recognition of concentric collapse structures formed in response to salt withdrawal, and adjacent inflation, provides an alternative mechanism for the origin of the proposed Silverpit impact crater.