Correlations in aftershock and seismicity patterns

Correlations in space and time play a fundamental role in earthquake processes. One direct manifestation of the effects of correlations is the occurrence of aftershocks due to the stress transfer in the vicinity of a main shock. Less obvious and more speculative changes in correlations may occur in the background seismicity before large earthquakes. Using statistical physics it is possible to introduce a measure of spatial correlations through a correlation length. This quantity characterizes how local fluctuations can influence the occurrence of earthquakes over distances comparable with the correlation length. In this work, the physical basis of spatial correlations of earthquakes is discussed in the context of critical phenomena and the percolation problem. The method of two-point correlation function is applied to the seismicity of California. Well defined variations in time of the correlation length are found for aftershock sequences and background seismicity. The scaling properties of our obtained distributions are analyzed with respect to changes in several scaling parameters such as lower magnitude cutoff of earthquakes, the maximum time interval between earthquakes, and the spatial size of the area considered. This scaling behavior can be described in a unified manner by utilizing the multifractal fit. Utilizing the percolation approach the time evolution of clusters of earthquakes is studied with the correlation length defined in terms of the radius of gyration of clusters. This method is applied to the seismicity of California.     

Great earthquakes of variable magnitude at the Cascadia subduction zone

Comparison of histories of great earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis at eight coastal sites suggests plate-boundary ruptures of varying length, implying great earthquakes of variable magnitude at the Cascadia subduction zone. Inference of rupture length relies on degree of overlap on radiocarbon age ranges for earthquakes and tsunamis, and relative amounts of coseismic subsidence and heights of tsunamis. Written records of a tsunami in Japan provide the most conclusive evidence for rupture of much of the plate boundary during the earthquake of 26 January 1700. Cascadia stratigraphic evidence dating from about 1600 cal yr B.P., similar to that for the 1700 earthquake, implies a similarly long rupture with substantial subsidence and a high tsunami. Correlations are consistent with other long ruptures about 1350 cal yr B.P., 2500 cal yr B.P., 3400 cal yr B.P., 3800 cal yr B.P., 4400 cal yr B.P., and 4900 cal yr B.P. A rupture about 700-1100 cal yr B.P. was limited to the northern and central parts of the subduction zone, and a northern rupture about 2900 cal yr B.P. may have been similarly limited. Times of probable short ruptures in southern Cascadia include about 1100 cal yr B.P., 1700 cal yr B.P., 3200 cal yr B.P., 4200 cal yr B.P., 4600 cal yr B.P., and 4700 cal yr B.P. Rupture patterns suggest that the plate boundary in northern Cascadia usually breaks in long ruptures during the greatest earthquakes. Ruptures in southernmost Cascadia vary in length and recurrence intervals more than ruptures in northern Cascadia.     

Hydrogeochemical controls on surface and groundwater chemistry in naturally acidic, porphyry-related mineralized areas, southern Rocky Mountains

In southern Rocky Mountains, catchments characterized by acidic, metalliferous waters that are relatively unaffected by human activity usually occur within areas that have active or historical mining activity. The US Geological Survey has utilized these mineralized but unmined catchments to constrain geochemical processes that control the surface- and ground-water chemistry associated with near surface acid weathering as well as to estimate premining conditions. Study areas include the upper Animas River watershed, Lake City, Mt. Emmons, and Montezuma in Colorado and Questa in New Mexico. Although host-rock lithologies range from Precambrian gneisses to Cretaceous sedimentary units to Tertiary volcanic complexes, mineralization is Tertiary in age and associated with intermediate to felsic composition, porphyritic plutons. Pyrite is ubiquitous. Variability of metal concentrations in water is caused by two main factors： mineralogy and hydrology. Parameters that potentially affect water chemistry include： host-rock lithology, intensity of hydrothermal alteration, sulfide mineralogy and chemistry, gangue mineralogy, length of flow path, precipitation, evaporation, and redox conditions. Springs and headwater streams have pH values as low as 2.5, sulfate up to 3700 mg/L and high dissolved metal concentrations （for example： Al up to 170 mg/L; Fe up to 250 mg/L; Cu up to 3.5 mg/L and Zn up to 14 mg/L）. With the exception of evaporative waters, the lowest pH values and highest Fe and Al concentrations occur in water draining the most intense hydrothermally altered areas consisting of the mineral assemblage quartz-sericite-pyrite. Stream beds tend to be coated with iron floc, and some reaches are underlain by ferricrete. When iron-rich ground water interacts with oxygenated waters in the stream or hyporheic zone, ferrous iron is oxidized to ferric iron, which is less soluble, leading to the precipitation of iron oxyhydroxides.     

Berriasian (Lower Cretaceous) brachiopods from the Crimea

Four successive assemblages of Berriasian brachiopods distinguished for the first time in the Crimea are correlated with concurrent subdivisions of the ammonoid scale. Berriasian brachiopods are represented by 44 species of 27 genera and 14 families, which are most complete in terms of taxonomic composition as compared to other concurrent brachiopod faunas known elsewhere. The assemblages are dominated by local species. As is proved, the Berriasian brachiopods studied are appropriate for age determination, subdivision and correlation of their host deposits. Their geographic distribution that has been analyzed elucidates connections of the Berriasian sea basins within the Mediterranean paleozoogeographic region.     

New data on Upper Kimmeridgian-Tithonian biostratigraphy and ammonites of the eastern Crimea

Based on ammonites, Upper Kimmeridgian sediments are first established in the Crimean Mountains. The Kimmeridgian-Tithonian boundary recognizable in a continuous section is placed inside the Dvuyakomaya Formation of uniform largely clayey sediments. Assemblages of Kimmeridgian ammonites Lingulaticeras cf. procurvum (Ziegler), Pseudowaagenia gemmellariana Oloriz, Euvirgalithacoceras cf. tantalus (Herbich), Subplanites sp.) and Tithonian forms (?Lingulaticeras efimovi (Rogov), Phylloceras consaguineum Gemmellaro, Oloriziceras cf. schneidi Tavera, and Paraulacosphinctes cf. transitorius (Oppel) are described. A new biostratigraphic scheme proposed for the upper Tithonian-Berriasian of the Crimean Mountains includes the following new biostratigraphic units: the Euvirgalithacoceras cf. tantalus Beds of the upper Kimmeridgian, ?Lingulaticeras efimovi Beds of the lower Tithonian, and Oloriziceras cf. schneidi and Paraulacosphinctes cf. transitorius beds of the upper Tithonian. The middle Tithonian is proposed to consist of the fallauxi and semiforme (presumably) zones. The ammonities found determine the early Kimmeridgian-Berriasian age of the Dvuyakornaya Formation that is most likely in tectonic contact with the underlying Khutoran Formation.     

VSP资料约束地层反滤波研究

浅地表的低速带和地层滤波作用导致地震信号的能量衰减,地震子波的高频快速衰减,速度频散的子波变形,对地震底层分析带来了严重的影响。地层反滤波算法就是为了消除地层对子波的影响,利用VSP中的直达下行波推算出每个地层滤波算子,计算出各个地层滤波算子的反算子,然后利用这些反算子恢复出地表记录中损失掉的高频成分,减弱地层滤波对波形的影响,增加地表记录的频率成分和波形的准确度。分析实际地震资料表明,经过地层反滤波处理后的记录频率成分明显提升,地质构造更加准确、清晰。     

干涉合成孔径雷达（INSAR）复图像配准方法

合成孔径雷达干涉测量技术是使用图像中的相位信息来提取高精度的数字地面高程模型。精确的图像配准是合成孔径雷达干涉技术提取数字高程模型的关键步骤之一，配准质量将直接影响提取的地面高程的精度。配准按照其精度分为粗配准和精配准。文中采用基于幅度互相关函数法完成图像的粗配准。在粗配准的基础上，使用最小二乘配准算法进一步提高配准的精度。实际数据处理表明，配准精度能够满足INSAR数据处理的要求。     

青藏高原北羌塘地区晚三叠世地层展布和沉积型式

北羌塘盆地地处拉竹龙-金沙江缝合带和双湖构造混杂岩带之间,自北向南可划分出5个沉积相带/岩石地层单位：以砂泥质复理石-洋岛、岛弧型火山岩-大理岩岩石组合沉积为特征的若拉岗日群,以深水复理石盆地相沉积为特征的藏夏河组,以深水暗色细碎屑岩盆地相沉积为特征的结扎群,以开阔台地相/缓坡相碳酸盐岩沉积为特征的菊花山组,以三角洲相含煤碎屑岩系沉积为特征的土门格拉群.晚三叠世北羌塘盆地显示为南缓北陡的箕状沉积格局,盆地内充填物为南薄北厚的楔形沉积体,且双物源、沉降中心和沉积中心不一致,表明其具有前陆盆地的一系列沉积特征.     

云南思茅盆地二叠纪层序格架与生储盖研究

根据层序界面的特点、凝缩段的组成,思茅盆地二叠系可分为2个Ⅱ级层序、9个Ⅲ级层序.在此基础上,探讨了层序格架与油气生储盖的关系可分为2个二级层序界面为一构造侵蚀不整合层序界面,是极好的储集场所.此时西部盆地中沉积物已经变质,与生储盖关系不大;而东部地区以开阔碳酸盐台地为主,低位体系域、海侵体系域和高位体系域以形成储集层为主.第2个二级层序由海侵-高位体系域所构成.海侵体系域由龙潭组下部所组成,在普洱西部崖子以西为深水盆地（含斜坡）环境,以东为浅海环境,邻近东部古陆区为滨海环境.无论盆地或浅海,岩性以深灰-灰黑色泥岩为主,生烃性能极好.高位体系域可以分为早期高位体系域和晚期高位体系域.早期高位体系域由龙潭组上部层位组成,西为浅海相砂岩、火山岩等,可作储层;东为滨海平原,下部以深灰、灰黑色泥岩为主,是很好的生油岩,上部以砂岩为主夹火山岩,可作为储集层.晚期高位体系域西部为长兴组灰岩、白云质灰岩、白云岩,可作为储层之用.