Effects of Young's modulus on fault displacement

Elastic crack models predict a linear relationship between displacement (u) and rupture (trace) length (L) during slip in a fault zone. Attempts to find universal-scaling laws for L/u, however, have generally failed. Here I propose that these attempts have failed because they do not take into account the changes in the mechanical properties, in particular Young's modulus (stiffness), of the fault zone as it evolves. I propose that Young's modulus affects fault displacement both spatially and temporally: spatially when the trace of a fault at a given time dissects host rocks of different stiffnesses, and temporally when the stiffness of the fault zone itself changes. During the evolution of an active fault zone, the effective Young's modulus of its damage zone and fault core normally decreases, and so does the L/u ratio of the fault. By contrast, during inactive periods sealing and healing of the damage zone and core may increase the stiffness, hence the L/u ratio in subsequent slips. This model predicts that not only will the scaling of L/u within a given fault population vary in space and time, but also that of individual faults. To cite this article: A. Gudmundsson, C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Modélisation du transport réactif en milieux poreux non saturés avec une méthode ELLAM en maillage variable

Modelling contaminant transfer with biological/chemical/radioactive processes needs appropriate numerical methods able to reproduce sharp concentration fronts. In this work, we develop a new Eulerian–Lagrangian Localized Adjoint Method (ELLAM) for solving the reactive transport equation with non-constant coefficients. To avoid interpolation (leading to errors), we use a moving grid to define the solution and test functions. The method is used to simulate first the infiltration of solute into a column of unsaturated porous medium and second the multispecies transport. The developed ELLAM gives accurate results without non-physical oscillations or numerical diffusion, even when using large time steps. To cite this article: A. Younes, C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Le Silurien de la région d'Oulad Abbou (Meseta occidentale,Maroc) : une sédimentation péritidale sous contrôle tectonique

In the Oulad Abbou syncline, western coastal Meseta, the Silurian deposits exhibit siliciclastic or mixed siliciclastic/carbonate tidal facies that recorded alkaline basalt flows and syn-sedimentary deformations. These facies are staked into peritidal shallowing upward sequences reflecting the evolution from an infratidal to a supratidal environment. These sequences recorded low-amplitude and high-frequency sea-level variations. The built-up of these rhythmic sequences is related to distensive tectonic that allowed the development of isolated platform from extensive siliciclastic influx. This tectonic event is well recorded in the palaeogeographic evolution of the northern Gondwana platform during the Lower Palaeozoic time. To cite this article: A. Attou, N. Hamoumi, C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

2003年2月14日石河子M5.4地震地形变异常及其演化分析

分析了新疆石河子M5.4地震前震中250 km范围内定点形变的观测资料,认为从2002年5月到震前,单测项异常随时间起伏,多台异常在时间上连续发展并呈增加趋势,震前20天位于震中附近的台站出现临震突变;异常在空间呈现由西向东、由南向北,逐渐向震中区发展的态势.与1996年沙湾M5.2地震前的形变异常进行比较,认为存在较大的差异.     

小波分析方法在提取井水位潮汐因子震前变化特征的初步应用

运用小波分析方法对1990年常熟、1995年苍山和1996年南黄海三个中强地震前江苏地区井水位固体潮的变化特征进行了研究，发现井水位M2波潮汐因子在地震前几个月几乎都出现一个幅度较大、周期为半月或一个月左右的异常信号，表明小波分析方法在处理和分析井水位潮汐资料方面可能是一种有效的方法。     

昆仑Ms 8.1地震前青藏块体北、东缘水平运动变形的关联特征

青藏块体东北缘和川滇GPS监测区1991(1993)、1999和2001年高精度GPS观测资料揭示：2001年11月14日昆仑Ms8．1地震前，青藏块体北、东缘构造区域水平运动变形场动态演变具有一定的关联性特征。即：在继承性运动总体背景下，临近大震发生时两区域运动强度同步减弱且变形状态发生变化。结合地质构造分析研究认为，昆仑Ms8．1地震前，青藏块体边界运动变形的关联性变化与大震孕育后期大范围应力应变快速积累所形成的扰动应力场有关；随着块体内部大震的发生、应变能的大量释放和构造应力场的调整，可能会促使块体边界地带具有较高应变积累的相关构造部位(尤其是未被历史强震破裂贯通的地带)的应力应变的进一步积累或破裂释放。     

Source time-function as discriminant using empirical Green’s function

Since the sign up of CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty), the nuclear monitoring and distinguishing has gained great attention by the treaty countries. Seismology is one of the primary technical means available for monitoring compliance to a CTBT. However, there does not exist a single criterion, so far, that can effectively distinguish explorations from earthquakes. It has been known that source time function (abbreviated to STF) of an underground nuclear explosion contains important p…     

Variations of U and Sr isotope ratios in Alsace and Luxembourg rain waters: origin and hydrogeochemical implications

Major and trace element concentrations, as well as Sr and U isotope ratios, were measured in rainwater samples collected in three different locations in Alsace (East of France) and Luxembourg: a mid-altitude mountain site (Aubure Environment HydroGeochemical Observatory), an urban site (Strasbourg) and a peri-urban site located in an area of well developed industrial activity (Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg). Results highlight the quite high spatial and temporal variability of the chemical and isotopic characteristics of rainwater at the regional scale. They also suggest a quite systematic contribution of a local component in the chemical composition of rainwater. In urban and peri-urban sites, the local component is certainly linked to human activities, as it is well illustrated in this study with the Esch-sur-Alzette samples. On the other hand, for the Aubure site, i.e. a small forested watershed of mid-altitude mountain, data presented in this study demonstrate the influence of the vegetation on the chemical composition of rainwater for alkali and calc-alkali elements, as well as for the Sr isotope ratios. Such a result questions the reliability of the method classically used to estimate the rainwater contribution on the river chemical budget. In addition, data of the present study confirm the very low content of uranium in rainwater and demonstrate, especially through the U isotope analysis of Aubure rainwater, the negligible effect of rainwater on U budget of river waters. This work thus outlines the property of U to be a geochemical tracer specific of weathering fluxes carried by rivers. To cite this article: F. Chabaux et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Interpretation of gamma-ray logs: The distribution of uranium in carbonate platform

High gamma-radioactivity in carbonates is usually ascribed to uranium of detrital minerals and organic matter, and to thorium and potassium of clays. The present study based on Urgonian marls and marly limestones (France) shows that some of the most radioactive values correspond instead to some ‘pure’ limestones. These peaks are generally associated with a sequence boundary or a maximum flooding surface. Low-level γ-spectrometry and ICP–MS analyses show that although high radioactivities are mostly associated with uranium, there is no obvious correlation between uranium enrichment and lithology. Also, correlation between high radioactivity and argillaceous beds might not be systematic. To cite this article: M.C. Raddadi et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Profondeur d'extraction racinaire et signature isotopique de l'eau prélevée par les racines des couverts végétaux

We seek to identify the depth to which water is extracted by the roots in the soil. Indeed, in an isotopic steady-state condition of leaf water, transpiration introduces into the atmosphere a vapour whose isotopic signature is identical to that of root water. In the isotopic models of atmospheric general circulation, it is classically allowed that the signature of transpiration belongs to the meteoric water line. This supposes that the water taken by the roots has escaped with the evaporation of the soil and comes thus from the deep layers of the soil. At the time of experimentation carried out on maize plants (Nemours, Seine-et-Marne, France), this extraction depth was inferred from the comparison between the signature of the water measured on the level of the first internode of the stems of the plants and the isotopic profile of water in the soil. When the flow of transpiration reaches a maximum value, the plant uptakes water resulting from precipitations and which preserves its non-evaporating character after having quickly infiltrated in the deep layers of the soil. This relates to only 55% of the flux transpired by the canopy, the remainder presenting an evaporating character more or less marked according to ambient conditions. This experiment invalidates the classical hypothesis used in isotopic models of general atmospheric circulation in temperate regions. In fact, only half the amount of water vapour transpired by the canopy during the day presents a signature similar to that of the rainwater sampled in deep soil layers. To cite this article: Z. Boujamlaoui et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).