Effect of sampling and linkage on fault length and length–displacement relationship

The power-law exponent (n) in the equation: D=cL ⁿ , with D = maximum displacement and L = fault length, would be affected by deviations of fault trace length. (1) Assuming n=1, numerical simulations on the effect of sampling and linkage on fault length and length–displacement relationship are done in this paper. The results show that: (a) uniform relative deviations, which means all faults within a dataset have the same relative deviation, do not affect the value of n; (b) deviations of the fault length due to unresolved fault tip decrease the values of n and the deviations of n increase with the increasing length deviations; (c) fault linkage and observed dimensions either increase or decrease the value of n depending on the distribution of deviations within a dataset; (d) mixed deviations of the fault lengths are either negative or positive and cause the values of n to either decrease or increase; (e) a dataset combined from two or more datasets with different values of c and orders of magnitude also cause the values of n to deviate. (2) Data including 19 datasets and spanning more than eight orders of fault length magnitudes (10⁻²–10⁵ m) collected from the published literature indicate that the values of n range from 0.55 to 1.5, the average value being 1.0813, and the peak value of n _d (double regression) is 1.0–1.1. Based on above results from the simulations and published data, we propose that the relationship between the maximum displacement and fault length in a single tectonic environment with uniform mechanical properties is linear, and the value of n deviated from 1 is mainly caused by the sampling and linkage effects.     

西藏俄卡地银多金属异常区地球化学

异常形态、分布严格受推覆断裂控制,范围大、浓集中心明显,浓度变化及因子载荷表明。区内找Ag、Pb有利,而Sb又为其最佳指示元素。     

Facies architecture of a submarine fan channel–levee complex: the Juniper Ridge Conglomerate, Coalinga, California

The Upper Cretaceous Juniper Ridge Conglomerate (JRC) near Coalinga, California, provides a rare, high-quality exposure of a submarine channel to overbank transition. The facies architecture of the JRC comprises a thick, predominantly mudstone sequence overlain by a channellized conglomerate package. Conglomeratic bounding surfaces truncate successions of interbedded turbiditic sandstones and mudstones both vertically and laterally. Thick-bedded, massive sandstones are interbedded with conglomerates. Facies architecture, palaeocurrent indicators, slump features, sandstone percentages and sandstone bed thickness trends lead to the interpretation that these elements comprise channel and overbank facies. A vertical sequence with conglomerate at the base, followed by thick-bedded sandstone, and capped by interbedded turbiditic sandstone and mudstone form a fining-upward lithofacies association that is interpreted as a single channel-fill/overbank system. Three similar lithofacies associations can be related to autocyclic processes of thalweg migration and submarine fan aggradation or to allocyclically driven changes in sediment calibre.     

The presence, characteristics and earthquake implications of the St. Lawrence fault zone within and near Lake Ontario (Canada–USA)

Questions persist concerning the earthquake potential of the populous and industrial Lake Ontario (Canada–USA) area. Pertinent to those questions is whether the major fault zone that extends along the St. Lawrence River valley, herein named the St. Lawrence fault zone, continues upstream along the St. Lawrence River valley at least as far as Lake Ontario or terminates near Cornwall (Ontario, Canada)–Massena (NY, USA). New geological studies uncovered paleotectonic bedrock faults that are parallel to, and lie within, the projection of that northeast-oriented fault zone between Cornwall and northeastern Lake Ontario, suggesting that the fault zone continues into Lake Ontario. The aforementioned bedrock faults range from meters to tens of kilometers in length and display kinematically incompatible displacements, implying that the fault zone was periodically reactivated in the study area. Beneath Lake Ontario the Hamilton–Presqu'ile fault lines up with the St. Lawrence fault zone and projects to the southwest where it coincides with the Dundas Valley (Ontario, Canada). The Dundas Valley extends landward from beneath the western end of the lake and is marked by a vertical stratigraphic displacement across its width. The alignment of the Hamilton–Presqu'ile fault with the St. Lawrence fault zone strongly suggests that the latter crosses the entire length of Lake Ontario and continues along the Dundas Valley.The Rochester Basin, an east–northeast-trending linear trough in the southeastern corner of Lake Ontario, lies along the southern part of the St. Lawrence fault zone. Submarine dives in May 1997 revealed inclined layers of glaciolacustrine clay along two different scarps within the basin. The inclined layers strike parallel to the long dimension of the basin, and dip about 20° to the north–northwest suggesting that they are the result of rigid-body rotation consequent upon post-glacial faulting. Those post-glacial faults are growth faults as demonstrated by the consistently greater thickness, unit-by-unit, of unconsolidated sediments on the downthrown (northwest) side of the faults relative to their counterparts on the upthrown (southeast) side. Underneath the western part of Lake Ontario is a monoclinal warp that displaces the glacial and post-glacial sediments, and the underlying bedrock–sediment interface. Because of the post-glacial growth faults and the monoclinal warp the St. Lawrence fault zone is inferred to be tectonically active beneath Lake Ontario. Furthermore, within the lake it crosses at least five major faults and fault zones and coexists with other neotectonic structures. Those attributes, combined with the large earthquakes associated with the St. Lawrence fault zone well to the northeast of Lake Ontario, suggest that the seismic risk in the area surrounding and including Lake Ontario is likely much greater than previously believed.     

Sulfur Content and Isotopic Ratio of Cambro-Ordovician Carbonate Rocks from South Korea: A Possible Source for Mesozoic Magmatic-hydrothermal Ore Sulfur

Abstract: Carbonate rocks of Cambrian (18 samples) and lower-middle Ordovician (11 samples) ages from South Korea were analyzed for sulfur contents of structurally substituted sulfate (SSS) and sulfides and their δ³⁴S values. The δ³⁴S values of SSS ranging from +25.9 to +45.2 permil, are averaged as +33.6 and +33.5 permil for the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks, respectively, which indicate high δ³⁴S values of the Cambro-Ordovician seawater. The SSS contents in the carbonate rocks are low being 2.9 to 17.3 ppm S (averaged as 7.0 ppm S). Sulfide sulfur, on the contrary, is much abundant containing 3 to 1,880 ppm S and the δ³⁴S values range widely between –17.6 and +31.1 permil. Sulfide sulfur of the studied rocks excluding impure carbonates has an average content of 187 ppm S and δ³⁴S value of +12.8 permil (n=24). The estimated δ³⁴S (sulfate–sulfide) values, which range from 13.8 to 25.4 permil in general with a few exceptions from 36.5 up to 52.3 permil for some impure carbonates, may provide evidence for the persistent oceanic anoxia with its temporary recovery during the Cambro-Ordovician time.
The SSS and sulfide sulfurs have often higher δ³⁴S values than the Mesozoic-Cenozoic ore sulfur (Ishihara et al., 2000). Since carbonate rocks are very reactive with circulating hydrothermal ore solution, high δ³⁴S values of the Korean ore deposits might be caused to some extent by ³⁴S enrichment from the host carbonates, resulting in the low SSS contents observed.     

内蒙古色尔腾山山前断裂(乌句蒙口-东风村段)的断层活动与古地震事件

通过对色尔腾山山前断裂乌句蒙口 -东风村段的遥感资料解释、野外地质地貌考察 ,并通过对重点地段的古地震探槽开挖 ,获得了该断裂段晚更新世晚期以来的垂直位移速率是 0 88～ 1 83mm a ,全新世中期以来的垂直位移速率是 0 89mm a。通过 2个大型探槽的开挖、古地震事件分析和相关堆积物的断代研究 ,以及用逐次限定方法分析整个断层段上的古地震事件 ,认定该断裂段上全新世以来发生了 5次古地震事件 :事件 1发生在距今 90 0 0± 130 0年 ,事件2发生在距今 6 5 0 0± 5 0 0年 ,事件 3发生在距今 5 5 70年左右 ,事件 4发生在距今 4 2 0 0± 30 0年 ,事件 5发生在距今 32 5 0± 2 5 0年。晚更新世晚期到距今 1万年之间 ,古地震事件很不完整。全新世以来的 5次古地震事件表现出一定的丛集特征。最早的一丛事件发生在距今 890 0年左右 ,第2丛发生在距今 6 5 0 0～ 5 70 0年之间 ,第 3丛事件发生在距今 32 5 0～ 4 2 0 0年之间。第 1丛与第 2丛古地震事件之间间隔为 2 4 0 0年左右 ,而第 2丛与第 3丛古地震事件之间仅间隔 15 70年左右。距今 32 5 0年以来 ,该断裂段上还没有发生过错断地表的地震事件 ,已经超出了古地震丛之间的重复间隔。因此 ,它是色尔腾山前活动断裂带上具备潜在危险的一个活动断裂段。     

电阻率图像中的地下水和断层

目的：将电阻率层析成像应用于探测潜伏断层的研究中，本文发现了断层和地下水的一些基本电阻率分布特征，这对于工程物探意义重大，一般情况下，断层两侧具有不同的电阻率特征，但是，根据电阻率层析图像中的电阻率分布，通常难以区分断层和地下水层，这是因为两者不仅都具有低电阻率值，而且还具有非常相似的电阻率异常特征。资料和方法：运用电阻率层析图像的数据，电阻率层析图像中的断层会呈现如下特征：1）由于孔隙度的加大和地下水的存在，使得断层表现出高角度的低阻线性结构。它们既可以出现在浅部盖层中，也可以存在于深部基岩中，特别是在深部区域，它们尤为明显；2）它们还呈现出高角度的线性梯度带，在该梯度带两边的电阻率结构出现整体性的差异，通常情况下，正断层的上盘表现出低阻或／和班驳状的高阻和低阻扰动区，而下盘则为完整的高阻区，这与逆冲断层正好相反；3）与断层有关的电阻率异常区常常具有良好的大尺度水平连续性，并且可以追瞎异常区附近的精细电性结构。而地下水的电阻率特征为：1）如果没有裂隙，地表水所引起的低阻区非常浅，即使存在丰富的水源以及高孔隙度的砾岩和中粗砂。一般情况下，其底端深度不超过强风化区；2）地下水的电阻率值非常低，特别在高矿化度的地区。地下水，包括岩溶水和砂岩水，的电阻率总显示出局部水平延伸或／和面团状特征；3）地下水层的深度朝某个固定方向逐渐增加，并且其电阻率图像会随季节而变；4）一般情况下，在水下渗的地区，会出现降水漏斗，其上部为高阻，而下部为低阻，从而便形成了“Y”或“V”字型的典型结构。结果：利用上述的基本特征一般可以区分断层和地下水。结论：仅依靠电阻率层析图像，可能极难准确地区分断层和裂隙水，这是因为裂隙水不但可能具有高角度的低阻线性结构，而且在一定尺度上具有很好的水平连续性，还有，由于电阻率层析成像较差的垂直分辨率，难以精确确定断层的上端点位置，所以结合其它的物探手段如钻探和浅层地震勘探是非常必要的。     

2001年昆仑山口8.1级巨震后中国大陆、云南地震趋势研究

分析研究了2001年11月14日昆仑山口8．1级巨震对中国大陆云南未来几年地震趋势的影响，指出巨震后6年大陆可能仍然处于地震活跃期，其间大陆西部发生7．0级以上大震可能性较大；受2000－2001年欧亚带东南段大震活动过程及巨震调整影响，未来1－3年云南省可能进入新的活跃期，6．5级以上强震危险性增加。     

Testate amoebae as paleoindicators of surface-moisture changes on Michigan peatlands: modern ecology and hydrological calibration

Peatland testate amoebae are sensitive indicators of local hydrology and have been used as proxies for surface moisture conditions in fossil studies. However, few regional calibration datasets exist in North America, and knowledge of testate amoeba ecology and distribution patterns are limited. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the relationship between testate amoebae, environment, and Sphagnum species in Michigan peatlands; (2) generate transfer functions from this dataset that can be applied to fossil data; and (3) describe vertical variation of testate amoebae inhabiting Sphagnum moss. Testate amoeba assemblages from 139 microsites within 11 peatlands in Michigan were compared to assess variability between and within peatlands. Most peatlands contained similar testate amoeba assemblages, although within individual peatlands the amount of assemblage variability is correlated to the amount of environmental heterogeneity. Of the measured environmental variables, depth to water table showed the strongest relationship with testate amoebae. Depth to water table can be reconstructed from fossil data with a mean error of ±7.5 cm, although predictive ability deteriorates in extremely dry environments (>30 cm water table depth). Vertical variation in testate amoeba assemblages was investigated at 89 Sphagnum-dominated microsites by directly comparing amoeba assemblages and the abundance and frequency of common taxa in upper and lower portions of the Sphagnum stem. Except for extremely dry microsites, considerable vertical variation in assemblage composition exists. Many agglutinate taxa are more abundant on lower portions of the Sphagnum stem, and taxa containing symbiotic zoochlorellae are more abundant on upper portions. Refinements in sampling procedures and analysis may improve the predictive ability of transfer functions.