Doubtful Events Reported in Current Italian Earthquake Catalogues: The Medieval Earthquakes of Subiaco (Central Italy)

Within the framework of a study of the seismicity of the Aniene Valley (Central Italy), we analysed the medieval earthquakes of Subiaco (1216, 1227, 1299), the largest events reported for the area. Our main goal was to investigate some doubtful events reported in earthquake catalogues and, as such, currently utilised for seismic hazard estimates. A careful screening of the oldest available sources and their filiation pattern up to the present pointed out the uncertainty on the date and nature of these phenomena. A multidisciplinary approach based on the joint analysis of archaeological, geomorphologic and historical evidence allowed us to propose new interpretations concerning these events and their significance for the assessment of seismic hazard in the Aniene Valley. The main conclusion is that the dates of the 1216 and 1227 events are fairly unsupported. In particular, the 1216 earthquake could be dated back to between AD 1159 and 1181.     

Integration of spatial data in vector and raster formats in a geographic information system environment

This paper examines the common methods for converting spatial data sets between vector and raster formats and presents the results of extensive benchmark testing of these procedures. The tests performed are unique in this field since: (1) they used both synthetic and real test data sets; (2) they measured conversion quality, accuracy and efficiency, not just how fast the procedure operated; and (3) they were conducted in a generic geographic information system (GIS) environment without the aid of specialized computer hardware. The results show that the best overall techniques are the ones which take advantage of spatial relationships inherent in the data sets. These were the Scan Line algorithm for vector to raster conversions and the Boundary Linking algorithm for raster to vector conversions.     

Terrestrial LiDAR monitoring of coastal foredune evolution in managed and unmanaged systems

Coastal dunes provide essential protection for infrastructure in developed regions, acting as the first line of defence against ocean-side flooding. Quantifying dune erosion, growth and recovery from storms is critical from management, resiliency and engineering with nature perspectives. This study utilizes 22 months of high-resolution terrestrial LiDAR (Riegl VZ-2000) observations to investigate the impact of management, anthropogenic modifications and four named storms on dune morphological evolution along ~100 m of an open-coast, recently nourished beach in Nags Head, NC. The influences of specific management strategies – such as fencing and plantings – were evaluated by comparing these to the morphologic response at an unmanaged control site at the USACE Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, NC (33 km to the north), which experienced similar environmental forcings. Various beach-dune morphological parameters were extracted (e.g. backshore-dune volume) and compared with aeolian and hydrodynamic forcing metrics between each survey interval. The results show that LiDAR is a useful tool for quantifying complex dune evolution over fine spatial and temporal scales. Under similar forcings, the managed dune grew 1.7 times faster than the unmanaged dune, due to a larger sediment supply and enhanced capture through fencing, plantings and walkovers. These factors at the managed site contributed to the welding of the incipient dune to the primary foredune over a short period of less than a year, which has been observed to take up to decades in natural systems. Storm events caused alongshore variable dune erosion primarily to the incipient dune, yet also caused significant accretion, particularly along the crest at the managed site, resulting in net dune growth. Traditional empirical Bagnold equations correlated with observed trends of backshore-dune growth but overpredicted magnitudes. This is likely because these formulations do not encompass supply-limiting factors and erosional processes. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大同盆地现今构造活动及地壳应力场特征

大量震源机制结果推断出大同分轩现代地壳应力场和主压应力方向为ＮＥ－ＮＥＥ，仰角变化不定，主张应力方向为ＮＷ－ＮＮＷ，仰角很小的结论。这与区域构造应力场ＮＥ－ＮＥＥ向挤压作用的结果相符，另据大同一阳高６．１级、５．８级地震的震源机制结果得出，大同一阳高地震的孕震应力场与华北区域应力场相一致，而不是受本地局部小区域应力场的控制的结论。     

Gravity field and tectonic features of Block L2 in the Lamu basin,Kenya

A gravity survey on the scale of 1: 250 000 was carried out in Block L2 located in the Lamu basin of south‐east Kenya in order to study tectonic features and find out favourable petroleum prospects in the block. This paper, through data processing and synthetic interpretation of the measured gravity data in the block, discusses characteristics of the gravity field and their geological implications, determines the fault system and the basement depth, analyses features of the main strata, divides structure units and predicts favourable petroleum zones. In the block, the regional gravity anomaly is mainly caused by the inclined Moho surface that rises in the east and subsides in the west topographically and the Bouguer gravity anomaly primarily reflects the superimposition of the gravity effect derived from the Moho surface and the basement relief. Two groups of faults extending NW (NWW) and NE (NEE) respectively are dominant in the block and their activities resulted in the framework of east‐west zoning and south‐north blocking. The basement depth greatly changes in an alternative high and low pattern. The Permian‐Triassic, Jurassic and Tertiary strata are extensively developed, while the Cretaceous is only developed in the east of the block. Structurally, the block can be divided into five units, of which the Tana sag shows excellent source‐reservoir‐seal associations and is a favourable target for future petroleum exploration.     

甘肃陇山地区葫芦河群变质玄武岩及大地构造环境恢复

葫芦河群变质玄武岩以其高不相容元素、稀土元素和低MgO、Cr和Ni含量有别于现代洋中脊玄武岩和岛弧玄武岩,在FeO-MgO-Al_2O_3和Ti/100-Zr-Y×3判别图上,均落在大陆玄武岩区。在剖面上,与变质玄武岩整合接触的巨厚的变砂岩和大量出现的火山角砾岩和集块岩是浅海环境的标志;密集的辉绿岩墙群是拉张性大地构造环境的特征。因此,本文认为葫芦河群变质玄武岩原岩形成于陆内裂陷海盆环境。     

对门源盆地"红层"形成时代的新认识

门源盆地位于青藏高原东北缘北祁连山腹地,为狭长的新生代走滑拉分山间宽谷盆地。其中充填一厚约407~960 m、干旱气候条件下的河湖相沉积"红层",长期以来各项研究工作均未能于其中采获任何生物化石。因此,尽管各家均认同其属"第三纪"无疑,但仍对其确切时代存在着较大的争论,而对其时代的确定有助于正确认识门源盆地形成时的构造背景,具有较为重要的意义。通过区域地层对比、"红层"形成气候条件与南侧西宁盆地及北邻酒泉—张掖盆地古气候环境所作的对比,深入探讨认为其时代属中中新世,并初步分析了门源盆地形成的新构造运动大陆动力学机制背景。     

Remote sensing of paleodrainage systems west of the Nile River,Egypt

Remotely sensed data show details of the geomorphic features and landscape evolution west of the Nile. The detected features include remnants of paleochannels, flutes and rock-mass movements. Fused radar/optical data, altitudinal profiles and 3D perspective view provided evidences of massive landslides that fully blocked the earlier Nile channel near to the Western Desert plateau. This channel was ~30 km west of the present Nile at ~100 m above the present level of the Nile. Subsequently, the fluvial activities shifted about ~10 km eastward, leaving behind several remnants of paleochannels, fluvial deposits, ancient landscape and Nilotic fauna. The automatic extraction of stream networks clearly depicts the developments of paleochannels. Our results revealed that fluvial activity switched from the Gallaba plain to the present Nile course through a series of tectonic and climatic changes. Furthermore, integration of radar and optical images provided an explanation for causes of the undulated forms ‘flutes’.     

湘西沅麻盆地早白垩世红层古地磁学研究及其对川东褶皱带新生代构造变形的指示

川东褶皱带作为华南板块中部的"侏罗山式"褶皱,开始形成于晚古生代.自白垩纪晚期开始,受太平洋板块和印度板块对欧亚大陆挤压的影响,这一构造带乃至华南板块中部又叠加了新的构造变形.但是,目前对于川东褶皱带白垩纪以来的构造演化缺乏足够的认识.位于川东褶皱带东侧、雪峰造山带西麓的沅麻盆地形成于早白垩世.晚白垩世以来,沅麻盆地与川东褶皱带处于同一构造应力场中,因此对盆地内早白垩世红层的古地磁研究对于解释川东褶皱带中生代晚期以来的构造演化有着重要的意义.该研究在沅麻盆地早白垩世红层中开展的古地磁学研究获得了可靠的原生剩磁分量：Ds=15.6°,Is=42.9°,k=118.6,α95=2.6°,表明沅麻盆地自早白垩世以来发生了4.1°±3.0°的顺时针构造转动.对川东褶皱带周缘白垩纪古地磁数据所揭示的地壳旋转变形,与断裂和褶皱轴组成的构造线迹变化之间的线性相关性分析,表明川东褶皱带位于齐岳山断裂带东南侧的部分,受印度板块-欧亚大陆、太平洋板块-华南板块间的挤压作用,自晚白垩世以来累积了约50~93 km的右旋错断量.