ALBERT

Beschreibung: SUMMARY From the S- wave data collected along a 270-km-long profile spanning the Kunlun mountains in NE Tibet, 14595 Sg phase arrivals and 21 SmS phase arrivals were utilized to derive a whole-crustal S velocity model and, together with a previously derived P velocity model, a Poisson's ratio (σ) model beneath the profile. The final tomogram for the upper 10–15 km of the crust reveals the lower velocities associated with the predominantly Neogene-Quaternary sediments of the Qaidam basin to the north and the higher velocities associated with the predominantly Palaeozoic and Mesozoic upper crustal sequences of the Songpan-Ganzi terrane and Kunlun mountains to the south. This study finds no evidence that the Kunlun mountains are involved in large-scale northward overriding of the Qaidam basin along a shallow south-dipping thrust. The σ in the upper 10–15 km of the crust are often lower than 0.25, indicating a preponderance of quartz-rich rocks in the upper crust beneath the profile. Below 10–15 km depth, the remainder of the crust down to the Moho has an average σ of 0.24 beneath the Songpan-Ganzi terrane and Kunlun mountains and 0.25 below the Qaidam basin. These low σ are similar to other low σ found along other profiles in the northeastern part of the plateau. Assuming an isotropic situation and no significant variation in σ between 10–15 km depth and the Moho, then the lower crust between 25–30 km depth below sea level and the Moho with P velocities varying from 6.6 km s −1 at the top to around 6.9 km s −1 at the base and σ of 0.24–0.25 should comprise intermediate granulites in the upper part transitioning to granulite facies metapelites in the lower part. As the pre-Cenozoic Qaidam basin crust has probably not lost any of its lower crust during the present Himalayan orogenic cycle in the Cenozoic and only has a σ of 0.245–0.25, then it appears that the pre-Cenozoic Qaidam basin crust involved in the collision is more felsic and thus weaker and more easily deformable than normal continental crust with a global average σ of 0.265–0.27 and the Tarim and Sichuan basin crusts. This situation then probably facilitates the collision and promotes the formation of new high plateau crust at the NE margin of Tibet. South of the Qaidam basin, the crust of the Songpan-Ganzi terrane and Kunlun mountains has an even lower average crustal σ of 0.23–0.24 and is thus presumably even weaker and more easily deformable than the crust beneath the Qaidam basin. This then supports the hypothesis of Karplus et al. that ‘the high Tibetan Plateau may be thickening northward into south Qaidam as its weak, thickened lower crust is injected beneath stronger Qaidam crust'.

Beschreibung: SUMMARY We present a new tomographic model of the mantle in the area of the 2010 M 8.8 Maule earthquake and surrounding regions. Increased ray coverage provided by the aftershock data allows us to image the detailed subducting slab structure in the mantle, from the region of flat slab subduction north of the Maule rupture to the area of overlapping rupture between the 1960 M 9.5 and the 2010 M 8.8 events to the south. We have combined teleseismic primary and depth phase arrivals with available local arrivals to better constrain the teleseismic earthquake locations in the region, which we use to conduct nested regional–global tomography. The new model reveals the detailed structure of the flat slab and its transition to a more moderately dipping slab in the Maule region. South of the Maule region, a steeply dipping relic slab is imaged from ∼200 to 1000 km depth that is distinct from the moderately dipping slab above it and from the more northerly slab at similar depths. We interpret the images as revealing both horizontal and vertical tearing of the slab at ∼38°S to explain the imaged pattern of slab anomalies in the southern portion of the model. In contrast, the transition from a horizontal to moderately subducting slab in the northern portion of the model is imaged as a continuous slab bend. We speculate that the tearing was most likely facilitated by a fracture zone in the downgoing plate or alternatively by a continental scale terrane boundary in the overriding plate.

Beschreibung: SUMMARY Elastic Full Waveform Tomography (FWT) aims to reduce the misfit between recorded and modelled data, to deduce a very detailed model of elastic material parameters in the underground. The choice of the elastic model parameters to be inverted affects the convergence and quality of the reconstructed subsurface model. Using the Cross-Triangle-Squares (CTS) model three elastic parametrizations, Lamé parameters m1 = [λ, μ, ρ], seismic velocities m2 = [ V p ,  V s , ρ] and seismic impedances m3 = [ I p ,  I s , ρ] for far-offset reflection seismic acquisition geometries with explosive point sources and free-surface condition are studied. In each CTS model the three elastic parameters are assigned to three different geometrical objects that are spatially separated. The results of the CTS model study reveal a strong requirement of a sequential frequency inversion from low to high frequencies to reconstruct the density model. Using only high-frequency data, cross-talk artefacts have an influence on the quantitative reconstruction of the material parameters, while for a sequential frequency inversion only structural artefacts, representing the boundaries of different model parameters, are present. During the inversion, the Lamé parameters, seismic velocities and impedances could be reconstructed well. However, using the Lamé parametrization -artefacts are present in the λ model, while similar artefacts are suppressed when using seismic velocities or impedances. The density inversion shows the largest ambiguity for all parametrizations. However, the artefacts are again more dominant, when using the Lamé parameters and suppressed for seismic velocity and impedance parametrization. The afore mentioned results are confirmed for a geologically more realistic modified Marmousi-II model. Using a conventional streamer acquisition geometry the P -velocity, S -velocity and density models of the subsurface were reconstructed successfully and are compared with the results of the Lamé parameter inversion.

Beschreibung: SUMMARY Estimating reliable depths for shallow seismic sources is important in both seismo-tectonic studies and in seismic discrimination studies. Surface wave excitation is sensitive to source depth, especially at intermediate and short-periods, owing to the approximate exponential decay of surface wave displacements with depth. A new method is presented here to retrieve earthquake source parameters from regional and teleseismic intermediate period (100–15 s) fundamental-mode surface wave recordings. This method makes use of advances in mapping global dispersion to allow higher frequency surface wave recordings at regional and teleseismic distances to be used with more confidence than in previous studies and hence improve the resolution of depth estimates. Synthetic amplitude spectra are generated using surface wave theory combined with a great circle path approximation, and a grid of double–couple sources are compared with the data. Source parameters producing the best-fitting amplitude spectra are identified by minimizing the least-squares misfit in logarithmic amplitude space. The F -test is used to search the solution space for statistically acceptable parameters and the ranges of these variables are used to place constraints on the best-fitting source. Estimates of focal mechanism, depth and scalar seismic moment are determined for 20 small to moderate sized (4.3 ≤ M w ≤ 6.4) earthquakes. These earthquakes are situated across a wide range of geographic and tectonic locations and describe a range of faulting styles over the depth range 4–29 km. For the larger earthquakes, comparisons with other studies are favourable, however existing source determination procedures, such as the CMT technique, cannot be performed for the smaller events. By reducing the magnitude threshold at which robust source parameters can be determined, the accuracy, especially at shallow depths, of seismo-tectonic studies, seismic hazard assessments, and seismic discrimination investigations can be improved by the application of this methodology.

Beschreibung: SUMMARY We analyse 10 representative intrusions from two sets of inclined diabase (Ferrar Dolerite) sheets exposed at Allan Hills (South Victoria Land, Antarctica), using petrographic and rock magnetic methods to determine microfabrics and infer magma flow directions. At least one diabase sample was collected at the margins of each intrusion. Magnetite and pyrrhotite contribute to magnetic fabrics of the samples. Thirty-six magnetic fabric directions, inferred from the mutual arrangement of either the magnetic lineation, or the magnetic foliation plane and local macroscopic flow indicators (e.g. horn-shaped apophyses and kinks) at the tips and margins of each intrusion reveal composite (i.e. both lateral and vertical) flow paths recorded along each intrusive segment. Petrographic textures and multiple flow directions inferred at sheet-segment tips reveal that ‘passive’ injection of magma via hydrofracturing produced the local shallow large igneous province plumbing as a sill-dominated intrusive complex very close to, or intersecting the palaeosurface. This contrasts with ‘classic’ arrays of either vertically or laterally injected blade-like dykes.

Beschreibung: ABSTRACT This study of the fortnightly Mf tide comprises three main topics: (1) a new determination of the fortnightly component of polar motion and length of day (LOD) from a multidecade time-series of observed space-geodetic data; (2) the use of the polar motion determination as one constraint in the development of a hydrodynamic ocean model of the Mf tide and (3) the use of these results to place new constraints on mantle anelasticity at the Mf tidal period. Our model of the Mf ocean tide assimilates more than 14 years of altimeter data from the Topex/Poseidon and Jason-1 satellites. Because the Mf altimetric signal-to-noise ratio is very small, it is critical that altimeter data not be overweighted. The polar motion data, plus tide-gauge data and independent altimeter data, give useful additional information, with only the polar motion putting constraints on tidal current velocities. The resulting ocean-tide model, plus the dominant elastic body tide, leaves a small residual in observed LOD caused by mantle anelasticity. The inferred effective tidal Q of the anelastic body tide is 90 and is in line with a ω α frequency dependence with α in the range 0.2–0.3.