ALBERT

Description: We study a model of lava flow to determine its thermal and dynamic characteristics from thermal measurements of the lava at its surface. Mathematically this problem is reduced to solving an inverse boundary problem. Namely, using known conditions at one part of the model boundary we determine the missing condition at the remaining part of the boundary. We develop a numerical approach to the mathematical problem in the case of steady-state flow. Assuming that the temperature and the heat flow are prescribed at the upper surface of the model domain, we determine the flow characteristics in the entire model domain using a variational (adjoint) method. We have performed computations of model examples and showed that in the case of smooth input data the lava temperature and the flow velocity can be reconstructed with a high accuracy. As expected, a noise imposed on the smooth input data results in a less accurate solution, but still acceptable below some noise level. Also we analyse the influence of optimization methods on the solution convergence rate. The proposed method for reconstruction of physical parameters of lava flows can also be applied to other problems in geophysical fluid flows.

Description: Studies of discrete volcanic explosions, that usually last less than 2 or 3 min, have suggested that the partitioning of seismic-acoustic energy is likely related to a range of physical mechanisms that depend on magma properties and other physical constraints such as the location of the fragmentation surface. In this paper, we explore the energy partition of a paroxysmal eruptive phase of Tungurahua volcano that lasted for over 4 hr, on 2006 July 14–15, using seismic-acoustic information recorded by stations on its flanks (near field). We find evidence of a linear scaling between seismic and acoustic energies, with time-dependent intensities, during the sustained explosive phase of the eruption. Furthermore, we argue that this scaling can be explained by two different processes: (1) the fragmentation region ultimately acts as the common source of energy producing both direct seismic waves, that travel through the volcanic edifice, and direct acoustic waves coming from a disturbed atmosphere above the summit; (2) the coupling of acoustic waves with the ground to cause seismic waves. Both processes are concurrent, however we have found that the first one is dominant for seismic records below 4 Hz. Here we use the linear scaling of intensities to construct seismic and acoustic indices, which, we argue, could be used to track an ongoing eruption. Thus, especially in strong paroxysms that can produce pyroclastic flows, the index correlation and their levels can be used as quantitative monitoring parameters to assess the volcanic hazard in real time. Additionally, we suggest from the linear scaling that the source type for both cases, seismic and acoustic, is dipolar and dominant in the near field.

Description: Lying below Vatnajökull ice cap in Iceland, Bárðarbunga stratovolcano began experiencing wholesale caldera collapse in 2014 August 16, one of the largest such events recorded in the modern instrumental era. Simultaneous with this collapse is the initiation of a plate boundary rifting episode north of the caldera. Observations using the international constellation of radar satellites indicate rapid 50 cm d –1 subsidence of the glacier surface overlying the collapsing caldera and metre-scale crustal deformation in the active rift zone. Anomalous earthquakes around the rim of the caldera with highly nondouble-couple focal mechanisms provide a mechanical link to the dynamics of the collapsing magma chamber. A model of the collapse consistent with available geodetic and seismic observations suggests that the majority of the observed subsidence occurs aseismically via a deflating sill-like magma chamber.

Description: Deformation experiments on partially molten rocks in simple shear form melt bands at 20° to the shear plane instead of at the expected 45° principal compressive stress direction. These melt bands may play an important role in melt focusing in mid-ocean ridges. Such shallow bands are known to form for two-phase media under shear if strongly non-Newtonian power-law creep is employed for the solid phase, or anisotropy imposed. However laboratory experiments show that shallow bands occur regardless of creep mechanism, even in diffusion creep, which is nominally Newtonian. Here we propose that a couple of forms of two-phase damage allow for shallow melt bands even in diffusion creep.

Description: Progressive deformation of upper mantle rocks via dislocation creep causes their constituent crystals to take on a non-random orientation distribution (crystallographic preferred orientation or CPO) whose observable signatures include shear-wave splitting and azimuthal dependence of surface wave speeds. Comparison of these signatures with mantle flow models thus allows mantle dynamics to be unraveled on global and regional scales. However, existing self-consistent models of CPO evolution are computationally expensive when used with 3-D and/or time-dependent convection models. Here we propose a new method, called ANPAR, which is based on an analytical parametrization of the crystallographic spin predicted by the second-order (SO) self-consistent theory. Our parametrization runs 2–6  x  10 4 times faster than the SO model and fits its predictions for CPO and crystallographic spin with a variance reduction 〉99 per cent. We illustrate the ANPAR model predictions for the deformation of olivine with three dominant slip systems, (010)[100], (001)[100] and (010)[001], for three uniform deformations (uniaxial compression, pure shear and simple shear) and for a corner-flow model of a spreading mid-ocean ridge.

Description: We investigate the capability of Time Reversal Mirror (TRM) algorithm to image local acoustic sources (〈3.5 km) associated with complex, sustained volcanic eruptions. Accurate source localization for volcano infrasound (low-frequency acoustic waves) is often challenging due to pronounced volcanic topography and emergent arrivals of infrasound signals. While the accuracy of the conventional approaches (e.g. triangulation and semblance method) can be severely compromised by the complex volcanic settings, a TRM-based method may have the potential to properly image acoustic sources by the use of full waveform information and numerical modelling of the time-reversed wavefield. We apply the TRM algorithm to a pyroclastic-laden eruption (sustained for ~60 s) at Santiaguito Volcano, Guatemala, and show that an ordinary TRM operation can undergo significant reduction of its focusing power due to strong topographic propagation effects (e.g. reflection and diffraction). We propose a weighted imaging condition to compensate for complicated transmission loss of the time-reversed wavefield and demonstrate that the presented condition significantly improves the focusing quality of TRM in the presence of complex topography. The consequent TRM source images exhibit remarkable agreement with the visual observation of the eruption implying that the TRM method with a proper imaging condition can be used to localize and track acoustic sources associated with complex volcanic eruptions.

Description: The expansion of offshore renewable energy infrastructure and the need for trans-continental shelf power transmission require the use of submarine high-voltage (HV) cables. These cables have maximum operating surface temperatures of up to 70 °C and are typically buried 1–2 m beneath the seabed, within the wide range of substrates found on the continental shelf. However, the heat flow pattern and potential effects on the sedimentary environments around such anomalously high heat sources in the near-surface sediments are poorly understood. We present temperature measurements from a 2-D laboratory experiment representing a buried submarine HV cable, and identify the thermal regimes generated within typical unconsolidated shelf sediments—coarse silt, fine sand and very coarse sand. We used a large (2 x 2.5 m 2 ) tank filled with water-saturated spherical glass beads (ballotini) and instrumented with a buried heat source and 120 thermocouples to measure the time-dependent 2-D temperature distributions. The observed and corresponding Finite Element Method simulations of the steady state heat flow regimes and normalized radial temperature distributions were assessed. Our results show that the heat transfer and thus temperature fields generated from submarine HV cables buried within a range of sediments are highly variable. Coarse silts are shown to be purely conductive, producing temperature increases of 〉10 °C up to 40 cm from the source of 60 °C above ambient; fine sands demonstrate a transition from conductive to convective heat transfer between cf. 20 and 36 °C above ambient, with 〉10 °C heat increases occurring over a metre from the source of 55 °C above ambient; and very coarse sands exhibit dominantly convective heat transfer even at very low ( cf. 7 °C) operating temperatures and reaching temperatures of up to 18 °C above ambient at a metre from the source at surface temperatures of only 18 °C. These findings are important for the surrounding near-surface environments experiencing such high temperatures and may have significant implications for chemical and physical processes operating at the grain and subgrain scale; biological activity at both microfaunal and macrofaunal levels; and indeed the operational performance of the cables themselves, as convective heat transport would increase cable current ratings, something neglected in existing standards.

Description: We present a strategy to thoroughly investigate the effects of prominent topography on the surface tilt due to a spherical pressure source. We use Etna's topography as a case of study and, for different source positions, we compare the tilt fields calculated through (i) a 3-D boundary element method and (ii) analytical half-space solutions. We systematically determine (i) the source positions leading to the strongest tilt misfits when numerical and analytical results are compared and (ii) the surface areas where the strongest distortions in the tilt field are most likely to be observed. We also demonstrate that, under critical circumstances, in terms of respective positions of pressure source and observation points, results of inversion procedures aimed at retrieving the source parameters can be misleading, if tilt data are analysed using models that do not account for topography.

Description: The agreement between shear wave velocities for the Earth's inner core observed from seismology with those derived from mineral physics is considerably worse than for any other region of the Earth. Furthermore, there is still debate as to the phase of iron present in the inner core, particularly when alloying with nickel and light elements is taken into account. To investigate the extent to which the mismatch between seismology and mineral physics is a function of either crystal structure and/or the amount of nickel present, we have used ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the elastic constants and seismic velocities ( V p and V s ) of face centred cubic (fcc) iron at Earth's inner core pressures (360 GPa) and at temperatures up to ~7000 K. We find that V p for fcc iron (fcc-Fe) is very similar to that for hexagonal close packed (hcp) iron at all temperatures. In contrast, V s for fcc-Fe is significantly higher than in hcp-Fe, with the difference increasing with increasing temperature; the difference between V s for the core (from seismology) and V s for fcc-Fe exceeds 40 per cent. These results are consistent with previous work at lower temperatures. We have also investigated the effect of 6.5 and 13 atm% Ni in fcc-Fe. We find that Ni only slightly reduces V p and V s (e.g. by 2 per cent in V s for 13 atm% Ni at 5500 K), and cannot account for the difference between the velocities observed in the core and those of pure fcc-Fe. We also tried to examine pre-melting behaviour in fcc-Fe, as reported in hcp-Fe by extending the study to very high temperatures (at which superheating may occur). However, we find that fcc-Fe spontaneously transforms to other hcp-like structures before melting; two hcp-like structures were found, both of hexagonal symmetry, which may most easily be regarded as being derived from an hcp crystal with stacking faults. That the structure did not transform to a true hcp phase is likely as a consequence of the limited size of the simulation box (108 atoms). At 360 GPa, in pure fcc-Fe, we find that the transition from fcc to the hcp-like structure occurs at 7000 K, whereas in the Ni bearing system, the transition occurs at higher temperature (7250 K). This reinforces previous work showing that fcc-Fe might transform to hcp-Fe just before melting, and that Ni tends to stabilize the fcc structure with respect to hcp.

Description: Viscoelastic behaviour of materials in nature is observed in post-event deformations due to seismic or volcanic activities. In this paper, by adopting the correspondence principle, we propose an inelastic model to predict first the Laplace-domain response of a transversely isotropic viscoelastic half-space due to a shear or tensile fault of polygonal shape. The displacement and stress fields in the time domain are then obtained using an efficient and accurate algorithm for the inverse Laplace transform. Numerical examples are presented to validate the proposed solution and to show the viscoelastic displacement and stress fields due to a strike-slip, dip-slip and tensile fault of rectangular shape. The obtained results indicate that both viscoelasticity and transverse isotropy play significant roles in the viscoelastic response of the half-space due to faults, which could be used as benchmarks for the future numerical analysis of realistic post-seismic or volcanic event.

Description: One of the unresolved questions concerning fault deformation is the degree and cause of localization of shear at depth beneath a fault. Geologic observations of exhumed shear zones indicate that while the motion is no longer planar, it can still be localized near the down-dip extension of the fault; however, the degree of localization is uncertain. We employ simple analytic and numerical models to investigate the structural form of distributed shear beneath a strike-slip fault, and the relative importance of the physical mechanisms that have the potential to localize a shear zone. For a purely depth dependent viscosity, = 0 exp (– z / z 0 ), we find that a shear zone develops with a half-width $\delta _w\sim \sqrt{z_0}$ for small z 0 at the base of the layer, where lengths are non-dimensionalized by the layer thickness ( d km). Including a non-linear stress–strain-rate relation ( $\dot{\epsilon }\propto \sigma ^n$ ) scales w by $1/\sqrt{n}$ , comparable to deformation length scales in thin viscous sheet calculations. We find that the primary control on the shear-zone width is the depth dependence of viscosity that arises from the temperature dependence of viscosity and the increase in temperature with depth. As this relationship is exponential, scaling relations give a dimensional half-width that scales approximately as $$ \tilde{\delta }_w\approx T_{\frac{1}{2}}\sqrt{\frac{Rd}{nQ\beta }}\text{ km}, $$ where $T_{\frac{1}{2}}$ (K) is the temperature at the midpoint of the layer, R (J mol –1 K –1 ) the gas constant, Q (J mol –1 ) the activation energy and β (K km –1 ) the geothermal gradient. This relation predicts the numerical results for the parameter range consistent with continental rheologies to within 2–5 per cent and shear-zone half-widths from 2 to 6 km. The inclusion of shear-stress heating reduces w by only an additional 5–25 per cent, depending on the initial width of the shear zone. While the width of the shear zone may not decrease significantly, local temperature increases from shear-stress heating range from 50 to 300 °C resulting in a reduction in viscosities beneath the fault of several orders of magnitude and a concomitant reduction in the stresses needed to drive the motion.

Description: The equation that relates pressure, temperature and volume and is described by parameters that are function of temperature at 1 bar (hereafter called thermal equation of state, TEOS), has practical computational advantages for petrological and geophysical applications over the equation that considers explicitly a thermal pressure. Some considerations that justify the use of the TEOS are discussed here. (1) The assumption that the parameters are function of temperature is perhaps better understood by looking at the Helmholtz energy function that is implicitly assumed in the case of an equation of state (EOS) derived from interatomic potentials. A test case shows that the Helmholtz energy related to the Vinet EOS and the Helmholtz energy from the Debye model are very similar. (2) The TEOS should be able to reproduce thermal expansion (α), isothermal bulk modulus ( K T ) and heat capacity ( C p and C v ) at high P , T computed from a lattice vibration model. The generalized Rydberg EOS applied to MgO is able to fit reasonably well the properties computed using Jacobs’ lattice dynamics formulation ( T range = 300–3000 K, P range = 1 bar–1500 kbar). (3) It is shown that in the case of MgO, the TEOS can be used quite successfully for extrapolation that goes beyond the P , T range of the measured/given data. Some physical constraints need to be applied to the derivation of the volume, bulk modulus and derivative of the bulk modulus with pressure at 1 bar. (4) The pressure dependence of the reference parameters in the TEOS that was inferred several decades ago is only apparent. A numerical computation demonstrates that the combined pressure effect in the terms defining the partial derivative of the reference V and K (and K') over temperature cancels out, making the reference parameters independent of pressure at any condition.

Description: The equation that relates pressure, temperature and volume and is described by parameters that are function of temperature at 1 bar (hereafter called thermal equation of state, TEOS), has practical computational advantages for petrological and geophysical applications over the equation that considers explicitly a thermal pressure. Some considerations that justify the use of the TEOS are discussed here. (1) The assumption that the parameters are function of temperature is perhaps better understood by looking at the Helmholtz energy function that is implicitly assumed in the case of an equation of state (EOS) derived from interatomic potentials. A test case shows that the Helmholtz energy related to the Vinet EOS and the Helmholtz energy from the Debye model are very similar. (2) The TEOS should be able to reproduce thermal expansion (α), isothermal bulk modulus ( K T ) and heat capacity ( C p and C v ) at high P , T computed from a lattice vibration model. The generalized Rydberg EOS applied to MgO is able to fit reasonably well the properties computed using Jacobs’ lattice dynamics formulation ( T range = 300–3000 K, P range = 1 bar–1500 kbar). (3) It is shown that in the case of MgO, the TEOS can be used quite successfully for extrapolation that goes beyond the P , T range of the measured/given data. Some physical constraints need to be applied to the derivation of the volume, bulk modulus and derivative of the bulk modulus with pressure at 1 bar. (4) The pressure dependence of the reference parameters in the TEOS that was inferred several decades ago is only apparent. A numerical computation demonstrates that the combined pressure effect in the terms defining the partial derivative of the reference V and K (and K') over temperature cancels out, making the reference parameters independent of pressure at any condition.

Description: The presence of calcite in and near faults, as the dominant material, cement, or vein fill, indicates that the mechanical behaviour of carbonate-dominated material likely plays an important role in shallow- and mid-crustal faulting. To better understand the behaviour of calcite, under loading conditions relevant to earthquake nucleation, we sheared powdered gouge of Carrara Marble, 〉98 per cent CaCO 3 , at constant normal stresses between 1 and 100 MPa under water-saturated conditions at room temperature. We performed slide-hold-slide tests, 1–3000 s, to measure the amount of static frictional strengthening and creep relaxation, and velocity-stepping tests, 0.1–1000 μm s –1 , to evaluate frictional stability. We observe that the rates of frictional strengthening and creep relaxation decrease with increasing normal stress and diverge as shear velocity is increased from 1 to 3000 μm s –1 during slide-hold-slide experiments. We also observe complex frictional stability behaviour that depends on both normal stress and shearing velocity. At normal stresses less than 20 MPa, we observe predominantly velocity-neutral friction behaviour. Above 20 MPa, we observe strong velocity-strengthening frictional behaviour at low velocities, which then evolves towards velocity-weakening friction behaviour at high velocities. Microstructural analyses of recovered samples highlight a variety of deformation mechanisms including grain size reduction and localization, folding of calcite grains and fluid-assisted diffusion mass transfer processes promoting the development of calcite nanograins in the highly deformed portions of the experimental fault. Our combined analyses indicate that calcite fault gouge transitions from brittle to semi-brittle behaviour at high normal stress and slow sliding velocities. This transition has important implications for earthquake nucleation and propagation on faults in carbonate-dominated lithologies.

Description: A knowledge of subsurface temperatures in sedimentary basins, fault zones, volcanic environments and polar ice sheets is of interest for a wide variety of geophysical applications. However, the process of drilling deep boreholes in these environments to provide access for temperature and other measurements invariably disturbs the temperature field around a newly created borehole. Although this disturbance dissipates over time, most temperature measurements are made while the temperature field is still disturbed. Thus, the measurements must be ‘corrected’ for the drilling-disturbance effect if the undisturbed temperature field is to be determined. This paper provides compact analytical solutions for the thermal drilling disturbance based on 1-D (radial) and 2-D (radial and depth) Green's functions (GFs) in cylindrical coordinates. Solutions are developed for three types of boundary conditions (BCs) at the borehole wall: (1) prescribed temperature, (2) prescribed heat flux and (3) a prescribed convective condition. The BC at the borehole wall is allowed to vary both with depth and time. Inclusion of the depth dimension in the 2-D solution allows vertical heat-transfer effects to be quantified in situations where they are potentially important, that is, near the earth's surface, at the bottom of a well and when considering finite-drilling rates. The 2-D solution also includes a radial- and time-dependent BC at the earth's surface to assess the impact of drilling-related infrastructure (drilling pads, mud pits, permanent shelters) on the subsurface temperature field. Latent-heat effects due to the melting and subsequent refreezing of interstitial ice while drilling a borehole through ice-rich permafrost can be included in the GF solution as a moving-plane heat source (or sink) located at the solid–liquid interface. Synthetic examples are provided illustrating the 1-D and 2-D GF solutions. The flexibility of the approach allows the investigation of thermal drilling effects in rock or ice for a wide variety of drilling technologies. Numerical values for the required radial GFs G R are available through the Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service at doi:10.5065/D64F1NS6.

Description: The elastic properties of homogeneous, isotropic materials are well constrained. However, in heterogeneous and evolving materials, these essential properties are less well-explored. During sintering of volcanic ash particles by viscous processes as well as during compaction and cementation of sediments, microstructure and porosity undergo changes that affect bulk dynamic elastic properties. Here using a model system of glass particles as an analogue for initially granular rock-forming materials, we have determined porosity and P -wave velocity during densification. Using these results, we test models for the kinetics of densification and the resultant evolution of the elastic properties to derive a quantitative description of the coupling between the kinetics of isotropic densification and the evolving dynamic elastic moduli. We demonstrate the power of the resultant model on a wide range of data for non-coherent sediments as well as sedimentary and volcanic rocks. We propose that such constraints be viewed as an essential ingredient of time-dependent models for the deformation of evolving materials in volcanoes and sedimentary basins.

Description: Tarim Craton is a Precambrian block situated in northwest China, just north of the Tibetan Plateau, where a large sedimentary basin with abundant hydrocarbon potential has developed. Accurate heat flow data for Tarim is vital for understanding the lithospheric evolution and hydrocarbon generation in this area; however, there were unavailable until now, due to a lack of high quality steady-state temperature logging data. Here, we report 10 new heat flow values derived from steady-state temperature logging and measured thermal conductivity data. New heat flow values range from 40.1 to 49.4 mW m –2 , with a mean of 43.1 ± 3.0 mW m –2 . In addition, radiogenic heat production from the sediments accounts for 20 per cent of the observed surface heat flow, whilst the mantle heat flow is estimated to be as low as 6–15 mW m –2 ; this indicates a dominant contribution from crustal heat, to the observed heat flow. The average heat flow and crustal temperature in the Tarim Craton are markedly lower than those in the Tibetan Plateau, whilst the calculated rheological strength of the lithosphere, beneath Tarim, is sufficiently large to resist the elevation-induced gravitational potential energy difference between Tarim and Tibet. This inherited thermal and rheological contrast, between the craton and Plateau, can be traced back to before the India–Asia collision; this accounts for the differential active deformation pattern in the Tarim Craton and adjacent areas.

Description: We present a study of the seismic velocity variations that occurred in the structure before the large 2010 eruption of Merapi volcano. For the first time to our knowledge, the technique of coda wave interferometry is applied to both families of similar events (multiplets) and to correlation functions of seismic noise. About half of the seismic events recorded at the summit stations belong to one of the ten multiplets identified, including 120 similar events that occurred in the last 20 hr preceding the eruption onset. Daily noise cross-correlation functions (NCF) were calculated for the six pairs of short-period stations available. Using the stretching method, we estimate time-series of apparent velocity variation (AVV) for each multiplet and each pair of stations. No significant velocity change is detected until September 2010. From 10 October to the beginning of the eruption on 26 October, a complex pattern of AVV is observed with amplitude of up to ±1.5 per cent. Velocity decrease is first observed from families of deep events and then from shallow earthquakes. In the same period, AVV with different signs and chronologies are estimated from NCF calculated for various station pairs. The location in the horizontal plane of the velocity perturbations related with the AVV obtained from NCF is estimated by using an approach based on the radiative transfer approximation. Although their spatial resolution is limited, the resulting maps display velocity decrease in the upper part of the edifice in the period 12–25 October. After the eruption onset, the pattern of velocity perturbations is significantly modified with respect to the previous one. We interpret these velocity variations in the framework of a scenario of magmatic intrusion that integrates most observations. The perturbation of the stress field associated with the magma migration can induce both decrease and increase of the seismic velocity of rocks. Thus the detected AVVs can be considered as precursors of volcanic eruptions in andesitic volcanoes, without taking their sign into account.

Description: The influx of groundwater into hot kimberlite deposits results in the reaction of water with olivine-rich rocks. The products of the reaction are serpentine and release of latent heat. The rise of temperature due to the heat release increases the rate of the reaction. Under certain conditions, this self-speeding up of the reaction can result in instabilities associated with a significantly higher final serpentinization in slightly warmer regions of the kimberlite deposit. We conduct linear stability analysis of serpentinization in an isolated volume of porous kimberlitic rocks saturated with water and an inert gas. There is a counteracting interplay between the heat release tending to destabilize the uniform distribution of parameters and the heat conduction tending to stabilize it by smoothing out temperature perturbations. We determine the critical spatial scale separating the parameters where one phenomenon dominates over another. The perturbations of longer-than-critical length grow, whereas the perturbations of shorter-than-critical length fade. The analytical results of the linear stability analysis are supported by direct numerical simulations using a full nonlinear model.

Description: Inelastic deformation can either occur with dilatancy or compaction, implying differences in porosity changes, failure and petrophysical properties. In this study, the roles of water as a pore fluid, and of temperature, on the deformation and failure of a micritic limestone (white Tavel limestone, porosity 14.7 per cent) were investigated under triaxial stresses. For each sample, a hydrostatic load was applied up to the desired confining pressure (from 0 up to 85 MPa) at either room temperature or at 70 °C. Two pore fluid conditions were investigated at room temperature: dry and water saturated. The samples were deformed up to failure at a constant strain rate of ~10 –5 s –1 . The experiments were coupled with ultrasonic wave velocity surveys to monitor crack densities. The linear trend between the axial crack density and the relative volumetric strain beyond the onset of dilatancy suggests that cracks propagate at constant aspect ratio. The decrease of ultrasonic wave velocities beyond the onset of inelastic compaction in the semi-brittle regime indicates the ongoing interplay of shear-enhanced compaction and crack development. Water has a weakening effect on the onset of dilatancy in the brittle regime, but no measurable influence on the peak strength. Temperature lowers the confining pressure at which the brittle–semi-brittle transition is observed but does not change the stress states at the onset of inelastic compaction and at the post-yield onset of dilatancy.

Description: Remote sensing thermal data of active lava flows allow the evaluation of effusion rates. This is made possible by a simple formula relating the lava effusion rate to the heat flux radiated per unit time from the surface of the flow. Due to the assumptions of the model, this formula implies that heat flux, surface temperature and lava temperature vary as a function of the flow thickness. These relationships, never verified or validated before, have been used by several authors as a proof of the weakness of the model. Here, multispectral infrared and visible imaging spectrometer (MIVIS) high spatial resolution (5–10 m) thermal data acquired during Etna's 2001 eruption were used to investigate downflow heat flux variations in the lava flow emitted from a vent located at 2100 m a.s.l. A high correlation between the downflow heat flux and the lava flow thickness (measured from a pre-existing digital elevation model) was found. Topography beneath the flow appears to play an important role both in lava emplacement mechanisms and flow dynamics. MIVIS-derived downflow effusion rates are consistent with the law of conservation of mass assessing the reliability of remote sensing techniques.

Description: We performed complex conductivity measurements on 28 core samples from the hole drilled for the Humu'ula Groundwater Research Project (Hawai'i Island, HI, USA). The complex conductivity measurements were performed at 4 different pore water conductivities (0.07, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0, and 10 S m –1 prepared with NaCl) over the frequency range 1 mHz to 45 kHz at 22 ± 1 °C. The in-phase conductivity data are plotted against the pore water conductivity to determine, sample by sample, the intrinsic formation factor and the surface conductivity. The intrinsic formation factor is related to porosity by Archie's law with an average value of the cementation exponent m of 2.45, indicating that only a small fraction of the connected pore space controls the transport properties. Both the surface and quadrature conductivities are found to be linearly related to the cation exchange capacity of the material, which was measured with the cobalt hexamine chloride method. Surface and quadrature conductivities are found to be proportional to each other like for sedimentary siliclastic rocks. A Stern layer polarization model is used to explain these experimental results. Despite the fact that the samples contain some magnetite (up to 5 per cent wt.), we were not able to identify the effect of this mineral on the complex conductivity spectra. These results are very encouraging in showing that galvanometric induced polarization measurements can be used in volcanic areas to separate the bulk from the surface conductivity and therefore to define some alteration attributes. Such a goal cannot be achieved with resistivity alone.

Description: We investigate the relationship between complex conductivity spectra and both permeability and pore mean size and distribution of 22 core samples (21 volcanic rocks and 1 clayey sandstone). The volcanic core samples were extracted from a wellbore drilled for the Humu‘ula Groundwater Research Project in the Humu‘ula saddle region between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes (Hawaii). The quadrature conductivity spectra of volcanic rocks exhibit a subtle, but generally detectable, relaxation frequency in the range 0.3 Hz to 45 kHz similar to the relaxation frequency observed for clayey sandstones. We find a fair relationship between this relaxation frequency and the pore size determined by mercury porosimetry. Combined with the intrinsic formation factor of the core samples, the relaxation frequency can be used as an indicator of the permeability of the material. The predicted values of the permeability are grossly consistent with the permeability values to air (in the range 0.001–100 mD) within two orders of magnitude. The measured permeability values are highly correlated to the peak of the pore size distribution determined from mercury porosimetry divided by the intrinsic formation factor. By fitting the complex conductivity spectra with the pore size distribution, we obtain the normalized chargeability of the core samples, which is, in turn, highly correlated to the measured cation exchange capacity.

Description: The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex (PCCVC) is one of the best examples of tectonic control on volcanism at the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andes (southern Chile). The PCCVC comprises several volcanic centres that erupted dominantly SiO 2 -rich magmas at the intersection of the trench-parallel Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone (LOFZ) and an inherited NW–SE basement structure. The PCCVC began an explosive and later effusive eruption on 2011 June 4 causing decimetre- to metre-scale surface deformation that was observed by a series of Envisat ASAR satellite scenes. We modelled this data and complemented it with time-series of two continuous GPS stations and seismicity recorded by a local network. Deformation during the first 3 days of the eruption can be modelled either by two point sources aligned with the NW–SE Cordón Caulle graben or by a closing dyke with a significant component of left-lateral motion along the graben. These models are discussed with respect to their implications on the estimated rheology and the eruption mechanism. GPS observations near the volcanic complex reveal an additional, more localised effect related to the LOFZ in the south of the complex. Coeruptive deformation at the main geological structures of the PCCVC is further supported by relocated seismicity, which is concentrated along the Cordón Caulle graben and to the western side of the LOFZ.

Description: In this study, equations are developed that predict for synthetic sedimentary rocks (clastics, carbonates and evapourates) thermal properties comprising thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity. The rock groups are composed of mineral assemblages with variable contents of 15 major rock-forming minerals and porosities of 0–30 per cent. Petrophysical properties and their well-logging-tool-characteristic readings were assigned to these rock-forming minerals and to pore-filling fluids. Relationships are explored between each thermal property and other petrophysical properties (density, sonic interval transit time, hydrogen index, volume fraction of shale and photoelectric absorption index) using multivariate statistics. The application of these relations allows computing continuous borehole profiles for each rock thermal property. The uncertainties in the prediction of each property vary depending on the selected well-log combination. Best prediction is in the range of 2–8 per cent for the specific heat capacity, of 5–10 per cent for the thermal conductivity, and of 8–15 for the thermal diffusivity, respectively. Well-log derived thermal conductivity is validated by laboratory data measured on cores from deep boreholes of the Danish Basin, the North German Basin, and the Molasse Basin. Additional validation of thermal conductivity was performed by comparing predicted and measured temperature logs. The maximum deviation between these logs is 〈3 °C. The thermal-conductivity calculation allowed an evaluation of the depth range in which the palaeoclimatic effect on the subsurface temperature field can be observed in the North German Basin. This effect reduces the surface heat-flow density by 25 mW m –2 .

Description: Coal fires are severe hazards to environment, health and safety throughout the world. Efficient and economical extinguishing of these fires requires that the extent of the subsurface coal fires should be delineated. Electrical and electromagnetic methods have been used to detect coal fires in recent years. However, the resistivity change of coal-bearing rocks at high temperature is rarely investigated. The resistivity characteristics of coal fires at different temperatures and depths are seldomly researched as well. In this paper, we present the results of measurements of several coal-bearing rocks’ resistivity and permeability under high temperature. Two major causes for the change in resistivity with increasing temperature are recognized, there are the increase of charge carriers and thermal fracturing, of which the first one is probably the dominant cause. A set of 2-D simulations is carried out to compare the relation of resolution and efficiency of coal fires detection to temperature and depth when adopting the electrical resistance tomography. The simulation results show that the resolution and efficiency decrease with the decrease of temperature and the increase of depth. Finally, the electrical resistance tomography is used to delineate coal fires in the Anjialing Open Pit Mine. Most low-resistivity regions are verified as coal-fire areas according to the long-term monitoring of borehole temperature. The results indicate that the electrical resistance tomography can be used as a tool for the detection of coal fires.

Description: Accurate information on thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of materials is of central importance in relation to geoscience and engineering problems involving the transfer of heat. Several methods, including the classical divided bar technique, are available for laboratory measurements of thermal conductivity, but much fewer for thermal diffusivity. We have generalized the divided bar technique to the transient case in which thermal conductivity, volumetric heat capacity and thereby also thermal diffusivity are measured simultaneously. As the density of samples is easily determined independently, specific heat capacity can also be determined. The finite element formulation provides a flexible forward solution for heat transfer across the bar, and thermal properties are estimated by inverse Monte Carlo modelling. This methodology enables a proper quantification of experimental uncertainties on measured thermal properties and information on their origin. The developed methodology was applied to various materials, including a standard ceramic material and different rock samples, and measuring results were compared with results applying traditional steady-state divided bar and an independent line-source method. All measurements show highly consistent results and with excellent reproducibility and high accuracy. For conductivity the obtained uncertainty is typically 1–3 per cent, and for diffusivity uncertainty may be reduced to about 3–5 per cent. The main uncertainty originates from the presence of thermal contact resistance associated with the internal interfaces in the bar. These are not resolved during inversion and it is imperative that they are minimized. The proposed procedure is simple and may quite easily be implemented to the many steady-state divided bar systems in operation. A thermally controlled bath, as applied here, may not be needed. Simpler systems, such as applying temperature-controlled water directly from a tap, may also be applied.

Description: It is important to know the electrokinetic properties of crustal rocks for interpreting the conductivity mechanisms and seismoelectric phenomena during earthquakes and seismoelectric well logging. In this study, electrokinetic experiments are conducted using a special core-holder by employing an AC lock-in technique. A series of experiments are conducted on 10 sandstone samples to measure the streaming potentials and streaming currents, and the experiments on each sample are done at six different salinities. The streaming potential coefficient and streaming current coefficient are calculated from the measured streaming potentials and streaming currents. The experimental results show that streaming potential coefficient and streaming current coefficient decrease as the salinity increases. The dependence of these two coefficients on permeability and pore radius are analysed and compared with previous works. At low salinities, the streaming potential coefficient and streaming current coefficient increase with the increasing permeability and pore radius. At high salinities, the streaming potential coefficient (streaming current coefficient) almost share a same value for 10 different samples. This conclusion indicates that the differences of rock parameters can only be well recognized at lower salinities, and the electrokinetic signals are invalid at high salinities, which offers a restrictive condition for using the amplitude of electrokinetic signals to estimate rock parameters. The zeta-potential have also been estimated through combined measurements of streaming potential and streaming current. The surface conductivity and its contribution to electrokinetic effects are determined from a comparison of zeta-potentials by two different methods, and then the validation of the Helmholz–Smoluchowski equation for a capillary tube is tested in rocks. We also compare our date with theoretical and experimental works, and set up an expression about the relationship between zeta potential and salinity, which fits the experimental data well.

Description: We used ab initio molecular dynamics to calculate the elastic constants of MgSiO 3 , FeSiO 3 and (Fe 0.5 Mg 0.5 )SiO 3 perovskite under lower-most mantle conditions (136 GPa, 2000–4000 K). At 0 K, V p and V s for FeSiO 3 perovskite are 12 and 18 per cent lower, respectively than those for MgSiO 3 , in agreement with previous work. The difference in velocity, however, increases with temperature for high spin (but not low spin) states and at 4000 K, V p and V s for the end-member FeSiO 3 are, respectively, 19 and 34 per cent lower than those of MgSiO 3 . We find that (dln V s /dln V p ) T,P of Fe x Mg 1- x O 3 remains below 2 for all relevant iron concentrations and lower than the value of 3 seen in most ultralow velocity zones (ULVZ). Moreover, we are unable to match simultaneously the observed density increase and shear wave velocity reduction shown by ULVZs by increasing the ferrous iron content in perovskite except for the largest density increases and the smallest shear wave decreases observed in ULVZs. Assuming that current seismic estimates of ULVZ properties are accurate, our results suggest that ferrous iron enrichment alone cannot explain ULVZs.