Sample records for nankai accretionary wedge

  1. Paleothermal structure of the Nankai inner accretionary wedge estimated from vitrinite reflectance of cuttings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukuchi, Rina; Yamaguchi, Asuka; Yamamoto, Yuzuru; Ashi, Juichiro

    2017-08-01

    The paleothermal structure and tectonic evolution of an accretionary prism is basic information for understanding subduction zone seismogenesis. To evaluate the entire paleotemperature profile of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0002 located in the off-Kumano region of the Nankai Trough and penetrate the inner accretionary wedge down to 3058.5 m below the seafloor (mbsf), we performed a vitrinite reflectance analysis for cuttings and core samples during IODP expeditions 338 and 348: Nankai Trough seismogenic zone experiment. Although vitrinite reflectance values (Ro) tend to increase with depth, two reversals of these values suggested the existence of thrust fault zones with sufficient displacements to offset the paleothermal structure. The estimated maximum paleotemperatures are 42-70°C at 1200-1300 mbsf, 44-100°C at 1600-2400 mbsf, and 56-115°C at 2600-3000 mbsf, respectively. These temperatures roughly coincide with estimated modern temperatures; however, at a smaller scale, the reconstructed partial paleogeothermal gradient (˜60-150°C/km) recorded at the hanging- and footwall of the presumed thrust fault zone is higher than the modern geothermal gradient (˜30-40°C/km). This high paleogeothermal gradient was possibly obtained prior to subduction, reflecting the large heat flow of the young Philippine Sea Plate.

  2. Distribution of resistive and conductive structures in Nankai accretionary wedge reveals contrasting stress paths

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conin, Marianne; Bourlange, Sylvain; Henry, Pierre; Boiselet, Aurelien; Gaillot, Philippe

    2014-01-01

    In this article, we study the characteristics and spatial distribution of the deformation structures along the Kumano transect of the Nankai accretionary wedge, and use this information to interpret the stress path followed by the sediments. Deformation structures are identified from logging while drilling (LWD) resistivity images of the materials surrounding the drill hole and from 3-dimensional X-ray CT-images of cores acquired during the IODP NanTroSEIZE project. The relative resistivity of the structures identified on logs and the strike, dip, and density of structures identified on CT scan images are measured. The analysis of dip and strike of structures indicates that most of the resistive structures identified on logging data correspond to compactive shear bands. Results also indicate that conductive structures predominate at the toe of the prism and above the main out of sequence thrust, in locations where past and recent erosion occurred. We propose several mechanisms that could explain the relation between erosion and the absence of compactive shear bands. We conclude that sediments followed different stress paths depending on their location within the wedge, and that those differences explain the distribution of deformation structures within the wedge. We also show the coexistence of dilatant and compactant structures in fault zones including the frontal thrust and mega splay fault, and we interpret the coexistence of these structures as a possible consequence of a transient fluid pressure.

  3. Structural evolution of the Nankai inner accretionary prism constrained by thermal structure and sedimentary age of deep borehole samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukuchi, R.; Yamaguchi, A.; Ito, H.; Yamamoto, Y.; Ashi, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Nankai accretionary wedge has been developed by subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian and Amur Plate, accompanying forearc basin development upon inner wedge. To evaluate the evolutionary processes of the Nankai inner accretionary wedge, we performed vitrinite reflectance analysis and detrital zircon U-Pb age dating using cuttings retrieved from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0002 located within the Kumano Basin and penetrates the inner accretionary wedge down to 3058.5 m below the seafloor (mbsf). Although Ro values of vitrinite reflectance tend to increase with depth, there are two reversals (1300-1500 mbsf and 2400-2600 mbsf) of Ro values. The youngest detrital zircon U-Pb age of the cuttings from 2600.5 mbsf is 7.41 Ma, which is obviously younger than shipboard nannofossil ages (9.56-10.54 Ma) at 2245.5 mbsf. Both Ro values and the youngest detrital zircon U-Pb ages show a reversal between 2400-2600 mbsf, suggesting the existence of a thrust fault with sufficient displacement to offset both paleothermal structure and sediment age. Despite similar depositonal age and paleogeothermal gradient, lithofacies in the hanging- and footwall of the 2400-2600 mbsf thrust fault are different; volcaniclastic sediments are rare in the footwall. The lack of volcaniclastic sediments corresponding to the Middle Shikoku Basin facies in the footwall of the thrust suggests that sediments below 2600 mbsf have similar sedimentation background to that of present off-Muroto input site sediments. Thus, our synthesized model of tectonic evolutionary process of deep portion of the Nankai inner accretionary wedge is as follows: 1) 4 Ma: hemipelagic sediments, which deposited similar environment of present off-Muroto input, have accreted ( 4 Ma corresponds to the age of unconformity between forearc basin and accretionary prism (Kinoshita et al., 2009)). 2) 2 Ma: The megasplay fault was activated (Strasser et al., 2009), and Site C0002 sediments

  4. Pressure Wave Propagation along the Décollement of the Nankai Accretionary Wedge: Implications for Aseismic Slip Events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, A.; Appold, M. S.

    2015-12-01

    Seismic and hydrologic observations of the Nankai subduction zone made by the Ocean Drilling Program suggest that pore fluid pressures within the accretionary wedge décollement are highly overpressured to near lithostatic values below depths of 2 km beneath the sea floor as a result of sediment diagenesis and dehydration of the subducting oceanic plate. This overpressured zone is also observed to discharge pulses of high fluid pressure that migrate up-dip along the décollement at rates of 1's of km/day. These high pressure pulses along the décollement may cause large enough reductions in the local effective stress to account for aseismic slip events that have been found to propagate also at rates of 1's of km/day. Because elevated fluid pressure and correspondingly decreased effective stress can lead to a dilation of porosity, the pressure waves may become effective agents of fluid transport that can travel more quickly than fluids flowing in the background Darcian flow regime. The purpose of the present study was to seek theoretical confirmation that pressure waves are able to travel quickly enough to account for the seismic and hydrological observations documented. This confirmation was sought through a transient one-dimensional numerical solution to the differential fluid mass conservation equation for an elastic porous medium. Results of the numerical simulations show that when overpressures at depths greater than 2 km in the décollement exceed lithostatic pressure by at least 3%, pressure waves are formed that migrate up-dip at rates fast enough to account for aseismic slip over a broad range of geologic conditions. Pressure waves spawned from these depths in the décollement may travel fast enough to account for aseismic slip when overpressures there are as low as 99% of lithostatic pressure, but require low specific storage of 3×10-6 m-1, high sensitivity of permeability to effective stress, low permeability no higher than about 10-21 m2 at depths below

  5. Numerical modeling of porosity waves in the Nankai accretionary wedge décollement, Japan: implications for aseismic slip

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Ajit; Appold, Martin S.

    2017-01-01

    Seismic and hydrologic observations of the Nankai accretionary wedge décollement, Japan, show that overpressures at depths greater than ˜2 km beneath the seafloor could have increased to near lithostatic values due to sediment compaction and diagenesis, clay dehydration, and shearing. The resultant high overpressures are hypothesized then to have migrated in rapid surges or pulses called `porosity waves' up the dip of the décollement. Such high velocities—much higher than expected Darcy fluxes—are possible for porosity waves if the porous media through which the waves travel are deformable enough for porosity and permeability to increase strongly with increasing fluid pressure. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that porosity waves can travel at rates (kilometers per day) fast enough to cause aseismic slip in the Nankai décollement. The hypothesis was tested using a one-dimensional numerical solution to the fluid mass conservation equation for elastic porous media. Results show that porosity waves generated at depths of ˜2 km from overpressures in excess of lithostatic pressure can propagate at rates sufficient to account for aseismic slip along the décollement over a wide range of hydrogeological conditions. Sensitivity analysis showed porosity wave velocity to be strongly dependent on specific storage, fluid viscosity, and the permeability-depth gradient. Overpressure slightly less than lithostatic pressure could also produce porosity waves capable of traveling at velocities sufficient to cause aseismic slip, provided that hydrogeologic properties of the décollement are near the limits of their geologically reasonable ranges.

  6. A 3 Kilometer Deep Window on the Interior of the Modern Nankai Accretionary Wedge: First Results from IODP Expedition 348

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, Harold; Hirose, Takehiro; Demian, Saffer

    2014-05-01

    IODP Site C0002 at the Nankai Trough is now the deepest hole ever drilled in scientific ocean drilling, at 3058 meters below sea floor so far, and the first hole anywhere to access the deep interior of an active convergent margin. Site C0002 is part of the NanTroSEIZE transect off the Kii-Kumano region of Japan, imaged with 3D seismic reflection and drilled on a series of Chikyu expeditions to shed light on the processes around the up-dip edge of seismogenic locking and slip. At Site C0002, riser drilling has passed through the approximately 900 m thick Kumano forearc basin and pierced the underlying Miocene age accretionary wedge. Limited coring, extensive LWD logging, and continuous observations on drill cuttings reveal the materials and processes in the deep interior of the inner wedge. Predominantly fine-grained mudstones with common turbiditic sands were encountered, complexly deformed and exhibiting well-developed scaly clay fabrics, variable bedding dip with very steep dips prevailing, and veins that become more abundant with depth. The biostratigraphic age of the sediments in the lowermost part of the hole is thought to be ~ 9 - 11 Ma, with an assumed age of accretion of 3-5 Ma. Physical properties suggest that the inner wedge from 1600 - 3000 mbsf has quite homogeneous properties. Evidence from borehole logging, drilling parameters, and samples for the state of stress and pore pressure in this never-before accessed tectonic environment will be presented.

  7. Mechanical behavior in the Nankai inner accretionary prism, IODP Site C0002

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valdez, R. D., II; Saffer, D. M.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding the processes that control seismogenesis and stress state at subduction zones requires knowledge of fault zone and sediment physical and mechanical properties. As part of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE), Expedition 348 drilled into the Kumano forearc basin and underlying inner accretionary prism at Site C0002, located 35 km landward of the trench. One primary objective was to sample and characterize the mechanical behavior of the inner accretionary prism. Here we report on the frictional and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of mudstone samples and a clay-rich shear zone recovered from 2182-2209 meters below sea floor (mbsf), determined from triaxial deformation tests at confining pressures from 1 to 7 MPa (UCS measurements on mudstones) and 36 MPa (strength of fault zone). Our results show that at a confining pressure of 1 MPa, the wall rock sediments fail at a peak differential stress of 9.1 MPa with a residual stress of 2.8 MPa. A clear peak and evolution to residual strength remains present at 7 MPa, and both the peak and residual strengths of the mudstones increases systematically with confining pressure. At a confining pressure of 36 MPa, the shear zone sediment yields at a differential stress of 25.2 MPa followed by strain-hardening to a maximum stress of 33.1 MPa. The shear zone is frictionally weaker than the surrounding mudstones, with a friction coefficient (μ) of 0.26-0.31, versus µ = 0.45 for the wall rock. The suite of tests defines a UCS for the mudstone of 7.9 MPa. Our friction data suggest that the inner wedge may be weaker than commonly assumed in applications of critical wedge theory to estimate the properties and conditions in accretionary prisms. One key implication is that for a given basal detachment friction coefficient, higher basal pore pressures (or lower wedge pore pressures) would be required to sustain observed taper angles. Additionally, the

  8. Significant strain accumulation between the deformation front and landward out-of-sequence thrusts in accretionary wedge of SW Taiwan revealed by cGPS and SAR interferometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, M. C.

    2017-12-01

    High strain accumulation across the fold-and-thrust belt in Southwestern Taiwan are revealed by the Continuous GPS (cGPS) and SAR interferometry. This high strain is generally accommodated by the major active structures in fold-and-thrust belt of western Foothills in SW Taiwan connected to the accretionary wedge in the incipient are-continent collision zone. The active structures across the high strain accumulation include the deformation front around the Tainan Tableland, the Hochiali, Hsiaokangshan, Fangshan and Chishan faults. Among these active structures, the deformation pattern revealed from cGPS and SAR interferometry suggest that the Fangshan transfer fault may be a left-lateral fault zone with thrust component accommodating the westward differential motion of thrust sheets on both side of the fault. In addition, the Chishan fault connected to the splay fault bordering the lower-slope and upper-slope of the accretionary wedge which could be the major seismogenic fault and an out-of-sequence thrust fault in SW Taiwan. The big earthquakes resulted from the reactivation of out-of-sequence thrusts have been observed along the Nankai accretionary wedge, thus the assessment of the major seismogenic structures by strain accumulation between the frontal décollement and out-of-sequence thrusts is a crucial topic. According to the background seismicity, the low seismicity and mid-crust to mantle events are observed inland and the lower- and upper- slope domain offshore SW Taiwan, which rheologically implies the upper crust of the accretionary wedge is more or less aseimic. This result may suggest that the excess fluid pressure from the accretionary wedge not only has significantly weakened the prism materials as well as major fault zone, but also makes the accretionary wedge landward extension, which is why the low seismicity is observed in SW Taiwan area. Key words: Continuous GPS, SAR interferometry, strain rate, out-of-sequence thrust.

  9. Strike-slip deformation reflects complex partitioning of strain in the Nankai Accretionary Prism (SE Japan)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azevedo, Marco C.; Alves, Tiago M.; Fonseca, Paulo E.; Moore, Gregory F.

    2018-01-01

    Previous studies have suggested predominant extensional tectonics acting, at present, on the Nankai Accretionary Prism (NAP), and following a parallel direction to the convergence vector between the Philippine Sea and Amur Plates. However, a complex set of thrusts, pop-up structures, thrust anticlines and strike-slip faults is observed on seismic data in the outer wedge of the NAP, hinting at a complex strain distribution across SE Japan. Three-dimensional (3D) seismic data reveal three main families of faults: (1) NE-trending thrusts and back-thrusts; (2) NNW- to N-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults; and (3) WNW-trending to E-W right-lateral strike-slip faults. Such a fault pattern suggests that lateral slip, together with thrusting, are the two major styles of deformation operating in the outer wedge of the NAP. Both styles of deformation reflect a transpressional tectonic regime in which the maximum horizontal stress is geometrically close to the convergence vector. This work is relevant because it shows a progressive change from faults trending perpendicularly to the convergence vector, to a broader partitioning of strain in the form of thrusts and conjugate strike-slip faults. We suggest that similar families of faults exist within the inner wedge of the NAP, below the Kumano Basin, and control stress accumulation and strain accommodation in this latter region.

  10. Characterizing structures on borehole images and logging data of the Nankai trough accretionary prism: new insights

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jurado, Maria Jose

    2016-04-01

    IODP has extensively used the D/V Chikyu to drill the Kumano portion of the Nankai Trough, including two well sites within the Kumano Basin. IODP Expeditions 338 and 348 drilled deep into the inner accretionary prism south of the Kii Peninsula collecting a suite of LWD data, including natural gamma ray, electrical resistivity logs and borehole images, suitable to characterize structures (fractures and faults) inside the accretionary prism. Structural interpretation and analysis of logging-while-drilling data in the deep inner prism revealed intense deformation of a generally homogenous lithology characterized by bedding that dips steeply (60-90°) to the NW, intersected by faults and fractures. Multiple phases of deformation are characterized. IODP Expedition borehole images and LWD data acquired in the last decade in previous and results of NantroSEIZE IODP Expeditions (314, 319) were also analyzed to investigate the internal geometries and structures of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism. This study focused mainly on the characterization of the different types of structures and their specific position within the accretionary prism structures. New structural constraints and methodologies as well as a new approach to the characterization of study of active structures inside the prism will be presented.

  11. Continuous depth profile of the rock strength in the Nankai accretionary prism based on drilling performance parameters.

    PubMed

    Hamada, Yohei; Kitamura, Manami; Yamada, Yasuhiro; Sanada, Yoshinori; Sugihara, Takamitsu; Saito, Saneatsu; Moe, Kyaw; Hirose, Takehiro

    2018-02-14

    A new method for evaluating the in situ rock strength beneath the seafloor is proposed and applied to the Nankai Trough accretionary prism. The depth-continuous in situ rock strength is a critical parameter for numerous studies in earth science, particularly for seismology and tectonics at plate convergence zones; yet, measurements are limited owing to a lack of drilled cores. Here, we propose a new indicator of strength, the equivalent strength (EST), which is determined only by drilling performance parameters such as drill string rotational torque, bit depth, and string rotational speed. A continuous depth profile of EST was drawn from 0 to 3000 m below the seafloor (mbsf) across the forearc basin and accretionary prism in the Nankai Trough. The EST did not show a significant increase around the forearc basin-accretionary prism boundary, but it did show a clear increase within the prism, ca. below 1500 mbsf. This result may indicate that even the shallow accretionary prism has been strengthened by horizontal compression derived from plate subduction. The EST is a potential parameter to continuously evaluate the in situ rock strength during drilling, and its accuracy of the absolute value can be improved by combining with laboratory drilling experiments.

  12. Seismic reflection images of the accretionary wedge of Costa Rica

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shipley, T.H.; Stoffa, P.L.; McIntosh, K.

    The large-scale structure of modern accretionary wedges is known almost entirely from seismic reflection investigations using single or grids of two-dimensional profiles. The authors will report on the first three-dimensional seismic reflection data volume collected of a wedge. This data set covers a 9-km-wide {times} 22-km-long {times} 6-km-thick volume of the accretionary wedge just arcward of the Middle America Trench off Costa Rica. The three-dimensional processing has improved the imaging ability of the multichannel data, and the data volume allows mapping of structures from a few hundred meters to kilometers in size. These data illustrate the relationships between the basement,more » the wedge shape, and overlying slope sedimentary deposits. Reflections from within the wedge define the gross structural features and tectonic processes active along this particular convergent margin. So far, the analysis shows that the subdued basement relief (horst and graben structures seldom have relief of more than a few hundred meters off Costa Rica) does affect the larger scale through going structural features within the wedge. The distribution of mud volcanoes and amplitude anomalies associated with the large-scale wedge structures suggests that efficient fluid migration paths may extend from the top of the downgoing slab at the shelf edge out into the lower and middle slope region at a distance of 50-100 km. Offscraping of the uppermost (about 45 m) sediment occurs within 4 km of the trench, creating a small pile of sediments near the trench lower slope. Underplating of parts of the 400-m-thick subducted sedimentary section begins at a very shallow structural level, 4-10 km arcward of the trench. Volumetrically, the most important accretionary process is underplating.« less

  13. Pressure and Stress Prediction in the Nankai Accretionary Prism: A Critical State Soil Mechanics Porosity-Based Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flemings, Peter B.; Saffer, Demian M.

    2018-02-01

    We predict pressure and stress from porosity in the Nankai accretionary prism with a critical state soil model that describes porosity as a function of mean stress and maximum shear stress, and assumes Coulomb failure within the wedge and uniaxial burial beneath it. At Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1174 and 808, we find that pore pressure in the prism supports 70% to 90% of the overburden (λu = 0.7 to 0.9), for a range of assumed friction angles (5-30°). The prism pore pressure is equal to or greater than that in the underthrust sediments even though the porosity is lower within the prism. The high pore pressures lead to a mechanically weak wedge that supports low maximum shear stress, and this in turn requires very low basal traction to remain consistent with the observed narrowly tapered wedge geometry. We estimate the décollement friction coefficient (μb) to be 0.08-0.38 (ϕb' = 4.6°-21°). Our approach defines a pathway to predict pressure in a wide range of environments from readily observed quantities (e.g., porosity and seismic velocity). Pressure and stress control the form of the Earth's collisional continental margins and play a key role in its greatest earthquakes. However, heretofore, there has been no systematic approach to relate material state (e.g., porosity), pore pressure, and stress in these systems.

  14. Deep-biosphere methane production stimulated by geofluids in the Nankai accretionary complex

    PubMed Central

    Kubo, Yusuke; Hoshino, Tatsuhiko; Sakai, Sanae; Arnold, Gail L.; Case, David H.; Lever, Mark A.; Morita, Sumito; Nakamura, Ko-ichi

    2018-01-01

    Microbial life inhabiting subseafloor sediments plays an important role in Earth’s carbon cycle. However, the impact of geodynamic processes on the distributions and carbon-cycling activities of subseafloor life remains poorly constrained. We explore a submarine mud volcano of the Nankai accretionary complex by drilling down to 200 m below the summit. Stable isotopic compositions of water and carbon compounds, including clumped methane isotopologues, suggest that ~90% of methane is microbially produced at 16° to 30°C and 300 to 900 m below seafloor, corresponding to the basin bottom, where fluids in the accretionary prism are supplied via megasplay faults. Radiotracer experiments showed that relatively small microbial populations in deep mud volcano sediments (102 to 103 cells cm−3) include highly active hydrogenotrophic methanogens and acetogens. Our findings indicate that subduction-associated fluid migration has stimulated microbial activity in the mud reservoir and that mud volcanoes may contribute more substantially to the methane budget than previously estimated. PMID:29928689

  15. Analog modeling of the deformation and kinematics of the Calabrian accretionary wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dellong, David; Gutscher, Marc-Andre; Klingelhoefer, Frauke; Graindorge, David; Kopp, Heidrun; Mercier de Lepinay, Bernard; Dominguez, Stephane; Malavieille, Jacques

    2017-04-01

    The Calabrian accretionary wedge in the Ionian Sea, is the site of slow, deformation related to the overall convergence between Africa and Eurasia and the subduction zone beneath Calabria. High-resolution swath bathymetric data and seismic profiling image a complex network of compressional and strike-slip structures. Major Mesozoic rift structures (Malta Escarpment) are also present and appear to be reactivated in places by normal faulting. Ongoing normal faulting also occurs in the straits of Messina area (1908 M7.2 earthquake). We applied analog modeling using granular materials as well as ductile (silicone) in some experiments. The objective was to test the predictions of certain kinematic models regarding the location and kinematics of a major lateral slab edge tear fault. One experiment, using two independently moving backstops, demonstrates that the relative kinematics of the Calabrian and Peloritan blocks can produce a zone of dextral transtension and subsidence which corresponds well to the asymmetric rift observed in seismic data in the southward prolongation of the straits of Messina faults. However, the expected dextral offset in the deformation front of the accretionary wedge is not observed in bathymetry. In fact sinistral motion is observed along the boundary between two lobes of the accretionary wedge suggesting the dextral motion is absorbed along a network of transcurrent faults within the eastern lobe. Bathymetric and seismic observations indicate that the major dextral boundary along the western boundary of the accretionary wedge is the Alfeo fault system, whose southern termination is the focal point of a striking set of radial slip-lines. Further analog modeling experiments attempted to reproduce these structures, with mixed results.

  16. Mechanical and hydraulic properties of Nankai accretionary prism sediments: Effect of stress path

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitajima, Hiroko; Chester, Frederick M.; Biscontin, Giovanna

    2012-10-01

    We have conducted triaxial deformation experiments along different loading paths on prism sediments from the Nankai Trough. Different load paths of isotropic loading, uniaxial strain loading, triaxial compression (at constant confining pressure, Pc), undrained Pc reduction, drained Pc reduction, and triaxial unloading at constant Pc, were used to understand the evolution of mechanical and hydraulic properties under complicated stress states and loading histories in accretionary subduction zones. Five deformation experiments were conducted on three sediment core samples for the Nankai prism, specifically from older accreted sediments at the forearc basin, underthrust slope sediments beneath the megasplay fault, and overthrust Upper Shikoku Basin sediments along the frontal thrust. Yield envelopes for each sample were constructed based on the stress paths of Pc-reduction using the modified Cam-clay model, and in situ stress states of the prism were constrained using the results from the other load paths and accounting for horizontal stress. Results suggest that the sediments in the vicinity of the megasplay fault and frontal thrust are highly overconsolidated, and thus likely to deform brittle rather than ductile. The porosity of sediments decreases as the yield envelope expands, while the reduction in permeability mainly depends on the effective mean stress before yield, and the differential stress after yield. An improved understanding of sediment yield strength and hydromechanical properties along different load paths is necessary to treat accurately the coupling of deformation and fluid flow in accretionary subduction zones.

  17. Smectite diagenesis, pore-water freshening, and fluid flow at the toe of the Nankai wedge

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, K.M.; Saffer, D.M.; Bekins, B.A.

    2001-01-01

    The presence of low-chloride fluids in the lowermost sediments drilled at Ocean Drilling Program Site 808, at the Nankai accretionary wedge, has been considered as prime evidence for long-distance, lateral fluid flow from depth. Here, we re-evaluate the potential role of in situ reaction of smectite (S) to illite (I) in the genesis of this low chloride anomaly. This reaction is known to be occurring at Site 808, with both the S content and S to I ratio in the mixed layer clays decreasing substantially with depth. We show that the bulk of the chloride anomaly can generate by in situ clay dehydration, particularly if pre-reaction smectite abundances (Ai) approach ?? 10-15% of the bulk sediment. The Ai values, however, are not well constrained. At Ai values < 10-15%, an additional source of low-Cl fluid centered close to the de??collement could be required. Thus, there remains the important possibility that the observed low-Cl anomaly is a compound effect of both lateral flow and in situ smectite dehydration. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Possible Strain Partitioning Between the Kumano Forearc Basin and the Slope of the Nankai Trough Accretionary Prism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, K. M.; Gulick, S. P.; Bangs, N. L.; Ashi, J.; Moore, G. F.; Nakamura, Y.; Tobin, H. J.

    2008-12-01

    A 12 km wide, 56 km long, three-dimensional (3-D) seismic volume acquired over the Nankai Trough offshore the Kii Peninsula, Japan images the Nankai accretionary prism, forearc basin and the subducting Philippine Sea Plate. We have analyzed an unusual, trench-parallel ~1200 m deep depression (a "notch") along the seaward edge of the Kumano forearc basin, just landward of the shallowest branch of the previously- mapped splay-fault system. The shape of this feature varies along strike, from a single, steep-walled, ~3.5 km wide notch in the northeast, to a broader, ~6 km wide zone with several shallower linear bathymetric lows in the southwest. We have mapped the area below the notch and found both vertical faults and faults which dip toward the central axis of the depression. Some dipping faults appear to have normal offset, consistent with the formation of a bathymetric low. Some of these dipping faults may join the central vertical fault(s) at depth, creating apparent flower structures. Offset on the vertical faults is more difficult to determine, but the dip and along-strike geometry of these faults makes predominantly normal or thrust motion unlikely. We conclude, therefore, that the notch feature is the bathymetric expression of a transtensional fault system. Possible causes for such a system in the forearc include variations in splay fault geometry and strain partitioning. By considering only the along-strike variability of the mapped splay fault, we were unable to explain a transform feature at the scale of the notch. Strike-slip faulting at the seaward edge of forearc basins is also observed in Sumatra and is there attributed to strain partitioning due to oblique convergence. The wedge and décollment strength variations which control the location of the forearc basins may therefore play a role in the position where the along-strike component of deformation is localized. While the obliquity of convergence in the Nankai trough is comparatively small (13

  19. Geometry and kinematics of accretionary wedge faults inherited from the structure and rheology of the incoming sedimentary section; insights from 3D seismic reflection data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, Rebecca; Orme, Haydn; Lenette, Kathryn; Jackson, Christopher; Fitch, Peter; Phillips, Thomas; Moore, Gregory

    2017-04-01

    Intra-wedge thrust faults represent important conduits for fluid flow in accretionary prisms, modulating pore fluid pressure, effective stress and, ultimately, the seismic hazard potential of convergent plate boundaries. Despite its importance, we know surprisingly little regarding the 3D geometry and kinematics of thrust networks in accretionary prisms, largely due to a lack of 3D seismic reflection data providing high-resolution, 3D images. To address this we here present observations from two subduction zones, the Nankai and Lesser Antilles margins, where 3D seismic and borehole data allow us to constrain the geometry and kinematics of intra-wedge fault networks and to thus shed light on the mechanisms responsible for their structural style variability. At the Muroto transect, Nankai margin we find that the style of protothrust zone deformation varies markedly along-strike over distances of only a few km. Using structural restoration and quantitative fault analysis, we reveal that in the northern part of the study area deformation occurred by buckle folding followed by faulting. Further south, intra-wedge faults nucleate above the décollement and propagate radially with no folding, resulting in variable connectivity between faults and the décollement. The seismic facies character of sediments immediately above the décollement varies along strike, with borehole data revealing that, in the north, where buckle folding dominates un-cemented Lower Shikoku Basin sediments overlie the décollement. In contrast, further south, Opal CT-cemented, and thus rigid Upper Shikoku Basin sediments overlie the décollement. We suggest these along-strike variations in diagenesis and thus rheology control the observed structural style variability. Near Barbados, at the Lesser Antilles margin, rough subducting plate relief is blanketed by up to 700 m of sediment. 3D seismic data reveal that basement relief is defined by linear normal fault blocks and volcanic ridges, and sub

  20. Structural deformation and detailed architecture of accretionary wedge in the northern Manila subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, J.; Wu, S.; Yao, Y.; Chen, C.

    2017-12-01

    The South China Sea (SCS) which located at the southeast edge of the Eurasian plate, is heavily influenced by the Philippine Sea plate and the Indo-Australian plate. As eastern boundary of the SCS, Manila subduction zone was created by the northwestern movement of the Philippine Sea plate, recorded the key information on formation and evolution of the SCS and often triggered off earthquakes and tsunami in the East and South Asia. Using high resolution multi-channel seismic data across the northern Manila subduction zone, this study analyzed sedimentary characteristics of oceanic basin and trench, and fine described features of structural deformation and architecture of accretionary wedge and magmatism to discuss the time of subduction inception, thrust motion and influence of seamount subduction on the geometry of the Manila trench. Results show that lower slope of accretionary wedge mainly consist of imbricated thrusts with blind thrust as the frontal fault and structural wedge whereas upper slope was obscure for intensely structural deformation and magmatism. All the thrust faults merged into a detachment fault/surface which may root in Lower Miocene or even older strata, cut off the Miocene near buried seamount and extended the Pliocene upward, suggesting that this detachment fault was obviously influenced by buried seamount and basement high below the accretionary wedge. Magmatism began to be active from late Miocene and continued to be intense during Pliocene and Quaternary in the oceanic basin, trench and accretionary wedge. Based on characteristics of sedimentary and structural deformation, this study proposed that accretionary wedge of the northern Manila subduction zone formed before 16.5 Ma and propagated to the SCS through piggyback propagation thrusting when seafloor spreading of the SCS was still ongoing before 15 Ma. Subduction of extended continental crust in the northeastern SCS created a significantly concaving eastward to geometric shape of the

  1. Episodic fluid flow in the Nankai accretionary complex: Timescale, geochemistry, flow rates, and fluid budget

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saffer, D.M.; Bekins, B.A.

    1998-01-01

    Down-hole geochemical anomalies encountered in active accretionary systems can be used to constrain the timing, rates, and localization of fluid flow. Here we combine a coupled flow and solute transport model with a kinetic model for smectite dehydration to better understand and quantify fluid flow in the Nankai accretionary complex offshore of Japan. Compaction of sediments and clay dehydration provide fluid sources which drive the model flow system. We explicitly include the consolidation rate of underthrust sediments in our calculations to evaluate the impact that variations in this unknown quantity have on pressure and chloride distribution. Sensitivity analysis of steady state pressure solutions constrains bulk and flow conduit permeabilities. Steady state simulations with 30% smectite in the incoming sedimentary sequence result in minimum chloride concentrations at site 808 of 550 mM, but measured chlorinity is as low as 447 mM. We simulate the transient effects of hydrofracture or a strain event by assuming an instantaneous permeability increase of 3-4 orders of magnitude along a flow conduit (in this case the de??collement), using steady state results as initial conditions. Transient results with an increase in de??collement permeability from 10-16 m2 to 10-13 m2 and 20% smectite reproduce the observed chloride profile at site 808 after 80-160 kyr. Modeled chloride concentrations are highly sensitive to the consolidation rate of underthrust sediments, such that rapid compaction of underthrust material leads to increased freshening. Pressures within the de??collement during transient simulations rise rapidly to a significant fraction of lithostatic and remain high for at least 160 kyr, providing a mechanism for maintaining high permeability. Flow rates at the deformation front for transient simulations are in good agreement with direct measurements, but steady state flow rates are 2-3 orders of magnitude smaller than observed. Fluid budget calculations

  2. Development of Overpressures at Nankai Accretionary Prism, Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1173 and 1174

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gamage, K.; Screaton, E.

    2003-12-01

    In this study, we used a one-dimensional model of sedimentation, initial prism loading, and fluid flow to examine the development of overpressures at the toe of the Nankai accretionary complex. A permeability-porosity relationship was established for hemipelagic sediments from laboratory measured permeabilities as an input to the model. Vertical permeabilities were measured for 10 core samples from the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 190, Sites 1173 and 1174, from the upper and lower Shikoku Basin facies. Both sites were drilled along the Muroto Transect through the dècollement zone or its equivalent. Site 1173 is located 11 km seaward of the deformation front and it represents the undeformed incoming sediments, where as Site 1174 represents sediments within the proto-thrust zone. Although turbidite-rich sediments dominate the Nankai accretionary prism, the dècollement and underthrust sediments are primarily composed of hemipelagic muds. Using the permeability-porosity relationship, our modeling results indicate excess pore pressures that are greater than 30% of lithostatic pressure at the toe of the prism at a convergence rate of 4cm/yr. These values are slightly lower than previously inferred excess pore pressures estimated from porosity data. Additional runs were conducted to simulate a 10-m thick low permeability barrier at the dècollement where vertical fluid flow is restricted. The low permeability barrier required a permeability less than 1 x 10-19 m2 to generate excess pore pressures greater than 50% of lithostatic pressure. Modeling was further extended to test the significance of variable prism loading rates due to uncertainties in the convergence rate and affects of lateral stress above the dècollement.

  3. Understanding tectonic stress and rock strength in the Nankai Trough accretionary prism, offshore SW Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huffman, Katelyn A.

    Understanding the orientation and magnitude of tectonic stress in active tectonic margins like subduction zones is important for understanding fault mechanics. In the Nankai Trough subduction zone, faults in the accretionary prism are thought to have historically slipped during or immediately following deep plate boundary earthquakes, often generating devastating tsunamis. I focus on quantifying stress at two locations of interest in the Nankai Trough accretionary prism, offshore Southwest Japan. I employ a method to constrain stress magnitude that combines observations of compressional borehole failure from logging-while-drilling resistivity-at-the-bit generated images (RAB) with estimates of rock strength and the relationship between tectonic stress and stress at the wall of a borehole. I use the method to constrain stress at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 808 and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0002. At Site 808, I consider a range of parameters (assumed rock strength, friction coefficient, breakout width, and fluid pressure) in the method to constrain stress to explore uncertainty in stress magnitudes and discuss stress results in terms of the seismic cycle. I find a combination of increased fluid pressure and decreased friction along the frontal thrust or other weak faults could produce thrust-style failure, without the entire prism being at critical state failure, as other kinematic models of accretionary prism behavior during earthquakes imply. Rock strength is typically inferred using a failure criterion and unconfined compressive strength from empirical relations with P-wave velocity. I minimize uncertainty in rock strength by measuring rock strength in triaxial tests on Nankai core. I find strength of Nankai core is significantly less than empirical relations predict. I create a new empirical fit to our experiments and explore implications of this on stress magnitude estimates. I find using the new empirical fit can decrease stress

  4. The Cimmerian accretionary wedge of Anarak, Central Iran

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zanchi, Andrea; Malaspina, Nadia; Zanchetta, Stefano; Berra, Fabrizio; Benciolini, Luca; Bergomi, Maria; Cavallo, Alessandro; Javadi, Hamid Reza; Kouhpeyma, Meyssam

    2015-04-01

    The occurrence in Iran of several ophiolite belts dating between Late Palaeozoic to Triassic poses several questions on the possible existence of various sutures marking the closure of the Palaeotethys ocean between Eurasia and this Gondwana-derived microplate. In this scenario, the Anarak region in Central Iran still represents a conundrum. Contrasting geochronological, paleontological, paleomagnetic data and reported field evidence suggest different origins for the Anarak Metamorphic Complex (AMC). The AMC is either interpreted, as: (1) relict of an accretionary wedge developed at the Eurasia margin during the Palaeotethys subduction as part of the Cimmerian suture zone of NE Iran, displaced to Central Iran by a large counter-clockwise rotation of the central Iranian blocks; (2) autochthonous unit forming a secondary branch of the main suture zone. Our structural, petrographic and geochemical data indicate that the AMC consists of several metamorphic units also including dismembered "ophiolites" which display different tectono-metamorphic evolutions. Three main ductile deformational events can be distinguished in the AMC. The Morghab and Chah Gorbeh complexes preserve a different M1 metamorphism, characterized by blueschist relics in the S1 foliation of the former unit, and greenschist assemblages in the latter. They share a subsequent similar D2 deformational and M2 metamorphic history, showing a prograde metamorphism with syn- to post-deformation growth of blueschist facies mineral assemblages on pre-existing greenschist facies associations. High pressure, low temperature (HP/LT) metamorphism responsible for the growth of sodic amphibole has been recognized also within marble lenses at the contact between the Chah Gorbeh Complex and serpentinites. Evidence of HP/LT metamorphism also occurs in glaucophane-bearing meta-pillow lavas and serpentinites, which contain antigorite and form most of the "ophiolites" within the AMC. Structural relationships show that the

  5. Smectite Dehydration, Membrane Filtration, and Pore-Water Freshening in Deep Ultra-Low Permeability Formations: Deep Processes in the Nankai Accretionary Wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, K. M.; Sample, J. C.; Even, E.; Poeppe, D.; Henry, P.; Tobin, H. J.; Saffer, D. M.; Hirose, T.; Toczko, S.; Maeda, L.

    2014-12-01

    We address the fundamental questions surrounding the nature of water and chemical transport processes deep within sedimentary basin and accretionary-wedge environments. Consolidation and permeability studies conducted to 165 MPa (~10km depth) indicate that ultra-tight clay formations (10-18 m2 to10-21 m2) can substantially modify the fluids migrating through then. Pore-water extractions conducted on smectite/illite rich core samples obtained from 1-3 km depths at IODP (NanTroSEIZE, Chikyu) deep-riser drilling Site C0002, at the elevated loads required to squeeze waters from such deeply buried sediment (stresses up to 100 MPa),resulted in anomalous patterns of sequential freshening with progressive loading. More accurate laboratory investigations (both incremental loading and Constant Rate of Strain test) revealed that such freshening initiates above 20 MPa and progresses with consolidation to become greater than 20% by effective normal load of 165 MPa. Log-log plots of stress vs. hydraulic conductivity reveal that trends remain linear to elevated stresses and total porosities as low at 14%. The implications are that stress induced smectite dehydration and/or membrane filtration effects cause remarkable changes in pore water chemistry with fluid migration through deep, tight, clay-rich formations. These changes should occur in addition to any thermally induced diagenetic and clay-dehydration effects on pore water chemistry. Work is progressing to evaluate the impact of clay composition and temperature to ascertain if purely illitic compositions show similar trends and if the mass fractionation of water and other isotopes also occurs. Such studies will ascertain if the presence of smectite is a prerequisite for freshening or if membrane filtration is a major process in earth systems containing common clay minerals. The results have major implications for interpretations of mass chemical balances, pore water profiles, and the hydrologic, geochemical, and stress state

  6. Mechanics of fold-and-thrust belts and accretionary wedges Cohesive Coulomb theory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dahlen, F. A.; Suppe, J.; Davis, D.

    1984-01-01

    A self-consistent theory for the mechanics of thin-skinned accretionary Coulomb wedges is developed and applied to the active fold-and-thrust belt of western Taiwan. The state of stress everywhere within a critical wedge is determined by solving the static equilibrium equations subject to the appropriate boundary conditions. The influence of wedge cohesion, which gives rise to a concave curvature of the critical topographic surface and affects the orientation of the principal stresses and Coulomb fracture within the wedge, is considered. The shape of the topographic surface and the angles at which thrust faults step up from the basal decollement in the Taiwanese belt is analyzed taking into account the extensive structural and fluid-pressure data available there. It is concluded that the gross geometry and structure of the Taiwan wedge are consistent with normal laboratory frictional and fracture strengths of sedimentary rocks.

  7. Structure and clay mineralogy: borehole images, log interpretation and sample analyses at Site C0002 Nankai Trough accretionary prism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jurado, Maria Jose; Schleicher, Anja

    2015-04-01

    Our research focused on the characterization of fracture and fault structures from the deep Nankai Trough accretionary prism in Japan. Logging Data and cuttings samples from the two most recent International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expeditions 338 and 348 of the NanTroSEIZE project were analyzed by Logging While Drilling (LWD) oriented images, geophysical logs and clay mineralogy. Both expeditions took place at Site C0002, but whereas Hole C0002F (Expedition 338) was drilled down to 2004.5 mbsf, Hole C0002N and C0002P (Expedition 348) reached a depth of 2325.5 mbsf and 3058.8 mbsf respectively. The structural interpretation of borehole imaging data illustrates the deformation within the fractured and faulted sections of the accretionary prism. All drill holes show distinct areas of intense fracturing and faulting within a very clay-dominated lithology. Here, smectite and illite are the most common clay minerals, but the properties and the role they may play in influencing the fractures, faults and folds in the accretionary prism is still not well understood. When comparing clay mineralogy and fracture/fault areas in hole C0002F (Expedition 338), a trend in the abundance of illite and smectite, and in particular the swelling behavior of smectite is recognizable. In general, the log data provided a good correlation with the actual mineralogy and the relative abundance of clay. Ongoing postcruise preliminary research on hole C0002 N and C0002P (Expedition 348) should confirm these results. The relationship between fracture and fault structures and the changes in clay mineralogy could be explained by the deformation of specific areas with different compaction features, fluid-rock interaction processes, but could also be related to beginning diagenetic processes related to depth. Our results show the integration of logging data and cutting sample analyses as a valuable tool for characterization of petrophysical and mineralogical changes of the structures of the

  8. Accretion in the wake of terrane collision: The Neogene accretionary wedge off Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fruehn, J.; von Huene, Roland E.; Fisher, M.A.

    1999-01-01

    Subduction accretion and repeated terrane collision shaped the Alaskan convergent margin. The Yakutat Terrane is currently colliding with the continental margin below the central Gulf of Alaska. During the Neogene the terrane's western part was subducted after which a sediment wedge accreted along the northeast Aleutian Trench. This wedge incorporates sediment eroded from the continental margin and marine sediments carried into the subduction zone on the Pacific plate. Prestack depth migration was performed on six seismic reflection lines to resolve the structure within this accretionary wedge and its backstop. The lateral extent of the structures is constrained by high-resolution swath bathymetry and seismic lines collected along strike. Accretionary structure consists of variably sized thrust slices that were deformed against a backstop during frontal accretion and underplating. Toward the northeast the lower slope steepens, the wedge narrows, and the accreted volume decreases notwith-standing a doubling of sediments thickness in the trench. In the northeasternmost transect, near the area where the terrane's trailing edge subducts, no frontal accretion is observed and the slope is eroded. The structures imaged along the seismic lines discussed here most likely result from progressive evolution from erosion to accretion, as the trailing edge of the Yakutat Terrane is subducting.

  9. Neogene-Quaternary evolution of the offshore sector of the Southern Apennines accretionary wedge, Gulf of Taranto, Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teofilo, G.; Antoncecchi, I.; Caputo, R.

    2018-07-01

    Southern Apennines represent a collisional orogenic belt whose compressional regime is commonly assumed to have ceased during Middle Quaternary. On the other hand, to the south the Calabria Arc is still characterized by subduction and the principal aim of the present research is to shed some light on the space and time transition from the ceased collision to the active subduction. Accordingly, we investigated the offshore sector of the Southern Apennines accretionary wedge, corresponding to the Taranto Gulf. To gain insights into the offshore accretionary wedge, we reconstructed a 3D geological and tectonic model by interpreting a grid of 40 seismic reflection lines (1100 km, 80 intersections), within an area of ca. 104 km2, calibrated with 17 wells. The geometric and chronological constraints allow documenting a systematic Messinian-Quaternary thrust migration from internal towards external sectors of the wedge. The migrating deformational process was essentially associated with a leading-imbricate thrust system with a general NE-younging direction, where we could recognize and distinguish some major advancing phases characterized by alternating fast thrust propagation events and strain accumulation periods within the wedge. This process is well emphasized by the jump of the foredeep and piggy-back basins. The NE-wards wedge migration was also associated with a lithospheric-scale flexural folding that generated a set of normal faults striking parallel to the coeval thrusts, likely reactivating optimally oriented structures inherited from Mesozoic events. Finally, a persisting thrust activity up to the latest Quaternary and possibly up to Present in correspondence of the externalmost sector of the accretionary wedge has been documented and explained in terms of strain partitioning in the frame of a recent oblique convergence. The results of this research have possible implications for the seismic hazard assessment of the broader region which is possibly greater

  10. Calculation and evaluation of log-based physical properties in the inner accretionary prism, NanTroSEIZE Site C0002, Nankai Trough, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, S. I.; Tudge, J.; Tobin, H. J.

    2013-12-01

    Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 338, the most recently completed drilling stage of the NanTroSEIZE project, targeted the Miocene inner accretionary prism off the coast of southwest Japan. NanTroSEIZE is a multi-stage project in which the main objective is to characterize, sample, and instrument the potentially seismogenic region of the Nankai Trough, an active subduction zone. Understanding the physical properties of the inner accretionary prism will aid in the characterization of the deformation that has taken place and the evolution of stress, fluid pressure, and strain over the deformational history of these sediments and rocks. This study focuses on the estimation of porosity and density from available logs to inform solid and fluid volume estimates at Site C0002 from the sea floor through the Kumano Basin into the accretionary prism. Gamma ray, resistivity, and sonic logs were acquired at Hole C0002F, to a total depth of 2005 mbsf into the inner accretionary prism. Because a density and neutron porosity tool could not be deployed, porosity and density must be estimated using a variety of largely empirical methods. In this study, we calculate estimated porosity and density from both the electrical resistivity and sonic (P-wave velocity) logs collected in Hole C0002F. However, the relationship of these physical properties to the available logs is not straightforward and can be affected by changes in fluid type, salinity, temperature, presence of fractures, and clay mineralogy. To evaluate and calibrate the relationships among these properties, we take advantage of the more extensive suite of LWD data recorded in Hole C0002A at the same drill site, including density and neutron porosity measurements. Data collected in both boreholes overlaps in the interval from 875 - 1400 mbsf in the lower Kumano Basin and across the basin-accretionary wedge boundary. Core-based physical properties are also available across this interval. Through comparison

  11. Seamount subduction underneath an accretionary wedge: modelling mass wasting and wedge collapse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mannu, Utsav; Ueda, Kosuke; Willett, Sean; Gerya, Taras; Strasser, Michael

    2017-04-01

    Seamounts (h >1 km) and knolls (h = 500 m-1000 m) cover about one-fifth of the total ocean floor area. These topographical highs of the ocean floor eventually get subducted. Subduction of these topographical features leads to severe deformation of the overriding plate and can cause extensive tectonic erosion and mass wasting of the frontal prism, which can ultimately cause a forearc wedge collapse. Large submarine landslides and the corresponding wedge collapse have previously been reported, for instance, in the northern part of the Hikurangi margin where the landslide is known as the giant Ruatoria debris avalanche, and have also been frequently reported in several seismic sections along the Costa Rica margin. Size and frequency relation of landslides suggest that the average size of submarine landslides in margins with rough subducting plates tends to be larger. However, this observation has not yet been tested or explained by physical models. In numerical subduction models, landslides take place, if at all, on a much larger timescale (in the order of 104-105 years, depending on the time steps of the model) than in natural cases. On the other hand, numerical models simulating mass wasting events such as avalanches and submarine landslides, typically model single events at a much smaller spatio-temporal domain, and do not consider long-term occurrence patterns of freely forming landslides. In this contribution, we present a multi-scale nested numerical approach to emulate short-term landslides within long-term progressive subduction. The numerical approach dynamically produces instantaneous submarine landslides and the resulting debris flow in the spatially and temporally refined inner model. Then we apply these convoluted changes in topography (e.g. due to the submarine landslide etc.) back to an outer larger-scale model instance that addresses wedge evolution. We use this approach to study the evolution of the accretionary wedge during seamount subduction.

  12. Possible strain partitioning structure between the Kumano fore-arc basin and the slope of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Kylara M.; Gulick, Sean P. S.; Bangs, Nathan L. B.; Moore, Gregory F.; Ashi, Juichiro; Park, Jin-Oh; Kuramoto, Shin'ichi; Taira, Asahiko

    2010-05-01

    A 12 km wide, 56 km long, three-dimensional (3-D) seismic volume acquired over the Nankai Trough offshore the Kii Peninsula, Japan, images the accretionary prism, fore-arc basin, and subducting Philippine Sea Plate. We have analyzed an unusual, trench-parallel depression (a "notch") along the seaward edge of the fore-arc Kumano Basin, just landward of the megasplay fault system. This bathymetric feature varies along strike, from a single, steep-walled, ˜3.5 km wide notch in the northeast to a broader, ˜5 km wide zone with several shallower linear depressions in the southwest. Below the notch we found both vertical faults and faults which dip toward the central axis of the depression. Dipping faults appear to have normal offset, consistent with the extension required to form a bathymetric low. Some of these dipping faults may join the central vertical fault(s) at depth, creating apparent flower structures. Offset on the vertical faults is difficult to determine, but the along-strike geometry of these faults makes predominantly normal or thrust motion unlikely. We conclude, therefore, that the notch feature is the bathymetric expression of a transtensional fault system. By considering only the along-strike variability of the megasplay fault, we could not explain a transform feature at the scale of the notch. Strike-slip faulting at the seaward edge of fore-arc basins is also observed in Sumatra and is there attributed to strain partitioning due to oblique convergence. The wedge and décollement strength variations which control the location of the fore-arc basins may therefore play a role in the position where an along-strike component of strain is localized. While the obliquity of convergence in the Nankai Trough is comparatively small (˜15°), we believe it generated the Kumano Basin Edge Fault Zone, which has implications for interpreting local measured stress orientations and suggests potential locations for strain-partitioning-related deformation in other

  13. Initiation and development of slickenlined surfaces in clay-rich material of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crespo-Blanc, Ana; Schleicher, Anja

    2016-04-01

    During the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 348, which is part of the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (stage 3), the drilling vessel Chikyu advanced the deep riser hole at Site C0002, located 80 km offshore of the Kii Peninsula (Japan), from a depth of 860 meters below sea floor (mbsf) to 3058.5 mbsf. Underlying the Kumano Basin sediments, the Nankai accretionary prism appears, below 975.5 mbsf. It accreted during Upper Miocene to Pliocene times and is formed mainly by turbiditic silty claystone with rarely observed sandstone intercalations. Cuttings from both the 1-4 mm and >4 mm size fractions were investigated, showing slickenlined surfaces and deformation bands together with carbonate veins throughout the entire section from 1045.5 until 3058.5 mbsf. A scaly fabric is increasingly observed below approximately 2400 mbsf. Clay-rich cuttings were selected at different depth for specific SEM-EDS analysis, in order to investigate the initiation and development of the slickenlined surfaces, from both a structural and mineralogical point of view. Two end-members of the slickenlined surface types were observed: a) isolated smooth and uniform planes, between 20 and 50 μm long, formed by single grains of smectite with marked lineations and frequently jagged boundaries and b) microfaults (longer than 100 μm) with sharp boundaries to the undeformed rock, formed by aggregates of illite and smectite and with a well-developed lineation. In transition between these two end-member types, planes that are apparently unconnected draw a single plane and show subparallel lineations. Concerning the orientation of the slickenlines, it seems to be coherent with that observed in an array of conjugated faults, i.e. all the slickenlines belong to the same plane, in turn sub-perpendicular to the intersection of conjugated planes. These observations suggest that the slickenlined surfaces initiated along single grains of smectite and that with increasing

  14. Two-dimensional Numerical Models of Accretionary Wedges Deformation in Response to Subduction and Obduction: Evidence from the Middle Part of the Manila Trench

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, L.; Ding, W.; Chen, L.; Gerya, T.

    2016-12-01

    The Manila Trench is located at the eastern boundary of the South China Sea (SCS). It was created by the subduction of the South China Sea Plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate since the early Neogene, and also influenced by the northwestern movement of the Philippine Sea Plate. There is wide discussion whether the dual-subduction and widespread seamounts in the South China Sea would have play important roles in the 'S-shaped' geometry and the different diving angle along the Manila Trench. Multi-beam tectono-geomorphological studies on the accretionary wedges have suggested that: (1) the stress direction of the subduction along the middle part of the Manila Trench, between 17o and 18 o N, is NW55 o; (2) The Manila Trench is actually caused by obduction due to the northwestern movement of the Philippine Sea Plate. Although the NW 55 o stress direction has been supported by detailed analysis on the trend of the folds, thrust faults, extension fractures and large sea-floor canyon, its obduction-origin is purely based on regional structure. Here we use 2D numerical modeling experiments to investigate the deformation style of accretionary wedge in response to the seamounts subduction and obduction, and provide new insights into the mechanism responsible for the Luzon obduction along the Manila Trench. Our preliminary results show that: (1) the accretionary wedge is eroded faster in subduction model; (2) the velocity field direction of the slab differs in two models at the beginning of seamount subduction, which is vertical in obduction model, but oblique in subduction model; (3) both sides of the accretionary wedge deform strongly in subduction model, whereas in obduction model only the leading edge shows intensive deformation. Further modelling will focus on other parts of the Manila Trench with different slab age and subduction velocity to see their tectonic influences on the accretionary wedges.

  15. S-wave velocity structure in the Nankai accretionary prism derived from Rayleigh admittance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tonegawa, Takashi; Araki, Eiichiro; Kimura, Toshinori; Nakamura, Takeshi; Nakano, Masaru; Suzuki, Kensuke

    2017-04-01

    Two cabled seafloor networks with 22 and 29 stations (DONET 1 and 2: Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquake and Tsunamis) have been constructed on the accretionary prism at the Nankai subduction zone of Japan since March 2010. The observation periods of DONET 1 and 2 exceed more than 5 years and 10 months, respectively. Each station contains broadband seismometers and absolute and differential pressure gauges. In this study, using Rayleigh waves of microseisms and earthquakes, we calculate the Rayleigh admittance (Ruan et al., 2014, JGR) at the seafloor for each station, i.e., an amplitude transfer function from pressure to displacement, particularly for the frequencies of 0.1-0.2 Hz (ambient noise) and 0.04-0.1 Hz (earthquake signal), and estimate S-wave velocity (Vs) structure beneath stations in DONET 1 and 2. We calculated the displacement seismogram by removing the instrument response from the velocity seismogram for each station. The pressure record observed at the differential pressure gauge was used in this study because of a high resolution of the pressure observation. In addition to Rayleigh waves of microseisms, we collected waveforms of Rayleigh waves for earthquakes with an epicentral distance of 15-90°, M>5.0, and focal depth shallower than 50 km. In the frequency domain, we smoothed the transfer function of displacement/pressure with the Parzen window of ±0.01 Hz. In order to determine one-dimensional Vs profiles, we performed a nonlinear inversion technique, i.e., simulated annealing. As a result, Vs profiles obtained at stations near the land show simple Vs structure, i.e., Vs increases with depth. However, some profiles located at the toe of the acceretionary prism have a low-velocity zone (LVZ) at a depth of 5-7 km within the accretinary sediment. The velocity reduction is approximately 5-20 %. Park et al. (2010) reported such a large reduction in P-wave velocity in the region of DONET 1 (eastern network and southeast of the Kii

  16. Acoustic and mechanical properties of Nankai accretionary prism core samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raimbourg, Hugues; Hamano, Yozo; Saito, Saneatsu; Kinoshita, Masataka; Kopf, Achim

    2011-04-01

    We studied undeformed sediment and accreted strata recently recovered by Ocean Drilling Program/Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (ODP/IODP) drilling in Nankai Trough convergent margin to unravel the changes in physical properties from initial deposition to incipient deformation. We have derived acoustic (Vp) and mechanical (uniaxial poroelastic compliance, compaction amplitude) properties of samples from various drill sites along the Muroto (ODP 1173) and Kii transects (IODP C0001, C0002, C0006, and C0007) from isotropic loading tests where confining and pore pressure were independently applied. We quantified the dependence of Vp on both effective (Peff) and confining (Pc) pressure, which can be used to correct atmospheric pressure measurements of Vp. Experimental Vp obtained on core samples extrapolated to in situ conditions are slightly higher than logging-derived velocities, which can be attributed either to velocity dispersion or to the effect of large-scale faults and weak zones on waves with longer wavelength. In the high-porosity (30%-60%) tested sediments, velocities are controlled at first order by porosity and not by lithology, which is in agreement with our static measurements of drained framework incompressibility, much smaller than fluid incompressibility. Rather than framework incompressibility, shear modulus is probably the second-order control on Vp, accounting for most of the difference between actual Vp and the prediction by Wood's (1941) suspension model. We also quantified the mechanical state of Nankai samples in terms of anisotropy, diagenesis, and consolidation. Both acoustic and mechanical parameters reveal similar values in vertical and horizontal directions, attesting to the very low anisotropy of the tested material. When considering the porous samples of the Upper Shikoku Basin sediments (Site 1173) as examples of diagenetically cemented material, several mechanical and acoustic attributes appeared as reliable experimental indicators of

  17. Forearc Basin Stratigraphy and Interactions With Accretionary Wedge Growth According to the Critical Taper Concept

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noda, Atsushi

    2018-03-01

    Forearc basins are important constituents of sediment traps along subduction zones; the basin stratigraphy records various events that the basin experienced. Although the linkage between basin formation and accretionary wedge growth suggests that mass balance exerts a key control on their evolution, the interaction processes between basin and basement remain poorly understood. This study performed 2-D numerical simulations in which basin stratigraphy was controlled by changes in sediment fluxes with accretionary wedge growth according to the critical taper concept. The resultant stratigraphy depended on the degree of filling (i.e., whether the basin was underfilled or overfilled) and the volume balance between the sediment flux supplied to the basin from the hinterland and the accommodation space in the basin. The trenchward progradation of deposition with onlapping contacts on the trenchside basin floor occurred during the underfilled phase, which formed a wedge-shaped sedimentary unit. In contrast, the landward migration of the depocenter, with the tilting of strata, was characteristic for the overfilled phase. Condensed sections marked stratigraphic boundaries, indicating when sediment supply or accommodation space was limited. The accommodation-limited intervals could have formed during the end of wedge uplift or when the taper angle decreased and possibly associated with the development of submarine canyons as conduits for bypassing sediments from the hinterland. Variations in sediment fluxes and their balance exerted a strong influence on the stratigraphic patterns in forearc basins. Assessing basin stratigraphy could be a key to evaluating how subduction zones evolve through their interactions with changing surface processes.

  18. Structure and tectonic evolution of the southwestern Trinidad dome, Escambray complex, Central Cuba: Insights into deformation in an accretionary wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Despaigne-Díaz, Ana Ibis; García Casco, Antonio; Cáceres Govea, Dámaso; Wilde, Simon A.; Millán Trujillo, Guillermo

    2017-10-01

    The Trinidad dome, Escambray complex, Cuba, forms part of an accretionary wedge built during intra-oceanic subduction in the Caribbean from the Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic. The structure reflects syn-subduction exhumation during thickening of the wedge, followed by extension. Field mapping, metamorphic and structural analysis constrain the tectonic evolution into five stages. Three ductile deformation events (D1, D2 and D3) are related to metamorphism in a compressional setting and formation of several nappes. D1 subduction fabrics are only preserved as relict S1 foliation and rootless isoclinal folds strongly overprinted by the main S2 foliation. The S2 foliation is parallel to sheared serpentinised lenses that define tectonic contacts, suggesting thrust stacks and underthrusting at mantle depths. Thrusting caused an inverted metamorphic structure with higher-grade on top of lower-grade nappes. Exhumation started during D2 when the units were incorporated into the growing accretionary wedge along NNE-directed thrust faults and was accompanied by substantial decompression and cooling. Folding and thrusting continued during D3 and marks the transition from ductile to brittle-ductile conditions at shallower crustal levels. The D4-5 events are related to extension and contributed to the final exhumation (likely as a core complex). D4 is associated with a regional spaced S4 cleavage, late open folds, and numerous extension veins, whereas D5 is recorded by normal and strike-slip faults affecting all nappes. The P-t path shows rapid exhumation during D2 and slower rates during D3 when the units were progressively incorporated into the accretionary prism. The domal shape formed in response to tectonic denudation assisted by normal faulting and erosion at the surface during the final stages of structural development. These results support tectonic models of SW subduction of the Proto-Caribbean crust under the Caribbean plate during the latest Cretaceous and provide

  19. Arc-parallel extension and fluid flow in an ancient accretionary wedge: The San Juan Islands, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schermer, Elizabeth R.; Gillaspy, J.R.; Lamb, R.

    2007-01-01

    Structural analysis of the Lopez Structural Complex, a major Late Cretaceous terrane-bounding fault zone in the San Juan thrust system, reveals a sequence of events that provides insight into accretionary wedge mechanics and regional tectonics. After formation of regional ductile flattening and shear-related fabrics, the area was crosscut by brittle structures including: (1) southwest-vergent thrusts, (2) extension veins and normal faults related to northwest-southeast extension, and (3) conjugate strike-slip structures that record northwest-southeast extension and northeast-southwest shortening. Aragonite-bearing veins are associated with thrust and normal faults, but only rarely with strike-slip faults. High-pressure, low-temperature (HP-LT) minerals constrain the conditions for brittle deformation to ???20 km and <250 ??C. The presence of similar structures elsewhere indicates that the brittle structural sequence is typical of the San Juan nappes. Sustained HP-LT conditions are possible only if structures formed in an accretionary prism during active subduction, which suggests that these brittle structures record internal wedge deformation at depth and early during uplift of the San Juan nappes. The structures are consistent with orogen-normal shortening and vertical thickening followed by vertical thinning and along-strike extension. The kinematic evolution may be related initially to changes in wedge strength, followed by response to overthickening of the wedge in an unbuttressed, obliquely convergent setting. The change in vein mineralogy indicates that exhumation occurred prior to the strike-slip event. The pressure and temperature conditions and spatial and temporal extent of small faults associated with fluid flow suggest a link between these structures and the silent earthquake process. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America.

  20. Formation of forearc basins by collision between seamounts and accretionary wedges: an example from the New Hebrides subduction zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Collot, J.-Y.; Fisher, M.A.

    1989-01-01

    Seabeam data reveal two deep subcircular reentrants in the lower arc slope of the New Hebrides island arc that may illustrate two stages in the development of a novel type of forearc basin. The Malekula reentrant lies just south of the partly subducted Bougainville seamount. This proximity, as well as the similarity in morphology between the reentrant and an indentation in the lower arc slope off Japan, suggests that the Malekula reentrant formed by the collision of a seamount with the arc. An arcuate fold-thrust belt has formed across the mouth of the reentrant, forming the toe of a new accretionary wedge. The Efate reentrant may show the next stage in basin development. This reentrant lies landward of a lower-slope ridge that may have begun to form as an arcuate fold-thrust belt across the mouth of a reentrant. This belt may have grown by continued accretion at the toe of the wedge, by underplating beneath the reentrant, and by trapping of sediment shed from the island arc. These processes could result in a roughly circular forearc basin. Basins that may have formed by seamount collision lie within the accretionary wedge adjacent to the Aleutian trenches. -Authors

  1. Evolution of Mechanical Properties and Microstructures in the Inner Accretionary Prism of the Nankai Subduction Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuo, S. T.; Kitamura, M.; Kitajima, H.

    2016-12-01

    Mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of accretionary prism sediments can provide detailed deformation history and processes in subduction zones. The IODP Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) Expedition 348 has extended the deep riser hole down to 3058.5 meters below sea floor (mbsf) to the inner accretionary wedge at Site C0002 located 35 km landward from the trench. Here, we conducted deformation experiments on the core samples recovered from 2185 msbf at Site C0002 to understand mechanical behaviors and deformation of inner prism sediments. We deformed the siltstone samples with a porosity of 20% at 25°C or 60°C under isotropic loading path (S1=S2=S3) and triaxial compression (S1>S2=S3). In the isotropic loading test, we step-wisely increased confining pressure (Pc) from 11.5 to 194 MPa and kept pore pressure (Pp) at 10 MPa. In a series of triaxial compression loading tests, we first increased Pc to the targeting 42-78 MPa and Pp to 20 MPa, and then applied the differential load at a constant displacement rate of 0.005 μm/s while keeping Pc and Pp constant. We will analyze the microstructures of the experimentally deformed samples to understand deformation mechanism. We define yield points based on slope changes in relationships between volumetric strain and effective mean stress (p') for isotropic loading and those between differential stress (q) and axial strain for triaxial loading. The sample yields at p' of 100 MPa (q = 0 MPa) in isotropic loading test. In triaxial loading, the samples at effective pressure (Pe) of 22, 28, and 58 MPa yield at q = 30 MPa (p' = 32 MPa), q = 30 MPa (p' = 38 MPa) and q = 45 MPa (p' = 73 MPa), respectively. Upon yield, the samples deformed at Pe of 22 MPa and 28 MPa show brittle behavior with a peak q of 50 MPa and 55 MPa followed by strain weakening to reach q of 36 and 46 MPa at steady state. Both samples show single fracture planes with angles of 30° to S1. On the other hand, the

  2. The evolving energy budget of accretionary wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McBeck, Jessica; Cooke, Michele; Maillot, Bertrand; Souloumiac, Pauline

    2017-04-01

    The energy budget of evolving accretionary systems reveals how deformational processes partition energy as faults slip, topography uplifts, and layer-parallel shortening produces distributed off-fault deformation. The energy budget provides a quantitative framework for evaluating the energetic contribution or consumption of diverse deformation mechanisms. We investigate energy partitioning in evolving accretionary prisms by synthesizing data from physical sand accretion experiments and numerical accretion simulations. We incorporate incremental strain fields and cumulative force measurements from two suites of experiments to design numerical simulations that represent accretionary wedges with stronger and weaker detachment faults. One suite of the physical experiments includes a basal glass bead layer and the other does not. Two physical experiments within each suite implement different boundary conditions (stable base versus moving base configuration). Synthesizing observations from the differing base configurations reduces the influence of sidewall friction because the force vector produced by sidewall friction points in opposite directions depending on whether the base is fixed or moving. With the numerical simulations, we calculate the energy budget at two stages of accretion: at the maximum force preceding the development of the first thrust pair, and at the minimum force following the development of the pair. To identify the appropriate combination of material and fault properties to apply in the simulations, we systematically vary the Young's modulus and the fault static and dynamic friction coefficients in numerical accretion simulations, and identify the set of parameters that minimizes the misfit between the normal force measured on the physical backwall and the numerically simulated force. Following this derivation of the appropriate material and fault properties, we calculate the components of the work budget in the numerical simulations and in the

  3. An evaluation of factors influencing pore pressure in accretionary complexes: Implications for taper angle and wedge mechanics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saffer, D.M.; Bekins, B.A.

    2006-01-01

    At many subduction zones, accretionary complexes form as sediment is off-scraped from the subducting plate. Mechanical models that treat accretionary complexes as critically tapered wedges of sediment demonstrate that pore pressure controls their taper angle by modifying basal and internal shear strength. Here, we combine a numerical model of groundwater flow with critical taper theory to quantify the effects of sediment and de??collement permeability, sediment thickness, sediment partitioning between accretion and underthrusting, and plate convergence rate on steady state pore pressure. Our results show that pore pressure in accretionary wedges can be viewed as a dynamically maintained response to factors which drive pore pressure (source terms) and those that limit flow (permeability and drainage path length). We find that sediment permeability and incoming sediment thickness are the most important factors, whereas fault permeability and the partitioning of sediment have a small effect. For our base case model scenario, as sediment permeability is increased, pore pressure decreases from near-lithostatic to hydrostatic values and allows stable taper angles to increase from ??? 2.5?? to 8??-12.5??. With increased sediment thickness in our models (from 100 to 8000 m), increased pore pressure drives a decrease in stable taper angle from 8.4??-12.5?? to 15?? to <4??) with increased sediment thickness (from <1 to 7 km). One key implication is that hydrologic properties may strongly influence the strength of the crust in a wide range of geologic settings. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

  4. Complex thrusting at the toe of the Nankai accretionary prism, NanTroSEIZE Kumano transect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, G. F.; Park, J.; Kodaira, S.; Kaneda, Y.

    2009-12-01

    Seismic reflection data collected over the past 10 years by the Institute for Research on Earth Evolution (IFREE) of Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) image a zone of complex thrusting at the toe of the Nankai accretionary prism south of Kii Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. The frontal part of the Nankai prism west of Shionomisaki Canyon (SC) at ~136° E, including the Muroto and Ashizuri Transects off Shikoku, is generally formed of imbricate thrusts with spacing of ~ 1-3 km that dip ~25-35° landward and sole into a prominent décollement. Out-of-sequence thrusts (OOSTs) are usually restricted to the landward margin of this imbricate thrust zone. East of SC, in the Kumano Transect area, the imbricate thrust zone is bounded on its seaward edge by a frontal thrust block that is ~5-6 km wide and consists of several OOSTs. The frontal thrust dips ~5-10° under this ~2-4 km thick block, emplacing this thrust sheet over the trench floor. The number and character of thrusts within the frontal thrust block vary laterally along strike. The 2006 Kumano 3D seismic data set images details of one segment of this complex frontal thrust block. Out-of-sequence faulting has led to underplating of several smaller thrust slices and movement along oblique ramps has led to a complex pattern of faulting that cannot be recognized in even closely-spaced 2D seismic lines. The frontal thrust block is further modified by subduction of seamounts and ridges that have caused large slumps of material from the block.

  5. Evidence for Patchy Sediment Underthrusting and a Strong, Drained Outer Accretionary Wedge in Central Cascadia: Implications for Dynamic Slip Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, H. J.; Webb, S. I.

    2017-12-01

    The central Cascadia subduction zone forearc in the region offshore Washington, where a hot, young incoming plate is covered by a 2-3 km thick sedimentary sequence, features a wide, very narrowly-tapered outer accretionary wedge composed of landward vergent thrust sheets. Longstanding questions for this region include the position and host-rock environment of the plate boundary décollement fault, the thickness of sedimentary strata underthrust beneath the wedge with the downgoing plate, and the effective stress or pore fluid pressure condition in the wedge and along its base. We have analyzed nine multichannel seismic lines of the 2012 COAST multi-channel seismic reflection survey using both time- and depth- migrated seismic sections for structural interpretation. Results show that there is evidence for two parallel décollement levels, with up to 200 - 500 meters thickness of a mostly-underthrust sequence in places, but which is absent entirely in others. This patchy distribution is mapped and related to features of the overlying wedge structure. We also analyzed the seismic interval velocity distribution produced during pre-stack depth migration imaging, and used it to compute estimated porosity, pore fluid pressure, and effective stress via empirical physical properties transforms. We find that the wedge shows evidence for at most only modest, localized excess pore pressure, and instead most of the wedge appears to be at near-hydrostatic, drained condition. Modest overpressure ratios of up to only 0.15 are detected, localized in the footwalls of thrust splays. We find no evidence for overpressure zones in the underthrust sequence below the upper décollement, in contrast to findings from several other wedges worldwide. Taken together, the accretionary wedge structure and apparent low pore pressure condition here is consistent with a mechanically strong wedge overlying a base that is very weak, at least transiently. By analogy with recent work from Sumatra

  6. Minimum work analysis on the critical taper accretionary wedges- insights from analogue modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santimano, Tasca; Rosenau, Matthias; Oncken, Onno

    2014-05-01

    The Critical taper theory (CTT) is a fundamental concept for the understanding of mountain building processes. Based on force balance it predicts the preferred steady state geometry of an accretionary wedge system and its tectonic regime (extensive, compressive, stable). However, it does not specify which structures are formed and reactivated to reach the preferred state. The latter can be predicted by the minimum work concept. Here we test both concepts and their interplay by analysing two simple sand wedge models which differ only in the thickness of the basal detachment (a layer of glass beads). While the steady state critical taper is controlled by internal and basal friction coefficients and therefore the same in all experiments, different processes can minimise work by 1. reducing gravitational work e.g. by lowering the amount of uplift or volume uplifted, or 2. reducing frictional work e.g. by lowering the load or due to low friction coefficient along thrusts. Since a thick detachment allows entrainment of low friction material and therefore lowering of the friction along active thrusts, we speculate that the style of wedge growth will differ between the two models. We observe that the wedge with a thin basal detachment localizes strain at the toe of the wedge periodically and reactivate older faults to reach the critical topography. On the contrary, in the wedge with the thicker detachment layer, friction along thrusts is lowered due to the entrainment of low friction material from the detachment zone, subsequently increasing the lifetime of a thrust. Long thrust episodes are always followed by a fault of shorter lifetime, with the aim of reaching the critical taper. From the two experiments, we analyze the time-series evolution of the wedge to infer the work done by the two styles of deformation and predict the trend over time to differ but the maximum work to be similar Our observations show that the critical taper theory determines the geometry of the

  7. How to predict deformation for geometrically and mechanically non-uniform accretionary wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Souloumiac, Pauline; Cubas, Nadaya; Caër, Typhaine

    2017-04-01

    The mechanical understanding of fold-and-thrust belts and accretionary prisms strongly relies on the critical taper theory (CTT). The latter considers their mechanics as analogous to sand pushed by a moving bulldozer along a frictional décollement. The wedge evolves into a critical geometry, corresponding to a point of internal state of stress for which the whole wedge including the basal décollement is on the verge of Coulomb failure. If the décollement is planar and material properties are homogeneous and cohesionless, the critical wedge is triangular. The force of the CCT relies on the fact that conditions for stress equilibrium, Coulomb yielding of the wedge and basal frictional sliding have an analytical solution. However, this theory suffers from several limits. As stated above, the analytical solution applies for perfectly triangular wedges. However, the critical taper is shaped by internal thrusts that lead to a non-uniform topographic slope. What is then the scale of topographic variability for which the CCT will stand? The second limit is that CCT applies for homogeneous frictional properties in the wedge and as well as along the décollement. We can also wonder if there is a scaling parameter for which variations of properties along the decollement would impact the topography. We here show how the limit analysis, an efficient semi-analytical approach, can help us to overcome these limits. We aim to provide simple analytical solutions to structural geologists to evaluate the critical state of their field study cases. We first show that the effect of topographic slope variability relies on a competition between the surface of potential hanging-walls and the surface of theoretical critical hanging-walls. Dips of thrust and backthrust are controlled by the frictional parameters. Along a wedge with a non-regular topography, an out-of-sequence system will appear if there is a position along the wedge for which the hanging-wall will have a lower surface than

  8. Regional distribution of volcaniclastic layer and its implication for segmentation of the Nankai seismogenic zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sasaki, T.; Lim, J.; Higashi, M.; Park, J.

    2010-12-01

    The Nankai Trough is known as one of the best-suited convergent plate margins for studying accretionary prism growth as well as subduction zone earthquakes. Along the Nankai accretionary margin off southwest Japan, the Shikoku Basin which formed 26-15 Ma as backarc spreading in the Philippine Sea Plate is being subducted about 4 cm/year to the northwest. The Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) penetrated the Nankai accretionary prism and the incoming sedimentary section along the Ashizuri and Muroto transects, off Shikoku Island. Also, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), which represented just one part of a multi-stage project known as the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) has been conducting drilling cruises now. IODP Expedition 322 in 2009, the coring was carried out at two drilling sites on the northern part of the Shikoku Basin in the subducting Philippine Sea plate. One of the major achievements of Expedition 322 is a discovery of late Miocene (10.2-7.6 Ma) tuffaceous and volcaniclastic sandstone layer (Underwood et al., IODP Prel. Rept. 322, 2009) that has not been previously recognized in the Nankai Trough. Based on age and volcanic sand content analysis, these volcaniclastic layers were unique to the Shikoku Basin off Kii Peninsula. The closest source of this volcanic layer was supposed to be the Izu-Bonin arc. Subducted sediments ultimately affect subduction zone geochemistry, thermal structure, and seismogenesis. High porosity of the volcaniclastic sandstone layer suggests the transportation of fluid to the subduction zone, it might affect the initiation and evolution of the decollement zone or plate boundary fault in the Nankai Trough. We interpreted single channel and multichannel seismic reflection profiles that have been acquired in the Nankai Trough margin by Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) since the year of 1997. We tried to map the major seismic layers such as

  9. Spacing of Imbricated Thrust Faults and the Strength of Thrust-Belts and Accretionary Wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, G.; Regensburger, P. V.; Moore, G. F.

    2017-12-01

    The pattern of imbricated thrust blocks is a prominent characteristic of the large-scale structure of thrust-belts and accretionary wedges around the world. Mechanical models of these systems have a rich history from laboratory analogs, and more recently from computational simulations, most of which, qualitatively reproduce the regular patterns of imbricated thrusts seen in nature. Despite the prevalence of these patterns in nature and in models, our knowledge of what controls the spacing of the thrusts remains immature at best. We tackle this problem using a finite difference, particle-in-cell method that simulates visco-elastic-plastic deformation with a Mohr-Coulomb brittle failure criterion. The model simulates a horizontal base that moves toward a rigid vertical backstop, carrying with it an overlying layer of crust. The crustal layer has a greater frictional strength than the base, is cohesive, and is initially uniform in thickness. As the layer contracts, a series of thrust blocks immerge sequentially and form a wedge having a mean taper consistent with that predicted by a noncohesive, critical Coulomb wedge. The widths of the thrust blocks (or spacing between adjacent thrusts) are greatest at the front of the wedge, tend to decrease with continued contraction, and then tend toward a pseudo-steady, minimum width. Numerous experiments show that the characteristic spacing of thrusts increases with the brittle strength of the wedge material (cohesion + friction) and decreases with increasing basal friction for low (<8°) taper angles. These relations are consistent with predictions of the elastic stresses forward of the frontal thrust and at what distance the differential stress exceeds the brittle threshold to form a new frontal thrust. Hence the characteristic spacing of the thrusts across the whole wedge is largely inherited at the very front of the wedge. Our aim is to develop scaling laws that will illuminate the basic physical processes controlling

  10. Linking megathrust earthquakes to brittle deformation in a fossil accretionary complex

    PubMed Central

    Dielforder, Armin; Vollstaedt, Hauke; Vennemann, Torsten; Berger, Alfons; Herwegh, Marco

    2015-01-01

    Seismological data from recent subduction earthquakes suggest that megathrust earthquakes induce transient stress changes in the upper plate that shift accretionary wedges into an unstable state. These stress changes have, however, never been linked to geological structures preserved in fossil accretionary complexes. The importance of coseismically induced wedge failure has therefore remained largely elusive. Here we show that brittle faulting and vein formation in the palaeo-accretionary complex of the European Alps record stress changes generated by subduction-related earthquakes. Early veins formed at shallow levels by bedding-parallel shear during coseismic compression of the outer wedge. In contrast, subsequent vein formation occurred by normal faulting and extensional fracturing at deeper levels in response to coseismic extension of the inner wedge. Our study demonstrates how mineral veins can be used to reveal the dynamics of outer and inner wedges, which respond in opposite ways to megathrust earthquakes by compressional and extensional faulting, respectively. PMID:26105966

  11. Sandstone detrital modes in the Makran accretionary wedge, southwest Pakistan: implications for tectonic setting and long-distance turbidite transportation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Critelli, Salvatore; De Rosa, Rosanna; Platt, John Paul

    1990-10-01

    Detrital modes of Early Miocene to Early Pliocene sandstones from the Makran accretionary wedge in southwest Pakistan show a mainly quartzolithic composition with an evolution from the transitional recycled to quartzose recycled. The lithic types, however, indicate two distinct petrofacies. Accreted abyssal plain turbidites have Qp 11Lvm 27Lsm 62 and Lm 39Lv 27Ls 34, showing a predominant supply from sedimentary and metasedimentary source terranes whereas slope and shelf facies sediments deposited on the accretionary wedge have Qp 7Lvm 47Lsm 47 and Lm 22Lv 48Ls 30 due to an increase of volcanic detritus. The detrital modes of the abyssal plain sediments suggest a recycled orogenic source, probably the Himalayan collision zone. The facies and longitudinal dispersal pattern suggest deposition in an Oligo-Miocene analogue of the present Indus fan. The sediment must have been transported across strike, parallel to the transform structure linking the Makran wedge to the Himalayas (Chaman-Ornach Nal fault system), and fed into the fan at the western end of the subduction zone. The detrital modes also show an increase in volcanic detritus with time (Lv/L = 0.27 for the Early Miocene abyssal plain sediments to 0.47 for the slope sequences). This may have been derived from Late Mesozoic volcanic terrains in northern Baluchistan or the Ladakh Himalayas, or more probably from the Early to middle Miocene andesitic volcanic centre in the northern Makran.

  12. 3D Porosity Estimation of the Nankai Trough Sediments from Core-log-seismic Integration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, J. O.

    2015-12-01

    The Nankai Trough off southwest Japan is one of the best subduction-zone to study megathrust earthquake fault. Historic, great megathrust earthquakes with a recurrence interval of 100-200 yr have generated strong motion and large tsunamis along the Nankai Trough subduction zone. At the Nankai Trough margin, the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate to the northwest at a convergence rate ~4 cm/yr. The Shikoku Basin, the northern part of the PSP, is estimated to have opened between 25 and 15 Ma by backarc spreading of the Izu-Bonin arc. The >100-km-wide Nankai accretionary wedge, which has developed landward of the trench since the Miocene, mainly consists of offscraped and underplated materials from the trough-fill turbidites and the Shikoku Basin hemipelagic sediments. Particularly, physical properties of the incoming hemipelagic sediments may be critical for seismogenic behavior of the megathrust fault. We have carried out core-log-seismic integration (CLSI) to estimate 3D acoustic impedance and porosity for the incoming sediments in the Nankai Trough. For the CLSI, we used 3D seismic reflection data, P-wave velocity and density data obtained during IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) Expeditions 322 and 333. We computed acoustic impedance depth profiles for the IODP drilling sites from P-wave velocity and density data. We constructed seismic convolution models with the acoustic impedance profiles and a source wavelet which is extracted from the seismic data, adjusting the seismic models to observed seismic traces with inversion method. As a result, we obtained 3D acoustic impedance volume and then converted it to 3D porosity volume. In general, the 3D porosities show decrease with depth. We found a porosity anomaly zone with alteration of high and low porosities seaward of the trough axis. In this talk, we will show detailed 3D porosity of the incoming sediments, and present implications of the porosity anomaly zone for the

  13. Deformation of the Calabrian accretionary wedge and relative kinematics of the Calabrian and Peloritan backstops: Insights from multibeam bathymetry, high-resolution reflection and wide-angle seismics and analog modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dellong, David; Gutscher, Marc-Andre; Klingelhoefer, Frauke; Graindorge, David; Kopp, Heidrun; Moretti, Milena; Marsset, Bruno; Mercier de Lepinay, Bernard; Dominguez, Stephane; Malavieille, Jacques

    2016-04-01

    Recently acquired swath bathymetric data in the Ionian Sea document in unprecedented detail the morphostructure and dynamics of the Calabrian accretionary wedge. A boundary zone between the eastern and western lobes of the accretionary wedge is examined here. Relative displacement between the Calabrian and Peloritan backstops is expected to cause dextral strike-slip deformation between the lobes. A wide-angle seismic profile was acquired in Oct. 2014 with the R/V Meteor (DIONYSUS survey) recorded by 25 Ocean-bottom seismometers (Geomar and Ifremer instruments) and 3 land-stations (INGV stations). Inversion and forward modeling of these seismic data reveal a 5-10 km deep asymmetric rift zone between the Malta Escarpment and the SW tip of Calabria. Analog modeling was performed to test if the origin of this rift could be related to the relative kinematics of the Calabrian and Peloritan backstops. Modeling, using two independently moving backstops, produces a zone of dextral transtension and subsidence in the accretionary wedge between two lobes. This corresponds well to the asymmetric rift observed in the southward prolongation of the straits of Messina faults. Paradoxically however, this dextral displacement does not appear to traverse the external Calabrian accretionary wedge, where prominent curved lineaments observed indicate a sinistral sense of motion. One possible explanation is that the dextral kinematic motion is transferred into a region of crisscrossing faults in the internal portion of the Eastern lobe. The bathymetry and high-resolution reflection seismic images indicate ongoing compression at the deformation front of both the western and eastern lobes. Together with the analog modeling results, these observations unambiguously demonstrate that the western lobe remains tectonically active.

  14. Carbonate cements indicate channeled fluid flow along a zone of vertical faults at the deformation front of the Cascadia accretionary wedge (northwest U.S. coast)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sample, James C.; Reid, Mary R.; Tols, Harold J.; Moore, J. Casey

    1993-06-01

    To understand the relation between fluid seeps and structures, sedimentary rocks were collected with the DSRV Alvin from a vertical fault zone that transects the deformation front of the Cascadia accretionary wedge. The rocks contained diagenetic carbonate cement that was precipitated from fluids expelled during accretion. Carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotope data are consistent with a fluid source at >2 km depth. Most carbon isotopes range from -1‰ to -25‰ (PDB [Peedee belemnitel] standard) consistent with a thermogenic methane source. Oxygen isotopes show extreme 18O depletions (-4‰ to -13‰ PDB) that are consistent with precipitation from fluids with temperatures as high as 100 °C. 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.70975 to 0.71279 may be due to strontium in fluids derived from clay-rich parts of the stratigraphic section. The ubiquity of carbonate precipitates and the isotope data indicate that the vertical fault zone is an efficient conduit for fluid dewatering from deep levels of the accretionary wedge.

  15. Controls on accretion of flysch and melange belts at convergent margins: evidence from the Chugach Bay thrust and Iceworm melange, Chugach accretionary wedge, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kusky, Timothy M.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Karl, Susan M.

    1997-01-01

    Controls on accretion of flysch and melange terranes at convergent margins are poorly understood. Southern Alaska's Chugach terrane forms the outboard accretionary margin of the Wrangellia composite terrane, and consists of two major lithotectonic units, including Triassic-Cretaceous melange of the McHugh Complex and Late Cretaceous flysch of the Valdez Group. The contact between the McHugh Complex and the Valdez Group on the Kenai Peninsula is a tectonic boundary between chaotically deformed melange of argillite, chert, greenstone, and graywacke of the McHugh Complex and a less chaotically deformed melange of argillite and graywacke of the Valdez Group. We assign the latter to a new, informal unit of formational rank, the Iceworm melange, and interpret it as a contractional fault zone (Chugach Bay thrust) along which the Valdez Group was emplaced beneath the McHugh Complex. The McHugh Complex had already been deformed and metamorphosed to prehnite-pumpellyite facies prior to formation of the Iceworm melange. The Chugach Bay thrust formed between 75 and 55 Ma, as shown by Campanian-Maastrichtian depositional ages of the Valdez Group, and fault-related fabrics in the Iceworm melange that are cut by Paleocene dikes. Motion along the Chugach Bay thrust thus followed Middle to Late Cretaceous collision (circa 90-100 Ma) of the Wrangellia composite terrane with North America. Collision related uplift and erosion of mountains in British Columbia formed a submarine fan on the Farallon plate, and we suggest that attempted subduction of this fan dramatically changed the subduction/accretion style within the Chugach accretionary wedge. We propose a model in which subduction of thinly sedimented plates concentrates shear strains in a narrow zone, generating melanges like the McHugh in accretionary complexes. Subduction of thickly sedimented plates allows wider distribution of shear strains to accommodate plate convergence, generating a more coherent accretionary style

  16. Drilling into the deep interior of the Nankai accretionary prism: Preliminary results of IODP NanTroSEIZE Expedition 348

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, H. J.; Hirose, T.; Saffer, D. M.; Toczko, S.; Maeda, L.

    2014-12-01

    International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 348, the latest advance of the NanTroSEIZE project, started on 13 September 2013 and was completed on 29 January 2014. During Expedition 348, the drilling vessel Chikyu advanced the ultra-deep riser hole at Site C0002, located 80 km offshore of the Kii Peninsula, from a depth of 860 meters below sea floor (mbsf) to 3058.5 mbsf, the world record for the deepest scientific ocean drilling, and cased it for future deepening. The drilling operation successfully obtained data on formation physical properties from logging while drilling (LWD) tools, as well as from lithological analyses of cuttings and core from the interior of the active accretionary prism at the Nankai Trough. IODP Site C0002 is the currently only borehole to access the deep interior of an active convergent margin. Preliminary scientific results of Expedition 348 are as follows: (1) Fine-grained turbiditic mudstones with coarser silty and sandy interbeds, exhibiting steep dips (between ~60 and 90 degrees) are predominant in the prism down to ~3000 mbsf. The biostratigraphic age of the sediments in the lowermost part of the hole is thought to be 9-11 Ma, with an assumed age of accretion of 3-5 Ma. (2) Slickenlined surfaces, deformation bands and mineral veins are present throughout the drilled interval, while well-developed scaly clay fabrics are increasingly observed below ~2200 mbsf. A substantial fault zone with well-developed foliation was successfully cored from the deep interior of the prism at ~2205 mbsf. (3) Porosity generally decreases from ~60% to ~20% from the seafloor to 3000 mbsf. However, physical properties including grain density, electrical conductivity and P-wave velocity suggest fairly homogeneous properties in the interior of the prism between ~2000 and 3000 mbsf. (4) Mud gas analysis during the riser drilling indicates that a source of methane gas shifts from microbial origin to thermogenic at around 2325 mbsf. (5) The maximum

  17. Scale dependence of in-situ permeability measurements in the Nankai accretionary prism: The role of fractures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boutt, David F.; Saffer, Demian; Doan, Mai-Linh; Lin, Weiren; Ito, Takatoshi; Kano, Yasuyuki; Flemings, Peter; McNeill, Lisa C.; Byrne, Timothy; Hayman, Nicholas W.; Moe, Kyaw Thu

    2012-04-01

    Modeling studies suggest that fluid permeability is an important control on the maintenance and distribution of pore fluid pressures at subduction zones generated through tectonic loading. Yet, to date, few data are available to constrain permeability of these materials, at appropriate scales. During IODP Expedition 319, downhole measurements of permeability within the uppermost accretionary wedge offshore SW Japan were made using a dual-packer device to isolate 1 m sections of borehole at a depth of 1500 m below sea floor. Analyses of pressure transients using numerical models suggest a range of in-situ fluid permeabilities (5E-15-9E-17 m2). These values are significantly higher than those measured on core samples (2E-19 m2). Borehole imagery and cores suggests the presence of multiple open fractures at this depth of measurement. These observations suggest that open permeable natural fractures at modest fracture densities could be important contributors to overall prism permeability structure at these scales.

  18. Seep carbonates and chemosynthetic coral communities in the Early Paleocene alpine accretionary wedge: evidences from the Bocco Shale (Internal Liguride ophiolitic sequence, Northern Apennine, Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandolfi, Luca; Boschi, Chiara; Luvisi, Edoardo; Alessandro, Ellero; Marroni, Michele; Meneghini, Francesca

    2014-05-01

    In Northern Apennines, the Internal Liguride units are characterized by an ophiolite sequence that represents the stratigraphic base of a Late Jurassic-Early Paleocene sedimentary cover. The Bocco Shale represents the youngest deposit recognized in the sedimentary cover of the ophiolite sequence, sedimented just before the inception of subduction-related deformation history. The Bocco Shale has been interpreted as a fossil example of deposits related to the frontal tectonic erosion of the alpine accretionary wedge slope. The frontal tectonic erosion resulted in a large removal of material from the accretionary wedge front reworked as debris flows and slide deposits sedimented on the lower plate above the trench deposits. These trench-slope deposits may have been successively deformed and metamorphosed during the following accretion processes. The frontal tectonic erosion can be envisaged as a common process during the convergence-related evolution of the Ligure-Piemontese oceanic basin in the Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary time span. In the uppermost Internal Liguride tectonic unit (Portello Unit of Pandolfi and Marroni. 1997), that crops-out in Trebbia Valley, several isolated blocks of authigenic carbonates, unidentificated corals and intrabasinal carbonatic arenites have been recognized inside the fine-grained sediments that dominate the Early Paleocene Lavagnola Fm. (cfr. Bocco Shale Auctt.). The preliminary data on stable isotopes from blocks of authigenic carbonates (up to 1 m thick and 3 m across) and associated corals archive a methane signatures in their depleted carbon isotope pattern (up to δ13C -30‰ PDB) and suggest the presence of chemosynthetic paleocommunities. The seep-carbonates recognized at the top of Internal Liguride succession (cfr. Bocco Shale Auctt.) occur predominantly as blocks in very thick mudstone-dominated deposits and probably developed in an environment dominated by the expulsion of large volume of cold methane-bearing fluids

  19. The role of heterogeneous fluid pressures in the shape of critical-taper submarine wedges, with application to Barbados

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yeh, En-Chao; Suppe, John

    2014-05-01

    Some classic accretionary wedges such as Nankai trough and Barbados are mechanically heterogeneous based on their spatial variation in taper, showing inward decrease in surface slope α without covariation in detachment dip β. Possible sources of regional heterogeniety include variation in fluid pressure, density, cohesion and fault strength, which can be constrained by the seismic or borehole observable parameter, fluid-retention depth Z_FRD, below which compaction is strongly diminished. In particular the Hubbert-Rubey fluid-pressure weakening can be addressed as (1-lambda)~0.6Z_FRD/Z. We recast the heterogeneous critical-taper wedge theory of Dahlen (1990) in terms of the observable Z_FRD/H, where H is the detachment depth, which allows for real world applications. For example, seismic velocity and borehole data from the Barbados shows that the fluid-retention depth Z_FRD is approximately constant and Z_FRD/H decreases inward. This leads to a factor of four inward decreases in wedge strength, dominated by fluid pressure, with only a second-order role for density and cohesion. An inward decrease in wedge strength should by itself produce an increase in taper, therefore the observed decreasing taper must be dominated by decreasing fault strength mu_b* from 0.03 to 0.01. Static fluid-pressures along the detachment in equilibrium with the overlying wedge predict the observed wedge geometry well, given a constant intrinsic friction coefficient mu_b=0.15.

  20. Gas hydrate saturation and distribution in the Kumano Forearc Basin of the Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Jihui; Tsuji, Takeshi; Matsuoka, Toshifumi

    2017-02-01

    The Kumano Forearc Basin is located to the south-east of the Kii Peninsula, Japan, overlying the accretionary prism in the Nankai Trough. The presence of gas hydrate in submarine sediments of the forearc basin has resulted in the widespread occurrence of bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) on seismic profiles, and has caused distinct anomalies in logging data in the region. We estimated the in situ gas hydrate saturation from logging data by using three methods: effective rock physics models, Archie's equation, and empirical relationships between acoustic impedance (AI) and water-filled porosity. The results derived from rock physics models demonstrate that gas hydrates are attached to the grain surfaces of the rock matrix and are not floating in pore space. By applying the empirical relationships to the AI distribution derived from model-based AI inversion of the three-dimensional (3D) seismic data, we mapped the spatial distribution of hydrate saturation within the Kumano Basin and characterised locally concentrated gas hydrates. Based on the results, we propose two different mechanisms of free gas supply to explain the process of gas hydrate formation in the basin: (1) migration along inclined strata that dip landwards, and (2) migration through the faults or cracks generated by intensive tectonic movements of the accretionary prism. The dipping strata with relatively low AI in the forearc basin could indicate the presence of hydrate formation due to gas migration along the dipping strata. However, high hydrate concentration is observed at fault zones with high pore pressures, thus the second mechanism likely plays an important role in the genesis of gas hydrates in the Kumano Basin. Therefore, the tectonic activities in the accretionary wedge significantly influence the hydrate saturation and distribution in the Kumano Forearc Basin.

  1. Long Term Observations of Subsurface Pore Pressure in the Kumano Basin and Upper Accretionary Wedge along the NanTroSIEZE Transect, offshore Japan: Signals from the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Y.; Saffer, D. M.

    2013-12-01

    Subsurface pore pressure as a sensitive measure of strain and formation properties has provided insights into the wide range of fault slip behaviors, contributing to the understanding of fault and earthquake mechanics. Pore pressures from off shore borehole observatory are especially important, as 1) they are the only detectable signals of small and slow events; 2) they provide our only access to the outer forearc, where the tsunami hazards are triggered by the fault slip. As part of the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) a suite of borehole sensors were installed as part of a long-term borehole observatory at IODP Site C0002, during IODP Expedition # 332 in December of 2010. The observatory includes a broadband seismometer, short period geophones, a volumetric strainmeter, temperature sensors, an accelerometer, and formation pore pressure monitoring at two depths: one in the mudstones of the Kumano Basin in an interval spanning 757-780 meters below seafloor (mbsf), and a second in the uppermost accretionary wedge in an interval from 937 - 980 mbsf. Here, we report on pore pressure records acquired at a sampling frequency of 1/60 Hz, spanning the period from December 2010 to January 2013, which were recovered in early 2013. We observe a clear hydraulic signal from March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and aftershocks, including both dynamic pore pressure changes during passage of surface waves and shifts in formation pressure following the event. Pressure exhibit an increase of ~3 kPa in the upper sediment screened interval following the earthquake, and decrease by ~5 kPa in the accretionary prism interval. Both of the offset changes persist through the end of the data recording. These pore pressure changes may reflect static stress changes from the earthquake, or local site effects related to shaking. We also observe a clear increase in formation pore pressures associated with drilling operations at nearby holes in November and December 2012. These

  2. Controls on accretion of flysch and mélange belts at convergent margins: Evidence from the Chugach Bay thrust and Iceworm mélange, Chugach accretionary wedge, Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kusky, Timothy M.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Karl, Sue

    1997-12-01

    Controls on accretion of flysch and mélange terranes at convergent margins are poorly understood. Southern Alaska's Chugach terrane forms the outboard accretionary margin of the Wrangellia composite terrane, and consists of two major lithotectonic units, including Triassic-Cretaceous mélange of the McHugh Complex and Late Cretaceous flysch of the Valdez Group. The contact between the McHugh Complex and the Valdez Group on the Kenai Peninsula is a tectonic boundary between chaotically deformed melange of argillite, chert, greenstone, and graywacke of the McHugh Complex and a less chaotically deformed mélange of argillite and graywacke of the Valdez Group. We assign the latter to a new, informal unit of formational rank, the Iceworm mélange, and interpret it as a contractional fault zone (Chugach Bay thrust) along which the Valdez Group was emplaced beneath the McHugh Complex. The McHugh Complex had already been deformed and metamorphosed to prehnite-pumpellyite facies prior to formation of the Iceworm mélange. The Chugach Bay thrust formed between 75 and 55 Ma, as shown by Campanian-Maastrichtian depositional ages of the Valdez Group, and fault-related fabrics in the Iceworm mélange that are cut by Paleocene dikes. Motion along the Chugach Bay thrust thus followed Middle to Late Cretaceous collision (circa 90-100 Ma) of the Wrangellia composite terrane with North America. Collision related uplift and erosion of mountains in British Columbia formed a submarine fan on the Farallon plate, and we suggest that attempted subduction of this fan dramatically changed the subduction/accretion style within the Chugach accretionary wedge. We propose a model in which subduction of thinly sedimented plates concentrates shear strains in a narrow zone, generating mélanges like the McHugh in accretionary complexes. Subduction of thickly sedimented plates allows wider distribution of shear strains to accommodate plate convergence, generating a more coherent accretionary style

  3. Cold seeps and splay faults on Nankai margin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henry, P.; Ashi, J.; Tsunogai, U.; Toki, T.; Kuramoto, S.; Kinoshita, M.; Lallemant, S. J.

    2003-04-01

    Cold seeps (bacterial mats, specific fauna, authigenic carbonates) are common on the Nankai margin and considered as evidence for seepage of methane bearing fluids. Camera and submersible surveys performed over the years have shown that cold seeps are generally associated with active faults. One question is whether part of the fluids expelled originate from the seismogenic zone and migrate along splay faults to the seafloor. The localisation of most cold seeps on the hanging wall of major thrusts may, however, be interpreted in various ways: (a) footwall compaction and diffuse flow (b) fluid channelling along the fault zone at depths and diffuse flow near the seafloor (c) erosion and channelling along permeable strata. In 2002, new observations and sampling were performed with submersible and ROV (1) on major thrusts along the boundary between the Kumano forearc basin domain and the accretionary wedge domain, (2) on a fault affecting the forearc (Kodaiba fault), (3) on mud volcanoes in the Kumano basin. In area (1) tsunami and seismic inversions indicate that the targeted thrusts are in the slip zone of the To-Nankai 1944 earthquakes. In this area, the largest seep zone, continuous over at least 2 km, coincides with the termination of a thrust trace, indicating local fluid channelling along the edge of the fault zone. Kodaiba fault is part of another splay fault system, which has both thrusting and strike-slip components and terminates westward into an en-echelon fold system. Strong seepage activity with abundant carbonates was found on a fold at the fault termination. One mud volcano, rooted in one of the en-echelon fold, has exceptionally high seepage activity compared with the others and thick carbonate crusts. These observations suggest that fluid expulsion along fault zones is most active at fault terminations and may be enhanced during fault initiation. Preliminary geochemical results indicate signatures differ between seep sites and suggests that the two

  4. New insights into the active deformation of accretionary prisms: examples from the Western Makran, Iran

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penney, Camilla; Copley, Alex; Oveisi, Benham

    2016-04-01

    The Makran subduction zone, along the southern coasts of Iran and Pakistan, hosts one of the largest exposed accretionary wedges in the world. The western Makran has been characterised by a lack of shallow and thrust seismicity in both the instrumental and historical periods. The Mw 6.1 2013 Minab earthquake thus provides a rare opportunity to study the deformation of the accretionary wedge in the transition region between continent-continent collision, in the Zagros, and oceanic subduction, in the Makran. We study the source parameters and slip distribution of this earthquake using seismology, geodesy and field observations. We observe left-lateral strike-slip motion on a fault striking ENE-WSW; approximately perpendicular to the faults of the Minab-Zendan-Palami fault zone, the main structure previously thought to accommodate the right-lateral shear between the Zagros and the Makran. The fault that ruptured in 2013 is one of a series of approximately E-W striking left-lateral faults visible in the geology and geomorphology. These accommodate a velocity field equivalent to right-lateral shear on N-S striking planes by clockwise rotations about vertical axes. The longitudinal range of shear in the western Makran is likely to be controlled by the distance over which the underthrusting Arabian lithosphere deepens in the transition from continent-continent collision to oceanic subduction. The lack of observed megathrust seismicity in the western Makran has led to assertions that the convergence in this region may be aseismic, in contrast to the eastern Makran, which experienced an Mw8.1 earthquake in 1945. The right-lateral Sistan Suture Zone, which runs ~N-S along the Iran-Afghanistan border to the north of the Makran, appears to separate these regimes. However, right-lateral faulting is not observed south of ~27°N, within the wedge. The Minab earthquake and the 2013 Balochistan earthquake show that the Makran accretionary wedge is dominated by strike-slip faulting

  5. Distribution of very low frequency earthquakes in the Nankai accretionary prism influenced by a subducting-ridge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toh, Akiko; Obana, Koichiro; Araki, Eiichiro

    2018-01-01

    We investigated the distribution of very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) that occurred in the shallow accretionary prism of the eastern Nankai trough during one week of VLFE activity in October 2015. They were recorded very close from the sources by an array of broadband ocean bottom seismometers (BBOBSs) equipped in Dense Oceanfloor Network system for Earthquakes and Tsunamis 1 (DONET1). The locations of VLFEs estimated using a conventional envelope correlation method appeared to have a large scatter, likely due to effects of 3D structures near the seafloor and/or sources that the method could not handle properly. Therefore, we assessed their relative locations by introducing a hierarchal clustering analysis based on patterns of relative peak times of envelopes within the array measured for each VLFE. The results suggest that, in the northeastern side of the network, all the detected VLFEs occur 30-40 km landward of the trench axis, near the intersection of a splay fault with the seafloor. Some likely occurred along the splay fault. On the other hand, many VLFEs occur closer to the trench axis in the southwestern side, likely along the plate boundary, and the VLFE activity in the shallow splay fault appears less intense, compared to the northeastern side. Although this could be a snap-shot of activity that becomes more uniform over longer-term, the obtained distribution can be reasonably explained by the change in shear stresses and pore pressures caused by a subducting-ridge below the northeastern side of DONET1. The change in stress state along the strike of the plate boundary, inferred from the obtained VLFE distribution, should be an important indicator of the strain release pattern and localised variations in the tsunamigenic potential of this region.

  6. Structural variation along the southwestern Nankai seismogenic zone related to various earthquake phenomena

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakanishi, A.; Shimomura, N.; Kodaira, S.; Obana, K.; Takahashi, T.; Yamamoto, Y.; Sato, T.; Kashiwase, K.; Fujimori, H.; Kaneda, Y.; Mochizuki, K.; Kato, A.; Iidaka, T.; Kurashimo, E.; Shinohara, M.; Takeda, T.; Shiomi, K.

    2011-12-01

    In the Nankai Trough subduction seismogenic zone, the Nankai and Tonankai earthquakes had often occurred simultaneously, and caused a great event. In order to reduce a great deal of damage to coastal area from both strong ground motion and tsunami generation, it is necessary to understand rupture synchronization and segmentation of the Nankai megathrust earthquake. For a precise estimate of the rupture area of the Nankai megathrust event, it is important to know the geometry of the subducting Philippine Sea plate and deep subduction structure along the Nankai Trough. To obtain the deep subduction structure of the coseismic rupture area of the Nankai earthquake in 1946 off Shikoku area, the large-scale high-resolution wide-angle seismic study was conducted in 2009 and 2010. In this study, 201 and 200 ocean bottom seismographs were deployed off the Shikoku Island and the Kii channel respectively. A tuned airgun system (7800 cu. in.) shot every 200m along 13 profiles. Airgun shots were also recorded along an onshore seismic profile (prepared by ERI, univ. of Tokyo and NIED) prolonged from the offshore profile off the Kii Peninsula. Long-term observation was conducted for ~9 months by 21 OBSs off the Shikoku area and 20 OBSs off the Kii channel.This research is part of 'Research concerning Interaction Between the Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai Earthquakes' funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Structural images of the overriding plate indicate the old accreted sediments (the Cretaceous-Tertiary accretionary prism) with the velocity greater than 6km/s extend seaward from off the Shikoku to the Hyuga-nada. Moreover, the young accreted sediments become relatively thinner eastward from off the cape Ashizuri to Muroto. These structural variations might be related to the different rupture pattern of the Nankai event. Structural image of the deep low frequency earthquakes and tremors is shown by using the airgun shots recorded at onshore

  7. Neoproterozoic-Early Paleozoic Peri-Pacific Accretionary Evolution of the Mongolian Collage System: Insights From Geochemical and U-Pb Zircon Data From the Ordovician Sedimentary Wedge in the Mongolian Altai

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Y. D.; Schulmann, K.; Kröner, A.; Sun, M.; Lexa, O.; Janoušek, V.; Buriánek, D.; Yuan, C.; Hanžl, P.

    2017-11-01

    Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic accretionary processes of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt have been evaluated so far mainly using the geology of ophiolites and/or magmatic arcs. Thus, the knowledge of the nature and evolution of associated sedimentary prisms remains fragmentary. We carried out an integrated geological, geochemical, and zircon U-Pb geochronological study on a giant Ordovician metasedimentary succession of the Mongolian Altai Mountains. This succession is characterized by dominant terrigenous components mixed with volcanogenic material. It is chemically immature, compositionally analogous to graywacke, and marked by significant input of felsic to intermediate arc components, pointing to an active continental margin depositional setting. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages suggest a source dominated by products of early Paleozoic magmatism prevailing during the Cambrian-Ordovician and culminating at circa 500 Ma. We propose that the Ordovician succession forms an "Altai sedimentary wedge," the evolution of which can be linked to the geodynamics of the margins of the Mongolian Precambrian Zavhan-Baydrag blocks. This involved subduction reversal from southward subduction of a passive continental margin (Early Cambrian) to the development of the "Ikh-Mongol Magmatic Arc System" and the giant Altai sedimentary wedge above a north dipping subduction zone (Late Cambrian-Ordovician). Such a dynamic process resembles the tectonic evolution of the peri-Pacific accretionary Terra Australis Orogen. A new model reconciling the Baikalian metamorphic belt along the southern Siberian Craton with peri-Pacific Altai accretionary systems fringing the Mongolian microcontinents is proposed to explain the Cambro-Ordovician geodynamic evolution of the Mongolian collage system.

  8. Large Erosional Features on the Cascadia Accretionary Wedge Imaged with New High-Resolution Multibeam Bathymetry and Seismic Datasets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beeson, J. W.; Goldfinger, C.

    2013-12-01

    Utilizing new high resolution multibeam bathymetric data along with chirp sub-bottom and multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) data, we identified remarkable erosional features on the toe of the Cascadia accretionary wedge near Willapa Canyon, offshore Washington, USA. Bathymetric data was compiled from the Cascadia Open-Access Seismic Transects (COAST) cruise and from the site survey cruise for the Cascadia Initiative. These features loosely resemble slope failures of the frontal thrust, but can be distinguished from such failures by several key features: They incise the crest of the frontal thrust and encompass the landward limb; They have floors below the level of the abyssal plain, similar to plunge pool morphology; They show no evidence of landslide blocks at the base of the slope indicative of block sliding. The features where likely formed during the latest Pleistocene based on post event deposition, cross-cutting relationships with Juan de Fuca Channel and the Willapa Channel levees and wave field, and post event slip on the frontal thrust of the Cascadia accretionary prism. The Holocene levees of both Willapa Channel and Juan de Fuca Channel overlap these older features, and clearly place an upper bound on the age of the erosional features in the latest Pleistocene. A lower bound is estimated from a sub-bottom profile that images ~30 meters of post scour sediment fill. Using existing literature of Holocene and Pleistocene sedimentation rates we estimate a lower age bound between ~23,000 - 56,000 y.b.p. We also map a fault scarp within the erosional feature, with ~60 m of vertical offset. Using multi-channel seismic reflection profiles from the COAST cruise we interpret this scarp as the surface expression of the landward vergent frontal thrust fault. The apparent short duration of the erosional event along the seaward margin of the accretionary wedge, coupled with the presence of the fresh fault scarp within the erosion zone, are indicative of a dormant

  9. In situ stress magnitude and rock strength in the Nankai accretionary complex: a novel approach using paired constraints from downhole data in two wells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huffman, K. A.; Saffer, D. M.; Dugan, B.

    2016-07-01

    We present a method to simultaneously constrain both far-field horizontal stress magnitudes ( S hmin and S Hmax) and in situ rock unconfined compressive strength (UCS), using geophysical logging data from two boreholes located 70 m apart that access the uppermost accretionary prism of the Nankai subduction zone . The boreholes sample the same sediments and are affected by the same tectonic stress field, but were drilled with different annular pressures, thus providing a unique opportunity to refine estimates of both in situ stress magnitudes and rock strength. We develop a forward model to predict the angular width of compressional wellbore failures (borehole breakouts), and identify combinations of S Hmax and UCS that best match breakout widths observed in resistivity images from the two boreholes. The method requires knowledge of S hmin, which is defined by leak-off tests conducted during drilling. Our results define a normal to strike-slip stress regime from 900 to 1386 m below seafloor, consistent with observations from seismic and core data. Our analysis also suggests that in situ values of UCS are generally slightly lower that commonly assumed on the basis of published empirical relations between UCS and P-wave velocity.

  10. Characterization of excess pore pressures at the toe of the Nankai accretionary complex, Ocean Drilling Program sites 1173, 1174, and 808: Results of one-dimensional modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gamage, K.; Screaton, E.

    2006-04-01

    Elevated fluid pore pressures play a critical role in the development of accretionary complexes, including the development of the décollement zone. In this study, we used measured permeabilities of core samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 190 to develop a permeability-porosity relationship for hemipelagic sediments at the toe of the Nankai accretionary complex. This permeability-porosity relationship was used in a one-dimensional loading and fluid flow model to simulate excess pore pressures and porosities. Simulated excess pore pressure ratios (as a fraction of lithostatic pressure-hydrostatic pressure) using the best fit permeability-porosity relationship were lower than predicted from previous studies. We then tested sensitivity of excess pore pressure ratios in the underthrust sediments to bulk permeability, lateral stress in the prism, and a hypothetical low-permeability barrier at the décollement. Our results demonstrated significant increase in pore pressures below the décollement with lower bulk permeability, such as obtained by using the lower boundary of permeability-porosity data, or when a low-permeability barrier is added at the décollement. In contrast, pore pressures in the underthrust sediments demonstrated less sensitivity to added lateral stresses in the prism, although the profile of the excess pore pressure ratio is affected. Both simulations with lateral stress and a low-permeability barrier at the décollement resulted in sharp increases in porosity at the décollement, similar to that observed in measured porosities. Furthermore, in both scenarios, maximum excess pore pressure ratios were found at the décollement, suggesting that either of these factors would contribute to stable sliding along the décollement.

  11. Frictional Properties of the Nankai Trough Accretionary Mud Samples Collected from 1000-3000 mbsf at IODP Site C0002

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanagawa, K.; Hoshino, K.; Abe, K.; Sawai, M.

    2016-12-01

    We conducted triaxial friction experiments on the Nankai Trough accretionary mud samples collected from 1000-3000 mbsf (meters below seafloor) at IODP Site C0002 off Kii Peninsula, at confining pressures of 44-83 MPa, pore water pressures of 32-50 MPa and temperatures of 51-98°C equivalent to their in situ conditions, and at axial displacement rates changed stepwise among 0.1, 1 and 10 µm/s, in order to investigate their frictional properties changing with depth. XRD analyses of tested mud samples revealed that the content of total clay minerals tends to increase with depth from 30 to 60 wt%, while the smectite fraction in total clay minerals decreases with depth from 0.75 to 0.3. Because the temperature at 3000 mbsf reaches 100°C, this decrease in smectite fraction with depth is likely due to the progress of smectite dehydration with increasing temperature. Friction experiments on tested mud samples revealed that the steady-state friction coefficient at an axial displacement rate of 1 µm/s tends to decrease with depth from 0.5 to 0.3, according to the increasing content of total clay minerals with depth. Velocity dependence of steady-state friction also tends to decrease with depth, likely reflecting a decrease in smectite fraction in total clay minerals. Although velocity dependence of steady-state friction is mostly positive at depths down to 3000 mbsf, it is locally neutral or negative at depths deeper than 2000 mbsf, implying that faulting at these depths is conditionally stable and possibly accompanied by slow slip events.

  12. Interpretation of a leak-off test conducted near the bottom of the Kumano Forearc Basin strata at IODP Site C0002 in the Nankai accretionary complex, SW Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, I.; Huepers, A.; Olcott, K. A.; Saffer, D. M.; Dugan, B.; Strasser, M.

    2013-12-01

    The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is a long-term, multi-stage scientific drilling project launched for investigating fault mechanics and seismogenesis along subduction megathrusts. One main key to the mechanics of the plate boundary is understanding the absolute mechanical strength and the in situ stress along the megathrust. As part of efforts to access the Nankai Trough seismogenic zone, the NanTroSEIZE Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) project began riser-based drilling operations at Site C0002 (Hole C0002F) in 2010 during IODP Expedition 326, with the objective of reaching the plate interface at ~6800 meters below the seafloor (mbsf). The geology in this area is composed of the Kumano Forearc Basin sedimentary strata to ~940 mbsf, underlain by the inner accretionary wedge. IODP Expedition 326 drilled Hole C0002F to 872.5 mbsf, near the bottom of the Kumano Basin, and set a 20-inch casing string to 860.2 mbsf. During IODP Expedition 338 in 2012, the hole was extended to 2005.5 mbsf. At the beginning of the operation, a leak-off test (LOT) was conducted in the interval of 872.5-875.5 mbsf, to define the maximum mud weight for the next stage of logging-while-drilling (LWD). Drilling-out-cement (DOC) at the bottom of the hole prior to the LOT provided a 3-m long, 17-inch diameter open borehole for the LOT. For the LOT, this open hole interval was pressurized with the outer annulus closed by the blow out preventer (BOP) using drilling mud of density of 1100 kg/m3, and mud pressure was measured at the cement pumps. The bottom-hole pressure was calculated by the recorded pressure plus the static pressure of the mud column. The first cycle of pressurization was conducted with injection of drilling mud at 31.8 l/min. However, the leak-off pressure (LOP) was not clearly defined because a large volume of mud was lost. Therefore a second cycle was conducted with a higher drilling mud injection rate (47.7 l /min). The rapid increase in

  13. Nankai Stress History and Implications for an Overpressured Decollement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moran, K.; O'Regan, M.

    2005-12-01

    The Nankai Trough, formed from the subduction of the Shikoku Basin beneath the island arc of southwestern Japan, is a relatively young accretionary complex converging at a rate of ~4 cm/yr [Shipboard Scientific Party, 2001a]. The region was studied during the Deep Sea Drilling Project and on three Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Legs-131, 190 and 196. Three sites visited during these Legs form a single cross-margin transect (dubbed the Muroto Transect) that traverses the leading edge of the Nankai accretionary prism, from seaward of the deformation front at Site 1173, to close to the deformation front (Site 1174), and landward to the first frontal thrust (Site 808). The decollement, which forms the major boundary between the converging plates, occurs within the Lower Shikoku Basin stratigraphic unit. The ODP sites were drilled and cored to depths below the decollement (Sites 808 and 1174) and the proto-decollement (Site 1173). Here we present consolidation test results [Moran et al., 1993] that are consistent with porosity-depth functions from core and log measurements for the Lower Shikoku Basin sediments, assuming that the decollement is an overpressured seal. At 1173, where a true decollement has not yet formed, moderate fluid overpressures occur that can be fully attributed to high turbiditic sedimentation rates. Forward modeling of this site into the deformation front over a period of ~300 ky shows that the present 1173 porosity-depth function matches the porosity-depth function at 1174. These results suggest that the young decollement on the Muroto Transect at the deformation front and landward is highly overpressured and forms a seal to sediments below that can be classically modeled as a one-dimensional consolidation system.

  14. Characterizing the Inner Accretionary Prism of the Nankai Trough with 3D Seismic and Logging While Drilling at IODP Site C0002

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boston, B.; Moore, G. F.; Jurado, M. J.; Sone, H.; Tobin, H. J.; Saffer, D. M.; Hirose, T.; Toczko, S.; Maeda, L.

    2014-12-01

    The deeper, inner parts of active accretionary prisms have been poorly studied due the lack of drilling data, low seismic image quality and typically thick overlying sediments. Our project focuses on the interior of the Nankai Trough inner accretionary prism using deep scientific drilling and a 3D seismic cube. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 348 extended the existing riser hole to more than 3000 meters below seafloor (mbsf) at Site C0002. Logging while drilling (LWD) data included gamma ray, resistivity, resistivity image, and sonic logs. LWD analysis of the lower section revealed on the borehole images intense deformation characterized by steep bedding, faults and fractures. Bedding plane orientations were measured throughout, with minor gaps at heavily deformed zones disrupting the quality of the resistivity images. Bedding trends are predominantly steeply dipping (60-90°) to the NW. Interpretation of fractures and faults in the image log revealed the existence of different sets of fractures and faults and variable fracture density, remarkably high at fault zones. Gamma ray, resistivity and sonic logs indicated generally homogenous lithology interpretation along this section, consistent with the "silty-claystone" predominant lithologies described on cutting samples. Drops in sonic velocity were observed at the fault zones defined on borehole images. Seismic reflection interpretation of the deep faults in the inner prism is exceedingly difficult due to a strong seafloor multiple, high-angle bedding dips, and low frequency of the data. Structural reconstructions were employed to test whether folding of seismic horizons in the overlying forearc basin could be from an interpreted paleothrust within the inner prism. We used a trishear-based restoration to estimate fault slip on folded horizons landward of C0002. We estimate ~500 m of slip from a steeply dipping deep thrust within the last ~0.9 Ma. Folding is not found in the Kumano sediments

  15. Continuous depth profile of mechanical properties in the Nankai accretionary prism based on drilling performance parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamada, Y.; Kitamura, M.; Yamada, Y.; Sanada, Y.; Moe, K.; Hirose, T.

    2016-12-01

    In-situ rock properties in/around seismogenic zone in an accretionary prism are key parameters to understand the development mechanisms of an accretionary prism, spatio-temporal variation of stress state, and so on. For the purpose of acquiring continuous-depth-profile of in-situ formation strength in an accretionary prism, here we propose the new method to evaluate the in-situ rock strength using drilling performance property. Drilling parameters are inevitably obtained by any drilling operation even in the non-coring intervals or at challenging environment where core recovery may be poor. The relationship between the rock properties and drilling parameters has been proposed by previous researches [e.g. Teale 1964]. We introduced the relationship theory of Teale [1964], and developed a converting method to estimate in-situ rock strength without depending on uncertain parameters such as weight on bit (WOB). Specifically, we first calculated equivalent specific toughness (EST) which represents gradient of the relationship between Torque energy and volume of penetration at arbitrary interval (in this study, five meters). Then the EST values were converted into strength using the drilling parameters-rock strengths correlation obtained by Karasawa et al. [2002]. This method was applied to eight drilling holes in the Site C0002 of IODP NanTroSEIZE in order to evaluate in-situ rock strength in shallow to deep accretionary prism. In the shallower part (0 - 300 mbsf), the calculated strength shows sharp increase up to 20 MPa. Then the strength has approximate constant value to 1500 mbsf without significant change even at unconformity around 1000 mbsf (boundary between forearc basin and accretionary prism). Below that depth, value of the strength gradually increases with depth up to 60 MPa at 3000 mbsf with variation between 10 and 80 MPa. Because the calculated strength is across approximately the same lithology, the increase trend can responds to the rock strength. This

  16. Experimental Investigation on Poro-Elasto-Plastic Behavior of the Inner Accretionary Wedge Sediments at the Nankai Subduction Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuo, S. T.; Kitamura, M.; Kitajima, H.

    2017-12-01

    The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) have installed borehole observatories to monitor the evolution of physical and hydrological properties caused by crustal deformation at various strain rates within earthquake cycles. The observatories have been installed at the base of a forearc basin above the megathrust fault (Site C0002) and near the shallow tip of the megasplay fault (Site C0010), and will be installed near the frontal thrust (Site C0006) next year. The observatory pore pressure data have shown the dynamic and post-seismic responses and are used to estimate volumetric strain (deformation) with poroelastic parameters (e.g., Wallace et al. 2016). The parameters of submarine sediments are often computed theoretically from the porosity, compressibilities of matrix, solid, and pore fluid; however, few direct constraints on core samples have been made. To investigate the poro-elasto-plastic behavior of submarine sediments, triaxial experiments with stress relaxation were conducted on the claystone cores (20% porosity) from 2185 meters below sea floor at Site C0002. Triaxial tests were conducted by applying an axial load at a constant displacement rate of 5×10-9m/s, while keeping confining pressure (Pc) at 42, 48, or 78 MPa and pore pressure (Pp) at 20 MPa. Stress relaxation tests were conducted periodically, in which neither axial displacement nor pore volume change was allowed. At lower effective pressure (Pe=Pc-Pp) of 22 and 28 MPa, the samples deform in a brittle manner, with a peak strength of 50 and 55 MPa and a residual strength of 36 and 46 MPa, respectively. At higher Pe of 58 MPa, the sample exhibits strain hardening. The relaxation tests at Pe = 22 MPa show an increase in Pp before yield and a decrease in Pp after yield, suggesting a transition from compaction to dilation. All of the relaxation tests at Pe = 58 MPa show an increase in Pp, suggesting compaction throughout the deformation

  17. Progressive deformation of the Chugach accretionary complex, Alaska, during a paleogene ridge-trench encounter

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kusky, Timothy M.

    1997-01-01

    The Mesozoic accretionary wedge of south-central Alaska is cut by an array of faults including dextral and sinistral strike-slip faults, synthetic and antithetic thrust faults, and synthetic and antithetic normal faults. The three fault sets are characterized by quartz ± calcite ± chlorite ± prehnite slickensides, and are all relatively late, i.e. all truncate ductile fabrics of the host rocks. Cross-cutting relationships suggest that the thrust fault sets predate the late normal and strike-slip fault sets. Together, the normal and strike-slip fault system exhibits orthorhombic symmetry. Thrust faulting shortened the wedge subhorizontally perpendicular to strike, and then normal and strike-slip faulting extended the wedge oblique to orogenic strike. Strongly curved slickenlines on some faults of each set reveal that displacement directions changed over time. On dip-slip faults (thrust and normal), slickenlines tend to become steeper with younger increments of slip, whereas on strike-slip faults, slickenlines become shallower with younger strain increments. These patterns may result from progressive exhumation of the accretionary wedge while the faults were active, with the curvature of the slickenlines tracking the change from a non-Andersonian stress field at depth to a more Andersonian system (σ1 or σ2 nearly vertical) at shallower crustal levels.We interpret this complex fault array as a progressive deformation that is one response to Paleocene-Eocene subduction of the Kula-Farallon spreading center beneath the accretionary complex because: (1) on the Kenai Peninsula, ENE-striking dextral faults of this array exhibit mutually cross-cutting relationships with Paleocene-Eocene dikes related to ridge subduction; and (2) mineralized strike-slip and normal faults of the orthorhombic system have yielded 40Ar/39Ar ages identical to near-trench intrusives related to ridge subduction. Both features are diachronous along-strike, having formed at circa 65 Ma in the

  18. Physical properties of the Nankai inner accretionary prism sediments at Site C0002, IODP Expedition 348.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitamura, M.; Kitajima, H.; Henry, P.; Valdez, R. D., II; Josh, M.; Tobin, H. J.; Saffer, D. M.; Hirose, T.; Toczko, S.; Maeda, L.

    2014-12-01

    Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) Expedition 348 focused on deepening the existing riser hole at Site C0002 to ~3000 meters below seafloor (mbsf) to access the deep interior of the Miocene inner accretionary prism. This unique tectonic environment, which has never before been sampled in situ by ocean drilling, was characterized through riser drilling, logging while drilling (LWD), mud gas monitoring and sampling, and cuttings and core analysis. Shipboard physical properties measurements including moisture and density (MAD), electrical conductivity, P-wave, natural gamma ray, and magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed mainly on cuttings samples from 870.5 to 3058.5 mbsf, but also on core samples from 2163 and 2204 mbsf. MAD measurements were conducted on seawater-washed cuttings ("bulk cuttings") in two size fractions of >4 mm and 1-4 mm from 870.5 to 3058.5 mbsf, and hand-picked intact cuttings from the >4 mm size fractions within 1222.5-3058.5 mbsf interval. The bulk cuttings show grain density of ~2.7 g/cm3, bulk density of 1.9 g/cm3 to 2.2 g/cm3, and porosity of 50% to 32%. Compared to the values on bulk cuttings, the intact cuttings show almost the same grain density, but higher bulk density and lower porosity, respectively. Combined with the MAD measurements on hand-picked intact cuttings and discrete core samples from previous expeditions, porosity generally decreases from ~60% to ~20% from the seafloor to 3000 mbsf at Site C0002. Electrical conductivity and P-wave velocity on discrete samples, which were prepared from both cuttings and core samples in the depth interval of 1745.5-3058.5 mbsf, range 0.15-0.9 S/m and 1.7-4.5 km/s, respectively. The electrical resistivity on discrete samples is higher than the LWD resistivity data but the overall depth trends are similar. The electrical conductivity and P-wave velocity on discrete samples corrected for in-situ pressure and temperature

  19. Megathrust and accretionary wedge properties and behaviour in the Makran subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penney, Camilla; Tavakoli, Farokh; Saadat, Abdolreza; Nankali, Hamid Reza; Sedighi, Morteza; Khorrami, Fateme; Sobouti, Farhad; Rafi, Zahid; Copley, Alex; Jackson, James; Priestley, Keith

    2017-06-01

    We study the Makran subduction zone, along the southern coasts of Iran and Pakistan, to gain insights into the kinematics and dynamics of accretionary prism deformation. By combining techniques from seismology, geodesy and geomorphology, we are able to put constraints on the shape of the subduction interface and the style of strain across the prism. We also address the long-standing tectonic problem of how the right-lateral shear taken up by strike-slip faulting in the Sistan Suture Zone in eastern Iran is accommodated at the zone's southern end. We find that the subduction interface in the western Makran may be locked, accumulating elastic strain, and move in megathrust earthquakes. Such earthquakes, and associated tsunamis, present a significant hazard to populations around the Arabian Sea. The time-dependent strain within the accretionary prism, resulting from the megathrust earthquake cycle, may play an important role in the deformation of the Makran region. By considering the kinematics of the 2013 Balochistan and Minab earthquakes, we infer that the local gravitational and far-field compressive forces in the Makran accretionary prism are in balance. This force balance allows us to calculate the mean shear stress and effective coefficient of friction on the Makran megathrust, which we find to be 5-35 MPa and 0.01-0.03, respectively. These values are similar to those found in other subduction zones, showing that the abnormally high sediment thickness in the offshore Makran does not significantly reduce the shear stress on the megathrust.

  20. Characterization of structures of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism from integrated analyses of LWD log response, resistivity images and clay mineralogy of cuttings: Expedition 338 Site C0002

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jurado, Maria Jose; Schleicher, Anja

    2014-05-01

    The objective of our research is a detailed characterization of structures on the basis of LWD oriented images and logs,and clay mineralogy of cuttings from Hole C0002F of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism. Our results show an integrated interpretation of structures derived from borehole images, petrophysical characterization on LWD logs and cuttings mineralogy. The geometry of the structure intersected at Hole C0002F has been characterized by the interpretation of oriented borehole resistivity images acquired during IODP Expedition 338. The characterization of structural features, faults and fracture zones is based on a detailed post-cruise interpretation of bedding and fractures on borehole images and also on the analysis of Logging While Drilling (LWD) log response (gamma radioactivity, resistivity and sonic logs). The interpretation and complete characterization of structures (fractures, fracture zones, fault zones, folds) was achieved after detailed shorebased reprocessing of resistivity images, which allowed to enhance bedding and fracture's imaging for geometry and orientation interpretation. In order to characterize distinctive petrophysical properties based on LWD log response, it could be compared with compositional changes derived from cuttings analyses. Cuttings analyses were used to calibrate and to characterize log response and to verify interpretations in terms of changes in composition and texture at fractures and fault zones defined on borehole images. Cuttings were taken routinely every 5 m during Expedition 338, indicating a clay-dominated lithology of silty claystone with interbeds of weakly consolidated, fine sandstones. The main mineralogical components are clay minerals, quartz, feldspar and calcite. Selected cuttings were taken from areas of interest as defined on LWD logs and images. The clay mineralogy was investigated on the <2 micron clay-size fraction, with special focus on smectite and illite minerals. Based on X-ray diffraction

  1. Mud volcano venting induced gas hydrate formation at the upper slope accretionary wedge, offshore SW Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Saulwood; Tseng, Yi-Ting; Cheng, Wan-Yen; Chou, Cheng-Tien; Chen, NeiChen; Hsieh, I.-Chih

    2016-04-01

    TsanYao Mud Volcano (TYMV) is the largest mud volcano cone in the Hengchun Mud Volcano Group (HCMVG), located at the upper slope of the accrretionary wedge, southwest of Taiwan. The region is under active tectonic activity with the Philippine Plate, moving northwestward at a rate of ~8 cm/year. This region also receives huge quantity of suspended particle load of ~100 mT/year at present time from adjacent small rivers of the Island of Taiwan. Large loads of suspended sediments influx become a major source of organic carbon and later gas and other hydrocarbon. Gas and fluid in the mud volcano are actively venting from deep to the sea floor on the upper slope of the accretionary wedge. In order to understand venting on the HCMVG, echo sounder, towcam and coring were carried out. Pore water sulfate, chloride, potassium, calcium, stable isotope O-18, gas compositions, dissolved sulfide were analysed. The HCMVG consists of 12 volcano cones of different sizes. Large quantity of gas and fluid are venting directly from deep to the TYMV structure high, as well as 50+ other vents as appeared as flares on the echo sounder. Some flares are reaching to the atmosphere and likely a source of green house gases to the atmosphere. Venting fluids include gas bubbles, suspended particle, mud, and breccia. Breccia size could reach more than 12 cm in diameter. Circular bands in different color appeared around the cone may represent stages of vent eruptions. Compositions of vent gas include methane, ethane and propane. High proportions of ethane and propane in the vent gas demonstrated that source of gas are thermogenic in origin. Patchy authigenic carbonate, bacterial mats, bivalves, tube worms and other chemosynthesis organisms were supported by venting gas AOM process near the sea floor. Pore water chloride concentrations show distinct variation pattern from center cone to the side of the volcano, with low in the center and high away from the cone. Pore water with higher than seawater

  2. Causes and consequences of the great strength variability among soft Nankai accretionary prism sediments from offshore SW-Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stipp, Michael; Schumann, Kai; Leiss, Bernd; Ullemeyer, Klaus

    2014-05-01

    The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is the very first attempt to drill into the seismogenic part of a subduction zone. Offshore SW-Japan the oceanic Philippine sea plate is subducted beneath the continental Eurasian plate causing earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 to 8.5 and related tsunamis with a recurrence rate of 80-100 years. For the tsunamigenic potential of the forearc slope and accreted sediments their mechanical strength, composition and fabrics have been investigated. 19 drill core samples of IODP Expeditions 315, 316 and 333 were experimentally deformed in a triaxial cell under consolidated and undrained conditions at confining pressures of 400-1000 kPa, room temperature, axial shortening rates of 0.01-9.0 mm/min, and up to an axial strain of ˜64% (Stipp et al., 2013). With respect to the mechanical behavior, two distinct sample groups could be distinguished. Weak samples from the upper and middle forearc slope of the accretionary prism show a deviatoric peak stress after only a few percent strain (< 10%) and a continuous stress decrease after a maximum combined with a continuous increase in pore pressure. Strong samples from the accretionary prism toe display a constant residual stress at maximum level or even a continuous stress increase together with a decrease in pore pressure towards high strain (Stipp et al., 2013). Synchrotron texture and composition analysis of the experimentally deformed and undeformed samples using the Rietveld refinement program MAUD indicates an increasing strength of the illite and kaolinite textures with increasing depth down to 523 m below sea floor corresponding to a preferred mineral alignment due to compaction. Experimentally deformed samples have generally stronger textures than related undeformed core samples and they show also increasing strength of the illite and kaolinite textures with increasing axial strain. Mechanically weak samples have a bulk clay plus

  3. New access to the deep interior of the Nankai accretionary complex and comprehensive characterization of subduction inputs and recent mega splay fault activity (IODP-NanTroSEIZE Expedition 338)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strasser, Michael; Moore, Gregory F.; Kanagawa, Kyuichi; Dugan, Brandon; Fabbri, Olivier; Toczko, Sean; Maeda, Lena

    2013-04-01

    The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is a coordinated, multi-expedition Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) drilling project designed to investigate fault mechanics and seismogenesis along subduction megathrusts through direct sampling, in situ measurements, and long-term monitoring in conjunction with allied laboratory and numerical modeling studies. IODP Expedition 338 (1 October 2012 - 13 January 2013), extended riser Hole C0002F from 856 meters below the sea floor (mbsf) to 2005 mbsf. Site C0002 is the centerpiece of the NanTroSEIZE project, and is planned to be deepened to eventually reach the seismogenic fault zone during upcoming drilling expeditions. The original Exp. 338 operational plan to case the hole to 3600 mbsf had to be revised as sudden changes in sea conditions resulted in damage to parts of the riser system, thus the hole was suspended at 2005 mbsf but left for future re-entry. The revised operation plan included additional riserless logging and coring of key targets not sampled during previous NanTroSEIZE expeditions, but relevant to comprehensively characterize the alteration stage of the oceanic basement input to the subduction zone, the early stage of Kumano Basin evolution and the recent activity of the shallow mega splay fault zone system and submarine landslides. Here we present preliminary results from IODP Exp. 338: Logging While Drilling (LWD), mud gas monitoring and analysis on cuttings from the deep riser hole characterize two lithological units within the internal accretionary prism, separated by a prominent fault zone at ~1640 mbsf. Internal style of deformation, downhole increase of thermogenically formed formation gas and evidence for mechanical compaction and cementation document a complex structural evolution and provide unprecedented insights into the mechanical state and behavior of the wedge at depth. Additionally, multiple samples of the unconformity between the Kumano Basin and accretionary prism

  4. Improved 3D seismic images of dynamic deformation in the Nankai Trough off Kumano

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiraishi, K.; Moore, G. F.; Yamada, Y.; Kinoshita, M.; Sanada, Y.; Kimura, G.

    2016-12-01

    In order to improve the seismic reflection image of dynamic deformation and seismogenic faults in the Nankai trough, the 2006 Kumano 3D seismic dataset was reprocessed from the original field records by applying advanced technologies a decade after the data acquisition and initial processing. The 3D seismic survey revealed the geometry of megasplay fault system. However, there were still unclear regions in the accretionary prism beneath from Kumano basin to the outer ridge, because of sea floor multiple reflections and noise caused by the Kuroshio current. For the next stage of deep scientific drilling into the Nankai trough seismogenic zone, it is essential to know exactly the shape and depth of the megasplay, and fine structures around the drilling site. Three important improvements were achieved in data processing before imaging. First, full deghosting and optimized zero phasing techniques could recover broadband signals, especially in low frequency, by compensating for ghost effects at both source and receiver, and removing source bubbles. Second, the multiple reflections better attenuated by applying advanced techniques in combination, and the strong noise caused by the Kuroshio were attenuated carefully. Third, data regularization by means of the optimized 4D trace interpolation was effective both to mitigate non-uniform fold distribution and to improve data quality. Further imaging processes led to obvious improvement from previous results by applying PSTM with higher order correction of VTI anisotropy, and PSDM based on the velocity model built by reflection tomography with TTI anisotropy. Final reflection images show new geological aspects, such as clear steep dip faults around the "notch", and fine scale faults related to main thrusts in frontal thrust zone. The improved images will highly contribute to understanding the deformation process in the old accretionary prism and seismogenic features related to the megasplay faults.

  5. Direct Observations of In Situ Stress State in a 3 Kilometer Deep Borehole in the Upper Plate, Nankai Trough Subduction Zone: IODP Site C0002

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, H. J.; Saffer, D. M.; Castillo, D. A.; Hirose, T.

    2016-12-01

    During IODP Expedition 348, borehole C0002F/N/P was advanced to a depth of 3058 m below the seafloor (mbsf) into the inner forearc accretionary wedge of the Nankai subduction zone (SW Japan), now the deepest scientific drilling ever into the ocean floor. The goals were to investigate the physical properties, structure, and state of stress deep within the hanging wall of a seismogenic subduction plate boundary. Mud pressure and gas monitoring, injection tests, leak-off tests (LOT), logging-while-drilling (LWD) measurements, and observations of mud losses and hole conditions provide both direct and indirect information about in situ pore pressure and stress state. The LOTs show that the minimum principal stress is consistently less than the vertical stress defined by the overburden, ruling out a thrust faulting stress state throughout the drilled section, and define a nearly linear gradient in Shmin from the seafloor to the base of the hole. Observations of mud loss and the lack of observed gas shows indicate that formation pore fluid pressure is not significantly (< 10 MPa) greater than hydrostatic. The maximum horizontal stress, estimated from borehole breakout width and pressure spikes during pack-off events, is close in magnitude to the vertical stress. Therefore the accretionary prism lies in either a normal or strike-slip faulting regime, or is transitional between the two, from 1 to 3 km depth. At 3002 mbsf we estimate that the effective stresses are: Sv' = 33 MPa; SHmax' = 25-36 MPa; and Shmin' = 18.5-21 MPa. Differential stresses are therefore low, on the order of 10-12 MPa, in the hanging wall of the subduction thrust. We conclude that (1) the inner wedge is not critically stressed in horizontal compression; (2) basal traction along the megathrust must be low in order to permit concurrent locking of the fault and low differential stresses deep within the upper plate; and (3) although low differential stresses may persist down to the plate boundary at 5000

  6. The brittle-ductile transition in porous sedimentary rocks: geological implications for accretionary wedge aseismicity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jiaxiang; Davis, Dan M.; Wong, Teng-Fong

    1993-07-01

    Thrusting earthquakes in subduction zones generally occur along only part of the plate boundary, with motion along the shallowest part of the plate boundary occurring ascismically. The maximum size of subduction boundary thrust earthquakes depends strongly upon the down-dip width of the seismogenic zone. The single most uncertain factor in determining that width is the location of the up-dip limit of the zone (the seismic front), which depends upon the mechanical state of the sedimentary rocks in the plate boundary zone. In order to come to a better understanding of the seismic potential of sediments in a subduction zone, we carried out a series of triaxial experiments on Berea and Kayenta sandstones. Based on our experimental data, a brittle-ductile transition map was constructed showing that both porosity and effective pressure are important factors controlling the transition from brittle to macroscopically ductile behavior in porous rocks. In the brittle field, a sample fails by shear localization on one slip plane accompanied by strain softening and dilatancy, whereas in the ductile field, a sample deforms homogeneously with a constant yield stress or slight hardening. By comparing such a map with the estimated porosity profile of an accretionary wedge, the likely nature and rough location of the boundary between brittle and ductile behavior can be inferred. If the sediments along a plate boundary are too young and undercompacted to be capable of brittle shear localization, then their deformation is likely to be aseismic. In this way, it may be possible for even a very broad fore-arcs to produce no great earthquakes. However, great earthquakes are to be expected at margins that have large zones of plate contact along which many sediments are compacted and well lithified. Such rocks are expected to be capable of shear localization and brittle failure with the potential for stick-slip behavior.

  7. Structural characteristics around the frontal thrust along the Nankai Trough revealed by bathymetric and seismic reflection survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamashita, M.; Nakanishi, A.; Moore, G. F.; Kodaira, S.; Nakamura, Y.; Miura, S.; Kaneda, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Great earthquakes with tsunamis with recurrence intervals of 100-200 years have occurred along the Nankai Trough near central Japan where the Shikoku Basin is subducting with thick sediments on the Philippine Sea plate. To predict the exact height of the tsunami on the coast region generated by these large ruptures, it is important to estimate the vertical deformation that occurs on the seaward end of the rupture area. Recent drilling results have also yielded evidence not only of splay faults that generate tsunamigenic rupture, but also new evidence of tsunamigenic rupture along the frontal thrust at the trench axis in the Nankai Trough. In order to understand the deformation around the frontal thrust at the trench axis, we conducted a dense high-resolution seismic reflection survey with 10-20 km spacing over 1500 km of line length during 2013 and 2014. Clear seismic reflection images of frontal thrusts in the accretionary prism and subducting Shikoku Basin, image deformation along the trench axis between off Muroto Cape and off Ashizuri Cape. The cumulative displacement along the frontal thrust and second thrust are measured from picked distinct reflectors in depth-converted profiles. The average value of cumulative displacement of the frontal thrust is more than 100 m within 2 km depth beneath the seafloor. The location of highest displacement of 300 m displacement agree with the seaward end of slip distribution of the 1946 Nankai event calculated by numerical simulations. We also evaluate the seaward structure for understanding the future rupture distribution. The protothrust zone (PTZ) consisting of many incipient thrusts is identifiable in the portion of trough-fill sediments seaward of the frontal thrust. In order to emphasize the characteristics of frontal thrust and PTZ, we construct the detailed relief image for focusing on the lineated slope of the PTZ at the trough axis. Although our surveys covered a part of Nankai seismogenic zone, it is important to

  8. Distribution and depth of bottom-simulating reflectors in the Nankai subduction margin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ohde, Akihiro; Otsuka, Hironori; Kioka, Arata; Ashi, Juichiro

    2018-04-01

    Surface heat flow has been observed to be highly variable in the Nankai subduction margin. This study presents an investigation of local anomalies in surface heat flows on the undulating seafloor in the Nankai subduction margin. We estimate the heat flows from bottom-simulating reflectors (BSRs) marking the lower boundaries of the methane hydrate stability zone and evaluate topographic effects on heat flow via two-dimensional thermal modeling. BSRs have been used to estimate heat flows based on the known stability characteristics of methane hydrates under low-temperature and high-pressure conditions. First, we generate an extensive map of the distribution and subseafloor depths of the BSRs in the Nankai subduction margin. We confirm that BSRs exist at the toe of the accretionary prism and the trough floor of the offshore Tokai region, where BSRs had previously been thought to be absent. Second, we calculate the BSR-derived heat flow and evaluate the associated errors. We conclude that the total uncertainty of the BSR-derived heat flow should be within 25%, considering allowable ranges in the P-wave velocity, which influences the time-to-depth conversion of the BSR position in seismic images, the resultant geothermal gradient, and thermal resistance. Finally, we model a two-dimensional thermal structure by comparing the temperatures at the observed BSR depths with the calculated temperatures at the same depths. The thermal modeling reveals that most local variations in BSR depth over the undulating seafloor can be explained by topographic effects. Those areas that cannot be explained by topographic effects can be mainly attributed to advective fluid flow, regional rapid sedimentation, or erosion. Our spatial distribution of heat flow data provides indispensable basic data for numerical studies of subduction zone modeling to evaluate margin parallel age dependencies of subducting plates.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  9. Distribution and depth of bottom-simulating reflectors in the Nankai subduction margin.

    PubMed

    Ohde, Akihiro; Otsuka, Hironori; Kioka, Arata; Ashi, Juichiro

    2018-01-01

    Surface heat flow has been observed to be highly variable in the Nankai subduction margin. This study presents an investigation of local anomalies in surface heat flows on the undulating seafloor in the Nankai subduction margin. We estimate the heat flows from bottom-simulating reflectors (BSRs) marking the lower boundaries of the methane hydrate stability zone and evaluate topographic effects on heat flow via two-dimensional thermal modeling. BSRs have been used to estimate heat flows based on the known stability characteristics of methane hydrates under low-temperature and high-pressure conditions. First, we generate an extensive map of the distribution and subseafloor depths of the BSRs in the Nankai subduction margin. We confirm that BSRs exist at the toe of the accretionary prism and the trough floor of the offshore Tokai region, where BSRs had previously been thought to be absent. Second, we calculate the BSR-derived heat flow and evaluate the associated errors. We conclude that the total uncertainty of the BSR-derived heat flow should be within 25%, considering allowable ranges in the P-wave velocity, which influences the time-to-depth conversion of the BSR position in seismic images, the resultant geothermal gradient, and thermal resistance. Finally, we model a two-dimensional thermal structure by comparing the temperatures at the observed BSR depths with the calculated temperatures at the same depths. The thermal modeling reveals that most local variations in BSR depth over the undulating seafloor can be explained by topographic effects. Those areas that cannot be explained by topographic effects can be mainly attributed to advective fluid flow, regional rapid sedimentation, or erosion. Our spatial distribution of heat flow data provides indispensable basic data for numerical studies of subduction zone modeling to evaluate margin parallel age dependencies of subducting plates.

  10. Moment tensor inversion of the 2016 southeast offshore Mie earthquake in the Tonankai region using a three-dimensional velocity structure model: effects of the accretionary prism and subducting oceanic plate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takemura, Shunsuke; Kimura, Takeshi; Saito, Tatsuhiko; Kubo, Hisahiko; Shiomi, Katsuhiko

    2018-03-01

    The southeast offshore Mie earthquake occurred on April 1, 2016 near the rupture area of the 1944 Tonankai earthquake, where seismicity around the interface of the Philippine Sea plate had been very low until this earthquake. Since this earthquake occurred outside of seismic arrays, the focal mechanism and depth were not precisely constrained using a one-dimensional velocity model, as in a conventional approach. We conducted a moment tensor inversion of this earthquake by using a three-dimensional velocity structure model. Before the analysis of observed data, we investigated the effects of offshore heterogeneous structures such as the seawater, accretionary prism, and subducting oceanic plate by using synthetic seismograms in a full three-dimensional model and simpler models. The accretionary prism and subducting oceanic plate play important roles in the moment tensor inversion for offshore earthquakes in the subduction zone. Particularly, the accretionary prism, which controls the excitation and propagation of long-period surface waves around the offshore region, provides better estimations of the centroid depths and focal mechanisms of earthquakes around the Nankai subduction zone. The result of moment tensor inversion for the 2016 southeast offshore Mie earthquake revealed low-angle thrust faulting with a moment magnitude of 5.6. According to geophysical surveys in the Nankai Trough, our results suggest that the rupture of this earthquake occurred on the interface of the Philippine Sea plate, rather than on a mega-splay fault. Detailed comparisons of first-motion polarizations provided additional constraints of the rupture that occurred on the interface of the Philippine Sea plate.

  11. Shallow observatory installations unravel earthquake processes in the Nankai accretionary complex (IODP Expedition 365)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kopf, A.; Saffer, D. M.; Toczko, S.

    2016-12-01

    NanTroSEIZE is a multi-expedition IODP project to investigate fault mechanics and seismogenesis along the Nankai Trough subduction zone through direct sampling, in situ measurements, and long-term monitoring. Recent Expedition 365 had three primary objectives at a major splay thrust fault (termed the "megasplay") in the forearc: (1) retrieval of a temporary observatory (termed a GeniusPlug) that has been monitoring temperature and pore pressure within the fault zone at 400 meters below seafloor for since 2010; (2) deployment of a complex long-term borehole monitoring system (LTBMS) across the same fault; and (3) coring of key sections of the hanging wall, deformation zone and footwall of the shallow megasplay. Expedition 365 achieved its primary monitoring objectives, including recovery of the GeniusPlug with a >5-year record of pressure and temperature conditions, geochemical samples, and its in situ microbial colonization experiment; and installation of the LTBMS. The pressure records from the GeniusPlug include high-quality records of formation and seafloor responses to multiple fault slip events, including the 2011 M9 Tohoku and the 1 April Mie-ken Nanto-oki M6 earthquakes. The geochemical sampling coils yielded in situ pore fluids from the fault zone, and microbes were successfully cultivated from the colonization unit. The LTBMS incorporates multi-level pore pressure sensing, a volumetric strainmeter, tiltmeter, geophone, broadband seismometer, accelerometer, and thermistor string. This multi-level hole completion was meanwhile connected to the DONET seafloor cabled network for tsunami early warning and earthquake monitoring. Coring the shallow megasplay site in the Nankai forearc recovered ca. 100m of material across the fault zone, which contained indurated silty clay with occasional ash layers and sedimentary breccias in the hangingwall and siltstones in the footwall of the megasplay. The mudstones show different degrees of deformation spanning from

  12. Physical properties of the Nankai inner accretionary prism at Site C0002, IODP Expedition 348

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitamura, Manami; Kitajima, Hiroko; Henry, Pierre; Valdez, Robert; Josh, Matthew

    2014-05-01

    Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) Expedition 348 focused on deepening the existing riser hole at Site C0002 to ~3000 meters below seafloor (mbsf) to access the deep interior of the Miocene inner accretionary prism. This unique tectonic environment, which has never before been sampled in situ by ocean drilling, was characterized through riser drilling, logging while drilling (LWD), mud gas monitoring and sampling, and cuttings and core analysis. Shipboard physical properties measurements including moisture and density (MAD), electrical conductivity, P-wave, natural gamma ray, and magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed mainly on cuttings samples from 870.5 to 3058.5 mbsf, but also on core samples from 2163 and 2204 mbsf. MAD measurements were conducted on seawater-washed cuttings ("bulk cuttings") in two size fractions of >4 mm and 1-4 mm from 870.5 to 3058.5 mbsf, and hand-picked intact cuttings from the >4 mm size fractions within 1222.5-3058.5 mbsf interval. The bulk cuttings show grain density of 2.68 g/cm3 and 2.72 g/cm3, bulk density of 1.9 g/cm3 to 2.2 g/cm3, and porosity of 50% to 32%. Compared to the values on bulk cuttings, the intact cuttings show almost the same grain density (2.66-2.70 g/cm3), but higher bulk density (2.05-2.41 g/cm3) and lower porosity (37-18%), respectively. The grain density agreement suggests that the measurements on both bulk cuttings and intact cuttings are of good quality, and the differences in porosity and density are real, but the values from the bulk cuttings are affected strongly by artifacts of the drilling process. Thus, the bulk density and porosity data on handpicked cuttings are better representative of formation properties. Combined with the MAD measurements on hand-picked intact cuttings and discrete core samples from previous expeditions, porosity generally decreases from ~60% to ~20% from the seafloor to 3000 mbsf at Site C0002. Electrical

  13. Quantification of in situ pore pressure and stress in regions of low frequency earthquakes and anomalously low seismic velocity at the Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitajima, H.; Saffer, D. M.

    2012-12-01

    LVZ's are at shear failure defined by a critical state stress condition, we estimate that effective vertical stress in the LVZ ranges from 15 MPa at 13 km landward of the trench, to 41 MPa at a distance of 55 km. The maximum horizontal effective stress ranges from 41-124 MPa over this region. Excess pore fluid pressure ranges from 15-81 MPa, corresponding to modified pore pressure ratios, λ* of 0.44-0.73. If LVZ is composed dominantly of sandstones, both the effective vertical and horizontal stresses would be lower, and the excess pore pressure would be higher, with pore pressure ratios λ* = 0.31-0.90. Our results suggest that the sediments have been loaded under poorly drained conditions, and that pore fluids support ≥~53-91 % of the overburden stress along the base of the accretionary wedge across the outer forearc. The low effective stress should lead to a mechanically weak plate boundary, and is spatially correlated with well-located low-frequency earthquakes in the outer accretionary wedge. The heterogeneous distribution of inferred pore pressure also suggests that fluid sources and drainage are localized and possibly transient.

  14. 3D seismic investigation of the structural and stratigraphic characteristics of the Pagasa Wedge, Southwest Palawan Basin, Philippines, and their tectonic implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ilao, Kimberly A.; Morley, Christopher K.; Aurelio, Mario A.

    2018-04-01

    The Pagasa Wedge is a poorly imaged deepwater orogenic wedge that has been variously interpreted as representing an accretionary prism, a former accretionary prism modified by thrusting onto a thinned continental margin, and a gravity-driven fold-thrust belt. This study, using 2D and 3D seismic data, together with well information indicates that at least the external part of the wedge is dominantly composed of mass transport complexes, capped by syn-kinematic sediments that have thrusts and normal faults superimposed upon them. Drilling shows that despite stratigraphic repetition of Eocene Middle Miocene units, there is stratigraphic omission of Oligocene and Early Miocene units. This absence suggests that mass transport processes have introduced the Eocene section into the wedge rather than tectonic thrusting. The accretionary prism stage (Oligocene) of the Central Palawan Ophiolite history appears to be marked by predominantly north-vergent deformation. The Deep Regional Unconformity (∼17 Ma) likely indicates the approximate time when obduction ceased in Palawan. The Pagasa Wedge is a late-stage product of the convergence history that was active in its final phase sometime above the top of the Nido Limestone (∼16 Ma) and the base of the Tabon Limestone in the Aboabo-A1X well (∼9 Ma). The top of the wedge is traditionally associated with the Middle Miocene Unconformity (MMU), However the presence of multiple unconformities, diachronous formation tops, local tectonic unconformities and regional diachronous events (e.g. migrating forebulges) all suggest simply giving a single age (or assigning a single unconformity, such as the MMU as defining the top of the Pagasa Wedge is inappropriate. The overall NE-SW trend of the wedge, and the dominant NW transport of structures within the wedge diverge from the more northerly transport direction determined from outcrops in Palawan, and also from the Nido Limestone in the SW part of the Pagasa Wedge. Possibly this NW

  15. Early Cretaceous wedge extrusion in the Indo-Burma Range accretionary complex: implications for the Mesozoic subduction of Neotethys in SE Asia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Ji'en; Xiao, Wenjiao; Windley, Brian F.; Cai, Fulong; Sein, Kyaing; Naing, Soe

    2017-06-01

    The Indo-Burma Range (IBR) of Myanmar, the eastern extension of the Yarlung-Tsangpo Neotethyan belt of Tibet in China, contains mélanges with serpentinite, greenschist facies basalt, chert, sericite schist, silty slate and unmetamorphosed Triassic sandstone, mudstone and siltstone interbedded with chert in the east, and farther north high-pressure blueschist and eclogite blocks in the Naga Hills mélange. Our detailed mapping of the Mindat and Magwe sections in the middle IBR revealed a major 18 km antiformal isocline in a mélange in which greenschist facies rocks in the core decrease in grade eastwards and westwards symmetrically `outwards' to lower grade sericite schist and silty slate, and at the margins to unmetamorphosed sediments, and these metamorphic rocks are structurally repeated in small-scale imbricated thrust stacks. In the Mindat section the lower western boundary of the isoclinal mélange is a thrust on which the metamorphic rocks have been transported over unmetamorphosed sediments of the Triassic Pane Chaung Group, and the upper eastern boundary is a normal fault. These relations demonstrate that the IBR metamorphic rocks were exhumed by wedge extrusion in a subduction-generated accretionary complex. Along strike to the north in the Naga Hills is a comparable isoclinal mélange in which central eclogite lenses are succeeded `outwards' by layers of glaucophane schist and glaucophanite, and to lower grade greenschist facies sericite schist and slate towards the margins. In the Natchaung area (from west to east) unmetamorphosed Triassic sediments overlie quartzites, sericite schists, actinolite schists and meta-volcanic amphibolites derived from MORB-type basalt, which are in fault contact with peridotite. Olivine in the peridotite has undulatory extinction suggesting deformation at 600-700 °C, similar to the peak temperature of the amphibolite; these relations suggest generation in a metamorphic sole. The amphibolites have U/Pb zircon ages of 119

  16. LWD lithostratigraphy, physical properties and correlations across tectonic domains at the NanTroSEIZE drilling transect, Nankai Trough subduction zone, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tudge, J.; Webb, S. I.; Tobin, H. J.

    2013-12-01

    Since 2007 the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) has drilled a total of 15 sites across the Nankai Trough subduction zone, including two sites on the incoming sediments of the Philippine Sea plate (PSP). Logging-while-drilling (LWD) data was acquired at 11 of these sites encompassing the forearc Kumano Basin, upper accretionary prism, toe region and input sites. Each of these tectonic domains is investigated for changes in physical properties and LWD characteristics, and this work fully integrates a large data set acquired over multiple years and IODP expeditions, most recently Expedition 338. Using the available logging-while-drilling data, primarily consisting of gamma ray, resistivity and sonic velocity, a log-based lithostratigraphy is developed at each site and integrated with the core, across the entire NanTroSEIZE transect. In addition to simple LWD characterization, the use of Iterative Non-hierarchical Cluster Analysis (INCA) on the sites with the full suite of LWD data clearly differentiates the unaltered forearc and slope basin sediments from the deformed sediments of the accretionary prism, suggesting the LWD is susceptible to the subtle changes in the physical properties between the tectonic domains. This differentiation is used to guide the development of tectonic-domain specific physical properties relationships. One of the most important physical property relationships between is the p-wave velocity and porosity. To fully characterize the character and properties of each tectonic domain we develop new velocity-porosity relationships for each domain found across the NanTroSEIZE transect. This allows the porosity of each domain to be characterized on the seismic scale and the resulting implications for porosity and pore pressure estimates across the plate interface fault zone.

  17. 3D geometry of a plate boundary fault related to the 2016 Off-Mie earthquake in the Nankai subduction zone, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsuji, Takeshi; Minato, Shohei; Kamei, Rie; Tsuru, Tetsuro; Kimura, Gaku

    2017-11-01

    We used recent seismic data and advanced techniques to investigate 3D fault geometry over the transition from the partially coupled to the fully coupled plate interface inboard of the Nankai Trough off the Kii Peninsula, Japan. We found that a gently dipping plate boundary décollement with a thick underthrust layer extends beneath the entire Kumano forearc basin. The 1 April 2016 Off-Mie earthquake (Mw6.0) and its aftershocks occurred, where the plate boundary décollement steps down close to the oceanic crust surface. This location also lies beneath the trenchward edge of an older accretionary prism (∼14 Ma) developed along the coast of the Kii peninsula. The strike of the 2016 rupture plane was similar to that of a formerly active splay fault system in the accretionary prism. Thus, the fault planes of the 2016 earthquake and its aftershocks were influenced by the geometry of the plate interface as well as splay faulting. The 2016 earthquake occurred within the rupture area of large interplate earthquakes such as the 1944 Tonankai earthquake (Mw8.1), although the 2016 rupture area was much smaller than that of the 1944 event. Whereas the hypocenter of the 2016 earthquake was around the underplating sequence beneath the younger accretionary prism (∼6 Ma), the 1944 great earthquake hypocenter was close to oceanic crust surface beneath the older accretionary prism. The variation of fault geometry and lithology may influence the degree of coupling along the plate interface, and such coupling variation could hinder slip propagation toward the deeper plate interface in the 2016 event.

  18. Structural interpretation and physical property estimates based on COAST 2012 seismic reflection profiles offshore central Washington, Cascadia subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, S. I.; Tobin, H. J.; Everson, E. D.; Fortin, W.; Holbrook, W. S.; Kent, G.; Keranen, K. M.

    2014-12-01

    The Cascadia subduction zone has a history of large magnitude earthquakes, but a near-total lack of plate interface seismicity, making the updip limit of the seismogenic zone difficult to locate. In addition, the central Cascadia accretionary prism is characterized by an extremely low wedge taper angle, landward vergent initial thrusting, and a flat midslope terrace between the inner and outer wedges, unlike most other accretionary prisms (e.g. the Nankai Trough, Japan). The Cascadia Open Access Seismic Transect (COAST) lines were shot by R/V Marcus Langseth in July of 2012 off central Washington to image this subduction zone. Two trench-parallel and nine trench-perpendicular lines were collected. In this study, we present detailed seismic interpretation of both time- and depth-migrated stacked profiles, focused on elucidating the deposition and deformation of both pre- and syn-tectonic sediment in the trench and slope. Distribution and timing of sediments and their deformation is used to unravel the evolution of the wedge through time. Initially, interpretation of the time-sections is carried out to support the building of tomographic velocity models to aid in the pre-stack depth migration (PSDM) of selected lines. In turn, we use PSDM velocity models to estimate porosity and pore pressure conditions at the base of the wedge and across the basal plate interface décollement where possible, using established velocity-porosity transforms. Interpretation in this way incorporates both accurate structural relationships and robust porosity models to document wedge development and present-day stress state, in particular regions of potential overpressure. Results shed light on the origin and evolution of the mid-slope terrace and the low taper angle for the forearc wedge. This work may shed light ultimately on the position of the potential updip limit of the seismogenic zone beneath the wedge.

  19. IODP Expedition 338: Riser and Riserless Drilling Along the NanTroSEIZE Transect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strasser, M.; Moore, G. F.; Dugan, B.; Kanagawa, K.; Toczko, S.

    2013-12-01

    Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 338 provided new constraints on the Kumano Basin sediments, the accretionary prism inner wedge, the seaward extension of the megasplay fault, the architecture and mechanics of landslides, and the alteration of oceanic basement of the incoming Philippine Sea plate. This was accomplished through riser and riserless drilling, logging while drilling (LWD), and cuttings and core analysis. Cuttings and LWD analyses at Hole C0002F reveal two lithologic units in the prism inner wedge which are separated by a prominent fault zone at ~1640 mbsf. Mud-gases from the inner prism show high concentrations at the top of the wedge that decrease, but become more thermogenic, with depth. These data are from the previously unaccessed deeper part of the Nankai accretionary prism. Riserless coring at Site C0002 provided data across the gas hydrate zone of the Kumano Basin, across the Kumano Basin-accretionary prism unconformity, and in the uppermost accretionary prism. Within the Kumano basin section, gas and porewater geochemistry documents microbial methane gas in hydrates that are disseminated in sandy layers. Multiple penetrations of the Kumano Basin-accretionary prism boundary and 3D seismic data show that the boundary is erosive and complex. LWD (Site C0018) and coring and LWD (Site C0021) augment existing data to better understand submarine landslide dynamics and mass-transport deposit (MTD) emplacement processes. Previous coring at Site C0018 identified six MTDs, but only two MTD intervals were detected in resistivity images that show high angle, randomly oriented bedding. Site C0021, located more proximal to the MTD source, provides constraint on MTD variability. Correlation across the sites reveals a thick MTD with an erosional base characterized by a shear zone in muddy sediments vs. a translational basal surface within coarse volcaniclastic sand in the proximal and distal/lateral areas, respectively. LWD data and cores from

  20. Splay fault slip in a subduction margin, a new model of evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conin, Marianne; Henry, Pierre; Godard, Vincent; Bourlange, Sylvain

    2012-08-01

    In subduction zones, major thrusts called splay faults are thought to slip coseismically during large earthquakes affecting the main plate interface. We propose an analytical condition for the activation of a splay fault based on force balance calculations and suggest thrusting along the splay fault is generally conditioned by the growth of the accretionary wedge, or by the erosion of the hanging wall. In theory, normal slip on the splay fault may occur when the décollement has a very low friction coefficient seaward. Such a low friction also implies an unstable extensional state within the outer wedge. Finite element elasto-plastic calculations with a geometry based on the Nankai Kumano section were performed and confirm that this analytical condition is a valid approximation. Furthermore, localized extension at a shallow level in the splay hanging wall is observed in models for a wide range of friction coefficients (from ∼0 to the value of internal friction coefficient of the rock, here equals to 0.4). The timing of slip established for the splay fault branch drilled on Nankai Kumano transect suggests a phase of concurrent splay and accretionary wedge growth ≈2 Ma to ≈1.5 Ma, followed by a locking of the splay ≈1.3 Ma. Active extension is observed in the hanging wall. This evolution can be explained by the activation of a deeper and weaker décollement, followed by an interruption of accretion. Activation of a splay as a normal fault, as hypothesized in the case of the Tohoku 2011 earthquake, can be achieved only if the friction coefficient on the décollement drops to near zero. We conclude that the tectonic stress state largely determines long-term variations of tightly related splay fault and outer décollement activity and thus influences where and how coseismic rupture ends, but that occurrence of normal slip on a splay fault requires coseismic friction reduction.

  1. Consequences of the presence of a weak fault on the stress and strain within an active margin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conin, M.; Henry, P.; Godard, V.; Bourlange, S.

    2009-12-01

    Accreting margins often display an outer thrust and fold belt and an inner forearc domain overlying the subduction plate. Assuming that this overlying material behaves as Coulomb material, the outer wedge and the inner wedge are classically approximated as a critical state and a stable state Coulomb wedge, respectively. Critical Coulomb wedge theory can account for the transition from wedge to forearc. However, it cannot be used to determine the state of stress in the transition zone, nor the consequences of a discontinuity within the margin. The presence of a discontinuity such as a splay fault having a low effective friction coefficient should affect the stress state within the wedge, at least locally around the splay fault. Moreover, the effective friction coefficient of the seismogenic zone is expected to vary during the seismic cycle, and this may influence the stability of the Coulomb wedges. We use the ADELI finite element code (Chery and Hassani, 2000) to model the quasi-static stress and strain of a decollement and splay fault system, within a two dimensional elasto-plastic wedge with Drucker-Prager rheology. The subduction plane, the basal decollement of the accretionary wedge and the splay fault are modeled with contact elements. The modeled margin comprises an inner and an outer domain with distinct tapers and basal friction coefficients. For a given splay fault geometry, we evaluate the friction coefficient threshold for splay fault activation as a function of the basal friction coefficients, and examine the consequences of motion along the splay fault on stress and strain within the wedge and on the surface slope at equilibrium. Friction coefficients are varied in time to mimic the consequence of the seismic cycle on the static stress state and strain distribution. Results show the possibility of coexistence of localized extensional regime above the splay fault within a regional compressional regime. Such coexistence is consistent with stress

  2. What controls landward vergence of the accretionary prism offshore northern Sumatra?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frederik, M. C. G.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Austin, J. A., Jr.; Bangs, N. L.; Udrekh, U.

    2014-12-01

    The accretionary prism offshore northern Sumatra consists of steep outer slopes (5-12°), and a plateau ~100-120 km wide comprised of anticlinal folds of 2-16 km wavelength seaward of a steep slope adjacent to the Aceh (forearc) Basin. Our study area, 1-7°N and 92-97°E, covers the entire forearc from northwest of Aceh to west of Simeulue Island. Five 2D MCS seismic profiles transecting the prism from the Sunda Trench to the Aceh Basin, along with multibeam data, have been used to investigate wedge morphology and structure. Analysis of fold vergence along the profiles and areal classification of the predominant vergence reveal three structural zones: 1) predominantly landward-vergent folds near the Sunda Trench, 2) predominantly seaward-vergent folds near the Aceh Basin, and 3) mixed vergent folds between those two zones. Extensive landward vergence is uncommon in accretionary prisms worldwide. One explanation is the existence of a backstop with a seaward dipping edge, such that overlying younger sediments accreted to the prism form landward-vergent folds. We propose a backstop geometry that extends from under the Aceh Basin to under the mixed vergence zone, based on the observed structural zones and published velocity models of this margin. The backstop may consist either of older accreted sediment or the granitic Sunda Block. With the existence of a strong inner wedge acting as a backstop, together with suspected indurated sediments forming the landward vergence zone, rupture during major subduction zone earthquakes nucleating under the forearc basin or central plateau high can propagate farther seaward toward the Sunda Trench and displace greater volumes of water than a more landward rupture, yielding more hazardous tsunami. Using bathymetric data of before and after the 2004 earthquake, we are now testing the hypothesis that maximum slip occurs near the trench. These results will be presented.

  3. Sandbox rheometry: Co-evolution of stress and strain in Riedel- and Critical Wedge-experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ritter, Malte C.; Santimano, Tasca; Rosenau, Matthias; Leever, Karen; Oncken, Onno

    2018-01-01

    Analogue sandbox experiments have been used for a long time to understand tectonic processes, because they facilitate detailed measurements of deformation at a spatio-temporal resolution unachievable from natural data. Despite this long history, force measurements to further characterise the mechanical evolution in analogue sandbox experiments have only emerged recently. Combined continuous measurements of forces and deformation in such experiments, an approach here referred to as "sandbox rheometry", are a new tool that may help to better understand work budgets and force balances for tectonic systems and to derive constitutive laws for regional scale deformation. In this article we present an experimental device that facilitates precise measurements of boundary forces and surface deformation at high temporal and spatial resolution. We demonstrate its capabilities in two classical experiments: one of strike-slip deformation (the Riedel set-up) and one of compressional accretionary deformation (the Critical Wedge set-up). In these we are able to directly observe a correlation between strain weakening and strain localisation that had previously only been inferred, namely the coincidence of the maximum localisation rate with the onset of weakening. Additionally, we observe in the compressional experiment a hysteresis of localisation with respect to the mechanical evolution that reflects the internal structural complexity of an accretionary wedge.

  4. Stratigraphic Signatures of Forearc Basin Formation Mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mannu, U.; Ueda, K.; Gerya, T.; Willett, S.; Strasser, M.

    2014-12-01

    Forearc basins are loci of active sedimentation above the landward portion of accretionary prisms. Although these basins typically remain separated from the frontal prism by a forearc high, their evolution has a significant impact on the structure and deformation of the entire wedge. Formation of forearc basins has been proposed as a consequence of changes in wedge stability due to an increase of slab dip in subduction zones. Another hypothesis attributes this to higher hinterland sedimentation, which causes the rear of the wedge to stabilize and eventually develop a forearc basin. Basin stratigraphic architecture, revealed by high-resolution reflection seismic data and borehole data allows interpretation of structural development of the accretionary prism and associated basins with the goal of determining the underlying driving mechanism(s) of basin formation. In this study we supplement data interpretation with thermo-mechanical numerical models including high-resolution isochronal surface tracking to visualize the developing stratigraphy of basins that develop in subduction zone and wedge dynamic models. We use a dynamic 2D thermo mechanical model incorporating surface processes, strain weakening and sediment subduction. The model is a modification of I2VIS model, which is based on conservative, fully staggered finite differences and a non-diffusive marker- in-cell technique capable of modelling mantle convection. In the model different driving mechanisms for basin formation can be explored. Stratigraphic simulations obtained by isochronal surface tracking are compared to reflection pattern and stratigraphy of seismic and borehole data, respectively. Initial results from a model roughly representing the Nankai Trough Subduction Zone offshore Japan are compared to available seismic and Integrated Ocean Drilling (IODP) data. A calibrated model predicting forearc basin stratigraphy will be used to discern the underlying process of basins formation and wedge

  5. Seismic velocity structure in the western part of Nankai subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, Y.; Obana, K.; Takahashi, T.; Nakanishi, A.; Kodaira, S.; Kaneda, Y.

    2011-12-01

    In the Nankai Trough, three major seismogenic zones of megathrust earthquake exist (Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai earthquake regions). The Hyuga-nada region was distinguished from these seismogenic zones because of the lack of megathrust earthquake. However, recent studies show the possibility of simultaneous rupture of the Nankai and Hyuga-nada segments was also pointed out [e.g., Furumura et al, 2010 JGR]. Because seismic velocity structure is one of the useful and basic information for understanding the possibility of seismic linkage of Nankai and Hyuga-nada segments, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology has been carried out a series of wide-angle active source surveys and local seismic observations among the three major seismogenic zones and Hyuga-nada segment from 2008, as a part of "Research concerning Interaction Between the Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai Earthquakes' funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan". We are performing two set of three-dimensional seismic velocity tomographic inversions, one is in the Hyuga-nada region and the other is western part of the coseismic rupture area of 1946 Nankai earthquake, to discuss the relationship between the structural heterogeneities and the location of segment boundary between Hyuga-nada and Nankai segment. For the analysis of Hyuga-nada segment, we used both active and passive source data. The obtained velocity model clearly showed the subducted Kyushu-Palau ridge as thick low velocity Philippine Sea slab in the southwestern part. Our velocity image also indicates that "the thin oceanic crust zone" located between Nankai segment and Kyushu-Palau Ridge segment, founded by Nakanishi et al [2010, AGU] by analyzing of the active source survey, continuously exists from trough axis to near the coastline of Kyushu Island. The overriding plate just above the coseismic slip area of 1968 Hyuga-nada earthquake shows relatively high velocity. Although the tomographic study in

  6. The challenges of numerically simulating analogue brittle thrust wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buiter, Susanne; Ellis, Susan

    2017-04-01

    Fold-and-thrust belts and accretionary wedges form when sedimentary and crustal rocks are compressed into thrusts and folds in the foreland of an orogen or at a subduction trench. For over a century, analogue models have been used to investigate the deformation characteristics of such brittle wedges. These models predict wedge shapes that agree with analytical critical taper theory and internal deformation structures that well resemble natural observations. In a series of comparison experiments for thrust wedges, called the GeoMod2004 (1,2) and GeoMod2008 (3,4) experiments, it was shown that different numerical solution methods successfully reproduce sandbox thrust wedges. However, the GeoMod2008 benchmark also pointed to the difficulties of representing frictional boundary conditions and sharp velocity discontinuities with continuum numerical methods, in addition to the well-known challenges of numerical plasticity. Here we show how details in the numerical implementation of boundary conditions can substantially impact numerical wedge deformation. We consider experiment 1 of the GeoMod2008 brittle thrust wedge benchmarks. This experiment examines a triangular thrust wedge in the stable field of critical taper theory that should remain stable, that is, without internal deformation, when sliding over a basal frictional surface. The thrust wedge is translated by lateral displacement of a rigid mobile wall. The corner between the mobile wall and the subsurface is a velocity discontinuity. Using our finite-element code SULEC, we show how different approaches to implementing boundary friction (boundary layer or contact elements) and the velocity discontinuity (various smoothing schemes) can cause the wedge to indeed translate in a stable manner or to undergo internal deformation (which is a fail). We recommend that numerical studies of sandbox setups not only report the details of their implementation of boundary conditions, but also document the modelling attempts that

  7. Distribution of active faulting along orogenic wedges: Minimum-work models and natural analogue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yagupsky, Daniel L.; Brooks, Benjamin A.; Whipple, Kelin X.; Duncan, Christopher C.; Bevis, Michael

    2014-09-01

    Numerical 2-D models based on the principle of minimum work were used to examine the space-time distribution of active faulting during the evolution of orogenic wedges. A series of models focused on thin-skinned thrusting illustrates the effects of arid conditions (no erosion), unsteady state conditions (accretionary influx greater than erosional efflux) and steady state conditions (accretionary influx balances erosional efflux), on the distribution of fault activity. For arid settings, a general forward accretion sequence prevails, although a significant amount of internal deformation is registered: the resulting fault pattern is a rather uniform spread along the profile. Under fixed erosional efficiency settings, the frontal advance of the wedge-front is inhibited, reaching a steady state after a given forward propagation. Then, the applied shortening is consumed by surface ruptures over a narrow frontal zone. Under a temporal increase in erosional efficiency (i.e., transient non-steady state mass balance conditions), a narrowing of the synthetic wedge results; a rather diffuse fault activity distribution is observed during the deformation front retreat. Once steady balanced conditions are reached, a single long-lived deformation front prevails. Fault activity distribution produced during the deformation front retreat of the latter scenario, compares well with the structural evolution and hinterlandward deformation migration identified in southern Bolivian Subandes (SSA) from late Miocene to present. This analogy supports the notion that the SSA is not in steady state, but is rather responding to an erosional efficiency increase since late Miocene. The results shed light on the impact of different mass balance conditions on the vastly different kinematics found in mountain ranges, suggesting that those affected by growing erosion under a transient unbalanced mass flux condition tend to distribute deformation along both frontal and internal faults, while others

  8. Effects of stress paths on physical properties of sediments at the Nankai Trough subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitajima, H.; Saffer, D. M.

    2011-12-01

    Stress states are one of the most important factors governing deformation modes and fault strength. In subduction systems where tectonic stress is large, sediments are subjected to complicated stress conditions in time and space. Because direct measurements of stress are very limited, stress conditions at depths have been estimated by combining seismic reflection data with empirical relations between compressional-wave, porosity, and effective stress [Tsuji et al., 2008; Tobin and Saffer, 2009]. However, most of the empirical relations are derived from experiments conducted under isotropic conditions, and do not account for the more complicated stress states expected in active subduction-accretion complexes. In this study, we aim to derive relations between physical properties and stress states from triaxial deformation experiments on sediments. During the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) Expeditions 314, 315, 319, 322, and 333, core samples were recovered from shallow boreholes into the accretionary prism and two sites seaward of the deformation front (reference sites). We used core samples from reference sites (Sites C0011 and C0012) for this study because they represent input material for the subduction system, and have not been subjected to tectonic compression in the accretionary wedge. In our deformation tests, samples are loaded under a range of different stress paths including isotropic loading, triaxial compression, and triaxial extension by controlling axial stress (up to 100 MPa), confining pressure (up to 100 MPa), and pore pressure (0.5-28 MPa). During tests, all pressures, axial displacement, and pore volume change were monitored. Permeability, and ultrasonic velocity were also measured during the tests. Two experiments have been conducted on samples taken from the core 322-C0011B-19R-5 (Lower Shikoku Basin hemipelagic mudstone, initial porosity of 43 %). The first test was conducted

  9. Provenance analysis and detrital zircon geochronology on the onshore Makran accretionary wedge, SE Iran: implication for the geodynamic setting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohammadi, Ali; Burg, Jean-Pierre; Winkler, Wilfried; Ruh, Jonas

    2014-05-01

    The Makran, located in Southeast Iran and South Pakistan, is one of the largest accretionary wedges on Earth. In Iran it comprises turbiditic sediments ranging in age from Late Cretaceous to Holocene. We present a provenance analysis on sandstones, which is aimed at reconstructing the assemblages of source rocks and the tectonic setting from which the clastic material was derived. Sandstone samples collected from different units span the regional stratigraphy from Late Cretaceous to Miocene. Laser ablation ICP-MS resulted in ca 2800 new U-Pb ages of individual detrital zircons from 18 samples collected in onshore Makran. 101 detrital zircons from a Late Cretaceous fine grained sandstone range from 180 to 160 Ma (Middle Jurassic). 478 detrital zircons from mid- to late Eocene sandstones allow differentiating a NE and NW sector of the Makran Basin. Zircon grains in the NE basin belong to two populations peaking at 180 to 160 Ma (late Early to Middle Jurassic) and 50 to 40 Ma (Mid-Eocene), with the noticeable absence of Cretaceous grains. In the NW basin, detrital zircons are 120 to 40 Ma (late Early Cretaceous to Lutetian, Eocene). 587 detrital zircon grains from fine to medium grained Oligocene sandstones collected over the whole area also range from 120 to 40 Ma (late Early Cretaceous to Eocene, Lutetian). 1611 detrital zircons from early Miocene sandstones show again distinctly different ages in the eastern and western parts of the basin. They range from 120 to 40 Ma (late Early Cretaceous to Eocene) in the eastern and from 80 to 40 Ma (Late Cretaceous to Eocene) in the western basin. Hf isotopes analyses were performed on 120 zircon grains from 6 samples. Negative values (-2 to -15) in Middle Jurassic and late Early Cretaceous zircons indicate minor or no influence of mantle reservoirs which implies a rifting setting during crystallization of the zircons. Low negative to positive (-5 to +10) values in Late Cretaceous and Eocene zircons indicate mixed crustal and

  10. Development of Download System for Waveform Data Observed at Long-Term Borehole Monitoring System installed in the Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsuboi, Seiji; Horikawa, Hiroki; Takaesu, Morifumi; Sueki, Kentaro; Araki, Eiichiro; Sonoda, Akira; Takahashi, Narumi

    2016-04-01

    The Nankai Trough in southwest Japan is one of most active subduction zone in the world. Great mega-thrust earthquakes repeatedly occurred every 100 to 150 years in this area, it's anticipated to occur in the not distant future. For the purpose of elucidation of the history of mega-splay fault activity, the physical properties of the geological strata and the internal structure of the accretionary prism, and monitoring of diastrophism in this area, we have a plan, Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiments (NanTroSEIZE), as a part of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). We have a plan to install the borehole observation system in a few locations by the NanTroSEIZE. This system is called Long-Term Borehole Monitoring System, it consists of various sensors in the borehole such as a broadband seismometer, a tiltmeter, a strainmeter, geophones and accelerometer, thermometer array as well as pressure ports for pore-fluid pressure monitoring. The signal from sensors is transmitted to DONET (Dense Ocean-floor Network System for Earthquake and Tsunamis) in real time. During IODP Exp. 332 in December 2010, the first Long-Term Borehole Monitoring System was installed into the C0002 borehole site located 80 km off the Kii Peninsula, 1938 m water depth in the Nankai Trough. We have developed a web application system for data download, Long-Term Borehole Monitoring Data Site. Based on a term and sensors which user selected on this site, user can download monitoring waveform data (e.g. broadband seismometer data, accelerometer data, strainmeter data, tiltmeter data) in near real-time. This system can make the arbitrary data which user selected a term and sensors, and download it simply. Downloadable continuous data is provided in seed format, which includes sensor informations. In addition, before data download, user can check that data is abailable or not by data check function. In this presentation, we show our web application system and discuss our future plans for

  11. Change in stress with seismic cycles identified at an out of sequence thrust in an on-land accretionary complex: The Nobeoka thrust, Shimanto Belt, Kyusyu, SW Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamaguchi, M.; Hashimoto, Y.; Yamaguchi, A.; Kimura, G.

    2011-12-01

    Seismic surveys along accretionary prisms have revealed that the out-of sequence thrusts (OSTs) are commonly developed within accretionary wedges branching from seismogenic subduction plate boundaries. The OSTs are also recognized in on-land accretionary complexes as large thrust faults cutting paleo-thermal structures. The OSTs are thought to play a role in tsunami genesis at a coseismic event. Stress history on OSTs is significant to understand the OSTs' role in seismic cycles. We estimated, thus palaeostresses from micro-faults along an OST in an on-land accretionary complexes. We focused on the Nobeoka fault which is an OST in an on-land accretionary complex, the Shimato Belt, Kyusyu, SW Japan. A gap in paleothermal temperature (up to 70 degree C) is observed at the fault. The Nobeoka thrust strikes almost EW at coastline. The Cretaceous Makimine formation and Paleogene Kitagawa formation are located at the hanging wall of the fault, comprising mainly of pelitic schist. The footwall of the fault is the Paleogene Hyuga formation composed mainly of shale. A lot of micro-faults are well developed just below the thrust for a few hundred meters to the south. Those micro faults are considered to be related to the Nobeoka thurst because slip direction and sense of the micro-faults are consistent with that of the Nobeoka thrust. The micro-faults are commonly accompanied by mineral veins of quartz and ankerite. Yamaguchi et al. (2010) suggested that the differences of mineral veins are possibly related to the seismic cycle. In this study, we conducted stress inversion analysis for the micro-faults to examine the change in stress between them, which might be related to the seismic cycle. We divided the micro-fault into two as a micro-fault with quartz veins and that with ankerite veins. Slip direction from slicken fibers and slip sense by slicken steps were obtained. HIM (hough inversion method) by Yamaji et al. (2006) was used to estimate the stress. Two stress states

  12. Sandstone petrology and geochemistry of the Oligocene-Early Miocene Panjgur Formation, Makran accretionary wedge, southwest Pakistan: Implications for provenance, weathering and tectonic setting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kassi, Akhtar Muhammad; Grigsby, Jeffry D.; Khan, Abdul Salam; Kasi, Aimal Khan

    2015-06-01

    The Oligocene-Early Miocene Panjgur Formation is comprised of submarine fan and abyssal plain turbidites deposited within the Makran subduction complex. Sandstones of the formation are litharenite to feldspathic litharenite. Petrographic data indicates a quartzose-recycled provenance dominated by plutonic and metamorphic fragments. Major elements concentrations reveal a moderate level of mineralogical maturity and high values of Chemical Proxy of Alteration (CPA; 88.29) coupled with a high Th/U ratio (9.37), which reveals intense weathering in the source area. The Zr, Nb, Y, and Th concentrations are comparable to upper continental crust (UCC) values and trends in Th/Cr, Th/Co, and Cr/Zr ratios support contribution from a felsic source. However, enrichment in Ni and Cr, reinforced by trends in Ni/Co, Cr/V, V/Ni and Y/Ni ratios, reveals mixing of the felsic source with mafic/ultramafic source terrains. Tectonic discrimination plots suggest continental arc to active continental margin setting. This study supports the Katawaz-delta-Panjgur submarine fan model and upholds the initial southward transport of predominantly felsic detritus from the Himalayan orogenic belt controlled by the Chaman-Ornach Nal transform fault system. This study further adds that the Bela-Muslimbagh ophiolites, associated mélanges and the West Pakistan Fold-Thrust Belt, from the east, and the Chagai-Raskoh volcanic arc, from the west, were also concurrently shedding mafic/ultramafic detritus to the basin, and that the depositional system in the Makran region turned westward, roughly parallel to the present active margin of the Makran accretionary wedge.

  13. Pore pressure development beneath the décollement at the Nankai subduction zone: Implications for plate boundary fault strength and sediment dewatering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skarbek, Robert M.; Saffer, Demian M.

    2009-07-01

    Despite its importance for plate boundary fault processes, quantitative constraints on pore pressure are rare, especially within fault zones. Here, we combine laboratory permeability measurements from core samples with a model of loading and pore pressure diffusion to investigate pore fluid pressure evolution within underthrust sediment at the Nankai subduction zone. Independent estimates of pore pressure to ˜20 km from the trench, combined with permeability measurements conducted over a wide range of effective stresses and porosities, allow us to reliably simulate pore pressure development to greater depths than in previous studies and to directly quantify pore pressure within the plate boundary fault zone itself, which acts as the upper boundary of the underthrusting section. Our results suggest that the time-averaged excess pore pressure (P*) along the décollement ranges from 1.7-2.1 MPa at the trench to 30.2-35.9 MPa by 40 km landward, corresponding to pore pressure ratios of λb = 0.68-0.77. For friction coefficients of 0.30-0.40, the resulting shear strength along the décollement remains <12 MPa over this region. When noncohesive critical taper theory is applied using these values, the required pore pressure ratios within the wedge are near hydrostatic (λw = 0.41-0.59), implying either that pore pressure throughout the wedge is low or that the fault slips only during transient pulses of elevated pore pressure. In addition, simulated downward migration of minima in effective stress during drainage provides a quantitative explanation for down stepping of the décollement that is consistent with observations at Nankai.

  14. Landward vergence in accretionary prism, evidence for frontal propagation of earthquakes?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    cubas, Nadaya; Souloumiac, Pauline

    2016-04-01

    Landward vergence in accretionary wedges is rare and have been described at very few places: along the Cascadia subduction zone and more recently along Sumatra where the 2004 Mw 9.1 Sumatra-Andaman event and the 2011 tsunami earthquake occurred. Recent studies have suggested a relation between landward thrust faults and frontal propagation of earthquakes for the Sumatra subduction zone. The Cascadia subduction zone is also known to have produced in 1700 a Mw9 earthquake with a large tsunami across the Pacific. Based on mechanical analysis, we propose to investigate if specific frictional properties could lead to a landward sequence of thrusting. We show that landward thrust requires very low effective friction along the megathrust with a rather high internal effective friction. We also show that landward thrust appears close to the extensional critical limit. Along Cascadia and Sumatra, we show that to get landward vergence, the effective basal friction has to be lower than 0.08. This very low effective friction is most likely due to high pore pressure. This high pore pressure could either be a long-term property or due to dynamic effects such as thermal pressurization. The fact that landward vergence appears far from the compressional critical limit favors a dynamic effect. Landward vergence would then highlight thermal pressurization due to occasional or systematic propagation of earthquakes to the trench. As a consequence, the vergence of thrusts in accretionary prism could be used to improve seismic and tsunamigenic risk assessment.

  15. Wedge geometry, frictional properties and interseismic coupling of the Java megathrust

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koulali, Achraf; McClusky, Simon; Cummins, Phil; Tregoning, Paul

    2018-06-01

    The mechanical interaction between rocks at fault zones is a key element for understanding how earthquakes nucleate and propagate. Therefore, estimating frictional properties along fault planes allows us to infer the degree of elastic strain accumulation throughout the seismic cycle. The Java subduction zone is an active plate boundary where high seismic activity has long been documented. However, very little is known about the seismogenic processes of the megathrust, especially its shallowest portion where onshore geodetic networks are insensitive to recover the pattern of elastic strain. Here, we use the geometry of the offshore accretionary prism to infer frictional properties along the Java subduction zone, using Coulomb critical taper theory. We show that large portions of the inner wedge in the eastern part of the Java subduction megathrust are in a critical state, where the wedge is on the verge of failure everywhere. We identify four clusters with an internal coefficient of friction μint of ∼ 0.8 and hydrostatic pore pressure within the wedge. The average effective coefficient of friction ranges between 0.3 and 0.4, reflecting a strong décollement. Our results also show that the aftershock sequence of the 1994 Mw 7.9 earthquake halted adjacent to a critical segment of the wedge, suggesting that critical taper wedge areas in the eastern Java subduction interface may behave as a permanent barrier to large earthquake rupture. In contrast, in western Java topographic slope and slab dip profiles suggest that the wedge is mechanically stable, i.e deformation is restricted to sliding along the décollement, and likely to coincide with a seismogenic portion of the megathrust. We discuss the seismic hazard implications and highlight the importance of considering the segmentation of the Java subduction zone when assessing the seismic hazard of this region.

  16. Shallow very-low-frequency earthquakes accompanied with slow slip event along the plate boundary of the Nankai trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakano, M.; Hori, T.; Araki, E.; Kodaira, S.; Ide, S.

    2017-12-01

    Recent improvements of seismic and geodetic observations have revealed the existence of a new family of slow earthquakes occurring along or close to the plate boundary worldwide. In the viewpoint of the characteristic time scales, the slow earthquakes can be classified into several groups as low-frequency tremor or tectonic tremor (LFT) dominated in several hertz, very-low-frequency earthquake (VLFE) dominated in 10 to 100 s, and short- and long-term slow-slip event (SSE) with durations of days to years. In many cases, these slow earthquakes are accompanied with other types of slow events. However, the events occurring offshore, especially beneath the toe of accretionary prism, are poorly understood because of the difficulty to detect signals. Utilizing the data captured from oceanfloor observation networks which many efforts have recently been taken to develop is necessary to improve our understandings for these events. Here, we investigated CMT analysis of shallow VLFEs using data obtained from DONET oceanfloor observation networks along the Nankai trough, southwest of Japan. We found that shallow VLFEs have almost identical history of moment release with that of synchronous SSE which occurred at the same region recently found by Araki et al. (2017). VLFE sources show updip migrations during the activity, coincident with the migration of SSE source. From these findings we conclude that these slow events share the same fault slip, and VLFE represent high-frequency fluctuations of slip during SSE. This result imply that shallow SSE along the plate interface would have occurred in the background during the shallow VLFE activities repeatedly observed along the Nankai trough, but the SSE was not reported because of difficult detections.

  17. Development of Download System for Waveform Data Observed at Long-Term Borehole Monitoring System installed in the Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horikawa, H.; Takaesu, M.; Sueki, K.; Araki, E.; Sonoda, A.; Takahashi, N.; Tsuboi, S.

    2015-12-01

    The Nankai Trough in southwest Japan is one of most active subduction zone in the world. Great mega-thrust earthquakes repeatedly occurred every 100 to 150 years in this area, it's anticipated to occur in the not distant future. For the purpose of elucidation of the history of mega-splay fault activity, the physical properties of the geological strata and the internal structure of the accretionary prism, and monitoring of diastrophism in this area, we have a plan, Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiments (NanTroSEIZE), as a part of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).We have a plan to install the borehole observation system in a few locations by the NanTroSEIZE. This system is called Long-Term Borehole Monitoring System, it consists of various sensors in the borehole such as a broadband seismometer, a tiltmeter, a strainmeter, geophones and accelerometer, thermometer array as well as pressure ports for pore-fluid pressure monitoring. The signal from sensors is transmitted to DONET (Dense Ocean-floor Network System for Earthquake and Tsunamis) in real-time. During IODP Exp. 332 in December 2010, the first Long-Term Borehole Monitoring System was installed into the C0002 borehole site located 80 km off the Kii Peninsula, 1938 m water depth in the Nankai Trough.We have developed a web application system for data download, Long-Term Borehole Monitoring Data Site (*1). Based on a term and sensors which user selected on this site, user can download monitoring waveform data (e.g. broadband seismometer data, accelerometer data, strainmeter data, tiltmeter data) in near real-time. This system can make the arbitrary data which user selected a term and sensors, and download it simply. Downloadable continuous data is provided in seed format, which includes sensor information. In addition, before data download, user can check that data is available or not by data check function.In this presentation, we briefly introduce NanTroSEIZE and then show our web

  18. An evaporite-bearing accretionary complex in the northern front of the Betic-Rif orogen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pérez-Valera, Fernando; Sánchez-Gómez, Mario; Pérez-López, Alberto; Pérez-Valera, Luis Alfonso

    2017-06-01

    The Guadalquivir Accretionary Complex forms a largely oblique prism at the northern edge of the Betic-Rif orogen, where Miocene sediments plus allochthonous evaporite-bearing units were accreted during the displacement of the Alborán Domain toward the west. Traditional interpretations end the tectonic structuring of the Betic Cordillera at the present topographic front, beyond which gravitational and/or diapiric processes would predominate. However, this study shows pervasive tectonic deformation in the outer prism with coherent oblique shortening kinematics, which is achieved through an alternation of roughly N-S arcuate thrust systems connected by E-W transfer fault zones. These structures accord well with the geophysical models that propose westward rollback subduction. The main stage of tectonic activity occurred in the early-middle Miocene, but deformation lasted until the Quaternary with the same kinematics. Evaporite rocks played a leading role in the deformation as evidenced by the suite of ductile structures in gypsum distributed throughout the area. S- and L- gypsum tectonites, scaly clay fabrics, and brittle fabrics coexist and consistently indicate westward motion (top to 290°), with subordinate N-S contraction almost perpendicular to the transfer zones. This work reveals ductile tectonic fabrics in gypsum as a valuable tool to elucidate the structure and deformational history of complex tectonic mélanges involving evaporites above the décollement level of accretionary wedges.

  19. Paleoseismic events inferred from marine seismogenic turbidites of the eastern Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okutsu, N.; Ashi, J.; Omura, A.; Yamaguchi, A.; Suganuma, Y.; Kanamatsu, T.; Murayama, M.

    2016-12-01

    Paleoseismology using marine seismogenic turbidites is a developing field especially in subduction margins. However, very fine-grained turbidites are difficult to distinguish from hemipelagic mud. The primary focus of this study is to understand the characteristics of the muddy turbidites. The second focus is to discuss the muddy turbidites distributions and their ages from a longer sediment core, and understand the paleoseismic records of eastern Nankai Trough, Japan. The samples used in this study include multiple cores and a piston core which were collected from the sedimentary basin southwest off Kii Peninsula during the R/V Shinsei Maru KS-14-8 cruise. The sampling site is located at the ENE-WSW elongated basin between the accretionary prism and the forearc basin off Kumano without terrestrial sediment supply. The basin exhibits a terminal basin that captures all sediments supplied from outside. From the multiple core samples, the Cs-137 and Pb- 210 concentration distribution indicates that the muddy sediment layer in the upper 17 cm was formed from the 2004 off the Kii Peninsula earthquake. Visual observation and X-ray CT scans were conducted alongside other measurements for anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), paleomagnetism, rock magnetism, electrical resistivity, and X-ray fluorescence core scanning (XRF). Muddy seismogenic turbidites associated with the 2004 off the Kii Peninsula earthquake have thick homogeneous clay layer above the silty lamination. The magnetic susceptibility decreases upwards in the lamination. This specific feature is thought to have formed as the muddy turbiditity current slowly decelerated and slowly settled down the slope. From the results of XRF core scanning, Ca and Fe have a peak at basement of turbidites, and decrease upwards. Ca is thought to correspond to amount of the foraminiferas. In piston core, we observed the same sedimentary and magnetic characteristics as the multiple cores. Based on stratigraphic information

  20. Accretionary orogens through Earth history

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cawood, Peter A.; Kroner, A.; Collins, W.J.; Kusky, T.M.; Mooney, W.D.; Windley, B.F.

    2009-01-01

    Accretionary orogens form at intraoceanic and continental margin convergent plate boundaries. They include the supra-subduction zone forearc, magmatic arc and back-arc components. Accretionary orogens can be grouped into retreating and advancing types, based on their kinematic framework and resulting geological character. Retreating orogens (e.g. modern western Pacific) are undergoing long-term extension in response to the site of subduction of the lower plate retreating with respect to the overriding plate and are characterized by back-arc basins. Advancing orogens (e.g. Andes) develop in an environment in which the overriding plate is advancing towards the downgoing plate, resulting in the development of foreland fold and thrust belts and crustal thickening. Cratonization of accretionary orogens occurs during continuing plate convergence and requires transient coupling across the plate boundary with strain concentrated in zones of mechanical and thermal weakening such as the magmatic arc and back-arc region. Potential driving mechanisms for coupling include accretion of buoyant lithosphere (terrane accretion), flat-slab subduction, and rapid absolute upper plate motion overriding the downgoing plate. Accretionary orogens have been active throughout Earth history, extending back until at least 3.2 Ga, and potentially earlier, and provide an important constraint on the initiation of horizontal motion of lithospheric plates on Earth. They have been responsible for major growth of the continental lithosphere through the addition of juvenile magmatic products but are also major sites of consumption and reworking of continental crust through time, through sediment subduction and subduction erosion. It is probable that the rates of crustal growth and destruction are roughly equal, implying that net growth since the Archaean is effectively zero. ?? The Geological Society of London 2009.

  1. Upward extension of the Nankai accretionary prism megasplay fault into slope basin strata. Insights from drilling at IODP Expedition 338 Site C0022

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fabbri, O.; Oohashi, K.; Kanagawa, K.; Yamaguchi, A.

    2013-12-01

    Megasplay faults have been recognized on seismic reflection profiles across several convergent margins in the world. Understanding the behavior of these faults during large to very large inter-plate earthquakes is a major challenge in assessing strong-motion and tsunami hazards at or near subduction zones. One of the goals of the IODP NanTroSEIZE project is to drill across and to obtain data from the megasplay fault crossing the Nankai accretionary prism off Kii peninsula (Kumano transect), SW Japan. This fault is considered to have been activated during the 1944 Tonankai earthquake (Baba et al., 2006 ; Moore et al., 2007). Drilling and coring during IODP Expedition 316 (Expedition 316 Scientists, 2009) showed that the megasplay fault at 300 mbsf at Site C0004 consists in a 60 m thick package of fractured and brecciated rocks. Combined analysis of 3D reflection data in the vicinity of Site C0004 and core data from sites C0004 and C0008 (Strasser et al., 2009 ; Kimura et al., 2011) suggest that the lower boundary of the megasplay fault ceased activity at about 1.55 Ma while its upper boundary has remained active since about 1.95 Ma and probably 1.24 Ma. In order to determine whether the megasplay fault upper boundary crosscuts slope sediments or is sealed by them, drilling at IODP Site C0022 was carried out during Expedition 338. Two 420 m deep holes were drilled: C0022A (LWD) and C0022B (coring). At Hole C0022A, LWD resistivity images show that the 85-105.5 mbsf interval is fractured and extends above and below a ca. 1 m thick interval characterized by a low resistivity value at 100-101 mbsf. Structures observed in cores from Hole C0022B confirm LWD data. While gently dipping elsewhere, bedding in the 73-146 mbsf interval is steep, commonly exceeding 30°. This bedding dip increase may be a consequence of fault activity (folding ?). Though the low-resistivity interval at 100-101 mbsf could not be sampled at Hole C0022B (no recovery between 95.5 and 99.5 mbsf

  2. He isotope ratios in the Nankai Trough and Costa Rica subduction zones - implications for volatile cycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kastner, M.; Hilton, D. R.; Jenkins, W. J.; Solomon, E. A.; Spivack, A. J.

    2013-12-01

    The noble gas 3He is a clear indicator of primordial volatile flux from the mantle, thus providing important insights on the interaction between Earth's interior and exterior reservoirs. Volatile cycling at ridge-crests and its impact on the evolution of seawater chemistry is rather well known as constrained by the 3He flux, whereas the impact of volatile cycling at subduction zones (SZs) on seawater chemistry is as yet poorly known. Constraining chemical and isotopic cycling at SZs is important for understanding the evolution of the mantle-crust and ocean-atmosphere systems. To gain insights on volatile cycling in SZs, pore fluids were sampled for He concentration and isotopic analyses at two tectonically contrasting SZs, Nankai Trough (offshore Japan, Muroto and Kumano transects), an accretionary SZ, and Costa Rica (Offshore Osa Peninsula), an erosional SZ. Sampling for He was achieved by rapidly subsampling core sediments, cleaning and transferring these samples into Ti squeezers in a glove bag, and storing the squeezed pore fluids in crimped Cu tubes for shore-based He concentration and isotope ratio analyses. At the Nankai Trough SZ there is a remarkable range of He isotopic values. The 3He/4He ratios relative to atmospheric ratio (RA) range from mostly crustal 0.47 RA to 4.30 RA which is ~55% of the MORB value of 8 RA. Whereas at the Costa Rica SZ, offshore Osa Peninsula, the ratios range from 0.86 to 1.14 RA, indicating the dominance of crustal radiogenic 4He that is from U and Th decay. The distribution of the He isotope values at Nankai Trough is most interesting, fluids that contain significant mantle 3He components (3He/4He >1) were sampled along and adjacent to fluid conduits that were identified by several chemical and isotopic data (i.e. Cl, B, and Li), including the presence of thermogenic hydrocarbons. Whereas the fluids dominated by 4He (3He/4He ≤1) were obtained from sediment sections that were between the fluid conduits. At Costa Rica, however

  3. Double-Sided Wedge Model For Retreating Subduction Zones: Applications to the Apenninic and Hellenic Subduction Zones (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandon, M. T.; Willett, S.; Rahl, J. M.; Cowan, D. S.

    2009-12-01

    We propose a new model for the evolution of accreting wedges at retreating subduction zones. Advance and retreat refer to the polarity of the velocity of the overriding plate with respect to subduction zone. Advance indicates a velocity toward the subduction zone (e.g., Andes) and retreat, away from the subduction zone (e.g. Apennines, Crete). The tectonic mode of a subduction zone, whether advancing or retreating, is a result of both the rollback of the subducting plate and the absolute motion of the overriding plate. The Hellenic and Apenninic wedges are both associated with retreating subduction zones. The Hellenic wedge has been active for about 100 Ma, whereas the Apenninic wedge has been active for about 30 Ma. Comparison of maximum metamorphic pressures for exhumed rocks in these wedges (25 and 30 km, respectively) with the maximum thickness of the wedges at present (30 and 35 km, respectively) indicates that each wedge has maintained a relatively steady size during its evolution. This conclusion is based on the constraint that both frictional and viscous wedges are subject to the constraint of a steady wedge taper, so that thickness and width are strongly correlated. Both wedges show clear evidence of steady accretion during their full evolution, with accretionary fluxes of about 60 and 200 km2 Ma-1. These wedges also both show steady drift of material from the front to the rear of the wedge, with horizontal shortening dominating in the front of the wedge, and horizontal extension within the back of the wedge. We propose that these wedges represent two back-to-back wedges, with a convergent wedge on the leading side (proside), and a divergent wedge on the trailing side (retroside). In this sense, the wedges are bound by two plates. The subducting plate is familiar. It creates a thrust-sense traction beneath the proside of the wedge. The second plate is an “educting” plate, which is creates a normal-sense traction beneath the retroside of the wedge. The

  4. Movement of fluids in the Nankai Trough area: Insights from 129I and halogen distributions along the IODP NanTroSEIZE transect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomaru, Hitoshi; Fehn, Udo

    2015-01-01

    Halogen concentrations and 129I/I ratios were determined in pore waters from the Nankai Trough subduction system, collected during IODP Expeditions 315, 316, 322, and 333 along the NanTroSEIZE transect. The transect allowed the first direct comparison of iodine results across an active subduction system, from subducting oceanic sediments to the accretionary prism, and the overlying forearc basin. In contrast to the other halogens (Cl and Br) iodine concentrations show large variations within and among the cores at all sites landward of the trough, I concentrations increase rapidly with depth and reach values several orders of magnitude higher than those in seawater, but are only slightly higher than seawater values at the seaward sites. Methane concentrations follow a similar pattern. Host sediments of the fluids are younger than 7 Ma in all the cores, but the ages of iodine in pore waters at the landward sites reach values beyond 30 Ma. In contrast, iodine seaward of the trough is in isotopic equilibrium with the host sediments, resulting in very similar iodine and sediment ages. The distribution of iodine concentrations and ages indicates that iodine at the landward sites has been transported there in aqueous fluids, probably together with methane, from old formations in the upper plate. The specific fluid pathways potentially were influenced by features such as the megasplay fault in the prism or the décollement. The results demonstrate large-scale transport of fluids carrying iodine and other compounds such as methane from old layers in the upper plate to surface locations landward of the Nankai Trough, while separate, but only local hydrologic processes occur in the marine sediments moving toward the trough.

  5. Monitoring of seafloor crustal deformation using GPS/Acoustic technique along the Nankai Trough, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yasuda, K.; Tadokoro, K.; Ikuta, R.; Watanabe, T.; Fujii, C.; Matsuhiro, K.; Sayanagi, K.

    2014-12-01

    Seafloor crustal deformation is crucial for estimating the interplate locking at the shallow subduction zone and has been carried out at subduction margins in Japan, e.g., Japan Trench and Nankai Trough [Sato et al., 2011; Tadokoro et al., 2012]. Iinuma et al. [2012] derived slip distributions during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake using GPS/Acoustic data and on-land GPS data. The result showed that maximum slip is more than 85 m near the trench axis. The focal area along the Nankai trough extended to the trough axis affected this earthquake by cabinet office, government of Japan.  We monitored seafloor crustal deformation along the Nankai trough, Japan. Observation regions are at the eastern end of Nankai trough (named Suruga trough) and at the central Nankai trough. We established and monitored by two sites across the trough at each region. In the Suruga trough region, we repeatedly observed from 2005 to 2013. We observed 13 and 14 times at a foot wall side (SNE) and at a hanging wall side (SNW), respectively. We estimated the displacement velocities with relative to the Amurian plate from the result of repeated observation. The estimated displacement velocity vectors at SNE and SNW are 42±8 mm/y to N94±3˚W direction and 39±11 mm/y to N84±9˚W direction, respectively. The directions are the same as those measured at the on-land GPS stations. The magnitudes of velocity vector indicate significant shortening by approximately 4 mm/y between SNW and on-land GPS stations at hanging wall side of the Suruga Trough. This result shows that the plate interface at the northernmost Suruga trough is strongly locked. In the central Nankai trough region, we established new two stations across the central Nankai trough (Both stations are about 15km distance from trough) and observed only three times, August 2013, January 2014, and June 2014. We report the results of monitoring performed in this year.

  6. Plutons and accretionary episodes of the Klamath Mountains, California and Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Irwin, William P.; Wooden, Joseph L.

    1999-01-01

    The Klamath Mountains consist of various accreted terranes and include many plutons that range in composition from gabbro to granodiorite. Some of the plutons (preaccretionary plutons) were parts of terranes before the terranes accreted; others (accretionary plutons) intruded during or after the accretion of their host terrane(s). This report attempts to (1) graphically illustrate how the Klamath Mountains grew by the accretion of allochthonous oceanic terranes during early Paleozoic to Cretaceous times, (2) identify the plutons as either preaccretionary or accretionary, and (3) genetically relate the plutonic intrusions to specific accretionary episodes. The eight accretionary episodes portrayed in this report are similar to those shown by Irwin and Mankinen (1998) who briefly described the basis for the timing of the episodes and who illustrated the ~110 degrees of clockwise rotation of the Klamath Mountains since Early Devonian time. Each episode is named for the accreting terrane. In all episodes (Figs. 1-8), the heavy black line represents a fault that separates the accreting oceanic rocks on the left from earlier accreted terranes on the right. The preaccretionary plutons are shown within the accreting oceanic crustal rocks to the left of the heavy black line, and the accretionary plutons in most instances are shown intruding previously accreted terranes to the right. Episodes earlier than the Central Metamorphic episode (Fig. 1), and that may have been important in the formation of the early Paleozoic nucleous of the province (the Eastern Klamath terrane), are not known. The 'Present Time' distribution of the accreted terranes and plutons is shown at a large scale in Figure 9. The schematic vertical section (Fig. 10) depicts the terranes as a stack of horizontal slabs that include or are intruded by vertical plutons. Note that at their base the ~170 Ma preaccretionary plutons of the Western Hayfork subterrane are truncated by the ~164 Ma Salt Creek

  7. Nankai-Tokai subduction hazard for catastrophe risk modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spurr, D. D.

    2010-12-01

    The historical record of Nankai subduction zone earthquakes includes nine event sequences over the last 1300 years. Typical characteristic behaviour is evident, with segments rupturing either co-seismically or as two large earthquakes less than 3 yrs apart (active phase), followed by periods of low seismicity lasting 90 - 150 yrs or more. Despite the long historical record, the recurrence behaviour and consequent seismic hazard remain uncertain and controversial. In 2005 the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion (HERP) published models for hundreds of faults as part of an official Japanese seismic hazard map. The HERP models have been widely adopted in part or full both within Japan and by the main international catastrophe risk model companies. The time-dependent recurrence modelling we adopt for the Nankai faults departs considerably from HERP in three main areas: ■ A “Linked System” (LS) source model is used to simulate the strong correlation between segment ruptures evident in the historical record, whereas the HERP recurrence estimates assume the Nankai, Tonankai and Tokai segments rupture independently. The LS component models all historical events with a common rupture recurrence cycle for the three segments. System rupture probabilities are calculated assuming BPT behaviour and parameter uncertainties assessed from the full 1300 yr historical record. ■ An independent, “Tokai Only” (TO) rupture source is used specifically to model potential “Tokai only” earthquakes. There are widely diverging views on the possibility of this segment rupturing independently. Although all historical Tokai ruptures appear to have been composite Tonankai -Tokai earthquakes, the available data do not preclude the possibility of future “Tokai only” events. The HERP model also includes “Tokai only” earthquakes but the recurrence parameters are based on historical composite Tonankai -Tokai ruptures and do not appear to recognise the complex tectonic

  8. Ultrasonic fluid densitometer having liquid/wedge and gas/wedge interfaces

    DOEpatents

    Greenwood, Margaret S.

    2000-01-01

    The present invention is an ultrasonic liquid densitometer that uses a material wedge having two sections, one with a liquid/wedge interface and another with a gas/wedge interface. It is preferred that the wedge have an acoustic impedance that is near the acoustic impedance of the liquid, specifically less than a factor of 11 greater than the acoustic impedance of the liquid. Ultrasonic signals are internally reflected within the material wedge. Density of a liquid is determined by immersing the wedge into the liquid and measuring reflections of ultrasound at the liquid/wedge interface and at the gas/wedge interface.

  9. Prominent reflector beneath around the segmentation boundary between Tonankai-Nankai earthquake area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakanishi, A.; Shimomura, N.; Fujie, G.; Kodaira, S.; Obana, K.; Takahashi, T.; Yamamoto, Y.; Yamashita, M.; Takahashi, N.; Kaneda, Y.; Mochizuki, K.; Kato, A.; Iidaka, T.; Kurashimo, E.; Shinohara, M.; Takeda, T.; Shiomi, K.

    2013-12-01

    In the Nankai Trough subduction seismogenic zone, the Nankai and Tonankai earthquakes had often occurred simultaneously, and caused a great event. In most cases, first break of such large events of Nankai Trough usually begins from southwest off the Kii Peninsula so far. The idea of split Philippine Sea plate between the Kii Peninsula and the Shikoku Island, which explains seismicity, tectonic background, receiver function image and historical plate motion, was previously suggested. Moreover, between the Kii Peninsula and the Shikoku Island, there is a gap of deep low-frequency events observed in the belt-like zone along the strike of the subducting Philippine Sea plate. In 2010 and 2011, we conducted the large-scale high-resolution wide-angle and reflection (MCS) seismic study, and long-term observation from off Shikoku and Kii Peninsula. Marine active source seismic data have been acquired along grid two-dimensional profiles having the total length of ~800km/year. A three-dimensional seismic tomography using active and passive seismic data observed both land and ocean bottom stations have been also performed. From those data, we found a possible prominent reflector imaged in the offshore side in the Kii channel at the depth of ~18km. The velocity just beneath the reflector cannot be determined due to the lack of ray paths. Based of the amplitude information, we interpret the reflector as the forearc Moho based on the velocity gap (from ~6.4km/s to ~7.4km/s). However, the reflector is shallower than the forearc Moho of other area along the Nankai Trough. Similar reflectors are recognized along other seismic profiles around the Kii channel. In this presentation, we will show the result of structure analysis to understand the peculiar structure including the prominent reflector around the Kii channel. Relation between the structure and the existence of the segmentation of the Nankai megathrust earthquake or seismic gap of the deep low-frequency events will be also

  10. A brittle (normal?) shear zone cored in Site C0002 of Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (IODP Expedition 348)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crespo-Blanc, Ana; Sample, James; Brown, Kevin; Otsubo, Makoto; Yamamoto, Yuzuru

    2016-04-01

    Integrated Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 348, which belongs to the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment, conducted riser-drilling to make deeper an existing hole at Site C0002, up to 3058.5 meters below seafloor (mbsf). This site is located 80 km SE of the Kii Peninsula (Japan) in the Kumano forearc basin, in turn situated on top of the Nankai accretionary prism. Cuttings (875.5-3058.5 mbsf) and cores (2163.0-2217.5 mbsf) were collected in the upper Miocene to Pliocene turbiditic silty claystone with few intercalations of sandstone which characterize the accretionary prism lithological units. A remarkably preserved fault zone has been cored around 2205 mbsf (core section Hole C0002P-348-5R-4). It is characterized by 34 cm of fault breccia, in which an anastomosed cataclastic foliation is present. The rocks of the damaged zone are formed by silty claystone with an incipient scaly fabric and scarce levels of sandstones. Extra-large thin sections were made along the whole core section. In the brittle shear zone, they reveal a catalogue of deformation structures characteristic of a high structural level. In particular, almond-type structures and arrays of microfaults cutting the stratification are the most common structures and outline the cataclastic foliation. The occurrence of calcite veins in the recovered cores is limited to this fault zone, which is indicative of its role as fluid path, accompanied by carbonate cementation. Generally fault veins have lower δ18O values than carbonate cements in the sedimentary matrix, consistent with veins forming at higher temperatures and/or from a fluid more strongly depleted in 18O. A continuum of the relationships between calcite veins and cataclastic deformation is observed, from veins that precipitated early in the fault history, with calcite grains broken during subsequent deformation, to late veins which seal the almond-type structures within the claystones. The geometry of the calcite grains within the

  11. A surface wave reflector in Southwestern Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mak, S.; Koketsu, K.; Miyake, H.; Obara, K.; Sekine, S.

    2009-12-01

    observed particle motions. The secondary one is a low phase velocity (<2km/s for T=20s) at the accretionary wedge of the Nankai Trough due to the thick sediment. Such a long and narrow low velocity zone, with its southwest tip at KPR-NT, is a potential wave-guide to channel waves towards KPR-NT. The longer duration of deterministic later arrivals than the direct arrival is partially explained by multi-pathing due to the wave-guide. The surface wave coda is observable for earthquakes whose propagation path does not include the accretionary wedge, implying that the wedge is an enhancer but not indispensable of the formation of the observed coda.

  12. Late extension in compressional wedges above a weak, viscous décollement: results from analogue modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borderie, Sandra; Vendeville, Bruno C.; Graveleau, Fabien; Witt, César

    2016-04-01

    Extension during convergence is a structural process commonly encountered in different geodynamic settings, such as accretionary wedges subjected to tectonic erosion, or mountain belts undergoing post-orogenic collapse. This has been investigated with experimental models at the scale of doubly-vergent wedges (Haq and Davis 2008; Bonini et al. 2000, Buck and Sokoutis 1994) but not thoroughly at the scale of fold-and-thrust belts. During an experimental investigation carried out on the behavior of segmented fold-and-thrust belts induced by stratigraphic inheritance in the foreland series (Borderie et al., EGU this session), unexpected shallow normal faulting occurred. The models comprised one basal frictional décollement (glass microbeads) and one upper viscous décollement embedded in the cover (silicone polymer). Extension took place during the late stages of the experiments and it was localized at the transition zone between the rear domain of the wedge and the frontal fold-and-thrust belt that detached on the upper viscous décollement. Normal faults strike parallel to the compressional structures and mainly dip toward the foreland. They root in the viscous décollement. Through a series of parametrized experiments dedicated to constrain the timing of formation of these extensional structures, we could evidence that these normal faults appear once the bulk shortening in the rear domain has created enough uplift of the internal zone by antiformal stacking and enough forelandward tilting of the upper viscous décollement. These two latter mechanisms are direct consequences of the whole wedge dynamics that links the thrust fault dynamics in the upper shallow sedimentary sequence and the thrust dynamics of the deep subsalt basement. The occurrence of this extension depends on the initial position of the upper viscous décollement and notably the position of the internal pinchout relative to the position of the backstop. Additional tests have also demonstrated that

  13. Fluid Pressure in the Shallow Plate Interface at the Nankai Trough Subduction Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, H. J.; Saffer, D.

    2003-12-01

    The factors controlling the occurrence, magnitude, and other characteristics of great earthquakes is a fundamental outstanding question in fault physics. Pore fluid pressure is perhaps the most critical yet poorly known parameter governing the strength and seismogenic character of plate boundary faults, but unfortunately cannot be directly inferred through available geophysical sensing methods. Moreover, true in situ fluid pressure has proven difficult to measure even in boreholes. At the Nankai Trough, several hundred meters of sediment are subducted beneath the frontal portion of the accretionary prism. The up-dip portion of the plate interface is therefore hosted in these fine-grained marine sedimentary rocks. ODP Leg 190 and 196 showed that these rapidly-loaded underthrust sediments are significantly overpressured near the deformation front. Here, we attempt to quantitatively infer porosity, pore pressure, and effective normal stress at the plate interface at depths currently inaccessible to drilling. Using seismic reflection interval velocity calibrated at the boreholes to porosity, we quantitatively infer pore pressure to ˜ 20 km down-dip of the deformation front, to a plate interface depth of ˜ 6 km. We have developed a Nankai-specific velocity-porosity transform using ODP cores and logs. We use this function to derive a porosity profile for each of two down-dip seismic sections extracted from a 3-D dataset from the Cape Muroto region. We then calculate pore fluid pressure and effective vertical (fault-normal) stress for the underthrust sediment section using a compaction disequilibrium approach and core-based consolidation test data. Because the pore fluid pressure at the fault interface is likely controlled by that of the top of the underthrust section, this calculation represents a quantitative profile of effective stress and pore pressure at the plate interface. Results show that seismic velocity and porosity increase systematically downdip in the

  14. Frictional properties of the Nankai frontal thrust explain recurring shallow slow slip events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saffer, D. M.; Ikari, M.; Kopf, A.; Roesner, A.

    2017-12-01

    Recent observations provide evidence for shallow slip reaching to the trench on subduction megathrusts, both in earthquakes and slow slip events (SSE). This is at odds with existing friction studies, which report primarily velocity-strengthening behavior (friction increases with slip velocity) for subduction fault material and synthetic analogs, which leads only to stable sliding. We report on direct shearing experiments on fault rocks from IODP Site C0007, which sampled the frontal thrust of the Nankai accretionary prism. This fault has been implicated in both coseimic slip and recurring SSE. We focus on material from 437.2 meters below seafloor, immediately above a localized shear zone near the base of the fault. In our experiments, a 25 mm diameter cylindrical specimen is loaded in an assembly of two steel plates. After application of normal stress (3, 10, or 17 MPa) and subsequent equilibration, the lower plate is driven at a constant velocity while the upper plate remains stationary; this configuration forces shear to localize between the two plates. After reaching a steady state residual friction coefficient (µss), we conducted velocity-stepping tests to measure the friction rate parameter (a-b), defined as the change in friction for a change in velocity: (a-b) = Δuss/ln(V/Vo), over a range of velocities from 0.1-100 µm s-1. We find that µss ranges from 0.26 to 0.32 and exhibits a slight decrease with normal stress. We observe velocity-weakening behavior at low normal stresses (3-10 MPa) and for low sliding velocities (< 3-10 µm s-1). Values of (a-b)_increase systematically from -0.007 to -0.005 at velocities of 0.3-1 µm s-1, to 0.001-0.045 at velocities >30 µm s-1. At higher normal stress (17 MPa), we observe dominantly velocity-strengthening, consistent with previously reported measurements for 25 MPa normal stress. Our observation of rate weakening at slip rates matching those of SSE in the outer Nankai forearc provide a potential explanation for

  15. Frictional properties of the Nankai frontal thrust explain recurring shallow slow slip events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scholz, J. R.; Davy, C.; Barruol, G.; Fontaine, F. R.; Cordier, E.

    2016-12-01

    Recent observations provide evidence for shallow slip reaching to the trench on subduction megathrusts, both in earthquakes and slow slip events (SSE). This is at odds with existing friction studies, which report primarily velocity-strengthening behavior (friction increases with slip velocity) for subduction fault material and synthetic analogs, which leads only to stable sliding. We report on direct shearing experiments on fault rocks from IODP Site C0007, which sampled the frontal thrust of the Nankai accretionary prism. This fault has been implicated in both coseimic slip and recurring SSE. We focus on material from 437.2 meters below seafloor, immediately above a localized shear zone near the base of the fault. In our experiments, a 25 mm diameter cylindrical specimen is loaded in an assembly of two steel plates. After application of normal stress (3, 10, or 17 MPa) and subsequent equilibration, the lower plate is driven at a constant velocity while the upper plate remains stationary; this configuration forces shear to localize between the two plates. After reaching a steady state residual friction coefficient (µss), we conducted velocity-stepping tests to measure the friction rate parameter (a-b), defined as the change in friction for a change in velocity: (a-b) = Δuss/ln(V/Vo), over a range of velocities from 0.1-100 µm s-1. We find that µss ranges from 0.26 to 0.32 and exhibits a slight decrease with normal stress. We observe velocity-weakening behavior at low normal stresses (3-10 MPa) and for low sliding velocities (< 3-10 µm s-1). Values of (a-b)_increase systematically from -0.007 to -0.005 at velocities of 0.3-1 µm s-1, to 0.001-0.045 at velocities >30 µm s-1. At higher normal stress (17 MPa), we observe dominantly velocity-strengthening, consistent with previously reported measurements for 25 MPa normal stress. Our observation of rate weakening at slip rates matching those of SSE in the outer Nankai forearc provide a potential explanation for

  16. Simultaneous Sea-Level Oscillations in Japanese Bays Induced by the Tsunami of Nankai-Trough Earthquake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oishi, Y.; Furumura, T.; Imamura, F.; Yamashita, K.; Sugawara, D.

    2016-12-01

    In this study, we investigate the response of bays to the tsunami of Nankai-trough earthquake based on tsunami simulations and demonstrate the possibility that sea-level oscillation of each bay, which is induced by an incident tsunami, interacts with those of other bays. Several major cities in Japan, including the capital, are located in the bays near the Nankai trough and it is assumed that these cities will be largely affected by the tsunamis caused by recurring large earthquakes at the trough. Therefore, it is very important for these populated cities to understand the mechanism and properties of the tsunami-induced oscillations that continue for a long time in bays to draw up evacuation plans. To investigate the response of bays for various tsunamis that may occur in the Nankai trough area, we distributed the tsunami sources that have the form of a 2-D Gaussian function around the Nankai trough. From simulations with these sources, it was found that strong oscillations of bay water occur when the source is located in the bay itself or when strong oscillations occur in other bays. For example, when the Tosa bay oscillates, the Tokyo bay that is 600 km away from the Tosa bay also oscillates. Among the bays around the Nankai trough, the Suruga bay, the deepest bay in Japan with a 2500-km depth, oscillates more strongly than other bays for most cases. To check the influence of the strong oscillations in the Suruga bay on other bays, we conducted tsunami simulations using a modified topography model in which the Suruga bay is artificially landfilled. As a consequence, the strength of oscillations in the adjacent bays are reduced by 20-30%, suggesting the large influence of the distinguished oscillation of the Suruga bay on these bays. We finally conducted tsunami simulations using the eleven Nankai-trough earthquake scenarios of the Central Disaster Prevention Council (CDPC) of Japan as tsunami sources, and the mutual relation regarding the strengths of

  17. Texture development in naturally compacted and experimentally deformed silty clay sediments from the Nankai Trench and Forearc, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schumann, Kai; Stipp, Michael; Leiss, Bernd; Behrmann, Jan H.

    2014-12-01

    The petrophysical properties of fine-grained marine sediments to a large extent depend on the microstructure and crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs). In this contribution we show that Rietveld-based synchrotron texture analysis is a new and valuable tool to quantify textures of water-saturated fine-grained phyllosilicate-rich sediments, and assess the effects of compaction and tectonic deformation. We studied the CPO of compositionally almost homogeneous silty clay drillcore samples from the Nankai Accretionary Prism slope and the incoming Philippine Sea plate, offshore SW Japan. Basal planes of phyllosilicates show bedding-parallel alignment increasing with drillhole depth, thus reflecting progressive burial and compaction. In some samples calcite and albite display a CPO due to crystallographically controlled non-isometric grain shapes, or nannofossil tests. Consolidated-undrained experimental deformation of a suite of thirteen samples from the prism slope shows that the CPOs of phyllosilicate and calcite basal planes develop normal to the experimental shortening axis. There is at least a qualitative relation between CPO intensity and strain magnitude. Scanning electron micrographs show concurrent evolution of preferred orientations of micropores and detrital illite flakes normal to axial shortening. This indicates that the microfabrics are sensitive strain gauges, and contribute to anisotropic physical properties along with the CPO.

  18. GPS/acoustic Seafloor Geodetic Observations Near the Nankai Trough Axis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tadokoro, K.; Yasuda, K.; Fujii, C.; Watanabe, T.; Nagai, S.

    2013-12-01

    The GPS/acoustic seafloor geodetic observation system, which uses precise acoustic ranging and kinematic GPS positioning techniques, has been developed as a useful tool for observing seafloor crustal deformations associated with plate convergence and with earthquakes that occurred in ocean area including the 2011 Tohoku-oki Earthquake of Mw 9.0. Our research group installed eight seafloor benchmarks for this observation system in source areas of anticipated major interplate earthquakes along the Nankai Trough, off southwestern Japan. We have performed campaign measurement for 4-8 years until the end of 2012. The error of displacement rate is almost 5 mm/y through the monitoring for more than four years. At the northern-most potion of the Nankai (Suruga) Trough, the observed steady horizontal displacement rate is 45 mm/y toward west. Also no significant velocity difference is observed across the trough, indicating strong interplate locking up to the shallowest segments. On the other hand, site velocities are 40 mm/y in the direction of N75W at the central region of the Nankai trough, 70-90 km landward from the trough axis. Although this result is the strong evidence for interplate locking, with coupling ratios of 60-80% on the basis of the back-slip model, it has no resolution for the interplate locking at the most-shallowest segments whose depths are 0-10 km. In other words, seaward up-dip limit of locked zone is never resolved from the present seafloor benchmark network [Tadokoro et al., 2012] . Large co-seismic slips larger than 40-50 m on the shallowest interplate segment [Ito et al., 2011; Fujii et al., 2011; Iinuma et al., 2012] are the cause of the unexpected high tsunami that has attacked the pacific coasts of the Tohoku region during the Tohoku-oki Earthquake; it is, therefore, essential to understand slip deficit or strain accumulation condition near the trench axis, also for the anticipated mega-thrust earthquake at the Nankai Trough. For this reason, we

  19. Kinematic segmentation of accretive wedges based on scaled sandbox experiments and their application to nature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lohrmann, J.; Kukowski, N.; Oncken, O.

    2003-04-01

    Recording the incremental displacement field of scaled analogue simulations provides detailed data on wedge kinematics and timing of internal deformation. This is a very efficient tool to develop kinematic concepts and test mechanical theories, e.g. the critical-taper theory. Such models could not be validated until now by the available geological and geophysical data, since there was no information about the incremental displacement field. Recent GPS measurements and seismological investigations at convergent margins provide well-constrained strain-rates and kinematics of short-termed processes. These data allow the kinematic models that are based on analogue simulations to be tested against field observations. We investigate convergent accretive sand wedges in scaled analogue simulations. We define three kinematic segments based on distinctive wedge taper, displacement field and timing of deformation (recorded at a slow sampling rate, which represents the geological scale). Only one of these segments is in a critical state of stress, whereas the other segments are either in a sub-critical or stable state of stress. Such a kinematic segmentation is not predicted for ideally homogeneous wedge-shaped bodies by the critical-taper theory, but can be explained by the formation of localised weak shear zones, which preferentially accommodate deformation. These weak zones are formed in granular analogue materials, and also in natural rocks, since these materials show a strain-softening phase prior to the achievement of stable mechanical conditions. Therefore we suggest that the kinematic segmentation of convergent sand wedges should also be observed in natural settings, such as accretionary wedges, foreland fold-and-thrust belts and even entire orogens. To validate this hypothesis we compare strain rates from GPS measurements and kinematics deduced from focal mechanisms with the respective data from sandbox experiments. We present a strategy to compare strain rates and

  20. Seismic structure of the southern Cascadia subduction zone and accretionary prism north of the Mendocino triple junction

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gulick, S.P.S.; Meltzer, A.M.; Clarke, S.H.

    1998-01-01

    Four multichannel-seismic reflection profiles, collected as part of the Mendocino triple junction seismic experiment, image the toe of the southern Cascadia accretionary prism. Today, 250-600 m of sediment is subducting with the Gorda plate, and 1500-3200 m is accreting to the northern California margin. Faults imaged west and east of the deformation front show mixed structural vergence. A north-south trending, 20 km long portion of the central margin is landward vergent for the outer 6-8 km of the toe of the prism. This region of landward vergence exhibits no frontal thrust, is unusually steep and narrow, and is likely caused by a seaward-dipping backstop close to the deformation front. The lack of margin-wide preferred seaward vergence and wedge-taper analysis suggests the prism has low basal shear stress. The three southern lines image wedge-shaped fragments of oceanic crust 1.1-7.3 km in width and 250-700 m thick near the deformation front. These wedges suggest shortening and thickening of the upper oceanic crust. Discontinuities in the seafloor west of the prism provide evidence for mass wasting in the form of slump blocks and debris fans. The southernmost profile extends 75 km west of the prism imaging numerous faults that offset both the Gorda basin oceanic crust and overlying sediments. These high-angle faults, bounding basement highs, are interpreted as strike-slip faults reactivating structures originally formed at the spreading ridge. Northeast or northwest trending strike-slip faults within the basin are consistent with published focal mechanism solutions and are likely caused by north-south Gorda-Pacific plate convergence. Copyright 1998 by the American Geophysical Union.

  1. Difference of the seismic structure between the Hyuga-nada and the Nankai seismogenic segments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, Y.; Obana, K.; Takahashi, T.; Nakanishi, A.; Kodaira, S.; Kaneda, Y.

    2010-12-01

    In the Nankai Trough, three major seismogenic zones of megathrust earthquake exist (Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai earthquake regions). The Hyuga-nada region was distinguished from these seismogenic zones because of the lack of megathrust earthquake. In the Hyuga-nada region, interplate earthquakes of M~7 occur repeatedly at intervals of about 20 years whereas no megathrust (M > 8) earthquakes had been recognized up to now. However, recent studies show the possibility of simultaneous rupture of the Tokai, Tonankai, Nankai and Hyuga-nada segments was also pointed out [e.g., Hori et al., 2009 AOGS]. To understand the possibility of seismic linkage of Nankai and Hyuga-nada segments, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology has been carried out a wide-angle active source survey and local seismic observation in the western end of the Nankai seismogenic zone, as a part of Research concerning Interaction Between the Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai Earthquakes' funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Nakanishi et al [2009, AGU] showed that subducting Philippine Sea Plate can be divided into three zones and there is the zone of the thin oceanic crust of the subducting Philippine Sea Plate between Nankai segment and Kyushu-Palau Ridge segment by analyzing of the active source survey. Deep structure of the subducting slab is also important to consider the possibility of the seismic linkage and the location of the boundary among three zones described above. To obtain the deep seismic image, we performed a three-dimensional seismic tomography using the local seismic data recorded on 158 ocean bottom seismographs and 105 land seismic stations. From these data, we could detect 1141 earthquakes in the Hyuga-nada region. From the result of hypocenter relocation, microseismicity near the trough axis is active on the western part of the ‘thin oceanic crust’, whereas inactive on the eastern part. Besides, velocity structure of the

  2. Nature of the Coastal Range Wedge Along the Rupture Area of the 2015, Illapel Chile Earthquake Mw 8.4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farías, M.; Comte, D.; Roecker, S. W.; Brandon, M. T.

    2017-12-01

    Wedge theory is usually applied to the pro-side of active subduction margins, where fold-and-thrust belts related to frontal accretion develop, but rarely to the entire wedge, where the retro-side is also relevant. We present a new 3D body wave tomographic image that combines data from the Chile-Illapel Aftershock Experiment (CHILLAX) with previous temporary seismic networks, with the aim of illuminating the nature of the wedge of the continental margin above the seismogenic part of the subducting slab. The downdip extent of the coupled part, called the S-point in the wedge theory, corresponds to the place where upper plate completely decouples from the subducting slab. This point is characterized by a Vp/Vs contrast at about 60 km depth that extends upward-and-eastward in a west-dipping ramp-like geometry. This ramp emerges about 180 km from the trench, near the topographic break related to the front of the Andean retro-side. The Coastal wedge domain is characterized by a monotonous east-dipping homocline with the older rocks of this region along the coast. The offshore region, corresponding to the pro-side, exhibits normal faulting and a very small frontal accretionary complex. Normal faulting in this region is related to rapid uplift of marine terraces since ca. 2 Ma, suggesting strong basal accretion and thus high friction on the thrust. In fact, the epicentral region of the 2015 Illapel Earthquake coincides with the highest elevations along the coast, i.e., the region with the highest slope of the margin. In this region, the lack of a continental forearc basin suggests an overlapping between the Andean and Coastal wedges. The western edge of the Andean wedge is also part of the homocline about 10 km east of the topographic boundary between both wedges, suggesting that the Coastal wedge has been deforming a part of the retro-side of the Andean wedge during the Miocene. The east-ward tilting of the retro-side was acquired mainly before the late Miocene, since at

  3. Sandbox Simulations of the Evolution of a Subduction Wedge following Subduction Initiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandon, M. T.; Ma, K. F.; DeWolf, W.

    2012-12-01

    the retro-shear zone to propagate rearward with time. The main conclusion is that the rearward propagation will cease only when 1) the retro shear zone reaches the S point (i.e. the mantle cutoff in the upper plate) or 2) the erosion outflux from the subduction wedge matches the accretionary influx. Given the location of the upper plate Moho at Cascadia, it seems that erosion is the control factor in pinning the retro shear zone there.

  4. Radial wedge flange clamp

    DOEpatents

    Smith, Karl H.

    2002-01-01

    A radial wedge flange clamp comprising a pair of flanges each comprising a plurality of peripheral flat wedge facets having flat wedge surfaces and opposed and mating flat surfaces attached to or otherwise engaged with two elements to be joined and including a series of generally U-shaped wedge clamps each having flat wedge interior surfaces and engaging one pair of said peripheral flat wedge facets. Each of said generally U-shaped wedge clamps has in its opposing extremities apertures for the tangential insertion of bolts to apply uniform radial force to said wedge clamps when assembled about said wedge segments.

  5. Frictional Behavior of Altered Basement Approaching the Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saffer, D. M.; Ikari, M.; Rooney, T. O.; Marone, C.

    2017-12-01

    The frictional behavior of basement rocks plays an important role in subduction zone faulting and seismicity. This includes earthquakes seaward of the trench, large megathrust earthquakes where seamounts are subducting, or where the plate interface steps down to basement. In exhumed subduction zone rocks such as the Shimanto complex in Japan, slivers of basalt are entrained in mélange which is evidence of basement involvement in the fault system. Scientific drilling during the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) recovered basement rock from two reference sites (C0011 and C0012) located seaward of the trench offshore the Kii Peninsula during Integrated Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expeditions 322 and 333. The basement rocks are pillow basalts that appear to be heterogeneously altered, resulting in contrasting dense blue material and more vesicular gray material. Major element geochemistry shows differences in silica, calcium oxides and loss-on-ignition between the two types of samples. Minor element geochemistry reveals significant differences in vanadium, chromium, and barium. X-ray diffraction on a bulk sample powder representing an average composition shows a phyllosilicate content of 20%, most of which is expandable clays. We performed laboratory friction experiments in a biaxial testing apparatus as either intact sample blocks, or as gouge powders. We combine these experiments with measurements of Pennsylvania slate for comparison, including a mixed-lithology intact block experiment. Intact Nankai basement blocks exhibit a coefficient of sliding friction of 0.73; for Nankai basement powder, slate powder, slate blocks and slate-on-basement blocks the coefficient of sliding friction ranges from 0.44 to 0.57. At slip rates ranging from 3x10-8 to 3x10-4 m/s we observe predominantly velocity-strengthening frictional behavior, indicating a tendency for stable slip. At rates of < 1x10-6 m/s some velocity-weakening was observed, specifically in

  6. Temperature Limit of the Deep Subseafloor Biosphere in the Nankai Trough Subduction Zone off Cape Muroto (IODP T-Limit Expedition 370)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morono, Y.; Hauer, V. B.; Inagaki, F.; Kubo, Y.; Maeda, L.; Scientists, E.

    2017-12-01

    Expedition 370 of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) aimed to explore the limits of life in the deep subseafloor biosphere at a location where elevated heat flow lets temperature increase with sediment depth beyond the known maximum of microbial life ( 120°C) at 1.2 km below the seafloor. Such conditions are met in the protothrust zone of the Nankai Trough off Cape Muroto, Japan, where Site C0023 was established in the vicinity of ODP Sites 808 and 1174 at a water depth of 4776 m using the drilling vessel DV Chikyu. Hole C0023A was cored down to a total depth of 1180 meters below seafloor, offshore sampling and research was combined with simultaneous shore-based investigations at the Kochi Core Center (KCC), and long-term temperature observations were started (Heuer et al., 2017). The primary scientific objectives of Expedition 370 are (a) to detect and investigate the presence or absence of life and biological processes at the biotic-abiotic transition of the deep subseafloor with unprecedented analytical sensitivity and precision; (b) to comprehensively study the factors that control biomass, activity, and diversity of microbial communities; and (c) to elucidate if continuous or episodic flow of fluids containing thermogenic and/or geogenic nutrients and energy substrates support subseafloor microbial communities in the Nankai Trough accretionary complex (Hinrichs et al., 2016). This contribution will highlight the scientific approach of our field-work and preliminary expedition results by shipboard and shorebased activities. Hinrichs K-U, Inagaki F, Heuer VB, Kinoshita M, Morono Y, Kubo Y (2016) Expedition 370 Scientific Prospectus: T-Limit of the Deep Biosphere off Muroto (T-Limit). International Ocean Discovery Program. http://dx.doi.org/10.14379/iodp.sp.370.2016 Heuer VB, Inagaki F, Morono Y, Kubo Y, Maeda L, the Expedition 370 Scientists (2017) Expedition 370 Preliminary Report: Temperature Limit of the Deep Biosphere off Muroto. International

  7. Timing of crust formation and recycling in accretionary orogens: Insights learned from the western margin of South America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bahlburg, Heinrich; Vervoort, Jeffrey D.; Du Frane, S. Andrew; Bock, Barbara; Augustsson, Carita; Reimann, Cornelia

    2009-12-01

    Accretionary orogens are considered major sites of formation of juvenile continental crust. In the central and southern Andes this is contradicted by two observations: siliciclastic fills of Paleozoic basins in the central Andean segment of the accretionary Terra Australis Orogen consist almost exclusively of shales and mature sandstones; and magmatic rocks connected to the Famatinian (Ordovician) and Late Paleozoic magmatic arcs are predominantly felsic and characterized by significant crustal contamination and strongly unradiogenic Nd isotope compositions. Evidence of juvenile crustal additions is scarce. We present laser ablation (LA)-ICPMS U-Pb ages and LA-MC-ICPMS Hf isotope data of detrital zircons from seven Devonian to Permian turbidite sandstones incorporated into a Late Paleozoic accretionary wedge at the western margin of Gondwana in northern Chile. The combination with Nd whole-rock isotope data permits us to trace the evolution of the South American continental crust through several Proterozoic and Paleozoic orogenic cycles. The analyzed detrital zircon spectra reflect all Proterozoic orogenic cycles representing the step-wise evolution of the accretionary SW Amazonia Orogenic System between 2.0 and 0.9 Ga, followed by the Terra Australis Orogen between 0.9 and 0.25 Ga. The zircon populations are characterized by two prominent maxima reflecting input from Sunsas (Grenville) age magmatic rocks (1.2-0.9 Ga) and from the Ordovician to Silurian Famatinian magmatic arc (0.52-0.42 Ga). Grains of Devonian age are scarce or absent from the analyzed zircon populations. The Hf isotopic compositions of selected dated zircons at the time of their crystallization ( ɛHf ( T) ; T = 3.3-0.25 Ga) vary between - 18 and + 11. All sandstones have a significant juvenile component; between 20 and 50% of the zircons from each sedimentary rock have positive ɛHf ( T) and can be considered juvenile. The majority of the juvenile grains have Hf-depleted mantle model ages (Hf

  8. Diving wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vincent, Lionel; Kanso, Eva

    2017-11-01

    Diving induces large pressures during water entry, accompanied by the creation of cavity behind the diver and water splash ejected from the free water surface. To minimize impact forces, divers streamline their shape at impact. Here, we investigate the impact forces and splash evolution of diving wedges as a function of the wedge opening angle. A gradual transition from impactful to smooth entry is observed as the wedge angle decreases. After submersion, diving wedges experience significantly smaller drag forces (two-fold smaller) than immersed wedges. We characterize the shapes of the cavity and splash created by the wedge and find that they are independent of the entry velocity at short times, but that the splash exhibits distinct variations in shape at later times. Combining experimental approach and a discrete fluid particle model, we show that the splash shape is governed by a destabilizing Venturi-suction force due to air rushing between the splash and the water surface and a stabilizing force due to surface tension. These findings may have implications in a wide range of water entry problems, with applications in engineering and bio-related problems, including naval engineering, disease spreading and platform diving. This work was funded by the National Science Foundation.

  9. Oblique wedge extrusion of UHP/HP complexes in the Late Triassic: structural analysis and zircon ages of the Atbashi Complex, South Tianshan, Kyrgyzstan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sang, Miao; Xiao, Wenjiao; Bakirov, Apas

    2017-04-01

    The exhumation and tectonic emplacement of eclogites and blueschists takes place in forearc accretionary complexes by either forearc- or backarc-directed extrusion, but few examples have been well analysed in detail. Here we present an example of oblique wedge extrusion of UHP/HP rocks in the Atbashi accretionary complex of the Kyrgyz South Tianshan. The Atbashi Eclogite-Blueschist Complex (AEBC) is a conventional, formal name for the Atbashi Formation that contains pelitic to siliceous schists alternating with HP/UHP eclogites and blueschists. The main belt of the AEBC strikes SW-NE mostly parallel to the Atbashi-Inylchek Fault. Our field mapping and structural analysis demonstrate that the Atbashi Eclogite-Blueschist Complex is situated in a complicated duplex formed by a northerly dextral transpression system and a southerly sinistral transtension system, both of which contain a series of strike-slip duplexese at several scales. The two shear systems suggest that the Atbashi Complex underwent a unique oblique south- westward extrusion with a general plunge to the NE, the horizontal projection of which is sub-parallel to the strike of the major structures. This indicates that the Atbashi Complex was extruded obliquely southwestwards during eastward penetration of the southern tip of the Yili- Central Tianshan Arc of the Kazakhstan Orocline during the Late Triassic. Also, to constrain the extrusion of the AEBC and to place it in its temporal framework during docking of the Tarim Craton to the southern margin of the Ili-Tianshan Arc, we report new zircon U-Pb isotopic data for four eclogites and one garnet-bearing quartz-schist, in order to document the timing event during extrusion. The youngest ages of the eclogites and the garnet-bearing quartz-schist may be Late Triassic of 217-221 Ma and 223.9 Ma, respectively, suggesting that the main extrusion was later than previously proposed and that the final orogenesis was not completed until the Late Triassic. The HP

  10. Diagenesis of clay mineral assemblages in the Shikoku Basin: Inputs to the Nankai Trough megathrust and seismogenic zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Underwood, M.; Guo, J.; Song, C.

    2012-12-01

    One of the essential components of the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is to document the composition and diagenetic alteration of sedimentary inputs to the subduction zone of SW Japan. Two sites were drilled seaward of the trench during IODP Expeditions 322 and 333 to demonstrate how those subduction inputs have been influenced by the basement topography of Shikoku Basin. Site C0011 was drilled on the NW flank of Kashinosaki Knoll, and Site C0012 is located near the seamount's summit. The lithostratigraphy expands and condenses from site to site, but the clay mineral assemblages are nearly identical when comparisons are made among coeval units. The early history of sedimentation (middle to late Miocene) was dominated by expandable clay minerals of the smectite group. Contents of smectite in strata older than 5.3 Ma typically exceed 65% of the clay-size fraction, and there are dozens of bentonite layers (altered volcanic ash) interbedded with the hemipelagic mudstones and turbidites. Those percentages amount to >45 wt-% smectite in the bulk mudstone. Volcanic sources for the Miocene clay probably included the ancestral Izu-Bonin island arc, the Izu-Honshu collision zone, and anomalous near-trench magma bodies in the Outer Zone of Honshu and Shikoku Island. As sedimentation progressed into the Pliocene and Pleistocene, mud supplies to the Shikoku Basin shifted increasingly to detrital illite and chlorite eroded from the uplifted accretionary complex (Outer Zone). At Site C0011, the younger hemipelagic-pyroclastic facies (upper Shikoku Basin) contains an average of 43% smectite, 36% illite, and 18% kaolinite + chlorite in the clay-size fraction. At Site C0012, comparable values are S = 51%, I = 32%, and K+C = 14%. XRD results show no evidence of smectite-to-illite diagenesis seaward of the trench, although it is important to note that Site C0011 was abandoned before reaching basaltic basement. We can predict the extent of smectite

  11. Geochemical constraints on the temperature and timing of carbonate formation and lithification in the Nankai Trough, NanTroSEIZE transect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sample, James C.; Torres, Marta E.; Fisher, Andrew; Hong, Wei-Li; Destrigneville, Christine; Defliese, William F.; Tripati, Aradhna E.

    2017-02-01

    Information about diagenetic processes and temperatures during burial of sediments entering the subduction zone is important for understanding changes in physical properties and seismic behavior during deformation. The geochemistry of authigenic carbonates from accretionary prisms can serve as proxies for conditions during carbonate cementation and resultant lithification. We report results from the Nankai accretionary prism recovered from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) sites C0011 and C0012 and we document continued cementation of deep sediment sections prior to subduction. Elemental and isotope data provide evidence for complex mixing of different isotopic reservoirs in pore waters contributing to carbonate chemical signatures. Carbon stable isotope values exhibit a broad range (δ13CV-PDB = +0.1‰ to -22.5‰) that corresponds to different stages of cement formation during burial. Carbonate formation temperatures from carbonate-clumped isotope geochemistry range from 16 °C to 63 °C at Site C0011 and 8.7 °C to 68 °C at Site C0012. The correspondence between the clumped-isotope temperatures and extrapolations of measured in situ temperatures indicate the carbonate is continuing to form at present. Calculated water isotopic compositions are in some cases enriched in 18O relative to measured interstitial waters suggesting a component of inherited seawater or input from clay-bound water. Low oxygen isotope values and the observed Ba/Ca ratios are also consistent with carbonate cementation at depth. Strontium isotopes of interstitial waters (87Sr/86Sr of 0.7059-0.7069) and carbonates (87Sr/86Sr of 0.70715-0.70891) support formation of carbonates from a mixture of strontium reservoirs including current interstitial waters and relic seawater contemporaneous with deposition. Collectively our data reflect mixed sources of dissolved inorganic carbon and cations that include authigenic phases driven by organic carbon and volcanic alteration reactions

  12. Structural styles and zircon ages of the South Tianshan accretionary complex, Atbashi Ridge, Kyrgyzstan: Insights for the anatomy of ocean plate stratigraphy and accretionary processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sang, Miao; Xiao, Wenjiao; Orozbaev, Rustam; Bakirov, Apas; Sakiev, Kadyrbek; Pak, Nikolay; Ivleva, Elena; Zhou, Kefa; Ao, Songjian; Qiao, Qingqing; Zhang, Zhixin

    2018-03-01

    The anatomy of an ancient accretionary complex has a significance for a better understanding of the tectonic processes of accretionary orogens and complex because of its complicated compositions and strong deformation. With a thorough structural and geochronological study of a fossil accretionary complex in the Atbashi Ridge, South Tianshan (Kyrgyzstan), we analyze the structure and architecture of ocean plate stratigraphy in the western Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The architecture of the Atbashi accretionary complex is subdivisible into four lithotectonic assemblages, some of which are mélanges with "block-in-matrix" structure: (1) North Ophiolitic Mélange; (2) High-pressure (HP)/Ultra-high-pressure (UHP) Metamorphic Assemblage; (3) Coherent & Mélange Assemblage; and (4) South Ophiolitic Mélange. Relationships between main units are tectonic contacts presented by faults. The major structures and lithostratigraphy of these units are thrust-fold nappes, thrusted duplexes, and imbricated ocean plate stratigraphy. All these rock units are complicatedly stacked in 3-D with the HP/UHP rocks being obliquely southwestward extruded. Detrital zircon ages of meta-sediments provide robust constraints on their provenance from the Ili-Central Tianshan Arc. The isotopic ages of the youngest components of the four units are Late Permian, Early-Middle Triassic, Early Carboniferous, and Early Triassic, respectively. We present a new tectonic model of the South Tianshan; a general northward subduction polarity led to final closure of the South Tianshan Ocean in the End-Permian to Late Triassic. These results help to resolve the long-standing controversy regarding the subduction polarity and the timing of the final closure of the South Tianshan Ocean. Finally, our work sheds lights on the use of ocean plate stratigraphy in the analysis of the tectonic evolution of accretionary orogens.

  13. Hazard assessment of long-period ground motions for the Nankai Trough earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maeda, T.; Morikawa, N.; Aoi, S.; Fujiwara, H.

    2013-12-01

    We evaluate a seismic hazard for long-period ground motions associated with the Nankai Trough earthquakes (M8~9) in southwest Japan. Large interplate earthquakes occurring around the Nankai Trough have caused serious damages due to strong ground motions and tsunami; most recent events were in 1944 and 1946. Such large interplate earthquake potentially causes damages to high-rise and large-scale structures due to long-period ground motions (e.g., 1985 Michoacan earthquake in Mexico, 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake in Japan). The long-period ground motions are amplified particularly on basins. Because major cities along the Nankai Trough have developed on alluvial plains, it is therefore important to evaluate long-period ground motions as well as strong motions and tsunami for the anticipated Nankai Trough earthquakes. The long-period ground motions are evaluated by the finite difference method (FDM) using 'characterized source models' and the 3-D underground structure model. The 'characterized source model' refers to a source model including the source parameters necessary for reproducing the strong ground motions. The parameters are determined based on a 'recipe' for predicting strong ground motion (Earthquake Research Committee (ERC), 2009). We construct various source models (~100 scenarios) giving the various case of source parameters such as source region, asperity configuration, and hypocenter location. Each source region is determined by 'the long-term evaluation of earthquakes in the Nankai Trough' published by ERC. The asperity configuration and hypocenter location control the rupture directivity effects. These parameters are important because our preliminary simulations are strongly affected by the rupture directivity. We apply the system called GMS (Ground Motion Simulator) for simulating the seismic wave propagation based on 3-D FDM scheme using discontinuous grids (Aoi and Fujiwara, 1999) to our study. The grid spacing for the shallow region is 200 m and

  14. Modeling Fluid Flow and Microbial Reactions in the Peru Accretionary Complex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bekins, B. A.; Matmon, D.

    2002-12-01

    Accretionary complexes are sites where sediment compaction and deeper reactions drive large-scale flow systems that can affect global solute budgets. Extensive modeling and drilling studies have elucidated the origin of the fluids, pore pressures, duration of flow, and major flow paths in these settings. An important research goal is to quantify the effect of these flow systems on global chemical budgets of reactive solutes such as carbon. The Peru margin represents an end member setting that can serve as a basis to extend the results to other margins. The sediments are relatively high in organic carbon with an average value of 2.6%. The subduction rate at ~9 cm/yr and taper angle at 14-17° are among the largest in the world. Recent microbial studies on Ocean Drilling Program Leg 201 at the Peru accretionary margin provide many key elements needed to quantify the processes affecting organic carbon in an accretionary complex. Pore water chemistry data from Site 1230 located in the Peru accretionary prism indicate that sulfate reduction is important in the top 8 mbsf. Below this depth, methanogenesis is the dominant process and methane concentrations are among the highest measured at any site on Leg 201. The presence of high methane concentrations at shallow depths suggests that methane is transported upward in the prism by fluid flow. Measurements of in-situ pore pressures and temperatures also support the presence of upward fluid flow. A single in-situ pressure measurement at ~100 mbsf indicated an overpressure of 0.14 MPa. For a reasonable formation permeability of ~ 10-16 m2, the measured overpressure is adequate to produce flow at a rate of ~5 mm/yr. This rate is comparable to previous model estimates for flow rates in the Peru accretionary prism. In addition, curvature in the downhole temperature profile can best be explained by upward fluid flow of 1-10 mm/yr. These data are used to constrain a two-dimensional coupled fluid flow and reactive transport model

  15. On the feedback between forearc morphotectonics and megathrust earthquakes in subduction zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenau, M.; Oncken, O.

    2008-12-01

    An increasing number of observations suggest an intrinsic relationship between short- and long-term deformation processes in subduction zones. These include the global correlation between megathrust earthquake slip patterns with morphotectonic forearc features, the historical predominance of giant earthquakes (M > 9) along accretionary margins and the occurrence of (slow and shallow) tsunami earthquakes along erosive margins. To gain insight into the interplay between seismogenesis and tectonics in subduction settings we have developed a new modeling technique which joins analog and elastic dislocation approaches. Using elastoplastic wedges overlying a rate- and state-dependent interface, we demonstrate how analog earthquakes drive permanent wedge deformation consistent with the dynamic Coulomb wedge theory and how wedge deformation in turn controls basal "seismicity". During an experimental run, elastoplastic wedges evolve from those comparable to accretionary margins, characterized by plastic wedge shortening, to those mimicking erosive margins, characterized by minor plastic deformation. Permanent shortening localizes at the periphery of the "seismogenic" zone leading to a "morphotectonic" segmentation of the upper plate. Along with the evolving segmentation of the wedge, the magnitude- frequency relationship and recurrence distribution of analog earthquakes develop towards more periodic events of similar size (i.e. characteristic earthquakes). From the experiments we infer a positive feedback between short- and long-term deformation processes which tends to stabilize the spatiotemporal patterns of elastoplastic deformation in subduction settings. We suggest (1) that forearc anatomy reflects the distribution of seismic and aseismic slip at depth, (2) that morphotectonic segmentation assists the occurrence of more characteristic earthquakes, (3) that postseismic near-trench shortening relaxes coseismic compression by megathrust earthquakes and thus reduces

  16. Structural characteristics of the décollement zone and underthrust sediments in the Nankai accretionary prism: Geologic architectures in the Site C0023, IODP Expedition 370

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, Y.; Okutsu, N.; Yamada, Y.; Bowden, S.; Tonai, S.; Yang, K.; Tsang, M. Y.; Hirose, T.; Kamiya, N.

    2017-12-01

    Expedition 370 penetrated the accretionary prism, plate boundary décollement zone, and underthrust sediment and touched the basement basalt on the Philippine Sea Plate. The drilling site (C0023) is located 4 km NE from the legacy sites, Sites 808 and 1174. Compared to the legacy sites, the décollement zone is characterized by weak and intermittent negative reflectors in the seismic profile. Onboard physical properties, e.g. porosity and P-wave velocity data, indeed show the smaller gaps at the top of the décollement zone. The nature of the deformation along the décollement zone represented 40 m thick phacoidal deformation zone composed of fragmented mudstone with slickenlines on the surfaces in the Sites 808 and 1174. Compare with this, décollement zone in Site C0023 represented the weaker and non-localized deformation zone comprised of alternating zone of 1 m thick phacoidal deformation zones and a few 10 m of intact intervals in the Site C0023. Many normal faults striking parallel to the trench were identified just below the décollement zone, which is indicative of non-localized deformations along the décollement zone. Many of these faults were accompanied with calcite and sulphate mineral veins (anhydrite and barite), indicative of high-temperature fluid migration just above the ridge-spreading center. Based on the paleomagnetic restoration of structure to the geologic coordinate, attitudes of the bedding and fault planes in the Site C0023 are controlled by two factors: 1) subduction/accretion producing the trench-parallel bedding strikes and trench-perpendicular principal stress and 2) ridge spreading that produces ridge-parallel bedding and vein strikes. The former developed in the accretionary prism and the upper part of the underthrust sediment (<900 mbsf), whereas the latter occurs in the lower part (>900 mbsf). These tectonic variations might affect fluid migration pathways.

  17. The Cosmonaut Sea Wedge

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Solli, K.; Kuvaas, B.; Kristoffersen, Y.; Leitchenkov, G.; Guseva, J.; Gandyukhin, V.

    2007-01-01

    A set of multi-channel seismic profiles (~15000 km) acquired by Russia, Norway and Australia has been used to investigate the depositional evolution of the Cosmonaut Sea margin of East Antarctica. We recognize a regional sediment wedge below the upper part of the continental rise. The wedge, herein termed the Cosmonaut Sea Wedge, is positioned stratigraphically underneath the inferred glaciomarine section and extends for at least 1200 km along the continental margin and from 80 to about 250 km seaward or to the north. Lateral variations in the growth pattern of the wedge indicate several overlapping depocentres, which at their distal northern end are flanked by elongated mounded drifts and contourite sheets. The internal stratification of the mounded drift deposits suggests that westward flowing bottom currents reworked the marginal deposits. The action of these currents together with sea-level changes is considered to have controlled the growth of the wedge. We interpret the Cosmonaut Sea Wedge as a composite feature comprising several bottom current reworked fan systems.

  18. Dosimetric Characteristics of Wedged Fields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sidhu, N.P.S.; Breitman, Karen

    2015-01-15

    The beam characteristics of the wedged fields in the nonwedged planes (planes normal to the wedged planes) were studied for 6 MV and 15 MV x-ray beams. A method was proposed for determining the maximum field length of a wedged field that can be used in the nonwedged plane without introducing undesirable alterations in the dose distributions of these fields. The method requires very few measurements. The relative wedge factors of 6 MV and 15 MV X-rays were determined for wedge filters of nominal wedge angles of 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60° as a function of depth and field size.more » For a 6 MV beam the relative wedge factors determined for a field size of 10 × 10 cm{sup 2} for 30°, 45°, and 60° wedge filters can be used for various field sizes ranging from 4 cm{sup 2} to 20 cm{sup 2} (except for the 60° wedge for which the maximum field size that can be used is 15 × 20 cm{sup 2}) without introducing errors in the dosimetric calculations of more than 0.5% for depths up to 20 cm and 1% for depths up to 30 cm. For the 15° wedge filter the relative wedge factor for a field size of 10 × 10 cm{sup 2} can be used over the same range of field sizes by introducing slightly higher error, 0.5% for depths up to 10 cm and 1% for depths up to 30 cm. For a 15 MV beam the maximum magnitude of the relative wedge factors for 45° and 60° lead wedges is of the order of 1%, and it is not important clinically to apply a correction of that magnitude. For a 15 MV beam the relative wedge factors determined for a field size of 6 × 6 cm{sup 2} for the 15° and 30° steel wedges can be used over a range of field sizes from 4 cm{sup 2} to 20 cm{sup 2} without causing dosimetric errors greater than 0.5% for depths up to 10 cm.« less

  19. Migrating slow slip detected by slow and repeating earthquakes along the Nankai trough, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uchida, N.; Obara, K.; Takagi, R.; Asano, Y.

    2017-12-01

    In the western part of the Nankai trough region, successive occurrences of deep non-volcanic tremors and shallow very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) associated with long-term slow slip events (SSEs) are reported in 2003 and 2010. To understand the link between the two seismic slow earthquakes, we identify small repeating earthquake in and around the region from the waveform similarity of earthquakes observed by NIED Hi-net. The result shows the repeaters are located in 15-30 km depth that is in between the depth range of the shallow VLFEs (depth <=15 km) and deep SSEs (depth>= 25km). They are also located outside of the source area of the 1946 Mw8.3 Nankai earthquake, consistent with the hypothesis that repeaters occur due to stress concentration to a locked patch by aseismic slip (creep) in the surrounding area. The long-term trend of aseismic slip estimated from the repeaters shows that the slip rate were faster during 2-3 years period before the 2003 and 2010 episodes. We also found short-term (days to month) accelerations of aseismic slip during the episode of 2010 that migrated toward north. The migration detected from repeaters follows shallow migration of VLFEs and precedes the deep migration of tremors. Therefore we consider that during the period of the long-term SSE of 3 years period, short-term slow slip migrated about 300 km length in 1 month from shallower and south part to deeper and north part of the plate boundary near the edge of the slip area of the Nankai earthquake. Such long-distance migration probably related to large-scale locking of plate boundary that is responsible to the Nankai earthquake and the interseismic stress concentration to the locked area.

  20. Interseismic Coupling-Based Earthquake and Tsunami Scenarios for the Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baranes, H.; Woodruff, J. D.; Loveless, J. P.; Hyodo, M.

    2018-04-01

    Theoretical modeling and investigations of recent subduction zone earthquakes show that geodetic estimates of interseismic coupling and the spatial distribution of coseismic rupture are correlated. However, the utility of contemporary coupling in guiding construction of rupture scenarios has not been evaluated on the world's most hazardous faults. Here we demonstrate methods for scaling coupling to slip to create rupture models for southwestern Japan's Nankai Trough. Results show that coupling-based models produce distributions of ground surface deformation and tsunami inundation that are similar to historical and geologic records of the largest known Nankai earthquake in CE 1707 and to an independent, quasi-dynamic rupture model. Notably, these models and records all support focused subsidence around western Shikoku that makes the region particularly vulnerable to flooding. Results imply that contemporary coupling mirrors the slip distribution of a full-margin, 1707-type rupture, and Global Positioning System measurements of surface motion are connected with the trough's physical characteristics.

  1. Towards to Resilience Science -Research on the Nankai trough seismogenic zone-

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaneda, Yoshiyuki; Shiraki, Wataru; Fujisawa, Kazuhito; Tokozakura, Eiji

    2017-04-01

    For the last few decades, many destructive earthquakes and tsunamis occurred in the world. Based on lessons learnt from 2004 Sumatra Earthquake/Tsunamis, 2010 Chilean Earthquake/Tsunami and 2011 East Japan Earthquake/Tsunami, we recognized the importance of real time monitoring on Earthquakes and Tsunamis for disaster mitigation. Recently, Kumamoto Earthquake occurred in 2006. This destructive Earthquake indicated that multi strong motions including pre shock and main shock generated severe earthquake damages buildings. Furthermore, we recognize recovers/ revivals are very important and difficult. In Tohoku area damaged by large tsunamis, recovers/revivals have been under progressing after over 5 years passed after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. Therefore, we have to prepare the pre plan before next destructive disasters such as the Nankai trough mega thrust earthquake. As one of disaster countermeasures, we would like to propose that Disaster Mitigation Science. This disaster mitigation science is including engineering, science, medicine and social science such as sociology, informatics, law, literature, art, psychology etc. For Urgent evacuations, there are some kinds of real time monitoring system such as Dart buoy and ocean floor network. Especially, the real time monitoring system using multi kinds of sensors such as the accelerometer, broadband seismometer, pressure gauge, difference pressure gauge, hydrophone and thermometer is indispensable for Earthquakes/ Tsunamis monitoring. Furthermore, using multi kind of sensors, we can analyze and estimate broadband crustal activities around mega thrust earthquake seismogenic zones. Therefore, we deployed DONET1 and DONET2 which are dense ocean floor networks around the Nankai trough Southwestern Japan. We will explain about Resilience Science and real time monitoring systems around the Nankai trough seismogenic zone.

  2. Three-dimensional distribution of random velocity inhomogeneities at the Nankai trough seismogenic zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takahashi, T.; Obana, K.; Yamamoto, Y.; Nakanishi, A.; Kaiho, Y.; Kodaira, S.; Kaneda, Y.

    2012-12-01

    The Nankai trough in southwestern Japan is a convergent margin where the Philippine sea plate is subducted beneath the Eurasian plate. There are major faults segments of huge earthquakes that are called Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai earthquakes. According to the earthquake occurrence history over the past hundreds years, we must expect various rupture patters such as simultaneous or nearly continuous ruptures of plural fault segments. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) conducted seismic surveys at Nankai trough in order to clarify mutual relations between seismic structures and fault segments, as a part of "Research concerning Interaction Between the Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai Earthquakes" funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. This study evaluated the spatial distribution of random velocity inhomogeneities from Hyuga-nada to Kii-channel by using velocity seismograms of small and moderate sized earthquakes. Random velocity inhomogeneities are estimated by the peak delay time analysis of S-wave envelopes (e.g., Takahashi et al. 2009). Peak delay time is defined as the time lag from the S-wave onset to its maximal amplitude arrival. This quantity mainly reflects the accumulated multiple forward scattering effect due to random inhomogeneities, and is quite insensitive to the inelastic attenuation. Peak delay times are measured from the rms envelopes of horizontal components at 4-8Hz, 8-16Hz and 16-32Hz. This study used the velocity seismograms that are recorded by 495 ocean bottom seismographs and 378 onshore seismic stations. Onshore stations are composed of the F-net and Hi-net stations that are maintained by National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) of Japan. It is assumed that the random inhomogeneities are represented by the von Karman type PSDF. Preliminary result of inversion analysis shows that spectral gradient of PSDF (i.e., scale dependence of

  3. Deformation in the mantle wedge associated with Laramide flat-slab subduction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Behr, W. M.; Smith, D.

    2013-12-01

    Early Tertiary crustal deformation preserved ~1500 km from the plate boundary in the western U.S. is considered by most to be related to a narrow segment of shallow Farallon-slab subduction, similar to the modern Pampean flat-slab of the central Andes. Evidence that the slab shallowed enough to penetrate several hundred kilometers inboard of the plate boundary includes a) shearing off of lithosphere and underplating of schists derived from the accretionary wedge beneath the volcanic arc; b) a cessation of arc magmatism and eastward sweeping of the magmatic front; and c) mid-Tertiary eruptions as far east as the Four Corners region of serpentinized ultramafic microbreccia (SUM) sourced from very cold, hydrated mantle lithosphere. Included within the SUM diatremes are eclogites interpreted to represent fragments of the slab itself and/or remnants of older rock from the mantle wedge metasomatized and recrystallized to eclogite along the top of the slab. Also included within the SUM diatremes are deformed peridotites that represent pieces of the variably hydrated mantle wedge as well as tectonically eroded and entrained fragments of the plate interface. These include weakly deformed to strongly foliated tectonites, spectacularly sheared mylonites and ultramylonites, and cataclasites, formed at temperatures ranging from 500-650°C. Some of the deformed samples contain hydrous minerals, including antigorite, chlorite, and/or tremolite/pargasite that were formed in-situ prior to or during deformation. We investigate the rheological and seismic properties of the peridotite samples using detailed microstructural and petrological analyses. Initial EBSD data indicate that an antigorite-bearing mylonite exhibits a B-type olivine LPO, whereas an ultramylonite that lacks hydrous minerals exhibits an A-type olivine LPO. This is consistent with experimental data that indicate B-type LPOs form under hydrous conditions; and it suggests that these rocks record a transition from

  4. Thermally actuated wedge block

    DOEpatents

    Queen, Jr., Charles C.

    1980-01-01

    This invention relates to an automatically-operating wedge block for maintaining intimate structural contact over wide temperature ranges, including cryogenic use. The wedging action depends on the relative thermal expansion of two materials having very different coefficients of thermal expansion. The wedge block expands in thickness when cooled to cryogenic temperatures and contracts in thickness when returned to room temperature.

  5. Long-term temperature monitoring at the biological community site on the Nankai accretionary prism off Kii Peninsula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goto, S.; Hamamoto, H.; Yamano, M.; Kinoshita, M.; Ashi, J.

    2008-12-01

    Nankai subduction zone off Kii Peninsula is one of the most intensively surveyed areas for studies on the seismogenic zone. Multichannel seismic reflection surveys carried out in this area revealed the existence of splay faults that branched from the subduction zone plate boundary [Park et al., 2002]. Along the splay faults, reversal of reflection polarity was observed, indicating elevated pore fluid pressure along the faults. Cold seepages with biological communities were discovered along a seafloor outcrop of one of the splay faults through submersible observations. Long-term temperature monitoring at a biological community site along the outcrop revealed high heat flow carried by upward fluid flow (>180 mW/m2) [Goto et al., 2003]. Toki et al. [2004] estimated upward fluid flow rates of 40-200 cm/yr from chloride distribution of interstitial water extracted from sediments in and around biological community sites along the outcrop. These observation results suggest upward fluid flow along the splay fault. In order to investigate hydrological nature of the splay fault, we conducted long-term temperature monitoring again in the same cold seepage site where Goto et al. [2003] carried out long-term temperature monitoring. In this presentation, we present results of the temperature monitoring and estimate heat flow carried by upward fluid flow from the temperature records. In this long-term temperature monitoring, we used stand-alone heat flow meter (SAHF), a probe-type sediment temperature recorder. Two SAHFs (SAHF-3 and SAHF-4) were used in this study. SAHF-4 was inserted into a bacterial mat, within several meters of which the previous long-term temperature monitoring was conducted. SAHF-3 was penetrated into ordinary sediment near the bacterial mat. The sub-bottom temperature records were obtained for 8 months. The subsurface temperatures oscillated reflecting bottom- water temperature variation (BTV). For sub-bottom temperatures measured with SAHF-3 (outside of

  6. Sojourner APXS & Wedge

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1997-08-27

    This image of the rock "Wedge" was taken from the Sojourner rover's rear color camera on Sol 37. The position of the rover relative to Wedge is seen in MRPS 83349. The segmented rod visible in the middle of the frame is the deployment arm for the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS). The APXS, the bright, cylindrical object at the end of the arm, is positioned against Wedge and is designed to measure the rock's chemical composition. This was done successfully on the night of Sol 37. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00906

  7. Episodic vs. Continuous Accretion in the Franciscan Accretionary Prism and Direct Plate Motion Controls vs. More Local Tectonic Controls on Prism Evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dumitru, T. A.; Ernst, W. G.; Wakabayashi, J.

    2011-12-01

    Subduction at the Franciscan trench began ≈170-165 Ma and continues today off Oregon-Washington. Plate motion reconstructions, high-P metamorphic rocks, and the arc magmatic record suggest that convergence and thus subduction were continuous throughout this period, although data for 170 to 120 Ma are less definitive. About 25% of modern subduction zones are actively building an accretionary prism, whereas 75% are nonaccretionary, in which subduction erosion is gradually removing the prism and/or forearc basement. These contrasting behaviors in modern subduction zones suggest that the Franciscan probably fluctuated between accretionary and nonaccretionary modes at various times and places during its 170 million year lifespan. Accumulating geochronologic data are beginning to clarify certain accretionary vs. nonaccretionary intervals. (1) The oldest Franciscan rocks are high-P mafic blocks probably metamorphosed in a subophiolitic sole during initiation of subduction. They yield garnet Lu-Hf and hornblende Ar/Ar ages from ≈169 to 147 Ma. Their combined volume is extremely small and much of the Franciscan was probably in an essentially nonaccretionary mode during this period. (2) The South Fork Mountain Schist forms the structural top of the preserved wedge in northern California and thus was apparently the first genuinely large sedimentary body to accrete. This occurred at ≈123 Ma (Ar/Ar ages), suggesting major accretion was delayed a full ≈45 million years after the initiation of subduction. The underlying Valentine Spring Fm. accreted soon thereafter. This shift into an accretionary mode was nearly synchronous with the end of the Early Cretaceous magmatic lull and the beginning of the prolonged Cretaceous intensification of magmatism in the Sierra Nevada arc. (3) The Yolla Bolly terrane has generally been assigned a latest Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous age. Detrital zircon data confirm that some latest Jurassic sandstones are present, but they may be

  8. Beyond the Playground: Sandboxes in the Classroom examine the Interplay of Mountain Building and Erosion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooke, M.; Ellsworth, M.; Del Castello, M.; Jakubowyc, K.

    2006-05-01

    The growth of accretionary wedges along subducting plate margins has inspired generations of sandbox experiments. These experiments typically contract sand layers to simulate the deformation of sedimentary rocks as the wedge grows in width and height. In the absence of erosional processes, the ratio of wedge height to width will remain constant during wedge growth. The growth is accommodated by the successive development of faults in front of the wedge. However, as erosion reduces the slope of the wedge or removes material from portions of the wedge, the internal deformation of the wedge changes and the faulting sequence is altered. Scientists at the University of Massachusetts are researching fault system development within accretionary systems using a work budget approach. Faults slip and grow in order to minimize the work against gravity, internal work and frictional heating due to slip along faults. High school Earth System teachers at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, DC have performed sandbox experiments where students document and record the changes in accretionary wedge growth due to erosion. The sandbox was designed to simulate a variety of tectonic situations and to be suitable for use in the classroom. The wide dimensions of the sandbox permit comparison of different erosive patterns along the strike of the wedge. Students can observe and measure the growth of the wedge within side windows and within map view. The data recorded by students can be integrated with numerical models of the UMass scientists to show how erosion reduces work against gravity and frictional heating to facilitate faulting within the wedge. Collaboration between the high school students and geoscientists has been augmented by video-conferences and annual field trip workshops with other high schools for the deaf participating in the SOAR-high partnership. The 6 schools from around the United States involved with the SOAR-high learning community all use sandbox

  9. Observation of the dispersion of wedge waves propagating along cylinder wedge with different truncations by laser ultrasound technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Jing; Zhang, Yu; Han, Qingbang; Jing, Xueping

    2017-10-01

    The research focuses on study the influence of truncations on the dispersion of wedge waves propagating along cylinder wedge with different truncations by using the laser ultrasound technique. The wedge waveguide models with different truncations were built by using finite element method (FEM). The dispersion curves were obtained by using 2D Fourier transformation method. Multiple mode wedge waves were observed, which was well agreed with the results estimated from Lagasse's empirical formula. We established cylinder wedge with radius of 3mm, 20° and 60°angle, with 0μm, 5μm, 10μm, 20μm, 30μm, 40μm, and 50μm truncations, respectively. It was found that non-ideal wedge tip caused abnormal dispersion of the mode of cylinder wedge, the modes of 20° cylinder wedge presents the characteristics of guide waves which propagating along hollow cylinder as the truncation increasing. Meanwhile, the modes of 60° cylinder wedge with truncations appears the characteristics of guide waves propagating along hollow cylinder, and its mode are observed clearly. The study can be used to evaluate and detect wedge structure.

  10. Three-Dimensional Modeling of Fluid and Heat Transport in an Accretionary Complex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paula, C. A.; Ge, S.; Screaton, E. J.

    2001-12-01

    As sediments are scraped off of the subducting oceanic crust and accreted to the overriding plate, the rapid loading causes pore pressures in the underthrust sediments to increase. The change in pore pressure drives fluid flow and heat transport within the accretionary complex. Fluid is channeled along higher permeability faults and fractures and expelled at the seafloor. In this investigation, we examined the effects of sediment loading on fluid flow and thermal transport in the decollement at the Barbados Ridge subduction zone. Both the width and thickness of the Barbados Ridge accretionary complex increase from north to south. The presence of mud diapers south of the Tiburon Rise and an observed southward decrease in heat flow measurements indicate that the increased thickness of the southern Barbados accretionary prism affects the transport of chemicals and heat by fluids. The three-dimensional geometry and physical properties of the accretionary complex were utilized to construct a three-dimensional fluid flow/heat transport model. We calculated the pore pressure change due to a period of sediment loading and added this to steady-state pressure conditions to generate initial conditions for transient simulations. We then examined the diffusion of pore pressure and possible perturbation of the thermal regime over time due to loading of the underthrust sediments. The model results show that the sediment-loading event was sufficient to create small temperature fluctuations in the decollement zone. The magnitude of temperature fluctuation in the decollement was greatest at the deformation front but did not vary significantly from north to south of the Tiburon Rise.

  11. Evaluating the dose to the contralateral breast when using a dynamic wedge versus a regular wedge.

    PubMed

    Weides, C D; Mok, E C; Chang, W C; Findley, D O; Shostak, C A

    1995-01-01

    The incidence of secondary cancers in the contralateral breast after primary breast irradiation is several times higher than the incidence of first time breast cancer. Studies have shown that the scatter radiation to the contralateral breast may play a large part in the induction of secondary breast cancers. Factors that may contribute to the contralateral breast dose may include the use of blocks, the orientation of the field, and wedges. Reports have shown that the use of regular wedges, particularly for the medial tangential field, gives a significantly higher dose to the contralateral breast compared to an open field. This paper compares the peripheral dose outside the field using a regular wedge, a dynamic wedge, and an open field technique. The data collected consisted of measurements taken with patients, solid water and a Rando phantom using a Varian 2300CD linear accelerator. Ion chambers, thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD), diodes, and films were the primary means for collecting the data. The measurements show that the peripheral dose outside the field using a dynamic wedge is close to that of open fields, and significantly lower than that of regular wedges. This information indicates that when using a medial wedge, a dynamic wedge should be used.

  12. Amplification of tsunami heights by delayed rupture of great earthquakes along the Nankai trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imai, K.; Satake, K.; Furumura, T.

    2010-04-01

    We investigated the effect of delayed rupture of great earthquakes along the Nankai trough on tsunami heights on the Japanese coast. As the tsunami source, we used a model of the 1707 Hoei earthquake, which consists of four segments: Tokai, Tonankai, and two Nankai segments. We first searched for the worst case, in terms of coastal tsunami heights, of rupture delay time on each segment, on the basis of superposition principle for the linear long wave theory. When the rupture starts on the Tonankai segment, followed by rupture on the Tokai segment 21 min later, as well as the eastern and western Nankai segments 15 and 28 min later, respectively, the average coastal tsunami height becomes the largest. To quantify the tsunami amplification, we compared the coastal tsunami heights from the delayed rupture with those from the simultaneous rupture model. Along the coasts of the sea of Hyu'uga and in the Bungo Channel, the tsunami heights become significantly amplified (>1.4 times larger) relative to the simultaneous rupture. Along the coasts of Tosa Bay and in the Kii Channel, the tsunami heights become amplified about 1.2 times. Along the coasts of the sea of Kumano and Ise Bay, and the western Enshu coast, the tsunami heights become slightly smaller for the delayed rupture. Along the eastern Enshu coast, the coast of Suruga Bay, and the west coast of Sagami Bay, the tsunami heights become amplified about 1.1 times.

  13. Stress geomechanical model application: Stress tensor evaluation in recent Nankai subduction zone, SW Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, H. Y.; Chan, C. H.

    2016-12-01

    Nowadays, IODP keeps investigating the scientific drilling in Nakai of southwest Japan from 2006. During this decade, we collected the massive logging data and core samples in this area for determining the stress evolution in this interseimic period after 1944 Tonakai earthquake. One of key assumption in Nankai seismogenic zone is the stress accumulation on the plate boundary should be the thrust-fault stress regime (SHmax>Shmin> Sv). In this research, the slip-deficit model is used to determine the wide scale stress field. The drilled IODP well sites are designed to be the fine control points. Based on the multiple ICDP expeditions near the Nankai trough (C0002A, F, and P) in different depths, the three dimensional stress estimation can be confirmed with the lateral boreholes loggings. Even the recently drilling did not reach the subduction zone, our model provides the considerable results by the reliable boundary conditions. This model simulated the stress orientation and magnitude generated by the slip-deficit model, area seismicity, and borehole loggings. Our results indicated that the stress state keeps in normal-faulting stress regime in our research area, even near the Nankai trough. Although the stress magnitude is increasing with the depth, one of horizontal principal stresses (Shmin) is hardly greater than the vertical stress (over-burden weight) in the reachable depth (>10km). This result implies the pore-pressure anomaly would happen during the slip and the stress state would be varied in different stages when event occurred

  14. Rethinking wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, Steven J.; Cao, Long; Caldeira, Ken; Hoffert, Martin I.

    2013-03-01

    Abstract Stabilizing CO2 emissions at current levels for fifty years is not consistent with either an atmospheric CO2 concentration below 500 ppm or global temperature increases below 2 °C. Accepting these targets, solving the climate problem requires that emissions peak and decline in the next few decades, and ultimately fall to near zero. Phasing out emissions over 50 years could be achieved by deploying on the order of 19 'wedges', each of which ramps up linearly over a period of 50 years to ultimately avoid 1 GtC y-1 of CO2 emissions. But this level of mitigation will require affordable carbon-free energy systems to be deployed at the scale of tens of terawatts. Any hope for such fundamental and disruptive transformation of the global energy system depends upon coordinated efforts to innovate, plan, and deploy new transportation and energy systems that can provide affordable energy at this scale without emitting CO2 to the atmosphere. 1. Introduction In 2004, Pacala and Socolow published a study in Science arguing that '[h]umanity can solve the carbon and climate problem in the first half of this century simply by scaling up what we already know how to do' [1]. Specifically, they presented 15 options for 'stabilization wedges' that would grow linearly from zero to 1 Gt of carbon emissions avoided per year (GtC y-1 1 Gt = 1012 kg) over 50 years. The solution to the carbon and climate problem, they asserted, was 'to deploy the technologies and/or lifestyle changes necessary to fill all seven wedges of the stabilization triangle'. They claimed this would offset the growth of emissions and put us on a trajectory to stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentration at 500 ppm if emissions decreased sharply in the second half of the 21st century. The wedge concept has proven popular as an analytical tool for considering the potential of different technologies to reduce CO2 emissions. In the years since the paper was published, it has been cited more than 400 times, and

  15. Strain Variation in Accretionary Prisms Across Space and Time: Insights from the Makran Subduction Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penney, C.; Tavakoli, F.; Saadat, A.; Nankali, H. R.; Sedighi, M.; Khorrami, F.; Sobouti, F.; Rafi, Z.; Copley, A.; Jackson, J. A.; Priestley, K. F.

    2017-12-01

    The Makran is one of the world's least-studied subduction zones. In particular, little is known about the accumulation and accommodation of strain in the onshore part of the subduction zone, which parallels the coasts of southern Iran and Pakistan. The deformation of the Makran accretionary prism results from both its subduction zone setting and N-S right-lateral shear between central Iran and Afghanistan. North of the Makran, this shear is accommodated by a series of right-lateral faults which offset the rocks of the Sistan Suture Zone, an abandoned accretionary prism. However, these right-lateral faults are not observed south of 27°N, and no major N-S faults cut the E-W trending structures of the Makran. How this right-lateral motion is accommodated at the southern end of the Sistan Suture Zone is a long-standing tectonic question. By combining results from geomorphology, GPS, seismology and modelling we conclude that right-lateral motion is transferred across the depression north of the accretionary prism to the region of right-lateral shear at the western end of the accretionary prism. This requires the Jaz Murian depression to be bounded by normal faults, consistent with the basin geomorphology. However, GPS data show compression across the margins of the basin, and no shallow normal-faulting earthquakes have been observed in the region. We therefore suggest that the behaviour of these faults may be time-dependent and controlled by the megathrust seismic cycle, as has been suggested elsewhere (e.g. Chile). Recent strike-slip earthquakes, including the 2013 Balochistan earthquake, have clustered at the prism's lateral edges, showing the importance of spatial, as well as temporal, variations in strain. These earthquakes have reactivated thrust faults in the Makran accretionary prism, showing that the style of strain within accretionary prisms can vary on multiple timescales and allowing us to calculate the coefficient of friction on the underlying megathrust.

  16. Slipstream: an early Holocene slump and turbidite record from the frontal ridge of the Cascadia accretionary wedge off western Canada and paleoseismic implications

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hamilton, T.S.; Enkin, Randolph J.; Riedel, Michael; Rogers, Gary C.; Pohlman, John W.; Benway, Heather M.

    2015-01-01

    Slipstream Slump, a well-preserved 3 km wide sedimentary failure from the frontal ridge of the Cascadia accretionary wedge 85 km off Vancouver Island, Canada, was sampled during Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) John P. Tully cruise 2008007PGC along a transect of five piston cores. Shipboard sediment analysis and physical property logging revealed 12 turbidites interbedded with thick hemipelagic sediments overlying the slumped glacial diamict. Despite the different sedimentary setting, atop the abyssal plain fan, this record is similar in number and age to the sequence of turbidites sampled farther to the south from channel systems along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, with no extra turbidites present in this local record. Given the regional physiographic and tectonic setting, megathrust earthquake shaking is the most likely trigger for both the initial slumping and subsequent turbidity currents, with sediments sourced exclusively from the exposed slump face of the frontal ridge. Planktonic foraminifera picked from the resedimented diamict of the underlying main slump have a disordered cluster of 14C ages between 12.8 and 14.5 ka BP. For the post-slump stratigraphy, an event-free depth scale is defined by removing the turbidite sediment intervals and using the hemipelagic sediments. Nine14C dates from the most foraminifera-rich intervals define a nearly constant hemipelagic sedimentation rate of 0.021 cm/year. The combined age model is defined using only planktonic foraminiferal dates and Bayesian analysis with a Poisson-process sedimentation model. The age model of ongoing hemipelagic sedimentation is strengthened by physical property correlations from Slipstream events to the turbidites for the Barkley Canyon site 40 km south. Additional modelling addressed the possibilities of seabed erosion or loss and basal erosion beneath turbidites. Neither of these approaches achieves a modern seabed age when applying the commonly used regional marine 14C reservoir age of

  17. Phase Space Exchange in Thick Wedge Absorbers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neuffer, David

    The problem of phase space exchange in wedge absorbers with ionization cooling is discussed. The wedge absorber exchanges transverse and longitudinal phase space by introducing a position-dependent energy loss. In this paper we note that the wedges used with ionization cooling are relatively thick, so that single wedges cause relatively large changes in beam phase space. Calculation methods adapted to such “thick wedge” cases are presented, and beam phase-space transformations through such wedges are discussed.

  18. In situ rock strength and far field stress in the Nankai accretionary complex: Integration of downhole data from multiple wells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huffman, K. A.; Saffer, D. M.

    2014-12-01

    Knowing the magnitude of tectonic stress and rock strength at seismically active margins is important towards understanding fault strength and failure mechanics, yet both are difficult to measure in situ. Recent work at subduction margins, including Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Nankai Trough Subduction Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) drillsites, uses the width of compressional wellbore breakouts (BO), which depends on far field stress conditions, rock strength, and borehole annular pressure (APRS), to estimate the magnitude of horizontal principal stresses (SHmax and Shmin); estimates are problematic due to uncertainty in rock strength (unconfined compressive strength/UCS- for which direct measurements are scarce) and rheology that govern stress distribution at the wellbore. We conduct a novel case study at IODP Site C0002, where a hole was drilled twice with different boundary conditions, providing an opportunity to define in situ stress and strength from field data. Site C0002 is the main deep riser borehole for NanTroSEIZE, located near the seaward edge of the Kumano Basin above the seismogenic plate boundary, ~30 km from the trench. Several boreholes were drilled at the site. During IODP Expedition 314 in 2007, Hole C0002A was drilled with a suite of logging while drilling (LWD) tools to 1401 mbsf in a riserless mode. Hole C0002F, ~70 m away, was drilled to 862 mbsf in riserless mode during Exp. 326 in 2010 and deepened to 2005 mbsf in a riser mode during Expedition 338 in 2012-2013. Increased APRS achieved by riser drilling stabilizes the borehole and suppresses BO, consistent with resistivity imaging data from Exp. 314 that document well-developed, continuous BO throughout the borehole, and data from Expedition 338 indicating few BO. We use a semi-Newtonian approach to solve for stress and UCS consistent with the observed BO width and measured APRS in the two holes over the interval from 862-2005 mbsf. Effective SHmax ranges from ~10-30 MPa and

  19. Seismic inversion for incoming sedimentary sequence in the Nankai Trough margin off Kumano Basin, southwest Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naito, K.; Park, J.

    2012-12-01

    The Nankai Trough off southwest Japan is one of the best subduction-zone to study megathrust earthquake mechanism. Huge earthquakes have been repeated in the cycle of 100-150 years in the area, and in these days the next emergence of the earthquake becomes one of the most serious issue in Japan. Therefore, detailed descriptions of geological structure are urgently needed there. IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) have investigated this area in the NanTroSEIZE science plan. Seismic reflection, core sampling and borehole logging surveys have been executed during the NanTroSEIZE expeditions. Core-log-seismic data integration (CLSI) is useful for understanding the Nankai seismogenic zone. We use the seismic inversion method to do the CLSI. The seismic inversion (acoustic impedance inversion, A.I. inversion) is a method to estimate rock physical properties using seismic reflection and logging data. Acoustic impedance volume is inverted for seismic data with density and P-wave velocity of several boreholes with the technique. We use high-resolution 3D multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection data obtained during KR06-02 cruise in 2006, and measured core sample properties by IODP Expeditions 322 and 333. P-wave velocities missing for some core sample are interpolated by the relationship between acoustic impedance and P-wave velocity. We used Hampson-Russell software for the seismic inversion. 3D porosity model is derived from the 3D acoustic impedance model to figure out rock physical properties of the incoming sedimentary sequence in the Nankai Trough off Kumano Basin. The result of our inversion analysis clearly shows heterogeneity of sediments; relatively high porosity sediments on the shallow layer of Kashinosaki Knoll, and distribution of many physical anomaly bands on volcanic and turbidite sediment layers around the 3D MCS survey area. In this talk, we will show 3D MCS, acoustic impedance, and porosity data for the incoming sedimentary sequence and discuss its

  20. New seismic images of the cascadia subduction zone from cruise SO 108-ORWELL

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Flueh, E.R.; Fisher, M.A.; Bialas, J.; Childs, J. R.; Klaeschen, D.; Kukowski, Nina; Parsons, T.; Scholl, D. W.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Trehu, A.M.; Vidal, N.

    1998-01-01

    In April and May 1996, a geophysical study of the Cascadia continental margin off Oregon and Washington was conducted aboard the German R/V Sonne. This cooperative experiment by GEOMAR and the USGS acquired wide-angle reflection and refraction seismic data, using ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS) and hydrophones (OBH), and multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) data. The main goal of this experiment was to investigate the internal structure and associated earthquake hazard of the Cascadia subduction zone and to image the downgoing plate. Coincident MCS and wide-angle profiles along two tracks are presented here. The plate boundary has been imaged precisely beneath the wide accretionary wedge close to shore at c13km depth. Thus, the downgoing plate dips more shallowly than previously assumed. The dip of the plate changes from 2?? to 4?? at the eastern boundary of the wedge on the northern profile, whereas approximately 3km of sediment is entering the subduction zone. On the southern profile, where the incoming sedimentary section is about 2.2km thick, the plate dips about 0.5?? to 1.5?? near the deformation front and increases to 3.5?? further landwards. On both profiles, the deformation of the accretionary wedge has produced six ridges on the seafloor, three of which represent active faulting, as indicated by growth folding. The ridges are bordered by landward verging faults which reach as deep as the top of the oceanic basement. Thus, the entire incoming sediment package is being accreted. At least two phases of accretion are evident, and the rocks of the older accretionary phase(s) forms the backstop for the younger phase, which started around 1.5 Ma ago. This documents that the 30 to 50km wide frontal part of the accretionary wedge, which is characterized by landward vergent thrusts, is a Pleistocene feature which was formed in response to the high input of sediment building the fans during glacial periods. Velocities increase quite rapidly within the wedge, both

  1. Inclined indentation of smooth wedge in rock mass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chanyshev, AI; Podyminogin, GM; Lukyashko, OA

    2018-03-01

    The article focuses on the inclined rigid wedge indentation into a rigid-plastic half-plane of rocks with the Mohr–Coulomb-Mohr plasticity. The limiting loads on different sides of the wedge are determined versus the internal friction angle, cohesion and wedge angle. It is shown that when the force is applied along the symmetry axis of the wedge, the zone of plasticity is formed only on one wedge side. In order to form the plasticity zone on both sides of the wedge, it is necessary to apply the force asymmetrically relative to the wedge symmetry axis. An engineering solution for the asymmetrical case implementation is suggested.

  2. Europa Wedge Region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    This image shows an area of crustal separation on Jupiter's moon, Europa. Lower resolution pictures taken earlier in the tour of NASA's Galileo spacecraft revealed that dark wedge-shaped bands in this region are areas where the icy crust has completely pulled apart. Dark material has filled up from below and filled the void created by this separation.

    In the lower left corner of this image, taken by Galileo's onboard camera on December 16, 1997, a portion of one dark wedge area is visible, revealing a linear texture along the trend of the wedge. The lines of the texture change orientation slightly and reflect the fact that we are looking at a bend in the wedge. The older, bright background, visible on the right half of the image, is criss-crossed with ridges. A large, bright ridge runs east-west through the upper part of the image, cutting across both the older background plains and the wedge. This ridge is rough in texture, with numerous small terraces and troughs containing dark material.

    North is to the top of the picture and the sun illuminates the surface from the northwest. This image, centered at approximately 16.5 degrees south latitude and 196.5 degrees west longitude, covers an area approximately 10 kilometers square (about 6.5 miles square). The resolution of this image is about 26 meters per picture element. This image was taken by the solid state imaging system from a distance of 1250 kilometers (750 miles).

    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

    This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ galileo.

  3. Low frequency tremors in the Tonankai accretionary prism, triggered by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    To, A.; Obana, K.; Takahashi, N.; Fukao, Y.

    2012-12-01

    There have been many reports of triggered tremors and micro-earthquakes, by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, most of which are based on land observations. Here, we report that numerous low frequency tremors are recorded by broadband ocean-bottom seismographs of DONET, a network of cabled observatory systems deployed in the Tonankai accretionary prism of the Nankai trough. Ten stations were in operation at the time of the earthquake. The tremors are observed at five of the stations, which are located on the landward slope of the Nankai trough. On the other hand, the signals are weak at stations near the coast, which are placed on the Kumano Forarc basin. The tremors are dominant in a frequency range of 1-10Hz. Their duration ranges from tens of seconds to a few minutes. More than 20 events per hour can be detected in the first few days after the earthquake. The activity continues about three weeks with a decrease in the frequency of occurrence. An intriguing feature of the observed tremors is that some of them have a very low frequency (VLF) component, most clearly visible between 0.02 and 0.05 Hz. We found 74 such events within 5 days after the great earthquake. For each event, the VLF signal is detected only at one station in contrast to the high frequency signal (2-8Hz), which can be observed at more than a few stations. We estimated the source location of the VLF events, by measuring the onset of envelope seismograms constructed from the high frequency (2-8Hz) horizontal component. Due to the unclear onset and the limited number of observable stations per event, the individual events were located with large location errors. Therefore, we assumed that 11 of the events, whose VLF waveforms are similar to each other with high correlation coefficient (> 0.92), are co-located. The measured travel times for the 11 events are compared and some outliers were discarded. We grid-searched through a 3-D S-wave velocity model for the event location, which minimizes the travel

  4. Characterization of Metabolically Active Bacterial Populations in Subseafloor Nankai Trough Sediments above, within, and below the Sulfate–Methane Transition Zone

    PubMed Central

    Mills, Heath J.; Reese, Brandi Kiel; Shepard, Alicia K.; Riedinger, Natascha; Dowd, Scot E.; Morono, Yuki; Inagaki, Fumio

    2012-01-01

    A remarkable number of microbial cells have been enumerated within subseafloor sediments, suggesting a biological impact on geochemical processes in the subseafloor habitat. However, the metabolically active fraction of these populations is largely uncharacterized. In this study, an RNA-based molecular approach was used to determine the diversity and community structure of metabolically active bacterial populations in the upper sedimentary formation of the Nankai Trough seismogenic zone. Samples used in this study were collected from the slope apron sediment overlying the accretionary prism at Site C0004 during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 316. The sediments represented microbial habitats above, within, and below the sulfate–methane transition zone (SMTZ), which was observed approximately 20 m below the seafloor (mbsf). Small subunit ribosomal RNA were extracted, quantified, amplified, and sequenced using high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing, indicating the occurrence of metabolically active bacterial populations to a depth of 57 mbsf. Transcript abundance and bacterial diversity decreased with increasing depth. The two communities below the SMTZ were similar at the phylum level, however only a 24% overlap was observed at the genus level. Active bacterial community composition was not confined to geochemically predicted redox stratification despite the deepest sample being more than 50 m below the oxic/anoxic interface. Genus-level classification suggested that the metabolically active subseafloor bacterial populations had similarities to previously cultured organisms. This allowed predictions of physiological potential, expanding understanding of the subseafloor microbial ecosystem. Unique community structures suggest very diverse active populations compared to previous DNA-based diversity estimates, providing more support for enhancing community characterizations using more advanced sequencing techniques. PMID:22485111

  5. Dose to the contralateral breast: a comparison of two techniques using the enhanced dynamic wedge versus a standard wedge.

    PubMed

    Warlick, W B; O'Rear, J H; Earley, L; Moeller, J H; Gaffney, D K; Leavitt, D D

    1997-01-01

    The dose to the contralateral breast has been associated with an increased risk of developing a second breast malignancy. Varying techniques have been devised and described in the literature to minimize this dose. Metal beam modifiers such as standard wedges are used to improve the dose distribution in the treated breast, but unfortunately introduce an increased scatter dose outside the treatment field, in particular to the contralateral breast. The enhanced dynamic wedge is a means of remote wedging created by independently moving one collimator jaw through the treatment field during dose delivery. This study is an analysis of differing doses to the contralateral breast using two common clinical set-up techniques with the enhanced dynamic wedge versus the standard metal wedge. A tissue equivalent block (solid water), modeled to represent a typical breast outline, was designed as an insert in a Rando phantom to simulate a standard patient being treated for breast conservation. Tissue equivalent material was then used to complete the natural contour of the breast and to reproduce appropriate build-up and internal scatter. Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) rods were placed at predetermined distances from the geometric beam's edge to measure the dose to the contralateral breast. A total of 35 locations were used with five TLDs in each location to verify the accuracy of the measured dose. The radiation techniques used were an isocentric set-up with co-planar, non divergent posterior borders and an isocentric set-up with a half beam block technique utilizing the asymmetric collimator jaw. Each technique used compensating wedges to optimize the dose distribution. A comparison of the dose to the contralateral breast was then made with the enhanced dynamic wedge vs. the standard metal wedge. The measurements revealed a significant reduction in the contralateral breast dose with the enhanced dynamic wedge compared to the standard metal wedge in both set-up techniques. The

  6. Surface sediment remobilization triggered by earthquakes in the Nankai forearc region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okutsu, N.; Ashi, J.; Yamaguchi, A.; Irino, T.; Ikehara, K.; Kanamatsu, T.; Suganuma, Y.; Murayama, M.

    2017-12-01

    Submarine landslides triggered by earthquakes generate turbidity currents (e.g. Piper et al., 1988; 1999). Recently several studies report that the remobilization of the surface sediment triggered by earthquakes can also generate turbidity currents. However, studies that proposed such process are still limited (e.g. Ikehara et al., 2016; Mchugh et al., 2016; Moernaut et al., 2017). The purpose of this study is to examine those sedimentary processes in the Nankai forearc region, SW Japan using sedimentary records. We collected 46 cm-long multiple core (MC01) and a 6.7 m-long piston core (PC03) from the small basin during the R/V Shinsei Maru KS-14-8 cruise. The small confined basin, which is our study site, block the paths of direct sediment supply from river-submarine canyon system. The sampling site is located at the ENE-WSW elongated basin between the accretionary prism and the forearc basin off Kumano without direct sediment supply from river-submarine canyon system. The basin exhibits a confined basin that captures almost of sediments supplied from outside. Core samples are mainly composed of silty clay or very fine sand. Cs-137 measurement conducted on a MC01 core shows constantly high value at the upper 17 cm section and no detection below it. Moreover, the sedimentary structure is similar to fine-grained turbidite described by Stow and Shanmgam (1980), we interpret the upper 17 cm of MC01 as muddy turbidite. Grain size distribution and magnetic susceptibility also agree to this interpretation. Rapid sediment deposition after 1950 is assumed and the most likely event is the 2004 off Kii peninsula earthquakes (Mw=6.6-7.4). By calculation from extent of provenance area, which are estimated by paleocurrent analysis and bathymetric map, and thickness of turbidite layer we conclude that surface 1 cm of slope sediments may be remobilized by the 2004 earthquakes. Muddy turbidites are also identified in a PC03 core. The radiocarbon age gap of 170 years obtained

  7. Substorm Current Wedge Revisited

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kepko, L.; McPherron, R. L.; Amm, O.; Apatenkov, S.; Baumjohann, W.; Birn, J.; Lester, M.; Nakamura, R.; Pulkkinen, T. I.; Sergeev, V.

    2015-07-01

    Almost 40 years ago the concept of the substorm current wedge was developed to explain the magnetic signatures observed on the ground and in geosynchronous orbit during substorm expansion. In the ensuing decades new observations, including radar and low-altitude spacecraft, MHD simulations, and theoretical considerations have tremendously advanced our understanding of this system. The AMPTE/IRM, THEMIS and Cluster missions have added considerable observational knowledge, especially on the important role of fast flows in producing the stresses that generate the substorm current wedge. Recent detailed, multi-spacecraft, multi-instrument observations both in the magnetosphere and in the ionosphere have brought a wealth of new information about the details of the temporal evolution and structure of the current system. While the large-scale picture remains valid, the new details call for revision and an update of the original view. In this paper we briefly review the historical development of the substorm current wedge, review recent in situ and ground-based observations and theoretical work, and discuss the current active research areas. We conclude with a revised, time-dependent picture of the substorm current wedge that follows its evolution from the initial substorm flows through substorm expansion and recovery.

  8. Ice Particle Impacts on a Moving Wedge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vargas, Mario; Struk, Peter M.; Kreeger, Richard E.; Palacios, Jose; Iyer, Kaushik A.; Gold, Robert E.

    2014-01-01

    This work presents the results of an experimental study of ice particle impacts on a moving wedge. The experiment was conducted in the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand (AERTS) facility located at Penn State University. The wedge was placed at the tip of a rotating blade. Ice particles shot from a pressure gun intercepted the moving wedge and impacted it at a location along its circular path. The upward velocity of the ice particles varied from 7 to 12 meters per second. Wedge velocities were varied from 0 to 120 meters per second. Wedge angles tested were 0 deg, 30 deg, 45 deg, and 60 deg. High speed imaging combined with backlighting captured the impact allowing observation of the effect of velocity and wedge angle on the impact and the post-impact fragment behavior. It was found that the pressure gun and the rotating wedge could be synchronized to consistently obtain ice particle impacts on the target wedge. It was observed that the number of fragments increase with the normal component of the impact velocity. Particle fragments ejected immediately after impact showed velocities higher than the impact velocity. The results followed the major qualitative features observed by other researchers for hailstone impacts, even though the reduced scale size of the particles used in the present experiment as compared to hailstones was 4:1.

  9. Impingement of water droplets on wedges and double-wedge airfoils at supersonic speeds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Serafini, John S

    1954-01-01

    An analytical solution has been obtained for the equations of motion of water droplets impinging on a wedge in a two-dimensional supersonic flow field with a shock wave attached to the wedge. The closed-form solution yields analytical expressions for the equation of the droplet trajectory, the local rate of impingement and the impingement velocity at any point on the wedge surface, and the total rate of impingement. The analytical expressions are utilized to determine the impingement on the forward surfaces of diamond airfoils in supersonic flow fields with attached shock waves. The results presented include the following conditions: droplet diameters from 2 to 100 microns, pressure altitudes from sea level to 30,000 feet, free-stream static temperatures from 420 degrees r, free stream Mach numbers from 1.1 to 2.0, semiapex angles for the wedge from 1.14 degrees to 7.97 degrees, thickness-to-chord ratios for the diamond airfoil from 0.02 to 0.14, chord lengths from 1 to 20 feet, and angles of attack from zero to the inverse tangent of the airfoil thickness-to-chord ratio.

  10. Aerodynamic Analysis Over Double Wedge Airfoil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasad, U. S.; Ajay, V. S.; Rajat, R. H.; Samanyu, S.

    2017-05-01

    Aeronautical studies are being focused more towards supersonic flights and methods to attain a better and safer flight with highest possible performance. Aerodynamic analysis is part of the whole procedure, which includes focusing on airfoil shapes which will permit sustained flight of aircraft at these speeds. Airfoil shapes differ based on the applications, hence the airfoil shapes considered for supersonic speeds are different from the ones considered for Subsonic. The present work is based on the effects of change in physical parameter for the Double wedge airfoil. Mach number range taken is for transonic and supersonic. Physical parameters considered for the Double wedge case with wedge angle (ranging from 5 degree to 15 degree. Available Computational tools are utilized for analysis. Double wedge airfoil is analysed at different Angles of attack (AOA) based on the wedge angle. Analysis is carried out using fluent at standard conditions with specific heat ratio taken as 1.4. Manual calculations for oblique shock properties are calculated with the help of Microsoft excel. MATLAB is used to form a code for obtaining shock angle with Mach number and wedge angle at the given parameters. Results obtained from manual calculations and fluent analysis are cross checked.

  11. Structure of the western Rif (Morocco): Possible hydrocarbon plays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Flinch, J.

    1995-08-01

    Seismic data offshore and onshore northwestern Morocco (i.e. Atlantic margin, Rharb Basin, Rif foothills) provided a detailed picture of the Western Rif Cordillera. The most external units of the folded-belt consist of allochthonous Cretaceous and Neogene strongly deformed sediments that constitute a westward-directed accretionary wedge. The structure of the accretionary wedge consist of a complex set of thrust and normal faults. The inner part of the study area consist of NW-SE trending thrust faults, partially exposed in the foothills of the Western Rif. Proceeding towards the foreland, thrust faults are offset by low-angle extensional detachments characterized by anastomosing extensional horses.more » Widespread extension overlying the accretionary wedge defines a Late Neogene episode of extensional collapse. Extension is not characterized by localized conventional half-grabens but consists of a complex extensional system with variable orientation. Locally shale ridges and toe-thrusts characterized by rear extension and frontal compression define a set of mixed extensional-compressional satellite basins that significantly differ from conventional thrust-related piggy-back basins. Satellite basins are filled with Upper Tortonian to Pliocene sediments. Shallow fields of biogenic gas are present in this Upper Neogene succession of the satellite basins. The frontalmost part of the wedge consist of WNW-ESE trending thrust imbricates. A flexural basin (foredeep) developed as a result of the accretionary prism loading. The foredeep basin discordantly overlies thinn Cretaceous and Lower-Middle Miocene shallow-water sediments that indistinctly cover Plaeozoic basement rocks and Triassic half-grabens. Pre-foredeep units are related to rifting and passive margin development of the Atlantic Ocean. East from the Rharb Basin the Rif Cordillera is essentially unexplored. Few scattered seismic sections display subsurface ramp anticlines similar to those exposed in the

  12. Silica precipitation potentially controls earthquake recurrence in seismogenic zones.

    PubMed

    Saishu, Hanae; Okamoto, Atsushi; Otsubo, Makoto

    2017-10-17

    Silica precipitation is assumed to play a significant role in post-earthquake recovery of the mechanical and hydrological properties of seismogenic zones. However, the relationship between the widespread quartz veins around seismogenic zones and earthquake recurrence is poorly understood. Here we propose a novel model of quartz vein formation associated with fluid advection from host rocks and silica precipitation in a crack, in order to quantify the timescale of crack sealing. When applied to sets of extensional quartz veins around the Nobeoka Thrust of SW Japan, an ancient seismogenic splay fault, our model indicates that a fluid pressure drop of 10-25 MPa facilitates the formation of typical extensional quartz veins over a period of 6.6 × 10 0 -5.6 × 10 1 years, and that 89%-100% of porosity is recovered within ~3 × 10 2 years. The former and latter sealing timescales correspond to the extensional stress period (~3 × 10 1 years) and the recurrence interval of megaearthquakes in the Nankai Trough (~3 × 10 2 years), respectively. We therefore suggest that silica precipitation in the accretionary wedge controls the recurrence interval of large earthquakes in subduction zones.

  13. Regional Variation of CH4 and N2 Production Processes in the Deep Aquifers of an Accretionary Prism

    PubMed Central

    Matsushita, Makoto; Ishikawa, Shugo; Nagai, Kazushige; Hirata, Yuichiro; Ozawa, Kunio; Mitsunobu, Satoshi; Kimura, Hiroyuki

    2016-01-01

    Accretionary prisms are mainly composed of ancient marine sediment scraped from the subducting oceanic plate at a convergent plate boundary. Large amounts of anaerobic groundwater and natural gas, mainly methane (CH4) and nitrogen gas (N2), are present in the deep aquifers associated with an accretionary prism; however, the origins of these gases are poorly understood. We herein revealed regional variations in CH4 and N2 production processes in deep aquifers in the accretionary prism in Southwest Japan, known as the Shimanto Belt. Stable carbon isotopic and microbiological analyses suggested that CH4 is produced through the non-biological thermal decomposition of organic matter in the deep aquifers in the coastal area near the convergent plate boundary, whereas a syntrophic consortium of hydrogen (H2)-producing fermentative bacteria and H2-utilizing methanogens contributes to the significant production of CH4 observed in deep aquifers in midland and mountainous areas associated with the accretionary prism. Our results also demonstrated that N2 production through the anaerobic oxidation of organic matter by denitrifying bacteria is particularly prevalent in deep aquifers in mountainous areas in which groundwater is affected by rainfall. PMID:27592518

  14. Regional Variation of CH4 and N2 Production Processes in the Deep Aquifers of an Accretionary Prism.

    PubMed

    Matsushita, Makoto; Ishikawa, Shugo; Nagai, Kazushige; Hirata, Yuichiro; Ozawa, Kunio; Mitsunobu, Satoshi; Kimura, Hiroyuki

    2016-09-29

    Accretionary prisms are mainly composed of ancient marine sediment scraped from the subducting oceanic plate at a convergent plate boundary. Large amounts of anaerobic groundwater and natural gas, mainly methane (CH4) and nitrogen gas (N2), are present in the deep aquifers associated with an accretionary prism; however, the origins of these gases are poorly understood. We herein revealed regional variations in CH4 and N2 production processes in deep aquifers in the accretionary prism in Southwest Japan, known as the Shimanto Belt. Stable carbon isotopic and microbiological analyses suggested that CH4 is produced through the non-biological thermal decomposition of organic matter in the deep aquifers in the coastal area near the convergent plate boundary, whereas a syntrophic consortium of hydrogen (H2)-producing fermentative bacteria and H2-utilizing methanogens contributes to the significant production of CH4 observed in deep aquifers in midland and mountainous areas associated with the accretionary prism. Our results also demonstrated that N2 production through the anaerobic oxidation of organic matter by denitrifying bacteria is particularly prevalent in deep aquifers in mountainous areas in which groundwater is affected by rainfall.

  15. Pressure Distributions About Finite Wedges in Bounded and Unbounded Subsonic Streams

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Donoughe, Patrick L; Prasse, Ernst I

    1953-01-01

    An analytical investigation of incompressible flow about wedges was made to determine effects of tunnel-wedge ratio and wedge angle on the wedge pressure distributions. The region of applicability of infinite wedge-type velocity distribution was examined for finite wedges. Theoretical and experimental pressure coefficients for various tunnel-wedge ratios, wedge angles, and subsonic Mach numbers were compared.

  16. Spatial distribution of random velocity inhomogeneities in the western part of Nankai subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takahashi, T.; Obana, K.; Yamamoto, Y.; Nakanishi, A.; Kodaira, S.; Kaneda, Y.

    2011-12-01

    In the Nankai trough, there are three seismogenic zones of megathrust earthquakes (Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai earthquakes). Lithospheric structures in and around these seismogenic zones are important for the studies on mutual interactions and synchronization of their fault ruptures. Recent studies on seismic wave scattering at high frequencies (>1Hz) make it possible to estimate 3D distributions of random inhomogeneities (or scattering coefficient) in the lithosphere, and clarified that random inhomogeneity is one of the important medium properties related to microseismicity and damaged structure near the fault zone [Asano & Hasegawa, 2004; Takahashi et al. 2009]. This study estimates the spatial distribution of the power spectral density function (PSDF) of random inhomogeneities the western part of Nankai subduction zone, and examines the relations with crustal velocity structure and seismic activity. Seismic waveform data used in this study are those recorded at seismic stations of Hi-net & F-net operated by NIED, and 160 ocean bottom seismographs (OBSs) deployed at Hyuga-nada region from Dec. 2008 to Jan. 2009. This OBS observation was conducted by JAMSTEC as a part of "Research concerning Interaction Between the Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai Earthquakes" funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Spatial distribution of random inhomogeneities is estimated by the inversion analysis of the peak delay time of small earthquakes [Takahashi et al. 2009], where the peak delay time is defined as the time lag from the S-wave onset to its maximal amplitude arrival. We assumed the von Karman type functional form for the PSDF. Peak delay times are measured from root mean squared envelopes at 4-8Hz, 8-16Hz and 16-32Hz. Inversion result can be summarized as follows. Random inhomogeneities beneath the Quaternary volcanoes are characterized by strong inhomogeneities at small spatial scale (~ a few hundreds meter) and weak spectral gradient

  17. Use of Wedge Absorbers in MICE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neuffer, D.; Summers, D.; Mohayai, T.

    2017-03-01

    Wedge absorbers are needed to obtain longitudinal cooling in ionization cooling. They also can be used to obtain emittance exchanges between longitudinal and transverse phase space. There can be large exchanges in emittance, even with single wedges. In the present note we explore the use of wedge absorbers in the MICE experiment to obtain transverse–longitudinal emittance exchanges within present and future operational conditions. The same wedge can be used to explore “direct” and “reverse” emittance exchange dynamics, where direct indicates a configuration that reduces momentum spread and reverse is a configuration that increases momentum spread. Analytical estimated and ICOOL andmore » G4BeamLine simulations of the exchanges at MICE parameters are presented. Large exchanges can be obtained in both reverse and direct configurations.« less

  18. Numerical tsunami simulations in the western Pacific Ocean and East China Sea from hypothetical M 9 earthquakes along the Nankai trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harada, Tomoya; Satake, Kenji; Furumura, Takashi

    2017-04-01

    We carried out tsunami numerical simulations in the western Pacific Ocean and East China Sea in order to examine the behavior of massive tsunami outside Japan from the hypothetical M 9 tsunami source models along the Nankai Trough proposed by the Cabinet Office of Japanese government (2012). The distribution of MTHs (maximum tsunami heights for 24 h after the earthquakes) on the east coast of China, the east coast of the Philippine Islands, and north coast of the New Guinea Island show peaks with approximately 1.0-1.7 m,4.0-7.0 m,4.0-5.0 m, respectively. They are significantly higher than that from the 1707 Ho'ei earthquake (M 8.7), the largest earthquake along the Nankai trough in recent Japanese history. Moreover, the MTH distributions vary with the location of the huge slip(s) in the tsunami source models although the three coasts are far from the Nankai trough. Huge slip(s) in the Nankai segment mainly contributes to the MTHs, while huge slip(s) or splay faulting in the Tokai segment hardly affects the MTHs. The tsunami source model was developed for responding to the unexpected occurrence of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, with 11 models along the Nanakai trough, and simulated MTHs along the Pacific coasts of the western Japan from these models exceed 10 m, with a maximum height of 34.4 m. Tsunami propagation was computed by the finite-difference method of the non-liner long-wave equations with the Corioli's force and bottom friction (Satake, 1995) in the area of 115-155 ° E and 8° S-40° N. Because water depth of the East China Sea is shallower than 200 m, the tsunami propagation is likely to be affected by the ocean bottom fiction. The 30 arc-seconds gridded bathymetry data provided by the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO-2014) are used. For long propagation of tsunami we simulated tsunamis for 24 hours after the earthquakes. This study was supported by the"New disaster mitigation research project on Mega thrust earthquakes around Nankai

  19. Wedges for ultrasonic inspection

    DOEpatents

    Gavin, Donald A.

    1982-01-01

    An ultrasonic transducer device is provided which is used in ultrasonic inspection of the material surrounding a threaded hole and which comprises a wedge of plastic or the like including a curved threaded surface adapted to be screwed into the threaded hole and a generally planar surface on which a conventional ultrasonic transducer is mounted. The plastic wedge can be rotated within the threaded hole to inspect for flaws in the material surrounding the threaded hole.

  20. Ultrasonic transducer with laminated coupling wedge

    DOEpatents

    Karplus, Henry H. B.

    1976-08-03

    An ultrasonic transducer capable of use in a high-temperature environment incorporates a laminated metal coupling wedge including a reflecting edge shaped as a double sloping roof and a transducer crystal backed by a laminated metal sound absorber disposed so as to direct sound waves through the coupling wedge and into a work piece, reflections from the interface between the coupling wedge and the work piece passing to the reflecting edge. Preferably the angle of inclination of the two halves of the reflecting edge are different.

  1. Capillary Rise in a Wedge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piva, M.

    2009-01-01

    In introductory-level physics courses, the concept of surface tension is often illustrated using the example of capillary rise in thin tubes. In this paper the author describes experiments conducted using a planar geometry created with two small plates forming a thin wedge. The distribution of the fluid entering the wedge can be studied as a…

  2. Distal Femoral Osteotomy for the Valgus Knee: Medial Closing Wedge Versus Lateral Opening Wedge: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Wylie, James D; Jones, Daniel L; Hartley, Melissa K; Kapron, Ashley L; Krych, Aaron J; Aoki, Stephen K; Maak, Travis G

    2016-10-01

    (1) To determine the radiographic correction/healing rate, patient-reported outcomes, reoperation rate, and complication rate after distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) for the valgus knee with lateral compartment pathology. (2) To summarize the reported results of medial closing wedge and lateral opening wedge DFO. We conducted a systematic review of PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL to identify studies reporting outcomes of DFOs for the valgus knee. Keywords included "distal femoral osteotomy," "chondral," "cartilage," "valgus," "joint restoration," "joint preservation," "arthritis," and "gonarthrosis." Two authors first reviewed the articles; our study exclusion criteria were then applied, and the articles were included on the basis relevance defined by the aforementioned criteria. The Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies scale judged the quality of the literature. Sixteen studies were relevant to the research questions out of 191 studies identified by the original search. Sixteen studies were identified reporting on 372 osteotomies with mean follow-up of 45 to 180 months. All studies reported mean radiographic correction to a near neutral mechanical axis, with 3.2% nonunion and 3.8% delayed union rates. There was a 9% complication rate and a 34% reoperation rate, of which 15% were converted to arthroplasty. There were similar results reported for medial closing wedge and lateral opening wedge techniques, with a higher conversion to arthroplasty in the medial closing wedge that was confounded by longer mean follow-up in this group (mean follow-up 100 v 58 months). DFOs for the valgus knee with lateral compartment disease provide improvements in patient-reported knee health-related quality of life at midterm follow-up but have high rates of reoperation. No evidence exists proving better results of either the lateral opening wedge or medial closing wedge techniques. Level IV, systematic review of Level IV studies. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North

  3. Modulation of Crustal Faulting in the Crescent Terrane by the Volume of Underthrust Accretionary Complex Along the Washington Cascadia Forearc

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brocher, T. M.

    2017-12-01

    Amphibious seismic experiments reveal widespread underthrusting of Cascadia accretionary rocks beneath basalts of the Crescent terrane, a large igneous province in the Washington forearc. Along margin variations in the volumes of the underthrust accretionary rocks appear to modulate the faulting within the overlying Crescent terrane, which hosts nearly all of the seismicity in the Washington forearc: the underlying accretionary rocks appear to deform aseismically. The underthrusting and underplating of large volumes of accretionary rocks on the Olympic Peninsula have uplifted and completely eroded a significant volume of the Crescent terrane, affecting the load-bearing strength of the forearc. I propose that as a consequence, the remnant Crescent terrane is actively deforming, as evidenced by the concentrated seismicity within it beneath Puget Lowland. This seismicity, focal mechanisms, fault geometries, and seismic tomography indicate that clockwise rotation and north-south compression of the forearc crust inferred from GPS data are accommodated by numerous thrust and strike slip faults in the remnant Crescent terrane. In addition to the spatial association between the erosion of the Crescent terrane on the Olympic Peninsula and the crustal faulting beneath Puget Lowland, support for the interpretation that the two are related also derives from the temporal coincidence between the mid to late Miocene uplift of the Crescent terrane on the peninsula and the mid-Miocene initiation of the thrust faulting in the lowland. In contrast, the underthrusting and underplating of lower volumes of accretionary rocks in the Washington forearc south of the Olympic Peninsula correlate with lower rates of crustal seismicity. These lower volumes of accretionary rocks have not caused the removal of a significant fraction of the Crescent terrane, resulting in a stronger, more structurally coherent Crescent terrane that deforms at lower rate than to the north.

  4. Dense Ocean Floor Network for Earthquakes and Tsunamis; DONET/ DONET2, Part2 -Development and data application for the mega thrust earthquakes around the Nankai trough-

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaneda, Y.; Kawaguchi, K.; Araki, E.; Matsumoto, H.; Nakamura, T.; Nakano, M.; Kamiya, S.; Ariyoshi, K.; Baba, T.; Ohori, M.; Hori, T.; Takahashi, N.; Kaneko, S.; Donet Research; Development Group

    2010-12-01

    Yoshiyuki Kaneda Katsuyoshi Kawaguchi*, Eiichiro Araki*, Shou Kaneko*, Hiroyuki Matsumoto*, Takeshi Nakamura*, Masaru Nakano*, Shinichirou Kamiya*, Keisuke Ariyoshi*, Toshitaka Baba*, Michihiro Ohori*, Narumi Takakahashi*, and Takane Hori** * Earthquake and Tsunami Research Project for Disaster Prevention, Leading Project , Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) **Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) DONET (Dense Ocean Floor Network for Earthquakes and Tsunamis) is the real time monitoring system of the Tonankai seismogenic zones around the Nankai trough southwestern Japan. We were starting to develop DONET to perform real time monitoring of crustal activities over there and the advanced early warning system. DONET will provide important and useful data to understand the Nankai trough maga thrust earthquake seismogenic zones and to improve the accuracy of the earthquake recurrence cycle simulation. Details of DONET concept are as follows. 1) Redundancy, Extendable function and advanced maintenance system using the looped cable system, junction boxes and the ROV/AUV. DONET has 20 observatories and incorporated in a double land stations concept. Also, we are developed ROV for the 10km cable extensions and heavy weight operations. 2) Multi kinds of sensors to observe broad band phenomena such as long period tremors, very low frequency earthquakes and strong motions of mega thrust earthquakes over M8: Therefore, sensors such as a broadband seismometer, an accelerometer, a hydrophone, a precise pressure gauge, a differential pressure gauge and a thermometer are equipped with each observatory in DONET. 3) For speedy detections, evaluations and notifications of earthquakes and tsunamis: DONET system will be deployed around the Tonankai seismogenic zone. 4) Provide data of ocean floor crustal deformations derived from pressure sensors: Simultaneously, the development of data

  5. Origin of accretionary lapilli from the Pompeii and Avellino deposits of Vesuvius

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sheridan, M.F.; Wohletz, K.H.

    1983-01-01

    Accretionary lapilli from the Pompeii and Avellino Plinian ash deposits of Vesuvius consist of centimeter-sized spheroids composed of glass, crystal, and lithic fragments of submillimeter size. The typical structure of the lapilli consists of a central massive core surrounded by concentric layers of fine ash with concentrations of larger clasts and vesicles and a thin outer layer of dust. Clasts within the lapilli larger than 125 ..mu..m are extremely rare. The median grain-size of the fine ash is about 50 ..mu..m and the size-distribution is well sorted. Most constituent particles of accretionary lapilli display blocky shapes characteristic of grains producedmore » by phreatomagmatic hydroexplosions. We have used the scanning electron microscope (SEM) in conjunction with energy dispersive spectral analysis (EDS) to investigate the textural and chemical variation along traverses from the core to the rim of lapilli from Vesuvius.« less

  6. Rotational and accretionary evolution of the Klamath Mountains, California and Oregon, from Devonian to present time

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Irwin, William P.; Mankinen, Edward A.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to show graphically how the Klamath Mountains grew from a relatively small nucleus in Early Devonian time to its present size while rotating clockwise approximately 110°. This growth occurred by the addition of large tectonic slices of oceanic lithosphere, volcanic arcs, and melange during a sequence of accretionary episodes. The Klamath Mountains province consists of eight lithotectonoic units called terranes, some of which are divided into subterranes. The Eastern Klamath terrane, which was the early Paleozoic nucleus of the province, is divided into the Yreka, Trinity, and Redding subterranes. Through tectonic plate motion, usually involving subduction, the other terranes joined the early Paleozoic nucleus during seven accretionary episodes ranging in age from Early Devonian to Late Jurassic. The active terrane suture is shown for each episode by a bold black line. Much of the western boundary of the Klamath Mountains is marked by the South Fork and correlative faults along which the Klamath terranes overrode the Coast Range rocks during an eighth accretionary episode, forming the South Fork Mountain Schist in Early Cretaceous time.

  7. Scattering of In-Plane Waves by Elastic Wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohammadi, K.; Asimaki, D.; Fradkin, L.

    2014-12-01

    The scattering of seismic waves by elastic wedges has been a topic of interest in seismology and geophysics for many decades. Analytical, semi-analytical, experimental and numerical studies on idealized wedges have provided insight into the seismic behavior of continental margins, mountain roots and crustal discontinuities. Published results, however, have almost exclusively focused on incident Rayleigh waves and out-of-plane body (SH) waves. Complementing the existing body of work, we here present results from our study on the res­ponse of elastic wedges to incident P or SV waves, an idealized pro­blem that can provide valuable insight to the understanding and parameterization of topographic ampli­fication of seismic ground mo­tion. We first show our earlier work on explicit finite difference simulations of SV-wave scattering by elastic wedges over a wide range of internal angles. We next present a semi-analytical solution that we developed using the approach proposed by Gautesen, to describe the scattered wavefield in the immediate vicinity of the wedge's tip (near-field). We use the semi-analytical solution to validate the numerical analyses, and improve resolution of the amplification factor at the wedge vertex that spikes when the internal wedge angle approaches the critical angle of incidence.

  8. Remote Love Wave Triggering of Tremor in the Nankai Subduction Zone: New Observations and Dynamic Stress Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Enescu, B.; Chao, K.; Obara, K.; Peng, Z.; Matsuzawa, T.; Yagi, Y.

    2013-12-01

    The triggering of deep non-volcanic tremor (NVT) in the Nankai region, southwest Japan, by the surface waves of several large teleseismic earthquakes has been well documented (e.g., Miyazawa & Mori, 2005). These previous studies report that the Nankai NVT is primarily triggered by the passage of Rayleigh waves from the teleseismic events (e.g., Miyazawa & Brodsky, 2008). The relative lack of Love wave triggering in Nankai would be, however, an exception to the general observation that triggered tremor shows a positive correlation with the triggering potential, defined using the Coulomb failure criteria (Hill, 2012). To clarify the Nankai NVT triggering mechanism, we have systematically searched for triggered tremor due to large teleseismic events (Mw ≥ 7.5) occurred from 2001 to 2012. Our present analysis focuses on western Shikoku, where triggered NVT has been previously reported (e.g., Miyazawa & Mori, 2006). From a total of 55 teleseismic events, 18 show associated triggered NVT. Our analysis presents clear evidence of triggered NVT that correlates well with the passage of Love waves. The most outstanding example is that of the 2012 M8.6 Sumatra earthquake, a strike-slip event characterized by relatively large amplitude Love waves. The incoming surface waves from this earthquake are almost strike-parallel to the Nankai subduction zone, which corresponds to a higher Love wave triggering potential (Hill, 2012). The 2001 M7.8 Kunlun, the 2003 M8.3 Tokachi-oki, the 2004 M9.2 & 2007 M8.5 Sumatra, the 2006 M8.3 Kuril-Islands and the 2008 M7.9 Wenchuan earthquakes show as well Love-wave associated NVT triggering. In most of these cases the tremor is initiated by the incoming, faster-traveling Love waves and continues during the latter, larger-amplitude Rayleigh waves. We are also conducting dynamic stress modeling to better understand the triggering mechanism of tremor. Our approach builds up on the methods of Gonzalez-Huizar & Velasco (2011) and Obara (2012). In the

  9. Accretionary prism-forearc interactions as reflected in the sedimentary fill of southern Thrace Basin (Lemnos Island, NE Greece)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maravelis, A. G.; Pantopoulos, G.; Tserolas, P.; Zelilidis, A.

    2015-06-01

    Architecture of the well-exposed ancient forearc basin successions of northeast Aegean Sea, Greece, provides useful insights into the interplay between arc magmatism, accretionary prism exhumation, and sedimentary deposition in forearc basins. The upper Eocene-lower Oligocene basin fill of the southern Thrace forearc basin reflects the active influence of the uplifted accretionary prism. Deep-marine sediments predominate the basin fill that eventually shoals upwards into shallow-marine sediments. This trend is related to tectonically driven uplift and compression. Field, stratigraphic, sedimentological, petrographic, geochemical, and provenance data on the lower Oligocene shallow-marine deposits revealed the accretionary prism (i.e. Pindic Cordillera or Biga Peninsula) as the major contributor of sediments into the forearc region. Field investigations in these shallow-marine deposits revealed the occurrence of conglomerates with: (1) mafic and ultramafic igneous rock clasts, (2) low-grade metamorphic rock fragments, and (3) sedimentary rocks. The absence of felsic volcanic fragments rules out influence of a felsic source rock. Geochemical analysis indicates that the studied rocks were accumulated in an active tectonic setting with a sediment source of mainly mafic composition, and palaeodispersal analysis revealed a NE-NNE palaeocurrent trend, towards the Rhodopian magmatic arc. Thus, these combined provenance results make the accretionary prism the most suitable candidate for the detritus forming these shallow-marine deposits.

  10. Estimation of internal friction angle of subduction zone in northeast of Japan by using seismic focal mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyakawa, A.; Sato, K.; Otsubo, M.

    2017-12-01

    Physical properties, such as friction angle of the material, is important to understand the interplate earthquake of a subduction zone. Coulomb wedge model (Davis et al., 1983, JGR) is successfully revealed the relationship between a geometry of an accretionary wedge in a subduction zone and the physical properties of the material composing the accretionary wedge (e.g. Dahlen, 1984, JGR). An internal friction angle of the wedge and the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault control the wedge angle according to the Coulomb wedge model. However, the internal friction angle of the wedge and the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault are hard to estimate. Many previous works assumed the internal friction angle of the wedge on the basis of the laboratory experiments. Then, the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault, which is usually most interested, were evaluated from the observed wedge angle and the assumed internal friction angle of the wedge. Consequently, we should be careful of the selection of the internal friction angle of the wedge, otherwise, the uncertain an inappropriate internal friction angle may mislead the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault. In this study, we employed the newly developed technique to evaluate the internal friction angle of the wedge from the earthquake focal mechanisms occurred in the wedge along Japan Trench, northeast Japan. We used 650 earthquake mechanisms determined by NIED, Japan for the stress and friction coefficient inversion. The stress and friction coefficient inversion method is modified to handle the earthquake focal mechanisms from a computerized method to estimate the friction coefficient from the orientation distribution of faults (Sato, 2016, JSG). Finally, we obtained 25 degrees of internal friction angle of the wedge from the inversion. This value of friction angle is lower than usually assumed internal friction angle (30 degrees) (Byerlee, 1978, PAGEOPH). This lower internal

  11. Chevron closing base wedge bunionectomy.

    PubMed

    Bruyn, J M

    1993-01-01

    The Chevron-base wedge Association for Osteosynthesis fixated bunionectomy provides a stable, aggressive correction of the severe hallux abducto valgus deformity. It is intended for the bunion requiring a double osteotomy in order to adequately reduce both intermetatarsal and proximal articular facet angle with minimal shortening and elevation. This article presents the rationale for the procedure, technique, and a 4-year follow-up of six patients with eight Chevron-base wedge bunionectomies.

  12. Recirculating wedges for metal-vapor plasma tubes

    DOEpatents

    Hall, Jerome P.; Sawvel, Robert M.; Draggoo, Vaughn G.

    1994-01-01

    A metal vapor laser is disclosed that recycles condensed metal located at the terminal ends of a plasma tube back toward the center of the tube. A pair of arcuate wedges are incorporated on the bottom of the plasma tube near the terminal ends. The wedges slope downward toward the center so that condensed metal may be transported under the force of gravity away from the terminal ends. The wedges are curved to fit the plasma tube to thereby avoid forming any gaps within the tube interior.

  13. Measuring Liquid-Level Utilizing Wedge Wave

    PubMed Central

    Honma, Yudai; Mori, Masayuki; Ihara, Ikuo

    2017-01-01

    A new technique for measuring liquid-level utilizing wedge wave is presented and demonstrated through FEM simulation and a corresponding experiment. The velocities of wedge waves in the air and the water, and the sensitivities for the measurement, are compared with the simulation and the results obtained in the experiments. Combining the simulation and the measurement theory, it is verified that the foundation framework for the methods is available. The liquid-level sensing is carried out using the aluminum waveguide with a 30° wedge in the water. The liquid-level is proportional to the traveling time of the mode 1 wedge wave. The standard deviations and the uncertainties of the measurement are 0.65 mm and 0.21 mm using interface echo, and 0.39 mm and 0.12 mm utilized by end echo, which are smaller than the industry standard of 1.5 mm. The measurement resolutions are 7.68 μm using the interface echo, which is the smallest among all the guided acoustic wave-based liquid-level sensing. PMID:29267232

  14. Ultrasonic friction power during Al wire wedge-wedge bonding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shah, A.; Gaul, H.; Schneider-Ramelow, M.; Reichl, H.; Mayer, M.; Zhou, Y.

    2009-07-01

    Al wire bonding, also called ultrasonic wedge-wedge bonding, is a microwelding process used extensively in the microelectronics industry for interconnections to integrated circuits. The bonding wire used is a 25μm diameter AlSi1 wire. A friction power model is used to derive the ultrasonic friction power during Al wire bonding. Auxiliary measurements include the current delivered to the ultrasonic transducer, the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip in free air, and the ultrasonic force acting on the bonding pad during the bond process. The ultrasonic force measurement is like a signature of the bond as it allows for a detailed insight into mechanisms during various phases of the process. It is measured using piezoresistive force microsensors integrated close to the Al bonding pad (Al-Al process) on a custom made test chip. A clear break-off in the force signal is observed, which is followed by a relatively constant force for a short duration. A large second harmonic content is observed, describing a nonsymmetric deviation of the signal wave form from the sinusoidal shape. This deviation might be due to the reduced geometrical symmetry of the wedge tool. For bonds made with typical process parameters, several characteristic values used in the friction power model are determined. The ultrasonic compliance of the bonding system is 2.66μm/N. A typical maximum value of the relative interfacial amplitude of ultrasonic friction is at least 222nm. The maximum interfacial friction power is at least 11.5mW, which is only about 4.8% of the total electrical power delivered to the ultrasonic generator.

  15. Recirculating wedges for metal-vapor plasma tubes

    DOEpatents

    Hall, J.P.; Sawvel, R.M.; Draggoo, V.G.

    1994-06-28

    A metal vapor laser is disclosed that recycles condensed metal located at the terminal ends of a plasma tube back toward the center of the tube. A pair of arcuate wedges are incorporated on the bottom of the plasma tube near the terminal ends. The wedges slope downward toward the center so that condensed metal may be transported under the force of gravity away from the terminal ends. The wedges are curved to fit the plasma tube to thereby avoid forming any gaps within the tube interior. 8 figures.

  16. Ancient Yedoma carbon loss: primed by ice wedge thaw?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dowdy, K. L.; Vonk, J. E.; Mann, P. J.; Zimov, N.; Bulygina, E. B.; Davydova, A.; Spencer, R. G.; Holmes, R. M.

    2012-12-01

    Northeast Siberian permafrost is dominated by frozen Yedoma deposits containing ca. 500 Gt of carbon, nearly a quarter of northern permafrost organic carbon (OC). Yedoma deposits are Pleistocene-age alluvial and/or aeolian accumulations characterized by high ice wedge content (~50%), making them particularly vulnerable to a warming climate and to surface collapse upon thaw. Dissolved OC in streams originating primarily from Yedoma has been shown to be highly biolabile, relative to waters containing more modern OC. The cause of this biolability, however, remains speculative. Here we investigate the influence of ice wedge input upon the bioavailability of Yedoma within streams from as a potential cause of Yedoma carbon biolability upon release into the Kolyma River from the thaw-eroding river exposures of Duvannyi Yar, NE Siberia. We measured biolability on (1) ice wedge, Kolyma, and Yedoma leachate controls; (2) ice wedge and Kolyma plus Yedoma OC (8 g/L); and (3) varying ratios of ice wedge water to Kolyma river water. Biolability assays were conducted using both 5-day BOD (biological oxygen demand) and 11-day BDOC (biodegradable dissolved organic carbon) incubations. We found that ancient DOC in Yedoma soil leachate alone was highly biolabile with losses of 52±0.1% C over a 5-day BOD incubation. Similarly, DOC contained in pure ice wedge water was found to be biolabile, losing 21±0% C during a 5-day BOD incubation. Increased ice wedge contributions led to higher overall C losses in identical Yedoma soil leachates, with 8.9±0.6% losses of Yedoma C with 100% ice wedge water, 7.1±1% (50% ice wedge/ 50% Kolyma) and 5±0.3% with 100% Kolyma River water. We discuss potential mechanisms for the increased loss of ancient C using associated measurements of nutrient availability, carbon quality (CDOM/FDOM) and extracellular enzyme activity rates. Our initial results indicate that ice wedge meltwater forming Yedoma streams makes Yedoma OC more bioavailable than it would

  17. Effect of a trade between boattail angle and wedge size on the performance of a nonaxisymmetric wedge nozzle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carson, George T., Jr.; Bare, E. Ann; Burley, James R., II

    1987-01-01

    An investigation was conducted in the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the effect of a boattail angle and wedge-size trade on the performance of nonaxisymmetric wedge nozzles installed on a generic twin-engine fighter aircraft model. Test data were obtained at static conditions and at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 1.25. Angle of attack was held constant at 0 deg. High-pressure air was used to simulate jet exhaust, and the nozzle pressure ratio was varied from 1.0 (jet off) to slightly over 15.0. For the configurations studied, the results indicate that wedge size can be reduced without affecting aeropropulsive performance.

  18. Lithological discrimination of accretionary complex (Sivas, northern Turkey) using novel hybrid color composites and field data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Özkan, Mutlu; Çelik, Ömer Faruk; Özyavaş, Aziz

    2018-02-01

    One of the most appropriate approaches to better understand and interpret geologic evolution of an accretionary complex is to make a detailed geologic map. The fact that ophiolite sequences consist of various rock types may require a unique image processing method to map each ophiolite body. The accretionary complex in the study area is composed mainly of ophiolitic and metamorphic rocks along with epi-ophiolitic sedimentary rocks. This paper attempts to map the Late Cretaceous accretionary complex in detail in northern Sivas (within İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone in Turkey) by the analysis of all of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) bands and field study. The new two hybrid color composite images yield satisfactory results in delineating peridotite, gabbro, basalt, and epi-ophiolitic sedimentary rocks of the accretionary complex in the study area. While the first hybrid color composite image consists of one principle component (PC) and two band ratios (PC1, 3/4, 4/6 in the RGB), the PC5, the original ASTER band 4 and the 3/4 band ratio images were assigned to the RGB colors to generate the second hybrid color composite image. In addition to that, the spectral indices derived from the ASTER thermal infrared (TIR) bands discriminate clearly ultramafic, siliceous, and carbonate rocks from adjacent lithologies at a regional scale. Peridotites with varying degrees of serpentinization illustrated as a single color were best identified in the spectral indices map. Furthermore, the boundaries of ophiolitic rocks based on fieldwork were outlined in detail in some parts of the study area by superimposing the resultant maps of ASTER maps on Google Earth images of finer spatial resolution. Eventually, the encouraging geologic map generated by the image analysis of ASTER data strongly correlates with lithological boundaries from a field survey.

  19. A Missing Link in Understanding Mantle Wedge Melting, Higashi-akaishi Peridotite, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Till, C. B.; Carlson, R. W.; Grove, T. L.; Wallis, S.; Mizukami, T.

    2009-12-01

    The Sanbagawa subduction-type metamorphic belt in SW Japan represents the deepest exposed portion of a Mesozoic accretionary complex along the Japanese island arc. Located on the island of Shikoku, the Higashi-akaishi peridotite body is the largest ultramafic lens within the Sanbagawa belt and is dominantly composed of dunite, lherzolite and garnet clinopyroxenite, interfingered in one locality with quartz-rich eclogite. Previous work indicates the P-T history of the peridotite includes rapid prograde metamorphism with peak temperatures of 700-810°C and pressures of 2.9-3.8 GPa at approximately 110-120 Ma. Here we present major and trace element and isotopic data for samples within the Higashi-akaishi peridotite body that suggest it records subduction zone melting processes. Ultramafic samples range from 40-52 wt. % SiO2 and 21-45 wt. % MgO with olivine and clinopyroxene Mg#s as high as 0.93 and have trace element concentrations diagnostic of subduction zone processes. The quartz-rich eclogite contains 62 wt. % SiO2, 6 wt. % MgO and 13 wt. % Al2O3 and has trace element concentrations that are enriched relative to the ultramafic samples. 87Sr/86Sr (.703237-.704288), 143Nd/144Nd (ɛNd=+2-6) and Pb isotopic compositions are within the range of Japanese arc rocks. 187Os/188Os values range from typical mantle values (0.123-0.129), to slightly elevated (0.133) in one peridotite with an unusually low Os content, to a high of 0.145 in the quartz-rich eclogite. The presence of garnet porphyroblasts that enclose primary euhedral chlorite, together with the chemical evidence, suggest these samples are associated with mantle melting in the presence of H2O near their peak P-T conditions and may represent both residues and trapped melts within a paleo-mantle wedge. The peak P-T conditions of these rocks are also similar to the solidus conditions of H2O-saturated fertile mantle based on experimental determinations. Thus the Higashi-akaishi peridotite may be a real world analog

  20. Periodic nanostructures from self assembled wedge-type block-copolymers

    DOEpatents

    Xia, Yan; Sveinbjornsson, Benjamin R.; Grubbs, Robert H.; Weitekamp, Raymond; Miyake, Garret M.; Piunova, Victoria; Daeffler, Christopher Scot

    2015-06-02

    The invention provides a class of wedge-type block copolymers having a plurality of chemically different blocks, at least a portion of which incorporates a wedge group-containing block providing useful properties. For example, use of one or more wedge group-containing blocks in some block copolymers of the invention significantly inhibits chain entanglement and, thus, the present block copolymers materials provide a class of polymer materials capable of efficient molecular self-assembly to generate a range of structures, such as periodic nanostructures and microstructures. Materials of the present invention include copolymers having one or more wedge group-containing blocks, and optionally for some applications copolymers also incorporating one or more polymer side group-containing blocks. The present invention also provides useful methods of making and using wedge-type block copolymers.

  1. Group sequential designs for stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials.

    PubMed

    Grayling, Michael J; Wason, James Ms; Mander, Adrian P

    2017-10-01

    The stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial design has received substantial attention in recent years. Although various extensions to the original design have been proposed, no guidance is available on the design of stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials with interim analyses. In an individually randomised trial setting, group sequential methods can provide notable efficiency gains and ethical benefits. We address this by discussing how established group sequential methodology can be adapted for stepped-wedge designs. Utilising the error spending approach to group sequential trial design, we detail the assumptions required for the determination of stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials with interim analyses. We consider early stopping for efficacy, futility, or efficacy and futility. We describe first how this can be done for any specified linear mixed model for data analysis. We then focus on one particular commonly utilised model and, using a recently completed stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial, compare the performance of several designs with interim analyses to the classical stepped-wedge design. Finally, the performance of a quantile substitution procedure for dealing with the case of unknown variance is explored. We demonstrate that the incorporation of early stopping in stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial designs could reduce the expected sample size under the null and alternative hypotheses by up to 31% and 22%, respectively, with no cost to the trial's type-I and type-II error rates. The use of restricted error maximum likelihood estimation was found to be more important than quantile substitution for controlling the type-I error rate. The addition of interim analyses into stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials could help guard against time-consuming trials conducted on poor performing treatments and also help expedite the implementation of efficacious treatments. In future, trialists should consider incorporating early stopping of some kind into

  2. P-Wave to Rayleigh-wave conversion coefficients for wedge corners; model experiments

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gangi, A.F.; Wesson, R.L.

    1978-01-01

    An analytic solution is not available for the diffraction of elastic waves by wedges; however, numerical solutions of finite-difference type are available for selected wedge angles. The P- to Rayleigh-wave conversion coefficients at wedge tips have been measured on two-dimensional seismic models for stress-free wedges with wedge angles, ??0, of 10, 30, 60, 90 and 120??. The conversion coefficients show two broad peaks and a minimum as a function of the angle between the wedge face and the direction of the incident P-wave. The minimum occurs for the P wave incident parallel to the wedge face and one maximum is near an incidence angle of 90?? to the wedge face. The amplitude of this maximum, relative to the other, decreases as the wedge angle increases. The asymmetry of the conversion coefficients, CPR(??; ??0), relative to parallel incidence (?? = 0) increases as the wedge angle increases. The locations of the maxima and the minimum as well as the asymmetry can be explained qualitatively. The conversion coefficients are measured with an accuracy of ??5% in those regions where there are no interfering waves. A comparison of the data for the 10?? wedge with the theoretical results for a half plane (0?? wedge) shows good correlation. ?? 1978.

  3. Ice Wedges as Winter Climate Archives - New Results from the Northeast Siberian Arctic and Discussion of the Paleoclimatic Value of Ice Wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Opel, T.; Meyer, H.; Laepple, T.; Rehfeld, K.; Mollenhauer, G.; Alexander, D.; Murton, J.

    2017-12-01

    Arctic climate has experienced major changes over the past millennia that are yet not fully understood in terms of external and internal controls, spatial, temporal, and seasonal patterns. The interpretation of stable isotope data in permafrost ice wedges provides unique information on past winter climate, not or not sufficiently captured by other Arctic climate archives. Ice wedges grow in polygonal patterns owing to frost cracking of the frozen ground in winter and frost-crack filling mostly by snowmelt in spring. Their oxygen isotope values are indicative of temperatures in the cold period of the year (meteorological winter and spring). Recently, an ice-wedge record from the Lena River Delta suggested for the first time, that Siberian winter temperatures were warming throughout the Holocene, contradicting most other Arctic paleoclimate reconstructions. As this was based on a single record, the representativity and spatial extent of the reconstructed winter warming signal remained unclear. In this two-part contribution, we first present a new ice-wedge δ18O record from the Oyogos Yar mainland coast (Northeast Siberian Arctic) and then discuss more generally the paleoclimatic value of ice wedges. The new Oyogos Yar ice-wedge record is based on paired stable-isotope and radiocarbon-age data and spans the last two millennia. It confirms the long-term winter warming signal as well as the unprecedented temperature rise in the last decades. This demonstrates that winter warming over the last millennia is a coherent feature in the Northeastern Siberian Arctic, supporting the hypothesis of an insolation-driven seasonal Holocene temperature evolution followed by a strong warming most likely related to anthropogenic forcing. Considering additional ice-wedge data from the Siberian Laptev Sea region we discuss the paleoclimatic value of ice wedges as high-quality winter climate archive. We assess potentials and challenges of this so far rather understudied source of

  4. Standard biostratigraphic scheme of planktonic foraminifera for the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone, northwestern Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayashi, H.; Nishi, H.; Ikehara, M.; Tanaka, T.; Matsuzaki, K.

    2013-12-01

    The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) was planned for comprehensive understanding of repeated mega-earthquakes along the subduction boundary of the Philippine Sea Plate. One of fundamental purposes of this project is to reconstruct the tectonic history of the seismogenic zone. For this purpose, we need an integrated stratigraphic approach including biostratigraphic method. With respect to previous studies, sediments from the Kumano forarc basin and accretionary complex of the seismogenic zone contain calcareous microfossils such as planktonic foraminifera (Hayashi et al., 2011). In addition, Miocene to Pliocene ocean-floor sediments in the Shikoku basin also contain planktonic foraminifera with several barren interval (Expedition 322 Scientists, 2010). We present a composite planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy using five drilling sites of the NanTroSEIZE transect. These sites are placed in the Kumamo forarc basin (Site C0002), upper trench-slope basin (Site C0001), trench slope (Sites C0022), lower trench-slope basin(C0021) and the Shikoku basin (Site C0012). Total 43 biohorizons were recognized from middle Miocene to Pleistocene sequences with three grades of reliability. Among them, 36 biohorizons were reported with astronomically-tuned ages by Wade et al. (2011) and Tian et al. (2008). These astronomical-tuned ages of biohorizons are in good agreement with each other and consistent with magnetostratigraphy. In particular notice to the comparison between the two different timetables, Tian et al.'s (2008) biohorizons are more concordant with calcareous nannofossil data than those of Wade et al. (2011). It can be explained by the difference of biogeographic provinces of planktonic foraminifera: Tian et al. (2008) constructed their astronomically-tuned records by using sediments from ODP Site 1148 in the South China Sea, about 2,300 km southwest of Site C0012, whereas Wade et al. (2011) are mainly based on Atlantic sites (ODP Sites 925 and

  5. Hells Canyon to the Bitterroot front: A transect from the accretionary margin eastward across the Idaho batholith

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lewis, Reed S.; Smith, Keegan L.; Gaschnig, Richard M.; LaMaskin, Todd A.; Lund, Karen; Gray, Keith D.; Tikoff, Basil; Stetson-Lee, Tor; Moore, Nicholas

    2014-01-01

    This field guide covers geology across north-central Idaho from the Snake River in the west across the Bitterroot Mountains to the east to near Missoula, Montana. The regional geology includes a much-modified Mesozoic accretionary boundary along the western side of Idaho across which allochthonous Permian to Cretaceous arc complexes of the Blue Mountains province to the west are juxtaposed against autochthonous Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic North American metasedimentary assemblages intruded by Cretaceous and Paleogene plutons to the east. The accretionary boundary turns sharply near Orofino, Idaho, from north-trending in the south to west-trending, forming the Syringa embayment, then disappears westward under Miocene cover rocks of the Columbia River Basalt Group. The Coolwater culmination east of the Syringa embayment exposes allochthonous rocks well east of an ideal steep suture. North and east of it is the Bitterroot lobe of the Idaho batholith, which intruded Precambrian continental crust in the Cretaceous and Paleocene to form one of the classical North American Cordilleran batholiths. Eocene Challis plutons, products of the Tertiary western U.S. ignimbrite flare-up, intrude those batholith rocks. This guide describes the geology in three separate road logs: (1) The Wallowa terrane of the Blue Mountains province from White Bird, Idaho, west into Hells Canyon and faults that complicate the story; (2) the Mesozoic accretionary boundary from White Bird to the South Fork Clearwater River east of Grangeville and then north to Kooskia, Idaho; and (3) the bend in the accretionary boundary, the Coolwater culmination, and the Bitterroot lobe of the Idaho batholith along Highway 12 east from near Lewiston, Idaho, to Lolo, Montana.

  6. Study on the shock interference in a wedged convergent-divergent channel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, F. M.; Wang, C. Z.

    The investigation of shock reflection-to-diffraction phenomena upon a wedged convergent-divergent channel produced by a planar incident shock wave have been done in the shock tube facility of Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng-Kung University. The experiment proceeds upon seven wedged convergent-divergent channels with the forward and rear wedge angles arrangement of them are (50°, 50°), (35°, 35°), (50°, 35°), (35°, 50°), (50°, 0°), (35°, 0°), and (90°, 0°), respectively. They were tested at Mach numbers of 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6, respectively. On the first wedged channel, following the regular reflection on a 50°- wedged surface by the incident shock wave, shock diffraction with Mach stem has been observed as it moves to the downstream wedge surface. On the apex of the wedge, the secondary reflected shock behaviors as a sector of the blast shock moving toward the centerline of the channel. From the color schlieren pictures it has been observed that there exists a pattern of blast-wave-type high gas density gradient region near the wedge apex. Following the Mach reflection from the 35° -wedged surface on which only the Mach stem diffracted across the apex and following with a small region of disturbed acoustic wave front. The shock interference, which proceeds by the Mach reflection-to-diffraction generates a very complicate vortical flow structure. The measurement of the peak pressure along centerline of the channel downstream of the wedge apex indicates that it is larger near the apex and it decreases downstream. It is larger for larger convergent wedge angle and It is smaller for larger divergent wedge angle.

  7. Microtopographic control on the ground thermal regime in ice wedge polygons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abolt, Charles J.; Young, Michael H.; Atchley, Adam L.; Harp, Dylan R.

    2018-06-01

    The goal of this research is to constrain the influence of ice wedge polygon microtopography on near-surface ground temperatures. Ice wedge polygon microtopography is prone to rapid deformation in a changing climate, and cracking in the ice wedge depends on thermal conditions at the top of the permafrost; therefore, feedbacks between microtopography and ground temperature can shed light on the potential for future ice wedge cracking in the Arctic. We first report on a year of sub-daily ground temperature observations at 5 depths and 9 locations throughout a cluster of low-centered polygons near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and demonstrate that the rims become the coldest zone of the polygon during winter, due to thinner snowpack. We then calibrate a polygon-scale numerical model of coupled thermal and hydrologic processes against this dataset, achieving an RMSE of less than 1.1 °C between observed and simulated ground temperature. Finally, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of the model by systematically manipulating the height of the rims and the depth of the troughs and tracking the effects on ice wedge temperature. The results indicate that winter temperatures in the ice wedge are sensitive to both rim height and trough depth, but more sensitive to rim height. Rims act as preferential outlets of subsurface heat; increasing rim size decreases winter temperatures in the ice wedge. Deeper troughs lead to increased snow entrapment, promoting insulation of the ice wedge. The potential for ice wedge cracking is therefore reduced if rims are destroyed or if troughs subside, due to warmer conditions in the ice wedge. These findings can help explain the origins of secondary ice wedges in modern and ancient polygons. The findings also imply that the potential for re-establishing rims in modern thermokarst-affected terrain will be limited by reduced cracking activity in the ice wedges, even if regional air temperatures stabilize.

  8. Three-dimensional splay fault geometry and implications for tsunami generation.

    PubMed

    Moore, G F; Bangs, N L; Taira, A; Kuramoto, S; Pangborn, E; Tobin, H J

    2007-11-16

    Megasplay faults, very long thrust faults that rise from the subduction plate boundary megathrust and intersect the sea floor at the landward edge of the accretionary prism, are thought to play a role in tsunami genesis. We imaged a megasplay thrust system along the Nankai Trough in three dimensions, which allowed us to map the splay fault geometry and its lateral continuity. The megasplay is continuous from the main plate interface fault upwards to the sea floor, where it cuts older thrust slices of the frontal accretionary prism. The thrust geometry and evidence of large-scale slumping of surficial sediments show that the fault is active and that the activity has evolved toward the landward direction with time, contrary to the usual seaward progression of accretionary thrusts. The megasplay fault has progressively steepened, substantially increasing the potential for vertical uplift of the sea floor with slip. We conclude that slip on the megasplay fault most likely contributed to generating devastating historic tsunamis, such as the 1944 moment magnitude 8.1 Tonankai event, and it is this geometry that makes this margin and others like it particularly prone to tsunami genesis.

  9. Numerical study on dusty shock reflection over a double wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Jingyue; Ding, Juchun; Luo, Xisheng

    2018-01-01

    The dusty shock reflection over a double wedge with different length scales is systematically studied using an adaptive multi-phase solver. The non-equilibrium effect caused by the particle relaxation is found to significantly influence the shock reflection process. Specifically, it behaves differently for double wedges with different length scales of the first wedge L1. For a double wedge with L1 relatively longer than the particle relaxation length λ, the equilibrium shock dominates the shock reflection and seven typical reflection processes are obtained, which is similar to the pure gas counterpart. For a double wedge with L1 shorter than λ, the non-equilibrium effect manifests more evidently, i.e., three parts of the dusty shock system including the frozen shock, the relaxation zone, and the equilibrium shock together dominate the reflection process. As a result, the shock reflection is far more complicated than the pure gas counterpart and eleven transition processes are found under various wedge angles. These findings give a complete description of all possible processes of dusty shock reflection over a double wedge and may be useful for better understanding the non-equilibrium shock reflection over complex structures.

  10. The Substorm Current Wedge Revisited

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kepko, Larry; McPherron, Robert; Apatenkov, Sergey; Baumjohann, Wolfgang; Birn, Joachim; Lester, Mark; Nakamura, Rumi; Pulkkinen, Tuija; Sergeev, Victor

    2015-04-01

    Almost 40 years ago the concept of the substorm current wedge was developed to explain the magnetic signatures observed on the ground and in geosynchronous orbit during substorm expansion. In the ensuing decades new observations, including radar and low-altitude spacecraft, MHD simulations, and theoretical considerations have tremendously advanced our understanding of this system. The AMPTE/IRM, THEMIS and Cluster missions have added considerable observational knowledge, especially on the important role of fast flows in producing the stresses that generate the substorm current wedge. Recent detailed, multi-spacecraft, multi-instrument observations both in the magnetosphere and in the ionosphere have brought a wealth of new information about the details of the temporal evolution and structure of the current system. In this paper, we briefly review recent in situ and ground-based observations and theoretical work that have demonstrated a need for an update of the original picture. We present a revised, time-dependent picture of the substorm current wedge that follows its evolution from the initial substorm flows through substorm expansion and recovery, and conclude by identifying open questions.

  11. Acoustic and gravity features of mud volcanoes along the seaward part of the Kumano forearc basin, Nankai region, central Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asada, M.

    2017-12-01

    Mud volcanoes (MV) are geological features that are observed all over the world, especially along plate convergent margins. MVs bring fluid and sediment to the surface from depth. MVs around Japan are expected to transport of information from the shallow portions of the seismogenic zone. The Kumano forearc basin (FAB) in the Nankai region is the most studied area in Japan. It is bounded by a shelf on the north, and the Kumano Basin edge fault zone (KBEFZ) on the south. The Kumano FAB has 1-2 km of sediment and overlies the accretionary prism. There are at least 14 MVs in the Kumano Basin. Most of them are found over the northern basin floor, and at least one MV is at the KBEFZ. The MV at the KBEFZ is imaged on a 3D seismic data set as a small topographic feature on seafloor with a disrupted BSR below it. On high-resolution acoustic imagery, it is an 80 100m-high hill with a crater-like depression. It is characterized by a negative ph anomaly detected just above it. High-backscatter seafloor recognized around the MV suggests that harder seafloor exists in that area. To determine whether large subseafloor diapirs exist below active MVs, we try to detect the gravity contrast between the allochthonous materials and basin sediment. Gravity data were collected by research vessels over the area in 2012 2017. After corrections of drift and Etovos effects, absolute gravity, free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies were calculated. The gravity data do not always show anomalies directly on MVs over the northern basin, thus suggesting that larger diapirs which have gravity contrast over a few milli-Gals do not exist below most of MVs in this basin. Instead, a large negative gravity anomaly is found at the northeastern end of the Kumano Basin. Localized positive anomalies exist along the KBEFZ in the area of theMV. The positive anomaly may suggest that an allochthonous high-density sediment body intrudes along the highly deformed, weak, fault zone.

  12. Experimental investigation of sound absorption of acoustic wedges for anechoic chambers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belyaev, I. V.; Golubev, A. Yu.; Zverev, A. Ya.; Makashov, S. Yu.; Palchikovskiy, V. V.; Sobolev, A. F.; Chernykh, V. V.

    2015-09-01

    The results of measuring the sound absorption by acoustic wedges, which were performed in AC-3 and AC-11 reverberation chambers at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), are presented. Wedges of different densities manufactured from superfine basaltic and thin mineral fibers were investigated. The results of tests of these wedges were compared to the sound absorption of wedges of the operating AC-2 anechoic facility at TsAGI. It is shown that basaltic-fiber wedges have better sound-absorption characteristics than the investigated analogs and can be recommended for facing anechoic facilities under construction.

  13. Group sequential designs for stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials

    PubMed Central

    Grayling, Michael J; Wason, James MS; Mander, Adrian P

    2017-01-01

    Background/Aims: The stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial design has received substantial attention in recent years. Although various extensions to the original design have been proposed, no guidance is available on the design of stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials with interim analyses. In an individually randomised trial setting, group sequential methods can provide notable efficiency gains and ethical benefits. We address this by discussing how established group sequential methodology can be adapted for stepped-wedge designs. Methods: Utilising the error spending approach to group sequential trial design, we detail the assumptions required for the determination of stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials with interim analyses. We consider early stopping for efficacy, futility, or efficacy and futility. We describe first how this can be done for any specified linear mixed model for data analysis. We then focus on one particular commonly utilised model and, using a recently completed stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial, compare the performance of several designs with interim analyses to the classical stepped-wedge design. Finally, the performance of a quantile substitution procedure for dealing with the case of unknown variance is explored. Results: We demonstrate that the incorporation of early stopping in stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial designs could reduce the expected sample size under the null and alternative hypotheses by up to 31% and 22%, respectively, with no cost to the trial’s type-I and type-II error rates. The use of restricted error maximum likelihood estimation was found to be more important than quantile substitution for controlling the type-I error rate. Conclusion: The addition of interim analyses into stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials could help guard against time-consuming trials conducted on poor performing treatments and also help expedite the implementation of efficacious treatments. In future, trialists should

  14. Anomalous Accretionary Margin Topography Formed By Repeated Earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Furlong, Kevin P.

    2014-05-01

    It has long been recognized that accretionary margins of major subduction zones undergo substantial deformation. However even with the large amounts of shortening accommodated within the margin, for most subduction zones, there is an extended submarine portion to the accretionary, highly-deformed upper-plate between the trench and the coast. This is a vexing situation since this submarine section typically overlies the actual locked or coupled patch of the plate interface. The result of this is added difficulty in directly observing processes related to the plate interface coupling - such processes as micro-seismicity and the actual patterns of plate coupling. There are a few locations globally in which there are sub-aerially exposed terranes that lie closer to the trench and overlie the inferred coupled or seismogenic portion of the plate interface. Such regions have taken on significance in subduction zone studies as they provide locations to observe the plate interface coupling effects in the near-field. In particular the Pacific coast of Costa Rica provides such a location, and there has been substantial geologic, geophysical, and geodetic research exploiting the positions of these near-trench peninsulas (Nicoya, Osa, and Burica). These sites provide near-field access to plate-interface processes, but whether they represent typical subduction zone behavior remains an open question as the deformational processes or inherited structures that have produced this anomalous topography are not well constrained. Simply put, if the existence of these sub-aerial, near-trench terranes is a result of anomalous behavior on the plate interface (as has been suggested), then their utility in providing high-fidelity near-field insight into the plate interface properties and processes is substantially reduced. Here we propose a new mechanism that could be responsible for the formation of both the Nicoya and Osa Peninsulas in the past, and is currently producing a third peninsula

  15. Isolating active orogenic wedge deformation in the southern Subandes of Bolivia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiss, Jonathan R.; Brooks, Benjamin A.; Foster, James H.; Bevis, Michael; Echalar, Arturo; Caccamise, Dana; Heck, Jacob; Kendrick, Eric; Ahlgren, Kevin; Raleigh, David; Smalley, Robert; Vergani, Gustavo

    2016-08-01

    A new GPS-derived surface velocity field for the central Andean backarc permits an assessment of orogenic wedge deformation across the southern Subandes of Bolivia, where recent studies suggest that great earthquakes (>Mw 8) are possible. We find that the backarc is not isolated from the main plate boundary seismic cycle. Rather, signals from subduction zone earthquakes contaminate the velocity field at distances greater than 800 km from the Chile trench. Two new wedge-crossing velocity profiles, corrected for seasonal and earthquake affects, reveal distinct regions that reflect (1) locking of the main plate boundary across the high Andes, (2) the location of and loading rate at the back of orogenic wedge, and (3) an east flank velocity gradient indicative of décollement locking beneath the Subandes. Modeling of the Subandean portions of the profiles indicates along-strike variations in the décollement locked width (WL) and wedge loading rate; the northern wedge décollement has a WL of ~100 km while accumulating slip at a rate of ~14 mm/yr, whereas the southern wedge has a WL of ~61 km and a slip rate of ~7 mm/yr. When compared to Quaternary estimates of geologic shortening and evidence for Holocene internal wedge deformation, the new GPS-derived wedge loading rates may indicate that the southern wedge is experiencing a phase of thickening via reactivation of preexisting internal structures. In contrast, we suspect that the northern wedge is undergoing an accretion or widening phase primarily via slip on relatively young thrust-front faults.

  16. A Wedge Absorber Experiment at MICE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neuffer, David; Mohayai, Tanaz; Rogers, Chris

    2017-05-01

    Emittance exchange mediated by wedge absorbers is required for longitudinal ionization cooling and for final transverse emittance minimization for a muon collider. A wedge absorber within the MICE beam line could serve as a demonstration of the type of emittance exchange needed for 6-D cooling, including the configurations needed for muon colliders, as well as configurations for low-energy muon sources. Parameters for this test are explored in simulation and possible experimental configurations with simulated results are presented.

  17. Planar shock reflection on a wedged concave reflector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Fan-Ming; Sheu, Kuen-Dong

    2001-04-01

    The investigation of shock reflection and shock diffraction phenomena upon a wedged concave reflector produced by a planar incident shock wave has been done in the shock tube facility of Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng- Kung University. The experiment proceeds upon three wedged concave reflectors models the upper and lower wedge angles arrangement of them are (50 degrees, 50 degrees) - 35 degrees, 35 degrees) and (50 degrees, 35 degrees), respectively. They were tested at Mach numbers of 1.2 - 1.65 and 2.0. On the first reflector, following the regular reflection on the 50 degree-wedged surface by the incident shock wave, a Mach shock diffraction behavior has been observed as shock moves outward from the apex of the reflector. On the apex of the reflector, it behaviors as a sector of the blast shock moving on a diverging channel. On the shadowgraph pictures it has been observed there exists a pattern of gas dynamics focus upon the second reflector. The Mach reflection from the 35 degree- wedged surface as being generated by the planar incident shock wave, on which the overlapping of the two triple points from both wedged surface offers the focusing mechanism. The shock interference, which proceeds by the Mach shock reflection and the regular shock diffraction from the reflector, generates a very complicate rolling-up of slip lines system. On the third reflector, the mixed shock interference behavior has been observed of which two diffraction shocks from concave 50 degree-wedged surface and 35 degree-wedged surface interfere with each other. The measurement of the peak pressure along a ray from the model apex parallel to incident shock direction indicates that the measured maximum pressure rising is larger near the apex of the reflector. Considering the measured maximum pressure increment due to the reflection shocks indicate that the wave strength upon large apex angle reflector is greater than it is upon small apex angle reflector

  18. Dynamics of large submarine landslide from analyzing the basal section of mass-transport deposits sampled by IODP Nankai Trough Submarine Landslide History (NanTroSLIDE)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strasser, M.; Dugan, B.; Henry, P.; Jurado, M. J.; Kanagawa, K.; Kanamatsu, T.; Moore, G. F.; Panieri, G.; Pini, G. A.

    2014-12-01

    Mulitbeam swath bathymetry and reflection seismic data image large submarine landslide complexes along ocean margins worldwide. However, slope failure initiation, acceleration of motion and mass-transport dynamics of submarine landslides, which are all key to assess their tsunamigenic potential or impact on offshore infrastructure, cannot be conclusively deduced from geometric expression and acoustic characteristics of geophysical data sets alone, but cores and in situ data from the subsurface are needed to complement our understanding of submarine landslide dynamics. Here we present data and results from drilling, logging and coring thick mass-transport deposits (MTDs) in the Nankai Trough accretionary prism during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expeditions 333 and 338. We integrate analysis on 3D seismic and Logging While Drilling (LWD) data sets, with data from laboratory analysis on core samples (geotechnical shear experiments, X-ray Computed Tomography (X-CT), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of deformation indicators, and magnetic fabric analysis) to study nature and mode of deformation and dynamics of mass transport in this active tectonic setting. In particular, we show that Fe-S filaments commonly observed on X-ray CT data of marine sediments, likely resulting from early diagenesis of worm burrows, are folded in large MTDs and display preferential orientation at their base. The observed lineation has low dip and is interpreted as the consequence of shear along the basal surface, revealing a new proxy for strain in soft sediments that can be applied to cores that reach through the entire depth of MTDs. Shear deformation in the lower part of thick MTDs is also revealed from AMS data, which - in combination with other paleo-magnetic data - is used to reconstruct strain and transport direction of the landslides.

  19. 21 CFR 884.5200 - Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge. 884.5200... Devices § 884.5200 Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge. (a) Identification. A hemorrhoid prevention... hemorrhoids associated with vaginal childbirth. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The special...

  20. 21 CFR 884.5200 - Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge. 884.5200... Devices § 884.5200 Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge. (a) Identification. A hemorrhoid prevention... hemorrhoids associated with vaginal childbirth. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The special...

  1. 21 CFR 884.5200 - Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge. 884.5200... Devices § 884.5200 Hemorrhoid prevention pressure wedge. (a) Identification. A hemorrhoid prevention... hemorrhoids associated with vaginal childbirth. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The special...

  2. Erosion controls transpressional wedge kinematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leever, K. A.; Oncken, O.

    2012-04-01

    High resolution digital image analysis of analogue tectonic models reveals that erosion strongly influences the kinematics of brittle transpressional wedges. In the basally-driven experimental setup with low-angle transpression (convergence angle of 20 degrees) and a homogeneous brittle rheology, a doubly vergent wedge develops above the linear basal velocity discontinuity. In the erosive case, the experiment is interrupted and the wedge topography fully removed at displacement increments of ~3/4 the model thickness. The experiments are observed by a stereo pair of high resolution CCD cameras and the incremental displacement field calculated by Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). From this dataset, fault slip on individual fault segments - magnitude and angle on the horizontal plane relative to the fault trace - is extracted using the method of Leever et al. (2011). In the non-erosive case, after an initial stage of strain localization, the wedge experiences two transient stages of (1) oblique slip and (2) localized strain partitioning. In the second stage, the fault slip angle on the pro-shear(s) rotates by some 30 degrees from oblique to near-orthogonal. Kinematic steady state is attained in the third stage when a through-going central strike-slip zone develops above the basal velocity discontinuity. In this stage, strain is localized on two main faults (or fault zones) and fully partitioned between plate boundary-parallel displacement on the central strike-slip zone and near-orthogonal reverse faulting at the front (pro-side) of the wedge. The fault slip angle on newly formed pro-shears in this stage is stable at 60-65 degrees (see also Leever et al., 2011). In contrast, in the erosive case, slip remains more oblique on the pro-shears throughout the experiment and a separate central strike-slip zone does not form, i.e. strain partitioning does not fully develop. In addition, more faults are active simultaneously. Definition of stages is based on slip on

  3. Fracture and contact problems for an elastic wedge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Erdogan, F.; Arin, K.

    1974-01-01

    The plane elastostatic contact problem for an infinite elastic wedge of arbitrary angle is discussed. The medium is loaded through a frictionless rigid wedge of a given symmetric profile. Using the Mellin transform formulation the mixed boundary value problem is reduced to a singular integral equation with the contact stress as the unknown function. With the application of the results to the fracture of the medium in mind, the main emphasis in the study has been on the investigation of the singular nature of the stress state around the apex of the wedge and on the determination of the contact pressure.

  4. Fracture and contact problems for an elastic wedge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Erdogan, F.; Arin, K.

    1976-01-01

    The paper deals with the plane elastostatic contact problem for an infinite elastic wedge of arbitrary angle. The medium is loaded through a frictionless rigid wedge of a given symmetric profile. Using the Mellin transform formulation the mixed boundary value problem is reduced to a singular integral equation with the contact stress as the unknown function. With the application of the results to the fracture of the medium in mind, the main emphasis in the study has been on the investigation of the singular nature of the stress state around the apex of the wedge and on the determination of the contact pressure.

  5. Glass Microbeads in Analog Models of Thrust Wedges.

    PubMed

    D'Angelo, Taynara; Gomes, Caroline J S

    2017-01-01

    Glass microbeads are frequently used in analog physical modeling to simulate weak detachment zones but have been neglected in models of thrust wedges. Microbeads differ from quartz sand in grain shape and in low angle of internal friction. In this study, we compared the structural characteristics of microbeads and sand wedges. To obtain a better picture of their mechanical behavior, we determined the physical and frictional properties of microbeads using polarizing and scanning electron microscopy and ring-shear tests, respectively. We built shortening experiments with different basal frictions and measured the thickness, slope and length of the wedges and also the fault spacings. All the microbeads experiments revealed wedge geometries that were consistent with previous studies that have been performed with sand. However, the deformation features in the microbeads shortened over low to intermediate basal frictions were slightly different. Microbeads produced different fault geometries than sand as well as a different grain flow. In addition, they produced slip on minor faults, which was associated with distributed deformation and gave the microbeads wedges the appearance of disharmonic folds. We concluded that the glass microbeads may be used to simulate relatively competent rocks, like carbonates, which may be characterized by small-scale deformation features.

  6. Deformation processes in orogenic wedges: New methods and application to Northwestern Washington State

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thissen, Christopher J.

    is essentially two-dimensional. We use this constraint to develop a suite of orogenic deformation models that use slab height and erosion rate data as boundary conditions. We use the models to show that influx of sediments distributed along an accretionary front can greatly reduce deformation required to maintain wedge taper. Due to the two-dimensional nature of deformation in the Olympics, a series of two-dimensional transects across the peninsula provides an approximation for non-elastic deformation across the Peninsula. We show how the shallow slab height and deeper exhumation at the core of peninsula led to the domal structure of the Olympics. This model also explains the counter-clockwise vertical axis rotations north of the peninsula, and clockwise rotations south of the peninsula through horizontal shear, similar to opening a gate. Finally, the horizontal surface velocities predicted by the models suggests that up to 15% of GPS velocities may reflect non-elastic, permanent translation of material towards the rear of the wedge.

  7. Seismic velocity structure of the sediment seaward of Cascadia Subduction Zone deformation front

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, S.; Gibson, J. C.; Carbotte, S. M.; Canales, J. P.; Nedimovic, M. R.; Carton, H. D.

    2015-12-01

    We present seismic velocity structure of the sediment section seaward of the Cascadia Subduction Zone deformation front (DF), derived from multichannel seismic data acquired during the 2012 Juan de Fuca Ridge to Trench experiment. Detailed velocity analyses are conducted on every 100th prestack-time-migrated common reflection point gather (625 m spacing) within 45 km seaward of the DF along two ridge-to-trench transects offshore Oregon at 44.6˚N and Washington at 47.4˚N respectively, and on every 200th common mid-point gather (1250 m spacing) along a ~400 km-long trench-parallel transect ~15 km from the DF. We observe a landward increase of sediment velocity starting from ~15-20 km from the DF on both Oregon and Washington transects, which may result from increased horizontal compressive tectonic stress within the accretionary wedge and thermally induced dehydration processes in the sediment column. Although the velocity of near-basement sediments at 30 km from the DF is similar (~3.1 km/s) on both transects, the velocity increases are larger on the Washington transect, to ~4.0 km/s beneath the DF (sediment thickness ~3.2 km), than on the Oregon transect, to ~3.6 km/s beneath the DF (sediment thickness ~3.5 km). The long-wavelength sediment velocity structure on the trench-parallel transect confirms this regional difference in deep sediment velocity and also highlights variations related to a group of WNW-trending strike-slip faults along the margin. Offshore Washington, where higher sediment velocity seaward of the DF is observed, the accretionary wedge is wide with a decollement located close to the basement and landward-verging thrust faults. By contrast, offshore Oregon, the lower sediment velocity seaward of the DF is associated with a narrow accretionary wedge, a shallow decollement ~1 km above the basement, and seaward-verging thrust faults. The regional differences in deep sediment velocity may be related to the along-strike variation in sediment

  8. Pore pressure development and progressive dewatering in underthrust sediments at the Costa Rican subduction margin: Comparison with northern Barbados and Nankai

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saffer, Demian M.

    2003-05-01

    At subduction zones, pore pressure affects fault strength, deformation style, structural development, and potentially the updip limit of seismogenic faulting behavior through its control on effective stress and consolidation state. Despite its importance for a wide range of subduction zone processes, few detailed measurements or estimates of pore pressure at subduction zones exist. In this paper, I combine logging-while-drilling (LWD) data, downhole physical properties data, and laboratory consolidation tests from the Costa Rican, Nankai, and Barbados subduction zones, to document the development and downsection variability of effective stress and pore pressure within underthrust sediments as they are progressively loaded by subduction. At Costa Rica, my results suggest that the lower portion of the underthrust section remains nearly undrained, whereas the upper portion is partially drained. An inferred minimum in effective stress developed within the section ˜1.5 km landward of the trench is consistent with core and seismic observations of faulting, and illustrates the important effects of heterogeneous drainage on structural development. Inferred pore pressures at the Nankai and northern Barbados subduction zones indicate nearly undrained conditions throughout the studied intervals, and are consistent with existing direct measurements and consolidation test results. Slower dewatering at Nankai and Barbados than at Costa Rica can be attributed to higher permeability and larger compressibility of near-surface sediments underthrust at Costa Rica. Results for the three margins indicate that the pore pressure ratio (λ) in poorly drained underthrust sediments should increase systematically with distance landward of the trench, and may vary with depth.

  9. Aligning Optical Fibers by Means of Actuated MEMS Wedges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgan, Brian; Ghodssi, Reza

    2007-01-01

    Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) of a proposed type would be designed and fabricated to effect lateral and vertical alignment of optical fibers with respect to optical, electro-optical, optoelectronic, and/or photonic devices on integrated circuit chips and similar monolithic device structures. A MEMS device of this type would consist of a pair of oppositely sloped alignment wedges attached to linear actuators that would translate the wedges in the plane of a substrate, causing an optical fiber in contact with the sloping wedge surfaces to undergo various displacements parallel and perpendicular to the plane. In making it possible to accurately align optical fibers individually during the packaging stages of fabrication of the affected devices, this MEMS device would also make it possible to relax tolerances in other stages of fabrication, thereby potentially reducing costs and increasing yields. In a typical system according to the proposal (see Figure 1), one or more pair(s) of alignment wedges would be positioned to create a V groove in which an optical fiber would rest. The fiber would be clamped at a suitable distance from the wedges to create a cantilever with a slight bend to push the free end of the fiber gently to the bottom of the V groove. The wedges would be translated in the substrate plane by amounts Dx1 and Dx2, respectively, which would be chosen to move the fiber parallel to the plane by a desired amount Dx and perpendicular to the plane by a desired amount Dy. The actuators used to translate the wedges could be variants of electrostatic or thermal actuators that are common in MEMS.

  10. The crack and wedging problem for an orthotropic strip

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cinar, A.; Erdogan, F.

    1982-01-01

    The plane elasticity problem for an orthotropic strip containing a crack parallel to its boundaries is considered. The problem is formulated under general mixed mode loading conditions. The stress intensity factors depend on two dimensionless orthotropic constants only. For the crack problem the results are given for a single crack and two collinear cracks. The calculated results show that of the two orthotropic constants the influence of the stiffness ratio on the stress intensity factors is much more significant than that of the shear parameter. The problem of loading the strip by a rigid rectangular lengths continuous contact is maintained along the wedge strip interface; at a certain critical wedge length the separation starts at the midsection of the wedge, and the length of the separation zone increases rapidly with increasing wedge length.

  11. Seasonal Ice Wedge Dynamics in Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ward, M. K.; Pollard, W. H.

    2017-12-01

    Areas with ice-rice permafrost are vulnerable to thermokarst (lowering of the land surface from melting ground ice). The Fosheim Peninsula on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut is a high Arctic polar desert system with cold permafrost 500 m thick that is ice-rich in the upper 20 - 30 m. Our team has been monitoring changing permafrost conditions on the Fosheim since 1990. In this area ground ice consists mainly of ice-wedge ice and massive tabular ice bodies. With a mean annual temperature of - 19°C, the area is still sensitive to thermokarst as experienced in 2012; one of the warmest summers on record there was a three-fold increase in thermokarst, with the accelerated deepening of ice wedge troughs and the development of retrogressive thaw slumps. In this study, 7 ice wedges were monitored for 7 weeks in July and August, 2017. Ice wedges were chosen to represent different conditions including varying tough depths (0.36 m to 1.2 m), secondary wedge, varying plant cover (heavily covered to bare soil) and one wedge initially experienced ponding from snow melt that subsequently drained. Data collected included active layer depth measurements, soil moisture, ground temperatures at ice wedge through and polygon centres, dGPS and GPR surveys. Using Worldview 2 satellite imagery from 2008, 2012, 2016, these sites were compared to assess changes in polygons at a landscape scale. Ice wedges are ubiquitous to the arctic but may respond differently within different high Arctic environments. With the majority of studies being focused in the lower arctic, this study provides important field data from a high arctic site.

  12. Influence of the substorm current wedge on the Dst index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Friedrich, Erena; Rostoker, Gordon; Connors, Martin G.; McPherron, R. L.

    1999-03-01

    One of the major questions confronting researchers studying the nature of the solar-terrestrial interaction centers around whether or not the substorm expansive phase has any causal effect on the growth of the storm time ring current. This question is often addressed by using the Dst index as a proxy for the storm time ring current and inspecting the main phase growth of Dst in the context of the substorm expansive phases which occur in the same time frame as the ring current growth. In the past it has been assumed that the magnetic effects of the substorm current wedge have little influence on the Dst index because the current wedge is an asymmetric current system, while Dst is supposed to reflect changes in the symmetric component of the ring current. In this paper we shall shown that the substorm current wedge can have a significant effect on the present Dst index, primarily as a consequence of the fact that only four stations are presently used to formulate the index. Calculations are made assuming the instantaneous magnitude of the wedge current is constant at 1 MA. Hourly values of Dst may be as much as 50° smaller than those presented here because of variation of the wedge current over the hour. We shall show how the effect of the current wedge depends on the UT of the expansive phase onset, the angular extent of the current wedge, and the locale of the closure current in the magnetosphere. The fact that the substorm current wedge is a conjugate phenomenon has an important influence on the magnitude of the expansive phase effect in the Dst index.

  13. Nonlinear dynamics of ice-wedge networks and resulting sensitivity to severe cooling events.

    PubMed

    Plug, L J; Werner, B T

    2002-06-27

    Patterns of subsurface wedges of ice that form along cooling-induced tension fractures, expressed at the ground surface by ridges or troughs spaced 10 30 m apart, are ubiquitous in polar lowlands. Fossilized ice wedges, which are widespread at lower latitudes, have been used to infer the duration and mean temperature of cold periods within Proterozoic and Quaternary climates, and recent climate trends have been inferred from fracture frequency in active ice wedges. Here we present simulations from a numerical model for the evolution of ice-wedge networks over a range of climate scenarios, based on the interactions between thermal tensile stress, fracture and ice wedges. We find that short-lived periods of severe cooling permanently alter the spacing between ice wedges as well as their fracture frequency. This affects the rate at which the widths of ice wedges increase as well as the network's response to subsequent climate change. We conclude that wedge spacing and width in ice-wedge networks mainly reflect infrequent episodes of rapidly falling ground temperatures rather than mean conditions.

  14. Vertebral Osteotomies in Ankylosing Spondylitis—Comparison of Outcomes Following Closing Wedge Osteotomy versus Opening Wedge Osteotomy: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Ravinsky, Robert A.; Ouellet, Jean-Albert; Brodt, Erika D.; Dettori, Joseph R.

    2013-01-01

    Study Design Systematic review. Study Rationale To seek out and assess the best quality evidence available comparing opening wedge osteotomy (OWO) and closing wedge osteotomy (CWO) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis to determine whether their results differ with regard to several different subjective and objective outcome measures. Objective The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a difference in subjective and objective outcomes when comparing CWO and OWO in patients with ankylosing spondylitis suffering from clinically significant thoracolumbar kyphosis with respect to quality-of-life assessments, complication risks, and the amount of correction of the spine achieved at follow-up. Methods A systematic review was undertaken of articles published up to July 2012. Electronic databases and reference lists of key articles were searched to identify studies comparing effectiveness and safety outcomes between adult patients with ankylosing spondylitis who received closing wedge versus opening wedge osteotomies. Studies that included pediatric patients, polysegmental osteotomies, or revision procedures were excluded. Two independent reviewers assessed the strength of evidence using the GRADE criteria and disagreements were resolved by consensus. Results From a total of 67 possible citations, 4 retrospective cohorts (class of evidence III) met our inclusion criteria and form the basis for this report. No differences in Oswestry Disability Index, visual analog scale for pain, Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-24 score, SRS-22 score, and patient satisfaction were reported between the closing and opening wedge groups across two studies. Regarding radiological outcomes following closing versus opening osteotomies, mean change in sagittal vertical axis ranged from 8.9 to 10.8 cm and 8.0 to 10.9 cm, respectively, across three studies; mean change in lumbar lordosis ranged from 36 to 47 degrees and 19 to 41 degrees across four studies; and mean change

  15. Double wedge prism based beam deflector for precise laser beam steering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tyszka, Krzysztof; Dobosz, Marek; Bilaszewski, Tomasz

    2018-02-01

    Aiming to increase laser beam pointing stability required in interferometric measurements, we designed a laser beam deflector intended for active laser beam stabilization systems. The design is based on two wedge-prisms: the deflecting wedge driven by a tilting piezo-platform and the fixed wedge to compensate initial beam deflection. Our design allows linear beam steering, independently in the horizontal or vertical direction, with resolution of less than 1 μrad in a range of more than 100 μrad, and no initial deflection of the beam. Moreover, the ratio of the output beam deflection angle and the wedge tilt angle is less than 0.1; therefore, the noise influence is significantly reduced in comparison to standard mirror-based deflectors. The theoretical analyses support the designing process and can serve as a guide to wedge-prism selection. The experimental results are in agreement with theory and confirm the advantages of the presented double wedge system.

  16. The crack and wedging problem for an orthotropic strip

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cinar, A.; Erdogan, F.

    1983-01-01

    The plane elasticity problem for an orthotropic strip containing a crack parallel to its boundaries is considered. The problem is formulated under general mixed mode loading conditions. The stress intensity factors depend on two dimensionless orthotropic constants only. For the crack problem the results are given for a single crack and two collinear cracks. The calculated results show that of the two orthotropic constants the influence of the stiffness ratio on the stress intensity factors is much more significant than that of the shear parameter. The problem of loading the strip by a rigid rectangular lengths continuous contact is maintained along the wedge strip interface; at a certain critical wedge length the separation starts at the midsection of the wedge, and the length of the separation zone increases rapidly with increasing wedge length. Previously announced in STAR as N82-26707

  17. [Biphasic ceramic wedge and plate fixation with locked adjustable screws for open wedge tibial osteotomy].

    PubMed

    Lavallé, F; Pascal-Mousselard, H; Rouvillain, J L; Ribeyre, D; Delattre, O; Catonné, Y

    2004-10-01

    The aim of this radiological study was to evaluate the use of a biphasic ceramic wedge combined with plate fixation with locked adjustable screws for open wedge tibial osteotomy. Twenty-six consecutive patients (27 knees) underwent surgery between December 1999 and March 2002 to establish a normal lower-limb axis. The series included 6 women and 20 men, mean age 50 years (16 right knees and 11 left knees). Partial weight-bearing with crutches was allowed on day 1. A standard radiological assessment was performed on day 1, 90, and 360 (plain AP and lateral stance films of the knee). A pangonogram was performed before surgery and at day 360. Presence of a lateral metaphyseal space, development of peripheral cortical bridges, and osteointegration of the bone substitute-bone interface were evaluated used to assess bone healing. The medial tibial angle between the line tangent to the tibial plateau and the anatomic axis of the tibia (beta) was evaluated to assess preservation of postoperative correction. The HKA angle was determined. Three patients were lost to follow-up and 23 patients (24 knees) were retained for analysis. At last follow-up, presence of peripheral cortical bridges and complete filling of the lateral metaphyseal space demonstrated bone healing in all patients. Good quality osteointegration was achieved since 21 knees did not present an interface between the bone substitute and native bone (homogeneous transition zone). The beta angle was unchanged for 23 knees. A normal axis was observed in patients (16 knees) postoperatively. Use of a biphasic ceramic wedge in combination with plate fixation with locked adjustable screws is a reliable option for open wedge tibial osteotomy. The bone substitute fills the gap well. Tolerance and integration are optimal. Bone healing is achieved. Plate fixation with protected weight bearing appears to be a solid assembly, maintaining these corrections.

  18. Three-Dimensional Vertebral Wedging in Mild and Moderate Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

    PubMed Central

    Scherrer, Sophie-Anne; Begon, Mickaël; Leardini, Alberto; Coillard, Christine; Rivard, Charles-Hilaire; Allard, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Background Vertebral wedging is associated with spinal deformity progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Reporting frontal and sagittal wedging separately could be misleading since these are projected values of a single three-dimensional deformation of the vertebral body. The objectives of this study were to determine if three-dimensional vertebral body wedging is present in mild scoliosis and if there are a preferential vertebral level, position and plane of deformation with increasing scoliotic severity. Methodology Twenty-seven adolescent idiopathic scoliotic girls with mild to moderate Cobb angles (10° to 50°) participated in this study. All subjects had at least one set of bi-planar radiographs taken with the EOS® X-ray imaging system prior to any treatment. Subjects were divided into two groups, separating the mild (under 20°) from the moderate (20° and over) spinal scoliotic deformities. Wedging was calculated in three different geometric planes with respect to the smallest edge of the vertebral body. Results Factorial analyses of variance revealed a main effect for the scoliosis severity but no main effect of vertebral Levels (apex and each of the three vertebrae above and below it) (F = 1.78, p = 0.101). Main effects of vertebral Positions (apex and above or below it) (F = 4.20, p = 0.015) and wedging Planes (F = 34.36, p<0.001) were also noted. Post-hoc analysis demonstrated a greater wedging in the inferior group of vertebrae (3.6°) than the superior group (2.9°, p = 0.019) and a significantly greater wedging (p≤0.03) along the sagittal plane (4.3°). Conclusions Vertebral wedging was present in mild scoliosis and increased as the scoliosis progressed. The greater wedging of the inferior group of vertebrae could be important in estimating the most distal vertebral segment to be restrained by bracing or to be fused in surgery. Largest vertebral body wedging values obtained in the sagittal plane support the claim

  19. Wedge measures parallax separations...on large-scale 70-mm

    Treesearch

    Steven L. Wert; Richard J. Myhre

    1967-01-01

    A new parallax wedge (range: 1.5 to 2 inches) has been designed for use with large-scaled 70-mm. aerial photographs. The narrow separation of the wedge allows the user to measure small parallax separations that are characteristic of large-scale photographs.

  20. Regional Landscape Response to Wedge-Top Basin Formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruetenik, G.; Moucha, R.; Hoke, G. D.; Val, P.

    2017-12-01

    Wedge-top basins are the result of regionally variable uplift along thrust faults downstream of a mountain range and provide an ideal environment to study the regional stream and surface response to local variations in rock uplift. In this study, we simulate the formation and evolution of a wedge-top basin using a landscape evolution model. In line with a previous study, we find that during deformation in the fold-and-thrust belt adjacent to a wedge-top basin, both channel slope and erosion rates are reduced, and these changes propagate as a wave of low erosion into the uplands. For a uniform background uplift rate, this reduced rate of erosion results in a net surface uplift and a decreased slope within and upstream of the wedge-top basin. Following the eventual breach of the basin's bounding thrust belt, a wave of high erosion propagates through the basin and increases the channel slope. We expand upon previous studies by testing our model against a wide range of model parameters, although in general we find that the onset of increased erosion can be delayed by up to several million years. The amount of surface uplift is highly dependent on flexural isostasy and therefore it is heavily influenced by the elastic thickness and erodbility parameters. Observed paleoerosion rates in a paired wedge-top foreland sequence in the Argentine Precordillera reveal similar histories of paleo-erosion, and present day stream profiles show evidence that support model outcomes.

  1. Accretionary and collisional orogenesis in the south domain of the western Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Keda; Long, Xiaoping; Chen, Huayong; Sun, Min; Xiao, Wenjiao

    2018-03-01

    The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) was the result of long-lived multi-stage tectonic evolution, including Proterozoic to Paleozoic accretion and collision, Mesozoic intracontinental modification, and Cenozoic rapid deformation and uplift. The accretionary and collisional orogenesis of its early history generated a huge orogenic collage consisting of diverse tectonic units including island arcs, ophiolites, accretionary prisms, seamounts, oceanic plateaus and micro-continents. These incorporated orogenic components preserved valuable detailed information on orogenic process and continental crust growth, which make the CAOB a key region to understanding of continental evolution, mantle-crust interaction and associated mineralization. The western CAOB refers to the west region in North Xinjiang of China and circum-Balkash of Kazakhstan, with occurrences of the spectacular Kazakhstan orocline and its surrounding mountain belts. Because orogenic fabrics of this part mostly preserve their original features caused by the interactions among the southern Siberian active margin in the north and the Tarim Craton in the south, the western CAOB can be regarded as an ideal region to study the processes of the accretionary and collisional orogenesis and associated mineralization. Since a large number of researchers have been working on this region, research advances bloom strikingly in a short-time period. Therefore, we, in this special issue, focus on these new study advances on the south domain of the western CAOB, including the Kazakhstan collage system, Tianshan orogenic belt and Beishan region, and it is anticipated that this issue can draw more attention from the international research groups to be interested in the studies on orogenesis of the CAOB.

  2. Wedge Waveguides and Resonators for Quantum Plasmonics

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Plasmonic structures can provide deep-subwavelength electromagnetic fields that are useful for enhancing light–matter interactions. However, because these localized modes are also dissipative, structures that offer the best compromise between field confinement and loss have been sought. Metallic wedge waveguides were initially identified as an ideal candidate but have been largely abandoned because to date their experimental performance has been limited. We combine state-of-the-art metallic wedges with integrated reflectors and precisely placed colloidal quantum dots (down to the single-emitter level) and demonstrate quantum-plasmonic waveguides and resonators with performance approaching theoretical limits. By exploiting a nearly 10-fold improvement in wedge-plasmon propagation (19 μm at a vacuum wavelength, λvac, of 630 nm), efficient reflectors (93%), and effective coupling (estimated to be >70%) to highly emissive (∼90%) quantum dots, we obtain Ag plasmonic resonators at visible wavelengths with quality factors approaching 200 (3.3 nm line widths). As our structures offer modal volumes down to ∼0.004λvac3 in an exposed single-mode waveguide–resonator geometry, they provide advantages over both traditional photonic microcavities and localized-plasmonic resonators for enhancing light–matter interactions. Our results confirm the promise of wedges for creating plasmonic devices and for studying coherent quantum-plasmonic effects such as long-distance plasmon-mediated entanglement and strong plasmon–matter coupling. PMID:26284499

  3. Are Pericentric Inversions Reorganizing Wedge Shell Genomes?

    PubMed Central

    García-Souto, Daniel; Pérez-García, Concepción

    2017-01-01

    Wedge shells belonging to the Donacidae family are the dominant bivalves in exposed beaches in almost all areas of the world. Typically, two or more sympatric species of wedge shells differentially occupy intertidal, sublittoral, and offshore coastal waters in any given locality. A molecular cytogenetic analysis of two sympatric and closely related wedge shell species, Donax trunculus and Donax vittatus, was performed. Results showed that the karyotypes of these two species were both strikingly different and closely alike; whilst metacentric and submetacentric chromosome pairs were the main components of the karyotype of D. trunculus, 10–11 of the 19 chromosome pairs were telocentric in D. vittatus, most likely as a result of different pericentric inversions. GC-rich heterochromatic bands were present in both species. Furthermore, they showed coincidental 45S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), 5S rRNA and H3 histone gene clusters at conserved chromosomal locations, although D. trunculus had an additional 45S rDNA cluster. Intraspecific pericentric inversions were also detected in both D. trunculus and D. vittatus. The close genetic similarity of these two species together with the high degree of conservation of the 45S rRNA, 5S rRNA and H3 histone gene clusters, and GC-rich heterochromatic bands indicate that pericentric inversions contribute to the karyotype divergence in wedge shells. PMID:29215567

  4. Split-wedge antennas with sub-5 nm gaps for plasmonic nanofocusing

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, Xiaoshu; Lindquist, Nathan C.; Klemme, Daniel J.; ...

    2016-11-22

    Here, we present a novel plasmonic antenna structure, a split-wedge antenna, created by splitting an ultrasharp metallic wedge with a nanogap perpendicular to its apex. The nanogap can tightly confine gap plasmons and boost the local optical field intensity in and around these opposing metallic wedge tips. This three-dimensional split-wedge antenna integrates the key features of nanogaps and sharp tips, i.e., tight field confinement and three-dimensional nanofocusing, respectively, into a single platform. We fabricate split-wedge antennas with gaps that are as small as 1 nm in width at the wafer scale by combining silicon V-grooves with template stripping and atomicmore » layer lithography. Computer simulations show that the field enhancement and confinement are stronger at the tip–gap interface compared to what standalone tips or nanogaps produce, with electric field amplitude enhancement factors exceeding 50 when near-infrared light is focused on the tip–gap geometry. The resulting nanometric hotspot volume is on the order of λ 3/10 6. Experimentally, Raman enhancement factors exceeding 10 7 are observed from a 2 nm gap split-wedge antenna, demonstrating its potential for sensing and spectroscopy applications.« less

  5. Split-Wedge Antennas with Sub-5 nm Gaps for Plasmonic Nanofocusing

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    We present a novel plasmonic antenna structure, a split-wedge antenna, created by splitting an ultrasharp metallic wedge with a nanogap perpendicular to its apex. The nanogap can tightly confine gap plasmons and boost the local optical field intensity in and around these opposing metallic wedge tips. This three-dimensional split-wedge antenna integrates the key features of nanogaps and sharp tips, i.e., tight field confinement and three-dimensional nanofocusing, respectively, into a single platform. We fabricate split-wedge antennas with gaps that are as small as 1 nm in width at the wafer scale by combining silicon V-grooves with template stripping and atomic layer lithography. Computer simulations show that the field enhancement and confinement are stronger at the tip–gap interface compared to what standalone tips or nanogaps produce, with electric field amplitude enhancement factors exceeding 50 when near-infrared light is focused on the tip–gap geometry. The resulting nanometric hotspot volume is on the order of λ3/106. Experimentally, Raman enhancement factors exceeding 107 are observed from a 2 nm gap split-wedge antenna, demonstrating its potential for sensing and spectroscopy applications. PMID:27960527

  6. Ferromanganese nodules from MANOP Sites H, S, and R-Control of mineralogical and chemical composition by multiple accretionary processes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dymond, J.; Lyle, M.; Finney, B.; Piper, D.Z.; Murphy, K.; Conard, R.; Pisias, N.

    1984-01-01

    The chemical composition of ferromanganese nodules from the three nodule-bearing MANOP sites in the Pacific can be accounted for in a qualitative way by variable contributions of distinct accretionary processes. These accretionary modes are: 1. (1) hydrogenous, i.e., direct precipitation or accumulation of colloidal metal oxides in seawater, 2. (2) oxic diagenesis which refers to a variety of ferromanganese accretion processes occurring in oxic sediments; and 3. (3) suboxic diagenesis which results from reduction of Mn+4 by oxidation of organic matter in the sediments. Geochemical evidence suggests processes (1) and (2) occur at all three MANOP nodule-bearing sites, and process (3) occurs only at the hemipelagic site, H, which underlies the relatively productive waters of the eastern tropical Pacific. A normative model quantitatively accounts for the variability observed in nearly all elements. Zn and Na, however, are not well explained by the three end-member model, and we suggest that an additional accretionary process results in greater variability in the abundances of these elements. Variable contributions from the three accretionary processes result in distinct top-bottom compositional differences at the three sites. Nodule tops from H are enriched in Ni, Cu, and Zn, instead of the more typical enrichments of these elements in nodule bottoms. In addition, elemental correlations typical of most pelagic nodules are reversed at site H. The three accretionary processes result in distinct mineralogies. Hydrogenous precipitation produces ??MnO2. Oxic diagenesis, however, produces Cu-Ni-rich todorokite, and suboxic diagenesis results in an unstable todorokite which transforms to a 7 A?? phase ("birnessite") upon dehydration. The presence of Cu and Ni as charge-balancing cations influence the stability of the todorokite structure. In the bottoms of H nodules, which accrete dominantly by suboxic diagenesis, Na+ and possibly Mn+2 provide much of the charge balance for

  7. Ferromanganese nodules from MANOP Sites H, S, and R - Control of mineralogical and chemical composition by multiple accretionary processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dymond, Jack; Lyle, Mitchell; Finney, Bruce; Piper, David Z.; Murphy, Kim; Conard, Roberta; Pisias, Nicklas

    1984-05-01

    The chemical composition of ferromanganese nodules from the three nodule-bearing MANOP sites in the Pacific can be accounted for in a qualitative way by variable contributions of distinct accretionary processes. These accretionary modes are: (1) hydrogenous, i.e., direct precipitation or accumulation of colloidal metal oxides in seawater, (2) oxic diagenesis which refers to a variety of ferromanganese accretion processes occurring in oxic sediments; and (3) suboxic diagenesis which results from reduction of Mn +4 by oxidation of organic matter in the sediments. Geochemical evidence suggests processes (1) and (2) occur at all three MANOP nodule-bearing sites, and process (3) occurs only at the hemipelagic site, H, which underlies the relatively productive waters of the eastern tropical Pacific. A normative model quantitatively accounts for the variability observed in nearly all elements. Zn and Na, however, are not well explained by the three end-member model, and we suggest that an additional accretionary process results in greater variability in the abundances of these elements. Variable contributions from the three accretionary processes result in distinct top-bottom compositional differences at the three sites. Nodule tops from H are enriched in Ni, Cu, and Zn, instead of the more typical enrichments of these elements in nodule bottoms. In addition, elemental correlations typical of most pelagic nodules are reversed at site H. The three accretionary processes result in distinct mineralogies. Hydrogenous precipitation produces δMnO 2. Oxic diagenesis, however, produces Cu-Ni-rich todorokite, and suboxic diagenesis results in an unstable todorokite which transforms to a 7 Å phase ("birnessite") upon dehydration. The presence of Cu and Ni as charge-balancing cations influence the stability of the todorokite structure. In the bottoms of H nodules, which accrete dominantly by suboxic diagenesis, Na + and possibly Mn +2 provide much of the charge balance for the

  8. Intervertebral disc adaptation to wedging deformation.

    PubMed

    Stokes, Ian A F; Aronsson, David D; Clark, Katherine C; Roemhildt, Maria L

    2006-01-01

    Although scoliosis includes wedge deformities of both vertebrae and discs, little is known about the causes of the discal changes, and whether they result from mechanical influences on growth and/or remodelling. An external apparatus attached to transvertebral pins applied compression and 15 degrees of angulation to each of two adjacent young rat caudal intervertebral discs for 5 weeks (four animals), or for 10 weeks (four animals). Each week, micro-CT scanning documented the in vivo discal wedging. After euthanasia, tail segments (three vertebrae and the 2 angulated discs) were excised and their flexibility was measured over a range of lateral bending. The angle of maximum flexibility was recorded. Then discs were fixed in situ (with the external apparatus in place) and sectioned for polarized light microscopy. The disc-wedging deformity averaged 15 degrees initially, it averaged 20 degrees after 5 weeks, and then reduced to 10 degrees (in 10 week animals). The lateral bending flexibility showed a distinct maximum at an average of 1.1 degrees from the in vivo position in the 5-week animals, indicating structural remodeling of the discs almost to the deformed geometry. The 10-week animals had maximum flexibility at 1.4 degrees from the in vivo position (no significant difference between 5 and 10-week animals.) Collagen crimp angles [Cassidy et al., Conn Tiss Res 1989, 23:75-88] were not significantly different between convex and concave sides, again suggesting that remodeling had occurred. In a mechanically induced scoliosis deformity in skeletally immature rats, the intervertebral discs underwent remodeling within 5 weeks. This indicates that this animal model is suitable for studying adaptive wedging changes in human scoliosis.

  9. Proximal opening wedge osteotomy with wedge-plate fixation compared with proximal chevron osteotomy for the treatment of hallux valgus: a prospective, randomized study.

    PubMed

    Glazebrook, Mark; Copithorne, Peter; Boyd, Gordon; Daniels, Timothy; Lalonde, Karl-André; Francis, Patricia; Hickey, Michael

    2014-10-01

    Hallux valgus with an increased intermetatarsal angle is usually treated with a proximal metatarsal osteotomy. The proximal chevron osteotomy is commonly used but is technically difficult. This study compares the proximal opening wedge osteotomy of the first metatarsal with the proximal chevron osteotomy for the treatment of hallux valgus with an increased intermetatarsal angle. This prospective, randomized multicenter (three-center) study was based on the clinical outcome scores of the Short Form-36, the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society forefoot questionnaire, and the visual analog scale for pain, activity, and patient satisfaction. Subjects were assessed prior to surgery and at three, six, and twelve months postoperatively. Surgeon preference was evaluated based on questionnaires and the operative times required for each procedure. No significant differences were found for any of the patients' clinical outcome measurements between the two procedures. The proximal opening wedge osteotomy was found to lengthen, and the proximal chevron osteotomy was found to shorten, the first metatarsal. The intermetatarsal angles improved (decreased) significantly, from 14.8° ± 3.2° to 9.1° ± 2.9 (mean and standard deviation) after a proximal opening wedge osteotomy and from 14.6° ± 3.9° to 11.3° ± 4.0° after a proximal chevron osteotomy (p < 0.05 for both). Operative time required for performing a proximal opening wedge osteotomy is similar to that required for performing a proximal chevron osteotomy (mean and standard deviation, 67.1 ± 16.5 minutes compared with 69.9 ± 18.6 minutes; p = 0.510). Opening wedge and proximal chevron osteotomies have comparable radiographic outcomes and comparable clinical outcomes for pain, satisfaction, and function. The proximal opening wedge osteotomy lengthens, and the proximal chevron osteotomy shortens, the first metatarsal. The proximal opening wedge osteotomy was subjectively less technically demanding and was

  10. Evidence from Fold Vergence for Coaxial Ductile Flow within the Otago Subduction Wedge, South Island, New Zealand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahl, J. M.; Brandon, M. T.

    2001-12-01

    There has been a long-standing debate about the tectonic significance of the highly folded Otago schist, which is exposed in the Otago uplift on the South Island of New Zealand. This uplift marks the forearc high of a long-lived subduction wedge that flanked the Mesozoic Gondwana margin. The exhumed metamorphic rocks record temperatures up to ~450 C and depths up to ~25 km. The dominant foliation is generally gently dipping, with attitudes that follow the form of the uplift. Mesoscale folds are common, and some regional-scale fold are recognized as well. Previous workers have argued that deformation within the Otago Schist resulted from trenchward shearing above a subducting oceanic plate, but there has been little evidence for systematic fold vergence across the uplift to support this idea. We describe here a new method for analysing the average vergence of a pervasively folded unit, with the goal to test the degree of non-coaxiality associated with ductile deformation within the Otago wedge. Our analysis exploits a new database, compiled by the New Zealand IGNS, which summarizes thousands of structural measurements for the Otago Schist. Vergence is defined in the usual manner as the asymmetry of the fold relative to its axial plane. This asymmetry is attributed to shear-induced rotation at the scale of the fold. Non-coaxial shear can be locally induced, especially in strongly layered schist sequences. We want to know if the fold vergence is systematically developed at the regional scale. Each fold is represented by a vector parallel to the fold axis, with a direction defined by the right-handed rotation implied by the vergence. We argue that the net vergence is well approximated by the Fisher vector mean of the vergence vectors. In addition, we consider the spatial distribution of the vergence vectors across the uplift, with a specific focus on the structural boundary between the Caples and Torlesse, two accretionary units that make up the wedge. We find that

  11. The use of sternal wedge osteotomy in pectus surgery: when is it necessary?

    PubMed

    Kara, Murat; Gundogdu, Ahmet Gokhan; Kadioglu, Salih Zeki; Cayirci, Ertug Can; Taskin, Necati

    2016-09-01

    The Ravitch procedure is a well-established surgical procedure for correction of chest wall deformities. Sternal wedge osteotomy is an important part of this procedure. We studied the incidence of wedge osteotomy with respect to the type of chest wall deformity in patients undergoing surgical correction with the use of a recently developed chest wall stabilization system. A total of 47 patients, 39 (83%) male and 8 (17%) female with a mean age of 14.9 ± 2.1 years, underwent the Ravitch procedure. Twenty-four (51.1%) had pectus carinatum, 19 (40.4%) had pectus excavatum, and 4 (8.5%) had pectus arcuatum. A conventional or oblique sternal wedge osteotomy was performed as indicated, followed by chest wall stabilization using the MedXpert system. Of the 47 patients, 27 (57.4%) had a sternal wedge osteotomy. All cases of pectus arcuatum and redo cases underwent sternal wedge osteotomy. Pectus excavatum cases tended to have a greater incidence of wedge osteotomy compared to pectus carinatum cases (68.4% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.052). Patients with more resected ribs had a greater rate of wedge osteotomy (63.4%) compared to those with fewer resected ribs (16.7%, p = 0.043). A sternal wedge osteotomy is more commonly performed in patients with pectus excavatum compared to those with pectus carinatum. All redo and pectus arcuatum cases need a wedge osteotomy for proper correction. Wedge osteotomy is very likely in more aggressive corrections with more rib resections. © The Author(s) 2016.

  12. Petrology of blueschist from the Western Himalaya (Ladakh, NW India): Exploring the complex behavior of a lawsonite-bearing system in a paleo-accretionary setting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Groppo, Chiara; Rolfo, Franco; Sachan, Himanshu K.; Rai, Santosh K.

    2016-05-01

    iron in the investigated system has a non-negligible (lowering) effect on pressure estimates, whereas temperatures estimates are not influenced by the oxidation state of the system; (iii) the observed sequence of mineral growth (i.e. simultaneous growth of lawsonite and garnet) suggests that (a) the system was initially H2O-undersaturated and lawsonite growth was triggered by a protracted H2O influx at high pressure (equilibrium approach), or (b) the system was H2O-saturated since the beginning, but lawsonite growth was delayed due to the predominance of kinetic factors over equilibrium dynamics (nonequilibrium approach); (iv) the inferred P-T evolution is consistent with a cold subduction zone system in an intra-oceanic subduction setting. Moreover, the estimated peak P-T conditions roughly coincide with the maximum P-T estimates predicted by thermo-mechanical models for the metasediments exhumed in accretionary wedges, and with the maximum P-T conditions recorded by natural occurrences of blueschist accretionary complexes worldwide.

  13. Precambrian accretionary history and phanerozoic structures-A unified explanation for the tectonic architecture of the nebraska region, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carlson, M.P.

    2007-01-01

    The Phanerozoic history in Nebraska and adjacent regions contains many patterns of structure and stratigraphy that can be directly related to the history of the Precambrian basement rocks of the area. A process is proposed that explains the southward growth of North America during the period 1.8-1.6 Ga. A series of families of accretionary events during the Proterozoic emplaced sutures that remained as fundamental basement weak zones. These zones were rejuvenated in response to a variety of continental stress events that occurred during the Phanerozoic. By combining the knowledge of basement history with the history of rejuvenation during the Phanerozoic, both the details of Proterozoic accretionary growth and an explanation for the patterns of Phanerozoic structure and stratigraphy is provided. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

  14. Changes in Physical Properties of the Nankai Trough Megasplay Fault Induced by Earthquakes, Detected by Continuous Pressure Monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kinoshita, C.; Saffer, D.; Kopf, A.; Roesner, A.; Wallace, L. M.; Araki, E.; Kimura, T.; Machida, Y.; Kobayashi, R.; Davis, E.; Toczko, S.; Carr, S.

    2018-02-01

    One primary objective of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 365, conducted as part of the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment, was to recover a temporary observatory emplaced to monitor formation pore fluid pressure and temperature within a splay fault in the Nankai subduction zone offshore SW Honshu, Japan. Here we use a 5.3 year time series of formation pore fluid pressure, and in particular the response to ocean tidal loading, to evaluate changes in pore pressure and formation and fluid elastic properties induced by earthquakes. Our analysis reveals 31 earthquake-induced perturbations. These are dominantly characterized by small transient increases in pressure (28 events) and decreases in ocean tidal loading efficiency (14 events) that reflect changes to formation or fluid compressibility. The observed perturbations follow a magnitude-distance threshold similar to that reported for earthquake-driven hydrological effects in other settings. To explore the mechanisms that cause these changes, we evaluate the expected static and dynamic strains from each earthquake. The expected static strains are too small to explain the observed pressure changes. In contrast, estimated dynamic strains correlate with the magnitude of changes in both pressure and loading efficiency. We propose potential mechanism for the changes and subsequent recovery, which is exsolution of dissolved gas in interstitial fluids in response to shaking.

  15. Stress singularities at the vertex of a cylindrically anisotropic wedge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Delale, F.; Erdogan, F.; Boduroglu, H.

    1980-01-01

    The plane elasticity problem for a cylindrically anisotropic solid is formulated. The form of the solution for an infinite wedge shaped domain with various homogeneous boundary conditions is derived and the nature of the stress singularity at the vertex of the wedge is studied. The characteristic equations giving the stress singularity and the angular distribution of the stresses around the vertex of the wedge are obtained for three standard homogeneous boundary conditions. The numerical examples show that the singular behavior of the stresses around the vertex of an anisotropic wedge may be significantly different from that of the isotropic material. Some of the results which may be of practical importance are that for a half plane the stress state at r = 0 may be singular and for a crack the power of stress singularity may be greater or less than 1/2.

  16. Investigation of two-dimensional wedge exhaust nozzles for advanced aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maiden, D. L.; Petit, J. E.

    1975-01-01

    Two-dimensional wedge nozzle performance characteristics were investigated in a series of wind-tunnel tests. An isolated single-engine/nozzle model was used to study the effects of internal expansion area ratio, aftbody cowl boattail angle, and wedge length. An integrated twin-engine/nozzle model, tested with and without empenage surfaces, included cruise, acceleration, thrust vectoring and thrust reversing nozzle operating modes. Results indicate that the thrust-minus-aftbody drag performance of the twin two-dimensional nozzle integration is significantly higher, for speeds greater than Mach 0.8, than the performance achieved with twin axisymmetric nozzle installations. Significant jet-induced lift was obtained on an aft-mounted lifting surface using a cambered wedge center body to vector thrust. The thrust reversing capabilities of reverser panels installed on the two-dimensional wedge center body were very effective for static or in-flight operation.

  17. Local Seismicity Recorded by ChilePEPPER: Implications for Dynamic Accretionary Prism Response and Long-term Prism Evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Moor, A.; Trehu, A. M.; Tryon, M. D.

    2015-12-01

    To investigate the dynamic response of the outer accretionary wedge updip from the patch of greatest slip during the Mw8.8 2010 Maule earthquake, 10 Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) were deployed from May 2012 to March 2013 in a small array with an inter-instrument spacing of ~12 km . Nine instruments were recovered, with 4 recording data on 3 intermediate-band 3-component seismometers and a differential pressure gauge and 5 recording data from absolute pressure gauges. [note: All instruments were also equipped with a fluid flow meter sensitive to flow rates as low as 0.0001 cm/yr in or out of the sediments. However, no flow signal was detected.] Here we present hypocenters for 569 local events that have S-P times less than 17 seconds (i.e. within ~125 km of the array) using hand-picked arrival times and a 1D velocity model derived from a 2D seismic refraction profile through the region (Moscoso et al 2011, EPSL). We analyze the distribution of seismicity in the context of published slip models, ChilePEPPER high-resolution seismic reflection data, critical taper analysis done by Cubas et al 2013 (EPSL), and offshore gravity data. The data show distinct segmentation within the outer prism. The northern section of the study area is characterized by a lack of seismicity, accretion of nearly all incoming sediment and a prism at critical taper. In contrast, abundant seismicity, significant sediment underthrusting at the deformation front and a prism below critical taper angle characterize the southern part of the study area. Both coseismic slip and post-rupture local seismicity can be related to density anomalies within the upper plate as revealed by free air gravity data corrected for the effects of bathymetry and the subducting plate. [ChilePEPPER - Project Evaluating Prism Post-Earthquake Response

  18. Degradation and stabilization of ice wedges: Implications for assessing risk of thermokarst in northern Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanevskiy, Mikhail; Shur, Yuri; Jorgenson, Torre; Brown, Dana R. N.; Moskalenko, Nataliya; Brown, Jerry; Walker, Donald A.; Raynolds, Martha K.; Buchhorn, Marcel

    2017-11-01

    Widespread degradation of ice wedges has been observed during the last decades in numerous areas within the continuous permafrost zone of Eurasia and North America. To study ice-wedge degradation, we performed field investigations at Prudhoe Bay and Barrow in northern Alaska during 2011-2016. In each study area, a 250-m transect was established with plots representing different stages of ice-wedge degradation/stabilization. Field work included surveying ground- and water-surface elevations, thaw-depth measurements, permafrost coring, vegetation sampling, and ground-based LiDAR scanning. We described cryostratigraphy of frozen soils and stable isotope composition, analyzed environmental characteristics associated with ice-wedge degradation and stabilization, evaluated the vulnerability and resilience of ice wedges to climate change and disturbances, and developed new conceptual models of ice-wedge dynamics that identify the main factors affecting ice-wedge degradation and stabilization and the main stages of this quasi-cyclic process. We found significant differences in the patterns of ice-wedge degradation and stabilization between the two areas, and the patterns were more complex than those previously described because of the interactions of changing topography, water redistribution, and vegetation/soil responses that can interrupt or reinforce degradation. Degradation of ice wedges is usually triggered by an increase in the active-layer thickness during exceptionally warm and wet summers or as a result of flooding or disturbance. Vulnerability of ice wedges to thermokarst is controlled by the thickness of the intermediate layer of the upper permafrost, which overlies ice wedges and protects them from thawing. In the continuous permafrost zone, degradation of ice wedges rarely leads to their complete melting; and in most cases wedges eventually stabilize and can then resume growing, indicating a somewhat cyclic and reversible process. Stabilization of ice wedges

  19. Northern Papua New Guinea: Structure and sedimentation in a modern arc-continent collision

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abbott, L.; Silver, E.

    Northern Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Sea are the site of a modern oblique, arc-continent collision, which is progressing from northwest to southeast. By combining offshore seismic data from the Solomon Sea with geologic mapping in the Markham Valley area of northern Papua New Guinea the authors are predicting the outcome of this collision. The Huon Gulf is the present site of initial collision. Seismic profiles show this area is dominated by thin thrust sheets. Onshore, the bulk of the uplifted accretionary wedge is a melange with exotic blocks of a variety of lithologies. Structurally below the melange liesmore » the Leron Formation composed of thick channelized sandstone and conglomerate. It dips north at approximately 40{degree} and is cut by several thrust fault with associated folds. Limestone blocks within the melange are reported to be 2 Ma, and Beryllium 10 anomalies from Bismarck arc volcanoes suggest that initial collision of the Finisterre block (375 km northwest of the present collision point) began no earlier than 3 Ma. This implies the collision is propagating laterally at about 125 km/m.y.. Large outcrops of basalt and gabbro within the melange suggest that segments of oceanic crust were incorporated into the accretionary wedge. Modern sedimentation within the collision zone grades from fluvial sediments in the Markham Valley to deep-water turbidites ponded behind a structural ridge near the point of incipient collision. The Markham submarine canyon occupies the collision front here, and efficiently erodes the accretionary wedge. This setting may serve as a modem analog for deposition of much of the Leron Formation which exhibits tremendous sediment reworking.« less

  20. Visualization of Green's Function Anomalies for Megathrust Source in Nankai Trough by Reciprocity Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petukhin, A.; Miyakoshi, K.; Tsurugi, M.; Kawase, H.; Kamae, K.

    2014-12-01

    Effect of various areas (asperities or SMGA) in the source of a megathrust subduction zone earthquake on the simulated long-period ground motions is studied. For this case study we employed a source fault model proposed by HERP (2012) for future M9-class event in the Nankai trough. Velocity structure is 3-D JIVSM model developed for long-period ground motion simulations. The target site OSKH02 "Konohana" is located in center of the Osaka basin. Green's functions for large number of sub-sources (>1000) were calculated by FDM using the reciprocity approach. Depths, strike and dip angles of sub-sources are adjusted to the shape of upper boundary of the Philippine Sea plate. The target period range is 4-20sec. Strongly nonuniform distribution of peak amplitudes of Green's functions is observed (see Figure), and two areas have anomalously large amplitudes: (1) a large along-strike elongated area just south of Kii peninsula and (2) a similar area south of Kii peninsula but shifted toward the Nankai trough. Elongation of the first anomaly fits well 10-15km isolines of the depth distribution of the Philippine Sea plate, while target site is located in the direction perpendicular to these isolines. For this reason, preliminarily we suppose that plate shape may have critical effect on the simulated ground motions, via a cumulative effect of sub-source radiation patterns and specific strike and dip angle distributions. Analysis of the time delay of the peak arrivals at OKSH02 demonstrates that Green's functions from the second anomaly, located in shallow part of plate boundary, are mostly composed of surface waves.

  1. 28. REPRESENTATIVE CENTER WEDGE. BALANCE WHEELS ON TRACK, WITH RACK ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    28. REPRESENTATIVE CENTER WEDGE. BALANCE WHEELS ON TRACK, WITH RACK TO OUTSIDE, SHOWN TO RIGHT OF THE WEDGE. PHOTO TAKEN AT SOUTH SWING SPAN. - George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge, Spanning York River at U.S. Route 17, Yorktown, York County, VA

  2. Acoustic field of a wedge-shaped section of a spherical cap transducer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ketterling, Jeffrey A.

    2003-12-01

    The acoustic pressure field at an arbitrary point in space is derived for a wedge-shaped section of a spherical cap transducer using the spatial impulse response (SIR) method. For a spherical surface centered at the origin, a wedge shape is created by taking cuts in the X-Y and X-Z planes and removing the smallest surface component. Analytic expressions are derived for the SIR based on spatial location. The expressions utilize the SIR solutions for a spherical cap transducer [Arditi et al., Ultrason. Imaging 3, 37-61 (1981)] with additional terms added to account for the reduced surface area of the wedge. Results from the numerical model are compared to experimental measurements from a wedge transducer with an 8-cm outer diameter and 9-cm geometric focus. The experimental and theoretical -3-dB beamwidths agreed to within 10%+/-5%. The SIR model for a wedge-shaped transducer is easily extended to other spherically curved transducer geometries that consist of combinations of wedge sections and spherical caps.

  3. Acoustic field of a wedge-shaped section of a spherical cap transducer.

    PubMed

    Ketterling, Jeffrey A

    2003-12-01

    The acoustic pressure field at an arbitrary point in space is derived for a wedge-shaped section of a spherical cap transducer using the spatial impulse response (SIR) method. For a spherical surface centered at the origin, a wedge shape is created by taking cuts in the X-Y and X-Z planes and removing the smallest surface component. Analytic expressions are derived for the SIR based on spatial location. The expressions utilize the SIR solutions for a spherical cap transducer [Arditi et al., Ultrason. Imaging 3, 37-61 (1981)] with additional terms added to account for the reduced surface area of the wedge. Results from the numerical model are compared to experimental measurements from a wedge transducer with an 8-cm outer diameter and 9-cm geometric focus. The experimental and theoretical -3-dB beamwidths agreed to within 10% +/- 5%. The SIR model for a wedge-shaped transducer is easily extended to other spherically curved transducer geometries that consist of combinations of wedge sections and spherical caps.

  4. Devonian volcanic rocks of the southern Chinese Altai, NW China: Petrogenesis and implication for a propagating slab-window magmatism induced by ridge subduction during accretionary orogenesis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Xiaomei; Cai, Keda; Zhao, Taiping; Bao, Zihe; Wang, Xiangsong; Chen, Ming; Buslov, M. M.

    2018-07-01

    Ridge-trench interaction is a common tectonic process of the present-day Pacific Rim accretionary orogenic belts, and this process may facilitate "slab-window" magmatism that can produce significant thermal anomalies and geochemically unusual magmatic events. However, ridge-trench interaction has rarely been well-documented in the ancient geologic record, leading to grossly underestimation of this process in tectonic syntheses of plate margins. The Chinese Altai was inferred to have undergone ridge subduction in the Devonian and a slab-window model is proposed to interpret its high-temperature metamorphism and geochemically unique magmatic rocks, which can serve as an excellent and unique place to refine the tectonic evolution associated with ridge subduction in an ancient accretionary orogeny. For this purpose, we carried out geochemical and geochronological studies on Devonian basaltic rocks in this region. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) zircon U-Pb dating results yield an age of 376.2 ± 2.4 Ma, suggesting an eruption at the time of Late Devonian. Geochemically, the samples in this study have variable SiO2 (43.3-58.3 wt%), low K2O (0.02-0.07 wt%) and total alkaline contents (2.16-5.41 wt%), as well as Fe2O3T/MgO ratios, showing typical tholeiitic affinity. On the other hand, the basaltic rocks display MORB-like REE patterns ((La/Yb)N = 0.90-2.57) and (Ga/Yb)N = 0.97-1.28), and have moderate positive εNd(t) values (+4.4 to +5.4), which collectively suggest a derivation from a mixing source comprising MORB-like mantle of a mature back-arc basin and subordinate arc mantle wedge. These basaltic rocks are characterized by Low La/Yb (1.26-3.69), Dy/Yb (1.51-1.77) and Sm/Yb (0.83-1.32) ratios, consistent with magmas derived from low degree (∼10%) partial melting of the spinel lherzolite source at a quite shallow mantle depth. Considering the distinctive petrogenesis of the basaltic rocks in this region, the Late Devonian basalts in the southern Chinese Altai

  5. A regional-scale estimation of ice wedge ice volumes in the Canadian High Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Templeton, M.; Pollard, W. H.; Grand'Maison, C. B.

    2016-12-01

    Ice wedges are both prominent and environmentally vulnerable features in continuous permafrost environments. As the world's Arctic regions begin to warm, concern over the potential effects of ice wedge melt out has become an immediate issue, receiving much attention in the permafrost literature. In this study we estimate the volume of ice wedge ice for large areas in the Canadian High Arctic through the use of high resolution satellite imagery and the improved capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The methodology used for this study is similar to that of one performed in Siberia and Alaska by Ulrich et al, in 2014. Utilizing Ulrich's technique, this study detected ice wedge polygons from satellite imagery using ArcGIS. The average width and depth of these ice wedges were obtained from a combination of field data and long-term field studies for the same location. The assumptions used in the analysis of ice wedge volume have been tested, including trough width being representative of ice wedge width, and ice wedge ice content (Pollard and French 1980). This study used specific field sites located near Eureka on Ellesmere Island (N80°01', W85°43') and at Expedition Fiord on Axel Heiberg Island (N79°23', W90°59'). The preliminary results indicate that the methodology used by Ulrich et al, 2014 is transferrable to the Canadian High Arctic, and that ice wedge volumes range between 3-10% of the upper part of permafrost. These findings are similar to previous studies and their importance is made all the more evident by the dynamic nature of ice wedges where it could be argued that they are a key driver of thermokarst terrain. The ubiquitous nature of ice wedges across arctic terrain highlights the importance and the need to improve our understanding of ice wedge dynamics, as subsidence from ice wedge melt-out could lead to large scale landscape change.

  6. Tsunami Scenarios Based on Interseismic Models Along the Nankai Trough, Japan, From Seafloor and Onshore Geodesy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watanabe, Shun-ichi; Bock, Yehuda; Melgar, Diego; Tadokoro, Keiichi

    2018-03-01

    The recent availability of Global Positioning System-Acoustic seafloor geodetic observations enables us to resolve the spatial distribution of the slip deficit rate near the Nankai trough, southwestern Japan. Considering a tectonic block model and the transient deformation due to the major earthquakes in this area, the slip deficit rate between the two relevant blocks can be estimated. In this study, we remove the time-dependent postseismic deformation of the 2004 southeastern off the Kii Peninsula earthquakes (MJMA 7.1, 7.4), which had led to the underestimation of the slip deficit rate in earlier studies. We model the postearthquake viscoelastic relaxation using the 3D finite element model with bi-viscous Burgers rheology, as well as the afterslip on the finite faults. The corrected Global Positioning System-Acoustic and land-based Global Navigation Satellite Systems data are aligned to the existing tectonic model and used to estimate the slip deficit rate on the plate boundary. We then calculate the coseismic displacements and tsunami wave propagation with the simple assumption that a hundred years of constant slip deficit accumulation was released instantaneously. To evaluate the influence of uncertainties in the plate interface geometry on a tsunami model for the Nankai trough, we investigated two different geometries and performed checkerboard inversion simulations. Although the two models indicate roughly similar results, the peak height of the tsunami wave and its arrival time at several points are significantly different in terms of the expected hazard.

  7. Effects of altering heel wedge properties on gait with the Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis.

    PubMed

    Ikeda, Andrea J; Fergason, John R; Wilken, Jason M

    2018-06-01

    The Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis is a custom-made dynamic response carbon fiber device. A heel wedge, which sits in the shoe, is an integral part of the orthosis-heel wedge-shoe system. Because the device restricts ankle movement, the system must compensate to simulate plantarflexion and allow smooth forward progression during gait. To determine the influence of wedge height and durometer on the walking gait of individuals using the Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis. Repeated measures. Twelve individuals walked over level ground with their Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis and six different heel wedges of soft or firm durometer and 1, 2, or 3 cm height. Center of pressure velocity, joint moments, and roll-over shape were calculated for each wedge. Height and durometer significantly affected time to peak center of pressure velocity, time to peak internal dorsiflexion and knee extension moments, time to ankle moment zero crossing, and roll-over shape center of curvature anterior-posterior position. Wedge height had a significant influence on peak center of pressure velocity, peak dorsiflexion moment, time to peak knee extension moment, and roll-over shape radius and vertical center of curvature. Changes in wedge height and durometer systematically affected foot loading. Participants preferred wedges which produced ankle moment zero crossing timing, peak internal knee extension moment timing, and roll-over shape center of curvature anterior-posterior position close to that of able-bodied individuals. Clinical relevance Adjusting the heel wedge is a simple, straightforward way to adjust the orthosis-heel wedge-shoe system. Changing wedge height and durometer significantly alters loading of the foot and has great potential to improve an individual's gait.

  8. Localization of observables in the Rindler wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asorey, M.; Balachandran, A. P.; Marmo, G.; de Queiroz, A. R.

    2017-11-01

    One of the striking features of QED is that charged particles create a coherent cloud of photons. The resultant coherent state vectors of photons generate a nontrivial representation of the localized algebra of observables that do not support a representation of the Lorentz group: Lorentz symmetry is spontaneously broken. We show in particular that Lorentz boost generators diverge in this representation, a result shown also by Balachandran et al. [Eur. Phys. J. C 75, 89 (2015), 10.1140/epjc/s10052-015-3305-0] (see also the work by Balachandran et al. [Mod. Phys. Lett. A 28, 1350028 (2013), 10.1142/S0217732313500284]. Localization of observables, for example in the Rindler wedge, uses Poincaré invariance in an essential way [Int. J. Geom. Methods Mod. Phys. 14, 1740008 (2017)., 10.1142/S0219887817400084]. Hence, in the presence of charged fields, the photon observables cannot be localized in the Rindler wedge. These observations may have a bearing on the black hole information loss paradox, as the physics in the exterior of the black hole has points of resemblance to that in the Rindler wedge.

  9. Tectono-stratigraphy and low-grade metamorphism of Late Permian and Early Jurassic accretionary complexes within the Kurosegawa belt, Southwest Japan: Implications for mechanisms of crustal displacement within active continental margin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hara, Hidetoshi; Kurihara, Toshiyuki; Mori, Hiroshi

    2013-04-01

    We characterize the tectono-stratigraphic architecture and low-grade metamorphism of the accretionary complex preserved in the Kurosegawa belt of the Kitagawa district in eastern Shikoku, Southwest Japan, in order to understand its internal structure, tectono-metamorphic evolution, and assessments of displacement of continental fragments within the complex. We report the first ever documented occurrence of an Early Jurassic radiolarian assemblage within the accretionary complex of the Kurosegawa belt that has been previously classified as the Late Permian accretionary complex, thus providing a revised age interpretation for these rocks. The accretionary complex is subdivided into four distinct tectono-stratigraphic units: Late Permian mélange and phyllite units, and Early Jurassic mélange and sandstone units. The stratigraphy of these four units is structurally repeated due to an E-W striking, steeply dipping regional fault. We characterized low-grade metamorphism of the accretionary complex via illite crystallinity and Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material. The estimated pattern of low-grade metamorphism showed pronounced variability within the complex and revealed no discernible spatial trends. The primary thermal structure in these rocks was overprinted by later tectonic events. Based on geological and thermal structure, we conclude that continental fragments within the Kurosegawa belt were structurally translated into both the Late Permian and Early Jurassic accretionary complexes, which comprise a highly deformed zone affected by strike-slip tectonics during the Early Cretaceous. Different models have been proposed to explain the initial structural evolution of the Kurosegawa belt (i.e., micro-continent collision and klippe tectonic models). Even if we presuppose either model, the available geological evidence requires a new interpretation, whereby primary geological structures are overprinted and reconfigured by later tectonic events.

  10. Refined numerical solution of the transonic flow past a wedge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liang, S.-M.; Fung, K.-Y.

    1985-01-01

    A numerical procedure combining the ideas of solving a modified difference equation and of adaptive mesh refinement is introduced. The numerical solution on a fixed grid is improved by using better approximations of the truncation error computed from local subdomain grid refinements. This technique is used to obtain refined solutions of steady, inviscid, transonic flow past a wedge. The effects of truncation error on the pressure distribution, wave drag, sonic line, and shock position are investigated. By comparing the pressure drag on the wedge and wave drag due to the shocks, a supersonic-to-supersonic shock originating from the wedge shoulder is confirmed.

  11. Large Nankai Trough earthquake and tsunami found in lacustrine deposits through late Holocene-time along the western coast of Kii Peninsula, southwestern Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okamura, M.; Matsuoka, H.; Tsuzuki, M.; Toraya, K.

    2015-12-01

    We continue paleo-seismic studies through Late Holocene-time in coastal marsh ponds along the Nankai Trough . These ponds which are co-seismic subsidence areas have continuous muddy sediment stratigraphy and sporadic tsunami induced coarse material. Well controlled age data has been collected from the core-sample that contains plant remains under anoxic sedimentary environment . Total 21 cores collected from two coastal ponds Ashihama-ike and Zasa-ike which locate behind beach-ridge along southeastern coast of Kii Peninsula under Tokai/Tonankai Earthquake assumption areas. Tsunami events are recognized after eighty AMS C-14 dating through recent (core top) to 7300 yBP interval. Among these interval, two remarkable events found in sediment, which are 2050yBP to 2300yBP (=2K event) and 1000yBP to 1100 yBP. 2k event consists thick sand, well rounded gravel in chaotic mud and wood fragment derived from forests surrounding lakes. Later event is correspond to the historical Ninna Nankai earthquake (AD887, 26 August under the old lunar calendar). Rather small events are occurred in 3500yBP and 1100yBP. These events are found from both of two ponds which has two kilometers in distance each other. Cores bottom are composed of 7400yBP huge-tsunami event caused simultaneously by the Kikai-caldera eruption (over 170 cubic km ejecta) is just covered with the Kikai-Akahoya (K-Ah) tephra. The 2K and volcanic tsunami events have also found widely, not only Kii Peninsula but southern Shikoku (Tokushima Pref. and Kochi Pref.) and Kyushu through the Nankai Trough.

  12. Accretionary lapilli, tektites, or concretions: the ubiquitous spherules of Meridiani Planum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DiGregorio, Barry E.

    2004-11-01

    One of the most enigmatic discoveries made by the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity (MER-B) at the Meridiani Planum landing site are the ubiquitous spherules referred to as "blueberries" by the science team. They cover the entire landing area and can be seen in every direction within view of the rover cameras. Subsequent analysis of a small grouping of the spherules laying on top of a rock outcrop by Mossbauer spectroscopy showed an intense hematite signature not found on the rock or in the surrounding basaltic soils. Spherules were also found attached to and embedded within sedimentary sulfate rock outcrops found at the landing area that have been determined by the MER science team as having been formed in an acidic liquid water environment. The appearance of most of the Meridiani spherules is strikingly similar to the morphology and size of terrestrial accretionary lapilli and show similarities to terrestrial tektites. Accretionary lapilli are spherical balls and fragments with a concentric layered structure that are formed by a variety of mechanisms including hydrovolcanic eruptions, geysers and large meteorite impacts in water. Tektites are glassy impact spherules that form as a result of large meteorite impacts and also seem apparent in some of the rover images. Tektites can be perfectly spherical or have teardrop and dumbbell shapes. A lack of a visible volcanic source capable of producing high volumes of accretionary lapilli as seen in the MER-B images, in combination with the strong spectral signature of hematite, that some of the spherules display, led the MER science team to favor a concretion hypothesis thus far. All of these types of spherules involve interaction of with surface water or ice to form. Problems exist in explaining how the Martian "concretions", if that is indeed what they are, are of such uniform size and have such a wide distribution. Evidence from Martian orbit and on the surface indicate that the Meridiani Planum landing ellipse

  13. Single crystal metal wedges for surface acoustic wave propagation

    DOEpatents

    Fisher, E.S.

    1980-05-09

    An ultrasonic testing device has been developed to evaluate flaws and inhomogeneities in the near-surface region of a test material. A metal single crystal wedge is used to generate high frequency Rayleigh surface waves in the test material surface by conversion of a slow velocity, bulk acoustic mode in the wedge into a Rayleigh wave at the metal-wedge test material interface. Particular classes of metals have been found to provide the bulk acoustic modes necessary for production of a surface wave with extremely high frequency and angular collimation. The high frequency allows flaws and inhomogeneities to be examined with greater resolution. The high degree of angular collimation for the outgoing ultrasonic beam permits precision angular location of flaws and inhomogeneities in the test material surface.

  14. Single crystal metal wedges for surface acoustic wave propagation

    DOEpatents

    Fisher, Edward S.

    1982-01-01

    An ultrasonic testing device has been developed to evaluate flaws and inhomogeneities in the near-surface region of a test material. A metal single crystal wedge is used to generate high frequency Rayleigh surface waves in the test material surface by conversion of a slow velocity, bulk acoustic mode in the wedge into a Rayleigh wave at the metal-wedge test material interface. Particular classes of metals have been found to provide the bulk acoustic modes necessary for production of a surface wave with extremely high frequency and angular collimation. The high frequency allows flaws and inhomogeneities to be examined with greater resolution. The high degree of angular collimation for the outgoing ultrasonic beam permits precision angular location of flaws and inhomogeneities in the test material surface.

  15. Accretionary processes along the Middle America Trench off Costa Rica

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shipley, T.H.; Stoffa, P.L.; McIntosh, K.

    1990-06-01

    The geometry of large-scale structures within modern accretionary prisms is known entirely from seismic reflection studies using single or grids of two-dimensional profiles. Off Costa Rica the authors collected a three-dimensional reflection data set covering a 9 km wide {times} 22 km long {times} 6 km thick volume of the accretionary prism just arcward of the Middle America Trench. The three-dimensional processing and ability to examine the prism as a volume has provided the means to map structures from a few hundred meters to kilometers in size with confidence. Reflections from within the prism define the gross structural features andmore » tectonic processes active along this particular portion of the Middle America Trench. So far in the analysis, these data illustrate the relationships between the basement, the prism shape, and overlying slope sedimentary deposits. For instance, the subducted basement relief (of several hundred meters amplitude) does seem to affect the larger scale through-going faults within the prism. Offscraping of the uppermost 45 m of sediments occurs within 4 km of the trench creating a small pile of sediments at the base of the trench. How this offscraped sediment is incorporated into the prism is still being investigated. Underplating of parts of the 400 m thick subducted section begin: at a very shallow structural level, 4 to 10 km arcward of the trench. Amplitude anomalies associated with some of the larger arcward dipping structures in the prism and surface mud volcanoes suggest that efficient fluid migration paths may extend from the top of the downgoing slab at the shelf edge out into the lower and middle slope region, a distance of 50 to 100 km.« less

  16. Contemporary sand wedge development in seasonally frozen ground and paleoenvironmental implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolfe, Stephen A.; Morse, Peter D.; Neudorf, Christina M.; Kokelj, Steven V.; Lian, Olav B.; O'Neill, H. Brendan

    2018-05-01

    Contemporary sand wedges and sand veins are active in seasonally frozen ground within the extensive discontinuous permafrost zone in Northwest Territories, Canada. The region has a subarctic continental climate with 291 mm a-1 precipitation, -4.1 °C mean annual air temperature, warm summers (July mean 17.0 °C), and cold winters (January mean -26.6 °C). Five years of continuous observations indicate that interannual variation of the ground thermal regime is dominantly controlled by winter air temperature and snow cover conditions. At sandy sites, thin snow cover and high thermal conductivity promote rapid freezing, high rates of ground cooling, and low near-surface ground temperatures (-15 to -25 °C), resulting in thermal contraction cracking to depths of 1.2 m. Cracking potentials are high in sandy soils when air temperatures are <-30 °C on successive days, mean freezing season air temperatures are ≤-17 °C, and snow cover is <0.15 m thick. In contrast, surface conditions in peatlands maintain permafrost, but thermal contraction cracking does not occur because thicker snow cover and the thermal properties of peat prolong freezeback and maintain higher winter ground temperatures. A combination of radiocarbon dating, optical dating, and stratigraphic observations were used to differentiate sand wedge types and formation histories. Thermal contraction cracks that develop in the sandy terrain are filled by surface (allochthonous) and/or host (autochthonous) material during the thaw season. Epigenetic sand wedges infilled with allochthonous sand develop within former beach sediments beneath an active eolian sand sheet. Narrower and deeper syngenetic wedges developed within aggrading eolian sand sheets, whereas wider and shallower antisyngenetic wedges developed in areas of active erosion. Thermal contraction cracking beneath vegetation-stabilized surfaces leads to crack infilling by autochthonous host and overlying organic material, with resultant downturning and

  17. Numerical experiment on tsunami deposit distribution process by using tsunami sediment transport model in historical tsunami event of megathrust Nankai trough earthquake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imai, K.; Sugawara, D.; Takahashi, T.

    2017-12-01

    A large flow caused by tsunami transports sediments from beach and forms tsunami deposits in land and coastal lakes. A tsunami deposit has been found in their undisturbed on coastal lakes especially. Okamura & Matsuoka (2012) found some tsunami deposits in the field survey of coastal lakes facing to the Nankai trough, and tsunami deposits due to the past eight Nankai Trough megathrust earthquakes they identified. The environment in coastal lakes is stably calm and suitable for tsunami deposits preservation compared to other topographical conditions such as plains. Therefore, there is a possibility that the recurrence interval of megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis will be discussed with high resolution. In addition, it has been pointed out that small events that cannot be detected in plains could be separated finely (Sawai, 2012). Various aspects of past tsunami is expected to be elucidated, in consideration of topographical conditions of coastal lakes by using the relationship between the erosion-and-sedimentation process of the lake bottom and the external force of tsunami. In this research, numerical examination based on tsunami sediment transport model (Takahashi et al., 1999) was carried out on the site Ryujin-ike pond of Ohita, Japan where tsunami deposit was identified, and deposit migration analysis was conducted on the tsunami deposit distribution process of historical Nankai Trough earthquakes. Furthermore, examination of tsunami source conditions is possibly investigated by comparison studies of the observed data and the computation of tsunami deposit distribution. It is difficult to clarify details of tsunami source from indistinct information of paleogeographical conditions. However, this result shows that it can be used as a constraint condition of the tsunami source scale by combining tsunami deposit distribution in lakes with computation data.

  18. Assessing the Relative Mobility of Submarine Landslides from Deposit Morphology and Physical Properties: an Example from Nankai Trough, Offshore Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sawyer, D.; Moore, Z. T.

    2014-12-01

    A prominent landslide deposit in the Slope Basin seaward of the Megasplay Fault in the Nankai Trough was emplaced by a high-mobility landslide based on analysis of physical properties and seismic geomorphology. Slide acceleration is a critical variable that determines amplitude of slide-generated tsunami but is many times a variable with large uncertainty. In controlled laboratory experiments, the ratio of the shear stress to yield strength, defined as the Flow Factor, controls a wide spectrum of mass movement styles from slow, retrogressive failure to rapid, liquefied flows. We apply the laboratory Flow Factor approach to a natural landslide in the Nankai Trough by constraining pre-failure particle size analysis and porosity. Several mass transport deposits (MTDs), were drilled and cored at Site C0021 in the Nankai Trough during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 338. The largest, MTD-6, occurs at 133-176 meters below seafloor and occurred approximately 0.87 Mya. Slide volume is 2 km3, transport distance is 5 km, and average deposit thickness is 50 m (maximum 180 m). Pre-failure water content was estimated from shallow sediments at Site C0018 (porosity = 72%). The average grain size distribution is 39% clay-sized, 58% silt-sized, and 3% sand-size particles as determined by hydrometer analyses of the MTD. Together, the porosity and clay fraction predict a Flow Factor of approximately 4, which corresponds to a relatively high mobility slide. We interpret this result to indicate the landslide that created MTD-6 was a single event that transported the slide mass relatively rapidly as opposed to a slow, episodic landslide event. This is supported by the observation of a completely evacuated source area with no remnant blocks or retrogressive headscarp and the internally chaotic seismic facies with large entrained blocks. Future works will focus on the tsunamigenic potential of this high mobility slide. This approach can be extended to other field

  19. Effective strength of incoming sediments and its implications for plate boundary propagation: Nankai and Costa Rica as type examples of accreting vs. erosive convergent margins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kopf, Achim

    2013-11-01

    The location of the seaward tip of a subduction thrust controls material transfer at convergent plate margins, and hence global mass balances. At approximately half of those margins, the material of the subducting plate is completely underthrust so that no accretion or even subduction erosion takes place. Along the remaining margins, material is scraped off the subducting plate and added to the upper plate by frontal accretion. We here examine the physical properties of subducting sediments off Costa Rica and Nankai, type examples for an erosional and an accretionary margin, to investigate which parameters control the level where the frontal thrust cuts into the incoming sediment pile. A series of rotary-shear experiments to measure the frictional strength of the various lithologies entering the two subduction zones were carried out. Results include the following findings: (1) At Costa Rica, clay-rich strata at the top of the incoming succession have the lowest strength (μres = 0.19) while underlying calcareous ooze, chalk and diatomite are strong (up to μres = 0.43; μpeak = 0.56). Hence the entire sediment package is underthrust. (2) Off Japan, clay-rich deposits within the lower Shikoku Basin inventory are weakest (μres = 0.13-0.19) and favour the frontal proto-thrust to migrate into one particular horizon between sandy, competent turbidites below and ash-bearing mud above. (3) Taking in situ data and earlier geotechnical testing into account, it is suggested that mineralogical composition rather than pore-pressure defines the position of the frontal thrust, which locates in the weakest, clay mineral-rich (up to 85 wt.%) materials. (4) Smectite, the dominant clay mineral phase at either margin, shows rate strengthening and stable sliding in the frontal 50 km of the subduction thrust (0.0001-0.1 mm/s, 0.5-25 MPa effective normal stress). (5) Progressive illitization of smectite cannot explain seismogenesis, because illite-rich samples also show velocity

  20. Seafloor morphology in the different domains of the Calabrian Arc subduction complex - Ionian Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riminucci, F.; Polonia, A.; Torelli, L.; Mussoni, P.

    2010-05-01

    The Calabrian Arc (CA) is a subduction system that develops along the African-Eurasian plate boundary in the Ionian Sea and connects the E-W trending Sicilian Maghrebian belt with the NW-SE trending Southern Apennines. The first systematic geophysical investigation in the offshore region of the CA was conducted during the 70's by the Institute of Marine Geology (now ISMAR) with the R/V 'Bannock' [1]. In the last 30 years, further geophysical data (high penetration multichannel seismics, CHIRP and multibeam data) has been acquired in the offshore of the CA, down to the Ionian Abyssal Plain. The integrated interpretation of the existing geophysical data [2] has outlined the regional architecture of the subduction complex, the main tectonic features absorbing plate motion and variation of seafloor morphology in the different structural domains. Pre-stack depth migrated seismic profiles has revealed that the accretionary complex is constituted by two distinct wedges whose geometry, structural style and seafloor morphology widely vary. The outermost accretionary wedge has been emplaced in post-messinian times. It is a salt-bearing complex as pointed out by the internal structure of the wedge (acoustically transparent assemblage), very low taper angle and high seismic velocities. The seafloor shows a rough morphology, short wavelength folds and depressions superimposed on a rather constant gentle regional slope. Landward of the outer wedge, the evaporites are no longer present and the transition to the clastic rock assemblage is reflected in a different structural architecture, which shows steeper slopes and a succession of topographic scarps separated by sedimentary basins and mid slope terraces. The topographic scarps are controlled in depth by a series of high angle landward dipping reflectors, that we interpreted as out of sequence thrust faults absorbing shortening at the rear of the wedge. Landward of the inner wedge a mid slope terrace develops (inner plateau

  1. Wedge and spring assembly for securing coils in electromagnets and dynamoelectric machines

    DOEpatents

    Lindner, Melvin; Cottingham, James G.

    1996-03-12

    A wedge and spring assembly for use in electromagnets or dynamoelectric machines having a housing with an axis therethrough and a plurality of coils supported on salient poles that extend radially inward from the housing toward the housing axis to define a plurality of interpole spaces. The wedge and spring assembly includes a nonmagnetic retainer spring and a nonmagnetic wedge. The retainer spring is formed to fit into one of the interpole spaces, and has juxtaposed ends defining between them a slit extending in a direction generally parallel to the housing axis. The wedge for insertion into the slit provides an outwardly directed force on respective portions of the juxtaposed ends to expand the slit so that respective portions of the retainer spring engage areas of the coils adjacent thereto, thereby resiliently holding the coils against their respective salient poles. The retainer spring is generally triangular shaped to fit within the interpole space, and the wedge is generally T-shaped.

  2. Wedge and spring assembly for securing coils in electromagnets and dynamoelectric machines

    DOEpatents

    Lindner, M.; Cottingham, J.G.

    1996-03-12

    A wedge and spring assembly for use in electromagnets or dynamoelectric machines is disclosed having a housing with an axis therethrough and a plurality of coils supported on salient poles that extend radially inward from the housing toward the housing axis to define a plurality of interpole spaces. The wedge and spring assembly includes a nonmagnetic retainer spring and a nonmagnetic wedge. The retainer spring is formed to fit into one of the interpole spaces, and has juxtaposed ends defining between them a slit extending in a direction generally parallel to the housing axis. The wedge for insertion into the slit provides an outwardly directed force on respective portions of the juxtaposed ends to expand the slit so that respective portions of the retainer spring engage areas of the coils adjacent thereto, thereby resiliently holding the coils against their respective salient poles. The retainer spring is generally triangular shaped to fit within the interpole space, and the wedge is generally T-shaped. 6 figs.

  3. Interaction of disturbances with an oblique detonation wave attached to a wedge

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lasseigne, D. G.; Hussaini, M. Y.

    1993-01-01

    The linear response of an oblique overdriven detonation to impose free stream disturbances or to periodic movements of the wedge is examined. The free stream disturbances are assumed to be steady vorticity waves and the wedge motions are considered to be time periodic oscillations either about a fixed pivot point or along the plane of symmetry of the wedge aligned with the incoming stream. The detonation is considered to be a region of infinitesimal thickness in which a finite amount of heat is released. The response to the imposed disturbances is a function of the Mach number of the incoming flow, the wedge angle, and the exothermocity of the reaction within the detonation. It is shown that as the degree of overdrive increases, the amplitude of the response increases significantly; furthermore, a fundamental difference in the dependence of the response on the parameters of the problem is found between the response to a free stream disturbance and to a disturbance emanating from the wedge surface.

  4. Seismic evidence for a cold serpentinized mantle wedge beneath Mount St Helens

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, S. M.; Schmandt, B.; Levander, A.; Kiser, E.; Vidale, J. E.; Abers, G. A.; Creager, K. C.

    2016-01-01

    Mount St Helens is the most active volcano within the Cascade arc; however, its location is unusual because it lies 50 km west of the main axis of arc volcanism. Subduction zone thermal models indicate that the down-going slab is decoupled from the overriding mantle wedge beneath the forearc, resulting in a cold mantle wedge that is unlikely to generate melt. Consequently, the forearc location of Mount St Helens raises questions regarding the extent of the cold mantle wedge and the source region of melts that are responsible for volcanism. Here using, high-resolution active-source seismic data, we show that Mount St Helens sits atop a sharp lateral boundary in Moho reflectivity. Weak-to-absent PmP reflections to the west are attributed to serpentinite in the mantle-wedge, which requires a cold hydrated mantle wedge beneath Mount St Helens (<∼700 °C). These results suggest that the melt source region lies east towards Mount Adams. PMID:27802263

  5. Wedge gate valves selecting essentials in pipeline systems designing based on permissible operation parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakirnichnaya, M. M.; Kulsharipov, I. M.

    2017-10-01

    Wedge gate valves are widely used at the fuel and energy complex enterprises. The pipeline valves manufacturers indicate the safe operation resource according to the current regulatory and technical documentation. In this case, the resource value of the valve body strength calculation results is taken into consideration as the main structural part. However, it was determined that the wedge gate valves fail before the assigned resource due to the occurrence of conditions under which the wedge breaks in the hooks and, accordingly, the sealing integrity is not ensured. In this regard, it became necessary to assess the conditions under which the resource should be assigned not only to the valve body, but also to take into account the wedge durability. For this purpose, wedge resource calculations were made using the example of ZKL2 250-25 and ZKL2 300-25 valves using the ABAQUS software package FE-SAFE module under the technological parameters influence on the basis of their stressstrain state calculation results. Operating conditions, under which the wedge resource value is lower than the one set by the manufacturer, were determined. A technique for limiting the operating parameters for ensuring the wedge durability during the wedge gate valve assigned resource is proposed.

  6. Constructing entanglement wedges for Lifshitz spacetimes with Lifshitz gravity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheyne, Jonathan; Mattingly, David

    2018-03-01

    Holographic relationships between entanglement entropy on the boundary of a spacetime and the area of minimal surfaces in the bulk provide an important entry in the bulk/boundary dictionary. While constructing the necessary causal and entanglement wedges is well understood in asymptotically AdS spacetimes, less is known about the equivalent constructions in spacetimes with different asymptotics. In particular, recent attempts to construct entanglement and causal wedges for asymptotically Lifshitz solutions in relativistic gravitational theories have proven problematic. We note a simple observation, that a Lifshitz bulk theory, specifically a covariant formulation of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity coupled to matter, has causal propagation defined by Lifshitz modes. We use these modes to construct causal and entanglement wedges and compute the geometric entanglement entropy, which in such a construction matches the field theory prescription.

  7. Investigation of turbulent wedges generated by different single surface roughness elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Traphan, Dominik; Meinlschmidt, Peter; Lutz, Otto; Peinke, Joachim; Gülker, Gerd

    2013-11-01

    It is known that small faults on rotor blades of wind turbines can cause significant power loss. In order to better understand the governing physical effects, in this experimental study, the formation of a turbulent wedge over a flat plate induced by single surface roughness elements is under investigation. The experiments are performed at different ambient pressure gradients, thus allowing conclusions about the formation of a turbulent wedge over an airfoil. With respect to typical initial faults on operating airfoils, the roughness elements are modified in both size and shape (raised or recessed). None intrusive experimental methods, such as stereoscopic PIV and LDA, enable investigations based on temporally and spatially highly resolved velocity measurements. In this way, a spectral analysis of the turbulent boundary layer is performed and differences in coherent structures within the wedge are identified. These findings are correlated with global measurements of the wedge carried out by infrared thermography. This correlation aims to enable distinguishing the cause and main properties of a turbulent wedge by the easy applicable method of infrared thermography, which is of practical relevance in the field of condition monitoring of wind turbines.

  8. Subduction, erosion and the sediment record: Insights from Miocene sediments, Hengchun Peninsula, Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirstein, Linda; Carter, Andrew; Chen, Yue-Gau

    2010-05-01

    Detrital sedimentary records include vast archives of material that have been removed from developing tectonically active regions. These archives have been used to investigate challenging questions on continental deformation, exhumation and palaeodrainage using a variety of different techniques including heavy minerals, fission-track dating and palaeocurrent reconstructions. The Hengchun Peninsula of southern Taiwan and offshore Hengchun Ridge form a present day accretionary prism, with accretionary wedge growth occurring both by frontal accretion, with sediments from the continental margin scraped up into the accretionary wedge and by underplating. Miocene sediments in Hengchun include foreland basin deposits, deep marine turbidites and forearc basin deposits. As a result the detrital sediments record details of accretionary prism growth associated with continued Luzon arc-continent collision. Diametrically opposite palaeocurrents are preserved in the Miocene sandstones of the Hengchun Peninsula, southern Taiwan. Controversial explanations include an exotic source terrane to the south and/or 180 ° rotation of a depositional basin. We document the tecto-thermal evolution of the Miocene sediment source(s) using a double dating approach. U-Pb grain ages range from Miocene to Archaean, while zircon fission-tracks record thermal cooling primarily in the Cretaceous with minor peaks in the Miocene, Triassic, Jurassic and Permian. The primary source of the Miocene sediments at the centre of the controversy was similar. Palaeocurrent data are influenced by local basin geometry and submarine topography and suggest that sediment deposition in the Miocene was strongly controlled by incipient subduction, associated structural trends and submarine topography. A similar control on deposition in the modern Taiwan collision zone is apparent in the offshore region today.

  9. Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment along Nankai Trough (2) a comprehensive assessment including a variety of earthquake source areas other than those that the Earthquake Research Committee, Japanese government (2013) showed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirata, K.; Fujiwara, H.; Nakamura, H.; Osada, M.; Morikawa, N.; Kawai, S.; Ohsumi, T.; Aoi, S.; Yamamoto, N.; Matsuyama, H.; Toyama, N.; Kito, T.; Murashima, Y.; Murata, Y.; Inoue, T.; Saito, R.; Takayama, J.; Akiyama, S.; Korenaga, M.; Abe, Y.; Hashimoto, N.

    2016-12-01

    For the forthcoming Nankai earthquake with M8 to M9 class, the Earthquake Research Committee(ERC)/Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion, Japanese government (2013) showed 15 examples of earthquake source areas (ESAs) as possible combinations of 18 sub-regions (6 segments along trough and 3 segments normal to trough) and assessed the occurrence probability within the next 30 years (from Jan. 1, 2013) was 60% to 70%. Hirata et al.(2015, AGU) presented Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment (PTHA) along Nankai Trough in the case where diversity of the next event's ESA is modeled by only the 15 ESAs. In this study, we newly set 70 ESAs in addition of the previous 15 ESAs so that total of 85 ESAs are considered. By producing tens of faults models, with various slip distribution patterns, for each of 85 ESAs, we obtain 2500 fault models in addition of previous 1400 fault models so that total of 3900 fault models are considered to model the diversity of the next Nankai earthquake rupture (Toyama et al.,2015, JpGU). For PTHA, the occurrence probability of the next Nankai earthquake is distributed to possible 3900 fault models in the viewpoint of similarity to the 15 ESAs' extents (Abe et al.,2015, JpGU). A major concept of the occurrence probability distribution is; (i) earthquakes rupturing on any of 15 ESAs that ERC(2013) showed most likely occur, (ii) earthquakes rupturing on any of ESAs whose along-trench extent is the same as any of 15 ESAs but trough-normal extent differs from it second likely occur, (iii) earthquakes rupturing on any of ESAs whose both of along-trough and trough-normal extents differ from any of 15 ESAs rarely occur. Procedures for tsunami simulation and probabilistic tsunami hazard synthesis are the same as Hirata et al (2015). A tsunami hazard map, synthesized under an assumption that the Nankai earthquakes can be modeled as a renewal process based on BPT distribution with a mean recurrence interval of 88.2 years (ERC, 2013) and an

  10. Porous Titanium Wedges in Lateral Column Lengthening for Adult-Acquired Flatfoot Deformity.

    PubMed

    Moore, Spencer H; Carstensen, S Evan; Burrus, M Tyrrell; Cooper, Truitt; Park, Joseph S; Perumal, Venkat

    2017-10-01

    Lateral column lengthening (LCL) is a common procedure for reconstruction of stage II flexible adult-acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD). The recent development of porous titanium wedges for this procedure provides an alternative to allograft and autograft. The purpose of this study was to report radiographic and clinical outcomes achieved with porous titanium wedges in LCL. A retrospective analysis of 34 feet in 30 patients with AAFD that received porous titanium wedges for LCL from January 2011 to October 2014. Deformity correction was assessed using both radiographic and clinical parameters. Radiographic correction was assessed using the lateral talo-first metatarsal angle, the talonavicular uncoverage percentage, and the first metatarsocuneiform height. The hindfoot valgus angle was measured. Patients were followed from a minimum of 6 months up to 4 years (mean 16.1 months). Postoperative radiographs demonstrated significant correction in all 3 radiographic criteria and the hindfoot valgus angle. We had no cases of nonunion, no wedge migration, and no wedges have been removed to date. The most common complication was calcaneocuboid joint pain (14.7%). Porous titanium wedges in LCL can achieve good radiographic and clinical correction of AAFD with a low rate of nonunion and other complications. Level IV: Case series.

  11. Capillary surfaces in a wedge: Differing contact angles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Concus, Paul; Finn, Robert

    1994-01-01

    The possible zero-gravity equilibrium configurations of capillary surfaces u(x, y) in cylindrical containers whose sections are (wedge) domains with corners are investigated mathematically, for the case in which the contact angles on the two sides of the wedge may differ. In such a situation the behavior can depart in significant qualitative ways from that for which the contact angles on the two sides are the same. Conditions are described under which such qualitative changes must occur. Numerically computed surfaces are depicted to indicate the behavior.

  12. Late Holocene ice wedges near Fairbanks, Alaska, USA: Environmental setting and history of growth

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hamilton, T.D.; Ager, T.A.; Robinson, S.W.

    1983-01-01

    Test trenches excavated into muskeg near Fairbanks in 1969 exposed a polygonal network of active ice wedges. The wedges occur in peat that has accumulated since about 3500 yr BP and have grown episodically as the permafrost table fluctuated in response to fires, other local site conditions and perhaps regional climatic changes. Radiocarbon dates suggest one or two episodes of ice-wedge growth between about 3500 and 2000 yr BP as woody peat accumulated at the site. Subsequent wedge truncation evidently followed a fire that charred the peat. Younger peat exhibits facies changes between sedge-rich components that filled troughs over the ice wedges and woody bryophytic deposits that formed beyond the troughs. A final episode of wedge development took place within the past few hundred years. Pollen data from the site indicate that boreal forest was present throughout the past 6000 yr, but that it underwent a gradual transition from a predominantly deciduous to a spruce-dominated assemblage. This change may reflect either local site conditions or a more general climatic shift to cooler, moister summers in late Holocene time. The history of ice-wedge growth shows that wedges can form and grow to more than 1 m apparent width under mean annual temperatures that probably are close to those of the Fairbanks area today (-3.5°C) and under vegetation cover similar to that of the interior Alaskan boreal forest. The commonly held belief that ice wedges develop only below mean annual air temperatures of -6 to -8°C in the zone of continuous permafrost is invalid.

  13. Source parameters controlling the generation and propagation of potential local tsunamis along the cascadia margin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Geist, E.; Yoshioka, S.

    1996-01-01

    The largest uncertainty in assessing hazards from local tsunamis along the Cascadia margin is estimating the possible earthquake source parameters. We investigate which source parameters exert the largest influence on tsunami generation and determine how each parameter affects the amplitude of the local tsunami. The following source parameters were analyzed: (1) type of faulting characteristic of the Cascadia subduction zone, (2) amount of slip during rupture, (3) slip orientation, (4) duration of rupture, (5) physical properties of the accretionary wedge, and (6) influence of secondary faulting. The effect of each of these source parameters on the quasi-static displacement of the ocean floor is determined by using elastic three-dimensional, finite-element models. The propagation of the resulting tsunami is modeled both near the coastline using the two-dimensional (x-t) Peregrine equations that includes the effects of dispersion and near the source using the three-dimensional (x-y-t) linear long-wave equations. The source parameters that have the largest influence on local tsunami excitation are the shallowness of rupture and the amount of slip. In addition, the orientation of slip has a large effect on the directivity of the tsunami, especially for shallow dipping faults, which consequently has a direct influence on the length of coastline inundated by the tsunami. Duration of rupture, physical properties of the accretionary wedge, and secondary faulting all affect the excitation of tsunamis but to a lesser extent than the shallowness of rupture and the amount and orientation of slip. Assessment of the severity of the local tsunami hazard should take into account that relatively large tsunamis can be generated from anomalous 'tsunami earthquakes' that rupture within the accretionary wedge in comparison to interplate thrust earthquakes of similar magnitude. ?? 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

  14. A Wrench fault system and nappe emplacement in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania.- A key area for Pan-African continental collision in East Africa?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bauernhofer, A.; Wallbrecher, E.; Hauzenberger, C.; Fritz, H.; Loizenbauer, J.; Hoinkes, G.; Muhongo, S.; Mathu, E.

    2003-04-01

    In the Voi Area of Southern Kenya, the granulite facies rocks of the Taita Hills and the Tsavo East National Park (Galana River) can be divided into three structural domains: The Galana-East unit consists of an intercalation of flat lying metapelites and marbles of continental margin origin. These metasediments can be traced further east to the Umba Steppe (Between Mombasa and Tanga). Galana-West consists of a N-S oriented wrench fault zone with vertical foliation planes and horizontal stretching lineation. Numerous shear sense indicators always show sinistral shear sense. Amphibolites of MORB affinity are involved in this wrench fault zone. To the west, this zone is bordered by calc-alkaline metatonalites of the Sagala Hills. The westernmost unit consists of the Taita Hills. They form an imbricated pile of southwestward thrusted nappe sheets containing metapelites, marbles, and ultramafics. The Taita Hills may be explained as part of an accretionary wedge. Southwestward nappe thrusting is also the prominent structure in the Pare and Usambara Mountains of Northern Tanzania. The following model may may explain these observations: The Southern Kenya -- Northern Tanzania section of the Mozambique Belt is the result of continental collision tectonics. Remnants of an island arc and of an accretionary wedge that occur at least in the Voi area may be part of a former subduction zone. An oceanic domain between an eastern passive continental margin and a western terrane, now represented by the Tanzanian granulite belt has been closed incorporating island arc and accretionary wedge material. Oblique convergence of two continental blocks is suggested from wrench tectonics. The age of convergent tectonics is 530 -- 580 Ma, dated by Sm-Nd garnet-whole rock analysis. This is interpreted as the age of peak metamorphism.

  15. Vertebral body or intervertebral disc wedging: which contributes more to thoracolumbar kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis patients?

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Hao; Qian, Bang-Ping; Qiu, Yong; Wang, Yan; Wang, Bin; Yu, Yang; Zhu, Ze-Zhang

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Both vertebral body wedging and disc wedging are found in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis. However, their relative contribution to thoracolumbar kyphosis is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to compare different contributions of vertebral and disc wedging to the thoracolumbar kyphosis in AS patients, and to analyze the relationship between the apical vertebral wedging angle and thoracolumbar kyphosis. From October 2009 to October 2013, a total of 59 consecutive AS patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis with a mean age of 38.1 years were recruited in this study. Based on global kyphosis (GK), 26 patients with GK < 70° were assigned to group A, and the other 33 patients with GK ≥ 70° were included in group B. Each GK was divided into disc wedge angles and vertebral wedge angles. The wedging angle of each disc and vertebra comprising the thoracolumbar kyphosis was measured, and the proportion of the wedging angle to the GK was calculated accordingly. Intergroup and intragroup comparisons were subsequently performed to investigate the different contributions of disc and vertebra to the GK. The correlation between the apical vertebral wedging angle and GK was calculated by Pearson correlation analysis. The duration of disease and sex were also recorded in this study. With respect to the mean disease duration, significant difference was observed between the two groups (P < 0.01). The wedging angle and wedging percentage of discs were significantly higher than those of vertebrae in group A (34.8° ± 2.5° vs 26.7° ± 2.7°, P < 0.01 and 56.6% vs 43.4%, P < 0.01), whereas disc wedging and disc wedging percentage were significantly lower than vertebrae in group B (37.6° ± 7.0° vs 50.1° ± 5.1°, P < 0.01 and 42.7% vs 57.3%, P < 0.01). The wedging of vertebrae was significantly higher in group B than in group A (50.1° ± 5.1° vs 26.7° ± 2.7°, P < 0

  16. Mechanisms controlling the complete accretionary beach state sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubarbier, Benjamin; Castelle, Bruno; Ruessink, Gerben; Marieu, Vincent

    2017-06-01

    Accretionary downstate beach sequence is a key element of observed nearshore morphological variability along sandy coasts. We present and analyze the first numerical simulation of such a sequence using a process-based morphodynamic model that solves the coupling between waves, depth-integrated currents, and sediment transport. The simulation evolves from an alongshore uniform barred beach (storm profile) to an almost featureless shore-welded terrace (summer profile) through the highly alongshore variable detached crescentic bar and transverse bar/rip system states. A global analysis of the full sequence allows determining the varying contributions of the different hydro-sedimentary processes. Sediment transport driven by orbital velocity skewness is critical to the overall onshore sandbar migration, while gravitational downslope sediment transport acts as a damping term inhibiting further channel growth enforced by rip flow circulation. Accurate morphological diffusivity and inclusion of orbital velocity skewness opens new perspectives in terms of morphodynamic modeling of real beaches.

  17. Seismicity around the source areas of the 1946 Nankai and the 1944 Tonankai earthquakes detected from data recorded at DONET stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suzuki, K.; Kamiya, S.; Takahashi, N.

    2016-12-01

    The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) installed DONET (Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis) off the Kii Peninsula, southwest of Japan, to monitor earthquakes and tsunamis. Stations of DONET1, which are distributed in Kumano-nada, and DONET2, which are distributed off Muroto, were installed by August 2011 and April 2016, respectively. After the installation of all of the 51 stations, DONET was transferred to National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED). NIED and JAMSTEC have now corroborated in the operation of DONET since April 2016. To investigate the seismicity around the source areas of the 1946 Nankai and the 1944 Tonankai earthquakes, we detected earthquakes from the records of the broadband seismometers installed to DONET. Because DONET stations are apart from land stations, we can detect smaller earthquakes than by using only land stations. It is important for understanding the stress state and seismogenic mechanism to monitoring the spatial-temporal seismicity change. In this study we purpose to evaluate to the seismicity around the source areas of the Nankai and the Tonankai earthquakes by using our earthquake catalogue. The frequency-magnitude relationships of earthquakes in the areas of DONET1&2 had an almost constant slope of about -1 for earthquakes of ML larger than 1.5 and 2.5, satisfying the Gutenberg-Richter law, and the slope of smaller earthquakes approached 0, reflecting the detection limits. While the most of the earthquakes occurred in the aftershock area of the 2004 off the Kii Peninsula earthquakes, very limited activity was detected in the source region of the Nankai and Tonankai earthquake except for the large earthquake (MJMA = 6.5) on 1st April 2016 and its aftershocks. We will evaluate the detection limit of the earthquake in more detail and investigate the spatial-temporal seismicity change with waiting the data store.

  18. Occurrence of microbial ecosystems in the active zone of catagenesis, Nankai Trough (Japan)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horsfield, B.; Ondrak, R.; Zink, K.; Schenk, H. J.

    2003-04-01

    Natural gas in sedimentary basins may be generated via methanogenic bacterial activity at relatively shallow depths or by thermogenic processes at higher levels of thermal maturity. A biogeochemical and geological study of undeformed Quaternary and Tertiary sedimentary sequences seaward of the Nankai Trough, offshore Japan (ODP Leg 190), has addressed the overlap of these processes. Palaeotemperatures were reconstructed based on subsidence profiles, compaction modelling, present-day heat flow, down-hole temperature measurements and organic maturity parameters using basin modelling software. Today's heat flow distribution is not purely conductive, but modified by hydrothermal advection, and is extremely high in places, reaching up to 200 mW/m^2. The kinetic parameters for total hydrocarbon generation and carbon dioxide generation, determined by laboratory pyrolysis experiments were utilized by the model in order to predict the timing of generation of these substances in time and space. Present day temperatures reach 110^oC at a depth of ca. 1100m below sea floor (ca. 6000m below mean sea level). Because burial was rapid, especially during the Holocene, exceptionally high heating rates of up to 130K/Ma are inferred (ca. 20 times that seen in the North Sea). The model predicts that generation proceeds at depths between 5200m and 5600m, depending on well location. In the case of site 1174, 5-10% conversion of precursor structures into products has taken place by a present day temperature of ca. 85^oC. Predictions were largely validated by on-site hydrocarbon gas measurements. Crucially, intact phospholipids were also detected in the same depth range demonstrating unequivocally the presence of living systems. Indeed all these results together point to an overlap of abiotic thermal degradation reactions going on in the same part of the sedimentary column as where a deep biosphere exists. Because both CO_2 and hydrocarbons can be considered as putative feedstocks for

  19. Pilot Study: Foam Wedge Chin Support Static Tolerance Testing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-10-24

    AFRL-SA-WP-SR-2017-0026 Pilot Study : Foam Wedge Chin Support Static Tolerance Testing Austin M. Fischer, BS1; William W...COVERED (From – To) April – October 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Pilot Study : Foam Wedge Chin Support Static Tolerance Testing 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER...prototype to mitigate the increase in helmet weight and forward center of gravity. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility and

  20. Field guide to the Mesozoic accretionary complex along Turnagain Arm and Kachemak Bay, south-central Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bradley, Dwight C.; Kusky, Timothy M.; Karl, Susan M.; Haeussler, Peter J.

    1997-01-01

    Turnagain Arm, just east of Anchorage, provides a readily accessible, world-class cross section through a Mesozoic accretionary wedge. Nearly continuous exposures along the Seward Highway, the Alaska Railroad, and the shoreline of Turnagain Arm display the two main constituent units of the Chugach terrane: the McHugh Complex and Valdez Group. In this paper we describe seven bedrock geology stops along Turnagain Arm, and two others in the Chugach Mountains just to the north (Stops 1-7 and 9), which will be visited as part of the May, 1997 field trip of the Alaska Geological Society. Outcrops along Turnagain Arm have already been described in two excellent guidebook articles (Clark, 1981; Winkler and others 1984), both of which remain as useful and valid today as when first published. Since the early 1980's, studies along Turnagain Arm have addressed radiolarian ages of chert and conodont ages of limestone in the McHugh Complex (Nelson and others, 1986, 1987); geochemistry of basalt in the McHugh Complex (Nelson and Blome, 1991); post-accretion brittle faulting (Bradley and Kusky, 1990; Kusky and others, 1997); and the age and tectonic setting of gold mineralization (Haeussler and others, 1995). Highlights of these newer findings will described both in the text below, and in the stop descriptions.Superb exposures along the southeastern shore of Kachemak Bay show several other features of the McHugh Complex that are either absent or less convincing along Turnagain Arm. While none of these outcrops can be reached via the main road network, they are still reasonably accessible - all are within an hour by motorboat from Homer, seas permitting. Here, we describe seven outcrops along the shore of Kachemak Bay that we studied between 1989 and 1993 during geologic mapping of the Seldovia 1:250,000- scale quadrangle. These outcrops (Stops 61-67) will not be part of the 1997 itinerary, but are included here tor the benefit of those who may wish to visit them later.

  1. Lithologic Controls on Structure Highlight the Role of Fluids in Failure of a Franciscan Complex Accretionary Prism Thrust Fault

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartram, H.; Tobin, H. J.; Goodwin, L. B.

    2015-12-01

    Plate-bounding subduction zone thrust systems are the source of major earthquakes and tsunamis, but their mechanics and internal structure remain poorly understood and relatively little-studied compared to faults in continental crust. Exposures in exhumed accretionary wedges present an opportunity to study seismogenic subduction thrusts in detail. In the Marin Headlands, a series of thrusts imbricates mechanically distinct lithologic units of the Mesozoic Franciscan Complex including pillow basalt, radiolarian chert, black mudstone, and turbidites. We examine variations in distribution and character of structure and vein occurrence in two exposures of the Rodeo Cove thrust, a fossil plate boundary exposed in the Marin Headlands. We observe a lithologic control on the degree and nature of fault localization. At Black Sand Beach, deformation is localized in broad fault cores of sheared black mudstone. Altered basalts, thrust over greywacke, mudstone, and chert, retain their coherence and pillow structures. Veins are only locally present. In contrast, mudstone is virtually absent from the exposure 2 km away at Rodeo Beach. At this location, deformation is concentrated in the altered basalts, which display evidence of extensive vein-rock interaction. Altered basalts exhibit a pervasive foliation, which is locally disrupted by both foliation-parallel and cross-cutting carbonate-filled veins and carbonate cemented breccia. Veins are voluminous (~50%) at this location. All the structures are cut by anastomosing brittle shear zones of foliated cataclasite or gouge. Analyses of vein chemistry will allow us to compare the sources of fluids that precipitated the common vein sets at Rodeo Beach to the locally developed veins at Black Sand Beach. These observations lead us to hypothesize that in the absence of a mechanically weak lithology, elevated pore fluid pressure is required for shear failure. If so, the vein-rich altered basalt at Rodeo Beach may record failure of an

  2. Contact and crack problems for an elastic wedge. [stress concentration in elastic half spaces

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Erdogan, F.; Gupta, G. D.

    1974-01-01

    The contact and the crack problems for an elastic wedge of arbitrary angle are considered. The problem is reduced to a singular integral equation which, in the general case, may have a generalized Cauchy kernel. The singularities under the stamp as well as at the wedge apex were studied, and the relevant stress intensity factors are defined. The problem was solved for various wedge geometries and loading conditions. The results may be applicable to certain foundation problems and to crack problems in symmetrically loaded wedges in which cracks initiate from the apex.

  3. IODP Expedition 338: NanTroSEIZE Stage 3: NanTroSEIZE plate boundary deep riser 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, G. F.; Kanagawa, K.; Strasser, M.; Dugan, B.; Maeda, L.; Toczko, S.

    2014-01-01

    The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is designed to investigate fault mechanics and seismogenesis along a subduction megathrust, with objectives that include characterizing fault slip, strain accumulation, fault and wall rock composition, fault architecture, and state variables throughout an active plate boundary system. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 338 was planned to extend and case riser Hole C0002F from 856 to 3600 meters below the seafloor (m b.s.f.). Riser operations extended the hole to 2005.5 m b.s.f., collecting logging-while-drilling (LWD) and measurement-while-drilling, mud gas, and cuttings data. Results reveal two lithologic units within the inner wedge of the accretionary prism that are separated by a prominent fault zone at ~ 1640 m b.s.f. Due to damage to the riser during unfavorable winds and strong currents, riser operations were suspended, and Hole C0002F left for re-entry during future riser drilling operations. Contingency riserless operations included coring at the forearc basin site (C0002) and at two slope basin sites (C0021 and C0022), and LWD at one input site (C0012) and at three slope basin sites (C0018, C0021 and C0022). Cores and logs from these sites comprehensively characterize the alteration stage of the oceanic basement input to the subduction zone, the early stage of Kumano Basin evolution, gas hydrates in the forearc basin, and recent activity of the shallow megasplay fault zone system and associated submarine landslides.

  4. Seventh Annual V. M. Goldschmidt Conference

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    Topics considered include: Subduction of the Aseismic Cocos Ridge Displaced Magma Sources Beneath the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica; Topography of Transition Zone Discontinuities: A Measure of 'Olivine' Content and Evidence for Deep Cratonic Roots; Uranium Enrichment in Lithospheric Mantle: Case Studies from French Massif Central; Rare-Earth-Element Anomalies in the Decollement Zone of the nankai Accretionary Prism, Japan: Evidence of Fluid Flow?; Rare Earth Elements in Japanese Mudrocks: The Influence of Provenance; The Evolution of Seawater Strontium Isotopes in the Last Hundred Million Years: Reinterpretation and Consequences for Erosion and Climate Models; From Pat to Tats: The Lead Isotope Legacy in the Studies of the Continental Crust-Upper Mantle System; Geochronology of the Jack Hills Detrital Zircons by Precise Uranium-Lead Isotope-Dilution Analysis of Crystal Fragments; Iridium in the Oceans; The Helium-Heat-Lead Paradox; Control of Distribution Patterns of Heavy Metals in Ganga Plain Around Kanpur Region, India, by Fluvial Geomorphic Domains; Geochemical and Isotopic Features of Ferrar Magmatic Provience (Victoria Land, Antarctica); Rare Earth Elements in Marine Fine-Grained Sediments from the Northwestern Portuguese Shelf (Atlantic); Aspects of Arc Fluxes; General Kinetic Model for Dolomite Precipitation Rate with Application to the Secular History of Seawater Composition; High-Precision Uranium-series Chronology from Speleothems; Trace-Element Modeling of Aqueous Fluid-Peridotite Interaction in the Mantle Wedge of Subduction Zones; Rainfall Variations in Southeastern Australia over the Last 500,000 Years from Speleothem Deposition; The Role of Water in High-Pressure Fluids; The Kinetic Conditions of Metamorphic Minearogenesis: Evidence from Minerals and Assemblages.

  5. Wedge assembly for electrical transformer component spacing

    DOEpatents

    Baggett, Franklin E.; Cage, W. Franklin

    1991-01-01

    A wedge assembly that is easily inserted between two surfaces to be supported thereby, and thereafter expanded to produce a selected spacing between those surfaces. This wedge assembly has two outer members that are substantially identical except that they are mirror images of each other. Oppositely directed faces of these of these outer members are substantially parallel for the purpose of contacting the surfaces to be separated. The outer faces of these outer members that are directed toward each other are tapered so as to contact a center member having complementary tapers on both faces. A washer member is provided to contact a common end of the outer members, and a bolt member penetrates this washer and is threadably received in a receptor of the center member. As the bolt member is threaded into the center member, the center member is drawn further into the gap between the outer members and thereby separates these outer members to contact the surfaces to be separated. In the preferred embodiment, the contacting surfaces of the outer member and the center member are provided with guide elements. The wedge assembly is described for use in separating the secondary windings from the laminations of an electrical power transformer.

  6. The Ronda peridotite (Spain): A natural template for seismic anisotropy in subduction wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Précigout, Jacques; Almqvist, Bjarne S. G.

    2014-12-01

    The origin of seismic anisotropy in mantle wedges remains elusive. Here we provide documentation of shear wave anisotropy (AVs) inferred from mineral fabric across a lithosphere-scale vestige of deformed mantle wedge in the Ronda peridotite. As predicted for most subduction wedges, this natural case exposes a transition from A-type to B-type olivine fabric that occurs with decreasing temperature and enhanced grain boundary sliding at the expense of dislocation creep. We show that B-type fabric AVs (maximum of 6%) does not support geophysical observations and modeling, which requires 8% AVs. However, an observed transitional olivine fabric (A/B) develops at intermediate temperatures (800-1000°C) and can generate AVs ≥ 8%. We predict that the A/B-type fabric can account for shear wave splitting in contrasting subduction settings, exemplified by the Ryukyu and Honshu subduction wedges. The Ronda peridotite therefore serves as a natural template to decipher the mantle wedge deformation from seismic anisotropy.

  7. Links between sediment consolidation and Cascadia megathrust slip behaviour

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Shuoshuo; Bangs, Nathan L.; Carbotte, Suzanne M.; Saffer, Demian M.; Gibson, James C.

    2017-12-01

    At sediment-rich subduction zones, megathrust slip behaviour and forearc deformation are tightly linked to the physical properties and in situ stresses within underthrust and accreted sediments. Yet the role of sediment consolidation at the onset of subduction in controlling the downdip evolution and along-strike variation in megathrust fault properties and accretionary wedge structure is poorly known. Here we use controlled-source seismic data combined with ocean drilling data to constrain the sediment consolidation and in situ stress state near the deformation front of the Cascadia subduction zone. Offshore Washington where the megathrust is inferred to be strongly locked, we find over-consolidated sediments near the deformation front that are incorporated into a strong outer wedge, with little sediment subducted. These conditions are favourable for strain accumulation on the megathrust and potential earthquake rupture close to the trench. In contrast, offshore Central Oregon, a thick under-consolidated sediment sequence is subducting, and is probably associated with elevated pore fluid pressures on the megathrust in a region where reduced locking is inferred. Our results suggest that the consolidation state of the sediments near the deformation front is a key factor contributing to megathrust slip behaviour and its along-strike variation, and it may also have a significant role in the deformation style of the accretionary wedge.

  8. Distribution of shallow very low frequency earthquakes in the eastern Nankai trough influenced by a subducted oceanic ridge: Results from cluster analysis applied to ocean bottom seismographs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    To, A.; Obana, K.; Araki, E.

    2016-12-01

    The activity of very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) in the shallow accretionary prism of the eastern Nankai trough has been observed frequently in the past. In this study, we investigated the distribution of VLFEs that occurred in October 2015, which were recorded by an array of broadband ocean bottom seismometers (BBOBSs) of DONET1 network. The size of the network is much wider (>80 km) compared to previous BBOBS networks that were used for close-in observations of VLFEs; therefore the new dataset provides a broader overview of the VLFE distribution of this region. We first located the detected events using conventional methods such as the envelope correlation method. However, the results seemed to be largely scattered due to noise and the effect of 3D structures that could not be properly handled. Then, we introduced hierarchal clustering analysis, based on measured travel time patterns among stations obtained for each event. The analyses enabled the assessment of relative locations among events. Finally, the locations of event-clusters were estimated, instead of individual events, so that the obtained locations seemed less scattered. The obtained results indicate that the VLFE distribution is strongly influenced by a subducted ridge (Park et al., 2003) that exists beneath the northeastern side of the DONET1 network. Though the VLFEs are distributed from an area near the outer ridge toward the trench axis in the region with a smooth plate boundary, they are clustered at a shallow depth near the outer ridge in the region of the rough plate boundary. The VLFEs are clustered on the landward side of the peak of the subducted ridge; this could be explained by an elevated pore pressure in the region caused by the low-permeability oceanic ridge that may clog the up-dip pathway of the fluid along the decollement zone. The along-strike variation of the stress state, inferred from the VLFE distribution, should be an important factor in assessing the strain release

  9. Preparing for the Future Nankai Trough Tsunami: A Data Assimilation and Inversion Analysis From Various Observational Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mulia, Iyan E.; Inazu, Daisuke; Waseda, Takuji; Gusman, Aditya Riadi

    2017-10-01

    The future Nankai Trough tsunami is one of the imminent threats to the Japanese coastal communities that could potentially cause a catastrophic event. As a part of the countermeasure efforts for such an occurrence, this study analyzes the efficacy of combining tsunami data assimilation (DA) and waveform inversion (WI). The DA is used to continuously refine a wavefield model whereas the WI is used to estimate the tsunami source. We consider a future scenario of the Nankai Trough tsunami recorded at various observational systems, including ocean bottom pressure (OBP) gauges, global positioning system (GPS) buoys, and ship height positioning data. Since most of the OBP gauges are located inside the source region, the recorded tsunami signals exhibit significant offsets from surface measurements due to coseismic seafloor deformation effects. Such biased data are not applicable to the standard DA, but can be taken into account in the WI. On the other hand, the use of WI for the ship data may not be practical because a considerably large precomputed tsunami database is needed to cope with the spontaneous ship locations. The DA is more suitable for such an observational system as it can be executed sequentially in time and does not require precomputed scenarios. Therefore, the combined approach of DA and WI allows us to concurrently make use of all observational resources. Additionally, we introduce a bias correction scheme for the OBP data to improve the accuracy, and an adaptive thinning of observations to determine the efficient number of observations.

  10. Slamming pressures on the bottom of a free-falling vertical wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ikeda, C. M.; Judge, C. Q.

    2013-11-01

    High-speed planing boats are subjected to repeat impacts due to slamming, which can cause structural damage and injury to passengers. A first step in understanding and predicting the physics of a craft re-entering the water after becoming partially airborne is an experimental vertical drop test of a prismastic wedge (deadrise angle, β =20° beam, B = 300 mm; and length, L = 600 mm). The acrylic wedge was mounted to a rig allowing it to free-fall into a deep-water tank (5.2m × 5.2m × 4.2m deep) from heights 0 <= H <= 635 mm, measured from the keel to the free surface. The wedge was instrumented to record vertical position, acceleration, and pressure on the bottom surface. A pressure mapping system, capable of measuring several points over the area of the thin (0.1 mm) film sensor at sampling rates up to 20 kHz, is used and compared to surface-mounted pressure transducers (sampled at 10 kHz). A high speed camera (1000 fps, resolution of 1920 × 1200 pixels) is mounted above the wedge model to record the wetted surface as the wedge descended below the free surface. The pressure measurements taken with both conventional surface pressure transducers and the pressure mapping system agree within 10% of the peak pressure values (0.7 bar, typical). Supported by the Office of Naval Research.

  11. [Spectral Study on the Effects of Angle-Tuned Filter Wedge Angle Parameter to Reflecting Characteristics].

    PubMed

    Yu, Kan; Huang, De-xiu; Yin, Juan-juan; Bao, Jia-qi

    2015-08-01

    Three-port tunable optical filter is a key device in the all-optic intelligent switching network and dense wavelength division multiplexing system. The characteristics of the reflecting spectrum, especially the reflectivity and the isolation degree are very important to the three-port filter. Angle-tuned thin film filter is widely used as a three-port tunable filter for its high rectangular degree and good temperature stability. The characteristics of the reflecting spectrum are greatly influenced not only by the incident angle, but also by the wedge angle parameter of the non-paralleled wedge thin film filter. In the present paper, the influences of the wedge angle parameter to the reflectivity and the half bandwidth are analyzed, and the reflecting spectrum characterstics are simulationed in different wedge angle parameter and polarity. The wedge angle-tuned thin film filter with 0.8° wedge angle parameter is fabricated. The experimental results show that keeping the wedge angle the same orientation to the incident angle will worsen the reflectivity and the rectangular degree of the reflecting spectrum. However, keeping the wedge angle orientation reverse to the incident angle will enhance the reflectivity and decrease the bandwidth, which will give higher reflectivity and isolation degree to the three-port filter than that of high parallel degree angle-tuned thin film filter.

  12. Starting of generic inlet with blunted wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borovoy, V.; Mosharov, V.; Radchenko, V.; Skuratov, A.; Struminskaya, I.

    2017-06-01

    Bluntness e¨ect of gas-compressing wedges on starting and §ow structure in an air inlet was investigated experimentally. The inlet was of internal compression type with §at walls and rectangular cross section. The experiments were carried out in the wind tunnel UT-1M at Mach numbers M = 5 and 8 and Reynolds numbers Re∞L from 2.8 · 106 to 23 · 106. The §ow characteristics were measured by panoramic optical methods. Data demonstrating in§uence of wedge bluntness radius on the inlet starting were obtained at di¨erent Mach and Reynolds numbers as well as at di¨erent contraction ratios. Ambiguity of the §ow regime in the inlet under certain conditions was found.

  13. Present-day chaotic formations around the Japanese trenches: Comparison to the on land examples from the Shimanto and Miura-Boso, and from the Franciscan, Mineoka and Ankara

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogawa, Yujiro; Kawamura, Kiichiro; Tsunogae, Toshiaki; Mori, Ryota; Chiba, Tae; Sasaki, Tomoyuki

    2010-05-01

    Four different types of chaotic formations were recognized by the submersible observation around the Japanese trenches, including the Nankai and Sagami troughs, Boso triple junction, Japan trench, and Izu-Bonin arc, and each type is summarized and discussed in view of comparison to the on land examples, such as from the Franciscan, Shimanto and Miura-Boso belts in the circum Pacifc margins, and the Ankara. The submarine geologies are present actual examples to give us a critical key to understanding the formation processes and emplacement mechanisms for the so-called mélange bodies, either sedimentary, tectonic or diapiric. Some are made of alternated beds of sandstone and mudstone that show broken or block-in-matrix fashion, in most cases in muddy matrix. These are commonly developed on the trench landward slope toe of the Nankai and Sagami troughs and Boso triple junction area as well as the Japan trench slope. One type is from the landward slope, but another type is from the oceanward slopes. The former type is in places calcareous cemented, probably caused by hydraulic fracturing by high pore pressure along the thrust fault and oxidized methane-made carbonate precipitation. They are seen on the feet of the thrust-dominated slope and to be compared to the so-called sedimentary mélanges due to the gravitational sliding, which occur because of tectonically induced steep slopes. Most of such thrusts are related to large subduction type earthquakes, and await for further critical consideration on to the relation to the asperity problem. Some of large scale gravitational collapses may be related to the seamount or ridge subduction to the trench, both in case of accretionary and non-accretionary type margins, the former is for the examples from the Nankai and Sagami troughs and the Boso triple junction, latter for the Japan trench. In all cases on land and under the sea in the trench landward slope, some calcareous breccias are associated with methane

  14. Analysis and measurement of electromagnetic scattering by pyramidal and wedge absorbers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dewitt, B. T.; Burnside, Walter D.

    1986-01-01

    By modifying the reflection coefficients in the Uniform Geometrical Theory of Diffraction a solution that approximates the scattering from a dielectric wedge is found. This solution agrees closely with the exact solution of Rawlins which is only valid for a few minor cases. This modification is then applied to the corner diffraction coefficient and combined with an equivalent current and geometrical optics solutions to model scattering from pyramid and wedge absorbers. Measured results from 12 inch pyramid absorbers from 2 to 18 GHz are compared to calculations assuming the returns add incoherently and assuming the returns add coherently. The measured results tend to be between the two curves. Measured results from the 8 inch wedge absorber are also compared to calculations with the return being dominated by the wedge diffraction. The procedures for measuring and specifying absorber performance are discussed and calibration equations are derived to calculate a reflection coefficient or a reflectivity using a reference sphere. Shaping changes to the present absorber designs are introduced to improve performance based on both high and low frequency analysis. Some prototypes were built and tested.

  15. Achieving hard X-ray nanofocusing using a wedged multilayer Laue lens

    DOE PAGES

    Huang, Xiaojing; Conley, Raymond; Bouet, Nathalie; ...

    2015-05-04

    We report on the fabrication and the characterization of a wedged multilayer Laue lens for x-ray nanofocusing. The lens was fabricated using a sputtering deposition technique, in which a specially designed mask was employed to introduce a thickness gradient in the lateral direction of the multilayer. X-ray characterization shows an efficiency of 27% and a focus size of 26 nm at 14.6 keV, in a good agreement with theoretical calculations. These results indicate that the desired wedging is achieved in the fabricated structure. We anticipate that continuous development on wedged MLLs will advance x-ray nanofocusing optics to new frontiers andmore » enrich capabilities and opportunities for hard X-ray microscopy.« less

  16. Achieving hard X-ray nanofocusing using a wedged multilayer Laue lens

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Xiaojing; Conley, Raymond; Bouet, Nathalie

    We report on the fabrication and the characterization of a wedged multilayer Laue lens for x-ray nanofocusing. The lens was fabricated using a sputtering deposition technique, in which a specially designed mask was employed to introduce a thickness gradient in the lateral direction of the multilayer. X-ray characterization shows an efficiency of 27% and a focus size of 26 nm at 14.6 keV, in a good agreement with theoretical calculations. These results indicate that the desired wedging is achieved in the fabricated structure. We anticipate that continuous development on wedged MLLs will advance x-ray nanofocusing optics to new frontiers andmore » enrich capabilities and opportunities for hard X-ray microscopy.« less

  17. Dual Double-Wedge Pseudo-Depolarizer with Anamorphic PSF

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hill, Peter; Thompson, Patrick

    2012-01-01

    A polarized scene, which may occur at oblique illumination angles, creates a radiometric signal that varies as a function of viewing angle. One common optical component that is used to minimize such an effect is a polarization scrambler or depolarizer. As part of the CLARREO mission, the SOLARIS instrument project at Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a new class of polarization scramblers using a dual double-wedge pseudo-depolarizer that produces an anamorphic point spread function (PSF). The SOLARIS instrument uses two Wollaston type scramblers in series, each with a distinct wedge angle, to image a pseudo-depolarized scene that is free of eigenstates. Since each wedge is distinct, the scrambler is able to produce an anamorphic PSF that maintains high spatial resolution in one dimension by sacrificing the spatial resolution in the other dimension. This scrambler geometry is ideal for 1-D imagers, such as pushbroom slit spectrometers, which require high spectral resolution, high spatial resolution, and low sensitivity to polarized light. Moreover, the geometry is applicable to a wide range of scientific instruments that require both high SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) and low sensitivity to polarized scenes

  18. Late Paleozoic onset of subduction and exhumation at the western margin of Gondwana (Chilenia Terrane): Counterclockwise P-T paths and timing of metamorphism of deep-seated garnet-mica schist and amphibolite of Punta Sirena, Coastal Accretionary Complex, central Chile (34° S)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyppolito, T.; García-Casco, A.; Juliani, C.; Meira, V. T.; Hall, C.

    2014-10-01

    In this study, the Paleozoic albite-epidote-amphibolite occurring as meter-sized intercalations within garnet-mica schist at Punta Sirena beach (Pichilemu region, central Chile) is characterized for the first time. These rocks constitute an unusual exposure of subduction-related rocks within the Paleozoic Coastal Accretionary Complex of central Chile. Whereas high pressure (HP) greenschist and cofacial metasediments are the predominant rocks forming the regional metamorphic basement, the garnet-mica schist and amphibolite yield higher P-T conditions (albite-epidote amphibolite facies) and an older metamorphic age. Combining detailed mineral chemistry and textural information, P-T calculations and Ar-Ar ages, including previously published material from the Paleozoic Accretionary Complex of central Chile, we show that the garnet-mica schist and associated amphibolite (locally retrograded to greenschist) are vestiges of the earliest subducted material now forming exotic bodies within the younger HP units of the paleo-accretionary wedge. These rocks are interpreted as having been formed during the onset of subduction at the southwestern margin of Gondwana. However, we show that the garnet-mica schist formed at a slightly greater depth (ca. 40 km) than the amphibolite (ca. 30 km) along the same hot-subduction gradient developed during the onset of subduction. Both lithotypes reached their peak-P conditions at ca. 335-330 Ma and underwent near-isobaric cooling followed by cooling and decompression (i.e., counterclockwise P-T paths). The forced return flow of the garnet-mica schist from the subduction channel started at ca. 320 Ma and triggered the exhumation of fragments of shallower accreted oceanic crust (amphibolite). Cores of phengite (garnet-mica schist) and amphibole (amphibolite) grains have similar chemical compositions in both the S1 and S2 domains, indicating rotation of these grains during the transposition of the burial-related (prograde peak-T) foliation S1

  19. Analysis of Fault Spacing in Thrust-Belt Wedges Using Numerical Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Regensburger, P. V.; Ito, G.

    2017-12-01

    Numerical modeling is invaluable in studying the mechanical processes governing the evolution of geologic features such as thrust-belt wedges. The mechanisms controlling thrust fault spacing in wedges is not well understood. Our numerical model treats the thrust belt as a visco-elastic-plastic continuum and uses a finite-difference, marker-in-cell method to solve for conservation of mass and momentum. From these conservation laws, stress is calculated and Byerlee's law is used to determine the shear stress required for a fault to form. Each model consists of a layer of crust, initially 3-km-thick, carried on top of a basal décollement, which moves at a constant speed towards a rigid backstop. A series of models were run with varied material properties, focusing on the angle of basal friction at the décollement, the angle of friction within the crust, and the cohesion of the crust. We investigate how these properties affected the spacing between thrusts that have the most time-integrated history of slip and therefore have the greatest effect on the large-scale undulations in surface topography. The surface position of these faults, which extend through most of the crustal layer, are identifiable as local maxima in positive curvature of surface topography. Tracking the temporal evolution of faults, we find that thrust blocks are widest when they first form at the front of the wedge and then they tend to contract over time as more crustal material is carried to the wedge. Within each model, thrust blocks form with similar initial widths, but individual thrust blocks develop differently and may approach an asymptotic width over time. The median of thrust block widths across the whole wedge tends to decrease with time. Median fault spacing shows a positive correlation with both wedge cohesion and internal friction. In contrast, median fault spacing exhibits a negative correlation at small angles of basal friction (<17˚) and a positive correlation with larger angles

  20. Total knee arthroplasty after failed high tibial osteotomy: a systematic review of open versus closed wedge osteotomy.

    PubMed

    Han, Jae Hwi; Yang, Jae-Hyuk; Bhandare, Nikhl N; Suh, Dong Won; Lee, Jong Seong; Chang, Yong Suk; Yeom, Ji Woong; Nha, Kyung Wook

    2016-08-01

    Medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) has become increasingly popular as an alternative to lateral closing wedge osteotomy for the treatment of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity. The present systematic review was conducted to provide an objective analysis of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes following previous knee osteotomy (medial opening wedge vs. lateral closing wedge). A literature search of online databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library database) was made, in addition to manual search of major orthopaedic journals. The methodological quality of each of the studies was assessed on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Effective Practice and Organization of Care. A total of ten studies were included in the review. There were eight studies with Level IV and two studies with Level III evidence. Eight studies reported clinical and radiologic scores. Comparative studies between TKA following medial opening and lateral closing wedge HTO did not demonstrate statistically significant clinical and radiologic differences. The revision rates were similar. However, more technical issues during TKA surgery after lateral closing wedge HTO were mentioned than the medial open wedge group. The quadriceps snip, tibial tubercle osteotomy, and lateral soft tissue release were more frequently needed in the lateral closing wedge HTO group. In addition, because of loss of proximal tibia bone geometry in the lateral closing wedge HTO group, concerns such as tibia stem impingement in the lateral tibial cortex was noted. The present systematic review suggests that TKA after medial opening and lateral closing wedge HTO showed similar performance. Clinical and radiologic outcome including revision rates did not statistically differ from included studies. However, there are more surgical technical concerns in TKA conversion from lateral closing wedge HTO than from the medial opening wedge HTO group. IV.

  1. Source Model of the MJMA 6.5 Plate-Boundary Earthquake at the Nankai Trough, Southwest Japan, on April 1, 2016, Based on Strong Motion Waveform Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asano, K.

    2017-12-01

    An MJMA 6.5 earthquake occurred offshore the Kii peninsula, southwest Japan on April 1, 2016. This event was interpreted as a thrust-event on the plate-boundary along the Nankai trough where (Wallace et al., 2016). This event is the largest plate-boundary earthquake in the source region of the 1944 Tonankai earthquake (MW 8.0) after that event. The significant point of this event regarding to seismic observation is that this event occurred beneath an ocean-bottom seismic network called DONET1, which is jointly operated by NIED and JAMSTEC. Since moderate-to-large earthquake of this focal type is very rare in this region in the last half century, it is a good opportunity to investigate the source characteristics relating to strong motion generation of subduction-zone plate-boundary earthquakes along the Nankai trough. Knowledge obtained from the study of this earthquake would contribute to ground motion prediction and seismic hazard assessment for future megathrust earthquakes expected in the Nankai trough. In this study, the source model of the 2016 offshore the Kii peninsula earthquake was estimated by broadband strong motion waveform modeling using the empirical Green's function method (Irikura, 1986). The source model is characterized by strong motion generation area (SMGA) (Miyake et al., 2003), which is defined as a rectangular area with high-stress drop or high slip-velocity. SMGA source model based on the empirical Green's function method has great potential to reproduce ground motion time history in broadband frequency range. We used strong motion data from offshore stations (DONET1 and LTBMS) and onshore stations (NIED F-net and DPRI). The records of an MJMA 3.2 aftershock at 13:04 on April 1, 2016 were selected for the empirical Green's functions. The source parameters of SMGA are optimized by the waveform modeling in the frequency range 0.4-10 Hz. The best estimate of SMGA size is 19.4 km2, and SMGA of this event does not follow the source scaling

  2. The influence of physical wedges on penumbra and in-field dose uniformity in ocular proton beams.

    PubMed

    Baker, Colin; Kacperek, Andrzej

    2016-04-01

    A physical wedge may be partially introduced into a proton beam when treating ocular tumours in order to improve dose conformity to the distal border of the tumour and spare the optic nerve. Two unwanted effects of this are observed: a predictable broadening of the beam penumbra on the wedged side of the field and, less predictably, an increase in dose within the field along a relatively narrow volume beneath the edge (toe) of the wedge, as a result of small-angle proton scatter. Monte Carlo simulations using MCNPX and direct measurements with radiochromic (GAFCHROMIC(®) EBT2) film were performed to quantify these effects for aluminium wedges in a 60 MeV proton beam as a function of wedge angle and position of the wedge relative to the patient. For extreme wedge angles (60° in eye tissue) and large wedge-to-patient distances (70 mm in this context), the 90-10% beam penumbra increased from 1.9 mm to 9.1 mm. In-field dose increases from small-angle proton scatter were found to contribute up to 21% additional dose, persisting along almost the full depth of the spread-out-Bragg peak. Profile broadening and in-field dose enhancement are both minimised by placing the wedge as close as possible to the patient. Use of lower atomic number wedge materials such as PMMA reduce the magnitude of both effects as a result of a reduced mean scattering angle per unit energy loss; however, their larger physical size and greater variation in density are undesirable. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Experimental volcanic ash aggregation: Internal structuring of accretionary lapilli and the role of liquid bonding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mueller, Sebastian B.; Kueppers, Ulrich; Ayris, Paul M.; Jacob, Michael; Dingwell, Donald B.

    2016-01-01

    Explosive volcanic eruptions can release vast quantities of pyroclastic material into Earth's atmosphere, including volcanic ash, particles with diameters less than two millimeters. Ash particles can cluster together to form aggregates, in some cases reaching up to several centimeters in size. Aggregation alters ash transport and settling behavior compared to un-aggregated particles, influencing ash distribution and deposit stratigraphy. Accretionary lapilli, the most commonly preserved type of aggregates within the geologic record, can exhibit complex internal stratigraphy. The processes involved in the formation and preservation of these aggregates remain poorly constrained quantitatively. In this study, we simulate the variable gas-particle flow conditions which may be encountered within eruption plumes and pyroclastic density currents via laboratory experiments using the ProCell Lab System® of Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH. In this apparatus, solid particles are set into motion in a fluidized bed over a range of well-controlled boundary conditions (particle concentration, air flow rate, gas temperature, humidity, liquid composition). Experiments were conducted with soda-lime glass beads and natural volcanic ash particles under a range of experimental conditions. Both glass beads and volcanic ash exhibited the capacity for aggregation, but stable aggregates could only be produced when materials were coated with high but volcanically-relevant concentrations of NaCl. The growth and structure of aggregates was dependent on the initial granulometry, while the rate of aggregate formation increased exponentially with increasing relative humidity (12-45% RH), before overwetting promoted mud droplet formation. Notably, by use of a broad granulometry, we generated spherical, internally structured aggregates similar to some accretionary pellets found in volcanic deposits. Adaptation of a powder-technology model offers an explanation for the origin of natural accretionary

  4. Laser-based linear and nonlinear guided elastic waves at surfaces (2D) and wedges (1D).

    PubMed

    Hess, Peter; Lomonosov, Alexey M; Mayer, Andreas P

    2014-01-01

    The characteristic features and applications of linear and nonlinear guided elastic waves propagating along surfaces (2D) and wedges (1D) are discussed. Laser-based excitation, detection, or contact-free analysis of these guided waves with pump-probe methods are reviewed. Determination of material parameters by broadband surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and other applications in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) are considered. The realization of nonlinear SAWs in the form of solitary waves and as shock waves, used for the determination of the fracture strength, is described. The unique properties of dispersion-free wedge waves (WWs) propagating along homogeneous wedges and of dispersive wedge waves observed in the presence of wedge modifications such as tip truncation or coatings are outlined. Theoretical and experimental results on nonlinear wedge waves in isotropic and anisotropic solids are presented. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Calibration of the Wedge Prism

    Treesearch

    Charles B. Briscoe

    1957-01-01

    Since the introduction of plotless cruising in this country by Grosenbaugh and the later suggestion of using a wedge prism as an angle gauge by Bruce this method of determining basal area has been widely adopted in the South. One of the factors contributing to the occasionally unsatisfactory results obtained is failure to calibrate the prism used. As noted by Bruce the...

  6. What happens to full-f gyrokinetic transport and turbulence in a toroidal wedge simulation?

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Kyuho; Chang, C. S.; Seo, Janghoon; ...

    2017-01-24

    Here, in order to save the computing time or to fit the simulation size into a limited computing hardware in a gyrokinetic turbulence simulation of a tokamak plasma, a toroidal wedge simulation may be utilized in which only a partial toroidal section is modeled with a periodic boundary condition in the toroidal direction. The most severe restriction in the wedge simulation is expected to be in the longest wavelength turbulence, i.e., ion temperature gradient (ITG) driven turbulence. The global full-f gyrokinetic code XGC1 is used to compare the transport and turbulence properties from a toroidal wedge simulation against the fullmore » torus simulation in an ITG unstable plasma in a model toroidal geometry. It is found that (1) the convergence study in the wedge number needs to be conducted all the way down to the full torus in order to avoid a false convergence, (2) a reasonably accurate simulation can be performed if the correct wedge number N can be identified, (3) the validity of a wedge simulation may be checked by performing a wave-number spectral analysis of the turbulence amplitude |δΦ| and assuring that the variation of δΦ between the discrete kθ values is less than 25% compared to the peak |δΦ|, and (4) a frequency spectrum may not be used for the validity check of a wedge simulation.« less

  7. What happens to full-f gyrokinetic transport and turbulence in a toroidal wedge simulation?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Kyuho; Chang, C. S.; Seo, Janghoon

    Here, in order to save the computing time or to fit the simulation size into a limited computing hardware in a gyrokinetic turbulence simulation of a tokamak plasma, a toroidal wedge simulation may be utilized in which only a partial toroidal section is modeled with a periodic boundary condition in the toroidal direction. The most severe restriction in the wedge simulation is expected to be in the longest wavelength turbulence, i.e., ion temperature gradient (ITG) driven turbulence. The global full-f gyrokinetic code XGC1 is used to compare the transport and turbulence properties from a toroidal wedge simulation against the fullmore » torus simulation in an ITG unstable plasma in a model toroidal geometry. It is found that (1) the convergence study in the wedge number needs to be conducted all the way down to the full torus in order to avoid a false convergence, (2) a reasonably accurate simulation can be performed if the correct wedge number N can be identified, (3) the validity of a wedge simulation may be checked by performing a wave-number spectral analysis of the turbulence amplitude |δΦ| and assuring that the variation of δΦ between the discrete kθ values is less than 25% compared to the peak |δΦ|, and (4) a frequency spectrum may not be used for the validity check of a wedge simulation.« less

  8. A possible mechanism for earthquakes found in the mantle wedge of the Nazca subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warren, L. M.; Chang, Y.; Prieto, G. A.

    2017-12-01

    Beneath Colombia, the Cauca cluster of intermediate-depth earthquakes extends for 200 km along the trench (3.5°N-5.5°N, 77.0°W-75.3°W) and, with 58 earthquakes per year with local magnitude ML >= 2.5, has a higher rate of seismicity than the subduction zone immediately to the north or south. By precisely locating 433 cluster earthquakes from 1/2010-3/2014 with data from the Colombian National Seismic Network, we found that the earthquakes are located both in a continuous Nazca plate subducting at an angle of 33°-43° and in the overlying mantle wedge. The mantle wedge earthquakes (12% of the earthquakes) form two isolated 40-km-tall columns extending perpendicular to the subducting slab. Using waveform inversion, we computed focal mechanisms for 69 of the larger earthquakes. The focal mechanisms are variable, but the intraslab earthquakes are generally consistent with an in-slab extensional stress axis oriented 25° counterclockwise from the down-dip direction. We suggest that the observed mantle wedge earthquakes are the result of hydrofracture in a relatively cool mantle wedge. This segment of the Nazca Plate is currently subducting at a normal angle, but Wagner et al. (2017) suggested that a flat slab slowly developed in the region between 9-5.9 Ma and persisted until 4 Ma. During flat slab subduction, the overlying mantle wedge typically cools because it is cut off from mantle corner flow. After hydrous minerals in the slab dehydrate, the dehydrated fluid is expelled from the slab and migrates through the mantle wedge. If a cool mantle wedge remains today, fluid dehydrated from the slab may generate earthquakes by hydrofracture, with the mantle wedge earthquakes representing fluid migration pathways. Dahm's (2000) model of water-filled fracture propagation in the mantle wedge shows hydrofractures propagating normal to the subducting slab and extending tens of km into the mantle wedge, as we observe.

  9. Cyclic formation and stabilization of Archean lithosphere by accretionary orogenesis: Constraints from TTG and potassic granitoids, North China Craton

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wei; Cawood, Peter A.; Liu, Shuwen; Guo, Rongrong; Bai, Xiang; Wang, Kang

    2017-09-01

    Accretionary orogens are major sites of modern continental growth, yet their role in the development of Archean continental crust remains enigmatic. Diverse granitoid suites from tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) to potassic granitoids appeared during late Archean, representing a period of major continental formation and stabilization. In this study, whole-rock geochemical and zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic data are reported for Neoarchean granitoid gneisses from the Northern Liaoning Terrane, northeastern North China Craton (NCC). Older granitoid gneisses ( 2592-2537 Ma) define three magmatic zones migrating from southeast to northwest, each showing a common magmatic evolution from high-pressure TTGs to medium-/low-pressure TTGs and potassic granitoids. They have depleted zircon ƐHf(t) of +0.5 to +8.7. Younger 2529-2503 Ma potassic granitoids and TTGs occur throughout the terrane, which are marked by variable zircon ƐHf(t) of -4.7 to +8.1, and are coeval with regional high-grade metamorphism. Petrogenetic modeling and changing Sr/Y and (La/Yb)N of the granitoids suggest that the crust experienced episodic thickening and thinning and became progressively evolved through development of potassic granitoids and sedimentary successions. The metavolcanic basement to the granitoids display tholeiitic to calc-alkaline affinities, together with the top-to-the-northwest thrusting and associated volcanogenic massive sulfide-type Cu-Zn deposits, suggesting cyclic crustal formation of Northern Liaoning within an accretionary orogen with a SE-dipping subduction polarity. Cyclic crustal thickening and thinning is related to tectonic switching from advancing to retreating relations between the downgoing and overriding plate. After 2530 Ma, this accretionary system accreted to the ancient continental nucleus of NCC (Anshan-Benxi Terrane), signifying final lithosphere stabilization.

  10. Sedimentological Properties of Natural Gas Hydrates-Bearing Sands in the Nankai Trough and Mallik Areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uchida, T.; Tsuji, T.; Waseda, A.

    2009-12-01

    The Nankai Trough parallels the Japanese Island, where extensive BSRs have been interpreted from seismic reflection records. High resolution seismic surveys have definitely indicated gas hydrate distributions, and drilling the MITI Nankai Trough wells in 2000 and the METI Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada wells in 2004 have revealed subsurface gas hydrate in the eastern part of Nankai Trough. In 1998 and 2002 Mallik wells were drilled at Mackenzie Delta in the Canadian Arctic that also clarified the characteristics of gas hydrate-dominant sandy layers at depths from 890 to 1110 m beneath the permafrost zone. During the field operations, the LWD and wire-line well log data were continuously obtained and plenty of gas hydrate-bearing sand cores were recovered. Subsequence sedimentological and geochemical analyses performed on those core samples revealed the crucial geologic controls on the formation and preservation of natural gas hydrate in sediments. Pore-space gas hydrates reside in sandy sediments mostly filling intergranular porosity. Pore waters chloride anomalies, core temperature depression and core observations on visible gas hydrates confirm the presence of pore-space gas hydrates within moderate to thick sandy layers, typically 10 cm to a meter thick. Sediment porosities and pore-size distributions were obtained by mercury porosimetry, which indicate that porosities of gas hydrate-bearing sandy strata are approximately 45 %. According to grain size distribution curves, gas hydrate is dominant in fine- to very fine-grained sandy strata. Gas hydrate saturations are typically up to 80 % in pore volume throughout most of the hydrate-dominant sandy layers, which are estimated by well log analyses as well as pore water chloride anomalies. It is necessary for investigating subsurface fluid flow behaviors to evaluate both porosity and permeability of gas hydrate-bearing sandy sediments, and the measurements of water permeability for them indicated that highly saturated

  11. Thermal Evolution of Diapirs with Complex Mantle Wedge Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sylvia, R. T.; Kincaid, C.

    2016-12-01

    Subduction of oceanic lithosphere drives heat and mass exchange between Earth's interior and surface. One proposed transport mechanism for thermally and chemically distinct material through the wedge is the diapir model. The dominant driver of flow in the upper mantle is a mode of forced convection responding to motion of a tabular slab. A set of 4D laboratory experiments was conducted exploring the relationship between buoyancy flux and subduction parameters and subsequent effects on diapir transport. Variable subduction styles tested include downdip and rollback motion, slab gaps, slab steepening and backarc extension. The mantle is modeled using viscous glucose syrup with an Arrhenius type temperature dependent viscosity. Diapirs representing homogeneous mechanically mixed melange layer are introduced as buoyant fluid injected at multiple point sources situated along the surface of the sinking slab. Laboratory data is collected using high definition time-lapse photography and quantified using image velocimetry techniques. Here we present results from numerical simulation of the thermal evolution of spherical mantle wedge diapirs using 2D axisymmetric advection-diffusion model with internal diapir flow described by an analytic potential flow solution. A suite of wedge temperature profiles are used as thermal forcing on diapirs traversing the wedge along experimentally observed 4D ascent pathways. Scaling arguments suggest that for systems with Péclet number on the order of 15 advective heat transport is expected to dominate over diffusive heat transport, but the range of observed P-T-t paths and vigorous internal flow complicate this assumption. Interactions between modes of free (diapiric) and forced (wedge) convection lead to complex spatio-temporal variability in slab-to-arc connectivity patterns. Rollback induced toroidal flow, along trench changes in dip, convergence rate and backarc extension all produce a significant ( 500 km) trench-parallel transport

  12. 3D Tomography of Accretionary Lapilli From The Island of Stromboli (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy): Spatial Arrangement, Internal Structure, Grain Size Distribution and Chemical Characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morgavi, D.; Ielpo, M.; Valentini, L.; Laeger, K.; Paredes, J.; Petrelli, M.; Costa, A.; Perugini, D.

    2015-12-01

    The Secche di Lazzaro formation (7 Ka) is a phreatomagmatic deposit in the south-western part of the island of Stromboli (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy). The volcanic sequence is constituted by three main sub-units. In two of them abundant accretionary lapilli are present. We performed granulometric analysis to describe the spatial arrangement and the grain-size distribution of the lapilli inside the deposit. Lapilli were characterized by SEM investigations (BSE images). EMPA and LA-ICP-MS analyses of major and trace elements on glasses and minerals were performed. Although BSE images provide accurate morphological information, they do not allow the real 3D microstructure to be accessed. Therefore, non-invasive 3D imaging of the lapilli was performed by X-ray micro-tomography (X-mCT). The results of the X-mCT measurements provided a set of 2D cross-sectional slices stacked along the vertical axis, with a voxel size varying between 2.7 and 4.1 mm, depending on the size of the sample. The X-mCT images represent a mapping of X-ray attenuation, which in turn depends on the density of the phases distributed within the sample. This technique helped us to better constrain the particle and crystal distribution inside the accretionary lapilli. The recognized phases are: glass, clinopyroxene, plagioclase and Ti-Fe minerals. We discover also a high concentration of Na, Cl and SO3 in the ash matrix. This evidence is ubiquitous in all the accretionary lapilli. The work presented here could define a new route for future studies in the field of physical volcanology as X-ray micro-tomography could be a useful, non destructive technique to better characterize the internal structure of accretionary lapilli helping us to describe grain-size distribution of component particles and their spatial distribution within aggregates.

  13. Observations of Lower Mississippi River Estuarine Dynamics: Effects of the Salt Wedge on Sediment Deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramirez, M. T.; Allison, M. A.

    2017-12-01

    The lowermost Mississippi River is subject to salt-wedge estuarine conditions during seasonally low flow, when seaward flow is unable to overcome density stratification. Previous studies in the Mississippi River salt wedge have shown the deposition of a fine sediment layer accumulating several mm/day beneath the reach where the salt wedge is present. Field studies were conducted during low flow in 2012-2015 utilizing ADCP, CTD, LISST, and physical samples to observe the physics of the salt wedge reach and to calculate rates and character of sediment trapping beneath the salt wedge. The field observations were summarized using a two-layer box-model representation of the reach to calculate water and sediment budgets entering, exiting, and stored within the reach. The salt wedge reach was found to be net depositional at rates up to 1.8 mm/day. The mechanism for transferring sediment mass from the downstream-flowing fluvial layer to the upstream-flowing marine layer appears to be flocculation, evidenced in LISST data by a spike in sediment particle diameters at the halocline. Applying reach-averaged rates of sediment trapping to a time-integrated model of salt-wedge position, we calculated annual totals ranging from 0.025 to 2.2 million tons of sediment deposited beneath the salt wedge, depending on salt-wedge persistence and upstream extent. Most years this seasonal deposit is remobilized during spring flood following the low-flow estuarine season, which may affect the timing of sediment delivery to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as particulate organic carbon, whose transport trajectory mirrors that of mineral sediment. These results are also relevant to ongoing dredging efforts necessary to maintain the economically-important navigation pathway through the lower Mississippi River, as well as planned efforts to use Mississippi River sedimentary resources to build land in the degrading Louisiana deltaic coast.

  14. High resolution shallow imaging of the mega-splay fault in the central Nankai Trough off Kumano

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ashi, J.

    2012-12-01

    Steep slopes are continuously developed at water depths between 2200 to 2800 m at the Nankai accretionary prism off Kumano. These slopes are interpreted to be surface expressions caused by the megasplay fault on seismic reflection profiles. The fault plane has been drilled at multiple depths below seafloor by IODP NanTroSEIZE project. Mud breccias only recognized at the hanging wall of the fault (Site C0004) by Xray CT scanner are interpreted be formed by strong ground shaking and the age of the shallowest event of mud breccia layers suggests deformation in 1944 Tonankai earthquake (Sakaguchi et al., 2011). Detailed structures around the fault have been examined by seismic reflection profiles including 3D experiments. Although the fault plane deeper than 100 m is well imaged, the structure shallower than 100 m is characterized by obscure sediment veneer suggesting no recent fault activity. Investigation of shallow deformation structures is significant for understanding of recent tectonic activity. Therefore, we carried out deep towed subbottom profile survey by ROV NSS (Navigable Sampling System) during Hakuho-maru KH-11-9 cruise. We introduced a chirp subbottom profiling system of EdgeTech DW-106 for high resolution mapping of shallow structures. ROV NSS also has capability to take a long core with a pinpoint accuracy. The subbottom profiler crossing the megasplay fault near Site C0004 exhibits a landward dipping reflector suggesting the fault plane. The shallowest depth of the reflector is about 10 m below seafloor and the strata above it shows reflectors parallel to the seafloor without any topographic undulation. The fault must have displaced the shallow formation because intense deformation indicated by mud breccia was restricted to near fault zone. Slumping or sliding probably modified the shallow formation after the faulting. The shallow deformations near the megasplay fault were well imaged at the fault scarp 20 km southwest of Site C0004. Although the

  15. Surgical quality of wedge resection affects overall survival in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer.

    PubMed

    Ajmani, Gaurav S; Wang, Chi-Hsiung; Kim, Ki Wan; Howington, John A; Krantz, Seth B

    2018-07-01

    Very few studies have examined the quality of wedge resection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Using the National Cancer Database, we evaluated whether the quality of wedge resection affects overall survival in patients with early disease and how these outcomes compare with those of patients who receive stereotactic radiation. We identified 14,328 patients with cT1 to T2, N0, M0 disease treated with wedge resection (n = 10,032) or stereotactic radiation (n = 4296) from 2005 to 2013 and developed a subsample of propensity-matched wedge and radiation patients. Wedge quality was grouped as high (negative margins, >5 nodes), average (negative margins, ≤5 nodes), and poor (positive margins). Overall survival was compared between patients who received wedge resection of different quality and those who received radiation, adjusting for demographic and clinical variables. Among patients who underwent wedge resection, 94.6% had negative margins, 44.3% had 0 nodes examined, 17.1% had >5 examined, and 3.0% were nodally upstaged; 16.7% received a high-quality wedge, which was associated with a lower risk of death compared with average-quality resection (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-0.82). Compared with stereotactic radiation, wedge patients with negative margins had significantly reduced hazard of death (>5 nodes: aHR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.43-0.58; ≤5 nodes: aHR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.60-0.70). There was no significant survival difference between margin-positive wedge and radiation. Lymph nodes examined and margins obtained are important quality metrics in wedge resection. A high-quality wedge appears to confer a significant survival advantage over lower-quality wedge and stereotactic radiation. A margin-positive wedge appears to offer no benefit compared with radiation. Copyright © 2018 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Rainfall induced groundwater mound in wedge-shaped promontories: The Strack-Chernyshov model revisited

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kacimov, A. R.; Kayumov, I. R.; Al-Maktoumi, A.

    2016-11-01

    An analytical solution to the Poisson equation governing Strack's discharge potential (squared thickness of a saturated zone in an unconfined aquifer) is obtained in a wedge-shaped domain with given head boundary conditions on the wedge sides (specified water level in an open water body around a porous promontory). The discharge vector components, maximum elevation of the water table in promontory vertical cross-sections, quantity of groundwater seeping through segments of the wedge sides, the volume of fresh groundwater in the mound are found. For acute angles, the solution to the problem is non-unique and specification of the behaviour at infinity is needed. A ;basic; solution is distinguished, which minimizes the water table height above a horizontal bedrock. MODFLOW simulations are carried out in a finite triangular island and compare solutions with a constant-head, no-flow and ;basic; boundary condition on one side of the triangle. Far from the tip of an infinite-size promontory one has to be cautious with truncation of the simulated flow domains and imposing corresponding boundary conditions. For a right and obtuse wedge angles, there are no positive solutions for the case of constant accretion on the water table. In a particular case of a confined rigid wedge-shaped aquifer and incompressible fluid, from an explicit solution to the Laplace equation for the hydraulic head with arbitrary time-space varying boundary conditions along the promontory rays, essentially 2-D transient Darcian flows within the wedge are computed. They illustrate that surface water waves on the promontory boundaries can generate strong Darcian waves inside the porous wedge. Evaporation from the water table and sea-water intruded interface (rather than a horizontal bed) are straightforward generalizations for the Poissonian Strack potential.

  17. SU-E-T-178: Clinical Feasibility of Multi-Leaf Collimator Based Dynamic Wedge

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jeong, C; Kwak, J; Ahn, S

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: A multi-leaf collimator (MLC) based dynamic wedge (MDW), which provide similar dose profile of physical wedge (PW) along x-jaw direction while significant monitor unit (MU) reduction, was developed and investigated for clinical use. Methods: A novel technique was used to create the wedge profile using MLC. A modification was applied to the DICOM-RT format file of the plan made with the PW to replace PW with MDW. The Varian enhanced dynamic wedge profile was used to produce MLC sequence, while the MU of the wedged field was recalculated using PW factor and fluence map. The profiles for all possiblemore » MDWs to substitute PWs were verified in 6/15 MV x-ray irradiations. New plans with MDWs were compared with the original plans in 5 rectal, 5 RT breast and 5 liver cases. Results: The wedge profile of the MDW fields were well matched with those of PWs inside the fields while less scatter than PW out of the fields. For plan comparisons of the clinical cases no significant dose discrepancy was observed between MDW plan and PW’s with the dose volume histograms. The maximum and mean doses in PTVs are agreed within 1.0%. The Result of OARs of MDW plans are slightly improved in the maximum doses (3.22 ∼ 150.4 cGy) and the mean doses (17.18 ∼ 85.52 cGy) on average for all cases while the prescribed doses are 45 Gy for rectal cases, 40 or 45 Gy for liver cases and 50 Gy for breast cases. The MUs of the fields which replace PW with MDW are reduced to 68% of those of PW. Conclusion: We developed a novel dynamic wedge technique with MLC that shows clinical advantage compared to PW.« less

  18. Effect of Shockwave Curvature on Run Distance Observed with a Modified Wedge Test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Richard; Dorgan, Robert; Sutherland, Gerrit; Benedetta, Ashley; Milby, Christopher

    2011-06-01

    The effect of wave curvature on shock initiation in PBXN-110 was investigated using a modified wedge test configuration. Various thicknesses of PBXN-110 donor slabs were used to define the shockwave curvature introduced to wedge samples of the same explosive. The donor slabs were initiated with line-wave generators so that the introduced shock would be the same shape, magnitude and duration across the entire input surface of the wedge. The shock parameters were varied for a given donor thickness via different widths of PMMA spacers placed between the donor and the wedge. A framing camera was used to observe where initiation occurred along the face of the wedge. Initiation always occurred at the center of the shock front instead of the sides like that reported by others using a much smaller test format. Results were compared to CTH calculations to indicate if there were effects associated with highly curved shock fronts that could not be adequately predicted. The run distance predicted in CTH for a 50.8 mm thick donor slab (low curvature) compared favorably with experimental results. However, results from thinner donor slabs (higher curvature) indicate a more sensitive behavior than the simulations predicted.

  19. Controlling direct contact force for wet adhesion with different wedged film stabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Meng; Xie, Jun; Shi, Liping; Huang, Wei; Wang, Xiaolei

    2018-04-01

    In solid–liquid–solid adhesive systems, wedged films often feature instability at microscopic thicknesses, which can easily disrupt the adhesive strength of their remarkable direct contact force. Here, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was employed to tune the instability of adhesion in wedged glass–water–rubber films, achieving controllable direct contact. Experimental results showed that the supplement of SDS molecules significantly weakened the direct contact force for wet adhesion and eliminated it at high concentrations. The underlying reason was suggested to be the repulsive double-layer force caused by SDS molecules, which lowers the instability of the wedged film and balances the preload, disrupting the direct contact in wet adhesion.

  20. Physical optics-based diffraction coefficient for a wedge with different face impedances.

    PubMed

    Umul, Yusuf Ziya

    2018-03-20

    A new diffraction field expression is introduced with the aid of the modified theory of physical optics for a wedge with different face impedances. First, the scattered geometrical optics fields are determined when both faces of the wedge are illuminated by the incident wave. The geometrical optics waves are then expressed in terms of the sum of two different fields that occur for different impedance wedges. The diffracted fields are determined for the two cases separately, and the total diffracted field is obtained as a sum of these waves. Lastly, the uniform field expressions are obtained, and the resultant fields are numerically compared with the solution of Maliuzhinets.

  1. Analysis of coal seam thickness and seismic wave amplitude: A wedge model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zou, Guangui; Xu, Zhiliang; Peng, Suping; Fan, Feng

    2018-01-01

    Coal seam thickness is of great significance in mining coal resources. The focus of this study is to determine the relationship between coal seam thickness and seismic wave amplitude, and the factors influencing this relationship. We used a wedge model to analyze this relationship and its influencing factors. The results show that wave interference from the top and bottom interfaces is the primary reason for the linear relationship between seismic wave amplitude and wedge thickness, when the thickness of the wedge is less than one quarter of the wavelength. This relationship is influenced by the dominant frequency, reflection coefficients from the top and bottom boundaries, depth, thickness, and angle of the wedge. However, when the lateral shift between the reflected waves is smaller than the radius of the first Fresnel zone, the wedge angle and change in lithology at the top and bottom layers are considered to have little effect on the amplitude of the interference wave. The difference in the dominant frequency of seismic waves can be reduced by filtering, and the linear relationship between amplitude and coal thickness can be improved. Field data from Sihe coal mine was analyzed, and the error was found to be within 4% of the predicted seismic wave amplitude. The above conclusions could help predict the thickness of coal seam by seismic amplitude.

  2. Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and geochronology of Neogene trench-slope cover sediments in the south Boso Peninsula, central Japan: Implications for the development of a shallow accretionary complex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiyonobu, Shun; Yamamoto, Yuzuru; Saito, Saneatsu

    2017-07-01

    The geological structure and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of the Middle to Late Miocene trench-slope succession in the southern Boso Peninsula, central Japan, were examined to obtain chronological constraints on the accretion and formation of the trench-slope architecture. As a result, trench-slope cover sediments (Kinone and Amatsu Formations) are clearly distinguishable from the Early Miocene Hota accretionary complex (Hota Group). The Hota accretionary complex was deposited below the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) and was affected by intense shearing, forming an east-west trending and south-verging fold and thrust belt. In contrast, the trench-slope cover sediments basically have a homoclinal dip, except at the northern rim where they are bounded by fault contact. They contain many species of calcareous nannofossils and foraminifers, which are indicative of their depositional environment above the CCD, and they show shallowing-upward sedimentary structures. Biostratigraphy revealed that the depositional age of the trench-slope sediments is ca. 15-5.5 Ma, suggesting that there is an approximately 2 myr hiatus beween the Miura Group and the underlying accretionary prism. Based on these results, the age of accretion of the Hota Group is inferred to be between ca. 17-15 Ma, and the group is covered by trench-slope sediments overlain on it after ca. 15 Ma. The timing of accretion and the age of the trench-slope basin tend to be younger southward of the Boso Peninsula. The accretionary system of the Boso Peninsula apparently developed in two stages, in the Middle Miocene and in the Late Miocene to Pliocene.

  3. WEDGE ABSORBERS FOR MUON COOLING WITH A TEST BEAM AT MICE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neuffer, David; Acosta, J.; Summers, D.

    2016-10-18

    Emittance exchange mediated by wedge absorbers is required for longitudinal ionization cooling and for final transverse emittance minimization for a muon collider. A wedge absorber within the MICE beam line could serve as a demonstration of the type of emittance exchange needed for 6-D cooling, including the configurations needed for muon colliders. Parameters for this test are explored in simulation and possible experimental configurations with simulated results are presented.

  4. Mechanics of Formation of Forearc Basins of Indonesia and Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cassola, T.; Willett, S.; Kopp, H.

    2010-12-01

    In this study, the mechanics of forearc basins will be the object of a numerical investigation to understand the relationships between the wedge deformation and forearc basin formation. The aim of this work is to gain insight into the dynamics of the formation of the forearc basin on top of a deforming accretionary wedge, including the mechanism of formation of accommodation space and preservation of basin stratigraphy. Our tool is a two-dimensional numerical model that includes the rheological properties of the rock, including effective internal friction angle, effective basal friction angle, thermally-activated viscosity and strain softening. We also simulate different sedimentation rates in the basin, to study the influence of underfilled and overfilled basin conditions on wedge deformation. The stratigraphy in the basin is simulated, because, as noted in earlier studies, underfilled conditions incourage tectonic deformation in the inner wedge. We compare the numerical model to basins along the Sunda-Java Trench and the Alaskan margin. The Sunda-Java Trench shows a variety of structural and basin styles including underfilled and overfilled basins and different wedge geometries along the same trench. We interprete and document these structural styles, using depth migrated seismic sections of the Sunda Trench, obtained in three surveys, GINCO (11/98 - 01/99), MERAMEX (16/09/04 - 7/10/04) and SINDBAD (9/10/06 - 9/11/06) and made available by the IFM-GEOMAR group in Kiel and the Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften and Rohstoffe (BGR) in Hannover. On the Alaska margin we focus on the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island plateau. This segment of the margin has one of the largest accretionary wedge - forearc basin systems in the world. It also exhibits a double forearc basin system with an interior basin (Cook inlet) and an outer basin, outboard of Kodiak Island, which is a prime candidate for a negative-alpha basin, as described by Fuller et al., (Geology, 2006). A number

  5. Effect of Foot Progression Angle and Lateral Wedge Insole on a Reduction in Knee Adduction Moment.

    PubMed

    Tokunaga, Ken; Nakai, Yuki; Matsumoto, Ryo; Kiyama, Ryoji; Kawada, Masayuki; Ohwatashi, Akihiko; Fukudome, Kiyohiro; Ohshige, Tadasu; Maeda, Tetsuo

    2016-10-01

    This study evaluated the effect of foot progression angle on the reduction in knee adduction moment caused by a lateral wedged insole during walking. Twenty healthy, young volunteers walked 10 m at their comfortable velocity wearing a lateral wedged insole or control flat insole in 3 foot progression angle conditions: natural, toe-out, and toe-in. A 3-dimensional rigid link model was used to calculate the external knee adduction moment, the moment arm of ground reaction force to knee joint center, and the reduction ratio of knee adduction moment and moment arm. The result indicated that the toe-out condition and lateral wedged insole decreased the knee adduction moment in the whole stance phase. The reduction ratio of the knee adduction moment and the moment arm exhibited a close relationship. Lateral wedged insoles decreased the knee adduction moment in various foot progression angle conditions due to decrease of the moment arm of the ground reaction force. Moreover, the knee adduction moment during the toe-out gait with lateral wedged insole was the smallest due to the synergistic effect of the lateral wedged insole and foot progression angle. Lateral wedged insoles may be a valid intervention for patients with knee osteoarthritis regardless of the foot progression angle.

  6. Vertebral body or intervertebral disc wedging: which contributes more to thoracolumbar kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis patients?: A retrospective study.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hao; Qian, Bang-Ping; Qiu, Yong; Wang, Yan; Wang, Bin; Yu, Yang; Zhu, Ze-Zhang

    2016-09-01

    Both vertebral body wedging and disc wedging are found in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis. However, their relative contribution to thoracolumbar kyphosis is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to compare different contributions of vertebral and disc wedging to the thoracolumbar kyphosis in AS patients, and to analyze the relationship between the apical vertebral wedging angle and thoracolumbar kyphosis.From October 2009 to October 2013, a total of 59 consecutive AS patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis with a mean age of 38.1 years were recruited in this study. Based on global kyphosis (GK), 26 patients with GK < 70° were assigned to group A, and the other 33 patients with GK ≥ 70° were included in group B. Each GK was divided into disc wedge angles and vertebral wedge angles. The wedging angle of each disc and vertebra comprising the thoracolumbar kyphosis was measured, and the proportion of the wedging angle to the GK was calculated accordingly. Intergroup and intragroup comparisons were subsequently performed to investigate the different contributions of disc and vertebra to the GK. The correlation between the apical vertebral wedging angle and GK was calculated by Pearson correlation analysis. The duration of disease and sex were also recorded in this study.With respect to the mean disease duration, significant difference was observed between the two groups (P < 0.01). The wedging angle and wedging percentage of discs were significantly higher than those of vertebrae in group A (34.8° ± 2.5° vs 26.7° ± 2.7°, P < 0.01 and 56.6% vs 43.4%, P < 0.01), whereas disc wedging and disc wedging percentage were significantly lower than vertebrae in group B (37.6° ± 7.0° vs 50.1° ± 5.1°, P < 0.01 and 42.7% vs 57.3%, P < 0.01). The wedging of vertebrae was significantly higher in group B than in group A (50.1° ± 5.1° vs 26.7° ± 2.7°, P < 0

  7. Effect of shockwave curvature on run distance observed with a modified wedge test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Richard; Dorgan, Robert J.; Sutherland, Gerrit; Benedetta, Ashley; Milby, Christopher

    2012-03-01

    The effect of wave curvature on shock initiation in PBXN-110 was investigated using a modified wedge test configuration. Various widths of PBXN-110 donor slabs were used to define the shockwave curvature introduced to wedge samples of the same explosive. The donor slabs were initiated with line-wave generators so that the shock from the donor would be the same shape, magnitude and duration across the entire input surface of the wedge. The shock parameters were varied for a given donor with PMMA spacers placed between the donor and the wedge sample. A high-speed electronic framing camera was used to observe where initiation occurred along the face of the wedge. Initiation always occurred at the center of the shock front instead of along the sides like that reported by others using a much smaller test format. Results were compared to CTH calculations to indicate if there were effects associated with highly curved shock fronts that could not be adequately predicted. The run distance predicted in CTH for a 50.8 mm wide donor slab (low curvature) compared favorably with experimental results. However, results from thinner donor slabs (higher curvature) indicate a more sensitive behavior than the simulations predicted.

  8. Tsunami Scenario in the Nankai Trough, Japan, Based on the GPS-A and GNSS Velocities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bock, Y.; Watanabe, S. I.; Melgar, D.; Tadokoro, K.

    2017-12-01

    We present two local tsunami scenarios for the Nankai trough, Japan, an area of significant seismic risk, using GPS-A and GNSS velocities and two different plate interface geometries to better assess the slip deficit rate. We expand on the work of Yokota et al. [2016, Nature] by: (1) Adding seafloor data collected by Nagoya University [Tadokoro et al., 2012 GRL] at the Kumano basin, (2) Aligning the geodetic data to the Nankai block (forearc sliver) to the tectonic model of Loveless and Meade [2010 JGR] - the earlier work ignored block boundaries such as the Median Tectonic Line (MTL) and may have overestimated the slip deficit rate, (3) Considering two different plate interface geometries - it is essential to use the accurate depth of the plate interface, especially for the offshore region where the faults are located near the observation sites, (4) Estimating and correcting for the postseismic displacements of the 2004 southeastern off the Kii Peninsula earthquakes (MJMA 7.1, 7.4). Based upon the refined model, we calculate the coseismic displacements and tsunami wave propagation assuming that a hundred years of constant slip deficit accumulation is released instantaneously. We used the open source software GeoClaw v5.3.1, which solves the two-dimensional shallow water equations with the finite volume technique [LeVeque, 2002 Cambridge University Press], for the local tsunami scenarios. We present the expected tsunami propagation models and wave profiles based on the geodetically-derived distribution of slip, stressing the importance of identifying fault locations and geometries. The location of the downdip edge of the coseismic rupture is essential to assess whether the coastal area would subside or not. The sensitivity to the plate interface geometries is increased in the near-trough region. From the point of view of disaster prevention, subsidence at the southern coast would heighten the tsunami runup distance (e.g., at gauges in Shimotsu and Irago). Further

  9. Repeating and triggered slow slip events in the near-trench region of the Nankai Trough detected by borehole observatories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saffer, D. M.; Araki, E.; Kopf, A.; Toczko, S.; Wallace, L. M.; Davis, E. E.; Roesner, A.

    2016-12-01

    Slow slip events (SSE), non-volcanic tremor, and very low-frequency earthquakes (VLFE) are well documented down-dip of the seismogenic zone of major faults, yet similar observations for the shallowest reaches of subduction megathrusts are rare. Here, we document a family of repeating strain transients in the outermost Nankai subduction zone, updip of the region that ruptures in great (M8-class) earthquakes. We report on data from two borehole observatories: IODP Site C0002, which penetrates the accretionary prism and monitors a zone 931-980 m below seafloor (mbsf) at a location 36 km landward of the trench; and Site C0010, 25 km landward, which monitors a zone spanning 389-407 mbsf. We focus on a time window from Dec. 2010 - Apr. 2016, for which we recovered records of formation pore pressure at both sites. After filtering oceanographic noise using a local hydrostatic reference at each site, the pressure records reveal seven transient signals that are synchronous at the two holes. Of these, five arise spontaneously, and occur at 1 yr intervals with durations of 7-21 days. All are positive in sign at C0010, with magnitudes of 0.3-0.9 kPa; at Site C0002 three are negative in sign and two are positive, with magnitudes of 0.3-0.7 kPa. The remaining two events are larger (1.7-2.7 kPa), exhibit a negative sign at both sites, and immediately follow: (1) the Mar. 2011 M9 Tohoku earthquake; and (2) a sequence including an Apr. 1 M6 thrust event on the plate interface nearby and the Apr. 16 M7 Kumamoto event. In most cases, the pressure transients are accompanied by swarms of VLFE on the shallow plate interface. We interpret the pressure signals to reflect volumetric strain in response to SSEs. Simple dislocation models illustrate that the data at both sites are well fit by slip of 1-2 cm on a patch at the plate interface that extends 20-40 km in the down-dip direction, and is centered beneath Site C0002 (spontaneous events) or slightly updip (triggered events). This

  10. Predicting Folding Sequences Based on the Maximum Rock Strength and Mechanical Equilibrium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cubas, N.; Souloumiac, P.; Maillot, B.; Leroy, Y. M.

    2007-12-01

    The objective is to propose and validate simple procedures, compared to the finite-element method, to select and optimize the dominant mode of folding in fold-and-thrust belts and accretionary wedges, and to determine its stress distribution. Mechanical equilibrium as well as the constraints due to the limited rock strength of the bulk material and of major discontinuities, such as décollements, are accounted for. The first part of the proposed procedure, which is at the core of the external approach of classical limit analysis, consists in estimating the least upper bound on the tectonic force by minimisation of the internal dissipation and part of the external work. The new twist to the method is that the optimization is also done with respect to the geometry of the evolving fold. If several folding events are possible, the dominant mode is the one leading to the least upper bound. The second part of the procedure is based on the Equilibrium Element Method, which is an application of the internal approach of limit analysis. The optimum stress field, obtained by spatial discretisation of the fold, provides the best lower bound on the tectonic force. The difference between the two bounds defines an error estimate of the exact unknown tectonic force. To show the merits of the proposed procedure, its first part is applied to predict the life span of a thrust within an accretionary prism, from its onset, its development with a relief build up and its arrest because of the onset of a more favorable new thrust (Cubas et al., 2007). This life span is sensitive to the friction angles over the ramp and the décollement. It is shown how the normal sequence of thrusting in a supercritical wedge is ended with the first out-of sequence event. The second part of the procedure provides the stress state over each thrust showing that the active back thrust is a narrow fan which dip is sensitive to the friction angle over the ramp and the amount of relief build up (Souloumiac et

  11. Measuring the reionization 21 cm fluctuations using clustering wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raut, Dinesh; Choudhury, Tirthankar Roy; Ghara, Raghunath

    2018-03-01

    One of the main challenges in probing the reionization epoch using the redshifted 21 cm line is that the magnitude of the signal is several orders smaller than the astrophysical foregrounds. One of the methods to deal with the problem is to avoid a wedge-shaped region in the Fourier k⊥ - k∥ space which contains the signal from the spectrally smooth foregrounds. However, measuring the spherically averaged power spectrum using only modes outside this wedge (i.e. in the reionization window) leads to a bias. We provide a prescription, based on expanding the power spectrum in terms of the shifted Legendre polynomials, which can be used to compute the angular moments of the power spectrum in the reionization window. The prescription requires computation of the monopole, quadrupole, and hexadecapole moments of the power spectrum using the theoretical model under consideration and also the knowledge of the effective extent of the foreground wedge in the k⊥ - k∥ plane. One can then calculate the theoretical power spectrum in the window which can be directly compared with observations. The analysis should have implications for avoiding any bias in the parameter constraints using 21 cm power spectrum data.

  12. Sedimentation in the central segment of the Aleutian Trench: Sources, transport, and depositional style

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stevenson, A.J.; Scholl, D.W.; Vallier, T.L.

    1990-05-01

    The central segment of the Aleutian Trench (162{degree}W to 175{degree}E) is an intraoceanic subduction zone that contains an anomalously thick sedimentary fill (4 km maximum). The fill is an arcward-thickening and slightly tilted wedge of sediment characterized acoustically by laterally continuous, closely spaced, parallel reflectors. These relations are indicative of turbidite deposition. The trench floor and reflection horizons are planar, showing no evidence of an axial channel or any transverse fan bodies. Cores of surface sediment recover turbidite layers, implying that sediment transport and deposition occur via diffuse, sheetlike, fine-grained turbidite flows that occupy the full width of the trench.more » The mineralogy of Holocene trench sediments document a mixture of island-arc (dominant) and continental source terranes. GLORIA side-scan sonar images reveal a westward-flowing axial trench channel that conducts sediment to the eastern margin of the central segment, where channelized flow cases. Much of the sediment transported in this channel is derived from glaciated drainages surrounding the Gulf of Alaska which empty into the eastern trench segment via deep-sea channel systems (Surveyor and others) and submarine canyons (Hinchinbrook and others). Insular sediment transport is more difficult to define. GLORIA images show the efficiency with which the actively growing accretionary wedge impounds sediment that manages to cross a broad fore-arc terrace. It is likely that island-arc sediment reaches the trench either directly via air fall, via recycling of the accretionary prism, or via overtopping of the accretionary ridges by the upper parts of thick turbidite flows.« less

  13. Development of Cone Wedge Ring Expansion Test to Evaluate Mechanical Properties of Clad Tubing Structure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Jy-An John

    To determine the hoop tensile properties of irradiated fuel cladding in a hot cell, a cone wedge ring expansion test method was developed. A four-piece wedge insert was designed with tapered angles matched to the cone shape of a loading piston. The ring specimen was expanded in the radial direction by the lateral expansion of the wedges under the downward movement of the piston. The advantages of the proposed method are that implementation of the test setup in a hot cell is simple and easy, and that it enables a direct strain measurement of the test specimen from the piston’smore » vertical displacement soon after the wedge-clad contact resistance is initiated.« less

  14. 49 CFR 215.113 - Defective plain bearing wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... car, if a plain bearing wedge on that car is— (a) Missing; (b) Cracked; (c) Broken; or (d) Not located...

  15. 49 CFR 215.113 - Defective plain bearing wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... car, if a plain bearing wedge on that car is— (a) Missing; (b) Cracked; (c) Broken; or (d) Not located...

  16. 49 CFR 215.113 - Defective plain bearing wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... car, if a plain bearing wedge on that car is— (a) Missing; (b) Cracked; (c) Broken; or (d) Not located...

  17. 49 CFR 215.113 - Defective plain bearing wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... car, if a plain bearing wedge on that car is— (a) Missing; (b) Cracked; (c) Broken; or (d) Not located...

  18. 49 CFR 215.113 - Defective plain bearing wedge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components... car, if a plain bearing wedge on that car is— (a) Missing; (b) Cracked; (c) Broken; or (d) Not located...

  19. Fault structure, properties and activity of the Makran Accretionary Prism and implications for seismogenic potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, G. L.; McNeill, L. C.; Henstock, T.; Bull, J. M.

    2011-12-01

    The Makran subduction zone is the widest accretionary prism in the world (~400km), generated by convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. It represents a global end-member, with a 7km thick incoming sediment section. Accretionary prisms have traditionally been thought to be aseismic due to the presence of unconsolidated sediment and elevated basal pore pressures. The seismogenic potential of the Makran subduction zone is unclear, despite a Mw 8.1 earthquake in 1945 that may have been located on the plate boundary beneath the prism. In this study, a series of imbricate landward dipping (seaward verging) thrust faults have been interpreted across the submarine prism (outer 70 km) using over 6000km of industry multichannel seismic data and bathymetric data. A strong BSR (bottom simulating reflector) is present throughout the prism (excluding the far east). An unreflective décollement is interpreted from the geometry of the prism thrusts. Two major sedimentary units are identified in the input section, the lower of which contains the extension of the unreflective décollement surface. Between 60%-100% of the input section is currently being accreted. The geometry of piggy-back basin stratigraphy shows that the majority of thrusts, including those over 50km from the trench, are recently active. Landward thrusts show evidence for reactivation after periods of quiescence. Negative polarity fault plane reflectors are common in the frontal thrusts and in the eastern prism, where they may be related to increased fault activity and fluid expulsion, and are rarer in older landward thrusts. Significant NE-SW trending basement structures (The Murray Ridge and Little Murray Ridge) on the Arabian plate intersect the deformation front and affect sediment input to the subduction zone. Prism taper and structure are apparently primarily controlled by sediment supply and the secondary influence of subducting basement ridges. The thick, likely distal, sediment

  20. The action of water films at Å-scales in the Earth: Implications for the Nankai subduction system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Kevin M.; Poeppe, Dean; Josh, Matthew; Sample, James; Even, Emilie; Saffer, Demian; Tobin, Harold; Hirose, Takehiro; Kulongoski, J. T.; Toczko, Sean; Maeda, Lena; IODP Expedition 348 Shipboard Party

    2017-04-01

    Water properties change with confinement within nanofilms trapped between natural charged clay particles. We investigated nanofilm characteristics through high-stress laboratory compression tests in combination with analyses of expelled pore fluids. We utilized sediments obtained from deep drilling of the Nankai subduction zone at Site C0002 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). We show that below 1-2 km, there should be widespread ultrafiltration of migrating fluids. Experiments to > ∼ 100 MPa normal compression collapse pores below a few ion monofilm thicknesses. A reduction towards a single condensing/dehydrating ion monofilm occurs as stresses rise >100-200 MPa and clay separations are reduced to <10-20 Å. Thus, porosity in high mineral surface area systems only consists of double and single monofilms at depths below a few km leaving little room for either bulk water or the deep biosphere. The resulting semipermeable properties result in variable segregation of ions and charged isotopes and water during active flow. The ultrafiltration and ion dehydration processes are coupled in that both require the partial immobilization of ions between the charged clay surfaces. The general effect is to increase salinities in residual pore fluids at depth and freshen fluids expelled during consolidation. Cessation of nanofilm collapse to a near constant ∼17 Å below 2 km depth at Nankai supports the contention for the onset of substantial geopressuring on the deeper seismogenic fault. The properties of monofilm water, thus, have considerable implications for the deep water properties of subduction zones generating major tremor and Mw 8+ earthquakes. Indeed, the combined effects of advective flow, ultrafiltration, diffusion, and diagenesis could provide a unifying explanation for the origins of overpressuring and pore water geochemical signals observed in many natural systems.

  1. Modification of the fault logic circuit of a high-energy linear accelerator to accommodate selectively coded, large-field wedges.

    PubMed

    Miller, R W; van de Geijn, J

    1987-01-01

    A modification to the fault logic circuit that controls the collimator (COLL) fault is described. This modification permits the use of large-field wedges by adding an additional input into the reference voltage that determines the fault condition. The resistor controlling the amount of additional voltage is carried on board each wedge, within the wedge plug. This allows each wedge to determine its own, individual field size limit. Additionally, if no coding resistor is provided, the factory-supplied reference voltage is used, which sets the maximum allowable field size to 15 cm. This permits the use of factory-supplied wedges in conjunction with selected, large-field wedges, allowing proper sensing of the field size maximum in all conditions.

  2. Forecast model for great earthquakes at the Nankai Trough subduction zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stuart, W.D.

    1988-01-01

    An earthquake instability model is formulated for recurring great earthquakes at the Nankai Trough subduction zone in southwest Japan. The model is quasistatic, two-dimensional, and has a displacement and velocity dependent constitutive law applied at the fault plane. A constant rate of fault slip at depth represents forcing due to relative motion of the Philippine Sea and Eurasian plates. The model simulates fault slip and stress for all parts of repeated earthquake cycles, including post-, inter-, pre- and coseismic stages. Calculated ground uplift is in agreement with most of the main features of elevation changes observed before and after the M=8.1 1946 Nankaido earthquake. In model simulations, accelerating fault slip has two time-scales. The first time-scale is several years long and is interpreted as an intermediate-term precursor. The second time-scale is a few days long and is interpreted as a short-term precursor. Accelerating fault slip on both time-scales causes anomalous elevation changes of the ground surface over the fault plane of 100 mm or less within 50 km of the fault trace. ?? 1988 Birkha??user Verlag.

  3. Impingement of water droplets on wedges and diamond airfoils at supersonic speeds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Serafini, John S

    1953-01-01

    An analytical solution has been obtained for the equations of motion of water droplets impinging on a wedge in a two-dimensional supersonic flow field with a shock wave attached to the wedge. The closed-form solution yields analytical expressions for the equation of the droplet trajectory, the local rate of impingement and the impingement velocity at any point on the wedge surface, and the total rate of impingement. The analytical expressions are utilized to determine the impingement on the forward surfaces of diamond airfoils in supersonic flow fields with attached shock waves. The results presented include the following conditions: droplet diameters from 2 to 100 microns, pressure altitudes from sea level to 30,000 feet, free-stream static temperatures from 420 degrees to 460 degrees R. Also, free-stream Mach numbers from 1.1 to 2.0, semi-apex angles for the wedge from 1.14 degrees to 7.97 degrees, thickness-to-chord ratios for the diamond airfoil from 0.02 to 0.14, chord lengths from 1 to 20 feet, and angles of attack from zero to the inverse tangent of the airfoil thickness-to-chord ratio.

  4. The influence of wedge diffuser blade number and divergence angle on the performance of a high pressure ratio centrifugal compressor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yi; Han, Ge; Lu, Xingen; Zhu, Junqiang

    2018-02-01

    Wedge diffuser is widely used in centrifugal compressors due to its high performance and compact size. This paper is aimed to research the influence of wedge diffuser blade number and divergence angle on centrifugal compressor performance. The impact of wedge diffuser blade number on compressor stage performance is investigated, and then the wedge diffusers with different divergence angle are studied by varying diffuser wedge angle and blade number simultaneously. It is found that wedge diffuser with 27 blades could have about 0.8% higher adiabatic efficiency and 0.14 higher total pressure ratio than the wedge diffuser with 19 blades and the best compressor performance is achieved when diffuser divergence angle is 8.3°.These results could give some advices on centrifugal compressor design.

  5. Dispersion analysis and measurement of circular cylindrical wedge-like acoustic waveguides.

    PubMed

    Yu, Tai-Ho

    2015-09-01

    This study investigated the propagation of flexural waves along the outer edge of a circular cylindrical wedge, the phase velocities, and the corresponding mode displacements. Thus far, only approximate solutions have been derived because the corresponding boundary-value problems are complex. In this study, dispersion curves were determined using the bi-dimensional finite element method and derived through the separation of variables and the Hamilton principle. Modal displacement calculations clarified that the maximal deformations appeared at the outer edge of the wedge tip. Numerical examples indicated how distinct thin-film materials deposited on the outer surface of the circular cylindrical wedge influenced the dispersion curves. Additionally, dispersion curves were measured using a laser-induced guided wave, a knife-edge measurement scheme, and a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform method. Both the numerical and experimental results correlated closely, thus validating the numerical solution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Crossing the boundary: experimental investigation of water entry conditions of V-shaped wedges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Tingben; Yohann, Daniel; Vincent, Lionel; Jung, Sunghwan; Kanso, Eva

    2016-11-01

    Seabirds that plunge-dive at high speeds exhibit remarkable abilities to withstand and mitigate impact forces. To minimize these forces, diving birds streamline their shape at impact, entering water with their sharp beak first. Here, we investigate the impact forces on rigid V-shaped wedges crossing the air-water interface at high Weber numbers. We vary the impact velocity V by adjusting the height from which the wedge is dropped. Both a high-speed camera and a force transducer are used to characterize the impact. We found that the splash base and air cavity show little dependence on the impact velocity when rescaling by inertial time d / V , where d is the breadth of the wedge. The peak impact force occurs at time tp smaller than the submersion time ts such that the ratio tp /ts is almost constant for all wedges and impact velocities V. We also found that the maximum impact force, like drag force, scales as AV2 , where A is the cross-sectional area of the wedge. We then propose analytical models of the impact force and splash dynamics. The theoretical predictions agree well with our experimental results. We conclude by commenting on the relevance of these results to understanding the mechanics of diving seabirds. We acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation.

  7. Spatial and temporal variation of seismic velocity during earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in western Japan: Insight into mechanism for seismic velocity variation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsuji, T.; Ikeda, T.; Nimiya, H.

    2017-12-01

    We report spatio-temporal variations of seismic velocity around the seismogenic faults in western Japan. We mainly focus on the seismic velocity variation during (1) the 2016 Off-Mie earthquake in the Nankai subduction zone (Mw5.8) and (2) the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake in Kyushu Island (Mw7.0). We applied seismic interferometry and surface wave analysis to the ambient noise data recorded by Hi-net and DONET seismometers of National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED). Seismic velocity near the rupture faults and volcano decreased during the earthquake. For example, we observed velocity reduction around the seismogenic Futagawa-Hinagu fault system and Mt Aso in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. We also identified velocity increase after the eruptions of Mt Aso. During the 2016 Off-Mie earthquake, we observed seismic velocity variation in the Nankai accretionary prism. After the earthquakes, the seismic velocity gradually returned to the pre-earthquake value. The velocity recovering process (healing process) is caused by several mechanisms, such as pore pressure reduction, strain change, and crack sealing. By showing the velocity variations obtained at different geologic settings (volcano, seismogenic fault, unconsolidated sediment), we discuss the mechanism of seismic velocity variation as well as the post-seismic fault healing process.

  8. Radiographic Outcomes Following Lateral Column Lengthening With a Porous Titanium Wedge.

    PubMed

    Gross, Christopher E; Huh, Jeannie; Gray, Joni; Demetracopoulos, Constantine; Nunley, James A

    2015-08-01

    Lateral column lengthening (LCL) is commonly utilized in treating stage II posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of LCL with porous titanium wedges compared to historic controls of iliac crest autograft and allograft. We hypothesized that the use of a porous titanium wedge would have radiographic improvement and union rates similar to those with the use of autograft and allograft in LCL. Between May 2009 and May 2014, 28 feet in 26 patients were treated with LCL using a porous titanium wedge. Of the 26 patients, 9 were males (34.6%). The average age for males was 43 years (range, 17.9-58.7), 48.7 years (range, 21-72.3) for females. Mean follow-up was 14.6 months. Radiographs were examined for correction of the flatfoot deformity and forefoot abduction. All complications were noted. Radiographically, the patients had a significant deformity correction in the anteroposterior talo-first metatarsal angle, talonavicular coverage angle, lateral talo-first metatarsal angle, and calcaneal pitch. All but 1 patient (96%) had bony incorporation of the porous titanium wedge. The average preoperative visual analog scale pain score was 5; all patients but 3 (12%) had improvements in their pain score, with a mean change of 3.4. LCL with porous titanium had low nonunion rates, improved radiographic correction, and pain relief. Level IV, case series. © The Author(s) 2015.

  9. Stable isotope and gas properties of two ice wedges from Cape Mamontov Klyk, Laptev Sea, Northern Siberia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boereboom, T.; Samyn, D.; Meyer, H.; Tison, J.-L.

    2011-12-01

    This paper presents and discusses the texture, fabric and gas properties (contents of total gas, O2, N2, CO2, and CH4) of two ice wedges from Cape Mamontov Klyk, Laptev Sea, Northern Siberia. The two ice wedges display contrasting structures: one being of relatively "clean" ice and the other showing clean ice at its centre as well as debris-rich ice on its sides (referred to as ice-sand wedge). A comparison of gas properties, crystal size, fabrics and stable isotope data (δ18O and δD) allows discriminating between three different facies of ice with specific paleoenvironmental signatures, suggesting different climatic conditions and rates of biological activity. More specifically, total gas content and composition reveal variable intensities of meltwater infiltration and show the impact of biological processes with contrasting contributions from anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Stable isotope data are shown to be valid for discussing changes in paleoenvironmental conditions and/or decipher different sources for the snow feeding into the ice wedges with time. Our data also give support to the previous assumption that the composite ice wedge was formed in Pleistocene and the ice wedge in Holocene times. This study sheds more light on the conditions of ice wedge growth under changing environmental conditions.

  10. Modeling the Evolution of Localized Strain in Orogenic Wedges: From Short-term Deformation to Long-term Tectonic States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiss, J. R.; Ito, G.; Brooks, B. A.; Olive, J. A. L.; Foster, J. H.; Howell, S. M.

    2015-12-01

    Some of the most destructive earthquakes on Earth are associated with active orogenic wedges. Despite a sound understanding of the basic mechanics that govern whole wedge structure over geologic time scales and a growing body of studies that have characterized the deformation associated with historic to recent earthquakes, first order questions remain about the linkage of the two sets of processes at the intermediate seismotectonic timescales. Numerical models have the power to test the effects of specific mechanical conditions on the evolution of observables at active orogenic wedges. Here we use a two-dimensional, continuum mechanics-based, finite difference method with a visco-elasto-plastic rheology coupled with surface processes to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of deformation during wedge growth. The model simulates the contraction of a crustal layer overlying a weak base (décollement) against a rigid backstop and the spontaneous nucleation and evolution of fault zones due to cohesive, Mohr-Coulomb failure with strain weakening. Consistent with critical wedge theory, the average slope across the wedge is controlled by the relative frictional strengths of the wedge and décollement. Initial calculations predict changes in wedge deformation on short geologic timescales (103-105yrs) that involve episodes of widening as new, foreland-verging thrusts nucleate near the surface beyond the wedge toe and propagate down-dip to intersect the décollement. All the while, the wedge thickens via slip on older, internal fault zones. The aim of this study is to identify the parameters controlling the timescales of 1) episodic widening versus thickening and 2) nucleation and life-span of individual fault zones. These are initial steps needed to link earthquake observations to the long-term tectonic states inferred at various orogenic belts around the world.

  11. Sojourner, Wedge, & Shark

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    This Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) image taken near the end of daytime operations on Sol 50 shows the Sojourner rover between the rocks 'Wedge' (foreground) and 'Shark' (behind rover). The rover successfully deployed its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer on Shark on Sol 52.

    Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

  12. Numerical simulations of negative-index refraction in wedge-shaped metamaterials.

    PubMed

    Dong, Z G; Zhu, S N; Liu, H; Zhu, J; Cao, W

    2005-07-01

    A wedge-shaped structure made of split-ring resonators (SRR) and wires is numerically simulated to evaluate its refraction behavior. Four frequency bands, namely, the stop band, left-handed band, ultralow-index band, and positive-index band, are distinguished according to the refracted field distributions. Negative phase velocity inside the wedge is demonstrated in the left-handed band and the Snell's Law is conformed in terms of its refraction behaviors in different frequency bands. Our results confirmed that negative index of refraction indeed exists in such a composite metamaterial and also provided a convincing support to the results of previous Snell's Law experiments.

  13. A Comparison of Compression Behavior of Mudrock Core Samples from the Nankai Margin, SW Japan and the Ursa Basin, Gulf of Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, I.; Skarbek, R.; Saffer, D.; Flemings, P.; 314/315/316 Science Party, I.

    2008-12-01

    Characterizing the consolidation behavior and permeability of marine mudstones is an essential step toward estimating in situ pore pressure and stress, and in parameterizing forward models of sedimentation, loading, and consolidation at both active and passive continental margins. Here, we report results of mechanical tests on mudrock samples from the Nankai margin, SW Japan (collected at IODP site C0001E), and from the Ursa Basin in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (IODP site U1324), to compare the compression behavior of marine sediments from these distinct environments. Samples from Site U1324 were taken from depths of 50-150 mbsf, and are composed of 40% silt and 60% clay, with porosities of 42-55% depending on sample depth. Samples from the same depth range at site C0001E are more brittle and siltier, with porosities of 58-64%. We conducted tests using two experimental configurations: (1) a triaxial vessel, in which the sample is subjected to axial compression and a condition of zero radial strain (K0 condition) is maintained by a closed loop servo-control system with feedback on sample diameter; and (2) a high-pressure oedometer (uniaxial consolidation) vessel in which axial strain is imposed and the K0 condition is ensured by a fixed steel ring. The triaxial tests also yield a measurement of the K0 value, describing the ratio of horizontal and vertical effective stresses. After consolidation, some specimens were subjected to undrained shearing in the triaxial system, in order to define relationships between mean effective stress, differential stress, and porosity. The consolidation coefficient Cv of samples from the Nankai margin (2-4× 10-7 m2/s) is significantly higher than that of samples from the GOM (2.2±0.2 × 10-8 m2/s), which we attribute to their higher porosity and silt content. The compression index Cc of the samples from Site C0001E (Nankai) is typically >0.70; values of Cc for the samples from site U1324 (GOM) range from 0.2-0.5 and depend strongly on

  14. Spatial variability of E. coli in an urban salt-wedge estuary.

    PubMed

    Jovanovic, Dusan; Coleman, Rhys; Deletic, Ana; McCarthy, David

    2017-01-15

    This study investigated the spatial variability of a common faecal indicator organism, Escherichia coli, in an urban salt-wedge estuary in Melbourne, Australia. Data were collected through comprehensive depth profiling in the water column at four sites and included measurements of temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and E. coli concentrations. Vertical variability of E. coli was closely related to the salt-wedge dynamics; in the presence of a salt-wedge, there was a significant decrease in E. coli concentrations with depth. Transverse variability was low and was most likely dwarfed by the analytical uncertainties of E. coli measurements. Longitudinal variability was also low, potentially reflecting minimal die-off, settling, and additional inputs entering along the estuary. These results were supported by a simple mixing model that predicted E. coli concentrations based on salinity measurements. Additionally, an assessment of a sentinel monitoring station suggested routine monitoring locations may produce conservative estimates of E. coli concentrations in stratified estuaries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Subduction zone evolution and low viscosity wedges and channels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manea, Vlad; Gurnis, Michael

    2007-12-01

    Dehydration of subducting lithosphere likely transports fluid into the mantle wedge where the viscosity is decreased. Such a decrease in viscosity could form a low viscosity wedge (LVW) or a low viscosity channel (LVC) on top of the subducting slab. Using numerical models, we investigate the influence of low viscosity wedges and channels on subduction zone structure. Slab dip changes substantially with the viscosity reduction within the LVWs and LVCs. For models with or without trench rollback, overthickening of slabs is greatly reduced by LVWs or LVCs. Two divergent evolutionary pathways have been found depending on the maximum depth extent of the LVW and wedge viscosity. Assuming a viscosity contrast of 0.1 with background asthenosphere, models with a LVW that extends down to 400 km depth show a steeply dipping slab, while models with an LVW that extends to much shallower depth, such as 200 km, can produce slabs that are flat lying beneath the overriding plate. There is a narrow range of mantle viscosities that produces flat slabs (5 to10 × 10 19 Pa s) and the slab flattening process is enhanced by trench rollback. Slab can be decoupled from the overriding plate with a LVC if the thickness is at least a few 10 s of km, the viscosity reduction is at least a factor of two and the depth extent of the LVC is several hundred km. These models have important implications for the geochemical and spatial evolution of volcanic arcs and the state of stress within the overriding plate. The models explain the poor correlation between traditional geodynamic controls, subducting plate age and convergence rates, on slab dip. We predict that when volcanic arcs change their distance from the trench, they could be preceded by changes in arc chemistry. We predict that there could be a larger volatile input into the wedge when arcs migrate toward the trench and visa-versa. The transition of a subduction zone into the flat-lying regime could be preceded by changes in the volatile

  16. Cumulative effects of climate change and ice-wedge degradation, Prudhoe Bay oilfield Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, D. A.; Kanevskiy, M. Z.; Shur, Y.; Raynolds, M. K.; Buchhorn, M.

    2016-12-01

    Development of Arctic oil & gas resources requires extensive networks of roads, pipelines and other forms of infrastructure. The Prudhoe Bay Oilfield is the largest Arctic oilfield in North America with a long, well-documented history. In a previous publication we analyzed the historical record of high-resolution aerial photos to document the long-term changes to infrastructure extent (1949-2010) for the entire oilfield, and an integrated-geoecological-historical-change-mapping (IGHCM) approach to document terrain changes within 22-km2 areas of the oilfield. We reported the recent widespread expansion of thermokarst, starting in about 1989. Here we examine the annual air-photo record to better pinpoint the years of major change. We also conducted detailed field studies of roadside changes using topographic surveys and soil, vegetation and ice-wedge coring studies. Both sites exhibit extensive ice-wedge degradation that is caused by a combination of a long-term warming trend a series of exceptionally warm summers, and infrastructure-related factors that melted the tops of ice wedges. Near-road thermokarst is enhanced by warmer soils associated with road dust, roadside flooding, near-road pipelines, communication cables, and altered snow regimes. These strongly affect roadside ecosystems and the infrastructure itself. Changes to ecosystems include altered hydrology with the drying of polygon centers and the formation of well-developed high-centered polygons occurs in some areas. Other areas develop extensive flooding and erosion of ice-wedge troughs. An unexpected result of flooding is the stabilization of ice-wedge degradation in some areas because the increased productivity of sedges in the flooded areas is producing large amounts of organic material that protects the tops of ice wedges from further degradation. The large increases in productivity in roadside areas also attract large flocks of waterfowl. Changes to the soils with the addition of thick layers of

  17. Climate adaptation wedges: a case study of premium wine in the western United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diffenbaugh, Noah S.; White, Michael A.; Jones, Gregory V.; Ashfaq, Moetasim

    2011-04-01

    Design and implementation of effective climate change adaptation activities requires quantitative assessment of the impacts that are likely to occur without adaptation, as well as the fraction of impact that can be avoided through each activity. Here we present a quantitative framework inspired by the greenhouse gas stabilization wedges of Pacala and Socolow. In our proposed framework, the damage avoided by each adaptation activity creates an 'adaptation wedge' relative to the loss that would occur without that adaptation activity. We use premium winegrape suitability in the western United States as an illustrative case study, focusing on the near-term period that covers the years 2000-39. We find that the projected warming over this period results in the loss of suitable winegrape area throughout much of California, including most counties in the high-value North Coast and Central Coast regions. However, in quantifying adaptation wedges for individual high-value counties, we find that a large adaptation wedge can be captured by increasing the severe heat tolerance, including elimination of the 50% loss projected by the end of the 2030-9 period in the North Coast region, and reduction of the projected loss in the Central Coast region from 30% to less than 15%. Increased severe heat tolerance can capture an even larger adaptation wedge in the Pacific Northwest, including conversion of a projected loss of more than 30% in the Columbia Valley region of Washington to a projected gain of more than 150%. We also find that warming projected over the near-term decades has the potential to alter the quality of winegrapes produced in the western US, and we discuss potential actions that could create adaptation wedges given these potential changes in quality. While the present effort represents an initial exploration of one aspect of one industry, the climate adaptation wedge framework could be used to quantitatively evaluate the opportunities and limits of climate adaptation

  18. Climate adaptation wedges: a case study of premium wine in the western United States

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Diffenbaugh, Noah; White, Michael A; Jones, Gregory V

    2011-01-01

    Design and implementation of effective climate change adaptation activities requires quantitative assessment of the impacts that are likely to occur without adaptation, as well as the fraction of impact that can be avoided through each activity. Here we present a quantitative framework inspired by the greenhouse gas stabilization wedges of Pacala and Socolow. In our proposed framework, the damage avoided by each adaptation activity creates an 'adaptation wedge' relative to the loss that would occur without that adaptation activity. We use premium winegrape suitability in the western United States as an illustrative case study, focusing on the near-term period thatmore » covers the years 2000 39. We find that the projected warming over this period results in the loss of suitable winegrape area throughout much of California, including most counties in the high-value North Coast and Central Coast regions. However, in quantifying adaptation wedges for individual high-value counties, we find that a large adaptation wedge can be captured by increasing the severe heat tolerance, including elimination of the 50% loss projected by the end of the 2030 9 period in the North Coast region, and reduction of the projected loss in the Central Coast region from 30% to less than 15%. Increased severe heat tolerance can capture an even larger adaptation wedge in the Pacific Northwest, including conversion of a projected loss of more than 30% in the Columbia Valley region of Washington to a projected gain of more than 150%. We also find that warming projected over the near-term decades has the potential to alter the quality of winegrapes produced in the western US, and we discuss potential actions that could create adaptation wedges given these potential changes in quality. While the present effort represents an initial exploration of one aspect of one industry, the climate adaptation wedge framework could be used to quantitatively evaluate the opportunities and limits of climate

  19. Linking magmatism with collision in an accretionary orogen

    PubMed Central

    Li, Shan; Chung, Sun-Lin; Wilde, Simon A.; Wang, Tao; Xiao, Wen-Jiao; Guo, Qian-Qian

    2016-01-01

    A compilation of U-Pb age, geochemical and isotopic data for granitoid plutons in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), enables evaluation of the interaction between magmatism and orogenesis in the context of Paleo-Asian oceanic closure and continental amalgamation. These constraints, in conjunction with other geological evidence, indicate that following consumption of the ocean, collision-related calc-alkaline granitoid and mafic magmatism occurred from 255 ± 2 Ma to 251 ± 2 Ma along the Solonker-Xar Moron suture zone. The linear or belt distribution of end-Permian magmatism is interpreted to have taken place in a setting of final orogenic contraction and weak crustal thickening, probably as a result of slab break-off. Crustal anatexis slightly post-dated the early phase of collision, producing adakite-like granitoids with some S-type granites during the Early-Middle Triassic (ca. 251–245 Ma). Between 235 and 220 Ma, the local tectonic regime switched from compression to extension, most likely caused by regional lithospheric extension and orogenic collapse. Collision-related magmatism from the southern CAOB is thus a prime example of the minor, yet tell-tale linking of magmatism with orogenic contraction and collision in an archipelago-type accretionary orogen. PMID:27167207

  20. Amplitude versus offset analysis to marine seismic data acquired in Nankai Trough, offshore Japan where methane hydrate exists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hato, M.; Inamori, T.; Matsuoka, T.; Shimizu, S.

    2003-04-01

    Occurrence of methane hydrates in the Nankai Trough, located off the south-eastern coast of Japan, was confirmed by the exploratory test well drilling conducted by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1999. Confirmation of methane hydrate has given so big impact to the Japan's future energy strategy and scientific and technological interest was derived from the information of the coring and logging results at the well. Following the above results, Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) launched the national project, named as MH21, for establishing the technology of methane hydrate exploration and related technologies such as production and development. As one of the research project for evaluating the total amount of the methane hydrate, Amplitude versus Offset (AVO) was applied to the seismic data acquired in the Nankai Trough area. The main purpose of the AVO application is to evaluate the validity of delineation of methane hydrate-bearing zones. Since methane hydrate is thought to accompany with free-gas in general just below the methane hydrate-bearing zones, the AVO has a possibility of describing the presence of free-gas. The free-gas is thought to be located just below the base of methane hydrate stability zone which is characterized by the Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSRs) on the seismic section. In this sense, AVO technology, which was developed as gas delineation tools, can be utilized for methane hydrate exploration. The result of AVO analysis clearly shows gas-related anomaly below the BSRs. Appearance of the AVO anomaly has so wide variety. Some of the anomalies might not correspond to the free-gas existence, however, some of them may show free-gas. We are now going to develop methodology to clearly discriminate free-gas from non-gas zone by integrating various types of seismic methods such as seismic inversion and seismic attribute analysis.

  1. Study of the Nankai seismogenic fault using dynamic wave propagation modelling of digital rock from the Nobeoka Fault

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eng, Chandoeun; Ikeda, Tatsunori; Tsuji, Takeshi

    2018-10-01

    To understand the characteristics of the Nankai seismogenic fault in the plate convergent margin, we calculated the P- and S-wave velocities (VP and VS) of digital rock models constructed from core samples of an ancient plate boundary fault at Nobeoka, Kyushu Island, Japan. We first constructed 3D digital rock models from microcomputed tomography images and identified their heterogeneous textures such as cracks and veins. We replaced the cracks and veins with air, water, quartz, calcite and other materials with different bulk and shear moduli. Using the Rotated Staggered Grid Finite-Difference Method, we performed dynamic wave propagation simulations and quantified the effective VP, VS and the ratio of VP to VS (VP/VS) of the 3D digital rock models with different crack-filling minerals. Our results demonstrate that the water-saturated cracks considerably decreased the seismic velocity and increased VP/VS. The VP/VS of the quartz-filled rock model was lower than that in the water-saturated case and in the calcite-filled rock model. By comparing the elastic properties derived from the digital rock models with the seismic velocities (e.g. VP and VP/VS) around the seismogenic fault estimated from field seismic data, we characterised the evolution process of the deep seismogenic fault. The high VP/VS and low VP observed at the transition from aseismic to coseismic regimes in the Nankai Trough can be explained by open cracks (or fractures), while the low VP/VS and high VP observed at the deeper coseismic fault zone suggests quartz-filled cracks. The quartz-rich fault zone characterised as low VP/VS and high VP in this study could partially relate to the coseismic behaviour as suggested by previous studies, because quartz exhibits slip-weakening behaviour (i.e. unstable coseismic slip).

  2. Effect of Laterally Wedged Insoles on the External Knee Adduction Moment across Different Reference Frames.

    PubMed

    Yamaguchi, Satoshi; Kitamura, Masako; Ushikubo, Tomohiro; Murata, Atsushi; Akagi, Ryuichiro; Sasho, Takahisa

    2015-01-01

    Biomechanical effects of laterally wedged insoles are assessed by reduction in the knee adduction moment. However, the degree of reduction may vary depending on the reference frame with which it is calculated. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of reference frame on the reduction in the knee adduction moment by laterally wedged insoles. Twenty-nine healthy participants performed gait trials with a laterally wedged insole and with a flat insole as a control. The knee adduction moment, including the first and second peaks and the angular impulse, were calculated using four different reference frames: the femoral frame, tibial frame, laboratory frame and the Joint Coordinate System. There were significant effects of reference frame on the knee adduction moment first and second peaks (P < 0.001 for both variables), while the effect was not significant for the angular impulse (P = 0.84). No significant interaction between the gait condition and reference frame was found in either of the knee adduction moment variables (P = 0.99 for all variables), indicating that the effects of laterally wedged insole on the knee adduction moments were similar across the four reference frames. On the other hand, the average percent changes ranged from 9% to 16% for the first peak, from 16% to 18% for the second peak and from 17% to 21% for the angular impulse when using the different reference frames. The effects of laterally wedged insole on the reduction in the knee adduction moment were similar across the reference frames. On the other hand, Researchers need to recognize that when the percent change was used as the parameter of the efficacy of laterally wedged insole, the choice of reference frame may influence the interpretation of how laterally wedged insoles affect the knee adduction moment.

  3. Amagmatic Accretionary Segments, Ultraslow Spreading and Non-Volcanic Rifted Margins (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dick, H. J.; Snow, J. E.

    2009-12-01

    The evolution of non-volcanic rifted margins is key to understanding continental breakup and the early evolution of some of the world’s most productive hydrocarbon basins. However, the early stages of such rifting are constrained by limited observations on ancient heavily sedimented margins such as Newfoundland and Iberia. Ultraslow spreading ridges, however, provide a modern analogue for early continental rifting. Ultraslow spreading ridges (<20 mm/yr) comprise ~30% of the global ridge system (e.g. Gakkel, Southwest Indian, Terceira, and Knipovitch Ridges). They have unique tectonics with widely spaced volcanic segments and amagmatic accretionary ridge segments. The volcanic segments, though far from hot spots, include some of the largest axial volcanoes on the global ridge system, and have, unusual magma chemistry, often showing local isotopic and incompatible element enrichment unrelated to mantle hot spots. The transition from slow to ultraslow tectonics and spreading is not uniquely defined by spreading rate, and may also be moderated by magma supply and mantle temperature. Amagmatic accretionary segments are the 4th class of plate boundary structure, and, we believe, the defining tectonic feature of early continental breakup. They form at effective spreading rates <12 mm/yr, assume any orientation to spreading, and replace transform faults and magmatic segments. At amagmatic segments the earth splits apart with the mantle emplaced directly to the seafloor, and great slabs of peridotite are uplifted to form the rift mountains. A thick conductive lid suppresses mantle melting, and magmatic segments form only at widely spaced intervals, with only scattered volcanics in between. Amagmatic segments link with the magmatic segments forming curvilinear plate boundaries, rather than the step-like morphology found at faster spreading ridges. These are all key features of non-volcanic rifted margins; explaining, for example, the presence of mantle peridotites emplaced

  4. Assessment of Neutron Contamination Originating from the Presence of Wedge and Block in Photon Beam Radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Bahreyni Toossi, M T; Khajetash, B; Ghorbani, M

    2018-03-01

    One of the main causes of induction of secondary cancer in radiation therapy is neutron contamination received by patients during treatment. Objective: In the present study the impact of wedge and block on neutron contamination production is investigated. The evaluations are conducted for a 15 MV Siemens Primus linear accelerator. Simulations were performed using MCNPX Monte Carlo code. 30˚, 45˚ and 60˚ wedges and a cerrobend block with dimensions of 1.5 × 1.5 × 7 cm 3 were simulated. The investigation were performed in the 10 × 10 cm 2 field size at source to surface distance of 100 cm for depth of 0.5, 2, 3 and 4 cm in a water phantom. Neutron dose was calculated using F4 tally with flux to dose conversion factors and F6 tally. Results showed that the presence of wedge increases the neutron contamination when the wedge factor was considered. In addition, 45˚ wedge produced the most amount of neutron contamination. If the block is in the center of the field, the cerrobend block caused less neutron contamination than the open field due to absorption of neutrons and photon attenuation. The results showed that neutron contamination is less in steeper depths. The results for two tallies showed practically equivalent results. Wedge causes neutron contamination hence should be considered in therapeutic protocols in which wedge is used. In terms of clinical aspects, the results of this study show that superficial tissues such as skin will tolerate more neutron contamination than the deep tissues.

  5. Effects of Lateral and Medial Wedged Insoles on Knee and Ankle Internal Joint Moments During Walking in Healthy Men.

    PubMed

    Fukuchi, Claudiane A; Lewinson, Ryan T; Worobets, Jay T; Stefanyshyn, Darren J

    2016-11-01

    Wedged insoles have been used to treat knee pathologies and to prevent injuries. Although they have received much attention for the study of knee injury, the effects of wedges on ankle joint biomechanics are not well understood. This study sought to evaluate the immediate effects of lateral and medial wedges on knee and ankle internal joint loading and center of pressure (CoP) in men during walking. Twenty-one healthy men walked at 1.4 m/sec in five footwear conditions: neutral, 6° (LW6) and 9° (LW9) lateral wedges, and 6° (MW6) and 9° (MW9) medial wedges. Peak internal knee abduction moments and angular impulses, internal ankle inversion moments and angular impulses, and mediolateral CoP were analyzed. Analysis of variance with post hoc analysis and Pearson correlations were performed to detect differences between conditions. No differences in internal knee joint loading were found between neutral and any of the wedge conditions. However, as the wedge angle increased from medial to lateral, the internal ankle inversion moment (LW6: P = .020; LW9: P < .001; MW6: P = .046; MW9: P < .001) and angular impulse (LW9: P = .012) increased, and the CoP shifted laterally (LW9: P < .001) and medially (MW9: P < .001) compared with the neutral condition. Neither lateral nor medial wedges were effective in altering internal knee joint loading during walking. However, the greater internal ankle inversion moment and angular impulse observed with lateral wedges could lead to a higher risk of ankle injury. Thus, caution should be taken when lateral wedges need to be prescribed.

  6. On the relationship between structure, morphology and large coseismic slip: A case study of the Mw 8.8 Maule, Chile 2010 earthquake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Contreras-Reyes, Eduardo; Maksymowicz, Andrei; Lange, Dietrich; Grevemeyer, Ingo; Muñoz-Linford, Pamela; Moscoso, Eduardo

    2017-11-01

    Subduction megathrust earthquakes show complex rupture behaviour and large lateral variations of slip. However, the factors controlling seismic slip are still under debate. Here, we present 2-D velocity-depth tomographic models across four trench-perpendicular wide angle seismic profiles complemented with high resolution bathymetric data in the area of maximum coseismic slip of the Mw 8.8 Maule 2010 megathrust earthquake (central Chile, 34°-36°S). Results show an abrupt lateral velocity gradient in the trench-perpendicular direction (from 5.0 to 6.0 km/s) interpreted as the contact between the accretionary prism and continental framework rock whose superficial expression spatially correlates with the slope-shelf break. The accretionary prism is composed of two bodies: (1) an outer accretionary wedge (5-10 km wide) characterized by low seismic velocities of 1.8-3.0 km/s interpreted as an outer frontal prism of poorly compacted and hydrated sediment, and (2) the middle wedge (∼50 km wide) with velocities of 3.0-5.0 km/s interpreted as a middle prism composed by compacted and lithified sediment. In addition, the maximum average coseismic slip of the 2010 megathrust event is fairly coincident with the region where the accretionary prism and continental slope are widest (50-60 km wide), and the continental slope angle is low (<5°). We observe a similar relation along the rupture area of the largest instrumentally recorded Valdivia 1960 Mw 9.5 megathrust earthquake. For the case of the Maule event, published differential multibeam bathymetric data confirms that coseismic slip must have propagated up to ∼6 km landwards of the deformation front and hence practically the entire base of the middle prism. Sediment dewatering and compaction processes might explain the competent rheology of the middle prism allowing shallow earthquake rupture. In contrast, the outer frontal prism made of poorly consolidated sediment has impeded the rupture up to the deformation front as

  7. Tabletop Tectonics: Diverse Mountain Ranges Using Flour and Graphite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, D. M.

    2006-12-01

    It has been recognized for some time that the frontal deformation zones where plates converge (foreland fold- and-thrust belts on continents and accretionary wedges at subduction zones) involve shortening over a decoupling layer, or decollement. A simple but successful way of explaining many aspects of their behavior is called the critical Coulomb wedge model, which regards these contractional wedges as analogous to the wedge-shaped mass of soil accreted in front of a bulldozer, or the wedge of snow that piles up in front of a snow plow. The shape and deformation history of the accreted wedge of soil or snow will depend upon the frictional strength of the material being plowed up and the surface over which it is being plowed. The same is true of `bulldozer' wedges consisting of many km thick piles of sediment at convergent plate margins. Using flour (or powdered milk), sandpaper, graphite, transparency sheets, and athletic field marker chalk, manipulated with sieves, brushes, pastry bags and blocks and sheets of wood, it is possible to demonstrate a wide variety of processes and tectonic styles observed at convergent plate boundaries. Model fold-and-thrust belts that behave like natural examples with a decollement that is strong (e.g., in rock without high pore fluid pressure) or weak (e.g., in a salt horizon or with elevated pore fluid pressure) can be generated simply by placing wither sandpaper or graphite beneath the flour that is pushed across the tabletop using a block of wood (the strong basement and hiterland rocks behind the fold-thrust belt). Depending upon the strength of the decollement, the cross-sectional taper of the deforming wedge will be thin or broad, the internal deformation mild or intense, and the structures either close to symmetric or strongly forward-vergent, just as at the analogous natural fold-thrust belts. Including a horizontal sheet of wood or Plexiglas in front of the pushing block allows generation of an accretionary wedge, outer

  8. Mechanical properties and processes of deformation in shallow sedimentary rocks from subduction zones: An experimental study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gadenne, Leslie; Raimbourg, Hugues; Champallier, Rémi; Yamamoto, Yuzuru

    2014-12-01

    To better constrain the mechanical behavior of sediments accreted to accretionary prism, we conducted triaxial mechanical tests on natural samples from the Miura-Boso paleo-accretionary prism (Japan) in drained conditions with confining pressures up to 200 MPa as well as postexperiments P-wave velocity (Vp) measurements. During experiments, deformation is principally noncoaxial and accommodated by two successive modes of deformation, both associated with strain-hardening and velocity-strengthening behavior: (1) compaction-assisted shearing, distributed in a several mm-wide shear zone and (2) faulting, localized within a few tens of μm-wide, dilatant fault zone. Deformation is also associated with (1) a decrease in Young's modulus all over the tests, (2) anomalously low Vp in the deformed samples compared to their porosity and (3) an increase in sensitivity of Vp to effective pressure. We interpret this evolution of the poroelastic properties of the material as reflecting the progressive breakage of intergrain cement and the formation of microcracks along with macroscopic deformation. When applied to natural conditions, these results suggest that the deformation style (localized versus distributed) of shallow (z < a few km) sediments is mainly controlled by the variations in stress/strain rate during the seismic cycle and is therefore independent of the porosity of sediments. Finally, we show that the effect of strain, through cement breakage and microcracks formation, may lower Vp for effective pressure up to 40 MPa. As a consequence, the low Vp anomalies observed in Nankai accretionary prisms by seismic imaging between 2 and 4 km depth could reflect sediment deformation rather than porosity anomalies.

  9. Porous Flow and Diffusion of Water in the Mantle Wedge: Melting and Hydration Patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conder, J. A.

    2005-12-01

    It is widely accepted that melting at volcanic arcs is primarily triggered by fluxing the mantle wedge from the dehydrating subducting slab. However, there is less concensus regarding how water moves into and within the mantle wedge. There are at least four possible mechanisms for water migration in the wedge: buoyant porous flow, diffusion through mineral crystals, advection of hydrated minerals, and compositionally buoyant diapers. The latter two mechanisms require at least one of the first two to occur to get water from the slab into the wedge before they can function. Using geodynamic models of mantle flow in a simplified subduction setting, we explore the implications of diffusion and porous flow of water in the wedge, particularly as they would affect the time for recycling water through the subduction factory and the predicted pattern of basalt hydration across the arc. The slab is assumed to dehydrate in a continuous fashion as the solubility of water in subducted oceanic crust decreases with temperature and pressure and the water then enters the wedge via one of the two transport mechanisms. Diffusion is controlled by temperature and by which minerals are present. Although olivine dominates the mantle mineral fraction, pyroxenes may control the diffusion of water in the wedge as the diffusivity of pyroxene is one or more orders of magnitude greater than olivine. Even assuming the faster diffusion rate of orthopyroxene in the models, diffusion can only be an important transport mechanism when subduction rates are slower than ~3 cm/yr. Flux melting occurs in the wedge above where the slab is ~100-160 km deep with the maximum above where the slab is ~120 km deep. Models including porous flow can result in melting at higher subduction rates provided the permeability of the mantle is greater than 10-17 m2. The true magnitude of the permeability likely varies with the corresponding porosity created by the free phase. With porous flow, melting occurs 20-30 km

  10. Shallow very-low-frequency earthquakes accompany slow slip events in the Nankai subduction zone.

    PubMed

    Nakano, Masaru; Hori, Takane; Araki, Eiichiro; Kodaira, Shuichi; Ide, Satoshi

    2018-03-14

    Recent studies of slow earthquakes along plate boundaries have shown that tectonic tremor, low-frequency earthquakes, very-low-frequency events (VLFEs), and slow-slip events (SSEs) often accompany each other and appear to share common source faults. However, the source processes of slow events occurring in the shallow part of plate boundaries are not well known because seismic observations have been limited to land-based stations, which offer poor resolution beneath offshore plate boundaries. Here we use data obtained from seafloor observation networks in the Nankai trough, southwest of Japan, to investigate shallow VLFEs in detail. Coincident with the VLFE activity, signals indicative of shallow SSEs were detected by geodetic observations at seafloor borehole observatories in the same region. We find that the shallow VLFEs and SSEs share common source regions and almost identical time histories of moment release. We conclude that these slow events arise from the same fault slip and that VLFEs represent relatively high-frequency fluctuations of slip during SSEs.

  11. Sequence of slow slip events and low frequency earthquakes in the shallow part of the Nankai Trough seismogenic zone observed by seafloor observation network.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Araki, E.; Saffer, D. M.; Kopf, A.; To, A.; Ide, S.; Nakano, M.; Kimura, T.; Machida, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Seismic behavior of the thrust zone in trench side of the seismically coupled plate interface in the Nankai Trough is poorly understood because shore based seismic and geodetic observation does not have enough sensitivity to detect slow activity in the area. In these years, we constructed dense seafloor observation network in combination with pore-fluid pressure, strain, and seismic sensing in IODP deep boreholes (C0002G and C0010A) and 20+ seafloor broadband seismometers cabled to the observation network called DONET for long-term continuous observation in the To-Nankai area of the Nankai Trough, south of Japan. Analysis of the seismic records from DONET seafloor seismometer and pore-fluid pressure records from the boreholes in the period from Jan. 2011 to Apr. 2016 revealed the activities of the slow slip events (SSE), low frequency tremor (LFT), and very low frequency earthquakes (VLFE) in the observation network, detecting seven sequence of pore-fluid pressure transients in these boreholes representing SSEs and many LFT and VLFEs from seismic records. Some of the SSE sequence accompanies active LFT swarms in the regions offshore of the locked seismogenic zone. Some of the pressure transient initiate precedent to the LFT swarms, as well as some does not accompany obvious LFT activity, as if the SSE occurs "silently", suggesting LFT does not express SSE but LFT seems activated by the SSE. This is also supported by change of SSE pressure transient rate in accordance with LFT activity, observed in sequences in Mar. 2011, Oct. 2015, and April 2016. In the Oct. 2015 sequence, observed pressure transient in two boreholes indicates the slip propagates updip in the shallow subduction zone. In many sequences including this sequence, we ientify that the LFT swarm tends to migrate updip direction. The pressure transient in Apr. 2016 also followed this tendency, initiating from co-seismic compression by Apr. 1 earthquake occurred downdip side of the boreholes, followed by

  12. Wedge filter imaging spectrometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sémery, Alain; Réess, Jean-Michel; Lemarquis, Frédéric; Drossart, Pierre; Laubier, David; Bernardi, Pernelle

    2017-11-01

    The development of the planetary exploration for landers makes it more and more necessary to have at our disposal small and light instruments. This is why we are developing in our laboratory a light imaging spectrometer with a wedge filter making the spectral splitting. This design already developed in other laboratories has the great advantage to need a limited number of optical components. However its drawback is that at a given instant the different spectral pixels don't see the same spot in the field. We propose a new design to remedy this drawback by the adjunction of a dispersive system in the fore-optics.

  13. Seismic Evidence for Fluid/Gas Beneath the Mentawai Fore-Arc Basin, Central Sumatra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huot, Gabriel; Singh, Satish C.

    2018-02-01

    Since 2004, there have been three great interplate earthquakes (Mw > 8.0) offshore Sumatra. In addition to rupturing the megathrust, these earthquakes might also have ruptured the backthrusts that bound the Andaman Islands to the Mentawai Islands toward the forearc basins. Here we apply a combination of traveltime tomography and seismic full waveform inversion to an ultralong offset seismic reflection profile from the Mentawai forearc basin, in the region of the 2007 Mw 8.4 Bengkulu earthquake. We perform a waveform inversion of far-offset data followed by a waveform inversion of near-offset data using the starting model derived from the traveltime tomography. Our results show the presence of a large, low-velocity anomaly above the backthrust. The seismic reflection image indicates that this low-velocity anomaly lies either within highly compacted sediments from the accretionary wedge or within highly deformed sediments from the forearc basin. The porosity estimation, using the effective medium theory, suggests that a small amount of gas (from 2 to 13%) or a significant amount of fluid (from 17 to 40%) could generate this low-velocity zone. The presence of fluids and the observation of bottom simulating reflector below a push-up ridge might be associated with mud diapirism. The fluids could originate locally from the dewatering of the sediments from the accretionary wedge or forearc basin. The high reflectivity of the backthrust in this region might also indicate deeper fluid origin, either from underplated sediments on the subduction interface or from the serpentinized mantle wedge.

  14. Experimental and numerical investigations on melamine wedges.

    PubMed

    Schneider, S

    2008-09-01

    Melamine wedges are often used as acoustic lining material for anechoic chambers. It was proposed here to study the effects of the mounting conditions on the acoustic properties of the melamine wedges used in the large anechoic chamber at the LMA. The results of the impedance tube measurements carried out show that the mounting conditions must be taken into account when assessing the quality of an acoustic lining. As it can be difficult to simulate these mounting conditions in impedance tube experiments, a numerical method was developed, which can be used to complete the experiments or for parametric studies. By combining the finite and the boundary element method, it is possible to investigate acoustic linings with almost no restrictions as to the geometry, material behavior, or mounting conditions. The numerical method presented here was used to study the acoustic properties of the acoustic lining installed in the anechoic chamber at the LMA. Further experiments showed that the behavior of the melamine foam is anisotropic. Numerical simulations showed that this anisotropy can be used to advantage when designing an acoustic lining.

  15. Integrated waste management as a climate change stabilization wedge.

    PubMed

    Bahor, Brian; Van Brunt, Michael; Stovall, Jeff; Blue, Katherine

    2009-11-01

    Anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions are known to contribute to global increases in greenhouse gas concentrations and are widely believed to contribute to climate change. A reference carbon dioxide concentration of 383 ppm for 2007 is projected to increase to a nominal 500 ppm in less than 50 years according to business as usual models. This concentration change is equivalent to an increase of 7 billion tonnes of carbon per year (7 Gt C year(-1)). The concept of a stabilization wedge was introduced by Pacala and Socolow (Science, 305, 968-972, 2004) to break the 7 Gt C year(- 1) into more manageable 1 Gt C year(- 1) reductions that would be achievable with current technology. A total of fifteen possible 'wedges' were identified; however, an integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management system based on the European Union's waste management hierarchy was not evaluated as a wedge. This analysis demonstrates that if the tonnage of MSW is allocated to recycling, waste to energy and landfilling in descending order in lieu of existing 'business-as-usual' practices with each option using modern technology and best practices, the system would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1 Gt C year( -1). This integrated waste management system reduces CO(2) by displacing fossil electrical generation and avoiding manufacturing energy consumption and methane emissions from landfills.

  16. Wedge Shock and Nozzle Exhaust Plume Interaction in a Supersonic Jet Flow

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Castner, Raymond; Zaman, Khairul; Fagan, Amy; Heath, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    Fundamental research for sonic boom reduction is needed to quantify the interaction of shock waves generated from the aircraft wing or tail surfaces with the nozzle exhaust plume. Aft body shock waves that interact with the exhaust plume contribute to the near-field pressure signature of a vehicle. The plume and shock interaction was studied using computational fluid dynamics and compared with experimental data from a coaxial convergent-divergent nozzle flow in an open jet facility. A simple diamond-shaped wedge was used to generate the shock in the outer flow to study its impact on the inner jet flow. Results show that the compression from the wedge deflects the nozzle plume and shocks form on the opposite plume boundary. The sonic boom pressure signature of the nozzle exhaust plume was modified by the presence of the wedge. Both the experimental results and computational predictions show changes in plume deflection.

  17. Redistribution of knee stress using laterally wedged insole intervention: Finite element analysis of knee-ankle-foot complex.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xuan; Zhang, Ming

    2013-01-01

    Laterally wedged insoles are widely applied in the conservative treatment for medial knee osteoarthritis. Experimental studies have been conducted to understand the effectiveness of such an orthotic intervention. However, the information was limited to the joint external loading such as knee adduction moment. The internal stress distribution is difficult to be obtained from in vivo experiment alone. Thus, a three-dimensional finite element model of the human knee-ankle-foot complex, together with orthosis, was developed in this study and used to investigate the redistribution of knee stress using laterally wedged insole intervention. Laterally wedged insoles with wedge angles of 0, 5, and 10° were fabricated for intervention. The subject-specific geometry of the lower extremity with details was characterized in the reconstruction of MR images. Motion analysis data and muscle forces were input to drive the model. The established finite element model was employed to investigate the loading responses of tibiofemoral articulation in three wedge angle conditions during simulated walking stance phase. With either of the 5° or 10° laterally wedged insole, significant decreases in von Mises stress and contact force at the medial femur cartilage region and the medial meniscus were predicted comparing with the 0° insole. The diminished stress and contact force at the medial compartment of the knee joint demonstrate the immediate effect of the laterally wedged insoles. The intervention may contribute to medial knee osteoarthritis rehabilitation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Tectonic slicing of subducting oceanic crust along plate interfaces: Numerical modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruh, J. B.; Le Pourhiet, L.; Agard, Ph.; Burov, E.; Gerya, T.

    2015-10-01

    Multikilometer-sized slivers of high-pressure low-temperature metamorphic oceanic crust and mantle are observed in many mountain belts. These blueschist and eclogite units were detached from the descending plate during subduction. Large-scale thermo-mechanical numerical models based on finite difference marker-in-cell staggered grid technique are implemented to investigate slicing processes that lead to the detachment of oceanic slivers and their exhumation before the onset of the continental collision phase. In particular, we investigate the role of the serpentinized subcrustal slab mantle in the mechanisms of shallow and deep crustal slicing. Results show that spatially homogeneous serpentinization of the sub-Moho slab mantle leads to complete accretion of oceanic crust within the accretionary wedge. Spatially discontinuous serpentinization of the slab mantle in form of unconnected patches can lead to shallow slicing of the oceanic crust below the accretionary wedge and to its deep slicing at mantle depths depending on the patch length, slab angle, convergence velocity and continental geothermal gradient. P-T paths obtained in this study are compared to natural examples of shallow slicing of the Crescent Terrane below Vancouver Island and deeply sliced crust of the Lago Superiore and Saas-Zermatt units in the Western Alps.

  19. Mantle wedge exhumation beneath the Dora-Maira (U)HP dome unravelled by local earthquake tomography (Western Alps)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solarino, Stefano; Malusà, Marco G.; Eva, Elena; Guillot, Stéphane; Paul, Anne; Schwartz, Stéphane; Zhao, Liang; Aubert, Coralie; Dumont, Thierry; Pondrelli, Silvia; Salimbeni, Simone; Wang, Qingchen; Xu, Xiaobing; Zheng, Tianyu; Zhu, Rixiang

    2018-01-01

    In continental subduction zones, the behaviour of the mantle wedge during exhumation of (ultra)high-pressure [(U)HP] rocks provides a key to distinguish among competing exhumation mechanisms. However, in spite of the relevant implications for understanding orogenic evolution, a high-resolution image of the mantle wedge beneath the Western Alps is still lacking. In order to fill this gap, we perform a detailed analysis of the velocity structure of the Alpine belt beneath the Dora-Maira (U)HP dome, based on local earthquake tomography independently validated by receiver function analysis. Our results point to a composite structure of the mantle wedge above the subducted European lithosphere. We found that the Dora-Maira (U)HP dome lays directly above partly serpentinized peridotites (Vp 7.5 km/s; Vp/Vs = 1.70-1.72), documented from 10 km depth down to the top of the eclogitized lower crust of the European plate. These serpentinized peridotites, possibly formed by fluid release from the subducting European slab to the Alpine mantle wedge, are juxtaposed against dry mantle peridotites of the Adriatic upper plate along an active fault rooted in the lithospheric mantle. We propose that serpentinized mantle-wedge peridotites were exhumed at shallow crustal levels during late Eocene transtensional tectonics, also triggering the rapid exhumation of (U)HP rocks, and were subsequently indented under the Alpine metamorphic wedge in the early Oligocene. Our findings suggest that mantle-wedge exhumation may represent a major feature of the deep structure of exhumed continental subduction zones. The deep orogenic levels here imaged by seismic tomography may be exposed today in older (U)HP belts, where mantle-wedge serpentinites are commonly associated with coesite-bearing continental metamorphic rocks.

  20. Plate Tectonics at 3.8-3.7 Ga: Field Evidence from the Isua Accretionary Complex, Southern West Greenland.

    PubMed

    Komiya; Maruyama; Masuda; Nohda; Hayashi; Okamoto

    1999-09-01

    A 1&rcolon;5000 scale mapping was performed in the Isukasia area of the ca. 3.8-Ga Isua supracrustal belt, southern West Greenland. The mapped area is divided into three units bounded by low-angle thrusts: the Northern, Middle, and Southern Units. The Southern Unit, the best exposed, is composed of 14 subunits (horses) with similar lithostratigraphy, bound by layer-parallel thrusts. Duplex structures are widespread in the Isua belt and vary in scale from a few meters to kilometers. Duplexing proceeded from south to north and is well documented in the relationship between link- and roof-thrusts. The reconstructed lithostratigraphy of each horse reveals a simple pattern, in ascending order, of greenstone with low-K tholeiitic composition with or without pillow lava structures, chert/banded iron-formation, and turbidites. The cherts and underlying low-K tholeiites do not contain continent- or arc-derived material. The lithostratigraphy is quite similar to Phanerozoic "oceanic plate stratigraphy," except for the abundance of mafic material in the turbidites. The evidence of duplex structures and oceanic plate stratigraphy indicates that the Isua supracrustal belt is the oldest accretionary complex in the world. The dominantly mafic turbidite composition suggests that the accretionary complex was formed in an intraoceanic environment comparable to the present-day western Pacific Ocean. The duplex polarity suggests that an older accretionary complex should occur to the south of the Isua complex. Moreover, the presence of seawater (documented by a thick, pillow, lava unit at the bottom of oceanic plate stratigraphy) indicates that the surface temperature was less than ca. 100 degrees C in the Early Archean. The oceanic geotherm for the Early Archean lithosphere as a function of age was calculated based on a model of transient half-space cooling at given parameters of surface and mantle temperatures of 100 degrees and 1450 degrees C, respectively, suggesting that the

  1. Geological Characteristics of Active Methane Expulsion In Accretionary Prism Kaoping Slope Off SW Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, C.; Chien, C.; Yang, T. F.; Lin, S.

    2005-12-01

    The Kaoping Slope off SW Taiwan represents the syn-collision accretionary prism characterized by active NW-trending folding - thrusting structures and high sedimentation rate favoring the formation of gas hydrate. For an assessment of gas hydrate potential in the Kaoping Slope off SW Taiwan, sedimentology, paleontology and geochemistry in box cores and piston cores were studied. BSRs are commonly found in seismic profiles in 400-600 m below seafloor of water depth 2500-1000 m. Active expulsions of methane were found along active thrust faults where sulfate/methane interface could be as shallow as 30 cm and the methane concentration of dissolved gases in bottom water and in pore-space of drilled core samples could be three-four order higher than the normal marine environments. Occurrences of authigenic carbonate and elongated pyrite tubes are correlated with shallow SMI depth and high methane content in bottom water and pore-space of sediment cores. Authigenic carbonates were found in seafloor surface and in 20-25 meters below seafloor. The authigenic carbonate nodules are characterized by irregular shape, whitish color, no visible microfossil, containing native sulfur, pyrites, gypsum, small open spaces, and very depleted carbon isotope (-54 ~ -43 per mil PDB). Tiny native sulfur and gypsum crystals were commonly found either on surface of foraminiferal tests and elongated pyrite tubes or in the authigenic carbonate nodules. Morphological measurements of elongated pyrite tubes show that they could represent pseudomorphs after three types of Pogonophora tube worm. Foraminifers are commonly filled by rhomboidal pyrites or cemented by pyrite crystals. Normal marine benthic foraminifers predominated by calcareous tests of slope fauna are associated with authigenic carbonate nodules in the study area, suggesting no major geochemistry effect on distribution of benthic foraminifers. Integrating sedimentology, paleontology and geochemistry characters, there could be high

  2. Thermal regime of an ice-wedge polygon landscape near Barrow, Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daanen, R. P.; Liljedahl, A. K.

    2017-12-01

    Tundra landscapes are changing all over the circumpolar Arctic due to permafrost degradation. Soil cracking and infilling of meltwater repeated over thousands of years form ice wedges, which produce the characteristic surface pattern of ice-wedge polygon tundra. Rapid top-down thawing of massive ice leads to differential ground subsidence and sets in motion a series of short- and long-term hydrological and ecological changes. Subsequent responses in the soil thermal regime drive further permafrost degradation and/or stabilization. Here we explore the soil thermal regime of an ice-wedge polygon terrain near Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) with the Water balance Simulation Model (WaSiM). WaSiM is a hydro-thermal model developed to simulate the water balance at the watershed scale and was recently refined to represent the hydrological processes unique to cold climates. WaSiM includes modules that represent surface runoff, evapotranspiration, groundwater, and soil moisture, while active layer freezing and thawing is based on a direct coupling of hydrological and thermal processes. A new snow module expands the vadose zone calculations into the snow pack, allowing the model to simulate the snow as a porous medium similar to soil. Together with a snow redistribution algorithm based on local topography, this latest addition to WaSiM makes simulation of the ground thermal regime much more accurate during winter months. Effective representation of ground temperatures during winter is crucial in the simulation of the permafrost thermal regime and allows for refined predictions of future ice-wedge degradation or stabilization.

  3. NanTroSEIZE observatories: Installation of a long-term borehole monitoring systems offshore the Kii Peninsula, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kopf, A.; Saffer, D. M.; Davis, E. E.; Araki, E.; Kinoshita, M.; Lauer, R. M.; Wheat, C. G.; Kitada, K.; Kimura, T.; Toczko, S.; Eguchi, N. O.; Science Parties, E.

    2010-12-01

    The IODP Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is a multi-expedition drilling program designed to investigate fault mechanics, fault slip behavior, and strain accumulation along subduction megathrusts, through coring, logging, and long-term monitoring experiments. One key objective is the development and installation of a borehole observatory network extending from locations above the outer, presumably aseismic accretionary wedge to the seismogenic and interseismically locked plate interface, to record seismicity and slip transients, monitor strain accumulation, document hydraulic transients associated with deformation events, and quantify in situ pore fluid pressure and temperature. As part of recent NanTroSEIZE operations, borehole instruments have been developed for deployment at two sites: (1) Site C0010, which penetrates a major out-of-sequence thrust fault termed the “megasplay” at ca. 400 mbsf, and (2) Site C0002 in the Kumano forearc basin at a location that overlies both the updip edge of the inferred interseismically locked portion of the plate interface, and clusters of very low frequency thrust and reverse earthquakes located within the accretionary prism and potentially on the megasplay fault. In 2009, Site C0010 was drilled and cased with screens to access the megasplay fault, and a simple pore pressure and temperature monitoring system (a ”smartplug”) was installed. The simple observatory unit includes pressure and temperature sensors and a data logging package mounted beneath a mechanically set retrievable casing packer, and includes two pressure sensors, one in hydraulic communication with the formation through the casing screens below the packer, and the other to the open borehole above the packer to record hydrostatic reference pressure and ocean loading signals. Temperatures are recorded within the instrument package using a platinum thermometer and by a self-contained miniature temperature logger (MTL). In fall 2010

  4. Geological modeling for methane hydrate reservoir characterization in the eastern Nankai Trough, offshore Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tamaki, M.; Komatsu, Y.; Suzuki, K.; Takayama, T.; Fujii, T.

    2012-12-01

    The eastern Nankai trough, which is located offshore of central Japan, is considered as an attractive potential resource field of methane hydrates. Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation is planning to conduct a production test in early 2013 at the AT1 site in the north slope of Daini-Atsumi Knoll in the eastern Nankai Trough. The depositional environment of methane hydrate-bearing sediments around the production test site is a deep submarine-fan turbidite system, and it is considered that the reservoir properties should show lateral as well as vertical heterogeneity. Since the variations in the reservoir heterogeneity have an impact on the methane hydrate dissociation and gas production performance, precise geological models describing reservoir heterogeneity would be required for the evaluation of reservoir potentials. In preparation for the production test, 3 wells; two monitoring boreholes (AT1-MC and AT1-MT1) and a coring well (AT1-C), were newly acquired in 2012. In addition to a geotechnical hole drilling survey in 2011 (AT1-GT), totally log data from 2 wells and core data from 2 wells were obtained around the production test site. In this study, we conducted well correlations between AT1 and A1 wells drilled in 2003 and then, 3D geological models were updated including AT1 well data in order to refine hydrate reservoir characterization around the production test site. The results of the well correlations show that turbidite sand layers are characterized by good lateral continuity, and give significant information for the distribution morphology of sand-rich channel fills. We also reviewed previously conducted 3D geological models which consist of facies distributions and petrophysical properties distributions constructed from integration of 3D seismic data and a well data (A1 site) adopting a geostatistical approach. In order to test the practical validity of the previously generated models, cross-validation was conducted using AT1 well data. The

  5. Examination of the largest-possible tsunamis (Level 2) generated along the Nankai and Suruga troughs during the past 4000 years based on studies of tsunami deposits from the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitamura, Akihisa

    2016-12-01

    Japanese historical documents reveal that Mw 8 class earthquakes have occurred every 100-150 years along the Suruga and Nankai troughs since the 684 Hakuho earthquake. These earthquakes have commonly caused large tsunamis with wave heights of up to 10 m in the Japanese coastal area along the Suruga and Nankai troughs. From the perspective of tsunami disaster management, these tsunamis are designated as Level 1 tsunamis and are the basis for the design of coastal protection facilities. A Mw 9.0 earthquake (the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake) and a mega-tsunami with wave heights of 10-40 m struck the Pacific coast of the northeastern Japanese mainland on 11 March 2011, and far exceeded pre-disaster predictions of wave height. Based on the lessons learned from the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, the Japanese Government predicted the tsunami heights of the largest-possible tsunami (termed a Level 2 tsunami) that could be generated in the Suruga and Nankai troughs. The difference in wave heights between Level 1 and Level 2 tsunamis exceeds 20 m in some areas, including the southern Izu Peninsula. This study reviews the distribution of prehistorical tsunami deposits and tsunami boulders during the past 4000 years, based on previous studies in the coastal area of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The results show that a tsunami deposit dated at 3400-3300 cal BP can be traced between the Shimizu, Shizuoka and Rokken-gawa lowlands, whereas no geologic evidence related to the corresponding tsunami (the Rokken-gawa-Oya tsunami) was found on the southern Izu Peninsula. Thus, the Rokken-gawa-Oya tsunami is not classified as a Level 2 tsunami.

  6. Controls on Earthquake Rupture and Triggering Mechanisms in Subduction Zones

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-01

    weaken the fault [Wibber- ley and Shimamoto, 2005]. Song and Simons [2003] infer that strongly negative TPGA values correlate with increases in the...and Y. Hu (2006), Accretionary prisms in subduction earthquake cycles: The theory of dynamic Coulomb wedge, J. Geophys. Res., 111, B06410, doi:10.1029...modified Coulomb stress function, γ is a state variable, and A is a fault constitutive parameter. We assume that the normal stress σ remains constant, and

  7. Unlocking the Secrets of the Mantle Wedge: New Insights Into Melt Generation Processes in Subduction Zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grove, T. L.

    2007-05-01

    Recent laboratory studies of the melting and crystallization behavior of mantle peridotite and subduction zone lavas have led to new insights into melting processes in island arc settings. Melting of the mantle wedge in the presence of H2O begins at much lower temperatures than previously thought. The solidus of mantle peridotite at 3 GPa is ~ 800 °C, which is 200 °C below previous estimates. At pressures greater than 2.4 GPa chlorite becomes a stable phase on the solidus and it remains stable until ~ 3.5 GPa. Therefore, melting over this pressure range occurs in the presence of chlorite, which contains ~ 12 wt. % H2O. Chlorite stabilized on the peridotite solidus by slab-derived H2O may be the ultimate source of H2O for subduction zone magmatism. Thus, chlorite could transport large amounts of H2O into the descending mantle wedge to depths where it can participate in melting to generate hydrous arc magmas. Our ability to identify primitive mantle melts at subduction zones has led to the following observations. 1) Primitive mantle melts show evidence of final equilibration at shallow depths near the mantle - crust boundary. 2) They contain variable amounts of dissolved H2O (up to 6 wt. %). 3) They record variable extents of melting (up to > 25 wt. %). To produce melts with such variable characteristics requires more than one melting process and requires consideration of a new type of melting called hydrous flux melting. Flux melting occurs when the H2O - rich melt initially produced on the solidus near the base of the mantle wedge ascends and continuously reacts with overlying hotter, shallower mantle. The mantle melts and magmatic H2O content is constantly diluted as the melt ascends and reacts with shallower, hotter mantle. Anhydrous mantle melts are also found in close temporal and spatial proximity to hydrous flux melts. These melts are extracted at similar depths near the top of the mantle wedge when mantle is advected up and into the wedge corner and melted

  8. Lateral Wedge Insoles as a Conservative Treatment for Pain in Patients With Medial Knee Osteoarthritis

    PubMed Central

    Parkes, Matthew J.; Maricar, Nasimah; Lunt, Mark; LaValley, Michael P.; Jones, Richard K.; Segal, Neil A.; Takahashi-Narita, Kayoko; Felson, David T.

    2015-01-01

    IMPORTANCE There is no consensus regarding the efficacy of lateral wedge insoles as a treatment for pain in medial knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether lateral wedge insoles reduce pain in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis compared with an appropriate control. DATA SOURCES Databases searched include the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, AMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and BIOSIS from inception to May 2013, with no limits on study date or language. The metaRegister of Controlled Trials and the NHS Evidence website were also searched. STUDY SELECTION Included were randomized trials comparing shoe-based treatments (lateral heel wedge insoles or shoes with variable stiffness soles) aimed at reducing medial knee load, with a neutral or no wedge control condition in patients with painful medial knee osteoarthritis. Studies must have included patient-reported pain as an outcome. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Trial data were extracted independently by 2 researchers using a standardized form. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool by 2 observers. Eligible studies were pooled using a random-effects approach. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES Change in self-reported knee pain at follow-up. RESULTS Twelve trials met inclusion criteria with a total of 885 participants of whom 502 received lateral wedge treatment. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) suggested a favorable association with lateral wedges compared with control (SMD, −0.47; 95% CI, −0.80 to −0.14); however, substantial heterogeneity was present (I2 = 82.7%). This effect size represents an effect of −2.12 points on the 20-point Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scale. Larger trials with a lower risk of bias suggested a null association. Meta-regression analyses showed that higher effect sizes (unstandardized β, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.28 to 1.87] for trials using a no treatment

  9. Estimation of interplate coupling along Nankai trough considering the block motion model based on onland GNSS and seafloor GPS/A observation data using MCMC method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kimura, H.; Ito, T.; Tadokoro, K.

    2017-12-01

    Introduction In southwest Japan, Philippine sea plate is subducting under the overriding plate such as Amurian plate, and mega interplate earthquakes has occurred at about 100 years interval. There is no occurrence of mega interplate earthquakes in southwest Japan, although it has passed about 70 years since the last mega interplate earthquakes: 1944 and 1946 along Nankai trough, meaning that the strain has been accumulated at plate interface. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the interplate coupling more precisely for predicting or understanding the mechanism of next occurring mega interplate earthquake. Recently, seafloor geodetic observation revealed the detailed interplate coupling distribution in expected source region of Nankai trough earthquake (e.g., Yokota et al. [2016]). In this study, we estimated interplate coupling in southwest Japan, considering block motion model and using seafloor geodetic observation data as well as onland GNSS observation data, based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Method Observed crustal deformation is assumed that sum of rigid block motion and elastic deformation due to coupling at block boundaries. We modeled this relationship as a non-linear inverse problem that the unknown parameters are Euler pole of each block and coupling at each subfault, and solved them simultaneously based on MCMC method. Input data we used in this study are 863 onland GNSS observation data and 24 seafloor GPS/A observation data. We made some block division models based on the map of active fault tracing and selected the best model based on Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC): that is consist of 12 blocks. Result We find that the interplate coupling along Nankai trough has heterogeneous spatial distribution, strong at the depth of 0 to 20km at off Tokai region, and 0 to 30km at off Shikoku region. Moreover, we find that observed crustal deformation at off Tokai region is well explained by elastic deformation due to subducting Izu Micro

  10. A Thick, Deformed Sedimentary Wedge in an Erosional Subduction Zone, Southern Costa Rica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silver, E. A.; Kluesner, J. W.; Edwards, J. H.; Vannucchi, P.

    2014-12-01

    A paradigm of erosional subduction zones is that the lower part of the wedge is composed of strong, crystalline basement (Clift and Vannucchi, Rev. Geophys., 42, RG2001, 2004). The CRISP 3D seismic reflection study of the southern part of the Costa Rica subduction zone shows quite the opposite. Here the slope is underlain by a series of fault-cored anticlines, with faults dipping both landward and seaward that root into the plate boundary. Deformation intensity increases with depth, and young, near-surface deformation follows that of the deeper structures but with basin inversions indicating a dynamic evolution (Edwards et al., this meeting). Fold wavelength increases landward, consistent with the folding of a landward-thickening wedge. Offscraping in accretion is minimal because incoming sediments on the lower plate are very thin. Within the wedge, thrust faulting dominates at depth in the wedge, whereas normal faulting dominates close to the surface, possibly reflecting uplift of the deforming anticlines. Normal faults form a mesh of NNW and ENE-trending structures, whereas thrust faults are oriented approximately parallel to the dominant fold orientation, which in turn follows the direction of roughness on the subducting plate. Rapid subduction erosion just prior to 2 Ma is inferred from IODP Expedition 334 (Vannucchi et al., 2013, Geology, 49:995-998). Crystalline basement may have been largely removed from the slope region during this rapid erosional event, and the modern wedge may consist of rapidly redeposited material (Expedition 344 Scientists, 2013) that has been undergoing deformation since its inception, producing a structure quite different from that expected of an eroding subduction zone.

  11. Augmented wedge-shaped glenoid component for the correction of glenoid retroversion: a finite element analysis.

    PubMed

    Hermida, Juan C; Flores-Hernandez, Cesar; Hoenecke, Heinz R; D'Lima, Darryl D

    2014-03-01

    This study undertook a computational analysis of a wedged glenoid component for correction of retroverted glenoid arthritic deformity to determine whether a wedge-shaped glenoid component design with a built-in correction for version reduces excessive stresses in the implant, cement, and glenoid bone. Recommendations for correcting retroversion deformity are asymmetric reaming of the anterior glenoid, bone grafting of the posterior glenoid, or a glenoid component with posterior augmentation. Eccentric reaming has the disadvantages of removing normal bone, reducing structural support for the glenoid component, and increasing the risk of bone perforation by the fixation pegs. Bone grafting to correct retroverted deformity does not consistently generate successful results. Finite element models of 2 scapulae models representing a normal and an arthritic retroverted glenoid were implanted with a standard glenoid component (in retroversion or neutral alignment) or a wedged component. Glenohumeral forces representing in vivo loading were applied and stresses and strains computed in the bone, cement, and glenoid component. The retroverted glenoid components generated the highest compressive stresses and decreased cyclic fatigue life predictions for trabecular bone. Correction of retroversion by the wedged glenoid component significantly decreased stresses and predicted greater bone fatigue life. The cement volume estimated to survive 10 million cycles was the lowest for the retroverted components and the highest for neutrally implanted glenoid components and for wedged components. A wedged glenoid implant is a viable option to correct severe arthritic retroversion, reducing the need for eccentric reaming and the risk for implant failure. Copyright © 2014 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Effect of a pelvic wedge and belt on the medial and lateral hamstring muscles during knee flexion.

    PubMed

    Yoo, Won-Gyu

    2017-01-01

    [Purpose] This study developed a pelvic wedge and belt and investigated their effects on the selective activation of medial and lateral hamstring muscles during knee flexion. [Subjects and Methods] Nine adults were enrolled. The participants performed exercises without and with the pelvic wedge and belt, and the electromyographic activities of the medial and lateral hamstring muscles were recorded. [Results] The activity of the medial hamstring was increased significantly when using the pelvic wedge and belt, while the activity of the lateral hamstring did not differ significantly. [Conclusion] The pelvic wedge and belt provide a self-locked position during knee flexion in the prone position. Prone knee flexion in this position is an effective self-exercise for balanced strengthening of the medial hamstring.

  13. Effect of a pelvic wedge and belt on the medial and lateral hamstring muscles during knee flexion

    PubMed Central

    Yoo, Won-gyu

    2017-01-01

    [Purpose] This study developed a pelvic wedge and belt and investigated their effects on the selective activation of medial and lateral hamstring muscles during knee flexion. [Subjects and Methods] Nine adults were enrolled. The participants performed exercises without and with the pelvic wedge and belt, and the electromyographic activities of the medial and lateral hamstring muscles were recorded. [Results] The activity of the medial hamstring was increased significantly when using the pelvic wedge and belt, while the activity of the lateral hamstring did not differ significantly. [Conclusion] The pelvic wedge and belt provide a self-locked position during knee flexion in the prone position. Prone knee flexion in this position is an effective self-exercise for balanced strengthening of the medial hamstring. PMID:28210048

  14. High-velocity frictional properties of chert in the Jurassic accretionary complex, central Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Motohashi, G.; Oohashi, K.; Ujiie, K.

    2017-12-01

    Chert is one of the main components in accretionary complexes. Previous friction experiments on quartz-rich rocks at slip rates of 0.1-100 mm/s revealed that fault weakening was caused by a thixotropic behavior of silica gel [Goldsby and Tullis, 2002; Di Toro et al., 2004; Hayashi and Tsutsumi, 2010]. We conducted high-velocity friction experiments on chert at a slip rate of 1.3 m/s and normal stresses of 5-13 MPa under room humidity conditions and examined the resultant microstructures. During experiments, temperatures were measured using a high-resolution infrared thermal-imaging camera, and the process of shearing was monitored by a digital video camera. The samples for experiments were collected from the host rock (gray chert) of the thrust fault in the Jurassic accretionary complex, central Japan. Experimental data indicated that slip strengthening occurred after first slip weakening. This was followed by second slip weakening toward a steady-state friction, with maximum temperature being less than 1200 °C. The melt patches developed during slip strengthening, while the growth of melt layer was recognized during and after second slip weakening. The melt patches included little chert fragments, and the color of the chert surrounding melt patches was changed to dark, possibly representing thermal alteration of quartz grains. After second slip weakening, the volume fraction of chert fragments in the melt layer increased, and the chert fragments and the wall rocks adjacent to the melt layer were intensely cracked. These features indicated that the growth of melt layer was accompanied by the incorporation of cracked wall rocks, suggesting that off-fault damage may be linked to the slip behavior during and after second slip weakening. Goldsby, D. L., T. E. Tullis (2002), Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(17), 1844. Di Toro, G., D. L. Goldsby, T. E. Tullis (2004), Nature, 427, 436-439. Hayashi, N., A. Tsutsumi (2010), Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L12305.

  15. Three-dimensional semi-analytical solution to groundwater flow in confined and unconfined wedge-shaped aquifers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sedghi, Mohammad Mahdi; Samani, Nozar; Sleep, Brent

    2009-06-01

    The Laplace domain solutions have been obtained for three-dimensional groundwater flow to a well in confined and unconfined wedge-shaped aquifers. The solutions take into account partial penetration effects, instantaneous drainage or delayed yield, vertical anisotropy and the water table boundary condition. As a basis, the Laplace domain solutions for drawdown created by a point source in uniform, anisotropic confined and unconfined wedge-shaped aquifers are first derived. Then, by the principle of superposition the point source solutions are extended to the cases of partially and fully penetrating wells. Unlike the previous solution for the confined aquifer that contains improper integrals arising from the Hankel transform [Yeh HD, Chang YC. New analytical solutions for groundwater flow in wedge-shaped aquifers with various topographic boundary conditions. Adv Water Resour 2006;26:471-80], numerical evaluation of our solution is relatively easy using well known numerical Laplace inversion methods. The effects of wedge angle, pumping well location and observation point location on drawdown and the effects of partial penetration, screen location and delay index on the wedge boundary hydraulic gradient in unconfined aquifers have also been investigated. The results are presented in the form of dimensionless drawdown-time and boundary gradient-time type curves. The curves are useful for parameter identification, calculation of stream depletion rates and the assessment of water budgets in river basins.

  16. Consolidation patterns during initiation and evolution of a plate-boundary decollement zone: Northern Barbados accretionary prism

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moore, J.C.; Klaus, A.; Bangs, N.L.; Bekins, B.; Bucker, C.J.; Bruckmann, W.; Erickson, S.N.; Hansen, O.; Horton, T.; Ireland, P.; Major, C.O.; Moore, Gregory F.; Peacock, S.; Saito, S.; Screaton, E.J.; Shimeld, J.W.; Stauffer, P.H.; Taymaz, T.; Teas, P.A.; Tokunaga, T.

    1998-01-01

    Borehole logs from the northern Barbados accretionary prism show that the plate-boundary decollement initiates in a low-density radiolarian claystone. With continued thrusting, the decollement zone consolidates, but in a patchy manner. The logs calibrate a three-dimensional seismic reflection image of the decollement zone and indicate which portions are of low density and enriched in fluid, and which portions have consolidated. The seismic image demonstrates that an underconsolidated patch of the decollement zone connects to a fluid-rich conduit extending down the decollement surface. Fluid migration up this conduit probably supports the open pore structure in the underconsolidated patch.

  17. How material contrast around subduction faults may control coseismic slip and rupture dynamics: tsunami applications for the case study of Tohoku

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scala, Antonio; Murphy, Shane; Romano, Fabrizio; Lorito, Stefano; Festa, Gaetano; Volpe, Manuela; Piatanesi, Alessio

    2017-04-01

    Recent megathrust tsunamigenic events, e.g. Maule 2010 (M8.8) and Tohoku 2011 (M9.0), generated huge tsunami waves as a consequence of high slip in the shallow part of the respective subduction zone. Other events, (e.g. the recent Mentawai 2010, M7.8, or the historical Meiji 1896, M8.2), referred to as tsunami earthquakes, produced unexpectedly large tsunami waves, probably due to large slip at shallow depth over longer rupture durations compared to deeper thrust events. Subduction zone earthquakes originate and propagate along bimaterial interfaces separating materials having different elastic properties, e.g. continental and oceanic crust, a stiffer deep mantle wedge, shallow compliant accretionary prism etc. Bimaterial interfaces have been showed, through observations (seismological and laboratory) and theoretical studies, to affect the rupture: introducing a preferred rupture direction as well as asymmetric rupture velocities and shear stress redistributions. Such features are predominantly due to the break of symmetry between the two sides of the interface in turn ascribable to the complex coupling between the frictional interfacial sliding and the slip-induced normal stress perturbations. In order to examine the influence of material contrast on a fault plane on the seismic source and tsunami waves, we modelled a Tohoku-like subduction zone to perform a large number of 2D along-dip rupture dynamics simulations in the framework of linear slip weakening both for homogeneous and bimaterial fault. In this latter model, the rupture acts as the interface between the subducting oceanic crust and the overriding layers (accretionary prism, continental crust and mantle wedge), varying the position of the shear stress asperity acting as nucleation patch. Initial results reveal that ruptures in homogeneous media produce earthquakes with large slip at depth compared to the case where bi-material interface is included. However the opposite occurs for events nucleating at

  18. The chronology of Late Pleistocene thermal contraction cracking derived from sand wedge OSL dating in central and southern France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrieux, Eric; Bateman, Mark D.; Bertran, Pascal

    2018-03-01

    Much of France remained unglaciated during the Late Quaternary and was subjected to repeated phases of periglacial activity. Numerous periglacial features have been reported but disentangling the environmental and climatic conditions they formed under, the timing and extent of permafrost and the role of seasonal frost has remained elusive. The primary sandy infillings of relict sand-wedges and composite-wedge pseudomorphs record periglacial activity. As they contain well-bleached quartz-rich aeolian material they are suitable for optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL). This study aims to reconstruct when wedge activity took place in two regions of France; Northern Aquitaine and in the Loire valley. Results from single-grain OSL measurements identify multiple phases of activity within sand wedges which suggest that wedge activity in France occurred at least 11 times over the last 100 ka. The most widespread events of thermal contraction cracking occurred between ca. 30 and 24 ka (Last Permafrost Maximum) which are concomitant with periods of high sand availability (MIS 2). Although most phases of sand-wedge growth correlate well with known Pleistocene cold periods, the identification of wedge activity during late MIS 5 and the Younger Dryas strongly suggests that these features do not only indicate permafrost but also deep seasonal ground freezing in the context of low winter insolation. These data also suggest that the overall young ages yielded by North-European sand-wedges likely result from poor record of periglacial periods concomitant with low sand availability and/or age averaging inherent with standard luminescence methods.

  19. Dose conformation to the spine during palliative treatments using dynamic wedges

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ormsby, Matthew A., E-mail: Matthew.Ormsby@usoncology.com; Herndon, R. Craig; Kaczor, Joseph G.

    2013-07-01

    Radiation therapy is commonly used to alleviate pain associated with metastatic disease of the spine. Often, isodose lines are manipulated using dynamic or physical wedges to encompass the section of spine needing treatment while minimizing dose to normal tissue. We will compare 2 methods used to treat the entire thoracic spine. The first method treats the thoracic spine with a single, nonwedged posterior-anterior (PA) field. Dose is prescribed to include the entire spine. Isodose lines tightly conform to the top and bottom vertebrae, but vertebrae between these 2 received more than enough coverage. The second method uses a combination ofmore » wedges to create an isodose line that mimics the curvature of the thoracic spine. This “C”-shaped curvature is created by overlapping 2 fields with opposing dynamic wedges. Machine constraints limit the treatment length and therefore 2 isocenters are used. Each of the 2 PA fields contributes a portion of the total daily dose. This technique creates a “C”-shaped isodose line that tightly conforms to the thoracic spine, minimizing normal tissue dose. Spinal cord maximum dose is reduced, as well as mean dose to the liver, esophagus, and heart.« less

  20. Metamorphism within the Chugach accretionary complex on southern Baranof Island, southeastern Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zumsteg, Cathy L.; Himmelberg, Glen R.; Karl, Susan M.; Haeussler, Peter J.

    2003-01-01

    On Baranof Island, southeastern Alaska, we identify four metamorphic events that affect rocks associated with the Chugach accretionary complex. This study focuses on the M1 and M4 metamorphic events. Mesozoic schists, gneisses, and migmatitic gneisses exposed near the Kasnyku pluton on central Baranof Island represent the M1 metamorphic rocks. These rocks underwent amphibolite facies metamorphism. Calculated temperatures and pressures range from about 620 to 780 ºC and 5.5 to 6.6 kbar and are compatible with the observed metamorphic mineral assemblages.The M4 metamorphism affected rocks of the Sitka Graywacke on southern Baranof Island, producing extensive biotite and garnet zones as well as andalusite and sillimanite zones at the contacts of the Crawfish Inlet and Redfish Bay plutons. Calculated M4 temperatures and pressures from the andalusite and sillimanite zones range from 575 to 755 ºC and 3.4 to 6.9 kbar. These results fall within the sillimanite stability field, at pressures higher than andalusite stability. These results may indicate the M4 metamorphic event occurred along a P-T path along which the equilibration of aluminosilicate-garnet-plagioclase-quartz did not occur or was not maintained. This interpretation is supported by the occurrence of andalusite and sillimanite within the same sample. We propose the data reflect a clockwise P-T path with peak M4 metamorphism of the sillimanite-bearing samples adjacent to the intrusions at an approximate depth of 15 to 20 km, followed by rapid uplift without reequilibration of garnet-plagioclase-aluminosilicate-quartz.The large extent of the biotite zone, and possibly the garnet zone, suggests that an additional heat source must have existed to regionally metamorphose these rocks during the M4 event. We suggest the M4 regional thermal metamorphism and intrusion of the Crawfish Inlet and Redfish Bay plutons were synchronous and the result of heat flux from a slab window beneath the accretionary complex at that

  1. Gastric Volvulus with Segmental Necrosis Treated with Wedge Resection and Gastrogastrostomy.

    PubMed

    Merz, Alexa Elizabeth; Preston, Jennifer Francis

    2017-12-01

    Ischemic necrosis is a feared complication of acute gastric volvulus, occurring in 11% of patients presenting with the condition and responsible for mortality in 30%. In such cases, there are few well-validated options for surgical reconstruction. We present the case of a 77-year-old woman with intraabdominal mesenteroaxial gastric volvulus with segmental ischemic gastric necrosis who underwent wedge gastrectomy and hand-sewn gastrogastrostomy. She did well postoperatively and experienced no significant gastrointestinal complications. Gastric wedge resection with gastrogastrostomy presents a novel surgical intervention for a rare and highly morbid entity. We hope to add it to the repertoire of surgeons facing acute gastric volvulus complicated by segmental necrosis.

  2. Local transmural action potential gradients are absent in the isolated, intact dog heart but present in the corresponding coronary-perfused wedge.

    PubMed

    Boukens, Bastiaan J; Meijborg, Veronique M F; Belterman, Charly N; Opthof, Tobias; Janse, Michiel J; Schuessler, Richard B; Coronel, Ruben; Efimov, Igor R

    2017-05-01

    The left ventricular (LV) coronary-perfused canine wedge preparation is a model commonly used for studying cardiac repolarization. In wedge studies, transmembrane potentials typically are recorded; whereas, extracellular electrical recordings are commonly used in intact hearts. We compared electrically measured activation recovery interval (ARI) patterns in the intact heart with those recorded at the same location in the LV wedge preparation. We also compared electrically recorded and optically obtained ARIs in the LV wedge preparation. Five Langendorff-perfused canine hearts were paced from the right atrium. Local activation and repolarization times were measured with eight transmural needle electrodes. Subsequently, left ventricular coronary-perfused wedge preparations were prepared from these hearts while the electrodes remained in place. Three electrodes remained at identical positions as in the intact heart. Both electrograms and optical action potentials were recorded (pacing cycle length 400-4000 msec) and activation and repolarization patterns were analyzed. ARIs found in the subepicardium were shorter than in the subendocardium in the LV wedge preparation but not in the intact heart. The transmural ARI gradient recorded at the cut surface of the wedge was not different from that recorded internally. ARIs recorded internally and at the cut surface in the LV wedge preparation, both correlated with optically recorded action potentials. ARI and RT gradients in the LV wedge preparation differed from those in the intact canine heart, implying that those observations in human LV wedge preparations also should be extrapolated to the intact human heart with caution. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

  3. Complex interactions between diapirs and 4-D subduction driven mantle wedge circulation.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sylvia, R. T.; Kincaid, C. R.

    2015-12-01

    Analogue laboratory experiments generate 4-D flow of mantle wedge fluid and capture the evolution of buoyant mesoscale diapirs. The mantle is modeled with viscous glucose syrup with an Arrhenius type temperature dependent viscosity. To characterize diapir evolution we experiment with a variety of fluids injected from multiple point sources. Diapirs interact with kinematically induced flow fields forced by subducting plate motions replicating a range of styles observed in dynamic subduction models (e.g., rollback, steepening, gaps). Data is collected using high definition timelapse photography and quantified using image velocimetry techniques. While many studies assume direct vertical connections between the volcanic arc and the deeper mantle source region, our experiments demonstrate the difficulty of creating near vertical conduits. Results highlight extreme curvature of diapir rise paths. Trench-normal deflection occurs as diapirs are advected downward away from the trench before ascending into wedge apex directed return flow. Trench parallel deflections up to 75% of trench length are seen in all cases, exacerbated by complex geometry and rollback motion. Interdiapir interaction is also important; upwellings with similar trajectory coalesce and rapidly accelerate. Moreover, we observe a new mode of interaction whereby recycled diapir material is drawn down along the slab surface and then initiates rapid fluid migration updip along the slab-wedge interface. Variability in trajectory and residence time leads to complex petrologic inferences. Material from disparate source regions can surface at the same location, mix in the wedge, or become fully entrained in creeping flow adding heterogeneity to the mantle. Active diapirism or any other vertical fluid flux mechanism employing rheological weakening lowers viscosity in the recycling mantle wedge affecting both solid and fluid flow characteristics. Many interesting and insightful results have been presented based

  4. Slip-deficit rate distribution along the Nankai trough, southwest Japan, with elastic lithosphere and viscoelastic asthenosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noda, A.; Saito, T.; Fukuyama, E.

    2017-12-01

    In southwest Japan, great thrust earthquakes occurred on the plate interface along the Nankai trough with a recurrence time of about 100 yr. Most studies estimated slip deficits on the seismogenic zone from interseismic GNSS velocity data assuming elastic slip-response functions (e.g. Loveless and Meade, 2016; Yokota et al., 2016). The observed surface velocities, however, include effects of viscoelastic relaxation in the asthenosphere caused by slip history of seismic cycles on the plate interface. Following Noda et al. (2013, GJI), the interseismic surface velocities due to seismic cycle can be represented by the superposition of (1) completely relaxed viscoelastic response to steady slip rate over the whole plate interface, (2) completely relaxed viscoelastic response to steady slip deficit rate in the seismogenic zone, and (3) surface velocity due to viscoelastic stress relaxation after the last interplate earthquake. Subtracting calculated velocities due to steady slip (1) from velocity data observed after the postseismic stress relaxation (3) decays sufficiently, we can formulate an inverse problem of estimating slip deficit rates from the residual velocities using completely relaxed slip-response functions. In an elastic (lithosphere) - viscoelastic (asthenosphere) layered half-space, the completely relaxed responses do not depend on the viscosity of asthenosphere, but depend on the thickness of lithosphere. In this study, we investigate the effects of structure model on the estimation of slip deficit rate distribution. First, we analyze GNSS daily coordinate data (GEONET F3 Solution, GSI), and obtain surface velocity data for overlapped periods of 6 yr (1996-2002, 1999-2005, 2002-2008, 2005-2011). There is no significant temporal change in the velocity data, which suggests that postseismic stress relaxations after the 1944 Tonankai and the 1946 Nankai earthquakes decayed sufficiently. Next, we estimate slip deficit rate distribution from velocity data from

  5. Tidal modulation of slow slip events in the Nankai trough subduction zone detected by borehole strainmeters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kikuchi, J.; Ide, S.; Matsumoto, N.

    2016-12-01

    Slow slip events (SSEs) often occur in the Nankai subduction zone, Japan, within a band-like zone extended from the center of Honshu to western Shikoku. SSEs are believed as shear slip on the plate interface, where the frictional property changes from velocity weakening to strengthening in the dip direction. Therefore the dynamics of SSEs may give some hints on the depth dependent friction and plate subduction. The tidal modulation of SSEs has been identified by statistical analysis using strain data of Plate Boundary Observatory, in the Cascadia subduction zone [Hawthorne & Rubin, 2010]. Here, we perform similar statistical analyses using strain data recorded at borehole stations maintained by National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, in western Japan. The correlation between the oscillation in SSEs and tidal stress was confirmed statistically. In Nankai subduction zone, it is known that SSEs are accompanied with high activity of deep tectonic tremors [Hirose & Obara, 2006]. These tremors have been known to be sensitive to tidal stress [Nakata et al., 2008]. Therefore, the tidal modulation of SSEs is another representation of tidal modulation of tremors. To clarify the relation between SSEs and tremors, we investigate whether strain changes corresponding to SSEs can be explained only by tremors activity. For an SSE occurred in Aug. 2010 in Bungo channel, we assume that the seismic moment of the SSE is 1.6 × 1018 Nm (Mw 6.1) based on the inversion of GNSS data [Nishimura et al., 2013], and that this moment is released by 715 tremors that occur during this SSE [Idehara et al., 2014]. In this case, each tremor is assigned with seismic moment of 2.2 × 1015 Nm (Mw 4.2). Then the strain change at the observation station by these tremors is calculated using the Okada [1992] method, assuming a half space and focal mechanism consistent with the regional plate motion. The calculated strain is qualitatively similar with the observed strain

  6. Linking Serpentinite Geochemistry with Possible Alteration and Evolution of Supra-Subduction Wedge Mantle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scambelluri, M.; Cannaò, E.; Agostini, S.; Gilio, M.

    2016-12-01

    Serpentinites are able to transport and release volatiles and fluid-mobile elements (FME) found in arc magmas. Constraining the trace element compositions of these rocks and of fluids released by de-serpentinization improves our knowledge of mass transfer from subduction zones to volcanic arcs, and of the role of slab and wedge mantle in this global process. Studies of high-pressure ultramafic rocks exhumed from plate interface settings reveal the fluid/rock interactions atop the slab and the processes that can affect the mantle wedge. Alpine eclogite-facies antigorite serpentinite (Voltri Massif) and fully de-serpentinized meta-peridotite (Cima di Gagnone) are enriched in sediment-derived As, Sb, U, Pb before peak dehydration. Their Sr, Pb and B isotopic compositions are reset during prograde (forearc) interaction with slab fluids. The eclogitic garnet and olivine from the Cima di Gagnone metaperidotite trap primary inclusions of the fluid released during breakdown of antigorite and chlorite. The inclusions display FME enrichments (high Cl, S; variable Cs, Rb, Ba, B, Pb, As, Sb) indicating element release from rocks to fluids during dehydration under subarc conditions. Our studies show that serpentinized mantle rocks from subduction zones sequester FME from slab fluids and convey these components and radiogenic isotopes into the mantle wedge upon dehydration. The geochemical processes revealed by such plate-interface rocks can apply to the supra-subduction mantle. Shallow element release from slabs to mantle wedge, downdrag of this altered mantle and its subsequent (subarc) dehydration transfers crust-derived FMEs to the arc magma sources without the need of concomitant subarc dehydration/melting of metasedimentary slab components. The slab signature detected in arc lavas can thus result from geochemical mixing of sediment, oceanic crust and ultramafic reservoirs into altered wedge-mantle rocks, rather than being attributed to multiple fluids.

  7. [Postoperative complications of labia minora reduction. Comparative study between wedge and edge resection].

    PubMed

    Ouar, N; Guillier, D; Moris, V; Revol, M; Francois, C; Cristofari, S

    2017-06-01

    Labia minora reduction interventions rise in Europe and in North America. Several techniques are described. The objective of this study was to compare postoperative complications of the two most practiced interventions: wedge resection and edge resection. Primary labia minora reductions realized in our unit between October 2009 and July 2016 have been retrospectively identified. Two techniques were used by two surgeons: edge resection technique and wedge resection technique. The main evaluation criterion was the occurrence and the quantity of wound dehiscence: superior to 50% (total or subtotal) and inferior to 50% (partial). Patients were systematically examined at 1 week, 1 month and 6 months postoperatively. Data analysis between both groups was made with an exact Fisher test. Mean follow-up was 5.3 months after intervention. Sixty-four patients have been included, 42 wedge resections (group C) and 22 edge resections (group L). Global complication rate at 1 month was 13% (n=8). Among wedge resections 14% (n=6) developed complication and 2% (n=9) among edge resection. Seven surgical revisions were necessary: 5 for wound dehiscence (4 in the group C and 1 in the group L) and 2 for hematoma, one in each group. Three (5%) partial wound dehiscence (inferior to 50%) have been identified and let in secondary intention healing: 2 (19%) in the group C and 1 (27%) in the group L. Complication rates between both techniques were not significantly different. Postoperative wound dehiscence is the main labia minora reduction complication. Our global complication rate, 13%, matches with the current literature. A tendency can be shown where wedge resection is more likely to develop wound dehiscence than edge resection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Proximal Opening Wedge Osteotomy Provides Satisfactory Midterm Results With a Low Complication Rate.

    PubMed

    Oravakangas, Rami; Leppilahti, Juhana; Laine, Vesa; Niinimäki, Tuukka

    2016-01-01

    Hallux valgus is one of the most common foot deformities. Proximal opening wedge osteotomy is used for the treatment of moderate and severe hallux valgus with metatarsus primus varus. However, hypermobility of the first tarsometatarsal joint can compromise the results of the operation, and a paucity of midterm results are available regarding proximal open wedge osteotomy surgery. The aim of the present study was to assess the midterm results of proximal open wedge osteotomy in a consecutive series of patients with severe hallux valgus. Thirty-one consecutive adult patients (35 feet) with severe hallux valgus underwent proximal open wedge osteotomy. Twenty patients (35.5%) and 23 feet (34.3%) were available for the final follow-up examination. The mean follow-up duration was 5.8 (range 4.6 to 7.0) years. The radiologic measurements and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hallux-metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal scores were recorded pre- and postoperatively, and subjective questionnaires were completed and foot scan analyses performed at the end of the follow-up period. The mean hallux valgus angle decreased from 38° to 23°, and the mean intermetatarsal angle correction decreased from 17° to 10°. The mean improvement in the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal score increased from 52 to 84. Two feet (5.7%) required repeat surgery because of recurrent hallux valgus. No nonunions were identified. Proximal open wedge osteotomy provided satisfactory midterm results in the treatment of severe hallux valgus, with a low complication rate. The potential instability of the first tarsometatarsal joint does not seem to jeopardize the midterm results of the operation. Copyright © 2016 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. An IBEM solution to the scattering of plane SH-waves by a lined tunnel in elastic wedge space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Zhongxian; Liu, Lei

    2015-02-01

    The indirect boundary element method (IBEM) is developed to solve the scattering of plane SH-waves by a lined tunnel in elastic wedge space. According to the theory of single-layer potential, the scattered-wave field can be constructed by applying virtual uniform loads on the surface of lined tunnel and the nearby wedge surface. The densities of virtual loads can be solved by establishing equations through the continuity conditions on the interface and zero-traction conditions on free surfaces. The total wave field is obtained by the superposition of free field and scattered-wave field in elastic wedge space. Numerical results indicate that the IBEM can solve the diffraction of elastic wave in elastic wedge space accurately and efficiently. The wave motion feature strongly depends on the wedge angle, the angle of incidence, incident frequency, the location of lined tunnel, and material parameters. The waves interference and amplification effect around the tunnel in wedge space is more significant, causing the dynamic stress concentration factor on rigid tunnel and the displacement amplitude of flexible tunnel up to 50.0 and 17.0, respectively, more than double that of the case of half-space. Hence, considerable attention should be paid to seismic resistant or anti-explosion design of the tunnel built on a slope or hillside.

  10. Tectonic wedging in the forearc basin - Accretionary prism transition, Lesser Antilles forearc

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Torrini, Rudolph, Jr.; Speed, Robert C.

    1989-01-01

    This paper describes regional structure of the inner forearc of the southern Lesser Antilles, which contains an extensive 50-70 km wide inner forearc deformation belt (IFDB) developed above crystalline basement of the undeformed forearc basin (FAB), close to and perhaps above its probable subduction trace with Atlantic lithosphere. The IFDB is analyzed, with emphasis placed on five transects across the belt, using mainly migrated seismic sections and balanced model cross sections. The IFDB features and its evolution are discussed, with special attention given to the major structures divided by early and late stages of development, paleobathymetric history, event timing, displacement and strain, and alternative tectonic explanations.

  11. Morphology and Role of the Investigator Fracture Zone on the Sumatra Subduction Zone Process using High-resolution Bathymetry and Seismic Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Villanueva-Robles, F.; Singh, S. C.; Bradley, K. E.; Hananto, N.; Leclerc, F.; Qin, Y.; Wei, S.; Carton, H. D.; Tapponnier, P.; Sieh, K.; Permana, H.; Avianto, P.

    2016-12-01

    The Sumatran subduction zone is one of the most seismically active areas on Earth. Within the last decade, it has produced three great earthquakes plus one earthquake that produced a much larger tsunami than predicted from the magnitude alone. However, the physical factors that limit the lateral extent of these ruptures as well as ancient earthquakes evidenced by paleogeodesy remain poorly understood. It has been suggested that subducted bathymetric features, such as seamounts and fracture zones, may be define many segment boundaries. Offshore of Central Sumatra, the Investigator Fracture Zone (IFZ) impinges on the trench and has been subducted to great depth beneath the overriding accretionary wedge. Where it is still exposed as a bathymetric feature, this fracture zone is 2000 km long and more than 100 km wide, and is composed of four individual ridges that exhibit up to 3.7 km of original relief. In order to study the role of the IFZ on subduction processes, we simultaneously acquired multibeam bathymetry and eight 35-km-long high-resolution seismic reflection profiles across the subduction front during the 2015 MegaTera experiment. We find that subduction of the IFZ ridges significantly deforms the morphology of the overriding accretionary wedge. The steep eastern slope of subducting ridges allowed the development of a long lived frontal thrust that reaches the surface at the trench and is associated with a very large frontal anticline and a flat portion of the accretionary wedge. Extensional deformation of the forearc and transverse basin formation occurs along the trailing edge of the ridges. We suggest that the subducted IFZ defines a segment boundary between the southern limit of coseismic slip of the Mw = 8.7, 2005 Simeulue-Nias earthquake and the northern limit of coseismic slip limit of a major 1797 earthquake recorded by coral paleogeodesy. The presence of four distinct ridges and an intervening 35-km-wide area of normal oceanic crust within the 105-km

  12. Mud Gas Logging In A Deep Borehole: IODP Site C0002, Nankai Trough Accretionary Prism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toczko, S.; Hammerschmidt, S.; Maeda, L.

    2014-12-01

    Mud logging, a tool in riser drilling, makes use of the essentially "closed-circuit" drilling mud flow between the drilling platform downhole to the bit and then back to the platform for analyses of gas from the formation in the drilling mud, cuttings from downhole, and a range of safety and operational parameters to monitor downhole drilling conditions. Scientific riser drilling, with coincident control over drilling mud, downhole pressure, and returning drilling mud analyses, has now been in use aboard the scientific riser drilling vessel Chikyu since 2009. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 348, as part of the goal of reaching the plate boundary fault system near ~5000 mbsf, has now extended the deep riser hole (Hole C0002 N & P) to 3058.5 mbsf. The mud gas data discussed here are from two approximately parallel boreholes, one a kick-off from the other; 860-2329 mbsf (Hole C0002N) and 2163-3058 mbsf (Hole C0002P). An approximate overlap of 166 m between the holes allows for some slight depth comparison between the two holes. An additional 55 m overlap at the top of Hole C0002P exists where a 10-5/8-inch hole was cored, and then opened to 12-1/4-inch with logging while drilling (LWD) tools (Fig. 1). There are several fault zones revealed by LWD data, confirmed in one instance by coring. One of the defining formation characteristics of Holes C0002 N/P are the strongly dipping bedding planes, typically exceeding 60º. These fault zones and bedding planes can influence the methane/ethane concentrations found in the returning drilling mud. A focused comparison of free gas in drilling mud between one interval in Hole C0002 P, drilled first with a 10 5/8-inch coring bit and again with an 12 ¼-inch logging while drilling (LWD) bit is shown. Hole C0002N above this was cased all the way from the sea floor to the kick-off section. A fault interval (in pink) was identified from the recovered core section and from LWD resistivity and gamma. The plot of methane and ethane free gas (C1 and C2; ppmv) shows that the yield of free gas (primarily methane) was greater when the LWD bit returned to open the cored hole to a greater diameter. One possible explanation for this is the time delay between coring and LWD operations; approximately 3 days passed between the end of coring and the beginning of LWD (25-28 December 2013).

  13. On the acoustic wedge design and simulation of anechoic chamber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Changyong; Zhang, Shangyu; Huang, Lixi

    2016-10-01

    This study proposes an alternative to the classic wedge design for anechoic chambers, which is the uniform-then-gradient, flat-wall (UGFW) structure. The working mechanisms of the proposed structure and the traditional wedge are analyzed. It is found that their absorption patterns are different. The parameters of both structures are optimized for achieving minimum absorber depth, under the condition of absorbing 99% of normal incident sound energy. It is found that, the UGFW structure achieves a smaller total depth for the cut-off frequencies ranging from 100 Hz to 250 Hz. This paper also proposes a modification for the complex source image (CSI) model for the empirical simulation of anechoic chambers, originally proposed by Bonfiglio et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134 (1), 285-291 (2013)]. The modified CSI model considers the non-locally reactive effect of absorbers at oblique incidence, and the improvement is verified by a full, finite-element simulation of a small chamber. With the modified CSI model, the performance of both decorations with the optimized parameters in a large chamber is simulated. The simulation results are analyzed and checked against the tolerance of 1.5 dB deviation from the inverse square law, stipulated in the ISO standard 3745(2003). In terms of the total decoration depth and anechoic chamber performance, the UGFW structure is better than the classic wedge design.

  14. How Wedge You Teach the Unit-Angle Concept?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Millsaps, Gayle M.

    2012-01-01

    The concepts of angle and angle measure have been acknowledged as difficult for elementary school students to grasp (Strutchens, Martin, and Kenney 2003). The Wedge activity (Browning and Garza-Kling 2009; Van de Walle 2004; Wilson 1990) can provide an opportunity for students to examine their understanding of angle measurement and to rethink what…

  15. Biogenic Methane Generation Potential in the Eastern Nankai Trough, Japan: Effect of Reaction Temperature and Total Organic Carbon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aung, T. T.; Fujii, T.; Amo, M.; Suzuki, K.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding potential of methane flux from the Pleistocene fore-arc basin filled turbiditic sedimentary formation along the eastern Nankai Trough is important in the quantitative assessment of gas hydrate resources. We considered generated methane could exist in sedimentary basin in the forms of three major components, and those are methane in methane hydrate, free gas and methane dissolved in water. Generation of biomethane strongly depends on microbe activity and microbes in turn survive in diverse range of temperature, salinity and pH. This study aims to understand effect of reaction temperature and total organic carbon on generation of biomethane and its components. Biomarker analysis and cultural experiment results of the core samples from the eastern Nankai Trough reveal that methane generation rate gets peak at various temperature ranging12.5°to 35°. Simulation study of biomethane generation was made using commercial basin scale simulator, PetroMod, with different reaction temperature and total organic carbon to predict how these effect on generation of biomethane. Reaction model is set by Gaussian distribution with constant hydrogen index and standard deviation of 1. Series of simulation cases with peak reaction temperature ranging 12.5°to 35° and total organic carbon of 0.6% to 3% were conducted and analyzed. Simulation results show that linear decrease in generation potential while increasing reaction temperature. But decreasing amount becomes larger in the model with higher total organic carbon. At higher reaction temperatures, >30°, extremely low generation potential was found. This is due to the fact that the source formation modeled is less than 1 km in thickness and most of formation do not reach temperature more than 30°. In terms of the components, methane in methane hydrate and free methane increase with increasing TOC. Drastic increase in free methane was observed in the model with 3% of TOC. Methane amount dissolved in water shows almost

  16. An Experimental Investigation of Transonic Flow Past Two-Dimensional Wedge and Circular-Arc Sections Using A Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bryson, Arthur Earl, Jr

    1952-01-01

    Report presents the results of interferometer measurements of the flow field near two-dimensional wedge and circular-arc sections of zero angle of attack at high-subsonic and low-supersonic velocities. Both subsonic flow with local supersonic zone and supersonic flow with detached shock wave have been investigated. Pressure distributions and drag coefficients as a function of Mach number have been obtained. The wedge data are compared with the theoretical work on flow past wedge sections of Guderley and Yoshihara, Vincenti and Wagner, and Cole. Pressure distributions and drag coefficients for the wedge and circular-arc sections are presented throughout the entire transonic range of velocities.

  17. Treatment of Insertional Achilles Pathology With Dorsal Wedge Calcaneal Osteotomy in Athletes.

    PubMed

    Georgiannos, Dimitrios; Lampridis, Vasilis; Vasiliadis, Angelos; Bisbinas, Ilias

    2017-04-01

    Insertional Achilles tendinopathy and retrocalcaneal bursitis is difficult to treat, and several operative techniques have been used after failure of conservative management. Dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy has been described for the treatment of insertional Achilles pathology. It was hypothesized that dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy would be an effective and safe method for the treatment of athletes with insertional Achilles pathology unrelieved by nonoperative measures. Fifty-two athletes (64 feet) who had painful Achilles tendon syndrome unrelieved by 6 months of nonoperative measures were treated surgically. Dorsally based wedge calcaneal osteotomy was performed through a lateral approach, and 2 staples were used for fixation. Patients were scored pre- and postoperatively with the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot and Victorian Institute of Sports of Australia-Achilles (VISA-A) scores. At a minimum follow-up of 3 years, the patients' AOFAS and VISA-A scores improved from 59.5 ± 15.0 and 65.9 ± 11.1 preoperatively to 95.7 ± 6.2 and 90.2 ± 8.4 postoperatively, respectively. Clinical results were considered excellent in 38 patients, good in 12 patients, and fair in 2 patients. Return to previous sports activity time was 21 (SD, 8.0) weeks. One patient necessitated a revision operation. Operative treatment of insertional Achilles pathology in athletes with dorsal closing wedge calcaneal osteotomy was a safe and effective method that allowed for a quicker return to previous level of sports activities compared with other techniques. Level IV, retrospective case series.

  18. Dehydration of chlorite explains anomalously high electrical conductivity in the mantle wedges.

    PubMed

    Manthilake, Geeth; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie; Novella, Davide; Mookherjee, Mainak; Andrault, Denis

    2016-05-01

    Mantle wedge regions in subduction zone settings show anomalously high electrical conductivity (~1 S/m) that has often been attributed to the presence of aqueous fluids released by slab dehydration. Laboratory-based measurements of the electrical conductivity of hydrous phases and aqueous fluids are significantly lower and cannot readily explain the geophysically observed anomalously high electrical conductivity. The released aqueous fluid also rehydrates the mantle wedge and stabilizes a suite of hydrous phases, including serpentine and chlorite. In this present study, we have measured the electrical conductivity of a natural chlorite at pressures and temperatures relevant for the subduction zone setting. In our experiment, we observe two distinct conductivity enhancements when chlorite is heated to temperatures beyond its thermodynamic stability field. The initial increase in electrical conductivity to ~3 × 10(-3) S/m can be attributed to chlorite dehydration and the release of aqueous fluids. This is followed by a unique, subsequent enhancement of electrical conductivity of up to 7 × 10(-1) S/m. This is related to the growth of an interconnected network of a highly conductive and chemically impure magnetite mineral phase. Thus, the dehydration of chlorite and associated processes are likely to be crucial in explaining the anomalously high electrical conductivity observed in mantle wedges. Chlorite dehydration in the mantle wedge provides an additional source of aqueous fluid above the slab and could also be responsible for the fixed depth (120 ± 40 km) of melting at the top of the subducting slab beneath the subduction-related volcanic arc front.

  19. Dehydration of chlorite explains anomalously high electrical conductivity in the mantle wedges

    PubMed Central

    Manthilake, Geeth; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie; Novella, Davide; Mookherjee, Mainak; Andrault, Denis

    2016-01-01

    Mantle wedge regions in subduction zone settings show anomalously high electrical conductivity (~1 S/m) that has often been attributed to the presence of aqueous fluids released by slab dehydration. Laboratory-based measurements of the electrical conductivity of hydrous phases and aqueous fluids are significantly lower and cannot readily explain the geophysically observed anomalously high electrical conductivity. The released aqueous fluid also rehydrates the mantle wedge and stabilizes a suite of hydrous phases, including serpentine and chlorite. In this present study, we have measured the electrical conductivity of a natural chlorite at pressures and temperatures relevant for the subduction zone setting. In our experiment, we observe two distinct conductivity enhancements when chlorite is heated to temperatures beyond its thermodynamic stability field. The initial increase in electrical conductivity to ~3 × 10−3 S/m can be attributed to chlorite dehydration and the release of aqueous fluids. This is followed by a unique, subsequent enhancement of electrical conductivity of up to 7 × 10−1 S/m. This is related to the growth of an interconnected network of a highly conductive and chemically impure magnetite mineral phase. Thus, the dehydration of chlorite and associated processes are likely to be crucial in explaining the anomalously high electrical conductivity observed in mantle wedges. Chlorite dehydration in the mantle wedge provides an additional source of aqueous fluid above the slab and could also be responsible for the fixed depth (120 ± 40 km) of melting at the top of the subducting slab beneath the subduction-related volcanic arc front. PMID:27386526

  20. Epoch of reionization window. II. Statistical methods for foreground wedge reduction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Adrian; Parsons, Aaron R.; Trott, Cathryn M.

    2014-07-01

    For there to be a successful measurement of the 21 cm epoch of reionization (EoR) power spectrum, it is crucial that strong foreground contaminants be robustly suppressed. These foregrounds come from a variety of sources (such as Galactic synchrotron emission and extragalactic point sources), but almost all share the property of being spectrally smooth and, when viewed through the chromatic response of an interferometer, occupy a signature "wedge" region in cylindrical k⊥k∥ Fourier space. The complement of the foreground wedge is termed the "EoR window" and is expected to be mostly foreground-free, allowing clean measurements of the power spectrum. This paper is a sequel to a previous paper that established a rigorous mathematical framework for describing the foreground wedge and the EoR window. Here, we use our framework to explore statistical methods by which the EoR window can be enlarged, thereby increasing the sensitivity of a power spectrum measurement. We adapt the Feldman-Kaiser-Peacock approximation (commonly used in galaxy surveys) for 21 cm cosmology and also compare the optimal quadratic estimator to simpler estimators that ignore covariances between different Fourier modes. The optimal quadratic estimator is found to suppress foregrounds by an extra factor of ˜105 in power at the peripheries of the EoR window, boosting the detection of the cosmological signal from 12σ to 50σ at the midpoint of reionization in our fiducial models. If numerical issues can be finessed, decorrelation techniques allow the EoR window to be further enlarged, enabling measurements to be made deep within the foreground wedge. These techniques do not assume that foreground is Gaussian distributed, and we additionally prove that a final round of foreground subtraction can be performed after decorrelation in a way that is guaranteed to have no cosmological signal loss.

  1. Perturbation solutions for flow through symmetrical hoppers with inserts and asymmetrical wedge hoppers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cox, G. M.; Mccue, S. W.; Thamwattana, N.; Hill, J. M.

    Under certain circumstances, an industrial hopper which operates under the "funnel-flow" regime can be converted to the "mass-flow" regime with the addition of a flow-corrective insert. This paper is concerned with calculating granular flow patterns near the outlet of hoppers that incorporate a particular type of insert, the cone-in-cone insert. The flow is considered to be quasi-static, and governed by the Coulomb-Mohr yield condition together with the non-dilatant double-shearing theory. In two-dimensions, the hoppers are wedge-shaped, and as such the formulation for the wedge-in-wedge hopper also includes the case of asymmetrical hoppers. A perturbation approach, valid for high angles of internal friction, is used for both two-dimensional and axially symmetric flows, with analytic results possible for both leading order and correction terms. This perturbation scheme is compared with numerical solutions to the governing equations, and is shown to work very well for angles of internal friction in excess of 45°.

  2. AMS Blanket and TTCS Wedge Install during EVA 32

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-10-28

    Close-up view of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMS-02), in the area where the Tracker Thermal Control System (TTCS) wedge will be installed. Image was taken by Extravehicular Crewmember 2 (EV2) during Extravehicular Activity 32 (EVA 32) and released on social media.

  3. Complex Anisotropic Structure of the Mantle Wedge Beneath Kamchatka Volcanoes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levin, V.; Park, J.; Gordeev, E.; Droznin, D.

    2002-12-01

    A wedge of mantle material above the subducting lithospheric plate at a convergent margin is among the most dynamic environments of the Earth's interior. Deformation and transport of solid and volatile phases within this region control the fundamental process of elemental exchange between the surficial layers and the interior of the planet. A helpful property in the study of material deformation and transport within the upper mantle is seismic anisotropy, which may reflect both microscopic effects of preferentialy aligned crystals of olivine and orthopyroxene and macroscopic effects of systematic cracks, melt lenses, layering etc. Through the mapping of anisotropic properties within the mantle wedge we can establish patterns of deformation. Volatile content affects olivine alignment, so regions of anomalous volatile content may be evident. Indicators of seismic anisotropy commonly employed in upper mantle studies include shear wave birefringence and mode-conversion between compressional and shear body waves. When combined together, these techniques offer complementary constraints on the location and intensity of anisotropic properties. The eastern coast of southern Kamchatka overlies a vigorous convergent margin where the Pacific plate descends at a rate of almost 80 mm/yr towards the northwest. We extracted seismic anisotropy indicators from two data sets sensitive to the anisotropic properties of the uppermost mantle. Firstly, we evaluated teleseismic receiver functions for a number of sites, and found ample evidence for anisotropicaly-influenced P-to-S mode conversion. Secondly, we measured splitting in S waves of earthquakes with sources within the downgoing slab. The first set of observations provides constraints on the depth ranges where strong changes in anisotropic properties take place. The local splitting data provides constraints on the cumulative strength of anisotropic properties along specific pathways through the mantle wedge and possibly parts of

  4. FBX aqueous chemical dosimeter for measurement of virtual wedge profiles.

    PubMed

    Semwal, Manoj K; Bansal, Anil K; Thakur, Pradeep K; Vidyasagar, Pandit B

    2008-10-24

    We investigated the ferrous sulfate-benzoic acid-xylenol orange (FBX) aqueous chemical dosimeter for measurement of virtual (dynamic) wedge profiles on a linear accelerator. The layout for irradiation of the FBX-filled tubes mimicked a conventional linear detector array geometry. A comparison of the resulting measurements with film-measured profiles showed that, in the main beam region, the difference between the FBX system and the film system was within +/-2% and that, in the penumbra region, the difference varied from +/-1 mm to +/-2.5 mm in terms of positional equivalence, depending on the size of the dosimeter tubes. We thus believe that the energy-independent FBX dosimetry system can measure virtual wedge profiles with reasonable accuracy at reasonable cost. However, efficiency improvement is required before this dosimetry system can be accepted into routine practice.

  5. Crossflow Instability on a Wedge-Cone at Mach 3.5

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beeler, George B.; Wilkinson, Stephen P.; Balakumar, P.; McDaniel, Keith S.

    2012-01-01

    As a follow-on activity to the HyBoLT flight experiment, a six degree half angle wedge-cone model at zero angle of attack has been employed to experimentally and computationally study the boundary layer crossflow instability at Mach 3.5 under low disturbance freestream conditions. Computed meanflow and linear stability analysis results are presented along with corresponding experimental Pitot probe data. Using a model-mounted probe survey apparatus, data acquired to date show a well defined stationary crossflow vortex pattern on the flat wedge surface. This effort paves the way for additional detailed, calibrated flow field measurements of the crossflow instability, both stationary and traveling modes, and transition-to-turbulence under quiet flow conditions as a means of validating existing stability theory and providing a foundation for dynamic flight instrumentation development.

  6. Reconstruction of Bulk Operators within the Entanglement Wedge in Gauge-Gravity Duality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Xi; Harlow, Daniel; Wall, Aron C.

    2016-07-01

    In this Letter we prove a simple theorem in quantum information theory, which implies that bulk operators in the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence can be reconstructed as CFT operators in a spatial subregion A , provided that they lie in its entanglement wedge. This is an improvement on existing reconstruction methods, which have at most succeeded in the smaller causal wedge. The proof is a combination of the recent work of Jafferis, Lewkowycz, Maldacena, and Suh on the quantum relative entropy of a CFT subregion with earlier ideas interpreting the correspondence as a quantum error correcting code.

  7. Reconstruction of Bulk Operators within the Entanglement Wedge in Gauge-Gravity Duality.

    PubMed

    Dong, Xi; Harlow, Daniel; Wall, Aron C

    2016-07-08

    In this Letter we prove a simple theorem in quantum information theory, which implies that bulk operators in the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence can be reconstructed as CFT operators in a spatial subregion A, provided that they lie in its entanglement wedge. This is an improvement on existing reconstruction methods, which have at most succeeded in the smaller causal wedge. The proof is a combination of the recent work of Jafferis, Lewkowycz, Maldacena, and Suh on the quantum relative entropy of a CFT subregion with earlier ideas interpreting the correspondence as a quantum error correcting code.

  8. Monoplanar versus biplanar medial open-wedge proximal tibial osteotomy for varus gonarthrosis: a comparison of clinical and radiological outcomes.

    PubMed

    Elmalı, Nurzat; Esenkaya, Irfan; Can, Murat; Karakaplan, Mustafa

    2013-12-01

    We compared clinical and radiological results of two proximal tibial osteotomy (PTO) techniques: monoplanar medial open-wedge osteotomy and biplanar retrotubercle medial open-wedge osteotomy, stabilised by a wedged plate. We evaluated 88 knees in 78 patients. Monoplanar medial open-wedge PTO was performed on 56 knees in 50 patients with a mean age of 55 ± 9 years. Biplanar retrotubercle medial open-wedge PTO was performed on 32 knees in 28 patients with a mean age of 57 ± 7 years. Mean follow-up periods were 40.6 ± 7 months for the monoplanar PTO group and 38 ± 5 months for the biplanar retrotubercle PTO group. Clinical outcome was evaluated using the hospital for special surgery scoring system, and radiological outcome was evaluated by the measurements of femorotibial angle (FTA), patellar height and tibial slope changes. In both groups, post-operative HSS scores increased significantly. No significant difference was found between groups in FTA alteration, but the FTA decreased significantly in both groups. Patellar index ratios decreased significantly in the monoplanar PTO group (Insall-Salvati Index by 0.07, Blackburne-Peel Index by 0.07), but not in the biplanar retrotubercle PTO group. Tibial slopes were increased significantly in the monoplanar PTO group, but not in the retrotubercle PTO group. Biplanar retrotubercle medial open-wedge osteotomy and monoplanar medial open-wedge osteotomy are both clinically effective for the treatment for varus gonarthrosis. Retrotubercle osteotomy also prevents patella infera and tibial slope changes radiologically.

  9. Analytical solutions for two-dimensional Stokes flow singularities in a no-slip wedge of arbitrary angle

    PubMed Central

    Brzezicki, Samuel J.

    2017-01-01

    An analytical method to find the flow generated by the basic singularities of Stokes flow in a wedge of arbitrary angle is presented. Specifically, we solve a biharmonic equation for the stream function of the flow generated by a point stresslet singularity and satisfying no-slip boundary conditions on the two walls of the wedge. The method, which is readily adapted to any other singularity type, takes full account of any transcendental singularities arising at the corner of the wedge. The approach is also applicable to problems of plane strain/stress of an elastic solid where the biharmonic equation also governs the Airy stress function. PMID:28690412

  10. Analytical solutions for two-dimensional Stokes flow singularities in a no-slip wedge of arbitrary angle.

    PubMed

    Crowdy, Darren G; Brzezicki, Samuel J

    2017-06-01

    An analytical method to find the flow generated by the basic singularities of Stokes flow in a wedge of arbitrary angle is presented. Specifically, we solve a biharmonic equation for the stream function of the flow generated by a point stresslet singularity and satisfying no-slip boundary conditions on the two walls of the wedge. The method, which is readily adapted to any other singularity type, takes full account of any transcendental singularities arising at the corner of the wedge. The approach is also applicable to problems of plane strain/stress of an elastic solid where the biharmonic equation also governs the Airy stress function.

  11. The importance of mantle wedge heterogeneity to subduction zone magmatism and the origin of EM1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turner, Stephen J.; Langmuir, Charles H.; Dungan, Michael A.; Escrig, Stephane

    2017-08-01

    The composition of the convecting asthenospheric mantle that feeds the mantle wedge can be investigated via rear-arc lavas that have minimal slab influence. This "ambient mantle wedge" composition (the composition of the wedge prior to the addition of a slab component) varies substantially both worldwide and within individual arcs. 143Nd/144Nd measurements of rear-arc samples that have minimal slab influence are similar to 143Nd/144Nd in the stratovolcanoes of the adjacent volcanic fronts, suggesting that 143Nd/144Nd of arc-front volcanics are largely inherited from the ambient mantle composition. 143Nd/144Nd correlates with ratios such as Th/U, Zr/Nb, and La/Sm, indicating that these ratios also are strongly influenced by ambient wedge heterogeneity. The same phenomenon is observed among individual volcanoes from the Chilean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ), where along-strike variability of the volcanic front tracks that of rear-arc monogenetic volcanics. Depleted mantle wedges are more strongly influenced by slab-derived components than are enriched wedges. This leads to surprising trace element correlations in the global dataset, such as between Pb/Nb and Zr/Nb, which are not explicable by variable compositions or fluxes of slab components. Depleted ambient mantle is present beneath arcs with back-arc spreading; relatively enriched mantle is present adjacent to continents. Ambient mantle wedge heterogeneity both globally and regionally forms isotope mixing trajectories for Sr, Nd and Hf between depleted mantle and EM1-type enriched compositions as represented by Gough Island basalts. Making use of this relationship permits a quantitative match with the SVZ data. It has been suggested that EM1-type mantle reservoirs are the result of recycled lower continental crust, though such models do not account for certain trace element ratios such as Ce/Pb and Nb/U or the surprisingly homogeneous trace element compositions of EM1 volcanics. A model in which the EM1 end

  12. Resource Assessment of Methane Hydrate in the Eastern Nankai Trough, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujii, T.; Saeki, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Inamori, T.; Hayashi, M.; Takano, O.

    2007-12-01

    Resource assessment of methane hydrate (MH) in the eastern Nankai Trough was conducted through probabilistic approach using 2D/3D seismic survey data and drilling survey data from METI exploratory test wells 'Tokai-oki to Kumano-nada' [1, 2, 3]. We have extracted several prospective 'MH concentrated zones' [4] characterized by high resistivity in well log, strong seismic reflector, seismic high velocity, and turbidite deposit delineated by sedimentary facies analysis. The amount of methane gas contained in MH bearing layers was calculated using volumetric method for each zone. Each parameter, such as Gross Rock Volume (GRV), net-to-gross ratio (N/G), MH pore saturation (Sh), porosity, cage occupancy, and volume ratio was given as probabilistic distribution for Monte Carlo simulation, considering the uncertainly of these values. The GRV for each hydrate bearing zones was calculated from both strong seismic amplitude anomaly and velocity anomaly. Time-to-depth conversion was conducted using interval velocity derived from SVWD (Seismic Vision While Drilling). Risk factor was applied for the estimation of the GRV in 2D seismic area considering the uncertainty of seismic interpretation. The N/G was determined based on the relationship between LWD (Logging While Drilling) resistivity and grain size in zones with existing wells. 3ohm-m was used for typical cut off value to determine net intervals. Seismic facies map created by sequence stratigraphic approach [5] was also used for the determination of the N/G in zone without well controls. Porosity was estimated using density log, together with calibration by core analysis. The Sh was estimated by the combination of density log and NMR log (DMR method), together with the calibration by observed gas volume from onboard MH dissociation tests using PTCS (Pressure Temperature Core Sampler) [6]. The Sh in zone without well control was estimated using relationship between seismic P-wave interval velocity and Sh from NMR log at

  13. RANS Analyses of Turbofan Nozzles with Wedge Deflectors for Noise Reduction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeBonis, James R.

    2008-01-01

    Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to evaluate a promising concept for reducing the noise at take-off of dual-stream, turbofan nozzles. The concept, offset stream technology, reduces the jet noise observed on the ground by diverting (offsetting) the majority of the fan flow below the core flow, thickening this layer between the high velocity core flow and the ground observers. In this study a wedge placed in the internal fan stream is used as the diverter. Wind, a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) code, was used to analyze the flowfield of the exhaust plume and to calculate nozzle performance. Results showed that the wedge effectively diverts the fan flow and the turbulent kinetic energy on the observer side of the nozzle is reduced. The reduction in turbulent kinetic energy should correspond to a reduction in noise. The blockage due to the wedge reduces the fan massflow proportional to its blockage and the overall thrust is consequently reduced. The CFD predictions are in very good agreement with experimental data. This noise reduction concept shows promise for reduced jet noise at a small reduction in thrust. It has been demonstrated that RANS CFD can be used to optimize this concept.

  14. First metatarsal closing base wedge osteotomy using real-time fluoroscopy.

    PubMed

    Toepp, F C; Salcedo, M

    1991-01-01

    A minimal incision surgery approach to metatarsus primus adductus is presented. The percutaneous closing base wedge osteotomy is performed using real-time intraoperative fluoroscopy. The advantages and disadvantages of this minimal incision surgical procedure are discussed.

  15. Relationship between the Cascadia fore-arc mantle wedge, nonvolcanic tremor, and the downdip limit of seismogenic rupture

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCrory, Patricia A.; Hyndman, Roy D.; Blair, James Luke

    2014-01-01

    Great earthquakes anticipated on the Cascadia subduction fault can potentially rupture beyond the geodetically and thermally inferred locked zone to the depths of episodic tremor and slip (ETS) or to the even deeper fore-arc mantle corner (FMC). To evaluate these extreme rupture limits, we map the FMC from southern Vancouver Island to central Oregon by combining published seismic velocity structures with a model of the Juan de Fuca plate. These data indicate that the FMC is somewhat shallower beneath Vancouver Island (36–38 km) and Oregon (35–40 km) and deeper beneath Washington (41–43 km). The updip edge of tremor follows the same general pattern, overlying a slightly shallower Juan de Fuca plate beneath Vancouver Island and Oregon (∼30 km) and a deeper plate beneath Washington (∼35 km). Similar to the Nankai subduction zone, the best constrained FMC depths correlate with the center of the tremor band suggesting that ETS is controlled by conditions near the FMC rather than directly by temperature or pressure. Unlike Nankai, a gap as wide as 70 km exists between the downdip limit of the inferred locked zone and the FMC. This gap also encompasses a ∼50 km wide gap between the inferred locked zones and the updip limit of tremor. The separation of these features offers a natural laboratory for determining the key controls on downdip rupture limits.

  16. Mass stranding of wedge-tailed shearwater chicks in Hawaii

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Work, Thierry M.; Rameyer, Robert

    1999-01-01

    Unusual numbers of wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) chicks stranded on Oahu (Hawaii, USA) in 1994. Compared to healthy wedge-tailed shearwater (WTSW) chicks, stranded chicks were underweight, dehydrated, leukopenic, lymphopenic, eosinopenic, and heterophilic; some birds were toxemic and septic. Stranded chicks also were hypoglycemic and had elevated aspartate amino transferase levels. Most chicks apparently died from emaciation, dehydration, or bacteremia. Because many birds with bacteremia also had severe necrosis of the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa associated with bacteria, we suspect the GI tract to be the source of disseminated bacterial infection. The identity of the bacteria was not confirmed. The daily number of chicks stranded was significantly related to average wind speeds, and the mortality coincided with the fledging period for WTSW. Strong southeasterly winds were a distinguishing meteorologic factor in 1994 and contributed to the distribution of stranded chicks on Oahu. More objective data on WTSW demographics would enhance future efforts to determine predisposing causes of WTSW wrecks and their effects on seabird colonies.

  17. An automated optical wedge calibrator for Dobson ozone spectrophotometers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evans, R. D.; Komhyr, W. D.; Grass, R. D.

    1994-01-01

    The Dobson ozone spectrophotometer measures the difference of intensity between selected wavelengths in the ultraviolet. The method uses an optical attenuator (the 'Wedge') in this measurement. The knowledge of the relationship of the wedge position to the attenuation is critical to the correct calculation of ozone from the measurement. The procedure to determine this relationship is time-consuming, and requires a highly skilled person to perform it correctly. The relationship has been found to change with time. For reliable ozone values, the procedure should be done on a Dobson instrument at regular intervals. Due to the skill and time necessary to perform this procedure, many instruments have gone as long as 15 years between procedures. This article describes an apparatus that performs the procedure under computer control, and is adaptable to the majority of existing Dobson instruments. Part of the apparatus is usable for normal operation of the Dobson instrument, and would allow computer collection of the data and real-time ozone measurements.

  18. Cementless Tapered Wedge Femoral Stems Decrease Subsidence in Obese Patients Compared to Traditional Fit-and-Fill Stems.

    PubMed

    Grant, Tanner W; Lovro, Luke R; Licini, David J; Warth, Lucian C; Ziemba-Davis, Mary; Meneghini, Robert M

    2017-03-01

    Femoral component stability and resistance to subsidence is critical for osseointegration and clinical success in cementless total hip arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to radiographically evaluate the anatomic fit and subsidence of 2 different proximally tapered, porous-coated modern cementless femoral component designs. A retrospective cohort study of 126 consecutive cementless total hip arthroplasties was performed. Traditional fit-and-fill stems were implanted in the first 61 hips with the remaining 65 receiving morphometric tapered wedge stems. Preoperative bone morphology was radiographically assessed by the canal flare index. Canal fill in the coronal plane, subsidence, and the sagittal alignment of stems was measured digitally on immediate and 1-month postoperative radiographs. Demographics and canal flare indices were similar between groups. The percentage of femoral canal fill was greater in the tapered wedge compared to the fit-and-fill stem (P = .001). There was significantly less subsidence in the tapered wedge design (0.3 mm) compared to the fit-and-fill design (1.1 mm) (P = .001). Subsidence significantly increased as body mass index (BMI) increased in the fit-and-fill stems, a finding not observed in the tapered wedge design (P = .013). An anatomically designed morphometric tapered wedge femoral stem demonstrated greater axial stability and decreased subsidence with increasing BMI than a traditional fit-and-fill stem. The resistance to subsidence, irrespective of BMI, is likely due to the inherent axial stability of a tapered wedge design and may be the optimal stem design for obese patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The Calabrian Arc: three-dimensional modelling of the subduction interface.

    PubMed

    Maesano, Francesco E; Tiberti, Mara M; Basili, Roberto

    2017-08-21

    The Calabrian Arc is a one-of-a-kind subduction zone, featuring one of the shortest slab segments (<150 km), one of the thickest accretionary wedges, and one of the oldest oceanic crust in the world. Despite a convergence rate of up to 5 mm/y and well-known intraslab seismicity below 40 km, its shallow interface shows little signs of seismic activity. Nonetheless, it has been attributed as generating historical large earthquakes and tsunamis. To gain insights into this subduction zone, we first made a geological reconstruction of the shallower slab interface (<20 km) and its overlying accretionary wedge by interpreting a grid of 54 seismic reflection lines (8,658 km) with 438 intersections within an area of 10 5  km 2 . Then, we constrained a deeper portion of the slab surface (40-350 km) using the seismicity distribution. Finally, we interpolated the two parts to obtain a seamless 3D surface highlighting geometric details of the subduction interface, its lateral terminations and down-dip curvature, and a slab tear at 70-100 km depth. Our 3D slab model of the Calabrian Arc will contribute to understanding of the geodynamics of a cornerstone in the Mediterranean tectonic puzzle and estimates of seismic and tsunami hazards in the region.

  20. Environmental risks of the gas hydrate field development in the Eastern Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, K.; Nagakubo, S.

    2009-12-01

    To establish any kinds of new energy resources, environmental impacts of the technology should be well understood before full industrial implementation. Methane hydrate (MH), a relatively clean fossil energy with low CO2 and no SOx emission, is not an exception. Because methane gas itself has strong greenhouse gas effect, and methane hydrate is not stable under the atmospheric pressure and room temperature, public image of MH field development is very risky game and potentially disastrous to the global climate. However, the real physics of the MH bearing sediments is far different from such images. MH21 Research Consortium in Japan has studied about the resource assessment and production techniques to develop MH since 2001. As the results, we found several gas hydrate concentrated zones with pore filling type hydrate in sandy layers of turbidite sediment in the Eastern Nankai Trough area off coasts of the Central Japan. The depressurization technique, in the other word, in-situ MH dissociation by water production and natural heat supply from surrounding formation, will be used as the basic method to produce methane gas from MH. Under the conditions, we have evaluated realistic environmental risk of the MH production. Because the most MH found in the Eastern Nankai Trough are composed of biogenic and almost pure methane, there is no concern of sea water contamination by oil releases that is the most common environmental disaster caused by misconducts of the oil industry. Also MH reservoirs there are not pressurized, and blowout of wells during drilling is very unlikely. Endothermic MH dissociation process decreases formation temperature with depressurization, and give negative feedback, then, there is no chance of chain reaction. Heat supply from surrounding formations is necessary for continuous dissociation, but heat transfer in the formations is relatively slow, and the dissociation rate is limited. Once the operation to pump water in boreholes for

  1. The effect of foot orthoses and in-shoe wedges during cycling: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The use of foot orthoses and in-shoe wedges in cycling are largely based on theoretical benefits and anecdotal evidence. This review aimed to systematically collect all published research on this topic, critically evaluate the methods and summarise the findings. Methods Study inclusion criteria were: all empirical studies that evaluated the effects of foot orthoses or in-shoe wedges on cycling; outcome measures that investigated physiological parameters, kinematics and kinetics of the lower limb, and power; and, published in English. Studies were located by data-base searching (Medline, CINAHL, Embase and SPORTDiscus) and hand-searching in February 2014. Selected studies were assessed for methodological quality using a modified Quality Index. Data were synthesised descriptively. Meta-analysis was not performed as the included studies were not sufficiently homogeneous to provide a meaningful summary. Results Six studies were identified as meeting the eligibility criteria. All studies were laboratory-based and used a repeated measures design. The quality of the studies varied, with Quality Index scores ranging from 7 to 10 out of 14. Five studies investigated foot orthoses and one studied in-shoe wedges. Foot orthoses were found to increase contact area in the midfoot, peak pressures under the hallux and were perceived to provide better arch support, compared to a control. With respect to physiological parameters, contrasting findings have been reported regarding the effect foot orthoses have on oxygen consumption. Further, foot orthoses have been shown to not provide effects on lower limb kinematics and perceived comfort. Both foot orthoses and in-shoe wedges have been shown to provide no effect on power. Conclusion In general, there is limited high-quality research on the effects foot orthoses and in-shoe wedges provide during cycling. At present, there is some evidence that during cycling foot orthoses: increase contact area under the foot and increase

  2. Effects of medially wedged foot orthoses on knee and hip joint running mechanics in females with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome.

    PubMed

    Boldt, Andrew R; Willson, John D; Barrios, Joaquin A; Kernozek, Thomas W

    2013-02-01

    We examined the effects of medially wedged foot orthoses on knee and hip joint mechanics during running in females with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). We also tested if these effects depend on standing calcaneal eversion angle. Twenty female runners with and without PFPS participated. Knee and hip joint transverse and frontal plane peak angle, excursion, and peak internal knee and hip abduction moment were calculated while running with and without a 6° full-length medially wedged foot orthoses. Separate 3-factor mixed ANOVAs (group [PFPS, control] x condition [medial wedge, no medial wedge] x standing calcaneal angle [everted, neutral, inverted]) were used to test the effect of medially wedged orthoses on each dependent variable. Knee abduction moment increased 3% (P = .03) and hip adduction excursion decreased 0.6° (P < .01) using medially wedged foot orthoses. No significant group x condition or calcaneal angle x condition effects were observed. The addition of medially wedged foot orthoses to standardized running shoes had minimal effect on knee and hip joint mechanics during running thought to be associated with the etiology or exacerbation of PFPS symptoms. These effects did not appear to depend on injury status or standing calcaneal posture.

  3. Hydrous melt-rock reaction in the shallow mantle wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, A.; Grove, T. L.

    2017-12-01

    In subduction zone magmatism, hotter, deeper hydrous mantle melts rise and interact with the shallower, cooler depleted mantle in the uppermost part of the mantle wedge. Here, we experimentally investigate these hydrous reactions using three different ratios of a 1.6 GPa mantle melt and an overlying 1.2 GPa harzburgite from 1060 to 1260 °C. At low ratios of melt/mantle (20:80 and 5:95), the crystallizing assemblages are dunites, harzburgites, and lherzolites (as a function of temperature). When the ratio of deeper melt to overlying mantle is 70:30, the crystallizing assemblage is a wehrlite. This shows that wehrlites, which are observed in ophiolites and mantle xenoliths, can be formed by large amounts of deeper melt fluxing though the mantle wedge during ascent. In all cases, orthopyroxene dissolves in the melt, and olivine crystallizes along with pyroxenes and spinel. The amount of reaction between deeper melts and overlying mantle, simulated here by the three starting compositions, imposes a strong influence on final melt compositions, particularly in terms of depletion. At the lowest melt/mantle ratios, the resulting melt is an extremely depleted Al-poor, high-Si andesite. As the fraction of melt to mantle increases, final melts resemble primitive basaltic andesites found in arcs globally. Wall rock temperature is a key variable; over a span of <80 °C, reaction with deeper melt creates the entire range of mantle lithologies from a depleted dunite to a harzburgite to a refertilized lherzolite. Together, the experimental phase equilibria, melt compositions, and calculated reaction coefficients provide a framework for understanding how melt-wall rock reaction occurs in the natural system during melt ascent in the mantle wedge.

  4. Measurement of Rayleigh Wave Beams Using Angle Beam Wedge Transducers as the Transmitter and Receiver with Consideration of Beam Spreading

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Shuzeng; Li, Xiongbing; Jeong, Hyunjo

    2017-01-01

    A theoretical model, along with experimental verification, is developed to describe the generation, propagation and reception of a Rayleigh wave using angle beam wedge transducers. The Rayleigh wave generation process using an angle beam wedge transducer is analyzed, and the actual Rayleigh wave sound source distributions are evaluated numerically. Based on the reciprocity theorem and considering the actual sound source, the Rayleigh wave beams are modeled using an area integral method. The leaky Rayleigh wave theory is introduced to investigate the reception of the Rayleigh wave using the angle beam wedge transducers, and the effects of the wave spreading in the wedge and transducer size are considered in the reception process. The effects of attenuations of the Rayleigh wave and leaky Rayleigh wave are discussed, and the received wave results with different sizes of receivers are compared. The experiments are conducted using two angle beam wedge transducers to measure the Rayleigh wave, and the measurement results are compared with the predictions using different theoretical models. It is shown that the proposed model which considers the wave spreading in both the sample and wedges can be used to interpret the measurements reasonably. PMID:28632183

  5. Measurement of Rayleigh Wave Beams Using Angle Beam Wedge Transducers as the Transmitter and Receiver with Consideration of Beam Spreading.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shuzeng; Li, Xiongbing; Jeong, Hyunjo

    2017-06-20

    A theoretical model, along with experimental verification, is developed to describe the generation, propagation and reception of a Rayleigh wave using angle beam wedge transducers. The Rayleigh wave generation process using an angle beam wedge transducer is analyzed, and the actual Rayleigh wave sound source distributions are evaluated numerically. Based on the reciprocity theorem and considering the actual sound source, the Rayleigh wave beams are modeled using an area integral method. The leaky Rayleigh wave theory is introduced to investigate the reception of the Rayleigh wave using the angle beam wedge transducers, and the effects of the wave spreading in the wedge and transducer size are considered in the reception process. The effects of attenuations of the Rayleigh wave and leaky Rayleigh wave are discussed, and the received wave results with different sizes of receivers are compared. The experiments are conducted using two angle beam wedge transducers to measure the Rayleigh wave, and the measurement results are compared with the predictions using different theoretical models. It is shown that the proposed model which considers the wave spreading in both the sample and wedges can be used to interpret the measurements reasonably.

  6. Configuration and Generation of Substorm Current Wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Xiangning

    The substorm current wedge (SCW), a core element of substorm dynamics coupling the magnetotail to the ionosphere, is crucial in understanding substorms. It has been suggested that the field-aligned currents (FACs) in the SCW are caused by either pressure gradients or flow vortices, or both. Our understanding of FAC generations is based predominately on numerical simulations, because it has not been possible to organize spacecraft observations in a coordinate system determined by the SCW. This dissertation develops an empirical inversion model of the current wedge and inverts midlatitude magnetometer data to obtain the parameters of the current wedge for three solar cycles. This database enables statistical data analysis of spacecraft plasma and magnetic field observations relative to the SCW coordinate. In chapter 2, a new midlatitude positive bay (MPB) index is developed and calculated for three solar cycles of data. The MPB index is processed to determine the substorm onset time, which is shown to correspond to the auroral breakup onset with at most 1-2 minutes difference. Substorm occurrence rate is found to depend on solar wind speed while substorm duration is rather constant, suggesting that substorm process has an intrinsic pattern independent of external driving. In chapter 3, an SCW inversion technique is developed to determine the strength and locations of the FACs in an SCW. The inversion parameters for FAC strength and location, and ring current strength are validated by comparison with other measurements. In chapter 4, the connection between earthward flows and auroral poleward expansion is examined using improved mapping, obtained from a newly-developed dynamic magnetospheric model by superimposing a standard magnetospheric field model with substorm current wedge obtained from the inversion technique. It is shown that the ionospheric projection of flows observed at a fixed point in the equatorial plane map to the bright aurora as it expands poleward

  7. Magmatism significantly alters the thermal structure of the wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rees Jones, D. W.; Katz, R. F.; Rudge, J. F.; Tian, M.

    2016-12-01

    The temperature structure of the mantle wedge is typically modelled as a balance between thermal diffusion and advection by the solid mantle [e.g., 1]. The thermal state of the wedge promotes melting and melt transport in the natural system, but the thermal consequences of these processes have been neglected from previous models. We show that advective transport of sensible and latent heat by liquid magma can locally alter the temperature structure from canonical models by up to 200K. Liquids are liberated from the subducting slab by de-volatilization reactions. They trigger melting and become silicic en route to the surface, where they cause arc volcanism. These liquids transport heat advectively, and consume or supply latent heat as they melt or freeze. To analyse these effects, we parameterise melting in the presence of volatile species. We combine this with a one-dimensional "melting-column model," previously used to understand mid-ocean ridge volcanism. Our calculations highlight the thermal and chemical response to melt transport across the mantle wedge. Finally, we solve two-dimensional geodynamic models with a prescribed slab flux [2]. These models allow us to identify the most thermally significant fluxes of melt in the system. Perturbations of 200K are found at the base of the overriding lithosphere. This thermal signature of melt migration should be considered when interpreting heat flow, petrologic and seismic data [e.g., 3]. Such a thermal perturbation is likely to affect the chemistry of arc volcanoes, the solid mantle flow and, perhaps, the location of the volcanos themselves [4]. [1] van Keken, P. E., Currie, C., King, S. D., Behn, M. D., Cagnioncle, A., He, J., et al. (2008). A community benchmark for subduction zone modeling. PEPI, doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2008.04.015 [2] Wilson, C. R., Spiegelman, M., van Keken, P. E., & Hacker, B. R. (2014). Fluid flow in subduction zones: The role of solid rheology and compaction pressure. EPSL, doi:10.1016/j

  8. SU-E-T-362: Enhanced Dynamic Wedge Output Factors for Varian 2300CD and the Case for a Reference Database

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Njeh, C

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Dose inhomogeneity in treatment planning can be compensated using physical wedges. Enhanced dynamic wedges (EDW) were introduced by Varian to overcome some of the short comings of physical wedges. The objectives of this study were to measure EDW output factors for 6 MV and 20 MV photon energies for a Varian 2300CD. Secondly to review the literature in terms of published enhanced dynamic wedge output factors (EDWOF) for different Varian models and thereby adding credence to the case of the validity of reference databases. Methods: The enhanced dynamic wedge output factors were measured for the Varian 2300CD for bothmore » 6 MV and 20 MV photon energies. Twelve papers with published EDWOF for different Varian Linac models were found in the literature. Results: The EDWOF for 6 MV varied from 0.980 for a 5×5 cm 10 degree wedge to 0.424 for 20×20 cm 60 degree wedge. Similarly for 20 MV, the EDWOF varied from 0.986 for 5×5 cm 10 degree wedge to 0.529 for 20×20 cm 60 degree wedge. EDWOF are highly dependent on field size. Comparing our results with the published mean, we found an excellent agreement for 6 MV EDWOF with the percentage differences ranging from 0.01% to 0.57% with a mean of 0.03%. The coefficient of variation of published EDWOF ranged from 0.17% to 0.85% and 0.1% to 0.9% for the for 6 MV and 18MV photon energies respectively. This paper provides the first published EDWOF for 20 MV photon energy. In addition, we have provided the first compendium of EDWOFs for different Varian linac models. Conclusion: The consistency of EDWOF across models and institution provide further support that, a standard data set of basic photon and electron dosimetry could be established, as a guide for future commissioning, beam modeling and quality assurance purposes.« less

  9. Paleographical, Bathymetric and Numerical Investigations for a Tsunami Possibly Caused by Submarine Mass Failure in the Nankai Trough, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baba, T.; Ashi, J.; Kanamatsu, T.; Imai, K.; Yamashita, K.

    2017-12-01

    "SHINCHO-KI" is an ancient document that records tsunami damages caused by the 1512 Eisho earthquake, the 1605 Keicho earthquake, the 1707 Hoei earthquake and the 1854 Ansei-Nankai earthquake in Shishikui, where is located along the coast of the southeastern part of Shikoku, facing to the Nankai trough. According to SHINCHO-KI, 3700 people were dead in Shishikui by the tsunami during the 1512 Eisho earthquake. However, no evidence was found for the occurrence of the 1512 Eisho earthquake except for SHINCHO-KI, while the other earthquakes were recorded in many ancient documents in the southwestern Japan. To investigate the source mechanism of the 1512 Eisho earthquake, we carefully read a bathymetric chart and found a scarp with a height of about 400 m and a width of about 6000 m at a position about 24 km offshore in the southeastern direction from Shishikui. We also carried out a survey by using a deep-towed sub-bottom profiler (SBP) on ROV NSS during the R/V Hakuho-maru KH-16-5 cruise. The result shows detailed structures possibly caused by a recent landslide. The vertical displacement of the strata was measured to be about 50 m. By considering these results, we simulated the 1512 Eisho tsunami generated by a submarine mass failure. The topographic data in Shishikui which is needed in the calculation was made from the present data. But we removed the artificial structures such as wave breakers and altered coastlines by referring to old map images. In the numerical simulation, the initial sea surface deformation was obtained by the method proposed by Watts et al. (2005), and the tsunami propagation was calculated by solving the nonlinear shallow water equations with dispersive (Boussinesq) term on a finite difference scheme. We solved the advection terms by using the third-order upwind difference to avoid artificial viscosity. The numerical simulation estimated the maximum tsunami height of about 6m and moderate inundation on land in Shishikui by the 1512 Eisho

  10. Anomalously high porosity in subduction inputs to the Nankai Trough (SW Japan) potentially caused by volcanic ash and pumice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huepers, A.; Ikari, M.; Underwood, M.; Kopf, A.

    2013-12-01

    At convergent margins, the sedimentary section seaward of the trench on the subducting oceanic lithosphere provides the source material for accretionary prisms and eventually becomes the host rock of the plate boundary megathrust. The mechanical properties of the sediments seaward of the subduction zone have therefore a first order control on subduction zone forearc mechanics and hydrogeology. At the Nankai Trough (SW Japan) the majority of sediment approaching the subduction zone is clay-rich. Scientific drilling expeditions in the framework of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) have revealed an anomalous zone of high porosity in a major lithologic unit known as the Upper Shikoku Basin facies (USB), which is associated with elevated volcanic ash content and high amounts of silica in the interstitial water. The existence of the high porosity zone has previously been associated with advanced silica cementation, driven by the dual diagenetic transition of opal-A to opal-CT, and opal-CT to quartz. However, temperature estimates from recent drilling expeditions offshore the Kii peninsula reveal different in situ temperatures at the proposed diagenetic boundary in the Shikoku Basin. Furthermore, laboratory measurements using core samples from the USB show that cohesive strength is not elevated in the high porosity zone, suggesting that a process other than cementation may be responsible. The USB sediment is characterized by abundant volcanic ash and pumice, therefore the high porosity zone in the USB may be closely linked to the mechanical behavior of this phase. We conducted consolidation tests in the range 0.1 to 8 MPa effective vertical stress on artificial ash-smectite and pumice-smectite mixtures, as well as intact and remolded natural samples from the IODP Sites C0011 and C0012 to investigate the role of the volcanic constituent on porosity loss with progressive burial. Our results show that both remolded and intact

  11. Book Review: Book review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Wenjiao

    2016-06-01

    This monograph book represents an important volume summarizing the present geological knowledge and understanding of the geodynamic evolution of large parts of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) or Altaids, which is one of the largest orogenic collages on Earth. The CAOB, like other major accretionary orogens, is a complex assembly of ancient microcontinents, arc terranes, accretionary wedges, fragments of oceanic volcanic islands (sea-mounts), oceanic plateaus, ophiolites, and shelf sediments from passive continental margins. The CAOB has caused much international attention due to its complicated architecture and considerably continental growth. However, after many years of investigations, some fundamental problems still remain controversial, such as the rate and volume of crustal growth, the origin of continental fragments, the detailed mechanism of accretion and collision, the role of terrane rotations during the orogeny, and the age and composition of the lower crust in Central Asia.

  12. Role of ground ice dynamics and ecological feedbacks in recent ice wedge degradation and stabilization

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mark Torre Jorgenson,; Mikhail Kanevskiy,; Yuri Shur,; Natalia Moskalenko,; Dana Brown,; Wickland, Kimberly P.; Striegl, Robert G.; Koch, Joshua C.

    2015-01-01

    Ground ice is abundant in the upper permafrost throughout the Arctic and fundamentally affects terrain responses to climate warming. Ice wedges, which form near the surface and are the dominant type of massive ice in the Arctic, are particularly vulnerable to warming. Yet processes controlling ice wedge degradation and stabilization are poorly understood. Here we quantified ice wedge volume and degradation rates, compared ground ice characteristics and thermal regimes across a sequence of five degradation and stabilization stages and evaluated biophysical feedbacks controlling permafrost stability near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Mean ice wedge volume in the top 3 m of permafrost was 21%. Imagery from 1949 to 2012 showed thermokarst extent (area of water-filled troughs) was relatively small from 1949 (0.9%) to 1988 (1.5%), abruptly increased by 2004 (6.3%) and increased slightly by 2012 (7.5%). Mean annual surface temperatures varied by 4.9°C among degradation and stabilization stages and by 9.9°C from polygon center to deep lake bottom. Mean thicknesses of the active layer, ice-poor transient layer, ice-rich intermediate layer, thermokarst cave ice, and wedge ice varied substantially among stages. In early stages, thaw settlement caused water to impound in thermokarst troughs, creating positive feedbacks that increased net radiation, soil heat flux, and soil temperatures. Plant growth and organic matter accumulation in the degraded troughs provided negative feedbacks that allowed ground ice to aggrade and heave the surface, thus reducing surface water depth and soil temperatures in later stages. The ground ice dynamics and ecological feedbacks greatly complicate efforts to assess permafrost responses to climate change.

  13. Role of ground ice dynamics and ecological feedbacks in recent ice wedge degradation and stabilization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jorgenson, M. T.; Kanevskiy, M.; Shur, Y.; Moskalenko, N.; Brown, D. R. N.; Wickland, K.; Striegl, R.; Koch, J.

    2015-11-01

    Ground ice is abundant in the upper permafrost throughout the Arctic and fundamentally affects terrain responses to climate warming. Ice wedges, which form near the surface and are the dominant type of massive ice in the Arctic, are particularly vulnerable to warming. Yet processes controlling ice wedge degradation and stabilization are poorly understood. Here we quantified ice wedge volume and degradation rates, compared ground ice characteristics and thermal regimes across a sequence of five degradation and stabilization stages and evaluated biophysical feedbacks controlling permafrost stability near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Mean ice wedge volume in the top 3 m of permafrost was 21%. Imagery from 1949 to 2012 showed thermokarst extent (area of water-filled troughs) was relatively small from 1949 (0.9%) to 1988 (1.5%), abruptly increased by 2004 (6.3%) and increased slightly by 2012 (7.5%). Mean annual surface temperatures varied by 4.9°C among degradation and stabilization stages and by 9.9°C from polygon center to deep lake bottom. Mean thicknesses of the active layer, ice-poor transient layer, ice-rich intermediate layer, thermokarst cave ice, and wedge ice varied substantially among stages. In early stages, thaw settlement caused water to impound in thermokarst troughs, creating positive feedbacks that increased net radiation, soil heat flux, and soil temperatures. Plant growth and organic matter accumulation in the degraded troughs provided negative feedbacks that allowed ground ice to aggrade and heave the surface, thus reducing surface water depth and soil temperatures in later stages. The ground ice dynamics and ecological feedbacks greatly complicate efforts to assess permafrost responses to climate change.

  14. Neoproterozoic sand wedges: crack formation in frozen soils under diurnal forcing during a snowball Earth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maloof, Adam C.; Kellogg, James B.; Anders, Alison M.

    2002-11-01

    Thermal contraction cracking of permafrost produced sand-wedge polygons at sea level on the paleo-equator during late Neoproterozoic glacial episodes. These sand wedges have been used as evidence for high (≥54°) paleo-obliquity of the Earth's ecliptic, because cracks that form wedges are hypothesized to require deep seasonal cooling so the depth of the stressed layer in the ground reaches ≥1 m, similar to the measured depths of cracks that form wedges. To test the counter hypothesis that equatorial cracks opened under a climate characterized by a strong diurnal cycle and low mean annual temperature (snowball Earth conditions), we examine crack formation in frozen ground subject to periodic temperature variations. We derive analytical expressions relating the Newtonian viscosity to the potential crack depth, concluding that cracks will form only in frozen soils with viscosities greater than ˜10 14 Pa s. We also show numerical calculations of crack growth in frozen soils with stress- and temperature-dependent rheologies and find that fractures may propagate to depths 3-25 times the depth of the thermally stressed layer in equatorial permafrost during a snowball Earth because the mean annual temperature is low enough to keep the ground cold and brittle to relatively great depths.

  15. [Radiocarbon dating of pollen and spores in wedge ice from Iamal and Kolyma].

    PubMed

    Vasil'chuk, A K

    2004-01-01

    Radiocarbon dating of pollen concentrate from late Pleistocene syngenetic wedge ice was carried out using acceleration mass spectrometry (AMS) in Seyakha and Bizon sections. Comparison of the obtained dating with palynological analysis and AMS radiocarbon dating previously obtained for other organic fractions of the same samples allowed us to evaluate accuracy of dating of different fractions. Quantitative tests for data evaluation were considered in terms of possible autochthonous or allochthonous accumulation of the material on the basis of pre-Pleistocene pollen content in these samples. Paleoecological information content of pollen spectra from late Pleistocene syngenetic wedge ice was evaluated.

  16. RANS Analyses of Turbofan Nozzles with Internal Wedge Deflectors for Noise Reduction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeBonis, James R.

    2009-01-01

    Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to evaluate the flow field and thrust performance of a promising concept for reducing the noise at take-off of dual-stream turbofan nozzles. The concept, offset stream technology, reduces the jet noise observed on the ground by diverting (offsetting) a portion of the fan flow below the core flow, thickening and lengthening this layer between the high-velocity core flow and the ground observers. In this study a wedge placed in the internal fan stream is used as the diverter. Wind, a Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) code, was used to analyze the flow field of the exhaust plume and to calculate nozzle performance. Results showed that the wedge diverts all of the fan flow to the lower side of the nozzle, and the turbulent kinetic energy on the observer side of the nozzle is reduced. This reduction in turbulent kinetic energy should correspond to a reduction in noise. However, because all of the fan flow is diverted, the upper portion of the core flow is exposed to the freestream, and the turbulent kinetic energy on the upper side of the nozzle is increased, creating an unintended noise source. The blockage due to the wedge reduces the fan mass flow proportional to its blockage, and the overall thrust is consequently reduced. The CFD predictions are in very good agreement with experimental flow field data, demonstrating that RANS CFD can accurately predict the velocity and turbulent kinetic energy fields. While this initial design of a large scale wedge nozzle did not meet noise reduction or thrust goals, this study identified areas for improvement and demonstrated that RANS CFD can be used to improve the concept.

  17. Deciphering assumptions about stepped wedge designs: the case of Ebola vaccine research.

    PubMed

    Doussau, Adélaïde; Grady, Christine

    2016-12-01

    Ethical concerns about randomising persons to a no-treatment arm in the context of Ebola epidemic led to consideration of alternative designs. The stepped wedge (SW) design, in which participants or clusters are randomised to receive an intervention at different time points, gained popularity. Common arguments in favour of using this design are (1) when an intervention is likely to do more good than harm, (2) all participants should receive the experimental intervention at some time point during the study and (3) the design might be preferable for practical reasons. We examine these assumptions when considering Ebola vaccine research. First, based on the claim that a stepped wedge design is indicated when it is likely that the intervention will do more good than harm, we reviewed published and ongoing SW trials to explore previous use of this design to test experimental drugs or vaccines, and found that SW design has never been used for trials of experimental drugs or vaccines. Given that Ebola vaccines were all experimental with no prior efficacy data, the use of a stepped wedge design would have been unprecedented. Second, we show that it is rarely true that all participants receive the intervention in SW studies, but rather, depending on certain design features, all clusters receive the intervention. Third, we explore whether the SW design is appealing for feasibility reasons and point out that there is significant complexity. In the setting of the Ebola epidemic, spatiotemporal variation may have posed problematic challenges to a stepped wedge design for vaccine research. Finally, we propose a set of points to consider for scientific reviewers and ethics committees regarding proposals for SW designs. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  18. The Effects of a Heel Wedge on Hip, Pelvis and Trunk Biomechanics During Squatting in Resistance Trained Individuals.

    PubMed

    Charlton, Jesse M; Hammond, Connor A; Cochrane, Christopher K; Hatfield, Gillian L; Hunt, Michael A

    2017-06-01

    Barbell back squats are a popular exercise for developing lower extremity strength and power. However, this exercise has potential injury risks, particularly to the lumbar spine, pelvis, and hip joint. Previous literature suggests heel wedges as a means of favorably adjusting trunk and pelvis kinematics with the intention of reducing such injury risks. Yet no direct biomechanical research exists to support these recommendations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of heel wedges compared with barefoot on minimally loaded barbell back squats. Fourteen trained male participants performed a barbell back squat in bare feet or with their feet raised bilaterally with a 2.5-cm wooden block while 3-dimensional kinematics, kinetics, and electromyograms were collected. The heel wedge condition elicited significantly less forward trunk flexion angles at peak knee flexion, and peak external hip joint moments (p ≤ 0.05) compared with barefoot conditions. However, no significant differences were observed between conditions for trunk and pelvis angle differences at peak knee flexion (p > 0.05). Lastly, no peak or root mean square differences in muscle activity were elicited between conditions (p > 0.05). Our results lend support for the suggestions provided in literature aimed at using heel wedges as a means of reducing excessive forward trunk flexion. However, the maintenance of a neutral spine, another important safety factor, is not affected by the use of heel wedges. Therefore, heel wedges may be a viable modification for reduction of excessive forward trunk flexion but not for reduction in relative trunk-pelvis flexion during barbell back squats.

  19. From hyperextended rift to convergent margin types: mapping the outer limit of the extended Continental Shelf of Spain in the Galicia area according UNCLOS Art. 76

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Somoza, Luis; Medialdea, Teresa; Vázquez, Juan T.; González, Francisco J.; León, Ricardo; Palomino, Desiree; Fernández-Salas, Luis M.; Rengel, Juan

    2017-04-01

    -called Peridotite Ridge (PR), composed by serpentinized exhumed continental mantle. Thus, the PR should be regarded as a natural component of the continental margin since these seafloor highs were formed by hyperextension of the margin. Regarding convergent margins, the architecture of the nGM can be classified according the CLCS/11 as a "poor- or non-accretionary convergent continental margin" characterized by a poorly developed accretionary wedge, which is composed of: a large sedimentary apron mainly formed by large slumps and thrust wedges of igneous (ophiolitic/continental) body overlying subducting oceanic crust (Fig. 6.1B, CLCS/11). According to para. 6.3.6. (CLCS/11), the seaward extent of this type of continental convergent margins is defined by the seaward edge of the accretionary wedge. Applying this definition, the seaward extent of the margin is defined by the outer limit of the ophiolitic deformed body that marks the edge of the accretionary wedge. These geological criteria were strictly applied for mapping the BoS region, where the FoS were determinate by using the maximum change in gradient within this mapped region. Acknowledgments: Project for the Extension of the Spanish Continental according UNCLOS (CTM2010-09496-E) and Project CTM2016-75947-R

  20. Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis mechanisms in Casson fluid over a moving wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ullah, Imran; Shafie, Sharidan; Khan, Ilyas; Hsiao, Kai Long

    2018-06-01

    The effect of Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis on electrically conducting mixed convection flow of Casson fluid induced by moving wedge is investigated in this paper. It is assumed that the wedge is saturated in a porous medium and experiences the thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects. The transformed nonlinear governing equations are solved numerically by Keller box scheme. Findings reveal that increase in Casson and magnetic parameters reduced the boundary layer thickness. The effect of Brownian motion and thermophoresis parameters are more pronounced on temperature profile as compared to nanoparticles concentration. The presence of thermal radiation assisted the heat transfer rate significantly. The influence of magnetic parameter is observed less significant on temperature and nanoparticles concentration.