Seismo-thermo-mechanical modeling of mature and immature transform faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preuss, Simon; Gerya, Taras; van Dinther, Ylona

2016-04-01

Transform faults (TF) are subdivided into continental and oceanic ones due to their markedly different tectonic position, structure, surface expression, dynamics and seismicity. Both continental and oceanic TFs are zones of rheological weakness, which is a pre-requisite for their existence and long-term stability. Compared to subduction zones, TFs are typically characterized by smaller earthquake magnitudes as both their potential seismogenic width and length are reduced. However, a few very large magnitude (Mw>8) strike-slip events were documented, which are presumably related to the generation of new transform boundaries and/or sudden reactivation of pre-existing fossil structures. In particular, the 11 April 2012 Sumatra Mw 8.6 earthquake is challenging the general concept that such high magnitude events only occur at megathrusts. Hence, the processes of TF nucleation, propagation and their direct relation to the seismic cycle and long-term deformation at both oceanic and continental transforms needs to be investigated jointly to overcome the restricted direct observations in time and space. To gain fundamental understanding of involved physical processes the numerical seismo-thermo-mechanical (STM) modeling approach, validated in a subduction zone setting (Van Dinther et al. 2013), will be adapted for TFs. A simple 2D plane view model geometry using visco-elasto-plastic material behavior will be adopted. We will study and compare seismicity patterns and evolution in two end member TF setups, each with strain-dependent and rate-dependent brittle-plastic weakening processes: (1) A single weak and mature transform fault separating two strong plates (e.g., in between oceanic ridges) and (2) A nucleating or evolving (continental) TF system with disconnected predefined faults within a plate subjected to simple shear deformation (e.g., San Andreas Fault system). The modeling of TFs provides a first tool to establish the STM model approach for transform faults in a more general case.

The relationship between oceanic transform fault segmentation, seismicity, and thermal structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfson-Schwehr, Monica

Mid-ocean ridge transform faults (RTFs) are typically viewed as geometrically simple, with fault lengths readily constrained by the ridge-transform intersections. This relative simplicity, combined with well-constrained slip rates, make them an ideal environment for studying strike-slip earthquake behavior. As the resolution of available bathymetric data over oceanic transform faults continues to improve, however, it is being revealed that the geometry and structure of these faults can be complex, including such features as intra-transform pull-apart basins, intra-transform spreading centers, and cross-transform ridges. To better determine the resolution of structural complexity on RTFs, as well as the prevalence of RTF segmentation, fault structure is delineated on a global scale. Segmentation breaks the fault system up into a series of subparallel fault strands separated by an extensional basin, intra-transform spreading center, or fault step. RTF segmentation occurs across the full range of spreading rates, from faults on the ultraslow portion of the Southwest Indian Ridge to faults on the ultrafast portion of the East Pacific Rise (EPR). It is most prevalent along the EPR, which hosts the fastest spreading rates in the world and has undergone multiple changes in relative plate motion over the last couple of million years. Earthquakes on RTFs are known to be small, to scale with the area above the 600°C isotherm, and to exhibit some of the most predictable behaviors in seismology. In order to determine whether segmentation affects the global RTF scaling relations, the scalings are recomputed using an updated seismic catalog and fault database in which RTF systems are broken up according to their degree of segmentation (as delineated from available bathymetric datasets). No statistically significant differences between the new computed scaling relations and the current scaling relations were found, though a few faults were identified as outliers. Finite element analysis is used to model 3-D RTF fault geometry assuming a viscoplastic rheology in order to determine how segmentation affects the underlying thermal structure of the fault. In the models, fault segment length, length and location along fault of the intra-transform spreading center, and slip rate are varied. A new scaling relation is developed for the critical fault offset length (OC) that significantly reduces the thermal area of adjacent fault segments, such that adjacent segments are fully decoupled at ~4 OC . On moderate to fast slipping RTFs, offsets ≥ 5 km are sufficient to significantly reduce the thermal influence between two adjacent transform fault segments. The relationship between fault structure and seismic behavior was directly addressed on the Discovery transform fault, located at 4°S on the East Pacific Rise. One year of microseismicity recorded on an OBS array, and 24 years of Mw ≥ 5.4 earthquakes obtained from the Global Centroid Moment Tensor catalog, were correlated with surface fault structure delineated from high-resolution multibeam bathymetry. Each of the 15 Mw ≥ 5.4 earthquakes was relocated into one of five distinct repeating rupture patches, while microseismicity was found to be reduced within these patches. While the endpoints of these patches appeared to correlate with structural features on the western segment of Discovery, small step-overs in the primary fault trace were not observed at patch boundaries. This indicates that physical segmentation of the fault is not the primary control on the size and location of large earthquakes on Discovery, and that along-strike heterogeneity in fault zone properties must play an important role.

Does seismic activity control carbon exchanges between transform-faults in old ocean crust and the deep sea? A hypothesis examined by the EU COST network FLOWS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lever, M. A.

2014-12-01

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)-Action FLOWS (http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/essem/Actions/ES1301) was initiated on the 25th of October 2013. It is a consortium formed by members of currently 14 COST countries and external partners striving to better understand the interplay between earthquakes and fluid flow at transform-faults in old oceanic crust. The recent occurrence of large earthquakes and discovery of deep fluid seepage calls for a revision of the postulated hydrogeological inactivity and low seismic activity of old oceanic transform-type plate boundaries, and indicates that earthquakes and fluid flow are intrinsically associated. This Action merges the expertise of a large number of research groups and supports the development of multidisciplinary knowledge on how seep fluid (bio)chemistry relates to seismicity. It aims to identify (bio)geochemical proxies for the detection of precursory seismic signals and to develop innovative physico-chemical sensors for deep-ocean seismogenic faults. National efforts are coordinated through Working Groups (WGs) focused on 1) geophysical and (bio)geochemical data acquisition; 2) modelling of structure and seismicity of faults; 3) engineering of deep-ocean physico-chemical seismic sensors; and 4) integration and dissemination. This poster will illustrate the overarching goals of the FLOWS Group, with special focus to research goals concerning the role of seismic activity in controlling the release of carbon from the old ocean crust into the deep ocean.

Comprehensive analysis of Curie-point depths and lithospheric effective elastic thickness at Arctic Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Y.; Li, C. F.

2017-12-01

Arctic Ocean remains at the forefront of geological exploration. Here we investigate its deep geological structures and geodynamics on the basis of gravity, magnetic and bathymetric data. We estimate Curie-point depth and lithospheric effective elastic thickness to understand deep geothermal structures and Arctic lithospheric evolution. A fractal exponent of 3.0 for the 3D magnetization model is used in the Curie-point depth inversion. The result shows that Curie-point depths are between 5 and 50 km. Curie depths are mostly small near the active mid-ocean ridges, corresponding well to high heat flow and active shallow volcanism. Large curie depths are distributed mainly at continental marginal seas around the Arctic Ocean. We present a map of effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere using a multitaper coherence technique, and Te are between 5 and 110 km. Te primarily depends on geothermal gradient and composition, as well as structures in the lithosphere. We find that Te and Curie-point depths are often correlated. Large Te are distributed mainly at continental region and small Te are distributed at oceanic region. The Alpha-Mendeleyev Ridge (AMR) and The Svalbard Archipelago (SA) are symmetrical with the mid-ocean ridge. AMR and SA were formed before an early stage of Eurasian basin spreading, and they are considered as conjugate large igneous provinces, which show small Te and Curie-point depths. Novaya Zemlya region has large Curie-point depths and small Te. We consider that fault and fracture near the Novaya Zemlya orogenic belt cause small Te. A series of transform faults connect Arctic mid-ocean ridge with North Atlantic mid-ocean ridge. We can see large Te near transform faults, but small Curie-point depths. We consider that although temperature near transform faults is high, but mechanically the lithosphere near transform faults are strengthened.

Bookshelf faulting and transform motion between rift segments of the Northern Volcanic Zone, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, R. G.; White, R. S.; Greenfield, T. S.

2013-12-01

Plate spreading is segmented on length scales from 10 - 1,000 kilometres. Where spreading segments are offset, extensional motion has to transfer from one segment to another. In classical plate tectonics, mid-ocean ridge spreading centres are offset by transform faults, but smaller 'non-transform' offsets exist between slightly overlapping spreading centres which accommodate shear by a variety of geometries. In Iceland the mid-Atlantic Ridge is raised above sea level by the Iceland mantle plume, and is divided into a series of segments 20-150 km long. Using microseismicity recorded by a temporary array of 26 three-component seismometers during 2009-2012 we map bookshelf faulting between the offset Askja and Kverkfjöll rift segments in north Iceland. The micro-earthquakes delineate a series of sub-parallel strike-slip faults. Well constrained fault plane solutions show consistent left-lateral motion on fault planes aligned closely with epicentral trends. The shear couple across the transform zone causes left-lateral slip on the series of strike-slip faults sub-parallel to the rift fabric, causing clockwise rotations about a vertical axis of the intervening rigid crustal blocks. This accommodates the overall right-lateral transform motion in the relay zone between the two overlapping volcanic rift segments. The faults probably reactivated crustal weaknesses along the dyke intrusion fabric (parallel to the rift axis) and have since rotated ˜15° clockwise into their present orientation. The reactivation of pre-existing rift-parallel weaknesses is in contrast with mid-ocean ridge transform faults, and is an important illustration of a 'non-transform' offset accommodating shear between overlapping spreading segments.

Sumatra Megathrust Earthquakes Trigger Intraplate Seismicity in the Indo-Australian Oceanic Lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delescluse, M.; Chamot-Rooke, N.; Cattin, R.

2009-05-01

The present-day intraplate deformation between India and Australia started 9 Myrs ago. In the Central Indian Basin (CIB), this deformation is recorded in the thick sediments of the Bengal fan. The equatorial, dense E-W thrust fault network in this region is the result of a massive reverse reactivation of normal faults at the onset of deformation. The Wharton Basin (WB), separated from the CIB by the NinetyEast Ridge (NyR), shows a contrasting style of deformation with mainly left-lateral strike-slip seismicity. The WB finite deformation and seismicity also involve pre-existing faults, in this case the N-S paleo-transforms of the fossile Wharton spreading-ridge system. The oceanic plate seismicity after the December 2004 Aceh subduction earthquake shows strike-slip events with a clear intraplate P-axis. No thrust faults are detected. This indicates short-term reactivation of the transform faults near the trench. Spatial and temporal distribution of intraplate erthquakes, as well as their anomalous moment release suggests triggering by the Aceh megathrust earthquake, which appears to have acted as an "accelerator" for the oceanic intraplate deformation. In this study, we use Coulomb stress static variations to confirm our seismicity observations. We first assume that the reactivated transform and the neoformed thrust fault plane families are present in the oceanic lithosphere. We then compute the coseismic stresses in the vicinity of the trench from the Aceh and Nias earthquakes slip distributions. Finally, we derive the normal and shear stresses on the fault planes. The results show that the strike-slip events are all favored by the subduction earthquakes coseismic stresses. They also show that the normal fault earthquakes at oceanic bulges are supported by the modeled coseismic stresses, except offshore Myanmar. The particularly interesting result is that all the possible neoformed thrust faults perpendicular to the intraplate P-axis are inhibited by the same coseismic stresses. This suggests that the style of intraplate deformation favored near the Sumatra Trench in the short-term by subduction earthquakes is the same than the long-term style. Under the effect of northward slab pull forces, Australia tries to detach from its Indian "brake" along the WB's N-S transform faults.

Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Robert G.; White, Robert S.; Greenfield, Tim

2014-01-01

Along mid-ocean ridges the extending crust is segmented on length scales of 10-1,000km. Where rift segments are offset from one another, motion between segments is accommodated by transform faults that are oriented orthogonally to the main rift axis. Where segments overlap, non-transform offsets with a variety of geometries accommodate shear motions. Here we use micro-seismic data to analyse the geometries of faults at two overlapping rift segments exposed on land in north Iceland. Between the rift segments, we identify a series of faults that are aligned sub-parallel to the orientation of the main rift. These faults slip through left-lateral strike-slip motion. Yet, movement between the overlapping rift segments is through right-lateral motion. Together, these motions induce a clockwise rotation of the faults and intervening crustal blocks in a motion that is consistent with a bookshelf-faulting mechanism, named after its resemblance to a tilting row of books on a shelf. The faults probably reactivated existing crustal weaknesses, such as dyke intrusions, that were originally oriented parallel to the main rift and have since rotated about 15° clockwise. Reactivation of pre-existing, rift-parallel weaknesses contrasts with typical mid-ocean ridge transform faults and is an important illustration of a non-transform offset accommodating shear motion between overlapping rift segments.

Remote Imaging of Earthquake Characteristics Along Oceanic Transforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleveland, M.; Ammon, C. J.

2014-12-01

Compared with subduction and continental transform systems, many characteristics of oceanic transform faults (OTF) are better defined (first-order structure and composition, thermal properties, etc.). Still, many aspects of earthquake behavior along OTFs remain poorly understood as a result of their relative remoteness. But the substantial aseismic deformation (averaging roughly 85%) that occurs along OTFs and the implied interaction of aseismic with seismic deformation is an opportunity to explore fundamental earthquake nucleation and rupture processes. However, the study of OTF earthquake properties is not easy because these faults are often located in remote regions, lacking nearby seismic networks. Thus, many standard network-based seismic approaches are infeasible, but some can be adapted to the effort. For example, double-difference methods applied to cross-correlation measured Rayleigh wave time shifts is an effective tool to provide greatly improved relative epicentroid locations, origin-time shifts, and relative event magnitudes for earthquakes in remote regions. The same comparative waveform measurements can provide insight into rupture directivity of the larger OTF events. In this study, we calculate improved relative earthquake locations and magnitudes of earthquakes along the Blanco Fracture Zone in the northeast Pacific Ocean and compare and contrast that work with a study of the more remote Menard Transform Fault (MTF), located in the southeast Pacific Ocean. For the Blanco, we work exclusively with Rayleigh (R1) observations exploiting the dense networks in the northern hemisphere. For the MTF, we combine R1 with Love (G1) observations to map and to analyze the distribution of strong asperities along this remote, 200-km-long fault. Specifically, we attempt to better define the relationship between observed near-transform normal and vertical strike-slip earthquakes in the vicinity of the MTF. We test our ability to use distant observations (the closest station is about 2,500 km distant) to constrain rupture characteristics of recent strong earthquakes in the region. We compare the seismicity characteristics along the faults to explore the relationship of fault age and morphology on rupture behavior.

Geophysical evidence for a transform margin offshore Western Algeria: a witness of a subduction-transform edge propagator?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badji, Rabia; Charvis, Philippe; Bracene, Rabah; Galve, Audrey; Badsi, Madjid; Ribodetti, Alessandra; Benaissa, Zahia; Klingelhoefer, Frauke; Medaouri, Mourad; Beslier, Marie-Odile

2015-02-01

For the first time, a deep seismic data set acquired in the frame of the Algerian-French SPIRAL program provides new insights regarding the origin of the westernmost Algerian margin and basin. We performed a tomographic inversion of traveltimes along a 100-km-long wide-angle seismic profile shot over 40 ocean bottom seismometers offshore Mostaganem (Northwestern Algeria). The resulting velocity model and multichannel seismic reflection profiles show a thin (3-4 km thick) oceanic crust. The narrow ocean-continent transition (less than 10 km wide) is bounded by vertical faults and surmounted by a narrow almost continuous basin filled with Miocene to Quaternary sediments. This fault system, as well as the faults organized in a negative-flower structure on the continent side, marks a major strike-slip fault system. The extremely sharp variation of the Moho depth (up to 45 ± 3°) beneath the continental border underscores the absence of continental extension in this area. All these features support the hypothesis that this part of the margin from Oran to Tenes, trending N65-N70°E, is a fossil subduction-transform edge propagator fault, vestige of the propagation of the edge of the Gibraltar subduction zone during the westward migration of the Alborán domain.

Enhanced Mantle Upwelling/Melting Caused Segment Propagation, Oceanic Core Complex Die Off, and the Death of a Transform Fault: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 21.5°N

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dannowski, A.; Morgan, J. P.; Grevemeyer, I.; Ranero, C. R.

2018-02-01

Crustal structure provides the key to understand the interplay of magmatism and tectonism, while oceanic crust is constructed at Mid-Ocean Ridges (MORs). At slow spreading rates, magmatic processes dominate central areas of MOR segments, whereas segment ends are highly tectonized. The TAMMAR segment at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) between 21°25'N and 22°N is a magmatically active segment. At 4.5 Ma this segment started to propagate south, causing the termination of the transform fault at 21°40'N. This stopped long-lived detachment faulting and caused the migration of the ridge offset to the south. Here a segment center with a high magmatic budget has replaced a transform fault region with limited magma supply. We present results from seismic refraction profiles that mapped the crustal structure across the ridge crest of the TAMMAR segment. Seismic data yield crustal structure changes at the segment center as a function of melt supply. Seismic Layer 3 underwent profound changes in thickness and became rapidly thicker 5 Ma. This correlates with the observed "Bull's Eye" gravimetric anomaly in that region. Our observations support a temporal change from thick lithosphere with oceanic core complex formation and transform faulting to thin lithosphere with focused mantle upwelling and segment growth. Temporal changes in crustal construction are connected to variations in the underlying mantle. We propose that there is a link between the neighboring segments at a larger scale within the asthenosphere, to form a long, highly magmatically active macrosegment, here called the TAMMAR-Kane Macrosegment.

Paleomagnetic Analysis of Block Rotations in the Wake of the Migrating Tjörnes Transform Zone in Northern Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, A. J.; Varga, R. J.; Gee, J. S.; Karson, J.

2011-12-01

Oceanic propagating rifts create migrating transform fault zones on the seafloor that leave a wake of deformed and rotated crustal blocks between abandoned transform fault stands. Faulting and rotation kinematics in these areas are inferred from bathymetric lineaments and earthquake focal mechanisms, but the details of crustal deformation associated with migrating oceanic transforms is inhibited by limited seafloor exposures and access. A similar propagating rift and migrating transform system occurs in thick oceanic-like crust of Northern Iceland, providing an additional perspective on kinematics of these systems. The Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ) in Northern Iceland is a broad region of deformation thought to have formed ~7 Ma. Right-lateral motion is accommodated mostly on two WNW-trending seismically active fault zones, the Grímsey Seismic Zone and the Húsavík-Flatey Fault (HFF), spaced ~40 km apart. Both are primarily offshore; however, deformation south of the HFF is partly exposed on land over an area of >10 km (N/S) and >25 km (E/W) on the peninsula of Flateyjarskagi. Previous work has shown that average lava flow orientations progressively change from 160°/12° SW (~20 km south from HFF), to 183°/25° NW (~12 km S of HFF), and 212°/33° NW (~6 km S of HFF). Dike orientations also progressively change from 010°/85° SE (parallel to the Northern Rift Zone), clockwise to 110°/75° SW (nearly parallel to the HFF) near the HFF. Pervasive strike-slip faulting is evident along the HFF as well as on isolated faults to the south. Between these, NNE-striking left-lateral, oblique-slip faults occur near the HFF but appear to decrease in occurrence to the south. These relationships have been interpreted as either the result of transform shear deformation (secondary features) or construction in a stress field that varies as the transform is approached (primary features). Paleomagnetic data from across the area can test these hypotheses. Mean paleomagnetic remanence directions of normal polarity lavas from two areas ~6 and ~12 km south of the HFF both have easterly declinations and moderate positive inclinations, with nearly antipodal reverse directions. Dikes sampled in the area ~6 km south of HFF reveal remanence directions indistinguishable from those of the lavas at the 95% confidence level. After tilt correction, the mean remanence directions for the area ~6km south of the HFF are statistically distinct from the expected Geocentric Axial Dipole (GAD) direction suggesting an additional ~40° or more of vertical-axis rotation. Tilt-corrected remanence directions of lavas ~12 km south of the HFF are nearly coincident with the GAD suggesting little additional rotation. Geological field relations and fault-slip data imply a two-stage reconstruction involving tilting followed by approximately vertical-axis rotations. The deformation within the TFZ may be analogous to that of migrating oceanic transform faults, transform faults associated with propagating rifts, and microplates.

Failed oceanic transform models: experience of shaking the tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerya, Taras

2017-04-01

In geodynamics, numerical modeling is often used as a trial-and-error tool, which does not necessarily requires full understanding or even a correct concept for a modeled phenomenon. Paradoxically, in order to understand an enigmatic process one should simply try to model it based on some initial assumptions, which must not even be correct… The reason is that our intuition is not always well "calibrated" for understanding of geodynamic phenomena, which develop on space- and timescales that are very different from our everyday experience. We often have much better ideas about physical laws governing geodynamic processes than on how these laws should interact on geological space- and timescales. From this prospective, numerical models, in which these physical laws are self-consistently implemented, can gradually calibrate our intuition by exploring what scenarios are physically sensible and what are not. I personally went through this painful learning path many times and one noteworthy example was my 3D numerical modeling of oceanic transform faults. As I understand in retrospective, my initial literature-inspired concept of how and why transform faults form and evolve was thermomechanically inconsistent and based on two main assumptions (btw. both were incorrect!): (1) oceanic transforms are directly inherited from the continental rifting and breakup stages and (2) they represent plate fragmentation structures having peculiar extension-parallel orientation due to the stress rotation caused by thermal contraction of the oceanic lithosphere. During one year (!) of high-resolution thermomechanical numerical experiments exploring various physics (including very computationally demanding thermal contraction) I systematically observed how my initially prescribed extension-parallel weak transform faults connecting ridge segments rotated away from their original orientation and get converted into oblique ridge sections… This was really an epic failure! However, at the very same time, some pseudo-2D "side-models" with initial strait ridge and ad-hock strain weakened rheology, which were run for curiosity, suddenly showed spontaneous development of ridge curvature… Fraction of these models showed spontaneous development of orthogonal ridge-transform patterns by rotation of oblique ridge sections toward extension-parallel direction to accommodate asymmetric plate accretion. The later was controlled by detachment faults stabilized by strain weakening. Further exploration of these "side-models" resulted in complete changing of my concept for oceanic transforms: they are not plate fragmentation but rather plate growth structures stabilized by continuous plate accretion and rheological weakening of deforming rocks (Gerya, 2010, 2013). The conclusion is - keep shaking the tree and banana will fall… Gerya, T. (2010) Dynamical instability produces transform faults at mid-ocean ridges. Science, 329, 1047-1050. Gerya, T.V. (2013) Three-dimensional thermomechanical modeling of oceanic spreading initiation and evolution. Phys. Earth Planet. Interiors, 214, 35-52.

Foreshock sequences and short-term earthquake predictability on East Pacific Rise transform faults.

PubMed

McGuire, Jeffrey J; Boettcher, Margaret S; Jordan, Thomas H

2005-03-24

East Pacific Rise transform faults are characterized by high slip rates (more than ten centimetres a year), predominantly aseismic slip and maximum earthquake magnitudes of about 6.5. Using recordings from a hydroacoustic array deployed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, we show here that East Pacific Rise transform faults also have a low number of aftershocks and high foreshock rates compared to continental strike-slip faults. The high ratio of foreshocks to aftershocks implies that such transform-fault seismicity cannot be explained by seismic triggering models in which there is no fundamental distinction between foreshocks, mainshocks and aftershocks. The foreshock sequences on East Pacific Rise transform faults can be used to predict (retrospectively) earthquakes of magnitude 5.4 or greater, in narrow spatial and temporal windows and with a high probability gain. The predictability of such transform earthquakes is consistent with a model in which slow slip transients trigger earthquakes, enrich their low-frequency radiation and accommodate much of the aseismic plate motion.

The seismic velocity structure of a foreshock zone on an oceanic transform fault: Imaging a rupture barrier to the 2008 Mw 6.0 earthquake on the Gofar fault, EPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roland, E. C.; McGuire, J. J.; Lizarralde, D.; Collins, J. A.

2010-12-01

East Pacific Rise (EPR) oceanic transform faults are known to exhibit a number of unique seismicity characteristics, including abundant seismic swarms, a prevalence of aseismic slip, and high rates of foreshock activity. Until recently the details of how this behavior fits into the seismic cycle of large events that occur periodically on transforms have remained poorly understood. In 2008 the most recent seismic cycle of the western segment (G3) of the Gofar fault (4 degrees South on the EPR) ended with a Mw 6.0 earthquake. Seismicity associated with this event was recorded by a local array of ocean bottom seismometers, and earthquake locations reveal several distinct segments with unique slip behavior on the G3 fault. Preceding the Mw 6.0 event, a significant foreshock sequence was recorded just to the east of the mainshock rupture zone that included more than 20,000 detected earthquakes. This foreshock zone formed the eastern barrier to the mainshock rupture, and following the mainshock, seismicity rates within the foreshock zone remained unchanged. Based on aftershock locations of events following the 2007 Mw 6.0 event that completed the seismic cycle on the eastern end of the G3 fault, it appears that the same foreshock zone may have served as the western rupture barrier for that prior earthquake. Moreover, mainshock rupture associated with each of the last 8 large (~ Mw 6.0) events on the G3 fault seems to terminate at the same foreshock zone. In order to elucidate some of the structural controls on fault slip and earthquake rupture along transform faults, we present a seismic P-wave velocity profile crossing the center of the foreshock zone of the Gofar fault, as well as a profile for comparison across the neighboring Quebrada fault. Although tectonically similar, Quebrada does not sustain large earthquakes and is thought to accommodate slip primarily aseismically and with small magnitude earthquake swarms. Velocity profiles were obtained using data collected from ~100 km refraction profiles crossing the two faults, each using 8 short period ocean bottom seismometers from OBSIP and over 900 shots from the RV Marcus Langseth. These data are modeled using a 2-D tomographic code that allows joint inversion of the Pg, PmP, and Pn arrivals. We resolve a significant low velocity zone associated with the faults, which likely indicates rocks that have undergone intensive brittle deformation. Low velocities may also signify the presence of metamorphic alteration and/or elevated fluid pressures, both of which could have a significant affect on the friction laws that govern fault slip in these regions. A broad low velocity zone is apparent in the shallow crust (< 3km) at both faults, with velocities that are reduced by more than 1 km/s relative to the surrounding oceanic crust. A narrower zone of reduced seismic velocity appears to extend to mantle depths, and particularly on the Gofar fault, this corresponds with the seismogenic zone inferred from located foreshock seismicity, spanning depths of 3-9 km beneath the seafloor.

Multi-type Tectonic Responses to Plate Motion Changes of Mega-Offset Transform Faults at the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, F.; Lin, J.; Yang, H.; Zhou, Z.

2017-12-01

Magmatic and tectonic responses of a mid-ocean ridge system to plate motion changes can provide important constraints on the mechanisms of ridge-transform interaction and lithospheric properties. Here we present new analysis of multi-type responses of the mega-offset transform faults at the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge (PAR) system to plate motion changes in the last 12 Ma. Detailed analysis of the Heezen, Tharp, and Udintsev transform faults showed that the extensional stresses induced by plate motion changes could have been released through a combination of magmatic and tectonic processes: (1) For a number of ridge segments with abundant magma supply, plate motion changes might have caused the lateral transport of magma along the ridge axis and into the abutting transform valley, forming curved "hook" ridges at the ridge-transform intersection. (2) Plate motion changes might also have caused vertical deformation on steeply-dipping transtensional faults that were developed along the Heezen, Tharp, and Udintsev transform faults. (3) Distinct zones of intensive tectonic deformation, resembling belts of "rift zones", were found to be sub-parallel to the investigated transform faults. These rift-like deformation zones were hypothesized to have developed when the stresses required to drive the vertical deformation on the steeply-dipping transtensional faults along the transform faults becomes excessive, and thus deformation on off-transform "rift zones" became favored. (4) However, to explain the observed large offsets on the steeply-dipping transtensional faults, the transform faults must be relatively weak with low apparent friction coefficient comparing to the adjacent lithospheric plates.

Nearly frictionless faulting by unclamping in long-term interaction models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.

2002-01-01

In defiance of direct rock-friction observations, some transform faults appear to slide with little resistance. In this paper finite element models are used to show how strain energy is minimized by interacting faults that can cause long-term reduction in fault-normal stresses (unclamping). A model fault contained within a sheared elastic medium concentrates stress at its end points with increasing slip. If accommodating structures free up the ends, then the fault responds by rotating, lengthening, and unclamping. This concept is illustrated by a comparison between simple strike-slip faulting and a mid-ocean-ridge model with the same total transform length; calculations show that the more complex system unclapms the transforms and operates at lower energy. In another example, the overlapping San Andreas fault system in the San Francisco Bay region is modeled; this system is complicated by junctions and stepovers. A finite element model indicates that the normal stress along parts of the faults could be reduced to hydrostatic levels after ???60-100 k.y. of system-wide slip. If this process occurs in the earth, then parts of major transform fault zones could appear nearly frictionless.

Continental transform margins : state of art and future milestones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basile, Christophe

2010-05-01

Transform faults were defined 45 years ago as ‘a new class of fault' (Wilson, 1965), and transform margins were consequently individualized as a new class of continental margins. While transform margins represent 20 to 25 % of the total length of continent-ocean transitions, they were poorly studied, especially when compared with the amount of data, interpretations, models and conceptual progress accumulated on divergent or convergent continental margins. The best studied examples of transform margins are located in the northern part of Norway, south of South Africa, in the gulf of California and on both sides of the Equatorial Atlantic. Here is located the Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana margin, where the more complete data set was acquired, based on numerous geological and geophysical cruises, including ODP Leg 159. The first models that encompassed the structure and evolution of transform margins were mainly driven by plate kinematic reconstructions, and evidenced the diachronic end of tectonic activity and the non-cylindrical character of these margins, with a decreasing strike-slip deformation from the convex to the concave divergent-transform intersections. Further thermo-mechanical models were more specifically designed to explain the vertical displacements along transform margins, and especially the occurrence of high-standing marginal ridges. These thermo-mechanical models involved either heat transfer from oceanic to continental lithospheres across the transform faults or tectonically- or gravity-driven mass transfer in the upper crust. These models were far from fully fit observations, and were frequently dedicated to specific example, and not easily generalizable. Future work on transform continental margins may be expected to fill some scientific gaps, and the definition of working directions can benefit from the studies dedicated to other types of margins. At regional scale the structural and sedimentological variability of transform continental margins has to be emphasized. There is not only one type of transform margins, but as for divergent margins huge changes from one margin to another in both structure and evolution. Multiple types have to be evidenced together with the various parameters that should control the variability. As for divergent margins, special attention should be paid to conjugated transform margins as a tool to assess symmetrical / asymmetrical processes in the oceanic opening. Attention should also be focused on the three-dimensional structure of the intersections between transform and divergent margins, such as the one where the giant oil field Jubilee was recently discovered. There is almost no 3D data available in these area, and their structures still have to be described. An other key point to develop is the mechanical behavior of the lithosphere in and in the vicinity of transform margins. The classical behaviors (isostasy, elastic flexure) have be tested extensively. The localization of the deformation by the transform fault, and the coupling of continental and oceanic lithosphere across the transform fault have to be adressed to understand the evolution of these margins. Again as for divergent margins, new concepts are needed to explain the variations in the post-rift and post-transform subsidence, that can not always be explained by classical subsidence models. But the most remarkable advance in our understanding of transform margins may be related to the study of interactions between the lithosphere and adjacent envelops : deep interactions with the mantle, as underplating, tectonic erosion, or possible lateral crustal flow ; surficial interactions between structural evolution, erosion and sedimentation processes in transform margins may affect the topography and bathymetry, thus the oceanic circulation with possible effects on regional and global climate.

Triple Junction Reorganizations: A Mechanism for the Initiation of the Great Pacific Fractures Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pockalny, R. A.; Larson, R. L.; Grindlay, N. R.

2001-12-01

There are two general explanations for the initiation of oceanic transform faults that eventually evolve into fracture zones: transforms inherited from continental break-up and transforms acquired in response to a change in plate motions. These models are sufficient to explain the fracture zones in oceans formed by continental break-up. However, neither model accounts for the initiation of the large-offset, great Pacific fracture zones that characterized the Pacific-Farallon plate boundary prior to 25 Ma. Primarily, these models are unable to explain why the initial age of these fracture zones becomes progressively younger from the Mendocino fracture zone (\\~{ } 160 Ma) southward down to the Resolution FZ (\\~{ }84 Ma). We propose a new transform initiation mechanism for the great Pacific fracture zones, which is intimately tied to tectonic processes at triple junctions and directly related to the growth of the Pacific Plate. Recently acquired multibeam bathymetry and marine geophysics data collected along Pandora's Escarpment in the southwestern Pacific have identified the escarpment as the trace of the Pacific-Farallon-Phoenix triple junction on the Pacific Plate. Regional changes in the trend of the triple junction trace between 84-121 Ma roughly coincide with the initiation of the Marquesas, Austral and Resolution fracture zones. Bathymetry and backscatter data from the projected intersections of these fracture zones with the triple junction trace identify several anomalous structures that suggest tectonic reorganizations of the triple junction. We believe this reorganization created the initial transform fault(s) that ultimately became the large-offset, great Pacific fracture zones. Several possible mechanisms for initiating the transform faults are explored including microplate formation, ridge-tip propagation, and spontaneous transform fault formation.

Introduction to the special issue on the 2012 Haida Gwaii and 2013 Craig earthquakes at the Pacific–North America plate boundary (British Columbia and Alaska)

USGS Publications Warehouse

James, Thomas S.; Cassidy, John F.; Rogers, Garry C.; Haeussler, Peter J.

2015-01-01

The 27 October 2012 Mw 7.8 Haida Gwaii thrust earthquake and the 5 January 2013 Mw 7.5 Craig strike‐slip earthquake are the focus of this special issue. They occurred along the transform boundary between the Pacific and North American plates (Fig. 1). The most identifiable feature of the plate boundary, the strike‐slip Queen Charlotte fault, might be viewed as typical of continent–ocean transform faults because it separates the continental crust of the North American plate from oceanic crust of the Pacific plate for most of its length. However, the current relative plate motion of about 5  cm/yr is highly oblique to the Queen Charlotte fault, causing a transpressive plate boundary in the region.

Location of deeply buried, offshore Mesozoic transform fault along the western margin of the Gulf of Mexico inferred from gravity and magnetic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, L. C.; Mann, P.; Bird, D. E.

2013-12-01

Several workers have proposed that a Jurassic age, 500-km-long, right-lateral transform fault along the western margin of the Gulf of Mexico, possibly extending southward and onshore for another 500 km onto the isthmus area of southern Mexico, was formed as the ocean basin opened. This proposed transform fault plays a critical role in the most widely accepted tectonic model for the Mesozoic opening of the Gulf of Mexico by a ~40 degree, CCW rotation of the Yucatan block about a pole near southern Florida. Previously proposed names for the fault include the Tamaulipas-Chiapas transform fault and the Western Main transform fault for the offshore fault and the Orizaba transform fault for the southern, onland continuation of the fault into southern Mexico. There are few direct geologic or geophysical observations on the location or characteristics of the proposed offshore transform because it is buried beneath an over 10-km-thick sedimentary wedge along the continental margin of eastern Mexico. To better define this offshore fault, we identify a 500-km-long, 40-km-wide gravity anomaly, concentric with, and located about 60-70 km off the eastern coast of Mexico. Two east-west 200/1200-km-long gravity models constructed to cross the anomaly at right angles are parallel to existing multi-channel seismic lines with age-correlated stratigraphy. Both gravity models reveal an abrupt crustal thickness change beneath the gravity anomaly: from 27 km to 12 km over a distance of 65 km in the southern profile, and from 23 km to 16 km over a distance of 30 km in northern profile. The linearity of the anomaly in map view combined with the abrupt change in thickness inferred from gravity modeling is consistent with the tectonic origin of a right-lateral transform fault separating continental rocks of Mexico from Mesozoic seafloor produced by the opening of the Gulf of Mexico. Magnetic profiles were analyzed using a Werner depth-to-magnetic source technique, coincident with the gravity models, estimate the depth to top of crystalline basement for the northern (9 km) and southern (11 km) transects. Subsidence analysis along both transects shows that sedimentation rates sharply peaked during the Laramide orogeny in the latest Cretaceous-Eocene, but otherwise conform to steady thermal subsidence of oceanic crust in the deep Gulf of Mexico that formed during the Jurassic CCW rotation of the Yucatan block. The more precisely defined offshore fault aligns well with the onland right-lateral Orizaba transform fault of southern Mexico that is thought to have been active in Mesozoic time.

Magma Supply of Southwest Indian Ocean: Implication from Crustal Thickness Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiheng, L.; Jianghai, L.; Huatian, Z.; Qingkai, F.

2017-12-01

The Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is one of the world's slowest spreading ridges with a full spreading rate of 14mm a-1, belonging to ultraslow spreading ridge, which are a novel class of spreading centers symbolized by non-uniform magma supply and crustal accretion. Therefore, the crustal thickness of Southwest Indian Ocean is a way to explore the magmatic and tectonic process of SWIR and the hotspots around it. Our paper uses Residual Mantle Bouguer Anomaly processed with the latest global public data to invert the relative crustal thickness and correct it according to seismic achievements. Gravity-derived crustal thickness model reveals a huge range of crustal thickness in Southwest Indian Ocean from 0.04km to 24km, 7.5km of average crustal thickness, and 3.5km of standard deviation. In addition, statistics data of crustal thickness reveal the frequency has a bimodal mixed skewed distribution, which indicates the crustal accretion by ridge and ridge-plume interaction. Base on the crustal thickness model, we divide three types of crustal thickness in Southwest Indian Ocean. About 20.31% of oceanic crust is <4.8km thick designated as thin crust, and 60.99% is 4.8-9.8km thick as normal crust. The remaining 18.70% is >9.8km thick as thick crust. Furthermore, Prominent thin crust anomalies are associated with the trend of most transform faults, but thick crust anomalies presents to northeast of Andrew Bain transform fault. Cold and depleted mantle are also the key factors to form the thin crust. The thick crust anomalies are constrained by hotspots, which provide abundant heat to the mantle beneath mid-ocean ridge or ocean basin. Finally, we roughly delineate the range of ridge-plume interaction and transform fault effect.

Phanerozoic geological evolution of the Equatorial Atlantic domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basile, Christophe; Mascle, Jean; Guiraud, René

2005-10-01

The Phanerozoic geological evolution of the Equatorial Atlantic domain has been controlled since the end of Early Cretaceous by the Romanche and Saint Paul transform faults. These faults did not follow the PanAfrican shear zones, but were surimposed on Palæozoic basins. From Neocomian to Barremian, the Central Atlantic rift propagated southward in Cassiporé and Marajó basins, and the South Atlantic rift propagated northward in Potiguar and Benue basins. During Aptian times, the Equatorial Atlantic transform domain appeared as a transfer zone between the northward propagating tip of South Atlantic and the Central Atlantic. Between the transform faults, oceanic accretion started during Late Aptian in small divergent segments, from south to north: Benin-Mundaú, deep Ivorian basin-Barreirinhas, Liberia-Cassiporé. From Late Aptian to Late Albian, the Togo-Ghana-Ceará basins appeared along the Romanche transform fault, and Côte d'Ivoire-Parà-Maranhão basins along Saint Paul transform fault. They were rapidly subsiding in intra-continental settings. During Late Cretaceous, these basins became active transform continental margins, and passive margins since Santonian times. In the same time, the continental edge uplifted leading either to important erosion on the shelf or to marginal ridges parallel to the transform faults in deeper settings.

Cooling rates and the depth of detachment faulting at oceanic core complexes: Evidence from zircon Pb/U and (U-Th)/He ages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grimes, Craig B.; Cheadle, Michael J.; John, Barbara E.; Reiners, P.W.; Wooden, J.L.

2011-01-01

Oceanic detachment faulting represents a distinct mode of seafloor spreading at slow spreading mid-ocean ridges, but many questions persist about the thermal evolution and depth of faulting. We present new Pb/U and (U-Th)/He zircon ages and combine them with magnetic anomaly ages to define the cooling histories of gabbroic crust exposed by oceanic detachment faults at three sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) holes 1270D and 1275D near the 15??20???N Transform, and Atlantis Massif at 30??N). Closure temperatures for the Pb/U (???800??C-850??C) and (U-Th)/He (???210??C) isotopic systems in zircon bracket acquisition of magnetic remanence, collectively providing a temperature-time history during faulting. Results indicate cooling to ???200??C in 0.3-0.5 Myr after zircon crystallization, recording time-averaged cooling rates of ???1000??C- 2000??C/Myr. Assuming the footwalls were denuded along single continuous faults, differences in Pb/U and (U-Th)/He zircon ages together with independently determined slip rates allow the distance between the ???850??C and ???200??C isotherms along the fault plane to be estimated. Calculated distances are 8.4 ?? 4.2 km and 5.0 2.1 km from holes 1275D and 1270D and 8.4 ?? 1.4 km at Atlantis Massif. Estimating an initial subsurface fault dip of 50 and a depth of 1.5 km to the 200??C isotherm leads to the prediction that the ???850??C isotherm lies ???5-7 km below seafloor at the time of faulting. These depth estimates for active fault systems are consistent with depths of microseismicity observed beneath the hypothesized detachment fault at the TAG hydrothermal field and high-temperature fault rocks recovered from many oceanic detachment faults. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Interplay between magmatic accretion, spreading asymmetry and detachment faulting at a segment end: Crustal structure south of the Ascension Fracture Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, Jörg; Dannowski, Anke; Reston, Timothy J.

2015-12-01

A wide-angle seismic section across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just south of the Ascension transform system reveals laterally varying crustal thickness, and to the east a strongly distorted Moho that appears to result from slip along a large-offset normal fault, termed an oceanic detachment fault. Gravity modelling supports the inferred crustal structure. We investigate the interplay between magmatism, detachment faulting and the changing asymmetry of crustal accretion, and consider several possible scenarios. The one that appears most likely is remarkably simple: an episode of detachment faulting which accommodates all plate divergence and results in the westward migration of the ridge axis, is interspersed with dominantly magmatic and moderately asymmetric (most on the western side) spreading which moves the spreading axis back towards the east. Following the runaway weakening of a normal fault and its development into an oceanic detachment fault, magma both intrudes the footwall to the fault, producing a layer of gabbro (subsequently partially exhumed).

Refinements on the inferred causative faults of the great 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revathy, P. M.; Rajendran, K.

2014-12-01

As the largest known intra-plate strike-slip events, the pair of 2012 earthquakes in the Wharton Basin is a rarity. Separated in time by 2 hours these events rouse interest also because of their short inter-event duration, complex rupture mechanism, and spatial-temporal proximity to the great 2004 Sumatra plate boundary earthquake. Reactivation of fossil ridge-transform pairs is a favoured mechanism for large oceanic plate earthquakes and their inherent geometry triggers earthquakes on conjugate fault systems, as observed previously in the Wharton Basin. The current debate is whether the ruptures occurred on the WNW-ESE paleo ridges or the NNE-SSW paleo transforms. Back-projection models give a complex rupture pattern that favours the WNW-ESE fault [1]. However, the static stress changes due to the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and 2005 Nias earthquake favour the N15°E fault [2]. We use the Teleseismic Body-Wave Inversion Program [3] and waveform data from Global Seismic Network, to obtain the best fit solutions using P and S-wave synthetic modelling. The preliminary P-wave analysis of both earthquakes gives source parameters that are consistent with the Harvard CMT solutions. The obtained slip distribution complies with the NNE-SSW transforms. Both these earthquakes triggered small tsunamis which appear as two distinctive pulses on 13 Indian Ocean tide gauges and buoys. Frequency spectra of the tsunami recordings from various azimuths provide additional constraint for the choice of the causative faults. References: [1] Yue, H., T. Lay, and K. D. Koper (2012), En echelon and orthogonal fault ruptures of the 11 April 2012 great intraplate earthquakes, Nature, 490, 245-249, doi:10.1038/nature11492 [2] Delescluse, M., N. Chamot-Rooke, R. Cattin, L. Fleitout, O. Trubienko and C. Vigny April 2012 intra-oceanic seismicity off Sumatra boosted by the Banda-Aceh megathrust, Nature, 490(2012), pp. 240-244, doi:10.1038/nature11520 [3] M. Kikuchi and H. Kanamori, Note on Teleseismic Body-Wave Inversion Program, http://www.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ETAL/KIKUCHI/

Recent faulting and microearthquakes at the intersection of the Vema Fracture Zone and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowlett, Hugh; Forsyth, Donald W.

1984-07-01

New air gun reflection profiles, 3.5-kHz reflection profiles, and microearthquake data recorded by an array of ocean bottom seismographs form the basis for this study of the transition from a spreading center to a major transform fault. Disturbances of the thick, normally flat-lying, turbidite deposits provide indications of recent vertical motions. At the western intersection of the fracture zone with the median valley there is a depression in the sediments that represents the southerly extension of the median valley into the fracture zone valley. The depression is terminated abruptly on the south by the active transform fault, which acts as a locus for vertical as well as horizontal displacement. Flat-lying, undisturbed sediments terminate abruptly at the fault. The western boundary of the depression is much broader and is characterized by a series of slumplike steps. To the west, there is little or no evidence for uplift or tilting of sediments which might indicate vertical recovery of the crust as it spreads away from the depression. This suggests that uplift and recovery out of the depression is episodic in nature and has been inactive over the last million years along the western boundary. To the east there is clear evidence of uplift and tilting of sedimentary layers. A basement ridge emerging from the sediments is currently being uplifted and rotated in a manner analogous to processes responsible for the creation and cancellation of median valley relief. The transition between the spreading center and the transform fault appears to take place within 1-2 km. The width of the transform fault just east of the depression is less than a kilometer. Microearthquakes were located and displayed by new methods that directly account for nonlinearities associated with small arrays. Microearthquakes located by three or more ocean bottom seismometers show that the greatest seismic activity occurs along the eastern walls of the median valley, at the basement ridge, in the eastern portion of the depression and in the crestal mountains. Very little activity is associated with the western edge of the transform depression and the trace of the transform fault.

Role of mass wasting processes in the modification of oceanic rift valley morphology

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

Keith, D.J.; Fox, P.J.; Karson, J. A.

1985-01-01

During the last eight years field investigations using the high resolution capabilities of submersibles and deep-towed cameras have been conducted along the rift valley of the Mid-Cayman Rise, the western and eastern intersections of the Kane Transform Fault and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the eastern intersection of the Oceanographer Transform Fault. These 3 sites are representative of the range of tectonic environments which are characteristic of slowly accreting plate boundaries. Photographic and observational data collected from within these natural laboratories reveal important geomorphic information concerning the temporal and spatial evolution of volcanic constructional and fault-bounded terrain in response to massmore » wasting processes. The results of this investigation indicate that sedimentary processes significantly influence the development of oceanic lithosphere soon after its creation and continues to do so with increasing geologic age out to approximately 2 m.y. The data indicate that the rift valley floor distal from transform faults is dominated by a hummocky, volcanic morphology that is rapidly degraded by hyaloclastic mass wasting activity. With the evolution of the rift walls into the rift mountains, photographic data indicates that the processes associated with dislodgement and gravitational transport do not cease to operate but work much more infrequently relative to the tectonically active lower slopes.« less

A New Look at Spreading in Iceland: Propagating Rifts, Migrating Transform Faults, and Microplate Tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J.; Horst, A. J.; Nanfito, A.

2011-12-01

Iceland has long been used as an analog for studies of seafloor spreading. Despite its thick (~25 km) oceanic crust and subaerial lavas, many features associated with accretion along mid-ocean ridge spreading centers, and the processes that generate them, are well represented in the actively spreading Neovolcanic Zone and deeply glaciated Tertiary crust that flanks it. Integrated results of structural and geodetic studies show that the plate boundary zone on Iceland is a complex array of linked structures bounding major crustal blocks or microplates, similar to oceanic microplates. Major rift zones propagate N and S from the hotspot centered beneath the Vatnajökull icecap in SE central Iceland. The southern propagator has extended southward beyond the South Iceland Seismic Zone transform fault to the Westman Islands, resulting in abandonment of the Eastern Rift Zone. Continued propagation may cause abandonment of the Reykjanes Ridge. The northern propagator is linked to the southern end of the receding Kolbeinsey Ridge to the north. The NNW-trending Kerlingar Pseudo-fault bounds the propagator system to the E. The Tjörnes Transform Fault links the propagator tip to the Kolbeinsey Ridge and appears to be migrating northward in incremental steps, leaving a swath of deformed crustal blocks in its wake. Block rotations, concentrated mainly to the west of the propagators, are clockwise to the N of the hotspot and counter-clockwise to the S, possibly resulting in a component of NS divergence across EW-oriented rift zones. These rotations may help accommodate adjustments of the plate boundary zone to the relative movements of the N American and Eurasian plates. The rotated crustal blocks are composed of highly anisotropic crust with rift-parallel internal fabric generated by spreading processes. Block rotations result in reactivation of spreading-related faults as major rift-parallel, strike-slip faults. Structural details found in Iceland can help provide information that is difficult or impossible to obtain in propagating systems of the deep seafloor.

Volcanism, jump and propagation on the Sheba ridge, eastern Gulf of Aden: segmentation evolution and implications for oceanic accretion processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Acremont, Elia; Leroy, Sylvie; Maia, Marcia; Gente, Pascal; Autin, Julia

2010-02-01

The rifting between Arabia and Somalia, which started around 35 Ma, was followed by oceanic accretion from at least 17.6 Ma leading to the formation of the present-day Gulf of Aden. Bathymetric, gravity and magnetic data from the Encens-Sheba cruise are used to constrain the structure and segmentation of the oceanic basin separating the conjugate continental margins in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden between 51°E and 55.5°E. Data analysis reveals that the oceanic domain along this ridge section is divided into two distinct areas. The Eastern area is characterized by a shorter wavelength variation of the axial segmentation and an extremely thin oceanic crust. In the western segment, a thicker oceanic crust suggests a high melt supply. This supply is probably due to an off-axis melting anomaly located below the southern flank of the Sheba ridge, 75 km east of the major Alula-Fartak transform fault. This suggests that the axial morphology is produced by a combination of factors, including spreading rate, melt supply and the edge effect of the Alula-Fartak transform fault, as well as the proximity of the continental margin. The oceanic domains have undergone two distinct phases of accretion since the onset of seafloor spreading, with a shift around 11 Ma. At that time, the ridge jumped southwards, in response to the melting anomaly. Propagating ridges were triggered by the melting activity, and propagated both eastward and westward. The influence of the melting anomaly on the ridges decreased, stopping their propagation since less than 9 Ma. From that time up to the present, the N025°E-trending Socotra transform fault developed in association with the formation of the N115°E-trending segment #2. In recent times, a counter-clockwise rotation of the stress field associated with kinematic changes could explain the structural morphology of the Alula-Fartak and Socotra-Hadbeen fracture zones.

Transpressive mantle uplift at large offset oceanic transform faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maia, M.; Briais, A.; Brunelli, D.; Ligi, M.; Sichel, S. E.; Campos, T.

2017-12-01

Large-offset transform faults deform due to changes in plate motions and local processes. At the St. Paul transform, in the Equatorial Atlantic, a large body of ultramafic rocks composed of variably serpentinized and mylonitized peridotites is presently being tectonically uplifted. We recently discovered that the origin of the regional mantle uplift is linked to long-standing compressive stresses along the transform fault (1). A positive flower structure, mainly made of mylonitized mantle rocks, can be recognized on the 200 km large push-up ridge. Compressive earthquakes mechanisms reveal seismically active thrust faults on the southern flank of the ridge . The regional transpressive stress field affects a large portion of the ridge segment south of the transform, as revealed by the presence of faults and dykes striking obliquely to the direction of the central ridge axis. A smaller thrust, affecting recent sediments, was mapped south of this segment, suggesting a regional active compressive stress field. The transpressive stress field is interpreted to derive from the propagation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) segment into the transform domain as a response to the enhanced melt supply at the ridge axis. The propagation forced the migration and segmentation of the transform fault southward and the formation of restraining step-overs. The process started after a counterclockwise change in plate motion at 11 Ma initially resulting in extensive stress of the transform domain. A flexural transverse ridge formed in response. Shortly after plate reorganization, the MAR segment started to propagate southwards due to the interaction of the ridge and the Sierra Leone thermal anomaly. 1- Maia et al., 2016. Extreme mantle uplift and exhumation along a transpressive transform fault Nat. Geo. doi:10.1038/ngeo2759

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

Not Available

We present preliminary hypocenter determinations for 52 earthquakes recorded by a large multiinstitutional network of ocean bottom seismometers and ocean bottom hydrophones in the Orozco Fracture Zone in the eastern Pacific during late February to mid-March 1979. The network was deployed as part of the Rivera Ocean Seismic Experiment, also known as Project ROSE. The Orozco Fracture Zone is Physiographically complex, and the pattern of microearthquake hypocenters at least partly reflects this complexity. All of the well-located epicenters lie within the active transform fault segment of the fracture zone. About half of the recorded earthquakes were aligned along a narrowmore » trough that extends eastward from the northern rise crest intersection in the approximate direction of the Cocos-Pacific relative plate motion; these events appear to be characterized by strike-slip faulting. The second major group of activity occurred in the central portion of the transform fault; the microearthquakes in this group do not display a preferred alignment parallel to the direction of spreading, and several are not obviously associated with distinct topographic features. Hypocentral depth was well resolved for many of the earthquakes reported here. Nominal depths range from 0 to 17 km below the seafloor.« less

Earthquakes in the Orozco transform zone: seismicity, source mechanisms, and tectonics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tréhu, Anne M.; Solomon, Sean C.

1983-01-01

As part of the Rivera Ocean Seismic Experiment, a network of ocean bottom seismometers and hydrophones was deployed in order to determine the seismic characteristics of the Orozco transform fault in the central eastern Pacific. We present hypocentral locations and source mechanisms for 70 earthquakes recorded by this network. All epicenters are within the transform region of the Orozco Fracture Zone and clearly delineate the active plate boundary. About half of the epicenters define a narrow line of activity parallel to the spreading direction and situated along a deep topographic trough that forms the northern boundary of the transform zone (region 1). Most focal depths for these events are very shallow, within 4 km of the seafloor; several well-determined focal depths, however, are as great as 7 km. No shallowing of seismic activity is observed as the rise-transform intersection is approached; to the contrary, the deepest events are within 10 km of the intersection. First motion polarities for most of the earthquakes in region 1 are compatible with right-lateral strike slip faulting along a nearly vertical plane, striking parallel to the spreading direction. Another zone of activity is observed in the central part of the transform (region 2). The apparent horizontal and vertical distribution of activity in this region is more scattered than in the first, and the first motion radiation patterns of these events do not appear to be compatible with any known fault mechanism. Pronounced lateral variations in crustal velocity structure are indicated for the transform region from refraction data and measurements of wave propagation directions. The effect of this lateral heterogeneity on hypocenters and fault plane solutions is evaluated by tracing rays through a three-dimensional velocity grid. While findings for events in region 1 are not significantly affected, in region 2, epicentral mislocations of up to 10 km and azimuthal deflections of up to 45° may result from assuming a laterally homogeneous velocity structure. When corrected for the effects of lateral heterogeneity, the epicenters and fault plane solutions for earthquakes in region 2 are compatible with predominantly normal faulting along a topographic trough trending NW–SE; the focal depths, however, are poorly constrained. These results suggest an en echelon spreading center or leaky transform regime in the central transform region.

Tectonic evolution of the Troodos Ophiolite within the Tethyan Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilek, Yildirim; Thy, Peter; Moores, Eldridge M.; Ramsden, Todd W.

1990-08-01

A new tectonic model reconciles conflicting structural and geochemical evidence for the origin of the Troodos ophiolite, a well-preserved remnant of Neotethyan oceanic crust. Grabens and normal faults within the sheeted dike complex and the extrusive sequence of the Troodos ophiolite resemble those of oceanic spreading centers. Diverse intrusive and tectonic contact relationships between the sheeted dike complex and the underlying plutonic sequence indicate multiple and episodic intrusion of magma and along- and across-strike variation in volcanic and tectonic activity during development of oceanic crust. Coupled with the existence of the Arakapas transform fault to the south, these structural and intrusive relationships suggest origin at an intersection between a spreading center and a transform fault. The arclike chemistry of sheeted dikes and related extrusive rocks and the inferred highly depleted and hydrous nature of the mantle source of the late stage intrusive and extrusive rocks argue, however, for generation of part of the ophiolite within a subduction zone environment. Regional reconstructions suggest that the Mesozoic Neotethys may have evolved as a marginal basin both to the Afro-Arabian continent and the Paleotethyan ocean over an active or recently active south dipping subduction zone. The Troodos ophiolite and other eastern Mediterranean ophiolites, whose magma compositions were affected by the subducted Paleotethyan slab, may have formed along east-west trending spreading centers separated by north-south trending transform faults within this marginal basin. A rapid change in relative plate motion in late Cretaceous time between Eurasia and Afro-Arabia created a regional compressive regime that may have resulted in plate boundary reorganizations within the Neotethyan realm and in initiation of north dipping subduction zone(s) beneath the Troodos and other ophiolites in the region. The apparent forearc setting of the Troodos ophiolite is a consequence of this intraoceanic displacement after its formation and thus is unrelated to its generation.

How do long-offset oceanic transforms adapt to plate motion changes? The example of the Western Pacific-Antarctic plate boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodolo, Emanuele; Coren, Franco; Ben-Avraham, Zvi

2013-03-01

Oceanic transform faults respond to changes in the direction of relative plate motion. Studies have shown that short-offset transforms generally adjust with slight bends near the ridge axis, while long-offset ones have a remarkably different behavior. The western Pacific-Antarctic plate boundary highlights these differences. A set of previously unpublished seismic profiles, in combination with magnetic anomaly identifications, shows how across a former, ~1250 km long transform (the Emerald Fracture Zone), plate motion changes have produced a complex geometric readjustment. Three distinct sections are recognized along this plate boundary: an eastern section, characterized by parallel, multiple fault strand lineaments; a central section, shallower than the rest of the ridge system, overprinted by a mantle plume track; and a western section, organized in a cascade of short spreading axes/transform lineaments. This configuration was produced by changes that occurred since 30 Ma in the Australia-Pacific relative plate motion, combined with a gradual clockwise change in Pacific-Antarctic plate motion. These events caused extension along the former Emerald Fracture Zone, originally linking the Pacific-Antarctic spreading ridge system with the Southeast Indian ridge. Then an intra-transform propagating ridge started to develop in response to a ~6 Ma change in the Pacific-Antarctic spreading direction. The close proximity of the Euler poles of rotation amplified the effects of the geometric readjustments that occurred along the transform system. This analysis shows that when a long-offset transform older than 20 Ma is pulled apart by changes in spreading velocity vectors, it responds with the development of multiple discrete, parallel fault strands, whereas in younger lithosphere, locally modified by thermal anisotropies, tensional stresses generate an array of spreading axes offset by closely spaced transforms.

Wide-angle Marine Seismic Refraction Imaging of Vertical Faults: Pre-Stack Turning Wave Migrations of Synthetic Data and Implications for Survey Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, N. C.; Lizarralde, D.; McGuire, J.; Hole, J. A.

2006-12-01

We consider methodologies, including survey design and processing algorithms, which are best suited to imaging vertical reflectors in oceanic crust using marine seismic techniques. The ability to image the reflectivity structure of transform faults as a function of depth, for example, may provide new insights into what controls seismicity along these plate boundaries. Turning-wave migration has been used with success to image vertical faults on land. With synthetic datasets we find that this approach has unique difficulties in the deep ocean. The fault-reflected crustal refraction phase (Pg-r) typically used in pre-stack migrations is difficult to isolate in marine seismic data. An "imagable" Pg-r is only observed in a time window between the first arrivals and arrivals from the sediments and the thick, slow water layer at offsets beyond ~25 km. Ocean- bottom seismometers (OBSs), as opposed to a long surface streamer, must be used to acquire data suitable for crustal-scale vertical imaging. The critical distance for Moho reflections (PmP) in oceanic crust is also ~25 km, thus Pg-r and PmP-r are observed with very little separation, and the fault-reflected mantle refraction (Pn-r) arrives prior to Pg-r as the observation window opens with increased OBS-to-fault distance. This situation presents difficulties for "first-arrival" based Kirchoff migration approaches and suggests that wave- equation approaches, which in theory can image all three phases simultaneously, may be more suitable for vertical imaging in oceanic crust. We will present a comparison of these approaches as applied to a synthetic dataset generated from realistic, stochastic velocity models. We will assess their suitability, the migration artifacts unique to the deep ocean, and the ideal instrument layout for such an experiment.

Structure and Dynamics of the Southeast Indian Ridge, 129°E to 140°E, and Off-axis Volcanism: Preliminary Results of the STORM Cruise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briais, Anne; Barrère, Fabienne; Boulart, Cédric; Ceuleneer, Georges; Ferreira, Nicolas; Hanan, Barry; Hémond, Christophe; Macleod, Sarah; Maia, Marcia; Maillard, Agnès; Merkuryev, Sergey; Park, Sung-Hyun; Révillon, Sidonie; Ruellan, Etienne; Schohn, Alexandre; Watson, Sally; Yang, Yun-Seok

2016-04-01

We present observations of the South-East Indian Ridge (SEIR) collected during the STORM cruise (South Tasmania Ocean Ridge and Mantle) on the N/O L'Atalante early 2015. The SEIR between Australia and Antarctica displays large variations of axial morphology despite an almost constant intermediate spreading rate. The Australia-Antarctic Discordance (AAD) between 120°E and 128°E is a section of the mid-ocean ridge where the magma budget is abnormally low, and which marks the boundary between Indian and Pacific mantle domains with distinct geochemical isotopic compositions. The STORM project focuses on the area east of the discordance from 128 to 140°E, where gravity highs observed on satellite-derived maps of the flanks of the SEIR reveal numerous volcanic seamounts. A major objective of the STORM cruise was to test the hypothesis of a mantle flow from the Pacific to the Indian domains. We collected multibeam bathymetry and magnetic data between 136 and 138°E to map off-axis volcanic ridges up to 10 Ma-old crust. We mapped the SEIR axis between 129 and 140°E, and the northern part of the George V transform fault. We collected rock samples on seamounts and in the transform fault, basaltic glass samples along the ridge axis, and near-bottom samples and in-situ measurements in the water column. Our observations reveal that the off-axis seamounts form near the SEIR axis, are not associated to off-axis deformation of the ocean floor, and are often located near the traces of ridge axis discontinuities. We also observe a general shallowing of the ridge axis from the AAD to the George V TF and the presence of robust axial segments near the transform fault. Our new data allow us to describe the complex evolution of the transform fault system. They also permit to locate new hydrothermal systems along the ridge axis.

Tearing, segmentation, and backstepping of subduction in the Aegean: New insights from seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bocchini, G. M.; Brüstle, A.; Becker, D.; Meier, T.; van Keken, P. E.; Ruscic, M.; Papadopoulos, G. A.; Rische, M.; Friederich, W.

2018-06-01

This study revisits subduction processes at the Hellenic Subduction Zone (HSZ) including tearing, segmentation, and backstepping, by refining the geometry of the Nubian slab down to 150-180 km depth using well-located hypocentres from global and local seismicity catalogues. At the western termination of the HSZ, the Kefalonia Transform Fault marks the transition between oceanic and continental lithosphere subducting to the south and to the north of it, respectively. A discontinuity is suggested to exist between the two slabs at shallow depths. The Kefalonia Transform Fault is interpreted as an active Subduction-Transform-Edge-Propagator-fault formed as consequence of faster trench retreat induced by the subduction of oceanic lithosphere to the south of it. A model reconstructing the evolution of the subduction system in the area of Peloponnese since 34 Ma, involving the backstepping of the subduction to the back-side of Adria, provides seismological evidence that supports the single-slab model for the HSZ and suggests the correlation between the downdip limit of the seismicity to the amount of subducted oceanic lithosphere. In the area of Rhodes, earthquake hypocentres indicate the presence of a NW dipping subducting slab that rules out the presence of a NE-SW striking Subduction-Transform-Edge-Propagator-fault in the Pliny-Strabo trenches region. Earthquake hypocentres also allow refining the slab tear beneath southwestern Anatolia down to 150-180 km depth. Furthermore, the distribution of microseismicity shows a first-order slab segmentation in the region between Crete and Karpathos, with a less steep and laterally wider slab segment to the west and a steeper and narrower slab segment to the east. Thermal models indicate the presence of a colder slab beneath the southeastern Aegean that leads to deepening of the intermediate-depth seismicity. Slab segmentation affects the upper plate deformation that is stronger above the eastern slab segment and the seismicity along the interplate seismogenic zone.

The Malpelo Plate Hypothesis and implications for nonclosure of the Cocos-Nazca-Pacific plate motion circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tuo; Gordon, Richard G.; Mishra, Jay K.; Wang, Chengzu

2017-08-01

Using global multiresolution topography, we estimate new transform-fault azimuths along the Cocos-Nazca plate boundary and show that the direction of relative plate motion is 3.3° ± 1.8° (95% confidence limits) clockwise of prior estimates. The new direction of Cocos-Nazca plate motion is, moreover, 4.9° ± 2.7° (95% confidence limits) clockwise of the azimuth of the Panama transform fault. We infer that the plate east of the Panama transform fault is not the Nazca plate but instead is a microplate that we term the Malpelo plate. With the improved transform-fault data, the nonclosure of the Nazca-Cocos-Pacific plate motion circuit is reduced from 15.0 mm a-1 ± 3.8 mm a-1 to 11.6 mm a-1 ± 3.8 mm a-1 (95% confidence limits). The nonclosure seems too large to be due entirely to horizontal thermal contraction of oceanic lithosphere and suggests that one or more additional plate boundaries remain to be discovered.

Complex Plate Tectonic Features on Planetary Bodies: Analogs from Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, J. M.; Smrekar, S. E.

2016-12-01

We review the types and scales of observations needed on other rocky planetary bodies (e.g., Mars, Venus, exoplanets) to evaluate evidence of present or past plate motions. Earth's plate boundaries were initially simplified into three basic types (ridges, trenches, and transform faults). Previous studies examined the Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury and icy moons such as Europa, for evidence of features, including linear rifts, arcuate convergent zones, strike-slip faults, and distributed deformation (rifting or folding). Yet, several aspects merit further consideration. 1) Is the feature active or fossil? Earth's active mid ocean ridges are bathymetric highs, and seafloor depth increases on either side; whereas, fossil mid ocean ridges may be as deep as the surrounding abyssal plain with no major rift valley, although with a minor gravity low (e.g., Osbourn Trough, W. Pacific Ocean). Fossil trenches have less topographic relief than active trenches (e.g., the fossil trench along the Patton Escarpment, west of California). 2) On Earth, fault patterns of spreading centers depend on volcanism. Excess volcanism reduced faulting. Fault visibility increases as spreading rates slow, or as magmatism decreases, producing high-angle normal faults parallel to the spreading center. At magma-poor spreading centers, high resolution bathymetry shows low angle detachment faults with large scale mullions and striations parallel to plate motion (e.g., Mid Atlantic Ridge, Southwest Indian Ridge). 3) Sedimentation on Earth masks features that might be visible on a non-erosional planet. Subduction zones on Earth in areas of low sedimentation have clear trench -parallel faults causing flexural deformation of the downgoing plate; in highly sedimented subduction zones, no such faults can be seen, and there may be no bathymetric trench at all. 4) Areas of Earth with broad upwelling, such as the North Fiji Basin, have complex plate tectonic patterns with many individual but poorly linked ridge segments and transform faults. These details and scales of features should be considered in planning future surveys of altimetry, reflectance, magnetics, compositional, and gravity data from other planetary bodies aimed at understanding the link between a planet's surface and interior, whether via plate tectonics or other processes.

Simulate earthquake cycles on the oceanic transform faults in the framework of rate-and-state friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, M.

2016-12-01

Progress towards a quantitative and predictive understanding of the earthquake behavior can be achieved by improved understanding of earthquake cycles. However, it is hindered by the long repeat times (100s to 1000s of years) of the largest earthquakes on most faults. At fast-spreading oceanic transform faults, the typical repeating time ranges from 5-20 years, making them a unique tectonic environment for studying the earthquake cycle. One important observation on OTFs is the quasi-periodicity and the spatial-temporal clustering of large earthquakes: same fault segment ruptured repeatedly at a near constant interval and nearby segments ruptured during a short time period. This has been observed on the Gofar and Discovery faults in the East Pacific Rise. Between 1992 and 2014, five clusters of M6 earthquakes occurred on the Gofar and Discovery fault system with recurrence intervals of 4-6 years. Each cluster consisted of a westward migration of seismicity from the Discovery to Gofar segment within a 2-year period, providing strong evidence for spatial-temporal clustering of large OTFs earthquakes. I simulated earthquake cycles of oceanic transform fault in the framework of rate-and-state friction, motivated by the observations at the Gofar and Discovery faults. I focus on a model with two seismic segments, each 20 km long and 5 km wide, separated by an aseismic segment of 10 km wide. This geometry is set based on aftershock locations of the 2008 M6.0 earthquake on Gofar. The repeating large earthquake on both segments are reproduced with similar magnitude as observed. I set the state parameter differently for the two seismic segments so initially they are not synchornized. Results also show that synchronization of the two seismic patches can be achieved after several earthquake cycles when the effective normal stress or the a-b parameter is smaller than surrounding aseismic areas, both having reduced the resistance to seismic rupture in the VS segment. These parameter settings likely reflect the alteration of stress and friction property by the enhanced hydrothermal activity suggested by McGuire et al., 2012. The seismic coupling ratio of the entire model is about 0.3, not far from the global average of 0.15.

Post-breakup faulting of the outer Vøring Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planke, S.; Millett, J.; Jerram, D. A.; Maharjan, D.; Hafeez, A.; Abdelmalak, M. M.; Zastrozhnov, D.; Faleide, J. I.

2017-12-01

Tectonic activity on passive margins may continue for a long time after the main phase of continental breakup. On the southern Vøring Margin, offshore Norway, new high-quality 3D seismic data reveal the presence of extensive normal faults offsetting the Top basalt horizon, along with overlying lower Eocene age sediments. We have completed a detailed seismic interpretation of the new data using a combination of conventional seismic horizon interpretation and igneous seismic geomorphological techniques. The seismic data have been tied to scientific and industry wells to constrain the age of the interpreted horizons and the age and duration of the faulting. The Top basalt horizon displays a dominantly subaerial lava field, on the Vøring Marginal High, with well-defined lava flow morphologies including inflated flow lobes and surface pressure ridges. The prominent kilometer-high Vøring Escarpment was developed when landward flowing lava met the ocean, developing an extensive foreset bedded hyaloclastite delta. Later, a pitted surface was developed in the west during lava emplacement in a wet environment during subsidence of the central rift valley. Earliest Eocene sediments were subsequently deposited on the marginal high. Well-defined northeast trending faults are imaged on the marginal high, cutting across the escarpment. Spacing of the faults is ca. 400-500 m, and offsets are typically of ca. 30-50 m, often defining graben structures. The faults further offset the overlying earliest Eocene sequences in a number of examples. Based on the well ties, faulting mainly took place 5-10 m.y. after continental breakup near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Our hypothesis is that the faulting is related to strain partitioning across the developing Vøring Transform Margin. Plate tectonic constraints show that there was an active continent-continent transform in this region also for 10-15 m.y. after breakup. The transform margin is a linear, northwest trending structure, with a well-developed transform marginal high, the Mimir High, along its central part. The transform margin extends into the southwestern segment of the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone to the northwest. We speculate that the ocean basin separating the Vøring Spur from the Vøring Marginal High was formed by a rift propagation event during the same time period.

Three-Dimensional Mantle Flow Near an Oceanic Paleotransform Fault System: Geological Constraints From the Bogota Peninsula, New Caledonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzaras, V.; Kruckenberg, S. C.; Titus, S.; Tikoff, B.; Teyssier, C. P.; Drury, M. R.

2016-12-01

We provide geological constraints on mantle deformation across a system of two oceanic paleotransform faults exposed in the Bogota Peninsula area, New Caledonia. Mantle deformation occurred at depths corresponding to temperatures of 900 oC and is highly heterogeneous. The paleotransform faults consist of mylonitic shear zones ( 1 km wide), and are surrounded by broader areas in which rotation of both the shape fabric (foliation and lineation) and olivine crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) takes place. Outside the plaeotransform faults, mantle flows oblique to the strike of the mylonitic zones and is characterized by lateral variations in the flow direction. To further constrain the kinematics and type of deformation, we determine the orientation of the crystallographic vorticity axes as an independent tool for constraining deformation geometry (e.g., simple shear, transpression, transtension). The observed mantle flow is associated to lateral variations in: 1) the geometry and degree of anisotropy of spinel shape fabric; 2) olivine CPO type; 3) amount of stretching; and 4) the orientation of the crystallographic vorticity axes. Upper mantle in the vicinity of oceanic transform faults may be characterized by complex, three-dimensional flow patterns and deformation geometries deviating from simple shear.

Spatial instability of the rift in the St. Paul multifault transform fracture system, Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolov, S. Yu.; Zaraiskaya, Yu. A.; Mazarovich, A. O.; Efimov, V. N.; Sokolov, N. S.

2016-05-01

The structure of the acoustic basement of the eastern part of the St. Paul multifault transform fracture system hosts rift paleovalleys and a paleonodal depression that mismatch the position of the currently active zones. This displacement zone, which is composed of five fault troughs, is unstable in terms of the position of the rift segments, which jumped according to redistribution of stresses. The St. Paul system is characterized by straightening of the transform transition between two remote segments of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). The eastern part of the system contains anomalous bright-spot-like reflectors on the flattened basement, which is a result of atypical magmatism, that forms the standard ridge relief of the acoustic basement. Deformations of the acoustic basement have a presedimentation character. The present-day deformations with lower amplitude in comparison to the basement are accompanied by acoustic brightening of the sedimentary sequence. The axial Bouguer anomalies in the east of the system continue to the north for 120 km from the active segments of the St. Paul system. Currently seismically active segments of the spreading system are characterized by increasing amplitudes of the E-W displacement along the fault troughs. Cross-correlation of the lengths of the active structural elements of the MAR zone (segments of the ridge and transform fracture zones of displacement) indicates that, statistically, the multifault transform fracture system is a specific type of oceanic strike-slip faults.

Scaling Relations for the Thermal Structure of Segmented Oceanic Transform Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfson-Schwehr, M.; Boettcher, M. S.; Behn, M. D.

2015-12-01

Mid-ocean ridge-transform faults (RTFs) are a natural laboratory for studying strike-slip earthquake behavior due to their relatively simple geometry, well-constrained slip rates, and quasi-periodic seismic cycles. However, deficiencies in our understanding of the limited size of the largest RTF earthquakes are due, in part, to not considering the effect of short intra-transform spreading centers (ITSCs) on fault thermal structure. We use COMSOL Multiphysics to run a series of 3D finite element simulations of segmented RTFs with visco-plastic rheology. The models test a range of RTF segment lengths (L = 10-150 km), ITSC offset lengths (O = 1-30 km), and spreading rates (V = 2-14 cm/yr). The lithosphere and upper mantle are approximated as steady-state, incompressible flow. Coulomb failure incorporates brittle processes in the lithosphere, and a temperature-dependent flow law for dislocation creep of olivine activates ductile deformation in the mantle. ITSC offsets as small as 2 km affect the thermal structure underlying many segmented RTFs, reducing the area above the 600˚C isotherm, A600, and thus the size of the largest expected earthquakes, Mc. We develop a scaling relation for the critical ITSC offset length, OC, which significantly reduces the thermal affect of adjacent fault segments of length L1 and L2. OC is defined as the ITSC offset that results in an area loss ratio of R = (Aunbroken - Acombined)/Aunbroken - Adecoupled) = 63%, where Aunbroken = C600(L1+L2)1.5V-0.6 is A600 for an RTF of length L1 + L2; Adecoupled = C600(L11.5+L21.5)V-0.6 is the combined A600 of RTFs of lengths L1 and L2, respectively; and Acombined = Aunbroken exp(-O/ OC) + Adecoupled (1-exp(-O/ OC)). C600 is a constant. We use OC and kinematic fault parameters (L1, L2, O, and V) to develop a scaling relation for the approximate seismogenic area, Aseg, for each segment of a RTF system composed of two fault segments. Finally, we estimate the size of Mc on a fault segment based on Aseg. We show that small (<1 km) offsets in the fault trace observed between M­W6 rupture patches on Gofar and Discovery transform faults, located at ~4S on the East Pacific Rise, are not sufficient to thermally decouple adjacent fault patches. Thus additional factors, possibly including changes in fault zone material properties, must limit the size of Mc on these faults.

Observations of Displacement-driven Maturation along a Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, J. S.; Furlong, K. P.

2016-12-01

The Solomon Islands-Vanuatu composite subduction zone represents a tectonically complex region along the Pacific-Australia plate boundary in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Here the Australia plate subducts under the Pacific plate in two parts - the Solomon Trench and the Vanuatu Trench - with the two segments separated by a transform fault produced by a tear in the approaching Australia plate. As a result of the Australia plate tearing, the two subducting sections are offset by the 280 km long San Cristobal Trough (SCT) transform fault, which acts as a Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) fault. The formation of this transform fault provides an opportunity to study the evolution of a newly created transform plate boundary. As distance from the tear increases, both the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes along the transform increase reflecting the coalescence of fault segments into a through-going structure. Over the past few decades, there have been several instances of larger magnitude earthquakes migrating westward along the STEP through a rapid succession of events. A recent May 2015 sequence of MW 6.8, MW 6.9, and MW 6.8 earthquakes followed this pattern, with an east to west migration over three days. However, neither this 2015 sequence, nor a previous 1993 progression, ruptured into or nucleated a large earthquake within the region near the tear. SCT sequence termination outside the region of the newly formed fault occurs even though Coulomb Failure Stress analyses reveal that the tear end of the SCT is positively loaded for failure by the earthquake sequence. Changing seismicity patterns along the SCT are also mapped by b-value variations that correspond to the rupture patterns of these propagating sequences. These seismicity pattern changes along the SCT reveal a fault maturation process with strain localization driven by cumulative slip corresponding to approximately 80-100 km of displacement.

On the initiation of subduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Steve; Phillips, Roger J.

1991-01-01

Estimates of shear resistance associated with lithospheric thrusting and convergence represent lower bounds on the force necessary to promote trench formation. Three environments proposed as preferential sites of incipient subduction are investigated: passive continental margins, transform faults/fracture zones, and extinct ridges. None of these are predicted to convert into subduction zones simply by the accumulation of local gravitational stresses. Subduction cannot initiate through the foundering of dense oceanic lithosphere immediately adjacent to passive continental margins. The attempted subduction of buoyant material at a mature trench can result in large compressional forces in both subducting and overriding plates. This is the only tectonic force sufficient to trigger the nucleation of a new subduction zone. The ubiquitous distribution of transform faults and fracture zones, combined with the common proximity of these features to mature subduction complexes, suggests that they may represent the most likely sites of trench formation if they are even marginally weaker than normal oceanic lithosphere.

Pre-existing oblique transfer zones and transfer/transform relationships in continental margins: New insights from the southeastern Gulf of Aden, Socotra Island, Yemen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellahsen, N.; Leroy, S.; Autin, J.; Razin, P.; d'Acremont, E.; Sloan, H.; Pik, R.; Ahmed, A.; Khanbari, K.

2013-11-01

Transfer zones are ubiquitous features in continental rifts and margins, as are transform faults in oceanic lithosphere. Here, we present a structural study of the Hadibo Transfer Zone (HTZ), located in Socotra Island (Yemen) in the southeastern Gulf of Aden. There, we interpret this continental transfer fault zone to represent a reactivated pre-existing structure. Its trend is oblique to the direction of divergence and it has been active from the early up to the latest stages of rifting. One of the main oceanic fracture zones (FZ), the Hadibo-Sharbithat FZ, is aligned with and appears to be an extension of the HTZ and is probably genetically linked to it. Comparing this setting with observations from other Afro-Arabian rifts as well as with passive margins worldwide, it appears that many continental transfer zones are reactivated pre-existing structures, oblique to divergence. We therefore establish a classification system for oceanic FZ based upon their relationship with syn-rift structures. Type 1 FZ form at syn-rift structures and are late syn-rift to early syn-OCT. Type 2 FZ form during the OCT formation and Type 3 FZ form within the oceanic domain, after the oceanic spreading onset. The latter are controlled by far-field forces, magmatic processes, spreading rates, and oceanic crust rheology.

Direct evidence of hydration into mantle during shearing below a trasform fault: Prince Edward transform fault, Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michibayashi, K.; Kakihata, Y.; Dick, H. J.

2017-12-01

Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is located to the southwest of Rodriguez Triple Junction, where three Indian ocean ridges meet (Zhou & Dick, 2013, Nature). SWIR is one of the slowest spreading ocean ridges in the world. In this study, we studied microstructural development of 21 peridotite samples obtained from Prince Edward transform fault of SWIR by PROTEA5 cruise in 1983. The peridotites consist dominantly of olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene with minor amounts of amphibole and plagioclase as well as secondary minerals such as serpentine and magnetite. The peridotites were classified into four groups based on their microstructures: 3 ultramylonites mostly consisting of extremely fine crystals (3-5µm), 13 heterogeneous tectonites consisting of coarse-grained crystals and fine-grained matrix, 1 cataclasite and 4 intensely serpentinized peridotites. Olivine Mg# is 0.90-0.91 and spinel Cr# is 0.1-0.35. Amphibole crystals have chemical compositions of tremolite and magnesio-hornblende and they were intensely deformed within the ultramylonites and the heterogeneous tectonites, indicating that they have occurred before or during intense shearing in mantle. Moreover, extremely fine grain sizes of olivine and microboudin textures in both pyroxene and spinel crystals suggest that these peridotites have been sheared under high stress conditions. Furthermore, olivine crystal-fabrics within the amphibole bearing peridotites have B and E types that could be developed under hydrous conditions, whereas olivine fabrics within the other peridotites have A and D types that could be developed under anhydrous conditions (Karato et al., 2008, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci.). Consequently, the petrophysical characteristics of peridotites in this study indicate that the uppermost mantle below the Prince Edward transform fault has been locally but intensely hydrated during shearing due to transform movement.

Aseismic Transform Fault Slip at the Mendocino Triple Junction From Characteristically Repeating Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Materna, Kathryn; Taira, Taka'aki; Bürgmann, Roland

2018-01-01

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ), at the northern terminus of the San Andreas Fault system, is an actively deforming plate boundary region with poorly constrained estimates of seismic coupling on most offshore fault surfaces. Characteristically repeating earthquakes provide spatial and temporal descriptions of aseismic creep at the MTJ, including on the oceanic transform Mendocino Fault Zone (MFZ) as it subducts beneath North America. Using a dataset of earthquakes from 2008 to 2017, we find that the easternmost segment of the MFZ displays creep during this period at about 65% of the long-term slip rate. We also find creep at slower rates on the shallower strike-slip interface between the Pacific plate and the North American accretionary wedge, as well as on a fault that accommodates Gorda subplate internal deformation. After a nearby M5.7 earthquake in 2015, we observe a possible decrease in aseismic slip on the near-shore MFZ that lasts from 2015 to at least early 2017.

Kaltag fault, northern Yukon, Canada: Constraints on evolution of Arctic Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lane, Larry S.

1992-07-01

The Kaltag fault has been linked to several strike-slip models of evolution of the western Arctic Ocean. Hundreds of kilometres of Cretaceous-Tertiary displacement have been hypothesized in models that emplace Arctic Alaska into its present position by either left- or right-lateral strike slip. However, regional-scale displacement is precluded by new potential-field data. Postulated transform emplacement of Arctic Alaska cannot be accommodated by motion on the Kaltag fault or adjacent structures. The Kaltag fault of the northern Yukon is an eastward extrapolation of its namesake in west-central Alaska; however, a connection cannot be demonstrated. Cretaceous-Tertiary displacement on the Alaskan Kaltag fault is probably accommodated elsewhere.

The role of the metasomatized oceanic lithosphere on the composition of mid-ocean ridge basalts from the East Pacific Rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, K.; Saal, A. E.

2016-12-01

In the present study, we evaluate the effect of melting of a metasomatized oceanic lithosphere on the chemical composition of MORB using the East Pacific Rise (EPR) mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) from the Quebrada-Discovery-GoFar (QDG) transform fault system, Northern EPR seamounts, and Macquarie Island [1-3]. EMORB from the QDG have trace element and volatile-refractory element ratios different from those measured in NEPR seamounts and Macquarie EMORB. The unique chemical composition of the QDG EMORB might indicate contribution from the oceanic lithosphere during the formation of intra-transform spreading centers due to clockwise rotation in Pacific-Nazca plate relative motion. In addition, the compositions of some of the Petit-spot lavas recently erupted along lithospheric fractures in the Pacific Plate in response to its flexure near the Japan Trench [4] have geochemical signatures that might suggest melts derived from a metasomatized oceanic mantle lithosphere. We evaluate this hypothesis using a geochemical model assuming a two-component asthenospheric mantle (DDMM and EDMM) and formation of hydrous cumulates in the oceanic mantle lithosphere by crystallization of low degree melts of the EDMM [3, 5]. The model suggests that melting of the hydrous cumulates can reproduce the composition of EMORB from QDG transform fault and some of the Petit-spot lavas. The process of melting the metasomatized oceanic lithosphere may significantly affect the chemical composition of MORB, and the common assumption for the purely asthenosphere origin of MORB could lead to inaccurate estimates of the Earth's upper mantle composition. We also show that similar process might affect not only oceanic, but also off-craton sub continental mantle lithosphere. References: [1] Niu et al., 2002 EPSL 199. [2] Kamenetsky et al., 2002 J Petrol 43. [3] Shimizu et al., 2016 GCA 176. [4] Hirano et al., 2006 Science 313. [5] Pilet et al., 2011 J Petrol 52.

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

Mascle, J.; Blarez, E.

The authors present a marine study of the eastern Ivory Coast-Ghana continental margins which they consider one of the most spectacular extinct transform margins. This margin has been created during Early-Lower Cretaceous time and has not been submitted to any major geodynamic reactivation since its fabric. Based on this example, they propose to consider during the evolution of the transform margin four main and successive stages. Shearing contact is first active between two probably thick continental crusts and then between progressively thinning continental crusts. This leads to the creation of specific geological structures such as pull-apart graben, elongated fault lineaments,more » major fault scarps, shear folds, and marginal ridges. After the final continental breakup, a hot center (the mid-oceanic ridge axis) is progressively drifting along the newly created margin. The contact between two lithospheres of different nature should necessarily induce, by thermal exchanges, vertical crustal readjustments. Finally, the transform margin remains directly adjacent to a hot but cooling oceanic lithosphere; its subsidence behavior should then progressively be comparable to the thermal subsidence of classic rifted margins.« less

A seismically active section of the Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wald, David J.; Wallace, Terry C.

1986-10-01

The section of the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge west of the Prince Edward Fracture zone has a large ridge axis offset and a complicated ridge-transform morphology. We have determined the source mechanisms of transform earthquakes along this portion of the ridge from an inversion of long-period P and SH waveforms. The seismicity is characterized by anomalous faulting mechanisms, source complexity and an unexpectedly large seismic moment release. Several earthquakes with dip-slip components of faulting have been recognized on the central section of the Andrew Bain and 32° E transforms suggesting geometrical complexity along the transform. This region has experienced a Mw = 8.0 transform earthquake in 1942, yet we observe a seismic slip rate during the last 20 years that is still comparable to the predicted spreading rate (1.6 cm/yr). The calculated slip rate over a period of 60 years is three times greater than the expected rate of spreading.

The rigid-plate and shrinking-plate hypotheses: Implications for the azimuths of transform faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Jay Kumar; Gordon, Richard G.

2016-08-01

The rigid-plate hypothesis implies that oceanic lithosphere does not contract horizontally as it cools (hereinafter "rigid plate"). An alternative hypothesis, that vertically averaged tensional thermal stress in the competent lithosphere is fully relieved by horizontal thermal contraction (hereinafter "shrinking plate"), predicts subtly different azimuths for transform faults. The size of the predicted difference is as large as 2.44° with a mean and median of 0.46° and 0.31°, respectively, and changes sign between right-lateral (RL)-slipping and left-lateral (LL)-slipping faults. For the MORVEL transform-fault data set, all six plate pairs with both RL- and LL-slipping faults differ in the predicted sense, with the observed difference averaging 1.4° ± 0.9° (95% confidence limits), which is consistent with the predicted difference of 0.9°. The sum-squared normalized misfit, r, to global transform-fault azimuths is minimized for γ = 0.8 ± 0.4 (95% confidence limits), where γ is the fractional multiple of the predicted difference in azimuth between the shrinking-plate (γ = 1) and rigid-plate (γ = 0) hypotheses. Thus, observed transform azimuths differ significantly between RL-slipping and LL-slipping faults, which is inconsistent with the rigid-plate hypothesis but consistent with the shrinking-plate hypothesis, which indicates horizontal shrinking rates of 2% Ma-1 for newly created lithosphere, 1% Ma-1 for 0.1 Ma old lithosphere, 0.2% Ma-1 for 1 Ma old lithosphere, and 0.02% Ma-1 for 10 Ma old lithosphere, which are orders of magnitude higher than the mean intraplate seismic strain rate of 10-6 Ma-1 (5 × 10-19 s-1).

Accretion of a Small Continental Fragment to a Larger Continental Plate: Mesozoic Ecuador as a Case-Study Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massonne, H.

2013-05-01

Only a few regions on Earth are appropriate to study processes that have happened in deeper crustal levels during the accretion of a microplate to a larger continental plate. Ecuador is one of these regions where in middle Mesozoic times a small continental fragment collided with the South-American plate. Along the suture between both plates, which occurs close to the present volcanic belt of Ecuador, high-pressure (HP) metamorphic rocks developed. These rocks, which are metapelites, metabasites, and metagranitoids, record processes during the microcontinent-continent collision (Massonne and Toulkeridis, 2012, Int. Geol. Rev. 54). The pressures, determined for the HP rocks, were as high as 14 kbar at temperatures somewhat above 500°C. The HP stage was followed by slight heating at the early exhumation. Peak temperatures up to 560°C were reached at pressures ≥10 kbar. This HP metamorphism was caused by the collision of the microplate with the South-American plate resulting in crustal thickening. The ascent of the HP rocks occurred in an exhumation channel. Before the collision, an oceanic basin existed between these plates. Probably, it was narrow as eclogite bodies are lacking in the N-S trending HP belt of Ecuador. Such bodies, especially if the eclogites had experienced pressures in excess of 20 kbar, are markers of a collision of major continental plates in Phanerozoic times with originally extended oceanic basins between these plates. In a more global context, the narrow ocean between the microplate and the South American continent is assumed to have been the westernmost portion of the Neo-Tethys which had extended to completely separate the two major fragments of former Pangaea before the opening of the southern Atlantic Ocean. This opening caused the closure of the narrow Neo-Tethys segment between the colliding microplate and the South American plate. This segment was bordered by E-W trending transform faults. A fault system (La Palma - El Guayabo fault, Tahuin Dam fault) in southern Ecuador represents the southern termination of the segment and the microplate as well. The northern termination is characterized by faults bordering the Caribbean plate. As the Antarctic Ocean also opened in late Mesozoic times, the addressed transform faults became compressional strike-slip faults which caused crustal thickening during their activity. In their environment HP rocks also formed and were exhumed in an exhumation channel. At the end of the Mesozoic, oceanic crust of the Nasca plate started to be subducted below the accreted microcontinent. This process, which resulted in the formation of the prominent magmatic arc in Ecuador and Columbia in Tertiary times, is still ongoing.

West margin of North America - A synthesis of recent seismic transects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuis, G.S.

1998-01-01

A comparison of the deep structure along nine recent transects of the west margin of North America shows many important similarities and differences. Common tectonic elements identified in the deep structure along these transects include actively subducting oceanic crust, accreted oceanic/arc (or oceanic-like) lithosphere of Mesozoic through Cenozoic ages. Cenozoic accretionary prisms, Mesozoic accretionary prisms, backstops to the Mesozoic prisms, and undivided lower crust. Not all of these elements are present along all transects. In this study, nine transects, including four crossing subduction zones and five crossing transform faults, are plotted at the same scale and vertical exaggeration (V.E. 1:1), using the above scheme for identifying tectonic elements. The four subduction-zone transects contain actively subducting oceanic crust. Cenozoic accretionary prisms, and bodies of basaltic rocks accreted in the Cenozoic, including remnants of a large, oceanic plateau in the Oregon and Vancouver Island transects. Rocks of age and composition (Eocene basalt) similar to the oceanic plateau are currently subducting in southern Alaska, where they are doubled up on top of Pacific oceanic crust and have apparently created a giant asperity, or impediment to subduction. Most of the subduction-zone transects also contain Mesozoic accretionary prisms, and two of them, Vancouver Island and Alaska, also contain thick, technically underplated bodies of late Mesozoic/early Cenozoic oceanic lithosphere, interpreted as fragments of the extinct Kula plate. In the upper crust, most of the five transform-fault transects (all in California) reflect: (1) tectonic wedging of a Mesozoic accretionary prism into a backstop, which includes Mesozoic/early Cenozoic forearc rocks and Mesozoic ophiolitic/arc basement rocks: and (2) shuffling of the subduction margin of California by strike-slip faulting. In the lower crust, they may reflect migration of the Mendocino triple junction northward (seen in rocks east of the San Andreas fault) and cessation of Farallon-plate subduction (seen in rocks west of the San Andreas fault). In northern California, lower-crustal rocks east of the San Andreas fault have oceanic-crustal velocity and thickness and contain patches of high reflectivity. They may represent basaltic rocks magmatically underplated in the wake of the migration of the Mendocino triple junction, or they may represent stalled, subducted fragments of the Farallon/Gorda plate. The latter alternative does not fit the accepted 'slabless window' model for the migration of the triple junction. This lower-crustal layer and the Moho are offset at the San Andreas and Maacama faults. In central California, a similar lower-crustal layer is observed west of the San Andreas fault. West of the continental slope, it is Pacitic oceanic crust, but beneath the continent it may represent either Pacific oceanic crust, stalled, subducted fragments (microplates) of the Farallon plate, or basaltic rocks magmatically underplated during subduction of the Pacific/Farallon ridge or during breakup of the subducted Farallon plate. The transect in southern California is only partly representative of regional structure, as the structure here is 3-dimensional. In the upper crust, a Mesozoic prism has been thrust beneath crystalline basement rocks of the San Gabriel Mountains and Mojave Desert. In the mid-crust, a bright reflective zone is interpreted as a possible 'master' decollement that can be traced from the fold-and-thrust belt of the Los Angeles basin northward to at least the San Andreas fault. A Moho depression beneath the San Gabriel Mountains is consistent with downwelling of lithospheric mantle beneath the Transverse Ranges that appears to be driving the compression across the Transverse Ranges and Los Angeles basin. ?? 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and Dynamics of the Southeast Indian Ridge and Off-axis Volcanism, 129°E to 140°E: Preliminary Results of the STORM Cruise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maia, M.; Briais, A.; Barrere, F.; Boulart, C.; Ceuleneer, G.; Ferreira, N.; Hanan, B. B.; Hemond, C.; MacLeod, S.; Maillard, A. L.; Merkuryev, S. A.; Park, S. H.; Revillon, S.; Ruellan, E.; Schohn, A.; Watson, S. J.; Yang, Y. S.

2015-12-01

We present observations of the South-East Indian Ridge (SEIR) collected during the STORM cruise (South Tasmania Ocean Ridge and Mantle) on the N/O L'Atalante early 2015. The SEIR between Australia and Antarctica displays large variations of axial morphology despite an almost constant intermediate spreading rate. The Australia-Antarctic Discordance (AAD) between 120°E and 128°E is a section of the mid-ocean ridge where the magma budget is abnormally low, and which marks the boundary between Indian and Pacific mantle domains with distinct geochemical isotopic compositions. The STORM project focuses on the area east of the discordance from 128 to 140°E, where gravity highs observed on satellite-derived maps of the flanks of the SEIR reveal numerous volcanic seamounts. A major objective of the STORM cruise was to test the hypothesis of a mantle flow from the Pacific to the Indian domains. We collected multibeam bathymetry and magnetic data between 136 and 138°E to map off-axis volcanic ridges up to 10 Ma-old crust. We mapped the SEIR axis between 129 and 140°E, and the northern part of the George V transform fault. We collected rock samples on seamounts and in the transform fault, basaltic glass samples along the ridge axis, and near-bottom samples and in-situ measurements in the water column. Our observations reveal that the off-axis seamounts form near the SEIR axis, and are not associated to off-axis deformation of the ocean floor. They show a general shallowing of the ridge axis from the AAD to the George V TF and the presence of robust axial segments near the transform fault. They allow us to describe the complex evolution of the transform fault system. They also permit to locate new hydrothermal systems along the ridge axis. STORM cruise scientific party: F. Barrere, C. Boulart, G. Ceuleneer, N. Ferreira, B. Hanan, C. Hémond, S. Macleod, M. Maia, A. Maillard, S. Merkuryev, S.H. Park, S. Révillon, E. Ruellan, A. Schohn, S. Watson, and Y.S. Yang.

Complex Tectono-Magmatic Interaction along the George V Transform Fault, South-East Indian Ridge, 140°E, and Implications for Mantle Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briais, A.; Ruellan, E.; Ceuleneer, G.; Maia, M.

2017-12-01

The 300 km-offset George V Transform Fault (TF) is the westernmost of the major, right-stepping transform faults that offset the South-East Indian Ridge between 140°E and 155°E. All these TFs have multiple shear zones with intra-transform ridge segments (ITRS), mostly unmapped yet. We present the results of the analysis of geophysical and petrological data collected during the STORM cruise (South Tasmania Ocean Ridge and Mantle). The data cover the western shear zone and part of two ITRSs. They reveal a complex interaction between tectonic processes at the plate boundary and near-axis volcanic activity along and across the transform fault. The western TF shear zone consists of two segments offset by a 50 km-long, 15 km-wide, up to 2000 m-high serpentinite massif. We infer that the massif is a push-up resulting from transpression along the transform, due to the lengthening of the western ITRS, with a mechanism similar to the processes currently uplifting the mylonitic massif along the St. Paul TF in the Equatorial Atlantic (1). The western ITRS is relatively shallow and magmatically robust, which is unexpected in a TF system. The bathymetric and backscatter maps also reveal a series of recent off-axis oblique volcanic ridges. Rocks dredged on one of these ridges consist of picrites (i.e. basalts rich in olivine phenocrysts). These observations suggest that the TF there is not magma starved like many mid-ocean ridge transforms, but is the locus of significant primitive melt supply. Such an unexpected production of high-Mg melt might be related to the presence of a mantle thermal anomaly beneath the easternmost SEIR, and/or to a western flow of mantle across the TF. *STORM cruise scientific party: A. Briais, F. Barrere, C. Boulart, D. Brunelli, G. Ceuleneer, N. Ferreira, B. Hanan, C. Hémond, S. Macleod, M. Maia, A. Maillard, S. Merkuryev, S.H. Park, S. Révillon, E. Ruellan, A. Schohn, S. Watson, and Y.S. Yang. (1) Maia et al. 2016 Nature Geo. doi:10.1038/ngeo2759

Peculiarities of the tectonic and magma evolution of the southwestern Indian middle-ocean crust within the range of 51°-67° eastern longitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shreider, A. A.; Kashintsev, G. L.

2010-02-01

The comparative estimation of the parameters of the lithosphere of the Mid-Ocean Southwestern Indian range in the areas westwards and eastwards of the Atlantis II transform fault zone shows that, within this zone, an alteration in the basalt composition occurred. Eastwards of this zone, a decrease of the anomaly of the magnetic field occurred and increased average depths of the axial part (4.7 km) and thinning (up to 4-5 km) of the ocean crust with increased rates of seismic waves in the upper mantle were observed. This, first of all, indicates an anomalously cold mantle below the oceanic crust. The changes that occurred in the location of the Euler pole within the last millions of years resulted in slanting spreading in the area of the investigation with rates of opening lower than 1.8 cm/year probably accompanied by the phenomena of transtension in the active parts of the transform faults. The interaction between the Landly and Somali lithosphere plates occurred along the diffusion boundary and was accompanied by problems with tracing the chrones between the neighboring profiles of geomagnetic observations. Consequently, the more detailed investigation of the configuration of the diffusion boundary will contribute to the more accurate reconstruction of the paleogeodynamics of the central part of the Indian Ocean.

Analysis of the low-level seismicity along the Southern Indian Ocean spreading ridges recorded by the OHASISBIO array of hydrophones in 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsang-Hin-Sun, Eve; Royer, Jean-Yves; Sukhovich, Alexey; Perrot, Julie

2014-05-01

Arrays of autonomous hydrophones (AUHs) proved to be a very valuable tool for monitoring the seismic activity of mid-ocean ridges. AUHs take advantage of the ocean acoustic properties to detect many low-magnitude underwater earthquakes undetected by land-based stations. This allows for a significant improvement in the magnitude completeness level of seismic catalogs in remote oceanic areas. This study presents some results from the deployment of the OHASISBIO array comprising 7 AUHs deployed in the southern Indian Ocean. The source of acoustic events, i.e. site where - conversion from seismic to acoustic waves occur and proxy to epicenters for shallow earthquakes - can be precisely located within few km, inside the AUH array. The distribution of the uncertainties in the locations and time-origins shows that the OHASISBIO array reliably covers a wide region encompassing the Indian Ocean triple junction and large extent of the three mid-oceanic Indian spreading ridges, from 52°E to 80°E and from 25°S to 40°S. During its one year long deployment in 2012 and in this area the AUH array recorded 1670 events, while, for the same period, land-based networks only detected 470 events. A comparison of the background seismicity along the South-east (SEIR) and South-west (SWIR) Indian ridges suggests that the microseismicity, even over a year period, could be representative of the steady-state of stress along the SEIR and SWIR; this conclusion is based on very high Spearman's correlations between our one-year long AUH catalog and teleseismic catalogs over nearly 40 years. Seismicity along the ultra-slow spreading SWIR is regularly distributed in space and time, along spreading segments and transform faults, whereas the intermediate spreading SEIR diplays clusters of events in the vicinity of some transform faults or near specific geological structures such as the St-Paul and Amsterdam hotspot. A majority of these clusters seem to be related to magmatic processes, such as dyke intrusion or propagation. The analysis of mainshock-aftershock sequences reveals that flew clusters fit a modified Omori law, non-withstanding of their location (on transform faults or not), reflecting complex rupture mechanisms along both spreading ridges.

Enigmatic rift-parallel, strike-slip faults around Eyjafjörður, Northern Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proett, J. A.; Karson, J. A.

2014-12-01

Strike-slip faults along mid-ocean ridge spreading centers are generally thought to be restricted to transform boundaries connecting rift segments. Faults that are parallel to spreading centers are generally assumed to be normal faults associated with tectonic extension. However, clear evidence of north-south (rift-parallel), strike-slip displacements occur widely around the southern portion of Eyjafjörður, northern Iceland about 50 km west of the Northern Rift Zone. The area is south of the southernmost strand (Dalvík Lineament) of the NW-SE-trending, dextral-slip, Tjӧrnes Fracture Zone (where N-S, sinistral, strike-slip "bookshelf" faulting occurs). Faults in the Eyjafjörður area cut 8.5-10 m.y. basaltic crust and are parallel to spreading-related dikes and are commonly concentrated along dike margins. Fault rocks range from fault breccia to gouge. Riedel shears and other kinematic indicators provide unambiguous evidence of shear sense. Most faults show evidence of sinistral, strike-slip movement but smaller proportions of normal and oblique-slip faults also are present. Cross cutting relations among the different types of faults are inconsistent and appear to be related to a single deformation event. Fault slip-line kinematic analysis yields solutions indicating sinistral-normal oblique-slip overall. These results may be interpreted in terms of either previously unrecognized transform-fault bookshelf faulting or slip accommodating block rotation associated with northward propagation of the Northern Rift Zone.

Talc friction in the temperature range 25°–400 °C: relevance for fault-zone weakening

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Diane E.; Lockner, David A.

2008-01-01

Talc has a temperature–pressure range of stability that extends from surficial to eclogite-facies conditions, making it of potential significance in a variety of faulting environments. Talc has been identified in exhumed subduction zone thrusts, in fault gouge collected from oceanic transform and detachment faults associated with rift systems, and recently in serpentinite from the central creeping section of the San Andreas fault. Typically, talc crystallized in the active fault zones as a result of the reaction of ultramafic rocks with silica-saturated hydrothermal fluids. This mode of formation of talc is a prime example of a fault-zone weakening process. Because of its velocity-strengthening behavior, talc may play a role in stabilizing slip at depth in subduction zones and in the creeping faults of central and northern California that are associated with ophiolitic rocks.

The Subduction of an Exhumed and Serpentinized Magma-Poor Basement Beneath the Northern Lesser Antilles Reveals the Early Tectonic Fabric at Slow-Spreading Mid-Oceanic Ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcaillou, B.; Klingelhoefer, F.; Laurencin, M.; Biari, Y.; Graindorge, D.; Jean-Frederic, L.; Laigle, M.; Lallemand, S.

2017-12-01

Multichannel and wide-angle seismic data as well as heat-flow measurements (ANTITHESIS cruise, 2016) reveal a 200x200km patch of magma-poor oceanic basement in the trench and beneath the outer fore-arc offshore of Antigua to Saint Martin in the Northern Lesser Antilles. These data highlight an oceanic basement with the following features: 1/ Absence of any reflection at typical Moho depth and layer2/layer3 limit depths. 2/ High Velocity Vp at the top (>5.5 km/s), low velocity gradient with depth (<0.3 s-1) and no significant velocity change at theoretical Moho depth. 3/ Anomalously low heat-flow (40±15mW.m-2) compared to the central Antilles and to theoretical values for an 80 Myr-old oceanic plate suggesting the influence of deep hydrothermal circulation. 4/ Two sets of reflections dipping toward the paleo mid-Atlantic ridge and toward the Vidal Transform Fault Zone respectively. These highly reflective planes sometimes fracture the top of the basement, deforming the interplate contact and extend downward to 20km depth with a 20° angle. We thus propose that a large patch of mantle rocks, exhumed and serpentinized at the slow-spreading mid-Atlantic Ridge 80 Myr ago, is currently subducting beneath the Northern Lesser Antilles. During the exhumation, early extension triggers penetrative shear zones sub-parallel to the ridge and to the transform fault. Eventually, this early extension generates sliding along the so-called detachment fault, while the other proto-detachment abort. Approaching the trench, the plate bending reactivates these weak zones in normal faults and fluid pathways promoting deep serpentinisation and localizing tectonic deformation at the plate interface. These subducting fluid-rich mechanically weak mantle rocks rise questions about their relation to the faster slab deepening, the lower seismic activity and the pervasive tectonic partitioning in this margin segment.

Mantle uplift and exhumation caused by long-lived transpression at a major transform fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maia, Marcia; Sichel, Susanna; Briais, Anne; Brunelli, Daniele; Ligi, Marco; Campos, Thomas; Mougel, Bérengère; Hémond, Christophe

2017-04-01

Large portions of slow-spreading ridges have mantle-derived peridotites emplaced either on, or at shallow levels below the sea floor. Mantle and deep rock exposure in such contexts results from extension through low-angle detachment faults at oceanic core complexes or, along transform faults, to transtension due to small changes in spreading geometry. In the Equatorial Atlantic, a large body of ultramafic rocks at the large-offset St. Paul transform fault forms the archipelago of St. Peter & St. Paul. These islets are emplaced near the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), and have intrigued geologists since Darwin's time. They are made of variably serpentinized and mylonitized peridotites, and are presently being uplifted at a rate of 1.5 mm/yr, which suggests tectonic stresses. The existence of an abnormally cold upper mantle or cold lithosphere in the Equatorial Atlantic was, until now, the preferred explanation for the origin of these ultramafics. High-resolution geophysical data and rock samples acquired in 2013 show that the origin of the St. Peter & St. Paul archipelago is linked to compressive stresses along the transform fault. The islets represent the summit of a large push-up ridge formed by deformed mantle rocks, located in the center of a positive flower structure, where large portions of mylonitized mantle are uplifted. The transpressive stress field can be explained by the propagation of the northern MAR segment into the transform domain. The latter induced the overlap of ridge segments, resulting in the migration and segmentation of the transform fault and the creation of a series of restraining step-overs. A counterclockwise change in plate motion at 11 Ma initially generated extensive stresses in the transform domain, forming a flexural transverse ridge. Shortly after the plate reorganization, the MAR segment located on the northern side of the transform fault started to propagate southwards, adjusting to the new spreading direction. Enhanced melt supply at the ridge axis, possibly due to the Sierra Leone thermal anomaly, induced the robust response of this segment.

Consequences of Rift Propagation for Spreading in Thick Oceanic Crust in Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.

2015-12-01

Iceland has long been considered a natural laboratory for processes related to seafloor spreading, including propagating rifts, migrating transforms and rotating microplates. The thick, hot, weak crust and subaerial processes of Iceland result in variations on the themes developed along more typical parts of the global MOR system. Compared to most other parts of the MOR, Icelandic rift zones and transform faults are wider and more complex. Rift zones are defined by overlapping arrays of volcanic/tectonic spreading segments as much as 50 km wide. The most active rift zones propagate N and S away from the Iceland hot spot causing migration of transform faults. A trail of crust deformed by bookshelf faulting forms in their wakes. Dead or dying transform strands are truncated along pseudofaults that define propagation rates close to the full spreading rate of ~20 mm/yr. Pseudofaults are blurred by spreading across wide rift zones and laterally extensive subaerial lava flows. Propagation, with decreasing spreading toward the propagator tips causes rotation of crustal blocks on both sides of the active rift zones. The blocks deform internally by the widespread reactivation of spreading-related faults and zones of weakness along dike margins. The sense of slip on these rift-parallel strike-slip faults is inconsistent with transform-fault deformation. These various deformation features as well as subaxial subsidence that accommodate the thickening of the volcanic upper crustal units are probably confined to the brittle, seismogenic, upper 10 km of the crust. At least beneath the active rift zones, the upper crust is probably decoupled from hot, mechanically weak middle and lower gabbroic crust resulting in a broad plate boundary zone between the diverging lithosphere plates. Similar processes may occur at other types of propagating spreading centers and magmatic rifts.

The Dynamics of Oceanic Transform Faults: Constraints from Geophysical, Geochemical and Geodynamical Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

increases in pormisill 1L, red litv; or the presence serpenliinucd Southwst l ndianRidga,t:MA\\, Mid AliantineRd 4]ldlIl luan de lucu Rdge; mantle i green ...and the green wiggled indicate regions of accreing ITSCs; (41 pooling of(extruded lAv-as within the transfornm fault. increased porosity and...at an EPR-tvpc system ( green line with solid green squares). 100% and 25% serpcntinization is shown. and the shaded region marks the serpentine

Seismicity in the Vicinity of the Tristan Da Cunha Hot Spot: Particular Plate Tectonics and Mantle Plume Presence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlömer, Antje; Geissler, Wolfram H.; Jokat, Wilfried; Jegen, Marion

2017-12-01

Earthquake locations along the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge have large uncertainties due to the sparse distribution of permanent seismological stations in and around the South Atlantic Ocean. Most of the earthquakes are associated with plate tectonic processes related to the formation of new oceanic lithosphere, as they are located close to the ridge axis or in the immediate vicinity of transform faults. A local seismological network of ocean-bottom seismometers and land stations on and around the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha allowed for the first time a local earthquake survey for 1 year. We relate intraplate seismicity within the African oceanic plate segment north of the island partly to extensional stresses induced by a bordering large transform fault and to the existence of the Tristan mantle plume. The temporal propagation of earthquakes within the segment reflects the prevailing stress field. The strong extensional stresses in addition with the plume weaken the lithosphere and might hint at an incipient ridge jump. An apparently aseismic zone coincides with the proposed location of the Tristan conduit in the upper mantle southwest of the islands. The margins of this zone describe the transition between the ductile and the surrounding brittle regime. Moreover, we observe seismicity close to the islands of Tristan da Cunha and nearby seamounts, which we relate to ongoing tectono-magmatic activity.

Alkalic marine tephra layers at ODP Site 1241 - Major explosive eruptions from an oceanic volcano in a pre-shield stage?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schindlbeck, J. C.; Kutterolf, S.; Freundt, A.; Andrews, G. D. M.; Wang, K.-L.; Völker, D.; Werner, R.; Frische, M.; Hoernle, K.

2016-12-01

We report a series of fourteen marine tephra layers that are the products of large explosive eruptions of Subplinian to Plinian intensities and magnitudes (VEI > 4) from Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Cocos Island is a volcanic island in the eastern Central Pacific Ocean 500 km offshore Costa Rica, and is situated on the northwestern flank of the aseismic Cocos Ridge. Geochemical fingerprinting of Pleistocene ( 2.4-1.4 Ma) marine tephra layers from Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) Leg 202 Site 1241 using major and trace element compositions of volcanic glass shards demonstrates unequivocally their origin from Cocos Island rather than the Galápagos Archipelago or the Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA). Cocos Island and the adjacent seamounts of the Cocos Island Province have alkalic compositions and formed on young (≤ 3 Ma) oceanic crust from an extinct spreading ridge bounded by a transform fault against the older and thicker crust of the aseismic Cocos Ridge. Cocos Island has six times the average volume of the adjacent seamounts although all appear to have formed during the 3-1.4 Ma time period. Cocos Island lies closest to the transform fault and we explain its excessive growth by melts rising from garnet-bearing mantle being deflected from the thick Cocos Ridge lithosphere toward the thinner lithosphere on the other side of the transform, thus enlarging the melt catchment area for Cocos Island compared to the seamounts farther away from the transform. This special setting favored growth above sea level and subaerial explosive eruptions even though the absence of appropriate compositions suggests that the entirely alkalic Cocos Island (and seamounts) never evolved through the productive tholeiitic shield stage typical of other Pacific Ocean islands, possibly because melt production rates remained too small. Conditions of magma generation and ascent resembled Hawaiian pre-shield volcanoes but persisted for much longer (< 1 m.y.) and formed evolved, trachytic magmas. Therefore Cocos Island may be a unique example for a volcanic ocean island that did not pass through the typical growth stages.

Seismicity, Deformation, and Metamorphism in the Western Hellenic Subduction Zone: New Constraints From Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpaap, Felix; Rondenay, Stéphane; Ottemöller, Lars

2018-04-01

The Western Hellenic Subduction Zone is characterized by a transition from oceanic to continental subduction. In the southern oceanic portion of the system, abundant seismicity reaches depths of 100 km to 190 km, while the northern continental portion rarely exhibits deep earthquakes. Our study investigates how this oceanic-continental transition affects fluid release and related seismicity along strike. We present results from local earthquake tomography and double-difference relocation in conjunction with published images based on scattered teleseismic waves. Our tomographic images recover both subducting oceanic and continental crusts as low-velocity layers on top of high-velocity mantle. Although the northern and southern trenches are offset along the Kephalonia Transform Fault, continental and oceanic subducting crusts appear to align at depth. This suggests a smooth transition between slab retreat in the south and slab convergence in the north. Relocated hypocenters outline a single-planed Wadati-Benioff Zone with significant along-strike variability in the south. Seismicity terminates abruptly north of the Kephalonia Transform Fault, likely reflecting the transition from oceanic to continental subducted crust. Near 90 km depth, the low-velocity signature of the subducting crust fades out and the Wadati-Benioff Zone thins and steepens, marking the outline of the basalt-eclogite transition. Subarc melting of the mantle is only observed in the southernmost sector of the oceanic subduction, below the volcanic part of the arc. Beneath the nonvolcanic part, the overriding crust appears to have undergone large-scale silica enrichment. This enrichment is observed as an anomalously low Vp/Vs ratio and requires massive transport of dehydration-derived fluids updip through the subducting crust.

Stress drop variation of M > 4 earthquakes on the Blanco oceanic transform fault using a phase coherence method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, J. R.; Hawthorne, J.; Rost, S.; Wright, T. J.

2017-12-01

Earthquakes on oceanic transform faults often show unusual behaviour. They tend to occur in swarms, have large numbers of foreshocks, and have high stress drops. We estimate stress drops for approximately 60 M > 4 earthquakes along the Blanco oceanic transform fault, a right-lateral fault separating the Juan de Fuca and Pacific plates offshore of Oregon. We find stress drops with a median of 4.4±19.3MPa and examine how they vary with earthquake moment. We calculate stress drops using a recently developed method based on inter-station phase coherence. We compare seismic records of co-located earthquakes at a range of stations. At each station, we apply an empirical Green's function (eGf) approach to remove phase path effects and isolate the relative apparent source time functions. The apparent source time functions at each earthquake should vary among stations at periods shorter than a P wave's travel time across the earthquake rupture area. Therefore we compute the rupture length of the larger earthquake by identifying the frequency at which the relative apparent source time functions start to vary among stations, leading to low inter-station phase coherence. We determine a stress drop from the rupture length and moment of the larger earthquake. Our initial stress drop estimates increase with increasing moment, suggesting that earthquakes on the Blanco fault are not self-similar. However, these stress drops may be biased by several factors, including depth phases, trace alignment, and source co-location. We find that the inclusion of depth phases (such as pP) in the analysis time window has a negligible effect on the phase coherence of our relative apparent source time functions. We find that trace alignment must be accurate to within 0.05 s to allow us to identify variations in the apparent source time functions at periods relevant for M > 4 earthquakes. We check that the alignments are accurate enough by comparing P wave arrival times across groups of earthquakes. Finally, we note that the eGf path effect removal will be unsuccessful if earthquakes are too far apart. We therefore calculate relative earthquake locations from our estimated differential P wave arrival times, then we examine how our stress drop estimates vary with inter-earthquake distance.

Tracking the India-Arabia Transform Plate Boundary during Paleogene Times.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, M.; Huchon, P.; Chamot-Rooke, N. R. A.; Fournier, M.; Delescluse, M.

2014-12-01

The Zagros and Himalaya mountain belts are the most prominent reliefs built by continental collision. They respectively result from Arabia and India collision with Eurasia. Convergence motions at mountain belts induced most of plate reorganization events in the Indian Ocean during the Cenozoic. Although critical for paleogeographic reconstructions, the way relative motion between Arabia and India was accommodated prior to the formation of the Sheba ridge in the Gulf of Aden remains poorly understood. The India-Arabia plate-boundary belongs to the category of long-lived (~90-Ma) oceanic transform faults, thus providing a good case study to investigate the role of major kinematic events over the structural evolution of a long-lived transform system. A seismic dataset crossing the Owen Fracture Zone, the Owen Basin, and the Oman Margin was acquired to track the past locations of the India-Arabia plate boundary. We highlight the composite age of the Owen Basin basement, made of Paleocene oceanic crust drilled on its eastern part, and composed of pre-Maastrichtian continental crust overlaid by Early Paleocene ophiolites on its western side. A major transform fault system crossing the Owen Basin juxtaposed these two slivers of lithosphere of different ages, and controlled the uplift of marginal ridges along the Oman Margin. This transform system deactivated ~40 Ma ago, coeval with the onset of ultra-slow spreading at the Carlsberg Ridge. The transform boundary then jumped to the edge of the present-day Owen Ridge during the Late Eocene-Oligocene period, before seafloor spreading began at the Sheba Ridge. This migration of the plate boundary involved the transfer of a part of the Indian oceanic lithosphere accreted at the Carlsberg Ridge to the Arabian plate. The episode of plate transfer at the India-Arabia plate boundary during the Late Eocene-Oligocene interval is synchronous with a global plate reorganization event corresponding to geological events at the Zagros and Himalaya belts. The Owen Ridge uplifted later, in Late Miocene times, and is unrelated to any major migration of the India-Arabia boundary.

What major faults look like, and why this matters for lithospheric dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fagereng, Ake

2016-04-01

Earthquakes involve seconds to minutes of frictional sliding on a discontinuity, likely of sub-cm thickness, within a damage zone. Earthquakes are separated by an interseismic period of hundreds to thousands of years, during which a number of healing and weakening processes occur within the fault zone. The next earthquake occurs as shear stress exceeds frictional resistance, on the same or a different discontinuity as the previous event, embedded within the fault damage zone. After incremental damage and healing in multiple earthquake cycles, the fault zone rock assemblage evolves to a structure and composition distinctly different from the host rock(s). This presentation presents field geology evidence from a range of settings, to discuss the interplay between the earthquake cycle, long-term deformation, and lithospheric rheology. Classic fault zone models are based on continental transforms, which generally form discrete faults in the upper crust, and wide, anastomosing shear zones in the lower crust. In oceanic crust, transforms are considered frictionally weak, and appear to exploit dyke margins and joint surfaces, but also locally cross-cut these structures in anastomosing networks. In the oceanic lower crust and upper mantle, serpentinisation significantly alters fault structure. In old continental crust, previous deformation events leave a heterogeneous geology affecting active faulting. For example, the amagmatic, southern East African Rift has long been thought to exploit weak Proterozoic 'mobile belts'. However, detailed look at the Bilila-Mtakataka border fault in Malawi indicates that this fault locally exploits weak foliation in existing deformed zones, but also locally forms a new set of anastomosing fault surfaces cross-cutting existing weak foliation. In exhumed lower crust, the Antarctic Maud Belt provides an example of multiple phases of plastic deformation, where the second event is only visible in localised shear zones, likely inherited from the first event. The subduction thrust interface provides an example of fault evolution in underthrust sediments as they deform and dewater. At shallow levels, distributed shear leads to development of scaly cleavage, which in places provides weak, clay surfaces on which earthquakes can propagate to the sea floor. With further deformation, a melange is progressively developed, with increasingly dismembered, sheared lenses of higher viscosity sedimentary rock and slivers of oceanic crust, in a low viscosity, cleaved matrix. The range of examples presented here illustrate how long-term deformation results in weak structures that likely control future deformation. Yet, the rheology of these structures is modulated by strength fluctuations during the earthquake cycle, illustrated by common evidence of episodic fault healing. The take home message from these field studies of fault zones is therefore the heterogeneity of the Earth's crust, the importance of long-term weak zones as a first order control on crustal deformation, and short-term strength fluctuations within these zones as a consequence of, and reason for, the earthquake cycle.

An Examination of Seismicity Linking the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu Subduction Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, J. S.; Furlong, K. P.

2015-12-01

The Solomon Islands-Vanuatu composite subduction zone represents a tectonically complex region along the Pacific-Australia plate boundary in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Here the Australia plate subducts under the Pacific plate in two segments: the South Solomon Trench and the Vanuatu Trench. The two subducting sections are offset by a 200 km long, transform fault - the San Cristobal Trough (SCT) - which acts as a Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) fault. The subducting segments have experienced much more frequent and larger seismic events than the STEP fault. The northern Vanuatu trench hosted a M8.0 earthquake in 2013. In 2014, at the juncture of the western terminus of the SCT and the southern South Solomon Trench, two earthquakes (M7.4 and M7.6) occurred with disparate mechanisms (dominantly thrust and strike-slip respectively), which we interpret to indicate the tearing of the Australia plate as its northern section subducts and southern section translates along the SCT. During the 2013-2014 timeframe, little seismic activity occurred along the STEP fault. However, in May 2015, three M6.8-6.9 strike-slip events occurred in rapid succession as the STEP fault ruptured east to west. These recent events share similarities with a 1993 strike-slip STEP sequence on the SCT. Analysis of the 1993 and 2015 STEP earthquake sequences provides constraints on the plate boundary geometry of this major transform fault. Preliminary research suggests that plate motion along the STEP fault is partitioned between larger east-west oriented strike-slip events and smaller north-south thrust earthquakes. Additionally, the differences in seismic activity between the subducting slabs and the STEP fault can provide insights into how stress is transferred along the plate boundary and the mechanisms by which that stress is released.

Drilling the Oceanic Lower Crust and Mantle

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-01

East Pacific Rise near 21 ...A. Bideau, R.D. and Hekinian, R. 1983, Ultramafics and mafic rocks from the Garret transform fault near 13󈧢’S on the East Pacific Rise : igneous...Science Foundation. older crust formed at the East Pacific Rise . The JOIDES Planning Committee should immediately constitute a Deep Crustal

Large-Scale Deformation and Uplift Associated with Serpentinization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Germanovich, L. N.; Lowell, R. P.; Smith, J. E.

2014-12-01

Geologic and geophysical data suggest that partially serpentinized peridotites and serpentinites are a significant part of the oceanic lithosphere. All serpentinization reactions are exothermic and result in volume expansion as high as 40%. Volume expansion beneath the seafloor will lead to surface uplift and elevated stresses in the neighborhood of the region undergoing serpentinization. The serpentinization-induced stresses are likely to result in faulting or tensile fracturing that promote the serpentinization process by creating new permeability and allowing fluid access to fresh peridotite. To explore these issues, we developed a first-order model of crustal deformation by considering an inclusion undergoing transformation strain in an elastic half-space. Using solutions for inclusions of different shapes, orientations, and depths, we calculate the surface uplift and mechanical stresses generated by the serpentinization processes. We discuss the topographic features at the TAG hydrothermal field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 26°N), uplift of the Miyazaki Plain (Southwestern Japan), and tectonic history of the Atlantic Massif (inside corner high of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 30°N, and the Atlantis Transform Fault). Our analysis suggests that an anomalous salient of 3 km in diameter and 100 m high at TAG may have resulted from approximately 20% transformational strain in a region beneath the footwall of the TAG detachment fault. This serpentinization process tends to promote slip along some overlying normal faults, which may then enhance fluid pathways to the deeper crust to continue the serpentinization process. The serpentinization also favors slip and seismicity along the antithetic faults identified below the TAG detachment fault. Our solution for the Miyazaki Plain above the Kyushu-Palau subduction zone explains the observed uplift of 120 m, but the transformational strain needs only be 3%. Transformational strains associated with serpentinization in this region may promote thrust-type events in the aseismic slip zone near the upper boundary of the subducting Philippine Sea Plate. Thermal effects of serpentinization in both regions are small.

A bottom-driven mechanism for distributed faulting in the Gulf of California rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persaud, Patricia; Tan, Eh; Contreras, Juan; Lavier, Luc

2017-11-01

Observations of active faulting in the continent-ocean transition of the Northern Gulf of California show multiple oblique-slip faults distributed in a 200 × 70 km2 area developed some time after a westward relocation of the plate boundary at 2 Ma. In contrast, north and south of this broad pull-apart structure, major transform faults accommodate Pacific-North America plate motion. Here we propose that the mechanism for distributed brittle deformation results from the boundary conditions present in the Northern Gulf, where basal shear is distributed between the Cerro Prieto strike-slip fault (southernmost fault of the San Andreas fault system) and the Ballenas Transform Fault. We hypothesize that in oblique-extensional settings whether deformation is partitioned in a few dip-slip and strike-slip faults, or in numerous oblique-slip faults may depend on (1) bottom-driven, distributed extension and shear deformation of the lower crust or upper mantle, and (2) the rift obliquity. To test this idea, we explore the effects of bottom-driven shear on the deformation of a brittle elastic-plastic layer with the help of pseudo-three dimensional numerical models that include side forces. Strain localization results when the basal shear abruptly increases in a step-function manner while oblique-slip on numerous faults dominates when basal shear is distributed. We further explore how the style of faulting varies with obliquity and demonstrate that the style of delocalized faulting observed in the Northern Gulf of California is reproduced in models with an obliquity of 0.7 and distributed basal shear boundary conditions, consistent with the interpreted obliquity and boundary conditions of the study area.

Localizing Submarine Earthquakes by Listening to the Water Reverberations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo, J.; Zhan, Z.; Wu, W.

2017-12-01

Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR) earthquakes generally occur far from any land based station and are of moderate magnitude, making it complicated to detect and in most cases, locate accurately. This limits our understanding of how MOR normal and transform faults move and the manner in which they slip. Different from continental events, seismic records from earthquakes occurring beneath the ocean floor show complex reverberations caused by P-wave energy trapped in the water column that are highly dependent of the source location and the efficiency to which energy propagated to the near-source surface. These later arrivals are commonly considered to be only a nuisance as they might sometimes interfere with the primary arrivals. However, in this study, we take advantage of the wavefield's high sensitivity to small changes in the seafloor topography and the present-day availability of worldwide multi-beam bathymetry to relocate submarine earthquakes by modeling these water column reverberations in teleseismic signals. Using a three-dimensional hybrid method for modeling body wave arrivals, we demonstrate that an accurate hypocentral location of a submarine earthquake (<5 km) can be achieved if the structural complexities near the source region are appropriately accounted for. This presents a novel way of studying earthquake source properties and will serve as a means to explore the influence of physical fault structure on the seismic behavior of transform faults.

Investigating the 3-D Subduction Initiation Processes at Transform Faults and Passive Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, H.; Leng, W.

2017-12-01

Studying the processes of subduction initiation is a key for understanding the Wilson cycle and improving the theory of plate tectonics. Previous studies investigated subduction initiation with geological synthesis and geodynamic modeling methods, discovering that subduction intends to initiate at the transform faults close to oceanic arcs, and that its evolutionary processes and surface volcanic expressions are controlled by plate strength. However, these studies are mainly conducted with 2-D models, which cannot deal with lateral heterogeneities of crustal thickness and strength along the plate interfaces. Here we extend the 2-D model to a 3-D parallel subduction model with high computational efficiency. With the new model, we study the dynamic controlling factors, morphology evolutionary processes and surface expressions for subduction initiation with lateral heterogeneities of material properties along transform faults and passive margins. We find that lateral lithospheric heterogeneities control the starting point of the subduction initiation along the newly formed trenches and the propagation speed for the trench formation. New subduction tends to firstly initiate at the property changing point along the transform faults or passive margins. Such finds may be applied to explain the formation process of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) subduction zone in the western Pacific and the Scotia subduction zone at the south end of the South America. Our results enhance our understanding for the formation of new trenches and help to provide geodynamic modeling explanations for the observed remnant slabs in the upper mantle and the surface volcanic expressions.

Identification of hyper-extended crust east of Davie Ridge in the Mozambique Channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimke, Jennifer; Franke, Dieter

2015-04-01

Davie Ridge is a ~1200 km wide, N-S trending bathymetrical high in the Mozambique Channel. Today, it is widely accepted that Davie Ridge is located along a fossil transform fault that was active during the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous (~165-120 Ma). This transform fault results from the breakup of Gondwana, when Madagascar (together with India and Antarctica) drifted from its northerly position in the Gondwana Supercontinent (adjacent to the coasts of Tanzania, Somalia and Kenya) to its present position (e.g. Coffin and Rabinowitz, 1987; Rabinowitz et al., 1983; Segoufin and Patriat, 1980). The southward motion of Madagascar relative to Africa is constrained by the interpretation of magnetic anomalies in the Western Somali Basin, located north of Madagascar (e.g. Rabinowitz et al., 1983). According to Bird (2001), sheared margins share typical characteristics and a common evolution: 1. The transition from continental to oceanic crust is relatively abrupt (~ 50-80 km). 2. Along the continental side of the margin, complex rift basins form that display a wide range of faults. 3. Prominent marginal ridges form along the sheared margin that probably originate from the propagation of the oceanic spreading center along the plate boundary (Bird, 2001). In February and March 2014, a dense geophysical dataset (multichannel seismic, magnetics, gravimetry and bathymetry) with a total of 4300 profile km along the sheared margin was acquired with the R/V Sonne by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). A special objective of the project, amongst others, is the characterization and interpretation of the continent-ocean transition seaward of Davie Ridge in the Mozambique Channel. Seismic profiles located east of Davie Ridge in the Western Somali Basin reveal a wide sequence of half-grabens bounded by listric normal faults. We tentatively suggest that this crust is of continental origin and results from rifting between Africa and Madagascar during the breakup of Gondwana. This implies that the continent-ocean transition is located at least ~ 150 km east of Davie Ridge. References Bird, D., 2001. Shear margins: Continent-ocean transform and fracture zone boundaries. The Leading Edge, 150-159. Coffin, M. F., und Rabinowitz, P. D., 1987. Reconstruction of Madagascar and Africa: Evidence from the Davie Fracture Zone and Western Somali Basin. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 92, no. B9, 9385-9406. Rabinowitz, P.D., Coffin, M.F. and Falvey, D.A., 1983. The separation of Madagascar and Africa. Science 220, 67-69. Segoufin, J., und Patriat, P., 1980. Existence d'anomalies mesozoiques dans le bassin de Somalie. Implications pour les relations Afrique-Antarctique-Madagascar: C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, v. 291, p. 85-88.

Marine Geophysical Characterization of the Chain Fracture Zone in the Equatorial Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmon, N.; Rychert, C.; Agius, M. R.; Tharimena, S.; Kendall, J. M.

2017-12-01

The Chain Fracture zone is part of a larger system of fracture zones along the Mid Atlantic Ridge that is thought to be one of the original zones of weakness during the break up of Pangea. It is over 300 km long and produces earthquakes as large as Mw 6.9 on segments of the active fault zone. Here we present the results of two marine geophysical mapping campaigns over the active part of the Chain Fracture zone as part of the PI-LAB (Passive Imaging of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary) experiment. We collected swath bathymetry, backscatter imagery, gravity and total field magnetic anomaly. We mapped the fault scarps within the transform fault system using the 50 m resolution swath and backscatter imagery. In addition, a 30-40 mGal residual Mantle Bouguer Anomaly determined from gravity analysis suggests the crust is by up to 1.4-2.0 km beneath the Chain relative to the adjacent ridge segments. However, in the eastern 75 km of the active transform we find evidence for thicker crust. The active fault system cuts through the region of thicker crust and there is a cluster of MW > 6 earthquakes in this region. There is a cluster of similar sized earthquakes on the western end where thinner crust is inferred. This suggests that variations in melt production and crustal thickness at the mid ocean ridge systems may have only a minor effect on the seismicity and longevity of the transform fault system.

Stratigraphy, Structure and Tectonics of the Eyjafjarðaráll Rift, Abandoned Southern Segment of the Kolbeinsey Ridge, North Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandsdottir, B.; Karson, J. A.; Magnúsdóttir, S.; Detrick, B.; Driscoll, N. W.

2017-12-01

The multi-branched plate boundary across Iceland is made up of divergent and oblique rifts, and transform zones, characterized by entwined extensional and transform tectonics. The Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ) is a complex transform linking the northern rift zone (NVZ) on land with the offshore Kolbeinsey Ridge. The TFZ lacks a clear topographic expression typical of oceanic fracture zones. The transform zone is roughly 150 km long (E-W) by 50-75 km wide (N-S) with three N-S trending pull-apart basins bounded by a complex array of normal and oblique-slip faults. The offshore extension of the NVZ, the Grímsey Oblique Rift, is composed of several active volcanic systems with N-S trending fissure swarms, including the Skjálfandadjúp Basin (SB). The magma-starved southern extension of the KR, the 80 km NS and 15-20 EW Eyjafjarðaráll Rift (ER), is made up of dominantly normal faults merging southwards with a system of right-lateral strike-slip faults with vertical displacement up to 15 m in the Húsavík Flatey Fault Zone (HFFZ). The northern ER is a 500-700 m deep asymmetric rift, framed by normal faults with 20-25 m vertical displacement, To the south, transform movement associated with the HFFZ has created a NW- striking pull-apart basin with frequent earthquake swarms. Details of the tectonic framework of the ER are documented in a compilation of data from aerial photos, satellite images, field mapping, multibeam bathymetry, high-resolution seismic reflection surveys (Chirp) and seismicity. The TFZ rift basins contain post-glacial sediments of variable thickness. Strata in the western ER and SB basins dip steeply E along the normal faults, towards the deepest part of the rift. The eastern side of the ER and SB basins differ considerably from the western side, with near-vertical faults. Correlation of Chirp reflection data and tephrachronology from a sediment core reveal major rifting episodes between 10-12.1 kyrs BP activating both the Eyjafjarðaráll and Skjálfandadjúp rift basins, followed by smaller-scale fault movements throughout Holocene. These vertical fault movements reflect elevated tectonic activity during early postglacial time coinciding with isostatic rebound and enhanced volcanism within Iceland.

My Road to Transform Faulting 1963; Long-Term Precursors to Recent Great Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sykes, L. R.

2017-12-01

My road to plate tectonics started serendipitously in 1963 in a remote area of the southeast Pacific when I was studying the propagation of short-period seismic surface waves for my PhD. The earthquakes I used as sources were poorly located. I discovered that my relocated epicenters followed the crest of the East Pacific Rise but then suddenly took a sharp turn to the east at what I interpreted to be a major fracture zone 1000 km long before turning again to the north near 55 degrees south. I noted that earthquakes along that zone only occurred between the two ridge crests, an observation Tuzo Wilson used to develop his hypothesis of transform faulting. Finding a great, unknown fracture zone led me to conclude that work on similar faults that intersect the Mid-Oceanic Ridge System was more important than my study of surface waves. I found similar great faults over the next two years and obtained refined locations of earthquakes along several island arcs. When I was in Fiji and Tonga during 1965 studying deep earthquakes, James Dorman wrote to me about Wilson's paper and I thought about testing his hypothesis. I started work on it the spring of 1966 immediately after I learned about the symmetrical "magic magnetic anomaly profile" across the East Pacific Rise of Pitman and Heirtzler. I quickly obtained earthquake mechanisms that verified the transform hypothesis and its related concepts of seafloor spreading and continental drift. As an undergraduate in the late 1950s, my mentor told me that respectable young earth scientists should not work on vague and false mobilistic concepts like continental drift since continents cannot plow through strong oceanic crust. Hence, until spring 1966, I did not take continental drift seriously. The second part of my presentation involves new evidence from seismology and GPS of what appear to be long-term precursors to a number of great earthquakes of the past decade.

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

Cleveland, K. Michael; VanDeMark, Thomas F.; Ammon, Charles J.

We report that double-difference methods applied to cross-correlation measured Rayleigh wave time shifts are an effective tool to improve epicentroid locations and relative origin time shifts in remote regions. We apply these methods to seismicity offshore of southwestern Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, occurring along the boundaries of the Pacific and Juan de Fuca (including the Explorer Plate and Gorda Block) Plates. The Blanco, Mendocino, Revere-Dellwood, Nootka, and Sovanco fracture zones host the majority of this seismicity, largely consisting of strike-slip earthquakes. The Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda spreading ridges join these fracture zones and host normal faultingmore » earthquakes. Our results show that at least the moderate-magnitude activity clusters along fault strike, supporting suggestions of large variations in seismic coupling along oceanic transform faults. Our improved relative locations corroborate earlier interpretations of the internal deformation in the Explorer and Gorda Plates. North of the Explorer Plate, improved locations support models that propose northern extension of the Revere-Dellwood fault. Relocations also support interpretations that favor multiple parallel active faults along the Blanco Transform Fault Zone. Seismicity of the western half of the Blanco appears more scattered and less collinear than the eastern half, possibly related to fault maturity. We use azimuthal variations in the Rayleigh wave cross-correlation amplitude to detect and model rupture directivity for a moderate size earthquake along the eastern Blanco Fault. Lastly, the observations constrain the seismogenic zone geometry and suggest a relatively narrow seismogenic zone width of 2 to 4 km.« less

The regional structure of the Red Sea Rift revised

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustin, Nico; van der Zwan, Froukje M.; Devey, Colin W.; Brandsdóttir, Bryndís

2017-04-01

The Red Sea Rift has, for decades, been considered a text book example of how young ocean basins form and mature. Nevertheless, most studies of submarine processes in the Red Sea were previously based on sparse data (mostly obtained between the late 1960's and 1980's) collected at very low resolution. This low resolution, combined with large gaps between individual datasets, required large interpolations when developing geological models. Thus, these models generally considered the Red Sea Rift a special case of young ocean basement formation, dividing it from North to South into three zones: a continental thinning zone, a "transition zone" and a fully developed spreading zone. All these zones are imagined, in most of the models, to be separated by large transform faults, potentially starting and ending on the African and Arabian continental shields. However, no consensus between models e.g. about the locations (or even the existence) of major faults, the nature of the transition zone or the extent of oceanic crust in the Red Sea Rift has been reached. Recently, high resolution bathymetry revealed detailed seafloor morphology as never seen before from the Red Sea, very comparable to other (ultra)slow spreading mid-ocean ridges such as the Gakkel Ridge, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and SW-Indian Ridge, changing the overall picture of the Red Sea significantly. New discoveries about the extent, movement and physical properties of submarine salt deposits led to the Red Sea Rift being linked to the young Aptian-age South Atlantic. Extensive crosscutting transform faults are not evident in the modern bathymetry data, neither in teleseismic nor vertical gravity gradient data and comparisons to Gakkel Ridge and the SW-Indian Ridge suggest that the Red Sea is much simpler in terms of structural geology than was previously thought. Complicated tectonic models do not appear necessary and there appears to be large areas of oceanic crust under the Red Sea salt blankets. Based on this new information, we present a new and straightforward model of the large scale geological and tectonic situation in the Red Sea Rift.

Lithospheric dynamics near plate boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Sean C.

1992-01-01

The progress report on research conducted between 15 Mar. - 14 Sep. 1992 is presented. The focus of the research during the first grant year has been on several problems broadly related to the nature and dynamics of time-dependent deformation and stress along major seismic zones, with an emphasis on western North America but with additional work on seismic zones in oceanic lithosphere as well. The principal findings of our research to date are described in the accompanying papers and abstract. Topics covered include: (1) Global Positioning System measurements of deformations associated with the 1987 Superstition Hills earthquake: evidence for conjugate faulting; (2) Global Positioning System measurements of strain accumulation across the Imperial Valley, California: 1986-1989; (3) present-day crustal deformation in the Salton Trough, southern California; (4) oceanic transform earthquakes with unusual mechanisms or locations: relation to fault geometry and state of stress in the lithosphere; and (5) crustal strain and the 1992 Mojave Desert earthquakes.

Post-rift deformation of the Red Sea Arabian margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanoni, Davide; Schettino, Antonio; Pierantoni, Pietro Paolo; Rasul, Najeeb

2017-04-01

Starting from the Oligocene, the Red Sea rift nucleated within the composite Neoproterozoic Arabian-Nubian shield. After about 30 Ma-long history of continental lithosphere thinning and magmatism, the first pulse of oceanic spreading occurred at around 4.6 Ma at the triple junction of Africa, Arabia, and Danakil plate boundaries and propagated southward separating Danakil and Arabia plates. Ocean floor spreading between Arabia and Africa started later, at about 3 Ma and propagated northward (Schettino et al., 2016). Nowadays the northern part of the Red Sea is characterised by isolated oceanic deeps or a thinned continental lithosphere. Here we investigate the deformation of thinned continental margins that develops as a consequence of the continental lithosphere break-up induced by the progressive oceanisation. This deformation consists of a system of transcurrent and reverse faults that accommodate the anelastic relaxation of the extended margins. Inversion and shortening tectonics along the rifted margins as a consequence of the formation of a new segment of ocean ridge was already documented in the Atlantic margin of North America (e.g. Schlische et al. 2003). We present preliminary structural data obtained along the north-central portion of the Arabian rifted margin of the Red Sea. We explored NE-SW trending lineaments within the Arabian margin that are the inland continuation of transform boundaries between segments of the oceanic ridge. We found brittle fault zones whose kinematics is consistent with a post-rift inversion. Along the southernmost transcurrent fault (Ad Damm fault) of the central portion of the Red Sea we found evidence of dextral movement. Along the northernmost transcurrent fault, which intersects the Harrat Lunayyir, structures indicate dextral movement. At the inland termination of this fault the evidence of dextral movement are weaker and NW-SE trending reverse faults outcrop. Between these two faults we found other dextral transcurrent systems that locally are associated with metre-thick reverse fault zones. Along the analysed faults there is evidence of tectonic reworking. Relict kinematic indicators or the sense of asymmetry of sigmoidal Miocene dykes may suggest that a former sinistral movement was locally accommodated by these faults. This evidence of inversion of strike-slip movement associated with reverse structures, mostly found at the inland endings of these lineaments, suggests an inversion tectonics that could be related to the progressive and recent oceanisation of rift segments. Schettino A., Macchiavelli C., Pierantoni P.P., Zanoni D. & Rasul N. 2016. Recent kinematics of the tectonic plates surrounding the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Geophysical Journal International, 207, 457-480. Schlische R.W., Withjack M.O. & Olsen P.E., 2003. Relative timing of CAMP, rifting, continental breakup, and basin inversion: tectonic significance, in The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province: Insights from Fragments of Pangea, eds Hames W., Mchone J.G., Renne P. & Ruppel C., American Geophysical Union, 33-59.

Tectonic interpretation of the Andrew Bain transform fault: Southwest Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sclater, John G.; Grindlay, Nancy R.; Madsen, John A.; Rommevaux-Jestin, Celine

2005-09-01

Between 25°E and 35°E, a suite of four transform faults, Du Toit, Andrew Bain, Marion, and Prince Edward, offsets the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) left laterally 1230 km. The Andrew Bain, the largest, has a length of 750 km and a maximum transform domain width of 120 km. We show that, currently, the Nubia/Somalia plate boundary intersects the SWIR east of the Prince Edward, placing the Andrew Bain on the Nubia/Antarctica plate boundary. However, the overall trend of its transform domain lies 10° clockwise of the predicted direction of motion for this boundary. We use four transform-parallel multibeam and magnetic anomaly profiles, together with relocated earthquakes and focal mechanism solutions, to characterize the morphology and tectonics of the Andrew Bain. Starting at the southwestern ridge-transform intersection, the relocated epicenters follow a 450-km-long, 20-km-wide, 6-km-deep western valley. They cross the transform domain within a series of deep overlapping basins bounded by steep inward dipping arcuate scarps. Eight strike-slip and three dip-slip focal mechanism solutions lie within these basins. The earthquakes can be traced to the northeastern ridge-transform intersection via a straight, 100-km-long, 10-km-wide, 4.5-km-deep eastern valley. A striking set of seismically inactive NE-SW trending en echelon ridges and valleys, lying to the south of the overlapping basins, dominates the eastern central section of the transform domain. We interpret the deep overlapping basins as two pull-apart features connected by a strike-slip basin that have created a relay zone similar to those observed on continental transforms. This transform relay zone connects three closely spaced overlapping transform faults in the southwest to a single transform fault in the northeast. The existence of the transform relay zone accounts for the difference between the observed and predicted trend of the Andrew Bain transform domain. We speculate that between 20 and 3.2 Ma, an oblique accretionary zone jumping successively northward created the en echelon ridges and valleys in the eastern central portion of the domain. The style of accretion changed to that of a transform relay zone, during a final northward jump, at 3.2 Ma.

Non-Orthogonality of Seafloor Spreading: A New Look at Fast Spreading Centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, T.; Gordon, R. G.

2015-12-01

Most of Earth's surface is created by seafloor spreading. While most seafloor spreading is orthogonal, that is, the strike of mid-ocean ridge segments is perpendicular to nearby transform faults, examples of significant non-orthogonality have been noted since the 1970s, in particular in regions of slow seafloor spreading such as the western Gulf of Aden with non-orthogonality up to 45°. In contrast, here we focus on fast and ultra-fast seafloor spreading along the East Pacific Rise. To estimate non-orthogonality, we compare ridge-segment strikes with the direction of plate motion determined from the angular velocity that best fits all the data along the boundary of a single plate pair [DeMets et al., 2010]. The advantages of this approach include greater accuracy and the ability to estimate non-orthogonality where there are no nearby transform faults. Estimating the strikes of fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge segments present several challenges as non-transform offsets on various scales affect the estimate of the strike. While spreading is orthogonal or nearly orthogonal along much of the East Pacific Rise, some ridge segments along the Pacific-Nazca boundary near 30°S and near 16°S-22°S deviate from orthogonality by as much as 6°-12° even when we exclude the portions of mid-ocean ridge segments involved in overlapping spreading centers. Thus modest but significant non-orthogonality occurs where seafloor spreading is the fastest on the planet. If a plume lies near the ridge segment, we assume it contributes to magma overpressure along the ridge segment [Abelson & Agnon, 1997]. We further assume that the contribution to magma overpressure is proportional to the buoyancy flux of the plume [Sleep, 1990] and inversely proportional to the distance between the mid-ocean ridge segment and a given plume. We find that the non-orthogonal angle tends to decrease with increasing spreading rate and with increasing distance between ridge segment and plume.

Depth-varying seismogenesis on an oceanic detachment fault at 13°20‧N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, Timothy J.; Parnell-Turner, Ross

2017-12-01

Extension at slow- and intermediate-spreading mid-ocean ridges is commonly accommodated through slip on long-lived faults called oceanic detachments. These curved, convex-upward faults consist of a steeply-dipping section thought to be rooted in the lower crust or upper mantle which rotates to progressively shallower dip-angles at shallower depths. The commonly-observed result is a domed, sub-horizontal oceanic core complex at the seabed. Although it is accepted that detachment faults can accumulate kilometre-scale offsets over millions of years, the mechanism of slip, and their capacity to sustain the shear stresses necessary to produce large earthquakes, remains subject to debate. Here we present a comprehensive seismological study of an active oceanic detachment fault system on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 13°20‧N, combining the results from a local ocean-bottom seismograph deployment with waveform inversion of a series of larger teleseismically-observed earthquakes. The unique coincidence of these two datasets provides a comprehensive definition of rupture on the fault, from the uppermost mantle to the seabed. Our results demonstrate that although slip on the deep, steeply-dipping portion of detachment faults is accommodated by failure in numerous microearthquakes, the shallow, gently-dipping section of the fault within the upper few kilometres is relatively strong, and is capable of producing large-magnitude earthquakes. This result brings into question the current paradigm that the shallow sections of oceanic detachment faults are dominated by low-friction mineralogies and therefore slip aseismically, but is consistent with observations from continental detachment faults. Slip on the shallow portion of active detachment faults at relatively low angles may therefore account for many more large-magnitude earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges than previously thought, and suggests that the lithospheric strength at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges may be concentrated at shallow depths.

40Ar/39Ar dating of oceanic plagiogranite: Constraints on the initiation of seafloor spreading in the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Li-Feng; Cai, Guan-Qiang; Koppers, Anthony A. P.; Xu, Yi-Gang; Xu, He-Hua; Gao, Hong-Fang; Xia, Bin

2018-03-01

The Cenozoic opening of the South China Sea was one of the most significant tectonic events in SE Asia, coinciding with complex regional rifting, subduction, terrane collision, and large-scale continental strike-slip faulting. The timing of the initiation of seafloor spreading in the South China Sea remains controversial due to a scarcity of incontrovertible age data. This work provides the first report of an oceanic plagiogranite from the Penglai Seamount, located on the 17°N fossil spreading center of the East Sub-basin of the South China Sea, near the Manila Trench. Pyroxene and whole-rock 40Ar/39Ar dating yields ages of 32.3 ± 0.5 Ma and 28.9 ± 1.9 Ma, respectively. The plagiogranite show trace element and isotopic composition similar to those of mid-oceanic ridge basalts (MORB), with 87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70394; εNd(t) = 8.21; 206Pb/204Pb = 17.9930, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.4839, 208Pb/204Pb = 37.8852; εHf(t) = 20.95; and γOs(t) = 15.89. It suggested that the rock formed due to differential cooling between adjacent layers of oceanic crust and asthenospheric shearing at the oceanic spreading ridge, resulting in the development of detachment faults. This triggered the subsequent ingress of seawater along the faults, which transformed into a hydrothermal fluid under the influence of shear and geothermal heating, altering the parent gabbro, and leading to the generation of the daughter plagiogranite by anatexis during the early Oligocene. This new geochronology also demonstrates that the initial opening of the South China Sea occurred before 32 Ma, thereby constraining the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Southeast Asia.

Precise relative locations for earthquakes in the northeast Pacific region

DOE PAGES

Cleveland, K. Michael; VanDeMark, Thomas F.; Ammon, Charles J.

2015-10-09

We report that double-difference methods applied to cross-correlation measured Rayleigh wave time shifts are an effective tool to improve epicentroid locations and relative origin time shifts in remote regions. We apply these methods to seismicity offshore of southwestern Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, occurring along the boundaries of the Pacific and Juan de Fuca (including the Explorer Plate and Gorda Block) Plates. The Blanco, Mendocino, Revere-Dellwood, Nootka, and Sovanco fracture zones host the majority of this seismicity, largely consisting of strike-slip earthquakes. The Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda spreading ridges join these fracture zones and host normal faultingmore » earthquakes. Our results show that at least the moderate-magnitude activity clusters along fault strike, supporting suggestions of large variations in seismic coupling along oceanic transform faults. Our improved relative locations corroborate earlier interpretations of the internal deformation in the Explorer and Gorda Plates. North of the Explorer Plate, improved locations support models that propose northern extension of the Revere-Dellwood fault. Relocations also support interpretations that favor multiple parallel active faults along the Blanco Transform Fault Zone. Seismicity of the western half of the Blanco appears more scattered and less collinear than the eastern half, possibly related to fault maturity. We use azimuthal variations in the Rayleigh wave cross-correlation amplitude to detect and model rupture directivity for a moderate size earthquake along the eastern Blanco Fault. Lastly, the observations constrain the seismogenic zone geometry and suggest a relatively narrow seismogenic zone width of 2 to 4 km.« less

Oceanographer transform fault structure compared to that of surrounding oceanic crust: Results from seismic refraction data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambos, E. L.; Hussong, D. M.

1986-02-01

A high quality seismic refraction data set was collected near the intersection of the tranform portion of the Oceanographer Fracture Zone (OFZ) with the adjacent northern limb of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge spreading center (MAR). One seismic line was shot down the axis of the transform valley. Another was shot parallel to the spreading center, crossing from normal oceanic crust into the transform valley, and out again. This latter line was recorded by four Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBSs) spaced along its length, providing complete reversed coverage over the crucial transform valley zone. Findings indicate that whereas the crust of the transform valley is only slightly thinner (4.5 km) compared to normal oceanic crust (5-8 km), the structure is different. Velocities in the range of 6.9 to 7.7. km/sec, which are characteristics of seismic layer 3B, are absent, although a substantial thickness (approximately 3 km) of 6.1-6.8 km/sec material does appear to be present. The upper crust, some 2 km in thickness, is characterized by a high velocity gradient (1.5 sec -1) in which veloxity increases from 2.7 km/sec at the seafloor to 5.8 km/sec at the base of the section. A centrally-located deep of the transform valley has thinner crust (1-2 km), whereas the crust gradually thickens past the transform valley-spreading center intersection. Analysis of the seismic line crossing sub-perpendicular to the transform valley demonstrates abrupt thinning of the upper crustal section, and thickening of the lower crust outside of the trasform valley. In addition, high-velocity material seems to occur under the valley flanks, particularly the southern flanking ridge. This ridge, which is on the side of the transform opposite to the intersection of spreading ridge and transform, may be an expression of uplifted, partially serpentinized upper mantle rocks.

Agulhas Ridge, South Atlantic: the peculiar structure of a transform fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uenzelmann-Neben, G.; Gohl, K.

2003-04-01

Transform faults constitute conservative plate boundaries, where adjacent plates are in tangential contact. Transform faults in the ocean are marked by fracture zones, which are long, linear, bathymetric depressions. One of the largest transform offsets on Earth can be found in the South Atlantic. The 1200 km long Agulhas Falkland Fracture Zone (AFFZ), form by this, developed during the Early Cretaceous break-up of West Gondwana. Between approx. 41°S, 16°E and 43°S, 9°E the Agulhas Falkland Fracture Zone is characterised by a pronounced topographic anomaly, the Agulhas Ridge. The Agulhas Ridge rises more than 2 km above the surrounding seafloor. The only equivalent to this kind of topographic high, as part of the AFFZ, is found in form of marginal ridges along the continental parts of the fracture zone, namely the Falkland Escarpment at the South American continent and the Diaz Ridge adjacent to South Africa. But the Agulhas Ridge differs from both the Falkland Escarpment and the Diaz Ridge in the facts (1) that it was not formed during the early rift-drift phase, and (2) that it separates oceanic crust of different age and not continental from oceanic crust. A set of high-resolution seismic reflection data (total length 2000 km) and a seismic refraction line across the Agulhas Ridge give new information on the crustal and basement structure of this tectonic feature. We have observed that within the Cape Basin, to the North, the basement and sedimentary layers are in parts strongly deformed. We observe basement highs, which point towards intrusions. Both the basement and the sedimentary sequence show strong faulting. This points towards a combined tectono-magmatic activity, which led to the formation of basement ridges parallel to the Agulhas Ridge. Since at least the pre-Oligocene parts and, locally, the whole sedimentary column are affected we infer that the renewed activity began in the Middle Oligocene and may have lasted into the Quaternary. As an origin of the renewed tectono-magmatic activity we suggest modifications in spreading rate and direction as a result of the Discovery hotspot chain activity starting ~ 25 Ma (Kempe and Schilling, 1974) and the significant deceleration of the African plat since at least 19 Ma (O'Connor et al., 1999). Kempe, D., Schilling, J.G. (1974), Discovery Tablemount basalt:Petrology and geochemistry. Contrb. Mineral. Petrol., 44, 101-115. O'Connor, J.M., Stoffers, P., van den Bogaard, P., McWilliams, M. (1999), First seamount age evidence for significant slower African plate motion since 19 to 30 Ma. Earth Planet. Scie. Letts., 171, 575-589.

An oceanic core complex (OCC) in the Albanian Dinarides? Preliminary paleomagnetic and structural results from the Mirdita Ophiolite (northern Albania)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maffione, M.; Morris, A.; Anderson, M.

2010-12-01

Oceanic core complexes (OCCs) are dome-shaped massifs commonly associated with the inside corners of the intersection of transform faults and slow (and ultra-slow) spreading centres. They represent the uplifted footwalls of large-slip oceanic detachment faults (e.g. Cann et al., 1997; Blackman et al., 1998) and are composed of mantle and lower crustal rocks exhumed during fault displacement (Smith et al., 2006, 2008). Recent paleomagnetic studies of core samples from OCCs in the Atlantic Ocean (Morris et al., 2009; MacLeod et al., in prep) have confirmed that footwall sections undergo substantial rotation around (sub-) horizontal axes. These studies, therefore, support “rolling hinge” models for the evolution of OCCs, whereby oceanic detachment faults initiate at a steep angle at depth and then “roll-over” to their present day low angle orientations during unroofing (Buck, 1988; Wernicke & Axen, 1988; Lavier et al., 1999). However, a fully integrated paleomagnetic and structural analysis of this process is hampered by the one-dimensional sampling provided by ocean drilling of OCC footwalls. Therefore, ancient analogues for OCCs in ophiolites are of great interest, as these potentially provide 3-D exposures of these important structures and hence a more complete understanding of footwall strain and kinematics (providing that emplacement-related phases of deformation can be accounted for). Recently, the relationship between outcropping crustal and upper mantle rocks led Tremblay et al. (2009) to propose that an OCC is preserved within the Mirdita ophiolite of the Albanian Dinarides (northern Albania). This is a slice of Jurassic oceanic lithosphere exposed along a N-S corridor which escaped the main late Cenozoic Alpine deformation (Robertson, 2002, 2004; Dilek et al., 2007). Though in the eastern portion of the Mirdita ophiolite a Penrose-type sequence is present, in the western portion mantle rocks are in tectonic contact with upper crustal lithologies. This main fault has been interpreted by Tremblay et al. (2009) as originally an oceanic detachment fault that exhumed mantle rocks and put them in contact with upper crustal basalts according to the “rolling-hinge” model. In order to test this model and document the kinematics of the proposed detachment fault, we carried out a preliminary paleomagnetic and structural sampling campaign in July 2010. The principal aims were: (i) to determine whether paleomagnetic remanences provide evidence for early relative rotation of footwall and hanging wall sequences either side of the proposed detachment that may be consistent with rolling-hinge models for OCCs; & (ii) to provide insights into the broader tectonic evolution of the Mirdita units. We collected c. 200 oriented samples at 32 localities distributed within a 30 km x 15 km area located between the Puka and Krabbi massifs, near the villages of Puka and Reps. Here we present the preliminary results of this study and discuss their geological implications for the history of the Mirdita ophiolite, including the interpretation of the Puka and Krabbi massifs as a fossil OCC and the primary orientation of the Mirdita spreading axis.

Constraining Earthquake Source Parameters in Rupture Patches and Rupture Barriers on Gofar Transform Fault, East Pacific Rise from Ocean Bottom Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyer, P. A.; Boettcher, M. S.; McGuire, J. J.; Collins, J. A.

2015-12-01

On Gofar transform fault on the East Pacific Rise (EPR), Mw ~6.0 earthquakes occur every ~5 years and repeatedly rupture the same asperity (rupture patch), while the intervening fault segments (rupture barriers to the largest events) only produce small earthquakes. In 2008, an ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) deployment successfully captured the end of a seismic cycle, including an extensive foreshock sequence localized within a 10 km rupture barrier, the Mw 6.0 mainshock and its aftershocks that occurred in a ~10 km rupture patch, and an earthquake swarm located in a second rupture barrier. Here we investigate whether the inferred variations in frictional behavior along strike affect the rupture processes of 3.0 < M < 4.5 earthquakes by determining source parameters for 100 earthquakes recorded during the OBS deployment.Using waveforms with a 50 Hz sample rate from OBS accelerometers, we calculate stress drop using an omega-squared source model, where the weighted average corner frequency is derived from an empirical Green's function (EGF) method. We obtain seismic moment by fitting the omega-squared source model to the low frequency amplitude of individual spectra and account for attenuation using Q obtained from a velocity model through the foreshock zone. To ensure well-constrained corner frequencies, we require that the Brune [1970] model provides a statistically better fit to each spectral ratio than a linear model and that the variance is low between the data and model. To further ensure that the fit to the corner frequency is not influenced by resonance of the OBSs, we require a low variance close to the modeled corner frequency. Error bars on corner frequency were obtained through a grid search method where variance is within 10% of the best-fit value. Without imposing restrictive selection criteria, slight variations in corner frequencies from rupture patches and rupture barriers are not discernable. Using well-constrained source parameters, we find an average stress drop of 5.7 MPa in the aftershock zone compared to values of 2.4 and 2.9 MPa in the foreshock and swarm zones respectively. The higher stress drops in the rupture patch compared to the rupture barriers reflect systematic differences in along strike fault zone properties on Gofar transform fault.

Overview of the Kinematics of the Salton Trough and Northern Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, J. M.

2016-12-01

In the Salton Trough and Northern Gulf of California, transtensional rifting is leading to full continental plate breakup, as a major continental block is being transferred to an oceanic plate. Since at least 6 Ma this region has taken up most of the plate boundary slip between the Pacific and North America plates at this latitude. We review the structural history of plate separation, as constrained by many recent studies of present and past fault configurations, seismicity, and basin development as seen from geology and geophysics. Modern activity in the USA is dominated by NW-striking strike-slip faults (San Andreas, San Jacinto, Elsinore), and subsidiary NE-striking faults. There is an equally broad zone in Mexico (faults from the Mexicali Valley to the Colorado River Delta and bounding the Laguna Salada basin), including active low-angle detachment faults. In both areas, shifts in fault activity are indicated by buried faults and exhumed or buried earlier basin strata. Seismicity defines 3 basin segments in the N Gulf: Consag-Wagner, Upper Delfin, and Lower Delfin, but localization is incomplete. These basins occupy a broad zone of modern deformation, lacking single transform faults, although major strike-slip faults formed in the surrounding continental area. The off-boundary deformation on the western side of the plate boundary has changed with time, as seen by Holocene and Quaternary faults controlling modern basins in the Gulf Extensional Province of NE Baja California, and stranded Pliocene continental and marine basin strata in subaerial fault blocks. The eastern side of the plate boundary, in the shallow northeastern Gulf, contains major NW-striking faults that may have dominated the earlier (latest Miocene-early Pliocene) kinematics. The Sonoran coastal plain likely buries additional older faults and basin sequences; further studies here are needed to refine models of the earlier structural development of this sector. Despite > 250 km of plate separation, and production of new crustal area in these segments of the plate boundary, the deformation is not considered to be fully localized because some occurs outside the region of new crustal formation. Similar scenarios may need to be considered when evaluating continent-ocean transitions in other rift systems.

Transform push, oblique subduction resistance, and intraplate stress of the Juan de Fuca plate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, K.; He, J.; Davis, E.E.

1997-01-01

The Juan de Fuca plate is a small oceanic plate between the Pacific and North America plates. In the southernmost region, referred to as the Gorda deformation zone, the maximum compressive stress a, constrained by earthquake focal mechanisms is N-S. Off Oregon, and possibly off Washington, NW trending left-lateral faults cutting the Juan de Fuca plate indicate a a, in a NE-SW to E-W direction. The magnitude of differential stress increases from north to south; this is inferred from the plastic yielding and distribution of earthquakes throughout the Gorda deformation zone. To understand how tectonic forces determine the stress field of the Juan de Fuca plate, we have modeled the intraplate stress using both elastic and elastic-perfectly plastic plane-stress finite element models. We conclude that the right-lateral shear motion of the Pacific and North America plates is primarily responsible for the stress pattern of the Juan de Fuca plate. The most important roles are played by a compressional force normal to the Mendocino transform fault, a result of the northward push by the Pacific plate and a horizontal resistance operating against the northward, or margin-parallel, component of oblique subduction. Margin-parallel subduction resistance results in large N-S compression in the Gorda deformation zone because the force is integrated over the full length of the Cascadia subduction zone. The Mendocino transform fault serves as a strong buttress that is very weak in shear but capable of transmitting large strike-normal compressive stresses. Internal failure of the Gorda deformation zone potentially places limits on the magnitude of the fault-normal stresses being transmitted and correspondingly on the magnitude of strike-parallel subduction resistance. Transform faults and oblique subduction zones in other parts of the world can be expected to transmit and create stresses in the same manner. Copyright 1997 by the American Geophysical Union.

Wide-angle seismic data from the East Sicily margin: Imaging the deep structure of a Tethyan transform margin and the modern Calabria subduction lateral slab tear.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dellong, D.; Klingelhoefer, F.; Kopp, H.; Gutscher, M. A.

2016-12-01

It is generally accepted that a STEP fault (Subduction Tear Edge Propagator) has accommodated the roll back of the Ionian Slab along the eastern Sicily Margin since 6 to 7 Ma. However the location of this lithospheric scale tear fault, and its surface expression is controversial. Constrain by numerous bathymetric imaging and shallow sub-surface multi-channels seismic (MCS) studies, variety of fault geometry was proposed. Moreover the role of the Malta Escarpment in this geodynamic system also remain the object of debates. It may be linked to the opening of the Ionian basin during a phase of strike-slip rifting since more than 180 Ma. Here we present the results of modelling of two wide-angle seismic profiles from the DIONYSUS survey (R/V Meteor, Oct. 2014). The first profile (DY-P3) was recorded by 25 Ocean- Bottom-Seismometers (OBS) and 3 land stations, and the second profile (DY-P1) by 52 OBS. Forward modelling of both profiles reveals a zone of abrupt crustal thinning from about 30 km below the Hyblean plateau and East-Sicily continental domain, to values of 8-15 km over a short lateral distance of 20-30 km. In the northern profile (DY-P3) the crust east of this abrupt thinning is of transitional thickness (15 km) and characterized by seismic velocities and velocity gradients similar to thinned continental crust. In the southern profile (DY-P1) this crust is 6-8 km thick, and the velocity gradients are close to those of oceanic crust. On this profile about 50-60 km eastward from the base of the Malta Escarpment, a lateral change of crustal velocities was modelled. Here a recent shallow transtensional deformation has been observed in MCS data at the position of this structure and linked to an elongated basin visible in the bathymetry and was linked to the STEP fault location. The results of the wide-angle seismic modelling suggest an ancient origin for the Malta Escarpment, formed as a transform margin during opening of the Ionian Basin about 180 Ma ago. The geometry of the modern day STEP fault is largely obscured in the northern profile because of the superposition of the structures with the ancient Tethyan transform Margin. In the southern wide-angle seismic profile these two structures are distinct and this allow us to conclude that the Malta Escarpment offshore SE Sicily has not been re-activated by the recent STEP-fault activity.

Acoustic monitoring of earthquakes along the Blanco Transform Fault zone and Gorda Plate and their tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dziak, Robert Paul

Hydroacoustic tertiary (T-) waves are seismically generated acoustic waves that propagate over great distances in the ocean sound channel with little loss in signal strength. Hydrophone recorded T-waves can provide a lower earthquake detection threshold and an improved epicenter location accuracy for oceanic earthquakes than land-based seismic networks. Thus detection and location of NE Pacific ocean earthquakes along the Blanco Transform Fault (BTFZ) and Gorda plate using the U.S. Navy's SOSUS (SOund SUrveillance System) hydrophone arrays afford greater insight into the current state of stress and crustal deformation mechanics than previously available. Acoustic earthquake information combined with bathymetry, submersible observations, earthquake source- parameter estimates, petrologic samples, and water-column chemistry renders a new tectonic view of the southern Juan de Fuca plate boundaries. Chapter 2 discusses development of seismo-acoustic analysis techniques using the well-documented April 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake sequence. Findings include a hydrophone detection threshold estimate (M ~ 2.4), and T-wave propagation path modeling to approximate earthquake acoustic source energy. Empirical analyses indicate that acoustic energy provides a reasonable magnitude and seismic moment estimate of oceanic earthquakes not detected by seismic networks. Chapters 3 documents a probable volcanogenic T-wave event swarm along a pull-apart basin within the western BTFZ during January 1994. Response efforts yielded evidence of anomalous water-column 3He concentrations, pillow- lava volcanism, and the first discovery of active hydrothermal vents along an oceanic fracture zone. Chapter 4 discusses the detection of a NE-SW trending microearthquake band along the mid-Gorda plate which was active from initiation of SOSUS recording in August 1991 through July 1992, then abruptly ceased. It is proposed that eventual termination of the Gorda plate seismicity band is due to strain reduction associated with the Cape Mendocino earthquake sequence. Chapter 5 combines bathymetric, hydro-acoustic, seismic, submersible, and gravity data to investigate the active tectonics of the transform parallel Blanco Ridge (BR), along the eastern BTFZ. The BR formation mechanism preferred here is uplift through strike-slip motion (with a normal component) followed by formation and intrusion of mantle-derived serpentinized-peridotite into the shallow ocean crust. The conclusion considers a potential link between the deformation patterns observed along the BTFZ and Gorda plate regions.

Emergence and petrology of the Mendocino Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisk, Martin R.; Duncan, Robert A.; Fox, Christopher G.; Witter, Jeffrey B.

1993-11-01

The Mendocino Fracture Zone, a 3,000-km-long transform fault, extends from the San Andreas Fault at Cape Mendocino, California due west into the central Pacific basin. The shallow crest of this fracture zone, known as the Mendocino Ridge, rises to within 1,100 m of the sea surface at 270 km west of the California Coast. Rounded basalt pebbles and cobbles, indicative of a beach environment, are the dominant lithology at two locations on the crest of Mendocino Ridge and a40Ar/39 Ar incremental heating age of 11.0 ± 1.0 million years was determined for one of the these cobbles. This basalt must have been erupted on the Gorda Ridge because the crust immediately to the south of the fracture zone is older than 27 Ma. This age also implies that the crest of Mendocino Ridge was at sea level and would have blocked Pacific Ocean eastern boundary currents and affected the climate of the North American continent at some time since the late Miocene. Basalts from the Mendocino Fracture Zone (MFZ) are FeTi basalts similar to those commonly found at intersections of mid-ocean ridges and fracture zones. These basalts are chemically distinct from the nearby Gorda Ridge but they could have been derived from the same mantle source as the Gorda Ridge basalts. The location of the 11 Ma basalt suggests that Mendocino Ridge was transferred from the Gorda Plate to the Pacific Plate and the southern end of Gorda Ridge was truncated by a northward jump in the transform fault of MFZ.

A new plate tectonic concept for the eastern-most Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huebscher, C.; McGrandle, A.; Scaife, G.; Spoors, R.; Stieglitz, T.

2012-04-01

Owing to the seismogenic faults bordering the Levant-Sinai realm and the discovery of giant gas reservoirs in the marine Levant Basin the scientific interest in this tectonically complex setting increased in recent years. Here we provide a new model for the Levant Basin architecture and adjacent plate boundaries emphasizing the importance of industrial seismic data for frontier research in earth science. PSDM seismics, residual gravity and depth to basement maps give a clear line of evidence that the Levant Basin, formerly considered as a single tectonic entity, is divided into two different domains. Highly stretched continental crust in the southern domain is separated from deeper and presumably Tethyan oceanic crust in the north. A transform continuing from southwest Cyprus to the Carmel Fault in northern Israel is considered as the boundary. If this interpretation holds, the Carmel-Cyprus Transform represents a yet unknown continent-ocean boundary in the eastern Mediterranean, thus adding new constrains for the Mediterranean plate tectonic puzzle. The Eratosthenes Seamount, considered as the spearhead of incipient continental collision in the eastern Mediterranean, is interpreted as a carbonate platform that developed above a volcanic basement. NW-SE trending strike-slip faults are abundant in the entire Levant region. Since this trend also shapes the topography of the Levant hinterland including Quaternary deposits their recent tectonic activity is quite likely. Thus, our study supports previous studies which attributed the evolution of submarine canyons and Holocene triggering of mass failures not only to salt tectonics or depositional processes, but also to active plate-tectonics.

Morphology of oceanic ridges in spreading colloidal suspensions: Influence of spreading rate and lithospheric thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibrant, A.; Davaille, A.; Mittelstaedt, E. L.

2016-12-01

Oceanic ridges exhibit significant changes in their structural, morphological, and volcanic characteristics with changes in spreading velocity. However, separating the role of correlated affects such as spreading rate and lithospheric thickness on the segmentation of the ridge axis is difficult with only field data. The goal of this study is (a) to conduct properly scaled laboratory simulations of oceanic ridges, and (b) to investigate how the morphology and geometry of spreading-normal oceanic ridges vary separately with extension rate and lithospheric thickness. We present a series of analogue experiments using colloidal silica dispersions as an Earth analogue. Saline water solutions placed in contact with these fluids, cause formation of a skin through salt diffusion, whose rheology evolves from purely viscous to elastic and brittle with increasing salinity. Applying a fixed spreading rate to this pre-formed, brittle plate resulting in cracks, faults and axial ridge structures. Lithospheric (skin) thickness at a given extension rate is varied by changing salinity of the surface water layer. With increasing spreading rate, we observe several regimes: (1) at the slowest spreading rates, the spreading axis is composed of several segments separated by non-transform offsets and has a fault-bounded, deep, U-shaped axial valley. The axis has a large sinuosity, rough topography, and jumps repeatedly. (2) At intermediate spreading rates, the spreading axis shows low sinuosity, overlapping spreading centers (OSC) , a smooth axial morphology, and very few to no jumps. The axial valley is shallow and shows a V-shape morphology. The OSCs have a ratio of length to width of 3 to 1. (3) At faster spreading rates, the axis is continuous and presents an axial high topography. (4) At the fastest spreading rates tested, the spreading axis is again segmented. Each segment is offset by well developed transform faults and the axis has a sinuosity comparable to those of regimes 2 and 3. Rotating and growing microplates are also observed in regimes 3 and 4. For the first time, we are able to independently control spreading rate, lithospheric thickness, and mechanical properties of a simulated ridge axis in the laboratory. We present results of these experiments and discuss the implications for oceanic ridges on Earth.

Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2010 eastern margin of the Australia plate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benz, Harley M.; Herman, Matthew; Tarr, Arthur C.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Furlong, Kevin P.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Dart, Richard L.; Rhea, Susan

2011-01-01

The eastern margin of the Australia plate is one of the most seismically active areas of the world due to high rates of convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates. In the region of New Zealand, the 3,000 km long Australia-Pacific plate boundary extends from south of Macquarie Island to the southern Kermadec Island chain. It includes an oceanic transform (the Macquarie Ridge), two oppositely verging subduction zones (Puysegur and Hikurangi), and a transpressive continental transform, the Alpine Fault through South Island, New Zealand. Since 1900, there have been 15 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded near New Zealand. Nine of these, and the four largest, occurred along or near the Macquarie Ridge, including the 1989 M8.2 event on the ridge itself, and the 2004 M8.1 event 200 km to the west of the plate boundary, reflecting intraplate deformation. The largest recorded earthquake in New Zealand itself was the 1931 M7.8 Hawke's Bay earthquake, which killed 256 people. The last M7.5+ earthquake along the Alpine Fault was 170 years ago; studies of the faults' strain accumulation suggest that similar events are likely to occur again.

Fault diagnosis of power transformer based on fault-tree analysis (FTA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongliang; Li, Xiaoqiang; Ma, Jianwei; Li, SuoYu

2017-05-01

Power transformers is an important equipment in power plants and substations, power distribution transmission link is made an important hub of power systems. Its performance directly affects the quality and health of the power system reliability and stability. This paper summarizes the five parts according to the fault type power transformers, then from the time dimension divided into three stages of power transformer fault, use DGA routine analysis and infrared diagnostics criterion set power transformer running state, finally, according to the needs of power transformer fault diagnosis, by the general to the section by stepwise refinement of dendritic tree constructed power transformer fault

Windward Passage and Jamaica Channel: New Insights About two Tectonic Gateways of the Northern Caribbean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cormier, M. H.; Blake, R. E.; Coleman, D. F.; Guerrier, K.; Raineault, N.; Saintilus, N.; Walker, S. L.; Auscavitch, S.; Wagner, J.

2014-12-01

This August 2014, a 14-day expedition of the E/V NAUTILUS of the OCEAN EXPLORATION TRUST will explore the region delimited by two deep straits of the northern Caribbean, the Windward passage and the Jamaica Channel. The morphology of these straits is controlled by two transform faults: The Septentrional fault, which stretches between Cuba and Haiti (slip rate: ~13 mm/yr), and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault (EPGF), which stretches between Jamaica and Haiti (slip rate: ~9 mm/yr). Together, these faults bound the Gonave microplate, an elongated platelet caught between the North America plate and Caribbean plates. The Septentrional fault ruptured in 1842, devastating the town of Cap Haitien. The EPGF ruptured catastrophically in 2010 near Port-au-Prince (death toll > 100,000). Tsunamis were associated with both earthquakes. Oblique slip on these two faults is presumably controlling the history of uplift and subsidence of the seafloor, and has therefore also been regulating the water exchanges between the north central Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. New multibeam bathymetric and CHIRP sub-bottom profiling data will be acquired with the E/V NAUTILUS, while the ROV HERCULES will be used to collect video, water and rock samples, as well as water column physical properties. We anticipate that this survey will document the following: (1) The nature of drowned carbonate platforms, which in turn may provide useful markers to assess rates of vertical deformation along the two faults. (2) The extent of major landslides detected on the steep fore reefs from existing multibeam bathymetric data. (3) Whether fluids are actively seeping along the fault traces or in association with the landslides, as has been reported elsewhere around the World. (4) If cold seeps are indeed present, to what extent their associated ecosystems are affected by the bottom currents that flow through these gateways. Altogether, the new findings should contribute to a better understanding of the natural hazards associated with two major transform faults.

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Earthquake Stress Drop on Gofar Transform Fault, East Pacific Rise: Implications for Fault Strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyer, P. A.; Boettcher, M. S.; McGuire, J. J.; Collins, J. A.

2017-12-01

During the last five seismic cycles on Gofar transform fault on the East Pacific Rise, the largest earthquakes (6.0 ≤ Mw ≤ 6.2) have repeatedly ruptured the same fault segment (rupture asperity), while intervening fault segments host swarms of microearthquakes. Previous studies on Gofar have shown that these segments of low (≤10%) seismic coupling contain diffuse zones of seismicity and P-wave velocity reduction compared with the rupture asperity; suggesting heterogeneous fault properties control earthquake behavior. We investigate the role systematic differences in material properties have on earthquake rupture along Gofar using waveforms from ocean bottom seismometers that recorded the end of the 2008 Mw 6.0 seismic cycle.We determine stress drop for 117 earthquakes (2.4 ≤ Mw ≤ 4.2) that occurred in and between rupture asperities from corner frequency derived using an empirical Green's function spectral ratio method and seismic moment obtained by fitting the omega-square source model to the low frequency amplitude of earthquake spectra. We find stress drops from 0.03 to 2.7 MPa with significant spatial variation, including 2 times higher average stress drop in the rupture asperity compared to fault segments with low seismic coupling. We interpret an inverse correlation between stress drop and P-wave velocity reduction as the effect of damage on earthquake rupture. Earthquakes with higher stress drops occur in more intact crust of the rupture asperity, while earthquakes with lower stress drops occur in regions of low seismic coupling and reflect lower strength, highly fractured fault zone material. We also observe a temporal control on stress drop consistent with log-time healing following the Mw 6.0 mainshock, suggesting a decrease in stress drop as a result of fault zone damage caused by the large earthquake.

Tectonic implications of Mars crustal magnetism

PubMed Central

Connerney, J. E. P.; Acuña, M. H.; Ness, N. F.; Kletetschka, G.; Mitchell, D. L.; Lin, R. P.; Reme, H.

2005-01-01

Mars currently has no global magnetic field of internal origin but must have had one in the past, when the crust acquired intense magnetization, presumably by cooling in the presence of an Earth-like magnetic field (thermoremanent magnetization). A new map of the magnetic field of Mars, compiled by using measurements acquired at an ≈400-km mapping altitude by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, is presented here. The increased spatial resolution and sensitivity of this map provide new insight into the origin and evolution of the Mars crust. Variations in the crustal magnetic field appear in association with major faults, some previously identified in imagery and topography (Cerberus Rupes and Valles Marineris). Two parallel great faults are identified in Terra Meridiani by offset magnetic field contours. They appear similar to transform faults that occur in oceanic crust on Earth, and support the notion that the Mars crust formed during an early era of plate tectonics. PMID:16217034

Tectonic implications of Mars crustal magnetism.

PubMed

Connerney, J E P; Acuña, M H; Ness, N F; Kletetschka, G; Mitchell, D L; Lin, R P; Reme, H

2005-10-18

Mars currently has no global magnetic field of internal origin but must have had one in the past, when the crust acquired intense magnetization, presumably by cooling in the presence of an Earth-like magnetic field (thermoremanent magnetization). A new map of the magnetic field of Mars, compiled by using measurements acquired at an approximately 400-km mapping altitude by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, is presented here. The increased spatial resolution and sensitivity of this map provide new insight into the origin and evolution of the Mars crust. Variations in the crustal magnetic field appear in association with major faults, some previously identified in imagery and topography (Cerberus Rupes and Valles Marineris). Two parallel great faults are identified in Terra Meridiani by offset magnetic field contours. They appear similar to transform faults that occur in oceanic crust on Earth, and support the notion that the Mars crust formed during an early era of plate tectonics.

Hahajima Seamount: an enigmatic tectonic block at the junction between Izu-Bonin and Mariana Trench

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokunaga, W.; Fujioka, K.; Yokose, H.

2005-12-01

The Hahajima Seamount located at the junction between Izu-Bonin and Mariana forearc slopes, represents a notable rectangular shape and consists of various kinds of rocks. An elaborated bathymetric swath mapping with geophysical measurements and dredge hauls showed the Hahajima Seamount is cut by two predominating lineaments, NE-SW and NW-SE. These lineaments are of faults based on the topographic cross sections and three-dimensional view (Whale's-eye view). The former lineament is parallel to the transform faults of the Parece Vela Basin in the Philippine Sea whereas the latter is to the nearby transform fault on the subducting Pacific Plate underneath the Izu-Bonin arc-trench system. The rocks obtained from the Hahajima Seamount are ultramafic rocks mostly harzburgite, boninite, basalt, andesite, gabbro breccia and sedimentary rocks, which characterize an island arc and an ocean basin affinities. The gravity measurement and seismic reflection survey offer neither definite gravity anomaly at the seamount nor definite internal structures beneath the seamount. The NW-SE trending fault and small scale serpentine flows were observed during the JAMSTEC submersible Shinkai 2000 dives at the Hahajima Seamount. The rectangular shape, size of seamount, various kinds of rocks and all the geophysical measurements strongly support that the Hahajima Seamount is not a simple serpentine seamount but a tectonic block unlike previously believed that was controlled by various tectonic movements.

Revisiting Seafloor-Spreading in the Red Sea: Basement Nature, Transforms and Ocean-Continent Boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapponnier, P.; Dyment, J.; Zinger, M. A.; Franken, D.; Afifi, A. M.; Wyllie, A.; Ali, H. G.; Hanbal, I.

2013-12-01

A new marine geophysical survey on the Saudi Arabian side of the Red Sea confirms early inferences that ~ 2/3 of the eastern Red Sea is floored by oceanic crust. Most seismic profiles south of 24°N show a strongly reflective, landward-deepening volcanic basement up to ~ 100 km east of the axial ridge, beneath thick evaporitic deposits. This position of the Ocean-Continent Boundary (OCB) is consistent with gravity measurements. The low amplitudes and long wavelengths of magnetic anomalies older than Chrons 1-3 can be accounted for by low-pass filtering due to thick sediments. Seafloor-spreading throughout the Red Sea started around 15 Ma, as in the western Gulf of Aden. Its onset was coeval with the activation of the Aqaba/Levant transform and short-cutting of the Gulf of Suez. The main difference between the southern and northern Red Sea lies not in the nature of the crust but in the direction and modulus of the plate motion rate. The ~ 30° counterclockwise strike change and halving of the spreading rate (~ 16 to ~ 8 mm/yr) between the Hermil (17°N) and Suez triple junctions results in a shift from slow (≈ North Atlantic) to highly oblique, ultra-slow (≈ Southwest Indian) ridge type. The obliquity of spreading in the central and northern basins is taken up by transform discontinuities that stop ~ 40 km short of the coastline, at the OCB. Three large transform fault systems (Jeddah, Zabargad, El Akhawein) nucleated as continental transfer faults reactivating NNE-trending Proterozoic shear zones. The former two systems divide the Red Sea into three main basins. Between ~15 and ~5 Ma, for about 10 million years, thick evaporites were deposited directly on top of oceanic crust in deep water, as the depositional environment, modulated by climate, became restricted by the Suez and Afar/Bab-el-Mandeb volcano-tectonic 'flood-gates.' The presence of these thick deposits (up to ~ 8 km) suffices to account for the difference between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Widespread salt tectonics was triggered by the flow of large evaporite sheets and salt glaciers toward the ridge axis. Such flow was more pervasive in the north, where slower spreading resulted in a deeper trough, and was guided by the rugged topography of the oceanic seafloor. The Red Sea may represent the best model for comparably deep evaporitic basins along the Earth's passive margins, particularly in the South Atlantic.

Comparison of the quench and fault current limiting characteristics of the flux-coupling type SFCL with single and three-phase transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Byung Ik; Cho, Yong Sun; Park, Hyoung Min; Chung, Dong Chul; Choi, Hyo Sang

2013-01-01

The South Korean power grid has a network structure for the flexible operation of the system. The continuously increasing power demand necessitated the increase of power facilities, which decreased the impedance in the power system. As a result, the size of the fault current in the event of a system fault increased. As this increased fault current size is threatening the breaking capacity of the circuit breaker, the main protective device, a solution to this problem is needed. The superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) has been designed to address this problem. SFCL supports the stable operation of the circuit breaker through its excellent fault-current-limiting operation [1-5]. In this paper, the quench and fault current limiting characteristics of the flux-coupling-type SFCL with one three-phase transformer were compared with those of the same SFCL type but with three single-phase transformers. In the case of the three-phase transformers, both the superconducting elements of the fault and sound phases were quenched, whereas in the case of the single-phase transformer, only that of the fault phase was quenched. For the fault current limiting rate, both cases showed similar rates for the single line-to-ground fault, but for the three-wire earth fault, the fault current limiting rate of the single-phase transformer was over 90% whereas that of the three-phase transformer was about 60%. It appears that when the three-phase transformer was used, the limiting rate decreased because the fluxes by the fault current of each phase were linked in one core. When the power loads of the superconducting elements were compared by fault type, the initial (half-cycle) load was great when the single-phase transformer was applied, whereas for the three-phase transformer, its power load was slightly lower at the initial stage but became greater after the half fault cycle.

Crustal extension and transform faulting in the southern Basin Range Province. [California, Arizona, and Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liggett, M. A. (Principal Investigator); Childs, J. F.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Field reconnaissance and study of geologic literature guided by analysis of ERTS-1 MSS imagery have led to a hypothesis of tectonic control of Miocene volcanism, plutonism, and related mineralization in part of the Basin Range Province of southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The easterly trending right-lateral Las Vegas Shear Zone separates two volcanic provinces believed to represent areas of major east-west crustal extension. One volcanic province is aligned along the Colorado River south of the eastern termination of the Las Vegas Shear Zone; the second province is located north of the western termination of the shear zone in southern Nye County, Nevada. Geochronologic, geophysical, and structural evidence suggests that the Las Vegas Shear Zone may have formed in response to crustal extension in the two volcanic provinces in a manner similar to the formation of a ridge-ridge transform fault, as recognized in ocean floor tectonics.

Pressures of Partial Crystallization of Magmas Along Transforms: Implications for Crustal Accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, J. L.; Zerda, C.; Brown, D.; Ciaramitaro, S. C.; Barton, M.

2016-12-01

Plate spreading at mid-ocean ridges is responsible for the creation of most of the crust on earth. The ridge system is very complex and many questions remain unresolved. Among these is the nature of magma plumbing systems beneath transform faults. Pervious workers have suggested that increased conductive cooling along transforms promotes higher pressures of partial crystallization, and that this explains the higher partial pressures of crystallization inferred for magmas erupted along slow spreading ridges compared to magmas erupted along faster spreading ridges. To test this hypothesis, we undertook a detailed analysis of pressures of partial crystallization for magmas erupted at 3 transforms along the fast to intermediate spreading East Pacific Rise(Blanco, Clipperton, and Siqueiros) and 3 transforms along the slow spreading Mid Atlantic Ridge(Famous Transform B, Kane, and 15°20'N). Pressures of partial crystallization were calculated from the compositions of glasses (quenched liquids) lying along the P (and T) dependent olivine, plagioclase, and augite cotectic using the method described by Kelley and Barton (2008). Published analyses of mid-ocean ridge basalt glasses sampled from these transforms and surrounding ridge segments were used as input data. Samples with anomalous chemical compositions and samples that yielded pressures associated with unrealistically large uncertainties were filtered out of the database. The pressures of partial crystallization for the remaining 916 samples ranged from 0 to 520 MPa with the great majority ( 95%) of sample returning pressures of less than 300 MPa. Pressures of < 300 MPa are within error of the pressure range associated with partial crystallization within oceanic crust with a thickness of 7 km. Higher (sub-crustal) pressures (>300 MPa) are associated with a small number of samples from the Pacific segments. Except for the Blanco, pressures of partial crystallization do not increase as transforms are approached. These observations contrast with those of previous workers, who reported anomalously high pressures (up to 1000 MPa) for a large number of samples erupted near both Atlantic and Pacific Transforms. We conclude that higher rates of cooling along transform does not have a major effect on the onset of partial crystallization along the mid-ocean ridges

Recent volcanism in the Siqueiros transform fault: Picritic basalts and implications for MORB magma genesis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perfit, M.R.; Fornari, D.J.; Ridley, W.I.; Kirk, P.D.; Casey, J.; Kastens, K.A.; Reynolds, J.R.; Edwards, M.; Desonie, D.; Shuster, R.; Paradis, S.

1996-01-01

Small constructional volcanic landforms and very fresh-looking lava flows are present along one of the inferred active strike-slip faults that connect two small spreading centers (A and B) in the western portion of the Siqueiros transform domain. The most primitive lavas (picritic and olivine-phyric basalts), exclusively recovered from the young-looking flows within the A-B strike-slip fault, contain millimeter-sized olivine phenocrysts (up to 20 modal%) that have a limited compositional range (Fo91.5-Fo89.5) and complexly zoned Cr-Al spinels. High-MgO (9.5-10.6 wt%) glasses sampled from the young lava flows contain 1-7% olivine phenocrysts (Fo90.5-Fo89) that could have formed by equilibrium crystallization from basaltic melts with Mg# values between 71 and 74. These high MgO (and high Al2O3) glasses may be near-primary melts from incompatible-element depleted oceanic mantle and little modified by crustal mixing and/or fractionation processes. Phase chemistry and major element systematics indicate that the picritic basalts are not primary liquids and formed by the accumulation of olivine and minor spinel from high-MgO melts (10% < MgO < 14%). Compared to typical N-MORB from the East Pacific Rise, the Siqueiros lavas are more primitive and depleted in incompatible elements. Phase equilibria calculations and comparisons with experimental data and trace element modeling support this hypothesis. They indicate such primary mid-ocean ridge basalt magmas formed by 10-18% accumulative decompression melting in the spinel peridotite field (but small amounts of melting in the garnet peridotite field are not precluded). The compositional variations of the primitive magmas may result from the accumulation of different small batch melt fractions from a polybaric melting column.

Controls on mid-ocean ridge segmentation and transform fault formation from laboratory experiments using fluids of complex rheology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibrant, A.; Mittelstaedt, E. L.; Davaille, A.

2017-12-01

Mid-ocean ridges are tectonically segmented at scales of 10s to 100s of kilometers by several types of offsets including transform faults (TF), overlapping spreading centers (OSC), and slow-spreading non-transform offsets (NTO). Differences in segmentation along axis have been attributed to changes in numerous processes including magma supply from the upwelling mantle, viscous flow in the asthenosphere, ridge migration, and plate spreading direction. The wide variety of proposed mechanisms demonstrate that the origin of tectonic offsets and their relationship to segment-scale magmatic processes remain actively debated; each of the above processes, however, invoke combinations of tectonic and magmatic processes to explain changes in segmentation. To address the role of tectonic deformation and magmatic accretion on the development of ridge offsets, we present a series of analogue experiments using colloidal silica dispersions as an Earth analogue. Saline water solutions placed in contact with these fluids, cause formation of a skin through salt diffusion, whose rheology evolves from purely viscous to elastic and brittle with increasing salinity. Experiments are performed in a Plexiglas tank with two Plexiglas plates suspended above the base of the tank. The tank is filled with the colloidal fluid to just above the suspended plates, a thin layer of saline water is spread across the surface, and spreading initiated by moving the suspended Plexiglas plates apart at a fixed rate. Results show formation of OSCs, NTOs, and TFs. For parameters corresponding to the Earth, TF offsets are < 5 mm and form at all spreading velocities, corresponding to transform offsets of < 100 km on Earth. Measured TF offset size and ridge segment lengths exhibit a Poisson-type distribution with no apparent dependence on spreading rate. Observations of TF offset size on Earth show a similar distribution for TFs <100 km long and supports the hypothesis that TFform spontaneously through a mechanical instability of the axis. Here, we present an analysis of the magmatic and tectonic controls on axis instability leading to the formation of TFs, OSCs, and NTOs, and their implications for the evolution of mid-ocean ridges.

Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2010 Australia plate and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benz, Harley M.; Herman, Matthew; Tarr, Arthur C.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Furlong, Kevin P.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Dart, Richard L.; Rhea, Susan

2011-01-01

This map shows details of the Australia plate and vicinity not presented in Tarr and others (2010). The boundary of the Australia plate includes all fundamental plate boundary components: mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, arc-continent collisions, and large-offset transform faults. Along the southern edge of the plate the mid-ocean ridge separates the Australia and Antarctica plates and its behavior is straightforward. In contrast, the other boundary segments that ring the Australia plate represent some of the most seismically active elements of the global plate boundary system, and some of the most rapidly evolving plate interactions. As a result, there are some very complex structures which host many large and great earthquakes

Crustal Structure of the Ionian Basin and Eastern Sicily Margin: Results From a Wide-Angle Seismic Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dellong, David; Klingelhoefer, Frauke; Kopp, Heidrun; Graindorge, David; Margheriti, Lucia; Moretti, Milena; Murphy, Shane; Gutscher, Marc-Andre

2018-03-01

In the Ionian Sea (central Mediterranean) the slow convergence between Africa and Eurasia results in the formation of a narrow subduction zone. The nature of the crust of the subducting plate remains debated and could represent the last remnants of the Neo-Tethys ocean. The origin of the Ionian basin is also under discussion, especially concerning the rifting mechanisms as the Malta Escarpment could represent a remnant of this opening. This subduction retreats toward the south-east (motion occurring since the last 35 Ma) but is confined to the narrow Ionian basin. A major lateral slab tear fault is required to accommodate the slab roll-back. This fault is thought to propagate along the eastern Sicily margin but its precise location remains controversial. This study focuses on the deep crustal structure of the eastern Sicily margin and the Malta Escarpment. We present two two-dimensional P wave velocity models obtained from forward modeling of wide-angle seismic data acquired onboard the R/V Meteor during the DIONYSUS cruise in 2014. The results image an oceanic crust within the Ionian basin as well as the deep structure of the Malta Escarpment, which presents characteristics of a transform margin. A deep and asymmetrical sedimentary basin is imaged south of the Messina strait and seems to have opened between the Calabrian and Peloritan continental terranes. The interpretation of the velocity models suggests that the tear fault is located east of the Malta Escarpment, along the Alfeo fault system.

Characterising the range of seismogenic behaviour on detachment faults - the case of 13o20'N, Mid Atlantic Ridge.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, T. J.; Parnell-Turner, R.

2017-12-01

Extension at slow- and intermediate-spreading mid-ocean ridges is commonly accommodated through slip on long-lived detachment faults. These curved, convex-upward faults consist of a steeply-dipping section thought to be rooted in the lower crust or upper mantle which rotates to progressively shallower dip-angles at shallower depths, resulting in a domed, sub-horizontal oceanic core complex at the seabed. Although it is accepted that detachment faults can accumulate kilometre-scale offsets over millions of years, the mechanism of slip, and their capacity to sustain the shear stresses necessary to produce large earthquakes, remains debated. In this presentation we will show a comprehensive seismological study of an active oceanic detachment fault system on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 13o20'N, combining the results from a local ocean-bottom seismograph deployment with waveform inversion of a series of larger, teleseismically-observed earthquakes. The coincidence of these two datasets provides a more complete characterisation of rupture on the fault, from its initial beginnings within the uppermost mantle to its exposure at the surface. Our results demonstrate that although slip on the steeply-dipping portion of detachment fault is accommodated by failure in numerous microearthquakes, the shallower-dipping section of the fault within the upper few kilometres is relatively strong, and is capable of producing large-magnitude earthquakes. Slip on the shallow portion of active detachment faults at relatively low angles may therefore account for many more large-magnitude earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges than previously thought, and suggests that the lithospheric strength at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges may be concentrated at shallow depths.

Palaeomagnetic constraints on the evolution of the Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 30°N)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Antony; Pressling, Nicola; Gee, Jeffrey; John, Barbara; MacLeod, Christopher

2010-05-01

Oceanic core complexes expose lower crustal and upper mantle rocks on the seafloor by tectonic unroofing in the footwalls of large-slip detachment faults. They represent a fundamental component of the seafloor spreading system at slow and ultraslow axes. For example, recent analyses suggest that detachment faults may underlie more than 50% of the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and may take up most of the overall plate divergence at times when magma supply to the ridge system is reduced. The most extensively studied oceanic core complex is Atlantis Massif, located at 30°N on the MAR. This forms an inside-corner bathymetric high at the intersection of the Atlantis Transform Fault and the MAR. The central dome of the massif exposes the corrugated detachment fault surface and was drilled during IODP Expedition 304/305. This sampled a 1.4 km faulted and complexly layered footwall section dominated by gabbroic lithologies with minor ultramafic rocks. The core (Hole U1309D) reflects the interplay between magmatism and deformation prior to, during, and subsequent to a period of footwall displacement and denudation associated with slip on the detachment fault. Palaeomagnetic analyses demonstrate that the gabbroic sequences at Atlantis Massif carry highly stable remanent magnetizations that provide valuable information on the evolution of the section. Thermal demagnetization experiments recover high unblocking temperature components of reversed polarity (R1) throughout the gabbroic sequences. In a number of intervals, however, the gabbros exhibit a complex remanence structure with the presence of intermediate temperature normal (N1) and lower temperature reversed (R2) polarity components, suggesting an extended period of remanence acquisition during different polarity intervals. Sharp break-points between different polarity components suggest that they were acquired by a thermal mechanism. There appears to be no correlation between remanence structure and either the igneous stratigraphy or the distribution of alteration in the core. Instead, the remanence data are more consistent with a model in which the lower crustal section acquired magnetizations of different polarity during a protracted cooling history spanning two geomagnetic reversals. Differences in the width of blocking temperature spectra between samples appear to control the number of components present; samples with narrow and high temperature spectra record only R1 components, whereas those with broader blocking temperature spectra record multicomponent (R1-N1 and R1-N1-R2) remanences. The common occurrence of detachment faults in slow and ultra-slow spreading oceanic crust suggests they accommodate a significant component of plate divergence. However, the sub-surface geometry of oceanic detachment faults remains unclear. Competing models involve either: (a) displacement on planar, low-angle faults with little tectonic rotation; or (b) progressive shallowing by rotation of initially steeply dipping faults as a result of flexural unloading (the "rolling-hinge" model). We resolve this debate using paleomagnetic remanences as a marker for tectonic rotation of the Atlantis Massif footwall. Previous ODP/IODP palaeomagnetic studies have been restricted to analysis of magnetic inclination data, since hard-rock core pieces are azimuthally unoriented and free to rotate in the core barrel. For the first time we have overcome this limitation by independently reorienting core pieces to a true geographic reference frame by correlating structures in individual pieces with those identified from oriented imagery of the borehole wall. This allows reorientation of paleomagnetic data and subsequent tectonic interpretation without the need for a priori assumptions on the azimuth of the rotation axis. Results indicate a 46°±6° counterclockwise rotation of the footwall around a MAR-parallel horizontal axis trending 011°±6°. This provides unequivocal confirmation of the key prediction of flexural, rolling-hinge models for oceanic core complexes, whereby faults initiate at higher dips and rotate to their present day low angle geometries.

Rolling Bearing Fault Diagnosis Based on an Improved HTT Transform

PubMed Central

Tang, Guiji; Tian, Tian; Zhou, Chong

2018-01-01

When rolling bearing failure occurs, vibration signals generally contain different signal components, such as impulsive fault feature signals, background noise and harmonic interference signals. One of the most challenging aspects of rolling bearing fault diagnosis is how to inhibit noise and harmonic interference signals, while enhancing impulsive fault feature signals. This paper presents a novel bearing fault diagnosis method, namely an improved Hilbert time–time (IHTT) transform, by combining a Hilbert time–time (HTT) transform with principal component analysis (PCA). Firstly, the HTT transform was performed on vibration signals to derive a HTT transform matrix. Then, PCA was employed to de-noise the HTT transform matrix in order to improve the robustness of the HTT transform. Finally, the diagonal time series of the de-noised HTT transform matrix was extracted as the enhanced impulsive fault feature signal and the contained fault characteristic information was identified through further analyses of amplitude and envelope spectrums. Both simulated and experimental analyses validated the superiority of the presented method for detecting bearing failures. PMID:29662013

Mantle-crust interaction at the Blanco Ridge segment of the Blanco Transform Fault Zone: Results from the Blanco Transform Fault OBS Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuna, V. M.; Nabelek, J.; Braunmiller, J.

2016-12-01

We present results of the Blanco Transform OBS Experiment, which consists of the deployment of 55 three-component broadband and short-period ocean bottom seismometers in the vicinity of the Blanco Fault Zone for the period between September 2012 and October 2013. Our research concentrates on the Blanco Ridge, a purely transform segment of the Blanco Fault Zone, that spans over 130 km between the Cascadia and the Gorda pull-apart depressions. Almost 3,000 well-constrained earthquakes were detected and located along the Blanco Ridge by an automatic procedure (using BRTT Antelope) and relocated using a relative location algorithm (hypoDD). The catalog magnitude of completeness is M=2.2 with an overall b value of 1. Earthquakes extend from 0 km to 20 km depth, but cluster predominantly at two depth levels: in the crust (5-7 km) and in the uppermost mantle (12-17 km). Statistical analysis reveals striking differences between crustal and mantle seismicity. The temporal distribution of crustal events follows common patterns given by Omori's law, while most mantle seismicity occurs in spatially tight sequences of unusually short durations lasting 30 minutes or less. These sequences cannot be described by known empirical laws. Moreover, we observe increased seismic activity in the uppermost mantle about 30 days before the largest (M=5.4) earthquake. Two mantle sequences occurred in a small area of 3x3 km about 4 and 2 weeks before the M=5.4 event. In the week leading up to the M=5.4 event we observe a significant downward migration of crustal seismicity, which results in the subsequent nucleation of the main event at the base of the crust. We hypothesize that the highly localized uppermost mantle seismicity is triggered by aseismic slow-slip of the surrounding ductile mantle. We also suggest that the mantle slip loads the crust eventually resulting in relatively large crustal earthquakes.

Crustal structure of the Ionian basin and eastern Sicily margin : results from a wide angle seismic survey and implication for the crustal nature and origin of the basin, and the recent tear fault location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutscher, M. A.; Dellong, D.; Klingelhoefer, F.; Kopp, H.; Graindorge, D.; Margheriti, L.; Moretti, M.

2017-12-01

In the Ionian Sea (Central Mediterranean) the slow convergence between Africa and Eurasia results in the formation of a narrow subduction zone. The nature of the crust and lithosphere of the subducting plate remain debated and could represent the last remnants of the Neo-Tethys ocean. The rifting mechanism that produced the Ionian basin are also still under discussion with the Malta escarpment representing a possible remnant of this opening. At present, this subduction is still retreating to the south-east (motion occurring since the last 35 Ma) but is confined to the narrow Ionian Basin. In order to accommodate slab roll-back, a major lateral slab tear fault is required. This fault is thought to propagate along the eastern Sicily margin but its precise location remains controversial. This study focuses on the deep crustal structure of the Eastern-Sicily margin and the Malta Escarpment by presenting two wide-angle velocity profiles crossing these structures roughly orthogonally. The data used for the forward velocity modeling were acquired onboard the R/V Meteor during the DIONYSUS cruise in 2014. The results image an oceanic crust within the Ionian basin as well as the deep structure of the Malta Escarpment which presents characteristics of a transform margin. A deep and asymmetrical sedimentary basin is imaged south of the Messina strait and seems to have opened in between the Calabrian and Peloritan continental terranes. The interpretation of the velocity models suggests that the tear fault is located east of the Malta Escarpment, along the Alfeo fault system.

Owen Fracture Zone: The Arabia-India plate boundary unveiled

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fournier, M.; Chamot-Rooke, N.; Rodriguez, M.; Huchon, P.; Petit, C.; Beslier, M. O.; Zaragosi, S.

2011-02-01

We surveyed the Owen Fracture Zone at the boundary between the Arabia and India plates in the NW Indian Ocean using a high-resolution multibeam echo-sounder (Owen cruise, 2009) for search of active faults. Bathymetric data reveal a previously unrecognized submarine fault scarp system running for over 800 km between the Sheba Ridge in the Gulf of Aden and the Makran subduction zone. The primary plate boundary structure is not the bathymetrically high Owen Ridge, but is instead a series of clearly delineated strike-slip fault segments separated by several releasing and restraining bends. Despite an abundant sedimentary supply by the Indus River flowing from the Himalaya, fault scarps are not obscured by recent deposits and can be followed over hundreds of kilometres, pointing to very active tectonics. The total strike-slip displacement of the fault system is 10-12 km, indicating that it has been active for the past ~ 3 to 6 Ma if its current rate of motion of 3 ± 1 mm yr- 1 has remained stable. We describe the geometry of this recent fault system, including a major pull-apart basin at the latitude 20°N, and we show that it closely follows an arc of small circle centred on the Arabia-India pole of rotation, as expected for a transform plate boundary.

What is an Oceanic Core Complex?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroeder, T.; Cheadle, M. J.

2007-12-01

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) 75km north and south of the 15-20 Fracture Zone (FZ) has produced upper oceanic lithosphere composed dominantly of mantle peridotite with gabbro intrusions. In the absence of diapirism, mantle peridotite can only be exposed on the seafloor by extensional faulting, thus the sea floor geology and bathymetry provide widespread evidence for extensive low-angle faulting. However, only 3% of the seafloor in this region has the domal morphology characteristic of features that have been termed oceanic core complexes; suggesting that other processes, in addition to low-angle faulting, are responsible for the generation of domal core complexes. Most low-angle faults near the 15-20 FZ form gently dipping (10-15°), 10-15km-wide dip slopes on the flanks of 2000m relief bathymetric ridges that are up to 15-40km long (parallel to the MAR). Core recovered from ODP Leg 209 drill holes in these ridges is dominantly peridotite with small (<50m thick) gabbro intrusions. The peridotite is cut by a very high density of brittle faults dipping at both steep and gentle angles. Several holes also contain long-lived shear zones/faults in their upper reaches in which strain was localized at granulite facies, indicated by mylonitic olivine and cpx, and remained active during cooling to sub-greenschist grade, indicated by cross-cutting of progressively lower-grade syn-deformation mineral assemblages. These observations suggest that seafloor spreading is largely accommodated here by slip on low-angle faults, and that these faults are correctly termed detachment faults. Holes drilled into a domal oceanic core complex north of the 15-20 FZ during Leg 209 (ODP Site 1275) recovered dominantly gabbro and not mantle peridotite. This hole is cut by significantly fewer brittle and ductile faults than the peridotite drilled at the non-core-complex detachment fault sites. The detachment fault in the upper reaches (50m) of Site 1275 was localized at temperatures near feldspar's ductile-to-brittle transition, indicated by cataclasis with minor crystal plastic flow in plagioclase, and a lack of pervasive pure-ductile deformation. Amphibole-plagioclase thermometry in the fault yields equilibrium temperatures from 600-650°C, compared to equilibrium temperatures of 750-850°C for the gabbro outside the fault. The presence of talc- chlorite schists and cataclasites cutting the higher-temperature deformation textures indicate fault activity down- temperature from amphibolite through greenschist facies. This core-complex-bounding fault contrasts with the fault that bounds the Atlantis Bank Core Complex on the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). There, the fault is 100m thick and strain was initially localized at granulite grade (>800°C) (Mehl & Hirth, 2007); significantly hotter than the Site 1275 fault. Therefore, the formation of core-complex morphology does not seem to depend on the initial faulting conditions. Both oceanic core complexes that have been drilled besides Site 1275, Atlantis Massif at 30°N (IODP Hole 1309D) on the MAR and Atlantis Bank on the SWIR (ODP Hole 735B), are also comprised dominantly of gabbro. This suggests that magma supply may be an essential requirement for core complex formation and raises the question whether all domal oceanic core complexes are cored by gabbro? We also ask whether the term 'oceanic core complex' should be restricted to these domal features and not applied to detachment-bound, non- domal, peridotite-cored ridges; or if these should be considered two sub-classes of oceanic core complexes.

The Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault Zone - The Knife-Edged Pacific-North American Plate Boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, H. G.; Barrie, J. V. J.; Brothers, D. S.; Nishenko, S. P.; Conway, K.; Enkin, R.; Conrad, J. E.; Maier, K. L.; Stacy, C.

2016-12-01

Recent investigations of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather (QC-FW) Fault zone using multibeam echosounder bathymetric and 3.5-kHz sub-bottom profile data show that the fault zone is primarily represented by a single linear structure with small, localized pull-apart basins suggestive of transtension. Water column acoustical data imaged gas plumes concentrated along the fault zone with plume columns extending as much as 700 m above the crest of mud volcanoes. Piston cores indicate that the fault zone cuts hard-packed dense sands that have been dated as Pleistocene in age. The newly discovered fluids associated with the southern half of the fault zone and volcanic edifices with oceanic and continental plate petrologic affinities suggest that the QC-FW is a leaky transform system. Two independent investigations, one in the north part and one in the central part of the fault zone, using two different types of piercing points, found that the slip rate along at least a 200 km length was consistent at between 40-55 mm/yr. since about 14 ka, equivalent to the relative plate motion between the Pacific and North American plates in the NE Pacific region. We surmise that the QC-FW is accommodating most, if not all, of relative motion along a single primary strand without any detectable partitioning of motion onto other faults. This right-lateral strike-slip fault zone is expressed on the seafloor as a very straight feature that probably represents nearly pure strike-slip motion.

A deep hydrothermal fault zone in the lower oceanic crust, Samail ophiolite Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zihlmann, B.; Mueller, S.; Koepke, J.; Teagle, D. A. H.

2017-12-01

Hydrothermal circulation is a key process for the exchange of chemical elements between the oceans and the solid Earth and for the extraction of heat from newly accreted crust at mid-ocean ridges. However, due to a dearth of samples from intact oceanic crust, or continuous samples from ophiolites, there remain major short comings in our understanding of hydrothermal circulation in the oceanic crust, especially in the deeper parts. In particular, it is unknown whether fluid recharge and discharge occurs pervasively or if it is mainly channeled within discrete zones such as faults. Here, we present a description of a hydrothermal fault zone that crops out in Wadi Gideah in the layered gabbro section of the Samail ophiolite of Oman. Field observations reveal a one meter thick chlorite-epidote normal fault with disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite and heavily altered gabbro clasts at its core. In both, the hanging and the footwall the gabbro is altered and abundantly veined with amphibole, epidote, prehnite and zeolite. Whole rock mass balance calculations show enrichments in Fe, Mn, Sc, V, Co, Cu, Rb, Zr, Nb, Th and U and depletions of Si, Ca, Na, Cr, Zn, Sr, Ba and Pb concentrations in the fault rock compared to fresh layered gabbros. Gabbro clasts within the fault zone as well as altered rock from the hanging wall show enrichments in Na, Sc, V, Co, Rb, Zr, Nb and depletion of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr and Pb. Strontium isotope whole rock data of the fault rock yield 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7046, which is considerably more radiogenic than fresh layered gabbro from this locality (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7030 - 0.7034), and similar to black smoker hydrothermal signatures based on epidote, measured elsewhere in the ophiolite. Altered gabbro clasts within the fault zone show similar values with 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7045 - 0.7050, whereas hanging wall and foot wall display values only slightly more radiogenic than fresh layered gabbro.The secondary mineral assemblages and strontium isotope compositions of the fault rock, clasts and hanging wall indicate interaction with a seawater-derived hydrothermal fluid during oceanic spreading at an ancient mid-ocean ridge. The considerable elemental mass changes in the fault rocks and surrounds compared to the primary layered gabbros suggests extensive hydrothermal fluid flow and exchange deep within the ocean crust.

A bottom-driven mechanism for distributed faulting: Insights from the Gulf of California Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persaud, P.; Tan, E.; Choi, E.; Contreras, J.; Lavier, L. L.

2017-12-01

The Gulf of California is a young oblique rift that displays a variation in rifting style along strike. Despite the rapid localization of strain in the Gulf at 6 Ma, the northern rift segment has the characteristics of a wide rift, with broadly distributed extensional strain and small gradients in topography and crustal thinning. Observations of active faulting in the continent-ocean transition of the Northern Gulf show multiple oblique-slip faults distributed in a 200 x 70 km2area developed some time after a westward relocation of the plate boundary at 2 Ma. In contrast, north and south of this broad pull-apart structure, major transform faults accommodate Pacific-North America plate motion. Here we propose that the mechanism for distributed brittle deformation results from the boundary conditions present in the Northern Gulf, where basal shear is distributed between the Cerro Prieto strike-slip fault (southernmost fault of the San Andreas fault system) and the Ballenas Transform fault. We hypothesize that in oblique-extensional settings whether deformation is partitioned in a few dip-slip and strike-slip faults, or in numerous oblique-slip faults may depend on (1) bottom-driven, distributed extension and shear deformation of the lower crust or upper mantle, and (2) the rift obliquity. To test this idea, we explore the effects of bottom-driven shear on the deformation of a brittle elastic-plastic layer with pseudo-three dimensional numerical models that include side forces. Strain localization results when the basal shear is a step-function while oblique-slip on numerous faults dominates when basal shear is distributed. We further investigate how the style of faulting varies with obliquity and demonstrate that the style of faulting observed in the Northern Gulf of California is reproduced in models with an obliquity of 0.7 and distributed basal shear boundary conditions, consistent with the interpreted obliquity and boundary conditions of the study area. Our findings motivate a suite of 3D models of the early plate boundary evolution in the Gulf, and highlight the importance of local stress field perturbations as a mechanism for broadening the deformation zone in other regions such as the Basin and Range, Rio Grande Rift and Malawi Rift.

Normal block faulting in the Airport Graben, Managua pull-apart rift, Nicaragua: gravity and magnetic constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos-Enriquez, J. O.; Zambrana Arias, X.; Keppie, D.; Ramón Márquez, V.

2012-12-01

Regional scale models have been proposed for the Nicaraguan depression: 1) parallel rifting of the depression (and volcanic front) due to roll back of the underlying subducted Cocos plate; 2) right-lateral strike-slip faulting parallel to the depression and locally offset by pull-apart basins; 3) right-lateral strike-slip faulting parallel to the depression and offset by left-lateral transverse or bookshelf faults. At an intermediate scale, Funk et al. (2011) interpret the depression as half graben type structures. The E-W Airport graben lies in the southeastern part of the Managua graben (Nicaragua), across which the active Central American volcanic arc is dextrally offset, possibly the result of a subducted transform fault where the subduction angle changes. The Managua graben lies within the late Quaternary Nicaragua depression produced by backarc rifting during roll back of the Middle American Trench. The Managua graben formed as a pull-apart rift associated with dextral bookshelf faulting during dextral shear between the forearc and arc and is the locus of two historical, large earthquakes that destroyed the city of Managua. In order to asses future earthquake risk, four E-W gravity and magnetic profiles were undertaken to determine its structure across the Airport graben, which is bounded by the Cofradia and Airport fault zones, to the east and west, respectively. These data indicated the presence of a series of normal faults bounding down-thrown and up-thrown fault blocks and a listric normal fault, Sabana Grande Fault. The models imply that this area has been subjected to tectonic extension. These faults appear to be part of the bookshelf suite and will probably be the locus of future earthquakes, which could destroy the airport and surrounding part of Managua. Three regional SW-NE gravity profiles running from the Pacific Ocean up to the Caribbean See indicate a change in crustal structure: from north to south the crust thins. According to these regional crustal models the offset observed in the Volcanic Front around the Nicaragua Lake is associated with a weakness zone related with: 1) this N-S change in crustal structure, 2) to the subduction angle of the Cocos plate, and 3) to the distance to the Middle America Trench (i.e. the location of the mantle wedge). As mentioned above a subducted transform fault might have given rise to this crustal discontinuity.

A Power Transformers Fault Diagnosis Model Based on Three DGA Ratios and PSO Optimization SVM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Hongzhe; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Rongrong; Yang, Chunyan

2018-03-01

In order to make up for the shortcomings of existing transformer fault diagnosis methods in dissolved gas-in-oil analysis (DGA) feature selection and parameter optimization, a transformer fault diagnosis model based on the three DGA ratios and particle swarm optimization (PSO) optimize support vector machine (SVM) is proposed. Using transforming support vector machine to the nonlinear and multi-classification SVM, establishing the particle swarm optimization to optimize the SVM multi classification model, and conducting transformer fault diagnosis combined with the cross validation principle. The fault diagnosis results show that the average accuracy of test method is better than the standard support vector machine and genetic algorithm support vector machine, and the proposed method can effectively improve the accuracy of transformer fault diagnosis is proved.

Seismic Velocity Variation and Evolution of the Upper Oceanic Crust across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 1.3°S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, H.; Singh, S. C.

2017-12-01

The oceanic crust that covers >70% of the solid earth is formed at mid-ocean ridges, but get modified as it ages. Understanding the evolution of oceanic crust requires investigations of crustal structures that extend from zero-age on the ridge axis to old crust. In this study, we analyze a part of a 2000-km-long seismic transect that crosses the Mid-Atlantic Ridge segment at 1.3°S, south of the Chain transform fault. The seismic data were acquired using a 12-km-long multi-sensor streamer and dense air-gun shots. Using a combination of downward continuation and seismic tomography methods, we have derived a high-resolution upper crustal velocity structure down to 2-2.5 km depth below the seafloor, from the ridge axis to 3.5 Ma on both sides of the ridge axis. The results demonstrate that velocities increase at all depths in the upper crust as the crust ages, suggesting that hydrothermal precipitations seal the upper crustal pore spaces. This effect is most significant in layer 2A, causing a velocity increase of 0.5-1 km/s after 1-1.5 Ma, beyond which the velocity increase is very small. Furthermore, the results exhibit a significant decrease in both the frequency and amplitude of the low-velocity anomalies associated with faults beyond 1-1.5 Ma, when faults become inactive, suggesting a linkage between the sealing of fault space and the extinction of hydrothermal activity. Besides, the off-axis velocities are systematically higher on the eastern side of the ridge axis compared to on the western side, suggesting that a higher hydrothermal activity should exist on the outside-corner ridge flank than on the inside-corner flank. While the tomography results shown here cover 0-3.5 Ma crust, the ongoing research will further extend the study area to older crust and also incorporating pre-stack migration and full waveform inversion methods to improve the seismic structure.

Continuous Spectrum of Crustal Structures and Spreading Processes from Volcanic Rifted Margins to Mid-Ocean Ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.

2016-12-01

Structures generated by seafloor spreading in oceanic crust (and ophiolites) and thick oceanic crust of Iceland show a continuous spectrum of features that formed by similar mechanisms but at different scales. A high magma budget near the Iceland hotspot generates thick (40-25 km) mafic crust in a plate boundary zone about 50 km wide. The upper crust ( 10 km thick) is constructed by the subaxial subsidence and thickening of lavas fed by dense dike swarms over a hot, weak lower crust to produce structures analogous to seaward-dipping reflectors of volcanic rifted margins. Segmented rift zones propagate away from the hotspot creating migrating transform fault zones, microplate-like crustal blocks and rift-parallel strike-slip faults. These structures are decoupled from the underlying lower crustal gabbroic rocks that thin by along-axis flow that reduces the overall crustal thickness and smooths-out local crustal thickness variations. Spreading on mid-ocean ridges with high magma budgets have much thinner crust (10-5 km) generated at a much narrower (few km) plate boundary zone. Subaxial subsidence accommodates the thickening of the upper crust of inward-dipping lavas and outward-dipping dikes about 1-2 km thick over a hot weak lower crust. Along-axis (high-temperature ductile and magmatic) flow of lower crustal material may help account for the relatively uniform seismic thickness of oceanic crust worldwide. Spreading along even slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges near hotspots (e.g., the Reykjanes Ridge) probably have similar features that are transitional between these extremes. In all of these settings, upper crustal and lower crustal structures are decoupled near the plate boundary but eventually welded together as the crust ages and cools. Similar processes are likely to occur along volcanic rifted margins as spreading begins.

From Subduction to a Compressional transform system: Diffuse Deformation Processes at the Southeastern Boundary of the Caribbean Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deville, E.; Padron, C.; Huyghe, P.; Callec, Y.; Lallemant, S.; Lebrun, J.; Mascle, A.; Mascle, G.; Noble, M.

2006-12-01

Geophysical data acquired in the southeastern Caribbean marine area (CARAMBA survey of the French O/V Atalante) provide new information about the deformation processes occurring in this subduction-to-strike-slip transitions zone. The 65 000 km2 of multibeam data and 5600 km of seismic reflection and 3.5 kHz profiles which have been collected evidence that the connection between the Barbados accretionary prism and the south Caribbean transform system is partitioned between a wide variety of recently active tectonic superficial features (complex folding, diffuse faulting, and mud volcanism), which accommodate the relative displacement between the Caribbean and the South America plates. The active deformation within the sedimentary pile is mostly aseismic (creeping) and this deformation is relatively diffuse over a large diffuse plate boundary. There is no direct fault connection between the front of the Barbados prism and the strike-slip system of northern Venezuela. The toe thrust system at the southern edge of the Barbados prism, exhibits clear en-echelon geometry. The geometry of the syntectonic deposits evidence the diachronism of the deformation processes. Notably, it is well evidenced that early folds have been sealed by the recent turbidite deposits, whereas, some of the fold and thrust structures were active recently. Within this active compressional region, extension growth faults develop on the platform and on the slope of the Orinoco delta along a WNW-ESE trending en-echelon fault system that we called the Orinoco Delta Fault Zone (ODFZ). This fault system is clearly oblique with respect to the present-day Orinoco delta slope. These faults are not simply related to a passive gravitary collapse of the sediments accumulated on the Orinoco platform. Though there a decoupling between the shallow deformation processes in the sediments and the deep deformation characterized by earthquake activity, the ODFZ is inferred to be partly controlled by deep structures associated the shearing of the lithosphere at depth (probably at the Continent-Ocean Boundary).

The tectonic evolution of the southeastern Terceira Rift/São Miguel region (Azores)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiß, B. J.; Hübscher, C.; Lüdmann, T.

2015-07-01

The eastern Azores Archipelago with São Miguel being the dominant subaerial structure is located at the intersection of an oceanic rift (Terceira Rift) with a major transform fault (Gloria Fault) representing the westernmost part of the Nubian-Eurasian plate boundary. The evolution of islands, bathymetric highs and basin margins involves strong volcanism, but the controlling geodynamic and tectonic processes are currently under debate. In order to study this evolution, multibeam bathymetry and marine seismic reflection data were collected to image faults and stratigraphy. The basins of the southeastern Terceira Rift are rift valleys whose southwestern and northeastern margins are defined by few major normal faults and several minor normal faults, respectively. Since São Miguel in between the rift valleys shows an unusual W-E orientation, it is supposed to be located on a leaky transform. South of the island and separated by a N120° trending graben system, the Monacco Bank represents a N160° oriented flat topped volcanic ridge dominated by tilted fault blocks. Up to six seismic units are interpreted for each basin. Although volcanic ridges hamper a direct linking of depositional strata between the rift and adjacent basins, the individual seismic stratigraphic units have distinct characteristics. Using these units to provide a consistent relative chrono-stratigraphic scheme for the entire study area, we suggest that the evolution of the southeastern Terceira Rift occurred in two stages. Considering age constrains from previous studies, we conclude that N140° structures developed orthogonal to the SW-NE direction of plate-tectonic extension before ~ 10 Ma. The N160° trending volcanic ridges and faults developed later as the plate tectonic spreading direction changed to WSW-ENE. Hence, the evolution of the southeastern Terceira Rift domain is predominantly controlled by plate kinematics and lithospheric stress forming a kind of a re-organized rift system.

Tectonic setting for ophiolite obduction in Oman.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coleman, R.G.

1981-01-01

The Samail ophiolite is part of an elongate belt in the Middle East that forms an integral part of the Alpine mountain chains that make up the N boundary of the Arabian-African plate. The Samail ophiolite represents a portion of the Tethyan ocean crust formed at a spreading center of Middle Cretaceous age (Cenomanian). During the Cretaceous spreading of the Tethyan Sea, Gondwana Land continued its dispersal, and the Arabian-African plate drifted northward about 10o. These events, combined with the opposite rotation of Eurasia and Africa, initiated the closing of the Tethyan during the Late Cretaceous. At the early stages of closure, downwarping of the Arabian continental margin, combined with the compressional forces of closure from the Eurasian plate, initiated obduction of the Tethyan oceanic crust along preexisting transform faults and still-hot oceanic crust was detached along oblique NE dipping thrust faults. Plate configurations combined with palinspastic reconstructions show that subduction and attendant large-scale island arc volcanism did not commence until after the Tethyan sea began to close and the Samail ophiolite was emplaced southward across the Arabian continental margin. The Samail ophiolite nappe now rests upon a melange consisting mainly of pelagic sediments, volcanics and detached fragments of the basal amphibolites, which in turn rest on autochthonous shelf carbonates of the Arabian platform. Following emplacement (Eocene) of the Samail ophiolite, the Tethyan oceanic crust began northward subduction, and active arc volcanism started just N of the present Jaz Murian depression in Iran.-Author

MeltMigrator: A MATLAB-based software for modeling three-dimensional melt migration and crustal thickness variations at mid-ocean ridges following a rules-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Hailong; Montési, Laurent G. J.; Behn, Mark D.

2017-01-01

MeltMigrator is a MATLAB®-based melt migration software developed to process three-dimensional mantle temperature and velocity data from user-supplied numerical models of mid-ocean ridges, calculate melt production and melt migration trajectories in the mantle, estimate melt flux along plate boundaries, and predict crustal thickness distribution on the seafloor. MeltMigrator is also capable of calculating compositional evolution depending on the choice of petrologic melting model. Programmed in modules, MeltMigrator is highly customizable and can be expanded to a wide range of applications. We have applied it to complex mid-ocean ridge model settings, including transform faults, oblique segments, ridge migration, asymmetrical spreading, background mantle flow, and ridge-plume interaction. In this technical report, we include an example application to a segmented mid-ocean ridge. MeltMigrator is available as a supplement to this paper, and it is also available from GitHub and the University of Maryland Geodynamics Group website.

Creep of phyllosilicates at the onset of plate tectonics

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

Amiguet, Elodie; Reynard, Bruno; Caracas, Razvan

Plate tectonics is the unifying paradigm of geodynamics yet the mechanisms and causes of its initiation remain controversial. Some models suggest that plate tectonics initiates when the strength of lithosphere is lower than 20-200 MPa, below the frictional strength of lithospheric rocks (>700 MPa). At present-day, major plate boundaries such as the subduction interface, transform faults, and extensional faults at mid-oceanic ridge core complexes indicate a transition from brittle behaviour to stable sliding at depths between 10 and 40 km, in association with water-rock interactions forming phyllosilicates. We explored the rheological behaviour of lizardite, an archetypal phyllosilicate of the serpentinemore » group formed in oceanic and subduction contexts, and its potential influence on weakening of the lithospheric faults and shear zones. High-pressure deformation experiments were carried out on polycrystalline lizardite - the low temperature serpentine variety - using a D-DIA apparatus at a variety of pressure and temperature conditions from 1 to 8 GPa and 150 to 400 C and for strain rates between 10{sup -4} and 10{sup -6} s{sup -1}. Recovered samples show plastic deformation features and no evidence of brittle failure. Lizardite has a large rheological anisotropy, comparable to that observed in the micas. Mechanical results and first-principles calculations confirmed easy gliding on lizardite basal plane and show that the flow stress of phyllosilicate is in the range of the critical value of 20-200 MPa down to depths of about 200 km. Thus, foliated serpentine or chlorite-bearing rocks are sufficiently weak to account for plate tectonics initiation, aseismic sliding on the subduction interface below the seismogenic zone, and weakening of the oceanic lithosphere along hydrothermally altered fault zones. Serpentinisation easing the deformation of the early crust and shallow mantle reinforces the idea of a close link between the occurrence of plate tectonics and water at the surface of the Earth.« less

Alkalic Basalt in Ridge Axis of 53˚E Amagmatic Segment Center, Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, H.; Wang, J.; Liu, Y.; Ji, F.; Dick, H. J.

2014-12-01

Mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) is key tracer of composition and process in the mantle. It is interesting to notice that some alkalic basalts occur in amagmatic spreading center of ultraslow spreading ridges, for examples, 9-16˚E of the Southwest Indian ridge (Standish et al., 2008) and Lena Trough of Arctic Ocean (Snow et al., 2011). The latter is interpreted as the result of the pre-existence of continental transform fault or the especially cold thermal structure of ancient continental lithosphere. 53˚E segment, east of the Gallieni transform fault, was discovered as an amagmatic segment (Zhou and Dick, 2013). On both sides of the ridge axis, peridotites with a little gabbro are exposed in an area more than 3200 km2. Basalts exist in the southern portion of 53˚E segment, indicating the transformation from magmatic to amagmatic spreading about 9.4 million years ago. In April of 2014, Leg 4 of the RV Dayang Yihao cruise 30, basaltic glasses was dredged at one location (3500 m water depth) in the ridge axis of 53˚E segment center. It is shown by electric probe analysis that the samples have extremely high sodium content (4.0-4.49 wt% Na­2O ), relative higher potassium content (0.27-0.32 wt% K2O) and silica (50.67-51.87 wt% SiO2), and lower MgO content (5.9-6.4 wt% MgO). Mg-number is 0.55-0.59. It is distinctly different from the N-MORB (2.42-2.68 wt% Na2O, 0.03-0.06 wt% K2O, 48.6-49.6 wt% Si2O, 8.8-9.0 wt% MgO, Mg-numbers 0.63) distributed in the 560-km-long supersegment, west of the Gallieni transform fault, where the active Dragon Flag hydrothermal field was discovered at 49.6˚E in 2007. The reasons for the alkalic basalt in the ridge axis of 53˚E amagmatic segment center, either by low melting degree of garnet stability field, by melting from an ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle, or by sodium-metasomatism or even other mantle processes or their combination in the deep mantle, are under further studies.

Reaction-induced rheological weakening enables oceanic plate subduction.

PubMed

Hirauchi, Ken-Ichi; Fukushima, Kumi; Kido, Masanori; Muto, Jun; Okamoto, Atsushi

2016-08-26

Earth is the only terrestrial planet in our solar system where an oceanic plate subducts beneath an overriding plate. Although the initiation of plate subduction requires extremely weak boundaries between strong plates, the way in which oceanic mantle rheologically weakens remains unknown. Here we show that shear-enhanced hydration reactions contribute to the generation and maintenance of weak mantle shear zones at mid-lithospheric depths. High-pressure friction experiments on peridotite gouge reveal that in the presence of hydrothermal water, increasing strain and reactions lead to an order-of-magnitude reduction in strength. The rate of deformation is controlled by pressure-solution-accommodated frictional sliding on weak hydrous phyllosilicate (talc), providing a mechanism for the 'cutoff' of the high peak strength at the brittle-plastic transition. Our findings suggest that infiltration of seawater into transform faults with long lengths and low slip rates is an important controlling factor on the initiation of plate tectonics on terrestrial planets.

A tectonic model for the Tertiary evolution of strike slip faults and rift basins in SE Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morley, C. K.

2002-04-01

Models for the Tertiary evolution of SE Asia fall into two main types: a pure escape tectonics model with no proto-South China Sea, and subduction of proto-South China Sea oceanic crust beneath Borneo. A related problem is which, if any, of the main strike-slip faults (Mae Ping, Three Pagodas and Aliao Shan-Red River (ASRR)) cross Sundaland to the NW Borneo margin to facilitate continental extrusion? Recent results investigating strike-slip faults, rift basins, and metamorphic core complexes are reviewed and a revised tectonic model for SE Asia proposed. Key points of the new model include: (1) The ASRR shear zone was mainly active in the Eocene-Oligocene in order to link with extension in the South China Sea. The ASRR was less active during the Miocene (tens of kilometres of sinistral displacement), with minor amounts of South China Sea spreading centre extension transferred to the ASRR shear zone. (2) At least three important regions of metamorphic core complex development affected Indochina from the Oligocene-Miocene (Mogok gneiss belt; Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep; around the ASRR shear zone). Hence, Paleogene crustal thickening, buoyancy-driven crustal collapse, and lower crustal flow are important elements of the Tertiary evolution of Indochina. (3) Subduction of a proto-South China Sea oceanic crust during the Eocene-Early Miocene is necessary to explain the geological evolution of NW Borneo and must be built into any model for the region. (4) The Eocene-Oligocene collision of NE India with Burma activated extrusion tectonics along the Three Pagodas, Mae Ping, Ranong and Klong Marui faults and right lateral motion along the Sumatran subduction zone. (5) The only strike-slip fault link to the NW Borneo margin occurred along the trend of the ASRR fault system, which passes along strike into a right lateral transform system including the Baram line.

Geology along the Fairweather-Queen Charlotte fault system off southeast Alaska and British Columbia from GLORIA images and seismic-reflection data

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

Bruns, T.R.; Carlson, P.R.; Stevenson, A.J.

1990-06-01

GLORIA images collected in 1989 along southeast Alaska and British Columbia strikingly show the active trace of the Fairweather-Queen Charlotte transform fault system beneath the outer shelf and slope; seismic-reflection data are used to track the fault system across the continental shelf where GLORIA data are not available. From Cross Sound to Chatham Strait, the fault system is comprised of two sets of subparallel fault traces separated by 3 to 6 km. The fault system crosses the shelf from Icy Point to south of Yakobi Valley, then follows the shelf edge to Chatham Strait. Between Chatham Strait and Dixon Entrance,more » a single, sharply defined active fault trace underlies the upper and middle slope. This fault segment is bounded on the seaward side by a high, midslope ridge and by lower slope Quaternary( ) anticlines up to 35 km wide. Southeast of Dixon Entrance, the active fault trace trends back onto the outer shelf until midway along the Queen Charlotte Islands, then cuts back to and stays at midslope to the Tuzo Wilson Knolls south of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The fault steps westward at Tuzo Wilson Knolls, which are likely part of a spreading ridge segment. Major deep-sea fans along southeast Alaska show a southeastward age progression from older to younger and record both point source deposition at Chatham Strait and Dixon Entrance and subsequent (Quaternary ) offset along the fault system. Subsidence of ocean plate now adjacent to the Chatham Strait-Dixon Entrance fault segment initiated development of both Mukluk and Horizon Channels.« less

The Role of Coseismic Coulomb Stress Changes in Shaping the Hard Link Between Normal Fault Segments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodge, M.; Fagereng, Å.; Biggs, J.

2018-01-01

The mechanism and evolution of fault linkage is important in the growth and development of large faults. Here we investigate the role of coseismic stress changes in shaping the hard links between parallel normal fault segments (or faults), by comparing numerical models of the Coulomb stress change from simulated earthquakes on two en echelon fault segments to natural observations of hard-linked fault geometry. We consider three simplified linking fault geometries: (1) fault bend, (2) breached relay ramp, and (3) strike-slip transform fault. We consider scenarios where either one or both segments rupture and vary the distance between segment tips. Fault bends and breached relay ramps are favored where segments underlap or when the strike-perpendicular distance between overlapping segments is less than 20% of their total length, matching all 14 documented examples. Transform fault linkage geometries are preferred when overlapping segments are laterally offset at larger distances. Few transform faults exist in continental extensional settings, and our model suggests that propagating faults or fault segments may first link through fault bends or breached ramps before reaching sufficient overlap for a transform fault to develop. Our results suggest that Coulomb stresses arising from multisegment ruptures or repeated earthquakes are consistent with natural observations of the geometry of hard links between parallel normal fault segments.

Particular Oceanic Core Complex evolution in an extremely low melt supply environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maia, M.; Vincent, C.; Briais, A.; Brunelli, D.; Ligi, M.; Adrião, Á.; Sichel, S. E.

2017-12-01

Saint Paul is a major transform system in the Equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It consists of four transform faults and three short intra-transform ridge segments. This study focuses on peridotitic and gabbroic ridges and unusual Oceanic Core Complex (OCC)-related tectonics found at the St. Paul southern intra-transform segment. These structures display the same characters as the OCCs worldwide (termination, rafted blocks, corrugations, breakaway); however unusual features suggest that they have evolved in a particular way with respect to other OCCs along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Small ridge segments display an asymmetrical accretion through successive nucleations of detachment faults over more than 10 m.y. marked by crustal mylonitisation (Adrião et al., this session). Structural mapping and gravity models covering about 100 km on each ridge flank confirm the existence of four consecutive detachments, the more recent being still active, and provide an interpretative model of their spatiotemporal evolution. The unusual aspect is that each detachment appears to have been split on the two sides of the ridge axis. As a consequence, the breakaways are located on the American plate, while the conjugate terminations are drafted away on the African plate. We suggest that this unusual feature results from the rupture of the detachment surfaces by relocation of the ridge axis through westward small ridge jumps. This mode of expansion is somehow intermediate between the "normal" OCCs spreading and the Smooth Seafloor-type model described off-axis along the Southwest Indian Ridge (Sauter et al., 2013). It partly compensates the long-term asymmetric expansion of this ridge segment and is likely related to the extremely low melt supply and thick lithosphere inferred from other studies. Adrião et al., 2017. Mechanical mixing and metamorphism of mafic and ultramafic lithologies .... This Session Sauter et al., 2013. Continuous exhumation of mantle-derived rocks… Nat Geo, 2013

The geometry of propagating rifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenzie, Dan

1986-03-01

The kinematics of two different processes are investigated, both of which have been described as rift propagation. Courtillot uses this term to describe the change from distributed to localised extension which occurs during the early development of an ocean basin. The term localisation is instead used here to describe this process, to distinguish it from Hey's type of propagation. Localisation generally leads to rotation of the direction of magnetisation. To Hey propagation means the extension of a rift into the undeformed plate beyond a transform fault. Detail surveys of the Galapagos rift have shown that the propagating and failing rifts are not connected by a single transform fault, but by a zone which is undergoing shear. The principal deformation is simple shear, and the kinematics of this deformation are investigated in some detail. The strike of most of the lineations observed in the area can be produced by such deformation. The mode of extension on the propagating rift appears to be localised for some periods but to be distributed for others. Neither simple kinematic arguments nor stretching of the lithosphere with conservation of crust can account for the observed variations in water depth.

Analysis on Behaviour of Wavelet Coefficient during Fault Occurrence in Transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreewirote, Bancha; Ngaopitakkul, Atthapol

2018-03-01

The protection system for transformer has play significant role in avoiding severe damage to equipment when disturbance occur and ensure overall system reliability. One of the methodology that widely used in protection scheme and algorithm is discrete wavelet transform. However, characteristic of coefficient under fault condition must be analyzed to ensure its effectiveness. So, this paper proposed study and analysis on wavelet coefficient characteristic when fault occur in transformer in both high- and low-frequency component from discrete wavelet transform. The effect of internal and external fault on wavelet coefficient of both fault and normal phase has been taken into consideration. The fault signal has been simulate using transmission connected to transformer experimental setup on laboratory level that modelled after actual system. The result in term of wavelet coefficient shown a clearly differentiate between wavelet characteristic in both high and low frequency component that can be used to further design and improve detection and classification algorithm that based on discrete wavelet transform methodology in the future.

Ridge-transform interaction and seismic behavior within the Tjörnes Fracture Zone, N-Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandsdottir, B.; Magnusdottir, S.; Einarsson, P.; Gudmundsson, G.; Detrick, R. S.; Driscoll, N. W.

2013-12-01

High-resolution multibeam bathymetry and chirp profiling data have provided a new perspective on the structure and neotectonics of the onland-offshore Húsavík-Flatey Fault System (HFF) within the Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ), N-Iceland. The TFZ comprises a broad right lateral transform zone made up of three major N-S striking extensional basins and three WNW-striking seismic lineaments, the dextral HFF, the Grímsey Oblique Rift Zone (GRZ) and the Dalvík Fault System (DF). The HFF connects the North Iceland Rift Zone (NIRZ) with the Eyjafjardaráll extensional basin (EB), the magma starved southern extension of the Kolbeinsey Ridge (KR) whereas the GRZ constitutes the offshore extension of the NIRZ with the KR. The HFF has an overall trend of N65°W and can be traced 75-80 km from its eastern junction with the NIRZ, across the Skjálfandi Bay and into the Eyjafjardaráll basin. Four pull-apart basins characterize the HFF, the largest at its intersection with the EB. En echelon arrays of conjugate strike-slip faults intersect the main HFF at angles of N20°-30°W and N20°E. Some can be traced onto land where they exhibit complicated flower patterns. Within the Skjálfandi Bay, the HFF is divided into two main branches, separated by a 70 m high N-S aligned push-up ridge and several smaller, sub-parallel WNW-trending faults. Individual fault strands have vertical displacement from 0-15 m. Large earthquakes occurred along the HFF in 1755, 1867, 1872 and 1884, the GRZ in 1884-1885 and 1910 and on the DF in 1838, 1934 and 1963. Some were destructive. A dextral transform offshore N-Iceland was initially based on diffuse earthquake epicenters and the M7, 1963 Skagafjördur earthquake. Data from the analog Iceland seismic network, established in the early 1970s, showed the TFZ microseismicity to be too diffuse to be associated with a simple oceanic transform fault. Recent seismicity within the TFZ consists of frequent earthquake swarms, lasting days or weeks with a maximum earthquake magnitude exceeding 5. Fault mechanisms reveal both normal faulting and strike-slip movements. The seismic data indicate that the HFF is flanked by bookshelf faulting both within the DF and the region between the HFF and GRZ, sometimes referred to as the Tjörnes microplate. Lateral dike propagation during the 1974-1989 Krafla rifting episode, within the NIRZ, activated adjacent transform zones, triggering the M 6.2 strike-slip Kópasker earthquake of January 13, 1976, at the junction of the NIRZ with the GRZ at the initiation and largest of the rifting events. During the propagation of the second largest rifting event, January 1978, the northward propagation along the Krafla fissure swarm was temporarily halted at the junction of the NIRZ with the HFF during which earthquakes began to propagate along the HFF, followed by continued northward propagation. Although transform motion within the TFZ is currently taken up by two parallel systems the Tjörnes microplate will merge with the North American plate as continued northward propagation of the divergent plate boundary gradually deactivates the HFF.

The semi-brittle to ductile transition in peridotite on oceanic faults: mechanisms and P-T condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prigent, C.; Warren, J. M.; Kohli, A. H.; Teyssier, C. P.

2017-12-01

Experimental and geological-petrological studies suggest that the transition from brittle faulting to ductile flow of olivine, i.e. from seismic to aseismic behavior of mantle rocks (peridotites), occurs close to 600°C. However, recent seismological studies on oceanic transform faults (TFs) and ridges have documented earthquakes to temperatures (T) up to 700-800°C. In this study, we carried out a petrological, microstructural and geochemical analysis of natural samples of peridotites dredged at 3 different oceanic TFs of the Southwest Indian Ridge: Shaka, Prince Edward and Atlantis II. We selected samples displaying variable amounts of ductile deformation (from porphyroclastic tectonites to ultramylonites) prior to serpentinization in order to characterize their relatively high-T mechanical behavior. We find that the most deformed samples record cycles of ductile and brittle deformation. Peridotite ductile flow is characterized by drastic grain size reduction and the development of (ultra)mylonitic shear zones. In these zones, a switch in olivine deformation mechanism from dislocation creep to grain-size sensitive creep is associated with dissolution/precipitation processes. Brittle deformation of these samples is evidenced by the presence of (at least centimetric) transgranular and intragranular fractures that fragment coarser grained minerals. Both kinds of fractures are filled with the same phase assemblage as in the ultramylonitic bands: olivine + amphibole ± orthopyroxene ± Al-phase (plagioclase and/or spinel) ± sulfides. The presence of amphibole indicates that this semi-brittle deformation was assisted by hydrous fluids and its composition (e.g. high concentration of chlorine) suggests that the fluids have most likely a hydrothermal origin. We interpret these fractures to have formed under fluid-assisted conditions, recording paleo-seismic activity that alternated with periods of relatively slow interseismic ductile flow. The presence of Mg-hornblende (amphibole) suggests that the fractures nucleated between 700-850°C. Our study thus provides an estimate of the temperature at the transition from semi-brittle (seismic/aseismic) to fully ductile (aseismic) deformation in the oceanic mantle.

Continental Affinities of the Alpha Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, H. Ruth; Li, Qingmou; Shimeld, John; Chian, Deping

2017-04-01

Identifying the crustal attributes of the Alpha Ridge (AR) part of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province and tracing the spreading centre across the Amerasia Basin plays a key role in understanding the opening history of the Arctic Ocean. In this approach, we report the evidence for a continental influence on the development of the AR and reduced ocean crust in the Amerasia Basin. These points are inferred from a documented continental sedimentation source in the Amerasia Basin and calculated diagnostic compressional and shear refraction waves, and from the tracing of the distinct spreading centre using the potential field data. (1) The circum-Arctic geology of the small polar ocean provides compelling evidence of a long-lived continental landmass north of the Sverdrup Basin in the Canadian Arctic Islands and north of the Barents Sea continental margin. Based on sediment distribution patterns in the Sverdrup Basin a continental source is required from the Triassic to mid Jurassic. In addition, an extensive continental sediment source to the north of the Barents Sea is required until the Barremian. (2) Offshore data suggest a portion of continental crust in the Alpha and Mendeleev ridges including measured shear wave velocities, similarity of compressional wave velocities with large igneous province with continental fragments and magnetic patterns. Ocean bottom seismometers recorded shear waves velocities that are sensitive to the quartz content of rocks across the Chukchi Borderland and the Mendeleev Ridge that are diagnostic of both an upper and lower continental crust. On the Nautilus Spur of the Alpha Ridge expendable sonobuoys recorded clear converted shear waves also consistent with continental crust. The magnetic patterns (amplitude, frequency, and textures) on the Northwind Ridge and the Nautilus Spur also have similarities. In fact only limited portions of the deepest water portions of the Canada Basin and the Makarov Basin have typical oceanic layer 2 and 3 crustal velocities and lineated magnetic anomalies. (3) The gravity and magnetic anomalies associated with the spreading centre in the Canada Basin unveiled by multifractal singularity analysis of the potential field data can now be traced as far as the Lomonosov Ridge. In addition, linear magnetic features cutting across the spreading centres are identified as transform faults. The combination of the detected continental attributes of AR, the quantification of transform faults, and the outlined reduced extent of oceanic crust in the Amerasia Basin provide new insights into the opening history of the basin.

What electrical measurements can say about changes in fault systems.

PubMed Central

Madden, T R; Mackie, R L

1996-01-01

Earthquake zones in the upper crust are usually more conductive than the surrounding rocks, and electrical geophysical measurements can be used to map these zones. Magnetotelluric (MT) measurements across fault zones that are parallel to the coast and not too far away can also give some important information about the lower crustal zone. This is because the long-period electric currents coming from the ocean gradually leak into the mantle, but the lower crust is usually very resistive and very little leakage takes place. If a lower crustal zone is less resistive it will be a leakage zone, and this can be seen because the MT phase will change as the ocean currents leave the upper crust. The San Andreas Fault is parallel to the ocean boundary and close enough to have a lot of extra ocean currents crossing the zone. The Loma Prieta zone, after the earthquake, showed a lot of ocean electric current leakage, suggesting that the lower crust under the fault zone was much more conductive than normal. It is hard to believe that water, which is responsible for the conductivity, had time to get into the lower crustal zone, so it was probably always there, but not well connected. If this is true, then the poorly connected water would be at a pressure close to the rock pressure, and it may play a role in modifying the fluid pressure in the upper crust fault zone. We also have telluric measurements across the San Andreas Fault near Palmdale from 1979 to 1990, and beginning in 1985 we saw changes in the telluric signals on the fault zone and east of the fault zone compared with the signals west of the fault zone. These measurements were probably seeing a better connection of the lower crust fluids taking place, and this may result in a fluid flow from the lower crust to the upper crust. This could be a factor in changing the strength of the upper crust fault zone. PMID:11607664

Deep-tow studies of the Vema Fracture Zone: 1. Tectonics of a major slow slipping transform fault and its intersection with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, Ken. C.; Castillo, David A.; Miller, Stephen P.; Fox, Paul J.; Kastens, Kim A.; Bonatti, Enrico

1986-03-01

The Vema transform fault, which slips at a rate of 24 mm/yr, displaces the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) 320 km in a left-lateral sense. High-resolution deep-tow studies of the Vema ridge-transform intersection (RTI) and the eastern 130 km of the active transform fault reveal a complex pattern of dip-slip and strike-slip faults which evolve in time and space. At the intersection, both the neovolcanic zone and the west wall of the MAR rift valley curve counterclockwise toward the transform fault along trends approximately 30° oblique to the regional north-south trend of the spreading axis. The curving of extensional structures in the rift valley, such as normal faults and the axial zone of dike injection, appears to be related to transmission of transform related shear stresses into the spreading center domain. Intermittent locking of the American and African lithospheric plates across the RTI causes shear stresses to penetrate up to 4 km into the MAR axial neovolcanic zone where the lithosphere is relatively thin and up to 12 km into the block-faulted west wall of the rift valley where the lithosphere is thicker. The degree of shear coupling across the RTI may vary with time due to changes in the thickness of the lithosphere along the axis (0-10 km), the strength of a "mantle weld" at depth, and the presence or absence of an axial magma chamber, so that extensional structures at the RTI may be either spreading center parallel when coupling is weak or oblique when coupling is strong. Oblique extension across the RTI in addition to other factors may account for some of the down dropping of lithosphere within the deep nodal basin. The easternmost 20 km of the active transform fault zone near the RTI displays a braided network of three to nine tectonically active grabens and V-shaped furrows in a zone 2-4 km wide, interpreted to consist of interwoven Riedel shears, P shears, and oblique normal faults. Clay cake deformation experiments and deep-tow observations suggest that P shears and R shears, which are 10°-20° oblique to the transform slip direction, develop during the initial stages of transform faulting near the RTI as the newly accreted lithosphere accelerates to full plate velocity. Some of the R shears propagate along strike and intercept the oblique normal faults resulting in sharply curving scarps at the RTI. Subsequent to this merging of the two fault types, some of the R shears develop a significant component of dip slip, while other R shears merge with P shears creating a complex anastomosing fault pattern up to 4 km wide. A continuous strand within this braided pattern of faults is interpreted to be the principal transform displacement zone near the RTI. Twenty kilometers west of the RTI the active transform fault zone narrows to a furrow generally less than 100 m wide with only a few short discontinuous splays. This narrow groove cuts through thinly sedimented basalt 20-40 km west of the RTI and continues as a narrow furrow (less than 100 m wide) through up to 1.5 km of layered turbidite fill most of the way to the western RTI. Such a narrow zone of deformation typifies the mature stages of transform faulting where the lithosphere on both sides of the transform fault is relatively old, thick, and rigid and has completed its acceleration to full plate velocity. The transform fault zone is closely associated with a partially buried median ridge and widens to 1-2 km where it transects exposed portions of the ridge. The transform parallel median and transverse ridges create the highest topography associated with the transform fault and may be serpentinized ultramafic intrusions capped by displaced crustal blocks of gabbro, metagabbro, and basalt.

Identification of transformer fault based on dissolved gas analysis using hybrid support vector machine-modified evolutionary particle swarm optimisation

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Early detection of power transformer fault is important because it can reduce the maintenance cost of the transformer and it can ensure continuous electricity supply in power systems. Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) technique is commonly used to identify oil-filled power transformer fault type but utilisation of artificial intelligence method with optimisation methods has shown convincing results. In this work, a hybrid support vector machine (SVM) with modified evolutionary particle swarm optimisation (EPSO) algorithm was proposed to determine the transformer fault type. The superiority of the modified PSO technique with SVM was evaluated by comparing the results with the actual fault diagnosis, unoptimised SVM and previous reported works. Data reduction was also applied using stepwise regression prior to the training process of SVM to reduce the training time. It was found that the proposed hybrid SVM-Modified EPSO (MEPSO)-Time Varying Acceleration Coefficient (TVAC) technique results in the highest correct identification percentage of faults in a power transformer compared to other PSO algorithms. Thus, the proposed technique can be one of the potential solutions to identify the transformer fault type based on DGA data on site. PMID:29370230

Identification of transformer fault based on dissolved gas analysis using hybrid support vector machine-modified evolutionary particle swarm optimisation.

PubMed

Illias, Hazlee Azil; Zhao Liang, Wee

2018-01-01

Early detection of power transformer fault is important because it can reduce the maintenance cost of the transformer and it can ensure continuous electricity supply in power systems. Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) technique is commonly used to identify oil-filled power transformer fault type but utilisation of artificial intelligence method with optimisation methods has shown convincing results. In this work, a hybrid support vector machine (SVM) with modified evolutionary particle swarm optimisation (EPSO) algorithm was proposed to determine the transformer fault type. The superiority of the modified PSO technique with SVM was evaluated by comparing the results with the actual fault diagnosis, unoptimised SVM and previous reported works. Data reduction was also applied using stepwise regression prior to the training process of SVM to reduce the training time. It was found that the proposed hybrid SVM-Modified EPSO (MEPSO)-Time Varying Acceleration Coefficient (TVAC) technique results in the highest correct identification percentage of faults in a power transformer compared to other PSO algorithms. Thus, the proposed technique can be one of the potential solutions to identify the transformer fault type based on DGA data on site.

Seismic Reflection Images of Deep Lithospheric Faults and Thin Crust at the Actively Deforming Indo-Australian Plate Boundary in the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S. C.; Carton, H.; Chauhan, A.; Dyment, J.; Cannat, M.; Hananto, N.; Hartoyo, D.; Tapponnier, P.; Davaille, A.

2007-12-01

Recently, we acquired deep seismic reflection data using a state-of-the-art technology of Schlumberger having a powerful source (10,000 cubic inch) and a 12 km long streamer along a 250 km long trench parallel line offshore Sumatra in the Indian Ocean deformation zone that provides seismic reflection image down to 40 km depth over the old oceanic lithosphere formed at Wharton spreading centre about 55-57 Ma ago. We observe deep penetrating faults that go down to 37 km depth (~24 km in the oceanic mantle), providing the first direct evidence for full lithospheric-scale deformation in an intra-plate oceanic domain. These faults dip NE and have dips between 25 and 40 degrees. The majority of faults are present in the mantle and are spaced at about 5 km, and do not seem cut through the Moho. We have also imaged active strike-slip fault zones that seem to be associated with the re-activation of ancient fracture zones, which is consistent with previous seismological and seafloor observations. The geometries of the deep penetrating faults neither seem to correspond to faulting associated with the plate bending at the subduction front nor with the re-activation of fracture zone that initiated about 7.5 Ma ago, and therefore, we suggest that these deep mantle faults were formed due to compressive stress at the beginning of the hard collision between India and Eurasia, soon after the cessation of seafloor spreading in the Wharton basin. We also find that the crust generated at the fast Wharton spreading centre 55-57 Ma ago is only 3.5-4.5 km thick, the thinnest crust ever observed in a fast spreading environment. We suggest that this extremely thin crust is due to 40-50°C lower than normal mantle temperature in this part of the Indian Ocean during its formation.

Olivine Friction at the Base of the Seismogenic Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boettcher, M. S.; Hirth, G.; Evans, B.

2003-12-01

The frictional properties at the base of the seismogenic zone in oceanic lithosphere are fundamental to our understanding of oceanic earthquake processes. While the composition of the oceanic lithosphere is probably the simplest and most well constrained of any seismogenic region on Earth, few data on its frictional properties exist. We are investigating the strength and sliding stability of olivine aggregates at temperature and effective pressure conditions close to those at the base of the seismogenic zone on a typical transform fault. We have conducted triaxial compression tests on dry olivine powder (38-60 \\ μ m particles) at effective pressures of P{eff} = P{c} - P{f} = 50, \\ 200, \\ & \\ 300 MPa using argon as a pore fluid medium, temperatures of T = 800o{C} \\ & \\ 1000o{C}, and strain rates of ˙ {ɛ } = 3 x 10-5 \\ & \\ 3 x 10-4. For all experiments, strain became localized on faults and strain-rate steps showed velocity-weakening behavior. Stick-slip events were observed at all temperatures up to 1000oC, with a greater tendency towards instability (i.e. more stick-slip events) at the higher strain rate. By contrast, previous laboratory work by Stesky et al. (1974) found stable sliding for olivine at temperatures above 200oC. Our experiments are consistent with seismic data, which find that earthquake hypocenters regularly occur to temperatures well above 200oC, regularly to near the 600oC isotherm.

30 CFR 75.814 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... protection must not be dependent upon control power and may consist of a current transformer and overcurrent... restarting of the equipment. (b) Current transformers used for the ground-fault protection specified in... series with ground-fault current transformers. (c) Each ground-fault current device specified in...

30 CFR 75.814 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... protection must not be dependent upon control power and may consist of a current transformer and overcurrent... restarting of the equipment. (b) Current transformers used for the ground-fault protection specified in... series with ground-fault current transformers. (c) Each ground-fault current device specified in...

30 CFR 75.814 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... protection must not be dependent upon control power and may consist of a current transformer and overcurrent... restarting of the equipment. (b) Current transformers used for the ground-fault protection specified in... series with ground-fault current transformers. (c) Each ground-fault current device specified in...

30 CFR 75.814 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... protection must not be dependent upon control power and may consist of a current transformer and overcurrent... restarting of the equipment. (b) Current transformers used for the ground-fault protection specified in... series with ground-fault current transformers. (c) Each ground-fault current device specified in...

30 CFR 75.814 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... protection must not be dependent upon control power and may consist of a current transformer and overcurrent... restarting of the equipment. (b) Current transformers used for the ground-fault protection specified in... series with ground-fault current transformers. (c) Each ground-fault current device specified in...

Transformer Incipient Fault Prediction Using Combined Artificial Neural Network and Various Particle Swarm Optimisation Techniques.

PubMed

Illias, Hazlee Azil; Chai, Xin Rui; Abu Bakar, Ab Halim; Mokhlis, Hazlie

2015-01-01

It is important to predict the incipient fault in transformer oil accurately so that the maintenance of transformer oil can be performed correctly, reducing the cost of maintenance and minimise the error. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) has been widely used to predict the incipient fault in power transformers. However, sometimes the existing DGA methods yield inaccurate prediction of the incipient fault in transformer oil because each method is only suitable for certain conditions. Many previous works have reported on the use of intelligence methods to predict the transformer faults. However, it is believed that the accuracy of the previously proposed methods can still be improved. Since artificial neural network (ANN) and particle swarm optimisation (PSO) techniques have never been used in the previously reported work, this work proposes a combination of ANN and various PSO techniques to predict the transformer incipient fault. The advantages of PSO are simplicity and easy implementation. The effectiveness of various PSO techniques in combination with ANN is validated by comparison with the results from the actual fault diagnosis, an existing diagnosis method and ANN alone. Comparison of the results from the proposed methods with the previously reported work was also performed to show the improvement of the proposed methods. It was found that the proposed ANN-Evolutionary PSO method yields the highest percentage of correct identification for transformer fault type than the existing diagnosis method and previously reported works.

Transformer Incipient Fault Prediction Using Combined Artificial Neural Network and Various Particle Swarm Optimisation Techniques

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

It is important to predict the incipient fault in transformer oil accurately so that the maintenance of transformer oil can be performed correctly, reducing the cost of maintenance and minimise the error. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) has been widely used to predict the incipient fault in power transformers. However, sometimes the existing DGA methods yield inaccurate prediction of the incipient fault in transformer oil because each method is only suitable for certain conditions. Many previous works have reported on the use of intelligence methods to predict the transformer faults. However, it is believed that the accuracy of the previously proposed methods can still be improved. Since artificial neural network (ANN) and particle swarm optimisation (PSO) techniques have never been used in the previously reported work, this work proposes a combination of ANN and various PSO techniques to predict the transformer incipient fault. The advantages of PSO are simplicity and easy implementation. The effectiveness of various PSO techniques in combination with ANN is validated by comparison with the results from the actual fault diagnosis, an existing diagnosis method and ANN alone. Comparison of the results from the proposed methods with the previously reported work was also performed to show the improvement of the proposed methods. It was found that the proposed ANN-Evolutionary PSO method yields the highest percentage of correct identification for transformer fault type than the existing diagnosis method and previously reported works. PMID:26103634

Strike-slip earthquakes in the oceanic lithosphere: Observations of exceptionally high apparent stress

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choy, George; McGarr, A.

2002-01-01

The radiated energies, ES, and seismic moments, M0, for 942 globally distributed earthquakes that occurred between 1987 to 1998 are examined to find the earthquakes with the highest apparent stresses (τa=μES/M0, where μ is the modulus of rigidity). The globally averaged τa for shallow earthquakes in all tectonic environments and seismic regions is 0.3 MPa. However, the subset of 49 earthquakes with the highest apparent stresses (τa greater than about 5.0 MPa) is dominated almost exclusively by strike-slip earthquakes that occur in oceanic environments. These earthquakes are all located in the depth range 7–29 km in the upper mantle of the young oceanic lithosphere. Many of these events occur near plate-boundary triple junctions where there appear to be high rates of intraplate deformation. Indeed, the small rapidly deforming Gorda Plate accounts for 10 of the 49 high-τa events. The depth distribution of τa, which shows peak values somewhat greater than 25 MPa in the depth range 20–25 km, suggests that upper bounds on this parameter are a result of the strength of the oceanic lithosphere. A recently proposed envelope for apparent stress, derived by taking 6 per cent of the strength inferred from laboratory experiments for young (less than 30 Ma) deforming oceanic lithosphere, agrees well with the upper-bound envelope of apparent stresses over the depth range 5–30 km. The corresponding depth-dependent shear strength for young oceanic lithosphere attains a peak value of about 575 MPa at a depth of 21 km and then diminishes rapidly as the depth increases. In addition to their high apparent stresses, which suggest that the strength of the young oceanic lithosphere is highest in the depth range 10–30 km, our set of high-τa earthquakes show other features that constrain the nature of the forces that cause interplate motion. First, our set of events is divided roughly equally between intraplate and transform faulting with similar depth distributions of τa for the two types. Secondly, many of the intraplate events have focal mechanisms with the T-axes that are normal to the nearest ridge crest or subduction zone and P-axes that are normal to the proximate transform fault. These observations suggest that forces associated with the reorganization of plate boundaries play an important role in causing high-τa earthquakes inside oceanic plates. Extant transform boundaries may be misaligned with current plate motion. To accommodate current plate motion, the pre-existing plate boundaries would have to be subjected to large horizontal transform push forces. A notable example of this is the triple junction near which the second large aftershock of the 1992 April Cape Mendocino, California, sequence occurred. Alternatively, subduction zone resistance may be enhanced by the collision of a buoyant lithosphere, a process that also markedly increases the horizontal stress. A notable example of this is the Aleutian Trench near which large events occurred in the Gulf of Alaska in late 1987 and the 1998 March Balleny Sea M= 8.2 earthquake within the Antarctic Plate.

Estimation of fault geometry of a slow slip event off the Kii Peninsula, southwest of Japan, detected by DONET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, K.; Nakano, M.; Hori, T.; Takahashi, N.

2015-12-01

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology installed permanent ocean bottom observation network called Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis (DONET) off the Kii Peninsula, southwest of Japan, to monitor earthquakes and tsunamis. We detected the long-term vertical displacements of sea floor from the ocean-bottom pressure records, starting from March 2013, at several DONET stations (Suzuki et al., 2014). We consider that these displacements were caused by the crustal deformation due to a slow slip event (SSE). 　We estimated the fault geometry of the SSE by using the observed ocean-bottom displacements. The ocean-bottom displacements were obtained by removing the tidal components from the pressure records. We also subtracted the average of pressure changes taken over the records at stations connected to each science node from each record in order to remove the contributions due to atmospheric pressure changes and non-tidal ocean dynamic mass variations. Therefore we compared observed displacements with the theoretical ones that was subtracted the average displacement in the fault geometry estimation. We also compared observed and theoretical average displacements for the model evaluation. In this study, the observed average displacements were assumed to be zero. Although there are nine parameters in the fault model, we observed vertical displacements at only four stations. Therefore we assumed three fault geometries; (1) a reverse fault slip along the plate boundary, (2) a strike slip along a splay fault, and (3) a reverse fault slip along the splay fault. We obtained that the model (3) gives the smallest residual between observed and calculated displacements. We also observed that this SSE was synchronized with a decrease in the background seismicity within the area of a nearby earthquake cluster. In the future, we will investigate the relationship between the SSE and the seismicity change.

Plate break-up geometry in SE-Afar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geoffroy, Laurent; Le Gall, Bernard; Daoud, Mohamed

2014-05-01

New structural data acquired in Djibouti strongly support the view of a magma-rich to magma-poor pair of conjugate margins developed in SE Afar since at least 9 Ma. Our model is illustrated by a crustal-scale transect that emphasizes the role of a two-stage extensional detachment fault system, with opposing senses of motion through time. The geometry and kinematics of this detachment fault pattern are mainly documented from lavas and fault dip data extracted from remote sensing imagery (Landsat ETM+, and corresponding DEM), further calibrated by field observations. Although expressed by opposite fault geometries, the two successive extensional events evidenced here are part of a two-stage continental extensional tear-system associated with the ongoing propagation of the Aden-Tadjoura oceanic axis to the NW. A flip-flop evolution of detachment faults accommodating lithosphere divergence has recently been proposed for the development of the Indian Ocean and continental margins (Sauter et al., 2013). However, the SE Afar evolution further suggests a radical and sudden change in lithosphere behavior during extension, from a long-term and widespread magmatic stage to a syn-sedimentary break-up stage where mantle melting concentrates along the future oceanic axis. Of special interest is the fact that a late and rapid stage of non-magmatic extension led to break-up, whose geometry triggered the location of the break-up axis and earliest oceanic accretion. New structural data acquired in Djibouti strongly support the view of a magma-rich to magma-poor pair of conjugate margins developed in SE Afar since at least 9 Ma. Our model is illustrated by a crustal-scale transect that emphasizes the role of a two-stage extensional detachment fault system, with opposing senses of motion through time. The geometry and kinematics of this detachment fault pattern are mainly documented from lavas and fault dip data extracted from remote sensing imagery (Landsat ETM+, and corresponding DEM), further calibrated by field observations. Although expressed by opposite fault geometries, the two successive extensional events evidenced here are part of a two-stage continental extensional tear-system associated with the ongoing propagation of the Aden-Tadjoura oceanic axis to the NW. A flip-flop evolution of detachment faults accommodating lithosphere divergence has recently been proposed for the development of the Indian Ocean and continental margins (Sauter et al., 2013). However, the SE Afar evolution further suggests a radical and sudden change in lithosphere behavior during extension, from a long-term and widespread magmatic stage to a syn-sedimentary break-up stage where mantle melting concentrates along the future oceanic axis. Of special interest is the fact that a late and rapid stage of non-magmatic extension led to break-up, whose geometry triggered the location of the break-up axis and earliest oceanic accretion.

Spontaneous subduction at transform faults: common process or outlier?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lallemand, S.; Abecassis, S.; Arcay, D.; Garel, F.

2017-12-01

Spontaneous subduction is argued to occur mainly at transform faults, as a result of gravitational instability of the older plate in the absence of convergence, leading to subduction. Spontaneous subduction has been suggested for the initiation of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction zone, based on the occurrence of a specific magmatic sequence including forearc basalts and boninites. Some thermo-mechanical models have been designed to focus on gravitational instability but only of the colder plate present at the transform fault, restricting the study of conditions yielding spontaneous subduction. We perform a more general 2D parameteric study, by combining pseudo-brittle and ductile rheologies. We test the influence of the two plate ages but also the role and the rheological properties of the transform fault, assumed to be made of a weak layer (crust in our case). This crustal layer may also be present (or not) on top of plates. Slip is free on all sides of the simulation box. We observe three different behaviors depending on experimental set-up: overall static conductive cooling, spontaneous subduction of the colder plate, and spontaneous subduction of the younger lithosphere. Our results suggest that spontaneous subduction of the colder plate can occur only for a limited range of lithosphere age pairs and if the brittle strength of the oceanic crust is low enough. In any cases, this mode of subduction initiation yields an instantaneous slab rollback associated with an extremely fast trench retreat, resulting in upper plate extension and asthenosphere upwelling along the slab top up to the surface. Our first conclusion is that the set of conditions necessary to trigger spontaneous subduction is (extremely) rare in nature, so that this process appears as an outlier. The second conclusion is that, when it occurs, spontaneous subduction initiation is close to catastrophic. This implies that the typical magmatic sequence including boninites should erupt within a limited amount of time. Geological records of subduction infancy in Izu-Bonin, 52-50 Myr ago, attest for boninitic eruptions from 52 to 32 Ma, which is not compatible with a catastrophic process.

Multiple expressions of plume-ridge interaction in the Galápagos: Volcanic lineaments and ridge jumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittelstaedt, E.; Soule, S.; Harpp, K.; Fornari, D.; McKee, C.; Tivey, M.; Geist, D.; Kurz, M. D.; Sinton, C.; Mello, C.

2012-05-01

Anomalous volcanism and tectonics between near-ridge mantle plumes and mid-ocean ridges provide important insights into the mechanics of plume-lithosphere interaction. We present new observations and analysis of multibeam, side scan sonar, sub-bottom chirp, and total magnetic field data collected during the R/V Melville FLAMINGO cruise (MV1007; May-June, 2010) to the Northern Galápagos Volcanic Province (NGVP), the region between the Galápagos Archipelago and the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC) on the Nazca Plate, and to the region east of the Galápagos Transform Fault (GTF) on the Cocos Plate. The NGVP exhibits pervasive off-axis volcanism related to the nearby Galápagos hot spot, which has dominated the tectonic evolution of the region. Observations indicate that ˜94% of the excess volcanism in our survey area occurs on the Nazca Plate in three volcanic lineaments. Identified faults in the NGVP are consistent with normal ridge spreading except for those within a ˜60 km wide swath of transform-oblique faults centered on the GTF. These transform-oblique faults are sub-parallel to the elongation direction of larger lineament volcanoes, suggesting that lineament formation is influenced by the lithospheric stress field. We evaluate current models for lineament formation using existing and new observations as well as numerical models of mantle upwelling and melting. The data support a model where the lithospheric stress field controls the location of volcanism along the lineaments while several processes likely supply melt to these eruptions. Synthetic magnetic models and an inversion for crustal magnetization are used to determine the tectonic history of the study area. Results are consistent with creation of the GTF by two southward ridge jumps, part of a series of jumps that have maintained a plume-ridge separation distance of 145 km to 215 km since ˜5 Ma.

Mantle hydration along outer-rise faults inferred from serpentinite permeability.

PubMed

Hatakeyama, Kohei; Katayama, Ikuo; Hirauchi, Ken-Ichi; Michibayashi, Katsuyoshi

2017-10-24

Recent geophysical surveys indicate that hydration (serpentinization) of oceanic mantle is related to outer-rise faulting prior to subduction. The serpentinization of oceanic mantle influences the generation of intermediate-depth earthquakes and subduction water flux, thereby promoting arc volcanism. Since the chemical reactions that produce serpentinite are geologically rapid at low temperatures, the flux of water delivery to the reaction front appears to control the lateral extent of serpentinization. In this study, we measured the permeability of low-temperature serpentinites composed of lizardite and chrysotile, and calculated the lateral extent of serpentinization along an outer-rise fault based on Darcy's law. The experimental results indicate that serpentinization extends to a region several hundred meters wide in the direction normal to the outer-rise fault in the uppermost oceanic mantle. We calculated the global water flux carried by serpentinized oceanic mantle ranging from 1.7 × 10 11 to 2.4 × 10 12  kg/year, which is comparable or even higher than the water flux of hydrated oceanic crust.

Toward self-consistent tectono-magmatic numerical model of rift-to-ridge transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerya, Taras; Bercovici, David; Liao, Jie

2017-04-01

Natural data from modern and ancient lithospheric extension systems suggest three-dimensional (3D) character of deformation and complex relationship between magmatism and tectonics during the entire rift-to-ridge transition. Therefore, self-consistent high-resolution 3D magmatic-thermomechanical numerical approaches stand as a minimum complexity requirement for modeling and understanding of this transition. Here we present results from our new high-resolution 3D finite-difference marker-in-cell rift-to-ridge models, which account for magmatic accretion of the crust and use non-linear strain-weakened visco-plastic rheology of rocks that couples brittle/plastic failure and ductile damage caused by grain size reduction. Numerical experiments suggest that nucleation of rifting and ridge-transform patterns are decoupled in both space and time. At intermediate stages, two patterns can coexist and interact, which triggers development of detachment faults, failed rift arms, hyper-extended margins and oblique proto-transforms. En echelon rift patterns typically develop in the brittle upper-middle crust whereas proto-ridge and proto-transform structures nucleate in the lithospheric mantle. These deep proto-structures propagate upward, inter-connect and rotate toward a mature orthogonal ridge-transform patterns on the timescale of millions years during incipient thermal-magmatic accretion of the new oceanic-like lithosphere. Ductile damage of the extending lithospheric mantle caused by grain size reduction assisted by Zenner pinning plays critical role in rift-to-ridge transition by stabilizing detachment faults and transform structures. Numerical results compare well with observations from incipient spreading regions and passive continental margins.

The Tasmantid Seamounts: A window into the structural inheritance of ocean floor fabric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, F. D.; Kalnins, L. M.; Watts, A. B.; Cohen, B. E.; Beaman, R. J.

2015-12-01

The extinct Tasman Sea spreading centre, active from 84--53 Ma, is intersected at a number of locations by the Tasmantid Seamount Chain. The chain, which extends for over 2000 km off the east coast of Australia, progressively increases in age from south to north with ages ranging between 6 Ma and ˜50 Ma. While thick sediment (˜1 km) obscures much of the northern Tasman Sea basement, detailed morphological and geophysical analyses of the seamounts reveal a strong correlation between tectonic setting, seamount orientation, and volcanic structure, despite the ≥20 Ma offset between spreading cessation and initial seamount emplacement. Morphologically, structural inheritance is evidenced by the contrast between two volcanic styles: 1) the rugged, predominantly fissure-fed, fabrics characterizing seamounts emplaced at inside corners of spreading segment-transform intersections; and 2) the conical seamounts with summit craters and isolated dyke-fed flank cones that develop off-axis. Furthermore, volcanic fabrics align closely with the principal stress directions expected for a spreading ridge system in which strong mechanical coupling occurs across transform faults. This suggests that the lithosphere is dissected by numerous deep faults, allowing magma to be channelled away from the site of melting along pre-existing structural trends. The generally low effective elastic thickness, TeT_e, (≤15 km) and lack of a plate age-TeT_e relationship along the chain indicate that structural inheritance is also the major control on lithospheric strength near the extinct spreading centre. While the importance of structural inheritance in controlling magmatic behaviour is commonly acknowledged in continental settings, these results clearly demonstrate the need to also consider it in the oceanic realm.The extinct Tasman Sea spreading centre, active from 84--53 Ma, is intersected at a number of locations by the Tasmantid Seamount Chain. The chain, which extends for over 2000 km off the east coast of Australia, progressively increases in age from south to north with ages ranging between 6 Ma and ˜50 Ma. While thick sediment ( ˜1 km) obscures much of the northern Tasman Sea basement, detailed morphological and geophysical analyses of the seamounts reveal a strong correlation between tectonic setting, seamount orientation, and volcanic structure, despite the ≥20 Ma offset between spreading cessation and initial seamount emplacement. Morphologically, structural inheritance is evidenced by the contrast between two volcanic styles: 1) the rugged, predominantly fissure-fed, fabrics characterizing seamounts emplaced at inside corners of spreading segment-transform intersections; and 2) the conical seamounts with summit craters and isolated dyke-fed flank cones that develop off-axis. Furthermore, volcanic fabrics align closely with the principal stress directions expected for a spreading ridge system in which strong mechanical coupling occurs across transform faults. This suggests that the lithosphere is dissected by numerous deep faults, allowing magma to be channelled away from the site of melting along pre-existing structural trends. The generally low effective elastic thickness, Te, (≤15 km) and lack of a plate age-Te relationship along the chain indicate that structural inheritance is also the major control on lithospheric strength near the extinct spreading centre. While the importance of structural inheritance in controlling magmatic behaviour is commonly acknowledged in continental settings, these results clearly demonstrate the need to also consider it in the oceanic realm.

Contrasting styles of seafloor spreading in the Woodlark Basin: Indications of rift-induced secondary mantle convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MartíNez, Fernando; Taylor, Brian; Goodliffe, Andrew M.

1999-06-01

The Woodlark Basin in the southwest Pacific is a young ocean basin which began forming by ˜6 Ma following the rifting of continental and arc lithosphere. The N-S striking Moresby Transform divides the oceanic basin into eastern and western parts which have contrasting characteristics. Seafloor spreading west of Moresby Transform began after ˜2 Ma, and although spreading rates decrease to the west, the western basin has faster spreading characteristics than the eastern basin. These include (1) ˜500 m shallower seafloor; (2) Bouguer gravity anomalies that are >30 mGals lower; (3) magnetic anomaly and modeled seafloor magnetization amplitudes that are higher; (4) a spreading center with an axial high in contrast to the axial valleys of the eastern basin; (5) smoother seafloor fabric; and (6) exclusively nontransform spreading center offsets in contrast to the eastern basin, which has transform faults and fracture zones that extend across most of the basin. Overall depth contrasts and Bouguer anomalies can be matched by end-member models of thicker crust (˜2 km) or thinner lithosphere (<1/3) in the western basin. Correlated with these contrasts, the surrounding rifted margins abruptly thicken westward of the longitude of Moresby Transform. We examine alternative explanations for these contrasts and propose that rift-induced secondary mantle convection driven by thicker western margin lithosphere is most consistent with the observations. Although rift-induced convection has been cited as a cause for the voluminous excess magmatism at some rifted margins, the observations in the Woodlark Basin suggest that this mechanism may significantly affect the morphology, structure, and geophysical characteristics of young ocean basins in alternate ways which resemble increased spreading rate.

Seismicity and Structure of the Incoming Pacific Plate Subducting into the Japan Trench off Miyagi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obana, K.; Fujie, G.; Kodaira, S.; Takahashi, T.; Yamamoto, Y.; Sato, T.; Yamashita, M.; Nakamura, Y.; Miura, S.

2015-12-01

Stresses within the oceanic plate in trench axis and outer-rise region have been characterized by shallow extension and deep compression due to the bending of the plate subducting into the trench. The stress state within the incoming/subducting oceanic plate is an important factor not only for the occurrence of shallow intraplate normal-faulting earthquakes in the trench-outer rise region but also the hydration of the oceanic plate through the shallow normal faults cutting the oceanic lithosphere. We investigate seismic velocity structure and stress state within the incoming/subducting Pacific Plate in the Japan Trench based on the OBS aftershock observations for the December 2012 intraplate doublet, which consists of a deep reverse faulting (Mw 7.2) and a shallow normal faulting (Mw 7.2) earthquake, in the Japan Trench off Miyagi. Hypocenter locations and seismic velocity structures were estimated from the arrival time data of about 3000 earthquakes by using double-difference tomography method (Zhang and Thurber, 2003). Also, focal mechanisms were estimated from first motion polarities by using the program HASH by Hardebeck and Shearer (2002). The results show that the earthquakes occurred mainly within the oceanic crust and the uppermost mantle. The deepest event was located at a depth of about 60 km. Focal mechanisms of the earthquakes shallower than a depth of 40 km indicate normal-faulting with T-axis normal to the trench. On the other hand, first motion polarities of the events at depths between 50 and 60 km can be explained a reverse faulting. The results suggest that the neutral plane of the stress between shallow extension and deep compression locates at 40 to 50 km deep. Seismic velocity structures indicate velocity decrease in the oceanic mantle toward the trench. Although the velocity decrease varies with locations, the results suggest the bending-related structure change could extend to at least about 15 km below the oceanic Moho in some locations.

Reaction-induced rheological weakening enables oceanic plate subduction

PubMed Central

Hirauchi, Ken-ichi; Fukushima, Kumi; Kido, Masanori; Muto, Jun; Okamoto, Atsushi

2016-01-01

Earth is the only terrestrial planet in our solar system where an oceanic plate subducts beneath an overriding plate. Although the initiation of plate subduction requires extremely weak boundaries between strong plates, the way in which oceanic mantle rheologically weakens remains unknown. Here we show that shear-enhanced hydration reactions contribute to the generation and maintenance of weak mantle shear zones at mid-lithospheric depths. High-pressure friction experiments on peridotite gouge reveal that in the presence of hydrothermal water, increasing strain and reactions lead to an order-of-magnitude reduction in strength. The rate of deformation is controlled by pressure-solution-accommodated frictional sliding on weak hydrous phyllosilicate (talc), providing a mechanism for the ‘cutoff' of the high peak strength at the brittle-plastic transition. Our findings suggest that infiltration of seawater into transform faults with long lengths and low slip rates is an important controlling factor on the initiation of plate tectonics on terrestrial planets. PMID:27562366

Detachment Fault Behavior Revealed by Micro-Seismicity at 13°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parnell-Turner, R. E.; Sohn, R. A.; MacLeod, C. J.; Peirce, C.; Reston, T. J.; Searle, R. C.

2016-12-01

Under certain tectono-magmatic conditions, crustal accretion and extension at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges is accommodated by low-angle detachment faults. While it is now generally accepted that oceanic detachments initiate on steeply dipping faults that rotate to low-angles at shallow depths, many details of their kinematics remain unknown. Debate has continued between a "continuous" model, where a single, undulating detachment surface underlies an entire ridge segment, and a "discrete" (or discontinuous) model, where detachments are spatially restricted and ephemeral. Here we present results from a passive microearthquake study of detachment faulting at the 13°N region of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This study is one component of a joint US-UK seismic study to constrain the sub-surface structure and 3-dimensional geometry of oceanic detachment faults. We detected over 300,000 microearthquakes during a 6-month deployment of 25 ocean bottom seismographs. Events are concentrated in two 1-2 km wide ridge-parallel bands, located between the prominent corrugated detachment fault surface at 13°20'N and the present-day spreading axis, separated by a 1-km wide patch of reduced seismicity. These two bands are 7-8 km in length parallel to the ridge and are clearly limited in spatial extent to the north and south. Events closest to the axis are generally at depths of 6-8 km, while those nearest to the oceanic detachment fault are shallower, at 4-6 km. There is an overall trend of deepening seismicity northwards, with events occurring progressively deeper by 4 km over an along-axis length of 8 km. Events are typically very small, and range in local magnitude from ML -1 to 3. Focal mechanisms indicate two modes of deformation, with extension nearest to the axis and compression at shallower depths near to the detachment fault termination.

Fast Fourier and discrete wavelet transforms applied to sensorless vector control induction motor for rotor bar faults diagnosis.

PubMed

Talhaoui, Hicham; Menacer, Arezki; Kessal, Abdelhalim; Kechida, Ridha

2014-09-01

This paper presents new techniques to evaluate faults in case of broken rotor bars of induction motors. Procedures are applied with closed-loop control. Electrical and mechanical variables are treated using fast Fourier transform (FFT), and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) at start-up and steady state. The wavelet transform has proven to be an excellent mathematical tool for the detection of the faults particularly broken rotor bars type. As a performance, DWT can provide a local representation of the non-stationary current signals for the healthy machine and with fault. For sensorless control, a Luenberger observer is applied; the estimation rotor speed is analyzed; the effect of the faults in the speed pulsation is compensated; a quadratic current appears and used for fault detection. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thin and layered subcontinental crust of the great Basin western north America inherited from Paleozoic marginal ocean basins?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Churkin, M.; McKee, E.H.

1974-01-01

The seismic profile of the crust of the northern part of the Basin and Range province by its thinness and layering is intermediate between typical continental and oceanic crust and resembles that of marginal ocean basins, especially those with thick sedimentary fill. The geologic history of the Great Basin indicates that it was the site of a succession of marginal ocean basins opening and closing behind volcanic arcs during much of Paleozoic time. A long process of sedimentation and deformation followed throughout the Mesozoic modifying, but possibly not completely transforming the originally oceanic crust to continental crust. In the Cenozoic, after at least 40 m.y. of quiescence and stable conditions, substantial crustal and upper-mantle changes are recorded by elevation of the entire region in isostatic equilibrium, crustal extension resulting in Basin and Range faulting, extensive volcanism, high heat flow and a low-velocity mantle. These phenomena, apparently the result of plate tectonics, are superimposed on the inherited subcontinental crust that developed from an oceanic origin in Paleozoic time and possibly retained some of its thin and layered characteristics. The present anomalous crust in the Great Basin represents an accretion of oceanic geosynclinal material to a Precambrian continental nucleus apparently as an intermediate step in the process of conversion of oceanic crust into a stable continental landmass or craton. ?? 1974.

The Generation of Oceanic Lithosphere in an Embryonic Oceanic Crust : the Example of the Chenaillet Ophiolite in the Western Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masini, E.; Manatschal, G.; Muntener, O.

2007-12-01

The Chenaillet Ophiolite exposed in the Franco-Italian Alps represents a well-preserved ocean-floor sequence that was only weakly affected by later Alpine convergence. Based on the similarity between rock types and structures reported from ultraslow spreading ridges and those observed in the Chenaillet Ophiolite, it may represent a field analogue for slow to ultraslow spreading ridges such as the Gakkel Ridge or the Southwest Indian Ridge. Mapping of the Chenaillet Ophiolite enabled to identify an oceanic detachment fault that extends over a surface of about 16 km2 capping exhumed mantle and gabbros onto which clastic sediments have been deposited. The footwall of the detachment is formed by mafic and ultramafic rocks. The mantle rocks are strongly serpentinized lherzolites and subordinate harzburgites and dunites. Microstructures reminiscent of impregnation, and cpx major and trace element chemistry indicate that spinel peridotite is (locally) replaced by plagioclase-bearing assemblages. Pyroxene thermometry on primary minerals indicates high temperatures of equilibration ( max 1200°C) for the mantle rocks. Gabbros range from troctolite and olivine-gabbros to Fe-Ti gabbros and show clear evidence of syn-magmatic deformation, partially obliterated by retrograde amphibolite and low-grade metamorphic conditions. In sections perpendicular to the detachment within the footwall, syn-tectonic gabbros and serpentinized peridotites grade over some tens of meters into cataclasites that are capped by fault gouges. Petro-structural investigations of the fault rocks reveal a syn-tectonic retrograde metamorphic evolution. Clasts of dolerite within the fault zone suggest that detachment faulting was accompanied by magmatic activity. Hydrothermal alteration is indicated by strong mineralogical and chemical modifications. Gabbro and serpentinized peridotite, together with serpentinite cataclasites occur as clasts in tectono-sedimentary breccias overlying directly the detachment fault. Across the whole Chenaillet Ophiolite, volcanic rocks directly overlie either the detachment fault or the sediments. In several places, N-S trending high-angle normal faults have been mapped. These faults truncate and displace the detachment fault leading to small domino-like structures. The basins, limited by these high-angle faults, are some hundreds to a few kilometres wide and few tens to some hundreds of meters deep. Because these high- angle faults are sealed locally by basalts and obliterated by volcanic structures, we interpret them as oceanic structures being active during the emplacement of the basalts. The alignment of porphyritic basaltic dykes parallel to, and their increasing abundance towards the high-angle faults suggest that they may have served as feeder channels for the overlying volcanic rocks. The complex poly-phase tectonic and magmatic processes observed in the Chenaillet Ophiolite are reminiscent of those reported from slow to ultraslow spreading ridges. The key result from our study is that mantle exhumation along detachment faults is followed by syn-magmatic normal faulting resulting in the emplacement of laterally variable, up to 300 meters thick massive lavas and pillow basalts covering the exhumed detachment fault. This implies that off-axis processes are more important as previously assumed and that large-scale detachment faults may be buried under massive volcanic sequences suggesting that detachment faulting is presumably more common than suggested by dredging or morpho-structural investigations of ultra- to slow- spreading oceanic crust.

Laboratory earthquakes triggered during the eclogitization of lawsonite bearing blueschist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Incel, S.; Hilairet, N.; Labrousse, L.; John, T.; Deldicque, D.; Ferrand, T. P.; Wang, Y.; Renner, J.; Morales, L. F. G.; Schubnel, A.

2016-12-01

The origin of intermediate-depth seismicity has been debated for decades. A substantial fraction of these events occur within the upper plane of Wadati-Benioff double seismic zones believed to represent subducting oceanic crust. We deformed natural lawsonite-rich blueschist samples under eclogite-facies conditions (1 < P < 3.5 GPa; 583 K < T < 1121 K), using a D-DIA apparatus installed at a synchrotron beam line continuously monitoring stress, strain, phase content, and acoustic emissions (AEs). Two distinct eclogitization paths were followed: i) a cold path (maximum temperatures of 762 to 927 K), during which lawsonite and glaucophane went gradually unstable at higher pressure; ii) a hot path (maximum temperatures of 1073 to 1121 K) during which the complete breakdown of lawsonite at high temperature was triggered, but glaucophane or amphibole in general remained stable. Brittle failure of the sample, accompanied by the radiation of AEs, occurred for the cold path. In-situ XRD and post-mortem microstructural analysis demonstrate that fractures are topologically related to the growth of omphacite. Amorphous material was detected along the fractures by transmission electron microscopy without evidence for free-water. Since the growth of omphacite is associated with grain-size reduction, we interpret the observed mechanical instability as a transformation-induced thermal runaway under stress (or transformational faulting) triggered during the transition from lawsonite-blueschist to lawsonite-eclogite. In contrast, we find no microstructural evidence that the breakdown of lawsonite, and hence the liberation of water leads to the fracturing of the sample along the hot path, although some AEs were detected during an experiment performed at 1.5 GPa. Our experimental results challenge the concept of "dehydration embrittlement", which ascribes the genesis of intermediate-depth earthquakes to the breakdown of hydrous phases in the subducting oceanic plate. Instead our results demonstrate that grain-size reduction (transformational faulting) during the transition from lawsonite-blueschist to lawsonite-eclogite leads to the brittle failure of the samples.

Numerical Methods for the Analysis of Power Transformer Tank Deformation and Rupture Due to Internal Arcing Faults

PubMed Central

Yan, Chenguang; Hao, Zhiguo; Zhang, Song; Zhang, Baohui; Zheng, Tao

2015-01-01

Power transformer rupture and fire resulting from an arcing fault inside the tank usually leads to significant security risks and serious economic loss. In order to reveal the essence of tank deformation or explosion, this paper presents a 3-D numerical computational tool to simulate the structural dynamic behavior due to overpressure inside transformer tank. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a 17.3MJ and a 6.3MJ arcing fault were simulated on a real full-scale 360MVA/220kV oil-immersed transformer model, respectively. By employing the finite element method, the transformer internal overpressure distribution, wave propagation and von-Mises stress were solved. The numerical results indicate that the increase of pressure and mechanical stress distribution are non-uniform and the stress tends to concentrate on connecting parts of the tank as the fault time evolves. Given this feature, it becomes possible to reduce the risk of transformer tank rupture through limiting the fault energy and enhancing the mechanical strength of the local stress concentrative areas. The theoretical model and numerical simulation method proposed in this paper can be used as a substitute for risky and costly field tests in fault overpressure analysis and tank mitigation design of transformers. PMID:26230392

Numerical Methods for the Analysis of Power Transformer Tank Deformation and Rupture Due to Internal Arcing Faults.

PubMed

Yan, Chenguang; Hao, Zhiguo; Zhang, Song; Zhang, Baohui; Zheng, Tao

2015-01-01

Power transformer rupture and fire resulting from an arcing fault inside the tank usually leads to significant security risks and serious economic loss. In order to reveal the essence of tank deformation or explosion, this paper presents a 3-D numerical computational tool to simulate the structural dynamic behavior due to overpressure inside transformer tank. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, a 17.3 MJ and a 6.3 MJ arcing fault were simulated on a real full-scale 360MVA/220kV oil-immersed transformer model, respectively. By employing the finite element method, the transformer internal overpressure distribution, wave propagation and von-Mises stress were solved. The numerical results indicate that the increase of pressure and mechanical stress distribution are non-uniform and the stress tends to concentrate on connecting parts of the tank as the fault time evolves. Given this feature, it becomes possible to reduce the risk of transformer tank rupture through limiting the fault energy and enhancing the mechanical strength of the local stress concentrative areas. The theoretical model and numerical simulation method proposed in this paper can be used as a substitute for risky and costly field tests in fault overpressure analysis and tank mitigation design of transformers.

Rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzaras, Vasileios; Tikoff, Basil; Kruckenberg, Seth C.; Newman, Julie; Titus, Sarah J.; Withers, Anthony C.; Drury, Martyn R.

2016-04-01

How well constrained is the rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault systems? Further, how do lithospheric layers, with rheologically distinct behaviors, interact within the strike-slip fault zones? To address these questions, we present rheological observations from the mantle sections of two lithospheric-scale, strike-slip fault zones. Xenoliths from ˜40 km depth (970-1100 ° C) beneath the San Andreas fault system (SAF) provide critical constraints on the mechanical stratification of the lithosphere in this continental transform fault. Samples from the Bogota Peninsula shear zone (BPSZ, New Caledonia), which is an exhumed oceanic transform fault, provide insights on lateral variations in mantle strength and viscosity across the fault zone at a depth corresponding to deformation temperatures of ˜900 ° C. Olivine recrystallized grain size piezometry suggests that the shear stress in the SAF upper mantle is 5-9 MPa and in the BPSZ is 4-10 MPa. Thus, the mantle strength in both fault zones is comparable to the crustal strength (˜10 MPa) of seismogenic strike-slip faults in the SAF system. Across the BPSZ, shear stress increases from 4 MPa in the surrounding rocks to 10 MPa in the mylonites, which comprise the core of the shear zone. Further, the BPSZ is characterized by at least one order of magnitude difference in the viscosity between the mylonites (1018 Paṡs) and the surrounding rocks (1019 Paṡs). Mantle viscosity in both the BPSZ mylonites and the SAF (7.0ṡ1018-3.1ṡ1020 Paṡs) is relatively low. To explain our observations from these two strike-slip fault zones, we propose the "lithospheric feedback" model in which the upper crust and lithospheric mantle act together as an integrated system. Mantle flow controls displacement and the upper crust controls the stress magnitude in the system. Our stress data combined with data that are now available for the middle and lower crustal sections of other transcurrent fault systems support the prediction for constant shear strength (˜10 MPa) throughout the lithosphere; the stress magnitude is controlled by the shear strength of the upper crustal faults. Fault rupture in the upper crust induces displacement rate loading of the upper mantle, which in turn, causes strain localization in the mantle shear zone beneath the strike-slip fault. Such forced localization leads to higher stresses and strain rates in the shear zone compared to the surrounding rocks. Low mantle viscosity within the shear zone is critical for facilitating mantle flow, which induces widespread crustal deformation and displacement loading. The lithospheric feedback model suggests that strike-slip fault zones are not mechanically stratified in terms of shear stress, and that it is the time-dependent interaction of the different lithospheric layers - rather than their relative strengths - that governs the rheological behavior of the plate boundary, strike-slip fault zones.

A dynamic integrated fault diagnosis method for power transformers.

PubMed

Gao, Wensheng; Bai, Cuifen; Liu, Tong

2015-01-01

In order to diagnose transformer fault efficiently and accurately, a dynamic integrated fault diagnosis method based on Bayesian network is proposed in this paper. First, an integrated fault diagnosis model is established based on the causal relationship among abnormal working conditions, failure modes, and failure symptoms of transformers, aimed at obtaining the most possible failure mode. And then considering the evidence input into the diagnosis model is gradually acquired and the fault diagnosis process in reality is multistep, a dynamic fault diagnosis mechanism is proposed based on the integrated fault diagnosis model. Different from the existing one-step diagnosis mechanism, it includes a multistep evidence-selection process, which gives the most effective diagnostic test to be performed in next step. Therefore, it can reduce unnecessary diagnostic tests and improve the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis. Finally, the dynamic integrated fault diagnosis method is applied to actual cases, and the validity of this method is verified.

A Dynamic Integrated Fault Diagnosis Method for Power Transformers

PubMed Central

Gao, Wensheng; Liu, Tong

2015-01-01

In order to diagnose transformer fault efficiently and accurately, a dynamic integrated fault diagnosis method based on Bayesian network is proposed in this paper. First, an integrated fault diagnosis model is established based on the causal relationship among abnormal working conditions, failure modes, and failure symptoms of transformers, aimed at obtaining the most possible failure mode. And then considering the evidence input into the diagnosis model is gradually acquired and the fault diagnosis process in reality is multistep, a dynamic fault diagnosis mechanism is proposed based on the integrated fault diagnosis model. Different from the existing one-step diagnosis mechanism, it includes a multistep evidence-selection process, which gives the most effective diagnostic test to be performed in next step. Therefore, it can reduce unnecessary diagnostic tests and improve the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis. Finally, the dynamic integrated fault diagnosis method is applied to actual cases, and the validity of this method is verified. PMID:25685841

Analysis on IGBT and Diode Failures in Distribution Electronic Power Transformers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Si-cong; Sang, Zi-xia; Yan, Jiong; Du, Zhi; Huang, Jia-qi; Chen, Zhu

2018-02-01

Fault characteristics of power electronic components are of great importance for a power electronic device, and are of extraordinary importance for those applied in power system. The topology structures and control method of Distribution Electronic Power Transformer (D-EPT) are introduced, and an exploration on fault types and fault characteristics for the IGBT and diode failures is presented. The analysis and simulation of different fault types for the fault characteristics lead to the D-EPT fault location scheme.

Saturating time-delay transformer for overcurrent protection. [Patent application

DOEpatents

Praeg, W.F.

1975-12-18

Electrical loads connected to dc supplies are protected from damage by overcurrent in the case of a load fault by connecting in series with the load a saturating transformer that detects a load fault and limits the fault current to a safe level for a period long enough to correct the fault or else disconnect the power supply.

Saturating time-delay transformer for overcurrent protection

DOEpatents

Praeg, Walter F.

1977-01-01

Electrical loads connected to d-c supplies are protected from damage by overcurrent in the case of a load fault by connecting in series with the load a saturating transformer that detects a load fault and limits the fault current to a safe level for a period long enough to correct the fault or else disconnect the power supply.

Current limiting behavior in three-phase transformer-type SFCLs using an iron core according to variety of fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Yong-Sun; Jung, Byung-Ik; Ha, Kyoung-Hun; Choi, Soo-Geun; Park, Hyoung-Min; Choi, Hyo-Sang

To apply the superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) to the power system, the reliability of the fault-current-limiting operation must be ensured in diverse fault conditions. The SFCL must also be linked to the operation of the high-speed recloser in the power system. In this study, a three-phase transformer-type SFCL, which has a neutral line to improve the simultaneous quench characteristics of superconducting elements, was manufactured to analyze the fault-current-limiting characteristic according to the single, double, and triple line-to-ground faults. The transformer-type SFCL, wherein three-phase windings are connected to one iron core, reduced the burden on the superconducting element as the superconducting element on the sound phase was also quenched in the case of the single line-to-ground fault. In the case of double or triple line-to-ground faults, the flux from the faulted phase winding was interlinked with other faulted or sound phase windings, and the fault-current-limiting rate decreased because the windings of three phases were inductively connected by one iron core.

Tectonic Evolution of the Çayirhan Neogene Basin (Ankara), Central Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behzad, Bezhan; Koral, Hayrettin; İşb&idot; l, Duygu; Karaaǧa; ç, Serdal

2016-04-01

Çayırhan (Ankara) is located at crossroads of the Western Anatolian extensional region, analogous to the Basin and Range Province, and suture zone of the Neotethys-Ocean, which is locus of the North Anatolian Transform since the Late Miocene. To the north of Çayırhan (Ankara), a Neogene sedimentary basin comprises Lower-Middle Miocene and Upper Miocene age formations, characterized by swamp, fluvial and lacustrine settings respectively. This sequence is folded and transected by neotectonic faults. The Sekli thrust fault is older than the Lower-Middle Miocene age formations. The Davutoǧlan fault is younger than the Lower-Middle Miocene formations and is contemporaneous to the Upper Miocene formation. The Çatalkaya fault is younger than the Upper Miocene formation. The sedimentary and tectonic features provide information on mode, timing and evolution of this Neogene age sedimentary basin in Central Turkey. It is concluded that the region underwent a period of uplift and erosion under the influence of contractional tectonics prior to the Early-Middle Miocene, before becoming a semi-closed basin under influence of transtensional tectonics during the Early-Middle Miocene and under influence of predominantly extensional tectonics during the post-Late Miocene times. Keywords: Tectonics, Extension, Transtension, Stratigraphy, Neotectonic features.

Mountain building, strike-slip faulting, and landscape evolution in the Marlborough Fault System, NZ: Insights from new low-temperature thermochronology and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duvall, A. R.; Collett, C.; Flowers, R. M.; Tucker, G. E.; Upton, P.

2016-12-01

The 150 km wide Marlborough Fault System (MFS) and adjacent dextral-reverse Alpine Fault accommodate oblique convergence of the Australian and Pacific plates in a broad transform boundary that extends for much of the South Island New Zealand. Understanding the deformation history of the Marlborough region offers the opportunity to study topographic evolution in a strike-slip setting and a fuller picture of the evolving New Zealand plate boundary as the MFS lies at the transition from oceanic Pacific plate subduction to oblique continental collision. Here we present low-temperature thermochronology from the MFS to place new limits on the timing and style of mountain building. We sampled a range of elevations spanning 2 km within and adjacent to the Kaikoura Mountains, which stand high as topographic anomalies above active strike-slip faults. Young apatite (U-Th)/He ages ( 2-5 Ma) on both sides of range-bounding faults are consistent with regional distributed deformation since the Pliocene initiation of strike-slip faulting. However, large differences in both zircon helium and apatite fission track ages, from Paleogene/Neogene ages within hanging walls to unreset >100 Ma ages in footwalls, indicate an early phase of fault-related vertical exhumation. Thermal modeling using the QTQt program reveals two phases of exhumation within the Kaikoura Ranges: rapid cooling at 15-12 Ma localized to hanging wall rocks and regional rapid cooling reflected in all samples starting at 4-5 Ma. These results and landscape evolution models suggest that, despite the presence of active mountain front faults, much of the topographic relief in this region may predate the onset of strike-slip faulting and that portions of the Marlborough Faults are re-activated thrusts that coincide with the early development of the transpressive plate boundary. Regional exhumation after 5 Ma likely reflects increased proximity to the migrating Pacific plate subduction zone and the buoyant Chatham Rise.

Permeability of serpentinites and implication for the oceanic mantle hydration along the outer rise faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatakeyama, K.; Katayama, I.

2016-12-01

Recent geophysical surveys indicate that hydration (serpentinization) of oceanic mantle is related to outer-rise faulting prior to subduction (e.g., Fujie et al., 2013, Shilington et al., 2015). The serpentinization of oceanic mantle influences the generation of intermediate-depth earthquakes (e.g., Seno and Yamanaka, 1996) and the subduction water flux (e.g., Hacker, 2008). Since the chemical reactions that produce serpentinite are geologically rapid at low temperatures (Martin and Fyfe, 1970), the rate of water delivery to the reaction front likely controls the extent of serpentinization (Macdonald and Fyfe, 1985). Because the water through existing serpentinite is supplied to reaction front, permeability of serpentinite has important role of the extent of serpentinization along the outer-rise fault. In this study, we measured permeability of low-temperature serpentinites composed of lizardite and chrysotile, and calculated the extent of serpentinization along an outer-rise fault from Darcy's law. Our experimental results show that the permeability of serpnetinites decreases with increasing confining pressure, and reaches to 10-19 m2 to 10-21 m2 at confining pressure of 100 MPa. In extrapolating our experimental results to pressure of oceanic mantle, permeability of serpentinite can be as low as 10-22 m2 at the top of oceanic mantle (7 km depth beneath seafloor). If we assume that the time scale of water supply to the reaction front of 1.0 My, the lateral extent of serpentinization is approximately 9 km along the outer-rise fault in the uppermost oceanic mantle. Based on these estimate, we calculated the global water flux carried by serpentinized oceanic mantle to be 3.4×1012 kg/year, which is markedly higher than the water flux of hydrated oceanic crust (1.3×1012 kg/year). Since the subduction water flux is much greater than the output flux through magmatic degassing, the amount of present-day ocean might be decreasing, and this may result in the disappearance of the Earth's oceans in the future.

The continent-ocean transition on the northwestern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cameselle, Alejandra L.; Ranero, César R.; Franke, Dieter; Barckhausen, Udo

2015-04-01

Rifted margins are created as a result of stretching and breakup of continental lithosphere that eventually leads to oceanic spreading and formation of a new oceanic basin. A cornerstone for understanding how rift characteristics vary along strike in the same system and what processes control the final transition to seafloor spreading is the continent-ocean transition (COT). We use four regional multichannel seismic profiles and published magnetic lineations to study the structure and variability of COT on the northwest subbasin (NWSB) of the South China Sea and to discern continental from oceanic domains. The continental domain is characterized by tilted fault blocks overlaid by thick syn-rift sedimentary units and fairly continuous Moho reflections typically at 8-10 s twtt. Thickness of the continental crust changes from ~20-25 km under the uppermost slope to ~9-6 km under the lower slope. The oceanic domain is interpreted where a highly reflective top of basement, little faulting, no syntectonic strata, and fairly constant thickness basement (4-8 km) occur. The COT is imaged as a ~5-10 km wide zone where oceanic-type features abut continental-type structures. The South China margin is deformed by abundant normal faults dissecting the continental crust, whereas the conjugate Macclesfield Bank margin displays comparatively abrupt thinning and little faulting. Seismic profiles show an along-strike variation in the tectonic structure of the continental margin. The NE-most lines display ~20-40 km wide segments of intense faulting under the slope and associated continental-crust thinning. Towards the SW, faulting and thinning of the continental crust occurs across a ~100-110 km wide segment. We interpret this 3D structural variability and the narrow COT as a consequence of the abrupt termination of continental rifting tectonics by the NE to SW propagation of a spreading center. We suggest that breakup occurred by spreading center propagation to a larger degree than by lithospheric thinning during continental rifting. Based on the sedimentary successions overlying the oceanic crust, we propose a kinematic evolution for the oceanic domain of the NWSB consisting of a southward spreading center propagation followed by a first narrow ridge jump to the north, and then a younger larger jump to the SW into the east subbasin.

Episodic Rifting Events Within the Tjörnes Fracture Zone, an Onshore-Offshore Ridge-Transform in N-Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandsdottir, B.; Magnusdottir, S.; Karson, J. A.; Detrick, R. S.; Driscoll, N. W.

2015-12-01

The multi-branched plate boundary across Iceland is made up of divergent and oblique rifts, and transform zones, characterized by entwined extensional and transform tectonics. The Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ), located on the coast and offshore Northern Iceland, is a complex transform linking the northern rift zone (NVZ) on land with the Kolbeinsey Ridge offshore. Extension across TFZ is partitioned across three N-S trending rift basins; Eyjafjarðaráll, Skjálfandadjúp (SB) and Öxarfjörður and three WNW-NW oriented seismic lineaments; the Grímsey Oblique Rift, Húsavík-Flatey Faults (HFFs) and Dalvík Lineament. We compile the tectonic framework of the TFZ ridge-transform from aerial photos, satellite images, multibeam bathymetry and high-resolution seismic reflection data (Chirp). The rift basins are made up of normal faults with vertical displacements of up to 50-60 m, and post-glacial sediments of variable thickness. The SB comprises N5°W obliquely trending, eastward dipping normal faults as well as N10°E striking, westward dipping faults oriented roughly perpendicular to the N104°E spreading direction, indicative of early stages of rifting. Correlation of Chirp reflection data and tephrachronology from a sediment core within SB reveal major rifting episodes between 10-12.1 kyrs BP activating the whole basin, followed by smaller-scale fault movements throughout Holocene. Onshore faults have the same orientations as those mapped offshore and provide a basis for the interpretation of the kinematics of the faults throughout the region. These include transform parallel right-lateral, strike-slip faults separating domains dominated by spreading parallel left-lateral bookshelf faults. Shearing is most prominent along the HFFs, a system of right-lateral strike-slip faults with vertical displacement up to 15 m. Vertical fault movements reflect increased tectonic activity during early postglacial time coinciding with isostatic rebound enhancing volcanism within Iceland.

Lack of Dependence of Dynamic Triggering on the Timing within the Seismic Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cattania, C.; McGuire, J. J.; Collins, J. A.

2009-12-01

Numerical models predict that dynamic triggering of earthquakes is more likely when faults are close to failure (e.g. late in their earthquake cycle), and laboratory experiments have supported this hypothesis. We attempted to test this idea by analysing data on three adjacent transform faults of the East Pacific Rise which have a relatively well defined, quasiperiodic seismic cycle with a median repeat time of 5 years. Moreover, the Gofar, Discovery and Quebrada transform faults share several seismicity properties with continental geothermal areas, including high geothermal gradients, high seismicity rates, and frequent earthquake swarms, that suggest they may be prone to dynamic triggering. We analyze an earthquake catalog of over 100,000 events recorded in 2008 by a network of 38 Ocean Bottom Seismometers. We extract Mw>6.3 mainshocks from the Global CMT catalog, and perform the β test for an array of time intervals covering from 5 hours before to 10 hours after the low-frequency Rayleigh wave arrival. To verify the presence of common seismicity patterns, β plots are also stacked for multiple earthquakes. We observe triggering after the May 12th Wenchuan earthquake. On the Quebrada transform a burst of seismicity starts during the wavetrain; in Gofar there is no response during the wave, but an increase in seismicity (β=5.08) starts about 2 h later; no triggering is visible on the Discovery fault. A Mw=6.0 earthquake ruptured the Gofar transform on September 18th, and triggered seismicity on Discovery: ~60 earthquakes (β=15.3), starting 1h after the wave arrival. We have no data from Quebrada for this period. Other instances of triggering are dubious. Stacked β plots suggest delayed triggering (Δt>1h) in Gofar and Discovery, but the statistical significance of these results is unclear. From a comparison of different fault segments, triggering does not appear to be more common at late stages in the seismic cycle. Instead, the events triggered by the largest dynamic stresses concentrate in the regions between rupture zones. This suggests that changes in rock composition or fluid content may make these areas act as barriers to rupture propagation as well as facilitating dynamic triggering. Using the Rate-and-State seismicity model, we estimate that the effective normal stress where triggering occurs: is extremely low (σ<0.1MPa in Quebrada and σ<0.5MPa on Discovery), implying a nearly lithostatic pore pressure.

Crustal structure of a transform plate boundary: San Francisco Bay and the central California continental margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holbrook, W.S.; Brocher, T.M.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Hole, J.A.

1996-01-01

Wide-angle seismic data collected during the Bay Area Seismic Imaging Experiment provide new glimpses of the deep structure of the San Francisco Bay Area Block and across the offshore continental margin. San Francisco Bay is underlain by a veneer (<300 m) of sediments, beneath which P wave velocities increase rapidly from 5.2 km/s to 6.0 km/s at 7 km depth, consistent with rocks of the Franciscan subduction assemblage. The base of the Franciscan at-15-18 km depth is marked by a strong wide-angle reflector, beneath which lies an 8- to 10-km-thick lower crust with an average velocity of 6.75??0.15 km/s. The lower crust of the Bay Area Block may be oceanic in origin, but its structure and reflectivity indicate that it has been modified by shearing and/or magmatic intrusion. Wide-angle reflections define two layers within the lower crust, with velocities of 6.4-6.6 km/s and 6.9-7.3 km/s. Prominent subhorizontal reflectivity observed at near-vertical incidence resides principally in the lowermost layer, the top of which corresponds to the "6-s reflector" of Brocher et al. [1994]. Rheological modeling suggests that the lower crust beneath the 6-s reflector is the weakest part of the lithosphere; the horizontal shear zone suggested by Furlong et al. [1989] to link the San Andreas and Hayward/Calaveras fault systems may actually be a broad zone of shear deformation occupying the lowermost crust. A transect across the continental margin from the paleotrench to the Hayward fault shows a deep crustal structure that is more complex than previously realized. Strong lateral variability in seismic velocity and wide-angle reflectivity suggests that crustal composition changes across major transcurrent fault systems. Pacific oceanic crust extends 40-50 km landward of the paleotrench but, contrary to prior models, probably does not continue beneath the Salinian Block, a Cretaceous arc complex that lies west of the San Andreas fault in the Bay Area. The thickness (10 km) and high lower-crustal velocity of Pacific oceanic crust suggest that it was underplated by magmatism associated with the nearby Pioneer seamount. The Salinian Block consists of a 15-km-thick layer of velocity 6.0-6.2 km/s overlying a 5-km-thick, high-velocity (7.0 km/s) lower crust that may be oceanic crust, Cretaceous arc-derived lower crust, or a magmatically underplated layer. The strong structural variability across the margin attests to the activity of strike-slip faulting prior to and during development of the transcurrent Pacific/North American plate boundary around 29 Ma. Copyright 1996 by the American Geophysical Union.

Genetic Connectivity between North and South Mid-Atlantic Ridge Chemosynthetic Bivalves and Their Symbionts

PubMed Central

van der Heijden, Karina; Petersen, Jillian M.; Dubilier, Nicole; Borowski, Christian

2012-01-01

Transform faults are geological structures that interrupt the continuity of mid-ocean ridges and can act as dispersal barriers for hydrothermal vent organisms. In the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, it has been hypothesized that long transform faults impede gene flow between the northern and the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and disconnect a northern from a southern biogeographic province. To test if there is a barrier effect in the equatorial Atlantic, we examined phylogenetic relationships of chemosynthetic bivalves and their bacterial symbionts from the recently discovered southern MAR hydrothermal vents at 5°S and 9°S. We examined Bathymodiolus spp. mussels and Abyssogena southwardae clams using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene as a phylogenetic marker for the hosts and the bacterial 16S rRNA gene as a marker for the symbionts. Bathymodiolus spp. from the two southern sites were genetically divergent from the northern MAR species B. azoricus and B. puteoserpentis but all four host lineages form a monophyletic group indicating that they radiated after divergence from their northern Atlantic sister group, the B. boomerang species complex. This suggests dispersal of Bathymodiolus species from north to south across the equatorial belt. 16S rRNA genealogies of chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic symbionts of Bathymodiolus spp. were inconsistent and did not match the host COI genealogy indicating disconnected biogeography patterns. The vesicomyid clam Abyssogena southwardae from 5°S shared an identical COI haplotype with A. southwardae from the Logatchev vent field on the northern MAR and their symbionts shared identical 16S phylotypes, suggesting gene flow across the Equator. Our results indicate genetic connectivity between the northern and southern MAR and suggest that a strict dispersal barrier does not exist. PMID:22792208

Fault trends on the seaward slope of the Aleutian Trench: Implications for a laterally changing stress field tied to a westward increase in oblique convergence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mortera-Gutierrez, C. A.; Scholl, D. W.; Carlson, R.L.

2003-01-01

Normal faults along the seaward trench slope (STS) commonly strike parallel to the trench in response to bending of the oceanic plate into the subduction zone. This is not the circumstance for the Aleutian Trench, where the direction of convergence gradually changes westward, from normal to transform motion. GLORIA side-scan sonar images document that the Aleutian STS is dominated by faults striking oblique to the trench, west of 179??E and east of 172??W. These images also show a pattern of east-west trending seafloor faults that are aligned parallel to the spreading fabric defined by magnetic anomalies. The stress-strain field along the STS is divided into two domains west and east, respectively, of 179??E. Over the western domain, STS faults and nodal planes of earthquakes are oriented oblique (9??-46??) to the trench axis and (69??-90??) to the magnetic fabric. West of 179??E, STS fault strikes change by 36?? from the E-W trend of STS where the trench-parallel slip gets larger than its orthogonal component of convergence. This rotation indicates that horizontal stresses along the western domain of the STS are deflected by the increasing obliquity in convergence. An analytical model supports the idea that strikes of STS faults result from a superposition of stresses associated with the dextral shear couple of the oblique convergence and stresses caused by plate bending. For the eastern domain, most nodal planes of earthquakes strike parallel to the outer rise, indicating bending as the prevailing mechanism causing normal faulting. East of 172??W, STS faults strike parallel to the magnetic fabric but oblique (10??-26??) to the axis of the trench. On the basis of a Coulomb failure criterion the trench-oblique strikes probably result from reactivation of crustal faults generated by spreading. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.

A new method of converter transformer protection without commutation failure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiayu; Kong, Bo; Liu, Mingchang; Zhang, Jun; Guo, Jianhong; Jing, Xu

2018-01-01

With the development of AC / DC hybrid transmission technology, converter transformer as nodes of AC and DC conversion of HVDC transmission technology, its reliable safe and stable operation plays an important role in the DC transmission. As a common problem of DC transmission, commutation failure poses a serious threat to the safe and stable operation of power grid. According to the commutation relation between the AC bus voltage of converter station and the output DC voltage of converter, the generalized transformation ratio is defined, and a new method of converter transformer protection based on generalized transformation ratio is put forward. The method uses generalized ratio to realize the on-line monitoring of the fault or abnormal commutation components, and the use of valve side of converter transformer bushing CT current characteristics of converter transformer fault accurately, and is not influenced by the presence of commutation failure. Through the fault analysis and EMTDC/PSCAD simulation, the protection can be operated correctly under the condition of various faults of the converter.

Comparison between wavelet and wavelet packet transform features for classification of faults in distribution system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arvind, Pratul

2012-11-01

The ability to identify and classify all ten types of faults in a distribution system is an important task for protection engineers. Unlike transmission system, distribution systems have a complex configuration and are subjected to frequent faults. In the present work, an algorithm has been developed for identifying all ten types of faults in a distribution system by collecting current samples at the substation end. The samples are subjected to wavelet packet transform and artificial neural network in order to yield better classification results. A comparison of results between wavelet transform and wavelet packet transform is also presented thereby justifying the feature extracted from wavelet packet transform yields promising results. It should also be noted that current samples are collected after simulating a 25kv distribution system in PSCAD software.

Evolution of passive continental margins and initiation of subduction zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cloetingh, S. A. P. L.; Wortel, M. J. R.; Vlaar, N. J.

1982-05-01

Although the initiation of subduction is a key element in plate tectonic schemes for evolution of lithospheric plates, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Plate rupture is an important aspect of the process of creating a new subduction zone, as stresses of the order of kilobars are required to fracture oceanic lithosphere1. Therefore initiation of subduction could take place preferentially at pre-existing weakness zones or in regions where the lithosphere is prestressed. As such, transform faults2,3 and passive margins4,5 where the lithosphere is downflexed under the influence of sediment loading have been suggested. From a model study of passive margin evolution we found that ageing of passive margins alone does not make them more suitable sites for initiation of subduction. However, extensive sediment loading on young lithosphere might be an effective mechanism for closure of small ocean basins.

The interpretation of crustal dynamics data in terms of plate motions and regional deformation near plate boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomon, Sean C.

During our participation in the NASA Crustal Dynamics Project under NASA contract NAS-27339 and grant NAG5-814 for the period 1982-1991, we published or submitted for publication 30 research papers and 52 abstracts of presentations at scientific meetings. In addition, five M.I.T. Ph.D. students (Eric Bergman, Steven Bratt, Dan Davis, Jeanne Sauber, Anne Sheehan) were supported wholly or in part by this project during their thesis research. Highlights of our research progress during this period include the following: application of geodetic data to determine rates of strain in the Mojave block and in central California and to clarify the relation of such strain to the San Andreas fault and Pacific-North American plate motions; application of geodetic data to infer post seismic deformation associated with large earthquakes in the Imperial Valley, Hebgen Lake, Argentina, and Chile; determination of the state of stress in oceanic lithosphere from a systematic study of the centroid depths and source mechanisms of oceanic intraplate earthquakes; development of models for the state of stress in young oceanic regions arising from the differential cooling of the lithosphere; determination of the depth extent and rupture characteristics of oceanic transform earthquakes; improved determination of earthquake slip vectors in the Gulf of California, an important data set for the estimation of Pacific-North American plate motions; development of models for the state of stress and mechanics of fold-and-thrust belts and accretionary wedges; development of procedures to invert geoid height, residual bathymetry, and differential body wave travel time residuals for lateral variations in the characteristic temperature and bulk composition of the oceanic upper mantle; and initial GPS measurements of crustal deformation associated with the Imperial-Cerro Prieto fault system in southern California and northern Mexico. Full descriptions of the research conducted on these topics may be found in the Semi-Annual status Reports submitted regularly to NASA over the course of this project and in the publications listed.

The interpretation of crustal dynamics data in terms of plate motions and regional deformation near plate boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Sean C.

1991-01-01

During our participation in the NASA Crustal Dynamics Project under NASA contract NAS-27339 and grant NAG5-814 for the period 1982-1991, we published or submitted for publication 30 research papers and 52 abstracts of presentations at scientific meetings. In addition, five M.I.T. Ph.D. students (Eric Bergman, Steven Bratt, Dan Davis, Jeanne Sauber, Anne Sheehan) were supported wholly or in part by this project during their thesis research. Highlights of our research progress during this period include the following: application of geodetic data to determine rates of strain in the Mojave block and in central California and to clarify the relation of such strain to the San Andreas fault and Pacific-North American plate motions; application of geodetic data to infer post seismic deformation associated with large earthquakes in the Imperial Valley, Hebgen Lake, Argentina, and Chile; determination of the state of stress in oceanic lithosphere from a systematic study of the centroid depths and source mechanisms of oceanic intraplate earthquakes; development of models for the state of stress in young oceanic regions arising from the differential cooling of the lithosphere; determination of the depth extent and rupture characteristics of oceanic transform earthquakes; improved determination of earthquake slip vectors in the Gulf of California, an important data set for the estimation of Pacific-North American plate motions; development of models for the state of stress and mechanics of fold-and-thrust belts and accretionary wedges; development of procedures to invert geoid height, residual bathymetry, and differential body wave travel time residuals for lateral variations in the characteristic temperature and bulk composition of the oceanic upper mantle; and initial GPS measurements of crustal deformation associated with the Imperial-Cerro Prieto fault system in southern California and northern Mexico. Full descriptions of the research conducted on these topics may be found in the Semi-Annual status Reports submitted regularly to NASA over the course of this project and in the publications listed.

Mechanical decoupling along a subduction boundary fault: the case of the Tindari-Alfeo Fault System, Calabrian Arc (central Mediterranean Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maesano, F. E.; Tiberti, M. M.; Basili, R.

2017-12-01

In recent years an increasing number of studies have been focused in understanding the lateral terminations of subduction zones. In the Mediterranean region, this topic is of particular interest for the presence of a "land-locked" system of subduction zones interrupted by continental collision and back-arc opening. We present a 3D reconstruction of the area surrounding the Tindari-Alfeo Fault System (TAFS) based on a dense set of deep seismic reflection profiles. This fault system represents a major NNW-SSE trending subduction-transform edge propagator (STEP) that controls the deformation zone bounding the Calabrian subduction zone (central Mediterranean Sea) to the southwest. This 3D model allowed us to characterize the mechanical and kinematic evolution of the TAFS during the Plio-Quaternary. Our study highlights the presence of a mechanical decoupling between the deformation observed in the lower plate, constituted by the Ionian oceanic crust entering the subduction zone, and the upper plate, where a thick accretionary wedge has formed. The lower plate hosts the master faults of the TAFS, whereas the upper plate is affected by secondary deformation (bending-moment faulting, localized subsidence, stepovers, and restraining/releasing bends). The analysis of the syn-tectonic sedimentary basins related to the activity of the TAFS at depth allow us to constrain the propagation rate of the deformation and of the vertical component of the slip-rate. Our findings provide a comprehensive framework of the structural setting that can be expected along a STEP boundary where contractional and transtensional features coexist at close distance from one another.

Deformation of the Pacific/North America plate boundary at Queen Charlotte Fault: The possible role of rheology

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Miller, Nathaniel; Andrews, Brian; Brothers, Daniel; Haeussler, Peter J.

2018-01-01

The Pacific/North America (PA/NA) plate boundary between Vancouver Island and Alaska is similar to the PA/NA boundary in California in its kinematic history and the rate and azimuth of current relative motion, yet their deformation styles are distinct. The California plate boundary shows a broad zone of parallel strike slip and thrust faults and folds, whereas the 49‐mm/yr PA/NA relative plate motion in Canada and Alaska is centered on a single, narrow, continuous ~900‐km‐long fault, the Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF). Using gravity analysis, we propose that this plate boundary is centered on the continent/ocean boundary (COB), an unusual location for continental transform faults because plate boundaries typically localize within the continental lithosphere, which is weaker. Because the COB is a boundary between materials of contrasting elastic properties, once a fault is established there, it will probably remain stable. We propose that deformation progressively shifted to the COB in the wake of Yakutat terrane's northward motion along the margin. Minor convergence across the plate boundary is probably accommodated by fault reactivation on Pacific crust and by an eastward dipping QCF. Underthrusting of Pacific slab under Haida Gwaii occurs at convergence angles >14°–15° and may have been responsible for the emergence of the archipelago. The calculated slab entry dip (5°–8°) suggests that the slab probably does not extend into the asthenosphere. The PA/NA plate boundary at the QCF can serve as a structurally simple site to investigate the impact of rheology and composition on crustal deformation and the initiation of slab underthrusting.

Detecting Faults In High-Voltage Transformers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blow, Raymond K.

1988-01-01

Simple fixture quickly shows whether high-voltage transformer has excessive voids in dielectric materials and whether high-voltage lead wires too close to transformer case. Fixture is "go/no-go" indicator; corona appears if transformer contains such faults. Nests in wire mesh supported by cap of clear epoxy. If transformer has defects, blue glow of corona appears in mesh and is seen through cap.

SeaMARC II mapping of transform faults in the Cayman Trough, Caribbean Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosencrantz, Eric; Mann, Paul

1992-01-01

SeaMARC II maps of the southern wall of the Cayman Trough between Honduras and Jamaica show zones of continuous, well-defined fault lineaments adjacent and parallel to the wall, both to the east and west of the Cayman spreading axis. These lineaments mark the present, active traces of transform faults which intersect the southern end of the spreading axis at a triple junction. The Swan Islands transform fault to the west is dominated by two major lineaments that overlap with right-stepping sense across a large push-up ridge beneath the Swan Islands. The fault zone to the east of the axis, named the Walton fault, is more complex, containing multiple fault strands and a large pull-apart structure. The Walton fault links the spreading axis to Jamaican and Hispaniolan strike-slip faults, and it defines the southern boundary of a microplate composed of the eastern Cayman Trough and western Hispaniola. The presence of this microplate raises questions about the veracity of Caribbean plate velocities based primarily on Cayman Trough opening rates.

From magma-poor Ocean Continent Transitions to steady state oceanic spreading: the balance between tectonic and magmatic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillard, Morgane; Manatschal, Gianreto; Autin, Julia; Decarlis, Alessandro; Sauter, Daniel

2016-04-01

The evolution of magma-poor rifted margins is linked to the development of a transition zone whose basement is neither clearly continental nor oceanic. The development of this Ocean-Continent Transition (OCT) is generally associated to the exhumation of serpentinized mantle along one or several detachment faults. That model is supported by numerous observations (IODP wells, dredges, fossil margins) and by numerical modelling. However, if the initiation of detachment faults in a magma-poor setting tends to be better understood by numerous studies in various area, the transition with the first steady state oceanic crust and the associated processes remain enigmatic and poorly studied. Indeed, this latest stage of evolution appears to be extremely gradual and involves strong interactions between tectonic processes and magmatism. Contrary to the proximal part of the exhumed domain where we can observe magmatic activity linked to the exhumation process (exhumation of gabbros, small amount of basalts above the exhumed mantle), in the most distal part the magmatic system appears to be independent and more active. In particular, we can observe large amounts of extrusive material above a previously exhumed and faulted basement (e.g. Alps, Australia-Antarctica margins). It seems that some faults can play the role of feeder systems for the magma in this area. Magmatic underplating is also important, as suggested by basement uplift and anomalously thick crust (e.g. East Indian margin). It results that the transition with the first steady state oceanic crust is marked by the presence of a hybrid basement, composed by exhumed mantle and magmatic material, whose formation is linked to several tectonic and magmatic events. One could argue that this basement is not clearly different from an oceanic basement. However, we consider that true, steady state oceanic crust only exists, if the entire rock association forming the crust is created during a single event, at a localized spreading center. The interest of that definition is that it does not restrain the term oceanic crust to a basement composition and consequently does not exclude the creation of magma-poor oceanic crust, as observed at slow spreading ridges for example. Indeed, the initiation of steady state oceanic spreading is not necessarily magmatic (e.g. some segments of the Australian-Antarctic margins). In this case, drifting is accommodated by mantle exhumation. However, in this magma-poor transition, and without clear markers of a gradual increase of magmatism, it thus appears difficult to clearly differentiate an exhumed OCT basement and an exhumed oceanic basement. Some theoretical differences can be nevertheless considered: exhumed OCT basement should display a chemical evolution toward the ocean from a subcontinental to an oceanic signature. Moreover, extensional detachment faults are probably long-lived due to the poor influence of the asthenosphere at this stage. On the contrary, exhumed oceanic basement should only display an oceanic signature. In this case, extensional detachment faults are certainly short-lived, due to the strong influence of the asthenosphere, which tends to quickly re-localize the deformation above the spreading center.

The cooling history and the depth of detachment faulting at the Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoolmeesters, Nicole; Cheadle, Michael J.; John, Barbara E.; Reiners, Peter W.; Gee, Jeffrey; Grimes, Craig B.

2012-10-01

Oceanic core complexes (OCCs) are domal exposures of oceanic crust and mantle interpreted to be denuded to the seafloor by large slip oceanic detachment faults. We combine previously reported U-Pb zircon crystallization ages with (U-Th)/He zircon thermochronometry and multicomponent magnetic remanence data to determine the cooling history of the footwall to the Atlantis Massif OCC (30°N, MAR) and help establish cooling rates, as well as depths of detachment faulting and gabbro emplacement. We present nine new (U-Th)/He zircon ages for samples from IODP Hole U1309D ranging from 40 to 1415 m below seafloor. These data paired with U-Pb zircon ages and magnetic remanence data constrain cooling rates of gabbroic rocks from the upper 800 m of the central dome at Atlantis Massif as 2895 (+1276/-1162) °C Myr-1 (from ˜780°C to ˜250°C); the lower 600 m of the borehole cooled more slowly at mean rates of ˜500 (+125/-102) °C Myr-1(from ˜780°C to present-day temperatures). Rocks from the uppermost part of the hole also reveal a brief period of slow cooling at rates of ˜300°C Myr-1, possibly due to hydrothermal circulation to ˜4 km depth through the detachment fault zone. Assuming a fault slip rate of 20 mm/yr (from U-Pb zircon ages of surface samples) and a rolling hinge model for the sub-surface fault geometry, we predict that the 780°C isotherm lies at ˜7 km below the axial valley floor, likely corresponding both to the depth at which the semi-brittle detachment fault roots and the probable upper limit of significant gabbro emplacement.

Geologic constraints on the setting and dynamics of subduction initiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Encarnacion, John; Keenan, Timothy

2017-04-01

Understanding where and how subduction zones have and can initiate is important because, besides being a critical step in the plate tectonic system, it can provide insight into the complex interactions of crust and mantle rheology, forces acting on the plates, strain, metamorphic reactions, and erosional and depositional processes at the surface. Insight into the possibilities of where and how subduction zones start has been provided by numerical and analog modeling. All sites for subduction initiation are potential weak zones in the lithosphere and include the continent-ocean boundary, oceanic arc-oceanic crust boundary, oceanic transform faults and fracture zones, oceanic detachment faults, and active or recently extinct oceanic ridges/spreading centers. Within the constraints of modeling, it has also been shown that the forces involved in the initiation of subduction can be largely horizontal (induced by a collision, say, or through 'ridge push') or vertical (driven by density contrasts). The latter scenario is often referred to as "spontaneous" subduction initiation, whereas the former situation may be called "forced"or "induced" subduction initiation. It is prudent, however, not to assume that "what can happen, did happen." So, the challenge for geologists is to infer from the rock record, through structural mapping, thermochronology, thermobarometry, geochemistry, paleomagnetics, and sedimentological studies, how any given subduction zone began. Even with a complete data set, it is not always possible to fully constrain the specific geologic setting or dynamics involved in the initiation of a given subduction zone. One can, however, often rule out certain scenarios, increasing the probability of others. Part of the geologic record of subduction initiation preserved at some subduction zones are so-called "metamorphic soles," which include high-temperature (T) and high-pressure (P) metamorphosed oceanic crust that was underthrust to asthenospheric mantle depths, metamorphosed, and then preserved in the hanging wall of the eventual subduction zone. These metamorphic soles may preserve important information bearing on the timing of subduction initiation, the evolving P and T conditions during subduction initiation, and, importantly, the protolith age of the initially subducted crust. The latter parameter—the age of the initially subducted oceanic crust at the time of subduction initiation—is an important constraint that has been lacking in many previous geologic studies of subduction initiation. Recent work on metamorphic soles has provided new information on subduction initiation, including the possibility of rapidly converting oceanic divergent boundaries into subduction zones.

Widespread active detachment faulting and core complex formation near 13 degrees N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

PubMed

Smith, Deborah K; Cann, Johnson R; Escartín, Javier

2006-07-27

Oceanic core complexes are massifs in which lower-crustal and upper-mantle rocks are exposed at the sea floor. They form at mid-ocean ridges through slip on detachment faults rooted below the spreading axis. To date, most studies of core complexes have been based on isolated inactive massifs that have spread away from ridge axes. Here we present a survey of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 13 degrees N containing a segment in which a number of linked detachment faults extend for 75 km along one flank of the spreading axis. The detachment faults are apparently all currently active and at various stages of development. A field of extinct core complexes extends away from the axis for at least 100 km. Our observations reveal the topographic characteristics of actively forming core complexes and their evolution from initiation within the axial valley floor to maturity and eventual inactivity. Within the surrounding region there is a strong correlation between detachment fault morphology at the ridge axis and high rates of hydroacoustically recorded earthquake seismicity. Preliminary examination of seismicity and seafloor morphology farther north along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge suggests that active detachment faulting is occurring in many segments and that detachment faulting is more important in the generation of ocean crust at this slow-spreading ridge than previously suspected.

Sparsity guided empirical wavelet transform for fault diagnosis of rolling element bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong; Zhao, Yang; Yi, Cai; Tsui, Kwok-Leung; Lin, Jianhui

2018-02-01

Rolling element bearings are widely used in various industrial machines, such as electric motors, generators, pumps, gearboxes, railway axles, turbines, and helicopter transmissions. Fault diagnosis of rolling element bearings is beneficial to preventing any unexpected accident and reducing economic loss. In the past years, many bearing fault detection methods have been developed. Recently, a new adaptive signal processing method called empirical wavelet transform attracts much attention from readers and engineers and its applications to bearing fault diagnosis have been reported. The main problem of empirical wavelet transform is that Fourier segments required in empirical wavelet transform are strongly dependent on the local maxima of the amplitudes of the Fourier spectrum of a signal, which connotes that Fourier segments are not always reliable and effective if the Fourier spectrum of the signal is complicated and overwhelmed by heavy noises and other strong vibration components. In this paper, sparsity guided empirical wavelet transform is proposed to automatically establish Fourier segments required in empirical wavelet transform for fault diagnosis of rolling element bearings. Industrial bearing fault signals caused by single and multiple railway axle bearing defects are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed sparsity guided empirical wavelet transform. Results show that the proposed method can automatically discover Fourier segments required in empirical wavelet transform and reveal single and multiple railway axle bearing defects. Besides, some comparisons with three popular signal processing methods including ensemble empirical mode decomposition, the fast kurtogram and the fast spectral correlation are conducted to highlight the superiority of the proposed method.

Effect of bend faulting on the hydration state of oceanic crust: Electromagnetic constraints from the Middle America Trench

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naif, S.; Key, K.; Constable, S.; Evans, R. L.

2017-12-01

In Northern Central America, the portion of the incoming Cocos oceanic plate formed at the East Pacific Rise has a seafloor spreading fabric that is oriented nearly parallel to the trench axis, whereby flexural bending at the outer rise reactivates a dense network of dormant abyssal hill faults. If bending-induced normal faults behave as fluid pathways they may promote extensive mantle hydration and significantly raise the flux of fluids into the subduction system. Multi-channel seismic reflection data imaged bend faults that extend several kilometers beneath the Moho offshore Nicaragua, coincident with seismic refraction data showing significant P-wave velocity reductions in both the crust and uppermost mantle. Ignoring the effect of fracture porosity, the observed mantle velocity reduction is equivalent to an upper bound of 15-20% serpentinization (or 2.0-2.5 wt% H2O). Yet the impact of bend faulting on porosity structure and crustal hydration are not well known. Here, we present results on the electrical resistivity structure of the incoming Cocos plate offshore Nicaragua, the first controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) experiment at a subduction zone. The CSEM data imaged several sub-vertical conductive channels extending beneath fault scarps to 5.5 km below seafloor, providing independent evidence for fluid infiltration into the oceanic crust via bending faults. We applied Archie's Law to estimate porosity from the resistivity observations: the dike and gabbro layers increase from 2.7% and 0.7% porosity at 100 km to 4.8% and 1.7% within 20 km of the trench, respectively. In contrast the resistivity, and hence porosity, remain relatively unchanged at sub-Moho depths. Therefore, either the faults do not provide an additional flux of free water to the mantle or, in light of the reduced seismic velocities, the volumetric expansion resulting from mantle serpentinization rapidly consumes any fault-generated porosity. Since our crustal porosity estimates seaward of the outer rise are in very good agreement with drilling observations, we conclude that bending faults effectively double the subducted free water budget of the intrusive oceanic crust.

The Role of Rift Obliquity in Formation of the Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Scott Edmund Kelsey

The Gulf of California illustrates how highly oblique rift geometries, where transform faults are kinematically linked to large-offset normal faults in adjacent pull-apart basins, enhance the ability of continental lithosphere to rupture and, ultimately, hasten the formation of new oceanic basins. The Gulf of California rift has accommodated oblique divergence of the Pacific and North America tectonic plates in northwestern Mexico since Miocene time. Due to its infancy, the rifted margins of the Gulf of California preserve a rare onshore record of early continental break-up processes from which to investigate the role of rift obliquity in strain localization. Using new high-precision paleomagnetic vectors from tectonically stable sites in north-central Baja California, I compile a paleomagnetic transect of Miocene ignimbrites across northern Baja California and Sonora that reveals the timing and distribution of dextral shear associated with inception of this oblique rift. I integrate detailed geologic mapping, basin analysis, and geochronology of pre-rift and syn-rift volcanic units to determine the timing of fault activity on Isla Tiburon, a proximal onshore exposure of the rifted North America margin, adjacent to the axis of the Gulf of California. The onset of strike-slip faulting on Isla Tiburon, ca. 8 - 7 Ma, was synchronous with the onset of transform faulting along a significant length of the nascent plate boundary within the rift. This tectonic transition coincides with a clockwise azimuthal shift in Pacific-North America relative motion that increased rift obliquity. I constrain the earliest marine conditions on southwest Isla Tiburon to ca. 6.4 - 6.0 Ma, coincident with a regional latest Miocene marine incursion in the northern proto-Gulf of California. This event likely flooded a narrow, incipient topographic depression along a ˜650 km-long portion of the latest Miocene plate boundary and corresponds in time and space with formation of a newly-constrained ˜50-100 kilometer-wide transtensional belt of focused strike-slip faulting, basin formation, and rotating crustal blocks. This proto-Gulf of California shear zone, embedded within the wider Mexican Basin and Range extensional province and connected to the San Andreas fault in southern California, hosted subsequent localization of the plate boundary and rupture of the continental lithosphere.

Geodynamic Evolution of the Banda Sea Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaymakci, N.; Decker, J.; Orange, D.; Teas, P.; Van Heiningen, P.

2013-12-01

We've carried out a large on- and offshore study in Eastern Indonesia to characterize the major structures and to provide constraints on the Neogene geodynamic evolution of the Banda Sea region. The onshore portion utilized remote sensing data and published geology. We tied the onshore to the offshore using recently acquired high resolution bathymetric data (16m and 25m bin size) and 2D seismic profiles that extend from Sulawesi in the west to Irian Jaya in the east across the northern part of the Banda Arc. We interpret the northern boundary of the 'Birds Head' (BH) of Papua, the Sorong Fault, to be a sinistral strike-slip fault zone with a minimum of 48 km displacement over the last few million years. The western boundary fault of Cendrawasih Basin defines the eastern boundary of BH and corresponds to the Wandamen Peninsula which comprises high pressure metamorphic rocks, including eclogite and granulite facies rocks, with exhumation ages from 4 to 1 Ma. Earthquake focal mechanism solutions indicate that the eastern boundary of BH is linked with a large scale offshore normal fault which we suggest may be related to the exhumation of the Wandamen Peninsula. The eastern boundary of Cendrawasih Basin is defined by a large transpressive belt along which BH is decoupled from the rest of Papua / Irian Jaya. This interpretation is supported by recent GPS studies. We propose that the BH and the Pacific plate are coupled, and therefore the Birds Head is therefore completely detached from Irian Jaya. Furthermore, Aru Basin, located at the NE corner of Banda Arc, is a Fault-Fault-Transform (FFT) type triple junction. According to available literature information the Banda Sea includes three distinct basins with different geologic histories; the North Banda Sea Basin (NBSB) was opened during 12-7 Ma, Wetar-Damar Basin (WDB) during 7-3.5 Ma and Weber Basin (WB) 3-0 Ma. Our bathymetric and seismic data indicated that the NBSB and Weber Basin lack normal oceanic crust and are probably floored by exhumed mantle, while WDB seems to have normal oceanic crust. These basins thought to be developed sequentially from north to south, possibly due to back arc extension resulting from trench retreat and roll-back of the northwards subducting Indo-Australian oceanic plate below the SE Eurasian margin along the Sunda-Banda subduction zone. We suggest that a trench-perpendicular tear in the subducting slab extends from the southwestern corner of Celebes Sea to the northeastern corner of Seram Island. It defines the southern boundary of the Banggai-Sula and Bird's Head (BH) blocks and northern boundary of Banda Sea micro-plate. The dominant character of this structure is sinistral strike-slip fault zone that eastward gradually become transpressional to ultimately thrusting at the tip of the tear east of Seram Island. Here, deformation results in a large accretionary wedge, the Seram Accretionary Belt (SAB) that is partitioned by intensely sheared strike-slip faults. The deformation mechanisms within the SAB is difficult to interpret due to poor seismic imaging below a shallow (Pliocene?) unconformity and the inferred complexity of the deformation within the belt. However, geometries of faults and fault blocks are very well pronounced on bathymetric data which provide hints for the deformation style of the belt.

Late tectonic uplift of an inverted oceanic basin in South East Asia: the case of Palawan Island (western Philippines)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meresse, F.; Savva, D.; Pubellier, M.; Steuer, S.; Franke, D.; Cordey, F.; Muller, C.; Sapin, F.; Mouly, B.; Auxiètre, J.-L.

2012-04-01

The elongated island of Palawan, bounded by two marginal basins, the South China Sea to the North and the Sulu Sea to the South is composed of remnants of an inverted basin (Proto-South China Sea) thrusted onto the margin of a continental terrane which rifted away from the Chinese-Vietnamese margin. Based on field observations coupled with seismic and drill-holes data, our study focuses on the structural architecture of the island in order to decipher the geodynamic evolution of the southern margin of the South China Sea. Structurally, the Palawan Island consists of: (i) the Palawan wedge, which extends towards the South China Sea is composed of deformed slope to deep ocean deposits of Cretaceous (north Palawan) to Tertiary (central and south Palawan) ages. This accretionnary wedge is characterized by small wavelength folds of mainly NE-SW trend. Offshore, the unconformable Middle-Late Miocene Tabon limestones unit postdates the last stages of the Palawan wedge growth/setting; (ii) On top of this wedge lie thrust slices of ophiolite bodies comprising ribbon cherts of Albian age as indicated by radiolarians.; these bodies are likely to be relicts of the now-subducted Proto South China Sea; (iii) The central and southern parts of the Palawan island are characterized by a large wavelength antiform of NE-SW trend. This structure is sealed by the slightly tilted Early Pliocene marls unit; (iv) The island also presents necking zones bordered by N-S trending transform faults. This area witnessed the geodynamic evolution of the South East Asia which consists of a succession of opening/closure of oceanic basins and block accretions. The Palawan Island therefore results of the closing of the Proto-South China Sea which once formed both the Palawan accretionary wedge and the overlying ophiolite tectonic slices. During a later compressive event, the rifted continental margin which composes the basement of the Island was inverted, inducing the uplift and the large scale folding of the Palawan Island. In a final stage, the strain relaxing results in the formation of the necking zones, probably reactivating the inherited transform faults of the Proto-South China Sea. Keywords: Palawan Island; South China Sea; oceanic basin; inverted margin; Ophiolite.

Deep-sea mud volcanoes - a window to alteration processes in old oceanic crust?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hensen, Christian; Scholz, Florian; Nuzzo, Marianne; Valadares, Vasco; Terrinha, Pedro; Liebetrau, Volker; Kaul, Norbert; Manzoni, Sonia; Schmidt, Mark; Gràcia, Eulàlia

2013-04-01

A number of deep sea mud volcanoes (>4700 m water depth) were discovered during a recent expedition with the German research vessel Meteor along a prominent WSW-ENE trending strike-slip fault (SWIM 1; Zitellini et al., 2009) in the western extension of the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic). Mud volcanism was unambiguously related to tectonic activity along the fault and fluids expelled at these sites show a very distinct geochemical composition that has not been reported from any other mud volcano to date. In previous studies on deep-water mud volcanoes in the Western Gulf of Cadiz accretionary wedge it was hypothesized that the discharge fluids were affected by alteration processes occurring in the old (>140 Ma) and deeply buried (>4 km) oceanic crust (Scholz et al., 2009; Sallarès et al, 2011). This hypothesis is supported by recent findings at the mud volcanoes located to the west of the realm of tectonic deformation driven by the accretionary wedge of the Gulf of Cadiz. Pore water geochemical analyses revealed fluid sources from oceanic crust and oldest sedimentary strata. Regardless of the ultimate source, these findings suggest that large strike-slip faults may play a significant, yet unrecognized role in terms of fluid circulation and element redistribution. To date, hot vents and cold seeps occurring at active spreading centers and forearcs of subduction zones have been pinpointed as hotspots of fluid activity. However, bearing in mind that transform-type plate boundaries are equal in length compared to other types of plate boundaries, fluid exchange at this type of plate boundary may provide a similarly important pathway for water and element exchange between the lithosphere and ocean. Sallarès V., Gailler A., Gutscher M.-A., Graindorge D., Bartolomé R., Gràcia E., Díaz J., Dañobeitia J.J. and Zitellini N. (2011) Seismic evidence for the presence of Jurassic oceanic crust in the central Gulf of Cadiz (SW Iberian margin), Earth and Planetary Science Letters 311(1-2), 112-123. Scholz F., Hensen C., Reitz A., Romer R.L., Liebetrau V., Meixner A., Weise S.M., and Haeckel M. (2009) Isotopic evidence (87Sr/86Sr, δ7Li) for alteration of the oceanic crust at deep-rooted mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cadiz, NE Atlantic Ocean. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 73, 5444-5459. Zitellini N., Gràcia E., Matias L., Terrinha P., Abreu M.A., Dealteriis G., Henriet J.P., Dañobeitia J.J., Masson D.G., Mulder T., Ramella R., Somoza L., and Diez S. (2009) The quest for the Africa-Eurasia plate boundary west of the Strait of Gibraltar. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 280, 13-50.

Support vector machine based decision for mechanical fault condition monitoring in induction motor using an advanced Hilbert-Park transform.

PubMed

Ben Salem, Samira; Bacha, Khmais; Chaari, Abdelkader

2012-09-01

In this work we suggest an original fault signature based on an improved combination of Hilbert and Park transforms. Starting from this combination we can create two fault signatures: Hilbert modulus current space vector (HMCSV) and Hilbert phase current space vector (HPCSV). These two fault signatures are subsequently analysed using the classical fast Fourier transform (FFT). The effects of mechanical faults on the HMCSV and HPCSV spectrums are described, and the related frequencies are determined. The magnitudes of spectral components, relative to the studied faults (air-gap eccentricity and outer raceway ball bearing defect), are extracted in order to develop the input vector necessary for learning and testing the support vector machine with an aim of classifying automatically the various states of the induction motor. Copyright © 2012 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transform Faults and Lithospheric Structure: Insights from Numerical Models and Shipboard and Geodetic Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Christopher S.

In this dissertation, I study the influence of transform faults on the structure and deformation of the lithosphere, using shipboard and geodetic observations as well as numerical experiments. I use marine topography, gravity, and magnetics to examine the effects of the large age-offset Andrew Bain transform fault on accretionary processes within two adjacent segments of the Southwest Indian Ridge. I infer from morphology, high gravity, and low magnetization that the extremely cold and thick lithosphere associated with the Andrew Bain strongly suppresses melt production and crustal emplacement to the west of the transform fault. These effects are counteracted by enhanced temperature and melt production near the Marion Hotspot, east of the transform fault. I use numerical models to study the development of lithospheric shear zones underneath continental transform faults (e.g. the San Andreas Fault in California), with a particular focus on thermomechanical coupling and shear heating produced by long-term fault slip. I find that these processes may give rise to long-lived localized shear zones, and that such shear zones may in part control the magnitude of stress in the lithosphere. Localized ductile shear participates in both interseismic loading and postseismic relaxation, and predictions of models including shear zones are within observational constraints provided by geodetic and surface heat flow data. I numerically investigate the effects of shear zones on three-dimensional postseismic deformation. I conclude that the presence of a thermally-activated shear zone minimally impacts postseismic deformation, and that thermomechanical coupling alone is unable to generate sufficient localization for postseismic relaxation within a ductile shear zone to kinematically resemble that by aseismic fault creep (afterslip). I find that the current record geodetic observations of postseismic deformation do not provide robust discriminating power between candidate linear and power-law rheologies for the sub-Mojave Desert mantle, but longer observations may potentially allow such discrimination.

30 CFR 75.824 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... transformer and over-current relay in the neutral grounding resistor circuit. (vi) A single window-type current transformer that encircles all three-phase conductors must be used to activate the ground-fault... current transformer. (vii) A test circuit for the ground-fault device must be provided. The test circuit...

30 CFR 75.824 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... transformer and over-current relay in the neutral grounding resistor circuit. (vi) A single window-type current transformer that encircles all three-phase conductors must be used to activate the ground-fault... current transformer. (vii) A test circuit for the ground-fault device must be provided. The test circuit...

30 CFR 75.824 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... transformer and over-current relay in the neutral grounding resistor circuit. (vi) A single window-type current transformer that encircles all three-phase conductors must be used to activate the ground-fault... current transformer. (vii) A test circuit for the ground-fault device must be provided. The test circuit...

30 CFR 75.824 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... transformer and over-current relay in the neutral grounding resistor circuit. (vi) A single window-type current transformer that encircles all three-phase conductors must be used to activate the ground-fault... current transformer. (vii) A test circuit for the ground-fault device must be provided. The test circuit...

30 CFR 75.824 - Electrical protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... transformer and over-current relay in the neutral grounding resistor circuit. (vi) A single window-type current transformer that encircles all three-phase conductors must be used to activate the ground-fault... current transformer. (vii) A test circuit for the ground-fault device must be provided. The test circuit...

Strike-slip tectonics during rift linkage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagli, C.; Yun, S. H.; Ebinger, C.; Keir, D.; Wang, H.

2017-12-01

The kinematics of triple junction linkage and the initiation of transforms in magmatic rifts remain debated. Strain patterns from the Afar triple junction provide tests of current models of how rifts grow to link in area of incipient oceanic spreading. Here we present a combined analysis of seismicity, InSAR and GPS derived strain rate maps to reveal that the plate boundary deformation in Afar is accommodated primarily by extensional tectonics in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden rifts, and does not require large rotations about vertical axes (bookshelf faulting). Additionally, models of stress changes and seismicity induced by recent dykes in one sector of the Afar triple junction provide poor fit to the observed strike-slip earthquakes. Instead we explain these patterns as rift-perpendicular shearing at the tips of spreading rifts where extensional strains terminate against less stretched lithosphere. Our results demonstrate that rift-perpendicular strike-slip faulting between rift segments achieves plate boundary linkage during incipient seafloor spreading.

Apparatus including a plurality of spaced transformers for locating short circuits in cables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cason, R. L.; Mcstay, J. J. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A cable fault locator is described for sensing faults such as short circuits in power cables. The apparatus includes a plurality of current transformers strategically located along a cable. Trigger circuits are connected to each of the current transformers for placing a resistor in series with a resistive element responsive to an abnormally high current flowing through that portion of the cable. By measuring the voltage drop across the resistive element, the location of the fault can be determined.

Earthquake source parameters for the 2010 western Gulf of Aden rifting episode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuler, Ashley; Nettles, Meredith

2012-08-01

On 2010 November 14, an intense swarm of earthquakes began in the western Gulf of Aden. Within a 48-hr period, 82 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.5 and 5.5 were reported along an ˜80-km-long segment of the east-west trending Aden Ridge, making this swarm one of the largest ever observed in an extensional oceanic setting. In this study, we calculate centroid-moment-tensor solutions for 110 earthquakes that occurred between 2010 November and 2011 April. Over 80 per cent of the cumulative seismic moment results from earthquakes that occurred within 1 week of the onset of the swarm. We find that this sequence has a b-value of ˜1.6 and is dominated by normal-faulting earthquakes that, early in the swarm, migrate westwards with time. These earthquakes are located in rhombic basins along a section of the ridge that was previously characterized by low levels of seismicity and a lack of recent volcanism on the seafloor. Body-wave modelling demonstrates that the events occur in the top 2-3 km of the crust. Nodal planes of the normal-faulting earthquakes are consistent with previously mapped faults in the axial valley. A small number of strike-slip earthquakes observed between two basins near 44°E, where the axial valley changes orientation, depth and width, likely indicate the presence of an incipient transform fault and the early stages of ridge-transform segmentation. The direction of extension accommodated by the earthquakes is intermediate between the rift orthogonal and the direction of relative motion between the Arabian and Somalian plates, consistent with the oblique style of rifting occurring along the slow-spreading Aden Ridge. The 2010 swarm shares many characteristics with dyke-induced rifting episodes from both oceanic and continental settings. We conclude that the 2010 swarm represents the seismic component of an undersea magmatic rifting episode along the nascent Aden Ridge, and attribute the large size of the earthquakes to the combined effects of the slow spreading rate, relatively thick crust and recent quiescence. We estimate that the rifting episode was caused by dyke intrusions that propagated laterally for 12-18 hr, accommodating ˜1-14 m of opening or ˜85-800 yr of spreading along this section of the ridge. Our findings demonstrate the westward propagation of active seafloor spreading into this section of the western Gulf of Aden and illustrate that deformation at the onset of seafloor spreading may be accommodated by discrete episodes of faulting and magmatism. A comparison with similar sequences on land suggests that the 2010 episode may be only the first of several dyke-induced rifting episodes to occur in the western Gulf of Aden.

Research on vibration signal analysis and extraction method of gear local fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X. F.; Wang, D.; Ma, J. F.; Shao, W.

2018-02-01

Gear is the main connection parts and power transmission parts in the mechanical equipment. If the fault occurs, it directly affects the running state of the whole machine and even endangers the personal safety. So it has important theoretical significance and practical value to study on the extraction of the gear fault signal and fault diagnosis of the gear. In this paper, the gear local fault as the research object, set up the vibration model of gear fault vibration mechanism, derive the vibration mechanism of the gear local fault and analyzes the similarities and differences of the vibration signal between the gear non fault and the gears local faults. In the MATLAB environment, the wavelet transform algorithm is used to denoise the fault signal. Hilbert transform is used to demodulate the fault vibration signal. The results show that the method can denoise the strong noise mechanical vibration signal and extract the local fault feature information from the fault vibration signal..

Discrete Wavelet Transform for Fault Locations in Underground Distribution System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apisit, C.; Ngaopitakkul, A.

2010-10-01

In this paper, a technique for detecting faults in underground distribution system is presented. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) based on traveling wave is employed in order to detect the high frequency components and to identify fault locations in the underground distribution system. The first peak time obtained from the faulty bus is employed for calculating the distance of fault from sending end. The validity of the proposed technique is tested with various fault inception angles, fault locations and faulty phases. The result is found that the proposed technique provides satisfactory result and will be very useful in the development of power systems protection scheme.

The Japan Trench and its juncture with the Kuril Trench: cruise results of the Kaiko project, Leg 3

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cadet, J.-P.; Kobayashi, K.; Aubouin, J.; Boulegue, J.; Deplus, C.; Dubois, J.; von Huene, Roland E.; Jolivet, L.; Kanazawa, T.; Kasahara, J.; Koizumi, K.; Lallemand, S.; Nakamura, Y.; Pautot, G.; Suyehiro, K.; Tani, S.; Tokuyama, H.; Yamazaki, T.

1987-01-01

This paper presents the results of a detailed survey combining Seabeam mapping, gravity and geomagnetic measurements as well as single-channel seismic reflection observations in the Japan Trench and the juncture with the Kuril Trench during the French-Japanese Kaiko project (northern sector of the Leg 3) on the R/V "Jean Charcot". The main data acquired during the cruise, such as the Seabeam maps, magnetic anomalies pattern, and preliminary interpretations are discussed. These new data cover an area of 18,000 km2 and provide for the first time a detailed three-dimensional image of the Japan Trench. Combined with the previous results, the data indicate new structural interpretations. A comparative study of Seabeam morphology, single-channel and reprocessed multichannel records lead to the conclusion that along the northern Japan Trench there is little evidence of accretion but, instead, a tectonic erosion of the overriding plate. The tectonic pattern on the oceanic side of the trench is controlled by the creation of new normal faults parallel to the Japan Trench axis, which is a direct consequence of the downward flexure of the Pacific plate. In addition to these new faults, ancient normal faults trending parallel to the N65?? oceanic magnetic anomalies and oblique to the Japan trench axis are reactivated, so that two directions of normal faulting are observed seaward of the Japan Trench. Only one direction of faulting is observed seaward of the Kuril Trench because of the parallelism between the trench axis and the magnetic anomalies. The convergent front of the Kuril Trench is offset left-laterally by 20 km relative to those of the Japan Trench. This transform fault and the lower slope of the southernmost Kuril Trench are represented by very steep scarps more than 2 km high. Slightly south of the juncture, the Erimo Seamount riding on the Pacific plate, is now entering the subduction zone. It has been preceded by at least another seamount as revealed by magnetic anomalies across the landward slope of the trench. Deeper future studies will be necessary to discriminate between the two following hypothesis about the origin of the curvature between both trenches: Is it due to the collision of an already subducted chain of seamounts? or does it correspond to one of the failure lines of the America/Eurasia plate boundary? ?? 1987.

Earthquake Scaling Relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, T. H.; Boettcher, M.; Richardson, E.

2002-12-01

Using scaling relations to understand nonlinear geosystems has been an enduring theme of Don Turcotte's research. In particular, his studies of scaling in active fault systems have led to a series of insights about the underlying physics of earthquakes. This presentation will review some recent progress in developing scaling relations for several key aspects of earthquake behavior, including the inner and outer scales of dynamic fault rupture and the energetics of the rupture process. The proximate observations of mining-induced, friction-controlled events obtained from in-mine seismic networks have revealed a lower seismicity cutoff at a seismic moment Mmin near 109 Nm and a corresponding upper frequency cutoff near 200 Hz, which we interpret in terms of a critical slip distance for frictional drop of about 10-4 m. Above this cutoff, the apparent stress scales as M1/6 up to magnitudes of 4-5, consistent with other near-source studies in this magnitude range (see special session S07, this meeting). Such a relationship suggests a damage model in which apparent fracture energy scales with the stress intensity factor at the crack tip. Under the assumption of constant stress drop, this model implies an increase in rupture velocity with seismic moment, which successfully predicts the observed variation in corner frequency and maximum particle velocity. Global observations of oceanic transform faults (OTFs) allow us to investigate a situation where the outer scale of earthquake size may be controlled by dynamics (as opposed to geologic heterogeneity). The seismicity data imply that the effective area for OTF moment release, AE, depends on the thermal state of the fault but is otherwise independent of fault's average slip rate; i.e., AE ~ AT, where AT is the area above a reference isotherm. The data are consistent with β = 1/2 below an upper cutoff moment Mmax that increases with AT and yield the interesting scaling relation Amax ~ AT1/2. Taken together, the OTF relations imply that the seismic productivity for small earthquakes (frequency per unit area) should scale as AT-1/4, which we verify using seismicity catalogs based on both surface-wave and body-wave magnitude. These scaling relations place fundamental constraints on the dynamics of strike-slip faulting on the mid-ocean ridge system.

Origin of a crustal splay fault and its relation to the seismogenic zone and underplating at the erosional north Ecuador-south Colombia oceanic margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collot, J.-Y.; Agudelo, W.; Ribodetti, A.; Marcaillou, B.

2008-12-01

Splay faults within accretionary complexes are commonly associated with the updip limit of the seismogenic zone. Prestack depth migration of a multichannel seismic line across the north Ecuador-south Colombia oceanic margin images a crustal splay fault that correlates with the seaward limit of the rupture zone of the 1958 (Mw 7.7) tsunamogenic subduction earthquake. The splay fault separates 5-6.6 km/s velocity, inner wedge basement rocks, which belong to the accreted Gorgona oceanic terrane, from 4 to 5 km/s velocity outer wedge rocks. The outer wedge is dominated by basal tectonic erosion. Despite a 3-km-thick trench fill, subduction of 2-km-high seamount prevented tectonic accretion and promotes basal tectonic erosion. The low-velocity and poorly reflective subduction channel that underlies the outer wedge is associated with the aseismic, décollement thrust. Subduction channel fluids are expected to migrate upward along splay faults and alter outer wedge rocks. Conversely, duplexes are interpreted to form from and above subducting sediment, at ˜14- to 15-km depths between the overlapping seismogenic part of the splay fault and the underlying aseismic décollement. Coeval basal erosion of the outer wedge and underplating beneath the apex of inner wedge control the margin mass budget, which comes out negative. Intraoceanic basement fossil listric normal faults and a rift zone inverted in a flower structure reflect the evolution of the Gorgona terrane from Cretaceous extension to likely Eocene oblique compression. The splay faults could have resulted from tectonic inversion of listric normal faults, thus showing how inherited structures may promote fluid flow across margin basement and control seismogenesis.

An updated digital model of plate boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bird, Peter

2003-03-01

A global set of present plate boundaries on the Earth is presented in digital form. Most come from sources in the literature. A few boundaries are newly interpreted from topography, volcanism, and/or seismicity, taking into account relative plate velocities from magnetic anomalies, moment tensor solutions, and/or geodesy. In addition to the 14 large plates whose motion was described by the NUVEL-1A poles (Africa, Antarctica, Arabia, Australia, Caribbean, Cocos, Eurasia, India, Juan de Fuca, Nazca, North America, Pacific, Philippine Sea, South America), model PB2002 includes 38 small plates (Okhotsk, Amur, Yangtze, Okinawa, Sunda, Burma, Molucca Sea, Banda Sea, Timor, Birds Head, Maoke, Caroline, Mariana, North Bismarck, Manus, South Bismarck, Solomon Sea, Woodlark, New Hebrides, Conway Reef, Balmoral Reef, Futuna, Niuafo'ou, Tonga, Kermadec, Rivera, Galapagos, Easter, Juan Fernandez, Panama, North Andes, Altiplano, Shetland, Scotia, Sandwich, Aegean Sea, Anatolia, Somalia), for a total of 52 plates. No attempt is made to divide the Alps-Persia-Tibet mountain belt, the Philippine Islands, the Peruvian Andes, the Sierras Pampeanas, or the California-Nevada zone of dextral transtension into plates; instead, they are designated as "orogens" in which this plate model is not expected to be accurate. The cumulative-number/area distribution for this model follows a power law for plates with areas between 0.002 and 1 steradian. Departure from this scaling at the small-plate end suggests that future work is very likely to define more very small plates within the orogens. The model is presented in four digital files: a set of plate boundary segments; a set of plate outlines; a set of outlines of the orogens; and a table of characteristics of each digitization step along plate boundaries, including estimated relative velocity vector and classification into one of 7 types (continental convergence zone, continental transform fault, continental rift, oceanic spreading ridge, oceanic transform fault, oceanic convergent boundary, subduction zone). Total length, mean velocity, and total rate of area production/destruction are computed for each class; the global rate of area production and destruction is 0.108 m2/s, which is higher than in previous models because of the incorporation of back-arc spreading.

Breaking the oceanic lithosphere of a subducting slab: the 2013 Khash, Iran earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnhart, William D.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Samsonov, S.; Fielding, E.; Seidman, L.

2014-01-01

[1] Large intermediate depth, intraslab normal faulting earthquakes are a common, dangerous, but poorly understood phenomenon in subduction zones owing to a paucity of near field geophysical observations. Seismological and high quality geodetic observations of the 2013 Mw7.7 Khash, Iran earthquake reveal that at least half of the oceanic lithosphere, including the mantle and entire crust, ruptured in a single earthquake, confirming with unprecedented resolution that large earthquakes can nucleate in and rupture through the oceanic mantle. A rupture width of at least 55 km is required to explain both InSAR observations and teleseismic waveforms, with the majority of slip occurring in the oceanic mantle. Combining our well-constrained earthquake slip distributions with the causative fault orientation and geometry of the local subduction zone, we hypothesize that the Khash earthquake likely occurred as the combined result of slab bending forces and dehydration of hydrous minerals along a preexisting fault formed prior to subduction.

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of the eastern Gulf of Aden conjugate passive margins: Narrowness and asymmetry in oblique rifting context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nonn, Chloé; Leroy, Sylvie; Khanbari, Khaled; Ahmed, Abdulhakim

2017-11-01

Here, we focus on the yet unexplored eastern Gulf of Aden, on Socotra Island (Yemen), Southeastern Oman and offshore conjugate passive margins between the Socotra-Hadbeen (SHFZ) and the eastern Gulf of Aden fracture zones. Our interpretation leads to onshore-offshore stratigraphic correlation between the passive margins. We present a new map reflecting the boundaries between the crustal domains (proximal, necking, hyper-extended, exhumed mantle, proto-oceanic and oceanic domains) and structures using bathymetry, magnetic surveys and seismic reflection data. The most striking result is that the magma-poor conjugate margins exhibit asymmetrical architecture since the thinning phase (Upper Rupelian-Burdigalian). Their necking domains are sharp ( 40-10 km wide) and their hyper-extended domains are narrow and asymmetric ( 10-40 km wide on the Socotra margin and 50-80 km wide on the Omani margin). We suggest that this asymmetry is related to the migration of the rift center producing significant lower crustal flow and sequential faulting in the hyper-extended domain. Throughout the Oligo-Miocene rifting, far-field forces dominate and the deformation is accommodated along EW to N110°E northward-dipping low angle normal faults. Convection in the mantle near the SHFZ may be responsible of change in fault dip polarity in the Omani hyper-extended domain. We show the existence of a northward-dipping detachment fault formed at the beginning of the exhumation phase (Burdigalien). It separates the northern upper plate (Oman) from southern lower plate (Socotra Island) and may have generated rift-induced decompression melting and volcanism affecting the upper plate. We highlight multiple generations of detachment faults exhuming serpentinized subcontinental mantle in the ocean-continent transition. Associated to significant decompression melting, final detachment fault may have triggered the formation of a proto-oceanic crust at 17.6 Ma and induced late volcanism up to 10 Ma. Finally, the setting up of a steady-state oceanic spreading center occurs at 17 Ma.

Evolution of the Andaman Sea region: Dextral transtension as consequence of the India-Asia collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Xu, J.; Ben-Avraham, Z.; Kelty, T. K.

2010-12-01

The two gigantic conjugate strike-slip faults: the Altyn Fault and the Sagaing Fault in northwest and southeast of the proto-Tibet plateau respectively, began to form as consequence of initiation of the India-Asia collision at around 50 Ma (Xu, 2005; Xu et al., 2010). The Sagaing Fault, Andaman trench fault as well as the Sumatra Fault controlled the evolution of the Andaman Sea region while the collision proceeded. By synthesis of geometry and rifting history of the Andaman Sea Basin and Mergui Basin and the plate tectonic setting, we suggest the following five-stage evolution model for the Andaman Sea region: (1) dextral pull-apart rifting and seafloor spreading from 50 Ma to 32 Ma; (2) dextral transform margin-type rifting was active in Mergui Basin with principal fault being the Sumatran Fault system, and both the transform margin-type rifting and the dextral pull-apart rifting were coevally active in the Andaman Sea Basin during 32 Ma to 20 Ma, when the Sumatra fault rotated CW enough and obliquity of subduction of the Indian plate motion along the Sumatra trench was enough to trigger the dextral displacement to take place on the Sumatra Fault system and the Mottawi fault; (3) the Alcock and Sewell plateaus formed in the Andaman Sea by the NNW transtension and the transform margin-type rifting continued in the Mergui basin during 20 Ma to 15 Ma; (4) NNW weak transtensional rifting on the Alcock and Sewell plateaus and NW weak transform margin-type rifting continued in the Mergui basin during 15 Ma to 5 Ma; (5)transtensional rifting similar with but more intensive than earlier stage kept on, forming the central Andaman Basin and the East basin, from 5 Ma to present.

The geology of the Oceanographer Transform: The ridge-transform intersection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.; Fox, P. J.; Sloan, H.; Crane, K. T.; Kidd, W. S. F.; Bonatti, E.; Stroup, J. B.; Fornari, D. J.; Elthon, D.; Hamlyn, P.; Casey, J. F.; Gallo, D. G.; Needham, D.; Sartori, R.

1984-06-01

Seven dives in the submersible ALVIN and four deep-towed (ANGUS) camera lowerings have been made at the eastern ridge-transform intersection of the Oceanographer Transform with the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These data constrain our understanding of the processes that create and shape the distinctive morphology that is characteristic of slowly-slipping ridge-transform-ridge plate boundaries. Although the geological relationships observed in the rift valley floor in the study area are similar to those reported for the FAMOUS area, we observe a distinct change in the character of the rift valley floor with increasing proximity to the transform. Over a distance of approximately ten kilometers the volcanic constructional terrain becomes increasingly more disrupted by faulting and degraded by mass wasting. Moreover, proximal to the transform boundary, faults with orientations oblique to the trend of the rift valley are recognized. The morphology of the eastern rift valley wall is characterized by inward-facing scarps that are ridge-axis parallel, but the western rift valley wall, adjacent to the active transform zone, is characterized by a complex fault pattern defined by faults exhibiting a wide range of orientations. However, even for transform parallel faults no evidence for strike-slip displacement is observed throughout the study area and evidence for normal (dip-slip) displacement is ubiquitous. Basalts, semi-consolidated sediments (chalks, debris slide deposits) and serpentinized ultramafic rocks are recovered from localities within or proximal to the rift valley. The axis of accretion-principal transform displacement zone intersection is not clearly established, but appears to be located along the E-W trending, southern flank of the deep nodal basin that defines the intersection of the transform valley with the rift floor.

Along-axis variations in the MARK area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.

During May and June 1986, scientists aboard the R/V Atlantis 11 carried out an investigation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) axis just south of the Kane Fracture Zone at 24°N (MARK Area). This was the first nearbottom study of the MAR median valley outside of a transform fault intersection since the French-American Mid-Ocean Undersea Study (FAMOUS) and AMAR investigations of the 1970s. At the MARK Area, manned submersible dives with the DSRV ALVIN, deep-towed Angus camera runs, dredges, hydrocasts, and Sea Beam surveys were concentrated in four east-west transects across the rift valley at distances of 25, 40, 60, and 75 km south of the Kane ridge-transform intersection. The goal of the study was to determine along-axis variations in style of seafloor spreading, and the results document that radical variations do indeed exist over lateral distances of less than 20 km. The northernmost transect (23°22‧N) is only 25 km south of the Kane Transform and has an asymmetric form, with the west wall of the median valley being steeper and higher than the east wall. The axial region of the valley is dominated by a narrow, 600-m-high volcanic constructional ridge that extends north all the way to the transform. This ridge marks the neovolcanic zone and is the site of active black smoker hydrothermal vents and associated mineral deposits and biological communities. The vents are very similar to those of the East Pacific Rise and indicate the presence of a magma chamber at less than 2 km depth. Just 15 km to the south (23°15‧N), there is no well-defined median valley at all. At this point the spreading center has no recognizable neovolcanic zone, but the seafloor is pervasively fissured and faulted over a width of at least 15 km. Asymmetric fault blocks up to 400 m high occur near the axial trace of the rift. In both of these two transects, serpentinized peridotites were found to crop out extensively on the west median valley wall.

Bending-related faulting and mantle serpentinization at the Middle America trench.

PubMed

Ranero, C R; Morgan, J Phipps; McIntosh, K; Reichert, C

2003-09-25

The dehydration of subducting oceanic crust and upper mantle has been inferred both to promote the partial melting leading to arc magmatism and to induce intraslab intermediate-depth earthquakes, at depths of 50-300 km. Yet there is still no consensus about how slab hydration occurs or where and how much chemically bound water is stored within the crust and mantle of the incoming plate. Here we document that bending-related faulting of the incoming plate at the Middle America trench creates a pervasive tectonic fabric that cuts across the crust, penetrating deep into the mantle. Faulting is active across the entire ocean trench slope, promoting hydration of the cold crust and upper mantle surrounding these deep active faults. The along-strike length and depth of penetration of these faults are also similar to the dimensions of the rupture area of intermediate-depth earthquakes.

Crustal architecture and deep structure of the Namibian passive continental margin around Walvis Ridge from wide-angle seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrmann, Jan H.; Planert, Lars; Jokat, Wilfried; Ryberg, Trond; Bialas, Jörg; Jegen, Marion

2013-04-01

The opening of the South Atlantic ocean basin was accompanied by voluminous magmatism on the conjugate continental margins of Africa and South America, including the formation of the Parana and Entendeka large igneous provinces (LIP), the build-up of up to 100 km wide volcanic wedges characterized by seaward dipping reflector sequences (SDR), as well as the formation of paired hotspot tracks on the rifted African and South American plates, the Walvis Ridge and the Rio Grande Rise. The area is considered as type example for hotspot or plume-related continental break-up. However, SDR, and LIP-related features on land are concentrated south of the hotspot tracks. The segmentation of the margins offers a prime opportunity to study the magmatic signal in space and time, and investigate the interrelation with rift-related deformation. A globally significant question we address here is whether magmatism drives continental break-up, or whether even rifting accompanied by abundant magmatism is in response to crustal and lithospheric stretching governed by large-scale plate kinematics. In 2010/11, an amphibious set of wide-angle seismic data was acquired around the landfall of Walvis Ridge at the Namibian passive continental margin. The experiments were designed to provide crustal velocity information and to investigate the structure of the upper mantle. In particular, we aimed at identifying deep fault zones and variations in Moho depth, constrain the velocity signature of SDR sequences, as well as the extent of magmatic addition to the lower crust near the continent-ocean transition. Sediment cover down to the igneous basement was additionally constrained by reflection seismic data. Here, we present tomographic analysis of the seismic data of one long NNW oriented profile parallel to the continental margin across Walvis Ridge, and a second amphibious profile from the Angola Basin across Walvis Ridge and into the continental interior, crossing the area of the Etendeka Plateau basalts. The most striking feature is the sharp transition in crustal structure and thickness across the northern boundary of Walvis Ridge. Thin oceanic crust (6.5 km) of the Angola Basin lies next to the up to 35 km thick igneous crustal root founding the highest elevated northern portions of Walvis Ridge. Both structures are separated by a very large transform fault zone. The velocity structure of Walvis Ridge lower crust is indicative of gabbro, and, in the lowest parts, of cumulate sequences. On the southern side of Walvis Ridge there is a smooth gradation into the adjacent 25-30 km thick crust underlying the ocean-continent boundary, with a velocity structure resembling that of Walvis Ridge The second profile shows a sharp transition from oceanic to rifted continental crust. The transition zone may be underlain by hydrated uppermost mantle. Below the Etendeka Plateau, an extensive high-velocity body, likely representing gabbros and their cumulates at the base of the crust, indicates magmatic underplating. We summarize by stating that rift-related lithospheric stretching and associated transform faulting play an overriding role in locating magmatism, dividing the margin in a magmatic-dominated segment to the south, and an amagmatic segment north of Walvis Ridge.

Seismotectonics of the Lwandle-Nubia plate boundary between South Africa and the Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartnady, Chris; Okal, Emile; Calais, Eric; Stamps, Sarah; Saria, Elifuraha

2013-04-01

The Lwandle (LW) plate shares a boundary with the Nubia (NU) plate, extending from a diffuse triple junction with the Rovuma plate in Southern Mozambique to a triple junction with the Antarctic plate along a segment of the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). The LW-NU boundary terminates in the ~750 km-long, complex transform of the Andrew Bain Fracture Zone (ABFZ), but its exact locus is still unclear. Recent works locate it along the eastern boundary of the submarine Mozambique Ridge, parallel to the pre-existing, oceanic transform-fault fabric. However, an early concept of the LW block ('ambiguous region' of Hartnady, 1990, Fig. 2) indicates a more westerly trajectory in the north that includes parts of South Africa, with a southerly extension across old oceanic crust of the submarine Natal Valley and Transkei Basin. This proposed boundary is marked by several, aligned epicentres of moderate to strong earthquakes (1941, 1942, 1956, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1981 and 1989). Our re-examination of seismographic records from the 1975 'intraplate' earthquake (-37.62°N, 30.98°E, mb5.0), in the oceanic crust of the distal Transkei Basin, shows a thrust-faulting focal mechanism along a nodal plane striking N272°E. The largest (ML4.2) of a series of three small earthquakes in the Natal Valley in 2009, close to a zone of recent seafloor deformation mapped in 1992, has similar first-motion patterns at Southern African seismograph stations. When the 1975 slip-vector result (N173°E) is combined with a normal-faulting slip vector (N078°E) from a 1986 onland earthquake (-30.53°N, 28.84°E, mb5.0) near the Lesotho-KZN border, and both are incorporated into the wider data-set previously used to solve for East African Rift kinematics, they produce a LW-NU rotation pole that is located south of Africa, near the Agulhas Plateau, and approximately 950 km from the Natal Valley deformation zone. The modeled low rate of right-lateral, LW-NU slip (~0.50-0.75 mm/yr) across this LW-NU boundary segment suggests that the 1972, 1981 and nearby 2009 earthquakes are instances of a 'long aftershock sequence' in the source zone of the 1850 'i-Nyikima' event, which was felt over a very wide region of the Eastern Cape Colony, and the adjacent territories of British Kaffraria and Pondoland. This remarkable historic shaking appears to have been caused by a great (Mw8.0+), oceanic event along a segment of the LW-NU boundary, resembling the 1942 SWIR event along the ABFZ and the recent (2012 March 11) North Indian Ocean events along the incipient boundary between the Indian and Australian plates. This new interpretation has implications for the re-assessment of seismic and submarine-landslide (tsunami) hazard along the SE continental margin of South Africa. Reference Hartnady CJH (1990). Seismicity and plate boundary evolution in southeastern Africa. S. Afr. J. Geol. 93, 473 484.

Exploring the Morphology of oceanic ridges with experiments using colloidal dispersions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davaille, Anne; Sibrant, Aurore; Mittelstaedt, Eric; Aubertin, Alban; Auffray, Lionel; Pidoux, Raphael

2017-04-01

Mid-ocean ridges exhibit significant changes in their structural, morphological, and volcanic characteristics with changes in lithospheric thickness and/or spreading velocity. However, to separate the respective roles of those two partly correlated effects is difficult with only field data. We therefore designed a series of laboratory experiments using colloidal silica dispersions as an Earth analogue. Saline water solutions placed in contact with these fluids, cause formation of a skin through salt diffusion, whose rheology evolves from purely viscous to elastic and brittle with increasing salinity. Applying a fixed spreading rate to this pre- formed, brittle plate results in cracks, faults and axial ridge structures. Lithospheric (skin) thickness at a given extension rate can be varied by changing the surface water layer salinity. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the skin can also be independently controlled by changing the type of colloid. We focus here on cases where the spreading direction is perpendicular to the ridge axis. For a given dispersion and salinity, we observe four regimes as the spreading rate increases: (1) at the slowest spreading rates, the spreading axis is composed of several segments separated by non-transform offsets and has a fault-bounded, deep, U-shaped axial valley. The axis has a large sinuosity, rough topography, and jumps repeatedly. (2) At intermediate spreading rates, the spreading axis shows low sinuosity, overlapping spreading centers (OSC) , a smooth axial morphology, and very few to no jumps. The axial valley is shallow and shows a V-shape morphology. The OSCs have a ratio of length to width of 3 to 1. (3) At faster spreading rates, the axis is continuous and presents an axial high topography. (4) At the fastest spreading rates tested, the spreading axis is again segmented. Each segment is offset by well developed transform faults and the axis has a sinuosity comparable to those of regimes 2 and 3. Rotating and growing microplates are also observed in regimes 3 and 4. These four regimes, as well as the decrease in sinuosity with increasing spreading rate (regime 1) down to a critical value (regimes 2 to 4), present strong similarities with natural cases. This is predicted by a new dimensionless number ΠF comparing the maximum fracture length attainable without plasticity to the axial thickness. Slow spreading, fault-dominated ridges and fast spreading, dike-dominated ridges on Earth and in the laboratory are separated by the same critical ΠF value. Moreover, our results suggests that the fraction M of spreading rate accomodated by magmatic dyke opening is closely related to ΠF.

Fault Analysis of Space Station DC Power Systems-Using Neural Network Adaptive Wavelets to Detect Faults

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Momoh, James A.; Wang, Yanchun; Dolce, James L.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the application of neural network adaptive wavelets for fault diagnosis of space station power system. The method combines wavelet transform with neural network by incorporating daughter wavelets into weights. Therefore, the wavelet transform and neural network training procedure become one stage, which avoids the complex computation of wavelet parameters and makes the procedure more straightforward. The simulation results show that the proposed method is very efficient for the identification of fault locations.

Quasi-3-D Seismic Reflection Imaging and Wide-Angle Velocity Structure of Nearly Amagmatic Oceanic Lithosphere at the Ultraslow-Spreading Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momoh, Ekeabino; Cannat, Mathilde; Watremez, Louise; Leroy, Sylvie; Singh, Satish C.

2017-12-01

We present results from 3-D processing of 2-D seismic data shot along 100 m spaced profiles in a 1.8 km wide by 24 km long box during the SISMOSMOOTH 2014 cruise. The study is aimed at understanding the oceanic crust formed at an end-member mid-ocean ridge environment of nearly zero melt supply. Three distinct packages of reflectors are imaged: (1) south facing reflectors, which we propose correspond to the damage zone induced by the active axial detachment fault: reflectors in the damage zone have dips up to 60° and are visible down to 5 km below the seafloor; (2) series of north dipping reflectors in the hanging wall of the detachment fault: these reflectors may correspond to damage zone inherited from a previous, north dipping detachment fault, or small offset recent faults, conjugate from the active detachment fault, that served as conduits for isolated magmatic dykes; and (3) discontinuous but coherent flat-lying reflectors at shallow depths (<1.5 km below the seafloor), and at depths between 4 and 5 km below the seafloor. Comparing these deeper flat-lying reflectors with the wide-angle velocity model obtained from ocean-bottom seismometers data next to the 3-D box shows that they correspond to parts of the model with P wave velocity of 6.5-8 km/s, suggesting that they occur in the transition between lower crust and upper mantle. The 4-5 km layer with crustal P wave velocities is interpreted as primarily due to serpentinization and fracturation of the exhumed mantle-derived peridotites in the footwall of active and past detachment faults.

A new tectonic model for southern Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeder, J. W.

2013-12-01

S Alaska consists of a complex tectonic boundary that is gradational from subduction of Pacific Plate (PAC) beneath N American Plate (NA) in the W to a transform fault between these two plates in the SE. Adding complexity, the Yakutat Plate (YAK) is in between. The YAK is exposed in NE Gulf of Alaska and has been well mapped (Plafker, 1987). It is bound by the NA to the E at the Fairweather fault and by the PAC to the S. Relative to NA, YAK is moving 47 mm/yr N30°W and PAC is moving 51 mm/yr N20°W (Fletcher & Freymueller, 2003). The YAK and deeper PAC extend NW beneath the NA as flat slabs (Brocher et al., 1994). They subduct to the W and NW in Cook Inlet region (Ratchkovsky et al., 1997), resulting in the Cook Inlet volcanic arc. They also subduct farther NNW toward the Denali volcanic gap and fault. The subducted part of the YAK is split by a transform fault exposed at Montana Creek (MC) at 62°06'N to 62°10'N at 150°W. It extends S60°W toward the most N Cook Inlet volcano, Hayes, and extends N60°E beyond Talkeetna Mts. Right-lateral WSW motion and thick fault gauge have been documented by McGee (1978) on MC and a S60°W fault scarp cutting Quaternary deposits has been mapped (Reed & Nelson, 1980). Fuis et al. (2008) seismically recognized 110 km of missing YAP NW of Talkeetna Mts, which he thought was due to a 'tear' in the YAK to the far S. Nikoli Greenstone has been found in the Talkeetna Mts just S of this transform (Schmidt, 2003) that is 70 km SW of any other mapped Nikoli. This fault offset is also shown by 7.8 km/sec Vp depth contours, which represent the YAK (Eberhart-Phillips et al., 2006), as 110 km at N60°W. Based on magnetic data (Csejtey & Griscom, 1978; Saltus et al., 2007), the fault is regionally recognized as a 10× km zone on the WSW margin of the large S Alaska magnetic high. The fault zone has narrow WSW magnetic highs and depressions. This fault is also recognized on digital relief (Riehle et al., 1996); but, another pronounced N60°E linear feature also exists 20× km S, which trends into Mt. Spurr volcano. It could be another transform. If the MC transform is taking all the discrepancy between PAC and YAK, the S part of the fault would be moving relatively 9 mm/yr to S60°W. This transform has possibly been active for 12 million years. The Wrangell volcanoes with respect to YAK are associated with a spreading ridge. Yet, with respect to PAC, they are associated with a subduction zone (Stevens et al., 1984). The Totschunda and Fairweather faults are the new westward developing Denali transform. The Castle Mountain fault, located about 65 km to the SE of the MC transform, is oriented N65°E. It has had significant right-lateral offset of at least 30 km based on 7.8 km/sec Vp depth contours and of 26 km by magnetic offsets (Haeussler & Saltus, 2004). This older transform probably corresponds to Tertiary volcanics SW of the Mt Spurr/Hayes volcanic complex. Two active megathrust faults exist in south central Alaska; a 1964 type megathrust between PAC and YAK (Plafker, 1969), and a more continental megathrust between YAK and NA (Reeder, 2012). Based on Knik Arm subsidence events, these two types alternate and the next megathrust should occur in 350× years. This more continental megathrust would result in uplift of the N side of the Castle Mountain fault. It might even correspond to significant right-lateral movement on the seismically quiet MC transform.

A Novel Fault Diagnosis Method for Rotating Machinery Based on a Convolutional Neural Network

PubMed Central

Yang, Tao; Gao, Wei

2018-01-01

Fault diagnosis is critical to ensure the safety and reliable operation of rotating machinery. Most methods used in fault diagnosis of rotating machinery extract a few feature values from vibration signals for fault diagnosis, which is a dimensionality reduction from the original signal and may omit some important fault messages in the original signal. Thus, a novel diagnosis method is proposed involving the use of a convolutional neural network (CNN) to directly classify the continuous wavelet transform scalogram (CWTS), which is a time-frequency domain transform of the original signal and can contain most of the information of the vibration signals. In this method, CWTS is formed by discomposing vibration signals of rotating machinery in different scales using wavelet transform. Then the CNN is trained to diagnose faults, with CWTS as the input. A series of experiments is conducted on the rotor experiment platform using this method. The results indicate that the proposed method can diagnose the faults accurately. To verify the universality of this method, the trained CNN was also used to perform fault diagnosis for another piece of rotor equipment, and a good result was achieved. PMID:29734704

A Novel Fault Diagnosis Method for Rotating Machinery Based on a Convolutional Neural Network.

PubMed

Guo, Sheng; Yang, Tao; Gao, Wei; Zhang, Chen

2018-05-04

Fault diagnosis is critical to ensure the safety and reliable operation of rotating machinery. Most methods used in fault diagnosis of rotating machinery extract a few feature values from vibration signals for fault diagnosis, which is a dimensionality reduction from the original signal and may omit some important fault messages in the original signal. Thus, a novel diagnosis method is proposed involving the use of a convolutional neural network (CNN) to directly classify the continuous wavelet transform scalogram (CWTS), which is a time-frequency domain transform of the original signal and can contain most of the information of the vibration signals. In this method, CWTS is formed by discomposing vibration signals of rotating machinery in different scales using wavelet transform. Then the CNN is trained to diagnose faults, with CWTS as the input. A series of experiments is conducted on the rotor experiment platform using this method. The results indicate that the proposed method can diagnose the faults accurately. To verify the universality of this method, the trained CNN was also used to perform fault diagnosis for another piece of rotor equipment, and a good result was achieved.

Artificial Neural Network Based Fault Diagnostics of Rotating Machinery Using Wavelet Transforms as a Preprocessor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paya, B. A.; Esat, I. I.; Badi, M. N. M.

1997-09-01

The purpose of condition monitoring and fault diagnostics are to detect and distinguish faults occurring in machinery, in order to provide a significant improvement in plant economy, reduce operational and maintenance costs and improve the level of safety. The condition of a model drive-line, consisting of various interconnected rotating parts, including an actual vehicle gearbox, two bearing housings, and an electric motor, all connected via flexible couplings and loaded by a disc brake, was investigated. This model drive-line was run in its normal condition, and then single and multiple faults were introduced intentionally to the gearbox, and to the one of the bearing housings. These single and multiple faults studied on the drive-line were typical bearing and gear faults which may develop during normal and continuous operation of this kind of rotating machinery. This paper presents the investigation carried out in order to study both bearing and gear faults introduced first separately as a single fault and then together as multiple faults to the drive-line. The real time domain vibration signals obtained for the drive-line were preprocessed by wavelet transforms for the neural network to perform fault detection and identify the exact kinds of fault occurring in the model drive-line. It is shown that by using multilayer artificial neural networks on the sets of preprocessed data by wavelet transforms, single and multiple faults were successfully detected and classified into distinct groups.

Biogeochemical Transformations in the History of the Ocean.

PubMed

Lenton, Timothy M; Daines, Stuart J

2017-01-03

The ocean has undergone several profound biogeochemical transformations in its 4-billion-year history, and these were an integral part of the coevolution of life and the planet. This review focuses on changes in ocean redox state as controlled by changes in biological activity, nutrient concentrations, and atmospheric O 2 . Motivated by disparate interpretations of available geochemical data, we aim to show how quantitative modeling-spanning microbial mats, shelf seas, and the open ocean-can help constrain past ocean biogeochemical redox states and show what caused transformations between them. We outline key controls on ocean redox structure and review pertinent proxies and their interpretation. We then apply this quantitative framework to three key questions: How did the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis transform ocean biogeochemistry? How did the Great Oxidation transform ocean biogeochemistry? And how was ocean biogeochemistry transformed in the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic?

Fault detection of gearbox using time-frequency method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widodo, A.; Satrijo, Dj.; Prahasto, T.; Haryanto, I.

2017-04-01

This research deals with fault detection and diagnosis of gearbox by using vibration signature. In this work, fault detection and diagnosis are approached by employing time-frequency method, and then the results are compared with cepstrum analysis. Experimental work has been conducted for data acquisition of vibration signal thru self-designed gearbox test rig. This test-rig is able to demonstrate normal and faulty gearbox i.e., wears and tooth breakage. Three accelerometers were used for vibration signal acquisition from gearbox, and optical tachometer was used for shaft rotation speed measurement. The results show that frequency domain analysis using fast-fourier transform was less sensitive to wears and tooth breakage condition. However, the method of short-time fourier transform was able to monitor the faults in gearbox. Wavelet Transform (WT) method also showed good performance in gearbox fault detection using vibration signal after employing time synchronous averaging (TSA).

A method of real-time fault diagnosis for power transformers based on vibration analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Kaixing; Huang, Hai; Zhou, Jianping; Shen, Yimin; Li, Yujie

2015-11-01

In this paper, a novel probability-based classification model is proposed for real-time fault detection of power transformers. First, the transformer vibration principle is introduced, and two effective feature extraction techniques are presented. Next, the details of the classification model based on support vector machine (SVM) are shown. The model also includes a binary decision tree (BDT) which divides transformers into different classes according to health state. The trained model produces posterior probabilities of membership to each predefined class for a tested vibration sample. During the experiments, the vibrations of transformers under different conditions are acquired, and the corresponding feature vectors are used to train the SVM classifiers. The effectiveness of this model is illustrated experimentally on typical in-service transformers. The consistency between the results of the proposed model and the actual condition of the test transformers indicates that the model can be used as a reliable method for transformer fault detection.

Magnetic character of a large continental transform: an aeromagnetic survey of the Dead Sea Fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Rybakov, Michael; Al-Zoubi, Abdallah S.; Rotstein, Yair

2007-01-01

New high-resolution airborne magnetic (HRAM) data along a 120-km-long section of the Dead Sea Transform in southern Jordan and Israel shed light on the shallow structure of the fault zone and on the kinematics of the plate boundary. Despite infrequent seismic activity and only intermittent surface exposure, the fault is delineated clearly on a map of the first vertical derivative of the magnetic intensity, indicating that the source of the magnetic anomaly is shallow. The fault is manifested by a 10–20 nT negative anomaly in areas where the fault cuts through magnetic basement and by a

Hydrothermal activity at slow-spreading ridges: variability and importance of magmatic controls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escartin, Javier

2016-04-01

Hydrothermal activity along mid-ocean ridge axes is ubiquitous, associated with mass, chemical, and heat exchanges between the deep lithosphere and the overlying envelopes, and sustaining chemiosynthetic ecosystems at the seafloor. Compared with hydrothermal fields at fast-spreading ridges, those at slow spreading ones show a large variability as their location and nature is controlled or influenced by several parameters that are inter-related: a) tectonic setting, ranging from 'volcanic systems' (along the rift valley floor, volcanic ridges, seamounts), to 'tectonic' ones (rift-bounding faults, oceanic detachment faults); b) the nature of the host rock, owing to compositional heterogeneity of slow-spreading lithosphere (basalt, gabbro, peridotite); c) the type of heat source (magmatic bodies at depth, hot lithosphere, serpentinization reactions); d) and the associated temperature of outflow fluids (high- vs.- low temperature venting and their relative proportion). A systematic review of the distribution and characteristics of hydrothermal fields along the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge suggests that long-lived hydrothermal activity is concentrated either at oceanic detachment faults, or along volcanic segments with evidence of robust magma supply to the axis. A detailed study of the magmatically robust Lucky Strike segment suggests that all present and past hydrothermal activity is found at the center of the segment. The association of these fields to central volcanos, and the absence of indicators of hydrothermal activity along the remaining of the ridge segment, suggests that long-lived hydrothermal activity in these volcanic systems is maintained by the enhanced melt supply and the associated magma chamber(s) required to build these volcanic edifices. In this setting, hydrothermal outflow zones at the seafloor are systematically controlled by faults, indicating that hydrothermal fluids in the shallow crust exploit permeable fault zones to circulate. While less studied, similar hydrothermal systems are found elsewhere associated to other central volcanoes along the ridge axis (e.g., Menez Gwenn at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Soria Mornia or Troll Wall at the Arctic Ridges). Long-lived hydrothermal activity plays an important role in controlling the thermal structure of the lithosphere and its accretion at and near-axis, and also determining the distribution and biogeography of vent communities. Along slow-spreading segments, long-lived hydrothermal activity can be provided both by volcanic systems (e.g., Lucky Strike) and tectonic systems (oceanic detachment faults). While magmatic and hydrothermal activity is relatively well understood now in volcanic systems (e.g., Lucky Strike), tectonic systems (oceanic detachment faults) require further integrated studies to constrain the links between long-lived localization of deformation along oceanic detachment faults, hydrothermal activity, and origin and nature of off-axis heat sources animating hydrothermal circulation.

Deformation record of 4-d accommodation of strain in the transition from transform to oblique convergent plate margin, southern Alaska (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roeske, S.; Benowitz, J.; Enkelmann, E.; Pavlis, T. L.

2013-12-01

Crustal deformation at the transition from a dextral transform to subduction in the northern Cordillera is complicated by both the bend of the margin and the presence of low-angle subduction of an oceanic plateau, the Yakutat microplate, into the 'corner'. The dextral Denali Fault system located ~400 km inboard of the plate margin shows a similar transition from a dominantly strike-slip to transpressional regime as it curves to the west. Thermochronologic and structural studies in both areas indicate crustal response through the transition region is highly varied along and across strike. Previous thermochronology along the Fairweather fault SE of the St. Elias bend shows the most rapid exhumation occurs in close proximity to the fault, decreasing rapidly away from it. Enkelmann et al. (2010) and more recent detrital zircon FT (Falkowski et al., 2013 AGU abstract) show rapid and deep exhumation concentrated in the syntaxis, but over a fairly broad area continuing north beyond the Fairweather fault. Although the region is dominantly under ice, borders of the rapidly exhuming region appear to be previously identified major high-angle faults. This suggests that structures controlling the extreme exhumation may have significant oblique slip component, or, if flower structure, are reverse faults, and the region may be exhuming by transpression, with a significant component of pure shear. Southwest of the syntaxis, where convergence dominates over strike-slip, thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts in the Yakutat microplate strata account for the shortening. The long-term record of convergence in this area is more cryptic due to sediment recycling through deep underplating and/or limited exhumation by upper crustal shortening, but a wide range of thermochronologic studies suggests that initial exhumation in the region began ~ 30 Ma and most rapid exhumation in the syntaxis began ~ 5 Ma. In the eastern Alaska Range a significant component of strike-slip, in addition to convergence, has been accommodated along the Denali Fault since E. Miocene. Southeast of the bend there is little evidence of convergence across the fault and Quaternary slip is ~12-13.5 mm/year. The eastern restraining bend of the Denali fault is much broader than the syntaxis and dextral slip continues at rates of ~10 mm/year, but the rock response to increasing obliquity is similar. Low and moderate-T cooling histories determined from a wide range of isotopic systems on minerals from bedrock show exhumation strongly localized on the north side of the high-angle Denali fault, south of the Hines Creek fault, since ~25 Ma. The structural record in ductilely deformed rocks from the most highly exhumed regions shows transpressive deformation over a few km wide region, but above the brittle-ductile transition strain becomes highly partitioned and is accommodated by thrust and normal faults on the north side of the bend. A connector fault between the Fairweather and Totschunda-Denali fault systems has been speculated on but it is not clear whether a single through-going fault is expressed at the surface. Any connector is likely a relatively young structure compared to the Fairweather and Denali systems' histories of long-lived oblique convergence. Overall, in both regions high-angle faults appear to be critical for controlling the location of major deep-seated and/or long-lived exhumation, and deformation at these geometrical complexities is dominated by transpression.

Multiple incipient sensor faults diagnosis with application to high-speed railway traction devices.

PubMed

Wu, Yunkai; Jiang, Bin; Lu, Ningyun; Yang, Hao; Zhou, Yang

2017-03-01

This paper deals with the problem of incipient fault diagnosis for a class of Lipschitz nonlinear systems with sensor biases and explores further results of total measurable fault information residual (ToMFIR). Firstly, state and output transformations are introduced to transform the original system into two subsystems. The first subsystem is subject to system disturbances and free from sensor faults, while the second subsystem contains sensor faults but without any system disturbances. Sensor faults in the second subsystem are then formed as actuator faults by using a pseudo-actuator based approach. Since the effects of system disturbances on the residual are completely decoupled, multiple incipient sensor faults can be detected by constructing ToMFIR, and the fault detectability condition is then derived for discriminating the detectable incipient sensor faults. Further, a sliding-mode observers (SMOs) based fault isolation scheme is designed to guarantee accurate isolation of multiple sensor faults. Finally, simulation results conducted on a CRH2 high-speed railway traction device are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural context and variation of ocean plate stratigraphy, Franciscan Complex, California: insight into mélange origins and subduction-accretion processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakabayashi, John

2017-12-01

The transfer (accretion) of materials from a subducting oceanic plate to a subduction-accretionary complex has produced rock assemblages recording the history of the subducted oceanic plate from formation to arrival at the trench. These rock assemblages, comprising oceanic igneous rocks progressively overlain by pelagic sedimentary rocks (chert and/or limestone) and trench-fill clastic sedimentary rocks (mostly sandstone, shale/mudstone), have been called ocean plate stratigraphy (OPS). During accretion of OPS, megathrust slip is accommodated by imbricate faults and penetrative strain, shortening the unit and leading to tectonic repetition of the OPS sequence, whereas OPS accreted at different times are separated by non-accretionary megathrust horizons. The Franciscan subduction complex of California accreted episodically over a period of over 150 million years and incorporated OPS units with a variety of characteristics separated by non-accretionary megathrust horizons. Most Franciscan OPS comprises MORB (mid-ocean-ridge basalt) progressively overlain by chert and trench-fill clastic sedimentary rocks that are composed of variable proportions of turbidites and siliciclastic and serpentinite-matrix olistostromes (sedimentary mélanges). Volumetrically, the trench-fill component predominates in most Franciscan OPS, but some units have a significant component of igneous and pelagic rocks. Ocean island basalt (OIB) overlain by limestone is less common than MORB-chert assemblages, as are abyssal serpentinized peridotite slabs. The earliest accreted OPS comprises metabasite of supra-subduction zone affinity imbricated with smaller amounts of metaultramafic rocks and metachert, but lacking a clastic component. Most deformation of Franciscan OPS is localized along discrete faults rather than being distributed in the form of penetrative strain. This deformation locally results in block-in-matrix tectonic mélanges, in contrast to the sedimentary mélanges making up part of the clastic OPS component. Such tectonic mélanges may include blocks and matrix derived from the olistostromes. Franciscan subduction and OPS accretion initiated in island arc crust at about 165-170 Ma, after which MORB and OIB were subducted and accreted following a long (tens of mega-ampere) gap with little or no accretion. Following subduction initiation, a ridge crest approached the trench but probably went dormant prior to its subduction (120-125 Ma), after which the subducted oceanic crust became progressively older until about 95 Ma. From 95 Ma, the age of subducted oceanic crust decreased progressively until arrival of the Pacific-Farallon spreading center led to termination of subduction and conversion to a transform plate boundary.

Complex faulting associated with the 22 December 2003 Mw 6.5 San Simeon California, earthquake, aftershocks and postseismic surface deformation

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLaren, Marcia K.; Hardebeck, Jeanne L.; Van Der Elst, Nicholas; Unruh, Jeffrey R.; Bawden, Gerald W.; Blair, James Luke

2008-01-01

We use data from two seismic networks and satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) imagery to characterize the 22 December 2003 Mw 6.5 San Simeon earthquake sequence. Absolute locations for the mainshock and nearly 10,000 aftershocks were determined using a new three-dimensional (3D) seismic velocity model; relative locations were obtained using double difference. The mainshock location found using the 3D velocity model is 35.704° N, 121.096° W at a depth of 9.7±0.7 km. The aftershocks concentrate at the northwest and southeast parts of the aftershock zone, between the mapped traces of the Oceanic and Nacimiento fault zones. The northwest end of the mainshock rupture, as defined by the aftershocks, projects from the mainshock hypocenter to the surface a few kilometers west of the mapped trace of the Oceanic fault, near the Santa Lucia Range front and the >5 mm postseismic InSAR imagery contour. The Oceanic fault in this area, as mapped by Hall (1991), is therefore probably a second-order synthetic thrust or reverse fault that splays upward from the main seismogenic fault at depth. The southeast end of the rupture projects closer to the mapped Oceanic fault trace, suggesting much of the slip was along this fault, or at a minimum is accommodating much of the postseismic deformation. InSAR imagery shows ∼72 mm of postseismic uplift in the vicinity of maximum coseismic slip in the central section of the rupture, and ∼48 and ∼45 mm at the northwest and southeast end of the aftershock zone, respectively. From these observations, we model a ∼30-km-long northwest-trending northeast-dipping mainshock rupture surface—called the mainthrust—which is likely the Oceanic fault at depth, a ∼10-km-long southwest-dipping backthrust parallel to the mainthrust near the hypocenter, several smaller southwest-dipping structures in the southeast, and perhaps additional northeast-dipping or subvertical structures southeast of the mainshock plane. Discontinuous backthrust features opposite the mainthrust in the southeast part of the aftershock zone may offset the relic Nacimiento fault zone at depth. The InSAR data image surface deformation associated with both aseismic slip and aftershock production on the mainthrust and the backthrusts at the northwest and southeast ends of the aftershock zone. The well-defined mainthrust at the latitude of the epicenter and antithetic backthrust illuminated by the aftershock zone indicate uplift of the Santa Lucia Range as a popup block; aftershocks in the southeast part of the zone also indicate a popup block, but it is less well defined. The absence of backthrust features in the central part of the zone suggests range-front uplift by fault-propagation folding, or backthrusts in the central part were not activated during the mainshock.

Intermediate-depth earthquakes facilitated by eclogitization-related stresses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakajima, Junichi; Uchida, Naoki; Shiina, Takahiro; Hasegawa, Akira; Hacker, Bradley R.; Kirby, Stephen H.

2013-01-01

Eclogitization of the basaltic and gabbroic layer in the oceanic crust involves a volume reduction of 10%–15%. One consequence of the negative volume change is the formation of a paired stress field as a result of strain compatibility across the reaction front. Here we use waveform analysis of a tiny seismic cluster in the lower crust of the downgoing Pacific plate and reveal new evidence in favor of this mechanism: tensional earthquakes lying 1 km above compressional earthquakes, and earthquakes with highly similar waveforms lying on well-defined planes with complementary rupture areas. The tensional stress is interpreted to be caused by the dimensional mismatch between crust transformed to eclogite and underlying untransformed crust, and the earthquakes are probably facilitated by reactivation of fossil faults extant in the subducting plate. These observations provide seismic evidence for the role of volume change–related stresses and, possibly, fluid-related embrittlement as viable processes for nucleating earthquakes in downgoing oceanic lithosphere.

The Rome trough and evolution of the Iapetean margin

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

Walker, D.; Hamilton-Smith, T.; Drahovzal, J.A.

1991-08-01

Recent structural mapping of the Rome trough suggests a complex structure very different from the symmetrical and laterally continuous graben commonly depicted. Early and Middle Cambrian extension in the Rome trough of eastern Kentucky and adjacent areas resulted in a series of alternately facing half-grabens with variable displacement. These half-grabens are bounded by southwest-northeast-trending normal faults (e.g., Kentucky River and Warfield faults), which are laterally continuous only on the order to tens of kilometers. The Rome trough is laterally segmented by north-south-trending faults (e.g., Lexington fault) commonly expressed as flexures in younger rocks (e.g., Burning Springs anticline and Floyd Countymore » channel). Many of these north-south-trending faults have significant left-lateral displacement, and probably represent reactivated thrust faults of the Grenville tectonic front. The Rome trough and the associated Mississippi Valley, Rough Creek, and Birmingham fault systems were initiated during an Early Cambrian shift in sea-floor spreading from the Blue Ridge-Pine Mountain rift to the Ouachita rift along the Alabama-Oklahoma transform fault. These fault systems have been proposed as having originated from extensional stress propagated northward from the Ouachita rift across the transform fault. In the alternate model proposed here, faulting was brittle, extensional failure resulting form subsidence and flexure of the continental margin to the east. Following initiation of sea-floor spreading at the Blue Ridge-Pine Mountain rift in the latest Proterozoic, margin subsidence in the presence of the Alabama-Oklahoma transform boundary and the inherited Grenville tectonic front resulted in this interior cratonic fault system.« less

Precarious rock and overturned transformer evidence for ground shaking in the Ms 7.7 Kern County earthquake: An analog for disastrous shaking from a major thrust fault in the Los Angeles basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brune, J.N.; Anooshehpoor, A.; Shi, B.; Zheng, Yen

2004-01-01

Precariously balanced rocks and overturned transformers in the vicinity of the White Wolf fault provide constraints on ground motion during the 1952 Ms 7.7 Kern County earthquake, a possible analog for an anticipated large earthquake in the Los Angeles basin (Shaw et al., 2002; Dolan et al., 2003). On the northeast part of the fault preliminary estimates of ground motion on the footwall give peak accelerations considerably lower than predicted by standard regression curves. On the other hand, on the hanging-wall, there is evidence of intense ground shattering and lack of precarious rocks, consistent with the intense hanging-wall accelerations suggested by foam-rubber modeling, numerical modeling, and observations from previous thrust fault earthquakes. There is clear evidence of the effects of rupture directivity in ground motions on the hanging-wall side of the fault (from both precarious rocks and numerical simulations). On the southwest part of the fault, which is covered by sediments, the thrust fault did not reach the surface ("blind" thrust). Overturned and damaged transformers indicate significant transfer of energy from the hanging wall to the footwall, an effect that may not be as effective when the rupture reaches the surface (is not "blind"). Transformers near the up-dip projection of the fault tip have been damaged or overturned on both the hanging-wall and footwall sides of the fault. The transfer of energy is confirmed in a numerical lattice model and could play an important role in a similar situation in Los Angeles. We suggest that the results of this study can provide important information for estimating the effects of a large thrust fault rupture in the Los Angeles basin, specially given the fact that there is so little instrumental data from large thrust fault earthquakes.

The impact of splay faults on fluid flow, solute transport, and pore pressure distribution in subduction zones: A case study offshore the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauer, Rachel M.; Saffer, Demian M.

2015-04-01

Observations of seafloor seeps on the continental slope of many subduction zones illustrate that splay faults represent a primary hydraulic connection to the plate boundary at depth, carry deeply sourced fluids to the seafloor, and are in some cases associated with mud volcanoes. However, the role of these structures in forearc hydrogeology remains poorly quantified. We use a 2-D numerical model that simulates coupled fluid flow and solute transport driven by fluid sources from tectonically driven compaction and smectite transformation to investigate the effects of permeable splay faults on solute transport and pore pressure distribution. We focus on the Nicoya margin of Costa Rica as a case study, where previous modeling and field studies constrain flow rates, thermal structure, and margin geology. In our simulations, splay faults accommodate up to 33% of the total dewatering flux, primarily along faults that outcrop within 25 km of the trench. The distribution and fate of dehydration-derived fluids is strongly dependent on thermal structure, which determines the locus of smectite transformation. In simulations of a cold end-member margin, smectite transformation initiates 30 km from the trench, and 64% of the dehydration-derived fluids are intercepted by splay faults and carried to the middle and upper slope, rather than exiting at the trench. For a warm end-member, smectite transformation initiates 7 km from the trench, and the associated fluids are primarily transmitted to the trench via the décollement (50%), and faults intercept only 21% of these fluids. For a wide range of splay fault permeabilities, simulated fluid pressures are near lithostatic where the faults intersect overlying slope sediments, providing a viable mechanism for the formation of mud volcanoes.

Fault detection in rotor bearing systems using time frequency techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, N. Harish; Sekhar, A. S.

2016-05-01

Faults such as misalignment, rotor cracks and rotor to stator rub can exist collectively in rotor bearing systems. It is an important task for rotor dynamic personnel to monitor and detect faults in rotating machinery. In this paper, the rotor startup vibrations are utilized to solve the fault identification problem using time frequency techniques. Numerical simulations are performed through finite element analysis of the rotor bearing system with individual and collective combinations of faults as mentioned above. Three signal processing tools namely Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and Hilbert Huang Transform (HHT) are compared to evaluate their detection performance. The effect of addition of Signal to Noise ratio (SNR) on three time frequency techniques is presented. The comparative study is focused towards detecting the least possible level of the fault induced and the computational time consumed. The computation time consumed by HHT is very less when compared to CWT based diagnosis. However, for noisy data CWT is more preferred over HHT. To identify fault characteristics using wavelets a procedure to adjust resolution of the mother wavelet is presented in detail. Experiments are conducted to obtain the run-up data of a rotor bearing setup for diagnosis of shaft misalignment and rotor stator rubbing faults.

Design, Test and Demonstration of Fault Current Limiting HTS Transformer

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

Hazelton, Drew

The project developed new technology that enables the creation of a high temperature superconductor-based FCL power transformer. SuperPower’s research and development created new methods to bond HTS conductor to a supporting substrate, test, and insulate the resulting bonded conductor, reduce winding ac losses, ensure FCL functionality during a transformer fault and build firm superconducting joints in the transformer harnesses and cabling. The bonded conductor in this program was shown to meet the critical operating parameters of providing the superconducting transformer operation while being able to meet the target normal state resistance required for FCL operation. The bonded conductor was alsomore » shown to be able to handle the fabrication stresses associated with the manufacture of the FCL transformer while also being able to handle the high hoop stresses and axial forces during a fault transient. Much of the technology developed here is applicable to the broader applied superconductivity community. The ability to tailor the clad conductors performance characteristics gives the designer of devices utilizing HTS a broader capability to address the particular needs of an given application. SuperPower worked with its sub-recipients Waukesha Electric Systems, ORNL, Southern California Edison and University of Houston to develop the design, fabrication, installation and operational aspects of a fault current limiting transformer on the electrical grid.« less

Model Transformation for a System of Systems Dependability Safety Case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Judy; Driskell, Stephen B.

2010-01-01

Software plays an increasingly larger role in all aspects of NASA's science missions. This has been extended to the identification, management and control of faults which affect safety-critical functions and by default, the overall success of the mission. Traditionally, the analysis of fault identification, management and control are hardware based. Due to the increasing complexity of system, there has been a corresponding increase in the complexity in fault management software. The NASA Independent Validation & Verification (IV&V) program is creating processes and procedures to identify, and incorporate safety-critical software requirements along with corresponding software faults so that potential hazards may be mitigated. This Specific to Generic ... A Case for Reuse paper describes the phases of a dependability and safety study which identifies a new, process to create a foundation for reusable assets. These assets support the identification and management of specific software faults and, their transformation from specific to generic software faults. This approach also has applications to other systems outside of the NASA environment. This paper addresses how a mission specific dependability and safety case is being transformed to a generic dependability and safety case which can be reused for any type of space mission with an emphasis on software fault conditions.

Bearing faults identification and resonant band demodulation based on wavelet de-noising methods and envelope analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelrhman, Ahmed M.; Sei Kien, Yong; Salman Leong, M.; Meng Hee, Lim; Al-Obaidi, Salah M. Ali

2017-07-01

The vibration signals produced by rotating machinery contain useful information for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis. Fault severities assessment is a challenging task. Wavelet Transform (WT) as a multivariate analysis tool is able to compromise between the time and frequency information in the signals and served as a de-noising method. The CWT scaling function gives different resolutions to the discretely signals such as very fine resolution at lower scale but coarser resolution at a higher scale. However, the computational cost increased as it needs to produce different signal resolutions. DWT has better low computation cost as the dilation function allowed the signals to be decomposed through a tree of low and high pass filters and no further analysing the high-frequency components. In this paper, a method for bearing faults identification is presented by combing Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with envelope analysis for bearing fault diagnosis. The experimental data was sampled by Case Western Reserve University. The analysis result showed that the proposed method is effective in bearing faults detection, identify the exact fault’s location and severity assessment especially for the inner race and outer race faults.

Basement and regional structure along strike of the Queen Charlotte Fault in the context of modern and historical earthquake ruptures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walton, Maureen A. L.; Gulick, Sean P. S.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Roland, Emily C.; Tréhu, Anne M.

2015-01-01

The Queen Charlotte fault (QCF) is a dextral transform system located offshore of southeastern Alaska and western Canada, accommodating ∼4.4  cm/yr of relative motion between the Pacific and North American plates. Oblique convergence along the fault increases southward, and how this convergence is accommodated is still debated. Using seismic reflection data, we interpret offshore basement structure, faulting, and stratigraphy to provide a geological context for two recent earthquakes, an Mw 7.5 strike‐slip event near Craig, Alaska, and an Mw 7.8 thrust event near Haida Gwaii, Canada. We map downwarped Pacific oceanic crust near 54° N, between the two rupture zones. Observed downwarping decreases north and south of 54° N, parallel to the strike of the QCF. Bending of the Pacific plate here may have initiated with increased convergence rates due to a plate motion change at ∼6  Ma. Tectonic reconstruction implies convergence‐driven Pacific plate flexure, beginning at 6 Ma south of a 10° bend the QCF (which is currently at 53.2° N) and lasting until the plate translated past the bend by ∼2  Ma. Normal‐faulted approximately late Miocene sediment above the deep flexural depression at 54° N, topped by relatively undeformed Pleistocene and younger sediment, supports this model. Aftershocks of the Haida Gwaii event indicate a normal‐faulting stress regime, suggesting present‐day plate flexure and underthrusting, which is also consistent with reconstruction of past conditions. We thus favor a Pacific plate underthrusting model to initiate flexure and accommodation space for sediment loading. In addition, mapped structures indicate two possible fault segment boundaries along the QCF at 53.2° N and at 56° N.

Subduction of thick oceanic plateau and high-angle normal-fault earthquakes intersecting the slab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Ryuta; Kodaira, Shuichi; Yamada, Tomoaki; Takahashi, Tsutomu; Miura, Seiichi; Kaneda, Yoshiyuki; Nishizawa, Azusa; Oikawa, Mitsuhiro

2017-06-01

The role of seamounts on interplate earthquakes has been debated. However, its impact on intraslab deformation is poorly understood. Here we present unexpected evidence for large normal-fault earthquakes intersecting the slab just ahead of a subducting seamount. In 1995, a series of earthquakes with maximum magnitude of 7.1 occurred in northern Ryukyu where oceanic plateaus are subducting. The aftershock distribution shows that conjugate faults with an unusually high dip angle of 70-80° ruptured the entire subducting crust. Seismic reflection images reveal that the plate interface is displaced over 1 km along one of the fault planes of the 1995 events. These results suggest that a lateral variation in slab buoyancy can produce sufficient differential stress leading to near-vertical normal-fault earthquakes within the slab. On the contrary, the upper surface of the seamount (plate interface) may correspond to a weakly coupled region, reflecting the dual effects of seamounts/plateaus on subduction earthquakes.

Detection of inter-turn faults in transformer winding using the capacitor discharge method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michna, Michał; Wilk, Andrzej; Ziółko, Michał; Wołoszyk, Marek; Swędrowski, Leon; Szwangruber, Piotr

2017-12-01

The paper presents results of an analysis of inter-turn fault effects on the voltage and current waveforms of a capacitor discharge through transformer windings. The research was conducted in the frame of the Facility of Antiproton and Ion Research project which goal is to build a new international accelerator facility that utilizes superconducting magnets. For the sake of electrical quality assurance of the superconducting magnet circuits, a measurement and diagnostic system is currently under development at Gdansk University of Technology (GUT). Appropriate measurements and simulations of the special transformer system were performed to verify the proposed diagnostic method. In order to take into account the nonlinearity and hysteresis of the magnetic yoke, a novel mathematical model of the transformer was developed. A special test bench was constructed to emulate the inter-turn faults within transformer windings.

Palaeomagnetic constraints on the evolution of the Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 30°N)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, A.; Pressling, N.; Gee, J. S.

2012-04-01

Oceanic core complexes expose lower crustal and upper mantle rocks on the seafloor by tectonic unroofing in the footwalls of large-slip detachment faults. They represent a fundamental component of the seafloor spreading system at slow and ultraslow axes. One of the most extensively studied oceanic core complexes is Atlantis Massif, located at 30°N at the intersection of the Atlantis Transform Fault and the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR). The central dome of the massif exposes the corrugated detachment fault surface and was drilled during IODP Expedition 304/305 (Hole U1309D). This sampled a 1.4 km faulted and complexly layered footwall section dominated by gabbroic lithologies with minor ultramafic rocks. Palaeomagnetic analyses demonstrate that the gabbroic sequences at Atlantis Massif carry highly stable remanent magnetizations that provide valuable information on the evolution of the section. Thermal demagnetization experiments recover high unblocking temperature components of reversed polarity (R1) throughout the gabbroic sequences. Correlation of structures observed on oriented borehole (FMS) images and those recorded on unoriented core pieces allows reorientation of R1 remanences. The mean remanence direction in true geographic coordinates constrains the tectonic rotation experienced by the Atlantis Massif footwall, indicating a 46°±6° counterclockwise around a MAR-parallel horizontal axis trending 011°±6°. The detachment fault therefore initiated at a steep dip of >50° and then rotated flexurally to its present day low angle geometry (consistent with a 'rolling-hinge' model for detachment evolution). In a number of intervals, the gabbros exhibit a complex remanence structure with the presence of additional intermediate temperature normal (N1) and lower temperature reversed (R2) polarity components, suggesting an extended period of remanence acquisition during different polarity intervals. Sharp break-points between different polarity components suggest that they were acquired by a thermal mechanism. There appears to be no correlation between remanence structure and either the igneous stratigraphy or the distribution of alteration in the core. Instead, the remanence data are consistent with a model in which the lower crustal section acquired magnetizations of different polarity during a protracted cooling history spanning two geomagnetic reversals. The crystallization age of the section (1.2 Ma; derived from Pb/U zircon dating) suggests that the R1 component was acquired during geomagnetic polarity chron C1r.2r, N1 during chron C1r.1n (Jaramillo) and R2 during chron C1r.1r. By considering the maximum time intervals available for acquisition of the N1 and R2 components and correcting laboratory unblocking temperatures accordingly, the data provide additional constraints on the thermal evolution of the Atlantis Massif footwall.

Palaeomagnetic constraints on the evolution of the Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 30°N)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, A.; Pressling, N.; Gee, J. S.

2011-12-01

Oceanic core complexes expose lower crustal and upper mantle rocks on the seafloor by tectonic unroofing in the footwalls of large-slip detachment faults. They represent a fundamental component of the seafloor spreading system at slow and ultraslow axes. One of the most extensively studied oceanic core complexes is Atlantis Massif, located at 30°N at the intersection of the Atlantis Transform Fault and the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR). The central dome of the massif exposes the corrugated detachment fault surface and was drilled during IODP Expedition 304/305 (Hole U1309D). This sampled a 1.4 km faulted and complexly layered footwall section dominated by gabbroic lithologies with minor ultramafic rocks. Palaeomagnetic analyses demonstrate that the gabbroic sequences at Atlantis Massif carry highly stable remanent magnetizations that provide valuable information on the evolution of the section. Thermal demagnetization experiments recover high unblocking temperature components of reversed polarity (R1) throughout the gabbroic sequences. Correlation of structures observed on oriented borehole (FMS) images and those recorded on unoriented core pieces allows reorientation of R1 remanences. The mean remanence direction in true geographic coordinates constrains the tectonic rotation experienced by the Atlantis Massif footwall, indicating a 46°±6° counterclockwise around a MAR-parallel horizontal axis trending 011°±6°. The detachment fault therefore initiated at a steep dip of >50° and then rotated flexurally to its present day low angle geometry (consistent with a 'rolling-hinge' model for detachment evolution). In a number of intervals, the gabbros exhibit a complex remanence structure with the presence of additional intermediate temperature normal (N1) and lower temperature reversed (R2) polarity components, suggesting an extended period of remanence acquisition during different polarity intervals. Sharp break-points between different polarity components suggest that they were acquired by a thermal mechanism. There appears to be no correlation between remanence structure and either the igneous stratigraphy or the distribution of alteration in the core. Instead, the remanence data are consistent with a model in which the lower crustal section acquired magnetizations of different polarity during a protracted cooling history spanning two geomagnetic reversals. The crystallization age of the section (1.2 Ma; derived from Pb/U zircon dating) suggests that the R1 component was acquired during geomagnetic polarity chron C1r.2r, N1 during chron C1r.1n (Jaramillo) and R2 during chron C1r.1r. By considering the maximum time intervals available for acquisition of the N1 and R2 components and correcting laboratory unblocking temperatures accordingly, the data provide additional constraints on the thermal evolution of the Atlantis Massif footwall.

Laboratory earthquakes triggered during eclogitization of lawsonite-bearing blueschist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Incel, Sarah; Hilairet, Nadège; Labrousse, Loïc; John, Timm; Deldicque, Damien; Ferrand, Thomas; Wang, Yanbin; Renner, Jörg; Morales, Luiz; Schubnel, Alexandre

2017-04-01

The origin of intermediate-depth seismicity has been debated for decades. A substantial fraction of these events occurs within the upper plane of Wadati-Benioff double seismic zones believed to represent subducting oceanic crust. We deformed natural lawsonite-rich blueschist samples under eclogite-facies conditions, using a D-DIA apparatus installed at a synchrotron beamline continuously monitoring stress, strain, phase changes, and acoustic emissions (AEs). Two distinct paths were investigated during which i) lawsonite and glaucophane became gradually unstable while entering the stability field of lawsonite-eclogite and the breakdown reaction of lawsonite was only crossed in case of the highest final temperature; ii) lawsonite broke down and the sample successively entered the stability fields of epidote-blueschist and eclogite-amphibolite but not of lawsonite-eclogite. Upon entering the Lws-Ecl stability field, samples exhibited brittle failure, accompanied by the radiation of AEs. In-situ X-ray diffraction and microstructural analysis demonstrate that fractures are topologically related to the formation of omphacite. Amorphous material was detected along the fractures by transmission-electron microscopy without evidence for free-water. Since the newly formed omphacite crystals are small compared to the initial grains, we interpret the observed mechanical instability as a transformation-induced runaway under stress triggered during the transformation from lawsonite-blueschist to lawsonite-eclogite. In contrast, we find no microstructural evidence that the breakdown of lawsonite, and hence the liberation of water leads to the fracturing. Our experimental results challenge the concept of "dehydration embrittlement", which ascribes the genesis of intermediate-depth earthquakes to the breakdown of hydrous phases in the subducting oceanic plate. Instead we suggest that grain-size reduction (transformational faulting) during the transformation from lawsonite-blueschist to lawsonite-eclogite leads to brittle failure of the deviatorically loaded samples.

New Evidence for Quaternary Strain Partitioning Along the Queen Charlotte Fault System, Southeastern Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, M. A. L.; Miller, N. C.; Brothers, D. S.; Kluesner, J.; Haeussler, P. J.; Conrad, J. E.; Andrews, B. D.; Ten Brink, U. S.

2017-12-01

The Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) is a fast-moving ( 53 mm/yr) transform plate boundary fault separating the Pacific Plate from the North American Plate along western Canada and southeastern Alaska. New high-resolution bathymetric data along the fault show that the QCF main trace accommodates nearly all strike-slip plate motion along a single narrow deformation zone, though questions remain about how and where smaller amounts of oblique convergence are accommodated along-strike. Obliquity and convergence rates are highest in the south, where the 2012 Haida Gwaii, British Columbia MW 7.8 thrust earthquake was likely caused by Pacific underthrusting. In the north, where obliquity is lower, aftershocks from the 2013 Craig, Alaska MW 7.5 strike-slip earthquake also indicate active convergent deformation on the Pacific (west) side of the plate boundary. Off-fault structures previously mapped in legacy crustal-scale seismic profiles may therefore be accommodating part of the lesser amounts of Quaternary convergence north of Haida Gwaii. Between 2015 and 2017, the USGS acquired more than 8,000 line-km of offshore high-resolution multichannel seismic (MCS) data along the QCF to better understand plate boundary deformation. The new MCS data show evidence for Quaternary deformation associated with a series of elongate ridges located within 30 km of the QCF main trace on the Pacific side. These ridges are anticlinal structures flanked by growth faults, with recent deformation and active fluid flow characterized by seafloor scarps and seabed gas seeps at ridge crests. Structural and morphological evidence for contractional deformation decreases northward along the fault, consistent with a decrease in Pacific-North America obliquity along the plate boundary. Preliminary interpretations suggest that plate boundary transpression may be partitioned into distinctive structural domains, in which convergent stress is accommodated by margin-parallel thrust faulting, folding, and ridge formation within the Pacific Plate, with strike-slip faulting localized to the primary trace of the QCF. Contractional structures may be occupying zones of pre-existing crustal weakness and/or re-activated fabrics in the oceanic crust, possibly explaining strain partitioning behavior in areas with a low convergence angle (<15°).

Analysing fault growth at the continental break up zone in Afar, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, Barbara; Wright, Tim; Rowland, Julie; Hautot, Sophie; Paton, Douglas; Kidane, Tesfaye; Abebe, Bekele

2010-05-01

Continental break up, the formation of new oceans still holds many unanswered questions. The continental rift of Afar, Ethiopia is the only place on Earth today where the final stages of continental rupture and the beginning of seafloor spreading are occurring above sea level. In September 2005 a new rifting episode started at the Dabbahu segment with the intrusion of about 2-2.5 km^ 3 of magma into a 60-km-long dyke (Wright et. al., 2006; Grandin et. al., 2009), causing horizontal opening of up to 8m. Faults within the research area show fresh slip of up to 3m along fault segments of about 10km (Rowland et. al., 2007). Since then 13 further dyke intrusions showing surface deformation have been detected and analysed using InSAR data. However, how faults grow remains a key question. To establish fault growth models, distribution of displacement along surface tracks as well as scaling relationships of faults of different order of magnitudes within a similar lithological setting are essential (eg. Walsh and Watterson, 1988; Cowie and Scholz, 1992). Set in Pliocene flood basalts the highly faulted Dabbahu segment forms an ideal study case. We used 6 pairs of SPOT5 images with a pixel size of 2.5m to create a relative DEM of 6m resolution covering the whole of the 60km x 30km Dabbahu segment. By tying the relative DEM to the georeferenced 90m resolution DEM from SRTM data and applying linear and bi-quadratic polynomial transformations we were able to georeference the DEM. During October 2009 a LiDAR survey took place over the central rift segment with additional cross profiles. The additional data has enhanced the DEM spatial resolution to 1m in the centre. Using this large, precise dataset we have developed an automated method to systematically derive the distribution of displacement along the surface expression of the faults. This enables us to determine whether scaling relationships derived in other areas are valid for magmatically-driven faults. Here we present first results of these statistical analyses.

Current Plate Motion Across the Southwest Indian Ridge: Implications for the Diffuse Oceanic Plate Boundary Between Nubia and Somalia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horner-Johnson, B. C.; Cowles, S. M.; Gordon, R. G.; Argus, D. F.

2001-12-01

Prior studies of plate motion data along the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) have produced results that conflict in detail. Chu & Gordon [1999], from an analysis of 59 spreading rates averaged over 3 Myr and of the azimuths of active transform faults, found that the data are most consistent with a diffuse Nubia-Somalia plate boundary where it intersects the SWIR. When they solve for the best-fitting hypothetical narrow boundary, they find that it lies near 37° E, east of the Prince Edward fracture zone. They find a Nubia-Somalia pole of rotation near the east coast of South Africa. In contrast, Lemaux, Gordon, and Royer [2001], from an analysis of 237 crossings of marine magnetic anomaly 5 (11 Ma), find that most of the motion is accommodated in a narrow zone, most likely along the ``inactive'' trace of the Andrew Bain fracture zone complex (ABFZC), which intersects the SWIR near 32° E. They find a pole well to the west of, and probably to the southwest of, the pole of rotation found by Chu & Gordon. Their pole indicates mainly strike-slip motion along the ``inactive'' ABFZC. To resolve these conflicting results, we determined a new greatly expanded and spatially much denser set of 243 spreading rates and analyzed available bathymetric data of active transform faults along the SWIR. The data show that the African oceanic lithosphere spreading away from the SWIR cannot simply be two plates divided by a single narrow boundary. Our interpretation of the data is as follows. Near the SWIR, there is a diffuse boundary with a western limit near the ABFZC and an eastern limit near 63.5° E. Slip is partitioned in this wide boundary. Somewhere near the ABFZC (most likely the ABFZC itself) is a concentrated locus of right-lateral shearing parallel to the ABFZC whereas contraction perpendicular to the ABFZC is accommodated east of the ABFZC, perhaps over a very broad zone.

Seismotectonics of the Gagua Ridge area from OBS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. F.; Lin, J. Y.; Lee, C. S.; Hsu, S. K.; Liang, C. W.

2012-04-01

Gagua Ridge, located on the east of Taiwan Island, is generally considered an inactive ridge. This ridge is a N-S trending tectonic feature and separates two oceanic basin of different ages, which are the Huatung Basin in the west and the West Philippine Basin in the east respectively. On 26 April 2010, a Mw=6.9 event, characterized by a strike-slip mechanism, occurred in the east of the Gagua Ridge. The distribution of background earthquakes shows low seismic activity in the vicinity of the mainshock. A network of OBSs was deployed around the mainshock for 21 days. The network contains part of the West Philippine Basin and of the Gagua Ridge. In total, 1,711 earthquakes were determined. Most of the earthquakes occurred near the mainshock and few earthquakes scattered near the Gagua Ridge. Relocated hypocenters, which are relocated by hypoDD software, are clustered and aligned to the NW-SE direction. It indicates that the area is dominated by a sinistral strike-slip mechanism. In West Philippine Basin, two main geological structures, oriented NE-SW and NW-SE, were recognized from bathymetry map. The two features are associated with the first spreading event in West Philippine Basin and an old oceanic fracture zone. Since the trending of the cluster in our study is different from the strikes of the two features in the West Philippine Basin, the seismicity seems not to be linked to the reactivation of the former structures. Magnetic anomaly shows a NW-SE trending anomaly in the east of Taiwan Island, was suggested a present-day transform margin. The cluster is located on the SE end of boundary of the anomaly and the trending of the cluster is consistent with the orientation of the anomaly, which is parallel to the direction of Eurasia-Philippine relative motion. Therefore, we suggest that the presence of the sinistral strike-slip fault may reflect the different stress states in each side of the fault and form a stress transform boundary.

Closure of the Africa-Eurasia-North America plate motion circuit and tectonics of the Gloria fault

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Argus, Donald F.; Gordon, Richard G.; Demets, Charles; Stein, Seth

1989-01-01

The current motions of the African, Eurasian, and North American plates are examined. The problems addressed include whether there is resolvable motion of a Spitsbergen microplate, the direction of motion between the African and North American plates, whether the Gloria fault is an active transform fault, and the implications of plate circuit closures for rates of intraplate deformation. Marine geophysical data and magnetic profiles are used to construct a model which predicts about 4 mm/yr slip across the Azores-Gibraltar Ridge, and west-northwest convergence near Gibraltar. The analyzed data are consistent with a rigid plate model with the Gloria fault being a transform fault.

Hydrothermal mineralization at seafloor spreading centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rona, Peter A.

1984-01-01

The recent recognition that metallic mineral deposits are concentrated by hydrothermal processes at seafloor spreading centers constitutes a scientific breakthrough that opens active sites at seafloor spreading centers as natural laboratories to investigate ore-forming processes of such economically useful deposits as massive sulfides in volcanogenic rocks on land, and that enhances the metallic mineral potential of oceanic crust covering two-thirds of the Earth both beneath ocean basins and exposed on land in ophiolite belts. This paper reviews our knowledge of processes of hydrothermal mineralization and the occurrence and distribution of hydrothermal mineral deposits at the global oceanic ridge-rift system. Sub-seafloor hydrothermal convection involving circulation of seawater through fractured rocks of oceanic crust driven by heat supplied by generation of new lithosphere is nearly ubiquitous at seafloor spreading centers. However, ore-forming hydrothermal systems are extremely localized where conditions of anomalously high thermal gradients and permeability increase hydrothermal activity from the ubiquitous low-intensity background level (⩽ 200°C) to high-intensity characterized by high temperatures ( > 200-c.400°C), and a rate and volume of flow sufficient to sustain chemical reactions that produce acid, reducing, metal-rich primary hydrothermal solutions. A series of mineral phases with sulfides and oxides as high- and low-temperature end members, respectively, are precipitated along the upwelling limb and in the discharge zone of single-phase systems as a function of increasing admixture of normal seawater. The occurrence of hydrothermal mineral deposits is considered in terms of spatial and temporal frames of reference. Spatial frames of reference comprise structural features along-axis (linear sections that are the loci of seafloor spreading alternating with transform faults) and perpendicular to axis (axial zone of volcanic extrusion and marginal zones of active extension) common to all spreading centers, regional tectonic setting determined by stage (early, advanced), and rate (slow, intermediate-to-fast) of opening of an ocean basin about a spreading center, and local tectonic sub-setting that incorporates anomalous structural and thermal conditions conducive to mineral concentration (thermal gradient, permeability, system geometry, leaky versus tight hydrothermal systems). Temporal frames of reference comprise the relation between mineral concentration and timing of regional plutonic, volcanic and tectonic cycles and of episodic local physical and chemical events (transient stress, fluctuating heat transfer, intrusion-extrusion, fracturing, sealing, etc.). Types of hydrothermal deposits are not uniquely associated with specific tectonic settings and subsettings. Similar types of hydrothermal deposits may occur in different tectonic settings as a consequence of convergence of physical and chemical processes of concentration. Local tectonic sub-settings with conditions conducive to hydrothermal mineralization at slow-spreading centers (half rate ≤ 2cm y -1; length c. 28,000 km), characterized by an estimated average convective heat transfer of 15.1·10 8 cal. cm -2, deep-level ( > 3 km), relative narrow (< 5 km wide at base) magma chambers, and high topographic relief (1-5 km) are: (1) basins along linear sections of the axial zone of volcanic extrusion near transform faults at an early stage of opening, represented by a large stratiform sulfide deposit (estimated 32.5·10 6 metric tons) of the Atlantis II Deep of the Red Sea; (2) the wall along linear sections of the rift valley in the marginal zone of active extension at an advanced stage of opening, represented by encrustations and layered deposits of manganese and iron oxides, hydroxides and silicates inferred to be underlain by stockwork sulfides at the TAG Hydrothermal Field at latitude 26°C on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; (3) transform faults, especially those with large ridge-ridge offset ( > 30 km), at an advanced stage of opening, represented by stockwork sulfides exposed in the walls of equatorial fracture zones of the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean; (4) the axial zone of volcanic extrusion at an advanced stage of opening. Local tectonic sub-settings with conditions conducive to hydrothermal mineralization at intermediate- to fast-spreading centers (half rate > 2cm y -1; length c. 22,000 km) characterized by an estimated average convective heat transfer of 11.5·10 8 cal. cm -2, relatively wide (up to 20 km at base), shallow-level (c. 1-3 km) magma chambers, and low topographic relief (< 1 km), are: (1) basins along linear sections of the axial zone of volcanic extrusion at an early stage of opening, represented by massive sulfide deposits of the Guaymas Basin of the Gulf of California; (2) the axial zone of volcanic extrusion at an advanced stage of opening, represented by individually small (c. 1·10 3 metric tons), massive sulfide mounds surmounted by chimneys of the East Pacific Rise at latitude 21°N; (3) the marginal zone of active extension at an advanced stage of opening represented by a large, massive sulfide deposit (preliminary tentative estimate c.10·10 6 metric tons) at a double-rifted section of the Galapagos Spreading Center; (4) transform faults, especially those with large ridge-ridge offset ( > 50 km) represented by manganese encrustations in a transform fault at the Galapagos Spreading Center; (5) volcanic seamounts related to persistent hot spots at spreading centers, represented by oxide and sulfide deposits on seamounts off the axis of the East Pacific Rise; (6) portions of spreading centers with anomalous configurations such as multiple, bent or extended rifts, represented by massive sulfide deposits at a double-rifted section of the Galapagos Spreading Center, suggesting the operation of a thermal-structural feedback mechanism indicative of the presence of hydrothermal mineralization; (7) discrete spreading centers in back-arc basins represented by hydrothermal deposits at sites in marginal seas of the western Pacific. Ore-forming processes appear to be least efficient in the axial zone of volcanic extrusion of oceanic ridges at an advanced stage of opening irrespective of spreading rate, where tight hydrothermal systems dissipate a major portion of contained metals by precipitation and dispersion in particulate form from "black smokers" that discharge into the water column. Ore-forming processes appear to be most efficient at sites in basins at linear sections of the axial zone of volcanic extrusion near transform faults during an early stage of opening, and at marginal zones of active extension along linear sections of a spreading center during an advanced stage of opening, irrespective of spreading rate, where both tight and leaky hydrothermal systems may conserve their contained metals to concentrate large sulfide deposits. Resemblances in mineralization between stockwork sulfides at seafloor spreading centers and porphyry copper-type deposits in volcanogenic rocks on land suggest the possibility for the occurrence of large tonnage, low-grade porphyry copper-like deposits concentrated by leaky hydrothermal systems at spreading centers. Systematic application of composite exploration procedures is leading to the discovery of numerous additional deposits. It is inferred from the limited data base available that the occurrence of hydrothermal mineral deposits is more frequent at intermediate-to-fast-than at slow-spreading centers, but the potential for the accumulation of large hydrothermal mineral deposits is greater at slow-spreading centers. Current knowledge of the distribution of hydrothermal mineral deposits at seafloor spreading centers is limited to about 55 sites at this early stage of exploration. Estimates of the distribution of either fields of hydrothermal mineral deposits or high-intensity ore-forming hydrothermal systems at seafloor spreading centers, deduced from various considerations, range from one such occurrence between 15 and 265 km along slow-spreading centers, and 1 and 100 km along intermediate- to fast-spreading centers. However, the distribution of sizable deposits will remain sporadic owing to the special structural and thermal conditions necessary to sustain and to retain high-intensity ore-forming hydrothermal systems.

Tethys and the evolution in Afghanistan: tectonics and mineral resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okaya, N.; Onishi, C. T.; Mooney, W. D.

2009-12-01

The tectonic history and mineral resources of Afghanistan are related to the closing of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean and the opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. As part of this process, oceanic sediments and continental fragments were accreted onto northern Afghanistan during the Mesozoic Cimmerian orogeny. Deposits in the Paleo-Tethys Ocean iare presently represented by a thick sequence of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks within the Tajik/Turan block, part of the Eurasian continent in northern Afghanistan. The accreted micro-continents of the Cimmerian orogeny include: (1) the Farah block, (2) the Helmand block and (3) the exotic Kabul block. Later, during the Cretaceous, the East Nuristan island arc and the intra-oceanic island arc of Kohistan were sutured. Major faults in Afghanistan include: (1) the Herat fault, an E-W suture zone between the Eurasia continent and the terrains of the Cimmerian orogeny; (2) the N-S Punjao suture located between the Farah and Helmand blocks; and (3) the NE-SW oriented Chaman fault, part of a transpressional plate boundary located near the border with Pakistan. Such a complex blend of geology and tectonics gives host to abundant mineral resources. We summarize the tectonic evolution of Afghanistan in a series of lithospheric cross-sections, beginning at about 400 Ma., and identify the mineral resources in the context of the regional tectonics.

Transformer fault diagnosis using continuous sparse autoencoder.

PubMed

Wang, Lukun; Zhao, Xiaoying; Pei, Jiangnan; Tang, Gongyou

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a novel continuous sparse autoencoder (CSAE) which can be used in unsupervised feature learning. The CSAE adds Gaussian stochastic unit into activation function to extract features of nonlinear data. In this paper, CSAE is applied to solve the problem of transformer fault recognition. Firstly, based on dissolved gas analysis method, IEC three ratios are calculated by the concentrations of dissolved gases. Then IEC three ratios data is normalized to reduce data singularity and improve training speed. Secondly, deep belief network is established by two layers of CSAE and one layer of back propagation (BP) network. Thirdly, CSAE is adopted to unsupervised training and getting features. Then BP network is used for supervised training and getting transformer fault. Finally, the experimental data from IEC TC 10 dataset aims to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented approach. Comparative experiments clearly show that CSAE can extract features from the original data, and achieve a superior correct differentiation rate on transformer fault diagnosis.

Ocean-bottom pressure changes above a fault area for tsunami excitation and propagation observed by a submarine dense network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yomogida, K.; Saito, T.

2017-12-01

Conventional tsunami excitation and propagation have been formulated by incompressible fluid with velocity components. This approach is valid in most cases because we usually analyze tunamis as "long gravity waves" excited by submarine earthquakes. Newly developed ocean-bottom tsunami networks such as S-net and DONET have dramatically changed the above situation for the following two reasons: (1) tsunami propagations are now directly observed in a 2-D array manner without being suffered by complex "site effects" of sea shore, and (2) initial tsunami features can be directly detected just above a fault area. Removing the incompressibility assumption of sea water, we have formulated a new representation of tsunami excitation based on not velocity but displacement components. As a result, not only dynamics but static term (i.e., the component of zero frequency) can be naturally introduced, which is important for the pressure observed on the ocean floor, which ocean-bottom tsunami stations are going to record. The acceleration on the ocean floor should be combined with the conventional tsunami height (that is, the deformation of the sea level above a given station) in the measurement of ocean-bottom pressure although the acceleration exists only during fault motions in time. The M7.2 Off Fukushima earthquake on 22 November 2016 was the first event that excited large tsunamis within the territory of S-net stations. The propagation of tsunamis is found to be highly non-uniform, because of the strong velocity (i.e., sea depth) gradient perpendicular to the axis of Japan Trench. The earthquake was located in a shallow sea close to the coast, so that all the tsunami energy is reflected by the trench region of high velocity. Tsunami records (pressure gauges) within its fault area recorded clear slow motions of tsunamis (i.e., sea level changes) but also large high-frequency signals, as predicted by our theoretical result. That is, it may be difficult to extract tsunami motions from near-fault pressure gauge data immediately after the earthquake occurs, in the sense of tsunami early warning systems.

Estimation of spectral kurtosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutawanir

2017-03-01

Rolling bearings are the most important elements in rotating machinery. Bearing frequently fall out of service for various reasons: heavy loads, unsuitable lubrications, ineffective sealing. Bearing faults may cause a decrease in performance. Analysis of bearing vibration signals has attracted attention in the field of monitoring and fault diagnosis. Bearing vibration signals give rich information for early detection of bearing failures. Spectral kurtosis, SK, is a parameter in frequency domain indicating how the impulsiveness of a signal varies with frequency. Faults in rolling bearings give rise to a series of short impulse responses as the rolling elements strike faults, SK potentially useful for determining frequency bands dominated by bearing fault signals. SK can provide a measure of the distance of the analyzed bearings from a healthy one. SK provides additional information given by the power spectral density (psd). This paper aims to explore the estimation of spectral kurtosis using short time Fourier transform known as spectrogram. The estimation of SK is similar to the estimation of psd. The estimation falls in model-free estimation and plug-in estimator. Some numerical studies using simulations are discussed to support the methodology. Spectral kurtosis of some stationary signals are analytically obtained and used in simulation study. Kurtosis of time domain has been a popular tool for detecting non-normality. Spectral kurtosis is an extension of kurtosis in frequency domain. The relationship between time domain and frequency domain analysis is establish through power spectrum-autocovariance Fourier transform. Fourier transform is the main tool for estimation in frequency domain. The power spectral density is estimated through periodogram. In this paper, the short time Fourier transform of the spectral kurtosis is reviewed, a bearing fault (inner ring and outer ring) is simulated. The bearing response, power spectrum, and spectral kurtosis are plotted to visualize the pattern of each fault. Keywords: frequency domain Fourier transform, spectral kurtosis, bearing fault

Buoyancy-driven, rapid exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphosed continental crust.

PubMed

Ernst, W G; Maruyama, S; Wallis, S

1997-09-02

Preservation of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) minerals formed at depths of 90-125 km require unusual conditions. Our subduction model involves underflow of a salient (250 +/- 150 km wide, 90-125 km long) of continental crust embedded in cold, largely oceanic crust-capped lithosphere; loss of leading portions of the high-density oceanic lithosphere by slab break-off, as increasing volumes of microcontinental material enter the subduction zone; buoyancy-driven return toward midcrustal levels of a thin (2-15 km thick), low-density slice; finally, uplift, backfolding, normal faulting, and exposure of the UHP terrane. Sustained over approximately 20 million years, rapid ( approximately 5 mm/year) exhumation of the thin-aspect ratio UHP sialic sheet caught between cooler hanging-wall plate and refrigerating, downgoing lithosphere allows withdrawal of heat along both its upper and lower surfaces. The intracratonal position of most UHP complexes reflects consumption of an intervening ocean basin and introduction of a sialic promontory into the subduction zone. UHP metamorphic terranes consist chiefly of transformed, yet relatively low-density continental crust compared with displaced mantle material-otherwise such complexes could not return to shallow depths. Relatively rare metabasaltic, metagabbroic, and metacherty lithologies retain traces of phases characteristic of UHP conditions because they are massive, virtually impervious to fluids, and nearly anhydrous. In contrast, H2O-rich quartzofeldspathic, gneissose/schistose, more permeable metasedimentary and metagranitic units have backreacted thoroughly, so coesite and other UHP silicates are exceedingly rare. Because of the initial presence of biogenic carbon, and its especially sluggish transformation rate, UHP paragneisses contain the most abundantly preserved crustal diamonds.

Buoyancy-driven, rapid exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphosed continental crust

PubMed Central

Ernst, W. G.; Maruyama, S.; Wallis, S.

1997-01-01

Preservation of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) minerals formed at depths of 90–125 km require unusual conditions. Our subduction model involves underflow of a salient (250 ± 150 km wide, 90–125 km long) of continental crust embedded in cold, largely oceanic crust-capped lithosphere; loss of leading portions of the high-density oceanic lithosphere by slab break-off, as increasing volumes of microcontinental material enter the subduction zone; buoyancy-driven return toward midcrustal levels of a thin (2–15 km thick), low-density slice; finally, uplift, backfolding, normal faulting, and exposure of the UHP terrane. Sustained over ≈20 million years, rapid (≈5 mm/year) exhumation of the thin-aspect ratio UHP sialic sheet caught between cooler hanging-wall plate and refrigerating, downgoing lithosphere allows withdrawal of heat along both its upper and lower surfaces. The intracratonal position of most UHP complexes reflects consumption of an intervening ocean basin and introduction of a sialic promontory into the subduction zone. UHP metamorphic terranes consist chiefly of transformed, yet relatively low-density continental crust compared with displaced mantle material—otherwise such complexes could not return to shallow depths. Relatively rare metabasaltic, metagabbroic, and metacherty lithologies retain traces of phases characteristic of UHP conditions because they are massive, virtually impervious to fluids, and nearly anhydrous. In contrast, H2O-rich quartzofeldspathic, gneissose/schistose, more permeable metasedimentary and metagranitic units have backreacted thoroughly, so coesite and other UHP silicates are exceedingly rare. Because of the initial presence of biogenic carbon, and its especially sluggish transformation rate, UHP paragneisses contain the most abundantly preserved crustal diamonds. PMID:11038569

Buoyancy-Driven, Rapid Exhumation of Ultrahigh-Pressure Metamorphosed Continental Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, W. G.; Maruyama, S.; Wallis, S.

1997-09-01

Preservation of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) minerals formed at depths of 90-125 km require unusual conditions. Our subduction model involves underflow of a salient (250 ± 150 km wide, 90-125 km long) of continental crust embedded in cold, largely oceanic crust-capped lithosphere; loss of leading portions of the high-density oceanic lithosphere by slab break-off, as increasing volumes of microcontinental material enter the subduction zone; buoyancy-driven return toward midcrustal levels of a thin (2-15 km thick), low-density slice; finally, uplift, backfolding, normal faulting, and exposure of the UHP terrane. Sustained over ≈ 20 million years, rapid (≈ 5 mm/year) exhumation of the thin-aspect ratio UHP sialic sheet caught between cooler hanging-wall plate and refrigerating, downgoing lithosphere allows withdrawal of heat along both its upper and lower surfaces. The intracratonal position of most UHP complexes reflects consumption of an intervening ocean basin and introduction of a sialic promontory into the subduction zone. UHP metamorphic terranes consist chiefly of transformed, yet relatively low-density continental crust compared with displaced mantle material--otherwise such complexes could not return to shallow depths. Relatively rare metabasaltic, metagabbroic, and metacherty lithologies retain traces of phases characteristic of UHP conditions because they are massive, virtually impervious to fluids, and nearly anhydrous. In contrast, H2O-rich quartzofeldspathic, gneissose/schistose, more permeable metasedimentary and metagranitic units have backreacted thoroughly, so coesite and other UHP silicates are exceedingly rare. Because of the initial presence of biogenic carbon, and its especially sluggish transformation rate, UHP paragneisses contain the most abundantly preserved crustal diamonds.

Ocean deformation processes at the Caribbean-North America-South America triple junction: Initial results of the 2007 ANTIPLAC marine survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benard, F.; Deville, E.; Le Drezen, E.; Loubrieu, B.; Maltese, L.; Patriat, M.; Roest, W.; Thereau, E.; Umber, M.; Vially, R.

2007-12-01

Marine geophysical data (multibeam and seismic lines) acquired in 2007 (ANTIPLAC survey) in the North-South Americas-Caribbean triple point (Central Atlantic, Barracuda and Tiburon ridges area), provide information about the structure, the tectonic processes and the timing of the deformation in this large diffuse zone of polyphase deformation. The deformation of the plate boundary between the north and south Americas is distributed on several structures located in the Atlantic plain, at the front of the Barbados accretionary prism. In this area of deformation of the Atlantic oceanic lithosphere, the main depressions and transform troughs are filled by Late Pliocene-Pleistocene turbidite sediments, especially in the Barracuda trough, north of Barracuda ridge. These sediments are not issued from the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc but they are sourced from the East, probably by the Orinoco turbidite distal system, through channels transiting in the Atlantic abyssal plain. These Late Pliocene- Quaternary sediments show locally spectacular evidences of syntectonic deformation. It can be shown notably that Barracuda ridge includes a pre-existing transform fault system which has been folded and uplifted very recently during Pleistocene times. This recent deformation has generate relieves up to 2 km high with associated erosion processes notably along the northern flank the Barracuda ridge. The subduction of these recently deformed ridges induces deformation of earlier structures within the Barbados accretionary prism. These asperities within the Atlantic oceanic lithosphere which is subducted in the Lesser Antilles active margin are correlated with the zone of intense seismic activity below the volcanic arc.

Plume-induced subduction initiation at the Cretaceous India-Arabia transform plate boundary: paleomagnetic constraints from the Semail ophiolite, Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.; Maffione, M.; Koornneef, L.; Guilmette, C.

2016-12-01

The Neotethyan realm hosts a prominent belt of Cretaceous supra-subduction zone ophiolites from Turkey and Cyprus in the west, to Oman in the east. Associated crustal and metamorphic sole ages tightly cluster at 95-90 Ma, interpreted to shortly post-date subduction initiation in an intra-oceanic setting along transform faults or ridge segments (or ridge-parallel oceanic detachments). This subduction episode ended when the Arabian-African continental lithosphere arrived in the trench in the late Cretaceous and the leading edge of the overriding oceanic lithosphere obducted as ophiolites, including the famous Semail ophiolite of Oman. This catastrophic subduction initiation phase is assumed to be as response to some far-field trigger. Here, we analyzed whether the Semail ophiolite was generated at an E-W trending Neotethyan ridge or at a N-S trending transform. Therefore we paleomagnetically analyzed 10 localities in sheeted dyke sections of the Semail ophiolite that trend parallel to the obduction front of the ophiolite taken to reflect the paleo-trench. We demonstrate that the sheeted dyke sections, and thus also the trench, had an initial N-S strike, indicating that subduction below the Semail ophiolite probably initiated along a N-S striking transform plate boundary between the Indian and Arabian plate rather than at a Neotethyan mid-ocean ridge. Sometime before 83 Ma, India broke away from Madagascar, and underwent a counterclockwise rotation relative to Africa/Arabia around an Euler pole just north of Madagascar, likely triggered by the arrival of the Morondova mantle plume, the associated large igneous province formed since at least 91 Ma. Numerical models have shown that plume push was a likely driver for the inception of India-Madagascar spreading and associated Indian rotation. North of the associated Euler pole, E-W convergence India-Arabia must have occurred during India-Madagascar break-up. This has already been related to 96-90 Ma subduction initiation below the Waziristan ophiolite of Pakistan. Our new results suggest that subduction initiation below the Semail ophiolite is directly related to this plume-triggered break-up. We speculate that also the synchronous subduction initiation farther west in the Neotethys, towards Cyprus and Turkey, may have been triggered by this mechanism.

GLORIA mosaic of the Gulf of Alaska and the British Columbia margin: Deep-sea channels, margin deformation, and the Queen Charlotte fault

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

Bruns, T.R.; Carlson, P.R.; Stevenson, A.J.

1990-05-01

GLORIA images collected from 1986 to 1989 show sea-floor morphology from the shelf break seaward to 400 km in the Gulf of Alaska and a 70-km-wide swath along British Columbia. Along the Aleutian convergent margin sediment is dominantly trapped in mid-slope basins, where few canyons reach the trench. Accretionary wedge structures range from highly discontinuous to long and continuous. The Yakutat transition margin is either extensively cut by dendritic drainages or, at sea-valley mouths, covered by glacially derived sediment. Young structures underlie the slope from Middleton Island to Pamplona Spur, but are absent from Pamplona Spur to Cross Sound. Alongmore » the southeast Alaska transform margin the Queen Charlotte fault is imaged as a narrow linear feature. The fault steps westward at Tuzo Wilson Knolls, which likely is a spreading ridge segment. Large anticlines lie seaward of and trend parallel to the fault. On the abyssal plain off the Shumagin margin inherited structural and bathymetric features trend parallel to magnetic anomalies, and trench parallel features reflect faulting as the ocean plate bends into the trench. To the north, three turbidite systems drain the margin. The Surveyor system begins between Pamplona Spur and Alsek Canyon and empties into the Aleutian Trench. The Chirikof system arises near Cross Sound and ends in turbidite fans south of the Kodiak-Bowie Seamount chain, a relic Chirikov channel that once carried sediment westward to the Aleutian Trench. The Mukluk and Horizon channels start along southeast Alaska and end 1,000 km away on the Tufts abyssal plain.« less

Mid Ocean Ridge Processes at Very Low Melt Supply : Submersible Exploration of Smooth Ultramafic Seafloor at the Southwest Indian Ridge, 64 degree E

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannat, M.; Agrinier, P.; Bickert, M.; Brunelli, D.; Hamelin, C.; Lecoeuvre, A.; Lie Onstad, S.; Maia, M.; Prampolini, M.; Rouméjon, S.; Vitale Brovarone, A.; Besançon, S.; Assaoui, E. M.

2017-12-01

Mid-ocean ridges are the Earth's most extensive and active volcanic chains. They are also, particularly at slow spreading rates, rift zones, where plate divergence is in part accommodated by faults. Large offset normal faults, also called detachments, are characteristic of slow-spreading ridges, where they account for the widespread emplacement of mantle-derived rocks at the seafloor. In most cases, these detachments occur together with ridge magmatism, with melt injection and faulting interacting to shape the newly formed oceanic lithosphere. Here, we seek to better understand these interactions and their effects on oceanic accretion by studying the end-member case of a ridge where magmatism is locally almost absent. The portion of the Southwest Indian ridge we are studying has an overal low melt supply, focused to discrete axial volcanoes, leaving almost zero melt to intervening sections of the axial valley. One of these nearly amagmatic section of the ridge, located at 64°E, has been the focus of several past cruises (sampling, mapping and seismic experiments). Here we report on the most recent cruise to the area (RV Pourquoi Pas? with ROV Victor; dec-jan 2017), during which we performed high resolution mapping, submersible exploration and sampling of the ultramafic seafloor and of sparse volcanic formations. Our findings are consistent with the flip-flop detachment hypothesis proposed for this area by Sauter et al. (Nature Geosciences, 2013; ultramafic seafloor forming in the footwall of successive detachment faults, each cutting into the footwall of the previous fault, with an opposite polarity). Our observations also document the extent and geometry of deformation in the footwall of a young axial detachment, the role of mass-wasting for the evolution of this detachment, and provide spectacular evidence for serpentinization-related hydrothermal circulation and for spatial links between faults and volcanic eruptions.

On the mechanisms governing dike arrest: Insight from the 2000 Miyakejima dike injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maccaferri, F.; Rivalta, E.; Passarelli, L.; Aoki, Y.

2016-01-01

Magma stored beneath volcanoes is sometimes transported out of the magma chambers by means of laterally propagating dikes, which can lead to fissure eruptions if they intersect the Earth's surface. The driving force for lateral dike propagation can be a lateral tectonic stress gradient, the stress gradient due to the topographic loads, the overpressure of the magma chamber, or a combination of those forces. The 2000 dike intrusion at Miyakejima volcano, Izu arc, Japan, propagated laterally for about 30 km and stopped in correspondence of a strike-slip system, sub-perpendicular to the dike plane. Then the dike continued to inflate, without further propagation. Abundant seismicity was produced, including five M > 6 earthquakes, one of which occurred on the pre-existing fault system close to the tip of the dike, at approximately the time of arrest. It has been proposed that the main cause for the dike arrest was the fault-induced stress. Here we use a boundary element numerical approach to study the interplay between a propagating dike and a pre-stressed strike-slip fault and check the relative role played by dike-fault interaction and topographic loading in arresting the Miyakejima dike. We calibrate the model parameters according to previous estimates of dike opening and fault displacement based on crustal deformation observations. By computing the energy released during the propagation, our model indicates whether the dike will stop at a given location. We find that the stress gradient induced by the topography is needed for an opening distribution along the dike consistent with the observed seismicity, but it cannot explain its arrest at the prescribed location. On the other hand, the interaction of dike with the fault explains the arrest but not the opening distribution. The joint effect of the topographic load and the stress interaction with strike-slip fault is consistent with the observations, provided the pre-existing fault system is pre-loaded with a significant stress, released gradually during the dike-fault interplay. Our results reveal how the mechanical interaction between dikes and faults may affect the propagation of magmatic intrusions in general. This has implications for our understanding of the geometrical arrangement of rift segments and transform faults in Mid Ocean Ridges, and for the interplay between dikes and dike-induced graben systems.

Extensional Tectonics of SW Anatolia In relation to Slab Edge Processes in the Eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaymakci, N.; Özacar, A.; Langereis, C. G.; Ozkaptan, M.; Koç, A.; Uzel, B.; Gulyuz, E.; Sözbilir, H.

2017-12-01

The tectonics of SW Anatolia is expressed in terms of emplacement of Lycian Nappes during the Eocene to Middle Miocene and synconvergent extension as part of the Aegean-West Anatolian extensional tectonic regime. Recent studies identified that there is a tear in the northwards subducting African Oceanic lithosphere along the Pliny-Strabo Trenches (PST). Such tears are coined as Subduction Transform-Edge Propagator (STEP) faults developed high angle to trenches. Hypothetically, the evolution of a STEP fault is somewhat similar to strike-slip fault zones and resultant asymmetric role-back of the subducting slab leads to differential block rotations and back arc type extension on the overriding plate. Recent studies claimed that the tear along the PST propagated NE on-land and developed Fethiye-Burdur Fault/Shear Zone (FBFZ) in SW Turkey. We have conducted a rigorous paleomagnetic study containing more than 3000 samples collected from 88 locations and 11700 fault slip data sets from 198 locations distributed evenly all over SW Anatolia spanning from Middle Miocene to Late Pliocene to test if FBFZ ever existed. The results show that there is slight (20°) counter-clockwise rotation distributed uniformly almost whole SW Anatolia and there is no change in the rotation senses and amounts on either side of the FBFZ implying no differential rotation within the zone. Additionally, constructed paleostress configurations, along the so-called FBFZ and within the 300 km diameter of the proposed fault zone, indicated that almost all the faults that are parallel to subparallel to the zone are almost pure normal faults similar to earthquake focal mechanisms suggesting active extension in the region. It is important to note that we have not encountered any significant strike-slip motion parallel to so-called "FBFZ" to support presence and transcurrent nature of it. On the contrary, the region is dominated by extensional deformation and strike-slip components are observed only on the NW-SE striking transfer faults, which are almost perpendicular to zone that accommodated extension and normal motion. We claim that the sinistral Fethiye Burdur Fault/shear (Zone) is a myth and there is no tangible evidence to support the existence of such a strike-slip fault or a shear zone. This research is supported by TUBITAK - Grant Number 111Y239.

Development of a spectrofluorimetry-based device for determining the acetylene content in the oils of power transformers.

PubMed

Quintella, Cristina M; Meira, Marilena; Silva, Weidson Leal; Filho, Rogério G D; Araújo, André L C; Júnior, Elias T S; Sales, Lindolfo J O

2013-12-15

Power transformers are essential for a functioning electrical system and therefore require special attention by maintenance programs because a fault can harm both the company and society. The temperature inside a power transformer and the dissolved gases, which are primarily composed of acetylene, are the two main parameters monitored when detecting faults. This paper describes the development of a device for analyzing the acetylene content in insulating oil using spectrofluorimetry. Using this device introduces a new methodology for the maintaining and operating power transformers. The prototype is currently operating in a substation. The results presented by this system were satisfactory; when compared to chromatographic data, the errors did not exceed 15%. This prototype may be used to confirm the quality of an insulating oil sample to detect faults in power transformers. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metastable mantle phase transformations and deep earthquakes in subducting oceanic lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirby, Stephen H.; Stein, Seth; Okal, Emile A.; Rubie, David C.

1996-05-01

Earth's deepest earthquakes occur as a population in subducting or previously subducted lithosphere at depths ranging from about 325 to 690 km. This depth interval closely brackets the mantle transition zone, characterized by rapid seismic velocity increases resulting from the transformation of upper mantle minerals to higher-pressure phases. Deep earthquakes thus provide the primary direct evidence for subduction of the lithosphere to these depths and allow us to investigate the deep thermal, thermodynamic, and mechanical ferment inside slabs. Numerical simulations of reaction rates show that the olivine → spinel transformation should be kinetically hindered in old, cold slabs descending into the transition zone. Thus wedge-shaped zones of metastable peridotite probably persist to depths of more than 600 km. Laboratory deformation experiments on some metastable minerals display a shear instability called transformational faulting. This instability involves sudden failure by localized superplasticity in thin shear zones where the metastable host mineral transforms to a denser, finer-grained phase. Hence in cold slabs, such faulting is expected for the polymorphic reactions in which olivine transforms to the spinel structure and clinoenstatite transforms to ilmenite. It is thus natural to hypothesize that deep earthquakes result from transformational faulting in metastable peridotite wedges within cold slabs. This consideration of the mineralogical states of slabs augments the traditional largely thermal view of slab processes and explains some previously enigmatic slab features. It explains why deep seismicity occurs only in the approximate depth range of the mantle transition zone, where minerals in downgoing slabs should transform to spinel and ilmenite structures. The onset of deep shocks at about 325 km is consistent with the onset of metastability near the equilibrium phase boundary in the slab. Even if a slab penetrates into the lower mantle, earthquakes should cease at depths near 700 km, because the seismogenic phase transformations in the slab are completed or can no longer occur. Substantial metastability is expected only in old, cold slabs, consistent with the observed restriction of deep earthquakes to those settings. Earthquakes should be restricted to the cold cores of slabs, as in any model in which the seismicity is temperature controlled, via the distribution of metastability. However, the geometries of recent large deep earthquakes pose a challenge for any such models. Transformational faulting may give insight into why deep shocks lack appreciable aftershocks and why their source characteristics, including focal mechanisms indicating localized shear failure rather than implosive deformation, are so similar to those of shallow earthquakes. Finally, metastable phase changes in slabs would produce an internal source of stress in addition to those due to the weight of the sinking slab. Such internal stresses may explain the occurrence of earthquakes in portions of lithosphere which have foundered to the bottom of the transition zone and/or are detached from subducting slabs. Metastability in downgoing slabs could have considerable geodynamic significance. Metastable wedges would reduce the negative buoyancy of slabs, decrease the driving force for subduction, and influence the state of stress in slabs. Heat released by metastable phase changes would raise temperatures within slabs and facilitate the transformation of spinel to the lower mantle mineral assemblage, causing slabs to equilibrate more rapidly with the ambient mantle and thus contribute to the cessation of deep seismicity. Because wedge formation should occur only for fast subducting slabs, it may act as a "parachute" and contribute to regulating plate speeds. Wedge formation would also have consequences for mantle evolution because the density of a slab stagnated near the bottom of the transition zone would increase as it heats up and the wedge transforms to denser spinel, favoring the subsequent sinking of the slab into the lower mantle.

A continuous structural characterisation of Atlantis Massif using an integrated analysis of oriented downhole imagery and logging data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pressling, Nicola; Morris, Antony; John, Barbara; MacLeod, Christopher

2010-05-01

Continuous wireline logging data are invaluable when less than 100% of drilled core material is recovered. The data provide information on missing units, record the true depth of features and uniquely constrain spatial orientation. Only by fully integrating continuous, oriented logging data and discrete, finer-scale core data can we develop a complete structural interpretation for drill holes that is not limited by sampling bias. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 304/305 sampled the Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex at the intersection between the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Atlantis Transform fault at 30°N. Hole U1309D penetrated 1415.5m into the central dome of the massif, which exposes the corrugated detachment fault surface denuding the lower crust and upper mantle. The recovered section is dominated by gabbro compositions that are complexly faulted and layered on a variety of scales, reflecting the complicated interplay between magmatic and tectonic processes controlling the formation, evolution and deformation of oceanic crust at slow-spreading ridges. The average core recovery at Atlantis Massif was 74%. Therefore, to augment and constrain structural interpretations based on limited core material, we used the Formation MicroScanner (FMS) wireline logging tool that measures microresistivity contrasts in the immediate vicinity of the borehole wall formation. The data are presented as an unwrapped image of the borehole cylinder, and inclined planar structural features that intersect the borehole, such as faults or veins, are shown as darker (more conductive) sinusoidal traces. The true dip and azimuth of these features can be calculated directly due to the inclusion of an accelerometer and magnetometer on the toolstring, which record the position and spatial orientation (with respect to magnetic north) of the tool within the borehole, respectively. 4324 distinct structural features have been identified in the FMS images between 97 and 1415mbsf (metres below sea floor). Distinctly different structural trends are seen across the five sub-units that are based on petrological and geochemical observations of the recovered core. In addition, variations in the borehole dimensions are used to define 115 zones of borehole breakout, with a cumulative extent of 434.76m (31% of the total drilled). Such regions often correspond to areas of poor recovery and are consequently poorly characterised using core samples. The extensive FMS-based structural database allows the variation in fracture networks and areas of weakness to be quantified at a high-resolution, leading to improved understanding of the hydrothermal fluid flow and melt pathways in the footwall section.

Anatomy of ridge discontinuities, transform fault and overlapping spreading centre, at the slow spreading sedimented Andaman Sea Spreading Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jourdain, A.; Singh, S. C.; Klinger, Y.

2013-12-01

Transform faults are the major discontinuities and define the main segment boundaries along spreading centres but their anatomy is poorly understood because of their complex seafloor morphology, even though they are observed at all types of spreading centres. Here, we present high-resolution seismic reflection images across the sedimented Andaman Sea Transform Fault where the sediments record the faulting and allow studying the evolution of the transform fault both in space and time. Furthermore, sediments allow the imaging of the faults down to the Moho depth that provides insight on the interplay between tectonic and magmatic processes. On the other hand, overlapping spreading centres (OSC) are small-scale discontinuities, possibly transient, and are observed only along fast or intermediate spreading centres. Exceptionally, an overlapping spreading centre is present at the slow spreading Andaman Sea Spreading Centre, which, we suggest, is due to the presence of thick sediments that hamper the efficient hydrothermal circulation allowing magma to stay much longer in the crust at different depths, and up to close to the segment ends, leading to the development of an overlapping spreading. The seismic reflection images across the OSC indicate the presence of large magma bodies in the crust. Seismic images also provide images of active faults allowing to study the link between faulting and magmatism. Interestingly, an earthquake swarm occurred at propagating limb of the OSC in 2006, after the great 2004 Andaman-Sumatra earthquake of Mw=9.3, highlighting the migration of the OSC westward. In this paper, we will show seismic reflection images and interpret these images in the light of bathymetry and earthquake data, and provide the anatomy of the ridge discontinuities along the slow spreading sedimented Andaman Sea Spreading Centre.

Mesozoic strike-slip movement of the Dunhua-Mishan Fault Zone in NE China: A response to oceanic plate subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Cheng; Zhu, Guang; Zhang, Shuai; Gu, Chengchuan; Li, Yunjian; Su, Nan; Xiao, Shiye

2018-01-01

The NE-striking Dunhua-Mishan Fault Zone (DMFZ) is one of two branches of the continental-scale sinistral Tan-Lu Fault Zone in NE China. The field data presented here indicate that the ca. 1000 km long DMFZ records two phases of sinistral faulting. The structures produced by these two phases of faulting include NE-SW-striking ductile shear belts and brittle faults, respectively. Mylonite-hosted microstructures and quartz c-axis fabrics suggest deformation temperatures of 450 °C-500 °C for the ductile shear belts. Combining new zircon U-Pb dates for 14 igneous rock samples analyzed during this study with the geology of this region indicates these shear belts formed during the earliest Early Cretaceous. This phase of sinistral displacement represents the initial formation of the DMFZ in response to the northward propagation of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone into NE China. A phase of Early Cretaceous rifting was followed by a second phase of sinistral faulting at 102-96 Ma, as evidenced by our new U-Pb ages for associated igneous rocks. Combining our new data with the results of previous research indicates that the DFMZ records a four-stage Cretaceous evolutionary history, where initial sinistral faulting at the beginning of the Early Cretaceous gave way to rifting during the rest of the Early Cretaceous. This was followed by a second phase of sinistral faulting at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous and a second phase of local rifting during the rest of the Late Cretaceous. The Cretaceous evolution of the DMFZ records the synchronous tectonic evolution of the NE China continent bordering the Pacific Ocean. Two phases of regional N-S compression generated the two phases of sinistral faulting within the DMFZ, whereas two-stage regional extension generated the two phases of rifting. The two compressive events were the result of the rapid low-angle subduction of the Izanagi and Pacific plates, whereas the two-stage extension was caused by the roll-back of these respective plates. The final closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean at the beginning of the Early Cretaceous intensified the synchronous compression in NE China, causing the northward propagation of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone.

Determination of accuracy of winding deformation method using kNN based classifier used for 3 MVA transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Mustafa Wasir; Baishya, Manash Jyoti; Sharma, Sasanka Sekhor; Hazarika, Manash

2018-04-01

This paper presents a detecting system on power transformer in transformer winding, core and on load tap changer (OLTC). Accuracy of winding deformation is determined using kNN based classifier. Winding deformation in power transformer can be measured using sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA), which can enhance the diagnosis accuracy to a large degree. It is suggested that in the results minor deformation faults can be detected at frequency range of 1 mHz to 2 MHz. The values of RCL parameters are changed when faults occur and hence frequency response of the winding will change accordingly. The SFRA data of tested transformer is compared with reference trace. The difference between two graphs indicate faults in the transformer. The deformation between 1 mHz to 1kHz gives winding deformation, 1 kHz to 100 kHz gives core deformation and 100 kHz to 2 MHz gives OLTC deformation.

High-resolution estimates of Southwest Indian Ridge plate motions, 20 Ma to present

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMets, C.; Merkouriev, S.; Sauter, D.

2015-12-01

We present the first estimates of Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) plate motions at high temporal resolution during the Quaternary and Neogene based on nearly 5000 crossings of 21 magnetic reversals out to C6no (19.72 Ma) and the digitized traces of 17 fracture zones and transform faults. Our reconstructions of this slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge reveal several unexpected results with notable implications for regional and global plate reconstructions since 20 Ma. Extrapolations of seafloor opening distances to zero-age seafloor based on reconstructions of reversals C1n (0.78 Ma) through C3n.4 (5.2 Ma) reveal evidence for surprisingly large outward displacement of 5 ± 1 km west of 32°E, where motion between the Nubia and Antarctic plates occurs, but 2 ± 1 km east of 32°E, more typical of most mid-ocean ridges. Newly estimated SWIR seafloor spreading rates are up to 15 per cent slower everywhere along the ridge than previous estimates. Reconstructions of the numerous observations for times back to 11 Ma confirm the existence of the hypothesized Lwandle plate at high confidence level and indicate that the Lwandle plate's western and eastern boundaries respectively intersect the ridge near the Andrew Bain transform fault complex at 32°E and between ˜45°E and 52°E, in accord with previous results. The Nubia-Antarctic, Lwandle-Antarctic and Somalia-Antarctic rotation sequences that best fit many magnetic reversal, fracture zone and transform fault crossings define previously unknown changes in the Neogene motions of all three plate pairs, consisting of ˜20 per cent slowdowns in their spreading rates at 7.2^{+0.9 }_{ -1.4} Ma if we enforce a simultaneous change in motion everywhere along the SWIR and gradual 3°-7° anticlockwise rotations of the relative slip directions. We apply trans-dimensional Bayesian analysis to our noisy, best-fitting rotation sequences in order to estimate less-noisy rotation sequences suitable for use in future global plate reconstructions and geodynamic studies. Notably, our new Nubia-Antarctic reconstruction of C5n.2 (11.0 Ma) predicts 20 per cent less opening than do two previous estimates, with important implications for motion that is estimated between the Nubia and Somalia plates. A Nubia-Somalia rotation determined from our Nubia-Antarctic and Somalia-Antarctic plate rotations for C5n.2 (11.0 Ma) predicts cumulative opening of 45 ± 4 km (95 per cent uncertainty) across the northernmost East Africa rift since 11.0 Ma, 70 per cent less than a recent 129 ± 62 km opening estimate based on a now-superseded interpretation of Anomaly 5 along the western portion of the SWIR.

7 CFR 17.8 - Ocean transportation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... transportation accepts the commodity before receipt of an acceptable letter of credit from a bank, the supplier... of princes, rulers or peoples without the fault of the supplier of ocean transportation; wars; public...

Subsurface imaging in a sector of Cerro Prieto transform fault near to pull-apart basin, Mexicali Valley, Baja California, Mexico, based on crooked lines 2D seismic reflection.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mares-Agüero, M. A.; González-Escobar, M.; Arregui, S.

2016-12-01

In the transition zone between San Andres continental transformation system and the coupled transform faults system and rifting of Gulf of California is located the Cerro Prieto pull-apart basin delimitated by Imperial fault (northeast) and Cerro Prieto fault (CPF) (southwest), this last, is the limit west of Cerro Prieto geothermic field (CPGF). Crooked lines 2D seismic reflection, covering a portion near the intersection of CPF and CPGF are processed and interpreted. The seismic data were obtained in the early 80's by Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). By decades, technical and investigation works in Cerro Prieto geothermic field and its vicinity had mapped faults at several depths but do not stablish a clear limit where this faults and CPF interact due the complex hydrothermal effects imaging the subsurface. The profiles showing the presence of a zone of uplift effect due to CPF. Considering the proximity of the profiles to CPF, it is surprising almost total absence of faults. A strong reflector around 2 km of depth, it is present in all profiles. This seismic reflector is considered a layer of shale, result of the correlation with a well located in the same region.

An improved fault detection classification and location scheme based on wavelet transform and artificial neural network for six phase transmission line using single end data only.

PubMed

Koley, Ebha; Verma, Khushaboo; Ghosh, Subhojit

2015-01-01

Restrictions on right of way and increasing power demand has boosted development of six phase transmission. It offers a viable alternative for transmitting more power, without major modification in existing structure of three phase double circuit transmission system. Inspite of the advantages, low acceptance of six phase system is attributed to the unavailability of a proper protection scheme. The complexity arising from large number of possible faults in six phase lines makes the protection quite challenging. The proposed work presents a hybrid wavelet transform and modular artificial neural network based fault detector, classifier and locator for six phase lines using single end data only. The standard deviation of the approximate coefficients of voltage and current signals obtained using discrete wavelet transform are applied as input to the modular artificial neural network for fault classification and location. The proposed scheme has been tested for all 120 types of shunt faults with variation in location, fault resistance, fault inception angles. The variation in power system parameters viz. short circuit capacity of the source and its X/R ratio, voltage, frequency and CT saturation has also been investigated. The result confirms the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed protection scheme which makes it ideal for real time implementation.

Detailed seismicity analysis revealing the dynamics of the southern Dead Sea area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braeuer, B.; Asch, G.; Hofstetter, R.; Haberland, Ch.; Jaser, D.; El-Kelani, R.; Weber, M.

2014-10-01

Within the framework of the international DESIRE (DEad Sea Integrated REsearch) project, a dense temporary local seismological network was operated in the southern Dead Sea area. During 18 recording months, 648 events were detected. Based on an already published tomography study clustering, focal mechanisms, statistics and the distribution of the microseismicity in relation to the velocity models from the tomography are analysed. The determined b value of 0.74 leads to a relatively high risk of large earthquakes compared to the moderate microseismic activity. The distribution of the seismicity indicates an asymmetric basin with a vertical strike-slip fault forming the eastern boundary of the basin, and an inclined western boundary, made up of strike-slip and normal faults. Furthermore, significant differences between the area north and south of the Bokek fault were observed. South of the Bokek fault, the western boundary is inactive while the entire seismicity occurs on the eastern boundary and below the basin-fill sediments. The largest events occurred here, and their focal mechanisms represent the northwards transform motion of the Arabian plate along the Dead Sea Transform. The vertical extension of the spatial and temporal cluster from February 2007 is interpreted as being related to the locking of the region around the Bokek fault. North of the Bokek fault similar seismic activity occurs on both boundaries most notably within the basin-fill sediments, displaying mainly small events with strike-slip mechanism and normal faulting in EW direction. Therefore, we suggest that the Bokek fault forms the border between the single transform fault and the pull-apart basin with two active border faults.

Deformation associated to exhumation by detachment faulting of upper mantle rocks in a fossil Ocean Continent Transition: The example of the Totalp unit in SE Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picazo, S.; Manatschal, G.; Cannat, M.

2013-12-01

The exhumation of upper mantle rocks along detachment faults is widespread at Mid-Ocean Ridges and at the Ocean-Continent Transition (OCT) of rifted continental margins. Thermo-mechanical models indicate that significant strain softening of the fault rocks in the footwall is required in order to produce such large fault offsets. Our work focuses on deformation textures, and the associated mineralogy in ultramafic rocks sampled in the upper levels of the footwall next to the exhumation fault. We present two OCT examples, the Totalp relict of a paleo-Tethys OCT exposed in SE Switzerland, and the Iberian distal margin (ODP Leg 173 Site 1070). We built a new geological map and a section of the Totalp unit near Davos (SE Switzerland) and interpreted this area as a local exposure of a paleo-seafloor that is formed by an exhumed detachment surface and serpentinized peridotites. The top of the exhumed mantle rocks is made of ophicalcites that resulted from the carbonation of serpentine under static conditions at the seafloor. The ophicalcites preserve depositional contacts with Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous pelagic sediments. These sequences did not exceed prehnite-pumpellyite metamorphic facies conditions, and locally escaped Alpine deformation. Thin mylonitic shear zones as well as foliated amphibole-bearing ultramafic rocks have been mapped. The age of these rocks and the link with the final exhumation history are yet unknown but since amphibole-bearing ultramafic rocks can be found as clasts in cataclasites related to the detachment fault, they pre-date detachment faulting. Our petrostructural study of the exhumed serpentinized rocks also reveals a deformation gradient from cataclasis to gouge formation within 150m in the footwall of the proposed paleo-detachment fault. This deformation postdates serpentinization. It involves a component of plastic deformation of serpentine in the most highly strained intervals that has suffered pronounced grain-size reduction and a polyphase cataclastic overprint.

Continentward-dipping detachment fault system and asymmetric rift structure of the Baiyun Sag, northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhichao; Mei, Lianfu; Liu, Jun; Zheng, Jinyun; Chen, Liang; Hao, Shihao

2018-02-01

The rift architecture and deep crustal structure of the distal margin at the mid-northern margin of the South China Sea have been previously investigated by using deep seismic reflection profiles. However, one fundamental recurring problem in the debate is the extensional fault system and rift structure of the hyperextended rift basins (Baiyun Sag and Liwan Sag) within the distal margin because of the limited amount of seismic data. Based on new 3D seismic survey data and 2D seismic reflection profiles, we observe an array of fault blocks in the Baiyun Sag, which were tilted towards the ocean by extensional faulting. The extensional faults consistently dip towards the continent. Beneath the tilted fault blocks and extensional faults, a low-angle, high-amplitude and continuous reflection has been interpreted as the master detachment surface that controls the extension process. During rifting, the continentward-dipping normal faults evolved in a sequence from south to north, generating the asymmetric rift structure of the Baiyun Sag. The Baiyun Sag is separated from the oceanic domain by a series of structural highs that were uplifted by magmatic activity in response to the continental breakup at 33 Ma and a ridge jump to the south at 26-24 Ma. Therefore, we propose that magmatism played a significant role in the continental extension and final breakup in the South China Sea.

Sliding Mode Observer-Based Current Sensor Fault Reconstruction and Unknown Load Disturbance Estimation for PMSM Driven System.

PubMed

Zhao, Kaihui; Li, Peng; Zhang, Changfan; Li, Xiangfei; He, Jing; Lin, Yuliang

2017-12-06

This paper proposes a new scheme of reconstructing current sensor faults and estimating unknown load disturbance for a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-driven system. First, the original PMSM system is transformed into two subsystems; the first subsystem has unknown system load disturbances, which are unrelated to sensor faults, and the second subsystem has sensor faults, but is free from unknown load disturbances. Introducing a new state variable, the augmented subsystem that has sensor faults can be transformed into having actuator faults. Second, two sliding mode observers (SMOs) are designed: the unknown load disturbance is estimated by the first SMO in the subsystem, which has unknown load disturbance, and the sensor faults can be reconstructed using the second SMO in the augmented subsystem, which has sensor faults. The gains of the proposed SMOs and their stability analysis are developed via the solution of linear matrix inequality (LMI). Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed scheme was verified by simulations and experiments. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can reconstruct current sensor faults and estimate unknown load disturbance for the PMSM-driven system.

Transforming incomplete fault tree to Ishikawa diagram as an alternative method for technology transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batzias, Dimitris F.

2012-12-01

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) can be used for technology transfer when the relevant problem (called 'top even' in FTA) is solved in a technology centre and the results are diffused to interested parties (usually Small Medium Enterprises - SMEs) that have not the proper equipment and the required know-how to solve the problem by their own. Nevertheless, there is a significant drawback in this procedure: the information usually provided by the SMEs to the technology centre, about production conditions and corresponding quality characteristics of the product, and (sometimes) the relevant expertise in the Knowledge Base of this centre may be inadequate to form a complete fault tree. Since such cases are quite frequent in practice, we have developed a methodology for transforming incomplete fault tree to Ishikawa diagram, which is more flexible and less strict in establishing causal chains, because it uses a surface phenomenological level with a limited number of categories of faults. On the other hand, such an Ishikawa diagram can be extended to simulate a fault tree as relevant knowledge increases. An implementation of this transformation, referring to anodization of aluminium, is presented.

Latest Miocene transtensional rifting of northeast Isla Tiburón, eastern margin of the Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Scott E. K.; Oskin, Michael E.; Iriondo, Alexander

2017-11-01

Details about the timing and kinematics of rifting are crucial to understand the conditions that led to strain localization, continental rupture, and formation of the Gulf of California ocean basin. We integrate detailed geologic and structural mapping, basin analysis, and geochronology to characterize transtensional rifting on northeastern Isla Tiburón, a proximal onshore exposure of the rifted North America margin, adjacent to the axis of the Gulf of California. Slip on the Kunkaak normal fault tilted its hanging wall down-to-the-east 70° and formed the non-marine Tecomate basin, deposited across a 20° angular unconformity. From 7.1-6.4 Ma, the hanging wall tilted at 35 ± 5°/Myr, while non-marine sandstone and conglomerate accumulated at 1.4 ± 0.2 mm/yr. At least 1.8 ± 0.1 km of sediments and pyroclastic deposits accumulated in the Tecomate basin concurrent with clockwise vertical-axis block rotation and 2.8 km of total dip-slip motion on the Kunkaak fault. Linear extrapolation of tilting and sedimentation rates suggests that faulting and basin deposition initiated 7.6-7.4 Ma, but an older history involving initially slower rates is permissible. The Kunkaak fault and Tecomate basin are truncated by NW-striking, dextral-oblique structures, including the Yawassag fault, which accrued > 8 km of post-6.4 Ma dextral displacement. The Coastal Sonora fault zone on mainland Sonora, which accrued several tens of kilometers of late Miocene dextral offset, continues to the northwest, across northeastern Isla Tiburón and offshore into the Gulf of California. The establishment of rapid, latest Miocene transtension in the Coastal Sonora fault zone was synchronous with the 8-7 Ma onset of transform faulting and basin formation along the nascent Pacific-North America plate boundary throughout northwestern Mexico and southern California. Plate boundary strain localized into this Gulf of California shear zone, a narrow transtensional belt that subsequently hosted the marine incursion and continental rupture in the Gulf of California.

Geophysical surveys of the Queen Charlotte Fault plate boundary off SE Alaska: Preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ten Brink, U. S.; Brothers, D. S.; Andrews, B. D.; Kluesner, J.; Haeussler, P. J.; Miller, N. C.; Watt, J. T.; Dartnell, P.; East, A. E.

2016-12-01

Recent multibeam sonar and high-resolution seismic surveys covering the northern 400-km-long segment of Queen Charlotte Fault off SE Alaska, indicate that the entire 50 mm/yr right-lateral Pacific-North America plate motion is currently accommodated by a single fault trace. The trace is remarkably straight rarely interrupted by step-overs, and is often <100 m wide. It runs along the shelf edge dropping into the slope only in the southern end of the mapped area. The straight and narrow surficial fault expression and its location with respect to the shelf may be due to high sedimentation rate during the collapse of the SE Alaska ice cap 17,000 yr ago, which obliterated the previous surficial deformation. Gravity data suggests that the fault may separate the 15-20 Ma oceanic crust of the Pacific plate from continental forearc and arc terrains of a former subduction zone. This unusual setting for a transform plate boundary might have resulted from the northward passage of the thick crust of the Yakutat Terrane during the Late Cenozoic. A step-over at the mouth of Chatham Strait has formed a 20-km-long 1.6-km-wide pull-apart basin composed of 3 sub-basins. Internal basin stratigraphy indicates possible southward migration of the step-over with time. Slight outward curving of the southern strand may suggest the presence of a deeper barrier there, which could have terminated the northward super-shear rupture of the 2013 M7.5 Craig Earthquake. Whether this possible barrier is related to the intersection of the Aja Fracture Zone with the plate boundary is unclear. No other surficial impediments to rupture were observed along the 315 km trace between this fault step-over and a 20° bend near Icy Point, where the fault extends onshore and becomes highly transpressional. An enigmatic oval depression, 1.5-2 km wide and 500 m deep, south of the step-over and a possible mud volcano north of the step-over, may attest to possible vigorous gas and fluid upwelling along the fault zone.

Kinematic evolution of the Maacama Fault Zone, Northern California Coast Ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroeder, Rick D.

The Maacama Fault Zone (MFZ) is a major component of the Pacific-North American transform boundary in northern California, and its distribution of deformation and kinematic evolution defines that of a young continental transform boundary. The USGS Quaternary database (2010) currently defines the MFZ as a relatively narrow fault zone; however, a cluster analysis of microearthquakes beneath the MFZ defines a wider fault zone, composed of multiple seismogenically active faults. The surface projection of best-fit tabular zones through foci clusters correlates with previously interpreted faults that were assumed inactive. New investigations further delineate faults within the MFZ based on geomorphic features and shallow resistivity surveys, and these faults are interpreted to be part of several active pull-apart fault systems. The location of faults and changes in their geometry in relation to geomorphic features, indicate >8 km of cumulative dextral displacement across the eastern portion of the MFZ at Little Lake Valley, which includes other smaller offsets on fault strands in the valley. Some faults within the MFZ have geometries consistent with reactivated subduction-related reverse faults, and project near outcrops of pre-existing faults, filled with mechanically weak minerals. The mechanical behavior of fault zones is influenced by the spatial distribution and abundance of mechanically weak lithologies and mineralogies within the heterogeneous Franciscan melange that the MFZ displaces. This heterogeneity is characterized near Little Lake Valley (LLV) using remotely sensed data, field mapping, and wellbore data, and is composed of 2--5 km diameter disk-shaped coherent blocks that can be competent and resist deformation. Coherent blocks and the melange that surrounds them are the source for altered minerals that fill portions of fault zones. Mechanically weak minerals in pre-existing fault zones, identified by X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analyses, are interpreted as a major reason for complex configurations of clusters of microearthquakes and zones of aseismic creep along the MFZ. Analysis of the kinematics of the MFZ and the distribution of its deformation is important because it improves the understanding of young stages of transform system evolution, which has implications that affect issues ranging from seismic hazard to petroleum and minerals exploration around the world.

Metastable mantle phase transformations and deep earthquakes in subducting oceanic lithosphere

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirby, S.H.; Stein, S.; Okal, E.A.; Rubie, David C.

1996-01-01

Earth's deepest earthquakes occur as a population in subducting or previously subducted lithosphere at depths ranging from about 325 to 690 km. This depth interval closely brackets the mantle transition zone, characterized by rapid seismic velocity increases resulting from the transformation of upper mantle minerals to higher-pressure phases. Deep earthquakes thus provide the primary direct evidence for subduction of the lithosphere to these depths and allow us to investigate the deep thermal, thermodynamic, and mechanical ferment inside slabs. Numerical simulations of reaction rates show that the olivine ??? spinel transformation should be kinetically hindered in old, cold slabs descending into the transition zone. Thus wedge-shaped zones of metastable peridotite probably persist to depths of more than 600 km. Laboratory deformation experiments on some metastable minerals display a shear instability called transformational faulting. This instability involves sudden failure by localized superplasticity in thin shear zones where the metastable host mineral transforms to a denser, finer-grained phase. Hence in cold slabs, such faulting is expected for the polymorphic reactions in which olivine transforms to the spinel structure and clinoenstatite transforms to ilmenite. It is thus natural to hypothesize that deep earthquakes result from transformational faulting in metastable peridotite wedges within cold slabs. This consideration of the mineralogical states of slabs augments the traditional largely thermal view of slab processes and explains some previously enigmatic slab features. It explains why deep seismicity occurs only in the approximate depth range of the mantle transition zone, where minerals in downgoing slabs should transform to spinel and ilmenite structures. The onset of deep shocks at about 325 km is consistent with the onset of metastability near the equilibrium phase boundary in the slab. Even if a slab penetrates into the lower mantle, earthquakes should cease at depths near 700 km, because the seismogenic phase transformations in the slab are completed or can no longer occur. Substantial metastability is expected only in old, cold slabs, consistent with the observed restriction of deep earthquakes to those settings. Earthquakes should be restricted to the cold cores of slabs, as in any model in which the seismicity is temperature controlled, via the distribution of metastability. However, the geometries of recent large deep earthquakes pose a challenge for any such models. Transformational faulting may give insight into why deep shocks lack appreciable aftershocks and why their source characteristics, including focal mechanisms indicating localized shear failure rather than implosive deformation, are so similar to those of shallow earthquakes. Finally, metastable phase changes in slabs would produce an internal source of stress in addition to those due to the weight of the sinking slab. Such internal stresses may explain the occurrence of earthquakes in portions of lithosphere which have foundered to the bottom of the transition zone and/or are detached from subducting slabs. Metastability in downgoing slabs could have considerable geodynamic significance. Metastable wedges would reduce the negative buoyancy of slabs, decrease the driving force for subduction, and influence the state of stress in slabs. Heat released by metastable phase changes would raise temperatures within slabs and facilitate the transformation of spinel to the lower mantle mineral assemblage, causing slabs to equilibrate more rapidly with the ambient mantle and thus contribute to the cessation of deep seismicity. Because wedge formation should occur only for fast subducting slabs, it may act as a "parachute" and contribute to regulating plate speeds. Wedge formation would also have consequences for mantle evolution because the density of a slab stagnated near the bottom of the transition zone would increase as it heats up and the wedge tra

The formation of graben morphology in the Dead Sea Fault, and its implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Avraham, Zvi; Katsman, Regina

2015-09-01

The Dead Sea Fault (DSF) is a 1000 km long continental transform. It forms a narrow and elongated valley with uplifted shoulders showing an east-west asymmetry, which is not common in other continental transforms. This topography may have strongly affected the course of human history. Several papers addressed the geomorphology of the DSF, but there is still no consensus with respect to the dominant mechanism of its formation. Our thermomechanical modeling demonstrates that existence of a transform prior to the rifting predefined high strain softening on the faults in the strong upper crust and created a precursor weak zone localizing deformations in the subsequent transtensional period. Together with a slow rate of extension over the Arabian plate, they controlled a narrow asymmetric morphology of the fault. This rift pattern was enhanced by a fast deposition of evaporites from the Sedom Lagoon, which occupied the rift depression for a short time period.

Segregation and Phase Transformations Along Superlattice Intrinsic Stacking Faults in Ni-Based Superalloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, T. M.; Esser, B. D.; Good, B.; Hooshmand, M. S.; Viswanathan, G. B.; Rae, C. M. F.; Ghazisaeidi, M.; McComb, D. W.; Mills, M. J.

2018-06-01

In this study, local chemical and structural changes along superlattice intrinsic stacking faults combine to represent an atomic-scale phase transformation. In order to elicit stacking fault shear, creep tests of two different single crystal Ni-based superalloys, ME501 and CMSX-4, were performed near 750 °C using stresses of 552 and 750 MPa, respectively. Through high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and state-of-the-art energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, ordered compositional changes were measured along SISFs in both alloys. For both instances, the elemental segregation and local crystal structure present along the SISFs are consistent with a nanoscale γ' to D019 phase transformation. Other notable observations are prominent γ-rich Cottrell atmospheres and new evidence of more complex reordering processes responsible for the formation of these faults. These findings are further supported using density functional theory calculations and high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF)-STEM image simulations.

Deep Seismic Reflection Images across a Major Reactivated Fracture Zone in the Wharton Basin: Implications for the Location of the Plate Boundary between India and Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carton, H. D.; Singh, S. C.; Hananto, N. D.; Martin, J.; Djajadihardja, Y. S.; Udrekh, U.; Franke, D.; Gaedicke, C.

2012-12-01

The equatorial Indian Ocean has long been recognized to be hosting extensive "intra-plate" deformation. To west of the Ninety-East Ridge (NER), The Central Indian Ocean Basin is characterized by N-S compression in a broad region with E-W trending folds and high-angle reverse faulting. To the east of NER in the Wharton Basin, deformation mainly occurs along reactivated N5°E-trending oceanic fracture zones with left-lateral strike-slip motion. Near longitude 93°E in the Wharton Basin runs a major reactivated fracture zone, along which the epicenters of the two recent Mw=8.6 and Mw=8.2 strike-slip earthquakes of April 11, 2012, and an Mw=7.2 foreshock that occurred in January 2012 are aligned. The April 11 events are the largest known oceanic events occurring away from the main plate boundaries. They ruptured a 20-40 km thick section of the oceanic lithosphere, i.e. down to depths at which no direct images of fault zones have been obtained so far. Deep seismic reflection data acquired in the Mw=8.6 earthquake rupture zone ~100 km north of the epicenter shows the presence of sub-Moho reflectivity down to 37 km depth in the oceanic mantle. We interpret these events as reflections off the earthquake-generating fault plane in the oceanic mantle, in accordance with results suggesting that brittle deformation of the oceanic lithosphere extends well into the mantle down to the 600°C isotherm. The fracture zone near 93°E separates lithospheres of contrasting crustal thicknesses (3.5-4.5 km versus 6 km) with a 10 Ma age difference, and therefore seems to act as a rheological boundary. We find that the deep reflections could originate from either a plane trending approximately N105°E, at high angle to the fracture zone, or from the fracture zone itself if the dip of the fault surface decreases from nearly vertical in the sediments to about 45° in the oceanic mantle. We propose that this fracture zone is a major tectonic boundary in the Wharton Basin, and that the three 2012 earthquakes ruptured a large section of it as part of a poorly-defined diffuse plate boundary between the Indian and Australian plates, with slip occurring on this re-activated N-S fracture zone and on fossil E-W spreading-related faults. Over 1000 km of this plate boundary could have ruptured since the great 2004 Sumatra earthquake.

Extenstional terrain formation in icy satellites: Implications for ocean-surface interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, Samuel M.; Pappalardo, Robert T.

2017-10-01

Europa and Ganymede, Galilean satellites of Jupiter, exhibit geologic activity in their outer H2O ice shells that might convey material from water oceans within the satellites to their surfaces. Imagery from the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft reveal surfaces rich with tectonic deformation, including dilational bands on Europa and groove lanes on Ganymede. These features are generally attributed to the extension of a brittle ice lithosphere overlaying a possibly convecting ice asthenosphere. To explore band formation and interaction with interior oceans, we employ fully visco-elasto-plastic 2-D models of faulting and convection with complex, realistic pure ice rheologies. In these models, material entering from below is tracked and considered to be “fossilized ocean,” ocean material that has frozen into the ice shell and evolves through geologic time. We track the volume fraction of fossil ocean material in the ice shell as a function of depth, and the exposure of both fresh ice and fossil ocean material at the ice shell surface. To explore the range in extensional terrains, we vary ice shell thickness, fault localization, melting-temperature ice viscosity, and the presence of pre-existing weaknesses. Mechanisms which act to weaken the ice shell and thin the lithosphere (e.g. vigorous convection, thinner shells, pre-existing weaknesses) tend to plastically yield to form smooth bands at high strains, and are more likely to incorporate fossil ocean material in the ice shell and expose it at the surface. In contrast, lithosphere strengthened by rapid fault annealing or increased viscosity, for example, exhibits large-scale tectonic rifting at low strains superimposed over pre-existing terrains, and inhibits the incorporation and delivery of fossil ocean material to the surface. Thus, our results identify a spectrum of extensional terrain formation mechanisms as linked to lithospheric strength, rather than specific mechanisms that are unique to each type of band, and discuss where in this spectrum ocean material incorporated at the bottom of the ice shell may be exposed on the satellite surface.

Extensional terrain formation on Europa and Ganymede: Implications for ocean-surface interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, S. M.; Pappalardo, R. T.

2017-12-01

Europa and Ganymede, Galilean satellites of Jupiter, exhibit geologic activity in their outer H2O ice shells that might convey material from water oceans within the satellites to their surfaces. Imagery from the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft reveal surfaces rich with tectonic deformation, including dilational bands on Europa and groove lanes on Ganymede. These features are generally attributed to the extension of a brittle ice lithosphere overlaying a possibly convecting ice asthenosphere. To explore band formation and interaction with interior oceans, we employ fully visco-elasto-plastic 2-D models of faulting and convection with complex, realistic pure ice rheologies. In these models, material entering from below is tracked and considered to be "fossilized ocean," ocean material that has frozen into the ice shell and evolves through geologic time. We track the volume fraction of fossil ocean material in the ice shell as a function of depth, and the exposure of both fresh ice and fossil ocean material at the ice shell surface. We vary ice shell thickness, fault localization, melting-temperature ice viscosity, and the presence of pre-existing weaknesses. Mechanisms which act to weaken the ice shell and thin the lithosphere (e.g. vigorous convection, thinner shells, pre-existing weaknesses) tend to plastically yield to form smooth bands at high strains, and are more likely to incorporate fossil ocean material in the ice shell and expose it at the surface. In contrast, lithosphere strengthened by rapid fault annealing or increased viscosity, for example, exhibits large-scale tectonic rifting at low strains superimposed over pre-existing terrains, and inhibits the incorporation and delivery of fossil ocean material to the surface. Thus, our results identify a spectrum of extensional terrain formation mechanisms as linked to lithospheric strength, rather than any specific mechanism being unique to each type of band, and where in this spectrum ocean material incorporated at the bottom of the ice shell may be exposed on the satellite surface.

Characterisation of along- and across-strike variation of accretionary prism structure and insights into earthquake segmentation, Central Sumatran Forearc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, B.; Henstock, T.; McNeill, L. C.; Geersen, J.; Bull, J. M.

2013-12-01

The Central Sumatran Forearc exhibits along and across strike variations in morphology and deformation style; variations occur over distances of 10's to 100's of kilometres and are related to the varying oceanic basement topography and sediment input. We present a detailed interpretation of multi-channel seismic reflection (MCS) data offshore Central Sumatra to better characterise morphologic and structural variations; provide insight into fault development; relate structures to the varying input parameters; and identify any links to seismicity. The data were collected using a 5420 cu. in. gun array and recorded with a 192-channel, 2.4 km long streamer. Data coverage extends across strike from the deformation front to the outer forearc high with a few lines extending into the forearc basin; and along strike from 1.5οS to 3oN. In the southern part of our study area, from 1.5oS to 0.5oN, oceanic basement highs outcrop at the seafloor along the outer-arc high and the sediment section thickness varies from approximately 1.2 to 3.2 km at the trench. The accretionary prism is comprised of seaward-, landward- and mixed-vergence faults which apparently sole into the top of oceanic basement. Landward-vergent faults are concentrated at the deformation front near the subducting Wharton Fossil Ridge and seem to be associated with a relatively strong downgoing plate reflection. The larger accretionary prism structure is dominated by two relatively continuous, major fault-controlled structures that divide the prism into three strike-parallel belts. From 0.5oN to 2oN, the sediment section is approximately 2.3-4.3 km thick and we do not observe oceanic basement outcrops at the seafloor. Landward-vergent faults are less common and where present they are subordinate to relatively high-offset seaward-vergent faults at the deformation front. The larger prism structure has a convex profile which results from displacement on several major faults. North of 2oN, the sediment section at the trench is >4.5 km thick and a high-amplitude, negative polarity reflector is observed approximately 500 m above the oceanic basement. Landward-vergent faults are commonly observed at the deformation front. The larger accretionary prism structure transitions to the steep frontal prism and wide plateau geometry observed off Northern Sumatra. In the southern part of our study area, short wavelength variations in structure and plate boundary reflectivity, and the Batu Islands earthquake segment boundary are coincident with the subducting Wharton Fossil Ridge. Longer-wavelength changes in the overall prism structure observed across our study area are likely related to regional changes in sediment properties and thickness and may be linked to differing rupture characteristics.

Structure of the Sumatra wedge affected by the 26th December 2004 :Effects of the lower plate volcanic ridges.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rangin, C.; Sibuet, J. C.; Lin, J. Y.; Le Pichon, X.

2009-04-01

Detailed swath-bathymetry, coupled with echo-sounder data were collected offshore the northern tip of Sumatra over the rupture area of the 26th December 2004 Mw=9.2 earthquake during the Sumatra aftershock cruise. 20 ocean bottom seismometers were also deployed in the northern Sumatra area., and more than 1000 events were identified during the 12 days recording period. We mapped recently active steeply dipping thrust fault zone within the western termination of the Sunda accreted wedge. Main N10°W trending out of sequence thrust fault zones with a discrete westward vergency and some component of dextral strike-slip motion were continuously mapped within the wedge, on the basis of bathymetry and low frequency sounder profiles. The interplate boundary does not appear to extend into the frontal part of the wedge but most probably merges in its central part along these major faults, the Lower and Upper Splay Faults. After relocation, the seismicity shows different pattern in each side of this Upper Splay Fault. East of this boundary, beneath the Aceh basin, the earthquake depths ranged from 30 to 60 km allow us to illustrate the subducted plate. In the western part, the aftershock distribution is strongly influenced by the N-S orientated oceanic fracture zones. Two clusters of earthquakes between 10 and 50 km in depth trending along N-S direction are observed in the lower wedge that we interpret to be reactive fracture zones. The lower wedge is interpreted as the northern prolongation below the wedge of the lower plate NS oceanic fracture zone ridges affected by NS trending left lateral strike-slip faults. This wedge outer ridge is in the process of being transferred to the upper plate. On the other hand the central ridge is interpreted as possible stacked volcanic ridge slivers already incorporated into the upper plate along the subduction buttress (the inner ridge of the wedge). We propose that the tectonic interaction of the volcanic Indian Ocean fracture ridges of the subducted plate with the leading edge of the upper Sunda plate subduction zone is an active tectonic transfer process of oceanic material to the upper plate. The proposed emergence of the interplate boundary into the middle part of the wedge along the Lower Splay Fault, could have favoured the formation of the giant Sumatra tsunami at moderate water depth. This docking and temporary stacking of these volcanic ridges before their subduction at depth, is favoured by the strong oblique convergence that prevails up to the Bengal basin into the north.

Faulting of gas-hydrate-bearing marine sediments - contribution to permeability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.; Holbrook, W.S.; Drury, Rebecca; Gettrust, Joseph; Hutchinson, Deborah; Booth, James; Taylor, Michael

1997-01-01

Extensive faulting is observed in sediments containing high concentrations of methane hydrate off the southeastern coast of the United States. Faults that break the sea floor show evidence of both extension and shortening; mud diapirs are also present. The zone of recent faulting apparently extends from the ocean floor down to the base of gas-hydrate stability. We infer that the faulting resulted from excess pore pressure in gas trapped beneath the gas hydrate-beating layer and/or weakening and mobilization of sediments in the region just below the gas-hydrate stability zone. In addition to the zone of surface faults, we identified two buried zones of faulting, that may have similar origins. Subsurface faulted zones appear to act as gas traps.

Joint High-Order Synchrosqueezing Transform and Multi-Taper Empirical Wavelet Transform for Fault Diagnosis of Wind Turbine Planetary Gearbox under Nonstationary Conditions.

PubMed

Hu, Yue; Tu, Xiaotong; Li, Fucai; Meng, Guang

2018-01-07

Wind turbines usually operate under nonstationary conditions, such as wide-range speed fluctuation and time-varying load. Its critical component, the planetary gearbox, is prone to malfunction or failure, which leads to downtime and repair costs. Therefore, fault diagnosis and condition monitoring for the planetary gearbox in wind turbines is a vital research topic. Meanwhile, the signals measured by the vibration sensors mounted in the gearbox exhibit time-varying and nonstationary features. In this study, a novel time-frequency method based on high-order synchrosqueezing transform (SST) and multi-taper empirical wavelet transform (MTEWT) is proposed for the wind turbine planetary gearbox under nonstationary conditions. The high-order SST uses accurate instantaneous frequency approximations to obtain a sharper time-frequency representation (TFR). As the acquired signal consists of many components, like the meshing and rotating components of the gear and bearing, the fault component may be masked by other unrelated components. The MTEWT is used to separate the fault feature from the masking components. A variety of experimental signals of the wind turbine planetary gearbox under nonstationary conditions have been analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method is effective in diagnosing both gear and bearing faults.

Joint High-Order Synchrosqueezing Transform and Multi-Taper Empirical Wavelet Transform for Fault Diagnosis of Wind Turbine Planetary Gearbox under Nonstationary Conditions

PubMed Central

Li, Fucai; Meng, Guang

2018-01-01

Wind turbines usually operate under nonstationary conditions, such as wide-range speed fluctuation and time-varying load. Its critical component, the planetary gearbox, is prone to malfunction or failure, which leads to downtime and repair costs. Therefore, fault diagnosis and condition monitoring for the planetary gearbox in wind turbines is a vital research topic. Meanwhile, the signals measured by the vibration sensors mounted in the gearbox exhibit time-varying and nonstationary features. In this study, a novel time-frequency method based on high-order synchrosqueezing transform (SST) and multi-taper empirical wavelet transform (MTEWT) is proposed for the wind turbine planetary gearbox under nonstationary conditions. The high-order SST uses accurate instantaneous frequency approximations to obtain a sharper time-frequency representation (TFR). As the acquired signal consists of many components, like the meshing and rotating components of the gear and bearing, the fault component may be masked by other unrelated components. The MTEWT is used to separate the fault feature from the masking components. A variety of experimental signals of the wind turbine planetary gearbox under nonstationary conditions have been analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method is effective in diagnosing both gear and bearing faults. PMID:29316668

Smart intimation and location of faults in distribution system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hari Krishna, K.; Srinivasa Rao, B.

2018-04-01

Location of faults in the distribution system is one of the most complicated problems that we are facing today. Identification of fault location and severity of fault within a short time is required to provide continuous power supply but fault identification and information transfer to the operator is the biggest challenge in the distribution network. This paper proposes a fault location method in the distribution system based on Arduino nano and GSM module with flame sensor. The main idea is to locate the fault in the distribution transformer by sensing the arc coming out from the fuse element. The biggest challenge in the distribution network is to identify the location and the severity of faults under different conditions. Well operated transmission and distribution systems will play a key role for uninterrupted power supply. Whenever fault occurs in the distribution system the time taken to locate and eliminate the fault has to be reduced. The proposed design was achieved with flame sensor and GSM module. Under faulty condition, the system will automatically send an alert message to the operator in the distribution system, about the abnormal conditions near the transformer, site code and its exact location for possible power restoration.

Brittle deformation along the Gulf of Alaska margin in response to Paleocene-Eocene triple junction migration: in Sisson

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haeussler, Peter J.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Goldfarb, Richard J.

2003-01-01

A spreading center was subducted diachronously along a 2200 km segment of what is now the Gulf of Alaska margin between 61 and 50 Ma, and left in its wake near-trench intrusions and high-T, low-P metamorphic rocks. Gold-quartz veins and dikes, linked to ridge subduction by geochronological and relative timing evidence, provide a record of brittle deformation during and after passage of the ridge. The gold-quartz veins are typically hosted by faults, and their regional extent indicates there was widespread deformation of the forearc above the slab window at the time of ridge subduction. Considerable variability in the strain pattern was associated with the slab window and the trailing plate. A diffuse network of dextral, sinistral, and normal faults hosted small lode-gold deposits (<50,000 oz) in south-central Alaska, whereas crustal-scale dextral faults in southeastern Alaska are spatially associated with large gold deposits (up to 800,000 oz).We interpret the gold-quartz veins as having formed above an eastward-migrating slab window, where the forearc crust responded to the diminishing influence of the forward subducting plate, the increasing influence of the trailing plate, and the thermal pulse and decreased basal friction from the slab window. In addition, extensional deformation of the forearc resulted from the diverging motions of the two oceanic plates at the margins of the slab window. Factors that complicate interpretations of fault kinematics and near-trench dike orientations include a change in plate motions at ca. 52 Ma, northward translation of the accretionary complex, oroclinal bending of the south-central Alaska margin, and subduction of transform segments. We find the pattern of syn-ridge subduction faulting in southern Alaska is remarkably similar to brittle faults near the Chile triple junction and to earthquake focal mechanisms in the Woodlark basin - the two modern sites of ridge subduction. Therefore, extensional and strike-slip deformation above slab windows may be a common occurrence.

Characterizing a large shear-zone with seismic and magnetotelluric methods: The case of the Dead Sea Transform

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maercklin, N.; Bedrosian, P.A.; Haberland, C.; Ritter, O.; Ryberg, T.; Weber, M.; Weckmann, U.

2005-01-01

Seismic tomography, imaging of seismic scatterers, and magnetotelluric soundings reveal a sharp lithologic contrast along a ???10 km long segment of the Arava Fault (AF), a prominent fault of the southern Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the Middle East. Low seismic velocities and resistivities occur on its western side and higher values east of it, and the boundary between the two units coincides partly with a seismic scattering image. At 1-4 km depth the boundary is offset to the east of the AF surface trace, suggesting that at least two fault strands exist, and that slip occurred on multiple strands throughout the margin's history. A westward fault jump, possibly associated with straightening of a fault bend, explains both our observations and the narrow fault zone observed by others. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

Structural and geological analysis of the northern Pescadero basin: preliminary results based on the analysis of 2D multichannel seismic reflection profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spelz, R. M.; Ramirez-Zerpa, N. A.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, A.; Yarbuh, I.; Contreras, J.

2017-12-01

The Pacific-North America plate boundary along the Gulf of California is characterized by an array of right-stepping, right-lateral, transform faults connecting a series of pull-apart basins distributed along the gulf axis. Altogether, these structures accommodate an oblique-divergent component of deformation characterizing the modern tectonic regime along the gulf. The northern Pescadero complex, in the southern Gulf of California, is one of the deepest and probably least studied transtensional fault-termination basins in the gulf. The complex is bounded to the north and south by Atl and Farallon transform faults, respectively, and consists of two asymmetric, rhomboidal-shaped, basins with a series of intrabasinal high-angle normal faults and ramps connecting their depocenters. In this study we present preliminary results derived from the processing and analysis of 400 km of seismic reflection profiles, collected in 2006 onboard the R/V Francisco de Ulloa in northern Pescadero, providing new insights into the geology and internal structure of the basin. Northern Pescadero is a deep and narrow basin characterized by a maximum sedimentary infill of 1 km, and depths to the basin floor exceeding 3500 m. Deformation is chiefly accommodated by an array of self-parallel half-graben structures that appear to grow towards the northern flank of the basin. Faults-scarps located farther from the deformation axis appear to be more degraded, suggesting a progressively younger age of the half-grabens near the basin's depocenter. Another important feature revealed in the seismic images is the lack of sediments on top of the crystalline basement that floors the narrow central portion of the basin. In this area the reflectors at the basin's floor show a pronounced increase in amplitude and coherence, indicating the emplacement of magmatic extrusions. Likewise, in those areas with the greater sediment infill, the occurrence of high-amplitude reflectors, located 150 m below the seabed, and measuring several hundred of meters wide, suggests the presence of concordant saucer-shape intrusions (sills). These first order observations suggest that the northern Pescadero basin has evolved to develop a central trough floored by oceanic crust currently emplaced along a short and narrow ( 2.5 km wide) spreading ridge.

Boundary-layer mantle flow under the Dead Sea transform fault inferred from seismic anisotropy.

PubMed

Rümpker, Georg; Ryberg, Trond; Bock, Günter

2003-10-02

Lithospheric-scale transform faults play an important role in the dynamics of global plate motion. Near-surface deformation fields for such faults are relatively well documented by satellite geodesy, strain measurements and earthquake source studies, and deeper crustal structure has been imaged by seismic profiling. Relatively little is known, however, about deformation taking place in the subcrustal lithosphere--that is, the width and depth of the region associated with the deformation, the transition between deformed and undeformed lithosphere and the interaction between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle flow at the plate boundary. Here we present evidence for a narrow, approximately 20-km-wide, subcrustal anisotropic zone of fault-parallel mineral alignment beneath the Dead Sea transform, obtained from an inversion of shear-wave splitting observations along a dense receiver profile. The geometry of this zone and the contrast between distinct anisotropic domains suggest subhorizontal mantle flow within a vertical boundary layer that extends through the entire lithosphere and accommodates the transform motion between the African and Arabian plates within this relatively narrow zone.

Can the composition and structure of the lower ocean crust and upper mantle be known without deep ocean drilling?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, H.; Natland, J.

2003-04-01

No. With few exceptions, lower ocean crust sampled by dredge or submersible in tectonic windows such as Atlantis Bank in the Indian Ocean or the MARK area on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are not representative of the ocean crust. They represent tectonic mixing of rocks from the mantle and crust on large faults that also localize late magmatic intrusion. Where this can be sorted out, the in-situ crustal sections may generally represent a sub-horizontal cross-section through the lower crust and mantle and not a vertical one. The gabbroic rocks exposed represent largely high-level intrusions, highly hybridized by late melt flow along deep faults, or highly evolved gabbro at the distal ends of larger intrusions emplaced into the mantle near transforms. Oceanic gabbros have average compositions that lie outside the range of primary MORB compositions, and rarely are equivalent to spatially associated MORB either as a parent to, or as a residue of their crystallization. Oceanic gabbros sampled from these complexes generally are very coarse-grained, and are unlike those seen in nearly all ophiolites and layered intrusions. In addition, there are few exposures of gabbro and lower ocean crust and mantle in Pacific tectonic windows, though there the possibility of more representative sections is greater due to their exposure in propagating rifts. Limited samples of the mantle from near the midpoints of ocean ridge segments at slow-spreading rifts are from anomalous crustal environments such as ultra-slow spreading ridges or failed rifts. These include abundant dunites, as opposed to samples from fracture zones, which contain only about 1% dunite. While this indicates focused mantle flow towards the midpoint of a ridge, it also shows that fracture zone peridotites are not fully representative of the oceanic upper mantle. Major classes of rocks common in ophiolites, such as fine to medium grained layered primitive olivine gabbros, troctolites, wherlites and dunites, sheeted dikes, and epidosites are rarely or even not exposed. Models of lower ocean crust stratigraphy drawn from deep sea sampling, certainly from slow spreading ridges, do not match those for major intact ophiolites. Thus the ophiolite hypothesis remains unconfirmed for the lower ocean crust and shallow mantle, and it is nearly impossible to accurately identify the ocean ridge environment of any one ophiolite. The one deep drill hole that exists in lower ocean crust, 1.5 km Hole 735B, has a bulk composition too fractionated to mass balance MORB back to a primary mantle melt composition. Thus, a large mass of primitive cumulates is missing and could be situated in the crust below the base of the hole or in the underlying mantle. This is an unresolved question that is critical to understanding the evolution of the most common magma on earth: MORB. Since lower ocean crust and mantle represent a major portion of the crust and the exchange of mass, heat and volatiles from the earth's interior to its exterior this leaves a major hole in our understanding of the global geochemical and tectonic cycle which can only be filled by deep drilling.

Geometric and thermal controls on normal fault seismicity from rate-and-state friction models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mark, H. F.; Behn, M. D.; Olive, J. A. L.; Liu, Y.

2017-12-01

Seismic and geodetic observations from the last two decades have led to a growing realization that a significant amount of fault slip at plate boundaries occurs aseismically, and that the amount of aseismic displacement varies across settings. Here we investigate controls on the seismogenic behavior of crustal-scale normal faults that accommodate extensional strain at mid-ocean ridges and continental rifts. Seismic moment release rates measured along the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise suggest that the majority of fault growth occurs aseismically with almost no seismic slip. In contrast, at the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge seismic slip may represent up to 60% of the total fault displacement. Potential explanations for these variations include heterogeneous distributions of frictional properties on fault surfaces, effects of variable magma supply associated with seafloor spreading, and/or differences in fault geometry and thermal structure. In this study, we use rate-and-state friction models to study the seismic coupling coefficient (the fraction of total fault slip that occurs seismically) for normal faults at divergent plate boundaries, and investigate controls on fault behavior that might produce the variations in the coupling coefficient observed in natural systems. We find that the seismic coupling coefficient scales with W/h*, where W is the downdip width of the seismogenic area of the fault and h* is the critical earthquake nucleation size. At mid-ocean ridges, W is expected to increase with decreasing spreading rate. Thus, the observed relationship between seismic coupling and W/h* explains to first order variations in seismic coupling coefficient as a function of spreading rate. Finally, we use catalog data from the Gulf of Corinth to show that this scaling relationship can be extended into the thicker lithosphere of continental rift systems.

Faulting and hydration of the Juan de Fuca plate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedimović, Mladen R.; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R.; Carbotte, Suzanne M.; Pablo Canales, J.; Dziak, Robert P.

2009-06-01

Multichannel seismic observations provide the first direct images of crustal scale normal faults within the Juan de Fuca plate system and indicate that brittle deformation extends up to ~ 200 km seaward of the Cascadia trench. Within the sedimentary layering steeply dipping faults are identified by stratigraphic offsets, with maximum throws of 110 ± 10 m found near the trench. Fault throws diminish both upsection and seaward from the trench. Long-term throw rates are estimated to be 13 ± 2 mm/kyr. Faulted offsets within the sedimentary layering are typically linked to larger offset scarps in the basement topography, suggesting reactivation of the normal fault systems formed at the spreading center. Imaged reflections within the gabbroic igneous crust indicate swallowing fault dips at depth. These reflections require local alteration to produce an impedance contrast, indicating that the imaged fault structures provide pathways for fluid transport and hydration. As the depth extent of imaged faulting within this young and sediment insulated oceanic plate is primarily limited to approximately Moho depths, fault-controlled hydration appears to be largely restricted to crustal levels. If dehydration embrittlement is an important mechanism for triggering intermediate-depth earthquakes within the subducting slab, then the limited occurrence rate and magnitude of intraslab seismicity at the Cascadia margin may in part be explained by the limited amount of water imbedded into the uppermost oceanic mantle prior to subduction. The distribution of submarine earthquakes within the Juan de Fuca plate system indicates that propagator wake areas are likely to be more faulted and therefore more hydrated than other parts of this plate system. However, being largely restricted to crustal levels, this localized increase in hydration generally does not appear to have a measurable effect on the intraslab seismicity along most of the subducted propagator wakes at the Cascadia margin.

Dynamic Fault Detection Chassis

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

Mize, Jeffery J

2007-01-01

Abstract The high frequency switching megawatt-class High Voltage Converter Modulator (HVCM) developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is now in operation. One of the major problems with the modulator systems is shoot-thru conditions that can occur in a IGBTs H-bridge topology resulting in large fault currents and device failure in a few microseconds. The Dynamic Fault Detection Chassis (DFDC) is a fault monitoring system; it monitors transformer flux saturation using a window comparator and dV/dt events on the cathode voltage caused by any abnormality such as capacitor breakdown, transformer primarymore » turns shorts, or dielectric breakdown between the transformer primary and secondary. If faults are detected, the DFDC will inhibit the IGBT gate drives and shut the system down, significantly reducing the possibility of a shoot-thru condition or other equipment damaging events. In this paper, we will present system integration considerations, performance characteristics of the DFDC, and discuss its ability to significantly reduce costly down time for the entire facility.« less

Tectonics at the Southeast Indian Ridge 79 to 99 E. Results from the GEISEIR cruises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briais, A.; Hemond, C.; Maia, M. A.; Hanan, B. B.; Graham, D. W.; Geiseir Scientific Team; Geiseir2 Scientific Team

2011-12-01

During the GEISEIR (Géochimie Isotopique de la SEIR) and GEISEIR2 cruises on N/O Marion Dufresne in 2009 and 2010, we collected geophysical data, high-density wax-core or dredge basalt samples, and water column profiles along the Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR) between 79E and 99E. This section of the intermediate-spreading SEIR is located between the St Paul-Amsterdam hotspot plateau and the Australia-Antarctic Discordance. We completed the multibeam bathymetry mapping of the axis and transform faults of the 79-88E and the 96-99E sections, and mapped the axial zone and discontinuities of the 88-96E section up to 800 kyr. These ridge sections were sampled at 20 km, 5 km and 10 km spacing, respectively. This presentation focusses on the results of a structural and geophysical analysis of the axial domain and the off-axis area up to 800 kyr. We merged the bathymetry data collected during the GEISEIR and GEISEIR2 cruises with those of the previous (Westward 9 and 10 and Boomerang 6) cruises. We also compiled the shipborne gravity data and estimated mantle Bouguer anomalies (MBA). The ridge displays large variations in axial depth and morphology, from a rifted axial high to an axial valley, at the scale of ridge segments. Ridge offsets vary in morphology from overlapping-spreading centers, to propagating rifts, to transform faults. Shalllow segments have pronounced axial MBA lows, probably resulting from a thicker ocean crust, and the presence of hotter mantle beneath the ridge axis. Water-column profiling at each wax-core sampling site reveals numerous moderate to strong signals of hydrothermal activity. The distribution of the hydrothermal vent signals does not always coincide with the magmatic robustness of the ridge axis, suggesting that tectonic activity also controls the vent setting. The recent evolution of the ridge discontinuities is marked by southeastward propagators at 92E and 95E, and by the eastward migration of the 96E transform fault. These areas correspond to relatively high MBA suggestive of thin crust. Some transform faults also appear to have changed orientation, and show intra-transform ridges suggestive of compressive deformation. The ridge flanks show large off-axis seamounts and seamount chains, clearly observed in the satellite-derived gravity maps. We mapped and sampled some of these seamounts. The ridge sections showing the most robust morphology are sometimes associated with off-axis seamounts, but some seamounts also occur close to relatively starved axial areas. These structural and geophysical observations of the SEIR suggest a much larger variety of ridge processes and discontinuity evolution than predicted from the intermediate-spreading rate quasi-constant along the surveyed axis. GEISEIR cruise scientific team: Claire Bassoulet, Dass Bissessur, Erwan Cambrai, Mathieu Clog, Céline Dantas, Ludovic Menjot, Emanuele Paganelli, Fabienne de Parseval, Marc Ulrich. GEISEIR2 cruise scientific team: Erwan Cambrai, Romain Chateau, Cédric Hamelin, Jabrane Labidi, Maximilliano Melchiorre, Ludovic Menjot, Emanuele Paganelli.

Short-Circuit Fault Detection and Classification Using Empirical Wavelet Transform and Local Energy for Electric Transmission Line.

PubMed

Huang, Nantian; Qi, Jiajin; Li, Fuqing; Yang, Dongfeng; Cai, Guowei; Huang, Guilin; Zheng, Jian; Li, Zhenxin

2017-09-16

In order to improve the classification accuracy of recognizing short-circuit faults in electric transmission lines, a novel detection and diagnosis method based on empirical wavelet transform (EWT) and local energy (LE) is proposed. First, EWT is used to deal with the original short-circuit fault signals from photoelectric voltage transformers, before the amplitude modulated-frequency modulated (AM-FM) mode with a compactly supported Fourier spectrum is extracted. Subsequently, the fault occurrence time is detected according to the modulus maxima of intrinsic mode function (IMF₂) from three-phase voltage signals processed by EWT. After this process, the feature vectors are constructed by calculating the LE of the fundamental frequency based on the three-phase voltage signals of one period after the fault occurred. Finally, the classifier based on support vector machine (SVM) which was constructed with the LE feature vectors is used to classify 10 types of short-circuit fault signals. Compared with complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) and improved CEEMDAN methods, the new method using EWT has a better ability to present the frequency in time. The difference in the characteristics of the energy distribution in the time domain between different types of short-circuit faults can be presented by the feature vectors of LE. Together, simulation and real signals experiment demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the new approach.

Short-Circuit Fault Detection and Classification Using Empirical Wavelet Transform and Local Energy for Electric Transmission Line

PubMed Central

Huang, Nantian; Qi, Jiajin; Li, Fuqing; Yang, Dongfeng; Cai, Guowei; Huang, Guilin; Zheng, Jian; Li, Zhenxin

2017-01-01

In order to improve the classification accuracy of recognizing short-circuit faults in electric transmission lines, a novel detection and diagnosis method based on empirical wavelet transform (EWT) and local energy (LE) is proposed. First, EWT is used to deal with the original short-circuit fault signals from photoelectric voltage transformers, before the amplitude modulated-frequency modulated (AM-FM) mode with a compactly supported Fourier spectrum is extracted. Subsequently, the fault occurrence time is detected according to the modulus maxima of intrinsic mode function (IMF2) from three-phase voltage signals processed by EWT. After this process, the feature vectors are constructed by calculating the LE of the fundamental frequency based on the three-phase voltage signals of one period after the fault occurred. Finally, the classifier based on support vector machine (SVM) which was constructed with the LE feature vectors is used to classify 10 types of short-circuit fault signals. Compared with complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) and improved CEEMDAN methods, the new method using EWT has a better ability to present the frequency in time. The difference in the characteristics of the energy distribution in the time domain between different types of short-circuit faults can be presented by the feature vectors of LE. Together, simulation and real signals experiment demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the new approach. PMID:28926953

Lateral Variability of the Lower Ocean Crust at Atlantis Bank, SW Indian Ridge, Results of IODP Expedition 360

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, H. J.; MacLeod, C. J.; Blum, P.; Scientific Party, E.

2016-12-01

IODP Hole U1473A drilled 809.4 m into a 700-m depth wave-cut platform at Atlantis Bank on the SW Indian Ridge. It is an oceanic core complex where massive gabbro was emplaced into the footwall of a single detachment fault for ≥2.7 Myr, with total slip ≥39 km. It was then uplifted to its present position flanking the 6,100 m deep 199-km Atlantis II Transform. The gabbros are back-tilted 20°S, while a sub-horizontal 15 km long mantle peridotite-gabbro contact lies along the transform wall at 4200 m depth 11.5 km west of Hole U1473A. Hole U1473A is 1.4 km north of 158-m deep Hole 1105A and 2.2 km NNE of 1508-m deep Hole 735B. Thus we examine the lateral continuity of the lower ocean crust at ultraslow rates ( 15-16 mm/yr.), and compare it to 1400-m Hole U1309D in the Atlantis Massif MAR core complex (24 mm/yr.) flanking the 63-km Atlantis Transform. The three Atlantis Bank holes are very similar, consisting of a complex series of oxide-rich gabbros and olivine gabbros. Several dikes crosscutting the gabbro sections show that they passed through the dike-gabbro transition after crystallizing and cooling deeper in the crust. They all show extensive high-temperature crystal-plastic deformation predating dike intrusion. A small amount of troctolite was recovered only in Hole 735B. By contrast, gabbro, rather than olivine gabbro was the dominant lithology in Hole U1309D, with intercalations of troctolite and mantle peridotite, and subordinate oxide gabbro. Oxide gabbro is often associated with crystal-plastic deformation. While these are concentrated in the upper 1/3 of Hole 735B, they are more uniformly distributed in Hole U1309D. While one section cannot be traced directly to the other at Atlantis Bank, it appears that they can be correlated based on chemical and structural similarities, with the 1105A and 1473A sections lying some hundreds of meters deeper structurally than Hole 735B, consistent with erosion on the platform. All these sections represent sequential emplacement of small gabbro bodies, with upward compaction of late melt, often fault controlled. The primary differences in the sections are due to variations in the melt supply, which was significantly lower at Hole U1309D, resulting in incorporation of mantle peridotite screens into the section as additional gabbro intrusions were added to the base of the section.

Gravity field over the Sea of Galilee: Evidence for a composite basin along a transform fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ben-Avraham, Z.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Bell, R.; Reznikov, M.

1996-01-01

The Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) is located at the northern portion of the Kinneret-Bet Shean basin, in the northern Dead Sea transform. Three hundred kilometers of continuous marine gravity data were collected in the lake and integrated with land gravity data to a distance of more than 20 km around the lake. Analyses of the gravity data resulted in a free-air anomaly map, a variable density Bouguer anomaly map, and a horizontal first derivative map of the Bouguer anomaly. These maps, together with gravity models of profiles across the lake and the area south of it, were used to infer the geometry of the basins in this region and the main faults of the transform system. The Sea of Galilee can be divided into two units. The southern half is a pull-apart that extends to the Kinarot Valley, south of the lake, whereas the northern half was formed by rotational opening and transverse normal faults. The deepest part of the basinal area is located well south of the deepest bathymetric depression. This implies that the northeastern part of the lake, where the bathymetry is the deepest, is a young feature that is actively subsiding now. The pull-apart basin is almost symmetrical in the southern part of the lake and in the Kinarot Valley south of the lake. This suggests that the basin here is bounded by strike-slip faults on both sides. The eastern boundary fault extends to the northern part of the lake, while the western fault does not cross the northern part. The main factor controlling the structural complexity of this area is the interaction of the Dead Sea transform with a subperpendicular fault system and rotated blocks.

The Application of Time-Frequency Methods to HUMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pryor, Anna H.; Mosher, Marianne; Lewicki, David G.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper reports the study of four time-frequency transforms applied to vibration signals and presents a new metric for comparing them for fault detection. The four methods to be described and compared are the Short Time Frequency Transform (STFT), the Choi-Williams Distribution (WV-CW), the Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Vibration data of bevel gear tooth fatigue cracks, under a variety of operating load levels, are analyzed using these methods. The new metric for automatic fault detection is developed and can be produced from any systematic numerical representation of the vibration signals. This new metric reveals indications of gear damage with all of the methods on this data set. Analysis with the CWT detects mechanical problems with the test rig not found with the other transforms. The WV-CW and CWT use considerably more resources than the STFT and the DWT. More testing of the new metric is needed to determine its value for automatic fault detection and to develop methods of setting the threshold for the metric.

Central Atlantic Break-up: A competition between CAMP Hotspot and thinning rate.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sapin, F.; Maurin, T.

2017-12-01

The break-up of the Central Atlantic is known to have ended at about 190Myrs while the CAMP (Central Atlantic Magmatic Province) was still active. Several seismic lines, acquired recently in the deep offshore Senegal and Mauritanian domain, provide detailed images of continent-ocean transition and the oceanic crust architecture. Their interpretation is the opportunity to describe the progressive interaction between the hot spot activity, the architecture and timing of break up and the oceanic crust production. In the North, seismic data and gravity/magnetic inversions suggest an extremely thinned continental crust with possible mantle exhumation. In the South, the continental crust is thick and the transition to oceanic crust is sharp. In addition, three oceanic crust facies were described along the margin in an extremely slow spreading ridge setting ( 0.8cm/yr during the first 20Myrs): facies (1) with a poorly imaged Moho and a strongly faulted thin oceanic crust or exhumed mantle; facies (2) with an extensively faulted 6km thick oceanic crust; facies (3) with abnormally thick (9km) oceanic crust marked by SDR-type reflections. They are diachronous from North to South and the two first one disappear southwards and (facies 3) being younger toward the North. Only a single very thick oceanic crust (12-14km) remains in front of the Guinea Plateau. We concluded that, in the South, the break-up had been forced through a thick or thickened continental crust due to the remnant activity of the CAMP Hotspot. In the North, the magmatic pulse arrived far after the break-up during the spreading and the thinning of the continental crust could lead to hyper extension. This evolution emphasizes that the architecture, and thus processes leading to the break-up can vary a lot considering the influence of thermal vertical forces (mantle dynamics/hotspot/magmatism) and mechanical horizontal forces (plate movement/faulting/spreading), both of them being necessary for a rift to succeed.

Apparent stress, fault maturity and seismic hazard for normal-fault earthquakes at subduction zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choy, G.L.; Kirby, S.H.

2004-01-01

The behavior of apparent stress for normal-fault earthquakes at subduction zones is derived by examining the apparent stress (?? a = ??Es/Mo, where E s is radiated energy and Mo is seismic moment) of all globally distributed shallow (depth, ?? 1 MPa) are also generally intraslab, but occur where the lithosphere has just begun subduction beneath the overriding plate. They usually occur in cold slabs near trenches where the direction of plate motion across the trench is oblique to the trench axis, or where there are local contortions or geometrical complexities of the plate boundary. Lower ??a (< 1 MPa) is associated with events occurring at the outer rise (OR) complex (between the OR and the trench axis), as well as with intracrustal events occurring just landward of the trench. The average apparent stress of intraslab-normal-fault earthquakes is considerably higher than the average apparent stress of interplate-thrust-fault earthquakes. In turn, the average ?? a of strike-slip earthquakes in intraoceanic environments is considerably higher than that of intraslab-normal-fault earthquakes. The variation of average ??a with focal mechanism and tectonic regime suggests that the level of ?? a is related to fault maturity. Lower stress drops are needed to rupture mature faults such as those found at plate interfaces that have been smoothed by large cumulative displacements (from hundreds to thousands of kilometres). In contrast, immature faults, such as those on which intraslab-normal-fault earthquakes generally occur, are found in cold and intact lithosphere in which total fault displacement has been much less (from hundreds of metres to a few kilometres). Also, faults on which high ??a oceanic strike-slip earthquakes occur are predominantly intraplate or at evolving ends of transforms. At subduction zones, earthquakes occurring on immature faults are likely to be more hazardous as they tend to generate higher amounts of radiated energy per unit of moment than earthquakes occurring on mature faults. We have identified earthquake pairs in which an interplate-thrust and an intraslab-normal earthquake occurred remarkably close in space and time. The intraslab-normal member of each pair radiated anomalously high amounts of energy compared to its thrust-fault counterpart. These intraslab earthquakes probably ruptured intact slab mantle and are dramatic examples in which Mc (an energy magnitude) is shown to be a far better estimate of the potential for earthquake damage than Mw. This discovery may help explain why loss of life as a result of intraslab earthquakes was greater in the 20th century in Latin America than the fatalities associated with interplate-thrust events that represented much higher total moment release. ?? 2004 RAS.

Sliding Mode Observer-Based Current Sensor Fault Reconstruction and Unknown Load Disturbance Estimation for PMSM Driven System

PubMed Central

Li, Xiangfei; Lin, Yuliang

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a new scheme of reconstructing current sensor faults and estimating unknown load disturbance for a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-driven system. First, the original PMSM system is transformed into two subsystems; the first subsystem has unknown system load disturbances, which are unrelated to sensor faults, and the second subsystem has sensor faults, but is free from unknown load disturbances. Introducing a new state variable, the augmented subsystem that has sensor faults can be transformed into having actuator faults. Second, two sliding mode observers (SMOs) are designed: the unknown load disturbance is estimated by the first SMO in the subsystem, which has unknown load disturbance, and the sensor faults can be reconstructed using the second SMO in the augmented subsystem, which has sensor faults. The gains of the proposed SMOs and their stability analysis are developed via the solution of linear matrix inequality (LMI). Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed scheme was verified by simulations and experiments. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can reconstruct current sensor faults and estimate unknown load disturbance for the PMSM-driven system. PMID:29211017

Faults and Fractures in the Subseafloor Environment tell a Different Story than They do at the Seafloor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayman, N. W.

2018-05-01

Planetary studies can benefit from a lesson learned in the research of Mid-Ocean Ridges, wherein the subsurface view of faulting and fracturing contrasts with surface observations, important for the dynamics and chemistry of hydrothermal systems.

Cretaceous and Paleogene granitoid suites of the Sikhote-Alin area (Far East Russia): Geochemistry and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebennikov, Andrei V.; Khanchuk, Alexander I.; Gonevchuk, Valeriy G.; Kovalenko, Sergey V.

2016-09-01

The Mesozoic and Cenozoic geological history of NE Asia comprises alternating episodes of subduction or transform strike-slip movement of the oceanic plate along the continental margin of Eurasia. This sequence resulted in the regular generation of granitoid suites that are characterized by different ages, compositions, and tectonic settings. The Hauterivian-Aptian orogenic stage of the Sikhote-Alin, associated with the strike-slip displacement of the early Paleozoic continental blocks, the successive deformation of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous terranes, and the injection of the earliest S-type granitoids. During late Albian, the area underwent syn-strike-slip compression caused by collision with the Aptian island arc and resulted in the injection of voluminous magmas of calc-alkaline magnesian (S- and I-type) and alkali-calcic ferroan (A-type) granitoids into syn-faulting compressional and extensional basins, respectively. Northwestward to westward movement of the Izanagi Plate resulted in the initiation of frontal subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate during the Cenomanian-Maastrichtian. In turn, this resulted in the generation of plateau-forming ignimbrites and their intrusive analogs formed from metaluminous I-type felsic magmas. Paleocene-Eocene magmatism in the Sikhote-Alin area commenced after the termination of subduction in a rifting regime related to strike-slip movement of the oceanic plate relative to the continent. The break-off of the subducted plate and the injection of oceanic asthenospheric material into the subcontinental lithosphere resulted in the eruption of lamproites and fayalite rhyolites, and coeval intrusions of gabbro and alkali feldspar granites (A-type). The A-type granitic-rocks and coeval gabbro-monzonites are considered to be reliable indicators of the transform continental margin geodynamic settings.

Simultaneous Event-Triggered Fault Detection and Estimation for Stochastic Systems Subject to Deception Attacks.

PubMed

Li, Yunji; Wu, QingE; Peng, Li

2018-01-23

In this paper, a synthesized design of fault-detection filter and fault estimator is considered for a class of discrete-time stochastic systems in the framework of event-triggered transmission scheme subject to unknown disturbances and deception attacks. A random variable obeying the Bernoulli distribution is employed to characterize the phenomena of the randomly occurring deception attacks. To achieve a fault-detection residual is only sensitive to faults while robust to disturbances, a coordinate transformation approach is exploited. This approach can transform the considered system into two subsystems and the unknown disturbances are removed from one of the subsystems. The gain of fault-detection filter is derived by minimizing an upper bound of filter error covariance. Meanwhile, system faults can be reconstructed by the remote fault estimator. An recursive approach is developed to obtain fault estimator gains as well as guarantee the fault estimator performance. Furthermore, the corresponding event-triggered sensor data transmission scheme is also presented for improving working-life of the wireless sensor node when measurement information are aperiodically transmitted. Finally, a scaled version of an industrial system consisting of local PC, remote estimator and wireless sensor node is used to experimentally evaluate the proposed theoretical results. In particular, a novel fault-alarming strategy is proposed so that the real-time capacity of fault-detection is guaranteed when the event condition is triggered.

Synthesis of crustal seismic structure and implications for the concept of a slab gap beneath Coastal California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brocher, T.M.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Abramovitz, T.

1999-01-01

Compilation of seismic transects across the central and northern California Coast Ranges provides evidence for the widespread tectonic emplacement beneath the margin of a slab of partially subducted oceanic lithosphere. The oceanic crust of this lithosphere can be traced landward from the former convergent margin (fossil trench), beneath the Coast Ranges, to at least as far east as the Coast Range/Great Valley boundary. Comparison of measured shear and compressional wave velocities in the middle crust beneath the Hayward fault with laboratory measurements suggests that the middle crust is a diabase (oceanic crust). Both of these observations are consistent with recent models of the high heat flow and age progression of Neogene volcanism along the Coast Ranges based on tectonic emplacement (stalling) of young, hot oceanic lithosphere beneath the margin, but appear to contradict the major predictions of the slab-gap or asthenospheric-window model. Finally, the Neogene volcanism and major strike-slip faults in the Coast Ranges occur within the thickest regions (>14 km thick) of the forearc, suggesting that the locations of Cenozoic volcanism and faulting along the margin are structurally controlled by the forearc thickness rather than being determined by the location of a broad slab gap.

Database and Map of Quaternary Faults and Folds in Peru and its Offshore Region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Machare, Jose; Fenton, Clark H.; Machette, Michael N.; Lavenu, Alain; Costa, Carlos; Dart, Richard L.

2003-01-01

This publication consists of a main map of Quaternary faults and fiolds of Peru, a table of Quaternary fault data, a region inset map showing relative plate motion, and a second inset map of an enlarged area of interest in southern Peru. These maps and data compilation show evidence for activity of Quaternary faults and folds in Peru and its offshore regions of the Pacific Ocean. The maps show the locations, ages, and activity rates of major earthquake-related features such as faults and fault-related folds. These data are accompanied by text databases that describe these features and document current information on their activity in the Quaternary.

Faulting induced by precipitation of water at grain boundaries in hot subducting oceanic crust.

PubMed

Zhang, Junfeng; Green, Harry W; Bozhilov, Krassimir; Jin, Zhenmin

2004-04-08

Dehydration embrittlement has been proposed to explain both intermediate- and deep-focus earthquakes in subduction zones. Because such earthquakes primarily occur at shallow depths or within the core of the subducting plate, dehydration at relatively low temperatures has been emphasized. However, recent careful relocation of subduction-zone earthquakes shows that at depths of 100-250 km, earthquakes continue in the uppermost part of the slab (probably the former oceanic crust that has been converted to eclogite) where temperatures are higher. Here we show that at such pressures and temperatures, eclogite lacking hydrous phases but with significant hydroxyl incorporated as defects in pyroxene and garnet develops a faulting instability associated with precipitation of water at grain boundaries and the production of very small amounts of melt. This new faulting mechanism satisfactorily explains high-temperature earthquakes in subducting oceanic crust and could potentially be involved in much deeper earthquakes in connection with similar precipitation of water in the mantle transition zone (400-700 km depth). Of potential importance for all proposed high-pressure earthquake mechanisms is the very small amount of fluid required to trigger this instability.

Google Earth-Based Grand Tours of the World's Ocean Basins and Marine Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

St John, K. K.; De Paor, D. G.; Suranovic, B.; Robinson, C.; Firth, J. V.; Rand, C.

2016-12-01

The GEODE project has produced a collection of Google Earth-based marine geology teaching resources that offer grand tours of the world's ocean basins and marine sediments. We use a map of oceanic crustal ages from Müller et al (2008; doi:10.1029/2007GC001743), and a set of emergent COLLADA models of IODP drill core data as a basis for a Google Earth tour introducing students to the world's ocean basins. Most students are familiar with basic seafloor spreading patterns but teaching experience suggests that few students have an appreciation of the number of abandoned ocean basins on Earth. Students also lack a valid visualization of the west Pacific where the oldest crust forms an isolated triangular patch and the ocean floor becomes younger towards the subduction zones. Our tour links geographic locations to mechanical models of rifting, seafloor spreading, subduction, and transform faulting. Google Earth's built-in earthquake and volcano data are related to ocean floor patterns. Marine sediments are explored in a Google Earth tour that draws on exemplary IODP core samples of a range of sediment types (e.g., turbidites, diatom ooze). Information and links are used to connect location to sediment type. This tour compliments a physical core kit of core catcher sections that can be employed for classroom instruction (geode.net/marine-core-kit/). At a larger scale, we use data from IMLGS to explore the distribution of the marine sediments types in the modern global ocean. More than 2,500 sites are plotted with access to original data. Students are guided to compare modern "type sections" of primary marine sediment lithologies, as well as examine site transects to address questions of bathymetric setting, ocean circulation, chemistry (e.g., CCD), and bioproductivity as influences on modern seafloor sedimentation. KMZ files, student exercises, and tips for instructors are available at geode.net/exploring-marine-sediments-using-google-earth.

Role of Transtension in Rifting at the Pacific-North America Plate Boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, J. M.

2011-12-01

Transtensional plate motion can be accommodated either in a localized zone of transtensional rifting or over a broader region. Broader zones of deformation can be classified either as diffuse deformation or strain partitioning (one or more major strike-slip shear zones geographically offset from a region of a extensional faulting). The Pacific-North America plate boundary in southwestern North America was transtensional during much of its history and has exhibited the full range of these behaviors at different spatial scales and in different locations, as recorded by fault motions and paleomagnetic rotations. Here we focus on the northern Gulf of California part of the plate boundary (Upper and Lower Delfin basin segments), which has been in a zone of transtensional Pacific-North America plate boundary motion ever since the middle Miocene demise of adjacent Farallon-derived microplates. Prior to the middle Miocene, during the time of microplate activity, this sector of North America experienced basin-and-range normal faults (core complexes) in Sonora. However there is no evidence of continued extensional faulting nor of a Gulf-related topographic depression until after ca 12 Ma when a major ignimbrite (Tuff of San Felipe/ Ignimbrite of Hermosillo) was deposited across the entire region of the future Gulf of California rift in this sector. After 12 Ma, faults disrupted this marker bed in eastern Baja California and western Sonora, and some major NNW-striking right-lateral faults are inferred to have developed near the Sonoran coast causing offset of some of the volcanic facies. However, there are major tectonic rotations of the volcanic rocks in NE Baja California between 12 and 6 Ma, suggesting that the plate boundary motion was still occurring over a broad region. By contrast, after about 6 Ma, diminished rotations in latest Miocene and Pliocene volcanic rocks, as well as fault slip histories, show that plate boundary deformation became localized to a narrower transtensional zone of long offset strike-slip faults and intervening basins (the modern Gulf of California basin and transform fault system). Within and adjacent to this zone the fault patterns continued to evolve, with new plate boundary strike-slip faults breaking into previously intact blocks of continent. These new strike-slip faults were not accompanied by any widespread zones of tectonic rotation. This suggests that if widespread rotations are occurring, plate boundary transtension has not yet localized and the strike-slip faults are not yet accommodating most of the plate boundary slip. The cessation of widespread and significant vertical axis rotations could indicate strain localization and the increasing importance of throughgoing strike-slip faults (a precursor to fully oceanic rifting) along a transtensional plate boundary.

How broad and deep is the region of chemical alteration of oceanic plates at trenches?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranero, C. R.; Grevemeyer, I.; Barckhausen, U.

2017-12-01

Different lines of evidence indicate that oceanic plates are affected by pervasive bending-related deformation approaching ocean trenches. Results from active-seismic work support that deformation provides paths for exchange between hydrosphere and lithosphere, possibly causing chemical alteration of the incoming lithosphere. Much work focused on the potential transformation of peridotite to serpentine in the uppermost mantle of incoming plates, but there is no consensus on the region where it may occur or the intensity of alteration, let alone on limiting factors for the process. Teleseismic (large-great) earthquakes with normal-fault mechanism in the outer rise region have been often called to speculate on the depth of penetration of plate hydration. However, large-great outer-rise earthquakes may be related to stress changes due to slab pull after decoupling along the inter-plate boundary, and not necessarily controlled by bending stresses only. If so, the majority of the time the depth of water percolation may be related to local bending stresses expressed by micro-earthquakes rather than large events. Seismic images and multibeam bathymetry from lithosphere of similar thermal thickness from different trenches display a remarkable variability of the intensity of bending-related deformation along the subduction zones where plate age does not change significantly indicating that the intensity of deformation (not the depth) and perhaps hydration is very variable in space and not controlled by plate age. Seismic images showing hundreds of kilometers perpendicular to the trench into the incoming plate show that the bending-related deformation reaches mantle under the outer rise, well before the lithosphere plunges into the trench and develops the marked bend-faulting fabric observable in bathymetric maps. Thus, alteration occurs in a hundreds-of-km wide area, with deformation intensity related to local characteristics, and deformation depth to plate age.

Rapid cooling rates at an active mid-ocean ridge from zircon thermochronology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, Axel K.; Perfit, Michael R.; Rubin, Kenneth H.; Stockli, Daniel F.; Smith, Matthew C.; Cotsonika, Laurie A.; Zellmer, Georg F.; Ridley, W. Ian

2011-01-01

Oceanic spreading ridges are Earth's most productive crust generating environment, but mechanisms and rates of crustal accretion and heat loss are debated. Existing observations on cooling rates are ambiguous regarding the prevalence of conductive vs. convective cooling of lower oceanic crust. Here, we report the discovery and dating of zircon in mid-ocean ridge dacite lavas that constrain magmatic differentiation and cooling rates at an active spreading center. Dacitic lavas erupted on the southern Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge, an intermediate-rate spreading center, near the intersection with the Blanco transform fault. Their U–Th zircon crystallization ages (29.3-4.6+4.8 ka; 1δ standard error s.e.) overlap with the (U–Th)/He zircon eruption age (32.7 ± 1.6 ka) within uncertainty. Based on similar 238U-230Th disequilibria between southern Cleft dacite glass separates and young mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) erupted nearby, differentiation must have occurred rapidly, within ~ 10–20 ka at most. Ti-in-zircon thermometry indicates crystallization at 850–900 °C and pressures > 70–150 MPa are calculated from H2O solubility models. These time-temperature constraints translate into a magma cooling rate of ~ 2 × 10-2 °C/a. This rate is at least one order-of-magnitude faster than those calculated for zircon-bearing plutonic rocks from slow spreading ridges. Such short intervals for differentiation and cooling can only be resolved through uranium-series (238U–230Th) decay in young lavas, and are best explained by dissipating heat convectively at high crustal permeability.

Generalized-stacking-fault energy and twin-boundary energy of hexagonal close-packed Au: A first-principles calculation.

PubMed

Wang, Cheng; Wang, Huiyuan; Huang, Tianlong; Xue, Xuena; Qiu, Feng; Jiang, Qichuan

2015-05-22

Although solid Au is usually most stable as a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure, pure hexagonal close-packed (hcp) Au has been successfully fabricated recently. However, the phase stability and mechanical property of this new material are unclear, which may restrict its further applications. Here we present the evidence that hcp → fcc phase transformation can proceed easily in Au by first-principles calculations. The extremely low generalized-stacking-fault (GSF) energy in the basal slip system implies a great tendency to form basal stacking faults, which opens the door to phase transformation from hcp to fcc. Moreover, the Au lattice extends slightly within the superficial layers due to the self-assembly of alkanethiolate species on hcp Au (0001) surface, which may also contribute to the hcp → fcc phase transformation. Compared with hcp Mg, the GSF energies for non-basal slip systems and the twin-boundary (TB) energies for and twins are larger in hcp Au, which indicates the more difficulty in generating non-basal stacking faults and twins. The findings provide new insights for understanding the nature of the hcp → fcc phase transformation and guide the experiments of fabricating and developing materials with new structures.

Intermittent/transient faults in digital systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masson, G. M.; Glazer, R. E.

1982-01-01

Containment set techniques are applied to 8085 microprocessor controllers so as to transform a typical control system into a slightly modified version, shown to be crashproof: after the departure of the intermittent/transient fault, return to one proper control algorithm is assured, assuming no permanent faults occur.

Bearing Fault Detection Based on Empirical Wavelet Transform and Correlated Kurtosis by Acoustic Emission.

PubMed

Gao, Zheyu; Lin, Jing; Wang, Xiufeng; Xu, Xiaoqiang

2017-05-24

Rolling bearings are widely used in rotating equipment. Detection of bearing faults is of great importance to guarantee safe operation of mechanical systems. Acoustic emission (AE), as one of the bearing monitoring technologies, is sensitive to weak signals and performs well in detecting incipient faults. Therefore, AE is widely used in monitoring the operating status of rolling bearing. This paper utilizes Empirical Wavelet Transform (EWT) to decompose AE signals into mono-components adaptively followed by calculation of the correlated kurtosis (CK) at certain time intervals of these components. By comparing these CK values, the resonant frequency of the rolling bearing can be determined. Then the fault characteristic frequencies are found by spectrum envelope. Both simulation signal and rolling bearing AE signals are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the new method performs well in identifying bearing fault frequency under strong background noise.

Weak Fault Feature Extraction of Rolling Bearings Based on an Improved Kurtogram.

PubMed

Chen, Xianglong; Feng, Fuzhou; Zhang, Bingzhi

2016-09-13

Kurtograms have been verified to be an efficient tool in bearing fault detection and diagnosis because of their superiority in extracting transient features. However, the short-time Fourier Transform is insufficient in time-frequency analysis and kurtosis is deficient in detecting cyclic transients. Those factors weaken the performance of the original kurtogram in extracting weak fault features. Correlated Kurtosis (CK) is then designed, as a more effective solution, in detecting cyclic transients. Redundant Second Generation Wavelet Packet Transform (RSGWPT) is deemed to be effective in capturing more detailed local time-frequency description of the signal, and restricting the frequency aliasing components of the analysis results. The authors in this manuscript, combining the CK with the RSGWPT, propose an improved kurtogram to extract weak fault features from bearing vibration signals. The analysis of simulation signals and real application cases demonstrate that the proposed method is relatively more accurate and effective in extracting weak fault features.

Scattering transform and LSPTSVM based fault diagnosis of rotating machinery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Shangjun; Cheng, Bo; Shang, Zhaowei; Liu, Geng

2018-05-01

This paper proposes an algorithm for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery to overcome the shortcomings of classical techniques which are noise sensitive in feature extraction and time consuming for training. Based on the scattering transform and the least squares recursive projection twin support vector machine (LSPTSVM), the method has the advantages of high efficiency and insensitivity for noise signal. Using the energy of the scattering coefficients in each sub-band, the features of the vibration signals are obtained. Then, an LSPTSVM classifier is used for fault diagnosis. The new method is compared with other common methods including the proximal support vector machine, the standard support vector machine and multi-scale theory by using fault data for two systems, a motor bearing and a gear box. The results show that the new method proposed in this study is more effective for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery.

From Extension to Shortening: Tectonic Inversion Distributed in Time and Space in the Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-García, Pedro; Comas, Menchu; Lonergan, Lidia; Watts, Anthony B.

2017-12-01

2D seismic reflection data tied to biostratigraphical and log information from wells in the central and southeastern Alboran Sea have allowed us to constrain the spatial and temporal distribution of rifting and inversion. Normal faults, tilted basement blocks, and growth wedges reveal a thinned continental crust that formed in response to NW-SE extension. To the east, a secondary SW-NE trend of extension affects the transitional crust adjacent to the oceanic Algerian Basin. The maximum thickness of syn-rift sediments is 3.5 km, and the oldest recorded deposits are Serravallian. The WNW-ESE Yusuf fault formed a buttress separating and accommodating variable extension between two different tectonic domains: the thinned continental crust of Alboran and the oceanic spreading of the Algerian Basin. Late Tortonian to present-day NW-SE Africa/Eurasia plate convergence drove shortening and reactivation of some of the earlier extensional structures as reverse and strike-slip faults, forming complex, compartmentalised subbasins. Tectonic inversion coexisted with the formation of new faults and folds. Inversion was partial along the Habibas Basin and Al-Idrisi fault, but complete along the Alboran Ridge, where some SW-NE trending faults were perpendicular to the recent NW-SE plate convergence and were reactivated as thrusts. The WNW-ESE Yusuf fault is oblique to the convergence vector, and therefore, reactivation is mainly expressed as transpressional deformation. Volcanic rocks intruded along the Alboran Ridge and Yusuf faults during the latest stages of extension formed rheological anisotropies that localised the later inversion.

Massive Hydrothermal Flows of Fluids and Heat: Earth Constraints and Ocean World Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, A. T.

2018-05-01

This presentation reviews the hydrogeologic nature of Earth's ocean crust and evidence for massive flows of low-temperature (≤70°C), seafloor hydrothermal circulation through ridge flanks, including the influence of crustal relief and crustal faults.

Geodiversity of hydrothermal processes along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and ultramafic-hosted mineralization: A new type of oceanic Cu-Zn-Co-Au volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fouquet, Yves; Cambon, Pierre; Etoubleau, Joël; Charlou, Jean Luc; Ondréas, Hélène; Barriga, Fernando J. A. S.; Cherkashov, Georgy; Semkova, Tatiana; Poroshina, Irina; Bohn, M.; Donval, Jean Pierre; Henry, Katell; Murphy, Pamela; Rouxel, Olivier

Several hydrothermal deposits associated with ultramafic rocks have recently been found along slow spreading ridges with a low magmatic budget. Three preferential settings are identified: (1) rift valley walls near the amagmatic ends of ridge segments; (2) nontransform offsets; and (3) ultramafic domes at inside corners of ridge transform-fault intersections. The exposed mantle at these sites is often interpreted to be a detachment fault. Hydrothermal cells in ultramafic rocks may be driven by regional heat flow, cooling gabbroic intrusions, and exothermic heat produced during serpentinization. Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), hydrothermal deposits in ultramafic rocks include the following: (1) sulfide mounds related to high-temperature low-pH fluids (Logatchev, Rainbow, and Ashadze); (2) carbonate chimneys related to low-temperature, high-pH fluids (Lost City); (3) low-temperature diffuse venting and high-methane discharge associated with silica, minor sulfides, manganese oxides, and pervasive alteration (Saldanha); and (4) stockwork quartz veins with sulfides at the base of detachment faults (15°05'N). These settings are closely linked to preferential circulation of fluid along permeable detachment faults. Compared to mineralization in basaltic environments, sulfide deposits associated with ultramafic rocks are enriched in Cu, Zn, Co, Au, and Ni. Gold has a bimodal distribution in low-temperature Zn-rich and in high-temperature Cu-rich mineral assemblages. The Cu-Zn-Co-Au deposits along the MAR seem to be more abundant than in ophiolites on land. This may be because ultramafic-hosted volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits on slow spreading ridges are usually not accreted to continental margins during obduction and may constitute a specific marine type of mineralization.

Seismic Structure of the Oceanic Plate Entering the Central Part of the Japan Trench Obtained from Ocean-Bottom Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohira, A.; Kodaira, S.; Fujie, G.; No, T.; Nakamura, Y.; Miura, S.

2017-12-01

In trench-outer rise regions, the normal faults develop due to the bending of the incoming plate, which cause numerous normal-faulting earthquakes and systematic structural variations toward trenches. In addition to the effects on the bend-related normal fault, structural variations which are interpreted to be attributed to pseudofaults, a fracture zone, and petit-spot volcanic activities are observed in the oceanic plate entering the central part of the Japan Trench, off Miyagi. In May-June 2017, to understand detail structural variations and systematic structural changes of the oceanic plate toward the trench, we conducted an active-source seismic survey off Miyagi using R/V Kaimei, a new research vessel of JAMSTEC. Along a 100 km-long seismic profile which is approximately perpendicular to the trench axis, we deployed 40 ocean-bottom seismometers at intervals of 2 km and fired a large airgun array (total volume 10,600 cubic inches) with 100 m shooting intervals. Multi-channel seismic reflection data were also collected along the profile. On OBS records we observed refractions from the sedimentary layer and the oceanic crust (Pg), wide-angle reflections from the crust-mantle boundary (PmP), and refractions from the uppermost mantle (Pn). Pg is typically observed clearly at near offsets (approximately 20 km) but it highly attenuates at far offsets (> 20 km). A triplication of Pg-PmP-Pn with strong amplitudes is observed at ranges from 30 km to 60 km offsets. Pn is typically weak and its apparent velocity is approximately 8 km/sec. High attenuation of Pg and weak Pn may indicate the complex crustal structure related to petit-spot volcanic activities and/or a fracture zone, which are recognized in bathymetry data around the profile.

Segmentation and Contrasting Magma Supply Along the South-East Indian Ridge, 130°E to 140°E: Results of the STORM Cruise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briais, A.; Ruellan, E.; Maia, M.; Hemond, C.; Hanan, B. B.; Ceuleneer, G.; Graham, D. W.; Park, S. H.

2017-12-01

We present observations of the South-East Indian Ridge (SEIR) between 130°E to 140°E, mostly collected during the STORM cruise (South Tasmania Ocean Ridge and Mantle) on the N/O L'Atalante. The SEIR displays large variations of axial depth despite an almost constant intermediate full spreading rate of 75 km/m.y. In the study area the analysis of multibeam bathymetry maps shows that the axis displays a rise morphology to the east away from the discontinuities, and a rifted high morphology in the west and near the OSCs, as often observed along intermediate-spreading mid-ocean ridges. The ridge axis is offset by 27 km at 131°E and 20 km at 135°E by two large-offset overlapping spreading centers (OSCs) propagating westward, and by a smaller OSC at 137°17'E. These OSCs define four second-order ridge segments (A2 to A5 from west to east). We observe a general shallowing of the ridge axis from 3100 m depth in the west to 2400 m depth in the east, and a prominent deepening of the axis near the large OSCs. The easternmost segment A5 shows a very shallow axial ridge suggesting a robust magma supply despite its proximity to the George V transform fault (140°E). Major element variations in basalt glasses are systematically related to morphotectonic segmentation of the ridge axis, showing contrasts in crystal fractionation from one segment to another that may relate to differences in replenishment of axial melt lenses by primitive melts. Along segment A5, crystallization increases with proximity to the George V transform fault, consistent with an expected cold edge effect. In contrast, along segment A3 the extent of crystallization increases progressively from east to west in the direction of ridge propagation. *STORM Cruise Scientific Party: F. Barrere, C. Boulart, A. Briais, D. Brunelli, G. Ceuleneer, N. Ferreira, D. Graham, B. Hanan, C. Hémond, S. Macleod, M. Maia, A. Maillard, S. Merkuryev, S.H. Park, S. Révillon, E. Ruellan, A. Schohn, S. Watson, and Y.S. Yang.

Source depth dependence of micro-tsunamis recorded with ocean-bottom pressure gauges: The January 28, 2000 Mw 6.8 earthquake off Nemuro Peninsula, Japan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hirata, K.; Takahashi, H.; Geist, E.; Satake, K.; Tanioka, Y.; Sugioka, H.; Mikada, H.

2003-01-01

Micro-tsunami waves with a maximum amplitude of 4-6 mm were detected with the ocean-bottom pressure gauges on a cabled deep seafloor observatory south of Hokkaido, Japan, following the January 28, 2000 earthquake (Mw 6.8) in the southern Kuril subduction zone. We model the observed micro-tsunami and estimate the focal depth and other source parameters such as fault length and amount of slip using grid searching with the least-squares method. The source depth and stress drop for the January 2000 earthquake are estimated to be 50 km and 7 MPa, respectively, with possible ranges of 45-55 km and 4-13 MPa. Focal depth of typical inter-plate earthquakes in this region ranges from 10 to 20 km and stress drop of inter-plate earthquakes generally is around 3 MPa. The source depth and stress drop estimates suggest that the earthquake was an intra-slab event in the subducting Pacific plate, rather than an inter-plate event. In addition, for a prescribed fault width of 30 km, the fault length is estimated to be 15 km, with possible ranges of 10-20 km, which is the same as the previously determined aftershock distribution. The corresponding estimate for seismic moment is 2.7x1019 Nm with possible ranges of 2.3x1019-3.2x1019Nm. Standard tide gauges along the nearby coast did not record any tsunami signal. High-precision ocean-bottom pressure measurements offshore thus make it possible to determine fault parameters of moderate-sized earthquakes in subduction zones using open-ocean tsunami waveforms. Published by Elsevier Science B. V.

Tectonic Terminology: Some Proposed Changes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Mason L.

1978-01-01

Plate tectonics concepts require a definition of fault, a new term to compliment epeirogeny, and a clarification of transform fault characteristics. This article makes proposals for these changes. (Author/MA)

Gravity field and structure of the Sorong Fault Zone, eastern Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sardjono

Gravity surveys along coastlines of islands in the region Banggai-Sula, Eastern Sulawesi, Halmahera, Bacan and Obi were carried out as part of the Sorong Fault Zone Project. Results of the Surveys were integrated with gravity data previously acquired by other projects, including on-land gravity data from the Bird Head area Irian Jaya (Dow et al 1986), Seram Island (Milsom 1977), Buru Island (Oemar and Reminton 1993) and Central Sulawesi (Silver et al. 1983) as well as marine gravity information within and surrounding the Sorong Fault Zone (Bowin et al. 1980). Gravity expeditions of the Sorong Fault Zone Project also include measurements in Mayu Island and the island group of Talaud, situated further north in the Central Molucca Sea region. A total of one hundred and forty two gravity data were acquired in the region of Banggai-Sula islands, forty seven in eastern part of Central Sulawesi, about four hundred in Halmahera, Bacan and Obi, and seventy nine in Mayu and Talaud. Surveys in the eastern part of Central Sulawesi were carried out for the purpose of tieing the older gravity data obtained from Silver et al. (1983) and the more recent data of the Sorong Fault Zone Project. About one thousand thirty hundred and thirty gravity data were acquired as part of the Irian Jaya Geological Mapping Project (IJGMP) in the period of 1978-1983, a project commissioned by the Indonesian Geological Research and Development Centre (GRDC) and the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR). The remoteness of the survey areas of the Sorong Fault Zone Project necessitated a careful planning for travel arrangements and provision of logistics. A wide range of magnitude of gravity field was observed in the Sorong Fault Zone, extending from values below -250 mGal recorded in the southern part of the Molucca Sea to values in excess of +320 mGal measured near to sea level in the coastal areas south of Mangole and north of Sulabesi, the two islands of the Sula Group. Steep gradients of free-air gravity were observed in south of Mangole (about 13 mGal/km) and west of Obi (about 15 mGal/km) but elsewhere were gentler. Analyses of gravity data along the Sorong Fault Zone in the region of Barggal-Sula Islands controlled in part by geological, reflection seismic and sidescan sonar data, have produced four models which suggest that the crustal structures beneath the zone consist predominantly of attenuated continental fragments, juxtaposed to thick layer of tectonic melange and anomalous oceanic crusts. The continental fragments appear to be severely attenuated and limited in extent in the east but thicker and wider towards the west. The tectonic melange is underlain by deep seated oceanic crust in the Molucca Sea region. The anomalously thin North Banda Sea crust appears to underlie a very thin layer of sediments and to have suffered some degree of arching. The deep seated oceanic crust and the thick layer of tectonic melange are interpreted as the result of the sinking of the lithospheric plate of the Molucca Sea. The descent of this plate may have produced bending forces which may have initiated flexure which propagates through the surrounding region. Depending on the rigidity of the crustal slab, arching and fracturing may have occurred in the crustal rocks. The arching of the oceanic crust of the North Banda Sea may have been one result of this process. The continental fragments of the Banggai-Sula region appear to dip northwards and this may, in addition to the effect of shear tectonics along the Sorong Fault Zone, also be interpreted as the response of the continental fragments to the sinking of the lithospheric plate of the Molucca Sea. In the Obi region, the gravity data suggest that most of the island is underlain by peridotitic and basaltic rocks. Continental crust appears to form the basement in the south and extend offshore south of the island and juxtaposed to oceanic rock. The ultramafic and basic rocks appear to be emplaced on Obi by a high angle reverse fault which separates the continental block in the south from the oceanic material in the north. The exposed basaltic rocks could be a remnant of the oceanic crust of the Philippine Sea Plate.

Finding Faults: Tohoku and other Active Megathrusts/Megasplays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, J. C.; Conin, M.; Cook, B. J.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Remitti, F.; Chester, F.; Nakamura, Y.; Lin, W.; Saito, S.; Scientific Team, E.

2012-12-01

Current subduction-fault drilling procedure is to drill a logging hole, identify target faults, then core and instrument them. Seismic data may constrain faults but the additional resolution of borehole logs is necessary for efficient coring and instrumentation under difficult conditions and tight schedules. Thus, refining the methodology of identifying faults in logging data has become important, and thus comparison of log signatures of faults in different locations is worthwhile. At the C0019 (JFAST) drill site, the Tohoku megathrust was principally identified as a decollement where steep cylindrically-folded bedding abruptly flattens below the basal detachment. A similar structural contrast occurs across a megasplay fault in the NanTroSEIZE transect (Site C0004). At the Tohoku decollement, a high gamma-ray value from a pelagic clay layer, predicted as a likely decollement sediment type, strengthens the megathrust interpretation. The original identification of the pelagic clay as a decollement candidate was based on results of previous coring of an oceanic reference site. Negative density anomalies, often seen as low resistivity zones, identified a subsidiary fault in the deformed prism overlying the Tohoku megathrust. Elsewhere, at Barbados, Nankai (Moroto), and Costa Rica, negative density anomalies are associated with the decollement and other faults in hanging walls. Log-based density anomalies in fault zones provide a basis for recognizing in-situ fault zone dilation. At the Tohoku Site C0019, breakouts are present above but not below the megathrust. Changes in breakout orientation and width (stress magnitude) occur across megasplay faults at Sites C0004 and C0010 in the NantroSEIZE transect. Annular pressure anomalies are not apparent at the Tohoku megathrust, but are variably associated with faults and fracture zones drilled along the NanTroSEIZE transect. Overall, images of changes in structural features, negative density anomalies, and changes in breakout occurrence and orientation provide the most common log criteria for recognizing major thrust zones in ocean drilling holes at convergent margins. In the case of JFAST, identification of faults by logging was confirmed during subsequent coring activities, and logging data was critical for successful placement of the observatory down hole.

Machine learning of fault characteristics from rocket engine simulation data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ke, Min; Ali, Moonis

1990-01-01

Transformation of data into knowledge through conceptual induction has been the focus of our research described in this paper. We have developed a Machine Learning System (MLS) to analyze the rocket engine simulation data. MLS can provide to its users fault analysis, characteristics, and conceptual descriptions of faults, and the relationships of attributes and sensors. All the results are critically important in identifying faults.

Revised Pacific-Antarctic plate motions and geophysics of the Menard Fracture Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croon, Marcel B.; Cande, Steven C.; Stock, Joann M.

2008-07-01

A reconnaissance survey of multibeam bathymetry and magnetic anomaly data of the Menard Fracture Zone allows for significant refinement of plate motion history of the South Pacific over the last 44 million years. The right-stepping Menard Fracture Zone developed at the northern end of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge within a propagating rift system that generated the Hudson microplate and formed the conjugate Henry and Hudson Troughs as a response to a major plate reorganization ˜45 million years ago. Two splays, originally about 30 to 35 km apart, narrowed gradually to a corridor of 5 to 10 km width, while lineation azimuths experienced an 8° counterclockwise reorientation owing to changes in spreading direction between chrons C13o and C6C (33 to 24 million years ago). We use the improved Pacific-Antarctic plate motions to analyze the development of the southwest end of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge. Owing to a 45° counterclockwise reorientation between chrons C27 and C20 (61 to 44 million years ago) this section of the ridge became a long transform fault connected to the Macquarie Triple Junction. Following a clockwise change starting around chron C13o (33 million years ago), the transform fault opened. A counterclockwise change starting around chron C10y (28 millions years ago) again led to a long transform fault between chrons C6C and C5y (24 to 10 million years ago). A second period of clockwise reorientation starting around chron C5y (10 million years ago) put the transform fault into extension, forming an array of 15 en echelon transform faults and short linking spreading centers.

[Application of optimized parameters SVM based on photoacoustic spectroscopy method in fault diagnosis of power transformer].

PubMed

Zhang, Yu-xin; Cheng, Zhi-feng; Xu, Zheng-ping; Bai, Jing

2015-01-01

In order to solve the problems such as complex operation, consumption for the carrier gas and long test period in traditional power transformer fault diagnosis approach based on dissolved gas analysis (DGA), this paper proposes a new method which is detecting 5 types of characteristic gas content in transformer oil such as CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6 and H2 based on photoacoustic Spectroscopy and C2H2/C2H4, CH4/H2, C2H4/C2H6 three-ratios data are calculated. The support vector machine model was constructed using cross validation method under five support vector machine functions and four kernel functions, heuristic algorithms were used in parameter optimization for penalty factor c and g, which to establish the best SVM model for the highest fault diagnosis accuracy and the fast computing speed. Particles swarm optimization and genetic algorithm two types of heuristic algorithms were comparative studied in this paper for accuracy and speed in optimization. The simulation result shows that SVM model composed of C-SVC, RBF kernel functions and genetic algorithm obtain 97. 5% accuracy in test sample set and 98. 333 3% accuracy in train sample set, and genetic algorithm was about two times faster than particles swarm optimization in computing speed. The methods described in this paper has many advantages such as simple operation, non-contact measurement, no consumption for the carrier gas, long test period, high stability and sensitivity, the result shows that the methods described in this paper can instead of the traditional transformer fault diagnosis by gas chromatography and meets the actual project needs in transformer fault diagnosis.

Maximum Historical Seismic Intensity Map of S. Miguel Island (azores)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silveira, D.; Gaspar, J. L.; Ferreira, T.; Queiroz, G.

The Azores archipelago is situated in the Atlantic Ocean where the American, African and Eurasian lithospheric plates meet. The so-called Azores Triple Junction located in the area where the Terceira Rift, a NW-SE to WNW-ESE fault system with a dextral component, intersects the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, with an approximate N-S direction, dominates its geological setting. S. Miguel Island is located in the eastern segment of the Terceira Rift, showing a high diversity of volcanic and tectonic structures. It is the largest Azorean island and includes three active trachytic central volcanoes with caldera (Sete Cidades, Fogo and Furnas) placed in the intersection of the NW-SE Ter- ceira Rift regional faults with an E-W deep fault system thought to be a relic of a Mid-Atlantic Ridge transform fault. N-S and NE-SW faults also occur in this con- text. Basaltic cinder cones emplaced along NW-SE fractures link that major volcanic structures. The easternmost part of the island comprises an inactive trachytic central volcano (Povoação) and an old basaltic volcanic complex (Nordeste). Since the settle- ment of the island, early in the XV century, several destructive earthquakes occurred in the Azores region. At least 11 events hit S. Miguel Island with high intensity, some of which caused several deaths and significant damages. The analysis of historical documents allowed reconstructing the history and the impact of all those earthquakes and new intensity maps using the 1998 European Macrosseismic Scale were produced for each event. The data was then integrated in order to obtain the maximum historical seismic intensity map of S. Miguel. This tool is regarded as an important document for hazard assessment and risk mitigation taking in account that indicates the location of dangerous seismogenic zones and provides a comprehensive set of data to be applied in land-use planning, emergency planning and building construction.

Lithospheric Shear Stresses Over And Around Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greff-Lefftz, M.; Jean, B.; Vicente De Gouveia, S.

2017-12-01

We use a simple model for mantle dynamics combining contributions of subducted lithosphere, domes at the bottom of the mantle and upwelling plumes. A dominant feature of plate tectonics is the quasi permanence of a girdle of subductions around the Pacific ocean (or its ancestor), which creates large-wavelength positive topography anomaly within the ring they form. The superimposition of the resultant extension with the one induced by the dome leads to a permanent extensional regime over Africa and the future Indian ocean which creates faults with azimuth directions depending on the direction of the most active part of the ring of subductions. We thus obtain fractures with NW-SE azimuth during the period 275-165 Ma parallel to the strike of the subduction zone of the West South American active margin, which appears to be very active during this period. Between 155-95 Ma, subduction became more active along the Eastern Australian coast involving a change in the direction of the faults toward an E-W direction, in agreement with the observed fault systems between Africa and India, Antartica and Australia. During the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic, we correlate the permanent extensional regime over Africa and Indian ocean with the observed rift systems.Finally we emphasize the role of three primary hotspots as local additional contributors to the stress field imposed by our proposed subduction-doming system, which help in the opening of Indian and South Atlantic oceans.

High sedimentation rates and thrust fault modulation: Insights from ocean drilling offshore the St. Elias Mountains, southern Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worthington, Lindsay L.; Daigle, Hugh; Clary, Wesley A.; Gulick, Sean P. S.; Montelli, Aleksandr

2018-02-01

The southern Alaskan margin offshore the St. Elias Mountains has experienced the highest recorded offshore sediment accumulation rates globally. Combined with high uplift rates, active convergence and extensive temperate glaciation, the margin provides a superb setting for evaluating competing influences of tectonic and surface processes on orogen development. We correlate results from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 341 Sites U1420 and U1421 with regional seismic data to determine the spatial and temporal evolution of the Pamplona Zone fold-thrust belt that forms the offshore St. Elias deformation front on the continental shelf. Our mapping shows that the pattern of active faulting changed from distributed across the shelf to localized away from the primary glacial depocenter over ∼300-780 kyrs, following an order-of-magnitude increase in sediment accumulation rates. Simple Coulomb stress calculations show that the suppression of faulting is partially controlled by the change in sediment accumulation rates which created a differential pore pressure regime between the underlying, faulted strata and the overlying, undeformed sediments.

Simulation of a Dispersive Tsunami due to the 2016 El Salvador-Nicaragua Outer-Rise Earthquake (M w 6.9)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanioka, Yuichiro; Ramirez, Amilcar Geovanny Cabrera; Yamanaka, Yusuke

2018-01-01

The 2016 El Salvador-Nicaragua outer-rise earthquake (M w 6.9) generated a small tsunami observed at the ocean bottom pressure sensor, DART 32411, in the Pacific Ocean off Central America. The dispersive observed tsunami is well simulated using the linear Boussinesq equations. From the dispersive character of tsunami waveform, the fault length and width of the outer-rise event is estimated to be 30 and 15 km, respectively. The estimated seismic moment of 3.16 × 1019 Nm is the same as the estimation in the Global CMT catalog. The dispersive character of the tsunami in the deep ocean caused by the 2016 outer-rise El Salvador-Nicaragua earthquake could constrain the fault size and the slip amount or the seismic moment of the event.

The 26 December 2004 tsunami source estimated from satellite radar altimetry and seismic waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, Tony Y.; Ji, Chen; Fu, L. -L.; Zlotnicki, Victor; Shum, C. K.; Yi, Yuchan; Hjorleifsdottir, Vala

2005-01-01

The 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was the first earthquake tsunami of its magnitude to occur since the advent of both digital seismometry and satellite radar altimetry. Both have independently recorded the event from different physical aspects. The seismic data has then been used to estimate the earthquake fault parameters, and a three-dimensional ocean-general-circulation-model (OGCM) coupled with the fault information has been used to simulate the satellite-observed tsunami waves. Here we show that these two datasets consistently provide the tsunami source using independent methodologies of seismic waveform inversion and ocean modeling. Cross-examining the two independent results confirms that the slip function is the most important condition controlling the tsunami strength, while the geometry and the rupture velocity of the tectonic plane determine the spatial patterns of the tsunami.

Simulation of a Dispersive Tsunami due to the 2016 El Salvador-Nicaragua Outer-Rise Earthquake ( M w 6.9)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanioka, Yuichiro; Ramirez, Amilcar Geovanny Cabrera; Yamanaka, Yusuke

2018-04-01

The 2016 El Salvador-Nicaragua outer-rise earthquake ( M w 6.9) generated a small tsunami observed at the ocean bottom pressure sensor, DART 32411, in the Pacific Ocean off Central America. The dispersive observed tsunami is well simulated using the linear Boussinesq equations. From the dispersive character of tsunami waveform, the fault length and width of the outer-rise event is estimated to be 30 and 15 km, respectively. The estimated seismic moment of 3.16 × 1019 Nm is the same as the estimation in the Global CMT catalog. The dispersive character of the tsunami in the deep ocean caused by the 2016 outer-rise El Salvador-Nicaragua earthquake could constrain the fault size and the slip amount or the seismic moment of the event.

Space geodetic observation of the deformation cycle across the Ballenas Transform, Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plattner, Christina; Malservisi, Rocco; Amelung, Falk; Dixon, Timothy H.; Hackl, Matthias; Verdecchia, Alessandro; Lonsdale, Peter; Suarez-Vidal, Francisco; Gonzalez-Garcia, Javier

2015-08-01

The Gulf of California, Mexico, accommodates ~90% of North America-Pacific plate relative motion. While most of this motion occurs on marine transform faults and spreading centers, several fault segments in the central Gulf come close to peninsular Baja California. Here we present Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar data near the Ballenas transform fault, separating the peninsula from Angel de la Guarda Island. We observe interseismic motion between June 2004 and May 2009 and displacements associated with the 3 August 2009 Mw 6.9 earthquake. From the interseismic data we estimate a locking depth of 9-12.5 km and a slip rate of 44.9-48.1 mm/yr, indicating that faults east of Angel de la Guarda deform at negligible rates and that the Ballenas Transform accommodates virtually all of the relative motion between the North American plate and the Baja California microplate. Our preferred model for coseismic slip on a finite rectangular fault plane suggests 1.3 m of strike-slip displacement along a vertical rupture plane that is 60 km long and extends from the surface to a depth of 13 km in the eastern Ballenas Channel, striking parallel to Baja California-North America relative plate motion. These estimates agree with the seismic moment tensor and the location of the major foreshock and aftershocks and are compatible with the fault location identified from high-resolution bathymetric mapping. The geodetic moment is 33% higher than the seismic moment in part because some afterslip and viscous flow in the first month after the earthquake are included in the geodetic estimate. Coulomb stress changes for adjacent faults in the Gulf are consistent with the location of smaller aftershocks following the 2009 main shock and suggest potential triggering of the 12 April 2012 Mw 6.9 Guaymas earthquake.

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.

Generalized-stacking-fault energy and twin-boundary energy of hexagonal close-packed Au: A first-principles calculation

PubMed Central

Wang, Cheng; Wang, Huiyuan; Huang, Tianlong; Xue, Xuena; Qiu, Feng; Jiang, Qichuan

2015-01-01

Although solid Au is usually most stable as a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure, pure hexagonal close-packed (hcp) Au has been successfully fabricated recently. However, the phase stability and mechanical property of this new material are unclear, which may restrict its further applications. Here we present the evidence that hcp → fcc phase transformation can proceed easily in Au by first-principles calculations. The extremely low generalized-stacking-fault (GSF) energy in the basal slip system implies a great tendency to form basal stacking faults, which opens the door to phase transformation from hcp to fcc. Moreover, the Au lattice extends slightly within the superficial layers due to the self-assembly of alkanethiolate species on hcp Au (0001) surface, which may also contribute to the hcp → fcc phase transformation. Compared with hcp Mg, the GSF energies for non-basal slip systems and the twin-boundary (TB) energies for and twins are larger in hcp Au, which indicates the more difficulty in generating non-basal stacking faults and twins. The findings provide new insights for understanding the nature of the hcp → fcc phase transformation and guide the experiments of fabricating and developing materials with new structures. PMID:25998415

Research on fault characteristics about switching component failures for distribution electronic power transformers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, Z. X.; Huang, J. Q.; Yan, J.; Du, Z.; Xu, Q. S.; Lei, H.; Zhou, S. X.; Wang, S. C.

2017-11-01

The protection is an essential part for power device, especially for those in power grid, as the failure may cost great losses to the society. A study on the voltage and current abnormality in the power electronic devices in Distribution Electronic Power Transformer (D-EPT) during the failures on switching components is presented, as well as the operational principles for 10 kV rectifier, 10 kV/400 V DC-DC converter and 400 V inverter in D-EPT. Derived from the discussion on the effects of voltage and current distortion, the fault characteristics as well as a fault diagnosis method for D-EPT are introduced.

A new multiscale noise tuning stochastic resonance for enhanced fault diagnosis in wind turbine drivetrains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bingbing; Li, Bing

2016-02-01

It is very difficult to detect weak fault signatures due to the large amount of noise in a wind turbine system. Multiscale noise tuning stochastic resonance (MSTSR) has proved to be an effective way to extract weak signals buried in strong noise. However, the MSTSR method originally based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) has disadvantages such as shift variance and the aliasing effects in engineering application. In this paper, the dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) is introduced into the MSTSR method, which makes it possible to further improve the system output signal-to-noise ratio and the accuracy of fault diagnosis by the merits of DTCWT (nearly shift invariant and reduced aliasing effects). Moreover, this method utilizes the relationship between the two dual-tree wavelet basis functions, instead of matching the single wavelet basis function to the signal being analyzed, which may speed up the signal processing and be employed in on-line engineering monitoring. The proposed method is applied to the analysis of bearing outer ring and shaft coupling vibration signals carrying fault information. The results confirm that the method performs better in extracting the fault features than the original DWT-based MSTSR, the wavelet transform with post spectral analysis, and EMD-based spectral analysis methods.

Discrete wavelet transform and energy eigen value for rotor bars fault detection in variable speed field-oriented control of induction motor drive.

PubMed

Ameid, Tarek; Menacer, Arezki; Talhaoui, Hicham; Azzoug, Youness

2018-05-03

This paper presents a methodology for the broken rotor bars fault detection is considered when the rotor speed varies continuously and the induction machine is controlled by Field-Oriented Control (FOC). The rotor fault detection is obtained by analyzing a several mechanical and electrical quantities (i.e., rotor speed, stator phase current and output signal of the speed regulator) by the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) in variable speed drives. The severity of the fault is obtained by stored energy calculation for active power signal. Hence, it can be a useful solution as fault indicator. The FOC is implemented in order to preserve a good performance speed control; to compensate the broken rotor bars effect in the mechanical speed and to ensure the operation continuity and to investigate the fault effect in the variable speed. The effectiveness of the technique is evaluated in simulation and in a real-time implementation by using Matlab/Simulink with the real-time interface (RTI) based on dSpace 1104 board. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dehydration of lawsonite could directly trigger earthquakes in subducting oceanic crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okazaki, Keishi; Hirth, Greg

2016-02-01

Intermediate-depth earthquakes in cold subduction zones are observed within the subducting oceanic crust, as well as the mantle. In contrast, intermediate-depth earthquakes in hot subduction zones predominantly occur just below the Mohorovičić discontinuity. These observations have stimulated interest in relationships between blueschist-facies metamorphism and seismicity, particularly through dehydration reactions involving the mineral lawsonite. Here we conducted deformation experiments on lawsonite, while monitoring acoustic emissions, in a Griggs-type deformation apparatus. The temperature was increased above the thermal stability of lawsonite, while the sample was deforming, to test whether the lawsonite dehydration reaction induces unstable fault slip. In contrast to similar tests on antigorite, unstable fault slip (that is, stick-slip) occurred during dehydration reactions in the lawsonite and acoustic emission signals were continuously observed. Microstructural observations indicate that strain is highly localized along the fault (R1 and B shears), and that the fault surface develops slickensides (very smooth fault surfaces polished by frictional sliding). The unloading slope during the unstable slip follows the stiffness of the apparatus at all experimental conditions, regardless of the strain rate and temperature ramping rate. A thermomechanical scaling factor for the experiments is within the range estimated for natural subduction zones, indicating the potential for unstable frictional sliding within natural lawsonite layers.

Seismicity in the source areas of the 1896 and 1933 Sanriku earthquakes and implications for large near-trench earthquake faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obana, Koichiro; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; Fujie, Gou; Kodaira, Shuichi; Kaiho, Yuka; Yamamoto, Yojiro; Miura, Seiichi

2018-03-01

In the northern part of the Japan Trench, the 1933 Showa-Sanriku earthquake (Mw 8.4), an outer-trench, normal-faulting earthquake, occurred 37 yr after the 1896 Meiji-Sanriku tsunami earthquake (Mw 8.0), a shallow, near-trench, plate-interface rupture. Tsunamis generated by both earthquakes caused severe damage along the Sanriku coast. Precise locations of earthquakes in the source areas of the 1896 and 1933 earthquakes have not previously been obtained because they occurred at considerable distances from the coast in deep water beyond the maximum operational depth of conventional ocean bottom seismographs (OBSs). In 2015, we incorporated OBSs designed for operation in deep water (ultradeep OBSs) in an OBS array during two months of seismic observations in the source areas of the 1896 and 1933 Sanriku earthquakes to investigate the relationship of seismicity there to outer-rise normal-faulting earthquakes and near-trench tsunami earthquakes. Our analysis showed that seismicity during our observation period occurred along three roughly linear trench-parallel trends in the outer-trench region. Seismic activity along these trends likely corresponds to aftershocks of the 1933 Showa-Sanriku earthquake and the Mw 7.4 normal-faulting earthquake that occurred 40 min after the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Furthermore, changes of the clarity of reflections from the oceanic Moho on seismic reflection profiles and low-velocity anomalies within the oceanic mantle were observed near the linear trends of the seismicity. The focal mechanisms we determined indicate that an extensional stress regime extends to about 40 km depth, below which the stress regime is compressional. These observations suggest that rupture during the 1933 Showa-Sanriku earthquake did not extend to the base of the oceanic lithosphere and that compound rupture of multiple or segmented faults is a more plausible explanation for that earthquake. The source area of the 1896 Meiji-Sanriku tsunami earthquake is characterized by an aseismic region landward of the trench axis. Spatial heterogeneity of seismicity and crustal structure might indicate the near-trench faults that could lead to future hazardous events such as the 1896 and 1933 Sanriku earthquakes, and should be taken into account in assessment of tsunami hazards related to large near-trench earthquakes.

Incipient fault diagnosis of power transformers using optical spectro-photometric technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, K.; Karmakar, Subrata

2015-06-01

Power transformers are the vital equipment in the network of power generation, transmission and distribution. Mineral oil in oil-filled transformers plays very important role as far as electrical insulation for the winding and cooling of the transformer is concerned. As transformers are always under the influence of electrical and thermal stresses, incipient faults like partial discharge, sparking and arcing take place. As a result, mineral oil deteriorates there by premature failure of the transformer occurs causing huge losses in terms of revenue and assets. Therefore, the transformer health condition has to be monitored continuously. The Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) is being extensively used for this purpose, but it has some drawbacks like it needs carrier gas, regular instrument calibration, etc. To overcome these drawbacks, Ultraviolet (UV) -Visible and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectro-photometric techniques are used as diagnostic tools for investigating the degraded transformer oil affected by electrical, mechanical and thermal stresses. The technique has several advantages over the conventional DGA technique.

Multi-Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Bearings via Adaptive Projection Intrinsically Transformed Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition and High Order Singular Value Decomposition

PubMed Central

Lv, Yong; Song, Gangbing

2018-01-01

Rolling bearings are important components in rotary machinery systems. In the field of multi-fault diagnosis of rolling bearings, the vibration signal collected from single channels tends to miss some fault characteristic information. Using multiple sensors to collect signals at different locations on the machine to obtain multivariate signal can remedy this problem. The adverse effect of a power imbalance between the various channels is inevitable, and unfavorable for multivariate signal processing. As a useful, multivariate signal processing method, Adaptive-projection has intrinsically transformed multivariate empirical mode decomposition (APIT-MEMD), and exhibits better performance than MEMD by adopting adaptive projection strategy in order to alleviate power imbalances. The filter bank properties of APIT-MEMD are also adopted to enable more accurate and stable intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), and to ease mode mixing problems in multi-fault frequency extractions. By aligning IMF sets into a third order tensor, high order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) can be employed to estimate the fault number. The fault correlation factor (FCF) analysis is used to conduct correlation analysis, in order to determine effective IMFs; the characteristic frequencies of multi-faults can then be extracted. Numerical simulations and the application of multi-fault situation can demonstrate that the proposed method is promising in multi-fault diagnoses of multivariate rolling bearing signal. PMID:29659510

Multi-Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Bearings via Adaptive Projection Intrinsically Transformed Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition and High Order Singular Value Decomposition.

PubMed

Yuan, Rui; Lv, Yong; Song, Gangbing

2018-04-16

Rolling bearings are important components in rotary machinery systems. In the field of multi-fault diagnosis of rolling bearings, the vibration signal collected from single channels tends to miss some fault characteristic information. Using multiple sensors to collect signals at different locations on the machine to obtain multivariate signal can remedy this problem. The adverse effect of a power imbalance between the various channels is inevitable, and unfavorable for multivariate signal processing. As a useful, multivariate signal processing method, Adaptive-projection has intrinsically transformed multivariate empirical mode decomposition (APIT-MEMD), and exhibits better performance than MEMD by adopting adaptive projection strategy in order to alleviate power imbalances. The filter bank properties of APIT-MEMD are also adopted to enable more accurate and stable intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), and to ease mode mixing problems in multi-fault frequency extractions. By aligning IMF sets into a third order tensor, high order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) can be employed to estimate the fault number. The fault correlation factor (FCF) analysis is used to conduct correlation analysis, in order to determine effective IMFs; the characteristic frequencies of multi-faults can then be extracted. Numerical simulations and the application of multi-fault situation can demonstrate that the proposed method is promising in multi-fault diagnoses of multivariate rolling bearing signal.

Controls on the Seafloor Exposure of Detachment Fault Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olive, J. A. L.; Parnell-Turner, R. E.; Escartin, J.; Smith, D. K.; Petersen, S.

2017-12-01

Morphological and seismological evidence suggests that asymmetric accretion involving oceanic detachment faulting takes place along 40% of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. However, seafloor exposures of corrugated slip surfaces -a telltale sign of this kind of faulting- remain scarce and spatially limited according to multibeam bathymetric surveys. This raises the question of whether geomorphic processes can hinder the exposure of pristine fault surfaces during detachment growth. We address this problem by analyzing ≤2-m resolution bathymetry data from four areas where corrugated surfaces emerge from the seafloor (13º20'N, 16º25'N, 16º36'N, and TAG). We identify two key processes capable of degrading or masking a corrugated large-offset fault surface. The first is gravitational mass wasting of steep (>25º) slopes, which is widespread in the breakaway region of most normal faults. The second is blanketing of the shallow-dipping termination area by a thin apron of hanging wall-derived debris. We model this process using critical taper theory, and infer low effective friction coefficients ( 0.15) on the emerging portion of detachment faults. A corollary to this result is that faults emerging from the seafloor with an angle <10º are more likely to blanket themselves under an apron of hanging wall debris. Optimal exposure of detachment surfaces therefore occurs when the fault emerges at slopes between 10° and 25º. We generalize these findings into a simple model for the progressive exhumation and flexural rotation of detachment footwalls, which accounts for the continued action of seafloor geomorphic processes. Our model suggests that many moderate-offset `blanketed' detachments may exist along slow mid-ocean ridges, but their corrugated surfaces are unlikely to be detected in shipboard multibeam bathymetry (e.g., TAG). Furthermore, many `irregular massifs' may correspond to the degraded footwalls of detachment faults.

Composite transform-convergent plate boundaries: description and discussion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ryan, H.F.; Coleman, P.J.

1992-01-01

The leading edge of the overriding plate at an obliquely convergent boundary is commonly sliced by a system of strike-slip faults. This fault system is often structurally complex, and may show correspondingly uneven strain effects, with great vertical and translational shifts of the component blocks of the fault system. The stress pattern and strain effects vary along the length of the system and change through time. These margins are considered to be composite transform-convergent (CTC) plate boundaries. Examples are given of structures formed along three CTC boundaries: the Aleutian Ridge, the Solomon Islands, and the Philippines. The dynamism of the fault system along a CTC boundary can enhance vertical tectonism and basin formation. This concept provides a framework for the evaluation of petroleum resources related to basin formation, and mineral exploration related to igneous activity associated with transtensional processes. ?? 1992.

Weak Fault Feature Extraction of Rolling Bearings Based on an Improved Kurtogram

PubMed Central

Chen, Xianglong; Feng, Fuzhou; Zhang, Bingzhi

2016-01-01

Kurtograms have been verified to be an efficient tool in bearing fault detection and diagnosis because of their superiority in extracting transient features. However, the short-time Fourier Transform is insufficient in time-frequency analysis and kurtosis is deficient in detecting cyclic transients. Those factors weaken the performance of the original kurtogram in extracting weak fault features. Correlated Kurtosis (CK) is then designed, as a more effective solution, in detecting cyclic transients. Redundant Second Generation Wavelet Packet Transform (RSGWPT) is deemed to be effective in capturing more detailed local time-frequency description of the signal, and restricting the frequency aliasing components of the analysis results. The authors in this manuscript, combining the CK with the RSGWPT, propose an improved kurtogram to extract weak fault features from bearing vibration signals. The analysis of simulation signals and real application cases demonstrate that the proposed method is relatively more accurate and effective in extracting weak fault features. PMID:27649171

Fault Location Based on Synchronized Measurements: A Comprehensive Survey

PubMed Central

Al-Mohammed, A. H.; Abido, M. A.

2014-01-01

This paper presents a comprehensive survey on transmission and distribution fault location algorithms that utilize synchronized measurements. Algorithms based on two-end synchronized measurements and fault location algorithms on three-terminal and multiterminal lines are reviewed. Series capacitors equipped with metal oxide varistors (MOVs), when set on a transmission line, create certain problems for line fault locators and, therefore, fault location on series-compensated lines is discussed. The paper reports the work carried out on adaptive fault location algorithms aiming at achieving better fault location accuracy. Work associated with fault location on power system networks, although limited, is also summarized. Additionally, the nonstandard high-frequency-related fault location techniques based on wavelet transform are discussed. Finally, the paper highlights the area for future research. PMID:24701191

Tectonic types of marginal and inner seas; their place in the development of the crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khain, V. E.; Levin, L. E.

1980-12-01

Inner and marginal deep seas are of considerable interest not only for their genesis but also as "micromodels" of oceans. In the latter case it must be noted that some of them essentially differ from oceans in several parameters. They have a shorter period of development, thicker sedimentary cover, less distinct linear magnetic anomalies or an absence of them, high heat-flow values and seismic activity over their whole area. Consequently, the analogy with the oceans has certain limitations as the deep structure of such seas is not homogeneous and they probably vary in genesis. Only a few marginal seas are cut off from the principal areas of the oceans by island arcs formed, most probably, along transform faults. The origin of this type is more or less reliably demonstrated for the Bering Sea. Other types of marginal seas are more numerous. Some of them (such as the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of California) are embryonic apophyses connected with the oceans. Others are atrophied (the Tasman and the Labrador seas) small oceans. The group of marginal and inner seas which lie in the inside zone of mature or young island arcs is even more numerous. Only a few basins of this group resulted from linear spreading imprinted in the system of magnetic anomalies (the Shikoku-Parese-Vela basin), the rest are supposed to have been formed in the process of diffusal or polyaxial spreading of recent time as in Afar. The majority of inner and marginal seas are younger than recent oceans. They are formed by rifting, oriented crosswise to continental margins of the Atlantic type or along the strike of margins of Andean type. More ancient basins of marginal and inner seas have been involved in Phanerozoic orogens or more rarely became parts of platforms (Ciscaspian syneclise).

Analysis of pseudocolor transformations of ERTS-1 images of Southern California area. [geological faults and lineaments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merifield, P. M. (Principal Investigator); Lamar, D. L.; Stratton, R. H.; Lamar, J. V.; Gazley, C., Jr.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Representative faults and lineaments, natural features on the Mojave Desert, and cultural features of the southern California area were studied on ERTS-1 images. The relative appearances of the features were compared on a band 4 and 5 subtraction image, its pseudocolor transformation, and pseudocolor images of bands 4, 5, and 7. Selected features were also evaluated in a test given students at the University of California, Los Angeles. Observations and the test revealed no significant improvement in the ability to detect and locate faults and lineaments on the pseudocolor transformations. With the exception of dry lake surfaces, no enhancement of the features studied was observed on the bands 4 and 5 subtraction images. Geologic and geographic features characterized by minor tonal differences on relatively flat surfaces were enhanced on some of the pseudocolor images.

Oceanic broad multifault transform plate boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ligi, Marco; Bonatti, Enrico; Gasperini, Luca; Poliakov, Alexei N. B.

2002-01-01

Oceanic transform plate boundaries consist of a single, narrow (a few kilometers wide) strike-slip seismic zone offsetting two mid-ocean ridge segments. However, we define here a new class of oceanic transform boundaries, with broad complex multifault zones of deformation, similar to some continental strike-slip systems. Examples are the 750-km- long, 120-km-wide Andrew Bain transform on the Southwest Indian Ridge, and the Romanche transform, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is offset by a lens-shaped, ˜900-km- long, ˜100-km-wide sliver of deformed lithosphere bound by two major transform valleys. One of the valleys is seismically highly active and constitutes the present-day principal transform boundary. However, strike-slip seismic events also occur in the second valley and elsewhere in the deformed zone. Some of these events may be triggered by earthquakes from the principal boundary. Numerical modeling predicts the development of wide multiple transform boundaries when the age offset is above a threshold value of ˜30 m.y., i.e., in extra-long (>500 km) slow-slip transforms. Multiple boundaries develop so that strike-slip ruptures avoid very thick and strong lithosphere.

Do faults trigger folding in the lithosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerbault, Muriel; Burov, Eugenii B.; Poliakov, Alexei N. B.; Daignières, Marc

A number of observations reveal large periodic undulations within the oceanic and continental lithospheres. The question if these observations are the result of large-scale compressive instabilities, i.e. buckling, remains open. In this study, we support the buckling hypothesis by direct numerical modeling. We compare our results with the data on three most proeminent cases of the oceanic and continental folding-like deformation (Indian Ocean, Western Gobi (Central Asia) and Central Australia). We demonstrate that under reasonable tectonic stresses, folds can develop from brittle faults cutting through the brittle parts of a lithosphere. The predicted wavelengths and finite growth rates are in agreement with observations. We also show that within a continental lithosphere with thermal age greater than 400 My, either a bi-harmonic mode (two superimposed wavelengths, crustal and mantle one) or a coupled mode (mono-layer deformation) of inelastic folding can develop, depending on the strength and thickness of the lower crust.

Inferring the width of the upwelling region at mid-ocean ridges from the throttling effect of small-offset transforms: Implications for the dynamics of `normal' and plume-influenced mid- ocean ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phipps Morgan, J.; Ranero, C. R.

2006-12-01

The fundamental question "How wide is the upwelling and melting region beneath mid-ocean ridges (MORs)?" remains a subject of ongoing debate after 4 decades of intensive study. The basic observational difficulty is that lateral melt migration has the potential to bring melt produced within a wide subaxial region to the ~2km- wide neovolcanic zone that has been observed to be the site of almost all oceanic crustal emplacement. Here we use an indirect approach to infer this width from the minimum length of the ridge-offsets that mark the limits of the `region of influence' of on-ridge plumes on the axial relief, axial morphology, and crustal thickness along the ridge — e.g. as seen along ridge segments influenced by the Galapagos and Iceland plumes, and at the terminations of fossil volcanic rifted margins and the paleo-Azores plume-ridge interaction. We adopt Vogt's [1972] hypothesis for along-ridge asthenospheric flow in a narrow vertical slot beneath the axis of plume- influenced `macro-segments'. We find that: (1) There is a threshold distance to the lateral offsets that bound plume-influenced macrosegments; all such `barrier offsets' are greater than ~30km, while smaller offsets do not appear to be a barrier to along-axis flow. (2) Recent seismic and E-M observations along the southern EPR are consistent with a narrow westward-dipping subaxial slot. (3) A similar pattern is seen in the often abrupt transitions between volcanic and non-volcanic rifted margins, which is discussed in a companion presentation by Ranero and Phipps Morgan (this meeting). (4) A ~30km width for the region of ridge upwelling and melting offers a simple conceptual explanation for the apparent ~30km threshold length for the existence of strike-slip transform faults and the occurrence of non-transform offsets at smaller ridge offset-distances. (5) It also offers a simple conceptual explanation for the largest scale of segmentation of axial relief seen at fast-spreading ridges; these 500-1000km `long wavelength undulations of the axis' (Macdonald et al., 1989) may be macro- segments sharing a single contiguous subaxial slot that is bent but not broken beneath non-transform offsets. (6) If asthenosphere consumption by plate-spreading is less than plume-supply into a macro-segment, then the shallow seafloor and excess gravitational spreading stresses associated with a plume-influenced ridge will lead to growth of the axial slot by ridge propagation, propagation that continues until the offset of the associated migrating shear zone becomes long enough to halt it. We think this is a promising conceptual framework with which to understand the dynamic similarities and differences between plume-influenced and `normal' mid-ocean ridges.

Book review: Nonlinear ocean waves and the inverse scattering transform

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geist, Eric L.

2011-01-01

Nonlinear Ocean Waves and the Inverse Scattering Transform is a comprehensive examination of ocean waves built upon the theory of nonlinear Fourier analysis. The renowned author, Alfred R. Osborne, is perhaps best known for the discovery of internal solitons in the Andaman Sea during the 1970s. In this book, he provides an extensive treatment of nonlinear water waves based on a nonlinear spectral theory known as the inverse scattering transform. The writing is exceptional throughout the book, which is particularly useful in explaining some of the more difficult mathematical concepts.  Review info: Nonlinear Ocean Waves and the Inverse Scattering Transform. By Alfred R. Osborne, 2010. ISBN: 978-125286299, 917 pp.

Research on criticality analysis method of CNC machine tools components under fault rate correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gui-xiang, Shen; Xian-zhuo, Zhao; Zhang, Ying-zhi; Chen-yu, Han

2018-02-01

In order to determine the key components of CNC machine tools under fault rate correlation, a system component criticality analysis method is proposed. Based on the fault mechanism analysis, the component fault relation is determined, and the adjacency matrix is introduced to describe it. Then, the fault structure relation is hierarchical by using the interpretive structure model (ISM). Assuming that the impact of the fault obeys the Markov process, the fault association matrix is described and transformed, and the Pagerank algorithm is used to determine the relative influence values, combined component fault rate under time correlation can obtain comprehensive fault rate. Based on the fault mode frequency and fault influence, the criticality of the components under the fault rate correlation is determined, and the key components are determined to provide the correct basis for equationting the reliability assurance measures. Finally, taking machining centers as an example, the effectiveness of the method is verified.

Controls on intrusion of near-trench magmas of the Sanak-Baranof Belt, Alaska, during Paleogene ridge subduction, and consequences for forearc evolution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kusky, Timothy M.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Donely, D. Thomas; Rowley, David; Haeussler, Peter J.

2003-01-01

A belt of Paleogene near-trench plutons known as the Sanak-Baranof belt intruded the southern Alaska convergent margin. A compilation of isotopic ages of these plutons shows that they range in age from 61 Ma in the west to ca. 50 Ma in the east. This migrating pulse of magmatism along the continental margin is consistent with North Pacific plate reconstructions that suggests the plutons were generated by migration of a trench-ridge-trench triple junction along the margin. On the Kenai Peninsula the regional lower greenschist metamorphic grade of the turbiditic host rocks, texture of the plutons, contact-metamorphic assemblage, and isotopic and fluid inclusion studies suggest that the plutons were emplaced at pressures of 1.5–3.0 kbars (5.2–10.5 km) into a part of the accretionary wedge with an ambient temperature of 210–300 °C. The presence of kyanite, garnet, and cordierite megacrysts in the plutons indicates that the melts were generated at a depth greater than 20 km and minimum temperature of 650 °C. These megacrysts are probably xenocrystic remnants of a restitic or contact metamorphic phase entrained by the melt during intrusion. However, it is also possible that they are primary magmatic phases crystallized from the peraluminous melt.Plutons of the Sanak-Baranof belt serve as time and strain markers separating kinematic regimes that predate and postdate ridge subduction. Pre-ridge subduction structures are interpreted to be related to the interaction between the leading oceanic plate and the Chugach terrane. These include regional thrust faults, NE-striking map-scale folds with associated axial planar foliation, type-1 mélanges, and an arrayof faults within the contact aureole indicating shortening largely accommodated by layer-parallel extension. Syn-ridge subduction features include the plutons, dikes, and ductile shear zones within contact aureoles with syn-kinematic metamorphic mineral growth and foliation development. Many of the studied plutons have sheeted margins and appear to have intruded along extensional jogs in margin-parallel strike-slip faults, whereas others form significant angles with the main faults and may have been influenced by minor faults of other orientations. Some of the plutons of the Sanak-Baranof belt have their long axes oriented parallel to faults of an orthorhombic fault set, implying that these faults may have provided a conduit for magma emplacement. This orthorhombic set of late faults is interpreted to have initially formed during the ridge subduction event, and continued to be active for a short time after passage of the triple junction. ENE-striking dextral faults of this orthorhombic fault system exhibit mutually crosscutting relationships with Eocene dikes related to ridge subduction, and mineralized strike-slip and normal faults of this system have yielded 40Ar/39Ar ages identical to near-trench intrusives related to ridge subduction. Movement on the orthorhombic fault system accommodated exhumation of deeper levels of the southern Alaska accretionary wedge, which is interpreted as a critical taper adjustment to subduction of younger oceanic lithosphere during ridge subduction. These faults therefore accommodate both deformation of the wedge and assisted emplacement of near-trench plutons. Structures that crosscut the plutons and aureoles include the orthorhombic fault set and dextral strike-slip faults, reflecting a new kinematic regime established after ridge subduction, during underthrusting of the trailing oceanic plate with new dextral-oblique convergence vectors with the overriding plate. The observation that the orthorhombic fault set both cuts and is cut by Eocene intrusives demonstrates the importance of these faults for magma emplacement in the forearc.A younger, ca. 35 Ma suite of plutons intrudes the Chugach terrane in the Prince William Sound region, and their intrusion geometry was strongly influenced by pre-existing faults developed during ridge subduction. The generation of these plutons may be related to the sudden northward migration of the triple junction at ca. 40–33 Ma, as the ridge was being subducted nearly parallel to the trench during this interval. These younger plutons are used to provide additional constraints on the structural evolution of the wedge. Late- to post-ridge subduction fabrics include a pressure solution cleavage and additional movement on the orthorhombic fault system. After triple junction migration, subduction of the trailing oceanic plate involved a significant component of dextral transpression and northward translation of the Chugach terrane. This change in kinematics is recorded by very late gouge-filled dextral faults in the late structures of the accretionary prism.

The Intersection between the Gloria Transform Fault and the Tore-Madeira Rise in the NE Atlantic: New Tectonic Insights from Analog Modeling Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosas, F. M.; Tomas, R.; Duarte, J. C.; Schellart, W. P.; Terrinha, P.

2014-12-01

The intersection between the Gloria Fault (GF) and the Tore-Madeira rise (TMR) in NE Atlantic marks a transition from a discrete to a diffuse nature along a critical segment of the Eurasia/Africa plate boundary. To the West of such intersection, approximately since the Azores triple junction, this plate boundary is mostly characterized by a set of closely aligned and continuous strike-slip faults that make up the narrow active dextral transcurrent system of the GF (with high magnitude M>7 historical earthquakes). While intersecting the TMR the closely E-W trending trace of the GF system is slightly deflected (changing to WNW-ESE), and splays into several fault branches that often coincide with aligned (TMR related?) active volcanic plugs. The segment of the plate boundary between the TMR and the Gorringe Bank (further to the East) corresponds to a more complex (less discrete) tectonic configuration, within which the tectonic connection between the Gloria Fault and another major dextral transcurrent system (the so called SWIM system) occurs. This SWIM fault system has been described to extend even further to the East (almost until the Straits of Gibraltar) across the Gulf of Cadiz domain. In this domain the relative movement between the Eurasian and the African plates is thought to be accommodated through a diffuse manner, involving large scale strain partition between a dextral transcurrent fault-system (the SWIM system), and a set of active west-directed én-échelon major thrusts extending to the North along the SW Iberian margin. We present new analog modeling results, in which we employed different experimental settings to address (namely) the following main questions (as a first step to gain new insight on the tectonic evolution of the TRM-GF critical intersection area): Could the observed morphotectonic configuration of such intersection be simply caused by a bathymetric anomaly determined by a postulated thickened oceanic crust, or is it more compatible with a crustal rheological (viscous) anomaly, possibly related with the active volcanism in the intersection zone? What could cause the observed deflection and splaying of the GF in the intersection with the TMR? Is the GF cutting across the TMR, or is it ending against a morpho-rheological anomaly through waning lateral propagation?

Origins and Driving Mechanisms for Shallow Methane Accumulations on the Svyatogor Ridge, Fram Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waghorn, K. A.; Bunz, S.; Plaza-Faverola, A. A.; Westvig, I. M.; Johnson, J. E.

2015-12-01

The Svyatogor Ridge, located west of the Knipovich Spreading Ridge (KR) and south of the Molloy Transform Fault (MTF), is hypothesized to have once been the south tip of Vestnesa Ridge; a large sediment drift that was offset during the last 2 Ma along the MTF. The sedimentary cover across Svyatogor Ridge is limited, compared to Vestnesa Ridge, and basement outcrops are identified ~850 mbsf on the apex of the ridge. Despite the limited sedimentation, and its unique location at the intersection between the KR and MTF, Svyatogor Ridge has evidence of shallow gas accumulations; a strong BSR indicating a gas hydrate and underlying free gas system, and fluid flow pathways to the seafloor culminating in pockmarks. Using a high-resolution P-Cable 3D seismic survey, 2D seismic, and multibeam bathymetry data, we investigate how tectonic and sedimentary regimes have influenced the formation of a well-developed gas hydrate system. Sedimentation related with the Vestnesa drift on Svyatogor Ridge is interpreted to have begun ~2-3 Ma. The young age of the underlying oceanic crust, and subsequent synrift sediments below drift strata, suggests gas production from early Miocene aged hydrocarbon source identified in ODP Site 909 to the west, is unlikely in this region. Additionally, given the ultra-slow, magma limited spreading regime of the KR, we do not expect significant thermogenic methane generation from shallow magmatic sources. Therefore, in addition to some microbial gas production, Johnson et al. (2015) hypothesize a contribution from an abiotic source may explain the well-developed gas hydrate system. Large-scale basement faults identified in the seismic data are interpreted as detachment faults, which have exhumed relatively young ultramafic rocks. These detachment faults act as conduits for fluid flow, allowing circulation of seawater to drive serpentinization and subsequently act as pathways for fluids and abiotic methane to reach the shallow subsurface. This work aims to constrain the sedimentary and tectonic history of Svyatogor Ridge to determine 1) the relative interactions between basement detachment faults and overlying faults in the sedimentary cover, 2) the potential role of these faults as gas/fluid conduits and 3) how the underlying structural evolution has influenced the evolution of the gas hydrate system.

Earthquakes along the Azores-Iberia plate boundary revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batlló, Josep; Matos, Catarina; Torres, Ricardo; Cruz, Jorge; Custódio, Susana

2017-04-01

The plate boundary that separates the Eurasian and African plates between the Azores triple junction and Gibraltar has unleashed some of the highest magnitude earthquakes in Europe in the historical and instrumental periods, including the 1755 great Lisbon earthquake with an estimated magnitude of M8.5-8.7, a M8.3 earthquake in 1941 in a transform oceanic fault, a M8.1 fault in 1975 in an oceanic intraplate domain, and a M7.9 earthquake in 1969 offshore SW Portugal. The plate boundary evolves from a divergent boundary in the east - the Azores domain - through a strike-slip domain at the center - the Gloria fault domain - to an oblique convergence domain in the west - west Iberia and its oceanic margin. A proper mapping of the seismicity along this plate boundary is key to better understanding it. Prior to the early eighties, many earthquakes with epicentre in the Atlantic and even in mainland Portugal were undetected or not located instrumentally. However knowledge of the occurrence and location of earthquakes prior to this period is critical to understanding the seismicity of the region and for the assessment of seismic hazard and risk. The relocation of events recorded instrumentally until 1960 is particularly difficult due to the poor sensitivity of the seismographs, few available stations, incompleteness of the reports and lack of accuracy of station chronometers. Thus, different catalogues often provide different locations for the same event, with no information about how they were obtained. On the other hand, there are also conspicuous gaps in the instrumental records of some Portuguese stations. For many earthquakes of the studied period records rely solely on felt effects. In general, a good control on the accuracy or quality of epicenters lacks. Here we present a review of the locations of instrumental earthquakes of the Azores-west Iberia region in the period 1900-1960. In total, we reviewed around 350 earthquakes. More than 160 additional events have been consigned in the resulting catalogue. Earthquakes were re-located using both a 1D velocity structure and a linear inversion procedure (Hypocenter) and using a 3D structure developed for the region and a non-linear inversion algorithm (NonLinLoc). The results are interpreted in light of the most recent knowledge of geological structures, precise earthquake locations obtained for the most recent decades, which identify belts of preferential clustering of earthquakes, focal mechanisms and gravity anomalies.

Rolling element bearing fault diagnosis based on Over-Complete rational dilation wavelet transform and auto-correlation of analytic energy operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Jaskaran; Darpe, A. K.; Singh, S. P.

2018-02-01

Local damage in rolling element bearings usually generates periodic impulses in vibration signals. The severity, repetition frequency and the fault excited resonance zone by these impulses are the key indicators for diagnosing bearing faults. In this paper, a methodology based on over complete rational dilation wavelet transform (ORDWT) is proposed, as it enjoys a good shift invariance. ORDWT offers flexibility in partitioning the frequency spectrum to generate a number of subbands (filters) with diverse bandwidths. The selection of the optimal filter that perfectly overlaps with the bearing fault excited resonance zone is based on the maximization of a proposed impulse detection measure "Temporal energy operated auto correlated kurtosis". The proposed indicator is robust and consistent in evaluating the impulsiveness of fault signals in presence of interfering vibration such as heavy background noise or sporadic shocks unrelated to the fault or normal operation. The structure of the proposed indicator enables it to be sensitive to fault severity. For enhanced fault classification, an autocorrelation of the energy time series of the signal filtered through the optimal subband is proposed. The application of the proposed methodology is validated on simulated and experimental data. The study shows that the performance of the proposed technique is more robust and consistent in comparison to the original fast kurtogram and wavelet kurtogram.

Tectonics and geology of spreading ridge subduction at the Chile Triple Junction: a synthesis of results from Leg 141 of the Ocean Drilling Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Behrmann, J.H.; Lewis, S.D.; Cande, S.C.

1994-01-01

An active oceanic spreading ridge is being subducted beneath the South American continent at the Chile Triple Junction. This process has played a major part in the evolution of most of the continental margins that border the Pacific Ocean basin. A combination of high resolution swath bathymetric maps, seismic reflection profiles and drillhole and core data from five sites drilled during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 141 provide important data that define the tectonic, structural and stratigraphic effects of this modern example of spreading ridge subduction. A change from subduction accretion to subduction erosion occurs along-strike of the South American forearc. This change is prominently expressed by normal faulting, forearc subsidence, oversteepening of topographic slopes and intensive sedimentary mass wasting, overprinted on older signatures of sediment accretion, overthrusting and uplift processes in the forearc. Data from drill sites north of the triple junction (Sites 859-861) show that after an important phase of forearc building in the early to late Pliocene, subduction accretion had ceased in the late Pliocene. Since that time sediment on the downgoing oceanic Nazca plate has been subducted. Site 863 was drilled into the forearc in the immediate vicinity of the triple junction above the subducted spreading ridge axis. Here, thick and intensely folded and faulted trench slope sediments of Pleistocene age are currently involved in the frontal deformation of the forearc. Early faults with thrust and reverse kinematics are overprinted by later normal faults. The Chile Triple Junction is also the site of apparent ophiolite emplacement into the South American forearc. Drilling at Site 862 on the Taitao Ridge revealed an offshore volcanic sequence of Plio-Pleistocene age associated with the Taitao Fracture Zone, adjacent to exposures of the Pliocene-aged Taitao ophiolite onshore. Despite the large-scale loss of material from the forearc at the triple junction, ophiolite emplacement produces a large topographic promontory in the forearc immediately after ridge subduction, and represents the first stage of forearc rebuilding. ?? 1994 Springer-Verlag.

Imaging the source region of the 2003 San Simeon earthquake within the weak Franciscan subduction complex, central California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hauksson, E.; Oppenheimer, D.; Brocher, T.M.

2004-01-01

Data collected from the 2003 Mw6.5 San Simeon earthquake sequence in central California and a 1986 seismic refraction experiment demonstrate that the weak Franciscan subduction complex suffered brittle failure in a region without significant velocity contrast across a slip plane. Relocated hypocenters suggest a spatial relationship between the seismicity and the Oceanic fault, although blind faulting on a nearby, unknown fault is an equally plausible alternative. The aftershock volume is sandwiched between the Nacimiento and Oceanic faults and is characterized by rocks of low compressional velocity (Vp) abutted to the east and west by rocks of higher Vp. This volume of inferred Franciscan rocks is embedded within the larger Santa Lucia anticline. Pore fluids, whose presence is implied by elevated Vp/Vs values, may locally decrease normal stress and limit the aftershock depth distribution between 3 to 10 km within the hanging wall. The paucity of aftershocks along the mainshock rupture surface may reflect either the absence of a damage zone or an almost complete stress drop within the low Vp or weak rock matrix surrounding the mainshock rupture. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

Sudden aseismic fault slip on the south flank of Kilauea volcano.

PubMed

Cervelli, Peter; Segall, Paul; Johnson, Kaj; Lisowski, Michael; Miklius, Asta

2002-02-28

One of the greatest hazards associated with oceanic volcanoes is not volcanic in nature, but lies with the potential for catastrophic flank failure. Such flank failure can result in devastating tsunamis and threaten not only the immediate vicinity, but coastal cities along the entire rim of an ocean basin. Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii, USA, is a potential source of such flank failures and has therefore been monitored by a network of continuously recording geodetic instruments, including global positioning system (GPS) receivers, tilt meters and strain meters. Here we report that, in early November 2000, this network recorded transient southeastward displacements, which we interpret as an episode of aseismic fault slip. The duration of the event was about 36 hours, it had an equivalent moment magnitude of 5.7 and a maximum slip velocity of about 6[?]cm per day. Inversion of the GPS data reveals a shallow-dipping thrust fault at a depth of 4.5[?]km that we interpret as the down-dip extension of the Hilina Pali--Holei Pali normal fault system. This demonstrates that continuously recording geodetic networks can detect accelerating slip, potentially leading to warnings of volcanic flank collapse.

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 west and 50 Ma in the east. Exhumation of deeper levels of the southern Alaska accretionary wedge and formation of this late fault array is interpreted as a critical taper adjustment to subduction of progressively younger oceanic lithosphere yielding a shallower basal de´collement dip as the Kula-Farallon ridge approached the accretionary prism. The late structures also record different kinematic regimes associated with subduction of different oceanic plates, before and after ridge subduction. Prior to triple junction passage, subduction of the Farallon plate occurred at nearly right angles to the trench axis, whereas after triple junction migration, subduction of the Kula plate involved a significant component of dextral transpression and northward translation of the Chugach terrane. The changes in kinematics are apparent in the sequence of late structures from: (1) thrusting; (2) near-trench plutonism associated with normal + strike-slip faulting; (3) very late gouge-filled dextral faults.

Wavelet transform based on inner product in fault diagnosis of rotating machinery: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jinglong; Li, Zipeng; Pan, Jun; Chen, Gaige; Zi, Yanyang; Yuan, Jing; Chen, Binqiang; He, Zhengjia

2016-03-01

As a significant role in industrial equipment, rotating machinery fault diagnosis (RMFD) always draws lots of attention for guaranteeing product quality and improving economic benefit. But non-stationary vibration signal with a large amount of noise on abnormal condition of weak fault or compound fault in many cases would lead to this task challenging. As one of the most powerful non-stationary signal processing techniques, wavelet transform (WT) has been extensively studied and widely applied in RMFD. Numerous publications about the study and applications of WT for RMFD have been presented to academic journals, technical reports and conference proceedings. Many previous publications admit that WT can be realized by means of inner product principle of signal and wavelet base. This paper verifies the essence on inner product operation of WT by simulation and field experiments. Then the development process of WT based on inner product is concluded and the applications of major developments in RMFD are also summarized. Finally, super wavelet transform as an important prospect of WT based on inner product are presented and discussed. It is expected that this paper can offer an in-depth and comprehensive references for researchers and help them with finding out further research topics.

A low-angle detachment fault revealed: Three-dimensional images of the S-reflector fault zone along the Galicia passive margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuba, C. Nur; Gray, Gary G.; Morgan, Julia K.; Sawyer, Dale S.; Shillington, Donna J.; Reston, Tim J.; Bull, Jonathan M.; Jordan, Brian E.

2018-06-01

A new 3-D seismic reflection volume over the Galicia margin continent-ocean transition zone provides an unprecedented view of the prominent S-reflector detachment fault that underlies the outer part of the margin. This volume images the fault's structure from breakaway to termination. The filtered time-structure map of the S-reflector shows coherent corrugations parallel to the expected paleo-extension directions with an average azimuth of 107°. These corrugations maintain their orientations, wavelengths and amplitudes where overlying faults sole into the S-reflector, suggesting that the parts of the detachment fault containing multiple crustal blocks may have slipped as discrete units during its late stages. Another interface above the S-reflector, here named S‧, is identified and interpreted as the upper boundary of the fault zone associated with the detachment fault. This layer, named the S-interval, thickens by tens of meters from SE to NW in the direction of transport. Localized thick accumulations also occur near overlying fault intersections, suggesting either non-uniform fault rock production, or redistribution of fault rock during slip. These observations have important implications for understanding how detachment faults form and evolve over time. 3-D seismic reflection imaging has enabled unique insights into fault slip history, fault rock production and redistribution.

A note on the correlation between geophysical observations and seismicity in the Arava/(Araba) Valley at the southern part of the Dead Sea fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rybakov, M.; Shapira, A.; Al-Zoubi, A.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Hofstetter, R.; Kraeva, N.; Feldman, L.

2006-01-01

The spatial distribution of the earthquakes in the Arava Valley, a 150-km section of the Dead Sea Transform, is compared for the first time with the local subsurface geological features derived from geophysical and geological data. Gravity data suggested that the Gharandal, Timna, and Elat basins were filled by low-density young sediments. These features were confirmed by seismic reflection profiles and high-resolution aeromagnetic (HRAM) survey. The HRAM survey delineated the trace of the Dead Sea Transform (DST), which separates magnetic anomalies in the eastern and western parts of the valley, and revealed the occurrence of the unknown deep magmatics. Overall, the earthquake activity appears to be strongly related to the Dead Sea Transform. However, on a local scale, there is no apparent correlation between the seismicity and the mapped fault segments comprising the DST fault system. Absence of the correlation may be a result of insufficient accuracy of the earthquake localization and/or the inclined fault plane. However, in spite of such inaccuracy, it is clearly observed that the large clusters of the low-magnitude earthquakes coincide well with the sedimentary basins. Two pronounced clusters appear to coincide with the subsurface magmatics. We assume that the subsurface geology predetermines areas of stress accumulation and earthquakes. These areas can be the end of faults, or fault jogs, which sometimes create basins. Magmatism can also be affected by the stress field and predetermine the stress and earthquakes' allocation. ?? 2007 Science From Israel/LPPLtd.

Evolution of oceanic core complex domes and corrugations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cann, J.; Escartin, J.; Smith, D.; Schouten, H.

2007-12-01

In regions of the oceans where detachment faulting is developed widely, individual core complex domes (elevated massifs capped by corrugated detachment surfaces) show a consistent morphology. At their outward sides, most core complex domes are attached to a planar slope, interpreted (Smith et al., 2006) as an originally steep inward-facing normal fault that has been rotated to shallower angles. We suggest that the break in slope where the originally steep normal fault meets the domal corrugated surface marks the trace of the brittle-ductile transition at the base of the original normal fault. The steep faults originate within a short distance of the spreading axis. This means that the arcuate shape of the intersection of the steep fault with the dome must indicate the shape of the brittle-ductile transition very close to the spreading axis. The transition must be very shallow close to the summit of the dome and deeper on each flank. Evidence from drilling of some core complexes (McCaig et al, 2007) shows that while the domal detachment faults are active they may channel hydrothermal flow at black smoker temperatures and may be simultaneously injected by magma from below. This indicates a close link between igneous activity, hydrothermal flow and deformation while a core complex is forming. Once the shape of the core complex dome is established, it persists as the ductile footwall mantle rising from below is shaped by the overlying brittle hanging wall that has been cooled by the hydrothermal circulation. The corrugations in the footwall must be moulded into it by irregularities in the brittle hanging wall, as suggested by Spencer (1999). The along-axis arched shape of the hanging wall helps to stabilise the domal shape of the footwall as it rises and cools.

Hydrothermal Upflow, Serpentinization and Talc Alteration Associated with a High Angle Normal Fault Cutting an Oceanic Detachment, Northern Apennines, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alt, J.; Crispini, L.; Gaggero, L.; Shanks, W. C., III; Gulbransen, C.; Lavagnino, G.

2017-12-01

Normal faults cutting oceanic core complexes are observed at the seafloor and through geophysics, and may act as flow pathways for hydrothermal fluids, but we know little about such faults in the subsurface. We present bulk rock geochemistry and stable isotope data for a fault that acted as a hydrothermal upflow zone in a seafloor ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal system in the northern Apennines, Italy. Peridotites were exposed on the seafloor by detachment faulting, intruded by MORB gabbros, and are overlain by MORB lavas and pelagic sediments. North of the village of Reppia are fault shear zones in serpentinite, oriented at a high angle to the detachment surface and extending 300 m below the paleo-seafloor. The paleo-seafloor strikes roughly east-west, dipping 30˚ to the north. At depth the fault zone occurs as an anticlinal form plunging 40˚ to the west. A second fault strikes approximately north-south, with a near vertical dip. The fault rock outcrops as reddish weathered talc + sulfide in 0.1-2 m wide anastomosing bands, with numerous splays. Talc replaces serpentinite in the fault rocks, and the talc rocks are enriched in Si, metals (Fe, Cu, Pb), Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE), have variable Eu anomalies, and have low Mg, Cr and Ni contents. In some cases gabbro dikes are associated with talc-alteration and may have enhanced fluid flow. Sulfide from a fault rock has d34S=5.7‰. The mineralogy and chemistry of the fault rocks indicate that the fault acted as the upflow pathway for high-T black-smoker type fluids. Traverses away from the fault (up to 1 km) and with depth below the seafloor (up to 500 m) reveal variable influences of hydrothermal fluids, but there are no consistent trends with distance. Background serpentinites 500 m beneath the paleoseafloor have LREE depleted trends. Other serpentinites exhibit correlations of LREE with HFSE as the result of melt percolation, but there is significant scatter, and hydrothermal effects include LREE enrichment, positive Eu anomalies, decreased MgO/SiO2, and increases in Sr and Cs. One serpentinite 40 m from the fault has d34S = 4.5‰, consistent with a hydrothermal sulfur source. Far from the fault (1 km) ophicalcites near the paleo-seafloor have negative Ce anomalies indicating seawater alteration, and suggesting a limit to hydrothermal influence on the length scale of 1 km.

Lacustrine Paleoseismology Reveals Earthquake Segmentation of the Alpine Fault, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howarth, J. D.; Fitzsimons, S.; Norris, R.; Langridge, R. M.

2013-12-01

Transform plate boundary faults accommodate high rates of strain and are capable of producing large (Mw>7.0) to great (Mw>8.0) earthquakes that pose significant seismic hazard. The Alpine Fault in New Zealand is one of the longest, straightest and fastest slipping plate boundary transform faults on Earth and produces earthquakes at quasi-periodic intervals. Theoretically, the fault's linearity, isolation from other faults and quasi-periodicity should promote the generation of earthquakes that have similar magnitudes over multiple seismic cycles. We test the hypothesis that the Alpine Fault produces quasi-regular earthquakes that contiguously rupture the southern and central fault segments, using a novel lacustrine paleoseismic proxy to reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of fault rupture over the last 2000 years. In three lakes located close to the Alpine Fault the last nine earthquakes are recorded as megaturbidites formed by co-seismic subaqueous slope failures, which occur when shaking exceeds Modified Mercalli (MM) VII. When the fault ruptures adjacent to a lake the co-seismic megaturbidites are overlain by stacks of turbidites produced by enhanced fluvial sediment fluxes from earthquake-induced landslides. The turbidite stacks record shaking intensities of MM>IX in the lake catchments and can be used to map the spatial location of fault rupture. The lake records can be dated precisely, facilitating meaningful along strike correlations, and the continuous records allow earthquakes closely spaced in time on adjacent fault segments to be distinguished. The results show that while multi-segment ruptures of the Alpine Fault occurred during most seismic cycles, sequential earthquakes on adjacent segments and single segment ruptures have also occurred. The complexity of the fault rupture pattern suggests that the subtle variations in fault geometry, sense of motion and slip rate that have been used to distinguish the central and southern segments of the Alpine Fault can inhibit rupture propagation, producing a soft earthquake segment boundary. The study demonstrates the utility of lakes as paleoseismometers that can be used to reconstruct the spatial and temporal patterns of earthquakes on a fault.

The role of farfield tectonic stress in oceanic intraplate deformation, Gulf of Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reece, Robert S.; Gulick, Sean P. S.; Christesen, Gail L.; Horton, Brian K.; VanAvendonk, Harm J.; Barth, Ginger

2013-01-01

An integration of geophysical data from the Pacific Plate reveals plate bending anomalies, massive intraplate shearing and deformation, and a lack of oceanic crust magnetic lineaments in different regions across the Gulf of Alaska. We argue that farfield stress from the Yakutat Terrane collision with North America is the major driver for these unusual features. Similar plate motion vectors indicate that the Pacific plate and Yakutat Terrane are largely coupled along their boundary, the Transition Fault, with minimal translation. Our study shows that the Pacific Plate subduction angle shallows toward the Yakutat Terrane and supports the theory that the Pacific Plate and Yakutat Terranemaintain coupling along the subducted region of the Transition Fault. We argue that the outboard transfer of collisional stress to the Pacific Plate could have resulted in significant strain in the NE corner of the Pacific Plate, which created pathways for igneous sill formation just above the Pacific Plate crust in the Surveyor Fan. A shift in Pacific Plate motion during the late Miocene altered the Yakutat collision with North America, changing the stress transfer regime and potentially terminating associated strain in the NE corner of the Pacific Plate. The collision further intensified as the thickest portion of the Yakutat Terrane began to subduct during the Pleistocene, possibly providing the impetus for the creation of the Gulf of Alaska Shear Zone, a>200 km zone of intraplate strike-slip faults that extend from the Transition Fault out into the Pacific Plate. This study highlights the importance of farfield stress from complex tectonic regimes in consideration of large-scale oceanic intraplate deformation.

The effect of primary versus secondary processes on the volatile content of MORB glasses: An example from the equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge (5°N-3°S)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Voyer, Marion; Cottrell, Elizabeth; Kelley, Katherine A.; Brounce, Maryjo; Hauri, Erik H.

2015-01-01

We report microanalysis of volatile and trace element compositions, as well as Fe3+/ΣFe ratios, from 45 basaltic glasses from cruise RC2806 along the equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The along-strike variations in volatiles result from the complex geodynamical setting of the area, including numerous transform faults, variations in ridge depth, melting degree, and source composition. The strongest gradient is centered on 1.7°N and encompasses an increase of H2O, Cl, and F contents as well as high F/Zr ratio spatially coincident with radiogenic isotope anomalies. We interpret these variations as source enrichment due to the influence of the nearby high-μ-type Sierra Leone plume. South of the St. Paul fracture zone, H2O and F contents, as well as H2O/Ce and F/Zr ratios, decrease progressively. This gradient in volatiles is consistent with progressive dilution of an enriched component in a heterogeneous mantle due to the progressive increase in the degree of melting. These two large-scale gradients are interrupted by small-scale anomalies in volatile contents attributed to (1) low-degree melts preferentially sampling enriched heterogeneities near transform faults and (2) local assimilation of hydrothermal fluids in four samples from dredge 16D. Finally, 20 RC2806 samples described as "popping rocks" during collection do not show any difference in volatile content dissolved in the glass or in vesicularity when compared to the RC2806 "nonpopping" samples. Our observations lead us to question the interpretation of the CO2 content in the highly vesicular 2πD43 "popping rock" as being representative of the CO2 content of undegassed mid-ocean ridge basalt.

Contrasting frictional behaviour of fault gouges containing Mg-rich phyllosilicates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez Roa, C.; Faulkner, D.; Jimenez Millan, J.; Nieto, F.

2015-12-01

The clay mineralogy of fault gouges has important implications on frictional properties and stability of fault planes. We studied the specific case of the Galera fault zone where fault gouges containing Mg-rich phyllosilicates appear as hydrothermal deposits related to high salinity fluids enriched in Mg2+. These deposits are dominated by sepiolite and palygorskite, both fibrous clay minerals with similar composition to Mg-smectite. The frictional strengths of sepiolite and palygorskite have not yet been determined, however, as they are part of the clay mineral group, it has been assumed that their frictional behaviour would be in line with platy clay minerals. We performed frictional sliding experiments on powdered pure standards and fault rocks in order to establish the frictional behaviour of sepiolite and palygorskite using a triaxial deformation apparatus with a servo-controlled axial loading system and fluid pressure pump. Friction coefficients for palygorskite and sepiolite as monomineralic samples were found to be 0.65 to 0.7 for dry experiments, and 0.45 to 0.5 for water-saturated experiments. Although these fibrous minerals are part of the phyllosilicates group, they show higher friction coefficients and their mechanical behaviour is less stable than platy clay minerals. This difference is a consequence of their stronger structural framework and the discontinuity of water layers. Our results present a contrast in mechanical behaviour between Mg-rich fibrous and platy clay minerals in fault gouges, where smectite is known to considerably reduce friction coefficients and to increase the stability of the fault plane leading to creeping processes. Transformations between saponite and sepiolite have been previously observed and could modify the deformation regime of a fault zone. Constraining the stability conditions and possible mineral reactions or transformations in fault gouges could help us understand the general role of clay minerals in fault stability.

Present-day plate motions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minster, J. B.; Jordan, T. H.

1977-01-01

A data set comprising 110 spreading rates, 78 transform fault azimuths and 142 earthquake slip vectors was inverted to yield a new instantaneous plate motion model, designated RM2. The mean averaging interval for the relative motion data was reduced to less than 3 My. A detailed comparison of RM2 with angular velocity vectors which best fit the data along individual plate boundaries indicates that RM2 performs close to optimally in most regions, with several notable exceptions. On the other hand, a previous estimate (RM1) failed to satisfy an extensive set of new data collected in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is shown that RM1 incorrectly predicts the plate kinematics in the South Atlantic because the presently available data are inconsistent with the plate geometry assumed in deriving RM1. It is demonstrated that this inconsistency can be remedied by postulating the existence of internal deformation with the Indian plate, although alternate explanations are possible.

Lasting mantle scars lead to perennial plate tectonics.

PubMed

Heron, Philip J; Pysklywec, Russell N; Stephenson, Randell

2016-06-10

Mid-ocean ridges, transform faults, subduction and continental collisions form the conventional theory of plate tectonics to explain non-rigid behaviour at plate boundaries. However, the theory does not explain directly the processes involved in intraplate deformation and seismicity. Recently, damage structures in the lithosphere have been linked to the origin of plate tectonics. Despite seismological imaging suggesting that inherited mantle lithosphere heterogeneities are ubiquitous, their plate tectonic role is rarely considered. Here we show that deep lithospheric anomalies can dominate shallow geological features in activating tectonics in plate interiors. In numerical experiments, we found that structures frozen into the mantle lithosphere through plate tectonic processes can behave as quasi-plate boundaries reactivated under far-field compressional forcing. Intraplate locations where proto-lithospheric plates have been scarred by earlier suturing could be regions where latent plate boundaries remain, and where plate tectonics processes are expressed as a 'perennial' phenomenon.

Lasting mantle scars lead to perennial plate tectonics

PubMed Central

Heron, Philip J.; Pysklywec, Russell N.; Stephenson, Randell

2016-01-01

Mid-ocean ridges, transform faults, subduction and continental collisions form the conventional theory of plate tectonics to explain non-rigid behaviour at plate boundaries. However, the theory does not explain directly the processes involved in intraplate deformation and seismicity. Recently, damage structures in the lithosphere have been linked to the origin of plate tectonics. Despite seismological imaging suggesting that inherited mantle lithosphere heterogeneities are ubiquitous, their plate tectonic role is rarely considered. Here we show that deep lithospheric anomalies can dominate shallow geological features in activating tectonics in plate interiors. In numerical experiments, we found that structures frozen into the mantle lithosphere through plate tectonic processes can behave as quasi-plate boundaries reactivated under far-field compressional forcing. Intraplate locations where proto-lithospheric plates have been scarred by earlier suturing could be regions where latent plate boundaries remain, and where plate tectonics processes are expressed as a ‘perennial' phenomenon. PMID:27282541

Tectonics of ridge-transform intersections at the Kane fracture zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.; Dick, H. J. B.

1983-03-01

The Kane Transform offsets spreading-center segments of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge by about 150 km at 24° N latitude. In terms of its first-order morphological, geological, and geophysical characteristics it appears to be typical of long-offset (>100 km), slow-slipping (2 cm yr-1) ridge-ridge transform faults. High-resolution geological observations were made from deep-towed ANGUS photographs and the manned submersible ALVIN at the ridge-transform intersections and indicate similar relationships in these two regions. These data indicate that over a distance of about 20 km as the spreading axes approach the fracture zone, the two flanks of each ridge axis behave in very different ways. Along the flanks that intersect the active transform zone the rift valley floor deepens and the surface expression of volcanism becomes increasingly narrow and eventually absent at the intersection where only a sediment-covered ‘nodal basin’ exists. The adjacent median valley walls have structural trends that are oblique to both the ridge and the transform and have as much as 4 km of relief. These are tectonically active regions that have only a thin (<200 m), highly fractured, and discontinuous carapace of volcanic rocks overlying a variably deformed and metamorphosed assemblage of gabbroic rocks. Overprinting relationships reveal a complex history of crustal extension and rapid vertical uplift. In contrast, the opposing flanks of the ridge axes, that intersect the non-transform zones appear to be similar in many respects to those examined elsewhere along slow-spreading ridges. In general, a near-axial horst and graben terrain floored by relatively young volcanics passes laterally into median valley walls with a simple block-faulted character where only volcanic rocks have been found. Along strike toward the fracture zone, the youngest volcanics form linear constructional volcanic ridges that transect the entire width of the fracture zone valley. These volcanics are continuous with the older-looking, slightly faulted volcanic terrain that floors the non-transform fracture zone valleys. These observations document the asymmetric nature of seafloor spreading near ridge-transform intersections. An important implication is that the crust and lithosphere across different portions of the fracture zone will have different geological characteristics. Across the active transform zone two lithosphere plate edges formed at ridge-transform corners are faulted against one another. In the non-transform zones a relatively younger section of lithosphere that formed at a ridge-non-transform corner is welded to an older, deformed section that initially formed at a ridge-transform corner.

From rifting to subduction: the role of inheritance in the Wilson Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaussier, Stéphane; Gerya, Taras; Burg, Jean-Pierre

2017-04-01

The Wilson Cycle entails that oceans close and reopen. This cycle is a fundamental principle in plate tectonics, inferring continuity from divergence to convergence and that continental rifting takes place along former suture zones. This view questions the role of inherited structures at each stage of the Wilson Cycle. Using the 3D thermo-mechanical code, I3ELVIS (Gerya and Yuen 2007) we present a high-resolution continuous model of the Wilson cycle from continental rifting, breakup and oceanic spreading to convergence and spontaneous subduction initiation. Therefore, all lateral and longitudinal structures of the lithospheres are generated self-consistently and are consequences of the initial continental structure, tectono-magmatic inheritance and material rheology. In the models, subduction systematically initiates off-ridge and is controlled by the convergence-induced swelling of the ridge. Geometry and dynamics of the developing off-ridge subduction is controlled by four main factors: (1) the obliquity of the ridge with respect to the convergence direction; (2) fluid-induced weakening of the oceanic crust; (3) irregularity of ridge and margins inherited from rifting and spreading; (4) strain localization at transform faults formed during ocean floor spreading. Further convergence can lead to obduction of the oceanic crust and segments of ridge after the oceanic lithosphere is entrained into subduction. We show that the main parameters controlling the occurrence and geometry of obducted ophiolite are the convergence rate and the inherited structure of the passive margins and ridge. Our numerical experiments results show the essential role played by inheritance during the Wilson Cycle and are consistent with nature observations such as the tectonic history of the Oman subduction-obduction system. REFERENCES Gerya, T. V., and D. A. Yuen. 2007: "Robust Characteristics Method for Modelling Multiphase Visco-Elasto-Plastic Thermo-Mechanical Problems, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 163 (1-4), 83-105.

Variations of Oceanic Crust in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico From Integrated Geophysical Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, M.; Filina, I.

2017-12-01

Tectonic history of the Gulf of Mexico remains a subject of debate due to structural complexity of the area and lack of geological constraints. In this study, we focus our investigation on oceanic domain of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico to characterize the crustal distribution and structures. We use published satellite derived potential fields (gravity and magnetics), seismic refraction data (GUMBO3 and GUMBO4) and well logs to build the subsurface models that honor all available datasets. In the previous study, we have applied filters to potential fields grids and mapped the segments of an extinct mid-ocean ridge, ocean-continent boundary (OCB) and several transform faults in our study area. We also developed the 2D potential fields model for seismic profile GUMBO3 (Eddy et al., 2014). The objectives of this study are: 1) to develop a similar model for another seismic profile GUMBO 4 (Christeson, 2014) and derive subsurface properties (densities and magnetic susceptibilities), 2) to compare and contrast the two models, 3) to establish spatial relationship between the two crustal domains. Interpreted seismic velocities for the profiles GUMBO 3 and GUMBO 4 show significant differences, suggesting that these two profiles cross different segments of oceanic crust. The total crustal thickness along GUMBO 3 is much thicker (up to 10 km) than the one for GUMBO 4 (5.7 km). The upper crustal velocity along GUMBO 4 (6.0-6.7 km/s) is significantly higher than the one for GUMBO 3 ( 5.8 km/s). Based our 2D potential fields models along both of the GUMBO lines, we summarize physical properties (seismic velocities, densities and magnetic susceptibilities) for different crustal segments, which are proxies for lithologies. We use our filtered potential fields grids to establish the spatial relationship between these two segments of oceanic crust. The results of our integrated geophysical analysis will be used as additional constraints for the future tectonic reconstruction of the Gulf of Mexico.

Metamorphism, argon depletion, heat flow and stress on the Alpine fault

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scholz, C. H.; Beavan, J.; Hanks, T. C.

1978-01-01

The Alpine fault of New Zealand is a major continental transform fault which was uplifted on its southeast side 4 to 11 km within the last 5 m.y. This uplift has exposed the Haast schists, which were metamorphosed from the adjacent Torlesse graywackes. The Haast schists increase in metamorphic grade from prehnite-pumpellyite facies 9-12 km from the fault through the chlorite and biotite zones of the greenschist facies to the garnet-oligoclase zone amphibolite facies within 4 km of the fault. These metamorphic zone boundaries are subparallel to the fault for 350 km along the strike. The K-Ar and Rb-Sr ages of the schists increase with distance from the fault: from 4 m.y. within 3 km of the fault to approximately 110 m.y. 20 km from the fault. Field relations show that the source of heat that produced the argon depletion aureole was the fault itself.

An Intelligent Gear Fault Diagnosis Methodology Using a Complex Wavelet Enhanced Convolutional Neural Network.

PubMed

Sun, Weifang; Yao, Bin; Zeng, Nianyin; Chen, Binqiang; He, Yuchao; Cao, Xincheng; He, Wangpeng

2017-07-12

As a typical example of large and complex mechanical systems, rotating machinery is prone to diversified sorts of mechanical faults. Among these faults, one of the prominent causes of malfunction is generated in gear transmission chains. Although they can be collected via vibration signals, the fault signatures are always submerged in overwhelming interfering contents. Therefore, identifying the critical fault's characteristic signal is far from an easy task. In order to improve the recognition accuracy of a fault's characteristic signal, a novel intelligent fault diagnosis method is presented. In this method, a dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) is employed to acquire the multiscale signal's features. In addition, a convolutional neural network (CNN) approach is utilized to automatically recognise a fault feature from the multiscale signal features. The experiment results of the recognition for gear faults show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, especially in the gear's weak fault features.

Faulting and off-axis submarine massive sulfide accumulation at slow spreading mid-ocean ridges: A numerical modeling perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, C.; Theissen-Krah, S.; Hannington, M.; Rüpke, L.; Petersen, S.

2017-06-01

The potential of mining seafloor massive sulfide deposits for metals such as Cu, Zn, and Au is currently debated. One key challenge is to predict where the largest deposits worth mining might form, which in turn requires understanding the pattern of subseafloor hydrothermal mass and energy transport. Numerical models of heat and fluid flow are applied to illustrate the important role of fault zone properties (permeability and width) in controlling mass accumulation at hydrothermal vents at slow spreading ridges. We combine modeled mass-flow rates, vent temperatures, and vent field dimensions with the known fluid chemistry at the fault-controlled Logatchev 1 hydrothermal field of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. We predict that the 135 kilotons of SMS at this site (estimated by other studies) can have accumulated with a minimum depositional efficiency of 5% in the known duration of hydrothermal venting (58,200 year age of the deposit). In general, the most productive faults must provide an efficient fluid pathway while at the same time limit cooling due to mixing with entrained cold seawater. This balance is best met by faults that are just wide and permeable enough to control a hydrothermal plume rising through the oceanic crust. Model runs with increased basal heat input, mimicking a heat flow contribution from along-axis, lead to higher mass fluxes and vent temperatures, capable of significantly higher SMS accumulation rates. Nonsteady state conditions, such as the influence of a cooling magmatic intrusion beneath the fault zone, also can temporarily increase the mass flux while sustaining high vent temperatures.

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.

The evolution of shallow crustal structures in early rift-transform interaction: a case study in the northern Gulf of California.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farangitakis, Georgios-Pavlos; van Hunen, Jeroen; Kalnins, Lara M.; Persaud, Patricia; McCaffrey, Kenneth J. W.

2017-04-01

The Gulf of California represents a young oblique rift/transtensional plate boundary in which all of the transform faults are actively shearing the crust, separated by active rift segments. Previous workers have shown that in the northern Gulf of California, the relative plate motion between the Pacific and North American plates is distributed between: a) the Cerro Prieto Fault (CPF) in the NE b) the Ballenas Transform Fault (BTF) in the SW and c) a pull-apart structure located between these two faults consisting of a number of extensional basins (the Wagner, Consag, and Upper and Lower Delfin basins). A plate boundary relocation at approximately 2 Ma, continued to separate Isla Angel de la Guarda from the Baja California peninsula and created the 200x70 km2 NE-SW pull-apart structure located northeast of the BTF. Here we use seismic stratigraphy analysis of the UL9905 high resolution reflection seismic dataset acquired by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Caltech, and the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada to build on previous structural interpretations and seek to further understand the processes that formed the structural and sedimentary architecture of the pull-apart basin in the northern Gulf of California. We examine the formation of depositional and deformation structures in relation to the regional tectonics to provide insight into the development of structural patterns and related seismic-stratigraphic features in young rift-transform interactions. Using bathymetric data, characteristic seismic-stratigraphic packages, and seismic evidence of faulting, we confirm the existence of three major structural domains in the northern Gulf of California and examine the interaction of the seismic stratigraphy and tectonic processes in each zone. The first and most distinctive is an abrupt NE-SW 28x5 km2 depression on the seabed of the Lower Delfin Basin. This is aligned orthogonally to the BTF, is situated at its northern end, and is an active rift. The second structural domain is a large, NE-SW-trending anticlinorium 60 km wide to the southeast of the rift zone, towards the Tiburon basin. One possibility is that it represents a positive flower structure and thus indicates a transpressional domain. However, individual structures within the broader zone are normal faults and negative flower structures, suggesting transtensional deformation, and the overall structure may be a roll-over antiform formed on a deep detachment structure. Finally, a strike-slip-dominated zone occurs along the northward continuation of the Ballenas Transform Fault. This is accompanied by the formation of submarine volcanic knolls. These patterns can be compared with seismic stratigraphy facies and structural patterns in mature transform margins and potentially give insight into their early history.

Braid read-only memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckenna, J. F.

1973-01-01

Transformer-type memory is fault-tolerant array of independent read-only memory units. Information pattern in each unit is written by weaving wires through array of linear (nonswitching) transformers. Presence or absence of a bit is determined by whether a given wire threads or bypasses given transformer.

Evidence for Ring Structures and Fracture Zones in the Tectonics of Kerguelen Archipelago, Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathieu, L.; Byrne, P. K.; van Wyk de Vries, B.; Moine, B.

2009-12-01

Little work has been done on the tectonics of the emergent areas of the Kerguelen Archipelago, even though the extensive outcrop renders the islands especially good for structural work. The results of two field campaigns and remote sensing analysis carried out in the central part of the archipelago around the Val Travers valley and the Mt Ross volcano are presented. The Archipelago is part of the Kerguelen Plateau, a Large Igneous Province that has developed in the Indian Ocean from the early Cretaceous. It spread along the newly formed SE Indian mid-oceanic ridge (SEIR) during the early Tertiary. The rifting event produced NW-SE, N-S and E-W striking grabens in the plateau that are respectively, parallel to the SEIR, related to sinistral strike-slip movements along the SEIR, and of unknown origin. The Kerguelen Archipelago formed after the rifting event over the plateau but nevertheless, it contains the bulk of structural directions mentioned above. The lavas (Plateau Basalts) that make up most of the area are densely fractured, crossed by many veins and some small faults as well as dykes. The rare faults identified are either normal or affected by sinistral transtensional movements. The fractures have mainly a NW-SE orientation that is consistent with extension related to the SEIR. Dykes, veins and normal faults strike E-W and are related to a dominant N-S directed regional extension. The scarcity of discrete faults contrasts with the density of fractures and other lineaments that appear to cover the bulk of land exposed to remote sensing observations. Such structures were formed by regional deformation too small to produce large discrete faults. We also have found a 20 km-wide polygonal fracture pattern encircling Mt Ross Volcano. This structure could be linked to repeated deflation and inflation of the ground related to a buried intrusive complex. Again, the movements are too small to produce discrete faults. Instead, they produce a polygon of deformation whose edges are parallel to buried rifting faults re-activated by the vertical movements. This work outlines the structure of the central part of the Kerguelen Archipelago that is affected by regional stresses and is imprinted by local tectonic structures related to intrusive activity. Kerguelen provides a structural situation that can be compared with Iceland and also with volcano-tectonic structures on other planets.

High-velocity basal sediment package atop oceanic crust, offshore Cascadia: Impacts on plate boundary processes and fluid migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, D. E.; Keranen, K. M.

2017-12-01

Differences in fluid pressure and mechanical properties at megathrust boundaries in subduction zones have been proposed to create varying seismogenic behavior. In Cascadia, where large ruptures are possible but little seismicity occurs presently, new seismic transects across the deformation front (COAST cruise; Holbrook et al., 2012) image an unusually high-wavespeed sedimentary unit directly overlying oceanic crust. Wavespeed increases before sediments reach the deformation front, and the well-laminated unit, consistently of 1 km thickness, can be traced for 50 km beneath the accretionary prism before imaging quality declines. Wavespeed is modeled via iterative prestack time migration (PSTM) imaging and increases from 3.5 km/sec on the seaward end of the profile to >5.0 km/s near the deformation front. Landward of the deformation front, wavespeed is low along seaward-dipping thrust faults in the Quaternary accretionary prism, indicative of rapid dewatering along faults. The observed wavespeed of 5.5 km/sec just above subducting crust is consistent with porosity <5% (Erickson and Jarrard, 1998), possibly reflecting enhanced consolidation, cementation, and diagenesis as the sediments encounter the deformation front. Beneath the sediment, the compressional wavespeed of uppermost oceanic crust is 3-4 km/sec, likely reduced by alteration and/or fluids, lowest within a propagator wake. The propagator wake intersects the plate boundary at an oblique angle and changes the degree of hydration of the oceanic plate as it subducts within our area. Fluid flow out of oceanic crust is likely impeded by the low-porosity basal sediment package except along the focused thrust faults. Decollements are present at the top of oceanic basement, at the top of the high-wavespeed basal unit, and within sedimentary strata at higher levels; the decollement at the top of oceanic crust is active at the toe of the deformation front. The basal sedimentary unit appears to be mechanically strong, similar to observations from offshore Sumatra, where strongly consolidated sediments at the deformation front are interpreted to facilitate megathrust rupture to the trench (Hupers et al., 2017). A uniformly strong plate interface at Cascadia may inhibit microseismicity while building stress that is released in great earthquakes.

The application of S-transformation and M-2DPCA in I.C. Engine fault diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shixiong; Cai, Yanping; Mu, Weijie

2017-04-01

According to the problem of parameter selection and feature extraction for vibration diagnosis of traditional internal combustion engine is discussed. The method based on S-transformation and Module Two Dimensional Principal Components Analysis (M-2DPCA) is proposed to carry out fault diagnosis of I.C. Engine valve mechanism. First of all, the method transfers cylinder surface vibration signals of I.C. into images through S-transform. The second, extracting the optimized projection vectors from the general distribution matrix G which is obtained by all sample sub-images, so that vibration spectrum images can be modularized using M-2DPCA. The last, these features matrix obtained from images project will served as the enters of nearest neighbor classifier, it is used to achieve fault types' division. The method is applied to the diagnosis example of the vibration signal of the valve mechanism eight operating modes, recognition rate up to 94.17 percent; the effectiveness of the proposed method is proved.

Testing Predictions of Continental Insulation using Oceanic Crustal Thicknesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoggard, Mark; Shorttle, Oliver; White, Nicky

2016-04-01

The thermal blanketing effect of continental crust has been predicted to lead to elevated temperatures within the upper mantle beneath supercontinents. Initial break-up is associated with increased magmatism and the generation of flood basalts. Continued rifting and sea-floor spreading lead to a steady reduction of this thermal anomaly. Recently, evidence in support of this behaviour has come from the major element geochemistry of mid-ocean ridge basalts, which suggest excess rifting temperatures of ˜ 150 °C that decay over ˜ 100 Ma. We have collated a global inventory of ˜ 1000 seismic reflection profiles and ˜ 500 wide-angle refraction experiments from the oceanic realm. Data are predominantly located along passive margins, but there are also multiple surveys in the centres of the major oceanic basins. Oceanic crustal thickness has been mapped, taking care to avoid areas of secondary magmatic thickening near seamounts or later thinning such as across transform faults. These crustal thicknesses are a proxy for mantle potential temperature at the time of melt formation beneath a mid-ocean ridge system, allowing us to quantify the amplitude and duration of thermal anomalies generated beneath supercontinents. The Jurassic break-up of the Central Atlantic and the Cretaceous rifting that formed the South Atlantic Ocean are both associated with excess temperatures of ˜ 50 °C that have e-folding times of ˜ 50 Ma. In addition to this background trend, excess temperatures reach > 150 °C around the region of the Rio Grande Rise, associated with the present-day Tristan hotspot. The e-folding time of this more local event is ˜ 10 Ma, which mirrors results obtained for the North Atlantic Ocean south of Iceland. In contrast, crustal thicknesses from the Pacific Ocean reveal approximately constant potential temperature through time. This observation is in agreement with predictions, as the western Pacific was formed by rifting of an oceanic plate. In summary, variations in oceanic crustal thickness support the existence of continental insulation effects. Characteristic e-folding times are ˜ 50 Ma, but excess break-up temperatures are significantly lower than previously expected at around ˜ 50 °C. We tentatively suggest that higher excess temperatures of > 150 °C occur in the vicinity of upwelling mantle plumes, which are associated with shorter e-folding times of ˜ 10 Ma.

New tectonic data constrain the mechanisms of breakup along the Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bot, Anna; Geoffroy, Laurent; Authemayou, Christine; Graindorge, David

2014-05-01

The Gulf of California is resulting from an oblique-rift system due to the separation of the Pacific and the North American plates in the ~N110E to ~N125E trend. The age, nature and orientation of strain which ended with continental break-up and incipient oceanization at ~3.6 Ma, is largely misunderstood. It is generally proposed that early stages of extension began at around 12 Ma with strain partitioning into two components: a pure ENE directed extension in the Gulf Extensional Province (which includes Sonora and the eastern Baja California Peninsula in Mexico) and a dextral strike-slip displacement west of the Baja California Peninsula along the San Benito and Tosco-Abreojos faults. This evolution would have lasted ~5-6 Ma when a new transtensional strain regime took place. This regime, with extension trending ~N110E +/-10° , led to the final break-up and the subsequent individualization of a transform-fault system and subordoned short oceanic ridges. This two-steps interpretation has recently been challenged by authors suggesting a continuous transtensional extension from 12Ma in the trend of the PAC-NAM plates Kinematic. We question both of those models in term of timing and mode of accommodation basing ourselves on field investigations in Baja California Sur (Mexico). The volcano-sedimentary formations of the Comondù group dated 25 to 20 Ma exhibit clear examples of syn-sedimentary and syn-magmatic extensive deformations. This extension, oriented N65° E+/-15° , is proposed to initiate during the Magdalena Plate subduction. It would be related to the GOC initialization. In addition to this finding, we present tectonic and dating evidences of complex detachment-faulting tectonics varying in trend and kinematics with time and space for the development to the south of Baja California Sur. The extension associated with the early detachment-fault system trended ~N110E. From ~17 Ma to, probably, ~7-8 Ma, this extension controlled the early development of the San Jose del Cabo and the coeval footwall exhumation of large Cretaceous basement blocks (such as the Sierra Laguna). This detachment tectonics is overprinted by a more recent detachment-type tectonic evolution, localized alongshore the GOC, with coeval development of Pliocene basins. At this stage, extension was trending N75E +/-10° , i.e. close to GOC-normal. We discuss the geodynamical interpretation of all those new results in terms of forces driving the obliquity of rifts.

Sediment Accretion During Horst and Graben Subduction associated with the Tohoku Oki M9 Earthquake, Northern Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, J. C.; Chester, F. M.

2015-12-01

The stratigraphic sequence within the frontal accretionary prism of the Japan Trench, the site of large slip during the Tohoku earthquake, is unique due to horst and graben subduction. Boreholes at IODP Site C0019, penetrating the toe of the Tohoku accretionary prism, document a younger over older intraprism thrust contact with a 9 Ma age gap across the basal plate boundary fault. The anomalously young (Quaternary to Pliocene), fault-bounded sediment package is 130 m thick, of a total of 820 m of sediment above the plate boundary fault. In contrast, typical accretionary prism structure consists of stacked sediment packages on imbricate faults above the basal decollement resulting in an overall increase in age downward. Site C0019 penetrates the prism directly above a horst of the subducting Pacific oceanic crust. Here the plate-boundary fault consists of a thin, weak smectitic pelagic clay that is probably the principal slip surface of ~50 m offset in the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The fault continues seaward deepening off the seaward edge of the horst and beneath the sediment fill of the adjacent graben, dying out at the landward base of the next incoming horst. The plate boundary fault and its splays in the graben form a narrow-taper protoprism and a small sedimentary basin of trench fill marking the seaward edge of the upper plate. The modern fault and sediment distributions within the graben are used to motivate a viable model for the presence of anomalously young sediments directly above the plate boundary fault. In this model sediments in the trench are thrust over the incoming horst by propagation of the plate boundary thrust up the landward-dipping fault of the incoming horst and along the smectitic clay layer to emplace Quaternary and Pliocene trench deposits directly on top of the incoming horst. These young deposits are in turn overlain by sediments 9 Ma or older that have been transported out of the graben along imbricate faults associated with the necessary increase in the taper of the prism above the graben. The Quaternary to Pliocene units thicken due to internal deformation accounting for the 130 m thickness now observed over the plate boundary fault at Site C0019. Conversely emplacement of very young sediment directly above a basal detachment would be unexpected in accretionary prisms subducting smoother oceanic crust.

Shallow lithological structure across the Dead Sea Transform derived from geophysical experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stankiewicz, J.; Munoz, G.; Ritter, O.; Bedrosian, P.A.; Ryberg, T.; Weckmann, U.; Weber, M.

2011-01-01

In the framework of the DEad SEa Rift Transect (DESERT) project a 150 km magnetotelluric profile consisting of 154 sites was carried out across the Dead Sea Transform. The resistivity model presented shows conductive structures in the western section of the study area terminating abruptly at the Arava Fault. For a more detailed analysis we performed a joint interpretation of the resistivity model with a P wave velocity model from a partially coincident seismic experiment. The technique used is a statistical correlation of resistivity and velocity values in parameter space. Regions of high probability of a coexisting pair of values for the two parameters are mapped back into the spatial domain, illustrating the geographical location of lithological classes. In this study, four regions of enhanced probability have been identified, and are remapped as four lithological classes. This technique confirms the Arava Fault marks the boundary of a highly conductive lithological class down to a depth of ???3 km. That the fault acts as an impermeable barrier to fluid flow is unusual for large fault zone, which often exhibit a fault zone characterized by high conductivity and low seismic velocity. At greater depths it is possible to resolve the Precambrian basement into two classes characterized by vastly different resistivity values but similar seismic velocities. The boundary between these classes is approximately coincident with the Al Quweira Fault, with higher resistivities observed east of the fault. This is interpreted as evidence for the original deformation along the DST originally taking place at the Al Quweira Fault, before being shifted to the Arava Fault. 

Project PROBE Leg I - Report and archive of multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter , CTD/XBT and GPS navigation data collected during USGS Cruise 02051 (NOAA Cruise RB0208) Puerto Rico Trench September 24, 2002 to September 30, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Worley, Charles R.; Smith, Shep; Stepka, Thomas; Williams, Glynn F.

2006-01-01

On September 24-30, 2002, six days of scientific surveying to map a section of the Puerto Rico Trench (PRT) took place aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship Ron Brown. The cruise was funded by NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration. Multibeam bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data were collected over an area of about 25,000 sq. km of the Puerto Rico trench and its vicinity at water depths of 4000-8400 m. Weather conditions during the entire survey were good; there were light to moderate winds and 1-2 foot swells experiencing minor chop. The roll and pitch of the ship's interaction with the ocean were not conspicuous. Cruise participants included personnel from USGS, NOAA, and University of New Hampshire Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center. The cruise resulted in the discovery of a major active strike-slip fault system close to the trench, submarine slides on the descending North American tectonic plate, and an extinct mud volcano, which was cut by the strike-slip fault system. Another strike-slip fault system closer to Puerto Rico that was previously considered to accommodate much of the relative plate motion appears to be inactive. The seaward continuation of the Mona Rift, a zone of extension between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic that generated a devastating tsunami in 1918, was mapped for the first time.

Exploring tectonomagmatic controls on mid-ocean ridge faulting and morphology with 3-D numerical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, S. M.; Ito, G.; Behn, M. D.; Olive, J. A. L.; Kaus, B.; Popov, A.; Mittelstaedt, E. L.; Morrow, T. A.

2016-12-01

Previous two-dimensional (2-D) modeling studies of abyssal-hill scale fault generation and evolution at mid-ocean ridges have predicted that M, the ratio of magmatic to total extension, strongly influences the total slip, spacing, and rotation of large faults, as well as the morphology of the ridge axis. Scaling relations derived from these 2-D models broadly explain the globally observed decrease in abyssal hill spacing with increasing ridge spreading rate, as well as the formation of large-offset faults close to the ends of slow-spreading ridge segments. However, these scaling relations do not explain some higher resolution observations of segment-scale variability in fault spacing along the Chile Ridge and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where fault spacing shows no obvious correlation with M. This discrepancy between observations and 2-D model predictions illuminates the need for three-dimensional (3-D) numerical models that incorporate the effects of along-axis variations in lithospheric structure and magmatic accretion. To this end, we use the geodynamic modeling software LaMEM to simulate 3-D tectono-magmatic interactions in a visco-elasto-plastic lithosphere under extension. We model a single ridge segment subjected to an along-axis gradient in the rate of magma injection, which is simulated by imposing a mass source in a plane of model finite volumes beneath the ridge axis. Outputs of interest include characteristic fault offset, spacing, and along-axis gradients in seafloor morphology. We also examine the effects of along-axis variations in lithospheric thickness and off-axis thickening rate. The main objectives of this study are to quantify the relative importance of the amount of magmatic extension and the local lithospheric structure at a given along-axis location, versus the importance of along-axis communication of lithospheric stresses on the 3-D fault evolution and morphology of intermediate-spreading-rate ridges.

The Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault Zone - Geomorphology of a submarine transform fault, offshore British Columbia and southeastern Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, M. A. L.; Barrie, V.; Greene, H. G.; Brothers, D. S.; Conway, K.; Conrad, J. E.

2017-12-01

The Queen Charlotte-Fairweather (QC-FW) Fault Zone is the Pacific - North America transform plate boundary and is clearly seen for over 900 km on the seabed as a linear and continuous feature from offshore central Haida Gwaii, British Columbia to Icy Point, Alaska. Recently (July - September 2017) collected multibeam bathymetry, seismic-reflection profiles and sediment cores provide evidence for the continuous strike-slip morphology along the continental shelfbreak and upper slope, including a linear fault valley, offset submarine canyons and gullies, and right-step offsets (pull apart basins). South of central Haida Gwaii, the QC-FW is represented by several NW-SE to N-S trending faults to the southern end of the islands. Adjacent to the fault at the southern extreme and offshore Dixon Entrance (Canada/US boundary) are 400 to 600 m high mud volcanos in 1000 to 1600 m water depth that have plumes extending up 700 m into the water column and contain extensive carbonate crusts and chemosynthetic communities within the craters. In addition, gas plumes have been identified that appear to be directly associated with the fault zone. Surficial Quaternary sediments within and adjacent to the central and southern fault date either to the deglaciation of this region of the Pacific north coast (16,000 years BP) or to the last interstadial period ( 40,000 years BP). Sediment accumulation is minimal and the sediments cored are primarily hard-packed dense sands that appear to have been transported along the fault valley. The majority of the right-lateral slip along the entire QC-FW appears to be accommodated by the single fault north of the convergence at its southern most extent.

Fault Diagnosis for Rotating Machinery: A Method based on Image Processing

PubMed Central

Lu, Chen; Wang, Yang; Ragulskis, Minvydas; Cheng, Yujie

2016-01-01

Rotating machinery is one of the most typical types of mechanical equipment and plays a significant role in industrial applications. Condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of rotating machinery has gained wide attention for its significance in preventing catastrophic accident and guaranteeing sufficient maintenance. With the development of science and technology, fault diagnosis methods based on multi-disciplines are becoming the focus in the field of fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. This paper presents a multi-discipline method based on image-processing for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. Different from traditional analysis method in one-dimensional space, this study employs computing method in the field of image processing to realize automatic feature extraction and fault diagnosis in a two-dimensional space. The proposed method mainly includes the following steps. First, the vibration signal is transformed into a bi-spectrum contour map utilizing bi-spectrum technology, which provides a basis for the following image-based feature extraction. Then, an emerging approach in the field of image processing for feature extraction, speeded-up robust features, is employed to automatically exact fault features from the transformed bi-spectrum contour map and finally form a high-dimensional feature vector. To reduce the dimensionality of the feature vector, thus highlighting main fault features and reducing subsequent computing resources, t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding is adopt to reduce the dimensionality of the feature vector. At last, probabilistic neural network is introduced for fault identification. Two typical rotating machinery, axial piston hydraulic pump and self-priming centrifugal pumps, are selected to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method based on image-processing achieves a high accuracy, thus providing a highly effective means to fault diagnosis for rotating machinery. PMID:27711246

Fault Diagnosis for Rotating Machinery: A Method based on Image Processing.

PubMed

Lu, Chen; Wang, Yang; Ragulskis, Minvydas; Cheng, Yujie

2016-01-01

Rotating machinery is one of the most typical types of mechanical equipment and plays a significant role in industrial applications. Condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of rotating machinery has gained wide attention for its significance in preventing catastrophic accident and guaranteeing sufficient maintenance. With the development of science and technology, fault diagnosis methods based on multi-disciplines are becoming the focus in the field of fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. This paper presents a multi-discipline method based on image-processing for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. Different from traditional analysis method in one-dimensional space, this study employs computing method in the field of image processing to realize automatic feature extraction and fault diagnosis in a two-dimensional space. The proposed method mainly includes the following steps. First, the vibration signal is transformed into a bi-spectrum contour map utilizing bi-spectrum technology, which provides a basis for the following image-based feature extraction. Then, an emerging approach in the field of image processing for feature extraction, speeded-up robust features, is employed to automatically exact fault features from the transformed bi-spectrum contour map and finally form a high-dimensional feature vector. To reduce the dimensionality of the feature vector, thus highlighting main fault features and reducing subsequent computing resources, t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding is adopt to reduce the dimensionality of the feature vector. At last, probabilistic neural network is introduced for fault identification. Two typical rotating machinery, axial piston hydraulic pump and self-priming centrifugal pumps, are selected to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method based on image-processing achieves a high accuracy, thus providing a highly effective means to fault diagnosis for rotating machinery.

The Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault Zone - Geomorphology of a submarine transform fault, offshore British Columbia and southeastern Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, M. A. L.; Barrie, V.; Greene, H. G.; Brothers, D. S.; Conway, K.; Conrad, J. E.

2016-12-01

The Queen Charlotte-Fairweather (QC-FW) Fault Zone is the Pacific - North America transform plate boundary and is clearly seen for over 900 km on the seabed as a linear and continuous feature from offshore central Haida Gwaii, British Columbia to Icy Point, Alaska. Recently (July - September 2017) collected multibeam bathymetry, seismic-reflection profiles and sediment cores provide evidence for the continuous strike-slip morphology along the continental shelfbreak and upper slope, including a linear fault valley, offset submarine canyons and gullies, and right-step offsets (pull apart basins). South of central Haida Gwaii, the QC-FW is represented by several NW-SE to N-S trending faults to the southern end of the islands. Adjacent to the fault at the southern extreme and offshore Dixon Entrance (Canada/US boundary) are 400 to 600 m high mud volcanos in 1000 to 1600 m water depth that have plumes extending up 700 m into the water column and contain extensive carbonate crusts and chemosynthetic communities within the craters. In addition, gas plumes have been identified that appear to be directly associated with the fault zone. Surficial Quaternary sediments within and adjacent to the central and southern fault date either to the deglaciation of this region of the Pacific north coast (16,000 years BP) or to the last interstadial period ( 40,000 years BP). Sediment accumulation is minimal and the sediments cored are primarily hard-packed dense sands that appear to have been transported along the fault valley. The majority of the right-lateral slip along the entire QC-FW appears to be accommodated by the single fault north of the convergence at its southern most extent.

Mechanical Mixing and Metamorphism of Mafic and Ultramafic Lithologies during Mylonisis at the ST. Paul Transform System, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adrião, Á.; Maia, M.; Hemond, C.; Kaczmarek, M. A.; Briais, A.; Vincent, C.; Brunelli, D.

2017-12-01

The St. Paul Transform System offsets by 630 km the Equatorial Mid Atlantic Ridge at 1° N. It consists of four major faults separating three intra transform ridge axes. This region shows a transition from a transpressive, hot spot affected, regional-scale shear zone to the North to a region dominated by a particular oceanic core complex spreading to the South (Vincent et al., this congress). Samples collected in the region during the COLMEIA cruise (Maia et al., 2016) were studied for textures and whole-rock major and trace element contents. All samples experienced pervasive deformation at ductile to brittle conditions overprinted by late low-T alteration. Mylonitic and ultramylonitic rocks can be grouped in three main types: peridotitic, gabbroic and talc-chlorite schist. Peridotitic ultramylonites preserve few opx, cpx and sp porphyroclasts; they have homogeneous nano-micro grain size groundmass, banded foliation and late amphibole and sulfide crystallization. Locally S-C fabric overprints the mylonitic texture. Micro cracks, filled with serpentine, chlorite and oxides are common, as well fluid inclusions trails in olivine and plagioclase crystals of peridotite and gabbros respectively. Major and trace element content of the peridotitic mylonites plot in the depleted field of the abyssal peridotites; however, they present marked LREE enrichment and Eu positive anomaly. Gabbroic and talc-chlorite mylonites display REE-enriched patterns (up to 100x CI) and variable Eu anomalies. Major elements show a remarkable linear trend in the talc-chlorite group suggesting mixing of pure talc and chlorite end-members. These compositional characteristics suggest variable assimilation of MORB and E-MORB during mylonisis or early melt-rock interaction and hydrothermal evolution at variable metamorphic conditions. Vincent et al., 2017. Particular Oceanic Core Complex evolution …; this congress Maia et al., 2016. Extreme mantle uplift and exhumation ... Nat. Geo. doi:10.1038/ngeo2759

The Malpelo Plate Hypothesis and Implications for Non-closure of the Cocos-Nazca-Pacific Plate Motion Circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, T.; Gordon, R. G.; Mishra, J. K.; Wang, C.

2017-12-01

The non-closure of the Cocos-Nazca-Pacific plate motion circuit by 15.0 mm a-1± 3.8 mm a-1 (95% confidence limits throughout this abstract) [DeMets et al. 2010] represents a daunting challenge to the central tenet of plate tectonics—that the plates are rigid. This misfit is difficult to explain from known processes of intraplate deformation, such as horizontal thermal contraction [Collette, 1974; Kumar and Gordon, 2009; Kreemer and Gordon, 2014; Mishra and Gordon, 2016] or movement of plates over a non-spherical Earth [McKenzie, 1972; Turcotte and Oxburgh, 1973]. Possibly there are one or more unrecognized plate boundaries in the circuit, but no such boundary has been found to date. To make progress on this problem, we present three new Cocos-Nazca transform fault azimuths from multibeam data now available through Geomapapp's global multi-resolution topography [Ryan et al., 2009]. We determine a new Cocos-Nazca best-fitting angular velocity from the three new transform-fault azimuths combined with the spreading rates of DeMets et al. [2010]. The new direction of relative plate motion is 3.3° ±1.8° clockwise of prior estimates and is 4.9° ±2.7° clockwise of the azimuth of the Panama transform fault, demonstrating that the Panama transform fault does not parallel Nazca-Cocos plate motion. We infer that the plate east of the Panama transform fault is not the Nazca plate, but instead is a microplate that we term the Malpelo plate. We hypothesize that a diffuse plate boundary separates the Malpelo plate from the much larger Nazca plate. The Malpelo plate extends only as far north as ≈6°N where seismicity marks another boundary with a previously recognized microplate, the Coiba plate [Pennington, 1981, Adamek et al., 1988]. The Malpelo plate moves 5.9 mm a-1 relative to the Nazca plate along the Panama transform fault. When we sum the Cocos-Pacific and Pacific-Nazca best-fitting angular velocities of DeMets et al. [2010] with our new Nazca-Cocos best-fitting angular velocity, we find a new linear velocity of non-closure of 11.6 mm a-1± 3.8 mm a-1, i.e., the non-closure is reduced by 3.4 mm a-1. The non-closure still seems too large to be due entirely to intraplate deformation and suggests that one or more additional plate boundaries remain to be discovered.

Structure of the Wagner Basin in the Northern Gulf of California From Interpretation of Seismic Reflexion Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, M.; Aguilar, C.; Martin, A.

2007-05-01

The northern Gulf of California straddles the transition in the style of deformation along the Pacific-North America plate boundary, from distributed deformation in the Upper Delfin and Wagner basins to localized dextral shear along the Cerro Prieto transform fault. Processing and interpretation of industry seismic data adquired by Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) allow us to map the main fault structures and depocenters in the Wagner basin and to unravel the way strain is transferred northward into the Cerro Prieto fault system. Seismic data records from 0.5 to 5 TWTT. Data stacking and time-migration were performed using semblance coefficient method. Subsidence in the Wagner basin is controlled by two large N-S trending sub-parallel faults that intersect the NNW-trending Cerro Prieto transform fault. The Wagner fault bounds the eastern margin of the basin for more than 75 km. This fault dips ~50° to the west (up to 2 seconds) with distinctive reflectors displaced more than 1 km across the fault zone. The strata define a fanning pattern towards the Wagner fault. Northward the Wagner fault intersects the Cerro Prieto fault at 130° on map view and one depocenter of the Wagner basin bends to the NW adjacent to the Cerro Prieto fault zone. The eastern boundary of the modern depocenter is the Consag fault, which extends over 100 km in a N-S direction with an average dip of ~50° (up to 2s) to the east. The northern segment of the Consag fault bends 25° and intersects the Cerro Prieto fault zone at an angle of 110° on map view. The acoustic basement was not imaged in the northwest, but the stratigraphic succession increases its thickness towards the depocenter of the Wagner basin. Another important structure is El Chinero fault, which runs parallel to the Consag fault along 60 km and possibly intersects the Cerro Prieto fault to the north beneath the delta of the Colorado River. El Chinero fault dips at low-angle (~30°) to the east and has a vertical offset of about 0.5 seconds (TWTT). Seismic imaging indicates that the Wagner and Consag faults transfer most of their slip to the Cerro Prieto fault. Moreover, the 130° intersection between the Wagner and Cerro Prieto faults suggests that the Wagner fault has a significant strike-slip component. Our results indicate that most of the strain in this plate boundary is transferred along two main sub-parallel oblique faults in a narrow zone 35 km-wide.

Fault evolution in the Potiguar rift termination, equatorial margin of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Castro, D. L.; Bezerra, F. H. R.

2015-02-01

The transform shearing between South American and African plates in the Cretaceous generated a series of sedimentary basins on both plate margins. In this study, we use gravity, aeromagnetic, and resistivity surveys to identify architecture of fault systems and to analyze the evolution of the eastern equatorial margin of Brazil. Our study area is the southern onshore termination of the Potiguar rift, which is an aborted NE-trending rift arm developed during the breakup of Pangea. The basin is located along the NNE margin of South America that faces the main transform zone that separates the North and the South Atlantic. The Potiguar rift is a Neocomian structure located at the intersection of the equatorial and western South Atlantic and is composed of a series of NE-trending horsts and grabens. This study reveals new grabens in the Potiguar rift and indicates that stretching in the southern rift termination created a WNW-trending, 10 km wide, and ~ 40 km long right-lateral strike-slip fault zone. This zone encompasses at least eight depocenters, which are bounded by a left-stepping, en echelon system of NW-SE- to NS-striking normal faults. These depocenters form grabens up to 1200 m deep with a rhomb-shaped geometry, which are filled with rift sedimentary units and capped by postrift sedimentary sequences. The evolution of the rift termination is consistent with the right-lateral shearing of the equatorial margin in the Cretaceous and occurs not only at the rift termination but also as isolated structures away from the main rift. This study indicates that the strike-slip shearing between two plates propagated to the interior of one of these plates, where faults with similar orientation, kinematics, geometry, and timing of the major transform are observed. These faults also influence rift geometry.

Geophysical evidence for a transform margin in Northwestern Algeria: possible vestige of a Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badji, R.; Charvis, P.; Bracene, R.; Galve, A.; Badsi, M.; Ribodetti, A.; Benaissa, Z.; Klingelhoefer, F.; Medaouri, M.; Beslier, M.

2013-12-01

This work is part of the Algerian-French SPIRAL program (Sismique Profonde et Investigation Régionale du Nord de l'Algérie) which provides unprecedented images of the deep structure of the western Algerian Margin based on several wide-angle and multichannel seismic data shot across the Algerian Margin. One of the different hypotheses for the opening of the western Mediterranean Sea, we are testing is that the western part of the Algerian margin was possibly part of the southern edge of the Alboran continental block during its westward migration related to the rollback of the Betic-Rif-Alboran subduction zone. A tomographic inversion of the first arrival traveltimes along a 100-km long wide-angle seismic profile shot over 40 Ocean Bottom Seismometers, across the Margin offshore Mostaganem (Northwestern Algerian Margin) was conducted. The final model reveals striking feature in the deep structure of the margin from north to south: 1- the oceanic crust is as thin as 4-km, with velocities ranging from 5.0 to 7.1 km/s, covered by a 3.3 km thick sedimentary pile (seismic velocities from 1.5 to 5.0 km/s) characterized by an intense diapiric activity of the Messinian salt layer. 2- a sharp transition zone, less than 10 km wide, with seismic velocities intermediate between oceanic seismic velocities (observed northward) and continental seismic velocities (observed southward). This zone coincides with narrow and elongated pull apart basins imaged by multichannel seismic data. No evidence of volcanism nor of exhumed serpentinized upper mantle as described along many extensional continental margins are observed along this segment of the margin. 3- a thinned continental crust coincident with a rapid variation of the Moho depth imaged from 12 to ~20 km with a dip up to 50%. The seafloor bathymetry is showing a steep continental slope (>20%). Either normal or inverse faults are observed along MCS lines shot in the dip direction but they do not present large vertical displacement and could be related primarily to strike slip motion. These results support the hypothesis, that the margin offshore Mostaganem is not an extensional margin but rather a transform margin. There is little evidence of tectonic inversion as described eastward along the Kabylian Margin. Possibly strike slip motion affected the thinned continental crust and the transition zone suggesting that this margin is a vestige of the Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) related to the westward migration of the Alboran block.

The electrical resistivity signature of a fault controlling gold mineralization and the implications for Mesozoic mineralization: a case study from the Jiaojia Fault, eastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kun; Lü, Qingtian; Yan, Jiayong; Hu, Hao; Fu, GuangMing

2017-08-01

We use 3D audio magnetotelluric method to the south segment of Jiaojia fault belt, and obtain the 3D electrical model of this area. Regional geophysical data were combined in an analysis of strata and major structural distribution in the study area, and included the southern segment of the Jiaojia fault zone transformed into two fault assemblages. Together with the previous studies of the ore-controlling action of the Jiaojia fault belt and deposit characteristics, the two faults are considered to be favorable metallogenic provinces, because some important features coupled with them, such as the subordinate fault intersection zone and several fault assemblages in one fault zone. It was also suggested the control action of later fault with reversed downthrows to the ore distribution. These studies have enabled us to predict the presence of two likely target regions of mineralization, and are prospecting breakthrough in the southern section of Jiaojia in the Shandong Peninsula, China.

Mesoscale models for stacking faults, deformation twins and martensitic transformations: Linking atomistics to continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibey, Sandeep A.

We present a hierarchical approach that spans multiple length scales to describe defect formation---in particular, formation of stacking faults (SFs) and deformation twins---in fcc crystals. We link the energy pathways (calculated here via ab initio density functional theory, DFT) associated with formation of stacking faults and twins to corresponding heterogeneous defect nucleation models (described through mesoscale dislocation mechanics). Through the generalized Peieirls-Nabarro model, we first correlate the width of intrinsic SFs in fcc alloy systems to their nucleation pathways called generalized stacking fault energies (GSFE). We then establish a qualitative dependence of twinning tendency in fee metals and alloys---specifically, in pure Cu and dilute Cu-xAl (x= 5.0 and 8.3 at.%)---on their twin-energy pathways called the generalized planar fault energies (GPFE). We also link the twinning behavior of Cu-Al alloys to their electronic structure by determining the effect of solute Al on the valence charge density redistribution at the SF through ab initio DFT. Further, while several efforts have been undertaken to incorporate twinning for predicting stress-strain response of fcc materials, a fundamental law for critical twinning stress has not yet emerged. We resolve this long-standing issue by linking quantitatively the twin-energy pathways (GPFE) obtained via ab initio DFT to heterogeneous, dislocation-based twin nucleation models. We establish an analytical expression that quantitatively predicts the critical twinning stress in fcc metals in agreement with experiments without requiring any empiricism at any length scale. Our theory connects twinning stress to twin-energy pathways and predicts a monotonic relation between stress and unstable twin stacking fault energy revealing the physics of twinning. We further demonstrate that the theory holds for fcc alloys as well. Our theory inherently accounts for directional nature of twinning which available qualitative models do not necessarily account for. Finally, we extend the present work to martensitic transformations and determine the energy pathway for B2→B19 transformation in NiTi. Based on our ab initio DFT calculations, we propose a combined distortion-shuffle pathway for B2→B19 transformation in NiTi. Our results indicate that in NiTi, a barrier of 0.48 mRyd/atom (relative to B2 phase) must be overcome to transform the parent B2 into orthorhombic B19 phase.

Morphology of Shatsky Rise oceanic plateau from high resolution bathymetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinchang; Sager, William W.; Durkin, William J.

2017-06-01

Newly collected, high resolution multi-beam sonar data are combined with previous bathymetry data to produce an improved bathymetric map of Shatsky Rise oceanic plateau. Bathymetry data show that two massifs within Shatsky Rise are immense central volcanoes with gentle flank slopes declining from a central summit. Tamu Massif is a slightly elongated, dome-like volcanic edifice; Ori Massif is square shaped and smaller in area. Several down-to-basin normal faults are observed on the western flank of the massifs but they do not parallel the magnetic lineations, indicating that these faults are probably not related to spreading ridge faulting. Moreover, the faults are observed only on one side of the massifs, which is contrary to expectations from a mechanism of differential subsidence around the massif center. Multi-beam data show many small secondary cones with different shapes and sizes that are widely-distributed on Shatsky Rise massifs, which imply small late-stage magma sources scattered across the surface of the volcanoes in the form of lava flows or explosive volcanism. Erosional channels occur on the flanks of Shatsky Rise volcanoes due to mass wasting and display evidence of down-slope sediment movement. These channels are likely formed by sediments spalling off the edges of summit sediment cap.

Data-driven mono-component feature identification via modified nonlocal means and MEWT for mechanical drivetrain fault diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Jun; Chen, Jinglong; Zi, Yanyang; Yuan, Jing; Chen, Binqiang; He, Zhengjia

2016-12-01

It is significant to perform condition monitoring and fault diagnosis on rolling mills in steel-making plant to ensure economic benefit. However, timely fault identification of key parts in a complicated industrial system under operating condition is still a challenging task since acquired condition signals are usually multi-modulated and inevitably mixed with strong noise. Therefore, a new data-driven mono-component identification method is proposed in this paper for diagnostic purpose. First, the modified nonlocal means algorithm (NLmeans) is proposed to reduce noise in vibration signals without destroying its original Fourier spectrum structure. During the modified NLmeans, two modifications are investigated and performed to improve denoising effect. Then, the modified empirical wavelet transform (MEWT) is applied on the de-noised signal to adaptively extract empirical mono-component modes. Finally, the modes are analyzed for mechanical fault identification based on Hilbert transform. The results show that the proposed data-driven method owns superior performance during system operation compared with the MEWT method.

Olivine Instability: An Experimental View of Mechanism of Deep Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, H.; Weidner, D.; Li, L.; Chen, J.; Wang, L.

2007-12-01

Olivine (¦Á-(Mg,Fe)2SiO4) is the major constituent of the upper mantle and the ocean lithosphere. In subduction zone, where the earthquakes happen, the rheology of slab is mainly controlled by that of olivine. Several different mechanisms for deep focus earthquakes have been suggested, which include olivine instability (Bridgman, 1936; Orowan, 1960; Post, 1977; Ogawa, 1987; Hobbs and Ord, 1988; Kao and Chen, 1995), shear-induced melting (Griggs, 1954, 1972; Griggs and Handin, 1960; Griggs and Baker, 1969), phase transformation (Bridgman, 1945; Benioff, 1963; Meade and Jeanloz, 1989), dehydration of hydrous specimens (Meade and Jeanloz, 1991), and olivine metastability-induced anticrack (Green and Houston, 1995). Since the low temperature of the ¡°cold¡± slab, which can be as low as 600¡ãC in transition zone, olivine may still exist there and thus its shear instability may still be the possible mechanism for the deep-focus earthquakes. In our experimental study on deformation of San Carlos olivine at subduction zone conditions carried out on a D-DIA apparatus, Sam85 at X17B2, NSLS, we observed that the transitional temperature between regimes of insensitive to temperature and sensitive to temperature can be as high as 900¡ãC or even higher for the annealed polycrystal olivine sample, while that for unannealed sample can be as low as 450¡ãC. Our results for the unannealed sample are consistent to the result of Raterron et al (2004), which is concluded from the relaxation experiments. The annealed and unannealed olivine can be present the natural olivine in non-fault systems and that in pre-existing fault systems in subduction zone, respectively. We therefore propose a new olivine instability model with a ¡°sandwich¡± formation for the deep focus earthquakes: In this model the pre-existing fault system is surrounded by the no-fault systems. When the slab dives down, the olivine in both systems undergoes a stress- build-up process and can hold very high stress in both cases. However, as it keeps diving to the transition zone, the slab is heated and its temperature arrives at the boundary temperature from the insensitive temperature regime to the sensitive to temperature regime for the olivine in pre-existing fault system. As a result, while the olivine in non-fault system is still in regime of insensitive to temperature and can still hold the built high stress, the olivine in pre-existing fault system can not hold the built stress any more and gives a stress release. The pre- existing fault is re-active and heat from the re-active fault accelerates the ongoing process. Earthquake happens.

Evidence of displacement-driven maturation along the San Cristobal Trough transform plate boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, James S.; Furlong, Kevin P.

2018-03-01

The San Cristobal Trough (SCT), formed by the tearing of the Australia plate as it subducts under the Pacific plate near the Solomon Islands, provides an opportunity to study the transform boundary development process. Recent seismicity (2013-2016) along the 280 km long SCT, known as a Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) fault, highlights the tearing process and ongoing development of the plate boundary. The region's earthquakes reveal two key characteristics. First, earthquakes at the western terminus of the SCT, which we interpret to indicate the Australia plate tearing, display disparate fault geometries. These events demonstrate that plate tearing is accommodated via multiple intersecting planes rather than a single through-going fault. Second, the SCT hosts sequences of Mw ∼7 strike-slip earthquakes that migrate westward through a rapid succession of events. Sequences in 1993 and 2015 both began along the eastern SCT and propagated west, but neither progression ruptured into or nucleated a large earthquake within the region near the tear. Utilizing b-value and Coulomb Failure Stress analyses, we examine these along-strike variations in the SCT's seismicity. b-Values are highest along the youngest, western end of the SCT and decrease with increasing distance from the tear. This trend may reflect increasing strain localization with increasing displacement. Coulomb Failure Stress analyses indicate that the stress conditions were conducive to continued western propagation of the 1993 and 2015 sequences suggesting that the unruptured western SCT may have fault geometries or properties that inhibit continued rupture. Our results indicate a displacement-driven fault maturation process. The multi-plane Australia plate tearing likely creates a western SCT with diffuse strain accommodated along a network of disorganized faults. After ∼90 km of cumulative displacement (∼900,000 yr of plate motion), strain localizes and faults align, allowing the SCT to host large earthquakes.

Measuring Aseismic Slip through Characteristically Repeating Earthquakes at the Mendocino Triple Junction, Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Materna, K.; Taira, T.; Burgmann, R.

2016-12-01

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ), at the transition point between the San Andreas fault system, the Mendocino Transform Fault, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone, undergoes rapid tectonic deformation and produces more large (M>6.0) earthquakes than any region in California. Most of the active faults of the triple junction are located offshore, making it difficult to characterize both seismic slip and aseismic creep. In this work, we study aseismic creep rates near the MTJ using characteristically repeating earthquakes (CREs) as indicators of creep rate. CREs are generally interpreted as repeated failures of the same seismic patch within an otherwise creeping fault zone; as a consequence, the magnitude and recurrence time of the CREs can be used to determine a fault's creep rate through empirically calibrated scaling relations. Using seismic data from 2010-2016, we identify CREs as recorded by an array of eight 100-Hz PBO borehole seismometers deployed in the Cape Mendocino area. For each event pair with epicenters less than 30 km apart, we compute the cross-spectral coherence of 20 seconds of data starting one second before the P-wave arrival. We then select pairs with high coherence in an appropriate frequency band, which is determined uniquely for each event pair based on event magnitude, station distance, and signal-to-noise ratio. The most similar events (with median coherence above 0.95 at two or more stations) are selected as CREs and then grouped into CRE families, and each family is used to infer a local creep rate. On the Mendocino Transform Fault, we find relatively high creep rates of >5 cm/year that increase closer to the Gorda Ridge. Closer to shore and to the MTJ itself, we find many families of repeaters on and off the transform fault with highly variable creep rates, indicative of the complex deformation that takes place there.

The Panama North Andes Plate Bounday Zone from Interpreted Radar Images, Geologic Mapping and Geophysical Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, O.; Alexander, G. C.; Garzon, F.

2013-05-01

Satellite geodetics shows the existence of the rigid Panama microplate converging on west to east with The North Andean block. Seismic studies indicate that this plate boundary zone has compressive east-west stresses. Interpretation from magnetic and gravity data suggest that the thickness of the sedimentary sequence of The Atrato basin, reaches 10.5 km and that the Mande magmatic arc is a tectonic pillar, bounded by faults. The interpretation of seismic lines shows the basement of the Urabá Basin is affected by normal faults that limit blocks sunk and raised, a sedimentary sequence that is wedged against the Mande magmatic arc and becomes thicker towards the east. It also shows a thrust fault that connects Neogene sediments of Sinu fold belt with the Urabá Basin. The collision of the Panama arc with the Western Cordillera leads to the existence of a low-angle subduction zone inclined to the east involving the partition of the oceanic plate, drawing up of a trench and subducting plate bending. Before the Panama arc collision with the Western Cordillera, granitic intrusion had occurred that gave rise to the Mande magmatic arc, causing bending and rise of the oceanic crust. This effort generated tensional bending at the top of the crust that led to the formation of raised and sunken blocks bounded by normal faults, within which lies the tectonic pillar which forms the Mande magmatic arc. Upon the occurrence of the collision, it was launched the end of the connection between the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea and the formation of the Uraba forearc basins and the Atrato basin. Panama - North Andes Plate boundary Zone 2d Modeling of the Panama - North Andes Plate Bounday Zone

A northern Cordilleran ocean-continent transect: Sitka Sound, Alaska, to Atlin Lake, British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brew, D.A.; Karl, S.M.; Barnes, D.F.; Jachens, R.C.; Ford, A.B.; Horner, R.

1991-01-01

The 155 km wide, 310 km long Sitka Sound - Atlin Lake continent-ocean transect includes almost all the geologic, geophysical, and geotectonic elements of the Canadian Cordillera. It crosses the Chugach, Wrangellia, Alexander, Stikine, and Cache Creek terranes, the Gravina and Laberge overlap assemblages, intrusive and metamorphic belts, and neotectonic faults that bound major blocks. -from Authors

Ductilizing bulk metallic glass composite by tailoring stacking fault energy.

PubMed

Wu, Y; Zhou, D Q; Song, W L; Wang, H; Zhang, Z Y; Ma, D; Wang, X L; Lu, Z P

2012-12-14

Martensitic transformation was successfully introduced to bulk metallic glasses as the reinforcement micromechanism. In this Letter, it was found that the twinning property of the reinforcing crystals can be dramatically improved by reducing the stacking fault energy through microalloying, which effectively alters the electron charge density redistribution on the slipping plane. The enhanced twinning propensity promotes the martensitic transformation of the reinforcing austenite and, consequently, improves plastic stability and the macroscopic tensile ductility. In addition, a general rule to identify effective microalloying elements based on their electronegativity and atomic size was proposed.

A heat-flow reconnaissance of southeastern Alaska.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sass, J.H.; Lawver, L.A.; Munroe, R.J.

1985-01-01

Heat flow was measured at nine sites in crystalline and sedimentary rocks of SE Alaska. Seven of the sites, located between 115 and 155 km landward of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather transform fault, have heat flows significantly higher than the mean in the coastal provinces between Cape Mendocino and the Queen Charlotte Islands, and lower than the mean for 81 values within 100 km of the San Andreas transform fault, even further S. There is no evidence for heat sources that might be associated with late Cainozoic thermal events.-P.Br.

Geographic information system (GIS) compilation of geophysical, geologic, and tectonic data for the Circum-North Pacific

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greninger, Mark L.; Klemperer, Simon L.; Nokleberg, Warren J.

1999-01-01

The accompanying directory structure contains a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) compilation of geophysical, geological, and tectonic data for the Circum-North Pacific. This area includes the Russian Far East, Alaska, the Canadian Cordillera, linking continental shelves, and adjacent oceans. This GIS compilation extends from 120?E to 115?W, and from 40?N to 80?N. This area encompasses: (1) to the south, the modern Pacific plate boundary of the Japan-Kuril and Aleutian subduction zones, the Queen Charlotte transform fault, and the Cascadia subduction zone; (2) to the north, the continent-ocean transition from the Eurasian and North American continents to the Arctic Ocean; (3) to the west, the diffuse Eurasian-North American plate boundary, including the probable Okhotsk plate; and (4) to the east, the Alaskan-Canadian Cordilleran fold belt. This compilation should be useful for: (1) studying the Mesozoic and Cenozoic collisional and accretionary tectonics that assembled this continental crust of this region; (2) studying the neotectonics of active and passive plate margins in this region; and (3) constructing and interpreting geophysical, geologic, and tectonic models of the region. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs provide powerful tools for managing and analyzing spatial databases. Geological applications include regional tectonics, geophysics, mineral and petroleum exploration, resource management, and land-use planning. This CD-ROM contains thematic layers of spatial data-sets for geology, gravity field, magnetic field, oceanic plates, overlap assemblages, seismology (earthquakes), tectonostratigraphic terranes, topography, and volcanoes. The GIS compilation can be viewed, manipulated, and plotted with commercial software (ArcView and ArcInfo) or through a freeware program (ArcExplorer) that can be downloaded from http://www.esri.com for both Unix and Windows computers using the button below.

Kinematics of Late Cretaceous subduction initiation in the Neo-Tethys Ocean reconstructed from ophiolites of Turkey, Cyprus, and Syria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maffione, Marco; van Hinsbergen, Douwe; de Gelder, Giovanni; van der Goes, Freek; Morris, Antony

2017-04-01

Formation of new subduction zones represents one of the cornerstones of plate tectonics, yet both the kinematics and geodynamics governing this process remain enigmatic. A major subduction initiation event occurred in the Late Cretaceous, within the Neo-Tethys Ocean between Gondwana and Eurasia. Supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites (i.e., emerged fragments of ancient oceanic lithosphere accreted at supra-subduction spreading centers) were generated during this subduction event, and are today distributed in the eastern Mediterranean region along three E-W trending ophiolitic belts. Current models associate these ophiolite belts to simultaneous initiation of multiple, E-W trending subduction zones at 95 Ma. Here we report paleospreading direction data obtained from paleomagnetic analysis of sheeted dyke sections from seven Neo-Tethyan ophiolites of Turkey, Cyprus, and Syria, demonstrating that these ophiolites formed at NNE-SSW striking ridges parallel to the newly formed subduction zones. This subduction system was step-shaped and composed of NNE-SSW and ESE-WNW segments. The eastern subduction segment invaded the SW Mediterranean, leading to a radial obduction pattern similar to the Banda arc. Emplacement age constraints indicate that this subduction system formed close to the Triassic passive and paleo-transform margins of the Anatolide-Tauride continental block. Because the original Triassic-Jurassic Neo-Tethyan spreading ridge must have already subducted below the Pontides before the Late Cretaceous, we infer that the Late Cretaceous Neo-Tethyan subduction system started within ancient lithosphere, along NNE-SSW oriented fracture zones and faults parallel to the E-W trending passive margins. This challenges current concepts suggesting that subduction initiation occurs along active intra-oceanic plate boundaries.

Dynamics and the Wilson Cycle: An EarthScope vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebinger, Cynthia; Humphreys, Eugene; Williams, Michael; van der Lee, Suzan; Levin, Vadim; Webb, Laura; Becker, Thorsten

2017-04-01

Wilson's model has two major components, each with distinctive observables. Initial subduction of ocean lithosphere collides continents across a closing ocean basin, creating a mountain range; rifting then initiates within the collisional orogeny and progresses to create oceanic spreading and creation of a new ocean basin. Subduction eventually initiates near the old, cold, and heavily sedimented continental margin, leading to subduction, and repeating the cycle. This model is largely kinematic in nature, and predictive in application. We re-evaluate the Wilson Cycle in light of process-oriented perspectives afforded by the surface to mantle Earthscope results. Repeating episodes of mountain building by means of continental collisions remains clear, but new observations augment or diverge from Wilson's concepts. A 'new' component stems from observations from both the East and West coasts: translational fault systems played critical roles in continental accretion, collision, and rifting. Earthscope data sets also have enabled imaging of the structure of western U.S. lithosphere with unprecedented detail. From new and existing data sets, we conclude that collision occurs in 'ribbons' in large part linked to the shapes of the landmasses colliding landmasses, and deformation includes a major component of transform tectonics. Post-orogenic gravitational collapse may occur far inboard of the site of collision. A third 'new' feature is that plate coupling with the mantle leads to deformation outside the classic Wilson Cycle. For example, the passive margin of eastern N. America shows tectonic activity, uplift, and magmatism long after the onset of seafloor spreading, demonstrating the dynamic nature of lithosphere-asthenosphere coupling. A 'fourth' observation is that lateral density contrasts and volatile migration during subduction and collision effectively refertilize mantle lithosphere, and pre-condition later tectonic cycles.

Seafloor spreading event in western Gulf of Aden during the November 2010-March 2011 period captured by regional seismic networks: evidence for diking events and interactions with a nascent transform zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Abdulhakim; Doubre, Cécile; Leroy, Sylvie; Kassim, Mohamed; Keir, Derek; Abayazid, Ahmadine; Julie, Perrot; Laurence, Audin; Vergne, Jérome; Alexandre, Nercessian; Jacques, Eric; Khanbari, Khaled; Sholan, Jamal; Rolandone, Frédérique; Al-Ganad, Ismael

2016-05-01

In November 2010, intense seismic activity including 29 events with a magnitude above 5.0, started in the western part of the Gulf of Aden, where the structure of the oceanic spreading ridge is characterized by a series of N115°-trending slow-spreading segments set within an EW-trending rift. Using signals recorded by permanent and temporary networks in Djibouti and Yemen, we located 1122 earthquakes, with a magnitude ranging from 2.1 to 5.6 from 2010 November 1 to 2011 March 31. By looking in detail at the space-time distribution of the overall seismicity, and both the frequency and the moment tensor of large earthquakes, we re-examine the chronology of this episode. In addition, we also interpret the origin of the activity using high-resolution bathymetric data, as well as from observations of seafloor cable damage caused by high temperatures and lava flows. The analysis allows us to identify distinct active areas. First, we interpret that this episode is mainly related to a diking event along a specific ridge segment, located at E044°. In light of previous diking episodes in nearby subaerial rift segments, for which field constraints and both seismic and geodetic data exist, we interpret the space-time evolution of the seismicity of the first few days. Migration of earthquakes suggests initial magma ascent below the segment centre. This is followed by a southeastward dike propagation below the rift immediately followed by a northwestward dike propagation below the rift ending below the northern ridge wall. The cumulative seismic moment associated with this sequence reaches 9.1 × 1017 Nm, and taking into account a very low seismic versus geodetic moment, we estimate a horizontal opening of ˜0.58-2.9 m. The seismic activity that followed occurred through several bursts of earthquakes aligned along the segment axis, which are interpreted as short dike intrusions implying fast replenishment of the crustal magma reservoir feeding the dikes. Over the whole period, the opening is estimated to be ˜1.76-8.8 m across the segment. A striking feature of this episode is that the seismicity remained confined within one individual segment, whereas the adjacent en-echelon segments were totally quiescent, suggesting that the magma supply system of one segment is disconnected from those of the neighbouring segments. Second, we identify activity induced by the first intrusion with epicentres aligned along an N035°E-trending, ˜30 km long at the northwestern end of the active opening segment. This group encompasses more than seven earthquakes with magnitude larger than 5.0, and with strike-slip focal mechanisms consistent with the faults identified in the bathymetry and the structural pattern of the area. We propose that a transform fault is currently in formation which indicates an early stage of the ridge segmentation, at the locus of the trend change of the spreading ridge, which also corresponds to the boundary between a clear oceanic lithosphere and the zone of transform between continental and oceanic crust.

IODP Expedition 340T: Borehole Logging at Atlantis Massif Oceanic Core Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackman, D.; Slagle, A.; Harding, A.; Guerin, G.; McCaig, A.

2013-03-01

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 340T returned to the 1.4-km-deep Hole U1309D at Atlantis Massif to carry out borehole logging including vertical seismic profiling (VSP). Seismic, resistivity, and temperature logs were obtained throughout the geologic section in the footwall of this oceanic core complex. Reliable downhole temperature measurements throughout and the first seismic coverage of the 800-1400 meters below seafloor (mbsf) portion of the section were obtained. Distinct changes in velocity, resistivity, and magnetic susceptibility characterize the boundaries of altered, olivine-rich troctolite intervals within the otherwise dominantly gabbroic se-quence. Some narrow fault zones also are associated with downhole resistivity or velocity excursions. Small deviations in temperature were measured in borehole fluid adjacent to known faults at 750 mbsf and 1100 mbsf. This suggests that flow of seawater remains active along these zones of faulting and rock alteration. Vertical seismic profile station coverage at zero offset now extends the full length of the hole, including the uppermost 150 mbsf, where detachment processes are expected to have left their strongest imprint. Analysis of wallrock properties, together with alteration and structural characteristics of the cores from Site U1309, highlights the likely interplay between lithology, structure, lithospheric hydration, and core complex evolution. doi:10.2204/iodp.sd.15.04.2013

Towards a consistent mantle carbon flux estimate: Insights from volatile systematics (H 2O/Ce, δD, CO 2/Nb) in the North Atlantic mantle (14° N and 34° N)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartigny, Pierre; Pineau, Françoise; Aubaud, Cyril; Javoy, Marc

2008-01-01

In order to better characterise mantle CO 2/Nb-variability, we obtained and compiled major and trace elements, content and isotope composition of both CO 2 and water on two series of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) samples dredged at ˜ 14° N ( n = 6) and 34° N ( n = 11) on the mid-Atlantic ridge. All samples are carbon-saturated. One, the so-called popping rock 2ΠD43 kept its vesicles, the initial (pre-degassing) C-contents of the 16 other samples being reconstructed from their assumed degassing history. For water, the samples show large variations, from 1300 to 6900 ppm and from 1900 to 7900 ppm with associated δD-values ranging from - 55 to - 79‰ and from - 55 to - 88‰ for samples at 14° N and 34° N respectively. For carbon, the inferred initial predegassing contents vary greatly, from 660 to 14,700 ppmCO 2 and from 1400 to 57,600 ppmCO 2 for samples at 14° N and 34° N respectively. Measured Nb-contents range from 4.5 to 29.6 ppm show both good agreement with previously published data and positive correlations with reconstructed initial CO 2-contents. The mean CO 2/Nb range from ˜ 570 to ˜ 730 at 14° N and 34° N respectively. CO 2 and Nb data for the two undegassed samples available so far (i.e. the popping rock of the present study and the basaltic glasses from the Siqueiros transform fault from the study of Saal et al., 2002) show significant variations in CO 2/Nb over a factor of 2 and thus questions the constant CO 2/Nb previously emphasised for these two samples, this view being supported by CO 2/Nb-ratios of samples whose initial C-contents were reconstructed. For incompatible elements such as Ce, K and including water, a comparison of the geochemical characteristics of transform fault basaltic magmatism with other MORB systems shows magma transform fault magmatism to be unrepresentative of mantle compositions. Assuming a more appropriate average MORB CO 2/Nb-ratio of ˜ 530 and a mean MORB Nb-content of 3.31-1.8+3.99, we computed a mantle carbon flux of 2.3-1.3+2.7 × 10 12 mol/yr, a value actually consistent with that derived from C/ 3He systematics.

The Death Throes of Ocean Core Complexes: Examples from the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheadle, M. J.; John, B. E.; German, C. R.; Kusznir, N. J.

2012-12-01

The Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre (MCSC) is an ultraslow (full rate 15-17 mm/yr) mid-ocean ridge that is located within the Cayman Trough, at the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates. It is 110km long, and at ~6km below sea level, is the deepest spreading centre in the world. In the Summer of 2011, during NOAA EX 1104, the RV Okeanos Explorer collected high resolution (50m) Simrad EM302 multibeam bathymetry, and high-resolution video using the ROV Little Hercules ,which together provide insight into the evolution (from birth to death) of oceanic core complexes (OCCs). The MCSC exhibits bathymetry typical of slow spreading, magmatically deficient, ridges with thick lithosphere. It has both well-developed OCCs with ~15km of detachment fault offset and smaller offset (6-7km) normal faults forming >40km long linear ridges. Mass wasting is conspicuous. The MCSC is flanked on both sides by three oceanic core complexes: i) the now inactive, Mount Emms to the northeast, ii) the near-recently active Mount Dent in the west centre of the axial valley, and iii) the decapitated Mount Hudson on the south east flank. Together these massifs show different stages of OCC termination. Mount Emms lies approximately 2Ma off axis, is the oldest of the OCCs, and is heavily dissected by faulting and mass wasting. Mount Hudson is terminated by a west dipping high angle normal fault, with 1.6km throw and was initially rifted apart ~0.5Ma. A recently active axial volcanic ridge (AVR) with ROV observed pahoehoe lava forms, and a line of conical volcanic edifices lie within the rifted remains at the toe of the OCC. In contrast, Mount Dent was the most recently active, but is now in the very initial stages of being rifted apart by the presently active AVR that currently intersects the OCC. Incipient high angle normal faults that lie along strike of the AVR cut the dome of Mount Dent, and host the active von Damm hydrothermal system. Mount Dent also shows excess (>1km) uplift beyond that expected by simple flexural uplift, in contrast to the ridges bounded by the smaller offset (6-7km) normal faults, which can be explained by flexural uplift. Together these three OCCs adjacent to the MCSC highlight two interacting processes that lead to OCC termination. Firstly asymmetric spreading associated with OCC development leads to the root of the bounding detachment fault migrating across the axial valley. Secondly, migration of the locus of magmatism can lead to the AVR intersecting the OCC. Both of these processes ultimately lead to rifting and hence termination of the OCC. We suggest that the anomalous uplift of Mount Dent might be an initial response to increased magmatic activity beneath the OCC, and that continued magmatic activity led to thermal weakening of the lithosphere, with development of normal faults and rifting within the dome of the OCC. Interestingly, one key outcome of this new interpretation of the Mt Dent OCC is that the Von Damm hydrothermal field becomes an on-axis vent system.

Models of Deformation of Uppermost Oceanic Lithosphere: Comparison of Crustal Flexure in the Blönduós Area, Northern Iceland, and Structure of East Pacific Rise Crust at Hess Deep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, A. J.; Karson, J. A.; Varga, R. J.; Gee, J. S.

2007-12-01

Models of the internal structure of oceanic crust have been constructed from studies of ophiolites and from more recent observations of tectonic windows into the upper crust. Spreading rate and/or magma supply are the central variables that control ridge processes and the ultimate architecture of ocean crust. In addition to ophiolites, Iceland also provides an important analog to study mid-ocean ridge processes and structure. Flexure zones in Iceland characterize the structure of Tertiary-Recent lava flows, and are areas wherein lavas dip regionally inward toward the axis of one of several ~N/S-trending rift zones. These rift zones are interpreted to represent fossil spreading centers which were abandoned during a series of eastward-directed ridge jumps. In the Hildará area, north-central Iceland, the eastern side of a regional flexure is characterized by westward-dipping lavas, approximately 6-8 Ma, which are cut by east-dipping normal faults and dikes. The upper-crustal structure within this flexure zone from slow spread (~20 mm/yr) crust exhibits remarkable similarities to the structure of the upper crust created at a fast-spreading (110 mm/yr) segment of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) observed at Hess Deep. In this modern ocean setting, ~1 Ma crust is characterized by west-dipping lavas above consistently east-dipping (away from the EPR) dikes and dike-subparallel fault zones. In both locations, paleomagnetic and structural data indicate that west-dipping lavas and east-dipping dikes result from tectonic rotations. In addition, cross-cutting dike relationships demonstrate that dike intrusion occurred both during and after normal fault- related tilting. These data indicate that fault-controlled tilting was initiated within the narrow neovolcanic zone of the ridge and is not associated with off-axis processes. Lavas at magmatically robust ridges commonly flow away from elevated ridge-crests. Measurement of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of the lavas from the flexure in Iceland suggests a mean flow direction to the northeast, that is, away from the fossil-ridge axis, demonstrating that the fossil spreading center from which the lavas were extruded was located to the west. Despite the distinct differences in spreading rates, the high magma supply in both environments resulted in a very similar upper crustal architecture.

Geometry and structure of the pull-apart basins developed along the western South American-Scotia plate boundary (SW Atlantic Ocean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esteban, F. D.; Tassone, A.; Isola, J. I.; Lodolo, E.; Menichetti, M.

2018-04-01

The South American-Scotia plate boundary is a left-lateral fault system which runs roughly E-W for more than 3000 km across the SW Atlantic Ocean and the Tierra del Fuego Island, reaching to the west the southern Chile Trench. Analyses of a large dataset of single- and multi-channel seismic reflection profiles acquired offshore has allowed to map the trace of the plate boundary from Tierra del Fuego to the Malvinas Trough, a tectonic depression located in the eastern part of the fault system, and to reconstruct the shape and geometry of the basins formed along the principal displacement zone of the fault system. Three main Neogene pull-apart basins that range from 70 to 100 km in length, and from 12 to 22 km in width, have been identified along this segment of the plate boundary. These basins have elongated shapes with their major axes parallel to the ENE-WSW direction of the fault zone. The sedimentary architecture and the infill geometry of the basins suggest that they represent mostly strike-slip dominated transtension basins which propagated from E to W. The basins imaged by seismic data show in some cases geometrical and structural features linked to the possible reactivation of previous wedge-top basins and inherited structures pertaining to the external front of the Magallanes fold-and-thrust compression belt, along which the South American-Scotia fault system has been superimposed. It is suggested that the sequence of the elongated basins occur symmetrically to a thorough going strike-slip fault, in a left-stepping geometrical arrangement, in a manner similar to those basins seen in other transcurrent environments.

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.

Geodynamic environments of ultra-slow spreading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokhan, Andrey; Dubinin, Evgeny

2015-04-01

Ultra-slow spreading is clearly distinguished as an outstanding type of crustal accretion by recent studies. Spreading ridges with ultra-slow velocities of extension are studied rather well. But ultra-slow spreading is characteristic feature of not only spreading ridges, it can be observed also on convergent and transform plate boundaries. Ultra-slow spreading is observed now or could have been observed in the past in the following geodynamic environments on divergent plate boundaries: 1. On spreading ridges with ultra-slow spreading, both modern (f.e. Gakkel, South-West Indian, Aden spreading center) and ceased (Labrador spreading center, Aegir ridge); 2. During transition from continental rifting to early stages of oceanic spreading (all spreading ridges during incipient stages of their formation); 3. During incipient stages of formation of spreading ridges on oceanic crust as a result of ridge jumps and reorganization of plate boundaries (f.e. Mathematicians rise and East Pacific rise); 4. During propagation of spreading ridge into the continental crust under influence of hotspot (Aden spreading center and Afar triple junction), under presence of strike-slip faults preceding propagation (possibly, rift zone of California Bay). Ultra-slow spreading is observed now or could have been observed in the past in the following geodynamic environments on transform plate boundaries: 1. In transit zones between two "typical" spreading ridges (f.e. Knipovich ridge); 2. In semi strike-slip/extension zones on the oceanic crust (f.e. American-Antarctic ridge); 3. In the zones of local extension in regional strike-slip areas in pull-apart basins along transform boundaries (Cayman trough, pull-apart basins of the southern border of Scotia plate). Ultra-slow spreading is observed now or could have been observed in the past in the following geodynamic environments on convergent plate boundaries: 1. During back-arc rifting on the stage of transition into back-arc spreading (central part of Bransfield rift); 2. During back-arc inter-subduction spreading (Ayu trough, northern Fiji basin), 3. During diffuse back-arc spreading (area on the south-eastern border of Scotia sea), 4. During back-arc spreading under splitting of island arc (northern extremity of Mariana trough). Each of the geodynamic environments is characterized by peculiar topographic, geological and geophysical features forming under the same spreading velocities. Development of ultra-slow spreading in each of these environments results in formation of peculiar extension sedimentary basins.

The May 29 2008 earthquake aftershock sequence within the South Iceland Seismic Zone: Fault locations and source parameters of aftershocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandsdottir, B.; Parsons, M.; White, R. S.; Gudmundsson, O.; Drew, J.

2010-12-01

The mid-Atlantic plate boundary breaks up into a series of segments across Iceland. The South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ) is a complex transform zone where left-lateral E-W shear between the Reykjanes Peninsula Rift Zone and the Eastern Volcanic Zone is accommodated by bookshelf faulting along N-S lateral strike-slip faults. The SISZ is also a transient feature, migrating sideways in response to the southward propagation of the Eastern Volcanic Zone. Sequences of large earthquakes (M > 6) lasting from days to years and affecting most of the seismic zone have occurred repeatedly in historical time (last 1100 years), separated by intervals of relative quiescence lasting decades to more than a century. On May 29 2008, a Mw 6.1 earthquake struck the western part of the South Iceland Seismic Zone, followed within seconds by a slightly smaller event on a second fault ~5 km further west. Aftershocks, detected by a temporal array of 11 seismometers and three permanent Icelandic Meteorological Office stations were located using an automated Coalescence Microseismic Mapping technique. The epicenters delineate two major and several smaller N-S faults as well as an E-W zone of activity stretching further west into the Reykjanes Peninsula Rift Zone. Fault plane solutions show both right lateral and oblique strike slip mechanisms along the two major N-S faults. The aftershocks deepen from 3-5 km in the north to 8-9 km in the south, suggesting that the main faults dip southwards. The faulting is interpreted to be driven by the local stress due to transform motion between two parallel segments of the divergent plate boundary crossing Iceland.

Fault severity assessment for rolling element bearings using the Lempel-Ziv complexity and continuous wavelet transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Hoonbin; Liang, Ming

2009-02-01

This paper proposes a new version of the Lempel-Ziv complexity as a bearing fault (single point) severity measure based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) results, and attempts to address the issues present in the current version of the Lempel-Ziv complexity measure. To establish the relationship between the Lempel-Ziv complexity and bearing fault severity, an analytical model for a single-point defective bearing is adopted and the factors contributing to the complexity value are explained. To avoid the ambiguity between fault and noise, the Lempel-Ziv complexity is jointly applied with the CWT. The CWT is used to identify the best scale where the fault resides and eliminate the interferences of noise and irrelevant signal components as much as possible. Then, the Lempel-Ziv complexity values are calculated for both the envelope and high-frequency carrier signal obtained from wavelet coefficients at the best scale level. As the noise and other un-related signal components have been largely removed, the Lempel-Ziv complexity value will be mostly contributed by the bearing system and hence can be reliably used as a bearing fault measure. The applications to the bearing inner- and outer-race fault signals have demonstrated that the revised Lempel-Ziv complexity can effectively measure the severity of both inner- and outer-race faults. Since the complexity values are not dependent on the magnitude of the measured signal, the proposed method is less sensitive to the data sets measured under different data acquisition conditions. In addition, as the normalized complexity values are bounded between zero and one, it is convenient to observe the fault growing trend by examining the Lempel-Ziv complexity.

New evidence on the accurate displacement along the Arava/Araba segment of the Dead Sea Transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyth, M.; Sagy, A.; Hajazi, H.; Alkhraisha, S.; Mushkin, A.; Ginat, H.

2018-06-01

The sinistral displacement along the Dead Sea Transform (DST), the plate boundary between the African and the Arabian plates, south of the Dead Sea basin, was previously attributed to two main fault zones: the Arava/Araba or Dead Sea fault and the Feinan or Al Quwayra fault zone. This was based on similarities of features on either side of the Araba Valley. In particular, the Timna and the Feinan copper mines, located north of the Themed and Dana faults, and the onlap of the Cambrian formations southward onto the Amram rhyolite and Ahyamir volcanics. To these we add a more accurate offset indicator in the form of an offset Early Cambrian (532 Ma) dolerite dyke previously mapped in Mount Amram (Israel) on the African plate and recently discovered across the Araba Valley in Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba (southwest Jordan) on the Arabian plate. This dolerite dyke is 20 m thick, strikes N50°E and is the only dyke intruding the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba pink rhyolite flows of the Ahyamir Volcanics. Geochemical and geochronological correlations between the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba dolerite dyke and the Mount Amram dolerite dyke demonstrate 85 km of sinistral offset across the Arava/Araba fault. Our results also suggest approximately 109 km of combined sinistral displacement across the Arava/Araba and Feinan faults based on petrological correlations between the Timna and Jabal Hanna igneous complexes on the African and Arabian plates, respectively. This constrains the total sinistral displacement of the Feinan fault and its accessory faults to be 24 km.

New evidence on the accurate displacement along the Arava/Araba segment of the Dead Sea Transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyth, M.; Sagy, A.; Hajazi, H.; Alkhraisha, S.; Mushkin, A.; Ginat, H.

2017-11-01

The sinistral displacement along the Dead Sea Transform (DST), the plate boundary between the African and the Arabian plates, south of the Dead Sea basin, was previously attributed to two main fault zones: the Arava/Araba or Dead Sea fault and the Feinan or Al Quwayra fault zone. This was based on similarities of features on either side of the Araba Valley. In particular, the Timna and the Feinan copper mines, located north of the Themed and Dana faults, and the onlap of the Cambrian formations southward onto the Amram rhyolite and Ahyamir volcanics. To these we add a more accurate offset indicator in the form of an offset Early Cambrian (532 Ma) dolerite dyke previously mapped in Mount Amram (Israel) on the African plate and recently discovered across the Araba Valley in Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba (southwest Jordan) on the Arabian plate. This dolerite dyke is 20 m thick, strikes N50°E and is the only dyke intruding the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba pink rhyolite flows of the Ahyamir Volcanics. Geochemical and geochronological correlations between the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba dolerite dyke and the Mount Amram dolerite dyke demonstrate 85 km of sinistral offset across the Arava/Araba fault. Our results also suggest approximately 109 km of combined sinistral displacement across the Arava/Araba and Feinan faults based on petrological correlations between the Timna and Jabal Hanna igneous complexes on the African and Arabian plates, respectively. This constrains the total sinistral displacement of the Feinan fault and its accessory faults to be 24 km.

Wavelet Based Protection Scheme for Multi Terminal Transmission System with PV and Wind Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manju Sree, Y.; Goli, Ravi kumar; Ramaiah, V.

2017-08-01

A hybrid generation is a part of large power system in which number of sources usually attached to a power electronic converter and loads are clustered can operate independent of the main power system. The protection scheme is crucial against faults based on traditional over current protection since there are adequate problems due to fault currents in the mode of operation. This paper adopts a new approach for detection, discrimination of the faults for multi terminal transmission line protection in presence of hybrid generation. Transient current based protection scheme is developed with discrete wavelet transform. Fault indices of all phase currents at all terminals are obtained by analyzing the detail coefficients of current signals using bior 1.5 mother wavelet. This scheme is tested for different types of faults and is found effective for detection and discrimination of fault with various fault inception angle and fault impedance.

Robust fault detection of turbofan engines subject to adaptive controllers via a Total Measurable Fault Information Residual (ToMFIR) technique.

PubMed

Chen, Wen; Chowdhury, Fahmida N; Djuric, Ana; Yeh, Chih-Ping

2014-09-01

This paper provides a new design of robust fault detection for turbofan engines with adaptive controllers. The critical issue is that the adaptive controllers can depress the faulty effects such that the actual system outputs remain the pre-specified values, making it difficult to detect faults/failures. To solve this problem, a Total Measurable Fault Information Residual (ToMFIR) technique with the aid of system transformation is adopted to detect faults in turbofan engines with adaptive controllers. This design is a ToMFIR-redundancy-based robust fault detection. The ToMFIR is first introduced and existing results are also summarized. The Detailed design process of the ToMFIRs is presented and a turbofan engine model is simulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed ToMFIR-based fault-detection strategy. Copyright © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of lifting wavelet and random forest in compound fault diagnosis of gearbox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tang; Cui, Yulian; Feng, Fuzhou; Wu, Chunzhi

2018-03-01

Aiming at the weakness of compound fault characteristic signals of a gearbox of an armored vehicle and difficult to identify fault types, a fault diagnosis method based on lifting wavelet and random forest is proposed. First of all, this method uses the lifting wavelet transform to decompose the original vibration signal in multi-layers, reconstructs the multi-layer low-frequency and high-frequency components obtained by the decomposition to get multiple component signals. Then the time-domain feature parameters are obtained for each component signal to form multiple feature vectors, which is input into the random forest pattern recognition classifier to determine the compound fault type. Finally, a variety of compound fault data of the gearbox fault analog test platform are verified, the results show that the recognition accuracy of the fault diagnosis method combined with the lifting wavelet and the random forest is up to 99.99%.

Study geomorphology, past and present, linear trench, tectonics relationship between Pyrenees and Alps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guillemot, J. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 images obviously show up some large linear features trending N 80 E or N 30 E common to both Alps and Pyrenees. One of them, the Ligurian Fault, had been previously forecast by Laubscher in an interpretation of the Alps by the plate tectonic theory, but it extends westward farthest from the Alps, cutting the Pyrenees axis. These lineaments have been interpreted as reflections of deep seated wrench faults in the surficial part of the sedimentary series. A large set of such lineaments is perceptible in western Europe, such as the Guadalquivir Fault in southern Spain, Ligurian Fault, Insubrian Fault, Northern-Jura Fault, Metz Fault. Perhaps these may be interpreted as transform faults of the mid-Atlantic ridge or of a paleo-rift seated in the Rhine-Rhone graben.

Bathymetric Signatures of Oceanic Detachment Faulting and Potential Ultramafic Lithologies at Outcrop or in the Shallow Subseafloor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cann, J. R.; Smith, D. K.; Escartin, J.; Schouten, H.

2008-12-01

For ten years, domal bathymetric features capped by corrugated and striated surfaces have been recognized as exposures of oceanic detachment faults, and hence potentially as exposures of plutonic rocks from lower crust or upper mantle. Associated with these domes are other bathymetric features that indicate the presence of detachment faulting. Taken together these bathymetric signatures allow the mapping of large areas of detachment faulting at slow and intermediate spreading ridges, both at the axis and away from it. These features are: 1. Smooth elevated domes corrugated parallel to the spreading direction, typically 10-30 km wide parallel to the axis; 2. Linear ridges with outward-facing slopes steeper than 20°, running parallel to the spreading axis, typically 10-30 km long; 3. Deep basins with steep sides and relatively flat floors, typically 10-20 km long parallel to the spreading axis and 5-10 km wide. This characteristic bathymetric association arises from the rolling over of long-lived detachment faults as they spread away from the axis. The faults dip steeply close to their origin at a few kilometers depth near the spreading axis, and rotate to shallow dips as they continue to evolve, with associated footwall flexure and rotation of rider blocks carried on the fault surface. The outward slopes of the linear ridges can be shown to be rotated volcanic seafloor transported from the median valley floor. The basins may be formed by the footwall flexure, and may be exposures of the detachment surface. Critical in this analysis is that the corrugated domes are not the only sites of detachment faulting, but are the places where higher parts of much more extensive detachment faults happen to be exposed. The fault plane rises and falls along axis, and in some places is covered by rider blocks, while in others it is exposed at the sea floor. We use this association to search for evidence for detachment faulting in existing surveys, identifying for example an area of detachment faulting on the Gorda Ridge. We use it to determine in detail the distribution of detachment faulting along the axis of the Mid- Atlantic Ridge between 12 and 35°N (see Escartin et al. abstract in V16) and to map detachments on and off axis in an area 200km by 200km south of the Kane Fracture Zone. In this area we show that about 50% of the lithosphere has been generated by detachment faulting, indicating that throughout the last 10 million years most of the spreading axis has been asymmetric, with detachment faulting on one side or the other.

Data-Intensive Discovery Methods for Seismic Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, P. G.; Schaff, D. P.; Ammon, C. J.; Cleveland, M.; Young, C. J.; Slinkard, M.; Heck, S.

2012-12-01

Seismic events are still mostly located one-at-a-time by Geiger's method of 1909, which uses phase picks and minimizes differences between observed and modeled travel times. But methods that recognize and use seismogram archives as a major resource have been successfully demonstrated---especially for California, China, and for the mid-ocean ridge-transform system---where they enable new insights into earthquake physics and Earth structure, and have raised seismic monitoring to new levels. We report progress on a series of collaborative projects to evaluate such data-intensive methods on ever-larger scales. We use cross correlation (CC): (1) to improve estimates of the relative size of neighboring seismic events in regions of high seismicity; and (2) as a detector, to find new events in current data streams that are similar to events already in the archive, to add to the number of detections of an already known event, or to place a threshold on the size of undetected events occurring near a template event. Elsewhere at this meeting Schaff and Richards report on uses of non-normalized CC measurements to estimate relative event size---a procedure that may be as important as widely-used CC methods to improve the precision of relative location estimates. They have successfully modeled the degradation in CC value that is due to the spatial separation of similar events and can prevent this bias from seriously influencing estimates of relative event size for non-collocated events. Cleveland and Ammon report in more detail on cross-correlation used to measure Rayleigh-wave time shifts, and on improved epicentroid locations and relative origin-time shifts in remote oceanic transform regions. They seek to extend the correlation of R1 waveforms from vertical strike-slip transform-fault earthquakes with waveforms from normal faulting events at nearby ridges, to improve the locations of events offshore from the Pacific northwest and southwestern China. Finally our collaborating Sandia group has reported preliminary results using a 360-core distributed network that took about two hours to search a month-long continuous single channel (sampled at 40 sps) for the occurrence of one or more of 920 waveforms each lasting 40 s and previously recorded by the station. Speed scales with number of cores; and inversely with number of channels, sample rate, and window length. Orders-of-magnitude improvement in speed are anticipated, on these early results; and application to numerous channels. From diverse results such as these, it seems appropriate to consider the future possibility of radical improvement in monitoring virtually all seismically active areas, using archives of prior events as the major resource---though we recognize that such an approach does not directly help to characterize seismic events in inactive regions, or events in active regions which are dissimilar to previously recorded events.

Geochemistry of Intra-Transform Lavas from the Galápagos Transform Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrow, T. A.; Mittelstaedt, E. L.; Harpp, K. S.

2013-12-01

The Galápagos plume has profoundly affected the development and evolution of the nearby (<250 km) Galápagos Transform Fault (GTF), a ~100km right-stepping offset in the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC). The GTF can be divided into two sections that represent different stages of transform evolution: the northern section exhibits fully developed transform fault morphology, whereas the southern section is young, and deformation is more diffuse. Both segments are faulted extensively and include numerous small (<0.5km3) monogenetic volcanic cones, though volcanic activity is more common in the south. To examine the composition of the mantle source and melting conditions responsible for the intra-transform lavas, as well as the influence of the plume on GTF evolution, we present major element, trace element, and radiogenic isotope analysis of samples collected during SON0158, EWI0004, and MV1007 cruises. Radiogenic isotope ratio variations in the Galápagos Archipelago require four distinct mantle reservoirs across the region: PLUME, DM, FLO, and WD. We find that Galápagos Transform lavas are chemically distinct from nearby GSC lavas and neighboring seamounts. They have radiogenic isotopic compositions that lie on a mixing line between DM and PLUME, with little to no contribution from any other mantle reservoirs despite their geographic proximity to WD-influenced lavas erupted along the GSC and at nearby (<50km away) seamounts. Within the transform, lavas from the northern section are more enriched in radiogenic isotopes than lavas sampled in the southern section. Transform lavas are anomalously depleted in incompatible trace elements (ITEs) relative to GSC lavas, suggesting unique melting conditions within the transform. Isotopic variability along the transform axis indicates that mantle sources and/or melting mechanisms vary between the northern and southern sections, which may relate to their distances from the plume or the two-stage development and evolution of the Galápagos Transform Fault. We present a melting model that reproduces GTF lava chemistry from a mixture of two partial melts of PLUME and DM. We assume that the DM source has an ITE composition similar to the depleted upper mantle, melting is purely fractional, and lavas do not fractionate during ascent. Solutions were achieved using a Metropolis algorithm and constrained by observed GTF lava chemistry. Model results predict that GTF lavas are produced by a mixture of a ~3%×1% partial melt of the PLUME source and a ~5%×4% partial melt of the DM source. Our model predicts that a larger proportion of PLUME melts contribute to GTF lavas than DM melts. Absence of the WD component and relatively low concentrations of ITEs may indicate that lavas in the GTF are produced from a source that has already undergone partial melting and is being re-melted beneath the TF. Re-melting may be caused by extension across the GTF, or development of the southern section of the GTF via the ~1Ma ridge jump.

Transformation of Deep Water Masses Along Lagrangian Upwelling Pathways in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamsitt, V.; Abernathey, R. P.; Mazloff, M. R.; Wang, J.; Talley, L. D.

2018-03-01

Upwelling of northern deep waters in the Southern Ocean is fundamentally important for the closure of the global meridional overturning circulation and delivers carbon and nutrient-rich deep waters to the sea surface. We quantify water mass transformation along upwelling pathways originating in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific and ending at the surface of the Southern Ocean using Lagrangian trajectories in an eddy-permitting ocean state estimate. Recent related work shows that upwelling in the interior below about 400 m depth is localized at hot spots associated with major topographic features in the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, while upwelling through the surface layer is more broadly distributed. In the ocean interior upwelling is largely isopycnal; Atlantic and to a lesser extent Indian Deep Waters cool and freshen while Pacific deep waters are more stable, leading to a homogenization of water mass properties. As upwelling water approaches the mixed layer, there is net strong transformation toward lighter densities due to mixing of freshwater, but there is a divergence in the density distribution as Upper Circumpolar Deep Water tends become lighter and dense Lower Circumpolar Deep Water tends to become denser. The spatial distribution of transformation shows more rapid transformation at eddy hot spots associated with major topography where density gradients are enhanced; however, the majority of cumulative density change along trajectories is achieved by background mixing. We compare the Lagrangian analysis to diagnosed Eulerian water mass transformation to attribute the mechanisms leading to the observed transformation.

The Wenquan ultramafic rocks in the Central East Kunlun Fault zone, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—crustal relics of the Paleo-Tethys ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Lihui; Meng, Fancong; Feng, Huibin

2018-06-01

The Wenquan ultramafic rocks, located in the East Kunlun Orogenic belt in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, consist of dunite, wehrlite, olivine-clinopyroxenite and clinopyroxenite, and exhibit cumulate textures. Olivine from dunite has high Fo (forsterite, 90.0-91.8 wt%) and NiO content (0.15-0.42 wt%). Cr-spinels from all of the rocks in this suite are characterized by high Cr# (100×[Cr/(Cr + Al)], 67-91), low Mg# (100×[Mg/(Mg + Fe2+)], 17-35) and low TiO2 contents (mostly < 0.5 wt%). Clinopyroxene displays high Mg# (92-98) and low TiO2 content (0.002-0.099 wt%), similar to those in ophiolitic cumulates. Geochemically, the Wenquan ultramafic rocks show enrichment of LILE, Sr, and Ba, and depletion of Nb and Th. High-Mg# (mostly > 80) and low-CaO (< 0.08 wt%) olivine, high-Cr# (up to 91) spinel, and low Ti contents of clinopyroxene and Cr-spinel indicate that the Wenquan cumulates were generated by high-degree partial melting of a depleted oceanic lithosphere mantle. The ultramafic intrusion most likely evolved from high-Mg basaltic magmas (Mg# = 77.5) that underwent fractional crystallization and crustal contamination. Zircon grains from clinopyroxenites yield a U-Pb weighted mean age of 331 ± 2 Ma, which is nearly coeval with the formation age of the A'nyemaqen ophiolites. The Wenquan Carboniferous ophiolites are confirmed to exist in the Central East Kunlun Fault zone, whereas previous studies have considered them to be the Proterozoic ophiolites. The Wenquan ophiolite might be a relict of the Paleotethyan ocean, indicating that there were two cycles of oceanic-continental evolution along the Central East Kunlun Fault zone.

Induction motors airgap-eccentricity detection through the discrete wavelet transform of the apparent power signal under non-stationary operating conditions.

PubMed

Yahia, K; Cardoso, A J M; Ghoggal, A; Zouzou, S E

2014-03-01

Fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis has been successfully used for fault diagnosis in induction machines. However, this method does not always provide good results for the cases of load torque, speed and voltages variation, leading to a variation of the motor-slip and the consequent FFT problems that appear due to the non-stationary nature of the involved signals. In this paper, the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) of the apparent-power signal for the airgap-eccentricity fault detection in three-phase induction motors is presented in order to overcome the above FFT problems. The proposed method is based on the decomposition of the apparent-power signal from which wavelet approximation and detail coefficients are extracted. The energy evaluation of a known bandwidth permits to define a fault severity factor (FSF). Simulation as well as experimental results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method presented even for the case of load torque variations. Copyright © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Role of Transforms in Gulf of Mexico Opening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundin, E.; Doré, A. G.

2017-12-01

The curious pie-shaped Gulf of Mexico (GoM) may be considered a high-angle back-arc basin to the Pacific Ocean. Opening was strongly facilitated by transforms, including a terminal transform on its Pacific side. GoM also formed synchronously with the nearby Central Atlantic when Gondwanaland pulled away from Laurasia in the Jurassic. Notably, GoM's oceanic crust never connected with that of the Atlantic, and the isolated nature of this small ocean led to periodically confined conditions that influenced the petroleum system. Of particular importance are the deposition of Callovian age salt and Tithonian age source rocks. The central part of GoM is generally accepted as underlain by oceanic crust, but the position of the continent-ocean boundaries (COB) is debated, as well as the nature of intervening crust. We favor an interpretation of the COBs marked by the regional scale, large-amplitude Houston, Florida, and Campeche magnetic anomalies, in turn probably reflecting seaward dipping reflectors of magma-rich margins. GoM's unusual shape may indirectly represent utilization of pre-existing transforms during the break-up of Pangea. Transforms represent long, linear weaknesses where the crust and lithosphere is already broken. Transforms seem to have governed the break-up of several oceanic segments in the North Atlantic and Arctic. The Suwanne suture of the Rheic Ocean is a pronounced magnetic anomaly that crosses Georgia-Florida and becomes aligned with the Houston magnetic anomaly, which here is interpreted as the northern COB to GoM. The Suwanne suture is oriented at high angle to the rest of the Rheic suture along the Appalachians and probably experienced lateral motion during the transpressional closure of the Rheic Ocean. This transform arguably represents a weak element in the Ouachita-Marathon orogen that allowed the Yucatan microcontinent to easily be plucked from the North American margin during the dispersal of Pangea, forming the GoM in the process. This opening mode is analogous to that of the pie-shaped Iceland Basin and the Jan Mayen microcontinent in the Northeast Atlantic.

Applications of fractional lower order S transform time frequency filtering algorithm to machine fault diagnosis

PubMed Central

Wang, Haibin; Zha, Daifeng; Li, Peng; Xie, Huicheng; Mao, Lili

2017-01-01

Stockwell transform(ST) time-frequency representation(ST-TFR) is a time frequency analysis method which combines short time Fourier transform with wavelet transform, and ST time frequency filtering(ST-TFF) method which takes advantage of time-frequency localized spectra can separate the signals from Gaussian noise. The ST-TFR and ST-TFF methods are used to analyze the fault signals, which is reasonable and effective in general Gaussian noise cases. However, it is proved that the mechanical bearing fault signal belongs to Alpha(α) stable distribution process(1 < α < 2) in this paper, even the noise also is α stable distribution in some special cases. The performance of ST-TFR method will degrade under α stable distribution noise environment, following the ST-TFF method fail. Hence, a new fractional lower order ST time frequency representation(FLOST-TFR) method employing fractional lower order moment and ST and inverse FLOST(IFLOST) are proposed in this paper. A new FLOST time frequency filtering(FLOST-TFF) algorithm based on FLOST-TFR method and IFLOST is also proposed, whose simplified method is presented in this paper. The discrete implementation of FLOST-TFF algorithm is deduced, and relevant steps are summarized. Simulation results demonstrate that FLOST-TFR algorithm is obviously better than the existing ST-TFR algorithm under α stable distribution noise, which can work better under Gaussian noise environment, and is robust. The FLOST-TFF method can effectively filter out α stable distribution noise, and restore the original signal. The performance of FLOST-TFF algorithm is better than the ST-TFF method, employing which mixed MSEs are smaller when α and generalized signal noise ratio(GSNR) change. Finally, the FLOST-TFR and FLOST-TFF methods are applied to analyze the outer race fault signal and extract their fault features under α stable distribution noise, where excellent performances can be shown. PMID:28406916

Long term seismic observation using ocean bottom seismographs in Marmara Sea, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, N.; Pinar, A.; Kalafat, D.; Yamamoto, Y.; Citak, S.; Comoglu, M.; Çok, Ö.; Ogutcu, Z.; Suvarikli, M.; Tunc, S.; Gurbuz, C.; Ozel, N.; Kaneda, Y.

2015-12-01

The North Anatolian Fault crosses the Marmara Sea with a direction of E-W. There are many large earthquakes repeatedly along the fault with a linkage each other. Due to recent large eastern Aegean earthquake with M6, the Marmara Sea is the "blank zone". Japan and Turkey have a SATREPS collaborative study to clarify the structural characters, construct fault models, simulate the strong motion and tsunami, evaluate these risks with hazard maps and educate disaster prevention for local governments and residents. Our activity is one of the most basic studies, and the objectives are to clarify hypocenter locations, monitor the move, and construct fault models referring seismic/magnetotelluric structures, geodetic nature and trenching works. The target area is from western Marmara Sea to the off Istanbul area along the north Anatolian Fault. We deployed ten Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBSs) between the Tekirdag Basin and the Central Basin in September, 2014. Then, we added five Japanese OBSs and deployed them at the western end of the Marmara Sea and the eastern Central Basin to extend observed area in March, 2015. The OBS has a three-component velocity sensor with a natural frequency of 4.5 Hz and a hydrophone. Japanese team have clarified seismicity around Japan using the OBS. The magnitude of the detected events is 1.0-1.5. We retrieved all 15 OBSs in July, 2015 and deployed them again on the same locations after data copy and battery maintenance. We started OBS data analysis combined with land stations data. Now we detect events automatically using these data and succeeded detection of over one thousand around the north Anatolian Fault. The tentative results show heterogeneous seismicity. The western and central basins have relative high seismicity and the seismogenic zone becomes thicker rather than previous estimation. Then we will evaluate hypocenter locations with high resolution and discuss the shape of faults in each segment and their linkage.

The Effect of Authigenic Phyllosilicate Growth on the Mechanical Behaviour of Upper Crustal Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, S.; Holdsworth, R.; Imber, J.; Marco, S.; Weinberger, R.; De Paola, N.

2014-12-01

Deformation at shallow crustal depths is dominated by brittle processes, but it is increasingly recognised that diffusive mass transfer (DMT) processes and "ductile" folding also play a significant role in fault zone development. We present data from exhumed sections (<5 km depth) of the southern Dead Sea Fault System, Israel, an active continental transform fault that has accumulated 105 km of sinistral displacement since the Miocene. The faults juxtapose various wall rock lithologies (crystalline basement, carbonate and clastic cover), but the studied sections all have phyllosilicate-rich fault cores. Damage zones show a range of deformation mechanisms including pulverisation, pressure-solution and cataclasis. Our results show that fault cores comprise three distinct types of fault gouge (alongside coarser-grained cataclasite): cataclastic gouge that is mineralogically similar to wall rock compositions; authigenic gouge that is dominated by Mg-rich smectite not present in adjacent formations; and mechanically entrained, folded shale gouge that is almost identical in mineralogy to a local shale protolith. Microstructural observations suggest authigenic gouge is the result of DMT processes, following an earlier phase of gouge formation through microfracturing and cataclasis. The low abundance of carbonate within fault cores suggests its dissolution is a contributing factor in authigenic smectite precipitation. Such mineralogical transformations may lead to significant changes in the frictional properties of fault zones, from materials of relatively high frictional strength (quartz, feldspars, dolomite, where μ = 0.6 - 0.85) to those with much lower frictional strengths, such as smectite (where μ can be as low as 0.15). We demonstrate how the physical properties of faults may evolve over time when conditions allow precipitation of weak-phases in addition to brittle deformation, which may facilitate ingress of fluid into fault cores and enhance phyllosilicate development. The presence of both pulverisation textures and microfolds suggests interaction of these deformation styles may lead to changes in overall fault behaviour, from velocity-weakening and seismogenic where brittle processes dominate, to velocity-strengthening and aseismic when sufficient weak material has accumulated.

Geomorphology, denudation rates, and stream channel profiles reveal patterns of mountain building adjacent to the San Andreas fault in northern California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeLong, Stephen B.; Hilley, George E.; Prentice, Carol S.; Crosby, Christopher J.; Yokelson, Intan N.

2017-01-01

Relative horizontal motion along strike-slip faults can build mountains when motion is oblique to the trend of the strike-slip boundary. The resulting contraction and uplift pose off-fault seismic hazards, which are often difficult to detect because of the poor vertical resolution of satellite geodesy and difficulty of locating offset datable landforms in active mountain ranges. Sparse geomorphic markers, topographic analyses, and measurement of denudation allow us to map spatiotemporal patterns of uplift along the northern San Andreas fault. Between Jenner and Mendocino, California, emergent marine terraces found southwest of the San Andreas fault record late Pleistocene uplift rates between 0.20 and 0.45 mm yr–1 along much of the coast. However, on the northeast side of the San Andreas fault, a zone of rapid uplift (0.6–1.0 mm yr–1) exists adjacent to the San Andreas fault, but rates decay northeastward as the coast becomes more distant from the San Andreas fault. A newly dated 4.5 Ma shallow-marine deposit located at ∼500 m above sea level (masl) adjacent to the San Andreas fault is warped down to just 150 masl 15 km northeast of the San Andreas fault, and it is exposed at just 60–110 masl to the west of the fault. Landscape denudation rates calculated from abundance of cosmogenic radionuclides in fluvial sediment northeast of, and adjacent to, the San Andreas fault are 0.16–0.29 mm yr–1, but they are only 0.03–0.07 mm yr–1 west of the fault. Basin-average channel steepness and the denudation rates can be used to infer the erosive properties of the underlying bedrock. Calibrated erosion rates can then be estimated across the entire landscape using the spatial distribution of channel steepness with these erosive properties. The lower-elevation areas of this landscape that show high channel steepness (and hence calibrated erosion rate) are distinct from higher-elevation areas with systematically lower channel steepness and denudation rates. These two areas do not appear to be coincident with lithologic contacts. Assuming that changes in rock uplift rates are manifest in channel steepness values as an upstream-propagating kinematic wave that separates high and low channel steepness values, the distance that this transition has migrated vertically provides an estimate of the timing of rock uplift rate increase. This analysis suggests that rock uplift rates along the coast changed from 0.3 to 0.75 mm yr–1 between 450 and 350 ka. This zone of recent, relatively rapid crustal deformation along the plate boundary may be a result of the impingement of relatively strong crust underlying the Gualala block into the thinner, weaker oceanic crust left at the western margin of the North American plate by the westward migration of the subduction zone prior to establishment of the current transform plate boundary. The warped Pliocene marine deposits and the presence of a topographic ridge support the patterns indicated by the channel steepness analyses, and further indicate that the zone of rapid uplift may herald elevated off-fault seismic hazard if this uplift is created by periodic stick-slip motion on contractional structures.

Soft Computing Application in Fault Detection of Induction Motor

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

Konar, P.; Puhan, P. S.; Chattopadhyay, P. Dr.

2010-10-26

The paper investigates the effectiveness of different patter classifier like Feed Forward Back Propagation (FFBPN), Radial Basis Function (RBF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for detection of bearing faults in Induction Motor. The steady state motor current with Park's Transformation has been used for discrimination of inner race and outer race bearing defects. The RBF neural network shows very encouraging results for multi-class classification problems and is hoped to set up a base for incipient fault detection of induction motor. SVM is also found to be a very good fault classifier which is highly competitive with RBF.

Physical inter-relationships between hydrothermal activity, faulting and magmatic processes at the center of a slow-spreading, magma-rich mid-ocean ridge segment: A case study of the Lucky Strike segment (MAR, 37°03'-37‧N)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontaine, F. J.; Cannat, M.; Escartin, J.; Crawford, W. C.; Singh, S. C.

2012-12-01

The modalities and efficiency of hydrothermal heat evacuation at mid-ocean ridges (25% of the global heat loss) are controlled by the lithosphere thermal and permeability structures for which we had robust constraints only for fast/intermediate spreading axis until the last past few years during which integrated geophysical, geological and geochemical studies focused on some hydrothermal sites at slow-spreading ridges. At the Lucky Strike vent field of the mid-atlantic ridge - a hydrothermal complex composed of high-temperature (maximum T=340°C), smoker-like vents and associated diffuse flow and extracting a few hundreds MW from the oceanic lithosphere - a seafloor observatory which installation started in 2005 highlights local interactions between hydrothermal, tectonic and magmatic processes. Detailed geophysical and geological investigations stress the role of the local axial fault system on localizing high- and low-temperature ventings around the faulted rim of a paleo lava lake. Microseismic studies bring constraints on the subseafloor hydrology and suggest an along-axis flow pattern, with a privileged recharge area located about a kilometer north off the active discharges. Seismic reflection studies image a central magma chamber fueling the hydrothermal sites and also reveal its along-axis depth variations likely influencing hydrothermal cell organization and flow focusing. Such linkages among hydrothermal dynamics, heat source and crustal permeability geometries usually lack quantitative constraints at mid-ocean ridges in general, and the Lucky Strike segment settings offers a unique opportunity to couple high-resolution geophysical data to hydrodynamic model. Here we develop a series of original two- and three-dimensional numerical and physical models of hydrothermal activity, tailored to this slow-spreading environment. Our results highlight physical linkages among magmatism, tectonics and crustal hydrology stressing the key role of faulting and magma chamber roof-topology in focusing fluid flow at the center of the Lucky Strike segment. They also help identifying some causes of variations in the modalities of hydrothermal heat extraction along the global ridge network.

New marine data from Vietnam Margin limit the amount of extrusion of Indochina during the opening of the South China Sea

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

Huchon, P.; Le Pichon, X.; Rangin, C.

1994-07-01

A total of 9300 km of high resolution, wide coverage multibeam (Simrad EM12) bathymetric data have been acquired offshore Vietnam during the Ponaga cruise of the R/V L'Atalante in May 1993. Gravity and magnetic measurements, 6-channel seismic data, as well as 6 dredges also have been obtained. East of central Vietnam, the margin displays northeast-southwest tectonic structures typical of a passive margin. The depth of the basement of the Nha Trang basin suggests that it could be of oceanic nature, with a 20 to 30 Ma age compatible with the age of the South China Sea oceanic crust located furthermore » east. Southeast of South Vietnam, the authors identified the western tip of the fossil axis of the South China Sea. It constitutes a propagating ridge into a highly stretched continental crust, partly intruded by volcanics. East of 110[degrees]30[prime]E, tilted blocks are symmetric with respect to the oceanic axis, whereas west of 110[degrees]30[prime]E they are mostly tilted toward the south, which suggests the occurrence a large listric normal fault associated with a large amount of extension. The normal faults bend progressively to a more northerly direction when approaching the north-south scarp that bounds the Conson basin. This geometry is compatible with a right-lateral motion, and the normal faults associated with the oceanic propagator suggest that the dextral motion is synchronous with at least the last phase of spreading in the South China Sea (23-16 Ma). Since recent offshore oil data have established that the prolongation of the Red River fault within the Gulf of Tonkin was affected by left-lateral motion from the Oligocene to the upper Miocene, the results suggest that the change from left-lateral motion in the Gulf of Tonkin to right-lateral motion along the Vietnam margin occurs because the South China Sea basin opens more rapidly than the extrusion of Indochina. Thus, the total amount of extrusion of Indochina probably does not exceed 100 or 200 km.« less