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Results for “Journal of Applied Geophysics”

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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS2007

A global search inversion for earthquake kinematic rupture history: Application to the 2000 western Tottori, Japan earthquake

[1] We present a two-stage nonlinear technique to invert strong motions records and geodetic data to retrieve the rupture history of an earthquake on a finite fault. To account for the actual rupture complexity, the fault parameters are spatially variable peak slip velocity, slip direction, rupture time and risetime. The unknown parameters are given at the nodes of the subfaults, whereas the parameters within a subfault are allowed to vary through a bilinear interpolation of the nodal values. The forward modeling is performed with a discrete wave number technique, whose Green's functions include the complete response of the vertically varying Earth structure. During the first stage, an algorithm based on the heat-bath simulated annealing generates an ensemble of models that efficiently sample the good data-fitting regions of parameter space. In the second stage (appraisal), the algorithm performs a statistical analysis of the model ensemble and computes a weighted mean model and its standard deviation. This technique, rather than simply looking at the best model, extracts the most stable features of the earthquake rupture that are consistent with the data and gives an estimate of the variability of each model parameter. We present some synthetic tests to show the effectiveness of the method and its robustness to uncertainty of the adopted crustal model. Finally, we apply this inverse technique to the well recorded 2000 western Tottori, Japan, earthquake ( Mw 6.6); we confirm that the rupture process is characterized by large slip (3-4 m) at very shallow depths but, differently from previous studies, we imaged a new slip patch (2-2.5 m) located deeper, between 14 and 18 km depth.

Tottori↗
USGS2013

Bayesian inversion of data from effusive volcanic eruptions using physics-based models: Application to Mount St. Helens 2004--2008

Physics-based models of volcanic eruptions can directly link magmatic processes with diverse, time-varying geophysical observations, and when used in an inverse procedure make it possible to bring all available information to bear on estimating properties of the volcanic system. We develop a technique for inverting geodetic, extrusive flux, and other types of data using a physics-based model of an effusive silicic volcanic eruption to estimate the geometry, pressure, depth, and volatile content of a magma chamber, and properties of the conduit linking the chamber to the surface. A Bayesian inverse formulation makes it possible to easily incorporate independent information into the inversion, such as petrologic estimates of melt water content, and yields probabilistic estimates for model parameters and other properties of the volcano. Probability distributions are sampled using a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo algorithm. We apply the technique using GPS and extrusion data from the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens. In contrast to more traditional inversions such as those involving geodetic data alone in combination with kinematic forward models, this technique is able to provide constraint on properties of the magma, including its volatile content, and on the absolute volume and pressure of the magma chamber. Results suggest a large chamber of >40 km 3 with a centroid depth of 11–18 km and a dissolved water content at the top of the chamber of 2.6–4.9 wt%.

Washington↗
USGS2020

Near-fault velocity spectra from laboratory failures and their relation to natural ground motion

We compared near-fault velocity spectra recorded during laboratory experiments to that of natural earthquakes. We fractured crystalline rock samples at room temperature and intermediate confining pressure (50 MPa). Subsequent slip events were generated on the fracture surfaces under higher confinement (300 MPa). Velocity spectra from rock fracture resemble the inverse frequency (1/ f ) decay of natural earthquake velocity. This spectrum can be attributed to fault creation via seismic fracturing over a wide range of spatial scales. In contrast, subsequent slips on the rough fracture surfaces are depleted in high frequency energy and falloff approximately as 1/ f 2 . The 1/ f 2 spectrum is more consistent with a slider-block model obeying static-kinetic friction than a natural earthquake. The depleted high frequency content precludes the rough fault experiments from being directly analogous to natural sources. The suppression of high frequencies may have resulted from two possible factors: (1) the presence of a well-developed shear zone and coseismic damping of the fault motion by dissipation within it or, in our favored interpretation, (2) a smaller amount of energy dissipated by shearing relative to the total energy release at elevated confining pressure. In context of the latter explanation, a unifying concept that applies to these experiments, earthquakes, ground motion, and models of complex radiated motion is that high frequency radiated energy is relatively enhanced when total energy release is nearly balanced within the source region by dissipative processes. This near-critical energy release condition can be accessed at low normal stress in laboratory experiments.

Journal of Geophysical Research↗
USGS2012

The influence of formation material properties on the response of water levels in wells to Earth tides and atmospheric loading

The water level in an open well can change in response to deformation of the surrounding material, either because of applied strains (tidal or tectonic) or surface loading by atmospheric pressure changes. Under conditions of no vertical fluid flow and negligible well bore storage (static-confined conditions), the sensitivities to these effects depend on the elastic properties and porosity which characterize the surrounding medium. For a poroelastic medium, high sensitivity to applied areal strains occurs for low porosity, while high sensitivity to atmospheric loading occurs for high porosity; both increase with decreasing compressibility of the solid matrix. These material properties also influence vertical fluid flow induced by areally extensive deformation and can be used to define two types of hydraulic diffusivity which govern pressure diffusion, one for applied strain and one for surface loading. The hydraulic diffusivity which governs pressure diffusion in response to surface loading is slightly smaller than that which governs fluid flow in response to applied strain. Given the static-confined response of a water well to atmospheric loading and Earth tides, the in situ drained matrix compressibility and porosity (and hence the one-dimensional specific storage) can be estimated. Analysis of the static-confined response of five wells to atmospheric loading and Earth tides gives generally reasonable estimates for material properties.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS1998

Nonlinear refraction and reflection travel time tomography

We develop a rapid nonlinear travel time tomography method that simultaneously inverts refraction and reflection travel times on a regular velocity grid. For travel time and ray path calculations, we apply a wave front method employing graph theory. The first-arrival refraction travel times are calculated on the basis of cell velocities, and the later refraction and reflection travel times are computed using both cell velocities and given interfaces. We solve a regularized nonlinear inverse problem. A Laplacian operator is applied to regularize the model parameters (cell slownesses and reflector geometry) so that the inverse problem is valid for a continuum. The travel times are also regularized such that we invert travel time curves rather than travel time points. A conjugate gradient method is applied to minimize the nonlinear objective function. After obtaining a solution, we perform nonlinear Monte Carlo inversions for uncertainty analysis and compute the posterior model covariance. In numerical experiments, we demonstrate that combining the first arrival refraction travel times with later reflection travel times can better reconstruct the velocity field as well as the reflector geometry. This combination is particularly important for modeling crustal structures where large velocity variations occur in the upper crust. We apply this approach to model the crustal structure of the California Borderland using ocean bottom seismometer and land data collected during the Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment along two marine survey lines. Details of our image include a high-velocity zone under the Catalina Ridge, but a smooth gradient zone between. Catalina Ridge and San Clemente Ridge. The Moho depth is about 22 km with lateral variations. Copyright 1998 by the American Geophysical Union.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS2017

A model integrating longshore and cross-shore processes for predicting long-term shoreline response to climate change

We present a shoreline change model for coastal hazard assessment and management planning. The model, CoSMoS-COAST (Coastal One-line Assimilated Simulation Tool), is a transect-based, one-line model that predicts short-term and long-term shoreline response to climate change in the 21 st century. The proposed model represents a novel, modular synthesis of process-based models of coastline evolution due to longshore and cross-shore transport by waves and sea-level rise. Additionally, the model uses an extended Kalman filter for data assimilation of historical shoreline positions to improve estimates of model parameters and thereby improve confidence in long-term predictions. We apply CoSMoS-COAST to simulate sandy shoreline evolution along 500 km of coastline in Southern California, which hosts complex mixtures of beach settings variably backed by dunes, bluffs, cliffs, estuaries, river mouths, and urban infrastructure, providing applicability of the model to virtually any coastal setting. Aided by data assimilation, the model is able to reproduce the observed signal of seasonal shoreline change for the hindcast period of 1995-2010, showing excellent agreement between modeled and observed beach states. The skill of the model during the hindcast period improves confidence in the model's predictive capability when applied to the forecast period (2010-2100) driven by GCM-projected wave and sea-level conditions. Predictions of shoreline change with limited human intervention indicate that 31% to 67% of Southern California beaches may become completely eroded by 2100 under sea-level rise scenarios of 0.93 to 2.0 m.

California↗
USGS2012

Advances in the simulation and automated measurement of well-sorted granular material: 2. Direct measures of particle properties

1. In this, the second of a pair of papers on the structure of well-sorted natural granular material (sediment), new methods are described for automated measurements from images of sediment, of: 1) particle-size standard deviation (arithmetic sorting) with and without apparent void fraction; and 2) mean particle size in material with void fraction. A variety of simulations of granular material are used for testing purposes, in addition to images of natural sediment. Simulations are also used to establish that the effects on automated particle sizing of grains visible through the interstices of the grains at the very surface of a granular material continue to a depth of approximately 4 grain diameters and that this is independent of mean particle size. Ensemble root-mean squared error between observed and estimated arithmetic sorting coefficients for 262 images of natural silts, sands and gravels (drawn from 8 populations) is 31%, which reduces to 27% if adjusted for bias (slope correction between observed and estimated values). These methods allow non-intrusive and fully automated measurements of surfaces of unconsolidated granular material. With no tunable parameters or empirically derived coefficients, they should be broadly universal in appropriate applications. However, empirical corrections may need to be applied for the most accurate results. Finally, analytical formulas are derived for the one-step pore-particle transition probability matrix, estimated from the image's autocorrelogram, from which void fraction of a section of granular material can be estimated directly. This model gives excellent predictions of bulk void fraction yet imperfect predictions of pore-particle transitions.

Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface↗
USGS2012

State of stress and modern deformation of the northern Basin and Range Province

Constraints on the current stress regime of the actively extending northern Basin and Range province are provided by deformation data (focal mechanisms and fault slip studies), hydraulic fracturing in situ stress measurements, borehole elongation (“breakouts”) analyses, and alignment of young volcanic vents. The integrated data indicate significant variations both in principal stress orientations and magnitudes. An approximately E-W least principal stress direction appears to characterize both the eastern and western margins of the Basin and Range province, whereas in the active interior parts of the province extension occurs in response to a least principal stress oriented NW to N60°W. The contrast in stress orientations between the province boundaries and in the interior suggests that along the margins the least principal stress direction may be locally controlled by the generally northerly trending profound lithospheric discontinuities associated with these margins. Active deformation along the southeastern and western province margins is characterized by a combination of strike-slip and normal faulting. Focal mechanisms along northeastern province margin (Wasatch front) and in central Nevada indicate a combination of normal and oblique-normal faulting. Temporal, regional, and depth-dependent variations in the relative magnitudes of the vertical and maximum horizontal stresses can explain much of the observed variations in deformation styles. However, some depth variation in faulting style inferred from focal mechanisms may be apparent and simply a function of the attitude of fault planes being reactivated. Evidence for significant temporal variation (or multiple cycles of variation) in relative stress magnitude comes from the Sierran front-Basin and Range boundary region where recent earthquakes are predominantly strike slip, whereas the profound relative vertical relief across the Sierra frontal fault zone in the last 9–10 m.y. implies a normal faulting stress regime. Using the best data on stress orientation, relative stress magnitudes are constrained from slip vectors of major earthquakes and young fault displacements. Analysis of well-constrained slip vectors in the Owens Valley, California, area indicate that large temporal variations in the magnitude of the approximately N-S oriented maximum horizontal stress are required to explain dominantly dip-slip and strike-slip offsets on subparallel faults. Similar faulting relations are observed throughout much of the boundary zone between the Basin and Range-Sierra Nevada (including the Walker Lane belt). Along the eastern province margin in the Wasatch front area in Utah, available data suggest that the maximum and minimum horizontal stresses may be approximately equal at depths of <4–5 km. Earthquake focal mechanisms in this area suggest more variability in relative magnitude of the two horizontal stresses with depth. Furthermore, superimposed sets of young fault striae along a segment of the Wasatch fault also indicate temporal variations of relative stress magnitudes. Sources of regional and temporal variations in the stress field may be linked to variable shear tractions applied to the base of the brittle crust related to intrusion, thermally induced flow, and the influence of the San Andreas plate boundary. Although difficult to date accurately, the fault slip data suggest that the temporal variations in relative magnitudes stress may occur on the time scale of both a single major earthquake cycle (1000–5000 years) and multiple earthquake cycles (10,000+ years).

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS2010

Postseismic relaxation following the 1989 MS7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake, central California

The postseismic relaxation (postseismic displacement less displacement that would have occurred at the preseismic rate) measured by GPS and leveling following the 1989 M S 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake is reexamined. The temporal dependence of the relaxation over the first 1200 days postseismic is well described by 1 − e − t / τ , where τ = 414 ± 92 days. (Quoted uncertainties are standard deviations.) That temporal dependence appears to be a linear function of the cumulative number of M > 2.5 aftershocks that have occurred. The relaxation is attributed to afterslip (1.56 ± 0.20 m dextral strike slip and 0.60 ± 0.04 m reverse slip) on the downdip extension (depth, 16–21 km) of the coseismic rupture plus a collapse (0.11 ± 0.02 m fault-normal displacement) of the rupture zone (depth, 5–16 km). Because the postseismic uplift was determined by leveling over a route with relief in excess of 1000 m, an allowance (18 ± 2 ppm of height above the base elevation) for excess (beyond corrections already applied) height-dependent error in the measured uplift was estimated simultaneously with the afterslip and collapse parameters. This new solution for afterslip and collapse on the plane of the rupture provides an alternative explanation to the suggestion by Bürgmann et al. (1997) that the postseismic deformation was due to afterslip on the coseismic rupture and on a nearby, shallow, 30° dipping thrust.

California↗
USGS2016

The role of crystallization-driven exsolution on the sulfur mass balance in volcanic arc magmas

The release of large amounts of sulfur to the stratosphere during explosive eruptions affects the radiative balance in the atmosphere and consequentially impacts climate for up to several years after the event. Quantitative estimations of the processes that control the mass balance of sulfur between melt, crystals, and vapor bubbles is needed to better understand the potential sulfur yield of individual eruption events and the conditions that favor large sulfur outputs to the atmosphere. The processes that control sulfur partitioning in magmas are (1) exsolution of volatiles (dominantly H 2 O) during decompression (first boiling) and during isobaric crystallization (second boiling), (2) the crystallization and breakdown of sulfide or sulfate phases in the magma, and (3) the transport of sulfur-rich vapor (gas influx) from deeper unerupted regions of the magma reservoir. Vapor exsolution and the formation/breakdown of sulfur-rich phases can all be considered as closed-system processes where mass balance arguments are generally easier to constrain, whereas the contribution of sulfur by vapor transport (open system process) is more difficult to quantify. The ubiquitous “excess sulfur” problem, which refers to the much higher sulfur mass released during eruptions than what can be accounted for by amount of sulfur originally dissolved in erupted melt, as estimated from melt inclusion sulfur concentrations (the “petrologic estimate”), reflects the challenges in closing the sulfur mass balance between crystals, melt, and vapor before and during a volcanic eruption. In this work, we try to quantify the relative importance of closed- and open-system processes for silicic arc volcanoes using kinetic models of sulfur partitioning during exsolution. Our calculations show that crystallization-induced exsolution (second boiling) can generate a significant fraction of the excess sulfur observed in crystal-rich arc magmas. This result does not negate the important role of vapor migration in sulfur mass balance but rather points out that second boiling (in situ exsolution) can provide the necessary yield to drive the excess sulfur to the levels observed for crystal-rich systems. In contrast, in crystal-poor systems, magma recharge that releases sulfur-rich bubbles is necessary and most likely the primary contributor to sulfur mass balance. Finally, we apply our model to account for the effect of sulfur partitioning during second boiling and its impact on sulfur released during the Cerro Galan supereruption in Argentina (2.08 Ma) and show the potential importance of second boiling in releasing a large amount of sulfur to the atmosphere during the eruption of large crystal-rich ignimbrites.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS2002

Using flowmeter pulse tests to define hydraulic connections in the subsurface: A fractured shale example

Cross-borehole flowmeter pulse tests define subsurface connections between discrete fractures using short stress periods to monitor the propagation of the pulse through the flow system. This technique is an improvement over other cross-borehole techniques because measurements can be made in open boreholes without packers or previous identification of water-producing intervals. The method is based on the concept of monitoring the propagation of pulses rather than steady flow through the fracture network. In this method, a hydraulic stress is applied to a borehole connected to a single, permeable fracture, and the distribution of flow induced by that stress monitored in adjacent boreholes. The transient flow responses are compared to type curves computed for several different types of fracture connections. The shape of the transient flow response indicates the type of fracture connection, and the fit of the data to the type curve yields an estimate of its transmissivity and storage coefficient. The flowmeter pulse test technique was applied in fractured shale at a volatile-organic contaminant plume in Watervliet, New York. Flowmeter and other geophysical logs were used to identify permeable fractures in eight boreholes in and near the contaminant plume using single-borehole flow measurements. Flowmeter cross-hole pulse tests were used to identify connections between fractures detected in the boreholes. The results indicated a permeable fracture network connecting many of the individual boreholes, and demonstrated the presence of an ambient upward hydraulic-head gradient throughout the site.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1996

Seismic velocities for hydrate-bearing sediments using weighted equation

A weighted equation based on the three-phase time-average and Wood equations is applied to derive a relationship between the compressional wave (P wave) velocity and the amount of hydrates filling the pore space. The proposed theory predicts accurate P wave velocities of marine sediments in the porosity range of 40-80% and provides a practical means of estimating the amount of in situ hydrate using seismic velocity. The shear (S) wave velocity is derived under the assumption that the P to S wave velocity ratio of the hydrated sediments is proportional to the weighted average of the P to S wave velocity ratios of the constituent components of the sediment. In the case that all constituent components are known, a weighted equation using multiphase time-average and Wood equations is possible. However, this study showed that a three-phase equation with modified matrix velocity, compensated for the clay content, is sufficient to accurately predict the compressional wave velocities for the marine sediments. This theory was applied to the laboratory measurements of the P and S wave velocities in permafrost samples to infer the amount of ice in the unconsolidated sediment. The results are comparable to the results obtained by repeatedly applying the two-phase wave scattering theory. The theory predicts that the Poisson's ratio of the hydrated sediments decreases as the hydrate concentration increases and the porosity decreases. In consequence, the amplitude versus offset (AVO) data for the bottom-simulating reflections may reveal positive, negative, or no AVO anomalies depending on the concentration of hydrates in the sediments.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS1983

Characteristic analysis-1981: Final program and a possible discovery

The latest ornewest version of thecharacteristicanalysis (NCHARAN)computer program offers the exploration geologist a wide variety of options for integrating regionalized multivariate data. The options include the selection of regional cells for characterizing deposit models, the selection of variables that constitute the models, and the choice of logical combinations of variables that best represent these models. Moreover, the program provides for the display of results which, in turn, makes possible review, reselection, and refinement of a model. Most important, the performance of the above-mentioned steps in an interactive computing mode can result in a timely and meaningful interpretation of the data available to the exploration geologist. The most recent application of characteristic analysis has resulted in the possible discovery of economic sulfide mineralization in the Grong area in central Norway. Exploration data for 27 geophysical, geological, and geochemical variables were used to construct a mineralized and a lithogeochemical model for an area that contained a known massive sulfide deposit. The models were applied to exploration data collected from the Gjersvik area in the Grong mining district and resulted in the identification of two localities of possible mineralization. Detailed field examination revealed the presence of a sulfide vein system and a partially inverted stratigraphic sequence indicating the possible presence of a massive sulfide deposit at depth. ?? 1983 Plenum Publishing Corporation.

Journal of the International Association for Mathe↗
USGS2022

Insights on multistage rock avalanche behavior from runout modeling constrained by seismic inversions

Inversion of low-frequency regional seismic records to solve for a time series of bulk forces exerted on the earth by a landslide (a force-time function) is increasingly being used to infer volumes and dynamics of large, highly energetic landslides, such as rock avalanches and flowslides, and to provide calibration information on event dynamics and volumes for numerical landslide runout models. Much of the work to date using landslide runout modeling constrained by seismic data has focused on using single-phase models with frictional or velocity-weakening rheologies. Awareness of multistage landslide initiations is increasing, with discrete failures separated in time contributing to the final impact of an event. Our work utilizes a method for incorporating seismic data as a calibration constraint for landslide runout models, considering variable rheologies and different initiation conditions. This study presents a systematic examination of multiple rheologies and initiation conditions, and shows how these factors affect the force-time function derived from the landslide runout model. Our work confirms that, while rheology and fragmenting or initially coherent initiations affect the force-time function, multiple collapses separated by tens of seconds have the greatest impact on the shape and amplitude. We apply this method to the analysis of three real rock avalanches to better constrain plausible initiation conditions and rheology parameters using both seismic and field data. This study provides insights on how assumptions about the initiation dynamics of the source zone and the runout model definition can aid in the interpretation of seismic inversions for multistage rock avalanches.

Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth↗
USGS2002

Waveform inversion of oscillatory signatures in long-period events beneath volcanoes

The source mechanism of long-period (LP) events is examined using synthetic waveforms generated by the acoustic resonance of a fluid-filled crack. We perform a series of numerical tests in which the oscillatory signatures of synthetic LP waveforms are used to determine the source time functions of the six moment tensor components from waveform inversions assuming a point source. The results indicate that the moment tensor representation is valid for the odd modes of crack resonance with wavelengths 2 L / n , 2 W / n , n = 3, 5, 7, …, where L and W are the crack length and width, respectively. For the even modes with wavelengths 2 L / n , 2 W / n , n = 2, 4, 6, …, a generalized source representation using higher-order tensors is required, although the efficiency of seismic waves radiated by the even modes is expected to be small. We apply the moment tensor inversion to the oscillatory signatures of an LP event observed at Kusatsu-Shirane Volcano, central Japan. Our results point to the resonance of a subhorizontal crack located a few hundred meters beneath the summit crater lakes. The present approach may be useful to quantify the source location, geometry, and force system of LP events, and opens the way for moment tensor inversions of tremor.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS2012

Extension of the spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) method to mixed-component correlations of surface waves

Using ambient seismic noise for imaging subsurface structure dates back to the development of the spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) method in the 1950s. We present a theoretical analysis of the SPAC method for multicomponent recordings of surface waves to determine the complete 3 × 3 matrix of correlations between all pairs of three-component motions, called the correlation matrix. In the case of isotropic incidence, when either Rayleigh or Love waves arrive from all directions with equal power, the only non-zero off-diagonal terms in the matrix are the vertical–radial (ZR) and radial–vertical (RZ) correlations in the presence of Rayleigh waves. Such combinations were not considered in the development of the SPAC method. The method originally addressed the vertical–vertical (ZZ), RR and TT correlations, hence the name spatial autocorrelation. The theoretical expressions we derive for the ZR and RZ correlations offer additional ways to measure Rayleigh wave dispersion within the SPAC framework. Expanding on the results for isotropic incidence, we derive the complete correlation matrix in the case of generally anisotropic incidence. We show that the ZR and RZ correlations have advantageous properties in the presence of an out-of-plane directional wavefield compared to ZZ and RR correlations. We apply the results for mixed-component correlations to a data set from Akutan Volcano, Alaska and find consistent estimates of Rayleigh wave phase velocity from ZR compared to ZZ correlations. This work together with the recently discovered connections between the SPAC method and time-domain correlations of ambient noise provide further insights into the retrieval of surface wave Green’s functions from seismic noise.

Geophysical Journal International↗
USGS2020

Persistence and plasticity in conifer water-use strategies

The selective use of seasonal precipitation by vegetation is critical to understanding the residence time and flow path of water in watersheds, yet there are limited datasets to test how climate alters these dynamics. Here, we use measurements of the seasonal cycle of tree ring 18O for two widespread conifer species in the Rocky Mountains of North America to provide a multi-decadal depiction of the seasonal origins of forest water use. The results show that while the conifer tree stands had a dominant preference for use of snowmelt, there were multi-annual periods over the last four decades when use of summer precipitation was preferential. Utilization of summer rain emerged during years with increased snowfall and tree growth, suggesting that summer rain enhanced the transpiration stream only during the periods of highest water use. We hypothesize this could be explained through shallowing of the root profile during wetter periods and/or through the influence of changing water table depths on the residence time of summer precipitation in the root zone. We suggest the tree ring proxy approach used here could be applied in other watersheds to provide critical insight into the temporal dynamics of plant water use that could not be inferred from short measurement campaigns. These data on the seasonal origins of forest water are critical for understanding forest vulnerability to drought, the processes that affect precipitation pathways and residence time in watersheds and the interpretation of tree ring proxy data.

Colorado↗
USGS2009

A grid-doubling finite-element technique for calculating dynamic three-dimensional spontaneous rupture on an earthquake fault

We present a new finite-element technique for calculating dynamic 3-D spontaneous rupture on an earthquake fault, which can reduce the required computational resources by a factor of six or more, without loss of accuracy. The grid-doubling technique employs small cells in a thin layer surrounding the fault. The remainder of the modelling volume is filled with larger cells, typically two or four times as large as the small cells. In the resulting non-conforming mesh, an interpolation method is used to join the thin layer of smaller cells to the volume of larger cells. Grid-doubling is effective because spontaneous rupture calculations typically require higher spatial resolution on and near the fault than elsewhere in the model volume. The technique can be applied to non-planar faults by morphing, or smoothly distorting, the entire mesh to produce the desired 3-D fault geometry. Using our FaultMod finite-element software, we have tested grid-doubling with both slip-weakening and rate-and-state friction laws, by running the SCEC/USGS 3-D dynamic rupture benchmark problems. We have also applied it to a model of the Hayward fault, Northern California, which uses realistic fault geometry and rock properties. FaultMod implements fault slip using common nodes, which represent motion common to both sides of the fault, and differential nodes, which represent motion of one side of the fault relative to the other side. We describe how to modify the traction-at-split-nodes method to work with common and differential nodes, using an implicit time stepping algorithm.

Geophysical Journal International↗