Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
African sand storms, blood rain, and continental mineral delivery to the Canary Islands
Published: 2022-03-17
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The origin of volcanism in the Canary Islands has been a matter of controversy for decades. Discussions have hinged on whether the Canaries owe their origin to seafloor fractures associated with the Atlas Mountain range or to an underlying plume or hotspot of uprising hot material from the deep mantle. The debate has recently concluded, however, following the discovery of nannofossils preserved [...]
Cloud-based interactive susceptibility modeling of natural hazards in Google Earth Engine
Published: 2022-03-17
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
We present an interactive tool for susceptibility modeling in Google Earth Engine (GEE). Our tool requires few input data and makes use of the breadth of predictors' information available in GEE. In this cloud computing environment, binary classifiers typical of susceptibility models can be called and fed with information related to mapping units and any natural hazards' distribution over the [...]
User guide of Google Earth Engine based Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Tool
Published: 2022-03-15
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Working with Dynamic Earthquake Rupture Models: A Practical Guide
Published: 2022-03-15
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Dynamic rupture models are physics-based simulations that couple fracture mechanics to wave propagation and are used to explain specific earthquake observations or to generate a suite of predictions to understand the influence of frictional, geometrical, stress and material parameters. These simulations can model single earthquakes or multiple earthquake cycles. The objective of this paper is to [...]
The development of the eastern Orpheus rift basin, offshore eastern Canada: A case study of the interplay between rift-related faulting and salt deposition and flow
Published: 2022-03-12
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
The salt-rich Orpheus rift basin, part of the eastern North American (ENAM) rift system, formed during the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic prior to opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Using a dense grid of 2D seismic-reflection lines, data from nearby wells, and information from adjacent ENAM rift basins, we have established a tectonostratigraphic framework, identified key structural elements, and [...]
Temporal Variability in Snow Accumulation and Density at Summit Camp, Greenland Ice Sheet
Published: 2022-03-09
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
A three-year record of weekly snow water equivalent (SWE) accumulation at Summit Camp, central Greenland Ice Sheet, obtained by direct sampling, is presented. While the overall SWE accumulation of 24.2 cm w.e. per year matches long-term ice core estimates, variability increases at shorter time scales. Half of the annual SWE accumulation occurs during a few large events, with the average [...]
Climate control on the relationship between erosion rate and fluvial topography
Published: 2022-03-05
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Conceptual and theoretical models for landscape evolution suggest that fluvial topography is sensitive to climate. However, it remains challenging to demonstrate a compelling link between fluvial topography and climate in natural landscapes. One possible reason is that many studies compare erosion rates to climate data, although theoretical studies show that, at steady state, climate is encoded [...]
Earth’s geodynamic evolution constrained by 182W in Archean seawater
Published: 2022-03-04
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Radiogenic isotope systems are important geochemical tools to unravel geodynamic processes on Earth1. Applied to ancient marine chemical sediments such as banded iron formations (BIFs), the short-lived 182Hf-182W isotope system can serve as key instrument to decipher Earth’s geodynamic evolution. High-precision 182W isotope data of the 2.7 Ga old BIF from the Temagami Greenstone Belt, NE Canada, [...]
Mesoscale eddy variability in the CaribbeanSea
Published: 2022-03-03
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The spatial distribution, the monthly and seasonal variability of mesoscale eddy-observations derived from the AVISO eddy atlas are assessed in the Caribbean Sea for the period between 1993 and 2019 (both included). The average lifetime for the whole set of eddies is 61.8±37.1days, mean amplitude of 7.4±4.2cm for ciclonic and 6.7±3.7cm for anticyclonic and mean radius [...]
High-resolution Ge-Si-Fe, Cr isotope and Th-U data for the Neoarchean Temagami BIF, Canada, suggest primary origin of BIF bands and oxidative terrestrial weathering 2.7 Ga ago
Published: 2022-03-01
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geochemistry, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
ABSTRACT Unique deposits that formed in the Precambrian oceans are the Banded Iron-Formations (BIFs) which are chemical sediments comprised of alternating layers of iron- and silica-dominated precipitates. The origin of this enigmatic banding is still debated, with most favoring a primary sedimentary and a few others arguing for a secondary diagenetic origin. We here used a high-resolution [...]
Landslide susceptibility maps of Italy: lesson learnt from dealing with multiple landslide classes and the uneven spatial distribution of the national inventory
Published: 2022-02-25
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Landslide susceptibility corresponds to the probability of landslide occurrence across a given geographic space. This probability is usually estimated by using a binary classifier which is informed of landslide presence/absence data and associated landscape characteristics. Here, we consider the Italian national landslide inventory to prepare slope-unit based landslide susceptibility maps. [...]
Fault slip-rates and Coulomb stress interactions in the intersection zone of the Hope, Kelly and Alpine Faults, South Island, New Zealand
Published: 2022-02-24
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Geomorphology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
The Hope Fault is a major strike-slip plate boundary fault in the Marlborough Fault Zone of New Zealand’s South Island that transfers slip between the Alpine Fault and Hikurangi subduction zone. We use lidar-based geomorphic and fault mapping, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL; quartz) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL; feldspar) dating of fault-proximal sedimentary deposits to [...]
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
Published: 2022-02-24
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has catapulted our ability to detect, quantify and characterize bio- and geophysical processes (e.g., aquifer dynamics, tectonic, and magmatic processes, etc.). During the last four decades, InSAR has imaged the complete Earth’s surface and transformed our understanding of how Earth works. Such revolution has been underpinned by a relentless [...]
Constrained 1.5-Layer Hamiltonian Toy Models for Stratospheric Dynamics
Published: 2022-02-24
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
A two-layer Hamiltonian toy model consisting of two isentropic stratospheric layers is simplified using perturbation analysis while preserving the Hamiltonian structure. These two layers are neutrally and stably stratified. The first approximation applies when the Froude number of the upper isentropic layer is small, such that the upper surface is approximately rigid, and this upper layer is much [...]
The south-verging Isortoq Nappe of Baffin Island, Canada: implications on the framework of the northeastern Trans-Hudson Orogen
Published: 2022-02-22
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Isortoq Shear Zone (ISZ), a 100km-scale structure in northern Baffin Island, was originally identified through the interpretation of regional geophysical surveys. In the field the ISZ is cryptic, and its significance ambiguous with respect to the regional structural framework of northern Baffin Island. Mapping along the ISZ and within the spatially associated Archean Isortoq and Eqe Bay [...]