Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Earth Sciences
Global Sensitivity Analysis of Parameter Uncertainty in Landscape Evolution Models
Published: 2017-11-09
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Hydrology, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Landscape Evolution Models have a long history of use as exploratory models, providing greater understanding of the role large scale processes have on the long-term development of the Earth’s surface. As computational power has advanced so has the development and sophistication of these models. This has seen them applied at increasingly smaller scale and shorter-term simulations at greater [...]
Distribution of discontinuous mudstone beds within wave-dominated shallow-marine deposits: Star Point Sandstone and Blackhawk Formation, Eastern Utah, USA
Published: 2017-11-08
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Sedimentology, Stratigraphy
Deposits of wave-dominated shorelines are typically considered to act as relatively simple hydrocarbon reservoirs and are commonly modeled as “tanks of sand”. However, important heterogeneities that can act as barriers to fluid flow occur at the parasequence, bedset and bed scales, especially in viscous oil or low permeability oil fields. Heterogeneities at the parasequence and bedset scale have [...]
The detection of low magnitude seismic events using array-based waveform correlation
Published: 2017-11-08
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
It has long been accepted that occurrences of a known signal are most effectively detected by cross-correlating the incoming data stream with a waveform template. Such matched signal detectors have received very little attention in the field of detection seismology because there are relatively few instances in which the form of an anticipated seismic signal is known a priori. Repeating events in [...]
The European Arctic: A Laboratory for Seismoacoustic Studies
Published: 2017-11-08
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
We describe the seismoacoustic monitoring network in Fennoscandia and North West Russia and present how it is being used to characterize infrasound studies in that part of the world. The history of the infrasound array network is presented, together with a description of array processing considerations, and examples of infrasound signals recorded from repeating explosions.
Collinearity assessment of geocentre coordinates derived from multi-satellite SLR data
Published: 2017-11-08
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Of the three satellite geodetic techniques contributing to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) is generally held to provide the most reliable time series of geocentre coordinates and exclusively defines the ITRF origin. Traditionally, only observations to the two LAser GEOdynamics Satellite (LAGEOS) and Etalon pairs of satellites have been used for [...]
Geostatistical modelling of cyclic and rhythmic facies architectures
Published: 2017-11-08
Subjects: Applied Statistics, Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Sedimentology, Statistics and Probability
A pluri-Gaussian method is developed for facies variables in three dimensions to model vertical cyclicity, related to facies ordering, and rhythmicity. Cyclicity is generally characterized by shallowing or deepening-upward sequences and rhythmicity by a low range of variability in cycle thicknesses. Both of these aspects are commonly observed in shallow-marine carbonate successions, especially [...]
Environmental signal propagation in sedimentary systems across timescales
Published: 2017-11-08
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Geomorphology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Sedimentology, Stratigraphy
Review of concepts of environmental signal (climate, tectonics, anthropogenic, etc.) propagation in sedimentary systems from source to sink.
Understanding snow hydrological processes through the lens of stable water isotopes
Published: 2017-11-07
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Glaciology, Hydrology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Water Resource Management
Snowfall may have different stable isotopic compositions compared to rainfall, allowing its contribution to potentially be tracked through the hydrological cycle. This review summarizes the state of knowledge of how different hydro-meteorological processes affect the isotopic composition of snow, and, through selected examples, discusses how stable water isotopes can provide a better [...]
Sequential growth of deformation bands in carbonate grainstones in the hangingwall of an active growth fault: Implications for deformation mechanisms in different tectonic regimes
Published: 2017-11-07
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
Deformation bands in porous sandstones have been extensively studied for four decades, whereas comparatively less is known about deformation bands in porous carbonate rocks, particularly in extensional settings. Here, we investigate porous grainstones of the Globigerina Limestone Formation in Malta, which contain several types of deformation bands in the hangingwall of the Maghlaq Fault: (i) [...]
Pastoralism may have delayed the end of the green Sahara
Published: 2017-11-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences
The benefits of pastoralism for marginal, arid environments are often not appreciated. One notable past example of the human response to encroaching desertification comes from the regional climate deterioration after the most recent African Humid Period, which ended around 5,500 years ago. Recent evidence points to a population expansion in northern Africa prior to this, associated with the [...]
Rifts and Rifted Margins: A Review of Geodynamic Processes and Natural Hazards
Published: 2017-11-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
This review provides an introduction to the geodynamic processes that influence tectonic rift evolution and rifted margin architecture. With a strong focus on numerical modeling, I summarize classical and recent insights on rift evolution with differentiation between 2D and 3D concepts and models. One of the key processes during rift evolution is crust-mantle coupling, which controls not only the [...]
Controls of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity on rift linkage: Numerical and analog models of interaction between the Kenyan and Ethiopian rifts across the Turkana depression
Published: 2017-11-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
Inherited rheological structures in the lithosphere are expected to have large impact on the architecture of continental rifts. The Turkana depression in the East African Rift connects the Main Ethiopian Rift to the north with the Kenya rift in the south. This region is characterized by a NW-SE trending band of thinned crust inherited from a Mesozoic rifting event, which is cutting the [...]
Evaluating uncertainties in the calibration of isotopic reference materials and multi-element isotopic tracers (EARTHTIME Tracer Calibration Part II)
Published: 2017-11-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
A statistical approach to evaluating uncertainties in the calibration of multi-element isotopic tracers has been developed and applied to determining the isotopic composition of mixed U-Pb (202Pb-205Pb-233U-235U) tracers used for accurate isotope dilution U-Pb geochronology. Our experiment, part of the EARTHTIME initiative, directly links the tracer calibration to first-principles measurements [...]
Seismotectonics of a diffuse plate boundary: Observations off the Sumatra-Andaman trench
Published: 2017-11-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Seismic slip extends from maximum expected depth through the crust in 45-75 Ma oceanic lithosphere in the Indo-Australian intraplate region off the Sumatra-Andaman trench. Large (magnitude greater than 7) strike-slip earthquakes in this region can rupture multiple differently oriented faults. Rupture directivity modeling provides tentative support for active east-west oriented faults.
Data quality of collocated portable broadband seismometers using direct burial and vault emplacement
Published: 2017-11-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Temporary broadband sensor deployments have traditionally been predominantly emplaced using shallow vaults that require more materials, personnel, and time than direct burial. However, new developments in seismometer and seismograph technology are increasingly facilitating systems that can be directly buried in earth or snow without vault enclosures. We analyze data from two identical shallow [...]