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USGS2014

Magnetic storms and induction hazards

Magnetic storms are potentially hazardous to the activities and technological infrastructure of modern civilization. This reality was dramatically demonstrated during the great magnetic storm of March 1989, when surface geoelectric fields, produced by the interaction of the time-varying geomagnetic field with the Earth's electrically conducting interior, coupled onto the overlying Hydro-Québec electric power grid in Canada. Protective relays were tripped, the grid collapsed, and about 9 million people were temporarily left without electricity [ Bolduc , 2002].

Eos, Earth and Space Science News↗

USGS2014

Elders recall an earlier tsunami on Indian Ocean shores

Ten years on, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 still looms large in efforts to reduce coastal risk. The disaster has spurred worldwide advances in tsunami detection and warning, tsunami-risk assessment, and tsunami awareness [Satake, 2014]. Nearly a lifetime has passed since the northwestern Indian Ocean last produced a devastating tsunami. Documentation of this tsunami, in November 1945, was hindered by international instability in the wake of the Second World War and, in British India, by the approach of independence and partition. The parent earthquake, of magnitude 8.1, was widely recorded, and the tsunami registered on tide gauges, but intelligence reports and newspaper articles say little about inundation limits while permitting a broad range of catalogued death tolls. What has been established about the 1945 tsunami falls short of what's needed today for ground-truthing inundation models, estimating risk to enlarged populations, and anchoring awareness campaigns in local facts. Recent efforts to reduce coastal risk around the Arabian Sea include a project in which eyewitnesses to the 1945 tsunami were found and interviewed (Fig. 1), and related archives were gathered. Results are being made available through UNESCO's Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Center in hopes of increasing scientific understanding and public awareness of the region's tsunami hazards.

Eos, Earth and Space Science News↗

USGS2015

Variability and trends in global drought

Monthly precipitation ( P ) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) from the CRUTS3.1 data set are used to compute monthly P minus PET (PMPE) for the land areas of the globe. The percent of the global land area with annual sums of PMPE less than zero are used as an index of global drought (%drought) for 1901 through 2009. Results indicate that for the past century %drought has not changed, even though global PET and temperature ( T ) have increased. Although annual global PET and T have increased, annual global P also has increased and has mitigated the effects of increased PET on %drought.

Earth and Space Science↗

USGS2016

GOES-derived fog and low cloud indices for coastal north and central California ecological analyses

Fog and low cloud cover (FLCC) changes the water, energy, and nutrient flux of coastal ecosystems. Easy-to-use FLCC data are needed to quantify the impacts of FLC on ecosystem dynamics during hot, dry Mediterranean climate summers. FLCC indices were generated from 26,000 hourly night and day FLCC maps derived from Geostationary Environmental Operational Satellite (GOES) data for June, July, August, and September, 1999- 2009 for coastal California, latitude 34.50°N, south of Monterey Bay, to latitude 41.95°N, north of Crescent City. Monthly FLCC average hours per day (h/d) range from < 2 to 18. Average FLCC over the ocean increases from north (9 h/d) to south (14 h/d) whereas FLCC over land is reversed. Over land, FLCC is highest where land juts into the prevailing NW winds and is lowest in the lee of major capes. FLCC advects furthest inland through low-lying NW ocean-facing valleys. At night hours of FLCC is higher more frequently on land than over the ocean. Interannual FLCC coefficient of variation shows long term geographic stability strongly associated with landform position. Contours delineating homogeneous zones of FLCC, derived from average decadal h/d FLCC, provide data to refine the commonly used term ‘fog belt.’ FLCC indices are available for download from the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative Climate Commons website. FLCC indices can be used to improve analyses of biogeographic and bioclimatic species distribution models, meteorological mechanisms driving FLCC patterns, ecohydrological investigations of evapotranspiration, solar energy feasibility studies, agricultural irrigation demand and viticultural ripening models.

Earth and Space Science↗

USGS2016

Tearing the terroir: Details and implications of surface rupture and deformation from the 24 August 2014 M6.0 South Napa earthquake, California

The M w 6.0 South Napa earthquake of 24 August 2014 caused slip on several active fault strands within the West Napa Fault Zone (WNFZ). Field mapping identified 12.5 km of surface rupture. These field observations, near-field geodesy and space geodesy, together provide evidence for more than ~30 km of surface deformation with a relatively complex distribution across a number of subparallel lineaments. Along a ~7 km section north of the epicenter, the surface rupture is confined to a single trace that cuts alluvial deposits, reoccupying a low-slope scarp. The rupture continued northward onto at least four other traces through subparallel ridges and valleys. Postseismic slip exceeded coseismic slip along much of the southern part of the main rupture trace with total slip 1 year postevent approaching 0.5 m at locations where only a few centimeters were measured the day of the earthquake. Analysis of airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar data provides slip distributions along fault traces, indicates connectivity and extent of secondary traces, and confirms that postseismic slip only occurred on the main trace of the fault, perhaps indicating secondary structures ruptured as coseismic triggered slip. Previous mapping identified the WNFZ as a zone of distributed faulting, and this was generally borne out by the complex 2014 rupture pattern. Implications for hazard analysis in similar settings include the need to consider the possibility of complex surface rupture in areas of complex topography, especially where multiple potentially Quaternary-active fault strands can be mapped.

California↗

USGS2017

Downscaling wind and wavefields for 21st century coastal flood hazard projections in a region of complex terrain

While global climate models (GCMs) provide useful projections of near-surface wind vectors into the 21st century, resolution is not sufficient enough for use in regional wave modeling. Statistically downscaled GCM projections from Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogues provide daily averaged near-surface winds at an appropriate spatial resolution for wave modeling within the orographically complex region of San Francisco Bay, but greater resolution in time is needed to capture the peak of storm events. Short-duration high wind speeds, on the order of hours, are usually excluded in statistically downscaled climate models and are of key importance in wave and subsequent coastal flood modeling. Here we present a temporal downscaling approach, similar to constructed analogues, for near-surface winds suitable for use in local wave models and evaluate changes in wind and wave conditions for the 21st century. Reconstructed hindcast winds (1975–2004) recreate important extreme wind values within San Francisco Bay. A computationally efficient method for simulating wave heights over long time periods was used to screen for extreme events. Wave hindcasts show resultant maximum wave heights of 2.2 m possible within the Bay. Changes in extreme over-water wind speeds suggest contrasting trends within the different regions of San Francisco Bay, but 21th century projections show little change in the overall magnitude of extreme winds and locally generated waves.

California↗

USGS1966

Effects of weathering on the UPb ages of zircon from the Morton Gneiss, Minnesota

Weathering has caused large losses of lead from the zircon in the residual clay derived from the Morton Gneiss of southwestern Minnesota, drastically reducing the 206Pb/238U and the 207Pb/235U ages. The 207Pb/206Pb age probably has not been significantly affected. Loss of lead by leaching during weathering has not been adequately considered in explanation of discordant ages of zircon.

Minnesota↗

USGS1966

Disequilibrium of the 238U series in basalt

Radioisotope analyses of basalt samples from Hawaii, Japan, and Iwo Jima show that: (1) 234 U and 238 U are virtually in radioactive equilibrium, (2) 230 Th exceeds equilibrium values in all these samples, (3) 210 Pb concentrations range from 10–200% of the equilibrium values and average 30% deficient, and (4) 226 Ra is probably not in equilibrium with 234 U. The source regions of the basalts or magma forming processes are open systems, chemically. The enrichment of some of the uranium-daughter nuclides is insufficient to account for the excess 206 Pb in volcanic rocks. The isotopic composition of lead and specific activity of 210 Pb in sublimates from Showa-shinzan, Japan are also reported.

Hawaii↗

USGS1967

Preliminary lead isotope investigations of brine from the Red Sea, Galena from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and galena from United Arab Republic (Egypt)

The isotopic composition of lead in Red Sea chloride brine containing 0.5 ppm Pb is found to be similar to that of some Cenozoic ore leads such as galena at Rabigh in Saudi Arabia that may have formed during mineralization accompanying Tertiary rifting. Bir Ranga galena in Miocene sediments from United Arab Republic (Egypt) is also isotopically similar to lead in Red Sea brine. The chlorine brine must be considered a possible mineralizing fluid. Lead isotopes show promise for use in mineral prospect evaluation in that galena from Samrah is isotopically similar to that from Mahd adh Dhahab, which has been the only ore producer in Saudi Arabia since 1945. Drilling at Samrah does indicate a possible economic mineralization. The lead isotope data coupled with available geologic knowledge and geochronometry are used to tentatively divide the ore prospects of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into relative categories of mineralization age. Two Mesozoic and Cenozoic mineralizations are distinguished on the basis of a 207 Pb/ 204 Pb difference; an early Paleozoic mineralization grouping is outlined; and a late Precambrian mineralization period is suggested.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters↗

USGS1967

Geomagnetic polarity epochs: Nunivak Island, Alaska

New paleomagnetic and potassium-argon dating measurements have been made of basalt flows from Nunivak Island, Alaska, with the following results. (1) The best estimate of the age of the Brunhes/Matuyama polarity epoch boundary is found to be 0.694 m.y. (2) The best estimate of the age of the Gauss/Gilbert boundary is 3.32 m.y. (3) Three normally magnetized flows with ages from 0.93 to 0.88 m.y. are in accord with previous estimates of the age and duration of the Jaramillo normal event. (4) One normally magnetized flow with an age of 1.65 ± 0.09 m.y. supplies additional evidence for the Gilsá normal event. (5) Two new normal events are identified within the Gilbert reversed epoch, the “Cochiti normal event” with an age of 3.7 m.y. and the “Nunivak normal event” with an age of 4.1 m.y.

Alaska↗

USGS1967

Potassium-argon ages of recent rhyolites of the Mono and Inyo craters, California

Twenty-two KAr ages were determined for sanidine samples from 10 rhyolite domes of the Mono and Inyo Craters to test the applicability of KAr dating to volcanic rocks of Recent age. Comparison of the results with ‘blank’ and dosed analyses shows that radiogenic 40 Ar was detected and was measured to within a factor of two or better. The estimated standard deviation of precision is 12% for analyses containing 5% or more radiogenic 40 Ar. A statistical analysis suggests that real differences in apparent age were detected between three of the analyzed domes. The ages, which range from 6400 to 10,200 years for experiments with 5% or more radiogenic 40 Ar, are, in general, consistent with ionium ages on 5 of the same samples and with glacial and 14 C evidence of age. They suggest that most of the Mono Craters volcanos are on the order of 10,000 years old or less. The results also suggest that the problem of excess 40 Ar may not be severe for KAr dating of volcanic rocks.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters↗

USGS1967

Geomagnetic polarity epochs: new data from Olduvai Gorge, Tanganyika

The lower lava flow of Bed I in Olduvai Gorge, Tanganyika, carries natural remanent magnetization (NRM) having normal polarity. Thermal demagnetization experiments demonstrate the stability of this NRM. Thus the Olduvai geomagnetic polarity event, which was originally named from the upper lava flow in Bed I, is represented in its type locality by two normally magnetized lavas. These lavas have been shown to be 1.9 m.y. old, and although they are distinct from each other in composition and surface structure, their eruptions appear to have been closely spaced in time.

Tanganyika↗

USGS1967

Pliocene geomagnetic polarity epochs

A paleomagnetic and K-Ar dating study of 44 upper Miocene and Pliocene volcanic units from the western United States suggests that the frequency of reversals of the earth's magnetic field during Pliocene time may have been comparable with that of the last 3.6 m.y. Although the data are too limited to permit the formal naming of any new polarity epochs or events, four polarity transitions have been identified: the W10 R/N boundary at 3.7 ± 0.1m.y. , the A12 N/R boundary at 4.9 ± 0.1m.y. , the W32 N/R boundary at 9.0 ± 0.2m.y. , and the W36 R/N boundary at 10.8 ± 0.3 − 1.0m.y . The loss of absolute resolution of K-Ar dating in older rocks indicates that the use of well defined stratigraphic successions to identify and date polarity transitions will be important in the study of Pliocene and older reversals.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters↗

USGS1967

87Sr/86Sr ratios in some eugeosynclinal sedimentary rocks and their bearing on the origin of granitic magma in orogenic belts

Rb and Sr contents and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values were determined for samples of eugeosynclinal sedimentary rocks, mostly graywackes, from Oregon and California. These data are compatible with the theory of anataxis of eugeosynclinal sedimentary rocks in orogenic belts to produce granitic magmas provided that the melting occurs within several hundreds of m.y. after sedimentation. The low ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) 0 values of the eugeosynclinal sedimentary rocks are related to the significant amounts of volcanogenic detritus present which probably were originally derived from the mantle.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters↗

USGS1967

Precision measurement of lead isotopes ratios: preliminary analyses from the U.S. mine, Bingham Canyon, Utah

A gas-source mass spectrometer has been constructed for the precise measurement of lead isotope ratios. Sixteen analyses on 4 different preparations of the same galena made over a period of 2 months gave 95% confidence limits (per analysis) of 206 Pb/ 204 Pb= 0.080%, 207 Pb/ 206 Pb= 0.042%and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb= 0.046% . Eight samples from the U.S. mine in the Bingham district have a linear relationship over the 1% range of their 206 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios. The simplest model fitting these data suggests that the lead was separated from a primary system (μ=8.98) 1630±150m.y. ago and subsequently mixed with a radiogenic lead of similar age; biotite K-Ar dates for altered intrusive rocks associated with the ores provide an apparent age of mineralization and suggest that isotopic evolution of the lead was terminated about 36 m.y. ago.

Utah↗

USGS1968

An investigation of the source of air Ar contamination in K-Ar dating

Precision of young K Ar ages is limited by air argon contamination. A series of experiments in which the exposure of basalt and sanidine samples to air argon was controlled, shows that most of the air contamination does not arise in the laboratory. Because of this, it seems unlikely that air argon contamination can be significantly reduced by special sample handling and preparation techniques.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters↗

USGS1968

SrRbK and Sr isotopic relationships in ultramafic rocks, southeastern Alaska

Geologic evidence suggests that a series of ultramafic complexes of the ‘Duke Island type’ located along a 560 km-long belt in southeastern Alaska crystallized from magmas of ultramafic composition. Some geologists have proposed that these magmas were derived by fractional fusion of ultramafic material in the upper mantle. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios, corrected for growth of radiogenic 87 Sr, in total rock samples and in minerals from four ultramafic complexes range from 0.7026 to 0.7068, and the K/Rb ratios in total rock samples range from 300 to 1200. Other workers have reported that the isotopic composition of strontium in alpine peridotites is significantly different from that of oceanic volcanic rocks, but the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of the Alaskan ultramafites and of oceanic volcanic rocks are similar.

Alaska↗

USGS1968

Lead isotopes and the origin of granulite and eclogite inclusions in deep-seated pipes

The isotopic composition of lead and the concentrations of lead, uranium, and thorium in Delegate basic pipes from Australia and in South African kimberlite pipes have been determined. The observed 238 U/ 204 Pb and observed 232 Th/ 238 U of eclogite inclusions in the pipes range from 2.9 to 18.7 and from 3.5 to 5.9, respectively. This result as well as the isotopic composition of lead suggests that the upper mantle is chemically heterogeneous with regard to the trace elements. Pyrochemically extracted leads from eclogite inclusions in the Delegate basic pipes and in a South African kimberlite pipe appear to be different in isotopic compositions from leads extracted from the host rock (matrix). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the eclogitic inclusions in deep-seated pipes are of “accidental” origin and represent upper mantle materials caught up in the host materials during their intrusion. Lead extracted from a two-pyroxene granulite inclusion in one of the Delegate pipes has an isotopic composition indistinguishable from lead in the host rock. This observation is consistent either with a “cognate” origin for the granulite inclusion or with a modified “accidental” origin in which the isotopic composition of the original lead in the inclusion has been contaminated by lead from the host magma. Other evidence would indicate that an “accidental” origin be preferred.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters↗