Historical Catalogue Research Articles

Teleseismic b values; Or, much ado about 1.0

In this paper we investigate the value of b in the Gutenberg‐Richter relation for four teleseismic catalogs of earthquakes: Abe's historical catalog, the Harvard Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) catalog, the catalog of the International Seismological Centre (ISC), and the Blacknest catalog. An unfortunate result is that b differs by 30% or more when determined in different magnitude ranges, in different catalogs, or using different methods. For global catalogs separated into shallow, intermediate, and deep earthquake groups, all values determined for b lie between 0.72 and 1.34. We can identify no systematic global variation of b with depth. For teleseismic catalogs it is difficult to believe measured geographic variations in b because systematic errors cause problems of earthquake detection, earthquake location, aftershock identification, and magnitude determination. However, some variations in b are so persistent and large that they must be real. For deep earthquakes in Tonga‐Fiji, for example, various measurements of b He between 1.06 and 1.57, comparable to b for shallow earthquakes, whereas measurements of b for deep earthquakes in the rest of the world are much lower, between 0.53 and 0.96. For shallow earthquakes in the Harvard CMT catalog, earthquakes with thrust and strike slip focal mechanisms have significantly lower b values (0.86 and 0.77) than earthquakes with normal faulting mechanisms (1.06). When we separate the ISC catalog into primary events (mainshocks and earthquakes with no aftershocks or foreshocks) and secondary events (aftershocks and foreshocks), we observe that b for secondary events is nearly always significantly higher than b for mainshocks. However, we show that the difference has no physical significance, as it arises simply from the act of choosing mainshocks as the largest earthquake in a foreshock‐mainshock‐aftershock sequence. When we correct for this systematic effect by comparing the real catalogs to identical catalogs with randomly reassigned magnitudes, we find that b for secondary events in the real catalog is actually lower than expected. Thus among aftershocks large earthquakes are relatively more common than expected, perhaps because the mainshock rupture loads asperities in adjacent regions.

Bathsua Reginald Makin: "Most Learned Matron"

The veritable explosion of research on literary women in the past two decades has intensified interest in describing and assessing the accomplishments of seventeenth-century female worthies. Bathsua Makin, a female educator about whom little was known prior to 1980, has attracted attention in part because her An Essay to Revive the Antient Education of Gentlewomen (1673) so eloquently marshals arguments on behalf of the education of women.1 Makin might also be considered one of the first scholars to work in the field of women's history, since An Essay supplies a historical catalogue of female accomplishments and identifies her most distinguished female contemporaries. But about Makin herself little biographical information has been recorded, as is true for all but a few women who lived in early modern England; almost all that we know about her can be gleaned from a brief entry she receives in the Dictionary of National Biography. My purpose here will be to correct and add to Makin's biography and bibliography, drawing principally upon manuscripts in the Pell Collection at the British Library and printed materials and manuscripts in the Hastings Collection at the Huntington Library. Makin was a truly learned woman, whose accomplishments over a writing career of nearly sixty years were acknowledged by her contemporaries, and a more accurate biography and bibliography may prompt the discovery of more information concerning this early female author and educator.

Estimation from incomplete data files based on magnitude-frequency relation for earthquakes

The problem of incorporating the available seismological information provided by the major events of the historical catalog with those for the short period of instrumental data is investigated. Assuming that the frequency-magnitude law of Gutenberg and Richter is valid for both periods, an estimation procedure for the main parameter of this law and the rate of earthquake occurrence for historical period is presented. Application of the proposed method is demonstrated, using both real and simulated data. An extension to allow for variable quality of complete data with different magnitude values is also included.

Earthquake hazard of the northern parts of the Bohemian Massif and Western Carpathians

The new procedure of earthquake hazard evaluation developed by Kijko and Sellevoll is tested and applied for the border region of Czechoslovakia and Poland. The new method differs from the conventional approach. It incorporates the uncertainty of earthquake magnitudes, and accepts mixed data containing only large historical events and recent, complete catalogues. Seismic hazard has been calculated for nine regions determined in the border area. In the investigated area, data of historical catalogues are uncertain or, in many cases, the epicentral intensities are unknown. Thus, a number of assumptions have to be adopted in data preparation of catalogues since the year 1200. The calculated values of parameters b in the Gutenberg-Richter frequency-intensity relation as well as the return periods, seem to be reasonable and are generally confirmed by the results obtained from catalogues for the last 80–130 years.

Evaluation of earthquake listings in developing regions

Reliable earthquake catalogues are essential for assessing seismic hazard and understanding the tectonics of an area. These listings should not be used uncritically, however, particularly for early periods. Some developing areas, such as Africa, have poor seismographic coverage, and therefore those earthquakes that do occur there are not well reported, compounding the problem. Pre-instrumental catalogues should not be neglected, and provide valuable information, but careful historical appraisal is necessary. Even in more recent times, felt reports can be used to supplement instrumental information. Early instrumental locations tend to give major events only, and there can be gross mislocations, but these events can be used to define the broad pattern of activity, without the fine detail available from more recent studies. Even in recent times, errors in location can arise from inappropriate velocity models, misinterpretation of phases and the chance misassociation of observations that lead to the listing of spurious events. It is thus essential to check the validity of unusual events in historical catalogues before using them to infer details of tectonic activity and related earthquake hazard. Such caution is particularly necessary in areas of low or sporadic seismicity.

Shechem I. The Middle Bronze IIB Pottery. Dan P. Cole.

List of Plans, Tables, Figures, and Sections Acknowledgments Abbreviations Preface 1. Introduction The Preservation and Reporting of Sherds The Separation and Interpretation of Loci The Classification of Materials 2. Middle Bronze IIB at Shechem The Field VI Strata The Loci Selected for Analysi 3. The Pottery: Typological and Comparative Analysis Classification of Types and Forms Platter Bowls Deep Bowls Globular Bowls Necked Bowls Carinated Bowls Miniature Bowls Bowl Bases Flat-bottom Cookpots Holemouth Cookpots Upright-rim Cookpots Dipper Juglets Piriform Juglets Cylindrical Juglets Jugs Large Jars Small Jars Small Jar and Jug Fragments General Comments on Wares, Pastes, and Surface Treatments 4. Summary Conclusions Diagnostic Ceramic Types and Forms Comparative Sites Geographical and Historical Considerations Catalogue of Shechem MB IIB Pottery Notes on Drawing and Descriptive Conventions The Pottery Classified by Type and Form, Plates 1-45 Strata XX-XVIIs: Selected Pottery, Plates 46-49 Bibliography

Magnitude recurrence relations for the southeastern United States and its subdivisions

Southeastern U.S. recurrence relations are developed for the region and for various subregions (three geologic provinces; four seismic zones) from a combination of historical (1698–1977) and network (1978–1986) earthquake catalogs. The synthesis of these two data sets was accomplished by the application of MM intensity to mb(Lg) conversions in the form of discrete distributions to the historical catalog. Aftershocks were removed from the resulting catalog, it was tested for completeness, and then a maximum likelihood curve fitting technique for unequal periods of observation was employed. Tests were also made for different size magnitude intervals and different maximum and minimum magnitudes to assess the stability of the various data sets. The recurrence equations are as follows: Southeastern United States, log NI = (3.13 ± 0.08) − (0.84 ± 0.02) mb(Lg), n = 861; Valley and Ridge and Blue Ridge, log NI = (2.67 ± 0.08) − (0.82 ± 0.03) mb(Lg), n = 395; Piedmont, log NI = (2.16 ± 0.18) − (0.81 ± 0.05) mb(Lg), n = 191; Coastal Plain, log NI = (2.19 ± 0.16) − (0.78 ± 0.05) mb(Lg), n = 188; Giles County, Virginia, log NI = (0.94 ± 0.25) −' (0.64 ± 0.08) mb(Lg), n = 28; central Virginia, log NI = (1.06 ± 0.19) − (0.64 ± 0.06) mb(Lg), n = 94; eastern Tennessee, log NI = (2.75 ± 0.10) − (0.90 ± 0.04) mb(Lg), n = 239; Charleston, South Carolina, log NI = (1.65 ± 0.25) − (0.77 ± 0.08) mb(Lg), n = 84; where NI = number/yr in ±0.25 magnitude intervals and n is the number of earthquakes input to the completeness testing and after deletion of aftershocks. The regional recurrence relation is similar to those for the New Madrid area (log Nc = 3.43 − 0.88 mb) and the New England area (log Nc = 2.87 − 0.84 Mc). The primary purpose for the determination of recurrence relations for the various subregions is to gain understanding of their relative contributions to the earthquake frequencies for the region as a whole. A problem with this approach is that as smaller subsets of the catalog are considered, the precision of the log N versus m model results decreases. We see such an expected decrease, but invoke recurrence interval estimates from confidence interval (CI) bands, rather than simply point estimates, to assess the variability associated with our calculations. It is in the context of those interval estimates that we derive some insights into the relative contributions to the regional log N versus m. A principal result is that the region as a whole (minus the Charleston zone) has a much shorter recurrence interval (250–560) for a “Charleston earthquake” (mb(Lg) = 6.75) than does the host Charleston zone (940–14,000). The millennia recurrence estimates are in accord with paleoseismic estimates for the Charleston area. If the Charleston zone is the only zone in the region capable of an mb(Lg) = 6.75 shock, then the proper interevent time estimate from the seismicity data is that from the zone proper. If, however, the entire region outside of the Charleston area has a maximum earthquake potential at least as large as the Charleston shock, then the interevent estimate is 250–560 years.

Asthenospheric viscosity inferred from correlated land–sea earthquakes in north-east Japan

The viscosity of the Earth's mantle has been estimated from studies of post-glacial rebound1,2, post-seismic deformations of the ground following large earthquakes3,4, and aftershock sequences5–7. Here we derive a value for the viscosity of the asthenosphere from a correlation found in the historical catalogue of subduction-induced seismicity between the intraplate (land) and interplate (sea) earthquakes in north-east Japan. The correlation persists since the time of reliably reported earthquakes in AD 1600; land events precede sea events by ∼36 yr, with a mean distance between land–sea pairs of ∼200 km. Because of the visocoelastic coupling of the lithosphere to the asthenosphere, a plausible mechanism to explain the correlation is stress migration, governed by the viscosity of the asthenosphere. Large land shocks generate diffuse-like stress pulses which sweep past, and unlock, the thrust fault in the subduction zone, thus triggering the sea events. The correlation time and distance provide a measure of the speed of diffusion (5.6 km yr−1) and hence an estimate of the viscosity (7 × 1018 Pa s).

A temporal model for landslide risk based on historical precipitation

Of the recognized nonsteady-state factors that influence slope stability, probably most critical in many field situations is the character of precipitation and infiltration activity. A groundwater response model used in conjunction with precipitation records can provide a historical catalog of estimated maximum groundwater levels in a particular study area. An extreme-value statistical analysis of this catalog is linked with geotechnical slope stability analyses to provide a landslide hazard model for estimating the probability of slope failure within a given time. This modeling approach can provide meaningful input to risk assessments for landslide mitigation programs and to decision analyses and cost-benefit studies important for land-use planning and resource management.

The Origin, Evolution and Distribution of Open Fields in Poland: A Case Study of Pomerania

(1988). The Origin, Evolution and Distribution of Open Fields in Poland: A Case Study of Pomerania. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography: Vol. 70, Landscape History: Papers from the 1987 meeting of the Permanent European Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscape, pp. 179-185.

Book Review: Scientists and Their Publications: A Historical Catalogue of Scientists and Scientific Books from the Earliest Times to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

Book Review: Scientists and Their Publications: A Historical Catalogue of Scientists and Scientific Books from the Earliest Times to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

A Historical Catalogue of Scientists and Scientific Books: From the Earliest Times to the Close of the Nineteenth Century. Robert Mortimer Gascoigne

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsA Historical Catalogue of Scientists and Scientific Books: From the Earliest Times to the Close of the Nineteenth Century. Robert Mortimer Gascoigne Nathan SivinNathan Sivin Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Isis Volume 77, Number 2Jun., 1986 Publication of the History of Science Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/354149 Views: 3Total views on this site Copyright 1986 History of Science Society, Inc.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Morgan Hill Earthquake of April 24, 1984—Seismological Aspects

On April 24, 1984, at 21:15 UTC, a moderate earthquake occurred on the Calaveras fault in the vicinity of Halls Valley, California (epicenter 37° 19.2'N, 121° 41.9'W). The earthquake had a mean local magnitude of 6.2 ± 0.20 and a maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity of VIII. It is probably a repeat of the 1911 Coyote earthquake. The rate of seismicity from historical catalogs, compiled at the U. C. Seismographic Stations yields an average recurrence time of 160±60 years for an ML≥6.2 event occurring in a 30 km segment of the Calaveras fault. Other evidence from the repeat times of earthquakes suggests a recurrence period of 75 years for a total magnitude of 6.0 or larger.. These estimates are in reasonable agreement. A seismic moment of 1.1×1025 dyne-cm for the mainshock was estimated from broadband displacement seismograms recorded at Berkeley (Δ ≈ 79 km). The moment and the rupture area inferred from the aftershocks suggest a mean fault displacement of 30 cm. The aftershock sequence through December 31, 1984, contained four earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater and the sequence b-value was 0.81 ± 0.03.

Statistical aspects of New England seismicity from 1975 to 1982 and implications for past and future earthquake activity

AbstractThe seismicity of New England from 1 October 1975 to 30 November 1982 has been studied to determine how well it represents past seismicity and what it might imply about future earthquakes. Just over 100 earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.0 and 4.7 were recorded during this modern time period, while the historic earthquake catalog of Chiburis (1981) lists 760 earthquakes in New England from 1568 to 1975, the largest having maximum Modified Mercalli intensity VII shaking. The spatial distribution of the recent seismicity reproduces that for the historical seismicity patterns quite well, with the larger earthquakes in the modern record having preferentially occurred along coastal and lowland New England or in central New Hampshire. Space-time plots show that the seismicity displays considerable spatial variation, and that there are only vague hints of migrations of epicenters. The number of earthquakes as well as the amount of seismic energy release appear essentially random in time, and the recurrence curve for the modern time period (log number of events versus magnitude) is a straight line for events between magnitudes 2 and 4.5 with a b value of 0.84 (±0.03). The sizes of the largest earthquakes in the historic record are those which would be expected by extrapolating the present seismicity rate backward in time using a Gumbel type I distribution. One major discrepancy between the statistics of the recent and historic catalogs is that the latter does not have as many moderate (magnitudes 5 to 5.8) earthquakes as would be expected from the recent data. This discrepancy could be due to inaccuracies in the historic catalog, to unusually high recent seismicity or to a real historical shortage of such moderate magnitude earthquakes. Large earthquakes may be more likely to happen in areas of past and present high seismicity, especially in central and southern New Hampshire, along coastal Maine, and along the south coast to New England.

A two-state Poisson model for seismic hazard estimation

Abstract Most seismic hazard analyses assume that earthquakes have a Poisson distribution and that data from recorded earthquakes can be used to predict future seismic activity in a region. Historic catalogs, however, may show different earthquake occurrence rates for regions that are geologically similar, suggesting, on a local scale at least, temporal variations in seismicity. The simple two-state model presented here allows a region to have both seismically “active” and “inactive” states; in this model, earthquakes have a Poisson distribution during both states, but occur at a higher rate when the region is “active.” The probability of changing from one state to the other at any time is constant. The two-state model reduces to the usual Poisson model if the region is always “active” or if the rate is the same for both states.

Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography in Retrospect

This is a brief historical sketch of Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography, a professional publication, whose contents include abstracts of the results of published research projects and review summaries of professional books related to child development. Abstracts is child development's oldest publication. Significantly, along with the information retrieval function provided, Abstracts can also be regarded as an historical catalogue of the interdisciplinary scope of the evolving body of information known as child development research.

Seismology in New Zealand

New Zealand is a country of moderate seismicity. Its earthquakes are well-located and their magnitudes found with closely-spaced modern seismographs. Historical catalogues have been prepared. Deep and shallow shocks are associated with two active continental margins having the usual geophysical associations. The northern one is orientated towards the Pacific and the southern one towards the Tasman Sea. The structure is complex, and below the continental-type crust there are large lateral inhomogeneities in the upper mantle. There is a marked lack of correlation between all except the most superficial earthquake foci and the geological faults and this persists to the microearthquake level. New Zealand seismologists have made theoretical studies of earthquake mechanism and examined the statistical properties of earthquake occurrence. They have also studied the fine structure of the Earth's core, and made microzoning and other studies with engineering implications.

Historical catalogue of slide phenomena : Spurek, M Czech, Acad. Ved,, Geogr. Ustav Brno, Stud. Geograph. N19, 1972, 178P.

Historical catalogue of slide phenomena : Spurek, M Czech, Acad. Ved,, Geogr. Ustav Brno, Stud. Geograph. N19, 1972, 178P.

Book Reviews

DEATH, HEAVEN AND THE VICTORIANS. By John Morley.THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL CATALOG COLLECTION. PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY: THE PYNE PRESS, 1971.ELVIS: A BIOGRAPHY. By Jerry Hopkins.TEACH‐IN: VIABILITY OF CHANGE. Edited by B. D. Owens and Ray B. Browne.APPLEHOOD AND MOTHER PIE: NOTES ON “AMERICAN” VALUES. By Andrew R. Sisson.

IEE Control & Automation Division: Chairman's address. Control's limitations

The history of the development of control theory, as distinct from a historical catalogue of the inventions of control devices, is given, showing the high level of sophistication attained, even before the Second World War. The 1939-45 war saw the application of the theories take shape in manners which were certainly not envisaged by the theories.Since 1945, tremendous attention has been paid to furthering control theory by mathematicians and engineers, but the address emphasises the great impact which control concepts have made on other sciences. Examples are described in many fields. The attempts to describe sociological phenomena are shown in some recent work on colour segregation in the USA. This is followed by a discussion on propaganda and advertising and a parallel is drawn with the spread of disease in epidemics. In the economics field, a trivial example of inflation is modified to take account of capital investment. It is shown how a hierarchial social structure has an effect on salary distributions with particular reference to engineers.After dealing with several examples taken from the medical field, the paper concludes with the dangers of using mathematical models and the use of abstract theory without experiment in each field of application.