NW Portion Research Articles

Cretaceous echinoids in Paleocene reworked tsunamite from Coahuila, NE Mexico

The Maastrictian echinoid species Hardouninia mortonis (Michelin, 1850) typical from Upper Cretaceous deposits along the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal plains of USA and Canada, is here reported for the first time for Mexico into a peculiar matrix, which consists of a K/Pg reworked tsunamite deposited during an early Paleocene storm event in the NW portion of the Parras Basin, Difunta Group, NE Mexico. Our specimens have a peculiar small size compared with those reported for Maastrichtian localities in Mississippi amd North Carolina. Small-sized specimens are abundant in late Maastrichtian Las Encinas Formation of the Parras Basin, and are identical to the more than 50 specimens found included in reworked K/Pg tsunamite at Arroyo Amargos, Coahuila. Our interpretation is that the tsunamite was reworked during an early Paleocene storm, forming a channel-like structure of microconglomeratic sandstone, which includes ammonites (Sphenodiscus pleurisepta), the small Hardouinia mortonis, and delicate early Paleocene ostreoids. Other localities with reworked K/Pg tsunamite deposits are found in the adjacent La Popa Basin, interpreted also as deposited by early Paleocene storms in this area of NE Mexico, in Coahuila and Nuevo León states, but mix of Maastrichtian and Paleocene invertebrates has only been observed in Amargos.

Volcanic and Tectonic Sources of Seismicity Near the Tanaga Volcanic Cluster, Alaska

AbstractTanaga Island in the Central Aleutian Islands includes four stratovolcanoes: Sajaka, Tanaga, and East Tanaga in the northwest, and Takawangha in the central part of the island. Of these volcanoes, only Tanaga has a confirmed record of historical eruptive activity. We use double‐difference methods to relocate Tanaga Island earthquakes from the period 2003–2017 to gain insight into volcanic and tectonic activity in the region. High precision relative relocations show subsurface structures in the Tanaga region related to volcanism and crustal tectonics. In 2005, a swarm of ∼600 volcano‐tectonic events located below the NW portion of the island culminated with an episode of volcanic tremor. Although there was no known eruption associated with this swarm, we suggest that this activity is associated with fluids beneath Takawangha volcano. Overall, relatively little seismicity appears to be associated with volcanism: of 5,680 earthquakes relocated in this study, only ∼700 took place within 10 km of the volcanoes themselves. Other regions appear to experience primarily, if not exclusively, tectonic seismicity. Two regions on Tanaga Island became seismically active following a M6.6 tectonic earthquake east of the island on 2 May 2008, suggesting the triggering of tectonic earthquakes by the M6.6. Seismic activity recorded offshore and below the southern part of the island is interpreted as due to the clockwise rotation of the Delarof Block in the forearc, and bookshelf faulting along the volcanic arc. This suggests a complex pattern of earthquake hypocenters governed by both volcanic and tectonic processes surrounding Tanaga and Takawangha volcanoes.

Geochemical mapping by stream sediments of the NW portion of Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil: Application of the exploratory data analysis (EDA) and a proposal for generation of new gold targets in Pitangui gold district

Quadrilátero Ferrífero (QF) is a worldwide known metallogenetic province and has in its NW portion the Pitangui greenstone belt, one of the new frontiers for gold exploration in that region, presenting important gold deposits, such as Turmalina and São Sebastião. Among several actions of the geological and mineral resources projects carried out by Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB/CPRM) in the QF region, a high-density geochemical survey (1 sample/4 km2) by stream sediments was accomplished in its NW portion to better understand the behavior and distribution of chemical elements along the main geological units, especially those related to gold mineralization (Au, As, Sb, Bi, etc.). The exploratory data analysis (EDA), regarding uni-, bi-, and multivariate analyses, point to an important chemical control of the stream sediments by the geological units and help to describe some lithological features and to understand the behavior and distribution of hydrothermal processes and gold mineralization. This procedure defined the main geochemical associations, including the association As, Sb, Cu and Bi linked to Ni, Cr and Co, interpreted as gold mineralization hosted in the metavolcanosedimentary lithotypes. The staged factor analysis (SFA) considering compositional data (CoDa), logistic function, and fractal model approaches provided the generation of the geochemical mineralization probability index (GMPI), which produce a GMPI map for gold mineralization. The calculations did not take into account the gold concentrations but only the pathfinder elements and the model validation by the prediction-area plot, confirm the high performance of this approach. The gold mineralization map, in addiction to satisfactorily predicting the location of most known gold occurrences, was able to indicate new potential targets for prospecting new gold deposits.

Tectonic domains in the NW Amazonian Craton from geophysical and geological data

The Amazonian Craton is one of the largest cratonic areas in the world. In Colombia, a major portion of the Craton is covered by Paleozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary rocks and recent deposits. This, in addition to the difficulty of access and dense tropical rainforest, have made the geology of this area to remain relatively unexplored to this date. Most accepted models for the Proterozoic evolution of the Amazonian Craton indicate that it evolved via successive accretion of orogenic belts and crustal terranes around an ancient nucleus, and that tectonic provinces identified in the southern half of the craton, the Guaporé Shield, extend underneath the Amazon River Basin onto its northern exposure, the Guiana Shield. Nevertheless, recent geologic studies in the W Guiana Shield indicate that its evolution may have been different from the W Guaporé Shield, where these accretionary models were formulated. In this work, we used airborne gravity/magnetic geophysical datasets covering the NW portion of the Amazonian Craton, to better elucidate its structure and tectonic evolution. We apply a multiscale edge detection and 3D modeling to identify and delineate major crustal discontinuities and other geological features. Using this approach, we identified six primary geophysical lineaments that are interpreted as possible crustal boundaries. By combining our geophysical interpretation with all the geological, geochronologic and isotopic information available for the region, we propose the presence of the following tectonic domains: Ventuari-Tapajós, Rio Negro-Juruena (which we further subdivide into Atabapo and Vaupés Belts), Apaporis Graben, and Putumayo. Furthermore, a new U-Pb zircon crystallization age of 1227 ± 8/13 Ma obtained from volcanic rocks of the Piraparaná Formation indicates that extensional tectonics along the Apaporis Graben began at least in the late-Mesoproterozoic. This is significantly older than previously thought, and thus entirely transforms the tectonic significance of the Apaporis Graben structures. Our interpretation of structural limits is in excellent agreement with and provides a more accurate location for previously suggested boundaries, which were until now only loosely constrained by the sparse geological and geochronologic information available. This work provides the first regional reconstruction of crustal-scale features of NW South America, improving the understanding of the regional tectonic architecture of NW Amazonian Craton using geophysical methods.

Resistivity imaging from magnetotelluric soundings of the Rio Preto Belt (NE Brazil): The role of lateral variations in the Precambrian basement on the evolution of phanerozoic basins

We present a resistivity model for the boundary of the Paleozoic Parnaíba Basin and the Cretaceous Sanfranciscana Basin (NE Brazil). The boundary underlies the Neoproterozoic Rio Preto belt, whose basement consists of reworked Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks. In order to characterize the subsurface geoelectrically, 17 broadband magnetotelluric (MT) soundings were acquired and distributed along a ∼90 km profile across Rio Preto belt. The transfer functions were obtained with a robust code, thus obtaining reliable results for all four components of the impedance tensor. Some apparent resistivity and phase curves were shown to be heavily contaminated by local electromagnetic noise at low frequencies, and others showed minimal radio signals associated with the deadband frequency range. In this study, the MT data set was interpreted using 2D and 3D inversion procedures. Comparing the two MT models, the crustal-scale structure is well resolved in the 2D model, but the 3D model explains significantly better the measured data related to deep/shallow structures and proved to be more sensitive to conductive anomalies. The final resistivity image derived from the 3D inversion denotes a resistive basement with vertical conductive anomalies in the SE portion and a conductive domain in the NW portion. The homogeneous conductive block corresponds to the Archean domain of the Rio Preto belt, and the heterogeneous resistive block has the morphology and physical properties of the Paleoproterozoic block. Lateral geological correlation and gravity data support that the basement of the Parnaíba Basin in the study area is formed by the Archean block of the Rio Preto Belt. The boundary between the resistive blocks is a reverse fault that is also the tectonic front of a sub-horizontal detachment fault. In the Paleoproterozoic block, the conductors are associated with graphitic and volcano-sedimentary sequences, the dome and keel structures explain the geometry of the conductors. Additionally, graben-likes features were revealed in this block, interpreted as Cambrian basins filled by Cretaceous sediments of the Urucuia and Areado formations. These structures have a good correlation with those defined in the eastern edge of the Parnaíba Basin in previous studies. Towards the NW end of the section, the resistive blocks abruptly turn into a high conductivity domain (HCD) covered by a shallow conductive layer of Parnaíba Basin sandstones that modifies the electrical properties of the basement by interaction of basal fluids.

Source Imaging With a Multi‐Array Local Back‐Projection and Its Application to the 2019Mw6.4 andMw7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquakes

AbstractThis study aims to improve the multi‐array local back‐projection (MLBP) approach and to apply it to the 2019Mw6.4 andMw7.1 Ridgecrest, California earthquakes to resolve more details about their kinematic process, with the dense seismic network in California. Compared with teleseismic BPs, seismic array processing with stations located at local to regional distances images earthquake rupture process more quickly with higher resolution. To increase the objectivity of stations selection criteria and to be prepared for future real‐time BP implementations, we improve MLBP with an automatic procedure to group stations based on waveform coherence. We also apply empirical aftershock calibrations to account for the 3D path effect. Our MLBP highlights the rupture complexity in a multi‐fault system. TheMw6.4 quake initiates on a 5‐km‐long NW‐trending segment, then ruptures the primary SW‐trending fault at the speed of ∼1.3 km/s. TheMw7.1 quake ruptures bilaterally for 10 and 22 km, on the NW and SE portion of the fault, respectively, at the speed of 1–1.6 km/s. The rupture paths agree with aftershock distributions and surface rupture estimated from satellite imagery. The slow rupture propagation may be driven by the low structural maturity of the fault. This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of MLBP for earthquake source imaging and rapid hazard assessment.

Exploratory plays of the Foz do Amazonas Basin, NW portion, in deep and ultra-deep waters, Brazilian Equatorial Margin

A petroleum geology study was carried out at Foz do Amazonas Basin northwest portion, a new exploratory frontier basin on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin. Seismic and well data were interpreted to search similar play of some oil discoveries in correlated basins. The study area is in deep/ultra-deep waters, where the influence of the Amazon Cone is less expressive and 90 km east of Zaedyus oil discovery on Guiana-Suriname Basin. There were interpreted four seismic horizons, four chronostratigraphic intervals, two hypothetical petroleum systems, two exploratory Cretaceous plays, and an estimative of the source rock maturity. The petroleum systems are: Cassiporé/Codó–Limoeiro (late Aptian-Late Cretaceous) and Limoeiro–Limoeiro (Cenomanian/Turonian-Late Cretaceous). The top seismic horizons interpreted are Basement, Albian, Cretaceous, and Middle Miocene, determining four chronostratigraphic intervals: Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous, Paleocene to Middle Miocene, and Late Miocene to Recent. There were interpreted two Cretaceous plays: Slope to Plain and Deep/Ultra-Deep Waters. The main source rocks are the shales of the Codó Formation (late Aptian) and Limoeiro Formation (Cenomanian-Turonian). The Codó Formation reaches 10% TOC, has Type I kerogen, excellent potential for oil generation, and thermal maturity. The Limoeiro Formation may have 4,4% TOC, Type II kerogen, and very good petroleum potential. The reservoir rocks are Late Cretaceous Limoeiro Formation turbiditic sandstones. The seal rocks are marine shales from Late Cretaceous Limoeiro Formation. The traps are mainly stratigraphic (pinch-out). The migration routes are mainly lateral or, exceptionally, vertical, where the faults are present. The estimated source rock maturity indicates that at least one of them is below the oil window top. It was concluded that there is a great hydrocarbon exploratory potential to this part of the basin, similar to the discoveries that occurred in the correlated basins of the equatorial margins of Africa and South America.

Landscape response to tectonics in sonora river basin (NW Mexico) using topographic and stream profile analysis

Rivers are key elements of the landscape sensitive to changes in the rate of rock uplift. For the case where rock uplift is rapid, rivers experience a drop of their base-level leading to the formation of a knickpoint that propagates through the fluvial network. Such response is expected in extensional settings where rivers incise across the fault scarp direction. The NW portion of the state of Sonora (NW Mexico), belongs to the Basin and Range province where the extensional activity produced the arrangement of mountain ranges with NNW to SSE orientation. The extension started in the Late Oligocene and continued in the Miocene; however, when the landscape responded to the tectonic activity across the river basin remains unknown. The basin morphometry and knickpoint propagation ages are used to explore evidence of the first extensional activity traced back from the modern landscape of the Sonora river basin (SRB). The results of basins morphometric analysis indicate that the landscape steepness is high at the northeastern, central and southern portion of the SRB. Such trend is in agreement with the estimated ages of knickpoint retreat that range from ~19 to ~10 Ma. The results obtained in this study indicate that the landscape of the SRB has been affected by many phases of tectonic events, probably occurred in the Pliocene and Quaternary, and the landscape has not reached the equilibrium.

The subduction and exhumation history of the Voltri Ophiolite, Italy: Evaluating exhumation mechanisms for high-pressure metamorphic massifs

The problem of how dense high- (HP) and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphosed oceanic mafic and ultramafic rocks are exhumed from deep within subduction zones is crucial to understanding processes occurring at the interface between the subducting slab and the overlying plate and mantle wedge. In this study, we use the P-T-t evolution of metamorphosed FeTi gabbros hosted in meta-serpentinite from the Voltri Ophiolite (Ligurian Alps, Italy) to evaluate potential exhumation mechanisms and assess whether HP mafic rocks were exhumed as blocks within a complex serpentinite-hosted mélange or as coherent sections of oceanic lithosphere. A number of observations provide evidence for subduction and exhumation of the central portion of Voltri Ophiolite as a coherent package of ultramafic and mafic material: (1) a similar evolution in mineral assemblages, textures and compositions suggesting peak metamorphism in the eclogite-facies, followed by a retrograde evolution through blueschist-, amphibolite- and greenschist-facies conditions; (2) uniform P-T conditions of both initial garnet growth (~475–480 °C and 2.0–2.2 GPa) and peak metamorphism (~500–525 °C and 2.3–2.5 GPa); and (3) bulk SmNd garnet ages that reveal a very tight grouping of ages for four well-equilibrated foliated FeTi meta-gabbros clustering at 39.98 ± 0.84 Ma. A massive undeformed gabbro also from the central Voltri area gave a slightly younger age of 38.15 ± 0.89 Ma, which is interpreted to reflect kinetic overstepping and delayed growth of garnet. By contrast, an SmNd garnet age from the NW portion of the Voltri Ophiolite indicates peak eclogite-facies metamorphism occurring ~10–12 Ma earlier at 49.68 ± 0.35 Ma. A compilation of the current geochronological data suggests that the NW portion of the Voltri Ophiolite underwent peak eclogite-facies metamorphism first at ~50 Ma, the sedimentary portion of the Voltri Unit (the Voltri-Rossiglione meta-sediments) experienced peak metamorphism around ~47–44 Ma, whilst subduction and peak metamorphism of the central part of the ophiolite occurred later at 41–38 Ma. Alongside recent studies of other Alpine ophiolites (Zermatt Saas, Monviso, Alpine Corsica), this study suggests that detachment and buoyant exhumation of large kilometric-scale coherent sections of slab material, rather than exhumation within a chaotic serpentinite mélange, is the dominant mechanism of preserving and returning eclogite-facies metamorphic rocks to the surface in the Western Alps. In the case of the Voltri Ophiolite, which lacks any associated continental massif, this exhumation was likely aided by the buoyancy of the serpentinite-dominated oceanic lithosphere, rather than by coupling to continental crust.

Characterization of volcanic structures associated to the silicic magmatism of the Paraná-Etendeka Province, in the Aparados da Serra region, southern Brazil.

The Paraná-Etendeka Magmatic Province is associated with the distensive tectonics that caused the rupture of the Gondwana continent during the Lower Cretaceous and generated an intense volcanism that covers South America and the NW portion of Namibia in Africa. In Brazil, this volcanic sequence is named Serra Geral Group and predominantly consists of basalts and subordinated silicic rocks. The goal of this study is to characterize the geomorphological features observed in the Aparados da Serra region, southern Brazil, and to evaluate the relationship between these structures and the primary silicic volcanic structures. The geomorphological features were first identified using remote sensing and then correlated with flow structures observed in the field, as well as petrographic and geochemical data. AMS data were used to determine magnetic patterns and the direction of magmatic flow of the rocks. Despite the low degree of anisotropy, clear patterns of lineation and foliation were identified in the studied rocks. Our data shows that Units I and II correspond to silicic lava flows linked to effusive fissure eruptions, presenting a dome morphology caused by differential erosion. Unit III rocks may correspond to true volcanic domes, whereas the Unit IV corresponds to the effusive feeder structures.

Assessment of Soil Erosive Fragility Using Cross Mapping with Support of the Geographic Information System in the Municipality of São Francisco de Assis/RS/Brazil

The present study analyzes factors that condition the occurrence of erosive incisions in the municipality of São Francisco de Assis, located in the western region of Rio Grande do Sul, in the Ibicuí river basin. Multicriteria analysis with GIS support was used for the development of map algebra operations. The base maps for the definition of the map of erosive fragility were slope, soils, lithology and land use, with weights assigned to each of the variables present in the base maps. The mapping of erosive fragility was carried out by the map algebra operation carried out in the GIS, using the Raster Calculator tool. The areas with the lowest erosive fragility, occur in the NW portion of the municipality, and are related to the occurrence of natural tree vegetation. In the municipality, areas with medium erosive fragility occur at the extreme NE-E and NW, formed by soils on volcanic rocks or sandstone with volcanic contribution where the predominant uses agricultural. The occurrence of very high erosive fragility is associated with the substrate of sandstones, friable soils and low soil cover. The work showed the importance of the multi-criteria relationship involving physical attributes of the landscape and the study of land use is essential in studies of fragility and environmental potential.

Morphometric and rheological study of lunar domes of Marius Hills volcanic complex region using Chandrayaan-1 and recent datasets

Marius Hills volcanic complex is one of the most important regions on the lunar surface having an abundant number of volcanic features like domes and cones. Systematic mapping of 106 domes/cones in the Marius Hills region was carried out in this study using high-resolution orthoimage and digital elevation models of Chandrayaan-1 and Kaguya missions. Various morphometric parameters like diameter, height, volume, flank slope, circularity index and form factor are derived for all the mapped domes. The rheological parameters, such as viscosity and eruption rate are estimated for isolated domes and cones superimposed over low domes. The morphometric and rheological properties of these domes are comparable to those located in the area near to Hortensius crater and other mare regions. Surface ages derived for a selected region in NW portion of the Marius Hills volcanic complex using crater size-frequency distribution technique yields ages of 2.98 and 1.91 Ga. It suggests that the domes in this region formed at about 2.98 Ga ago, and then, the younger mare basalts likely embayed this region about 1.98 Ga ago. Stratigraphic sequence of rilles, wrinkle ridge and domes shows that wrinkle ridges are the oldest, while the rilles are younger than the domes.

Zircon U-Pb geochronology, Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb isotope systematics of Ediacaran post-collisional high-silica Acampamento Velho volcanism at the Tupanci area, NW of the Sul-Rio-Grandense Shield, Brazil

ABSTRACT: We present new U-Pb zircon ages and Sm-Nd-Pb isotopic data for volcanic and hypabyssal acid rocks from the northernmost exposure of the Acampamento Velho Formation in the NW portion of the Sul-Rio-Grandense Shield, Brazil. The first volcanic episode, grouped in the high-Ti rhyolites from the Tupanci hill, shows age of 579 ± 5.6 Ma, which is in agreement with the post-collisional Acampamento Velho Formation volcanism in the Bom Jardim Group of the Camaquã Basin. A poorly constrained age of 558 +/- 39 Ma was obtained for rhyolites from the low-Ti group at the Picados Hill, which may indicate a younger acid volcanism, or a greater time span for the volcanism of the Acampamento Velho Formation in southernmost Brazil. Regarding magmatic sources, Sm/Nd isotopic data coupled to Pb isotopes and a review of trace element geochemistry indicate different amounts of Paleoproterozoic (Dom Feliciano, Pinheiro Machado Suite) to Neoproterozoic (Rio Vacacaí terrane) lower crust melting. Our data, coupled with literature data, contribute to a better understanding of the stratigraphic evolution for the Neoproterozoic post-collisional volcanic successions of the Camaquã Basin in the Sul-Rio-Grandense Shield.

Velocity structures imaged from long-offset reflection data and four-component OBS data at Jiulong Methane Reef in the northern South China Sea

In this study, P- and S-wave velocity models were built based on two pre-stack depth migration (PSDM) profiles of long-offset reflection data and 25 four-component ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS) data at Jiulong Methane Reef off SW Taiwan in the passive margin of the northern South China Sea (SCS). According to the velocity models, the average P-wave velocity and Vp/Vs ratio of the free gas beneath the bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) are 1.52–1.58 km/s and 4.5–5.10, respectively. The depth of the BSR is found at 80–300 m below the sea floor and the sedimentary thickness of the hydrate and the free gas are about 50–100 m and 70–100 m, respectively. P-wave velocity of about 1.75 km/s in the hydrate-bearing sediment is southeastward increased to about 1.85 km/s above the BSR. Similarly, Vp/Vs ratio of about 3.06 in the hydrate-bearing sediment is increased southeastward to about 3.48 above the BSR. Based on the pseudo-3D map of gas-hydrate saturation estimated from the PSDM and OBS models, the average saturations of hydrate and free gas at Jiulong Methane Reef are about 7% and 0.9–2.4%, respectively. The highest hydrate saturation (11%) is located at 5–20 m above the BSR in the SE portion of the Jiulong Methane Reef. On the other hand, the highest gas saturation of about 2% is observed at 10–70 m below the BSR in the NW portion of the Jiulong Methane Reef. We suggested that several normal faults dipping southeastward beneath the continental slope provided conduits for gas migrating northwestward at Jiulong Methane Reef. Therefore, the highest gas saturation is observed below the anticline in the NW portion of the Jiulong Methane Reef and the highest hydrate saturation (high P-wave velocity and high Vp/Vs ratio) is identified above the BSR in the SE portion of the Jiulong Methane Reef.

O vulcanismo alta-sílica da região do Tupanci, NW do Escudo Sul-Rio-Grandense: faciologia, petrografia e litoquímica

A região do Tupanci, noroeste do Escudo Sul-Rio-Grandense (ESRG), apresenta depósi- tos vulcânicos ácidos, estratigraficamente correlacionados à Formação Acampamento Velho (~550 Ma), da Bacia do Camaquã. Esta região é a exposição mais setentrional deste episódio vulcânico, caracterizado por sequências efusivas e piroclásticas, dominantemente ácidas, afinidade alcalina alta sílica sódica e vinculadas ao magmatismo pós-colisional do ciclo orogênico Brasiliano/Pan- -Africano no ESRG. As vulcânicas ácidas ocorrem na forma de depósitos efusivos e, em menor volu- me, piroclásticos, distribuídas em dois cerros: Cerro Tupanci e Cerro dos Picados. O Cerro Tupanci é uma intrusão subvulcânica alongada N-S, representada por riolitos porfiríticos, com fenocristais de sanidina e quartzo e uma matriz quartzo-feldspática equigranular fina a afanítica, com intensa foliação de fluxo nas regiões de borda. No Cerro dos Picados ocorrem riolitos texturalmente se- melhantes, porém com matriz afanítica de aspecto vítreo e presença de biotita, além de depósitos piroclásticos de ignimbritos riolíticos, divididos em duas fácies: uma rica em líticos, com púmices devitrificados e pouco estirados, além de pequenos e raros cristaloclastos; e outra de ignimbritos reomórficos, com abundantes púmices devitrificados, destacada textura eutaxítica, mais rica em cristaloclastos e raros litoclastos. O comportamento geoquímico de ambas as fácies classifica o magmatismo como supersaturado em sílica, semelhante aos sistemas de alta sílica, afinidade alcali- na sódica, e tendência metaluminosa a levemente peralcalina, com características dos granitos tipo “A”. Os dados faciológicos, petrográficos e litoquímicos obtidos indicam vinculação genética destas rochas com o vulcanismo da Formação Acampamento Velho.

Gravity Model for an Anomalous Body Located in the NW Portion of the Douala Sedimentary Sub-Basin, Cameroon (Central Africa)

Gravity studies have been carried out in the Douala sub-basin which is a sedimentary basin located both onshore and offshore on the South coast of Cameroon between latitudes 3°03'N and 4°06'N and longitudes 9°00' and 10°00'E, covering a total surface area of 12,805 km2. On its onshore portion, the Douala sub-basin has a trapezoic shape and covers a total surface area of about 6955 km2 while the offshore part covers an area of about 5850 km2. Gravity data used in this study are constituted of 912 gravity data points located between longitudes 8°10.2' to 10°59.4'E and latitudes 2°30.6' to 4°59.4'N and the study area is located to the NW section of the onshore portion of the Douala sub-basin. This study area is characterised by considerably high positive anomalies attaining peak values of about 104.1 mGals at longitude 9°9.9' and latitude 4°1.1' with contour lines which are mostly oriented in the NNE direction. Residual anomalies were extracted by upward continuation of the Bouguer anomaly field at an optimum height of 30 km. This residual field and those obtained by the separation of polynomial of order 4 had a very high correlation coefficient factor of 0.979. The multi-scale horizontal derivative of the vertical derivative (MSHDVD) method was applied on the extracted residual anomalies for the delimitation of possible contacts in the source while the amplitude spectrum was used to estimate the depth to the top of the potential field source. The MSHDVD method did not delimite any clear cut contacts in the source but the amplitude spectrum estimated the potential field source at a depth of about 4.8 km. The ideal body theory was used to determine the density contrast along a 65 km NW-SE profile yielding a value of 0.266 g/cm3. 2.5D modelling aimed at bringing out the underlying structural layout of this study area presents a source body which is very probably an intrusive igneous block surrounded by sedimentary formations and having a density of 2.77 g/cm3 at a depth of about 5.88 km below the surface and an average thickness of about 26.95 km.

Geophysical investigation and hydrocarbon potential of Cankiri–Corum Basin, Turkey

The Cankiri–Corum Basin is one of the larger, onshore sedimentary basins in central Turkey. In this paper, the integration of geophysical data and geological findings in the Cankiri–Corum Basin was performed and they both present a complex basin structure. In the frame of geophysical study, two-dimensional (2D) models were constructed using gravity and magnetic anomalies. Seismic sections were interpreted and correlated with the 2D models using the borehole data as control. Basement depth, basin geometry and sources for magnetic anomalies along the 2D model profiles were determined in integration of seismic, gravity, aeromagnetic and borehole data. Seismic section CC-L-1 is correlated with the Topuzsaray-1 well. Tuffs and volcanic units penetrated in this well might be correlated across a reverse fault close to the borehole. Seismic sections, CC-L-2 and CC-L-3, are consistent with the gravity models at the deeper parts of the sections. On the other hand, there are inconsistencies in the shallow sections with the gravity models due to unexpected velocity variations in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The average depth of basement was found to be about 5 km by means of gravity modelling, which was correlated with the seismic sections. Magnetic anomalies are represented by intense values in the NW portion of the study area, but they indicate very low intensities in the middle of the map. A reverse magnetised body to the north of the study area was modelled in 2D along a profile and it was interpreted that this body might be an ophiolitic remnant. Polarities of many anomalies to the south and northeast of the region indicate remanent magnetisation. Alignment of the polarities extends in the northwest direction, indicating that the region rotated in the anticlockwise direction. Because there is around a 5 km sedimentary basin fill in the study area, it may exhibit hydrocarbon potential and the Yesilcat oil seep evidences this potential. Surface samples were collected to examine source rock potential and to correlate with the Yesilcat seep by analysing the organic geochemical properties. In this study, 72 samples were collected from different formations and it was found that the Yoncali Formation displays better source rock potential than the other formations studied.

Improved Gasoline-Powered Soft-Sediment Cutter

Abstract A device used for paleomagnetic sampling has been improved which allows sampling friable, poorly to moderate lithified sedimentary and volcanic materials. The new device attaches to a portable gasoline drill and employs two steel cutting disks with a 2 cm separation, which cuts two parallel slots in the material being sampled. A second set of cuts orthogonal to the first set produces a square pedestal over which a plastic sample box can be placed and oriented to extract a cubic sample; this procedure permits using the same orientation parameters as for conventionally drilled cylindrical samples. The method allows sampling at localities where conventional drilling fails in weak materials. To test the method, sedimentary sandstones of the Amaga Formation (Eocene–Miocene) in the NW portion of the Central Colombian Andes were sampled. The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) was measured on samples using the new method and compared with results from conventionally drilled cores at the same sites. Results show better AMS within-site precision for box samples compared with the drilled cores. This device improves on previous battery-powered samplers used for sampling by the double-slot procedure. Also the new device can be used with the same gasoline-powered motor for standard core drilling.

Estimation of Strong Ground Motion from a Great Earthquake Mw 8.5 in Central Seismic Gap Region, Himalaya (India) Using Empirical Green’s Function Technique

In the present study ground motions for a Mw 8.5 scenario earthquake are estimated at 13 sites in Kumaun-Garhwal region using the empirical Green’s function technique. The recordings of 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake of Mw 6.8 at these sites are used as an element earthquake. A heterogeneous source model consisting of two asperities is considered for simulating the ground motions. The entire central seismic gap (CSG) can expect acceleration in excess of 100 cm/s2 with NW portion in excess of 400 cm/s2 and SE between 100 and 200 cm/s2. The central portion can expect peak ground acceleration (PGA) between 200 and 400 cm/s2. It has been observed from simulation of strong ground motion that sites located near the rupture initiation point can expect accelerations in excess of 1g. In the present analysis, Bhatwari and Uttarkashi can expect ground accelerations in excess of 1g. The estimates of the PGA are compared with earlier studies in the same region using different methodologies and it was found that the results are comparable. This has put constrains on the expected PGAs in this region. The obtained PGA values can be used in identifying the vulnerable areas in the central Himalaya, thereby facilitating the planning, design and construction of new structures and strengthening of the existing structures in the region.

Magnetic signature of the lunar South Pole‐Aitken basin: Character, origin, and age

A new magnetic map of the Moon, based on Lunar Prospector magnetometer observations, sheds light on the origin of the South Pole‐Aitken basin (SPA), the largest and oldest of the recognized lunar basins. A set of WNW‐trending linear to arcuate magnetic features, evident in both the radial and scalar observations, covers much of a 1000 km wide region centered on the NW portion of SPA. The source bodies are not at the surface because the magnetic features show no first‐order correspondence to any surface topographic or structural feature. Patchy mare basalts of possible late Imbrian‐age are emplaced within SPA and are inferred to have been emplaced through dikes, directly from mantle sources. We infer that the magnetic features represent dike swarms that served as feeders for these mare basalts, as evident from the location of the Thomson/Mare Ingenii, Van de Graaff, and Leeuwenhoek mare basalts on the two largest magnetic features in the region. Modeling suggests that the dike zone is between 25 and 50 km wide at the surface, and dike magnetization contrasts are in the range of 0.2 A/m. We theorize that the basaltic dikes were emplaced in the lunar crust when a long‐lived dynamo was active. Based on pressure, temperature, and stress conditions prevalent in the lunar crust, dikes are expected to be a dominantly subsurface phenomenon, consistent with the observations reported here.