Department of Geosciences

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The 2015 landslide and tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska
Higman, Bretwood; Shugar, Dan H.; Stark, Colin P.; Ekstrom, Goran; Koppes, Michele N.; Lynett, Patrick; Dufresne, Anja; Haeussler, Peter J.; Geertsema, Marten; Gulick, Sean; Mattox, Andrew; Venditti, Jeremy G.; Walton, Maureen A. L.; McCall, Naoma; Mckittrick, Erin; MacInnes, Breanyn; Bilderback, Eric L.; Tang, Hui; Willis, Michael J.; Richmond, Bruce; Reece, Robert S.; Larsen, Chris; Olson, Bjorn; Capra, James; Ayca, Aykut; Bloom, Colin; Williams, Haley; Bonno, Doug; Weiss, Robert; Keen, Adam; Skanavis, Vassilios; Loso, Michael (Springer Nature, 2018-09-06)
Glacial retreat in recent decades has exposed unstable slopes and allowed deep water to extend beneath some of those slopes. Slope failure at the terminus of Tyndall Glacier on 17 October 2015 sent 180 million tons of rock into Taan Fiord, Alaska. The resulting tsunami reached elevations as high as 193 m, one of the highest tsunami runups ever documented worldwide. Precursory deformation began decades before failure, and the event left a distinct sedimentary record, showing that geologic evidence can help understand past occurrences of similar events, and might provide forewarning. The event was detected within hours through automated seismological techniques, which also estimated the mass and direction of the slide - all of which were later confirmed by remote sensing. Our field observations provide a benchmark for modeling landslide and tsunami hazards. Inverse and forward modeling can provide the framework of a detailed understanding of the geologic and hazards implications of similar events. Our results call attention to an indirect effect of climate change that is increasing the frequency and magnitude of natural hazards near glaciated mountains.
3D models of the leader valley using satellite & UAV imagery following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake
Zekkos, D.; Clark, M.; Willis, Michael J.; Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, A.; Manousakis, J.; Knoper, L.; Stahl, T.; Massey, C.; Archibald, G.; Greenwood, W.; Medwedeff, W. (2018-01-01)
The ability to quickly, efficiently and reliably characterize changes in the landscape following an earthquake has remained a challenge for the earthquake engineering profession. The 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikoura earthquake provided a unique opportunity to document changes in topography following an earthquake on a regional scale using satellite derived high-resolution digital models. Along-track stereo satellite imagery had been collected for the pre-event topography. Satellites were tasked and collected stereo-mode post-event imagery. Both sets of images were used to create digital surface models (DSMs) of the affected area before and after the event. The procedure followed and indicative results for the Leader valley are presented with emphasis on the challenges associated with the implementation of the technique for the first time in this environment. The valley is of interest because of the variety of features it includes, i.e., the large Leader landslide, smaller landslides, stable sloping and flat ground as well as fault rupture lineaments. The open-source SETSM software is used to provide multiple DSMs. Our workflow is described and results are compared against the DSM created using Structure-from-Motion with imagery collected by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and aerial LIDAR. Overall, the sub-meter agreement between the DSM created using satellites and the DSM created using UAV and LIDAR datasets demonstrates viability for use in seismic studies, but features smaller than about 0.5 m are more difficult to discern.
A-site doping-induced renormalization of structural transformations in the PbSc0.5Nb0.5O3 relaxor ferroelectric under high pressure
Maier, B. J.; Welsch, A. M.; Angel, R. J.; Mihailova, B.; Zhao, J.; Engel, J. M.; Schmitt, L. A.; Paulmann, C.; Gospodinov, M.; Friedrich, A.; Bismayer, U. (American Physical Society, 2010-05-01)
The effect of A-site incorporated Ba2+ and Bi3+ on the pressure-driven structural transformations in Pb-based perovskite-type relaxor ferroelectrics has been studied with in situ x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering of PbSc0.5Nb0.5O3, Pb0.93Ba0.07Sc0.5Nb0.5O3, and Pb0.98Bi0.02Sc0.51Nb0.49O3 in the range from ambient pressure to 9.8 GPa. The substitution of Ba2+ for Pb2+ represents the case in which A-site divalent cations with stereochemically active lone-pair electrons are replaced by isovalent cations with a larger ionic radius and no active lone pairs, leading to formation of strong local elastic fields. In contrast, substitution of Bi3+ for Pb2+ involves the replacement of divalent A-site cations with active lone-pair electrons by aliovalent cations with nearly the same ionic radius and active lone pairs so it induces local electric fields but not strong elastic fields. The two types of dopants have rather distinct effects on the changes in the atomic structure under pressure. The embedding of Ba2+ and associated elastic fields hinders the development of pressure-induced ferroic ordering and thus smears out the phase transition. The addition of Bi3+ enlarges the fraction of spatial regions with a pressure-induced ferroic distortion, resulting in a more pronounced phase transition of the average structure, i.e., the preserved lone-pair order and the absence of strong local elastic fields enhances the development of the ferroic phase at high pressure. For all compounds studied, the high-pressure structure exhibits glide-plane pseudosymmetry associated with a specific octahedral tilt configuration.
Abundance and Speciation of Surface Oxygen on Nanosized Platinum Catalysts and Effect on Catalytic Activity
Serra-Maia, Rui; Winkler, Christopher; Murayama, Mitsuhiro; Tranhuu, Kevin; Michel, F. Marc (2018-06-18)
Oxygen at the surface of nanosized platinum has a direct effect on catalytic activity of oxidation−reduction chemical reactions. However, the abundance and speciation of oxygen remain uncertain for platinum with different particle size and shape characteristics, which has hindered the development of fundamental property−activity relationships. We have characterized two commercially available platinum nanocatalysts known as Pt black and Pt nanopowder to evaluate the effects of synthesis and heating conditions on the physical and surface chemical properties, as well as on catalytic activity. Characterization using complementary electron microscopy, X-ray scattering, and spectroscopic methods showed that the larger average crystallite size of Pt nanopowder (23 nm) compared to Pt black (11 nm) corresponds with a 70% greater surface oxygen concentration. Heating the samples in air resulted in an increase in surface oxygen concentration for both nanocatalysts. Surface oxygen associated with platinum is in the form of chemisorbed oxygen, and no significant amounts of chemically bonded platinum oxide were found for any of the samples. The increase in surface oxygen abundance during heating depends on the initial size and surface oxygen content. Hydrogen peroxide decomposition rate measurements showed that larger particle size and higher surface chemisorbed oxygen correlate with enhanced catalytic activity. These results are particularly important for future studies that aim to relate the properties of platinum, or other metal nanocatalysts, with surface reactivity.
Acanthomorphic acritarchs of the Doushantuo Formation from an upper slope section in northwestern Hunan Province, South China, with implications for early–middle Ediacaran biostratigraphy
Ouyang, Q.; Guan, C.; Zhou, C.; Xiao, S. (2017-09)
Accelerating changes in ice mass within Greenland, and the ice sheet's sensitivity to atmospheric forcing
Bevis, M.; Harig, C.; Khan, S. A.; Brown, A.; Simons, F. J.; Willis, Michael J.; Fettweis, X.; Van Den Broeke, M. R.; Madsen, F. B.; Kendrick, E.; Caccamise, D. J.; Van Dam, T.; Knudsen, P.; Nylen, T. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019-01-22)
From early 2003 to mid-2013, the total mass of ice in Greenland declined at a progressively increasing rate. In mid-2013, an abrupt reversal occurred, and very little net ice loss occurred in the next 12-18 months. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and global positioning system (GPS) observations reveal that the spatial patterns of the sustained acceleration and the abrupt deceleration in mass loss are similar. The strongest accelerations tracked the phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The negative phase of the NAO enhances summertime warming and insolation while reducing snowfall, especially in west Greenland, driving surface mass balance (SMB) more negative, as illustrated using the regional climate model MAR. The spatial pattern of accelerating mass changes reflects the geography of NAO-driven shifts in atmospheric forcing and the ice sheet's sensitivity to that forcing. We infer that southwest Greenland will become a major future contributor to sea level rise.
Adsorption of Extracellular Polymeric Substances Derived from S. cerevisiae to Ceria Nanoparticles and the Effects on Their Colloidal Stability
Masaki, Shota; Nakano, Yuriko; Ichiyoshi, Kenta; Kawamoto, Keisuke; Takeda, Ayaka; Ohnuki, Toshihiko; Hochella, Michael F. Jr.; Utsunomiya, Satoshi (MDPI, 2017-07-11)
In order to understand the adsorption preferences of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) components derived from fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae on sparingly soluble CeO₂ nanoparticles (CeNPs), the adsorption experiments of the EPS including organic matter with low molecular weight have been performed at pH 6.0 at room temperature (25 ± 1 °C). The subsequent effects of the coating on the dispersibility of CeNPs was systematically measured as a function of time and ionic strength ranging from 1 to 1000 mmol L⁻¹. Among the EPS and other components, orthophosphate and saccharides preferentially adsorb onto CeNPs, and proteins are the only major N-compounds adsorbing onto the CeNP surfaces. Adsorption of orthophosphate resulted in a dramatic decrease in ζ potential to −40 mV at pH > 5, whereas the EPS adsorption suppressed the deviation of ζ potential within a narrow range (−20–+20 mV) at pHs ranging from 3 to 11. Critical aggregation concentrations (CAC) of an electrolyte (NaCl), inorganic orthophosphate, and EPS solutions are 0.01, 0.14, and 0.25 mol L⁻¹, respectively, indicating that the EPS adsorption suppresses aggregation of CeNPs by the electrostatic repulsive forces derived from the adsorbed orthophosphate and the steric barrier formed by organic matter on the nanoparticle surfaces. Therefore, the EPS derived from fungus S. cerevisiae can potentially enhance colloidal dispersibility of CeNPs at circumneutral pH.
Advances in Morphodynamic Modeling of Coastal Barriers: A Review
Hoagland, Steven W. H.; Jeffries, Catherine R.; Irish, Jennifer L.; Weiss, Robert; Mandli, Kyle; Vitousek, Sean; Johnson, Catherine M.; Cialone, Mary A. (ASCE, 2023-05-30)
As scientific understanding of barrier morphodynamics has improved, so has the ability to reproduce observed phenomena and predict future barrier states using mathematical models. To use existing models effectively and improve them, it is important to understand the current state of morphodynamic modeling and the progress that has been made in the field. This manuscript offers a review of the literature regarding advancements in morphodynamic modeling of coastal barrier systems and summarizes current modeling abilities and limitations. Broadly, this review covers both event-scale and long-term morphodynamics. Each of these sections begins with an overview of commonly modeled phenomena and processes, followed by a review of modeling developments. After summarizing the advancements toward the stated modeling goals, we identify research gaps and suggestions for future research under the broad categories of improving our abilities to acquire and access data, furthering our scientific understanding of relevant processes, and advancing our modeling frameworks and approaches.
Advancing Field-Based GNSS Surveying for Validation of Remotely Sensed Water Surface Elevation Products
Pitcher, Lincoln H.; Smith, Laurence C.; Cooley, Sarah W.; Zaino, Annie; Carlson, Robert; Pettit, Joseph; Gleason, Colin J.; Minear, J. Toby; Fayne, Jessica V.; Willis, Michael J.; Hansen, Jasmine S.; Easterday, Kelly J.; Harlan, Merritt E.; Langhorst, Theodore; Topp, Simon N.; Dolan, Wayana; Kyzivat, Ethan D.; Pietroniro, Al; Marsh, Philip; Yang, Daqing; Carter, Tom; Onclin, Cuyler; Hosseini, Nasim; Wilcox, Evan; Moreira, Daniel; Berge-Nguyen, Muriel; Cretaux, Jean-Francois; Pavelsky, Tamlin M. (Frontiers, 2020-11-23)
To advance monitoring of surface water resources, new remote sensing technologies including the forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite (expected launch 2022) and its experimental airborne prototype AirSWOT are being developed to repeatedly map water surface elevation (WSE) and slope (WSS) of the world’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. However, the vertical accuracies of these novel technologies are largely unverified; thus, standard and repeatable field procedures to validate remotely sensed WSE and WSS are needed. To that end, we designed, engineered, and operationalized a Water Surface Profiler (WaSP) system that efficiently and accurately surveys WSE and WSS in a variety of surface water environments using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) time-averaged measurements with Precise Point Positioning corrections. Here, we present WaSP construction, deployment, and a data processing workflow. We demonstrate WaSP data collections from repeat field deployments in the North Saskatchewan River and three prairie pothole lakes near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. We find that WaSP reproducibly measures WSE and WSS with vertical accuracies similar to standard field survey methods [WSE root mean squared difference (RMSD) ∼8 cm, WSS RMSD ∼1.3 cm/km] and that repeat WaSP deployments accurately quantify water level changes (RMSD ∼3 cm). Collectively, these results suggest that WaSP is an easily deployed, self-contained system with sufficient accuracy for validating the decimeter-level expected accuracies of SWOT and AirSWOT. We conclude by discussing the utility of WaSP for validating airborne and spaceborne WSE mappings, present 63 WaSP in situ lake WSE measurements collected in support of NASA’s Arctic-Boreal and Vulnerability Experiment, highlight routine deployment in support of the Lake Observation by Citizen Scientists and Satellites project, and explore WaSP utility for validating a novel GNSS interferometric reflectometry LArge Wave Warning System.
Advective Heat Transport and the Salt Chimney Effect: A Numerical Analysis
Canova, David P.; Fischer, Mark P.; Jayne, Richard S.; Pollyea, Ryan M. (Hindawi, 2018-07-09)
We conducted numerical simulations of coupled fluid and heat transport in an offshore, buried salt diapir environment to determine the effects of advective heat transport and its relation to the so-called “salt chimney effect.” Model sets were designed to investigate (1) salt geometry, (2) depth-dependent permeability, (3) geologic heterogeneity, and (4) the relative influence of each of these factors. Results show that decreasing the dip of the diapir induces advective heat transfer up the side of the diapir, elevating temperatures in the basin. Depth-dependent permeability causes upwelling of warm waters in the basin, which we show to be more sensitive to basal heat flux than brine concentration. In these model scenarios, heat is advected up the side of the diapir in a narrower zone of upward-flowing warm water, while cool waters away from the diapir flank circulate deeper into the basin. The resulting fluid circulation pattern causes increased discharge at the diapir margin and fluid flow downward, above the crest of the diapir. Geologic heterogeneity decreases the overall effects of advective heat transfer. The presence of low permeability sealing horizons reduces the vertical extent of convection cells, and fluid flow is dominantly up the diapir flank. The combined effects of depth-dependent permeability coupled with geologic heterogeneity simulate several geologic phenomena that are reported in the literature. In this model scenario, conductive heat transfer dominates in the basal units, whereas advection of heat begins to affect the middle layers of the model and dominates the upper units. Convection cells split by sealing layers develop within the upper units. From our highly simplified models, we can predict that advective heat transport (i.e., thermal convection) likely dominates in the early phases of diapirism when sediments have not undergone significant compaction and retain high porosity and permeability. As the salt structures mature into more complex geometries, advection will diminish due to the increase in dip of the salt-sediment interface and the increased hydraulic heterogeneity due to complex stratigraphic architecture.
After the boring billion and before the freezing millions: evolutionary patterns and innovations in the Tonian Period
Xiao, Shuhai; Tang, Qing (2018-06-29)
Age-Independent Oceanic Plate Thickness and Asthenosphere Melting From SS Precursor Imaging
Sun, Shuyang; Zhou, Ying (2023-02-01)
The Earth's asthenosphere is a mechanically weak layer characterized by low seismic velocity and high attenuation. The nature of this layer has been strongly debated. In this study, we process 12 years of seismic data recorded at the global seismological network stations to investigate SS waves reflected at the upper and lower boundaries of this layer in global oceanic regions. We observe strong reflections from both the top and the bottom of the asthenosphere, dispersive across all major oceans. The average depths of the two discontinuities are 120 and 255 km, respectively. The SS waves reflected at the lithosphere and asthenosphere boundary are characterized by anomalously large amplitudes, which require a ∼12.5% reduction in seismic velocity across the interface. This large velocity drop can not be explained by a thermal cooling model but indicates 1.5%–2% localized melt in the oceanic asthenosphere. The depths of the two discontinuities show large variations, indicating that the asthenosphere is far from a homogeneous layer but likely associated with strong and heterogeneous small-scale convection in the oceanic mantle. The average depths of the two boundaries are largely constant across different age bands. In contrast to the half-space cooling model, this observation supports the existence of a constant-thickness plate in oceanic regions with a complex and heterogeneous origin.
Along-fault migration of the Mount McKinley restraining bend of the Denali fault defined by late Quaternary fault patterns and seismicity, Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska
Burkett, Corey A.; Bemis, Sean P.; Benowitz, Jeff A. (Elsevier, 2016-12-14)
The tallest mountain in North America, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley, 6,190 m), is situated inside an abrupt bend in the right-lateral strike-slip Denali fault. This anomalous topography is clearly associated with the complex geometry of the Denali fault, but how this restraining bend has evolved in conjunction with the regional topography is unknown. To constrain how this bend in the Denali fault is deforming, we document the Quaternary fault-related deformation north of the Denali fault through combined geologic mapping, active fault characterization, and analysis of background seismicity. Our mapping illustrates an east–west change in faulting style where normal faults occur east of the fault bend and thrust faults predominate to the west. The complex and elevated regional seismicity corroborates the style of faulting adjacent to the fault bend and provides additional insight into the change in local stress field in the crust adjacent to the bend. The style of active faulting and seismicity patterns define a deforming zone that accommodates the southwestward migration of this restraining bend. Fault slip rates for the active faults north of the Denali fault, derived from offset glacial outwash surfaces, indicate that the Mount McKinley restraining bend is migrating along the Denali fault at a late Pleistocene/Holocene rate of ~ 2–6 mm/yr. Ongoing thermochronologic and structural studies of the Mount McKinley restraining bend will extend these constraints on the migration and evolution of the restraining bend deeper in time and to the south of the Denali fault.
Along-Orbit Analysis of GRACE Follow-On Inter-Satellite Laser Ranging Measurements for Sub-Monthly Surface Mass Variations
Ghobadi-Far, Khosro; Han, Shin-Chan; McCullough, Christopher M.; Wiese, David N.; Ray, Richard D.; Sauber, Jeanne; Shihora, Linus; Dobslaw, Henryk (American Geophysical Union, 2022-02)
We examined the sensitivity of GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) laser ranging interferometer (LRI) measurements to sub-monthly time-variable gravity (TVG) signals caused by transient, high-frequency mass changes in the Earth system. GRACE-FO LRI provides complementary inter-satellite ranging measurements with higher precision over a wider range of frequencies than the baseline K-band microwave ranging system. The common approach for studying mass variation relies on the inverted TVG or mascon solutions over a period of, for example, one month or 10 days which are adversely affected by temporal aliasing and/or smoothing. In this article, we present the alternative along-orbit analysis methodology in terms of line-of-sight gravity difference (LGD) to fully exploit the higher precision LRI measurements for examination of sub-monthly mass changes. The discrepancy between "instantaneous" LGD LRI observations and monthly-mean LGD (from Level-2 data) at satellite altitude indicates the sub-monthly gravitational variability not captured by monthly-mean solutions. In conjunction with the satellite ocean altimetry observations, high-frequency non-tidal atmosphere and ocean models, and hydrology models, we show that the LGD LRI observations detect the high-frequency oceanic mass variability in the Argentine Basin and the Gulf of Carpentaria, and sub-monthly variations in surface (river) water in the Amazon Basin. We demonstrate the benefits gained from repeat ground track analysis of GRACE-FO LRI data in the case of the Amazon surface water flow. The along-orbit analysis methodology based on LGD LRI time series presented here is especially suitable for quantifying temporal and spatial evolution of extreme, rapidly changing mass variations.
Aluminum hydroxide coatings in limestone drains
Palomino-Ore, Sheyla B.; Rimstidt, J. Donald; Chermak, John A.; Schreiber, Madeline E.; Seal, Robert R. II (2019-04)
This paper describes a mixed flow reactor experiment and associated data analysis scheme that are well suited for studying the chemical and physical processes that occur in limestone drains used to treat acid mine drainage (AMD). The experiment simulates the slowly evolving, near steady state, reactions that form coatings on limestone. The resulting coatings can be recovered for analysis of their structure and composition. Analysis of the time evolution of the composition of the effluent solutions is used to isolate and understand key factors that affect limestone drain performance. The experiment investigated reactions between acidic aluminum sulfate solutions and calcite. The aluminum sulfate feed solutions contained 0.002-0.01 molal (32-329 mg/kg) Al and had pH values ranging from 3.7 to 4.2. At the beginning each experiment, the rate of H+ consumption by reaction with the calcite was fast causing a distinct increase of the effluent pH. The pH increase caused some of the dissolved Al to precipitate as a coating on the calcite surfaces. The coating blocked the transfer of ions to and from the calcite causing the reaction rates to be limited by ion diffusion through the coating. The continued growth of the coating caused it to become an increasingly effective barrier to ion transport, which caused the neutralization rate to slow and the effluent solution pH to decline toward that of the feed solution. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) suggested that the coatings were mostly poorly crystalline gibbsite. Effluent solutions were analyzed to determine pH along with Al, Ca and S concentrations. The coating thickness at each sample time was estimated from the amount of Al lost from the solution since the beginning of the experiment. This thickness and the Ca and H+ fluxes were used to find the apparent H+ diffusion coefficient in the coatings.
Aluminum mobility in mildly acidic mine drainage: Interactions between hydrobasaluminite, silica and trace metals from the nano to the meso-scale
Caraballo, Manuel A.; Wanty, Richard B.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Navarro-Valdivia, Leonardo; Ayora, Carlos; Hochella, Michael F. Jr. (2019-08-05)
Aluminum precipitates control the hydrochemistry and mineralogy of a broad variety of environments on Earth (e.g., acid mine drainage, AMD, coastal wetlands, boreal and alpine streams, tropical acid sulfate soils, laterites and bauxites, ...). However, the geochemical and mineralogical processes controlling Al (and other associated metals and metalloids) transport and removal in those environments are not fully understood. The geochemical system of Paradise Portal (Colorado, USA) comprises sulfate-rich mildly acidic waters, the hydrochemistry of which is directly controlled by the massive precipitation of hydrobasaluminite Al-4(SO4)(OH)(10)center dot 12-36H(2)O. Three connected but discernible aluminum precipitation stages were identified and described: 1) nanoparticle formation and size decrease along the creek, 2) hydrobasaluminite neoformation on the riverbed, and 3) precipitate accretion and accumulation on the riverbed leading to Al and Fe banded formations. The co-occurrence of Al and Si in the system was observed, recording significant amounts of Si accompanying the three different components of the system (i.e., nanoparticles and fresh and aged Al-precipitates). Also, abrupt and minor changes in the sedimentary record were described and proposed to be the response of the system to seasonal and interannual changes in AMD chemistry. Concerning the mobility of other metals and metalloids, P, Th, V, W, Ti and B showed a tendency to be preferentially incorporated into hydrobasaluminite, while others like Be, As, Se or Ba tend to remain dissolved in the water.
Analysis of a conductive heat flow profile in the Ecuador Fracture Zone
Kolandaivelu, Kannikha Parameswari; Harris, Robert N.; Lowell, Robert P.; Alhamad, Ahmed; Gregory, Emma P. M.; Hobbs, Richard W. (2017-06)
We report 18 new conductive heat flow measurements collected from a sediment pond located in the inactive part of the Ecuador Fracture Zone in the Panama Basin. The data were collected along an east-west transect coincident with a multi-channel seismic reflection profile that extends from ODP Hole 504B to west of the sediment pond. Conductive models indicate that heat flow should decrease from approximate to 400 mW m(-2) on the 1.5 Ma western plate to approximate to 200 mW m(-2) on the 6 Ma eastern plate; however the observed heat flow increases nearly linearly toward the east from approximately 140 mW m(-2) to 190 mW m(-2). The mean value of 160 mW m(-2) represents an average heat flow deficit of which we attribute to lateral advective heat transfer between exposed outcrops on the western and eastern margins of the sediment pond. We apply the well-mixed aquifer model to explain this eastwardly flow, and estimate a volumetric flow rate per unit length in the north-south direction of approximate to 400 +/- 250 m(2) yr(-1) through the basement aquifer. Using a Darcy flow model with the mean flow rate, we estimate permeabilities of similar to 10(-11) and 10(-12) m(2) for aquifer thicknesses of 100 and 1000 m, respectively. The estimated permeabilities are similar to other estimates in young oceanic upper crust and suggest that vigorous convection within the basement significantly modifies the thermal regime of fracture zones. Additional heat flow data are needed to determine the prevalence and importance of advective heat transfer in fracture zones on a global scale. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Analyzing Low Frequency Seismic Events at Cerberus Fossae as Long Period Volcanic Quakes
Kedar, Sharon; Panning, Mark P.; Smrekar, Suzanne E.; Stahler, Simon C.; King, Scott D.; Golombek, Matthew P.; Manga, Michael; Julian, Bruce R.; Shiro, Brian; Perrin, Clement; Power, John A.; Michaut, Chloe; Ceylan, Savas; Giardini, Domenico; Lognonne, Philippe H.; Banerdt, William B. (2021-04)
The InSight Mission began acquiring the first seismic data on Mars in early 2019 and has detected hundreds of events. The largest events recorded to date originate at Cerberus Fossae, a young volcanic region characterized by high volume, low viscosity lava flows. A handful of Low Frequency (LF) quakes that share key attributes of Long Period quakes recorded on Earth's volcanoes are also traced to Cerberus Fossae. This study explores whether a traditional volcanic source model that simulates the generation of tremor as pressurized fluid makes its way through a channel at depth, can explain these atypical LF events. We consider a wide range of physical parameters including fluid viscosity, the ratio of driving pressure to lithostatic pressure, aspect ratio of the channel, and the equilibrium channel opening. We find that the model can produce the observed seismic signature, with a combination of low-viscosity magma and high volume flux of similar to 10(4) - 10(5) m(3)/s that are within an order-of-magnitude agreement with Cerberus Fossae lava flow properties deduced from analysis of lava flow dimensions. It is impossible, however, at this stage to conclude whether or not this is a likely explanation for Mars, as the model results in fluxes that are extreme for Earth yet are just within bounds of what has been inferred for Cerberus Fossae. We therefore conclude that we cannot rule out active magma flow as the mechanism responsible for the atypical LF events that likely originate from Cerberus Fossae.
Annual Report 2005-2006 Department of Geosciences
(Department of Geosciences, 2006)
Annual Report 2006-2007 Department of Geosciences
(Department of Geosciences, 2007)

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