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Full-Text Articles in Geophysics and Seismology

Reconstruction Of Historical Surface Mass Balance, 1984–2017 From Greentraacs Multi-Offset Ground-Penetrating Radar, Tate G. Meehan, H.P. Marshall Apr 2021

Reconstruction Of Historical Surface Mass Balance, 1984–2017 From Greentraacs Multi-Offset Ground-Penetrating Radar, Tate G. Meehan, H.P. Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present continuous estimates of snow and firn density, layer depth and accumulation from a multi-channel, multi-offset, ground-penetrating radar traverse. Our method uses the electromagnetic velocity, estimated from waveform travel-times measured at common-midpoints between sources and receivers. Previously, common-midpoint radar experiments on ice sheets have been limited to point observations. We completed radar velocity analysis in the upper ∼2 m to estimate the surface and average snow density of the Greenland Ice Sheet. We parameterized the Herron and Langway (1980) firn density and age model using the radar-derived snow density, radar-derived surface mass balance (2015–2017) and reanalysis-derived temperature data. We …


Autocorrelation Infrasound Interferometry, Hugo D. Ortiz, Robin S. Matoza, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Stephen Hernandez, Juan C. Anzieta, Mario C. Ruiz Apr 2021

Autocorrelation Infrasound Interferometry, Hugo D. Ortiz, Robin S. Matoza, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Stephen Hernandez, Juan C. Anzieta, Mario C. Ruiz

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Seismic and infrasound multistation ambient‐noise interferometry has been widely used to infer ground and atmospheric properties, and single‐station and autocorrelation seismic interferometry has also shown potential for characterizing Earth structure at multiple scales. We extend autocorrelation seismic interferometry to ambient atmospheric infrasound recordings that contain persistent local noise from waterfalls and rivers. Across a range of geographic settings, we retrieve relative sound‐speed changes that exhibit clear diurnal oscillations consistent with temperature and wind variations. We estimate ambient air temperatures from variations in relative sound speeds. The frequency band from 1 to 2 Hz appears most suitable to retrieve weather parameters …


A Broad, Distributed Active Fault Zone Lies Beneath Salt Lake City, Utah, Lee M. Liberty, James St. Clair, Adam P. Mckean Apr 2021

A Broad, Distributed Active Fault Zone Lies Beneath Salt Lake City, Utah, Lee M. Liberty, James St. Clair, Adam P. Mckean

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although the Wasatch fault is currently known to have a high‐seismic hazard from motion along range‐bounding faults, new seismic data reveal faulted and folded 13,000–30,000‐yr‐old Lake Bonneville strata beneath Salt Lake City (SLC). Coupled with previous excavation trench, borehole, and other geologic and geophysical observations, we conclude that a zone of latest Pleistocene and/or Holocene faulting and folding kinematically links the East Bench and Warm Springs faults through a 3 km wide relay structure and transfer zone. We characterize faults beneath downtown SLC as active, and these faults may displace or deform the ground surface during an earthquake. Through offset …


Snow Avalanche Detection And Source Constraints Made Using A Networked Array Of Infrasound Sensors, J. B. Johnson, J. F. Anderson, H. P. Marshall, S. Havens, L. M. Watson Mar 2021

Snow Avalanche Detection And Source Constraints Made Using A Networked Array Of Infrasound Sensors, J. B. Johnson, J. F. Anderson, H. P. Marshall, S. Havens, L. M. Watson

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We studied a triggered snow avalanche (∼60 s in duration and with ∼1,100 m run-out) using a network of infrasound arrays and time-synced video, with the objective of understanding the relationship between infrasound generation and flow dynamics. Using standard array processing techniques, we compared the infrasound source back azimuths with the avalanche flow path identified by frame-differenced, geo-referenced video. Results show that infrasound records begin with direct arrivals followed by echoes from the avalanche-triggering explosions and these decay within 35 s of the detonations. Subsequent infrasound, which lasts 20–30 s, could then be attributed exclusively to the avalanche. These infrasound …


The 31 March 2020 MW 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, Earthquake: Seismotectonics And Preliminary Aftershock Analysis, Lee M. Liberty, Zachary M. Lifton, T. Dylan Mikesell Mar 2021

The 31 March 2020 MW 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, Earthquake: Seismotectonics And Preliminary Aftershock Analysis, Lee M. Liberty, Zachary M. Lifton, T. Dylan Mikesell

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We report on the tectonic framework, seismicity, and aftershock monitoring efforts related to the 31 March 2020 Mw 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake. The earthquake sequence has produced both strike-slip and dip-slip motion, with minimal surface displacement or damage. The earthquake occurred at the northern limits of the Sawtooth normal fault. This fault separates the Centennial tectonic belt, a zone of active seismicity within the Basin and Range Province, from the Idaho batholith to the west and Challis volcanic belt to the north and east. We show evidence for a potential kinematic link between the northeast-dipping Sawtooth fault and the …


Snow Ensemble Uncertainty Project (Seup): Quantification Of Snow Water Equivalent Uncertainty Across North America Via Ensemble Land Surface Modeling, Hans-Peter Marshall Feb 2021

Snow Ensemble Uncertainty Project (Seup): Quantification Of Snow Water Equivalent Uncertainty Across North America Via Ensemble Land Surface Modeling, Hans-Peter Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Snow Ensemble Uncertainty Project (SEUP) is an effort to establish a baseline characterization of snow water equivalent (SWE) uncertainty across North America with the goal of informing global snow observational needs. An ensemble-based modeling approach, encompassing a suite of current operational models is used to assess the uncertainty in SWE and total snow storage (SWS) estimation over North America during the 2009–2017 period. The highest modeled SWE uncertainty is observed in mountainous regions, likely due to the relatively deep snow, forcing uncertainties, and variability between the different models in resolving the snow processes over complex terrain. This highlights a …


Resonant Frequency Derived From The Rayleigh‐Wave Dispersion Image: The High‐Impedance Boundary Problem, Lee M. Liberty, James St. Clair, T. Dylan Mikesell, William D. Schermerhorn Feb 2021

Resonant Frequency Derived From The Rayleigh‐Wave Dispersion Image: The High‐Impedance Boundary Problem, Lee M. Liberty, James St. Clair, T. Dylan Mikesell, William D. Schermerhorn

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a simple and automated approach to estimate primary site‐response resonance, layer thickness, and shear‐wave velocity directly from a dispersion image for a layer over half‐space problem. We demonstrate this for high‐impedance boundary conditions that lie in the upper tens of meters. Our approach eliminates the need for time‐consuming dispersion curve picking and 1D shear‐wave velocity inversion for large data volumes that can capture velocity structure in profile. We highlight important relationships between dispersion characteristics and resonance parameters through synthetic modeling and field data acquired over Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments. In this environment, shallow soil conditions are critical to …


Stick-Slip Tremor Beneath An Alpine Glacier, J. Umlauft, F. Lindner, P. Roux, T. D. Mikesell, M. M. Haney, M. Korn, F. T. Walter Jan 2021

Stick-Slip Tremor Beneath An Alpine Glacier, J. Umlauft, F. Lindner, P. Roux, T. D. Mikesell, M. M. Haney, M. Korn, F. T. Walter

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sliding of glacial ice over its base is typically described by a frictionless or slowly deforming bed. This view is challenged by recent seismic observations of stick-slip motion at the icebed interface. We revisit a high-frequency (20–35 Hz) harmonic tremor recorded on Gornergletscher, Switzerland. In contrast to previous interpretation in terms of glaciohydraulic tremor, we present evidence for superimposed stick-slip episodes as tremor sources: we locate the tremor source with matched field processing polarity optimization, which allows for azimuthal polarity patterns associated with nonisotropic moment tensors and yields a tremor source clustering near the glacier bed. Our analysis confirms an …


Changes In Crater Geometry Revealed By Inversion Of Harmonic Infrasound Observations: 24 December 2018 Eruption Of Mount Etna, Italy, Leighton M. Watson, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Mariangela Sciotto, Andrea Cannata Oct 2020

Changes In Crater Geometry Revealed By Inversion Of Harmonic Infrasound Observations: 24 December 2018 Eruption Of Mount Etna, Italy, Leighton M. Watson, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Mariangela Sciotto, Andrea Cannata

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In December 2018, Mount Etna (Italy) experienced a period of increased eruptive activity that culminated in a fissure eruption on the southeast flank. After the onset of the flank eruption, the peak frequency of the summit infrasound signals decreased while resonance increased. We invert infrasound observations for crater geometry and show that crater depth and radius increased during the eruption, which suggests that the flank eruption drained magma from the summit and that eruptive activity led to erosion of the crater wall. By inverting the entire infrasound amplitude spectra rather than just the peak frequency, we are able to place …


Within‐Stand Boundary Effects On Snow Water Equivalent Distribution In Forested Areas, H.P. Marshall Oct 2020

Within‐Stand Boundary Effects On Snow Water Equivalent Distribution In Forested Areas, H.P. Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Forested areas exhibit high spatial variability in the distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE). Previous work has focused on forested areas with respect to snow accumulation in adjacent clearings. There is generally less snow in forested areas with greater variability relative to open areas due to the influence of tree canopies. However, the length scale of the transition from open areas to forested conditions is uncertain. Hence, the goal of this paper is to determine the length scales associated with forest boundary effects on SWE accumulation distribution patterns within forest stands. To accomplish this, we utilize a unique ground‐penetrating radar …


Uas-Based Tracking Of The Santiaguito Lava Dome, Guatemala, Edgar U. Zorn, Thomas R. Walter, Jeffrey B. Johnson, René Mania May 2020

Uas-Based Tracking Of The Santiaguito Lava Dome, Guatemala, Edgar U. Zorn, Thomas R. Walter, Jeffrey B. Johnson, René Mania

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Imaging growing lava domes has remained a great challenge in volcanology due to their inaccessibility and the severe hazard of collapse or explosion. Changes in surface movement, temperature, or lava viscosity are considered crucial data for hazard assessments at active lava domes and thus valuable study targets. Here, we present results from a series of repeated survey flights with both optical and thermal cameras at the Caliente lava dome, part of the Santiaguito complex at Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala, using an Unoccupied Aircraft System (UAS) to create topography data and orthophotos of the lava dome. This enabled us to track …


Constraints On The Shallow Deformation Around The Main Frontal Thrust In Central Nepal From Refraction Velocities, Yixiang Liu, Judith Hubbard, Rafael V. Almeida, Anna Foster, Lee Liberty, Ying Sin Lee, Soma Nath Sapkota Feb 2020

Constraints On The Shallow Deformation Around The Main Frontal Thrust In Central Nepal From Refraction Velocities, Yixiang Liu, Judith Hubbard, Rafael V. Almeida, Anna Foster, Lee Liberty, Ying Sin Lee, Soma Nath Sapkota

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The youngest fault system in the Himalayan orogeny is the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), the frontal ramp of the Main Himalayan Thrust, which is expected to host the largest and most damaging earthquakes in Nepal. We characterize the upper few hundred meters below the surface across two MFT fault strands using ten high-resolution seismic profiles that we acquired in 2014 and 2015 with a 6-tonne Vibroseis source. We use first arrival picks from 625,416 seismic traces to derive P-wave seismic velocity models using a wavepath eikonal traveltime inversion method, and derive estimates of alluvium thickness and water table depth across …


Co-Eruptive Tremor From Bogoslof Volcano: Seismic Wavefield Composition At Regional Distances, Matthew M. Haney, David Fee, Kathleen F. Mckee, John J. Lyons, Robin S. Matoza, Aaron G. Wech, Gabrielle Tepp, Cheryl Searcy, T. Dylan Mikesell Feb 2020

Co-Eruptive Tremor From Bogoslof Volcano: Seismic Wavefield Composition At Regional Distances, Matthew M. Haney, David Fee, Kathleen F. Mckee, John J. Lyons, Robin S. Matoza, Aaron G. Wech, Gabrielle Tepp, Cheryl Searcy, T. Dylan Mikesell

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We analyze seismic tremor recorded during eruptive activity over the course of the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska. Only regional recordings of the tremor wavefield exist for Bogoslof, making it a challenge to place the recordings in context with other eruptions that are normally captured by local seismic data. We apply a technique of time-frequency polarization analysis to three-component seismic data to reveal the wavefield composition of Bogoslof eruption tremor.We find that at regional distances, the tremor is dominated by P-waves in the band from 1.5 to 10 Hz. Using this information, along with an enriched Bogoslof earthquake catalog, …


High-Velocity Surface Layer Effects On Rayleigh Waves: Recommendations For Improved Shear-Wave Velocity Modeling, Gabriel Gribler, Lee M. Liberty, T. Dylan Mikesell Feb 2020

High-Velocity Surface Layer Effects On Rayleigh Waves: Recommendations For Improved Shear-Wave Velocity Modeling, Gabriel Gribler, Lee M. Liberty, T. Dylan Mikesell

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil stiffness estimates are critical to geologic hazard and risk assessment in urban centers. Multichannel analysis of surface-wave (MASW) data collection along city streets is now a standard, cost-effective, and noninvasive soil stiffness approximation tool. With this approach, shear-wave velocities (VS) are derived from Rayleigh-wave signals. Although the current MASW practice is to neglect the effect of a high-velocity road layer on soil VS estimates, our models show measurable impacts on Rayleigh-wave amplitudes and phase velocities when seismic data are acquired on a road surface. Here, we compare synthetic models with field MASW and downhole V …


Mapping Snowmelt Progression In The Upper Indus Basin With Synthetic Aperture Radar, Jewell Lund, Richard R. Forster, Summer B. Rupper, Elias J. Deeb, H.P. Marshall, Muhammad Zia Hashmi, Evan Burgess Jan 2020

Mapping Snowmelt Progression In The Upper Indus Basin With Synthetic Aperture Radar, Jewell Lund, Richard R. Forster, Summer B. Rupper, Elias J. Deeb, H.P. Marshall, Muhammad Zia Hashmi, Evan Burgess

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Indus River is a vital resource for food security, ecosystem services, hydropower, and economy for millions of people living in Pakistan, India, China, and Afghanistan. Glacier and snowmelt from the high altitude Himalaya, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges are the largest drivers of discharge in the upper Indus Basin (UIB), and contribute significantly to Indus flows. Complex climatology and topography, coupled with the challenges of field study and meteorological measurement in these rugged ranges, elicit notable uncertainties in predicting seasonal runoff as well as cryospheric response to changes in climate. Here we utilize Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) …


Recent Precipitation Decrease Across The Western Greenland Ice Sheet Percolation Zone, Hans-Peter Marshall, Tate Meehan Nov 2019

Recent Precipitation Decrease Across The Western Greenland Ice Sheet Percolation Zone, Hans-Peter Marshall, Tate Meehan

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) in a warming climate is of critical interest in the context of future sea level rise. Increased melting in the GrIS percolation zone due to atmospheric warming over the past several decades has led to increased mass loss at lower elevations. Previous studies have hypothesized that this warming is accompanied by a precipitation increase, as would be expected from the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship, compensating for some of the melt-induced mass loss throughout the western GrIS. This study tests that hypothesis by calculating snow accumulation rates and trends across the western GrIS percolation …


Spatially Extensive Ground‐Penetrating Radar Snow Depth Observations During Nasa's 2017 Snowex Campaign: Comparison With In Situ, Airborne, And Satellite Observations, Hans-Peter Marshall Nov 2019

Spatially Extensive Ground‐Penetrating Radar Snow Depth Observations During Nasa's 2017 Snowex Campaign: Comparison With In Situ, Airborne, And Satellite Observations, Hans-Peter Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Seasonal snow is an important component of Earth's hydrologic cycle and climate system, yet it remains challenging to consistently and accurately measure snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) across the range of diverse snowpack conditions that exist on Earth. The NASA SnowEx campaign is focused on addressing the primary gaps in snow remote sensing in order to gain an improved spatiotemporal understanding of this important resource and to further efforts toward a future satellite‐based snow remote sensing mission. Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) is an efficient and mature approach for measuring snow depth and SWE. We collected ~1.3 million GPR snow …


Snow Depth Variability In The Northern Hemisphere Mountains Observed From Space, Hans-Peter Marshall Oct 2019

Snow Depth Variability In The Northern Hemisphere Mountains Observed From Space, Hans-Peter Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Accurate snow depth observations are critical to assess water resources. More than a billion people rely on water from snow, most of which originates in the Northern Hemisphere mountain ranges. Yet, remote sensing observations of mountain snow depth are still lacking at the large scale. Here, we show the ability of Sentinel-1 to map snow depth in the Northern Hemisphere mountains at 1 km² resolution using an empirical change detection approach. An evaluation with measurements from ~4000 sites and reanalysis data demonstrates that the Sentinel-1 retrievals capture the spatial variability between and within mountain ranges, as well as their inter-annual …


Reverse-Time Migration From Rugged Topography To Image Ground-Penetrating Radar Data In Complex Environments, John H. Bradford, Janna Privette, David Wilkins, Richard Ford Oct 2018

Reverse-Time Migration From Rugged Topography To Image Ground-Penetrating Radar Data In Complex Environments, John H. Bradford, Janna Privette, David Wilkins, Richard Ford

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In ground-penetrating radar (GPR) imaging, it is common for the depth of investigation to be on the same order as the variability in surface topography. In such cases, migration fails when it is carried out from a datum after the application of elevation statics. We introduce a reverse-time migration (RTM) algorithm based on the second-order decoupled form of Maxwell’s equations, which requires computation of only the electric field. The wavefield extrapolation is computed directly from the acquisition surface without the need for datuming. In a synthetic case study, the algorithm significantly improves image accuracy over a processing sequence in which …


Tephra From The 3 March 2015 Sustained Column Related To Explosive Lava Fountain Activity At Volcán Villarrica (Chile), Jeffrey B. Johnson Jul 2018

Tephra From The 3 March 2015 Sustained Column Related To Explosive Lava Fountain Activity At Volcán Villarrica (Chile), Jeffrey B. Johnson

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Exceptionally intense lava fountains at open conduit volcanoes are infrequent, hazardous and little-warned events. Studying their tephra falls may reveal conduit dynamics, eruption source parameters and fragmentation mechanisms. Villarrica Volcano (Southern Andes of Chile) has sustained persistent open conduit activity, associated with a dynamic lava lake since at least 1984–85. Increased seismicity and degassing in August 2014 were followed by Strombolian activity starting in February 2015 and culminated with a 1.5 km-high lava fountain on 3 March 2015. This eruption produced tephra fallout, spatter agglutination, clastogenic lavas and mixed avalanche deposits. Here we characterized for first time Villarrica's 3 March …


Single-Station Seismo-Acoustic Monitoring Of Nyiragongo's Lava Lake Activity (D.R. Congo), Jeffrey B. Johnson Jun 2018

Single-Station Seismo-Acoustic Monitoring Of Nyiragongo's Lava Lake Activity (D.R. Congo), Jeffrey B. Johnson

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since its last effusive eruption in 2002, Nyiragongo has been an open-vent volcano characterized by the world's largest persistent lava lake. This lava lake provides a unique opportunity to detect pressure change in the magmatic system by analyzing its level fluctuations. We demonstrate that this information is contained in the seismic and infrasound signals generated by the lava lake's activity. The continuous seismo-acoustic monitoring permits quantification of lava lake dynamics, which is analyzed retrospectively to identify periods of volcanic unrest. Synchronous, high-resolution satellite SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images are used to constrain lava lake level by measuring the length of …


Acoustic And Seismic Fields Of Hydraulic Jumps At Varying Froude Numbers, Timothy J. Ronan, Jonathan M. Lees, T. Dylan Mikesell, Jacob F. Anderson, Jeffrey B. Johnson Oct 2017

Acoustic And Seismic Fields Of Hydraulic Jumps At Varying Froude Numbers, Timothy J. Ronan, Jonathan M. Lees, T. Dylan Mikesell, Jacob F. Anderson, Jeffrey B. Johnson

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mechanisms that produce seismic and acoustic wavefields near rivers are poorly understood because of a lack of observations relating temporally dependent river conditions to the near-river seismoacoustic fields. This controlled study at the Harry W. Morrison Dam (HWMD) on the Boise River, Idaho, explores how temporal variation in fluvial systems affects surrounding acoustic and seismic fields. Adjusting the configuration of the HWMD changed the river bathymetry and therefore the form of the standing wave below the dam. The HWMD was adjusted to generate four distinct wave regimes that were parameterized through their dimensionless Froude numbers (Fr) and …


Laser Ultrasound Observations Of Mechanical Property Variations In Ice Cores, Thomas Dylan Mikesell, Kasper Van Wijk, Larry Thomas Otheim, Hans-Peter Marshall, Andrei Kurbatov Jan 2017

Laser Ultrasound Observations Of Mechanical Property Variations In Ice Cores, Thomas Dylan Mikesell, Kasper Van Wijk, Larry Thomas Otheim, Hans-Peter Marshall, Andrei Kurbatov

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study of climate records in ice cores requires an accurate determination of annual layering within the cores in order to establish a depth-age relationship. Existing tools to delineate these annual layers are based on observations of changes in optical, chemical, and electromagnetic properties. In practice, no single technique captures every layer in all circumstances. Therefore, the best estimates of annual layering are produced by analyzing a combination of measurable ice properties. We present a novel and complimentary elastic wave remote sensing method based on laser ultrasonics. This method is used to measure variations in ultrasonic wave arrival times and …


The Hydrogeologic Information In Cross-Borehole Complex Conductivity Data From An Unconsolidated Conglomeratic Sedimentary Aquifer, Andrew Binley, John Keery, Lee Slater, Warren Barrash, Mike Cardiff Nov 2016

The Hydrogeologic Information In Cross-Borehole Complex Conductivity Data From An Unconsolidated Conglomeratic Sedimentary Aquifer, Andrew Binley, John Keery, Lee Slater, Warren Barrash, Mike Cardiff

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Accurate estimation of the hydrological properties of near-surface aquifers is important because these properties strongly influence groundwater flow and solute transport. Laboratory-based investigations have indicated that induced polarization (IP) properties of porous media may be linked, through either semi-empirical or fully mechanistic models, to hydrological properties including hydraulic conductivity. Therefore, there is a need for field assessments of the value of IP measurements in providing insights into the hydrological properties of aquifers. A cross-borehole IP survey was carried out at the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site (BHRS), an unconsolidated fluvial aquifer that has previously been well-studied with a variety of geophysical …


Isolating Retrograde And Prograde Rayleigh-Wave Modes Using A Polarity Mute, Gabriel Gribler, Lee M. Liberty, T. Dylan Mikesell, Paul Michaels Sep 2016

Isolating Retrograde And Prograde Rayleigh-Wave Modes Using A Polarity Mute, Gabriel Gribler, Lee M. Liberty, T. Dylan Mikesell, Paul Michaels

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Estimates of S-wave velocity with depth from Rayleigh-wave dispersion data are limited by the accuracy of fundamental and/or higher mode signal identification. In many scenarios, the fundamental mode propagates in retrograde motion, whereas higher modes propagate in prograde motion. This difference in particle motion (or polarity) can be used by joint analysis of vertical and horizontal inline recordings. We have developed a novel method that isolates modes by separating prograde and retrograde motions; we call this a polarity mute. Applying this polarity mute prior to traditional multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) analysis improves phase velocity estimation for fundamental and …


The Spatial Cross-Correlation Method For Dispersive Surface Waves, Andrew P. Lamb, Kasper Van Wijk, Lee M. Liberty, T. Dylan Mikesell Oct 2014

The Spatial Cross-Correlation Method For Dispersive Surface Waves, Andrew P. Lamb, Kasper Van Wijk, Lee M. Liberty, T. Dylan Mikesell

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dispersive surface waves are routinely used to estimate the subsurface shear-wave velocity distribution, at all length scales. In the well-known Spatial Autocorrelation method, dispersion information is gained from the correlation of seismic noise signals recorded on the vertical (or radial) components. We demonstrate practical advantages of including the cross-correlation between radial and vertical components of the wavefield in a spatial cross-correlation method. The addition of cross-correlation information increases the resolution and robustness of the phase velocity dispersion information, as demonstrated in numerical simulations and a near-surface field study with active seismic sources, where our method confirms the presence of a …


Postglacial Early Permian (Late Sakmarian– Early Artinskian) Shallow-Marine Carbonate Deposition Along A 2000 Km Transect From Timor To West Australia, Vladimir I. Davydov Sep 2014

Postglacial Early Permian (Late Sakmarian– Early Artinskian) Shallow-Marine Carbonate Deposition Along A 2000 Km Transect From Timor To West Australia, Vladimir I. Davydov

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Late Sakmarian to early Artinskian (Early Permian) carbonate deposition was widespread in the marine intracratonic rift basins that extended into the interior of Eastern Gondwana from Timor in the north to the northern Perth Basin in the south. These basins spanned about 20° of paleolatitude (approximately 35°S to 55°S). This study describes the type section of the Maubisse Limestone in Timor-Leste, and compares this unit with carbonate sections in the Canning Basin (Nura Nura Member of the Poole Sandstone), the Southern Carnarvon Basin (Callytharra Formation) and the northern Perth Basin (Fossil Cliff Member of the Holmwood Shale). The carbonate units …


Soil, Snow, Weather, And Sub-Surface Storage Data From A Mountain Catchment In The Rain–Snow Transition Zone, P. R. Kormos, D. Marks, C. J. Williams, H. P. Marshall, Pam Aishlin, D. G. Chandler, James P. Mcnamara Apr 2014

Soil, Snow, Weather, And Sub-Surface Storage Data From A Mountain Catchment In The Rain–Snow Transition Zone, P. R. Kormos, D. Marks, C. J. Williams, H. P. Marshall, Pam Aishlin, D. G. Chandler, James P. Mcnamara

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

A comprehensive hydroclimatic data set is presented for the 2011 water year to improve understanding of hydrologic processes in the rain-snow transition zone. This type of dataset is extremely rare in scientific literature because of the quality and quantity of soil depth, soil texture, soil moisture, and soil temperature data. Standard meteorological and snow cover data for the entire 2011 water year are included, which include several rain-on-snow events. Surface soil textures and soil depths from 57 points are presented as well as soil texture profiles from 14 points. Meteorological data include continuous hourly shielded, unshielded, and wind corrected precipitation, …


A Combined Field And Numerical Approach To Understanding Dilute Pyroclastic Density Current Dynamics And Hazard Potential: Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand, Brittany D. Brand, Darren Gravley, Amanda Clarke, Jan Lindsay, Simon H. Boomberg, Javier Agustin-Flores, Károly Németh Apr 2014

A Combined Field And Numerical Approach To Understanding Dilute Pyroclastic Density Current Dynamics And Hazard Potential: Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand, Brittany D. Brand, Darren Gravley, Amanda Clarke, Jan Lindsay, Simon H. Boomberg, Javier Agustin-Flores, Károly Németh

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The most dangerous and deadly hazards associated with phreatomagmatic eruption in the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF; Auckland, New Zealand) are those related to volcanic base surges - dilute, ground-hugging, particle laden currents with dynamic pressures capable of severe to complete structural damage. We use the well-exposed base surge deposits of the Maungataketake tuff ring, (Manukau coast, Auckland) to reconstruct flow dynamics and destructive potential of base surges produced during the eruption. The initial base surge(s) snapped trees up to 0.5 m in diameter near their base as far as 0.7-0.9 km from the vent. Beyond this distance the trees were …


Dynamics Of Pyroclastic Density Currents: Conditions That Promote Substrate Erosion And Self-Channelization - Mount St Helens, Washington (Usa), Brittany D. Brand, Chelsea Mackaman-Lofland, Nicholas M. Pollock, Sylvana Bendaña, Blaine Dawson, Pamela Wichgers Apr 2014

Dynamics Of Pyroclastic Density Currents: Conditions That Promote Substrate Erosion And Self-Channelization - Mount St Helens, Washington (Usa), Brittany D. Brand, Chelsea Mackaman-Lofland, Nicholas M. Pollock, Sylvana Bendaña, Blaine Dawson, Pamela Wichgers

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The May 18th, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH) produced multiple pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), burying the area north of the volcano under 10s of meters of deposits. Detailed measurements of recently exposed strata from these PDCs provide substantial insight into the dynamics of concentrated currents including inferences on particle-particle interactions, current mobility due to sedimentation fluidization and internal pore pressure, particle support mechanisms, the influence of surface roughness and the conditions that promote substrate erosion and self-channelization. Four primary flow units are identified along the extensive drainage system north of the volcano. Each flow unit has intricate vertical …