Propagation and early growth of normal faults

This research project used 3D seismic data located in the Levant Basin, eastern Mediterranean and in the Espirito Santo Basin, offshore Brazil, in order to investigate the early propagation of small normal faults and develop criteria to reconstruct fault kinematics. Detailed interpretation of the 3D geometry of faults, extensive mapping of the throw distribution and investigation of the ductile deformation in the volume surrounding the fault planes provided new insights into the propagation and early growth of normal faults. The Levant survey was used to investigate a unique array of small blind normal faults that were then compared to neighbouring small growth faults in order to better understand their early growth history. Criteria for the recognition of blind faults were defined. Unrestricted blind faults were compared to those that underwent a subsequent mechanical interaction with a major lithological boundary or another structure. The results show that such restrictions affect the throw distribution on most of the fault plane and is not only limited to the proximal zone of interaction. An analysis of growth faults that have recently made the transition from a blind stage to a syn-sedimentary stage suggests that most of the fault surface area formed during the blind propagation phase. A large proportion of the displacement was added during the syn-sedimentary phase as a result of interaction with the free surface. This led to a change in the position of the point of maximum displacement, as well as a shift of the entire vertical throw distribution. These results suggest that the dimensions of the faults were established early in the growth history and that displacement on and surrounding fault planes was added for a near constant dimension. Crestal extensional faults that grew by blind propagation before reaching the surface were investigated from the Espirito-Santo survey. These faults were reactivated by blind propagation after a significant period of quiescence. A reconstruction of the 3D geometry of the fault network and detailed analysis of the throw distribution provided new insights into the kinematics of reactivation. Two distinct modes of reactivation are recognised: a typical reactivation by upward propagation and a reactivation by dip linkage. These are selective processes and factors controlling preferential reactivation are discussed. All these results have wide implications for fault growth models and are applicable to many petroleum systems.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Propagation and early growth of normal faults

This research project used 3D seismic data located in the Levant Basin, eastern Mediterranean and in the Espirito Santo Basin, offshore Brazil, in order to investigate the early propagation of small normal faults and develop criteria to reconstruct fault kinematics. Detailed interpretation of the 3D geometry of faults, extensive mapping of the throw distribution and investigation of the ductile deformation in the volume surrounding the fault planes provided new insights into the propagation and early growth of normal faults. The Levant survey was used to investigate a unique array of small blind normal faults that were then compared to neighbouring small growth faults in order to better understand their early growth history. Criteria for the recognition of blind faults were defined. Unrestricted blind faults were compared to those that underwent a subsequent mechanical interaction with a major lithological boundary or another structure. The results show that such restrictions affect the throw distribution on most of the fault plane and is not only limited to the proximal zone of interaction. An analysis of growth faults that have recently made the transition from a blind stage to a syn-sedimentary stage suggests that most of the fault surface area formed during the blind propagation phase. A large proportion of the displacement was added during the syn-sedimentary phase as a result of interaction with the free surface. This led to a change in the position of the point of maximum displacement, as well as a shift of the entire vertical throw distribution. These results suggest that the dimensions of the faults were established early in the growth history and that displacement on and surrounding fault planes was added for a near constant dimension. Crestal extensional faults that grew by blind propagation before reaching the surface were investigated from the Espirito-Santo survey. These faults were reactivated by blind propagation after a significant period of quiescence. A reconstruction of the 3D geometry of the fault network and detailed analysis of the throw distribution provided new insights into the kinematics of reactivation. Two distinct modes of reactivation are recognised: a typical reactivation by upward propagation and a reactivation by dip linkage. These are selective processes and factors controlling preferential reactivation are discussed. All these results have wide implications for fault growth models and are applicable to many petroleum systems

Noncanonical splicing junctions between exons and transposable elements represent a source of immunogenic recurrent neo-antigens in patients with lung cancer

Although most characterized tumor antigens are encoded by canonical transcripts (such as differentiation or tumor-testis antigens) or mutations (both driver and passenger mutations), recent results have shown that noncanonical transcripts including long noncoding RNAs and transposable elements (TEs) can also encode tumor-specific neo-antigens. Here, we investigate the presentation and immunogenicity of tumor antigens derived from noncanonical mRNA splicing events between coding exons and TEs. Comparing human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and diverse healthy tissues, we identified a subset of splicing junctions that is both tumor specific and shared across patients. We used HLA-I peptidomics to identify peptides encoded by tumor-specific junctions in primary NSCLC samples and lung tumor cell lines. Recurrent junction-encoded peptides were immunogenic in vitro, and CD8+ T cells specific for junction-encoded epitopes were present in tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes from patients with NSCLC. We conclude that noncanonical splicing junctions between exons and TEs represent a source of recurrent, immunogenic tumor-specific antigens in patients with NSCLC

3D seismic characterisation of an array of blind normal faults in the Levant Basin, Eastern Mediterranean

The geometry, throw distribution and kinematics of an array of blind normal faults were investigated using a high resolution 3D seismic dataset located in the Levant Basin, offshore Israel, to establish criteria allowing true blind faults to be distinguished from minor synsedimentary faults. A detailed analysis of throw distribution on the fault planes shows that the displacement exhibits a crudely concentric pattern about a maximum region located centrally on a fault plane, as expected for ideal blind faults. However, vertical displacement profiles do not exhibit classical linear or triangular profiles but are mostly flat-topped or hybrid in type. Comparison of unrestricted blind faults to those that interacted with a mechanical boundary or another structure suggests that such interactions significantly modify the throw spatial distribution on a fault plane. To distinguish small synsedimentary faults from blind faults, we use a combination of three criteria to assess whether a fault grew by blind propagation: (1) plunging upper-tip region and complementary pattern in the throw contours, (2) presence of upper-tip propagation fold, and (3) absence of stratigraphic evidence that the fault interacted with the free surface

The kinematics of reactivation of normal faults using high resolution throw mapping

Normal reactivation of extensional faults offsetting Cenozoic clastic sediments is investigated using high quality 3D seismic data from offshore Brazil. These faults form complex crestal collapse grabens and result from elliptical doming of the underlying Cretaceous sequence due to Early Cenozoic uplift. The exceptional quality of this dataset allows an extremely detailed analysis of the throw distribution to be conducted on the faults. This, in addition to a reconstruction of the 3D geometry of the fault network, gives insights into the mechanisms and kinematics of reactivation. Two distinct modes of reactivation are recognised from this dataset. The main mode is a classical reactivation by upward propagation of pre-existing structures. A second mode, termed reactivation by dip linkage, is the propagation of an individual fault segment initiated above the pre-existing faults that hard link in the dip direction. For both mechanisms, reactivation processes are selective and only occur on some portions of faults. Factors controlling the preferential reactivation of some segments include: (1) orientation of the pre-existing fault plane relative to the principal stresses responsible for the reactivation, (2) segmentation of the pre-existing network and (3) maximum dimensions and throw values of pre-existing faults and basal tip line geometry associated with a detachment. Reactivation is an important process that may account for part of the scatter in fault-scaling relationships and should be included in fault-growth models

Early stage evolution of growth faults: 3D seismic insights from the Levant Basin, Eastern Mediterranean

The geometry and kinematic evolution of small growth faults were analysed from a high-resolution 3D seismic dataset located at the margins of the Levant Basin, in the eastern Mediterranean. The 3D geometry, segmentation history and throw distribution of one particular fault was reconstructed to evaluate and illustrate the changes in dimension and displacement distribution that occurred during the transition from purely blind propagation to propagation at the free surface. The fault is considered to have grown by blind radial propagation of three main segments that hard-linked prior to surface interaction. The fault subsequently reached the seabed and continued to accrue displacement as a syn-sedimentary fault. Most of the fault surface area formed during the blind propagation phase, but most of the displacement was added during the syn-sedimentary phase of the growth history with little increase in surface area. The interaction of the fault with the free surface led to a change in the position of the point of maximum displacement as well as modifying the vertical throw distribution. The amount of displacement added after this transition from blind fault to growth fault is discussed with respect to existing fault-growth models

Permo-Triassic structural evolution of the Argana Valley, impact of the Atlantic rifting in the High Atlas, Morocco

International audienceThis paper provides an alternative model to explain the structural evolution of the Argana Valley, located in the Western High Atlas of Morocco. Most Triassic basins in the High Atlas have been described as isolated rift basins distributed along an ENE-WSW oriented trough and developed as a series of halfgrabens. They are characterised by two main sets of syn-sedimentary faults striking ENE-WSW and NNE-SSW, generally attributed to the Atlantic and Tethys rifting. The Permo-Triassic sediments of the Argana Valley are offset by similar trending faults and, as such, they have been interpreted as typical infill sediments of narrow rift-basins in Morocco, controlled by syn-sedimentary faulting due to the Atlantic rifting. Our study investigates the structural evolution of the area using newly acquired field analysis of the main faults and unconformities. This data, together with published information, has been used to construct a series of structural cross-sections across the valley. Three main unconformities have been recognised. The first unconformity separates Permian sediments from the underlying deformed Palaeozoic rocks. The second is an angular unconformity between Late Permian sediments and the overlying Triassic sequence, attributed to relaxation and orogenic collapse that occurred after the Hercynian Orogeny. The geometry of Late Permian units suggests that the large E-W to ENE-WSW faults occurred after deposition of the Late Permian and before the Triassic, and were associated with a major phase of tectonic activity and associated erosion. The third angular unconformity occurs between the latest Triassic sediments and the overlying basalts or Jurassic sedimentary sequence. Significantly, this study suggests that the ENE-WSW faults and most of NNE faults were not active during sedimentation of the Triassic. We conclude that the Triassic sediments of the Argana Valley were not deposited in a half graben, but within a slowly subsiding domain, such as a sag basin or a wide rift. Comparison with other Permo-Triassic basins on the Atlantic margin and in the High Atlas suggests that the structural evolution in the western part of the High Atlas has been mainly affected by Atlantic rifting. The influence of Tethys rifting is confined to the central part of the High Atlas, the Massif Ancien acting as a structural buffer between the two realms

La rougeole en France

Entre janvier 2008 et mai 2012, plus de 22 000 cas de rougeole ont été déclarés en France. L’incidence la plus élevée a été observée chez les enfants de moins de un an, et plus de 50 % des cas ont été déclarés chez de jeunes adultes. Près de 5 000 patients ont été hospitalisés, dont 1 023 atteints de pneumonie, 27 d’encéphalite/myélite ; 10 patients sont décédés. Cette situation résulte d’une couverture vaccinale insuffisante, hétérogène, avec constitution progressive d’un réservoir de sujets réceptifs permettant la circulation du virus. Si la couverture avec deux doses de vaccin a augmenté pour les enfants, améliorer celle des jeunes adultes demeure un objectif majeur pour éliminer la maladie et, en particulier, pour pouvoir protéger les populations vulnérables ne pouvant être vaccinées (enfants de moins d’un an, patients immunodéprimés, femmes enceintes)

Use of short message service (SMS) to improve malaria chemoprophylaxis compliance after returning from a malaria endemic area

Abstract Background Malaria chemoprophylaxis compliance is suboptimal among French soldiers despite the availability of free malaria chemoprophylaxis and repeated health education before, during and after deployment to malaria endemic areas. Methods In 2007, a randomized controlled study was performed among a cohort of French soldiers returning from Côte d'Ivoire to assess the feasibility and acceptability of sending a daily short message service (SMS) reminder message via mobile device to remind soldiers to take their malaria chemoprophylaxis, and to assess the impact of the daily reminder SMS on chemoprophylaxis compliance. Malaria chemoprophylaxis consisted of a daily dose of 100 mg doxycycline monohydrate, which began upon arrival in Côte d'Ivoire and was to be continued for 28 days following return to France. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by questionnaire. Cohort members were followed for a 28 day period, with compliance assessed by use of an electronic medication monitoring device, from which several indicators were developed: daily proportion of compliant individuals, average number of pills taken, and early discontinuation. Results Among 424 volunteers randomized to the study, 47.6% were assigned to the SMS group and 52.3% to the control group. Approximately 90% of subjects assigned to the SMS group received a daily SMS at midday during the study. Persons of the SMS group agreed more frequently that SMS reminders were very useful and that the device was not annoying. Compliance did not vary significantly between groups across the compliance indicators. Conclusion SMS did not increase malaria chemoprophylaxis compliance above baseline, likely because the persons did not benefit from holidays after the return and stayed together. So the reminder by SMS was noted by all subjects of the study. Another study should be done to confirm these results on soldiers going on holidays from employment after return or with individual travellers.</p

Measles Elimination Efforts and 2008–2011 Outbreak, France

Although few measles cases were reported in France during 2006 and 2007, suggesting the country might have been close to eliminating the disease, a dramatic outbreak of&gt;20,000 cases occurred during 2008–2011. Adolescents and young adults accounted for more than half of cases; median patient age increased from 12 to 16 years during the outbreak. The highest incidence rate was observed in children &lt;1 year of age, reaching 135 cases/100,000 infants during the last epidemic wave. Almost 5,000 patients were hospitalized, including 1,023 for severe pneumonia and 27 for encephalitis/myelitis; 10 patients died. More than 80 % of the cases during this period occurred in unvaccinated persons, reflecting heterogeneous vaccination coverage, where pockets of susceptible persons still remain. Although vaccine coverage among children improved, convincing susceptible young adults to get vaccinated remains a critical issue if the target to eliminate the disease by 2015 is to be met. In 1983, measles vaccination was introduced into the immunization schedule for toddlers in France; the combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) has been used since 1986. A second MMR dose was added in 1996. Until 2004, recommendation were that the first dose (MMR1) be administered at 12 months of age and the second (MMR2) at 3–6 years of age. A catch-up schedule with 1 dose of MMR was also recommended for unvaccinated children 6–13 years of age. To meet the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region’s goals for measles elimination, a national plan was implemented in 2005. It included bringing forward the administration of MMR2 to a child’s second year of life in addition to expanding catch-up to includ