The critical earthquake concept applied to mine rockbursts with time-to-failure analysis

We report new tests of the critical earthquake concepts performed on rockbursts in deep South African mines. We extend the concept of an optimal time and space correlation region and test it on the eight main shocks of our catalog provided by ISSI. In a first test, we use the simplest signature of criticality in terms of a power law time-to-failure formula. Notwithstanding the fact that the search for the optimal correlation size is performed with this simple power law, we find evidence both for accelerated seismicity and for the presence of logperiodic behavior with a prefered scaling factor close to 2. We then propose a new algorithm based on a space and time smoothing procedure, which is also intended to account for the finite range and time mechanical interactions between events. This new algorithm provides a much more robust and efficient construction of the optimal correlation region, which allows us the use of the logperiodic formula directly in the search process. In this preliminary work, we have only tested the new algorithm on the largest event on the catalog. The result is of remarkable good quality with a dramatic improvement in accuracy and robustness. This confirms the potential importance of logperiodic signals. Our study opens the road for an efficient implemention of a systematic testing procedure of real-time predictions.Comment: 22 pages, 32 figure

Acceptance of the 2004 distinguished service award to Claude J. Allègre

International audienc

Weathering regime associated with subsurface circulation on volcanic islands

International audienceVolcanic islands, being characterized by highly porous basaltic/andesitic lava flows and pyroclastic deposits, are subject to important chemical weathering by subsurface waters. Moreover, such subsurface weathering is impacted by hydrothermal springs in both active and non-active volcanic areas, thus increasing dissolved load concentrations. Here, we focus on the subsurface water chemistry in the volcanic islands of the Lesser Antilles and Re'union and on the origin of these subsurface flows. We are able, through the use of various isotopic tools (C, Sr, U-Th), to identify hydrothermal influences in river water. For example, Li concentrations show a positive correlation with temperature of hot and cold springs and also a relationship with d13C; from this, we can show that several sources of hydrothermal activity influence the rivers of the Lesser Antilles and that some rivers also reveal an important organic influence. As much as 20% of the subsurface hydrothermal springs go to feed the rivers. The increasing temperatures result in more dissolved elements being mobilized and an increase in chemical weathering rates. In addition, using the (230Th/238U) isochron for the well and river dissolved loads in Martinique, Guadeloupe and Re'union, we can evaluate residence times in the river water, i.e. the average residence time in the water along the circulation path to the sampling point. Alteration takes longer when the water circulates through thick soil, for example, 400-5,000 years when circulating under an ash profile and 1,200-15,000 years when circulating through a collapse zone. It would appear that waters circulation is globally three times longer for subsurface water than for surficial water. The weathering regime in tropical volcanic environments seems to be controlled mainly by such subsurface circulation with high chemical concentration from hydrothermal inputs. The origin of these compositions is varied and not controlled by a single hydrothermal spring. Consequently, it is subsurface circulation that determines the weathering regime in tropical volcanic islands with the main controlling parameters being temperature and residence time

He, Ne and Ar composition of the European lithospheric mantle

International audienc

Intensity and time scale for chemical weathering in mountainous and tropical plain environment (Amazon basin) by Uranium-series

1 page(s

Evidence for a mantle component shown by rare gases, C and N isotopes in polycrystalline diamonds from Orapa (Botswana)

In an attempt to constrain the origin of polycrystalline diamond, combined analyses of rare gases and carbon and nitrogen isotopes were performed on six such diamonds from Orapa (Botswana). Helium shows radiogenic isotopic ratios of R/Ra = 0.14–1.29, while the neon ratios (21Ne/22Ne of up to 0.0534) reflect a component from mantle, nucleogenic and atmospheric sources. 40Ar/36Ar ratios of between 477 and 6056 are consistent with this interpretation. The (129Xe/130Xe) isotopic ratios range between 6.54 and 6.91 and the lower values indicate an atmospheric component. The He, Ne, Ar and Xe isotopic compositions and the Xe isotopic pattern are clear evidence for a mantle component rather than a crustal one in the source of the polycrystalline diamonds from Orapa. The δ13C and δ15N isotopic values of − 1.04 to − 9.79‰ and + 4.5 to + 15.5‰ respectively, lie within the range of values obtained from the monocrystalline diamonds at that mine. Additionally, this work reveals that polycrystalline diamonds may not be the most appropriate samples to study if the aim is to consider the compositional evolution of rare gases through time. Our data shows that after crystallization, the polycrystalline diamonds undergo both gas loss (that is more significant for the lighter rare gases such as He and Ne) and secondary processes (such as radiogenic, nucleogenic and fissiogenic, as well as atmospheric contamination). Finally, if polycrystalline diamonds sampled an old mantle (1–3.2 Ga), the determined Xe isotopic signatures, which are similar to present MORB mantle – no fissiogenic Xe from fission of 238U being detectable – imply either that Xe isotopic ratios have not evolved within the convective mantle since diamond crystallization, or that these diamonds are actually much younger

Mobility of U-series nuclides during basalt weathering: an example from the Deccan Traps (India)

U-series disequilibria have been measured by TIMS and MC-ICP-MS in dissolved phases and suspended sediments of the main basaltic rivers from the Deccan Trap region (India). For dissolved phases (234U/238U), (230Th/238U), and (226Ra/238U) range between 1.11 and 1.28, between 0.03×10−2 and 1.35×10−2, and between 0.02 and 0.16 respectively. For suspended particles, (234U/238U), (230Th/238U), and (226Ra/238U) range from 0.95 to 1.1, from 1.23 to 1.59 and from 0.1 to 0.47 respectively. 230Th–238U and 234U–238U systems show direct links with indices of weathering. The data also indicate possible redistributions between the solid and aqueous phases and indicate that erosion processes do not presently operate at steady-state because present-day physical erosion rates are higher than expected (100–400 mm/ka versus 40 mm/ka for a steady-state process) for the Narmada and the Tapti basins. Models assuming either discrete or continuous particle leaching yield timescales for chemical erosion of 40–90 ka. In contrast with basins located in Northern latitudes, erosion in the Deccan basins does not appear to have been significantly disturbed during the last glaciation. 234U–238U disequilibria in the dissolved phase of large rivers world-wide are also explored and two key factors are highlighted in this study: the dissolution of carbonates, releasing dissolved U at secular equilibrium and, the silicate weathering rate estimated at the scale of the watershed. In particular, a positive correlation is found between dissolved (234U/238U) and basaltic weathering rates for the Deccan that could reflect a key role of physical erosion since, for silicate monolithological basins, chemical erosion rates are primarily controlled by physical erosion rates. For basins with mixed lithology, dissolved organic matter also plays a key role in the preferential release of 234U from silicate minerals. (234U/238U) ratios in rivers therefore reflect a mixture between U released by carbonate dissolution and 234U preferentially released from silicate minerals located in high physical erosion and peat areas

The compatibility of rhenium and osmium in natural olivine and their behaviour during mantle melting and basalt genesis

14 page(s