Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD European Geosciences Union
Résumé : International audience
During the GWADASEIS cruise (Lesser Antilles volcanic arc, February-March 2009) a very high resolution (VHR) seismic-reflection survey was performed in order to constrain Late Quaternary to Present faulting. The profiles we obtained evidence frequent "ponding" of reworked sediments in the deepest areas, similar to the deposition of Mediterranean "homogenites". These bodies are acoustically transparent (few ms t.w.t. thick) and are often deposited on the hanging walls of dominantly normal faults, at the base of scarps. Their thickness appears sufficient to compensate (i.e. bury) co-seismic scarps between successive earthquakes, resulting in a flat and horizontal sea floor through time. In a selected area (offshore Montserrat and Nevis islands), piston coring (4 to 7 m long) was dedicated to a sedimentological analysis of the most recent of these particular layers. It corresponds to non-stratified homogenous calcareous silty sand (reworked calcareous plankton and minor volcanoclastics). This layer can be up to 2 m thick, and overlies finegrained hemipelagites. The upper centimeters of the latter represent the normal RedOx water/sediment interface. 210Pb and 137Cs activities lack in the massive sands, while a normal profile of unsupported 210Pb decrease is observed in the hemipelagite below, together with a 137Cs peak correspond- ing to the Atmospheric Nuclear Experiments (1962). The RedOx level was thus capped by a recent instantaneous major sedimentary event considered as post-1970 AD; candidate seismic events to explain this sedimentary deposits are either the 16 March 1985 earthquake or the 8 October 1974 one (Mw=6.3 and Mw=7.4, respectively). This leads to consider that the syntectonic sedimentation in this area is not continuous but results from accumulation of thick homogenites deposited after the earthquakes (as observed in the following weeks after Haiti January 2010 event, McHugh et al., 2011). The existence of such deposits suggests that, in the area of study, vertical throw likely results from cumulated effects of separated earthquakes rather than from aseismic creep. Examination of VHR profiles shows that all major co-seismic offsets are recorded in the fault growth sequence and that co-seismic offsets can be precisely estimated. By using a sedimentation rate deduced from 210Pb decrease curve (0.5 mm yr−1) and taking into account minor reworking events detected in cores, we show that the Redonda system may have been responsible for five >M6 events during the last 34 000 yr. The approach presented in this work differs from fault activity analyses using displaced sets of isochronous surfaces and postulating co-seismic offsets. Combining VHR seismic imagery and coring we can decipher co-seismic vs. slow continuous displacement, and thus actually estimate the amplitude and the time distribution of major co-seismic offsets.
ISSN: 1561-8633

insu-00844581
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00844581
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00844581/document
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00844581/file/nhess-12-1755-2012.pdf
DOI : 10.5194/nhess-12-1755-2012

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Royal Society, The
Résumé : International audience
Nucleation mechanisms occurring during dynamic recrystallization play a crucial role in the evolution of microstructures and textures during high temperature deformation. In polycrystalline ice, the strong viscoplastic anisotropy induces high strain heterogeneities between grains which control the recrystallization mechanisms. Here, we study the nucleation mechanisms occurring during creep tests performed on polycrystalline columnar ice at high temperature and stress (T=−5°C;σ=0.5 MPa) by post-mortem analyses of deformation microstructures using cryogenic electron backscatter diffraction. The columnar geometry of the samples enables discrimination of the nuclei from the initial grains. Various nucleation mechanisms are deduced from the analysis of the nuclei relations with the dislocation sub-structures within grains and at grain boundaries. Tilt sub-grain boundaries and kink bands are the main structures responsible for development of polygonization and mosaic sub-structures. Nucleation by bulging at serrated grain boundaries is also an efficient nucleation mechanism near the grain boundaries where strain incompatibilities are high. Observation of nuclei with orientations not related to the ‘parent’ ones suggests the possibility of ‘spontaneous’ nucleation driven by the relaxation of the dislocation-related internal stress field. The complexity of the nucleation mechanisms observed here emphasizes the impact of stress and strain heterogeneities on dynamic recrystallization mechanisms.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Microdynamics of ice’.
ISSN: 1364-503X

hal-01467152
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01467152
DOI : 10.1098/rsta.2015.0345

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
Two types of olivine occur in kimberlites from Greenland, Canada and southern Africa. The first, xenocrystic olivine, displays several different forms. Most distinctive are 'nodules', a term we use to describe the large (1-5 mm), rounded, single crystals or polycrystalline aggregates that are a common constituent of many kimberlites. Olivine compositions are uniform within single nodules but vary widely from nodule to nodule, from Fo81 to 93. Within many nodules, sub- to euhedral asymmetric tablets have grown within larger anhedral olivine grains. Dislocation structures, particularly in the anhedral grains, demonstrate that this olivine was deformed before being incorporated into the kimberlite magma. Olivine grains in the kimberlite matrix between the nodules have morphologies similar to those of the tablets, suggesting that most matrix olivine grains are parts of disaggregated nodules. We propose that a sub- to euhedral form is not sufficient to identify phenocrysts in kimberlites and provide some criteria, based on morphology, internal deformation and composition, that distinguish phenocrysts from xenocrysts. The second type of olivine is restricted to rims surrounding xenocrystic grains. Only this olivine crystallized from the kimberlite magma. Major and trace element data for the rim olivine are used to calculate the composition of the parental kimberlite liquid, which is found to contain between about 20 and 30% MgO. The bulk compositions of many kimberlites contain higher MgO contents as a result of the presence of xenocrystic olivine. The monomineralic, dunitic, character of the nodules, and the wide range from Fo-rich to Fo-poor olivine compositions, provide major constraints on the origin of the nodules. Dunite is a relatively rare rock in the mantle and where present its olivine is persistently Fo-rich. The dunitic source of the nodules in kimberlites lacked minerals such as pyroxene and an aluminous phase, which make up about half of most mantle-derived rocks. It appears that these minerals were removed from the mantle peridotite that was to become the source of the nodules, and the Fo content of the retained olivine was modified during interaction with CO2-rich fluids whose arrival at the base of the lithosphere immediately preceded the passage of the kimberlite magmas. Fragments of the resultant dunite were entrained into the kimberlite, where they were retained both as intact nodules and as disaggregated grains in the matrix.
ISSN: 0022-3530

insu-00543321
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00543321
BIBCODE : 10.1093/petrology/egp080
DOI : 10.1093/petrology/egp080

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
A dense, local network of 30 geodetic markers covering a 50 × 60 km2 area in the southwestern European Alps (Briançon region) has been temporarily surveyed in 1996, 2006 and 2011 by GPS. The aim is to measure the current deformation in this seismically active area. The study zone is characterized by a majority of extensional and dextral focal mechanisms, along north–south to N160 oriented faults. The combined analysis of the three measurement campaigns over 15 years and up to 16 years of permanent GPS data from the French RENAG network now enables to assess horizontal velocities below 1 mm/year within the local network. The long observation interval and the redundancy of the dense campaign network measurement help to constrain a significant local deformation pattern in the Briançon region, yielding an average E–W extension of 16 ± 11 nanostrain/year. We compare the geodetic deformation field to the seismic deformation rate cumulated over 37 years, and obtain good coherencies both in amplitude and direction. Moreover, the horizontal deformation localized in the Briançon region represents a major part of the Adriatic-European relative plate motion. However, the average uplift of the network in an extensional setting needs the presence of buoyancy forces in addition to plate tectonics.
ISSN: 0264-3707

hal-01119724
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01119724
DOI : 10.1016/j.jog.2015.02.001

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Météo et Climat
Résumé : International audience
Le premier volet du projet Cyprim vise à mieux identifier les précurseurs des cyclogenèses et des précipitations intenses en région méditerranéenne. Cet article en présente les principaux résultats. Il est question des ingrédients météorologiques à l'origine de ces systèmes, de la grande à la mésoéchelle, des causes des fortes intensités, localisations et parfois stationnarité des récipitations associées. Le coeur de l'article présente des méthodes d'identification des anomalies de tourbillon potentiel liées à l'occurrence d'événements précipitants intenses et dresse une climatologie de ces anomalies. Les perspectives d'exploitation de cette information pour améliorer la qualité des prévisions sont évoquées. ENGLISH VERSION: The first part of the CYPRIM project (Cyclogenesis and intense precipitations in the Mediterranean region) aims at a better identification of the precursor structures of cyclogenesis and heavy precipitation in the Mediterranean region. This article presents the main results. It mentions the meteorological ingredients from which these systems originate from the large to themesoscale, the reasons for large intensities, the localization and sometimes stationarity of the associated precipitations. The heart of the article shows methods for identifiying potential vorticity anomalies involved in the occurrence of heavy precipitation events and sets up a climatology of these anomalies.The perspectives of the usefulness of this information for improving forecast quality are discussed.
ISSN: 0026-1181

insu-00448250
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00448250
DOI : 10.4267/2042/28828

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Frontiers Media
Résumé : International audience
We present high resolution observations of microstructure and texture evolution during dynamic recrystallization (DRX) of ice polycrystals deformed in the laboratory at high temperature (≈0.98Tm). Ice possesses a significant viscoplastic anisotropy that induces strong strain heterogeneities, which result in an early occurrence of DRX mechanisms. It is therefore a model material to explore these mechanisms. High resolution c-axis measurements at sample scale by optical techniques and full crystallographic orientation measurements by cryo-Electron Back Scattering Diffraction (EBSD) provide a solid database for analyzing the relative impact of the macroscopic imposed stress vs. the local and internal stress fields on DRX mechanisms. Analysis of misorientation gradients in the EBSD data highlights a heterogeneous dislocation distribution, which is quantified by the Nye tensor estimation. Joint analyses of the dislocation density maps and microstructural observations highlight spatial correlation between high dislocation density sites and the onset of nucleation taking place by grain-boundary bulging, subgrain rotation or by the formation of kink-bands.
ISSN: 2296-6463

hal-01515284
https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01515284
DOI : 10.3389/feart.2015.00081

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
A temporary network of 10 broad-band seismic stations has been installed in French Polynesia for the Polynesian Lithosphere and Upper Mantle Experiment (PLUME). All the seismic stations were installed either on volcanic islands or on atolls of the various archipelagos of French Polynesia in a manner which complements the geographic coverage provided by the regional permanent stations. The primary aim of PLUME is to image the upper mantle structures related to plate motion and hotspot activity. However, because of its proximity to all sites, the ocean is responsible for a high level of noise in the seismic data and we show that these data can also be used to analyse ocean wave activity. The power spectral density (PSD) analyses of the seismic data recorded in French Polynesia show clear peaks in the 0.05– 0.10 Hz band (periods between 10 and 20 s), which corresponds to swell frequencies. Clear peaks in this frequency band are also observed in infrasonic data recorded on Tahiti. Ground motion analysis shows that the swell-related seismic noise (SRSN) is linearly polarized in the horizontal plane and its amplitude decreases rapidly with the distance from the shore. The microseismic and the infrasonic 'noise' amplitudes show very similar variations from station to station and both are strongly correlated with the swell amplitudes predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), wind-forced, 'WaveWatch' models. The swell direction can be estimated from SRSN polarization analysis but this has to be done with care since, for some cases, the ground motions are strongly controlled by the islands' anisometric shapes and by swell refraction processes. We find cases, however, such as Tahiti or roughly circular Tuamotu atolls, where the azimuth of the swell is in good agreement with the seismic estimates. We, therefore, demonstrate that the SRSN and the infrasonic signal observed in French Polynesia can be used in such cases as a proxy for swell amplitude and azimuth. From the continuous analysis of the data recorded in 2003 at the permanent seismic station PPTL in Tahiti, transfer functions have been obtained. This could provide a way to quantify the swell activity during the last two decades and, therefore, assist in the investigation of climate changes.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-01388809
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01388809
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01388809/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01388809/file/Barruol_swell_GJI2006.pdf
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02871.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BRGM
Résumé : National audience
Proceedings 1ère Journée 'Alea Gravitaire'
Orléans, France

hal-00533951
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00533951

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Vuibert
Résumé : Depuis l'origine des temps géologiques, la surface de la Terre est en perpétuel bouleversement. Après les avoir fait apparaître, la tectonique des plaques promène les continents d'un bout à l'autre de la Terre dans une danse qui ne doit rien au hasard. Tremblements de Terre, éruptions volcaniques, tsunamis... les manifestations les plus visibles des colères actuelles de la Terre font peur. Toutes sont dues à la dynamique du manteau de la Terre dont les couches les plus profondes sont continuellement brassées avec les plus superficielles. Dans l'histoire de la Terre, les lents mouvements du manteau terrestre ont quelquefois été pris dans des événements d'avalanches catastrophiques qui ont successivement créé et détruit les supercontinents. Les conséquences de ces événements se mesurent à l'échelle de la planète entière qu'ils ont modelée de manière irréversible par des phénomènes volcaniques et tectoniques dont l'ampleur n'a rien a voir avec ceux que nous connaissons aujourd'hui.
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00525570

hal-00525570
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00525570

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD European Geosciences Union
Résumé : International audience
We develop and implement a new method to take into account the impact of waves into the 3-D circulation model SYMPHONIE (Marsaleix et al., 2008, 2009a), following the simplified equations of Bennis et al. (2011) which use glm2z-RANS theory (Ardhuin et al., 2008b). These adiabatic equations are completed by additional parameterizations of wave breaking, bottom friction and wave-enhanced vertical mixing, making the forcing valid from the surf zone through to the open ocean. The wave forcing is performed by wave generation and propagation models WAVEWATCH III® (Tolman, 2008, 2009; Ardhuin et al., 2010) and SWAN (Booij et al., 1999). The model is tested and compared with other models for a plane beach test case, previously tested by Haas and Warner (2009) and Uchiyama et al. (2010). A comparison is also made with the laboratory measurements of Haller et al. (2002) of a barred beach with channels. Results fit with previous simulations performed by other models and with available observational data. Finally, a realistic case of energetic waves travelling over a coast of the Gulf of Lion (in the northwest of the Mediterranean Sea) for which currents are available at different depths as well as an accurate bathymetric database of the 0-10 m depth range, is then simulated. A grid nesting approach is used to account for the different forcings acting at different spatial scales. The simulation coupling the effects of waves and currents is successful to reproduce the powerful northward littoral drift in the 0-15 m depth zone. More precisely, two distinct cases are identified: when waves have a normal angle of incidence with the coast, they are responsible for complex circulation cells and rip currents in the surf zone, and when they travel obliquely, they generate a northward littoral drift. These features are more complicated than in the test cases, due to the complex bathymetry and the consideration of wind and non-stationary processes. Wave impacts in the inner shelf are less visible since wind and regional circulation seem to be the predominant forcings. Besides, a discrepancy between model and observations is noted at that scale, possibly linked to an underestimation of the wind stress. Lastly, this three-dimensional method allows a good representation of vertical current profiles and permits to calculate the shear stress associated with wave and current. Future work will focus on the combination with a sediment transport model.
ISSN: 1812-0806

hal-00766548
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00766548
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00766548/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00766548/file/os-8-657-2012.pdf
DOI : 10.5194/osd-8-2417-2011

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
In places where sedimentation and erosion compete at fast rates, part of the record of past earthquakes on faults may be buried, hence hidden, in the first few metres below the surface. We developed a novel form of palaeoseismology, of geophysical type, based on the use of a dense pseudo-3-D Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey to investigate such possible buried earthquake traces, on a long, fast-slipping strike-slip fault (Hope fault, New Zealand), at a site (Terako) where marked alluvial conditions prevail. We first used LiDAR data to analyse the ground surface morphology of the 2 km2 site at the greatest resolution. Nineteen morphological markers were observed, mainly alluvial terrace risers and small stream channels that are all dextrally offset by the fault by amounts ranging between 3 and 200 m. The measurements document about 10 past earthquake slip events with a mean coseismic slip of 3.3 +/- 1 m, with the most recent earthquake event having a slip of 3 +/- 0.5 m. We then investigated a detailed area of the site (400 x 600 m2) with pseudo-3-D GPR. We measured 56, similar to 400 m long, 510 m spaced GPR profiles (250 MHz), parallel to the fault and evenly distributed on either side. The analysis revealed the existence of a palaeosurface buried at about 3 m depth, corresponding to the top of alluvial terraces of different ages. That buried surface is incised by a dense network of stream channels that are all dextrally offset by the fault. We measured 48 lateral offsets in the buried channel network, more than twice than at the surface. These offsets range between 6 and 108 m, as observed at the surface, yet provide a more continuous record of the fault slip. The similarity of the successive slip increments suggests a slip per event averaging 4.4 +/- 1 m, fairly similar to that estimated from surface data. From the total surface and buried 67 offset collection, we infer that a minimum of 30 large earthquakes have broken the Hope fault at the Terako site in the last about 67 kyr, with an average coseismic slip of 3.2 +/- 1 m, a minimum average recurrence time of about 200 yr, and a magnitude of at least Mw 7.07.4. Our study therefore confirms that part of the record of past earthquakes may indeed reside in the first few metres below the surface, where it may be explored with geophysical, GPR-based palaeoseismology. Developing such a new palaeoseismological tool should provide rich information that may complement surface observations and help to document the past earthquakes on faults.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-00704560
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00704560
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2012.05366.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Météo et Climat
Résumé : International audience
Les risques hydrométéorologiques sont au coeur du programme de recherche HyMeX sur le cycle de l'eau en Méditerranée. HyMeX a pour ambition d'améliorer leur prévision, de mieux connaître leur variabilité à l'échelle pluriannuelle et de renseigner sur leur évolution, dans le contexte du changement climatique. À cette fin, deux campagnes de mesures dédiées à ces événements extrêmes (SOP1 : pluies intenses et crues rapides ; SOP2 : vents forts et formation d'eaux denses) sont organisées en Méditerranée nord-occidentale, entre septembre 2012 et mars 2013.
ISSN: 0026-1181

hal-00829760
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00829760
DOI : 10.4267/2042/48793

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé : International audience
In order to constrain interpretations of seismic reflection records more effectively, the seismic properties of a middle crustal section exposed in the Saint Barthélémy Massif have been determined. The massif, transected by a 200 m thick shear zone has been systematically sampled for density measurements and modal analysis has been performed in order to define the spatial variations of physical properties. Seismic velocities (Vp, V5, shear wave birefringence), have been measured on five representative samples to 600 MPa and 600°C simultaneously in the three structural directions (X, Y and Z). For two samples, the expep.mental data have been compared with calculated values, based on petrofabric analyses. The Lattice Preferred Orientation (LPO) is determined using universal stage, electron channelling microscopy and neutron diffraction goniometry. Using the experimental and calculated velocity data, we establish a lateral homogeneous anisotropie model.
ISSN: 0954-4879

hal-01389722
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01389722
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01389722/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01389722/file/Barruol_aniso_St_Barthelemy_TerraNova1992_hal.pdf
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-3121.1992.tb00451.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union
Résumé : International audience
During the GWADASEIS cruise (Lesser Antilles volcanic arc, February–March 2009) a very high resolution (VHR) seismic-reflection survey was performed in order to constrain Late Quaternary to Present faulting. The profiles we obtained evidence frequent " ponding " of reworked sediments in the deepest areas, similar to the deposition of Mediterranean " homogenites ". These bodies are acoustically transparent (few ms t.w.t. thick) and are often deposited on the hanging walls of dominantly normal faults, at the base of scarps. Their thickness appears sufficient to compensate (i.e. bury) co-seismic scarps between successive earthquakes, resulting in a flat and horizontal sea floor through time. In a selected area (offshore Montserrat and Nevis islands), piston coring (4 to 7 m long) was dedicated to a sedimento-logical analysis of the most recent of these particular layers. It corresponds to non-stratified homogenous calcareous silty sand (reworked calcareous plankton and minor volcanoclas-tics). This layer can be up to 2 m thick, and overlies fine-grained hemipelagites. The upper centimeters of the latter represent the normal RedOx water/sediment interface. 210 Pb and 137 Cs activities lack in the massive sands, while a normal profile of unsupported 210 Pb decrease is observed in the hemipelagite below, together with a 137 Cs peak corresponding to the Atmospheric Nuclear Experiments (1962). The RedOx level was thus capped by a recent instantaneous major sedimentary event considered as post-1970 AD; candidate seismic events to explain this sedimentary deposits are either the 16 March 1985 earthquake or the 8 October 1974 one (M w = 6.3 and M w = 7.4, respectively). This leads to consider that the syntectonic sedimentation in this area is not continuous but results from accumulation of thick homogen-ites deposited after the earthquakes (as observed in the following weeks after Haiti January 2010 event, McHugh et al., 2011). The existence of such deposits suggests that, in the area of study, vertical throw likely results from cu-mulated effects of separated earthquakes rather than from aseismic creep. Examination of VHR profiles shows that all major co-seismic offsets are recorded in the fault growth sequence and that co-seismic offsets can be precisely estimated. By using a sedimentation rate deduced from 210 Pb decrease curve (0.5 mm yr −1) and taking into account minor reworking events detected in cores, we show that the Redonda system may have been responsible for five > M 6 events during the last 34 000 yr. The approach presented in this work differs from fault activity analyses using displaced sets of isochronous surfaces and postulating co-seismic offsets. Combining VHR seismic imagery and coring we can decipher co-seismic vs. slow continuous displacement, and thus actually estimate the amplitude and the time distribution of major co-seismic offsets.
Natural Hazards and Earth System Science

insu-01585969
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01585969
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01585969/document
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01585969/file/nhess-12-1755-2012-beck.pdf
DOI : 10.5194/nhess-12-1755-2012

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Météo et Climat
Résumé : International audience
D'initiative française, le projet international HyMeX a pour objectif d'améliorer la compréhension du cycle de l'eau en Méditerranée, de sa variabilité, de l'échelle de l'événement météorologique aux échelles saisonnières et interannuelles, et de ses caractéristiques sur une décennie, dans un contexte de changement global. Le projet est motivé par le rôle déterminant des processus de mésoéchelle, couplés entre l'atmosphère, la mer et la terre, sur la variabilité du système climatique et sur le déclenchement d'événements hydrométéorologiques extrêmes (précipitations et inondations, vents forts et convection océanique, canicules et sécheresses). Le projet vise enfin à évaluer les conséquences de ces événements extrêmes sur la vulnérabilité sociale et économique de cette région et sa capacité d'adaptation.
ISSN: 0026-1181

hal-00828758
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00828758
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00828758/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00828758/file/meteo_2013_80_23%20%281%29.pdf
DOI : 10.4267/2042/48792

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
A temporary network of 10 broad-band seismic stations has been installed in French Polynesia for the Polynesian Lithosphere and Upper Mantle Experiment (PLUME). All the seismic stations were installed either on volcanic islands or on atolls of the various archipelagos of French Polynesia in a manner which complements the geographic coverage provided by the regional permanent stations. The primary aim of PLUME is to image the upper mantle structures related to plate motion and hotspot activity. However, because of its proximity to all sites, the ocean is responsible for a high level of noise in the seismic data and we show that these data can also be used to analyse ocean wave activity. The power spectral density (PSD) analyses of the seismic data recorded in French Polynesia show clear peaks in the 0.05– 0.10 Hz band (periods between 10 and 20 s), which corresponds to swell frequencies. Clear peaks in this frequency band are also observed in infrasonic data recorded on Tahiti. Ground motion analysis shows that the swell-related seismic noise (SRSN) is linearly polarized in the horizontal plane and its amplitude decreases rapidly with the distance from the shore. The microseismic and the infrasonic 'noise' amplitudes show very similar variations from station to station and both are strongly correlated with the swell amplitudes predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), wind-forced, 'WaveWatch' models. The swell direction can be estimated from SRSN polarization analysis but this has to be done with care since, for some cases, the ground motions are strongly controlled by the islands' anisometric shapes and by swell refraction processes. We find cases, however, such as Tahiti or roughly circular Tuamotu atolls, where the azimuth of the swell is in good agreement with the seismic estimates. We, therefore, demonstrate that the SRSN and the infrasonic signal observed in French Polynesia can be used in such cases as a proxy for swell amplitude and azimuth. From the continuous analysis of the data recorded in 2003 at the permanent seismic station PPTL in Tahiti, transfer functions have been obtained. This could provide a way to quantify the swell activity during the last two decades and, therefore, assist in the investigation of climate changes.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-01323691
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01323691
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01323691/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01323691/file/Barruol_et_al_2006.pdf
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02871.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
We present results of a geomorphological and morphotectonic analysis of the northeastern part of the Rif. We show that the present day kinematics of the Rif is characterized by active deformation along the Trougout and Nekor faults in the North-East. Digital Elevation Models of offset drainage features (streams, fluvial terraces) allow determining a normal-left-lateral motion along the Trougout fault and a left-lateral strike-slip motion along the Nekor fault. Preliminary 3He cosmogenic dates of tectonic markers yield vertical and horizontal slip rates of ∼0.9 mm/yr and ∼0.5 mm/yr, respectively along the Trougout fault. The present-day localized transtension seen in the north-eastern Rif morphology (Ras Tarf) is coeval with uplifted marine terraces near the Al Hoceima Bay. U/Th dating of shells yield an average uplift rate of ∼0.2 mm/yr during the past 500 ka. These data show that active transtension in the northeastern Rif is also associated with uplift. These new morphotectonic constraints are consistent with the GPS measurements showing southwestward overall motion of most of the Rif belt with respect to stable Africa.
ISSN: 0264-3707

hal-01053492
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01053492
DOI : 10.1016/j.jog.2014.01.004

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-VCH Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Deciphering the assembly history of the Milky Way is a formidable task, which becomes possible only if one can produce high-resolution chrono-chemo-kinematical maps of the Galaxy. Data from large-scale astrometric and spectroscopic surveys will soon provide us with a well-defined view of the current chemo-kinematical structure of the Milky Way, but will only enable a blurred view on the temporal sequence that led to the present-day Galaxy. As demonstrated by the (ongoing) exploitation of data from the pioneering photometric missions CoRoT, Kepler, and K2, asteroseismology provides the way forward: solar-like oscillating giants are excellent evolutionary clocks thanks to the availability of seismic constraints on their mass and to the tight age-initial-mass relation they adhere to. In this paper we identify five key outstanding questions relating to the formation and evolution of the Milky Way that will need precise and accurate ages for large samples of stars to be addressed, and we identify the requirements in terms of number of targets and the precision on the stellar properties that are needed to tackle such questions. By quantifying the asteroseismic yields expected from PLATO for red-giant stars, we demonstrate that these requirements are within the capabilities of the current instrument design, provided that observations are sufficiently long to identify the evolutionary state and allow robust and precise determination of acoustic-mode frequencies. This will allow us to harvest data of sufficient quality to reach a 10% precision in age. This is a fundamental pre-requisite to then reach the more ambitious goal of a similar level of accuracy, which will only be possible if we have to hand a careful appraisal of systematic uncertainties on age deriving from our limited understanding of stellar physics, a goal which conveniently falls within the main aims of PLATO's core science.
ISSN: 0004-6337

hal-01541393
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01541393
ARXIV : 1706.3778
BIBCODE : 2017AN....338..644M
DOI : 10.1002/asna.201713385

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
South-east Iran is the site of a rare case of young transition between subduction and collision. We synthesized recent results in geodesy, tectonics, seismology and magnetism to understand the structure and kinematics of the Zagros-Makran transition. Surface observations (tectonics, magnetism and geodesy) draw a transpressive discontinuity consisting of several faults striking obliquely to the convergent plate motion, whereas deeper observations (seismology) support a smooth transition across the fault system. No lithospheric transform fault has been created, even though the transition already behaves like a major boundary in terms of tectonic style, seismic structure, lithology and magnetism. The Zendan-Minab-Palami fault system consists of several faults that accommodate a transpressive tectonic regime. It is the surface expression of a southward propagation of the N-trending right-lateral strike-slip fault system of Jiroft-Sabzevaran. Within each system the numerous faults will coalesce into a single, lithospheric, wrench fault.
ISSN: 0375-6440

hal-00356532
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00356532
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00356532/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00356532/file/Regard_MinabSynthese_revised_AvecFigs.pdf
DOI : 10.1144/SP330.4

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Inter Research
Résumé : International audience
The main objective of the VULSACO (VULnerability of SAndy COasts to climate change and anthropic pressure) project was to investigate present day and potential future vulnerability of sandy coasts at the 2030 horizon, i.e. on a time scale related to climate variability. The method, based on a multidisciplinary approach bringing together geologists, geographers, physicists, social psychologists, engineers and stakeholders, was structured around 4 axes: field data analysis; numerical modelling; analysis of governance and stakeholder perceptions; and development of vulnerability indexes. This approach was designed to investigate vulnerability at a local scale and was applied to 4 contrasting beaches located in France: Sète Lido (Mediterranean Sea), Truc Vert and La Tresson beaches (Atlantic Ocean), and Dewulf (English Channel). The results focus on decadal and multi-annual beach trends at the Truc Vert beach site. There is almost no trend in beach volume at Truc Vert beach, although there is a variation in this parameter on a cycle of 2 to 3 yr, with variations related to wave energy and probably to indexes of climate variability. Numerical modelling identified the sensitivity of beach responses to changes in wave height and direction, especially in terms of subtidal morphology and the potential development of shoreline instability. Together with the observed offshore wave angle at the Biscay Buoy, these model results suggest that a potential change in wave angle due to climate variability could significantly modify the bars' morphology. The combination of data analysis and numerical modelling contributed to the development of vulnerability indexes designed for sandy coasts, which take into account climate-dependant variables such as waves. This allowed the differentiation of the sites in terms of vulnerability to erosion: Sète Lido and Truc Vert beach were the most and least vulnerable sites, respectively. These indexes help in identifying the dominant components of beach vulnerability, and provide potential for the study of how anthropogenic factors affect vulnerability. The study of stakeholder perceptions and decision-making with regard to climate-related risk also highlighted potential anthropogenic effects on beach vulnerability, and identified possible site-specific outcomes.
ISSN: 0936-577X

hal-00843946
https://hal-brgm.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00843946
DOI : 10.3354/cr01153