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Earthquake Trail, Sanborn County Park: A geology hike along the San Andreas fault Earthquake Trail, Sanborn County Park: A geology hike along the San Andreas fault

On the southern part of the San Francisco Peninsula, the San Andreas fault traverses the actively uplifting Santa Cruz Mountains. The field guide is comprised of a hiking tour along the fault in Sanborn County fault, a visit to a winery and vineyards traversed by the fault, and visits to two wineries that provide vistas of the San Andreas Rift Valley and surroundings.
Authors
Philip W. Stoffer

Forecasting runout of rock and debris avalanches Forecasting runout of rock and debris avalanches

Physically based mathematical models and statistically based empirical equations each may provide useful means of forecasting runout of rock and debris avalanches. This paper compares the foundations, strengths, and limitations of a physically based model and a statistically based forecasting method, both of which were developed to predict runout across three-dimensional topography. The...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson

Coastal landslide material loss rates associated with severe climatic events Coastal landslide material loss rates associated with severe climatic events

Deep-seated landslides along the California coast deliver large amounts of material to the nearshore littoral environment. Landslide movement, a combined result of slope base undercutting by waves and ground saturation, is highly episodic. Movement occurs primarily during periods of high rainfall and large waves, such as those associated with El Nin??o events. This analysis applies...
Authors
C.J. Hapke, K.R. Green

Remote sensing studies of the Dionysius region of the Moon Remote sensing studies of the Dionysius region of the Moon

The Dionysius region is located near the western edge of Mare Tranquillitatis and is centered on Dionysius crater, which exhibits a well-developed dark ray system. Proposed origins for these dark rays included impact melt deposits and dark primary ejecta. The region also contains extensive deposits of Cayley-type light plains. Clementine multispectral images and a variety of spacecraft...
Authors
Thomas A. Giguere, B. Ray Hawke, Lisa R. Gaddis, David T. Blewett, J. J. Gillis-Davis, Paul G. Lucey, G.A. Smith, P. D. Spudis, G.J. Taylor

Helium isotopes in ferromanganese crusts from the central Pacific Ocean Helium isotopes in ferromanganese crusts from the central Pacific Ocean

Helium isotopes have been measured in samples of two ferromanganese crusts (VA13/2 and CD29-2) from the central Pacific Ocean. With the exception of the deepest part of crust CD29-2 the data can be explained by a mixture of implanted solar- and galactic cosmic ray-produced (GCR) He, in extraterrestrial grains, and radiogenic He in wind-borne continental dust grains. 4He concentrations...
Authors
S. Basu, F.M. Stuart, V. Klemm, G. Korschinek, K. Knie, J.R. Hein

Real-time measurement of volcanic SO2 emissions: Validation of a new UV correlation spectrometer (FLYSPEC) Real-time measurement of volcanic SO2 emissions: Validation of a new UV correlation spectrometer (FLYSPEC)

A miniaturized, lightweight and low-cost UV correlation spectrometer, the FLYSPEC, has been developed as an alternative for the COSPEC, which has long been the mainstay for monitoring volcanic sulfur dioxide fluxes. Field experiments have been conducted with the FLYSPEC at diverse volcanic systems, including Masaya (Nicaragua), Poás (Costa Rica), Stromboli, Etna and Vulcano (Italy)...
Authors
Keith A. Horton, Glyn Williams-Jones, Harold Garbeil, Tamar Elias, A. Jeff Sutton, Peter J. Mouginis-Mark, John T. Porter, Steven Clegg

Differences in tsunami generation between the December 26, 2004 and March 28, 2005 Sumatra earthquakes Differences in tsunami generation between the December 26, 2004 and March 28, 2005 Sumatra earthquakes

Source parameters affecting tsunami generation and propagation for the Mw > 9.0 December 26, 2004 and the Mw = 8.6 March 28, 2005 earthquakes are examined to explain the dramatic difference in tsunami observations. We evaluate both scalar measures (seismic moment, maximum slip, potential energy) and finite-source repre-sentations (distributed slip and far-field beaming from finite source...
Authors
E.L. Geist, S.L. Bilek, D. Arcas, V.V. Titov

Cotectic proportions of olivine and spinel in olivine-tholeiitic basalt and evaluation of pre-eruptive processes Cotectic proportions of olivine and spinel in olivine-tholeiitic basalt and evaluation of pre-eruptive processes

The volume %, distribution, texture and composition of coexisting olivine, Cr-spinel and glass has been determined in quenched lava samples from Hawaii, Iceland and mid-oceanic ridges. The volume ratio of olivine to spinel varies from 60 to 2800 and samples with >0·02% spinel have a volume ratio of olivine to spinel of approximately 100. A plot of wt % MgO vs ppm Cr for natural and...
Authors
Peter Roeder, Emma Gofton, Carl Thornber

A volcano bursting at the seams: Inflation, faulting, and eruption at Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos A volcano bursting at the seams: Inflation, faulting, and eruption at Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos

The results of geodetic monitoring since 2002 at Sierra Negra volcano in the Galápagos Islands show that the filling and pressurization of an ∼2-km-deep sill eventually led to an eruption that began on 22 October 2005. Continuous global positioning system (CGPS) monitoring measured >2 m of accelerating inflation leading up to the eruption and contributed to nearly 5 m of total uplift...
Authors
William W. Chadwick, Dennis J. Geist, Sigurjon Jonsson, Michael P. Poland, Daniel J. Johnson, Charles M. Meertens

Alkaline volcanic rocks from the Columbia Hills, Gusev crater, Mars Alkaline volcanic rocks from the Columbia Hills, Gusev crater, Mars

Irvine, Backstay, and Wishstone are the type specimens for three classes of fine-grained or fragmental, relatively unaltered rocks with distinctive thermal emission spectra, found as float on the flanks of the Columbia Hills. Chemical analyses indicate that these rocks are mildly alkaline basalt, trachybasalt, and tephrite, respectively. Their mineralogy consists of Na- and K-rich...
Authors
H.Y. McSween, S. W. Ruff, R.V. Morris, J.F. Bell, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Ralf Gellert, K.R. Stockstill, L.L. Tornabene, S. W. Squyres, J.A. Crisp, P. R. Christensen, T.J. McCoy, D. W. Mittlefehldt, M. Schmidt

Spirit rover localization and topographic mapping at the landing site of Gusev crater, Mars Spirit rover localization and topographic mapping at the landing site of Gusev crater, Mars

By sol 440, the Spirit rover has traversed a distance of 3.76 km (actual distance traveled instead of odometry). Localization of the lander and the rover along the traverse has been successfully performed at the Gusev crater landing site. We localized the lander in the Gusev crater using two-way Doppler radio positioning and cartographic triangulations through landmarks visible in both...
Authors
Rongxing Li, Brent A. Archinal, Raymond E. Arvidson, Jim Bell, Phillip R. Christensen, Larry S. Crumpler, David J. Des Marais, Kaichang Di, Tom Duxbury, Matthew P. Golombek, John Grant, Ronald Greeley, Joe Guinn, Aaron H. Johnson, Randolph L. Kirk, Mark Maimone, Larry H. Matthies, Michael Malin, Timothy Parker, Michael H. Sims, Shane D. Thompson, Steven W. Squyres, Laurence A. Soderblom
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