Geologists have long grappled with understanding the mechanical origins of rock deformation. Stress regimes control the nucleation, growth and reactivation of faults and fractures; induce seismic activity; affect the transport of magma; and modulate structural permeability, thereby influencing the redistribution of hydrothermal and hydrocarbon fluids. Experimentalists endeavour to recreate deformation structures observed in nature under controlled stress conditions. Earth scientists studying earthquakes will attempt to monitor or deduce stress changes in the Earth as it actively deforms. All are building upon the pioneering research and concepts of Ernest Masson Anderson, dating back to the start of the twentieth century. This volume celebrates Anderson's legacy, with 14 original research papers that examine faulting and seismic hazard; structural inheritance; the role of local and regional stress fields; low angle faults and the role of pore fluids; supplemented by reviews of Andersonian approaches and a reprint of his classic paper of 1905--

Plate tectonics has significantly broadened our view of the dynamics of continental evolution, involving both the processes currently active at the surface and those extending deep into the interior of the Earth. Seismic anisotropy provides some of the most diagnostic evidence for mapping past and present deformation of the entire crustmantle system. This volume contains papers presented originally at an international workshop at the Chateau of Trest in the Czech Republic in 1996. This workshop brought together geophysicists and geologists who work in the field of observational and theoretical seismology, mineral and rock physics, gravity studies and geodynamic modelling. Topics include large-scale anisotropy of the Earth's mantle, mantle heterogeneity vs. anisotropy 3-D velocity and density structures and inferences on mantle dynamics, mineral and rock physics studies, and mathematical aspects of complex wave propagation.

This monograph provides an up-to-date overview on methods and techniques in seismology, with a focus on describing and detecting seismic waves in anisotropic media. The author discusses structural, physical and mechanical aspects of the crust by analyzing earthquake data from field studies, rendering the book a practical reference for researchers in seismology and applied geophysics. Contents: Rock Anisotropy, Fracture and Earthquake Assessment Seismic Wave Propagation in Anisotropic Rocks with Applications to Defining Fractures in Earth Crust Reproducing the Realistic Compressive-tensile Strength Ratio of Rocks using Discrete Element Model Rock Fracture under Static and Dynamic Stress Multiple Linear Regression Analyses on the Relationships among Magnitude, Rupture Length, Rupture Width, Rupture Area, and Surface Displacement PI Algorithm Applied to the Sichuan-Yunnan Region: A Statistical Physics Method for Intermediate-term Medium-range Earthquake Forecast in Continental China Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for Pacific Island Countries

Most of our knowledge about the physical structure and the chemical composition of the Earth's deep interior is inferred from seismic data. The interpretation of seismic waves generally follows the assumption that the Earth's physical structure is grossly layered and that fluctuations of the physical parameters within individual layers are smooth in structure and small in magnitude. While this view greatly facilitates the analytic and interpretative procedure, it is clearly at odds with evidence from outcrops and boreholes, which indicates that compositional, structural and petrophysical heterogeneity in the Earth prevails over a wide range of scales. This book is the first to unify three different views of crustal and upper mantle heterogeneity. It brings together the geological view, which is derived from the analysis of crustal exposures and deep boreholes; the stochastic view, which attempts to find order and structure in these seemingly chaotic data; and the seismological view, which considers the end product of the complex interaction of seismic energy with the heterogeneous structure at depth. John Goff and Klaus Holliger have compiled chapters that explore and quantify the relationship between geological and petrophysical heterogeneity and its seismic response, and use seismic data to probe the fabric of the Earth's interior. Geologists, geostaticians, and geophysicists alike will benefit from the integrative perspective presented in Heterogeneity in the Crust and Upper Mantle: Nature, Scaling, and Seismic Properties, making this text an unparalleled reference for professionals and students in Earth science fields.

Reprint from Pure and Applied Geophysics (PAGEOPH), Volume 151 (1998), No. 2/3/4

Seismic measurements take many forms, and appear to have a universal role in the Earth Sciences. They are the means for most easily and economically interpreting what lies beneath the visible surface. There are huge economic rewards and losses to be made when interpreting the shallow crust or subsurface more, or less accurately, as the case may be.