Mechanics Problems In Geodynamics Part I

Geodynamics concerns with the dynamics of the global motion of the earth, of the motion in the earth's interior and its interaction with surface features, together with the mechanical processes in the deformation and rupture of geological structures. Its final object is to determine the driving mechanism of these motions which is highly interdisciplinary. In preparing the basic geological, geophysical data required for a comprehensive mechanical analysis, there are also many mechanical problems involved, which means the problem is coupled in a complicated manner with geophysics, rock mechanics, seismology, structural geology etc. This topical issue is Part I of the Proceedings of an IUTAM / IASPEI Symposium on Mechanics Problems in Geodynamics held in Beijing, September 1994. It addresses different aspects of mechanics problems in geodynamics involving tectonic analyses, lithospheric structures, rheology and the fracture of earth media, mantle flow, either globally or regionally, and either by forward or inverse analyses or numerical simulation.

One of two volumes of the proceedings of a symposium held in Beijing in September 1994. The 20 papers cover general global problems, mantel convection and subduction, regional tectonic problems, earthquake mechanisms, and the mechanical properties of rock fractures. Well illustrated. No index. Also published in Pageoph v.145, no.3/4. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Geodynamics concerns the dynamics of the earth's global motion, of the earth's interior motion and its interaction with surface features, together with the mechanical processes in the deformation and rupture of geological structures. Its final object is to determine the driving mechanism of these motions. It is highly interdisciplinary. In providing the basic geological, geophysical infromation required for a comprehensive mechanical analysis, there are also many mechanical problems involved, which means the problem is coupled intricately with geophysics, rock mechanics, seismology, structural geology, etc. This is Part II of the Proceedings of an IUTAM/IASPEI Symposium on Mechanics Problems in Geodynamics held in Beijing, September 1994. It discusses different aspects of mechanics problems in geodynamics involving the earth's rotation, tectonic analyses of various parts of the world, mineral physics and flow in the mantle, seismic source studies and wave propagation and application of the DDA method in tectonic analysis.

Geodynamics concerns the dynamics of the earth's global motion, of the earth's interior motion and its interaction with surface features, together with the mechanical processes in the deformation and rupture of geological structures. Its final object is to determine the driving mechanism of these motions. It is highly interdisciplinary. In providing the basic geological, geophysical infromation required for a comprehensive mechanical analysis, there are also many mechanical problems involved, which means the problem is coupled intricately with geophysics, rock mechanics, seismology, structural geology, etc. This is Part II of the Proceedings of an IUTAM/IASPEI Symposium on Mechanics Problems in Geodynamics held in Beijing, September 1994. It discusses different aspects of mechanics problems in geodynamics involving the earth's rotation, tectonic analyses of various parts of the world, mineral physics and flow in the mantle, seismic source studies and wave propagation and application of the DDA method in tectonic analysis.

A comprehensive and quantitative study of the fundamental aspects of plate tectonics. Provides an introduction to heat flow, elasticity and flexure, fluid mechanics, faulting, gravity, and flow in porous media, with a wide range of geological applications. Contains detailed coverage of mantle convection and mantle rheology. Includes a wide variety of practical problems.

This book is written primarily for Earth scientists faced with problems in thermo mechanics such as the flow and evolution of ice-sheets, convection currents in the mantle, isostatic rebound, folding of strata or collapse of cavities in salt domes. Failure, faults, seismic waves and all processes involving inertial terms will not be dealt with. In general such scientists (graduate students beginning a Ph. D. for instance) have too small a background'in continuum mechanics and in numerical computation to model conveniently these problems, which are not elementary at all. Most of them are not linear, and therefore seldom dealt with in treatises. If the study of reality were clearly cut into two successive steps: first to make a physical model, setting up a well-posed problem in thermo-mechanics, and second to solve it, the obvious solution would be to find a specialist in computational mechanics who could spend enough time on a problem which, although maybe crucial for on-going fundamental research, has little practical interest in general, and cannot be considered properly as a noteworthy progress in Mechanics. But this is not the way Science develops. There is a continuous dialectic between the building up of a model and its mathematical treatment. The model should be simple enough to be tractable, but not oversimplified. Its sensitivity to the different components it is made of should be investigated, and more thought is needed when the results contradict hard facts.

Induced seismic events are of high scientific and economic significance. They are the result of human activities interacting with regional and local tectonics, changing the local crustal stress state by mining, extraction of rock masses, injection of fluids into the rock massif, and by changing the surface loading and pore pressure state near large reservoirs. Within Europe the study of induced seismic events has a long tradition and international scientific organizations have actively stimulated the co-operation in this field. During its General Assembly in September 1994, the European Seismological Society organized the symposium "Induced Seismic Events". The focus of this symposium was concentrated on induced events in central and eastern Europe, as well as in the former Soviet Union. The major contributions to the symposium, and also some Chinese, Canadian, and South African results are presented here. Case studies as well as data analyses and methodological studies are included. Seismologists and specialists working in the field of geohazard prevention will find much information in this volume that is pertinent to their work.

Geodynamics is commonly thought to be one of the subjects which provide the basis for understanding the origin of the visible surface features of the Earth: the latter are usually assumed as having been built up by geodynamic forces originating inside the Earth ("endogenetic" processes) and then as having been degrad ed by geomorphological agents originating in the atmosphere and ocean ("exogenetic" agents). The modem view holds that the sequence of events is not as neat as it was once thought to be, and that, in effect, both geodynamic and geomorphological processes act simultaneously ("Principle of Antagonism"); however, the division of theoretical geology into the principles of geodynamics and those of theoretical geomorphology seems to be useful for didactic purposes. It has therefore been maintained in the present writer's works. This present treatise on geodynamics is the first part of the author's treatment of theoretical geology, the treatise on Theoretical Geomorphology (also published by the Springer Verlag) representing the second. The present edition is third one of the book. Although the headings of the chapters and sections are much the same as in the previous editions, it will be found that most of the material is, in fact, new.