THE SEPTEMBER 2, 2015, КR=14.0, Mw=5.1, I0=7–8 TALLAY EARTHQUAKE at the NORTH-EASTERN FLANK of the BAIKAL RIFT

We consider September 2, 2015, Mw=5.1 Tallay earthquake occurred in the previously aseismic area of the North-Muya Ridge adjoining to the Muya-Kuanda basin from the north. Instrumental and macroseismic data on this seismic event are presented. Its seismic moment tensor is calculated from surface wave amplitude spectra. New data on strong ground motions are obtained within the north-eastern flank of the Baikal rift. The Tallay earthquake is found to be connected with seismogenic renewal of the second-order multidirectional faults activated in the rift stress field.

Structural and Hydrothermal Inferences from a Magnetotelluric Survey across Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand

<p>This thesis explains the electrical conductivity structure of Mt. Ruapehu. To identify hydrothermal or volcanic components of the volcano, data from 25 magnetotelluric sites are analyzed. Data collected are first analyzed in the time domain prior to conversion into the frequency domain. Here, data are remote referenced, and the impedance tensors, tippers, apparent resistivity and phase values are calculated. These components are then analyzed to identify major features within the data. The new phase tensor ellipse method is applied to identify influential features and determine the dimensionality of data. This analysis indicates where it is appropriate to apply 1 or 2 dimensional inversion schemes. Dimensionality analysis led to 1-D modelling of the determinant impedance at each site; and limited 2-D profiles across the Tongariro Volcanic Centre boundaries. These models are used to create a simple 3-D structural model of the volcano that is then forward modelled. The results of the 3-D forward modelling indicate that the dominating features of the volcano's electrical structure have been identified in the previous models. Crater Lake is the only possible hydrothermal system on Mt. Ruapehu identified in this study. It is also very unlikely that any large coherent bodies of magma exist in the near surface. However, a second thin conductor laying somewhere between 10 and 30 km deep beneath the eastern flank may contain 13% melt and is the probable driving heat force beneath the volcano. The structure of Mt. Ruapehu can be split into seven layers. A resistive surface layer (100 ohm m) of young volcanic debris within the Tongariro Volcanic Centre that is up to 500 m thick near the crater. A conductive layer (10 - 30 ohm m) of wet, fractured and altered volcanic debris underlaying the younger debris throughout the Tongariro Volcanic Centre. A layer of Tertiary sediment under the Tongariro Volcanic Centre that extends to the south and west. This layer is electrically indistinguishable from the previous layer and extends to approximately sea level. A resistive layer (400 ohm m), and consistent with greywacke basement covers the entire field area. A second conductive layer (20 ohm m) is identified under the eastern flank of the volcano somewhere between the depths of 10 and 30 km. This layer is likely to be the heat and magma source driving the volcanic activity. A surrounding resistive layer extends beyond and below the second conductive layer mentioned above. This surrounding layer is electrically similar to the greywacke above. A very high resistivity layer (7000 ohm m) is identified below 80 km deep, and may be associated with the land/sea boundary or subduction zone to the east.</p>

Structural and Hydrothermal Inferences from a Magnetotelluric Survey across Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand

<p>This thesis explains the electrical conductivity structure of Mt. Ruapehu. To identify hydrothermal or volcanic components of the volcano, data from 25 magnetotelluric sites are analyzed. Data collected are first analyzed in the time domain prior to conversion into the frequency domain. Here, data are remote referenced, and the impedance tensors, tippers, apparent resistivity and phase values are calculated. These components are then analyzed to identify major features within the data. The new phase tensor ellipse method is applied to identify influential features and determine the dimensionality of data. This analysis indicates where it is appropriate to apply 1 or 2 dimensional inversion schemes. Dimensionality analysis led to 1-D modelling of the determinant impedance at each site; and limited 2-D profiles across the Tongariro Volcanic Centre boundaries. These models are used to create a simple 3-D structural model of the volcano that is then forward modelled. The results of the 3-D forward modelling indicate that the dominating features of the volcano's electrical structure have been identified in the previous models. Crater Lake is the only possible hydrothermal system on Mt. Ruapehu identified in this study. It is also very unlikely that any large coherent bodies of magma exist in the near surface. However, a second thin conductor laying somewhere between 10 and 30 km deep beneath the eastern flank may contain 13% melt and is the probable driving heat force beneath the volcano. The structure of Mt. Ruapehu can be split into seven layers. A resistive surface layer (100 ohm m) of young volcanic debris within the Tongariro Volcanic Centre that is up to 500 m thick near the crater. A conductive layer (10 - 30 ohm m) of wet, fractured and altered volcanic debris underlaying the younger debris throughout the Tongariro Volcanic Centre. A layer of Tertiary sediment under the Tongariro Volcanic Centre that extends to the south and west. This layer is electrically indistinguishable from the previous layer and extends to approximately sea level. A resistive layer (400 ohm m), and consistent with greywacke basement covers the entire field area. A second conductive layer (20 ohm m) is identified under the eastern flank of the volcano somewhere between the depths of 10 and 30 km. This layer is likely to be the heat and magma source driving the volcanic activity. A surrounding resistive layer extends beyond and below the second conductive layer mentioned above. This surrounding layer is electrically similar to the greywacke above. A very high resistivity layer (7000 ohm m) is identified below 80 km deep, and may be associated with the land/sea boundary or subduction zone to the east.</p>

Twelve EU Countries on the Eastern Flank of NATO: What about Ukraine?

The Trimarium Initiative (TI) is a platform for co-operation of twelve central and eastern European (CEE) countries of the eastern flank of the European Union (EU), introduced by Poland and Croatia in 2015. The TI is based on member co-operation in the development of transport and communication, energy, raw materials (gas and oil) transfer infrastructure, and digitization. The region is an important and rapidly growing market, and the TI goal is to boost economic co-operation among these twelve countries. Ukraine is not an EU member state, so it cannot be a full member of the TI; however, several TI infrastructural projects are open to Ukrainian companies. As Russia’s aggressive energy policy impacts Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic states, Scandinavia, and Slovakia, the TI has a potential to meet this challenge. Transport and communication and energy transit infrastructure are promising areas of co-operation among TI countries and Ukraine. U.S. support has added optimism and prestige to the initiative.

CHINA’S ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY IN EUROPE: THE “17+1” INITIATIVE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NATO’S EASTERN FLANK SECURITY

This paper illustrates how People’s Republic of China has applied a form of economic diplomacy to Central and Eastern Europe in order to extend its regional political influence. Using the “17+1” Initiative, the Chinese state sought to provide financial privileges to member states so that they would later become dependent on Beijing’s political and economic visions. However, despite the European Union’s concern, the results of the project were not as expected, with great doubts about the initiative’s future. These were confirmed by the position of NATO, which considered that China’s efforts do not represent a security issue for the Alliance’s eastern flank.

The key role of conjugate fault system in importing earthquakes into the eastern flank of the Red Sea

This study aims to synthesize seismic observations with gravity and magnetic data and to suggest a new scenario on the development of the Harrat Lunayyir (HL) tectonic system on the eastern Red Sea coastline, Saudi Arabia. Gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies distinctly mapped the NE and NW trends, while the InSAR data depict a small NW–SE graben and an NW–SE dyke. High-resolution relocations, which are well-consistent with the focal mechanism solutions for events with magnitudes greater than 3.0, admit two distinctly fault styles of different orientations. Thus, leading to the NE and NW fault planes’ reactivation related to the Precambrian basement faults and the Red Sea rift system, respectively. The spatiotemporal distributions of epicenters and focal mechanism solutions suggest a new seismic deformation scenario of the 2009 earthquake seismic activity. The low static frictions of 0.2–0.35 obtained from the stress inversion indicates reactivation of preexisting faults in the respective seismogenic zones. The obtained results give rise to a swarm-like sequence of tectonic implications, two activated fault styles differently oriented, and an NE conjugate fault system inherited in the region, which plays a vital role in transferring the ambient stress regime into the Red Sea’s eastern flank.