Numerous field and laboratory studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between radon variation and seismic events, as well as the complex link between radon emission and rock deformation mechanisms. However, a clear understanding of this correspondence and systematic observations of these phenomena are still lacking, and recent experimental studies have yet to yield conclusive results. In this study, we investigate the possible relationships between radon migration dynamics and rock deformation at the micro-scale through laboratory experiments using the SHIVA apparatus under shear stress-controlled conditions and simultaneous high-resolution radon measurements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe advent of novel technologies revealed that other geophysical signals than those directly related to fault motion could be used to probe the state of deformation of the Earth's crust. Electromagnetic signals belonging to this category have been increasingly investigated in the last decade in association to natural earthquakes and laboratory rock fractures. These studies are hampered by the lack of continuous recordings and a systematic mathematical processing of large data sets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPremise: Angiosperm leaves present a classic identification problem due to their morphological complexity. Computer-vision algorithms can identify diagnostic regions in images, and heat map outputs illustrate those regions for identification, providing novel insights through visual feedback. We investigate the potential of analyzing leaf heat maps to reveal novel, human-friendly botanical information with applications for extant- and fossil-leaf identification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTectonic pseudotachylytes are thought to be unique to certain water-deficient seismogenic environments and their presence is considered to be rare in the geological record. Here, we present field and experimental evidence that frictional melting can occur in hydrothermal fluid-rich faults hosted in the continental crust. Pseudotachylytes were found in the >40 km-long Bolfín Fault Zone of the Atacama Fault System, within two ca.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe understanding of earthquake physics is hindered by the poor knowledge of fault strength and temperature evolution during seismic slip. Experiments reproducing seismic velocity (∼1 m/s) allow us to measure both the evolution of fault strength and the associated temperature increase due to frictional heating. However, temperature measurements were performed with techniques having insufficient spatial and temporal resolution.
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