The Omega-Theory: A New Physics of Earthquakes, Second Edition offers a unifying, mathematical framework to describe and answer the most pressing and unexamined dilemmas of earthquake sequences. Those in the fields of seismology and geology are currently faced with a vast and complex mathematical structure, involving many new, natural laws and theorems. This book interprets this structure as a new physical theory and paradigm, helping users understand the tectonic and seismic processes within the Earth. As such, it is an essential resource for future researchers in the fields of structural geology, physics of the Earth, and seismology. In the last decades, generations of seismologists, geophysicists, and geologists have accumulated enough knowledge and information to allow for the reformulation and solution of this essential problem. Hence, this book provides a great resource for researchers and professionals. - Brings together twenty years of research in the field of geophysics and attacks the problem within the framework of the Cosserat continuum theory - Heavily tested on tens of natural examples and numerical tests - Includes 350 color figures and graphs - Spans across many fields of theoretical physics and geology, such as plate tectonics, synchronization of chaotic systems, solitons and fractals, mathematical set theory, and quantum mechanics

"The exceptional fossils that can be found in the Oligocene and Miocene beds of the Tunjice Hills in the central part of Slovenia have been well known for more than 150 years. Beautifully preserved coral reefs, nodules with decapod crabs, cones of coniferous trees, nautilids, remains of large Miocene mammals, silicified wood of palm trees and immense numbers of various marine gastropods and bivalves were previously considered the most significant treasures from this area. In the last decades, however, an exceptional fossil site was discovered and explored in the beds of the Coprolitic Horizon, which is of Middle Miocene age. Here, the oldest fossil record of seahorses and the first known fossil record of pygmy pipehorses and ribboned pipehorses have been discovered. in the short time since their first scientific description these fossil seahorses and pygmy pipehorses have achieved worldwide recognition as some of the most important palaeontological discoveries in the last century. They have been included in the list of '100 of our planet's most amazing new species' as determined by the International Institute for Species Exploration. These remarkable fossils are what this book is about. the authors provide a richly illustrated overview of the geological and palaeontological research of the Tunjice Hills, which led to the discovery and documentation of this intriguing site. Given the significance and exceptional quality of this unique fossilized palaeobiota, the Tunjice Hills ranks as a Konservat-Lagerstätte of significant global importance"-- Back cover.

Physical Earthquake Forecasting and Prediction: T-TECTO Omega System covers recent research on earthquake physics, such as the Cosserat continuum theory of faulting and earthquakes, global tectonic stress field, chaotic synchronizations in earthquakes, and slow solitary tectonic waves in the Earth’s crust. Based on new advances in these fields, the operational earthquake forecasting system called T-TECTO Omega System has been developed. The author’s previous book, The Omega-Theory: A New Physics of Earthquakes, explored an important breakthrough in earthquake physics, the Omega-Theory. This new book is dedicated to statistically evaluating that theory and the models based on it. The text is divided into five parts: statistical testing of the physical earthquake predictions, tectonic stress, time-synchronizations, tectonic couple-stress, and alert system and operational earthquake forecasting and prediction. The book's final part also covers some of the challenges of operational earthquake forecasting, its political and social implications, limits, and problems. This book is essential reading for those interested in the cutting-edge of earthquake forecasting and prediction. Explores new advances in physical earthquake forecasting and prediction research Further develops physical earthquake forecasting models based on the Omega-Theory and provides a solution to physical earthquake forecasting and prediction Presents a new operational earthquake forecasting system in detail with extensive statistical testing

V tem besedilu se ukvarjam s kinematsko in (paleo)napetostno analizo prelomov na podlagi merjenja njihove orientacije in smeri premika ob njih. Izhodiščni problem je iskanje Cosseratovega tenzorja deformacije, tenzorja makrodeformacije, relativne mikrorotacije, tenzorja napetosti, rekonstrukcija smeri makrorotacije in relativne makrorotacije, konstrukcija Mohrovih diagramov ter analiza nehomogenosti napetostnega in deformacijskega polja v času prelamljanja. Ker sistemi prelomov niso nujno homogeni, temveč so heterogeni, ker torej ni nujno, da so bili v geološki zgodovini vsi v nekem izdanku opazovani prelomi aktivni istočasno v isti fazi deformacije, je te prelome najprej potrebno med seboj ločiti po različnih fazah deformacij. Ugotoviti je potrebno, kateri prelomi so bili aktivni istočasno v isti fazi deformacije. Takšne sisteme prelomov imenujemo homogeni podsistemi prelomov. V tem raziskovalnem delu opisujem nov postopek za kinematsko in (paleo)napetostno analizo heterogenih sistemov prelomov. Pri opisanem postopku najprej ugotovimo vse v zgornjih vrsticah naštete tenzorje, s katerimi opišemo napetostno in deformacijsko polje v času prelamljanja. Šele nato poiščemo prelome, ki so bili takrat aktivni. Na podlagi rešitev lahko v naslednjem koraku sklepamo na različne faze deformacij in tektonske faze. V izračunu upoštevamo smeri premikov ob prelomih, Amontonov zakon trenja ter geometrijo celotnega sistema prelomov. Poleg tega deformacije kamnin ne obravnavamo v okviru klasične teorije kontinuumov temveč v okviru teorije generaliziranih kontinuumov. Za razumevanje procesov prelamljanja je pomebna teorija Cosseratovih kontinuumov, ki poleg deformacije v klasičnem smislu vključuje tudi mikrorotacijo blokov kamnin med prelomnimi ploskvami. Izkaže se, da je pomembna razlika med makrorotacijo kamninskega masiva kot celote in mikrorotacijo posameznih blokov kamnin med prelomnimi ploskvami. Besedilo je razdeljeno v dva večja vsebinska sklopa. V poglavjih 1, 2, 3 in 4 opisujem uporabo Gaussove metode v klasični paleonapetostni in kinematski analizi prelomnih sistemov. V tem primeru predpostavimo, da lahko kamnine obravnavamo kot klasični Cauchyjev kontinuum, v katerem je tenzor napetosti simetričen, hkrati pa predpostavimo še linearno zvezo med deformacijami in napetostmi. Izračunane napetostne osi (smeri največjih napetosti) so v tem primeru vzporedne kinematskim osem, ki so smeri največjega raztezanja in krčenja ozemlja. V drugem sklopu poglavij (poglavja od 5 do 8) pa opisujem Cosseratovo teorijo in njeno uporabo pri kinematsko- napetostni analizi prelomov. V resnici bi Cosseratovo teorijo lahko opisali že takoj na začetku, saj je klasična teorija le poseben primer splošnejše Cosseratove teorije, vendar so klasične metode kinematsko-napetostne analize prelomov preveč uporabne, da bi jih obravnavali na podrejen način. Kot primer uporabe opisanih metod in tehnik kinematsko-napetostne analize prelomov opisujem tri zglede. V poglavju 9 opisujem rezultate Cosseratove kinematsko-napetostne analize potresa v Krnskem pogorju (12. aprila 1998). V poglavju 10 opisujem rezultate Cosseratove in klasične kinematsko-napetostne analize prelomov v Tunjiški sinklinali. V poglavju 11 pa opisujem rezultate klasične paleonapetostne analize prelomov v kamnolomu Povodje. Namen tega poglavja je prikaz učinkovitosti Gaussove metode za analizo večfaznih (heterogenih) sistemov prelomov. Primer v kamnolomu Povodje je namreč zelo zapleten. V sklepnem poglavju razvijem matematično teorijo, ki pojasni vzroke za nastanek relativnih mikrorotacij. Ta teorija je najpomembnejši zaključek celotnega dela, tako matematične analize možnih metod in tehnik Cosseratove kinematsko-napetostne analize prelomov kot tudi uporabe teh metod in tehnik na konkretnih zgledih. Vse opisane postopke in metode Cosseratove kinematsko-napetostne analize prelomov sem implementiral v računalniški program T-TECTO. Pravilnost delovanja tega programa pa sem preveril s pomočjo drugega programa AmontonWin.