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Active Geophysical
Monitoring
Active Geophysical
Monitoring
Second Edition
Edited by
Junzo Kasahara
Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan; Former Japan Atomic
Agency, Mizunami, Gifu, Japan; Kawasaki Geological
Engineering Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Michael S. Zhdanov
Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt
Lake City, UT, United States; TechnoImaging, Salt Lake City, UT,
United States
Hitoshi Mikada
Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto
University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Elsevier
Radarweg 29, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, United Kingdom
50 Hampshire Street, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
xxi
xxii List of contributors
Eva Caspari
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia;
University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Julia Correa
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Leif Cox
TechnoImaging, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Martin Ćuma
The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; TechnoImaging, Salt
Lake City, UT, United States
Tom Daley
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
Tess Dance
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; CSIRO, Australian Resources Research
Centre, Kensington, WA, Australia
S.A. Elagin
Altae-Sayan Branch of GS RAS, Acad. Koptyug Prospect, 3, Novosibirsk,
Russia
A.F. Emanov
Altae-Sayan Branch of GS RAS, Acad. Koptyug Prospect, 3, Novosibirsk,
Russia
Alexey G. Fatyanov
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Barry Freifeld
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
Naoyuki Fujii
Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
Boris M. Glinsky
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Stanislav Glubokovskikh
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Andrew Greenwood
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia;
University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Andrey P. Grigoryuk
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Boris Gurevich
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia;
CSIRO, Australian Resources Research Centre, Kensington, WA, Australia
List of contributors xxiii
Muran Han
Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City,
UT, United States
Yoko Hasada
Former Japan Atomic Agency, Mizunami, Gifu, Japan; Daiwa Exploration and
Consulting Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Jan Henninges
German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Ryoya Ikuta
Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
Tomohiko Ise
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Higashi-Osaka, Japan
Kiyoshi Ito
DPRI, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Shinji Ito
NTT DATA CCS, Tokyo, Japan
Monika Ivandic
Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Michael Jervis
Geophysics Technology Team, EXPEC Advanced Research Center, Saudi
Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Christopher Juhlin
Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Shiori Kamei
Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-
Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Aya Kamimura
Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Dmitriy A. Karavaev
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Junzo Kasahara
Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan; Former Japan Atomic Agency,
Mizunami, Gifu, Japan; Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co., Ltd., Tokyo,
Japan
V.N. Kashun
Seismological Branch of GS RAS, Acad. Koptyug Prospect, 3, Novosibirsk,
Russia
Akio Katsumata
Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
Shozo Kawamura
Graduate School of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology,
Toyohashi, Japan
xxiv List of contributors
Thomas Kempka
German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Anton Kepic
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Marat S. Khairetdinov
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics
SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia; Novosibirsk State Technical University,
Novosibirsk, Russia
Valery V. Kovalevsky
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Takahiro Kunitomo
Former Japan Atomic Agency, Mizunami, Gifu, Japan; Nagoya University,
Nagoya, Japan; Current address: Faculty of Science, Nagoya University, Aichi,
Japan; Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mizunami,
Gifu, Japan
Omar Lafouza
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia
A.V. Liseikin
Seismological Branch of GS RAS, Acad. Koptyug Prospect, 3, Novosibirsk,
Russia
Stefan Lüth
German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Alberto Marsala
Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Masami Matsubara
Graduate School of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology,
Toyohashi, Japan
Jun Matsushima
Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Hitoshi Mikada
Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-
Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Kei Murase
Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Hiromichi Nagao
Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mizunami, Gifu,
Japan; Current address: Earthquake Research Institute, The University of
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
List of contributors xxv
Takahiro Nakajima
Geological Carbon Dioxide Storage Technology Research Association, Kyoto,
Japan; Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mizunami,
Gifu, Japan; Current address: Research Institute of Innovative Technology for
the Earth, Kyoto, Japan
Osamu Nishizawa
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University,
Fukuoka, Japan
Ben Norden
German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Mitsuyoshi Osaki
Graduate School of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology,
Toyohashi, Japan
V.P. Panchenko
Russian research Center Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, Russia
Roman Pevzner
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Dmitry Popik
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Sofya Popik
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Matthias Raab
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia
Dennis Rippe
German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Michelle Robertson
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
Cornelia Schmidt-Hattenberger
German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Galina F. Sedukhina
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
V.S. Seleznev
Seismological Branch of GS RAS, Acad. Koptyug Prospect, 3, Novosibirsk,
Russia
Naotaka Shigeta
Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mizunami, Gifu,
Japan; Current address: Horonobe Underground Research Center,
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Hokkaido, Japan
Gulnara M. Shimanskaya
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
xxvi List of contributors
Gyulnara M. Shimanskaya
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Valeriya Shulakova
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; CSIRO, Australian Resources Research
Centre, Kensington, WA, Australia
Rajindar Singh
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia
Robert Smith
Geophysics Technology Team, EXPEC Advanced Research Center, Saudi
Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
V.M. Solovyev
Altae-Sayan Branch of GS RAS, Acad. Koptyug Prospect, 3, Novosibirsk,
Russia
David Sunwall
TechnoImaging, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Junichi Takekawa
Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-
Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Konstantin Tertyshnikov
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Gennady M. Tsibulchik
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
Kayoko Tsuruga
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan; Former
Japan Atomic Agency, Mizunami, Gifu, Japan
Tsyren A. Tubanov
Geological Institute SB RAS, Ulan-Ude, Russia
Takumi Ueda
Department of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Waseda University,
Tokyo, Japan
Takemichi Ueki
Graduate School of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology,
Toyohashi, Japan
Milovan Urosevic
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
E.P. Velikhov
Russian research Center Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, Russia
Le Wan
Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City,
UT, United States; TechnoImaging, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
List of contributors xxvii
Shuming Wang
Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City,
UT, United States
Toshiki Watanabe
Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
Max Watson
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia
Ziqiu Xue
Geological Carbon Dioxide Storage Technology Research Association, Kyoto,
Japan; Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth, Kyoto, Japan
Alexander A. Yakimenko
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB
RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia; Novosibirsk State Technical University, Novosibirsk,
Russia
Koshun Yamaoka
Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
Sinem Yavuz
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Yasuhiro Yoshida
Meteorological College, Chiba, Japan
V.I. Yushin
Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of Siberian Branch of
Russian Academy of Sciences (IPGG SB RAS), Acad. Koptyug Prospect, 3,
Novosibirsk, Russia
Michael S. Zhdanov
Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City,
UT, United States; TechnoImaging, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Sasha Ziramov
CO2CRC, Carlton, VIC, Australia; Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
List of reviewers
Naoyuki Fujii
Junichi Takekawa
Takahiro Nakajima
Ehsan Jamali Hondori
Toshinori Kimura
Kyosuke Okamoto
Michael Zhdanov
Hitoshi Mikada
Junzo Kasahara
xxviii
CHAPTER
Elements of active
geophysical monitoring
theory 1.1
Anatoly S. Alekseev, Gennady M. Tsibulchik, Valery V. Kovalevsky
and Andrey S. Belonosov
Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics SB RAS, Novosibirsk,
Russia
Chapter Outline
1.1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 3
1.1.2 Main properties of the integral precursor ........................................................... 4
1.1.3 Multidisciplinary model of integral precursor and combined inverse problems...... 9
1.1.4 Methods for vibroseismic monitoring of seismic-prone zones ............................ 12
1.1.5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 15
Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................... 16
References ............................................................................................................... 16
1.1.1 Introduction
Different types of geophysical precursors are used in earthquake prediction to
reduce the probability of unexpected catastrophic earthquakes. Several years prior
to such earthquakes, some anomalies occur within geophysical fields, such as
crustal deformation, seismicity, and electric conductivity. Zones that manifest
such anomalies will migrate within 200300 km from the epicenter of a subse-
quent earthquake. The migration mechanisms for different anomalous zones, and
the interrelations among them, reflect the evolution of seismotectonic stress fields,
which could contain valuable information about the timing of seismic activity.
Over the past 30 years, data have been collected from a number of different scien-
tific disciplines and from several different countries, including China, Japan, the
United States, Greece, Turkey, and Russia.
In China, for example, information on hundreds of large earthquakes is now
available from databases that are part of a substantial observational network. The
accumulated information is used to investigate problems of earthquake prediction,
using statistical analyses and various characteristics of geophysical anomalies at
different preearthquake stages. Some previously successful earthquake predictions
where N is the number of cracks of size L per unit volume, K is the critical
average distance between cracks, measured in units of average crack lengths.
When the average distance between cracks becomes smaller than a certain
critical value, there is an abrupt reorganization of the entire system of cracks,
with an increase in the average crack sizes (in some geometrical proportion)
and a decrease in the average volume concentration. Cracks tend to localize in
1.1.2 Main properties of the integral precursor 5
the area of a future macrofracture. These phenomena are typical for any scale
and any loading regime.
3. Reorganization of the crack system manifests itself as a change to some of the
characteristics of the medium in a developing earthquake source and as
the formation of anomalies in some geophysical fields. In particular,
concentration of the crack-formation process can be evidence of a change in
the seismicity regime for weak earthquakes, and in the appearance of rock
anisotropy in a future earthquake source. The appearance of elastic anisotropy
is most conspicuous in the formation of anomalies prior to large earthquakes
(Nersesov et al., 1971).
Some geophysical fields can be affected by the opening of microcracks. In
particular, gas and fluid permeability increases in those areas of the Earth’s crust
where this process takes place. As a consequence, the groundwater level, the
intensity of gas flow, and the electrical resistance can change. The loosening of
rock resulting from the increase in total crack volume must also cause local grav-
ity anomalies.
Thus the crack-density function as a measure of rock failure has some advan-
tages, because this function is present in the formulation of all three principles.
Another advantage is that the crack-density function can be more accurately and
reliably determined from multidisciplinary data, owing to its presence in the mod-
els of various geophysical fields—the complementary principle (Alekseev, 1992).
An analysis of the preexisting stress fields at earthquake locations (Miao,
1993; Wang and Liao, 1996) and the results from dilatancy-zone numerical
modeling (presented later) suggest that cracks of some scale level can be formed
at distances of 200300 km from the source of a future earthquake.
Although the earthquake development process is “slow,” lasting up to several
hundreds of years, it is an energy-intensive process. Considerable rheological
change in the medium takes place, and anomalous zones form within different
kinds of geophysical fields. Crack openings in zones with increased shearing and
tensile stresses are the most basic mechanism of medium change. Such zones are
formed near the sources of future earthquakes, if the spatial distribution of forces
is nonuniform. Many seismologists consider that the initial stage of crack opening
and the subsequent state of the medium when rock failure develops are connected
to medium dilatancy (Nikolayevskii, 1982; Nur, 1971; Brace et al., 1966).
Dilatancy is the nonlinear loosening of rocks caused by crack formation from
shear. This process takes place when tangential stresses exceed a certain thresh-
old. A dilatancy zone includes points within an elastic medium, for which the fol-
lowing condition is satisfied:
1
P 5 2 ðσ11 1 σ22 1 σ33 Þ; (1.1.3)
3
where σij is the stresses and τ is the intensity of the tangential stresses:
pffiffiffi h
3 1=2
τ5 ðσ11 2σ22 Þ2 1 ðσ22 2σ33 Þ2 1 ðσ33 2σ11 Þ2 1 6ðσ212 1σ213 1σ223 Þ : (1.1.4)
2
Distance (km)
–40 –30 –20 –10 0 10 20 30 40 X
0
Depth (km)
5
10
15
20
FIGURE 1.1.1
Exact solutions for elastic displacements and stresses from a point source satisfying the
conditions of zero stresses at the free surface show that there are two dilatancy zones—
the “source” zone in the vicinity of the elastic dipole application point and the “surface”
zone in the layer near the free surface. Shapes of “source” and “surface” dilatancy
zones in the plane y 5 0 (15 km 5 source depth), double force M0 5 3 3 1020 N;
n 5 ðcos ϕ; 0; sin ϕÞ; p 5 ð0; 1; 0Þ; ϕ 5 30 .
1.1.2 Main properties of the integral precursor 7
Distance (km)
–40 –30 –20 –10 0 10 20 30 40 X
0
Depth (km)
5
10
15
20
FIGURE 1.1.2
As in Fig. 1.1.1 except for the double-force couple
M0 5 6:75 3 1020 N; n\ 5 p; p\ 5 n; n 5 ðcos ϕ; 0; sin ϕÞ; p 5 ð0; 1; 0Þ; ϕ 5 30 .
8 CHAPTER 1.1 Elements of active geophysical monitoring theory
where σ1 and σ3 are the largest and smallest principal stresses, respectively; ϕ is
the angle of internal friction; Y is the cohesion; and σp is the rock strength. This
criterion determines dilatancy zones under conditions in which the medium can
withstand large shearing stresses, but offers less resistance to tensile forces.
Note that, so far, the existence of surface dilatancy zones under real conditions
should be considered a hypothesis. The use of this hypothesis for practical analy-
sis of anomalies within various geophysical fields is an attempt to find reasons
for the evolution of these anomalies, and to clarify the mechanisms of their
interrelation.
Monitoring of the crack-density variation in the source zone is of special
importance for short-range earthquake prediction. This monitoring should not be
separated from observations of the surface dilatancy zone and the anomalous
fields associated with it. First, the location of the future source is not known
exactly, and its determination is closely related to the behavior of surface anoma-
lous zones. Second, the reliability and accuracy of estimating the crack-density
function in the source zone depend on the information regarding field anomalies
in surface zones.
Before proceeding to the scheme for estimating the integral precursor in the
source using multidisciplinary monitoring, it is reasonable to consider the relation-
ship between crack-formation processes in the source and surface dilatancy areas.
Generally, a stress field is an energy-charged medium in which a relationship
exists between the source and surface zones. The lines of largest tangential stress
(or largest tensile stress) provide an estimate for the predominant orientation of
cracks that occur in zones of the source and surface types.
When dilatancy zones of the two types are combined into one zone, there is a
joint area of fracturing. This area combines the surface zones of anomalous fields
with the source zone, in which the development of the rock failure process can
directly influence the change in the geophysical anomalies. When dilatancy areas
are separated, the source zone can retain its direct influence on the anomalies of
some fields (e.g., on the values of the velocities υp and υs) by a joint area of
introduced anisotropy within the medium. The anisotropy coefficients can be
expected to vary in a special way during the crack growth process, because the
1.1.3 Multidisciplinary model of integral precursor and combined 9
orientation of the axis of symmetry remains the same. This can simplify the prob-
lem of estimating the average number of cracks by a high-resolution vibroseismic
method (Alekseev et al., 1998a,b, 1999, 2001).
Language: Catalan
1906
Aquest home es deia Josafat. Era un pagés vingut del cor de les
Guilleríes. De grandeçàs sentí vocació de consagrar-se a Deu, i,
decidit, sense consultar-ho a ningú, un dematí fugí de sa casa i s
presentá al seminari sens recordar-se que no savía de lletra. Tanta
ingenuitat el feu célebre: mestres i deixebles esplicaven sa historia i
amb ell se divertíen. Pro en Josafat era tossut i tenía mal genit;
volgué apendre de lletra i posá mala cara als que s'en reien.
Mentrestant, com del poble no havía dut més que un farcell de roba,
el fluviol de pastor i una vareta de frexe, visqué de miracle, fent
variades i petites feines: enganxant en les esglesies anuncis
rel·ligiosos; passant rebuts de societats católiques, targes de convit,
de funerals i enterros, de sermons i novenes; servint
conciensudament als capellans els quals l'ajudaven tant com podíen
admirats d'aquella fervorosa constancia.
En Josafat un díe tingué prou clarividencia per compendre que ell de
sacerdot no n sería mai, i ja que no podía dir missa, aprengué a
ajudar-la. Fou tan humil, tan servicial i tan gelós del respecte de Deu
i de l'Esglesia, que s'atragué la benevolencia de tots els que l
tractaven. Els clergues vells el tenien en gran estima i els joves li
daven conversa, i bromejant li trucaven carinyosament l'esquena.
Josafat era un brau, cap vici havía debilitat sa naturalesa, tenía deu
pams d'alçaria, unes mans grosses i unes espatlles atapaídes
d'energía selvatje. Posà axó que era lo únic que tenía, al servei dels
seus protectors, que sapigueren agrair-ho i celebrar-ho. Oh en el
present segle, tan abundós en mofes anticlericals, en Josafat era una
alaija. Els seus fets eren contats am riallades de satisfacció. Se
ponderava sa força i ses victories. Empró un díe en feu massa.
Acompanyava a Nostramo am la testa acotada com solía, brandava
amb una ma la campaneta i am l'altra sostenía la llanterna; la gent es
posternava al passar i aquell acatament l'enorgullía com si
propiament hagués sigut dirigit a sa persona.
Sols un vianant am brusa blava feu son camí sens ni tan sols llevar-se
la boina que portava. Josafat se l mirá. Josafat tenía un mirar tràgic i
al enfadar-se un tic nirviós li esqueixava la boca. Repetint la mueca
espaventable es dirigí a l'home irreverent, signant-li la boina am gest
imperiós. L'home irreverent no s'immutá i am veu tranquila i parla
forastera digué qu'ell no s descubría més que per son quefe i per
l'imatje sacrosanta de la República, i refusá senzillament an en
Josafat que allargava el bras per arrabassar-li la boina. Fou horrible.
L'home empès contra una porta es defensá un breu instant, empró,
de sobte, s'oí el drinc ofegat de la campaneta i un doll de sang brollá
de la testa esbardellada del foraster. En Josafat mossegant l'aire
caigué a l'ensemps que l vençut, i sobre d ell, ruiecant de follía, seguí
petaquejant-li la nafra am precisió d'hábil llenyater. ¡Ah purria
descreguda, gitada de l'infern!
Aital fet intranquil·lisá als seus protectors: bo era que fes surtir del
temple als galantajadors de devotes; bo era qu'en les manifestacions
relligioses allunyés als mofetes atrevits, solzament am son tétric
esguard; bo era que obligués a descubrir-se als descarats, pro,
l'ensanyament, la feresa, la mala entranya qu'havía demostrat, si be
era disculpable en un home com ell, per la força de la fé que revelava,
podía ocasionar un conflicte: raons am la justicia, escándols que
sempre son aprofitables pels periódics avensats.
Desde allavors en Josafat visqué allí com una fera engaviada; surtía
del campanar lo menys que podía. Els amics clergues l'anaven a
veure. Li retreien ses haçanyes i rient i bromejant l'encoratjaven.
Parlaren llargament.
El pagés trobá aquella vida molt trista, aquella habitació massa fosca
i aquells corredors i galeries massa plens de basarda.
–¡La Pepona!
Vaja, ja estem entesos, que Deu vos gord, fins un altre die qu'em
penso será tart.
Molt tenía que haver cambiat la Pepona per que fos ella la que venía
a temptar-lo. Pensá en les tribulacions de Sant Antoni, i pera lliurar-
se del pecat cregué que li era lícit encloure entre la porta i l'aresta del
mur la gorja flexible i exitant que s'allargava vers ell com la d'una
serp enviada pel dimoni.
La Pepona entrá resolta i decidida sens haver esment del perill que
corría, al ficar-se en els tétrics dominis d'en Josafat.
Era una dòna d'aspecte sanitós, madura i espléndida; sa carn, un xic
masegada per contínues caricies, trontollava sota l vestit a travers de
quina roba passava una transpiració tebia i flairosa. Per la gorja i les
munyeques s'endevinava la blancor de sa pell, mentres una lleugera i
antiga patina de sol, li enmorenía les mans i la cara. Sa boca grossa
mig oberta per un somriure burlesc ensenyava les dents admirables
de netedat i simetría; dents que feien pensar en gelositats amoroses,
en besades crudels i en proíges satániques. Era perillosa, enfollía el
cor i emboirava el pensament am carnals ubriagueses.
No venía pas sola: fent contrast amb ella havía entrat una joveneta
de poca estatura ciutadana feble, malaltiça. En sa faç empolvada
semblava dur-hi estergides un munt d'histories de llibertinatge; sos
llavis petits, desperfilats per innombrables besades, aixafats per la
continuada impresió d'altres llavis sedents i lubrics, es contreien
amb espressió laçada; i son nasset delicat i elàstic de badius
impetuosos semblava rastrejar de contínuu sentors de luxuria.