Identification of Local Seismic Events Using the Mikhnevo Seismic Array

A large number of events with sources in the immediate vicinity of an array are usually detected during seismological observations with seismic arrays. These events should be detected and correctly interpreted during processing of seismic array records in order to avoid clogging up the event catalog. This problem can be solved by classifying records of local events by genetic features and creating a databank with the most representative samples. The present paper considers local events recorded using a unique scientific setup, the Mikhnevo small aperture seismic array. Epicenters of local seismic events are located less than 5 km from the center of the array. Seismic responses of acoustic shock waves are also examined. Seismic events caused by anthropogenic sources are identified and classified using cluster, cross-correlation, and wavelet analysis. Events accompanied only by the arrival of surface waves, as well as events represented by body, surface, and acoustic waves, are identified. Shock wave events are classified as a separate category. A small group of supposedly natural weak events is also found. As a result, a databank of waveforms of local seismic events for the Mikhnevo seismic array is established. In the future, this will make it possible to automate their identification when investigating the seismicity of the East European Platform.     

Electromagnetic study of lithospheric structure in the marginal zone of East European Craton in NW Poland

The marginal zone of the East European Platform, an area of key importance for our understanding of the geotectonic history of Europe, has been a challenge for geophysicists for many years. The basic research method is seismic survey, but many important data on physical properties and structure of the lithosphere may also be provided by the electromagnetic methods. In this paper, results of deep basement study by electromagnetic methods performed in Poland since the mid-1960s are presented. Over this time, several hundred long-period soundings have been executed providing an assessment of the electric conductivity distribution in the crust and upper mantle. Numerous 1D, 2D, and pseudo-3D electric conductivity models were constructed, and a new interpretation method based on Horizontal Magnetic Tensor analysis has been applied recently. The results show that the contact zone is of lithospheric discontinuity character and there are distinct differences in geoelectric structures between the Precambrian Platform, transitional zone (TESZ), and the Paleozoic Platform. The wide-spread conducting complexes in the crust with integral conductivity values reaching 10 000 S at 20–30 km depths are most spectacular. They are most likely consequences of geological processes related to Caledonian and Variscan orogenesis. The upper mantle conductivity is also variable, the thickness of high-resistive lithospheric plates ranging from 120–140 km under the Paleozoic Platform to 220–240 km under the East European Platform.     

Wavenumber response of Shanghai Seismic array

Seismic array can be traced back to 1950s when it mainly aimed at detecting and distinguishing the signals of nuclear explosion and seismic signals. The research on seismic array includes seismic array techniques and applications of array in geophysics. Array techniques involve array design and data processing methods (Anne, 1990). Nowadays, the continuous development of seismic array￠s theory could relate to many scientific issues in geophysical field (Tormod, 1989; Mykkeltveit, Bungum, 1984). Seismic array is mainly applied to detect weak events. The response characteristic of array is an important indication of array￠s detection ability. Therefore, when we study an array or construct an array, one of the neces-sary works is to calculate the response characteristics of the array (Harjes, 1990). The aperture and layout of array are two dominating geometrical features. The typical aperture of interna-tional array is generally from several to tens kilometers. For instance, arrays with aperture of dozens kilometers aperture are KSA, WRA, YKA, etc, while arrays with several kilometer aperture are ARC, FIN, GEE, etc. Moreo-ver, in the view of array￠s layout, NOR, GER, etc have circle layout, while WRA, YKA, etc have decussating layout. This paper mainly discusses the relation between deployment of array and wavenumber response. With the example of constructing Shanghai Seismic Array, this paper provides one practical solution to search the proper array deployment. In this paper, the simple delay beam technique is adopted to calculate the response characteris-tics of array. Certainly, the different processing methods have different result, but the result from the simple delay beam processing could be enough to reflect the feature of an array.     

珊溪水库地震台阵建设

为更好地对珊溪水库地震震群进行监测和分析,浙江省地震局自2006年开始建设珊溪水库地震台阵.介绍了该环形小孔径台阵的勘选和建设过程,并结合2次地震震群活动的监测数据,展示了该台阵对地区性地震活动监测的效果.     

Low Electrical Resistivity And Seismic Velocity At The Base Of The Upper Crust As Indicator Of Rheologically Weak Layer

Conductivity models were compiled in two geological provinces with thinsediments. The first province is the margin of the Precambrian East EuropeanPlatform. The second one is the Phanerozoic Rhenish Massif as a part of CentralGermany Hercinicum. In both provinces, a conducting layer was revealed at thebase of the upper crust by the magnetotelluric soundings. Its depth is around10 km in the East European Platform and around 15 km in the Rhenish Massif.The conductance of the layer reaches a few tens of Siemens in the first provinceand is almost an order of magnitude greater in the second one.A good correlation between the conductor and a seismic wave-guide (low-velocityzone) exists at the base of the upper crust. Simultaneous decrease of both electricalresistivity and seismic velocity, suggests an increase of porosity and permeability inpresence of saline water. The depth of rheological weak layer in the PhanerozoicRhenish Massif corresponds to the commonly accepted depth of the thermallyinduced brittle/ductile transition. Contrary similar layer in the Precambrian EasternEuropean Platform is much shallower than the thermally induced transition. Somenew mechanism should be considered.     

Seismic wave velocities in the sedimentary cover of Poland: Borehole data compilation

A knowledge of seismic wave velocities in the sedimentary cover is of great importance for interpreting reflection and refraction seismic data, deep seismic soundings and regional and global seismic tomography. This is particularly true for regions characterized by significant thicknesses and a complex sedimentary cover structure. This paper presents the results of an analysis of seismic P-wave velocities in the sedimentary cover of Poland, a complex area of juxtaposition of major tectonic units: the Precambrian East European Craton, the Palaeozoic Platform of Central and Western Europe, and the Alpine orogen represented by the Carpathian Mountains. Based on vertical seismic profiling data from 1188 boreholes, the dependence of velocity versus depth was determined for regional geological units and for successions from the Tertiary and Quaternary to the Cambrian. The data have been approximated by polynomials, and velocity-depth formulas are given down to 6000 m depth. The velocities in the sedimentary cover have been compared with those from other areas in Europe.     

Time variations in the mechanical characteristics of local crustal segments according to seismic observations

The results of the seismic observations made with two different experimental setups are presented. In the first case, the signals produced by underground nuclear explosions at the Semipalatinsk Test Site were measured on a linear profile, which allowed one to definitely outline the areas where the mechanical properties of rocks experienced considerable time variations. In the second case, the waves excited by the open-pit mine blasts recorded at a small-aperture seismic array at the Mikhnevo Geophysical Station (Institute of Geosphere Dynamics, Russian Academy of Sciences) on the East European Platform favored the estimation of variations in the integral characteristics of the seismic path. Measurements in aseismic regions characterized by diverse geological structure and different tectonic conditions revealed similar effects of the strong dependency of seismic parameters on the time of explosions. Here, the variations experienced by the maximum amplitudes of oscillations and irrelevant to seasonal changes or local conditions reached a factor of two. The generic periods of these variations including the distinct annual rhythm are probably the fragments of a lower-frequency process. The obtained results suggest that these variations are due to changes in the stressstrain state of active fault zones, which, in turn, can be associated with the macroscale motion of large blocks triggered by tidal strains, tectonic forces and, possibly, variations in the rate of the Earth’s rotation.     

Paleomagnetism of carboniferous formations of the Russian platform: Reinvestigation of old collections

The collections of Carboniferous rocks from sections of the Russian Platform (Gzhelian, Moscovian, Bashkirian, and Visean stages) are studied. The new mean paleomagnetic poles are obtained from the Gzhelian, Moscovian, and Visean layers of the Carboniferous of the Russian Platform. In the redbed Gzhelian and Moscovian rocks, the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) components with the inclination shallowing are revealed, which is due to the presence of the large hematite particles or particle aggregates associated with the interaction between the magnetic and clay particles. Based on the obtained determinations and the results contained in the World paleomagnetic database, the trajectory of the apparent polar wander path (APWP) for the East European Platform is constructed in the interval from the Devonian to Early Permian. The Carboniferous kinematics of the East European Platform is estimated.     

Frost quakes as a particular class of seismic events: Observations within the East-European platform

The group of quakes, which are caused by fast freezing of water-saturated soils or rocks at abrupt drop of winter temperatures often occurring in the middle and high latitudes of Eurasia, is considered. The review of little-known literature is given; the statistical data on the distribution of earthquakes in seasons and the time of day in various regions of Eurasia are presented. Special attention is paid to the East European Platform; using the data for this platform, with thorough consideration of reference quakes along with the weather conditions, the signs of a specific class of nontectonic seismic events are determined. The question concerning the necessity of the frost quakes’ discrimination in compilation of tectonic earthquake catalogues in certain regions is stated.     

Study of Local Seismic Events in Lithuania and Adjacent Areas Using Data from the PASSEQ Experiment

The territory of Lithuania and adjacent areas of the East European Craton have always been considered a region of low seismicity. Two recent earthquakes with magnitudes of more than 5 in the Kaliningrad District (Russian Federation) on 21 September 2004 motivated re-evaluation of the seismic hazard in Lithuania and adjacent territories. A new opportunity to study seismicity in the region is provided by the PASSEQ (Pasive Seismic Experiment) project that aimed to study the lithosphere–asthenosphere structure around the Trans-European Suture Zone. Twenty-six seismic stations of the PASSEQ temporary seismic array were installed in the territory of Lithuania. The stations recorded a number of local and regional seismic events originating from Lithuania and adjacent areas. This data can be used to answer the question of whether there exist seismically active tectonic zones in Lithuania that could be potentially hazardous for critical industrial facilities. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to find any natural tectonic seismic events in Lithuania and to obtain more general view of seismicity in the region. In order to do this, we make a manual review of the continuous data recorded by the PASSEQ seismic stations in Lithuania. From the good quality data, we select and relocate 45 local seismic events using the well-known LocSAT and VELEST location algortithms. In order to discriminate between possible natural events, underwater explosions and on-shore blasts, we analyse spatial distribution of epicenters and temporal distribution of origin times and perform both visual analysis of waveforms and spectral analysis of recordings. We show that the relocated seismic events can be grouped into five clusters (groups) according to their epicenter coordinates and origin and that several seismic events might be of tectonic origin. We also show that several events from the off-shore region in the Baltic Sea (at the coasts of the Kaliningrad District of the Russian Federation) are non-volcanic tremors, although the origin of these tremor-type events is not clear.     

Component azimuths of the CEArray stations estimated from P-wave particle motion

The recently built China Digital Seismic Network consists of the China National Digital Seismic Network (CNDSN),31 regional seismic networks and several small aperture arrays with more than 1 000 stations including 850+ broadband stations.It forms a gigantic seismic array that provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the Earth's deep interior besides its routine task of seismic monitoring.Many modern seismic studies rely on rotation of vertical and horizontal components in order to separate different ...     

The velocity structure of the upper mantle in the transition zone from the East European Platform to Western Europe from seismic noise data

The surface wave tomography from ambient seismic noise recorded at stations in Western Europe (WE) and on the East European Platform (EEP) revealed the structure of the crust and upper mantle in the transitional zone from the Precambrian platform to the younger geological units in Western Europe. The Tornquist-Teisseyre Line separating these structures is clearly traced as a transition zone from the high velocities beneath EEP to the low velocities beneath WE in the crust and upper mantle, which extends to a depth of 150?C170 km. Below 200 km the relationship between the velocities beneath EEP and WE becomes the opposite. A similar relationship between the velocities in the upper mantle down to a depth of 300 km is observed on the southern boundary, where EEP borders on the northern segment of the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt.     

Application of seismo-acoustic signals to the study of local site effects

The Nevada Seismic Array (NVAR) is a small-aperture seismic array designed for monitoring an eventual nuclear test ban treaty. In spite of the 4 km aperture, large amplitude variations are recorded due to the complicated local geology. This study takes advantage of the collocated infrasound and seismic sensors to discuss the use of air-to-ground coupled waves to characterize the shallow geological structure existing beneath the array.     

北京市人大办公楼的结构地震反应观测台阵研究

概述了国内外强震动观测的研究现状和结构地震反应观测台阵的研究情况。并对北京市人大办公楼的结构地震反应观测台阵的研究实例作了分析,该观测台阵在没有强震的情况下,依然取得了有用的地震记录。文中对该台阵得到的两次地震记录分析、处理,结果的对比分析用于验证该结构反应观测台阵布设的合理性。最后阐述了该台阵布设的不足,针对不足给出几点结构反应观测台阵布设的合理建议,并展望了结构地震反应观测台阵布设研究的美好前景。     

Paleomagnetism of sedimentary strata and the origin of the structures in the western slope of South Urals

Paleomagnetic data may contribute to studying the formation history of orogens; in particular, these data can promote identifying the pattern and scales of deformations at the final stages of orogeny. We have conducted paleomagnetic studies of the Paleozoic and Neoproterozoic sediments in the western part of the Western Ural Megazone in South Urals. The detailed thermal demagnetization revealed the intermediate temperature magnetization component in most samples. This magnetization has a reversed polarity and has been acquired before folding or at the early stages of the deformations. The directions of this component are narrowly grouped in rocks of a different age in all the segments of the studied part of South Urals, and the regional average direction closely agrees with the reference paleomagnetic direction of 270 Ma for the East European Platform. The results of our study suggest the following conclusions: (1) the main magnetization component in the studied sedimentary rocks has a secondary origin; (2) this component has an age of ~270 Ma and has been formed during the Kungur deformations (279–272 Ma ago) of the western part of South Urals; (3) neither a general rotation of the studied part of the Urals relative to the East European Platform nor local rotations of the individual tectonic blocks relative to each other are revealed; (4) the changes in the strike of the structures from NE within the Karatau uplift to the submeridional in the remaining part of the Urals is not an oroclinal bend.     

Heat flow map of the European part of the U.S.S.R.

A heat flow isoline map is presented. Low and relatively constant heat flow has been observed in the old shield areas of the East European Platform (25–40 mW/m²). Increased heat flow (>50 mW/m²) has been found in the Dniepr-Donetz depression. The area south of the East European Platform is characterized by highly variable heat flow (55–100 mW/m²). Some geophysical implications are discussed.     

Space-time analysis of the relative local secular variations of the geomagnetic field (1966–2005) along the Zgorzelec-Wiżajny profile

The Zgorzelec-Wiżajny profile cuts through the main European geotectonic units of the Palaeozoic Western and Central European Platform and the East European Craton, including the connecting Trans-European Suture Zone. The paper summarises 40 years of research on geomagnetic secular variations along the Zgorzelec-Wiżajny profile since 1966. It discusses methods of processing measurement records and presenting their results. The latter are presented against the background of the local geology and the crustal deep magnetic structure data. The hitherto method of variation analysis was modified to address a new trend in the geomagnetic secular variations that has emerged in the East European Craton during the last five years (2001–2005).     

Seismicity pattern and thermal anomalies in the southern Baltic region before and during the Kaliningrad earthquakes of 2004

The seismic situation in the SE Baltic region that existed during the period 1990–2006, including the unexpectedly strong Kaliningrad earthquakes of 2004, is analyzed. The spatiotemporal variation of seismic events in the region is examined on the basis of a newly compiled catalog of tectonic earthquakes. The analysis revealed outbursts of seismic activity in 1995 and 2004, structurization of the distribution of shocks, and their southward migration. The distribution of hot springs that arose in 2002–2004 is analyzed in relation to seismological data. The seismic process and thermal anomalies are shown to be geodynamically controlled, which provided constraints on the nucleation process and focal mechanism of the Kaliningrad earthquakes. The region, located in the western East European platform, should be regarded as seismically rather active.     

Slowness Corrections — One Way to Improve IDC Products

—?The first step to identify and locate a seismic event is the association of observed onsets with common seismic sources. This is especially important in the context of monitoring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) at the International Data Center (IDC) being developed in Vienna, Austria. Well-defined slowness measurements are very useful for associating seismic phases to presumed seismic events.¶Shortly after installation of the first seismic arrays, systematic discrepancies between measured and theoretically predicted slowness values were observed, and therefore slowness measurements of seismic stations should be calibrated. The observed slownesses measured with small aperture arrays, some of which will be included in the International Monitoring System (IMS) now being implemented for verifying compliance with the CTBT, show large scatter and deviations from theoretically expected values. However, in this study a method is presented, by which mean slowness corrections can be derived, which show relatively stable patterns specific to each array.¶The correction of measured slowness values of these arrays clearly improved the single array location capabilities. Applying slowness corrections with seismic phases observed by ARCES, FINES, GERES, and NORES, and associated to seismic events in the bulletins of the prototype International Data Center (pIDC) in Arlington, VA, also clearly demonstrates the advantages of these corrections. For arrays with large slowness deviations that are due to the influence of a dipping layer, the corrections were modeled with a sine function depending on the measured azimuth. In addition, the measured values can be weighted with the corresponding uncertainties known from the process of deriving the mean corrections.