Locating regional seismic events with global optimization based on interval arithmetic

More than 1000 seismic events in northern Europe at distances of up to 400  km from the detecting network are located using an optimization method in which the global minimum of the traveltime function residuals is searched for using an Interval Arithmetic (IA) method. Epicentres are determined using P waves detected by the Finnish national seismic network: up to 15 stations were used in the analysis. The IA results coincide with locations provided by the University of Helsinki bulletins with a median location bias of 7.6  km.
  A second data set of 59 explosions in the Siilinjärvi mine in central Finland was examined in detail, because the locations of the explosions were known exactly. In this case, the median difference of IA locations was 3.8  km from the average location of mine explosions, while all 59 events were located within 9  km of the 'true' epicentres. The corresponding median error of the University of Helsinki locations was smaller (3.2  km), but some Helsinki locations were well over 10  km from the mine. The convergence towards the global optimum using interval arithmetic was fast when compared with the conventional least-squares approaches for epicentre determinations.     

Prediction of peak particle velocity and peak air pressure generated by buried explosion

Summary Three sets of different formulae expressed as functions of dynamic elastic constants of rock and some design parameters involved in a buried explosion are derived explicitly for the prediction of peak particle velocity (PPV) and peak air pressure (PAP). Separate equations are derived to estimate PPV and PAP for inside, outside, and at the boundary of the crater zone. The equations incorporate the physical parameters including (i) longitudinal wave velocity, (ii) shear wave velocity, (iii) density of rock, (iv) characteristic impedance of air, (v) detonation pressure of explosive, (vi) depth of hole, (vii) radius of hole, (viii) distance of the measuring transducer. Suggested equations are tested for a few hard and medium-hard rocks. Characteristic features and important conclusions are described.     

The Influence of Path Corrections and a Three-dimensional Global <Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>-wave Velocity Model on Seismic Event Location in Kazakhstan

We relocate 81 large nuclear explosions that were detonated at the Balapan and Degelen Mountain subregions of the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan during the years 1978 to 1989. The absolute locations of these explosions are available, as well as very accurate estimates of their origin times. This ground truth information allows us to perform a detailed analysis of location capability. We use a sparse network of stations with highly accurate first arrival picks measured using a waveform cross-correlation method. These high quality data facilitate very accurate location estimates with only a few phases per event. We contrast two different approaches: 1) a calibration-based approach, where we achieve improved locations by using path corrections, and 2) a model-based approach, where we achieve improved locations by relocating in a recently published global 3-D P-velocity model. Both methods result in large improvements in accuracy of the obtained absolute locations, compared to locations obtained in a 1-D reference earth model (ak135). The calibration-based approach gives superior results for this test site, in particular when arrival times from regional stations are included. Estimated locations remain well within a 1000 km² region surrounding the ground truth locations when the path corrections for the Balapan and Degelen Mountain subregions are interchanged, but even for the short separation between these two regions, we find variations in the path corrections that cause systematic mislocations. The model-based approach also results in substantially reduced mislocation distances and has the distinct advantage that it is, in principle, transportable to other source regions around the world.     

Volcaniclastic deposits from the North Arch volcanic field, Hawaii: explosive fragmentation of alkalic lava at abyssal depths

Submarine explosive eruptions are generally considered to become less likely with increasing depth due to the increasing hydrostatic pressure of the overlying water column. Volcaniclastic deposits from the North Arch volcanic field, north of Oahu, have textural characteristics of explosive fragmentation yet were erupted in water depths greater than 4,200 m. The most abundant volcaniclastic samples from North Arch are clast-supported with highly vesicular, angular pyroclasts. They are most likely near-vent pyroclastic fall deposits formed in eruption columns of limited height. Interbedded with highly vesicular pillow lava, they form low (50 to 200 m), steep-sided cones around the vents. Less common are stratified samples with graded bedding; one such sample includes a layer of roughly aligned, platy, bubble-wall glass fragments (resembling littoral limu o Pele) that may have been deposited by density currents. In addition to bubble-wall glass shards, numerous glass fragments with spherical, delicate spindle and ribbon shapes, and Pele's hair-like glass strands occur in the finer size fraction (<0.5 mm) of some samples. They are probably more distal fallout. Another sample, consisting of glass fragments dispersed in a marine clay matrix, was apparently reworked and deposited farther from the vents by bottom currents. Glass compositions include low-(∼0.4-0.6 wt%) and medium-K₂O (>0.6 wt%) alkalic basalt, basanite, and nephelinite. Sulfur and chlorine abundances are high, reaching a maximum of 1,800 and 1,300 ppm, respectively. The ubiquitous presence of limu o Pele fragments, regardless of glass composition, suggests that bursts of Strombolian-like activity accompanied most eruptions. Coalescing vesicles observed in larger pyroclasts and some pillow lava suggests accumulation of volatiles. Since the great hydrostatic pressure makes steam expansion impossible, a volatile-rich, supercritical magmatic fluid probably drove the eruptions. If these volatile-rich magmas had erupted in shallow water or subaerially, tall fountains would most likely have resulted. The great hydrostatic pressure (>40 MPa) limited fountain and eruption column heights.     

Source bias in epicentre determinations revisited

Most estimates of the epicentre of the Long Shot explosion (29 October 1965, Aleutian Islands) are biased to the north of the true epicentre, this bias being much larger than formal uncertainty estimates. The bias is interpreted by some as evidence that the P-wave speeds in the upper mantle in the source region are higher to the north than to the south; that is, the difference between estimated and true epicentre is a source bias. Others argue that much of the bias can be explained by station anomalies, i.e. differences in the wave speeds in the upper mantle at stations to the north relative to those to the south. Bias may also be introduced by measurement error if signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is lower on average at stations to the south compared to those to the north and times are read late at the low SNR stations. Here I locate Long Shot and the other two Aleutian Island explosions (Milrow and Cannikin) using P times from small networks of stations all on continents. The results support the view that a large component of the bias in the epicentres of the three explosions is due to station anomalies and not source bias, but that for the Long Shot explosion (the lowest magnitude of the three explosions), measurement error due to systematic variations in the SNR between stations to the north and south also contributes to the bias.     

利用小波包变换时频谱识别宁夏及邻区的地震和爆破

采用dmey小波基函数分别对地震和爆破事件的垂直向记录信号进行小波包变换,计算各事件信号的归一化时频谱值以及P波和S波时频谱值达到最大时的频率fmp和fms,比较地震信号和爆破信号P波段(0～6.25Hz)和S波段(0～6.25Hz)在各相同分解频带内的瞬时谱最大值差异,寻找合适的单项定量识别指标,并综合各单项识别指标形成综合识别判据。运用综合识别判据对银川台记录到的宁夏及邻区14个地震事件和19个爆破事件进行判别,结果表明,各单项定量识别指标的识别率均在80%以上,综合判别结果均与事件的真实类型一致。