Seismic anisotropy in the vicinity of the Alpine fault, New Zealand, estimated by seismic interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagi, R.; Okada, T.; Yoshida, K.; Townend, J.; Boese, C. M.; Baratin, L. M.; Chamberlain, C. J.; Savage, M. K.

2016-12-01

We estimate shear wave velocity anisotropy in shallow crust near the Alpine fault using seismic interferometry of borehole vertical arrays. We utilized four borehole observations: two sensors are deployed in two boreholes of the Deep Fault Drilling Project in the hanging wall side, and the other two sites are located in the footwall side. Surface sensors deployed just above each borehole are used to make vertical arrays. Crosscorrelating rotated horizontal seismograms observed by the borehole and surface sensors, we extracted polarized shear waves propagating from the bottom to the surface of each borehole. The extracted shear waves show polarization angle dependence of travel time, indicating shear wave anisotropy between the two sensors. In the hanging wall side, the estimated fast shear wave directions are parallel to the Alpine fault. Strong anisotropy of 20% is observed at the site within 100 m from the Alpine fault. The hanging wall consists of mylonite and schist characterized by fault parallel foliation. In addition, an acoustic borehole imaging reveals fractures parallel to the Alpine fault. The fault parallel anisotropy suggest structural anisotropy is predominant in the hanging wall, demonstrating consistency of geological and seismological observations. In the footwall side, on the other hand, the angle between the fast direction and the strike of the Alpine fault is 33-40 degrees. Since the footwall is composed of granitoid that may not have planar structure, stress induced anisotropy is possibly predominant. The direction of maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) estimated by focal mechanisms of regional earthquakes is 55 degrees of the Alpine fault. Possible interpretation of the difference between the fast direction and SHmax direction is depth rotation of stress field near the Alpine fault. Similar depth rotation of stress field is also observed in the SAFOD borehole at the San Andreas fault.

Initial results from the Volcanic Risk in Saudi Arabia project: Microearthquakes in the northern Harrat Rahat monogenetic volcanic field, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenedi, C. L.; Alvarez, M. G.; Abdelwahed, M. F.; Aboud, E.; Lindsay, J. M.; Mokhtar, T. A.; Moufti, M. R.

2012-12-01

An 8-station borehole seismic research array is recording microearthquake data in northern Harrat Rahat. This recently active monogenetic volcanic field lies southeast of the Islamic holy city of Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The VORiSA seismographs are operated in collaboration between King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and the Institute of Earth Science and Engineering, University of Auckland, in New Zealand. The goal of the VORiSA project is to evaluate the seismic and volcanic hazard around Madinah. To this end, we will evaluate the local earthquake activity including the extent to which local earthquakes are tectonic or volcanic. We also will use seismicity to understand the subsurface structure. The analytical goals of the seismic research array are the following: (1) Calculate a new seismic velocity model, (2) Map subsurface structures using seismic tomography, and (3) Explore for fracture zones using shear wave splitting analysis. As compared to seismographs installed on the surface, borehole seismometers detect smaller and more numerous microearthquake signals. The sensitivity and location of the borehole sensors in the VORiSA array are designed to detect these weak signals. The array has a total aperture of 17 km with station spacing at 5 - 10 km. The seismometers are housed in IESE model S21g-2.0, two Hz, 3-component borehole sondes. Sensor depths range from 107 - 121 m. The data acquisition system at each stand-alone station consists of a Reftek 130-01, 6-channel, 24 bit data logger which records at 250 samples per second. The power source is a deep cycle battery with solar recharge. Local temperatures reach extremes of 0° to 50°C, so the battery and recorder are contained in a specially designed underground vault. The vault also provides security in the remote and sparsely populated volcanic field. Recording began on 31 March 2012. An average of one earthquake every three days suggests that currently this is not a highly seismic area. However, seismic swarms, likely related to magmatic intrusion, have occurred in 1999 in Harrat Rahat (~145 earthquakes, M1.4 to 2.3) (Moufti et al., 2010) and in 2009 in Harrat Lunayyir (~30,000 earthquakes up to M5.4) (Pallister et al., 2010). We can locate microearthquakes of Mm = -1 within the array, a significant advantage over the previous surface network. We have characterized instrument noise using power spectrum probability density functions (McNamara and Buland, 2004). All stations show a very high signal to noise ratio; for a near-source M-1 event S/N is ~5. The available data are still too sparse for advanced analysis and currently appear as a cloud of seismicity.

Porosity, Fracturing and Alteration of Young Oceanic Crust: New Seismic Analyses at Borehole 504B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregory, E. P. M.; Hobbs, R. W.; Peirce, C.; Wilson, D. J.

2017-12-01

DSDP/ODP borehole 504B, drilled 2111 m into 6.9 Ma oceanic crust, provides in-situ core and logging measurements of the lithology, fracturing and porosity of crust originally formed at the Costa Rica Rift and its subsequent alteration by hydrothermal fluids. A recent active seismic survey over the borehole and surrounding area reveals wider spatial variations in velocity that can be related to this porosity and fracturing. Over 10,000 airgun shots were fired in a 30 x 30 km grid over the borehole region, using both high-frequency and low-frequency airgun arrays. The shots were recorded on a 4.5 km-long streamer and 24 ocean-bottom seismographs, each equipped with a three-component geophone and an hydrophone. A vertical hydrophone array recorded the downgoing source wavelet, and underway gravity, magnetic field and multibeam bathymetry data were also recorded. This combined dataset enables the most comprehensive geophysical analysis of this area of crust to date, while the ground-truthing provided by 504B enables us to address the questions of what do the seismic oceanic crustal layers represent and what controls their characteristics as the crust ages? Wide-angle seismic modelling with a Monte Carlo based uncertainty analysis reveals new 2D and 3D Vp and Vs models of the area, which show relatively homogeneous crust around borehole 504B, and place the seismic layer 2B/2C, and seismic layer 2/3 boundaries coincident with fracturing and alteration fronts rather than the lithological boundaries between lavas and dykes, and dykes and gabbros, respectively. Analysis of Poisson's ratio, seismic anisotropy and particle motions reveal patterns in fracturing and porosity across the survey area, and locate possible fossilised hydrothermal circulation cells. These cells appear to have influenced the porosity of the crust through alteration and mineralisation processes, with faults inherited from initial crustal accretion influencing basement topographic highs and providing conduits for mineralising fluids to flow. This research is part of a major, interdisciplinary NERC-funded research collaboration entitled: Oceanographic and Seismic Characterisation of heat dissipation and alteration by hydrothermal fluids at an Axial Ridge (OSCAR).

A Suite of Discriminants for Ground-Truth Mining Events in the Western U.S. and Its Implications for Discrimination Capability in Russia

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

of up to 1000 individual boreholes is filled with 5000 to 10,000 lbs of material and delay fired over several seconds. The explosive array is...delay-fired mining events using seismic arrays : Application to the PDAR array in Wyoming, USA, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 97: pp .989–1001. Arrowsmith...regional seismic stations in monitoring areas of interest, particularly in countries where mining efforts are significant to the economy. As with other

Infrasound from thunder: A natural seismic source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Ting-L.; Langston, Charles A.

2007-07-01

A small array consisting of five three-component short-period surface seismometers, a three-component borehole seismometer, and five infrasound microphones was built to investigate thunder-induced ground motions. Data from two thunder events with similar N-wave waveforms but different horizontal slownesses are chosen as examples of data collected by the array. These impulsive acoustic waves excited P and S reverberations in the near surface that depend on both the incident wave horizontal slowness and the velocity structure in the upper 30 meters at the site. Although the depth of the borehole is relatively shallow compared to a seismic wave wavelength, velocity amplitude in the radial component decays as much as 63 percent with depth but vertical component amplitudes are unaffected consistent with air-coupled Rayleigh wave excitation. Naturally occurring thunder appears to be a useful seismic source to empirically determine site resonance characteristics for hazards assessments.

Seismic Prediction While Drilling (SPWD): Seismic exploration ahead of the drill bit using phased array sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaksch, Katrin; Giese, Rüdiger; Kopf, Matthias

2010-05-01

In the case of drilling for deep reservoirs previous exploration is indispensable. In recent years the focus shifted more on geological structures like small layers or hydrothermal fault systems. Beside 2D- or 3D-seismics from the surface and seismic measurements like Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) or Seismic While Drilling (SWD) within a borehole these methods cannot always resolute this structures. The resolution is worsen the deeper and smaller the sought-after structures are. So, potential horizons like small layers in oil exploration or fault zones usable for geothermal energy production could be failed or not identified while drilling. The application of a device to explore the geology with a high resolution ahead of the drill bit in direction of drilling would be of high importance. Such a device would allow adjusting the drilling path according to the real geology and would minimize the risk of discovery and hence the costs for drilling. Within the project SPWD a device for seismic exploration ahead of the drill bit will be developed. This device should allow the seismic exploration to predict areas about 50 to 100 meters ahead of the drill bit with a resolution of one meter. At the GFZ a first prototype consisting of different units for seismic sources, receivers and data loggers has been designed and manufactured. As seismic sources four standard magnetostrictive actuators and as receivers four 3-component-geophones are used. Every unit, actuator or geophone, can be rotated in steps of 15° around the longitudinal axis of the prototype to test different measurement configurations. The SPWD prototype emits signal frequencies of about 500 up to 5000 Hz which are significant higher than in VSP and SWD. An increased radiation of seismic wave energy in the direction of the borehole axis allows the view in areas to be drilled. Therefore, every actuator must be controlled independently of each other regarding to amplitude and phase of the source signal to maximize the energy of the seismic source in order to reach a sufficient exploration range. The next step for focusing is to use the method of phased array. Dependent of the seismic wave velocities of the surrounding rock, the distance of the actuators to each other and the used frequencies the signal phases for each actuator can be determined. Since one year several measurements with the prototype have been realized under defined conditions at a test site in a mine. The test site consists of a rock block surrounded from three galleries with a dimension of about 100 by 200 meters. For testing the prototype two horizontal boreholes were drilled. They are directed to one of the gallery to get a strong reflector. The quality of the data of the borehole seismics in amplitude and frequency spectra show overall a good signal-to-noise ratio and correlate strongly with the fracture density along the borehole and are associated with a lower signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, the geophones of the prototype show reflections from ahead and rearward in the seismic data. In particular, the reflections from the gallery ahead are used for the calibration of focusing. The direct seismic wave field indicates distinct compression and shear waves. The analysis of several seismic measurements with a focus on the direct seismic waves shows that the phased array technology explicit can influence the directional characteristics of the radiated seimic waves. The amplitudes of the seismic waves can be enhanced up to three times more in the desired direction and simultaneously be attenuated in the reverse direction. A major step for the directional investigation in boreholes has accomplished. But the focusing of the seismic waves has to be improved to maximize the energy in the desired direction in more measurements by calibrating the initiating seismic signals of the sources. A next step this year is the development of a wireline prototype for application in vertical boreholes with depths not more than 2000 meters are planned. The prototype must be modified and adapted to the conditions in deep boreholes with respect to pressure and temperature. This project is funded by the German Federal Environment Ministry.

Seismic Readings from the Deepest Borehole in the New Madrid Seismic Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woolery, Edward W; Wang, Zhenming; Sturchio, Neil C

2006-03-01

Since the 1980s, the research associated with the UK network has been primarily strong-motion seismology of engineering interest. Currently the University of Kentucky operates a strong-motion network of nine stations in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. A unique feature of the network is the inclusions of vertical strong-motion arrays, each with one or two downhole accelerometers. The deepest borehole array is 260 m below the surfaces at station VASA in Fulton County, Kentucky. A preliminary surface seismic refraction survey was conducted at the site before drilling the hole at VSAS (Woolery and Wang, 2002). The depth to the Paleozoic bedrockmore » at the site was estimated to be approximately 595 m, and the depth to the first very stiff layer (i.e. Porters Creek Clay) was found to be about 260 m. These depths and stratigraphic interpretation correlated well with a proprietary seismic reflection line and the Ken-Ten Oil Exploration No. 1 Sanger hole (Schwalb, 1969), as well as our experience in the area (Street et al., 1995; Woolery et al., 1999).« less

Instrument Correction and Dynamic Site Profile Validation at the Central United States Seismic Observatory, New Madrid Seismic Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brengman, C.; Woolery, E. W.; Wang, Z.; Carpenter, S.

2016-12-01

The Central United States Seismic Observatory (CUSSO) is a vertical seismic array located in southwestern Kentucky within the New Madrid seismic zone. It is intended to describe the effects of local geology, including thick sediment overburden, on seismic-wave propagation, particularly strong-motion. The three-borehole array at CUSSO is composed of seismic sensors placed on the surface, and in the bedrock at various depths within the 585 m thick sediment overburden. The array's deep borehole provided a unique opportunity in the northern Mississippi embayment for the direct geological description and geophysical measurement of the complete late Cretaceous-Quaternary sediment column. A seven layer, intra-sediment velocity model is interpreted from the complex, inhomogeneous stratigraphy. The S- and P-wave sediment velocities range between 160 and 875 m/s and between 1000 and 2300 m/s, respectively, with bedrock velocities of 1452 and 3775 m/s, respectively. Cross-correlation and direct comparisons were used to filter out the instrument response and determine the instrument orientation, making CUSSO data ready for analysis, and making CUSSO a viable calibration site for other free-field sensors in the area. The corrected bedrock motions were numerically propagated through the CUSSO soil profile (transfer function) and compared, in terms of both peak acceleration and amplitude spectra, to the recorded surface observations. Initial observations reveal a complex spectral mix of amplification and de-amplification across the array, indicating the site effect in this deep sediment setting is not simply generated by the shallowest layers.

Establishment of borehole observation system and high resolution seismic studies in the western part of the main Marmara Fault in the frame of MARSite Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozel, A.; Yalcinkaya, E.; Guralp, C. M.; Tunc, S.; Meral Ozel, N.

2013-12-01

The main objective of this study is to install a multi-parameter borehole system and surface array as close to the main Marmara Fault (MMF) in the western Marmara Sea as possible, and measure continuously the evolution of the state of the fault zone surrounding the MMF and to detect any anomaly or change which may occur before earthquakes by making use of the data from the arrays already running in the eastern part of the Marmara Sea. The multi-parameter borehole system will be composed of very wide dynamic range and stable borehole (VBB) broad band seismic sensor, and incorporate 3-D strain meter, tilt meter, and temperature and local hydrostatic pressure measuring devices. The borehole seismic station will use the latest update technologies and design ideas to record 'Earth tides' signals to the smallest magnitude -3 events. Bringing face to face the seismograms of microearthquakes recorded by borehole and surface instruments portrays quite different contents. The shorter recording duration and nearly flat frequency spectrum up to the Nyquist frequencies of borehole records are faced with longer recording duration and rapid decay of spectral amplitudes at higher frequencies of a surface seismogram. The main causative of the observed differences are near surface geology effects that mask most of the source related information the seismograms include, and that give rise to scattering, generating longer duration seismograms. In view of these circumstances, studies on microearthquakes employing surface seismograms may bring on misleading results. Particularly, the works on earthquake physics and nucleation process of earthquakes requires elaborate analysis of tiny events. It is obvious from the studies on the nucleation process of the 1999 earthquake that tens of minutes before the major rupture initiate noteworthy microearthquake activity happened. The starting point of the 1999 rupture was a site of swarm activity noticed a few decades prior the main shock. Nowadays, analogous case is probable in western Marmara Sea region, prone to a major event in near future where the seismic activity is prevailing along the impending rupture zone. Deploying a borehole system eastern end of the Ganos fault zone may yield invaluable data to closely inspect and monitor the last stages of the preparation stage of major rupture. Keywords: Borehole seismometer; Ganos fault; microearthquakes; western Marmara

Thunder-induced ground motions: 1. Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Ting-L.; Langston, Charles A.

2009-04-01

Acoustic pressure from thunder and its induced ground motions were investigated using a small array consisting of five three-component short-period surface seismometers, a three-component borehole seismometer, and five infrasound microphones. We used the array to constrain wave parameters of the incident acoustic and seismic waves. The incident slowness differences between acoustic pressure and ground motions suggest that ground reverberations were first initiated somewhat away from the array. Using slowness inferred from ground motions is preferable to obtain the seismic source parameters. We propose a source equalization procedure for acoustic/seismic deconvolution to generate the time domain transfer function, a procedure similar to that of obtaining teleseismic earthquake receiver functions. The time domain transfer function removes the incident pressure time history from the seismogram. An additional vertical-to-radial ground motion transfer function was used to identify the Rayleigh wave propagation mode of induced seismic waves complementing that found using the particle motions and amplitude variations in the borehole. The initial motions obtained by the time domain transfer functions suggest a low Poisson's ratio for the near-surface layer. The acoustic-to-seismic transfer functions show a consistent reverberation series at frequencies near 5 Hz. This gives an empirical measure of site resonance that depends on the ratio of the layer velocity to layer thickness for earthquake P and S waves. The time domain transfer function approach by transferring a spectral division into the time domain provides an alternative method for studying acoustic-to-seismic coupling.

The Investigation of a Sinkhole Area in Germany by Near-Surface Active Seismic Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tschache, S.; Becker, D.; Wadas, S. H.; Polom, U.; Krawczyk, C. M.

2017-12-01

In November 2010, a 30 m wide and 17 m deep sinkhole occurred in a residential area of Schmalkalden, Germany, which fortunately did not harm humans, but led to damage of buildings and property. Subsequent geoscientific investigations showed that the collapse was naturally caused by the subrosion of sulfates in a depth of about 80 m. In 2012, an early warning system was established including 3C borehole geophones deployed in 50 m depth around the backfilled sinkhole. During the acquisition of two shallow 2D shear wave seismic profiles, the signals generated by a micro-vibrator at the surface were additionally recorded by the four borehole geophones of the early warning system and a VSP probe in a fifth borehole. The travel time analysis of the direct arrivals enhanced the understanding of wave propagation in the area. Seismic velocity anomalies were detected and related to structural seismic images of the 2D profiles. Due to the promising first results, the experiment was further extended by distributing vibration points throughout the whole area around the sinkhole. This time, micro-vibrators for P- and S-wave generation were used. The signals were recorded by the borehole geophones and temporary installed seismometers at surface positions close to the boreholes. The travel times and signal attenuations are evaluated to detect potential instable zones. Furthermore, array analyses are performed. The first results reveal features in the active tomography datasets consistent with structures observed in the 2D seismic images. The advantages of the presented method are the low effort and good repeatability due to the permanently installed borehole geophones. It has the potential to determine P-wave and S-wave velocities in 3D. It supports the interpretation of established investigation methods as 2D surface seismics and VSP. In our further research we propose to evaluate the suitability of the method for the time lapse monitoring of changes in the seismic wave propagation, which could be related to subrosion processes.

Isotropic events observed with a borehole array in the Chelungpu fault zone, Taiwan.

PubMed

Ma, Kuo-Fong; Lin, Yen-Yu; Lee, Shiann-Jong; Mori, Jim; Brodsky, Emily E

2012-07-27

Shear failure is the dominant mode of earthquake-causing rock failure along faults. High fluid pressure can also potentially induce rock failure by opening cavities and cracks, but an active example of this process has not been directly observed in a fault zone. Using borehole array data collected along the low-stress Chelungpu fault zone, Taiwan, we observed several small seismic events (I-type events) in a fluid-rich permeable zone directly below the impermeable slip zone of the 1999 moment magnitude 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake. Modeling of the events suggests an isotropic, nonshear source mechanism likely associated with natural hydraulic fractures. These seismic events may be associated with the formation of veins and other fluid features often observed in rocks surrounding fault zones and may be similar to artificially induced hydraulic fracturing.

Investigation of cortical structures at Etna Volcano through the analysis of array and borehole data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuccarello, Luciano; Paratore, Mario; La Rocca, Mario; Ferrari, Ferruccio; Messina, Alfio Alex; Galluzzo, Danilo; Contrafatto, Danilo; Rapisarda, Salvatore

2015-04-01

A continuous monitoring of seismic activity is a fundamental task to detect the most common signals possibly related with volcanic activity, such as volcano-tectonic earthquakes, long-period events, and volcanic tremor. A reliable prediction of the ray-path propagated back from the recording site to the source is strongly limited by the poor knowledge of the local shallow velocity structure. Usually in volcanic environments the shallowest few hundreds meters of rock are characterized by strongly variable mechanical properties. Therefore the propagation of seismic signals through these shallow layers is strongly affected by lateral heterogeneity, attenuation, scattering, and interaction with the free surface. Driven by these motivations, between May and October 2014 we deployed a seismic array in the area called "Pozzo Pitarrone", where two seismic stations of the local monitoring network are installed, one at surface and one borehole at a depth of about 130 meters. The Pitarrone borehole is located in the middle northeastern flank along one of the main intrusion zones of Etna volcano, the so called NE-rift. With the 3D array we recorded seismic signals coming from the summit craters, and also from the seismogenetic fault called Pernicana Fault, which is located nearby. We used array data to analyse the dispersion characteristics of ambient noise vibrations and we derived one-dimensional (1D) shallow shear-velocity profiles through the inversion of dispersion curves measured by autocorrelation methods (SPAC). We observed a one-dimensional variation of shear-velocity between 430 m/s and 700 m/s to a depth of investigation of about 130 m. An abrupt velocity variation was recorded at a depth of about 60 m, probably corresponding to the transition between two different layers. Our preliminary results suggest a good correlation between the velocity model deducted with the stratigraphic section on Etna. The analysis of the entire data set will improve our knowledge about the (i) structure of the top layer and its relationship with geology, (ii) analysis of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of volcanic signals as a function of frequency, (iii) study of seismic ray-path deformation caused by the interaction of the seismic waves with the free surface, (iv) evaluation of the attenuation of the seismic signals correlated with the volcanic activity. Moreover the knowledge of a shallow velocity model could improve the study of the source mechanism of low frequency events (VLP, LP and volcanic tremor), and give a new contribution to the seismic monitoring of Etna volcano through the detection and location of seismic sources by using 3D array techniques.

Geophysical examination of coal deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, L. J.

1981-04-01

Geophysical techniques for the solution of mining problems and as an aid to mine planning are reviewed. Techniques of geophysical borehole logging are discussed. The responses of the coal seams to logging tools are easily recognized on the logging records. Cores for laboratory analysis are cut from selected sections of the borehole. In addition, information about the density and chemical composition of the coal may be obtained. Surface seismic reflection surveys using two dimensional arrays of seismic sources and detectors detect faults with throws as small as 3 m depths of 800 m. In geologically disturbed areas, good results have been obtained from three dimensional surveys. Smaller faults as far as 500 m in advance of the working face may be detected using in seam seismic surveying conducted from a roadway or working face. Small disturbances are detected by pulse radar and continuous wave electromagnetic methods either from within boreholes or from underground. Other geophysical techniques which explicit the electrical, magnetic, gravitational, and geothermal properties of rocks are described.

Could the IMS Infrasound Stations Support a Global Network of Small Aperture Seismic Arrays?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

J, Gibbons, Steven; Kværna, Tormod; Mykkeltveit, Svein

2015-04-01

The infrasound stations of the International Monitoring System are arrays consisting of up to 15 sites and with apertures of up to 3 km. The arrays are distributed remarkably uniformly over the globe and provide excellent coverage of South America, Africa, and Antarctica. This is to say that there are many infrasound arrays in regions many thousands of kilometers from the closest seismic array. Several infrasound arrays are in the immediate vicinity of existing 3-component seismic stations and these provide us with examples of how typical seismic signals look at these locations. We can make idealized estimates of the predicted performance of seismic arrays, consisting of seismometers at each site of the infrasound arrays, by duplicating the signals from the 3-C stations at all sites of the array. However, the true performance of seismic arrays at these sites will depend both upon Signal-to-Noise Ratios of seismic signals and the coherence of both signal and noise between sensors. These properties can only be determined experimentally. Recording seismic data of sufficient quality at many of these arrays may require borehole deployments since the microbarometers in the infrasound arrays are often situated in vaults placed in soft sediments. The geometries of all the current IMS infrasound arrays are examined and compared and we demonstrate that, from a purely geometrical perspective, essentially all the array configurations would provide seismic arrays with acceptable slowness resolution for both regional and teleseismic phase arrivals. Seismic arrays co-located with the infrasound arrays in many regions would likely enhance significantly the seismic monitoring capability in parts of the world where only 3-component stations are currently available. Co-locating seismic and infrasound sensors would facilitate the development of seismic arrays that share the infrastructure of the infrasound arrays, reducing the development and operational costs. Hosting countries might find such added capabilities valuable from a national perspective. In addition, the seismic recordings may also help to identify the sources of infrasound signals with consequences for improved event screening and evaluating models of infrasound propagation and atmospheric properties.

Elastic-Waveform Inversion with Compressive Sensing for Sparse Seismic Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Youzuo; Huang, Lianjie

2015-01-28

Accurate velocity models of compressional- and shear-waves are essential for geothermal reservoir characterization and microseismic imaging. Elastic-waveform inversion of multi-component seismic data can provide high-resolution inversion results of subsurface geophysical properties. However, the method requires seismic data acquired using dense source and receiver arrays. In practice, seismic sources and/or geophones are often sparsely distributed on the surface and/or in a borehole, such as 3D vertical seismic profiling (VSP) surveys. We develop a novel elastic-waveform inversion method with compressive sensing for inversion of sparse seismic data. We employ an alternating-minimization algorithm to solve the optimization problem of our new waveform inversionmore » method. We validate our new method using synthetic VSP data for a geophysical model built using geologic features found at the Raft River enhanced-geothermal-system (EGS) field. We apply our method to synthetic VSP data with a sparse source array and compare the results with those obtained with a dense source array. Our numerical results demonstrate that the velocity models produced with our new method using a sparse source array are almost as accurate as those obtained using a dense source array.« less

Challenges in Microseismic Monitoring of Hydrualic Fracturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkataraman, A.; Li, R.

2011-12-01

To enhance well productivity, hydraulic fractures are stimulated by injecting fluid and/or gas with proppant into the rock matrix. This results in stress perturbations that induce fractures in the formation releasing minor amounts of seismic energy as microseismic events. Microseismicity can be recorded by properly positioned geophones and is one of the indirect methods that allow us to determine the actual volume of rock that was impacted during and after hydraulic fracturing. Specifically, microseismic data is acquired during hydro-fracture treatments to validate and assist completions, assist in placing wells in the formation, identify frac barriers, and to illuminate faults and potential fault re-activation. In the industry, microseismic data is acquired using geophones deployed in borehole and/or surface arrays. Borehole arrays are more traditional and have been used for nearly 20 years. Event location using borehole data is fairly robust, but azimuth and aperture are limited. Moreover, having dedicated boreholes can be expensive. The newer method of acquiring data is the use of geophones deployed on the surface or in shallow boreholes. Since microseismic events are very small (-4 to -0.5), surface records have weak P and S arrivals that are buried in the noise and traditional event location methods which use arrival time picks cannot be used. Migration based approaches which rely on the power of stacking waveforms is the common approach. However, poor signal-to-noise data and polarity in seismic waves generated by micro-earthquakes can result in uncertainty in event location. In this paper, we will discuss the pros and cons of both arrays, the status of the technology, its limitations and challenges. Specifically, we will focus on applications where industry-academic collaborations could lead to step changes in our understanding of the controls on microseismicity.

Borehole Array Observations of Non-Volcanic Tremor at SAFOD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellsworth, W. L.; Luetgert, J. H.; Oppenheimer, D. H.

2005-12-01

We report on the observation of non-volcanic tremor made in the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth in May, 2005 during the deployment of a multi-level borehole seismic array in the SAFOD main hole. The seismic array consisted of 80 levels of hydraulically-clamped 3-component, 15 Hz omni-directional geophones spaced 15.24 m apart along a 1200 m section of the inclined borehole between 1538 and 2363 m below the ground surface. The array was provided by Paulsson Geophysical Services, Inc. (P/GSI), and recorded at a sample rate of 4000 sps on 24-bit Geode digital recorders provided by Geometrics, Inc. More than 2 TB of continuous data were recorded during the 2-week deployment. Selected local earthquakes and explosions recorded by the array are available at the Northern California Earthquake Data Center, and the entire unedited data set is available as assembled data at the IRIS Data Management Center. Both data sets are currently in the industry standard SEG2 format. Episodes of non-volcanic tremor are common along this reach of the San Andreas Fault according to Nadeau and Dolenc [2004, DOI: 10.1126/science.1107142], with many originating about 30 km southeast of SAFOD beneath the southern end of the Parkfield segment and northern end of the Simmler segment of the fault. We identified tremor episodes using spectrograms routinely produced by the Northern California Seismic Network (http://quake.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/sgrampark.pl) on which they appear as periods of elevated noise relative to the background. A particularly strong tremor episode occurred on May 10, 2005 between 19:39 and 20:00 UTC. In SAFOD, tremor spectral levels exceed the instrumental noise floor to at least 40 Hz. The spatially unaliased recording of the tremor wavefield on the P/GSI array reveal individual phases that can be tracked continuously across the array. The wavefield is composed of both up- and down-going shear waves that form quasi-stationary interference patterns in which areas of constructive interference recur at the same locations along the array. Such a pattern could arise from a spatially stationary source radiating an extended duration time function into a complex medium.

Borehole prototype for seismic high-resolution exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giese, Rüdiger; Jaksch, Katrin; Krauß, Felix; Krüger, Kay; Groh, Marco; Jurczyk, Andreas

2014-05-01

Target reservoirs for the exploitation of hydrocarbons or hot water for geothermal energy supply can comprise small layered structures, for instance thin layers or faults. The resolution of 2D and 3D surface seismic methods is often not sufficient to determine and locate these structures. Borehole seismic methods like vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and seismic while drilling (SWD) use either receivers or sources within the borehole. Thus, the distance to the target horizon is reduced and higher resolution images of the geological structures can be achieved. Even these methods are limited in their resolution capabilities with increasing target depth. To localize structures more accuracy methods with higher resolution in the range of meters are necessary. The project SPWD -- Seismic Prediction While Drilling aims at s the development of a borehole prototype which combines seismic sources and receivers in one device to improve the seismic resolution. Within SPWD such a prototype has been designed, manufactured and tested. The SPWD-wireline prototype is divided into three main parts. The upper section comprises the electronic unit. The middle section includes the upper receiver, the upper clamping unit as well as the source unit and the lower clamping unit. The lower section consists of the lower receiver unit and the hydraulic unit. The total length of the prototype is nearly seven meters and its weight is about 750 kg. For focusing the seismic waves in predefined directions of the borehole axis the method of phased array is used. The source unit is equipped with four magnetostrictive vibrators. Each can be controlled independently to get a common wave front in the desired direction of exploration. Source signal frequencies up to 5000 Hz are used, which allows resolutions up to one meter. In May and September 2013 field tests with the SPWD-wireline prototype have been carried out at the KTB Deep Crustal Lab in Windischeschenbach (Bavaria). The aim was to proof the pressure-tightness and the functionality of the hydraulic system components of the borehole device. To monitor the prototype four cameras and several moisture sensors were installed along the source and receiver units close to the extendable coupling stamps where an infiltration of fluid is most probably. The tests lasted about 48 hours each. It was possible to extend and to retract the coupling stamps of the prototype up to a depth of 2100 m. No infiltration of borehole fluids in the SPWD-tool was observed. In preparation of the acoustic calibration measurements in the research and education mine of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg seismic sources and receivers as well as the recording electronic devices were installed in the SPWD-wireline prototype at the GFZ. Afterwards, the SPWD-borehole device was transported to the GFZ-Underground-Lab and preliminary test measurements to characterize the radiation pattern characteristics have been carried out in the newly drilled vertical borehole in December 2013. Previous measurements with a laboratory borehole prototype have demonstrated a dependency of the radiated seismic energy from the predefined amplification direction, the wave type and the signal frequencies. SPWD is funded by the German Federal Environment Ministry

Recordings from the deepest borehole in the New Madrid Seismic Zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Z.; Woolery, E.W.

2006-01-01

The recordings at the deepest vertical strong-motion array (VSAS) from three small events, the 21 October 2004 Tiptonville, Tennessee, earthquake; the 10 February 2005 Arkansas earthquake; and the 2 June 2005 Ridgely, Tennessee, earthquake show some interesting wave-propagation phenomena through the soils: the S-wave is attenuated from 260 m to 30 m depth and amplified from 30 m to the surface. The S-wave arrival times from the three events yielded different shear-wave velocity estimates for the soils. These different estimates may be the result of different incident angles of the S-waves due to different epicentral distances. The epicentral distances are about 22 km, 110 km, and 47 km for the Tiptonville, Arkansas, and Ridgely earthquakes, respectively. These recordings show the usefulness of the borehole strong-motion array. The vertical strong-motion arrays operated by the University of Kentucky have started to accumulate recordings that will provide a database for scientists and engineers to study the effects of the near-surface soils on the strong ground motion in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. More information about the Kentucky Seismic and Strong-Motion Network can be found at www.uky.edu/KGS/geologichazards. The digital recordings are available at ftp://kgsweb.uky.edu.

Results From a Borehole Seismometer Array I: Microseismicity at a Productive Geothermal Field, Kilauea Lower East Rift Zone, Puna, Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenedi, C. L.; Shalev, E.; Malin, P.; Kaleikini, M.; Dahl, G.

2008-12-01

Borehole seismometer arrays have proven successful in both the exploration and monitoring of geothermal fields. Because the seismometers are located at depth, they are isolated from human noise and record microearthquakes with clearly identifiable seismic phases that can be used for event location. Further analysis of these events can be used to resolve earthquake clouds into identifiable faults. The local fault and dike structures in Puna, in southeastern Hawaii, are of interest both in terms of electricity production and volcanic hazard monitoring. The geothermal power plant at Puna has a 30MW capacity and is built on a section of the Kilauea Lower East Rift Zone where lava flows erupted as recently as 1955. In order to improve seismic monitoring in this area, we installed eight 3-component borehole seismometers. The instrument depths range from 24 to 210 m (80 to 690 ft); the shallower instruments have 2 Hz geophones and the deepest have 4.5 Hz geophones. The seismometers are located at the vertices of two rhombs, 2 km wide x 4 km long and 4 km wide x 8 km long, both centered at the power plant. Since June 2006, we have located >4500 earthquakes; P- and S-wave arrivals were hand picked and events located using Hypoinverse-2000. Most of the earthquakes occurred at depths between 2.5 and 3 km. The large majority of events were M-0.5 to M0.5; the Gutenberg-Richter b-value is 1.4, which is consistent with microearthquake swarms. Frequency analysis indicates a 7-day periodicity; a Schuster diagram confirms increased seismicity on a weekly cycle. The location, depth, and period of the microearthquakes suggest that power plant activity affects local seismicity. Southwest of the geothermal facility, up-rift towards the Kilauea summit, earthquakes were progressively deeper at greater distances. Depths also increased towards the south, which is consistent with the eastern extension of the south-dipping, east-striking Hilina fault system. To the northeast, down-rift of the array, there is a sudden cessation of seismicity not accounted for by known geologic structures. This borehole seismometer network is providing essential data for the detailed characterization of the Kilauea Lower East Rift Zone and the Puna geothermal field.

kISMET: Stress and fracture characterization in a deep mine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oldenburg, C. M.; Dobson, P. F.; Daley, T. M.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Cook, P. J.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.; Rutqvist, J.; Siler, D.; Kneafsey, T. J.; Nakagawa, S.; Wu, Y.; Guglielmi, Y.; Ulrich, C.; Marchesini, P.; Wang, H. F.; Haimson, B. C.; Sone, H.; Vigilante, P.; Roggenthen, W.; Doe, T.; Lee, M.; Mattson, E.; Huang, H.; Johnson, T. C.; Morris, J.; White, J. A.; Johnson, P. A.; Coblentz, D. D.; Heise, J.

2016-12-01

We are developing a community facility called kISMET (permeability (k) and Induced Seismicity Management for Energy Technologies) at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. The purpose of kISMET is to investigate stress and the effects of rock fabric on hydraulic fracturing. Although findings from kISMET may have broad applications that inform stress and fracturing in anisotropic rock, results will be most applicable to improving control of hydraulic fracturing for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) in crystalline rock. At the kISMET site on the 4850 ft (1480 m depth) level of SURF, we have drilled and cored an array of nearly vertical boreholes in Precambrian phyllite. The array consists of four 50-m deep monitoring boreholes surrounding one 100-m deep borehole forming a 6 m-wide five-spot pattern at a depth of 1530 m. Previous investigations of the stress field at SURF suggest that the principal stress s1 is nearly vertical. By aligning the kISMET boreholes approximately with σ1, fractures created in the center borehole should in theory be perpendicular to σ3, the least principal horizontal stress. But the phyllite at kISMET has a strong fabric (foliation) that could influence fracturing. Stress measurements and stimulation using hydraulic fracturing will be carried out in the center borehole using a straddle packer and high-pressure pump. We will use an impression packer and image logs after stress testing and stimulation to determine fracture orientation and extent at the center borehole. In order to study the control of stress, rock fabric, and stimulation approach on size, aperture, and orientation of hydraulic fractures, we will carefully monitor the stress measurements and stimulation. For example, we will use continuous active source seismic (CASSM) in two of the monitoring boreholes to measure changes in seismic-wave velocity as water fills the fracture. Second, near real-time electrical resistance tomography (ERT) will be used in the other two boreholes to monitor the changes in resistivity during stress measurement and stimulation. Finally, accelerometers placed nearby on the 4850 level will monitor induced microseismicity. Results of pre-test fracturing simulations, laboratory tests on core, stress testing, and stimulation and associated monitoring will be presented.

Borehole Volumetric Strainmeter Calibration From a Nearby Seismic Broadband Array at Etna Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currenti, G.; Zuccarello, L.; Bonaccorso, A.; Sicali, A.

2017-10-01

Strainmeter and broadband seismic signals have been analyzed jointly with the aim of calibrating a borehole strainmeter at Etna volcano by using a seismo-geodetic technique. Our results reveal a good coherence between the dynamic strains estimated from seismometer data and strains recorded by a dilatometer in a low-frequency range [0.03-0.06 Hz] at the arrival of teleseismic waves. This significant coherence enabled estimating the calibration coefficient and making a comparison with calibration results derived from other methods. In particular, we verified that the proposed approach provides a calibration coefficient that matches the results obtained from the comparison of the recorded strain both with theoretical strain tides and with normal-mode synthetic straingrams. The approach presented here has the advantage of exploiting recorded seismic data, avoiding the use of computed strain from theoretical models.

Comparison of phase velocities from array measurements of Rayleigh waves associated with microtremor and results calculated from borehole shear-wave velocity profiles

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, Hsi-Ping; Boore, David M.; Joyner, William B.; Oppenheimer, David H.; Warrick, Richard E.; Zhang, Wenbo; Hamilton, John C.; Brown, Leo T.

2000-01-01

Shear-wave velocities (VS) are widely used for earthquake ground-motion site characterization. VS data are now largely obtained using borehole methods. Drilling holes, however, is expensive. Nonintrusive surface methods are inexpensive for obtaining VS information, but not many comparisons with direct borehole measurements have been published. Because different assumptions are used in data interpretation of each surface method and public safety is involved in site characterization for engineering structures, it is important to validate the surface methods by additional comparisons with borehole measurements. We compare results obtained from a particular surface method (array measurement of surface waves associated with microtremor) with results obtained from borehole methods. Using a 10-element nested-triangular array of 100-m aperture, we measured surface-wave phase velocities at two California sites, Garner Valley near Hemet and Hollister Municipal Airport. The Garner Valley site is located at an ancient lake bed where water-saturated sediment overlies decomposed granite on top of granite bedrock. Our array was deployed at a location where seismic velocities had been determined to a depth of 500 m by borehole methods. At Hollister, where the near-surface sediment consists of clay, sand, and gravel, we determined phase velocities using an array located close to a 60-m deep borehole where downhole velocity logs already exist. Because we want to assess the measurements uncomplicated by uncertainties introduced by the inversion process, we compare our phase-velocity results with the borehole VS depth profile by calculating fundamental-mode Rayleigh-wave phase velocities from an earth model constructed from the borehole data. For wavelengths less than ~2 times of the array aperture at Garner Valley, phase-velocity results from array measurements agree with the calculated Rayleigh-wave velocities to better than 11%. Measurement errors become larger for wavelengths 2 times greater than the array aperture. At Hollister, the measured phase velocity at 3.9 Hz (near the upper edge of the microtremor frequency band) is within 20% of the calculated Rayleigh-wave velocity. Because shear-wave velocity is the predominant factor controlling Rayleigh-wave phase velocities, the comparisons suggest that this nonintrusive method can provide VS information adequate for ground-motion estimation.

ANZA Seismic Network- From Monitoring to Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernon, F.; Eakin, J.; Martynov, V.; Newman, R.; Offield, G.; Hindley, A.; Astiz, L.

2007-05-01

The ANZA Seismic Network (http:eqinfo.ucsd.edu) utilizes broadband and strong motion sensors with 24-bit dataloggers combined with real-time telemetry to monitor local and regional seismicity in southernmost California. The ANZA network provides real-time data to the IRIS DMC, California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN), other regional networks, and the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), in addition to providing near real-time information and monitoring to the greater San Diego community. Twelve high dynamic range broadband and strong motion sensors adjacent to the San Jacinto Fault zone contribute data for earthquake source studies and continue the monitoring of the seismic activity of the San Jacinto fault initiated 24 years ago. Five additional stations are located in the San Diego region with one more station on San Clemente Island. The ANZA network uses the advance wireless networking capabilities of the NSF High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (http:hpwren.ucsd.edu) to provide the communication infrastructure for the real-time telemetry of Anza seismic stations. The ANZA network uses the Antelope data acquisition software. The combination of high quality hardware, communications, and software allow for an annual network uptime in excess of 99.5% with a median annual station real-time data return rate of 99.3%. Approximately 90,000 events, dominantly local sources but including regional and teleseismic events, comprise the ANZA network waveform database. All waveform data and event data are managed using the Datascope relational database. The ANZA network data has been used in a variety of scientific research including detailed structure of the San Jacinto Fault Zone, earthquake source physics, spatial and temporal studies of aftershocks, array studies of teleseismic body waves, and array studies on the source of microseisms. To augment the location, detection, and high frequency observations of the seismic source spectrum from local earthquakes, the ANZA network is receiving real-time data from borehole arrays located at the UCSD Thornton Hospital, and from UCSB's Borrego Valley and Garner Valley Downhole Arrays. Finally the ANZA network is acquiring data from seven PBO sites each with 300 meter deep MEMs accelerometers, passive seismometers, and a borehole strainmeter.

Performance of MarSite Multi parameter Borehole Instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guralp, Cansun; Tunc, Suleyman; Ozel, Oguz; Meral Ozel, Nurcan; Necmioglu, Ocal

2017-04-01

In this paper we present two year results obtained from the integrated multiparameter borehole system at Marsite. The very broad band (VBB) system have been operating since installation in November 2014; one year in a water filled borehole and one year in a dry Borehole. from January 2016. The real time data has been available to the community. The two Borehole environments are compared showing the superior performance of dry borehole environ- ment compared to water filled for a very broad band (VBB) seismometer. The practical considerations applied in both borehole installations are compared and the best borehole practical installation techniques are presented and discussed. The data is also compared with a surface 120 second broad band sensor and the seismic arrays with in MarSite region. The very long term performance, (one year data in a dry hole) of the VBB Borehole seismometer and the Dilatometer will be presented The high frequency performance of the VBB seismometer which extends to 150 Hz and the dilatometer are compared characterizing the results from the dilatometer.

The 1996-2009 borehole dilatometer installations, operation, and maintenance at sites in Long Valley Caldera, CA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myren, Glenn; Johnston, Malcolm; Mueller, Robert

2011-01-01

High seismicity levels with accelerating uplift (under the resurgent dome) in Long Valley caldera in the eastern Sierra Nevada from 1989 to 1997, triggered upgrades to dilational strainmeters and other instrumentation installed in the early 1980's following a series of magnitude 6 earthquakes. This included two additional high-resolution borehole strainmeters and replacement of the failed strainmeter at Devil's Postpile. The purpose of the borehole-monitoring network is to monitor crustal deformation and other geophysical parameters associated with volcanic intrusions and earthquakes in the Long Valley Caldera. Additional instrumentation was added at these sites to improve the capability of providing continuous monitoring of the magma source under the resurgent dome. Sites were selected in regions of hard crystalline rock, where the expected signals from magmatic activity were calculated to be a maximum and the probability of an earthquake of magnitude 4 or greater is large. For the most part, the dilatometers were installed near existing arrays of surface tiltmeters, seismometers, level line, and GPS arrays. At each site, attempts are made to separate tectonic and volcanic signals from known noise sources in each instrument type. Each of these sites was planned to be a multi-parameter monitoring site, which included measurements of 3-component seismic velocity and acceleration, borehole strain, tilt, pore pressure and magnetic field. Using seismicity, geophysical knowledge, geologic and topographic maps, and geologists recommendations, lists of preliminary sites were chosen. Additional requirements were access, and telemetry constraints. When the final site choice was made, a permit was obtained from the U.S. Forest Service. Following this selection process, two new borehole sites were installed on the north and south side of the Long Valley Caldera in June of 1999. One site was located near Big Spring Campground to the east of Crestview. The second site was located at the Motocross Track (near Old Mammoth) in the South Moat. This report describes the methods used to install these strainmeters and various other types of borehole instruments at these sites together with the site at Devil's Postpile and telemeter the data obtained to the USGS base in Menlo Park, Calif.

Observations of the R Reflector and Sediment Interface Reflection at the Shallow Water 󈧊 Central Site

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-28

line array position of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) during the SWARM experiment by 26 km, and southeast of the AMCOR borehole No. 6010...guided by the stratigraphic constraints provided by closely spaced 50 m chirp seismic reflection profiles that provide pseudo three-dimensional... array is at the center of set of stations at location M. c Geometry showing source position R/V KNORR with respect to the receiving array and the

Coda-wave and ambient noise interferometry using an offset vertical array at Iwanuma site, northeast Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minami, K.; Yamamoto, M.; Nishimura, T.; Nakahara, H.; Shiomi, K.

2013-12-01

Seismic interferometry using vertical borehole arrays is a powerful tool to estimate the shallow subsurface structure and its time lapse changes. However, the wave fields surrounding borehole arrays are non-isotropic due to the existence of ground surface and non-uniform distribution of sources, and do not meet the requirements of the seismic interferometry in a strict sense. In this study, to examine differences between wave fields of coda waves and ambient noise, and to estimate their effects on the results of seismic interferometry, we conducted a temporal seismic experiment using zero-offset and offset vertical arrays. We installed two 3-components seismometers (hereafter called Surface1 and Surface2) at the ground surface in the vicinity of NIED Iwanuma site (Miyagi Pref., Japan). Surface1 is placed just above the Hi-net downhole seismometer whose depth is 101 m, and Surface2 is placed 70 m away from Surface1. To extract the wave propagation between these 3 seismometers, we compute the cross-correlation functions (CCFs) of coda-wave and ambient noise for each pair of the zero-offset vertical (Hi-net-Surface1), finite-offset vertical (Hi-net-Surface2), and horizontal (Surface1-Surface2) arrays. We use the frequency bands of 4-8, 8-16 Hz in the CCF computation. The characteristics of obtained CCFs are summarized as follows; (1) in all frequency bands, the peak lag times of CCFs from coda waves are almost the same between the vertical and offset-vertical arrays irrespective of different inter-station distance, and those for the horizontal array are around 0 s. (2) the peak lag times of CCFs from ambient noise show slight differences, that is, those obtained from the vertical array are earlier than those from the offset-vertical array, and those from the horizontal array are around 0.05 s. (3) the peak lag times of CCFs for the vertical array obtained from ambient noise analyses are earlier than those from the coda-wave analyses. These results indicate that wave fields of coda-wave are mainly composed of vertically propagating waves, while those of ambient noise are composed of both vertically and horizontally propagating waves. To explain these characteristics of the CCFs obtained from different wave fields, we conducted a numerical simulation of interferometry based on the concept of stationary phase. Here, we assume isotropic upward incidence of SV-wave into a homogeneous half-space, and compute CCFs for the zero-offset and finite-offset vertical arrays by taking into account the reflection and conversion of P-SV waves at the free surface. Due to the effectively non-isotropic wave field, the simulated CCF for the zero-offset vertical array shows slight delay in peak lag time and its amplitudes decrease in the acausal part. On the other hand, the simulated CCF for finite-offset vertical array shows amplitude decrease and no peak lag time shift. These results are consistent with the difference in peak lag times obtained from coda-wave and ambient noise analyses. Our observations and theoretical consideration suggest that the careful consideration of wave fields is important in the application of seismic interferometry to borehole array data.

Report on Results of Borehole Tilt Measurements from the Charlevoix Observatory, Quebec

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-11-30

with long baseline tiltmeters ; any mechanical in- " _____,_ stability in the sensor or of the instrument/rock 3 ,.w ,-- interface produces...KEY WORDS (Continue on reverse side if necessary and identify by block number) ’Earth tides, tiltmeters , tidal loading, seismic activity, linear and...Water Table, Variations in a Seismically Active Region ip Quebec, Canada’ b iH-J. Kiimpel, J.A. Peters, and D.R. Bower. The array of three tiltmeters is

Seismic velocities and geologic logs from boreholes at three downhole arrays in San Francisco, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gibbs, James F.; Fumal, Thomas E.; Borcherdt, Roger D.; Warrick, Richard E.; Liu, Hsi-Ping; Westerlund, Robert E.

1994-01-01

The Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989 (1704 PST), has reinforced observations made by Wood and others (1908) after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, that poor ground conditions (soft soil) increase the likelihood of shaking damage to structures. Since 1908 many studies (for example Borcherdt, 1970, Borcherdt and Gibbs, 1976, Borcherdt and Glassmoyer, 1992) have shown that soft soils amplify seismic waves at frequencies that can be damaging to structures. Damage in the City of San Francisco from the Loma Prieta earthquake was concentrated in the Marina District, the Embarcadero, and the China Basin areas. Each of these areas, to some degree, is underlain by soft soil deposits. These concentrations of damage raise important questions regarding the amplification effects of such deposits at damaging levels of motion. Unfortunately, no strong-motion recordings were obtained in these areas during the Loma Prieta earthquake and only a limited number (< 10) have been obtained on other soft soil sites in the United States. Consequently, important questions exist regarding the response of such deposits during damaging earthquakes, especially questions regarding the nonlinear soil response. Towards developing a data set to address these important questions, borehole strong-motion arrays have been installed at three locations. These arrays consist of groups of wide-dynamic-range pore-pressure transducers and three-component accelerometers, the outputs of which are recorded digitally. The arrays are designed to provide an integrated set of data on ground shaking, liquifaction-induced ground failure, and structural response. This report describes the detailed geologic, seismic, and material-property determinations derived at each of these sites.

GFZ Wireless Seismic Array (GFZ-WISE), a Wireless Mesh Network of Seismic Sensors: New Perspectives for Seismic Noise Array Investigations and Site Monitoring

PubMed Central

Picozzi, Matteo; Milkereit, Claus; Parolai, Stefano; Jaeckel, Karl-Heinz; Veit, Ingo; Fischer, Joachim; Zschau, Jochen

2010-01-01

Over the last few years, the analysis of seismic noise recorded by two dimensional arrays has been confirmed to be capable of deriving the subsoil shear-wave velocity structure down to several hundred meters depth. In fact, using just a few minutes of seismic noise recordings and combining this with the well known horizontal-to-vertical method, it has also been shown that it is possible to investigate the average one dimensional velocity structure below an array of stations in urban areas with a sufficient resolution to depths that would be prohibitive with active source array surveys, while in addition reducing the number of boreholes required to be drilled for site-effect analysis. However, the high cost of standard seismological instrumentation limits the number of sensors generally available for two-dimensional array measurements (i.e., of the order of 10), limiting the resolution in the estimated shear-wave velocity profiles. Therefore, new themes in site-effect estimation research by two-dimensional arrays involve the development and application of low-cost instrumentation, which potentially allows the performance of dense-array measurements, and the development of dedicated signal-analysis procedures for rapid and robust estimation of shear-wave velocity profiles. In this work, we present novel low-cost wireless instrumentation for dense two-dimensional ambient seismic noise array measurements that allows the real–time analysis of the surface-wavefield and the rapid estimation of the local shear-wave velocity structure for site response studies. We first introduce the general philosophy of the new system, as well as the hardware and software that forms the novel instrument, which we have tested in laboratory and field studies. PMID:22319298

Simultaneous inversion of seismic velocity and moment tensor using elastic-waveform inversion of microseismic data: Application to the Aneth CO2-EOR field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Huang, L.

2017-12-01

Moment tensors are key parameters for characterizing CO2-injection-induced microseismic events. Elastic-waveform inversion has the potential to providing accurate results of moment tensors. Microseismic waveforms contains information of source moment tensors and the wave propagation velocity along the wavepaths. We develop an elastic-waveform inversion method to jointly invert the seismic velocity model and moment tensor. We first use our adaptive moment-tensor joint inversion method to estimate moment tensors of microseismic events. Our adaptive moment-tensor inversion method jointly inverts multiple microseismic events with similar waveforms within a cluster to reduce inversion uncertainty for microseismic data recorded using a single borehole geophone array. We use this inversion result as the initial model for our elastic-waveform inversion to minimize the cross-correlated-based data misfit between observed data and synthetic data. We verify our method using synthetic microseismic data and obtain improved results of both moment tensors and seismic velocity model. We apply our new inversion method to microseismic data acquired at a CO2-enhanced oil recovery field in Aneth, Utah, using a single borehole geophone array. The results demonstrate that our new inversion method significantly reduces the data misfit compared to the conventional ray-theory-based moment-tensor inversion.

Improving time-lapse seismic repeatability: CO2CRC Otway site permanent geophone array field trials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pevzner, Roman; Dupuis, Christian; Shulakova, Valeriya; Urosevic, Milovan; Lumley, David

2013-04-01

The proposed Stage 2C of the CO2CRC Otway project involves injection of a small amount (around 15,000 tonnes) of CO2/CH4 gas mixture into saline acquifer (Paaratte formation) at the depth of ~1.5 km. The seismic time-lapse signal will depend largely on the formation properties and the injection scenario, but is likely to be relatively weak. In order to improve time-lapse seismic monitoring capabilities by decreasing the noise level, a buried receiver arrays can be used. A small-scale trial of such an array was conducted at Otway site in June 2012. A set of 25 geophones was installed in 3 m deep boreholes in parallel to the same number of surface geophones. In addition, four geophones were placed into boreholes of 1 to 12 m depth. In order to assess the gain in the signal-to-noise ratio and repeatability, both active and passive seismic surveys were carried out. The surveys were conducted in relatively poor weather conditions, with rain, strong wind and thunderstorms increasing the noise level. We found that noise level for buried geophones is on average 20 dB lower compared to the surface ones. Furthermore, the combination of active and passive experiments has allowed us to perform a detailed classification of various noise sources. Acknowledgement The authors acknowledge the funding provided by the Australian government through its CRC program to support this CO2CRC research project. We also acknowledge the CO2CRC's corporate sponsors and the financial assistance provided through Australian National Low Emissions Coal Research and Development (ANLEC R&D). ANLEC R&D is supported by Australian Coal Association Low Emissions Technology Limited and the Australian Government through the Clean Energy Initiative.

Quantifying the similarity of seismic polarizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Joshua P.; Eaton, David W.; Caffagni, Enrico

2016-02-01

Assessing the similarities of seismic attributes can help identify tremor, low signal-to-noise (S/N) signals and converted or reflected phases, in addition to diagnosing site noise and sensor misalignment in arrays. Polarization analysis is a widely accepted method for studying the orientation and directional characteristics of seismic phases via computed attributes, but similarity is ordinarily discussed using qualitative comparisons with reference values or known seismic sources. Here we introduce a technique for quantitative polarization similarity that uses weighted histograms computed in short, overlapping time windows, drawing on methods adapted from the image processing and computer vision literature. Our method accounts for ambiguity in azimuth and incidence angle and variations in S/N ratio. Measuring polarization similarity allows easy identification of site noise and sensor misalignment and can help identify coherent noise and emergent or low S/N phase arrivals. Dissimilar azimuths during phase arrivals indicate misaligned horizontal components, dissimilar incidence angles during phase arrivals indicate misaligned vertical components and dissimilar linear polarization may indicate a secondary noise source. Using records of the Mw = 8.3 Sea of Okhotsk earthquake, from Canadian National Seismic Network broad-band sensors in British Columbia and Yukon Territory, Canada, and a vertical borehole array at Hoadley gas field, central Alberta, Canada, we demonstrate that our method is robust to station spacing. Discrete wavelet analysis extends polarization similarity to the time-frequency domain in a straightforward way. Time-frequency polarization similarities of borehole data suggest that a coherent noise source may have persisted above 8 Hz several months after peak resource extraction from a `flowback' type hydraulic fracture.

Correlation of offshore seismic profiles with onshore New Jersey Miocene sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Monteverde, D.H.; Miller, K.G.; Mountain, Gregory S.

2000-01-01

The New Jersey passive continental margin records the interaction of sequences and sea-level, although previous studies linking seismically defined sequences, borehole control, and global ??18O records were hindered by a seismic data gap on the inner-shelf. We describe new seismic data from the innermost New Jersey shelf that tie offshore seismic stratigraphy directly to onshore boreholes. These data link the onshore boreholes to existing seismic grids across the outer margin and to boreholes on the continental slope. Surfaces defined by age; facies, and log signature in the onshore boreholes at the base of sequences Kw2b, Kw2a, Kw1c, and Kw0 are now tied to seismic sequence boundaries m5s, m5.2s, m5.4s, and m6s, respectively, defined beneath the inner shelf. Sequence boundaries recognized in onshore boreholes and inner shelf seismic profiles apparently correlate with reflections m5, m5.2, m5.4, and m6, respectively, that were dated at slope boreholes during ODP Leg 150. We now recognize an additional sequence boundary beneath the shelf that we name m5.5s and correlate to the base of the onshore sequence Kw1b. The new seismic data image prograding Oligocene clinoforms beneath the inner shelf, consistent with the results from onshore boreholes. A land-based seismic profile crossing the Island Beach borehole reveals reflector geometries that we tie to Lower Miocene litho- and bio-facies in this borehole. These land-based seismic profiles image well-defined sequence boundaries, onlap and downlap truncations that correlate to Transgressive Systems Tracts (TST) and Highstand Systems Tracts (HST) identified in boreholes. Preliminary analysis of CH0698 data continues these system tract delineations across the inner shelf The CH0698 seismic profiles tie seismically defined sequence boundaries with sequences identified by lithiologic and paleontologic criteria. Both can now be related to global ??18O increases and attendant glacioeustatic lowerings. This integration of core, log, and seismic character of mid-Tertiary sediments across the width of the New Jersey margin is a major step in the long-standing effort to evaluate the impact of glaciouestasy on siliciclastic sediments of a passive continental margin. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The shallow boreholes at The AltotiBerina near fault Observatory (TABOO; northern Apennines of Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiaraluce, L.; Collettini, C.; Cattaneo, M.; Monachesi, G.

2014-04-01

As part of an interdisciplinary research project, funded by the European Research Council and addressing the mechanics of weak faults, we drilled three 200-250 m-deep boreholes and installed an array of seismometers. The array augments TABOO (The AltotiBerina near fault ObservatOry), a scientific infrastructure managed by the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. The observatory, which consists of a geophysical network equipped with multi-sensor stations, is located in the northern Apennines (Italy) and monitors a large and active low-angle normal fault. The drilling operations started at the end of 2011 and were completed by July 2012. We instrumented the boreholes with three-component short-period (2 Hz) passive instruments at different depths. The seismometers are now fully operational and collecting waveforms characterised by a very high signal to noise ratio that is ideal for studying microearthquakes. The resulting increase in the detection capability of the seismic network will allow for a broader range of transients to be identified.

Deployment of the Oklahoma borehole seismic experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harben, P.E.; Rock, D.W.

1989-01-20

This paper discusses the Oklahoma borehole seismic experiment, currently in operation, set up by members of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Treaty Verification Program and the Oklahoma Geophysical Observatory to determine deep-borehole seismic characteristics in geology typical of large regions in the Soviet Union. We evaluated and logged an existing 772-m deep borehole on the Observatory site by running caliper, cement bonding, casing inspection, and hole-deviation logs. Two Teledyne Geotech borehole-clamping seismometers were placed at various depths and spacings in the deep borehole. Currently, they are deployed at 727 and 730 m. A Teledyne Geotech shallow-borehole seismometer was mounted inmore » a 4.5-m hole, one meter from the deep borehole. The seismometers' system coherency were tested and found to be excellent to 35 Hz. We have recorded seismic noise, quarry blasts, regional earthquakes and teleseisms in the present configuration. We will begin a study of seismic noise and attenuation as a function of depth in the near future. 7 refs., 18 figs.« less

Monitoring hydrofrac-induced seismicity by surface arrays - the DHM-Project Basel case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blascheck, P.; Häge, M.; Joswig, M.

2012-04-01

The method "nanoseismic monitoring" was applied during the hydraulic stimulation at the Deep-Heat-Mining-Project (DHM-Project) Basel. Two small arrays in a distance of 2.1 km and 4.8 km to the borehole recorded continuously for two days. During this time more than 2500 seismic events were detected. The method of the surface monitoring of induced seismicity was compared to the reference which the hydrofrac monitoring presented. The latter was conducted by a network of borehole seismometers by Geothermal Explorers Limited. Array processing provides a outlier resistant, graphical jack-knifing localization method which resulted in a average deviation towards the reference of 850 m. Additionally, by applying the relative localization master-event method, the NNW-SSE strike direction of the reference was confirmed. It was shown that, in order to successfully estimate the magnitude of completeness as well as the b-value at the event rate and detection sensibility present, 3 h segments of data are sufficient. This is supported by two segment out of over 13 h of evaluated data. These segments were chosen so that they represent a time during the high seismic noise during normal working hours in daytime as well as the minimum anthropogenic noise at night. The low signal-to-noise ratio was compensated by the application of a sonogram event detection as well as a coincidence analysis within each array. Sonograms allow by autoadaptive, non-linear filtering to enhance signals whose amplitudes are just above noise level. For these events the magnitude was determined by the master-event method, allowing to compute the magnitude of completeness by the entire-magnitude-range method provided by the ZMAP toolbox. Additionally, the b-values were determined and compared to the reference values. An introduction to the method of "nanoseismic monitoring" will be given as well as the comparison to reference data in the Basel case study.

Recorded earthquake responses from the integrated seismic monitoring network of the Atwood Building, Anchorage, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Celebi, M.

2006-01-01

An integrated seismic monitoring system with a total of 53 channels of accelerometers is now operating in and at the nearby free-field site of the 20-story steel-framed Atwood Building in highly seismic Anchorage, Alaska. The building has a single-story basement and a reinforced concrete foundation without piles. The monitoring system comprises a 32-channel structural array and a 21-channel site array. Accelerometers are deployed on 10 levels of the building to assess translational, torsional, and rocking motions, interstory drift (displacement) between selected pairs of adjacent floors, and average drift between floors. The site array, located approximately a city block from the building, comprises seven triaxial accelerometers, one at the surface and six in boreholes ranging in depths from 15 to 200 feet (???5-60 meters). The arrays have already recorded low-amplitude shaking responses of the building and the site caused by numerous earthquakes at distances ranging from tens to a couple of hundred kilometers. Data from an earthquake that occurred 186 km away traces the propagation of waves from the deepest borehole to the roof of the building in approximately 0.5 seconds. Fundamental structural frequencies [0.58 Hz (NS) and 0.47 Hz (EW)], low damping percentages (2-4%), mode coupling, and beating effects are identified. The fundamental site frequency at approximately 1.5 Hz is close to the second modal frequencies (1.83 Hz NS and 1.43 EW) of the building, which may cause resonance of the building. Additional earthquakes prove repeatability of these characteristics; however, stronger shaking may alter these conclusions. ?? 2006, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

An Expedient but Fascinating Geophysical Chimera: The Pinyon Flat Seismic Strain Point Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langston, C. A.

2016-12-01

The combination of a borehole Gladwin Tensor Strain Meter (GTSM) and a co-located three component broadband seismometer (BB) can theoretically be used to determine the propagation attributes of P-SV waves in vertically inhomogeneous media such as horizontal phase velocity and azimuth of propagation through application of wave gradiometry. A major requirement for this to be successful is to have well-calibrated strain and seismic sensors to be able to rely on using absolute wave amplitude from both systems. A "point" seismic array is constructed using the PBO GTSM station B084 and co-located BB seismic stations from an open array experiment deployed by UCSD as well as PFO station at the Pinyon Flat facility. Site amplitude statics for all three ground motion components are found for the 14-element (13 PY stations + PFO), small aperture seismic array using data from 47 teleseisms recorded from 2014 until present. Precision of amplitude measurement at each site is better than 0.2% for vertical components, 0.5% for EW components, and 1% for NS components. Relative amplitudes among sites of the array are often better than 1% attesting to the high quality of the instrumentation and installation. The wavefield and related horizontal strains are computed for the location of B084 using a second order Taylor's expansion of observed waveforms from moderate ( M4) regional events. The computed seismic array areal, differential, and shear strains show excellent correlation in both phase and amplitude with those recorded by B084 when using the calibration matrix previously determined using teleseismic strains from the entire ANZA seismic network. Use of the GTSM-BB "point" array significantly extends the bandwidth of gradiometry calculations over the small-aperture seismic array by nearly two orders of magnitude from 0.5 Hz to 0.01 Hz. In principle, a seismic strain point array could be constructed from every PBO GTSM with a co-located seismometer to help serve earthquake early warning for large regional events on North America's west coast.

Interpretation of Microseismicity Observed From Surface and Borehole Seismic Arrays During Hydraulic Fracturing in Shale - Bedding Plane Slip Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanek, F.; Jechumtalova, Z.; Eisner, L.

2017-12-01

We present a geomechanical model explaining microseismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing in shales developed from many datasets acquired with two most common types of seismic monitoring arrays, surface and dual-borehole arrays. The geomechanical model explains the observed source mechanisms and locations of induced events from two stimulated shale reservoirs. We observe shear dip-slip source mechanisms with nodal planes aligned with location trends. We show that such seismicity can be explained as a shearing along bedding planes caused by aseismic opening of vertical hydraulic fractures. The source mechanism inversion was applied only to selected high-quality events with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. We inverted P- and P- and S-wave arrival amplitudes to full-moment tensor and decomposed it to shear, volumetric and compensated linear vector dipole components. We also tested an effect of noise presented in the data to evaluate reliability of non-shear components. The observed seismicity from both surface and downhole monitoring of shale stimulations is very similar. The locations of induced microseismic events are limited to narrow depth intervals and propagate along distinct trend(s) showing fracture propagation in direction of maximum horizontal stress from injection well(s). The source mechanisms have a small non-shear component which can be partly explained as an effect of noise in the data, i.e. events represent shearing on faults. We observe predominantly dip-slip events with a strike of the steeper (almost vertical) nodal plane parallel to the fracture propagation. Therefore the other possible nodal plane is almost horizontal. The rake angles of the observed mechanisms divide these dip-slips into two groups with opposite polarities. It means that we observe opposite movements on the nearly identically oriented faults. Realizing a typical structural weakness of shale in horizontal planes, we interpret observed microseismicity as a result of shearing along bedding planes caused by seismically silent (aseismic) vertical fracture opening.

Integrated Multidisciplinary Fault Observation System in the western part of the main Marmara Fault in the frame of an EU-FP7 project, titled as MARSITE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozel, Oguz; Guralp, Cansun; Tunc, Suleyman; Yalcinkaya, Esref; Meral Ozel, Nurcan

2015-04-01

The main objective of this study is to install a multi-parameter borehole system and surface array consisting of eight broadband sensors as close to the main Marmara Fault (MMF) in the western Marmara Sea as possible, and measure continuously the evolution of the state of the fault zone surrounding the MMF and to detect any anomaly or change which may occur before earthquakes by making use of the data from these arrays. The multi-parameter borehole system is composed of very wide dynamic range and stable borehole (VBB) broad band seismic sensor, and incorporate 3-D strain meter, tilt meter, and temperature and local hydrostatic pressure measuring devices. All these sensors are installed in 146m-deep borehole. All the sensor outputs are digitized; total of 11*24 bit-channels and 6*20 bit-channels. Real-time data transmission to the main server of the Marsite Project at Kandilli Observatory in Istanbul is accomplished. The multi-parameter borehole seismic station uses the latest update technologies and design ideas to record "Earth tides" signals to the smallest magnitude -3 events, as the innovative part of the Marsite Project. Bringing face to face the seismograms of microearthquakes recorded by borehole and surface instruments portrays quite different contents. The shorter recording duration and nearly flat frequency spectrum up to the Nyquist frequencies of borehole records are faced with longer recording duration and rapid decay of spectral amplitudes at higher frequencies of a surface seismogram. The main causative of the observed differences are near surface geology effects that mask most of the source related information the seismograms include, and that give rise to scattering, generating longer duration seismograms. In view of these circumstances, studies on microearthquakes employing surface seismograms may bring on misleading results. Particularly, the works on earthquake physics and nucleation process of earthquakes requires elaborate analysis of tiny events. It is obvious from the studies on the nucleation process of the 1999 earthquake that tens of minutes before the major rupture initiate noteworthy microearthquake activity happened. The starting point of the 1999 rupture was a site of swarm activity noticed a few decades prior the main shock. Nowadays, analogous case is probable in western Marmara Sea region, prone to a major event in near future where the seismic activity is prevailing along the impending rupture zone. Having deployed a borehole system at the eastern end of the Ganos fault zone will yield invaluable data to closely inspect and monitor the last stages of the preparation stage of major rupture.

Magmatic processes evidenced by borehole dilatometer data at Campi Flegrei, Italy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Lieto, Bellina; Romano, Pierdomenico; Scarpa, Roberto; Orazi, Massimo

2017-04-01

Since spring 2004 a joint research project (AMRA, UniSa, INGV) has been developed in Italy to install borehole strainmeters aimed at enhanced INGV monitoring systems. Six Sacks-Evertson dilatometers were installed around Campi Flegrei and Vesuvius during 2004-2005, and in 2008 these were supplemented by two arrays of long-baseline underground water tube tiltmeters. Renewed activity started since 2004-2005, characterized by a low rate of vertical displacement, amounting initially to a few cm/year. Recent deformation in the Campi Flegrei caldera is dominated by aseismic inflation, interrupted by minor transient aseismic reversals in rate. These are typically below the noise level or are poorly sampled by the low sampling frequency of most geodetic techniques, but can be quantified relatively easily using high sensitivity strainmeters and tiltmeters. These instruments provide coherent views of deformation at several different time scales capturing reversals in rate with periods from minutes to months. Monotonic uplift episodes have been recorded with durations of several weeks to a few years. During the summer of 2006 a long term strain episode related to an increase of CO2 emission, evidenced by borehole tiltmeters and continuous GPS sensors, has been observed by the borehole dilatometers array. This strain episode preceded caldera microseismic activity by few months, as was also observed during the 1982 period of unrest. Other aseismic slip episodes were recorded in October 2006 and in March 2010, several minutes before the most significant seismic swarms (VT and/or LP events) occurred after the 1982-1984 uplift. The time scale of these transient strain events lasted less than one hour, putting further constraints on the origin of ground uplifts at Campi Flegrei. Their locations are compatible with the source inferred from long term deformation signals, at about 4 km depth beneath Pozzuoli. The current array provides us with a glimpse of the potential utility of a dense array of strainmeters and tiltmeters surrounding the Campi Flegrei region. An expanded array of tiltmeters and strainmeters operating continuously would permit the details of magma-transfer and the underlying cause of subsequent seismic activity to be monitored. Despite the small number of sensors, a preliminary mechanism model for aseismic strain episodes can be defined, correlating these episodes with magma growth in reservoirs with occasional pressure relief associated with the leakage of gas.

PARTICLE DISPLACEMENTS ON THE WALL OF A BOREHOLE FROM INCIDENT PLANE WAVES.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, M.W.

1987-01-01

Particle displacements from incident plane waves at the wall of a fluid-filled borehole are formulated by applying the seismic reciprocity theorem to far-field displacement fields. Such displacement fields are due to point forces acting on a fluid-filled borehole under the assumption of long wavelengths. The displacement fields are analyzed to examine the effect of the borehole on seismic wave propagation, particularly for vertical seismic profiling (VSP) measurements. When the shortest wavelength of interest is approximately 25 times longer than the borehole's diameter, the scattered displacements are proportional to the first power of incident frequency and borehole diameter. When the shortest wavelength of interest is about 40 times longer than the borehole's diameter, borehole effects on VSP measurements using a wall-locking geophone are negligible.

Reliability of Source Mechanisms for a Hydraulic Fracturing Dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyre, T.; Van der Baan, M.

2016-12-01

Non-double-couple components have been inferred for induced seismicity due to fluid injection, yet these components are often poorly constrained due to the acquisition geometry. Likewise non-double-couple components in microseismic recordings are not uncommon. Microseismic source mechanisms provide an insight into the fracturing behaviour of a hydraulically stimulated reservoir. However, source inversion in a hydraulic fracturing environment is complicated by the likelihood of volumetric contributions to the source due to the presence of high pressure fluids, which greatly increases the possible solution space and therefore the non-uniqueness of the solutions. Microseismic data is usually recorded on either 2D surface or borehole arrays of sensors. In many cases, surface arrays appear to constrain source mechanisms with high shear components, whereas borehole arrays tend to constrain more variable mechanisms including those with high tensile components. The abilities of each geometry to constrain the true source mechanisms are therefore called into question.The ability to distinguish between shear and tensile source mechanisms with different acquisition geometries is investigated using synthetic data. For both inversions, both P- and S- wave amplitudes recorded on three component sensors need to be included to obtain reliable solutions. Surface arrays appear to give more reliable solutions due to a greater sampling of the focal sphere, but in reality tend to record signals with a low signal to noise ratio. Borehole arrays can produce acceptable results, however the reliability is much more affected by relative source-receiver locations and source orientation, with biases produced in many of the solutions. Therefore more care must be taken when interpreting results.These findings are taken into account when interpreting a microseismic dataset of 470 events recorded by two vertical borehole arrays monitoring a horizontal treatment well. Source locations and mechanisms are calculated and the results discussed, including the biases caused by the array geometry. The majority of the events are located within the target reservoir, however a small, seemingly disconnected cluster of events appears 100 m above the reservoir.

Integrated Geophysical Monitoring Program to Study Flood Performance and Incidental CO2 Storage Associated with a CO2 EOR Project in the Bell Creek Oil Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnison, S. A.; Ditty, P.; Gorecki, C. D.; Hamling, J. A.; Steadman, E. N.; Harju, J. A.

2013-12-01

The Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership, led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center, is working with Denbury Onshore LLC to determine the effect of a large-scale injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into a deep clastic reservoir for the purpose of simultaneous CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and to study incidental CO2 storage at the Bell Creek oil field located in southeastern Montana. This project will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 1 million tons a year while simultaneously recovering an anticipated 30 million barrels of incremental oil. The Bell Creek project provides a unique opportunity to use and evaluate a comprehensive suite of technologies for monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) of CO2 on a large-scale. The plan incorporates multiple geophysical technologies in the presence of complementary and sometimes overlapping data to create a comprehensive data set that will facilitate evaluation and comparison. The MVA plan has been divided into shallow and deep subsurface monitoring. The deep subsurface monitoring plan includes 4-D surface seismic, time-lapse 3-D vertical seismic profile (VSP) surveys incorporating a permanent borehole array, and baseline and subsequent carbon-oxygen logging and other well-based measurements. The goal is to track the movement of CO2 in the reservoir, evaluate the recovery/storage efficiency of the CO2 EOR program, identify fluid migration pathways, and determine the ultimate fate of injected CO2. CO2 injection at Bell Creek began in late May 2013. Prior to injection, a monitoring and characterization well near the field center was drilled and outfitted with a distributed temperature-monitoring system and three down-hole pressure gauges to provide continuous real-time data of the reservoir and overlying strata. The monitoring well allows on-demand access for time-lapse well-based measurements and borehole seismic instrumentation. A 50-level permanent borehole array of 3-component geophones was installed in a second monitoring well. A pre-injection series of carbon-oxygen logging across the reservoir was acquired in 35 wells. The baseline 3-D surface seismic survey was acquired in September 2012. A 3-D VSP incorporating two wells and 2 square miles of overlapping seismic coverage in the middle of the field was acquired in May 2013. Initial iterations of geologic modeling and reservoir simulation of the field have been completed. Currently, passive seismic monitoring with the permanent borehole array is being conducted during injection. Interpretation results from the baseline surface 3-D survey and preliminary results from the baseline 3-D VSP are being evaluated and integrated into the reservoir model. The PCOR Partnership's philosophy is to combine site characterization, modeling, and monitoring strategies into an iterative process to produce descriptive integrated results. The comprehensive effort at Bell Creek will allow a comparison of the effectiveness of several complementary geophysical and well-based methods in meeting the goals of the deep subsurface monitoring effort.

Seismic Structure of Perth Basin (Australia) and surroundings from Passive Seismic Deployments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Issa, N.; Saygin, E.; Lumley, D. E.; Hoskin, T. E.

2016-12-01

We image the subsurface structure of Perth Basin, Western Australia and surroundings by using ambient seismic noise data from 14 seismic stations recently deployed by University of Western Australia (UWA) and other available permanent stations from Geoscience Australia seismic network and the Australian Seismometers in Schools program. Each of these 14 UWA seismic stations comprises a broadband sensor and a high fidelity 3-component 10 Hz geophone, recording in tandem at 250 Hz and 1000 Hz. The other stations used in this study are equipped with short period and broadband sensors. In addition, one shallow borehole station is operated with eight 3 component geophones at depths of between 2 and 44 m. The network is deployed to characterize natural seismicity in the basin and to try and identify any microseismic activity across Darling Fault Zone (DFZ), bounding the basin to the east. The DFZ stretches to approximately 1000 km north-south in Western Australia, and is one of the longest fault zones on the earth with a limited number of detected earthquakes. We use seismic noise cross- and auto-correlation methods to map seismic velocity perturbations across the basin and the transition from DFZ to the basin. Retrieved Green's functions are stable and show clear dispersed waveforms. Travel times of the surface wave Green's functions from noise cross-correlations are inverted with a two-step probabilistic framework to map the absolute shear wave velocities as a function of depth. The single station auto-correlations from the seismic noise yields P wave reflectivity under each station, marking the major discontinuities. Resulting images show the shear velocity perturbations across the region. We also quantify the variation of ambient seismic noise at different depths in the near surface using the geophones in the shallow borehole array.

Ambient Field Analysis at Groningen Gas Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spica, Z.; Nakata, N.; Beroza, G. C.

2016-12-01

We analyze continuous ambient-field data at Groningen gas field (Netherlands) through cross-correlation processing. The Groningen array is composed of 75 shallow boreholes with 6 km spacing, which contain a 3C surface accelerometer and four 5-Hz 3C borehole geophones spaced at 50 m depth intervals. We successfully retrieve coherent waves from ambient seismic field on the 9 components between stations. Results show high SNR signal in the frequency range of 0.125-1 Hz, and the ZZ, ZR, RZ, RR and TT components show much stronger wave energy than other components as expected. This poster discuss the different type of waves retrieved, the utility of the combination of borehole and surface observations, future development as well as the importance to compute the 9 components of the Green's tensor to better understand the wave field propriety with ambient noise.

Characterization of a complex near-surface structure using well logging and passive seismic measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjumea, Beatriz; Macau, Albert; Gabàs, Anna; Figueras, Sara

2016-04-01

We combine geophysical well logging and passive seismic measurements to characterize the near-surface geology of an area located in Hontomin, Burgos (Spain). This area has some near-surface challenges for a geophysical study. The irregular topography is characterized by limestone outcrops and unconsolidated sediments areas. Additionally, the near-surface geology includes an upper layer of pure limestones overlying marly limestones and marls (Upper Cretaceous). These materials lie on top of Low Cretaceous siliciclastic sediments (sandstones, clays, gravels). In any case, a layer with reduced velocity is expected. The geophysical data sets used in this study include sonic and gamma-ray logs at two boreholes and passive seismic measurements: three arrays and 224 seismic stations for applying the horizontal-to-vertical amplitude spectra ratio method (H/V). Well-logging data define two significant changes in the P-wave-velocity log within the Upper Cretaceous layer and one more at the Upper to Lower Cretaceous contact. This technique has also been used for refining the geological interpretation. The passive seismic measurements provide a map of sediment thickness with a maximum of around 40 m and shear-wave velocity profiles from the array technique. A comparison between seismic velocity coming from well logging and array measurements defines the resolution limits of the passive seismic techniques and helps it to be interpreted. This study shows how these low-cost techniques can provide useful information about near-surface complexity that could be used for designing a geophysical field survey or for seismic processing steps such as statics or imaging.

Distributed RF Tomography for Tunnel Detection: Suitable Inversion Schemes

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

methods, ranging from seismic to electromagnetic waves, or from gravity to optics, from impedance tomography to magnetotellurics, no technique...unclassified b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Borehole GPR, which may...one manner to different targets (when targets are well-resolved). In particular, the wavefront generated by the array , when excited by one of these

Method and apparatus for coupling seismic sensors to a borehole wall

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B.

2005-03-15

A method and apparatus suitable for coupling seismic or other downhole sensors to a borehole wall in high temperature and pressure environments. In one embodiment, one or more metal bellows mounted to a sensor module are inflated to clamp the sensor module within the borehole and couple an associated seismic sensor to a borehole wall. Once the sensing operation is complete, the bellows are deflated and the sensor module is unclamped by deflation of the metal bellows. In a further embodiment, a magnetic drive pump in a pump module is used to supply fluid pressure for inflating the metal bellows using borehole fluid or fluid from a reservoir. The pump includes a magnetic drive motor configured with a rotor assembly to be exposed to borehole fluid pressure including a rotatable armature for driving an impeller and an associated coil under control of electronics isolated from borehole pressure.

Triple seismic source, double research ship, single ambitious goal: integrated imaging of young oceanic crust in the Panama Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Dean; Peirce, Christine; Hobbs, Richard; Gregory, Emma

2016-04-01

Understanding geothermal heat and mass fluxes through the seafloor is fundamental to the study of the Earth's energy budget. Using geophysical, geological and physical oceanography data we are exploring the interaction between the young oceanic crust and the ocean in the Panama Basin. We acquired a unique geophysical dataset that will allow us to build a comprehensive model of young oceanic crust from the Costa Rica Ridge axis to ODP borehole 504B. Data were collected over two 35 x 35 km2 3D grid areas, one each at the ridge axis and the borehole, and along three 330 km long 2D profiles orientated in the spreading direction, connecting the two grids. In addition to the 4.5 km long multichannel streamer and 75 ocean-bottom seismographs (OBS), we also deployed 12 magnetotelluric (MT) stations and collected underway swath bathymetry, gravity and magnetic data. For the long 2D profiles we used two research vessels operating synchronously. The RRS James Cook towed a high frequency GI-gun array (120 Hz) to image the sediments, and a medium frequency Bolt-gun array (50 Hz) for shallow-to-mid-crustal imaging. The R/V Sonne followed the Cook, 9 km astern and towed a third seismic source; a low frequency, large volume G-gun array (30 Hz) for whole crustal and upper mantle imaging at large offsets. Two bespoke vertical hydrophone arrays recorded real far field signatures that have enabled us to develop inverse source filters and match filters. Here we present the seismic reflection image, forward and inverse velocity-depth models and a density model along the primary 330 km north-south profile, from ridge axis to 6 Ma crust. By incorporating wide-angle streamer data from our two-ship, synthetic aperture acquisition together with traditional wide-angle OBS data we are able to constrain the structure of the upper oceanic crust. The results show a long-wavelength trend of increasing seismic velocity and density with age, and a correlation between velocity structure and basement roughness. Increased basement roughness leads to a non-uniform distribution of sediments, which we hypothesise influences the pattern of hydrothermal circulation and ultimately the secondary alteration of the upper crust. A combination of the complimentary wide-angle and normal incidence datasets and their individual models act as a starting point for joint inversion of seismic, gravity and MT data. The joint inversion produces a fully integrated model, enabling us to better understand how the oceanic crust evolves as a result of hydrothermal fluid circulation and cooling, as it ages from zero-age at the ridge-axis to 6 Ma at borehole 504B. Ultimately, this model can be used to undertake full waveform inversion to produce a high-resolution velocity model of the oceanic crust in the Panama Basin. This research is part of a major, interdisciplinary NERC-funded research collaboration entitled: Oceanographic and Seismic Characterisation of heat dissipation and alteration by hydrothermal fluids at an Axial Ridge (OSCAR).

Advanced motor driven clamped borehole seismic receiver

DOEpatents

Engler, Bruce P.; Sleefe, Gerard E.; Striker, Richard P.

1993-01-01

A borehole seismic tool including a borehole clamp which only moves perpendicular to the borehole. The clamp is driven by an electric motor, via a right angle drive. When used as a seismic receiver, the tool has a three part housing, two of which are hermetically sealed. Accelerometers or geophones are mounted in one hermetically sealed part, the electric meter in the other hermetically sealed part, and the clamp and right angle drive in the third part. Preferably the tool includes cable connectors at both ends. Optionally a shear plate can be added to the clamp to extend the range of the tool.

3D imaging of geological structures by R-VSP utilizing vibrations caused by shaft excavations at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, T.; Hodotsuka, Y.; Ishigaki, K.; Lee, C.

2009-12-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency is now conducting the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) project. The MIU consists of two shafts (main shaft: 6.5m, ventilation shaft: 4.5m diameter) and horizontal research galleries, in sedimentary and granitic rocks at Mizunami City, Central Japan. The MIU project is a broad scientific study of the deep geological environment providing the basis for research and development for geological disposal of high level radioactive waste. One of the main goals is to establish techniques for investigation, analysis and assessment of the deep geological environment in fractured crystalline rock. As a part of the MIU project, we carried out the Reverse-Vertical Seismic Profile (R-VSP) using vibrations from the blasting for the shaft excavations and drilling of boreholes in the horizontal research galleries and examined the applicability of this method to imaging of geological structures around underground facilities, such as the unconformity between the sedimentary rocks and the basal granite, and faults and fracture zones in the granite. R-VSP method is a seismic method utilizing the receiver arrays on surface and seismic sources underground (e.g. in boreholes). This method is advantageous in that planning of 3-dimensional surveys is easy compared with reflection seismic surveying and conventional VSP because seismic source arrays that are major constraint for conducting surveys on surface are unnecessary. The receiver arrays consist of six radial lines on surface with a central focus on the main shaft. Seven blast rounds for the main shaft excavation from GL-52.8m to GL-250m and the borehole drilling in the GL-200m horizontal research gallery were observed. Three types of data processing, conventional VSP data processing (VSP-CDP transform and VSP migration), Reflection data processing utilizing Seismic interferometry method (“Seismic interferometry”) and Reflection mapping utilizing Image Point transform method (“IP transform”), were performed to obtain reflection images from heterogeneous geological structure. As the results, the reflective events that seemed to correspond with sedimentary layers, the unconformity between sedimentary rocks and granite, and fracture zones in granite could be detected by reflection profiles using “conventional VSP data processing” and “Seismic interferometry”. However, it is difficult to identify the faults around the MIU because they are generally at a high-angle. “IP transform” is one type of Radon transform which change common shot gather to IP domain. Image Points are defined through geometries of sources and reflectors. Reflection signals in time domain can be accumulated and enhanced in IP domain by “IP transform” on the condition of the right angle to a fault. So, by a search of the direction that reflection signals are enhanced using “IP transform”, the locations of faults can be inferred. By this method, the distribution of faults that correspond with faults in the current geological model constructed from investigation data in the MIU project could be detected.

The derivation of an anisotropic velocity model from a combined surface and borehole seismic survey in crystalline environment at the COSC-1 borehole, central Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, H.; Buske, S.; Krauß, F.; Giese, R.; Hedin, P.; Juhlin, C.

2017-09-01

The Scandinavian Caledonides provide a well-preserved example of a Palaeozoic continent-continent collision, where surface geology in combination with geophysical data provides information about the geometry of parts of the Caledonian structure. The project COSC (Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides) investigates the structure and physical conditions of the orogen units and the underlying basement with two approximately 2.5 km deep cored boreholes in western Jämtland, central Sweden. In 2014, the COSC-1 borehole was successfully drilled through a thick section of the Seve Nappe Complex. This tectonostratigraphic unit, mainly consisting of gneisses, belongs to the so-called Middle Allochthons and has been ductilely deformed and transported during the collisional orogeny. After the drilling, a major seismic survey was conducted in and around the COSC-1 borehole with the aim to recover findings on the structure around the borehole from core analysis and downhole logging. The survey comprised both seismic reflection and transmission experiments, and included zero-offset and multiazimuthal walkaway Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) measurements, three long offset surface lines centred on the borehole, and a limited 3-D seismic survey. In this study, the data from the multiazimuthal walkaway VSP and the surface lines were used to derive detailed velocity models around the COSC-1 borehole by inverting the first-arrival traveltimes. The comparison of velocities from these tomography results with a velocity function calculated directly from the zero-offset VSP revealed clear differences in velocities for horizontally and vertically travelling waves. Therefore, an anisotropic VTI (transversely isotropic with vertical axis of symmetry) model was found that explains first-arrival traveltimes from both the surface and borehole seismic data. The model is described by a vertical P-wave velocity function derived from zero-offset VSP and the Thomsen parameters ε = 0.03 and δ = 0.3, estimated by laboratory studies and the analysis of the surface seismic and walkaway VSP data. This resulting anisotropic model provides the basis for further detailed geological and geophysical investigations in the direct vicinity of the borehole.

Use of surface and borehole geophysical surveys to determine fracture orientation and other site characteristics in crystalline bedrock terrain, Millville and Uxbridge, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Bruce P.; Lane, John W.

1995-01-01

Four geophysical techniques were used to determine bedrock-fracture orientation and other site characteristics that can be used to determine ground-water movement and contaminant transport at a fractured crystalline bedrock site in Millville and Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Azimuthal seismic- refraction and azimuthal square-array direct-current resistivity surveys were conducted at three sites. Borehole-radar surveys were conducted in a cluster of three wells. Ground-penetrating radar surveys were conducted along roads in the study area. Azimuthal seismic-refraction data indicated a primary fracture strike between 56 and 101 degrees at three sites. Graphical and analytical analysis of azimuthal square-array resistivity data indicated a primary fracture strike from 45 to 90 degrees at three sites. Directional borehole-radar data from three wells indicated 46 fractures or fracture zones located as far as 147 feet from the surveyed wells. Patterns of low radar-wave velocity and high radar- wave attenuation from cross-hole radar surveys of two well pairs were interpreted as a planar fracture zone that strikes 297 degrees and dips 55 degrees south. Ground-penetrating radar surveys with 100-MHz antennas penetrated as much as 150 feet of bedrock where the bedrock surface was at or near land surface. Horizontal and subhorizontal fractures were observed on the ground-penetrating radar records at numerous locations. Correlation of data sets indicates good agreement and indicates primary high- angle fracturing striking east-northeast. Secondary bedrock porosity and average fracture aperture determined from square-array resistivity data averaged 0.0044 and 0.0071 foot. Depths to bedrock observed on the ground-penetrating radar records were 0 to 20 feet below land surface along most of the area surveyed. A bedrock depth from 45 to 50 feet below land surface was observed along one section of Conestoga Drive.

Naval Research Laboratory Arctic Initiatives

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Campaign Code 7420 Arctic Modeling Code 7320/7500/7600 In-situ NRL, CRREL NRL boreholes Strategy Remote Sensing Synergism −Collect in-situ...Navy and Marine Corps Corporate Laboratory An array of BMFCs being prepared for deployment. Each BMFC consists of a weighted anode laid flat onto...Gas CH4 E C D CO2 BGHS Free Methane Gas Hydrates HCO3- HCO3- Seismic and geochemical data to predict deep sediment hydrates Estimate spatial

Advanced motor driven clamped borehole seismic receiver

DOEpatents

Engler, B.P.; Sleefe, G.E.; Striker, R.P.

1993-02-23

A borehole seismic tool is described including a borehole clamp which only moves perpendicular to the borehole. The clamp is driven by an electric motor, via a right angle drive. When used as a seismic receiver, the tool has a three part housing, two of which are hermetically sealed. Accelerometers or geophones are mounted in one hermetically sealed part, the electric motor in the other hermetically sealed part, and the clamp and right angle drive in the third part. Preferably the tool includes cable connectors at both ends. Optionally a shear plate can be added to the clamp to extend the range of the tool.

Crustal Structure and Seismicity along the Central Alpine Fault: Results from the WIZARD Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurber, C. H.; Roecker, S. W.; Townend, J.; Bannister, S. C.; Guo, B.; Rawles, C.; Feenstra, J. P.

2015-12-01

In 2012 and 2013, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) operated a 20-station temporary seismic array along the obliquely slipping Alpine Fault on the South Island of New Zealand. The stations of the array, nicknamed WIZARD, were deployed mainly north and east of the Deep Fault Drilling Program (DFDP) borehole site in Whataroa Valley (DFPD-2). WIZARD complemented the station distribution of the Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array (SAMBA) operated by VUW, situated south and west of DFDP-2. Three additional temporary stations were deployed to the north and east of WIZARD by GNS Science, and four GeoNet permanent stations fell within the footprint of our study area. The main goals of the WIZARD project are to image the crustal structure in the region surrounding the DFDP-2 site, relocate earthquakes as precisely and accurately as possible, and determine focal mechanisms for the larger earthquakes, in order to characterize the Alpine Fault and its geometry at depth. Some previous studies had identified the area covered by WIZARD to be largely aseismic, but we have in fact located roughly 500 earthquakes underneath WIZARD. A new automatic S-wave picker proved to be very effective for rapidly increasing the size of our S-wave arrival dataset. Our tomographic inversion results show that significant velocity contrasts in both Vp and Vs (hanging wall fast) appear to delineate the Alpine Fault at depth in most of our study region, dipping typically about 60 degrees SE, and some focal mechanisms show oblique slip. However, we are not able to identify earthquakes that are actually occurring on the Alpine Fault with certainty based only on our location results.

Applications of seismic spatial wavefield gradient and rotation data in exploration seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmelzbach, C.; Van Renterghem, C.; Sollberger, D.; Häusler, M.; Robertsson, J. O. A.

2017-12-01

Seismic spatial wavefield gradient and rotation data have the potential to open up new ways to address long-standing problems in land-seismic exploration such as identifying and separating P-, S-, and surface waves. Gradient-based acquisition and processing techniques could enable replacing large arrays of densely spaced receivers by sparse spatially-compact receiver layouts or even one single multicomponent station with dedicated instruments (e.g., rotational seismometers). Such approaches to maximize the information content of single-station recordings are also of significant interest for seismic measurements at sites with limited access such as boreholes, the sea bottom, and extraterrestrial seismology. Arrays of conventional three-component (3C) geophones enable measuring not only the particle velocity in three dimensions but also estimating their spatial gradients. Because the free-surface condition allows to express vertical derivatives in terms of horizontal derivatives, the full gradient tensor and, hence, curl and divergence of the wavefield can be computed. In total, three particle velocity components, three rotational components, and divergence, result seven-component (7C) seismic data. Combined particle velocity and gradient data can be used to isolate the incident P- or S-waves at the land surface or the sea bottom using filtering techniques based on the elastodynamic representation theorem. Alternatively, as only S-waves exhibit rotational motion, rotational measurements can directly be used to identify S-waves. We discuss the derivations of the gradient-based filters as well as their application to synthetic and field data, demonstrating that rotational data can be of particular interest to S-wave reflection and P-to-S-wave conversion imaging. The concept of array-derived gradient estimation can be extended to source arrays as well. Therefore, source arrays allow us to emulate rotational (curl) and dilatational (divergence) sources. Combined with 7C recordings, a total of 49 components of the seismic wavefield can be excited and recorded. Such data potentially allow to further improve wavefield separation and may find application in directional imaging and coherent noise suppression.

Study of iron deposit using seismic refraction and resistivity in Carajás Mineral Province, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogueira, Pedro Vencovsky; Rocha, Marcelo Peres; Borges, Welitom Rodrigues; Silva, Adalene Moreira; Assis, Luciano Mozer de

2016-10-01

This work comprises the acquisition, processing and interpretation of 2D seismic shallow refraction (P-wave) and resistivity profiles located in the iron ore deposit of N4WS, Carajás Mineral Province (CMP), northern Brazil. The geophysical methods were used to identify the boundaries of the iron ore deposit. Another objective was to evaluate the potentiality of these geophysical methods in that geological context. In order to validate the results, the geophysical lines were located to match a geological borehole line. For the seismic refraction, we used 120 channels, spaced by 10 m, in a line of 1190 m, with seven shot points. The resistivity method used in the acquisition was the electrical resistivity imaging, with pole-pole array, in order to reach greater depths. The resistivity line had a length of 1430 m, with 10 m spacing between electrodes. The seismic results produced a model with two distinct layers. Based on the velocities values, the first layer was interpreted as altered rocks, and the second layer as more preserved rocks. It was not possible to discriminate different lithologies with the seismic method inside each layer. From the resistivity results, a zone of higher resistivity (> 3937 Ω·m) was interpreted as iron ore, and a region of intermediate resistivity (from 816 to 2330 Ω·m) as altered rocks. These two regions represent the first seismic layer. On the second seismic layer, an area with intermediated resistivity values (from 483 to 2330 Ω·m) was interpreted as mafic rocks, and the area with lower resistivity (< 483 Ω·m) as jaspilite. Our results were compared with geological boreholes and show reasonable correlation, suggesting that the geophysical anomalies correspond to the main variations in composition and physical properties of rocks.

Talamanca Transect and Tremor Array: Ongoing Seismological Investigations in Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorwart, M.; Alvarado, G.; Arroyo, I.; Dinc-Akdogan, N.; Dzierma, Y.; Flueh, E.; Goltz, C.; Gossler, J.; Mora, M.; Rabbel, W.

2005-12-01

Under the roof of the collaborative research centre SFB 574, the Central American subduction zone is being investigated in a seismological research project conducted by Costa Rican and German partners. The general goal of the SFB574 project is to study the origin and influence of volatiles and fluids in subduction zones. The seismological subproject serves to defining the structural and seismo-tectonical frame work of these investigations. In early 2005 two seismic arrays have been installed: (a) A teleseismic transsect across the Talamanca mountain range consisting of 20 broadband sensors with about 10 km station spacing. The primary goal of this array is to image crustal structure, the Moho and the structure of the subducted slab and mantle wedge. Variations in Vp/Vs ratio are expected to provide information on fluids at deep lithospheric levels. (b) An array of six 1Hz-borehole seismometers has been permanently installed in 100 m deep boreholes on Nicoya peninsula. The borehole installation is intended to provide a low-noise environment for recording non-volcanic tremor signals. These non-volcanic tremors are hypothetically understood as indicators of episodic fluid release by dehydratisation processes within the subducting slab. In autumn 2005 the field setup will be complemented by an amphibious network of 30 land and 20 ocean bottom seismometers on- and offshore N Costa Rica and S Nicaragua. The poster presents field layout and first results of the combined SFB574 seismological survey. The SFB574 project is funded by the German science foundation (DFG). Support by the GFZ instrument pool is gratefully acknowledged.

A pilot study of the Earthquake Precursors in the Southwest Peloponnes, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velez, A. P.; Tsinganos, K.; Karastathis, V. K.; Kafatos, M.; Ouzounov, D.; Papadopoulos, G. A.; Tselentis, A.; Eleftheriou, G.; Mouzakiotis, E.; Gika, F.; Aspiotis, T.; Liakopoulos, S.; Voulgaris, N.

2016-12-01

A seismic array of the most contemporary technology has been recently installed in the area of Southwest Peloponnese, Greece, an area well known for its high seismic activity. The tectonic regime of the Hellenic arc was the reason for many lethal earthquakes with considerable damage to the broader area of East Mediterranean sea. The seismic array is based on nine 32-bit stations with broadband borehole seismometers. The seismogenic region, monitored by the array, is offshore. At this place the earthquake location suffers by poor azimuthal coverage and the stations of the national seismic network are very distant to this area. Therefore, the existing network cannot effectively monitor the microseismicity. The new array achieved a detailed monitoring of the small events dropping considerably the magnitude of completeness. The detectability of the microearthquakes has been drastically improved permitting so the statistical assessment of earthquake sequences in the area. In parallel the monitored seismicity is directly related with Radon measurement in the soil, taken at three stations in the area.. Radon measurements are performed indirectly by means γ-ray spectrometry of its radioactive progenies 214Pb and 214Bi (emitted at 351 keV and 609 keV, respectively). NaI(Tl) detectors have been installed at 1 m depth, at sites in vicinity of faults providing continuous real time data. Local meteorological records for atmospheric corrections are also continuously recorded. According to the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) model atmospheric thermal anomalies observed before strong events can be attributed to increased radon concentration. This is also supported by the statistical analysis of AVHRR/NOAA-18 satellite thermal infrared (TIR) daily records. A combined study of precursor's signals is expected to provide a reliable assessment of their ability on short-term forecasting.

Monitoring daily and sub-daily variations in crustal strain with seismic arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, S.; Campillo, M.; van der Hilst, R. D.; Brenguier, F.; Hillers, G.

2017-12-01

We demonstrate that we can monitor deformation of the shallow crust (with hourly temporal resolution) directly with seismic waves, by measuring relative seismic wave speed changes (dv/v) due to relatively known periodical forcing (tides and changes in atmospheric temperature) at Piton de la Fournaise Volcano (PdF), La Réunion. We use ambient seismic noise recorded (for one month) at VolcArray, an experiment with three arrays of 49 vertical-component geophones deployed on a 7x7 grid of approximately 80 m spacing. Through noise-based coda wave interferometry we infer for each array the average relative changes in propagation speed of seismic waves (dv/v) as a function of time, which relate to temporal changes in medium properties within 100m depth. The variations in dv/v ( 0.05%) on time-scales longer than a day are best explained by effects of precipitation on pore pressure. In contrast, the (weaker) daily and sub-daily fluctuations of dv/v ( 0.01%) are likely to be caused by tidal and thermal effects. We verify that the inferred variations of dv/v are unrelated to spatiotemporal changes of noise wavefields. We further compare the power spectrum of dv/v with spectra of simulated tide-induced volumetric strain, temperature records, very broadband (VBB) seismograms, and borehole tilt records. In all five types of data, dominant peaks are found at around diurnal, semi-diurnal, and ter-diurnal frequencies. A comparison of phase and spectra of the data suggests that the tidal and thermal effects on dv/v are of similar magnitude but vary with frequency. Theoretical modeling of tide- and temperature-induced strain in different frequency bands agrees with the relative magnitude of the two effects on dv/v from passive monitoring.

Evidence for non-self-similarity of microearthquakes recorded at a Taiwan borehole seismometer array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yen-Yu; Ma, Kuo-Fong; Kanamori, Hiroo; Song, Teh-Ru Alex; Lapusta, Nadia; Tsai, Victor C.

2016-08-01

We investigate the relationship between seismic moment M0 and source duration tw of microearthquakes by using high-quality seismic data recorded with a vertical borehole array installed in central Taiwan. We apply a waveform cross-correlation method to the three-component records and identify several event clusters with high waveform similarity, with event magnitudes ranging from 0.3 to 2.0. Three clusters—Clusters A, B and C—contain 11, 8 and 6 events with similar waveforms, respectively. To determine how M0 scales with tw, we remove path effects by using a path-averaged Q. The results indicate a nearly constant tw for events within each cluster, regardless of M0, with mean values of tw being 0.058, 0.056 and 0.034 s for Clusters A, B and C, respectively. Constant tw, independent of M0, violates the commonly used scaling relation {t_w} ∝ M_0^{1/3}. This constant duration may arise either because all events in a cluster are hosted on the same isolated seismogenic patch, or because the events are driven by external factors of constant duration, such as fluid injections into the fault zone. It may also be related to the earthquake nucleation size.

Accessing SAFOD data products: Downhole measurements, physical samples and long-term monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiland, C.; Zoback, M.; Hickman, S. H.; Ellsworth, W. L.

2005-12-01

Many different types of data were collected during SAFOD Phases 1 and 2 (2004-2005) as part of the National Science Foundation's EarthScope program as well as from the SAFOD Pilot Hole, drilled in 2002 and funded by the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP). Both SAFOD and the SAFOD Pilot Hole are being conducted as a close collaboration between NSF, the U.S. Geological Survey and the ICDP. SAFOD data products include cuttings, core and fluid samples; borehole geophysical measurements; and strain, tilt, and seismic recordings from the multilevel SAFOD borehole monitoring instruments. As with all elements of EarthScope, these data (and samples) are openly available to members of the scientific and educational communities. This paper presents the acquisition, storage and distribution plan for SAFOD data products. Washed and unwashed drill cuttings and mud samples were collected during Phases 1 and 2, along with three spot cores at depths of 1.5, 2.5, and 3.1 km. A total of 52 side-wall cores were also collected in the open-hole interval between 2.5 and 3.1 km depth. The primary coring effort will occur during Phase 3 (2007), when we will continuously core up to four, 250-m-long multilaterals directly within and adjacent to the San Andreas Fault Zone. Drill cuttings, core, and fluid samples from all three Phases of SAFOD drilling are being curated under carefully controlled conditions at the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Gulf Coast Repository in College Station, Texas. Photos of all physical samples and a downloadable sample request form are available on the ICDP website (http://www.icdp-online.de/sites/sanandreas/index/index.html). A suite of downhole geophysical measurements was conducted during the first two Phases of SAFOD drilling, as well as during drilling of the SAFOD Pilot Hole. These data include density, resistivity, porosity, seismic and borehole image logs and are also available via the ICDP website. The SAFOD monitoring program includes fiber-optic strain, tilt, seismic and fluid-pressure recording instruments. Seismic data from the Pilot Hole array are now available in SEED format from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center (http://quake.geo.berkeley.edu/safod/). The strain and tilt instruments are still undergoing testing and quality assurance, and these data will be available through the same web site as soon as possible. Lastly, two terabytes of unprocessed (SEG-2 format) data from a two-week deployment of an 80-level seismic array during April/May 2005 by Paulsson Geophysical Services, Inc. are now available via the IRIS data center (http://www.iris.edu/data/data.htm). Drilling parameters include real-time descriptions of drill cuttings mineralogy, drilling mud properties, and mechanical data related to the drilling process and are available via the ICDP web site. Current status reports on SAFOD drilling, borehole measurements, sampling, and monitoring instrumentation will continue to be available from the EarthScope web site (http://www.earthscope.org).

Preliminary stratigraphic and hydrogeologic cross sections and seismic profile of the Floridan aquifer system of Broward County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, Ronald S.; Cunningham, Kevin J.

2013-01-01

To help water-resource managers evaluate the Floridan aquifer system (FAS) as an alternative water supply, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study, in cooperation with the Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department, to refine the hydrogeologic framework of the FAS in the eastern part of Broward County. This report presents three preliminary cross sections illustrating stratigraphy and hydrogeology in eastern Broward County as well as an interpreted seismic profile along one of the cross sections. Marker horizons were identified using borehole geophysical data and were initially used to perform well-to-well correlation. Core sample data were integrated with the borehole geophysical data to support stratigraphic and hydrogeologic interpretations of marker horizons. Stratigraphic and hydrogeologic units were correlated across the county using borehole geophysical data from multiple wells. Seismic-reflection data were collected along the Hillsboro Canal. Borehole geophysical data were used to identify and correlate hydrogeologic units in the seismic-reflection profile. Faults and collapse structures that intersect hydrogeologic units were also identified in the seismic profile. The information provided in the cross sections and the seismic profile is preliminary and subject to revision.

Noise Configuration and fault zone anisotropy investigation from Taiwan Chelungpu-fault Deep Borehole Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, R. J.; Ma, K. F.; Song, T. R. A.; Nishida, K.; Lin, Y. Y.

2016-12-01

The Taiwan Chelungpu-fault Drilling Project was operated to understand the fault zone characteristics associated with the 1999 Chichi earthquake. Seven Borehole Seismometers (TCDPBHS) were installed through the identified fault zone to monitor the micro-seismic activities, as well as the fault-zone seismic structure properties. To understand the fault zone anisotropy and its possible temporal variations after the Chichi earthquake, we calculated cross-correlations of the noise at different stations to obtain cross correlation functions (CCFs) of the ambient noise field between every pair of the stations. The result shows that TCDP well site suffers from complex wavefield, and phase traveltime from CCF can't provide explicit result to determine the dominated wavefield. We first analyze the power density spectra and probability density functions of this array. We observe that the spectra show diurnal variation in the frequency band 1-25 Hz, suggesting human-generated sources are dominated in this frequency band. Then, we focus on the particle motion analysis at each CCF. We assume one component at a station plays as a visual source and compute the CCF tensor in other station components. The particle motion traces show high linearity which indicate that the dominated wavefield in our study area is body wave signals with the azimuth approximate to 60° from north. We also analyze the Fourier spectral amplitudes by rotating every 5 degrees in time domain to search for the maximum background energy distribution. The result shows that the spectral amplitudes are stronger at NE-SW direction, with shallow incident angles which are comparable with the CCF particle motion measurement. In order to obtain higher resolution about the dominated wavefield in our study area, we also used beamforming from surface station array to validate our results from CCF analysis. In addition to the CCF analysis to provide the noise configuration at the TCDPBHS site for further analysis on fault zone anisotropy using ambient noise, we also analyze fault zone anisotropy using the events data recorded by TCDPBHS. The identified event clusters through the borehole data enhance the consistency in results to give hints on fault zone anisotropy.

Microseismic monitoring of CO2 injection at the Penn West Enhanced Oil Recovery pilot project, Canada: implications for detection of wellbore leakage.

PubMed

Martínez-Garzón, Patricia; Bohnhoff, Marco; Kwiatek, Grzegorz; Zambrano-Narváez, Gonzalo; Chalaturnyk, Rick

2013-09-02

A passive seismic monitoring campaign was carried out in the frame of a CO2-Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) pilot project in Alberta, Canada. Our analysis focuses on a two-week period during which prominent downhole pressure fluctuations in the reservoir were accompanied by a leakage of CO2 and CH4 along the monitoring well equipped with an array of short-period borehole geophones. We applied state of the art seismological processing schemes to the continuous seismic waveform recordings. During the analyzed time period we did not find evidence of induced micro-seismicity associated with CO2 injection. Instead, we identified signals related to the leakage of CO2 and CH4, in that seven out of the eight geophones show a clearly elevated noise level framing the onset time of leakage along the monitoring well. Our results confirm that micro-seismic monitoring of reservoir treatment can contribute towards improved reservoir monitoring and leakage detection.

Microseismic Monitoring of CO2 Injection at the Penn West Enhanced Oil Recovery Pilot Project, Canada: Implications for Detection of Wellbore Leakage

PubMed Central

Martínez-Garzón, Patricia; Bohnhoff, Marco; Kwiatek, Grzegorz; Zambrano-Narváez, Gonzalo; Chalaturnyk, Rick

2013-01-01

A passive seismic monitoring campaign was carried out in the frame of a CO2-Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) pilot project in Alberta, Canada. Our analysis focuses on a two-week period during which prominent downhole pressure fluctuations in the reservoir were accompanied by a leakage of CO2 and CH4 along the monitoring well equipped with an array of short-period borehole geophones. We applied state of the art seismological processing schemes to the continuous seismic waveform recordings. During the analyzed time period we did not find evidence of induced micro-seismicity associated with CO2 injection. Instead, we identified signals related to the leakage of CO2 and CH4, in that seven out of the eight geophones show a clearly elevated noise level framing the onset time of leakage along the monitoring well. Our results confirm that micro-seismic monitoring of reservoir treatment can contribute towards improved reservoir monitoring and leakage detection. PMID:24002229

Seismic noise on Rarotonga: Surface versus downhole

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butler, Rhett; Hutt, C.R.

1992-01-01

Seismic noise data are presented from the new Global Seismographic Network station, RAR, on the Island of Rarotonga in the South Pacific. Data from the first new borehole site in the GSN are compared with a surface vault installation. Initial indications from the data show that borehole siting on a small island significantly reduces long-period (>20 s) horizontal seismic noise levels during the daytime, but little or no improvement is evident at periods shorter than 20 s or on the vertical component.The goal of the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) GSN program is broad, uniform coverage of the Earth with a 128-station network. To achieve this goal and provide coverage in oceanic areas, many stations will be sited on islands. A major siting consideration for these new stations is whether to build a surface vault or drill a borehole. Neither option is inexpensive. The costs for drilling a cased hole and a borehole sensor are large, but the benefit of a borehole site is that seismic noise is reduced during certain periods when a surface installation may be subject to wind, weather, and thermal effects. This benefit translates into recording greater numbers of smaller earthquakes and higher signal-to-noise ratio.

Seismic sources

DOEpatents

Green, M.A.; Cook, N.G.W.; McEvilly, T.V.; Majer, E.L.; Witherspoon, P.A.

1987-04-20

Apparatus is described for placement in a borehole in the earth, which enables the generation of closely controlled seismic waves from the borehole. Pure torsional shear waves are generated by an apparatus which includes a stator element fixed to the borehole walls and a rotor element which is electrically driven to rapidly oscillate on the stator element to cause reaction forces transmitted through the borehole walls to the surrounding earth. Longitudinal shear waves are generated by an armature that is driven to rapidly oscillate along the axis of the borehole, to cause reaction forces transmitted to the surrounding earth. Pressure waves are generated by electrically driving pistons that press against opposite ends of a hydraulic reservoir that fills the borehole. High power is generated by energizing the elements for more than about one minute. 9 figs.

Investigation on the real-time prediction of ground motions using seismic records observed in deep boreholes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyakoshi, H.; Tsuno, S.

2013-12-01

The present method of the EEW system installed in the railway field of Japan predicts seismic ground motions based on the estimated earthquake information about epicentral distances and magnitudes using initial P-waves observed on the surface. In the case of local earthquakes beneath the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, however, a method to directly predict seismic ground motions using P-waves observed in deep boreholes could issue EEWs more simply and surely. Besides, a method to predict seismic ground motions, using S-waves observed in deep boreholes and S-wave velocity structures beneath seismic stations, could show planar distributions of ground motions for train operation control areas in the aftermath of earthquakes. This information is available to decide areas in which the emergency inspection of railway structures should be performed. To develop those two methods, we investigated relationships between peak amplitudes on the surface and those in deep boreholes, using seismic records of KiK-net stations in the Kanto Basin. In this study, we used earthquake accelerograms observed in boreholes whose depths are deeper than the top face of Pre-Neogene basement and those on the surface at 12 seismic stations of KiK-net. We selected 243 local earthquakes whose epicenters are located around the Kanto Region. Those JMA magnitudes are in the range from 4.5 to 7.0. We picked the on-set of P-waves and S-waves using a vertical component and two horizontal components, respectively. Peak amplitudes of P-waves and S-waves were obtained using vertical components and vector sums of two horizontal components, respectively. We estimated parameters which represent site amplification factors beneath seismic stations, using peak amplitudes of S-waves observed in the deep borehole and those on the surface, to minimize the residuals between calculations by the theoretical equation and observations. Correlation coefficients between calculations and observations are high values in the range from 0.8 to 0.9. This result suggests that we could predict ground motions with the high accuracy using peak amplitudes of S-waves in deep boreholes and site amplification factors based on S-wave velocity structures. Also, we estimated parameters which represent radiation coefficients and the P/S velocity ratios around hypocentral regions, using peak amplitudes of P-waves and S-waves observed in deep boreholes, to minimize the residuals between calculations and observations. Correlation coefficients between calculations and observations are slightly lower values in the range from 0.7 to 0.9 than those for site amplification factors. This result suggests that the variability of radiation patterns for individual earthquakes affects the accuracy to predict ground motions using P-waves in deep boreholes.

Broadband Array Analysis of the 2005 Episodic Tremor and Slip Event in Northern Cascadia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wech, A.; Creager, K.; McCausland, W.; Frassetto, A.; Qamar, A.; Derosier, S.; Carmichael, J.; Malone, S.; Johnson, D.

2005-12-01

The region of Cascadia from the Olympic Mountains through southern Vancouver Island and down-dip of the subduction megathrust has repeatedly experienced episodes of slow slip. This episodic slip, which has been observed to take place over a period of two to several weeks, is accompanied by a seismic tremor signal. Based on the average recurrence interval of 14 months, the next episodic tremor and slip (ETS) event should occur within six weeks of mid-September, 2005. Indeed, it appears to have begun on September 3, as this abstract was being written. In order to record this anticipated event, we deployed an array of 11 three-component seismometers on the northern side of the Olympic Peninsula augmenting Pacific Northwest Seismographic Network stations as well as the first few EarthScope BigFoot stations and Plate Boundary Observatory borehole seismometers. This seismic array was comprised of six short-period and five broadband instruments with spacings of 500 m and 2200 m respectively. In conjunction with this Earthscope seismic deployment, we also installed a dense network of 29 temporary, continuous GPS stations across the entire Olympic Peninsula to integrate seismic and geodetic observations. One of the primary goals of this research is to utilize the broadband instrumentation in the array to investigate the possible correlation of low frequency energy with the rest of the tremor activity. ETS has been carefully investigated at high-frequency (seismic tremor at 2-6 Hz) and very low-frequency (slip occurring over weeks, observed by GPS). An important goal of this experiment is to investigate the possibility that the tremor generates intermediate, low-frequency signals. Preliminary analysis of short-period array recordings of the July, 2004 ETS event suggests that the tremor displays signs of lower-frequency energy (~0.5 Hz) correlated with its higher frequency activity. Our array should enable us to distinguish low- frequency signals originating in the direction of high-frequency tremor from noise in other directions. We will present an analysis of the low-frequency energy associated with this slip event.

Correlation of Geophysical and Geotechnical Methods for Sediment Mapping in Sungai Batu, Kedah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakaria, M. T.; Taib, A.; Saidin, M. M.; Saad, R.; Muztaza, N. M.; Masnan, S. S. K.

2018-04-01

Exploration geophysics is widely used to map the subsurface characteristics of a region, to understand the underlying rock structures and spatial distribution of rock units. 2-D resistivity and seismic refraction methods were conducted in Sungai Batu locality with objective to identify and map the sediment deposit with correlation of borehole record. 2-D resistivity data was acquire using ABEM SAS4000 system with Pole-dipole array and 2.5 m minimum electrode spacing while for seismic refraction ABEM MK8 seismograph was used to record the seismic data and 5 kg sledgehammer used as a seismic source with geophones interval of 5 m spacing. The inversion model of 2-D resistivity result shows that, the resistivity values <100 Ωm was interpreted as saturated zone with while high resistivity values >500 Ωm as the hard layer for this study area. The seismic result indicates that the velocity values <2000 m/s represent as the highly-weathered soil consists of clay and sand while high velocity values >3600 m/s interpreted as the hard layer in this locality.

Imaging with cross-hole seismoelectric tomography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Araji, A.H.; Revil, A.; Jardani, A.; Minsley, Burke J.; Karaoulis, M.

2012-01-01

We propose a cross-hole imaging approach based on seismoelectric conversions (SC) associated with the transmission of seismic waves from seismic sources located in a borehole to receivers (electrodes) located in a second borehole. The seismoelectric (seismic-to-electric) problem is solved using Biot theory coupled with a generalized Ohm's law with an electrokinetic streaming current contribution. The components of the displacement of the solid phase, the fluid pressure, and the electrical potential are solved using a finite element approach with Perfect Match Layer (PML) boundary conditions for the seismic waves and boundary conditions mimicking an infinite material for the electrostatic problem. We develop an inversion algorithm using the electrical disturbances recorded in the second borehole to localize the position of the heterogeneities responsible for the SC. Because of the ill-posed nature of the inverse problem (inherent to all potential-field problems), regularization is used to constrain the solution at each time in the SC-time window comprised between the time of the seismic shot and the time of the first arrival of the seismic waves in the second borehole. All the inverted volumetric current source densities are aggregated together to produce an image of the position of the heterogeneities between the two boreholes. Two simple synthetic case studies are presented to test this concept. The first case study corresponds to a vertical discontinuity between two homogeneous sub-domains. The second case study corresponds to a poroelastic inclusion (partially saturated by oil) embedded into an homogenous poroelastic formation. In both cases, the position of the heterogeneity is recovered using only the electrical disturbances associated with the SC. That said, a joint inversion of the seismic and seismoelectric data could improve these results.

Imaging using cross-hole seismoelectric tomography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Araji, A.H.; Revil, A.; Jardani, A.; Minsley, B.

2011-01-01

We propose a new cross-hole imaging approach based on seismoelectric conversions associated with the transmission of seismic waves from seismic sources located in a borehole to receivers electrodes located in a second borehole. The seismoelectric seismic-to-electric problem is solved using Biot theory coupled with a generalized Ohm's law with an electrokinetic coupling term. The components of the displacement of the solid phase, the fluid pressure, and the electrical potential are solved using a finite element approach with PML boundary conditions for the seismic waves and boundary conditions mimicking an infinite material for the electrostatic problem. We have developed an inversion algorithm using the electrical disturbances recorded in the second borehole to localize the position of the heterogeneities responsible for the seismoelectric conversions. Because of the ill-posed nature of the inverse problem, regularization is used to constrain the solution at each time in the seismoelectric time window comprised between the time of the seismic shot and the time of the first arrival of the seismic waves in the second borehole. All the inverted volumetric current source densities are stacked to produce an image of the position of the heterogeneities between the two boreholes. Two simple synthetic case studies are presented to test this concept. The first case study corresponds to a vertical discontinuity between two homogeneous sub-domains. The second case study corresponds to a poroelastic inclusion embedded into an homogenous poroelastic formation. In both cases, the position of the heterogeneity is fairly well-recovered using only the electrical disturbances associated with the seismoelectric conversions. ?? 2011 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Drilling, logging, and testing information from borehole UE-25 UZ{number_sign}16, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thamir, F.; Thordarson, W.; Kume, J.

Borehole UE-25 UZ{number_sign}16 is the first of two boreholes that may be used to determine the subsurface structure at Yucca Mountain by using vertical seismic profiling. This report contains information collected while this borehole was being drilled, logged, and tested from May 27, 1992, to April 22, 1994. It does not contain the vertical seismic profiling data. This report is intended to be used as: (1) a reference for drilling similar boreholes in the same area, (2) a data source on this borehole, and (3) a reference for other information that is available from this borehole. The reference information includesmore » drilling chronology, equipment, parameters, coring methods, penetration rates, completion information, drilling problems, and corrective actions. The data sources include lithology, fracture logs, a list of available borehole logs, and depths at which water was recorded. Other information is listed in an appendix that includes studies done after April 22, 1994.« less

EGS hydraulic stimulation monitoring by surface arrays - location accuracy and completeness magnitude: the Basel Deep Heat Mining Project case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Häge, Martin; Blascheck, Patrick; Joswig, Manfred

2013-01-01

The potential and limits of monitoring induced seismicity by surface-based mini arrays was evaluated for the hydraulic stimulation of the Basel Deep Heat Mining Project. This project aimed at the exploitation of geothermal heat from a depth of about 4,630 m. As reference for our results, a network of borehole stations by Geothermal Explorers Ltd. provided ground truth information. We utilized array processing, sonogram event detection and outlier-resistant, graphical jackknife location procedures to compensate for the decrease in signal-to-noise ratio at the surface. We could correctly resolve the NNW-SSE striking fault plane by relative master event locations. Statistical analysis of our catalog data resulted in M L 0.36 as completeness magnitude, but with significant day-to-night dependency. To compare to the performance of borehole data with M W 0.9 as completeness magnitude, we applied two methods for converting M L to M W which raised our M C to M W in the range of 0.99-1.13. Further, the b value for the duration of our measurement was calculated to 1.14 (related to M L), respectively 1.66 (related to M W), but changes over time could not be resolved from the error bars.

Fluid pumping apparatus

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B.

2006-01-17

A method and apparatus suitable for coupling seismic or other downhole sensors to a borehole wall in high temperature and pressure environments. In one embodiment, one or more metal bellows mounted to a sensor module are inflated to clamp the sensor module within the borehole and couple an associated seismic sensor to a borehole wall. Once the sensing operation is complete, the bellows are deflated and the sensor module is unclamped by deflation of the metal bellows. In a further embodiment, a magnetic drive pump in a pump module is used to supply fluid pressure for inflating the metal bellows using borehole fluid or fluid from a reservoir. The pump includes a magnetic drive motor configured with a rotor assembly to be exposed to borehole fluid pressure including a rotatable armature for driving an impeller and an associated coil under control of electronics isolated from borehole pressure.

Supra-salt normal fault growth during the rise and fall of a diapir: Perspectives from 3D seismic reflection data, Norwegian North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tvedt, Anette B. M.; Rotevatn, Atle; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.

2016-10-01

Normal faulting and the deep subsurface flow of salt are key processes controlling the structural development of many salt-bearing sedimentary basins. However, our detailed understanding of the spatial and temporal relationship between normal faulting and salt movement is poor due to a lack of natural examples constraining their geometric and kinematic relationship in three-dimensions. To improve our understanding of these processes, we here use 3D seismic reflection and borehole data from the Egersund Basin, offshore Norway, to determine the structure and growth of a normal fault array formed during the birth, growth and decay of an array of salt structures. We show that the fault array and salt structures developed in response to: (i) Late Triassic-to-Middle Jurassic extension, which involved thick-skinned, sub-salt and thin-skinned supra-salt faulting with the latter driving reactive diapirism; (ii) Early Cretaceous extensional collapse of the walls; and (iii) Jurassic-to-Neogene, active and passive diapirism, which was at least partly coeval with and occurred along-strike from areas of reactive diapirism and wall collapse. Our study supports physical model predictions, showcasing a three-dimensional example of how protracted, multiphase salt diapirism can influence the structure and growth of normal fault arrays.

Recording Plate Boundary Deformation Processes Around The San Jacinto Fault, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodgkinson, K.; Mencin, D.; Borsa, A.; Fox, O.; Walls, C.; Van Boskirk, E.

2012-04-01

The San Jacinto Fault is one of the major faults which form the San Andreas Fault System in southern California. The fault, which lies to the west of the San Andreas, is one of the most active in the region. While strain rates are higher along the San Andreas, 23-37 mm/yr compared to 12-22 mm/yr along the San Jacinto, there have been 11 earthquakes of M6 and greater along the San Jacinto in the past 150 years while there have been none of this magnitude on the San Andreas in this region. UNAVCO has installed an array of geodetic and seismic instruments along the San Jacinto as part of the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO). The network includes 25 GPS stations within 20 km of the surface trace with a concentration of borehole instrumentation in the Anza region where there are nine boreholes sites. Most of the borehole sites contain a GTSM21 4-component strainmeter, a Sonde-2 seismometer, a MEMS accelerometer and a pore pressure sensor. Thus, the array has the capability to capture plate boundary deformation processes with periods of milliseconds (seismic) to decades (GPS). On July 7th 2010 a M5.4 earthquake occurred on the Coyote Creek segment of the fault. The event was preceded by a M4.9 earthquake in the same area four weeks earlier and four earthquakes of M5 and greater within a 20 km radius of the epicenter in the past 50 years. In this study we will present the signals recorded by the different instrument types for the July 7th 2010 event and will compare the coseismic displacements recorded by the GPS and strainmeters with the displacement field predicted by Okada [1992]. All data recorded as part of the PBO observatory are publically available from the UNAVCO, the IRIS Data Management Center and the Northern California Earthquake Data Center.

Downhole Microseismic Monitoring at a Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Site, Farnsworth Unit, Ochiltree County, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegler, A.; Balch, R. S.; van Wijk, J.

2015-12-01

Farnsworth Oil Field in North Texas hosts an ongoing carbon capture, utilization, and storage project. This study is focused on passive seismic monitoring at the carbon injection site to measure, locate, and catalog any induced seismic events. A Geometrics Geode system is being utilized for continuous recording of the passive seismic downhole bore array in a monitoring well. The array consists of 3-component dual Geospace OMNI-2400 15Hz geophones with a vertical spacing of 30.5m. Downhole temperature and pressure are also monitored. Seismic data is recorded continuously and is produced at a rate of over 900GB per month, which must be archived and reviewed. A Short Term Average/Long Term Average (STA/LTA) algorithm was evaluated for its ability to search for events, including identification and quantification of any false positive events. It was determined that the algorithm was not appropriate for event detection with the background level of noise at the field site and for the recording equipment as configured. Alternatives are being investigated. The final intended outcome of the passive seismic monitoring is to mine the continuous database and develop a catalog of microseismic events/locations and to determine if there is any relationship to CO2 injection in the field. Identifying the location of any microseismic events will allow for correlation with carbon injection locations and previously characterized geological and structural features such as faults and paleoslopes. Additionally, the borehole array has recorded over 1200 active sources with three sweeps at each source location that were acquired during a nearby 3D VSP. These data were evaluated for their usability and location within an effective radius of the array and were stacked to improve signal-noise ratio and are used to calibrate a full field velocity model to enhance event location accuracy. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591.

Polarization Analysis of the September 2005 Northern Cascadia Episodic Tremor and Slip Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wech, A. G.; Creager, K. C.

2006-12-01

The region of Northern Cascadia, extending from the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound to southern Vancouver Island, down-dip of the subduction "locked" zone has repeatedly experienced episodes of slow slip. This episodic slip, observed to take place over a period of two to several weeks, is accompanied by a seismic tremor signal. Based on the average recurrence interval of 14 months, the last episodic tremor and slip (ETS) event was expected to occur in September, 2005. Indeed, it began on September 3. In order to record this event, we deployed an array of 11 three-component seismometers on the northern side of the Olympic Peninsula augmenting Pacific Northwest Seismographic Network stations as well as the first few EarthScope BigFoot stations and Plate Boundary Observatory borehole seismometers. This seismic array was comprised of six short-period and five broadband instruments with average spacings of 500 m and 2200 m respectively. In conjunction with this Earthscope seismic deployment, we also installed a dense network of 29 temporary, continuous GPS stations across the entire Olympic Peninsula to integrate seismic and geodetic observations. Based on past geodetic observations, a dominant assumption for the source of tremor is fault-slip in the direction of subduction, which can be tested using polarization of the seismic tremor. Using waveform cross- correlation to invert for the direction of slowness, we observed the tremor signal to migrate directly under our array. As the source passed beneath the array, tremor polarization stabilized to coincide with the direction of subduction. During a four day period starting September 8, the normalized eigenvalue associated with the dominant linear polarization jumped from ~0.7 to a stable 0.9 value. Also during this time, the polarization azimuth stabilized to a value of 57 +/- 8 degrees, close to the angle of subduction (56 degrees) suggesting that the tremor is caused by slip in the direction of relative plate motion on one or more faults.

OGS improvements in 2012 in running the Northeastern Italy Seismic Network: the Ferrara VBB borehole seismic station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pesaresi, Damiano; Romanelli, Marco; Barnaba, Carla; Bragato, Pier Luigi; Durì, Giorgio

2013-04-01

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Center) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake of magnitude M=6.4 occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the Northeastern Italy Seismic Network: it currently consists of 17 very sensitive broad band and 18 simpler short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS-CRS data center in Udine. Real time data exchange agreements in place with other Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Swiss seismological institutes lead to a total number of about 100 seismic stations acquired in real time, which makes the OGS the reference institute for seismic monitoring of Northeastern Italy. The southwestern edge of the OGS seismic network stands on the Po alluvial basin: earthquake localization and characterization in this area is affected by the presence of soft alluvial deposits. OGS ha already experience in running a local seismic network in high noise conditions making use of borehole installations in the case of the micro-seismicity monitoring of a local gas storage site for a private company. Following the ML=5.9 earthquake that struck the Emilia region around Ferrara in Northern Italy on May 20, 2012 at 02:03:53 UTC, a cooperation of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, OGS, the Comune di Ferrara and the University of Ferrara lead to the reinstallation of a previously existing very broad band (VBB) borehole seismic station in Ferrara. The aim of the OGS intervention was on one hand to extend its real time seismic monitoring capabilities toward South-West, including Ferrara and its surroundings, and on the other hand to evaluate the seismic response at the site. We will describe improvements in running the Northeastern Italy Seismic Network, including details of the Ferrara VBB borehole station configuration and installation, with first results.

Optimal distribution of borehole geophones for monitoring CO2-injection-induced seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, L.; Chen, T.; Foxall, W.; Wagoner, J. L.

2016-12-01

The U.S. DOE initiative, National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP), aims to develop quantitative risk assessment methodologies for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). As part of tasks of the Strategic Monitoring Group of NRAP, we develop a tool for optimal design of a borehole geophones distribution for monitoring CO2-injection-induced seismicity. The tool consists of a number of steps, including building a geophysical model for a given CO2 injection site, defining target monitoring regions within CO2-injection/migration zones, generating synthetic seismic data, giving acceptable uncertainties in input data, and determining the optimal distribution of borehole geophones. We use a synthetic geophysical model as an example to demonstrate the capability our new tool to design an optimal/cost-effective passive seismic monitoring network using borehole geophones. The model is built based on the geologic features found at the Kimberlina CCUS pilot site located in southern San Joaquin Valley, California. This tool can provide CCUS operators with a guideline for cost-effective microseismic monitoring of geologic carbon storage and utilization.

Pneumatic wall-locking geophone system

DOEpatents

Kuhlman, Harland L.; Cumerlato, Calvin L.; Tweeton, Daryl R.

1991-01-01

A seismic signal receiving system is provided for use in boreholes to receive seismic waves in carrying out geophysical investigations. The system includes three pairs of opposed plates, each of the pairs of plates including oppositely facing outer surfaces for engagement with opposite sides of a borehole. A seismic receiver is mounted on the inner surface of each of the plates for receiving seismic signals. A double-acting, fluid-operated actuator selectively causes relative movement of the plates of the pairs of plates away from each other to provide expansion thereof so as to enable the plates to engage the walls of a borehole and selectively causes relative movement of the plates of the pairs of plates toward each other to provide retraction thereof so as to enable the system to be removed from a borehole. The pairs of plates each comprise a relatively long plate and a relatively short plate. An expandable linkage interconnects the long plates at the distal ends thereof. The plates are mechanically biassed into the retracted state so that the plates return to this state in the event of a system failure.

Down-hole periodic seismic generator

DOEpatents

Hardee, H.C.; Hills, R.G.; Striker, R.P.

1982-10-28

A down hole periodic seismic generator system is disclosed for transmitting variable frequency, predominantly shear-wave vibration into earth strata surrounding a borehole. The system comprises a unitary housing operably connected to a well head by support and electrical cabling and contains clamping apparatus for selectively clamping the housing to the walls of the borehole. The system further comprises a variable speed pneumatic oscillator and a self-contained pneumatic reservoir for producing a frequency-swept seismic output over a discrete frequency range.

Advanced downhole periodic seismic generator

DOEpatents

Hardee, Harry C.; Hills, Richard G.; Striker, Richard P.

1991-07-16

An advanced downhole periodic seismic generator system for transmitting variable frequency, predominantly shear-wave vibration into earth strata surrounding a borehole. The system comprises a unitary housing operably connected to a well head by support and electrical cabling and contains clamping apparatus for selectively clamping the housing to the walls of the borehole. The system further comprises a variable speed pneumatic oscillator and a self-contained pneumatic reservoir for producing a frequency-swept seismic output over a discrete frequency range.

Down hole periodic seismic generator

DOEpatents

Hardee, Harry C.; Hills, Richard G.; Striker, Richard P.

1989-01-01

A down hole periodic seismic generator system for transmitting variable frequency, predominantly shear-wave vibration into earth strata surrounding a borehole. The system comprises a unitary housing operably connected to a well head by support and electrical cabling and contains clamping apparatus for selectively clamping the housing to the walls of the borehole. The system further comprises a variable speed pneumatic oscillator and a self-contained pneumatic reservoir for producing a frequency-swept seismic output over a discrete frequency range.

The Krafla International Testbed (KMT): Ground Truth for the New Magma Geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, L. D.; Kim, D.; Malin, P. E.; Eichelberger, J. C.

2017-12-01

Recent developments in geophysics such as large N seismic arrays , 4D (time lapse) subsurface imaging and joint inversion algorithms represent fresh approaches to delineating and monitoring magma in the subsurface. Drilling at Krafla, both past and proposed, are unique opportunities to quantitatively corroborate and calibrate these new technologies. For example, dense seismic arrays are capable of passive imaging of magma systems with resolutions comparable to that achieved by more expensive (and often logistically impractical) controlled source surveys such as those used in oil exploration. Fine details of the geometry of magma lenses, feeders and associated fluid bearing fracture systems on the scale of meters to tens of meters are now realistic targets for surface seismic surveys using ambient energy sources, as are detection of their temporal variations. Joint inversions, for example of seismic and MT measurements, offer the promise of tighter quantitative constraints on the physical properties of the various components of magma and related geothermal systems imaged by geophysics. However, the accuracy of such techniques will remain captive to academic debate without testing against real world targets that have been directly sampled. Thus application of these new techniques to both guide future drilling at Krafla and to be calibrated against the resulting borehole observations of magma are an important step forward in validating geophysics for magma studies in general.

A Real-time, Borehole, Geophysical Observatory Above The Cascadia Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, J. A.; McGuire, J. J.; Becker, K.; O'Brien, J. K.; von der Heydt, K.; Heesemann, M.; Davis, E. E.

2017-12-01

In July 2016, a team from WHOI and RSMAS installed a suite of seismic, geodetic and geothermal sensors in IODP borehole U1364A on the Cascadia Accretionary Prism offshore Vancouver Island. The borehole observatory was connected to the Clayoquot Slope node of the Ocean Networks Canada NEPTUNE Observatory in June 2017. The 3 km long extension cable provides power, timing, and internet connectivity. The borehole sits 4 km above the subduction zone thrust interface, and when drilled in 2010 was instrumented with an ACORK (Advanced Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit) that allows monitoring and sampling of fluids from multiple zones within the 330 m drilled formation. The borehole ground-motion sensors consist of a broadband seismometer and two geodetic-quality (nano-radian resolution) two-axis tilt sensors clamped to the borehole casing wall at a depth of 277 m below the seafloor. The tilt sensors were selected to detect non-seismic, strain-related transients. A 24-thermistor cable extends from the seafloor to just above the seismometer and tilt-sensor package. The seismic and geodetic data have been flowing from the observatory (network code NV, station code CQS64, location codes B1, B2, and B3) since June and are available from the IRIS DMC. Initial inspection of the seismic and geodetic data shows that all sensors are operating well. We will report on station performance and detection thresholds using an anticipated 5 month duration data set.

Location Capability and Site Characterization Installing a Borehole VBB Seismometer: the OGS Experience in Ferrara (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pesaresi, D.; Barnaba, C.

2014-12-01

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Centre) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake of magnitude M=6.4 occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the Northeastern Italy Seismic Network: it currently consists of 19 very sensitive broad band and 17 simpler short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS CRS data centre in Udine. The southwestern edge of the OGS seismic network stands on the Po alluvial basin: earthquake localization and characterization in this area is affected by the presence of soft alluvial deposits. Following the ML=5.9 earthquake that struck the Emilia region around Ferrara in Northern Italy on May 20, 2012, a cooperation of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, OGS, the Comune di Ferrara and the University of Ferrara lead to the reinstallation of a previously existing very broad band (VBB) borehole seismic station in Ferrara and to the deployment of a temporary seismographic network consisting of eight portable seismological stations, to record the local earthquakes that occurred during the seismic sequence. The aim of the OGS intervention was on one hand to extend its real time seismic monitoring capabilities toward South-West, including Ferrara and its surroundings, and on the other hand to evaluate seismic site responses in the area. We will introduce details of the Ferrara VBB borehole station and the OGS temporary seismographic network configuration and installation. We will then illustrate the location capability performances, and finally we will shortly describe seismic site characterization with surface/borehole comparisons in terms of seismic noise, site amplification and resonance frequencies.

Reversible rigid coupling apparatus and method for borehole seismic transducers

DOEpatents

Owen, Thomas E.; Parra, Jorge O.

1992-01-01

An apparatus and method of high resolution reverse vertical seismic profile (VSP) measurements is shown. By encapsulating the seismic detector and heaters in a meltable substance (such as wax), the seismic detector can be removably secured in a borehole in a manner capable of measuring high resolution signals in the 100 to 1000 hertz range and higher. The meltable substance is selected to match the overall density of the detector package with the underground formation, yet still have relatively low melting point and rigid enough to transmit vibrations to accelerometers in the seismic detector. To minimize voids in the meltable substance upon solidification, the meltable substance is selected for minimum shrinkage, yet still having the other desirable characteristics. Heaters are arranged in the meltable substance in such a manner to allow the lowermost portion of the meltable substance to cool and solidify first. Solidification continues upwards from bottom-to-top until the top of the meltable substance is solidified and the seismic detector is ready for use. To remove, the heaters melt the meltable substance and the detector package is pulled from the borehole.

Seismic sources

DOEpatents

Green, Michael A.; Cook, Neville G. W.; McEvilly, Thomas V.; Majer, Ernest L.; Witherspoon, Paul A.

1992-01-01

Apparatus is described for placement in a borehole in the earth, which enables the generation of closely controlled seismic waves from the borehole. Pure torsional shear waves are generated by an apparatus which includes a stator element fixed to the borehole walls and a rotor element which is electrically driven to rapidly oscillate on the stator element to cause reaction forces transmitted through the borehole walls to the surrounding earth. Logitudinal shear waves are generated by an armature that is driven to rapidly oscillate along the axis of the borehole relative to a stator that is clamped to the borehole, to cause reaction forces transmitted to the surrounding earth. Pressure waves are generated by electrically driving pistons that press against opposite ends of a hydraulic reservoir that fills the borehole. High power is generated by energizing the elements at a power level that causes heating to over 150.degree. C. within one minute of operation, but energizing the elements for no more than about one minute.

Applying the seismic interferometry method to vertical seismic profile data using tunnel excavation noise as source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurado, Maria Jose; Teixido, Teresa; Martin, Elena; Segarra, Miguel; Segura, Carlos

2013-04-01

In the frame of the research conducted to develop efficient strategies for investigation of rock properties and fluids ahead of tunnel excavations the seismic interferometry method was applied to analyze the data acquired in boreholes instrumented with geophone strings. The results obtained confirmed that seismic interferometry provided an improved resolution of petrophysical properties to identify heterogeneities and geological structures ahead of the excavation. These features are beyond the resolution of other conventional geophysical methods but can be the cause severe problems in the excavation of tunnels. Geophone strings were used to record different types of seismic noise generated at the tunnel head during excavation with a tunnelling machine and also during the placement of the rings covering the tunnel excavation. In this study we show how tunnel construction activities have been characterized as source of seismic signal and used in our research as the seismic source signal for generating a 3D reflection seismic survey. The data was recorded in vertical water filled borehole with a borehole seismic string at a distance of 60 m from the tunnel trace. A reference pilot signal was obtained from seismograms acquired close the tunnel face excavation in order to obtain best signal-to-noise ratio to be used in the interferometry processing (Poletto et al., 2010). The seismic interferometry method (Claerbout 1968) was successfully applied to image the subsurface geological structure using the seismic wave field generated by tunneling (tunnelling machine and construction activities) recorded with geophone strings. This technique was applied simulating virtual shot records related to the number of receivers in the borehole with the seismic transmitted events, and processing the data as a reflection seismic survey. The pseudo reflective wave field was obtained by cross-correlation of the transmitted wave data. We applied the relationship between the transmission response and the reflection response for a 1D multilayer structure, and next 3D approach (Wapenaar 2004). As a result of this seismic interferometry experiment the 3D reflectivity model (frequencies and resolution ranges) was obtained. We proved also that the seismic interferometry approach can be applied in asynchronous seismic auscultation. The reflections detected in the virtual seismic sections are in agreement with the geological features encountered during the excavation of the tunnel and also with the petrophysical properties and parameters measured in previous geophysical borehole logging. References Claerbout J.F., 1968. Synthesis of a layered medium from its acoustic transmision response. Geophysics, 33, 264-269 Flavio Poletto, Piero Corubolo and Paolo Comeli.2010. Drill-bit seismic interferometry whith and whitout pilot signals. Geophysical Prospecting, 2010, 58, 257-265. Wapenaar, K., J. Thorbecke, and D. Draganov, 2004, Relations between reflection and transmission responses of three-dimensional inhomogeneous media: Geophysical Journal International, 156, 179-194.

The ICDP Snake River Geothermal Drilling Project: preliminary overview of borehole geophysics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, Douglas R.; Liberty, Lee M.; Kessler, James E.; Kuck, Jochem; Kofman, Randolph; Bishop, Ross; Shervais, John W.; Evans, James P.; Champion, Duane E.

2012-01-01

Hotspot: The Snake River Geothermal Drilling Project was undertaken to better understand the geothermal systems in three locations across the Snake River Plain with varying geological and hydrological structure. An extensive series of standard and specialized geophysical logs were obtained in each of the wells. Hydrogen-index neutron and γ-γ density logs employing active sources were deployed through the drill string, and although not fully calibrated for such a situation do provide semi-quantitative information related to the ‘stratigraphy’ of the basalt flows and on the existence of alteration minerals. Electrical resistivity logs highlight the existence of some fracture and mineralized zones. Magnetic susceptibility together with the vector magnetic field measurements display substantial variations that, in combination with laboratory measurements, may provide a tool for tracking magnetic field reversals along the borehole. Full waveform sonic logs highlight the variations in compressional and shear velocity along the borehole. These, together with the high resolution borehole seismic measurements display changes with depth that are not yet understood. The borehole seismic measurements indicate that seismic arrivals are obtained at depth in the formations and that strong seismic reflections are produced at lithological contacts seen in the corresponding core logging. Finally, oriented ultrasonic borehole televiewer images were obtained over most of the wells and these correlate well with the nearly 6 km of core obtained. This good image log to core correlations, particularly with regards to drilling induced breakouts and tensile borehole and core fractures will allow for confident estimates of stress directions and or placing constraints on stress magnitudes. Such correlations will be used to orient in core orientation giving information useful in hydrological assessments, paleomagnetic dating, and structural volcanology.

CALIPSO Borehole Instrumentation Project at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, BWI: Overview and Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voight, B.; Mattioli, G. S.; Young, S. R.; Linde, A. T.; Sacks, I. S.; Malin, P.; Shalev, E.; Hidayat, D.; Elsworth, D.; Widiwijayanti, C.; Miller, V.; Sparks, R.; Neuberg, J.; Bass, V.; Dunkley, P.; Edmonds, M.; Herd, R.; Jolly, A.; Norton, G.; Thompson, G.

2003-12-01

Project CALIPSO (Caribbean Andesite Lava Island-volcano Precision Seismo-geodetic Observatory) was developed in order to investigate the magmatic system at the exceedingly active Soufriere Hills Volcano (SHV), Montserrat. The collaborative project involves a number of institutions acting in partnership with the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), and is funded by NSF with a contribution to drilling costs provided by UK NERC. SHV remains active and dynamic after 7 years and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. Many aspects of andesite magmatic system dynamics remain poorly understood despite significant monitoring and research efforts, and CALIPSO is expected to improve our understanding of SHV and andesite systems generally. Drilling was carried out by DOSECC, Nov 02 to Mar 03. CALIPSO uses an integrated array of four strategically located 200-m boreholes, plus a few shallower holes and surface installations. The borehole instrument package is designed to have long life (decades) at moderately high temperatures. Each site includes a single-component,very broad band, Sacks-Evertson strainmeter, a three-component seismometer (about 1 Hz to 1 kHz), a Pinnacle Technologies tiltmeter, and a surface CGPS station with choke ring antenna. At one site a new CIW hot-hole strainmeter design, involving hydraulic sensors and no downhole electronics, has been used for the first time anywhere. Data will be streamed from the remote borehole sites using FreeWave telemetry coupled with Quanterra A/D converters. The borehole observatory is being fully integrated into the surface monitoring networks of the MVO and other PSU/U Ark monitor systems, enhancing the existing CGPS and surface broadband seismic-acoustic networks. These instruments are intended to probe changes in the andesitic volcanic system and underlying mafic sources with unprecedented sensitivity. Cyclic activity at a variety of timescales has been a feature of SHV volcanism, involving seismicity, ground deformation, dome activity and gas exhalation, at the about 10 hour time scale. Evidence exists also for 7 and/or 14 week, and some longer cycles, and the SHV eruption since 1995 is the fourth repetition of a 30 year cycle. The longer time scale cycles originate from the deeper plumbing system, and can sometimes be detected in the seismic, deformation and gas data. However, the data are close to the limit of detection by the MVO's surface monitoring network, and the need for a new monitoring approach to better investigate these longer-term cycles of deep origin has now been met by CALIPSO. Borehole instrumentation provides much reduced noise and the ability to locate effective stations farther from the volcano than possible with surface instruments, and both features aid the sampling of seismic and deformation signals from the deep transport, storage, and recharge systems. The design life of the borehole observatories is long, such that onset of the next 30 year cycle may be sampled after most PIs have passed on to their reward or otherwise, with some of us possibly obtaining personalised insights of the Mephistophelean magmatic environment.

Site characterization at Groningen gas field area through joint surface-borehole H/V analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spica, Zack J.; Perton, Mathieu; Nakata, Nori; Liu, Xin; Beroza, Gregory C.

2018-01-01

A new interpretation of the horizontal to vertical (H/V) spectral ratio in terms of the Diffuse Field Assumption (DFA) has fuelled a resurgence of interest in that approach. The DFA links H/V measurements to Green's function retrieval through autocorrelation of the ambient seismic field. This naturally allows for estimation of layered velocity structure. In this contribution, we further explore the potential of H/V analysis. Our study is facilitated by a distributed array of surface and co-located borehole stations deployed at multiple depths, and by detailed prior information on velocity structure that is available due to development of the Groningen gas field. We use the vertical distribution of H/V spectra recorded at discrete depths inside boreholes to obtain shear wave velocity models of the shallow subsurface. We combine both joint H/V inversion and borehole interferometry to reduce the non-uniqueness of the problem and to allow faster convergence towards a reliable velocity model. The good agreement between our results and velocity models from an independent study validates the methodology, demonstrates the power of the method, but more importantly provides further constraints on the shallow velocity structure, which is an essential component of integrated hazard assessment in the area.

Active and passive seismic investigations in Alpine Permafrost at Hoher Sonnblick (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steiner, Matthias; Maierhofer, Theresa; Pfeiler, Stefan; Chwatal, Werner; Behm, Michael; Reisenhofer, Stefan; Schöner, Wolfgang; Straka, Wolfgang; Flores Orozco, Adrian

2017-04-01

Different geophysical measurements have been applied at the Hoher Sonnblick study area to gain information about permafrost distribution as well as heterogeneities controlling heat circulation, in the frame of the ÖAW-AtmoPerm project, which aims at the understanding the impacts of atmospheric extreme events on the thermal state of the active layer. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) has been widely accepted as a suitable method to characterize permafrost processes; however, limitations are imposed due to the challenges to inject high current densities in the frozen periods and the loss of resolution of electrical images at depth require the application of further geophysical methods. To overcome such problems, we investigate here the application of active and seismic methods. Seismic campaigns were performed using permanent borehole and temporarily installed surface geophones. A total of 15 borehole geophones are installed at depths of 1 m, 2 m, 5 m, 10 m and 20 m in three boreholes which are separated by a horizontal distance of 30 m between each other. Active measurements utilized 41 surface and 15 borehole geophones and a total of 199 excitation points. Surface geophones were laid out along two crossing lines with lengths of 92 m and 64 m, respectively. The longer line was placed directly along the borehole transect and the shorter one was oriented perpendicular to it. Hammer blows were performed with a spacing of 1 m inline the geophones and 4 m in crosslines rotated by 45 degrees, permitting 3D acquisition geometry. In addition to the active sources, data loggers connected to the borehole geophones permitted the collection of continuous 36-hours datasets for two different thermal conditions. Seismic ambient noise interferometry is applied to this data and aims at the identification of velocity changes in the subsurface related to seasonal changes of the active layer. A potential source of ambient seismic energy is the noise excited by hikers and the activity from the nearby cable cars station. Results obtained from the 3D-hammer seismics and interferometry are compared and benchmarked against each other. Changes in the seismic velocities in the subsurface permitted the delineation of the active layer and improved permafrost investigation when combined with ERT monitoring. Seismic results were then interpreted together with those obtained with ERT monitoring, electromagnetic induction (EMI) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR).

An integrated study of seismic anisotropy and the natural fracture system at the Conoco Borehole Test Facility, Kay County, Oklahoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Queen, J.H.; Rizer, W.D.

1990-07-10

A significant body of published work has developed establishing fracture-related seismic anisotropy as an observable effect. To further the understanding of seismic birefringence techniques in characterizing natural fracture systems at depth, an integrated program of seismic and geologic measurements has been conducted at Conoco's Borehole Test Facility in Kay County, Oklahoma. Birefringence parameters inferred from the seismic data are consistent with a vertical fracture model of density 0.04 striking east-northeast. That direction is subparallel to a fracture set mapped both on the surface and from subsurface data, to the in situ maximum horizontal stress, and to the inferred microfabric.

Search for Long Period Solar Normal Modes in Ambient Seismic Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caton, R.; Pavlis, G. L.

2016-12-01

We search for evidence of solar free oscillations (normal modes) in long period seismic data through multitaper spectral analysis of array stacks. This analysis is similar to that of Thomson & Vernon (2015), who used data from the most quiet single stations of the global seismic network. Our approach is to use stacks of large arrays of noisier stations to reduce noise. Arrays have the added advantage of permitting the use of nonparametic statistics (jackknife errors) to provide objective error estimates. We used data from the Transportable Array, the broadband borehole array at Pinyon Flat, and the 3D broadband array in Homestake Mine in Lead, SD. The Homestake Mine array has 15 STS-2 sensors deployed in the mine that are extremely quiet at long periods due to stable temperatures and stable piers anchored to hard rock. The length of time series used ranged from 50 days to 85 days. We processed the data by low-pass filtering with a corner frequency of 10 mHz, followed by an autoregressive prewhitening filter and median stack. We elected to use the median instead of the mean in order to get a more robust stack. We then used G. Prieto's mtspec library to compute multitaper spectrum estimates on the data. We produce delete-one jackknife error estimates of the uncertainty at each frequency by computing median stacks of all data with one station removed. The results from the TA data show tentative evidence for several lines between 290 μHz and 400 μHz, including a recurring line near 379 μHz. This 379 μHz line is near the Earth mode 0T2 and the solar mode 5g5, suggesting that 5g5 could be coupling into the Earth mode. Current results suggest more statistically significant lines may be present in Pinyon Flat data, but additional processing of the data is underway to confirm this observation.

Using borehole geophysics and cross-borehole flow testing to define hydraulic connections between fracture zones in bedrock aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paillet, Frederick L.

1993-01-01

Nearly a decade of intensive geophysical logging at fractured rock hydrology research sites indicates that geophysical logs can be used to identify and characterize fractures intersecting boreholes. However, borehole-to-borehole flow tests indicate that only a few of the apparently open fractures found to intersect boreholes conduct flow under test conditions. This paper presents a systematic approach to fracture characterization designed to define the distribution of fractures along boreholes, relate the measured fracture distribution to structure and lithology of the rock mass, and define the nature of fracture flow paths across borehole arrays. Conventional electrical resistivity, gamma, and caliper logs are used to define lithology and large-scale structure. Borehole wall image logs obtained with the borehole televiewer are used to give the depth, orientation, and relative size of fractures in situ. High-resolution flowmeter measurements are used to identify fractures conducting flow in the rock mass adjacent to the boreholes. Changes in the flow field over time are used to characterize the hydraulic properties of fracture intersections between boreholes. Application of this approach to an array of 13 boreholes at the Mirror Lake, New Hamsphire site demonstrates that the transient flow analysis can be used to distinguish between fractures communicating with each other between observation boreholes, and those that are hydraulically isolated from each other in the surrounding rock mass. The Mirror Lake results also demonstrate that the method is sensitive to the effects of boreholes on the hydraulic properties of the fractured-rock aquifer. Experiments conducted before and after the drilling of additional boreholes in the array and before and after installation of packers in existing boreholes demonstrate that the presence of new boreholes or the inflation of packers in existing boreholes has a large effect on the measured hydraulic properties of the rock mass surrounding the borehole array. ?? 1993.

Geodynamic Evolution of Northeastern Tunisia During the Maastrichtian-Paleocene Time: Insights from Integrated Seismic Stratigraphic Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abidi, Oussama; Inoubli, Mohamed Hédi; Sebei, Kawthar; Amiri, Adnen; Boussiga, Haifa; Nasr, Imen Hamdi; Salem, Abdelhamid Ben; Elabed, Mahmoud

2017-05-01

The Maastrichtian-Paleocene El Haria formation was studied and defined in Tunisia on the basis of outcrops and borehole data; few studies were interested in its three-dimensional extent. In this paper, the El Haria formation is reviewed in the context of a tectono-stratigraphic interval using an integrated seismic stratigraphic analysis based on borehole lithology logs, electrical well logging, well shots, vertical seismic profiles and post-stack surface data. Seismic analysis benefits from appropriate calibration with borehole data, conventional interpretation, velocity mapping, seismic attributes and post-stack model-based inversion. The applied methodology proved to be powerful for charactering the marly Maastrichtian-Paleocene interval of the El Haria formation. Migrated seismic sections together with borehole measurements are used to detail the three-dimensional changes in thickness, facies and depositional environment in the Cap Bon and Gulf of Hammamet regions during the Maastrichtian-Paleocene time. Furthermore, dating based on their microfossil content divulges local and multiple internal hiatuses within the El Haria formation which are related to the geodynamic evolution of the depositional floor since the Campanian stage. Interpreted seismic sections display concordance, unconformities, pinchouts, sedimentary gaps, incised valleys and syn-sedimentary normal faulting. Based on the seismic reflection geometry and terminations, seven sequences are delineated. These sequences are related to base-level changes as the combination of depositional floor paleo-topography, tectonic forces, subsidence and the developed accommodation space. These factors controlled the occurrence of the various parts of the Maastrichtian-Paleocene interval. Detailed examinations of these deposits together with the analysis of the structural deformation at different time periods allowed us to obtain a better understanding of the sediment architecture in depth and the delineation of the geodynamic evolution of the region.

Controlled-source seismic interferometry with one way wave fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Neut, J.; Wapenaar, K.; Thorbecke, J. W.

2008-12-01

In Seismic Interferometry we generally cross-correlate registrations at two receiver locations and sum over an array of sources to retrieve a Green's function as if one of the receiver locations hosts a (virtual) source and the other receiver location hosts an actual receiver. One application of this concept is to redatum an area of surface sources to a downhole receiver location, without requiring information about the medium between the sources and receivers, thus providing an effective tool for imaging below complex overburden, which is also known as the Virtual Source method. We demonstrate how elastic wavefield decomposition can be effectively combined with controlled-source Seismic Interferometry to generate virtual sources in a downhole receiver array that radiate only down- or upgoing P- or S-waves with receivers sensing only down- or upgoing P- or S- waves. For this purpose we derive exact Green's matrix representations from a reciprocity theorem for decomposed wavefields. Required is the deployment of multi-component sources at the surface and multi- component receivers in a horizontal borehole. The theory is supported with a synthetic elastic model, where redatumed traces are compared with those of a directly modeled reflection response, generated by placing active sources at the virtual source locations and applying elastic wavefield decomposition on both source and receiver side.

Influence of wind turbines on seismic stations in the upper rhine graben, SW Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zieger, Toni; Ritter, Joachim R. R.

2018-01-01

By analysing long- and short-term seismological measurements at wind farms close to the town of Landau, SW Germany, we present new insights into ground motion signals from wind turbines (WTs) at local seismic stations. Because of their need to be located in similar regions with sparsely anthropogenic activities, wind turbines impact seismic stations and their recordings in a way that is not yet fully understood by researchers. To ensure the undisturbed recording tasks of a regional seismic array or a single station by a protected area around those endangered stations, it is very important to investigate the behavior of WTs as a seismic source. For that reason, we calculate averaged one-hour long spectra of the power spectral density (PSD) before and after the installation of a new wind farm within the investigated area. These PSD are ordered according to the rotation speed. We observe a clear increase of the PSD level after the WT installation in a frequency range of 0.5 to 10 Hz up to a distance of 5.5 km away from the WT. By analysing seismic borehole data, we also observe a decrease of the PSD of wind dependent signals with depth. The impact of wind-dependent signals is found to be much more pronounced for the shallower station (150 m depth) than for the deeper one (305 m depth). Using short-term profile measurements, we fit a power-law decay proportional to 1/ r b to the main WT-induced PSD peaks and differentiate between near-field and far-field effects of ground motions. For low frequencies in the range from 1 to 4 Hz, we determine a b value of 0.78 to 0.85 for the far field, which is consistent with surface waves. The b value increases (up to 1.59) with increasing frequencies (up to 5.5 Hz), which is obviously due to attenuating effects like scattering or anelasticity. These results give a better understanding of the seismic wavefield interactions between wind turbines (or wind farms) with nearby seismic stations, including borehole installations, in a sedimentary setting.

Offset-vertical seismic profiling for marine gas hydrate exploration: Is it a suitable technique? First results from ODP Leg 164

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pecher, I.A.; Holbrook, W.S.; Stephen, R.A.; Hoskins, H.; Lizarralde, D.; Hutchinson, D.R.; Wood, W.T.

1997-01-01

Walkaway vertical seismic profiles were acquired during Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) Leg 164 at the Blake Ridge to investigate seismic properties of hydrate-bearing sediments and the zone of free gas beneath them. An evaluation of compressional (P-) wave arrivals Site 994 indicates P-wave anisotrophy in the sediment column. We identified several shear (S-) wave arrivals in the horizontal components of the geophone array in the borehole and in data recorded with an ocean bottom seismometer deployed at the seafloor. S-waves were converted from P-waves at several depth levels in the sediment column. One of the most prominent conversion points appears to be the bottom simulating reflector (BSR). It is likely that other conversion points are located in the zone of low P-wave reflectivity above the BSR. Modeling suggests that a change of the shear modulus is sufficient to cause significant shear conversion without a significant normal-incidence P-wave reflection.

OGS improvements in 2012 in running the North-eastern Italy Seismic Network: the Ferrara VBB borehole seismic station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pesaresi, D.; Romanelli, M.; Barnaba, C.; Bragato, P. L.; Durì, G.

2014-07-01

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Centre) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake of magnitude M=6.4 occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the North-eastern Italy Seismic Network: it currently consists of 17 very sensitive broad band and 18 simpler short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS-CRS data centre in Udine. Real time data exchange agreements in place with other Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Swiss seismological institutes lead to a total number of about 100 seismic stations acquired in real time, which makes the OGS the reference institute for seismic monitoring of North-eastern Italy. The south-western edge of the OGS seismic network (Fig. 1) stands on the Po alluvial basin: earthquake localization and characterization in this area is affected by the presence of soft alluvial deposits. OGS ha already experience in running a local seismic network in high noise conditions making use of borehole installations in the case of the micro-seismicity monitoring of a local gas storage site for a private company. Following the ML = 5.9 earthquake that struck the Emilia region around Ferrara in Northern Italy on 20 May 2012 at 02:03:53 UTC, a cooperation of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, OGS, the Comune di Ferrara and the University of Ferrara lead to the reinstallation of a previously existing very broad band (VBB) borehole seismic station in Ferrara. The aim of the OGS intervention was on one hand to extend its real time seismic monitoring capabilities toward South-West, including Ferrara and its surroundings, and on the other hand to evaluate the seismic response at the site. We will describe improvements in running the North-eastern Italy Seismic Network, including details of the Ferrara VBB borehole station configuration and installation, with first results.

Finite-Difference Numerical Simulation of Seismic Gradiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldridge, D. F.; Symons, N. P.; Haney, M. M.

2006-12-01

We use the phrase seismic gradiometry to refer to the developing research area involving measurement, modeling, analysis, and interpretation of spatial derivatives (or differences) of a seismic wavefield. In analogy with gradiometric methods used in gravity and magnetic exploration, seismic gradiometry offers the potential for enhancing resolution, and revealing new (or hitherto obscure) information about the subsurface. For example, measurement of pressure and rotation enables the decomposition of recorded seismic data into compressional (P) and shear (S) components. Additionally, a complete observation of the total seismic wavefield at a single receiver (including both rectilinear and rotational motions) offers the possibility of inferring the type, speed, and direction of an incident seismic wave. Spatially extended receiver arrays, conventionally used for such directional and phase speed determinations, may be dispensed with. Seismic wave propagation algorithms based on the explicit, time-domain, finite-difference (FD) numerical method are well-suited for investigating gradiometric effects. We have implemented in our acoustic, elastic, and poroelastic algorithms a point receiver that records the 9 components of the particle velocity gradient tensor. Pressure and particle rotation are obtained by forming particular linear combinations of these tensor components, and integrating with respect to time. All algorithms entail 3D O(2,4) FD solutions of coupled, first- order systems of partial differential equations on uniformly-spaced staggered spatial and temporal grids. Numerical tests with a 1D model composed of homogeneous and isotropic elastic layers show isolation of P, SV, and SH phases recorded in a multiple borehole configuration, even in the case of interfering events. Synthetic traces recorded by geophones and rotation receivers in a shallow crosswell geometry with randomly heterogeneous poroelastic models also illustrate clear P (fast and slow) and S separation. Finally, numerical tests of the "point seismic array" concept are oriented toward understanding its potential and limitations. Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram science and engineering facility operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin company, for the United States Department of Energy under contract DE- AC04-94AL85000.

A Thermal Technique of Fault Nucleation, Growth, and Slip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garagash, D.; Germanovich, L. N.; Murdoch, L. C.; Martel, S. J.; Reches, Z.; Elsworth, D.; Onstott, T. C.

2009-12-01

Fractures and fluids influence virtually all mechanical processes in the crust, but many aspects of these processes remain poorly understood largely because of a lack of controlled field experiments at appropriate scale. We have developed an in-situ experimental approach to create carefully controlled faults at scale of ~10 meters using thermal techniques to modify in situ stresses to the point where the rock fails in shear. This approach extends experiments on fault nucleation and growth to length scales 2-3 orders of magnitude greater than are currently possible in the laboratory. The experiments could be done at depths where the modified in situ stresses are sufficient to drive faulting, obviating the need for unrealistically large loading frames. Such experiments require an access to large rock volumes in the deep subsurface in a controlled setting. The Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL), which is a research facility planned to occupy the workings of the former Homestake gold mine in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota, presents an opportunity for accessing locations with vertical stresses as large as 60 MPa (down to 2400 m depth), which is sufficient to create faults. One of the most promising methods for manipulating stresses to create faults that we have evaluated involves drilling two parallel planar arrays of boreholes and circulating cold fluid (e.g., liquid nitrogen) to chill the region in the vicinity of the boreholes. Cooling a relatively small region around each borehole causes the rock to contract, reducing the normal compressive stress throughout much larger region between the arrays of boreholes. This scheme was evaluated using both scaling analysis and a finite element code. Our results show that if the boreholes are spaced by ~1 m, in several days to weeks, the normal compressive stress can be reduced by 10 MPa or more, and it is even possible to create net tension between the borehole arrays. According to the Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion with standard Byerlee parameters, a fault will initiate before the net tension occurs. After a new fault is created, hot fluid can be injected into the boreholes to increase the temperature and reverse the direction of fault slip. This process can be repeated to study the formation of gouge, and how the properties of gouge control fault slip and associated seismicity. Instrumenting the site with arrays of geophones, tiltmeters, strain gauges, and displacement transducers as well as back mining - an opportunity provided by the DUSEL project - can reveal details of the fault geometry and gouge. We also expect to find small faults (with cm-scale displacement) during construction of DUSEL drifts. The same thermal technique can be used to induce slip on one of them and compare the “man-made” and natural gouges. The thermal technique appears to be a relatively simple way to rapidly change the stress field and either create slip on existing fractures or create new faults at scales up to 10 m or more.

Induced seismicity response of hydraulic fracturing: results of a multidisciplinary monitoring at the Wysin site, Poland.

PubMed

López-Comino, J A; Cesca, S; Jarosławski, J; Montcoudiol, N; Heimann, S; Dahm, T; Lasocki, S; Gunning, A; Capuano, P; Ellsworth, W L

2018-06-05

Shale oil and gas exploitation by hydraulic fracturing experienced a strong development worldwide over the last years, accompanied by a substantial increase of related induced seismicity, either consequence of fracturing or wastewater injection. In Europe, unconventional hydrocarbon resources remain underdeveloped and their exploitation controversial. In UK, fracturing operations were stopped after the M w 2.3 Blackpool induced earthquake; in Poland, operations were halted in 2017 due to adverse oil market conditions. One of the last operated well at Wysin, Poland, was monitored independently in the framework of the EU project SHEER, through a multidisciplinary system including seismic, water and air quality monitoring. The hybrid seismic network combines surface mini-arrays, broadband and shallow borehole sensors. This paper summarizes the outcomes of the seismological analysis of these data. Shallow artificial seismic noise sources were detected and located at the wellhead active during the fracturing stages. Local microseismicity was also detected, located and characterised, culminating in two events of M w 1.0 and 0.5, occurring days after the stimulation in the vicinity of the operational well, but at very shallow depths. A sharp methane peak was detected ~19 hours after the M w 0.5 event. No correlation was observed between injected volumes, seismicity and groundwater parameters.

Study of earthquakes using a borehole seismic network at Koyna, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Harsh; Satyanarayana, Hari VS; Shashidhar, Dodla; Mallika, Kothamasu; Ranjan Mahato, Chitta; Shankar Maity, Bhavani

2017-04-01

Koyna, located near the west coast of India, is a classical site of artificial water reservoir triggered earthquakes. Triggered earthquakes started soon after the impoundment of the Koyna Dam in 1962. The activity has continued till now including the largest triggered earthquake of M 6.3 in 1967; 22 earthquakes of M ≥ 5 and several thousands smaller earthquakes. The latest significant earthquake of ML 3.7 occurred on 24th November 2016. In spite of having a network of 23 broad band 3-component seismic stations in the near vicinity of the Koyna earthquake zone, locations of earthquakes had errors of 1 km. The main reason was the presence of 1 km thick very heterogeneous Deccan Traps cover that introduced noise and locations could not be improved. To improve the accuracy of location of earthquakes, a unique network of eight borehole seismic stations surrounding the seismicity was designed. Six of these have been installed at depths varying from 981 m to 1522 m during 2015 and 2016, well below the Deccan Traps cover. During 2016 a total of 2100 earthquakes were located. There has been a significant improvement in the location of earthquakes and the absolute errors of location have come down to ± 300 m. All earthquakes of ML ≥ 0.5 are now located, compared to ML ≥1.0 earlier. Based on seismicity and logistics, a block of 2 km x 2 km area has been chosen for the 3 km deep pilot borehole. The installation of the borehole seismic network has further elucidated the correspondence between rate of water loading/unloading the reservoir and triggered seismicity.

EVALUATION OF GEOPHYSICAL METHODS FOR THE DETECTION OF SUBSURFACE TETRACHLOROETHYLENE IN CONTROLLED SPILL EXPERIMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents some of the results of five of the techniques: cross borehole complex resistivity (CR) also referred to as spectral induced polarization (SIP), cross borehole high resolution seismic (HRS), borehole self potential (SP), surface ground penetration radar (GPR), ...

Tectonic context of the penetrative fracture system origin in the Early Paleozoic shale complex (Baltic Basin, Poland/Sweden).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarosiński, Marek; Gluszynski, Andrzej; Bobek, Kinga; Dyrka, Ireneusz

2017-04-01

Characterization of natural fracture and fault pattern play significant role for reservoir stimulation design and evaluation of its results. Having structural observations limited to immediate borehole surrounding it is a common need to build up a fracture model of reservoir in a range of stimulation reservoir volume or even beyond. To do this we need both a 3D seismic model and a consistent concept of the regional tectonic evolution. We present the result of integrated tectonic study in several deep boreholes target the Lower Paleozoic shale complex of Baltic Basin (BB), combined with analysis of 3D seismic survey and outcrop screening in Scania (Swedish part of the BB). During deposition of shale complex in the Ordovician and Silurian the research area was located 200-300 km away from the continental margin of Baltica involved in the Caledonian collision with the Eastern Avalonia. This distance allowed the shale complex to avoid significant tectonic deformation. Regional seismic cross section reveals the general pattern of the BB infill characteristic for the foreland basin underwent post-collisional isostatic rebound. Due to stress changes in collisional context the shale complex was cross-cut by steep, mostly inverse faults trending NW-SE and NE-SW. The fault zones oriented NW-SE are associated with an array of en echelon faults characteristic for strike-slip displacement. In our interpretation, these faults of Silurian (Wenlock) age create pattern of the regional pop-up structure, which is simultaneously involved in the plate flexure extension. Seismic attributes (e.g. curvature or ant tracking) highlight lineaments which mostly mimic the faults orientation. However, attributes show also some artefacts that come from regular array of seismic sources and receivers, which mimic the orthogonal joint system. Structural observations on borehole core lead us to conclusion that regular, orthogonal fracture system developed after maximum burial of the complex, triggered by mechanism of natural hydraulic fracturing due to hydrocarbon generation. These fractures create veins filled with calcite that growth was controlled by mechanical layering and the TOC content of the shale complex. The main joint fracture pattern is stable across at least 300 hundred kilometers, from the Polish to Swedish portion of Baltic Basin. Therefore a major tectonic event is expected to govern its origin. The Late Carboniferous thin-skinned compression exerted at the edge of the East European Craton, is preferred tectonic fracture triggering factor. This age of jointing is confirmed by the strike of principal joint set characteristic for Variscan compression. In addition, principal joint system is sensitive (=younger) to a presence of the Caledonian-age faults in Pomerania but insensitive (=older) to the Mesozoic faults in Scania. Above genetic considerations should be taken into account while building the self-consistent discrete fracture network of faults and fractures for the purpose of shale reservoir stimulation.

Explosion source strong ground motions in the Mississippi embayment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langston, C.A.; Bodin, P.; Powell, C.; Withers, M.; Horton, S.; Mooney, W.

2006-01-01

Two strong-motion arrays were deployed for the October 2002 Embayment Seismic Excitation Experiment to study the spatial variation of strong ground motions in the deep, unconsolidated sediments of the Mississippi embayment because there are no comparable strong-motion data from natural earthquakes in the area. Each linear array consisted of eight three-component K2 accelerographs spaced 15 m apart situated 1.2 and 2.5 kin from 2268-kg and 1134-kg borehole explosion sources, respectively. The array data show distinct body-wave and surface-wave arrivals that propagate within the thick, unconsolidated sedimentary column, the high-velocity basement rocks, and small-scale structure near the surface. Time-domain coherence of body-wave and surface-wave arrivals is computed for acceleration, velocity, and displacement time windows. Coherence is high for relatively low-frequency verticalcomponent Rayleigh waves and high-frequency P waves propagating across the array. Prominent high-frequency PS conversions seen on radial components, a proxy for the direct S wave from earthquake sources, lose coherence quickly over the 105-m length of the array. Transverse component signals are least coherent for any ground motion and appear to be highly scattered. Horizontal phase velocity is computed by using the ratio of particle velocity to estimates of the strain based on a plane-wave-propagation model. The resulting time-dependent phase-velocity map is a useful way to infer the propagation mechanisms of individual seismic phases and time windows of three-component waveforms. Displacement gradient analysis is a complementary technique for processing general spatial-array data to obtain horizontal slowness information.

Challenges in Locating Microseismic Events Using Distributed Acoustic Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, A.; Kendall, J. M.; Clarke, A.; Verdon, J.

2017-12-01

Microseismic monitoring is an important method of assessing the behaviour of subsurface fluid processes, and is commonly acquired using geophone arrays in boreholes or on the surface. A new alternative technology has been recently developed - fibre-optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) - using strain along a fibre-optic cable as a measure of seismic signals. DAS can offer high density arrays and full-well coverage from the surface to bottom, with less overall disruption to operations, so there are many exciting possible applications in monitoring both petroleum and other subsurface industries. However, there are challenges in locating microseismic events recorded using current DAS systems, which only record seismic data in one-component and consequently omit the azimuthal information provided by a three-component geophone. To test the impact of these limitations we used finite difference modelling to generate one-component synthetic DAS datasets and investigated the impact of picking solely P-wave or both P- and S-wave arrivals and the impact of different array geometries. These are then compared to equivalent 3-component synthetic geophone datasets. In simple velocity models, P-wave arrivals along linear arrays cannot be used to constrain locations using DAS, without further a priori information. We then tested the impact of straight cables vs. L-shaped arrays and found improved locations when the cable is deviated, especially when both P- and S-wave picks are included. There is a trade-off between the added coverage of DAS cables versus sparser 3C geophone arrays where particle motion helps constrains locations, which cannot be assessed without forward modelling.

Estimation of Velocity Structure Using Microtremor Recordings from Arrays: Comparison of Results from the SPAC and the F-K Analysis Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Estrella, H.; Aguirre, J.; Boore, D.; Yussim, S.

2001-12-01

Microtremor recordings have become a useful tool for microzonation studies in countries with low to moderate seismicity and also in countries where there are few seismographs or the recurrence time for an earthquake is quite long. Microtremor recordings can be made at almost any time and any place without needing to wait for an earthquake. The measurements can be made using one station or an array of stations. Microtremor recordings can be used to estimate site response directly (e.g. by using Nakamura's technique), or they can be used to estimate shear-wave velocities, from which site response can be calculated. A number of studies have found that the direct estimation of site response may be unreliable, except for identifying the fundamental resonant period of a site. Obtaining shear-wave velocities requires inverting measurements of Rayleigh wave phase velocities from microtremors, which are obtained by using the Spatial Autocorrelation (SPAC) (Aki, 1957) or the Frequency-Wave Number (F-K) (Horike, 1985) methods. Estimating shear-wave velocities from microtremor recordings is a cheaper alternative than direct methods, such as the logging of boreholes. In this work we use simultaneous microtremor recordings from triangular arrays located at two sites in Mexico City, Mexico, one ("Texcoco") with a lacustrine sediment layer of about 200 m depth, and the other one ("Ciudad Universitaria") underlain by 2,000 year old basaltic flows from Xitle volcano. The data are analyzed using both the SPAC method and by the standard F-K method. The results obtained from the SPAC method are more consistent with expectations from the geological conditions and an empirical transfer function (Montalvo et al., 2001) than those from F-K method. We also analyze data from the Hollister Municipal Airport in California. The triangular array at this site is located near a borehole from which seismic velocities have been obtained using a downhole logging method (Liu et al., 2000). We compare results from the microtremor recordings analyzed using both the SPAC and F-K methods with those obtained from the downhole logging.

Recording and interpretation/analysis of tilt signals with five ASKANIA borehole tiltmeters at the KTB.

PubMed

Gebauer, André; Jahr, Thomas; Jentzsch, Gerhard

2007-05-01

In June 2003, a large scale injection experiment started at the Continental Deep Drilling site (KTB) in Germany. A tiltmeter array was installed which consisted of five high resolution borehole tiltmeters of the ASKANIA type, also equipped with three dimensional seismometers. For the next 11 months, 86 000 m(3) were injected into the KTB pilot borehole 4000 m deep. The average injection rate was approximately 200 l/min. The research objective was to observe and to analyze deformation caused by the injection into the upper crust at the kilometer range. A new data acquisition system was developed by Geo-Research Center Potsdam (GFZ) to master the expected huge amount of seismic and tilt data. Furthermore, it was necessary to develop a new preprocessing software called PREANALYSE for long-period time series. This software includes different useful functions, such as step and spike correction, interpolation, filtering, and spectral analysis. This worldwide unique installation offers the excellent opportunity of the separation of signals due to injection and due to environment by correlation of the data of the five stations with the ground water table and meteorological data.

Compilation of Reprints Number 63.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

Michel Be6, Stephen H1. Johnson, and E.F. Chiburis PRELIMINARY SEISMIC REFRACTION RESULTS USING A BOREHOLE SEISMOMETER IN DEEP SEA DRILLING PROJECT HOLE...refraction data with wells drilled on land and offshore reflection profiles permits tentative identification of geologic sequences on the basis of...PERIOD CO’VEAEO PRELIMINARY SEISMIC REFRACTION RESULTS USING A Rern BOREHOLE SEISMOMETER IN DEEP SEA DRILLING ~ rn PROJECT HOLE 395A 6.PERFORMING ORG

Monitoring environmental effects of shale gas exploitation at Wysin in Poland.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasocki, Stanislaw; Mirek, Janusz; Bialon, Wojciech; Cielesta, Szymon; Lasak, Mateusz; Cesca, Simone; Lopez Comino, Jose Angel; Dahm, Torsten; Scarpa, Roberto; Gunning, Andrew; Montcoudiol, Nelly; Isherwood, Catherine; Jaroslawski, Janusz; Guzikowski, Jakub

2017-04-01

Environmental effects of shale gas exploration and exploitation are extensively studied in the framework of "Shale Gas Exploration and Exploitation Induced Risks" project (SHEER, H2020-LCE 16-2014-1). One of the main component of this study is on-site monitoring of the effects at Wysin shale-gas play of Polish Oil and Gas Company in Poland. This includes monitoring of seismicity and water and air quality. Surface seismic monitoring network consists of 6 surface broadband (BB) seismometers and 25 surface short-period (SP) seismometers The SPs are assembled into three small aperture arrays with 9, 8 and 8 stations, respectively, distributed in a triangle geometry at a distance of about 2-4 km from the hydrofracturing rig. Each array is complemented with one BB station. The three remaining BBs are located up to about 5 km from the rig. In addition 3 borehole broadband seismometers are located in three shallow boreholes. The groundwater monitoring makes use of four wells, which reach a main underground water reservoir. Three complementary datasets are collected: continuous monitoring of borehole data, laboratory analyses of water samples and field monitoring of water quality parameters. The continuous monitoring makes use of down-hole probes, which have been installed in each borehole. The probes record absolute pressure, temperature and electrical conductivity. In addition, a barometric probe has been installed above ground to record atmospheric pressure in order to allow conversion of absolute pressure to a water level. After collection, water samples are sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis. The field monitoring is undertaken during the sampling visits. Whilst the borehole is being purged, physico-chemical parameters are monitored using a multi-parameter probe. This measures and records temperature, specific conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen and oxidation-reduction potential within the water. Hydrocarbon gas content within the water is below detection limits for methane, ethane, ethene and propane gases. Air pollution monitoring is performed by means of an automatic station. The station is situated east from the Wysin rig at the distance of some 1200 m. This distance is appropriate in order not to measure a direct emission of pollutants. The station monitors the content of NO, NO2, NOx, CO, PM10, O3, CO2, CH4, NMHC and Radon. At the beginning of SHEER project in May 2015, there was one vertical well at the site, reaching gas-bearing shale formations at the nearly 4km depth. Further on two horizontal wells, each of about 1.7km length, were drilled (late Autumn 2015) and fracked (June - August, 2016). This time table has provided the opportunity to record background seismicity and baseline levels of water and air quality, and then to record the immediate and delayed effects of hydrofracturing operations. The monitoring will continue at least 1.5 year after completion of technological activity at the site. This work was supported within SHEER: "Shale Gas Exploration and Exploitation Induced Risks" project funded from Horizon 2020 - R&I Framework Programme, call H2020-LCE-2014-1 and within statutory activities No3841/E-41/S/2016 of Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland.

Seismic depth imaging of sequence boundaries beneath the New Jersey shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel, M.; Reiche, S.; Aßhoff, K.; Buske, S.

2018-06-01

Numerical modelling of fluid flow and transport processes relies on a well-constrained geological model, which is usually provided by seismic reflection surveys. In the New Jersey shelf area a large number of 2D seismic profiles provide an extensive database for constructing a reliable geological model. However, for the purpose of modelling groundwater flow, the seismic data need to be depth-converted which is usually accomplished using complementary data from borehole logs. Due to the limited availability of such data in the New Jersey shelf, we propose a two-stage processing strategy with particular emphasis on reflection tomography and pre-stack depth imaging. We apply this workflow to a seismic section crossing the entire New Jersey shelf. Due to the tomography-based velocity modelling, the processing flow does not depend on the availability of borehole logging data. Nonetheless, we validate our results by comparing the migrated depths of selected geological horizons to borehole core data from the IODP expedition 313 drill sites, located at three positions along our seismic line. The comparison yields that in the top 450 m of the migrated section, most of the selected reflectors were positioned with an accuracy close to the seismic resolution limit (≈ 4 m) for that data. For deeper layers the accuracy still remains within one seismic wavelength for the majority of the tested horizons. These results demonstrate that the processed seismic data provide a reliable basis for constructing a hydrogeological model. Furthermore, the proposed workflow can be applied to other seismic profiles in the New Jersey shelf, which will lead to an even better constrained model.

Combined seismic and radar investigation to define ice properties and structure of a cold alpine site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisen, O.; Bohleber, P.; Drews, R.; Heilig, A.; Hofstede, C.

2009-04-01

The cold alpine saddle Colle Gnifetti, Monte Rosa, Swiss-Italian Alps resembles very much polar and subpolar ice masses in terms of glaciological conditions. It has been the site for several ice-core drilling campaigns over more than 20 years to determine paleoclimatological and glaciological conditions. To investigate the feasibility of geophysical methods for improved characterization of ice masses surrounding borehole and ice-core sites, a combined active reflection seismic and ground-penetrating radar pilot study has been carried out in summer 2008. Aims are the characterization of density, internal layering, seismic and radar wave speed and attenuation, identification of anisotropic features (like crystal orientation or bubble content and shape). Here we present the overall setup and first results. Seismic and GPR profiles were centered on an existing borehole location covering the full ice thickness of 62 m. Active seismics was carried out with 24-channel 3-m spacing recording, using a Seismic Impulse Source System (SISSY) along two profiles parallel and perpendicular to the ice-flow direction. The same profiles were complemented with GPR measurements utilizing 250, 500 MHz frequencies. Additionally, circular profiles with 250, 500 and 800 MHz were carried out circumferencing the borehole to detect anisotropic features.

Surface and downhole shear wave seismic methods for thick soil site investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunter, J.A.; Benjumea, B.; Harris, J.B.; Miller, R.D.; Pullan, S.E.; Burns, R.A.; Good, R.L.

2002-01-01

Shear wave velocity-depth information is required for predicting the ground motion response to earthquakes in areas where significant soil cover exists over firm bedrock. Rather than estimating this critical parameter, it can be reliably measured using a suite of surface (non-invasive) and downhole (invasive) seismic methods. Shear wave velocities from surface measurements can be obtained using SH refraction techniques. Array lengths as large as 1000 m and depth of penetration to 250 m have been achieved in some areas. High resolution shear wave reflection techniques utilizing the common midpoint method can delineate the overburden-bedrock surface as well as reflecting boundaries within the overburden. Reflection data can also be used to obtain direct estimates of fundamental site periods from shear wave reflections without the requirement of measuring average shear wave velocity and total thickness of unconsolidated overburden above the bedrock surface. Accurate measurements of vertical shear wave velocities can be obtained using a seismic cone penetrometer in soft sediments, or with a well-locked geophone array in a borehole. Examples from thick soil sites in Canada demonstrate the type of shear wave velocity information that can be obtained with these geophysical techniques, and show how these data can be used to provide a first look at predicted ground motion response for thick soil sites. ?? 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Broadening the Quality and Capabilities of the EarthScope Alaska Transportable Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busby, R. W.

2016-12-01

In 2016, the EarthScope Transportable Array (TA) program will have 195 broadband seismic stations operating in Alaska and western Canada. This ambitious project will culminate in a network of 268 new or upgraded real-time seismic stations operating through 2019. The challenging environmental conditions and the remoteness of Alaska have motivated a new method for constructing a high-quality, temporary seismic network. The Alaska TA station design builds on experience of the Lower 48 TA deployment and adds design requirements because most stations are accessible only by helicopter. The stations utilize new high-performance posthole sensors, a specially built hammer/auger drill, and lightweight lithium ion batteries to minimize sling loads. A uniform station design enables a modest crew to build the network on a short timeline and operate them through the difficult conditions of rural Alaska. The Alaska TA deployment has increased the quality of seismic data, with some well-sited 2-3 m posthole stations approaching the performance of permanent Global Seismic Network stations emplaced in 100 m boreholes. The real-time data access, power budget, protective enclosure and remote logistics of these TA stations has attracted collaborations with NASA, NOAA, USGS, AVO and other organizations to add auxiliary sensors to the suite of instruments at many TA stations. Strong motion sensors have been added to (18) stations near the subduction trench to complement SM stations operated by AEC, ANSS and GSN. All TA and most upgraded stations have pressure and infrasound sensors, and 150 TA stations are receiving a Vaisala weather sensor, supplied by the National Weather Service Alaska Region and NASA, capable of measuring temperature, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed/direction, and precipitation intensity. We are also installing about (40) autonomous soil temperature profile kits adjacent to northern stations. While the priority continues to be collecting seismic data, these additional strong motion, atmospheric, and soil temperature sensors may motivate the desire extend the operation of certain stations in cooperation with these organizations. The TA has always been amenable to partnerships in the research and education communities that extend the capabilities and reach of the EarthScope Transportable Array.

Seismo-acoustic analysis of thunderstorms at Plostina (Romania) site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grecu, Bogdan; Ghica, Daniela; Moldovan, Iren; Ionescu, Constantin

2013-04-01

The National Institute for Earth Physics (Romania) operates one of the largest seismic networks in the Eastern Europe. The network includes 97 stations with velocity sensors of which 52 are broadband and 45 are short period, 102 strong motion stations and 8 seismic observatories. Located in the most active seismic region of Romania, i.e. Vrancea area, the Plostina Observatory included initially two seismic stations, one at surface with both broadband and accelerometer sensors and one at 30 m depth with only short period velocity sensor. Starting with 2007, the facilities at Plostina have been upgraded so that at present, the observatory also includes one seismic array (PLOR) of seven elements (PLOR1, PLOR2, PLOR3, PLOR4, PLOR5, PLOR6, PLOR7) with an aperture of 2.5 km, seven infrasound elements (IPL2, IPL3, IPL4, IPH4, IPH5, IPH6, IPH7), two three-component fluxgate sensors, one Boltek EFM-100 electrometer and one La Crosse weather station. The element PLOR4 is co-located with the accelerometer and borehole sensor, two infrasonic elements (IPL4 and IPH4), one fluxgate sensor, the Boltek electrometer and the weather station. All the date are continuously recorded and real-time transmitted to the Romanian National Data Centre (RONDC) in Magurele. The recent developments at Plostina site made possible the improvement of the local miscroseismic activity monitoring as well as conducting of other geophysical studies such as acoustic measurements, observations of the variation of the magnetic field in correlation with solar activity, observations of the variation of radioactive alpha gases concentration, observations of the telluric currents. In this work, we investigate the signals emitted due to the process of lightning and thunder during thunderstorms activity at Plostina site. These signals are well recorded by both seismic and infrasound networks and they are used to perform spectral and specific array analyses. We also perform multiple correlations between the atmospheric parameters recorded by the weather station and seismic and infrasound signals.

Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration - Phase I Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osborn, William L.; Petty, Susan; Cladouhos, Trenton T.

Phase I of the Newberry Volcano Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) Demonstration included permitting, community outreach, seismic hazards analysis, initial microseismic array deployment and calibration, final MSA design, site characterization, and stimulation planning. The multi-disciplinary Phase I site characterization supports stimulation planning and regulatory permitting, as well as addressing public concerns including water usage and induced seismicity. A review of the project's water usage plan by an independent hydrology consultant found no expected impacts to local stakeholders, and recommended additional monitoring procedures. The IEA Protocol for Induced Seismicity Associated with Enhanced Geothermal Systems was applied to assess site conditions, properly informmore » stakeholders, and develop a comprehensive mitigation plan. Analysis of precision LiDAR elevation maps has concluded that there is no evidence of recent faulting near the target well. A borehole televiewer image log of the well bore revealed over three hundred fractures and predicted stress orientations. No natural, background seismicity has been identified in a review of historic data, or in more than seven months of seismic data recorded on an array of seven seismometers operating around the target well. A seismic hazards and induced seismicity risk assessment by an independent consultant concluded that the Demonstration would contribute no additional risk to residents of the nearest town of La Pine, Oregon. In Phase II of the demonstration, an existing deep hot well, NWG 55-29, will be stimulated using hydroshearing techniques to create an EGS reservoir. The Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration is allowing geothermal industry and academic experts to develop, validate and enhance geoscience and engineering techniques, and other procedures essential to the expansion of EGS throughout the country. Successful development will demonstrate to the American public that EGS can play a significant role in reducing foreign energy dependence, and provide clean, renewable, baseload geothermal power generation in the State of Oregon.« less

New seismic instrumentation packaged for all terrestrial environments (including the quietest observatories!).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Tim; Devanney, Peter; Bainbridge, Geoff; Townsend, Bruce

2017-04-01

The march to make every type of seismometer, weak to strong motion, reliable and economically deployable in any terrestrial environment continues with the availability of three new sensors and seismic systems including ones with over 200dB of dynamic range. Until recently there were probably 100 pier type broadband sensors for every observatory type pier, not the types of deployments geoscientists are needing to advance science and monitoring capability. Deeper boreholes are now the recognized quieter environments for best observatory class instruments and these same instruments can now be deployed in direct burial environments which is unprecedented. The experiences of facilities in large deployments of broadband seismometers in continental scale rolling arrays proves the utility of packaging new sensors in corrosion resistant casings and designing in the robustness needed to work reliably in temporary deployments. Integrating digitizers and other sensors decreases deployment complexity, decreases acquisition and deployment costs, increases reliability and utility. We'll discuss the informed evolution of broadband pier instruments into the modern integrated field tools that enable economic densification of monitoring arrays along with supporting new ways to approach geoscience research in a field environment.

Seismic Investigation of the Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laske, Gabi; Lindner, Fabian; Walter, Fabian; Krage, Manuel

2017-04-01

Glacier de la Plaine Morte is a plateau glacier along the border between Valais and Berne cantons. It covers a narrow elevation range and is extremely vulnerable to climate change. During snow melt, it feeds three marginal lakes that have experienced sudden subglacial drainage in recent years, thereby causing flooding in the Simme Valley below. Of greatest concern is Lac des Faverges at the southeastern end of the glacier that has drained near the end of July in recent years, with flood levels reaching capacity of flood control systems downstream. The lake levels are carefully monitored but precise prediction has not yet been achieved. In the search for precursory ice fracturing to the lake drainage to improve forecast, four seismic arrays comprised of five short-period borehole seismometers provided by Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zürich as well as fifteen 3-component geophones from the Geophysical Instrument Pool Potsdam (GIPP) collected continuous seismic data for about seven weeks during the summer of 2016. We present initial results on discharge dynamics as well as changing noise levels and seismicity before, during and after the drainage of Lac des Faverges. Compared to previous recent years, the 2016 drainage of Lac des Faverges occurred unusually late on August 28. With an aperture between 100 and 200 m, the small arrays recorded many hundred ice quakes per day. A majority of the events exhibits clearly dispersed, high-frequency Rayleigh waves at about 10 Hz and higher. A wide distribution of events allows us to study azimuthal anisotropy and its relationship with the orientation of glacial crevasses.

EAGLE The controlled source experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maguire, P. K. H.; Eagle Controlled Source Group

2003-04-01

In January 2003, a wide-angle reflection / refraction seismic project was carried out over the north-eastern section of the Main Ethiopian Rift as part of the international EAGLE (Ethiopia Afar Geoscientific Lithospheric Experiment) programme. EAGLE comprises a combination of passive and controlled source seismic experiments to determine the geometry and kinematics of a continental rift immediately prior to break-up, enabling the development of magmatic margin break-up models. A total of ˜900 seismic instruments were deployed along two 450km profiles, one along the axis of the Ethiopian Rift into the south-west corner of Afar; and a second across the rift, extending north and south across the uplifted, flood basalt covered, Ethiopian plateau. The two profiles intersect over the Nazret volcanic segment in the rift. This may be indicative of the transition from continental style rifting in which strain is accommodated on the rift bounding border faults, to a state where strain and magmatism have migrated to a narrow zone within the rift, a necessary pre-cursor to break-up. A further ˜300 instruments were deployed in a 100x100km^2 array around the intersection of the two profiles. A total of 16 borehole and 2 lake shots were fired into the network over a period of four days. The principal objectives of the controlled source project were to examine crustal strain, the distribution of crustal magmatic intrusions, the influence of pre-rift crustal property variations on rift development and also to provide a crustal seismic velocity distribution to improve images of the deep mantle, as well as earthquake locations derived from the EAGLE passive arrays.

Seismic microzonation and velocity models of El Ejido area (SE Spain) from the diffuse-field H/V method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Jerez, Antonio; Seivane, Helena; Navarro, Manuel; Piña-Flores, José; Luzón, Francisco; Vidal, Francisco; Posadas, Antonio M.; Aranda, Carolina

2016-04-01

El Ejido town is located in the Campo de Dalías coastal plain (Almería province, SE Spain), emplaced in one of the most seismically active regions of Spain. The municipality has 84000 inhabitants and presented a high growth rate during the last twenty years. The most recent intense seismic activity occurred close to this town was in 1993 and 1994, with events of Mb = 4.9 and Mb = 5.0, respectively. To provide a basis for site-specific hazard analysis, we first carried out a seismic microzonation of this town in terms of predominant periods and geotechnical properties. The predominant periods map was obtained from ambient noise observations on a grid of 250 x 250 m in the main urban area, and sparser measurements on the outskirts. These broad-band records, of about 20 minutes long each, were analyzed by using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio technique (H/V). Dispersion curves obtained from two array measurements of ambient noise and borehole data provided additional geophysical information. All the surveyed points in the town were found to have relatively long predominant periods ranging from 0.8 to 2.3 s and growing towards the SE. Secondary high-frequency (> 2Hz) peaks were found at about the 10% of the points only. On the other hand, Vs30 values of 550 - 650 m/s were estimated from the array records, corresponding to cemented sediments and medium-hard rocks. The local S-wave velocity structure has been inverted from the H/V curves for a subset of the measurement sites. We used an innovative full-wavefield method based on the diffuse-wavefield approximation (Sánchez-Sesma et al., 2011) combined with the simulated annealing algorithm. Shallow seismic velocities and deep boreholes data were used as constraints. The results show that the low-frequency resonances are related with the impedance contrast between several hundred meters of medium-hard sedimentary rocks (marls and calcarenites) with the stiffer basement of the basin, which dips to the SE. These results illustrate the case of relatively long resonance periods capable to influence high-rise buildings, the existence of which could not be properly evaluated attending to the geotechnical description at surface. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under grant CGL2014-59908 and by the European Union with FEDER.

The ICDP Hotspot Scientific Drilling Program: Overview of geophysical logging and seismic imaging through basaltic and rhyolitic volcanic deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, D. R.; Liberty, L. M.; Kessler, J. A.; Kueck, J.; Kofman, R. S.; Bishop, R. A.; Shervais, J. W.; Evans, J. P.; Champion, D. E.

2012-12-01

The recently completed ICDP Hotspot drilling program consisted of drilling of three scientific drill holes each to at least 1800 m depth across the Snake River Plain of Idaho. The three boreholes include i) Kimama: thick sequences of basalt flows with sediment interbeds; ii) Kimberley: near surface basalt flows overlying rhyolite deposits, and iii) Mountain Home: geothermally altered basalts overlain by lacustrine sediments. The program consisted of high resolution 2D surface tied to vertical and walk-a-way borehole seismic profiles and an extensive suite of full waveform sonic, ultrasonic televiewer, electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and hydrogen index neutron logging. There are a number of highlights out of this work. First, seismic imaging beneath basalt flows is a classic problem in reflection seismology and has long been believed to be due to rapid attenuation of the downgoing seismic pulse. Here, however, we observed strong arrivals at all depths suggesting that seismic energy is penetrating such formations and that issues in imaging may be a result of the heterogeneous nature of the formations. Second, the neutron log responses correlate well with the structure of individual basalt flows. High and low backscattered neutron counts correspond to massive low porosity basalt rock and with the higher porosity and sediment filled flow tops, respectively. Third, the ultrasonic borehole televiewer information is being used to orient the nearly complete sets of core in order to obtain information on the azimuths of natural and drilling induced core fractures. This together with examination of borehole breakouts and drilling induced tensile fractures on the wellbore wall will allow for semi-quantitative stress estimates across the Snake River Plain. Finally, the Mountain Home borehole provides an unique opportunity to study the geothermally altered basalts. There are a number of correlations between, for example, the sonic and electrical logs that must relate to the style of alteration.

Continuous micro-earthquake catalogue of the central Southern Alps, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michailos, Konstantinos; Townend, John; Savage, Martha; Chamberlain, Calum

2017-04-01

The Alpine Fault is one of the most prominent tectonic features in the South Island, New Zealand, and is inferred to be late in its seismic cycle of M 8 earthquakes based on paleoseismological evidence. Despite this, the Alpine Fault displays low levels of contemporary seismic activity, with little documented on-fault seismicity. This low magnitude seismicity, often below the completeness level of the GeoNet national seismic catalogue, may inform us of changes in fault character along-strike and might be used for rupture simulations and hazard planning. Thus, compiling a micro-earthquake catalogue for the Southern Alps prior to an expected major earthquake is of great interest. Areas of low seismic activity, like the central part of the Alpine Fault, require data recorded over a long duration to reveal temporal and spatial seismicity patterns and provide a better understanding for the processes controlling seismogenesis. The continuity and density of the Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array (SAMBA; deployed in late 2008) allows us to study seismicity in the Southern Alps over a more extended time period than has ever been done previously. Furthermore, by using data from other temporary networks (e.g. WIZARD, ALFA08, DFDP-10) we are able to extend the region covered. To generate a spatially and temporally continuous catalogue of seismicity in New Zealand's central Southern Alps, we used automatic detection and phase-picking methods. We used an automatic phase-picking method for both P- and S- wave arrivals (kPick; Rawles and Thurber, 2015). Using almost 8 years of seismic data we calculated about 9,000 preliminary earthquake. The seismicity is clustered and scattered and a previously observed seismic gap between the Wanganui and Whataroa rivers is also identified.

GONAF - A borehole Geophysical Observatory around the North Anatolian Fault in the Eastern Sea of Marmara

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohnhoff, Marco; Dresen, Georg; Ceken, Ulubey; Tuba Kadarioglu, Filiz; Feyiz Kartal, Recai; Kilic, Tugbay; Nurlu, Murat; Yanik, Kenan; Acarel, Digdem; Bulut, Fatih; Ito, Hisao; Johnson, Wade; Malin, Peter Eric; Mencin, Dave

2017-04-01

The Marmara section of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) runs under water and is located less than 20 km from the 15-million-person population center of Istanbul at its eastern portion. Based on historical seismicity data, recurrence times forecast an impending magnitude M>7 earthquake for this region. The permanent GONAF Geophysical Observatory at the North Anatolian Fault has been installed around this section to help capture the seismic and strain activity preceding, during, and after such an anticipated event. The GONAF observatory is currently comprised of seven 300 m deep vertical seismic profiling stations and four collocated 100 m deep borehole strainmeters. Five of the stations are located on the land surrounding the Princes Islands segment below the eastern Sea of Marmara and two are on the near-fault Princes Islands south of Istanbul. The 300 m boreholes have 1, 2, and 15 Hz 3-C seismometers near their bottoms. Above this are vertical, 1 Hz, seismometers at 210, 140, and 70 m depths. The strainmeter boreholes are located within a few meters of the seismometer boreholes and contain horizontal strain tensor sensors and 2 Hz 3-C seismometers at their bottoms. This selection of instruments and depths was done so as to ensure high-precision and broad-frequency earthquake monitoring and vertical profiling, all under low-noise conditions. GONAF is the first ICDP-driven project with a primarily focus on long-term monitoring of fault-zone dynamics. It has already contributed to earthquake hazard studies in the Istanbul area in several ways. Combining GONAF recordings with existing regional seismic stations now allows monitoring of the NAFZ offshore Istanbul down to magnitudes M<0. GONAF also improves the resolution of earthquake hypocenters and source parameters, better defining local fault branches, their seismicity, and earthquake potential. Using its vertical distribution of sensors, it has directly measured depth-dependent seismic site-effects for ground shaking studies. GONAF is starting to address fundamental questions related to earthquake nucleation, rupture dynamics, temporal changes of material properties and strain.

Borehole seismic monitoring of seismic stimulation at OccidentalPermian Ltd's -- South Wason Clear Fork Unit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daley, Tom; Majer, Ernie

2007-04-30

Seismic stimulation is a proposed enhanced oil recovery(EOR) technique which uses seismic energy to increase oil production. Aspart of an integrated research effort (theory, lab and field studies),LBNL has been measuring the seismic amplitude of various stimulationsources in various oil fields (Majer, et al., 2006, Roberts,et al.,2001, Daley et al., 1999). The amplitude of the seismic waves generatedby a stimulation source is an important parameter for increased oilmobility in both theoretical models and laboratory core studies. Theseismic amplitude, typically in units of seismic strain, can be measuredin-situ by use of a borehole seismometer (geophone). Measuring thedistribution of amplitudes within amore » reservoir could allow improved designof stimulation source deployment. In March, 2007, we provided in-fieldmonitoring of two stimulation sources operating in Occidental (Oxy)Permian Ltd's South Wasson Clear Fork (SWCU) unit, located near DenverCity, Tx. The stimulation source is a downhole fluid pulsation devicedeveloped by Applied Seismic Research Corp. (ASR). Our monitoring used aborehole wall-locking 3-component geophone operating in two nearbywells.« less

Combination of surface and borehole seismic data for robust target-oriented imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yi; van der Neut, Joost; Arntsen, Børge; Wapenaar, Kees

2016-05-01

A novel application of seismic interferometry (SI) and Marchenko imaging using both surface and borehole data is presented. A series of redatuming schemes is proposed to combine both data sets for robust deep local imaging in the presence of velocity uncertainties. The redatuming schemes create a virtual acquisition geometry where both sources and receivers lie at the horizontal borehole level, thus only a local velocity model near the borehole is needed for imaging, and erroneous velocities in the shallow area have no effect on imaging around the borehole level. By joining the advantages of SI and Marchenko imaging, a macrovelocity model is no longer required and the proposed schemes use only single-component data. Furthermore, the schemes result in a set of virtual data that have fewer spurious events and internal multiples than previous virtual source redatuming methods. Two numerical examples are shown to illustrate the workflow and to demonstrate the benefits of the method. One is a synthetic model and the other is a realistic model of a field in the North Sea. In both tests, improved local images near the boreholes are obtained using the redatumed data without accurate velocities, because the redatumed data are close to the target.

Sequence of slow slip events and low frequency earthquakes in the shallow part of the Nankai Trough seismogenic zone observed by seafloor observation network.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araki, E.; Saffer, D. M.; Kopf, A.; To, A.; Ide, S.; Nakano, M.; Kimura, T.; Machida, Y.

2016-12-01

Seismic behavior of the thrust zone in trench side of the seismically coupled plate interface in the Nankai Trough is poorly understood because shore based seismic and geodetic observation does not have enough sensitivity to detect slow activity in the area. In these years, we constructed dense seafloor observation network in combination with pore-fluid pressure, strain, and seismic sensing in IODP deep boreholes (C0002G and C0010A) and 20+ seafloor broadband seismometers cabled to the observation network called DONET for long-term continuous observation in the To-Nankai area of the Nankai Trough, south of Japan. Analysis of the seismic records from DONET seafloor seismometer and pore-fluid pressure records from the boreholes in the period from Jan. 2011 to Apr. 2016 revealed the activities of the slow slip events (SSE), low frequency tremor (LFT), and very low frequency earthquakes (VLFE) in the observation network, detecting seven sequence of pore-fluid pressure transients in these boreholes representing SSEs and many LFT and VLFEs from seismic records. Some of the SSE sequence accompanies active LFT swarms in the regions offshore of the locked seismogenic zone. Some of the pressure transient initiate precedent to the LFT swarms, as well as some does not accompany obvious LFT activity, as if the SSE occurs "silently", suggesting LFT does not express SSE but LFT seems activated by the SSE. This is also supported by change of SSE pressure transient rate in accordance with LFT activity, observed in sequences in Mar. 2011, Oct. 2015, and April 2016. In the Oct. 2015 sequence, observed pressure transient in two boreholes indicates the slip propagates updip in the shallow subduction zone. In many sequences including this sequence, we ientify that the LFT swarm tends to migrate updip direction. The pressure transient in Apr. 2016 also followed this tendency, initiating from co-seismic compression by Apr. 1 earthquake occurred downdip side of the boreholes, followed by further compression due to the after slip, and slow release of the pressure suggesting SSE along with very active LFT and VLFE activities migrating offshore direction in the following two weeks period. The SSE seemed further activated by teleseismic events Kumamoto earthquake in Apr. 17.

Observing the San Andreas Fault at Depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellsworth, W.; Hickman, S.; Zoback, M.; Davis, E.; Gee, L.; Huggins, R.; Krug, R.; Lippus, C.; Malin, P.; Neuhauser, D.; Paulsson, B.; Shalev, E.; Vajapeyam, B.; Weiland, C.; Zumberge, M.

2005-12-01

Extending 4 km into the Earth along a diagonal path that crosses the divide between Salinian basement accreted to the Pacific Plate and Cretaceous sediments of North America, the main hole at the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) was designed to provide a portal into the inner workings of a major plate boundary fault. The successful drilling and casing of the main hole in the summer of 2005 to a total vertical depth of 3.1 km make it possible to conduct spatially extensive and long-duration observations of active tectonic processes within the actively deforming core of the San Andreas Fault. In brief, the observatory consists of retrievable seismic, deformation and environmental sensors deployed inside the casing in both the main hole (maximum temperature 135 C) and the collocated pilot hole (1.1 km depth), and a fiber optic strainmeter installed behind casing in the main hole. By using retrievable systems deployed on either wire line or rigid tubing, each hole can be used for a wide range of scientific purposes, with instrumentation that takes maximum advantage of advances in sensor technology. To meet the scientific and technical challenges of building the observatory, borehole instrumentation systems developed for use in the petroleum industry and by the academic community in other deep research boreholes have been deployed in the SAFOD pilot hole and main hole over the past year. These systems included 15Hz omni-directional and 4.5 Hz gimbaled seismometers, micro-electro-mechanical accelerometers, tiltmeters, sigma-delta digitizers, and a fiber optic interferometeric strainmeter. A 1200-m-long, 3-component 80-level clamped seismic array was also operated in the main hole for 2 weeks of recording in May of 2005, collecting continuous seismic data at 4000 sps. Some of the observational highlights include capturing one of the M 2 SAFOD target repeating earthquakes in the near-field at a distance of 420 m, with accelerations of up to 200 cm/s and a static displacement of a few microns. Numerous other local events were observed over the summer by the tilt and seismic instruments in the pilot hole, some of which produced strain offsets of several nanostrain on the fiber optic strainmeter. We were fortunate to observe several episodes of non-volcanic tremor on the 80-level seismic array in May, 2005. These spatially unaliased recordings of the tremor wavefield reveal that the complex tremor time series is comprised of up-and down-going shear waves that produce a spatially stationary interference pattern over time scales of 10s of seconds. All data collected at SAFOD as part of the EarthScope project are open and freely available to all. The Northern California Earthquake Data Center at U.C. Berkeley is the principal data repository for SAFOD. The more than 2 TB of 80-level array data are also available at the IRIS DMC as an assembled data collection.

A 3-D velocity model for earthquake location from combined geological and geophysical data: a case study from the TABOO near fault observatory (Northern Apennines, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latorre, Diana; Lupattelli, Andrea; Mirabella, Francesco; Trippetta, Fabio; Valoroso, Luisa; Lomax, Anthony; Di Stefano, Raffaele; Collettini, Cristiano; Chiaraluce, Lauro

2014-05-01

Accurate hypocenter location at the crustal scale strongly depends on our knowledge of the 3D velocity structure. The integration of geological and geophysical data, when available, should contribute to a reliable seismic velocity model in order to guarantee high quality earthquake locations as well as their consistency with the geological structure. Here we present a 3D, P- and S-wave velocity model of the Upper Tiber valley region (Northern Apennines) retrieved by combining an extremely robust dataset of surface and sub-surface geological data (seismic reflection profiles and boreholes), in situ and laboratory velocity measurements, and earthquake data. The study area is a portion of the Apennine belt undergoing active extension where a set of high-angle normal faults is detached on the Altotiberina low-angle normal fault (ATF). From 2010, this area hosts a scientific infrastructure (the Alto Tiberina Near Fault Observatory, TABOO; http://taboo.rm.ingv.it/), consisting of a dense array of multi-sensor stations, devoted to studying the earthquakes preparatory phase and the deformation processes along the ATF fault system. The proposed 3D velocity model is a layered model in which irregular shaped surfaces limit the boundaries between main lithological units. The model has been constructed by interpolating depth converted seismic horizons interpreted along 40 seismic reflection profiles (down to 4s two way travel times) that have been calibrated with 6 deep boreholes (down to 5 km depth) and constrained by detailed geological maps and structural surveys data. The layers of the model are characterized by similar rock types and seismic velocity properties. The P- and S-waves velocities for each layer have been derived from velocity measurements coming from both boreholes (sonic logs) and laboratory, where measurements have been performed on analogue natural samples increasing confining pressure in order to simulate crustal conditions. In order to test the 3D velocity model, we located a selected dataset of the 2010-2013 TABOO catalogue, which is composed of about 30,000 micro-earthquakes (see Valoroso et al., same session). Earthquake location was performed by applying the global-search earthquake location method NonLinLoc, which is able to manage strong velocity contrasts as that observed in the study area. The model volume is 65km x 55km x 20km and is parameterized by constant velocity, cubic cells of side 100 m. For comparison, we applied the same inversion code by using the best 1D model of the area obtained with earthquake data. The results show a significant quality improvement with the 3D model both in terms of location parameters and correlation between seismicity distribution and known geological structures.

Downhole hydraulic seismic generator

DOEpatents

Gregory, Danny L.; Hardee, Harry C.; Smallwood, David O.

1992-01-01

A downhole hydraulic seismic generator system for transmitting energy wave vibrations into earth strata surrounding a borehole. The system contains an elongated, unitary housing operably connected to a well head aboveground by support and electrical cabling, and contains clamping apparatus for selectively clamping the housing to the walls of the borehole. The system further comprises a hydraulic oscillator containing a double-actuating piston whose movement is controlled by an electro-servovalve regulating a high pressure hydraulic fluid flow into and out of upper and lower chambers surrounding the piston. The spent hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic oscillator is stored and pumped back into the system to provide high pressure fluid for conducting another run at the same, or a different location within the borehole.

Recent advances in the use of acoustics across the frequency spectrum in the oil and gas industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeroug, Smaine; Bose, Sandip

2018-04-01

Acoustics enjoys a wide array of applicability in the Oil and Gas industry. Signals with very low-frequencies (tens of Hertz) are routinely used on surface to image the earth subsurface delineating hydrocarbon reservoirs while signals with mid-frequencies (thousands of Hertz) to high-frequencies (hundreds of kilo Hertz) are used in deep boreholes to probe rock mechanical properties and evaluate completion hardware. This article reviews a few recent advances in these applications spanning both measurement concepts and processing and inversion approaches. Three applications are covered, going from high to low frequencies. The first relates to an ultrasonic imager deployed in open boreholes to probe the laminated structure of unconventional shale rock formations at depth of more than 3000 m. The imager yields rock compressional and shear wavespeed images as a function of depth and azimuth revealing a host of geomechanical manifestations of the borehole shape and near-wellbore region at an unprecedented centimetric spatial resolution. The quantitative images have bearing on rock strength and local stresses as they relate to the hydraulic fracturing of these shale formations. The second relates to the interpretation of the complex sonic response in a well cased with double steel strings cemented to the rock formation for the purpose of evaluating the integrity of the cement placed between the outer string and formation. Here, machine learning-based approaches are employed with training on modeling and experimental datasets to develop effective and wellsite diagnosis for the condition of the cement sheath. The third relates to the seismic imaging domain and the deployment of novel accelerometers added to hydrophones on marine seismic cables to capture the subsurface-reflected pressure signals and their spatial gradients. The combination of the two sensors provides the means to deghost the signal from the sea surface reflection, and more importantly, reconstruct the subsurface seismic wavefield that is poorly sampled across cables that are spaced 75m to 150 m apart. Novel compressive-sensing schemes coupled with wave physics are employed for the wavefield reconstruction at virtual sampling rates way beyond Nyquist's criterion.

Amplitude and Frequency Experimental Field Measurements of a Rotating-Imbalance Seismic Source Associated with Changes in Lithology Surrounding a Borehole

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stephen R. Novascone; Michael J. Anderson; David M. Weinberg

2003-10-01

Field measurements of the vibration amplitude of a rotating-imbalance seismic source in a liquid-filled borehole are described. The borehole was a cased oil well that had been characterized by gamma-ray cement bond and compensated neutron litho-density/gamma-ray logs. The well logs indicated an abrupt transition from shale to limestone at a depth of 2638 ft. The vibration amplitude and frequency of a rotating-imbalance seismic source was measured versus applied voltage as the source was raised from 2654 to 2618 ft through the shale–limestone transition. It was observed that the vibration amplitude changed by approximately 10% in magnitude and the frequency changedmore » approximately 15% as the source passed the shale–limestone transition. The measurements were compared to predictions provided by a two-dimensional analytical model of a rotating-imbalance source located in a liquid-filled bore hole. It was observed that the sensitivity of the experimentally measured vibration amplitude of the seismic source to the properties of the surrounding geologic media was an order of magnitude greater than that predicted by the two-dimensional analytical model.« less

Co-seismic response of water level in the Jingle well (China) associated with the Gorkha Nepal (Mw 7.8) earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Anhua; Fan, Xuefang; Zhao, Gang; Liu, Yang; Singh, Ramesh P.; Hu, Yuliang

2017-09-01

Changes in co-seismic water levels associated with the Gorkha Nepal earthquake (25 April 2015, Mw 7.8) were recorded in the Jingle well in Shanxi Province China (longitude E112.03°, latitude N38.35°, about 2769 km from epicenter). Based on the observed water levels, we clearly identified signals relating to P, S and surface waves. However, the water temperature recorded at a depth of 350 m shows no co-seismic changes. A spectrum analysis of co-seismic variations of water level shows that the oscillation frequency and amplitude of water level in the borehole are determined by the natural frequency of the borehole, which is not associated with the propagation of seismic waves. The borehole-aquifer system shows a large amplification associated with ground vibrations generated by earthquakes. Considering the local hydro-geological map and the temperature gradient of the Jingle well, a large volume ;groundwater reservoir; model can be used to explain these processes. Due to seismic wave propagation, the volume of a well-confined aquifer expands and contracts forming fractures that change the water flow. In the well-confined aquifer, water levels oscillate simultaneously with high amplitude ground shaking during earthquakes. However, the water in the center of the ;underground reservoir; remains relatively stationary, without any changes in the water temperature. In addition, a possible precursor wave is recorded in the water level at the Jingle well prior to the Gorkha earthquake.

Active-Source Seismic Tomography at Bradys Geothermal Field, Nevada, with Dense Nodal and Fiber-Optic Seismic Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurber, C. H.; Parker, L.; Li, P.; Fratta, D.; Zeng, X.; Feigl, K. L.; Ak, E.; Lord, N.

2017-12-01

We deployed a dense seismic array to image the shallow structure in the injection area of the Brady Hot Springs geothermal site in Nevada. The array was composed of 238 5 Hz, three-component nodal instruments and 8,700 m of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) fiber-optic cable installed in surface trenches plus about 400 m installed in a borehole. The geophone array had about 60 m instrument spacing in the target zone, whereas DAS channel separations were about 1 m. The acquisition systems provided 15 days of continuous records including active source and ambient noise signals. A large vibroseis truck (T-Rex) was operated at 196 locations, exciting a swept-frequency signal from 5 to 80 Hz over 20 seconds using three vibration modes. Sweeps were repeated up to four times during different modes of geothermal plant operation: normal operation, shut-down, high and oscillatory injection and production, and normal operation again. The cross-correlation method was utilized to remove the sweep signal from the geophone records. The first P arrivals were automatically picked from the cross-correlation functions using a combination of methods, and the travel times were used to invert for the 3D P-wave velocity structure. Models with 100 m and 50 m horizontal node spacing were obtained, with vertical node spacing of 10 to 50 m. The travel time data were fit to about 30 ms, close to our estimated picking uncertainty. We will present our 3D Vp model and the result of our search for measurable temporal changes, along with preliminary results for a 3D Vs model. The work presented herein was funded in part by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), U.S. Department of Energy, under Award Number DE-EE0006760.

Vertical Seismic Profiling at riser drilling site in the rupture area of the 1944 Tonankai Earthquake, Japan (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hino, R.; Kinoshita, M.; Araki, E.; Byrne, T. B.; McNeill, L. C.; Saffer, D. M.; Eguchi, N. O.; Takahashi, K.; Toczko, S.

2009-12-01

A series of scientific drilling expeditions is in operation in the Nankai Trough to reveal the faulting mechanism of the magathrust earthquakes, through clarifying composition, fine structure, mechanical behavior, and environmental variables of the seismogenic faults. In the studied area, extensive seismic surveys for site characterization have been made to image detailed geometry of the fault complex in the accretionary prism as well as Vp distribution around the faults. Although these previous surveys provided invaluable information for understanding seismotectonic processes in this subduction zone, more complete knowledge is needed to be acquired to predict dynamic behavior of the faults, such as geometrical irregularities in short wavelength, Vs and seismic attenuation which are sensitive to fluid distribution in and around fault zones. It is expected that estimation of these parameters would be improved considerably by a seismic exploration using a vertical array of seismographs installed in a deep borehole (VSP: vertical seismic profiling). In July 2009, we made a VSP at one of the drilling sites located just above the rupture area of the 1994 Tonankai Earthquake (M 8.1), during the IODP Exp.319. The well site of our VSP was made by the riser drilling of D/V Chikyu. The seismic array, lowered from Chikyu into the hole, was composed of a three-component accelerometer and vertical separation of the array elements was 15.12 m. The VSP was composed of offset VSP and zero-offset VSP. In the offset VSP, a tuned airgun array towed by R/V Kairei was shot along one straight line (walk-away VSP) and another circular line (walk-around VSP) and seismic signals were recorded by an array consisting of 16 elements installed from 907 to 1,135 m in depth from seafloor. The object of the walk-away VSP is to obtain fine image of the faults using reflection arrivals with less attenuation. It is also expected to obtain spatial variation of Vs from arrival time tomography of refracted S waves. For this purpose, we preferred extraordinarily longer (~ 30 km) offset shooting than usual industrial VSPs. Shot spacing was 60 m along the same line as the previous 3D reflection and OBS wide angle surveys. The radius of circle of the walk-around VSP was 3.5 km to detect azimuthal anisotropy of downgoing P and S waves, correlated to stress state around the site. In zero-offset VSP, shots just above the hole were recorded by the 8 element array moving from 0 to 1,135 mbsf along the hole so that seismic structure with comparable vertical resolution as core-log information would be obtained. In the records of the walk-away VSP, clear first arrivals as well as several evident later arrivals were clearly identified. The later phases contain the reflection from the megasplay fault and the refracted S wave through the accretional prism, on both of which we have significant interest. The walk-around VSP also provided us with high S/N records but detailed data reduction, such as velocity analysis using vertical array, are required to derive anisotropic nature of the formation around the hole.

Studies of earthquakes and microearthquakes using near-field seismic and geodetic observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Toole, Thomas Bartholomew

The Centroid-Moment Tensor (CMT) method allows an optimal point-source description of an earthquake to be recovered from a set of seismic observations, and, for over 30 years, has been routinely applied to determine the location and source mechanism of teleseismically recorded earthquakes. The CMT approach is, however, entirely general: any measurements of seismic displacement fields could, in theory, be used within the CMT inversion formulation, so long as the treatment of the earthquake as a point source is valid for that data. We modify the CMT algorithm to enable a variety of near-field seismic observables to be inverted for the source parameters of an earthquake. The first two data types that we implement are provided by Global Positioning System receivers operating at sampling frequencies of 1,Hz and above. When deployed in the seismic near field, these instruments may be used as long-period-strong-motion seismometers, recording displacement time series that include the static offset. We show that both the displacement waveforms, and static displacements alone, can be used to obtain CMT solutions for moderate-magnitude earthquakes, and that performing analyses using these data may be useful for earthquake early warning. We also investigate using waveform recordings - made by conventional seismometers deployed at the surface, or by geophone arrays placed in boreholes - to determine CMT solutions, and their uncertainties, for microearthquakes induced by hydraulic fracturing. A similar waveform inversion approach could be applied in many other settings where induced seismicity and microseismicity occurs..

The KRISP 90 seismic experiment-a technical review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prodehl, C.; Mechie, J.; Achauer, U.; Keller, Gordon R.; Khan, M.A.; Mooney, W.D.; Gaciri, S.J.; Obel, J.D.

1994-01-01

On the basis of a preliminary experiment in 1985 (KRISP 85), a seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection survey and a teleseismic tomography experiment were jointly undertaken to study the lithospheric structure of the Kenya rift down to depths of greater than 200 km. This report serves as an introduction to a series of subsequent papers and will focus on the technical description of the seismic surveys of the main KRISP 90 effort. The seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection survey was carried out in a 4-week period in January and February 1990. It consisted of three profiles: one extending along the rift valley from Lake Turkana to Lake Magadi, one crossing the rift at Lake Baringo, and one located on the eastern flank of the rift proper. A total of 206 mobile vertical-component seismographs, with an average station interval of about 2 km, recorded the energy of underwater and borehole explosions to distances of up to about 550 km. During the teleseismic survey an array of 65 seismographs was deployed to record teleseismic, regional and local events for a period of about 7 months from October 1989 to April 1990. The elliptical array spanned the central portion of the rift, with Nakuru at its center, and covered an area about 300 ?? 200 km, with an average station spacing of 10-30 km. Major scientific goals of the project were to reveal the detailed crustal and upper-mantle structure under the Kenya rift, to study the relationship between deep crustal and mantle structure and the development of sedimentary basins and volcanic features within the rift, to understand the role of the Kenya rift within the Afro-Arabian rift system, and to answer fundamental questions such as the mode and mechanism of continental rifting. ?? 1994.

Overview of microseismic monitoring of hydraulic fracturing for unconventional oil and gas plays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shemeta, J. E.

2011-12-01

The exponential growth of unconventional resources for oil and gas production has been driven by the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. These drilling and completion methods increase the contact area of the low permeability and porosity hydrocarbon bearing formations and allow for economic production in what was previously considered uncommercial rock. These new resource plays have sparked an enormous interest in microseismic monitoring of hydraulic fracture treatments. As a hydraulic fracture is pumped, microseismic events are emitted in a volume of rock surrounding the stimulated fracture. The goal of the monitoring is to identify and locate the microseismic events to a high degree of precision and to map the position of the induced hydraulic fracture in time and space. The microseismic events are very small, typically having a moment-magnitude range of -4 to 0. The microseismic data are collected using a variety of seismic array designs and instrumentation, including borehole, shallow borehole, near-surface and surface arrays, using either of three-component clamped 15 Hz borehole sondes to simple vertical 10 Hz geophones for surface monitoring. The collection and processing of these data is currently under rapid technical development. Each monitoring method has technical challenges which include accurate velocity modeling, correct seismic phase identification and signal to noise issues. The microseismic locations are used to guide hydrocarbon exploration and production companies in crucial reservoir development decisions such as the direction to drill the horizontal well bores and the appropriate inter-well spacing between horizontal wells to optimally drain the resource. The fracture mapping is also used to guide fracture and reservoir engineers in designing and calibrating the fluid volumes and types, injection rates and pressures for the hydraulic fracture treatments. The microseismic data can be located and mapped in near real-time during an injection and used to assist the operators in the avoidance of geohazards (such as a karst feature or fault) or fracture height growth into undesirable formations such as water-bearing zones (that could ruin the well). An important objective for hydraulic fracture mapping is to map the effective fracture geometry: the specific volume of rock that is contributing to hydrocarbon flow in to the well. This, however, still remains an elusive goal that has yet to be completely understood with the current mapping technology.

Artificial Water Reservoir Triggered Earthquakes at Koyna, India: Completion of the 3 km deep Pilot Borehole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, H. K.; Tiwari, V. M.; Satyanarayana, H.; Roy, S.; Arora, K.; Patro, P. K.; Shashidhar, D.; Mallika, K.; Akkiraju, V.; Misra, S.; Goswami, D.; Podugu, N.; Mishra, S.

2017-12-01

Koyna, near the west coast of India is the most prominent site of artificial water reservoir triggered seismicity (RTS). Soon after the impoundment of the Koyna Dam in 1962, RTS was observed. It has continued till now. It includes the largest RTS earthquake M 6.3 on December 10, 1967; 22 M≥5.0, and thousands of smaller earthquakes. The entire earthquake activity is limited to an area of about 30 km x 20 km, with most focal depths being within 6 km. There is no other earthquake source within 50 km of the Koyna Dam. An ICDP Workshop held in March 2011 found Koyna to be the most suitable site to investigate reservoir- triggered seismicity (RTS) through deep drilling. Studies carried out in the preparatory phase since 2011 include airborne magnetic and gravity-gradient surveys, MT surveys, drilling of 9 boreholes going to depths of 1500 m and logging, heat flow measurements, seismological investigations including the deployment of six borehole seismometers, and LiDAR. The Second ICDP Workshop held during 16- 18 May 2014, reviewed the progress made and detailed planning of putting the borehole observatory was discussed. The site of a 3 km deep pilot borehole was debated and among the 5 possible location. Based on the seismic activity and logistics the location of the first Pilot Borehole has been finalized and the drilling started on the 21st December 2016. The 3000 m deep borehole was completed on 11th June 2017. The basement was touched at 1247 m depth and there were no sediments below basalt. Several zones with immense fluid losses were encountered. Geophysical Logging has been completed. Cores were recovered from 1269, 1892 and 2091 depths. The cores are 9 m long and with 4 inches diameter. The core recovery is almost 100%. In-situ stress measurements have been conducted at depths of 1600 m onwards.

Ground Motion Analysis of Co-Located DAS and Seismometer Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H. F.; Fratta, D.; Lord, N. E.; Lancelle, C.; Thurber, C. H.; Zeng, X.; Parker, L.; Chalari, A.; Miller, D.; Feigl, K. L.; Team, P.

2016-12-01

The PoroTomo research team deployed 8700-meters of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) cable in a shallow trench and 400-meters in a borehole at Brady Hot Springs, Nevada in March 2016 together with an array of 246, three-component geophones. The seismic sensors occupied a natural laboratory 1500 x 500 x 400 meters overlying the Brady geothermal field. The DAS cable was laid out in three parallel zig-zag lines with line segments approximately 100-meters in length and geophones were spaced at approximately 50-m intervals. In several line segments, geophones were co-located within one meter of the DAS cable. Both DAS and the conventional geophones recorded continuously over 15 days. A large Vibroseis truck (T-Rex) provided the seismic source at approximately 250 locations outside and within the array. The Vibroseis protocol called for excitation in one vertical and two orthogonal horizontal directions at each location. For each mode, three, 5-to-80-Hz upsweeps were made over 20 seconds. In addition, a moderate-sized earthquake with a local magnitude of 4.3 was recorded on March 21, 2016. Its epicenter was approximately 150-km away. Several DAS line segments with co-located geophone stations were used to test relationships between the strain rate recorded by DAS and ground velocity recorded by the geophones.

Optimization of wide-angle seismic signal-to-noise ratios and P-wave transmission in Kenya

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacob, A.W.B.; Vees, R.; Braile, L.W.; Criley, E.

1994-01-01

In previous refraction and wide-angle reflection experiments in the Kenya Rift there were problems with poor signal-noise ratios which made good seismic interpretation difficult. Careful planning and preparation for KRISP 90 has substantially overcome these problems and produced excellent seismic sections in a difficult environment. Noise levels were minimized by working, as far as possible, at times of the day when conditions were quiet, while source signals were optimized by using dispersed charges in water where it was available and waterfilled boreholes in most cases where it was not. Seismic coupling at optimum depth in water has been found to be more than 100 times greater than it is in a borehole in dry loosely compacted material. Allowing for the source coupling, a very marked difference has been found between the observation ranges in the rift and those on the flanks, where the observation ranges are greater. These appear to indicate a significant difference in seismic transmission through the two types of crust. ?? 1994.

Borehole induction coil transmitter

DOEpatents

Holladay, Gale; Wilt, Michael J.

2002-01-01

A borehole induction coil transmitter which is a part of a cross-borehole electromagnetic field system that is used for underground imaging applications. The transmitter consists of four major parts: 1) a wound ferrite or mu-metal core, 2) an array of tuning capacitors, 3) a current driver circuit board, and 4) a flux monitor. The core is wound with several hundred turns of wire and connected in series with the capacitor array, to produce a tuned coil. This tuned coil uses internal circuitry to generate sinusoidal signals that are transmitted through the earth to a receiver coil in another borehole. The transmitter can operate at frequencies from 1-200 kHz and supplies sufficient power to permit the field system to operate in boreholes separated by up to 400 meters.

New seismic images of the crust across the Rivera Plate and Jalisco Block (Mexico)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cordoba, Diego; Núñez-Cornú, Francisco Javier; Bartolomé, Rafael; José Dañobeitia, Juan; Bandy, William Lee; Núñez, Diana; Prada, Manel; Escudero-Ayala, Christian; Espíndola, Juan Manuel; Zamora, Araceli; Gómez, Adán; Ortiz, Modesto; Tsujal Working Group

2015-04-01

During the spring and summer of 2014, we achieved an extensive offshore geophysical experiment at West Coast of México entitled "Crustal characterization of the Rivera Plate-Jalisco Block boundary and its implications for seismic and tsunami hazard assessment (TSUJAL)". The project is the result of continuous scientific collaboration between institutions in Mexico and Spain, whose main objective is to study the lithospheric structure at the collision zone between Rivera, North America Plates and the Jalisco Block, and identifying submarine structures which can potentially be tsunamigenic sources The active phase of this project carried out in February and March of 2014, we acquired around 5200 km of Multichannel Seismic Reflection (MCS) together with multibeam bathymetry and potential fields (gravity and magnetism) data. Moreover, a wide angle experiment was performed, deploying 16 OBS in 32 locations in Jalisco and Nayarit offshore regions, also recorded on a terrestrial network of 100 portable seismic stations in 240 locations across 5 seismic profiles of 200-300 km in length combined with the Seismological Network of the State of Jalisco (SisVOc). In addition, 8 land seismic stations were installed in Marías Islands and Isabel Island. These instruments registered, in continuous mode, the airgun shots generated by airgun array of 5800 ci, shooting every 120 s. The UK vessel RRS James Cook participated in this project as a part of the exchange program between Spanish and English scientific vessels, she was responsible of marine seismic experiment (MCS & WA) using a 6 km length streamer and a high capacity airgun array. Furthermore, the ARM Holzinger and RV El Puma participated in this project and were provided by the Mexican Navy and UNAM, respectively. The second phase of this project was achieved in June 2014, where 100 short period seismic stations were installed along a 200 km seismic profile from La Caldera de la Primavera (Guadalajara) to Barra de Navidad (Jalisco coast).These instruments registered 3 borehole explosions of 1000 kg specially made for this project, in the northern, central and southern parts of this profile. These new data provide a dense sampling of tectonic plates, W Mexico, and give new seismic constraints on the deformation along and across the subduction zone, accretionary wedge size, at contact between Rivera and North American Plates and, in the transition zone between oceanic and continental crust.

Optimizing the design of vertical seismic profiling (VSP) for imaging fracture zones over hardrock basement geothermal environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiser, Fabienne; Schmelzbach, Cedric; Maurer, Hansruedi; Greenhalgh, Stewart; Hellwig, Olaf

2017-04-01

A primary focus of geothermal seismic imaging is to map dipping faults and fracture zones that control rock permeability and fluid flow. Vertical seismic profiling (VSP) is therefore a most valuable means to image the immediate surroundings of an existing borehole to guide, for example, the placing of new boreholes to optimize production from known faults and fractures. We simulated 2D and 3D acoustic synthetic seismic data and processed it through to pre-stack depth migration to optimize VSP survey layouts for mapping moderately to steeply dipping fracture zones within possible basement geothermal reservoirs. Our VSP survey optimization procedure for sequentially selecting source locations to define the area where source points are best located for optimal imaging makes use of a cross-correlation statistic, by which a subset of migrated shot gathers is compared with a target or reference image from a comprehensive set of source gathers. In geothermal exploration at established sites, it is reasonable to assume that sufficient à priori information is available to construct such a target image. We generally obtained good results with a relatively small number of optimally chosen source positions distributed over an ideal source location area for different fracture zone scenarios (different dips, azimuths, and distances from the surveying borehole). Adding further sources outside the optimal source area did not necessarily improve the results, but rather resulted in image distortions. It was found that fracture zones located at borehole-receiver depths and laterally offset from the borehole by 300 m can be imaged reliably for a range of the different dips, but more source positions and large offsets between sources and the borehole are required for imaging steeply dipping interfaces. When such features cross-cut the borehole, they are particularly difficult to image. For fracture zones with different azimuths, 3D effects are observed. Far offset source positions contribute less to the image quality as fracture zone azimuth increases. Our optimization methodology is best suited for designing future field surveys with a favorable benefit-cost ratio in areas with significant à priori knowledge. Moreover, our optimization workflow is valuable for selecting useful subsets of acquired data for optimum target-oriented processing.

Improving our understanding of the evolution of mountain belts via the Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides (COSC) project: Results from seismic investigations and plans for the 2.5 km deep COSC-2 borehole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juhlin, C.; Almqvist, B. S. G.; Buske, S.; Giese, R.; Hedin, P.; Lorenz, H.

2017-12-01

Mountain belts (orogens) have influenced, and do influence, geological processes and climatic conditions considerably, perhaps more than any other natural phenomenon. The Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt is the prime example of a collisional orogen today. However, research in an active orogen is mostly constrained to observe and interpret the expression of processes at the surface, while the driving processes act at depth, often at mid-crustal levels (20 km) and deeper. About 440 million years ago, an orogen comparable in dimension and tectonic setting to today's Alpine-Himalayan orogen was developing in what is western Scandinavia today. Since then, erosion has removed much of the overburden and exposed the deep interior of the orogen, facilitating direct observation of rocks that are deep in the crust in modern orogens. In the COSC project we study how large rock volumes (allochthons) were transported during the collision of two continents and the associated deformation. The emplacement of high-grade metamorphic allochthons during orogeny has been the focus of COSC-1 research, centered on a 2.5 km deep fully cored borehole drilled in the summer of 2014 through the lower part of the high-grade Seve Nappe Complex near the town of Åre in western Sweden. The planned COSC-2 borehole (also fully cored to 2.5 km) will complement the COSC-1 borehole and allow a 5 km deep tectonostratigraphic column of the Caledonides to be constructed. The rock volume in the proximity of the COSC-2 borehole will be imaged with a combination of very-high and high-resolution geophysical experiments, such as a combination of high frequency seismics; zero offset and walk-away vertical seismic profiling (VSP); and a sparse 3D coverage around the drill site combined with 2D seismic profiles of several kilometers length in different directions. Downhole geophysical logging will provide additional information on the in-situ rock physical properties. Data from surface surveys will be calibrated against and integrated with the borehole data and the geological interpretation of the drill core. The COSC-1 and COSC-2 boreholes will provide a field laboratory for investigating mountain building processes, how plates and rock units deform, what structures and units are formed and their physical properties.

Seismic measurements of the internal properties of fault zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mooney, W.D.; Ginzburg, A.

1986-01-01

The internal properties within and adjacent to fault zones are reviewed, principally on the basis of laboratory, borehole, and seismic refraction and reflection data. The deformation of rocks by faulting ranges from intragrain microcracking to severe alteration. Saturated microcracked and mildly fractured rocks do not exhibit a significant reduction in velocity, but, from borehole measurements, densely fractured rocks do show significantly reduced velocities, the amount of reduction generally proportional to the fracture density. Highly fractured rock and thick fault gouge along the creeping portion of the San Andreas fault are evidenced by a pronounced seismic low-velocity zone (LVZ), which is either very thin or absent along locked portions of the fault. Thus there is a correlation between fault slip behavior and seismic velocity structure within the fault zone; high pore pressure within the pronounced LVZ may be conductive to fault creep. Deep seismic reflection data indicate that crustal faults sometimes extend through the entire crust. Models of these data and geologic evidence are consistent with a composition of deep faults consisting of highly foliated, seismically anisotropic mylonites. ?? 1986 Birkha??user Verlag, Basel.

A new seismic probe for coal seam hazard detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, W.R.; Owen, T.E.; Thill, R.E.

1985-01-01

An experimental hole-to-hole seismic probe system has been developed for use in coal measure geology as a means of determining the structural conditions of coal seams. The source probe produces a 500-joule electric arc discharge whose seismic wavelet has a spectrum in the 200 to 2,000 Hz frequency range. Low compliance hydrophones contained in the source probe as well as in a separate seismic detector probe are matched to the frequency range of the source. Both probes are constructed with 5.72 cm diameter housings. The transducers in the probes are equipped with fluid-inflatable boots to permit operation in either wetmore » or dry boreholes. Preliminary tests in vertical boreholes drilled 213 m apart in sedimentary rock formations show reliable operation and useful seismic propagation measurements along horizontal and oblique paths up to 232 m in length. Because the seismic wavelet has an accurately repeatable waveshape, multiple shots and signal averaging techniques can be used to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and extend the transmission distances.« less

Change Detection via Cross-Borehole and VSP Seismic Surveys for the Source Physics Experiments (SPE) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, H. A.; Abbott, R. E.; Bonal, N. D.; Aldridge, D. F.; Preston, L. A.; Ober, C.

2012-12-01

In support of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), we have conducted two cross-borehole seismic experiments in the Climax Stock. The first experiment was conducted prior to the third shot in this multi-detonation program using two available boreholes and the shot hole, while the second experiment was conducted after the shot using four of the available boreholes. The first study focused on developing a well-characterized 2D pre-explosion Vp model including two VSPs and a seismic refraction survey, as well as quantifying baseline waveform similarity at reoccupied sites. This was accomplished by recording both "sparker" and accelerated weight drop sources on a hydrophone string and surface geophones. In total more than 18,500 unique source-receiver pairs were acquired during this testing. In the second experiment, we reacquired aproximately 8,800 source-receiver pairs and performed a cross-line survey allowing for a 3D post-explosion Vp model. The data acquired from the reoccupied sites was processed using cross-correlation methods and change detection methodologies, including comparison of the tomographic images. The survey design and subsequent processing provided an opportunity to investigate seismic wave propagation through damaged rock. We also performed full waveform forward modelling for a granitic body hosting a perched aquifer. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Initial results from MARmara SuperSITE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meral Ozel, Nurcan; Necmioglu, Ocal; Favali, Paolo; Douglas, John; Mathieu, Pierre-Philippe; Geli, Louis; Ergintav, Semih; Oguz Ozel, Asım; Tan, Onur; Gurbuz, Cemil; Erdik, Mustafa

2014-05-01

MARSite Project was initiated in November 2012 under the EC/FP-7 framework as an initiative towards establishment of new directions in seismic hazard assessment through focused earth observation in Marmara Region. Within MARSite, collection of the first comprehensive data set of fluids composition around the Sea of Marmara has been accomplished and first insight in the geochemical features of the fluids are expelled from tectonic structures around the Sea of Marmara. GPS time series and velocity fields are periodically updated and a project proposal has been prepared for Supersite initiative to take SAR data and integrate the results with in-situ data sets, which is accepted by the scientific committee of GEOSS. In the meantime, special focus was given to develop the processing algorithms, starting from low level atmospheric correction to high level modeling routines. Considerable progress has been made in the novel design of a multiparameter borehole system consisting of very wide dynamic range and stable borehole (VBB) broad band seismic sensor also incorporating 3-D strain meter, tilt meter, and temperature and local hydrostatic pressure measuring devices. Borehole and surface array locations and borehole bedrock depth of 137 m has been identified. A modeling scheme for the scenario earthquake simulation has been set up in order to realize processing of real-time high-rate GPS data and simulating of scenario earthquakes. The probability of occurrence for the fault segmentation in the Marmara region were calculated using the Poisson, BPT and BPT with a stress interaction models for time intervals of 5-10-30 and 50 years. High resolution seismic reflection and multibeam data in the easternmost Cinarcik basin obtained during the cruise MARMARA 2013 carried out onboard the CNR R/V Urania ship provided information on diffuse gravitational failures. An in situ multi-parameter observational system for landslide monitoring, including displacement, rainfall and seismic shaking measurements, has been prepared by INERIS to be set up on the field to be also set up as an early warning system prototype to be progressively parameterized and tested on near to real time condition. Slip rate on the Main Marmara Fault from 3D seismic data has been estimated and extremely young age of the North Anatolian Fault in the Sea of Marmara has been determined. Seismic risk study for IGDAS Natural Gas Network including pipelines and its components has been carried out with several earthquake scenarios in Marmara Sea. An automatic shut-off algorithm has been developed for the automatic shut-off of the gas flow at the IGDAS district regulators during an extreme event. All the European and international initiatives and projects that could have links with MARsite were identified as the initial step for the integration of data management practices and coordination with ongoing research infrastructures. EPOS and EMSO are considered to be crucial links that could provide sustainability of MARsite's developments beyond the project's lifetime. Concerning EMSO, Marmara is one of the nodes of the research infrastructure, in which a permanent installation at sea is being integrated with land-based networks. In the context of EPOS, MARsite will be a thematic core service. In addition, the data collection and dissemination in MARsite is carried out according to the data management principles of EMSO and EPOS. Dissemination activities reached a certain level of maturity through the relesea of Public Annual Report, quarterly newsletter, ID card and poster, social media interaction, dedicated web sites, videos and several conferences and workhops participated, such as GEO European Projects' Workshop, Supersites Coordination Workshop and GEO-X Plenary & Geneva Ministerial Summit .

Sensitivity to Regional Earthquake Triggering and Magnitude-Frequency Characteristics of Microseismicity Detected via Matched-Filter Analysis, Central Southern Alps, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boese, C. M.; Townend, J.; Chamberlain, C. J.; Warren-Smith, E.

2016-12-01

Microseismicity recorded since 2008 by the Southern Alps Microseismicity Borehole Array (SAMBA) and other predominantly short-period seismic networks deployed in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand, reveals distinctive patterns of triggering in response to regional seismicity (magnitudes larger than 5, epicentral distances of 100-500 km). Using matched-filter detection methods implemented in the EQcorrscan package (Chamberlain et al., in prep.), we analyze microseismicity occurring in several geographically distinct swarms in order to examine the responses of specific microearthquake sources to earthquakes of different sizes occurring at different distances and azimuths. The swarms exhibit complex responses to regional seismicity which reveal that microearthquake triggering in these cases involves a combination of extrinsic factors (related to the dynamic stresses produced by the regional earthquake) and intrinsic factors (controlled by the local state of stress and possibly by hydrogeological processes). We find also that the microearthquakes detected by individual templates have Gutenberg-Richter magnitude-frequency characteristics. Since the detected events, by design, have very similar hypocentres and focal mechanisms, the observed scaling pertains to a restricted set of fault planes.

Joint inversion of marine seismic AVA and CSEM data using statistical rock-physics models and Markov random fields: Stochastic inversion of AVA and CSEM data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, J.; Hoversten, G.M.

2011-09-15

Joint inversion of seismic AVA and CSEM data requires rock-physics relationships to link seismic attributes to electrical properties. Ideally, we can connect them through reservoir parameters (e.g., porosity and water saturation) by developing physical-based models, such as Gassmann’s equations and Archie’s law, using nearby borehole logs. This could be difficult in the exploration stage because information available is typically insufficient for choosing suitable rock-physics models and for subsequently obtaining reliable estimates of the associated parameters. The use of improper rock-physics models and the inaccuracy of the estimates of model parameters may cause misleading inversion results. Conversely, it is easy tomore » derive statistical relationships among seismic and electrical attributes and reservoir parameters from distant borehole logs. In this study, we develop a Bayesian model to jointly invert seismic AVA and CSEM data for reservoir parameter estimation using statistical rock-physics models; the spatial dependence of geophysical and reservoir parameters are carried out by lithotypes through Markov random fields. We apply the developed model to a synthetic case, which simulates a CO{sub 2} monitoring application. We derive statistical rock-physics relations from borehole logs at one location and estimate seismic P- and S-wave velocity ratio, acoustic impedance, density, electrical resistivity, lithotypes, porosity, and water saturation at three different locations by conditioning to seismic AVA and CSEM data. Comparison of the inversion results with their corresponding true values shows that the correlation-based statistical rock-physics models provide significant information for improving the joint inversion results.« less

Multi-array borehole resistivity and induced polarization method with mathematical inversion of redundant data

DOEpatents

Ward, Stanley H.

1989-01-01

Multiple arrays of electric or magnetic transmitters and receivers are used in a borehole geophysical procedure to obtain a multiplicity of redundant data suitable for processing into a resistivity or induced polarization model of a subsurface region of the earth.

A Software Toolbox for Systematic Evaluation of Seismometer-Digitizer System Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

characteristics (e.g., borehole vs. surface installation) instead of the actual seismic noise characteristics. Their results suggest that our best...Administration Award No. DE-FG02-09ER85548 ABSTRACT Measurement of the absolute amplitudes of a seismic signal requires accurate knowledge of...estimates seismic noise power spectral densities, and NOISETRAN, which generates a pseudo-amplitude response (PAR) for a seismic station, based on

Impact of Groundwater Flow and Energy Load on Multiple Borehole Heat Exchangers.

PubMed

Dehkordi, S Emad; Schincariol, Robert A; Olofsson, Bo

2015-01-01

The effect of array configuration, that is, number, layout, and spacing, on the performance of multiple borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) is generally known under the assumption of fully conductive transport. The effect of groundwater flow on BHE performance is also well established, but most commonly for single BHEs. In multiple-BHE systems the effect of groundwater advection can be more complicated due to the induced thermal interference between the boreholes. To ascertain the influence of groundwater flow and borehole arrangement, this study investigates single- and multi-BHE systems of various configurations. Moreover, the influence of energy load balance is also examined. The results from corresponding cases with and without groundwater flow as well as balanced and unbalanced energy loads are cross-compared. The groundwater flux value, 10(-7) m/s, is chosen based on the findings of previous studies on groundwater flow interaction with BHEs and thermal response tests. It is observed that multi-BHE systems with balanced loads are less sensitive to array configuration attributes and groundwater flow, in the long-term. Conversely, multi-BHE systems with unbalanced loads are influenced by borehole array configuration as well as groundwater flow; these effects become more pronounced with time, unlike when the load is balanced. Groundwater flow has more influence on stabilizing loop temperatures, compared to array characteristics. Although borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) systems have a balanced energy load function, preliminary investigation on their efficiency shows a negative impact by groundwater which is due to their dependency on high temperature gradients between the boreholes and surroundings. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Temporal change in shallow subsurface P- and S-wave velocities and S-wave anisotropy inferred from coda wave interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, M.; Nishida, K.; Takeda, T.

2012-12-01

Recent progresses in theoretical and observational researches on seismic interferometry reveal the possibility to detect subtle change in subsurface seismic structure. This high sensitivity of seismic interferometry to the medium properties may thus one of the most important ways to directly observe the time-lapse behavior of shallow crustal structure. Here, using the coda wave interferometry, we show the co-seismic and post-seismic changes in P- and S-wave velocities and S-wave anisotropy associated with the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake (M9.0). In this study, we use the acceleration data recorded at KiK-net stations operated by NIED, Japan. Each KiK-net station has a borehole whose typical depth is about 100m, and two three-component accelerometers are installed at the top and bottom of the borehole. To estimate the shallow subsurface P- and S-wave velocities and S-wave anisotropy between two sensors and their temporal change, we select about 1000 earthquakes that occurred between 2004 and 2012, and extract body waves propagating between borehole sensors by computing the cross-correlation functions (CCFs) of 3 x 3 component pairs. We use frequency bands of 2-4, 4-8, 8-16 Hz in our analysis. Each averaged CCF shows clear wave packets traveling between borehole sensors, and their travel times are almost consistent with those of P- and S-waves calculated from the borehole log data. Until the occurrence of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the estimated travel time at each station is rather stable with time except for weak seasonal/annual variation. On the other hand, the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and its aftershocks cause sudden decrease in the S-wave velocity at most of the KiK-net stations in eastern Japan. The typical value of S-wave velocity changes, which are measured by the time-stretching method, is about 5-15%. After this co-seismic change, the S-wave velocity gradually recovers with time, and the recovery continues for over one year following the logarithm of the lapse time. At some stations, the estimated P-wave velocity also shows co-seismic velocity decrease and subsequent gradual recovery. However, the magnitude of estimated P-wave velocity change is much smaller than that of S-wave, and at the other stations, the magnitude of P-wave velocity change is smaller than the resolution of our analysis. Using the CCFs computed from horizontal components, we also determine the seismic anisotropy in subsurface structure, and examine its temporal change. The estimated strength of anisotropy strength shows co-seismic increase at most of stations where co-seismic velocity change is detected. Nevertheless, the direction of anisotropy after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake stays about the same as before. These results suggest that, in addition to the change in pore pressure and corresponding decrease in the rigidity, the change in the aspect ratio of pre-existing subsurface fractures/micro-crack may be another key mechanism causing the co-seismic velocity change in shallow subsurface structures.

Seismic refraction studies of volcanic crust in Costa Rica and of critical zones in the southern Sierra Nevada, California and Laramie Range, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, Jorden L.

This work demonstrates the utility of seismic refraction surveys to understanding geologic processes at a range of scales. Each chapter presents subsurface maps of seismic p-wave velocities, which vary due to contrasts in elastic material properties. In the following chapters we examine seismic p-wave velocity variations that result from volcanic and tectonic processes within Earth's crust and chemical and physical weathering processes within Earth's near-surface environment. Chapter one presents results from an across-arc wide-angle seismic refraction survey of the Costa Rican volcanic front. These results support the hypothesis that juvenile continental crust may form along volcanic island arcs if built upon relatively thick substrates (i.e., large igneous provinces). Comparisons of velocity-depth functions show that velocities within the active arc of Costa Rica are lower than other modern island arcs (i.e., volcanic arcs built upon oceanic crust) and within the high-velocity extreme of bulk continental crust. Chapter two shows that physical processes can dominate over chemical processes in generating porosity in the deep critical zone and outlines a new framework for interpreting subsurface chemical and physical weathering at the landscape scale. Direct measurements of saprolite from boreholes at the Southern Sierra Nevada Critical Zone Observatory show that, contrary to convention, saprolite may experience high levels of volumetric strain (>35%) and uniform mass loss in the upper 11 m. By combining observations from boreholes and seismic refraction surveys we create a map of volumetric strain across the landscape. Variations in inferred volumetric strain are consistent with opening-mode fracture patterns predicted by topographic and tectonic stress models. Chapter three is a characterization of fracture distribution in the deep critical zone from geophysical and borehole observations in the Laramie Mountains, Wyoming. Data from core and down-hole acoustic televiewer images show that fracture density not only decreases with depth but also varies with topography. Comparisons of seismic p-wave velocities and fracture density show that increases in seismic velocity at our site (i.e., from 1-4 km/s) correspond to decreasing fracture density. Observations of a seismological boundary layer coupled with weathering interpreted in borehole images suggest a significant change in chemical weathering with depth. These results emphasize the complex interplay of chemical and physical processes in the deep critical zone.

Brady's Geothermal Field DAS and DTS Surface and Borehole Array Metadata

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dante Fratta

This metadata submission includes the coordinates of the DAS and DTS surface and borehole arrays, the list of file names, and the list of recorded files during testing at the PoroTomo Natural Laboratory at Brady Hot Spring in Nevada. Testing was completed during March 2016.

Multi-array borehole resistivity and induced polarization method with mathematical inversion of redundant data

DOEpatents

Ward, S.H.

1989-10-17

Multiple arrays of electric or magnetic transmitters and receivers are used in a borehole geophysical procedure to obtain a multiplicity of redundant data suitable for processing into a resistivity or induced polarization model of a subsurface region of the earth. 30 figs.

BASIMO - Borehole Heat Exchanger Array Simulation and Optimization Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, Daniel O.; Bastian, Welsch; Wolfram, Rühaak; Kristian, Bär; Ingo, Sass

2017-04-01

Arrays of borehole heat exchangers are an increasingly popular source for renewable energy. Furthermore, they can serve as borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) systems for seasonally fluctuating heat sources like solar thermal energy or district heating grids. The high temperature level of these heat sources prohibits the use of the shallow subsurface for environmental reasons. Therefore, deeper reservoirs have to be accessed instead. The increased depth of the systems results in high investment costs and has hindered the implementation of this technology until now. Therefore, research of medium deep BTES systems relies on numerical simulation models. Current simulation tools cannot - or only to some extent - describe key features like partly insulated boreholes unless they run fully discretized models of the borehole heat exchangers. However, fully discretized models often come at a high computational cost, especially for large arrays of borehole heat exchangers. We give an update on the development of BASIMO: a tool, which uses one dimensional thermal resistance and capacity models for the borehole heat exchangers coupled with a numerical finite element model for the subsurface heat transport in a dual-continuum approach. An unstructured tetrahedral mesh bypasses the limitations of structured grids for borehole path geometries, while the thermal resistance and capacity model is improved to account for borehole heat exchanger properties changing with depth. Thereby, partly insulated boreholes can be considered in the model. Furthermore, BASIMO can be used to improve the design of BTES systems: the tool allows for automated parameter variations and is readily coupled to other code like mathematical optimization algorithms. Optimization can be used to determine the required minimum system size or to increase the system performance.

Passive seismic monitoring of natural and induced earthquakes: case studies, future directions and socio-economic relevance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bohnhoff, Marco; Dresen, Georg; Ellsworth, William L.; Ito, Hisao; Cloetingh, Sierd; Negendank, Jörg

2010-01-01

An important discovery in crustal mechanics has been that the Earth’s crust is commonly stressed close to failure, even in tectonically quiet areas. As a result, small natural or man-made perturbations to the local stress field may trigger earthquakes. To understand these processes, Passive Seismic Monitoring (PSM) with seismometer arrays is a widely used technique that has been successfully applied to study seismicity at different magnitude levels ranging from acoustic emissions generated in the laboratory under controlled conditions, to seismicity induced by hydraulic stimulations in geological reservoirs, and up to great earthquakes occurring along plate boundaries. In all these environments the appropriate deployment of seismic sensors, i.e., directly on the rock sample, at the earth’s surface or in boreholes close to the seismic sources allows for the detection and location of brittle failure processes at sufficiently low magnitude-detection threshold and with adequate spatial resolution for further analysis. One principal aim is to develop an improved understanding of the physical processes occurring at the seismic source and their relationship to the host geologic environment. In this paper we review selected case studies and future directions of PSM efforts across a wide range of scales and environments. These include induced failure within small rock samples, hydrocarbon reservoirs, and natural seismicity at convergent and transform plate boundaries. Each example represents a milestone with regard to bridging the gap between laboratory-scale experiments under controlled boundary conditions and large-scale field studies. The common motivation for all studies is to refine the understanding of how earthquakes nucleate, how they proceed and how they interact in space and time. This is of special relevance at the larger end of the magnitude scale, i.e., for large devastating earthquakes due to their severe socio-economic impact.

Detection and localization capability of an urban seismic sinkhole monitoring network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Dirk; Dahm, Torsten; Schneider, Fabian

2017-04-01

Microseismic events linked to underground processes in sinkhole areas might serve as precursors to larger mass dislocation or rupture events which can cause felt ground shaking or even structural damage. To identify these weak and shallow events, a sensitive local seismic monitoring network is needed. In case of an urban environment the performance of local monitoring networks is severely compromised by the high anthropogenic noise level. We study the detection and localization capability of such a network, which is already partly installed in the urban area of the city of Hamburg, Germany, within the joint project SIMULTAN (http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/section/near-surface-geophysics/projects/simultan/). SIMULTAN aims to monitor a known sinkhole structure and gain a better understanding of the underlying processes. The current network consists of six surface stations installed in the basement of private houses and underground structures of a research facility (DESY - Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron). During the started monitoring campaign since 2015, no microseismic events could be unambiguously attributed to the sinkholes. To estimate the detection and location capability of the network, we calculate synthetic waveforms based on the location and mechanism of former events in the area. These waveforms are combined with the recorded urban seismic noise at the station sites. As detection algorithms a simple STA/LTA trigger and a more sophisticated phase detector are used. While the STA/LTA detector delivers stable results and is able to detect events with a moment magnitude as low as 0.35 at a distance of 1.3km from the source even under the present high noise conditions the phase detector is more sensitive but also less stable. It should be stressed that due to the local near surface conditions of the wave propagation the detections are generally performed on S- or surface waves and not on P-waves, which have a significantly lower amplitude. Due to the often emergent onsets of the seismic phases of sinkhole events and the high noise conditions the localization capability of the network is assessed by a stacking approach of characteristic waveforms (STA/LTA traces) in addition to traditional estimates based on travel time uncertainties and network geometry. Also the effect of a vertical array of borehole sensors as well as a small scale surface array on the location accuracy is investigated. Due to the expected, rather low frequency character of the seismic signals arrays with a small aperture due to the required close proximity to the source exhibit considerable uncertainty in the determination of the azimuth of the incoming wavefront, but can contribute to better constrain the event location. Future borehole stations, apart from significantly reducing the detection threshold, would also significantly reduce the location uncertainty. In addition, the synthetic data sets created for this study can also be used to better constrain the magnitudes of the microseismic events by deriving attenuation relations for the surface waves of shallow events encountered in the sinkhole environment. This work has been funded by the German 'Geotechnologien' project SIMULTAN (BMBF03G0737A).

Imaging the Alpine Fault: preliminary results from a detailed 3D-VSP experiment at the DFDP-2 drill site in Whataroa, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lay, Vera; Bodenburg, Sascha; Buske, Stefan; Townend, John; Kellett, Richard; Savage, Martha; Schmitt, Douglas; Constantinou, Alexis; Eccles, Jennifer; Lawton, Donald; Hall, Kevin; Bertram, Malcolm; Gorman, Andrew

2017-04-01

The plate-bounding Alpine Fault in New Zealand is an 850 km long transpressive continental fault zone that is late in its earthquake cycle. The Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) aims to deliver insight into the geological structure of this fault zone and its evolution by drilling and sampling the Alpine Fault at depth. Previously analysed 2D reflection seismic data image the main Alpine Fault reflector at a depth of 1.5-2.2 km with a dip of approximately 48° to the southeast below the DFDP-2 borehole. Additionally, there are indications of a more complex 3D fault structure with several fault branches which have not yet been clearly imaged in detail. For that reason we acquired a 3D-VSP seismic data set at the DFDP-2 drill site in January 2016. A zero-offset VSP and a walk-away VSP survey were conducted using a Vibroseis source. Within the borehole, a permanently installed "Distributed Acoustic Fibre Optic Cable" (down to 893 m) and a 3C Sercel slimwave tool (down to 400 m) were used to record the seismic wavefield. In addition, an array of 160 three-component receivers with a spacing of 10 m perpendicular and 20 m parallel to the main strike of the Alpine Fault was set up and moved successively along the valley to record reflections from the main Alpine Fault zone over a broad depth range and to derive a detailed 3D tomographic velocity model in the hanging wall. We will show a detailed 3D velocity model derived from first-arrival traveltime tomography. Subsets of the whole data set were analysed separately to estimate the corresponding ray coverage and the reliability of the observed features in the obtained velocity model. By testing various inversion parameters and starting models, we derived a detailed near-surface velocity model that reveals the significance of the old glacial valley structures. Hence, this new 3D model improves the velocity model derived previously from a 2D seismic profile line in that area. Furthermore, processing of the dense 3C data shows clear reflections on both inline and crossline profiles. Correlating single reflection events enables us to identify the origin of reflections recorded in the data and reveal their 3D character. This array data gives strong evidence for reflections coming from the side, possibly from the steeply dipping valley flanks. Finally, the data will be processed using advanced seismic imaging methods to derive a detailed structural image of the valley and the fault zone at depth. Thus, the results will provide a detailed basis for a seismic site characterization at the DFDP-2 drill site, that will be of crucial importance for further structural and geological investigations of the architecture of the Alpine Fault in this area.

Application of conditional simulation of heterogeneous rock properties to seismic scattering and attenuation analysis in gas hydrate reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jun-Wei; Bellefleur, Gilles; Milkereit, Bernd

2012-02-01

We present a conditional simulation algorithm to parameterize three-dimensional heterogeneities and construct heterogeneous petrophysical reservoir models. The models match the data at borehole locations, simulate heterogeneities at the same resolution as borehole logging data elsewhere in the model space, and simultaneously honor the correlations among multiple rock properties. The model provides a heterogeneous environment in which a variety of geophysical experiments can be simulated. This includes the estimation of petrophysical properties and the study of geophysical response to the heterogeneities. As an example, we model the elastic properties of a gas hydrate accumulation located at Mallik, Northwest Territories, Canada. The modeled properties include compressional and shear-wave velocities that primarily depend on the saturation of hydrate in the pore space of the subsurface lithologies. We introduce the conditional heterogeneous petrophysical models into a finite difference modeling program to study seismic scattering and attenuation due to multi-scale heterogeneity. Similarities between resonance scattering analysis of synthetic and field Vertical Seismic Profile data reveal heterogeneity with a horizontal-scale of approximately 50 m in the shallow part of the gas hydrate interval. A cross-borehole numerical experiment demonstrates that apparent seismic energy loss can occur in a pure elastic medium without any intrinsic attenuation of hydrate-bearing sediments. This apparent attenuation is largely attributed to attenuative leaky mode propagation of seismic waves through large-scale gas hydrate occurrence as well as scattering from patchy distribution of gas hydrate.

Geophysical Monitoring at the CO2SINK Site: Combining Seismic and Geoelectric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giese, R.; Lüth, S.; Cosma, C.; Juhlin, C.; Kiessling, D.; Schütt, H.; Schöbel, B.; Schmidt-Hattenberger, C.; Schilling, F.; Co2SINK Group

2009-04-01

The CO2SINK project at the German town of Ketzin (near Berlin), is aimed at a pilot storage of CO2, and at developing and testing efficient integrated monitoring procedures (physical, chemical, and biological observations) for assessing the processes triggered within the reservoir by a long term injection operation. In particular, geophysical methods as seismic and geoelectric measurements have delivered the structural framework, and they enable to observe the reaction of the reservoir and the caprock to CO2 propagation at locations which are not accessible for direct observations. We report on the seismic monitoring program of the CO2SINK project which comprises baseline and repeat observations at different scales in time and space, combined with comprehensive geoelectrical monitoring performed in the Ketzin wells and on the surface. The main objectives of the 3D seismic survey (carried out in spring 2005) were to provide the structural model around the location of the Ketzin wells, to verify earlier geologic interpretations of structure based on vintage 2D seismic and borehole data, as well as providing a baseline for future seismic surveys. The uppermost 1000 m are well imaged and show an anticlinal structure with an east-west striking central graben on its top. The 3D baseline survey was extended by VSP (vertical seismic profiling), MSP (moving source profiling) on 7 profiles, and crosshole tomographic measurements. 2D "star" measurements were carried out on the 7 MSP profiles in order to tie-in the down-hole surveys with the 3D baseline survey. These measurements provide enhanced resolution in time (faster and more cost effective than a full 3D survey) and space (higher source and receiver frequencies). Three crosshole measurements were performed, one baseline survey in May 2008, and two repeats in July and August 2008, respectively. A third crosshole repeat is planned for a later stage in the project when a steady state situation has been reached in the reservoir between the two observation boreholes Ktzi 200 and Ktzi 202. The interpretation of the time lapse crosshole seismic measurements is still work in progress. A time lapse effect can be recognized on cross correlations of baseline and repeat data indicating that considering the full wave form of the recordings does have the potential to locate subtle changes in the seismic properties of the reservoir due to CO2 injection. In addition, we show the results of the site-specific geoelectrical monitoring concept VERA (Vertical Electrical Resistivity Array), which covers electrical resistivity measurements in all three Ketzin wells. The array consists of 45 permanent electrodes (15 in each well), placed on the electrically insulated casings of the wells in the 600 m to 750 m depth range with a spacing of 10 m. This layout has been designed according to numerical forward modeling assuming electrical properties of pre- and post-injection scenarios. In addition to the geoelectric downhole measurement setup, surface to surface, and surface to downhole measurements are added in order to enlarge the area of observation between the three Ketzin wells to a hemispherical area (with a radius of about 1.5 km) around the wells. First results of the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) fit the expected reservoir behaviour. Higher resistivity values (presently up to factor 3 compared to other horizons) represent the intervals of the sandstone reservoir as preferred pathways of the CO2 propagation.

Thermal Impact of Medium Deep Borehole Thermal Energy Storage on the Shallow Subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welsch, Bastian; Schulte, Daniel O.; Rühaak, Wolfram; Bär, Kristian; Sass, Ingo

2017-04-01

Borehole heat exchanger arrays are a well-suited and already widely applied method for exploiting the shallow subsurface as seasonal heat storage. However, in most of the populated regions the shallow subsurface also comprises an important aquifer system used for drinking water production. Thus, the operation of shallow geothermal heat storage systems leads to a significant increase in groundwater temperatures in the proximity of the borehole heat exchanger array. The magnitude of the impact on groundwater quality and microbiology associated with this temperature rise is controversially discussed. Nevertheless, the protection of shallow groundwater resources has priority. Accordingly, water authorities often follow restrictive permission policies for building such storage systems. An alternative approach to avoid this issue is the application of medium deep borehole heat exchanger arrays instead of shallow ones. The thermal impact on shallow aquifers can be significantly reduced as heat is stored at larger depth. Moreover, it can be further diminished by the installation of a thermally insulating materials in the upper section of the borehole heat exchangers. Based on a numerical simulation study, the advantageous effects of medium deep borehole thermal energy storage are demonstrated and quantified. A finite element software is used to model the heat transport in the subsurface in 3D, while the heat transport in the borehole heat exchangers is solved analytically in 1D. For this purpose, an extended analytical solution is implemented, which also allows for the consideration of a thermally insulating borehole section.

Long-term decay and possible reactivation of induced seismicity at the Basel EGS site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Toni; Herrmann, Marcus; Karvounis, Dimitrios; Tormann, Thessa; Deichmann, Nicolas; Wiemer, Stefan

2016-04-01

In December 2006, an extensive fluid injection was carried out below the city of Basel, Switzerland, to stimulate a reservoir for an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). After six days of gradual increase of flow rate (and thus seismicity), a strongly felt ML3.4 earthquakes led to the immediate termination of the project. The well was opened subsequently and seismicity declined rapidly. The Basel EGS project might be an unsuccessful attempt in terms of energy supply, but a chance to advance the physical understanding of EGSs. The well-monitored and well-studied induced sequence allowed many new insights in terms of reservoir creation. A special observation in the nine years of monitoring is the revive of seismic activity six years after prolonged seismic decay. This renewed activity increase might relate to a gradual pressure increase due to the ultimate shut-in (closure) of the borehole about one year before. Until now, a detailed analysis of the long-term behaviour remained unexplored since a consistent catalogue did not exist. In the current study, we took advantage of the high waveform similarity within a seismic sequence and applied a multi-trace template-matching (i.e. cross-correlation) procedure to detect seismic events about one order of magnitude below the detection threshold. We detected about 100,000 events within the six-day long stimulation alone - previously, only 13,000 microearthquakes were detected. We only scanned the recordings of the deepest borehole station (2.7km). This station is very close to the 5km-deep reservoir and has the highest signal-to-noise ratio among all (borehole-)stations. Our newly obtained catalogue spans over more than nine years and features a uniform (and low) detection threshold and a uniform magnitude determination. The improved resolution of the long-term behaviour and the later seismicity increase will help to understand involved mechanisms better. More induced or natural sequences can be investigated with our procedure.

Acquisition and deconvolution of seismic signals by different methods to perform direct ground-force measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poletto, Flavio; Schleifer, Andrea; Zgauc, Franco; Meneghini, Fabio; Petronio, Lorenzo

2016-12-01

We present the results of a novel borehole-seismic experiment in which we used different types of onshore-transient-impulsive and non-impulsive-surface sources together with direct ground-force recordings. The ground-force signals were obtained by baseplate load cells located beneath the sources, and by buried soil-stress sensors installed in the very shallow-subsurface together with accelerometers. The aim was to characterize the source's emission by its complex impedance, function of the near-field vibrations and soil stress components, and above all to obtain appropriate deconvolution operators to remove the signature of the sources in the far-field seismic signals. The data analysis shows the differences in the reference measurements utilized to deconvolve the source signature. As downgoing waves, we process the signals of vertical seismic profiles (VSP) recorded in the far-field approximation by an array of permanent geophones cemented at shallow-medium depth outside the casing of an instrumented well. We obtain a significant improvement in the waveform of the radiated seismic-vibrator signals deconvolved by ground force, similar to that of the seismograms generated by the impulsive sources, and demonstrates that the results obtained by different sources present low values in their repeatability norm. The comparison evidences the potentiality of the direct ground-force measurement approach to effectively remove the far-field source signature in VSP onshore data, and to increase the performance of permanent acquisition installations for time-lapse application purposes.

Geothermal state and fluid flow within ODP Hole 843B: results from wireline logging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, Sean M.; Hildebrand, John A.; Gieskes, Joris M.

2002-02-01

Borehole fluid temperatures were measured with a wireline re-entry system in Ocean Drilling Program Hole 843B, the site of the Ocean Seismic Network Pilot Experiment. These temperature data, recorded more than 7 years after drilling, are compared to temperature data logged during Leg 136, approximately 1 day after drilling had ceased. Qualitative interpretations of the temperature data suggest that fluid flowed slowly downward in the borehole immediately following drilling, and flowed slowly upward 7 years after drilling. Quantitative analysis suggests that the upward fluid flow rate in the borehole is approximately 1 m/h. Slow fluid flow interpreted from temperature data only, however, requires estimates of other unmeasured physical properties. If fluid flows upward in Hole 843B, it may have led to undesirable noise for the borehole seismometer emplaced in this hole as part of the Ocean Seismic Network Pilot Experiment. Estimates of conductive heat flow from ODP Hole 843B are 51 mW/m 2 for the sediment and the basalt. These values are lower than the most recent Hawaiian Arch seafloor heat flow studies.

Results From a Borehole Seismometer Array II: 3-D Mapping of an Active Geothermal Field at the Kilauea Lower Rift Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shalev, E.; Kenedi, C. L.; Malin, P.

2008-12-01

The geothermal power plant in Puna, in southeastern Hawaii, is located in a section of the Kilauea Lower East Rift Zone that was resurfaced by lava flows as recently as 1955, 1960, and 1972. In 2006 a seismic array consisting of eight 3-component stations was installed around the geothermal field in Puna. The instrument depths range from 24 to 210 m. The shallower instruments have 2 Hz geophones and the deeper have 4.5 Hz geophones. 3-D tomographic analyses of P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity, and the Vp/Vs ratio show an area of very fast P-wave velocity at the relatively shallow depth of 2.5 km in the southern section of the field. The same area shows moderate S-wave velocity. This high P-wave velocity anomaly at the southern part of the geothermal field may indicate the presence of dense rock material usually found at greater depths.

High Resolution Vertical Seismic Profile from the Chicxulub IODP/ICDP Expedition 364 Borehole: Wave Speeds and Seismic Reflectivity.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nixon, C.; Kofman, R.; Schmitt, D. R.; Lofi, J.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Christeson, G. L.; Saustrup, S., Sr.; Morgan, J. V.

2017-12-01

We acquired a closely-spaced vertical seismic profile (VSP) in the Chicxulub K-Pg Impact Crater drilling program borehole to calibrate the existing surface seismic profiles and provide complementary measurements of in situ seismic wave speeds. Downhole seismic records were obtained at spacings ranging from 1.25 m to 5 m along the borehole from 47.5 m to 1325 mwsf (meters wireline below sea floor) (Fig 1a) using a Sercel SlimwaveTM geophone chain (University of Alberta). The seismic source was a 30/30ci Sercel Mini GI airgun (University of Texas), fired a minimum of 5 times per station. Seismic data processing used a combination of a commercial processing package (Schlumberger's VISTA) and MatlabTM codes. The VSP displays detailed reflectivity (Fig. 1a) with the strongest reflection seen at 600 mwsf (280 ms one-way time), geologically corresponding to the sharp contact between the post-impact sediments and the target peak ring rock, thus confirming the pre-drilling interpretations of the seismic profiles. A two-way time trace extracted from the separated up-going wavefield matches the major reflection both in travel time and character. In the granitic rocks that form the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater, we observe P-wave velocities of 4000-4500 m/s which are significantly less than the expected values of granitoids ( 6000 m/s) (Fig. 1b). The VSP measured wave speeds are confirmed against downhole sonic logging and in laboratory velocimetry measurements; these data provide additional evidence that the crustal material displaced by the impact experienced a significant amount of damage. Samples and data provided by IODP. Samples can be requested at http://web.iodp.tamu.edu/sdrm after 19 October 2017. Expedition 364 was jointly funded by ECORD, ICDP, and IODP with contributions and logistical support from the Yucatan State Government and UNAM. The downhole seismic chain and wireline system is funded by grants to DRS from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education Grants Program.

Seismic modeling of multidimensional heterogeneity scales of Mallik gas hydrate reservoirs, Northwest Territories of Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jun-Wei; Bellefleur, Gilles; Milkereit, Bernd

2009-07-01

In hydrate-bearing sediments, the velocity and attenuation of compressional and shear waves depend primarily on the spatial distribution of hydrates in the pore space of the subsurface lithologies. Recent characterizations of gas hydrate accumulations based on seismic velocity and attenuation generally assume homogeneous sedimentary layers and neglect effects from large- and small-scale heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments. We present an algorithm, based on stochastic medium theory, to construct heterogeneous multivariable models that mimic heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments at the level of detail provided by borehole logging data. Using this algorithm, we model some key petrophysical properties of gas hydrates within heterogeneous sediments near the Mallik well site, Northwest Territories, Canada. The modeled density, and P and S wave velocities used in combination with a modified Biot-Gassmann theory provide a first-order estimate of the in situ volume of gas hydrate near the Mallik 5L-38 borehole. Our results suggest a range of 528 to 768 × 106 m3/km2 of natural gas trapped within hydrates, nearly an order of magnitude lower than earlier estimates which did not include effects of small-scale heterogeneities. Further, the petrophysical models are combined with a 3-D finite difference modeling algorithm to study seismic attenuation due to scattering and leaky mode propagation. Simulations of a near-offset vertical seismic profile and cross-borehole numerical surveys demonstrate that attenuation of seismic energy may not be directly related to the intrinsic attenuation of hydrate-bearing sediments but, instead, may be largely attributed to scattering from small-scale heterogeneities and highly attenuate leaky mode propagation of seismic waves through larger-scale heterogeneities in sediments.

Overview of Seismic Noise and it’s Relevance to Personnel Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

production sites. Young et al. (1996) measured seismic noise with seismometers at the surface and within boreholes at three sites, and generated...ER D C/ CR R EL T R -0 8 -5 Overview of Seismic Noise and its Relevance to Personnel Detection Lindamae Peck April 2008 C ol d R...April 2008 Overview of Seismic Noise and its Relevance to Personnel Detection Lindamae Peck Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

Hydrogeological characterisation of a glacially affected barrier island - the North Frisian Island of Föhr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burschil, T.; Scheer, W.; Kirsch, R.; Wiederhold, H.

2012-04-01

We present the application of geophysical investigations to characterise and improve the geological/hydrogeological model through the estimation of petrophysical parameters for groundwater modelling. Seismic reflection and airborne electromagnetic surveys in combination with borehole information enhance the 3-D geological model and allow a petrophysical interpretation of the subsurface. The North Sea Island of Föhr has a very complex underground structure what was already known from boreholes. The local waterworks use a freshwater body embedded in saline groundwater. Several glaciations disordered the Youngest Tertiary and Quaternary sediments by glaciotectonic thrust-faulting as well as incision and refill of glacial valleys. Both underground structures have a strong impact on the distribution of freshwater bearing aquifers. An initial hydrogeological model of Föhr was built from borehole data alone and was restricted to the southern part of the island where in the sandy areas of the Geest a large freshwater body was formed. We improved the geological/hydrogeological model by adding data from different geophysical methods, e.g. airborne electromagnetics (EM) for mapping the resistivity of the entire island, seismic reflections for detailed cross sections in the groundwater catchment area, and geophysical borehole logging for calibration of these measurements. An integrated evaluation of the results from the different geophysical methods yields reliable data. To determinate petrophysical parameter about 18 borehole logs, more than 75 m deep, and nearby airborne EM inversion models were analyzed concerning resistivity. We establish an empirical relation between measured resistivity and hydraulic conductivity for the specific area - the North Sea island of Föhr. Five boreholes concerning seismic interval velocities discriminate sand and till. The interpretation of these data was the basis for building the geological/hydrogeological 3-D model. We fitted the relevant model layers to all geophysical and geological data and created a consistent 3-D model. This model is the fundament for groundwater simulations considering forecasted changes in precipitation and sea level rise due to climate change.

Fracture characterization by means of attenuation and generation of tube waves in fractured crystalline rock at Mirror Lake, New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hardin, E.L.; Cheng, C.H.; Paillet, F.L.; Mendelson, J.D.

1987-01-01

Results are presented from experiments carried out in conjunction with the U. S. Geological Survey at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest near Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. The study focuses on our ability to obtain orientation and transmissivity estimates of naturally occurring fractures. The collected data set includes a four-offset hydrophone vertical seismic profile, full waveform acoustic logs at 5, 15, and 34 kHz, borehole televiewer, temperature, resistivity, and self-potential logs, and borehole-to-borehole pump test data. Borehole televiewer and other geophysical logs indicate that permeable fractures intersect the Mirror Lake boreholes at numerous depths, but less than half of these fractures appear to have significant permeability beyond the annulus of drilling disturbance on the basis of acoustic waveform log analysis. The vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data indicate a single major permeable fracture near a depth of 44 m, corresponding to one of the most permeable fractures identified in the acoustic waveform log analysis. VSP data also indicate a somewhat less permeable fracture at 220 m and possible fractures at depths of 103 and 135 m; all correspond to major permeable fractures in the acoustic waveform data set. Pump test data confirm the presence of a hydraulic connection between the Mirror Lake boreholes through a shallow dipping zone of permeability at 44 m in depth. Effective fracture apertures calculated from modeled transmissivities correspond to those estimated for the largest fractures indicated on acoustic waveform logs but are over an order of magnitude larger than effective apertures calculated from tube waves in the VSP data set. This discrepancy is attributed to the effect of fracture stiffness. A new model is presented to account for the mechanical strength of asperities in resisting fracture closure during the passage of seismic waves during the generation of VSPs.

Image log analysis of in situ stress orientation, breakout growth, and natural geologic structures to 2.5 km depth in central Scandinavian Caledonides: Results from the COSC-1 borehole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenning, Quinn C.; Berthet, Theo; Ask, Maria; Zappone, Alba; Rosberg, Jan-Erik; Almqvist, Bjarne S. G.

2017-05-01

Stress-induced borehole deformation analysis in the Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonide deep scientific borehole establishes in situ stress orientation in a poorly characterized region in central Sweden. Two acoustic televiewer logging campaigns, with more than 1 year between campaigns, provide detailed images along the full length of the 2.5 km deep borehole for breakout, drilling-induced tensile fracture (DITF), and natural occurring structural analysis. Borehole breakouts occur in 13 distinct zones along total length of 22 m, indicating an average maximum horizontal stress, SHmax, orientation of 127° ± 12°. Infrequent DITFs are constrained within one zone from 786 to 787 m depth (SHmax orientation: 121° ± 07°). These SHmax orientations are in agreement with the general trend in Scandinavia and are in accordance with many mechanisms that generate crustal stress (e.g., ridge push, topographic loading, and mantel driven stresses). The unique acquisition of image logs in two successions allows for analysis of time-dependent borehole deformation, indicating that six breakout zones have crept, both along the borehole axis and radially around the borehole. Strong dynamic moduli measured on core samples and an inferred weak in situ stress anisotropy inhibit the formation of breakouts and DITFs. Natural fracture orientation below 800 m is congruent to extensional or hybrid brittle shear failure along the same trend as the current SHmax. Analysis of foliation in the image logs reinforces the interpretation that the discontinuous seismic reflectors with fluctuating dip observed in seismic profiles are due to recumbent folding and boudinage.

IODP Expedition 340T: Borehole Logging at Atlantis Massif Oceanic Core Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackman, D.; Slagle, A.; Harding, A.; Guerin, G.; McCaig, A.

2013-03-01

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 340T returned to the 1.4-km-deep Hole U1309D at Atlantis Massif to carry out borehole logging including vertical seismic profiling (VSP). Seismic, resistivity, and temperature logs were obtained throughout the geologic section in the footwall of this oceanic core complex. Reliable downhole temperature measurements throughout and the first seismic coverage of the 800-1400 meters below seafloor (mbsf) portion of the section were obtained. Distinct changes in velocity, resistivity, and magnetic susceptibility characterize the boundaries of altered, olivine-rich troctolite intervals within the otherwise dominantly gabbroic se-quence. Some narrow fault zones also are associated with downhole resistivity or velocity excursions. Small deviations in temperature were measured in borehole fluid adjacent to known faults at 750 mbsf and 1100 mbsf. This suggests that flow of seawater remains active along these zones of faulting and rock alteration. Vertical seismic profile station coverage at zero offset now extends the full length of the hole, including the uppermost 150 mbsf, where detachment processes are expected to have left their strongest imprint. Analysis of wallrock properties, together with alteration and structural characteristics of the cores from Site U1309, highlights the likely interplay between lithology, structure, lithospheric hydration, and core complex evolution. doi:10.2204/iodp.sd.15.04.2013

High Frequency Recordings of the Parkfield M=6 and its Aftershocks in the 1.1 km Deep SAFOD Pilot Hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malin, P.; Shalev, E.; Chavarria, A.

2004-12-01

Seismic waves from the September 28th Parkfield event and its aftershocks were recorded by the SAFOD Pilot Hole seismic array. This array currently consists of seven levels of 3-component 15 Hz seismometers within the Salinian granite. Its sensors are spaced at 40 m intervals between depths of 856 to 1156 meters below ground. Our deep borehole recordings with high signal-to-noise ratios has allowed us to explore the high frequency content and distribution of both the main event and a large number of aftershocks not detected by the local surface network. We have determined the spectral characteristics for events of different sizes and have related them to their source characteristics. Events close to the PH array contain surprisingly similar distributions of high frequency energy irrespective of their seismic moment. For example, the seismic waves of nearly co-located M~2 and M~5 aftershocks have instrument-corrected corner frequencies that are different by only a few Hz: ~58 Hz versus ~50 Hz. The M~5 can thus be thought of as having broken numerous small but strong fault patches - a model previously suggested by others based on both theoretical and observational grounds. The M~6, which was much further away than these aftershocks, also contains high frequency signals, not quite, but almost, to the same degree. Our results suggest that strong attenuation of high frequency waves in the fault zone area, as well as in shallow weathering layers, prevents more distantly located instruments from recording a complete picture of the actual radiation. Further, in keeping with this suggestion, we have found that, at least for the first nine minutes after the main event, the number of aftershocks observed at the PH is almost ten times higher than that reported in the NCEDC catalog. The rate and size of these events does not fit previous notions of aftershock activity, but may fit with our suggested heterogeneous fault patch and near-source attenuation models.

Vertical electromagnetic profiling (VEMP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lytle, R.J.

1984-08-01

Vertical seismic profiling (VSP) is based upon reception measurements performed in a borehole with a source near the ground surface. This technology has seen a surge in application and development in the last decade. The analogous concept of vertical electromagnetic profiling (VEMP) consists of reception measurements performed in a borehole with a source near the ground surface. Although the electromagnetic concept has seen some application, this technology has not been as systematically developed and applied as VSP. Vertical electromagnetic profiling provides distinct and complementary data due to sensing different physical parameters than seismic profiling. Certain of the advantages of VEMPmore » are presented. 28 references, 7 figures.« less

From intuition to statistics in building subsurface structural models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brandenburg, J.P.; Alpak, F.O.; Naruk, S.; Solum, J.

2011-01-01

Experts associated with the oil and gas exploration industry suggest that combining forward trishear models with stochastic global optimization algorithms allows a quantitative assessment of the uncertainty associated with a given structural model. The methodology is applied to incompletely imaged structures related to deepwater hydrocarbon reservoirs and results are compared to prior manual palinspastic restorations and borehole data. This methodology is also useful for extending structural interpretations into other areas of limited resolution, such as subsalt in addition to extrapolating existing data into seismic data gaps. This technique can be used for rapid reservoir appraisal and potentially have other applications for seismic processing, well planning, and borehole stability analysis.

A novel muon detector for borehole density tomography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonneville, Alain; Kouzes, Richard T.; Yamaoka, Jared

Muons can be used to image the density of materials through which they pass, including geological structures. Subsurface applications of the technology include tracking fluid migration during injection or production, with increasing concern regarding such timely issues as induced seismicity or chemical leakage into aquifers. Geological carbon storage, natural gas storage, enhanced oil recovery, compressed air storage, aquifer storage and recovery, waste water storage and oil and gas production are examples of application areas. It is thus crucial to monitor in quasi-real time the behavior of these fluids, and several monitoring techniques can be used. Among them, those that trackmore » density changes in the subsurface are the most relevant. Current density monitoring options include gravimetric data collection and active or passive seismic surveys. One alternative, or complement, to these methods is the development of a muon detector that is sufficiently compact and robust for deployment in a borehole. Such a muon detector can enable tomographic imaging of density structure to monitor small changes in density – a proxy for fluid migration – at depths up to 1500 m. Such a detector has been developed, and Monte Carlo modeling methods applied to simulate the anticipated detector response. The robustness of the detector design comes primarily from the use of polystyrene scintillating rods arrayed in alternating layers to provide a coordinate scheme. Testing and measurements using a prototype detector in the laboratory and shallow underground facilities demonstrated robust response. A satisfactory comparison with a large drift tube-based muon detector is also presented.« less

Measurement of seismometer orientation using the tangential P-wave receiver function based on harmonic decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Hobin; Kim, YoungHee; Song, Teh-Ru Alex; Shen, Xuzhang

2018-03-01

Accurate determination of the seismometer orientation is a prerequisite for seismic studies including, but not limited to seismic anisotropy. While borehole seismometers on land produce seismic waveform data somewhat free of human-induced noise, they might have a drawback of an uncertain orientation. This study calculates a harmonic decomposition of teleseismic receiver functions from the P and PP phases and determines the orientation of a seismometer by minimizing a constant term in a harmonic expansion of tangential receiver functions in backazimuth near and at 0 s. This method normalizes the effect of seismic sources and determines the orientation of a seismometer without having to assume for an isotropic medium. Compared to the method of minimizing the amplitudes of a mean of the tangential receiver functions near and at 0 s, the method yields more accurate orientations in cases where the backazimuthal coverage of earthquake sources (even in the case of ocean bottom seismometers) is uneven and incomplete. We apply this method to data from the Korean seismic network (52 broad-band velocity seismometers, 30 of which are borehole sensors) to estimate the sensor orientation in the period of 2005-2016. We also track temporal changes in the sensor orientation through the change in the polarity and the amplitude of the tangential receiver function. Six borehole stations are confirmed to experience a significant orientation change (10°-180°) over the period of 10 yr. We demonstrate the usefulness of our method by estimating the orientation of ocean bottom sensors, which are known to have high noise level during the relatively short deployment period.

Development and Performance of the Alaska Transportable Array Posthole Broadband Seismic Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aderhold, K.; Enders, M.; Miner, J.; Bierma, R. M.; Bloomquist, D.; Theis, J.; Busby, R. W.

2017-12-01

The final stations of the Alaska Transportable Array (ATA) will be constructed in 2017, completing the full footprint of 280 new and existing broadband seismic stations stretching across 19 degrees of latitude from western Alaska to western Canada. Through significant effort in planning, site reconnaissance, permitting and the considerable and concerted effort of field crews, the IRIS Alaska TA team is on schedule to successfully complete the construction of 194 new stations and upgrades at 28 existing stations over four field seasons. The station design and installation method was developed over the course of several years, leveraging the experience of the L48 TA deployments and existing network operators in Alaska as well as incorporating newly engineered components and procedures. A purpose-built lightweight drill was designed and fabricated to facilitate the construction of shallow boreholes to incorporate newly available posthole seismometers. This allowed for the development of a streamlined system of procedures to manufacture uniform seismic stations with minimal crew and minimal time required at each station location. A new station can typically be constructed in a single day with a four-person field crew. The ATA utilizes a hammer-drilled, cased posthole emplacement method adapted to the remote and harsh working environment of Alaska. The same emplacement design is implemented in all ground conditions to preserve uniformity across the array and eliminate the need for specialized mechanical equipment. All components for station construction are ideally suited for transport via helicopter, and can be adapted to utilize more traditional methods of transportation when available. This emplacement design delivers high quality data when embedded in bedrock or permafrost, reaching the low noise levels of benchmark permanent global broadband stations especially at long periods over 70 seconds. The TA will operate the network of real-time stations through at least 2019, with service trips planned on a "as needed" basis to continue providing greater than 95% data return.

Microearthquake mechanism from wave amplitudes recorded by a close-to-surface seismic array at Ocnele Mari, Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jechumtálová, Z.; Šílený, J.; Trifu, C.-I.

2014-06-01

The resolution of event mechanism is investigated in terms of the unconstrained moment tensor (MT) source model and the shear-tensile crack (STC) source model representing a slip along the fault with an off-plane component. Data are simulated as recorded by the actual seismic array installed at Ocnele Mari (Romania), where sensors are placed in shallow boreholes. Noise is included as superimposed on synthetic data, and the analysis explores how the results are influenced (i) by data recorded by the complete seismic array compared to that provided by the subarray of surface sensors, (ii) by using three- or one-component sensors and (iii) by inverting P- and S-wave amplitudes versus P-wave amplitudes only. The orientation of the pure shear fracture component is resolved almost always well. On the other hand, the noise increase distorts the non-double-couple components (non-DC) of the MT unless a high-quality data set is available. The STC source model yields considerably less spurious non-shear fracture components. Incorporating recordings at deeper sensors in addition to those obtained from the surface ones allows for the processing of noisier data. Performance of the network equipped with three-component sensors is only slightly better than that with uniaxial sensors. Inverting both P- and S-wave amplitudes compared to the inversion of P-wave amplitudes only markedly improves the resolution of the orientation of the source mechanism. Comparison of the inversion results for the two alternative source models permits the assessment of the reliability of non-shear components retrieved. As example, the approach is investigated on three microseismic events occurred at Ocnele Mari, where both large and small non-DC components were found. The analysis confirms a tensile fracturing for two of these events, and a shear slip for the third.

Using Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing to Monitor Large Scale Permafrost Transitions: Preliminary Results from a Controlled Thaw Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajo Franklin, J. B.; Wagner, A. M.; Lindsey, N.; Dou, S.; Bjella, K.; Daley, T. M.; Freifeld, B. M.; Ulrich, C.; Gelvin, A.; Morales, A.; James, S. R.; Saari, S.; Ekblaw, I.; Wood, T.; Robertson, M.; Martin, E. R.

2016-12-01

In a warming world, permafrost landscapes are being rapidly transformed by thaw, yielding surface subsidence and groundwater flow alteration. The same transformations pose a threat to arctic infrastructure and can induce catastrophic failure of the roads, runways, and pipelines on which human habitation depends. Scalable solutions to monitoring permafrost thaw dynamics are required to both quantitatively understand biogeochemical feedbacks as well as to protect built infrastructure from damage. Unfortunately, permafrost alteration happens over the time scale of climate change, years to decades, a decided challenge for testing new sensing technologies in a limited context. One solution is to engineer systems capable of rapidly thawing large permafrost units to allow short duration experiments targeting next-generation sensing approaches. We present preliminary results from a large-scale controlled permafrost thaw experiment designed to evaluate the utility of different geophysical approaches for tracking the cause, precursors, and early phases of thaw subsidence. We focus on the use of distributed fiber optic sensing for this challenge and deployed distributed temperature (DTS), strain (DSS), and acoustic (DAS) sensing systems in a 2D array to detect thaw signatures. A 10 x 15 x 1 m section of subsurface permafrost was heated using an array of 120 downhole heaters (60 w) at an experimental site near Fairbanks, AK. Ambient noise analysis of DAS datasets collected at the plot, coupled to shear wave inversion, was utilized to evaluate changes in shear wave velocity associated with heating and thaw. These measurements were confirmed by seismic surveys collected using a semi-permanent orbital seismic source activated on a daily basis. Fiber optic measurements were complemented by subsurface thermistor and thermocouple arrays, timelapse total station surveys, LIDAR, secondary seismic measurements (geophone and broadband recordings), timelapse ERT, borehole NMR, soil moisture measurements, hydrologic measurements, and multi-angle photogrammetry. This unusually dense combination of measurement techniques provides an excellent opportunity to characterize the geophysical signatures of permafrost thaw in a controlled environment.

Seismic Monitoring and Characterization of the 2012 Outburst Flood of the Ice-Dammed Lake A.P.Olsen (NE Greenland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behm, M.; Walter, J. I.; Binder, D.; Mertl, S.

2017-12-01

Since the Zackenberg Research Station (ZRS) in NE-Greenland was established in 1995, regular floods of the adjacent Zackenberg River have been observed. The floods result from the sudden discharge of a marginal, ice-dammed lake at the pre-dominantly cold-based A.P. Olsen Ice Cap about 35 km inland. The lake filling usually starts with the melting season in May/June and ends with the flood sometime after early July. The run-off water from the lake discharges through the subsurface of the adjacent Argo glacier. The actual migration paths and depth of the water within the glacier are unknown until it re-appears at the glacier terminus at a distance of 4 km to the ice-dam. In spring 2012 a surface seismic monitoring network was installed on Argo glacier in 2-3 m boreholes near the lake to acquire continuous data for the whole fill- and drain cycle from start of May to end of November. The network comprises 3 stations with three-component sensors and 2 stations designed as tripartite arrays with vertically oriented sensors. The maximum interstation distance is 1.2 km. Microseismic event detection and localization is facilitated by the homogenous seismic structure of the ice and the extremely high S/N ratio of the borehole installations. An initial detection based on an STA/LTA algorithm and event assocator results in order-of-magnitude 100,000 seismic events. These events are generally attributed to the opening of surface crevasses due to the presence of weak body waves and strong surface wave energy, interpreted to be Rayleigh waves with dominant frequencies around 1-4 Hz. Time-lapse cross-correlations of the ambient seismic noise field reconstruct the surface waves travelling between the stations. Weekly stacks of the cross-correlations are stable, and show a distinct change correlated with the outburst flood. Apparent surface wave velocities increase slightly several weeks prior to the outburst event, which itself is characterized by a decrease in the correlation amplitude. After the outburst event, the velocities decrease abruptly and take several weeks to rebound to the pre-outburst value. We explore the change of the apparent velocities, which can stem from both real in-situ medium changes and from the spatio-temporal variation of the ambient noise source distribution.

Monitoring microearthquakes with the San Andreas fault observatory at depth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oye, V.; Ellsworth, W.L.

2007-01-01

In 2005, the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) was drilled through the San Andreas Fault zone at a depth of about 3.1 km. The borehole has subsequently been instrumented with high-frequency geophones in order to better constrain locations and source processes of nearby microearthquakes that will be targeted in the upcoming phase of SAFOD. The microseismic monitoring software MIMO, developed by NORSAR, has been installed at SAFOD to provide near-real time locations and magnitude estimates using the high sampling rate (4000 Hz) waveform data. To improve the detection and location accuracy, we incorporate data from the nearby, shallow borehole (???250 m) seismometers of the High Resolution Seismic Network (HRSN). The event association algorithm of the MIMO software incorporates HRSN detections provided by the USGS real time earthworm software. The concept of the new event association is based on the generalized beam forming, primarily used in array seismology. The method requires the pre-computation of theoretical travel times in a 3D grid of potential microearthquake locations to the seismometers of the current station network. By minimizing the differences between theoretical and observed detection times an event is associated and the location accuracy is significantly improved.

Walkaway-VSP survey using distributed optical fiber in China oilfield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Junjun; Yu, Gang; Zhang, Qinghong; Li, Yanpeng; Cai, Zhidong; Chen, Yuanzhong; Liu, Congwei; Zhao, Haiying; Li, Fei

2017-10-01

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a new type of replacement technology for geophysical geophone. DAS system is similar to high-density surface seismic geophone array. In the stage of acquisition, DAS can obtain the full well data with one shot. And it can provide enhanced vertical seismic profile (VSP) imaging and monitor fluids and pressures changes in the hydrocarbon production reservoir. Walkaway VSP data acquired over a former producing well in north eastern China provided a rich set of very high quality data. A standard VSP data pre-processing workflow was applied, followed by pre-stack Kirchhoff time migration. In the DAS pre-processing step we were faced with additional and special challenges: strong coherent noise due to cable slapping and ringing along the borehole casing. The single well DAS Walkaway VSP images provide a good result with higher vertical and lateral resolution than the surface seismic in the objective area. This paper reports on lessons learned in the handling of the wireline cable and subsequent special DAS data processing steps developed to remediate some of the practical wireline deployment issues. Optical wireline cable as a conveyance of fiber optic cables for VSP in vertical wells will open the use of the DAS system to much wider applications.

Detection of very long period solar free oscillations in ambient seismic array noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caton, R.; Pavlis, G. L.; Thomson, D. J.; Vernon, F.

2017-12-01

For nearly two decades long-period seismologists have been aware that the Earth's free oscillations are in a constant state of excitement, even in the absence of large earthquakes. This phenomenon is now called the "Earth's hum," and much research has been done to determine what generates this hum. Here we examine a hypothesis first put forward by Thomson et al. in 2007 that a portion of the hum's energy comes from the sun. They hypothesized that solar free oscillations couple into the solid Earth, likely through electromagnetic processes, and produce signals that are observable in the frequency domain. If this is true, then at least some measurement of helioseismic oscillations may be possible using relatively cheap, ground-based instruments rather than spacecraft. In this project we attempt to improve upon previous studies by producing spectra from seismic arrays, rather than a single station. We use data from two arrays: The Homestake Mine 3D array in Lead, SD, and the Pinyon Flats array, which has seismometers in boreholes drilled into bedrock. Both have exceptionally low noise levels at ultra long periods and show easily visible earth tides on horizontal component data filtered to below the microseism band. In the Homestake data, below 500 μHz we have found evidence of what we suggest may be closely spaced solar g-mode lines. Such modes are produced by a density inversion at the top of the solar core. There is no sign of these modes in the Pinyon Flats data, but we find this is likely due to the signal-to-noise ratio of those data, which is significantly lower than Homestake. Significance tests of bands below 500 μHz indicate with probability levels as high as 40σ that these lines are not the result of random processes. Critical examination of our processing steps for sources of bias indicate that the observed line structure is not a processing artifact.

Method Apparatus And System For Detecting Seismic Waves In A Borehole

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B.; Sumstine, Roger L.

2006-03-14

A method, apparatus and system for detecting seismic waves. A sensing apparatus is deployed within a bore hole and may include a source magnet for inducing a magnetic field within a casing of the borehole. An electrical coil is disposed within the magnetic field to sense a change in the magnetic field due to a displacement of the casing. The electrical coil is configured to remain substantially stationary relative to the well bore and its casing along a specified axis such that displacement of the casing induces a change within the magnetic field which may then be sensed by the electrical coil. Additional electrical coils may be similarly utilized to detect changes in the same or other associated magnetic fields along other specified axes. The additional sensor coils may be oriented substantially orthogonally relative to one another so as to detect seismic waves along multiple orthogonal axes in three dimensional space.

Subsurface Characterization and Seismic Monitoring for the Southwest Partnerships Phase III Demonstration Project at Farnsworth Field, TX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Will, R. A.; Balch, R. S.

2015-12-01

The Southwest Partnership on Carbon Sequestration is performing seismic based characterization and monitoring activities at an active CO2 EOR project at Farnsworth Field, Texas. CO2 is anthropogenically sourced from a fertilizer and an ethanol plant. The field has 13 CO2 injectors and has sequestered 302,982 metric tonnes of CO2 since October 2013. The field site provides an excellent laboratory for testing a range of monitoring technologies in an operating CO2 flood since planned development is sequential and allows for multiple opportunities to record zero CO2 baseline data, mid-flood data, and fully flooded data. The project is comparing and contrasting several scales of seismic technologies in order to determine best practices for large scale commercial sequestration projects. Characterization efforts include an 85 km2 3D surface seismic survey, baseline and repeat 3D VSP surveys centered on injection wells, cross-well tomography baseline and repeat surveys between injector/producer pairs, and a borehole passive seismic array to monitor induced seismicity. All surveys have contributed to detailed geologic models which were then used for fluid flow and risk assessment simulations. 3D VSP and cross-well data with repeat surveys have allowed for direct comparisons of the reservoir prior to CO2 injection and at eight months into injection, with a goal of imaging the CO2 plume as it moves away from injection wells. Additional repeat surveys at regular intervals will continue to refine the plume. The goal of this work is to demonstrate seismic based technologies to monitor CO2 sequestration projects, and to contribute to best practices manuals for commercial scale CO2 sequestration projects. In this talk the seismic plan will be outlined, progress towards goals enumerated, and preliminary results from baseline and repeat seismic data will be discussed. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591.

A one year long continuous record of seismic activity and surface motion at the tongue of Rhonegletscher (Valais, Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalban Canassy, Pierre; Röösli, Claudia; Walter, Fabian; Gabbi, Jeannette

2014-05-01

A critical gap in our current understanding of glaciers is how high sub-glacial water pressure controls the coupling of the glacier to its bed. Processes at the base of a glacier are inherently difficult to investigate due to their remoteness. Investigation of the sub-glacial environment with passive seismic methods is an innovative, rapidly growing interdisciplinary and promising endeavor. In combination with observations of surface motion and basal water pressure, this method is ideally suited to localize and quantify frictional and fracture processes which occur during periods of rapidly changing sub-glacial water pressure with consequent stress redistribution at the contact interface between ice and bed. Here we present the results of the first one-year-long glacier seismic monitoring performed on an Alpine glacier to our knowledge. Together with records of surface motion and hydrological measurements, we examine whether seasonal changes can be captured by seismic recording. Experiments were carried out from June 2012 to July 2013 on Rhonegletscher (Valais, Switzerland), by means of 3 three-components seismometers settled close to the tongue in 2 meters boreholes. An additional array of eleven sensors installed at the ice surface was also maintained during September 2012, in order to achieve more accurate icequakes locations. A high seismic emission is observed on Rhonegletscher, with icequakes located close to the surface or in the vicinity of the bedrock. The temporal distribution of seismic activity is shown to nicely reflect the seasonal evolution of the glacier hydrology, with a dramatic seismic release in early spring. During summer, released seismic activity is generally driven by diurnal ice/snow melting cycle. In winter, snow-cover conditions are associated with a reduced seismic release, with nevertheless some unexpected activity possibly related to snow-pack metamorphism. Based on icequake locations derived from data recorded in September, we discuss seasonal changes of the icequakes hypocenters distribution and possible source mechanisms are proposed.

Predicting Explosion-Generated SN and LG Coda Using Syntheic Seismograms

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

velocities in the upper crust are based on borehole data, geologic and gravity data, refraction studies and seismic experiments (McLaughlin et al. 1983...realizations of random media. We have estimated the heterogeneity parameters for the NTS using available seismic and geologic data. Lateral correlation...variance and coherence measures between seismic traces are estimated from clusters of nuclear explosions and well- log data. The horizontal von Karman

Monitoring Unstable Glaciers with Seismic Noise Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preiswerk, L. E.; Walter, F.

2016-12-01

Gravity-driven glacier instabilities are a threat to human infrastructure in alpine terrain, and this hazard is likely to increase with future changes in climate. Seismometers have been used previously on hazardous glaciers to monitor the natural englacial seismicity. In some situations, an increase in "icequake" activity may indicate fracture growth and thus an imminent major break-off. However, without independent constraints on unstable volumes, such mere event counting is of little use. A promising new approach to monitor unstable masses in Alpine terrain is coda wave interferometry of ambient noise. While already established in the solid earth, application to glaciers is not straightforward, because the lack of inhomogeneities typically suppresses seismic coda waves in glacier ice. Only glaciers with pervasive crevasses provide enough scattering to generate long codas. This is requirement is likely met for highly dynamic unstable glaciers. Here, we report preliminary results from a temporary 5-station on-ice array of seismometers (corner frequencies: 1 Hz, array aperture: 500m) on Bisgletscher (Switzerland). The seismometers were deployed in shallow boreholes, directly above the unstable tongue of the glacier. In the frequency band 4-12 Hz, we find stable noise cross-correlations, which in principle allows monitoring on a subdaily scale. The origin and the source processes of the ambient noise in these frequencies are however uncertain. As a first step, we evaluate the stability of the sources in order to separate effects of changing source parameters from changes of englacial properties. Since icequakes occurring every few seconds may dominate the noise field, we compare their temporal and spatial occurrences with the cross-correlation functions (stability over time, the asymmetry between causal and acausal parts of the cross-correlation functions) as well as with results from beamforming to assess the influence of these transient events on the noise field.

Upper-Mantel Earthquakes in the Australia-Pacific Plate Boundary Zone and the Roots of the Alpine Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boese, C. M.; Warren-Smith, E.; Townend, J.; Stern, T. A.; Lamb, S. H.

2016-12-01

Seismicity in the upper mantle in continental collision zones is relatively rare, but observed around the world. Temporary seismometer deployments have repeatedly detected mantle earthquakes at depths of 40-100 km within the Australia-Pacific plate boundary zone beneath the South Island of New Zealand. Here, the transpressive Alpine Fault constitutes the primary plate boundary structure linking subduction zones of opposite polarity farther north and south. The Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array (SAMBA) has been operating continuously since November 2008 along a 50 km-long section of the central Alpine Fault, where the rate of uplift of the Southern Alps is highest. To date it has detected more than 40 small to moderate-sized mantle events (1≤ML≤3.9). The Central Otago Seismic Array (COSA) has been in operation since late 2012 and detected 15 upper mantle events along the sub-vertical southern Alpine Fault. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the occurrence of upper mantle seismicity in the South Island, including intra-continental subduction (Reyners 1987, Geology); high shear-strain gradients due to depressed geotherms and viscous deformation of mantle lithosphere (Kohler and Eberhart-Phillips 2003, BSSA); high strain rates resulting from plate bending (Boese et al. 2013, EPSL), and underthrusting of the Australian plate (Lamb et al. 2015, G3). Focal mechanism analysis reveals a variety of mechanisms for the upper mantle events but predominantly strike-slip and reverse faulting. In this study, we apply spectral analysis to better constrain source parameters for these mantle events. These results are interpreted in conjunction with new information about crustal structure and low-frequency earthquakes near the Moho and in light of existing velocity, attenuation and resistivity models.

Seismicity Induced by Water Injection for Geothermal Reservoir Stimulation 5 km Below the City of Basel, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deichmann, N.; Mai, M.; Bethmann, F.; Ernst, J.; Evans, K.; Fäh, D.; Giardini, D.; Häring, M.; Husen, S.; Kästli, P.; Bachmann, C.; Ripperger, J.; Schanz, U.; Wiemer, S.

2007-12-01

To stimulate the reservoir for a proposed "hot dry rock" geothermal project in the city of Basel, approximately 11500 m3 of water were injected between December 2nd and 8th, 2006, at high pressures into a 5 km deep well. A six-sensor borehole array, installed at depths between 300 and 2700 meters around the well to monitor the induced seismicity, recorded more than 10500 events during the injection phase. Events with magnitudes as low as ML 0.7 were also recorded by regional networks in Switzerland, Germany and France, as well as by up to 30 strong-motion stations installed in the epicentral area. Due to excessive seismic activity, that included an ML 2.7 event, injection had already been stopped when a few hours later an ML 3.4 event jolted the city of Basel. A large amount of (non-structural) damage, corresponding to an intensity of V (EMS98), has been claimed by home owners. The unusual number of damage claims compared to past events in this magnitude range observed in Switzerland is partly due to the shallow hypocenter (5 km) beneath a densely populated city. In addition, ground-motion modelling shows that the radiation pattern of the earthquake source was oriented unfavourably for the city of Basel and that in numerous locations shaking was amplified significantly by local site conditions. After bleed-off, about one third of the injected water volume flowed back out of the well. Although seismic activity declined rapidly thereafter, three additional ML>3 events occurred over the following two months. From a statistical analysis it is expected that it may take on the order of a decade for the activity to decrease to the regional background level scaled to the size of the source region. The hypocenters of the located events (about 3500 to date) are restricted to a NW-SE oriented lens-shaped cloud, about 1 km in diameter and 200 m wide, with a single offsetting branch to the ESE. The orientation of the cloud and the focal mechanisms determined so far match the stress field derived from observations of borehole breakouts and natural seismicity. Due to the premature abortion of the stimulation process, the size of the stimulated volume is insufficient for a commercially viable exploitation of geothermal energy. At present the project is on hold, pending a comprehensive assessment of the seismic risk associated with a continuation.

Seismic While Drilling Case Study in Shengli Oilfield, Eastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Liu, H.; Tong, S.; Zou, Z.

2015-12-01

Seismic while drilling (SWD) is a promising borehole seismic technique with reduction of drilling risk, cost savings and increased efficiency. To evaluate the technical and economic benefits of this new technique, we carried out SWD survey at well G130 in Shengli Oilfield of Eastern China. Well G130 is an evaluation well, located in Dongying depression at depth more than 3500m. We used an array of portable seismometers to record the surface SWD-data, during the whole drilling progress. The pilot signal was being recorded continuously, by an accelerometer mounted on the top of the drill string. There were also two seismometers buried in the drill yard, one near diesel engine and another near derrick. All the data was being recorded continuously. According to mud logging data, we have processed and analyzed all the data. It demonstrates the drill yard noise is the primary noise among the whole surface wavefield and its dominant frequency is about 20Hz. Crosscorrelation of surface signal with the pilot signal shows its SNR is severely low and there is no any obvious event of drill-bit signals. Fortunately, the autocorrelation of the pilot signal shows clear BHA multiple and drill string multiple. The period of drill string multiple can be used for establishing the reference time (so-called zero time). We identified and removed different noises from the surface SWD-data, taking advantages of wavefield analysis. The drill-bit signal was retrieved from surface SWD-data, using seismic interferometry. And a reverse vertical seismic profile (RVSP) data set for the continuous drilling depth was established. The subsurface images derived from these data compare well with the corresponding images of 3D surface seismic survey cross the well.

Arctic Ocean Sedimentary Cover Structure, Based on 2D MCS Seismic Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kireev, A.; Kaminsky, V.; Poselov, V.; Poselova, L.; Kaminsky, D.

2016-12-01

In 2016 the Russian Federation has submitted its partial revised Submission for establishment of the OLCS (outer limit of the continental shelf) in the Arctic Ocean. In order to prepare the Submission, in 2005 - 2014 the Russian organizations carried out a wide range of geological and geophysical studies, so that today over 23000 km of MCS lines and 4000 km of deep seismic sounding are accomplished. For correct time/depth conversion of seismic sections obtained with a short streamer in difficult ice conditions wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic sonobuoy soundings were used. All of these seismic data were used to refine the stratigraphy model, to identify sedimentary complexes and to estimate the total thickness of the sedimentary cover. Seismic stratigraphy model was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the sedimentary section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by boreholes. Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge for Amerasia basin and by correlation of onlap contacts onto oceanic crust with defined magnetic anomalies for Eurasia basin. Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on tracing major unconformities from boreholes on the Chukchi shelf (Crackerjack, Klondike, Popcorn) to the North-Chuckchi Trough and further to the Mendeleev Rise as well as to the Vilkitsky Trough and the adjacent Podvodnikov Basin. Six main unconformities were traced: regional unconformity (RU), Eocene unconformity (EoU) (for Eurasia basin only), post-Campanian unconformity (pCU), Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit). The final step in our research was to generalize all seismic surveys (top of acoustic basement correlation data) and bathymetry data in the sedimentary cover thickness map of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent Eurasian shelf, on which the structural prolongation of the shallow shelf into deep-water is obviously seen.

Multichannel analysis of surface-waves and integration of downhole acoustic televiewer imaging, ultrasonic Vs and Vp, and vertical seismic profiling in an NEHRP-standard classification, South of Concordia, Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raef, Abdelmoneam; Gad, Sabreen; Tucker-Kulesza, Stacey

2015-10-01

Seismic site characteristics, as pertaining to earthquake hazard reduction, are a function of the subsurface elastic moduli and the geologic structures. This study explores how multiscale (surface, downhole, and laboratory) datasets can be utilized to improve "constrained" average Vs30 (shear-wave velocity to a 30-meter depth). We integrate borehole, surface and laboratory measurements for a seismic site classification based on the standards of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP). The seismic shear-wave velocity (Vs30) was derived from a geophysical inversion workflow that utilized multichannel analysis of surface-waves (MASW) and downhole acoustic televiewer imaging (DATI). P-wave and S-wave velocities, based on laboratory measurements of arrival times of ultrasonic-frequency signals, supported the workflow by enabling us to calculate Poisson's ratio, which was incorporated in building an initial model for the geophysical inversion of MASW. Extraction of core samples from two boreholes provided lithology and thickness calibration of the amplitudes of the acoustic televiewer imaging for each layer. The MASW inversion, for calculating Vs sections, was constrained with both ultrasonic laboratory measurements (from first arrivals of Vs and Vp waveforms at simulated in situ overburden stress conditions) and the downhole acoustic televiewer (DATV) amplitude logs. The Vs30 calculations enabled categorizing the studied site as NEHRP-class "C" - very dense soil and soft rock. Unlike shallow fractured carbonates in the studied area, S-wave and P-wave velocities at ultrasonic frequency for the deeper intact shale core-samples from two boreholes were in better agreement with the corresponding velocities from both a zero-offset vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and inversion of Rayleigh-wave velocity dispersion curves.

Near surface velocity and Q S structure of the Quaternary sediment in Bohai basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chong, Jiajun; Ni, Sidao

2009-10-01

Heavily populated by Beijing and Tianjin cities, Bohai basin is a seismically active Cenozoic basin suffering from huge lost by devastating earthquakes, such as Tangshan earthquake. The attenuation ( Q P and Q S) of the surficial Quaternary sediment has not been studied at natural seismic frequency (1-10 Hz), which is crucial to earthquake hazards study. Borehole seismic records of micro earthquake provide us a good way to study the velocity and attenuation of the surficial structure (0-500 m). We found that there are two pulses well separated with simple waveforms on borehole seismic records from the 2006 M W4.9 Wen’an earthquake sequence. Then we performed waveform modeling with generalized ray theory (GRT) to confirm that the two pulses are direct wave and surface reflected wave, and found that the average ν P and ν S of the top 300 m in this region are about 1.8 km/s and 0.42 km/s, leading to high ν P/ ν S ratio of 4.3. We also modeled surface reflected wave with propagating matrix method to constrain Q S and the near surface velocity structure. Our modeling indicates that Q S is at least 30, or probably up to 100, much larger than the typically assumed extremely low Q (˜10), but consistent with Q S modeling in Mississippi embayment. Also, the velocity gradient just beneath the free surface (0-50 m) is very large and velocity increases gradually at larger depth. Our modeling demonstrates the importance of borehole seismic records in resolving shallow velocity and attenuation structure, and hence may help in earthquake hazard simulation.

Development of a time synchronization methodology for a wireless seismic array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moure-García, David; Torres-González, Pedro; del Río, Joaquín; Mihai, Daniel; Domínguez Cerdeña, Itahiza

2017-04-01

Seismic arrays have multiple applications. In the past, the main use was nuclear tests monitoring that began in mid-twentieth century. The major difference with a seismic network is the hypocenter location procedure. With a seismic network the hypocenter's 3D coordinates are calculated while using an array, the source direction of the seismic signal is determined. Seismic arrays are used in volcanology to obtain the source azimuth of volcanic signals related to fluids movement, magma and/or gases, that do not show a clear seismic phases' onset. A key condition in the seismic array operativity is the temporal synchronization of all the sensors, better than 1 microsecond. Because of that, usually all sensors are connected to the acquisition system by cable to ensure an identical sampling time. In this work we present the design of a wireless low-cost and low-power consumption volcanic monitoring seismic array where all nodes (sensors) acquire data synchronously and transmit them to the center node where a coherent signal is pursued in near real time.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parra, J.; Collier, H.; Angstman, B.

In low porosity, low permeability zones, natural fractures are the primary source of permeability which affect both production and injection of fluids. The open fractures do not contribute much to porosity, but they provide an increased drainage network to any porosity. An important approach to characterizing the fracture orientation and fracture permeability of reservoir formations is one based upon the effects of such conditions on the propagation of acoustic and seismic waves in the rock. We present the feasibility of using seismic measurement techniques to map the fracture zones between wells spaced 2400 ft at depths of about 1000 ft.more » For this purpose we constructed computer models (which include azimuthal anisotropy) using Lodgepole reservoir parameters to predict seismic signatures recorded at the borehole scale, crosswell scale, and 3 D seismic scale. We have integrated well logs with existing 2D surfaces seismic to produce petrophysical and geological cross sections to determine the reservoir parameters and geometry for the computer models. In particular, the model responses are used to evaluate if surface seismic and crosswell seismic measurements can capture the anisotropy due to vertical fractures. Preliminary results suggested that seismic waves transmitted between two wells will propagate in carbonate fracture reservoirs, and the signal can be received above the noise level at the distance of 2400 ft. In addition, the large velocities contrast between the main fracture zone and the underlying unfractured Boundary Ridge Member, suggested that borehole reflection imaging may be appropriate to map and fracture zone thickness variation and fracture distributions in the reservoir.« less

Quantifying the Benefits of Shallow Posthole Installation for the Future French Permanent Broadband Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vergne, J.; Charade, O.; Bonaime, S.; Louis-Xavier, T.; Arnold, B.

2015-12-01

In the framework of the RESIF (réseau sismologique et géodésique français) infrastructure, more than one hundred new permanent broadband stations have to be deployed in metropolitan France within the forthcoming years. This requires a standardized installation method able to provide good noise level performance at a reasonable cost, especially for the 60 percent of stations that we expect to be settled in open environments. During the last two years we tested various types of sensor's hosting infrastructures with a strong focus on recently released posthole sensors that can be deployed at the bottom of shallow boreholes. Tests were performed at 3 different sites (two GEOSCOPE stations and a dedicated open-field prototype site) with geological conditions spanning from hard rocks to very soft soils. On each site, posthole sensors were deployed at different depths, from the surface to a maximum of 20m deep, and in different types of casing. Moreover, a reference sensor, either installed in a tunnel, a cellar or a seismic vault, has been operated continuously. We present a comprehensive comparison of the seismic noise level measured in the different hosting infrastructures and for several frequency bands corresponding to various sources of noise. At high and low frequencies, seismic noise level in some boreholes equals or outperforms the one obtained for the reference sensors. Between 0.005 and 0.05Hz, we observe a strong decrease of seismic noise level on the horizontal components in the deepest boreholes compared to near surface installations. This improvement can reach up to 30dB and is mostly due to a reduction in tilt noise induced by wind or local pressure variations. However, the absolute noise level that can be achieved clearly depends on the local geology. All these tests, together with estimated installation costs, point toward the deployment of sensors in shallow boreholes at the future French broadband stations located in open environments.

kISMET: Stress analysis and intermediate-scale hydraulic fracturing at the Sanford Underground Research Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobson, P. F.; Oldenburg, C. M.; Wu, Y.; Cook, P. J.; Kneafsey, T. J.; Nakagawa, S.; Ulrich, C.; Siler, D. L.; Guglielmi, Y.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.; Rutqvist, J.; Daley, T. M.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Wang, H. F.; Lord, N.; Haimson, B. C.; Sone, H.; Vigilante, P.; Roggenthen, W.; Doe, T.; Lee, M.; Ingraham, M. D.; Huang, H.; Mattson, E.; Johnson, T. C.; Zhou, J.; Zoback, M. D.; Morris, J.; White, J. A.; Johnson, P. A.; Coblentz, D. D.; Heise, J.

2017-12-01

In 2015, we established a field test facility at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), and in 2016 we carried out in situ hydraulic fracturing experiments to characterize the stress field, understand the effects of crystalline rock fabric on fracturing, and gain experience in monitoring using geophysical methods. The kISMET (permeability (k) and Induced Seismicity Management for Energy Technologies) project test site was established in the West Access Drift at the 4850 ft level, 1478 m below ground in phyllite of the Precambrian Poorman Formation. The kISMET team drilled and cored five near-vertical boreholes in a line on 3 m spacing, deviating the two outermost boreholes slightly to create a five-spot pattern around the test borehole centered in the test volume 40 m below the drift invert (floor) at a total depth of 1518 m. Laboratory measurements of core from the center test borehole showed P-wave velocity heterogeneity along each core indicating strong, fine-scale ( 1 cm or smaller) changes in the mechanical properties of the rock. Tensile strength ranges between 3‒7.5 MPa and 5‒12 MPa. Pre-fracturing numerical simulations with a discrete element code were carried out to predict fracture size and magnitude of microseismicity. Field measurements of the stress field were made using hydraulic fracturing, which produced remarkably uniformly oriented fractures suggesting rock fabric did not play a significant role in controlling fracture orientation. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and continuous active seismic source monitoring (CASSM) were deployed in the four monitoring boreholes, and passive seismic accelerometer-based measurements in the West Access Drift were carried out during the generation of a larger fracture (so-called stimulation test). ERT was not able to detect the fracture created, nor did the accelerometers in the drift, but microseismicity was detected for the first (deepest) hydraulic-fracturing stress measurement. Analytical solutions suggest that the fracture radius of the large fracture (stimulation test) was more than 6 m, depending on the unknown amount of leak-off. Currently kISMET team members are analyzing a large number of borehole breakouts recorded in nearby boreholes at SURF to generate a more complete picture of the stress field and its variations at SURF.

A Software Toolbox for Systematic Evaluation of Seismometer-Digitizer System Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

characteristics (e.g., borehole vs. surface installation) than the actual seismic noise characteristics. These results suggest that our best results of NOISETRAN...Award No. DE-FG02-09ER85548/Phase_I ABSTRACT Measurement of the absolute amplitudes of a seismic signal requires accurate knowledge of...power spectral density (PSD) estimator for background noise spectra at a seismic station. SACPSD differs from the current PSD used by NEIC and IRIS

Prototype PBO Instrumentation of CALIPSO Project Captures World-Record Lava Dome Collapse on Montserrat Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattioli, Glen S.; Young, Simon R.; Voight, Barry; Sparks, R. Steven J.; Shalev, Eylon; Selwyn, Sacks; Malin, Peter; Linde, Alan; Johnston, William; Hadayat, Dannie; Elsworth, Derek; Dunkley, Peter; Herd, Richard; Neuberg, Jurgen; Norton, Gillian; Widiwijayanti, Christina

2004-08-01

This article is an update on the status of an innovative new project designed to enhance generally our understanding of andesitic volcano eruption dynamics and, specifically, the monitoring and scientific infrastructure at the active Soufriàre Hills Volcano (SHV), Montserrat. The project has been designated as the Caribbean Andesite Lava Island Precision Seismo-geodetic Observatory, known as CALIPSO. Its purpose is to investigate the dynamics of the entire SHV magmatic system using an integrated array of specialized instruments in four strategically located ~200-m-deep boreholes in concert with several shallower holes and surface sites. The project is unique, as it represents the first, and only, such borehole volcano-monitoring array deployed at an andesitic stratovolcano. CALIPSO may be considered as a prototype for planned Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) installations at several volcanic targets in the western United States. Scientific objectives of the EarthScope Integrated Science Plan (ES-ISP) relevant to magmatic systems are to investigate (1) melt generation in the mantle; (2) melt migration from the mantle to and through the crust to the surface; (3) melt residence times at various deep reservoirs; and (4) delineation of characteristic patterns of surface deformation and seismicity, which may prove useful in eruption forecasting. The CALIPSO project shares most of the same scientific goals and has, moreover, the benefit of a rich existing geophysical context in its deployment at SHV. Our experience during instrument design, planning, drilling and installation, systems integration, and early operation of CALIPSO, moreover, may prove valuable to EarthScope and PBO managers.

Imaging Fractures Through Relative Velocity Change Using Ambient Seismic Noise And Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS): A SUBTER Pilot Study At Blue Canyon Dome, Socorro NM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, S. R.; Knox, H. A.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.; Johnson, T. C.; Morris, J.; Grubelich, M. C.; King, D. K.

2016-12-01

Knowledge of fracture systems, including locations, morphology, and evolution, is critical for groundwater management, contaminant transport, and energy applications such as reservoir development (i.e. tight shale and geothermal) and reservoir management (i.e. carbon sequestration and wastewater injection). It has long been understood that the presence of fractures reduces bulk seismic velocity, with waves traveling perpendicular to fracture planes experiencing the strongest velocity reduction. We present results from seismic interferometry using ambient seismic noise to detect velocity changes following fracture emplacement from two energetic stimulations. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) using fiber optic cables was used to record seismic arrivals at high spatial resolution ( 3 ft). Cables were grouted in the annulus of four cased monitoring boreholes surrounding the stimulation borehole at a radius of 4 feet. Ambient noise was recorded before and after each stimulation for 12-hour time periods. We used the Python package MSNoise to compute cross-correlations of all near-horizontal (less than 60°) channel pairs between boreholes and calculated the velocity change of each time period relative to initial conditions prior to stimulation. Results show an average velocity decrease of approximately 6% following the first fracturing event. Variations between channel pairs suggest some are more strongly affected than others, which is supported by evaluation of other geophysical data. These results show promise for locating fractures based on spatial variation in velocity changes. Unsurprisingly, results following the second stimulation are generally more scattered. Some velocities are further reduced compared to those after the first stimulation while others show a relative velocity increase. These results are roughly consistent with time-lapse seismic measurements conducted using active sources and classical sensors (e.g. hydrophones). Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Understanding Fracturing and Alteration at ODP Borehole 504B: 3D Seismic Structure and Anisotropy of 5.9 Ma Oceanic Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregory, E. P. M.; Hobbs, R. W.; Peirce, C.; Wilson, D. J.; Zhang, L.

2016-12-01

Faults and fracture networks within the oceanic crust influence the pattern of hydrothermal circulation. This circulation changes the primary composition and structure of the crust as it evolves, particularly the upper crust (layer 2), through the secondary alteration of minerals and the infilling and 'sealing' of cracks. Processes influencing the extent and the depth within the crust of these changes are currently not well known. Alteration can be quantified by observing changes in the seismic velocity structure of the crust, and analysis of seismic anisotropy within the upper crust reveals the nature of ridge-parallel aligned faults and fractures. Here we show a 3D P-wave velocity model and anisotropy maps for 5.9 Ma crust at ODP borehole 504B, situated 200 km south of the Costa Rica Rift, derived from an active-source wide-angle seismic survey in the Panama Basin conducted in 2015. The seismic structure reveals relatively homogeneous, 5 km thick oceanic crust with upper crustal velocity boundaries occurring coincident with alteration fronts observed in 504B. Correlations between basement topography, velocity anomaly and anisotropy indicate that a distinct relationship between hydrothermal alteration, basement ridges, fractures, and the velocity structure of layer 2 exists in this location. A significant difference is seen in the velocity and anisotropic structure between regions to the east and west of the borehole, that correlates with patterns in heat flow observations and indicates that: 1) these two regions of crust have inherited differences in crustal fabric during accretion; and/or 2) different regimes of hydrothermal circulation have been active in each part of the crust as they have aged. This research is part of a major, interdisciplinary NERC-funded research collaboration entitled: Oceanographic and Seismic Characterisation of heat dissipation and alteration by hydrothermal fluids at an Axial Ridge (OSCAR).

A permanent seismic station beneath the Ocean Bottom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, David; Cessaro, Robert K.; Duennebier, Fred K.; Byrne, David A.

1987-03-01

The Hawaii Institute of Geophysics began development of the Ocean Subbottom Seisometer (OSS) system in 1978, and OSS systems were installed in four locations between 1979 and 1982. The OSS system is a permanent, deep ocean borehole seismic recording system composed of a borehole sensor package (tool), an electromechanical cable, recorder package, and recovery system. Installed near the bottom of a borehole (drilled by the D/V Glomar Challenger), the tool contains three orthogonal, 4.5-Hz geophones, two orthogonal tilt meters; and a temperature sensor. Signals from these sensors are multiplexed, digitized (with a floating point technique), and telemetered through approximately 10 km of electromechanical cable to a recorder package located near the ocean bottom. Electrical power for the tool is supplied from the recorder package. The digital seismic signals are demultiplexed, converted back to analog form, processed through an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit, and recorded along with a time code on magnetic tape cassettes in the recorder package. Data may be recorded continuously for up to two months in the self-contained recorder package. Data may also be recorded in real time (digital formal) during the installation and subsequent recorder package servicing. The recorder package is connected to a submerged recovery buoy by a length of bouyant polypropylene rope. The anchor on the recovery buoy is released by activating either of the acoustical command releases. The polypropylene rope may also be seized with a grappling hook to effect recovery. The recorder package may be repeatedly serviced as long as the tool remains functional A wide range of data has been recovered from the OSS system. Recovered analog records include signals from natural seismic sources such as earthquakes (teleseismic and local), man-made seismic sources such as refraction seismic shooting (explosives and air cannons), and nuclear tests. Lengthy continuous recording has permitted analysis of wideband noise levels, and the slowly varying parameters, temperature and tilt.

Relocation of Groningen seismicity using refracted waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruigrok, E.; Trampert, J.; Paulssen, H.; Dost, B.

2015-12-01

The Groningen gas field is a giant natural gas accumulation in the Northeast of the Netherlands. The gas is in a reservoir at a depth of about 3 km. The naturally-fractured gas-filled sandstone extends roughly 45 by 25 km laterally and 140 m vertically. Decades of production have led to significant compaction of the sandstone. The (differential) compaction is thought to have reactivated existing faults and being the main driver of induced seismicity. Precise earthquake location is difficult due to a complicated subsurface, and that is the likely reason, the current hypocentre estimates do not clearly correlate with the well-known fault network. The seismic velocity model down to reservoir depth is quite well known from extensive seismic surveys and borehole data. Most to date earthquake detections, however, were made with a sparse pre-2015 seismic network. For shallow seismicity (<5 km depth) horizontal source-receiver distances tend to be much larger than vertical distances. Consequently, preferred source-receiver travel paths are refractions over high-velocity layers below the reservoir. However, the seismic velocities of layers below the reservoir are poorly known. We estimated an effective velocity model of the main refracting layer below the reservoir and use this for relocating past seismicity. We took advantage of vertical-borehole recordings for estimating precise P-wave (refraction) onset times and used a tomographic approach to find the laterally varying velocity field of the refracting layer. This refracting layer is then added to the known velocity model, and the combined model is used to relocate the past seismicity. From the resulting relocations we assess which of the faults are being reactivated.

One Decade of Induced Seismicity in Basel, Switzerland: A Consistent High-Resolution Catalog Obtained by Template Matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, M.; Kraft, T.; Tormann, T.; Scarabello, L.; Wiemer, S.

2017-12-01

Induced seismicity at the site of the Basel Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) continuously decayed for six years after injection had been stopped in December 2006. Starting in May 2012, the Swiss Seismological Service was detecting a renewed increase of induced seismicity in the EGS reservoir to levels last seen in 2007 and reaching magnitudes up to ML2.0. Seismic monitoring at this EGS site is running for more than ten years now, but the details of the long-term behavior of its induced seismicity remained unexplored because a seismic event catalog that is consistent in detection sensitivity and magnitude estimation did not exist.We have created such a catalog by applying our matched filter detector to the 11-year-long seismic recordings of a borehole station at 2.7km depth. Based on 3'600 located earthquakes of the operator's borehole-network catalog, we selected about 2'500 reasonably dissimilar templates using waveform clustering. This large template set ensures an adequate coverage of the diversity of event waveforms which is due to the reservoir's highly complex fault system and the close observation distance. To cope with the increased computational demand of scanning 11-years of data with 2'500 templates, we parallelized our detector to run on a high-performance computer of the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre.We detect more than 200'000 events down to ML-2.5 during the six-day-long stimulation in December 2006 alone. Previously, only 13'000 detections found by an amplitude-threshold-based detector were known for this period. The high temporal and spatial resolution of this new catalog allows us to analyze the statistics of the induced Basel earthquakes in great detail. We resolve spatio-temporal variations of the seismicity parameters (a- and b-value) that have not been identified before and derive the first high-resolution temporal evolution of the seismic hazard for the Basel EGS reservoir.In summer 2017, our detector monitored the 10-week pressure reduction operation at the Basel-1 borehole during which the well was periodically opened. The detections drove a traffic light system based on magnitude thresholds and earthquake rates. For future EGS projects in Switzerland, our detector is planned to run in near real-time and provide the basis for an advanced traffic light system.

Origin and nature of crystal reflections: Results from integrated seismic measurements at the KTB superdeep drilling site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harjes, H.-P.; Bram, K.; Dürbaum, H.-J.; Gebrande, H.; Hirschmann, G.; Janik, M.; KlöCkner, M.; Lüschen, E.; Rabbel, W.; Simon, M.; Thomas, R.; Tormann, J.; Wenzel, F.

1997-08-01

For almost 10 years the KTB superdeep drilling project has offered an excellent field laboratory for adapting seismic techniques to crystalline environments and for testing new ideas for interpreting seismic reflections in terms of lithological or textural properties of metamorphic rock units. The seismic investigations culminated in a three-dimensional (3-D) reflection survey on a 19×19 km area with the drill site at its center. Interpretation of these data resulted in a detailed, structural model of the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (KTB) location with dominant, steep faults in the upper crust. The 3-D reflection survey was part of a suite of seismic experiments, ranging from wide-angle reflection and refraction profiles to standard vertical seismic profiles (VSP) and more sophisticated surface-to-borehole observations. It was predicted that the drill bit would meet the most prominent, steeply dipping, crustal reflector at a depth of about 6500-7000 m, and indeed, the borehole penetrated a major fault zone in the depth interval between 6850 and 7300 m. This reflector offered the rare opportunity to relate logging results, reflective properties, and geology to observed and modeled data. Post-Variscan thrusting caused cataclastic deformation, with partial, strong alterations within a steeply dipping reverse fault zone. This process generated impedance contrasts within the fault zone on a lateral scale large enough to cause seismic reflections. This was confirmed by borehole measurements along the whole 9.1 km deep KTB profile. The strongest, reflected signals originated from fluid-filled fractures and cataclastic fracture zones rather than from lithological boundaries (i.e., first-order discontinuities between different rock types) or from texture- and/or foliation-induced anisotropy. During the interpretation of seismic data at KTB several lessons were learned: Conventional processing of two-dimensional (2-D) reflection data from a presite survey showed predominantly subhorizontal layering in the upper crust with reflectivity striking in the Variscan direction. Drilling, however, revealed that all rock units are steeply dipping. This confirms that surface common depth point (CDP) seismics strongly enhances subhorizontal reflectivity and may thus produce a very misleading crustal image. Although this was shown for synthetic examples earlier, the KTB provides the experimental proof of how crucial this insight can be.

Geophysical investigations of well fields to characterize fractured-bedrock aquifers in southern New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Degnan, James R.; Moore, Richard Bridge; Mack, Thomas J.

2001-01-01

Bedrock-fracture zones near high-yield bedrock wells in southern New Hampshire well fields were located and characterized using seven surface and six borehole geophysical survey methods. Detailed surveys of six sites with various methods provide an opportunity to integrate and compare survey results. Borehole geophysical surveys were conducted at three of the sites to confirm subsurface features. Hydrogeologic settings, including a variety of bedrock and surface geologic materials, were sought to gain an insight into the usefulness of the methods in varied terrains. Results from 15 survey lines, 8 arrays, and 3 boreholes were processed and interpreted from the 6 sites. The surface geophysical methods used provided physical properties of fractured bedrock. Seismic refraction and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) primarily were used to characterize the overburden materials, but in a few cases indicated bedrock-fracture zones. Magnetometer surveys were used to obtain background information about the bedrock to compare with other results, and to search for magnetic lows, which may result from weathered fractured rock. Electromagnetic terrain conductivity surveys (EM) and very-low-frequency electromagnetic surveys (VLF) were used as rapid reconnaissance techniques with the primary purpose of identifying electrical anomalies, indicating potential fracture zones in bedrock. Direct-current (dc) resistivity methods were used to gather detailed subsurface information about fracture depth and orientation. Two-dimensional (2-D) dc-resistivity surveys using dipole-dipole and Schlumberger arrays located and characterized the overburden, bedrock, and bedrock-fracture zones through analysis of data inversions. Azimuthal square array dc-resistivity survey results indicated orientations of conductive steep-dipping bedrock-fracture zones that were located and characterized by previously applied geophysical methods. Various available data sets were used for site selection, characterizations, and interpretations. Lineament data, developed as a part of a statewide and regional scale investigation of the bedrock aquifer, were available to identify potential near-vertical fracture zones. Geophysical surveys indicated fracture zones coincident with lineaments at 4 of the sites. Geologic data collected as a part of the regional scale investigation provided outcrop fracture measurements, ductile fabric, and contact information. Dominant fracture trends correspond to the trends of geophysical anomalies at 4 of the sites. Water-well drillers? logs from water supply and environmental data sets also were used where available to characterize sites. Regional overburden information was compiled from stratified-drift aquifer maps and surficial-geological maps.

Computers at the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffman, J.

1979-01-01

The Worldwide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN) is managed by the U.S Geological Survey in Albuquerque, N. Mex. It consists of a global network of seismographs housed in seismic observatories throughout the world. An important recent addition to this network are the Seismic Research Observatories (SRO) which combine a borehole seismometer with a modern digital data recording system. 

Integration of borehole and seismic data to unravel complex stratigraphy: Case studies from the Mannville Group, Western Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarzalejo Silva, Sabrina Ester

Understanding the stratigraphic architecture of geologically complex reservoirs, such as the heavy oil deposits of Western Canada, is essential to achieve an efficient hydrocarbon recovery. Borehole and 3-D seismic data were integrated to define the stratigraphic architecture and generate 3-dimensional geological models of the Mannville Group in Saskatchewan. The Mannville is a stratigraphically complex unit formed of fluvial to marine deposits. Two areas in west-central and southern Saskatchewan were examined in this study. In west-central Saskatchewan, the area corresponds to a stratigraphically controlled heavy oil reservoir with production from the undifferentiated Dina-Cummings Members of the Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group. The southern area, although non-prospective for hydrocarbons, shares many similarities with time-equivalent strata in areas of heavy oil production. Seismic sequence stratigraphic principles together with log signatures permitted the subdivision of the Mannville into different packages. An initial geological model was generated integrating seismic and well-log data Multiattribute analysis and neural networks were used to generate a pseudo-lithology or gamma-ray volume. The incorporation of borehole core data to the model and the subsequent integration with the lithological prediction were crucial to capture the distribution of reservoir and non-reservoir deposits in the study area. The ability to visualize the 3-D seismic data in a variety of ways, including arbitrary lines and stratal or horizon slicing techniques helped the definition of stratigraphic features such as channels and scroll bars that affect fluid flow in hydrocarbon producing areas. Small-scale heterogeneities in the reservoir were not resolved due to the resolution of the seismic data. Although not undertaken in this study, the resulting stratigraphic framework could be used to help construct a static reservoir model. Because of the small size of the 3-D seismic surveys, horizontal slices through the data volume generally imaged only small portions of the paleogeomorphologic features thought to be present in this area. As such, it was only through the integration of datasets that the geological models were established.

Small Arrays for Seismic Intruder Detections: A Simulation Based Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitarka, A.

2014-12-01

Seismic sensors such as geophones and fiber optic have been increasingly recognized as promising technologies for intelligence surveillance, including intruder detection and perimeter defense systems. Geophone arrays have the capability to provide cost effective intruder detection in protecting assets with large perimeters. A seismic intruder detection system uses one or multiple arrays of geophones design to record seismic signals from footsteps and ground vehicles. Using a series of real-time signal processing algorithms the system detects, classify and monitors the intruder's movement. We have carried out numerical experiments to demonstrate the capability of a seismic array to detect moving targets that generate seismic signals. The seismic source is modeled as a vertical force acting on the ground that generates continuous impulsive seismic signals with different predominant frequencies. Frequency-wave number analysis of the synthetic array data was used to demonstrate the array's capability at accurately determining intruder's movement direction. The performance of the array was also analyzed in detecting two or more objects moving at the same time. One of the drawbacks of using a single array system is its inefficiency at detecting seismic signals deflected by large underground objects. We will show simulation results of the effect of an underground concrete block at shielding the seismic signal coming from an intruder. Based on simulations we found that multiple small arrays can greatly improve the system's detection capability in the presence of underground structures. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344

A borehole-to-surface electromagnetic survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tseng, H.-W.; Becker, A.; Wilt, M.J.; Deszcz-Pan, M.

1998-01-01

The results of a limited field trial confirm the usefulness of borehole-to-surface electromagnetic (EM) measurements for monitoring fluid extraction. A vertical EM profiling experiment was done at the University of California Richmond Field Station, where we simulated a brine spill plume by creating a saline water injection zone at a depth of 30 m. The data acquisition mode was analogous to the reverse vertical seismic profiling (VSP) configuration used for seismic measurements in that the EM transmitter traversed the PVC-cased borehole used for fluid injection and extraction while the receivers were deployed on the surface. The EM measurements were made at 9.6 kHz with an accuracy of 1% in signal amplitude and 1??in signal phase. Observations were taken at 5-m intervals along two intersecting profiles that were centered on the injection well and extended for 60 m on either side of it. The presence of the injected salt water, at the expected 30 m depth, was indicated clearly by differences between the pre-extraction and postextraction data. A limited amount of numerical modeling showed that the experimental data were consistent with the presence of two superposed saline plumes. The uppermost of these, located at 26 m depth, was 2 m thick and had an area of 30 m2. The lower plume, located at 30 m, is the major cause of the observed anomally, as it has an areal extent of 120 m2 and a thickness of 3 m. Surprisingly, the measurements were very sensitive to the presence of cultural surficial conductivity anomalies. These spurious effect were reduced by spatial filtering of the data prior to interpretation.The results of a limited field trial confirm the usefulness of borehole-to-surface electromagnetic (EM) measurements for monitoring fluid extraction. A brine spill plume is simulated by creating a saline water injection zone at a depth of 30 m. The data acquisition mode was analogous to the reverse vertical seismic profiling (VSP) configuration used for seismic measurements in that the EM transmitter traversed the polyvinyl chloride-cased borehole used for fluid injection and extraction while the receivers were deployed on the surface. Observations were taken at 5-m intervals along two intersecting profiles that were centered on the injection well and extended for 60 m on either side of it.

Localized Stress Perturbations in the Northern Newark Basin: Implications for Induced Seismicity and Carbon Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakharova, N. V.; Goldberg, D.

2013-12-01

Induced seismicity has emerged as one of the primary concerns for large-volume underground injections, such as wastewater disposal and carbon sequestration. In order to mitigate potential seismic risks, detailed knowledge of reservoir geometry, occurrence of faults and fractures, and the distribution of in situ stresses is required to predict the effect of pore pressure increase on formation stability. We present a detailed analysis of in situ stress distribution at a potential carbon sequestration site in the northern Newark basin, and then consider fault and fracture stability under injection conditions taking into account the effects of localized stress perturbations, formation anisotropy and poroelasticity. The study utilizes borehole geophysical data obtained in a 2-km-deep well drilled into Triassic lacustrine sediments in Rockland County, NY. A complex pattern of local variations in the stress field with depth and at multiple scales is revealed by borehole breakouts, including: (i) gradual counter-clockwise rotation of horizontal stress orientation and decrease in relative magnitude with depth, (ii) pronounced rotations of the principal horizontal stresses at two depths, ~800 m and ~1200 m, and (iii) small-scale departures from mean orientation at the scale of meters to tens of meters. Localized stress drop near active faults may explain these observations. Seismic profiling in the vicinity of the borehole and along dip and strike of basin sediments suggests the presence of crosscutting, and potentially active, fault zones but their geometry cannot be accurately resolved. Borehole image data from the site indicates the presence of numerous fractures with increasing density over depth that roughly form two sets: high-angle fractures striking NE-SW and sub-horizontal fractures dipping NW. We perform iterative dislocation modeling for various fault orientations and slip distances to match the observed stress distribution in the borehole. Both intersecting and non-intersecting faults are modeled. Uncertainties introduced by unknown compressive rock strength and heterogeneous lithology are addressed using multivariate statistical analysis of the acquired log data, including elastic wave anisotropy. Our preliminary results suggest that shallow reservoirs (< 1 km depth) are critically stressed and are not viable candidates for underground injections; however, deeper reservoirs (> 1.2 km) may allow injection with up to 15 MPa pore pressure increase before the effective stress reaches the failure limit on critical faults.

Borehole Muon Detector Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonneville, A.; Flygare, J.; Kouzes, R.; Lintereur, A.; Yamaoka, J. A. K.; Varner, G. S.

2015-12-01

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations have spurred investigation into carbon sequestration methods. One of the possibilities being considered, storing super-critical CO2 in underground reservoirs, has drawn more attention and pilot projects are being supported worldwide. Monitoring of the post-injection fate of CO2 is of utmost importance. Generally, monitoring options are active methods, such as 4D seismic reflection or pressure measurements in monitoring wells. We propose here to develop a 4-D density tomography of subsurface CO2 reservoirs using cosmic-ray muon detectors deployed in a borehole. Muon detection is a relatively mature field of particle physics and there are many muon detector designs, though most are quite large and not designed for subsurface measurements. The primary technical challenge preventing deployment of this technology in the subsurface is the lack of miniaturized muon-tracking detectors capable of fitting in standard boreholes and that will resist the harsh underground conditions. A detector with these capabilities is being developed by a collaboration supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. Current simulations based on a Monte Carlo modeling code predict that the incoming muon angle can be resolved with an error of approximately two degrees, using either underground or sea level spectra. The robustness of the design comes primarily from the use of scintillating rods as opposed to drift tubes. The rods are arrayed in alternating layers to provide a coordinate scheme. Preliminary testing and measurements are currently being performed to test and enhance the performance of the scintillating rods, in both a laboratory and a shallow underground facility. The simulation predictions and data from the experiments will be presented.

Pre-stack depth migration in an anisotropic crystalline environment at the COSC-1 borehole, central Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, H.; Buske, S.; Hedin, P.; Juhlin, C.; Krauß, F.; Giese, R.

2017-12-01

The Scandinavian Caledonides represent a well preserved deeply eroded Palaeozoic orogen, formed by the collision of the two palaeocontinents Baltica and Laurentia. Today, after four hundred million years of erosion along with uplift and extension during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, the geological structure in central western Sweden consists of allochthons, underlying autochthonous units, and the shallow west-dipping décollement that separates the two and is associated with Cambrian black shales. The project Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides (COSC) aims to investigate these structures and their physical conditions with two approximately 2.5 km deep fully cored scientific boreholes in central Sweden. The first borehole COSC-1 was successfully drilled in 2014 and obtained a continuous cored section through the highly deformed Seve Nappe. After drilling was completed several surface and borehole based seismic experiments were conducted. The data from a multi-azimuthal walkaway VSP in combination with long offset surface lines was used to image the structures in the vicinity of the borehole. Clear differences in vertical and horizontal P-wave velocities made it necessary to also account for anisotropy. The resulting VTI velocity model provides the basis for subsequent application of seismic imaging approaches. An anisotropic eikonal solver was used to calculate the traveltimes needed for Kirchhoff-based pre-stack depth migration methods. The resulting images were compared to the corresponding migration results based on an isotropic velocity model. Both images are dominated by strong and clear reflections, however, they appear more continuous and better focused in the anisotropic result. Most of the dominant reflections originate below the bottom of the borehole and therefore they are probably situated within the Precambrian basement. They might represent dolerite intrusions or deformation zones of Caledonian or pre-Caledonian age.

Detection of seismic anisotropy using ocean bottom seismometers: a case study from the northern headwall of the Storegga Slide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Exley, R. J. K.; Westbrook, G. K.; Haacke, R. R.; Peacock, S.

2010-10-01

Azimuthal seismic anisotropy has been identified from the analysis of S-waves generated by P to S mode conversion in the Pleistocene sediments that form the northern headwall of the Storegga Slide, which were investigated with a seismic experiment employing a seabed array of ocean-bottom seismometers and a grid of airgun shots. The principal technique used to detect the anisotropy was azimuthal stacking of the radial and transverse horizontal geophone components, after the application of moveout, to show the variations in amplitude, phase and cumulative traveltime effects of S-waves, ultimately providing information that identified the `fast' and `slow' S-wave polarization orientations. Particle-motion analysis was used to corroborate the results and provide further information on the magnitudes of cumulative S-wave splitting. A 2-D ray-traced inversion of the traveltimes of pre-critical P and PS arrivals provided a velocity model from which the variation with depth of Vp, Vs and anisotropy could be compared with lithological and stratigraphic data from a borehole at the centre of the OBS array. Increased anisotropic response was observed to be coincident with high velocity units, which have high mica but low water content and are interpreted to be of glacial origin. The analysis of azimuthal seismic anisotropy shows clear evidence for horizontal transverse isotropy or an orthorhombic symmetry. The distribution in orientations of the fast plane of symmetry is broadly bimodal (E-W and NE-SW) across the OBS array. The E-W group showed correlation with the headwalls of old, buried slides and other faults visible within coherency attributes calculated from an accompanying 3-D seismic data set and with the strike of some of the headwalls of slides shown in multibeam bathymetry. However, the pattern of headwall fractures shown in the bathymetry is complicated and reticulate, and the NE-SW orientation is also well represented. We infer that the cause of the anisotropy is the presence of vertical to sub-vertical, fluid-filled fractures and micro-cracks, partially held open by high pore-fluid pressure. The fracture orientations are controlled primarily by the present-day gravitationally induced down-slope stress, which is mediated by the heterogeneous nature of sub-surface, causing local changes in the orientation of the principal stresses at the margins of incipient or failed slides. The fractures, if connected, are likely to increase vertical permeability within the sediment column significantly, and influence the distribution of gas hydrate within the strata.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toksoz, M N; Kuleli, S; Gurbuz, C

The objective of this project is to calibrate regional travel-times and propagation characteristics of seismic waves in Turkey and surrounding areas in the Middle East in order to enhance detection and location capabilities in the region. Important data for the project will be obtained by large calibration shots in central and eastern Turkey. The first, a two-ton shot, was fired in boreholes near Keskin in central Anatolia on 23 November 2002. The explosives were placed in 14 holes, each 80 m deep, arranged in concentric circular arrays. Ninety temporary seismic stations were deployed within a 300 km radius around themore » shot. The permanent stations of the Turkish National Seismic Network provided a good azimuthal coverage as well as three radial traverses. Most stations within a radius of 200 km recorded the shot. Travel-time data have been analyzed to obtain a detailed crustal model under the shot and along the profiles. The model gives a 35 km thick crust, characterized by two layers with velocities of 5.0 and 6.4 km/s. The P{sub n} velocity was found to be 7.8 km/s. The crustal thickness decreases to the north where the profile crosses the North Anatolian fault. There is a slight increase in crustal velocities, but no change in crustal thickness to the west. Data analysis effort is continuing to refine the regional velocity models and to obtain station corrections.« less

Estimating Local and Near-Regional Velocity and Attenuation Structure from Seismic Noise

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-30

seismic array in Costa Rica and Nicaragua from ambient seismic noise using two independent methods, noise cross correlation and beamforming. The noise...Mean-phase velocity-dispersion curves are calculated for the TUCAN seismic array in Costa Rica and Nicaragua from ambient seismic noise using two...stations of the TUCAN seismic array (Figure 4c) using a method similar to Harmon et al. (2007). Variations from Harmon et al. (2007) include removing the

S-Wave Velocity Structure of the Taiwan Chelungpu Fault Drilling Project (TCDP) Site Using Microtremor Array Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Cheng-Feng; Huang, Huey-Chu

2015-10-01

The Taiwan Chelungpu Fault Drilling Project (TCDP) drilled a 2-km-deep hole 2.4 km east of the surface rupture of the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake ( M w 7.6), near the town of Dakeng. Geophysical well logs at the TCDP site were run over depths ranging from 500 to 1,900 m to obtain the physical properties of the fault zones and adjacent damage zones. These data provide good reference material for examining the validity of velocity structures using microtremor array measurement; therefore, we conduct array measurements for a total of four arrays at two sites near the TCDP drilling sites. The phase velocities at frequencies of 0.2-5 Hz are calculated using the frequency-wavenumber ( f- k) spectrum method. Then the S-wave velocity structures are estimated by employing surface wave inversion techniques. The S-wave velocity from the differential inversion technique gradually increases from 1.52 to 2.22 km/s at depths between 585 and 1,710 m. This result is similar to those from the velocity logs, which range from 1.4 km/s at a depth of 597 m to 2.98 km/s at a depth of 1,705 m. The stochastic inversion results are similar to those from the seismic reflection methods and the lithostratigraphy of TCDP-A borehole, comparatively. These results show that microtremor array measurement provides a good tool for estimating deep S-wave velocity structure.

Comparison of Reduced Displacement Potentials from Spe Free Field Measurements: SPE-4PRIME Versus Previous Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patton, H. J.; Rougier, E.

2015-12-01

Since 2010, the U. S. Department of Energy has funded a series of chemical tests at the National Nuclear Security Site (NNSS) in Climax Stock granite as part of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the generation and propagation of seismic energy from underground explosions in hard rock media. To date, four tests have been conducted in the same borehole with yields of 100, 1000, 900 and 100 kg at different depths of burials. The nominal scaled depths of burial are 938, 363, 376 and 1556 m/kt1/3 compared to standard containment practices of ~120 m/kt1/3. A quite dense array of free field accelerometers were installed around the borehole, both on and off shot depth. Acceleration data were corrected for shock-generated baseline-shifts, and free field ground velocity waveforms were obtained. This work concentrates on the qualitative analysis of the reduced displacement potentials and the explosion source spectra for the last shot of the series (SPE-4Prime) and the comparison of the obtained results against the previous events. Finally, the results obtained from the experimental data are compared to the Mueller-Murphy empirical explosion model both using the Heard and Ackerman and Denny and Johnson cavity radius scaling laws.

Study of observed microearthquakes at Masada Deep Borehole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofstetter, A.; Malin, P. E.

2017-12-01

Seismological measurements, conducted at great depths of several hundred of meters or even a few km, can provide useful information that one cannot get while conducting the measurements on the surface. We take advantage of Masada Deep borehole (MDBI), an abandoned oil well, for the installation of a seismometer at a large depth of 1,256 m (1,516 bsl). The station is located in the near vicinity of the East Masada fault, part of the Western Boundary Fault of the Dead Sea basin. We present seismic observations of microearthquakes which occurred along the Dead Sea fault (DSF). Many of them were not recorded by the Israel Seismic Network (ISN). The quiet site of the station has an obvious advantage in detection and identification of earthquakes and explosions. For example, the station detects about 30% more quarry explosions as compared to observations of the ISN. We demonstrate that borehole seismograms are clearer than the on-surface observations of nearby seismometer. We lowered the magnitude scale of observed events down to about M≈-3. Many of the earthquakes, sometimes clusters, occurred underneath the MDBI at depths of 10-25 km, having special signature. Using the cross-correlation technique we present several series of seismic activity either underneath the station or along the DSF. Frequency-magnitude relationship, known also as Gutenberg-Richter relationship, is somewhat higher than the determined value for the whole Dead Sea Fault.

Electrical resistance tomography using steel cased boreholes as electrodes

DOEpatents

Daily, W.D.; Ramirez, A.L.

1999-06-22

An electrical resistance tomography method is described which uses steel cased boreholes as electrodes. The method enables mapping the electrical resistivity distribution in the subsurface from measurements of electrical potential caused by electrical currents injected into an array of electrodes in the subsurface. By use of current injection and potential measurement electrodes to generate data about the subsurface resistivity distribution, which data is then used in an inverse calculation, a model of the electrical resistivity distribution can be obtained. The inverse model may be constrained by independent data to better define an inverse solution. The method utilizes pairs of electrically conductive (steel) borehole casings as current injection electrodes and as potential measurement electrodes. The greater the number of steel cased boreholes in an array, the greater the amount of data is obtained. The steel cased boreholes may be utilized for either current injection or potential measurement electrodes. The subsurface model produced by this method can be 2 or 3 dimensional in resistivity depending on the detail desired in the calculated resistivity distribution and the amount of data to constrain the models. 2 figs.

Electrical resistance tomography using steel cased boreholes as electrodes

DOEpatents

Daily, William D.; Ramirez, Abelardo L.

1999-01-01

An electrical resistance tomography method using steel cased boreholes as electrodes. The method enables mapping the electrical resistivity distribution in the subsurface from measurements of electrical potential caused by electrical currents injected into an array of electrodes in the subsurface. By use of current injection and potential measurement electrodes to generate data about the subsurface resistivity distribution, which data is then used in an inverse calculation, a model of the electrical resistivity distribution can be obtained. The inverse model may be constrained by independent data to better define an inverse solution. The method utilizes pairs of electrically conductive (steel) borehole casings as current injection electrodes and as potential measurement electrodes. The greater the number of steel cased boreholes in an array, the greater the amount of data is obtained. The steel cased boreholes may be utilized for either current injection or potential measurement electrodes. The subsurface model produced by this method can be 2 or 3 dimensional in resistivity depending on the detail desired in the calculated resistivity distribution and the amount of data to constain the models.

Integrated Geophysical Investigation of Preferential Flow Paths at the Former Tyson Valley Powder Farm near Eureka, Missouri, May 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burton, Bethany L.; Ball, Lyndsay B.; Stanton, Gregory P.; Hobza, Christopher M.

2009-01-01

In May 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducted surface and borehole geophysical surveys at the former Tyson Valley Powder Farm near Eureka, Mo., to identify preferential pathways for potential contaminant transport along the bedrock surface and into dissolution-enhanced fractures. The Tyson Valley Powder Farm was formerly used as a munitions storage and disposal facility in the 1940s and 1950s, and the site at which the surveys were performed was a disposal area for munitions and waste solvents such as trichloroethylene and dichloroethylene. Direct-current resistivity and seismic refraction data were acquired on the surface; gamma, electromagnetic induction, and full waveform sonic logs were acquired in accessible boreholes. Through the combined interpretation of the seismic refraction tomographic and resistivity inversion results and borehole logs, inconsistencies in the bedrock surface were identified that may provide horizontal preferential flow paths for dense nonaqueous phase liquid contaminants. These results, interpreted and displayed in georeferenced three-dimensional space, should help to establish more effective monitoring and remediation strategies.

Small aperture seismic arrays for studying planetary interiors and seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmerr, N. C.; Lekic, V.; Fouch, M. J.; Panning, M. P.; Siegler, M.; Weber, R. C.

2017-12-01

Seismic arrays are a powerful tool for understanding the interior structure and seismicity across objects in the Solar System. Given the operational constraints of ground-based lander investigations, a small aperture seismic array can provide many of the benefits of a larger-scale network, but does not necessitate a global deployment of instrumentation. Here we define a small aperture array as a deployment of multiple seismometers, with a separation between instruments of 1-1000 meters. For example, small aperture seismic arrays have been deployed on the Moon during the Apollo program, the Active Seismic Experiments of Apollo 14 and 16, and the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment deployed by the Apollo 17 astronauts. Both were high frequency geophone arrays with spacing of 50 meters that provided information on the layering and velocity structure of the uppermost kilometer of the lunar crust. Ideally such arrays would consist of instruments that are 3-axis short period or broadband seismometers. The instruments must have a sampling rate and frequency range sensitivity capable of distinguishing between waves arriving at each station in the array. Both terrestrial analogs and the data retrieved from the Apollo arrays demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. Future opportunities exist for deployment of seismic arrays on Europa, asteroids, and other objects throughout the Solar System. Here we will present both observational data and 3-D synthetic modeling results that reveal the sensing requirements and the primary advantages of a small aperture seismic array over single station approach. For example, at the smallest apertures of < 1 m, we constrain that sampling rates must exceed 500 Hz and instrument sensitivity must extend to 100 Hz or greater. Such advantages include the improved ability to resolve the location of the sources near the array through detection of backazimuth and differential timing between stations, determination of the small-scale structure (layering, scattering bodies, density and velocity variations) in the vicinity of the array, as well as the ability to improve the signal to noise ratio of distant body waves by additive methods such as stacking and velocity-slowness analysis. These results will inform future missions on the surfaces of objects throughout the Solar System.

Fluid Induced Earthquakes: From KTB Experiments to Natural Seismicity Swarms.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shapiro, S. A.

2006-12-01

Experiments with borehole fluid injections are typical for exploration and development of hydrocarbon or geothermal reservoirs (e.g., fluid-injection experiments at Soultz, France and at Fenton-Hill, USA). Microseismicity occurring during such operations has a large potential for understanding physics of the seismogenic process as well as for obtaining detailed information about reservoirs at locations as far as several kilometers from boreholes. The phenomenon of microseismicity triggering by borehole fluid injections is related to the process of the Frenkel-Biot slow wave propagation. In the low-frequency range (hours or days of fluid injection duration) this process reduces to the pore pressure diffusion. Fluid induced seismicity typically shows several diffusion indicating features, which are directly related to the rate of spatial grow, to the geometry of clouds of micro earthquake hypocentres and to their spatial density. Several fluid injection experiments were conducted at the German Continental Deep Drilling Site (KTB) in 1994, 2000 and 2003-2005. Microseismicity occurred at different depth intervals. We analyze this microseismicity in terms of its diffusion-related features. Its relation to the 3-D distribution of the seismic reflectivity has important rock physical and tectonic implications. Starting from such diffusion-typical signatures of man-made earthquakes, we seek analogous patterns for the earthquakes in Vogtland/Bohemia at the German/Czech border region in central Europe. There is strong geophysical evidence that there seismic events are correlated to fluid-related processes in the crust. We test the hypothesis that ascending magmatic fluids trigger earthquakes by the mechanism of pore pressure diffusion. This triggering process is mainly controlled by two physical fields, the hydraulic diffusivity and the seismic criticality (i.e., critical pore pressure value leading to failure; stable locations are characterized by higher critical pressures), both heterogeneously distributed in rocks. The results of the analysis of the most significant and best studied (year 2000) earthquake swarm support this concept. Using a numerical model, where spatially correlated diffusivity and criticalit y patches (where patches with higher diffusivity are assumed to be less stable) are considered, we successfully simulate a general seismicity pattern of the swarms, including the spatio-temporal clustering of events and the migration of seismic activity. Therefore, in some cases spontaneously triggered natural seismicity, like earthquake swarms, also shows diffusion-typical signatures mentioned above. However, it seems that there are also some principle differences. They are emphasized in this presentation.

Seismic anisotropy from walk-around VSP data in the Kumano basin south of Kii Peninsula (IODP Site C0009A)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuji, T.; Hino, R.; Sanada, Y.; Park, J.; No, T.; Araki, E.; Kinoshita, M.; Bangs, N. L.; von Huene, R.; Moore, G. F.

2010-12-01

We estimated seismic anisotropy from the walk-around Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) data in Site C0009A obtained during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 319. It is generally agreed that seismic anisotropy within sediments is related to the cracks. For vertical cracks (Horizontal Transverse Isotropy; HTI), the fast velocity direction coincides with the direction of crack alignment, while the degree of velocity difference provides information about crack density (Crampin, 1985). If cracks are produced by a regional tectonic stress field, seismic anisotropy can be used to estimate stress orientation and magnitude. In unconsolidated sequence, furthermore, the stress-induced anisotropy can be observed due to increasing contact between grains (Johnson et al., 1998). In this case (increasing grain-contact), the fast velocity direction from walk-around VSP experiment is also consistent with the principal horizontal stress direction. Site C0009A is located in the Kumano basin where ~1350m unconsolidated Kumano basin sediment overlies the accretionary prism. During VSP operations, we obtained walk-away, walk-around, and zero-offset VSP data (Saffer et al., 2009). We used mainly walk-around VSP data to study seismic anisotropy. In the walk-around VSP experiments, R/V Kairei deployed 4 air-gun strings (128 L total volume) and generated 275 shots. The shooting interval was 30s and the distance from the borehole was a constant 3.5 km. We deployed the Vertical Seismic Imager (VSI) wireline tool into the borehole between 2989 and 3218m below the sea surface (935-1164m below seafloor). This interval corresponds to the bottom of the Kumano basin sediment section. From the walk-around VSP data, we obtained the following anisotropic parameters: (1) P-wave velocity anisotropy derived from azimuthal velocity analysis (Grechka and Tsvankin, 1998), (2) P-wave amplitude variation with azimuth (AVAZ), and (3) S-wave amplitude variation with azimuth associated with S-wave splitting (Haacke et al., 2009). We observed the S-wave splitting both from the upgoing and downgoing converted S-waves. These analyses demonstrate that the P-wave velocity anisotropy within the Kumano basin sediment (above the VSI tool) is ~5 %. The fast velocity direction and strong amplitude direction are aligned with the convergence vector of the Philippine Sea plate. The fast velocity as well as strong amplitude is clearly observed for at 180 degree from the convergence vector. Therefore the dip of the Kumano basin sequence (Tilted Transverse Isotropy; TTI) should have only a subtle effect on our results. These results indicate that the maximum horizontal stress orientation is the subduction direction at Site C0009C. This observation is consistent with the principal stress orientation estimated from borehole breakout at same borehole (Kinoshita et al., 2008).

Characterization of the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield Using a Massive 3D VSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavarria, J.; Goertz, A.; Karrenbach, M.; Milligan, P.; Paulsson, B.

2005-12-01

In preparation for the drilling of SAFOD's Phase II we installed an 80 level array of 3C seismometers inside the well. The goal of the array was to refine the existing velocity model to better locate the target events, and to monitor the local seismicity. The array, with sensors laying mostly within the deviated portion of the well, spans depths ranging from 2.7 to 1.5 km with levels every 15 m. It is this dense spacing what makes 3D VSP capable of bridging the gap between drill-hole observations and observations from the surface like 2D seismics. During April and May 2005 we recorded thirteen far offset shots surrounding the SAFOD site and target event area. Data from these shots was simultaneously recorded by the surface networks and used for better location of the target events. In addition to these, a zero offset shot at SAFOD was generated to refine the structure surrounding the well. The 1D velocity model inverted from the zero offset is representative of the current geologic model at SAFOD. The complexity of the velocity model for this segment of the fault can be inferred from deviations between the zero offset model and the shorter wavelength model derived from well logs. In addition to strong changes in velocity, both zero offset and far offset shots show the presence of strong scattered phases associated to the complex geologic structure of the San Andreas Fault Zone. In addition to the active portion of the experiment we monitored the local seismicity (i.e. aftershocks from the Parkfield 2004 event) over a period of 13 days. During this period of time we recorded continuously at high sampling rates (4kHz) a large number of events, some of which were located by the surface networks and felt onsite. The quiet environment in the borehole enabled us to record microearthquakes that were not present in the NCEDC catalog. In some cases these small events were not even recorded along the entire array. Besides its high level of event detection, the high vector fidelity of the 3C geophones allowed for precise particle motion analysis of first arrivals to determine the location of microearthquakes recorded during this effort.

Transient Electromagnetic Modelling and Imaging of Thin Resistive Structures: Applications for Gas Hydrate Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swidinsky, Andrei

Gas hydrates are a solid, ice-like mixture of water and low molecular weight hydrocarbons. They are found under the permafrost and to a far greater extent under the ocean, usually at water depths greater than 300m. Hydrates are a potential energy resource, a possible factor in climate change, and a geohazard. For these reasons, it is critical that gas hydrate deposits are quantitatively assessed so that their concentrations, locations and distributions may be established. Due to their ice-like nature, hydrates are electrically insulating. Consequently, a method which remotely detects changes in seafloor electrical conductivity, such as marine controlled source electromagnetics (CSEM), is a useful geophysical tool for marine gas hydrate exploration. Hydrates are geometrically complex structures. Advanced electromagnetic modelling and imaging techniques are crucial for proper survey design and data interpretation. I develop a method to model thin resistive structures in conductive host media which may be useful in building approximate geological models of gas hydrate deposits using arrangements of multiple, bent sheets. I also investigate the possibility of interpreting diffusive electromagnetic data using seismic imaging techniques. To be processed in this way, such data must first be transformed into its non-diffusive, seismic-like counterpart. I examine such a transform from both an analytical and a numerical point of view, focusing on methods to overcome inherent numerical instabilities. This is the first step to applying seismic processing techniques to CSEM data to rapidly and efficiently image resistive gas hydrate structures. The University of Toronto marine electromagnetics group has deployed a permanent marine CSEM array offshore Vancouver Island, in the framework of the NEPTUNE Canada cabled observatory, for the purposes of monitoring gas hydrate deposits. In this thesis I also propose and examine a new CSEM survey technique for gas hydrate which would make use of the stationary seafloor transmitter already on the seafloor, along with a cabled receiver array, towed from a ship. I furthermore develop a modelling algorithm to examine the electromagnetic effects of conductive borehole casings which have been proposed to be placed in the vicinity of this permanent marine CSEM array, and make preliminary recommendations about their locations.

Short-Period Surface Wave Based Seismic Event Relocation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White-Gaynor, A.; Cleveland, M.; Nyblade, A.; Kintner, J. A.; Homman, K.; Ammon, C. J.

2017-12-01

Accurate and precise seismic event locations are essential for a broad range of geophysical investigations. Superior location accuracy generally requires calibration with ground truth information, but superb relative location precision is often achievable independently. In explosion seismology, low-yield explosion monitoring relies on near-source observations, which results in a limited number of observations that challenges our ability to estimate any locations. Incorporating more distant observations means relying on data with lower signal-to-noise ratios. For small, shallow events, the short-period (roughly 1/2 to 8 s period) fundamental-mode and higher-mode Rayleigh waves (including Rg) are often the most stable and visible portion of the waveform at local distances. Cleveland and Ammon [2013] have shown that teleseismic surface waves are valuable observations for constructing precise, relative event relocations. We extend the teleseismic surface wave relocation method, and apply them to near-source distances using Rg observations from the Bighorn Arche Seismic Experiment (BASE) and the Earth Scope USArray Transportable Array (TA) seismic stations. Specifically, we present relocation results using short-period fundamental- and higher-mode Rayleigh waves (Rg) in a double-difference relative event relocation for 45 delay-fired mine blasts and 21 borehole chemical explosions. Our preliminary efforts are to explore the sensitivity of the short-period surface waves to local geologic structure, source depth, explosion magnitude (yield), and explosion characteristics (single-shot vs. distributed source, etc.). Our results show that Rg and the first few higher-mode Rayleigh wave observations can be used to constrain the relative locations of shallow low-yield events.

Spectral element modelling of seismic wave propagation in visco-elastoplastic media including excess-pore pressure development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oral, Elif; Gélis, Céline; Bonilla, Luis Fabián; Delavaud, Elise

2017-12-01

Numerical modelling of seismic wave propagation, considering soil nonlinearity, has become a major topic in seismic hazard studies when strong shaking is involved under particular soil conditions. Indeed, when strong ground motion propagates in saturated soils, pore pressure is another important parameter to take into account when successive phases of contractive and dilatant soil behaviour are expected. Here, we model 1-D seismic wave propagation in linear and nonlinear media using the spectral element numerical method. The study uses a three-component (3C) nonlinear rheology and includes pore-pressure excess. The 1-D-3C model is used to study the 1987 Superstition Hills earthquake (ML 6.6), which was recorded at the Wildlife Refuge Liquefaction Array, USA. The data of this event present strong soil nonlinearity involving pore-pressure effects. The ground motion is numerically modelled for different assumptions on soil rheology and input motion (1C versus 3C), using the recorded borehole signals as input motion. The computed acceleration-time histories show low-frequency amplification and strong high-frequency damping due to the development of pore pressure in one of the soil layers. Furthermore, the soil is found to be more nonlinear and more dilatant under triaxial loading compared to the classical 1C analysis, and significant differences in surface displacements are observed between the 1C and 3C approaches. This study contributes to identify and understand the dominant phenomena occurring in superficial layers, depending on local soil properties and input motions, conditions relevant for site-specific studies.

Sedimentary Cover of the Central Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kireev, Artem; Poselov, Viktor; Butsenko, Viktor; Smirnov, Oleg

2017-04-01

Partial revised Submission of the Russian Federation for establishment of the OLCS (outer limit of the continental shelf) in the Arctic Ocean is made to include in the extended continental shelf of the Russian Federation, in accordance with article 76 of the Convention, the seabed and its subsoil in the central Arctic Ocean which is natural prolongation of the Russian land territory. To submit partial revised Submission in 2016, in 2005 - 2014 the Russian organizations carried out a wide range of geophysical studies, so that today over 23000 km of MCS lines, over hundreds of wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic sonobuoy soundings and 4000 km of deep seismic sounding are accomplished. All of these MCS and seismic soundings data were used to establish the seismic stratigraphy model of the Arctic region. Stratigraphy model of the sedimentary cover was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by existing boreholes. Interpretation of the Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge for Amerasia basin and by correlation of onlap contacts onto oceanic crust with defined magnetic anomalies for Eurasia basin, while interpretation of the Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover was based on correlation with MCS and boreholes data from Chukchi sea shelf. Six main unconformities were traced: regional unconformity (RU), Eocene unconformity (EoU) (for Eurasia basin only), post-Campanian unconformity (pCU), Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit). The final step in our research was to estimate the total thickness of the sedimentary cover of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent Eurasian shelf using top of acoustic basement correlation data and bathymetry data. Structural prolongation of the shallow shelf into deep-water could be observed on this sedimentary map.

Instantaneous Attributes Applied to Full Waveform Sonic Log and Seismic Data in Integration of Elastic Properties of Shale Gas Formations in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wawrzyniak-Guz, Kamila

2018-03-01

Seismic attributes calculated from full waveform sonic log were proposed as a method that may enhance the interpretation the data acquired at log and seismic scales. Though attributes calculated in the study were the mathematical transformations of amplitude, frequency, phase or time of the acoustic full waveforms and seismic traces, they could be related to the geological factors and/or petrophysical properties of rock formations. Attributes calculated from acoustic full waveforms were combined with selected attributes obtained for seismic traces recorded in the vicinity of the borehole and with petrophysical parameters. Such relations may be helpful in elastic and reservoir properties estimation over the area covered by the seismic survey.

Infrasound Observations from the Source Physics Experiment (Tests 1 and 2) at the Nevada National Security Site

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

series of explosions, we have the unique and rare opportunity to study infrasound generated by a well-characterized source from the same borehole ...opportunity to study infrasound generated by a well-characterized source from the same borehole . This reduces the number of variables that must be...experiment is to study the seismic waves generated from explosions in both damaged and undamaged rock and that the observed infrasound is a

Seismic Barrier Protection of Critical Infrastructure from Earthquakes

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-01

structure composed of opposing boreholes or trenches to mitigate seismic waves from diffracting and traveling in the vertical plane. Computational...dams, etc., pose significant risk to civilians while adding tremendous cost and recovery time to regain their functionality. Lower energy earthquakes...the most destructive are surface waves (Rayleigh, Love, shear) which can travel great distances in the far field from the earthquake hypocenter and

Triggered MEQ Events on LBNL Permanent Seismic Array, Brady's EGS, March 2016

DOE Data Explorer

Michelle Robertson

2016-06-01

List of triggered events recorded on LBNL's permanent EGS seismic array at Brady's geothermal field. This submission also includes links to the NCEDC EGS Earthquake Catalog Search page and to the metadata for the seismic array installed at Brady's Geothermal Field.

Using borehole flow logging to optimize hydraulic-test procedures in heterogeneous fractured aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paillet, F.L.

1995-01-01

Hydraulic properties of heterogeneous fractured aquifers are difficult to characterize, and such characterization usually requires equipment-intensive and time-consuming applications of hydraulic testing in situ. Conventional coring and geophysical logging techniques provide useful and reliable information on the distribution of bedding planes, fractures and solution openings along boreholes, but it is often unclear how these locally permeable features are organized into larger-scale zones of hydraulic conductivity. New boreholes flow-logging equipment provides techniques designed to identify hydraulically active fractures intersecting boreholes, and to indicate how these fractures might be connected to larger-scale flow paths in the surrounding aquifer. Potential complications in interpreting flowmeter logs include: 1) Ambient hydraulic conditions that mask the detection of hydraulically active fractures; 2) Inability to maintain quasi-steady drawdowns during aquifer tests, which causes temporal variations in flow intensity to be confused with inflows during pumping; and 3) Effects of uncontrolled background variations in hydraulic head, which also complicate the interpretation of inflows during aquifer tests. Application of these techniques is illustrated by the analysis of cross-borehole flowmeter data from an array of four bedrock boreholes in granitic schist at the Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, research site. Only two days of field operations were required to unambiguously identify the few fractures or fracture zones that contribute most inflow to boreholes in the CO borehole array during pumping. Such information was critical in the interpretation of water-quality data. This information also permitted the setting of the available string of two packers in each borehole so as to return the aquifer as close to pre-drilling conditions as possible with the available equipment.

Sequence stratigraphy of the subaqueous Changjiang (Yangtze River) delta since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Taoyu; Wang, Guoqing; Shi, Xuefa; Wang, Xin; Yao, Zhengquan; Yang, Gang; Fang, Xisheng; Qiao, Shuqing; Liu, Shengfa; Wang, Xuchen; Zhao, Quanhong

2016-01-01

This study focuses on sedimentary research at the subaqueous Changjiang (Yangtze River) delta, based on five high-resolution seismic profiles and seven borehole cores with accurate AMS 14C datings. Three distinct seismic units were identified from the seismic profiles according to seismic reflection characteristics, and five sedimentary facies were recognized from borehole cores. These facies constituted a fining upward sedimentary sequence in relation to postglacial sea-level transgression. Three sequence surfaces (sequence boundary (SB), transgressive surface (TS), and maximum flooding surface (MFS)) demarcate the boundaries between early transgressive system tract (E-TST), late transgressive system tract (L-TST), early highstand system tract (E-HST) and late highstand system tract (L-HST), which constitute the sixth order sequence. These system tracts were developed coevally with postglacial sea-level rise. E-TST (~ 19-12 ka BP) corresponds to an incised-valley infilling in the early stages of postglacial transgression whereas L-TST (~ 12-7.5 ka BP) was formed during the last stage of postglacial transgression. The progradational structure of L-TST reflected in seismic profiles is possibly related to the intensification of the East Asian summer monsoon. E-HST (~ 7.5-2 ka BP) was deposited in response to the highstand after maximum postglacial transgression was reached, while L-HST (~ 2 ka BP-present) was initiated by accelerated progradation of the Changjiang delta.

Improving resistivity survey resolution at sites with limited spatial extent using buried electrode arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiflu, H.; Kruse, S.; Loke, M. H.; Wilkinson, P. B.; Harro, D.

2016-12-01

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys are widely used in geological, environmental and engineering studies. However, the effectiveness of surface ERT surveys is limited by decreasing resolution with depth and near the ends of the survey line. Increasing the array length will increase depth of investigation, but may not be possible at urban sites where access is limited. One novel method of addressing these limitations while maintaining lateral coverage is to install an array of deep electrodes. Referred to here as the Multi-Electrode Resistivity Implant Technique (MERIT), self-driving pointed electrodes are implanted at depth below each surface electrode in an array, using direct-push technology. Optimal sequences of readings have been identified with the "Compare R" method of Wilkinson. Numerical, laboratory, and field case studies are applied to examine the effectiveness of the MERIT method, particularly for use in covered karst terrain. In the field case studies, resistivity images are compared against subsurface structure defined from borings, GPR surveys, and knowledge of prior land use. In karst terrain where limestone has a clay overburden, traditional surface resistivity methods suffer from lack of current penetration through the shallow clay layer. In these settings, the MERIT method is found to improve resolution of features between the surface and buried array, as well as increasing depth of penetration and enhancing imaging capabilities at the array ends. The method functions similar to a cross-borehole array between horizontal boreholes, and suffers from limitations common to borehole arrays. Inversion artifacts are common at depths close to the buried array, and because some readings involve high geometric factors, inversions are more susceptible to noise than traditional surface arrays. Results are improved by using errors from reciprocal measurements to weight the data during the inversion.

Preliminary Hydrogeologic Characterization Results from the Wallula Basalt Pilot Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B.P. McGrail; E. C. Sullivan; F. A. Spane

2009-12-01

The DOE's Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership has completed drilling the first continental flood basalt sequestration pilot borehole to a total depth (TD) of 4,110 feet on the Boise White Paper Mill property at Wallula, Washington. Site suitability was assessed prior to drilling by the 2007-2008 acquisition, processing and analysis of a four-mile, five-line three component seismic swath, which was processed as a single data-dense line. Analysis of the seismic survey data indicated a composite basalt formation thickness of {approx}8,000 feet and absence of major geologic structures (i.e., faults) along the line imaged by the seismic swath. Drilling ofmore » Wallula pilot borehole was initiated on January 13, 2009 and reached TD on April 6, 2009. Based on characterization results obtained during drilling, three basalt breccia zones were identified between the depth interval of 2,716 and 2,910 feet, as being suitable injection reservoir for a subsequent CO2 injection pilot study. The targeted injection reservoir lies stratigraphically below the massive Umtanum Member of the Grande Ronde Basalt, whose flow-interior section possesses regionally recognized low-permeability characteristics. The identified composite injection zone reservoir provides a unique and attractive opportunity to scientifically study the reservoir behavior of three inter-connected reservoir intervals below primary and secondary caprock confining zones. Drill cuttings, wireline geophysical logs, and 31one-inch diameter rotary sidewall cores provided geologic data for characterization of rock properties. XRF analyses of selected rock samples provided geochemical characterizations of the rocks and stratigraphic control for the basalt flows encountered by the Wallula pilot borehole. Based on the geochemical results, the pilot borehole was terminated in the Wapshilla Ridge 1 flow of the Grande Ronde Basalt Formation. Detailed hydrologic test characterizations of 12 basalt interflow reservoir zones and 3 flow-interior/caprock intervals were performed during drilling and immediately following reaching the final borehole drilling depth (i.e., 4,110 ft). In addition, six of the 12 basalt interflow zones were selected for detailed hydrochemical characterization. Results from the detailed hydrologic test characterization program provided the primary information on basalt interflow zone transmissivity/injectivity, and caprock permeability characteristics.« less

Elastic properties and seismic anisotropy of the Seve Nappe Complex - Laboratory core measurements from the International Continental Drilling Project COSC-1 well, Åre, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenning, Q. C.; Almqvist, B. S. G.; Zappone, A. S.

2015-12-01

The COSC-1 scientific borehole was drilled in the summer of 2014 to ~2.5 km depth to study the structure and composition of the Middle Allochthon of the Central Scandinavian Caledonides. It crosscuts the amphibolite-grade lower part of the Seve nappe and intersects a mylonite zone in the lower 800 m of the borehole. We selected six core samples representing the primary lithologies in the COSC-1 borehole for laboratory investigation of elastic properties. The cores consisted of two amphibolites with differing grain sizes, a calc-silicate gneiss, a felsic gneiss, a coarse grained amphibole bearing gneiss, and a garnet bearing mylonitic schist from the basal shear zone. Both P- and S-waves were measured at ultrasonic frequency (1 MHz), and room temperature hydrostatic pressure conditions up to 260 MPa. Measurements were made along three mutually perpendicular directions, one perpendicular to foliation and two parallel to the foliation with one aligned with mineral lineation. Vp and Vs, anisotropy, and elastic properties are reported as an extrapolation of the high-pressure portion of the ultrasonic measurements back to the intersection with the zero pressure axis. The Vp and Vs in the direction perpendicular to foliation ranges from 5.51-6.67 km/s and 3.18-4.13 km/s, respectively. In the direction parallel to foliation the Vp and Vs ranges from 6.31-7.25 km/s and 3.52-4.35 km/s, respectively. Vp anisotropy ranges from 3% in the calc-silicate gneiss to 18% in mylonitic schist. Acoustic impedance estimations at lithostatic pressure conditions at base of the borehole (70 MPa) show that acoustic impedance contrast generating reflection coefficients between the basal shear zone and overlying units are significant enough to cause seismic reflections. Above the mylonite zone/shear zone, the reflectivity within the lower Seve nappe is due to the impedance contrast between the felsic gneiss and the amphibolite. This result fits with 3D seismic reflection imaging in the area of the borehole. Layered anisotropic mica-schists of metasedimentary origin are suitable candidates for reflections in the middle crust of orogens.

Subsurface multidisciplinary research results at ICTJA-CSIC downhole lab and test site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurado, Maria Jose; Crespo, Jose; Salvany, Josep Maria; Teixidó, Teresa

2017-04-01

Two scientific boreholes, Almera-1 and Almera-2 were drilled in the Barcelona University campus area in 2011. The main purpose for this drilling was to create a new geophysical logging and downhole monitoring research facility and infrastructure. We present results obtained in the frame of multidisciplinary studies and experiments carried out since 2011 at the ICTJA "Borehole Geophysical Logging Lab - Scientific Boreholes Almera" downhole lab facilities. First results obtained from the scientific drilling, coring and logging allowed us to characterize the urban subsurface geology and hydrology adjacent to the Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera (ICTJA-CSIC) in Barcelona. The subsurface geology and structural picture has been completed with recent geophysical studies and monitoring results. The upper section of Almera-1 214m deep hole was cased with PVC after drilling and after the logging operations. An open hole interval was left from 112m to TD (Paleozoic section). Almera-2 drilling reached 46m and was cased also with PVC to 44m. Since completion of the drilling in 2011, both Almera-1 and Almera-2 have been extensively used for research purposes, tests, training, hydrological and geophysical monitoring. A complete set of geophysical logging measurements and borehole oriented images were acquired in open hole mode of the entire Almera-1 section. Open hole measurements included acoustic and optical imaging, spectral natural gamma ray, full wave acoustic logging, magnetic susceptibility, hydrochemical-temperature logs and fluid sampling. Through casing (PVC casing) measurements included spectral gamma ray logging, full wave sonic and acoustic televiewer. A Quaternary to Paleozoic section was characterized based on the geophysical logging and borehole images interpretation and also on the complete set of (wireline) cores of the entire section. Sample availability was intended for geological macro and micro-facies detailed characterization, mineralogical and petrophysical tests and analyses. The interpretation of the geophysical logging data and borehole oriented images, and core data allowed us to define the stratigraphy, structures and petrophysical properties in the subsurface. Quaternary sediments overlie unconformably weathered, deformed and partially metamorphosed Paleozoic rocks. A gap of the Tertiary rocks at the drillsite was detected. Structures at intensely fractured and faulted sections were measured and have yielded valuable data to understand the subsurface geology, hydrology and geological evolution in that area. Logging, borehole imaging and monitoring carried out in the scientific boreholes Almera-1 and Almera-2 has allowed also to identify three preferential groundwater flow paths in the subsurface. Geophysical logging data combined with groundwater monitoring allowed us to identify three zones of high permeability in the subsurface. Logging data combined with core analysis were used to characterize the aquifers lithology and their respective petrophysical properties. We also analyzed the aquifer dynamics and potential relationships between the variations in groundwater levels and the rainfalls by comparing the groundwater monitoring results and the rainfall. A seismic survey was carried out to outline the geological structures beyond Almera-1 borehole, a vertical reverse pseudo-3D (2.5D) seismic tomography experiment. The results allowed us to define the geological structure beyond the borehole wall and also a correlation between the different geological units in the borehole and their geometry and spatial geophysical and seismic image.

Seismic array observations for monitoring phreatic eruptions in Iwojima Island, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, H.; Kawaguchi, R.; Chiba, K.; Fujita, E.; Tanada, T.

2015-12-01

Iwojima is an active volcanic island located within a 10 km wide submarine caldera about 1250 km to the south of Tokyo, Japan. The volcanic activity is characterized by intensive earthquake activity associated with an island-wide uplift with high uplift rate (30~40 cm/year) and hydrothermal activity. In the last 10 years, phreatic eruptions took place in and near the island in 2012, 2013, and 2015. In such restless volcano, predictions and detections of occurrence points of phreatic eruptions are important for ensuring safety of residents. In the previous studies, we found that the earthquake activity of Iwojima highly correlates with the island wide large uplift, but the precursory activity of the phreatic eruption in 2012 was deviated from the correlation (Ueda et al. 2013 AGU Fall Meeting). For prediction of occurrence points of phreatic eruptions and investigation of the eruption mechanism, we began observation by seismic arrays at two areas in December 2014. The seismic arrays enable to locate epicenters of volcanic tremors, which are not well located by existing seismic stations. In May and June 2015, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force stayed in Iwojima and a live camera of Japan Meteorological Agency found very small phreatic eruptions occurred at the northern beach. Existing seismic stations could not detect seismic signals related with the eruptions. The seismic array could detect weak seismic signals related with the eruptions. Although the seismic arrays could not detect precursory signals because of too small eruption, we expect the seismic arrays can detect precursory seismic signals suggesting occurrence points of small or medium-sized phreatic eruptions. The seismic arrays also detected epicenters of harmonic and monotonic tremors took place at an active fumarolic field in the north earthen part of Iwojima. The apparent velocity of seismic waves (~1km/s) strongly suggests that the tremors relate with hydrothermal activity near ground surface.

Borehole Tilt Measurements at the Charlevoix Observatory, Quebec.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-31

1q. KEY WORDS (Continue on reverse side it necessary end identify by block number) Borehole tiltmeter Earthquakes Tidal, secular and transient tilts 20...ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse side If necessary and Identify by block number) An array of three Bodenseewerk Gbp borehole tiltmeters has been...established to measure tidal, transient and secular tilting of the Earth’s surface in the Charlevoix region of Quebec. Two of the tiltmeters operate at a

A New Approach for Very Large Broadband Geophysical Monitoring of rock Deformations Into Deep Boreholes: The "High-Pulse Poroelasticity Protocol" (HPPP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guglielmi, Y.; Cappa, F.; Virieux, J.; Rutqvist, J.; Tsang, C.

2007-12-01

We present a new approach, called the "High-Pulse Poroelasticity Protocol" (HPPP), for a very large broadband geophysical monitoring of rock deformations into deep boreholes (from 200 m to 1 km depth). The HPPP consists in developing an innovative probe that allows the hydromechanical loading of rocks with synchronous fluid pressure - 3D deformations (translational components along and in the orthogonal plan of the borehole axis, and rotational components along the longitudinal axis) - seismic wave measurements over a broadband of frequencies (from static to dynamic [1-1,000 Hz]). In this protocol, the rock is subjected to a controlled source corresponding to a fast (few seconds) hydraulic pressure pulse (pressure wave) localized into a short injection chamber (from 1 to 3 m) which is isolated between two inflatable packers in a borehole. In the chamber, measurements are done with fibre-optic and acoustic sensors that makes possible to use a wide range of frequencies (1-1,000 Hz) and high accuracy (10-7) sampling of fluid pressure and 3D deformations. When the pressure wave is applied, several poroelastic effects are measured: (i) a static poroelastic response that is linked to the fluid diffusion in phase with mechanical deformation of the porous rock; (ii) a low-frequency slow Biot wave (P2 wave) associated with the motion out of phase of solid and fluid phases; (iii) a high-frequency pressure wave that is generated and converted to seismic waves (P1 and S waves) at the borehole wall. This new approach aims at determining the infinitesimal shear and axial components of the strain tensor within the rock crossed by a borehole. The HPPP also allows studying the relationships between elastic waves propagation and rock hydromechanical properties and state at an intermediate scale (mesoscopic scale), between the laboratory and crustal scales, in a volume of one to a few tens of meters around the borehole. This new approach was designed from previous pulse testing done in a fault zone with a first prototype of the HPPP probe capable of simultaneously measuring changes (with a high frequency [120 Hz] and high accuracy) in fluid pressure (± 1 kPa) and displacement normal to the fault (± 10-7 m). This prototype consisted of a fibre-optic fluid pressure and a fibre-optic normal displacement sensor fixed to the borehole walls by two anchors located on both sides of the fault which was isolated with two packers to create a 0.4 m injection chamber. Results indicated that fiber-optic measurements allow good capturing of all the high-frequency changes during the hydraulic pulse. The method appears useful for accurately measuring time discrepancies between pressure and deformation signals as small as a few milliseconds. Moreover, high-frequency measurement of the fault "pressure-deformation" poroelastic response allows highlighting of a loop-shaped evolution that is not observed in conventional laboratory or in situ experiments. Consequently, the HPPP approach will provide new data with axial and shear components of the strain tensor which will give us additional information for determination of the rock seismic and hydromechanical properties at various depths in the crust. Moreover, the HPPP will be adapted to study seismic and mechanical instability of fault zones under controlled hydraulic loading and localized in a point source.

A compendium of P- and S-wave velocities from surface-to-borehole logging; summary and reanalysis of previously published data and analysis of unpublished data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boore, David M.

2003-01-01

For over 28 years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been acquiring seismic velocity and geologic data at a number of locations in California, many of which were chosen because strong ground motions from earthquakes were recorded at the sites. The method for all measurements involves picking first arrivals of P- and S-waves from a surface source recorded at various depths in a borehole (as opposed to noninvasive methods, such as the SASW method [e.g., Brown et al., 2002]). The results from most of the sites are contained in a series of U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports (see References). Until now, none of the results have been available as computer files, and before 1992 the interpretation of the arrival times was in terms of piecemeal interval velocities, with no attempt to derive a layered model that would fit the travel times in an overall sense (the one exception is Porcella, 1984). In this report I reanalyze all of the arrival times in terms of layered models for P- and for S-wave velocities at each site, and I provide the results as computer files. In addition to the measurements reported in the open-file reports, I also include some borehole results from other reports, as well as some results never before published. I include data for 277 boreholes (at the time of this writing; more will be added to the web site as they are obtained), all in California (I have data from boreholes in Washington and Utah, but these will be published separately). I am also in the process of interpreting travel time data obtained using a seismic cone penetrometer at hundreds of sites; these data can be interpreted in the same way of those obtained from surface-to-borehole logging. When available, the data will be added to the web site (see below for information on obtaining data from the World Wide Web (WWW)). In addition to the basic borehole data and results, I provide information concerning strong-motion stations that I judge to be close enough to the boreholes that the borehole velocity models can be used as the velocity models beneath the stations.

Surface to Borehole Procedures

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

There is a progression in both complexity and benefits from check shot and synthetic seismogram to vertical seismic profiles (VSP), three‑component VSP, offset VSP, and extrapolation and description of lithologic parameters into the geologic formations.

Characterizing the Weeks Island Salt Dome drilling of and seismic measurements from boreholes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sattler, A.R.; Harding, R.S.; Jacobson, R.D.

1996-10-01

A sinkhole 36 ft across, 30 ft deep was first observed in the alluvium over the Weeks Island Salt Dome (salt mine converted for oil storage by US Strategic Petroleum Reserve) May 1992. Four vertical, two slanted boreholes were drilled for diagnostics. Crosswell seismic data were generated; the velocity images suggest that the sinkhole collapse is complicated, not a simple vertical structure. The coring operation was moderately difficult; limited core was obtained through the alluvium, and the quality of the salt core from the first two vertical wells was poor. Core quality improved with better bit selection, mud, and drillingmore » method. The drilling fluid program provided fairly stable holes allowing open hole logs to be run. All holes were cemented successfully (although it took 3 attempts in one case).« less

Piezotube borehole seismic source

DOEpatents

Daley, Tom M; Solbau, Ray D; Majer, Ernest L

2014-05-06

A piezoelectric borehole source capable of permanent or semipermanent insertion into a well for uninterrupted well operations is described. The source itself comprises a series of piezoelectric rings mounted to an insulative mandrel internally sized to fit over a section of well tubing, the rings encased in a protective housing and electrically connected to a power source. Providing an AC voltage to the rings will cause expansion and contraction sufficient to create a sonic pulse. The piezoelectric borehole source fits into a standard well, and allows for uninterrupted pass-through of production tubing, and other tubing and electrical cables. Testing using the source may be done at any time, even concurrent with well operations, during standard production.

Seismicity of Central Asia as Observed on Three IMS Stations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

and BVAR are all high-quality seismic arrays . Noise levels at the stations are generally acceptable for the period reviewed, except during the...following conditions: (1) a 4.5-Hz intermittent noise source at MKAR, (2) periodic high-frequency bursts on portions of the SONM array , and (3) a...seismic events (including single station events) observable on three central Asian IMS seismic array stations: Makanchi, Kazakhstan (MKAR); Songino

Microseismic data records fault activation before and after a Mw 4.1 induced earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyre, T.; Eaton, D. W. S.

2017-12-01

Several large earthquakes (Mw 4) have been observed in the vicinity of the town of Fox Creek, Alberta. These events have been determined to be induced earthquakes related to hydraulic fracturing in the region. The largest of these has a magnitude Mw = 4.1, and is associated with a hydraulic-fracturing treatment close to Crooked Lake, about 30 km west of Fox Creek. The underlying factors that lead to localization of the high numbers of hydraulic fracturing induced events in this area remain poorly understood. The treatment that is associated with the Mw 4.1 event was monitored by 93 shallow three-level borehole arrays of sensors. Here we analyze the temporal and spatial evolution of the microseismic and seismic data recorded during the treatment. Contrary to expected microseismic event clustering parallel to the principal horizontal stress (NE - SW), the events cluster along obvious fault planes that align both NNE - SSW and N - S. As the treatment well is oriented N - S, it appears that each stage of the treatment intersects a new portion of the fracture network, causing seismicity to occur. Focal-plane solutions support a strike-slip failure along these faults, with nodal planes aligning with the microseismic cluster orientations. Each fault segment is activated with a cluster of microseismicity in the centre, gradually extending along the fault as time progresses. Once a portion of a fault is active, further seismicity can be induced, regardless if the present stage is distant from the fault. However, the large events seem to occur in regions with a gap in the microseismicity. Interestingly, most of the seismicity is located above the reservoir, including the larger events. Although a shallow-well array is used, these results are believed to have relatively high depth resolution, as the perforation shots are correctly located with an average error of 26 m in depth. This information contradicts previously held views that large induced earthquakes occur primarily, or even exclusively, in the underlying crystalline basement. The findings can give new insights into the dynamics of induced seismicity related to hydraulic fracturing. Additionally, real-time microseismic monitoring can be used to track the evolution of fault activation as it occurs, and can potentially indicate that large events are possible.

Low-Frequency Earthquakes Associated with the Late-Interseismic Central Alpine Fault, Southern Alps, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baratin, L. M.; Chamberlain, C. J.; Townend, J.; Savage, M. K.

2016-12-01

Characterising the seismicity associated with slow deformation in the vicinity of the Alpine Fault may provide constraints on the state of stress of this major transpressive margin prior to a large (≥M8) earthquake. Here, we use recently detected tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) to examine how slow tectonic deformation is loading the Alpine Fault toward an anticipated large rupture. We initially work with a continous seismic dataset collected between 2009 and 2012 from an array of short-period seismometers, the Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array. Fourteen primary LFE templates are used in an iterative matched-filter and stacking routine. This method allows the detection of similar signals and establishes LFE families with common locations. We thus generate a 36 month catalogue of 10718 LFEs. The detections are then combined for each LFE family using phase-weighted stacking to yield a signal with the highest possible signal to noise ratio. We found phase-weighted stacking to be successful in increasing the number of LFE detections by roughly 20%. Phase-weighted stacking also provides cleaner phase arrivals of apparently impulsive nature allowing more precise phase and polarity picks. We then compute improved non-linear earthquake locations using a 3D velocity model. We find LFEs to occur below the seismogenic zone at depths of 18-34 km, locating on or near the proposed deep extent of the Alpine Fault. Our next step is to estimate seismic source parameters by implementing a moment tensor inversion technique. Our focus is currently on generating a more extensive catalogue (spanning the years 2009 to 2016) using synthetic waveforms as primary templates, with which to detect LFEs. Initial testing shows that this technique paired up with phase-weighted stacking increases the number of LFE families and overall detected events roughly sevenfold. This catalogue should provide new insight into the geometry of the Alpine Fault and the prevailing stress field in the central Southern Alps.

Marine Seismic System Deployment (MSS). Phase 2. Investigation of Techniques and Deployment Scenarios for Installation of Triaxial Seismometer in a Borehole in the Deep Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-09

CHALLENGER for an estimated period of six days. The design for the test Borehole Instrumentation Package (BIP) reentry-sub and associated handling...equipment has been completed ard hmi been submitted for vendor bid. Details of the specialized support equipment for installation on the GLOMAR CHALLENGER ...developed under the direction of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) by the dynamically positioned drilling vessel GLOMAR CHALLENGER . Deployment of the

Investigation of Fault Zones In The Penninic Gneiss Complex of The Swiss Central Alps Using Tomograhic Inversion of The Seismic Wavefield Along Tunnels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giese, R.; Klose, C.; Otto, P.; Selke, C.; Borm, G.

Underground seismic investigations have been carried out since March 2000 in the Faido adit of the Gotthard Base Tunnel (Switzerland) and the Piora exploration adit. Both adits cut metamorphic rock formations of the Leventina and Lucomagno Gneiss Complexes. The seismic measurements in the Faido Adit were carried out every 200 m during the excavation work with the Integrated Seismic Imaging System (ISIS) developed by the GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam in cooperation with Amberg Measuring Technique, Switzerland. This system provides high resolution seismic images via an array of stan- dard anchor rods containing 3D-geophones which can be installed routinely during the excavation process. The seismic source is a repetitive pneumatic impact hammer. For each measurement in the Faido adit, seismic energy was transmitted from 30 to 50 source points distributed along the tunnel wall at intervals of 1.0 to 1.5 m. In the Piora exploration adit a 2D grid of 441 source points distributed along a distance of 147 tunnel meters were measured. In both adits the shots were recorded by arrays of 8 to 16 three - component geophone anchor rods glued into 2 m deep boreholes at intervals of 9 m - 10 m. The total length of all profiles was about 850 m. Seismic sections show first P-wave energy at frequencies up to 2 kHz and S-wave energy up to 1.3 kHz. Reflection energy was observed from distances of up to 350 m for P-waves and 200 m for S-waves. The dominant frequencies of reflective energy were found between 600 and 800 Hz for P-waves and between 200 and 400 Hz for S-waves. The corresponding wave lengths were 8 to 10 m. We used the first arrival times of P- and S- waves to calculate tomographic inversions. The 2D-velocity models for P- and S-waves in the Faido adit revealed a near field of 2 to 3 m from the tunnel surface which is characterized by strong velocity variations: 3000 to 5700 m/s for P-wave velocity (Vp) and 2000 to 3000 m/s for S-wave velocity (Vs). High velocity zones correspond to quartz veins, and low velocities to networks 1 of joints. The tunnel excavation by drilling and blasting increased the heterogeneity of the velocity near field. Beyond the first 2 to 3 m, on the other hand, the velocity field was more homogeneous. The near field around the Piora exploration adit is much smaler (< 1 m) than that of the Faido adit. The Piora adit was excavated by a tunnel boring machine (TBM) which creates less destruction in the surrounding rocks than by drilling and blasting. 2

Seismic Fracture Characterization Methodologies for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Queen, John H.

2016-05-09

Executive Summary The overall objective of this work was the development of surface and borehole seismic methodologies using both compressional and shear waves for characterizing faults and fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems. We used both surface seismic and vertical seismic profile (VSP) methods. We adapted these methods to the unique conditions encountered in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) creation. These conditions include geological environments with volcanic cover, highly altered rocks, severe structure, extreme near surface velocity contrasts and lack of distinct velocity contrasts at depth. One of the objectives was the development of methods for identifying more appropriate seismic acquisition parametersmore » for overcoming problems associated with these geological factors. Because temperatures up to 300º C are often encountered in these systems, another objective was the testing of VSP borehole tools capable of operating at depths in excess of 1,000 m and at temperatures in excess of 200º C. A final objective was the development of new processing and interpretation techniques based on scattering and time-frequency analysis, as well as the application of modern seismic migration imaging algorithms to seismic data acquired over geothermal areas. The use of surface seismic reflection data at Brady's Hot Springs was found useful in building a geological model, but only when combined with other extensive geological and geophysical data. The use of fine source and geophone spacing was critical in producing useful images. The surface seismic reflection data gave no information about the internal structure (extent, thickness and filling) of faults and fractures, and modeling suggests that they are unlikely to do so. Time-frequency analysis was applied to these data, but was not found to be significantly useful in their interpretation. Modeling does indicate that VSP and other seismic methods with sensors located at depth in wells will be the most effective seismic tools for getting information on the internal structure of faults and fractures in support of fluid flow pathway management and EGS treatment. Scattered events similar to those expected from faults and fractures are seen in the VSP reported here. Unfortunately, the source offset and well depth coverage do not allow for detailed analysis of these events. This limited coverage also precluded the use of advanced migration and imaging algorithms. More extensive acquisition is needed to support fault and fracture characterization in the geothermal reservoir at Brady's Hot Springs. The VSP was effective in generating interval velocity estimates over the depths covered by the array. Upgoing reflection events are also visible in the VSP results at locations corresponding to reflection events in the surface seismic. Overall, the high temperature rated fiber optic sensors used in the VSP produced useful results. Modeling has been found useful in the interpretation of both surface reflection seismic and VSP data. It has helped identify possible near surface scattering in the surface seismic data. It has highlighted potential scattering events from deeper faults in the VSP data. Inclusion of more detailed fault and fracture specific stiffness parameters are needed to fully interpret fault and fracture scattered events for flow properties (Pyrak-Nolte and Morris, 2000, Zhu and Snieder, 2002). Shear wave methods were applied in both the surface seismic reflection and VSP work. They were not found to be effective in the Brady's Hot Springs area. This was due to the extreme attenuation of shear waves in the near surface at Brady's. This does not imply that they will be ineffective in general. In geothermal areas where good shear waves can be recorded, modeling suggests they should be very useful for characterizing faults and fractures.« less

New insights of seismic disturbances due to wind turbines - long and short term measurements in SW Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zieger, Toni; Ritter, Joachim

2017-04-01

Within the scope of the project "TremAc", we present new insights of ground motion disturbances due to wind turbines (WTs) in the vicinity of the town of Landau, SW Germany. The main goal of this project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is the detection of influences from WTs on human health and buildings in an interdisciplinary way. The interaction between WTs, humans, infrastructure (incl.seismic stations) becomes more and more an important role with the increase of installed WTs. We present averaged one hour long PSD-spectra in a frequency range from 0.5 Hz to 7 Hz depending on the wind speed before and after the installation of characteristic WTs, especially for seismic borehole stations, during one month measurements. The results show a clear increase of the ground motion and a related disturbance of the seismic recordings. The station threshold for signal detection below 2 Hz is reduced after the installation of a new wind farm in the area around Landau. This effect occurs even up to distances to the WTs of more than 5 kilometers. The increasing noise level depends also clearly on wind speed, which indicate also the WT origin related with the signals. Using short-term measurements during few hours, we are able to determine the maximum of the PSD values for different discrete frequencies as function of distance to the next WT and to fit a power-law decay curve proportional to 1/rb to the data. In this way we can differentiate between near- and far-field effects of the seismic wave propagation of WTs. A clear frequency dependent decay can be observed, for which high frequencies are more attenuated than lower frequencies, probably due to scattering processes. The new results will help for a better understanding of WTs as a seismic noise source and their interaction with nearby seismic stations and other infrastructure. Seismic data were provided by "Erdbebendienst Südwest", "Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources" and "KArlsruher BroadBand Array (KABBA)". Meteorological data were provided by "KIT Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Department Troposphere Research".

Bottom Interaction in Ocean Acoustic Propagation

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

critical depth). What is the relationship between the seismic (ground motion) noise on the seafloor and the acoustic noise in the water column? What...detections and observations on non-traditional sensors such as deep boreholes in the seafloor in water depths well- below the critical depth. Third...press). "Estimating the horizontal 4 and vertical direction-of-arrival of water-borne seismic signals in the northern Philippine Sea," J. Acoust

Development of an Ultra-Light Multipurpose Drill and Tooling for the Transportable Array in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coyle, B. J.; Lundgren, M.; Busby, R. W.

2014-12-01

Over the next four years the EarthScope Transportable Array (TA) will install approximately 250 to 275 broadband seismic stations in Alaska and Western Canada. The station plans build on recent developments in posthole broadband seismometer design and call for sensors to be installed in boreholes 7 inches diameter, from 1 to 5 meters deep. These boreholes will be lined with PVC or steel casing, grouted in place. The proposed station locations are in a grid-like pattern with a nominal spacing of 85 km. Since most of these locations will only be accessible by helicopter, it was necessary to develop an ultra-light drilling system that could be transported to site in one sling load by a high performance light helicopter (i.e. AS350B2 or Bell 407) and still be able to drill the variety of ground conditions we expect to encounter. In the past year we have developed a working prototype, gasoline-hydraulic drill rig that can be configured to run auger, diamond core or DTH tools, and weighs <1,300 lbs, including tooling. We have successfully drilled over 30 boreholes with this drill, including 12 for TA installations in Alaska and 13 at the Piñon Flat Observatory for testing sensor performance and placement techniques. Our drilling solution comprises: - Hydraulic system using a variable flow pump with on-demand load sensing valves to reduce the engine size needed and to cut down on heat build-up; - Rotation head mounting system on the travelling block to enable quick change of drilling tools; - Low speed, high torque rotation head for the auger, and an anchoring system that enables us to apply up to 5,000 lbs downforce for augering in permafrost; - Custom DTH that can run on low air pressure and air flow, yet is still robust enough to drill a 7 inch hole 2.5 meters through solid rock; - One-trip casing advance drilling with the DTH, steel casing is loaded at the start of drilling and follows the drill bit down; - Grout-through bottom caps for sealing the borehole casing and cementing it in place. Our next step is to build a dedicated DTH drilling system that will be light enough to mobilize to sites in one helicopter sling, including an air compressor. This rig is currently on the drawing board and we expect to build it this winter for field testing in the spring.

Preliminary Obtained Data from Borehole Geodetic Measurements in Marmara Region, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozener, H.; Aktug, B.; Karabulut, H.; Ergintav, S.; Dogru, A.; Yilmaz, O.; Turgut, B.; Ahiska, B.; Mencin, D.; Mattioli, G. S.

2014-12-01

Dense continuous GPS networks quantify the time-dependent deformation field of the earthquake cycle. However the strainmeters can capture signals with superior precision at local spatial scales, in particular in the short-period, from minutes to a month. Many relatively small-scale events (e.i. SSEs, creeps) have been successfully determined on the subduction zones. Istanbul located near the most active parts of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) has been monitored by different observing techniques such as seismic networks and continuous/survey-mode GPS networks for decades. However, it is still essential to observe deformation in a broad range of temporal and spatial scales (from seismology to geodesy and to geology). Borehole strainmeters are very sensitive to deformation in the range of less than a month. In this study, we present a new project, financially and technically supported by Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA) and UNAVCO, respectively, which includes the installation of two borehole strainmeters are being deployed in European side of Istanbul in Marmara Region. Since these instruments can also respond to non-tectonic processes, it is necessary to have more instruments to increase spatial coherence and to have additional sensors to detect and model noise (such as barometric pressure, tides, or precipitation). The introduced monitoring system will provide significant insight about the creeping phenomenon and the possible SSE to our understanding of seismic hazards in active zones and possible precursors. Our long term objective is to build a borehole monitoring system in the region. By integrating various data obtained from borehole observations, we expect to get a better understanding of dynamics in the western NAF. In this presentation, we introduce data and ongoing analysis obtained with strainmeters.

An integrated approach to characterization of fractured reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Datta-Gupta, A.; Majer, E.; Vasco, D.

1995-12-31

This paper summarizes an integrated hydrologic and seismic characterization of a fractured limestone formation at the Conoco Borehole Test Facility (CBTF) in Kay County, Oklahoma. Transient response from pressure interference tests were first inverted in order to identify location and orientation of dominant fractures at the CBTF. Subsequently, high resolution (1000 to 10000 Hz) cross-well and single-well seismic surveys were conducted to verify the preferential slow paths indicated by hydrologic analysis. Seismic surveys were conducted before and after an air injection in order to increase the visibility of the fracture zone to seismic imaging. Both Seismic and hydrologic analysis weremore » found to yield consistent results in detecting the location of a major fracture zone.« less

Analysis of volcano-related seismicity to constrain the magmatic plumbing system beneath Fogo, Cape Verde, by (multi-)array techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietrich, Carola; Wölbern, Ingo; Faria, Bruno; Rümpker, Georg

2017-04-01

Fogo is the only island of the Cape Verde archipelago with regular occurring volcanic eruptions since its discovery in the 15th century. The volcanism of the archipelago originates from a mantle plume beneath an almost stationary tectonic plate. With an eruption interval of approximately 20 years, Fogo belongs to the most active oceanic volcanoes. The latest eruption started in November 2014 and ceased in February 2015. This study aims to characterize and investigate the seismic activity and the magmatic plumbing system of Fogo, which is believed to be related to a magmatic source close to the neighboring island of Brava. According to previous studies, using conventional seismic network configurations, most of the seismic activity occurs offshore. Therefore, seismological array techniques represent powerful tools in investigating earthquakes and other volcano-related events located outside of the networks. Another advantage in the use of seismic arrays is their possibility to detect events of relatively small magnitude and to locate seismic signals without a clear onset of phases, such as volcanic tremors. Since October 2015 we have been operating a test array on Fogo as part of a pilot study. This array consists of 10 seismic stations, distributed in a circular shape with an aperture of 700 m. The stations are equipped with Omnirecs CUBE dataloggers, and either 4.5 Hz geophones (7 stations) or Trillium-Compact broad-band seismometers (3 stations). In January 2016 we installed three additional broad-band stations distributed across the island of Fogo to improve the capabilities for event localization. The data of the pilot study is dominated by seismic activity around Brava, but also exhibit tremors and hybrid events of unknown origin within the caldera of Fogo volcano. The preliminary analysis of these events includes the characterization and localization of the different event types using seismic array processing in combination with conventional localization methods. In the beginning of August 2016, a "seismic crisis" occurred on the island of Brava which led to the evacuation of a village. The seismic activity recorded by our instruments on Fogo exhibits more than 40 earthquakes during this time. Locations and magnitudes of these events will be presented. In January 2017 the pilot project discussed here will be complemented by three additional seismic arrays (two on Fogo, one on Brava) to improve seismic event localization and structural imaging based on scattered seismic phases by using multi-array techniques. Initial recordings from the new arrays are expected to be available by April 2017.

The CALIPSO Borehole Project at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, BWI: Status and Scientific Overview of Prodigious Dome Collapse of July 2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattioli, G. S.; Voight, B.; Linde, A. T.; Sacks, I. S.; Watts, P.; Hidayat, D.; Young, S. R.; Widiwijayanti, C.; Shalev, E.; Malin, P. E.; Elsworth, D.; Williams, P.; van Boskirk, E.; Thompson, G.; Syers, T.; Sparks, R. S.; Schleigh, B.; Norton, G.; Neuberg, J.; Miller, V.; McWhorter, N.; Johnston, W.; Dunkley, P.; Clarke, A. B.; Bass, V.

2005-05-01

The CALIPSO Project (Caribbean Andesite Lava Island-volcano Precision Seismo-geodetic Observatory) has greatly enhanced the monitoring and scientific infrastructure at the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat with the recent installation of an integrated array of borehole and surface geophysical instrumentation at four sites (Mattioli et al., 2004). The sensor package at each site includes: a single-component, very broad band, Sacks-Evertson strainmeter, a three-component seismometer (~Hz to 1 kHz), a Pinnacle Technologies series 5000 tiltmeter, and a surface Ashtech u-Z CGPS station with choke ring antenna, SCIGN mount and radome. The project has been successfully launched with its capture of the tremendous SHV lava dome collapse of 12-13 July 2003 (Herd et al., 2003), involving about 120 million cubic meters--the largest lava dome collapse in the historical record. A wide variety of unique geophysical signals were acquired CALIPSO instrumentation during the July 2003 collapse and important constraints on a variety of volcanic processes are being obtained. For example, tsunami waves were generated 2 km east of the volcanic dome by pyroclastic flows entering the sea. We reconstruct collapse volume-time history from seismic signals generated by pyroclastic flows, using the method of Brodscholl et al. (2000). The tsunami left flotsam strandlines of runup >8m high along the east coast of Montserrat, and waves ~0.5m high were reported from Guadaloupe. Unique borehole dilatometer data (Voight et al., 2003; Mattioli et al., 2003; 2004) record details of tsunami wave passage. One station is located 40m from the sea, with the instrument ~180m below MSL. Strain wave packets at periods of ~200-500s occurred, consistent in period and amplitude with water loading from passing tsunami waves. Wave packets between ~0600-1130 LT can be correlated with pyroclastic flow seismic data. Non-linear Boussinesq hydrodynamic modeling fits wave decay from source to instrument site and is consistent with wave periods and delay times. Coherent near-field waves depend on flow volume, submerged time of motion, and bathymetry. The model matches the delay time between pyroclastic flow entry time and arrival of tsunami waves at the instrument site.

Seismic inversion for incoming sedimentary sequence in the Nankai Trough margin off Kumano Basin, southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naito, K.; Park, J.

2012-12-01

The Nankai Trough off southwest Japan is one of the best subduction-zone to study megathrust earthquake mechanism. Huge earthquakes have been repeated in the cycle of 100-150 years in the area, and in these days the next emergence of the earthquake becomes one of the most serious issue in Japan. Therefore, detailed descriptions of geological structure are urgently needed there. IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) have investigated this area in the NanTroSEIZE science plan. Seismic reflection, core sampling and borehole logging surveys have been executed during the NanTroSEIZE expeditions. Core-log-seismic data integration (CLSI) is useful for understanding the Nankai seismogenic zone. We use the seismic inversion method to do the CLSI. The seismic inversion (acoustic impedance inversion, A.I. inversion) is a method to estimate rock physical properties using seismic reflection and logging data. Acoustic impedance volume is inverted for seismic data with density and P-wave velocity of several boreholes with the technique. We use high-resolution 3D multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection data obtained during KR06-02 cruise in 2006, and measured core sample properties by IODP Expeditions 322 and 333. P-wave velocities missing for some core sample are interpolated by the relationship between acoustic impedance and P-wave velocity. We used Hampson-Russell software for the seismic inversion. 3D porosity model is derived from the 3D acoustic impedance model to figure out rock physical properties of the incoming sedimentary sequence in the Nankai Trough off Kumano Basin. The result of our inversion analysis clearly shows heterogeneity of sediments; relatively high porosity sediments on the shallow layer of Kashinosaki Knoll, and distribution of many physical anomaly bands on volcanic and turbidite sediment layers around the 3D MCS survey area. In this talk, we will show 3D MCS, acoustic impedance, and porosity data for the incoming sedimentary sequence and discuss its possible implications for the Nankai seismogenic behavior.

Deep Downhole Seismic Testing at the Waste Treatment Plant Site, Hanford, WA. Volume IV S-Wave Measurements in Borehole C4993 Seismic Records, Wave-Arrival Identifications and Interpreted S-Wave Velocity Profile.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stokoe, Kenneth H.; Li, Song Cheng; Cox, Brady R.

2007-06-06

In this volume (IV), all S-wave measurements are presented that were performed in Borehole C4993 at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) with T-Rex as the seismic source and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) 3-D wireline geophone as the at-depth borehole receiver. S-wave measurements were performed over the depth range of 370 to 1300 ft, typically in 10-ft intervals. However, in some interbeds, 5-ft depth intervals were used, while below about 1200 ft, depth intervals of 20 ft were used. Shear (S) waves were generated by moving the base plate of T-Rex for a given number of cycles at amore » fixed frequency as discussed in Section 2. This process was repeated so that signal averaging in the time domain was performed using 3 to about 15 averages, with 5 averages typically used. In addition, a second average shear wave record was recorded by reversing the polarity of the motion of the T-Rex base plate. In this sense, all the signals recorded in the field were averaged signals. In all cases, the base plate was moving perpendicular to a radial line between the base plate and the borehole which is in and out of the plane of the figure shown in Figure 1.1. The definition of “in-line”, “cross-line”, “forward”, and “reversed” directions in items 2 and 3 of Section 2 was based on the moving direction of the base plate. In addition to the LBNL 3-D geophone, called the lower receiver herein, a 3-D geophone from Redpath Geophysics was fixed at a depth of 22 ft in Borehole C4993, and a 3-D geophone from the University of Texas (UT) was embedded near the borehole at about 1.5 ft below the ground surface. The Redpath geophone and the UT geophone were properly aligned so that one of the horizontal components in each geophone was aligned with the direction of horizontal shaking of the T-Rex base plate. This volume is organized into 12 sections as follows. Section 1: Introduction, Section 2: Explanation of Terminology, Section 3: Vs Profile at Borehole C4993, Sections 4 to 6: Unfiltered S-wave records of lower horizontal receiver, reaction mass, and reference receiver, respectively, Sections 7 to 9: Filtered S-wave signals of lower horizontal receiver, reaction mass and reference receiver, respectively, Section 10: Expanded and filtered S-wave signals of lower horizontal receiver, and Sections 11 and 12: Waterfall plots of unfiltered and filtered lower horizontal receiver signals, respectively.« less

Joint Inversion of Vp, Vs, and Resistivity at SAFOD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennington, N. L.; Zhang, H.; Thurber, C. H.; Bedrosian, P. A.

2010-12-01

Seismic and resistivity models at SAFOD have been derived from separate inversions that show significant spatial similarity between the main model features. Previous work [Zhang et al., 2009] used cluster analysis to make lithologic inferences from trends in the seismic and resistivity models. We have taken this one step further by developing a joint inversion scheme that uses the cross-gradient penalty function to achieve structurally similar Vp, Vs, and resistivity images that adequately fit the seismic and magnetotelluric MT data without forcing model similarity where none exists. The new inversion code, tomoDDMT, merges the seismic inversion code tomoDD [Zhang and Thurber, 2003] and the MT inversion code Occam2DMT [Constable et al., 1987; deGroot-Hedlin and Constable, 1990]. We are exploring the utility of the cross-gradients penalty function in improving models of fault-zone structure at SAFOD on the San Andreas Fault in the Parkfield, California area. Two different sets of end-member starting models are being tested. One set is the separately inverted Vp, Vs, and resistivity models. The other set consists of simple, geologically based block models developed from borehole information at the SAFOD drill site and a simplified version of features seen in geophysical models at Parkfield. For both starting models, our preliminary results indicate that the inversion produces a converging solution with resistivity, seismic, and cross-gradient misfits decreasing over successive iterations. We also compare the jointly inverted Vp, Vs, and resistivity models to borehole information from SAFOD to provide a "ground truth" comparison.

Developing and Exploiting a Unique Seismic Data Set from South African Gold Mines for Source Characterization and Wave Propagation

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

The data are recorded at depth (1–5 km) by arrays of three-component geophones operated by AngloGold Ashanti, Ltd. and Integrated Seismic Systems...case-based event identification using regional arrays , Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 80: 1874–1892. Bennett, T. J. and J. R. Murphy, Analysis of seismic ... seismic event classification at the NORESS array : seismological measurements and the use of trained neural networks, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 80: 1910

Hydraulic fracture monitoring in hard rock at 410 m depth with an advanced fluid-injection protocol and extensive sensor array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Arno; Stephansson, Ove; Stenberg, Leif; Plenkers, Katrin; Specht, Sebastian; Milkereit, Claus; Schill, Eva; Kwiatek, Grzegorz; Dresen, Georg; Zimmermann, Günter; Dahm, Torsten; Weber, Michael

2017-02-01

In this paper, an underground experiment at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) is described. Main goal is optimizing geothermal heat exchange in crystalline rock mass at depth by multistage hydraulic fracturing with minimal impact on the environment, that is, seismic events. For this, three arrays with acoustic emission, microseismicity and electromagnetic sensors are installed mapping hydraulic fracture initiation and growth. Fractures are driven by three different water injection schemes (continuous, progressive and pulse pressurization). After a brief review of hydraulic fracture operations in crystalline rock mass at mine scale, the site geology and the stress conditions at Äspö HRL are described. Then, the continuous, single-flow rate and alternative, multiple-flow rate fracture breakdown tests in a horizontal borehole at depth level 410 m are described together with the monitoring networks and sensitivity. Monitoring results include the primary catalogue of acoustic emission hypocentres obtained from four hydraulic fractures with the in situ trigger and localizing network. The continuous versus alternative water injection schemes are discussed in terms of the fracture breakdown pressure, the fracture pattern from impression packer result and the monitoring at the arrays. An example of multistage hydraulic fracturing with several phases of opening and closing of fracture walls is evaluated using data from acoustic emissions, seismic broad-band recordings and electromagnetic signal response. Based on our limited amount of in situ tests (six) and evaluation of three tests in Ävrö granodiorite, in the multiple-flow rate test with progressively increasing target pressure, the acoustic emission activity starts at a later stage in the fracturing process compared to the conventional fracturing case with continuous water injection. In tendency, also the total number and magnitude of acoustic events are found to be smaller in the progressive treatment with frequent phases of depressurization.

Optical seismic sensor systems and methods

DOEpatents

Beal, A. Craig; Cummings, Malcolm E.; Zavriyev, Anton; Christensen, Caleb A.; Lee, Keun

2015-12-08

Disclosed is an optical seismic sensor system for measuring seismic events in a geological formation, including a surface unit for generating and processing an optical signal, and a sensor device optically connected to the surface unit for receiving the optical signal over an optical conduit. The sensor device includes at least one sensor head for sensing a seismic disturbance from at least one direction during a deployment of the sensor device within a borehole of the geological formation. The sensor head includes a frame and a reference mass attached to the frame via at least one flexure, such that movement of the reference mass relative to the frame is constrained to a single predetermined path.

Response to long-period seismic waves recorded by broadband seismometer and pore pressure sensor at IODP Site C0002, Nankai Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitada, K.; Araki, E.; Kimura, T.; Saffer, D. M.

2013-12-01

Long term in situ monitoring of seismic activity, slow slip event, and pore fluid behavior around mega earthquake zone is important for understanding the processes of earthquake generation and strain accumulation. In order to characterize the response to long-period seismic waves, we compared waveforms and hydroseismograms recorded by broadband seismometer and pore pressure transducers, respectively, which were installed at IODP Site C0002 in the Nankai Trough Kumano Basin. The borehole monitoring system sensor array at Site C0002 is designed to collect multiparameter observations covering a dynamic range of events, including local microearthquakes, low frequency earthquakes, and large-scale earthquakes similar to the Tonankai earthquake. The suite of sensors for the downhole portion of the observatory includes a broadband seismometer (CMG3TBD, Guralp Systems Ltd.) with sampling rate of 100Hz at the depth of 907mbsf, and four pressure ports connected to pressure gauges located at 948mbsf, 917mbsf, 766mbsf, and at the seafloor. The sampling rate of the data logger was set to 1Hz after successful connection to the DONET seafloor cable network for real-time monitoring on 24 Jan 2013. Since then, we processed 12 earthquakes between a moment magnitude of 6.5 to 8.3. In addition to the comparison of long-period surface waves waveform and pressure data, we compared the records with theoretical strain seismograms. The latter were calculated by normal mode summation using the earth model PREM of Dziewonski and Anderson (1981). A Butterworth bandpass filter was applied to the records with cut-off frequencies of 0.003 and 0.1 Hz. Our initial results indicate that the hydroseismograms correspond well with the vertical rather than the horizontal (radial and transverse) components in seismic data. The observed hydroseismogram have a good correlation with the predicted volumetric strain seismogram, especially for the Okhotsk (2013/05/24 14:17UT, Mw8.3, 632km depth), the Chishima (2013/04/19 03:05UT, Mw7.2, 109km depth) and the Tokachi (2013/02/02 14:17UT, Mw6.9, 139km depth) earthquakes which occurred around NE offshore Hokkaido, Japan. The amplitude ratio between the waveforms showed a variety of the values ranging from about 0.05 to 0.2 hPa/nano-strain, suggesting the influence of small scale structure on seismic wave propagation at regional and teleseismic distances. These comparisons are important not only to assess the potential of pore pressure for long-period seismology studies, but also to better understand the response of the borehole to crustal deformation.

Inter- and Intra-method Variability of VS Profiles and VS30 at ARRA-funded Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yong, A.; Boatwright, J.; Martin, A. J.

2015-12-01

The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded geophysical site characterizations at 191 seismographic stations in California and in the central and eastern United States. Shallow boreholes were considered cost- and environmentally-prohibitive, thus non-invasive methods (passive and active surface- and body-wave techniques) were used at these stations. The drawback, however, is that these techniques measure seismic properties indirectly and introduce more uncertainty than borehole methods. The principal methods applied were Array Microtremor (AM), Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW; Rayleigh and Love waves), Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW), Refraction Microtremor (ReMi), and P- and S-wave refraction tomography. Depending on the apparent geologic or seismic complexity of the site, field crews applied one or a combination of these methods to estimate the shear-wave velocity (VS) profile and calculate VS30, the time-averaged VS to a depth of 30 meters. We study the inter- and intra-method variability of VS and VS30 at each seismographic station where combinations of techniques were applied. For each site, we find both types of variability in VS30 remain insignificant (5-10% difference) despite substantial variability observed in the VS profiles. We also find that reliable VS profiles are best developed using a combination of techniques, e.g., surface-wave VS profiles correlated against P-wave tomography to constrain variables (Poisson's ratio and density) that are key depth-dependent parameters used in modeling VS profiles. The most reliable results are based on surface- or body-wave profiles correlated against independent observations such as material properties inferred from outcropping geology nearby. For example, mapped geology describes station CI.LJR as a hard rock site (VS30 > 760 m/s). However, decomposed rock outcrops were found nearby and support the estimated VS30 of 303 m/s derived from the MASW (Love wave) profile.

Seismic imaging of the oil and geothermal reservoirs using the induced seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.; Toksoz, M. N.; Fehler, M.

2011-12-01

It is known that microseismicity can be induced in the oil field due to the stress change caused by oil/gas production. Similarly, injection of high-pressure fluids into the reservoir can also induce microseismicity. Due to the proximity of induced seismicity to the reservoir, in some cases, it may be advantageous to use induced seismicity to image the reservoir. The seismic stations for monitoring the induced seismicity are usually sparse. Conventional travel time tomography using travel times from seismic events to stations may not be applicable because of poor ray coverage outside the source region. In comparison, the double-difference tomography method of Zhang and Thurber (2003) that uses the differential travel times is able to image the reservoir by avoiding determining the velocity structure outside the source region. In this study, we present two case studies of applying double-difference tomography to induced seismicity monitored by borehole stations. In the case of an oil field in Oman, five closely spaced monitoring wells are used to monitor microseismicity induced by gas production. In each well, multiple seismic sensors are positioned from depths 750 m - 1250 m and about 2000 events are selected for tomography. Reservoir imaging shows encouraging results in identifying structures and velocity changes within reservoir layers. Clear velocity contrast was seen across the major northeast-southwest faults. Low Vp, low Vs and low Vp/Vs anomalies are mainly associated with the gas production layer. For the case of the Soultz Enhanced Geothermal System at Soultz-sous-Forets, France, we used travel time data from the September and October 1993 hydraulic stimulations, where only four borehole stations are available. The results showed that the S-wave velocity structure correlated well with seismicity and showed low velocity zones at depths between 2900 and 3300 meters, where fluid was believed to have infiltrated the reservoir. We also attempt time-lapse tomography to determine velocity changes at different stages of stimulation. The preliminary results show that the velocity increases outside the reservoir and decreases in the seismicity region.

Seismic Imaging of a Prospective Geothermal Play, Using a Dense Geophone Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trow, A.; Pankow, K. L.; Wannamaker, P. E.; Lin, F. C.; Ward, K. M.

2017-12-01

In the summer of 2016 a dense array of 48 Nodal Seismic geophones was deployed near Beaver, Utah on the eastern flank of the Mineral Mountains. The array aperture was approximately 20 kilometers and recorded continuous seismic data for 30 days. Geophones were centered on a previously known shallow (5km depth) magnetolluric (MT) low-resistivity body. This region of low resistivity was interpreted to possibly contain hydrothermal/geothermal fluids and was targeted for further seismic investigation. The seismic array geometry was designed to optimize seismic event detection for small (magnitude of completeness zero) earthquakes and to facilitate seismic imaging at depths of 5 km and deeper. For the duration of the experiment, one ML 1 earthquake was detected underneath the array with 15 other earthquakes detected to the east and south in the more seismically active Pavant Range. Different passive imaging techniques, including ambient noise and earthquake tomography are being explored in order to produce a seismic velocity image. Understanding the subsurface, specifically the fracture network and fluid content of the bedrock is important for characterization of a geothermal prospect. If it is rich in fluids, it can be assumed that some fracture network is in place to accommodate such fluids. Both fractures and fluid content of the prospect will have an effect on the seismic velocities in the basement structure. These properties can help determine the viability of a geothermal system for power production.

Rock Physical Interpretation of the Relationship between Dynamic and Static Young's Moduli of Sedimentary Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, T.

2017-12-01

The static Young's modulus (deformability) of a rock is indispensable for designing and constructing tunnels, dams and underground caverns in civil engineering. Static Young's modulus which is an elastic modulus at large strain level is usually obtained with the laboratory tests of rock cores sampled in boreholes drilled in a rock mass. A deformability model of the entire rock mass is then built by extrapolating the measurements based on a rock mass classification obtained in geological site characterization. However, model-building using data obtained from a limited number of boreholes in the rock mass, especially a complex rock mass, may cause problems in the accuracy and reliability of the model. On the other hand, dynamic Young's modulus which is the modulus at small strain level can be obtained from seismic velocity. If dynamic Young's modulus can be rationally converted to static one, a seismic velocity model by the seismic method can be effectively used to build a deformability model of the rock mass. In this study, we have, therefore, developed a rock physics model (Mavko et al., 2009) to estimate static Young's modulus from dynamic one for sedimentary rocks. The rock physics model has been generally applied to seismic properties at small strain level. In the proposed model, however, the sandy shale model, one of rock physics models, is extended for modeling the static Young's modulus at large strain level by incorporating the mixture of frictional and frictionless grain contacts into the Hertz-Mindlin model. The proposed model is verified through its application to the dynamic Young's moduli derived from well log velocities and static Young's moduli measured in the tri-axial compression tests of rock cores sampled in the same borehole as the logs were acquired. This application proves that the proposed rock physics model can be possibly used to estimate static Young's modulus (deformability) which is required in many types of civil engineering applications from seismically derived dynamic Young's modulus. References:Mavko, G., Mukerji, T. and Dvorkin, J., 2009, The Rock Physics Handbook, 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Subsurface Monitoring of CO2 Sequestration - A Review and Look Forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daley, T. M.

2012-12-01

The injection of CO2 into subsurface formations is at least 50 years old with large-scale utilization of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) beginning in the 1970s. Early monitoring efforts had limited measurements in available boreholes. With growing interest in CO2 sequestration beginning in the 1990's, along with growth in geophysical reservoir monitoring, small to mid-size sequestration monitoring projects began to appear. The overall goals of a subsurface monitoring plan are to provide measurement of CO2 induced changes in subsurface properties at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The range of spatial scales allows tracking of the location and saturation of the plume with varying detail, while finer temporal sampling (up to continuous) allows better understanding of dynamic processes (e.g. multi-phase flow) and constraining of reservoir models. Early monitoring of small scale pilots associated with CO2-EOR (e.g., the McElroy field and the Lost Hills field), developed many of the methodologies including tomographic imaging and multi-physics measurements. Large (reservoir) scale sequestration monitoring began with the Sleipner and Weyburn projects. Typically, large scale monitoring, such as 4D surface seismic, has limited temporal sampling due to costs. Smaller scale pilots can allow more frequent measurements as either individual time-lapse 'snapshots' or as continuous monitoring. Pilot monitoring examples include the Frio, Nagaoka and Otway pilots using repeated well logging, crosswell imaging, vertical seismic profiles and CASSM (continuous active-source seismic monitoring). For saline reservoir sequestration projects, there is typically integration of characterization and monitoring, since the sites are not pre-characterized resource developments (oil or gas), which reinforces the need for multi-scale measurements. As we move beyond pilot sites, we need to quantify CO2 plume and reservoir properties (e.g. pressure) over large scales, while still obtaining high resolution. Typically the high-resolution (spatial and temporal) tools are deployed in permanent or semi-permanent borehole installations, where special well design may be necessary, such as non-conductive casing for electrical surveys. Effective utilization of monitoring wells requires an approach of modular borehole monitoring (MBM) were multiple measurements can be made. An example is recent work at the Citronelle pilot injection site where an MBM package with seismic, fluid sampling and distributed fiber sensing was deployed. For future large scale sequestration monitoring, an adaptive borehole-monitoring program is proposed.

MODELING OF THE GROUNDWATER TRANSPORT AROUND A DEEP BOREHOLE NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N. Lubchenko; M. Rodríguez-Buño; E.A. Bates

2015-04-01

The concept of disposal of high-level nuclear waste in deep boreholes drilled into crystalline bedrock is gaining renewed interest and consideration as a viable mined repository alternative. A large amount of work on conceptual borehole design and preliminary performance assessment has been performed by researchers at MIT, Sandia National Laboratories, SKB (Sweden), and others. Much of this work relied on analytical derivations or, in a few cases, on weakly coupled models of heat, water, and radionuclide transport in the rock. Detailed numerical models are necessary to account for the large heterogeneity of properties (e.g., permeability and salinity vs. depth, diffusionmore » coefficients, etc.) that would be observed at potential borehole disposal sites. A derivation of the FALCON code (Fracturing And Liquid CONvection) was used for the thermal-hydrologic modeling. This code solves the transport equations in porous media in a fully coupled way. The application leverages the flexibility and strengths of the MOOSE framework, developed by Idaho National Laboratory. The current version simulates heat, fluid, and chemical species transport in a fully coupled way allowing the rigorous evaluation of candidate repository site performance. This paper mostly focuses on the modeling of a deep borehole repository under realistic conditions, including modeling of a finite array of boreholes surrounded by undisturbed rock. The decay heat generated by the canisters diffuses into the host rock. Water heating can potentially lead to convection on the scale of thousands of years after the emplacement of the fuel. This convection is tightly coupled to the transport of the dissolved salt, which can suppress convection and reduce the release of the radioactive materials to the aquifer. The purpose of this work has been to evaluate the importance of the borehole array spacing and find the conditions under which convective transport can be ruled out as a radionuclide transport mechanism. Preliminary results show that modeling of the borehole array, including the surrounding rock, predicts convective flow in the system with physical velocities of the order of 10-5 km/yr over 105 years. This results in an escape length on the order of kilometers, which is comparable to the repository depth. However, a correct account of the salinity effects reduces convection velocity and escape length of the radionuclides from the repository.« less

Deepwater seismic acquisition technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caldwell, J.

1996-09-01

Although truly new technology is not required for successful acquisition of seismic data in deep Gulf of Mexico waters, it is helpful to review some basic aspects of these seismic surveys. Additionally, such surveys are likely to see early use of some emerging new technology which can improve data quality. Because such items as depth imaging, borehole seismic, 4-D and marine 3-component recording were mentioned in the May 1996 issue of World Oil, they are not discussed again here. However, these technologies will also play some role in the deepwater seismic activities. What is covered in this paper are somemore » new considerations for: (1) longer data records needed in deeper water, (2) some pros and cons of very long steamer use, and (3) two new commercial systems for quantifying data quality.« less

Seismic imaging of gas hydrate reservoir heterogeneities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jun-Wei

Natural gas hydrate, a type of inclusion compound or clathrate, are composed of gas molecules trapped within a cage of water molecules. The presence of gas hydrate has been confirmed by core samples recovered from boreholes. Interests in the distribution of natural gas hydrate stem from its potential as a future energy source, geohazard to drilling activities and their possible impact on climate change. However the current geophysical investigations of gas hydrate reservoirs are still too limited to fully resolve the location and the total amount of gas hydrate due to its complex nature of distribution. The goal of this thesis is twofold, i.e., to model (1) the heterogeneous gas hydrate reservoirs and (2) seismic wave propagation in the presence of heterogeneities in order to address the fundamental questions: where are the location and occurrence of gas hydrate and how much is stored in the sediments. Seismic scattering studies predict that certain heterogeneity scales and velocity contrasts will generate strong scattering and wave mode conversion. Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) techniques can be used to calibrate seismic characterization of gas hydrate expressions on surface seismograms. To further explore the potential of VSP in detecting the heterogeneities, a wave equation based approach for P- and S-wave separation is developed. Tests on synthetic data as well as applications to field data suggest alternative acquisition geometries for VSP to enable wave mode separation. A new reservoir modeling technique based on random medium theory is developed to construct heterogeneous multi-variable models that mimic heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments at the level of detail provided by borehole logging data. Using this new technique, I modeled the density, and P- and S-wave velocities in combination with a modified Biot-Gassmann theory and provided a first order estimate of the in situ volume of gas hydrate near the Mallik 5L-38 borehole. Our results suggest a range of 528 to 768x10 6 m3/km2 of natural gas trapped within hydrate, nearly an order of magnitude lower than earlier estimates which excluded effects of small-scale heterogeneities. Further, the petrophysical models are combined with a 3-D Finite Difference method to study seismic attenuation. Thus a framework is built to further tune the models of gas hydrate reservoirs with constraints from well logs other disciplinary data.

High Resolution Near Surface 3D Seismic Experiments: A Carbonate Platform vs. a Siliciclastic Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippidou, N.; Drijkoningen, G.; Braaksma, H.; Verwer, K.; Kenter, J.

2005-05-01

Interest in high-resolution 3D seismic experiments for imaging shallow targets has increased over the past years. Many case studies presented, show that producing clear seismic images with this non-evasive method, is still a challenge. We use two test-sites where nearby outcrops are present so that an accurate geological model can be built and the seismic result validated. The first so-called natural field laboratory is located in Boulonnais (N. France). It is an upper Jurassic siliciclastic sequence; age equivalent of the source rock of N. Sea. The second one is located in Cap Blanc,to the southwest of the Mallorca island(Spain); depicting an excellent example of Miocene prograding reef platform (Llucmajor Platform); it is a textbook analog for carbonate reservoirs. In both cases, the multidisciplinary experiment included the use of multicomponent and quasi- or 3D seismic recordings. The target depth does not exceed 120m. Vertical and shear portable vibrators were used as source. In the center of the setups, boreholes were drilled and Vertical Seismic Profiles were shot, along with core and borehole measurements both in situ and in the laboratory. These two geologically different sites, with different seismic stratigraphy have provided us with exceptionally high resolution seismic images. In general seismic data was processed more or less following standard procedures, a few innovative techniques on the Mallorca data, as rotation of horizontal components, 3D F-K filter and addition of parallel profiles, have improved the seismic image. In this paper we discuss the basic differences as seen on the seismic sections. The Boulonnais data present highly continuous reflection patterns of extremenly high resolution. This facilitated a high resolution stratigraphic description. Results from the VSP showed substantial wave energy attenuation. However, the high-fold (330 traces ) Mallorca seismic experiment returned a rather discontinuous pattern of possible reflectors, opposing to the predicted seismic stratigraphy/geology of the area. The Llumajor Platform has been buried only a few meters at most, therefore primary and secondary porocity remains intact, creating a fractal like environment of scatterers and diffractors. We have interpreted two possible reflections, the top of the reef and the water table; the former is nicely coupled with the VSP. The seismic wave attenuation observed is believed to be predominantly due to the scattering effects.

Initial report on drilling into seismogenic zones of M2.0 - M5.5 earthquakes from deep South African gold mines (DSeis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogasawara, Hiroshi; Durrheim, Raymond; Yabe, Yasuo; Ito, Takatoshi; van Aswegen, Gerrie; Grobbelaar, Michelle; Funato, Akio; Ishida, Akimasa; Ogasawara, Hiroyuki; Mngadi, Siyanda; Manzi, Musa; Ziegler, Martin; Ward, Tony; Moyer, Pamela; Boettcher, Margaret; Ellsworth, Bill; Liebenberg, Bennie; Wechsler, Neta; Onstott, Tullis; Berset, Nicolas

2017-04-01

The International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) approved our proposal (Ogasawara et al., EGU 2016) to drill into and around seismogenic zones where critically stressed faults initiated ruptures at depth. The drilling targets include four ruptures equivalent to M2.0, 2.8, 3.5, and 5.5 that dynamically and quasi-statically evolved in 2.9 Ga hard rock in the Witwatersrand basin, South Africa. Major advantages of our drilling locations are the large quantity and high-quality of existing data from dense seismic arrays both on surface and near-field underground in three deep South African gold mines. Additionally, the great depths (1.0 to 3.3 km from surface) to collar holes reduce drilling costs significantly and enable a larger number of holes to be drilled. Flexibility in drilling direction will also allow us to minimize damage in borehole or drilled cores. With the ICDP funds, we will conduct full-core drilling of 16 holes with drilling ranges from 50 to 750 m to recover both materials and fractures in and around the seismogenic zones, followed by core and borehole logging. Additional in-hole monitoring at close proximity will be supported by co-mingled funds and will follow the ICDP drilling. Expected magnitudes of maximum shear stress are several tens of MPa. We have established an overcoring procedure to measure 3D-stress state for adverse underground working conditions so as not to interfere with mining operations. This procedure was optimized based on the Compact Conic-ended Borehole Overcoring (CCBO) technique (ISRM suggested; Sugawara and Obara, 1999). Funato and Ito (2016 IJRMMS) developed a diametrical core deformation analysis (DCDA) method to measure differential stress using only drilled core by assuming diametrical change with roll angles caused by elastic in-axisymmetrical expansion during drilling. A gold mine has already drilled a hole to intersect the hypocenter of a 2016 M3.5 earthquake and carried out the CCBO stress measurement in other holes at the M3.5 seismogenic zone. As we successfully conducted DCDA with the above-mentioned drilled core, we look forward to shedding light on spatial variations of stress in the seismogenic zones following our ICDP DSeis drilling. A M5.5 earthquake which took place near Orkney, South Africa on 5 August 2014, offers a special opportunity to compare seismically inverted spatio-temporal evolution of both the main rupture and the aftershock activity with the information directly probed by the ICDP DSeis project. Moyer et al. (2016 Seismol. Res. Lett. submitted) calls for comparing seismic source models as part of a workshop proposed to the Southern California Earthquake Center for Fall 2017. In addition, the upper edge of the M5.5 rupture is located hundreds of meters below the mining horizon, sufficiently away from anthropogenic activity. This allows geomicrobiologists to investigate deep microbiological activity fueled by H2 from seismic rupture to address questions about Earth's early life. Drilling machines are being rigged underground soon to kick off our ICDP DSeis drilling in early 2017.

Accurately determining direction of arrival by seismic array based on compressive sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, J.; Zhang, H.; Yu, H.

2016-12-01

Seismic array analysis method plays an important role in detecting weak signals and determining their locations and rupturing process. In these applications, reliably estimating direction of arrival (DOA) for the seismic wave is very important. DOA is generally determined by the conventional beamforming method (CBM) [Rost et al, 2000]. However, for a fixed seismic array generally the resolution of CBM is poor in the case of low-frequency seismic signals, and in the case of high frequency seismic signals the CBM may produce many local peaks, making it difficult to pick the one corresponding to true DOA. In this study, we develop a new seismic array method based on compressive sensing (CS) to determine the DOA with high resolution for both low- and high-frequency seismic signals. The new method takes advantage of the space sparsity of the incoming wavefronts. The CS method has been successfully used to determine spatial and temporal earthquake rupturing distributions with seismic array [Yao et al, 2011;Yao et al, 2013;Yin 2016]. In this method, we first form the problem of solving the DOA as a L1-norm minimization problem. The measurement matrix for CS is constructed by dividing the slowness-angle domain into many grid nodes, which needs to satisfy restricted isometry property (RIP) for optimized reconstruction of the image. The L1-norm minimization is solved by the interior point method. We first test the CS-based DOA array determination method on synthetic data constructed based on Shanghai seismic array. Compared to the CBM, synthetic test for data without noise shows that the new method can determine the true DOA with a super-high resolution. In the case of multiple sources, the new method can easily separate multiple DOAs. When data are contaminated by noise at various levels, the CS method is stable when the noise amplitude is lower than the signal amplitude. We also test the CS method for the Wenchuan earthquake. For different arrays with different apertures, we are able to obtain reliable DOAs with uncertainties lower than 10 degrees.

Future Directions of Electromagnetic Methods for Hydrocarbon Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strack, K. M.

2014-01-01

For hydrocarbon applications, seismic exploration is the workhorse of the industry. Only in the borehole, electromagnetic (EM) methods play a dominant role, as they are mostly used to determine oil reserves and to distinguish water from oil-bearing zones. Throughout the past 60 years, we had several periods with an increased interest in EM. This increased with the success of the marine EM industry and now electromagnetics in general is considered for many new applications. The classic electromagnetic methods are borehole, onshore and offshore, and airborne EM methods. Airborne is covered elsewhere (see Smith, this issue). Marine EM material is readily available from the service company Web sites, and here I will only mention some future technical directions that are visible. The marine EM success is being carried back to the onshore market, fueled by geothermal and unconventional hydrocarbon applications. Oil companies are listening to pro-EM arguments, but still are hesitant to go through the learning exercises as early adopters. In particular, the huge business drivers of shale hydrocarbons and reservoir monitoring will bring markets many times bigger than the entire marine EM market. Additional applications include support for seismic operations, sub-salt, and sub-basalt, all areas where seismic exploration is costly and inefficient. Integration with EM will allow novel seismic methods to be applied. In the borehole, anisotropy measurements, now possible, form the missing link between surface measurements and ground truth. Three-dimensional (3D) induction measurements are readily available from several logging contractors. The trend to logging-while-drilling measurements will continue with many more EM technologies, and the effort of controlling the drill bit while drilling including look-ahead-and-around the drill bit is going on. Overall, the market for electromagnetics is increasing, and a demand for EM capable professionals will continue. The emphasis will be more on application and data integration (bottom-line value increase) and less on EM technology and modeling exercises.

Seismic Imaging of the Source Physics Experiment Site with the Large-N Seismic Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, T.; Snelson, C. M.; Mellors, R. J.

2017-12-01

The Source Physics Experiment (SPE) consists of a series of chemical explosions at the Nevada National Security Site. The goal of SPE is to understand seismic wave generation and propagation from these explosions. To achieve this goal, we need an accurate geophysical model of the SPE site. A Large-N seismic array that was deployed at the SPE site during one of the chemical explosions (SPE-5) helps us construct high-resolution local geophysical model. The Large-N seismic array consists of 996 geophones, and covers an area of approximately 2 × 2.5 km. The array is located in the northern end of the Yucca Flat basin, at a transition from Climax Stock (granite) to Yucca Flat (alluvium). In addition to the SPE-5 explosion, the Large-N array also recorded 53 weight drops. Using the Large-N seismic array recordings, we perform body wave and surface wave velocity analysis, and obtain 3D seismic imaging of the SPE site for the top crust of approximately 1 km. The imaging results show clear variation of geophysical parameter with local geological structures, including heterogeneous weathering layer and various rock types. The results of this work are being incorporated in the larger 3D modeling effort of the SPE program to validate the predictive models developed for the site.

J-SHIS - an integrated system for knowing seismic hazard information in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azuma, H.; Fujiwara, H.; Kawai, S.; Hao, K. X.; Morikawa, N.

2015-12-01

An integrated system of Japan seismic hazard information station (J-SHIS) was established in 2005 for issuing and exchanging information of the National Seismic Hazard Maps for Japan that are based on seismic hazard assessment (SHA). A simplified app, also named J-SHIS, for smartphones is popularly used in Japan based on the integrated system of http://www.j-shis.bosai.go.jp/map/?lang=en. "Smartphone tells hazard" is realized on a cellphone, a tablet and/or a PC. At a given spot, the comprehensive information of SHA map can be easily obtained as below: 1) A SHA probability at given intensity (JMA=5-, 5+, 6-, 6+) within 30 years. 2) A site amplification factor varies within 0.5 ~ 3.0 and expectation is 1 based on surface geology map information. 3) A depth of seismic basement down to ~3,000m based on deeper borehole and geological structure. 4) Scenario earthquake maps: By choosing an active fault, one got the average case for different parameters of the modeling. Then choose a case, you got the shaking map of intensity with color scale. "Seismic Hazard Karte tells more hazard" is another app based on website of http://www.j-shis.bosai.go.jp/labs/karte/. (1) For every mesh of 250m x 250m, professional service SHA information is provided over national-world. (2) With five ranks for eight items, comprehensive SHA information could be delivered. (3) Site amplification factor with an average index is given. (4) Deeper geologic structure modeling is provided with borehole profiling. (5) A SHA probability is assessed within 30 and/or 50 years for the given site. (6) Seismic Hazard curves are given for earthquake sources from inland active fault, subduction zone, undetermined and their summarization. (7) The JMA seismic intensities are assessed in long-term averaged periods of 500-years to ~100,000 years. The app of J-SHIS can be downloaded freely from http://www.j-shis.bosai.go.jp/app-jshis.

Calibration of Subsurface Amplification Factors Using Surface/Borehole Strong-motion Records from the KiK-net

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashida, T.; Tajima, F.

2007-12-01

The Real-time Earthquake Information System (REIS, Horiuchi et al., 2005) detects earthquakes and determines event parameters using the Hi-net (High-sensitivity seismograph network Japan) data in Japan. The system also predicts the arrival time and seismic intensity at a given site before ground motions arrive. Here, the seismic intensity is estimated based on the intensity magnitude which is derived from data of the Hi-net. As the Hi-net stations are located in the boreholes, intensity estimation on the ground surface is evaluated using a constant for subsurface amplification. But the estimated intensities based on the conventionally used amplification constants are not always in agreement with those observed at specific sites on the ground surface. The KiK-net (KIBAN Kyoshin network Japan) consists of strong motion instruments. Each station has two sets of accelerometers, one set is installed on the ground surface and the other one is co-located with a Hi-net station in the borehole. We use data recorded at the KiK-net stations to calibrate subsurface site amplification factors between the borehole and the ground surface. We selected data recorded for over 200 events during the period of 1997 to 2006 in Hiroshima prefecture and calculated the ratios of peak velocity amplitudes on the ground surface ( Asurf) to those in the borehole ( Abor). The subsurface amplification varies from station to station showing dependency on the propagation distance as well as on the incident direction of seismic waves. Results suggest that the site amplification factors shall be described as a function of distance and incident direction, and are not constants. Thus, we derived empirical amplification formulas between Asurf and the peak velocity amplitudes on the engineering bedrock ( Abed) as a function of distance in place of the conventionally used amplification constants. Here, the engineering bedrock is defined as the depth where the S- wave velocity is 600 m/s. The estimated intensities show substantial improvement in the accuracy at most stations as compared with those calculated using conventional constants. When the amplification dependence on the incident direction was accounted for, the estimated intensities somewhat improved. This calibration will help an earthquake early warning system such as REIS provide more accurate intensity estimates.

Exploring Sedimentary Basins with High Frequency Receiver Function: the Dublin Basin Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Licciardi, A.; Piana Agostinetti, N.

2015-12-01

The Receiver Function (RF) method is a widely applied seismological tool for the imaging of crustal and lithospheric structures beneath a single seismic station with one to tens kilometers of vertical resolution. However, detailed information about the upper crust (0-10 km depth) can also be retrieved by increasing the frequency content of the analyzed RF data-set (with a vertical resolution lower than 0.5km). This information includes depth of velocity contrasts, S-wave velocities within layers, as well as presence and location of seismic anisotropy or dipping interfaces (e.g., induced by faulting) at depth. These observables provides valuable constraints on the structural settings and properties of sedimentary basins both for scientific and industrial applications. To test the RF capabilities for this high resolution application, six broadband seismic stations have been deployed across the southwestern margin of the Dublin Basin (DB), Ireland, whose geothermal potential has been investigated in the last few years. With an inter-station distance of about 1km, this closely spaced array has been designed to provide a clear picture of the structural transition between the margin and the inner portion of the basin. In this study, a Bayesian approach is used to retrieve the posterior probability distributions of S-wave velocity at depth beneath each seismic station. A multi-frequency RF data-set is analyzed and RF and curves of apparent velocity are jointly inverted to better constrain absolute velocity variations. A pseudo 2D section is built to observe the lateral changes in elastic properties across the margin of the basin with a focus in the shallow portion of the crust. Moreover, by means of the harmonic decomposition technique, the azimuthal variations in the RF data-set are isolated and interpreted in terms of anisotropy and dipping interfaces associated with the major fault system in the area. These results are compared with the available information from previous seismic active surveys in the area, including boreholes data.

Characterization of Carbonate Hydrostratigraphy Using Ambient Seismic Noise: A Pilot Study in the Floridan Aquifer System, Ocala, FL, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, S.; Screaton, E.; Russo, R. M.; Panning, M. P.; Bremner, P. M.; Stanciu, A. C.; Torpey, M. E.; Hongsresawat, S.; Farrell, M. E.

2014-12-01

Defining zones of high and low hydraulic conductivity within aquifers is vital to hydrogeologic research and groundwater management. Carbonate aquifers are particularly difficult to characterize due to dissolution and dolomitization. We investigated a new imaging technique for aquifer characterization that uses cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise to determine seismic velocity structure. Differences in densities between confining units and high permeability flow zones can produce distinct seismic velocities in the correlated signals. We deployed an array of 9 short period geophones from 11/2013 to 3/2014 in Indian Lake State Forest, Florida, to determine if the high frequency diffusive seismic wavefield can be used for imaging hydrostratigraphy. Here, a thin surficial layer of siliciclastic deposits overlie a ~ 0.6 km sequence of Cenozoic limestone and dolomite units that comprise the Floridan Aquifer System (FAS). A low permeability dolomite unit vertically divides the FAS throughout most of Florida. Deep boreholes surrounding the site constrain hydrostratigraphy, however the horizontal continuity of the middle dolomite unit as well as its effectiveness as a confining unit in the study area are not well known. The stations were spaced at distances ranging from 0.18 to 2.6 km, and yielded 72 cross-correlation Green's functions for Rayleigh wave propagation at frequencies between 0.2 and 40 Hz, with dominant peaks around 0.8 Hz, 3 Hz and 13 Hz. Local vehicle traffic did interfere to a degree with the correlation of the diffuse waves, but was minimized by using only nighttime data. At the lowest frequencies (greatest depths) investigated, velocities increase with depth; however, correlations become less coherent at higher frequencies, perhaps due to shallow complex scattering. Comparison of cross-correlations for all station pairs also indicates spatial variations in velocity. Thus, the method shows promise for characterization of the heterogeneity of the Floridan Aquifer System.

Local seismic hazard assessment in explosive volcanic settings by 3D numerical analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razzano, Roberto; Pagliaroli, Alessandro; Moscatelli, Massimiliano; Gaudiosi, Iolanda; Avalle, Alessandra; Giallini, Silvia; Marcini, Marco; Polpetta, Federica; Simionato, Maurizio; Sirianni, Pietro; Sottili, Gianluca; Vignaroli, Gianluca; Bellanova, Jessica; Calamita, Giuseppe; Perrone, Angela; Piscitelli, Sabatino

2017-04-01

This work deals with the assessment of local seismic response in the explosive volcanic settings by reconstructing the subsoil model of the Stracciacappa maar (Sabatini Volcanic District, central Italy), whose pyroclastic succession records eruptive phases ended about 0.09 Ma ago. Heterogeneous characteristics of the Stracciacappa maar (stratification, structural setting, lithotypes, and thickness variation of depositional units) make it an ideal case history for understanding mechanisms and processes leading to modifications of amplitude-frequency-duration of seismic waves generated at earthquake sources and propagating through volcanic settings. New geological map and cross sections, constrained with recently acquired geotechnical and geophysical data, illustrate the complex geometric relationships among different depositional units forming the maar. A composite interfingering between internal lacustrine sediments and epiclastic debris, sourced from the rim, fills the crater floor; a 45 meters thick continuous coring borehole was drilled in the maar with sampling of undisturbed samples. Electrical Resistivity Tomography surveys and 2D passive seismic arrays were also carried out for constraining the geological model and the velocity profile of the S-waves, respectively. Single station noise measurements were collected in order to define natural amplification frequencies. Finally, the nonlinear cyclic soil behaviour was investigated through simple shear tests on the undisturbed samples. The collected dataset was used to define the subsoil model for 3D finite difference site response numerical analyses by using FLAC 3D software (ITASCA). Moreover, 1D and 2D numerical analyses were carried out for comparison purposes. Two different scenarios were selected as input motions: a moderate magnitude (volcanic event) and a high magnitude (tectonic event). Both earthquake scenarios revealed significant ground motion amplification (up to 15 in terms of spectral acceleration at about 1 s) essentially related to 2D/3D phenomena associated to sharp lateral variations of mechanical properties within the Stracciacappa maar. Our results are relevant to face the assessment of local seismic response in similar volcanic settings in highly urbanised environments elsewhere.

Uncertainty analysis of depth predictions from seismic reflection data using Bayesian statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelioudakis, Dimitrios G.; Hobbs, Richard W.; Caiado, Camila C. S.

2018-03-01

Estimating the depths of target horizons from seismic reflection data is an important task in exploration geophysics. To constrain these depths we need a reliable and accurate velocity model. Here, we build an optimum 2D seismic reflection data processing flow focused on pre - stack deghosting filters and velocity model building and apply Bayesian methods, including Gaussian process emulation and Bayesian History Matching (BHM), to estimate the uncertainties of the depths of key horizons near the borehole DSDP-258 located in the Mentelle Basin, south west of Australia, and compare the results with the drilled core from that well. Following this strategy, the tie between the modelled and observed depths from DSDP-258 core was in accordance with the ± 2σ posterior credibility intervals and predictions for depths to key horizons were made for the two new drill sites, adjacent the existing borehole of the area. The probabilistic analysis allowed us to generate multiple realizations of pre-stack depth migrated images, these can be directly used to better constrain interpretation and identify potential risk at drill sites. The method will be applied to constrain the drilling targets for the upcoming International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), leg 369.

Uncertainty analysis of depth predictions from seismic reflection data using Bayesian statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelioudakis, Dimitrios G.; Hobbs, Richard W.; Caiado, Camila C. S.

2018-06-01

Estimating the depths of target horizons from seismic reflection data is an important task in exploration geophysics. To constrain these depths we need a reliable and accurate velocity model. Here, we build an optimum 2-D seismic reflection data processing flow focused on pre-stack deghosting filters and velocity model building and apply Bayesian methods, including Gaussian process emulation and Bayesian History Matching, to estimate the uncertainties of the depths of key horizons near the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) borehole 258 (DSDP-258) located in the Mentelle Basin, southwest of Australia, and compare the results with the drilled core from that well. Following this strategy, the tie between the modelled and observed depths from DSDP-258 core was in accordance with the ±2σ posterior credibility intervals and predictions for depths to key horizons were made for the two new drill sites, adjacent to the existing borehole of the area. The probabilistic analysis allowed us to generate multiple realizations of pre-stack depth migrated images, these can be directly used to better constrain interpretation and identify potential risk at drill sites. The method will be applied to constrain the drilling targets for the upcoming International Ocean Discovery Program, leg 369.

Seismic Energy Generation and Partitioning into Various Regional Phases from Different Seismic Sources in the Middle East Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-20

phases. The power law parameter values were found to be in close agreement with the constants for nuclear explosions in Nevada and chemical explosions in...caused by the difference of lithostatic pressures between top and bottom of a vertical cylindrical explosive source, typical for borehole chemical ...NORSAR recorded several decoupled chemical explosions in large chambers of underground mines in Sweden (Stevens et al., 2003), however a reference

Investigation of the deep structure of the Sivas Basin (innereast Anatolia, Turkey) with geophysical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onal, K. Mert; Buyuksarac, Aydin; Aydemir, Attila; Ates, Abdullah

2008-11-01

Sivas Basin is the easternmost and third largest basin of the Central Anatolian Basins. In this study, gravity, aeromagnetic and seismic data are used to investigate the deep structure of the Sivas Basin, together with the well seismic velocity data, geological observations from the surface and the borehole data of the Celalli-1 well. Basement depth is modeled three-dimensionally (3D) using the gravity anomalies, and 2D gravity and magnetic models were constructed along with a N-S trending profile. Densities of the rock samples were obtained from the distinct parts of the basin surface and in-situ susceptibilities were also measured and evaluated in comparison with the other geophysical and geological data. Additionally, seismic sections, in spite of their low resolution, were used to define the velocity variation in the basin in order to compare depth values and geological cross-section obtained from the modeling studies. Deepest parts of the basin (12-13 km), determined from the 3D model, are located below the settlement of Hafik and to the south of Zara towns. Geometry, extension and wideness of the basin, together with the thickness and lithologies of the sedimentary units are reasonably appropriate for further hydrocarbon exploration in the Sivas Basin that is still an unexplored area with the limited number of seismic lines and only one borehole.

Seismic Travel Time Tomography in Modeling Low Velocity Anomalies between the Boreholes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Octova, A.; Sule, R.

2018-04-01

Travel time cross-hole seismic tomography is applied to describing the structure of the subsurface. The sources are placed at one borehole and some receivers are placed in the others. First arrival travel time data that received by each receiver is used as the input data in seismic tomography method. This research is devided into three steps. The first step is reconstructing the synthetic model based on field parameters. Field parameters are divided into 24 receivers and 45 receivers. The second step is applying inversion process for the field data that consists of five pairs bore holes. The last step is testing quality of tomogram with resolution test. Data processing using FAST software produces an explicit shape and resemble the initial model reconstruction of synthetic model with 45 receivers. The tomography processing in field data indicates cavities in several place between the bore holes. Cavities are identified on BH2A-BH1, BH4A-BH2A and BH4A-BH5 with elongated and rounded structure. In resolution tests using a checker-board, anomalies still can be identified up to 2 meter x 2 meter size. Travel time cross-hole seismic tomography analysis proves this mothod is very good to describing subsurface structure and boundary layer. Size and anomalies position can be recognized and interpreted easily.

Seismic imaging of the metamorphism of young sediment into new crystalline crust in the actively rifting Imperial Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Han, Liang; Hole, John; Stock, Joann; Fuis, Gary S.; Williams, Colin F.; Delph, Jonathan; Davenport, Kathy; Livers, Amanda

2016-01-01

Plate-boundary rifting between transform faults is opening the Imperial Valley of southern California and the rift is rapidly filling with sediment from the Colorado River. Three 65–90 km long seismic refraction profiles across and along the valley, acquired as part of the 2011 Salton Seismic Imaging Project, were analyzed to constrain upper crustal structure and the transition from sediment to underlying crystalline rock. Both first arrival travel-time tomography and frequency-domain full-waveform inversion were applied to provide P-wave velocity models down to ∼7 km depth. The valley margins are fault-bounded, beyond which thinner sediment has been deposited on preexisting crystalline rocks. Within the central basin, seismic velocity increases continuously from ∼1.8 km/s sediment at the surface to >6 km/s crystalline rock with no sharp discontinuity. Borehole data show young sediment is progressively metamorphosed into crystalline rock. The seismic velocity gradient with depth decreases approximately at the 4 km/s contour, which coincides with changes in the porosity and density gradient in borehole core samples. This change occurs at ∼3 km depth in most of the valley, but at only ∼1.5 km depth in the Salton Sea geothermal field. We interpret progressive metamorphism caused by high heat flow to be creating new crystalline crust throughout the valley at a rate comparable to the ≥2 km/Myr sedimentation rate. The newly formed crystalline crust extends to at least 7–8 km depth, and it is shallower and faster where heat flow is higher. Most of the active seismicity occurs within this new crust.

Upper-crustal structure of the inner Continental Borderland near Long Beach, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baher, S.; Fuis, G.; Sliter, R.; Normark, W.R.

2005-01-01

A new P-wave velocity/structural model for the inner Continental Borderland (ICB) region was developed for the area near Long Beach, California. It combines controlled-source seismic reflection and refraction data collected during the 1994 Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment (LARSE), multichannel seismic reflection data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (1998-2000), and nearshore borehole stratigraphy. Based on lateral velocity contrasts and stratigraphic variation determined from borehole data, we are able to locate major faults such as the Cabrillo, Palos Verdes, THUMS-Huntington Beach, and Newport Inglewood fault zones, along with minor faults such as the slope fault, Avalon knoll, and several other yet unnamed faults. Catalog seismicity (1975-2002) plotted on our preferred velocity/structural model shows recent seismicity is located on 16 out of our 24 faults, providing evidence for continuing concern with respect to the existing seismic-hazard estimates. Forward modeling of P-wave arrival times on the LARSE line 1 resulted in a four-layer model that better resolves the stratigraphy and geologic structures of the ICB and also provides tighter constraints on the upper-crustal velocity structure than previous modeling of the LARSE data. There is a correlation between the structural horizons identified in the reflection data with the velocity interfaces determined from forward modeling of refraction data. The strongest correlation is between the base of velocity layer 1 of the refraction model and the base of the planar sediment beneath the shelf and slope determined by the reflection model. Layers 2 and 3 of the velocity model loosely correlate with the diffractive crust layer, locally interpreted as Catalina Schist.

Seismic imaging of the metamorphism of young sediment into new crystalline crust in the actively rifting Imperial Valley, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Liang; Hole, John A.; Stock, Joann M.; Fuis, Gary S.; Williams, Colin F.; Delph, Jonathan R.; Davenport, Kathy K.; Livers, Amanda J.

2016-11-01

Plate-boundary rifting between transform faults is opening the Imperial Valley of southern California and the rift is rapidly filling with sediment from the Colorado River. Three 65-90 km long seismic refraction profiles across and along the valley, acquired as part of the 2011 Salton Seismic Imaging Project, were analyzed to constrain upper crustal structure and the transition from sediment to underlying crystalline rock. Both first arrival travel-time tomography and frequency-domain full-waveform inversion were applied to provide P-wave velocity models down to ˜7 km depth. The valley margins are fault-bounded, beyond which thinner sediment has been deposited on preexisting crystalline rocks. Within the central basin, seismic velocity increases continuously from ˜1.8 km/s sediment at the surface to >6 km/s crystalline rock with no sharp discontinuity. Borehole data show young sediment is progressively metamorphosed into crystalline rock. The seismic velocity gradient with depth decreases approximately at the 4 km/s contour, which coincides with changes in the porosity and density gradient in borehole core samples. This change occurs at ˜3 km depth in most of the valley, but at only ˜1.5 km depth in the Salton Sea geothermal field. We interpret progressive metamorphism caused by high heat flow to be creating new crystalline crust throughout the valley at a rate comparable to the ≥2 km/Myr sedimentation rate. The newly formed crystalline crust extends to at least 7-8 km depth, and it is shallower and faster where heat flow is higher. Most of the active seismicity occurs within this new crust.

Statistical analysis of the induced Basel 2006 earthquake sequence: introducing a probability-based monitoring approach for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachmann, C. E.; Wiemer, S.; Woessner, J.; Hainzl, S.

2011-08-01

Geothermal energy is becoming an important clean energy source, however, the stimulation of a reservoir for an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) is associated with seismic risk due to induced seismicity. Seismicity occurring due to the water injection at depth have to be well recorded and monitored. To mitigate the seismic risk of a damaging event, an appropriate alarm system needs to be in place for each individual experiment. In recent experiments, the so-called traffic-light alarm system, based on public response, local magnitude and peak ground velocity, was used. We aim to improve the pre-defined alarm system by introducing a probability-based approach; we retrospectively model the ongoing seismicity in real time with multiple statistical forecast models and then translate the forecast to seismic hazard in terms of probabilities of exceeding a ground motion intensity level. One class of models accounts for the water injection rate, the main parameter that can be controlled by the operators during an experiment. By translating the models into time-varying probabilities of exceeding various intensity levels, we provide tools which are well understood by the decision makers and can be used to determine thresholds non-exceedance during a reservoir stimulation; this, however, remains an entrepreneurial or political decision of the responsible project coordinators. We introduce forecast models based on the data set of an EGS experiment in the city of Basel. Between 2006 December 2 and 8, approximately 11 500 m3 of water was injected into a 5-km-deep well at high pressures. A six-sensor borehole array, was installed by the company Geothermal Explorers Limited (GEL) at depths between 300 and 2700 m around the well to monitor the induced seismicity. The network recorded approximately 11 200 events during the injection phase, more than 3500 of which were located. With the traffic-light system, actions where implemented after an ML 2.7 event, the water injection was reduced and then stopped after another ML 2.5 event. A few hours later, an earthquake with ML 3.4, felt within the city, occurred, which led to bleed-off of the well. A risk study was later issued with the outcome that the experiment could not be resumed. We analyse the statistical features of the sequence and show that the sequence is well modelled with the Omori-Utsu law following the termination of water injection. Based on this model, the sequence will last 31+29/-14 years to reach the background level. We introduce statistical models based on Reasenberg and Jones and Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) models, commonly used to model aftershock sequences. We compare and test different model setups to simulate the sequences, varying the number of fixed and free parameters. For one class of the ETAS models, we account for the flow rate at the injection borehole. We test the models against the observed data with standard likelihood tests and find the ETAS model accounting for the on flow rate to perform best. Such a model may in future serve as a valuable tool for designing probabilistic alarm systems for EGS experiments.

Modeling and Evaluation of Geophysical Methods for Monitoring and Tracking CO2 Migration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daniels, Jeff

2012-11-30

Geological sequestration has been proposed as a viable option for mitigating the vast amount of CO{sub 2} being released into the atmosphere daily. Test sites for CO{sub 2} injection have been appearing across the world to ascertain the feasibility of capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide. A major concern with full scale implementation is monitoring and verifying the permanence of injected CO{sub 2}. Geophysical methods, an exploration industry standard, are non-invasive imaging techniques that can be implemented to address that concern. Geophysical methods, seismic and electromagnetic, play a crucial role in monitoring the subsurface pre- and post-injection. Seismic techniques have beenmore » the most popular but electromagnetic methods are gaining interest. The primary goal of this project was to develop a new geophysical tool, a software program called GphyzCO2, to investigate the implementation of geophysical monitoring for detecting injected CO{sub 2} at test sites. The GphyzCO2 software consists of interconnected programs that encompass well logging, seismic, and electromagnetic methods. The software enables users to design and execute 3D surface-to-surface (conventional surface seismic) and borehole-to-borehole (cross-hole seismic and electromagnetic methods) numerical modeling surveys. The generalized flow of the program begins with building a complex 3D subsurface geological model, assigning properties to the models that mimic a potential CO{sub 2} injection site, numerically forward model a geophysical survey, and analyze the results. A test site located in Warren County, Ohio was selected as the test site for the full implementation of GphyzCO2. Specific interest was placed on a potential reservoir target, the Mount Simon Sandstone, and cap rock, the Eau Claire Formation. Analysis of the test site included well log data, physical property measurements (porosity), core sample resistivity measurements, calculating electrical permittivity values, seismic data collection, and seismic interpretation. The data was input into GphyzCO2 to demonstrate a full implementation of the software capabilities. Part of the implementation investigated the limits of using geophysical methods to monitor CO{sub 2} injection sites. The results show that cross-hole EM numerical surveys are limited to under 100 meter borehole separation. Those results were utilized in executing numerical EM surveys that contain hypothetical CO{sub 2} injections. The outcome of the forward modeling shows that EM methods can detect the presence of CO{sub 2}.« less

Interferometric imaging of the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield Using a Massive VSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavarria, J.; Goertz, A.; Karrenbach, M.; Paulsson, B.

2006-12-01

The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) has the goal of investigating the physical processes controlling earthquakes in central California at Parkfield. The observatory consists of a deep well, that intersected the San Andreas Fault at seismogenic depths of ~3.2 km, where recurring microearthquake activity takes place. Previous to the drilling of Phase II, that intersected the fault at the end of Summer 2005, a long array of seismometers was deployed in the deeper part of the well to characterize the fault structure and to aid the monitoring activities of the natural seismicity. The Massive VSP array consisted of 80 three component seismometers that were deployed during April and May 2005. During this period of time we recorded active data from 13 explosions used to refine the velocity models that improved the locations of target events. In addition to this, we continuously monitored passive data from the natural earthquake activity in the area that was dominated by the Parkfield 2004 event aftershock sequence. During the recording time of this project we were able to record one of the target earthquakes of the SAFOD project as well as recently discovered non-volcanic tremor. The data recorded by this deep array of seismometers has provided important information to characterize the structure of the fault at scale that is comparable to the scale of the geologic observations. These observations, derived during drilling of the well, consist of cores and cuttings as well as geophysical logs. With the use of the borehole array of seismometers we have been able to directly correlate this lithologic information with seismic phases observed in the VSP data. This has lead to better understanding the nature of the scattering that takes place in this complex fault zone. Seismic reflections in the dataset were analyzed with Kirchhoff imaging methods to determine a partial image of the San Andreas Fault at depth. Due to the low density distribution of sources in the study area the illumination volume is limited but still shows clear signals originating from sub-vertical structures associated to the strands of the San Andreas fault inferred from high resolution earthquake location. The existing Kirchhoff imaging methods have been complemented with the use of interferometric imaging by which we extract the Green's function of the data recorded by the array. This takes place with the use of correlation analysis of both active and passive data resulting in a dataset where each downhole receiver acts as a virtual source. This analysis has provided a refined image of the structure of the San Andreas Fault at seismogenic depths with which a better understanding of the system can be achieved.

Seismomagnetic effects from the long-awaited 28 September 2004 M 6.0 parkfield earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnston, M.J.S.; Sasai, Y.; Egbert, G.D.; Mueller, R.J.

2006-01-01

Precise measurements of local magnetic fields have been obtained with a differentially connected array of seven synchronized proton magnetometers located along 60 km of the locked-to-creeping transition region of the San Andreas fault at Parkfield, California, since 1976. The M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake on 28 September 2004, occurred within this array and generated coseismic magnetic field changes of between 0.2 and 0.5 nT at five sites in the network. No preseismic magnetic field changes exceeding background noise levels are apparent in the magnetic data during the month, week, and days before the earthquake (or expected in light of the absence of measurable precursive deformation, seismicity, or pore pressure changes). Observations of electric and magnetic fields from 0.01 to 20 Hz are also made at one site near the end of the earthquake rupture and corrected for common-mode signals from the ionosphere/magnetosphere using a second site some 115 km to the northwest along the fault. These magnetic data show no indications of unusual noise before the earthquake in the ULF band (0.01-20 Hz) as suggested may have preceded the 1989 ML 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake. Nor do we see electric field changes similar to those suggested to occur before earthquakes of this magnitude from data in Greece. Uniform and variable slip piezomagnetic models of the earthquake, derived from strain, displacement, and seismic data, generate magnetic field perturbations that are consistent with those observed by the magnetometer array. A higher rate of longer-term magnetic field change, consistent with increased loading in the region, is apparent since 1993. This accompanied an increased rate of secular shear strain observed on a two-color EDM network and a small network of borehole tensor strainmeters and increased seismicity dominated by three M 4.5-5 earthquakes roughly a year apart in 1992, 1993, and 1994. Models incorporating all of these data indicate increased slip at depth in the region, and this may have played a role in the final occurrence of the 28 September 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake. The absence of electric and magnetic field precursors for this, and other earthquakes with M 5-7.3 elsewhere in the San Andreas fault system, indicates useful prediction of damaging earthquakes seems unlikely using these electromagnetic data.

Infrasound and seismic array analysis of snow avalanches: results from the 2015-2017 experiment in Dischma valley above Davos, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchetti, Emanuele; van Herwijnen, Alec; Ripepe, Maurizio

2017-04-01

While flowing downhill a snow avalanche radiates seismic and infrasonic waves being coupled both with the ground and the atmosphere. Infrasound waves are mostly generated by the powder cloud of the avalanche, while seismic waves are mostly generated by the dense flowing snow mass on the ground, resulting in different energy partitioning between seismic and infrasound for different kinds of avalanches. This results into a general uncertainty on the efficiency of seismic and infrasound monitoring, in terms of the size and source-to-receiver distance of detectable events. Nevertheless, both seismic and infrasound have been used as monitoring systems for the remote detection of snow avalanches, being the reliable detection of snow avalanches of crucial importance to better understand triggering mechanisms, identify possible precursors, or improve avalanche forecasting. We present infrasonic and seismic array data collected during the winters of 2015- 2016 and 2016-2017 in the Dischma valley above Davos, Switzerland, where a five element infrasound array and a 7 element seismic array had been deployed at short distance from each other and with several avalanche paths nearby. Avalanche observation in the area is performed through automatic cameras providing additional information on the location, type (dry or wet), size and occurrence time of the avalanches released. The use of arrays instead of single sensors allows increasing the signal-to-noise ratio and identifying events in terms of back-azimuth and apparent velocity of the wave-field, thus providing indication on the source position of the recorded signal. For selected snow avalanches captured with automatic cameras, we therefore perform seismic and infrasound array processing to constrain the avalanche path and dynamics and investigate the partitioning of seismic and infrasound energy for the different portions of the avalanche path. Moreover we compare results of seismic and infrasound array processing for the whole 2015-2016 winter season in order to investigate the ability of the two monitoring systems to identify and characterize snow avalanches and the benefit of the combined seismo-acoustic analysis.

Modeling Poroelastic Wave Propagation in a Real 2-D Complex Geological Structure Obtained via Self-Organizing Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itzá Balam, Reymundo; Iturrarán-Viveros, Ursula; Parra, Jorge O.

2018-03-01

Two main stages of seismic modeling are geological model building and numerical computation of seismic response for the model. The quality of the computed seismic response is partly related to the type of model that is built. Therefore, the model building approaches become as important as seismic forward numerical methods. For this purpose, three petrophysical facies (sands, shales and limestones) are extracted from reflection seismic data and some seismic attributes via the clustering method called Self-Organizing Maps (SOM), which, in this context, serves as a geological model building tool. This model with all its properties is the input to the Optimal Implicit Staggered Finite Difference (OISFD) algorithm to create synthetic seismograms for poroelastic, poroacoustic and elastic media. The results show a good agreement between observed and 2-D synthetic seismograms. This demonstrates that the SOM classification method enables us to extract facies from seismic data and allows us to integrate the lithology at the borehole scale with the 2-D seismic data.

Borehole and High-Resolution Seismic Reflection Evidence for Holocene Activity on the Compton Blind-Thrust Fault, Los Angeles Basin, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon, L. A.; Dolan, J. F.; Shaw, J. H.; Pratt, T. L.

2006-12-01

Newly collected borehole and high-resolution seismic reflection data from a site ~6 km south of downtown Los Angeles demonstrate that the Compton blind-thrust fault has generated multiple large-magnitude earthquakes during the Holocene. This large blind thrust fault, which was originally identified by Shaw and Suppe (1996) using industry seismic reflection profiles and well data, extends northwest-southeast for 40 km beneath the western edge of the Los Angeles basin. The industry seismic reflection data define a growth fault-bend fold associated with the thrust ramp, which, combined with well data, reveal compelling evidence for Pliocene and Pleistocene activity. The industry data, however, do not image deformation in the uppermost few hundred meters. In order to bridge this gap, we acquired high-resolution seismic reflection profiles at two scales across the back limb active axial surface of the fault-bend fold above the Compton thrust ramp, using a truck-mounted weight drop and sledgehammer sources. These profiles delineate the axial surfaces of the fold from <20 m depth downward to overlap with the upper part of the industry reflection data within the upper 500 m. The seismic reflection data reveal an upward-narrowing zone of folding that extends to <100 m of the surface. These data, in turn, allowed us to accurately and efficiently site a fault-perpendicular transect of eight continuously cored boreholes across the axial surface of the fold observed in both industry and high-resolution seismic reflection data. The borehole data reveal folding within a discrete kink band that is <~150 m wide in the shallow subsurface. Preliminary analysis of the deformed, shallow growth strata reveals evidence for a number of discrete uplift events, which we interpret as having occurred during several large-magnitude (M >7) earthquakes on the Compton fault. Although we do not as yet have age control for this transect, numerous organic-rich clay and silt layers, as well as abundant detrital charcoal, should yield 14C dates that will allow us to accurately date these uplift events. A stratigraphically abrupt downward transition from an upper section dominated by clays, silts, and sands into a gravel-dominated lower section occurs at ~25 m depth. If this transition is similar in age to well-dated sections elsewhere in the Los Angeles region (e.g. our Carfax site along the Puente Hills Thrust fault), then it marks the Pleistocene-Holocene change in climate and stream power at ~9.5 ¨C 10 ka. The total uplift across the Holocene/Pleistocene boundary is ~8 m, yielding a minimum uplift rate of ~0.8 mm/yr, which in turn suggests a slip rate on the blind thrust of 1.5 to 2 mm/yr. The depth of the shallowest buried fold scarp (1 m) attests to the recency of the youngest large-magnitude earthquake on the Compton blind-thrust fault. These observations clearly indicate that the Compton fault is active and capable of producing damaging, large-magnitude earthquakes directly beneath metropolitan Los Angeles.

Development of the Multi-Level Seismic Receiver (MLSR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sleefe, G. E.; Engler, B. P.; Drozda, P. M.; Franco, R. J.; Morgan, Jeff

1995-02-01

The Advanced Geophysical Technology Department (6114) and the Telemetry Technology Development Department (2664) have, in conjunction with the Oil Recovery Technology Partnership, developed a Multi-Level Seismic Receiver (MLSR) for use in crosswell seismic surveys. The MLSR was designed and evaluated with the significant support of many industry partners in the oil exploration industry. The unit was designed to record and process superior quality seismic data operating in severe borehole environments, including high temperature (up to 200 C) and static pressure (10,000 psi). This development has utilized state-of-the-art technology in transducers, data acquisition, and real-time data communication and data processing. The mechanical design of the receiver has been carefully modeled and evaluated to insure excellent signal coupling into the receiver.

Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 2. Borehole constraints

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Herman, Bruce M.; Brothers, Laura L.; Hart, Patrick E.

2016-01-01

Borehole logging data from legacy wells directly constrain the contemporary distribution of subsea permafrost in the sedimentary section at discrete locations on the U.S. Beaufort Margin and complement recent regional analyses of exploration seismic data to delineate the permafrost's offshore extent. Most usable borehole data were acquired on a ∼500 km stretch of the margin and within 30 km of the contemporary coastline from north of Lake Teshekpuk to nearly the U.S.-Canada border. Relying primarily on deep resistivity logs that should be largely unaffected by drilling fluids and hole conditions, the analysis reveals the persistence of several hundred vertical meters of ice-bonded permafrost in nearshore wells near Prudhoe Bay and Foggy Island Bay, with less permafrost detected to the east and west. Permafrost is inferred beneath many barrier islands and in some nearshore and lagoonal (back-barrier) wells. The analysis of borehole logs confirms the offshore pattern of ice-bearing subsea permafrost distribution determined based on regional seismic analyses and reveals that ice content generally diminishes with distance from the coastline. Lacking better well distribution, it is not possible to determine the absolute seaward extent of ice-bearing permafrost, nor the distribution of permafrost beneath the present-day continental shelf at the end of the Pleistocene. However, the recovery of gas hydrate from an outer shelf well (Belcher) and previous delineation of a log signature possibly indicating gas hydrate in an inner shelf well (Hammerhead 2) imply that permafrost may once have extended across much of the shelf offshore Camden Bay.

Site Amplification in the Central U.S.: Towards and understanding of factors influencing the site effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yassminh, R.; Sandvol, E. A.

2017-12-01

We have mapped site amplification using a Reverse Two Station (RTS) approach across much of the Central United States. We have found several unexpected results including a lack of amplification in Paleozoic basins such as the Illinois and Michigan basins. In general, we found that the amplification of high frequency regional waves is related to the topography. We also suggest that the HVSR spectra are primarily a function of the shallow velocity structure. The Central United States Seismic Observatory (CUSSO) is a vertical seismic array located adjacent to the central segment of the NMSZ. CUSSO data gives us the opportunity to understand the amplification of the ground motion at different depths within the uppermost crust. Simulating ground motions throughout the CUSSO borehole and examining the factors affecting the ground amplification, such as the velocity and thicknesses of the model layers and the source sizes, is an effective way to understand the role different factors playing in modifying the ground motion for both the local and regional seismic phases. We have used the spectral-element method (SEMs) with a 1D crustal velocity structure derived from logging data taken from CUSSO borehole. This model is comprised of near surface sediment layers and a Paleozoic basement. Utilizing the software package SPECFEM2D with virtual seismometers located on the surface and in the bottom of the different sediment layers, we have computed the true synthetic site amplification for frequencies between 0.01-3 Hz. For the local model, we have tested the sensitivity of the ground motion amplification to the source magnitude. For frequencies>0.6, the ground motions have been amplified with decreasing the magnitudes while for HZ<0.6 the the horizontal amplification increases with increasing the magnitudes. The effect of the velocity of the upper 30m was tested and the result shows that decreasing the Vs30m resulted in amplifying of the ground motion and decreasing of the resonant frequency. The velocity of the lower part of the sediment basin modifies the ground motion amplification and the result shows that increasing the velocity resulted in shifting the horizontal amplification peak frequency toward a lower frequency and increasing the amplification for frequencies >2Hz.

High-resolution seismic reflection survey near SPR surface collapse feature at Weeks Island, Louisiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, R.D.; Xia, J.; Harding, R.S. Jr.

1994-12-31

Shallow high resolution 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection techniques are assisting in the subsurface delineation of a surface collapse feature (sinkhole) at Weeks Island, Louisiana. Seismic reflection surveys were conducted in March 1994. Data from walkaway noise tests were used to assist selection of field recording parameters. The top of the salt dome is about 180 ft below ground surface at the sinkhole. The water table is an estimated 90 ft below the ground surface. A single coherent reflection was consistently recorded across the entire area of the survey, although stacking velocity and spectral content of the event varied. Onmore » the basis of observed travel times and stacking velocities, the coherent reflection event appears to originate above the top of the salt, possibly at or near the water table. Identification of this reflector will be made form borehole investigations currently planned for the sinkhole site. A depression or time sag in this reflection event is clearly evident in both the 2-D and 3-D seismic data in the immediate vicinity of the sinkhole. The time sag appears to be related to the subsurface structure of the reflector and not to near surface topography or velocity effects. Elsewhere in the survey area, observed changes in reflection travel times and wavelet character appear to be related to subsurface geologic structure. These seismic observations may assist in predicting where future sinkholes will develop after they have been tied to borehole data collected at the site.« less

Assessing the induced seismicity by hydraulic fracturing at the Wysin site (Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ángel López Comino, José; Cesca, Simone; Kriegerowski, Marius; Heimann, Sebastian; Dahm, Torsten; Mirek, Janusz; Lasocky, Stanislaw

2017-04-01

Induced seismicity related to industrial processes including shale gas and oil exploitation is a current issues that implies enough reasons to be concerned. Hydraulic fracturing usually induces weak events. However, scenarios with larger earthquakes are possible, e.g. if the injected fluids alter friction conditions and trigger the failure of neighbouring faults. This work is focused on a hydrofracking experiment monitored in the framework of the SHEER (SHale gas Exploration and Exploitation induced Risks) EU project at the Wysin site, located in the central-western part of the Peribaltic synclise of Pomerania, Poland. A specific network setup has been installed combining surface installation with three small-scale arrays and a shallow borehole installation. The fracking operations were carried out in June and July 2016 at a depth 4000 m. The monitoring has been operational before, during and after the termination of hydraulic fracturing operations. We apply a recently developed automated full waveform detection algorithm based on the stacking of smooth characteristic function and the identification of high coherence in the signals recorded at different stations. The method was tested with synthetic data and different detector levels yielding values of magnitude of completeness around 0.1. An unsupervised detection catalogue is generated with real data for a time period May-September 2016. We identify strong temporal changes (day/night) of the detection performance. A manual revision of the detected signals reveals that most detections are associated to local and regional seismic signals. Only two events could be assigned to the volume potentially affected by the fracking operations.

Chemical energy system for a borehole seismic source. [Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engelke, R.; Hedges, R.O.

1996-03-01

We describe a detonation system that will be useful in the seismological examination of geological structures. The explosive component of this system is produced by the mixing of two liquids; these liquids are classified as non-explosive materials by the Department of Transportation. This detonation system could be employed in a borehole tool in which many explosions are made to occur at various points in the borehole. The explosive for each explosion would be mixed within the tool immediately prior to its being fired. Such an arrangement ensures that no humans are ever in proximity to explosives. Initiation of the explosivemore » mixture is achieved with an electrical slapper detonator whose specific parameters are described; this electrical initiation system does not contain any explosive. The complete electrical/mechanical/explosive system is shown to be able to perform correctly at temperatures {le}120{degrees}C and at depths in a water-filled borehole of {le} 4600 ft (i.e., at pressures of {le}2000 psig).« less

Sweetwater, Texas Large N Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumy, D. F.; Woodward, R.; Barklage, M.; Hollis, D.; Spriggs, N.; Gridley, J. M.; Parker, T.

2015-12-01

From 7 March to 30 April 2014, NodalSeismic, Nanometrics, and IRIS PASSCAL conducted a collaborative, spatially-dense seismic survey with several thousand nodal short-period geophones complemented by a backbone array of broadband sensors near Sweetwater, Texas. This pilot project demonstrates the efficacy of industry and academic partnerships, and leveraged a larger, commercial 3D survey to collect passive source seismic recordings to image the subsurface. This innovative deployment of a large-N mixed-mode array allows industry to explore array geometries and investigate the value of broadband recordings, while affording academics a dense wavefield imaging capability and an operational model for high volume instrument deployment. The broadband array consists of 25 continuously-recording stations from IRIS PASSCAL and Nanometrics, with an array design that maximized recording of horizontal-traveling seismic energy for surface wave analysis over the primary target area with sufficient offset for imaging objectives at depth. In addition, 2639 FairfieldNodal Zland nodes from NodalSeismic were deployed in three sub-arrays: the outlier, backbone, and active source arrays. The backbone array consisted of 292 nodes that covered the entire survey area, while the outlier array consisted of 25 continuously-recording nodes distributed at a ~3 km distance away from the survey perimeter. Both the backbone and outlier array provide valuable constraints for the passive source portion of the analysis. This project serves as a learning platform to develop best practices in the support of large-N arrays with joint industry and academic expertise. Here we investigate lessons learned from a facility perspective, and present examples of data from the various sensors and array geometries. We will explore first-order results from local and teleseismic earthquakes, and show visualizations of the data across the array. Data are archived at the IRIS DMC under stations codes XB and 1B.

3-D Vp/Vs Ratio Distribution in the Geothermal Reservoir at Basel, Switzerland, from Microseismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kummerow, J.; Reshetnikov, A.; Häring, M.; Asanuma, H.

2012-12-01

Thousands of microseismic events occurred during and after the stimulation of the 4.5km deep Basel 1 well at the Deep Heat Mining Project in Basel, Switzerland, in December 2006. The located seismicity extends about 1km in vertical direction and also 1km in NNW-SSE direction, consistent with the orientation of the maximum horizontal stress. In this study, we analyze 2100 events with magnitudes Mw>0.0, which were recorded by six borehole seismometers between December 2, 2006, and June 7, 2007. We first identify event multiplets based on waveform similarity and apply an automatic, iterative arrival time optimization to calculate high-precision P and S time picks for the multiplet events. Local estimates of the Vp/Vs ratio in the stimulated Basel geothermal reservoir are then obtained from the slope of the demeaned differential S versus P arrival times. The average value of Vp/Vs=1.70 is close to the characteristic reservoir value of 1.72, which was determined independently from sonic log measurements. Also, in the vicinity of the borehole, the depth distribution of Vp/Vs correlates well with the low-pass filtered sonic log data: Vp/Vs values are less than 1.70 at the top of the seismicity cloud at <3.9km depth, close to average at 4.0-4.4km depth, and exceed the value of 1.75 at larger depth (4.4-4.6km), consistent with the sonic log data. Furthermore, we observe a correlation of anomalous Vp/Vs values with zones of enhanced seismic reflectivity which were resolved by microseismic reflection imaging. Away from the borehole, increased Vp/Vs ratios also seem to correlate with domains of high event density, possibly indicating fluid migration paths.

PBO Borehole Strainmeters and Pore Pressure Sensors: Recording Hydrological Strain Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottlieb, M. H.; Hodgkinson, K. M.; Mencin, D.; Henderson, D. B.; Johnson, W.; Van Boskirk, E.; Pyatt, C.; Mattioli, G. S.

2017-12-01

UNAVCO operates a network of 75 borehole strainmeters along the west coast of the United States and Vancouver Island, Canada as part of the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), the geodetic component of the NSF-funded Earthscope program. Borehole strainmeters are designed to detect variations in the strain field at the nanostrain level and can easily detect transient strains caused by aseismic creep events, Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS) events and seismically induced co- and post-seimic signals. In 2016, one strainmeter was installed in an Oklahoma oil field to characterize in-situ deformation during CO2 injection. Twenty-three strainmeter sites also have pore pressure sensors to measure fluctuations in groundwater pressure. Both the strainmeter network and the pore pressure sensors provide unique data against which those using water-level measurements, GPS time-series or InSAR data can compare possible subsidence signals caused by groundwater withdrawal or fluid re-injection. Operating for 12 years, the PBO strainmeter and pore pressure network provides a long-term, continuous, 1-sps record of deformation. PBO deploys GTSM21 tensor strainmeters from GTSM Technologies, which consist of four horizontal strain gauges stacked vertically, at different orientations, within a single 2 m-long instrument. The strainmeters are typically installed at depths of 200 to 250 m and grouted into the bottom of 15 cm diameter boreholes. The pore pressure sensors are Digiquartz Depth Sensors from Paros Scientific. These sensors are installed in 2" PVC, sampling groundwater through a screened section 15 m above the co-located strainmeter. These sensors are also recording at 1-sps with a resolution in the hundredths of hPa. High-rate local barometric pressure data and low-rate rainfall data also available at all locations. PBO Strainmeter and pore pressure data are available in SEED, SAC-ASCII and time-stamped ASCII format from the IRIS Data Managements Center. Strainmeter data are available at 2-hour latency while the pore pressure data are available in real-time. Links for data access, instrument and borehole information and station histories are available from UNAVCO's Borehole Data web page (https://www.unavco.org/data/strain-seismic/bsm-data/bsm-data.html ).

Structural analysis of the Valence basin (SE France) based on kriging and borehole data: implications for hercynian fault zone behaviour in geothermic reservoirs.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabani, Arezki; Mehl, Caroline; Bruel, Dominique; Cojan, Isabelle

2017-04-01

The Valence basin is a 130 km-long and 60 km-wide Tertiary sub-basin situated north to the SE basin of France, in the central part of the European Cenozoic RIft System (ECRIS). That structural key position in a naturally fractured hostrock associated with a favorable thermal regime make that basin a good target for geothermal exploitation in France. The structure and kinematics of the Valence basin is controlled by a several kilometer-scale hercynian fault system that may have a strong influence on fluid flows and thermal anomalies within the basin. This study aimed to constrain the geometry of deposits and the way they fracture regards to the major faults, to determine their diagenetic evolution and to characterize the hydraulic behavior of the major faults. We thus performed a structural model of the basin and analyzed the Montoison borehole. Kriging on data pointed on 348 boreholes from BSS, synthetic boreholes calculated from two seismic lines and isohypses from existing models allowed modeling the geometry of basement and the ceno-mesozoic unconformity. Basement is structured by two pluri-kilometer long fault corridors striking N/S to NE/SW. The central extends laterally on around 1 kilometer and has been identified as a segment of the Cevennes fault. The maximum depth of the basement is around 6000 m and is situated between the two corridors. Interpretations on seismic lines highlight a westward migration of Cenozoic depocenters within time. A structural analysis of the Montoison borehole confirms it is affected by a major fault interpreted as the Cevennes fault. Fault zone cuts across the Keuper and is characterized by an heterometric breccia within marly layers. The entire sedimentary pile recorded 2 sets of fractures: perpendicular and parallel to the borehole axis. Both sets are recrystallized. Nature of recrystallization (quartz, calcite and dolomite) strongly depends on the hostrock. An important thread of barite is located under the fault zone, putting forward the potential role of drain of that fault in the fluid flows across the basin.

PBO Borehole Strainmeters: 2017 Episodic Tremor and Slip Event for Southern Vancouver Island, BC, Canada through Olympia, WA, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Boskirk, E. J.; Hodgkinson, K. M.; Gottlieb, M. H.; Johnson, W.; Henderson, D. B.; Mencin, D.; Mattioli, G. S.

2017-12-01

The Plate Boundary Observatory's (PBO) borehole strainmeters along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) record the development and migration of Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS). Along the southern Vancouver Island to Olympia, WA portion of the CSZ ETS events seem to repeat every 14 months. ETS events are non-volcanic tremor swarms that occur over periods of weeks, often migrating along segments of the subduction zone and can release the energy equivalent to a M7 or greater earthquake. Each ETS event is different; initial propagation location, ETS movement, duration, and direction all vary. Constraints provided by strainmeter observations of ETS events illuminate strain release patterns along the subducting slab interface and may help resolve questions regarding the location of the locked zone of the slab and what role ETS events play in the CSZ earthquake cycle. The 2017 CSZ ETS began in early February continuing through early April. Beginning in the northern Olympic Peninsula, near Port Angeles, it migrated south towards Olympia over the course of a week. After a two week pause it resumed under the Straits of Juan de Fuca and propagated northwest under Vancouver Island. There are 15 PBO borehole strainmeters along this segment, and ETS strain observations correlate with seismic and GPS measurements. The PBO borehole strainmeters are sensitive even over great distances from the ETS epicenters, and observe compression or extension relative to the ETS migration. Openly available PBO borehole strainmeter data used by the community has made significant contributions to understanding the ETS process, including the determination that ETS slip is tidally modulated. Data are publically available through UNAVCO and IRIS, which provide links to online tutorials and scripts. There are 32 strainmeters covering the CSZ from southern Vancouver Island, Canada to northern California, USA, and data spans back to 2005. Each site has a Gladwin tensor borehole strainmeter, a Malin three-component geophone, and some sites also have co-located PBO GPS and/or pore pressure sensors. www.unavco.orgwww.unavco.org/data/strain-seismic/bsm-data/bsm-data.html

Monitoring performance for hydraulic fracturing using synthetic microseismic catalogue at the Wysin site (Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ángel López Comino, José; Cesca, Simone; Kriegerowski, Marius; Heimann, Sebastian; Dahm, Torsten; Mirek, Janusz; Lasocky, Stanislaw

2017-04-01

Previous analysis to assess the monitoring performance of a dedicated seismic network are always useful to determine its capability of detecting, locating and characterizing target seismicity. This work focuses on a hydrofracking experiment in Poland, which is monitored in the framework of the SHEER (SHale gas Exploration and Exploitation induced Risks) EU project. The seismic installation is located near Wysin (Poland), in the central-western part of the Peribaltic synclise at Pomerania. The network setup includes a distributed network of six broadband stations, three shallow borehole stations and three small-scale arrays. We assess the monitoring performance prior operations, using synthetic seismograms. Realistic full waveform are generated and combined with real noise before fracking operations, to produce either event based or continuous synthetic waveforms. Background seismicity is modelled by double couple (DC) focal mechanisms. Non-DC sources resemble induced tensile fractures opening in the direction of the minimal compressive stress and closing in the same direction after the injection. Microseismic sources are combined with a realistic crustal model, distribution of hypocenters, magnitudes and source durations. The network detection performance is then assessed in terms of Magnitude of Completeness (Mc) through two different techniques: i) using an amplitude threshold approach, taking into account a station dependent noise level and different values of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and ii) through the application of an automatic detection algorithm to the continuous synthetic dataset. In the first case, we compare the maximal amplitude of noise free synthetic waveforms with the different noise levels. Imposing the simultaneous detection at e.g. 4 stations for a robust detection, the Mc is assessed and can be adjusted by empirical relationships for different SNR values. We find that different source mechanisms have different detection threshold. The background seismicity (DC sources) is better detectable than induced earthquakes (tensile cracks mechanisms). Assuming a SNR of 2, we estimate a Mc 0.55 around the fracking wells, with an increase of 0.05 during day hours. The value of Mc can be decreased to 0.45 around the fracking region, taking advantage by the array installations. The second approach applies a full waveform detection and location algorithm based on the stacking of smooth characteristic function and the identification of high coherence in the signals recorded at different stations. In this case the detection can be increased at the cost of increasing also false detections, with an acceptable compromise found for Mc 0.1.

Seismic Monitoring Prior to and During DFDP-2 Drilling, Alpine Fault, New Zealand: Matched-Filter Detection Testing and the Real-Time Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boese, C. M.; Chamberlain, C. J.; Townend, J.

2015-12-01

In preparation for the second stage of the Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) and as part of related research projects, borehole and surface seismic stations were installed near the intended DFDP-2 drill-site in the Whataroa Valley from late 2008. The final four borehole stations were installed within 1.2 km of the drill-site in early 2013 to provide near-field observations of any seismicity that occurred during drilling and thus provide input into operational decision-making processes if required. The basis for making operational decisions in response to any detected seismicity had been established as part of a safety review conducted in early 2014 and was implemented using a "traffic light" system, a communications plan, and other operational documents. Continuous real-time earthquake monitoring took place throughout the drilling period, between September and late December 2014, and involved a team of up to 15 seismologists working in shifts near the drill-site and overseas. Prior to drilling, records from 55 local earthquakes and 14 quarry blasts were used as master templates in a matched-filter detection algorithm to test the capabilities of the seismic network for detecting seismicity near the drill site. The newly detected microseismicity was clustered near the DFDP-1 drill site at Gaunt Creek, 7.4 km southwest of DFDP-2. Relocations of these detected events provide more information about the fault geometry in this area. Although no detectable seismicity occurred within 5 km of the drill site during the drilling period, the region is capable of generating earthquakes that would have required an operational response had they occurred while drilling was underway (including a M2.9 event northwest of Gaunt Creek on 15 August 2014). The largest event to occur while drilling was underway was of M4.5 and occurred approximately 40 km east of the DFDP-2 drill site. In this presentation, we summarize the setup and operations of the seismic network and discuss key aspects of seismicity recorded prior to and during drilling operations.

Estimation of 1-D velocity models beneath strong-motion observation sites in the Kathmandu Valley using strong-motion records from moderate-sized earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijukchhen, Subeg M.; Takai, Nobuo; Shigefuji, Michiko; Ichiyanagi, Masayoshi; Sasatani, Tsutomu; Sugimura, Yokito

2017-07-01

The Himalayan collision zone experiences many seismic activities with large earthquakes occurring at certain time intervals. The damming of the proto-Bagmati River as a result of rapid mountain-building processes created a lake in the Kathmandu Valley that eventually dried out, leaving thick unconsolidated lacustrine deposits. Previous studies have shown that the sediments are 600 m thick in the center. A location in a seismically active region, and the possible amplification of seismic waves due to thick sediments, have made Kathmandu Valley seismically vulnerable. It has suffered devastation due to earthquakes several times in the past. The development of the Kathmandu Valley into the largest urban agglomerate in Nepal has exposed a large population to seismic hazards. This vulnerability was apparent during the Gorkha Earthquake (Mw7.8) on April 25, 2015, when the main shock and ensuing aftershocks claimed more than 1700 lives and nearly 13% of buildings inside the valley were completely damaged. Preparing safe and up-to-date building codes to reduce seismic risk requires a thorough study of ground motion amplification. Characterizing subsurface velocity structure is a step toward achieving that goal. We used the records from an array of strong-motion accelerometers installed by Hokkaido University and Tribhuvan University to construct 1-D velocity models of station sites by forward modeling of low-frequency S-waves. Filtered records (0.1-0.5 Hz) from one of the accelerometers installed at a rock site during a moderate-sized (mb4.9) earthquake on August 30, 2013, and three moderate-sized (Mw5.1, Mw5.1, and Mw5.5) aftershocks of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake were used as input motion for modeling of low-frequency S-waves. We consulted available geological maps, cross-sections, and borehole data as the basis for initial models for the sediment sites. This study shows that the basin has an undulating topography and sediment sites have deposits of varying thicknesses, from 155 to 440 m. These models also show high velocity contrast at the bedrock depth which results in significant wave amplification.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Source parameters and rupture velocities of microearthquakes in western Nagano, Japan, determined using stopping phases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Imanishi, K.; Takeo, M.; Ellsworth, W.L.; Ito, H.; Matsuzawa, T.; Kuwahara, Y.; Iio, Y.; Horiuchi, S.; Ohmi, S.

2004-01-01

We use an inversion method based on stopping phases (Imanishi and Takeo, 2002) to estimate the source dimension, ellipticity, and rupture velocity of microearthquakes and investigate the scaling relationships between source parameters. We studied 25 earthquakes, ranging in size from M 1.3 to M 2.7, that occurred between May and August 1999 at the western Nagano prefecture, Japan, which is characterized by a high rate of shallow earthquakes. The data consist of seismograms recorded in an 800-m borehole and at 46 surface and 2 shallow borehole seismic stations whose spacing is a few kilometers. These data were recorded with a sampling frequency of 10 kHz. In particular, the 800-m-borehole data provide a wide frequency bandwidth with greatly reduced ground noise and coda wave amplitudes compared with surface recordings. High-frequency stopping phases appear in the body waves in Hilbert transform pairs and are readily detected on seismograms recorded in the 800-m borehole. After correcting both borehole and surface data for attenuation, we also measure the rise time, which is defined as the interval from the arrival time of the direct wave to the timing of the maximum amplitude in the displacement pulse. The differential time of the stopping phases and the rise times were used to obtain source parameters. We found that several microearthquakes propagated unilaterally, suggesting that all microearthquakes cannot be modeled as a simple circular crack model. Static stress drops range from approximately 0.1 to 2 MPa and do not vary with seismic moment. It seems that the breakdown in stress drop scaling seen in previous studies using surface data is simply an artifact of attenuation in the crust. The average value of rupture velocity does not depend on earthquake size and is similar to those reported for moderate and large earthquakes. It is likely that earthquakes are self-similar over a wide range of earthquake size and that the dynamics of small and large earthquakes are similar.

Towards a first design of a Newtonian-noise cancellation system for Advanced LIGO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coughlin, M.; Mukund, N.; Harms, J.; Driggers, J.; Adhikari, R.; Mitra, S.

2016-12-01

Newtonian gravitational noise from seismic fields is predicted to be a limiting noise source at low frequency for second generation gravitational-wave detectors. Mitigation of this noise will be achieved by Wiener filtering using arrays of seismometers deployed in the vicinity of all test masses. In this work, we present optimized configurations of seismometer arrays using a variety of simplified models of the seismic field based on seismic observations at LIGO Hanford. The model that best fits the seismic measurements leads to noise reduction limited predominantly by seismometer self-noise. A first simplified design of seismic arrays for Newtonian-noise cancellation at the LIGO sites is presented, which suggests that it will be sufficient to monitor surface displacement inside the buildings.

A novel muon detector for borehole density tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonneville, Alain; Kouzes, Richard T.; Yamaoka, Jared; Rowe, Charlotte; Guardincerri, Elena; Durham, J. Matthew; Morris, Christopher L.; Poulson, Daniel C.; Plaud-Ramos, Kenie; Morley, Deborah J.; Bacon, Jeffrey D.; Bynes, James; Cercillieux, Julien; Ketter, Chris; Le, Khanh; Mostafanezhad, Isar; Varner, Gary; Flygare, Joshua; Lintereur, Azaree T.

2017-04-01

Muons can be used to image the density of materials through which they pass, including geological structures. Subsurface applications of the technology include tracking fluid migration during injection or production, with increasing concern regarding such timely issues as induced seismicity or chemical leakage into aquifers. Current density monitoring options include gravimetric data collection and active or passive seismic surveys. One alternative, or complement, to these methods is the development of a muon detector that is sufficiently compact and robust for deployment in a borehole. Such a muon detector can enable imaging of density structure to monitor small changes in density - a proxy for fluid migration - at depths up to 1500 m. Such a detector has been developed, and Monte Carlo modeling methods applied to simulate the anticipated detector response. Testing and measurements using a prototype detector in the laboratory and shallow underground laboratory demonstrated robust response. A satisfactory comparison with a large drift tube-based muon detector is also presented.

Computation of ground motion amplification in Kolkata megacity (India) using finite-difference method for seismic microzonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiuly, Amit; Kumar, Vinay; Narayan, Jay

2014-06-01

This paper presents the ground motion amplification scenario along with fundamental frequency (F 0) of sedimentary deposit for the seismic microzonation of Kolkata City, situated on the world's largest delta island with very soft soil deposit. A 4th order accurate SH-wave viscoelastic finite-difference algorithm is used for computation of response of 1D model for each borehole location. Different maps, such as for F 0, amplification at F 0, average spectral amplification (ASA) in the different frequency bandwidth of earthquake engineering interest are developed for a variety of end-users communities. The obtained ASA of the order of 3-6 at most of the borehole locations in a frequency range of 0.25-10.0 Hz reveals that Kolkata City may suffer severe damage even during a moderate earthquake. Further, unexpected severe damage to collapse of multi-storey buildings may occur in localities near Hoogly River and Salt Lake area due to double resonance effects during distant large earthquakes.

A novel muon detector for borehole density tomography

DOE PAGES

Bonneville, Alain; Kouzes, Richard T.; Yamaoka, Jared; ...

2017-02-01

Muons can be used to image the density of materials through which they pass, including geological structures. Subsurface applications of the technology include tracking fluid migration during injection or production, with increasing concern regarding such timely issues as induced seismicity or chemical leakage into aquifers. Current density monitoring options include gravimetric data collection and active or passive seismic surveys. One alternative, or complement, to these methods is the development of a muon detector that is sufficiently compact and robust for deployment in a borehole. Such a muon detector can enable imaging of density structure to monitor small changes in densitymore » – a proxy for fluid migration – at depths up to 1500 m. Such a detector has been developed, and Monte Carlo modeling methods applied to simulate the anticipated detector response. Testing and measurements using a prototype detector in the laboratory and shallow underground laboratory demonstrated robust response. Lastly, a satisfactory comparison with a large drift tube-based muon detector is also presented.« less

Borehole sampling of fracture populations - compensating for borehole sampling bias in crystalline bedrock aquifers, Mirror Lake, Grafton County, New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

McDonald, G.D.; Paillet, Frederick L.; Barton, C.C.; Johnson, C.D.

1997-01-01

The clustering of orientations of hydraulically conductive fractures in bedrock at the Mirror Lake, New Hampshire fractured rock study site was investigated by comparing the orientations of fracture populations in two subvertical borehole arrays with those mapped on four adjacent subvertical roadcuts. In the boreholes and the roadcuts, the orientation of fracture populations appears very similar after borehole data are compensated for undersampling of steeply dipping fractures. Compensated borehole and pavement fracture data indicate a northeast-striking population of fractures with varying dips concentrated near that of the local foliation in the adjacent rock. The data show no correlation between fracture density (fractures/linear meter) and distance from lithologic contacts in both the boreholes and the roadcuts. The population of water-producing borehole fractures is too small (28 out of 610 fractures) to yield meaningful orientation comparisons. However, the orientation of large aperture fractures (which contains all the producing fractures) contains two or three subsidiary clusters in orientation frequency that are not evident in stereographic projections of the entire population containing all aperture sizes. Further, these subsidiary orientation clusters do not coincide with the dominant (subhorizontal and subvertical) regional fracture orientations.

Seismo-acoustic analysis of the near quarry blasts using Plostina small aperture array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghica, Daniela; Stancu, Iulian; Ionescu, Constantin

2013-04-01

Seismic and acoustic signals are important to recognize different type of industrial blasting sources in order to discriminate between them and natural earthquakes. We have analyzed the seismic events listed in the Romanian catalogue (Romplus) for the time interval between 2011 and 2012, and occurred in the Dobrogea region, in order to determine detection seismo-acoustic signals of quarry blasts by Plostina array stations. Dobrogea is known as a seismic region characterized by crustal earthquakes with low magnitudes; at the same time, over 40 quarry mines are located in the area, being sources of blasts recorded both with the seismic and infrasound sensors of the Romanian Seismic Network. Plostina seismo-acoustic array, deployed in the central part of Romania, consists of 7 seismic sites (3C broad-band instruments and accelerometers) collocated with 7 infrasound instruments. The array is particularly used for the seismic monitoring of the local and regional events, as well as for the detection of infrasonic signals produced by various sources. Considering the characteristics of the infrasound sensors (frequency range, dynamic, sensibility), the array proved its efficiency in observing the signals produced by explosions, mine explosion and quarry blasts. The quarry mines included for this study cover distances of two hundreds of kilometers from the station and routinely generate explosions that are detected as seismic and infrasonic signals with Plostina array. The combined seismo-acoustic analysis uses two types of detectors for signal identification: one, applied for the seismic signal identification, is based on array processing techniques (beamforming and frequency-wave number analysis), while the other one, which is used for infrasound detection and characterization, is the automatic detector DFX-PMCC (Progressive Multi-Channel Correlation Method). Infrasonic waves generated by quarry blasts have frequencies ranging from 0.05 Hz up to at least 6 Hz and amplitudes below 5 Pa. Seismic data analysis shows that the frequency range of the signals are above 2 Hz. Surface explosions such as quarry blasts are useful sources for checking detection and location efficiency, when seismic measurements are added. The process is crucial for discrimination purposes and for establishing of a set of ground-truth infrasound events. Ground truth information plays a key role in the interpretation of infrasound signals, by including near-field observations from industrial blasts.

Time-lapse changes in velocity and anisotropy in Japan's near surface after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snieder, R.; Nakata, N.

2012-12-01

A strong-motion recording network, KiK-net, helps us to monitor temporal changes in the near surface in Japan. Each KiK-net station has two seismometers at the free surface and in a borehole a few hundred meters deep, and we can retrieve a traveling wave from the borehole receiver to the surface receiver by applying deconvolution based seismic interferometry. KiK-net recorded the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which is one of the largest earthquakes in recent history, and seismicity around the time of the main shock. Using records of these seismicity and computing mean values of near-surface shear-wave velocities in the periods of January 1--March 10 and March 12--May 26 in 2011, we detect about a 5% reduction in the velocity after the Tohoku earthquake. The area of the velocity reduction is about 1,200 km wide, which is much wider than earlier studies reporting velocity reductions after larger earthquakes. The reduction partly recovers with time. We can also estimate the azimuthal anisotropy by detecting shear-wave splitting after applying seismic interferometry. Estimating mean values over the same periods as the velocity, we find the strength of anisotropy increased in most parts of northeastern Japan, but fast shear-wave polarization directions in the near surface did not significantly change. The changes in anisotropy and velocity are generally correlated, especially in the northeastern Honshu (the main island in Japan).

The ML 3.5 earthquake sequence induced by the hydrothermal energy project in St. Gallen, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, T.; Wiemer, S.; Deichmann, N.; Diehl, T.; Edwards, B.; Guilhem, A.; Haslinger, F.; Király, E.; Kissling, E. H.; Mignan, A.; Plenkers, K.; Roten, D.; Seif, S.; Woessner, J.

2013-12-01

Starting in March 2013, the geothermal project of the city of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, has drilled through 4 km of sedimentary rocks in the Swiss Molasse Basinin order to find and exploit hydrothermal aquifers in the Mesozoic sediments. In a large-scale 3D seismic survey, the project operators identified a nearly 30 km long N-S striking segmented fault zone in the Mesozoic sediments. Based on the apparent lack of recent seismic activity, they concluded that the fault zone was not active and drilled into this target of potentially enhanced permeability. In July 2013 a testing and stimulation program began in the Malm sediments. A small-scale fresh water injectionon July 14 was followed by two acid stimulations. A low level of seismicity that strongly correlated with the testing program was observed by the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) on a dedicated network of 10 surface stations and one shallow borehole station. The seismicity during this period did not exceed magnitude ML1.2 and was judged to be well within the expected range. When operators were preparing for an airlift test, methane gas was released into the borehole from an unknown source around noon on July 19. The pressure at the wellhead rose rapidly, and operators decided to pump water and heavy mud down the well. Even though wellhead pressure decreased steadily, seismicity started to increase suddenly at 7 pm (UTC) on July 19. Although the traffic light system designed by the operators was triggered in the early phase of the seismicity increase, operators found themselves forced to continue well control instead of stopping the pumps. During this period, the seismicity intensified and culminated in a ML 3.5 event at 3:30 (UTC) on July 20 that was widely felt in the area. Yet, the SED received only a small number of reports on minor non-structural damage. In the following hours, the operators were able to stabilize the well and flare the methane in a controlled manner. Seismicity decreased rapidly within a few days but two weeks later was still far from reaching the background level. Here we report on the results of our analysis of the induced seismic sequence at Sankt Gallen: ML 3.5 event initiated near the borehole, had a comparatively low stress drop (3.5 bar) and a rupture length of ~1.1 km. Peak ground motions observed for the ML 3.5 eventare very similar to the ones observed in the ML 3.4 event induced in 2006 in Basel. Yet, macroseismic intensities in St. Gallen only reach IV (EMS) versus V (EMS) in Basel. Precise earthquake relative locations indicate that seismicity extends bi-laterally from the injection point, following the trend of the mapped fault segments. Fault plane solutions of the two largest events indicate a left lateral strike slip fault whose orientation agrees well with the aftershock locations and the imaged fault zone. The St. Gallen sequence shows the highest seismic productivity per injected fluid volume when compared to other injection-induced sequences, and challenges proposed relations between injected fluid volume and maximum observed magnitude or between hydraulic energy and released seismic energy.

Borehole strainmeter measurements spanning the 2014, Mw6.0 South Napa Earthquake, California: The effect from instrument calibration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langbein, John O.

2015-01-01

The 24 August 2014 Mw6.0 South Napa, California earthquake produced significant offsets on 12 borehole strainmeters in the San Francisco Bay area. These strainmeters are located between 24 and 80 km from the source and the observed offsets ranged up to 400 parts-per-billion (ppb), which exceeds their nominal precision by a factor of 100. However, the observed offsets of tidally calibrated strains differ by up to 130 ppb from predictions based on a moment tensor derived from seismic data. The large misfit can be attributed to a combination of poor instrument calibration and better modeling of the strain fit from the earthquake. Borehole strainmeters require in-situ calibration, which historically has been accomplished by comparing their measurements of Earth tides with the strain-tides predicted by a model. Although the borehole strainmeter accurately measure the deformation within the borehole, the long-wavelength strain signals from tides or other tectonic processes recorded in the borehole are modified by the presence of the borehole and the elastic properties of the grout and the instrument. Previous analyses of surface-mounted, strainmeter data and their relationship with the predicted tides suggest that tidal models could be in error by 30%. The poor fit of the borehole strainmeter data from this earthquake can be improved by simultaneously varying the components of the model tides up to 30% and making small adjustments to the point-source model of the earthquake, which reduces the RMS misfit from 130 ppb to 18 ppb. This suggests that relying on tidal models to calibrate borehole strainmeters significantly reduces their accuracy.

South-Central Tibetan Seismicity from HiCLIMB Seismic Array Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, S.; Nabelek, J.; Braunmiller, J.

2010-12-01

The HiCLIMB broadband passive seismic experiment (2002-2005) operated 233 sites along a 800-km long north-south array extending from the Himalayan foreland into the Central Tibetan Plateau and a flanking 350x350 km lateral array in southern Tibet and eastern Nepal. We use data from the experiment’s second phase (June 2004 to August 2005), when stations operated in Tibet, to locate earthquakes in south-central Tibet, a region with no permanent seismic network where little is known about its seismicity. We used the Antelope software for automatic detection and arrival time picking, event-arrival association and event location. Requiring a low detection and event association threshold initially resulted in ~110,000 declared events. The large database size rendered manual inspection unfeasible and we developed automated post-processing modules to weed out spurious detections and erroneous phase and event associations, which stemmed, e.g., from multiple coincident earthquakes within the array or misplaced seismicity from the great 2004 Sumatra earthquake. The resulting database contains ~32,000 events within 5° distance from the closest station. We consider ~7,600 events defined by more than 30 P and S arrivals well located and discuss them here. Seismicity in the subset correlates well with mapped faults and structures seen on satellite imagery attesting to high location quality. This is confirmed by non-systematic, kilometer-scale differences between automatic and manual locations for selected events. Seismicity in south-central Tibet is intense north of the Yarlung-Tsangpo Suture. Almost 90% of events occurred in the Lhasa Terrane mainly along north-south trending rifts. Vigorous activity (>4,800 events) accompanied two M>6 earthquakes in the Payang Basin (84°E), ~100 km west of the linear array. The Tangra-Yum Co (86.5°E) and Pumqu-Xianza (88°E) rifts were very active (~1,000 events) without dominant main shocks indicating swarm like-behavior possibly related to shallow magmatic or geothermal activity. Seismicity in the Qiangtang Terrane accounts for less than 10% of activity; seismicity is distributed and, except for the Yibuk-Caka Rift (87°E), difficult to associate with known structures. Lower seismicity may be apparent and simply reflect a larger distance to the array. Fewer than 5% of events occurred south of the Yarlong Tsangpo Suture in the Tethyan Himalaya, the only region where in addition to shallow seismicity a significant number of deep (mantle) events was located. Hypocenter depth, particularly for shallow events, is usually not well constrained due to array geometry and large distances to closest sites. The nature of deep events inside the array, though, is resolved.

Gravitational body forces focus North American intraplate earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levandowski, William Brower; Zellman, Mark; Briggs, Richard

2017-01-01

Earthquakes far from tectonic plate boundaries generally exploit ancient faults, but not all intraplate faults are equally active. The North American Great Plains exemplify such intraplate earthquake localization, with both natural and induced seismicity generally clustered in discrete zones. Here we use seismic velocity, gravity and topography to generate a 3D lithospheric density model of the region; subsequent finite-element modelling shows that seismicity focuses in regions of high-gravity-derived deviatoric stress. Furthermore, predicted principal stress directions generally align with those observed independently in earthquake moment tensors and borehole breakouts. Body forces therefore appear to control the state of stress and thus the location and style of intraplate earthquakes in the central United States with no influence from mantle convection or crustal weakness necessary. These results show that mapping where gravitational body forces encourage seismicity is crucial to understanding and appraising intraplate seismic hazard.

Gravitational body forces focus North American intraplate earthquakes

PubMed Central

Levandowski, Will; Zellman, Mark; Briggs, Rich

2017-01-01

Earthquakes far from tectonic plate boundaries generally exploit ancient faults, but not all intraplate faults are equally active. The North American Great Plains exemplify such intraplate earthquake localization, with both natural and induced seismicity generally clustered in discrete zones. Here we use seismic velocity, gravity and topography to generate a 3D lithospheric density model of the region; subsequent finite-element modelling shows that seismicity focuses in regions of high-gravity-derived deviatoric stress. Furthermore, predicted principal stress directions generally align with those observed independently in earthquake moment tensors and borehole breakouts. Body forces therefore appear to control the state of stress and thus the location and style of intraplate earthquakes in the central United States with no influence from mantle convection or crustal weakness necessary. These results show that mapping where gravitational body forces encourage seismicity is crucial to understanding and appraising intraplate seismic hazard. PMID:28211459

Infrasonic and seismic signals from earthquakes and explosions observed with Plostina seismo-acoustic array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghica, D.; Ionescu, C.

2012-04-01

Plostina seismo-acoustic array has been recently deployed by the National Institute for Earth Physics in the central part of Romania, near the Vrancea epicentral area. The array has a 2.5 km aperture and consists of 7 seismic sites (PLOR) and 7 collocated infrasound instruments (IPLOR). The array is being used to assess the importance of collocated seismic and acoustic sensors for the purposes of (1) seismic monitoring of the local and regional events, and (2) acoustic measurement, consisting of detection of the infrasound events (explosions, mine and quarry blasts, earthquakes, aircraft etc.). This paper focuses on characterization of infrasonic and seismic signals from the earthquakes and explosions (accidental and mining type). Two Vrancea earthquakes with magnitude above 5.0 were selected to this study: one occurred on 1st of May 2011 (MD = 5.3, h = 146 km), and the other one, on 4th October 2011 (MD = 5.2, h = 142 km). The infrasonic signals from the earthquakes have the appearance of the vertical component of seismic signals. Because the mechanism of the infrasonic wave formation is the coupling of seismic waves with the atmosphere, trace velocity values for such signals are compatible with the characteristics of the various seismic phases observed with PLOR array. The study evaluates and characterizes, as well, infrasound and seismic data recorded from the explosion caused by the military accident produced at Evangelos Florakis Naval Base, in Cyprus, on 11th July 2011. Additionally, seismo-acoustic signals presumed to be related to strong mine and quarry blasts were investigated. Ground truth of mine observations provides validation of this interpretation. The combined seismo-acoustic analysis uses two types of detectors for signal identification: one is the automatic detector DFX-PMCC, applied for infrasound detection and characterization, while the other one, which is used for seismic data, is based on array processing techniques (beamforming and frequency-wave number analysis). Spectrograms of the recorded infrasonic and seismic data were examined, showing that an earthquake produces acoustic signals with a high energy in the 1 to 5 Hz frequency range, while, for the explosion, this range lays below 0.6 Hz. Using the combined analysis of the seismic and acoustic data, Plostina array can greatly enhance the event detection and localization in the region. The analysis can be, as well, particularly important in identifying sources of industrial explosion, and therefore, in monitoring of the hazard created both by earthquakes and anthropogenic sources of pollution (chemical factories, nuclear and power plants, refineries, mines).

Synthesis of Creep Measurements from Strainmeters and Creepmeters along the San Andreas Fault: Implications for Seismic vs. Aseismic Partitioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mencin, D.; Gottlieb, M. H.; Hodgkinson, K. M.; Bilham, R. G.; Mattioli, G. S.; Johnson, W.; Van Boskirk, E.; Meertens, C. M.

2015-12-01

Strainmeters and creepmeters have been operated along the San Andreas Fault, observing creep events for decades. In particular, the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) has added a significant number of borehole strainmeters along the San Andreas Fault (SAF) over the last decade. The geodetic data cover a significant temporal portion of the inferred earthquake cycle along this portion of the SAF. Creepmeters measure the surface displacement over time (creep) with short apertures and have the ability to capture slow slip, coseismic rupture, and afterslip. Modern creepmeters deployed by the authors have a resolution of 5 µm over a range of 10 mm and a dynamic sensor with a resolution 25 µm over a range 2.2 m. Borehole strainmeters measure local deformation some distance from the fault with a broader aperture. Borehole tensor strainmeters principally deployed as part of the PBO, measure the horizontal strain tensor at a depth of 100-200 m with a resolution of 10-11 strain and are located 4 - 10 km from the fault with the ability to image a 1 mm creep event acting on an area of ~500 m2 from over 4 km away (fault perpendicular). A single borehole tensor strainmeter is capable of providing broad constraints on the creep event asperity size, location, direction and depth of a single creep event. The synthesis of these data from all the available geodetic instruments proximal to the SAF presents a unique opportunity to constrain the partitioning between aseismic and seismic slip on the central SAF. We show that simple elastic half-space models allow us to loosely constrain the location and depth of any individual creep event on the fault, even with a single instrument, and to image the accumulation of creep with time.

Calculation of elastic properties in lower part of the Kola borehole from bulk chemical compositions of core samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Babeyko, A.Yu.; Sobolev, S.V.; Sinelnikov, E.D.

1994-09-01

In-situ elastic properties in deep boreholes are controlled by several factors, mainly by lithology, petrofabric, fluid-filled cracks and pores. In order to separate the effects of different factors it is useful to extract lithology-controlled part from observed in-situ velocities. For that purpose we calculated mineralogical composition and isotropic crack-free elastic properties in the lower part of the Kola borehole from bulk chemical compositions of core samples. We use a new technique of petrophysical modeling based on thermodynamic approach. The reasonable accuracy of the modeling is confirmed by comparison with the observations of mineralogical composition and laboratory measurements of density andmore » elastic wave velocities in upper crustal crystalline rocks at high confining pressure. Calculations were carried out for 896 core samples from the depth segment of 6840-10535m. Using these results we estimate density and crack-free isotropic elastic properties of 554 lithology-defined layers composing this depth segment. Average synthetic P-wave velocity appears to be 2.7% higher than the velocity from Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP), and 5% higher than sonic log velocity. Average synthetic S-wave velocity is 1.4% higher than that from VSP. These differences can be explained by superposition of effects of fabric-related anisotropy, cracks aligned parallel to the foliation plain, and randomly oriented cracks, with the effects of cracks being the predominant control. Low sonic log velocities are likely caused by drilling-induced cracking (hydrofractures) in the borehole walls. The calculated synthetic density and velocity cross-sections can be used for much more detailed interpretations, for which, however, new, more detailed and reliable seismic data are required.« less

The combined EarthScope data set at the IRIS DMC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trabant, C.; Sharer, G.; Benson, R.; Ahern, T.

2007-12-01

The IRIS Data Management Center (DMC) is the perpetual archive and access point for an ever-increasing variety of geophysical data in terms of volume, geographic distribution and scientific value. A particular highlight is the combined data set produced by the EarthScope project. The DMC archives data from each of the primary components: USArray, the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) & the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). Growing at over 4.6 gigabytes per day, the USArray data set currently totals approximately 5 terabytes. Composed of four separate sub-components: the Permanent, Transportable, Flexible and Magnetotelluric Arrays, the USArray data set provides a multi-scale view of the western United States at present and the conterminous United States when it is completed. The primary data from USArray are in the form of broadband and short-period seismic recordings and magnetotelluric measurements. Complementing the data from USArray are the short- period, borehole seismic data and borehole and laser strain data from PBO. The DMC also archives the high- resolution seismic data from instruments in the SAFOD main and pilot drill holes. The SAFOD seismic data is available in two forms: lower-rate monitoring channels sampled at 250 hertz and full resolution channels varying between 1 and 4 kilohertz. Beyond data collection and archive management the DMC performs value-added functions. All data arriving at the DMC as real-time data streams are processed by QUACK, an automated Quality Control (QC) system. All the measurements made by this system are stored in a database and made available to data contributors and users via a web interface including customized report generation. In addition to the automated QC measurements, quality control is performed on USArray data at the DMC by a team of analysts. The primary functions of the analysts are to routinely report data quality assessment to the respective network operators and log serious, unfixable data issues for reference by data users. All of these data are managed in a unified SEED format archive and are seamlessly available to data users via the DMC's&pstandard data access methods along with all the other data managed by the DMC. The only exception is high resolution, special case SAFOD seismic data that is retained in its original SEG-2 format as an assembled data set. A data user can choose between a handful of data access methods ranging from simple email requests to technologically advanced CORBA-based access, streamlining the "information into application" philosophy. Currently totally over 8.5 terabytes and growing, the combined EarthScope data at the DMC provides an unparalleled, multi-measurement record of geophysical information ideal for determining Earth structure and processes in the United States and beyond. A website is maintained to provide current information regarding EarthScope data at the DMC: http://www.iris.edu/earthscope/.

Critical Zone structure inferred from multiscale near surface geophysical and hydrological data across hillslopes at the Eel River CZO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S. S.; Rempe, D. M.; Holbrook, W. S.; Schmidt, L.; Hahm, W. J.; Dietrich, W. E.

2017-12-01

Except for boreholes and road cut, landslide, and quarry exposures, the subsurface structure of the critical zone (CZ) of weathered bedrock is relatively invisible and unmapped, yet this structure controls the short and long term fluxes of water and solutes. Non-invasive geophysical methods such as seismic refraction are widely applied to image the structure of the CZ at the hillslope scale. However, interpretations of such data are often limited due to heterogeneity and anisotropy contributed from fracturing, moisture content, and mineralogy on the seismic signal. We develop a quantitative framework for using seismic refraction tomography from intersecting geophysical surveys and hydrologic data obtained at the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory (ERCZO) in Northern California to help quantify the nature of subsurface structure across multiple hillslopes of varying topography in the area. To enhance our understanding of modeled velocity gradients and boundaries in relation to lithological properties, we compare refraction tomography results with borehole logs of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gamma and neutron density, standard penetration testing, and observation drilling logs. We also incorporate laboratory scale rock characterization including mineralogical and elemental analyses as well as porosity and density measurements made via pycnometry, helium and mercury porosimetry, and laboratory scale NMR. We evaluate the sensitivity of seismically inferred saprolite-weathered bedrock and weathered-unweathered bedrock boundaries to various velocity and inversion parameters in relation with other macro scale processes such as gravitational and tectonic forces in influencing weathered bedrock velocities. Together, our sensitivity analyses and multi-method data comparison provide insight into the interpretation of seismic refraction tomography for the quantification of CZ structure and hydrologic dynamics.

Muon borehole detector development for use in four-dimensional tomographic density monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flygare, Joshua

The increase of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere and the correlated temperature rise has initiated research into methods of carbon sequestration. One promising possibility is to store CO2 in subsurface reservoirs of porous rock. After injection, the monitoring of the injected CO2 is of paramount importance because the CO2 plume, if escaped, poses health and environmental risks. Traditionally, seismic reflection methods are the chosen method of determining changes in the reservoir density due to CO2 injection, but this is expensive and not continuous. A potential and promising alternative is to use cosmic muon tomography to determine density changes in the reservoir over a period of time. The work I have completed was the development of a muon detector that will be capable of being deployed in boreholes and perform long-term tomography of the reservoir of interest. The detector has the required dimensions, an angular resolution of approximately 2 degrees, and is robust enough to survive the caustic nature of the fluids in boreholes, as well as temperature and pressure fluctuations. The detector design is based on polystyrene scintillating rods arrayed in alternating layers. The layers, as arranged, can provide four-dimensional (4D) tomographic data to detect small changes in density at depths up to approximately 2 kilometers. Geant4, a Monte Carlo simulation code, was used to develop and optimize the detector design. Additionally, I developed a method of determining the muon flux at depth, including CO2 saturation changes in subsurface reservoirs. Preliminary experiments were performed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This thesis will show the simulations I performed to determine the angular resolution and background discrimination required of the detector, the experiments to determine light transport through the polystyrene scintillating rods and fibers, and the method developed to predict muon flux changes at depth expected after injection.

Refined images of the crust around the SAFOD drill site derived from combined active and passive seismic experiment data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roecker, S.; Thurber, C.; Shuler, A.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, H.; Powell, L.

2005-12-01

Five years of effort collecting and analyzing earthquake and explosion data in the vicinity of the SAFOD drill site culminated in the determination of the final trajectory for summer 2005's Phase 2 drilling. The trajectory was defined to optimize the chance of reaching one of two adjacent M2 "target earthquake" fault patches, whose centroids are separated horizontally by about 50 meters, with one or more satellite coreholes planned for Phase 3 drilling in summer 2007. Some of the most critical data for the final targeting were explosion data recorded on a Paulsson Geophysical Services, Inc., 80-element 3-component borehole string and earthquake data recorded on a pair of 3-component Duke University geophones in the SAFOD borehole. We are now utilizing the full 5-year dataset to refine our knowledge of three-dimensional (3D) crustal structure, wave propagation characteristics, and earthquake locations around SAFOD. These efforts are proceeding in parallel in several directions. Improved picks from a careful reanalysis of shear waves observed on the PASO array will be used in deriving an improved tomographic 3D wavespeed model. We are using finite-difference waveform modeling to investigate waveform complexity for earthquakes in and near the target region, including fault-zone head waves and strong secondary S-wave arrivals. A variety of waveform imaging methods are being applied to image fine-scale 3D structure and subsurface scatterers, including fault zones. In the process, we aim to integrate geophysical logging and geologic observations with our models to try to associate the target region earthquake activity, which is occurring on two fault strands about 280 meters apart, with shear zones encountered in the SAFOD Phase-2 borehole. These observations will be agumented and the target earthquake locations further refined over the next 2 years through downhole and surface recording of natural earthquakes and surface shots conducted at PASO station locations.

Geological Investigation Program for the Site of a New Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerstenkorn, András; Trosits, Dalma; Chikán, Géza; János Katona, Tamás

2015-04-01

Comprehensive site evalaution program is implemented for the new Nuclear Power Plant to be constructed at Paks site in Hungary with the aim of confirmation of acceptability of the site and definition of site-related design basis data. Most extensive part of this program is to investigate geological-tectonical features of the site with particular aim on the assessment of the capability of faults at and around the site, characterization of site seismic hazard, and definition of the design basis earthquake. A brief description of the scope and methodology of the geological, seismological, geophysical, geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations will be given on the poster. Main focus of the presentation is to show the graded structure and extent of the geological investigations that follow the needs and scale of the geological modeling, starting with the site and its vicinity, as well as on the near regional and the regional scale. Geological inverstigations includes several boreholes up-to the base-rock, plenty of boreholes discovering the Pannonian and large number of shallow boreholes for investigation of more recent development. The planning of the geological investigations is based on the 3D seismic survey performed around the site, that is complemented by shallow-seimic survey at and in the vicinity of the site. The 3D geophysical imaging provides essential geodynamic information to assess the capability of near site faults and for the seismic hazard analysis, as well as for the hydrogeological modeling. The planned seismic survey gives a unique dataset for understanding the spatial relationship between individual fault segments. Planning of the research (trenching, etc.) for paleoseismic manifestations is also based on the 3D seismic survey. The seismic survey and other geophysical data (including data of space geodesy) allow the amendment of the understanding and the model of the tectonic evolution of the area and geological events. As it is known from earlier studies, seismic sources in the near regional area are the dominating contributors to the site seimic hazard. Therefore a 3D geological model will be developed for the 50 km region around the site in order to consider different geological scenarios. Site-scale investigations are aimed on the characterization of local geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions. The geotechnical investigations provide data for the evaluation of site response, i.e. the free-field ground motion response spectra, assessment of the liquefaction hazard and foundation design. Important element of the hydrogeological survey is numerical groundwater modeling. The aim of hydrogeological modeling is the summary of hydrogeological data in a numeric system, the description, simulation of underground water flow and transport conditions.

Fracture structures of active Nojima fault, Japan, revealed by borehole televiewer imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishiwaki, T.; Lin, A.

2017-12-01

Most large intraplate earthquakes occur as slip on mature active faults, any investigation of the seismic faulting process and assessment of seismic hazards require an understanding of the nature of active fault damage zones as seismogenic source. In this study, we focus on the fracture structures of the Nojima Fault (NF) that triggered the 1995 Kobe Mw 7.2 earthquake using ultrasonic borehole televiewer (BHTV) images from a borehole wall. The borehole used in this study was drilled throughout the NF at 1000 m in depth by a science project of Drilling into Fault Damage Zone(DFDZ) in 2016 (Lin, 2016; Miyawaki et al., 2016). In the depth of <230 m of the borehole, the rocks are composed of weak consolidated sandstone and conglomerate of the Plio-Pleistocene Osaka-Group and mudstone and sandstone of the Miocene Kobe Group. The basement rock in the depth of >230 m consist of pre-Neogene granitic rock. Based on the observations of cores and analysis of the BHTV images, the main fault plane was identified at a depth of 529.3 m with a 15 cm thick fault gouge zone and a damage zone of 100 m wide developed in the both sides of the main fault plane. Analysis of the BHTV images shows that the fractures are concentrated in two groups: N45°E (Group-1), parallel to the general trend of the NF, and another strikes N70°E (Group-2), oblique to the fault with an angle of 20°. It is well known that Riedel shear structures are common within strike-slip fault zones. Previous studies show that the NF is a right-lateral strike-slip fault with a minor thrust component, and that the fault damage zone is characterized by Riedel shear structures dominated by Y shears (main faults), R shears and P foliations (Lin, 2001). We interpret that the fractures of Group (1) correspond to Y Riedel fault shears, and those of Group (2) are R shears. Such Riedel shear structures indicate that the NF is a right-lateral strike-slip fault which is activated under a regional stress field oriented to the direction close to east-west, coincident with that inferred from geophysical observations (Tsukahara et al., 2001), seismic inversion results (Katao, 1997) and geological structures (Lin, 2001).Katao et al., 1997. J. Phys. Earth, 45, 105.Lin, 2016. AGU, Fall Meeting.Lin, 2001. J. Struc. Geo., 23, 1167.Miyawaki and Uchida, 2016. AGU, Fall Meeting.Tsukahara et al., 2001. Isl. Arc, 10, 261.

The strong ground motion in Mexico City: array and borehole data analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roullé, A.; Chávez-García, F. J.

2003-04-01

Site response at Mexico City has been intensively studied for the last 15 years, since the disastrous 1985 earthquakes. After those events, more than 100 accelerographs were installed, and their data have been extremely useful in quantifying amplification and in the subsequent upgrading of the building code. However, detailed analysis of the wavefield has been hampered by the lack of absolute time in the records and the large spacing between stations in terms of dominant wavelengths. In 2001, thanks to the support of CONACYT, Mexico, a new dense accelerographic network was installed in the lake bed zone of Mexico City. The entire network, including an existing network of 3 surface and 2 borehole stations operated by CENAPRED, consists in 12 surface and 4 borehole stations (at 30, 102 and 50 meters). Each station has a 18 bits recorder and a GPS receiver so that the complete network is a 3D array with absolute time. The main objective of this array is to provide data that can help us to better understand the wavefield that propagates in Mexico City during large earthquakes. Last year, a small event of magnitude 6.0 was partially recorded by 6 of the 12 surface stations and all the borehole stations. We analysed the surface data using different array processing techniques such as f-k methods and MUSIC algorithm and the borehole ones using a cross-correlation method. For periods inferior to the site resonance period, the soft clay layer with very low propagation velocities (less than 500 m/s) and a possible multipathing rule the wavefield pattern. For the large period range, the dominant surface wave comes from the epicentral direction and propagates with a quicker velocity (more than 1500 m/s) that corresponds to the velocity of deep layers. The analysis of borehole data shows the presence of different quick wavetrains in the short period range that could correspond to the first harmonic modes of Rayleigh waves. To complete this study, four others events recorded in 1994 by a temporal dense network installed in the firm rock zone of Mexico City were analysed using the same techniques. The results confirm the presence of a diffracting zone south of the valley. These results confirm the hypothesis of a possible interaction between the soft clay layers resonance and diffracted wavetrains of Rayleigh waves to explain both the amplification and the long duration of strong ground motion in Mexico City.

Imaging 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha Earthquake and Its Aftershock Sequence Combining Multiple Calibrated Global Seismic Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LI, B.; Ghosh, A.

2016-12-01

The 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake provides a good opportunity to study the tectonics and earthquake hazards in the Himalayas, one of the most seismically active plate boundaries. Details of the seismicity patterns and associated structures in the Himalayas are poorly understood mainly due to limited instrumentation. Here, we apply a back-projection method to study the mainshock rupture and the following aftershock sequence using four large aperture global seismic arrays. All the arrays show eastward rupture propagation of about 130 km and reveal similar evolution of seismic energy radiation, with strong high-frequency energy burst about 50 km north of Kathmandu. Each single array, however, is typically limited by large azimuthal gap, low resolution, and artifacts due to unmodeled velocity structures. Therefore, we use a self-consistent empirical calibration method to combine four different arrays to image the Gorkha event. It greatly improves the resolution, can better track rupture and reveal details that cannot be resolved by any individual array. In addition, we also use the same arrays at teleseismic distances and apply a back-projection technique to detect and locate the aftershocks immediately following the Gorkha earthquake. We detect about 2.5 times the aftershocks recorded by the Advance National Seismic System comprehensive earthquake catalog during the 19 days following the mainshock. The aftershocks detected by the arrays show an east-west trend in general, with majority of the aftershocks located at the eastern part of the rupture patch and surrounding the rupture zone of the largest Mw 7.3 aftershock. Overall spatiotemporal aftershock pattern agrees well with global catalog, with our catalog showing more details relative to the standard global catalog. The improved aftershock catalog enables us to better study the aftershock dynamics, stress evolution in this region. Moreover, rapid and better imaging of aftershock distribution may aid rapid response and hazard assessment after destructive large earthquakes. Existing multiple global seismic arrays, when properly calibrated and used in combinations, provide a high resolution image of rupture of large earthquakes and spatiotemporal distribution of aftershocks.

Analysis of seismic waves crossing the Santa Clara Valley using the three-component MUSIQUE array algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobiger, Manuel; Cornou, Cécile; Bard, Pierre-Yves; Le Bihan, Nicolas; Imperatori, Walter

2016-10-01

We introduce the MUSIQUE algorithm and apply it to seismic wavefield recordings in California. The algorithm is designed to analyse seismic signals recorded by arrays of three-component seismic sensors. It is based on the MUSIC and the quaternion-MUSIC algorithms. In a first step, the MUSIC algorithm is applied in order to estimate the backazimuth and velocity of incident seismic waves and to discriminate between Love and possible Rayleigh waves. In a second step, the polarization parameters of possible Rayleigh waves are analysed using quaternion-MUSIC, distinguishing retrograde and prograde Rayleigh waves and determining their ellipticity. In this study, we apply the MUSIQUE algorithm to seismic wavefield recordings of the San Jose Dense Seismic Array. This array has been installed in 1999 in the Evergreen Basin, a sedimentary basin in the Eastern Santa Clara Valley. The analysis includes 22 regional earthquakes with epicentres between 40 and 600 km distant from the array and covering different backazimuths with respect to the array. The azimuthal distribution and the energy partition of the different surface wave types are analysed. Love waves dominate the wavefield for the vast majority of the events. For close events in the north, the wavefield is dominated by the first harmonic mode of Love waves, for farther events, the fundamental mode dominates. The energy distribution is different for earthquakes occurring northwest and southeast of the array. In both cases, the waves crossing the array are mostly arriving from the respective hemicycle. However, scattered Love waves arriving from the south can be seen for all earthquakes. Combining the information of all events, it is possible to retrieve the Love wave dispersion curves of the fundamental and the first harmonic mode. The particle motion of the fundamental mode of Rayleigh waves is retrograde and for the first harmonic mode, it is prograde. For both modes, we can also retrieve dispersion and ellipticity curves. Wave motion simulations for two earthquakes are in good agreement with the real data results and confirm the identification of the wave scattering formations to the south of the array, which generate the scattered Love waves visible for all earthquakes.

Method and system for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Johnson, Paul A [Santa Fe, NM; Ten Cate, James A [Los Alamos, NM; Guyer, Robert [Reno, NV; Le Bas, Pierre-Yves [Los Alamos, NM; Vu, Cung [Houston, TX; Nihei, Kurt [Oakland, CA; Schmitt, Denis P [Katy, TX; Skelt, Christopher [Houston, TX

2012-02-14

A compact array of transducers is employed as a downhole instrument for acoustic investigation of the surrounding rock formation. The array is operable to generate simultaneously a first acoustic beam signal at a first frequency and a second acoustic beam signal at a second frequency different than the first frequency. These two signals can be oriented through an azimuthal rotation of the array and an inclination rotation using control of the relative phases of the signals from the transmitter elements or electromechanical linkage. Due to the non-linearity of the formation, the first and the second acoustic beam signal mix into the rock formation where they combine into a collimated third signal that propagates in the formation along the same direction than the first and second signals and has a frequency equal to the difference of the first and the second acoustic signals. The third signal is received either within the same borehole, after reflection, or another borehole, after transmission, and analyzed to determine information about rock formation. Recording of the third signal generated along several azimuthal and inclination directions also provides 3D images of the formation, information about 3D distribution of rock formation and fluid properties and an indication of the dynamic acoustic non-linearity of the formation.

Seismic Hazard Assessment for the Baku City and Absheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Babayev, Gulam R.

2006-03-23

This paper deals with the seismic hazard assessment for Baku and the Absheron peninsula. The assessment is based on the information on the features of earthquake ground motion excitation, seismic wave propagation (attenuation), and site effect. I analyze active faults, seismicity, soil and rock properties, geological cross-sections, the borehole data of measured shear-wave velocity, lithology, amplification factor of each geological unit, geomorphology, topography, and basic rock and surface ground motions. To estimate peak ground acceleration (PGA) at the surface, PGA at the basic rock is multiplied by the amplification parameter of each surface layers. Quaternary soft deposits, representing a highmore » risk due to increasing PGA values at surface, are studied in detail. For a near-zone target earthquake PGA values are compared to intensity at MSK-64 scale for the Absheron peninsula. The amplification factor for the Baku city is assessed and provides estimations for a level of a seismic motion and seismic intensity of the studied area.« less

GONAF - the borehole Geophysical Observatory at the North Anatolian Fault in the eastern Sea of Marmara

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohnhoff, Marco; Dresen, Georg; Ceken, Ulubey; Tuba Kadirioglu, Filiz; Feyiz Kartal, Recai; Kilic, Tugbay; Nurlu, Murat; Yanik, Kenan; Acarel, Digdem; Bulut, Fatih; Ito, Hisao; Johnson, Wade; Malin, Peter Eric; Mencin, Dave

2017-05-01

The Marmara section of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) runs under water and is located less than 20 km from the 15-million-person population center of Istanbul in its eastern portion. Based on historical seismicity data, recurrence times forecast an impending magnitude M>7 earthquake for this region. The permanent GONAF (Geophysical Observatory at the North Anatolian Fault) has been installed around this section to help capture the seismic and strain activity preceding, during, and after such an anticipated event.

A Study of Secular and Tidal Tilt in Wyoming and Utah.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

block number) Tiltmeters , Earth Tides, Yellowstone Caldera, Finite-element models. S 20. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse side It necessary end Identify...borehole tiltmeter design by measuring the tidal admittance at two sites near Boulder. We found good agreement between theory and experiment. and we...were encouraged to proceed with the construction and installation of an array of borehole tiltmeters in Yellowstone National Park. The primary purpose

Development of a Lunar Borehole Seismometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passmore, P. R.; Siegler, M.; Malin, P. E.; Passmore, K.; Zacny, K.; Avenson, B.; Weber, R. C.; Schmerr, N. C.; Nagihara, S.

2017-12-01

Nearly all seismic stations on Earth are buried below the ground. Burial provides controlled temperatures and greater seismic coupling at little cost. This is also true on the Moon and other planetary bodies. Burial of a seismometer under just 1 meter of lunar regolith would provide an isothermal environment and potentially reduce signal scattering noise by an order of magnitude. Here we explain how we will use an existing NASA SBIR and PIDDP funded subsurface heat flow probe deployment system to bury a miniaturized, broadband, optical seismometer 1 meter below the lunar surface. The system is sensitive, low mass and low power. We believe this system offers a compelling architecture for NASA's future seismic exploration of the solar system. We will report on a prototype 3-axis, broadband seismometer package that has been tested under low pressure conditions in lunar-regolith simulant. The deployment mechanism reaches 1m depth in less than 25 seconds. Our designed and tested system: 1) Would be deployed at least 1m below the lunar surface to achieve isothermal conditions without thermal shielding or heaters, increase seismic coupling, and decrease noise. 2) Is small (our prototype probe is a cylinder 50mm in diameter, 36cm long including electronics, potentially as small as 10 cm with sensors only). 3) Is low-mass (each sensor is 0.1 kg, so an extra redundancy 4-component seismograph plus 1.5 kg borehole sonde and recorder weighs less than 2 kg and is feasibly smaller with miniaturized electronics). 4) Is low-power (our complete 3-sensor borehole seismographic system's power consumption is about half a Watt, or 7% of Apollo's 7.1 W average and 30% of the InSight SEIS's 1.5W winter-time heating system). 5) Is broadband and highly sensitive (the "off the shelf" sensors have a wide passband: 0.005-1000 Hz - and high dynamic range of 183 dB (or about 10-9g Hz-1/2, with hopes for simple modifications to be at least an order of magnitude better). Burial also aids the sensitivity, by decreasing scattered noise through the upper, extremely low density lunar regolith.

An investigation into the bedrock depth in the Eskisehir Quaternary Basin (Turkey) using the microtremor method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tün, M.; Pekkan, E.; Özel, O.; Guney, Y.

2016-10-01

Amplification can occur in a graben as a result of strong earthquake-induced ground motion. Thus, in seismic hazard and seismic site response studies, it is of the utmost importance to determine the geometry of the bedrock depth. The main objectives of this study were to determine the bedrock depth and map the depth-to-bedrock ratio for use in land use planning in regard to the mitigation of earthquake hazards in the Eskişehir Basin. The fundamental resonance frequencies (fr) of 318 investigation sites in the Eskişehir Basin were determined through case studies, and the 2-D S-wave velocity structure down to the bedrock depth was explored. Single-station microtremor data were collected from the 318 sites, as well as microtremor array data from nine sites, seismic reflection data from six sites, deep-drilling log data from three sites and shallow drilling log data from ten sites in the Eskişehir Graben. The fundamental resonance frequencies of the Eskişehir Basin sites were obtained from the microtremor data using the horizontal-to vertical (H/V) spectral ratio (HVSR) method. The phase velocities of the Rayleigh waves were estimated from the microtremor data using the spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) method. The fundamental resonance frequency range at the deepest point of the Eskişehir Basin was found to be 0.23-0.35 Hz. Based on the microtremor array measurements and the 2-D S-wave velocity profiles obtained using the SPAC method, a bedrock level with an average velocity of 1300 m s-1 was accepted as the bedrock depth limit in the region. The log data from a deep borehole and a seismic reflection cross-section of the basement rocks of the Eskişehir Basin were obtained and permitted a comparison of bedrock levels. Tests carried out using a multichannel walk-away technique permitted a seismic reflection cross-section to be obtained up to a depth of 1500-2000 m using an explosive energy source. The relationship between the fundamental resonance frequency in the Eskişehir Basin and the results of deep drilling, shallow drilling, shear wave velocity measurement and sedimentary cover depth measurement obtained from the seismic reflection section was expressed in the form of a nonlinear regression equation. An empirical relationship between fr, the thickness of sediments and the bedrock depth is suggested for use in future microzonation studies of sites in the region. The results revealed a maximum basin depth of 1000 m, located in the northeast of the Eskişehir Basin, and the SPAC and HVSR results indicated that within the study area the basin is characterized by a thin local sedimentary cover with low shear wave velocity overlying stiff materials, resulting in a sharp velocity contrast. The thicknesses of the old Quaternary and Tertiary fluvial sediments within the basin serve as the primary data sources in seismic hazard and seismic site response studies, and these results add to the body of available seismic hazard data contributing to a seismic microzonation of the Eskişehir Graben in advance of the severe earthquakes expected in the Anatolian Region.

A borehole-to-surface electromagnetic survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tseng, Hung-Wen; Becker, A.; Wilt, M.

1995-12-31

We have assessed the feasibility of borehole to surface electromagnetic measurements for fluid injection monitoring. To do this we performed a vertical electromagnetic profiling (VEMP) experiment at the University of California Richmond Field Station where a saline water injection zone was created at a subsurface depth of 30 meters. The methodology used is quite similar to the conventional seismic (VSP) procedure for surface to borehole measurements. In our case however, the transmitter was located in a PVC cased borehole while the receivers were deployed on the surface. With a carefully designed system operating at 9.6 kHz we were able tomore » make measurements accurate to 1 % in amplitude and 1 degree in phase. The data profiles at surface were centered on the injection well and extended for 60 m on either side of it. Measurements were made at 5 m intervals. Although the VEMP process is quite vulnerable to near surface conductivity anomalies we readily detected the flat tabular target zone which was about 3 m thick and covered an area of about 120 M{sup 2}.« less

The Ultimate Pile Bearing Capacity from Conventional and Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faizah Bawadi, Nor; Anuar, Shamilah; Rahim, Mustaqqim A.; Mansor, A. Faizal

2018-03-01

A conventional and seismic method for determining the ultimate pile bearing capacity was proposed and compared. The Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) method is one of the non-destructive seismic techniques that do not require drilling and sampling of soils, was used in the determination of shear wave velocity (Vs) and damping (D) profile of soil. The soil strength was found to be directly proportional to the Vs and its value has been successfully applied to obtain shallow bearing capacity empirically. A method is proposed in this study to determine the pile bearing capacity using Vs and D measurements for the design of pile and also as an alternative method to verify the bearing capacity from the other conventional methods of evaluation. The objectives of this study are to determine Vs and D profile through frequency response data from SASW measurements and to compare pile bearing capacities obtained from the method carried out and conventional methods. All SASW test arrays were conducted near the borehole and location of conventional pile load tests. In obtaining skin and end bearing pile resistance, the Hardin and Drnevich equation has been used with reference strains obtained from the method proposed by Abbiss. Back analysis results of pile bearing capacities from SASW were found to be 18981 kN and 4947 kN compared to 18014 kN and 4633 kN of IPLT with differences of 5% and 6% for Damansara and Kuala Lumpur test sites, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the seismic method proposed in this study has the potential to be used in estimating the pile bearing capacity.

Linkages of fracture network geometry and hydro-mechanical properties to spatio-temporal variations of seismicity in Koyna-Warna Seismic Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selles, A.; Mikhailov, V. O.; Arora, K.; Ponomarev, A.; Gopinadh, D.; Smirnov, V.; Srinu, Y.; Satyavani, N.; Chadha, R. K.; Davulluri, S.; Rao, N. P.

2017-12-01

Well logging data and core samples from the deep boreholes in the Koyna-Warna Seismic Zone (KWSZ) provided a glimpse of the 3-D fracture network responsible for triggered earthquakes in the region. The space-time pattern of earthquakes during the last five decades show strong linkage of favourably oriented fractures system deciphered from airborne LiDAR and borehole structural logging to the seismicity. We used SAR interferometry data on surface displacements to estimate activity of the inferred faults. The failure in rocks at depths is largely governed by overlying lithostatic and pore fluid pressure in the rock matrix which are subject to change in space and time. While lithostatic pressure tends to increase with depth pore pressure is prone to fluctuations due to any change in the hydrological regime. Based on the earthquake catalogue data, the seasonal variations in seismic activity associated with annual fluctuations in the reservoir water level were analyzed over the time span of the entire history of seismological observations in this region. The regularities in the time changes in the structure of seasonal variations are revealed. An increase in pore fluid pressure can result in rock fracture and oscillating pore fluid pressures due to a reservoir loading and unloading cycles can cause iterative and cumulative damage, ultimately resulting in brittle failure under relatively low effective mean stress conditions. These regularities were verified by laboratory physical modeling. Based on our observations of main trends of spatio-temporal variations in seismicity as well as the spatial distribution of fracture network a conceptual model is presented to explain the triggered earthquakes in the KWSZ. The work was supported under the joint Russian-Indian project of the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of India (RSF project no. 16-47-02003 and DST project INT/RUS/RSF/P-13).

Seismic investigation of gas hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico: 2013 multi-component and high-resolution 2D acquisition at GC955 and WR313

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haines, Seth S.; Hart, Patrick E.; Shedd, William W.; Frye, Matthew

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey led a seismic acquisition cruise at Green Canyon 955 (GC955) and Walker Ridge 313 (WR313) in the Gulf of Mexico from April 18 to May 3, 2013, acquiring multicomponent and high-resolution 2D seismic data. GC955 and WR313 are established, world-class study sites where high gas hydrate saturations exist within reservoir-grade sands in this long-established petroleum province. Logging-while-drilling (LWD) data acquired in 2009 by the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrates Joint Industry Project provide detailed characterization at the borehole locations, and industry seismic data provide regional- and local-scale structural and stratigraphic characterization. Significant remaining questions regarding lithology and hydrate saturation between and away from the boreholes spurred new geophysical data acquisition at these sites. The goals of our 2013 surveys were to (1) achieve improved imaging and characterization at these sites and (2) refine geophysical methods for gas hydrate characterization in other locations. In the area of GC955 we deployed 21 ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS) and acquired approximately 400 km of high-resolution 2D streamer seismic data in a grid with line spacing as small as 50 m and along radial lines that provide source offsets up to 10 km and diverse azimuths for the OBS. In the area of WR313 we deployed 25 OBS and acquired approximately 450 km of streamer seismic data in a grid pattern with line spacing as small as 250 m and along radial lines that provide source offsets up to 10 km for the OBS. These new data afford at least five times better resolution of the structural and stratigraphic features of interest at the sites and enable considerably improved characterization of lithology and the gas and gas hydrate systems. Our recent survey represents a unique application of dedicated geophysical data to the characterization of confirmed reservoir-grade gas hydrate accumulations.

Hydraulic impulse generator and frequency sweep mechanism for borehole applications

DOEpatents

Kolle, Jack J.; Marvin, Mark H.; Theimer, Kenneth J.

2006-11-21

This invention discloses a valve that generates a hydraulic negative pressure pulse and a frequency modulator for the creation of a powerful, broadband swept impulse seismic signal at the drill bit during drilling operations. The signal can be received at monitoring points on the surface or underground locations using geophones. The time required for the seismic signal to travel from the source to the receiver directly and via reflections is used to calculate seismic velocity and other formation properties near the source and between the source and receiver. This information can be used for vertical seismic profiling of formations drilled, to check the location of the bit, or to detect the presence of abnormal pore pressure ahead of the bit. The hydraulic negative pressure pulse can also be used to enhance drilling and production of wells.

Structure of the Suasselkä postglacial fault in northern Finland obtained by analysis of local events and ambient seismic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afonin, Nikita; Kozlovskaya, Elena; Kukkonen, Ilmo; Dafne/Finland Working Group

2017-04-01

Understanding the inner structure of seismogenic faults and their ability to reactivate is particularly important in investigating the continental intraplate seismicity regime. In our study we address this problem using analysis of local seismic events and ambient seismic noise recorded by the temporary DAFNE array in the northern Fennoscandian Shield. The main purpose of the DAFNE/FINLAND passive seismic array experiment was to characterize the present-day seismicity of the Suasselkä postglacial fault (SPGF), which was proposed as one potential target for the DAFNE (Drilling Active Faults in Northern Europe) project. The DAFNE/FINLAND array comprised an area of about 20 to 100 km and consisted of eight short-period and four broadband three-component autonomous seismic stations installed in the close vicinity of the fault area. The array recorded continuous seismic data during September 2011-May 2013. Recordings of the array have being analysed in order to identify and locate natural earthquakes from the fault area and to discriminate them from the blasts in the Kittilä gold mine. As a result, we found a number of natural seismic events originating from the fault area, which proves that the fault is still seismically active. In order to study the inner structure of the SPGF we use cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise recorded by the array. Analysis of azimuthal distribution of noise sources demonstrated that during the time interval under consideration the distribution of noise sources is close to the uniform one. The continuous data were processed in several steps including single-station data analysis, instrument response removal and time-domain stacking. The data were used to estimate empirical Green's functions between pairs of stations in the frequency band of 0.1-1 Hz and to calculate corresponding surface wave dispersion curves. The S-wave velocity models were obtained as a result of dispersion curve inversion. The results suggest that the area of the SPGF corresponds to a narrow region of low S-wave velocities surrounded by rocks with high S-wave velocities. We interpret this low-velocity region as a non-healed mechanically weak fault damage zone (FDZ) formed due to the last major earthquake that occurred after the last glaciation.

The Offshore New Harbor (ONH) Seismic Expedition: Revealing the Stratigraphic History in the Southern McMurdo Sound Region, Ross Sea, Antarctica from the Greenhouse to Icehouse Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pekar, S. F.; Speece, M. A.; Wilson, G. S.; Sunwall, D. A.; Tinto, K. J.

2010-12-01

In the austral spring 2008, the ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) Program’s Offshore New Harbor Expedition successfully collected over 48 km of multi-channel seismic (MCS) data to investigate the stratigraphic and tectonic history of westernmost Southern McMurdo Sound during the Greenhouse World (Eocene) and the start of the Icehouse World (Oligocene). This survey represents an important step for identifying future drilling targets for ANDRILL, which is a multinational program, with the aim to recover stratigraphic intervals for interpreting Antarctica’s climate and glacial history over the past 50 million years. The goal of the Offshore New Harbor Project is to recover proximal archives from two widely recognized but unresolved time intervals regarding Antarctica’s history: 1) the mid-Paleogene cryospheric development on Antarctica; and 2) the abrupt climate shift across the Eocene/Oligocene transition. The ONH seismic survey used methods successfully employed by previous ANDRILL’s surveys in Southern McMurdo Sound (2005) and in Mackay Sea Valley (2007), which included deploying a Generator Injector (G.I.) airgun through holes drilled through the ice and a 1.5 km long streamer that used 60 gimbled geophones to measure the returning reflected seismic energy. Processing of the seismic data was successfully able to remove the bottom water multiple, permitting deeper seismic reflectors to be identified for the first time in this area. Since one of the two seismic lines crossed close to the previously drilled CIROS-1, correlation was possible between the seismic reflectors and the entire stratigraphic section at CIROS-1, which has been dated as old as Late Eocene (~37 Ma). Additionally, seismic and gravity data indicated that a thick sedimentary wedge of up to 5 km lie immediately east of CIROS-1. With the Devonian Beacon Sandstone Formation having been observed to be no thicker than 2 km on land, an additional 3 km of Cenozoic sediments may lie below and down dip of CIROS-1. The Oligocene strata are characterized by a clinoformal geometry, with reflectors down lapping onto the two prominent reflectors that correspond to the Eocene / Oligocene Boundary and the “mid” Oligocene hiatus recognized in the CIROS-1 borehole. These new data support the idea that substantial Eocene and Oligocene strata can be recovered by drilling east of the location of the CIROS-1 borehole. The upper units imaged below the base of CIROS-1 represent the potential for future drilling objectives for the ANDRILL Program. Additionally, reflectors that contained trough-like shapes were interpreted as representing incised valleys, which were most likely cut by ice streams. These valleys provide prima facie documentation of when the ice sheet extended beyond the present-day coastline. These reflectors were correlated to CIROS-1 as well as the ANDRILL AND-2A borehole, providing ages on the timing of major ice stream advances of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the western Ross Sea area.

The underground seismic array of Gran Sasso (UNDERSEIS), central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarpa, R.; Muscente, R.; Tronca, F.; Fischione, C.; Rotella, P.; Abril, M.; Alguacil, G.; Martini, M.; de Cesare, W.

2003-04-01

Since early May, 2002, a small aperture seismic array has been installed in the underground Physics Laboratories of Gran Sasso, located near seismic active faults of central Apennines, Italy. This array is presently composed by 21 three-component short period seismic stations (Mark L4C-3D), with average distance 90 m and semi-circular aperture of 400 m x 600 m. It is intersecting a main seismogenic fault where the presence of slow earthquakes has been recently detected through two wide band geodetic laser interferometers. The underground Laboratories are shielded by a limestone rock layer having 1400 m thickness. Each seismometer is linked, through a 24 bits A/D board, to a set of 6 industrial PC via a serial RS-485 standard. The six PC transmit data to a server through an ethernet network. Time syncronization is provided by a Master Oscillator controlled by an atomic clock. Earthworm package is used for data selection and transmission. High quality data have been recorded since May 2002, including local and regional earthquakes. In particular the 31 October, 2002, Molise (Mw=5.8 earthquake) and its aftershocks have been recorded at this array. Array techniques such as polarisation and frequency-slowness analyses with the MUSIC noise algorithm indicate the high performance of this array, as compared to the national seismic network, for identifying the basic source parameters for earthquakes located at distance of few hundreds of km.

Deployment operation of NanTroSEIZE C0002 riserless LTBMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyo, N.; Saruhashi, T.; Sawada, I.; Namba, Y.; Kitada, K.; Kimura, T.; Toczko, S.; Araki, E.; Kopf, A.; IODP EXP 332 Scientists

2011-12-01

The installation of LTBMS (Long Term Borehole Monitoring System) for NanTroSEIZE (Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment) C0002 riserless hole was successfully carried out as part of IODP Expedition 332 operations by DV Chikyu in November - December 2010. The water depth of the site and penetration depth of the hole are 1937.5 m and 980 mbsf respectively. Casing (9-5/8") was set to the depth of 888 mbsf and below the CORK head, 3-1/2" tubing was deployed inside the casing as the support structure for the downhole instruments. Within the rat hole section, two pressure ports, a strain meter, a tilt meter, a broadband seismometer, geophone, and accelerometer were deployed. These seismic and geodetic sensors were set within the borehole, and coupled to the formation via cement whose physical properties (Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, density) were adjusted to fit the formation's properties. Screen sections were set to access the pore fluids, while isolating them from the sea floor and the lower lithological units by a swellable packer, and cement, respectively. At the top of wellhead, and at the apex of the 3-1/2" tubing assembly, a CORK head was landed. The CORK head holds the pressure sensor unit (4 pressure sensors), underwater mateable data connectors (connected to the cemented sensors), and hydraulic valves to access and sample formation fluids by ROV. The major scientific features of the Hole C0002G (riserless) LTBMS are sensors monitoring multiple parameters related to seismic, geodetic and pore fluid behavior simultaneously at distinct, multiple, layers within the same borehole. The main technical difficulties in the LTBMS development are as follows: (1) Reduction method for current-induced VIV (Vortex Induced Vibration) (2) Borehole coupling for seismic and geodetic sensors (3) Anti-vibration/shock and protection method for borehole sensors/instruments (4) Attachment and protection for sensor cables and pressure lines (5) Zone isolation for multi-layer pressure measurements (6) Wellhead system (CORK) for data connection to submarine cable network (7) Downsizing borehole instruments (installation with 3-1/2-in tubing) (8) System reliability (redundant sensor system) We carried out sea trials using a dummy sensor assembly to study the effects of deploying the assembly in strong currents, and also carried out additional pool experiments and numerical simulations to evaluate VIV countermeasures. Through shock and vibration mechanical tests, we improved the robustness of sensors and the sensor carrier. As part of these investigations, we conducted risk analysis based on the operation, science, and engineering points of view from, which helped clarify operational procedures for actual deployment. Future plans include returning to Hole C0002G site to deploy a data logger and battery for temporary observations. After examining the data quality, we'll finally connect the LTBMS to the DONET (Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis) submarine cabled network. Plans are also underway for deploying more LTBMS's into Site C0010 (riserless) and Site C0002 (riser).

Continuous monitoring of volcanoes with borehole strainmeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linde, Alan T.; Sacks, Selwyn

Monitoring of volcanoes using various physical techniques has the potential to provide important information about the shape, size and location of the underlying magma bodies. Volcanoes erupt when the pressure in a magma chamber some kilometers below the surface overcomes the strength of the intervening rock, resulting in detectable deformations of the surrounding crust. Seismic activity may accompany and precede eruptions and, from the patterns of earthquake locations, inferences may be made about the location of magma and its movement. Ground deformation near volcanoes provides more direct evidence on these, but continuous monitoring of such deformation is necessary for all the important aspects of an eruption to be recorded. Sacks-Evertson borehole strainmeters have recorded strain changes associated with eruptions of Hekla, Iceland and Izu-Oshima, Japan. Those data have made possible well-constrained models of the geometry of the magma reservoirs and of the changes in their geometry during the eruption. The Hekla eruption produced clear changes in strain at the nearest instrument (15 km from the volcano) starting about 30 minutes before the surface breakout. The borehole instrument on Oshima showed an unequivocal increase in the amplitude of the solid earth tides beginning some years before the eruption. Deformational changes, detected by a borehole strainmeter and a very long baseline tiltmeter, and corresponding to the remote triggered seismicity at Long Valley, California in the several days immediately following the Landers earthquake are indicative of pressure changes in the magma body under Long Valley, raising the question of whether such transients are of more general importance in the eruption process. We extrapolate the experience with borehole strainmeters to estimate what could be learned from an installation of a small network of such instruments on Mauna Loa. Since the process of conduit formation from the magma sources in Mauna Loa and other volcanic regions should be observable, continuous high sensitivity strain monitoring of volcanoes provides the potential to give short time warnings of impending eruptions. Current technology allows transmission and processing of rapidly sampled borehole strain data in real-time. Such monitoring of potentially dangerous volcanoes on a global scale would provide not only a wealth of scientific information but also significant social benefit, including the capability of diverting nearby in-flight aircraft.

Detecting Noisy Events Using Waveform Cross-Correlation at Superarrays of Seismic Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Seggern, D. H.; Tibuleac, I. M.

2007-12-01

Cross-correlation using master events, followed by stacking of the correlation series, has been shown to dramatically improve detection thresholds of small-to-medium seismic arrays. With the goal of lowering the detection threshold, determining relative magnitudes or moments, and characterizing sources by empirical Green's functions, we extend the cross-correlation methodology to include "superarrays" of seismic stations. The superarray concept naturally brings further benefits over conventional arrays and single-stations due to the fact that many distances and azimuths can be sampled. This extension is straightforward given the ease with which regional or global data from various stations or arrays can be currently accessed and combined into a single database. We demonstrate the capability of superarrays to detect and analyze events which lie below the detection threshold. This is aided by applying an F-statistic detector to the superarray cross-correlation stack and its components. Our first example illustrates the use of a superarray consisting of the Southern Great Basin Digital Seismic Network, a small-aperture array (NVAR) in Mina, Nevada and the Earthscope Transportable Array to detect events in California-Nevada areas. In our second example, we use a combination of small-to-medium arrays and single stations to study the rupture of the great Sumatra earthquake of 26 December 2004 and to detect its early aftershocks. The location and times of "detected" events are confirmed using a frequency- wavenumber method at the small-to-medium arrays. We propose that ad hoc superarrays can be used in many studies where conventional approaches previously used only single arrays or groups of single stations. The availability of near-real-time data from many networks and of archived data from, for instance, IRIS makes possible the easy assembly of superarrays. Furthermore, the continued improvement of seismic data availability and the continued growth in the number of world-wide seismic sensors will increasingly make superarrays an attractive choice for many studies.

VS30 – A site-characterization parameter for use in building Codes, simplified earthquake resistant design, GMPEs, and ShakeMaps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borcherdt, Roger D.

2012-01-01

VS30, defined as the average seismic shear-wave velocity from the surface to a depth of 30 meters, has found wide-spread use as a parameter to characterize site response for simplified earthquake resistant design as implemented in building codes worldwide. VS30 , as initially introduced by the author for the US 1994 NEHRP Building Code, provides unambiguous definitions of site classes and site coefficients for site-dependent response spectra based on correlations derived from extensive borehole logging and comparative ground-motion measurement programs in California. Subsequent use of VS30 for development of strong ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) and measurement of extensive sets of VS borehole data have confirmed the previous empirical correlations and established correlations of SVS30 with VSZ at other depths. These correlations provide closed form expressions to predict S30 V at a large number of additional sites and further justify S30 V as a parameter to characterize site response for simplified building codes, GMPEs, ShakeMap, and seismic hazard mapping.

Log analysis of six boreholes in conjunction with geologic characterization above and on top of the Weeks Island Salt Dome

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sattler, A.R.

1996-06-01

Six boreholes were drilled during the geologic characterization and diagnostics of the Weeks Island sinkhole that is over the two-tiered salt mine which was converted for oil storage by the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. These holes were drilled to provide for geologic characterization of the Weeks Island Salt Dome and its overburden in the immediate vicinity of the sinkhole (mainly through logs and core); to establish a crosswell configuration for seismic tomography; to establish locations for hydrocarbon detection and tracer injection; and to provide direct observations of sinkhole geometry and material properties. Specific objectives of the logging program were to:more » (1) identify the top of and the physical state of the salt dome; (2) identify the water table; (3) obtain a relative salinity profile in the aquifer within the alluvium, which ranges from the water table directly to the top of the Weeks Island salt dome; and (4) identify a reflecting horizon seen on seismic profiles over this salt dome. Natural gamma, neutron, density, sonic, resistivity and caliper logs were run.« less

Performance of 3-Component Nodes in the IRIS Community Wavefield Demonstration Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweet, J. R.; Anderson, K. R.; Woodward, R.

2017-12-01

In June 2016, a field crew of 50 students, faculty, industry personnel, and IRIS staff deployed a total of 390 stations as part of a community seismic experiment above an active seismic lineament in north-central Oklahoma. The goals of the experiment were to test new instrumentation and deployment strategies that record the full seismic wavefield, and to advance understanding of earthquake source processes and regional lithospheric structure. The crew deployed 363 3-component, 5Hz Generation 2 Fairfield Z-Land nodes along three seismic lines and in a seven-layer nested gradiometer array. The seismic lines spanned a region 13 km long by 5 km wide. A broadband, 18 station "Golay 3x6" array with an aperture of approximately 5 km was deployed around the gradiometer and seismic lines to collect waveform data from local and regional events. In addition, 9 infrasound stations were deployed in order to capture and identify acoustic events that might be recorded by the seismic array. The variety and geometry of instrumentation deployed was intended to capture the full seismic wavefield generated by the local and regional seismicity beneath the array and the surrounding region. Additional details on the instrumentation and how it was deployed can be found by visiting our website www.iris.edu/wavefields. We present a detailed analysis of noise across the array—including station performance, as well as noise from nearby sources (wind turbines, automobiles, etc.). We report a clear reduction in noise for buried 3-component nodes compared to co-located surface nodes (see Figure). Using the IRIS DMC's ISPAQ client, we present a variety of metrics to evaluate the network's performance. We also present highlights from student projects at the recently-held IRIS advanced data processing short course, which focused on analyzing the wavefield dataset using array processing techniques.

Goal-seismic computer programs in BASIC: Part I; Store, plot, and edit array data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hasbrouck, Wilfred P.

1979-01-01

Processing of geophysical data taken with the U.S. Geological Survey's coal-seismic system is done with a desk-top, stand-alone computer. Programs for this computer are written in an extended BASIC language specially augmented for acceptance by the Tektronix 4051 Graphic System. This report presents five computer programs used to store, plot, and edit array data for the line, cross, and triangle arrays commonly employed in our coal-seismic investigations. * Use of brand names in this report is for descriptive purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Investigation of sinkhole areas in Germany using 2D shear wave reflection seismics and zero-offset VSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tschache, Saskia; Wadas, Sonja; Polom, Ulrich; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

2017-04-01

Sinkholes pose a serious geohazard for humans and infrastructure in populated areas. The Junior Research Group Subrosion within the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics and the joint project SIMULTAN work on the multi-scale investigation of subrosion processes in the subsurface, which cause natural sinkholes. In two case studies in sinkhole areas of Thuringia in Germany, we applied 2D shear wave reflection seismics using SH-waves with the aim to detect suitable parameters for the characterisation of critical zones. This method has the potential to image near-surface collapse and faulting structures in improved resolution compared to P-wave surveys resulting from the shorter wavelength of shear waves. Additionally, the shear wave velocity field derived by NMO velocity analysis is a basis to calculate further physical parameters, as e.g. the dynamic shear modulus. In both investigation areas, vertical seismic profiles (VSP) were acquired by generating P- and SH-waves (6 component VSP) directly next to a borehole equipped with a 3C downhole sensor. They provide shear and compressional wave velocity profiles, which are used to improve the 2D shear wave velocity field from surface seismics, to perform a depth calibration of the seismic image and to calculate the Vp/Vs ratio. The signals in the VSP data are analysed with respect to changes in polarisation and attenuation with depth and/or azimuth. The VSP data reveal low shear wave velocities of 200-300 m/s in rock layers known to be heavily affected by subrosion and confirm the low velocities calculated from the surface seismic data. A discrepancy of the shear wave velocities is observed in other intervals probably due to unsymmetrical travel paths in the surface seismics. In some VSP data dominant conversion of the direct SH-wave to P-wave is observed that is assumed to be caused by an increased presence of cavities. A potential fault distorting the vertical travel paths was detected by abnormal P-wave first arrivals in the VSP dataset of a borehole located near the city of Bad Frankenhausen. In addition, a strong attenuation of the source signals may indicate areas influenced by subrosion.

Multispectral Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) Analysis of Near-Surface Structure at Brady Hot Springs from Active Source and Ambient Noise Using a 8700-meter Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H. F.; Lord, N. E.; Zeng, X.; Fratta, D.; Feigl, K. L.; Team, P.

2016-12-01

The Porotomo research team deployed 8700-meters of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) cable in a shallow trench on the surface and 400 meters down a borehole at Brady Hot Springs, Nevada in March 2016. The goal of the experiment was to detect changes in geophysical properties associated with hydrologic changes. The DAS cable occupied a natural laboratory of 1500-by-500-by-400-meters overlying a commercial, geothermal field operated by Ormat Technologies. The DAS cable was laid out in three parallel zig-zag lines with line segments approximately 120-meters in length. A large Vibroseis truck (T-Rex) provided the seismic source with a sweep frequency between 5 and 80 Hz over 20 seconds. Over the 15 days of the experiment, the Vibroseis truck re-occupied approximately 250 locations outside and within the array days while changes were made in water reinjection from the power plant into wells in the field. At each source location, one vertical and two orthogonal horizontal modes were excited. Dispersion curves were constructed using MASW and a Vibroseis source location approximately in line with each DAS cable segment or from ambient noise correlation functions. Representative fence diagrams of S-wave profiles were constructed by inverting the dispersion curves obtained for several different line segments.

Detecting Seismic Activity with a Covariance Matrix Analysis of Data Recorded on Seismic Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seydoux, L.; Shapiro, N.; de Rosny, J.; Brenguier, F.

2014-12-01

Modern seismic networks are recording the ground motion continuously all around the word, with very broadband and high-sensitivity sensors. The aim of our study is to apply statistical array-based approaches to processing of these records. We use the methods mainly brought from the random matrix theory in order to give a statistical description of seismic wavefields recorded at the Earth's surface. We estimate the array covariance matrix and explore the distribution of its eigenvalues that contains information about the coherency of the sources that generated the studied wavefields. With this approach, we can make distinctions between the signals generated by isolated deterministic sources and the "random" ambient noise. We design an algorithm that uses the distribution of the array covariance matrix eigenvalues to detect signals corresponding to coherent seismic events. We investigate the detection capacity of our methods at different scales and in different frequency ranges by applying it to the records of two networks: (1) the seismic monitoring network operating on the Piton de la Fournaise volcano at La Réunion island composed of 21 receivers and with an aperture of ~15 km, and (2) the transportable component of the USArray composed of ~400 receivers with ~70 km inter-station spacing.

Multiscale analysis of the fracture pattern in granite, example of Tamariu's granite, Catalunya.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertrand, L.; LeGarzic, E.; Géraud, Y.; Diraison, M.

2012-04-01

Crystalline rocks can be the host of important fluid flow and therefore they can provide a good reservoir potential. In this kind of rocks, the matrice porosity is in general low and a large part of the permeability is governed by the fracture pattern. Thus, they are the first interest of studies in order to characterize and model the fluid flows. Actual reservoirs are underground, and the only access to the fracture pattern is with boreholes and seismic lines. Those methods are investigating different scales and dimensions: seismic is in 3D at a global scale whereas boreholes are 1D at a localized scale. To make the link between the different data, it is necessary to study field analogues where such fractured rocks are outcropping. Tamariu's granite, in Catalunya, has recently been studied as a field analogue of a fractured reservoir. The previous studies have lead to define structural blocks at different scales, linked to the regional deformation. This study's aim is to characterize the internal fracturation of a single structural block with a statistical analysis. We used one dimension scan lines at the scale of a block and 2 dimensions mapping at a more precise scale until the grain scale. The data highlighted that the fracture and fault lengths have a power law relation in 8 orders of scales. So this power law is stretching between seismic and borehole scales. Therefore, the data fit with a very good trust in the power law exponent, which is very well defined. The link between the reservoir scale faults and the internal block fracturation has also been defined in term of the structures orientation. Finally, a comparison between the 1D and 2D measurement could be done. The 1D scan lines show correctly the different fractures families but samples incompletely a part the fracture pattern, whereas the 2D maps which show more the global trends of the fractures and could lose some minor trends orientations.

Geophysical and physical measurements applied to characterize an area prone to quick clay landslides in SW Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salas-Romero, Silvia; Malehmir, Alireza; Snowball, Ian; Lougheed, Bryan C.; Hellqvist, Magnus

2014-05-01

The study of quick clay landslides in Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Norway, is wide and varied. However, the occurrence of catastrophes like those in Munkedal, Sweden, in 2006, demands a more complete characterization of these materials and their extensiveness. The objectives of this research are mainly focused on obtaining information about the properties and behavior of quick clays in an area prone to landslides in southwestern Sweden. Two fieldwork campaigns were carried out in 2011 and 2013, using methods such as 2D and 3D P-wave and S-wave seismic, geoelectrics, controlled-source and radio-magnetotellurics, ground gravity, as well as downhole geophysics (measuring fluid temperature and conductivity, gamma radiation, sonic velocity and resistivity) performed in three boreholes located in the study area. Drill cores recovered using the SONIC technique provided samples for paleontological information, as well as laboratory measurements of physical properties of the subsurface materials to a maximum subsurface depth of about 60 m. The laboratory measurements included grain size analysis, mineral magnetic properties, electric conductivity, pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, x-ray fluorescence (XRF), and a reconnaissance study of the fossil content. A correlation study of the downhole geophysical measurements, 2D seismic sections located at the intersection with the boreholes and the sample observations indicated that the presence of quick clays is associated with contacts with coarse-grained materials. Although the PVC casing of the boreholes interferes with the sonic and resistivity measurements, the perforated parts of the PVC casing show significant changes. The most important variations in magnetic susceptibility and conductivity mostly coincide with these coarse-grained layers, supporting the seismic data. Coarse-grained layers are characterized by enhanced magnetic susceptibility and conductivity. Grain size analysis results on subsamples from the deepest borehole (the one closer to the river) correlate with changes in the natural gamma measurements. Overall, the fine sediments dominate over the coarser ones, and clay and fine silt are found to be the most abundant. The preliminary paleontological observations indicate that the most of the sediments were formed in a glaciomarine environment. Additionally, XRF measurements were performed on subsamples from the deepest borehole, indicating high Cl/V values (a good salinity indicator) in the thickest coarse-grained layer. In conclusion, all the collected data show a comprehensive description of the subsurface in the area. The characteristics of the observed quick clays will offer more information about these materials in Sweden, expanding our knowledge about them and assisting in risk assessments in similar areas where similar geohazards are present. Future work will be geared towards processing of the data collected in 2013, including a seismic line across the river, which will complement and extend the study area. New fieldwork campaigns and inversion of surface wave data will improve the interpretation of the shallow subsurface. Furthermore, geotechnical data from the site, obtained by the Swedish Geotechnical Institute, will be used to define and support the presence of quick clays in the area. Acknowledgements: GWB-SEG, Formas, SGU, LIAG, SGI, PAN and graduate and undergraduate students from Uppsala University for their fieldwork contribution.

Uemachi flexure zone investigated by borehole database and numeical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, N.; Kitada, N.; Takemura, K.

2014-12-01

The Uemachi fault zone extending north and south, locates in the center of the Osaka City, in Japan. The Uemachi fault is a blind reverse fault and forms the flexure zone. The effects of the Uemachi flexure zone are considered in constructing of lifelines and buildings. In this region, the geomorphological survey is difficult because of the regression of transgression. Many organizations have carried out investigations of fault structures. Various surveys have been conducted, such as seismic reflection survey in and around Osaka. Many borehole data for construction conformations have been collected and the geotechnical borehole database has been constructed. The investigation with several geological borehole data provides the subsurface geological information to the geotechnical borehole database. Various numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the growth of a blind reverse fault in unconsolidated sediments. The displacement of the basement was given in two ways. One is based on the fault movement, such as dislocation model, the other is a movement of basement block of hanging wall. The Drucker-Prager and elastic model were used for the sediment and basement, respectively. The simulation with low and high angle fault movements, show the good agree with the actual distribution of the marine clay inferred from borehole data in the northern and southern Uemachi fault flexure zone, respectively. This research is partly funded by the Comprehensive Research on the Uemachi Fault Zone (from FY2010 to FY2012) by The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

Implications of horsts and grabens on the development of canyons and seismicity on the west africa coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ola, Peter S.; Olabode, Solomon O.

2018-04-01

Subsurface basement topography in the Nigerian portion of the Benin Basin has been studied using borehole data of wells drilled to the basement and one strike line of seismic section. Two areas of a sharp drop in topography with a horst in between were observed in the study area. These features were projected to a seismic section in the offshore area of the Benin basin. The result depicts the structural features as horst and grabens coinciding with the Avon platform bounded on the right side by Ise graben, and the Orimedu graben to the left. The observed relationship of the grabens with the present day location of Avon Canyon on the seismic section also suggests an active subsidence along fractured zones. The subsidence, which probably is occurring along similar fracture zones in the Gulf of Guinea, could be responsible for the occasionally reported seismicity on the margin of West Africa. A detailed seismographic study of the fracture zones is recommended.

Two-dimensional magnetotelluric inversion using reflection seismic data as constraints and application in the COSC project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Ping; Kalscheuer, Thomas; Hedin, Peter; Garcia Juanatey, Maria A.

2017-04-01

We present a novel 2-D magnetotelluric (MT) inversion scheme, in which the local weights of the regularizing smoothness constraints are based on the envelope attribute of a reflection seismic image. The weights resemble those of a previously published seismic modification of the minimum gradient support method. We measure the directional gradients of the seismic envelope to modify the horizontal and vertical smoothness constraints separately. Successful application of the inversion to MT field data of the Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides (COSC) project using the envelope attribute of the COSC reflection seismic profile helped to reduce the uncertainty of the interpretation of the main décollement by demonstrating that the associated alum shales may be much thinner than suggested by a previous inversion model. Thus, the new model supports the proposed location of a future borehole COSC-2 which is hoped to penetrate the main décollement and the underlying Precambrian basement.

Mapping Inherited Fractures in the Critical Zone Using Seismic Anisotropy From Circular Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novitsky, Christopher G.; Holbrook, W. Steven; Carr, Bradley J.; Pasquet, Sylvain; Okaya, David; Flinchum, Brady A.

2018-04-01

Weathering and hydrological processes in Earth's shallow subsurface are influenced by inherited bedrock structures, such as bedding planes, faults, joints, and fractures. However, these structures are difficult to observe in soil-mantled landscapes. Steeply dipping structures with a dominant orientation are detectable by seismic anisotropy, with fast wave speeds along the strike of structures. We measured shallow ( 2-4 m) seismic anisotropy using "circle shots," geophones deployed in a circle around a central shot point, in a weathered granite terrain in the Laramie Range of Wyoming. The inferred remnant fracture orientations agree with brittle fracture orientations measured at tens of meters depth in boreholes, demonstrating that bedrock fractures persist through the weathering process into the shallow critical zone. Seismic anisotropy positively correlates with saprolite thickness, suggesting that inherited bedrock fractures may control saprolite thickness by providing preferential pathways for corrosive meteoric waters to access the deep critical zone.

Improving resolution of crosswell seismic section based on time-frequency analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, H.; Li, Y.

1994-12-31

According to signal theory, to improve resolution of seismic section is to extend high-frequency band of seismic signal. In cross-well section, sonic log can be regarded as a reliable source providing high-frequency information to the trace near the borehole. In such case, what to do is to introduce this high-frequency information into the whole section. However, neither traditional deconvolution algorithms nor some new inversion methods such as BCI (Broad Constraint Inversion) are satisfied because of high-frequency noise and nonuniqueness of inversion results respectively. To overcome their disadvantages, this paper presents a new algorithm based on Time-Frequency Analysis (TFA) technology whichmore » has been increasingly received much attention as an useful signal analysis too. Practical applications show that the new method is a stable scheme to improve resolution of cross-well seismic section greatly without decreasing Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR).« less

Cascadia, an ultracompact seismic instrument with over 200dB of dynamic range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Tim; Devanney, Peter; Bainbridge, Geoff; Townsend, Bruce

2017-04-01

Integration of geophysical instrumentation is clearly a way to lower overall station cost, make installations less complex, reduce installation time, increase station utility and value to a wider group of researchers, data miners and monitoring groups. Initiatives to expand early earthquake warning networks and observatories can use these savings for increasing station density. Integration of mature instrument systems such as broadband sensors and accelerometers used in strong motion studies has to be done with care to preserve the low noise and low frequency performance while providing over 200dB of dynamic range. Understanding the instrument complexities and deployment challenges allows the engineering teams to optimize the packaging to make installation and servicing cost effective, simple, routine and ultimately more reliable. We discuss early results from testing both in the lab and in the field of a newly released instrument called the Cascadia that integrates a broadband seismometer with a class A (USGS rating) accelerometer in a small stainless steel sonde suited for dense arrays in either ad hoc direct bury field deployments or in observatory quality shallow boreholes.

Borehole temperature variability at Hoher Sonnblick, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinrich, Georg; Schöner, Wolfgang; Prinz, Rainer; Pfeiler, Stefan; Reisenhofer, Stefan; Riedl, Claudia

2016-04-01

The overarching aim of the project 'Atmosphere - permafrost relationship in the Austrian Alps - atmospheric extreme events and their relevance for the mean state of the active layer (ATMOperm)' is to improve the understanding of the impacts of atmospheric extreme events on the thermal state of the active layer using a combined measurement and modeling approach as the basis for a long-term monitoring strategy. For this purpose, the Sonnblick Observatory at the summit of Hoher Sonnblick (3106 m.a.s.l) is particularly well-suited due to its comprehensive long-term atmospheric and permafrost monitoring network (i.a. three 20 m deep boreholes since 2007). In ATMOperm, a robust and accurate permanent monitoring of active layer thickness at Hoher Sonnblick will be set up using innovative monitoring approaches by automated electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The ERT monitoring is further supplemented by additional geophysical measurements such as ground penetrating radar, refraction seismic, electromagnetic induction and transient electromagnetics in order to optimally complement the gained ERT information. On the other hand, atmospheric energy fluxes over permafrost ground and their impact on the thermal state of permafrost and active layer thickness with a particular focus on atmospheric extreme events will be investigated based on physically-based permafrost modeling. For model evaluation, the borehole temperature records will play a key role and, therefore, an in-depth quality control of the borehole temperatures is an important prerequisite. In this study we will show preliminary results regarding the borehole temperature variability at Hoher Sonnblick with focus on the active layer. The borehole temperatures will be related to specific atmospheric conditions using the rich data set of atmospheric measurements of the site in order to detect potential errors in the borehole temperature measurements. Furthermore, we will evaluate the potential of filling gaps in the time series by cross checking all available information of the three boreholes. Furthermore, the already available ERT profiles will serve as additional information source improving the quality of the measured borehole temperatures.

Imaging Shallow Aquitard Breaches with P waves: Results from a Walk-away test and a Reflection Survey at two Sites in Memphis, Tennessee, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, J.; Magnani, M.; Waldron, B. A.

2006-12-01

We present the results of two seismic reflection experiments conducted in the Great Memphis area in April and July 2006. The two experiments consisted in a walk-away test and in the acquisition of a 1 km seismic reflection profile. The acquisition of the seismic data is part of a larger effort aimed at imaging the lateral continuity of the Upper Claiborne confining clay that separates the Memphis aquifer, the region's primary drinking water source, from the upper unconfined aquifer and protects the drinking aquifer from exposure to potential contamination. During the walk-away test, four P-wave sources, a 7.5 kg sledge hammer, a 20 kg weight drop, a 12-gauge Buffalo gun, and a Minivibe source were tested at two sites with the goal of selecting the best P-wave seismic source and acquisition parameters for shallow reflection surveys. Boreholes nearby both sites encountered the Upper Claiborne unit at a depth ranging from 10 m to 40 m. One site is located within a 100-meter length of road median that can be considered an urban environment. The second site is located at Shelby Farms within the City of Memphis yet reflects a rural setting with minimal noise and no subsurface infrastructure. Performing identical walk-away tests at both sites, the results indicate that the energy source selection is site dependent. At the urban site, the energy generated by the weight drop source is more coherent and can be interpreted with more confidence on the recorded data. However the Shelby Farms site the 12-gauge shotgun produced the strongest recorded energy, the highest dominant frequency and the broadest frequency band (6- 110 Hz). Strong attenuations are observed at both sites with a much higher attenuation in the urban road median site, where the near surface materials consisted of gravels, sands, clays, and pebbles. For both sites, surface waves and refractions dominate the seismic recordings. Filtering and gain of the data revealed the presence of shallow reflections related to the targeted clay layer. Based on the results of the walk-away test and on additional supporting data such as water table measurements, neotectonic structural mapping and borehole data, the location for a 1 km long, north-south trending seismic reflection profile was chosen at Shelby Farms extending south to the Wolf River. Based on the walk-away testing the 12-gauge Buffalo gun was selected as the energy source, used to detonate a single 200 g black powder shell in a 0.6 m deep water filled hole with a 1 m source interval and a 0.25 m geophone interval. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates dominating surface waves and refractions. Upon filtering, consistent reflections can be observed. Correlation of reflections at the start of the seismic line to nearby boreholes evidenced the signature of the Upper Claiborne confining clay at a depth of 18 m.

Seismic stratigraphy of sedimentary cover in Amerasian Basin based on the results of Russian High Arctic expeditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poselov, Viktor; Kireev, Artem; Smirnov, Oleg; Butsenko, Viktor; Zholondz, Sergey; Savin, Vasily

2016-04-01

Massive amount of multichannel seismic (MCS) data were obtained by Russian High Arct ic expeditions "Arctica-2011", "Acrtica-2012" and "Arctica-2014". More than 40 MCS lines are located in the Amerasian basin and help to substantiate the seismic stratigraphy model of its sedimentary cover. The proposed seismic stratigraphy model was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the sedimentary section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by boreholes. Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge. Two major unconformities are traced. The upper regional unconformity (RU) is associated with a major pre-Miocene hiatus. Another major hiatus is recorded in the borehole section between the Campanian and the Upper Paleocene units. It is recognized as the post-Campanian unconformity (pCU) in the seismic sections. Formation of the regional unconformities is associated with a fundamental change in depositional environment. Formation of RU was initiated by opening of the Fram Strait gateway at the Paleogene/Neogene boundary. Post-Campanian unconformity is linked with the initial stage of the Eurasian Basin opening between the Cretaceous and the Paleogene. Cenozoic sedimentary units are continuously traced from the East-Siberian and Chukchi sea shelves across the transit zone to the Amerasian basin. Paleogene unit (between pCU and RU) is formed under the neritic depositional environment and it is characterized by an extremely small thickness on the Lomonosov Ridge (less than 200 m), on the Mendeleev Rise and in the Podvodnikov Basin (not more than 300-400 m). Neogene unit (above RU) consists of hemipelagic deposits and occupies the essential part of thickness of the Cenozoic section in Podvodnikov and Makarov Basins. Interval velocities in the Paleogene unit vary within 2.8-3.2 km/s, in the Neogene unit they vary within 1.8-2.7 km/s. Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on tracing major unconformities from boreholes on the Chukchi shelf (Crackerjack, Klondike, Popcorn) to the North-Chuckchi Trough and further to the Mendeleev Rise as well as to the Vilkitsky Trough and the adjacent Podvodnikov Basin. Three regional unconformities are correlated: Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit). Above the acoustic basement the pre-Cenozoic section is mainly represented by terrigenous units. Two major unconformities: RU and pCU are allocated on all MCS lines intersecting the Mendeleev Rise along its entire extent. BU is traced nearly everywhere along the rise excepting certain acoustic basement highs. All unconformities are also traced from the Mendeleev Rise to the continental structure of the Chuckchi Borderland. Sedimentary sequence between pCU and JU which underlies deposits of the Upper Ellesmerian unit is recorded as a synrift unit of the entire area of the Podvodnikov Basin. MCS data show a natural prolongation of the sedimentary cover from the shelf to the Podvodnikov Basin without any breaks and tectonic movements. Interval velocities in the Upper Cretaceous unit (between pCU and BU) vary within 3.2-3.9 km/s, in the pre-Upper Cretaceous units (between BU and the acoustic basement) vary within 4.1-4.8 km/s.

Cluster Computing For Real Time Seismic Array Analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, M.; Giudicepietro, F.

A seismic array is an instrument composed by a dense distribution of seismic sen- sors that allow to measure the directional properties of the wavefield (slowness or wavenumber vector) radiated by a seismic source. Over the last years arrays have been widely used in different fields of seismological researches. In particular they are applied in the investigation of seismic sources on volcanoes where they can be suc- cessfully used for studying the volcanic microtremor and long period events which are critical for getting information on the volcanic systems evolution. For this reason arrays could be usefully employed for the volcanoes monitoring, however the huge amount of data produced by this type of instruments and the processing techniques which are quite time consuming limited their potentiality for this application. In order to favor a direct application of arrays techniques to continuous volcano monitoring we designed and built a small PC cluster able to near real time computing the kinematics properties of the wavefield (slowness or wavenumber vector) produced by local seis- mic source. The cluster is composed of 8 Intel Pentium-III bi-processors PC working at 550 MHz, and has 4 Gigabytes of RAM memory. It runs under Linux operating system. The developed analysis software package is based on the Multiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm and is written in Fortran. The message-passing part is based upon the LAM programming environment package, an open-source imple- mentation of the Message Passing Interface (MPI). The developed software system includes modules devote to receiving date by internet and graphical applications for the continuous displaying of the processing results. The system has been tested with a data set collected during a seismic experiment conducted on Etna in 1999 when two dense seismic arrays have been deployed on the northeast and the southeast flanks of this volcano. A real time continuous acquisition system has been simulated by a pro- gram which reads data from disk files and send them to a remote host by using the Internet protocols.

Structure of Suasselkä Postglacial Fault in northern Finland obtained by analysis of ambient seismic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afonin, Nikita; Kozlovskaya, Elena

2016-04-01

Understanding inner structure of seismogenic faults and their ability to reactivate is particularly important in investigating the continental intraplate seismicity regime. In our study we address this problem using analysis of ambient seismic noise recorded by the temporary DAFNE array in northern Fennoscandian Shield. The main purpose of the DAFNE/FINLAND passive seismic array experiment was to characterize the present-day seismicity of the Suasselkä post-glacial fault (SPGF) that was proposed as one potential target for the DAFNE (Drilling Active Faults in Northern Europe) project. The DAFNE/FINLAND array comprised the area of about 20 to 100 km and consisted of 8 short-period and 4 broad-band 3-component autonomous seismic stations installed in the close vicinity of the fault area. The array recorded continuous seismic data during September, 2011-May, 2013. Recordings of the array have being analyzed in order to identify and locate natural earthquakes from the fault area and to discriminate them from the blasts in the Kittilä Gold Mine. As a result, we found several dozens of natural seismic events originating from the fault area, which proves that the fault is still seismically active. In order to study the inner structure of the SPGF we use cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise recorded by the array. Analysis of azimuthal distribution of noise sources demonstrated that that during the time interval under consideration the distribution of noise sources is close to the uniform one. The continuous data were processed in several steps including single station data analysis, instrument response removal and time-domain stacking. The data were used to estimate empirical Green's functions between pairs of stations in the frequency band of 0.1-1 Hz and to calculate correspondent surface wave dispersion curves. After that S-wave velocity models were obtained as a result of dispersion curves inversion using Geopsy software. The results suggest that the area of the SPGF corresponds to a narrow region of low S-wave velocities surrounded by rocks with high S-wave velocities. We interpret this low velocity region as a non-healed mechanically weak fault damage zone (FDZ) remained after the last major earthquake that occurred after the last glaciation. Seismic instruments for the DAFNE/FINLAND experiment were provided by the institute of Seismology of the University of Helsinki and by the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory. The study was partly funded by Posiva Oy and Geological Survey of Finland. DAFNE/FINLAND Working Group: Ilmo Kukkonen Pekka Heikkinen Kari Komminaho Elena Kozlovskaya Riitta Hurskainen Tero Raita Hanna Silvennoinen

Studies of infrasound propagation using the USArray seismic network (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedlin, M. A.; Degroot-Hedlin, C. D.; Walker, K. T.

2010-12-01

Although there are currently ~ 100 infrasound arrays worldwide, more than ever before, the station density is still insufficient to provide validation for detailed propagation modeling. Much structure in the atmosphere is short-lived and occurs at spatial scales much smaller than the average distance between infrasound stations. Relatively large infrasound signals can be observed on seismic channels due to coupling at the Earth's surface. Recent research, using data from the 70-km spaced 400-station USArray and other seismic network deployments, has shown the value of dense seismic network data for filling in the gaps between infrasound arrays. The dense sampling of the infrasound wavefield has allowed us to observe complete travel-time branches of infrasound signals and shed more light on the nature of infrasound propagation. We present early results from our studies of impulsive atmospheric sources, such as series of UTTR rocket motor detonations in Utah. The Utah blasts have been well recorded by USArray seismic stations and infrasound arrays in Nevada and Washington State. Recordings of seismic signals from a series of six events in 2007 are used to pinpoint the shot times to < 1 second. Variations in the acoustic branches and signal arrival times at the arrays are used to probe variations in atmospheric structure. Although we currently use coupled signals we anticipate studying dense acoustic network recordings as the USArray is currently being upgraded with infrasound microphones. These new sensors will allow us to make semi-continental scale network recordings of infrasound signals free of concerns about how the signals observed on seismic channels were modified when being coupled to seismic.

The discrimination of man-made explosions from earthquakes using seismo-acoustic analysis in the Korean Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che, Il-Young; Jeon, Jeong-Soo

2010-05-01

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) operates an infrasound network consisting of seven seismo-acoustic arrays in South Korea. Development of the arrays began in 1999, partially in collaboration with Southern Methodist University, with the goal of detecting distant infrasound signals from natural and anthropogenic phenomena in and around the Korean Peninsula. The main operational purpose of this network is to discriminate man-made seismic events from seismicity including thousands of seismic events per year in the region. The man-made seismic events are major cause of error in estimating the natural seismicity, especially where the seismic activity is weak or moderate such as in the Korean Peninsula. In order to discriminate the man-made explosions from earthquakes, we have applied the seismo-acoustic analysis associating seismic and infrasonic signals generated from surface explosion. The observations of infrasound at multiple arrays made it possible to discriminate surface explosion, because small or moderate size earthquake is not sufficient to generate infrasound. Till now we have annually discriminated hundreds of seismic events in seismological catalog as surface explosions by the seismo-acoustic analysis. Besides of the surface explosions, the network also detected infrasound signals from other sources, such as bolide, typhoons, rocket launches, and underground nuclear test occurred in and around the Korean Peninsula. In this study, ten years of seismo-acoustic data are reviewed with recent infrasonic detection algorithm and association method that finally linked to the seismic monitoring system of the KIGAM to increase the detection rate of surface explosions. We present the long-term results of seismo-acoustic analysis, the detection capability of the multiple arrays, and implications for seismic source location. Since the seismo-acoustic analysis is proved as a definite method to discriminate surface explosion, the analysis will be continuously used for estimating natural seismicity and understanding infrasonic sources.

3D model of Campo de Dalías basement from H/V spectral ratio of ambient seismic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Jerez, Antonio; Seivane, Helena; Luzón, Francisco; Navarro, Manuel; Molina, Luis; Aranda, Carolina; Piña-Flores, José; Navarro, Francisco; Sánchez-Martos, Francisco; Vidal, Francisco; Posadas, Antonio M.; Sánchez-Sesma, Francisco J.

2017-04-01

Campo de Dalías is a large coastal plain in the southeastern mountain front of the Betic Cordillera (SE of the Iberian Peninsula), being one of the most seismically active regions of Spain. This area has a population of about 213.000 inhabitants, with a high growth rate during the last decades due to the development of intensive agricultural activities. Seismic risk assessment and hydrogeological issues are major topics of interest for this area, relaying on the knowledge of the geophysical properties of the basin. A passive seismic survey has been conducted throughout the basin. We have recorded ambient noise at 340 sites located approximately on the vertexes of a 1000 x 1000 m square grid, as well as around a set of deep boreholes reaching the Triassic basement. These broad-band records, of at least 45 minutes long each, have been analyzed by using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio method (H/V). The spectral analysis shows clear H/V peaks with periods ranging from 0.3 s to 4 s, approximately, associated to relevant contrasts in S-wave velocity (Vs) at depth. Simulations based on the diffuse field approach (Sánchez-Sesma et al. 2011) show that long periods are explained by the effect of several hundred meters of soft sedimentary rocks (mainly Miocene marls). Well-developed high-frequency secondary peaks have been found in some specific zones (e.g. N of Roquetas de Mar town). Then, fundamental frequencies and basement depths at borehole sites have been fitted by means of a power law, which can be applied down to 900 - 970m. Larger depths are estimated by extrapolation. This relationship has been used to map the basement (main Vs contrast) throughout the plain. The prospected basement model describes well the main structural features of this smoothly folded region, namely, the El Ejido Synform and the Guardias Viejas Antiform, with ENE-WSW-trend. These features are shifted toward the south in comparison with Pedrera et al. (2015). The homogeneous resolution provides new insights which cannot be reached from analysis of deep boreholes, due to their very irregular distribution and it complements 2D Vp models derived from seismic reflection surveys. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under grant CGL2014-59908 and by the European Union with ERDF funds.

Phreatic eruptions and deformation of Ioto Island (Iwo-jima), Japan, triggered by deep magma injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, Hideki; Nagai, Masashi; Tanada, Toshikazu

2018-03-01

On Ioto Island (Iwo-jima), 44 phreatic eruptions have been recorded since 1889, when people began to settle there. Four of these eruptions, after the beginning of continuous observation by seismometers in 1976, were accompanied by intense seismic activity and rapid crustal deformation beforehand. Other eruptions on Ioto were without obvious crustal activities. In this paper, we discuss the mechanisms of phreatic eruptions on Ioto. Regular geodetic surveys and continuous GNSS observations show that Ioto intermittently uplifts at an abnormally high rate. All of the four eruptions accompanied by the precursors took place during intermittent uplifts. The crustal deformation before and after one of these eruptions revealed that a sill-like deformation source in the shallow part of Motoyama rapidly inflated before and deflated after the beginning of the eruption. From the results of a seismic array and a borehole survey, it is estimated that there is a layer of lava at a depth of about 100-200 m, and there is a tuff layer about 200-500 m beneath it. The eruptions accompanied by the precursors probably occurred due to abrupt boiling of hot water in hydrothermal reservoirs in the tuff layer, sealed by the lava layer and triggered by intermittent uplift. For the eruptions without precursors, the hydrothermal systems are weakly sealed by clay or probably occurred on the same principle as a geyser because phreatic eruptions had occurred beforehand and hydrostatic pressure is applied to the hydrothermal reservoirs.

Geophysical surveying in the Sacramento Delta for earthquake hazard assessment and measurement of peat thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, M. S.; Kundariya, N.; Hayashi, K.; Srinivas, A.; Burnham, M.; Oikawa, P.

2017-12-01

Near surface geophysical surveys were conducted in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for earthquake hazard assessment and to provide estimates of peat thickness for use in carbon models. Delta islands have experienced 3-8 meters of subsidence during the past century due to oxidation and compaction of peat. Projected sea level rise over the next century will contribute to an ongoing landward shift of the freshwater-saltwater interface, and increase the risk of flooding due to levee failure or overtopping. Seismic shear wave velocity (VS) was measured in the upper 30 meters to determine Uniform Building Code (UBC)/ National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) site class. Both seismic and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods were employed to estimate peat thickness. Seismic surface wave surveys were conducted at eight sites on three islands and GPR surveys were conducted at two of the sites. Combined with sites surveyed in 2015, the new work brings the total number of sites surveyed in the Delta to twenty.Soil boreholes were made at several locations using a hand auger, and peat thickness ranged from 2.1 to 5.5 meters. Seismic surveys were conducted using the multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) method and the microtremor array method (MAM). On Bouldin Island, VS of the surficial peat layer was 32 m/s at a site with pure peat and 63 m/s at a site peat with higher clay and silt content. Velocities at these sites reached a similar value, about 125 m/s, at a depth of 10 m. GPR surveys were performed at two sites on Sherman Island using 100 MHz antennas, and indicated the base of the peat layer at a depth of about 4 meters, consistent with nearby auger holes.The results of this work include VS depth profiles and UBC/NEHRP site classifications. Seismic and GPR methods may be used in a complementary fashion to estimate peat thickness. The seismic surface wave method is a relatively robust method and more effective than GPR in many areas with high clay content or where surface sediments have been disturbed by human activities. GPR does however provide significantly higher resolution and better depth control in areas with suitable recording conditions.

Large-N Nodal Seismic Deployment at Mount St Helens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, S. M.; Schmandt, B.; Vidale, J. E.; Creager, K. C.; Levander, A.; Kiser, E.; Barklage, M.; Hollis, D.

2014-12-01

In late July of 2014 over 900 autonomous short period seismometers were deployed within 12 km of the summit crater at Mount St Helens. In concert with the larger iMUSH experiment, these data constitute the largest seismic interrogation of an active volcano ever conducted. The array was deployed along the road and trail system of the national volcanic monument and adjacent regions with an average station spacing of 250 meters and included several station clusters with increased sampling density. The 10 Hz phones recorded the vertical component wavefield continuously at 250 Hz sampling rate over a period of approximately two weeks. During the recording time, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network detected ~65 earthquakes within the array footprint ranging in magnitude from -0.9 to 1.1, the majority of which were located beneath the crater at less than 10 km depth. In addition to the natural seismicity, 23 explosion sources from the iMUSH active source experiment were recorded, several of which exceeded magnitude 2. Preliminary results for this project will include an expanded event catalog as the array should significantly reduce the detection threshold. The sheer number of instruments allows for stacking of station clusters producing high signal-to-noise beam traces which can be used for event triggering and for creating waveform templates to measure relative travel-times across the array via cross-correlation. The ability of the array to estimate focal mechanisms from event radiation patterns and delineate complex path effects will also be investigated. The density and azimuthal coverage provide by this array offers an excellent opportunity to investigate short-wavelength variations of the seismic wavefield in a complex geologic environment. Previous seismic tomography results suggest the presence of a shallow magma chamber at 1-3 km depth near the region of shallow seismicity as evidenced by a P wave low-velocity anomaly of at least -5.5% [Waite and Moran, 2009]. The proximity of the array as well as the event distribution make it possible to investigate wavefield distortion and scattering due to the potential magma chamber, including s-wave blockage as has been observed in other systems.

Deployment of a seismic array for volcano monitoring during the ongoing submarine eruption at El Hierro, Canary Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abella, R.; Almendros, J.; Carmona, E.; Martin, R.

2012-04-01

On 17 July 2011 there was an important increase of the seismic activity at El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain). This increase was detected by the Volcano Monitoring Network (Spanish national seismic network) run by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN). As a consequence, the IGN immediately deployed a dense, complete monitoring network that included seismometers, GPS stations, geochemical equipment, magnetometers, and gravity meters. During the first three months of activity, the seismic network recorded over ten thousand volcano-tectonic earthquakes, with a maximum magnitude of 4.6. On 10 October 2011 an intense volcanic tremor started. It was a monochromatic signal, with variable amplitude and frequency content centered at about 1-2 Hz. The tremor onset was correlated with the initial stages of the submarine eruption that occurred from a vent located south of El Hierro island, near the village of La Restinga. At that point the IGN, in collaboration with the Instituto Andaluz de Geofísica, deployed a seismic array intended for volcanic tremor monitoring and analysis. The seismic array is located about 7 km NW of the submarine vent. It has a 12-channel, 24-bit data acquisition system sampling each channel at 100 sps. The array is composed by 1 three-component and 9 vertical-component seismometers, distributed in a flat area with an aperture of 360 m. The data provided by the seismic array are going to be processed using two different approaches: (1) near-real-time, to produce information that can be useful in the management of the volcanic crisis; and (2) detailed investigations, to study the volcanic tremor characteristics and relate them to the eruption dynamics. At this stage we are mostly dedicated to produce fast, near-real-time estimates. Preliminary results have been obtained using the maximum average cross-correlation method. They indicate that the tremor wavefronts are highly coherent among array stations and propagate across the seismic array with an apparent slowness of ~0.8 s/km and a back-azimuth of 135°N. These estimates have remained approximately constant since the onset of volcanic tremor, indicating a unique source and thus a single, continuing eruptive center.

Armored umbilical apparatus for towing a marine seismic air gun sub array

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burrage, E.C.

1985-06-25

An armored umbilical and termination housing is disclosed for towing a sub-array of seismic air guns used in marine seismic surveying comprising a single air hose for supplying all the high pressure air to the individual air guns surrounded by all the electrical control cables needed to operate the air guns in the sub-array. Protective coatings are applied around the electrical control cables and stress members for carrying the load of towing the sub-array are incorporated within the umbilical. A termination housing is provided on the end of the umbilical for terminating the single air hose and all the electricalmore » control lines to common connectors so that individual electrical control lines and air hoses can run from the termination housing to each individual air gun in the sub-array. Air shut off valves are provided so that the high pressure air can be shut off to the individual air guns within the sub-array remotely from the survey vessel.« less

Using Network Theory to Understand Seismic Noise in Dense Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riahi, N.; Gerstoft, P.

2015-12-01

Dense seismic arrays offer an opportunity to study anthropogenic seismic noise sources with unprecedented detail. Man-made sources typically have high frequency, low intensity, and propagate as surface waves. As a result attenuation restricts their measurable footprint to a small subset of sensors. Medium heterogeneities can further introduce wave front perturbations that limit processing based on travel time. We demonstrate a non-parametric technique that can reliably identify very local events within the array as a function of frequency and time without using travel-times. The approach estimates the non-zero support of the array covariance matrix and then uses network analysis tools to identify clusters of sensors that are sensing a common source. We verify the method on simulated data and then apply it to the Long Beach (CA) geophone array. The method exposes a helicopter traversing the array, oil production facilities with different characteristics, and the fact that noise sources near roads tend to be around 10-20 Hz.

Aleutian Array of Arrays (A-cubed) to probe a broad spectrum of fault slip under the Aleutian Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, A.; LI, B.

2016-12-01

Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone is one of the most seismically active subduction zones in this planet. It is characterized by remarkable along-strike variations in seismic behavior, more than 50 active volcanoes, and presents a unique opportunity to serve as a natural laboratory to study subduction zone processes including fault dynamics. Yet details of the seismicity pattern, spatiotemporal distribution of slow earthquakes, nature of interaction between slow and fast earthquakes and their implication on the tectonic behavior remain unknown. We use a hybrid seismic network approach and install 3 mini seismic arrays and 5 stand-alone stations to simultaneously image subduction fault and nearby volcanic system (Makushin). The arrays and stations are strategically located in the Unalaska Island, where prolific tremor activity is detected and located by a solo pilot array in summer 2012. The hybrid network is operational between summer 2015 and 2016 in continuous mode. One of the three arrays starts in summer 2014 and provides additional data covering a longer time span. The pilot array in the Akutan Island recorded continuous seismic data for 2 months. An automatic beam-backprojection analysis detects almost daily tremor activity, with an average of more than an hour per day. We imaged two active sources separated by a tremor gap. The western source, right under the Unalaska Island shows the most prolific activity with a hint of steady migration. In addition, we are able to identify more than 10 families of low frequency earthquakes (LFEs) in this area. They are located within the tremor source area as imaged by the bean-backprojection technique. Application of a match filter technique reveals that intervals between LFE activities are shorter during tremor activity and longer during quiet time period. We expect to present new results from freshly obtained data. The experiment A-cubed is illuminating subduction zone processes under Unalaska Island in unprecedented detail.

Seismo-volcano source localization with triaxial broad-band seismic array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inza, L. A.; Mars, J. I.; Métaxian, J. P.; O'Brien, G. S.; Macedo, O.

2011-10-01

Seismo-volcano source localization is essential to improve our understanding of eruptive dynamics and of magmatic systems. The lack of clear seismic wave phases prohibits the use of classical location methods. Seismic antennas composed of one-component (1C) seismometers provide a good estimate of the backazimuth of the wavefield. The depth estimation, on the other hand, is difficult or impossible to determine. As in classical seismology, the use of three-component (3C) seismometers is now common in volcano studies. To determine the source location parameters (backazimuth and depth), we extend the 1C seismic antenna approach to 3Cs. This paper discusses a high-resolution location method using a 3C array survey (3C-MUSIC algorithm) with data from two seismic antennas installed on an andesitic volcano in Peru (Ubinas volcano). One of the main scientific questions related to the eruptive process of Ubinas volcano is the relationship between the magmatic explosions and long-period (LP) swarms. After introducing the 3C array theory, we evaluate the robustness of the location method on a full wavefield 3-D synthetic data set generated using a digital elevation model of Ubinas volcano and an homogeneous velocity model. Results show that the backazimuth determined using the 3C array has a smaller error than a 1C array. Only the 3C method allows the recovery of the source depths. Finally, we applied the 3C approach to two seismic events recorded in 2009. Crossing the estimated backazimuth and incidence angles, we find sources located 1000 ± 660 m and 3000 ± 730 m below the bottom of the active crater for the explosion and the LP event, respectively. Therefore, extending 1C arrays to 3C arrays in volcano monitoring allows a more accurate determination of the source epicentre and now an estimate for the depth.

Velocity Model Using the Large-N Seismic Array from the Source Physics Experiment (SPE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, T.; Snelson, C. M.

2016-12-01

The Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary project that consists of a series of chemical explosions conducted at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The goal of SPE is to understand the complicated effect of geological structures on seismic wave propagation and source energy partitioning, develop and validate physics-based modeling, and ultimately better monitor low-yield nuclear explosions. A Large-N seismic array was deployed at the SPE site to image the full 3D wavefield from the most recent SPE-5 explosion on April 26, 2016. The Large-N seismic array consists of 996 geophones (half three-component and half vertical-component sensors), and operated for one month, recording the SPE-5 shot, ambient noise, and additional controlled-sources (a large hammer). This study uses Large-N array recordings of the SPE-5 chemical explosion to develop high resolution images of local geologic structures. We analyze different phases of recorded seismic data and construct a velocity model based on arrival times. The results of this study will be incorporated into the large modeling and simulation efforts as ground-truth further validating the models.

Static Corrections to Improve Seismic Monitoring of the North Korean Nuclear Test Site with Regional Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, N.; Wookey, J. M.; Selby, N. D.

2017-12-01

Seismology is an important part of the International Monitoring System (IMS) installed to detect, identify, and locate nuclear detonations in breach of the Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) prior to and after its entry into force. Seismic arrays in particular provide not only a means of detecting and locating underground nuclear explosions, but in discriminating them from naturally occurring earthquakes of similar magnitude. One potential discriminant is the amplitude ratio of high frequency (> 2 Hz) P waves to S waves (P/S) measured at regional distances (3 - 17 °). Accurate measurement of such discriminants, and the ability to detect low-magnitude seismicity from a suspicious event relies on high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data. A correction to the slowness vector of the incident seismic wavefield, and static corrections applied to the waveforms recorded at each receiver within the array can be shown to improve the SNR. We apply codes we have developed to calculate slowness-azimuth station corrections (SASCs) and static corrections to the arrival time and amplitude of the seismic waveform to seismic arrays regional to the DPRK nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, North Korea. We use the F-statistic to demonstrate the SNR improvement to data from the nuclear tests and other seismic events in the vicinity of the test site. We also make new measurements of P/S with the corrected waveforms and compare these with existing measurements.

Deep drilling; Probing beneath the earth's surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rosen, J.250

1991-06-01

This paper reports on boreholes from 4.5 to greater than 10 kilometers deep that are pushing back the boundaries of earth science as they yield information that is used to refine seismic surveys, chart the evolution of sedimentary basins and shield volcanos, and uncover important clues on the origin and migration of mantle-derived water and gas.

Adaptive Waveform Correlation Detectors for Arrays: Algorithms for Autonomous Calibration

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

March 17, 2005. The seismic signals from both master and detected events are followed by infrasound arrivals. Note the long duration of the...correlation coefficient traces with a significant array -gain. A detected event that is co-located with the master event will record the same time-difference...estimating the detection threshold reduction for a range of highly repeating seismic sources using arrays of different configurations and at different

Identification of Sungai Batu Sediment using 2-D Resistivity Imaging and Seismic Refraction Methods for Ancient River Mapping at Kedah, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andika, F.; Saad, R.; Saidin, M. M.; Muztaza, N. M.; Amsir

2018-04-01

Sungai Batu is an earliest civilization in Southeast Asia with evidenced by the discovery of riverside jetty, iron smelting, and ritual monuments. The evidences can lead to prediction of buried river caused by geological and sedimentation process. This study was conducted to study sediment deposit characteristic and to map thickness of the sediments using 2-D resistivity imaging and seismic refraction for ancient river mapping. A total of thirty, 2-D resistivity and nine seismic survey lines were conducted at the study area. Four of the lines R1-R4 and S1-S4 were correlated and validated with existing on site boreholes BH1-BH4 to identify sediment type and thickness. The validated values applied to the remaining survey lines which no borehole record to map the subsurface of the study area. Based on the results, Sungai Batu area consist of clay with resistivity value of 6.6-25.9 Ω.m and velocity value of 716.9-1606.9 m/s; sandy clay with resistivity value of 6-265.1 Ω.m and velocity value of 1003.6-1901.4 m/s; while shale was identified with resistivity value of >668.6 Ω.m and velocity value of >2051.7 m/s. Boundary between clay/sandy clay with shale was identified with resistivity value of 314 Ω.m and velocity value of 1822 m/s. The integration of the 2-D resistivity and seismic refraction identified that the thickness of Sungai Batu sediment is 0-150 m and Sungai Batu ancient river was successfully map based on thickness of sediment which is >45 m.

Analysis and Simulation of Near-Field Ground Motions from the Source Physics Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antoun, T. H.; Vorobiev, O.; Xu, H.; Herbold, E. B.; Glenn, L.; Lomov, I.

2011-12-01

The Source Physics Experiment (SPE) at the Nevada National Security Site is planned as a series of chemical explosions under a variety of emplacement conditions. The goal of the SPE is to improve our physical understanding and ability to model explosively generated seismic waves, particularly S-waves. The first SPE explosion (SPE1) consisted of a 100 kg shot at a depth of 60 meters in granite (Climax Stock). The shot was well-recorded by an array of over 150 instruments, including both near-field wave motion measurements as well as far-field seismic measurements. This paper focuses on measurements and modeling of the near-field data, which included triaxial acceleration measurements at eighteen different locations azimuthally distributed around the explosive charge. Three triaxial accelerometers were embedded in each of six vertical boreholes, distributed in two concentric rings around the charge. The inner ring consisted of three equidistant boreholes at a radius of 10 m from the charge, and the outer ring consisted of another three equidistant boreholes at a radius of 20 m. In each borehole, the accelerometers were vertically distributed at depths of 60 m (shot horizon), 50 m and 15 m. Surface accelerations were also recorded along a radial line centered at surface ground zero. A review of the SPE1 data shows that the peak radial velocity as a function of scaled range is consistent with previous nuclear explosion data but exhibits greater variability. The scaled peak radial displacement also exhibits greater variability but the mean values are significantly higher than exhibited in previous nuclear explosion data. These higher displacements were also observed in calculations performed with a constitutive model based on nuclear explosion data in hard rock, but employed a JWL equation of state for the ANFO explosive used in SPE1. The reason for this behavior is believed to be the higher effective ratio of specific heats in the explosion products of the chemical explosive, leading to higher residual cavity pressure. Azimuthal scatter in the velocity data correspond to joint orientation, and as anticipated, the joints appear to be the principal source of observed shear wave generation in the near field. Preliminary modeling of the SPE1 data shows that continuum simulations that do not explicitly account for the effect of joints will not successfully reproduce the observed directional variations in the recorded data. However, 2D and 3D simulations that explicitly account for joints and pre-existing fractures show that a low friction angle, derived with water-filled joints, may account for the observed variation in peak velocity and displacement. Waves appear to propagate more readily in the direction of persistent joints, as opposed to staggered joints. Furthermore, the anisotropy associated with wave propagation seems to be more pronounced when the friction angle was lowered to account for the effect of saturation. Further modeling is being conducted with continued focus on the effect of the presence of joints and their properties on shear wave generation. Simulation results will be compared to experimental measurements of both radial and non-radial motions from the SPE1 event, as well as from planned future SPE explosions.

An integrated geophysical and geochemical exploration of critical zone weathering on opposing montane hillslope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singha, K.; Navarre-Sitchler, A.; Bandler, A.; Pommer, R. E.; Novitsky, C. G.; Holbrook, S.; Moore, J.

2017-12-01

Quantifying coupled geochemical and hydrological properties and processes that operate in the critical zone is key to predicting rock weathering and subsequent transmission and storage of water in the shallow subsurface. Geophysical data have the potential to elucidate geochemical and hydrologic processes across landscapes over large spatial scales that are difficult to achieve with point measurements alone. Here, we explore the connections between weathering and fracturing, as measured from integrated geochemical and geophysical borehole data and seismic velocities on north- and south-facing aspects within one watershed in the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory. We drilled eight boreholes up to 13 m deep on north- and south-facing aspects within Upper Gordon Gulch, and surface seismic refraction data were collected near these wells to explore depths of regolith and bedrock, as well as anisotropic characteristics of the subsurface material due to fracturing. Optical televiewer data were collected in these wells to infer the dominant direction of fracturing and fracture density in the near surface to corroborate with the seismic data. Geochemical samples were collected from four of these wells and a series of shallow soil pits for bulk chemistry, clay fraction, and exchangeable cation concentrations to identify depths of chemically altered saprolite. Seismic data show that depth to unweathered bedrock, as defined by p-wave seismic velocity, is slightly thicker on the north-facing slopes. Geochemical data suggest that the depth to the base of saprolite ranges from 3-5 m, consistent with a p-wave velocity value of 1200 m/s. Based on magnitude and anisotropy of p-wave velocities together with optical televiewer data, regolith on north-facing slopes is thought to be more fractured than south-facing slopes, while geochemical data indicate that position on the landscape is another important characteristic in determining depths of weathering. We explore the importance of fracture opening in controlling both saprolite and regolith thickness within this watershed.

Plio Quaternary tectonic evolution and structure of the Catania foredeep, the northern Hyblean Plateau and the Ionian shelf (SE Sicily)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torelli, Luigi; Grasso, Mario; Mazzoldi, Glauco; Peis, Davide

1998-11-01

Available multi- and single-channel seismic reflection profiles, calibrated by onshore borehole data, have been used for defining the structural styles in the shelf and slope of the Ionian Sea between Catania and Augusta (SE Sicily). The geological and geophysical data suggest that this area represents a segment of the foredeep-foreland system which collapsed after Late Pliocene times. The foundering was controlled by normal faults trending NE-SW, which flank the southern margin of the Catania foredeep. Onland, in outcrop, these faults appear largely to be post-dated by Lower Pleistocene sediments, nearshore carbonates passing laterally into basinal clays, which lie unconformably upon older substrata. Offshore, close to the southern edge of the foredeep, seismic lines allow recognition of two distinct units: a syn-rift wedge (Upper Pliocene submarine tholeiites and sediments), and a post-rift sequence which can be correlated with Lower Pleistocene carbonates, sands and clays recognisable on land, both in outcrop and by borehole data. The true frontal part of the thrust belt, as detected by the seismic lines, occupies the inner part of the area investigated and is buried by Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene sediments. However, the compressive deformation seems to propagate toward the south-southeast by means of growing detachment levels developing at depth within Pleistocene marine clays, for a length of about 10 km, ahead of the present-day thrust front. Offshore, the faults trending NE-SW are dissected towards the east by faults trending NNW-SSE, subparallel to the Malta Escarpment, which flank the edge of the submerged Messina Rise. These faults, originating in a steep scarp which drops eastwards to the deep Ionian basin, have triggered submarine slides and affected the present-day seafloor sediments. As shown by seismic lines and as stressed by the modern seismicity of the area, some of the faults along the Malta Escarpment could be still active.

Fracture hydromechanical response measured by fiber optic distributed acoustic sensing at milliHertz frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, M. W.; Ciervo, C.; Cole, M.; Coleman, T.; Mondanos, M.

2017-07-01

A new method of measuring dynamic strain in boreholes was used to record fracture displacement in response to head oscillation. Fiber optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) was used to measure strain at mHz frequencies, rather than the Hz to kHz frequencies typical for seismic and acoustic monitoring. Fiber optic cable was mechanically coupled to the wall of a borehole drilled into fractured crystalline bedrock. Oscillating hydraulic signals were applied at a companion borehole 30 m away. The DAS instrument measured fracture displacement at frequencies of less than 1 mHz and amplitudes of less than 1 nm, in response to fluid pressure changes of less 20 Pa (2 mm H2O). Displacement was linearly related to the log of effective stress, a relationship typically explained by the effect of self-affine fracture roughness on fracture closure. These results imply that fracture roughness affects closure even when displacement is a million times smaller than the fracture aperture.

Laboratory Seismic Monitoring and X-ray CT imaging of Supercritical CO2 Injection in Reservoir Sand: WESTCAB King Island Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakashima, S.; Kneafsey, T. J.; Nakagawa, S.; Harper, E. J.

2013-12-01

The Central Valley of California contains promising locations for on-shore geologic CO2 storage. DOE's WESTCARB (West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership) project drilled and cored a borehole (Citizen Green Well) at King Island (near Stockton, CA) to study the CO2 storage capability of saline and gas-bearing formations in the southwestern Sacramento Basin. Potential reservoirs encountered in the borehole include Domengine, Mokelumne River (primary target), and Top Starkey formations. In anticipation of geophysical monitoring of possible CO2 injection into this particular borehole and of the long-term migration of the CO2, we conducted small-scale CO2 injection experiments on three core samples retrieved from the well (Mokelumne River sand A and B) and from a mine outcrop (Domengine sandstone). During the experiment, a jacketed core sample (diameter 1.5 inches, length 4.0-6.0 inches) saturated with brine- (1% NaCl aq.) was confined within a pressure vessel via compressed nitrogen to 3,500-4,000psi, and supercritical CO2 was injected into the core at 2,000-2,500psi and 45-60 degrees C. The CO2 pressure and temperature were adjusted so that the bulk elastic modulus of the CO2 was close to the expected in-situ modulus--which affects the seismic properties most--while keeping the confining stress within our experimental capabilities. After the CO2 broke through the core, fresh brine was re-injected to remove the CO2 by both displacement and dissolution. Throughout the experiment, seismic velocity and attenuation of the core sample were measured using the Split Hopkinson Resonant Bar method (Nakagawa, 2012, Rev. Sci. Instr.) at near 1 kHz (500Hz--1.5 kHz), and the CO2 distribution determined via x-ray CT imaging. In contrast to relatively isotropic Mokelumne sand A, Domengine sandstone and Mokelumne sand B cores exhibited CO2 distributions strongly controlled by the bedding planes. During the CO2 injection, P-wave velocity and attenuation of the layered samples changed irregularly, roughly corresponding to the sequential invasion of the compliant fluid in the sedimentary layers revealed by the CT images. The overall behavior the seismic waves and the final CO2 saturation of the cores, however, were similar for all three cores used in this experiment.

Visualization of hydraulic connections using Borehole Array around LPG Underground Storage Cavern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimo, M.; Mashimo, H.; Maejima, T.; Aoki, K.

2006-12-01

This paper presents a systematic approach to visualize the hydraulic connections within the fractured rock mass around the underground LPG storage caverns using array of water injection boreholes. By taking advantage that water injection boreholes are located so as to cover the storage caverns, a complete sketch of hydraulic conditions around the caverns, such as locations of water conducting fractures, hydraulic conductivity and groundwater pressure can be obtained. Applicability of the proposed techniques have been tested in an on-going construction project operated by JOGMEC, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, at Namikata, Western part of Japan. Three 26m x 30m x 485m caverns, located at 150 - 200 m below the ground surface in a granitic rock, are under construction. By systematically monitoring the pressure responses between the neighboring boreholes during drilling of total 387 boreholes around the two propane caverns, a spatial profile of the hydraulic connections and hydraulic conductivity around the caverns has been successfully obtained. Locations of localized depressurized zones created during an arch excavation have been detected by monitoring pressure in each borehole after stopping water supply to that borehole temporarily. Measurement has been conducted using each one of the 302 boreholes, one at a time. Observation shows that there is a clear correlation between total pressure drop and pressure gradient versus time curve on semi-logarithmic plot, dH/log10t, as expected by the numerical prediction. Regions where dH/log10t is larger than a certain criteria, determined by a numerical simulation for flow around a cavern in a rock with uniform hydraulic conductivity, have been evaluated as a depressurized zone caused by insufficient water supply, possibly due to existence of the high permeable zones. Separate pore pressure measurement around the caverns also supports this interpretation that a low pressure is prevailing near the borehole where a large value of dH/log10t is obtained. As a countermeasure to avoid further depressurization, installation of additional water injection hole was conducted. The same observation was then repeated. It is recognized that dH/log10t has recovered above the criteria, showing that the local water balance has been improved. Finally it is concluded that the proposed rather simple but space encompassing observation is applicable to groundwater management during construction and also provides useful information for creating a hydrogeological model, considering a fracture network system, that will be used for the evaluation of the cavern performance as a storage tank.

Use of Microtremor Array Recordings for Mapping Subsurface Soil Structure, Singapore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walling, M.

2012-12-01

Microtremor array recordings are carried out in Singapore, for different geology, to study the influence of each site in modeling the subsurface structure. The Spatial Autocorrelation (SPAC) method is utilized for the computation of the soil profiles. The array configuration of the recording consists of 7 seismometers, recording the vertical component of the ground motion, and the recording at each site is carried out for 30 minutes. The results from the analysis show that the soil structure modeled for the young alluvial of Kallang Formation (KF), in terms of shear wave velocity (Vs), gives a good correlation with borehole information, while for the older geological formation of Jurong Formation (JF) (sedimentary rock sequence) and Old Alluvial (OA) (dense alluvium formation), the correlation is not very clear due to the lack of impedance contrast. The older formation of Bukit Timah Granite (BTG) show contrasting results within the formation, with the northern BTG suggesting a low Vs upper layer of about 20m - 30m while the southern BTG reveals a dense formation. The discrepancy in the variation within BTG is confirmed from borehole data that reveals the northern BTG to have undergone intense weathering while the southern BTG have not undergone noticeable weathering. Few sites with bad recording quality could not resolve the soil structure. Microtremor array recording is good for mapping sites with soft soil formation and weathered rock formation but can be limited in the absence of subsurface velocity contrast and bad quality of microtremor records.; The correlation between the Vs30 estimated from SPAC method and borehole data for the four major geological formations of Singapore. The encircled sites are the sites with recording error.

Basic Research on Seismic and Infrasonic Monitoring of the European Arctic

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

detected with a high signal -to-noise ratio (SNR) on the ARCES array ; secondly they register very stable azimuth estimates on the detection lists; and...exploiting the data from the Swedish infrasound array network, which provides a useful supplement to the seismic and infrasonic arrays in Norway and NW...infrasonic phase associations. Furthermore, we plan to generate an infrasonic event bulletin using only the estimated azimuths and detection times of

Seismic site survey investigations in urban environments: The case of the underground metro project in Copenhagen, Denmark.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez, K.; Mendoza, J. A.; Colberg-Larsen, J.; Ploug, C.

2009-05-01

Near surface geophysics applications are gaining more widespread use in geotechnical and engineering projects. The development of data acquisition, processing tools and interpretation methods have optimized survey time, reduced logistics costs and increase results reliability of seismic surveys during the last decades. However, the use of wide-scale geophysical methods under urban environments continues to face great challenges due to multiple noise sources and obstacles inherent to cities. A seismic pre-investigation was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using seismic methods to obtain information about the subsurface layer locations and media properties in Copenhagen. Such information is needed for hydrological, geotechnical and groundwater modeling related to the Cityringen underground metro project. The pre-investigation objectives were to validate methods in an urban environment and optimize field survey procedures, processing and interpretation methods in urban settings in the event of further seismic investigations. The geological setting at the survey site is characterized by several interlaced layers of clay, till and sand. These layers are found unevenly distributed throughout the city and present varying thickness, overlaying several different unit types of limestone at shallow depths. Specific results objectives were to map the bedrock surface, ascertain a structural geological framework and investigate bedrock media properties relevant to the construction design. The seismic test consisted of a combined seismic reflection and refraction analyses of a profile line conducted along an approximately 1400 m section in the northern part of Copenhagen, along the projected metro city line. The data acquisition was carried out using a 192 channels array, receiver groups with 5 m spacing and a Vibroseis as a source at 10 m spacing. Complementarily, six vertical seismic profiles (VSP) were performed at boreholes located along the line. The reflection data underwent standard interpretation and the refraction included wavepath Eikonal traveltime tomography. The reflection results indicate the presence of horizontal reflectors with discontinuities likely related to deep lying structural features in deeper lying chalk layers. The refraction interpretation allowed the identification of the upper limestone surface, relevant to map for tunneling design. The VSP provided additional information regarding limestone quality and provided correlation data for improved refraction interpretation. In general, the pre-investigation results demonstrated that it is possible to image the limestone surface using the seismic method. The satisfactory results lead to the implementation of a 15 km survey planned during the spring 2009. The survey will combine reflection, refraction, walkaway-VSP and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The authors wish to acknowledge Metroselskabet I/S for permission in presenting the preliminary results and the Cityringen Joint Venture partners Arup and Systra.

Imaging pathways in fractured rock using three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Judith; Slater, Lee; Johnson, Timothy B.; Shapiro, Allen M.; Tiedeman, Claire; Ntlargiannis, Dimitrios; Johnson, Carole D.; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Lacombe, Pierre; Imbrigiotta, Thomas; Lane, John W.

2016-01-01

Major challenges exist in delineating bedrock fracture zones because these cause abrupt changes in geological and hydrogeological properties over small distances. Borehole observations cannot sufficiently capture heterogeneity in these systems. Geophysical techniques offer the potential to image properties and processes in between boreholes. We used three-dimensional cross borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in a 9 m (diameter) × 15 m well field to capture high-resolution flow and transport processes in a fractured mudstone contaminated by chlorinated solvents, primarily trichloroethylene. Conductive (sodium bromide) and resistive (deionized water) injections were monitored in seven boreholes. Electrode arrays with isolation packers and fluid sampling ports were designed to enable acquisition of ERT measurements during pulsed tracer injections. Fracture zone locations and hydraulic pathways inferred from hydraulic head drawdown data were compared with electrical conductivity distributions from ERT measurements. Static ERT imaging has limited resolution to decipher individual fractures; however, these images showed alternating conductive and resistive zones, consistent with alternating laminated and massive mudstone units at the site. Tracer evolution and migration was clearly revealed in time-lapse ERT images and supported by in situ borehole vertical apparent conductivity profiles collected during the pulsed tracer test. While water samples provided important local information at the extraction borehole, ERT delineated tracer migration over spatial scales capturing the primary hydrogeological heterogeneity controlling flow and transport. The fate of these tracer injections at this scale could not have been quantified using borehole logging and/or borehole sampling methods alone.

Seismic Monitoring at the Decatur, IL, Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickman, S. H.; Kaven, J. O.; McGarr, A.; Walter, S. R.; Ellsworth, W. L.; Svitek, J. F.; Burke, L. A.

2014-12-01

The viability of carbon capture and storage (CCS) depends on safely sequestering large quantities of carbon dioxide over geologic time scales. One concern is the potential for induced seismicity. We report on seismic monitoring by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at a CCS demonstration site in Decatur, IL. This is the first (and to date only) CCS project in the U.S. to inject large volumes of CO2 into an extensive undisturbed saline reservoir, and thus serves as an important test for future industrial-scale CCS projects. At Decatur, supercritical CO2 is injected at 2.1 km depth into the Mt. Simon Sandstone, which directly overlies granitic basement. The primary sealing cap is the Eau Claire Shale at a depth of about 1.5 km. The Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) manages the ongoing Illinois Basin - Decatur Project, a three-year project beginning in November 2011 during which CO2 is injected at an average rate of 1000 metric tons/day. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) manages the nearby Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage project, which, pending permit approval, plans to inject 3000 metric tons/day for five years. The USGS seismic network was installed starting in July 2013 and consists of 12 stations, three of which include borehole sensors at depths of 150 m. The aperture of this network is roughly 8 km, centered on the injection well. A one-dimensional velocity model was derived from a vertical seismic profile survey acquired by ADM and the ISGS to a depth of 2.2 km, tied into acoustic logs from a deep observation well and the USGS borehole stations. This model was used together with absolute and double-difference techniques to locate seismic events. These events group into two clusters: 0.4 to 1.0 km NE and 1.8 to 2.6 km WNW from the injection well, with moment magnitudes ranging from -0.8 to 1.1. Most of these events are in the granitic basement, well below the cap rock, and are unlikely to have compromised the integrity of the seal.

Near-surface location, geometry, and velocities of the Santa Monica Fault Zone, Los Angeles, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.; Gandhok, G.; Goldman, M.R.; Okaya, D.; Rymer, M.J.; Bawden, G.W.

2008-01-01

High-resolution seismic-reflection and seismic-refraction imaging, combined with existing borehole, earthquake, and paleoseismic trenching data, suggest that the Santa Monica fault zone in Los Angeles consists of multiple strands from several kilometers depth to the near surface. We interpret our seismic data as showing two shallow-depth low-angle fault strands and multiple near-vertical (???85??) faults in the upper 100 m. One of the low-angle faults dips northward at about 28?? and approaches the surface at the base of a topographic scarp on the grounds of the Wadsworth VA Hospital (WVAH). The other principal low-angle fault dips northward at about 20?? and projects toward the surface about 200 m south of the topographic scarp, near the northernmost areas of the Los Angeles Basin that experienced strong shaking during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The 20?? north-dipping low-angle fault is also apparent on a previously published seismic-reflection image by Pratt et al. (1998) and appears to extend northward to at least Wilshire Boulevard, where the fault may be about 450 m below the surface. Slip rates determined at the WVAH site could be significantly underestimated if it is assumed that slip occurs only on a single strand of the Santa Monica fault or if it is assumed that the near-surface faults dip at angles greater than 20-28??. At the WVAH, tomographic velocity modeling shows a significant decrease in velocity across near-surface strands of the Santa Monica fault. P-wave velocities range from about 500 m/sec at the surface to about 4500 m/sec within the upper 50 m on the north side of the fault zone at WVAH, but maximum measured velocities on the south side of the low-angle fault zone at WVAH are about 3500 m/sec. These refraction velocities compare favorably with velocities measured in nearby boreholes by Gibbs et al. (2000). This study illustrates the utility of com- bined seismic-reflection and seismic-refraction methods, which allow more accurate reflection imaging and compositional estimations across areas with highly variable velocities, a property that is characteristic of most fault zones.

Characterizing the Inner Accretionary Prism of the Nankai Trough with 3D Seismic and Logging While Drilling at IODP Site C0002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boston, B.; Moore, G. F.; Jurado, M. J.; Sone, H.; Tobin, H. J.; Saffer, D. M.; Hirose, T.; Toczko, S.; Maeda, L.

2014-12-01

The deeper, inner parts of active accretionary prisms have been poorly studied due the lack of drilling data, low seismic image quality and typically thick overlying sediments. Our project focuses on the interior of the Nankai Trough inner accretionary prism using deep scientific drilling and a 3D seismic cube. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 348 extended the existing riser hole to more than 3000 meters below seafloor (mbsf) at Site C0002. Logging while drilling (LWD) data included gamma ray, resistivity, resistivity image, and sonic logs. LWD analysis of the lower section revealed on the borehole images intense deformation characterized by steep bedding, faults and fractures. Bedding plane orientations were measured throughout, with minor gaps at heavily deformed zones disrupting the quality of the resistivity images. Bedding trends are predominantly steeply dipping (60-90°) to the NW. Interpretation of fractures and faults in the image log revealed the existence of different sets of fractures and faults and variable fracture density, remarkably high at fault zones. Gamma ray, resistivity and sonic logs indicated generally homogenous lithology interpretation along this section, consistent with the "silty-claystone" predominant lithologies described on cutting samples. Drops in sonic velocity were observed at the fault zones defined on borehole images. Seismic reflection interpretation of the deep faults in the inner prism is exceedingly difficult due to a strong seafloor multiple, high-angle bedding dips, and low frequency of the data. Structural reconstructions were employed to test whether folding of seismic horizons in the overlying forearc basin could be from an interpreted paleothrust within the inner prism. We used a trishear-based restoration to estimate fault slip on folded horizons landward of C0002. We estimate ~500 m of slip from a steeply dipping deep thrust within the last ~0.9 Ma. Folding is not found in the Kumano sediments near C0002, where normal faults and tilting dominate the modern basin deformation. Both logging and seismic are consistent in characterizing a heavily deformed inner prism. Most of this deformation must have occurred during or before formation of the overlying modern Kumano forearc basin sediments.

Geophysical characterization of an active hydrothermal shear zone in granitic rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahner, Tobias; Baron, Ludovic; Holliger, Klaus; Egli, Daniel

2016-04-01

Hydrothermally active faults and shear zones in the crystalline massifs of the central Alps are currently of particular interest because of their potential similarities and analogies with planned deep petrothermal reservoirs in the Alpine foreland. In order to better understand such hydrothermal systems, a near-vertical, hydrothermally active shear zone embedded in low-permeability granitic rocks has been drilled. This borehole is located on the Grimsel Pass in the central Swiss Alps, has an inclination of 24 degrees with regard to the vertical, and crosses the targeted shear zone between about 82 and 86 meters depth. The borehole has been fully cored and a comprehensive suite of geophysical logging data has been acquired. The latter comprises multi-frequency sonic, ground-penetrating radar, resistivity, self-potential, gamma-gamma, neutron-neutron, optical televiewer, and caliper log data. In addition to this, we have also performed a surface-to-borehole vertical seismic profiling experiment. The televiewer data and the retrieved core samples show a marked increase of the fracture density in the target region, which also finds its expression in rather pronounced and distinct signatures in all other log data. Preliminary results point towards a close correspondence between the ground-penetrating radar and the neutron-neutron log data, which opens the perspective of constraining the effective fracture porosity at vastly differing scales. There is also remarkably good agreement between the sonic log and the vertical seismic profiling data, which may allow for assessing the permeability of the probed fracture network by interpreting these data in a poroelastic context.

Improving the shear wave velocity structure beneath Bucharest (Romania) using ambient vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manea, Elena Florinela; Michel, Clotaire; Poggi, Valerio; Fäh, Donat; Radulian, Mircea; Balan, Florin Stefan

2016-11-01

Large earthquakes from the intermediate-depth Vrancea seismic zone are known to produce in Bucharest ground motion characterized by predominant long periods. This phenomenon has been interpreted as the combined effect of both seismic source properties and site response of the large sedimentary basin. The thickness of the unconsolidated Quaternary deposits beneath the city is more than 200 m, the total depth of sediments is more than 1000 m. Complex basin geometry and the low seismic wave velocities of the sediments are primarily responsible for the large amplification and long duration experienced during earthquakes. For a better understanding of the geological structure under Bucharest, a number of investigations using non-invasive methods have been carried out. With the goal to analyse and extract the polarization and dispersion characteristics of the surface waves, ambient vibrations and low-magnitude earthquakes have been investigated using single station and array techniques. Love and Rayleigh dispersion curves (including higher modes), Rayleigh waves ellipticity and SH-wave fundamental frequency of resonance (f0SH) have been inverted simultaneously to estimate the shear wave velocity structure under Bucharest down to a depth of about 8 km. Information from existing borehole logs was used as prior to reduce the non-uniqueness of the inversion and to constrain the shallow part of the velocity model (<300 m). In this study, we use data from a 35-km diameter array (the URS experiment) installed by the National Institute for Earth Physics and by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology during 10 months in the period 2003-2004. The array consisted of 32 three-component seismological stations, deployed in the urban area of Bucharest and adjacent zones. The large size of the array and the broad-band nature of the available sensors gave us the possibility to characterize the surface wave dispersion at very low frequencies (0.05-1 Hz) using frequency-wavenumber techniques. This is essential to explore and resolve the deeper portions of the basin. The horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (H/V) curves provide important additional information about the structure and are here characterized by two major peaks. The first is attributed to the fundamental frequency of the basin, while the second can be interpreted as a mixture of the second higher mode of Rayleigh waves and other types of waves such as SH waves. This hypothesis has been verified by comparing the H/V curves with the SH-wave transfer function from the retrieved velocity structure. We could also approximate the SH transfer function with H/V ratios of earthquake recordings, providing additional verification of the robustness of the proposed velocity model. The Cretaceous bedrock depth was then inverted at each URS station from the fundamental frequency of resonance and using this model. A 3-D geophysical model for Bucharest has been constructed based on the integration of the inverted velocity profiles and the available geological information using a geographic information system.

Monitoring El Hierro submarine volcanic eruption events with a submarine seismic array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurado, Maria Jose; Molino, Erik; Lopez, Carmen

2013-04-01

A submarine volcanic eruption took place near the southernmost emerged land of the El Hierro Island (Canary Islands, Spain), from October 2011 to February 2012. The Instituto Geografico Nacional (IGN) seismic stations network evidenced seismic unrest since July 2012 and was a reference also to follow the evolution of the seismic activity associated with the volcanic eruption. From the beginning of the eruption a geophone string was installed less than 2 km away from the new volcano, next to La Restinga village shore, to record seismic activity related to the volcanic activity, continuously and with special interest on high frequency events. The seismic array was endowed with 8, high frequency, 3 component, 250 Hz, geophone cable string with a separation of 6 m between them. The analysis of the dataset using spectral techniques allows the characterization of the different phases of the eruption and the study of its dynamics. The correlation of the data analysis results with the observed sea surface activity (ash and lava emission and degassing) and also with the seismic activity recorded by the IGN field seismic monitoring system, allows the identification of different stages suggesting the existence of different signal sources during the volcanic eruption and also the posteruptive record of the degassing activity. The study shows that the high frequency capability of the geophone array allow the study of important features that cannot be registered by the standard seismic stations. The accumulative spectral amplitude show features related to eruptive changes.

Seismo-acoustic Signals Recorded at KSIAR, the Infrasound Array Installed at PS31

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T. S.; Che, I. Y.; Jeon, J. S.; Chi, H. C.; Kang, I. B.

2014-12-01

One of International Monitoring System (IMS)'s primary seismic stations, PS31, called Korea Seismic Research Station (KSRS), was installed around Wonju, Korea in 1970s. It has been operated by US Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) for more than 40 years. KSRS is composed of 26 seismic sensors including 19 short period, 6 long period and 1 broad band seismometers. The 19 short period sensors were used to build an array with a 10-km aperture while the 6 long period sensors were used for a relatively long period array with a 40-km aperture. After KSRS was certified as an IMS station in 2006 by Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) which is the Korea National Data Center started to take over responsibilities on the operation and maintenance of KSRS from AFTAC. In April of 2014, KIGAM installed an infrasound array, KSIAR, on the existing four short period seismic stations of KSRS, the sites KS05, KS06, KS07 and KS16. The collocated KSIAR changed KSRS from a seismic array into a seismo-acoustic array. The aperture of KSIAR is 3.3 km. KSIAR also has a 100-m small aperture infrasound array at KS07. The infrasound data from KSIAR except that from the site KS06 is being transmitted in real time to KIGAM with VPN and internet line. An initial analysis on seismo-acoustic signals originated from local and regional distance ranges has been performed since May 2014. The analysis with the utilization of an array process called Progressive Multi-Channel Correlation (PMCC) detected seismo-acoustic signals caused by various sources including small explosions in relation to constructing local tunnels and roads. Some of them were not found in the list of automatic bulletin of KIGAM. The seismo-acoustic signals recorded by KSIAR are supplying a useful information for discriminating local and regional man-made events from natural events.

3-component beamforming analysis of ambient seismic noise field for Love and Rayleigh wave source directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juretzek, Carina; Hadziioannou, Céline

2014-05-01

Our knowledge about common and different origins of Love and Rayleigh waves observed in the microseism band of the ambient seismic noise field is still limited, including the understanding of source locations and source mechanisms. Multi-component array methods are suitable to address this issue. In this work we use a 3-component beamforming algorithm to obtain source directions and polarization states of the ambient seismic noise field within the primary and secondary microseism bands recorded at the Gräfenberg array in southern Germany. The method allows to distinguish between different polarized waves present in the seismic noise field and estimates Love and Rayleigh wave source directions and their seasonal variations using one year of array data. We find mainly coinciding directions for the strongest acting sources of both wave types at the primary microseism and different source directions at the secondary microseism.

Consolidation patterns during initiation and evolution of a plate-boundary decollement zone: Northern Barbados accretionary prism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, J.C.; Klaus, A.; Bangs, N.L.; Bekins, B.; Bucker, C.J.; Bruckmann, W.; Erickson, S.N.; Hansen, O.; Horton, T.; Ireland, P.; Major, C.O.; Moore, Gregory F.; Peacock, S.; Saito, S.; Screaton, E.J.; Shimeld, J.W.; Stauffer, P.H.; Taymaz, T.; Teas, P.A.; Tokunaga, T.

1998-01-01

Borehole logs from the northern Barbados accretionary prism show that the plate-boundary decollement initiates in a low-density radiolarian claystone. With continued thrusting, the decollement zone consolidates, but in a patchy manner. The logs calibrate a three-dimensional seismic reflection image of the decollement zone and indicate which portions are of low density and enriched in fluid, and which portions have consolidated. The seismic image demonstrates that an underconsolidated patch of the decollement zone connects to a fluid-rich conduit extending down the decollement surface. Fluid migration up this conduit probably supports the open pore structure in the underconsolidated patch.

Array seismological investigation of the South Atlantic 'Superplume'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hempel, Stefanie; Gassmöller, Rene; Thomas, Christine

2015-04-01

We apply the axisymmetric, spherical Earth spectral elements code AxiSEM to model seismic compressional waves which sample complex `superplume' structures in the lower mantle. High-resolution array seismological stacking techniques are evaluated regarding their capability to resolve large-scale high-density low-velocity bodies including interior structure such as inner upwellings, high density lenses, ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs), neighboring remnant slabs and adjacent small-scale uprisings. Synthetic seismograms are also computed and processed for models of the Earth resulting from geodynamic modelling of the South Atlantic mantle including plate reconstruction. We discuss the interference and suppression of the resulting seismic signals and implications for a seismic data study in terms of visibility of the South Atlantic `superplume' structure. This knowledge is used to process, invert and interpret our data set of seismic sources from the Andes and the South Sandwich Islands detected at seismic arrays spanning from Ethiopia over Cameroon to South Africa mapping the South Atlantic `superplume' structure including its interior structure. In order too present the model of the South Atlantic `superplume' structure that best fits the seismic data set, we iteratively compute synthetic seismograms while adjusting the model according to the dependencies found in the parameter study.

SKS splitting results in central Italy and Dinaric region inside the AlpArray-CASE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salimbeni, S.; Prevolnik, S.; Pondrelli, S.; Molinari, I.; Stipcevic, J.; Kissling, E.; Šipka, V.; Herak, M.

2017-12-01

In the framework of the AlpArray project (AlpArray Seismic Network, 2015), the complementary "Central Adriatic Seismic Experiment" (CASE; AlpArray Seismic Network, 2016) was established as collaboration between ETH Zürich, University of Zagreb, INGV and Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Republic of Srpska. The CASE project consists of 9 temporary stations, installed in October 2016, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Italy. Temporary broadband seismic stations, with the permanent stations present in the region shared by the Croatian Seismological Service and INGV, make an almost continuous transect cutting the Central-Southern Appenines, the central Adriatic region, central External Dinarides and finishing at the eastern margin of the Internal Dinarides. The presence of the the Apenninic and Dinarides slabs, verging in opposite directions and plunging along the opposite sides of the Adriatic plate, make this area a peculiar spot to understand the complex dynamic of the region. Various tomographic images (e.g. Bijwaard and Spakman, 2000; Piromallo and Morelli, 2003) shows not continuous slabs under the Appenines and the Dinarides, suggesting the presence of slab-gaps right beneath the region covered by the CASE experiment. Here we present the preliminary results of the SKS splitting analysis performed on the data recorded by the temporary and permanent seismic stations included in the CASE project. The new results, in combination with previous interpretation, will provide clues about how Northern and Southern Apennines are connected at depth, how the slab rollback of the Apennines thrust belt acted and if and how the Apennines are in relation with the Dinaric region. Together with the measurements from previous studies and from the AlpArray project, our new data will support the mapping of the seismic anisotropy deformation pattern from Western Alps to Pannonian region.

Imaging Critical Zone Using High Frequency Rayleigh Wave Group Velocity Measurements Extracted from Ambient Seismic Fields Gathered With 2400 Seismic Nodes in Southeastern Wyoming.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keifer, I. S.; Dueker, K. G.

2016-12-01

In an effort to characterize critical zone development in varying regions, seismologist conduct seismic surveys to assist in the realization of critical zone properties e.g. porosity and regolith thickness. A limitation of traditional critical zone seismology is that data is normally collected along lines, to generate two dimensional transects of the subsurface seismic velocity, even though the critical zone structure is 3D. Hence, we deployed six seismic 2D arrays in southeastern Wyoming to gather ambient seismic fields so that 3D shear velocity models could be produced. The arrays were made up of nominally 400 seismic stations arranged in a 200-meter square grid layout. Each array produced a half Terabyte data volume, so a premium was placed on computational efficiency throughout this study, to handle the roughly 65 billion samples recorded by each array. The ambient fields were cross-correlated on the Yellowstone Super-Computer using the pSIN code (Chen et al., 2016), which decreased correlation run times by a factor of 300 with respect to workstation computers. Group delay times extracted from cross-correlations using 8 Hz frequency bands from 10 Hz to 100 Hz show frequency dispersion at sites with shallow regolith underlain by granite bedrock. Dimensionally, the group velocity map inversion is overdetermined, even after extensive culling of spurious group delay times. Model Resolution matrices for our six arrays show values > 0.7 for most of the modal domain, approaching unity at the center of the model domain; we are then confident that we have an adequate number of rays covering our array space, and should experience minimal smearing of our resultant model due to application of inverse solution on the data. After inverting for the group velocity maps, a second inversion is performed of the group velocity maps for the 3D shear velocity model. This inversion is underdetermined and a second order Tikhonov regularization is used to obtain stable inverse images. Results will be presented.

On the feasibility of borehole-to-surface electromagnetics for monitoring CO2 sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, G. A.; Zhdanov, M. S.; Hibbs, A. D.; Black, N.; Gribenko, A. V.; Cuma, M.; Agundes, A.; Eiskamp, G.

2012-12-01

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects rely on storing supercritical CO2 in deep saline reservoirs where buoyancy forces drive the injected CO2 upward into the aquifer until a seal is reached. The permanence of the sequestration depends entirely on the long-term geological integrity of the seal. Active geophysical monitoring of the sequestration is critical for informing CO2 monitoring, accounting and verification (MVA) decisions. During injection, there exists a correlation between the changes in CO2 and water saturations in a saline reservoir. Dissolved salts react with the CO2 to precipitate out as carbonates, thereby generally decreasing the electrical resistivity. As a result, there is a correlation between the change in fluid saturation and measured electromagnetic (EM) fields. The challenge is to design an EM survey appropriate for monitoring large, deep reservoirs. Borehole-to-surface electromagnetic (BSEM) surveys consist of borehole-deployed galvanic transmitters and a surface-based array of electric and magnetic field sensors. During a recent field trial, it was demonstrated that BSEM could successfully identify the oil-water contact in the water-injection zone of a carbonate reservoir. We review the BSEM methodology, and perform full-field BSEM modeling. The 3D resistivity models used in this study are based on dynamic reservoir simulations of CO2 injection into a saline reservoir. Although the electric field response at the earth's surface is low, we demonstrate that it can be accurately measured and processed with novel methods of noise cancellation and sufficient stacking over the period of monitoring to increase the signal-to-noise ratio for subsequent seismic- and well-constrained 3D inversion. For long-term or permanent monitoring, we discuss the deployment of novel electric field sensors with chemically inert electrodes that couple to earth in a capacitive manner. This capacitive coupling is a purely EM phenomenon, which, to first order, has no temperature, ionic concentration or corrosion effects and has unprecedented fidelity. This makes the capacitive E-field sensor ideal for CCS applications which require very stable operation over a wide range of ground temperature and moisture level variation, for extended periods of time.

Recent Instrumentation Developments in the Global Seismographic Network (GSN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafner, K.; Davis, J. P.; Wilson, D.

2016-12-01

One of the challenges facing the GSN is continuing to provide robust, uniform high-quality, very broadband, high-dynamic range recordings of ground motion data as the original primary seismometers age. Recently the GSN has been upgrading all stations with the next generation of digital data acquisition systems (DASs), which has significantly increased the station data availability. In 2012, the Department of Energy received an additional $5.7M to support GSN refurbishment. The funds were transferred to the USGS via a 5-year interagency agreement and have been used for developing the next generation of very broadband (VBB) sensors. The USGS Albuquerque Seismic Laboratory (ASL) received the first prototype of a very broadband borehole sensor (Streckeisen STS-6A) in November 2015. Initial testing showed this prototype met all the required sensor specifications. Three pre-production sensors are scheduled to arrive by late August 2016. We will present the results of testing these devices, as well as an update on other recent VBB sensor developments (Trillium T360) and how they compare to the performance of the STS-1 and other available sensors. Recent work at ASL and the USArray Transportable Array has shown that installing sensors in shallow postholes up to 10 meters deep can lead to significant improvement in data quality. The GSN is investigating the potential of installing borehole sensors at some GSN stations where the STS-1 has shown significant susceptibility to pier tilt, temperature instability, or cultural noise. The GSN is also broadening the types of sensors deployed at GSN stations. After initial testing at ASL and UCSD's Pinyon Flat test site, the first infrasound sensor deployment will take place in Fall 2016. We will present the results of these tests and descriptions of the initial deployment.

Shear Wave Splitting analysis of borehole microseismic reveals weak azimuthal anisotropy hidden behind strong VTI fabric of Lower Paleozoic shales in northern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajek, Wojciech; Verdon, James; Malinowski, Michał; Trojanowski, Jacek

2017-04-01

Azimuthal anisotropy plays a key-role in hydraulic fracturing experiments, since it provides information on stress orientation and pre-existing fracture system presence. The Lower Paleozoic shale plays in northern Poland are characterized by a strong (15-18%) Vertical Transverse Isotropy (VTI) fabric which dominates weak azimuthal anisotropy being of order of 1-2%. A shear wave travelling in the subsurface after entering an anisotropic medium splits into two orthogonally polarized waves travelling with different velocities. Splitting parameters which can be assessed using a microseismic array are polarization of the fast shear wave and time delay between two modes. Polarization of the fast wave characterizes the anisotropic system on the wave path while the time delay is proportional to the magnitude of anisotropy. We employ Shear Wave Splitting (SWS) technique using a borehole microseismic dataset collected during a hydraulic stimulation treatment located in northern Poland, to image fracture strike masked by a strong VTI signature. During the inversion part, the VTI background parameters were kept constant using information from 3D seismic (VTI model used for pre-stack depth migration). Obtained fracture azimuths averaged over fracturing stages are consistent with the available XRMI imager logs from the nearby vertical well, however they are different from the large-scale maximum stress direction (by 40-45 degrees). Inverted Hudson's crack density (ca. 2%) are compatible with the low shear-wave anisotropy observed in the cross-dipole sonic logs (1-2%). This work has been funded by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development within the Blue Gas project (No BG2/SHALEMECH/14). Data were provided by the PGNiG SA. Collaboration with University of Bristol was supported within TIDES COST Action ES1401.

Imaging of magma intrusions beneath Harrat Al-Madinah in Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelwahed, Mohamed F.; El-Masry, Nabil; Moufti, Mohamed Rashad; Kenedi, Catherine Lewis; Zhao, Dapeng; Zahran, Hani; Shawali, Jamal

2016-04-01

High-resolution tomographic images of the crust and upper mantle beneath Harrat Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia, are obtained by inverting high-quality arrival-time data of local earthquakes and teleseismic events recorded by newly installed borehole seismic stations to investigate the AD 1256 volcanic eruption and the 1999 seismic swarm in the study region. Our tomographic images show the existence of strong heterogeneities marked with low-velocity zones extending beneath the AD 1256 volcanic center and the 1999 seismic swarm area. The low-velocity zone coinciding with the hypocenters of the 1999 seismic swarm suggests the presence of a shallow magma reservoir that is apparently originated from a deeper source (60-100 km depths) and is possibly connected with another reservoir located further north underneath the NNW-aligned scoria cones of the AD 1256 eruption. We suggest that the 1999 seismic swarm may represent an aborted volcanic eruption and that the magmatism along the western margin of Arabia is largely attributed to the uplifting and thinning of its lithosphere by the Red Sea rifting.

Report for borehole explosion data acquired in the 1999 Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment (LARSE II), Southern California; Part II, Data tables and plots

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, Janice M.; Fuis, Gary S.; Okaya, D.A.; Thygesen, Kristina; Baher, Shirley A.; Rybert, Trond; Kaip, Galen; Fort, Michael D.; Asudeh, Isa; Sell, Russell

2002-01-01

The Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment (LARSE), a joint project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC), was conducted to produce seismic images of the subsurface in the Los Angeles region. Primary targets were major fault systems and sedimentary basins; the goal of the project was to address the earthquake hazard posed by these geologic features. The first phase of data collection (LARSE 1) was completed in 1994; the second phase (LARSE 2) was completed in 1999. A description of the 1999 survey and an overview of both phase I and II is given in Fuis and others (2001). In this report, we present the technical details for the explosion data collected in 1999.

Identification Of Rippability And Bedrock Depth Using Seismic Refraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ismail, Nur Azwin; Saad, Rosli; Nawawi, M. N. M

2010-12-23

Spatial variability of the bedrock with reference to the ground surface is vital for many applications in geotechnical engineering to decide the type of foundation of a structure. A study was done within the development area of Mutiara Damansara utilising the seismic refraction method using ABEM MK8 24 channel seismograph. The geological features of the subsurface were investigated and velocities, depth to the underlying layers were determined. The seismic velocities were correlated with rippability characteristics and borehole records. Seismic sections generally show a three layer case. The first layer with velocity 400-600 m/s predominantly consists of soil mix with gravel.more » The second layer with velocity 1600-2000 m/s is suggested to be saturated and weathered area. Both layers forms an overburden and generally rippable. The third layer represents granite bedrock with average depth and velocity 10-30 m and >3000 m/s respectively and it is non-rippable. Steep slope on the bedrock are probably the results of shear zones.« less

Identification Of Rippability And Bedrock Depth Using Seismic Refraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Nur Azwin; Saad, Rosli; Nawawi, M. N. M.; Muztaza, Nordiana Mohd; El Hidayah Ismail, Noer; Mohamad, Edy Tonizam

2010-12-01

Spatial variability of the bedrock with reference to the ground surface is vital for many applications in geotechnical engineering to decide the type of foundation of a structure. A study was done within the development area of Mutiara Damansara utilising the seismic refraction method using ABEM MK8 24 channel seismograph. The geological features of the subsurface were investigated and velocities, depth to the underlying layers were determined. The seismic velocities were correlated with rippability characteristics and borehole records. Seismic sections generally show a three layer case. The first layer with velocity 400-600 m/s predominantly consists of soil mix with gravel. The second layer with velocity 1600-2000 m/s is suggested to be saturated and weathered area. Both layers forms an overburden and generally rippable. The third layer represents granite bedrock with average depth and velocity 10-30 m and >3000 m/s respectively and it is non-rippable. Steep slope on the bedrock are probably the results of shear zones.

Subsurface Characterization using Geophysical Seismic Refraction Survey for Slope Stabilization Design with Soil Nailing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashraf Mohamad Ismail, Mohd; Ng, Soon Min; Hazreek Zainal Abidin, Mohd; Madun, Aziman

2018-04-01

The application of geophysical seismic refraction for slope stabilization design using soil nailing method was demonstrated in this study. The potential weak layer of the study area is first identify prior to determining the appropriate length and location of the soil nail. A total of 7 seismic refraction survey lines were conducted at the study area with standard procedures. The refraction data were then analyzed by using the Pickwin and Plotrefa computer software package to obtain the seismic velocity profiles distribution. These results were correlated with the complementary borehole data to interpret the subsurface profile of the study area. It has been identified that layer 1 to 3 is the potential weak zone susceptible to slope failure. Hence, soil nails should be installed to transfer the tensile load from the less stable layer 3 to the more stable layer 4. The soil-nail interaction will provide a reinforcing action to the soil mass thereby increasing the stability of the slope.

Insights into the base of the critical zone from geophysical logging and groundwater flow testing at U.S. Critical Zone Observatories (CZO) and critical zone study sites (CZs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, B.; Zhang, Y.; Ren, S.; Flinchum, B. A.; Parsekian, A.; Holbrook, S.; Riebe, C. S.; Moravec, B. G.; Chorover, J.; Pelletier, J. D.; Richter, D. D., Jr.

2017-12-01

Four prominent hypotheses exist and predict conceptual models defining the base of the critical zone. These hypotheses lack insights and constraints from borehole data since few deep (> 20 m) boreholes (and even fewer connected wellfields) are present in the U.S. Critical Zone Observatories (CZO) and similar critical zone study sites (CZs). The influence and interaction of fracture presence, fracture density, fracture orientation, groundwater presence and groundwater flow have only begun to be analyzed relative to any definition of the base of the critical zone. In this presentation, we examine each hypothesis by jointly evaluating borehole geophysical logs and groundwater testing datasets collected by the Wyoming Center for Environmental Hydrology and Geophysics (WyCEHG) since 2014 at these deep CZO or CZ boreholes. Deep boreholes allow a unique opportunity to observe the factors influencing groundwater transmissivity/storage capacity within the three main subsurface CZ layers: Unconsolidated (soil/saprolite), Fractured/weathered Bedrock, and Protolith bedrock (i.e. less fractured bedrock). The boreholes used in this study consist of: 1) nine wells of the Blair-Wallis (WY) WyCEHG CZ, 2) two wells in Catalina-Jemez CZO (Valle Caldera NM) and 3) one borehole at the Calhoun (SC) CZO. At this time, these are the only sites that contain boreholes with depths ranging from at least 20 m up to 70m that have been geophysically logged with full-waveform seismic, acoustic and optical televiewer, electric, electromagnetic, flowmeter (impeller and heat pulse), fluid temperature, fluid conductivity and nuclear magnetic resonance. Further, the Blair-Wallis CZ site contains five hydraulically connected wells that allow us to estimate formation transmissivity and storage coefficients at increasing scales by conducting: slug tests, FLUTe™ borehole profiling, and cross-hole pumping tests. These well tests provide direct hydraulic data of the bedrock (both fractured and protolith) that can be integrated with geophysical logging data. Because fracture permeability is the dominant mechanism for groundwater transport in these igneous environments, a joint analysis of geophysical logging and hydraulic testing data provides in situ material-property-based refinements for the defining the base of the critical zone.

Performance of the Broadband Golay 3x6 Array Associated with the 2016 IRIS Community Wavefields Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolarinwa, O. J.; Langston, C. A.; Sweet, J. R.; Anderson, K. R.; Woodward, R.

2017-12-01

A 6 km aperture regional array in the Golay 3x6 configuration was fielded as part of the IRIS Community Wavefields Experiment near Enid, Oklahoma from June 26 through November 12, 2016. The array consisted of 18 broadband CMG-3T seismometers deployed using a PASSCAL insulated vault design and RT130 data recorders. The Golay geometry is unusual in that it features 6 tripartite arrays in an open arrangement. Spacing and orientation of each tripartite array is such that the array uniformly samples the wavefield in space as determined from the co-array diagram even though the interior of the array configuration contains no seismic stations. The short wavelength performance of this array requires a high degree of phase correlation across its entire aperture, a characteristic that has been difficult to achieve for other regional array designs because of velocity heterogeneity in the earth. Located within an area of high regional seismicity, the IRIS experiment offered an opportunity to examine the slowness-frequency performance of a real-world Golay 3x6 array that was subject to constraints on land usage during deployment. Individual tripartite arrays fit well within a land survey quarter section but it proved difficult to match the ideal spacing between each subarray because of permitting problems. Nevertheless, these unavoidable geometry perturbations caused only minor changes to the theoretical array response. More surprisingly, observations of high frequency regional P and S phases show very high correlation over the array aperture that gives rise to precise array responses that are close to theoretical. Both the array geometry and relatively homogeneous structure under the array produces an exceptional facility that can be used for high-resolution studies of regional seismic waves.

An integrated geophysical and hydraulic investigation to characterize a fractured-rock aquifer, Norwalk, Connecticut

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lane, J.W.; Williams, J.H.; Johnson, C.D.; Savino, D.M.; Haeni, F.P.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an integrated geophysical and hydraulic investigation at the Norden Systems, Inc. site in Norwalk, Connecticut, where chlorinated solvents have contaminated a fractured-rock aquifer. Borehole, borehole-to-borehole, surface-geophysical, and hydraulic methods were used to characterize the site bedrock lithology and structure, fractures, and transmissive zone hydraulic properties. The geophysical and hydraulic methods included conventional logs, borehole imagery, borehole radar, flowmeter under ambient and stressed hydraulic conditions, and azimuthal square-array direct-current resistivity soundings. Integrated interpretation of geophysical logs at borehole and borehole-to-borehole scales indicates that the bedrock foliation strikes northwest and dips northeast, and strikes north-northeast to northeast and dips both southeast and northwest. Although steeply dipping fractures that cross-cut foliation are observed, most fractures are parallel or sub-parallel to foliation. Steeply dipping reflectors observed in the radar reflection data from three boreholes near the main building delineate a north-northeast trending feature interpreted as a fracture zone. Results of radar tomography conducted close to a suspected contaminant source area indicate that a zone of low electromagnetic (EM) velocity and high EM attenuation is present above 50 ft in depth - the region containing the highest density of fractures. Flowmeter logging was used to estimate hydraulic properties in the boreholes. Thirty-three transmissive fracture zones were identified in 11 of the boreholes. The vertical separation between transmissive zones typically is 10 to 20 ft. Open-hole and discrete-zone transmissivity was estimated from heat-pulse flowmeter data acquired under ambient and stressed conditions. The open-hole transmissivity ranges from 2 to 86 ft2/d. The estimated transmissivity of individual transmissive zones ranges from 0.4 to 68 ft2/d. Drawdown monitoring in nearby boreholes under pumping conditions identified hydraulic connections along a northeast-southwest trend between boreholes as far as 560 ft apart. The vertical distribution of fractures can be described by power law functions, which suggest that the fracture network contains transmissive zones consisting of closely spaced fractures surrounded by a less fractured and much less permeable rock mass.

Imaging Pathways in Fractured Rock Using Three-Dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography.

PubMed

Robinson, Judith; Slater, Lee; Johnson, Timothy; Shapiro, Allen; Tiedeman, Claire; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitrios; Johnson, Carole; Day-Lewis, Frederick; Lacombe, Pierre; Imbrigiotta, Thomas; Lane, John

2016-03-01

Major challenges exist in delineating bedrock fracture zones because these cause abrupt changes in geological and hydrogeological properties over small distances. Borehole observations cannot sufficiently capture heterogeneity in these systems. Geophysical techniques offer the potential to image properties and processes in between boreholes. We used three-dimensional cross borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in a 9 m (diameter) × 15 m well field to capture high-resolution flow and transport processes in a fractured mudstone contaminated by chlorinated solvents, primarily trichloroethylene. Conductive (sodium bromide) and resistive (deionized water) injections were monitored in seven boreholes. Electrode arrays with isolation packers and fluid sampling ports were designed to enable acquisition of ERT measurements during pulsed tracer injections. Fracture zone locations and hydraulic pathways inferred from hydraulic head drawdown data were compared with electrical conductivity distributions from ERT measurements. Static ERT imaging has limited resolution to decipher individual fractures; however, these images showed alternating conductive and resistive zones, consistent with alternating laminated and massive mudstone units at the site. Tracer evolution and migration was clearly revealed in time-lapse ERT images and supported by in situ borehole vertical apparent conductivity profiles collected during the pulsed tracer test. While water samples provided important local information at the extraction borehole, ERT delineated tracer migration over spatial scales capturing the primary hydrogeological heterogeneity controlling flow and transport. The fate of these tracer injections at this scale could not have been quantified using borehole logging and/or borehole sampling methods alone. © 2015, National Ground Water Association.

The Global Seismographic Network (GSN): Deployment of Next Generation VBB Borehole Sensors and Improving Overall Network Noise Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafner, K.; Davis, P.; Wilson, D.; Sumy, D.

2017-12-01

The Global Seismographic Network (GSN) recently received delivery of the next generation Very Broadband (VBB) borehole sensors purchased through funding from the DOE. Deployment of these sensors will be underway during the end of summer and fall of 2017 and they will eventually replace the aging KS54000 sensors at approximately one-third of the GSN network stations. We will present the latest methods of deploying these sensors in the existing deep boreholes. To achieve lower noise performance at some sites, emplacement in shallow boreholes might result in lower noise performance for the existing site conditions. In some cases shallow borehole installations may be adapted to vault stations (which make up two thirds of the network), as a means of reducing tilt-induced signals on the horizontal components. The GSN is creating a prioritized list of equipment upgrades at selected stations with the ultimate goal of optimizing overall network data availability and noise performance. For an overview of the performance of the current GSN relative to selected set of metrics, we are utilizing data quality metrics and Probability Density Functions (PDFs)) generated by the IRIS Data Management Centers' (DMC) MUSTANG (Modular Utility for Statistical Knowledge Gathering) and LASSO (Latest Assessment of Seismic Station Observations) tools. We will present our metric analysis of GSN performance in 2016, and show the improvements at GSN sites resulting from recent instrumentation and infrastructure upgrades.

Broadband spectra of seismic survey air-gun emissions, with reference to dolphin auditory thresholds.

PubMed

Goold, J C; Fish, P J

1998-04-01

Acoustic emissions from a 2120 cubic in air-gun array were recorded through a towed hydrophone assembly during an oil industry 2-D seismic survey off the West Wales Coast of the British Isles. Recorded seismic pulses were sampled, calibrated, and analyzed post-survey to investigate power levels of the pulses in the band 200 Hz-22 kHz at 750-m, 1-km, 2.2-km, and 8-km range from source. At 750-m range from source, seismic pulse power at the 200-Hz end of the spectrum was 140 dB re: 1 microPa2/Hz, and at the 20-kHz end of the spectrum seismic pulse power was 90 dB re: 1 microPa2/Hz. Although the background noise levels of the seismic recordings were far in excess of ambient, due to the proximity of engine, propeller, and flow sources of the ship towing the hydrophone, seismic power dominated the entire recorded bandwidth of 200 Hz-22 kHz at ranges of up to 2 km from the air-gun source. Even at 8-km range seismic power was still clearly in excess of the high background noise levels up to 8 kHz. Acoustic observations of common dolphins during preceding seismic surveys suggest that these animals avoided the immediate vicinity of the air-gun array while firing was in progress, i.e., localized disturbance occurred during seismic surveying. Although a general pattern of localized disturbance is suggested, one specific observation revealed that common dolphins were able to tolerate the seismic pulses at 1-km range from the air-gun array. Given the high broadband seismic pulse power levels across the entire recorded bandwidth, and known auditory thresholds for several dolphin species, we consider such seismic emissions to be clearly audible to dolphins across a bandwidth of tens on kilohertz, and at least out to 8-km range.

In situ stress magnitude and rock strength in the Nankai accretionary complex: a novel approach using paired constraints from downhole data in two wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, K. A.; Saffer, D. M.; Dugan, B.

2016-07-01

We present a method to simultaneously constrain both far-field horizontal stress magnitudes ( S hmin and S Hmax) and in situ rock unconfined compressive strength (UCS), using geophysical logging data from two boreholes located 70 m apart that access the uppermost accretionary prism of the Nankai subduction zone . The boreholes sample the same sediments and are affected by the same tectonic stress field, but were drilled with different annular pressures, thus providing a unique opportunity to refine estimates of both in situ stress magnitudes and rock strength. We develop a forward model to predict the angular width of compressional wellbore failures (borehole breakouts), and identify combinations of S Hmax and UCS that best match breakout widths observed in resistivity images from the two boreholes. The method requires knowledge of S hmin, which is defined by leak-off tests conducted during drilling. Our results define a normal to strike-slip stress regime from 900 to 1386 m below seafloor, consistent with observations from seismic and core data. Our analysis also suggests that in situ values of UCS are generally slightly lower that commonly assumed on the basis of published empirical relations between UCS and P-wave velocity.

Seismic array processing and computational infrastructure for improved monitoring of Alaskan and Aleutian seismicity and volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindquist, Kent Gordon

We constructed a near-real-time system, called Iceworm, to automate seismic data collection, processing, storage, and distribution at the Alaska Earthquake Information Center (AEIC). Phase-picking, phase association, and interprocess communication components come from Earthworm (U.S. Geological Survey). A new generic, internal format for digital data supports unified handling of data from diverse sources. A new infrastructure for applying processing algorithms to near-real-time data streams supports automated information extraction from seismic wavefields. Integration of Datascope (U. of Colorado) provides relational database management of all automated measurements, parametric information for located hypocenters, and waveform data from Iceworm. Data from 1997 yield 329 earthquakes located by both Iceworm and the AEIC. Of these, 203 have location residuals under 22 km, sufficient for hazard response. Regionalized inversions for local magnitude in Alaska yield Msb{L} calibration curves (logAsb0) that differ from the Californian Richter magnitude. The new curve is 0.2\\ Msb{L} units more attenuative than the Californian curve at 400 km for earthquakes north of the Denali fault. South of the fault, and for a region north of Cook Inlet, the difference is 0.4\\ Msb{L}. A curve for deep events differs by 0.6\\ Msb{L} at 650 km. We expand geographic coverage of Alaskan regional seismic monitoring to the Aleutians, the Bering Sea, and the entire Arctic by initiating the processing of four short-period, Alaskan seismic arrays. To show the array stations' sensitivity, we detect and locate two microearthquakes that were missed by the AEIC. An empirical study of the location sensitivity of the arrays predicts improvements over the Alaskan regional network that are shown as map-view contour plots. We verify these predictions by detecting an Msb{L} 3.2 event near Unimak Island with one array. The detection and location of four representative earthquakes illustrates the expansion of geographic coverage from array processing. Measurements at the arrays of systematic azimuth residuals, between 5sp° and 50sp° from 203 Aleutian events, reveal significant effects of heterogeneous structure on wavefields. Finally, algorithms to automatically detect earthquakes in continuous array data are demonstrated with the detection of an Aleutian earthquake.

Seismic Monitoring of Permafrost During Controlled Thaw: An Active-Source Experiment Using a Surface Orbital Vibrator and Fiber-Optic DAS Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dou, S.; Wood, T.; Lindsey, N.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.; Freifeld, B. M.; Gelvin, A.; Morales, A.; Saari, S.; Ekblaw, I.; Wagner, A. M.; Daley, T. M.; Robertson, M.; Martin, E. R.; Ulrich, C.; Bjella, K.

2016-12-01

Thawing of permafrost can cause ground deformations that threaten the integrity of civil infrastructure. It is essential to develop early warning systems that can identify critically warmed permafrost and issue warnings for hazard prevention and control. Seismic methods can play a pivotal role in such systems for at least two reasons: First, seismic velocities are indicative of mechanical strength of the subsurface and thus are directly relevant to engineering properties; Second, seismic velocities in permafrost systems are sensitive to pre-thaw warming, which makes it possible to issue early warnings before the occurrence of hazardous subsidence events. However, several questions remain: What are the seismic signatures that can be effectively used for early warning of permafrost thaw? Can seismic methods provide enough warning times for hazard prevention and control? In this study, we investigate the feasibility of using permanently installed seismic networks for early warnings of permafrost thaw. We conducted continuous active-source seismic monitoring of permafrost that was under controlled heating at CRREL's Fairbanks permafrost experiment station. We used a permanently installed surface orbital vibrator (SOV) as source and surface-trenched DAS arrays as receivers. The SOV is characterized by its excellent repeatability, automated operation, high energy level, and the rich frequency content (10-100 Hz) of the generated wavefields. The fiber-optic DAS arrays allow continuous recording of seismic data with dense spatial sampling (1-meter channel spacing), low cost, and low maintenance. This combination of SOV-DAS provides unique seismic datasets for observing time-lapse changes of warming permafrost at the field scale, hence providing an observational basis for design and development of early warning systems for permafrost thaw.

Seismicity of the Wabash Valley, Ste. Genevieve, and Rough Creek Graben Seismic Zones from the Earthscope Ozarks-Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky (OIINK) FlexArray Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirley, Matthew Richard

I analyzed seismic data from the Ozarks-Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky (OIINK) seismic experiment that operated in eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, and Kentucky from July 2012 through March 2015. A product of this analysis is a new catalog of earthquake locations and magnitudes for small-magnitude local events during this study period. The analysis included a pilot study involving detailed manual analysis of all events in a ten-day test period and determination of the best parameters for a suite of automated detection and location programs. I eliminated events that were not earthquakes (mostly quarry and surface mine blasts) from the output of the automated programs, and reprocessed the locations for the earthquakes with manually picked P- and S-wave arrivals. This catalog consists of earthquake locations, depths, and local magnitudes. The new catalog consists of 147 earthquake locations, including 19 located within the bounds of the OIINK array. Of these events, 16 were newly reported events, too small to be reported in the Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI) regional seismic network catalog. I compared the magnitudes reported by CERI for corresponding earthquakes to establish a magnitude calibration factor for all earthquakes recorded by the OIINK array. With the calibrated earthquake magnitudes, I incorporate the previous OIINK results from Yang et al. (2014) to create magnitude-frequency distributions for the seismic zones in the region alongside the magnitude-frequency distributions made from CERI data. This shows that Saint Genevieve and Wabash Valley seismic zones experience seismic activity at an order magnitude lower rate than the New Madrid seismic zone, and the Rough Creek Graben experiences seismic activity two orders of magnitude less frequently than New Madrid.

Proposed Construction of Boulder Seismic Station Monitoring Sites, Boulder, Wyoming. Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

power battery box and controllers, WiFi radio, network switch, vault seismometers, infrasonic digitizers, and excess cabling. In addition to the...installed around the boreholes. Immediately upon completion, each site will be cleared of all unused equipment, debris, materials, and trash . All...controllers, WiFi radio, network switch, vault seismometers, infrasonic digitizers, and excess cabling. In addition to the permanent infrastructure listed

Imaging CO2 reservoirs using muons borehole detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonneville, A.; Bonal, N.; Lintereur, A.; Mellors, R. J.; Paulsson, B. N. P.; Rowe, C. A.; Varner, G. S.; Kouzes, R.; Flygare, J.; Mostafanezhad, I.; Yamaoka, J. A. K.; Guardincerri, E.; Chapline, G.

2016-12-01

Monitoring of the post-injection fate of CO2 in subsurface reservoirs is of utmost importance. Generally, monitoring options are active methods, such as 4D seismic reflection or pressure measurements in monitoring wells. We present a method of 4D density tomography of subsurface CO2 reservoirs using cosmic-ray muon detectors deployed in a borehole. Although muon flux rapidly decreases with depth, preliminary analyses indicate that the muon technique is sufficiently sensitive to effectively map density variations caused by fluid displacement at depths consistent with proposed CO2reservoirs. The intensity of the muon flux is, to first order, inversely proportional to the density times the path length, with resolution increasing with measurement time. The primary technical challenge preventing deployment of this technology in subsurface locations is the lack of miniaturized muon-tracking detectors both capable of fitting in standard boreholes and that will be able to resist the harsh underground conditions (temperature, pressure, corrosion) for long periods of time. Such a detector with these capabilities has been developed through a collaboration supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. A prototype has been tested in underground laboratories during 2016. In particular, we will present results from a series of tests performed in a tunnel comparing efficiencies, and angular and position resolution to measurements collected at the same locations by large instruments developed by Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories. We will also present the results of simulations of muon detection for various CO2 reservoir situations and muon detector configurations. Finally, to improve imaging of 3D subsurface structures, a combination of seismic data, gravity data, and muons can be used. Because seismic waves, gravity anomalies, and muons are all sensitive to density, the combination of two or three of these measurements promises to be a powerful way to improve spatial resolution and reduce uncertainty. With sufficient crossing paths, the muon data can resolve spatial density anomalies, rather than simply a path-integrated flux variance. Several approaches for combining these three measurements will be presented and discussed.

The Geothermic Fatigue Hydraulic Fracturing Experiment in Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden: New Insights Into Fracture Process through In-situ AE Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiatek, G.; Plenkers, K.; Zang, A.; Stephansson, O.; Stenberg, L.

2016-12-01

The geothermic Fatigue Hydraulic Fracturing (FHF) in situ experiment (Nova project 54-14-1) took place in the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory/Sweden in a 1.8 Ma old granitic to dioritic rock mass. The experiment aims at optimizing geothermal heat exchange in crystalline rock mass by multistage hydraulic fracturing at 10 m scale. Six fractures are driven by three different water injection schemes (continuous, cyclic, pulse pressurization) inside a 28 m long, horizontal borehole at depth level 410 m. The rock volume subject to hydraulic fracturing and monitored by three different networks with acoustic emission (AE), micro-seismicity and electromagnetic sensors is about 30 m x 30 m x 30 m in size. The 16-channel In-situ AE monitoring network by GMuG monitored the rupture generation and propagation in the frequency range 1000 Hz to 100,000 Hz corresponding to rupture dimensions from cm- to dm-scale. The in-situ AE monitoring system detected and analyzed AE activity in-situ (P- and S-wave picking, localization). The results were used to review the ongoing microfracturing activity in near real-time. The in-situ AE monitoring network successfully recorded and localized 196 seismic events for most, but not all, hydraulic fractures. All AE events detected in-situ occurred during fracturing time periods. The source parameters (fracture sizes, moment magnitudes, static stress drop) of AE events framing injection periods were calculated using the combined spectral fitting/spectra ratio techniques. The AE activity is clustered in space and clearly outline the fractures location, its orientation, and expansion as well as their temporal evolution. The outward migration of AE events away from the borehole is observed. Fractures extend up to 7 m from the injection interval in the horizontal borehole. The fractures orientation and location correlate for most fractures roughly with the results gained by image packer. Clear differences in seismic response between hydraulic fractures in different formations and injection schemes are visible which need further investigation. For further analysis all AE data of fracturing time periods were recorded continuously with 1 MHz sampling frequency per channel.

Application of Phase-Weighted Stacking to Low-Frequency Earthquakes near the Alpine Fault, Central Southern Alps, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baratin, L. M.; Townend, J.; Chamberlain, C. J.; Savage, M. K.

2015-12-01

Characterising seismicity in the vicinity of the Alpine Fault, a major transform boundary late in its typical earthquake cycle, may provide constraints on the state of stress preceding a large earthquake. Here, we use recently detected tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) to examine how slow tectonic deformation is loading the Alpine Fault toward an anticipated major rupture. We work with a continuous seismic dataset collected between 2009 and 2012 from a network of short-period seismometers, the Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array (SAMBA). Fourteen primary LFE templates have been used to scan the dataset using a matched-filter technique based on an iterative cross-correlation routine. This method allows the detection of similar signals and establishes LFE families with common hypocenter locations. The detections are then combined for each LFE family using phase-weighted stacking (Thurber et al., 2014) to produce a signal with the highest possible signal to noise ratio. We find this method to be successful in increasing the number of LFE detections by roughly 10% in comparison with linear stacking. Our next step is to manually pick polarities on first arrivals of the phase-weighted stacked signals and compute preliminary locations. We are working to estimate LFE focal mechanism parameters and refine the focal mechanism solutions using an amplitude ratio technique applied to the linear stacks. LFE focal mechanisms should provide new insight into the geometry and rheology of the Alpine Fault and the stress field prevailing in the central Southern Alps.

Deformation style and controlling geodynamic processes at the eastern Guadalquivir foreland basin (Southern Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marín-Lechado, C.; Pedrera, A.; Peláez, J. A.; Ruiz-Constán, A.; González-Ramón, A.; Henares, J.

2017-06-01

The tectonic structure of the Guadalquivir foreland basin becomes complex eastward evolving from a single depocenter to a compartmented basin. The deformation pattern within the eastern Guadalquivir foreland basin has been characterized by combining seismic reflection profiles, boreholes, and structural field data to output a 3-D model. High-dipping NNE-SSW to NE-SW trending normal and reverse fault arrays deform the Variscan basement of the basin. These faults generally affect Tortonian sediments, which show syntectonic features sealed by the latest Miocene units. Curved and S-shaped fault traces are abundant and caused by the linkage of nearby fault segments during lateral fault propagation. Preexisting faults were reactivated either as normal or reverse faults depending on their position within the foreland. At Tortonian time, reverse faults deformed the basin forebulge, while normal faults predominated within the backbulge. Along-strike variation of the Betic foreland basin geometry is supported by an increasing mechanical coupling of the two plates (Alborán Domain and Variscan basement) toward the eastern part of the cordillera. Thus, subduction would have progressed in the western Betics, while it would have failed in the eastern one. There, the initially subducted Iberian paleomargin (Nevado-Filábride Complex) was incorporated into the upper plate promoting the transmission of collision-related compressional stresses into the foreland since the middle Miocene. Nowadays, compression is still active and produces low-magnitude earthquakes likely linked to NNE-SSW to NE-SW preexiting faults reactivated with reverse oblique-slip kinematics. Seismicity is mostly concentrated around fault tips that are frequently curved in overstepping zones.

Delineating Bukit Bunuh impact crater boundary by geophysical and geotechnical investigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Azwin, I. N., E-mail: nurazwinismail@yahoo.com; Rosli, S.; Nordiana, M. M.

2015-03-30

Evidences of crater morphology and shock metamorphism in Bukit Bunuh, Lenggong, Malaysia were found during the archaeological research conducted by the Centre for Global Archaeological Research Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia. In order to register Bukit Bunuh as one of the world meteorite impact site, detailed studies are needed to verify the boundary of the crater accordingly. Geophysical study was conducted utilising the seismic refraction and 2-D electrical resistivity method. Seismic refraction survey was done using ABEM MK8 24 channel seismograph with 14Hz geophones and 40kg weight drop while 2-D electrical resistivity survey was performed using ABEM SAS4000 Terrameter and ES10-64Cmore » electrode selector with pole-dipole array. Bedrock depths were digitized from the sections obtained. The produced bedrock topography map shows that there is low bedrock level circulated by high elevated bedrock and interpreted as crater and rim respectively with diameter approximately 8km. There are also few spots of high elevated bedrock appear at the centre of the crater which interpreted as rebounds zone. Generally, the research area is divided into two layers where the first layer with velocity 400-1100 m/s and resistivity value of 10-800 Om predominantly consists of alluvium mix with gravel and boulders. Second layer represents granitic bedrock with depth of 5-50m having velocity >2100 m/s and resistivity value of >1500 Om. This research is strengthen by good correlation between geophysical data and geotechnical borehole records executed inside and outside of the crater, on the rim, as well as at the rebound area.« less

Delineating Bukit Bunuh impact crater boundary by geophysical and geotechnical investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azwin, I. N.; Rosli, S.; Mokhtar, S.; Nordiana, M. M.; Ragu, R. R.; Mark, J.

2015-03-01

Evidences of crater morphology and shock metamorphism in Bukit Bunuh, Lenggong, Malaysia were found during the archaeological research conducted by the Centre for Global Archaeological Research Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia. In order to register Bukit Bunuh as one of the world meteorite impact site, detailed studies are needed to verify the boundary of the crater accordingly. Geophysical study was conducted utilising the seismic refraction and 2-D electrical resistivity method. Seismic refraction survey was done using ABEM MK8 24 channel seismograph with 14Hz geophones and 40kg weight drop while 2-D electrical resistivity survey was performed using ABEM SAS4000 Terrameter and ES10-64C electrode selector with pole-dipole array. Bedrock depths were digitized from the sections obtained. The produced bedrock topography map shows that there is low bedrock level circulated by high elevated bedrock and interpreted as crater and rim respectively with diameter approximately 8km. There are also few spots of high elevated bedrock appear at the centre of the crater which interpreted as rebounds zone. Generally, the research area is divided into two layers where the first layer with velocity 400-1100 m/s and resistivity value of 10-800 Om predominantly consists of alluvium mix with gravel and boulders. Second layer represents granitic bedrock with depth of 5-50m having velocity >2100 m/s and resistivity value of >1500 Om. This research is strengthen by good correlation between geophysical data and geotechnical borehole records executed inside and outside of the crater, on the rim, as well as at the rebound area.

Site Characterization for a Deep Borehole Field Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhlman, K. L.; Hardin, E. L.; Freeze, G. A.; Sassani, D.; Brady, P. V.

2015-12-01

The US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy is at the beginning of 5-year Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT) to investigate the feasibility of constructing and characterizing two boreholes in crystalline basement rock to a depth of 5 km (16,400 ft). The concept of deep borehole disposal for radioactive waste has some advantages over mined repositories, including incremental construction and loading, the enhanced natural barriers provided by deep continental crystalline basement, and reduced site characterization. Site characterization efforts need to determine an eligible site that does not have the following disqualifying characteristics: greater than 2 km to crystalline basement, upward vertical fluid potential gradients, presence of economically exploitable natural resources, presence of high permeability connection to the shallow subsurface, and significant probability of future seismic or volcanic activity. Site characterization activities for the DBFT will include geomechanical (i.e., rock in situ stress state, and fluid pressure), geological (i.e., rock and fracture infill lithology), hydrological (i.e., quantity of fluid, fluid convection properties, and solute transport mechanisms), and geochemical (i.e., rock-water interaction and natural tracers) aspects. Both direct (i.e., sampling and in situ testing) and indirect (i.e., borehole geophysical) methods are planned for efficient and effective characterization of these site aspects and physical processes. Borehole-based characterization will be used to determine the variability of system state (i.e., stress, pressure, temperature, and chemistry) with depth, and interpretation of material and system parameters relevant to numerical site simulation. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Long-term, on-site borehole monitoring of gases released from an “active” fault system at 3.6km depth, TauTona Gold Mine, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lippmann-Pipke, J.; Erzinger, J.; Zimmer, M.; Kujawa, C.; Boettcher, M. S.; Moller, H.; van Heerden, E.; Bester, A.; Reches, Z.

2009-12-01

Fluid transport and seismicity are interrelated. Fluids can trigger earthquakes and seismic activity can release fluids from rock formations. The study of this relationship requires direct and near-field observations at focal depth. The international DAFSAM-NELSAM*-projects focus on building the earthquake laboratory in deep gold mines in South Africa. Our DAFGAS-project (Drilling Active Faults - Gas Analytical System) aims to quantify the gases released during seismic events. One motivation for the project is to investigate the hypothesis that released fluids might be a nutrient supply for microbial ecosystems in active fault zones. Extensive underground activities started in 2004 with establishing a 25m2 cubby within the Pretorius fault zone at 3.6 km depth for the save installation of comprehensive technical equipment. For DAFGAS, subsequently two different gas analytical units were installed to measure gases collected in a 40 m long borehole crossing the fault. The DAFGAS Team and our collaborators overcame numerous technical problems. Since 2007 a dedicated air-conditioned box protects a mass spectrometer, pumps, a PC, a radon detector and electronics from the harsh underground environment. Since 2009 gas sensitive sensors and a data logger replace the spectrometer and the PC. In parallel the NELSAM project has installed 9 seismometers in a narrow network surrounding the gas collection system. The accelerometers and geophones record mining activities (e.g. drilling and ore-production blasts) as well as tens of mining-induced earthquakes (magnitude ≥ -4) on and around the Pretorius Fault each day. Data from three years is presented: Borehole temperature at 40m increased by about 0.8 °C/year to 52.3 °C; different scales of pressure variations on surface (869±5) mbar (three-week mean, maximal and minimal daily mean) and below surface (1130±15) mbar are explained by the barometric formula. The major gas concentrations are constant and air-like with 78 % N2, 21 % O2, 1 % Ar, while the trace gas components CO2, CH4, He and H2 show most interesting trends and variations on weekly, daily, hourly and on the minute-by-minute basis. They are interpreted by means of time series and cross correlation analysis. He, CH4, H2 and CO2 fluxes positively correlate with mining induced seismic activity. The CO2 flux additionally correlates with air pressure. Gas flow rates of H2 and CO2 from the formation into the borehole are calculated for periods with and without mining activity. In passive times they amount to ≤(0.1 and 0.3) μmol/min and increase to (0.7±0.1) μmol/min and (4.5±0.6) μmol/min during times of mining induced seismic activity, respectively. The installed gas sensitive electrodes (O2, CO2, CH4 and H2) are clearly more suitable for the underground environment than the mass spectrometer. Their sensitivity is currently only sufficient for H2 and CO2 measurements, however. *) Drilling Active Faults Laboratory in South African Mines - Natural Earthquake Laboratory in South African Mines

Volcanic tremor and local earthquakes at Copahue volcanic complex, Southern Andes, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibáñez, J. M.; Del Pezzo, E.; Bengoa, C.; Caselli, A.; Badi, G.; Almendros, J.

2008-07-01

In the present paper we describe the results of a seismic field survey carried out at Copahue Volcano, Southern Andes, Argentina, using a small-aperture, dense seismic antenna. Copahue Volcano is an active volcano that exhibited a few phreatic eruptions in the last 20 years. The aim of this experiment was to record and classify the background seismic activity of this volcanic area, and locate the sources of local earthquakes and volcanic tremor. Data consist of several volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes, and many samples of back-ground seismic noise. We use both ordinary spectral, and multi-spectral techniques to measure the spectral content, and an array technique [Zero Lag Cross Correlation technique] to measure the back-azimuth and apparent slowness of the signals propagating across the array. We locate VT earthquakes using a procedure based on the estimate of slowness vector components and S-P time. VT events are located mainly along the border of the Caviahue caldera lake, positioned at the South-East of Copahue volcano, in a depth interval of 1-3 km below the surface. The background noise shows the presence of many transients with high correlation among the array stations in the frequency band centered at 2.5 Hz. These transients are superimposed to an uncorrelated background seismic signal. Array solutions for these transients show a predominant slowness vector pointing to the exploited geothermal field of "Las Maquinitas" and "Copahue Village", located about 6 km north of the array site. We interpret this coherent signal as a tremor generated by the activity of the geothermal field.

The AlpArray Seismic Network: A Large-Scale European Experiment to Image the Alpine Orogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hetényi, György; Molinari, Irene; Clinton, John; Bokelmann, Götz; Bondár, István; Crawford, Wayne C.; Dessa, Jean-Xavier; Doubre, Cécile; Friederich, Wolfgang; Fuchs, Florian; Giardini, Domenico; Gráczer, Zoltán; Handy, Mark R.; Herak, Marijan; Jia, Yan; Kissling, Edi; Kopp, Heidrun; Korn, Michael; Margheriti, Lucia; Meier, Thomas; Mucciarelli, Marco; Paul, Anne; Pesaresi, Damiano; Piromallo, Claudia; Plenefisch, Thomas; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Ritter, Joachim; Rümpker, Georg; Šipka, Vesna; Spallarossa, Daniele; Thomas, Christine; Tilmann, Frederik; Wassermann, Joachim; Weber, Michael; Wéber, Zoltán; Wesztergom, Viktor; Živčić, Mladen

2018-04-01

The AlpArray programme is a multinational, European consortium to advance our understanding of orogenesis and its relationship to mantle dynamics, plate reorganizations, surface processes and seismic hazard in the Alps-Apennines-Carpathians-Dinarides orogenic system. The AlpArray Seismic Network has been deployed with contributions from 36 institutions from 11 countries to map physical properties of the lithosphere and asthenosphere in 3D and thus to obtain new, high-resolution geophysical images of structures from the surface down to the base of the mantle transition zone. With over 600 broadband stations operated for 2 years, this seismic experiment is one of the largest simultaneously operated seismological networks in the academic domain, employing hexagonal coverage with station spacing at less than 52 km. This dense and regularly spaced experiment is made possible by the coordinated coeval deployment of temporary stations from numerous national pools, including ocean-bottom seismometers, which were funded by different national agencies. They combine with permanent networks, which also required the cooperation of many different operators. Together these stations ultimately fill coverage gaps. Following a short overview of previous large-scale seismological experiments in the Alpine region, we here present the goals, construction, deployment, characteristics and data management of the AlpArray Seismic Network, which will provide data that is expected to be unprecedented in quality to image the complex Alpine mountains at depth.

Focal mechanisms and inter-event times of low-frequency earthquakes reveal quasi-continuous deformation and triggered slow slip on the deep Alpine Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baratin, Laura-May; Chamberlain, Calum J.; Townend, John; Savage, Martha K.

2018-02-01

Characterising the seismicity associated with slow deformation in the vicinity of the Alpine Fault may provide constraints on the stresses acting on a major transpressive margin prior to an anticipated great (≥M8) earthquake. Here, we use recently detected tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) to examine how slow tectonic deformation is loading the Alpine Fault late in its typical ∼300-yr seismic cycle. We analyse a continuous seismic dataset recorded between 2009 and 2016 using a network of 10-13 short-period seismometers, the Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array. Fourteen primary LFE templates are used in an iterative matched-filter and stacking routine, allowing the detection of similar signals corresponding to LFE families sharing common locations. This yields an 8-yr catalogue containing 10,000 LFEs that are combined for each of the 14 LFE families using phase-weighted stacking to produce signals with the highest possible signal-to-noise ratios. We show that LFEs occur almost continuously during the 8-yr study period and highlight two types of LFE distributions: (1) discrete behaviour with an inter-event time exceeding 2 min; (2) burst-like behaviour with an inter-event time below 2 min. We interpret the discrete events as small-scale frequent deformation on the deep extent of the Alpine Fault and LFE bursts (corresponding in most cases to known episodes of tremor or large regional earthquakes) as brief periods of increased slip activity indicative of slow slip. We compute improved non-linear earthquake locations using a 3-D velocity model. LFEs occur below the seismogenic zone at depths of 17-42 km, on or near the hypothesised deep extent of the Alpine Fault. The first estimates of LFE focal mechanisms associated with continental faulting, in conjunction with recurrence intervals, are consistent with quasi-continuous shear faulting on the deep extent of the Alpine Fault.

Measuring Aseismic Slip through Characteristically Repeating Earthquakes at the Mendocino Triple Junction, Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Materna, K.; Taira, T.; Burgmann, R.

2016-12-01

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ), at the transition point between the San Andreas fault system, the Mendocino Transform Fault, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone, undergoes rapid tectonic deformation and produces more large (M>6.0) earthquakes than any region in California. Most of the active faults of the triple junction are located offshore, making it difficult to characterize both seismic slip and aseismic creep. In this work, we study aseismic creep rates near the MTJ using characteristically repeating earthquakes (CREs) as indicators of creep rate. CREs are generally interpreted as repeated failures of the same seismic patch within an otherwise creeping fault zone; as a consequence, the magnitude and recurrence time of the CREs can be used to determine a fault's creep rate through empirically calibrated scaling relations. Using seismic data from 2010-2016, we identify CREs as recorded by an array of eight 100-Hz PBO borehole seismometers deployed in the Cape Mendocino area. For each event pair with epicenters less than 30 km apart, we compute the cross-spectral coherence of 20 seconds of data starting one second before the P-wave arrival. We then select pairs with high coherence in an appropriate frequency band, which is determined uniquely for each event pair based on event magnitude, station distance, and signal-to-noise ratio. The most similar events (with median coherence above 0.95 at two or more stations) are selected as CREs and then grouped into CRE families, and each family is used to infer a local creep rate. On the Mendocino Transform Fault, we find relatively high creep rates of >5 cm/year that increase closer to the Gorda Ridge. Closer to shore and to the MTJ itself, we find many families of repeaters on and off the transform fault with highly variable creep rates, indicative of the complex deformation that takes place there.

Reprocessing and Interpretation of Vintage Seismic Reflection Data: Evidence for the Tectonic History of the Rocky Mountain Trench, Northwest Montana.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, M.; Speece, M. A.; Rutherford, B. S.; Constenius, K. N.

2014-12-01

In 1983 Techno, Inc. collected five seismic reflection profiles in the region between Whitefish, Montana and the United States-Canada border. The poulter method was used to gather four of these profiles and one profile was collected using a vibroseis source. We are currently reprocessing these data in order to construct a regional geological interpretation. The profiles cover a key position in the hinterland of the Cordillera in the lee of the Lewis thrust salient where the east-northeast verging Lewis thrust fault system translated (horizontal displacement >100 km) and inverted a thick, strong slab of primarily Belt-Purcell rocks out of a deep Precambrian depositional basin onto a cratonic platform. In this event, Belt-Purcell rocks were thrust over complexly imbricated Phanerozoic strata in the foreland. Late Mesozoic compressional deformation was followed by Cenozoic extensional collapse of the over-thickened Cordillera and subsequent basin and range style deformation that produced an array of northwest trending grabens. Three of the seismic profiles cross the Rocky Mountain Trench; the Trench is a linear structure of regional dimension that is an expression of the extensional fragmentation of the Cordillera. Strong reflections, interpreted as sills encased within Lower Belt rocks (encountered in the Arco-Marathon 1 Paul Gibbs borehole), outline the complexly folded and faulted structure of the eastern limb of the Purcell anticlinorium. East of the Rocky Mountain Trench stratified reflections within Belt rocks clearly outline the Wigwam Thrust. Beneath the Whitefish Range, an apparent inflection in the strongly reflective basal Cambrian veneer marks the westerly increase in dip of the Rocky Mountain Basal Detachment. The dip contrast between the foreland and hinterland might be a manifestation of the tectonic loading of the Belt basin margin and the loading might have localized extension across the Rocky Mountain Trench.

The Corinth Rift Laboratory, Greece (CRL) : A Multidisciplinary Near Fault Observatory (NFO) on a Fast Rifting System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernard, P.; Lyon-Caen, H.; Deschamps, A.; Briole, P.; Lambotte, S.; Ford, M.; Scotti, O.; Beck, C.; Hubert-Ferrari, A.; Boiselet, A.; Godano, M.; Matrullo, E.; Meyer, N.; Albini, P.; Elias, P.; Nercessian, A.; Katsonopoulou, D.; Papadimitriou, P.; Voulgaris, N.; Kapetanidis, V.; Sokos, E.; Serpetsidaki, A.; el Arem, S.; Dublanchet, P.; Duverger, C.; Makropoulos, K.; Tselentis, A.

2014-12-01

The western rift of Corinth (Greece) is one of the most active tectonic structures of the euro-mediterranean area. Its NS opening rate is 1.5 cm/yr ( strain rate of 10-6/yr) results into a high microseismicity level and a few destructive, M>6 earthquakes per century, activating a system of mostly north dipping normal faults. Since 2001, monitoring arrays of the European Corinth Rift Laboratory (CRL, www.crlab.eu) allowed to better track the mechanical processes at work, with short period and broad band seismometers, cGPS, borehole strainmeters, EM stations, …). The recent (300 kyr) tectonic history has been revealed by onland (uplifted fan deltas and terraces) and offshore geological studies (mapping, shallow seismic, coring), showing a fast evolution of the normal fault system. The microseismicity, dominated by swarms lasting from days to months, mostly clusters in a layer 1 to 3 km thick, between 6 and 9 km in depth, dipping towards north, on which most faults are rooting. The diffusion of the microseismicity suggests its triggering by pore pressure transients, with no or barely detected strain. Despite a large proportion of multiplets, true repeaters seem seldom, suggesting a minor contribution of creep in their triggering, although transient or steady creep is clearly detected on the shallow part of some majors faults. The microseismic layer may thus be an immature, downward growing detachment, and the dominant rifting mechanism might be a mode I, anelastic strain beneath the rift axis , for which a mechanical model is under development. Paleoseismological (trenching, paleoshorelines, turbidites), archeological and historical studies completed the catalogues of instrumental seismicity, motivating attempts of time dependent hazard assessment. The Near Fault Observatory of CRL is thus a multidisciplinary research infrastructure aiming at a better understanding and modeling of multiscale, coupled seismic/aseismic processes on fault systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bureau of Economic Geology

The Bureau of Economic Geology was contracted to develop technologies that demonstrate the value of multicomponent seismic technology for evaluating deep-water hydrates across the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. This report describes the methodologies that were developed to create compressional (P-P) and converted-shear (P-SV) images of near-seafloor geology from four-component ocean-bottom-cable (4C OBC) seismic data and the procedures used to integrate P-P and P-SV seismic attributes with borehole calibration data to estimate hydrate concentration across two study areas spanning 16 and 25 lease blocks (or 144 and 225 square miles), respectively. Approximately 200 km of two-dimensional 4Cmore » OBC profiles were processed and analyzed over the course of the 3-year project. The strategies we developed to image near-seafloor geology with 4C OBC data are unique, and the paper describing our methodology was peer-recognized with a Best Paper Award by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists in the first year of the project (2006). Among the valuable research findings demonstrated in this report, the demonstrated ability to image deep-water near-seafloor geology with sub-meter resolution using a standard-frequency (10-200 Hz) air gun array on the sea surface and 4C sensors on the seafloor has been the accomplishment that has received the most accolades from professional peers. Our study found that hydrate is pervasive across the two study areas that were analyzed but exists at low concentrations. Although our joint inversion technique showed that in some limited areas, and in some geologic units across those small areas, hydrates occupied up to 40-percent of the sediment pore space, we found that when hydrate was present, hydrate concentration tended to occupy only 10-percent to 20-percent of the pore volume. We also found that hydrate concentration tended to be greater near the base of the hydrate stability zone than it was within the central part of the stability zone.« less

Borehole P- and S-wave velocity at thirteen stations in Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gibbs, James F.; Boore, David M.; Tinsley, John C.; Mueller, Charles S.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of a program to acquire seismic velocity data at locations of strong-ground motion in earthquakes (e.g., Gibbs et al., 2000), has investigated thirteen additional sites in the Southern California region. Of the thirteen sites, twelve are in the vicinity of Whittier, California, and one is located in San Bernardino, California. Several deployments of temporary seismographs were made after the Whittier Narrows, California earthquake of 1 October 1987 (Mueller et al., 1988). A deployment, between 2 October and 9 November 1987, was the motivation for selection of six of the drill sites. Temporary portable seismographs at Hoover School (HOO), Lincoln School (LIN), Corps of Engineers Station (NAR), Olive Junior High School (OLV), Santa Anita Golf Course (SAG), and Southwestern Academy (SWA) recorded significant aftershock data. These portable sites, with the exception of Santa Anita Golf Course, were co-sited with strong-motion recorders. Stations at HOO, Lincoln School Whittier (WLB), Saint Paul High School (STP), Alisos Adult School (EXC), Cerritos College Gymnasium (CGM), Cerritos College Physical Science Building (CPS), and Cerritos College Police Building (CPB) were part of an array of digital strong-motion stations deployed from "bedrock" in Whittier to near the deepest part of the Los Angeles basin in Norwalk. Although development and siting of this new array (partially installed at the time of this writing) was generally motivated by the Whittier Narrows earthquake, these new sites (with the exception of HOO) were not part of any Whittier Narrows aftershock deployments. A similar new digital strong-motion site was installed at the San Bernardino Fire Station during the same time frame. Velocity data were obtained to depths of about 90 meters at two sites, 30 meters at seven sites, and 18 to 25 meters at four sites. Lithology data from the analysis of cuttings and samples was obtained from the two 90-meter deep holes and from five of the shallower holes to supplement the velocity interpretation. The two 90-meter boreholes (SB1, CPB) have been instrumented with borehole seismometers for continuous monitoring of earthquake activity (Rogers et al., 1998). No drill samples or cuttings were obtained from the other six sites, but driller's logs were scanned for major changes noted there. The velocity models at those sites were interpreted using only the measured data and major changes in the driller's log as noted above. The sites are shown in Figure 1 and listed in Table 1, which gives references to information regarding the strong-motion data. Several hundred strong-motion records of the main-shock were written by this moderate size earthquake (ML = 5.9), making it important from a scientific and engineering prospective (Brady et al., 1988; Shakal et al., 1988).

Background noise model development for seismic stations of KMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Youngsoo

2010-05-01

The background noise recorded at seismometer is exist at any seismic signal due to the natural phenomena of the medium which the signal passed through. Reducing the seismic noise is very important to improve the data quality in seismic studies. But, the most important aspect of reducing seismic noise is to find the appropriate place before installing the seismometer. For this reason, NIMR(National Institution of Meteorological Researches) starts to develop a model of standard background noise for the broadband seismic stations of the KMA(Korea Meteorological Administration) using a continuous data set obtained from 13 broadband stations during the period of 2007 and 2008. We also developed the model using short period seismic data from 10 stations at the year of 2009. The method of Mcmara and Buland(2004) is applied to analyse background noise of Korean Peninsula. The fact that borehole seismometer records show low noise level at frequency range greater than 1 Hz compared with that of records at the surface indicate that the cultural noise of inland Korean Peninsula should be considered to process the seismic data set. Reducing Double Frequency peak also should be regarded because the Korean Peninsula surrounded by the seas from eastern, western and southern part. The development of KMA background model shows that the Peterson model(1993) is not applicable to fit the background noise signal generated from Korean Peninsula.

Improved earthquake monitoring in the central and eastern United States in support of seismic assessments for critical facilities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leith, William S.; Benz, Harley M.; Herrmann, Robert B.

2011-01-01

Evaluation of seismic monitoring capabilities in the central and eastern United States for critical facilities - including nuclear powerplants - focused on specific improvements to understand better the seismic hazards in the region. The report is not an assessment of seismic safety at nuclear plants. To accomplish the evaluation and to provide suggestions for improvements using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey examined addition of new strong-motion seismic stations in areas of seismic activity and addition of new seismic stations near nuclear power-plant locations, along with integration of data from the Transportable Array of some 400 mobile seismic stations. Some 38 and 68 stations, respectively, were suggested for addition in active seismic zones and near-power-plant locations. Expansion of databases for strong-motion and other earthquake source-characterization data also was evaluated. Recognizing pragmatic limitations of station deployment, augmentation of existing deployments provides improvements in source characterization by quantification of near-source attenuation in regions where larger earthquakes are expected. That augmentation also supports systematic data collection from existing networks. The report further utilizes the application of modeling procedures and processing algorithms, with the additional stations and the improved seismic databases, to leverage the capabilities of existing and expanded seismic arrays.

The behavioural response of migrating humpback whales to a full seismic airgun array.

PubMed

Dunlop, Rebecca A; Noad, Michael J; McCauley, Robert D; Kniest, Eric; Slade, Robert; Paton, David; Cato, Douglas H

2017-12-20

Despite concerns on the effects of noise from seismic survey airguns on marine organisms, there remains uncertainty as to the biological significance of any response. This study quantifies and interprets the response of migrating humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) to a 3130 in 3 (51.3l) commercial airgun array. We compare the behavioural responses to active trials (array operational; n = 34 whale groups), with responses to control trials (source vessel towing the array while silent; n = 33) and baseline studies of normal behaviour in the absence of the vessel ( n = 85). No abnormal behaviours were recorded during the trials. However, in response to the active seismic array and the controls , the whales displayed changes in behaviour. Changes in respiration rate were of a similar magnitude to changes in baseline groups being joined by other animals suggesting any change group energetics was within their behavioural repertoire. However, the reduced progression southwards in response to the active treatments, for some cohorts, was below typical migratory speeds. This response was more likely to occur within 4 km from the array at received levels over 135 dB re 1 µPa 2 s. © 2017 The Author(s).

Numerical modelling of climate change impacts on freshwater lenses on the North Sea Island of Borkum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulzbacher, H.; Wiederhold, H.; Siemon, B.; Grinat, M.; Igel, J.; Burschil, T.; Günther, T.; Hinsby, K.

2012-03-01

A numerical variable-density groundwater model is set up for the North Sea Island of Borkum to estimate climate change impacts on coastal aquifers and especially the situation of barrier islands in the Wadden Sea. The database includes information from boreholes, a seismic survey, a helicopter-borne electromagnetic survey (HEM), monitoring of the freshwater-saltwater boundary by vertical electrode chains in two boreholes, measurements of groundwater table, pumping and slug tests, as well as water samples. Based on a statistical analysis of borehole columns, seismic sections and HEM, a hydrogeological model is set up. The groundwater model is developed using the finite-element programme FEFLOW. The variable-density groundwater model is calibrated on the basis of hydraulic, hydrological and geophysical data, in particular spatial HEM and local monitoring data. Verification runs with the calibrated model show good agreement between measured and computed hydraulic heads. A good agreement is also obtained between measured and computed density or total dissolved solids data for both the entire freshwater lens on a large scale and in the area of the well fields on a small scale. For simulating future changes in this coastal groundwater system until the end of the current century we use the climate scenario A2, specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and in particular the data for the German North Sea coast. Simulation runs show proceeding salinization with time beneath the well fields of the two waterworks Waterdelle and Ostland. The modelling study shows that spreading of well fields is an appropriate protection measure against excessive salinization of the water supply until the end of the current century.

Numerical modelling of climate change impacts on freshwater lenses on the North Sea Island of Borkum using hydrological and geophysical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulzbacher, H.; Wiederhold, H.; Siemon, B.; Grinat, M.; Igel, J.; Burschil, T.; Günther, T.; Hinsby, K.

2012-10-01

A numerical, density dependent groundwater model is set up for the North Sea Island of Borkum to estimate climate change impacts on coastal aquifers and especially the situation of barrier islands in the Wadden Sea. The database includes information from boreholes, a seismic survey, a helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HEM) survey, monitoring of the freshwater-saltwater boundary by vertical electrode chains in two boreholes, measurements of groundwater table, pumping and slug tests, as well as water samples. Based on a statistical analysis of borehole columns, seismic sections and HEM, a hydrogeological model is set up. The groundwater model is developed using the finite-element programme FEFLOW. The density dependent groundwater model is calibrated on the basis of hydraulic, hydrological and geophysical data, in particular spatial HEM and local monitoring data. Verification runs with the calibrated model show good agreement between measured and computed hydraulic heads. A good agreement is also obtained between measured and computed density or total dissolved solids data for both the entire freshwater lens on a large scale and in the area of the well fields on a small scale. For simulating future changes in this coastal groundwater system until the end of the current century, we use the climate scenario A2, specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and, in particular, the data for the German North Sea coast. Simulation runs show proceeding salinisation with time beneath the well fields of the two waterworks Waterdelle and Ostland. The modelling study shows that the spreading of well fields is an appropriate protection measure against excessive salinisation of the water supply until the end of the current century.

Modeling borehole microseismic and strain signals measured by a distributed fiber optic sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mellors, R. J.; Sherman, C. S.; Ryerson, F. J.; Morris, J.; Allen, G. S.; Messerly, M. J.; Carr, T.; Kavousi, P.

2017-12-01

The advent of distributed fiber optic sensors installed in boreholes provides a new and data-rich perspective on the subsurface environment. This includes the long-term capability for vertical seismic profiles, monitoring of active borehole processes such as well stimulation, and measuring of microseismic signals. The distributed fiber sensor, which measures strain (or strain-rate), is an active sensor with highest sensitivity parallel to the fiber and subject to varying types of noise, both external and internal. We take a systems approach and include the response of the electronics, fiber/cable, and subsurface to improve interpretation of the signals. This aids in understanding noise sources, assessing error bounds on amplitudes, and developing appropriate algorithms for improving the image. Ultimately, a robust understanding will allow identification of areas for future improvement and possible optimization in fiber and cable design. The subsurface signals are simulated in two ways: 1) a massively parallel multi-physics code that is capable of modeling hydraulic stimulation of heterogeneous reservoir with a pre-existing discrete fracture network, and 2) a parallelized 3D finite difference code for high-frequency seismic signals. Geometry and parameters for the simulations are derived from fiber deployments, including the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) project in West Virginia. The combination mimics both the low-frequency strain signals generated during the fracture process and high-frequency signals from microseismic and perforation shots. Results are compared with available fiber data and demonstrate that quantitative interpretation of the fiber data provides valuable constraints on the fracture geometry and microseismic activity. These constraints appear difficult, if not impossible, to obtain otherwise.

Passive Seismic Monitoring for Rockfall at Yucca Mountain: Concept Tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, J; Twilley, K; Murvosh, H

2003-03-03

For the purpose of proof-testing a system intended to remotely monitor rockfall inside a potential radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, a system of seismic sub-arrays will be deployed and tested on the surface of the mountain. The goal is to identify and locate rockfall events remotely using automated data collecting and processing techniques. We install seismometers on the ground surface, generate seismic energy to simulate rockfall in underground space beneath the array, and interpret the surface response to discriminate and locate the event. Data will be analyzed using matched-field processing, a generalized beam forming method for localizing discrete signals.more » Software is being developed to facilitate the processing. To date, a three-component sub-array has been installed and successfully tested.« less

P and S Velocity Structure in the Groningen Gas Reservoir From Noise Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wen; Paulssen, Hanneke

2017-12-01

Noise interferometry has proven to be a powerful tool to image seismic structure. In this study we used data from 10 geophones located in a borehole at ˜3 km depth within the Groningen gas reservoir in the Netherlands. The continuous data cross correlations show that noise predominantly comes in from above. The observed daily and weekly variations further indicate that the noise has an anthropogenic origin. The direct P wave emerges from the stacked vertical component cross correlations with frequencies up to 80 Hz and the direct S wave is retrieved from the horizontal components with frequencies up to 50 Hz. The measured intergeophone travel times were used to retrieve the P and S velocity structure along the borehole, and a good agreement was found with well log data. In addition, from the S wave polarizations, we determined azimuthal anisotropy with a fast direction of N65°W±18° and an estimated magnitude of (4±2)%. The fast polarization direction corresponds to the present direction of maximum horizontal stress measured at nearby boreholes but is also similar to the estimated paleostress direction.

Seismic gradiometry using ambient seismic noise in an anisotropic Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Ridder, S. A. L.; Curtis, A.

2017-05-01

We introduce a wavefield gradiometry technique to estimate both isotropic and anisotropic local medium characteristics from short recordings of seismic signals by inverting a wave equation. The method exploits the information in the spatial gradients of a seismic wavefield that are calculated using dense deployments of seismic arrays. The application of the method uses the surface wave energy in the ambient seismic field. To estimate isotropic and anisotropic medium properties we invert an elliptically anisotropic wave equation. The spatial derivatives of the recorded wavefield are evaluated by calculating finite differences over nearby recordings, which introduces a systematic anisotropic error. A two-step approach corrects this error: finite difference stencils are first calibrated, then the output of the wave-equation inversion is corrected using the linearized impulse response to the inverted velocity anomaly. We test the procedure on ambient seismic noise recorded in a large and dense ocean bottom cable array installed over Ekofisk field. The estimated azimuthal anisotropy forms a circular geometry around the production-induced subsidence bowl. This conforms with results from studies employing controlled sources, and with interferometry correlating long records of seismic noise. Yet in this example, the results were obtained using only a few minutes of ambient seismic noise.

Stress Map 2.0: Updating the Stress Map of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallyon, D.; Schmitt, D. R.; Currie, C. A.; Gu, Y. J.; Heidbach, O.

2015-12-01

The greatest horizontal compression in much of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin appears to uniformly trend NE-SW. Beyond this, major gaps remain in our knowledge of stress magnitudes and even faulting regimes. This lack of quantitative information impedes a proper understanding of seismic events that appear to be linked to hydraulic fracturing stimulations. Apart from this immediate concern, such seismicity could impact long term green-house gas sequestration and geothermal energy development. As part of the Helmholtz-Alberta geothermal collaboration, we are developing a program to update this crustal stress state information. The program consists of more immediate studies related to conventional analysis of borehole image logs, core fractures, and transient pressure records as can be made available. Data sets analyzed to date include logs to 3.5 km depth from areas experiencing induced seismicity, from 2.5 km depth within the Precambrian craton in NE Alberta, and to 400 m depth within a large carbonate platform. All these data largely confirm the NE-SW stress directions. In some cases, the configurations of drilling induced tensile fractures and borehole breakouts allow the faulting regime to be constrained. The addition of new seismometers to the region is also allowing for the refinement of earthquake focal mechanisms. Finally, a dramatic contrast in lithosphere thickness, composition and geothermal gradient exists at the contact between the Cordillera and the North American craton; therefore, lithosphere-scale numerical models are also being developed to quantify the relative contribution of geodynamic processes, such as mantle flow and contact geometry, to the observed stress regime within the basin.

Imaging Fracture Networks Using Angled Crosshole Seismic Logging and Change Detection Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, H. A.; Grubelich, M. C.; Preston, L. A.; Knox, J. M.; King, D. K.

2015-12-01

We present results from a SubTER funded series of cross borehole geophysical imaging efforts designed to characterize fracture zones generated with an alternative stimulation method, which is being developed for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). One important characteristic of this stimulation method is that each detonation will produce multiple fractures without damaging the wellbore. To date, we have collected six full data sets with ~30k source-receiver pairs each for the purposes of high-resolution cross borehole seismic tomographic imaging. The first set of data serves as the baseline measurement (i.e. un-stimulated), three sets evaluate material changes after fracture emplacement and/or enhancement, and two sets are used for evaluation of pick error and seismic velocity changes attributable to changing environmental factors (i.e. saturation due to rain/snowfall in the shallow subsurface). Each of the six datasets has been evaluated for data quality and first arrivals have been picked on nearly 200k waveforms in the target area. Each set of data is then inverted using a Vidale-Hole finite-difference 3-D eikonal solver in two ways: 1) allowing for iterative ray tracing and 2) with fixed ray paths determined from the test performed before the fracture stimulation of interest. Utilizing these two methods allows us to compare and contrast the results from two commonly used change detection techniques. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

76 FR 26255 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Marine Geophysical Survey in the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

..., the R/V Marcus G. Langseth (Langseth) and a seismic airgun array to collect seismic reflection and... possible, depending on logistics and weather. The proposed seismic survey will collect seismic reflection... Shillington, Spahr Webb, and Mladen Nedimovic, all of L-DEO. The vessel will be self-contained, and the crew...

Ambient seismic noise monitoring of the Super-Sauze landslide from a very dense temporary seismic array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chtouki, Toufik; Vergne, Jerome; Provost, Floriane; Malet, Jean-Philippe; Burtin, Arnaud; Hibert, Clément

2017-04-01

The Super-Sauze landslide is located on the southern part of the Barcelonnette Basin (French Alps) and has developed in a soft clay-shale environment. It is one of the four sites continuously monitored through a wide variety of geophysical and hydro-geological techniques in the framework of the OMIV French national landslide observatory. From early June to mid-July 2016, a temporary dense seismic array has been installed in the most active part of the landslide and at its surroundings. 50 different sites with an average inter-station distance of 50m have been instrumented with 150 miniaturized and autonomous seismic stations (Zland nodes), allowing a continuous record of the seismic signal at frequencies higher than 0.2Hz over an almost regular grid. Concurrently, a Ground-Based InSAR device allowed for a precise and continuous monitoring of the surface deformation. Overall, this experiment is intended to better characterize the spatio-temporal evolution of the deformation processes related to various type of forcing. We analyze the continuous records of ambient seismic noise recorded by the dense array. Using power spectral densities, we characterize the various types of natural and anthropogenic seismic sources, including the effect of water turbulence and bedload transport in the small nearby torrents. We also compute the correlation of the ambient diffuse seismic noise in various frequency bands for the 2448 station pairs to recover the empirical Green functions between them. The temporal evolution of the coda part of these noise correlation functions allows monitoring and localizing shear wave velocity variations in the sliding mass. Here we present some preliminary results of this analysis and compare the seismic variations to meteorological data and surface deformation.

True-triaxial experimental seismic velocities linked to an in situ 3D seismic velocity structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tibbo, M.; Young, R. P.

2017-12-01

Upscaling from laboratory seismic velocities to in situ field seismic velocities is a fundamental problem in rock physics. This study presents a unique situation where a 3D velocity structure of comparable frequency ranges is available both in situ and experimentally. The in situ data comes from the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) located in Manitoba, Canada. The velocity survey and oriented, cubic rock sample, are from the 420m level of the mine, where the geology is a homogeneous and isotropic granite. The triaxial in situ stress field at this level was determined and the Mine-by tunnel was excavated horizontally to maximize borehole break out. Ultrasonic velocity measurements for P-, S1-,and S2-waves were done in the tunnel sidewall, ceiling and far-field rock mass.The geophysical imaging cell (GIC) used in this study allows for true triaxial stress (σ1 > σ2 > σ3). Velocity surveys for P-, S1-, and S2-wave can be acquired along all three axes, and therefore the effects of σ1, σ2, σ3 on the velocity-stress relationship is obtained along all 3 axes. The cubic (80 mm) granite sample was prepared oriented to the in situ principle stress axis in the field. The stress path of the sample extraction from in situ stress was modeled in FLAC 3D (by Itasca inc ), and then reapplied in the GIC to obtain the laboratory velocities at in situ stress. Both laboratory and field velocities conclude the same maximum velocity axis, within error, to be along σ2 at 5880±60 m/s for P-wave. This deviation from the expected fast axis being σ1, is believed to be caused by an aligned microcrack fabric. The theory of acoustoelasticity, the dependence of acoustic wave velocity on stresses in the propagating isotropic medium, is applied to the borehole hoop and radial stresses produced by the Mine-by tunnel. The acoustoelastic effect involves determining the linear (second-order) and nonlinear (third-order) elastic constants, which are derived from the velocity-stress slopes obtained from both uniaxial and hydrostatic stress tests performed on the granite. The acoustoelastic model produces the in situ far field P-wave velocity, as well as similar near borehole field velocities. In summary, this study compares a 3D field and laboratory velocity structure, and shows the potential of the theory of acoustoelasticity for velocity-stress inversion.

Sequential Data Assimilation for Seismicity: a Proof of Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dinther, Ylona; Kuensch, Hans Rudolf; Fichtner, Andreas

2017-04-01

Integrating geological and geophysical observations, laboratory results and physics-based numerical modeling is crucial to improve our understanding of the occurrence of large subduction earthquakes. How to do this integration is less obvious, especially in light of the scarcity and uncertainty of natural and laboratory data and the difficulty of modeling the physics governing earthquakes. One way to efficiently combine information from these sources in order to estimate states and/or parameters is data assimilation, a mathematically sound framework extensively developed for weather forecasting purposes. We demonstrate the potential of using data assimilation by applying an Ensemble Kalman Filter to recover the current and forecast the future state of stress and strength on the megathrust based on data from a single borehole. Data and its errors are for the first time assimilated to - using the least-squares solution of Bayes theorem - update a Partial Differential Equation-driven seismic cycle model. This visco-elasto-plastic continuum forward model solves Navier-Stokes equations with a rate-dependent friction coefficient. To prove this concept we perform a perfect model test in an analogue subduction zone setting. Synthetic numerical data from a single analogue borehole are assimilated into 150 ensemble models. Since we know the true state of the numerical data model, a quantitative and qualitative evaluation shows that meaningful information on the stress and strength is available, even when only data from a single borehole is assimilated over only a part of a seismic cycle. This is possible, since the sampled error covariance matrix contains prior information on the physics that relates velocities, stresses, and pressures at the surface to those at the fault. During the analysis step, stress and strength distributions are thus reconstructed in such a way that fault coupling can be updated to either inhibit or trigger events. In the subsequent forward propagation step the physical equations are solved to propagate the updated states forward in time and thus provide probabilistic information on the occurrence of the next analogue earthquake. At the next assimilation step(s), the systems forecasting ability turns out to be distinctly better than using a periodic model to forecast this simple, quasi-periodic sequence. Combining our knowledge of physical laws with observations thus seems to be a useful tool that could be used to improve probabilistic seismic hazard assessment and increase our physical understanding of the spatiotemporal occurrence of earthquakes, subduction zones, and other Solid Earth systems.