Interpreting seismic velocity changes observed with ambient seismic noise correlations

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. SJ77-SJ85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerrit Olivier ◽  
Florent Brenguier
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Noise ◽  
Relative Velocity ◽  
Dynamic Stress ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Ambient Seismic Noise ◽  
Seismic Velocity Changes ◽  
Velocity Variations ◽  
Velocity Changes ◽  
Pressure Changes

Recent results have shown that crosscorrelating ambient seismic noise recorded in underground mines can successfully extract the seismic Green’s function between sensors. We have revisited an earlier experiment that showed that these virtual seismic sources can be used to measure changes in seismic velocity accurately enough to monitor the short- and long-term influences of a blast in an underground mine. To use this method routinely, it is important to determine the cause of velocity variations in the absence of large dynamic stress perturbations (such as blasts). It also is important to calibrate the seismic velocity changes in terms of known stress changes so the effect of mining activities can be quantified in units that can be used by geotechnical engineers. To this end, we used coda-wave interferometry to measure relative velocity variations during times where no significant blasting or microseismic activity occurred and compared it to atmospheric air pressure changes, temperature variations, and modeled tidal strain. The results indicate that atmospheric air pressure changes have a measurable influence on the long-term seismic velocity variations at depth in the absence of large dynamic stress perturbations. This influence enabled us to determine the sensitivity of the relative velocity changes to stress, where a value of [Formula: see text] was found. This calibration essentially enables us to turn each sensor pair in an underground mine into a stress meter, paving the way for geotechnical engineers to use ambient seismic noise correlations to monitor the evolution of stress and to assess seismic hazard in conjunction with conventional microseismic methods.

Temporal seismic velocity changes during the 2020 rapid inflation at Mt. Thorbjorn-Svartsengi, Iceland, using ambient seismic noise

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yesim Cubuk Sabuncu ◽  
Kristin Jonsdottir ◽  
Corentin Caudron ◽  
Thomas Lecocq ◽  
Michelle Maree Parks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Wave ◽  
Seismic Noise ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Ambient Seismic Noise ◽  
Magmatic Activity ◽  
Volcanic Unrest ◽  
Seismic Velocity Changes ◽  
Magmatic Intrusions ◽  
Reykjanes Peninsula ◽  
Velocity Changes

<p>The Reykjanes peninsula, SW Iceland, was struck by intense earthquake swarm activity that occurred in January-July 2020 due to repeated magmatic intrusions in the Reykjanes-Svartsengi volcanic system. GPS and InSAR observations confirmed surface deformation centered near Mt. Thorbjorn, and during the unrest period, approximately ~14,000 earthquakes (-2≤M≤4.9) were reported at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO). We investigate the behavior of the crust as a response to these repeated intrusions to provide insights into volcanic unrest in the Reykjanes peninsula. Our study presents temporal seismic wave velocity variations (dv/v, in percent) based on ambient noise seismic interferometry using continuous three-component waveforms collected by IMO, (http://www.vedur.is) for the period from April 2018 to November 2020. The state-of-the-art MSNoise software package (http://www.msnoise.org) is used to calculate cross-correlations of ambient seismic noise and to quantify the relative seismic velocity variations. We observe that magmatic intrusions in the vicinity of Mt. Thorbjorn-Svartsengi have considerably reduced the seismic wave velocities (dv/v, -1%) in the 1-2 Hz frequency band. Seismic velocity changes were compared with local seismicity, GPS and InSAR data recorded close to the repeated intrusions, and modelled volumetric strain changes. We found a good correlation between the dv/v variations and the available deformation data. The Rayleigh wave phase-velocity sensitivity kernels showed that the changes occurring at depths down to ~3-4 km in the crust were captured by our measurements. We interpret the relative seismic velocity decrease to be caused by crack opening induced by intrusive magmatic activity. Monitoring the Mt. Thorbjorn-Svartsengi volcanic unrest is crucial for successful early warning of volcanic hazards since the center of uplift is only 2km away from a fishing village and major infrastructure in the area, such as water supply and geothermal power. For the first time in Iceland, we have provided near-real-time dv/v variations to obtain a more complete picture of this magmatic activity. Our findings are supported by the analysis of other primary monitoring streams. We propose that this technique may be useful for early detection of future intrusions/increased magmatic activity. This study is supported by the Icelandic Research Fund, Rannis (Grant No: 185209-051).</p>

Seismic velocity changes in the epicentral area of the Mw 7.8 Pedernales (Ecuador) earthquake from cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Agurto-Detzel ◽  
Diane Rivet ◽  
Philippe Charvis
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Noise ◽  
Cross Correlation ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Healing Process ◽  
Ambient Seismic Noise ◽  
Crustal Material ◽  
Seismic Velocities ◽  
Epicentral Area ◽  
Seismic Velocity Changes ◽  
Velocity Changes

<p>In the last decade, correlation of ambient seismic noise has opened a window to new possibilities for the study of structural properties of the Earth. One such possibility is the monitoring of transient changes in the mechanical properties of the surrounding crustal material following an earthquake. These changes, expressed as variations in seismic velocities, are usually associated to fracture damage and release of fluids due to the earthquakes shaking, but could also be related to deformation associated with afterslip. On April 16, 2016, a Mw 7.8 earthquake struck the coast of Ecuador, rupturing a ~100 km-long segment of the megathrust interface previously identified as highly coupled. Shortly after the mainshock, we deployed a temporary seismic network to monitor the post-seismic phase, in addition to the already in-place permanent Ecuadorian network. Here we present results from cross-correlation of continuous ambient seismic noise during a ~12-months period following the mainshock. Taking advantage of the dense and extensive station network, we investigate the spatio-temporal evolution of the post-seimic seismic velocity changes. Our results show a slow but sustained increase in the average seismic velocities after the earthquake, with a decay in the rate of the increase during the last few months. Spatially, the increase is more notorious nearby the rupture area, whereas the amplitude of the increase diminishes as we move away from the epicenter. We interpret these variations in seismic velocities (steady increase) as the crust’s response to the healing process that takes place during the post-seismic phase, following the sudden coseismic decrease of seismic velocities during the mainshock. This healing process could involve the decrease of fluid-related pore pressures and the healing of fractures and cracks generated during the mainshock, both at the interface and on the overriding plate.</p>

scholarly journals Fracture detection and imaging through relative seismic velocity changes using distributed acoustic sensing and ambient seismic noise

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 1009-1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie R. James ◽  
Hunter A. Knox ◽  
Leiph Preston ◽  
James M. Knox ◽  
Mark C. Grubelich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Noise ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Ambient Seismic Noise ◽  
Fracture Detection ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Seismic Velocity Changes ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Velocity Changes

Can land subsidence be monitored with ambient seismic auto-correlations?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Ermert ◽  
Marine Denolle ◽  
Enrique Cabral Cano ◽  
Estelle Chaussard ◽  
Dario Solano Rojas
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Noise ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Urban Infrastructure ◽  
Temporal Correlations ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
Seismic Velocity Changes ◽  
Subsurface Layers ◽  
Velocity Changes ◽  
Seasonal Oscillations

<p>Mexico City has been undergoing rapid subsidence for more than 100 years due to groundwater extraction. During the 2010s, rates surpassing 30 centimeters/year were observed by satellite geodetic measurements. Not only does this subsidence pose grave challenges for buildings, urban infrastructure, and water management, but it also changes the seismic response of the affected subsurface layers and thereby alters the seismic hazard in the metropolis that has seen devastating site effects both in the 1985 Michoacan and 2017 Puebla earthquake. We use data and numerical modeling of ambient noise auto-correlations to gain a better insight into the subsidence process through ambient noise techniques.</p><p>We establish a baseline for the long-term and seasonal variations of seismic velocity near the basin from long-term recordings of the Geoscope station UNM, located at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in the geotechnical hill zone. We further study temporary recordings from the MASE array (MASE (2007): Meso America Subduction Experiment. Caltech. Dataset. doi:10.7909/C3RN35SP) to see how subsidence and other factors may influence seismic velocity in the geotechnical hill, transition, and lake zones.</p><p>We find that seasonal oscillations and a strong, rapid velocity drop coincident with the 2017 Puebla earthquake overlay a multi-year increasing trend in seismic velocity. We cautiously interpret the multi-year increase as a long-term effect of subsidence. We further study the temporal correlations of seismic velocity changes with other environmental time series like precipitation, and model auto-correlations in order to improve our understanding of their composition and sensitivity.</p>

Mapping pressurized volcanic fluids from induced crustal seismic velocity drops

Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 345 (6192) ◽  
pp. 80-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Brenguier ◽  
M. Campillo ◽  
T. Takeda ◽  
Y. Aoki ◽  
N. M. Shapiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Dynamic Stress ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Transient Stress ◽  
Seismic Velocity Changes ◽  
Velocity Changes ◽  
Pressurized Fluids ◽  
Volcanic Fluids

Volcanic eruptions are caused by the release of pressure that has accumulated due to hot volcanic fluids at depth. Here, we show that the extent of the regions affected by pressurized fluids can be imaged through the measurement of their response to transient stress perturbations. We used records of seismic noise from the Japanese Hi-net seismic network to measure the crustal seismic velocity changes below volcanic regions caused by the 2011 moment magnitude (Mw) 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. We interpret coseismic crustal seismic velocity reductions as related to the mechanical weakening of the pressurized crust by the dynamic stress associated with the seismic waves. We suggest, therefore, that mapping seismic velocity susceptibility to dynamic stress perturbations can be used for the imaging and characterization of volcanic systems.

Seismic Monitoring of Permafrost in Svalbard, Arctic Norway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Albaric ◽  
Daniela Kühn ◽  
Matthias Ohrnberger ◽  
Nadège Langet ◽  
Dave Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waves ◽  
Seismic Noise ◽  
Green's Functions ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Green’S Functions ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
Ambient Seismic Noise ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Velocity Variations

Abstract We analyze data from passive and active seismic experiments conducted in the Adventdalen valley of Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic. Our objective is to characterize the ambient wavefield of the region and to investigate permafrost dynamics through estimates of seismic velocity variations. We are motivated by a need for early geophysical detection of potentially hazardous changes to permafrost stability. We draw upon several data sources to constrain various aspects of seismic wave propagation in Adventdalen. We use f-k analysis of five years of continuous data from the Spitsbergen seismic array (SPITS) to demonstrate that ambient seismic noise on Svalbard consists of continuously present body waves and intermittent surface waves appearing at regular intervals. A change in wavefield direction accompanies the sudden onset of surface waves when the average temperature rises above the freezing point, suggesting a cryogenic origin. This hypothesis is supported further by our analysis of records from a temporary broadband network, which indicates that the background wavefield is dominated by icequakes. Synthetic Green’s functions calculated from a 3D velocity model match well with empirical Green’s functions constructed from the recorded ambient seismic noise. We use a shallow shear-wave velocity model, obtained from active seismic measurements, to estimate the maximum depth of Rayleigh wave sensitivity to changes in shear velocity to be in the 50–100 m range. We extract seasonal variations in seismic velocities from ambient noise cross-correlation functions computed over three years of SPITS data. We attribute relative velocity variations to changes in the ice content of the shallow (2–4 m depth) permafrost, which is sensitive to seasonal temperature changes. A linear decreasing trend in seismic velocity is observed over the years, most likely due to permafrost warming.

scholarly journals Physics-Based Relationship for Pore Pressure and Vertical Stress Monitoring Using Seismic Velocity Variations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2684
Author(s):  
Eldert Fokker ◽  
Elmer Ruigrok ◽  
Rhys Hawkins ◽  
Jeannot Trampert
Keyword(s):  
Pore Pressure ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Pressure Head ◽  
Groundwater Table ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Seismic Velocities ◽  
Stress Monitoring ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Velocity Variations ◽  
Velocity Changes

Previous studies examining the relationship between the groundwater table and seismic velocities have been guided by empirical relationships only. Here, we develop a physics-based model relating fluctuations in groundwater table and pore pressure with seismic velocity variations through changes in effective stress. This model justifies the use of seismic velocity variations for monitoring of the pore pressure. Using a subset of the Groningen seismic network, near-surface velocity changes are estimated over a four-year period, using passive image interferometry. The same velocity changes are predicted by applying the newly derived theory to pressure-head recordings. It is demonstrated that the theory provides a close match of the observed seismic velocity changes.

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