Similarity of lithospheric structure of central and northwestern part of the Indian Peninsula inferred from observed surface wave forms

Observed surface wave forms across the central part of the Indian Peninsula and across northwestern part of the Peninsula have been considered. In a previous work, using group velocity of surface waves across former religion revealed model lithosphere IP 11. Observed surface wave forms across these two regions have been compared with synthetic seismograms using model IP 11. Observed wave forms are found to agree with synthetic one. This suggests that the average lithospheric structure of central and northwestern parts of the Indian Peninsula is similar and the Lithospheric model IP 11 is an approximation to it

2D Seismic Structural and Stratigraphic Study of Kirkuk Group Formation in Amara Oil Field- Southeastern Iraq

The Amarah Oil field structure was studied and interpreted by using 2-D seismic data obtained from the Oil Exploration company. The study is concerned with Maysan Group Formation (Kirkuk Group) which is located in southeastern Iraq and belongs to the Tertiary Age. Two reflectors were detected based on synthetic seismograms and well logs (top and bottom Missan Group). Structural maps were derived from seismic reflection interpretations to obtain the location and direction of the sedimentary basin. Two-way time and depth maps were conducted depending on the structural interpretation of the picked reflectors to show several structural features. These included three types of closures, namely two anticlines extended in the directions of S-SW and NE, one nose structure (anticline) in the middle of the study area, and structural faults in the northeastern part of the area, which is consistent with the general fault pattern. The seismic interpretation showed the presence of some stratigraphic features. Stratigraphic trap at the eastern part of the field, along with other phenomena, such as flatspot (mound), lenses, onlap, and toplap, were detected as indications of potential hydrocarbon accumulation in the region.

Generation of 6-C Synthetic Seismograms in Stratified Vertically-Transversely-Isotropic Media Using a Generalized Reflection and Transmission Coefficient Method

Summary We develop a generalized reflection and transmission coefficient method (GRTM) for generating six-component (6-C) synthetic seismograms in horizontally layered vertically-transversely-isotropic (VTI) media. Compared with the traditional seismic modeling approaches that only consider translational motion, our method can simultaneously produce three-component translational and three-component rotational data excited by a point vector force or a moment tensor source in a layered half-space. Horizontally layered models are widely used in near surface applications as the properties of near surface formations generally show small lateral variations and change mainly along the depth direction. The use of the VTI constitutive relation can make our method applicable to more general situations because it takes into account the characteristics of sedimentary formations. We compare our method with a finite-difference method (FDM) for a variety of velocity models and acquisition geometries. The numerical results demonstrate that accurate 6-C synthetic seismograms can be calculated using our method. The computational efficiency of our method for 6-C seismic modeling is much higher than the finite-difference method, because it can reduce a 3D modeling problem to 2.5D by eliminating the azimuthal dimension. Also, our method does not require to perform additional spatial interpolations to obtain the rotational components. These advantages make our method suitable to serve as a forward modeling tool for rotational seismology.

On the validity of the planar wave approximation to compute synthetic seismograms of teleseismic body waves in a 3-D regional model

SUMMARY Injection methods are a very efficient means to compute synthetic seismograms of short-period teleseismic body waves in 3-D regional models. The principle is to inject an incident teleseismic wavefield inside a regional 3-D Cartesian spectral-element grid. We have developed an opern-source package that allows us to inject either an incident plane wave, computed with a frequency–wavenumber method, or the complete wavefield, computed in a spherically symmetric reference earth model with AxiSEM. The computations inside the regional spectral-element grid are performed with SPECFEM3D_Cartesian. We compare the efficiency and reliability of the two injection methods for teleseismic P waves, considering a wide range of epicentral distance and hypocentral depths. Our simulations demonstrate that in practice the effects of wave front and Earth curvature are negligible for moderate size regional domains (several hundreds of kilometres) and for periods larger than 2 s. The main differences observed in synthetic seismograms are related to secondary phases that have a different slowness from the one of the reference P phase.

Stabilizing the phase of onshore 3D seismic data

When present, surface-consistent (shot and/or receiver) phase instability will generate surface-consistent time shifts that are at least partially removed from seismic data when surface-consistent residual statics corrections are applied. The phase instability will not be fully corrected and lingers undetected in the data throughout the remainder of the processing workflow. After processing finishes, seismic interpreters often need to apply laterally varying phase rotations to tie their onshore 3D seismic data to synthetic seismograms, before starting detailed stratigraphic interpretation projects. We have developed and tested a new surface-consistent seismic processing workflow that can be applied to increase the phase stability of our seismic data. It is run after the final pass of conventional surface-consistent residual shot and receiver statics corrections have been applied to optimally align the seismic traces. The phase stability corrections are estimated from an additional pass of surface-consistent residual shot and receiver statics corrections that are calculated on the phase-independent seismic trace envelopes. We demonstrate the application of the workflow using synthetic and real seismic data. We gained confidence that the workflow was performing as expected after we intentionally phase rotated a small subset of the shots and receivers in our seismic test data sets and observed that the workflow corrected these intentionally phase-rotated traces with a high level of accuracy.

Seismic signature of the deadly snow avalanche of January 18, 2017, at Rigopiano (Italy)

Most snow avalanches occur unobserved, which becomes particularly dramatic when human lives are involved. Seismological observations can be helpful to unravel time and dynamics of unseen events, like the deadly avalanche of January 18, 2017, that hit a Resort-hotel at Rigopiano in the Abruzzi (Italy). Particle motion analysis and spectrograms from data recorded by a close seismic broadband station, calculation of synthetic seismograms, as well as simulation of the flow, allowed us to construct the dynamics of the snow avalanche that buried alive 40 people, killing 29. Due to the bad weather conditions, no visual observation was made, thus making it impossible to determine the exact moment of the avalanche and to report necessary observations of the dramatic event. On-site inspections revealed that the hotel was horizontally cut by shear forces and dislocated by 48 m in 70°N direction, once the increasing avalanche pressure exceeded the structural shear strength of the building. Within an eligible 24 min time range of the avalanche, we found three weak seismic transients, starting at 15:42:38 UTC, recorded by the nearest operating station GIGS located in the Gran Sasso underground laboratory approximately 17 km away. Particle motion analysis of the strongest seismic avalanche signal, as well as of the synthetic seismograms match best when assuming a single force seismic source, attacking in direction of 120°N. Simulation of the avalanche dynamics—calculated by using a 2D rapid mass movement simulator—indicates that the seismic signals were rather generated as the avalanche flowed through a narrow and twisting canyon directly above the hotel. Once the avalanche enters the canyon it is travelling at maximum velocity (37 m/s) and is twice strongly deflected by the rock sidewalls. These impacts created a distinct linearly polarized seismic “avalanche transient”s that can be used to time the destruction of the hotel. Our results demonstrate that seismic recordings combined with simulations of mass movements are indispensable to remotely monitor snow avalanches.

Dynamic rupture and seismic radiation in a damage-breakage rheology model

<p>We present simulations of dynamic ruptures in a continuum damage-breakage rheological model and waves radiated by the ruptures observed in the far field. The model combines aspects of a continuum viscoelastic damage framework for brittle solids with a continuum breakage mechanics for granular flow. The brittle instability is associated with a phase transition between a damaged solid with distributed cracks and a granular medium within the generated rupture zone. The formulation significantly extends the ability to model brittle processes in structures with complex volumetric geometries and evolving elastic properties, compared to the traditional models of pre-existing frictional surface(s) in a solid with fixed properties. A set of numerical simulations examines the sensitivity of dynamic ruptures, seismic source properties and radiated waves to material properties controlling the coupled damage-breakage evolution, the thickness and geometry of the damage zone, and fluidity of the granular material. The simulations are performed in two stages. First, details of the rupture process are simulated using adaptive fine grid model. The results of these simulations include source parameters such as rupture velocity, potency, stress and strain drop, heat generation, and others. In the second stage, the obtained velocity source function is used for simulating radiated seismic waves and synthetic seismograms sampled by stations around the rupture zone and in the far field.</p><p>Detailed comparisons between the simulated source properties and those obtained by analyzing the synthetic seismograms demonstrate the relations between different source processes and inferred seismic parameters (potency, strain drop, directivity, rupture velocity, corner frequency, and others). One main effect shown in these simulations emphasizes the important role of rock damage and granulation process generating dynamic expansion-compaction around the process-zone. This expansion-compaction process leads to isotropic source term, while shear motion that accumulates behind the propagating front produces deviatoric deformation and shear heating behind the rupture front. Changing through our simulations, source geometries, and fault zone properties, we demonstrate that the process-zone dissipation due to the damage-breakage mechanism, and the isotropic source component, significantly affect the radiation pattern, rupture directivity, S/P energy partitioning, seismic potency and moment, and more. The results are significant for understanding better the proper usage and limitations of methods applied within the observational framework of earthquake seismology.</p>

Synthetic seismograms for assessing areas of potential damage after induced events for legal regulations in Germany

<p>Induced and triggered seismicity in Germany is related to various mining operations such as hydrocarbon extraction, geothermal exploitation and classical mining techniques, i.e. coal and potash mining.</p><p>After some larger events small damages to buildings were observed that might have been caused by the ground shakings. This led to public discussions on compensation and to political discussions on improving legal regulations. The possibility of damages caused by mining induced seismic events and difficulties in financial compensation reduced the acceptance of mining projects in the past, e.g. geothermal projects are inhibited.</p><p>In case of verified damage due to an induced event, the causative mining company has to pay compensations. In 2016 new legal regulations entered into force. The Federal Mining Act was revised with an improved legal situation for the population by expanding the prima facie evidence on mining activities using boreholes. The new legal regulations define, that damages at buildings are assumed to be caused by the seismic event in the responsibility of the operator of the mining activities, if they occur within a certain area defined by the mining authority (impact area, German: “Einwirkungsbereich”).</p><p>From the seismological perspective, local measurements of PGV are often rare. Thus, it is difficult to assess the damage potential of the seismic events in detail, especially if intensities are around V (EMS-98). In many cases, a relation between individual damages at buildings and the seismic event is only hardly verifiable. Actually, detailed survey reports could neither prove nor disprove the relation between damages and seismic events in some cases. In conclusion, some of the widely discussed events might have led to small damages.</p><p>A brief introduction about the existing legal regulations will be presented. We used synthetic seismogram to model the wave propagation and amplitude effects for induced seismic events in the magnitude range between ML 2.9 and 3.6, for which it was necessary to define the impact area for legal regulations. Results from amplitude measurements at existing seismic stations were taken to calibrate the absolute amplitudes of the modeling. The synthetic seismograms could help to quantify the effects from the radiation pattern of the source and the impact of sediment coverage between source and receivers. They could improve the definition of the area of impact.</p>