Abstract
The characteristics of the attenuation field of short-period shear waves in the region of Nevada nuclear test site (NNTS) are studied. The seismograms of underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) and earthquakes recorded by three seismic stations in 1975–2012 at the epicentral distances of up to 1000 km are processed by the methods based on the analysis of the amplitude ratios of Sn to Pn and Lg to Pg waves, as well as the S-coda envelopes for close events. It is shown that the structure of the attenuation field in the Earth’s crust and upper mantle in the NNTS region experienced significant temporal variations during the interval of nuclear operations. The strongest variations were associated with UNEs conducted in the Pahute Mesa area, which held about two-thirds of the most intense explosions. Our data indicate that temporal variations in the structure of the attenuation field are related to the migration of deep fluids. A comparison of the general characteristics of the attenuation field in the regions of the three large nuclear test sites is presented.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adushkin, V.V. and Spivak, A.A., Changes in the groundwater level due to underground nuclear explosions, Byull. TsOIAE, 1993, no. 9, pp. 38–43.
Adushkin, V.V. and Spivak, A.A., Podzemnye vzryvy (Underground Explosions), Moscow: Nauka, 2007.
Aptikaeva, O.I. and Kopnichev, Yu.F., Space-time variations of the coda wave envelopes of local earthquakes in the region of Central Asia, J. Earthq. Predict. Res., 1993, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 497–514.
Bakirov, A.B., Ed., Zemnaya kora i verkhnyaya mantiya Tyan’-Shanya v svyazi s geodinamikoi i seismichnost’yu (Earth’s Crust and Upper Mantle of Tien Shan in Relation to Geodynamics and Seismicity), Bishkek: Ilim, 2006.
Barabanov, V.L., Grinevskii, A.O., Kissin, I.G., and Nikolaev, A.V., On some effects of seismic vibration in a fluid-saturated medium: comparison with the effects of the strong remote earthquakes, Dokl. Ross. Akad. Nauk, 1987, vol. 297, no. 1, pp. 53–56.
Berdichevsky, M.N., Borisova, V.P., Golubtsova, N.S., Ingerov, A.I., Konovalov, Yu.F., Kulikov, A.V., Solodilov, L.N., Chernyavskii, G.A., and Shpak, I.P., Interpretation of magnetotelluric soundings in the Lesser Caucasus, Izv., Phys. Solid Earth, 1996, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 365–370.
Bielinski, R., Park, S., Rybin, A., Batalev, V., Yun, Sh., and Sears, C., Lithospheric heterogeneity in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan imaged by magnitotelluric stidies, Geophys. Rev. Lett., 2003, vol. 30, no. 15. doi: 10.1029/2003GL017455
Fisk, M., Accurate locations of nuclear explosions at the Lop Nor test site using alignment of seismograms and ICONOS satellite imagery, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., 2002, vol. 92, no. 8, pp. 2911–2525.
Gold, T. and Soter, S., Fluid ascent through the solid lithosphere and its relation to earthquakes, Pure Appl. Geophys., 1984/1985, vol. 122, pp. 492–530.
Grachev, A.F., Riftovye zony Zemli (Rift Zones of the Earth), Leningrad: Nedra, 1977.
Husen, S. and Kissling, E., Postseismic fluid flow after the large subduction earthquake of Antofagasta, Chile, Geology, 2001, vol. 29, no. 9, pp. 847–850.
Kopnichev, Yu.F., Korotkoperiodnye seismicheskie volnovye polya (Short-Period Seismic Wave Fields), Moscow: Nauka, 1985.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Arakelyan, A.R., On the nature of short-period seismic fields within a distance of 3000 km, Vulkanol. Seismol., 1988, no. 4, pp. 77–92.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., Space-time variations in the attenuation field structure of S Waves at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Izv., Phys. Solid Earth, 2001, vol. 37, no. 11, pp. 928–941.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., Spatiotemporal variations of the S wave attenuation field in the source zones of large earthquakes in the Tien Shan, Izv., Phys. Solid Earth, 2003, vol. 39, no. 7, pp. 568–579.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., Shear wave attenuation field of heterogeneities in the Earth’s crust and upper mantle in the Lop Nor Test Site area, Dokl. Earth Sci., 2008, vol. 420, no. 2, pp. 649–652.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., On the geodynamical processes in the regions of three nuclear test sites, Vestnik NYaTs RK, 2009, no. 3, pp. 48–54.
Kopnichev, Yu.F., Gordienko, D.D., and Sokolova, I.N., Space-time variations of the shear wave attenuation field in the upper mantle of seismic and low seismicity areas, J. Volcanol. Seismol., 2009, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 44–58.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., Heterogeneities in the absorption field of short-period S-waves in the lithosphere of Tien Shan and Dzungaria with their relation to seismicity, Dokl. Earth Sci., 2010, vol. 433, no. 6, pp. 1119–1123.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., Heterogeneities of the field of short-period transverse wave absorption in the lithosphere of Central Asia and their relationship with seismicity, Dokl. Earth Sci., 2011, vol. 437, no. 1, pp. 363–367.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., Heterogeneities of the shear wave attenuation field in the lithosphere of East Tien Shan and their relationship with seismicity, Dokl. Earth Sci., 2012a, vol. 442, no. 2, pp. 292–295.
Kopnichev, Yu.F. and Sokolova, I.N., Time variations in the S wave attenuation field in the regions of Lop Nor and Novaya Zemlya nuclear test sites, Vestnik NYaTs RK, 2012b, no. 2.
Kumar, P., Kind, R., Yuan, X., and Mechie, J., USArray receiver function images of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, Seismol. Res. Lett., 2012, vol. 83, no. 3, pp. 486–491.
Mikhailov, V.N., Ed., Ispytaniya yadernogo oruzhiya i yadernye vzryvy v mirnykh tselyakh SSSR, 1949–1990 (Nuclear Weapon Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions in the USSR, 1949–1990), Sarov: RFYaTs-VNIIEF, 1996.
Molnar, P. and Oliver, J., Lateral variation of attenuation in the upper mantle and discontinuities in the lithosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 1969, vol. 74, pp. 2648–2682.
Sinnock, S., Geology of the Nevada Test Site and Nearby Areas, Southern Nevada, Sandia Report SAND82-2207, 1982.
United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992, Las Vegas: U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, December 2000.
Vanyan, L.L. and Hyndman, R.D., Nature of electrical conductivity of the Earth’s crust, Izv., Phys. Solid Earth, 1996, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 261–267.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © Yu.F. Kopnichev, I.N. Sokolova, K.N. Sokolov, 2013, published in Fizika Zemli, 2013, No. 6, pp. 39–48.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kopnichev, Y.F., Sokolova, I.N. & Sokolov, K.N. Spatio-temporal variations in the structure of the attenuation field of the S-wave in the region of Nevada nuclear test site. Izv., Phys. Solid Earth 49, 786–795 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1069351313060086
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1069351313060086