Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/L008920/1
Optimising array methodologies for forensic, industrial and global seismology
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor J Wookey, University of Bristol, Earth Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Bristol, Earth Sciences
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- The comprehensive test-ban treaty (CTBT), which prohibits the detonation of nuclear devices for any purpose, has been called the most significant step towards arms control ever taken. Taking over 40 years to achieve, negotiations finally completed in 1996, and the Treaty since has been signed and ratified by some 159 countries, and is currently 9 countries short of coming into force. A critical party of the treaty is the verification system, part of which is the International Monitoring System (IMS). This is a global network of radionuclide, infrasound, hydroacoustic and seismic observatories that transmit data in real time to the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna (see http://www.ctbto.org/map/). Of these monitoring systems the seismic part is arguably most important as it provides the best way of monitoring clandestine underground detonations. Unfortunately, such events are far from the only thing detected by the seismic stations. They have to be picked out from a background of large non-nuclear explosions and, worse, the tens of thousands of earthquakes of a similar magnitude that occur annually. This process is called 'forensic seismology', and is the primary task of the CTBT Organisation (CTBTO) and its international partners (such as AWE Blacknest). Secondary activities at Blacknest have included studying the catastrophic explosion aboard the Russian submarine Kursk in 2000; work which lead to an explanation for the cause of the explosion. Discerning suspicious events from non-nuclear or natural sources requires detailed measurement of the seismic waveform, which necessitates very high quality data. To aid this, around half of the IMS Primary Seismic Stations are actually small aperture seismic arrays, and these can provide much clearer seismic records by stacking the individual elements together. However, there are many potential methodologies for doing this, all of which require calibration to the particular array and its local geological conditions. The principal goal of the project is to provide information and test methodologies to enhance the imaging capability of the IMS array for forensic seismology purposes. The project will develop and verify the tools to provide a database of site-specific analyses of the characteristics of seismic signals at all the arrays in the IMS network. These will be achieved using the large dataset already accrued by the network over the past decade. A secondary goal is to apply the knowledge generated (including software codes developed) to a range of other related problems in global and industrial contexts. Array seismology is widely used in such contexts; a very prominent example is the seismic monitoring of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction. Public interest in this has been piqued since the extraction-induced Blackpool earthquakes in 2011, and the required monitoring of future projects is likely to rely heavily on seismic array technologies. Bristol Seismology is involved in pilot monitoring efforts for fracking operations, and is also engaged in a broad range of related fields. The technologies developed will be directly applicable to these problems.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/L008920/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Industrial CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £83,515
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|
| £16,226 | £11,000 | £56,292 |
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