Characteristics of Rockbursts for Use in Seismic Discrimination.
Abstract
As a result of changing emphases in nuclear explosion monitoring, alternative types of seismic sources have become significant. This research program was designed to investigate the identification of one such source type - rockbursts. Development of a reliable scheme to separate these sources from other events is important for CTBT and non-proliferation monitoring. Our research has found that rockbursts occur in many seismic and aseismic regions throughout the world. In many areas rockbursts are frequent and they may be large (M > 5). Seismic waveform databases were assembled for two geographical regions: Central Europe and South Africa. Discrimination analyses, including comparisons of time domain and spectral measurements of signals for different source types, have been performed on selected events. Because of the nature of rockbursts, some traditional discriminants, such as those related to focal depth, cannot be used. The most promising characteristics of rockburst seismic signals for discrimination seem to be spectral behavior and complexity. With regard to evasion the predictability of rockburst occurrence and size may offer the potential for concealment of a small or decoupled nuclear explosion test.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA290881
Entities
People
- Brian W. Barker
- John R. Murphy
- Margaret E. Marshall
- Theron J. Bennett