Using synthetic data we study the possibility of determining 1-D velocity models of the upper crust from P- and S-wave arrival times in the case of a narrow depth interval of seismic sources and sparse distribution of stations. The test is tailored to a similar real situation in one subregion of the western part of the Corinth Gulf, Greece. Two kinds of models are studied: (i) models composed of layers with constant velocity gradients, and (ii) models composed of homogeneous layers. To derive the structural models from arrival times, the Neighbourhood Algorithm of Sambridge (1999) is used, combined with the grid search for source locations. Weighted P- and S-wave arrival time residuals are used as the misfit function. Accurate and perturbed synthetic arrival times are used. The velocities at medium depths, with a fast velocity increase, are well determined in both models for the accurate data. However, the determination of velocity is less certain in the uppermost 5 km for the gradient model, and in the deepest layer for the model composed of homogeneous layers for the perturbed data. The presence or absence of hypocentres in the uppermost or in the second layer influences notably the obtained velocity in these layers in both models., Jaromír Janský, Vladimír Plicka and Oldřich Novotný., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The western part of the Bohemian Massif (Vogtland/West-Bohemia region at the Czech-German border) is characterized by relatively frequent intraplate earthquake swarms and by other manifestations of current geodynamic activity, such as mofettes, mineral and thermal springs. In this study we analyze variations of groundwater level in four hydrological wells in the region during the years 2005-2010. Monitoring during the previous time interval of 2000-2004 is also mentioned and used for comparison. Two of the wells are located in the epicentral region of Nový Kostel, and the other wells are more distant. The time interval includes the 2008 earthquake swarm when all the wells displayed a noticeable drop in the water level. This effect was observed up to epicentral distances of nearly 30 km, which exceeds the distances of hydrological changes observed during previous earthquake swarms. Moreover, it seems that a small rise in the water level preceded the intervals of increased seismic activity, which could represent a certain precursory phenomenon. On the other hand, the hydrological changes in the Nový Kostel area were relatively small, indicating that this epicentral area is not hydrologically linked with the seismically active fault at depth. Consequently, more suitable localities for hydrological monitoring should be sought in a broader vicinity of Nový Kostel., Renata Gaždová, Oldřich Novotný, Jiří Málek, Jan Valenta, Milan Brož and Petr Kolínský., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present paper describes a method for identification of reflected waves on the seismogr ams from a cluster of quarry blasts. These reflections are used for determination of the Moho depth. Only one seismic station is sufficient, but a cluster of seismic sources is needed. To increase the signal-to-noise ratio of reflected waves, several techniques are applied, such as filtering, polarisation analysis and stacking of seismograms. Th e method was tested on seismic data from the central part of the Ore Mountains region, Czech Republic. Seismic waves were generated by strong quarry blasts at the Tušimice open-pit coal mine, and recorded at the Přísečnice (PRI) temporal seismic station at an epicentral distance of about 16 km. As the station was equipped with a three-component seismograph, also S-wave onsets could be determined. Although Pg, Sg and surface waves dominate the seismograms, weak Moho reflections of P and S waves could also be recognized at travel times of 9.7 s and 17.3 s, respectively. From these times we found the mean ratio of the P- to S-wave ve locities in the crust to be 1.78. Considering P-wave velocity model of Beránek (1971), the observed travel times of the reflections yield a crustal thickness of 29.5 -n31.5 km, which agrees with recent receiver function studies. These agreements indicate that the proposed method of reflected seismic waves, generated by quarry blasts, could represent a simple way for mapping the Moho discontinuity., Hana Kampfová, Jiří Málek and Oldřich Novotný., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Since 1998, a seismic network has been monitoring the underground gas storage located near the town of Příbram in the Central Bohemian Pluton, Czech Republic. Hundreds of weak induced seismic events have been recorded there. Moreover, several weak earthquakes have also been recorded from the vicinity of the nearby Orlík water reservoir. To improve location of both types of seismic events, shallow crustal structure of the region is studied in the present paper. Refraction measurements to distances of about 20 km were carried out using quarry blasts as seismic sources. Smoothed P-wave travel times were interpreted using the Wiechert-Herglotz method, which yielded a 1-D velocity model of shallow crustal structure down to a depth of about 1.7 km. The P-wave velocity of the model increases from about 5.0 km/s at the surface to about 6.15 km/s at the 1.7 km depth., Jiří Málek, Oldřich Novotný and Libor Žanda., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A grant project for the period 2003-2005, supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, was set up to determine properties of seismic waves and the structure of the uppermost part of the Earth´s crust in the territory of northern Moravia and Silesia. Quarry blasts and mining induced seismic events served as seismic sources. Permanent, temporary and portable seismic stations were used for the monitoring of these seismic events. During the experiments local microearthquakes were also detected and localized. For the complex evaluation of seismic wave features, data of the CELEBRATION 2000 and SUDETES 2003 refraction experiments were incorporated, as well. The velocity-depth dependence of body waves was searched by joint inversions of travel times of Pg/Sg phases. A special feature of the wave trains, generated by quarry blasts, was a pronounced dispersive character of short-period Rayleigh surface waves. These waves enabled us to establish their dispersion curves, on the basis of which the structure of superficial layers was determined down to a depth of several hundreds of meters., Karel Holub, Jaromír Knejzlík, Bohuslav Růžek, Jana Rušajová and Oldřich Novotný., and Obsahuje bibliografii