Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploring Background Noise With A Large-N Infrasound Array: Waterfalls, Thunderstorms, And Earthquakes, L. T. Scamfer, J. F. Anderson

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ambient infrasound noise contains an abundance of information that is typically overlooked due to limitations of typical infrasound arrays. To evaluate the ability of large-N infrasound arrays to identify weak signals hidden in background noise, we examine data from a 22-element array in central Idaho, USA, spanning 58 days using a standard beamforming method. Our results include nearly continuous detections of diverse weak signals from infrasonic radiators, sometimes at surprising distances. We observe infrasound from both local (8 km) and distant (195 km) waterfalls. Thunderstorms and earthquakes are also notable sources, with distant thunderstorm infrasound observed from ∼800 to 900 …

Studying The Impact Of The Geospace Environment On Solar Lithosphere Coupling And Earthquake Activity, Dimitar Ouzounov, Galina Khachikyan

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In solar–terrestrial physics, there is an open question: does a geomagnetic storm affect earthquakes? We expand research in this direction, analyzing the seismic situation after geomagnetic storms (GMs) accompanied by the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the outer radiation belt to form an additional radiation belt (RB) around lower geomagnetic lines. We consider four widely discussed cases in the literature for long-lived (weeks, months) RBs due to GMs and revealed that the 1/GMs 24 March 1991 with a new RB at L~2.6 was followed by an M7.0 earthquake in Alaska, 30 May 1991, near footprint L = 2.69; the 2/GMs …

Investigating Seismicity And Structure Of The Pecos, Texas Region Of The Delaware Basin Using A Temporary Nodal Network, Jenna Lynn Faith

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With increasing earthquakes in the Delaware Basin since 2009, earthquake studies, including accurate hypocenters, are critically needed in the Delaware Basin to identify the structures producing earthquakes, and to determine if they are related to unconventional petroleum development and production. In 2018, with funding from the Texas Seismological Network (TexNet), the University of Texas at El Paso deployed and maintained a nodal network of 25 Magseis Fairfield Z-Land Generation 2 5-Hz seismic nodes in the Pecos, Texas region of the Delaware Basin, known as The Pecos Array. The network was deployed from November 2018 until the beginning of January 2020, …

Empirical Nonlinear Site Response Applicable To Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Natalia Gomez Jaramillo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In Greater Vancouver, strong earthquake shaking has not been recorded to quantify expected nonlinear soil response. Earthquake horizontal to vertical spectral ratios (eHVSR) are evaluated at seismic stations located at the edges or deeper center of sedimentary basins in Mexico City, the Kanto basin and Anchorage with available weak-to-strong motion recordings that have similar linear site response to Greater Vancouver to constrain the expected nonlinear soil response for future large earthquakes affecting Greater Vancouver. The empirical results confirm that the very low fundamental frequency (f₀ < 0.6 Hz) at deep Fraser River delta sites will be less affected by strong shakings and suggest that for Fraser River delta edge sites the amplification at the predominant frequency (f₁) could increase up to 1.77 times with a strong event. This thesis’ …

The First Application Of The Luminescence Surface Exposure Dating Method On Active Fault Scarps In The Western Anatolia Extensional Province: The Manisa Fault As An Example, Mustafa Softa, Eren Şahi̇ner, Hasan Sözbi̇li̇r, Joel Qg Spencer, Mehmet Utku, Mehmet Fati̇h Büyüktopcu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

While there has been significant research on the dating of paleoearthquakes using methods such as surface cosmogenic dating, and trench-based luminescence or radiocarbon dating, this paper focuses on implementing an alternative surface dating method using a fault scarp-based optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating approach. Hence for the first time, we investigated the Pleistocene to Holocene earthquake cycle of the Manisa Fault, one of the dip-slip active faults of the Western Anatolia extensional province, utilizing novel OSL surface exposure techniques. In this technique, OSL bleaching profiles on the fault surface are directly related to the exposure of the fresh fault scarps …

Closing The Modern Seismic Gap Along The Teton Fault Via Seismic Mapping Of Mass Transport Deposits In Jackson Lake, Wy, Callia Jacqueline Cortese

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Terrestrial paleoseismological records along the Teton fault have historically indicated two-to-three major post-Pinedale (~14 ka) earthquake events, leaving an unresolved 6-9 m offset along the modern scarp. Recent studies of Jenny Lake have augmented this record, but the triggering mechanism is still equivocal until new paleo-earthquake records are developed. The earthquake record of the Teton fault is complicated by quiescence from ~5 ka to present, demonstrating the need for additional paleoseismic investigations. Compressed, high-intensity radar pulse (CHIRP) reflection data from Jackson Lake indicates multiple potentially seismically-induced mass transport deposits (MTDs). At least six MTD Groups representing chronostratigraphic intervals were interpreted …

Induced Seismicity In The Raton Basin And Global Variability Of The 410-Km Discontinuity, Margaret E. Glasgow

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Natural processes like mantle convection and plate tectonics dominate Earth’s seismic structure. Recently human activities have increasingly influenced the deformation of the shallow crust. In this dissertation, passive source seismology was used to constrain seismic discontinuities in the mantle transition zone and seismogenic structures in induced earthquake settings. Using a novel sampling method and uniform processing approach, I found the 410-km discontinuity is thermally and compositionally variable. Using a machine- learning approach, I found the three main zones of seismicity in the Raton Basin consist of short faults or fault segments with variable orientations. The zone that hosted a Mw …

Volcano And Tectonic Hazard Modeling Using Interdisciplinary Geophysical And Geodetic Methods, Mitchell Scott Hastings

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Volcanic and tectonic hazards such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis present risks to about ~45% of the global population. They have caused at least 1.5 trillion dollars in damages worldwide since the start of the 20th century, and the costs are accelerating as population increases. In this dissertation, new data are combined with existing information and novel modeling approaches to quantify volcanic, earthquake and tsunami hazards.

The Blackfoot Reservoir Volcanic Field (BRVF) is a bimodal volcanic field on southeastern margin of the Eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho. In the BRVF, gravity anomalies reveal two shallow silicic intrusions that …

The Role Of Fracture Branching In The Evolution Of Fracture Networks: An Outcrop Study Of The Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Southern Utah, Benjamin E. Surpless, Caroline Mckeighan

Geosciences Faculty Research

Fractures strongly influence the permeability of geologic formations, and because most fractures in the subsurface are below the resolution of geophysical methods, predicting the spatial evolution of fracture networks is important for groundwater resources, oil and gas production, and geothermal energy. Previous researchers have established that variations in lithologic mechanical properties influence the propagation of joints and fractures in layered rocks under stable stress conditions, but few studies have addressed how instabilities in local stress fields, in conjunction with variations in rock mechanical properties, lead to fracture branching.

We investigate NE-striking fractures in the footwall of the west-dipping Sevier fault …

Geology Online Lab Activities An Open Educational Resource For Community College Students And Instructors, Rondi Davies

Open Educational Resources

The online geology lab for community college students was developed by Dr. Rondi Davies, a faculty member at Queensborough Community College, City University New York, during two years of forced online synchronous learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This open educational resource collects many of Dr. Davies’ favorite open-access materials and supplements them with her own work within a single, cohesive laboratory manual intended for two-year, non-major college students from the New York area.

Dr. Davies wanted to develop labs that were fun, engaging, and that excited students about the subject, were relevant to their lives, helped them to …

Toward The Understanding Of The 2018 Arnold, Ne Earthquake Cluster: Relocation Of Hypocenters And Establishment Of New Gravity Base Stations, Kris Guthrie

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2018, 27 unexpected earthquakes occurred in central Nebraska near Arnold. These earthquakes have no readily apparent cause and no evidence of the responsible fault system is seen at the surface. A joint analysis of vintage, regional gravity and magnetic datasets before the first earthquake revealed a lineament that could represent a pre-existing fault system. New high resolution potential fields data are needed to confidently map the subsurface features around the cluster. To design a survey and collect the data, the following tasks need to be addressed: [1] The earthquakes’ hypocenters need to be improved (relocated) to increase the efficiency …

Editorial: Geospace Observation Of Natural Hazards, Dimitar Ouzounov, Jann-Yenq Liu, Patrick T. Taylor, Katsumi Hattori

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

"This collection of technical papers aims to bring recent data from many sources into the study of natural hazards. They represent a multi-instrumental approach using both ground observations: Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS); and Low Earth Orbiting Electromagnetic (LEO EM) satellites missions together with Earth Observations (EO), which could reveal new information. Results from latest satellite missions, [(NPP/NASA/NOAA(US), CENTINEL, Swarm/ESA (EU), HIMAWARI (JMA, Japan), FORMOSAT-5 (Taiwan, August 2017), CSES1 (China/Italy, Feb 2018), and FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 (Taiwan/United States, May 2019)], are represented in this volume."

Stratigraphic Evidence Of Two Historical Tsunamis On The Semi-Arid Coast Of North-Central Chile, Jessica M. Depaolis, Tina Dura, Breanyn Macinnes, Lisa L. Ely, Marco Cisternas, Matías Carvajal, Hui Tang, Hermann M. Fritz, Cyntia Mizobe, Robert L. Wesson, Gino Figueroa, Nicole Brennan, Benjamin P. Horton, Jessica E. Pilarczyk, D. Reide Corbett, Benjamin C. Gill, Robert Weiss

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

On September 16, 2015, a M_w 8.3 earthquake struck the north-central Chile coast, triggering a tsunami observed along 500 km of coastline, between Huasco (28.5°S) and San Antonio (33.5°S). This tsunami provided a unique opportunity to examine the nature of tsunami deposits in a semi-arid, siliciclastic environment where stratigraphic and sedimentological records of past tsunamis are difficult to distinguish. To improve our ability to identify such evidence, we targeted one of the few low-energy, organic-rich depositional environments in north-central Chile: Pachingo marsh in Tongoy Bay (30.3°S).

We found sedimentary evidence of the 2015 and one previous tsunami as tabular …

Diatoms Of The Intertidal Environments Of Willapa Bay, Washington, Usa As A Sea-Level Indicator, Isabel Hong, Benjamin P. Horton, Andrea D. Hawkes, Robert J. O.Donnell Iii, Jason S. Padgett, Tina Dura, Simon E. Engelhart

Geological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

An understanding of the modern relationship between diatom species and elevation is a prerequisite for using fossil diatoms to reconstruct relative sea level (RSL). We described modern diatom distributions from seven transects covering unvegetated subtidal environments to forested uplands from four tidal wetland sites (Smith Creek, Bone River, Niawiakum River, and Naselle River) of Willapa Bay, Washington, USA. We compared our diatom dataset (320 species from 104 samples) to a series of environmental variables (elevation, grain-size, total organic carbon (TOC_SOM), and porewater salinity) using hierarchical clustering and ordination. While no single variable consistently explains variations in diatom assemblages …

Translating Risk Information To Protective Action: Examining Household Response To Information About Earthquake Hazards And Risk, Carson C. Macpherson-Krutsky

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Natural hazards have been a part of the landscape since its existence, but they are becoming more devastating as they intersect with growing populations and as climate change increases their frequency and intensity. As these changes occur, the need to understand how to reduce disaster impacts becomes paramount. Despite growing concern and increasing costs of disasters over the past decade, household preparedness, which is at the foundation of disaster readiness, has seen little to no improvement. Using two research experiments, we adopt the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM; Lindell & Perry, 2004; 2012) as a framework to investigate what motivates …

An Exploration Of Passive Seismology: Applying Seismic Methods For Traditional And Exotic Source Characterization, David Lewis Guenaga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As seismology continues to develop both theoretical and observational, so does its ability to be used in various applications. In this Dissertation, I develop and apply new approaches to five distinct projects (chapters 2-6), leveraging large and small high-quality targeted datasets to decipher fundamental and applied processes utilizing the full seismic wavefield. The first chapter introduces this Dissertation by providing broad context, continuity, and technical information about each of the five projects. Specifically, chapter 2 explores a seismic sensorâ??s ability to detect opera in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, using a misfit power spectral density detector. Chapter 3 outlines work …

Changes In Tropospheric Ozone Associated With Strong Earthquakes And Possible Mechanism, Feng Jing, Ramesh P. Singh

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The index of ozone anomaly (IOA) has been proposed to detect changes in tropospheric ozone associated with strong earthquakes. The tropospheric ozone prior and after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake has been analyzed using IOA. Atmospheric infrared sounder ozone volume mixing ratio (O3 VMR) at different pressure levels (600, 500, 400, 300, 200 hPa) for an 18-year period 2003–2020 has been considered to identify the unique behavior associated with the strong earthquakes. Our results show distinct enhancement in tropospheric ozone occurred 5 d (7 May 2008) prior to the main event and distributed along the Longmenshan fault zone. An enhancement in …

A Broad, Distributed Active Fault Zone Lies Beneath Salt Lake City, Utah, Lee M. Liberty, James St. Clair, Adam P. Mckean

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although the Wasatch fault is currently known to have a high‐seismic hazard from motion along range‐bounding faults, new seismic data reveal faulted and folded 13,000–30,000‐yr‐old Lake Bonneville strata beneath Salt Lake City (SLC). Coupled with previous excavation trench, borehole, and other geologic and geophysical observations, we conclude that a zone of latest Pleistocene and/or Holocene faulting and folding kinematically links the East Bench and Warm Springs faults through a 3 km wide relay structure and transfer zone. We characterize faults beneath downtown SLC as active, and these faults may displace or deform the ground surface during an earthquake. Through offset …

The 31 March 2020 MW 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, Earthquake: Seismotectonics And Preliminary Aftershock Analysis, Lee M. Liberty, Zachary M. Lifton, T. Dylan Mikesell

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We report on the tectonic framework, seismicity, and aftershock monitoring efforts related to the 31 March 2020 M_w 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake. The earthquake sequence has produced both strike-slip and dip-slip motion, with minimal surface displacement or damage. The earthquake occurred at the northern limits of the Sawtooth normal fault. This fault separates the Centennial tectonic belt, a zone of active seismicity within the Basin and Range Province, from the Idaho batholith to the west and Challis volcanic belt to the north and east. We show evidence for a potential kinematic link between the northeast-dipping Sawtooth fault and the …

From Hector Mine M7.1 To Ridgecrest M7.1 Earthquake. A Look From A 20-Year Perspective, Sergey Pulinets, Marina Tsidilina, Dimitar Ouzounov, Dmitry Davidenko

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The paper provides a comparative analysis of precursory phenomena in the ionosphere and atmosphere for two strong earthquakes of the same magnitude M7.1 that happened in the same region (North-East from Los Angeles) within a time span of 20 years, the Hector Mine and Ridgecrest earthquakes. Regardless of the similarity of their location (South-Eastern California, near 160 km one from another), there was one essential difference: the Hector Mine earthquake happened during geomagnetically disturbed conditions (essential in the sense of ionospheric precursors identification). In contrast, the quiet geomagnetic conditions characterized the period around the time of the Ridgecrest earthquake. The …

Resonant Frequency Derived From The Rayleigh‐Wave Dispersion Image: The High‐Impedance Boundary Problem, Lee M. Liberty, James St. Clair, T. Dylan Mikesell, William D. Schermerhorn

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a simple and automated approach to estimate primary site‐response resonance, layer thickness, and shear‐wave velocity directly from a dispersion image for a layer over half‐space problem. We demonstrate this for high‐impedance boundary conditions that lie in the upper tens of meters. Our approach eliminates the need for time‐consuming dispersion curve picking and 1D shear‐wave velocity inversion for large data volumes that can capture velocity structure in profile. We highlight important relationships between dispersion characteristics and resonance parameters through synthetic modeling and field data acquired over Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments. In this environment, shallow soil conditions are critical to …

Tsunami Hazard, Warning, And Risk Reduction In Italy And The Mediterranean Sea: State Of The Art, Gaps, And Future Solutions, Stefano Lorito, Alessandro Amato, Lorenzo Cugliari, Fabrizio Romano, Roberto Tonini, Cecilia Valbonesi, Manuela Volpe

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Historical catalogues show evidence for about 300 tsunamis in European coastal waters since 1600 BC, and tsunami hazard models like the NEAMTHM18 provide the probability of future inundation from earthquake-induced tsunamis. A recent wake-up call came from the 2020 Mw7.0 Samos-İzmir earthquake and the following moderate, damaging tsunami. Five accredited Tsunami Service Providers (TSPs) run by IPMA (Portugal), CENALT (France), INGV (Italy), NOA (Greece), and KOERI (Turkey), and several national centers monitor the seismicity and provide tsunami alerts in the framework of the UNESCO Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTWS). …

Geospatial Analyses Of Seismic Hazards And Risk Perception In Libya, Somaia Suwihli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Libya is not considered a highly active seismic region. However, several earthquakes of magnitude >5.0 have occurred there. This dissertation analyzes the seismicity of Libya in order to better understand earthquake hazards, related geomorphic features, and the current evolution of Libyan perceptions of seismic risk. The first article developed a baseline of past and current seismic inventory in Libya, which represented an assessment of Libya seismic hazard by translating, analyzing, and compiling historical sources and archaeological data. This study shows that Libya has experienced earthquakes in varying degrees since ancient times. Through the spatial and temporal distribution of earthquakes from …

Nanotextural And Nanochemical Constraints On The Role Of Heat In The Development Of Crystalline-Hosted, Silica-Rich Fault Mirrors In The Wasatch Fault Damage Zone, Utah, Usa, Leah M. Houser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Earthquakes occur on faults, or rock that has experienced displacement at depth. Experimental work on a range of rock types reveals that >90% of earthquake energy on fault surfaces is given off as heat. Heat weakens rock and promotes earthquake rupture propagation. Thin (<0.5mm), high-gloss, "polished", light-reflective exposed fault surfaces are called fault mirrors (FMs). Fault mirrors may record rapid thermal, textural, and chemical changes that occur during an earthquake event.

The Wasatch Mountains are a N-S trending mountain range in Northern Utah that are the backdrop for Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, and Brigham City. This mountain range is currently built by the active Wasatch fault, and includes the exposed Wasatch fault damage zone. Many segments of the Wasatch fault are overdue for a potentially catastrophic …

Earthquake Site Characterization Of Rock Sites In Eastern Canada And Stiff Ground Sites In Vancouver, British Columbia, Sameer Ladak

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Site characterization is a crucial component in assessing seismic hazard, typically involving in situ shear-wave velocity (V_S) depth profiling, and measurement of site amplification including site period. These methods are ideal for soil sites and less reliable in more complex geologic settings including rock sites. A multi-method approach to earthquake site characterization is tested at 25 seismograph stations across Eastern Canada. It is typically assumed these stations are installed on hard rock. We seek to identify which site characterization methods are most suitable at rock sites as well as to confirm the hard rock assumption. Active-source refraction and …

Hematite (U-Th)/He Thermochronometry Detects Asperity Flash Heating During Laboratory Earthquakes, Melissa S. Chapot, Alexis K. Ault, Greg Hirth, Robert G. Mcdermott

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Evidence for coseismic temperature rise that induces dynamic weakening is challenging to directly observe and quantify in natural and experimental fault rocks. Hematite (U-Th)/He (hematite He) thermochronometry may serve as a fault-slip thermometer, sensitive to transient high temperatures associated with earthquakes. We test this hypothesis with hematite deformation experiments at seismic slip rates, using a rotary-shear geometry with an annular ring of silicon carbide (SiC) sliding against a specular hematite slab. Hematite is characterized before and after sliding via textural and hematite He analyses to quantify He loss over variable experimental conditions. Experiments yield slip surfaces localized in an ∼5–30-µm-thick …

Microwave Brightness Temperature Characteristics Of Three Strong Earthquakes In Sichuan Province, China, Feng Jing, Ramesh P. Singh, Yueju Cui, Ke Sun

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Passive microwave remote sensing technology is an effective means to identify the thermal anomalies associated with earthquakes due to its penetrating capability through clouds compared with infrared sensors. However, observed microwave brightness temperature is strongly influenced by soil moisture and other surface parameters. In the present article, the segmented threshold method has been proposed to detect anomalous microwave brightness temperature associated with the strong earthquakes occurred in Sichuan province, China, an earthquake-prone area with high soil moisture. The index of microwave radiation anomaly (IMRA) computed by the proposed method is found to enhance prior to the three strong earthquakes, 2008 …

Glacial Earthquakes And Precursory Seismicity Associated With Thwaites Glacier Calving, J. Paul Winberry, Audrey D. Huerta, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Richhard C. Aster, Andrew A. Nyblade, Douglas A. Wiens

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

We observe two (~M_S 3) long‐period (10–30 s) seismic events that originate from the terminus of Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica. Serendipitous acquisition of satellite images confirm that the seismic events were glacial earthquakes generated during the capsizing of icebergs. The glacial earthquakes were preceded by 6 days of discrete high‐frequency seismic events that can be observed at distances exceeding 250 km. The high‐frequency seismicity displays an increasing rate of occurrence, culminating in several hours of sustained tremor coeval with the long‐period events. A series of satellite images collected during this precursory time period show that the high‐frequency events and …

Improving Earthquake Disaster Models With Post-Event Data: Insights From The 2015 Gorkha, Nepal Earthquake, Bradley Steven Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Immense amounts of data are collected following earthquake disasters. Yet, it remains unclear how researchers’ might take full advantage of diverse post-disaster datasets. Using data from the 2015 Gorkha Nepal earthquake, this dissertation explores three ways in which post- disaster survey and assessment datasets can be used to inform models of seismic risk, vulnerability, and recovery processes. The first article presents an empirical analysis of scale issues in disaster vulnerability indices using a novel dataset of 750,000 households. This study finds that using aggregated household data to create social vulnerability indices can produce results that are meaningfully different from equivalent …

Paleoseismological Catalog Of Pre-2012 Trench Studies On The Active Faults In Turkey, Şule Gürboğa, Oktay Gökçe

Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration

Instrumental and historical earthquake catalogues have to be examined and evaluated to understand the long-term seismic behaviour of active faults. Although the instrumental records have been determined from the national and international observatories, the historical seismic catalogues are very limited in Turkey. For the reason, we aimed to compile paleoseismological trench studies carried out before 2012 in the areas of onshore and offshore sections of Turkey. In terms of a Turkey Paleoseismological Project (TURKPAP) posted by General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) in the 2012 year, a number of paleoseismological investigations have been initiated and documented for archiving …