GFZ German research centre for geo sciences

Section 2.4: Seismology

Current Projects

Brasil_lognorm

HighWInD: High-frequency wave interaction with the D” layer and its implications for deep mantle and CMB heterogeneity

Within the DFG SPP 2404 (DeepDyn), the small-scale structure near the core-mantle boundary (CMB) is investigated to improve estimates of its influence on macroscopic properties such as thermal conductivity. By coupling energy transfer and wave theory, the effects of different structures at the CMB on high-frequency seismograms will be investigated to gain access to the microstructure below the classical seismological resolution limit.

CoSuMY

CoSuMY: Collision-Subduction Transition in Myanmar-Yunnan

We study the continent collision-oceanic subduction transition beneath the Burma plate by combining geologic and seismologic observations. This transition is reflected in the structure and geometry of the Burma slab and must also have impacted the upper plate deformation.

[Translate to English:] Himalaya

Seismic Anisotropic Study of the Northwest Himalaya from splitting measurements of SKS and direct S phases (Fellowship)

We will investigate azimuthal seismic anisotropy in the northwest Himalaya from splitting measurements of SKS and direct S waves, using data from the Jammu and Kashmir Seismological Network (JAKSNET). The Himalayan orogen is a key region for studying ongoing continent-continent collision, and the seismic anisotropy measurements will help to constrain mantle deformation in the lithosphere and/or asthenosphere.

SWATHD

SWATH D - Applying tomography and joint inversion to unravel Eastern Alpine Structure

This project harnesses the high density of seismic stations in the AlpArray complementary experiment SWATH D in order to understand how the crustal structure seen today reflects the dramatic changes in mountain building style and reorganisation of plate boundaries at about 20 Ma. We will develop methodoloy to not only deliver images of seismic properties from joint inversion of surface waves, receiver functions and other geophysical data but associating lithological interpretations in a probabilistic way.

After the successful implementation of the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS) within the GITEWS and PROTECTS projects funded by Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), GFZ continues to support BMKG in the operations of the seismological network and data centre. Through two commercial partners, GEMPA and PT Len Industri experts from GEOFON are providing support to BMKG on demand.

We started the deployment of a permanent station in the Argentine Puna to detect and study the seismicity of the crust and subducted Nazca Plate beneath the Central Andes

Coordination and Harmonisation of National Inititiatives, Infrastructures and Data services in Central and Western Europe

Earthquakes are the deadliest natural hazard. Developing tools and measures to reduce future human and economic losses is the aim of RISE. RISE stands for Real-time earthquake rIsk reduction for a reSilient Europe and is a three-year project financed by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Commission. It started in September 2019 and will end in August 2022. RISE is coordinated by ETH Zürich, it brings together 19 organisations from across Europe and five international partners.

Fellowship - CSC - China Scholarship Council

Fellowship, CSC - China Scholarship Council Slab-Detection is a PhD project based on the Two or Three Dimensional Teleseismic and Regional Seismic Waveforms Modelling and Inversion, which targets the fine-scale heterogeneous seismic velocity structure of Subducted Slabs including the Pacific, Philippine and Nazca plates.

Within the Sino-German joint project two seismic arrays will be deployed in northern Tibet to study the crust and mantle lithosphere.

We operate ten broadband stations in Austria as a GFZ contribution to the Alp Array Seismic Network.

We study the seismic structure of the crust and mantle lithosphere of the eastern Pamir by a local temporary seismic network operated for two years from 2015 to 2017.

Seismic imaging of the newly discovered Sub-Lithospheric Discontinuity (SLD) in the larger Alpine region S-receiver function imaging of discontinuities down to the mantle transition zone be-low the Alps and surroundings.

We will generate images of the subsurface in the Alpine orogen from converted and reflected seismic waves recorded by SWATH D and AlpArray Seismic Network stations, and interpret them based on an understanding of possible structures derived by our project partners in geology and mineralogy.

The overall objective of SERA is to improve the access to data, services and research infrastructures, and deliver solutions based on innovative research and development in seismology and earthquake engineering. It aims to reduce the exposure of our society to the risk posed by natural earthquakes and induced seismic events. The GEOFON team contributes to the activities focused on expanding access to the European seismic monitoring infrastructure.

The EOSC-hub mission is to contribute to the EOSC implementation by enabling seamless and open access to a system of research data and services provided across nations and multiple disciplines. The Hub will provide a catalogue of services, software and data from major research e-Infrastructures by aggregating services from local, regional and national e-Infrastructures in Europe and worldwide.

This seismological project contributes to refine the knowledge on the seismic structure of the crust and mantle lithosphere beneath southern Madagascar in order to understand the evolution of the lithosphere during the Pan-African Orogeny and Gondwana breakup.

LITHOS-CAPP is the German contribution to the ScanArray experiment, which targets the crustal and lithosphere structure of Scandinavia with a multi-year deployment of a network of broadband sensors.

EPOS-IP aims at creating a pan-European infrastructure for solid Earth science to support a safe and sustainable society. EPOS will enable innovative multidisciplinary research for a better understanding of the Earth’s physical and chemical processes that control, for example, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, ground instability and tsunami. The GEOFON team, within the thematic core service “Seismology” is in charge of coordinating the EIDA Next Generation services development and involved in the strategic activities and governance as well as in the coordination and interaction with the community.

The KISS project is a seismological experiment aimed at extensive investigations of one of the world's largest system of subduction volcanoes – the Klyuchevskoy volcanic group.

CSC - China Scholarship Council, Fellowship This is a new receiver function method combined with finite frequency effect to resolve more details of the topography of the transition zone in the mantle.

We intend to foster the application of the GFZ guidelines on research data (based on the FAIR data principles). GFZ acquires, curates and distributes a variety of Geo Data in many geoscientific thematic areas. Some, like Seismology and Geodesy, are already well advanced following the internal guidelines; others still require standardization and formalized data management plans. To accomplish this task the GFZ library in cooperation with the GEOFON and GIPP groups will enforce their data policies and in parallel try to bring the other thematic areas to the same level. The GEOFON team, together with the GIPP group, will work on preparing data management templates for the passive experiments, use persistent identifiers to track instruments used in the experiments and review the links between the persistent identifiers already in place. This will support better attribution but also improve traceability of the instruments and prepare the ground for proper management of dynamic data.

Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship During a Humboldt Research Fellowship, Robert Green shall be working as part of the KISS project investigating the seismic structure and eruptive seismic signals of the Klyuchevskoy volcanic group in Kamchatka, Russia.

In the SPP-4D-MB activity field SWATH D, we deploy and operate a dense array of broadband seismometers in the central and southern Alps (Northern Italy and Southwestern Austria).

The EPOS seismological community has been selected as one of the communities mature enough in order to uptake EUDAT services. In particular, the European Integrated Data Archive (EIDA), which is a European distributed seismological data centre, has been identified as a pilot project within EPOS. Three nodes from EIDA are using EUDAT services as a pilot project to complement existing EIDA services and evaluate the feasibility of including the other EIDA nodes.

Georg Foster-Research Fellowship (HERMES), Alexander von Humboldt Using the data recorded from the SELASOMA project to investigate lithosphere structure in the southern part of Madagascar.

The Etendeka continental flood-basalt province in northern Namibia, linked by the Walvis Ridge to the Tristan da Cunha hotspot, has a great importance in global plate tectonic concepts, and is an ideal place to understand the role of the plume-lithosphere interaction during break-up of the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

The aim of this project is to study the structure of the mantle lithosphere beneath South Africa.

The seismic gap in Northern Chile is intensively monitored by the IPOC network operated by GFZ and cooperating institutions.

NERA is an EC infrastructure project that integrates key research infrastructures in Europe for monitoring earthquakes and assessing their hazard and risk.

Monitoring and Imaging based on Interferometric Concepts

NERA (2010-2014) is an EC infrastructure project that integrates key research infrastructures in Europe for monitoring earthquakes and assessing their hazard and risk.

After the successful implementation of the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS) within the GITEWS project Germany continues to support Indonesia during the first years of system operation with measures focused on training, education and consulting in the following areas (end of the project. 2014)

With the availability of sensors for the measurement of rotational motion of the Earth’s surface new possibilities for seismological investigations emerge.

In this project we will apply targeted seismological techniques to image the plate interface, i.e., the subduction channel and its immediate surroundings.

Madagascar is a complicated amalgamation of continental fragments, some of which are dating back to the Archaean.(2012 - 2014)

We study deep structures and geodynamic processes in the Tien Shan and Pamir collision zones, central Asia, with passive source seismic experiments in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

High-resolution seismic observation of the lithosphere is hampered due to a number of factors.

We use the large amount of seismic data recorded by seismic networks in Europe to study the lithosphere and mantle transition zone in the continent-ocean transition with SS precursors.

We propose to address fundamental questions on the processes that form, modify and destroy continental lithosphere and control lithospheric dynamics along Andean-type continental margins through a collaborative international passive-source seismic experiment in the southern Puna of the Central Andean plateau (25°S to 28°S).

We operate 5 broadband stations on the island of Gran Canaria for two years (2009-2011).

We operated a densely spaced broadband seismic field experiment to study the structure of the crust and mantle lithosphere across the Sierra Nevada mountain range, southern Spain.

South America is an assembly of all classified types of the plate tectonic units.

When mantle rocks are subject to large strain, the mineral grains of olivine and some other minerals align, causing the velocity of seismic waves passing though this material to vary as a function of direction of propagation and polarization (seismic anisotropy).

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