Short-Period Seismic Noise in Vorkuta (Russia)

• Main Authors: Kishkina, S B, Spivak, A A, Sweeney, J J
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: 58 GEOSCIENCES; CAPACITY; CONSTRUCTION; DESIGN; DETECTION; ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS; MINING; MONITORING; NATURAL GAS; PERMAFROST; RIVERS; SEAS; SEISMIC ARRAYS; SEISMIC EVENTS; SEISMIC NOISE; SEISMIC WAVES; SEISMICITY; SIMULATION; TECTONICS; URALS; Yamal Peninsula; Pechora; permafrost; Vorkuta
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/951160; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/951160

Cultural development of new subpolar areas of Russia is associated with a need for detailed seismic research, including both mapping of regional seismicity and seismic monitoring of specific mining enterprises. Of special interest are the northern territories of European Russia, including shelves of the Kara and Barents Seas, Yamal Peninsula, and the Timan-Pechora region. Continuous seismic studies of these territories are important now because there is insufficient seismological knowledge of the area and an absence of systematic data on the seismicity of the region. Another task of current interest is the necessity to consider the seismic environment in the design, construction, and operation of natural gas extracting enterprises such as the construction of the North European Gas Pipeline. Issues of scientific importance for seismic studies in the region are the complex geodynamical setting, the presence of permafrost, and the complex tectonic structure. In particular, the Uralian Orogene (Fig. 1) strongly affects the propagation of seismic waves. The existing subpolar seismic stations [APA (67,57{sup o}N; 33,40{sup o}E), LVZ (67,90{sup o}N; 34,65{sup o}E), and NRIL (69,50{sup o}N; 88,40{sup o}E)] do not cover the extensive area between the Pechora and Ob Rivers (Fig. 1). Thus seismic observations in the Vorkuta area, which lies within the area of concern, represent a special interest. Continuous recording at a seismic station near the city of Vorkuta (67,50{sup o}N; 64,11{sup o}E) [1] has been conducted since 2005 for the purpose of regional seismic monitoring and, more specifically, detection of seismic signals caused by local mining enterprises. Current surveys of local seismic noise [7,8,9,11], are particularly aimed at a technical survey for the suitability of the site for installation of a small-aperture seismic array, which would include 10-12 recording instruments, with the Vorkuta seismic station as the central element. When constructed, this seismic array will considerably improve the recording ...