TY - JOUR A1 - Bauer, Klaus A1 - Moeck, Inga A1 - Norden, Ben A1 - Schulze, Alexander A1 - Weber, Michael H. A1 - Wirth, Holger T1 - Tomographic P wave velocity and vertical velocity gradient structure across the geothermal site Groß Schoenebeck (NE German Basin) : relationship to lithology, salt tectonics, and thermal regime N2 - Seismic wide-angle data were collected along a 40-km-long profile centered at the geothermal research well GrSk 3/90 in the Northeast German Basin. Tomographic inversion of travel time data provided a velocity and a vertical velocity gradient model, indicative of Cenozoic to Pre-Permian sediments. Wide-angle reflections are modeled and interpreted as top Zechstein and top Pre-Permian. Changes in velocity gradients are interpreted as the transition from mechanical to chemical compaction at 2-3 km depth, and localized salt structures are imaged, suggesting a previously unknown salt pillow in the southern part of the seismic profile. The Zechstein salt shows decreased velocities in the adjacent salt pillows compared to the salt lows, which is confirmed by sonic log data. This decrease in velocity could be explained by the mobilization of less dense salt, which moved and formed the salt pillows, whereas the denser salt remained in place at the salt lows. We interpret a narrow subvertical low-velocity zone under the salt pillow at GrSk 3/ 90 as a fault in the deep Permian to Pre-Permian. This WNW-ESE trending fault influenced the location of the salt tectonics and led to the formation of a fault-bounded graben in the Rotliegend sandstones with optimal mechanical conditions for geothermal production. Thermal modeling showed that salt pillows are related to chimney effects, a decrease in temperature, and increasing velocity. The assumed variations in salt lithology, density, and strain must thus be even higher to compensate for the temperature effect. Y1 - 2010 UR - http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/ U6 - https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jb006895 SN - 0148-0227 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Braeuer, B. A1 - Asch, Günter A1 - Hofstetter, Rami A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Jaser, Darweesh A1 - El-Kelani, Radwan J.. A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - Microseismicity distribution in the southern Dead Sea basin and its implications on the structure of the basin JF - Geophysical journal international N2 - While the Dead Sea basin has been studied for a long time, the available knowledge about the detailed seismicity distribution in the area, as well as the deeper structure of the basin, is limited. Therefore, within the framework of the international project DESIRE (DEad Sea Integrated REsearch project), a dense temporary local seismological network was operated in the southern Dead Sea area. We use 530 local earthquakes, having all together 26 730 P- and S-arrival times for a simultaneous inversion of 1-D velocity models, station corrections and precise earthquake locations. Jackknife tests suggest an accuracy of the derived hypocentre locations of about 1 km. Thus, the result is the first clear image of the absolute distribution of the microseismicity of the area, especially in depth. The seismicity is concentrated in the upper crust down to 20 km depth while the lower limit of the seismicity is reached at 31 km depth. The seismic events at the eastern boundary fault (EBF) in the southern part of the study area represent the northward transform motion of the Arabian Plate along the Dead Sea Transform. North of the Boqeq fault the seismic activity represents the transfer of the motion in the pull-apart basin from the eastern to the western boundary. We find that from the surface downward the seismic events are tracing the boundary faults of the basin. The western boundary is mapped down to 12 km depth while the EBF reaches about 17 km depth, forming an asymmetric basin. One fifth of the data set is related to a specific cluster in time and space, which occurred in 2007 February at the western border fault. This cluster is aligned vertically, that is, it is perpendicular to the direction of the dominating left-lateral strike-slip movement at the main transform fault. KW - Seismicity and tectonics KW - Continental tectonics: strike-slip and transform KW - Asia Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2011.05318.x SN - 0956-540X VL - 188 IS - 3 SP - 873 EP - 878 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Braeuer, Benjamin A1 - Asch, Günter A1 - Hofstetter, Rami A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Jaser, D. A1 - El-Kelani, R. A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - Detailed seismicity analysis revealing the dynamics of the southern Dead Sea area JF - Journal of seismology N2 - Within the framework of the international DESIRE (DEad Sea Integrated REsearch) project, a dense temporary local seismological network was operated in the southern Dead Sea area. During 18 recording months, 648 events were detected. Based on an already published tomography study clustering, focal mechanisms, statistics and the distribution of the microseismicity in relation to the velocity models from the tomography are analysed. The determined b value of 0.74 leads to a relatively high risk of large earthquakes compared to the moderate microseismic activity. The distribution of the seismicity indicates an asymmetric basin with a vertical strike-slip fault forming the eastern boundary of the basin, and an inclined western boundary, made up of strike-slip and normal faults. Furthermore, significant differences between the area north and south of the Bokek fault were observed. South of the Bokek fault, the western boundary is inactive while the entire seismicity occurs on the eastern boundary and below the basin-fill sediments. The largest events occurred here, and their focal mechanisms represent the northwards transform motion of the Arabian plate along the Dead Sea Transform. The vertical extension of the spatial and temporal cluster from February 2007 is interpreted as being related to the locking of the region around the Bokek fault. North of the Bokek fault similar seismic activity occurs on both boundaries most notably within the basin-fill sediments, displaying mainly small events with strike-slip mechanism and normal faulting in EW direction. Therefore, we suggest that the Bokek fault forms the border between the single transform fault and the pull-apart basin with two active border faults. KW - Dead Sea basin KW - Microseismicity KW - Cluster KW - Pull-apart basin KW - Asymmetric basin KW - Transform fault Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-014-9441-4 SN - 1383-4649 SN - 1573-157X VL - 18 IS - 4 SP - 731 EP - 748 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bräuer, B. A1 - Asch, Günter A1 - Hofstetter, Rami A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Jaser, D. A1 - El-Kelani, R. A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - High-resolution local earthquake tomography of the southern Dead Sea area JF - Geophysical journal international N2 - Local earthquake data from a dense temporary seismological network in the southern Dead Sea area have been analysed within the project DESIRE (Dead Sea Integrated Research Project). Local earthquakes are used for the first precise image of the distribution of the P-wave velocity and the vP/vS ratios. 65 stations registered 655 local events within 18 months of observation time. A subset of 530 well-locatable events with 26 730 P- and S-arrival times was used to calculate a tomographic model for the vP and vP/vS distribution. Since the study area is at first-order 2-D, a gradual approach was chosen, which compromised a 2-D inversion followed by a 3-D inversion. The sedimentary basin fill is clearly imaged through high vP/vS ratios and low vP. The basin fill shows an asymmetric structure with average depth of 7 km at the western boundary and depth between 10 and 14 km at the eastern boundary. This asymmetry is reflected by the vertical strike-slip eastern border fault, and the normal faulting at the western boundary, caused by the transtensional deformation within the last 5 Myr. Within the basin fill the Lisan salt diapir is imaged through low vP/vS ratios, reflecting its low fluid content. The extensions were determined to 12 km in EW and 17 km in NS direction while its depth is 56 km. The thickness of the pre-basin sediments below the basin fill cannot be derived from the tomography datait is estimated to less than 3 km from former investigations. Below the basin, down to 18 km depth very low P-wave velocities and low vP/vS ratios are observedmost likely caused by fluids from the surrounding crust or the upper mantle. KW - Seismic tomography KW - Continental margins: transform KW - Continental tectonics: strike-slip and transform Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2012.05668.x SN - 0956-540X VL - 191 IS - 3 SP - 881 EP - 897 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Budweg, Martin A1 - Bock, Günter A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - The Eifel Plume : imaged with converted seismic waves N2 - Receiver functions (RF) are used to investigate the upper mantle structure beneath the Eifel, the youngest volcanic area of Central Europe. Data from 96 teleseismic events recorded by 242 seismological stations from permanent and a temporary network has been analysed. The temporary network operated from 1997 November to 1998 June and covered an area of approximately 400 x 250 km(2) centred on the Eifel volcanic fields. The average Moho depth in the Eifel is approximately 30 km, thinning to ca. 28 km under the Eifel volcanic fields. RF images suggest the existence of a low velocity zone at about 60-90 km depth under the West Eifel. This observation is supported by P- and S-wave tomographic results and absorption (but the array aperture limits the resolution of the tomographic methods to the upper 400 km). There are also indications for a zone of elevated velocities at around 200 km depth, again in agreement with S-wave and absorption tomographic results. This anomaly is not visible in P-wave tomography and could be due to S-wave anisotropy. The RF anomalies at the Moho, at 60-90 km, and near 200 km depth have a lateral extent of about 100 km. The 410 km discontinuity under the Eifel is depressed by 15-25 km, which could be explained by a maximum temperature increase of +200 degrees C to +300 degrees C. In the 3-D RF image of the Eifel Plume we also notice two additional currently unexplained conversions between 410 and 550 km depth. They could represent remnants of previous subduction or anomalies due to delayed phase changes. The lateral extent of these conversions and the depression of the 410 km discontinuity is about 200 km. The 660 km discontinuity does not show any depth deviation from its expected value. Our observations are consistent with interpretation in terms of an upper mantle plume but they do not rule out connections to processes at larger depth Y1 - 2006 UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-246X U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2005.02778.x SN - 0956-540X ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fromm, T. A1 - Planert, Lars A1 - Jokat, Wilfried A1 - Ryberg, Trond A1 - Behrmann, Jan H. A1 - Weber, Michael H. A1 - Haberland, Christian T1 - South Atlantic opening: A plume-induced breakup? JF - Geology N2 - Upwelling hot mantle plumes are thought to disintegrate continental lithosphere and are considered to be drivers of active continental breakup. The formation of the Walvis Ridge during the opening of the South Atlantic is related to a putative plume-induced breakup. We investigated the crustal structure of the Walvis Ridge (southeast Atlantic Ocean) at its intersection with the continental margin and searched for anomalies related to the possible plume head. The overall structure we identify suggests that no broad plume head existed during opening of the South Atlantic and anomalous mantle melting occurred only locally. We therefore question the importance of a plume head as a driver of continental breakup and further speculate that the hotspot was present before the rifting, leaving a track of kimberlites in the African craton. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1130/G36936.1 SN - 0091-7613 SN - 1943-2682 VL - 43 IS - 10 SP - 931 EP - 934 PB - American Institute of Physics CY - Boulder ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gassner, Alexandra A1 - Thomas, Christine A1 - Krüger, Frank A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - Probing the core-mantle boundary beneath Europe and Western Eurasia: A detailed study using PcP JF - Physics of the earth and planetary interiors N2 - We use PcP (the core reflected P phase) recordings of deep earthquakes and nuclear explosions from the Grafenberg (Germany) and NORSAR (Norway) arrays to investigate the core-mantle boundary region beneath Europe and western Eurasia. We find evidence for a previously unknown ultra-low velocity zone 600 km south-east of Moscow, located at the edge of a middle-size low shear- velocity region imaged in seismic tomography that is located beneath the Volga river region. The observed amplitude variations of PcP can be modelled by velocity reductions of P and S-waves of -5% and -15%, respectively, with a density increase of +15%. Travel time delays of pre-and postcursors are indicating a thickness of about 13 km for this ultra-low velocity region (ULVZ). However, our modelling also reveals highly ambiguous amplitude variations of PcP and a reflection off the top of the anomaly for various ULVZs and topography models. Accordingly, large velocity contrasts of up to -10% in V-P and -20% in Vs cannot be excluded. In general, the whole Volga river region shows a complex pattern of PcP amplitudes caused most likely by CMB undulations. Further PcP probes beneath Paris, Kiev and northern Italy indicate likely normal CMB conditions, whereas the samples below Finland and the Hungary-Slovakia border yield strongly amplified PcP signals suggesting strong CMB topography effects. We evaluate the amplitude behaviour of PcP as a function of distance and several ULVZ models using the 1D reflectivity and the 2D Gauss beam method. The influence of the velocity and density perturbations is analysed as well as the anomaly thickness, the dominant period of the source wavelet and interface topographies. Strong variation of the PcP amplitude are obtained as a function of distance and of the impedance contrast. We also consider two types of topographies: undulations atop the CMB in the presence of flat ULVZs and vice versa. Where a broad range of CMB topography dimensions lead to large PcP amplitude variations, only large ULVZ undulations generate significant amplitude scattering. Consequently, this indicates that topography effects of anomalies may mask the true medium parameters as well as the ULVZ thickness. Moreover, there might be a possibility of misinterpreting the precursor as PcP, in particular for thin ULVZs. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Core-mantle boundary KW - Ultra-low velocity zones KW - Seismology KW - Amplitude and waveform analysis of PcP KW - Earthquakes KW - Nuclear explosions Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2015.06.007 SN - 0031-9201 SN - 1872-7395 VL - 246 SP - 9 EP - 24 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heit, Benjamin A1 - Yuan, Xiaohui A1 - Weber, Michael H. A1 - Geissler, Wolfram H. A1 - Jokat, Wilfried A1 - Lushetile, Bufelo A1 - Hoffmann, Karl-Heinz T1 - Crustal thickness and V-p/V-s ratio in NW Namibia from receiver functions: Evidence for magmatic underplating due to mantle plume-crust interaction JF - Geophysical research letters N2 - A seismological network was operated at the junction of the aseismic Walvis Ridge with the northwestern Namibian coast. We mapped crustal thickness and bulk V-p/V-s ratio by the H-k analysis of receiver functions. In the Damara Belt, the crustal thickness is similar to 35km with a V-p/V-s ratio of <1.75. The crust is similar to 30km thick at the coast in the Kaoko Belt. Strong variations in crustal thickness and V-p/V-s ratios are found at the landfall of the Walvis Ridge. Here and at similar to 150km northeast of the coast, the crustal thickness increases dramatically reaching 44km and the V-p/V-s ratios are extremely high (similar to 1.89). These anomalies are interpreted as magmatic underplating produced by the mantle plume during the breakup of Gondwana. The area affected by the plume is smaller than 300km in diameter, possibly ruling out the existence of a large plume head under the continent during the breakup. KW - crustal thickness KW - V-p KW - V-s ratios KW - magmatic underplating KW - Walvis Ridge KW - continental breakup Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL063704 SN - 0094-8276 SN - 1944-8007 VL - 42 IS - 9 SP - 3330 EP - 3337 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maercklin, Nils A1 - Bedrosian, Paul A. A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Ritter, O. A1 - Ryberg, Trond A1 - Weber, Michael H. A1 - Weckmann, Ute T1 - Characterizing a large shear-zone with seismic and magnetotelluric methods : the case of the Dead Sea Transform N2 - Seismic tomography, imaging of seismic scatterers, and magnetotelluric soundings reveal a sharp lithologic contrast along a similar to 10 km long segment of the Arava Fault (AF), a prominent fault of the southern Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the Middle East. Low seismic velocities and resistivities occur on its western side and higher values east of it, and the boundary between the two units coincides partly with a seismic scattering image. At 1 - 4 km depth the boundary is offset to the east of the AF surface trace, suggesting that at least two fault strands exist, and that slip occurred on multiple strands throughout the margin's history. A westward fault jump, possibly associated with straightening of a fault bend, explains both our observations and the narrow fault zone observed by others Y1 - 2005 SN - 0094-8276 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maercklin, Nils A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Ryberg, Trond A1 - Weber, Michael H. A1 - Bartov, Yosef T1 - Imaging the Dead Sea Transform with scattered seismic waves N2 - With controlled seismic sources and specifically designed receiver arrays, we image a subvertical boundary between two lithological blocks at the Arava Fault (AF) in the Middle East. The AF is the main strike-slip fault of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the segment between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Our imaging (migration) method is based on array beamforming and coherence analysis of P to P scattered seismic phases. We use a 1-D background velocity model and the direct P arrival as a reference phase. Careful resolution testing is necessary, because the target volume is irregularly sampled by rays. A spread function describing energy dispersion at localized point scatterers and synthetic calculations for large planar structures provides estimates of the resolution of the images. We resolve a 7 km long steeply dipping reflector offset roughly 1 km from the surface trace of the AF. The reflector can be imaged from about 1 km down to 4 km depth. Previous and ongoing studies in this region have shown a strong contrast across the fault: low seismic velocities and electrical resistivities to the west and high velocities and resistivities to the east of it. We therefore suggest that the imaged reflector marks the contrast between young sedimentary fill in the west and Precambrian rocks in the east. If correct, the boundary between the two blocks is offset about 1 km east of the current surface trace of the AF Y1 - 2004 SN - 0956-540X ER -