Investigating Seismicity and Structure With a 25-Node 3-Component, 5-Hz Geophone Network in the Delaware Basin Around Pecos, TX
Date: 4/24/2019
Time: 06:00 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom
The region around Pecos, TX in the Delaware Basin is one of the most seismically active areas of Texas, with ~56 events with M2.0+ reported by the Texas Seismic Network (TexNet) in the first 11 months of 2018. Much of this seismicity appears to be located at less than 6-km depth, but the earthquake depths remain poorly-constrained due to the low number of seismic stations in the Pecos area. In order to improve earthquake locations, especially depths, and in order to develop improved structural, fault, stress, and velocity models of the region, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has partnered with the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) to design and install a flexible, regional nodal network around Pecos, TX.
Our nodal array includes 25 3-component (3C) Fairfield Geotechnologies LLC Z-Land 5-Hz nodal seismometers in a flexible deployment pattern around Pecos, TX in Reeves and Ward Counties. The first stations were fielded in November of 2018, and included a station co-located with a TexNet broadband station in Pecos, TX. Our use of small, easy-to-deploy nodal seismometers allows us to improve our network geometry in response to our results, observations of station noise, or changes in the pattern of regional seismicity. We expect to continue to improve our station coverage as we work with local and county governments, landowners in Reeves and Ward Counties, and the BEG’s industry partners to fill gaps.
The node network data will be archived after the initial research period. Seismologists at UTEP and the BEG will collaborate to provide improved earthquake locations and improved regional velocity and structural models including anisotropy. The Delaware Basin is located near the complex transition from the Rio Grande Rift to the Great Plains. Especially in Pecos, TX there' a high interest in the reported seismicity from TexNet, and we hope this collaboration will result in an improved understanding of the contemporary stress field and faulting in this complex area that will be useful to stakeholders in government, academia, and industry.
Presenting Author: Marianne Karplus
Authors
Marianne Karplus mkarplus@utep.edu The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States Presenting Author
Corresponding Author
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Stephen A Veitch saveitch@utep.edu The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States |
Diane I Doser doser@utep.edu The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States |
Jenna L Faith jlfaith@miners.utep.edu The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States |
Alexandros Savvaidis alexandros.savvaidis@beg.utexas.edu University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States |
Investigating Seismicity and Structure With a 25-Node 3-Component, 5-Hz Geophone Network in the Delaware Basin Around Pecos, TX
Category
From Drifting to Anchored: Advances in Improving Absolute Hypocenter Location Accuracy for Natural, Induced and Explosion Seismic Events