GSA Bookstore

Table of Contents - Memoir 208

Exploring the Earth’s Crust—History and Results of Controlled-Source Seismology

by Claus Prodehl and Walter D. Mooney

Acronyms ix
Abstract 1

Chapter 1: Introduction and Acknowledgments
3

Chapter 2: History of Controlled-Source Seismology—A Brief Summary
7
2.1. Introduction and Worldwide Reviews 7
2.2. Reviews at Regional Scales 7
2.3. The First 100 Years (1845–1945) 7
2.4. The 1940s (1940–1950) 10
2.5. The 1950s (1950–1960) 11
2.6. The 1960s (1960–1970) 13
2.7. The 1970s (1970–1980) 19
2.8. The 1980s (1980–1990) 22
2.9. The 1990s and Early 2000s (1990–2005) 35
2.10. Outlook 40

Chapter 3: The First 100 Years (1845–1945)
47
3.1. The Beginning of Seismology 47
3.2. Early Crustal Structure Investigations from Seismological Observations since 1898 48
3.3. The First Steps into Controlled-Source Seismology—1851–1945 51

Chapter 4: The 1940s (1940–1950)
59
4.1. The Late 1940s in Central Europe 59
4.2. Crustal Study Activities in the 1940s Outside Central Europe 61
  4.2.1. Soviet Union 61
  4.2.2. North America 62
  4.2.3. South Africa 63
4.3. Seismic-Refraction Work at Sea 63
4.4. State of the Art at the Beginning of the 1950S 66

Chapter 5: The 1950s (1950–1960)
71
5.1. Seismic-Refraction Investigations in Western Europe in the 1950s 71
5.2. The Beginning of Seismic-Refraction Investigations in North America 74
5.3. Seismic-Refraction Investigations in Eastern Europe in the 1950s 80
5.4. Early Explosion-Seismic Studies in Japan 87
5.5. Early Explosion-Seismic Studies in the Southern Hemisphere 88
  5.5.1. Australia and New Zealand 88
  5.5.2. South Africa 88
  5.5.3. South America and Antarctica 88
5.6. Seismic-Refraction Oceanic Explorations of the Crust in the 1950s 89
  5.6.1. Introduction 89
  5.6.2. Atlantic Ocean 91
  5.6.3. Pacific and Indian Oceans 102
  5.6.4. Summary of Seismic Observations in the Oceans in the 1950s 106
5.7. Results and Achievements 107

Chapter 6: The 1960s (1960–1970)
113
6.1. Crustal Structure Research by Quarry Blast Observations and Borehole Shooting 113
6.2. Seismic-Refraction Investigations in Western Europe in the 1960s 113
  6.2.1. Instrumentation 113
  6.2.2. Seismic-Refraction Experiments in Central and Western Europe 116
  6.2.3. Seismic Research in Britain and Scandinavia 120
  6.2.4. Crustal Research in the Alps, Southern France, and Italy 122
  6.2.5. Advances in Theory and Interpretation 129
6.3. The International Deep Seismic Sounding Investigation of Southeastern Europe 131
  6.3.1. Introduction 131
  6.3.2. The 1960s in Poland 133
  6.3.3. International Profiles through Czechoslovakia 135
  6.3.4. Seismic Research in Eastern Germany in the 1960s 135
  6.3.5. International Profiles through Hungary 136
  6.3.6. International Profile III through the Dinarides of Yugoslavia 136
  6.3.7. International Profiles through Bulgaria 136
  6.3.8. International Profiles through Romania 137
6.4. Seismic Crustal Studies in the USSR 137
6.5. Seismic-Refraction Investigations in North America in the 1960s 145
  6.5.1. Western United States 145
  6.5.2. Central and Eastern North America 159
  6.5.3. Achievements in the United States 163
  6.5.4. Canada and Alaska 164
  6.5.5. Upper Mantle Projects in North America 168
6.6. Explosion Seismology Research in Southeast Asia in the 1960s 169
6.7. Explosion Seismology Research in the Southern Hemisphere Continents in the 1960s 170
  6.7.1. Australia 170
  6.7.2. Africa and the Afro-Arabian Rift System 173
  6.7.3. South America 174
  6.7.4. Antarctica 174
6.8. Seismic-Refraction Explorations of the Crust Beneath the Oceans in the 1960s 176
  6.8.1. Introduction 176
  6.8.2. The Atlantic Ocean 177
  6.8.3. The Pacific Ocean 181
  6.8.4. The Indian Ocean 189
  6.8.5. Summary of Seismic Observations in the Oceans in the 1960s 198
6.9. The State of the Art at the End of the 1960s 198

Chapter 7: The 1970s (1970–1980)
199
7.1. The Decade of International Cooperation 199
7.2. Controlled-Source Seismology in Europe 200
  7.2.1. Fine Structure of the Lower Lithosphere—The First West European Long-Range Profile 200
  7.2.2. Crustal Research of the Central European Rift System and the Variscan Basement 204
  7.2.3. The Mediterranean Region 205
  7.2.4 Fine Structure of the Lower Lithosphere—The Second Stage of Long-Range Profiling 212
  7.2.5. Continued Explorations of Anomalous Areas and a Second Stage of Deep-Seismic Reflection Campaigns in Central Europe 221
  7.2.6. The Third Stage of Long-Range Profiling 225
  7.2.7. Deep Seismic Sounding Projects in Eastern Europe 229
7.3. Deep-Seismic Sounding in Eastern Europe and Adjacent Asia (USSR) 235
7.4. Controlled-Source Seismology in North America 238
  7.4.1. Crustal Seismic-Refraction Work in the United States 238
  7.4.2. New Seismic-Recording Equipment Opens a New Stage of Crustal Research 243
  7.4.3. The First Large-Scale Continental Reflection Profiling Project (COCORP and U.S. Geological Survey) 248
  7.4.4. Canada 251
7.5. The Afro-Arabian Rift System 252
  7.5.1. The Northern End of the East-African Rift System 252
  7.5.2. First Crustal Studies of the Dead Sea Rift, around the Red Sea, and in Iran 254
7.6. Deep Seismic Sounding Studies in Southeast Asia 256
  7.6.1. India 256
  7.6.2. China 259
  7.6.3. Japan 259
7.7. Controlled-Source Seismology in the Southern Hemisphere 261
  7.7.1. Australia and New Zealand 261
  7.7.2. South Africa 267
  7.7.3. South America 269
  7.7.4. Antarctica 270
7.8. Oceanic Deep Structure Research 270
  7.8.1. Introduction 270
  7.8.2. The Pacific Ocean 275
  7.8.3. The Indian Ocean 290
  7.8.4. The Atlantic Ocean 291
  7.8.5. Summary of Seismic Observations in the Oceans in the 1970s 304
7.9. Advances in Interpretation Methodology 305
7.10. The State of the Art at the Beginning of the 1980s 308

Chapter 8: The 1980s (1980–1990)
311
8.1. The Decade of Large-Scale Reflection Seismology and Seismic Ray Tracing 311
8.2. Controlled-Source Seismology Workshops 311
8.3. Controlled-Source Seismology in Europe 313
  8.3.1. Large-Scale Seismic-Reflection Surveys in Western Europe 314
8.3.1.1. British Isles (BIRPS and Other Seismic-Reflection Surveys) 316
    8.3.1.2. ECORS (France) 318
    8.3.1.3. CROP (Italy) 319
    8.3.1.4. Switzerland 320
    8.3.1.4. DEKORP (Germany) 320
    8.3.1.5. Czechoslovakia 324
    8.3.1.6. BABEL (Scandinavia) 324
  8.3.2. Seismic-Refraction Studies in the British Isles and Ireland 326
  8.3.3. The German Deep Drillhole Project KTB 330
    8.3.3.1. Black Forest Location 330
    8.3.3.2. Oberpfalz Location 332
  8.3.4. The European Geotraverse 335
    8.3.4.1. The Northern Segment 340
    8.3.4.2. The Central Segment 342
    8.3.4.3. The Southern Segment and Other Investigations in Northwest Africa 346
    8.3.4.4. Iberian Lithosphere Heterogeneity and Anisotropy Project 350
  8.3.5. Deep-Seismic Sounding Projects in Eastern Europe 352
8.4. Deep Seismic Sounding Projects in Eastern Europe and Adjacent Asia (USSR) 353
8.5. Controlled-Source Seismology in North America 357
  8.5.1. Instrumentation 357
  8.5.2. Canada 357
  8.5.3. Continental United States 363
    8.5.3.1. Seismic-Reflection Surveys 363
    8.5.3.2. Seismic-Refraction Projects in the Pacific States 367
    8.5.3.3. Seismic-Refraction Projects in Basin and Range and Rocky Mountains 373
    8.5.3.4. Seismic Projects in the Eastern United States 379
  8.5.4. Alaska 385 385
8.6. The Afro-Arabian Rift System 391
  8.6.1. Crustal Studies of the Dead and Red Sea Areas 391
  8.6.2. The First Project of Kenya Rift International Seismic Project 396
8.7. Deep Seismic Sounding Studies in Southeast Asia 397
  8.7.1. India 397
  8.7.2. China 400
  8.7.3. Japan 405
8.8. Controlled-Source Seismology in the Southern Hemisphere 408
  8.8.1. Australia and New Zealand 408
  8.8.2. South Africa 414
  8.8.3. South America 415
  8.8.4. Antarctica 416
8.9. Deep Seismic Sounding Studies in the Oceans 417
  8.9.1. Introduction 417
  8.9.2. Pacific Ocean 420
  8.9.3. Indian Ocean 424
  8.9.4. Atlantic Ocean 425
  8.9.5. Summary of Seismic Observations in the Oceans in the 1980s 439
8.10. Advances of Instrumental and Interpretation Methodology and the State of Art at the End of the 1980s 440

Chapter 9: The 1990s (1990–2000)
443
9.1. The First Decade of Digital Recording 443
  9.1.1. The North American Controlled-Source Seismology Community 444
  9.1.2. The European Controlled-Source Seismology Community 446
9.2. Controlled-Source Seismology in Europe 448
  9.2.1 The British Isles and Ireland 448
  9.2.2. Central Europe 450
  9.2.3. Southern Europe 462
  9.2.4. Eastern Europe 470
  9.2.5. North Sea and Northern Europe 481
9.3. Deep Seismic Sounding in Eastern Europe and Adjacent Asia (Former USSR) 484
9.4. Controlled-Source Seismology in North America 498
  9.4.1 Canada 498
    9.4.1.1. LITHOPROBE East 499
    9.4.1.2. LITHOPROBE Eastern Canadian Shield Onshore-Offshore Transect 500
    9.4.1.3. LITHOPROBE Abitibi-Grenville Transect 501
    9.4.1.4. Western Superior Transect 503
    9.4.1.5. Trans-Hudson Orogen Transect 503
    9.4.1.6. Alberta Basement Transect and “Deep Probe” 505
    9.4.1.7. Slave Northern Cordillera Lithospheric Evolution 507
  9.4.2. United States 509
    9.4.2.1. Alaska 509
    9.4.2.2. Pacific Northwest 512
    9.4.2.3. San Andreas Fault Region 519
    9.4.2.4. Sierra Nevada and Basin and Range Province 526
    9.4.2.5. The Rocky Mountain Region 529
    9.4.2.6. The Southern Appalachian–Atlantic Coast Region 535
9.5. The Afro-Arabian Rift System 536
  9.5.1. The East African Rift System in Kenya 536
  9.5.2. The East African Rift System in Tanzania 544
  9.5.3. The Jordan–Dead Sea Transform 546
9.6. Deep Seismic Sounding Studies in Southeast Asia 550
  9.6.1. India and Indonesia 550
  9.6.2. China 551
  9.6.3. Japan 564
9.7. Controlled-Source Seismology in the Southern Hemisphere 569
  9.7.1. Australia and New Zealand 569
    9.7.1.1. Australia 569
    9.7.1.2. New Zealand 578
  9.7.2. South Africa 584
  9.7.3. Central and South America 584
    9.7.3.1. Mexico and Costa Rica 584
    9.7.3.2. Northeastern South America 586
    9.7.3.3. Southern Andean Region of South America 588
  9.7.4. Antarctica 599
9.8. Oceanic Deep Structure Research 603
  9.8.1. Introduction 603
  9.8.2. Pacific Ocean 603
  9.8.3. Indian Ocean 616
  9.8.4. Atlantic Ocean 620
    9.8.4.1. South Atlantic Ocean 620
    9.8.4.2. Mid-Atlantic Ridge 624
    9.8.4.3. North Atlantic Ocean 638
  9.8.5. Summary of Seismic Observations in the Oceans in the 1990s 649
9.9. Advances in Interpretation Methodology 650
9.10. The State of the Art Around 2000 652

Chapter 10: The Twenty-first Century (2000–2005)
653
10.1. The Second Decade of Digital Recording 653
10.2. Controlled-Source Seismology in Europe 654
  10.2.1. Western and Southern Europe 654
  10.2.2. Northern Europe 655
  10.2.3. Central and Eastern Europe 655
10.3. North America 661
  10.3.1 The Pacific States of the United States 661
  10.3.2. Basin and Range Province and Rio Grande Rift 663
10.4. The Afro-Arabian Rift System 664
  10.4.1. The Jordan–Dead Sea Transform 664
  10.4.2. The East African Rift System in Ethiopia 665
10.5. Controlled-Source Seismology in Southeast Asia 666
  10.5.1. India 666
  10.5.2. China 666
  10.5.3. Japan and South Korea 667
10.6. Controlled-Source Seismology in the Southern Hemisphere 670
  10.6.1. Australia and New Zealand 670
  10.6.2. South Africa 674
  10.6.3. South America 675
10.7. Oceanic Deep Structure Research 677
  10.7.1. Introduction 677
  10.7.2. Pacific Ocean 679
  10.7.3. Indian Ocean 684
  10.7.4. Atlantic Ocean 685
  10.7.5. Summary of Seismic Observations in the Oceans from 1950 to 2005 690
10.8. The State of the Art around 2006 and Outlook 690

References Cited
707

Appendix on Accompanying DVD		  
A0. Index  
A1. Figures in text  
Data and Information for Chapter 2  
A2-1. Prodehl, 1998. Crustal record sections—A guide to pattern recognition  
A2-2. Finlayson, 2010. A Chronicle of Deep Seismic Profiling across Australian Crust and its Margins, 1946–2006  
Data and Information for Chapter 3  
A3-1. Mintrop, 1947a, 1947b. 100 Jahre physikalische Erdbebenforschung und Sprengseismik (information)  
A3-2. Ritter et al., 2000. History of Seismology in Göttingen  
Data and Information for Chapter 4  
A4-1. Reinhardt, 1954. Steinbruchsprengungen zur Erforschung des tieferen Untergrundes  
Data and Information for Chapter 5  
A5-1. Steinhart and Meyer, 1961. Explosion studies of continental structure  
Data and Information for Chapter 6  
A6-1. Record sections of quarry blasts and other sources from 1958 to 1972 in central Europe  
A6-2. Basic data of shotpoints and profiles in central Europe from 1958 to 1972  
A6-3. Record sections of seismic-refraction profiles in the Alps before 1975  
A6-4. Basic data of shotpoints and profiles in the Alps and the Massif Central  
A6-5. Publications on crustal structure of southeastern Europe  
A6-6. Record sections of seismic-refraction profiles in the western United States recorded from 1961 to 1963  
A6-7. Basic data of the 1961 to 1963 seismic-refraction profiles in the western United States  
A6-8. Record sections of seismic-refraction profiles in the Southern Rocky Mountains and adjacent Great Plains recorded from 1963 to 1965  
A6-9. Warren, 1972. Crustal calibration of the Large Aperture Seismic Array (LASA), Montana  
A6-10. Record sections of the 1967 seismic refraction profiles in central California, USA  
A6-11. Record sections of profiles in the central and eastern United States  
A6-12. Record sections of seismic refraction work in South America  
Data and Information for Chapter 7  
A7-1. Prodehl, 1984. Structure of the earth’s crust and upper mantle  
A7-2. Record sections and corresponding abstracts of the Mediterranean area  
A7-3. Record sections and corresponding (extended) abstracts of the Alpine area  
A7-4. Record sections and corresponding (extended) abstracts of long-range profiles in Europe  
A7-5. Record sections and Open-File Reports of profiles in North America  
A7-6. Record sections and Open-File Reports of profiles in the Afro-Arabian Rift System  
A7-7. Record sections and reports of seismic profiles in Australia  
A7-8. Record sections of seismic profiles in southern Africa  
A7-9. Record sections of seismic profiles in South America  
A7-10. Record sections for oceanic areas  
Data and Information for Chapter 8  
A8-1. Record sections and Open-File Reports for Europe and northern Asia  
A8-2. Meissner et al., 1987. The Moho in Europe  
A8-3. Record sections and Open-File Reports for North America  
A8-4. Braile et al., 1989. Seismic properties of crust and uppermost mantle in North America  
A8-5. Record sections for oceanic areas (North Atlantic Ocean)  
Data and Information for Chapter 9  
A9-1. Record sections and Open-File Reports for Europe and northwest Africa  
A9-2. Record sections and Open-File Reports for North America  
A9-3. Record sections and Open-File Reports for the Afro-Arabian Rift System  
A9-4. Record sections of seismic profiles in East Asia  
A9-5. Record sections of seismic profiles in South America and Antarctica  
A9-6. Record sections for oceanic areas (North Atlantic Ocean)  
Data and Information for Chapter 10  
A10-1. Record sections of seismic profiles in Europe  
A10-2. Open-File reports for seismic observations in North America  
A10-3. Record sections of seismic profiles in East Asia (Japan)