New improved model detects seismic activity more accurately
December 17th, 2010 - 5:57 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Dec 17 (ANI): Geologists have taken an important step toward helping the United States government monitor nuclear explosions by improving a 3-dimensional model originally developed at Harvard University.
The improvements make the model more accurate at detecting the location, source and depth of seismic activity.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Rhode Island and Princeton University, in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
“The goal is to build a model of the Earth that will locate seismic events and characterize those events precisely while reducing potential errors,” said Brian Savage, URI assistant professor of geosciences.
The model spans the politically sensitive region from Turkey to India, including Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, a region Savage describes as “tectonically complex.”
Savage and his colleagues analyzed data from 200 earthquakes collected by 150 seismic stations in the region between 1990 and 2007.
They compared the data with that from simulated earthquakes to identify deficiencies in the model, then propagated the simulated earthquakes in reverse to determine where to improve and update the model.
The improvements the researchers made to the model focused on long period surface waves and identifying the magnitude of a seismic event.
The results of their research were presented today at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. (ANI)
- Jaitapur n-plant site not immune to quake: Experts - Nov 23, 2011
- India's preparedness to tackle quakes should be reviewed: Geologists - Mar 16, 2011
- Rock defects below earth surface impact quakes - Apr 24, 2012
- 'Fault-finding' coral reefs can predict site of future earthquakes - Mar 22, 2011
- Human-induced global warming requires long-term study - Nov 20, 2011
- Software shows how Earth evolved millions of years ago - Mar 17, 2011
- Icelandic volcano 'looks set to erupt dwarfing last year's devastation' - Feb 10, 2011
- Now, a system that can warn about tsunamis within minutes - Mar 05, 2011
- New study suggests strong Indian crust thrust beneath Tibetan Plateau - Apr 07, 2011
- New technique may allow Earth's seismic activity to be mapped more comprehensively - Sep 03, 2009
- Global warming to flood low lying areas more frequently - Feb 27, 2012
- New discoveries resolve debate over oxygen in Earth's mantle - Dec 15, 2010
- Here's how ice flows - May 08, 2010
- Sikkim quake unusual, say geologists - Sep 20, 2011
- Fukushima now more vulnerable to seismic risk - Feb 15, 2012
Tags: american geophysical union, deficiencies, dimensional model, earthquakes, geologists, geosciences, harvard university, lawrence livermore national, lawrence livermore national laboratory, livermore national laboratory, location source, nuclear explosions, princeton university, seismic activity, seismic event, seismic events, seismic stations, sensitive region, surface waves, university of rhode island