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Title: Annual Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2003

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/15010547· OSTI ID:15010547

This report describes the seismic activity in and around the Hanford Site during Fiscal year 2003. Hanford Seismic Monitoring provides an uninterrupted collection of high-quality raw and processed seismic data from the Hanford Seismic Network for the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors. Hanford Seismic Monitoring also locates and identifies sources of seismic activity and monitors changes in the historical pattern of seismic activity at the Hanford Site. The data are compiled, archived, and published for use by the Hanford Site for waste management, Natural Phenomena Hazards assessments, and engineering design and construction. In addition, the seismic monitoring organization works with the Hanford Site Emergency Services Organization to provide assistance in the event of a significant earthquake on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Seismic Network and the Eastern Washington Regional Network consist of 41 individual sensor sites and 15 radio relay sites maintained by the Hanford Seismic Monitoring staff. For the Hanford Seismic Network, there were 1,336 triggers during fiscal year 2003. Of these triggers, 590 were earthquakes. One hundred and one earthquakes of the 590 earthquakes were located in the Hanford Seismic Network area. Stratigraphically 35 (34.6%) occurred in the Columbia River basalt, 29 (28.7%) were earthquakes in the pre-basalt sediments, and 37 (36.7%) were earthquakes in the crystalline basement. Geographically, 48 (47%) earthquakes occurred in swarm areas, 4 (4%) earthquakes were associated with a major geologic structure, and 49 (49%) were classified as random events. During the third and fourth quarters, an earthquake swarm consisting of 27 earthquakes occurred on the south limb of Rattlesnake Mountain. The earthquakes are centered over the northwest extension of the Horse Heaven Hills anticline and probably occur near the interface of the Columbia River Basalt Group and pre-basalt sediments.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
15010547
Report Number(s):
PNNL-11557-24; EY3542301
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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