Crustal structure in central New Mexico interpreted from the Gasbuggy explosion

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7347473

Toppozada, T R; Sanford, A R

Interpretation of a seismic profile extending 548 km southward from the GASBUGGY nuclear test of December 10, 1967 resulted in a crustal model for central New Mexico. The crust is 39.9 km thick below the Paleozoic ''basement.'' It consists of an upper crust 18.6 km thick having P velocity 6.15 km/sec, and a lower crust 21.3 km thick having P velocity 6.5 km/sec. The apparent upper mantle velocity is 8.12 km/sec. This model applies near the crossover distance, 50 km west of Albuquerque. Additional information from earthquakes and explosions suggests that the upper crustal velocity drops to 5.8 km/sec in the Rio Grande rift, and that the true upper mantle velocity is 7.9 km/sec. The low upper crustal velocity in the Rio Grande rift can be detected on the record section of the GASBUGGY profile.

• Research Organization: California Div. of Mines and Geology, Sacramento
• OSTI ID: 7347473
• Journal Information: Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am.; (United States) Vol. 66:3; ISSN BSSAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450201 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives-- Containment
58 GEOSCIENCES
580200* -- Geophysics-- (-1989)
CONTAINED EXPLOSIONS
EARTH CRUST
EXPLOSIONS
GASBUGGY EVENT
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PLOWSHARE PROJECT
SEISMIC DETECTION
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SOUTHWEST REGION
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
USA