MENA 1.1 - An Updated Geophysical Regionalization of the Middle East and North Africa

Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/792771· OSTI ID:792771

Walters, B ^[1]; Pasyanos, M E; Bhattacharyya, J; O'Boyle, J

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1. LLNL

This short report provides an update to the earlier LLNL paper entitled ''Preliminary Definition of Geophysical Regions for the Middle East and North Africa'' (Sweeney and Walter, 1998). This report is designed to be used in combination with that earlier paper. The reader is referred to Sweeney and Walter (1998) for all details, including definitions, references, uses, shortcomings, etc., of the regionalization process. In this report we will discuss only those regions in which we have changed the boundaries or velocity structure from that given by the original paper. The paper by Sweeney and Walter (1998) drew on a variety of sources to estimate a preliminary, first-order regionalization of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), providing regional boundaries and velocity models within each region. The model attempts to properly account for major structural discontinuities and significant crustal thickness and velocity variations on a gross scale. The model can be used to extrapolate sparse calibration data within a distinct geophysical region. This model can also serve as a background model in the process of forming station calibration maps using intelligent interpolation techniques such as kriging, extending the calibration into aseismic areas. Such station maps can greatly improve the ability to locate and identify seismic events, which in turn improves the ability to seismically monitor for underground nuclear testing. The original model from Sweeney and Walter (1998) was digitized to a 1{sup o} resolution, for simplicity we will hereafter refer to this model as MENA 1.0. The new model described here has also been digitized to a 1{sup o} resolution and will be referred to as MENA1.1 throughout this report.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 792771
• Report Number(s): UCRL-ID-138079
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
AFRICA
CALIBRATION
INTERPOLATION
KRIGING
MIDDLE EAST
MONITORS
RESOLUTION
SEISMIC EVENTS
TESTING
THICKNESS
VELOCITY