Seismic Exploration Of The Deep Continental Crust

DEKORP, the German continental reflection seismic program, was the major focus of deep seismic research in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s. The seismic sections provided fundamental new insight into deep geological structure of the European continent and the dynamics of continental formation. They formed the basis for worldwide comparative studies of orogenic structure. The complicated signature of the reflections from the deep crust indicated that new processing and interpretation techniques must be considered to better image the crystalline crust. Results of these efforts, including pre-stack migration, 3-D imaging, shear waves and seismic anisotropy, are presented in this special volume. In part, the articles open the perspective to new and future research. In part, they document research activity triggered by technical and interpretational questions raised by DEKORP field work and profiling results. Many of the presented methods can find immediate application in industrial seismic prospecting.

Drilling deep into the earth holds a fascination for earth scientists derived in part from the fact that the drill hole is the ultimate test of a hypothesis. When surface exploration methods have been fully uti lized and all the geological inferences drawn about the structure be neath the surface, we must finally drill to sample directly the third dimension of the crust of the earth. The drill is thus the tool of choice of the energy and minerals re sources industry. Because of high cost, drilling has been only sparing ly used for solving fundamental problems in the earth sciences. But now, having used the quite sophisticated methodology of exploration geophysics, the exciting structural detail emerging from seismic re flection profiling in particular has led several nations to begin a major program of scientific drilling to solve some of the major prGb lems in the earth sciences. Hhat is described in this volume are the blueprints for national re search programs in France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan and the United States. The Soviet Union has already embarked on a major drilling effort, the results of which are soon to be published. Results, of course, are still few, and this first volume is more concerned with the problems to be solved.

Deep seismiC sounding was proposed by G. A. Gamburtsev and developed under his guid ance during the period 1948-1955 at the Institute of Physics of the Earth of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. During that period also, the first geophysical results concerning the deep structure of the earth's crust in several regions in Tien-Shan, the Pamir, and Turkmenia were observed. Beginning with 1956, the deep seismic sounding method has been used widely by geo physical research groups as well as by geophysical service organizations for regional studies in the USSR. Descriptions of this work have been given in reports by Yu. N. Godin, V. V. Fedynskii, D. N. Kazanli, and others. New variants of the deep seismic sounding method have been developed; continuous profiling (Yu. N. Godin, and others), and point soundings (N. N. Puzyrev, and others). Deep seismic soundings have been carried on outside of Russia also, and studies have been carried out on the use of the deep seismic sounding method in marine applications (E. I. Gal'perin, S. M. Zverev, 1. P. Kosminskaya, Yu. P. Neprochnov, and others). OVer the past decade, the deep seismic sounding method has joined the suite of geo physical studies as a highly detailed method for studying the earth's crust and upper mantle to depths of 50 to 100 km on land, and of 15 to 25 km in the deep oceans.

Structure and Tectonics of the Indian Continental Crust and Its Adjoining Region: Deep Seismic Studies, Second Edition, collates essential data from seismic studies of Earth’s crust across India, offering an essential understanding of the tectonic development of the Indian subcontinent. Seismic studies have been carried out in various parts of India since 1972, recording crust-related seismic data for determination of velocity-depth configuration and determination of structural patterns. The book examines the details of these studies, including their synthesis and global applications. The book presents both background and applications in one cohesive volume for researchers and students of geophysics and geology. Presents all the information and metadata of the Indian continental crust and its neighbouring regions in a cohesive way Provides basic knowledge of the Indian subcontinent to support the discussion of seismic studies related to crustal structure Includes all new chapter covering global applications and synthesis of the findings and observations

"This volume contains a comprehensive, worldwide history of seismological studies of the Earth's crust using controlled sources from 1850 to 2005. Essentially all major seismic projects on land and the most important oceanic projects are covered. The time period 1850 to 1939 is presented as a general synthesis, and from 1940 onward the history and results are presented in separate chapters for each decade, with the material organized by geographical region. Each chapter highlights the major advances achieved during that decade in terms of data acquisition, processing technology, and interpretation methods. For all major seismic projects, the authors provide specific details on field observations, interpreted crustal cross sections, and key references. They conclude with global and continental-scale maps of all field measurements and interpreted Moho contours. An accompanying DVD contains important out-of-print publications and an extensive collection of controlled-source data, location maps, and crustal cross sections."--Publisher's description.

Drilling deep into the earth holds a fascination for earth scientists derived in part from the fact that the drill hole is the ultimate test of a hypothesis. When surface exploration methods have been fully uti lized and all the geological inferences drawn about the structure be neath the surface, we must finally drill to sample directly the third dimension of the crust of the earth. The drill is thus the tool of choice of the energy and minerals re sources industry. Because of high cost, drilling has been only sparing ly used for solving fundamental problems in the earth sciences. But now, having used the quite sophisticated methodology of exploration geophysics, the exciting structural detail emerging from seismic re flection profiling in particular has led several nations to begin a major program of scientific drilling to solve some of the major prGb lems in the earth sciences. Hhat is described in this volume are the blueprints for national re search programs in France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan and the United States. The Soviet Union has already embarked on a major drilling effort, the results of which are soon to be published. Results, of course, are still few, and this first volume is more concerned with the problems to be solved.

The articles in this volume were selected from a series of reports delivered in the So viet Union at Yaroslavl during the International Seminar "Super-deep drilling and deep geophysical research", which was organized and held in August 1988 by the Ministry of Geology of the USSR, jointly with the Inter-Union Commission on the Lithosphere. One of the most important problems of modem geology, is the state and prospects of further development of deep continental structure investigations, was discussed at the seminar with the participation of 245 scientists and specialists from 19 countries. At the plenary and sectional meetings of the seminar, 83 reports were delivered, discussions on the most interesting problems were organized, the exchange of ideas between the leading scientists a round table took place in discussion. The distinctive feature of the present collection of articles is the wide scope of the investigation of the Earth's crust. The reports elucidate such subjects of world impor tance as (1) achievements in implementation of major scientific programs investi gating deep Earth structure and plans for their further materialization; (2) theoretical problems of carrying out geological-geophysical explorations and drilling operations; and (3) new approaches to the study of the Earth's interior. The results of deep inves tigations of individual countries and organizations are considered, and concrete tech nical elaboration, methods of work execution, etc. are discussed.