Abstract
A unique seismic and hydroacoustic experiment involving large-scale underwater chemical explosions has been conducted in the Dead Sea, thanks to its rare, unequaled setting. The collaborative efforts of several groups provided this creative, cost-efficient venture, improving monitoring and verification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in the Middle East. The explosions were realized by the Seismology Division of the Geophysical Institute of Israel (GII). This experiment is part of the research on “Improvements in Monitoring the CTBT in the Middle East by the Israel Seismic Network”, which is funded by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to provide calibration sources lacking in the region. The goals of the experiment were to calibrate the regional travel times and propagation paths of seismic waves across the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean region and thus improve location accuracy of seismic events; to calibrate local, regional, and International Monitoring System (IMS) stations; and to provide data for source characterization to improve IMS detection, location, and discrimination capabilities. Based on a series of small-scale underwater shots in 1993 (Gitterman et al., 1998), it was estimated that a 5-ton explosion would correspond to an event of magnitude about 4.0 on the local Richter scale. It was expected that events of this order of magnitude would be recorded by seismic stations at local and regional distances, i.e., within 20° of the Dead Sea. Apart from the well known enhancement effect of underwater explosions, the “deadness” of the Dead Sea was one of the main reasons for this site choice. The seismological community may remember the failure to conduct similar calibration shots in the Atlantic Ocean near Portugal in 1993, caused mainly by “green” protesters. Moreover, unique properties of the supersaline Dead Sea water--density 1.236 gr/cm3 and acoustic velocity 1770.6 m/sec (Anati, 1997), much …
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
