Short-Period Seismic Noise in Vorkuta, Russia

Abstract

Cultural development of new subpolar areas in Russia is associated with a need for detailed seismic research; for example, mapping of regional seismicity and seismic monitoring of specific mining enterprises. Of special interest are the northern territories of European Russia, including shelves of the Kara and Barents seas, Yamal Peninsula, and the Timan-Pechora region. Continuous seismic studies of these territories are important because there is insufficient seismological knowledge of the area and an absence of systematic data on the regional seismicity. Another timely task is to consider the seismic environment in the design, construction, and operation of natural gas extracting enterprises such as the construction of the North European Gas Pipeline. Issues of scientific importance underlying seismic studies in the region are the complex geodynamical setting, the presence of permafrost, and the complex tectonic structure. In particular, the Uralian Orogene (Figure 1) strongly affects the propagation of seismic waves. The existing subpolar seismic stations in Russia (APA at 67,57°N, 33,40°E; LVZ at 67,90°N, 34,65°E; and NRIL at 69,50°N, 88,40°E) do not cover the extensive area between the Pechora and Ob' rivers (Figure 1). Thus seismic observations in the Vorkuta area, which lies within the area of concern, represent a special interest. Continuous recording at a seismic station near the city of Vorkuta (67,50°N, 64,11°E) has been conducted since 2005 for the purpose of regional seismic monitoring and, more specifically, detection of seismic signals caused by local mining enterprises (Adushkin et al. 2007). Current surveys of local seismic noise are particularly aimed at a technical survey for the suitability of the site for installation of a small-aperture seismic array, which would include 10–12 recording instruments, with the Vorkuta seismic station as the central element (Okada 2003; Peterson 1993; Spivak and Kishkina 2004; Stutzmann et al. 2000). When …