Publication Date:
2016-12-04
Description:
Wide angle refraction and reflection measurements were carried out in the passive continental margin zone of the northwestern Svalbard during several expeditions in 1978–1999. Data from a set of 2-D archival and modern seismic profiles recorded in-line and off-line, and from an additional permanent seismic station, were altogether used for seismic modelling of the crustal structure of the study area. Seismic arrivals (airgun and chemical explosive sources) were recorded by land (onshore) seismic stations, ocean bottom seismometers (OBS), and ocean bottom hydrophone stations (OBH). Good quality refracted and reflected P waves have provided an excellent data base for a seismic modelling. Chemical explosive sources were recorded even up to 300 km distances. The 3-D tomographic inversion method was applied. The results are comparable to the earlier 2-D modelling. Additional off-line information allowed to develop a 3-D image of the crustal structure. The continental crust thins to the west and north. A minimum depth of about 6 km to the Moho interface was determined east of the Molloy Deep and in the Knipovich Ridge. The Moho discontinuity deepens down to about 30 km below the continental crust of Spitsbergen.
Keywords:
Seismology
Print ISSN:
0956-540X
Electronic ISSN:
1365-246X
Topics:
Geosciences
Published by
Oxford University Press
on behalf of
The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
