Date Available

9-4-2012

Year of Publication

2012

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Document Type

Master's Thesis

College

Arts and Sciences

Department/School/Program

Geology

First Advisor

Dr. Edward Woolery

Second Advisor

Dr. Zhenming Wang

Abstract

The Central United States Seismic Observatory (CUSSO) consists of an array of vertical strong motion accelerometers and medium period seismometers that penetrate 585 m into the Mississippi Embayment sediments and terminates into Paleozoic bedrock. The array is located in the New Madrid Seismic Zone within the upper embayment. The thick unconsolidated Quaternary sediments have the potential to influence strong motions; understanding how these sediments affect ground motion is the goal of the CUSSO array. Nine SH-wave refraction and five P-wave common midpoint reflection surveys were collected within a 1 km radius around the CUSSO borehole in order to characterize the local seismic stratigraphy. Three major seismic boundaries from SH-wave refraction and six P-wave continuous reflection boundaries were interpreted. Combined, both methods were used to characterize seismic horizons (Quaternary to Paleozoic) around the CUSSO in terms of velocity and depth. Faults in the area are subparallel and northeast-southwest trending. Some faults appear to deform Eocene and Quaternary sediments, although no surface expression has been found.

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