Volume 53, Nº 3 (2017)

Field experiments involving molecular-electronic seismometers, along with conventional pendulum geophones, were performed to study the deep structure of the upper crust (in the area of the Kaluga ring structure) by passive seismic methods. The microseismic sounding survey was carried out along a geophysical profile crossing the central part of the structure with simultaneous data acquisition by molecular-electronic and conventional seismometers at each measurement point. Experimental data on the propagation of Rayleigh waves along the curvilinear surface have been collected. The feasibility of using molecular-electronic seismometers for passive seismic studies has been confirmed by the results of comparative analysis of the vertical geophysical cross sections, which reveal upper crustal heterogeneities, and by the results of a series of laboratory tests.

The first part of this work discussed the software requirements for working with geophysical monitoring data. This paper considers the technology for studying similar signals realized in the WinABD program. In contrast to many statistical analysis programs, WinABD supports a complete cycle of operations necessary for working with experimental time series. The software includes a database management system, a powerful research apparatus, and an interactive data visualization environment. The program makes it possible to analyze the structure of series and reveal dependences and interrelations between signals. There are a large number of nonstandard tools and methods necessary for everyday work with nonideal data. A moving time window technology is widely used, which makes it possible to study the development of all processes with time and reveal variations related to any events. A special “window-slamming” technology at the boundaries of a series makes it possible to carry out processing with a decreasing length of the series, which allows arbitrary combination of the applied methods. All of the procedures admit the presence of gaps in observations. For all data operations, a calendar time scale is used, which substantially improves convenience of operation. Correct joint processing of series with unidentical onset dates and noncoinciding observation periodicity is provided.

Two zones of seismicity (ten events with M_w = 7.0–7.7) stretching from Makran and the Eastern Himalaya to the Central and EasternTien Shan, respectively, formed over 11 years after the great Makran earthquake of 1945 (M_w = 8.1). Two large earthquakes (M_w = 7.7) hit theMakran area in 2013. In addition, two zones of seismicity (M ≥ 5.0) occurred 1–2 years after theMakran earthquake in September 24, 2013, stretching in the north-northeastern and north-northwestern directions. Two large Nepal earthquakes struck the southern extremity of the “eastern” zone (April 25, 2015, M_w = 7.8 and May 12, 2015, M_w = 7.3), and the Pamir earthquake (December 7, 2015, M_w = 7.2) occurred near Sarez Lake eastw of the “western” zone. The available data indicate an increase in subhorizontal stresses in the region under study, which should accelerate the possible preparation of a series of large earthquakes, primarily in the area of the Central Tien Shan, between 70° and 79° E, where no large earthquakes (M_w ≥ 7.0) have occurred since 1992.