The AlpArray Seismic Network: A Large‑Scale European Experiment to Image the Alpine Orogen
- Author(s)
- György Hetényi, Irene Molinari, John Clinton, Götz Bokelmann, Istvan Bondar, Wayne C. Crowford, Jean-Xavier Dessa, Cécile Doubre, Wolfgang Friederich, Florian Fuchs, Domenico Giardini, Zoltan Gráczer, Mark R. Handy, Marijan Herak, Yan Jia, Edi Kissling, Heidrun Kopp, Michael Korn, Lucia Margheritit, Thomas Meier, Marco Mucciarelli, Anne Paul, Damiano Pesaresi, Claudia Piromallo, Thomas Plenefisch, Jaroslava Plomerova, Joachim Ritter, Georg Rümpker, Vesna Sipka, Daniele Spallarossa, Christine Thomas, Frederik Tilmann, Joachim Wassermann, Michael Weber, Zoltan Weber, Viktor Wesztergom, Mladen Zivcic
- Abstract
The AlpArray programme is a multinational, European consortium to advance our understanding of orogenesis and its relationship to mantle dynamics, plate reorganizations, surface processes and seismic hazard in the Alps-Apennines-Carpathians-Dinarides orogenic system. The AlpArray Seismic Network has been deployed with contributions from 36 institutions from 11 countries to map physical properties of the lithosphere and asthenosphere in 3D and thus to obtain new, high-resolution geophysical images of structures from the surface down to the base of the mantle transition zone. With over 600 broadband stations operated for 2 years, this seismic experiment is one of the largest simultaneously operated seismological networks in the academic domain, employing hexagonal coverage with station spacing at less than 52 km. This dense and regularly spaced experiment is made possible by the coordinated coeval deployment of temporary stations from numerous national pools, including ocean-bottom seismometers, which were funded by different national agencies. They combine with permanent networks, which also required the cooperation of many different operators. Together these stations ultimately fill coverage gaps. Following a short overview of previous large-scale seismological experiments in the Alpine region, we here present the goals, construction, deployment, characteristics and data management of the AlpArray Seismic Network, which will provide data that is expected to be unprecedented in quality to image the complex Alpine mountains at depth.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Meteorology and Geophysics
- External organisation(s)
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Université Paris VII - Paris-Diderot, Université Côte d'Azur, Université de Strasbourg, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), Freie Universität Berlin (FU), University of Zagreb, ZAMG, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Universität Leipzig, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Roma, Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Republic of Srpska, Università degli Studi di Genova, Czech Academy of Sciences, Universität Münster, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum, Slovenian Environment Agency, Université de Lausanne, GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung, Universität Potsdam, Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)
- Journal
- Surveys in Geophysics
- Volume
- 39
- Pages
- 1009–1033
- No. of pages
- 25
- ISSN
- 0169-3298
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-018-9472-4
- Publication date
- 09-2018
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105106 Geodynamics, 105122 Seismic, 105124 Tectonics
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geochemistry and Petrology, Geophysics
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/c18edc4e-7e11-4805-9243-8012fce8184e