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dc.contributor.advisorMichael C. Fehler and Bradford H. Hager.en_US
dc.contributor.authorLu, Jingen_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.en_US
dc.coverage.spatiale-ic---en_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-05-23T19:39:18Z
dc.date.available2014-05-23T19:39:18Z
dc.date.copyright2014en_US
dc.date.issued2013en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/87506
dc.descriptionThesis: S.M. in Geophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2013.en_US
dc.descriptionCataloged from PDF version of thesis.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (pages 59-62).en_US
dc.description.abstractThe Krýsuvík region of southwestern Iceland is a region of high potential for geothermal energy that is currently experiencing seismic swarm activity and active surface deformation. Understanding the subsurface structure of the area is of great scientific and practical significance. Using permanent and temporary seismic stations deployed in the region, we captured an earthquake swarm from Nov. 2010 to Feb. 2011 clustered around the center of the Krýsuvík volcanic system. We studied the seismicity and Vp, Vs and Vp/Vs ratio in this region by applying double difference tomography. Our tomography result indicates a low velocity zone at a depth of about 6 kin, directly beneath the earthquake swarm. At the same time, our relocation result delineates strike-slip and dip-slip faults above and around this low velocity zone. Brittle-ductile transition is delineated based on the distribution of the earthquakes in this area. In order to understand the relation between the subsurface structure and the surface deformation, we modeled surface deformation using the input parameters constrained from our tomography results. We found that the main deformation is well captured by a pressure source yielding a volume expansion of about 30x 106 m3 at the depth of about 6 km, centered on the low velocity zone detected in tomography. And the secondary deformation could be explained by the normal and the right-lateral slip faults, whose patterns are delineated by the earthquake relocations. The combination of the local stress caused by the expanding source and regional stress that yields a combination of left-lateral shear and extension might have triggered the earthquakes. Based on the low Vp, Vs and possibly high Vp/Vs ratio at depth of ~6 km and its expanding property, the possibilities of supercritical water, H₂O-rich partial melting with magma intrusion are discussed. The results of this thesis provide new insights to understand the seismicity and surface deformation in volcanic zones as well as provided important reference in exploration of new geothermal areas.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Jing Liu.en_US
dc.format.extent62 pagesen_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582en_US
dc.subjectEarth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.en_US
dc.titleSeismic tomography and surface deformation in Krýsuvík, SW Icelanden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeS.M. in Geophysicsen_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
dc.identifier.oclc879669048en_US


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