Forensic Seismology and Nuclear Test Bans

With the signing in 1996 of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, interest has grown in forensic seismology: the application of seismology to nuclear test ban verification. This book, based on over 50 years of experience in forensic seismology research, charts the development of methods of seismic data analysis. Topics covered include: the estimation of seismic magnitudes, travel-time tables and epicentres; seismic signal processing; and the use of seismometer arrays. Fully illustrated with seismograms from explosions and earthquakes, the book demonstrates methods and problems of visual analysis. Each chapter provides exercises to help the reader familiarise themselves with practical issues in the field of forensic seismology, and figures and solutions to exercises are also available online. The book is a key reference work for academic researchers and specialists in the area of forensic seismology and Earth structure, and will also be valuable to postgraduates in seismology and solid earth geophysics.

Preface; Prologue; 1. Seismology: ancient and modern; 2. Statistical solutions to seismological problems; 3. Seismograms as time series; 4. Seismographs and seismograms; 5. Seismometer arrays and processing methods; 6. Seismogram interpretation and synthesis; 7. Hypocentres and P travel times; 8. Seismic magnitudes; 9. Seismic source identification; 10. Epilogue; Appendix A. P and S radiation from a double-couple source; Appendix B. Normal equations for analysis of variance; Appendix C. Some uses of the FFT; Appendix D. Anelastic attenuation; Appendix E. Transient and steady-state; Appendix F. Seismometer-galvanometer systems; Appendix G. Signal-to-noise improvement; Appendix H. Minimum-power filters; Appendix I. Circular arrays; Appendix J. Geometrical spreading for sP; Appendix K. Fourier integral; Appendix L. Tables of explosions and earthquakes; Appendix M. Album of body-wave seismograms; Appendix N. Exercises; References; Further reading; Index.

Alan Douglas worked for over 35 years as a seismologist at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston. From 1982 to 2001 he was the Head of the AWE Seismology Group and he continues to act as a consultant to the AWE. For many years he was a Visiting Professor at the University of Reading and is currently a Visiting Professor at University College London. Professor Douglas is the author of over 100 research papers and reports on seismology applied to the verification of nuclear test ban treaties. In 2005 he received the Award for Service to Geophysics from the Royal Astronomical Society, of which he is also a Fellow.