The objectives of this experiment are to use seismic signals recorded on a 120 station array in West Germeny to determine the deep geological structure beneath the Rhinegraben and to relate it to the dynamics of graben formation. Seismic tomographic techniques will be used to analyze the data and image the deep structure of the rift. Similar experiments have been done in the Rio Grande Rift in the U.S. and in the East African Rift in Kenya. Such comparative rift tomography is a fundamental measurement for understanding the dynamics of rifting, its relation to plate tectonics and continental break-up. The experiment will be a joint effort by three universities: Karlsruhe, F.R. Germany; Strasbourg, France; and UCLA. The Karlsruhe group will pay field costs for the U.S. participants. The collaboration between the U.S. and German groups is an ongoing one that has been very beneficial to both sides. In this case, UCLA will be able to participate in a major field program that on their own they would not be able to mount. They will share the data processing load, software development and interpretation.
