High-resolution Seismic Imaging of Near-surface Fault Zones in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany

The Leibniz Institute of Applied Geophysics studies the capabilities of seismic surveys for the exploration of fault structures in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany. Here we present results from three different high-resolution 2D-reflection seismic profiles. The measurements were carried out across the expected outcrop of fault zones, which were apparent in 3D-seismic datasets focused towards deeper targets. The resulting seismic sections show units of Late Tertiary and Quaternary between roughly 15 m and 1000 m depth. Therein, different fault patterns can be identified. The sedimentary strata and faults are resolved with high resolution showing also features that are not visible in the lower frequency 3D-datasets. Thus it appears that those high-resolution 2D-measurements are well suited for complementing the information of 3D-measurements, to gain a deeper insight into the architecture and kinematics of fault systems.