Vintage crustal-scale seismic profiling data made available for future applications: DEKORP 1984 – 1999

Abstract

The German continental seismic reflection program DEKORP (DEutsches KOntinentales Reflexionsseismisches Programm) was carried out in the years between 1984 and 1999. The aim of DEKORP was to investigate the deep crustal structure of Germany with high-resolution near-vertical incidence (mostly vibro)seismic acquisition, supplemented by wide-angle seismic and other target-oriented piggy-back experiments, all complemented by optimized methods of data processing and interpretation. The DEKORP project was an equivalent to many other deep-seismic programs world-wide such as COCORP, BIRPS, LITHOPROBE, ECORS, CROP, BELCORP, IBERSEIS and others.

The resulting DEKORP database consists of approximately 40 crustal-scale 2D-seismic reflection lines covering a total of ca. 4 700 km and one 3D-seismic survey covering ca. 400 km², recorded in close connection with the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (KTB). Nowadays, re-recording of these seismic traverses in the same extent and quality would often not be possible anymore due to increased acquisition costs and tightened permission requirements. Therefore these datasets provide unique and deep insights into the subsurface below Germany covering the earth’s crust from the surface to the upper mantle.

Currently, many of the original raw data are still stored on old storage media and in formats, which can only be read by special devices, programs and experts. To prevent the final loss of this valuable geoscientific treasure an initiative at GFZ transcripts all relevant DEKORP data to modern formats and media.

Over the last few years the demand for DEKORP data continuously increased. Several academic institutions and commercial companies reprocess and/or reinterpret these data, which lead to significant improvements in the quality of the results. Fields of applications are geothermal development, hazard analysis, hydrocarbon/shale gas exploration, underground gas storage, tunnel construction, disposal of nuclear waste and more.

To simplify the data access for the scientific as well as for the commercial geo-community, a well-structured provision and utilisation concept is being developed. The concept includes so-called data publications with DOIs, a defined license model and automised retrieval for each of the surveys providing raw data, processed data, meta data, related links and more. The plan aims to have all relevant DEKORP datasets compiled and prepared for access via web interface till 2022.