The Kingdome SHIPS Implosion experiment was a great SUCCESS due to your cooperation with hosting our instruments.
The Kingdome was demolished (imploded) on March 26, 2000 to make room for the new home of the Seattle Seahawks. The tiny seismic waves produced by the collapse of the Kingdome has provided scientists the unique chance to learn more about the earthquake shaking downtown Seattle can expect to experience during the next "big one".
Seismologists at the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Washington, and many volunteers monitored the Kingdome collapse using a temporary network of 200 earthquake recorders. These recorders were installed at a spacing of about 6/10's of a mile (1 km) throughout Seattle, from Boeing Field in the south to Green Lake in the north. We are planning to make a movie showing how the seismic waves traveled away from the Kingdome to other parts of Seattle.
Special Seismic Records for Kingdome Implosion
Kingdome Implosion: The Kingdome was imploded beginning at a time = 15
seconds on this plot. Vertical traces correspond to the data recorded by
one of our recorders -- we have reformatted the data to emphasize the
similarity between recordings made by our seismometers for nearby sites.
The Kingdome is located at the left hand side of the figure and the
distance from the Kingdome increases to the right. The maximum distance of
our recorders from the Kingdome was about 7 miles (12 kilometers).
Starting at about trace 40 out to trace 150, three distinctive arrivals can
be observed at about 20 seconds. The three distinct, but parallel, bands
of arrivals indicate that at least 3 different parts of the Kingdome fell
to the ground over a 10 second interval. See:
Seismic Record from Kingdome Implosion recorded at station near the Kingdome
SP1: This plot shows recordings of the seismic waves that were created by
our own shot using 150-lbs of buried explosives at Lincoln Park at 3:44 AM
on the morning of the Kingdome Implosion. The traces are ordered so that
distance from the shotpoint at Lincoln Park increases to the right with
trace number. The shot was detonated at time = 1 second on this plot. The
seismic waves can be traced out to about trace 50 and a time of about 6
seconds. See:
Seismic Record from Shotpoint1
SP2: This plot shows recordings of the seismic waves that were created by
our own shot using 150-lbs of buried explosives at Seward Park at 3:46 AM
on the morning of the Kingdome Implosion. The traces are ordered so that
distance from the shotpoint at Seward Park increases to the right with
trace number. The shot was detonated at time = 0 seconds on this plot.
The seismic waves can not be easily traced beyond trace 25 on this plot. See:
Seismic Record from Shotpoint2
SP4: This plot shows recordings of the seismic waves that were created by
our own shot using 150-lbs of buried explosives at Discovery Park at 3:50
AM on the morning of the Kingdome Implosion. The traces are ordered so
that distance from the shotpoint at Discovery Park increases to the right
with trace number. The shot was detonated at time = 0 seconds on this
plot. This shot produced the best quality data and useful signals were
produced out to the farthest recorders near trace 150. See:
Seismic Record from Shotpoint4
Here are some images of preparations for the experiment, taken at the
command center at the NOAA facility at Sand Point in Seattle.
Most of the people shown are affiliated with the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS), and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
Tom Pratt (USGS) working on a map showing instrument sites
Tom Brocher (USGS) and Willie Zamora (Passcal) examining earlier SHIPS results
Brocher and Zamora working at the Texan center
Texans setup for depolyment in their cases
Tom Burdette (USGS), Steve Harder, Galen Kaip (both UTEP), and Brocher in conversation
Shooters (shot detonators): Harder, Dave Reneau (USGS), Burdette, Donna and Ed Criley (USGS)
Elizabeth Barnett (USGS) checking the electronic clock on a Reftek in a backyard on 3/26
Tom Brocher talking with TV reporter Glenn Farley (KING5 News)
Close-up of Steve Azevedo (Passcal) at Reftek center
Geoff Clitheroe (USGS), Lynn Hultgrien (volunteer), and Bob Norris (USGS) packing Reftek gear
Once again, we greatly appreciated your help!
Go to the USGS SHIPS web page.
Return to the University of
Washington Geophysics Program home page.
Return to the USGS Seattle Field office
home page.
USGS Reducing Earthquake Losses in the Pacific Northwest.
