An evaluation of the seismicity of the Nevada Test Site and vicinity; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

Two USGS catalogs of earthquakes in the Southern Great Basin were edited to remove man-made seisms. Editing reduced 11,988 entries to 8,161. Known location of underground nuclear explosions provided an opportunity to assess location accuracy showing that accuracy differed according to the source of earthquake data. No evidence was found of explosions triggering earthquakes distant from the working points. Relationships are developed between earthquake magnitude and explosion yield for explosions at Pahute Mesa and Yucca Flat. Comparison of the number of underground nuclear explosions with the number of earthquakes of comparable magnitude shows the former exceeds the latter when magnitude is greater than four. Edited catalogs are recommended for hazard analysis relative to repository siting because unedited catalogs tend to greatly exaggerate seismicity of the region