Rupture process of November 6, 1988, Lancang-Gengma, Yunnan, China, earthquake of M s=7.6 using empirical Green’s function deconvolution method

The empirical Green’s function deconvolution technique is applied to the November 6, 1998,M _s=7.6, Yunnan, China earthquake to study the rupture process of this event. An aftershock ofM _s=6.3 is taken as the empirical Green’s function. Recordings of these two events at six stations of China Digital Seismographic Network (CDSN) are employed. Deconvolution results show that this event is a relatively simple event. Directivity analysis indicates that the rupture was initiated at hypocenter and propagated bilaterally and early symmetrically towards the northwest and southeast directions with a total length of 70 km and a time duration of 19 s. The rupture velocity is estimated to be about 2.0 km/s. Contribution No. 98A01004, Institute of Geophysics, State Seismological Bureau, China. This study is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation(95-07-411).     

Investigation of rupture process of the 1999 M =5.4 Xiuyan, Liaoning, earthquake sequence

Conclusions The sequence of the November 29, 1999 Xiuyan, Liaoning, earthquake withM _S=5.4 is relocated, and its rupture process is analyzed. Results are as follows: The rupture extended mainly before the January 12, 2000,M _S=5.1 earthquake. There are two phases of rupture extending: The first phase was before the November 29, 1999,M _S=5.4 earthquake, epicenters were situated within a small region with a dimension of about 5 km, and the focal depth increased. It shows that the rupture mainly extended from shallow part to deep in the vertical direction. The second phase was between theM _S=5.4 earthquake and theM _S=5.1 earthquake, earthquakes migrated along southeast, the focal depth decreased. It indicates that the rupture extended along southeast and from deep to shallow part. Foundation item: The Project of “Mechanism and Prediction of the Strong Continental Earthquake” (95-13-05-04). Contribution No. 01FE2017, Institute of Geophysics, China Seismological Bureau.     

Gravity variation before Kunlun mountain pass western Ms=8.1 earthquake

The relation between the gravity variation features and Ms=8.1 earthquake in Qinghai-Xizang monitoring area is analyzed preliminarily,by using spatial dynamic variation results of regional gravity field from absolute gravity and relative gravity observation in 1998 and 2000.The results show that:1)Ms\8.1 earthquake in Kulun mountain pass westem occurred in the gravity variation high gradient near gravity‘s high negative variation;2)The Main tectonic deformation and emnergy accumulation before MS=8.1 earthquake are distributed at south side of the epicenter;3)The range of gravity‘s high negative variation at east of the MS=8.1 earthquake epicenter relatively coincides with that rupture region according to field geology investigation;4)Gravity variation distribution in high negative value region is just consistent with the second shear strain‘s high value region of strain field obtained from GPS observation.     

Ground motion attenuation relation for small to moderate earthquakes in Fujian region, China

We collect 1974 broad-band velocity records of 94 earthquakes (ML=2.8~4.9, △=13~462 km) from seven stations of the Fujian Seismic Network from March 1999 to March 2007. Using real-time simulation, we obtain the corresponding acceleration and then adopt different models to analyze the seismic data. As a result, a new attenuation relationship between PGA and PGV of the small and moderate earthquakes on bedrock site in Fujian region is established. The Yongchun earthquake occurred recently verifies the attenuation relationship well. This paper provides a new approach for studying the ground motion attenuation relationship using velocity records.     

The November 14, 2001 west of Kunlun Mountain Pass earthquake: An earthquake with unsaturated surface wave magnitude

Introduction According to the Rapid Earthquake Information Release of CNDSN (Department of Earth- quake Monitoring and Prediction, China Earthquake Administration, 2002), an earthquake with surface wave magnitude MS=8.1 shook west of Kunlun Mountain Pass (KMP) at the juncture of Xinjiang, Qinghai and Xizang on November 14, 2001. This is the largest and the only MS>8.0 earthquake in Chinese mainland over 50 years since the August 15, 1950 MS=8.6 (MW=8.6) Chayuearthquake in Tibeta…     

Study on a gravity precursor mode of the Ms=7.0 Lijiang earthquake

To study the seismogeny process or the precursory behavior of the 1976Ms=7.0 Lijiang earthquake,we analyze the repeat gravity data with high precision from the Westem Yunnan Earthquake Prediction Experiment Area(WYEPEA)and the relted results of geology and geophysics survey in this paper.Considering the gross errors caused by observation data and model difference,we have firstly inverted the slip distribution of the main active faults with time based on the robust Bayesian least squares estimation and multi-fault dislocation model.The re-sults show that the slip changes of the faults with time from 1990to 1997obviously reflect the preparation process of the Lijiang earthquake.The images of main precursor mode have the characteristic of main shock-after shock type,which is agreement to the model of coupling movement tetween crust density and crust deformation(DD mode of coupling movement).     

Fracture characteristics of the 1997 Jiashi, Xinjiang, China, earthquake swarm inferred from source spectra

Broadband P and S waves source spectra of 12 MS5.0 earthquakes of the 1997 Jiashi, Xinjiang, China, earthquake swarm recorded at 13 GDSN stations have been analyzed. Rupture size and static stress drop of these earthquakes have been estimated through measuring the corner frequency of the source spectra. Direction of rupture propagation of the earthquake faulting has also been inferred from the azimuthal variation of the corner frequency. The main results are as follows: ①The rupture size of MS6.0 strong earthquakes is in the range of 10～20 km, while that of MS=5.0～5.5 earthquakes is 6～10 km.② The static stress drop of the swarm earthquakes is rather low, being of the order of 0.1 MPa. This implies that the deformation release rate in the source region may be low. ③ Stress drop of the earthquakes appears to be proportional to their seismic moment, and also to be dependent on their focal mechanism. The stress drop of normal faulting earthquakes is usually lower than that of strike-slip type earthquakes. ④ For each MS6.0 earthquake there exists an apparent azimuthal variation of the corner frequencies. Azimuthally variation pattern of corner frequencies of different earthquakes shows that the source rupture pattern of the Jiashi earthquake swarm is complex and no uniform rupture expanding direction exists.     

On the relation of moderate-short term anomaly of earth resistivity to earthquake

IntroductionMany anomalies due to earthquake have been recorded in observation of earth-resistivity for30 years and over, which showed that there objectively existed the anomalies of each-resistivity.The crustal strUcture and medium conditions are quite complex, so the complexity of the temporal,spatial and intensive development of the anomalies is inevitable. Both of time and amplitUde ofanomalies among some stations near an epicenter are different (even among different observational directi…     

Variations of the geomagnetic field and the geomagnetic effects of three earthquakes ( M s>5.0) in Jiangsu Province, China

Since 1979 the repeated observations and experiments of geomagnetic total intensity and vertical component have been carried out for ten years in the geomagetic network which is located in Jiangsu Province, China. Three earthquakes aboveM _s 5.0 occurred during the decade, and some seismomagnetic effects were observed. The observation results show that the anomalies of the vertical geomagnetic component can’t be observed untill some months before the earthquake (M _s>5.0) in this area. In this paper it is suggested that a densely distributed network for continuous observation of geomagnetic vertical component may catch seismomagnetic anomalies and thus improve earthquake prediction in the light of the geomagnetic measurements of the mid — or — low latitude locations. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 80–87, 1991. This study is sponsored by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation.     

Earthquake probabilities and magnitude distribution ( M ≥6.7) along the Haiyuan fault, northwestern China

In recent years, some researchers have studied the paleoearthquake along the Haiyuan fault and revealed a lot of paleoearthquake events. All available information allows more reliable analysis of earthquake recurrence interval and earthquake rupture patterns along the Haiyuan fault. Based on this paleoseismological information, the recurrence probability and magnitude distribution for M≥6.7 earthquakes in future 100 years along the Haiyuan fault can be obtained through weighted computation by using Poisson and Brownian passage time models and considering different rupture patterns. The result shows that the recurrence probability of M _S≥6.7 earthquakes is about 0.035 in future 100 years along the Haiyuan fault. Foundation item: Joint Seismological Science Foundation of China (103034) and Major Research “Research on Assessment of Seismic Safety” from China Earthquake Administration during the tenth Five-year Plan.     

The middle-long term prediction of the February 3, 1996 Lijiang earthquake (MS=7) by the "criterion of activity in quiescence"

IntroductionIn the book Future CataS~ologr published in 1992, we proposed a viewpoiflt on using the"criterion of activity in quiescence" to predict big eathquake (MsZ7) (GUO, et al, 1992), and predicted in the book that in futore several years or in ten years a big earthquake (Ms27) will be possible to occur in the Zhongdian and nearby in Yunnan Province. In the 1994 nation-wide earthquake tendency consultation meeting we pointed out, once more, in the Zhongdian region of Yunnan Province…     

Response spectrum to strong aftershocks of the Lancang-Gengma earthquake

Near-field records of two strong aftershocks with magnitudeM _S=6.7 andM _S=6.3 in the Lancang-Gengma earthquakes sequence, Yunnan Province, November 1988, are used to calculate the response spectrum. The instruments, site conditions and the methods for computing are also illustrated in this paper. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 338–343, 1991. This project is supported by The Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation, SSB and the West Yunnan Earthquake Prediction Test Field, Yunnan Seismological Bureau.     

Characteristics of foreshock and its identi-fication

Introduction The characteristics of generalized foreshock and direct foreshock and their identification,as well as their application to medium and short-term prediction of strong earthquake is a major study objective in seismometry both in China and abroad.China has made many short-term and imminent earthquake predictions.Among the ones with clear hazard-mitigating effect and social manifestation,direct foreshock has made an obvious contribution,for example,the MS=7.2Menglian earthquake occu…     

Relocation of earthquakes in northeastern region of Qinghai-Xizang plateau and characteristics of earthquake activity

IntroductionThenortheasternregionofQinghai-Xizangplateauisthejunctionregionofthethreeblocks,ie.,Qinghai-Xizang,AIxaandordosblock.TianandDing(l998)studiedtheclockwisetypequasi-trijunctionaroundHaiyuan-YinchuaninnortheasternregionofQinghai-Xizangplateau.Thethreet6ctonicbranchesofthequasi4rjunctionareQiIianshanfaultzone,Yinchuan-Jedai-Linhe(YJL)fractureddepressionbasinandLiupanshanfaultzone.TheQilianshanfaultzoneshowssin-istraIandcompressionalmovement,themovementofYJLbasinisofdextraland…     

Moment tensor inversion of some aftershocks of the April 18, 1985 Luquan earthquake of Yunnan Province, China

Based on the three component accelerograms, recorded at near-field distance by a temporary seismic network consisting of digital cassette tape recording accelerographs, the focal mechanisms of three aftershocks of the April 18, 1985, Luquan, Yunnan Province, China, earthquake ofM _S=6.1, are calculated using seismic moment tensor inversion technique. The phases of direct P, S and converted SP waves in the displacement seismograms, produced by twice integrations of the observed accelerograms, are identified via forward calculation using Green’s functions for homogeneous semi-infinite elastic medium, and used in the inversion. The results of inversion show that a better fit of synthetic to the observed seismograms of direct as well as converted phases can be achieved if appropriate weighting functions are used in solving the over definite linear equations. While these aftershocks are of different magnitudes (M _L=4.8, 3.2 and 3.5, respectively) and hypocentral locations, their focal mechanisms are very similar and consistent with that of the main shock. This feature demonstrates the intrinsic correlation between the occurrence of aftershocks and the seismogenic fault of main shock. Our experimentations show that using the near field accelerogram obtained from the digital seismic network with appropriate azimuthal coverage on the focal sphere, with the aid of even simple medium model, not only the shear dislocation source, but also the isotropic part and CLVD (compensated linear vector dipole) can be retrieved by the technique of moment tensor inversion. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 412–419, 1991. This work is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Sciences Foundation and the Western Yunnan Earthquake Prediction Test Site (WYEPTS), State Seismological Bureau.     

Two-step interface and velocity inversion

This paper studies the computation method of two-step inversion of interface and velocity in a region. The 3-D interface is described by a segmented incomplete polynomial; while the reconstruction of 3-D velocity is accomplished by the principle of least squares in functional space. The computation is carried out in two steps. The first step is to inverse the shape of 3-D interface; while the second step is to do 3-D velocity inversion by distributing the remaining residual errors of travel time in accordance with their weights. The data of seismic sounding in the Tangshan-Luanxian seismic region are processed, from which the 3-D structural form in depth of the Tangshan seismic region and the 3-D velocity distribution in the crust below the Tangshan-Luanxian seismic region are obtained. The result shows that the deep 3-D structure in the Tangshan seismic region trends NE on the whole and the structure sandwiched between the NE-trending Fengtai-Yejituo fault and the NE-trending Tangshan fault is an uplifted zone of the Moho. In the 3-D velocity structure of middle-lower crust below that region, there is an obvious belt of low-velocity anomaly to exist along the NE-trending Tangshan fault, the position of which tallies with that of the Tangshan seismicity belt. The larger block of low-velocity anomaly near Shaheyi corresponds to a denser earthquake distribution. In that region, there is an NW-trending belt of high-velocity anomaly, probably a buried fault zone. The lower crust below the epicentral region of the Tangshan M _S=7.8 earthquake is a place where the NE-trending belt of low-velocity anomaly meets the NW-trending belt of high-velocity anomaly. The two sets of structures had played an important role in controlling the preparation and occurrence of the M _S=7.8 Tangshan earthquake. Contribution RCEG97006, Research Center of Exploration Geophysics, China Seismological Bureau, China. This project is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation.     

Rupture process of the M L=4.1 earthquake in Huailai Basin on July 20, 1995

On July 20, 1995, an earthquake of M _L=4.1 occurred in Huailai basin, northwest of Beijing, with epicenter coordinates 40.326°N, 115.448°E and focal depth 5.5 km. Following the main shock, seismicity sharply increased in the basin. This earthquake sequence was recorded by Sino-European Cooperative Huailai Digital Seismograph Network (HDSN) and the hypocentres were precisely located. About 2 hours after the occurrence of the main shock, a smaller event of M _L=2.0 took place at 40.323°N, 115.447°E with a focal depth of 5.0 km, which is very close to the main shock. Using the M _L=2.0 earthquake as an empirical Green’s function, a regularization method was applied to retrieve the far-field source-time function (STF) of the main shock. Considering the records of HDSN are the type of velocity, to depress high frequency noise, we removed instrument response from the records of the two events, then integrated them to get displacement seismogram before applying the regularization method. From the 5 field stations, P phases in vertical direction which mostly are about 0.5 s in length were used. The STFs obtained from each seismic phases are in good agreement, showing that the M _L=4.1 earthquake consisted of two events. STFs from each station demonstrate an obvious “seismic Doppler effect”. Assuming the nodal plane striking 37° and dipping 40°, determined by using P wave first motion data and aftershock distribution, is the fault plane, through a trial and error method, the following results were drawn: Both of the events lasted about 0.1 s, the rupture length of the first one is 0.5 km, longer than the second one which is 0.3 km, and the rupture velocity of the first event is 5.0 km/s, larger than that of the second one which is about 3.0 km/s; the second event took place 0.06 s later than the first one; on the fault plane, the first event ruptured in the direction γ=140° measured clockwise from the strike of the fault, while the second event ruptured at γ=80°, the initial point of the second one locates at γ=−100° and 0.52 km from the beginning point of the first one. Using far-field ground displacement spectrum measurement method, the following source parameters about the M _L=4.1 earthquake were also reached: the scalar earthquake moment is 3.3×10¹³ N·m, stress drop 4.6 MPa, rupture radius 0.16 km. Contribution No. 99FE2022, Institute of Geophysics, China Seismological Bureau. This study is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation (95-07-411).     

Time distribution characteristics of regional macroseismic activity in the Sichuan-Yunnan region and its significance to mid-long term prediction

IntroductionThe development and occurrence of macroseismic activity come from the specific structUreenvironment and stress condition. So the space-time distribUtion of strong quakes appears to bevery inhomogeneous. Earthquakes with Ms27.0 in a seismicity period presented often a speeding-up pattern with time in different seismic provinces. That is, the cumulative frequency of earthquakes with Ms27.0 increase with exponent N(t)=ae', in a seismicity period (ZHANG, FU, 1989).It means that t…     

Comparison between different earthquake magnitudes determined by China Seismograph Network

By linear regression and orthogonal regression methods, comparisons are made between different magnitudes (lo-cal magnitude ML, surface wave magnitudes MS and MS7, long-period body wave magnitude mB and short-period body wave magnitude mb) determined by Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration, on the basis of observation data collected by China Seismograph Network between 1983 and 2004. Empirical relations between different magnitudes have been obtained. The result shows that: 1 As different magnitude scales reflect radiated energy by seismic waves within different periods, earthquake magnitudes can be described more objectively by using different scales for earthquakes of different magnitudes. When the epicentral distance is less than 1 000 km, local magnitude ML can be a preferable scale; In case M<4.5, there is little difference between the magnitude scales; In case 4.5MS, i.e., MS underestimates magnitudes of such events, therefore, mB can be a better choice; In case M>6.0, MS>mB>mb, both mB and mb underestimate the magnitudes, so MS is a preferable scale for deter-mining magnitudes of such events (6.08.5, a saturation phenomenon appears in MS, which cannot give an accurate reflection of the magnitudes of such large events; 2 In China, when the epicentral distance is less than 1 000 km, there is almost no difference between ML and MS, and thus there is no need to convert be-tween the two magnitudes in practice; 3 Although MS and MS7 are both surface wave magnitudes, MS is in general greater than MS7 by 0.2~0.3 magnitude, because different instruments and calculation formulae are used; 4 mB is almost equal to mb for earthquakes around mB4.0, but mB is larger than mb for those of mB≥4.5, because the periods of seismic waves used for measuring mB and mb are different though the calculation formulae are the same.     

Multi-dipole observation system and study on the abnormal variation of the geoelectric field observed at Capital Circle area before the Wen’an MS5.1 earthquake

On July 4,2006,a MS5.1 earthquake occurred in Wen’an county of Hebei Province of which the epicenter is near the Beijing city.The six geoelectric field monitoring stations have been in operation for several years around the Beijing area to examine the relationship between electric field changes and earthquake.This paper firstly explains the principle of the eliminating noise method by using multi-dipole observation system of the geoelectric field.Then the data observed at the stations are studied and a lot of abnormal signals preceding the Wen’an earthquake are selected,of which five abnormal signals of the geoelectric field are finally recognized as the precursory signals.The result shows that 1 there probably exists the precursory signals of the geoelectric field preceding the Wen’an earthquake;2 there are sensitive sites in the spatial distribution of the abnormal variation of the geoelectric field before the quack;3 the anomalous signals do not appear synchronously,and their durations are not same at dif-ferent stations;4 the amplitudes of the abnormal signals recorded at Baodi station are small,but large at Changli station,while the latter is farther from the epicentral area than the former.