Prediction of the occurrence of Related Strong Earthquakes in Italy

In the seismic flow it is often observed that a Strong Earthquake (SE), is followed by Related Strong Earthquakes (RSEs), which occur near the epicenter of the SE with origin time rather close to the origin time of the SE. The algorithm for the prediction of the occurrence of a RSE has been developed and applied for the first time to the seismicity data of the California-Nevada region and has been successfully tested in several regions of the world, the statistical significance of the result being 97%. To date it has been possible to make five successful forward predictions, with no false alarms or failures to predict.The algorithm is applied here to the Italian territory, where the occurrence of RSEs is a particularly rare phenomenon. Our results show that the standard algorithm is successfully directly applicable without adjustment of the parameters. Eleven SEs are considered. Of them, three are followed by a RSE, as predicted by the algorithm, eight SEs are not followed by a RSE, and the algorithm predicts this behaviour for seven of them, giving rise to only one false alarm. Since, in Italy, often the series of strong earthquakes is relatively short, the algorithm has been extended to handle such a situation. The result of this experiment indicates that it is possible to attempt to test a SE, for the occurrence of a RSE, soon after the occurrence of the SE itself, performing timely preliminary recognition on reduced data sets. This fact, the high confidence level of the retrospective analysis, and the first successful forward predictions, made in different parts of the World, indicates that, even if additional tests are desirable, the algorithm can already be considered for routine application to Civil Defence.     

A quantitative study of the energy release in the aftershocks of the Bhuj earthquake, 2001, India, using Lg phase

The devastating earthquake on 26 January 2001 at Bhuj, India, resulted in large-scale death and destruction of properties of several million US dollars. The moment magnitude of the earthquake was 7.7 and its maximum focal intensity exceeded X in MM scale. The rate of aftershocks of this earthquake, recorded at Gauribidanur seismic array station (GBA), shows a monotonic decay with time superposed with oscillations. For the Indian continent the Lg phase is a prominent arrival at regional distances. The estimate of Lg amplitude is obtained by optimally fitting the Lg wave train to a exponential decay curve. The logarithm of these amplitudes and logarithm of root mean square (rms) value of actual amplitudes of the Lg are calibrated with USGS m_b to create a local m_bLg magnitude scale. The energy released from these aftershocks is calculated from the rms value of Lg phase. The plot of cumulative energy release with time follows the power law of the form t^p, superposed with oscillations. The exponent of the power law, p, is estimated both by a time-window scanning method and by an interpolation method. The value of p is 0.434 for time-window scanning method and 0.432 for the interpolation method. The predominant periods found in the oscillatory part of the cumulative energy, obtained by differencing the observed from the power law fit, are 10.6, 7.9, 5.4, 4.6 and 3.5 h for time-window scanning method. The corresponding periods for interpolation method are 13.4, 11.5, 7.4, 4.2, 3.5, 2.6 and 2.4 h.     

An insight into crack density,saturation rate,and porosity model of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in the stable continental region of western India

The 2001 Bhuj earthquake (Mw 7.6) source zone is examined in the light of crack density (ε), saturation rate (ξ) and porosity parameter (ψ) using new data set derived from a large aftershock sequence recorded by the Gujarat seismic network (GSNet) during November, 2006–December, 2009. Processes of rupture initiations of the mainshock and its aftershock sequence are better understood by synthesizing the dynamic snapshots of the source zone using the new dataset. Pattern of crustal heterogeneities associated with high-ε, high-ξ and high-ψ anomalies at depths varying from 20 km to 25 km is similar to those of earlier study by Mishra and Zhao (2003). The anomalous zone is found extended distinctly by 50–60 km in the lateral direction, indicating the reinforcement of cracks and fractured volume of rock matrix due to long aftershock sequence since 2001 Bhuj earthquake in the source area. It is inferred that the presence of a fluid-filled fractured rock matrix with super saturation may have affected the structural and seismogenic strengths of the source zone and is still contributing significantly to the geneses of earthquakes in and around the source zone. Anomalous pattern of high-ε with wider distribution of high-ξ indicates the existence of micro-cracks in the lower crust, while high-ψ suggests the cementation of cracks through permeation of residual magma/metamorphic fluids into the hypocenter zone. The results suggest that the existence of residual fluids in the fractured rock matrix in the mid to lower crust might have played a key role in triggering the 2001 mainshock and is still responsible for its continued long aftershock sequences.     

2017年四川九寨沟MS7.0强震的余震重定位及主震震源机制反演

本文采用双差定位法对2017年8月8日至10月31日期间四川九寨沟M_S7.0主震及5200个余震序列进行相对定位,得到4036个重定位地震事件.采用中国区域地震台网观测到的宽频带垂直分向波形数据和W震相反演方法,得到了主震震源机制解.重定位结果显示,余震序列分别沿NNW和SSE两个方向扩展,展布长度约58 km,且这些余震主要集中在22 km深度之上.余震分布的另一个重要特点是具有分区特性,即在主震NNW方向约5 km处存在明显的西北和东南两区余震活动分界线;西北区的余震由深至浅具有较好连续性,而东南区却在约10 km深度处存在不连续性.余震分布的这种分区特征,说明九寨沟地震震源区的地壳结构存在强烈的不均匀性.余震分布与主震破裂特征的一致性,证实了我们定位结果的可靠性.主震的震源机制解展示出节面Ⅰ的走向/倾角/滑动角分别为246°/83.7°/-177°,而节面Ⅱ的走向/倾角/滑动角为155.7°/87.1°/-6.3°,最佳质心深度为15.5 km,矩震级M_W为6.5.根据余震分布较为垂直和主震震源机制解两节面的倾角均在80°以上,并结合野外地质调查结果,推测此次九寨沟地震为与节面Ⅱ参数相近的一次高角度的左旋走滑型事件.     

2014年2月12日新疆于田MW7.0地震源区静态库仑应力变化和地震活动率

2014年2月12日新疆于田M_W7.0地震源区位于巴颜喀拉块体与西昆仑块体的连接部位,东西向拉张构造发育,距离2008年3月21日于田M_W7.1地震震中位置约100 km.根据有限断层地震破裂过程模型,计算了2008年新疆于田地震产生的静态库仑应力变化.此次地震的断层面呈北偏东方向,在断层两端出现3个应力加载区,2014年于田主震位于破裂前端的库仑应力加载区.这一结果表明,2008年于田地震可能对2014年地震事件起到了触发作用.2008和2014年新疆于田地震产生的静态库仑应力变化与余震事件的空间分布具有明显的相关性,大多数余震位于应力加载区,发生在卸载区的余震较少.静态库仑应力变化与余震序列吻合较好.2014年3月21日新疆于田地震之后40天,在北西方向发生M_W5.2强余震,其震中位置的应力增量达到0.63×10⁵Pa.通过比较,发现静态库仑应力变化和地震活动率之间具有较好的相关性.地震活动率较高的区域与静态库仑应力加载区相对应,如康西瓦断裂东段、贡嘎错断裂中段和东北段等区域.     

Effect of seismic sequences in reinforced concrete frame buildings located in soft-soil sites

On September 19 and 20, 1985, two strong subduction interface earthquakes struck Mexico City leading to a large stock of damaged, or even collapsed, reinforced concrete (RC) building structures located in soft soil sites of the former lake-bed zone. The aim of this study is to gain further understanding on the effects of soft-soil seismic sequences on the seismic response of RC framed-buildings. This investigation employed artificial sequences since only two real sequences were gathered during the 1985 earthquakes. The nonlinear response, in terms of peak and residual lateral inter-story drift demands of four RC buildings having 4, 8, 12, and 16 stories, was evaluated. Results show that the relationship of the damaged period of the building (i.e. period of the building after the mainshock) to the predominant period of the aftershock, which is a measure of its frequency content, has a significant impact in the building response.     

基于应力变化的余震预测研究综述

本文综述了近期基于应力变化的余震预测研究进展。从静态库仑应力触发角度对余震活动进行研究主要有两方面内容:一是集中于对主震触发余震机制的讨论;二是通过库仑应力变化分布区域与实际余震空间分布区域进行定性对比分析,并认为库仑应力变化为正的区域有利于余震的发生,而这正是余震活动与应力变化高度相关的重要证据。基于应力变化的余震预测研究的一项重要内容是建立在速率-状态依从摩擦定律基础之上的余震活动率研究,即将余震活动作为一系列独立的成核事件,从断层滑动触发地震的角度出发,结合静态库仑应力计算得到余震活动率,进而得到余震数量。余震活动是与断层面上的剪切应力变化相关联的,余震活动率受应力扰动幅度、应力加载速率、断层基本物理特性及背景地震活动率等的影响。考虑到“余震激发余震”的特点,ETAS 模型与静态库仑应力变化相结合的研究方法提供了一条统计学与物理学方法(应力变化)相结合、能更完整地刻画余震活动特征的可能途径。     

四川芦山7.0级强震及其余震序列重定位

本研究采用双差定位法对2013年4月20日发生在龙门山断裂带上的四川芦山7.0级强震及主震后48小时内504次余震序列进行重新定位,最终得到328个精定位地震事件.结果表明,余震在水平方向上主要沿龙门山断裂带的山前断裂西南段的大川-双石断裂发生,扩展模式以西南向为主(约23 km)兼有弱东北向(约12 km),并非简单的单侧扩展.在深度方向上,余震主要以铲状结构分布在18～22 km之间.通过拟合精定位后的小震空间分布特征,显示本次地震断层面倾角在15～25 km深度范围内由主震处约44°逐渐向西南向扩展增大至约73°,可能表明断层往西南破裂过程中走滑分量逐渐增强,与2008年汶川地震引起中央断裂倾角由西南向东北变化相类似.     

2008年汶川Ms8.0地震前龙门山—岷山构造带的地震活动性参数与地震视应力分布

本文利用网川区域台网最近30多年的地震资料,计算了2008年四川汶川MS8.0地震前沿龙门山—岷山构造带的多个地震活动性参数(包括震级-频度关系中的a、6与a/6值,复发间隔丁r值),同时,计算了震前2年多的时间内ML≥3.5地震的视应力.在此基础上分析了地震活动性参数值和地震视应力的空间分布与汶川主震破裂范围、MS≥...     

The Chi-Chi 1999 earthquake: Correlation between the spatio-temporal distribution of aftershocks and viscoelastic stress changes

The Chi-Chi 1999 (M_L = 7.3) earthquake generated a large number of aftershocks in the vicinity of the rupture plane. The spatial-temporal distribution of these aftershocks was recorded with high precision and thus provided a unique possibility to study whether the correlation between aftershocks and stress changes are primary due to coseismically induced stress changes (static), or whether stress relaxation processes (viscoelastic) in the lower crust contribute significantly to this correlation. From our analysis of a 3D finite element model simulating the viscoelastic stress changes due to the coseismic displacement and tectonic loading we found that the aftershocks are highly correlated with the stress variations (static and viscoelastic) caused by the main shock. Although we found that the correlation between seismicity rate changes and viscoelastic stress fluctuation is slightly better than that of the static stress changes, these differences can only be identified well in the lower crust. As a result, it is reasonable to conclude that static stress changes are the key mechanism for triggering early and shallow aftershocks in the upper crust. It is reasonable to infer that the viscoelastic relaxation in the lower crust does affect the occurrence of early aftershocks in the deep crust, but it does not significantly affect the shallow aftershocks. However, the stress changes induced from the lower crust gradually transfer to the upper crust and may influence the occurrence of aftershocks after a longer time period (>four Maxwell times).