Coseismic responses and the mechanism behind MW 5.1 earthquake of March 14, 2005 in the Koyna–Warna region, India

An earthquake of M_w 5.1 occurred on March 14, 2005, in the seismically active Koyna–Warna region in western India, the site known for the largest reservoir triggered seismicity (RTS) in the world. For more than four decades, earthquakes with M  4.0 have occurred in this region at regular intervals. Impoundment of reservoirs and changes in lake levels can trigger earthquakes by two processes of stress modifications, namely direct loading effect of the reservoir and diffusion through various faults and fractures. In this paper we analysed the reservoir water level data at Koyna and Warna reservoirs prior to the occurrence of the March 14, 2005 earthquake, to explain the dominant mechanism behind its occurrence and its correlation with the observed coseismic changes. We conclude that the diffusion process, not the reservoir load effect, is the dominating mechanism triggering earthquakes in the region. The coseismic changes in deep well water levels sensitive to earth tides are found to be to the order of 1–12 cm.     

Great earthquakes of variable magnitude at the Cascadia subduction zone

Comparison of histories of great earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis at eight coastal sites suggests plate-boundary ruptures of varying length, implying great earthquakes of variable magnitude at the Cascadia subduction zone. Inference of rupture length relies on degree of overlap on radiocarbon age ranges for earthquakes and tsunamis, and relative amounts of coseismic subsidence and heights of tsunamis. Written records of a tsunami in Japan provide the most conclusive evidence for rupture of much of the plate boundary during the earthquake of 26 January 1700. Cascadia stratigraphic evidence dating from about 1600 cal yr B.P., similar to that for the 1700 earthquake, implies a similarly long rupture with substantial subsidence and a high tsunami. Correlations are consistent with other long ruptures about 1350 cal yr B.P., 2500 cal yr B.P., 3400 cal yr B.P., 3800 cal yr B.P., 4400 cal yr B.P., and 4900 cal yr B.P. A rupture about 700-1100 cal yr B.P. was limited to the northern and central parts of the subduction zone, and a northern rupture about 2900 cal yr B.P. may have been similarly limited. Times of probable short ruptures in southern Cascadia include about 1100 cal yr B.P., 1700 cal yr B.P., 3200 cal yr B.P., 4200 cal yr B.P., 4600 cal yr B.P., and 4700 cal yr B.P. Rupture patterns suggest that the plate boundary in northern Cascadia usually breaks in long ruptures during the greatest earthquakes. Ruptures in southernmost Cascadia vary in length and recurrence intervals more than ruptures in northern Cascadia.     

Some considerations concerning seismic geomorphology and paleoseismology

Seismic geomorphology studies landforms which developed in connection with earthquakes. Among them, two different end members may be distinguished: 1) seismo-tectonic landforms, including surface faults and fractures, land uplift and subsidence at different scales, surface bulges, elongate ridges, and any other permanent ground deformations directly related to tectonic stress, and 2) seismo-gravitational landforms, such as landslides, deep-seated gravitational slope deformations, sinkholes, and fissures due to sediment compaction or liquefaction and sand blows, connected with both seismic shaking and gravitational stress.A clear-cut distinction between the two categories of landforms is not always easy to make (and in many instances not really useful), while there are, in many cases, ground effects that might be (and should be) considered as simultaneous combinations of seismo-tectonic and seismo-gravitational processes. This applies especially to surface fracturing and faulting which could be the combined result of tectonic stress, stress produced by seismic shaking, and gravitational stress.The objective of this paper is to review selected case histories mainly from Italy and the Mediterranean region, in order to show the importance of a comprehensive study of earthquake-generated landforms for understanding the seismicity level of the area under investigation. We argue that in earthquake prone areas, seismic landforms often constitute typical patterns (seismic landscapes) whose recognition, mapping and paleoseismological analysis may help in the evaluation of seismic hazards.     

印尼苏门答腊8.7级大震对中国陆区的影响

发生在2004年12月26日的印尼苏门答腊8．7级地震，是全球有地震台网以来100多年中记录到的少数几次特大地震之一。初步汇集了在中国陆区观测到的地震活动、地壳形变、地下流体等多学科震时和震后效应的异常变化，包括地震活动性（特别是云南地区）的显著增强；地壳形变观测，尤其是钻孔应变观测记录到地壳应力-应变的震时和震后显著变化，以及地下水温度、化学成分、特别是水位的突出变化。同时，还从库仑破裂应力触发、动态应力触发以及下地壳和上地幔流动变形机制等方面，对这些大震效应作了一些成因机理讨论。     

2011年日本MW9.0地震对沂沭断裂带及其两侧地区地壳运动的同震影响研究

2011年日本M_W9.0地震（简称日本地震）后沂沭断裂带及其两侧地区地震活动显著增强,研究日本地震对该地区地壳运动及地震潜势的影响十分必要.为此,本文通过112个连续GPS观测站获取了研究区高空间分辨率的日本地震同震形变场并得到如下认识：（1）8个定点地球物理观测的同震响应验证了本文同震形变场的可靠性;日本地震的东向拉张使研究区整体上处于张性同震应变状态,但存在局部挤压区域,其中莱州湾至海州湾的挤压条带穿过沂沭断裂带并对断裂带南北两段产生了不同的同震作用,对南段具有拉张作用,对北段产生挤压作用;（2）同震形变场在鲁东隆起和鲁西断块产生了显著的剪应变,地震b值显示上述区域的构造应力在日本地震后增强,因此同震形变场可能改变了这些区域的应力特征;（3）地震矩张量叠加分析显示,同震形变场短期内对鲁西断块、鲁东隆起区和沂沭断裂带南段累积了地震矩,可能有助于上述区域在日本地震以后的地震活动增强;日本地震对沂沭断裂带北段的地震矩具有释放作用,或许是该区域地震活动减弱的原因.     

根据2001年Mw 78可可西里强震InSAR同震测量结果反演东昆仑断裂两侧地壳弹性介质差异

利用2001年 Mw 78 可可西里强震InSAR同震测量结果，反演了青藏高原北部东昆仑断裂两侧地壳弹性介质差异.InSAR测量结果显示断层南侧的同震位移比北侧的大20％～30%.根据人工地震反射剖面建立岩石圈模型，以断层两侧杨氏模量差异和震源破裂深度为反演变量，通过有限元方法模拟实测得到的同震位移剖面.反演得到最佳断层破裂深度为20～22km，断层南侧杨氏模量相对北侧比值为81%～92%.结果表明，断层两侧弹性介质性质存在明显差异，由于构造运动作用，断层南部地壳不及北部地壳坚硬.前人利用地震层析成像和大地电磁测深等手段推断青藏高原内昆仑山断裂以南可可西里－羌塘地块地壳内广泛发育低速高导层，我们通过形变场力学分析得到与此相一致的结果.     

Rapid report of the 8 January 2022 ​MS 6.9 Menyuan earthquake,Qinghai, China

The M_S 6.9 Menyuan earthquake in Qinghai Province, west China is the largest earthquake by far in 2022. The earthquake occurs in a tectonically active region, with a background b-value of 0.87 within 100 ?km of the epicenter that we derived from the unified catalog produced by China Earthquake Networks Center since late 2008. Field surveys have revealed surface ruptures extending 22 ?km along strike, with a maximum ground displacement of 2.1 ?m. We construct a finite fault model with constraints from InSAR observations, which showed multiple fault segments during the Menyuan earthquake. The major slip asperity is confined within 10 ?km at depth, with the maximum slip of 3.5 ?m. Near real-time back-projection results of coseismic radiation indicate a northwest propagating rupture that lasted for ～10 ?s. Intensity estimates from the back-projection results show up to a Mercalli scale of IX near the ruptured area, consistent with instrumental measurements and the observations from the field surveys. Aftershock locations (up to January 21, 2022) exhibit two segments, extending to ～20 ?km in depth. The largest one reaches M_S 5.3, locating near the eastern end of the aftershock zone. Although the location and the approximate magnitude of the mainshock had been indicated by previous studies based on paleoearthquake records and seismic gap, as well as estimated stressing rate on faults, significant surface-breaching rupture leads to severe damage of the high-speed railway system, which poses a challenge in accurately assessing earthquake hazards and risks, and thus demands further investigations of the rupture behaviors for crustal earthquakes.     

强震孕育、发生及其复发循环过程的有限单元法模拟

强震孕育发生及其复发过程的定量研究对于预测预报地震有着重要的科学意义;合理连续地计算地震孕育、同震破裂过程及其复发循环特征将有助于我们更好地认识强震发生的时空分布规律.为此,本文基于Newmark隐式时间积分法,根据模拟孕震-同震循环过程的特殊要求,发展了一种新的有限单元计算方法.新方法具有以下特点:(1)在不改变时间积分方法的情况下,实现对时间步长进行自动平滑地缩放,进而可以连续的模拟准静态、动态不同力学状态下的孕震-同震循环过程;(2)模型的初始应力场非人为指定,计算时通过施加重力及缓慢的构造加载获得;(3)地震破裂的成核区域及成核方式等亦非人为给定,模拟中破裂成核是自然形成的,这样更加符合实际地震地质情况.通过大量的模型计算,其结果表明,新的计算方法可以连续稳定的模拟断层孕震-同震及其循环过程,计算结果不仅可以给出强震的复发间隔,同时还可以给出地震时断层破裂行为的详细过程.此外,本文还考察了摩擦系数对地震准周期性的影响,发现断层上的静、动摩擦系数差值直接影响着断层的强震复发周期,两者差值越小,复发周期越短;差值越大,复发间隔越长.     

青海门源MS6.9地震震前OLR异常与InSAR同震形变关联性分析

对比分析利用涡度距平法提出的2022年1月8日青海门源 M_S6.9 地震震前射出长波辐射(OLR)短期异常分布和震后InSAR技术提取的门源地震同震形变空间分布,结果显示,震前红外辐射增强区与InSAR同震破裂形变区的空间位置基本吻合,扩展形式基本相似(同震破裂形变区分布在红外辐射异常区内部)。在震前的全国范围OLR空间分布上,仅青海德令哈—西宁—甘肃武威一带出现了呈“哑铃”状近WE向展布的OLR热辐射增强区,空间可辨识度高,OLR异常时空演化过程遵循了岩石应力加载破裂过程中的热异常规律,显示热异常变化与应力变化存在关联; InSAR技术提取的同震形变同样位于肃南—祁连断裂(俄堡段)、托莱山断裂和冷龙岭断裂的交汇区。InSAR同震形变结果揭示了地表形变以水平方向为主,断层运动具有典型的走滑变形特征。InSAR同震形变结果为红外遥感反映地震形变提供可检验的地质实体监测证据,验证了门源地震前辐射增强异常是地震构造地应力强度变化的遥感物理参量反映。     

2022年9月5日四川泸定MS6.8地震引起的水温同震响应特征分析

基于全国地下流体观测网的水温观测数据,分析2022年9月5日四川泸定 M_S6.8 地震引起的水温同震响应特征,并结合同震静态应变场探讨了水温同震响应机理。结果表明,泸定 M_S6.8 地震水温同震观测点主要分布在龙门山断裂带和川滇菱形块体中南部; 震中距Δ≤500km范围内水温同震以下降—恢复型和上升型为主,水温同震项数及测项比随震中距的增加逐渐减少; 水温同震响应幅度与震中距和地震能量密度显著相关,且随震中距的增加呈指数衰减,随地震能量密度的增加呈指数增大; 水温同震响应持续时间主要集中在1天以内,持续时间随震中距的增加呈指数衰减。