On the Relationship Between the Crustal Strain Rate and Seismicity:Detect the Source-Field Relation from the Crustal Strain Field

The relationship between the strain cumulative rate (i.e., the crustal strain rate, or CSR in short) and seismic activity is analyzed to develop a new method to determine risky regions for strong shocks within recent years by the recorded crustal strain field. Seismic activity, especially the recurrence period, is different in different areas. Ding Guoyu (1984) pointed out that, for different seismic regions, the difference in the recurrence period of strong earthquakes is mainly controlled by their difference in the rate of the tectonic movement, which is controlled by the seismogenic environment and the tectonic conditions. The method of determining the risky regions for strong shocks from the gradient of vertical strain rates observed in a geodetic survey is preliminarily tested with the earthquakes in recent years; the results show that this method is effective and useful for earthquake prediction. The relationship between CSR and seismicity in a specific region is studied with strain theories, observed CSR data, and the results from the computer models. New methods to obtain source features from fields with seismic source-field relation and the methods to determine risky regions for recent strong earthquakes with CSR field are developed by the authors. Effective methods and scientific techniques are provided in this paper.