POISSON'S RATIO VARIATIONS OF CRUSTAL MEDIA BEFORE AND AFTER XINYUAN-HEJING MS6.6 EARTHQUAKE IN 2012

We analyzed the variation characteristics of Poisson's ratio in crustal media from January 2009 to December 2012 at 11 fixed seismic stations(for station SCH, it is from January 2006 to December 2012)within an epicenter distance of 200km of the Xinyuan-Hejing M_S6.6 earthquake in Xinjiang on June 30, 2012 using the methods of P wave receiver functions, H-κ stacking of receiver functions, and time sliding window, and obtained the following conclusions: (1)The crustal media's Poisson ratio of five stations in an epicenter distance less than 130km showed a significant and long-lasting decline about 2~3 years before Xinyuan-Hejing M_S6.6 earthquake. Taking the crustal Poisson ratio mean value as reference, the decrease ranges between 0.003 and 0.014, the decrease in 4 stations are more than twice the mean error. The variations of the Poisson's ratio in crust are characterized by "V" shape or "double V" shape. Earthquakes occur at the end of the formation of "V" shape. After the occurrence of earthquakes, the Poisson's ratio continues to rise. The earliest initial fall appeared in July 2009 at WUS station which has the minimum epicentral distance(77km). The Poisson ratio of the crustal media of 6 stations with epicentral distance more than 150km fluctuated up and down around the mean value, and there is no significant decline or persistent low value. (2)We analyzed the arrival-time variations of the quasi-repetitive receiver functions Ps converted wave(t_Ps)of the 3 stations WUS, SCH and XNY and found that the travel times of Ps converted waves became smaller in the crust before the earthquake and increased after the earthquake. (3)Through the comprehensive analysis on the descending process, decline ranges, variations process, duration of Poisson' ratio, the Ps converted waves arrival time variations, the original time of earthquake, and the number of stations, it is inferred that the cause for Poisson's ratio anomalous variations is the change of physical properties of crustal media in the process of earthquake preparation and occurrence. Since the variation characteristics of crustal media may be related to the earthquake magnitude, the size of seismogenic area, the medium properties under stations, and the focal distance, whether the medium variation characteristics exist before and after Xinyuan-Hejing M_S6.6 earthquake will need more earthquake cases analyses. (4)The H-κ stacking of receiver functions is used to calculate the velocity ratio. Because P-wave velocity is given, this method can only be applied when the Ps converted wave velocity of Moho surface of receiver functions changes before an earthquake. With the application of receiver functions to the analysis of more earthquake cases, we can gain more insights into the variation of crustal medium parameters during the seismogenic process. This observation indicates that the receiver function method may become a new approach to detect the Poisson's ratio change of the crustal media before strong earthquake under the condition of high seismic network density.