Source parameters of the 2001 Mw 7.7 Bhuj earthquake,Gujarat, India,aftershock sequence

We present the estimated source parameters from SH-wave spectral modeling of selected 463 aftershocks (2002–06) of the 26 January 2001 Bhuj earthquake, the well-recorded largest continental intraplate earthquake. The estimated seismic moment (M_o), corner frequency (f_c), source radius (r) and stress drop (Δσ) for aftershocks of moment magnitude 1.7 to 5.6 range from 3.55×10¹¹ to 2.84×10¹⁷ N-m, 1.3 to 11.83 Hz, 107 to 1515 m and 0.13 to 26.7 MPa, respectively, while the errors in f_c and Δσ are found to be 1.1 Hz and 1.1 MPa, respectively. We also notice that the near surface attenuation factor (k) values vary from 0.02 to 0.03. Our estimates reveal that the stress drop values show more scatter (Mo^{0.5 to 1} is proportional to Δσ) toward the larger M_o values (≥10^14.5 N-m), while they show a more systematic nature (Mo³ is proportional to Δσ) for smaller M_o values (<10^14.5 N-m), which can be explained as a consequence of a nearly constant rupture radius for smaller aftershocks in the region. The large stress drops (= 10 MPa) associated with events on the north Wagad fault (at 15–30 km depth) and Gedi fault (at 3–15 km depth) can be attributed to the large stress developed at hypocentral depths as a result of high fluid pressure and the presence of mafic intrusive bodies beneath these two fault zones.     

Aspects on the origin of the precursory magnetic anomalies of the Mw 6.4 Aquila earthquake

An anomalous behaviour of the scaling exponent derived from the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) of the time series of low frequency variations of the horizontal and vertical magnetic field components has been recently reported as being observed 2 months prior to the Mw 6.3 earthquake on 6 April 2009, close to L’Aquila city, Italy. Here, we suggest a possible physical explanation of this effect based on the experience from similar measurements in Greece. In particular, for example, we compare these observations associated with Aquila earthquake with the ones of the Mw 6.6 earthquake on 13 May 1995 at Kozani-Grevena, Greece where both magnetic field variations and seismic electric signals (SES) were recorded. Almost 1 month before the latter earthquake, anomalous variations in both electric and magnetic field were detected, the time series of that were analysed by means of DFA and led to an exponent close to unity. Similarly, the calculated DFA exponent for the Aquila earthquake time series of the anomalous magnetic field variations 2 months before the main shock was also found close to unity. These results could imply that in the case of Aquila, according to the Maxwell’s laws, one should expect to observe simultaneously with the magnetic signal an associated SES activity, provided that an appropriate station to monitoring the earth’s electric field variations in the same area was available. Hence, it seems that similar underlying non-linear dynamic processes in mechanical and as well as electromagnetic sense, with features of criticality, dominated in both pre-focal areas.     

中国大陆科学钻探主孔流体地球化学异常与远强震的关系

2001年11月14日发生的昆仑山口西Ms8．1级地震和2004年12月26日发生的印度尼西亚苏门答腊Ms8．7级地震前后,中国大陆科学钻探（CCSD）主孔流体组成出现明显的异常。两次远强震前后的流体异常幅度很大,并具有相似的演化趋势。异常始于震前2—7天,He、N2／O2、He／Ar、N2／Ar为负异常,Ar／O2为正异常。远强震前后流体异常特征与CCSD附近小震前后流体异常特征具有明显的区别,表明昆仑山口西Ms8．1级地震前后和苏门答腊Ms8．7级地震前后的CCSD主孔流体异常可能与两次远强震相关。认为CCSD主孔中的He、N2、Ar是记录远强震的敏感载体,可能记录了震前长周期波传播至CCSD主孔时激发的流体变化,反映了震源区的应力变化,也可能反映了区域构造活动乃至地球深部构造活动产生的场兆、源兆信息。     

Compression along the northern Apennines? Evidence from the Mw 5.3 Monghidoro earthquake

In this paper, we present the seismological data recorded during the deployment of a dense three‐component seismic network installed a few hours after the 2003 Mw 5.3 Monghidoro earthquake, in northern Apennines. The main shock focal solutions derived from polarities distribution and body wave modelling of regional broadband data show a NE–SW striking reverse mechanism. Accurate relative locations of aftershocks and the inversion of focal mechanisms show that earthquakes occurred on a NW‐dipping backthrust within the Adria lithosphere under a NW‐trending horizontal compression. The observed compression is a secondary process possibly explained by differential motion within the Adriatic lithosphere. Fault geometry and kinematics is controlled by pre‐existing structures.     

Evidence for surface rupture associated with the Mw 6.3 L'Aquila earthquake sequence of April 2009 (central Italy)

An earthquake of Mw = 6.3 struck L'Aquila town (central Italy) on 6 April 2009 rupturing an ∼18-km-long SW-dipping normal fault. The aftershock area extended for a length of more than 35 km and included major aftershocks on 7 and 9 April and thousands of minor events. Surface faulting occurred along the SW-dipping Paganica fault with a continuous extent of ∼2.5 km. Ruptures consist of open cracks and vertical dislocations or warps (0.1m maximum throw) with an orientation of N130°–140°. Small triggered slip and shaking effects also took place along nearby synthetic and antithetic normal faults. The observed limited extent and small surface displacement of the Paganica ruptures with respect to the height of the fault scarps and vertical throws of palaeo-earthquakes along faults in the area put the faulting associated with the L'Aquila earthquake in perspective with respect to the maximum expected magnitude and the regional seismic hazard.     

Public cognition and response to earthquake disaster: from the 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan to the 2013 Mw6.6 Lushan earthquakes in Sichuan Province,China

Natural Hazards - China is one of the countries most affected by earthquakes. Improving public cognition and response to earthquake disaster (EDCR) is an effective means to reduce seismic risk and...     

The large aftershocks triggered by the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake,Japan

The Mw 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake that occurred off the Pacific coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, was followed by thousands of aftershocks, both near the plate interface and in the crust of inland eastern Japan. In this paper, we report on two large, shallow crustal earthquakes that occurred near the Ibaraki-Fukushima prefecture border, where the background seismicity was low prior to the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Using densely spaced geodetic observations (GPS and InSAR datasets), we found that two large aftershocks in the Iwaki and Kita-Ibarake regions (hereafter referred to as the Iwaki earthquake and the Kita-Ibarake earthquake) produced 2.1 m and 0.44 m of motion in the line-of-sight (LOS), respectively. The azimuth-offset method was used to obtain the preliminary location of the fault traces. The InSAR-based maximum offset and trace of the faults that produced the Iwaki earthquake are consistent with field observations. The fault location and geometry of these two earthquakes are constrained by a rectangular dislocation model in a multilayered elastic half-space, which indicates that the maximum slips for the two earthquakes are 3.28 m and 0.98 m, respectively. The Coulomb stress changes were calculated for the faults following the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake based on the modeled slip along the fault planes. The resulting Coulomb stress changes indicate that the stresses on the faults increased by up to 1.1 MPa and 0.7 MPa in the Iwaki and Kita-Ibarake regions, respectively, suggesting that the Tohoku-Oki earthquake triggered the two aftershocks, supporting the results of seismic tomography.     

Response of the Laprak,Nepal, landslide to the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake

Natural Hazards - Coseismic displacements estimated from comparison before-and-after satellite images suggest that the large and intermittently active landslide upon which the village of Laprak,...     

Insights on the small tsunami from January 28, 2020, Caribbean Sea MW7.7 earthquake by numerical simulation and spectral analysis

A major left-lateral strike-slip Mw7.7 earthquake occurred in the vicinity of the Caribbean Sea on January 28, 2020. As a result, a small-scale tsunami was generated. The properties of the seismogenic source were described using observational data gathered for the earthquake and tsunami, as well as information on the regional tectonic setting. The tsunami was simulated with the COMCOT model and Okada’s dislocation model from finite fault solutions for M_W7.7 Caribbean Sea earthquakes published by the United States Geological Survey. The simulation results were compared to tide gauge records to validate whether the seafloor’s vertical displacement generated by the strike-slip fault caused a small-scale tsunami. We conducted a spectral analysis of the tsunami to better understand the characteristics of tsunami records. The tsunami simulation results showed that the co-seismic vertical displacement caused by a strike-slip M_W7.7 earthquake could have contributed to the small-scale tsunami, but the anomalously large high-frequency tsunami waves recorded by the George Town tide gauge 11 min after the earthquake were unrelated to the earthquake-generated tsunami. According to the spectrum analysis, the predominant period of noticeable high-frequency tsunami waves recorded by the George Town tide gauge occurred only two minutes after the earthquake. This indicates that the source of the small-scale tsunami was close to the George Town station and the possible tsunami source was 150 km away from George Town station. These facts suggest that a submarine landslide was caused by the strike-slip earthquake. The comprehensive analysis showed that the small-scale tsunami was not caused solely by co-seismic seafloor deformation from the strike-slip event but that an earthquake-triggered submarine landslide was the primary cause. Therefore, the combined impact of two sources led to the small-scale tsunami.

     

Stochastic finite-fault ground motion simulation for the Mw 6.7 earthquake in Lushan,China

Natural Hazards - The Ya’an, Sichuan Mw 6.7 earthquake occurred on April 20, 2013. In this article, the stochastic finite-fault method (EXSIM) based on dynamic corner frequency, proposed by...     

Triggered/migrated seismicity due to the 2001 M w7.7 Bhuj earthquake, Western India

Paper describes triggered seismicity to 200?km distance and for a decade due to the 2001 M _w7.7 Bhuj earthquake. The Kachchh region is seismically one of the most active intraplate regions of the World due to the occurrence of two large earthquakes 1819 (M _w7.8) and 2001 (M _w7.7). Though, it has high hazard but was known to have low seismicity in view of the occurrence of fewer smaller shocks. However, the status seems to have changed after 2001. Besides the strong aftershock activity for over a decade, seismicity has spread to nearby faults in Kachchh peninsula and at several places southward for 200?km distance in Saurashtra peninsula. Beyond the rupture zone of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, more than 40 mainshocks of M _w?~?3?C5 have occurred at 20 different locations, which is unusual. The increased seismicity is inferred to be caused by stress perturbation due to the 2001 Bhuj earthquake by viscoelastic process. In Saurashtra, over and above the viscoelastic stress increase, the transient stress increase by water table rise in monsoons seems to be affecting the timing of mainshocks and associated sequences of earthquakes.     

Soil liquefaction during the Arequipa Mw 8.4, June 23, 2001 earthquake, southern coastal Peru

The Arequipa June 23, 2001, earthquake with a moment magnitude of Mw 8.4 struck southern Peru, northern Chile and western Bolivia. This shallow (29 km deep) interplate event, occurring in the coupled zone of the Nazca subduction next to the southeast of the subducting Nazca ridge, triggered very localized but widely outspread soil liquefaction. Although sand blows and lateral spreading of river banks and road bridge abutments were observed 390 km away from the epicenter in the southeast direction (nearing the town of Tacna, close to the Chile border), liquefaction features were only observed in major river valleys and delta and coastal plains in the meizoseismal area. This was strongly controlled by the aridity along the coastal strip of Southern Peru. From the sand blow distribution along the coastal area, a first relationship of isolated sand blow diameter versus epicentral distance for a single event is ever proposed. The most significant outcome from this liquefaction field reconnaissance is that energy propagation during the main June 23, 2001, event is further supported by the distribution and size of the isolated sand blows in the meizoseismal area. The sand blows are larger to the southeast of the epicenter than its northwestern equivalents. This can be stated in other words as well. The area affected by liquefaction to the northwest is less spread out than to the southeast. Implications of these results in future paleoliquefaction investigations for earthquake magnitude and epicentral determinations are extremely important. In cases of highly asymmetrical distribution of liquefaction features such as this one, where rupture propagation tends to be mono-directional, it can be reliably determined an epicentral distance (between earthquake and liquefaction evidence) and an earthquake magnitude only if the largest sand blow is found. Therefore, magnitude estimation using this uneven liquefaction occurrence will surely lead to underrating if only the shortest side of the meizoseismal area is unluckily studied, which can eventually be the only part exhibiting liquefaction evidence, depending on the earthquake location and the distribution of liquefaction-prone environments.     

Damages observed in locations of Oaxaca due to the Tehuantepec Mw8.2 earthquake,Mexico

On September 7, 2017, at 23:49 h (local time), a Mw8.2 intermediate-depth normal-fault earthquake occurred in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, 133 km away from Pijijiapan, Chiapas, and about 700 km away from Mexico City. This event caused 95 fatalities and severe damage to different types of structures located close to the epicenter. The main objective of this work is to present observed damages caused in the state of Oaxaca by this earthquake, which were mainly concentrated in self-built houses and historical and ancient buildings. The locations visited by the reconnaissance team of the Institute of Engineering from UNAM in Oaxaca included Salina Cruz, Tehuantepec, Ixtaltepec, Juchitán, Huatulco and La Ventosa.

     

The October 20, 2011 Mw 5.1 Talala earthquake in the stable continental region of India

The Talala (Sasangir) area in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, western India, is experiencing tremors since 2001. The swarm type of earthquake activity in 2001, 2004, and every year from 2007 onward has occurred after the monsoon and lasted 2?C3?months each time. In 2007 some 200 shocks (largest M_w 5.0) and in 2011 about 400 shocks down to M1 are well recorded with 1?C2?km location error. The focal depths are about 2?C10?km and shocks are accompanied by blast-like subterranean sounds. The epicenter (21.09?N 70.45E, focal depth: 5?km from location program, 3?km from MTS) of the October 20, 2011 mainshock occurred about 12-km WNW of Talala town or 8-km SSW of the 2007?M _w 5.0 earthquake epicenter. The epicentral trends deciphered from local earthquake data indicate two ENE trends (Narmada trend) for about 50?km length and a conjugate 15-km-long NNW trend (Aravali trend). The focal mechanisms by moment-tensor analysis of full wave forms of two 2007 events of M_w 4.8 and 5.0 and the 2011 event of M_w 5.1 indicate rupture along either of the two trends. The ENE trends follow a gravity low between the gravity highs of Girnar mounts. Seismic reflections also indicate a fault in the area named Girnar Fault. Most of Saurashtra region including the Talala area is covered by Deccan Trap Basalt forming plateaus and conical ridges. There is no major fault within Saurashtra Peninsula though it is believed to have major faults along the boundaries that are non-seismic. The intensity of the October 20, 2011 Talala earthquake is estimated to be 6.5 in MM scale while isoseismals of 6, 5, and 4 and felt distance give M_w 5.1 based on Johnston??s 1994 empirical regressions. The source parameters of the 2011 Talala earthquake are estimated using data from 14 broadband seismograph stations. Estimated seismic moment, moment magnitude, stress drop, corner frequency, and source radius are found to be 10^16.6 N-m, 5.1, 1.6?MPa, 1.3?Hz, and 2,300?m, respectively. The b and p values are obtained to be low, being 0.67 and 0.71, respectively. PGA of 35?cm/sec² is noted and the decay rate of acceleration has been estimated from strong motion data recorded at 5 stations with epicentral distances ranging from 32 to 200?km.     

Geophysical anomalies associated with uranium mineralization from Beldih mine, South Purulia Shear Zone, India

Beldih mine at the central part of the South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ) has been reported with low grade uranium-bearing formation within quartz-magnetite-apatite host in kaolinized formation. Therefore, the present integrated geophysical study with gravity, magnetic, radiometric, very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF) and gradient resistivity profiling methods around the known mineralized zones aimed at identifying the exact geophysical signatures and lateral extent of these uranium mineralization bands. The closely spaced gravity-magnetic contours over the low to high anomaly transition zones of Bouguer, reduced-to-pole magnetic, and trend surface separated residual gravity-magnetic anomaly maps indicate the possibility of high altered zone(s) along NW-SE direction at the central part of the study area. High current density plots of VLF method and the low resistive zones in gradient resistivity study depict the coincidence with low gravity, moderately high magnetic and low resistivity anomalies at the same locations. Moderate high radioactive zones have also been observed over these locations. This also suggests the existence of radioactive mineralization over this region. Along profile P2, drilled borehole data revealed the presence of uranium mineralization at a depth of ～100 m. The vertical projection of this mineralization band also identified as low gravity, low resistivity and high magnetic anomaly zone. Thus, the application of integrated geophysical techniques supported by geological information successfully recognized the nature of geophysical signatures associated with the uranium mineralization of this region. This enhances the scope of further integrated geophysical investigations in the unexplored regions of SPSZ.     

Statistical analysis of landslides caused by the Mw 6.9 Yushu,China, earthquake of April 14, 2010

The April 14, 2010 Yushu, China, earthquake (Mw 6.9) triggered a great number of landslides. At least 2,036 co-seismic landslides, with a total coverage area of 1.194 km², were delineated by visual interpretation of aerial photographs and satellite images taken following the earthquake, and verified by field inspection. Based on the mapping results, a statistical analysis of the spatial distribution of these landslides is performed using the landslide area percentage (LAP), defined as the percentage of the area affected by the landslides, and landslide number density (LND), defined as the number of landslides per square kilometer. The purpose is to clarify how the landslides correlate the control factors, which are the elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, slope position, distance from drainages, lithology, distance from the surface rupture, and peak ground acceleration (PGA). The results show that both LAP and LND have strongly positive correlations with slope angle and negative correlations with distance from the surface rupture and distance from drainages. The highest LAP and LPD values are in places of elevations from 3,800 to 4,000 m. The slopes producing landslides are mostly facing toward NE, E, and SE. The geological units of Q₄ al-pl, N, and T₃ kn ¹ have the highest concentrations of co-seismic landslides. No apparent correlations are present between LAP and LND values and PGA. On both sides of the surface rupture, the landslide distributions are almost similar except a few exceptions, likely associated with the nature of the strike-slip seismogenic fault for this event. The bivariate statistical analysis shows that, in descending order, the earthquake-triggered landslide impact factors are distance from surface rupture > slope angle > distance from drainages > lithology > PGA. Besides, as the detailed co-seismic landslides inventories related to strike-slip earthquakes are still few compared with that of thrusting-fault earthquakes, this case study would shed new light on the subject. For instance, the landslide spatial distribution on both sides of the strike-slip seismogenic fault is rather different from that of thrusting-fault earthquakes. It reminds us to take different strategies of measures for prevention and mitigation of landslides induced by earthquakes with different mechanisms.     

Seismic hazard analysis and local site effect of the 2017 Mw 7.3 Sarpol-e Zahab,Iran, earthquake

Natural Hazards - A strong earthquake occurred on November 12, 2017, in Sarpol-e Zahab city, western Iran, with the moment magnitude ( $$M_{{\text{w}}}$$ ) of 7.3 and a focal depth of...