Source parameters of 1<Superscript>st</Superscript> April 2015 Chamoli earthquake (Mw 4.8) vis-à-vis seismotectonics of the region

The paper presents a detailed analysis of 1^st April 2015 earthquake, whose epicenter (30.16° N, 79.28° E) was located near Simtoli village of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. The focal depth is refined to 7 km by the grid search technique using moment tensor inversion. The source parameters of the earthquake as estimated by spectral analysis method suggested the source radius of ~1.0 km, seismic moment as 1.99E+23 dyne-cm with moment magnitude (Mw) of 4.8 and stress drop of 69 bar. The fault plane solution inferred using full waveform inversion indicated two nodal planes, the northeast dipping plane having strike 334° and dip 5° and the southwest dipping plane with dip 86° and strike 118°. The parallelism of the nodal plane striking 334° with dip 5° as indicated in depth cross sections of the tectonic elements suggested the north dipping Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) to be the causative fault for this earthquake. Spatio-temporal distribution of earthquakes during the period 1960-2015 showed seismic quiescence during 2006-2010 and migration of seismicity towards south.     

Use of tsunami waveforms for earthquake source study

Tsunami waveforms recorded on tide gauges, like seismic waves recorded on seismograms, can be used to study earthquake source processes. The tsunami propagation can be accurately evaluated, since bathymetry is much better known than seismic velocity structure in the Earth. Using waveform inversion techniques, we can estimate the spatial distribution of coseismic slip on the fault plane from tsunami waveforms. This method has been applied to several earthquakes around Japan. Two recent earthquakes, the 1968 Tokachi-oki and 1983 Japan Sea earthquakes, are examined for calibration purposes. Both events show nonuniform slip distributions very similar to those obtained from seismic wave analyses. The use of tsunami waveforms is more useful for the study of unusual or old earthquakes. The 1984 Torishima earthquake caused unusually large tsunamis for its earthquake size. Waveform modeling of this event shows that part of the abnormal size of this tsunami is due to the propagation effect along the shallow ridge system. For old earthquakes, many tide gauge records exist with quality comparable to modern records, while there are only a few good quality seismic records. The 1944 Tonankai and 1946 Nankaido earthquakes are examined as examples of old events, and slip distributions are obtained. Such estimates are possible only using tsunami records. Since tide-gauge records are available as far back as the 1850s, use of them will provide unique and important information on long-term global seismicity.     

Spatial-temporal variability of seismic hazard in peninsular India

This paper examines the variability of seismic activity observed in the case of different geological zones of peninsular India (10°N–26°N; 68°E–90°E) based on earthquake catalog between the period 1842 and 2002 and estimates earthquake hazard for the region. With compilation of earthquake catalog in terms of moment magnitude and establishing broad completeness criteria, we derive the seismicity parameters for each geologic zone of peninsular India using maximum likelihood procedure. The estimated parameters provide the basis for understanding the historical seismicity associated with different geological zones of peninsular India and also provide important inputs for future seismic hazard estimation studies in the region. Based on present investigation, it is clear that earthquake recurrence activity in various geologic zones of peninsular India is distinct and varies considerably between its cratonic and rifting zones. The study identifies the likely hazards due to the possibility of moderate to large earthquakes in peninsular India and also presents the influence of spatial rate variation in the seismic activity of this region. This paper presents the influence of source zone characterization and recurrence rate variation pattern on the maximum earthquake magnitude estimation. The results presented in the paper provide a useful basis for probabilistic seismic hazard studies and microzonation studies in peninsular India.     

Moment tensors and micromechanical models

A numerical modelling approach that simulates cracking and failure in rock and the associated seismicity is presented and a technique is described for quantifying the seismic source mechanisms of the modelled events. The modelling approach represents rock as an assemblage of circular particles bonded together at points of contact. The connecting bonds can break under applied stress forming cracks and fractures in the modelled rock. If numerical damping is set to reproduce realistic levels of attenuation, then energy is released when the bonds break and seismic source information can be obtained as damage occurs. A technique is described by which moment tensors and moment magnitudes can be calculated for these simulated seismic events. The technique basically involves integrating around the source and summing the components of force change at the surrounding particle contacts to obtain the elements of the moment tensor matrix. The moment magnitude is then calculated from the eigenvalues of the moment tensor. The modelling approach is tested by simulating a well-controlled experiment in which a tunnel is excavated in highly stressed granite while microseismicity is recorded. The seismicity produced by the model is compared to the actual recorded seismicity underground. The model reproduces the spatial and temporal distribution of seismicity observed around the tunnel and also the magnitudes of the events. A direct comparison between the actual and simulated moment tensors is not performed due to the two-dimensional nature of the model, however, qualitative comparisons are presented and it is shown that the model produces intuitively realistic source mechanisms. The ability to obtain seismic source information from the models provides a unique means for model validation through comparison with actual recorded seismicity. Once it is established that the model is performing in a realistic manner, it can then be used to examine the micromechanics of cracking, failure and the associated seismicity and to help resolve the non-uniqueness of the geophysical interpretation. This is demonstrated by examining in detail the mechanics of one of the modelled seismic events by observation of the time dependence of the moment tensor and by direct examination of the particle motions at the simulated source.     

Estimation of seismic hazard parameters in TERESA test areas

A general overview of some of the problems involved in earthquake catalogue handling is given as part of the works carried out into the ESC/SC8-TERESA project related with the seismic hazard assessment in two selected test areas: Sannio-Matese in Italy and the northern Rhine region (BGN). Furthermore, the necessary input data to be used in the calculation of seismic hazard has been obtained, including earthquake source zones and their seismic hazard parameters.The importance is pointed out of detailed analysis of seismic catalogues, mainly in relation to the use of aftershock information, the historical records of the region, and the possible temporal and spatial variation of seismicity, which could have an important influence on short-term hazard assessment.     

Global strain rates in western to central Himalayas and their implications in seismic hazard assessment

The Himalayas has experienced varying rates of earthquake occurrence in the past in its seismo-tectonically distinguished segments which may be attributed to different physical processes of accumulation of stress and its release, and due diligence is required for its inclusion for working out the seismic hazard. The present paper intends to revisit the various earthquake occurrence models applied to Himalayas and examines it in the light of recent damaging earthquakes in Himalayan belt. Due to discordant seismicity of Himalayas, three types of regions have been considered to estimate larger return period events. The regions selected are (1) the North-West Himalayan Fold and Thrust Belt which is seismically very active, (2) the Garhwal Himalaya which has never experienced large earthquake although sufficient stress exists and (3) the Nepal region which is very seismically active region due to unlocked rupture and frequently experienced large earthquake events. The seismicity parameters have been revisited using two earthquake recurrence models namely constant seismicity and constant moment release. For constant moment release model, the strain rates have been derived from global strain rate model and are converted into seismic moment of earthquake events considering the geometry of the finite source and the rates being consumed fully by the contemporary seismicity. Probability of earthquake occurrence with time has been estimated for each region using both models and compared assuming Poissonian distribution. The results show that seismicity for North-West region is observed to be relatively less when estimated using constant seismicity model which implies that either the occupied accumulated stress is not being unconfined in the form of earthquakes or the compiled earthquake catalogue is insufficient. Similar trend has been observed for seismic gap area but with lesser difference reported from both methods. However, for the Nepal region, the estimated seismicity by the two methods has been found to be relatively less when estimated using constant moment release model which implies that in the Nepal region, accumulated strain is releasing in the form of large earthquake occurrence event. The partial release in second event of May 2015 of similar size shows that the physical process is trying to release the energy with large earthquake event. If it would have been in other regions like that of seismic gap region, the fault may not have released the energy and may be inviting even bigger event in future. It is, therefore, necessary to look into the seismicity from strain rates also for its due interpretation in terms of predicting the seismic hazard in various segments of Himalayas.     

Seismicity and source parameters of moderate earthquakes in Sikkim Himalaya

In this study, we accurately relocate 360 earthquakes in the Sikkim Himalaya through the application of the double-difference algorithm to 4?years of data accrued from a eleven-station broadband seismic network. The analysis brings out two major clusters of seismicity??one located in between the main central thrust (MCT) and the main boundary thrust (MBT) and the other in the northwest region of Sikkim that is site to the devastating Mw6.9 earthquake of September 18, 2011. Keeping in view the limitations imposed by the Nyquist frequency of our data (10?Hz), we select 9 moderate size earthquakes (5.3????Ml????4) for the estimation of source parameters. Analysis of shear wave spectra of these earthquakes yields seismic moments in the range of 7.95?×?10²¹ dyne-cm to 6.31?×?10²³ dyne-cm and corner frequencies in the range of 1.8?C6.25?Hz. Smaller seismic moments obtained in Sikkim when compared with the rest of the Himalaya vindicates the lower seismicity levels in the region. Interestingly, it is observed that most of the events having larger seismic moment occur between MBT and MCT lending credence to our observation that this is the most active portion of Sikkim Himalaya. The estimates of stress drop and source radius range from 48 to 389?bar and 0.225 to 0.781?km, respectively. Stress drops do not seem to correlate with the scalar seismic moments affirming the view that stress drop is independent over a wide moment range. While the continental collision scenario can be invoked as a reason to explain a predominance of low stress drops in the Himalayan region, those with relatively higher stress drops in Sikkim Himalaya could be attributed to their affinity with strike-slip source mechanisms. Least square regression of the scalar seismic moment (M ₀) and local magnitude (Ml) results in a relation LogM ₀?=?(1.56?±?0.05)Ml?+?(8.55?±?0.12) while that between moment magnitude (M _w ) and local magnitude as M _w ?=?(0.92?±?0.04)Ml?+?(0.14?±?0.06). These relations could serve as useful inputs for the assessment of earthquake hazard in this seismically active region of Himalaya.     

Probabilities of earthquake occurrences in Mainland Southeast Asia

The frequency–magnitude distributions of earthquakes are used in this study to estimate the earthquake hazard parameters for individual earthquake source zones within the Mainland Southeast Asia. For this purpose, 13 earthquake source zones are newly defined based on the most recent geological, tectonic, and seismicity data. A homogeneous and complete seismicity database covering the period from 1964 to 2010 is prepared for this region and then used for the estimation of the constants, a and b, of the frequency–magnitude distributions. These constants are then applied to evaluate the most probable largest magnitude, the mean return period, and the probability of earthquake of different magnitudes in different time spans. The results clearly show that zones A, B, and E have the high probability for the earthquake occurrence comparing with the other seismic zones. All seismic source zones have 100 % probability that the earthquake with magnitude ≤6.0 generates in the next 25 years. For the Sagaing Fault Zone (zones C), the next Mw 7.2–7.5 earthquake may generate in this zone within the next two decades and should be aware of the prospective Mw 8.0 earthquake. Meanwhile, in Sumatra-Andaman Interplate (zone A), an earthquake with a magnitude of Mw 9.0 can possibly occur in every 50 years. Since an earthquake of magnitude Mw 9.0 was recorded in this region in 2004, there is a possibility of another Mw 9.0 earthquake within the next 50 years.     

西藏尼木1901年M 6?地震的发震构造探讨

史料记载1901年4月26日西藏尼木发生M 6?级地震,其发震构造尚未有报道,对其发震构造的厘定有助于理解尼木地堑群的地震复发规律,科学评价周边地区的未来强震危险性。遥感解译与地质调查表明,尼木地堑群内部的庞刚地堑西边界断裂长约30 km,走向近北西—北北西,以彭刚玛曲为界分为南北两段。北段断裂地貌线性特征显著,陡坎发育,断错了多级冰碛物及河流阶地。位移恢复结果显示,河流阶地垂直断距T0约1.0 m,T1约2.6 m,T2约5.0 m。南段断裂沿虾庆曲展布,地貌线性特征显著,陡坎发育,断错了多期冲洪积扇体。尼木县城北部发现断裂错动T2阶地剖面,显示该断裂延伸至尼木县城北部。根据位移-震级经验公式计算,庞刚地堑西边界断裂最新一次地震的矩震级约为M_W 6.8,这与尼木地震比较吻合。遥感解译、地质调查与震级表明,庞刚地堑可能为1901年尼木地震的发震构造。结合历史地震记录分析认为,尼木地堑群中各个地堑具有独立发生中强地震的能力,其地震复发模式及其与亚东-谷露裂谷南北两段的地震活动差异等尚需进一步研究。      

1999年9月21日台湾集集地震的震源参数综合判定

本文利用半经验、半理论的方法对世界各主要地震汇集和研究机构所给出的集集主震基本震源参数进行了综合计算和评定。根据这些参数重新计算了集集主震的标量地震矩、破裂面积、应力降等。根据这些参数之间的内在联系 ,从地震分类学的角度 ,判定集集地震是发生于板块边缘的大地震。可供研究台湾岛上地震活动性以及台湾地区板块构造演化问题参考。     

Seismicity of Gujarat

Paper describes tectonics, earthquake monitoring, past and present seismicity, catalogue of earthquakes and estimated return periods of large earthquakes in Gujarat state, western India. The Gujarat region has three failed Mesozoic rifts of Kachchh, Cambay, and Narmada, with several active faults. Kachchh district of Gujarat is the only region outside Himalaya-Andaman belt that has high seismic hazard of magnitude 8 corresponding to zone V in the seismic zoning map of India. The other parts of Gujarat have seismic hazard of magnitude 6 or less. Kachchh region is considered seismically one of the most active intraplate regions of the World. It is known to have low seismicity but high hazard in view of occurrence of fewer smaller earthquakes of M????6 in a region having three devastating earthquakes that occurred during 1819 (M _w7.8), 1956 (M _w6.0) and 2001 (M _w7.7). The second in order of seismic status is Narmada rift zone that experienced a severely damaging 1970 Bharuch earthquake of M5.4 at its western end and M????6 earthquakes further east in 1927 (Son earthquake), 1938 (Satpura earthquake) and 1997 (Jabalpur earthquake). The Saurashtra Peninsula south of Kachchh has experienced seismicity of magnitude less than 6.     

On the Bayesian analysis of the earthquake hazard in the North-East Indian peninsula

The Bayesian extreme-value distribution of earthquake occurrences has been used to estimate the seismic hazard in 12 seismogenic zones of the North-East Indian peninsula. The Bayesian approach has been used very efficiently to combine the prior information on seismicity obtained from geological data with historical observations in many seismogenic zones of the world. The basic parameters to obtain the prior estimate of seismicity are the seismic moment, slip rate, earthquake recurrence rate and magnitude. These estimates are then updated in terms of Bayes’ theorem and historical evaluations of seismicity associated with each zone. From the Bayesian analysis of extreme earthquake occurrences for North-East Indian peninsula, it is found that for T = 5 years, the probability of occurrences of magnitude (M _w = 5.0–5.5) is greater than 0.9 for all zones. For M _w = 6.0, four zones namely Z1 (Central Himalayas), Z5 (Indo-Burma border), Z7 (Burmese arc) and Z8 (Burma region) exhibit high probabilities. Lower probability is shown by some zones namely␣Z4, Z12, and rest of the zones Z2, Z3, Z6, Z9, Z10 and Z11 show moderate probabilities.     

1999年9月21日台湾集集地震的震源参数综合判定

本文利用半经验、半理论的方法对世界各主要地震汇集和研究机构所给出的集集主震基本震源参数进行了综合计算和评定。根据这些参数重新计算了集集主震的标量地震矩、破裂面积、应力降等。根据这些参数之间的内在联系,从地震分类学的角度,判定集集地震是发生于板块边缘的大地震。可供研究台湾岛上地震活动性以及台湾地区板块构造演化问题参考。     

Improved earthquake locations in the Koyna-Warna seismic zone

In estimating the likelihood of an earthquake hazard for a seismically active region, information on the geometry of the potential source is important in quantifying the seismic hazard. The damage from an earthquake varies spatially and is governed by the fault geometry and lithology. As earthquake damage is amplified by guided seismic waves along fault zones, it is important to delineate the disposition of the fault zones by precisely determined hypocentral parameters. We used the double difference (DD) algorithm to relocate earthquakes in the Koyna-Warna seismic zone (KWSZ) region, with the P- and S-wave catalog data from relative arrival time pairs constituting the input. A significant improvement in the hypocentral estimates was achieved, with the epicentral errors <30 m and focal depth errors <75 m i.e. errors have been significantly reduced by an order of magnitude from the parameters determined by HYPO71. The earthquake activity defines three different fault segments. The seismogenic volume is shallower in the south by 3 km, with seismicity in the north extending to a depth of 11 km while in the south the deepest seismicity observed is at a depth of 8 km. By resolving the structure of seismicity in greater detail, we address the salient issues related to the seismotectonics of this region.     

Seismicity pattern in north Sumatra-Great Nicobar region: In search of precursor for the 26 December 2004 earthquake

We analyse the seismicity pattern including b-value in the north Sumatra-Great Nicobar region from 1976 to 2004. The analysis suggests that there were a number of significant, intermediate and short-term precursors before the magnitude 7.6 earthquake of 2 November 2002. However, they were not found to be so prominent prior to the magnitude 9.0 earthquake of 26 December 2004 though downward migration of activity and a 50-day short-term quiescence was observed before the event. The various precursors identified include post-seismic and intermediate-term quiescence of 13 and 10 years respectively, between the 1976 (magnitude 6.3) and 2002 earthquakes with two years (1990–1991) of increase in background seismicity; renewed seismicity, downward migration of seismic activity and foreshocks in 2002, just before the mainshock. Spatial variation in b-value with time indicates precursory changes in the form of high b-value zone near the epicenter preceding the mainshocks of 2004 and 2002 and temporal rise in b-value in the epicentral area before the 2002 earthquake.     

近断层强地震动预测中的有限断层震源模型

提出了近断层强地震动预测中建立活断层上设定地震有限断层震源模型的方法和步骤.首先,根据地震地质和地震活动性调查以及地球物理勘探等资料,确定活断层的空间方位和滑动类型; 然后,根据地震定标律确定活断层的宏观震源参数; 第三,将高强体模型与k平方滑动模型相结合,产生断层破裂面上的混合滑动分布.在此基础上,预测了与1994年Northridge地震断层类型、矩震级(M_w6.7)基本一致的设定地震的有限断层震源模型.最后,将预测的有限断层震源模型与基于地震学的、使用动力学拐角频率的地震动随机合成方法相结合,预测了1994年Northridge地震近断层12个基岩台站的加速度时程,并和实际记录进行了对比.结果表明,用上述方法和步骤建立的有限断层震源模型是可行、实用的.      

A database for worldwide seismicity quantification

The first step in a seismicity analysis usually consists of defining the seismogenic units, seismic zones or individual faults. The worldwide delimitation of these zones involves an enormous effort and is often rather subjective. Also, a complete recording of faults will not be available for a long time yet. The seismicity model presented in this paper therefore is not based on individually defined seismic zones but rather on the assumption that each point in a global 1/2° grid of coordinates represents a potential earthquake source. The corresponding seismogenic parameters are allocated to each of these points. The earthquake occurrence frequency, one of the most important parameters, is determined purely statistically by appropriately spreading out the positions of past occurrences. All the other significant seismicity characteristics, such as magnitude-frequency relations, maximum possible magnitude and attenuation laws including the dependence on focal depth are determined in a global 1/2° grid of co-ordinates. This method of interpreting seismicity data allows us to establish a transparent, sufficiently precise representation of seismic hazard which is ideally suited for computer-aided risk analyses.     

震源区能量积累和释放过程的熵模型基本特征

在地震活动区的局部地壳地震活动性很大程度上是随机的,但在某些情况下,小的地方震的震级时间序列却具有确定性的分量,此分量很可能与一个大地震的成核有关。当小地震事件中最大的事件变小,最小的事件变大,并且它们的差别不断地减小,这个分量在地震记录上就表现为由震级的两个反向实时趋势产生的所谓能量楔。在一个大的成核事件的震源区,利用相图法,笔者依据非线性动力学已经解释了地震过程的演化和小震的大小分布。模拟地震过程的这种新的处理方法和数学模型已经被应用于来自世界各地区的大批地震目录数据,特别是中国的地震数据。     

The 1905 Chamonix earthquakes: active tectonics in the Mont Blanc and Aiguilles Rouges massifs

Linking earthquakes of moderate size to known tectonic sources is a challenge for seismic hazard studies in northwestern Europe because of overall low strain rates. Here we present a combined study of macroseismic information, tectonic observations, and seismic waveform modelling to document the largest instrumentally known event in the French northern Alps, the April 29, 1905, Chamonix earthquake. The moment magnitude of this event is estimated at M_w 5.3 ± 0.3 from records in Göttingen (Germany) and Uppsala (Sweden). The event of April 29 was followed by several afterschocks and in particular a second broadly felt earthquake on August 13, 1905. Macroseismic investigations allow us to favour a location of the epicentres 5–10 km N–NE of Chamonix. Tectonic analysis shows that potentially one amongst several faults might have been activated in 1905. Among them the right lateral strike-slip fault responsible for the recent 2005 M_w = 4.4 Vallorcine earthquake and a quasi-normal fault northeast of the Aiguilles Rouges massif are the most likely candidates. Discussion of tectonic, macroseismic, and instrumental data favour the normal fault hypothesis for the 1905 Chamonix earthquake sequence.