Productivity of Mining-Induced Seismicity

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - The paper addresses the study of the ability of mining-induced earthquakes to generate successive shocks. Based on the example of the Khibiny...     

Mining-Induced Seismicity in the Saarland, Germany

Coal mining in the Saar mine, Germany, is accompanied by mining-induced seismic events. Strong events occur only in certain areas of the mine, other areas exhibit almost no seismicity. Shear events occur simultaneously to non-shear events. The shear events occur in different depths but their epicenters do concentrate in bands. The strike of the bands coincides with the strike of larger regional faults in the area. The seismic events of the Saar mine show some characteristics which distinguish them from seismic events observed in other German coalfields. The Gutenberg–Richter relation, for example, does not hold for these events. Furthermore, radiated seismic energy and extracted coal volume are not correlated. In the Primsmulde field a strong seismic event was observed even before mining in that region started. The event was triggered just by driving roadways into the field. The shear events cannot be explained by the mining process alone. They are presumably induced in certain regions (bands) under tectonic load by an interaction of mining-induced and tectonic stresses. In February 2008, extraction in the Primsmulde field induced a seismic event of magnitude 4, which led to surface vibrations reaching 93 mm/s. After this event, the Primsmulde field had to be abandoned. Future extraction of the Saar mine will be restricted to some small areas not intersected by the event bands found in the Dilsburg Ost and Primsmulde fields. The Saar mine will close in 2011.     

Self-organized Fractal Seismicity of Reservoir Triggered Earthquakes in the Koyna-Warna Seismic Zone,Western India

— Analysis of the Koyna-Warna earthquake catalog (1968–1996) shows that on an average there is a positive correlation between the b value (decrease) and fractal dimensions (decrease in both D₂^s and D₂^t) of earthquake epicenters 0.5 and 2.5 years prior to 1973 (M5.2) and 1980 (M5.5) events, respectively, except a negative correlation for about five years (1988–1993) prior to the 1993/1994 sequence (M5.4). This positive correlation indicates a weaker clustering, or that the epicenters tend to fill the two-dimensional plane. While the origin of the negative correlation seems to be that during periods of large events (low b value), there is strong clustering around the main shock epicenter (high fractal dimension). Interestingly, during the last year (1995–1996) of the studied period both the b value and correlation dimensions rose significantly, suggesting that stress release occurs through increased levels of low magnitude and increasingly scattered seismicity, suggesting an increased risk of larger magnitude events. Incidentally, during 2000 three earthquakes of magnitude M 5.0, one earthquake of M 4.0, 45 earthquakes of magnitude M 3.0–3.9, and several thousand earthquakes of M < 3 have occurred in the region. Thus it can be inferred that at local scales the relationship yields both positive and negative correlation that appears to be controlled by different modes of failure within the active fault complex.Acknowledgement. The authors are grateful to Dr. B.K. Rastogi of NGRI for providing the catalog of Koyna earthquakes and for useful scientific discussions. The comments of Dr. I. G. Main have improved the quality of paper for which we extend to him our sincere thanks. One of the authors (AOM) thanks the Third World Academy of Science and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India for the Postdoctoral Fellowship award under which this work was carried out.     

Spatial Distribution of Time-independent Seismicity in China

—The seismicity in the territory of China, a seismotectonically complicated region, has been examined by using three complete samples of earthquakes which occurred during the last two centuries (1800–1995). The b value of the Gutenberg-Richter relation was estimated by using this data sample. Taking into account the fact that the b value is spatially more stable than the a value, the b values were calculated at the nodes of a normal grid superposing on the entire area studied, and their distribution was examined. The results showed that the b value increases smoothly from 0.4 in inner-Mongolia to 0.8 in the east, south and southwest of China with higher values (b>0.8) in the Taiwan region. Furthermore, keeping fixed the obtained b values, the a value distribution was also examined. In order to display more detailed information about the seismicity, smaller cell surface (10,000 km²) for the calculation of the a values was chosen. The mean return periods for different cutoff magnitudes were also calculated for each of these small cells. It was observed that the mean return periods are the shortest ones in China, which are 10 and 50 years for the magnitude larger than or equal to 6.0 and 7.0, respectively.     

山西地震活动度的空间分布

用地震活动度定量描述地震活动性的方法，对山西省有史料记载以来的地震资料，通过Ｓ值空间扫描计算，绘制了山西省地震活动度等值线图。定量地表达了山西省地震活动度的空间分布特征。     

川滇强震震前短期阶段地震活动空间异常特征

对1973年以来川滇地区21次6级以上强震的震前地震活动进行了全时空扫描,发现大多数强震在孕育中期至短期阶段,震源附近会出现两条或两条以上3级或4级中小地震条带。与强震孕育中期阶段相比,在强震孕育的短期阶段中小地震条带方向出现明显偏转,偏转角度为15°~150°。中小地震活动在空间上的这种动态异常,可作为强震孕育、发展至短期阶段的一项标志。     

Spatial Separation of Large Earthquakes, Aftershocks, and Background Seismicity: Analysis of Interseismic and Coseismic Seismicity Patterns in Southern California

We associate waveform-relocated background seismicity and aftershocks with the 3-D shapes of late Quaternary fault zones in southern California. Major earthquakes that can slip more than several meters, aftershocks, and near-fault background seismicity mostly rupture different surfaces within these fault zones. Major earthquakes rupture along the mapped traces of the late Quaternary faults, called the principal slip zones (PSZs). Aftershocks occur either on or in the immediate vicinity of the PSZs, typically within zones that are ??2-km wide. In contrast, the near-fault background seismicity is mostly accommodated on a secondary heterogeneous network of small slip surfaces, and forms spatially decaying distributions extending out to distances of ??10?km from the PSZs. We call the regions where the enhanced rate of background seismicity occurs, the seismic damage zones. One possible explanation for the presence of the seismic damage zones and associated seismicity is that the damage develops as faults accommodate bends and geometrical irregularities in the PSZs. The seismic damage zones mature and reach their finite width early in the history of a fault, during the first few kilometers of cumulative offset. Alternatively, the similarity in width of seismic damage zones suggests that most fault zones are of almost equal strength, although the amount of cumulative offset varies widely. It may also depend on the strength of the fault zone, the time since the last major earthquake as well as other parameters. In addition, the seismic productivity appears to be influenced by the crustal structure and heat flow, with more extensive fault networks in regions of thin crust and high heat flow.     

Study of the Seismicity of Strong Earthquakes in the Yunnan Area

INTRODUCTIONYunnanis located in the east margin of the collision zone between the India Plate and theEurasian Plate on the Chinese Continent , where crustal movement is violent and moderate-strongearthquakes are frequent withlarge magnitudes and wide distributions .It is also a place of particularinterest to geo-science researchers both at home and abroad. Since 1970 , 8 earthquakes withmagnitude 7·0 have occurred here .It is a perfect site to study seismicity.Whether or not seismicit…     

缅甸弧地区地震的空间分布和震源机制特征

缅甸弧作为印度板块的东边界,印度板块在此俯冲到缅甸板块之下.缅甸弧代表了主喜马拉雅碰撞带与安达曼弧的转换地带,是特提斯构造体系正向碰撞和侧向走滑的转换部位.同时缅甸弧地震带是喜马拉雅地震带上地震最活跃的地区之一,也是中源地震集巾的地区之一.中国川滇及西藏东部的地震活动可能与缅甸北部的地震带有密切的联系,这里显然受到了印度板块和欧亚板块相互作用的影响.     

日本地震活动周期性研究

本文应用Morlet小波变换定量分析了日本不同区域地震活动的周期特征。 结果表明, 日本各区域存在着稳定的地震活动周期, 其中北部地区的显著周期为20年和50年左右; 中部地区为100年左右; 南部地区20年和50年左右。 1840年以来8级以上地震的时空分布特征显示, 日本南部地区仍存在可能发生特大地震的危险。     

Clustering Analysis of Spatial Distribution of Seismicity in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea

According to tie records of seismic station networks of China's continent and Korea Peninsula and the historical data,the complete seismicity pattern was obtained for the first time.The seismic zoning was conducted by means of the cluster analysis method.The map's spatial distribution of seismicity from 1960 to 1994 shows that there are three strong seismic zones:the first one strikes in the NE direction,from the Jiangsu plain in China to the central Korean Peninsula; the second strikes in the NW direction,from the Bohai Sea,China to the southern Korean Peninsula; the third strikes in the NW direction,from the western Liaoning Province to Pyongyang.Most of earthquakes are located along these three zones,the seismic intensity is lower than that in the mainland,and exhibited the feature of fractured crust of a marginal sea basin.     

中国大陆地区强震的逆向追踪方法研究

强震发生前, 震源附近的地震活动往往会呈现出一些空间和时间的异常特征, 分析和提取这些异常特征的方法较多。 本文采用了与常规强震预测方法迥异的地震预测方法地震活动反向追踪法(Reverse Tracing of Precursors, RTP), 对中国大陆近30年来的几个M_S≥7.5大震(含2008年5月12日汶川M_S8.0地震)进行了探索性的回溯研究。 结果表明, 该方法在中国大陆大震预测方面有一定的适用性, 并利用该方法对中国大陆地区的未来强震活动做了一定的预测。     

云南10次大震前地震活动分形研究

本文通过１９６５－１９９３年发生在云南及邻区８组１０次６．８≤Ｍ≤７．７大震前空间容量维、关联维、信息熵等多种参数系统的计算研究，发现１０次大震前降维减熵异常十分显著。     

汶川Mw7.9地震波在华北地区触发的地震活动

地震的相互作用早已被人们所知,如大地震之后在震中附近地区发生的大量余震活动,然而,近十几年来地震学家认识到:大地震也可以导致几百千米至上千千米外的区域地震活动性的显著增加(如,Hill et al.,1993;Brodsky et al,2000,Gomberg et al.,21301,2004;Prcjean et al.,2004,Freed,2005,Hill and Prejcan,2007,VelRgco et al.,2008).     

首都圈地区Ms5.0级以上地震前地震活动图像

针对地震前经常出现的地震活动图像异常展开研究,分析了首都圈地区1970年以来Ms5.0级以上中强震前地震活动图像的变化特征.结果显示,首都圈地区8次(组)Ms5.0级以上地震前,在震源区附近均出现了地震条带和逼近地震,震前有87.5%的逼近地震距主震130 km内;87.5%地震前在震源区附近出现了孕震空区,并在空区边...     

川滇地区成组强震活动的基本特征

研究了川滇地区强震成组活动的基本特征, 指出成组强震活动是该区地震活动高潮期中最重要的活动特征.成组强震活动期间的强震月均频度、月均应变释放分别为其它时间的15.67、21.19倍,组内强震最大间距平均为665km,可见川滇地区强震具有成组孕育相继发生的活动特征,因此抓住成组强震的预报问题是把握地震活动高潮的关键所在.     

Quantitative Analysis of Seismicity Before Large Taiwanese Earthquakes Using the G-R Law

Seismicity has been identified as an example of a natural, nonlinear system for which the distribution of frequency and event size follow a power law called the “Gutenberg–Richter (G-R) law.” The parameters of the G-R law, namely b- and a-values, have been widely used in many studies about seismic hazards, earthquake forecasting models, and other related topics. However, the plausibility of the power law model and applicability of parameters were mainly verified by statistical error σ of the b-value, the effectiveness of which is still doubtful. In this research, we used a newly defined p value developed by Clausetet al. (Power-Law Distributions in Empirical Data, SIAM Rev. 51, 661–703, 2009) instead of the statistical error σ of the b-value and verified its effectiveness as a plausibility index of the power-law model. Furthermore, we also verified the effectiveness of K–S statistics as a goodness-of-fit test in estimating the crucial parameter \(M_{\text{c}}\) of the power-law model.     

玉树和汶川地震前后区域水平形变的空间分布

以1999—2007年和2009—2010年两个时间段的GNSS观测资料为基础, 借助于多核函数解析、 滤波和应变场的无偏算法以及区域无旋转基准, 在运动场连续变化的条件下获得了玉树M_S7.1和汶川M_S8.0地震前后青藏高原东南地域运动与形变场, 并得到如下基本认知: ① 玉树和汶川地震前震源区构造活动在空间和较长时间上明显弱化, 最大正应变和最大剪切应变均处在区域构造活动的最低水平。 ② 与地震破裂相应的旋剪形变最大部位既不位于震源区也不远离震源区, 似乎存在某种协调有序活动, 玉树地震发震构造断裂带基本上处在区域右旋活动与左旋活动的过渡区上, 而左旋活动最大条带却为平行于该断裂带且相距约150 km的东北构造活动区内; 汶川地震发震构造断裂虽处在右旋活动的龙门山断裂带上, 但右旋活动最大条带为平行于该断裂带且相距约200 km的西北活动区内。 ③ 玉树地震震时较大水平形变的范围较小, 汶川地震震后水平形变仍较突出。 ④ 理塘—德巫断裂带的北段及周边地区应给予关注, 面应变为象限分布图像, 最大正应变和最大剪切应变均显示闭锁的迹象。     

中国大陆7级大地震强余震震级和空间分布特征

本文研究了中国大陆1966年以来15次7.0～7.9级地震序列强余震空间分布和震级分布特征。 研究结果表明: ① 强余震与主震震级差(ΔM)与频度(N)的统计关系服从指数分布, 统计得到了全部序列平均B值为0.72, 12个走滑型地震序列平均B值为0.73; ② 走滑型地震序列强余震优势分布范围是5~59 km, 非走滑型序列优势分布为10~29 km, 并且强余震与主震震中距离服从正态分布。