Historical seismicity of the southeastern Caribbean and tectonic implications

We have relocated the twenty-eight largest magnitude (4.3M _s 7.3) historical (1922–1963) earthquakes of the southeastern Caribbean. We also present new focal mechanisms for seven of these events. The relocations are based on reported ISSP andS arrival times that we analyzed using generalized linear inversion techniques. The new focal mechanisms were constrained by first motionP polarities as reported by the ISS and as picked by us where records were available, and by the polarities and ratios ofSH andsSH, andSV andsSV arrivals that we determined from seismograms. The results of the relocations are commensurate with the distribution of seismicity observed in the recent era: hypocenters are shallow and intermediate in depth (0–200 km), and the events occur almost exclusively in areas known to be currently seismic. The frequent seismic activity in the vicinity of the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela, is clearly a persistent feature of the regional earthquake pattern; intermediate depth earthquakes indicative of subduction beneath the Caribbean plate occur here and along the Lesser Antilles arc. The Grenadines seismic gap is confirmed as an area of low seismic moment release throughout the historical era. Trinidad and the eastern Gulf of Paria were also largely quiescent.The new focal mechanisms, despite being a sparse data set, give significant insight into both subduction processes along the Lesser Antilles arc and into the shallow deformation of the Caribbean-South America plate boundary zone. The largest earthquake to have occurred in this region, the 19 March 1953 event (M _m =7.01), is a Lesser Antilles slab deformation event, and another earthquake in this region of the Lesser Antilles is probably a rarely-observed interplate thrust event. Shallow deformation in the plate boundary zone is complex and, near the Paria Penninsula, involves mixed southeastward thrusting and dextral strike-slip on east-striking faults, and secondarily, normal faulting. Bending of the subducting Atlantic-South American plate also seems to generate seisms. The rather high ratio of intraplate deformation to interplate deformation observed along the Lesser Antilles subduction zone in the more recent era seems to have been operative in the historical era as well.     

Intraplate seismicity of the Pacific Basin, 1913–1988

We establish here a comprehensive database of intraplate seismicity in the Pacific Basin. Relocation and analysis of 894 earthquakes yield 403 reliable intraplate earthquakes during 1913–1988. These numbers do not include earthquake swarms, which account for another 838 events. Most of the remainder (304 events) are actually plate boundary earthquakes that have been erroneously located in intraplate regions. A significant number occur in recent years when location capabilities should have guarded against this situation. Relocations involve a careful linear inversion ofP andS arrivals, accompanied by a Monte Carlo statistical analysis. We have also attentively removed the high number of clerical errors and nuclear tests that exist in epicenter bulletins.A geographical examination of the relocated epicenters reveals several striking features. There are three NW-SE lineaments north of the Fiji Plateau and in Micronesia; diffuse seismicity and incompatible focal mechanisms argue against the southernmost, discussed byOkal et al. (1986) andKroenke andWalker (1986), as the simple relocation of the Solomon trench to the North. Besides another striking lineament, along the 130°W meridian, there is also a strong correlation between seismicity and bathymetry in certain parts of the Basin. In the Eastcentral Pacific and Nazca plates there are many epicenters on fracture zones and fossil spreading ridges, and hot spot traces like the Louisville, Nazca and Cocos Ridges also display seismicity.     

磁县断裂带的构造和地震活动特征

磁县断裂带是华北地震区中重要的断裂之一,1830年该断裂带发生了M7级地震.从分析该带的构造特征和地震活动特征出发,在结合历史地震活动和现今地震活动基础上,利用震级-时间模型对磁县断裂带未来强震活动进行预测,结果表明,未来该段中南的总体活动水平维持在5级左右.     

Analysis of the seismicity in the central part of the Pyrenees (France), and tectonic implications

Two temporary seismological networks have been set up in 2000 and 2002 in the central part of the Pyrenees, in a region, which appears as a transition between two domains where both the seismic activity and the tectonic regime are different. Together with the permanent networks, they allowed us to obtain precise hypocenter locations for more than 400 events with local magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 4.6, as well as 30 new focal mechanisms. The seismicity is distributed in several clusters, which are not located along the North Pyrenean Fault, considered as the major tectonic accident resulting from the suture of the Iberian and Eurasian convergent plates when the range formed. Several small fault segments dipping to the north are identified. The maximum focal depth varies from 10 to 20 km, with variations which are roughly parallel to those of the Moho, indicating a thickening of the seismogenic layer to the east of the studied area. The obtained focal solutions reveal a predominance of normal faulting to the West and reverse faulting to the East, with strike-slip motions in between. The largest fault segment to the East, with a length of about 20 km, could possibly be related to a large historical event which occurred in 1660, with intensity IX, close to cities which have become since then important touristic centres.     

首都圈地震活动构造成因的小震精定位分析

应用双差地震定位法对首都圈及其邻区1980～2004年发生的地震进行重新定位,进行首都圈的地震构造成因分析表明：重定位的地震表现为与区域构造更为密切的“井”字形活动分布,地震震源分布证实了人工地震勘探所推断的深大断裂的存在;首都圈地区的地震多发生于地壳的中、上部,可能存在局域构造块体运动变形和深部构造动力作用的二种不同地震构造成因;地震活动图像表明中强震易发生在上下地壳相交的脆－韧性转换带中,并揭示了首都圈地区潜在的地震空区和陡倾角的隐伏断层.     

Apparent stress scaling for tectonic and induced seismicity: Model and observations

A macroscopic model of seismic sources provides a scaling relationship for the apparent stress, treated as a function of three independent parameters: seismic moment, rupture area size, and average slip acceleration. These parameters represent three different factors: kinematic, geometric and material. This relationship allows us to distinguish and explain the following statistical characteristics of the log apparent stress versus log seismic moment plot. The regional trends, represented by a series of 1/2 slope lines, are related to the averaged shape of slip velocity pulses, so they reflect kinematic characteristics of the rupture process. The global trend, represented by the 1/6 slope line, is expected to characterize sets of events of wide range of rupture area sizes and assumes dependence of rupture area size on total slip, so it is related to the rupture initiation, propagation and arrest conditions; therefore, it reflects earthquake rupture dynamics. Additional shiftings among the trend lines obtained for the smallest induced tremors, larger tectonic earthquakes, and slow tsunami earthquakes, reflect differences between the intact rock failure and the frictional slip failure, that is, between fracture energies of these different earthquake classes.     

Mt. Melbourne volcano,antarctica: Evidence of seismicity related to volcanic activity

Characterization of the microseismic activity (M _L <2.0) has been performed at Mt. Melbourne since 1990. We recorded a group of low frequency events with common morphological characteristics, i.e., an emerging onset, an unclear second phase and a sharply dropping coda. Spectral analysis of events recorded at more than one station indicates that the seismogram characteristics and spectral content are largely due to source effects. A polarization filter applied to a set of three component data revealed a first phase made up ofP waves followed (after about 0.9–1.4 sec.) by a second phase probably composed ofSH-type waves. Particle motion analysis detected a seismic ray angle direction mainly between N70°E and N110°E and apparent angle of incidence between 35° and 48° for the first phase. The studied seismicity was localized in an area on the eastern slope of Mt. Melbourne Volcano which presents a surface temperature anomaly (Mazzarini andSalvini, 1994). We formulate two hypotheses for the type of earthquakes recorded: 1) long-period events involving active presence of magmatic fluids in the source processes; 2) or the result of fracturing processes (shear?) in a medium characterized by transition between brittle and plastic behaviors. In the latter hypothesis the superficial thermal anomaly may be a symptom of this behavior at depth and is confirmed by the lown values observed for the exponential fit in the codaQ analysis.     

Metamorphic evolution of the East Tethys tectonic domain and its tectonic implications

The China Central Orogenic System(CCOS), extending in an east-west direction in the middle part of China, is composed of the Early Paleozoic Altyn-North Qilian-North Qaidam-East Kunlun-North Qinling-North Tongbai orogens in the west and the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic South Tongbai-Hong’an-Dabie-Sulu orogens in the east. They were produced by oceanic subduction and continental subduction/collision during the closure of the Proto-Tethys and the Paleo-Tethys oceans,respectively. Different typ...     

Intraplate seismicity in the western Bohemian Massif (central Europe): A possible correlation with a paleoplate junction

Locations of the Eger Rift, Cheb Basin, Quaternary volcanoes, crustal earthquake swarms and exhalation centers of CO₂ and ³He of mantle origin correlate with the tectonic fabric of the mantle lithosphere modelled from seismic anisotropy. We suggest that positions of the seismic and volcanic phenomena, as well as of the Cenozoic sedimentary basins, correlate with a “triple junction” of three mantle lithospheres distinguished by different orientations of their tectonic fabric consistent within each unit. The three mantle domains most probably belong to the originally separated microcontinents – the Saxothuringian, Teplá-Barrandian and Moldanubian – assembled during the Variscan orogeny. Cenozoic extension reactivated the junction and locally thinned the crust and mantle lithosphere. The rigid part of the crust, characterized by the presence of earthquake foci, decoupled near the junction from the mantle probably during the Variscan. The boundaries (transitions) of three mantle domains provided open pathways for Quaternary volcanism and the ascent of ³He- and CO₂-rich fluids released from the asthenosphere. The deepest earthquakes, interpreted as an upper limit of the brittle–ductile transition in the crust, are shallower above the junction of the mantle blocks (at about 12 km) than above the more stable Saxothuringian mantle lithosphere (at about 20 km), probably due to a higher heat flow and presence of fluids.     

Aspects of Caledonian palaeomagnetism and their tectonic implications

Palaeomagnetic results from the Lower Palaeozoic inliers of northern England cover the upper part of the (Middle Ordovician) Borrowdale Volcanic Series (palaeomagnetic pole 208°E, 18°S, A₉₅ = 9.4°), minor extrusive units relating to the Caradoc and Ashgill stages of Ordovician times, intrusive episodes of Middle Ordovician and Middle Silurian to Late Devonian age, and the Shap Granite of Devonian (393 m.y.) age (palaeomagnetic pole 313°E, 33°S, A₉₅ = 5.6°).A complete assessment of Ordovician to Devonian palaeomagnetic data for the British region shows that the pole was nearly static relative to this region for long intervals which were separated by shifts occupying no more than a few millions of years. The mean palaeomagnetic poles are: Ordovician (6°E, 16°S), Lower Silurian (58°E, 16°N), Middle Silurian/Lower Devonian (318°E, 6°N) and Middle/Upper Devonian (338°E, 26°S); the first two shifts separating these mean poles can be explained predominantly in terms of rotational movements of the crustal plate but the last involved appreciable movement in palaeolatitude.Comparison of Lower Palaeozoic palaeomagnetic data from the British region with contemporaneous data from continental Europe/North America on the Pangaean reconstruction reveals a systematic discrepancy in palaeolatitude between the two regions prior to Middle Devonian times. This discrepancy was eliminated during a few millions of years of Lower/Middle Devonian times (ca. 395 m.y.) and can be explained in terms of ca. 3500 km of sinistral strike-slip movement close to the line of the orthotectonic Caledonides. This motion is linked both in time and place to the impingement of the Gondwanaland and Laurentian supercontinents during the Acadian orogeny; this appears to have displaced the British sub-plate until it became effectively locked between the Baltic and Laurentian regions. Although movement of the dipole field relative to the British region in Lower Palaeozoic times is now well defined, nearly one fifth of the total data show that the geomagnetic field was more complex than dipolar during this interval. Until the significance of these anomalies is fully resolved, the tectonic model derived from the palaeomagnetic data cannot be regarded as unambiguous.     

Observations of heterogeneous stope convergence behavior and implications for induced seismicity

Analysis of stope convergence measurements in a burst-prone lead-zinc-silver mine is being used by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to study rock burst processes. Three convergence gages were installed in a 3-m wide stope of the Galena Mine with an inter-gage distance of approximately 8 m. The two-month period immediately after installation, during which the subsequent cut of the pillar was made, is the subject of the analysis described in this paper. Microseismicity rates and locations (local magnitude –5 and above) were also recorded during this period. Coseismic convergence steps within the 10-minute sample interval are observed at various times on all three gages. The convergences of the three gages do not track one another, indicating the blocky nature of deformation in this stope at a 10 meter or smaller size scale. The behavior of the three gages is different with respect to coseismic and interseismic convergence during the study period. For one of the gages, 82% of total closure occurs coseismically. The other two gages show much smaller percentages of coseismic convergence (30% and 35%), and proportionately higher percentages of interseismic steady creep. This heterogeneous convergence behavior may be indicative of the relative stability of the faults in the vicinity of each gage. An examination of stability models shows that the mine-geometry-related spatial variation in normal stress, acting on an existing set of faults, may explain the observed behavior.     

Intraplate seismicity in the western Bohemian Massif (central Europe): A possible correlation with a paleoplate junction

Locations of the Eger Rift, Cheb Basin, Quaternary volcanoes, crustal earthquake swarms and exhalation centers of CO₂ and ³He of mantle origin correlate with the tectonic fabric of the mantle lithosphere modelled from seismic anisotropy. We suggest that positions of the seismic and volcanic phenomena, as well as of the Cenozoic sedimentary basins, correlate with a “triple junction” of three mantle lithospheres distinguished by different orientations of their tectonic fabric consistent within each unit. The three mantle domains most probably belong to the originally separated microcontinents – the Saxothuringian, Teplá-Barrandian and Moldanubian – assembled during the Variscan orogeny. Cenozoic extension reactivated the junction and locally thinned the crust and mantle lithosphere. The rigid part of the crust, characterized by the presence of earthquake foci, decoupled near the junction from the mantle probably during the Variscan. The boundaries (transitions) of three mantle domains provided open pathways for Quaternary volcanism and the ascent of ³He- and CO₂-rich fluids released from the asthenosphere. The deepest earthquakes, interpreted as an upper limit of the brittle–ductile transition in the crust, are shallower above the junction of the mantle blocks (at about 12 km) than above the more stable Saxothuringian mantle lithosphere (at about 20 km), probably due to a higher heat flow and presence of fluids.     

A statistical damage model with implications for precursory seismicity

Acoustic emissions prior to rupture indicate precursory damage. Laboratory studies of frictional sliding on model faults feature accelerating rates of acoustic emissions prior to rupture. Precursory seismic emissions are not generally observed prior to earthquakes. To address the problem of precursory damage, we consider failure in a fiber-bundle model. We observe a clearly defined nucleation phase followed by a catastrophic rupture. The fibers are hypothesized to represent asperities on a fault. Two limiting behaviors are the equal load sharing p = 0 (stress from a failed fiber is transferred equally to all surviving fibers) and the local load sharing p = 1 (stress from a failed fiber is transferred to adjacent fibers). We show that precursory damage in the nucleation phase is greatly reduced in the local-load sharing limit. The local transfer of stress from an asperity concentrates nucleation, restricting precursory acoustic emissions (seismic activity).     

中国大陆活动地块边界带地震活动过程及其趋势研究

通过计算前人研究所给出的中国大陆26条活动地块边界带上地震过程的变异系数, 分析了各边界带的地震活动类型, 结果表明中国大陆东部地区的边界带地震都表现为丛集过程, 西部地区大多是泊松过程或者准周期过程, 尤其是大陆板块俯冲作用强烈的边界带上地震活动主要呈现为泊松过程, 青臧高原北部和东部地区的边界带都表现为准周期过程, 并讨论了可能的物理机制。 并在以往研究的基础上, 基于对数正态分布函数, 计算了各边界带目前地震发生的累计概率以及未来五年内地震发生的条件概率, 探讨了各活动地块边界带的危险程度等。     

On the spatial distribution of seismicity and the 3D tectonic stress field in western Greece

We analyzed a large number of focal mechanisms and relocated earthquake hypocenters to investigate the geodynamics of western Greece, the most seismically active part of the Aegean plate-boundary zone. This region was seismically activated multiple times during the last decade, providing a large amount of enhanced quality new information that was obtained by the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN). Relocated seismicity using a double-difference method appears to be concentrated above ∼35 km depth, exhibiting spatial continuity along the convergence boundary and being clustered elsewhere. Earthquakes are confined within the accreted sediments escarpment of the down-going African plate against the un-deformed Eurasian hinterland. The data arrangement shows that Pindos constitutes a seismic boundary along which large stress heterogeneities occur. In Cephalonia no seismicity is found to be related with the offshore Cephalonia Transform Fault (CTF). Onshore, NS crustal extension dominates, while in central and south Peloponnesus the stress field appears rotated by 90°. Shearing-stress obliquity by 30° is indicated along the major strike-slip faults, consistent with clockwise crustal rotation. Within the lower crust, the stress field appears affected by plate kinematics and distributed deformation of the lower crust and upper mantle, which guide the regional geodynamics.     

Crustal velocity structures and their tectonic implications in different tectonic block regions of the Chinese mainland

In this paper,the typical velocity structures and average velocities of the crust in six different active tectonic block regions are presented on the basis of previous studies and their tectonic implications are discussed. The results show that different tectonic units have different features of crustal velocity structures. In general,there are low velocity distributions in the crust in regions with strong tectonic activities,and the scales of low velocity distributions are related to the tectonic activitie...     

Lithospheric strength of the Caroline Islands and its tectonic implications

Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica - The Caroline Islands are located in a broad zone near plate boundaries in southwestern Pacific. Accumulating evidence suggests that the hotspot origin alone cannot...     

南北地震带形变场动态演化与地震活动参数图象综合对比研究

利用南北地震带及附近地区２０ 多年来的大地垂直形变资料, 结合区域地震活动资料, 初步分析归纳了大地形变时空分布与地震群体活动的关系。在此基础上, 进一步对南北地震带中南段之川滇菱形块体形变场中期动态演化图象与ｂ 值等地震活动参数图象进行了综合对比分析, 研究了形变场动态演化所揭示的区域现今构造运动的时空差异与反映地壳介质结构特性的ｂ 值的时空分布变化、强震前后地震非均匀度值分布变化以及地震空区等的关系。结果表明： 强震前区域形变场动态演化与地震活动参数的时空分布均具有一定的非均匀特征, 二者所反映的大区域应力场变化与介质结构的不均匀导致的强烈差异运动产生的应变能积累是强震孕育的主要原因。得出了一些利用大地形变场动态演化与地震活动参数图象相结合进行强震中期预测的有益结果。     

Gravity anomaly in and around Antarctica and its tectonic implications

During the nineteen-seventies, the geophysical satellites EOS-3 and SEASAT-1 provided very accurate sea-surface heights, which could be employed as information on the marine geoid. Geoid height can easily be converted to gravity anomalies, and since the tracks of GEOS-3 and SEASAT-1 were extremely dense, the gravity anomaly data thus obtained were the densest and of the widest coverage ever obtained for gravity measurements.The authors completed a self-consistent free-air gravity anomaly map in the Antarctic region, covering from 45°S to the South Pole, using all the gravity data available at present: namely, those obtained by satellites and the ground-truth data obtained by land gravimeters and ship borne gravimeters (Segawa et at., 1984).The bouguer anomaly was also calculated, from which estimates of crustal and lithospheric structures were made. This has resulted in clarifying the relationships among sub-bottom structures between the mid-oceanic ridges surrounding the Antarctic plate and the Ross Sea.