Relative teleseismic travel-time residuals, North Island, New Zealand, and their relation to upper-mantle structure

Relative travel-time residuals computed from clear P-wave arrivals at fourteen seismograph stations in the North Island, New Zealand, from five deep-focus events in the Banda Sea region, show large spatial variations of up to 3 sec. The variations can be explained by higher than normal velocities in the oceanic lithosphere which is underthrust to depths of 350 km beneath the North Island. After correction for crustal structure, the residuals imply an average P-wave velocity about 11% higher than in the surrounding mantle. The lack of suitable source events at azimuths other than northwest prevents a more detailed investigation by this means.     

Apparent velocity and azimuths of short period P-Waves recorded at indian WWSSN stations network

Over 200 earthquakes in the distance range 30°–90° and azimuthal range 0°–360°, recorded at Indian WWSSN stations, have been used in the present study. We have treated the four WWSSN recording stations i.e. New Delhi, Poona, Shillong and Kodai-Kanal, as Super Large Aperture Seismic Array (SLASA) Network with New Delhi being its cross-over point. Short period P-wave data as obtained from these stations have been analysed using a least square technique. Slowness and azimuthal anomalies have been computed for all these events. Relative time residuals have also been calculated. A velocity model has been derived on the basis of the slowness and travel-time data. The results do not indicate presence of any triplication in the travel-time curve. Variations in the relative residuals refer to the tectonic features beneath the recording stations. The P-wave velocity increases continuously in the lower mantle region and there is no indication for the presence of any appreciable velocity gradient.     

A dynamic model of the Hellenic Arc deduced from geophysical data

Combined gravity and seismic data from Greece and the adjacent areas have been used to explain the high seismicity and tectonic activity of this area. Computed 2-D gravity models revealed that below the Aegean region a large “plume” of hot upper-mantle material is rising, causing strong attenuation of the crust. The hot “plume” extends to the base of the lithosphere and has very probably been mobilized through compressional processes that forced the lithosphere to sink into the asthenosphere. The above model is supported by: high heat flow in the Aegean region; low velocity of the compressional waves of 7.7 km/sec for the upper mantle; lower density than normal extending to the base of the lithosphere; teleseismic P-wave travel-time residuals of the order of +2 sec for seismic events recorded at the Greek seismic stations; volcanics in the Aegean area with a chemical composition which can be explained by assuming an assimilation of oceanic crust by the upper mantle; deep seismicity (200 km) which has been interpreted by various authors as a Benioff zone.     

Upper mantle heterogeneities beneath Eastern Europe

P-wave travel-time residuals for seismograph stations in eastern Europe as reported by ISC for the years 1964–1977 were used for constructing a seismic image of upper mantle heterogeneities in the network region. For the depth range 0–100 km, dominant tectonic features like the Pannonian Basin and the Aegean Sea and western Turkey correlate well with pronounced velocity lows which a ppear to extenddown to a 300 km depth. The velocity anomaly patterns in the depth intervals 300–500 km and 500–600 km are broadly similar but quite different from those of shallower depths. The observed seismic heterogeneities are briefly discussed in terms of large-scale tectonic and geophysical (heat-flow) characteristics of eastern Europe.     

Temporal changes in P-wave velocity in Southern California

P-wave delays at Tinemaha, China Lake, Pasadena, Riverside, Hayfield and Barrett, stations of the CIT Southern California seismic network, are measured for three explosions in the Aleutians and six deep-focus earthquakes in the Marianas. Except at Riverside, no change in P-delays exceeding the experimental uncertainty, ± 0.2 sec, is found during the period from 1965 to 1971. At Riverside, however, P-delay in 1971 is at least 0.4 sec smaller than that in 1965, indicating a temporal P-velocity increase beneath Riverside from 1965 to 1971. Evidence supporting this result is obtained from the P-times at Riverside for quarry blasts at Corona (Δ ≈ 20 km). Precise travel-time measurements are made for eight blasts since 1949. The travel time changes as a function of time, ranging from 3.3 to 3.7 sec. This range of variation seems to be larger than the experimental uncertainty. The trend for the period from 1964 to 1969 is consistent with the temporal change in the teleseismic P-delays observed at Riverside. The observed change in P-delays is not related in any obvious way to past seismic activity; rather it might represent a large-scale fluctuation of the property of the crust caused possibly by change in the tectonic stress and fluid-vapor flow, and may be related to future earthquake activity.     

Local source tomography: applications to Italian areas

We describe three study cases in which we used local earthquake and shot travel-time residuals to investigate the upper crustal structure of three regions in Italy. We inverted for velocity and hypocentral parameters using a damped least-squares technique making use of parameter (velocity and hypocentre) separation. The three studied regions are in Italy, namely (a) the Vulsinian Volcanic Complex (Latium), where there is an active geothermal field; (b) the Irpinia (Campania–Lucania) region, in the Southern Appennines, site of the strongest earthquake in Italy for at least 65 years (November 1980, M_s= 6.9); (c) the Friuli region, in Northeastern Italy, where another strong earthquake (M_s= 6.5) occurred in 1976. The computed shallow velocity models generally correspond with surface geological structures. For the three studied areas, the main results are, respectively: (a) A low-velocity anomaly detected in the centre of the Vulsinian Volcanic Complex at a depth of 5–8 km, probably due to anomalous heat flow caused by a partially molten or cooling intrusive body; (b) the identification of a deep (10 km) discontinuity in the crust beneath the Irpinia fault zone, approximately corresponding with the fault extension at depth; (c) the detection of a wedge of high-velocity, high density material at seismogenic depth (5–10 km) beneath the Friuli region, interpreted as a buried thrust of the metamorphic basement.     

Fractal study of seismicity in order to characterize the various tectonic blocks of North-east Himalaya,India

North-eastern Himalaya is said to be one of the world most complex geological set-up with different kinds of seismotectonic systems. Region has experienced two of the world’s strongest earthquakes, such as Shillong earthquake of 1897 known as Assam earthquake and subsequent 1950 earthquake in Arunachal Pradesh, both of with magnitude of 8.7, and also several other strong earthquakes. Various techniques have been applied to understand the past strong earthquake mechanism as well as hazard estimation carried out for future earthquake. Fractal correlation dimension (D _c) is being used in this study with the seismicity for the period 1961 to recent for understanding the pattern of seismic hazard. The entire area has been divided into four major tectonic blocks, and each block event was divided into consecutive fifty events window for seeing spatiotemporal patterns. After comparing the patterns, we have identified that Block of Eastern Himalaya near Main Central Thrust, Main Boundary Thrust, north of Kopili lineament and Block of Shillong plateau near Dauki fault are having relatively intense clustering of events in recent times, which may be identified as the zones of most potential to have a strong event.     

The seismic b-value and its correlation with Bouguer gravity anomaly over the Shillong Plateau area: Tectonic implications

Clues to the understanding of intra- and inter-plate variations in strength or stress state of the crust can be achieved through different lines of evidence and their mutual relationships. Among these parameters Bouguer gravity anomalies and seismic b-values have been widely accepted over several decades for evaluating the crustal character and stress regime. The present study attempts a multivariate analysis for the Shillong Plateau using the Bouguer gravity anomaly and the earthquake database, and establishes a causal relationship between these parameters. Four seismic zones (Zones I–IV), with widely varying b-values, are delineated and an excellent correlation between the seismic b-value and the Bouguer gravity anomaly has been established for the plateau. Low b-values characterize the southwestern part (Zone IV) and a zone (Zone III) of intermediate b-values separates the eastern and western parts of the plateau (Zones I and II) which have high b-values. Positive Bouguer anomaly values as high as +40 mgal, a steep gradient in the Bouguer anomaly map and low b-values in the southwestern part of the plateau are interpreted as indicating a thinner crustal root, uplifted Moho and higher concentration of stress. In comparison, the negative Bouguer anomaly values, flat regional gradient in the Bouguer anomaly map and intermediate to high b-values in the northern part of the plateau are consistent with a comparatively thicker crustal root and lower concentration of stress, with intermittent dissipation of energy through earthquake shocks. Further, depth wise variation in the b-value for different seismic zones, delineated under this study, allowed an appreciation of intra-plateau variation in crustal thickness from ∼30 km in its southern part to ∼38 km in the northern part. The high b-values associated with the depth, coinciding with lower crust, indicate that the Shillong Plateau is supported by a strong lithosphere.     

Site response of the Ganges basin inferred from re-evaluated macroseismic observations from the 1897 Shillong, 1905 Kangra,and 1934 Nepal earthquakes

We analyze previously published geodetic data and intensity values for the M _s = 8.1 Shillong (1897), M _s = 7.8 Kangra (1905), and M _s = 8.2 Nepal/Bihar (1934) earthquakes to investigate the rupture zones of these earthquakes as well as the amplification of ground motions throughout the Punjab, Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys. For each earthquake we subtract the observed MSK intensities from a synthetic intensity derived from an inferred planar rupture model of the earthquake, combined with an attenuation function derived from instrumentally recorded earthquakes. The resulting residuals are contoured to identify regions of anomalous intensity caused primarily by local site effects. Observations indicative of liquefaction are treated separately from other indications of shaking severity lest they inflate inferred residual shaking estimates. Despite this precaution we find that intensites are 1–3 units higher near the major rivers, as well as at the edges of the Ganges basin. We find evidence for a post-critical Moho reflection from the 1897 and 1905 earthquakes that raises intensities 1–2 units at distances of the order of 150 km from the rupture zone, and we find that the 1905 earthquake triggered a substantial subsequent earthquake at Dehra Dun, at a distance of approximately 150 km. Four or more M = 8 earthquakes are apparently overdue in the region based on seismic moment summation in the past 500 years. Results from the current study permit anticipated intensities in these future earthquakes to be refined to incorporate site effects derived from dense macroseismic data.     

P-wave travel-time anomalies: Aleutian-Alaska region

The P-wave travel-time residuals in the Aleutian-Alaska region have been obtained by combining data from three underground nuclear tests so far carried out by the Atomic Energy Commission of the United States in Amchitka Island. The travel-time residuals show close correlation with the tectonism of the area. Attempts have been made to interpret qualitatively the pattern of the residuals in regard to the plate tectonics of the area. Areas of negative residuals appear interpretable as due to the underthrusted high-velocity lithospheric plate while areas with positive residuals seem to be associated with normal crust and upper mantle.     

Estimation of the 3-D velocity structure of the Sorachi–Yezo and Oshima Belts in the western part of Hokkaido, Japan

We adopted the seismic tomography technique to refine the three-dimensional velocity structure model of the western part of Hokkaido, Japan. Using the P-wave first arrival data listed by Japan Meteorological Agency from 2002 to 2005, we could estimate a 3-D inhomogeneous velocity structure model with a low velocity at a depth of 14 km beneath Asahikawa. The crustal structure near Sapporo was characterized by lateral velocity change toward the southern seaside. The low-velocity zone near Urakawa, proposed by previous research, was also clarified. In general, the present model showed lower-velocity values for most of the crustal layers in the area concerned. The results of this study were affected by less number of higher magnitude events (M?≥?0.5) in the central part of the area of interest. However, the perturbation results for comparatively shallow layers (6–50 km) were good in resolution. It was found that the source region of the Rumoi–Nanbu earthquake of December 14, 2004 was characterized by a low-velocity zone, located between high velocity zones. Such an inhomogeneous crustal structure might play an important role in the relatively high seismic activity in the Rumoi–Nanbu earthquake source region.     

Frequency-magnitude,depth, and time relations for earthquakes in an island arc: North Island,New Zealand

Analysis of over 1400 earthquakes in the North Island of New Zealand from 1955 to 1969, comprising all shocks with m_l ? 4.3 for shallow, and M_L ? 4.0 for deep events, reveals several empirical relationships between the depth and the equivalent radius of the area occupied by shocks, the number and density of the shocks, and the coefficient b and the maximum magnitude. The coefficient b increases linearly with depth from 1.0 for shallow earthquakes to 1.4 for those at a depth of 120 km, and then decreases to 0.75 at 300—350 km. The variation with depth shows clear inverse correlation with the distribution of maximum stress along the downgoing slab, calculated for several slab models by Smith and Toksöz. Similarly, the maximum magnitude at different depths correlates distinctly with the distribution of the principal stress. Time variations of the coefficient b and the rate of earthquake occurrence, for both shallow and deep earthquakes, have an oscillatory character, with a period of 7–8 years. These variations also imply that shallow and deep seismicity are mutually dependent.     

Seismic crustal structure of the Limpopo mobile belt,Zimbabwe

A 145 km N–S seismic traverse was deployed to determine the crustal structure of the Limpopo mobile belt in southern Zimbabwe and the nature of its northern boundary with the Zimbabwean craton. Rockbursts from South African gold mines to the south and regional seismicity from the Kariba-South Zambia belt to the north were used as seismic sources. P-wave relative teleseismic residuals were also measured to assess whether any velocity contrast between the craton and the mobile belt extended into the upper mantle.Interpretation of reduced travel times from the local Buchwa iron-ore mine blasts, which were broadside to the traverse, revealed an upper crustal interface in the Limpopo mobile belt at a depth of 5.8 ± 0.6 km, dividing material with a velocity of about 5.8 km/s from that of about 6.4 km/s. On the craton, arrivals from the same source showed a 4.4 ± 0.5 km thick 5.5 km/s layer overlying crust of about velocity 6.5 km/s. P-wave arrivals from the regional seismicity were used to construct a crustal cross-section. Absolute crustal thickness was tentatively estimated from the identification of a Moho reflection on the mine blast recordings. To the south of Rutenga, the crust thins from around 34 km to 29 km in association with a positive gravity anomaly centred over the late-Karoo Nuanetsi Igneous Province and Karoo Tuli Syncline. North of Rutenga to the boundary with the Zimbabwean craton, the crust is about 34 km thick. The craton boundary was found to be a steeply southerly dipping zone associated with high-velocity material, which could either be deep-seated greenstones or mafic material associated with the margin in the region studied. This zone divides cratonic crust, which was found to be about 40 km thick, from that typical of the mobile belt and implies a step in the Moho of around 6 km.Analysis of relative teleseismic residuals showed that the velocity contrasts are not confined to the crust but extend into the uppermost upper mantle with the cratonic lithosphere being about 4% faster than that of the Limpopo mobile belt. The resolution of the technique is such that it is difficult to ascertain whether these differences are features of Precambrian evolution or are due to reactivation of the upper mantle during Karoo igneous and tectonic activity.     

On upper mantle seismic heterogeneities beneath Fennoscandia

Three-dimensional seismic mapping of the upper mantle beneath Fennoscandia (Baltic Shield) using an ACH-type of inversion technique in combination with P-wave travel-time residual observations from the local seismograph network gave the following results. The central parts of the Baltic Shield are characterized by relatively high seismic velocities down to approximately 300 km. Those parts of the shield most affected by the Caledonide orogeny exhibit relatively low velocities particularly in the uppermost 100 km depth interval. The lower part of the upper mantle (300–600 km) does not exhibit pronounced seismic velocity anomalies and in this respect is in contrast to results from similar studies in regions subjected to neotectonic processes like parts of central and southeastern Europe. The seismic anomaly pattern in the presumed thickened lithosphere is in quantitative agreement with similar ones derived from surface wave dispersion analysis and inversion of electrical measurements. The general orientation of these anomalies coincides with that of the glacial uplift.     

Estimation of the 2D crustal velocity structure in the Hidaka and Iburi Subprefectures, Hokkaido, Japan

Applying the iterative shooting/bisection technique for rapid forward modeling to the seismic explosion data, we could refine the crustal velocity structure model of the western part of the Hidaka collision zone, Hokkaido, Japan. We used only the precise P-wave first arrival data obtained by the Research Group for Explosion Seismology, which set up a 113.4-km-long profile in August 2000 along with 327 observation points and four shot points with TNT charges from 100 to 300 kg. We could estimate a two-dimensional inhomogeneous crustal velocity structure model with a velocity decrease in the eastern direction at a depth of 15.7 km, several portions of velocity reversals with depth and a low velocity anomaly proposed in previous studies. The root-mean-square of travel-time residuals was improved from 0.398 s for the previous structure model to 0.176 s for the present model with a reduction of 55.8%.     

Spatial analysis of the frequency–magnitude distribution of aftershock activity of 2003 Bam earthquake: southeast Iran

The Bam earthquake (2003 December 26, M _W = 6.6) was one of the largest earthquakes that occurred in southeast of Iran during last century. It took place along an N–S trending right-lateral strike-slip fault, almost near the southern end of Nyband–Gowk fault. In this study, we mapped the frequency–magnitude distribution of aftershock events spatially across the Bam aftershock zone. The b-value varies between 0.6 and 1.1 across the Bam rupture zone. The overall depth distribution of b-value in Bam aftershock zone reveals two distinct increases in b-value: (1) at depths of 8–10 km and (2) shallower than 4 km beneath the Bam city. There is no correlation between high b- value anomalies found in this study and the region of largest slip, whereas the spatial correlation between high b-value anomalies and the zone of low V _s and high σ (in earlier tomography study) is obvious. This correlation reveals that material properties and increasing heterogeneity are more important in controlling b-value distribution in Bam earthquake rupture zone. The high b-value anomaly near the surface of northern part of rupture zone may be related to unconsolidated and water-rich quaternary alluvial sediments and probable low-strength rocks beneath them. The high b-value anomaly at depth range 8–10 km can be correlated with fractured and fluid-filled mass, which may result from the movement of magma during Eocene volcanism in the Bam area. In this study, the induced changes in pore fluid pressure due to main shock are suggested as a mechanism for aftershock generation.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112001247

The Sinai Peninsula has been recognized as a subplate of the African Plate located at the triple junction of the Gulf of Suez rift, the Dead Sea Transform fault, and the Red Sea rift. The upper and lower crustal structures of this tectonically active, rapidly developing region are yet poorly understood because of many limitations. For this reason, a set of P- and S-wave travel times recorded at 14 seismic stations belonging to the Egyptian National Seismographic Network (ENSN) from 111 local and regional events are analyzed to investigate the crustal structures and the locations of the seismogenic zones beneath central and southern Sinai. Because the velocity model used for routine earthquake location by ENSN is one-dimensional, the travel-time residuals will show lateral heterogeneity of the velocity structures and unmodeled vertical structures. Seismic activity is strong along the eastern and southern borders of the study area but low to moderate along the northern boundary and the Gulf of Suez to the west. The crustal V_p/V_s ratio is 1.74 from shallow (depth ≤ 10 km) earthquakes and 1.76 from deeper (depth > 10 km) crustal events. The majority of the regional and local travel-time residuals are positive relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM), implying that the seismic stations are located above widely distributed, tectonically-induced low-velocity zones. These low-velocity zones are mostly related to the local crustal faults affecting the sedimentary section and the basement complex as well as the rifting processes prevailing in the northern Red Sea region and the ascending of hot mantle materials along crustal fractures. The delineation of these low-velocity zones and the locations of big crustal earthquakes enable the identification of areas prone to intense seismotectonic activities, which should be excluded from major future development projects and large constructions in central and southern Sinai.     

Spatial variation of seismicity parameters across India and adjoining areas

An attempt has been made to quantify the variability in the seismic activity rate across the whole of India and adjoining areas (0–45°N and 60–105°E) using earthquake database compiled from various sources. Both historical and instrumental data were compiled and the complete catalog of Indian earthquakes till 2010 has been prepared. Region-specific earthquake magnitude scaling relations correlating different magnitude scales were achieved to develop a homogenous earthquake catalog for the region in unified moment magnitude scale. The dependent events (75.3%) in the raw catalog have been removed and the effect of aftershocks on the variation of b value has been quantified. The study area was divided into 2,025 grid points (1°×1°) and the spatial variation of the seismicity across the region have been analyzed considering all the events within 300 km radius from each grid point. A significant decrease in seismic b value was seen when declustered catalog was used which illustrates that a larger proportion of dependent events in the earthquake catalog are related to lower magnitude events. A list of 203,448 earthquakes (including aftershocks and foreshocks) occurred in the region covering the period from 250 B.C. to 2010 A.D. with all available details is uploaded in the website .     

Seismic hazard in mega city Kolkata, India

The damages caused by recent earthquakes in India have been a wake up call for people to take proper mitigation measures, especially the major cities that lie in the high seismic hazard zones. Kolkata City, with thick sediment deposit (∼12 km), one of the earliest cities of India, is an area of great concern as it lies over the Bengal Basin and lies at the boundary of the seismic zones III and IV of the zonation map of India. Kolkata has been affected by the 1897 Shillong earthquake, the 1906 Calcutta earthquake, and the 1964 Calcutta earthquake. An analysis on the maximum magnitude and b-value for Kolkata City region is carried out after the preparation of earthquake catalog from various sources. Based on the tectonic set-up and seismicity of the region, five seismic zones are delineated, which can pose a threat to Kolkata in the event of an earthquake. They are broadly classified as Zone 1: Arakan-Yoma Zone (AYZ), Zone 2: Himalayan Zone (HZ), Zone 3: Shillong Plateau Zone (SPZ), Zone 4: Bay of Bengal Zone (BBZ), and Zone 5: Shield Zone (SZ). The maximum magnitude (m _max) for Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are 8.30 ± 0.51, 9.09 ± 0.58, 9.20 ± 0.51, 6.62 ± 0.43 and 6.61 ± 0.43, respectively. A probability of 10% exceedance value in 50 years is used for each zone. The probabilities of occurrences of earthquakes of different magnitudes for return periods of 50 and 100 years are computed for the five seismic zones. The Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) obtained for Kolkata City varies from 0.34 to 0.10 g.     

Focal mechanism of Badr earthquake, Saudia Arabia of August 27, 2009

Focal mechanism solution of the 27th August 2009 earthquake (mb?=?4.0) that occurred in the Badr area, northwest of Saudi Arabia, approximately 50?km from the Red Sea has been determined from the P-wave first motion polarities. Results show normal faulting mechanism with a negligible component of strike-slip motion with NE T-axis direction. This type of mechanism is common with other earthquakes of the northwestern Saudi Arabia and is considered to present the tectonic movement of the region. The dominantly extensional tectonic regime in this province demonstrates the influence of NE extension in the Red Sea. The strikes of the solution are consistent with those of the main faults near the epicenter. Hypocentral location of this earthquake was carried out using the data from the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology Seismic Network, Saudi Arabia, and the Egyptian National Seismological Network, Egypt. The horizontal and vertical confidence estimates are 0.5?km for both. The local magnitude, M _L, following the Richter??s original definition was also derived from ten digital three-component broadband seismograms. The average local magnitude determined in this study is 3.8?±?0.17. The estimated seismic moment of this event is $ {3}.{\hbox{7e}} + {14}\,{\hbox{Nm}}\left( {{M_{\rm{W}}} = {3}.{66}\pm 0.0{7}} \right) $ .