多种地球物理场观测数据中亚失稳现象

20100124山西河津M4.8地震前,临汾地震台宽频倾斜仪记录到与实验室岩石破裂亚失稳过程类似图像,震源及附近地区也出现多项准同步性的短临异常。本文对这次地震前震源及附近地区多种地球物理场观测数据在发震断层黏滑失稳前不同阶段的变化特征进行了探讨。结果表明：1）震前记录到的亚失稳现象并非单点单测项,而是具有多点多物理场的群体性特征;2）这些异常出现的时间与临汾宽频倾斜仪记录的亚失稳事件时间基本同步,其形态上以大幅突变为主,时间上多集中在震前45 d左右,空间上主要集中在距震中100 km的范围内,且具有随时间从外围向震中区集中的特点;3）震前不仅在多种地球物理场观测数据中记录到类似亚失稳现象,而且在震前1~6 d一些地球物理场观测仪器还记录到与发震断层失稳前预滑有关的小事件;4）震前临汾宽频倾斜仪记录到的亚失稳现象、震源及附近地区出现多项准同步性的短临异常,是在震源及附近地区的区域应力场增强、介质特性发生改变的情况下出现的,可能与河津地震有关;5）震前多种地球物理场异常随时间推移显示出协同化的特点,即沿发震断裂方向有由外围向震中迁移和集中的特点。     

2021年5月21日漾濞MS6.4地震的发震断层及其破裂特征: 地震序列的重定位分析结果

据中国地震台网测定，2021年5月21日21时48分在云南省大理州漾濞县发生M_S6.4地震，及时查明此次地震的发震构造及震源破裂特征，可为认识该区孕震条件和判别未来强震危险性提供关键依据。采用双差定位方法对漾濞地震序列进行重新定位，得到3863次地震事件的精确震源位置。结果显示:漾濞地震序列整体呈北西—南东向分布，长约25 km；整体走向135°；M_S6.4主震震中位置为25.688°N，99.877°E；震源深度约9.6 km。综合地震序列深度剖面和震源机制解结果可知，发震断层应为北西走向、整体向西南方向陡倾的右旋走滑断层，倾角具有自北西向南东逐渐变缓的趋势。进一步分析地震序列的时空演化过程发现，该地震具有典型的"前震-主震-余震型"地震序列活动特点，其破裂过程主要包括3个阶段。破裂成核阶段:首先在发震断层10~12 km深度处相对脆弱部位产生小尺度破裂，之后失稳加速破裂，发生M_S5.6地震；主震破裂阶段:在构造应力场持续加载和周围小尺度破裂的共同影响下，促使浅部较高强度断层闭锁区破裂，形成M_S6.4主震；尾端拉张破裂阶段:主震破裂向东南扩展过程中，在东南端形成与之呈马尾状斜交的、具有正断性质的次级破裂，并产生M_S5.2余震。而且此次地震还在源区北东侧触发了北北东向的左旋走滑破裂。综合分析认为，漾濞地震是兰坪-思茅地块内部北西向草坪断裂在近南北向区域应力挤压作用下发生右旋走滑运动的结果，具有明显的新生断裂特征。近年来兰坪-思茅地块内部一系列中强地震的发生表明，青藏高原物质向东南持续挤出的过程中，遇到该地块的阻挡，正在导致地块内部早期断层贯通形成新的活动断裂。因此，川滇地块西南边界带上或相邻地块内部老断层的复活和新生断裂的产生是区域中强地震危险性分析评价中值得关注的重要课题，同时建议需重视未来该区中强地震进一步向东南和向北的迁移或扩展的可能性。      

汶川Ms8.0地震强震动基线改正及其在位错反演中的初步应用

通过研究近场强震动记录, 发现汶川M_s8.0地震近场峰值加速度在空间上存在较明显的上盘效应和方向性效应, 与汶川引起的地质灾害空间分布具有较好的一致性.但在所有强震仪所记录的汶川M_s8.0地震同震加速度记录积分所得地壳同震速度中, 有的台站数据存在典型的线性偏移, 有的台站数据除线性偏移外还存在明显的非线性偏移.采用非线性基线改正方法处理汶川M_s8.0强震同震记录, 改正后所得同震位移明显要比线性基线改正更合乎实际情况.以强震动、GPS和InSAR同震位移处理结果做约束, 反演了汶川M_s8.0地震同震位错分布, 对于汶川M_s8.0地震主要同震破裂断裂(北川-映秀断裂), 强震动反演结果不仅较好地刻画了汶川M_s8.0地震同震主断裂上地表破裂空间分布详细变化特征, 同时也较好地反映北端破裂衰减情况, 该结果表明: 强震动资料可以为强震后的救援和灾害评估等工作提供具有参考价值的研究结果; 另一方面, 受数据数量的制约, 用强震动改正后位移反演所得位错分布中仅汉旺断裂南段存在较为明显位错, 强震仪布设时应更多地考虑是否相对均匀地分布在具有发震潜势的断裂周缘, 以期更好地在震后应急救灾中发挥更好的作用.      

单轴压缩下两种脆性岩石强度及声发射特性的试验研究

脆性对岩石破裂机制及声发射特性具有重要影响。采用花岗岩及大理岩两种不同岩性的岩石,开展了单轴压缩及声发射测试试验,获取了两种岩石的强度及变形特性,并对其脆性大小进行定量评价,分析了单轴压缩过程中两种岩石声发射能量演化特性,结合声发射b值计算结果及其物理意义,对比了两种岩石破裂机制的差异性。结果表明:(1)试验所采用的两种岩石,花岗岩的σ_cd/σ_p之比介于0.676~0.745之间,平均为0.706,而大理岩的σ_cd/σ_p之比介于0.439~0.615,平均为0.52;(2)基于脆性评价指标,结合试样宏观破坏现象及形态,本次试验采用的花岗岩其脆性大于大理岩;(3)岩石脆性程度越大,在裂纹不稳定扩展阶段,在产生相同的轴向压缩变形的情况下,环向变形量越大;(4)强脆性的花岗岩在裂纹不稳定扩展阶段持续出现高能级的声发射信号,而弱脆性的大理岩则表现出能量持续降低的变化趋势,峰值强度后,弱脆性的大理岩其高能级能量的声发射信号更活跃;(5)单轴压缩下,与大理岩相比,花岗岩破坏过程中大尺度的破裂事件所占比例较大。     

深部岩体分区碎裂化进程的时间效应研究

论文对现场观测和相似材料模拟实验中岩石分区碎裂化的时间效应进行了总结。得出岩石分区碎裂化现象是岩体经蠕变产生的。破碎带的形成需要经过一定的时间。但这段时间不会很长。采用蠕变理论对岩石分区碎裂化的时间效应进行了分析,推导了能够描述加速蠕变阶段的流变模型———改进的西原模型的本构方程和蠕变方程。在此基础上求出了岩石分区破裂化发生时破裂带半径(破碎带距巷道中心的距离)的公式。     

基于干涉雷达的玉树地震断裂运动模式与地震迁移趋势分析

2010年4月14日青海省玉树县发生M_s7.1级地震。利用地震前后2期ALOS雷达数据进行了地表同震形变场InSAR解译研究,获取了高质量的干涉图像,并解算出定量变形场。进而根据干涉计算的变形方向、变形范围、变形量和变形梯度,参考该区的构造背景和走滑断裂的力学机理对本次地震构造活动进行了分析并得出如下结论：1）玉树地震引发了地表NWW走向、由5段构成的“S”形走滑断裂,总体为左阶排列,走滑量从10.2 cm到133.2 cm不等,走滑极值可达195 cm,其中在结古镇和隆宝镇附近的两段出现较明显的地表破裂;2）断裂两侧的雷达视线向运动方向和运动量的差异预示发震断裂以左旋走滑运动为主,SW盘为主动盘;3）宏观震中可以定位于玉树县城西北约16 km的地表陡变带附近;4）发震断裂地表行迹、变形量和地表破裂幅度预示余震将主要沿发震断裂向NW迁移;5）根据青藏高原东部地块的分区,本次地震属于羌塘地块活动的结果,与巴颜喀拉地块活动引发的汶川地震不存在直接的关联。     

反倾边坡倾倒变形演化过程的模型试验研究

以西藏扎拉水电站坝址右岸反倾边坡为工程依托,基于地质认识及相似理论建立边坡物理模型,采用分级开挖的方式模拟河谷下切作用,研究反倾岩质边坡倾倒变形的演化过程。模型开挖后变形破裂发展的过程表明:该类反倾边坡倾倒变形模式为初期卸荷回弹变形、长期重力弯曲（破裂）变形及后期蠕滑变形。通过对位移、变形速率和变形加速度变化规律的分析发现:反倾边坡倾倒变形的过程可以根据变形加速度a划分为3个演化阶段即倾倒启动阶段、稳态变形阶段和快速失稳阶段,各阶段分别对应衰减蠕变、稳态蠕变和加速蠕变的变形特征。在此基础上采用变形加速度a作为倾倒边坡稳定性判别指标,并尝试将变形加速度突破稳态蠕变上限值（a≥a₂）作为边坡失稳预警判据。     

2021年5月云南漾濞MS 6.4地震序列发震构造及破裂过程初探

北京时间2021年5月21日21时48分36秒,云南省大理州漾濞县发生M_S 6.4地震。利用云南数字地震台网2021年5月18日至8月22日的震相报告,采用双差地震定位法,对漾濞M_S 6.4地震序列进行重新定位。重新定位结果显示序列呈NW向优势分布,破裂长约20 km,宽约7 km,对重新定位结果进行误差分析,水平方向定位误差约为0.8 km,垂直方向定位误差约为1.0 km,定位结果具有较好的稳定性。依据震中分布的走向将序列划分为NW向的主断层与NNW向的分支断层,主断层存在较为明显的分段现象,分支断层呈雁列状分布。根据小震丛集性发生在大震断层面及其附近的原则,利用重新定位后的小震震源位置反演得到漾濞M_S 6.4序列主断层走向约320°,倾角约89°,深度范围3～13 km。根据拟合得到的断层在地表的投影位置,推测本次地震的发震断层为维西-乔后断裂西侧的草坪断裂。基于断层滑动量分布识别出3个凹凸体,结合序列时空演化特征,分析了漾濞M_S 6.4地震序列的破裂过程,结果显示断层中段的凹凸体发生初始破裂...     

青海玛多“5·22”MS7.4级地震的同震地表破裂特征、成因及意义

2021年5月22日2时4分在青海省果洛藏族州玛多县境内发生M_S7.4级地震,此次玛多M_S7.4级地震是2008年汶川M_S8.0级大地震之后中国震级最大的一次地震,及时查明其同震地表破裂展布及特征,对于正确认识发震构造和区域防震减灾具有重要意义。根据震后现场调查,结合高分辨率卫星遥感图像的解译分析、余震数据和典型地震地表破裂的无人机低空摄影测量等结果,初步获得了此次地震6处典型地震地表破裂的特征。结果发现:此次玛多地震的地表破裂主要沿已知的东昆仑断裂带的南侧分支断裂昆仑山口-江错断裂的东南段分布,分析表明其中的江错断裂应是此次地震的发震断层;同震破裂的西段总体走向275°~300°,主要表现为挤压鼓包和雁列式张裂隙的斜列组合,其中江错贡麻段至江多村段出现了明显的1.4~0.8 m的垂直位移,指示该段可能具有较明显的正断层成分;中部黄河乡段主要由一系列呈左阶斜列的北西向P剪切裂缝和右阶雁行排列的北东向张裂隙构成,走滑位移较小;而东段地表破裂出现了多个分支,其中北支昌马河段主要由一系列雁行排列的张裂隙组成,总体走向为260°,与断裂西段的走向明显不同;地震造成的最大左旋位移出现在西段的错尔加拉破裂段,约2.8 m,指示此次地震地表破裂带的走滑位移主要呈从西向东的单侧扩展-衰减特征。考虑到此次玛多地震出现在东昆仑主干断裂南侧的巴颜喀拉地块内部,表明该地块内部具有发生7级以上大地震的能力,因此,巴颜喀拉地块内部强震活动的孕震条件和机理应该是未来需要进一步关注的科学问题。      

基于声发射上升时间/振幅与平均频率值的花岗岩劈裂破坏评价指标研究

通过花岗岩巴西劈裂试验,研究基于声发射RA（上升时间/振幅）与AF（平均频率）值的参数指标描述岩石破坏剧烈程度的可行性与优势。通过对比破坏过程中的RA与AF值分布的变化,与矩张量分析结果相互印证,发现即使宏观上以张拉为主的岩石劈裂破坏,在临近破坏阶段,仍会出现剪切破裂成分增加的现象,并提出了花岗岩巴西劈裂试验中基于RA与AF指标进行岩石破裂机制分析的判定建议值;提出r =RA/AF作为描述岩石破坏剧烈程度的基本指标,对比其与振幅参数在不同破坏阶段的变化趋势及不同传播距离下的衰减规律,结果表明：在衰减的影响下,基于r的参数指标将得到偏安全的评价结果;进一步提出r值变异系数CV(r)作为r值参数的统计指标,并与基于振幅的统计指标b值进行对比,对比结果验证了以CV(r)描述岩石破坏剧烈程度的可行性,且根据b值对岩石失稳破坏的判定值提出了花岗岩劈裂破坏中的CV(r)建议判定值。     

Abnormal Phenomena Recorded by Several Earthquake Precursor Observation Instruments Before the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan,Sichuan Earthquake

Abstract: The paper introduces the anomalies observed by digital tiltmeter, cross-fault deformation meter, 4-component borehole strainmeter and geothermometer before May 12, 2008, Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan. The digital tiltmeter installed in the epicentral region in Shifang County recorded the tilt anomalies 15 days before the earthquake with variation amplitude of 3.7 times larger than the annual deviation of 2007. The cross-fault deformation meter installed at Zimakua station on the Xianshuihe-Anninghe fault zone detected displacement anomaly occurring since 2006 with the variation amplitude exceeding the cumulative value of the last ten years. Five borehole strainmeter stations in the Chongqing section of Three Gorges Reservoir area observed unconventional strain changes occurring in the period from May 1 through 12, 2008. Among them, the strainmeter at Wanzhou station recorded the great compression strain rate on the EW component at 14:00 o'clock of May 10, and the anomaly amplitude was so large that the instrument output exceeded its dynamic range, corresponding to a level of ~104 nanostrains. The geothermometers installed in Xi’an, Chongqing and Xichang recorded the sudden temperature changes from November 2007 to January 2008 with the variation amplitudes several times larger than the ordinary deviation. The above phenomena and the criteria for distinguishing the anomalies from background fluctuations are discussed in this paper.     

Estimation of model parameter of Sumatra earthquake using empirical Green’s function technique and generation of hypothetical earthquake scenario for Andaman Island, India

Empirical Green??s function (EGF) technique is considered to be most effective technique for simulation of ground motions due to a finite earthquake source. In the present paper, this technique has been used to simulate ground motion due to a great earthquake. The coastal region of Sumatra Island has been visited by a great earthquake on December 26, 2004. This earthquake has been recorded at several broadband stations including a nearest broadband station PSI in Indonesia. The shear wave contributions in both horizontal components have been simulated at PSI station using EGF technique. The comparison of simulated and observed waveform has been made for various possibilities of rupture parameters in terms of root mean square error. The final rupture model supports rupture velocity of 3.0?km/s with nucleation point supporting northward propagating rupture that coincide with high-slip asperity defined by Sorensen et al. (Bull Seism Soc Am 97:S139?CS151, 2007). The final modeling parameters have been used to simulate record at MDRS station in coastal state of Tamilnadu, India. In an attempt to model a scenario of great earthquake in the Andaman Island, a hypothetical rupture plane is modeled in this region. The event occurred on August 10, 2008 of magnitude 6.2 (M _w ) recorded on strong motion array at Port Blair has been used as EGF to simulate records due to the hypothetical great earthquake. Possibilities of earthquake due to the oblique strike-slip and thrust mechanism have been modeled in the present paper. Several possibilities of nucleation point for both cases has been considered, and it is seen that variation of peak ground acceleration at Port Blair station for strike-slip and thrust mechanism is 126?C738 gals and 647?C2,571 gals, respectively, which indicate high seismic hazard potential of Andaman Island.     

Abnormal Phenomena Recorded by Several Earthquake Precursor Observation Instruments Before the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan, Sichuan Earthquake

The paper introduces the anomalies observed by digital tiltmeter, cross-fault deformation meter, 4-component borehole strainmeter and geothermometer before May 12, 2008, Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan. The digital tiltmeter installed in the epicentral region in Shifang County recorded the tilt anomalies 15 days before the earthquake with variation amplitude of 3.7 times larger than the annual deviation of 2007. The cross-fault deformation meter installed at Zimakua station on the Xianshuihe-Anninghe fault zone detected displacement anomaly occurring since 2006 with the variation amplitude exceeding the cumulative value of the last ten years. Five borehole strainmeter stations in the Chongqing section of Three Gorges Reservoir area observed unconventional strain changes occurring in the period from May 1 through 12, 2008. Among them, the strainmeter at Wanzhou station recorded the great compression strain rate on the EW component at 14:00 o'clock of May 10, and the anomaly amplitude was so large that the instrument output exceeded its dynamic range, corresponding to a level of ～104 nanostrains. The geothermometers installed in Xi'an, Chongqing and Xichang recorded the sudden temperature changes from November 2007 to January 2008 with the variation amplitudes several times larger than the ordinary deviation. The above phenomena and the criteria for distinguishing the anomalies from background fluctuations are discussed in this paper.     

Estimation of the rupture velocity and fault length of the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake using a dense broadband seismic array in Taiwan

The rupture process of the disastrous Sumatra–Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004 was analyzed by array processes for teleseismic P-waves recorded by a dense broadband seismic array in Taiwan with epicentral distances of close to 31°. The azimuthal variation from the BATS array center to both ends of the rupture fault is approximately 21°, which is larger than that reported previously for seismic arrays used to image the rupture process of this earthquake, thereby providing a high spatial resolution in studying the source rupture behavior. Two array-processing methods were used to analyze teleseismic P-wave trains. Both analyses were based on data recorded by a broadband network, covering a region of 200 × 400 km, with the aim of evaluating the rupture behavior of the earthquake. Consistent results from both analyses indicate that the earthquake had a rupture duration exceeding 500 s, with major asperities encountered at 80, 260, and 330 s after the initiation of rupturing. We traced the ruptured fault for more than 1200 km from the point of initial rupture. The average rupture velocity was approximately 3.0 km/s and the major northward rupture propagation began at 80 s after the initiation of rupturing.     

Rock Damage Structure of the South Longmen-Shan Fault in the 2008 M8 Wenchuan Earthquake Viewed with Fault-Zone Trapped Waves and Scientific Drilling

This article is to review results from scientific drilling and fault-zone trapped waves(FZTWs) at the south Longman-Shan fault(LSF) zone that ruptured in the 2008 May 12 M8 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, China. Immediately after the mainshock, two Wenchuan Fault Scientific Drilling(WFSD) boreholes were drilled at WFSD-1 and WFSD-2 sites approximately 400 m and 1 km west of the surface rupture along the Yinxiu-Beichuan fault(YBF), the middle fault strand of the south LSF zone. Two boreholes met the principal slip of Wenchuan earthquake along the YBF at depths of 589-m and 1230-m, respectively. The slip is accompanied with a 100-200-m-wide zone consisting of fault gouge, breccia, cataclasite and fractures. Close to WFSD-1 site, the nearly-vertical slip of ~4.3-m with a 190-m wide zone of highly fractured rocks restricted to the hanging wall of the YBF was found at the ground surface after the Wenchuan earthquake. A dense linear seismic array was deployed across the surface rupture at this venue to record FZTWs generated by aftershocks. Observations and 3-D finite-difference simulations of FZTWs recorded at this cross-fault array and network stations close to the YBF show a distinct low-velocity zone composed by severely damaged rocks along the south LSF at seismogenic depths. The zone is several hundred meters wide along the principal slip, within which seismic velocities are reduced by ~30–55% from wall-rock velocities and with the maximum velocity reduction in the ~200-m-wide rupture core zone at shallow depth. The FZTW-inferred geometry and physical properties of the south LSF rupture zone at shallow depth are in general consistent with the results from petrological and structural analyses of cores and well log at WFSD boreholes. We interpret this remarkable low-velocity zone as being a break-down zone during dynamic rupture in the 2008 M8 earthquake. We examined the FZTWS generated by similar earthquakes before and after the 2008 mainshock and observed that seismic velocities within fault core zone was reduced by ~10% due to severe damage of fault rocks during the M8 mainshock. Scientific drilling and locations of aftershocks generating prominent FZTWs also indicate rupture bifurcation along the YBF and the Anxian-Guangxian fault(AGF), two strands of the south LSF at shallow depth. A combination of seismic, petrologic and geologic study at the south LSF leads to further understand the relationship between the fault-zone structure and rupture dynamics, and the amplification of ground shaking strength along the low-velocity fault zone due to its waveguide effect.     

The Source Mechanism of the Athens Earthquake,September 7, 1999, Estimated from P Seismograms Recorded at Long Range

On 7 September, 1999, an earthquake (5.8 m_b ^USGS)took place about 20 km from the centre of Athens, until then a seismically quiet region ofeastern Greece. Considerable damage ranging from rock falls to the collapse of reinforcedconcrete structures was reported in the city and surrounding area. No surface break which couldbe directly attributed to rupture on the fault plane was mapped. We use the relativeamplitude method and forward modelling of broadband P seismogramsrecorded at long range to produce a two-dimensional model of the source. We conclude that the earthquake tookplace on a south-west dipping normal fault at a depth of 10 km. This implies that the depthof the seismogenic zone in the area is comparable to other more active regions of Greece.The rupture speed (2.1 km/s) and stress drop (0.54 MPa) are low and are typical of earthquakesin a tectonic environment dominated by high rates of extension. The estimated seismicmoment is 6.014 × 10¹⁷ N m. We have investigated reported rupture directivity and thepossibility of a circular rupture is also examined. Extrapolation of the fault plane to the freesurface suggests that the earthquake took place on a structure associated with the Fili fault.     

ANALYSIS ON SHORT-TERM PRECURSORY ANOMALIES AND SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTIC OF NINGLANG EARTHQUAKE 1998

ANALYSIS ON SHORT-TERM PRECURSORY ANOMALIES AND SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTIC OF NINGLANG EARTHQUAKE 1998     

Near-fault strong motion complexity of the 2000 Tottori earthquake (Japan) from a broadband source asperity model

The October 6/2000 Tottori earthquake that occurred in central Japan was an intermediate size strike-slip event that produced a very large number of near field strong motion recordings. The large amount of recorded data provides a unique opportunity for investigating a source asperity model of the Tottori earthquake that, combined with a hybrid strong motion simulation technique, is able to reproduce the observed broadband frequency near-fault ground motion.

We investigated the optimum source asperity parameters of the Tottori earthquake, by applying a Genetic Algorithm (GA) inversion scheme to optimise the fitting between simulated and observed response spectra and Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) values. We constrained the initial model of our inversion by using the heterogeneous slip distribution obtained from a kinematic inversion of the source of previous studies. We used all the observed near-fault ground motions (−100 m) from the borehole strong motion network of Japan (KiK-Net), which are little affected by surficial geology (site effects).

The calculation of broadband frequency strong ground motion (0.1–10 Hz) is achieved by applying a hybrid technique that combines a deterministic simulation of the wave propagation for the low frequencies and a semi-stochastic modelling approach for the high frequencies. For the simulation of the high frequencies, we introduce a frequency-dependent radiation pattern model that efficiently removes the dependence of the pattern coefficient on the azimuth and take-off angle as the frequency increases. The good agreement between the observed and simulated broadband ground motions shows that our inversion procedure is successful in estimating the optimum asperity parameters of the Tottori earthquake and provides a good test for the strong ground motion simulation technique.

The ratio of background stress drop to average asperity stress drop from our inversion is nearly 50%, in agreement with the theoretical asperity model of Das and Kostrov [Das, S., Kostrov, B.V., 1986. Fracture of a single asperity on a finite fault: a model for weak earthquakes? Earthquake Source Mechanics, AGU, pp. 91–96.], and an empirical ratio of asperities to rupture area [Seismol. Res. Lett. 70 (1999) 59–80.].

The simulated radiation pattern is very complex for epicentral distances within half the fault length, but it approaches the radiation of a double-couple point source for larger distances.

The rupture velocity and rise time have a significant influence on the Peak Ground Velocity (PGV) distribution around the fault. An increase in rupture velocity produces a similar effect on the ground motion as a reduction in rise time.     

Damage due to the Mw 7.7 Kutch, India earthquake of 2001

This paper presents a study of the damage due to the M_w 7.6–7.7 intraplate Kutch earthquake of 26 January 2001. It was a powerful earthquake with a high stress drop of about 20 MPa. Aftershocks (up to M 4) have continued for 2.5 years. The distribution of early aftershocks indicates a rupture plane of 20–25 km radius at depths of 10–45 km along an E–W-trending and south-dipping hidden fault situated approximately 25 km north of the Kutch Mainland Fault. The moment tensor solution determined from regional broadband data indicates reverse motion along a south-dipping (by 47°) fault. The earthquake is the largest event in India in the last 50 years and the most destructive in the recorded history in terms of socioeconomic losses with 13,819 deaths (including 14 in Pakistan), collapse/severe damage of over a million houses and US$10 billion economic loss. Surface faulting was not observed. However, intense land deformations have been observed in a 40×20-km meizoseismal area. These include lateral spreading, ground uplifts (about a meter), ground slumping and deep cracks. Liquefaction with ejection of sand and copious water was widespread in the Banni grassland, Rann areas (salt plains), along rivers and also in the coastal areas up to 200 km distance from the epicenter in areas of intensity VII to X+. Stray incidences of liquefaction have occurred up to distances of at least 300 km. For the first time in India, multistory buildings have been destroyed/damaged by an earthquake. The maximum acceleration is inferred to be 700 cm/s² and intensities are 1–3 units higher in soil-covered areas than expected from the decay rate of acceleration for hard rock.