Subduction zone seismicity and the thermo-mechanical evolution of downgoing lithosphere

In this paper we discuss characteristic features of subduction zone seismicity at depths between about 100 km and 700 km, with emphasis on the role of temperature and rheology in controlling the deformation of, and the seismic energy release in downgoing lithosphere. This is done in two steps. After a brief review of earlier developments, we first show that the depth distribution of hypocentres at depths between 100 km and 700 km in subducted lithosphere can be explained by a model in which seismic activity is confined to those parts of the slab which have temperatures below a depth-dependent critical valueT _cr.Second, the variation of seismic energy release (frequency of events, magnitude) with depth is addressed by inferring a rheological evolution from the slab's thermal evolution and by combining this with models for the system of forces acting on the subducting lithosphere. It is found that considerable stress concentration occurs in a reheating slab in the depth range of 400 to 650–700 km: the slab weakens, but the stress level strongly increases. On the basis of this stress concentration a model is formulated for earthquake generation within subducting slabs. The model predicts a maximum depth of seismic activity in the depth range of 635 to 760 km and, for deep earthquake zones, a relative maximum in seismic energy release near the maximum depth of earthquakes. From our modelling it follows that, whereas such a maximum is indeed likely to develop in deep earthquake zones, zones with a maximum depth around 300 km (such as the Aleutians) are expected to exhibit a smooth decay in seismic energy release with depth. This is in excellent agreement with observational data. In conclusion, the incoroporation of both depth-dependent forces and depth-dependent rheology provides new insight into the generation of intermediate and deep earthquakes and into the variation of seismic activity with depth.Our results imply that no barrier to slab penetration at a depth of 650–700 km is required to explain the maximum depth of seismic activity and the pattern of seismic energy release in deep earthquake zones.     

糯扎渡水库地区地震活动和震源参数研究

本文利用糯扎渡水库台网和景洪水库台网记录的地震波形反演震源谱, 计算了2011年1月至2014年3月糯扎渡水库附近143个1.0级以上地震的震源参数。 分析研究发现: ① 糯扎渡水库蓄水后, 库区内地震活动明显增强, 尤其是在水位上升3~4个月后; ② 水库开始蓄水后, 库区内地震震源深度变浅, 一段时间以后则与库区外的差别减小; ③ 地震拐角频率随地震矩增大而减小, 且蓄水以后, 库区内地震拐角频率的对数与地震矩的对数线性关系更明显; ④ 应力降、 视应力与地震矩存在正相关关系, 且相同地震矩时库区内的应力降与视应力低于蓄水前和库区外的地震应力降与视应力值; ⑤ 蓄水对库区内地震的影响可延伸至库底10 km深度处, 且在3~6 km深度内影响最大、 库区内外地震频度与视应力均值差异最显著。     

Subduction zone earthquakes and stress in slabs

Summary The pattern of seismicity as a function of depth in the world, and the orientation of stress axes of deep and intermediate earthquakes, are explained using viscous fluid models of subducting slabs, with a barrier in the mantle at 670 km. 670 km is the depth of a seismic discontinuity, and also the depth below which earthquakes do not occur. The barrier in the models can be a viscosity increase of an order of magnitude or more, or a chemical discontinuity where vertical velocity is zero. LongN versus depth, whereN is the number of earthquakes, shows (1) a linear decrease to about 250–300 km depth, (2) a minimum near that depth, and (3) an increase thereafter. Stress magnitude in a subducting slab versus depth, for a wide variety of models, shows the same pattern. Since there is some experimental evidence thatN is proportional toe , where is a constant and is the stress magnitude, the agreement is encouraging. In addition, the models predict down-dip compression in the slab at depths below 400 km. This has been observed in earlier studies of earthquake stress axes, and we have confirmed it via a survey of events occurring since 1977 which have been analysed by moment tensor inversion. At intermediate depths, the models predict an approximate but not precise state of down-dip tension when the slab is dipping. The observations do not show an unambiguous state of down-dip tension at intermediate depths, but in the majority of regions the state of stress is decidedly closer to down-dip tension than it is to down-dip compression. Chemical discontinuities above 670 km, or phase transitions with an elevation of the boundary in the slab, predict, when incorporated into the models, stress peaks which are not mirrored in the profile of seismicity versus depth. Models with an asthenosphere and mesosphere of appropriate viscosity can not only explain the state of stress observed in double Benioff zones, but also yield stress magnitude profiles consistent with observed seismicity. Models where a nonlinear rheology is used are qualitatively consistent with the linear models.     

STUDY ON SOURCE PARAMETERS OF THE 8 AUGUST 2017 M7.0 JIUZHAIGOU EARTHQUAKE AND ITS AFTERSHOCKS,NORTHERN SICHUAN

On August 8, 2017, a strong earthquake of M7.0 occurred in Jiuzhaigou County, Aba Prefecture, northern Sichuan. The earthquake occurred on a branch fault at the southern end of the eastern section of the East Kunlun fault zone. In the northwest of the aftershock area is the Maqu-Maqin seismic gap, which is in a locking state under high stress. Destructive earthquakes are frequent along the southeast direction of the aftershocks area. In Songpan-Pingwu area, only 50~80km away from the Jiuzhaigou earthquake, two M7.2 earthquakes and one M6.7 earthquake occurred from August 16 to 23, 1976. Therefore, the Jiuzhaigou earthquake was an earthquake that occurred at the transition part between the historical earthquake fracture gap and the neotectonic active area. Compared with other M7.0 earthquakes, there are few moderate-strong aftershocks following this Jiuzhaigou earthquake, and the maximum magnitude of aftershocks is much smaller than the main shock. There is no surface rupture zone discovered corresponding to the M7.0 earthquake. In order to understand the feature of source structure and the tectonic environment of the source region, we calculate the parameters of the initial earthquake catalogue by Loc3D based on the digital waveform data recorded by Sichuan seismic network and seismic phase data collected by the China Earthquake Networks Center. Smaller events in the sequence are relocated using double-difference algorithm; source mechanism solutions and centroid depths of 29 earthquakes with M_L≥3.4 are obtained by CAP method. Moreover, the source spectrum of 186 earthquakes with 2.0≤M_L≤5.5 is restored and the spatial distribution of source stress drop along faults is obtained. According to the relocations and focal mechanism results, the Jiuzhaigou M7.0 earthquake is a high-angle left-lateral strike-slip event. The earthquake sequence mainly extends along the NW-SE direction, with the dominant focal depth of 4~18km. There are few shallow earthquakes and few earthquakes with depth greater than 20km. The relocation results show that the distribution of aftershocks is bounded by the M7.0 main shock, which shows obvious segmental characteristics in space, and the aftershock area is divided into NW segment and SE segment. The NW segment is about 16km long and 12km wide, with scattered and less earthquakes, the dominant focal depth is 4~12km, the source stress drop is large, and the type of focal mechanism is complicated. The SE segment is about 20km long and 8km wide, with concentrated earthquakes, the dominant depth is 4~12km, most moderate-strong earthquakes occurred in the depth between 11~14km. Aftershock activity extends eastward from the start point of the M7.0 main earthquake. The middle-late-stage aftershocks are released intensively on this segment, most of them are strike-slip earthquakes. The stress drop of the aftershock sequence gradually decreases with time. Principal stress axis distribution also shows segmentation characteristics. On the NW segment, the dominant azimuth of P axis is about 91.39°, the average elevation angle is about 20.80°, the dominant azimuth of T axis is NE-SW, and the average elevation angle is about 58.44°. On the SE segment, the dominant azimuth of P axis is about 103.66°, the average elevation angle is about 19.03°, the dominant azimuth of T axis is NNE-SSW, and the average elevation angle is about 15.44°. According to the fault profile inferred from the focal mechanism solution, the main controlling structure in the source area is in NW-SE direction, which may be a concealed fault or the north extension of Huya Fault. The northwest end of the fault is limited to the horsetail structure at the east end of the East Kunlun Fault, and the SE extension requires clear seismic geological evidence. The dip angle of the NW segment of the seismogenic fault is about 65°, which may be a reverse fault striking NNW and dipping NE. According to the basic characteristics of inverse fault ruptures, the rupture often extends short along the strike, the rupture length is often disproportionate to the magnitude of the earthquake, and it is not easy to form a rupture zone on the surface. The dip angle of the SE segment of the seismogenic fault is about 82°, which may be a strike-slip fault that strikes NW and dips SW. The fault plane solution shows significant change on the north and south sides of the main earthquake, and turns gradually from compressional thrust to strike-slip movement, with a certain degree of rotation.     

Stress drop assessment of the August 8, 2017, Jiuzhaigou earthquake sequence and its tectonic implications*

By using a broadband Lg attenuation model developed for the Tibetan Plateau, we isolate source terms by removing attenuation and site effects from the observed Lg-wave displacement spectra of the M7.0 earthquake that occurred on August 8, 2017, in Jiuzhaigou, China, and its aftershock sequence. Thus, the source parameters, including the scalar seismic moment, corner frequency and stress drop, of these events can be further estimated. The estimated stress drops vary from 47.1 kPa to 7149.6 kPa, with a median value of 59.4 kPa and most values falling between 50 kPa and 75 kPa. The estimated stress drops show significant spatial variations. Lower stress drops were mainly found close to the mainshock and on the seismogenic fault plane with large coseismic slip. In contrast, the highest stress drop was 7.1 MPa for the mainshock, and relatively large stress drops were also found for aftershocks away from the major seismogenic fault and at depths deeper than the zone with large coseismic slip. By using a statistical method, we found self-similarity among some of the aftershocks with a nearly constant stress drop. In contrast, the stress drop increased with the seismic moment for other aftershocks. The amount of stress released during earthquakes is a fundamental characteristic of the earthquake rupture process. As such, the stress drop represents a key parameter for improving our understanding of earthquake source physics.     

Seismic gaps and source zones of recent large earthquakes in coastal Peru

The earthquakes of central coastal Peru occur principally in two distinct zones of shallow earthquake activity that are inland of and parallel to the axis of the Peru Trench. The interface-thrust (IT) zone includes the great thrust-fault earthquakes of 17 October 1966 and 3 October 1974. The coastal-plate interior (CPI) zone includes the great earthquake of 31 May 1970, and is located about 50 km inland of and 30 km deeper than the interface thrust zone. The occurrence of a large earthquake in one zone may not relieve elastic strain in the adjoining zone, thus complicating the application of the seismic gap concept to central coastal Peru. However, recognition of two seismic zones may facilitate detection of seismicity precursory to a large earthquake in a given zone; removal of probable CPI-zone earthquakes from plots of seismicity prior to the 1974 main shock dramatically emphasizes the high seismic activity near the rupture zone of that earthquake in the five years preceding the main shock. Other conclusions on the seismicity of coastal Peru that affect the application of the seismic gap concept to this region are: (1) Aftershocks of the great earthquakes of 1966, 1970, and 1974 occurred in spatially separated clusters. Some clusters may represent distinct small source regions triggered by the main shock rather than delimiting the total extent of main-shock rupture. The uncertainty in the interpretation of aftershock clusters results in corresponding uncertainties in estimates of stress drop and estimates of the dimensions of the seismic gap that has been filled by a major earthquake. (2) Aftershocks of the great thrust-fault earthquakes of 1966 and 1974 generally did not extend seaward as far as the Peru Trench. (3) None of the three great earthquakes produced significant teleseismic activity in the following month in the source regions of the other two earthquakes. The earthquake hypocenters that form the basis of this study were relocated using station adjustments computed by the method of joint hypocenter determination.     

EARTHQUAKE LOCATION AND VELOCITY STRUCTURE IN YIBIN AREA,SICHUAN

Small earthquakes have been recorded in Yibin area, Sichuan Province since 1970, the frequency and intensity of seismicity have shown an increasing trend in recent ten years, and the earthquakes are distributed mainly in Changning, Gongxian and Junlian areas. Based on the seismic data from January 2008 to May 2015 recorded by Sichuan and Yunnan regional networks and Yibin local network, seismicity analysis, precise location and velocity structure inversion for earthquakes in Yibin area are carried out, the three-dimensional spatial distribution of seismic activity and the velocity structure at different depths in this region are investigated, trying to analyze the seismic activity law and seismogenic mechanism in Yibin area. The earthquake relocation result shows that the spatial cluster distribution of earthquakes is more obvious in Yinbin area, the earthquakes are concentrated in Changning-Gongxian and Gongxian-Junlian regions. The seismic activity presents two dominant directions of NW and NE in Changning-Gongxian region, and shows asymmetric conjugate distribution, the long axes of NW-trending and NE-trending seismic concentration area are about 30km and 12km respectively, and the short axes are about 5km. There is a seismic sparse segment near Gongxian, the frequency and intensity of seismicity in the southeast side are obviously higher than that in the northwest side, and the earthquakes with larger magnitude are relatively deep, the focal depth is gradually shallower with the distance away from Gongxian. Seismic activity is sparse in the west and dense in the east in Gongxian-Junlian region, the predominant direction of earthquakes in the seismic dense area of the eastern segment is NE. Seismic activity extends in opposite direction in the easternmost part of the two earthquake concentrated area. The P-wave velocity structure at different depths in the study area is obtained using joint inversion method of source and velocity structure. In view of the predominant focal depth in this region, this paper mainly analyzes the velocity structure of the upper crust within 10km. Within this study area, the P-wave velocity of earthquake concentration areas is relatively high within 10km of the predominant focal depth, especially in the northwest of Gongxian and eastern Junlian area, the P-wave velocity on the southeast of Gongxian increases gradually with depth, especially at 6km depth. These high-velocity zones are generally related to brittle and hard rocks, where the stress is often concentrated. Comparing earthquake distribution and velocity structure, seismic activity in this area mainly occurs in high-low velocity transition areas, the inhomogeneity of velocity structure may be one of the factors controlling earthquake distribution. The transition zone of high and low velocity anomalies is not only the place where stress concentrates, but also the place where the medium is relatively fragile, such environment has the medium condition of accumulating a large amount of strain energy and is prone to fracture and release stress.     

Another look at the 1993 and 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes from the analysis of teleseismic waveforms

In this work we estimated the source process and the source parameters of the 1993 and 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes. To investigate the source process of both events, we inverted the teleseismic P- and SH-waveform data using an iterative technique in which the rupture is modeled as a series of point source subevents with varying mechanisms. The main source process of the 1993 event can be explained by two subevents with essentially the same mechanism. These two subevents had different focal depths. The second subevent was about 5 s later than the first one and about 70% of the moment rate released with the second one. The total rupture duration time was about 12 s. Our solution for the 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake indicated that the event consists of three subevents with various fault geometries and about 60% of the moment released by the second subevent. The first subevent occurred at a depth of 13 km, and was followed after 9 s by the second one at a depth of 11 km; the third subevent, at a depth of 9 km occurred 19 s after the second one. The total duration of the earthquake rupture process was about 18.7 s. The obtained mechanisms for the 1993 and 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquakes are well correlated with the structural setting of the Gulf of Aqaba.     

水库诱发地震与构造地震震源参数特征差异性研究——以龙滩水库为例

首先讨论龙滩库区水库蓄水与地震活动之间的关系,发现龙滩水库诱发地震特征十分明显,地震共分5丛呈丛集分布.利用库区架设的24个固定和流动台站记录的数字记录资料,在研究得到龙滩库区非弹性衰减和台站场地响应的基础上,精确测定得到了该地区总共1616个ML≥0.1级地震的震源参数,比较了水库诱发地震与构造地震震源参数特征的差异,得到了以下主要结论:1)龙滩水库地震活动与水库蓄水关系密切,不同蓄水阶段5丛的地震活动状态不同,局部断裂构造发育以及岩石透水性能影响着地震活动对蓄水过程的响应.2)龙滩水库诱发地震的地震矩M0随震级ML的增大而增大,两者之间存在较好的线性关系,统计关系为LogM0=1.07 ML+10.17.应力降与地震大小之间的关系和Nuttli的板内地震为增加应力降(ISD)模型的结果比较吻合,统计关系为LogΔσ=0.71 ML-2.89.3)龙滩水库地区地震辐射能量和地震视应力均随震级的增大而增大,后者意味着大地震是比小地震更高效率的地震能量辐射体.4)总体上不同丛地震应力降水平存在差异.地震应力降空间分布上与库水深度有较好的一致性,即库水深的区域应力降水平高.5)与同震级的构造地震相比,水库诱发地震的应力降值比前者明显偏低,大约小10倍.这可能是由于水库蓄水造成地下介质孔隙压力增大或者水的润滑作用,从而导致在一个比较低的构造应力情况下发生水库诱发地震.     

基于密集台阵研究龙门山断裂带南段地震空段的地震活动性

2016年12月—2018年4月间布设于汶川、芦山地震之间地震空段的密集监测台阵(LmsSGA)提供了密集的观测数据.通过拾取地震走时、初始定位,计算地方震级,得到了完备性震级为0级的地震目录.更加完备的地震目录为地震空段及周围地震活动的时空分布特征和孕震风险性评估提供了丰富的信息.重定位结果显示地震主要集中于龙门山断裂带深度为5～20km的孕震层内.地震活动频繁的汶川、芦山主震区,震源的空间分布模式与其早期余震相似,说明两次大地震的区域仍处于缓慢的应力调整阶段.青藏高原物质东向挤出受宝兴、彭灌杂岩阻挡,在两个杂岩体西北侧地震活动频繁.地震活动性分布显示汶川—茂县、映秀—北川断裂上存在一个清晰的长约30km,宽约20km的地震活动"空白"区域,与其下方因部分熔融而产生的低速体分布一致,我们推测熔融体的加温作用是导致空段内极低的地震活动性的主要原因.监测时段内仍观测到降雨变化率和地震数量呈反相关关系,再次证实了汶川—芦山地震间地震空段及邻区内季节性降雨对地震活动性存在一定调节作用.综合分析S波速度模型、历史强震活动及b值,我们推断地震空段东部的彭灌断裂中段及周围部分隐伏断层存在发生强震的风险.     

Elevation of the olivine-spinel transition in subducted lithosphere: Seismic evidence

The top of the olivine-spinel phase change in subducted oceanic lithosphere can be located by the travel times of seismic waves which have propagated through the slab. P-wave travel-time residuals from deep earthquakes in the Tonga island are observed at Australian seismic stations are grouped according to the depth of the earthquake. The change in mean residual with a change in earthquake depth is related to the velocity contrast between slab and normal mantle at that depth. The curve mean residual versus earthquake depth displays a region of markedly increased slope between earthquake depths of about 250 and 350 km. The most probable explanation of this observation is an elevation by 100 km of the olivine-spinel phase change within the relatively cooler slab. No evidence was found for vertical displacements within the slab of any deeper phase changes.A temperature contrast between slab and normal mantle of about 1,000°C at 250 km depth is implied. This finding confirms current thermal models for subducted lithosphere but is inconsistent with the global intraplate stress field unless only a few percent of the negative buoyancy force at subduction zones is transmitted to the surface plates.     

利用广义叠加反演方法估算长岛震群应力降

地震应力降是表征震源特性的一个重要参数,通常由震源谱计算得到.但如何从大量地震的观测谱中校正路径和台站效应,准确地分离出震源谱并计算应力降,仍是一个难题.本文采用广义叠加反演方法通过分阶段叠加从观测谱中迭代分离出震源项、台站项和路径项,并利用分震级的叠加震源项与理论谱的拟合得到经验格林函数,再利用由经验格林函数校正后的真实震源谱估算出应力降.该方法不需要知道仪器响应、场地响应和传播路径上的衰减系数,并且不用事先假设震源具有自相似的恒应力降特征,计算效率很高,适用于反演大量地震的震源参数.我们将广义叠加反演方法应用于长岛震群,利用S波谱估算了1431个ML≥1.0地震的应力降.结果表明,广义叠加反演方法获得的震源参数和用传统方法得到的结果一致;长岛震群地震的应力降较小(中值是0.3 MPa),变化范围很大(0.009～3.04MPa之间),属于低应力降事件集;同时应力降中值随地震矩增大而增大,偏离了自相似理论.应力降空间变化不均匀,高应力降事件主要集中在震群的端部(NW端),到最近断层距离的依赖性不强,在9、10km处的应力降中值略高于其他深度.根据应力降的变化特征和区域构造条件,我们推测地下流体在长岛震群的活动中起到一定的作用.     

A determination of source properties of large intraplate earthquakes in Alaska

Historically, large and potentially hazardous earthquakes have occurred within the interior of Alaska. However, most have not been adequately studied using modern methods of waveform modeling. The 22 July 1937, 16 October 1947, and 7 April 1958 earthquakes are three of the largest events known to have occurred within central Alaska (M _s =7.3,M _s =7.2 andM _s =7.3, respectively). We analyzed teleseismic body waves to gain information about the focal parameters of these events. In order to deconvolve the source time functions from teleseismic records, we first attempted to improve upon the published focal mechanisms for each event. Synthetic seismograms were computed for different source parameters, using the reflectivity method. A search was completed which compared the hand-digitized data with a suite of synthetic traces covering the complete parameter space of strike, dip, and slip direction. In this way, the focal mechanism showing the maximum correlation between the observed and calculated traces was found. Source time functions, i.e., the moment release as a function of time, were then deconvolved from teleseismic records for the three historical earthquakes, using the focal mechanisms which best fit the data. From these deconvolutions, we also recovered the depth of the events and their seismic moments. The earthquakes were all found to have a shallow foci, with depths of less than 10 km.The 1937 earthquake occurred within a northeast-southwest band of seismicity termed the Salcha seismic zone (SSZ). We confirm the previously published focal mechanism, indicating strike-slip faulting, with one focal plane parallel to the SSZ which was interpreted as the fault plane. Assuming a unilateral fault model and a reasonable rupture velocity of between 2 and 3 km/s, the 21 second rupture duration for this event indicates that all of the 65 km long SSZ may have ruptured during this event. The 1947 event, located to the south of the northwest-southeast trending Fairbanks seismic zone, was found to have a duration of about 11 seconds, thus indicating a rupture length of up to 30 km. The rupture duration of the 1958 earthquake, which occurred near the town of Huslia, approximately 400 km ENE of Fairbanks, was found to be about 9 seconds. This gives a rupture length consistent with the observed damage, an area of 16 km by 64 km.     

2015年尼泊尔M_w7.9地震破裂过程:快速反演与初步联合反演

本文介绍了2015年4月25日尼泊尔Mw7.9(MS8.1)地震发生后的破裂过程快速反演工作,以及后续开展的地震波与少量GPS资料的初步联合反演工作.两项工作得到的反演结果尽管在最大滑动量估计方面存在一些差别,但都一致地显示此次地震是发生在低倾角俯冲断裂上的一次单侧破裂事件,破裂主要朝东南方向传播;断层滑动主要发生在震中至加德满都一带.在加德满都附近区域,其下方破裂与朝东南传播的地震波的多普勒聚焦效应可能造成较强的震感和较大的破坏.对比历史大地震发现,2015年尼泊尔Mw7.9地震的浅部破裂紧邻1934年Mw8.2地震的地表破裂,余震分布与1833年M7.6地震的宏观震中基本重合,其破裂填补了前两次地震破裂以西100km左右的空区,表明此次地震是1934年Mw8.2地震与1833年M7.6地震向西继续延伸的结果.     

日本海-鄂霍次克海下俯冲带的应力状态及其深部形变

通过地震分布及地震机制解所反映的日本海-鄂霍次克海俯冲带的形态及应力状态,研究了俯冲带深部形变及650km间断面的穿透问题.日本海Benioff带较直,连续性较好;鄂霍次克海Benioff带弯度稍大,220-320km深度之间地震很少.两俯冲带在浅部及深部地震密集,100-200km深度之间有双地震层.应力状态随深度变化,200km深度以下P,T轴方向相对集中,P轴接近俯冲方向,在约100-200km深度附近,P,T轴均接近俯冲方向.观测和理论地震图拟合分析表明,地震断层面走向接近俯冲带走向,断裂的结果使俯冲带在深部倾角变小.     

Dynamic Stress Drop of Recent Earthquakes: Variations within Subduction Zones

—Stress drop is a fundamental parameter of earthquakes, but it is difficult to obtain reliable stress drop estimates for most earthquakes. Static stress drop estimates require knowledge of the seismic moment and fault area. Dynamic stress drop estimates are based entirely upon the observed source time functions. Based on analytical formulas that I derive for the crack and slip-pulse rupture models, the amplitude and time of the initial peak in source time functions can be inverted for dynamic stress drop. For multiple event earthquakes, this method only gives the dynamic stress drop of the first event. The Michigan STF catalog provides a uniform data base for all large earthquakes that have occurred in the past four years. Dynamic stress drops are calculated for the nearly 200 events in this catalog, and the resultant estimates scatter between 0.1 and 100 MPa. There is some coherent tectonic signal within this scatter. In the Sanriku (Japan) and Mexico subduction zones, underthrusting earthquakes that occur at the up-dip and down-dip edges of the seismogenic zone have correspondingly low and high values of stress drop. A speculative picture of the stress state of subduction zones emerges from these results. A previous study found that the absolute value of shear stress linearly increases down the seismogenic interface to a value of about 50 MPa at the down-dip edge. In this study, the dynamic stress drop of earthquakes at the up-dip edge is about 0.2 MPa, while large earthquakes at the down-dip edge of the seismogenic plate interface have dynamic stress drops of up to 5 MPa. These results imply that (1) large earthquakes only reduce the shear stress on the plate interface by a small fraction of the absolute level; and thus (2) most of the earthquake energy is partitioned into friction at the plate interface.     

The distribution of earthquake multiplets beneath the southwest Pacific

Earthquakes beneath the southwest Pacific occur from the surface down to 700 km depth. Teleseismic waveforms created by some of these earthquakes are almost identical. We investigate Tonga–Kermadec and Vanuatu subduction zone earthquake P-coda waveforms using a cross-correlation technique and hierarchical clustering algorithm in order to determine the origin of waveform similarity and the distribution of earthquakes producing similar waveforms.We show that scatterers forming the majority of power in the P-wave coda are localised around the receiver. As a result, waveform similarity provides a much weaker constraint on source separation than in local studies. Waveform similarity can provide stronger constraints on focal mechanism.Most earthquake multiplets within the Tonga–Fiji–Kermadec Wadati–Benioff zone are found at depths between 0–60 km and 520–620 km. A significant proportion of all deep-focus events in south Pacific subduction zones have waveforms similar to those of at least one other event. Relative relocation of events within the largest identified multiplet reveals a planar zone of seismicity sub-parallel to the nodal plane of a related centroid moment tensor solution.Groups of earthquakes with similar waveforms remain active on at least the 14-year recording timescale. We equate this to repeated rupture on single or closely related shear systems within the subducting slabs.     

The seismicity and tectonic stress field characteristics of the Longmenshan fault zone before the Wenchuan MS8.0 earthquake

The seismicity of Longmenshan fault zone and its vicinities before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan M_S8.0 earthquake is studied. Based on the digital seismic waveform data observed from regional seismic networks and mobile stations, the focal mechanism solutions are determined. Our analysis results show that the seismicities of Longmenshan fault zone before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake were in stable state. No obvious phenomena of seismic activity intensifying appeared. According to focal mechanism solutions of some small earthquakes before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the direction of principal compressive stress P-axis is WNW-ESE. The two hypocenter fault planes are NE-striking and NW-striking. The plane of NE direction is among N50°?70°E, the dip angles of fault planes are 60°?70° and it is very steep. The faultings of most earthquakes are dominantly characterized by dip-slip reverse and small part of faultings present strike-slip. The azimuths of principal compressive stress, the strikes of source fault planes and the dislocation types calculated from some small earthquakes before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake are in accordance with that of the main shock. The average stress field of micro-rupture along the Longmenshan fault zone before the great earthquake is also consistent with that calculated from main shock. Zipingpu dam is located in the east side 20 km from the initial rupture area of the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The activity increment of small earthquakes in the Zipingpu dam is in the period of water discharging. The source parameter results of the small earthquakes which occurred near the initial rupture area of the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake indicate that the focal depths are 5 to 14 km and the source parameters are identical with that of earthquake.     

2022年1月8日青海门源MS6.9地震序列重定位和震源机制解研究

2022年1月8日青海省海北州门源县发生M_S6.9地震,震后产生了长约22 km的地表破裂带,青海、甘肃和宁夏等多地震感强烈。本文基于区域地震台网资料,通过多阶段定位方法对门源M_S6.9地震早期序列（2022年1月8日至12日）进行了重定位,并利用gCAP方法反演了主震和M_S≥3.4余震的震源机制和震源矩心深度,计算了现今应力场体系在门源M_S6.9地震震源机制两个节面产生的相对剪应力和正应力。结果表明:门源M_S6.9地震的初始破裂深度为7.8 km,震源矩心深度为4 km,地震序列的优势初始破裂深度主要介于7—8 km之间,而M_S≥3.4余震的震源矩心深度为3—7 km;该地震序列的震源深度剖面显示震后24个小时内的地震序列长度约为25 km,与地表破裂带的长度大体一致,整体地震序列长度约为30 km,其中1月8日M_S6.9主震和M_S5.1余震位于余震区西段,1月12日M_S5.2余震位于余震区东段。2022年1月8日门源M_S6.9主震的震源机制解节面Ⅰ为走向290°、倾角81°、滑动角16°,节面Ⅱ为走向197°、倾角74°、滑动角171°,根据余震展布的总体趋势估计断层面走向为290°,表明此次地震为近乎直立断层面上的一次左旋走滑型事件;M_S≥3.4余震的震源机制解显示这些地震主要为走滑型地震,P轴走向从余震区西段到东段之间大体呈现NE向到EW向的变化。现今应力场体系在门源M_S6.9主震震源机制解节面Ⅰ上产生的相对剪应力为0.638,而在节面Ⅱ上的相对剪应力为0.522,表明这两个节面均非构造应力场的最大释放节面,这与2016年门源M_S6.4地震逆冲型震源机制为构造应力场的最优释放节面有着明显差异。结合地质构造、震源机制和余震展布,2022年1月8日门源M_S6.9主震的发震构造可能为冷龙岭断裂西段,其地震断层错动方式为左旋走滑。根据重定位结果、震级-破裂关系以及剪应力结果,本文认为门源地区存在一定的应力积累且应力未得到充分释放,该地区仍存在发生强震的危险。      

Fracture characteristics of the 1997 Jiashi, Xinjiang, China, earthquake swarm inferred from source spectra

Broadband P and S waves source spectra of 12 MS5.0 earthquakes of the 1997 Jiashi, Xinjiang, China, earthquake swarm recorded at 13 GDSN stations have been analyzed. Rupture size and static stress drop of these earthquakes have been estimated through measuring the corner frequency of the source spectra. Direction of rupture propagation of the earthquake faulting has also been inferred from the azimuthal variation of the corner frequency. The main results are as follows: ①The rupture size of MS6.0 strong earthquakes is in the range of 10～20 km, while that of MS=5.0～5.5 earthquakes is 6～10 km.② The static stress drop of the swarm earthquakes is rather low, being of the order of 0.1 MPa. This implies that the deformation release rate in the source region may be low. ③ Stress drop of the earthquakes appears to be proportional to their seismic moment, and also to be dependent on their focal mechanism. The stress drop of normal faulting earthquakes is usually lower than that of strike-slip type earthquakes. ④ For each MS6.0 earthquake there exists an apparent azimuthal variation of the corner frequencies. Azimuthally variation pattern of corner frequencies of different earthquakes shows that the source rupture pattern of the Jiashi earthquake swarm is complex and no uniform rupture expanding direction exists.