2011年M_W9.0东日本大地震动力学破裂过程的数值模拟

力学上,地震可以看作在应力场作用下由于断层带介质的突然损伤或软化导致的断层带失稳事件.本文基于这个地震动力学模型,利用一种可以模拟断层大位错的有限元方法,研究了2011年MW9.0东日本大地震(Tohoku-Oki)的动力学破裂过程.比较了无障碍体和具有不同刚度障碍体的断层带模型产生的断层位移、位错和应力降.主要结果表明,障碍体的存在并不明显地改变障碍体区域的初始构造应力场.对有障碍体情形,准静态结果显示断层上盘最大逆冲位移和最大剪切位错分别为51m和58m,均发生在海底表面海沟处,与无障碍体的结果(最大剪切位错约55m)相比差别不大;下盘最大倾向位移(-10m)并不与上盘最大值出现在同一位置,而是在障碍体处.障碍体处剪应力降(约11 MPa)大于周围非障碍体区域.障碍体处正应力降的最大值约为3 MPa.模拟结果似乎不支持海山是导致本次地震异乎寻常大位错的原因,而倾向于断层带剪切刚度在地震过程中极度损伤或软化.     

Dynamic Rupture in a 3-D Particle-based Simulation of a Rough Planar Fault

An appreciation of the physical mechanisms which cause observed seismicity complexity is fundamental to the understanding of the temporal behaviour of faults and single slip events. Numerical simulation of fault slip can provide insights into fault processes by allowing exploration of parameter spaces which influence microscopic and macroscopic physics of processes which may lead towards an answer to those questions. Particle-based models such as the Lattice Solid Model have been used previously for the simulation of stick-slip dynamics of faults, although mainly in two dimensions. Recent increases in the power of computers and the ability to use the power of parallel computer systems have made it possible to extend particle-based fault simulations to three dimensions. In this paper a particle-based numerical model of a rough planar fault embedded between two elastic blocks in three dimensions is presented. A very simple friction law without any rate dependency and no spatial heterogeneity in the intrinsic coefficient of friction is used in the model. To simulate earthquake dynamics the model is sheared in a direction parallel to the fault plane with a constant velocity at the driving edges. Spontaneous slip occurs on the fault when the shear stress is large enough to overcome the frictional forces on the fault. Slip events with a wide range of event sizes are observed. Investigation of the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of slip during each event shows a high degree of variability between the events. In some of the larger events highly complex slip patterns are observed.     

Correlation of foreshocks and aftershocks and asperities

A close correlation in spatial distribution of local seismic activity and energy release patterns before and after the 1979 Petatlan, Mexico earthquake suggests heterogeneity within the fault plane of this major low-angle thrust event associated with subduction along the Middle America Trench. A simple two-asperity model is proposed to account for the complexity. Foreshocks and aftershocks of the neighboring 1981 Playa Azul earthquake showed a similar pattern. As both events occurred at the junction of the Orozco Fracture Zone and the Middle America Trench, we speculate that the observed complex fault plane is caused by subduction of the rugged ocean floor of the Orozco Fracture Zone. Short-term precursory seismicity prior to the Petatlan earthquake can be explained by using the asperity model and migration of a slip front from the south-east to the north-west across the main shock source region.     

Frequency-dependent rupture process,stress change,and seismogenic mechanism of the 25 April 2015 Nepal Gorkha <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript>w</Subscript> 7.8 earthquake

On 25 April 2015, an M _w 7.8 earthquake occurred on the Main Himalaya Thrust fault with a dip angle of ~ 7° about 77 km northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal. This Nepal Gorkha event is the largest one on the Himalayan thrust belt since 1950. Here we use the compressive sensing method in the frequency domain to track the seismic radiation and rupture process of this event using teleseismic P waves recorded by array stations in North America. We also compute the distribution of static shear stress changes on the fault plane from a coseismic slip model. Our results indicate a dominant east-southeastward unilateral rupture process from the epicenter with an average rupture speed of ~3 km s^?1. Coseismic radiation of this earthquake shows clear frequency-dependent features. The lower frequency (0.05–0.3 Hz) radiation mainly originates from large coseismic slip regions with negative coseismic shear stress changes. In comparison, higher frequency (0.3–0.6 Hz) radiation appears to be from the down-dip part around the margin of large slip areas, which has been loaded and presents positive coseismic shear stress changes. We propose an asperity model to interpret this Nepal earthquake sequence and compare the frequency-dependent coseismic radiation with that in subduction zones. Such frequency-dependent radiation indicates the depth-varying frictional properties on the plate interface of the Nepal section in the main Himalaya thrust system, similar to previous findings in oceanic subduction zones. Our findings provide further evidence of the spatial correlation between changes of static stress status on the fault plane and the observed frequency-dependent coseismic radiation during large earthquakes. Our results show that the frequency-dependent coseismic radiation is not only found for megathrust earthquakes in the oceanic subduction environment, but also holds true for thrust events in the continental collision zone.     

由宽频带辐射能量目录和地震矩目录给出的视应力及其地震学意义

对NEIC宽频带地震辐射能量目录和哈佛矩心矩张量（CMT）目录的比较，给出了关于视应力的一些可能是有意义的结果，尽管目前的结果误差仍很大，可靠性也是有限的，但这种比较所提供的线索却颇值得注意，视应力的计算给出关于地震断层面上非线性动摩擦函数的线索，能量／地震矩之比随地震大小的变化表明，在BK模型框架下，对于走滑型地城,依赖于滑动速度的摩擦似乎占主要地位，而对于非走滑型地震，依赖于位移的摩擦似乎占主要地位，主震和余震的能量／地震矩之比的比较表明，对于走滑型地震，余震的视应力平均地说来低于主震的视应力，而对于非直滑型地震，余震的视应力即有高于主震的也有低于主震的，这对于障碍体和凹凸模式的讨论及模型中地震破裂停止条件的设置可能具有一定的参考意义。     

Coupling of tectonic loading and earthquake fault slips at subduction zones

Because of the viscoelastic behaviour of the earth, accumulation of elastic strain energy by tectonic loading and release of such energy by earthquake fault slips at subduction zones may take place on different spatial scales. If the lithospheric plate is acted upon by distant tectonic forces, strain accumulation must occur in a broad region. However, an earthquake releases strain only in a region comparable to the size of the rupture area. A two-dimensional finite-element model of a subduction zone with viscoelastic rheology has been used to investigate the coupling of tectonic loading and earthquake fault slips. A fault lock-and-unlock technique is employed so that the amount of fault slip in an earthquake is not prescribed, but determined by the accumulated stress. The amount of earthquake fault slip as a fraction of the total relative plate motion depends on the relative sizes of the earthquake rupture area and the region of tectonic strain accumulation, as well as the rheology of the rock material. The larger the region of strain accumulation is compared to the earthquake rupture, the smaller is the earthquake fault slip. The reason for the limited earthquake fault slip is that the elastic shear stress in the asthenosphere induced by the earthquake resists the elastic rebound of the overlying plate. Since rapid permanent plate shortening is not observed at subduction zones, there must be either strain release over a large region or strain accumulation over a small region over earthquake cycles. The former can be achieved only by significant aseismic fault slip between large subduction earthquakes. The most likely mechanism for the latter is the accumulation of elastic strain around isolated locked asperities of the fault, which requires significant aseismic fault slip between asperities.     

库仑应力计算及应用过程中若干问题的讨论——以汶川地震为例

大地震发生后,估计后续地震发展趋势是人们关心的问题.目前,学术界经常利用大地震造成的库仑应力变化研讨大震对后续地震的影响,但库仑应力的计算和应用中尚有一些问题被忽视而有待探讨.本文修正了传统的库仑应力计算中沿地震破裂面滑动方向计算剪应力变化的近似方法,考虑震后主应力方向可能改变对剪应力变化量计算的影响,对改进方法和传统方法获得的结果进行了对比分析.本文基于龙门山地区背景应力场测量资料,根据不同研究者反演的地震破裂模型,计算了汶川地震造成的静态库仑应力变化,考察了不同地震破裂模型下库仑应力分布差异.在断层面附近,使用改进方法与传统方法计算的库仑应力分布差异相当大;利用多个地震破裂模型计算大地震库仑应力判断大震后余震发展趋势时,要注意破裂模型不确定性对危险性估计的影响.     

An asperity model to simulate rupture along heterogeneous fault surfaces

A model has been developed to simulate the statistical and mechanical nature of rupture on a heterogeneous strike-slip fault. The model is based on the progressive failure of circular asperities of varying sizes and strengths along a fault plane subjected to a constant far-field shear displacement rate. The basis of the model is a deformation and stress intensity factory solution for a single circular asperity under a unidirectional shear stress. The individual asperities are unified through the fault stiffness and the far-field stress and displacement. During fault deformation asperities can fail and reheal, resulting in changes in the local stresses in the asperities, stress drops, and changes in the stiffness of the fault. Depending on how the stress is redistributed following asperity failure and on the strenghts of the neighboring asperities an earthquake event can be the failure of one or more asperities. Following an earthquake event seismic source parameters such as the stress drop, energy change, and moment magnitude are calculated. Results from the model show a very realistic pattern of earthquake rupture, with reasonable source parameters, the proper magnitude-frequency behavior, and the development of characteristic earthquakes. Also the progression ofb-values in the model gives some insight into the phenomenon of self-organized criticality.     

Theoretical and quantitative analyses of the fault slip rate uncertainties from single event and erosion of the accumulated offset

Fault slip rate is one of the most important subjects in active tectonics research, which reveals the activity and seismic potential of a fault. Due to the improvement of dating precision with the development of dating methods, Holocene geological markers, even the young markers of thousands or hundreds of years old, are widely used in fault slip rate calculation. Usually, uncertainties from a single event and erosion of the accumulated offsets are involved in fault slip rate determination. Two types of uncertainties are related to a single event; the first is the time elapsed since the latest (the most recent) event; the second is the period since the formation of the geological marker to the occurrence of the first event. High‐slip‐rate faults are more sensitive to these uncertainties than low‐slip‐rate faults. In this study, we studied quantitatively the effects of a single event on fault slip rate following the three classic earthquake models: the characteristic earthquake, uniform slip and variable slip models. We suggest that the erosion of the accumulated offset–lateral erosion on a strike‐slip fault, should also be considered in fault slip estimation. Therefore, we propose a differential method to obtain a reliable fault slip rate. In the differential method, the slip rate is the ratio of offset differentials and corresponding age differentials between the older and younger terraces along strike‐slip faults. This kind of differential method could avoid the uncertainties from the first and latest events, as well as that from the lateral erosion. By applying the differential method, we got the revised slip rates of ∼5–10 mm/year on the Altyn Tagh and Kunlun faults. These low slip rates could fit previous geodetic and geological fault slip rates and shortening rates as well as the millennial recurrence intervals of strong earthquakes along the major segments of these faults.     

利用断裂带上的低b值识别凹凸体方法的探讨——以龙门山断裂带和鲜水河断裂带为例

本文对龙门山断裂带和鲜水河断裂带上1970年以来记录的小震数据进行了收集、整理和分析,采用基于Matlab平台的Zmap软件,去除了断裂带上的丛集数据和余震,划定了有效地震数据的时间和震级范围,通过最大似然法求取了断裂带所在区域的b值分布图。基于b值大小与应力高低成反比的原理,通过断裂带上低b值区识别凹凸体的位置。就龙门山断裂带,通过低b值区识别出的凹凸体的位置与汶川地震发生的起始破裂位置和极震区的位置基本保持一致;而鲜水河断裂带由于受到小震数据的限制,部分段缺失b值分布,但整条断裂带仍可清晰识别出凹凸体位置,且1725年以来的历史强震和1970年以来5级以上的历史地震基本上都位于此区域。断裂带的实例分析结果证明,利用小震数据通过最大似然法计算b值分布图,其相对低b值区与历年强震发生的位置存在较大的相关性,为验证利用低b值区识别凹凸体方法的可行性和实用性提供了有力的证据。     

鲜水河断裂带南段深部变形的重复地震研究

利用2000—2013年四川数字地震台网和水库台网的波形资料以及川西流动台阵的事件波形,通过辨识发生在同一断层位置上的重复地震来定量研究鲜水河断裂带南段的深部变形.针对研究区台站分布稀疏的客观情况,应用了子采样条件下基于S-P相对到时差来约束震源位置一致性的方法,在鲜水河断裂带识别出11组重复地震,并利用连续波形资料进行了重复地震完整性的初步测试,同时运用结合波形互相关资料的双差法来完成研究区背景地震和重复地震位置的精确定位.重新定位后的地震图像展示研究区中上地壳存在明显缺震层,其与壳内的低速低阻层相吻合.利用重复地震的地震矩和重复间隔,估算出鲜水河断裂带南段孕震深部的滑动速率为3.0~10.2mm·a-1,显示研究区不同地震构造区的深部滑动速率存在明显差异.     

The Lemnos 8 January 2013 (M w = 5.7) earthquake: fault slip,aftershock properties and static stress transfer modeling in the north Aegean Sea

We investigate mainshock slip distribution and aftershock activity of the 8 January 2013 M _w?=?5.7 Lemnos earthquake, north Aegean Sea. We analyse the seismic waveforms to better understand the spatio-temporal characteristics of earthquake rupture within the seismogenic layer of the crust. Peak slip values range from 50 to 64 cm and mean slip values range from 10 to 12 cm. The slip patches of the event extend over an area of dimensions 16?×?16 km². We also relocate aftershock catalog locations to image seismic fault dimensions and test earthquake transfer models. The relocated events allowed us to identify the active faults in this area of the north Aegean Sea by locating two, NE–SW linear patterns of aftershocks. The aftershock distribution of the mainshock event clearly reveals a NE–SW striking fault about 40 km offshore Lemnos Island that extends from 2 km up to a depth of 14 km. After the mainshock most of the seismic activity migrated to the east and to the north of the hypocenter due to (a) rupture directivity towards the NE and (b) Coulomb stress transfer. A stress inversion analysis based on 14 focal mechanisms of aftershocks showed that the maximum horizontal stress is compressional at N84°E. The static stress transfer analysis for all post-1943 major events in the North Aegean shows no evidence for triggering of the 2013 event. We suggest that the 2013 event occurred due to tectonic loading of the North Aegean crust.     

Sources of Tsunami and Tsunamigenic Earthquakes in Subduction Zones

—We classified tsunamigenic earthquakes in subduction zones into three types earth quakes at the plate interface (typical interplate events), earthquakes at the outer rise, within the subducting slab or overlying crust (intraplate events), and "tsunami earthquakes" that generate considerably larger tsunamis than expected from seismic waves. The depth range of a typical interplate earthquake source is 10–40km, controlled by temperature and other geological parameters. The slip distribution varies both with depth and along-strike. Recent examples show very different temporal change of slip distribution in the Aleutians and the Japan trench. The tsunamigenic coseismic slip of the 1957 Aleutian earthquake was concentrated on an asperity located in the western half of an aftershock zone 1200km long. This asperity ruptured again in the 1986 Andreanof Islands and 1996 Delarof Islands earthquakes. By contrast, the source of the 1994 Sanriku-oki earthquake corresponds to the low slip region of the previous interplate event, the 1968 Tokachi-oki earthquake. Tsunamis from intraplate earthquakes within the subducting slab can be at least as large as those from interplate earthquakes; tsunami hazard assessments must include such events. Similarity in macroseismic data from two southern Kuril earthquakes illustrates difficulty in distinguishing interplate and slab events on the basis of historical data such as felt reports and tsunami heights. Most moment release of tsunami earthquakes occurs in a narrow region near the trench, and the concentrated slip is responsible for the large tsunami. Numerical modeling of the 1996 Peru earthquake confirms this model, which has been proposed for other tsunami earthquakes, including 1896 Sanriku, 1946 Aleutian and 1992 Nicaragua.     

Pore Creation due to Fault Slip in a Fluid-permeated Fault Zone and its Effect on Seismicity: Generation Mechanism of Earthquake Swarm

—Spatio-temporal variation of rupture activity is modeled assuming fluid migration in a narrow porous fault zone formed along a vertical strike-slip fault in a semi-infinite elastic medium. Pores are assumed to be created in the fault zone by fault slip. The effective stress principle coupled to the Coulomb failure criterion introduces mechanical coupling between fault slip and pore fluid. The fluid is assumed to flow out of a localized high-pressure fluid compartment in the fault with the onset of earthquake rupture. The duration of the earthquake sequence is assumed to be considerably shorter than the recurrence period of characteristic events on the fault. The rupture process is shown to be significantly dependent on the rate of pore creation. If the rate is large enough, a foreshock–mainshock sequence is never observed. When an inhomogeneity is introduced in the spatial distribution of permeability, high complexity is observed in the spatio-temporal variation of rupture activity. For example, frequency-magnitude statistics of intermediate-size events are shown to obey the Gutenberg–Richter relation. Rupture sequences with features of earthquake swarms can be simulated when the rate of pore creation is relatively large. Such sequences generally start and end gradually with no single event dominating in the sequence. In addition, the b values are shown to be unusually large. These are consistent with seismological observations on earthquake swarms.     

近断层应力变化快速计算方法及对强余震空间分布的指示意义:以M_w7.9汶川地震为例

构造地震一般由断层摩擦失稳所致.断层内部及周边所累积的剪切形变则通过同震滑动位移得到局部释放.因此,震后断层内部及近断层周边的静态剪切应力变化量的空间分布可通过断层面上的滑动位移分布计算得到.本文采用傅氏变换方法(FTM)计算单一有限断层同震滑移场所形成的静态剪切应力变化分布,近断层两侧的应力变化计算可由波数域内应力近似算法获得.结果表明,FTM快速有效、易于实现,有效地避免了常规应力计算中奇异值的出现.以2008年Mw7.9中国汶川大地震为例,采用前人所得有限断层滑动位移模型,得到了断层面和近断层周边准3D剪切应力分布解,并同主震后中强余震的空间分布特征作了比较.结果表明,大部分的中强余震震源位置处于剪切应力变化值为正的区域,由同震位移所产生的局部应力降峰值和均值大小同应力变化的正值大致相当,从而表明了快速且有效地计算断层内部及近断层附近的应力变化分布可以为主震后强余震发生的潜在区域提供指示意义.需要强调的是,应力变化空间分布特征的获取强烈地依赖于有限断层滑移模型解.有关滑动位移反演解的多解性对应力变化计算结果的影响,本文作了必要的讨论.     

Paleoearthquake rupture behavior and recurrence of great earthquakes along the Haiyuan fault,northwestern China

Paleoseismological studies have shown that indi-vidual past large-magnitude earthquakes can be recog-nized in the geological record and the timing betweenevents can be measured through Quaternary datingtechniques[1—6]. Thus, through paleoseismological st-udies, it is possible to determine age of each prehis-toric event so that recurrence intervals of large earth-quakes may be evaluated which provides a means toexpand the limited view of earthquakes offered by thehistorical and instrumental re…     

Mechanisms of slip nucleation during earthquakes

Slip nucleation during earthquakes is apparently analogous to rupture nucleation within an intact rock sample subjected to triaxial loading. The observations indicate that both these nucleation processes initiate within a relatively small volume and in both the slip propagates unstably along a quasi-planar surface. In both processes a single, pre-existing, shear fracture cannot nucleate the large-scale slip, and in both a ‘process zone' that includes several interacting fractures in a small volume are required to initiate the unstable slip. Both processes require rupture of intact rocks, generate complex fracture geometry, and are associated with intense energy-release rate during slip. Recent observations and analyses are used to correlate rupture nucleation in laboratory tests with nucleation events of large earthquakes. It is proposed that earthquake nucleation occurs by the interaction among multiple fractures within a small volume that develops into unstable yielding of the healed fault zone.     

2010年4月14日玉树Ms7.1地震加速度场预测

基于有限断层震源、且使用动力学拐角频率的地震动随机模拟方法预测玉树地震近断层的加速度场.首先,基于有限断层震源建模方法建立该次地震的震源模型;然后,基于上述地震动模拟方法预测玉树地震近断层191个节点的加速度时程.在此基础上,取每个结点的加速度峰值绘制该次地震的近断层加速度场.结果表明:(1)近断层加速度场主要受震源破裂过程和断层面上滑动分布的影响.断层面上凹凸体投影到地表的区域附近,加速度峰值最大,也是震害最严重的区域;(2)对于走滑地震,断层沿线附近的场地并非均会发生破裂方向性效应;发生破裂方向性效应的场地与凹凸体在断层面上的位置有关.     

鲜水河断裂带上特征地震的初步研究

特征地震是大地震原地重复的重要表现形式.现有资料的初步研究表明,鲜水河断裂带上大地震属特征地震模式,其地震破裂长度、同震位错量以及断层错动方式,在原地保持较长时间的一致性.由于大地震屡屡在原地重复发生,沿断裂特定地段累积位错分布与一次地震的位错相一致,从而导致断层滑动速率的同步变化.本文以1973年炉霍地震为例,研究了鲜水河断裂的特征地震现象.该段的地震活动属特征地震模式,不服从古登堡-里克特的线性震级频度关系.特征地震不仅对断错地貌、滑动速率有重要的影响,由于这种地震模式是以特定震级的大地震为主导,几乎没有中等震级地震发生,这对地震活动性研究也具有重要的意义.      

Role of the brittle–ductile transition on fault activation

We model a fault cross-cutting the brittle upper crust and the ductile lower crust. In the brittle layer the fault is assumed to have stick–slip behaviour, whereas the lower ductile crust is inferred to deform in a steady-state shear. Therefore, the brittle–ductile transition (BDT) separates two layers with different strain rates and structural styles. This contrasting behaviour determines a stress gradient at the BDT that is eventually dissipated during the earthquake. During the interseismic period, along a normal fault it should form a dilated hinge at and above the BDT. Conversely, an over-compressed volume should rather develop above a thrust plane at the BDT. On a normal fault the earthquake is associated with the coseismic closure of the dilated fractures generated in the stretched hangingwall during the interseismic period. In addition to the shear stress overcoming the friction of the fault, the brittle fault moves when the weight of the hangingwall exceeds the strength of the dilated band above the BDT. On a thrust fault, the seismic event is instead associated with the sudden dilation of the previously over-compressed volume in the hangingwall above the BDT, a mechanism requiring much more energy because it acts against gravity. In both cases, the deeper the BDT, the larger the involved volume, and the bigger the related magnitude.We tested two scenarios with two examples from L’Aquila 2009 (Italy) and Chi-Chi 1999 (Taiwan) events. GPS data, energy dissipation and strain rate analysis support these contrasting evolutions. Our model also predicts, consistently with data, that the interseismic strain rate is lower along the fault segment more prone to seismic activation.