A study of response spectra for different geological conditions in Gujarat,India

In this study, the effect of ground geology on the acceleration response spectra is studied at 32 sites in Gujarat, India. The sites are grouped into Proterozoic, Mesozoic, Tertiary and Quaternary. The normalized acceleration response spectra at 5% damping of 407 strong ground motions (horizontal and vertical components) recorded at these sites varying in magnitude from 3.0 to 5.7 are determined. The study shows that the shape of the acceleration response spectra is influenced by the regional geology and local site conditions. The peak of maximum horizontal spectral amplification is between 0.03 and 0.05 s in Proterozoic formations, 0.06 and 0.10 s in Mesozoic formations, 0.06 and 0.08 s in Tertiary and 0.12 s in Quaternary formations. The maximum vertical spectral acceleration is at 0.025 s in Proterozoic, 0.07 s in Mesozoic, 0.05 s in Tertiary and 0.10 s in Quaternary formations. The average acceleration amplification factor in all the geological formations is between 2.5 and 3.0 both in horizontal and vertical components. It has been observed that acceleration response spectra at sites having same geological formations are also influenced by local site conditions. The study shows that the acceleration response spectrum in the current Indian code applicable for the entire country underestimates the seismic forces at hard-rock sites and overestimates at soft-soil sites. Using recorded strong motion data with Mw ranging from 3.5 to 5.7, an attenuation relationship is developed at six periods to predict geometric mean of horizontal spectral amplitudes for rock and soil sites. The spectral amplitudes predicted with the attenuation relationship match well with the observed one within statistical limits for hypocentral distances less than 200 km.     

山西数字台网震级测定方法研究

震级是表示地震本身大小的一个量度,也是地震的基本参数之一。利用山西数字测震台网2009-2016年ML≥3.5以上宽频带数字地震资料,对近震震级ML、面波震级MS、宽频带面波震级Ms(BB)和矩震级Mw的震级测定方法进行讨论研究和对比,认为新震级标度能发挥宽频带数字地震资料的优越性,有利于资料的交换利用及对外发布。     

随机介质非均匀地质体尺度研究(英文)

为了定量地反映复杂非均匀介质非均匀地质体的尺度大小,本文利用统计学方法建立了能够很好地描述复杂非均匀介质特征的随机介质模型,模型参量自相关长度描述了非均匀介质横向和纵向上非均匀体的平均尺度。基于所建立的随机介质模型通过速度的横向变化和速度标准差分别探讨了自相关长度与非均匀体尺度之间的关系。对速度横向变化的研究表明:随机介质内速度具有一定均值和方差并呈随机扰动特征;随着模型自相关长度的增大,非均匀体尺度也随之增大。通过速度标准差的研究得出自相关长度与非均匀体尺度之间关系的拟合公式,利用此公式可以定量地获取非均匀体尺度的实际大小。     

Seismic reflection along the path of the Mediterranean Undercurrent

Seismic reflection profiling is applied to the study of large scale physical oceanographic processes in the Gulf of Cádiz and western Iberian coast, coinciding with the path of the Mediterranean Undercurrent. The multi-channel seismic reflection method provides clear images of thermohaline fine structure with a horizontal resolution approximately two orders of magnitude higher than CTD casting. The seismic data are compared with co-located historical oceanographic data. Three seismic reflectivity zones are identified: North Atlantic Central Water, Mediterranean Water and North Atlantic Deep Water. Seismic evidence for the path of the Mediterranean Undercurrent is found in the near-slope reflectivity patterns, with rising reflectors between about 500 and 1500 m. However, the core of the undercurrent is largely transparent. Seismic images show that central and, particularly, intermediate Mediterranean Waters have fine structure coherent over horizontal distances of several tens of kilometers. However, the intensity of the reflectors, and their horizontal coherence, decreases downstream. This change in seismic reflectivity is probably the result of diminished vertical thermohaline contrasts between adjacent water masses, so that double-diffusion processes become unable to sustain temperature and salinity staircases. Comparison of root-mean-square seismic amplitudes with temperature and salinity differences between the Mediterranean Undercurrent and the overlying central waters suggests a causal relationship between observed thermohaline fine structure and true seismic amplitudes. We estimate that, within this intermediate water stratum, impedance contrasts are mainly controlled by sound speed contrasts (a factor between 3.5 and 10 times larger than density contrasts), which are mainly controlled by temperature contrasts (a factor between 1.5 and 5 times larger than salinity contrasts).     

近海潮汐效应对测站位移的负荷影响

利用TPXO6全球海潮模型和中国东海和南海潮汐资料研究了近海潮汐效应对我国沿海部分台站负荷位移的影响.结果表明,近海效应对位移的水平和垂直分量的影响均达到了mm的量级,其中在厦门站的影响最大,水平和垂直分量的振幅分别接近3 mm和15 mm,因此近海潮汐效应是沿海地区GPS动力学应用中应该考虑的负荷效应中的一个因素.另外,各台站负荷位移水平分量随时间变化的规律是不一样的,最大值对于不同的台站出现在不同的方位,并且对于垂直分量,在上海站和在其他沿海站的影响存在着明显的反相关系.本文结果可为GPS资料处理提供有益参考.     

A regional near-surface high frequency spectral attenuation (kappa) model for northwestern Turkey

One approach to model the high-frequency attenuation of spectral amplitudes of S-waves is to express the observed exponential decay in terms of Kappa (κ) factor [1]. Kappa is a significant parameter used for identifying the high-frequency attenuation behavior of ground motions as well as one of the key parameters for stochastic strong ground motion simulation method. As of now, there is not a systematic investigation of the Kappa parameter based on the recently-compiled Turkish ground motions. In this study, we examine a strong ground motion dataset from Northwestern Turkey with varying source properties, site classes and epicentral distances. We manually compute κ from the S-wave portion of each record and study both horizontal and vertical kappa values. We use traditional regression techniques to describe the (potential) relationships between kappa and selected independent variables such as the site class, distance from the source or magnitude of the event. A linear effect of magnitude on kappa is not found statistically significant for the database studied herein. We express the initial findings of a regional κ model for Northwestern Turkey as a function of site class and epicentral distances. Single station analyses at selected sites confirm the regional model. Finally, we present stochastic strong motion simulations of past events in the region using the proposed kappa model. Regardless of the magnitude, source-to-site distance and local site conditions at the stations, the high-frequency spectral decay is simulated effectively at all stations considered.     

Local magnitude revaluation for recent Italian earthquakes (1981–1996)

In the framework of a joint project of theItalian Gruppo Nazionale per la Difesadai Terremoti (GNDT) and the IstitutoNazionale di Geofisica (ING), devoted tothe reorganization of the Italianearthquake instrumental database from 1981to 1996, we approached the problem of thehomogeneous determination of localmagnitude in Italy. As a first step, webuilt a database of real Wood-Andersonamplitudes deduced from the available dataof the two instruments that were inoperation in Italy up to 1989 as well as ofsimulated Wood Anderson amplitudes computedby Very Broad Band recordings, availablesince 1990. The simultaneous computation ofthe attenuation function together with themagnitudes and the station residuals allowsus to verify that, for the Italian area,this function does not significantly differfrom the original one given by Richter. Inthe second step, the so obtained Mlmagnitudes are used as a reference data setto estimate a new empirical relation forthe duration magnitude Md using the unifiedphases database of the Italian NationalSeismic Network (RSNC) of ING and of themost important local seismic networksoperating in Italy. The same data set wasalso employed to calibrate magnitude Mabased on amplitudes coming from shortperiod vertical seismograms recorded by theRSNC automatic acquisition system. At lasta set of reasonable criteria to choose themost reliable among Ml, Md and Ma has beenformulated. The resulting set of magnitudesproved to be definitely better calibratedthan the one obtained by procedures in useat RSNC.     

Probability of Peak Ground Horizontal and Peak Ground Vertical Accelerations at Tehran and Surrounding Areas

The active faults near Tehran are capable of producing Mw magnitudes of 6.62?C7.23; at epicentral distances of 25?km from the active faults, and Mw?=?7.23, the peak ground horizontal acceleration, PGH, is between 386 and 730?cm/s² and peak ground vertical acceleration, PGV, is between 192 and 261?cm/s²; the historic earthquake of the fourth century BC, Mw?=?7.16 produced the highest estimated PGH acceleration in Tehran, between 254 and 479?cm/s² and PGV acceleration between 127 and 173?cm/s². Earthquakes from 1909 to 2008, within 300?km from Tehran, are used for calculation of magnitude frequency relation, and results are applied to estimate PGH and PGV accelerations as a function of magnitudes for a set of fixed epicentral distance and site conditions; also as a function of epicentral distances for a set of fixed magnitudes and site conditions. Poisson??s distribution is used for probability calculation of PGH and PGV accelerations for several exposure times, site conditions and epicentral distances; accelerations with very high probability, near 1, are presented. At an epicentral distance of 10?km and exposure time of 450?years, in the northern part of Tehran, close to Mosha and the Northern Tehran faults, PGH acceleration is 800?C420?cm/s² and PGV is 400?C220?cm/s² with high probability. At an epicentral distance of 25?km and 1,000?years exposure time, PGH is 610?C320?cm/s² and PGV is 310?C160?cm/s² with high probability, where larger values are for soft soil and smaller values are for hard rock.     

南北地震带川滇甘陕地区竖向与水平向加速度反应谱比的统计分析

本文收集了从南北地震带川滇甘陕地区263个有详细场地资料的强震台站获得的802组强震动记录,按照场地、震级和震中距等因素统计分析了竖向与水平向加速度反应谱比的形状以及不同场地、震级和震中距下不同周期段内的谱比平均值,并与建筑抗震规范GB50011—2010规定的0.65进行了比较。结果表明:竖向与水平向加速度反应谱比受场地、震级和震中距等因素的影响; Ⅰ类和Ⅱ类场地在全周期段的谱比均值基本上大于0.65;无论何种分组情况谱比均值在0.1—1.0 s周期范围内基本低于定值0.65,周期大于1.0 s的谱比均值基本上远高于0.65。因此对于大部分抗震规范直接把竖向地震作用取为水平向地震作用的0.65倍,有待商榷。本文建议根据水平向反应谱的标定方式来确定现有竖向强震动记录的竖向地震作用。      

Ground motion prediction equations for horizontal and vertical components of acceleration in Northern Iran

Recent studies have shown that the vertical component of ground motion can be quite destructive on a variety of structural systems. Development of response spectrum for design of buildings subjected to vertical component of earthquake needs ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs). The existing GMPEs for northern Iranian plateau are proposed for the horizontal component of earthquake, and there is not any specified GMPE for the vertical component of earthquake in this region. Determination of GMPEs is mostly based on regression analyses on earthquake parameters such as magnitude, site class, distance, and spectral amplitudes. In this study, 325 three-component records of 55 earthquakes with magnitude ranging from M _w 4.1 to M _w 7.3 are used for estimation on the regression coefficients. Records with distances less than 300 km are selected for analyses in the database. The regression analyses on earthquake parameters results in determination of GMPEs for peak ground acceleration and spectral acceleration for both horizontal and vertical components of the ground motion. The correlation between the models for vertical and horizontal GMPEs is studied in details. These models are later compared with some other available GMPEs. According to the result of this investigation, the proposed GMPEs are in agreement with the other relationships that were developed based on the local and regional data.     

新国家标准震级标度与传统震级标度对比研究

使用四川省地震台网2013年4月以来的宽频带数字地震资料,对新国家标准震级标度与传统震级标度中的4类震级进行了对比分析。结果表明:新M_L与传统M_L、M_S（BB）与M_S7之间的差别最小,相关性最高;所有事件的新m_b均大于或等于传统m_b;大部分事件的新M_L大于传统M_L;m_B（BB）大于m_B的事件多于m_B（BB）小于m_B的事件;M_S（BB）小于M_S7的事件数量与M_S（BB）大于M_S7的事件接近;新M_L较传统M_L更符合区域地质实际状况,新m_b较传统m_b更便于测量,M_S（BB）较M_S7、m_B（BB）较m_B更适应当前的宽频带数字地震资料,其测定结果更稳定。新国家标准震级标度充分考虑了我国震级测定的历史连续性,很好地继承和衔接了传统震级标度,在可操作性和资料适用性方面有极大提高。      

Deformation caused by the 2011 eastern Japan great earthquake monitored using the GPS single-epoch precise point positioning technique

Crustal deformation can provide constraints for studying earthquake rupture and shock wave transmission for the Mw9.0 eastern Japan great earthquake. Using the single-epoch precise point positioning (PPP) method and the appropriate positioning flow, we process GPS data from six IGS (International GNSS Service) sites (e.g., MIZU, TSK2, USUD, MTKA, AIRA and KSMV) located in Japan and obtain the positioning results with centimeter scale precision. The displacement time series of the six sites are analyzed using the least squares spectral analysis method to estimate deformations caused by the Mw9.0 mainshock and the Mw7.9 aftershock, and the cumulative displacements after 1 day. Mainshock displacements at station MIZU, the nearest site to the mainshock in the North (N), East (E), and Up (U) directions, are ?1.202 m, 2.180 m and ?0.104 m, respectively, and the cumulative deformations after 1 day are ?1.117 m, 2.071 m and ?0.072 m, respectively. The displacements at station KSMV, the nearest site to the Mw7.9 aftershock in the N, E and U directions, are ?0.032 m, 0.742 m and ?0.345 m, respectively. The other sites obviously experienced eastern movements and subsidence. The deformation vectors indicate that the horizontal displacements caused by the earthquake point to the epicenter and rupture. Elastic bounds evidently took place at all sites. The results indicate that the crustal movements and earthquake were part of a megathrust caused by the Pacific Plate sinking under the North American Plate to the northeast of Japan island arc.     

Integrated measurements of acoustical and optical thin layers II: Horizontal length scales

The degree of layered organization of planktonic organisms in coastal systems impacts trophic interactions, the vertical availability of nutrients, and many biological rate processes. While there is reasonable characterization of the vertical structure of these phenomena, the extent and horizontal length scale of variation has rarely been addressed. Here we extend the examination of the vertical scale in the first paper of the series to the horizontal scale with combined shipboard acoustic measurements and bio-optic measurements taken on an autonomous underwater vehicle. Measurements were made in Monterey Bay, CA from 2002 to 2008 for the bio-optical parameters and during 2006 for acoustic scattering measurements. The combined data set was used to evaluate the horizontal decorrelation length scales of the bio-optical and acoustic scattering layers themselves. Because biological layers are often decoupled from the physical structure of the water column, assessment of the variance within identified layers was appropriate. This differs from other studies in that physical parameters were not used as a basis for the layer definition. There was a significant diel pattern to the decorrelation length scale for acoustic layers with the more abundant nighttime layers showing less horizontal variability despite their smaller horizontal extent. A significant decrease in the decorrelation length scale was found in bio-optical parameters over six years of study, coinciding with a documented shift in the plankton community. Results highlight the importance of considering plankton behavior and time of day with respect to scale when studying layers, and the challenges of sampling these phenomena.     

Ring structures of seismicity in central Tien Shan and Dzungaria: Possible precursory processes of large earthquakes

It is shown that episodes of comparative seismic quiescence that lasted about 20–25 years in the areas of study alternated with intervals of sharply increased seismicity as series of large (M ≥ 6.9) earthquakes occurred during two to three decades. Since no M ≥ 6.6 earthquake has occurred in the area for as long as 21 years after the 1992 Susamyr event, middle-term prediction would require identification of zones of imminent large earthquakes. More reliable identification of such zones rests on data relating to inhomogeneities in the field of S-wave attenuation in the lithosphere, as well as on the characteristics of ring structures of seismicity. Such structures are formed as zones of seismic quiescence that are bounded by M ? Mth earthquake epicenters, where Mth is the threshold magnitude value. Correlative relationships were previously derived, lgL(Mw) and Mth(Mw), for events with different focal mechanisms (L is the length of the longer axis of a seismicity ring and Mw is the magnitude of the associated large earthquake). These relationships were used to estimate the Mw of large events that can occur in these ring structures. The greatest earthquake with Mw ? 7.5 is probably about to occur in southern Tien Shan, east of the 1949 Khait earthquake rupture. A smaller event (Mw ～ 7.0) can occur in the Kyrgyz Range area. Still smaller earthquakes probably have their precursory areas north and east of Lake Issyk-Kul, as well as in Dzungaria.     

The density and Q-factor models based on the new data on the nutations and overtones of the free oscillations of the earth: 1. The analysis of the new GSN data for the Sumatra,Tohoku, and Okhotsk earthquakes

We discuss the problem of the ambiguity of gravity inversion, i.e., finding the depth distribution of density and the depth and frequency dependences of the Q-factor from the entire set of the present-day seismic and astrometric data on the travel times of seismic waves, the periods and attenuation factors of the free oscillations of the Earth, as well as the amplitudes and phases of the forced nutations. In the first part of the paper, we present the new and more accurate determinations of the periods and Q-factors for the fundamental tones and overtones of the spheroidal and toroidal oscillations of the Earth, which have periods longer than 3 min. These determinations are based on analyzing the signals from the Sumatra, Tohoku, and Okhotsk earthquakes of magnitude 9, which were recorded by the stations of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN) in Obninsk and Kazakhstan. It is shown that, although the Okhotsk earthquake had a lower magnitude than the other quakes analyzed (since its seismic source was extremely deep (about 600 km)), the amplitudes of the overtones excited by this event are significantly higher than the amplitudes of the overtones caused by the Sumatra and Tohoku events of magnitude 9. Moreover, the amplitudes of the overtones from the Okhotsk earthquake exceed the amplitudes of the overtones of the free oscillations caused by the other seismic events of magnitude 9 that occurred in the second half of the 20th century. Due to this, the data on the Okhotsk Sea earthquake are of utmost importance for the solution of the inverse problems of reconstructing the vertical profiles of Q-factor in the ultra-low frequency (ULF) range and for reconstructing the vertical distribution of density. Based on the new empirical data, we obtained new and more accurate estimates for the periods and attenuation factors of the free oscillations of the Earth.     

Crustal Movements and Deformations in Eastern Turkey in Connection with the Van Earthquake (October 23, 2011, Мw = 7.2): Study from GPS Data

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—A devastating earthquake with magnitude Mw = 7.2 occurred in the Van region, Eastern Turkey, on October 23, 2011. This study analyzes the...     

EARTHQUAKE HAZARD MAPPING IN THE MAGHREB COUNTRIES: ALGERIA,MOROCCO, TUNISIA

This paper presents new seismic hazard maps of the Maghreb countries by using newly re-evaluated earthquake data catalogue in the region under consideration. For this region, there is a clear need to use common procedure and data bases through the whole Maghreb region so that seismic hazard assessments are consistent from country to country. An effort is made to assess the seismic hazard and to construct earthquake hazard maps in terms of expected horizontal and vertical PGA for a 10 per cent chance of being exceeded, expected intensity (MSK), all in an economic life time of 50 and 100 years. Also, a return period seismic hazard map for PGA≥140cm/s² is presented. For engineering applications, earthquake hazard maps for structures with different periods are also constructed.     

震源参数之间的定量关系

本文根据建立在平均二维破裂模式基础上的地震定标律,导出了地震矩 M0与各常用震级之间（1gM0-MS,ML,mb）,各种震级之间（Ms-ML,Ms-mb,ML-mb）,各震源参数之间（断层长度IgL,断层面积 lgS,平均错距 lgD-Ms,拐角频率 1gfc-ML）的各种常用的关系式.利用这些关系式,由一个震级值就可以估算出一系列震源参数.本文还求出了平均破裂速度 Vr=2.65km/s,总破裂时间 T（s）=0.5L（km）,平均位错速度 D（t）=11.4m/s.用矩震级 Mw 度量地震的大小,有四个优点:（1）地震矩反映了形变规模的大小,因此是度量地震大小的最佳物理量.（2）它是一个绝对力学标度,对任何大小地震都有意义,可测量,且不产生饱和问题.（3）它和我们已熟悉的震级标度可衔接.（4）它是一个均匀的震级标度,适用于宽尺度的地震统计.因此,Mw 是一种值得推广的震级标度.      

Nighttime E region plasma irregularities over an equatorial station Trivandrum

In situ measurements of electron density were made over Trivandrum (8.5°N, 76.9°E) during nighttime to study E-region plasma density irregularities. Irregularities, with vertical scale sizes from a few km to 15 cm, were detected during rocket ascent and descent. Electron density profiles during ascent and descent of an earlier nighttime rocket flight from Trivandrum are also presented. Some of the important results are as follows: (i) horizontal gradients in electron density exist in 110–120 km region with horizontal scale size of at least 40 km, (ii) based on the presence/absence of electron density structures during ascent and descent of both flights, the horizontal distance over which the gradient drift instability operates is found to be at least 80 km and 90 km, for both the flights, (iii) observed irregularities in regions of negative density gradient are suggested to be produced through the gradient drift instability (GDI) driven by vertical polarization electric field as well as by electric field produced through wind shears and those in positive gradient regions by wind driven GDI, (iv) largest irregularity amplitude (≈30%) was associated with steepest gradients and so was the presence of smallest vertical scale sizes (12 m to 15 cm), which were absent at other altitudes, (v) the spectral index of irregularities was in the range of ?2.2±0.2 for large scales (few kilometers>λ>50 m), ?3.25±0.25 for medium scales (50 m>λ>10 m) and ?2.6±0.1 for smaller scales (10 m>λ>1 m) and (vi) irregularities in large and medium scales are expected to be produced directly through GDI and the small and sum-meter scales through non-linear GDI.     

An improved earthquake catalogue (<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis> ≥ 4.0) for Turkey and its near vicinity (1900–2012)

Many catalogues, agency reports and research articles have been published on seismicity of Turkey and its surrounding since 1950s. Given existing magnitude heterogeneity, erroneous information on epicentral location, event date and time, this past published data however is far from fulfilling the required standards. Paucity of a standardized format in the available catalogues have reinforced the need for a refined and updated catalogue for earthquake related hazard and risk studies. During this study, ~37,000 earthquakes and related parametric data were evaluated by utilizing more than 41 published studies and, an integrated database was prepared in order to analyse all parameters acquired from the catalogues and references for each event. Within the scope of this study, the epicentral locations of M ≥ 5.0 events were firstly reappraised based on the updated Active Fault Map of Turkey. An improved catalogue of 12.674 events for the period 1900–2012 was as a result recompiled for the region between 32–45N° and 23–48E° by analyzing in detail accuracy of all seismological parameters available for each event. The events consist of M ≥ 4.0 are reported in several magnitude scales (e.g. moment magnitude, M_w; surface wave magnitude, M_S; body-wave magnitude m_b; local magnitude M_L and duration magnitude M_d) whereas the maximum focal depth reaches up to 225-km. In order to provide homogenous data, the improved catalogue is unified in terms of M_w. Fore-and aftershocks were also removed from the catalogue and completeness analyses were performed both separately for various tectonic sources and as a whole for the study region of interest. Thus, the prepared homogenous and declustered catalogue consisting of 6573 events provides the basis for a reliable input to the seismic hazard assessment studies for Turkey and its surrounding areas.