The May 13, 1995, Kozani-Grevena (NW Greece) earthquake: Source study and its tectonic implications

At 08:47 GMT, on May 13, 1995, a strong earthquake of M_s = 6.6 occurred in the NW part of Greece (Western Macedonia) and caused serious damage in the Kozani and Grevena prefectures, but fortunately no fatalities. The maximum observed macroseismic intensity was IX + of the Modified Mercalli scale. The main shock was preceded by several foreshocks and followed by intense aftershock activity lasting several months.The Institute of Geodynamics of the National Observatory of Athens, in order to monitor and study the aftershock activity, installed a seismic network of nine (9) stations operated for a period of 50 days. Thousands of aftershocks were recorded. Based on the analysis of recorded data, a NE-SW trending zone dipping NW is defined.In the field a surface rupture of normal slip was observed, following a NE-SW direction for a length of 8 km with a 4 cm down throw of the NW area. This break was located along a pre-existing minor normal fault, while a main fault system exists 10 km to the SE.The focal mechanism of the main shock shows normal faulting, which is in agreement with the field observations. Moreover focal mechanisms of several well defined aftershocks were computed, showing various types of faulting.     

Analysis of the 1997 Zirkuh (Ghean-Birjand) aftershock sequence in east-central Iran

IntroductionThesouthernpartofKhorasanProvinceineast-centralIranisoneoftheseismicallyactiveregionsintheMiddleeast.Historicalreportsindicatedseveralearthquakeshavecausedseveredestructionsandhumanlossinthisregionduringthepastcenturies(Ambraseys,Melville,1982).Theinstrumentallyrecordedearthquakesaswellastheexistenceofseveralactivefaultsalsosug-gestedthattheregionhadahighpotentialofseismicactivities.OnMay10,1997at07:57:29.6GMT,12:27:29.6localtime,ashallowdestructiveearthquakewithoutanyfeltfores…     

The 14 August 2003 Lefkada Island (Greece) earthquake: Focal mechanisms of the mainshock and of the aftershock sequence

The central area of the Ionian Sea is dominated by the Cephalonia Transform Fault Zone (CTFZ) with a pronounced dextral strike-slip component of motion. The CTFZ has two main segments: the Lefkada Segment (LS) in the north and the Cephalonia Segment (CS) in the south. On 14 August 2003 an M_w 6.2 earthquake ruptured the Lefkada Segment and produced extensive damage, especially to the western coast of the island. Teleseismic waveform modelling revealed the multiple source character of the mainshock, which occurred as three sub-events along a ∼N12^∘E line. The first sub-event occurred at a depth of about 15 km, followed 2.5 s later by the second and largest sub-event at a depth of 11 km and the third sub-event 14 s after the second at a depth of 15 km. The total moment from the body waves of this sequence is about 22.3×10¹⁷ Nt m (M_w 6.2) with a source duration of ∼15 s. The rupture started at the northern part of the Lefkada fault Segment and propagated southwards. The second and third sub-events are located at 7 and 40 km to the south-east in respect to the first sub-event. The focal mechanisms of the two strongest sources indicate strike-slip faulting along the NE–SW trending Lefkada segment (sub-event 2: Strike = 12^∘, Dip = 81^∘, Rake = 174^∘; sub-event 3: Strike = 20^∘, Dip = 63^∘, Rake = −179^∘). Moment tensor inversion applied to regional broad band waveforms obtained from the Greek National Seismographic Network provided focal mechanisms for 23 aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from M_w 3.6 to 5.4. The aftershock sequence presented spatial and temporal variation. The aftershocks were concentrated in two clusters one at the northern part of the activated area and another at the southern part. Most of them were of strike-slip character, following the major tectonic lines of the area, although low-angle thrust and reverse faulting mechanisms were also observed. Thrust and reverse type mechanisms are mainly concentrated in the northern and mainland part of the Lefkada Island which probably indicates the segmented character of the fault and probable activation of adjacent structures.     

Seismic hazard assessment and design spectra for the Kozani-Grevena region (Greece) after the earthquake of May 13, 1995

The Kozani-Grevena (Greece) destructive earthquake occurred in a region of low seismicity. A considerable amount of strong-motion data was acquired from the permanent strong motion network of the Institute of Engineering Scismology and Earthquake Engineering (ITSAK) as well as from a temporary one installed after the earthquake. On the basis of this data set as well as on the observed macroseismic intensities, local attenuation relations for peak ground acceleration and velocity are proposed. A posteriori seismic hazard analysis is attempted for the affected and surrounding areas in terms of peak ground acceleration, velocity, bracketed duration and spectral acceleration. The analysis shows that the event of May 13, 1995 can be characterized as one with a mean return period of 500 to 1000 years. Relying on the observed spectral-acceleration amplification factors and the expected peak ground acceleration for mean return period of 500 years, region-specific elastic design spectra for the buildings of the Kozani and Grevena prefectures are proposed.     

A non-extensive statistical physics view to the spatiotemporal properties of the June 1995, Aigion earthquake (M6.2) aftershock sequence (West Corinth rift,Greece)

In the present study, the spatiotemporal properties of the Aigion earthquake (15 June 1995) aftershock sequence are being studied using the concept of non-extensive statistical physics (NESP). The cumulative distribution functions of the inter-event times and the inter-event distances are being estimated for the data set which is assumed to be complete and the analysis yielded the thermodynamic q parameter to be qT = 1.58 and q _r = 0.53 for the two distributions, respectively. The results fit rather well to the inter-event distances and times distributions, implying the complexity of the spatiotemporal properties of seismicity and the usefulness of NESP in investigating such phenomena. The temporal structure is also being discussed using the complementary to NESP approach of superstatistics, which is based on a superposition of ordinary local equilibrium statistical mechanics. The result indicates that very low degrees of freedom describe the temporal evolution of the Aigion earthquake aftershock seismicity.     

Horizontal to vertical spectral ratio and geological conditions: an analysis of strong motion data from Greece and Taiwan (SMART-1)

Nowadays, several research efforts have been directed towards the evaluation of the horizontal to vertical, (h/v), spectral ratio technique, following the pioneering work of Nakamura originally proposed for microtremor measurements. In the present study, an extension of this technique based on Greek and Taiwanese (SMART-1) strong motion data is attempted. Whenever possible comparisons with results obtained by the standard spectral ratio technique for the same sites are made. Regarding the Greek data it is concluded that (h/v) spectral ratio clearly distinguishes the range of resonant peaks between ‘rock’ and ‘alluvium’ sites. On the other hand, nonlinear effects that take place beneath SMART-1 array most probably obscure the expected consistency between (h/v) and standard spectral ratio technique.     

Application of spectral analysis to determine hydraulic diffusivity of a sandy aquifer (Pingtung County,Taiwan)

The study demonstrates spectral relationships in the time–frequency domain for one‐dimensional groundwater flow in aquifers bounded by fluctuating boundaries. By nature, the solutions of spectral equations are non‐linear complex functions. To determine hydraulic diffusivity in the governing equations, it is required that the data are collected from the spectra of water levels at the fluctuating boundaries and observation wells. Hydraulic diffusivity thus can be obtained by an iterative inverse approach. This paper presents an application in Pingtung County of Taiwan to determine the hydraulic diffusivity of a sandy aquifer under confined conditions. Spectral density function of water level obtained from tidal boundaries and observation wells are used to approximate hydraulic diffusivity, which yields an averaged value of 1·26 × 10⁶ m²/h. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

谱分析在识别初至P波中的应用

由于台站周围环境噪声干扰的增强,台站人员无法识别被背景噪声淹没的初至P波。我们利用DIMAS分析软件包中的谱分析方法,寻找初至P波的卓越周期,改善台站人员识别地震波的能力。     

Uncertainties in the estimation of earthquake magnitudes in Greece

Instrumental magnitudes in Greece have been reported as: a) Mmagnitudes based on the records of the Wiechert or Mainka seismographs,b) M_LGR magnitudes based on the records of the Wood-Anderson(WA) seismographs (T_o = 0.8 sec, V_effective 1000) or othershort period seismographs calibrated against WA records and,c) M_LSM magnitudes based on strong motion records(accelerograms). Comparison of such magnitudes with momentmagnitudes, M_w, for 329 earthquakes, with epicenters in thebroader Aegean area, performed in this study, showedthat M, M_LGR+0.5 and M_LSM are practically equalto M_w, with a small overall standard error ( = 0.23).Therefore, equivalent moment magnitudes, M_w ^*,estimated from these magnitudes and reported in the catalogues of theGeophysical Laboratory of the University of Thessaloniki are equal tomoment magnitudes for all practical purposes with reasonable uncertainties.It has been further shown that surface wave magnitudes, M_s,for M_s <6.0, can be also transferred into momentmagnitudes, M_w ^*, but the larger uncertaintiesencountered make its use rather problematic.     

频谱分析方法在气氡周期分析中的应用

利用数字信号处理的相关理论与方法,对聊古1井两年的气氡逐时值数据进行适当的滤波处理,用频谱分析的方法提取潜在周期信息。结果表明：聊古I井气氡数据除明显的年周期外,还存在12小时、24小时的短周期效应和1～2个月的中长周期波动。说明数字信号处理技术对地震前兆数据处理有很好效果和应用前景。     

重力位场谱分析方法研究综述

利用Fourier变换将空间域位场数据变换到频率域进行谱分析是重力位场数据处理中的一种重要方法．这种方法在位场的延拓及转换、场分离、物性界面的正反演和位场的曲化平处理等方面已得到广泛的应用．本文详细介绍了位场谱分析的基本理论和方法,总结了国内外最近几十年来在这方面取得的主要成果,并提出了未来值得深入研究的方向．     

Analysis and interpretation of the aftershock sequence of the August 17, 1999, Izmit (Turkey) earthquake

A micro-seismic field experiment has been carried out in the Marmara Searegion. The analysis of the events before and after the August 17, 1999Izmit (Turkey) earthquake has been completed. 1446 events have beenwell located out of a total of 3165 recorded within the period from July15 to November 2, 1999. 67% of the aftershocks with magnitudegreater than 4 have occurred within the first 6 days after the main-shock. Earthquakes of the Izmit sequence are distributed in the first 15 km of theearth crust, but major events are located in between 5 km and 15 kmdepth. The seismicity pattern defines a rupture plane extending for about150 km in an E-W direction. The rupture is extremely linear butsegmented, and its complexity increases towards the western endmanifesting bifurcation. A stress analysis has been carried out both at thewestern end and all along the aftershock zone. 96 selected aftershocks,registered between August 21 and October 22, were chosen in order tocompute their focal mechanisms and obtain information about the stressregime after the Izmit earthquake. Strike-slip and normal faultingmechanisms are dominant. The numerous strike-slip mechanisms arecompatible with a dextral motion on an EW oriented vertical fault plane. The best stress tensor solution shows a regime in extension with awell-defined ₃ axis oriented approximately N35^°.     

Epidemic type aftershock sequence (ETAS) modeling of northeastern Himalayan seismicity

We analyzed the seismicity of northeastern Himalayan region of latitude (25 to 32°?N) and longitude (86–97°?E). The US Geological Survey catalogue is used in this study for a period from 1973 to June 2011. The seismicity of the region is modeled using epidemic type aftershock sequence (ETAS) model. The region is divided in three parts: (1) whole region, (2) subregion I, and (3) subregion II. The magnitude of completeness is found to be 4.6 for all the three regions. The ETAS parameters for all the regions are found same within the standard errors. There is no significant change observed in the seismicity since 1973 based on the ETAS modeling.     

Source mechanism of the 22/11/1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake and its aftershock sequence

The Gulf of Aqaba earthquake occurred on 22/11/1995 with M _W = 7.2 and was the largest event to occur along the Dead Sea Transform in at least a century. We determined the source mechanism of the event based on the inversion of the P and SH waveforms observed by teleseismic stations. Our solution consists of 2 similar subevents, where the first exhibits a left-lateral strike-slip motion with a normal component and the second subevent shows an almost pure left-lateral strike-slip motion along the gulf major fault system. The total seismic moment is 7.7 × 10²⁶ dyne-cm, with source duration of 15 seconds. The aftershock sequence was recorded by the regional broad band stations BGIO and JER, of the Israel Seismic Network, and KEG, of the MEDNET regional network for earthquakeswith M _W > 4.0. Aftershock epicenter seems to cluster mainly in the Eilat basin and the Aragonese basin. The dominant mechanism indicates left-lateral strike slip motion along the gulf trend, similar to the mainshock.     

Applicability of spectral analysis to determine hydraulic diffusivity

This study is to evaluate the applicability of estimating the one-dimensional horizontal hydraulic diffusivity of an unconfined aquifer with time-dependent fluctuation of lateral head and vertical recharge boundaries using observed water level spectra. Different models of boundary condition are imposed to evaluate the statistical significance between the calculated hydraulic diffusivity (ξ^′) with the given hydraulic diffusivity (ξ). The auto-spectra of the water level in observation wells tapping the same aquifer are closely related to those at the disturbed boundaries. For an aquifer with a constant hydraulic diffusivity, the water level fluctuation in the monitoring wells is linearly related to the water level spectra observed at the boundaries. The spectral density function of aquifer hydraulic head varies inversely with specific yield (S _y) and directly with recharge. Given small variation in water level spectra at the disturbed boundaries, the water level fluctuation in the aquifer is affected by the recharge condition and the aquifer spectral density function is sensitive to S _y. Using an iterative technique to estimate ξ from 1400 sets of given parameters, 99% of the ξ^′/ξ values deviated within only one order of magnitude with the model length (L) being equal to 1 km and 10 km. For L equal to 100 m, approximately 82% of the ξ^′/ξ population falls within two orders of magnitude. Therefore, spectral analysis of aquifer hydraulic head response can be used to estimate the hydraulic diffusivity of an unconfined aquifer which is affected by periodic variations in recharge and head at boundaries.     

Methana,the westernmost active volcanic system of the south Aegean arc (Greece): Insight from fluids geochemistry

An extensive geochemical survey of the fluids released by the volcanic/geothermal system of Methana was undertaken. Gases were characterized based on the chemical and isotopic [helium (He) and carbon (C)] analysis of 27 samples. Carbon dioxide soil gas concentration and fluxes were measured at 179 sampling sites throughout the peninsula. Forty samples of thermal and cold groundwaters were also sampled and analysed to characterize the geochemistry of the aquifers.     

Determination of hydraulic diffusivity of aquifers by spectral analysis

This study uses the cyclical frequency to develop the mathematical relationship between hydraulic diffusivity and spectral density functions calculated from groundwater level variation. Such relationship can be applied to (1) unsteady state, one-dimensional confined aquifer with time-dependent water level on both end boundaries, and (2) linearized unconfined aquifer with or without vertical recharge. The spectral density functions of groundwater fluctuations are largely affected by the spectral density functions obtained from time-dependent end boundaries and their cross-spectral density functions. Hydraulic diffusivity of an aquifer can be solved by type-curve matching technique at a specified frequency band under the conditions of (1) confined aquifer having equal time-dependent boundaries on both ends, (2) unconfined aquifer having equal time-dependent boundaries on both ends with surface recharge, and (3) unconfined aquifer subjected to surface recharge but neglecting the water table fluctuations on both end boundaries.     

The 24 May 2014 (Mw6.8) earthquake (North Aegean Trough): Spatiotemporal evolution,source and slip model from teleseismic data

We use teleseismic data to calculate the source model of the 24 May 2014 earthquake and regional catalogues to examine the spatial-temporal characteristics of the sequence. The sequence started in Saros Basin but almost simultaneously aftershocks spread along a ∼200 km zone, activating the entire North Aegean Trough. The aftershock sequence was rich in moderate (M < 4) size events, but very deficient in strong events – only two Mw4.9 aftershocks-a characteristic observed in previous sequences in the region. The teleseismic waveforms were best fit by two sub-events, which were lagged by 18 s in time and by a 50 km jump in space, along the same fault line. The centroid depth of the first sub-event is 22 km, at the base of the lower crust, and for the second is 14 km. The resolved total source time function is ∼30 s. The finite-fault slip model is characterized by an asymmetric bilateral rupture propagation, to the west and east of the hypocentre. The major slip is confined downdip from the hypocentre, within the deeper 12–25 km part. This deep slip migrated updip from the hypocentre to form the second slip patch, in the eastward segment. In all our models the maximum dislocation was of the order of 1 m. For our preferred model parametrization, the rupture speed is 3 km/s, and the scalar moment equal to 1.76 × 10¹⁹ Nm (Mw6.8). This earthquake highlighted the fact that strike-slip faulting in the North Aegean Sea, can attain large lengths and activate very wide zones, reaching densely populated regions.     

Gorkha earthquake (MW7.8) and aftershock sequence: A fractal approach

On April 25, 2015, Nepal was struck by the M_W7.8 Gorkha earthquake followed by an intense aftershock sequence. It was one of the most destructive earthquakes in the Himalayan arc, causing more than 8900 fatalities. In this study, we analyzed the dataset (429 events, magnitude of completeness (M_c) ≥ 4.2 local magnitude) of the first 45 days after the Gorkha earthquake to estimate the seismicity parameters b-value, D-value, and p-value. We used the maximum likelihood method to estimate the b-value and Omori-Utsu parameters, whereas the correlation integral method was applied to estimate the fractal dimension (D-value). The analysis was carried out using running and sliding window techniques. The lowest b-value (0.57 ± 0.04) and the highest D-value (1.65 ± 0.02) were computed at the time of the Gorkha earthquake, after which the b-value significantly increased to a maximum of 1.57. It again dropped to 0.93 at the time of the major aftershock on May 12, 2015. The D-value showed an initial quick drop and then decreased in a wavy pattern until the end of the study period, indicating the clustering and scattering of earthquakes in a fault region. The b-value contour map identified the eastern part of the study area as a high stress region (b = ～0.8), implying that the stress shifted to that region. The D-value contour map reveals that the seismogenic structure shifted from linear to planar in the region. The rate of aftershock decay (p = 0.86 ± 0.04) for a short period reflects that the level of stress decreased rapidly. This study helps to understand the level of stress and seismicity pattern of a region, which could be useful for aftershock studies.