The landward thinning of the low-velocity layer across the Kurile-Japan trench

Composite P-wave seismograms are constructed for intermediate earthquakes in the Kurile region using seismic stations in central and western Japan. Ray paths are approximately parallel to the intermediate seismic zone along the Kurile-Japan arc. A compressional velocity structure model is constructed from the travel time and relative amplitude data for the upper mantle involving this intermediate seismic zone. The absence of any significant low-velocity layer below the descending slab of lithosphere can be shown from the data. Instead, the model consistent with the observed data has a non-velocity gradient layer of about 30 km thickness beneath the descending slab. The result suggests that the low-velocity layer beneath the Pacific plate thins landward across the Kurile-Japan trench and does not descend along the base of the descending slab.     

FDM Simulation of an Anomalous Later Phase from the Japan Trench Subduction Zone Earthquakes

We investigated the development of a distinct later phase observed at stations near the Japan Trench associated with shallow, outer-rise earthquakes off the coast of Sanriku, northern Japan based on the analysis of three-component broadband seismograms and FDM simulations of seismic wave propagation using a heterogeneous structural model of the Japan Trench subduction zone. Snapshots of seismic wave propagation obtained through these simulations clearly demonstrate the complicated seismic wavefield constructed by a coupling of the ocean acoustic waves and the Rayleigh waves propagating within seawater and below the sea bottom by multiple reflections associated with shallow subduction zone earthquakes. We demonstrated that the conversion to the Rayleigh wave from the coupled ocean acoustic waves and the Rayleigh wave as they propagate upward along the slope of seafloor near the coast is the primary cause of the arrival of the distinct later phase at the station near the coast. Through a sequence of simulations using different structural models of the Japan Trench subduction zone, we determined that the thick layer of seawater along the trench and the suddenly rising sea bottom onshore of the Japanese island are the major causes of the distinct later phase. The results of the present study indicate that for realistic modeling of seismic wave propagation from the subduction zone earthquakes, a high-resolution bathymetry model is very crucial, although most current simulations do not include a water column in their simulation models.     

The effect of the descending lithosphere beneath the Tonga island arc on P-wave travel-time residuals at the Warramunga Seismic Array

P-wave travel-time residuals at the Warramunga Seismic Array (WRA) in the Northern Territory, Australia, have been studied from 49 earthquakes with epicenters south of 19°S in the Fiji-Tonga region. Focal depths are between 42 and 679 km as determined from pP-P. Using the Jeffreys-Bullen and the Herrin travel-time tables the epicentral parameters have been redetermined by considering only “normal” seismic stations in the location procedure. These are those stations where P-wave travel times are probably not affected by lateral heterogeneities caused by the lithosphere descending beneath the Tonga trench. Epicenters of deep earthquakes below 300 km have been relocated by using stations at Δ > 25° only. Epicenters from shallower-depth earthquakes have been recalculated without using stations between 35 < Δ < 75° epicentral distance. In both cases focal depths were determined from pP-P times. The resulting pattern of P-residuals at WRA does not show any significant change with depth below 350 km. The residuals become more negative for shallower earthquakes above about 250 km. P-waves to WRA are advanced by approximately 2 s compared with those from deep earthquakes. The results do not essentially differ for the two different travel-time tables used. The observations can be interpreted by P-wave velocities that are higher in the sinking slab down to 350–400 km by 5±2% than in both the Jeffreys-Bullen and Herrin models. Without considering possible elevations of phase boundaries this estimate yields a temperature contrast of 1000±450°C between slab and normal mantle material in this depth range.     

Volcanoes and regional geophysical trends

Active volcanoes occur in at least two fundamentally different tectonic settings. Taphrogenic volcanoes are aligned along the mid-ocean fracture system which is characterized by a broad ridge of rugged relief, «tensional» horizontal stress components perpendicular to the ridge, shallow earthquakes in a zone vertically beneath the ridge crest, thin to normal occanic crust and low to normal seismic velocities in the uppermost mantle, positive free-air gravity anomalies, and high heat flow. Orogenic volcanoes are aligned along the mobile Pacific rim and Indonesian archipelago which are characterized by double or single arcuate ridges with a deep oceanic trench on the convex side, compressional horizontal stress components perpendicular to the arcs, shallow to deep earthquakes in a zone dipping from the trench to beneath the volcanoes and beyond, transitional crustal thicknesses and seismic velocities, parallel belts of negative and positive free-air gravity anomalies from the trench to the volcanic arc, and low heat flow from the trench. The diverse nature of most geophysical lineaments associated with volcanism suggests that magma generation is independent of these phenomena. The remaining correlation of shallow earthquakes with taphrogenic volcanocs and intermediate depth earthquakes with orogenic volcanoes suggests that active fracture systems reaching these depths can tap latent magma sources. Seismic evidence for a low velocity layer beginning 100 km beneath continents and 60 km beneath oceans gives independent support to this hypothesis.     

新丰江库区上地壳三维细结构层析成像

在新丰江库区布设一个范围约50 km×40 km、由50个地震临时台站组成的观测台阵,接收来自不同方位的人工震源产生的莫霍界面反射波;台阵中的20个台站和5个区域固定台还对2009年3月至2010年5月发生在库区的地方震进行了观测.本文联合利用人工地震莫霍面反射波走时和天然地震直达波走时,采用连续模型反演技术重建了库区上地壳P波、S波慢度扰动和V_p/V_s扰动分布图像.研究结果表明:新丰江库区东、西部地区上地壳结构存在明显的差异.库区东部地区构造复杂,多条断裂在该区呈交叉状分布.北西向的石角-新港-白田断裂带在库区段内具有复杂的岩性和构造特征,该断裂带在新港至双塘一线可能延伸至地下8 km左右;近北东向的断裂带切割地壳较深.峡谷区及大坝以东附近地区存在上、下贯通的波速比高值区,尤其是大坝以西的深水峡谷区,存在一条顺河走向的陡倾角断层裂隙带,为库水渗透提供了良好通道.库区西部地区为相对稳定构造区,完整坚硬的花岗岩体透水性能较差,受库水渗透影响很小.新丰江水库诱发地震的形成与深部构造环境密切相关.峡谷区及大坝以东附近地区上地壳介质性质呈现明显的横向不均匀性,微震分布在介质物性结构的特定部位,"软"、"硬"交错的介质环境是倾滑正断层型微小震产生的可能原因.     

Seismological evidence for a lithospheric normal faulting — the Sanriku earthquake of 1933

The focal process of the Sanriku earthquake of March 2, 1933, is discussed in relation to the bending mechanism of the lithosphere. On the basis of the P times obtained at more than 200 stations, it is confirmed that the hypocenter of this earthquake is within the lithosphere beneath the Japan trench. The P wave fault plane solution, the amplitude of long-period (100 s) Love and Rayleigh waves and two near-field observations suggest, almost definitely, that the Sanriku earthquake represents a predominantly normal faulting on a plane dipping 45° towards N 90° W. A fault size of 185 × 100 km², in agreement with the size of the aftershock area, is required to yield a slip dislocation of 3.3 m, a value consistent with the tsunami data. This result suggests that the fracture took place over the entire thickness of the lithosphere, thereby precluding the possibility that the Sanriku earthquake merely represents a surface tensile crack due to the bending of the lithosphere. This large scale lithospheric faulting is presumably due to a gravitational pull exerted by the cold sinking lithosphere. The fracture probably took place on an old fault plane which had once fractured and healed up. The existence of this fracture zone which decouples, to some extent, the oceanic lithosphere from the sinking lithosphere accounts for the sharp bend of the lithosphere beneath oceanic trenches and also the abrupt disappearance of seismic activity across oceanic trenches. The sharp bend of the lithosphere is therefore a result, not the cause, of great earthquakes beneath oceanic trenches.     

Apparent velocity measurements on an oceanic lithosphere

A direct measurement of apparent velocities for oceanic paths was made with an array of sensitive ocean bottom seismographs. The measurement was performed by recording waves from shallow earthquakes which occurred in the area close to trench axes and which were accurately located by the land seismological network in Japan. The range of epicentral distances is from 500 to 1,800 km.The observed P travel times are less than those in the Jeffreys-Bullen tables by 6–10 s for the range of distances.Since the dimension of the OBS array is about 400 km, the apparent velocities are determined quite precisely and show little dependence on the epicentral distances. The average value of the apparent velocities for the range 500–1,700 km is 8.64 ± 0.13 km/s.An offset of travel times, which is thought to be associated with a low-velocity layer underneath the oceanic lithosphere, has been observed.These results indicate that a high-velocity layer with a velocity of 8.6 km/s exists in the lower part of the oceanic lithosphere. Beneath the 8.6-km/s layer there is a thin low-velocity layer under which the velocity of the P wave is again 8.6 km/s.     

Velocity properties of the lithosphere in the ocean-continent transition zone in the Kamchatka region from seismic tomography data

Arrival times of P and S waves from local earthquakes in the Kamchatka area of the Kurile-Kamchatka Island Arc are used for calculating a spatial model of the elastic wave velocity distribution to a depth of 200 km. The lithosphere is shown to be strongly stratified in its velocity properties and laterally heterogeneous within the mantle wedge and seismic focal zone. A lower velocity layer (an asthenospheric wedge) is identified at depths of 70–130 km beneath the Eastern Kamchatka volcanic belt. The morphology of the Moho interface and the velocity properties of the crust are studied. The main tectonic structures of the region are shown to be closely interrelated with deep velocity heterogeneities. Regular patterns in the statistics of the earthquakes are analyzed in relation to variations in the elastic wave velocities in the focal layer. A mechanism of lithospheric block displacements along weakened zones of the lower crust and upper mantle is proposed.     

Sediment loading at the southern Chilean trench and its tectonic implications

Non erosive margins are characterized by heavily sedimented trenches which obscure the morphological expression of the outer rise; a forebulge formed by the bending of the subducting oceanic lithosphere seaward of the trench. Depending on the flexural rigidity (D) of the oceanic lithosphere and the thickness of the trench sedimentary fill, sediment loading can affect the lithospheric downward deflection in the vicinity of the trench and hence the amount of sediment subducted. We used seismic and bathymetric data acquired off south central Chile, from which representative flexural rigidities are estimated and the downward deflection of the oceanic Nazca plate is studied. By flexural modeling we found that efficient sediment subduction preferentially occurs in weak oceanic lithosphere (low D), whereas wide accretionary prisms are usually formed in rigid oceanic lithosphere (high D). In addition, well developed forebulges in strong oceanic plates behaves as barrier to seaward transportation of turbidites, whereas the absence of a forebulge in weak oceanic plates facilitates seaward turbidite transportation for distances >200 km.     

Analysis of deep focal mechanisms and revealing of possible large earthquake zones in the Kuril-Okhotsk region

The relationship between shallow and deep seismicity is investigated. The 2006 and 2007 large earthquakes of M = 8.3 and 8.1, which occurred off the southeast coast of Simushir, Kuril Islands, have been preceded by noticeable deep seismicity in the subducting slab. The methods and algorithms of focal mechanism analysis are developed for revealing possible large earthquake zones in the Kuril-Okhotsk region. Deep-focus earthquakes occurring in distant regions of the subducting slab with significant probability have triggered the large shallow earthquakes along the deep sea trench.     

The lithosphere structure and geodynamics of the West and East Black Sea Basins

The velocity structure of the Black Sea lithosphere has been studied using the local seismic tomography method based on the Backus-Gilbert approach and applied for a quite large amount of seismological data. As seismic sources, we used the earthquakes that occurred within the Black Sea and adjoining regions and generated seismic waves recorded by seismic stations around the Black Sea. This yielded information on the 3D distribution of P-waves within the most heterogeneous and poorly investigated uppermost layer of the Black Sea region (down to a depth of 60 km). The interpretation of these results, together with new data on the velocity structure of the crust of the Black Sea led to the conclusion about the different lithosphere beneath the West and the East Black Sea Basins. This can be explained by origination of the depressions in the western and eastern parts of the Black Sea at different microplates and by specific features in their development at rifting and post-rifting stages.     

Paleotectonic structures and their influence on recent seismo-tectonics in the south Kuril subduction zone

Abstract Bathymetric data from south of Hokkaido obtained during a cruise of R/V Hakuho-Maru are summarized, and their correlation with earthquake occurrence is discussed. There are structural lineations on the seaward slope of the Kuril Trench, oblique to the Kuril Trench axis and parallel to the magnetic lineations in the Pacific plate. The structural lineations comprise horst-grabens generated by normal faulting. This suggests that Cretaceous tectonic structures originating at the spreading centre affect present seismotectonics around the trench axis. The structural-magnetic relation is compared to the case of the Japan Trench. North-east of the surveyed area, there are two major fracture zones (Nosappu Fracture Zone and Iturup Fracture Zone) that divide the oceanic plate into three segments. If the fracture zones (FZ) and the zone of paleo-mechanical weakness, represented by magnetic lineations, can control the direction of normal faults at a trench, the extent of the resulting topographic roughness on the seaward slope of the trench would be different across an FZ because of the differences in ages. By studying recent large earthquakes occurring in the south Kuril region, it is shown that several main-aftershock distributions for large earthquakes in this region are bounded by the Nosappu FZ and the Iturup FZ. Two models (Barrier model and Rebound model) are presented to interpret earthquake occurrence near the south Kuril Islands. The Barrier model explains seismic boundaries seen in several examples for earthquake occurrence in the south Kuril regions. The fracture zone forming the boundary of two segments with different magnetic lineations is also the boundary of two different normal fault systems on their ocean bottom, and the difference in sea-bottom roughness between two normal fault systems should affect the seismic coupling at a plate interface. Due to the difference of seismic coupling, earthquake occurrence is controlled by an FZ and then the FZ acts as a seismic boundary (Barrier model). Existing normal faults created by plate bending of subducting oceanic plate should rebound after its subduction (Rebound model). This rebound of normal faults may cause intraplate earthquakes with a high-angle reverse-fault mechanism such as the 1994 Shikotan Earthquake. The energy released by an intraplate earthquake generated by normal-fault rebounding is not directly related to that of interplate earthquakes such as low-angle thrust earthquakes. It is a reason why large earthquakes occurred in the same region during a relatively short period.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>9 Tohoku Earthquake Hydro- and Seismic Response in the Caucasus and North Turkey

Presently, there are a lot of observations on the significant impact of strong remote earthquakes on underground water and local seismicity. Teleseismic wave trains of strong earthquakes give rise to several hydraulic effects in boreholes, namely permanent water level changes and water level oscillations, which closely mimic the seismograms (hydro-seismograms). Clear identical anomalies in the deep borehole water levels have been observed on a large part of the territory of Georgia during passing of the S and Love–Rayleigh teleseismic waves (including also multiple surface Rayleigh waves) of the 2011 Tohoku M9 earthquake. The analysis carried out in order to find dynamically triggered events (non-volcanic tremors) of the Tohoku earthquake by the accepted methodology has not revealed a clear tremor signature in the test area: the Caucasus and North Turkey. The possible mechanisms of some seismic signals of unknown origin observed during passage of teleseismic waves of Tohoku earthquake are discussed.     

Some Aspects of Energy Balance and Tsunami Generation by Earthquakes and Landslides

— Tsunamis are generated by displacement or motion of large volumes of water. While there are several documented cases of tsunami generation by volcanic eruptions and landslides, most observed tsunamis are attributed to earthquakes. Kinematic models of tsunami generation by earthquakes — where specified fault size and slip determine seafloor and sea-surface vertical motion — quantitatively explain far-field tsunami wave records. On the other hand, submarine landslides in subduction zones and other tectonic settings can generate large tsunamis that are hazardous along near-source coasts. Furthermore, the ongoing exploration of the oceans has found evidence for large paleo-landslides in many places, not just subduction zones. Thus, we want to know the relative contribution of faulting and landslides to tsunami generation. For earthquakes, only a small fraction of the minimum earthquake energy (less than 1% for typical parameter choices for shallow underthrusting earthquakes) can be converted into tsunami wave energy; yet, this is enough energy to generate terrible tsunamis. For submarine landslides, tsunami wave generation and landslide motion interact in a dynamic coupling. The dynamic problem of a 2-D translational slider block on a constant-angle slope can be solved using a Green's function approach for the wave transients. The key result is that the largest waves are generated when the ratio of initial water depth above the block to downslope vertical drop of the block H ₀ /W sin δ is less than 1. The conversion factor of gravitational energy into tsunami wave energy varies from 0% for a slow-velocity slide in deep water, to about 50% for a fast-velocity slide in shallow water and a motion abruptly truncated. To compare maximum tsunami wave amplitudes in the source region, great earthquakes produce amplitudes of a few meters at a wavelength fixed by the fault width of 100 km or so. For submarine landslides, tsunami wave heights — as measured by b, block height — are small for most of the parameter regime. However, for low initial dynamic friction and values of H ₀ /W sin δ less than 1, tsunami wave heights in the downslope and upslope directions reach b and b/4, respectively.Wavelengths of these large waves scale with block width. For significant submarine slides, the value of b can range from meters up to the kilometer scale. Thus, the extreme case of efficient tsunami generation by landslides produces dramatic hazards scenarios.     

Earthquakes Along the Passive Margin of Greenland: Evidence for Postglacial Rebound Control

—?An intriguing observation in Greenland is a clear spatial correlation between seismicity and deglaciated areas along passive continental margins, a piece of evidence for earthquake triggering due to postglacial rebound. Another piece of evidence for induced seismicity due to deglaciation derives from earthquake source mechanisms. Sparse, low magnitude seismicity has made it difficult to determine focal mechanisms from Greenland earthquakes. On the basis of two normal faulting events along deglaciated margins and from the spatial distribution of epicenters, earlier investigators suggested that the earthquakes of Greenland are due to postglacial rebound. This interpretation is tested here by using more recent data. Broadband waveforms of teleseismic P waves from the August 10, 1993 (m _b = 5.4) and October 14, 1998 (m _b = 5.1) earthquakes have been inverted for moment tensors and source parameters. Both mechanisms indicate normal faulting with small strike-slip components: the 1993 event, strike = 348.9°, dip = 41.0°, rake =?56.3°, focal depth = 11?km, seismic moment = 1.03?×?10²⁴ dyne-cm, and M _w = 5.3; the 1998 event, strike = 61.6°, dip = 58.0°, rake =?95.5°, focal depth = 5?km, seismic moment = 5.72?×?10²³ dyne-cm, and M _w = 5.1. These and the two prior events support the theory that the shallow part of the lithosphere beneath the deglaciated margins is under horizontal extension. The observed stress field can be explained as flexural stresses due to removal of ice loads and surface loads by glacial erosion. These local extensional stresses are further enhanced by the spreading stress of continental crust and reactivate preexisting faults. Earthquake characteristics observed from Greenland suggest that the dominant seismogenic stresses are from postglacial rebound and spreading of the continental lithosphere.     

A large normal-fault earthquake at the junction of the Tonga trench and the Louisville ridge

The source mechanism of a large (M_s ? 7.2) earthquake that occurred in the oceanic plate at the junction of the Tonga—Kermadec trench systems with the aseismic Louisville ridge is found by inverting long-period vertical-component Rayleigh waves recorded by the IDA network. The solution is an almost-pure normal fault, on a plane striking roughly parallel to the trench axis, with seismic moment of 1.7 × 10²⁷ dyn cm, and thus is among the ten largest documented shallow normal-fault earthquakes. A point-source depth of 20 km for the event is resolved by modeling teleseismic body waves; the actual rupture may have extended deeper, to 30 or 40 km. The earthquake was a multiple event, consisting of two sources separated by 16 s. A rupture velocity of 3.5 km s^?1 is inferred. The earthquake can be interpreted as tensional failure in the shallow portion of the downgoing plate caused by the gravitational pull of the slab. The Louisville ridge may be creating a local degree of decoupling of the oceanic plate from the overriding plate, and/or a zone of extension within the slab, which could enhance the effect of the gravitational forces in the shallower part of the downgoing plate. In particular, the earthquake could be associated with the break-up of the leading seamount of the ridge, which is currently right at the trench. Alternatively, the earthquake may have been caused by stresses associated with the bending of the plate prior to subduction.     

The objective determination of the instantaneous predominant frequency of seismic signals and inferences onQ of coda waves

A technique to detect spectrum variations versus time along seismic signals is applied to coda waves of local earthquakes (Friuli, Northern Italy). The technique consists of an autoregressive modeling and utilizes nonlinear spectral analysis where the spectrum of stochastic processes is estimated as the transfer function of the filter that whitens the process under analysis. This approach appears to be particularly well suited to those investigations where automatic measurements of the instantaneous frequency have to be carried out on digital data. The detection of variations of the instantaneous frequency along the coda allows computation of seismic-Q in the lithosphere and its frequency dependence: the result obtained is $$Q = 100f^{0.4} $$ which appears to be strongly consistent with that, based on the estimate of the coda amplitude decay in the band including the most significant frequencies of the signals under analysis.     

Crust and mantle of the Tien Shan from data of the receiver function tomography

A 3-D velocity model of the Tien Shan crust and upper mantle is constructed through the inversion of the receiver functions of P and S waves together with teleseismic traveltime anomalies at nearly 40 local seismic stations. It is found that in the vast central region, where no strong earthquakes have been known over the past century, the S wave velocity at depths of 10–35 km is lower than in adjacent regions by up to 10%. These data are evidence for mechanical weakness of the crust preventing the accumulation of elastic energy. Apparently, the lower velocity and the weakness of the crust are due to the presence of water. The weakness of the crust is one of the possible reasons for the strain localization responsible for the formation of the present Tien Shan but can also be due in part to the young orogenesis. The crustal thickness is largest (about 60 km) in the Tarim-Tien Shan junction zone. The crust-mantle boundary in this region descends by a jump as a result of an increase in the lower crust thickness. This is probably due to the underthrusting of the Tien Shan by the Tarim lithosphere. This causes the mechanically weak lower crust of the Tarim to delaminate and accumulate in nearly the same way as an accretionary prism during the subduction of oceanic lithosphere. In the upper mantle, the analysis has revealed a low velocity anomaly, apparently related to basaltic outflows of the Upper Cretaceous-Early Paleogene. The Cenozoic Bachu uplift in the northern Tarim depression is also associated with the low velocity anomaly. The Naryn depression is characterized by a high velocity in the upper mantle and can be interpreted as a fragment of an ancient platform.     

日本东北9.0级地震的同震与震后滑动

大部分强震都发生在海沟,那里是海洋板块向大陆板块俯冲的地方.大量矩震级MW9.0以上的地震发生在若干区域,包括智利,阿拉斯加,堪察加半岛和苏门答腊岛等.位于太平洋板块俯冲鄂霍茨克板块的日本海沟,历史记载上没有发生过MW9.0地震,除了至今震级还有争议的公元869年Jogan大地震[1](可能超过MW9.0).然而,根据...