Spectral classification methods in monitoring small local events by the Israel seismic network

We use the dense Israel Seismic Network (ISN) to discriminate between low magnitude earthquakes and explosions in the Middle East region. This issue is important for CTBT monitoring, especially when considering small nuclear tests which may be conducted under evasive conditions. We explore the performance of efficient discriminants based on spectral features of seismograms using waveforms of 50 earthquakes and 114 quarry and underwater blasts with magnitudes 1.0–2.8, recorded by ISN short-period stations at distances up to 200 km. The single-station spectral ratio of the low and high-frequency seismic energy shows an overlap between explosions and earthquakes. After averaging over a subnet of stations, the resolving power is enhanced and the two classes of events are separated. Different frequency bands were tested; the (1–3 Hz)/(6–8 Hz) ratio provided the best discriminant performance. We also estimated normalized r.m.s. spectral amplitudes in several sequential equal frequency windows within the 1–12 Hz band and applied multiparametric automatic classification procedures (Linear Discrimination Function and Artificial Neural Network) to the amplitudes averaged over a subnetwork. A leave-one-out test showed a low rate of error for the multiparametric procedures. An innovative multi-station discriminant is proposed, based on spectral modulation associated with ripple-firing in quarry blasts and with the bubbling effect in underwater explosions. It utilizes a distinct azimuth-invariant coherency of spectral shapes for different stations in the frequency range (1–12 Hz). The coherency is measured by semblance statistics commonly used in seismic prospecting for phase correlation in the time domain. After modification, the statistics applied to the network spectra provided event separation. A new feature of all the above mentioned procedures is that they are based on smoothed (0.5 Hz window), instrument-corrected FFT spectra of the whole signal; they are robust to the accuracy of onset time estimation and, thus well suited to automatic event identification.     

Annual and seasonal variations in the low-latitude topside ionosphere

Annual and seasonal variations in the low-latitude topside ionosphere are investigated using observations made by the Hinotori satellite and the Sheffield University Plasmasphere Ionosphere Model (SUPIM). The observed electron densities at 600 km altitude show a strong annual anomaly at all longitudes. The average electron densities of conjugate latitudes within the latitude range ±25° are higher at the December solstice than at the June solstice by about 100% during daytime and 30% during night-time. Model calculations show that the annual variations in the neutral gas densities play important roles. The model values obtained from calculations with inputs for the neutral densities obtained from MSIS86 reproduce the general behaviour of the observed annual anomaly. However, the differences in the modelled electron densities at the two solstices are only about 30% of that seen in the observed values. The model calculations suggest that while the differences between the solstice values of neutral wind, resulting from the coupling of the neutral gas and plasma, may also make a significant contribution to the daytime annual anomaly, the E × B drift velocity may slightly weaken the annual anomaly during daytime and strengthen the anomaly during the post-sunset period. It is suggested that energy sources, other than those arising from the 6% difference in the solar EUV fluxes at the two solstices due to the change in the Sun-Earth distance, may contribute to the annual anomaly. Observations show strong seasonal variations at the solstices, with the electron density at 600 km altitude being higher in the summer hemisphere than in the winter hemisphere, contrary to the behaviour in NmF2. Model calculations confirm that the seasonal behaviour results from effects caused by transequatorial component of the neutral wind in the direction summer hemisphere to winter hemisphere.     

Petrogenesis of impure dolomitic marble from the Dabie Mountains, central China

Petrogeneses of impure dolomitic marble and enclosed eclogite from the Xinyan area, Dabie ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terrane, central China were investigated with a special focus on fluid characteristics. Identified carbonate-bearing UHP assemblages are Dol + Coe ± Arg (or Mgs) ± Ap, Dol + Omp ± Coe ± Ap ± Arg (or Mgs), Phen + Omp + Coe + Dol ± Arg and Dol + Coe + Phen + Rt ± Omp ± Arg ± Ap. Retrograde assemblages are characterized by symplectitic replacement of Tr–Ab and Di–Ab after omphacite, and Phl–Pl symplectite after phengite. The P–T conditions of UHP metamorphism were estimated to be P > 2.7 GPa and T > 670 °C by the occurrence of coesite inclusions in garnet in enclosed eclogite and garnet–clinopyroxene geothermometer. The P–T conditions of initial amphibolitization were estimated to be 620 < T < 670 °C and 1.1 < P < 1.3 GPa by calcite–dolomite solvus thermometer and mineral parageneses. Phase relations in P–T– X CO ₂ space in the systems NaAl–CMSCH and KCMASCH were calculated in order to constrain fluid compositions. Compositions and parageneses of UHP-stage minerals suggest the presence of fluid in UHP and exhumation stages. Occurrence of retrograde low-variance assemblages indicates that fluid composition during amphibolitization was buffered. A metastable persistence of magnesite and very restricted occurrence of calcite, magnesite and dolomite suggest a low fluid content in the post-amphibolitization stage.     

Japan's 2011 Tsunami: Characteristics of Wave Propagation from Observations and Numerical Modelling

We use a numerical tsunami model to describe wave energy decay and transformation in the Pacific Ocean during the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. The numerical model was initialised with the results from a seismological finite fault model and validated using deep-ocean bottom pressure records from DARTs, from the NEPTUNE-Canada cabled observatory, as well as data from four satellite altimetry passes. We used statistical analysis of the available observations collected during the Japan 2011 tsunami and of the corresponding numerical model to demonstrate that the temporal evolution of tsunami wave energy in the Pacific Ocean leads to the wave energy equipartition law. Similar equipartition laws are well known for wave multi-scattering processes in seismology, electromagnetism and acoustics. We also show that the long-term near-equilibrium state is governed by this law: after the passage of the tsunami front, the tsunami wave energy density tends to be inversely proportional to the water depth. This fact leads to a definition of tsunami wave intensity that is simply energy density times the depth. This wave intensity fills the Pacific Ocean basin uniformly, except for the areas of energy sinks in the Southern Ocean and Bering Sea.     

Main features of the deep structure by local earthquake tomography and active tectonics: case of Rif Mountain (morocco) and Betic Cordillera (Spain)

Within the Spain and Moroccan networks, a large volume of seismic data has been collected and used for investigating the lithosphere in the Betic–Rif Cordillera. The present study has two main goals: (1) Use the most actual seismological data from recent earthquakes in the Betic–Rif arc for investigating the lithosphere through the application of seismic local tomography techniques. (2) Define the possible structural blocks and explain the GPS velocities perturbation in this region. The resolution tests results indicate that the calculated images gave a close true structure for the studied regions from 5- to 60-km depth. The resulting tomographic image shows that the presence of two upper crust body (velocity 6.5 km/s) at 3- to 13-km depth between Iberian Betic and Moroccan Rif in the western and in the middle of Alboran Sea also shows the low velocity favoring the presence of melt in the base of these two bodies. The crustal bodies forms tectonic blocks in the Central Rif and in the Central Betic Cordillera.     

Prediction of magnitude of the largest potentially induced seismic event

We propose a method for determining the possible magnitude of a potentially largest induced seismic event derived from the Gutenberg–Richter law and an estimate of total released seismic moment. We emphasize that the presented relationship is valid for induced (not triggered) seismicity, as the total seismic moment of triggered seismicity is not bound by the injection. The ratio of the moment released by the largest event and weaker events is determined by the constants a and b of the Gutenberg–Richter law. We show that for a total released seismic moment, it is possible to estimate number of events greater than a given magnitude. We determine the formula for the moment magnitude of a probable largest seismic event with one occurrence within the recurrence interval (given by one volumetric change caused by mining or injecting). Finally, we compare theoretical and measured values of the moment magnitudes of the largest induced seismic events for selected geothermal and hydraulic fracturing projects.     

Crust and upper mantle structures beneath Northeast China from receiver function studies

P-wave and S-wave receiver function analyses have been performed along a profile consisted of 27 broadband seismic stations to image the crustal and upper mantle discontinuities across Northeast China. The results show that the average Moho depth varies from about 37 km beneath the Daxing’anling orogenic belt in the west to about 33 km beneath the Songliao Basin, and to about 35 km beneath the Changbai mountain region in the east. Our results reveal that the Moho is generally flat beneath the Daxing’anling region and a remarkable Moho offset (about 4 km) exists beneath the basin-mountain boundary, the Daxing’anling-Taihang Gravity Line. Beneath the Tanlu faults zone, which seperates the Songliao Basin and Changbai region, the Moho is uplift and the crustal thickness changes rapidly. We interpret this feature as that the Tanlu faults might deeply penetrate into the upper mantle, and facilitate the mantle upwelling along the faults during the Cenozoic era. The average depth of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is ~80 km along the profile which is thinner than an average thickness of a continental lithosphere. The LAB shows an arc-like shape in the basin, with the shallowest part approximately beneath the center of the basin. The uplift LAB beneath the basin might be related to the extensive lithospheric stretching in the Mesozoic. In the mantle transition zone, a structurally complicated 660 km discontinuity with a maximum 35 km depression beneath the Changbai region is observed. The 35 km depression is roughly coincident with the location of the stagnant western pacific slab on top of the 660 km discontinuity revealed by the recent P wave tomography.     

Active control of MDOF structures with supplemental electrorheological fluid dampers

A method for design of an active control system for multistorey structures using Electrorheological (ER) dampers is presented. Incorporated at various levels of a structural frame, ER dampers are used to improve the response of the structure during earthquakes. Optimal control theory was used to design the ER devices. The aim of the design is to find the most suitable combination of the minimum required forces produced by the ER dampers to obtain the optimal structural response. The mechanical response of ER fluid dampers is regulated by an electric field, depending on the displacements and velocities of the frame. Numerical analysis of an ER damped seven-storey structure is represented as an example. Significant improvement of the structural response was obtained using optimal active controlled ER dampers compared to passive controlled and uncontrolled structures. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic testing and system identification of a multi-span highway bridge

A simple and effective procedure for conducting the free vibration test on highway bridges is presented. The impulsive force in each direction is generated by a loaded truck that either stops suddenly or falls down from a rigid block. The feasibility of the procedure is demonstrated in identification of the dynamic properties, i.e. the vibration frequencies, mode shapes, and damping ratios, of a three-span box-girder concrete bridge using the Ibrahim Time-Domain (ITD) technique. Up to 14 modes have been identified for the present case. For the purpose of verification, ambient vibration tests were also carried out, with the data processed by the random decrement (Randomdec) technique to yield the free vibration response, followed by the ITD technique. The dynamic properties identified from the two types of test correlate very well with each other, indicating the validity of each procedure described herein. Although many more modes can be identified from the free vibration test because of the higher quality of data produced, the easiness and general applicability of the ambient vibration test can still be appreciated. A comparison of the experimental results with those by the finite element method indicated a lesser degree of correlation, implying that the finite element model adopted in design requires further refinement, say, through a more realistic evaluation of the boundary conditions, geometric and material properties of the bridge. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Universality of the Seismic Moment-frequency Relation

—We analyze the seismic moment-frequency relation in various depth ranges and for different seismic regions, using Flinn-Engdahl's regionalization of global seismicity. Three earthquake lists of centroid-moment tensor data have been used the Harvard catalog, the USGS catalog, and the Huang et al. (1997) catalog of deep earthquakes. The results confirm the universality of the β-values and the maximum moment for shallow earthquakes in continental regions, as well as at and near continental boundaries. Moreover, we show that although fluctuations in earthquake size distribution increase with depth, the β-values for earthquakes in the depth range of 0–500 km exhibit no statistically significant regional variations. The regional variations are significant only for deep events near the 660 km boundary. For declustered shallow earthquake catalogs and deeper events, we show that the worldwide β-values have the same value of 0.60 ± 0.02. This finding suggests that the β-value is a universal constant. We investigate the statistical correlations between the numbers of seismic events in different depth ranges and the correlation of the tectonic deformation rate and seismic activity (the number of earthquakes above a certain threshold level per year). The high level of these correlations suggests that seismic activity indicates tectonic deformation rate in subduction zones. Combined with the universality of the β-value, this finding implies little if any variation in maximum earthquake seismic moment among various subduction zones. If we assume that earthquakes of maximum size are similar in different depth ranges and the seismic efficiency coefficient, χ, is close to 100% for shallow seismicity, then we can estimate χ for deeper earthquakes for intermediate earthquakes χ≈ 5%, and χ≈ 1% for deep events. These results may lead to new theoretical understanding of the earthquake process and better estimates of seismic hazard.