Regional minimum 1-D P-wave velocity model for a new seismicity catalogue with precise and consistent earthquake locations in southern Iran

For faster and more robust ray tracing in 1-D velocity models and also due to the lack of reliable 3-D models, most seismological centers use 1-D models for routine earthquake locations. In this study, as solution to the coupled hypocenter-velocity problem, we compute a regional P-wave velocity model for southern Iran that can be used for routine earthquake location and also a reference initial model for 3-D seismic tomography. The inversion process was based on travel time data from local earthquakes paired reports obtained by merging the catalogues of Iranian Seismic Center (IRSC, 6422 events) and by the Broadband Iranian National Seismic Network (BIN, 4333 events) for southern Iran in the period 2006 through July 2017. After cleaning the data set from large individual reading errors and by identifying event reports from both networks belonging to same earthquake (a process called event pairing), we obtained a data set of 1115 well-locatable events with a total number of 24,606 P-wave observations. This data set was used to calculate a regional minimum 1-D model for southern Iran as result of an extensive model search by trial-and-error process including several dozens of inversions. Significantly different from previous models, we find a smoothly increasing P-velocity by depth with velocities of 5.8 km/s at shallow and velocities of 6.4 km/s at deepest crustal levels. For well-locatable events, location uncertainties are estimated in the order of ±?3 km for epicenter and double this uncertainty for hypocentral depth. The use of the minimum 1-D model with appropriate station delays in routine hypocenter location processing will yield a high-quality seismic catalogue with consistent uncertainty estimates across the region and it will also allow detection of outlier observations. Based on the two catalogues by IRSC and BIN and using the minimum 1-D model and station delays for all stations in the region, we established a new combined earthquake catalogue for southern Iran. While the general distribution of the seismicity corresponds well with that of the two individual catalogues by IRSC and BIN, the new catalogue significantly enhances the correlation of seismicity with the regional fault systems within and between the major crustal blocks that as an assembly build this continental region. Furthermore, the unified seismic catalogue and the minimum 1-D model resulting from this study provide important ingredients for seismic hazard studies.     

Intracontinental subduction and Palaeozoic inheritance of the lithosphere suggested by a teleseismic experiment across the Chinese Tien Shan

Teleseismic tomography across the Chinese Tien Shan shows that seismic wave speeds in the lithosphere beneath central Tien Shan are high and therefore the lithosphere is not weaker than that beneath the adjacent undeformed Tarim and Junggar basins. There is evidence for significant velocity contrasts within the lithosphere that are presumably inherited from the Palaeozoic collision history. The high-velocity, thick Yili block observed underneath the northern Tien Shan is a clue for shortening by a intracontinental subduction. The observed geometry is consistent with a simple model of intracontinental subduction and suggests that, during orogeny, the lithosphere has remained heterogeneous and has deformed along existing planes of weakness rather than by homogeneous thickening of a particularly weak lithosphere.     

Oceanography of coastal and riverine waters around Timika, West Central Irian Jaya, Arafura Sea

Oceanographic studies have been carried out in coastal and riverine waters of the area around Timika, West Papua in November 1999, March–April, July and November 2000. The temperature of the seawater along the coast is around 28 °C in winter (November 99), rising to 30.0 °C (November 00). In the open sea, 30 miles off the coast at 40 m water depth, the temperature is >30 °C with no stratification. Water temperature near the coast is consistently lower than in the open sea. This is thought to be due the cooling effect of the land, being densely covered by mangrove forest. In the upper parts of the Kamora, West Tipuka, East Tipuka, Ajkwa, Minajerwi, Mawati and Otakwa Rivers, at salinity zero psu, water temperature varies between 24.6 and 26.2 °C, which is as cold as the temperature in the upwelling Banda Sea to the NW. Some of these rivers are fed by glacial melt water from the high mountains to the east. At mid estuary, warm seawater is found under the cooler river water.Salinity near this coast varied between 24 and 30, and offshore salinity was 31–33 with no stratification. Inshore surface waters were turbid (11–14 ntu), and near bottom waters were generally much more turbid from river sediment supply and tidal resuspension. The Ajkwa River estuary has the highest turbidity (750 ntu) at zero salinity. Offshore waters were very clear (5.0–6.0 ntu), and there was no increase in turbidity near the bottom.     

新疆库车-克拉玛依地震层析成像

利用在同地区直接布设的观测台站,进行六个月连续观测所取得的地震数据,挑选清晰远震的Ｐ波到的数据,采用ＡＣＨ层析成像方法绘出了天山地区地壳和上地幔的三维速度图象,反演结果表明：天山南侧是塔里木地块高密度岩层产生的向北俯冲的高速体,天山北侧,准噶尔盆地内是产状较陡向南俯冲的高速体,天山主体就夹在两个俯冲带之间,形成一个不等边三角形的低速区,地壳范围是高速体和低速体的相间排列,与地表看到的地块的划分基本一致。在２００～３００ｋｍ的深度中,存在较大面积的低速体,低密度的热物质主要来源于幔,随着天山地区的强烈挤压与隆升,存在较大面积的低速体,低密度的热物质主要来源于地幔,随着天山地区的强烈挤压与隆升,深部热物质则向上迁移、渗透,甚至沿着断裂带达到上部地壳和地表。