统计预测、经验预测、物理预测——近期国际地震预测预报研究的启示

从"统计预测"、"经验预测"、"物理预测"的角度讨论了世纪之交地震预测预报研究的国际进展。"统计预测"包括地震预测预报方法的统计检验、"统计地震学",以及统计物理在地震预测预报中的应用;"经验预测"包括搜索可能的前兆异常的尝试、建立将可能的前兆异常现象与地震孕育过程联系起来的简单模型、发现对地震预测预报研究具有重要意义的新现象,以及地球介质变化的动态监测试验;"物理预测"包括地震孕育和发生的物理模型、地震断层带性质的观测和实验研究,以及对震源的直接探测和钻探。讨论了"统计预测"、"经验预测"、"物理预测"之间的关系,对"把经验预测或统计预测变成物理预测"的发展战略提出质疑。     

大地震纬向分布的基本规律与动力学解释

统计了 1 90 0～ 1 999年全球大地震 (M≥ 7.0 )的纬向分布 ,进一步证实了全球大地震的分布的确存在不对称问题 ,北、南半球大地震发生的次数不对称 ,北半球多 ,南半球少 ;二个半球大地震集中分布的区域不对称 ,北半球大地震集中分布的区域为 1 5°～ 55°,南半球集中分布的区域为 0°～ 35°;北半球有 3个明显的大地震分布区间 ,即 1 5°～ 2 0°,35°～ 45°,50°～ 55°;两极地区无大地震。并且导出了计算日、月对地壳纬向水平引潮力达到极值的计算公式 ,根据日、月水平引潮力达到极值时的纬度分布的规律 ,较好地解释了全球大地震分布的不对称问题     

根据构造环境剪应力值水平区分地震和核爆炸

根据地震破裂的断裂力学模式，导出了震源参数与地震发生处的构造环境剪应力值t0之间的函数关系．据此，可以大量计算震源处的构造环境剪应力值或背景应力值．若把核爆炸当作地震来计算，发现核爆炸的t0值平均在20MPa左右，明显地高于同震级地震的t0值．其结果可以作为区分地震与核爆炸的依据．      

强震成组活动与潮汐力调制触发

本文应用构造场体成组震模型的研究结果，探讨了中国大陆Ms≥7．0地震的成组活动的引潮力的调制触发关系。研究表明：我国陆区7级以上强震明显受潮汐力的调制触发，且主要表现为对活跃期内（即成组发生的）7级强震的调制触发。平静期内的7级以上地震基本不受潮汐力触发，而活跃期内82．4％的7级强震发生在受潮汐力触发的月相期，比本底概率高出36．4％。因此，潮汐力的调制触发对于强震活跃期的判断和活跃期内强震的临震（时间）预测有实际意义。文章还分析了潮汐力触发与强震活动的区域动力学环境之间的关系，并用构造场体成组孕震模型讨论了潮汐力对强震活动触发作用的力学机制。     

Discrimination between nuclear explosions and earthquakes based on consideration of tectonic ambient shear stress values

IntroductionFor the need of a nuclear test ban treaty, international society must make great efforts to find effective methods for discrimination between earthquake and nuclear explosion. Thereupon, many methods of discrimination of nuclear explosion appeared. But, at present, there is some uncertainty to discriminate middle or small nuclear explosion (Peppin, McEvilly, 1974; Richards, Zarales, 1990). When we study tectonic ambient shear stress field of Southern California, we find that str…     

A new model on the cause of Tangshan earthquakes in 1976

Introduction The Tangshan earthquake sequence in 1976 is one of most important events in North China. Although nearly thirty years passed and there are some researches on its cause, it is far from the end. Here we introduce two explanations for the cause of Tangshan earthquakes and point out their defects. One is that there is a diamond block in NEE direction in Tangshan region, which is shaped by cutting action of NingheChangli fault, FengtaiYejituo fault, Luanxian fault and Jiyunhe fau…     

Study on the relationship between geothermal exploitation and seismic activity in Xi’an region

Based on the analysis of the induced earthquakes in China and abroad, we get some ideas about earthquakes induced by pumping water out of a well or injecting water into a well. The induced earthquakes usually occur near the well, and they are generally small earthquakes. The earthquake sources are shallow, and they belong to the main shock-after shock type of earthquake or the swarm-type of earthquake. The magnitude and the quantity of the induced earthquakes obviously depend on the pressure and the quantity of water pumped or injected. These earthquakes happen as soon as pumping or injecting occurrence, or after ten or twenty days, they may occur at the time of injecting mud or injecting high pressure water when a well is being drilled, or at the time when the ground water is being normally exploited. A large quantity of hot water has been exploited since 1990 in Xi’an, and the quantity of water exploited has been increasing year by year, as a result the groundwater level has been dropping with the water pumped out and the water level is high in summer and low in winter. The earthquakes in Xi’an region belong to the solitary-type and they spread outside Xi’an city where the wells are concentrated but no earthquake happens. The seismic frequency and the energy released have no relation with the quantity of water exploitation or the water level in the well. It is considered that geothermal exploitation does not induce earthquakes in and around Xi’an because of its specially geological condition. Foundation item: Project sponsored by the Landslide Office of Shaanxi Province and Society of Disaster Reduction of Shaanxi Province.     

The earthquake sequence of May 1951 at Jucuapa, El Salvador

Three earthquakes that happened over two days in May 1951 caused extensive damage to villages in a small area of eastern El Salvador (Central America). Contemporary hypocentral solutions indicated focal depths, confirmed by re-calculations using available seismic data, of the order of 90 km, suggesting events associated with the subducted Cocos plate. Macroseismic observations strongly indicate that the earthquakes were of very shallow focus and this is supported by wave-form modeling and the appearance of seismograms recorded in Guatemala. A re-evaluation of the location and source characteristics for these events is presented, together with a fault plane solution and additional macroseismic evidence. The implications for seismic hazard and risk assessment in Central America, where shallow earthquakes of moderate magnitude, frequently occurring in clusters, pose the greatest threat to settlements which, like the area affected by these events, are concentrated along the axis of Quaternary volcanoes.     

Group Strong Earthquakes and Triggering by Tidal Stress

The results obtained using the group model of earthquakes generated in tectonic blocks are fur ther used in this paper to analyze the relationship between the Ms ≥ 7.0 events in Chinese ma inland and the modulation and triggering from the earth tides. The research shows that the Ms 7.0 events in Chinese mainland have been significantly triggered by the tidal stress, especially within the active period with group strong earthquakes. In the quiescence period of strong earthquakes, no Ms7.0 events were triggered, while within the active period, over 82.4% of strong earthquakes took place within a special moon phase, which is 36.4 % higher than the average. Therefore, the modulation and triggering of tidal stress can be used to distinguish the active periods and to forecast the time of the strong earthquakes within the active period. The relationship between the tidal triggering and the tectonic dynamic condition is investigated and the mechanism of the modulation is simulated with the group model of earthquakes generated in tectonic blocks.