Probabilistic aftershock hazard assessment II: application of strong ground motion simulations

Probabilistic aftershock hazard assessment (PAHA) has been introduced by Wiemer (Geophys Res Lett 27:3405–3408, 2000). The method, in its original form, utilizes attenuation relations in evaluating peak ground velocity (PGV) exceedence probability. We substitute the attenuation relations together with their uncertainties by strong ground motion simulations for a set of scenarios. The main advantage of such an approach is that the simulations account for specific details of the aftershock source effects (faulting style, slip distribution, position of the nucleation point, etc.). Mean PGVs and their standard deviations are retrieved from the simulation results obtained by the new hybrid k-squared source model, and they are used for the PAHA analysis at a station under study. The model chosen for the testing purposes is inspired by the Izmit A25 aftershock (M _w  = 5.8) that occurred 26 days after the mainshock. The PAHA maps are compared with (1) those obtained by the use of attenuation relations and (2) the peak values of ten selected strong-motion recordings written by the aftershock at epicentral distances <50 km. We conclude that, although the overall hazard decay with increasing fault distance is similar, the PAHA maps obtained by the use of simulations exhibit remanent radiation pattern effect and prolongation in the strike direction due to the directivity effect pronounced for some of the scenarios. As regard the comparison with real data, we conclude that the PAHA maps agree with observed peak values due to appropriate attenuation model adopted in the analysis.     

Truncation of the distribution of ground-motion residuals

Recent studies to assess very long-term seismic hazard in the USA and in Europe have highlighted the importance of the upper tail of the ground-motion distribution at the very low annual frequencies of exceedance required by these projects. In particular, the use of an unbounded lognormal distribution to represent the aleatory variability of ground motions leads to very high and potentially unphysical estimates of the expected level of shaking. Current practice in seismic hazard analysis consists of truncating the ground-motion distribution at a fixed number (ε _max) of standard deviations (σ). However, there is a general lack of consensus regarding the truncation level to adopt. This paper investigates whether a physical basis for choosing ε _max can be found, by examining records with large positive residuals from the dataset used to derive one of the ground-motion models of the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) project. In particular, interpretations of the selected records in terms of causative physical mechanisms are reviewed. This leads to the conclusion that even in well-documented cases, it is not possible to establish a robust correlation between specific physical mechanisms and large values of the residuals, and thus obtain direct physical constraints on ε _max. Alternative approaches based on absolute levels of ground motion and numerical simulations are discussed. However, the choice of ε _max is likely to remain a matter of judgment for the foreseeable future, in view of the large epistemic uncertainties associated with these alternatives. Additional issues arise from the coupling between ε _max and σ, which causes the truncation level in terms of absolute ground motion to be dependent on the predictive equation used. Furthermore, the absolute truncation level implied by ε _max will also be affected if σ is reduced significantly. These factors contribute to rendering a truncation scheme based on a single ε _max value impractical.     

节理产状分组的k均值聚类分析及其分组结果的费歇尔分布验证法

裂隙岩体内的节理往往是变化的,有时甚至变化很大。测得大量节理产状以后,对其分组是一项基础性的工作,但是如何分组目前还没有很好的理论和方法。采用快速聚类分析的方法,将节理产状的样本数据划分为不同的簇,利用极大似然估计的原理,通过数值方法求解费歇尔概率分布模型的参数,并用皮尔逊检验说明了费歇尔逊概率模型的有效性。通过不同簇的概率模型计算及其簇心的分布特性比较说明了簇数分类的适度性。利用所提出的快速聚类分析方法及其推导的计算公式,可以方便地求解费歇尔分布的参数。结合皮尔逊检验,形成了解决这类问题的系统实用的方法。     

云南丽江树轮δ18O记录的大气环流变化信息

通过对云南玉龙雪山丽江冷杉年轮晚材纤维素氧同位素 (δ¹⁸O) 的分析,建立了1902-2004时段年分辨率的树轮δ¹⁸O序列。将所得序列与相邻的丽江市气象站记录的气候资料对比,分析了树轮δ¹⁸O对气候要素的响应。结果表明,丽江冷杉年轮晚材中的δ¹⁸O与其生长季气候因子密切相关。主要与季风期 (8-10月) 的降水和相对湿度、6-10月总云量、5-6月平均温度显著相关,尤其和总云量相关性最高 (r = -0.45,P = 0.01)。同时,树轮δ¹⁸O年际变化与南亚季风指数、东亚夏季风指数呈反相关关系,并与1-5月南方涛动指数负相关显著,在一定程度上反映了大尺度的大气环流影响。     

The integrated risk assessment and zoning of meteorological disaster in Heilongjiang Province of China

This paper describes studies on the integrated risk assessment and zoning of meteorological disaster in Heilongjiang Province,in northeastern China,by using information-diffusion theory and cluster method with 35 years of summer temperature and precipitation data from 74 meteorological stations from 1971 through 2005.The information-diffusion theory has been used extensively in risk assessment,yet almost no one has done research about risk assessment by information-diffusion theory based on meteorological disaster standards.Some research results are as follows:the risk probability of low temperature and cold damage in the northern region is higher than that in the southern region;the risk probability of general low temperature and cold damage in the southwestern region is the highest;the risk probability of serious low temperature and cold damage in the northern region is the highest,followed by the central and southeast region;the high-risk region of arid disaster in Heilongjiang Province was primarily located in the southwestern,central,and southern parts of the province;the high-intensity arid disaster was located in the south-eastern region;the high-risk region of flood in Heilongjiang Province was primarily located from the southwest and then across the central part to the western part of Heilongjiang Province;the high-intensity flood disasters were located in almost every part of Heilongjiang Province.We can conclude from the integrated meteorological disaster risk zoning that the high-risk region of mete-orological disaster is primarily located in the southern and northern part of the province,the moderate-risk region is distributed in the central southern region and western region,the low-risk region is located in the eastern part,and the light-risk region is located in the central western part of Heilongjiang Province.     

中国大陆强震活动时空特征分析

本文在以往研究的基础上分析中国大陆强震活动的时空特征, 以中国大陆1901年以来7级及其以上强震年频次为样本, 采用最优分割将中国大陆地震活动状态分为三种时段: 少发段、 平均段和频发段。 中国大陆强震时间活动呈现非稳态现象, 强震频发段间存在短期的地震平静, 由强震平均段到频发段过渡期间同样存在强震少发段, 而少发段也有7级以上强震发生。 以此为基础结合中国大陆活动地块边界带, 研究不同强震丛发时段前地震活动的空间分布特点以及强震丛发时段的主体活动地区。 研究结果表明, 1901年以来中国大陆强震活动总体来讲, 1955年前后表现出不同的空间特征: 1955年之前强震活动主体区域为中国西部及周边大三角地区的三条边界; 1955年之后强震活动主体区域为华北地区、 巴颜喀拉地块区及南北地震带南段地区。 不同相邻强震丛发时段的主体活动地区有一定的交替性, 少发时段或增多时段的强震往往是上一个丛发时段的主体区内强震活动的延续, 或者发生在下一个强震主体活动区内或周边地区。     

Engineering source model for strong ground motion

A new engineering source model consistent with seismological concepts for simulating strong-motion accelerograms (SMAs) is presented in this paper. The source region is modeled as a horizontally layered elastic medium to cater for site dependency. The moment field acting on the rupture plane is decomposed into space and time functions, which is a novel concept. The spatial and temporal components are determined for six well-recorded earthquakes using the corresponding recorded SMA. The obtained spatial variations indicate that they can be modeled as an anisotropic random field. The temporal components of all the six events are transients, with typical frequency spectra. Based on these results, a simplified source model is proposed for the synthesis of SMA during strong earthquakes. The model is validated by simulating strong-motion acceleration time histories at stations deliberately kept out of the modeling exercise. It is found that the present model is efficient in simulating observed time histories. The proposed model is also illustrated by simulating an ensemble of acceleration time histories for the Kutch earthquake of 26th January 2001 using only the few known source parameters.     

A new definition of strong motion duration and related parameters affecting the response of medium–long period structures

This study presents a new definition of the strong motion duration combining the alternative bracketed and significant duration definitions. Based on the time integral of the absolute ground velocity, a new index is defined, as cumulative absolute displacement (CAD), and used to estimate the strong motion duration. The proposed bracketed-significant duration t_bs is found to be well correlated with the strong motion part of the records, especially in the case of near-source events. The duration t_bs and the CAD index are used to assess the anticipated structural behavior of medium–long period structures.     

Sedimentological constraints on hydrometeor-enhanced particle deposition: 1992 Eruptions of Crater Peak, Alaska

Water is a dominant component of volcanic clouds and has fundamental control on very fine particle deposition. Particle size characteristics of distal tephra-fall (100s km from source volcano) have a higher proportion of very fine particles compared to predictions based on single particle settling rates. In this study, sedimentological analyses of fallout from for the 18 August and 16–17 September 1992 eruptions of Crater Peak, Alaska, are combined with satellite observations, and cloud trajectory and microphysics modeling to investigate meteorological influences on particle sedimentation. Total grain size distributions of tephra fallout were reconstructed for both Crater Peak eruptions and indicate a predominance of fine particles < 125 μm. Polymodal analysis of the deposits has identified a particle subpopulation with mode ~ 15–18 μm involved in particle aggregation. Accounting for the magmatic water source only, calculated ice water content of the 3.7 hour old September 1992 Spurr cloud was ~ 4.5 × 10^− 2 g m^− 3 (based on an estimated cloud thickness of ~ 1000 m from trajectory modeling). Hydrometeor formation on particles in the volcanic cloud and subsequent sublimation may induce a cloud base instability that leads to rapid bulk (en masse) sedimentation of very fine particles through a mammatus-like mechanism.     

2008年古田4．1、4．6级地震强震动观测记录

水口水电站重力坝强震反应台阵在古田ML4．1、ML4．6地震中获得了强震资料,通过对观测资料初步分析,得到以下认识：如果仅用基岩自由场顺河向振动的峰值加速度进行估算．该大坝遭受的地震强度达到Ⅵ度。这与通过现场灾害评估得出大坝位于V度区外的结论相悖：坝底和基岩自由场竖直向和顺河向振动情况一致,但幅度存在差异;对于坝体的峰值加速度,相比较于坝底,坝中部三方向均有不同程度的放大,坝顶三方向均有不同程度的缩小：从坝底至坝顶。峰值加速度出现滞后现象,但并不明显,说明坝体刚性较大。此次地震中坝体主要呈整体振动特性。