Pathways to seismic hazard evaluation: Extreme and characteristic earthquakes in areas of low and high seismicity

The general philosophy of seismic hazard evaluation described here is appropriate for selection of seismic input to regional earthquake engineering codes prior to detailed on-site inspections and geotechnical assessments. Some probabilistic seismic hazard methodologies which can be applied in areas of low and high seismicity, are briefly described to emphasise the main equations with specimen results. Three aspects of hazard assessment are explored by different pathways. These include the analysis of regional earthquake catalogues to obtain magnitude recurrence, particularly using Gumbel extreme value statistics. This is extended to assess ground shaking hazard which is usually sought by earthquake engineers. Thirdly, the concept of earthquake perceptibility is developed, leading to the identification of an earthquake magnitude or type which is characteristic of a region. This most perceptible earthquake is most likely to be felt at any site in a region and provides an earthquake selection criterion which can be used in aseismic design of noncritical structures. Because there are several methods of seismic hazard evaluation, the view is expressed that it is sensible for practical purposes to seek results from different methods or different pathways to the hazard evaluation.Paper presented at the Commission of the European Communities' School on Earthquake Hazard Evaluation, Athens, and at the 21st General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission, held in Sofia, 1988.Now at School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, University Plain, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.     

Neo-deterministic definition of seismic input for residential seismically isolated buildings

This paper deals with the neo-deterministic definition of the seismic input in the municipality of Nimis (Italy), aimed at the design of residential seismically isolated buildings. The seismic input is defined by the computation of realistic synthetic seismograms considering different levels of detail for the earthquake source, both for a bedrock model and taking into account the specific site conditions. The horizontal response spectrum, calculated in the centre of the municipality by modelling the most dangerous source, advises against the construction of a building with a fixed base, but it is compatible with the seismic isolation, and it has been, therefore, used for the design of a residential seismically isolated building. The maximum displacement for the isolation system has been estimated about 17 cm, a value much lower than that provided by the code design response spectrum (28 cm). The importance of the realistic modelling, which permits the generalization of empirical observations by means of, physically sound, theoretical considerations, is evident, as it allows for the optimisation of the structural design with respect to the site of interest.     

The structure of the lower crust at the Argentine continental margin, South Atlantic at 44°S

It is well established that the Argentine passive margin is of the rifted volcanic margin type. This classification is based primarily on the presence of a buried volcanic wedge beneath the continental slope, manifested by seismic data as a seaward dipping reflector sequence (SDRS). Here, we investigate the deep structure of the Argentine volcanic margin at 44°S over 200 km from the shelf to the deep oceanic Argentine Basin. We use wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic data to perform a joint travel time inversion for refracted and reflected travel times. The resulting P-wave velocity-depth model confirms the typical volcanic margin structure. An underplated body is resolved as distinctive high seismic velocity (v_p up to 7.5 km/s) feature in the lower crust in the prolongation of a seaward dipping reflector sequence. A remarkable result is that a second, isolated body of high seismic velocity (v_p up to 7.3 km/s) exists landward of the first high-velocity feature. The centres of both bodies are 60 km apart. The high-velocity lower-crustal bodies likely were emplaced during transient magmatic–volcanic events accompanying the late rifting and initial drifting stages. The lateral variability of the lower crust may be an expression of a multiple rifting process in the sense that the South Atlantic rift evolved by instantaneous breakup of longer continental margin segments. These segments are confined by transfer zones that acted as rift propagation barriers. A lower-crustal reflector was detected at 3 to 5 km above the modern Moho and probably represents the lower boundary of stretched continental crust. With this finding we suggest that the continent–ocean boundary is situated 70 km more seaward than in previous interpretations.     

Collision tectonics of the Central Indian Suture zone as inferred from a deep seismic sounding study

The Central Indian Suture (CIS) is a mega-shear zone extending for hundreds of kilometers across central India. Reprocessing of deep seismic reflection data acquired across the CIS was carried out using workstation-based commercial software. The data distinctly indicate different reflectivity characteristics northwest and southeast of the CIS. Reflections northwest of the CIS predominantly dip southward, while the reflection horizons southeast of the CIS dip northward. We interpret these two adjacent seismic fabric domains, dipping towards each other, to represent a suture between two crustal blocks. The CIS itself is not imaged as a sharp boundary, probably due to the disturbed character of the crust in a 20 to 30-km-wide zone. The time sections also show the presence of strong bands of reflectors covering the entire crustal column in the first 65 km of the northwestern portion of the profile. These reflections predominantly dip northward creating a domal structure with the apex around 30 km northwest of the CIS. There are a very few reflections in the upper 2–2.5 s two-way time (TWT), but the reflectivity is good below 2.5 s TWT. The reflection Moho, taken as the depth to the deepest set of reflections, varies in depth from 41 to 46 km and is imaged sporadically across the profile with the largest amplitude occurring in the northwest. We interpret these data as recording the presence of a mid-Proterozoic collision between two micro-continents, with the Satpura Mobile Belt being thrust over the Bastar craton.     

气体地球化学方法在震后趋势判断中的应用

初步讨论了气体地球化学方法在顺义4.5级地震震后趋势判断中的应用。研究表明，震中区土壤Hg释放量快速衰减；延庆龙庆峡水库翻花冒气异常释放的主要气体CH4来源于生物成因，而非地震前兆异常。据此认为顺义地震之后，首都圈构造活动水平没有增强的趋势，并于1996年12月27日提出未来15天内首都圈发生Ms≥5.0地震的可能性很小的预测意见。     

卫星通信技术在地震现场中的应用

介绍了卫星通信技术在地震现场中的应用实例，叙述了最新研制并集成“地震现场指挥部图像信息传输系统”的有关技术特点、技术优势、系统功能、系统结构、工作流程、技术指标及用户接口等内容，并对系统的应用前景和应用领域作了分析。     

声子波及其在地震波资料分解中的应用

声子波是由声波波动方程的解构成的一种物理子波,如果不考虑吸收和散射,声子波的传播是相当简单的;相反地,数学子波的传播即使在均匀介质中也是极其复杂的.作为波动方程的解,声子波比一般的数学子波更能有效地应用于复杂声波和地震波的分解和分析.本文从Kaiser的声子波理论出发,给出了通过分别引入点源波形的复时间函数和点源虚时间坐标来构成声子波的两种解释,并对点源模型的合成地震图和实际复杂模型的地震波资料进行了时-空域的声子波变换,说明了声子波应用于地震波资料分解的有效性.     

中国陆区S波分型与上地幔地震各向异性

本文利用中国大陆区共8个台站所观测到地震事件的S波数据，采用相关分析的手段以 观测数据重建的技术，进行了S波分裂参数－快慢波延迟时间与快波偏振方向的计算，并分析了S波分裂参数与中国陆区上地幔物质运动的相互关系，研究了结果表明，兰州台下的S波分裂时差最小，北京台下的最大，中国东部地区上地幔运动方向以西北向为主，西部地区以北偏西为优势。     

1970年以来华东地区地震活动主体区的迁移

在已有工作基础上，对华东地区1970年以来的地震活动特征从时序演化和空间分布两方面作了分析，发现该地区地震在时序上存在前后两个演化过程相似的活动时段，并在空间分布上有着较好的分区性，地震活动主体区域存在明显的迁移。该研究结果有助于华不地区今后地震趋势分析。     

地震主应力方向的附加潮汐应力计算及其对发震断层的作用方式研究

通过对地震震源处沿主压应力P轴和主张应力T轴方向的附加潮汐应力分量的计算，在岩石力学莫尔－库化准则的基础上分析了附加潮汐应力对发震断层的作用方式。分析和计算表明，对发震断层有促滑作用的附加潮汐应力作用方式分增压型和减压型，增压型潮汐应力增大断层面上的正压力和剪应力，促使断层达到破裂滑动条件，减压型潮汐应力在一定条件下能降低断层面上的破裂滑动强度，同样能促使断层的运动。计算实例显示，大部分发震断层受到了附加潮汐应力的增压型或减压型促滑作用。