Source Parameters of the Deadly M<Subscript>w</Subscript> 7.6 Kashmir Earthquake of 8 October, 2005

During the last six years, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad has established a semi-permanent seismological network of 5–8 broadband seismographs and 10–20 accelerographs in the Kachchh seismic zone, Gujarat with a prime objective to monitor the continued aftershock activity of the 2001 M_w 7.7 Bhuj mainshock. The reliable and accurate broadband data for the 8 October M_w 7.6 2005 Kashmir earthquake and its aftershocks from this network as well as Hyderabad Geoscope station enabled us to estimate the group velocity dispersion characteristics and one-dimensional regional shear velocity structure of the Peninsular India. Firstly, we measure Rayleigh-and Love-wave group velocity dispersion curves in the period range of 8 to 35 sec and invert these curves to estimate the crustal and upper mantle structure below the western part of Peninsular India. Our best model suggests a two-layered crust: The upper crust is 13.8 km thick with a shear velocity (Vs) of 3.2 km/s; the corresponding values for the lower crust are 24.9 km and 3.7 km/sec. The shear velocity for the upper mantle is found to be 4.65 km/sec. Based on this structure, we perform a moment tensor (MT) inversion of the bandpass (0.05–0.02 Hz) filtered seismograms of the Kashmir earthquake. The best fit is obtained for a source located at a depth of 30 km, with a seismic moment, Mo, of 1.6 × 10²⁷ dyne-cm, and a focal mechanism with strike 19.5°, dip 42°, and rake 167°. The long-period magnitude (M_A ~ M_w) of this earthquake is estimated to be 7.31. An analysis of well-developed sPn and sSn regional crustal phases from the bandpassed (0.02–0.25 Hz) seismograms of this earthquake at four stations in Kachchh suggests a focal depth of 30.8 km.     

Pure aluminium shear panels as dissipative devices in moment‐resisting steel frames

The use of energy dissipation systems for the seismic control of steel structures represents a valid alternative to conventional seismic design methods. The seismic devices currently employed are mostly based on the metallic yielding technology due to the large feasibility and efficiency they can provide. Within this context, in the current paper an innovative solution based on the adoption of low‐yield‐strength pure aluminium shear panels (SPs) for seismic protection of steel moment‐resisting frames is proposed and investigated. In order to prove the effectiveness of the system, a wide numerical study based on both static and dynamic non‐linear analyses has been carried out, considering a number of different frame‐to‐shear panel combinations, aiming at assessing the effect of the main influential parameters on the seismic response of the structure. The obtained results show that the contribution provided by aluminium SPs is rather significant, allowing a remarkable improvement of the seismic performance of the structure in terms of stiffness, strength and ductility, with the possibility to strongly limit the damage occurring in the members of moment‐resisting frames. In particular, it is clearly emphasized that the stiffening effect provided by SPs allows a more rational design procedure to be adopted, since the serviceability limit state check does not lead to unavoidable and uneconomical increase of the size of main structural members. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Towards error‐free hybrid simulation using mixed variables

Two procedures are developed and implemented in a hybrid simulation system (HSS) with the aim of enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the online, i.e. pseudo‐dynamic, test results. The first procedure aims at correcting the experimental systematic error in executing the displacement command signal. The error is calculated as the difference between command and feedback signals and correlated to the actuator velocity using the least‐squares method. A feed‐forward error compensation scheme is devised leading to a more accurate execution of the test. The second procedure employs mixed variables with mode switching between displacement and force controls. The newly derived force control algorithm is evaluated using a parametric study to assess its stability and accuracy. The implementation of the mixed variables procedure is designed to adopt force control for high stiffness states of the structural response and displacement control otherwise, where the resolution of the involved instruments may favour this type of mixed control. A simple pseudo‐dynamic experiment of steel cantilever members is used to validate the HSS. Moreover, two experiments as application examples for the two developed procedures are presented. The two experiments focus on the seismic response of (a) timber shear walls and (b) reinforced concrete frames with and without unreinforced masonry infill wall. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Acceleration response modification factors for nonstructural components attached to inelastic moment‐resisting frame structures

A statistical analysis of the peak acceleration demands for nonstructural components (NSCs) supported on a variety of stiff and flexible inelastic regular moment‐resisting frame structures with periods from 0.3 to 3.0 s exposed to 40 far‐field ground motions is presented. Peak component acceleration (PCA) demands were quantified based on the floor response spectrum (FRS) method without considering dynamic interaction effects. This study evaluated the main factors that influence the amplification or decrease of FRS values caused by inelasticity in the primary structure in three distinct spectral regions namely long‐period, fundamental‐period, and short‐period region. The amplification or decrease of peak elastic acceleration demands depends on the location of the NSC in the supporting structure, periods of the component and building, damping ratio of the component, and level of inelasticity of the supporting structure. While FRS values at the initial modal periods of the supporting structure are reduced due to inelastic action in the primary structure, the region between the modal periods experiences an increase in PCA demands. A parameter denoted as acceleration response modification factor (R_acc) was proposed to quantify this reduction/increase in PCA demands. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tectonic analysis of mine tremor mechanisms from the Upper Silesian Coal Basin

Fault network of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) is built of sets of strike-slip, oblique-slip and dip-slip faults. It is a typical product of force couple which acts evenly with the parallel of latitude, causing horizontal and anti-clockwise movement of rock-mass. Earlier research of focal mechanisms of mine tremors, using a standard fault plane solution, has shown that some events are related to tectonic directions in main structural units of the USCB. An attempt was undertaken to analyze the records of mine tremors from the period 1992–1994 in the selected coal fields. The digital records of about 200 mine tremors with energy larger than 1×10⁴ J (M _L >1.23) were analyzed with SMT software for seismic moment tensor inversion. The decomposition of seismic moment tensor of mine tremors was segmented into isotropic (I) part, compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) part and double-couple (DC) part. The DC part is prevalent (up to 70%) in the majority of quakes from the central region of the USCB. A group of mine tremors with large I element (up to 50%) can also be observed. The spatial orientation of the fault and auxiliary planes were obtained from the computations for the seismic moment DC part. Study of the DC part of the seismic moment tensor made it possible for us to separate the group of events which might be acknowledged to have their origin in unstable energy release on surfaces of faults forming a regional structural pattern. The possible influence of the Cainozoic tectonic history of the USCB on the recent shape of stress field is discussed.     

Moment tensor inversion of some aftershocks of the April 18, 1985 Luquan earthquake of Yunnan Province, China

Based on the three component accelerograms, recorded at near-field distance by a temporary seismic network consisting of digital cassette tape recording accelerographs, the focal mechanisms of three aftershocks of the April 18, 1985, Luquan, Yunnan Province, China, earthquake ofM _S=6.1, are calculated using seismic moment tensor inversion technique. The phases of direct P, S and converted SP waves in the displacement seismograms, produced by twice integrations of the observed accelerograms, are identified via forward calculation using Green’s functions for homogeneous semi-infinite elastic medium, and used in the inversion. The results of inversion show that a better fit of synthetic to the observed seismograms of direct as well as converted phases can be achieved if appropriate weighting functions are used in solving the over definite linear equations. While these aftershocks are of different magnitudes (M _L=4.8, 3.2 and 3.5, respectively) and hypocentral locations, their focal mechanisms are very similar and consistent with that of the main shock. This feature demonstrates the intrinsic correlation between the occurrence of aftershocks and the seismogenic fault of main shock. Our experimentations show that using the near field accelerogram obtained from the digital seismic network with appropriate azimuthal coverage on the focal sphere, with the aid of even simple medium model, not only the shear dislocation source, but also the isotropic part and CLVD (compensated linear vector dipole) can be retrieved by the technique of moment tensor inversion. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 412–419, 1991. This work is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Sciences Foundation and the Western Yunnan Earthquake Prediction Test Site (WYEPTS), State Seismological Bureau.     

Moment tensors of earthquakes in and near the Tibetan Plateau and their scaling law

Moment tensors of eleven major earthquakes in the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding region from 1966 to 1980 are estimated by generalized inverse technique. The seismic source time function and focal depth are immediately determined in the inversion. The results show that moment tensors of some events differ significantly from double couple, the deviation increases with decreasing plunge angle of null axis. All these events occurred in the upper crust, much shallower than those reported so far, for example, in NEIS Bulletin. Focal mechanism solution obtained from the moment tensors are consistent with the idea that the Indian plate collides northwards with the Eurasian plate and that an eastward spreading exists in the crust of the Tibetan Plateau. The stress drops for earthquakes of intraplate are systematically higher than those of earthquakes in suture zone. The source process duration becomes longer with seismic moment, but for the same seismic moment, the process duration for earthquakes in suture zone is about 1.4 times of those for intraplate event, these results suggest that the earthquakes near suture zone may be of a special characteristics in source process differently from those in intraplate. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,14, 423 – 434, 1992.     

Strain segmentation and lateral membrane deformation rate of the subducted Ryukyu slab

Abstract Focal mechanisms of intermediate-depth earthquakes within the subducted Ryukyu slab indicate a systematic pattern of down-dip extension in the northern part under Kyushu. These mechanisms switch rapidly around the Tokara channel to down-dip compression in the southern part toward Taiwan. This intriguing pattern of strain segmentation, together with the differences between the slab geometry of the northern and southern parts, has raised the question of whether stress segmentation, as defined possibly by a tear fault, might exist in the slab. However the Ryukyu trench has a concave oceanward shape in the northern segment while it is convex in the southern oceanward part toward Taiwan. The inflection zone is located around the Tokara channel. The concept of Gaussian curvature of a curved surface suggests that the along-arc variation of the geometric configuration of a subducted slab is related to the shape of the trench. This is in order to accommodate the lateral membrane deformation of the slab as the oceanic lithosphere subducts from a spherical shell to the geometry delineated by the Wadati-Benioff zone. The membrane deformation regime of the subducted Ryukyu slab and its relation with the trench geometry was examined by assuming that the subduction be modelled by the flow field of a thin viscous sheet. A projection operator was utilized to compute the membrane strain-rate tensor of an arbitrary non-Euclidean surface. Numerical experiments indicated that the northern segment of the slab was dominated by lateral compression and down-dip extension and the southern part by lateral extension and down-dip compression. This transition is sharply located near the Tokara channel. These patterns were compatible with what had been observed from studies of focal mechanisms, suggesting that the strain segmentation might be controlled, at least in part, by the lateral membrane deformation within the slab due to the trench shape in this subduction zone. The slab geometry was predicted by minimizing the integrated total dissipation power; this revealed distinct features that were consistent with observations. This implies that the slab geometry may also be affected by the membrane deformation in a systematic fashion.     

2011年日本MW9.0地震对沂沭断裂带及其两侧地区地壳运动的同震影响研究

2011年日本M_W9.0地震（简称日本地震）后沂沭断裂带及其两侧地区地震活动显著增强,研究日本地震对该地区地壳运动及地震潜势的影响十分必要.为此,本文通过112个连续GPS观测站获取了研究区高空间分辨率的日本地震同震形变场并得到如下认识：（1）8个定点地球物理观测的同震响应验证了本文同震形变场的可靠性;日本地震的东向拉张使研究区整体上处于张性同震应变状态,但存在局部挤压区域,其中莱州湾至海州湾的挤压条带穿过沂沭断裂带并对断裂带南北两段产生了不同的同震作用,对南段具有拉张作用,对北段产生挤压作用;（2）同震形变场在鲁东隆起和鲁西断块产生了显著的剪应变,地震b值显示上述区域的构造应力在日本地震后增强,因此同震形变场可能改变了这些区域的应力特征;（3）地震矩张量叠加分析显示,同震形变场短期内对鲁西断块、鲁东隆起区和沂沭断裂带南段累积了地震矩,可能有助于上述区域在日本地震以后的地震活动增强;日本地震对沂沭断裂带北段的地震矩具有释放作用,或许是该区域地震活动减弱的原因.