Development of site-specific design ground motions in Western and Eastern North America

This paper presents results recently obtained for generating site-specific ground motions needed for design of critical facilities. The general approach followed in developing these ground motions using either deterministic or probabilistic criteria is specification of motions for rock outcrop or very firm soil conditions followed by adjustments for site-specific conditions. Central issues in this process include development of appropriate attenuation relations and their uncertainties, differences in expected motions between Western and Eastern North America, and incorporation of site-specific adjustments that maintain the same hazard level as the control motions, while incorporating uncertainties in local dynamic material properties. For tectonically active regions, such as the Western United States (WUS), sufficient strong motion data exist to constrain empirical attenuation relations for M up to about 7 and for distances greater than about 10–15 km. Motions for larger magnitudes and closer distances are largely driven by extrapolations of empirical relations and uncertainties need to be substantially increased for these cases.

For the Eastern United States (CEUS), due to the paucity of strong motion data for cratonic regions worldwide, estimation of strong ground motions for engineering design is based entirely on calibrated models. The models are usually calibrated and validated in the WUS where sufficient strong motion data are available and then recalibrated for applications to the CEUS. Recalibration generally entails revising parameters based on available CEUS ground motion data as well as indirect inferences through intensity observations. Known differences in model parameters such as crustal structure between WUS and CEUS are generally accommodated as well. These procedures are examined and discussed.     

Foreshocks and aftershocks of the M W = 7.1, 1992, earthquake in the Atrato region, Colombia

We study the October 18, M _W = 7.1, 1992 Atrato earthquake, and its foreshocks and aftershocks, which occurred in the Atrato valley, northwestern Colombia. The main shock was preceded by several foreshocksof which the M _W = 6.6, October 17 earthquacke was the largest. Inparticular, we examine foreshocks and aftershocks performing joint-hypocenter relocations using high quality Pn and Sn wave readingsfrom permanent regional networks. We observed a few hours prior to the main shock a sudden increase of foreshocks. Maybe this could be used as a predictor since foreshocks have been known for other major events in the region. Our locations align for 90 km with a trend of 5^° ±4^° in agreement with the Harvard CMT solution showing the faultplane trending 9^° to be the plane of rupture. In relation to theepicenter of the main shock, maximum intensities were located to thesouth, consistent with a rupture that traveled from north to south witha larger energy release in the south as suggested by an empirical Green'sfunction study (Li and Toksöz, 1993; Ammon et al., 1994). The boundarybetween the Panama and North Andes blocks has been placed close to thePanama-Colombia border as either a sharp boundary or a diffuse zone. TheAtrato earthquake, however, shows that the plate boundary between thePanama and North Andes microblocks is a diffuse deformation zone. Thiszone has a width of at least 2^° stretching from 78^°W to 76^°W. Quantification of earthquake moment release (during the past30 years) in this zone shows a similar amount of moment release in thewestern and eastern parts of this zone.     

地下水潮汐现象的物理机制和统一数学方程

用新的分层承压含水层模式 ,不但考虑含水层的力学压缩性质 ,而且考虑含水层的渗流特性 ,并结合扰动信息源的频率特性 ,分别研究扰动源地球固体潮、大气潮和地表负荷潮对承压井水位和流量的影响机理 ,给出相应的偏微分方程。从方程的解释或数值解讨论扰动源与承压井含水层的力学压缩参数、渗流特性参数及与频率特性频数的关系 ,进而给出承压井水位和流量对地球固体潮、大气潮和地表负荷潮汐响应的统一数学方程及其潮汐响应函数 ,并揭示了上述几类潮汐扰动信息源对承压井水位和流量影响的物理机理     

基于GIS与ANN耦合技术的地裂缝灾情非线性模拟预测系统——以山西榆次地裂缝灾害为例

现代地裂缝在世界许多国家普遍存在 ,已成为当今世界范围内的主要地质灾害之一。本文在详尽分析了山西榆次地裂缝的各个致灾因子的基础上 ,利用GIS技术建立了地质学意义上的专题层 ;然后采用人工神经网络技术构建出了地裂缝灾害活动性的评价模型 ,并建立了地裂缝活动性的评价系统 ,对榆次地裂缝进行了灾害活动性评价 ,为榆次市城建和国土规划等部门的正确决策提供了重要的科学依据     

地震预报思路的再讨论

文中回顾了1974年提出的“块、带、源、兆、触、报”六字预报思路，并基于近20年来的研究对此进行了补充和深化。     

野外简易脱气装置简介

根据水力学原理结合水氡在实验室分析中水样鼓泡脱气的方法 ,进行了大量的野外试验 ,研制开发了野外简易脱气装置。通过几个月的试观测 ,脱气装置气流稳定 ,脱气效率高 ,完全可以满足自动化观测仪器对气量的需求。该装置解决了地下水化学在野外冷水泉无法进行气体观测的难题 ,而且制作简单、费用低廉 ,非常便于推广。     

山西地电中短期前兆异常识别方法浅析

用傅氏滑动法、动态距平法、速率法、均值法等对山西大同台、代县台、临汾台的地电异常进行了分析 ,对地电阻率异常的判定、预报方法效能进行了评价 ,对不同的台站 ,从正常的变化形态中找出了突出异常的有效方法 ,从中提取出因地壳应力变化引起的地震前兆异常 ,结果表明 ,5 .0级以上地震在Δ=15 0 km范围内有明显的中短期前兆异常     

山西大同——阳高5.6级地震离石台地倾斜异常特征分析

1999年 11月 1日 ,在山西大同—阳高一带发生了 Ms5 .6地震。山西离石地震台依据该台地倾斜观测出现的异常 ,震前对这次地震作了较好的短临地震预报 ,为了探讨单台地震预报的方法 ,在该次短临预报的基础上 ,进一步用差分法、滤波法、矢量法、形态分析法对观测资料作了进一步的处理 ,发现该台地倾斜震前异常反映较好 ,具有明显的阶段性特征。指出 ,这对山西的地震监测预报有重要的作用。     

地形变场与现代地壳垂直运动及地震活动关系初探(Ⅰ)——地形变场的计算方法和物理意义

地震与地壳形变有着密切的关系 ,但台站地倾斜资料空间连续性不好 .为此在场分析的基础上 ,利用逐步订正法将地倾斜观测资料内插到 1°× 1°的经纬度网格点 ,引入曲面总曲率的概念计算格点上的Gauss曲率 ,并推广到格点化的有限区域上得到表征曲面形态和变形强度的地表形变场 .结果表明 :该方法可以合理地弥补资料不连续的缺陷 ,并在地表形变场上捕捉到一些关键的地表形变特征 ,如地凸区、地凹区、鞍形场等 .为地震分析和预报中如何拓展和利用大范围时空信息提供了一种有益的思路 .     

A New Model for Heat Flow in Extensional Basins: Estimating Radiogenic Heat Production

Radiogenic heat production (RHP) represents a significant fraction of surface heat flow, both on cratons and in sedimentary basins. RHP within continental crust—especially the upper crust—is high. RHP at any depth within the crust can be estimated as a function of crustal age. Mantle RHP, in contrast, is always low, contributing at most 1 to 2 mW/m² to total heat flow. Radiogenic heat from any noncrystalline basement that may be present also contributes to total heat flow. RHP from metamorphic rocks is similar to or slightly lower than that from their precursor sedimentary rocks. When extension of the lithosphere occurs—as for example during rifting—the radiogenic contribution of each layer of the lithosphere and noncrystalline basement diminishes in direct proportion to the degree of extension of that layer. Lithospheric RHP today is somewhat less than in the distant past, as a result of radioactive decay. In modeling, RHP can be varied through time by considering the half lives of uranium, thorium, and potassium, and the proportional contribution of each of those elements to total RHP from basement. RHP from sedimentary rocks ranges from low for most evaporites to high for some shales, especially those rich in organic matter. The contribution to total heat flow of radiogenic heat from sediments depends strongly on total sediment thickness, and thus differs through time as subsidence and basin filling occur. RHP can be high for thick clastic sections. RHP in sediments can be calculated using ordinary or spectral gamma-ray logs, or it can be estimated from the lithology.