Earthquake probabilities and magnitude distribution (M ≥ 6.7) along the Haiyuan fault, northwestern China

Introduction Haiyuan fault is a major seismogenic fault in north-central China. One of the most devastat-ing great earthquake in the 20th century occurred near Haiyuan in northwestern China on Decem-ber 16, 1920. More than 220 000 people were killed and thousands of towns and villages weredestroyed during the devastating earthquake. A 230 km long left-lateral surface rupture zone wasformed along the Haiyuan fault during the earthquake with maximum left-lateral displacement of10 m. Pale…     

内蒙古地区地震活动度S值特征分析

采用定量描述地震活动强弱程度的地震活动度方法，研究了内蒙古地区1970年以来中强地震的分布特征和活动规律，发现内蒙古地区S值存在5年周期的起伏活动规律。在分区研究区的基础上，内蒙古地区从西到东，地震活动度S值呈现有规律的强一弱交替特征。     

青海德令哈巴音郭勒河断裂带的新活动特征

在青海德令哈巴音郭勒河北侧山前冲洪积扇上新发现了一条长约60km的逆断裂带,属于本区NNW-NWW向的柴达木盆地北缘活动断裂系内的一条次级挤压构造。断裂在地貌上表现为明显的挤压逆冲断层陡坎,晚更新世晚期以来的平均垂直滑动速率为0.41±0.27mm/a。探槽剖面确定了三次古地震事件,其年代分别为距今约32.7±1.45ka、15.54±1.32ka和3.2±0.33ka。     

Microseismicity and active deformation of Messinia,SW Greece

By deploying a 30 3-component digital seismic array in the Messiniakos gulf and the surrounding region, we recorded for a period of 45 days the microseismic activity. With a minimum of six records per event, we located 1121 earthquakes corresponding to an average of 20 events per day. For the hypocenter location we used a local velocity model adopted to two controlled source seismic experiments. Within the array, traveltime residuals were within ± 0.2 s and the epicentral accuracy in the order of ± 2 km, while the hypocentral one is twice this value. Correlation of the seismicity with the tectonic elements indicated that most of the NW-SE oriented faults are active with strike-slip movement along this orientation and extension perpendicular to it. The neogene basins of Messini, Meligalas and Megalopolis are seismically very active and their eastern flanks are delineated by higher seismic activity than their western ones. This indicates that the basins are asymmetric with master faults defining their eastern-northeastern flanks. This hypothesis is supported by the asymmetric structure mapped at the offshore Messiniakos basin as densely spaced high resolution reflection seismic profiles have revealed. The western margins of the basins are less deformed and the seismic activity is dispersed over several minor NW-SE faults. Since the NW-SE striking faults onshore are truncated by major NE-SW oriented ones, their overall length is shortened, reducing their seismic potential and capacity to store large stresses that could produce events above Ms6.1. Offshore western Messinia, in the Ionian Sea, the size and activity of the faults is significantly larger and prone to develop events of larger magnitudes. Subcrustal seismicity indicates a deepening of the foci to the east-northeast.Part of this work was presented at the CIESM Conference, Monaco, 2001, and in the EGS General Assembly, Nice, 2001.     

HVSR prospecting in multi-layered environments: An example from the Tyrnavos Basin (Greece)

The Tyrnavos Basin (Central Greece) is an E-W trending graben bordered by two major antithetic sets of right-stepping dip-slip normal faults that began forming during Middle Pleistocene as a consequence of the N-S extension which affected the whole Aegean Region. This Quaternary structure is superimposed on the Pliocene-Early Pleistocene NW-SE trending Larissa Basin, approximately 700–800 m deep. Seismic activity is instrumentally well documented within and surrounding the investigated area. Based on structural, morphotectonic and palaeoseismological data, several structures previously characterised as active faults have been investigated by applying the HVSR method. This method is commonly used to map the thickness of sedimentary layers in a basin based on the variation of the fundamental 1-D frequency. The polyphased structural evolution and the consequently complex geological setting do not allow for the contouring of a unique continuous surface. We therefore developed a new interpretation technique for statistically significant HVSR peaks, in order to obtain 2-D sections that can be interpreted in a seismic-like fashion. We applied this technique across the major active faults bordering the basin. The results confirm their occurrence at depth and document the important vertical component of displacement.     

Investigation of upper crust anisotropy in Ghaen-Birjand region, east-central Iran

IntroductionWhenpropagatingthroughananisotropicmedium,ashearwavesplitsintotwo(quasi)shearwaveswithdifferentpropagationspeedsandpolarizedorthogonally.Owingtotherecentdevel-opmentofseismicobservationsystem,detectionofshearwavessplittingwithverysmalldelaytimesbetweenfasterandslowershearwavesbecameavailableandprovidedpowerfulapproachfordetectionofcrustalanisotropy.Crampin(1978)emphasizedtheroleofalignedmicrocracksasacauseofcrustalanisotropyandpointedoutthatforverticallyalignedmicrocracksthedirecti…     

Seismic structural control using an electric servomotor active mass driver system

This study investigates an electric‐type active mass driver (AMD) system for structural vibration control. Composed primarily of an electric servomotor and a ball screw, the electrical AMD system is free from noise problems, oil leakage, and labor‐intensive maintenance that commonly are associated with hydraulic AMD systems. The desired stroke amplification of the mass and the power demand of the servomotor can be adjusted via the ball screw pitch, which in turn affects the effectiveness and efficiency of the system. Meanwhile, an instantaneous optimal direct output feedback control algorithm is adopted. Numerical simulation is performed using a five‐story steel frame as the object structure under the conditions of the 1940 El Centro earthquake. The AMD system proves to be effective and efficient within a certain range of the ball screw pitch. The reductions of the peak responses can reach as high as 70% if properly designed. Requiring only the velocity measurement of the top floor for on‐line feedback control, the proposed control algorithm is recommended for practical implementation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exhumation rates and age of metamorphism in the Sanbagawa belt: new constraints from zircon fission track analysis

Zircon fission track dating and track length analysis in the high‐grade part of the Asemigawa region of the Sanbagawa belt demonstrates a simple cooling history passing through the partial annealing zone at 63.2 ± 5.8 (2 σ) Ma. Combining this age with previous results of phengite and amphibole K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating gives a cooling rate of between 6 and 13 °C Myr^?1, which can be converted to a maximum exhumation rate of 0.7 mm year^?1 using the known shape of the P–T path. This is an order of magnitude lower than the early part of the exhumation history. In contrast, zircon fission track analyses in the low‐grade Oboke region show that this area has undergone a complex thermal history probably related to post‐orogenic secondary reheating younger than c. 30 Ma. This event may correlate with the widespread igneous activity in south‐west Japan around 15 Ma. The age of subduction‐related metamorphism in the Oboke area is probably considerably older than the generally accepted range of 77–70 Ma.     

Probabilistic approach for active control of structures: experimental verification

In our previous study (Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics 2003; 32 :2301), we have developed a probabilistic algorithm for active control of structures. In the probabilistic control algorithm, the control force is determined by the probability that the structural energy exceeds a specified target critical energy, and the direction of a control force is determined by the Lyapunov controller design method. In this paper, an experimental verification of the proposed probabilistic control algorithm is presented. A three‐story test structure equipped with an active mass driver (AMD) has been used. The effectiveness of the control algorithm has been examined by exciting the test structure using a sinusoidal signal, a scaled El Centro earthquake and a broadband Gaussian white noise; and, especially, experiments on control have been performed under different conditions to that of system identification in order to prove the stability and robustness of the proposed control algorithm. The experimental results indicate that the probabilistic control algorithm can achieve a significant response reduction under various types of ground excitations even when the modeling error exists. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.