Analysis of sustained long-period activity at Etna Volcano, Italy

Following the installation of a broadband network on Mt. Etna, sustained Long-Period (LP) activity was recorded accompanying a period of total quiescence and the subsequent onset of the 2004–2005 effusive episode. From about 56000 events detected by an automatic classification procedure, we analyse a subset of about 3000 signals spanning the December 17th, 2003–September 25th, 2004, time interval. LP spectra are characterised by several, unevenly-spaced narrow peaks spanning the 0.5–10 Hz frequency band. These peaks are common to all the recording sites of the network, and different from those associated with tremor signals. Throughout the analysed time interval, LP spectra and waveforms maintain significant similarity, thus indicating the involvement of a non-destructive source process that we interpret in terms of the resonance of a fluid-filled buried cavity. Polarisation analysis indicates radiation from a non-isotropic source involving large amounts of shear. Concurrently with LP signals, recordings from the summit station also depict Very-Long-Period (VLP) pulses whose rectilinear motion points to a region located beneath the summit craters at depths ranging between 800 and 1100 m beneath the surface. Based on a refined repicking of similar waveforms, we obtain robust locations for a selected subset of the most energetic LP events from probabilistic inversion of travel-times calculated for a 3D heterogenous structure. LP sources cluster in a narrow volume located beneath the summit craters, and extending to a maximum depth of ≈ 800 m beneath the surface. No causal relationships are observed between LP, VLP and tremor activities and the onset of the 2004–2005 lava effusions, thus indicating that magmatic overpressure played a limited role in triggering this eruption. These data represent the very first observation of LP and VLP activity at Etna during non-eruptive periods, and open the way to the quantitative modelling of the geometry and dynamics of the shallow plumbing system.     

Amplification of strong ground motion in the city of Zagreb, Croatia, estimated by computation of synthetic seismograms

A hybrid technique consisting of modal summation and subsequent finite differences modelling is applied for the computation of synthetic accelerograms along a profile crossing the city of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Assuming the source geometry is known, the amplification properties of the underlying soil may be determined by comparison of synthetics and their response spectra computed for a bedrock model with the ones obtained under the assumption of a realistic laterally varying local model. The peak ground acceleration is larger by a factor of up to 3.5 than the value obtained for the bedrock model. The amplification of the response spectra is most prominent for frequencies below 2 Hz, and increases sharply to the SW from the mapped fault running through the centre of the city.     

Moment tensor inversion of explosive long period events recorded on Arenal volcano,Costa Rica,constrained by synthetic tests

In order to constrain the moment tensor solution of an explosive seismic event recorded on Arenal volcano, Costa Rica, we perform tests using synthetic data. These data are generated using a 3D model including the topography of the volcano and the best estimation of the velocity model available for Arenal. Solutions for (i) the moment tensor components, and (ii) the moment tensor plus single forces, are analyzed. When noisy data and mislocated sources are used in the inversion, spurious single forces are easily generated in the solution for the moment tensor components plus single forces. Forces also appear when the inversion is performed using an explosive event recorded on Arenal in 2005. Synthetic tests indicate that these forces might be spurious. However the mechanism is correctly retrieved by the inversion in both solutions. The ability to recover the explosive mechanism for the 2005 event combined with the interpretative aids from the synthetics tests will enable us to invert for the large variation in events observed on Arenal.     

Anisotropy of P-wave Velocity in the Upper Crust of the Central External Dinarides

The anisotropy of Pg-wave velocity in the area of the central External Dinarides is measured by using arrival time data as reported by local and regional seismological stations. The observed velocity varies between 5.73 km/s (in the ESE-WNWdirection) and 6.20 km/s (in the SSW-NNE direction), indicating azimuthal anisotropy with symmetry axis azimuths of 23°±n 90°. These closely match the orientation of the principal stress axes in the region, as revealed by analyses of available fault-plane solutions. The observed anisotropy may be modelled by assuming a system of vertical/subvertical cracks in the upper crust, aligned under the influence of the regional tectonic stress field.     

Linear Amplification of Horizontal Strong Ground Motion in Zagreb (Croatia) for a Realistic Range of Scaled Point Sources

— The linear amplification of the larger horizontal component of strong ground motion along a selected profile in the city of Zagreb is estimated by examining the synthetic waveforms corresponding to a suite of 16 realistically chosen scaled point sources. The accelerograms, computed for the average bedrock model by modal summation, are propagated through local laterally heterogeneous anelastic models by the finite-difference algorithm. The ratio of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and of the response spectra (RS), obtained by using local and bedrock models, define the PGA and RS amplification AMP(PGA) and AMP(RS), respectively. Even variations of the order of commonly observed uncertainties of only dip and rake angles of the causative fault show that both AMP(PGA) and AMP(RS) vary at some sites by more than a factor of two. It follows that, especially for strongly laterally heterogeneous structures, local effects must be determined for each of the relevant sources considering all associated uncertainties as completely as possible. Such a conclusion certainly holds for the case of the microzonation of Zagreb, where the local geology is quite complex, and the seismicity is not confined to a single seismic source zone.