汶川特大地震的震级和断层长度

On the Magnitude and the Fault Length of the Great Wenchuan Earthquake

震级修订是世界各国地震台网(中心)地震参数测定工作的常规工作的一个环节。汶川地震发生后,我国地震台网速报的汶川地震的"面波震级"为7.8级;5天后修订为"面波震级"8.0级。美国地质调查局(USGS)国家地震中心(NEIC)速报的结果是"矩震级"7.8级;不久,将其修订为"矩震级"7.9级。地震后翌日,我们由"地震矩张量反演"得出,汶川地震的"矩震级"至少为7.9级,所释放的"标量地震矩"至少为4.4×1021N·m。无论是"面波震级",还是"矩震级",汶川地震都要比唐山地震("面波震级"7.8级,"矩震级"7.6级)大得多。汶川地震的"矩震级"(7.9级)比唐山地震的"矩震级"(7.6级)大0.3级,表明汶川地震释放的能量比唐山地震释放的能量大约3倍!事实上,汶川地震的断层长度大约为300km,也是唐山地震断层长度(不足100km)的3倍多。汶川地震的震级大、断层长,从震源特性的角度说明了为什么这次地震会造成如此巨大的破坏。

Brief description of the determination of earthquake magnitude is given to explain why the magnitude of Wenchuan earthquake changed from 7.8 to 8.0. The author points out that the “moment magnitude” of Wenchuan earthquake is at least 7.9, and could be as high as 8.3. Wenchuan earthquake and Tangshan earthquake are compared by magnitude and length of faults to show that the energy released in Wenchuan earthquake is about three times that of in Tangshan earthquake.