Upper crustal anisotropy observed around the Longmenshan fault in the 2013 M_S7.0 Lushan earthquake region

Based on the shear wave splitting analysis of the seismic recordings at 17 temporary stations and three permanent stations, we measured the shear wave splitting parameters(i.e., the polarization direction of fast shear wave and the time delay of slow wave) to perform a systematic analysis of the crustal seismic anisotropy around the Longmenshan fault in the 2013 M7.0 Lushan earthquake region. We observed apparent spatio-temporal characteristics in the shear wave splitting parameters. The spatial distribution of fast polarization directions showed a clear partitioning in the characteristics from northwest to southeast in the focal region,which changed from NW-SE to NE-SW. In the northwest of the focal region, the fast polarization direction was oriented to NW-SE, which was parallel to the maximum horizontal compressive stress direction. However, the NE-SW fast polarization direction in the southeast of the focal region was parallel to the Longmenshan fault strike. For station BAX on the Central fault in the middle of the focal region, the distribution of fast polarization directions showed a bimodal pattern, with one dominant in the NE-SW direction and the other in the NW-SE direction. With regard to the temporal variation, the time delays were large in the initial stage after the mainshock but then gradually decreased over time and tended to be stable in the later period. This indicated that stress in the focal region increased to a maximum when the main shock occurred, with the stress release caused by the mainshock and aftershock activity, and the stress gradually decreased after a period of time. The scatter of fast polarization directions was large after the main shock, but over time the scatter gradually decreased, indicating that the Lushan earthquake caused a large perturbation in the local stress field. As the stress gradually decreased and was adjusted by the aftershock activity, the perturbation gradually weakened.

Variations of shear-wave splitting parameters in the source region of the 2023 Türkiye doublet earthquakes

In this study,the shear-wave splitting parameters of local seismic events from the source regions of the 2023 Türkiye MW7.7 and MW7.6 doublet earthquakes(event 1 and event 2,respectively)were measured from June 1,2022,to April 25,2023,and their spatiotemporal characteristics were analyzed.The results revealed clear spatial and temporal differences.Spatially,the dominant fast-wave polarization direction at each station shows a strong correlation with the direction of the maximum horizontal principal compressive stress,as characterized by focal mechanism solutions of seismic events(MW≥3.5)near the station.The dominant fast-wave polarization direction and the regional stress field also showed a strong correlation with the intermovement of the Arabian Plate,African Plate,and Anatolian Block.Along the Nurdagi-Pazarcik fault zone,the seismic fault of event 1,stations closer to the middle of the fault where the mainshock occurred exhibited notably greater delay times than stations located towards the ends of the fault and far from the mainshock.In addition,the stations located to the east of the Nurdagi-Pazarcik fault and to the north of the Sürgüfault also exhibited large delay times.The spatial distribution of shear-wave splitting parameters obtained from each station indicates that the upper-crust anisotropy in the source area is mainly controlled by the regional stress field,which is closely related to the state of the block motion.During the seismogenic process of the MW7.7 earthquake,more stress accumulated in the middle of the Nurdagi-Pazarcik fault than at either end of the fault.Under the influence of the MW7.7 and MW7.6 events,the stress that accumulated during the seismogenic process of the earthquake doublet may have migrated towards some areas outside the aftershock intensive area after the earthquakes,and the crustal stress and its adjustment range near the outer stations increased significantly.With the exception of two stations with few effective events,all stations showed a consistent change in shear-wave splitting parameters over time.In particular,each station showed a decreasing trend in delay times after the doublet earthquakes,reflecting the obvious intensification of crustal stress adjustment in the seismogenic zone after the doublet earthquakes.With the occurrence of the earthquake doublet and a large number of aftershocks,the stress accumulated during the seismogenic process of the doublet earthquakes is gradually released,and then the adjustment range of crustal stress is also gradually reduced.

Study on shear wave splitting in the after- shock region of the Yao′an earthquake in 2000

After Ms=6.5 Yao＇an earthquake on January 15, 2000, a large amount of aftershock waveforms were recorded by the Near Source Digital Seismic Network （NSSN） installed by Earthquake Administration of Yunnan Province in the aftershock region. It provides profuse data to systematically analyze the features of Yao＇an earthquake. The crustal anisotropy is realized by shear wave splitting propagating in the upper crust. Based on the accurate aftershock relocations, the shear wave splitting parameters are determined with the cross-correlation method, and the results of different stations and regions are discussed in this paper. These conclusions are obtained as follows： firstly, the average fast directions of aftershock region are controlled by the regional stress field and parallel to the maximum horizontal compressive stress direction; secondly, the average fast directions of disparate stations and regions are different and vary with the structural settings and regional stress fields; finally, delay time value is affected by all sorts of factors, which is affinitive with the shear wave propagating medium, especially.