Inversion of source process and related studies of the Taiwan Strait earthquake using genetic algorithm

pplying genetic algorithm to inversion of seismic moment tensor solution and using the data of P waveform from digital network and initial motion directions of P waves of Taiwan network stations, we studied the moment tensor solutions and focal parameters of the earthquake of M=7.3 on 16 September of 1994 in Taiwan Strait and other four quakes of ML5.8 in the near region (21°～26°N, 115°～120°E). Among the five earthquakes, the quake of M=7.3 on September 16, 1994 in Taiwan Strait is the strongest one in the southeastern coast area since Nan′ao earthquake of M=7.3 in 1918. The results show that moment tensor solution of M=7.3 earthquake is mainly doublecouple component, and is normal fault whose fault plane is near NW. The strike of the fault plane resembles that of the distributive bands of earthquakes before the main event and fracture pattern shown by aftershocks. The tension stress axis of focal mechanism is about horizontal, near in NE strike, the compressive stress axis is approximately vertical, near in NWW strike. It seems that this quake is controlled by the force of Philippine plate′s pressing Eurasian plate in NW direction. But from the viewpoint of P axis of near vertical and T axis of near horizontal, it is a normal fault of strong tensibility. There are relatively big difference between focal mechanism solution of this quake and those of the four other strong quakes. The complexity of source mechanism solution of these quakes represents the complexity of the process of the strait earthquake sequences.

A Study on the Early Warning Time of Strong Earthquakes in Taiwan

The paper collects the records by the Fujian Digital Seismic Network of 40 shallow earthquakes in Taiwan with M_S≥5.0 from 1999 to 2013,analyzes the seismic phase(Pn,Sn phase)characteristics and travel-time rules,determines travel-time models and develops a seismic phase travel-time equation based on the two-step fitting algorithm.With the deduction of processing time and network delay time,this method can provide an accurate estimation of early warning time of Taiwan earthquakes for the Fujian region,and has been officially employed in the earthquake early warning system of Fujian Province.

The Coulomb Stress Change Associated with the Taiwan Straits M_S 7.3 Earthquake on September 16,1994 and the Risk Prediction of Its Surrounding Faults

Using the focal mechanism solutions and slip distribution model data of the Taiwan Straits MS7.3 earthquake on September 16, 1994, we calculate the static Coulomb stress changes stemming from the earthquake. Based on the distribution of aftershocks and stress field, as well as the location of historical earthquakes, we analyze the Coulomb stress change triggered by the Taiwan Straits MS7.3 earthquake. The result shows that the static Coulomb stress change obtained by forward modeling based on the slip distribution model is quite consistent with the location of aftershocks in the areas far away from the epicenter. Ninety percent of aftershocks occurred in the stress increased areas. The Coulomb stress change is not entirely consistent with the distribution of aftershocks near the epicenter. It is found that Coulomb stress change can better reflect the aftershock distribution far away from the epicenter, while such corresponding relationship becomes quite complex near the epicenter. Through the calculation of the Coulomb stress change, we find that the stress increases in the southwest part of the Min-Yue (Fujian-Guangdong) coastal fault zone, which enhances the seismic activity. Therefore, it is deemed that the sea area between Nanpeng Island and Dongshan Island, where the Min-Yue coastal fault zone intersects with the NW-trending Shanghang-Dongshan fault, has a high seismic risk.

The May 23 and 24, 1994 Taiwan earth quakes: comparison of source process between the two events

Inversion for the seismic fault rupture history is an important way to study the nature of the earthquake source. Inthis paper, we have selected two Taiwan earthquakes that occurred closely in time and located in the same region,inversed the distribution of the slip amplitudes, rakes, risetimes and the rupture times on the fault planes by usingGDSN broad-band and long-period records and the adaptive hybrid global search algorithm, and compared the twoevents. The slip rate of every subfault calculated provides information about the distribution of tectonic stress andfault strength. To the former event (Ms=6.0), the maximum slip amplitude 2.4 m and the minimum risetime 1.2 sare both located at the hypocentre. The latter earthquake (Ms=6.6) consisted of two subevents and the second source has 4 s delay. The maximum slip amplitUde 0.9 m located near hypocentre is corresponding to the minimumrisetime l.4 s, and the corresponding maximum slip rate 0.7 m.s~-1 is similar to the peak value of other large sliprate areas. We consider that the latter event has more complicated temporal-spatial distribution than the former.

The middle-long term prediction of the February 3,1996 Lijiang earthquake(M_S=7) by the "criterion of activity in quiescence

Earthquake activities in history are characterized by active and quiet periods. In the quiet period, the place where earthquake M_≥6 occurred means more elastic energy store and speedy energy accumulation there. When an active period of big earthquake activity appeared in wide region, in the place where earthquake (M_≥6) occurred in the past quiet period, the big earthquake with magnitude of 7 or more often occur there. We call the above-mentioned judgement for predicting big earthquake the 'criterion of activity in quiescence'. The criterion is relatively effective for predicting location of big earthquake. In general, error of predicting epicenter is no more than 100 km. According to the criterion, we made successfully a middle-term prediction on the 1996 Lijiang earthquake in Yunnan Province, the error of predicted location is about 50 km. Besides, the 1994 Taiwan strait earthquake (M_s=7.3), the 1995 Yunnan-Myanmar boundary earthquake (M_s=7.2) and the Mani earthquake (M_s=7.9) in north Tibet are accordant with the retrospective predictions by the 'criterion of activity in quiescence'. The windows of 'activity in quiescence' identified statistically by us are 1940-1945, 1958-1961 and 1979-1986. Using the 'criterion of activity in quiescence' to predict big earthquake in the mainland of China,the earthquake defined by 'activity in quiescence' has magnitude of 6 or more; For the Himalayas seismic belt, the Pacific seismic belt and the north-west boundary seismic belt of Xinjiang, the earthquake defined by 'activity in quiescence' has magnitude of 7, which is corresponding to earthquake with magnitude of much more than 7 in future. For the regions where there are not tectonically and historically a possibility of occurring big earthquake (M_s=7), the criterion of activity in quiescence is not effective.

Some thoughts on seismotectonics of major earthquake occurrence zones in China

A major earthquake occurrence zone means a place where M ≥6 events have occurred since the Holocene and similar shocks may happen again in the future. The dynamic context of the major earthquake occurrence zones in China is primarily associated with the NNE-directed push of the India plate, next with the westward subduction of the Pacific plate. The Chinese mainland is a grand mosaic structure of many crust blocks bounded by faults and sutures. When it is suffered from boundary stresses, deformation takes place along these faults or sutures while the block interiors remain relatively stable or intact. Since the Quaternary, for example, left slip on the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault zone in southwestern China has produced a number of fault-depression basins in extensional areas during periods Q1 and Q2. In the Q3, the change of stress orientation and enhancement of tectonic movement made faults of varied trends link each other, and continued to be active till present day, producing active fanlt zones in this region. Usually major earthquakes occur at some special locations on these active fault zones. During these events, in the epicenter areas experience intensive deformation character- ized by large-amplitude rise and fall of neighboring sections, generation of horst-graben systems and dammed rivers. The studies on palaeoearthquakes suggest that major shocks of close magnitudes often repeated for several times at a same place. By comparison of the Chi-Chi, Taiwan event in 1999 and Yuza, Yunnan event in 1955, including contours of accelerations and intensities, destruction of buildings, and in contrast to the Xigeda formation in southwestern China, a sandwich model is established to account for the mechanism of deformation caused by major earthquakes. This model consists of three layers, i.e. the two walls of a fault and the ruptured zone intercalated between them. This ruptured zone is just the loci where stress is built up and released, and serves as a channel for seismic waves.

Taiwan’ Chi-Chi Earthquake Precursor Detection Using Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis to Multi-Channel Total Electron Content Records

This research uses eigenvalue characteristics of nonlinear principal component analysis （NLPCA） and principal component analysis （PCA） to investigate total electron content （TEC） anomalies associated with Taiwan＇s Chi-Chi earthquake of 21 September 1999 （LT） （M_w=7.6）. The transforms are used for ionospheric TEC from 01 August to 20 September 1999 （local time） using data from 13 GPS receivers. The data were collected at 22°N-26°N Lat. and 120°E-122°E Long.. Applying the NLPCA to the multi-channel total electron content records of GPS receivers, the earthquake-associated TEC anomalies were represented by large principal eigenvalues of NLPCA （〉0.5 in a normalized set） on 14 August and 17, 18, and 20 September, with allowance given for the Dst index, which was quiet for the study period. Comparisons were then made with other researchers who also found TEC anomalies on September 17, 18, and 19 associated with the Chi-Chi earthquake, which cannot be detected by PCA.Consideration is also given for reported ground level geomagnetic field activity that occurred between mid-August and late October, leading up to and including the Chi-Chi and Chia-Yi earthquakes, which are associated with the same series of faults. It is possible that Aug. 14 is representative of an earthquake-associated TEC anomaly. This is an interesting result given how much earlier than the earthquake it occurred.

Analytical study of performance evaluation for seismic retrofitting of reinforced concrete building using 3D dynamic nonlinear finite element analysis

This paper presents three-dimensional finite element （FE） analyses of an all-frame model of a three-story reinforced concrete （RC） building damaged in the 1999 Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake. Non-structural brick walls of the building acted as a seismic resistant element although their contributions were neglected in the design. Hence, the entire structure of a typical frame was modeled and static and dynamic nonlinear analyses were conducted to evaluate the contributions of the brick walls. However, the results of the analyses were considerably overestimated due to coarse mesh discretizations, which were unavoidable due to limited computer resources. This study corrects the overestimations by modifying （1） the tensile strengths and （2） shear stiffness reduction factors of concrete and brick. The results indicate that brick walls improve frame strength although shear failures are caused in columns shortened by spandrel walls. Then, the effectiveness of three types of seismic retrofits is evaluated. The maximum drift of the first floor is reduced by 89.3%, 94.8%, and 27.5% by Steel-confined, FuI1-RC, and Full-brick models, respectively. Finally, feasibility analyses of models with soils were conducted. The analyses indicated that the soils elongate the natural period of building models although no significant differences were observed.