China’s component borehole strainmeter network

In 2004, China＇s digital seismic observation network project began to deploy 40 sets YRY-4 four-component borehole strainmeters in order to monitor earthquake preparation process. The paper describes observed solid tidal strain discreteness and tidal factor anisotropy, analyzes the reliability of observational data and discusses the cause for this phenomenon. After getting rid of interferences, the network, in two years practice, has observed several pre-seismic strain anomalies at stations close to epicenters especially in the Wenchuan Ms8.0 megaquake. It shows that this borehole strainmeter network is capable of monitoring seismogenic process.

The strain seismograms of P- and S-waves of a local event recorded by four-gauge borehole strainmeter

At a sampling rate of 100 samples per second,the YRY-4 four-gauge borehole strainmeters（FGBS） are capable of recording transient strains caused by seismic waves such as P and S waves or strain seismograms. At such a high sampling rate, data from the YRY-4 strainmeters demonstrate fairly satisfactory self-consistency. The strain tensor seismograms demonstrate the senses of motion of P waves, that is, the type of seismic wave travels in the direction of the maximum normal strain change. The observed strain patterns of S waves significantly differ from those of P waves and should contain information about the source mechanism. Spectrum analysis shows that the strain seismograms are consistent with conventional broadband seismograms from the same site.

Developments of borehole strain observa- tion outside China

Borehole strain observation is playing an increasingly important role in the study on the crustal movements. It has been used by many countries such as China, USA, Japan, Peru, Australia, South Africa, Iceland and Italy, in re- search fields of plate tectonics, earthquake, volcanic eruption, dam safety, oil field subsidence, mining collapse and so on. Borehole strainmeter has been improved rapidly and tends to get more and more components included in one probe. Based on observations by this kind of instruments, studies on seismic strain step, slow earthquake, earthquake precursor and volcanic eruption forecasting have made remarkable achievements. In the coming years, borehole strain observation is going to become one major geodetic means, together with GPS and InSAR.

Strains Recorded Using a Seismometer Data Acquisition Unit

A seismometer data acquisition unit has been used in the Changping seismic station to record the output of a strainmeter. The output of a strainmeter was sampled at a rate of l00/sec by seismometer acquisition from the original rate of 1 per minute. Plenty of high frequency sampled data was recorded. The minute value curve calculated from the seismometer acquisition are consistent with that of the original data sampled by the strain acquisition system. More complete waveforms were recorded with a higher sampling rate, and seismic phase parameters calculated by using higher sampling rate strain seismic waves are also in consistency with the results of its predecessors. Spectra of the strain seismic waves are compared with that of seismic waves recorded by a seismometer in the Shisanling seismic station, and their trends are almost the same. Besides, some lower frequency components still exist in strain seismic waves.

Abnormal strain changes observed at Guza before the Wenchuan earthquake

An YRY-4 type borehole strainmeter at Guza station on the southwest end of the Longmenshan fault zone recorded anomalous changes from time to time since about one year before the Wenchuan earthquake.The anomaly is characterized by steps and/or asymmetrical pulses of short-periods(minutes-hours).Among about one hundred stations over the mainland of China,only Guza,the nearest one to the seismic area,observed such changes.A self-check function of the strainmeter helps confirm the credibility of the observation.The anomalous signals do not correspond to seasonal changes.The consistency in the sense of strain among long-term,anomalous interfering and coseismic changes suggests that they all resulted from the background tectonic movement.Results of an Overrun Rate Analysis further illustrate a close temporal relevance of the anomaly to the Wenchuan earthquake:its increase before,and decrease after the biggest changes during the main shock.The abnormal changes are attributed to local small-scale fractures with an evidential clue that the only Ms4.5 foreshock near Guza station on February 27,2008 produced the biggest anomalous change.By means of Wavelet Decomposition,it is revealed that longer period portion of the anomaly took place later before the main shock,consistent with the idea that scales of small fractures increase during earthquake preparation process.The anomalous strain changes are analogous to the stress changes observed before the 1976 Tangshan earthquake.