Moment tensor inversion of small to moderate earthquakes in the Capital Region in 2004

The moment tensor solutions of 51 small to moderate earthquakes occurred in the Capital Region in the year of 2004 are obtained by inverting the broadband waveform data. Accordingly, other source parameters, such as scalar seismic moments, moment magnitudes, double-couple （DC） components and compensated-linear-vector-dipole （CLVD） components, are determined as well as fault parameters and stress-axis parameters. The inverted results are evaluated by groups of numerical tests.

Moment tensor inversion for the focal mechanism of the Dongfang (Hainan) earthquake swarm

Moment tensor inversion for the focal mechanism of the 12 earthquakes of the Dongfang (Hainan) earthquakeswarm occurred from June to August 1992 with near-source broadband data recorded by a temporal small-aperturenetwork consisting of DCS-302 digital three-component accelerographs. The results inverted indicate that thepredominant components of sources of all these 12 earthqualles were shear dislocations. The principal pressureaxis and the principal tension axis are in NW-SE direction and in NE-SW direction, respectively, and their dips arealmost horizontal. It could infer that these earthquakes occurred within the same ambient stress field.

Moment tensor inversion for focal mechanism of the Beibuwan earthquakes

Two earthquakes of Ms=6.0 and Ms=6. 1 consecutively occurred on December 31, 1994 and January 10, 1995 in Beibuwan region, China. By using the generalized reflection-transmission coefficient matrix and the discrete slowness integration method in the calculation of Green's functions, we obtained the focal mechanisms of these earthquakes using long-period waveforms of regional body waves recorded by the China Digital Seismograph Network (CDSN) by means of moment tensor inversion method in frequency domain. The results inverted indicate that the focal mechanisms of these two earthquakes were similar to each other. Their principal compressional stresses are in NW-SE direction and principal tensional stresses are in NE-SW direction. It turns out that the occurrence of the two earthquakes was controlled by the same tectonic environment related to the collision of the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plates. On the other hand, the results imply that the stress field in the seismogenic region has a significant change after the Ms=6.0 earthquake. It may be proposed that the occurrence of the Ms=6. 1 earthquake could be related to the stress field adjustment caused by the Ms=6.0 earthquake.

Moment tensor inversion of the November 6, 1988 MS=7.6, Lancang-Gengma, China,earthquake using long-period body-waves data

Moment tensor inversion was carried out to myert the source mechanism and source time function of the Ms=7.6November 6. 1988, Lancang-Gengma. Yunnan Province, Chin4 earthquake. Waveforms of long-period bodywaves recorded by China Digital Seismograph Network (CDSN) were used in the inversion. The inverted resultshows one nodal plane of right-lateral strike-slip faulting and another of left-lateral strike-slip faulting and a simplesource time function of a duration of about 15 s and scalar seismic moment of 6.4x 102oN-N-m From the geologicaldata and tectonic settings and also from field observations and epicentral distribution of aftershocks, the nodalplane striking in the azimuth of 313° is preferred as the fault plane. The pressure axis lies almost horizontally innorth-south direction.

Moment tensor inversion of focal mechanism for the aftershock sequence of 1982 Lulong M_S =6.1 earthquake

Using the moment tensor inversion method, we calculate the focal mechanisms of the aftershock sequence of the Ms=6.1 Lulong earthquake occurred on October 19, 1982 in Hebei Province. We found that the pressure axis in Lulong basin is nearly in the east-west direction with an azimuth of N74°E. However, in the north of the basin the stress axis changes to N43°E; and in some places near the center of the basin it changes to the northwest that is almost perpendicular to the P axis obtained by us from those events around the basin. This feature illuminates that in Lulong earthquake sequence, the stress direction is different in different parts of crustal structure, which shows that the tectonic movement in Lulong region is complex. This is because that Lulong is located in the eastern part of Chinese mainland and is subject to the compression of Japanese Sea Basin driven by the Pacific Plate. On the other hand, nipped by the Yanshan and North China blocks, Lulong is obviously restricted by the block boundaries.

Moment tensor inversion and source rupture process of the September 27, 2003 M_S=7.9 earthquake occurred in the border area of China, Russia and Mongolia

plane with the strike of 127°, the dip of 79° and the rake of 171°. The rupture process inversion result of MS=7.9 earthquake shows that the total rupture duration is about 37 s, the scalar moment tensor is M0=0.97 × 1020 N·m. Rupture mainly occurred on the shallow area with 110 km long and 30 km wide, the location in which the rupture initiated is not where the main rupture took place, and the area with slip greater than 0.5 m basically lies within 35 km deep middle-crust under the earth surface. The maximum static slip is 3.6 m. There are two distinct areas with slip larger than 2.0 m. We noticed that when the rupture propagated towards northwest and closed to the area around the MS=7.3 hypocenter, the slip decreased rapidly, which may indicate that the rupture process was stopped by barriers. The consistence of spatial distribution of slip on the fault plane with the distribution of aftershocks also supports that the rupture is a heterogeneous process owing to the presence of barriers.

Strong Earthquake Sequences in Greece during 2008-2014: Moment Tensor Inversions and Fault Plane Discrimination

As is well known, Greece has a significant number of earthquakes each year. Ιn recent years, several earthquakes have occurred in Greece. For this scope, a methodology was used to determine the source parameters. This methodology is based on minimizing the difference between the observed and the synthetic waveforms, using the method Source Parameters Calculation—SPCa [1]. The source parameters, using the proposed methodology, are calculated by comparing observed seismograms and synthetic by inverting data. The synthetics are calculated using the reflectivity method (Kennett, 1983) as implemented by Randall et al. (1994) for a given earth structure. This study includes inversion results for the strongest events that occurred in Greece from 2008 to 2014. For the same events calculated the main fault plane, using the method of Hypocenter Centroid-plot (HC-plot) [2] [3]. This methodology is a simple geometrical method based on the combination between the hypocentral position and the two possible fault planes.

Moment tensor and stress inversion solutions of acoustic emissions during compression and tensile fracturing in crystalline rocks

We investigate the accuracy and robustness of moment tensor(MT)and stress inversion solutions derived from acoustic emissions(AEs)during the laboratory fracturing of prismatic Barre granite specimens.Pre-cut flaws in the specimens introduce a complex stress field,resulting in a spatial and temporal variation of focal mechanisms.Specifically,we consider two experimental setups:(1)where the rock is loaded in compression to generate primarily shear-type fractures and(2)where the material is loaded in indirect tension to generate predominantly tensile-type fractures.In each test,we first decompose AE moment tensors into double-couple(DC)and non-DC terms and then derive unambiguous normal and slip vectors using k-means clustering and an unstructured damped stress inversion algorithm.We explore temporal and spatial distributions of DC and non-DC events at different loading levels.The majority of the DC and the tensile non-DC events cluster around the pre-cut flaws,where macro-cracks later develop.Results of stress inversion are verified against the stress field from finite element(FE)modeling.A good agreement is found between the experimentally derived and numerically simulated stress orientations.To the best of the authors’knowledge,this work presents the first case where stress inversion methodologies are validated by numerical simulations at laboratory scale and under highly heterogeneous stress distributions.

The effect of focal depth error on moment tensor inversion

In the determination of focal mechanism and rupture process of earthquake sources by using moment tensor inversion technique, it is difficult to guarantee the focal depth used in calculating the Green′s functions (theoretical focal depth) is exactly equal to the real focal depth. The difference between the theoretical and real focal depths, i.e., the focal depth error, will affect the moment tensor inversion to some extent. Using synthetic seismograms , the effect of the focal depth error on moment tensor inversion for three basic types of faults is discussed systematically. For the normal and thrust fault, the focal depth error mainly affects the explosive ( EP ) component and the compensated linear vector dipole ( CLVD ) component. In the case that the theoretical focal depth is greater than the real focal depth, the focal depth error causes a false positive EP component and a false negative CLVD component for the normal fault. However, it produces a false negative EP component and a false positive CLVD component for the thrust fault. The absolute values of the false EP and CLVD components for both normal fault and thrust fault cases increase with increasing focal depth error. In the case that the theoretical focal depth is smaller than the real focal depth, the focal depth error causes a false negative EP component and a false positive CLVD component for the normal fault. However, it produces a false positive EP component and a false negative CLVD component for the thrust fault. Similarly, the absolute values of the false EP and CLVD components for both normal fault and thrust fault cases increase with increasing focal depth error. For a pure strike slip fault the focal depth error mainly affects the shape of source time function, unlike for the normal and thrust faults. The source time functions have artificially extended tails when either the theoretical focal depth is greater or smaller than the real focal depth. The numerical experiments show that the focal depth error less than 20 km has no significant effect on the overall focal mechanism of the earthquake. In addition, the effect of the focal depth error on the inversion result is slighter in case that the theoretical focal depth is greater than the real focal depth than in the case that the theoretical focal depth is smaller than the real focal depth.

Discussion on moment tensor solution and seismogenic structure of Ruichang-Yangxin earthquake on 10 September 2011

Ruichang-Yangxin earthquake is another moderate earthquake in Yangxin-Jiujiang area since 2005 Jiujiang-Ruichang M5.7 earthquake. In order to more understand the seismic activities in this area, we study the moment tensor solution and the seismogenic structure of the Ruichang-Yangxin earthquake. Precise earthquake relocation shows that the mainshock occurred on the southwestern part of the NE-trending fault and aftershocks are distributed not only along the NE-trending fault but also along its conjugated NW-trending fault. By comprehensive analysis on the earthquake distribution, characteristics of isoseismal curve, focal mechanism, and regional structure characteristics, it is inferred that this earthquake is caused by the NE-trending Tanlu fault. In addition, it has close relationship with the conjugated NW-trending fault as well. Many researches have shown that the junction area is the earthquake-prone area, and should be paid more attention to. And our study also proves this viewpoint.

The MW5.5 earthquake on August 6,2023,in Pingyuan,Shandong,China:A rupture on a buried fault

On August 6,2023,a magnitude MW5.5 earthquake struck Pingyuan County,Dezhou City,Shandong Province,China.This event was significant as no large earthquakes had been recorded in the region for over a century,and no active fault had been previously identified.This study collects 1309 P-wave arrival times and 866 S-wave arrival times from 74 seismic stations less than 200 km to the epicenter to constrain the spatial distribution of the mainshock and its 125 early aftershocks by the double difference earthquake relocation method,and selects 864 P-waveforms from 288 stations located within 800 km of the epicenter to constrain the focal mechanism solution of the mainshock through centroid moment tensor inversion.The relocation and the inversion indicate,the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake was caused by a rupture on a buried fault,likely an extensive segment of the Gaotang fault.This buried fault exhibited a dip of approximately 75°to the northwest,with a strike of 222°,similar to the Gaotang fault.The rupture initiated at the depth of 18.6 km and propagated upward and northeastward.However,the ground surface was not broken.The total duration of the rupture was~6.0 s,releasing the scalar moment of 2.5895×1017 N·m,equivalent to MW5.54.The moment rate reached the maximum only 1.4 seconds after the rupture initiation,and the 90%scalar moment was released in the first 4.6 s.In the first 1.4 seconds of the rupture process,the rupture velocity was estimated to be 2.6 km/s,slower than the local S-wave velocity.As the rupture neared its end,the rupture velocity decreased significantly.This study provides valuable insights into the seismic characteristics of the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake,shedding light on the previously unidentified buried fault responsible for the seismic activity in the region.Understanding the behavior of such faults is crucial for assessing seismic hazards and enhancing earthquake preparedness in the future.

Tensile strength and failure behavior of rock-mortar interfaces: Direct and indirect measurements

The tensile strength at the rock-concrete interface is one of the crucial factors controlling the failure mechanisms of structures,such as concrete gravity dams.Despite the critical importance of the failure mechanism and tensile strength of rock-concrete interfaces,understanding of these factors remains very limited.This study investigated the tensile strength and fracturing processes at rock-mortar interfaces subjected to direct and indirect tensile loadings.Digital image correlation(DIC)and acoustic emission(AE)techniques were used to monitor the failure mechanisms of specimens subjected to direct tension and indirect loading(Brazilian tests).The results indicated that the direct tensile strength of the rock-mortar specimens was lower than their indirect tensile strength,with a direct/indirect tensile strength ratio of 65%.DIC strain field data and moment tensor inversions(MTI)of AE events indicated that a significant number of shear microcracks occurred in the specimens subjected to the Brazilian test.The presence of these shear microcracks,which require more energy to break,resulted in a higher tensile strength during the Brazilian tests.In contrast,microcracks were predominantly tensile in specimens subjected to direct tension,leading to a lower tensile strength.Spatiotemporal monitoring of the cracking processes in the rock-mortar interfaces revealed that they show AE precursors before failure under the Brazilian test,whereas they show a minimal number of AE events before failure under direct tension.Due to different microcracking mechanisms,specimens tested under Brazilian tests showed lower roughness with flatter fracture surfaces than those tested under direct tension with jagged and rough fracture surfaces.The results of this study shed light on better understanding the micromechanics of damage in the rock-concrete interfaces for a safer design of engineering structures.

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.

Source parameters determination for earthquakes in Kushiro,Japan considering source time function

This paper applies a new formulation to do moment tensor inversion for earthquakes in the Kushiro area of Japan. Comparing with conventional moment tensor inversion method, the new one takes the effect of source time function into consideration. For the inversion, best solution is obtained by minimizing the difference between the observed seismograms and the synthetic ones. And the best-fitting focal depth is determined from the variance reduction. The results indicate that half duration of source time function is proportional to the magnitude of earthquakes. Large earthquakes have long half duration, whereas that of moderate-small earthquakes is comparatively shorter. The focal mechanisms of all three earthquakes are of thrust fault type, which is mainly ascribed to the collision of the North American plate with the Eurasia plate in the late Cretaceous or Paleogene.