Focal Mechanism Solution of the February 23,2014,M_L3.8 Rongchang Earthquake with the CAP(Cut and Paste)Method

A M_L3.8 earthquake occurred on February 23,2014 in Rongchang County,which is located at the southern edge of the Sichuan Basin in the border area between Sichuan and Chongqing. This paper presents results of focal mechanism solution of this earthquake using the CAP( cut and paste) method based on broadband seismograms recorded by regional seismic stations. Our results show that the moment magnitude is M_W3. 09 and focal depth is 3km. The hypocenter of this earthquake is located close to a buried fault in the Luoguangshan anticline. Oil prospecting and deep drilling data indicate that this buried fault is a thrust fault,striking SW230°,dipping NW45°,and 1. 7km deep. There are some injection wells within the anticline,and significant injection-induced earthquakes were observed during the periods of injection of waste water into the deep formations through those wells. The best double couple solution of the M_L3.8 earthquake is 247°,48°and 104° for strike,dip and rate,respectively,for one nodal plane( and 46°,44° and 74°for another nodal plane),which is in agreement with the geometry of the buried fault.Therefore,we conclude that the M_L3.8 Rongchang earthquake is possibly the result of faulting along the buried reverse fault induced by water injection under the compressive stress regime in the area.

A study on the uncertainties of the centroid depth of the 2013 Lushan earthquake from teleseimic body wave data

Centroid depth of earthquakes is essential for seismic hazard mitigation. But, various studies provided different solutions for the centroid depth of the damaging 2013 Lushan earthquake, thus hindering further studies of the earthquake processes. To resolve its centroid depth and assess the uncertainties, we apply the teleseismic cut and paste method to invert for centroid depth with teleseismic body waves in the epicentral distance of 300-90~. We performed the inversion for P waves only as well the case of both P and SH waves and found that both cases lead to depth solutions with difference less than 0.5 km. We also investigated the effects on depth inversion from azimuth gap of seismic stations, source duration, and comer fre- quency of filter. These various tests show that even azi- muthal distribution of seismic stations is helpful for accurate depth inversion. It is also found that estimate of centroid depth is sensitive to source duration. Moreover, the depth is biased to larger values when corner frequency of low-pass filter is very low. The uncertainty in the velocity model can also generate some error in the depth estimation （- 1.0 km）.With all the above factors consid- ered, the centroid depth of Lushan earthquake is proposed to be around 12 km, with uncertainty about 2 km.

Temporal evolution of the focal mechanism consistency of the 2021 Yangbi M_(S) 6.4 earthquake sequence in Yunnan

Using the Cut And Paste(CAP)method,we invert the focal mechanism of 38 moderate earthquakes(M_(S)≥3.0)recorded by Yunnan seismic network and analyze the corresponding focal mechanism consistency based on the minimum spatial rotation angle.Our results indicate that the M_(S)6.4 mainshock is induced by a lateral strike slip fault(with a rake angle of~-165°)and a little normal-faulting component event along a nearly vertical plane(dipping angle~79° and strike~138°).Combining our results with high resolution catalog,we argue that the seismogenic fault of this earthquake sequence is a secondary fault western to the major Weixi-Qiaohou-Weishan fault.The focal mechanism evolution can be divided into three periods.During the first period,the foreshock sequence,the focal mechanism consistency is the highest(KA<36°);during the second period which is shortly after the mainshock,the focal mechanism shows strong variation with KA ranging from 8° to 110°;during the third period,the seismicity becomes weak and the focal mechanism of the earthquakes becomes more consistent than the second period(18°<KA<73°).We suggest that the KA,to some extent,represents the coherence between local tectonic stress regime and the stress state of each individual earthquake.Furthermore,high focal mechanism consistency and high linearity of seismic distribution may serve as indicators for the identification of foreshock sequence.

Focal Mechanism Solution of the 2011 M_S4.8 Anqing Earthquake Determined from the CAP Method

In this article, we have inverted local broadband waveform data to determine the focal mechanism of the 2011 Ms4.8 Anqing earthquake. Our results show that the best double couple solution of the Ms4.8 event is 16°, 74° and 120° for strike, dip and rake angles of one nodal plane respectively, and 131 °, 33°, 30° for the other nodal plane. The estimated focal depth is about 3kin. Both strikes of the two nodal planes differ significantly to the strike of Susong-Zongyang fault, along which seismic activity has been at a low level since the Late Quaternary. This implies that this earthquake may not have occurred on the Susong-Zongyang fault, and we infer that a buried fault with strike of NNE may be the seismogenic structure of this event.

Source Mechanism of the M_S 6.6 Xinyuan-Hejing Earthquake of June 30,2012

In this article,we use the CAP method to invert the focal mechanism of Xinyuan-Hejing M S6. 6 earthquake on June 30,2012. Our result shows that the best double couple solution of the M S6. 6 event is 299°,68° and 164° for strike,dip and rake angles respectively. The other nodal plane is 35°,75° and 23°. The azimuth and dip angle of the P-axis are 166°and 5°,those of the T-axis are 258° and 26°. The moment magnitude is 6. 3. The estimated focal depth is about 21 km. The predominant rupture direction of this seismic sequence is NWW. The dip angles are between 60° and 90°. The rake angles are in the majority of ± 180°± 30°. The predominant strike of the azimuthal angle of the P-axis is near NS and T-axis is near EW. Preliminary analysis indicates that nodal plane I is the seismogenic fault,which is a NWW-trending,nearly upright left-lateral strike-slip fault.The displacement property,the principal compressive stress of this M S6. 6 earthquake and the P-axis preponderant orientation of this seismic sequence agree with the characteristics of the tectonic stress field of the focal area and its surroundings.