Relocation of the 1998 Zhangbei-Shangyi earthquake sequence using the double difference earthquake location algorithm

On January 10, 1998, at 11h50min Beijing Time (03h50min UTC), an earthquake of ML=6.2 occurred in the border region between the Zhangbei County and Shangyi County of Hebei Province. This earthquake is the most significant event to have occurred in northern China in the recent years. The earthquake-generating structure of this event was not clear due to no active fault capable of generating a moderate earthquake was found in the epicentral area, nor surface ruptures with any predominate orientation were observed, no distinct orientation of its aftershock distribution given by routine earthquake location was shown. To study the seismogenic structure of the Zhangbei- Shangyi earthquake, the main shock and its aftershocks with ML3.0 of the Zhangbei-Shangyi earthquake sequence were relocated by the authors of this paper in 2002 using the master event relative relocation technique. The relocated epicenter of the main shock was located at 41.145癗, 114.462癊, which was located 4 km to the NE of the macro-epicenter of this event. The relocated focal depth of the main shock was 15 km. Hypocenters of the aftershocks distributed in a nearly vertical plane striking 180~200 and its vicinity. The relocated results of the Zhangbei-Shangyi earthquake sequence clearly indicated that the seismogenic structure of this event was a NNE-SSW-striking fault with right-lateral and reverse slip. In this paper, a relocation of the Zhangbei-Shangyi earthquake sequence has been done using the double difference earthquake location algorithm (DD algorithm), and consistent results with that obtained by the master event technique were obtained. The relocated hypocenters of the main shock are located at 41.131癗, 114.456癊, which was located 2.5 km to the NE of the macro-epicenter of the main shock. The relocated focal depth of the main shock was 12.8 km. Hypocenters of the aftershocks also distributed in a nearly vertical N10E-striking plane and its vicinity. The relocated results using DD algorithm clearly indicated that the seismogenic structure of this event was a NNE-striking fault again.

Discussion on the Precise Relocation and Seismo-Tectonics of the Jiujiang-Ruichang Earthquake

Based on relocating the Jiujiang-Ruichang earthquake sequence which occurred on November 26, 2005 in Jiangxi Province with the double-difference （DD） algorithm and master event technique, the paper discusses the focal mechanism of the main shock （MsS.7） and the probable seismo-tectonics. The precise relocation results indicate that the average horizontal error is 0.31kin in a EW direction and 0.40kin in a NS direction, and the average depth error is 0.48kin. The focal depths vary from 8kin to 14kin, with the predominant distribution at 10kin - 12kin. The epicenter of the main shock is relocated to be 29.69^oN, 115.74^oE and the focal depth is about 10.Skin. Combining the predominant distribution of the earthquake sequence, the focal mechanism of the main shock and the tectonic conditions of N-E- and NW-strike faults growth in the seismic region, we infer that the main shock of the earthquake sequence was caused by a NW striking buried fault in the Rnichang basin. The nature of seismic faults needs to be further explored.

Analysis on Double-difference Earthquake Location and the Seismicity Pattern of the Yangjiang Earthquake Sequences

The locations of about 400 earthquakes in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province are determined using the double, difference earthquake location algorithm （DDA）. The seismicity pattern becomes concentrated from discrete grids. The rupture characteristics of the Yangjiang earthquake sequence show a conjugated distribution in NW and NE directions. The major distribution trends NE and dips NE with an angle of 30^o and a length of 30km,and the minor distribution trends NW and dips SE with an angle of 30^o and a length of 20km. The focal depth is 5km - 15km. The distribution of the Enping earthquake sequence,which is not far from Yangjiang,is NW-trending. The relationship between hypocenter distribution and geological structure is discussed.

Research on the Accurate Location of the 2007 M_S6.4 Ning'er, Yunnan Earthquake

Five mobile digital seismic stations were set up by the Earthquake Administration of Yunnan Province near the epicenter of the main shock after the Ning＇er M6. 4 earthquake on June 3, 2007. In this paper, the aftershock sequence of the Ning＇er M6. 4 earthquake is relocated by using the double difference earthquake location method. The data is from the 5 mobile digital seismic stations and the permanent Simao seismic station. The results show that the length of the aftershock sequence is 40kin and the width is 30km, concentrated obviously at the lateral displacement area between the Pu＇er fault and the NNE-trending faults, with the majority occurring on the Pu＇er fault around the main shock. The depths of aftershocks are from 2kin to 12km, and the predominant distribution is in the depth of 8 ~ 10km. The mean depth is 7. 9kin. The seismic fault dips to the northwest revealed from the profile parallel to this aftershock sequence, which is identical to the dip of the secondary fault of the NE-trending Menglian-Mojiang fault in the earthquake area. There are more earthquakes concentrated in the northwest segment than in the southeast segment, which is perhaps related to the underground medium and faults. The depth profile of the earthquake sequence shows that the relocated earthquakes are mainly located near the Pu＇er fault and the seismic faults dip to the southwest, consistent with the dip of the west branch of the Pu＇er fault. In all, the fault strike revealed by earthquake relocations matches well with the strike in the focal mechanism solutions. The main shock is in the top of the aftershock sequence and the aftershocks are symmetrically distributed, showing that faulting was complete in both the NE and SW directions.