The 2003 Big Bear, California, Earthquake Sequence: A Coulomb Stress Transfer-Related Aftershock Sequence that also Follows Aftershock Diffusion Processes

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 1908-1912
Author(s):  
W.-C. Chi
Author(s):  
Yingying Zhang ◽  
Yanru An ◽  
Feng Long ◽  
Gaohua Zhu ◽  
Min Qin ◽  
...  

Abstract An Ms 6.4 earthquake struck Yangbi County in western Yunnan province, China, on 21 May 2021, causing damage in the nearby region. Intensive foreshock activity started three days before the mainshock, and numerous aftershocks followed along a northwest–southeast-trending right-lateral main rupture fault. Double-difference relocation of the foreshock and aftershock sequence shortly before and after the Ms 6.4 mainshock is conducted using the phase picks from the local seismic network. The focal mechanisms of relatively large foreshocks and aftershocks are also derived. The results not only delineate the ruptured fault geometry during the mainshock but also indicate the mechanism of static stress transfer according to the spatiotemporal evolution of foreshocks. The low background b-values around the mainshock are also consistent with the occurrence of the Yangbi earthquake sequence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 1781-1798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yosihiko Ogata ◽  
Takahiro Omi

ABSTRACT This study considers the possible implementation of the operational short-term forecasting, and analysis of earthquake occurrences using a real-time hypocenter catalog of ongoing seismic activity, by reviewing case studies of the aftershocks of the Mw 6.4 Searles Valley earthquake that occurred before the Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake. First, the short-term prediction of spatiotemporal activity is required in real time along with the background seismic activity over a wide region to obtain practical probabilities of large earthquakes; snapshots from the continuous forecasts during the Searles Valley and Ridgecrest earthquake sequence are included to monitor the growth and migration of seismic activity over time. We found that the area in and around the rupture zone in southern California had a very high background rate. Second, we need to evaluate whether a first strong earthquake may be the foreshock for a further large earthquake; the rupture region in southern California had one of the highest such probabilities. Third, short-term probability forecast of early aftershocks are much desired despite the difficulties with data acquisition. The aftershock sequence of the Mw 6.4 Searles Valley event was found to significantly increase the probability of a larger earthquake, as seen in the foreshock sequence of the 2016 MJMA 7.4 Kumamoto, Japan, earthquake. Finally, detrending the temporal activity of all the aftershocks by stretching and shrinking the ordinary time scale according to the rate given by the Omori–Utsu formula or the epidemic-type aftershock sequence model, we observe the spatiotemporal occurrences in which seismicity patterns may be abnormal, such as relative quiescence, relative activation, or migrating activity. Such anomalies should be recorded and listed for the future evaluation of the probability of a possible precursor for a large aftershock or a new rupture nearby. An example of such anomalies in the aftershocks before the Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake is considered.


2017 ◽  
Vol 210 (2) ◽  
pp. 1206-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe K. Mildon ◽  
Gerald P. Roberts ◽  
Joanna P. Faure Walker ◽  
Francesco Iezzi

Abstract In order to investigate the importance of including strike-variable geometry and the knowledge of historical and palaeoseismic earthquakes when modelling static Coulomb stress transfer and rupture propagation, we have examined the August–October 2016 A.D. and January 2017 A.D. central Apennines seismic sequence (Mw 6.0, 5.9, 6.5 in 2016 A.D. (INGV) and Mw 5.1, 5.5, 5.4, 5.0 in 2017 A.D. (INGV)). We model both the coseismic loading (from historical and palaeoseismic earthquakes) and interseismic loading (derived from Holocene fault slip-rates) using strike-variable fault geometries constrained by fieldwork. The inclusion of the elapsed times from available historical and palaeoseismological earthquakes and on faults enables us to calculate the stress on the faults prior to the beginning of the seismic sequence. We take account the 1316–4155 yr elapsed time on the Mt. Vettore fault (that ruptured during the 2016 A.D. seismic sequence) implied by palaeoseismology, and the 377 and 313 yr elapsed times on the neighbouring Laga and Norcia faults respectively, indicated by the historical record. The stress changes through time are summed to show the state of stress on the Mt. Vettore, Laga and surrounding faults prior to and during the 2016–2017 A.D. sequence. We show that the build up of stress prior to 2016 A.D. on strike-variable fault geometries generated stress heterogeneities that correlate with the limits of the main-shock ruptures. Hence, we suggest that stress barriers appear to have control on the propagation and therefore the magnitudes of the main-shock ruptures.


2017 ◽  
Vol 212 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Kariche ◽  
M Meghraoui ◽  
Y Timoulali ◽  
E Cetin ◽  
R Toussaint

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Ferrarini ◽  
Rita de Nardis ◽  
Francesco Brozzetti ◽  
Daniele Cirillo ◽  
J Ramón Arrowsmith ◽  
...  

The Apenninic chain, in central Italy, has been recently struck by the Norcia 2016 seismic sequence. Three mainshocks, in 2016, occurred on August 24 (MW6.0), October 26 (MW 5.9) and October 30 (MW6.5) along well-known late Quaternary active WSW-dipping normal faults. Coseismic fractures and hypocentral seismicity distribution are mostly associated with failure along the Mt Vettore-Mt Bove (VBF) fault. Nevertheless, following the October 26 shock, the aftershock spatial distribution suggests the activation of a source not previously mapped beyond the northern tip of the VBF system. In this area, a remarkable seismicity rate was observed also during 2017 and 2018, the most energetic event being the April 10, 2018 (MW4.6) normal fault earthquake. In this paper, we advance the hypothesis that the Norcia seismic sequence activated a previously unknown seismogenic source. We constrain its geometry and seismogenic behavior by exploiting: 1) morphometric analysis of high-resolution topographic data; 2) field geologic- and morphotectonic evidence within the context of long-term deformation constraints; 3) 3D seismological validation of fault activity, and 4) Coulomb stress transfer modeling. Our results support the existence of distributed and subtle deformation along normal fault segments related to an immature structure, the Pievebovigliana fault (PBF). The fault strikes in NNW-SSE direction, dips to SW and is in right-lateral en echelon setting with the VBF system. Its activation has been highlighted by most of the seismicity observed in the sector. The geometry and location are compatible with volumes of enhanced stress identified by Coulomb stress-transfer computations. Its reconstructed length (at least 13 km) is compatible with the occurrence of MW≥6.0 earthquakes in a sector heretofore characterized by low seismic activity. The evidence for PBF is a new observation associated with the Norcia 2016 seismic sequence and is consistent with the overall tectonic setting of the area. Its existence implies a northward extent of the intra-Apennine extensional domain and should be considered to address seismic hazard assessments in central Italy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franco Lema ◽  
Mahesh Shrivastava

<p>The delayed aftershocks 2018 Mw 6.2 on April 10 and Mw 5.8 on Sept 1 and 2019 Mw 6.7 on January 20, Mw 6.4 on June 14, and Mw 6.2 on November 4, associated with the Mw 8.3 2015 Illapel Earthquake occurred in the ​​central Chile. The seismic source of this earthquake has been studied with the GPS, InSAR and tide gauge network. Although there are several studies performed to characterize the robust aftershocks and the variations in the field of deformation induced by the megathrust, but there are still aspects to be elucidated of the relationship between the transfer of stresses from the interface between plates towards delayed aftershocks with the crustal structures with seismogenic potential. Therefore, the principal objective of this study is to understand how the stress transfer induced by the 2015 Illapel earthquake of the heterogeneous rupture mechanism to intermediate-deep or crustal earthquakes. For this, coulomb stress changes from  finite fault model of the Illapel earthquake and with the biggest aftershocks in year 2015 are used. These cumulative stress pattern provides substantial evidences for the delayed aftershocks in this region. The subducting Challenger Fault Zone and Juan Fernandez Ridge heterogeneity are existing feature, which releases the accumulated coulomb stress changes and provide delayed aftershocks.  Therefore along with stress induced by a large earthquake such as Mw 8.3 from Illapel 2015 along with biggest aftershocks, have a direct mechanism that may activate the  delayed aftershocks. Our study suggests  the activation of crustal faults in this research as a risk assessment factor for the evaluating in the seismic context of the region and useful for another subduction zone.</p>


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