Using Aftershocks to Help Locate Historical Earthquakes

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 2695-2703 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Ebel
Keyword(s):  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Seismic Intensity ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Macroseismic Data ◽  
Aftershock Activity ◽  
Earthquake Locations ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Macroseismic Intensities ◽  
Historical Accounts ◽  
Directivity Effects

Abstract For historical earthquakes, the spatial distributions of macroseismic intensity reports are commonly used to estimate the event locations. The methods to locate historical earthquakes assume that the highest seismic intensity shows the best estimate of the location of the earthquake. Uncertainties in the locations estimated from macroseismic data can be due to an uneven geographic distribution of sites with intensity reports, variations in intensities due to local soil conditions, ambiguous historical reports, and earthquake directivity effects. Additional constraint on the location of a historical earthquake can come from places where most aftershocks were felt, because these localities may have been closest to the fault on which the mainshock took place. Examples of estimated earthquake locations based on aftershocks are those of the 1727 MLg 5.6 earthquake in northeastern Massachusetts, the MLg 5.7 earthquake in Maine, and the 1755 MLg 6.2 earthquake offshore of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. In all of these cases, the earthquake locations based on the aftershock data are somewhat different from previous locations derived from the macroseismic intensities alone. Uncertainties with this method include identifying aftershocks in historical accounts and the possibility that smaller events that are reported following a strong earthquake are not on or near the mainshock rupture. Even so, evidence of possible aftershock activity may help constrain the location of that mainshock. Because aftershocks of strong earthquakes (M≥7) can last months to years, archival research for aftershocks must be carried out with a somewhat different mindset than that for a mainshock.

scholarly journals Realistic modelling of observed seismic motion in compIex sedimentary basins

1994 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Fah ◽  
G. F. Panza
Keyword(s):  
Ground Motion ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Sedimentary Basin ◽  
Numerical Technique ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Space Distribution ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Macroseismic Data ◽  
Resonance Effects ◽  
Local Soil

Three applications of a numerical technique are illustrated to model realistically the seismic ground motion for complex two-dimensional structures. First we consider a sedimentary basin in the Friuli region, and we model strong motion records from an aftershock of the 1976 earthquake. Then we simulate the ground motion caused in Rome by the 1915, Fucino (Italy) earthquake, and we compare our modelling with the damage distribution observed in the town. Finally we deal with the interpretation of ground motion recorded in Mexico City, as a consequence of earthquakes in the Mexican subduction zone. The synthetic signals explain the major characteristics (relative amplitudes, spectral amplification, frequency content) of the considered seismograms, and the space distribution of the available macroseismic data. For the sedimentary basin in the Friuli area, parametric studies demonstrate the relevant sensitivity of the computed ground motion to small changes in the subsurface topography of the sedimentary basin, and in the velocity and quality factor of the sediments. The relative Arias Intensity, determined from our numerical simulation in Rome, is in very good agreoment with the distribution of damage observed during the Fucino earthquake. For epicentral distances in the range 50 km-100 km, the source location and not only the local soil conditions control the local effects. For Mexico City, the observed ground motion can be explained as resonance effects and as excitation of local surface waves, and the theoretical and the observed maximum spectral amplifications are very similar. In general, our numerical simulations estimate the maximum and average spectral amplification for specific sites, i.e. they are a very powerful tool for accurate micro-zonation

Catalog of Preinstrumental Earthquakes in Central Mexico: Epicentral and Magnitude Estimations Based on Macroseismic Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (6) ◽  
pp. 3021-3036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Suárez ◽  
Daniel Ruiz-Barón ◽  
Carlos Chico-Hernández ◽  
F. Ramón Zúñiga
Keyword(s):  
Source Parameters ◽  
Volcanic Belt ◽  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Seismic Intensity ◽  
Source Location ◽  
Macroseismic Data ◽  
Attenuation Relations ◽  
Magnitude Distribution ◽  
Subduction Earthquakes ◽  
Magnitude Range

ABSTRACT We present the first parametric catalog of historical earthquakes in Mexico from 1469 to 1912 composed of 323 historical earthquakes. The historical earthquakes were assigned to specific seismotectonic provinces, and attenuation relations of seismic intensity versus distance were calculated using instrumental earthquakes. The intensity data were inverted using a linear regression for the best-fitting magnitude and source location. From the 323 events identified in the historical record, magnitude and source location were determined for 40 earthquakes from 1568 to 1912. The historical subduction earthquakes are distributed uniformly along the coast. There is, however, a conspicuous absence of subduction earthquakes where the great 1985 Michoacán earthquakes took place. The data also show a large number of earthquakes Mw>7 in the presumed Guerrero gap in the past 320 yr. The source parameters of in-slab earthquakes were obtained for 10 earthquakes that took place in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The analysis of completeness of the historical and instrumental International Seismological Centre-Global Earthquake Model catalogs of subduction earthquakes Mw>7.0 show similar values of the slope of the Gutenberg–Richter relation between 1.62 and 1.95. The large b-values appear to reflect the apparently anomalous large number of earthquakes in the magnitude range Mw 7.4–7.7 and an absence of events Mw∼7. This magnitude distribution suggests that the seismicity in the Mexican subduction zone is dominated by characteristic earthquakes in the magnitude range Mw 7.4–7.7, with larger earthquakes Mw>8 showing longer recurrence times. The catalog of historical subduction earthquakes appears to be complete for Mw>7.5. The catalog of crustal earthquakes in the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt is complete since 1568 for events Mw>6.4. Completeness of the catalog of in-slab earthquakes was not estimated due to the short record for this type of event.

scholarly journals Coupling of regional geophysics and local soil-structure models in the EQSIM fault-to-structure earthquake simulation framework

2021 ◽  
pp. 109434202110191
Author(s):  
David McCallen ◽  
Houjun Tang ◽  
Suiwen Wu ◽  
Eric Eckert ◽  
Junfei Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Structure ◽  
Ground Motions ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Simulation Framework ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Computational Workflow

Accurate understanding and quantification of the risk to critical infrastructure posed by future large earthquakes continues to be a very challenging problem. Earthquake phenomena are quite complex and traditional approaches to predicting ground motions for future earthquake events have historically been empirically based whereby measured ground motion data from historical earthquakes are homogenized into a common data set and the ground motions for future postulated earthquakes are probabilistically derived based on the historical observations. This procedure has recognized significant limitations, principally due to the fact that earthquake ground motions tend to be dictated by the particular earthquake fault rupture and geologic conditions at a given site and are thus very site-specific. Historical earthquakes recorded at different locations are often only marginally representative. There has been strong and increasing interest in utilizing large-scale, physics-based regional simulations to advance the ability to accurately predict ground motions and associated infrastructure response. However, the computational requirements for simulations at frequencies of engineering interest have proven a major barrier to employing regional scale simulations. In a U.S. Department of Energy Exascale Computing Initiative project, the EQSIM application development is underway to create a framework for fault-to-structure simulations. This framework is being prepared to exploit emerging exascale platforms in order to overcome computational limitations. This article presents the essential methodology and computational workflow employed in EQSIM to couple regional-scale geophysics models with local soil-structure models to achieve a fully integrated, complete fault-to-structure simulation framework. The computational workflow, accuracy and performance of the coupling methodology are illustrated through example fault-to-structure simulations.

scholarly journals Morphological Characterization of Root System Architecture in Diverse Tomato Genotypes during Early Growth

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurora Alaguero-Cordovilla ◽  
Francisco Gran-Gómez ◽  
Sergio Tormos-Moltó ◽  
José Pérez-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
System Architecture ◽  
Lateral Root ◽  
Morphological Plasticity ◽  
Root System Architecture ◽  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Wild Tomato Species ◽  
Local Soil

Plant roots exploit morphological plasticity to adapt and respond to different soil environments. We characterized the root system architecture of nine wild tomato species and four cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties during early growth in a controlled environment. Additionally, the root system architecture of six near-isogenic lines from the tomato ‘Micro-Tom’ mutant collection was also studied. These lines were affected in key genes of ethylene, abscisic acid, and anthocyanin pathways. We found extensive differences between the studied lines for a number of meaningful morphological traits, such as lateral root distribution, lateral root length or adventitious root development, which might represent adaptations to local soil conditions during speciation and subsequent domestication. Taken together, our results provide a general quantitative framework for comparing root system architecture in tomato seedlings and other related species.

An experiment in the control of the ground water-level in a fen peat soil

1951 ◽  
Vol 41 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 149-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. H. Nicholson ◽  
G. Alderman ◽  
D. H. Firth
Keyword(s):  
Ground Water ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Peat Soil ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Ground Water Level ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Local Soil

1. The methods of investigation of the effect of ground water-level on crop growth, together with tho field installations in use, are discussed.2. Direct field experiments are handicapped by the difficulties of achieving close control on a sufficiently large scale, due to considerable variations of surface level and depth of peat within individual fields and to rapid fluctuations in rainfall and evaporation. Many recorded experiments are associated with climatic conditions of substantial precipitation during the growing season.3. Seasonal fluctuations of ground water-level in Fen peat soils in England, in natural and agricultural conditions, are described.4. The local soil conditions are outlined and the implications of profile variations are discussed.5. The effective control of ground water-level on a field scale requires deep and commodious ditches and frequent large underdrains to ensure the movement of water underground with sufficient freedom to give rapid compensatory adjustment for marked disturbances of ground water-level following the incidence of heavy rain or excessive evaporation.6. A working installation for a field experiment in ordinary farming conditions is described and the measure of control attained is indicated.

scholarly journals Investigating the influence of topographic irregularities and two-dimensional effects on surface ground motion intensity with one- and two-dimensional analyses

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1773-1788 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Ç. İnce ◽  
L. Yılmazoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Ground Motion ◽  
Site Response ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Ground Acceleration ◽  
Equivalent Linear ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Different Depths ◽  
Earthquake Response Analysis

Abstract. In this work, the surface ground motion that occurs during an earthquake in ground sections having different topographic forms has been examined with one and two dynamic site response analyses. One-dimensional analyses were undertaken using the Equivalent-Linear Earthquake Response Analysis (EERA) program based on the equivalent linear analysis principle and the Deepsoil program which is able to make both equivalent linear and nonlinear analyses and two-dimensional analyses using the Plaxis 8.2 software. The viscous damping parameters used in the dynamic site response analyses undertaken with the Plaxis 8.2 software were obtained using the DeepSoil program. In the dynamic site response analyses, the synthetic acceleration over a 475-year return period representing the earthquakes in Istanbul was used as the basis of the bedrock ground motion. The peak ground acceleration obtained different depths of soils and acceleration spectrum values have been compared. The surface topography and layer boundaries in the 5-5' cross section which cuts across the study area west to east were selected in order to examine the effect of the land topography and layer boundaries on the analysis results, and were flattened and compared with the actual status. The analysis results showed that the characteristics of the surface ground motion change in relation to the varying local soil conditions and land topography.

Modification of seismograph records for effects of local soil conditions

1972 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1649-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Schnabel ◽  
H. Bolton Seed ◽  
J. Lysmer
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Geological Conditions ◽  
Soil Deposits ◽  
Time Histories ◽  
Seismic Records ◽  
Local Soil Conditions ◽  
Good Agreement

abstract A procedure for modifying the time histories of seismic records for the effect of local soil conditions is presented. The method is based on a conventional one-dimensional wave-propagation approach with equivalent linear soil properties, extended to practical use for transient motions through the Fast Fourier technique. The validity of the approach is tested against the motions recorded at four soil sites and one rock site during the 1957 San Francisco earthquake. The good agreement between the computed and recorded values indicates that rock motions can be computed from motions recorded on soil deposits, and that the computed rock motions in turn can be used to predict the motion that would have been recorded under different soil and geological conditions. The method is also used to evaluate the probable rock motions in the vicinity of El Centro in the earthquake of 1940 and the ground surface motions that could have been developed on various soil conditions in the same general area.

scholarly journals Permafrost Thaw with Thermokarst Wetland-Lake and Societal-Health Risks: Dependence on Local Soil Conditions under Large-Scale Warming

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Olof Selroos ◽  
Hua Cheng ◽  
Patrik Vidstrand ◽  
Georgia Destouni
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Lake Ecosystems ◽  
Surface Warming ◽  
Permafrost Thaw ◽  
Rock Formations ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Local Soil Conditions ◽  
Mineral Soils

A key question for the evolution of thermokarst wetlands and lakes in Arctic and sub-Arctic permafrost regions is how large-scale warming interacts with local landscape conditions in driving permafrost thaw and its spatial variability. To answer this question, which also relates to risks for ecology, society, and health, we perform systematic model simulations of various soil-permafrost cases combined with different surface-warming trends. Results show that both the prevalence and the thaw of permafrost depended strongly on local soil conditions and varied greatly with these for the same temperature conditions at the surface. Greater ice contents and depth extents, but also greater subsurface volumes thawing at depth under warming, are found for peat soils than other studied soil/rock formations. As such, more thaw-driven regime shifts in wetland/lake ecosystems, and associated releases of previously frozen carbon and pathogens, may be expected under the same surface warming for peatlands than other soil conditions. Such risks may also increase in fast permafrost thaw in mineral soils, with only small thaw-protection effects indicated in the present simulations for possible desertification enhancement of mineral soil covers.

Analysis of Earthing System Cabinet of Telekom Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 799-800 ◽  
pp. 1249-1256
Author(s):  
David Caulker ◽  
Mohd Annuar Ramli
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Current Injection ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Soil Resistivity ◽  
Specific Location ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Local Soil Conditions ◽  
Earthing Systems ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigated the impact on the earthing systems of cabinets of Telekom Malaysia (TM) when subjected to dangerous voltages due to current injection from remote sources. TM have received numerous cases regarding the failures of their cabinets due to power related issues (PRI) as well as lightning. These failures may have occurred partly due to the existing earthing systems installations. This research aims to determine earthing impedance of 5 ohms or less of TM cabinets with respect to local soil conditions. Low impedance earthing is not easy to realize mainly due to the local soil resistivity, layering and structures. To achieve a low impedance of below 5 ohms as per Telekom Malaysia's requirement, three types of earthing electrodes were modelled and simulated using CDEGS computer simulation software. Results have demonstrated that the existing earthing system of 3 rods practice by TM is sufficient for areas of resistivity less than 500ٹ-m. Combination of rectangular and vertical rods for resistivity of 500ٹ-m above is the preferred choice of earthing. Analysis and discussions presented in this study can be used as a guide for TM for their cabinet installations. Results also highlighted that achieving less than 5ٹ does not constitute a safe earthing system. Other parameters have to be taken into account before ascertain which type of earthing to be used in a specific location of a TM installation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document