scholarly journals The July 27, 1976 Tangshan, China earthquake—A complex sequence of intraplate events

1979 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhett Butler ◽  
Gordon S. Stewart ◽  
Hiroo Kanamori
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waves ◽  
Seismic Moment ◽  
Main Shock ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Tangshan Earthquake ◽  
Total Moment ◽  
Slip Event

abstract The Tangshan earthquake (Ms = 7.7), of July 27, 1976 and its principal aftershock (Ms = 7.2), which occurred 15 hr following the main event, resulted in the loss of life of over 650,000 persons in northeast China. This is the second greatest earthquake disaster in recorded history, following the 1556 Shensi Province, Chinese earthquake in which at least 830,000 persons lost their lives. Detailed analyses of the teleseismic surface waves and body waves are made for the Tangshan event. The major conclusions are: (1) The Tangshan earthquake sequence is a complex one, including strike-slip, thrust, and normal-fault events. (2) The main shock, as determined from surface waves, occurred on a near vertical right-lateral strike-slip fault, striking N40°E. (3) A seismic moment of 1.8 × 1027 dyne-cm is obtained. From the extent of the aftershock zone and relative location of the main shock epicenter, symmetric (1:1) bilateral faulting with a total length of 140 km may be inferred. If a fault width of 15 km is assumed, the average offset is estimated to be 2.7 meters with an average stress drop of about 30 bars. (4) The main shock was initiated by an event with a relatively slow onset and a seismic moment of 4 × 1026 dyne-cm. The preferred fault-plane solution, determined from surface-wave analyses, indicates a strike 220°, dip 80°, and rake −175°. (5) Two thrust events follow the strike-slip event by 11 and 19 sec, respectively. They are located south to southwest of the initial event and have a total moment of 8 × 1025 dyne-cm. This sequence is followed by several more events. (6) The principal aftershock was a normal-fault double event with the fault planes unconstrained by the P-wave first motions. Surface waves provide additional constraints to the mechanism to yield an oblique slip solution with strike N120°E, dip 45°SW, and rake −30°. A total moment of 8 × 1026 dyne-cm is obtained. (7) The triggering of lesser thrust and normal faults by a large strike-slip event in the Tangshan sequence has important consequences in the assessment of earthquake hazard in other complex strike-slip systems like the San Andreas.

A teleseismic body-wave analysis of the May 1980 Mammoth Lakes, California, earthquakes

1983 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-434
Author(s):  
Jeffery S. Barker ◽  
Charles A. Langston
Keyword(s):  
Body Wave ◽  
Moment Tensor ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Moment Tensors ◽  
Double Couple ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Mammoth Lakes

abstract Teleseismic P-wave first motions for the M ≧ 6 earthquakes near Mammoth Lakes, California, are inconsistent with the vertical strike-slip mechanisms determined from local and regional P-wave first motions. Combining these data sets allows three possible mechanisms: a north-striking, east-dipping strike-slip fault; a NE-striking oblique fault; and a NNW-striking normal fault. Inversion of long-period teleseismic P and SH waves for the events of 25 May 1980 (1633 UTC) and 27 May 1980 (1450 UTC) yields moment tensors with large non-double-couple components. The moment tensor for the first event may be decomposed into a major double couple with strike = 18°, dip = 61°, and rake = −15°, and a minor double couple with strike = 303°, dip = 43°, and rake = 224°. A similar decomposition for the last event yields strike = 25°, dip = 65°, rake = −6°, and strike = 312°, dip = 37°, and rake = 232°. Although the inversions were performed on only a few teleseismic body waves, the radiation patterns of the moment tensors are consistent with most of the P-wave first motion polarities at local, regional, and teleseismic distances. The stress axes inferred from the moment tensors are consistent with N65°E extension determined by geodetic measurements by Savage et al. (1981). Seismic moments computed from the moment tensors are 1.87 × 1025 dyne-cm for the 25 May 1980 (1633 UTC) event and 1.03 × 1025 dyne-cm for the 27 May 1980 (1450 UTC) event. The non-double-couple aspect of the moment tensors and the inability to obtain a convergent solution for the 25 May 1980 (1944 UTC) event may indicate that the assumptions of a point source and plane-layered structure implicit in the moment tensor inversion are not entirely valid for the Mammoth Lakes earthquakes.

scholarly journals Long-period mechanism of the 8 November 1980 Eureka, California, earthquake

1982 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 439-456
Author(s):  
Thorne Lay ◽  
Jeffrey W. Given ◽  
Hiroo Kanamori
Keyword(s):  
Point Source ◽  
Seismic Moment ◽  
Moment Tensor ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Amplitude Data ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Scalar Moment

Abstract The seismic moment and source orientation of the 8 November 1980 Eureka, California, earthquake (Ms = 7.2) are determined using long-period surface and body wave data obtained from the SRO, ASRO, and IDA networks. The favorable azimuthal distribution of the recording stations allows a well-constrained mechanism to be determined by a simultaneous moment tensor inversion of the Love and Rayleigh wave observations. The shallow depth of the event precludes determination of the full moment tensor, but constraining Mzx = Mzy = 0 and using a point source at 16-km depth gives a major double couple for period T = 256 sec with scalar moment M0 = 1.1 · 1027 dyne-cm and a left-lateral vertical strike-slip orientation trending N48.2°E. The choice of fault planes is made on the basis of the aftershock distribution. This solution is insensitive to the depth of the point source for depths less than 33 km. Using the moment tensor solution as a starting model, the Rayleigh and Love wave amplitude data alone are inverted in order to fine-tune the solution. This results in a slightly larger scalar moment of 1.28 · 1027 dyne-cm, but insignificant (<5°) changes in strike and dip. The rake is not well enough resolved to indicate significant variation from the pure strike-slip solution. Additional amplitude inversions of the surface waves at periods ranging from 75 to 512 sec yield a moment estimate of 1.3 ± 0.2 · 1027 dyne-cm, and a similar strike-slip fault orientation. The long-period P and SH waves recorded at SRO and ASRO stations are utilized to determine the seismic moment for 15- to 30-sec periods. A deconvolution algorithm developed by Kikuchi and Kanamori (1982) is used to determine the time function for the first 180 sec of the P and SH signals. The SH data are more stable and indicate a complex bilateral rupture with at least four subevents. The dominant first subevent has a moment of 6.4 · 1026 dyne-cm. Summing the moment of this and the next three subevents, all of which occur in the first 80 sec of rupture, yields a moment of 1.3 · 1027 dyne-cm. Thus, when the multiple source character of the body waves is taken into account, the seismic moment for the Eureka event throughout the period range 15 to 500 sec is 1.3 ± 0.2 · 1027 dyne-cm.

The Managua, Nicaragua, earthquake of December 23, 1972: Location, focal mechanism, and intensity distribution

1974 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 993-1004
Author(s):  
S. T. Algermissen ◽  
J. W. Dewey ◽  
C. J. Langer ◽  
W. H. Dillinger
Keyword(s):  
Main Shock ◽  
Strong Motion ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Maximum Intensity ◽  
Central American ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Benioff Zone ◽  
Depth Of Focus ◽  
Source Effects ◽  
The City

abstract The Managua earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of focus beneath the center of Managua, producing a maximum intensity of MM IX in the center of the city. The epicenter of the main shock is determined to within several kilometers by use of the strong-motion accelerogram recorded at the ESSO refinery. Such accuracy is unprecedented for a large Central American earthquake, and makes the Managua earthquake valuable as a calibration event for minimizing the bias in location of other earthquakes in Nicaragua. The character of the distribution of P-wave residuals and the location of the earthquake well inland from the Benioff zone in Nicaragua suggest that much of the bias in epicenters calculated for earthquakes in the vicinity of Managua is due to station effects rather than source effects. P-wave first-motions are consistent with a left-lateral strike-slip fault as the earthquake source.

Lake Charles, Louisiana, earthquake of 16 October 1983

1988 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 1463-1474
Author(s):  
Donald A. Stevenson ◽  
James D. Agnew
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Crystalline Basement ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Normal Faulting ◽  
Significant Evidence ◽  
Lake Charles ◽  
East West

Abstract On 16 October 1983, at 19:40 (UTC), a magnitude 3.8 earthquake occurred near Lake Charles in southwestern Louisiana. The earthquake was felt over an area of 2600 km2 and had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of V. This was the first significant Louisiana Gulf Coast earthquake to be recorded and located by nearby microseismic networks. One possible foreshock and three aftershocks also were recorded and located using a velocity model developed for this study. The focal mechanism of the earthquake was determined based on P-wave first motions from 22 local and regional stations. The solution indicates a predominantly east-west trending, southeast-dipping normal fault with a small strike-slip component. The depth of this event (14+ km) provides the first significant evidence that normal faulting within the crystalline basement may control shallower growth faults along the Gulf Coast.

Inversion of regional surface-wave spectra for source parameters of aftershocks from the Loma Prieta earthquake

1991 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 1726-1736
Author(s):  
Susan L. Beck ◽  
Howard J. Patton
Keyword(s):  
Surface Wave ◽  
Surface Waves ◽  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Focal Mechanisms ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Wave Spectra ◽  
Short Period ◽  
First Motion

Abstract Surface waves recorded at regional distances are used to study the source parameters for three of the larger aftershocks of the 18 October 1989, Loma Prieta, California, earthquake. The short-period P-wave first-motion focal mechanisms indicate a complex aftershock sequence with a wide variety of mechanisms. Many of these events are too small for teleseismic body-wave analysis; therefore, the regional surface-waves provide important long-period information on the source parameters. Intermediate-period Rayleigh- and Love-wave spectra are inverted for the seismic moment tensor elements at a fixed depth and repeated for different depths to find the source depth that gives the best fit to the observed spectra. For the aftershock on 19 October at 10:14:35 (md = 4.2), we find a strike-slip focal mechanism with right lateral motion on a NW-trending vertical fault consistent with the mapped trace of the local faults. For the aftershock on 18 October at 10:22:04 (md = 4.4), the surface waves indicate a pure reverse fault with the nodal planes striking WNW. For the aftershock on 19 October at 09:53:50 (md = 4.4), the surface waves indicate a strike-slip focal mechanism with a NW-trending vertical nodal plane consistent with the local strike of the San Andreas fault. Differences between the surface-wave focal mechanisms and the short-period P-wave first-motion mechanisms are observed for the aftershocks analyzed. This discrepancy may reflect the real variations due to differences in the band width of the two observations. However, the differences may also be due to (1) errors in the first-motion mechanism due to incorrect near-source velocity structure and (2) errors in the surface-wave mechanisms due to inadequate propagation path corrections.

scholarly journals Rupture complexity of the 1970 Tonghai and 1973 Luhuo earthquakes, China, from P-wave inversion, and relationship to surface faulting

1983 ◽  
Vol 73 (6A) ◽  
pp. 1585-1597
Author(s):  
Hui-lan Zhou ◽  
Clarence R. Allen ◽  
Hiroo Kanamori
Keyword(s):  
Field Studies ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Source Process ◽  
Southwestern China ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Inversion Technique ◽  
Rupture Length ◽  
Wave Inversion

Abstract The source processes of the 4 January 1970, Tonghai earthquake (Ms = 7.5) and the 6 February 1973, Luhuo earthquake (Ms = 7.5) in southwestern China were investigated using an inversion technique on the very complex body waves. The two earthquakes were associated with 48 and 90 km of surficial strike-slip rupture, respectively, and the distribution of displacement with distance along the fault was well documented by field studies of both events. The source process for both earthquakes comprised three to four subevents with different moments and rupture durations. These calculated parameters agree well with the field observations and aftershock distributions, particularly in the total rupture length and in the amount and asymmetry of fault displacements relative to the locations of the main epicenters.

scholarly journals Seismic Moment, Stress Drop, Strain Energy, Dislocation Radius, and Location of Seismic Acoustic Emissions Associated with a High Alpine Snowpack at Berthoud Pass, Colorado, U.S.A. (Abstract only)

1983 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 304-304
Author(s):  
Charles Cleland Rosé
Keyword(s):  
Stress Drop ◽  
Seismic Moment ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Acoustic Emissions ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Dissipated Energy ◽  
Fracture Area ◽  
Stress Drops ◽  
Predictive Indicator

The monitoring of the number of acoustic seismic impulses arising from snow instabilities is regarded as a relative indicator of an unstable snow slope but has not yielded a qualitative, predictive indicator. Until now, the source parameters (fracture area and length), seismic moment, energy released, stress drop, and location of acoustic seismic emissions arising from the snowpack have been neglected. A comprehension of these parameters leads to a better understanding of the event and may help in avalanche prediction.The location of a seismic event is derived from time differences between P-wave arrivals at four sensors located at the snow-ground interface. Three methods confirm the location of an acoustic seismic snow event to within 2 to 4 cm when the event is inside a seismic net.Spectral analyses of body waves from seismic snow events yield estimates of source parameters, stress drop and energy released. Equivalent dislocation surface radii range from 4.8 to 9.0 cm, which give stress drops of 0.20 to 0.29 bar, with a dissipated energy in the range of 0.0205 to 0.0632 J.Spectral analysis of the acoustic seismic snow event with application of dislocation theory provides several likely methods to predict avalanches of a climax type.

scholarly journals Seismic Moment, Stress Drop, Strain Energy, Dislocation Radius, and Location of Seismic Acoustic Emissions Associated with a High Alpine Snowpack at Berthoud Pass, Colorado, U.S.A. (Abstract only)

1983 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Charles Cleland Rosé
Keyword(s):  
Stress Drop ◽  
Seismic Moment ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Acoustic Emissions ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Dissipated Energy ◽  
Fracture Area ◽  
Stress Drops ◽  
Predictive Indicator

The monitoring of the number of acoustic seismic impulses arising from snow instabilities is regarded as a relative indicator of an unstable snow slope but has not yielded a qualitative, predictive indicator. Until now, the source parameters (fracture area and length), seismic moment, energy released, stress drop, and location of acoustic seismic emissions arising from the snowpack have been neglected. A comprehension of these parameters leads to a better understanding of the event and may help in avalanche prediction. The location of a seismic event is derived from time differences between P-wave arrivals at four sensors located at the snow-ground interface. Three methods confirm the location of an acoustic seismic snow event to within 2 to 4 cm when the event is inside a seismic net. Spectral analyses of body waves from seismic snow events yield estimates of source parameters, stress drop and energy released. Equivalent dislocation surface radii range from 4.8 to 9.0 cm, which give stress drops of 0.20 to 0.29 bar, with a dissipated energy in the range of 0.0205 to 0.0632 J. Spectral analysis of the acoustic seismic snow event with application of dislocation theory provides several likely methods to predict avalanches of a climax type.

scholarly journals BAIKAL and TRANSBAIKALIA

2020 ◽  
pp. 130-139
Author(s):  
V. Melnikova ◽  
N. Gileva ◽  
A. Seredkina ◽  
O. Masalskii
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Moment ◽  
Rift Zone ◽  
Moment Tensor ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Large Earthquake ◽  
Baikal Rift Zone ◽  
Focal Mechanisms ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Seismic Moment Tensor ◽  
High Level

We considered the character of the seismic process in the Baikal and Transbaikalia region in 2014. 8782 earthquakes with КР≥5.6 were recorded within the study territory during that year, 94 % of them were located in the Baikal rift zone. 26 seismic events were felt in the cities, towns and local settlements with the intensity not exceeding 5. The strongest of them (Mw=5.5) occurred in the Baikal-Muya region of the Baikal rift zone and was followed by a large earthquake sequence. Focal mechanisms were determines for 46 shocks from the data on P-wave first motion polarities, seismic moment tensor (focal mechanism, scalar seismic moment (M0), moment magnitude (Mw) and hypocentral depth (h)) was calculated for 11 events from the data on amplitude surface wave spectra. It has been found that normal fault movements are realized in the sources of 59 % of the earthquakes with the obtained focal mechanisms. In general, high level of seismic activity is a characteristic feature of the considered territory in 2014.

An orthonormality relation for elastic body waves

1968 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1949-1954
Author(s):  
L. E. Alsop
Keyword(s):  
Green’S Function ◽  
Surface Waves ◽  
Elastic Body ◽  
Half Space ◽  
Green's Function ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Wave Incident ◽  
Elastic Surface

ABSTRACT Herrera's orthonormality relation for elastic surface waves is generalized for elastic body waves. As an example, the normalization of a P-wave incident on the surface of a half space is considered. The Green's function for body waves and surface waves is obtained.

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