scholarly journals Spatio-temporal analysis of seismic anisotropy associated with the Cook Strait and Kaikōura earthquake sequences in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
KM Graham ◽  
Martha Savage ◽  
Richard Arnold ◽  
HJ Zal ◽  
T Okada ◽  
...  

© 2020 The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society. Large earthquakes can diminish and redistribute stress, which can change the stress field in the Earth's crust. Seismic anisotropy, measured through shear wave splitting (SWS), is often considered to be an indicator of stress in the crust because the closure of cracks due to differential stress leads to waves polarized parallel to the cracks travelling faster than in the orthogonal direction. We examine spatial and temporal variations in SWS measurements and the Vp/Vs ratio associated with the 2013 Cook Strait (Seddon, Grassmere) and 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes in New Zealand. These earthquake sequences provide a unique data set, where clusters of closely spaced earthquakes occurred. We use an automatic, objective splitting analysis algorithm and automatic local S-phase pickers to expedite the processing and to minimize observer bias. We present SWS and Vp/Vs measurements for over 40 000 crustal earthquakes across 36 stations spanning close to $5\frac{1}{2}$ yr between 2013 and 2018. We obtain a total of 102 260 (out of 398 169) high-quality measurements. We observe significant spatial variations in the fast polarization orientation, φ. The orientation of gravitational stresses are consistent with most of the observed anisotropy. However, multiple mechanisms (such as structural, tectonic stresses and gravitational stresses) may control some of the observed crustal anisotropy in the study area. Systematic analysis of SWS parameters and Vp/Vs ratios revealed that apparent temporal variations are caused by variation in earthquake path through spatially varying media.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
KM Graham ◽  
Martha Savage ◽  
Richard Arnold ◽  
HJ Zal ◽  
T Okada ◽  
...  

© 2020 The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society. Large earthquakes can diminish and redistribute stress, which can change the stress field in the Earth's crust. Seismic anisotropy, measured through shear wave splitting (SWS), is often considered to be an indicator of stress in the crust because the closure of cracks due to differential stress leads to waves polarized parallel to the cracks travelling faster than in the orthogonal direction. We examine spatial and temporal variations in SWS measurements and the Vp/Vs ratio associated with the 2013 Cook Strait (Seddon, Grassmere) and 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes in New Zealand. These earthquake sequences provide a unique data set, where clusters of closely spaced earthquakes occurred. We use an automatic, objective splitting analysis algorithm and automatic local S-phase pickers to expedite the processing and to minimize observer bias. We present SWS and Vp/Vs measurements for over 40 000 crustal earthquakes across 36 stations spanning close to $5\frac{1}{2}$ yr between 2013 and 2018. We obtain a total of 102 260 (out of 398 169) high-quality measurements. We observe significant spatial variations in the fast polarization orientation, φ. The orientation of gravitational stresses are consistent with most of the observed anisotropy. However, multiple mechanisms (such as structural, tectonic stresses and gravitational stresses) may control some of the observed crustal anisotropy in the study area. Systematic analysis of SWS parameters and Vp/Vs ratios revealed that apparent temporal variations are caused by variation in earthquake path through spatially varying media.


2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (3) ◽  
pp. 1987-2008
Author(s):  
Kenny M Graham ◽  
Martha K Savage ◽  
Richard Arnold ◽  
Hubert J Zal ◽  
Tomomi Okada ◽  
...  

SUMMARY Large earthquakes can diminish and redistribute stress, which can change the stress field in the Earth’s crust. Seismic anisotropy, measured through shear wave splitting (SWS), is often considered to be an indicator of stress in the crust because the closure of cracks due to differential stress leads to waves polarized parallel to the cracks travelling faster than in the orthogonal direction. We examine spatial and temporal variations in SWS measurements and the Vp/Vs ratio associated with the 2013 Cook Strait (Seddon, Grassmere) and 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes in New Zealand. These earthquake sequences provide a unique data set, where clusters of closely spaced earthquakes occurred. We use an automatic, objective splitting analysis algorithm and automatic local S-phase pickers to expedite the processing and to minimize observer bias. We present SWS and Vp/Vs measurements for over 40 000 crustal earthquakes across 36 stations spanning close to $5\frac{1}{2}$ yr between 2013 and 2018. We obtain a total of 102 260 (out of 398 169) high-quality measurements. We observe significant spatial variations in the fast polarization orientation, ϕ. The orientation of gravitational stresses are consistent with most of the observed anisotropy. However, multiple mechanisms (such as structural, tectonic stresses and gravitational stresses) may control some of the observed crustal anisotropy in the study area. Systematic analysis of SWS parameters and Vp/Vs ratios revealed that apparent temporal variations are caused by variation in earthquake path through spatially varying media.


Geophysics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. B183-B195 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. De Meersman ◽  
J.-M. Kendall ◽  
M. van der Baan

We relocate 303 microseismic events recorded in 1998 by sensors in a single borehole in the North Sea Valhall oil field. A semiautomated array analysis method repicks the P- and S-wave arrival times and P-wave polarizations, which are needed to locate these events. The relocated sources are confined predominantly to a [Formula: see text]-thick zone just above the reservoir, and location uncertainties are half those of previous efforts. Multiplet analysis identifies 40 multiplet groups, which include 208 of the 303 events. The largest group contains 24 events, and five groups contain 10 or more events. Within each multiplet group, we further improve arrival-time picking through crosscorrelation, which enhances the relative accuracy of the relocated events and reveals that more than 99% of the seismic activity lies spatially in three distinct clusters. The spatial distribution of events and wave-form similarities reveal two faultlike structures that match well with north-northwest–south-southeast-trending fault planes interpreted from 3D surface seismic data. Most waveform differences between multiplet groups located on these faults can be attributed to S-wave phase content and polarity or P-to-S amplitude ratio. The range in P-to-S amplitude ratios observed on the faults is explained best in terms of varying source mechanisms. We also find a correlation between multiplet groups and temporal variations in seismic anisotropy, as revealed by S-wave splitting analysis. We explain these findings in the context of a cyclic recharge and dissipation of cap-rock stresses in response to production-driven compaction of the underlying oil reservoir. The cyclic nature of this mechanism drives the short-term variations in seismic anisotropy and the reactivation of microseismic source mechanisms over time.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Folesky ◽  
Joern Kummerow ◽  
Serge A. Shapiro

<p>The Northern Chilean subduction zone has been monitored by the IPOC network for more than ten years. During this time period two very large earthquakes occurred, the 2007 M<sub>W</sub>7.7  Tocopilla earthquake and the 2014 M<sub>W</sub>8.1 Iquique earthquake. Over the entire subduction zone a vast amount of seismic activity has been recorded and a huge catalog was compiled including over 100000 events (Sippl et al. 2018). With this exceptional data base we attempt a systematic analysis of the stress drops of as many events from the catalog as possible. We apply different estimation techniques, namely the spectral ratio type, the spectral stacking approach, and the lower bound method. A goal of our research is a comparison and possibly a combination of the techniques to obtain reliable and well constrained results.</p><p>The data set covers events at the interface, within the subducting plate, crustal events, and intermediate depth events. It therefore bears a great potential to better understand the stress drop distribution within a subduction zone. Also, the long observation interval allows to analyze temporal variations according to pre-, inter-, and post-seismic phases of megathrust earthquakes.   </p><p>We present preliminary results where a subset of 730 events with a magnitude range of M<sub>L</sub>2.7 - M<sub>L</sub>4.8  was used for analysis with the spectral ratio technique. For these events we show maps of spatial stress drop variation, and we analyze the time dependent stress drop variance. </p>


2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 112 (Number 11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheldon Strydom ◽  
Michael J. Savage ◽  
◽  

Abstract The prevalence and history of fires in Africa has led to the continent being named ‘the fire continent’. Fires are common on the continent and lead to a high number of annual fire disasters which result in many human fatalities and considerable financial loss. Increased population growth and concentrated settlement planning increase the probability of fire disasters and the associated loss of human life and financial loss when disasters occur. In order to better understand the spatial and temporal variations and characteristics of fires in South Africa, an 11-year data set of MODIS-derived Active Fire Hotspots was analysed using an open source geographic information system. The study included the mapping of national fire frequency over the 11-year period. Results indicate that the highest fire frequency occurred in the northeastern regions of South Africa, in particular the mountainous regions of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, and in the Western Cape. Increasing trends in provincial fire frequency were observed in eight of the nine provinces of South Africa, with Mpumalanga the only province for which a decrease in annual fire frequency was observed. Temporally, fires were observed in all months for all provinces, although distinct fire seasons were observed and were largely driven by rainfall seasons. The southwestern regions of South Africa (winter-rainfall regions) experienced higher fire frequencies during the summer months and the rest of the country (summer-rainfall regions) during the winter months. Certain regions – those which experienced bimodal rainfall seasons – did not display distinct fire seasons because of the complex wet and dry seasons. Investigation into the likely effects of climate change on South African fire frequency revealed that increased air temperatures and events such as La Niña have a marked effect on fire activity.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252867
Author(s):  
Nele Gessler ◽  
Melanie A. Gunawardene ◽  
Peter Wohlmuth ◽  
Dirk Arnold ◽  
Juergen Behr ◽  
...  

Background After one year of the pandemic and hints of seasonal patterns, temporal variations of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 are widely unknown. Additionally, heterogeneous data regarding clinical indicators predicting disease severity has been published. However, there is a need for a risk stratification model integrating the effects on disease severity and mortality to support clinical decision-making. Methods We conducted a multicenter, observational, prospective, epidemiological cohort study at 45 hospitals in Germany. Until 1 January 2021, all hospitalized SARS CoV-2 positive patients were included. A comprehensive data set was collected in a cohort of seven hospitals. The primary objective was disease severity and prediction of mild, severe, and fatal cases. Ancillary analyses included a temporal analysis of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients for the entire year 2020. Findings A total of 4704 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized with a mortality rate of 19% (890/4704). Rates of mortality, need for ventilation, pneumonia, and respiratory insufficiency showed temporal variations, whereas age had a strong influence on the course of mortality. In cohort conducting analyses, prognostic factors for fatal/severe disease were: age (odds ratio (OR) 1.704, CI:[1.221–2.377]), respiratory rate (OR 1.688, CI:[1.222–2.333]), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (OR 1.312, CI:[1.015–1.695]), C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR 2.132, CI:[1.533–2.965]), and creatinine values (OR 2.573, CI:[1.593–4.154]. Conclusions Age, respiratory rate, LDH, CRP, and creatinine at baseline are associated with all cause death, and need for ventilation/ICU treatment in a nationwide series of COVID 19 hospitalized patients. Especially age plays an important prognostic role. In-hospital mortality showed temporal variation during the year 2020, influenced by age. Trial registration number NCT04659187.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Hogg ◽  
Jonathan Palmer ◽  
Gretel Boswijk ◽  
Chris Turney

The best means for correcting Southern Hemisphere (SH) radiocarbon measurements, which are significantly influenced by temporal variations in the interhemispheric offset, is by the construction of a SH-specific calibration curve from dendrochronologically dated wood. We present here decadal 14C measurements on dendrochronologically secure New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis), covering the period 195 BC–AD 995, extending the range of calibration measurements from New Zealand tree rings to more than 2 millennia.Recently published Tasmanian huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) data for the interval 165 BC to AD 1095 measured at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) have underestimated standard errors, which need to be re-assessed before the data can be considered for a Southern Hemisphere calibration curve update. The CAMS huon data, unlike the Waikato kauri data presented here, show a significant reduction in the SH offset for the interval AD 775–855. Although these data points are being checked, it is unlikely this represents a temporal geographic location-dependent offset. With re-assessed errors, the huon data set from 165 BC to AD 995 closely matches the new kauri data, with the combined data sets producing a mean interhemispheric offset with IntCal09 of 44 ± 17 yr for the time interval 195 BC–AD 1845. This SH offset is lower than the modeled offset of 55–58 yr used in the construction of SHCal04, and we recommend the lower value be used in future SHCal updates. Although there is an apparent increase in higher frequency events in the SH offset (NZ kauri plus Tasmanian huon) from 200 BC–AD 1000, the reason for this remains unclear.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 181-181
Author(s):  
Franziska Zúñiga ◽  
Magdalena Osinska ◽  
Franziska Zuniga

Abstract Quality indicators (QIs) are used internationally to measure, compare and improve quality in residential long-term care. Public reporting of such indicators allows transparency and motivates local quality improvement initiatives. However, little is known about the quality of QIs. In a systematic literature review, we assessed which countries publicly report health-related QIs, whether stakeholders were involved in their development and the evidence concerning their validity and reliability. Most information was found in grey literature, with nine countries (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and five countries in Europe) publicly reporting a total of 66 QIs in areas like mobility, falls, pressure ulcers, continence, pain, weight loss, and physical restraint. While USA, Canada and New Zealand work with QIs from the Resident Assessment Instrument – Minimal Data Set (RAI-MDS), the other countries developed their own QIs. All countries involved stakeholders in some phase of the QI development. However, we only found reports from Canada and Australia on both, the criteria judged (e.g. relevance, influenceability), and the results of structured stakeholder surveys. Interrater reliability was measured for some RAI QIs and for those used in Germany, showing overall good Kappa values (>0.6) except for QIs concerning mobility, falls and urinary tract infection. Validity measures were only found for RAI QIs and were mostly moderate. Although a number of QIs are publicly reported and used for comparison and policy decisions, available evidence is still limited. We need broader and accessible evidence for a responsible use of QIs in public reporting.


Nature ◽  
1960 ◽  
Vol 186 (4721) ◽  
pp. 328-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIVIENNE CASSIE
Keyword(s):  

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