scholarly journals Large submarine earthquakes occurred worldwide, 1 year period (June 2013 to June 2014), – contribution to the understanding of tsunamigenic potential

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 1861-1887
Author(s):  
R. Omira ◽  
D. Vales ◽  
C. Marreiros ◽  
F. Carrilho
Keyword(s):  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Normal Faults ◽  
Tsunami Generation ◽  
Earthquake Parameters ◽  
Earthquake Hypocenter ◽  
Earthquake Focal Mechanism ◽  
Tsunami Numerical Modeling ◽  
Submarine Earthquakes ◽  
Earthquake Model

Abstract. This paper is a contribution to a better understanding of tsunamigenic potential from large submarine earthquakes. Here, we analyse the tsunamigenic potential of large earthquakes occurred worldwide with magnitudes around Mw 7.0 and greater, during a period of 1 year, from June 2013 to June 2014. The analysis involves earthquake model evaluation, tsunami numerical modelling, and sensors' records analysis in order to confirm the generation or not of a tsunami following the occurrence of an earthquake. We also investigate and discuss the sensitivity of tsunami generation to the earthquake parameters recognized to control the tsunami occurrence, including the earthquake magnitude, focal mechanism and fault rupture depth. A total of 23 events, with magnitudes ranging from Mw 6.7 to Mw 8.1 and hypocenter depths varying from 10 up to 585 km, have been analyzed in this study. Among them, 52% are thrust faults, 35% are strike-slip faults, and 13% are normal faults. Most analyzed events have been occurred in the Pacific Ocean. This study shows that about 39% of the analyzed earthquakes caused tsunamis that were recorded by different sensors with wave amplitudes varying from few centimetres to about 2 m. Some of them caused inundations of low-lying coastal areas and significant damages in harbours. On the other hand, tsunami numerical modeling shows that some of the events, considered as non-tsunamigenic, might trigger small tsunamis that were not recorded due to the absence of sensors in the near-field areas. We also find that the tsunami generation is mainly dependent of the earthquake focal mechanism and other parameters such as the earthquake hypocenter depth and the magnitude. The results of this study can help on the compilation of tsunami catalogs.

scholarly journals Large submarine earthquakes that occurred worldwide in a 1-year period (June 2013 to June 2014) – a contribution to the understanding of tsunamigenic potential

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2183-2200 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Omira ◽  
D. Vales ◽  
C. Marreiros ◽  
F. Carrilho
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Modeling ◽  
Subduction Zones ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Tsunami Generation ◽  
Earthquake Parameters ◽  
Shallow Earthquakes ◽  
Earthquake Source Parameters ◽  
Tsunami Numerical Modeling ◽  
Submarine Earthquakes ◽  
Earthquake Model

Abstract. This paper is a contribution to a better understanding of the tsunamigenic potential of large submarine earthquakes. Here, we analyze the tsunamigenic potential of large earthquakes which have occurred worldwide with magnitudes around Mw = 7.0 and greater during a period of 1 year, from June 2013 to June 2014. The analysis involves earthquake model evaluation, tsunami numerical modeling, and sensors' records analysis in order to confirm the generation of a tsunami (or lack thereof) following the occurrence of an earthquake. We also investigate and discuss the sensitivity of tsunami generation to the earthquake parameters recognized to control tsunami occurrence, including the earthquake location, magnitude, focal mechanism and fault rupture depth. Through this analysis, we attempt to understand why some earthquakes trigger tsunamis and others do not, and how the earthquake source parameters are related to the potential of tsunami generation. We further discuss the performance of tsunami warning systems in detecting tsunamis and disseminating the alerts. A total of 23 events, with magnitudes ranging from Mw = 6.7 to Mw = 8.1, have been analyzed. This study shows that about 39 % of the analyzed earthquakes caused tsunamis that were recorded by different sensors with wave amplitudes varying from a few centimeters to about 2 m. Tsunami numerical modeling shows good agreement between simulated waveforms and recorded waveforms, for some events. On the other hand, simulations of tsunami generation predict that some of the events, considered as non-tsunamigenic, caused small tsunamis. We find that most generated tsunamis were caused by shallow earthquakes (depth < 30 km) and thrust faults that took place on/near the subduction zones. The results of this study can help the development of modified and improved versions of tsunami decision matrixes for various oceanic domains.

scholarly journals Statistical earthquake focal mechanism forecasts

2014 ◽  
Vol 197 (1) ◽  
pp. 620-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Y. Kagan ◽  
David D. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Earthquake Focal Mechanism

Rapid earthquake source characterization in the context of tsunami early warning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Armigliato ◽  
Martina Zanetti ◽  
Stefano Tinti ◽  
Filippo Zaniboni ◽  
Glauco Gallotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Fault Plane ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
Tsunami Early Warning ◽  
Earthquake Focal Mechanism ◽  
Run Up ◽  
Seismic Networks

&lt;p&gt;It is well known that for earthquake-generated tsunamis impacting near-field coastlines the focal mechanism, the position of the fault with respect to the coastline and the on fault slip distribution are key factors in determining the efficiency of the generation process and the distribution of the maximum run-up and inundation along the nearby coasts. The time needed to obtain the aforementioned information from the analysis of seismic records is usually too long compared to the time required to issue a timely tsunami warning/alert to the nearest coastlines. In the context of tsunami early warning systems, a big challenge is hence to be able to define 1) the relative position of the hypocenter and of the fault and 2) the earthquake focal mechanism, based only on the preliminary earthquake localization and magnitude estimation, which are made available by seismic networks soon after the earthquake occurs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this study, the intrinsic unpredictability of the position of the hypocenter on the fault plane is studied through a probabilistic approach based on the analysis of two finite fault model datasets (SRCMOD and USGS) and by limiting the analysis to moderate-to-large shallow earthquakes (Mw &amp;#160;6 and depth &amp;#160;50 km). After a proper homogenization procedure needed to define a common geometry for all samples in the two datasets, the hypocentral positions are fitted with different probability density functions (PDFs) separately in the along-dip and along-strike directions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Regarding the focal mechanism determination, different approaches have been tested: the most successful is restricted to subduction-type earthquakes. It defines average values and uncertainties for strike, dip and rake angles based on a combination of a proper zonation of the main tsunamigenic subduction areas worldwide and of subduction zone geometries available from publicdatabases.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The general workflow that we propose can be schematically outlined as follows. Once an earthquake occurs and the magnitude and hypocentral solutions are made available by seismic networks, it is possible to assign the focal mechanism by selecting the characteristic values for strike, dip and rake of the zone where the hypocenter falls into. Fault length and width, as well as the slip distribution on the fault plane, are computed through regression laws against magnitude proposed by previous studies. The resulting rectangular fault plane can be discretized into a matrix of subfaults: the position of the center of each subfault can be considered as a &amp;#8220;realization&amp;#8221; of the hypocenter position, which can then be assigned a probability. In this way, we can define a number of earthquake fault scenarios, each of which is assigned a probability, and we can run tsunami numerical simulations for each scenario to quantify the classical observables, such as water elevation time series in selected offshore/coastal tide-gauges, flow depth, run-up, inundation distance. The final results can be provided as probabilistic distributions of the different observables.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The general approach, which is still in a proof-of-concept stage, is applied to the 16 September 2015 Illapel (Chile) tsunamigenic earthquake (Mw = 8.2). The comparison with the available tsunami observations is discussed with special attention devoted to the early-warning perspective.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Empirical Relationship for Assessing the Near-Field Horizontal Coseismic Displacement Using GPS Seismology Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-50
Author(s):  
Ryad Darawcheh ◽  
Riad Al Ghazzi ◽  
Mohamad Khir Abdul-wahed
Keyword(s):  
Near Field ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
Active Faults ◽  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Coseismic Displacement ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Earthquake Parameters ◽  
Gps Station

In this research, a data set of horizontal GPS coseismic displacement in the near-field has been assembled around the world in order to investigate a potential relationship between the displacement and the earthquake parameters. Regression analyses have been applied to the data of 120 interplate earthquakes having the magnitude (Mw 4.8-9.2). An empirical relationship for prediction near-field horizontal GPS coseismic displacement as a function of moment magnitude and the distance between hypocenter and near field GPS station has been established using the multi regression analysis. The obtained relationship allows assessing the coseismic displacements associated with some large historical earthquakes occurred along the Dead Sea fault system. Such a fair relationship could be useful for assessing the coseismic displacement at any point around the active faults.

scholarly journals The use of parallel computing for the high-resolution determination of earthquake source parameters

2019 ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
A. S. Fomochkina ◽  
V. G. Bukchin
Keyword(s):  
Parallel Computing ◽  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Nodal Plane ◽  
Earthquake Parameters ◽  
Earthquake Source Parameters ◽  
Detailed Search ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Special Case

Alongside the determination of the focal mechanism and source depth of an earthquake by direct examination of their probable values on a grid in the parameter space, also the resolution of these determinations can be estimated. However, this approach requires considerable time in the case of a detailed search. A special case of a shallow earthquake whose one nodal plane is subhorizontal is an example of the sources that require the use of a detailed grid. For studying these events based on the records of the long-period surface waves, the grids with high degree of detail in the angles of the focal mechanism are required. We discuss the application of the methods of parallel computing for speeding up the calculations of earthquake parameters and present the results of studying the strongest aftershock of the Tohoku, Japan, earthquake by this approach.

scholarly journals A functional tool to explore the reliability of micro-earthquake focal mechanism solution for seismotectonic purposes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Maria Adinolfi ◽  
Raffaella De Matteis ◽  
Rita De Nardis ◽  
Aldo Zollo
Keyword(s):  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Fault Plane ◽  
Focal Mechanisms ◽  
Seismic Network ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Focal Mechanism Solution ◽  
Fault Plane Solutions ◽  
Stress Regime ◽  
Focal Mechanism Solutions ◽  
Earthquake Focal Mechanism

Abstract. Improving the knowledge of seismogenic faults requires the integration of geological, seismological, and geophysical information. Among several analyses, the definition of earthquake focal mechanisms plays an essential role in providing information about the geometry of individual faults and the stress regime acting in a region. Fault plane solutions can be retrieved by several techniques operating in specific magnitude ranges, both in the time and frequency domain and using different data. For earthquakes of low magnitude, the limited number of available data and their uncertainties can compromise the stability of fault plane solutions. In this work, we propose a useful methodology to evaluate how well a seismic network used to monitor natural and/or induced micro-seismicity estimates focal mechanisms as function of magnitude, location, and kinematics of seismic source and consequently their reliability in defining seismotectonic models. To study the consistency of focal mechanism solutions, we use a Bayesian approach that jointly inverts the P/S long-period spectral-level ratios and the P polarities to infer the fault-plane solutions. We applied this methodology, by computing synthetic data, to the local seismic network operated in the Campania-Lucania Apennines (Southern Italy) to monitor the complex normal fault system activated during the Ms 6.9, 1980 earthquake. We demonstrate that the method we propose can have a double purpose. It can be a valid tool to design or to test the performance of local seismic networks and more generally it can be used to assign an absolute uncertainty to focal mechanism solutions fundamental for seismotectonic studies.

A mathematical analysis of tsunami generation in shallow water due to seabed deformation

2011 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 551-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuo Iguchi
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Field ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Water Wave ◽  
Initial Velocity ◽  
Tsunami Generation ◽  
Wave Problem ◽  
Initial Displacement ◽  
Water Wave Problem ◽  
Submarine Earthquakes ◽  
Tsunami Model

In numerical computations of tsunamis due to submarine earthquakes, it is frequently assumed that the initial displacement of the water surface is equal to the permanent shift of the seabed and that the initial velocity field is equal to zero and the shallow-water equations are often used to simulate the propagation of tsunamis. We give a mathematically rigorous justification of this tsunami model starting from the full water-wave problem by comparing the solution of the full problem with that of the tsunami model. We also show that, in some cases, we have to impose a non-zero initial velocity field, which arises as a nonlinear effect.

A study of microseismicity in Northern Baja California, Mexico

1976 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1921-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy L. Johnson ◽  
Juan Madrid ◽  
Theodore Koczynski
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Normal Faults ◽  
East Side ◽  
Composite Focal Mechanism ◽  
Agua Blanca Fault ◽  
Eastern Edge ◽  
Low Activity

abstract Five microearthquake instruments were operated for 2 months in 1974 in a small mobile array deployed at various sites near the Agua Blanca and San Miguel faults. An 80-km-long dection of the San Miguel fault zone is presently active seismically, producing the vast majority of recorded earthquakes. Very low activity was recorded on the Agua Blanca fault. Events were also located near normal faults forming the eastern edge of the Sierra Juarez suggesting that these faults are active. Hypocenters on the San Miguel fault range in depth from 0 to 20 km although two-thirds are in the upper 10 km. A composite focal mechanism showing a mixture of right-lateral and dip slip, east side up, is similar to a solution obtained for the 1956 San Miguel earthquake which proved consistent with observed surface deformation.

scholarly journals 5Hz GPS seismology of the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake: estimating the earthquake focal mechanism

2012 ◽  
Vol 190 (3) ◽  
pp. 1723-1732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zheng ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Zujun Xie ◽  
Michael H. Ritzwoller
Keyword(s):  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Earthquake Focal Mechanism
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document