Earthquake focal mechanisms and stress field in Sichuan-Yunnan area determined using P wave polarity and short period P and S waveform data

Abstract

Based on waveform data, several methods to determine focal mechanisms of small earthquakes were developed since 1980. Kisslinger (1980) and Julian, Foulger (1996) proposed an approach to determine solution by using amplitude ratio of P and S wave. Schwartz (1995) devised a method to determine solutions by the use of polarity data and amplitudes of seismogram envelopes. Amplitudes of short period seismic waves propagating in an inhomogene-ous medium are sensitive to the variation in velocity and Q structure. Nakamura, et al (1999) took medium inhomo-geneity into account in determining focal mechanisms of small earthquakes using waveform data. If the locations of small earthquakes are concentrated in a small region, we can assume that the raypaths from the events to a given station are almost the same. So P and S wave attenuations are independent of event locations. In this case it is con-venient to determine focal mechanisms of these events by using short period P and S wave dataj. Focal mechanism solutions of small earthquakes in 5 regions, i.e., Rongchang, Mabian-Muchuan, Ya￠an, Baoxing and Mianzhu, which are covered by the Chengdu Telemetered Network, are obtained by analyzing the P polarity and short body wave amplitude data recorded in the network since 1992. According to the method proposed by Gephart and Forsyth (1984), based on well determined focal mechanism solutions in 15 sub-zones of Sichuan and Yunnan area, three principal stress tensors s1, s2, and s3, instead of averages of P, B, and T axis of the solutions, are determined to represent the regional stress field distribution.