Surface-wave magnitudes of Eurasian earthquakes and explosions

Abstract

abstract Body-wave magnitudes, mb, and surface-wave magnitudes, MS, were determined for approximately 100 Eurasian events which occurred during the interval August through December 1971. Body-wave magnitudes were determined from 1-sec P waves recorded by WWSSN short-period, vertical-component seismographs at epicentral distances greater than 25°. Surface-wave magnitudes were determined from 20-sec Rayleigh waves recorded by long-period, vertical-component WWSSN and VLPE seismographs. The earthquakes had mb values ranging from 3.6 to 5.7. Of 96 presumed earthquakes studied, 6 lie in or near the explosion portion of an mb:MS plot. The explosion mb:MS curve was obtained from seven Eurasian events which had mb values ranging from 5.0 to 6.2 and MS values from 3.2 to 5.1. All six anomalous earthquakes were located in the interior of Asia, in Tibet, and in Szechwan and Sinkiang provinces of China. In general, oceanmargin earthquakes were found to have more earthquake-like mb:MS values than those occurring in the continental interior. Neither focal depth nor focal mechanism can explain the anomalous events.