Centroid Moment Tensor Inversion Research Articles

A Source and Ground Motion Study of the Veracruz Earthquakes of 29 October 2009 (Mw5.7) and 4 August 2021 (Mw4.8): Evidence of Strong Azimuthal Variation of Attenuation

We study two moderate earthquakes that occurred offshore the State of Veracruz, in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, on 29 October 2009 (Mw 5.7) and 4 August 2021 (Mw 4.8). The former was located near the town of Alvarado and latter near the city of Veracruz. The events were well recorded by accelerographs and seismographs at local and regional distances. W-phase regional centroid moment tensor inversion reveals that they had reverse-faulting mechanism, similar to several other earthquakes in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Of the seven focal mechanisms now available along the southwestern margin, two are strike slip and the rest are of thrust type, suggesting a heterogeneous stress regime. We take advantage of local and regional recordings produced by these two earthquakes to study the characteristics of the ground motion. Source spectra computed at each station separately (without correcting for the site effect), assuming a reasonable geometrical spreading and Q = 141f 0.63, show remarkably high variability due to difference in path and local site effects. The geometric mean apparent source spectrum (source spectrum including site effects) of both earthquakes may be modeled by an ω2 -Brune source model with a stress drop, Δσ, of 40 MPa. These source spectra, along with the application of stochastic method, yield peak ground acceleration (PGA) and velocity (PGV) as a function of distance in general agreement with the observations. Of greater practical importance is the ground motion at sedimentary sites in the city of Veracruz and at the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (LVNPP) site, especially from a postulated Mw 6.5 earthquake which is a reasonable scenario event for the region. For the city of Veracruz and LVNPP we estimate site effect with respect to the ω2 -Brune source with Δσ of 2 MPa. There is some support for this Δσ. We apply both stochastic and empirical Green’s functions (EGF) techniques in the estimation of the ground motion. The recording of the 2021 earthquake is taken as the EGF, and Δσ of the EGF and the target event are assumed to be the same and equal to 2 MPa. The predicted PGA and PGV at sedimentary sites in the city of Veracruz and LVNPP above the hypocenter (depth = 20 km) from the postulated Mw 6.5 earthquake are 0.2 g and 10 cm/s and 0.18 g and 3 cm/s, respectively. These results are preliminary as they are based on several assumptions.

The MW5.5 earthquake on August 6, 2023, in Pingyuan, Shandong, China: A rupture on a buried fault

On August 6, 2023, a magnitude MW5.5 earthquake struck Pingyuan County, Dezhou City, Shandong Province, China. This event was significant as no large earthquakes had been recorded in the region for over a century, and no active fault had been previously identified. This study collects 1309 P-wave arrival times and 866 S-wave arrival times from 74 seismic stations less than 200 km to the epicenter to constrain the spatial distribution of the mainshock and its 125 early aftershocks by the double difference earthquake relocation method, and selects 864 P-waveforms from 288 stations located within 800 km of the epicenter to constrain the focal mechanism solution of the mainshock through centroid moment tensor inversion. The relocation and the inversion indicate, the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake was caused by a rupture on a buried fault, likely an extensive segment of the Gaotang fault. This buried fault exhibited a dip of approximately 75° to the northwest, with a strike of 222°, similar to the Gaotang fault. The rupture initiated at the depth of 18.6 km and propagated upward and northeastward. However, the ground surface was not broken. The total duration of the rupture was ∼6.0 s, releasing the scalar moment of 2.5895 × 1017 N·m, equivalent to MW5.54. The moment rate reached the maximum only 1.4 seconds after the rupture initiation, and the 90% scalar moment was released in the first 4.6 s. In the first 1.4 seconds of the rupture process, the rupture velocity was estimated to be 2.6 km/s, slower than the local S-wave velocity. As the rupture neared its end, the rupture velocity decreased significantly. This study provides valuable insights into the seismic characteristics of the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake, shedding light on the previously unidentified buried fault responsible for the seismic activity in the region. Understanding the behavior of such faults is crucial for assessing seismic hazards and enhancing earthquake preparedness in the future.

Multiple segmentation and seismogenic evolution of the 6th February 2023 (Mw 7.8 and 7.7) consecutive earthquake ruptures and aftershock deformation in the Maras triple junction region of SE-Anatolia, Turkey

On 6th February 2023 (UTC), two consecutive and catastrophic earthquakes with moment magnitudes (Mw) 7.8 and 7.7 struck the Maras Triple Junction (MTJ) region in SE Anatolia along with dozens of aftershocks, causing numerous casualties and significant building damage, and generating the most complex and longest surface ruptures ever observed in Turkey. The main driving mechanisms of this complex double event are still unresolved and remain controversial, even though they are likely linked with conventional fault activations, recurrence intervals and seismic gaps. Here, the aim was to gain insight into the source regimes and rupture processes of both events and their relationship with resolved fault focal solutions for the observed aftershocks, and to present an interpretation that accounts for the most puzzling aspects of the fault rupture models. In line with this, the co-seismic slip distributions of these two events were examined by joint analyses of centroid moment tensor (CMT) and finite-fault source inversions using regional and teleseismic broadband observations. Inversion results indicate that both earthquakes were left-lateral strike-slip events, and the main ruptures extended mainly from close to NNE to SSW and E to W, with maximum slips of ∼6.5–10 m, mostly confined to a shallow depth range of ≤ ∼10–15 km and extending to the surface, indicating bilateral source processes with an average rupture velocity of ∼3.5–5.5 km/s. The estimated total seismic moment range was 4.94–8.22 × 1020 N m, associated with ∼352–152 km long (along strike) and ∼ 25 km wide (along dip) fault planes at focal depth of ∼10 km. Regional CMT results indicate nearly pure normal-slip and left-lateral normal oblique-slip focal mechanisms and shallow centroid depths (≤ ∼15 km) for the early aftershock distribution that are obviously complementary with the co-seismic bilateral rupture propagations. This result highlights that double pull-apart branching of focal mechanisms for aftershock occurrence implies interacting fault ruptures embedded in the MTJ area, where two sub−/supershear-rupturing faults meet, thus explaining multiple segmentation and seismogenic evolutions of two interrelated mainshocks, i.e. “triple junction earthquakes”. The results reveal that the MTJ tends to migrate to the SSW and likely drives the SSW-stepping of the left-lateral strike-slip shear (∼136 km). This accounts for the peak slips, long co-seismic fault ruptures and the associated faulting styles. Hence, the co-seismic faulting apparently distributed across the MTJ may reflect triple junction migration, and thus large extension at the core of the Anatolian-Arabian plates, leading to very high seismic hazard in similar junction regions of the country.

The 2023 Southeast Türkiye Seismic Sequence: Rupture of a Complex Fault Network

Abstract On 6 February 2023, southeastern Türkiye experienced two Mw 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes. The earthquake sequence caused widespread damage and tens of thousands of casualties in Türkiye and Syria. We analyze mainshocks and aftershocks, combining complementary source characterization techniques, relying on local, regional, and teleseismic data. Backprojection analysis and finite source inversion for the mainshocks resolve coseismic slip, rupture length, and propagation mode along the main faults, whereas centroid moment tensor inversion for 221 aftershocks resolves details of the fault network. The first mainshock nucleated on a splay fault and activated the neighboring East Anatolian fault zone (EAFZ). It ruptured bilaterally along ∼500 km first toward northeast and later to south-southwest on multiple, previously partly dormant fault segments. The second mainshock ruptured the east–west-oriented Sürgü-Misis fault zone (SMFZ), reaching a slip of 7 m. The analysis of aftershocks with heterogeneous moment tensors retrospectively reconstructs rupture details. Along the main strand of the EAFZ, they map the geometry of different segments in unprecedented detail, whereas along the SMFZ they illuminate the geometry and behavior of large structures for the first time. Our work sheds light on multiple aspects of rupture evolution and provides new insights into the devastating earthquake sequence.

Joint inversion of centroid moment tensor for large earthquakes by combining teleseismicP-wave andW-phase records

SUMMARYCentroid moment tensor inversion involves the determinations of the moment tensor solution, which is usually done with low-frequency signals to meet the requirement of the point-source approximation, and the moment centroid, which requires high-frequency signals to improve the resolution. Traditional centroid moment tensor inversion techniques, such as the W-phase inversion, mainly use low-frequency data to estimate the magnitude and fault parameters, which limits the resolution of the moment centroid. In this study, we combine the P wave and W phase to constrain both the moment tensor and moment centroid. The rupture directivity is considered in the P-wave inversion, and the rupture velocity is resolved by inverting the P wave solely. The moment centroid is estimated by the rupture velocity from the P-wave inversion and the grid search in the W-phase inversion. The final moment tensor solution is determined based on the moment centroid by jointly inverting both P-wave and W-phase data. The resulting centroid moment tensor solution can fit a broad frequency band (0.001–0.1 Hz) of waveforms. Through synthetic inversion tests and applications to several large earthquakes, we demonstrate that the magnitudes and fault parameters from our joint inversion are more stable than the P-wave inversion, and the moment centroids, especially the centroid depths, seem more reasonable than those from the W-phase inversion.

CMT inversion for small-to-moderate earthquakes applying to dense short-period OBS array at off Ibaraki region

We conducted centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversion for small-to-moderate aftershocks in the off Ibaraki region of the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake. In this study, we used high-frequency (0.4–1.0 Hz) seismograms from a dense array of short-period ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) and a reliable three-dimensional (3-D) seismic velocity model. Higher frequency analysis and dense OBS arrays offer CMT solutions with high spatial resolutions. Since our OBS array observed aftershocks occurring immediately following the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake, we determined 536 CMT solutions for small-to-moderate aftershocks in the off Ibaraki region (JMA-scale magnitudes of 2.5–4.0). According to our CMT solutions, characteristics of the aftershock activities in the off Ibaraki region are classified into 5 groups: (1) thrust earthquakes, which are considered as interplate earthquakes, separated by the large slip area of the 2011 Ibaraki-oki earthquake (the largest {mathrm{M}}_{mathrm{w}} 7.6 aftershock of the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake) and the tectonic tremors; (2) intraslab strike-slip earthquakes located at the north of the fault area of the 2011 Ibaraki-oki earthquake; (3) intraslab normal-fault earthquakes, which suggest a tensional stress field within the subducting Pacific Plate due to the plate bending by the overriding Philippine Sea Plate; (4) various earthquake focal mechanisms above a subducting seamount, which suggest the 3-D complex fractures; and (5) normal-fault earthquakes shallower than the interplate earthquakes, which were possibly caused by the heterogeneity of the subducting seamount.Graphical

Real-Time Source Modeling of the 2022 Mw 6.6 Menyuan, China Earthquake with High-Rate GNSS Observations

On 7 January 2022, a Mw 6.6 earthquake struck Menyuan County in the Qinghai province of China and the earthquake caused severe damage to infrastructures. In this study, the performance of the high-rate global navigation satellite system (GNSS) on real-time source modeling of the 2022 Mw 6.6 Menyuan earthquake was validated. We conducted the warning magnitude calculation, centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversion, and static fault slip distribution inversion using displacements collected from 14 1-Hz GNSS stations. Our results indicate that the warning magnitude derived from the peak ground displacement (PGD) first exceeds Mw 6.0 approximately 9 s after the earthquake and tends to be stable after about 45 s. The derived finally stable magnitude is Mw 6.5, which is near the USGS magnitude of Mw 6.6. Based on the inverted CMT and static fault slip distribution results, it can be determined that the 2022 Menyuan earthquake is a left-lateral strike-slip event after about 20 s of the earthquake. Although the fault slips, inverted with the 30-s smoothed coseismic offsets, are unstable after about 40 s, all the inverted slip models after that time present the obvious surface rupture and the most fault motions are concentrated between the depth of 0 km and 8 km. Compared with the results inverted with the 30-s smoothed coseismic offsets, the CMT and fault slips inverted with the 70-s smoothed coseismic offsets are more stable. The results obtained in this study indicate that the high-rate GNSS has the potential to be used for real-time source modeling for earthquakes with a magnitude less than 7; the stability of the inverted CMT and fault slips can be improved by using the coseismic offsets averaged by a relatively long-time sliding window.

Rupture Characteristics Analysis of the 2020 Mw 7.4 Oaxaca, Mexico Earthquake Using Teleseismic, High-Rate GPS, and InSAR Data

The June 23 2020 Oaxaca Mw 7.4 interplate thrust earthquake struck the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, generating strong shaking and a long-lived tsunami. This earthquake is well recorded by the teleseismic, high-rate Global Positioning System (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data, which provides an opportunity to understand the rupture characteristics of the Mexican subduction zone. Here, an integrated inversion strategy involving centroid moment tensor inversion and kinematic finite-fault inversion is used to study the rupture history of the 2020 Oaxaca earthquake. The fault geometry and source duration time derived from the centroid moment tensor solution are used as prior information in linear kinematic finite-fault joint inversion. The rupture initial point and relative weight of each dataset are determined to estimate a well-constrained rupture model. The finite-fault model shows the rupture expanded bilaterally around the hypocenter, the peak slip is 3.5 m, the main slip was located at a depth of 15–30 km, the whole rupture lasted about 20 s, and a 95% moment rate was released at 15 s. The half-duration of the finite-fault inversion is consistent with the centroid moment tensor inversion results (half-duration 9 s), which shows the good resolution of the temporal information. The total scalar moment was 1.5 × 1020 Nm, equivalent to a moment magnitude of Mw 7.4. The integrated inversion strategy used in this study is useful since the prior information can be derived and used to constrain the rupture process. Both the centroid moment tensor and finite-fault inversion mainly rely on identical temporal information provided by teleseismic P waveforms. The 2020 Oaxaca earthquake was mainly the interaction between Cocos and the North American plate, and the slow slip events may be the key factor affecting the seismogenic zone width in the Oaxaca region.

Widespread Very Low Frequency Earthquakes (VLFEs) Activity Offshore Cascadia

AbstractA significant amount of stress in the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ) is released by different forms of slow earthquakes including tremors, low‐frequency earthquakes, and very low‐frequency earthquakes (VLFEs)—all occurring onshore at the deeper part of the transition zone. Their activity offshore, however, remains elusive. We discover widespread occurrence of discrete VLFEs offshore Cascadia using ocean‐bottom seismometers. Barring occasional regular fast earthquakes, VLFEs are the only seismic stress indicators offshore. Using centroid moment tensor inversion and matched filtering, we detect sequences of 12 distinct families of VLFEs. The VLFEs in northern CSZ have focal mechanisms consistent with the area's subduction zone deformation. Interestingly, the VLFEs in the southern part of CSZ show strike‐slip faulting, attributed to offshore faults, sediment consolidation, subduction bending, and transpressional regimes created by complex plate tectonics. It challenges a canonical view of the seismogenic zone in Cascadia characterized by a frictionally homogeneous fault segment producing only regular fast earthquakes.

Full-waveform centroid moment tensor inversion of passive seismic data acquired at the reservoir scale

SUMMARY Passive seismic inversion at the reservoir scale offers the advantages of low cost, negligible environmental impact and the ability to probe a target area with low-frequency energy not afforded by even the most modern active-source seismic technology. In order to build starting models suitable for full-waveform wave speed tomography, characterization of earthquake sources is an indispensable first step. We present a workflow for the centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversion of seismic events identified in a passive seismic data set acquired by a large and dense array of three-component broad-band seismic sensors in a mountainous setting in the Himalayan foothills. The data set comprised 256 instruments operating for 2×4 months over an area of 8000 km2. An initial 3-D wave speed model was determined for the region via the analysis of first-arriving traveltime picks. Of the 2607 identified seismic events that were well recorded at frequencies between 0.2–50 Hz, 86 with magnitudes 1.3 ≤ M ≤ 3.0 initially had their CMT focal mechanisms determined by a waveform fitting procedure built on a Green’s function approach in a 1-D layered average wave speed model, for stations within an offset of 10 km, in the frequency range 0.2–1.4 Hz. Here, we obtain updated CMT mechanisms for the 86 events in that catalogue via multicomponent full-waveform inversion in the 3-D wave speed model. Our workflow includes automated data- and model-driven data selection using a combination of different metrics derived from signal-to-noise considerations and waveform-fitting criteria, and relies upon spectral-element simulations of elastic wave propagation in the 3-D wave speed model, honouring topography. Starting from the initial CMT solutions, we seek improvement to the data fit within the frequency band 0.5–2.5 Hz by minimizing the waveform difference between observed and synthetic data, while accommodating wave speed-model errors by allowing for small time-shifts. We balance uneven data coverage and tune their contributions via data-space weighting functions. We quantify the improvements to the data fit in terms of different metrics. We summarize the changes to the CMT solutions, and present and analyse the resulting catalogue for the region, including their breakdown into double-couple and non-double couple components, and their relation to mapped faults.

Assessing the role of selected constraints in Bayesian dynamic source inversion: application to the 2017Mw 6.3 Lesvos earthquake

SUMMARYA dynamic finite-fault source inversion for stress and frictional parameters of the Mw 6.3 2017 Lesvos earthquake is carried out. The main shock occurred on June 12, offshore the southeastern coast of the Greek island of Lesvos in the north Aegean Sea. It caused 1 fatality, 15 injuries, and extensive damage to the southern part of the island. Dynamic rupture evolution is modelled on an elliptic patch, using the linear slip-weakening friction law. The inversion is posed as a Bayesian problem and the Parallel Tempering Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm is used to obtain posterior probability distributions by updating the prior distribution with progressively more constraints. To calculate the first posterior distribution, only the constraint that the model should expand beyond the nucleation patch is used. Then, we add the constraint that the model should reach a moment magnitude similar to that obtained from our centroid moment tensor inversion. For the final posterior distribution, 15 acceleration records from Greek and Turkish strong motion networks at near regional distances (≈ 30–150 km) in the frequency range of 0.05–0.15 Hz are used. The three posterior distributions are compared to understand how much each constraint contributes to resolving different quantities. The most probable values and uncertainties of individual parameters are also calculated, along with their mutual trade-offs. The features best determined by seismograms in the final posterior distribution include the position of the nucleation region, the mean direction of rupture (towards WNW), the mean rupture speed (with 68 per cent of the distribution lying between 1.4 and 2.6 km s–1), radiated energy (12–65 TJ), radiation efficiency (0.09–0.38) and the mean stress drop (2.2–6.5 MPa).

An integrated critical approach to off-fault strike-slip motion triggered by the 2011 Van mainshock (Mw 7.1), Eastern Anatolia (Turkey): New stress field constraints on subcrustal deformation

In this study, we retrieved the finite source characteristics of the October 23, 2011 Van earthquake (Mw 7.1) using the teleseismic waveforms to focus on the source location. The outstanding off-fault aftershock sequence of the Van mainshock was readily explained by calculating the Coulomb stress changes imparted to the surrounding crust. This may be accomplished through finite source modelling to examine the stress interaction between the fault, ruptured by the Van mainshock, and the surrounding fault(s) triggered by the same mainshock. In addition, to provide further support for the Coulomb failure stress changes in the off-fault area, centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversion of the off-fault aftershocks was performed and stress tensors were derived from their focal solutions. This identified the dominant fault slip, the constraints of the crustal stress fields and illuminated the crustal nature of the stress interaction. The off-fault aftershocks showed a strike-slip stress regime in rotational (to NW) and non-rotational (to N) stress fields of the upper and lower crusts, respectively. However, this was inconsistent with a horizontal compressional stress direction striking to the north. This suggests that a local source and/or rotation of lateral variation in stress magnitudes in crustal and sub-crustal structures strongly perturbed the regional stress field. It was also evident that these strike-slip aftershocks increased the intensity of stress in an off-fault area, NE of the source rupture. This revealed a uniquely triggered strike-slip motion, activated and rooted in the weak lower crust. We conclude that the Van mainshock rupture source area, associated with the stress changes imparted to the surrounding crust, had undergone anomalous modifications to generate distinctive off-fault aftershock responses in the entire crust, and also triggered and loaded the weak lower crust. We hypothesize that the strike-slip motion, the so called “transfer fault”, as a distinctly triggered slip event, was generated or selectively activated by subcrustal ductile processes in the absence of mantle lid beneath the study area. However, local slab fragmentation, tearing and cold mantle beneath the study area lead to paradigm changes in interpreting the strike-slip motion and subcrustal deformation. The presence of a small piece of oceanic lithosphere, consistent with fragmented, torn slab and cold mantle, may be an alternative hypothesis that remains to be tested. The Van earthquake, combined with careful examination of associated off-fault aftershocks, revealed new information about stress field constraints on subcrustal deformation. This investigation also provided insights into an important role of stress interaction, with a newly discovered transfer fault within the off-fault area, which extends through the entire crust beneath Lakes Van and Erçek areas.

Regional centroid moment tensor inversion of small to moderate earthquakes in the Alps using the dense AlpArray seismic network: challenges and seismotectonic insights

Abstract. The Alpine mountains in central Europe are characterized by a heterogeneous crust accumulating different tectonic units and blocks in close proximity to sedimentary foreland basins. Centroid moment tensor inversion provides insight into the faulting mechanisms of earthquakes and related tectonic processes but is significantly aggravated in such an environment. Thanks to the dense AlpArray seismic network and our flexible bootstrap-based inversion tool Grond, we are able to test different setups with respect to the uncertainties of the obtained moment tensors and centroid locations. We evaluate the influence of frequency bands, azimuthal gaps, input data types, and distance ranges and study the occurrence and reliability of non-double-couple (DC) components. We infer that for most earthquakes (Mw≥3.3) a combination of time domain full waveforms and frequency domain amplitude spectra in a frequency band of 0.02–0.07 Hz is suitable. Relying on the results of our methodological tests, we perform deviatoric moment tensor (MT) inversions for events with Mw>3.0. Here, we present 75 solutions for earthquakes between January 2016 and December 2019 and analyze our results in the seismotectonic context of historical earthquakes, seismic activity of the last 3 decades, and GNSS deformation data. We study regions of comparably high seismic activity during the last decades, namely the Western Alps, the region around Lake Garda, and the eastern Southern Alps, as well as clusters further from the study region, i.e., in the northern Dinarides and the Apennines. Seismicity is particularly low in the Eastern Alps and in parts of the Central Alps. We apply a clustering algorithm to focal mechanisms, considering additional mechanisms from existing catalogs. Related to the N–S compressional regime, E–W-to-ENE–WSW-striking thrust faulting is mainly observed in the Friuli area in the eastern Southern Alps. Strike-slip faulting with a similarly oriented pressure axis is observed along the northern margin of the Central Alps and in the northern Dinarides. NW–SE-striking normal faulting is observed in the NW Alps, showing a similar strike direction to normal faulting earthquakes in the Apennines. Both our centroid depths and hypocentral depths in existing catalogs indicate that Alpine seismicity is predominantly very shallow; about 80 % of the studied events have depths shallower than 10 km.

Characteristics of Seismicity in the Eagle Ford Shale Play, Southern Texas, Constrained by Earthquake Relocation and Centroid Moment Tensor Inversion

Abstract Analysis of earthquake locations and centroid moment tensors (CMTs) is critical in assessing seismogenic structures and connecting earthquakes to anthropogenic activities. The objective of this study was to gain insights into the seismotectonics of the Eagle Ford Shale play (EF), southern Texas, through relative relocation of earthquakes, assessment of CMT solutions, and investigation of the background stress field. Using Texas Seismological Network (TexNet) data from 2017 through 2019, we were able to relocate 326 earthquakes and obtain CMT solutions for 37 ML≥2.0 earthquakes. These earthquakes are located in the sedimentary basin and uppermost crust, with depths ranging from 2 to 10 km. The earthquake groups in the northeastern EF are linearly distributed along the Karnes fault zone, whereas the southern and western groups are spatially scattered around mapped or unmapped faults. CMT solutions identified 32 normal fault earthquakes and five strike-slip earthquakes. The orientation of the fault plane of most normal fault earthquakes is southwest–northeast, whereas the possible fault plane of the strike-slip fault is from north-northwest to south-southeast, which is roughly perpendicular to the normal faults. Normal and strike-slip faults in the EF are of high dip angles, with the dip angles of the most faults ranging from 60° to 80°. Stress inversion results show that the major orientation of maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) is southwest–northeast, with minor local stress-field rotations. We further estimated earthquake energy release in the EF region using moment magnitude from the CMT solutions, and the cumulative earthquake energy release curve reveals three notable increases in cumulative seismic moment, which occurred in January–July 2018 and January–March 2019, and May–August 2019. Whether these energy releases were caused by anthropogenic activities is a matter for further investigation.

Long-period ground motion simulation using centroid moment tensor inversion solutions based on the regional three-dimensional model in the Kanto region, Japan

We conducted centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversions of moderate (Mw 4.5–6.5) earthquakes in the Kanto region, Japan, using a local three-dimensional (3D) model. We then investigated the effects of our 3D CMT solutions on long-period ground motion simulations. Grid search CMT inversions were conducted using displacement seismograms for periods of 25–100 s. By comparing our 3D CMT solutions with those from the local one-dimensional (1D) catalog, we found that our 3D CMT inversion systematically provides magnitudes smaller than those in the 1D catalog. The Mw differences between 3D and 1D catalogs tend to be significant for earthquakes within the oceanic slab. By comparing ground motion simulations between 1D and 3D velocity models, we confirmed that observed Mw differences could be explained by differences in the rigidity structures around the source regions between 3D and 1D velocity models. The 3D velocity structures (especially oceanic crust and mantle) are important for estimating seismic moments in intraslab earthquakes, which are related to fault size estimation. A detailed discussion for intraslab seismicity can be conducted using the 3D CMT catalog. The seismic moments also directly affect the amplitudes of ground motions. The 3D CMT catalog allows us to directly conduct the precise forward and inverse modeling of long-period ground motion without adjusting source models, which have been typically applied in the cases using the 1D CMT catalog. We also conducted long-period ground motion simulations using our 3D CMT solutions to evaluate the reproducibility of long-period ground motions at stations within the Kanto Basin. The simulations of our 3D CMT solutions well-reproduced observed ground motions for periods longer than 10 s, even at stations within the Kanto Basin. The reproducibility of simulations was improved from those using solutions in the 1D catalog.

Fluid-driven seismicity in relatively stable continental regions: Insights from the February 3rd, 2020 MS5.1 Qingbaijiang isolated earthquake

On February 3rd, 2020, an isolated MS5.1 earthquake occurred in the northern section of the Longquanshan fault zone. This study aims at defining the geometry of seismogenic structures of this earthquake. In detail, centroid moment tensor inversion results show that the earthquake is characterized by a focal depth of 3.8 ​km with no corresponding surface faults. The strike/dip/rake angles for the two nodal planes are 205°/54°/96° and 15°/36°/82°, respectively. With the analyses of coseismic deformation of the surface obtained from InSAR measurements, together with the information of relocated hypocenters for a small number of aftershocks, it is concluded that a northwest-dipping nodal plane corresponds well to the source fault. The fault is suggested to have a length of about 2.8 ​km and a depth range of 2–5 ​km, and the centroid of the earthquake is located at 104.48°E and 30.71°N. Furthermore, multiple pieces of evidence indicate that this earthquake is partly driven by the overpressure effect associated with the adjacent natural gas packets, which is similar to several other moderate natural earthquakes in Sichuan Basin.

Application of high-rate GPS for earthquake rapid response and modelling: a case in the 2019 Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake

SUMMARYThe 2019 Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake opens an opportunity to investigate how soon we can produce a reliable fault geometry and subsequently a robust source model based on high-rate Global Positioning System (GPS) data. In this study, we conduct peak ground displacement (PGD) magnitude scaling, real-time centroid moment tensor (CMT) calculation and rapid kinematic slip inversion. We conclude that a four-station PGD warning with a magnitude of Mw 7.03 can be issued at 24 s after initiation of the rupture. Fast CMT inversion can initially recover the correct nodal planes at 30 s. The kinematic slip model reveals that the Mw 7.1 earthquake is a predominant dextral strike-slip event with both normal and thrust components resolved. The earthquake shows a bilateral rupture with a low propagation speed of ∼2.1 km s−1 and a slip maxima of ∼4 m. The total moment is 5.18 × 1019 N m (Mw 7.11). We further suggest that a reasonable source model will be available in a simulated real-time mode within 30 s after the earthquake occurring, without using full high-rate GPS waveforms. This research highlights the significance of high-rate GPS for rapid earthquake response and modelling of kinematic rupture, which is also generalized by the hypothetical real-time GPS analysis for the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake and the 2010 Mw 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake.

Centroid moment tensor inversions of offshore earthquakes using a three-dimensional velocity structure model: slip distributions on the plate boundary along the Nankai Trough

SUMMARYDue to complex 3-D heterogeneous structures, conventional 1-D analysis techniques using onshore seismograms can yield incorrect estimation of earthquake source parameters, especially dip angles and centroid depths of offshore earthquakes. Combining long-term onshore seismic observations and numerical simulations of seismic wave propagation in a 3-D model, we conducted centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversions of earthquakes along the Nankai Trough between April 2004 and August 2019 to evaluate decade-scale seismicity. Green's functions for CMT inversions of earthquakes with moment magnitudes of 4.3–6.5 were evaluated using finite-difference method simulations of seismic wave propagation in the regional 3-D velocity structure model. Significant differences of focal mechanisms and centroid depths between previous 1-D and our 3-D catalogues were found in the solutions of offshore earthquakes. By introducing the 3-D structures of the low-velocity accretionary prism and the Philippine Sea Plate, dip angles and centroid depths for offshore earthquakes were well-constrained. Teleseismic CMT also provides robust solutions, but our regional 3-D CMT could provide better constraints of dip angles. Our 3-D CMT catalogue and published slow earthquake catalogues depicted spatial distributions of slip behaviours on the plate boundary along the Nankai Trough. The regular and slow interplate earthquakes were separately distributed, with these distributions reflecting the heterogeneous distribution of effective strengths along the Nankai Trough plate boundary. By comparing the spatial distribution of seismic slip on the plate boundary with the slip-deficit rate distribution, regions with strong coupling were clearly identified.

Structural Characteristics of the Nankai Trough Shallow Plate Boundary Inferred From Shallow Very Low Frequency Earthquakes

AbstractThe spatial distributions of shallow slow earthquakes are related to stress accumulation and structural characteristics of the shallow plate boundary, which are important for understanding megathrust earthquakes. To investigate spatiotemporal variation of shallow very low frequency earthquake (SVLFE) activity along the Nankai Trough, we conducted centroid moment tensor inversion method incorporating effects of offshore heterogeneous structures. By applying centroid moment tensor method into long‐term onshore seismograms, we obtained spatiotemporal variation of SVLFE activity occurred from June 2003 to May 2018. We find that SVLFE activities are related to the spatial variations of the slip‐deficit rate and pore fluid around the Philippine Sea plate boundary. SVLFEs are effectively activated by mechanical weakening due to rich pore fluid in areas surrounding strongly locked zones. Our results imply that spatial variations of long‐term SVLFE activity provide information on tectonic environments, which could constrain the rupture behavior of shallow plate boundaries during future megathrust earthquakes.

Repeating VLFEs During ETS Events in Cascadia Track Slow Slip and Continue Throughout Inter‐ETS Period

AbstractEpisodic tremor and slip (ETS) events in Cascadia include slow earthquake phenomena such as slow slip events, tremor, low frequency earthquakes (LFEs), and very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs; Rogers & Dragert, 2003, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1084783). Using VLFEs detected from a grid‐search centroid moment tensor inversion algorithm in the 2011 (Ghosh et al., 2015, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL063286) and 2014 (Hutchison & Ghosh, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069750) ETS events as templates, we apply a matched filter algorithm to create a VLFE catalog for each ETS event. We also use the 2011 template events to create a VLFE catalog from July 2011 through the end of 2012, which encompasses both the 2012 ETS event and an inter‐ETS period. The successful application matched filtering intrinsically suggests that VLFEs are repeating events, of which thousands were detected during each ETS event. The findings contained herein come shortly after the successful application of a similar matched filter methodology in Western Japan where a number of VLFEs were also successfully detected (Baba et al., 2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076122). The high temporal resolution of these VLFE catalogs show a significant increase in VLFE activity during ETS events that drops off immediately before and after the ETS period. A comparison of VLFE activity to GPS data shows that VLFE tracks slow slip, even when tremor is not occurring or is behaving anomalously during ETS periods. Finally, we find continued VLFE activity during the inter‐ETS period for all template events, though the extent of reactivation of VLFE asperities and their spatiotemporal coincidence with tremor is varied among the template events.