Double-couple Research Articles

Non‐Double‐Couple Components of Seismic Source: Method and Application to the 2014–2015 Bárðarbunga Volcanic Event Sequence, Iceland

AbstractGenuine non‐double‐couple (non‐DC) components of a seismic source, defined here as the non‐DC components that are not due to summation of pure double‐couple (DC) components, provide important insight into special physical processes in non‐earthquake sources such as explosion, volcano eruption and collapse etc. Yet they remain challenging to be resolved. To address the issue and explore the physical mechanism of those special events, we develop a waveform‐polarity‐based moment tensor (WPMT) inversion method and employ it to study physical process in the 2014–2015 Bárðarbunga volcano event sequence. The WPMT method incorporates P‐wave polarity data and seismic waveforms in the source inversion, designs a source simplicity test to check possible complex rupture in the seismic source, and employs a simulated annealing algorithm to search the best source solution. The simplicity test checks consistency of the source processes in the initiation stage of the event and the major energy release process of the event, thus ensuring that the inferred non‐DC components are genuine to the seismic source. Real event and synthetic tests indicate that the WPMT method can identify and resolve genuine non‐DC components in a seismic source. The WPMT inversions of the Bárðarbunga sequence yield many genuine non‐DC source components and reveal that the eruptions are accompanied by seismic activities in depths of 1–5 km with magma migrations out of chambers, collapses of conduits, failures of normal faults, and a magma recharge at a depth of 9 km accompanied by a failure on a nearby normal fault.

Which Global Moment Tensor Catalog Provides the Most Precise Non-Double-Couple Components?

Abstract The availability of digital seismic waveform data enabled compilation of seismic moment tensor catalogs that provide information about earthquake source processes beyond what could be derived from earlier methods that assume double-couple sources representing slip on planar faults. This additional versatility involves additional complexity. Moment tensors are determined by inversions minimizing the misfit between observed and synthetic waveforms, and depend on the specifics of the data inverted, the inversion algorithm, and the Earth structure assumed. Hence, substantial uncertainties arise in moment tensors and quantities derived from them, which can be assessed by comparing moment tensors from multiple global and regional catalogs using different data and inversion procedures. While the double-couple (DC) components of moment tensors are generally determined with greater certainty, non-double-couple (NDC) components for the same earthquake sometimes differ significantly between catalogs. This observation raises questions about the reliability of their determination and hence their geological significance. Using the correlation between NDC components in different catalogs, we quantify the reliability of NDC components in moment tensor catalogs through the determination of the effects of unmodeled and inaccurately modeled effects contained in them. We determine that the NDC components in the Global Centroid Moment Tensor catalog are, on average, more precise than in other catalogs, and thus studies on NDC components should be based on this catalog. Furthermore, their uncertainties are largely unrelated to uncertainties in the DC components. Therefore, the reliability of fault angles derived from a moment tensor is largely independent from the reliability of its NDC components.

Phase Transformation Under High Pressure Radiates as a Double Couple Deep Earthquake

AbstractDeep‐focus earthquakes (DFEs) originating at the Mantle‐Transition‐Zone (MTZ) (400–700 km) have a Double Couple (DC) radiation pattern similar to crustal earthquakes; however, their mechanism is different and governed by high pressures (15–25 GPa) at nucleation depths. We present a model of nucleation and growth of regions of phase transformation, undergoing a sudden reduction in volume (5%–10%), “volume collapse.” Successive symmetry‐breaking instabilities minimize the energy spent to move the boundary of phase discontinuity and a collapsing volume expands as a flattened pancake‐like self‐similarly expanding Eshelby ellipsoidal inclusion. At the vanishing of the M integral, expressing the balance of flows of energy across the inclusion boundary, at a critical value of the pressure, an arbitrarily small inclusion nucleates and grows at constant potential energy driven by the pressure acting on the change in volume. The inclusion develops shear eigenstrains that decompose into two DC, placing one on the basal plane to radiate without energy losses. The symmetric volume collapse radiates out as an anti‐symmetric DC, and the radiated energy is obtained as the “excess energy,” of the ambient pressure acting on the “volume collapse,” reduced by the energy consumed for the growth of the pancake surfaces, with a “pressure drop” (p0 − pcr) driving the expansion emitting a DC, even under full isotropy. The solution explains some features of the DFEs, (a) the DC radiation, (b) their large energies (the Mw 8.3 Okhotsk earthquake [2013]), (c) the absence of volumetric radiation, and (d) why they can originate in the MTZ, a long‐standing open problem.

NA-GCAP: A New Full Moment Tensor Inversion Method Based on the Renewed GRTM and NA Method

Abstract Moment tensor inversion plays a crucial role in determining earthquake types, magnitude, and source geometry. Compared to polarity and amplitude methods, full-waveform approaches provide more comprehensive constraints on the complex full moment tensor (FMT). In this study, we propose a novel FMT inversion method named neighborhood algorithm-generalized cut-and-paste (NA-GCAP) method. Similar to the “cut-and-paste” method, our approach divides seismograms into Pnl and surface-wave segments. To enhance inversion efficiency, we employ the NA in conjunction with a newly developed strategy for efficient Green’s functions computation based on the renewed fast generalized reflection and transmission method (GRTM). Our method requires only a single forward computation and stores ten Green’s functions, significantly improving computational efficiency. We validate the robustness of our approach through synthetic tests using a velocity model perturbed by 5% relative to the input model. Furthermore, we apply the NA-GCAP method to the 2019 Changning earthquake sequence comprising 16 earthquakes, where twelve events exhibit double-couple (DC) components larger than 0.95, indicating a simple dislocation source, and four events display significant non-DC components. Our results align well with the previous studies and demonstrate the potential for widespread application to other earthquake sequences in the future.

Bayesian Seismic Source Inversion With a 3‐D Earth Model of the Japanese Islands

AbstractWe present probabilistic centroid‐moment tensor solutions inferred from the combination of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo sampling and a 3‐D full‐waveform inversion Earth model of the Japanese islands. While the former provides complete posterior probability densities, the latter allows us to exploit waveform data with periods as low as 15 s. For the computation of Green's functions, we employ spectral‐element simulations through the radially anisotropic and visco‐elastic model, leading to substantial improvements of data fit compared to layered models. Focusing on 13 Mw 4.8–Mw 5.3 offshore earthquakes with a significant non‐double‐couple (non‐DC) component, we simultaneously infer the centroid location, time and moment tensor without any a priori constraints on the faulting mechanism. Furthermore, we perform the inversions across several period bands, varying the minimum period between 15 and 50 s. Accounting for 3‐D Earth structure at shorter periods can increase the double‐couple (DC) component of an event, compared to the GCMT solution, by tens of percent. This suggests that non‐DC events in the GCMT catalog may result from unmodeled Earth structure and the related limitation to longer‐period data. We also observe that significant changes in source parameters, and the DC component in particular, may be related to only small waveform changes, thereby accentuating the importance of a reliable Earth model. Posterior probability density distributions become increasingly multimodal for shorter‐period data that provide tighter constraints on source parameters. This implies, in our specific case, that stochastic approaches to the source inversion problem are required for periods below ∼20 s to avoid trapping in local minima.

Seismic Sources in Stress‐Induced Anisotropic Media

Rocks in the upper mantle are extensively subjected to initial stress. The rock exhibits elastic anisotropy under the deviatoric stress, which affects the seismic response of underground structures. This paper aims to study the effect of stress-induced anisotropy on the seismic source. The seismic moment tensor generated by a shear faulting in a homogeneous isotropic medium with initial stress is derived by using the motion description in the intermediate configuration, the constitutive relation of third-order elasticity, and the boundary condition considering the effect of initial stress. Then the seismic moment tensor is decomposed to investigate seismic source characters quantitatively. Our results show that shear faulting in a stress-induced anisotropic medium can produce significant non-double-couple (non-DC) mechanisms, including compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) and isotropic (ISO) components. ISO and CLVD components vary linearly with the initial shear stress on faults. In addition, stress-induced anisotropy causes the double-couple (DC) to deviate from the plane defined by the fault normal and slip direction. The initial stress not only affects the source intensity but also affects the propagation of seismic waves. The radiation patterns of longitudinal waves have non-uniform lobes, which shows the characteristic of anisotropy. Stress-induced anisotropic parameters are smaller than intrinsic anisotropy at high-stress levels and a nearly linear function of the increased initial stress. These results underscore the importance of considering stress-induced anisotropy in the inversion of focal mechanisms and provide a new perspective for monitoring underground stress.

Investigating the effects of random data errors on the waveform-based moment tensor inversion

SUMMARY The linear Gauss–Markov model for waveform-based moment tensor inversion often relies on the overdetermined least-squares method. It needs a proper stochastic model of the observables for accurate and precise estimates of the unknown parameters. Furthermore, estimating the level and distribution of random errors in the observed waveforms is challenging due to assessing the minimum-variance unbiased estimator (MVUE). Hence, according to the considerable effects of random data errors in assessing the uncertainty of the moment tensor components, this paper aims to describe an MVUE of the data covariance matrix and its application on uncertainty quantification of the moment tensor. The used mathematical prescription allows us to use the covariance matrix for the three-component noise records at every station and all possible cross-correlations among the recorded noise wavefield. To illustrate the proposed method’s performance, we conducted tests with synthetic data using configuration of the 2018 Mw 6.8 Zakynthos (Ionian Sea, Greece) earthquake. Both uncorrelated and correlated random noise traces were added to the synthetic waveform data in amounts between 5 and 20 per cent of the maximum amplitude. In order to test the efficiency of the method, we considered three different structures of covariance matrix: (i) diagonal matrix (contains a variance of individual measurements at seismic stations), (ii) block-diagonal matrix (considering cross-covariance among three components at each station), and (iii) full covariance matrix. Test results are presented by comparison of the moment tensor inversion outcomes with known noise levels of generated synthetic data and with synthetic focal mechanisms, the ability of the estimated full covariance matrix in illustrating the minimum variance of parameters (namely, minimum posterior uncertainties), unbiased of the parameters, and values of the cross-correlations between the components of each station and also among stations. Finally, we applied the method to the real waveforms of the Zakynthos earthquake having inferred focal mechanism of strike/dip/rake angles 13/40/171 (deg) with 33 per cent double couple (DC) and −61 per cent compensated linear vector dipole component (CLVD). The focal mechanism solution has strike/dip/rake angles 19/34/177 (deg) with 69 per cent DC and −23 per cent CLVD when using our estimated full covariance matrix.

Comparison of Single-Well Microseismic Focal Mechanism Inversions with Different Source Models

ABSTRACT Through downhole monitoring, the focal mechanisms of microearthquakes can be quantitatively determined, thus providing valuable information for characterizing the fracturing process and the in situ stress status. The double-couple (DC) and moment tensor (MT) source models are commonly used to study microearthquakes. However, the DC model fails to include non-DC mechanisms, and MT inversion from single-well data is still challenging. One possible way to address this is using the shear–tensile general dislocation (GD) source model. We provide a detailed comparison of the DC, GD, and MT models, and introduce the differences in their modeling and inversion theories. These three models are described by four, five, and six parameters, and correspond to a single point, a straight line, and the entire space in the Hudson source-type plots, respectively. Both the DC and GD models yield nonlinear inversions, whereas the MT inversion is linear. Synthetic tests set up from a field single-well monitoring case are performed to study the resolvability of the DC, GD, and MT models in single-well focal mechanism inversions. The results indicate that the inversion error increases from DC→GD→MT for a single-well acquisition system, and the GD and DC inversions are both stable, whereas the MT inversion deviates from the inputs in cases with a perfectly vertical receiver array, 5% model velocity perturbations, 10 m horizontal source location errors, or 40% noise levels. We also find that the focal mechanism inversion mainly depends on the horizontal source–receiver azimuth coverage, and that the nonvertical well direction is helpful for constraining single-well inversions. According to our study, focal mechanism inversions based on the GD model can obtain reliable solutions from near-vertical single-well data, which will help improve non-DC earthquake studies.

Numerical simulation of seismic waves in 3-D orthorhombic poroelastic medium with microseismic source implementation

SUMMARY We have carried out microseismic forward modelling in orthorhombic poroelastic medium. The seismic response to isotropic (ISO) source, double couple (DC) source and compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) source was solved by finite-difference algorithm in time domain, respectively. We used analytical solution to test our numerical algorithm and find that the match between the analytical solutions and numerical solutions is sufficiently close. We then designed several different models to calculate the seismic response and analyse the effect of medium parameters and source mechanism on the propagation of seismic waves. We observed from the modelling results that ISO source excites two kinds of waves in isotropic medium, which are fast longitudinal wave and slow longitudinal wave, while the DC and CLVD sources excite three kinds of waves in isotropic medium, including a transverse wave in addition to the fast and slow longitudinal waves. All of these three kinds of sources generate four kinds of seismic waves in orthorhombic poroelastic medium. These are two separable transverse waves in addition to the fast and slow longitudinal waves. The fluid viscosity and medium tortuosity has an effect on the propagation of the slow longitudinal wave. The slow longitudinal wave appears in propagating mode under the effect of low fluid viscosity and appears at the source location in a static mode under the effect of high fluid viscosity. The wavefield snapshot of the slow longitudinal wave has a circular shape when the tortuosity is isotropic, whereas it has an oval shape when the tortuosity is anisotropic. As far as the anisotropic parameters are concerned, the anisotropy of the fast longitudinal wave is more sensitive to the value of $\varepsilon ( {{\varepsilon _1},{\varepsilon _2}} )$, while the value of ${\rm{\delta }}( {{{\rm{\delta }}_1},{{\rm{\delta }}_2},{{\rm{\delta }}_3}} )$ has more effect on the anisotropic behaviour of the two separable transverse waves.

Seismic Moment Tensor Inversion of an Induced Microseismic Event, Offshore Norway: An Insight into the Possible Cause of Wellbore Liner Failure during a Drilling Operation

Abstract A microseismic event with Mw∼0.8 was recorded at the Grane oilfield, offshore Norway, in June 2015. This event is believed to be associated with a failure of the wellbore liner in well 25/11-G-8 A. The failure mechanism has been difficult to explain from drilling parameters and operational logs alone. In this study, we analyzed the detected microseismic event to shed light on the possible cause of this event. We inverted for the seismic moment tensor, analyzed the S/P amplitude ratio and radiation pattern of seismic waves, and then correlated the microseismic data with the drilling reports. The inverted seismic moment indicates a shear-tensile (dislocation) event with a strong positive isotropic component (67% of total energy) accompanied by a positive compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) and a reverse double-couple (DC) component. Drilling logs show a strong correlation between high pump pressure and the occurrence of several microseismic events during the drilling of the well. The strongest microseismic event (Mw∼0.8) occurred during peak pump pressure of 277 bar. The application of high pump pressure was associated with an attempt to release the liner hanger running tool (RT) in the well, which had been obstructed. Improper setting of the liner hanger could have caused the forces from the RT release to be transferred to the liner and might have resulted in ripping and parting of the pipe. The possible direct impact of the ripped liner with the formation or the likely sudden hydraulic pressure exposure to the formation caused by the liner ripping may explain the estimated isotropic component in the moment tensor inversion in the well. This impact can promote slip along the pre-existing fractures (the DC component). The presence of gas in the formation or the funneled fluid to the formation caused by the liner ripping may explain the CLVD component.

The 2014–2015 complex collapse of the Bárðarbunga caldera, Iceland, revealed by seismic moment tensors

Between August 2014 and February 2015, a caldera collapse process in Bárðarbunga volcano accompanied a fissure eruption at the Holuhraun lava field after magma had propagated laterally 45 km from the Bárðarbunga magma chamber to the lava field. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) reported around 30,000 earthquakes at the caldera, including more than 70 earthquakes with moment magnitude MW ≥ 5.0. We built a moment tensor catalog of around 230 seismic events at the caldera with MW between 3.7 and 5.5 using a waveform inversion method. We identified five event families based on focal mechanisms, double couple (DC) and compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components, epicentral distribution relative to the caldera center, and time of occurrence. The main characteristics of these families are (1) DC to CLVD normal faulting events with steep (50°–70°) to near-vertical (>70°) dip angles on the northern side of the caldera; (2) DC to CLVD normal events with predominant steep (50°–70°) dip angles on the southern side of the caldera; (3) intra-caldera oblique strike-slip events; and (4) thrust events at the eastern side of the caldera with a horizontal tension axis compensated linear vector dipole (T-CLVD) component. Each family provided new insights about the Bárðarbunga collapse mechanism such as (1) a systematic increase in the CLVD component with magnitude, corroborating that the curvature in the ring fault is the likely cause for the vertical CLVD moment tensors observed for the largest events; (2) seismic evidence of near-vertical dip angles in agreement with the vertical faults observed in many calderas worldwide, and numerical and analog models of caldera collapse structures; (3) intra-caldera oblique and strike-slip events on the western side of the caldera occurred by asymmetric collapse; (4) thrust horizontal T-CLVD events observed at the last stage of the eruption, possibly related to a viscoelastic response.

Determining the Double Couple Moment Tensor for Kamchatka Earthquakes from Regional Seismic Waveforms

Determining the Double Couple Moment Tensor for Kamchatka Earthquakes from Regional Seismic Waveforms

Seismic radiation analyses in anisotropic media based on general dislocation source model

AbstractAnisotropy affects the focal mechanism and makes it complicated. A shear motion generates a pure double-couple (DC) source in isotropic media. While in anisotropic media, it will produce non-DC components, which contain isotropic (ISO) and compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components. Besides, coupled with the diversity of fault motion, the source may become extremely complicated. In this paper, the seismic moment tensor is obtained based on the dislocation model, and then a variety of analyses are performed with the moment tensor, including moment tensor decomposition, radiation pattern, radiated energy ratio and seismic propagation characteristics. Since the anisotropy of the medium also influences seismic wave propagation, a hypothesis is made that the source region is minimal and anisotropic, but the propagation path is isotropic. The research gives some interesting conclusions. It is found that the anisotropy mainly affects the focal mechanism under low slope angle while high slope angle has little effect on the polarity. In terms of the moment tensor decomposition, if only one of ISO or CLVD exists, it can be asserted that the source region is anisotropic because ISO components are accompanied by CLVD components in isotropy media. As for the DC component, the results indicate it is one of the most important factors for determining the ratio of radiant energy. This paper presents some valuable findings of the focal mechanism of the general dislocation source under anisotropy, which helps to recognise the source characteristics of the earthquake and build solid foundations for the subsequent inversion of the focal mechanism.

Tectonic and Anthropogenic Characteristics of the November 15, 2019 Micro Earthquakes Sequence, Kuwait

On November 15, 2019, a sequence of small/micro earthquakes struck specific area near an oil production field in the northern part of the State of Kuwait. Generally, the phenomenon of the earthquakes swarming is rarely occurring in Kuwait. More than 56 earthquakes were monitored by the Kuwait National Seismic Network (KNSN) where the magnitudes of the earthquakes ranged between 0.8 and 4.1, and their recorded continued for two consecutive days. In this respect, we conducted a modern geophysical analysis (e.g. waveform-fitting, spectral analysis and faulting focal mechanism) to identify the nature and origin of these earthquakes. The values of moment tensors, double-couple (DC) and non-double-couple components signature, stress drop, and stress ratios are fundamentally calculated, in addition to detailed knowledge of the structural setting of the region where earthquake swarming occurred were also used to distinguish and estimate natural and anthropogenic components percentages of theses earthquakes. The results obtained indicated that these earthquakes sequence has an equivalent anthropogenic to tectonic component, meaning that it occurred as a result of oil extraction, but also occurred on pre-existing faults.

Quantitative Acoustic Emissions Source Mechanisms Analysis of Soft and Competent Rocks through Micromechanics-Seismicity Coupled Modeling

This research studied seismic source mechanisms of acoustic emission (AE) events generated during the failure of intact and jointed rock samples using a microscale mechanical-seismicity coupled microscale model. During rock failure, forces and displacements around microcracks were measured in the model to determine seismic moment tensor. Interpretation of AE data was carried out by decomposing the moment tensor into a double couple (DC), a compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD), and isotropic component (ISO). In this study, microscale numerical models of Lac du Bonnet (LDB) granite (intact and jointed) and a Berea sandstone sample were built to represent the mechanical behavior of hard and soft rocks. Subsequently, several numerical triaxial tests under different confining pressures were conducted to analyze source mechanisms of AE events during rock failure. Numerical analysis shows the significant contribution of positive non-DC component during the LDB granite rock failure and significant DC component during the Berea rock failure. The source mechanisms of AE move to the negative non-DC component at higher confining for both granite and sandstone samples. Joint failure causes non-DC component toward crack opening at low confining pressure and a non-DC component toward crack closure events under higher confining pressure. Simulation results, presented in this work, show how micromechanical properties of rocks and joints as well as stress conditions give rise to different types of AE source mechanisms during rock failure.

Effects of Secondary Sources of Underground Nuclear Explosions on the mb : Ms Criterion and Implications for Discrimination of the DPRK’s Nuclear Tests

ABSTRACTThe mb : Ms (mb vs. Ms) relationship is an important criterion for screening explosions from earthquakes and has been widely adopted in seismological monitoring by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. In general, the earthquakes have larger Ms than the underground explosions with equivalent mb. However, it has been reported that this recognition criterion failed to identify some explosions at the North Korea nuclear test site. In this study, we investigate the potential effects of secondary source components, including the compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) and double-couple (DC) sources, on mb and Ms magnitude measurements and the physical mechanism of the mb : Ms recognition criterion by calculating synthetic seismograms. The results show an apparent critical body-wave magnitude of 5 when using the mb : Ms method to discriminate North Korean underground nuclear explosions. The Ms measurements decrease as the CLVD components increase, whereas the effects from the DC source can be neglected. Small events, such as the first five North Korean nuclear tests, generate weak CLVD components, leading to the failure of mb : Ms-based discrimination, whereas the last event, with a larger magnitude, caused extensive damage and hence can be successfully discriminated. In addition, the large difference between the source spectrum of explosions and those of earthquakes might be another important factor in the successful mb : Ms-based discrimination of the sixth North Korean nuclear test.

Generalized orthonormal moment tensor decomposition and its source-type diagram

Moment tensor decomposition is a method for deriving the isotropic (ISO), double-couple (DC), and compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components from a seismic moment tensor. Currently, there are two families of methods, namely, standard moment tensor decomposition and Euclidean moment tensor decomposition. Although both methods can usually provide workable solutions, there are some minor inconsistencies between the two methods: an equality inconsistency that occurs in standard moment tensor decomposition and the pure CLVD unity and flip basis inconsistency encountered in Euclidean moment tensor decomposition. Moreover, there is a sign problem when disentangling the CLVD component from a DC-dominated case. To address these minor inconsistencies, we propose a new moment tensor decomposition method inspired by both previous methods. The new method can not only avoid all these minor inconsistencies but also withstand deviations in ISO- or CLVD-dominated cases when using source-type diagrams.

Probabilistic Moment Tensor Inversion for Hydrocarbon-Induced Seismicity in the Groningen Gas Field, the Netherlands, Part 2: Application

ABSTRACTRecent developments in the densification of the seismic network covering the Groningen gas field allow a more detailed study of the connection between induced seismicity and reactivated faults around the gas reservoir at 3 km depth. With the reduction of the average station distance from 20 km to 4–5 km, a probabilistic full-waveform moment tensor inversion procedure could be applied, resulting in both improved hypocenter location accuracy and full moment tensor solutions for events of M≥2.0 recorded in the period 2016–2019. Hypocenter locations as output from the moment tensor inversion are compared to locations from the application of other methods and are found similar within 250 m distance. Moment tensor results show that the double-couple (DC) solutions are in accordance with the known structure, namely normal faulting along 50°–70° dipping faults. Comparison with reprocessed 3D seismic sections, extended to a depth of 6–7 km, demonstrate that (a) most events occur along faults with a small throw and (b) reactivated faults in the reservoir often continue downward in the Carboniferous underburden. From non-DC contributions, the isotropic (ISO) component is dominant and shows consistent negative values, which is expected in a compacting medium. There is some indication that events connected to faults with a large throw (>70 m) exhibit the largest ISO component (40%–50%).

Full moment tensor inversion constrained by double-couple focal mechanism for induced seismicity*

In this study, we propose a new method to determine full moment tensor solution for induced seismicity. This method generalizes the full waveform matching algorithm we have developed to determine the double-couple (DC) focal mechanism based on the neighbourhood algorithm. One major difference between the new method and the former one is that we adopt a new misfit function to constrain the candidate moment tensor solutions with respect to a reference DC solution in addition to other misfit terms characterizing the waveform matching. Through synthetic tests using a real passive seismic survey geometry, the results show the new constraint can help better recover the DC components of inverted moment tensors. We further investigate how errors in the velocity model and source location affect the moment tensor solution. The synthetic test results indicate that the constrained inversion is robust in recovering both the DC and non-DC components. We also test the proposed method on several real induced events in an oil/gas field in Oman using the same observation system as synthetic tests. While it is found that the full moment tensor solutions without using the DC constraints have much larger non-DC components than solutions with the DC constraints, both solutions are able to fit the observed waveforms at similar levels. The synthetic and real test results suggest the proposed DC constrained inversion method can reliably retrieve full moment tensor solutions for the induced seismicity.

Features of the Focal Mechanisms of the Strongest Mediterranean Earthquakes

The focal mechanisms of earthquakes in the Mediterranean region that do not match the double couple focal model and that describe the complex source rupture are considered. Analysis is performed by decomposition of the observed seismic moment tensor of the strongest earthquakes into isotropic (ISO), double couple (DC), and compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components. There were 121 earth- quakes with magnitudes over 5.5 in the region according to the observations for 2000–2019. Of these, 57 events do not match the double couple model. The CLVD parameters are obtained for these earthquakes, and the physical interpretation of the results of the seismic moment tensor decomposition are proposed. This is the first time such an analysis is conducted. Conclusions about the features of the observed destruction processes and the structure of the medium in the focal zones are made based on the results.