Tremor Locations Research Articles

Locating non-volcanic tremor along the San Andreas Fault using a multiple array source imaging technique

Non-volcanic tremor (NVT) has been observed at several subduction zones and at the San Andreas Fault (SAF). Tremor locations are commonly derived by cross-correlating envelope-transformed seismic traces in combination with source-scanning techniques. Recently, they have also been located by using relative relocations with master events, that is low-frequency earthquakes that are part of the tremor; locations are derived by conventional traveltime-based methods. Here we present a method to locate the sources of NVT using an imaging approach for multiple array data. The performance of the method is checked with synthetic tests and the relocation of earthquakes. We also applied the method to tremor occurring near Cholame, California. A set of small-aperture arrays (i.e. an array consisting of arrays) installed around Cholame provided the data set for this study. We observed several tremor episodes and located tremor sources in the vicinity of SAF. During individual tremor episodes, we observed a systematic change of source location, indicating rapid migration of the tremor source along SAF.

Patterns in the recent 2007–2008 activity of Mount Etna volcano investigated by integrated geophysical and geochemical observations

Seismic, deformation, and volcanic gas observations offer independent and complementary information on the activity state and dynamics of quiescent and eruptive volcanoes and thus all contribute to volcanic risk assessment. In spite of their wide use, there have been only a few efforts to systematically integrate and compare the results of these different monitoring techniques. Here we combine seismic (volcanic tremor and long‐period seismicity), deformation (GPS), and geochemical (volcanic gas plume CO2/SO2 ratios) measurements in an attempt to interpret trends in the recent (2007–2008) activity of Etna volcano. We show that each eruptive episode occurring at the Southeast Crater (SEC) was preceded by a cyclic phase of increase‐decrease of plume CO2/SO2 ratios and by inflation of the volcano's summit captured by the GPS network. These observations are interpreted as reflecting the persistent supply of CO2‐rich gas bubbles (and eventually more primitive magmas) to a shallow (depth of 1–2.8 km asl) magma storage zone below the volcano's central craters (CCs). Overpressuring of the resident magma stored in the upper CCs' conduit triggers further magma ascent and finally eruption at SEC, a process which we capture as an abrupt increase in tremor amplitude, an upward (>2800 m asl) and eastward migration of the source location of seismic tremor, and a rapid contraction of the volcano's summit. Resumption of volcanic activity at SEC was also systematically anticipated by declining plume CO2/SO2 ratios, consistent with magma degassing being diverted from the central conduit area (toward SEC).

Short‐term and long‐term tremor migration patterns of the Cascadia 2004 tremor and slow slip episode using small aperture seismic arrays

Tectonic tremor has been recorded at many subduction zones, including the Nankai, Cascadia, Mexican, and Alaskan subduction zones. This study, the first to use small aperture seismic arrays to track tremor, deployed three small aperture seismic arrays along the Cascadia subduction zone during a tremor and slow slip episode in July 2004. The tremor was active during virtually all (up to 99%) minutes of the analyzed tremor episode using 5 min sample windows. Individual wave phases were tracked across the arrays and used to derive slowness vectors. These were compared with slowness vectors computed from a standard layered Earth model to derive tremor locations. Locations were stable within a volume roughly 250 km2 in epicenter and 20 km in depth for hours to days before moving to a new volume. The migration between volumes was not smooth, and the movement of the sources within the volume followed no specific pattern. Overall migration speeds along the strike of the subduction zone were between 5 and 15 km/d; smaller scale migration speeds between volumes reached speeds up to 2 km/min. Uncertainties in the best locations were 5 km in epicenter and 10 km in depth. For this data set and processing methodology, tremor does not locate predominately on the primary subduction interface. Our favored model for the generation of tectonic tremor signals is that the tremor is triggered by stress and fluid pressure changes caused by slow slip and is composed, at least in part, of low‐frequency earthquakes broadly distributed in location.

Locating nonvolcanic tremors beneath the San Andreas Fault using a station‐pair double‐difference location method

It has been a challenging task to locate nonvolcanic tremors because of the lack of impulsive wave arrivals. A station‐pair double‐difference (DD) location method is developed to determine absolute tremor locations by directly using the station‐pair travel time differences measured from cross‐correlating tremor waveform envelopes. Multiple tremors are located together for inverting for station corrections to take into account velocity model inaccuracy. The new method is applied to tremors in the Parkfield region of central California between 27 July 2001 and 21 February 2009. Compared to the tremor catalog locations determined from a grid search location method, most of the newly located tremors are located at depths between 20 and 35 km, well below the seismogenic zone in the area. The tremors beneath Cholame, CA are more clearly separated into two zones laterally distributed across the San Andreas Fault, with most tremors occurring to the southwest and exhibiting a periodic pattern of occurrence. The new tremor locations help better delineate the spatial and temporal distribution of tremor activity and therefore are helpful for better understanding tremor origin and process.

Array analysis and precise source location of deep tremor in Cascadia

We describe a new method to estimate the S‐P time of tremor‐like signals and its application to the nonvolcanic tremor recorded in July 2004 by three dense arrays in Cascadia. The cross correlation between vertical and horizontal components indicates that very often the high‐amplitude tremor signal contains sequences of P and S waves characterized by constant S‐P times (TS‐P) in the range 3.5–7 s. A detailed observation of the three component seismograms stacked over the array stations confirms the presence of P and S wave sequences. The knowledge of the TS‐P poses a strong constrain on the source‐array distance, which dramatically reduces the uncertainty on source locations when used with more traditional array processing techniques. Data were analyzed using the zero lag cross‐correlation technique (ZLCC) to estimate the propagation properties of the most correlated phases in the wavefield. Detailed polarization analyses were computed using the covariance matrix method in the time domain. Polarization parameters, joint with the results of ZLCC, allows for the discrimination between P and S coherent waves. Results show that the tremor wavefield is composed mostly by shear waves, although a consistent amount of coherent P waves is often observable. The comparison of the back azimuth at the three arrays indicate that the source of deep tremor migrates over a wide area, and often many independent sources located far from each other are active at the same time. The tremor source was located by a probabilistic method that uses the results of ZLCC, given a velocity model. When available, the inclusion of the TS‐P time in the location procedure strongly reduces the depth range, with a distribution of hypocenters very near the subduction interface. This result, significantly different compared with previous less precise locations, makes the Cascadia nonvolcanic tremor more similar to the nonvolcanic tremor recorded in Japan, at least in cases of measurable TS‐P. The polarization azimuth aligned with the slow slip direction and the source located on the plate interface indicate that deep tremor and slow slip are two different manifestations of a common phenomenon related with the subduction dynamics.

A multiparameter approach to volcano monitoring based on 4D analyses of seismo‐volcanic and acoustic signals: The 2008 Mt. Etna eruption

Volcanic tremor and low frequency events, together with infrasound signals, can represent important precursory phenomena of eruptive activity because of their strict relationship with eruptive mechanisms and with fluid flows through the volcano's feeding system. Important variations of these seismo‐volcanic and infrasound signals, recorded at Mt. Etna volcano, occurred both in the medium‐ and short‐term before the eruption, that took place on 13 May 2008. The most significant changes were observed in the frequency content and location of LP events, as well as in volcanic tremor location, that allowed us to track the magma pathway feeding the 2008 eruptive activity. The infrasound showed three different families of events linked to the activity of the three active vents: North‐East Crater, South‐East crater and the eruptive fissure. The seismic and infrasonic variations reported, corroborated by ground deformations variations, help to develop a quantitative prediction and early‐warning system for effusive and/or explosive eruptions.

Precise location of San Andreas Fault tremors near Cholame, California using seismometer clusters: Slip on the deep extension of the fault?

We examine a 24‐hour period of active San Andreas Fault (SAF) tremor and show that this tremor is largely composed of repeated similar events. Utilizing this similarity, we locate the subset of the tremor with waveforms similar to an identified low frequency earthquake (LFE) “master template,” located using P and S wave arrivals to be ∼26 km deep. To compensate for low signal‐to‐noise, we estimate event‐pair differential times at “clusters” of nearby stations rather than at single stations. We find that the locations form a near‐linear structure in map view, striking parallel to the SAF and near the surface trace. Therefore, we suggest that at least a portion of the tremor occurs on the deep extension of the fault, likely reflecting shear slip, similar to subduction zone tremor. If so, the SAF may extend to the base of the crust, ∼10 km below the deepest regular earthquakes on the fault.

Simple relationship between seismic activity along Philippine Sea slab and geometry of oceanic Moho beneath southwest Japan

SUMMARY Many earthquakes with various types of focal mechanisms occur along the subducting Philippine Sea slab (PHS) beneath southwest Japan, and the hypocentre distribution is quite inhomogeneous. In this region, distinct non-volcanic deep low-frequency tremors are often observed. To clarify the cause of these apparently complicated and peculiar seismic activities, we first construct a detailed configuration of the oceanic Moho (slab Moho) within the PHS based on a receiver function (RF) analysis. To convert the time-domain RFs into their depth-domain equivalents, we adopt a fine-scaled velocity model based on the traveltime tomography. The depth contours of the oceanic Moho exhibit complexities, but the active region of the intraslab earthquakes corresponds well to the oceanic Moho geometry. In the western part of Shikoku, the intraslab seismicity is very high and the focal mechanisms mainly exhibit normal faults with east‐west extension axes. Since the PHS is subducting to the west and the dip angle of the slab becomes steep in the western part of this region, the stress field in this region can be attributed to the slab pull induced by the westwards slab subduction. Similar types of focal mechanisms are observed in the Tokai district with a focal depth greater than 35 km. Since the oceanic Moho exhibits a ridge shape in this region, its stress field can be attributed to the slab pull and the effect of slab bending. Shallow earthquakes in the Tokai and eastern Shikoku regions have strike-slip focal mechanisms and their extension axes are parallel to the strike of the oceanic Moho. These focal mechanisms may be influenced by both the oblique subduction of the slab and low slab dip angle. Earthquakes beneath the Kii Peninsula exhibit strike-slip or downdip compression focal mechanisms with east‐west compression axes. Since the Moho beneath this peninsula shows a valley shape, compressional stress occurs around the Moho. Moreover, the slab convergence compresses this valley. This also induces the east‐west compression field in this region. We have newly confirmed the existence of an aseismic slab beneath the northern part of the Kinki district, central part of Japan. In this aseismic region, the dip direction of the slab is parallel to that of the slab convergence direction. This tendency is observed in the central part of Shikoku, where the slab seismicity is relatively low. These features imply that the intraslab seismicity is constrained by the interaction between the slab geometry and slab motion. We also revealed the possibility that the oceanic Moho beneath not only Ise Bay but also the Kii Channel has a ridge shape. In both these regions, the non-volcanic low-frequency tremor activity becomes low. More than 80 per cent of the tremor epicentres are distributed within contour depths of 38 ± 3 km of the oceanic Moho. We find that the interaction between the Moho geometry and the plate motion of the subducting PHS plays an important role in determining the local stress field and the location of both seismicity and low-frequency tremors.

Combined mine tremors source location and error evaluation in the Lubin Copper Mine (Poland)

A modified method of mine tremors location used in Lubin Copper Mine is presented in the paper. In mines where an intensive exploration is carried out a high accuracy source location technique is usually required. The effect of the flatness of the geophones array, complex geological structure of the rock mass and intense exploitation make the location results ambiguous in such mines. In the present paper an effective method of source location and location's error evaluations are presented, combining data from two different arrays of geophones. The first consists of uniaxial geophones spaced in the whole mine area. The second is installed in one of the mining panels and consists of triaxial geophones. The usage of the data obtained from triaxial geophones allows to increase the hypocenter vertical coordinate precision. The presented two-step location procedure combines standard location methods: P-waves directions and P-waves arrival times. Using computer simulations the efficiency of the created algorithm was tested. The designed algorithm is fully non-linear and was tested on the multilayered rock mass model of the Lubin Copper Mine, showing a computational better efficiency than the traditional P-wave arrival times location algorithm. In this paper we present the complete procedure that effectively solves the non-linear location problems, i.e. the mine tremor location and measurement of the error propagation.

Testing Small-Aperture Array Analysis on Well-Located Earthquakes, and Application to the Location of Deep Tremor

We have here analyzed local and regional earthquakes using array tech- niques with the double aim of quantifying the errors associated with the estimation of propagation parameters of seismic signals and testing the suitability of a probabilistic location method for the analysis of nonimpulsive signals. We have applied the zero-lag cross-correlation method to earthquakes recorded by three dense arrays in Puget Sound and Vancouver Island to estimate the slowness and back azimuth of direct P waves and S waves. The results are compared with the slowness and back azimuth computed from the source location obtained by the analysis of data recorded by the Pacific Northwest seismic network (PNSN). This comparison has allowed a quanti- fication of the errors associated with the estimation of slowness and back azimuth obtained through the analysis of array data. The statistical analysis gives σBP � 10° and σBS � 8° as standard deviations for the back azimuth and σSP � 0:021 sec= km and σSS � 0:033 sec=km for the slowness results of the P and S phases, respec- tively. These values are consistent with the theoretical relationship between slowness and back azimuth and their uncertainties. We have tested a probabilistic source location method on the local earthquakes based on the use of the slowness estimated for two or three arrays without taking into account travel-time information. Then we applied the probabilistic method to the deep, nonvolcanic tremor recorded by the arrays during July 2004. The results of the tremor location using the probabilistic method are in good agreement with those obtained by other techniques. Thewide depth range, of between 10 and 70 km, and the source migration with time are evident in our results. The method is useful for locating the source of signals characterized by the absence of pickable seismic phases.

Complex evolution of transient slip derived from precise tremor locations in western Shikoku, Japan

Transient slip events, which occur more slowly than traditional earthquakes, are increasingly being recognized as important components of strain release on faults and may substantially impact the earthquake cycle. Surface‐based geodetic instruments provide estimates of the overall slip distribution in larger transients but are unable to capture the detailed evolution of such slip, either in time or in space. Accompanying some of these slip transients is a relatively weak, extended duration seismic signal, known as nonvolcanic tremor, which has recently been shown to be generated by a sequence of shear failures occurring as part of the slip event. By precisely locating the tremor, we can track some features of slip evolution with unprecedented resolution. Here, we analyze two weeklong episodes of tremor and slow slip in western Shikoku, Japan. We find that these slip transients do not evolve in a smooth and steady fashion but contain numerous subevents of smaller size and shorter duration. In addition to along‐strike migration rates of ∼10 km/d observed previously, much faster migration also occurs, usually in the slab dip direction, at rates of 25–150 km/h over distances of up to ∼20 km. We observe such migration episodes in both the updip and downdip directions. These episodes may be most common on certain portions of the plate boundary that generate strong tremor in intermittent bursts. The surrounding regions of the fault may slip more continuously, driving these stronger patches to repeated failures. Tremor activity has a strong tidal periodicity, possibly reflecting the modulation of slow slip velocity by tidal stresses.

Non-volcanic tremor driven by large transient shear stresses

Non-impulsive seismic radiation or 'tremor' has long been observed at volcanoes and more recently around subduction zones. Although the number of observations of non-volcanic tremor is steadily increasing, the causative mechanism remains unclear. Some have attributed non-volcanic tremor to the movement of fluids, while its coincidence with geodetically observed slow-slip events at regular intervals has led others to consider slip on the plate interface as its cause. Low-frequency earthquakes in Japan, which are believed to make up at least part of non-volcanic tremor, have focal mechanisms and locations that are consistent with tremor being generated by shear slip on the subduction interface. In Cascadia, however, tremor locations appear to be more distributed in depth than in Japan, making them harder to reconcile with a plate interface shear-slip model. Here we identify bursts of tremor that radiated from the Cascadia subduction zone near Vancouver Island, Canada, during the strongest shaking from the moment magnitude M(w) = 7.8, 2002 Denali, Alaska, earthquake. Tremor occurs when the Love wave displacements are to the southwest (the direction of plate convergence of the overriding plate), implying that the Love waves trigger the tremor. We show that these displacements correspond to shear stresses of approximately 40 kPa on the plate interface, which suggests that the effective stress on the plate interface is very low. These observations indicate that tremor and possibly slow slip can be instantaneously induced by shear stress increases on the subduction interface-effectively a frictional failure response to the driving stress.

Effect of the form of data on the quality of mine tremors hazard forecasting using neural networks

During hard coal mining operations conducted under conditions of rockburst hazard, one of the most important preventive measures can be the prediction of occurrence time and location of the strong seismic mine tremors of energy E s ⩾ 104 J. This is a very difficult task and the way it is being currently performed appears to be unsatisfactory. Therefore, attempts have been made to use neural networks, specifically trained for this application. The paper presents an approach for determining an influence of the type and shape of the input data on the efficiency of such a prediction. The considerations are based on a selected example of the seismic activity recorded during longwall mining operations conducted in one of the Polish mines.

Development and Validation of the Vocal Tremor Scoring System

Essential tremor (ET) occurs in approximately 4% of the population, and 25% of patients with ET have vocal tract involvement referred to as essential tremor of voice (ETV). Treatment of vocal tremor has a variable success rate most likely as a result of inaccurate identification of the affected area(s). A vocal tremor assessment system was developed to standardize the evaluation and scaling of vocal tremor. Applying this system clinically can help determine who will benefit most from botulinum toxin injection treatment. The Vocal Tremor Scoring System (VTSS) can also be used as a tool to determine treatment efficiency for all treatment modalities of ETV, including surgery, medications, and implantable devices. The authors studied instrument development and validation. A clinical consensus conference was conducted to develop an assessment tool for standardized rating of vocal tremor location and severity. The assessment tool was then tested for reliability using video-perceptual analysis. Once validated, the assessment tool was applied to 10 examinations of patients with vocal tremor who had been treated with botulinum toxin A (BtxA) injections of the thyroarytenoid muscle(s) to determine the ability of the scoring instrument to predict treatment outcome. : The VTSS is based on severity scores for different anatomic sites within the vocal tract. The assessment areas of the VTSS are the palate, base of tongue, pharyngeal walls, larynx, supraglottis, and true vocal cords. Statistical analysis of the video-perceptual analysis results showed that the anatomic sites with the best interrater agreement were the true vocal folds, palate, base of tongue, and supraglottis. Overall, the VTSS demonstrated a level of interrater reliability of at least 0.914 at all sites. Intrarater reliability was excellent. The consensus group also analyzed 10 standardized examinations and the scores from both reviewer groups were then compared and found to have a reliability of at least 0.6 at each site. Pretreatment VTSS scores of 10 patients with ETV who underwent BtxA therapy were then compared with treatment response. The VTSS predicted the favorable treatment outcome 100% of the time when the score given to the true vocal folds was equal or greater to the mean of the scores given to the other sites. The VTSS represents the first standardized system for rating anatomic site(s) and severity of vocal tremor. This tool will allow improved communication between otolaryngologists, facilitate research in vocal tremor treatments, and establish a descriptive system for assessing vocal tremor. Using this assessment tool for patients with vocal tremor increases optimal patient selection and success rate for intralaryngeal botulinum toxin treatment.

Resonant slow fault slip in subduction zones forced by climatic load stress

Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements at subduction plate boundaries often record fault movements similar to earthquakes but much slower, occurring over timescales of approximately 1 week to approximately 1 year. These 'slow slip events' have been observed in Japan, Cascadia, Mexico, Alaska and New Zealand. The phenomenon is poorly understood, but several observations hint at the processes underlying slow slip. Although slip itself is silent, seismic instruments often record coincident low-amplitude tremor in a narrow (1-5 cycles per second) frequency range. Also, modelling of GPS data and estimates of tremor location indicate that slip focuses near the transition from unstable ('stick-slip') to stable friction at the deep limit of the earthquake-producing seismogenic zone. Perhaps most intriguingly, slow slip is periodic at several locations, with recurrence varying from 6 to 18 months depending on which subduction zone (or even segment) is examined. Here I show that such periodic slow fault slip may be a resonant response to climate-driven stress perturbations. Fault slip resonance helps to explain why slip events are periodic, why periods differ from place to place, and why slip focuses near the base of the seismogenic zone. Resonant slip should initiate within the rupture zone of future great earthquakes, suggesting that slow slip may illuminate fault properties that control earthquake slip.

Volcanic tremor location during the 2004 Mount Etna lava effusion

A lava emission started at Mt. Etna, Italy, on 7 September, 2004. Neither earthquake seismicity heralded or accompanied the opening of the fracture field from which the lava poured out, nor volcanic tremor changed in amplitude and frequency content at the onset of the effusive activity. To highlight long‐term changes, we propose a method for the location of the tremor source based on a 3D grid search, using the amplitude decay of the seismic signal, from January to November 2004. We find the centroid of the tremor source within a zone close to and partially overlapped with the summit craters (pre‐effusive phase), which extended up to 2 km south of them (effusive phase). The depths are of between 1698 and 2387 m a.s.l. We hypothesize the lava effusion stemmed from a degassed magma body, although we find evidence of temporary magma overpressure conditions, such as those documented on 25 September.

Sex and tremor location: Similarities between essential tremor and cervical dystonia

AbstractA reply to this letter has been published in Movement Disorders .

Reply: Sex and tremor location: Similarities between essential tremor and cervical dystonia

AbstractThe original letter to which this reply referrs has been published in Movement Disorders.