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• Seismology
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• 2010-2014  (155)
• 1950-1954  (2,980)
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• 1
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-08-30
Description: This paper presents the mathematical derivation of an explicit relation for the apparent (or effective) phase velocity of Rayleigh waves in a vertically heterogeneous, isotropic elastic half-space for harmonic excitation. As a kinematical feature, the apparent phase velocity captures the superposition, in a spatial Fourier series, of the individual modes of propagation of Rayleigh waves and describes the speed of propagation of a composite waveform generated by a vertically oscillating point load. The relation, which is a function of the distance from the source, frequency and depth, depends explicitly on the modal phase and group velocities of Rayleigh waves, and their corresponding wavenumbers and eigenfunctions, which can be computed directly from the solution of the Rayleigh-wave eigenproblem. A practical scenario for the application of the notion of apparent Rayleigh-wave phase velocity is the modelling of the dispersion curve in the well-known surface wave measurement methods ‘spectral analysis of surface waves’ (SASW) and ‘multichannel analysis of surface waves’ (MASW). Apart from a theoretical motivation, the availability in surface wave testing of an explicit formula for the calculation of the apparent Rayleigh-wave phase velocity may lead to the development of a new class of inversion algorithms capable of taking into account the influence of all the modes of surface wave propagation. To demonstrate the exactness of the explicit relation, the predicted values of apparent phase velocity are compared to those computed synthetically from a numerical simulation of SASW and MASW testing for three case studies, which show both single as well as multiple mode dominance effects.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
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• 2
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: The topography of the core–mantle boundary (CMB) is directly linked to the dynamics of both the mantle and the outer core, although it is poorly constrained and understood. Recent studies have produced topography models with mutual agreement up to degree 2. A broad-band waveform inversion strategy is introduced and applied here, with relatively low computational cost and based on a first-order Born approximation. Its performance is validated using synthetic waveforms calculated in theoretical earth models that include different topography patterns with varying lateral wavelengths, from 600 to 2500 km, and magnitudes (~10 km peak-to-peak). The source–receiver geometry focuses mainly on the P diff , PKP , PcP and ScS phases. The results show that PKP branches, PcP and ScS generally perform well and in a similar fashion, while P diff yields unsatisfactory results. We investigate also how 3-D mantle correction influences the output models, and find that despite the disturbance introduced, the models recovered do not appear to be biased, provided that the 3-D model is correct. Using cross-correlated traveltimes, we derive new topography models from both P and S waves. The static corrections used to remove the mantle effect are likely to affect the inversion, compromising the agreement between models derived from P and S data. By modelling traveltime residuals starting from sensitivity kernels, we show how the simultaneous use of volumetric and boundary kernels can reduce the bias coming from mantle structures. The joint inversion approach should be the only reliable method to invert for CMB topography using absolute cross-correlation traveltimes.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
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• 3
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: High-rate GNSS has attracted increasing attention and numerous applications in geohazard monitoring and early warning. In this paper, we investigate three current existing single-receiver approaches for real-time GNSS seismology, comparing their observation models for equivalence and assessing the impact of main error components. We propose some refinements to the variometric approach and especially consider compensating the geometry error component by using the accurate initial coordinates before the earthquake to eliminate the drift trend in the integrated coseismic displacements. After careful corrections of satellite ephemeris, ionospheric delay, tropospheric delay and geometry errors, the refined variometric approach and the temporal point positioning (TPP) method have equivalent mathematical model with the converged precise point positioning (PPP). We evaluated the precision of the variometric and TPP approaches with various error correction schemes and duration time using numerous data sets and demonstrated that few centimetres accuracy of coseismic displacements is achievable even for 20 min interval. We applied these single-receiver approaches to process 1 Hz GPS data collected from the Tohoku-Oki earthquake ( M w 9.0, 2011 March 11) in Japan to capture coseismic displacement, and further, inverted the obtained displacement fields for fault slip distribution and moment magnitude. Comparisons of the results obtained using the refined variometric approach and TPP, as well as the converged PPP, displayed very good consistence both in coseismic displacements within few centimetres and in the slip distribution patterns and moment magnitudes.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
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• 4
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: A series of six seismic events that occurred in one panel of Rudna copper-ore mine in Poland is studied. Although the events had comparable magnitudes, from 3.0 to 3.7, their ground effects were very diverse. Comparing the accelerations observed at various locations with their estimates from ground motion prediction equation the events split into three distinct pairs. The first pair ground effects exceed considerably the estimates at most of observation points, the second pair effects are abnormally high at short epicentral distances, whereas the third pair effects are much less than the estimates at most of observation points. The similarities in ground effects correlate with the fault mechanisms similarities. The first two pairs’ events, whose ground effects were strong, exhibit thrust faulting and the third pair events, which caused unexpectedly low ground motion exhibit normal faulting mechanisms. The paired events have also similar apparent stress values. These stress values of the two events of very weak ground effects are distinctly lower than the values of other four events. All events demonstrate dominating non-double-couple components in the overall mechanisms. A kinematic source analysis indicates that these events have extended rather than point sources, and five of them have distinct directivity effects. A static stress transfer analysis signifies interrelations between these events. The rupture of all events started in areas of Coulomb failure function increase due to the cumulative effect of previous events. Linking results of the ground effects, source, rupture and interaction analyses tentative geodynamic conclusions are formulated. The untypical and diverse ground effects of the studied events result likely from the events’ complexity expressed by tensile source mechanisms, finite sources, directivity of ruptures and nearly horizontal rupture planes. The above features seem to be implied by a superposition of coseismic alterations of stress field and stress changes due to mining. One cannot, therefore, exclude the possibility of other cases of significant deviations from the expected ground motion amplitudes, due to specific geodynamics in another parts of the mine. An analysis like that done within this work can allow, however, foreseeing such extreme surface impacts.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
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• 5
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: We report in this paper an original analysis of microseismic events (MSEs) induced by an excavation operation in the clay environment of the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory. In order to identify the MSEs with confidence, we develop a restrictive but efficient multistep method for filtering the recorded events. We deduce the spatial distribution and processes associated with the excavation-induced damage from the spatial location and focal mechanisms of the MSEs. We observe an asymmetric geometry of the excavation damaged zone around the excavated gallery, without notable microseismic activity in the sandy facies sidewall, in contrast with the shaly facies sidewall where a first burst of events is recorded, followed by two smaller bursts: one locates ahead of the excavation front and is associated with a dominant double-couple component, suggesting bedding plane reworking, that is, shear fracture mode, and the MSEs of the other cluster inside the shaly sidewall of the gallery, with a dominant compensated linear vector dipole component, suggesting extensive cracking. We identify and discuss four major factors that seem to control the MSEs source mechanisms: lithology, geometry of the geological features, gallery orientation and direction of the main compressive stress.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
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• 6
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: We introduce the single-station cross-correlation (SC) technique of processing ambient seismic noise and compare its results with the established cross-correlation (CC) and autocorrelation (AC) techniques. While CC is the correlation of the signals of two seismic stations with each other and AC is the correlation of a signal with itself, SC is the correlation of two different components of a single three-component seismic sensor. The comparison of the three different correlation techniques shows that CCs give the best results at frequencies below 0.5 Hz and that SCs give the best results at higher frequencies. In all three processing techniques, ambient seismic noise is correlated in order to reconstruct the Green's function describing the wave propagation between the first and the second sensor. By relating the coda parts of the daily Green's functions with the long-term reference Green's functions, shear wave velocity changes are determined. Here, we apply this technique to the data of 20 seismic stations in the surroundings of the fault zone of the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake ( M W  = 6.9), which occurred on 2008 June 13, UTC (2008 June 14, Japan Standard Time) in the northern part of the Japanese island Honshu. The data range from 2008 January to 2011 June and therefore include the Tohoku earthquake ( M W  = 9.0), which occurred on 2011 March 11, off the coast of northern Honshu. The data are analysed in five different frequency ranges between 0.125 and 4.0 Hz. The data show coseismic velocity changes for both earthquakes followed by a post-seismic velocity recovery. In general, the coseismic velocity changes increase with frequency. For the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake, the strongest velocity changes occur close to the fault zone. Quickly recovering coseismic velocity changes can be separated from changes not recovering during the study period. For the Tohoku earthquake, the complete area is affected by coseismic velocity changes. A modelling of the depth of the coseismic velocity changes indicates that the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake can be explained either by large shallow velocity changes or by small, but deep changes. For one station, the observations can only be explained by assuming deeper changes. For the Tohoku earthquake, the modelling shows that different parts of the study area are affected in different ways, some showing shallow changes, others deeper changes. Furthermore, seasonal velocity variations occur, which are compatible for the different stations above 0.5 Hz, with velocity maxima in autumn.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
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• 7
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: Macroseismic intensities are the only available data for most historical earthquakes and often represent the unique source of information for crucial events in the definition of seismic hazard. In this paper, we attempt at getting insight into source characteristics by reproducing the observed intensity field. As a test case, we study the source of 1908 Messina Straits earthquake ( M W  = 7.1), by testing three distinct fault models deduced from the analysis of geodetic data. Starting from the static slip distribution, we develop kinematic source models for the investigated fault and compute full waveform synthetic seismograms in a 1-D structural model, also accounting for anelastic attenuation. Then, we convert both computed peak-ground acceleration (PGA) and peak-ground velocity (PGV) to macroseismic intensity at 100 selected sites, by means of specific empirical relations for the Italian region. By comparing the original data separately with PGA- and PGV-based intensity fields, we discriminate among the tested faults and determine the best values for the investigated kinematic parameters of the source. We also perform a misfit analysis for the best source model, in order to investigate the dependence of the results on the selected parametrization. The results of the analysis indicate that among the tested models, the one characterized by an east-dipping fault, with strike-oriented NS slightly rotated clockwise, better explains the observed macroseismic field of the 1908 Messina Straits earthquake. Besides, the fracture nucleated at the southern end of the fault and ruptured northward, producing considerable directivity effects. This is in agreement with the published results obtained from the investigation of the historical seismograms. We also determine realistic values for the rupture velocity and the rise-time. Our study confirms the great potential of the macroseismic data, demonstrating that they contain enough information to constrain important characteristics of the fault, which can be retrieved by using complex source models and computing complete wavefield. Moreover, we also show that the simultaneous comparison of both PGA- and PGV-based synthetic macroseismic fields with the original intensities provides tighter constraints for discriminating among different source models, with respect to what attainable from each of them.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
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• 8
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-28
Description: We present tomographic images of crustal velocity structures in the complex Hot Springs and Trifurcation areas of the San Jacinto Fault Zone (SJFZ) based on double-difference inversions of earthquake arrival times. We invert for V P , V S and hypocentre location within 50 x 50 x 20 km 3 volumes, using 266 969 P and 148 249 S arrival times. We obtain high-fidelity images of seismic velocities with resolution on the order of a few kilometres from 2 to 12 km depth and validate the results using checkerboard tests. Due to the relatively large proportion of S -wave arrival times, we also obtain stable maps of V P / V S ratios in both regions. The velocity of the Trifurcation Area as a whole is lower than adjacent unfaulted material. We interpret a 4-km-wide low velocity zone with high V P / V S ratio in the trifurcation itself as related to fault zone damage. We also observe clear velocity contrasts across the Buck Ridge, Clark and Coyote Creek segments of the SJFZ. The Anza segment of the SJFZ, to the NW of the trifurcation area, displays a strong (up to 27 per cent) contrast of V S from 2 to 9 km depth. In the Hot Springs area, a low velocity zone between the Claremont and Casa Loma Strands narrows with depth, with clear velocity contrasts observed across both segments. A roughly 10-km-wide zone of low velocity and low V P / V S ratio at the NW tip of the Hot Springs fault is indicative of either unconsolidated sediments associated with the San Jacinto basin, or fluid-filled cracks within a broad deformation zone. High V P / V S ratios along the Anza segment could indicate a preferred nucleation location for future large earthquakes, while the across-fault velocity contrast suggests a preferred northwest rupture propagation direction for such events.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
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• 9
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-30
Description: We have redetermined focal depths of moderate and major earthquakes with reported lower-crust and upper-mantle depths that have occurred in Tien-Shan, since the availability of broad-band array data. Records of earthquakes at global arrays have been used for identification and modelling of depth phases in order to make accurate estimation of focal depths. Our results show that half of the purportedly deep earthquakes are indeed originating from depths attributable to middle-crust and lower-crust regions. Also one exceptional event in the northern foreland of Tien-Shan in Junggar Basin is located in the upper mantle at the depth of 64 km. Such unusually deep earthquakes for intraplate continental tectonic domain are all located at the margin of Tien-Shan with its adjacent stable blocks and at least some of them have occurred where the brittle behaviour of continental rocks is not highly expected. The reverse mechanisms of all these earthquakes and their proximity to formerly subducting and later colliding and underplating stable blocks and their interactions with overlying Tien-Shan are clues to explain this extremity.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 10
Publication Date: 2014-06-30
Description: An important goal of computational seismology is to simulate dynamic earthquake rupture and strong ground motion in realistic models that include crustal heterogeneities and complex fault geometries. To accomplish this, we incorporate dynamic rupture modelling capabilities in a spectral element solver on unstructured meshes, the 3-D open source code SPECFEM3D, and employ state-of-the-art software for the generation of unstructured meshes of hexahedral elements. These tools provide high flexibility in representing fault systems with complex geometries, including faults with branches and non-planar faults. The domain size is extended with progressive mesh coarsening to maintain an accurate resolution of the static field. Our implementation of dynamic rupture does not affect the parallel scalability of the code. We verify our implementation by comparing our results to those of two finite element codes on benchmark problems including branched faults. Finally, we present a preliminary dynamic rupture model of the 2011 M w 9.0 Tohoku earthquake including a non-planar plate interface with heterogeneous frictional properties and initial stresses. Our simulation reproduces qualitatively the depth-dependent frequency content of the source and the large slip close to the trench observed for this earthquake.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
Electronic ISSN: 1365-246X
Topics: Geosciences
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• 11
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Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-30
Description: Source–receiver interferometric imaging can be used to synthesize a subsurface acoustic or elastic image, consisting of a zero-time, zero-offset response (or Green's function) between a colocated pseudo-source and pseudo-receiver placed at each point in the subsurface image. However, if the imaging process does not properly account for multiple reflections, and enclosing boundaries of sources and receivers are not available, the image shows artefacts, poorly illuminated areas and distorted image amplitudes. Here we demonstrate with numerical examples that two-sided non-linear imaging provides the best elastic pure-mode ( PP and SS ) and converted-mode ( PS ) images, having higher resolution and more uniform illumination than those obtained from both one-sided linear imaging and from other intermediate steps of imaging (e.g. non-linear one-sided, linear two-sided). We also propose practical approaches to construct the additional fields required by two-sided non-linear imaging without the need for a detailed velocity model and receivers (and/or sources) in the subsurface. Moreover, when conversions are used for imaging, ‘true-amplitude’ images (here true-amplitude means properly retrieving amplitudes that represent the zero-time, zero-offset elastic response) should theoretically vanish because neither P -to- S or S -to- P conversions arise at zero-time and zero-offset. Applying a correction procedure that accounts for the polarity reversal in PS (or SP ) single-shot images helps with their structural interpretation but results in an unphysical estimate of the subsurface response and uninterpretable amplitudes. This suggests that there are advantages in exploiting pure-mode SS reflections/transmissions, in addition to converted waves only, because they require no polarity correction and the resulting image contains meaningful amplitudes that are proportional to the local shear-wave properties of the medium.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 12
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Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-30
Description: Microseismic monitoring is an essential tool for the characterization of hydraulic fractures. Fast estimation of the parameters that define a microseismic event is relevant to understand and control fracture development. The amount of data contained in the microseismic records however, poses a challenge for fast continuous detection and evaluation of the microseismic source parameters. Work inspired by the emerging field of Compressive Sensing has showed that it is possible to evaluate source parameters in a compressed domain, thereby reducing processing time. This technique performs well in scenarios where the amplitudes of the signal are above the noise level, as is often the case in microseismic monitoring using downhole tools. This paper extends the idea of the compressed domain processing to scenarios of microseismic monitoring using surface arrays, where the signal amplitudes are commonly at the same level as, or below, the noise amplitudes. To achieve this, we resort to the use of an imaging operator, which has previously been found to produce better results in detection and location of microseismic events from surface arrays. The operator in our method is formed by full-waveform elastodynamic Green's functions that are band-limited by a source time function and represented in the frequency domain. Where full-waveform Green's functions are not available, ray tracing can also be used to compute the required Green's functions. Additionally, we introduce the concept of the compressed inverse, which derives directly from the compression of the migration operator using a random matrix. The described methodology reduces processing time at a cost of introducing distortions into the results. However, the amount of distortion can be managed by controlling the level of compression applied to the operator. Numerical experiments using synthetic and real data demonstrate the reductions in processing time that can be achieved and exemplify the process of selecting the compression rate that produces a tolerable amount of distortion into the results.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 13
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: Seismic monitoring can greatly benefit from imaging events with a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the number of the events with a low signal grows exponentially. One way to detect weaker events is improvement of a SNR by migration-type stacking of waveforms from multiple stations. We have developed a new method of location of seismic events that involves stacking of seismic phases and amplitudes along diffraction traveltime curves to suppress noise and detect seismic events with a SNR lower than that on individual receivers. The stacking includes polarity correction based on a simultaneous seismic moment tensor inversion and detection algorithm on the stack function. We applied this method to locate microseismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing. First we calibrated the velocity model by locating perforation shots at known locations. Then we processed 3 d of data from microseismic monitoring of shale stimulation and benchmarked migration-type locations of the largest events that were manually located. The detected and located events induced by hydraulic fracturing in this case study are mostly shear events forming narrow bands along the maximum horizontal stress direction approximately 100 m above the injection intervals. The proposed technique is fully automated and feasible for real-time seismic monitoring.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 14
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Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-21
Description: The calculation of first-order P -wave ray synthetic seismograms based on first-order ray tracing (FORT) and dynamic ray tracing (FODRT) for P -waves propagating in inhomogeneous, weakly anisotropic media is extended from smooth to layered media. All the basic formulae necessary to calculate the P -wave FORT and FODRT quantities inside layers and to transform them at the points of reflection/transmission are given. The proposed formulae are applicable in subcritical as well as overcritical regions. The accuracy of the results is tested by comparing the approximate (FORT) results with the results obtained from a standard ray tracer for anisotropic media. The tests indicate that, except for critical regions, where the ray theory provides incorrect results anyway, the accuracy of FORT and FODRT in layered media is comparable with the accuracy in smooth media.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 15
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Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-22
Description: We present a new 3-D seismic model of the western United States crust derived from a joint inversion of Rayleigh-wave phase velocity and ellipticity measurements using periods from 8 to 100 s. Improved constraints on upper-crustal structure result from use of short-period Rayleigh-wave ellipticity, or Rayleigh-wave H/V (horizontal to vertical) amplitude ratios, measurements determined using multicomponent ambient noise cross-correlations. To retain the amplitude ratio information between vertical and horizontal components, for each station, we perform daily noise pre-processing (temporal normalization and spectrum whitening) simultaneously for all three components. For each station pair, amplitude measurements between cross-correlations of different components (radial–radial, radial–vertical, vertical–radial and vertical–vertical) are then used to determine the Rayleigh-wave H/V ratios at the two station locations. We use all EarthScope/USArray Tranportable Array data available between 2007 January and 2011 June to determine the Rayleigh-wave H/V ratios and their uncertainties at all station locations and construct new Rayleigh-wave H/V ratio maps in the western United States between periods of 8 and 24 s. Combined with previous longer period earthquake Rayleigh-wave H/V ratio measurements and Rayleigh-wave phase velocity measurements from both ambient noise and earthquakes, we invert for a new 3-D crustal and upper-mantle model in the western United States. Correlation between the inverted model and known geological features at all depths suggests good resolution in five crustal layers. Use of short-period Rayleigh-wave H/V ratio measurements based on noise cross-correlation enables resolution of distinct near surface features such as the Columbia River Basalt flows, which overlie a thick sedimentary basin.
Keywords: Seismology
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 16
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-06-22
Description: Numerical simulation of repeated occurrences of slip events on a fault patch (asperity) is used to interpret the mechanism of irregular sequences of slip events. The fault is uniformly shear loaded at a constant rate, and the frictional stress acting on the fault is assumed to obey a rate- and state-dependent friction (RSF) law. A circular patch with velocity-weakening frictional property is embedded in the fault, which apart from this has velocity-strengthening frictional property. The numerical simulations are conducted using various characteristic slip distances L of the RSF law. For small values of L seismic slip events (earthquakes) repeatedly occur at regular intervals. With increasing L , the recurrence of slip events becomes more complex. A period doubled slip pattern, where seismic and aseismic slip events alternately occur, multiperiodic patterns and aperiodic patterns occur. At the same time, slip tends to become aseismic with increasing L . The distributions of shear stress on the fault just before slip events are variable because of variation in the residual stress of the preceding slip event and the shear stress generated by aseismic sliding during interseismic periods. These variations in shear stress cause the complex sequence of slip events seen here. An iteration map of the recurrence intervals of slip events for an aperiodic sequence of slip events is expressed by a simple curve, indicating that the timing of an event is predictable from the previous time interval, and the sequence of slip events exhibits deterministic chaos. To help interpret these results for a sequence of slip events on a velocity-weakening patch embedded in a velocity-strengthening region, a numerical simulation is conducted of slip on a velocity-weakening patch enclosed by a permanently locked region. In this case, no complex recurrence of slip events is observed. When L is less than a critical value, seismic slip events repeatedly occur at a constant interval. Stable sliding occurs when L is larger than the critical value. This result indicates that the complex slip behaviour seen for a velocity-weakening patch embedded in a velocity-strengthening region is caused by the interaction between the velocity-weakening and velocity-strengthening regions.
Keywords: Seismology
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 17
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Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-12
Description: The large regional earthquake (2008 February 21, M = 6.0) with epicentre near Wells, Nevada, occurred within a few hundred kilometres of the High Lava Plains (HLP) seismic experiment stations when the network was near its full deployment (〉100 stations with 10–30 km station spacing). The Wells earthquake provides an excellent opportunity to address two questions: What is the effect of small epicentral distances on surface-wave analyses at periods that are used in the analysis of teleseisms? Can one take advantage of a high-density seismic network to obtain improved phase-velocity maps? As small epicentral distances may introduce systematic errors in the surface-wave analysis for longer periods, we test for such effects by generating synthetic waveforms at locations for all regional-distance stations recording the Wells earthquake. Analysis of the synthetics suggests that our surface-waves analyses can be applied for the Wells earthquake up to periods of ~50 s. Applying the same method to data, we estimate two-station Rayleigh-wave fundamental-mode phase-velocities at selected periods and, for each acceptable path, assign the calculated phase velocity to the geographic location of the centre of the path. We contour the phase velocities for all path centres using a local gridding algorithm. The resulting maps for the Wells earthquake have well-constrained phase velocities up to 40–50 s period and allow us to see phase-velocity gradients not observed in earlier studies that used data from teleseisms or ambient noise tomography.
Keywords: Seismology
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 18
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-13
Description: Probabilistic seismic hazard models (PSHM) are used for quantifying the seismic hazard at a site or a grid of sites. In this study, a methodology is proposed to compare the distribution of the expected number of sites with exceedance with the observed number considering an acceleration threshold at a set of recording sites. The method is applied to France and Turkey. The French accelerometric database is checked to produce a reliable accelerometric data set. In addition, we also used a synthetic data set inferred from an instrumental catalogue combined with a ground-motion prediction equation. The results show that the MEDD2002 and AFPS2006 PSH models overestimate the number of sites with exceedance for low acceleration levels (below 40 cm s –2 ) or short return periods (smaller than 50 yr for AFPS2006 and 475 yr for MEDD2002). For larger acceleration levels, there are few observations and none of the models is rejected. In Turkey, the SHARE hazard estimates can be tested against ground-motion levels of interest in earthquake engineering. As the completeness issue is crucial, the recorded data at each station is analysed to detect potential gaps in the recording. As most accelerometric stations are located on soil, accelerations at rock are estimated using a site-amplification model. Different minimum intersite distances and station configurations are considered. The observed numbers of sites with exceedance are well within the bounds of the predicted distribution for accelerations between 103 and 397 cm s –2 . For higher levels, both the observed number and the predicted percentile 2.5 are zero, and no conclusion can be drawn.
Keywords: Seismology
Print ISSN: 0956-540X
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Topics: Geosciences
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• 19
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-19
Description: In this study we have investigated the directivity associated with the initial up-dip rupture propagation during the 2009 April 6 ( M w 6.1) L'Aquila normal-faulting earthquake. The objective is the understanding of how the peculiar initial behaviour of rupture history during the main shock has affected the near-source recorded ground motions in the L'Aquila town and surrounding areas. We have modelled the observed ground velocities at the closest near-source recording sites by computing synthetic seismograms using a discrete wavenumbers and finite difference approach in the low frequency bandwidth (0.02–0.4 Hz) to avoid site effects contaminations. We use both the rupture model retrieved by inverting ground motion waveforms and continuous high sampling-rate GPS time-series as well as uniform-slip constant-rupture speed models. Our results demonstrate that the initial up-dip rupture propagation, characterizing the first 3 s of the rupture history during the L'Aquila main shock and releasing only ~25 per cent of total seismic moment, controls the observed ground motions in the near-source. This initial stage of the rupture is characterized by the generation of ground velocity pulses, which we interpret as a forward directivity effect. Our modelling results confirm a heterogeneous distribution of rupture velocity during the initial up-dip rupture propagation, since uniform rupture speed models overestimate up-dip directivity effects in the footwall of the causative fault. The up-dip directivity observed in the near field during the 2009 L'Aquila main shock is that expected for a normal faulting earthquake, but it differs from that inferred from far-field observations that conversely provide evidence of along-strike directivity. This calls for a careful analysis as well as for the realistic inclusion of rupture directivity to predict ground motions in the near source.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 20
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-19
Description: Three large earthquakes occurred in the Ashikule stepover zone, NW Tibet in 2008 ( M w 7.1), 2012 ( M w 6.2) and 2014 ( M w 6.9). In this paper we use InSAR data to examine the 2008 event in detail, and place it in the context of both recent/possible future events and regional tectonic environment. We present InSAR data covering the coseismic and post-seismic phases of the 2008 event, and invert for slip distributions during both phases in order to examine the spatial relationship between earthquake rupture and afterslip. To account for the curved rupture trace as mapped in the field, we model the slip on a non-planar fault. A change in slip sense from left-lateral in the north to extensional in the south is consistent with the focal mechanism of aftershocks. We find that afterslip occurs around the perimeter of the coseismic slip, although in a patchy way, as seen in other normal faulting case studies. We calculate the Coulomb stress changes imparted by the 2008 earthquake on neighbouring faults, including stress loading on the subsequent rupture zones of the 2012 and 2014 earthquakes. We also compute the combined loading effect of the 2008, 2012 and 2014 earthquakes on the nearby Altyn Tagh Fault, which hasn't experienced a major earthquake since early last century. This study demonstrates that stepover zone failure can increase stresses on bounding strike-slip faults, which likely has relevance in analogous tectonic environments elsewhere in the world.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 21
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-19
Description: Fracture shear-dilatancy is an essential process for enhancing the permeability of deep geothermal reservoirs, and is usually accompanied by the radiation of seismic waves. However, the hazard and risk perspective of induced seismicity research typically focuses only on the question of how to reduce the occurrence of induced earthquakes. Here we present a quantitative analysis of seismic hazard as a function of the two key factors defining an enhanced geothermal system: The permeability enhancement, and the size of the stimulated reservoir. Our model has two coupled components: (1) a pressure diffusion model and (2) a stochastic seismicity model. Permeability is increased in the source area of each induced earthquake depending on the amount of slip, which is determined by the magnitude. We show that the few largest earthquakes (i.e. 5–10 events with M ≥ 1.5) contribute more than half of the total reservoir stimulation. The results further indicate that planning and controlling of reservoir engineering operations may be compromised by the considerable variability of maximum observed magnitude, reservoir size, the Gutenberg–Richter b -value and Shapiro's seismogenic index (i.e. a measure of seismic reactivity of a reservoir) that arises from the intrinsic stochastic nature of induced seismicity. We also find that injection volume has a large impact on both reservoir size and seismic hazard. Injection rate and injection scheme have a negligible effect. The impact of site-specific parameters on seismicity and reservoir properties is greater than that of the injected volume. In particular, conditions that lead to high b -values—possibly a low differential stress level—have a high impact on seismic hazard, but also reduce the efficiency of the stimulation in terms of permeability enhancement. Under such conditions, target reservoir permeability can still be achieved without reaching an unacceptable level of seismic hazard, if either the initial reservoir permeability is high or if several fractures are stimulated. The proposed methodology is a first step towards including induced seismic hazard analysis into the design of reservoir stimulation in a quantitative and robust manner.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 22
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-19
Description: Seismic interferometry (SI) enables the retrieval of virtual sources at the location of receivers. In the case of passive SI, no active sources are used for the retrieval of the reflection response of the subsurface, but ambient-noise recordings only. The resulting retrieved response is determined by the illumination characteristics of the recorded ambient noise. Characteristics like geometrical distribution and signature of the noise sources, together with the complexity of the medium and the length of the noise records, determine the quality of the retrieved virtual-shot events. To retrieve body wave reflections, one needs to correlate body-wave noise. A source of such noise might be regional seismicity. In regions with notable human presence, the dominant noise sources are generally located at or close to the surface. In the latter case, the noise will be dominated by surface waves and consequently also the retrieved virtual common-source panels will contain dominant retrieved surface waves, drowning out possible retrieved reflections. In order to retrieve reflection events, suppression of the surface waves becomes the most important pre-processing goal. Because of the reasons mentioned above, we propose a fast method to evaluate the illumination characteristics of ambient noise using the correlation results from ambient-noise records. The method is based on the analysis of the so-called source function of the retrieved virtual-shot panel, and evaluates the apparent slowness of arrivals in the correlation results that pass through the position of the virtual source and at zero time. The results of the diagnosis are used to suppress the retrieval of surface waves and therefore to improve the quality of the retrieved reflection response. We explain the approach using modelled data from transient and continuous noise sources and an example from a passive field data set recorded at Annerveen, Northern Netherlands.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 23
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-19
Description: Since the emerging of ambient noise tomography (ANT) in 2005, it has become a routine method to image the structures of crust and uppermost mantle because of its exclusive capability to extract short-period surface waves. Most of previous ANT studies focus on surface waves at periods shorter than 40/50 s. There are only a few studies of long-period surface wave tomography from ambient noise (longer than 50 s) in global scale. No tomography studies have been performed using teleseismic long-period surface waves from ambient noise in a regional scale, probably due to the two reasons that (1) energy of long-period ambient noise is weaker and it is harder to retrieve good signal-to-noise ratio long-period surface waves from portable stations with several years of ambient noise data and (2) long-period dispersion measurements from ambient noise may have larger uncertainties than those at shorter periods (〈40/50 s). In this study, I investigate the feasibility of using teleseismic long-period surface waves from ambient noise in regional surface wave tomography and also evaluate the accuracy of long-period dispersion measurements at periods up to 150 s. About 300 USArray/Transportable Array (TA) stations located in the Colorado Plateau and surrounding areas and 400 teleseismic stations relative to the TA stations are selected. Clear, strong, and coherent long-period teleseismic surface waves at periods much longer than 50 s are observed in the teleseismic cross-correlations between the TA stations and the teleseismic stations. Using long-period dispersion curves from ambient noise, I generate phase velocity maps at 50–150 s periods and then compare them with phase velocity maps from teleseismic earthquake data. The results show that phase velocity maps from ambient noise data and earthquake data are similar at the 50–150 s period range, verifying the validity of using long-period surface wave from ambient noise in regional surface wave tomography.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 24
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-19
Description: 3-D full waveform inversion (FWI) of seismic wavefields is routinely implemented with explicit time-stepping simulators. A clear advantage of explicit time stepping is the avoidance of solving large-scale implicit linear systems that arise with frequency domain formulations. However, FWI using explicit time stepping may require a very fine time step and (as a consequence) significant computational resources and run times. If the computational challenges of wavefield simulation can be effectively handled, an FWI scheme implemented within the frequency domain utilizing only a few frequencies, offers a cost effective alternative to FWI in the time domain. We have therefore implemented a 3-D FWI scheme for elastic wave propagation in the Fourier domain. To overcome the computational bottleneck in wavefield simulation, we have exploited an efficient Krylov iterative solver for the elastic wave equations approximated with second and fourth order finite differences. The solver does not exploit multilevel preconditioning for wavefield simulation, but is coupled efficiently to the inversion iteration workflow to reduce computational cost. The workflow is best described as a series of sequential inversion experiments, where in the case of seismic reflection acquisition geometries, the data has been laddered such that we first image highly damped data, followed by data where damping is systemically reduced. The key to our modelling approach is its ability to take advantage of solver efficiency when the elastic wavefields are damped. As the inversion experiment progresses, damping is significantly reduced, effectively simulating non-damped wavefields in the Fourier domain. While the cost of the forward simulation increases as damping is reduced, this is counterbalanced by the cost of the outer inversion iteration, which is reduced because of a better starting model obtained from the larger damped wavefield used in the previous inversion experiment. For cross-well data, it is also possible to launch a successful inversion experiment without laddering the damping constants. With this type of acquisition geometry, the solver is still quite effective using a small fixed damping constant. To avoid cycle skipping, we also employ a multiscale imaging approach, in which frequency content of the data is also laddered (with the data now including both reflection and cross-well data acquisition geometries). Thus the inversion process is launched using low frequency data to first recover the long spatial wavelength of the image. With this image as a new starting model, adding higher frequency data refines and enhances the resolution of the image. FWI using laddered frequencies with an efficient damping schemed enables reconstructing elastic attributes of the subsurface at a resolution that approaches half the smallest wavelength utilized to image the subsurface. We show the possibility of effectively carrying out such reconstructions using two to six frequencies, depending upon the application. Using the proposed FWI scheme, massively parallel computing resources are essential for reasonable execution times.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 25
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-23
Description: In recent years, the application of time-domain adjoint methods to improve large, complex underground tomographic models at the regional scale has led to new challenges for the numerical simulation of forward or adjoint elastic wave propagation problems. An important challenge is to design an efficient infinite-domain truncation method suitable for accurately truncating an infinite domain governed by the second-order elastic wave equation written in displacement and computed based on a finite-element (FE) method. In this paper, we make several steps towards this goal. First, we make the 2-D convolution formulation of the complex-frequency-shifted unsplit-field perfectly matched layer (CFS-UPML) derived in previous work more flexible by providing a new treatment to analytically remove singular parameters in the formulation. We also extend this new formulation to 3-D. Furthermore, we derive the auxiliary differential equation (ADE) form of CFS-UPML, which allows for extension to higher order time schemes and is easier to implement. Secondly, we rigorously derive the CFS-UPML formulation for time-domain adjoint elastic wave problems, which to our knowledge has never been done before. Thirdly, in the case of classical low-order FE methods, we show numerically that we achieve long-time stability for both forward and adjoint problems both for the convolution and the ADE formulations. In the case of higher order Legendre spectral-element methods, we show that weak numerical instabilities can appear in both formulations, in particular if very small mesh elements are present inside the absorbing layer, but we explain how these instabilities can be delayed as much as needed by using a stretching factor to reach numerical stability in practice for applications. Fourthly, in the case of adjoint problems with perfectly matched absorbing layers we introduce a computationally efficient boundary storage strategy by saving information along the interface between the CFS-UPML and the main domain only, thus avoiding the need to solve a backward wave propagation problem inside the CFS-UPML, which is known to be highly ill-posed. Finally, by providing several examples we show numerically that our formulation is efficient at absorbing acoustic waves for normal to near-grazing incident body waves as well as surface waves.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 26
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-23
Description: We describe a 2.5-D, frequency domain, viscoelastic waveform tomography algorithm for imaging with seismograms of teleseismic body and surface waves recorded by quasi-linear arrays. The equations of motion are discretized with p -adaptive finite elements that allow for geometric flexibility and accurate solutions as a function of wavelength. Artificial forces are introduced into the media by specifying a known wavefield along the model edges and solving for the corresponding scattered field. Because of the relatively low frequency content of teleseismic data, regional scale tectonic settings can be parametrized with a modest number of variables and perturbations can be determined directly from a regularized Gauss–Newton system of equations. Waveforms generated by the forward problem compare well with analytic solutions for simple 1-D and 2-D media. Tests of different approaches to the inverse problem show that the use of an approximate Hessian serves to properly focus the scattered field. We also find that while full waveform inversion can provide significantly better resolution than standard techniques for both body and surface wave tomography modelled individually, joint inversion both enhances resolution and mitigates potential artefacts.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 27
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-23
Description: Numerical modelling is a useful tool to understand the role of different parameters (site geometry, impedance contrast, material properties, constitutive model, input motion) governing site effects. We focus here on the 2-D P – SV seismic wave propagation in a simple-shaped asymmetric model. We consider two ways of describing the sedimentary infilling properties: the basin is either composed of distinct homogeneous geological layers or is described through properties progressively changing as a function of depth (smooth model). In order to study the wave propagation in the two basins with similar soil properties, P and S velocities of the layered basin are deduced from the smooth basin ones, making both models compatible in a kinematic point of view. P and S velocities globally increase with depth. Following EPRI, non-linear properties are considered as constant in layers for the two basins. We assess the influence of the model choice on the wave propagation while taking into account linear and non-linear constitutive models. We test the influence of the input motion by propagating two different input motions, the first being a simple impulsive one and the second a real complex accelerogram. We find that transfer functions computed in each basin are quite similar irrespective of the soil constitutive behaviour and the input motion. Moreover, we show that the maximum shear strain spatial distribution depends on the input motion frequency content and maximum values depend on the input motion strength and complexity. Maximum shear strains are generally higher for superficial layers than for deeper ones. We show that the highest shear strain values are located above discontinuities, where velocities are lower and the soil is more non-linear than in the underlying layer, regardless of the input motion. Indeed, in a layered basin, the shear strain is higher above interfaces for all the soil constitutive models that were used. In the smooth visco-elastoplastic model, a kind of layering appears, absent in a viscoelastic model, due to the different non-linear properties in each layer. Moreover, no matter what the model structure and the input motion used, maximum shear strain levels are higher in the visco-elastoplastic soil than in the viscoelastic one. Such a numerical study helps to understand the non-linearity location and therefore the consequences of a model choice when performing a site-specific study.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 28
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-08-02
Description: We use shear wave splitting (SWS) above microearthquakes to monitor stress variations before the 2010 March and April flank and summit eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland. SWS time delays before Eyjafjallajökull show characteristic variations similar to those seen before earthquakes. The time delays display a nearly linear increase before the eruption, an abrupt change of slope and a rapid nearly linear decrease until the flank eruption begins. Similar variations before earthquakes are interpreted as stress-accumulation increases, and stress-relaxation decreases as microcracks coalesce onto the eventual fault plane. The changes in SWS before Eyjafjallajökull are interpreted as a similar stress-accumulation increase, as magma penetrates the crust, and stress-relaxation decrease as microcracks coalesce onto the magma conduit prior to magma release. We suggest that the remarkable similarity between stress changes before eruption and earthquake is strong evidence for the New Geophysics of a critically microcracked crust.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 29
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-08-02
Description: A new method is developed to measure Rayleigh- and Love-wave phase velocities globally using a cluster analysis technique. This method clusters similar waveforms recorded at different stations from a single event and allows users to make measurements on hundreds of waveforms, which are filtered at a series of frequency ranges, at the same time. It also requires minimal amount of user interaction and allows easy assessment of the data quality. This method produces a large amount of phase delay measurements in a manageable time frame. Because there is a strong trade-off between the isotropic part of the Rayleigh-wave phase velocity and azimuthal anisotropy, we include the effect of azimuthal anisotropy in our inversions in order to obtain reliable isotropic phase velocity. We use b-splines to combine these isotropic phase velocity maps with our previous group velocity maps to produce an internally consistent global surface wave dispersion model.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 30
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-10
Description: Full-waveform inversion (FWI) of shallow-seismic surface waves is able to reconstruct lateral variations of subsurface elastic properties. Line-source simulation for point-source data is required when applying algorithms of 2-D adjoint FWI to recorded shallow-seismic field data. The equivalent line-source response for point-source data can be obtained by convolving the waveforms with $\sqrt{t^{-1}}$ ( t : traveltime), which produces a phase shift of /4. Subsequently an amplitude correction must be applied. In this work we recommend to scale the seismograms with $\sqrt{2 r v_{\rm ph}}$ at small receiver offsets r , where v ph is the phase velocity, and gradually shift to applying a $\sqrt{t^{-1}}$ time-domain taper and scaling the waveforms with $r\sqrt{2}$ for larger receiver offsets r . We call this the hybrid transformation which is adapted for direct body and Rayleigh waves and demonstrate its outstanding performance on a 2-D heterogeneous structure. The fit of the phases as well as the amplitudes for all shot locations and components (vertical and radial) is excellent with respect to the reference line-source data. An approach for 1-D media based on Fourier–Bessel integral transformation generates strong artefacts for waves produced by 2-D structures. The theoretical background for both approaches is presented in a companion contribution. In the current contribution we study their performance when applied to waves propagating in a significantly 2-D-heterogeneous structure. We calculate synthetic seismograms for 2-D structure for line sources as well as point sources. Line-source simulations obtained from the point-source seismograms through different approaches are then compared to the corresponding line-source reference waveforms. Although being derived by approximation the hybrid transformation performs excellently except for explicitly back-scattered waves. In reconstruction tests we further invert point-source synthetic seismograms by a 2-D FWI to subsurface structure and evaluate its ability to reproduce the original structural model in comparison to the inversion of line-source synthetic data. Even when applying no explicit correction to the point-source waveforms prior to inversion only moderate artefacts appear in the results. However, the overall performance is best in terms of model reproduction and ability to reproduce the original data in a 3-D simulation if inverted waveforms are obtained by the hybrid transformation.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 31
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-10
Description: Real-time applications such as earthquake early warning (EEW) typically use empirical ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) along with event magnitude and source-to-site distances to estimate expected shaking levels. In this simplified approach, effects due to finite-fault geometry, directivity and site and basin response are often generalized, which may lead to a significant under- or overestimation of shaking from large earthquakes ( M  〉 6.5) in some locations. For enhanced site-specific ground-motion predictions considering 3-D wave-propagation effects, we develop support vector regression (SVR) models from the SCEC CyberShake low-frequency (〈0.5 Hz) and broad-band (0–10 Hz) data sets. CyberShake encompasses 3-D wave-propagation simulations of 〉415 000 finite-fault rupture scenarios (6.5 ≤ M ≤ 8.5) for southern California defined in UCERF 2.0. We use CyberShake to demonstrate the application of synthetic waveform data to EEW as a ‘proof of concept’, being aware that these simulations are not yet fully validated and might not appropriately sample the range of rupture uncertainty. Our regression models predict the maximum and the temporal evolution of instrumental intensity (MMI) at 71 selected test sites using only the hypocentre, magnitude and rupture ratio, which characterizes uni- and bilateral rupture propagation. Our regression approach is completely data-driven (where here the CyberShake simulations are considered data) and does not enforce pre-defined functional forms or dependencies among input parameters. The models were established from a subset (~20 per cent) of CyberShake simulations, but can explain MMI values of all 〉400 k rupture scenarios with a standard deviation of about 0.4 intensity units. We apply our models to determine threshold magnitudes (and warning times) for various active faults in southern California that earthquakes need to exceed to cause at least ‘moderate’, ‘strong’ or ‘very strong’ shaking in the Los Angeles (LA) basin. These thresholds are used to construct a simple and robust EEW algorithm: to declare a warning, the algorithm only needs to locate the earthquake and to verify that the corresponding magnitude threshold is exceeded. The models predict that a relatively moderate M 6.5–7 earthquake along the Palos Verdes, Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon, Elsinore or San Jacinto faults with a rupture propagating towards LA could cause ‘very strong’ to ‘severe’ shaking in the LA basin; however, warning times for these events could exceed 30 s.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 32
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-10
Description: Locating earthquakes from the beginning of the modern instrumental period is complicated by the fact that there are few good-quality seismograms and what traveltimes do exist may be corrupted by both large phase-pick errors and clock errors. Here, we outline a Bayesian approach to simultaneous inference of not only the hypocentre location but also the clock errors at each station and the origin time of the earthquake. This methodology improves the solution for the source location and also provides an uncertainty analysis on all of the parameters included in the inversion. As an example, we applied this Bayesian approach to the well-studied 1909 M w 7 Taipei earthquake. While our epicentre location and origin time for the 1909 Taipei earthquake are consistent with earlier studies, our focal depth is significantly shallower suggesting a higher seismic hazard to the populous Taipei metropolitan area than previously supposed.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 33
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-10
Description: The High Atlas and the Anti Atlas are fold-belts linked to former and still ongoing continent–continent collisions. Despite their high elevation, studies indicate a lack of a deep crustal root (〈40 km) while the lithosphere underneath is thinned (〈100 km). Previous explanations for this thinning include asthenospheric upwelling due to small-scale convection or a small plume. We use data recorded at stations in SW Morocco to analyse teleseismic P - and S -wave receiver functions. Our study yields a crustal thickness ranging from 24 km near the Atlantic coast to 44 km beneath the High Atlas with an average crustal V p / V s ratio of 1.77 in the entire region. A crustal thickness of 40 km cannot entirely support the topography in this region. Furthermore, we find the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary at ~80 km depth. The lithosphere beneath SW Morocco is thinner than beneath northern Morocco (〉150 km). This lithospheric thinning supports the theory of thermal compensation of the mountain ranges. The mantle transition zone thickness amounts to 240 ± 10 km. The transition zone seems to be slightly thinned which might indicate a higher mantle temperature in this region.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 34
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-07-29
Description: We present a new method for the modelling of frequency-dependent and frequency-independent Q in time-domain seismic wave propagation. Unlike previous approaches, attenuation models are constructed such that Q as a function of position in the Earth appears explicitly as a parameter in the equations of motion. This feature facilitates the derivation of Fréchet kernels for Q using adjoint techniques. Being simple products of the forward strain field and the adjoint memory variables, these kernels can be computed with no additional cost, compared to Fréchet kernels for elastic properties. The same holds for Fréchet kernels for the power-law exponent of frequency-dependent Q , that we derive as well. To illustrate our developments, we present examples from regional- and global-scale time-domain wave propagation.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 35
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-12
Description: Earthquake rupture models inferred from inversions of geophysical and/or geodetic data exhibit remarkable variability due to uncertainties in modelling assumptions, the use of different inversion algorithms, or variations in data selection and data processing. A robust statistical comparison of different rupture models obtained for a single earthquake is needed to quantify the intra-event variability, both for benchmark exercises and for real earthquakes. The same approach may be useful to characterize (dis-)similarities in events that are typically grouped into a common class of events (e.g. moderate-size crustal strike-slip earthquakes or tsunamigenic large subduction earthquakes). For this purpose, we examine the performance of the spatial prediction comparison test (SPCT), a statistical test developed to compare spatial (random) fields by means of a chosen loss function that describes an error relation between a 2-D field (‘model’) and a reference model. We implement and calibrate the SPCT approach for a suite of synthetic 2-D slip distributions, generated as spatial random fields with various characteristics, and then apply the method to results of a benchmark inversion exercise with known solution. We find the SPCT to be sensitive to different spatial correlations lengths, and different heterogeneity levels of the slip distributions. The SPCT approach proves to be a simple and effective tool for ranking the slip models with respect to a reference model.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 36
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-19
Description: Ground failures, caving processes and collapses of large natural or man-made underground cavities can produce significant socio-economic damages and represent a serious risk envisaged by the mine managements and municipalities. In order to improve our understanding of the mechanisms governing such a geohazard and to test the potential of geophysical methods to prevent them, the development and collapse of a salt solution mining cavity was monitored in the Lorraine basin in northeastern France. During the experiment, a huge microseismic data set (~50 000 event files) was recorded by a local microseismic network. 80 per cent of the data comprised unusual swarming sequences with complex clusters of superimposed microseismic events which could not be processed through standard automatic detection and location routines. Here, we present two probabilistic methods which provide a powerful tool to assess the spatio-temporal characteristics of these swarming sequences in an automatic manner. Both methods take advantage of strong attenuation effects and significantly polarized P -wave energies at higher frequencies (〉100 Hz). The first location approach uses simple signal amplitude estimates for different frequency bands, and an attenuation model to constrain the hypocentre locations. The second approach was designed to identify significantly polarized P -wave energies and the associated polarization angles which provide very valuable information on the hypocentre location. Both methods are applied to a microseismic data set recorded during an important step of the development of the cavity, that is, before its collapse. From our results, systematic spatio-temporal epicentre migration trends are observed in the order of seconds to minutes and several tens of meters which are partially associated with cyclic behaviours. In addition, from spatio-temporal distribution of epicentre clusters we observed similar epicentre migration in the order of hours and days. All together, we suggest that the recorded microseismicity mainly represents detachment and block breakage processes acting at the cavity's roof, indicating a zone of critical state of stress and where partial fractures cause chain reaction failures as a result of stress redistribution processes.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 37
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-07
Description: The effect of network density and geometric distribution on kinematic non-linear source inversion is investigated by inverting synthetic ground motions from a buried strike-slip fault ( M w 6.5), that have been generated by dynamic spontaneous rupture modelling. For the inversion, we use a physics-based regularized Yoffe function as slip velocity function. We test three different cases of station network geometry: (i) single station, varying azimuth and epicentral distance; (ii) multistation circular configurations, that is stations at similar distances from the fault, and regularly spaced around the fault; (iii) irregular multistation configurations using different numbers of stations. Our results show: (1) single station tests suggest that it may be possible to obtain a relatively good source model even using a single station. The best source model using a single station is obtained with stations at which amplitude ratios between three components are not large. We infer that both azimuthal angle and source-to-station distance play an important role in the design of optimal seismic network for source inversion. (2) Multistation tests show that the quality of the inverted source systematically correlates neither with the number of stations, nor with waveform misfit. (3) Waveform misfit has a direct correlation with the number of stations, resulting in overfitting the observed data without any systematic improvement of the source. It suggests that the best source model is not necessarily derived from the model with minimum waveform misfit. (4) A seismic network with a small number of well-spaced stations around the fault may be sufficient to obtain acceptable source inversion.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 38
Publication Date: 2014-11-12
Description: The Bío Bío region of Chile experienced a vigorous aftershock sequence following the 2010 February 27 M w 8.8 Maule earthquake. The immediate aftershock sequence was captured by two temporary seismic deployments: the Quake Catcher Network Rapid Aftershock Mobilization Program (QCN RAMP) and the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology CHile Aftershock Mobilization Program (IRIS CHAMP). Here, we use moderate to large aftershocks ( M L ≥ 4.0) occurring between 2010 March 1 and June 30 recorded by QCN RAMP and IRIS CHAMP stations to determine the spectral decay parameter, kappa ( ). First, we compare waveforms and estimates from the lower-resolution QCN stations to the IRIS CHAMP stations to ensure the QCN data are of sufficient quality. We find that QCN stations provide reasonable estimates of in comparison to traditional seismic sensors and provide valuable additional observations of local ground motion variation. Using data from both deployments, we investigate the variation in for the region to determine if is influenced primarily by local geological structure, path attenuation, or source properties (e.g. magnitude, mechanism and depth). Estimates of for the Bío Bío region range from 0.0022 to 0.0704 s with a mean of 0.0295 s and are in good agreement with values previously reported for similar tectonic environments. correlates with epicentral distance and, to a lesser degree, with source magnitude. We find little to no correlation between the site kappa, 0 , and mapped geology, although we were only able to compare the data to a low-resolution map of surficial geology. These results support an increasing number of studies that suggest observations can be attributed to a combination of source, path and site properties; additionally, measured are often highly scattered making it difficult to separate the contribution from each of these factors. Thus, our results suggest that contributions from the site, path and source should be carefully considered when interpreting values.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 39
Publication Date: 2014-11-19
Description: The Paradox Valley Unit (PVU), a salinity control project in southwest Colorado, disposes of brine in a single deep injection well. Since the initiation of injection at the PVU in 1991, earthquakes have been repeatedly induced. PVU closely monitors all seismicity in the Paradox Valley region with a dense surface seismic network. A key factor for understanding the seismic hazard from PVU injection is the maximum magnitude earthquake that can be induced. The estimate of maximum magnitude of induced earthquakes is difficult to constrain as, unlike naturally occurring earthquakes, the maximum magnitude of induced earthquakes changes over time and is affected by injection parameters. We investigate temporal variations in maximum magnitudes of induced earthquakes at the PVU using two methods. First, we consider the relationship between the total cumulative injected volume and the history of observed largest earthquakes at the PVU. Second, we explore the relationship between maximum magnitude and the geometry of individual seismicity clusters. Under the assumptions that: (i) elevated pore pressures must be distributed over an entire fault surface to initiate rupture and (ii) the location of induced events delineates volumes of sufficiently high pore-pressure to induce rupture, we calculate the largest allowable vertical penny-shaped faults, and investigate the potential earthquake magnitudes represented by their rupture. Results from both the injection volume and geometrical methods suggest that the PVU has the potential to induce events up to roughly M W 5 in the region directly surrounding the well; however, the largest observed earthquake to date has been about a magnitude unit smaller than this predicted maximum. In the seismicity cluster surrounding the injection well, the maximum potential earthquake size estimated by these methods and the observed maximum magnitudes have remained steady since the mid-2000s. These observations suggest that either these methods overpredict maximum magnitude for this area or that long time delays are required for sufficient pore-pressure diffusion to occur to cause rupture along an entire fault segment. We note that earthquake clusters can initiate and grow rapidly over the course of 1 or 2 yr, thus making it difficult to predict maximum earthquake magnitudes far into the future. The abrupt onset of seismicity with injection indicates that pore-pressure increases near the well have been sufficient to trigger earthquakes under pre-existing tectonic stresses. However, we do not observe remote triggering from large teleseismic earthquakes, which suggests that the stress perturbations generated from those events are too small to trigger rupture, even with the increased pore pressures.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 40
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-12
Description: Full waveform inversion (FWI) of 3-D data sets has recently been possible thanks to the development of high performance computing. However, FWI remains a computationally intensive task when high frequencies are injected in the inversion or more complex wave physics (viscoelastic) is accounted for. The highest computational cost results from the numerical solution of the wave equation for each seismic source. To reduce the computational burden, one well-known technique is to employ a random linear combination of the sources, rather that using each source independently. This technique, known as source encoding, has shown to successfully reduce the computational cost when applied to real data. Up to now, the inversion is normally carried out using gradient descent algorithms. With the idea of achieving a fast and robust frequency-domain FWI, we assess the performance of the random source encoding method when it is interfaced with second-order optimization methods (quasi-Newton l -BFGS, truncated Newton). Because of the additional seismic modelings required to compute the Newton descent direction, it is not clear beforehand if truncated Newton methods can indeed further reduce the computational cost compared to gradient algorithms. We design precise stopping criteria of iterations to fairly assess the computational cost and the speed-up provided by the source encoding method for each optimization method. We perform experiment on synthetic and real data sets. In both cases, we confirm that combining source encoding with second-order optimization methods reduces the computational cost compared to the case where source encoding is interfaced with gradient descent algorithms. For the synthetic data set, inspired from the geology of Gulf of Mexico, we show that the quasi-Newton l -BFGS algorithm requires the lowest computational cost. For the real data set application on the Valhall data, we show that the truncated Newton methods provide the most robust direction of descent.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 41
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-12
Description: As the Earth's inhomogeneous and viscoelastic properties, seismic signal attenuation we are trying to mitigate is a long-standing problem facing with high-resolution techniques. For addressing such a problem in the fields of time–frequency transform, Gabor transform methods such as atom-window method (AWM) and molecular window method (MWM) have been reported recently. However, we observed that these methods might be much better if we partition the non-stationary seismic data into adaptive stationary segments based on the amplitude and frequency information of the seismic signal. In this study, we present a new method called amplitude-frequency partition (AFP) to implement this process in the time–frequency domain. Cases of a synthetic and field seismic data indicated that the AFP method could partition the non-stationary seismic data into stationary segments approximately, and significantly, a high-resolution result would be achieved by combining the AFP method with conventional spectral-whitening method, which could be considered superior to previous resolution-enhancement methods like time-variant spectral whitening method, the AWM and the MWM as well. This AFP method presented in this study would be an effective resolution-enhancement tool for the non-stationary seismic data in the fields of an adaptive time–frequency transform.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 42
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-13
Description: We use the Rayleigh integral (RI) as an approximation to the Helmholtz–Kirchoff integral to model infrasound generation and propagation from underground chemical explosions at distances of 250 m out to 5 km as part of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE). Using a sparse network of surface accelerometers installed above ground zero, we are able to accurately create synthetic acoustic waveforms and compare them to the observed data. Although the underground explosive sources were designed to be symmetric, the resulting seismic wave at the surface shows an asymmetric propagation pattern that is stronger to the northeast of the borehole. This asymmetric bias may be attributed to the subsurface geology and faulting of the area and is observed in the acoustic waveforms. We compare observed and modelled results from two of the underground SPE tests with a sensitivity study to evaluate the asymmetry observed in the data. This work shows that it is possible to model infrasound signals from underground explosive sources using the RI and that asymmetries observed in the data can be modelled with this technique.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 43
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-13
Description: Current earthquake early warning (EEW) systems lack the ability to appropriately handle multiple concurrent earthquakes, which led to many false alarms during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake sequence in Japan. This paper uses a Bayesian probabilistic approach to handle multiple concurrent events for EEW. We implement the theory using a two-step algorithm. First, an efficient approximate Bayesian model class selection scheme is used to estimate the number of concurrent events. Then, the Rao-Blackwellized Importance Sampling method with a sequential proposal probability density function is used to estimate the earthquake parameters, that is hypocentre location, origin time, magnitude and local seismic intensity. A real data example based on 2 months data (2011 March 9–April 30) around the time of the 2011 M 9 Tohoku earthquake is studied to verify the proposed algorithm. Our algorithm results in over 90 per cent reduction in the number of incorrect warnings compared to the existing EEW system operating in Japan.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 44
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-19
Description: Numerical simulations of dynamic earthquake rupture require an artificial initiation procedure, if they are not integrated in long-term earthquake cycle simulations. A widely applied procedure involves an ‘overstressed asperity’, a localized region stressed beyond the static frictional strength. The physical properties of the asperity (size, shape and overstress) may significantly impact rupture propagation. In particular, to induce a sustained rupture the asperity size needs to exceed a critical value. Although criteria for estimating the critical nucleation size under linear slip-weakening friction have been proposed for 2-D and 3-D problems based on simplifying assumptions, they do not provide general rules for designing 3-D numerical simulations. We conduct a parametric study to estimate parameters of the asperity that minimize numerical artefacts (e.g. changes of rupture shape and speed, artificial supershear transition, higher slip-rate amplitudes). We examine the critical size of square, circular and elliptical asperities as a function of asperity overstress and background (off-asperity) stress. For a given overstress, we find that asperity area controls rupture initiation while asperity shape is of lesser importance. The critical area obtained from our numerical results contrasts with published theoretical estimates when background stress is low. Therefore, we derive two new theoretical estimates of the critical size under low background stress while also accounting for overstress. Our numerical results suggest that setting the asperity overstress and area close to their critical values eliminates strong numerical artefacts even when the overstress is large. We also find that properly chosen asperity size or overstress may significantly shorten the duration of the initiation. Overall, our results provide guidelines for determining the size of the asperity and overstress to minimize the effects of the forced initiation on the subsequent spontaneous rupture propagation.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 45
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-21
Description: Converted phase (CP) elastic seismic signals are comparable in amplitude to the primary signals recorded at large offsets and have the potential to be used in seismic imaging and velocity analysis. We present an approach for CP elastic wave equation velocity analysis that does not use source information and is applicable to surface-seismic, microseismic, teleseismic and vertical seismic profile (VSP) studies. Our approach is based on the cross-correlation between reflected or transmitted PP and CP PS (and/or SS and CP PS) waves propagated backward in time, and is formulated as an optimization problem with a differential semblance criterion objective function for the simultaneous update of both P - and S -wave velocity models. The merit of this approach is that it is fully data-driven, uses full waveform information, and requires only one elastic backward propagation to form an image rather than the two (one forward and one backward) propagations needed for standard reverse-time migration. Moreover, as the method does not require forward propagation, it does not suffer from migration operator source aliasing when a small number of shots are used. We present a derivation of the method and test it with a synthetic model and field micro-seismic data.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 46
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-21
Description: In the context of elastic wave propagation, the non-periodic homogenization asymptotic method allows to find a smooth effective medium and equations that correspond to the wave propagation in a given complex elastic or acoustic medium down to a given minimum wavelength. By smoothing all discontinuities and fine scales of the original medium, the homogenization technique considerably reduces meshing difficulties as well as the numerical cost associated with the wave equation solver, while producing the same waveform as for the original medium (up to the wanted accuracy). We present here a variation of the original method, allowing to homogenize the difference, or residual, between an original medium and a reference medium. This makes it possible to, for example, homogenize some specific parts of a model or to leave unchanged a specific interface while homogenizing the rest of the model. We present two examples of applications, one implying a complex geological shallow structure and the other involving the combination of deterministic and stochastic elastic models.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 47
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-23
Description: We raise attention to the issue of consistency between the reference frame with respect to which the seismological model calculations of displacement are made on one hand, and that to which the geodetic measurements of crustal deformation refer (e.g. the ITRF) on the other. This issue is critical in principle if the seismologically calculated displacement (or gravity change) is to be compared or used in joint inversion with geodetic measurements. A necessary set of conditions to be satisfied by inertial frames is the conservations of linear and angular momentums: no net change in them can be induced by a seismic source indigenous to the Earth. We show that the momentums are embodied in the degree-1 terms of the vector spherical-harmonic expansion of the displacement field. Using three largest recent earthquakes as case examples we find that the algorithms of seismological dislocation modelling in the literature do not conserve the momentums. However, quantitatively this inconsistency amounts to two orders of magnitude smaller than the current precision in the definition of the ITRF, hence insignificant in practice. Some caveats are raised.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 48
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-12-17
Description: The seismic investigation of the lowermost mantle is in many places hampered by the lack of suitable source–receiver combinations that sample the D '' region and have to meet the requirements of a suitable epicentral distance range. The low velocity regions beneath the central Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in particular have been sampled in fewer places than circum Pacific regions. In this study, we use data from two recent ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) deployments for the Plume-Lithosphere Undersea Mantle Experiment (PLUME) around Hawaii to increase the coverage of the lower mantle with reflected P waves. Through stacking of the data we achieve significant reduction in noise levels. The most favourable epicentral distances to detect D '' reflections are around 70–79°. Most of our source–receiver combinations have distances less than that, thereby limiting the number of candidate observed reflections. Nevertheless, using array methods, we are able to test approximately 70 events for arrivals with slowness values and arrival times that would be consistent with a top-side reflection off a hypothetical D '' structure (PdP wave). Modelling these data with a 1-D reflectivity method, we identify a few places of detectable PdP waves, for which the velocity contrast in P - and S -wave velocity across the D '' reflector have to be relatively large (around 3–5 per cent increase and decrease, respectively) compared to other regions (e.g. beneath the Caribbean or Eurasia where the contrast is closer to 1–2 per cent). For larger distance ranges, smaller velocity contrasts are sufficient to cause observable reflections. This study shows that, despite the possible dominance of microseisms on OBS records, it is possible to use relatively short-period waves, with dominant periods as short as 3–7 s. Our findings suggest that, with future such deployments, OBS deployments will help to extend D '' studies to previously unmapped regions.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 49
Publication Date: 2014-12-17
Description: The Terre Adélie and George V Land (East Antarctica) represent key areas for understanding tectonic relationships between terranes forming the Neoarchean-Palaeoproterozoic Terre Adélie Craton (TAC) and the neighbouring lithospheric blocks, together with the nature of its boundary. This region that represents the eastern border of the TAC is limited on its eastern side by the Mertz shear zone (MSZ) separating more recent Palaeozoic units from the craton. The MSZ, that recorded dextral strike-slip movement at 1.7 and 1.5 Ga, is likely correlated with the Kalinjala or Coorong shear zone in South Australia, east of the Gawler Craton and may therefore represent a frozen lithospheric-scale structure. In order to investigate the lithospheric structure of the TAC and the MSZ, we deployed from 2009 October to 2011 October four temporary seismic stations, which sampled the various lithospheric units of the TAC and of the neighbouring Palaeozoic block, together with the MSZ. We used receiver function method to deduce Moho depths and seismic anisotropy technique to infer the upper mantle deformation. Results from receiver functions analysis reveal Moho at 40–44 km depth beneath the TAC, at 36 km under the MSZ and at 28 km beneath the eastern Palaeozoic domain. The MSZ therefore delimits two crustal blocks of different thicknesses with a vertical offset of the Moho of 12 km. Seismic anisotropy deduced from SKS splitting at stations on the TAC shows fast polarisation directions () trending E–W, that is, parallel to the continental margin, and delay times ( t ) ranging from 0.8 to 1.6 s. These results are similar to the splitting parameters observed at the permanent GEOSCOPE Dumont D'Urville station (DRV: 95°N, t 1.1 s) located in the Palaeoproterozoic domain of TAC. On the MSZ, the small number of good quality measurements limits the investigation of the deep signature of the shear zone. However, the station in the Palaeozoic domain shows trending N60°E, which is significantly different to the trending measurements from stations on the TAC, suggesting that the MSZ may also represent a major frontier between the Neoarchean-Palaeoproterozoic and Palaeozoic terranes.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 50
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-02
Description: Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion measurements from local and regional earthquakes are used to interpret the lithospheric structure in the Gulf of California region. We compute group velocity maps for Rayleigh waves from 10 to 150 s using earthquakes recorded by broad-band stations of the Network of Autonomously Recording Seismographs in Baja California and Mexico mainland, UNM in Mexico, BOR, DPP and GOR in southern California and TUC in Arizona. The study area is gridded in 120 longitude cells by 180 latitude cells, with an equal spacing of 10 10 km. Assuming that each gridpoint is laterally homogeneous, for each period the tomographic maps are inverted to produce a 3-D lithospheric shear wave velocity model for the region. Near the Gulf of California rift axis, we found three prominent low shear wave velocity regions, which are associated with mantle upwelling near the Cerro Prieto volcanic field, the Ballenas Transform Fault and the East Pacific Rise. Upwelling of the mantle at lithospheric and asthenospheric depths characterizes most of the Gulf. This more detailed finding is new when compared to previous surface wave studies in the region. A low-velocity zone in northcentral Baja at ~28ºN which extends east–south–eastwards is interpreted as an asthenospheric window. In addition, we also identify a well-defined high-velocity zone in the upper mantle beneath central-western Baja California, which correlates with the previously interpreted location of the stalled Guadalupe and Magdalena microplates. We interpret locations of the fossil slab and slab window in light of the distribution of unique post-subduction volcanic rocks in the Gulf of California and Baja California. We also observe a high-velocity anomaly at 50-km depth extending down to ~130 km near the southwestern Baja coastline and beneath Baja, which may represent another remnant of the Farallon slab.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 51
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-02
Description: Continental China consists of a complex amalgamation of geotectonic units and has experienced strong and widespread tectonic deformation since the Mesozoic. To understand its geological structure better, we conducted a systematic receiver function analysis using a total of 83 509 teleseismic traces in the time period of 2009–2010 recorded by 798 broad-band stations, among which 749 stations are permanent digital seismic stations from China Earthquake Networks Center and 49 stations were temporarily deployed in northern Central Tibet. A standard H – stacking method is employed to determine Moho depth and V p / V s ratio underneath each station from teleseismic receiver function analysis. The obtained Moho depth variations are generally consistent with those determined from various deep seismic soundings profiles. We combine our results with those from previous receiver functions studies to produce a high-resolution map of Moho depth and V p / V s variation for continental China. Compared to previous studies, the new study concerns many more stations and the resulting Moho depth map has much higher lateral resolution, especially in the eastern China. Overall, the Moho depth variation has a remarkable correlation with major tectonic units in continental China. For example, across the well-known gravity gradient line in east China, there is a clear shift in Moho depths. In general, the map of V p / V s ratio shows relatively high anomalies underneath Tibetan Plateau, along the gravity gradient line, and under several volcanoes.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 52
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-02
Description: By relocation of shallow and intermediate depth earthquakes and joint evaluation of already available and properly estimated waveform inversion focal mechanisms we investigate the location and shallow kinematics of the residual subducting slab in the Calabrian Arc region, that is the only, apparently still active segment of the old subduction front of the western Mediterranean. In agreement with high P -wave velocity anomaly found at intermediate depths by previous local earthquake tomography, our shallow-to-intermediate earthquake hypocentre distribution shows that the Ionian subducting slab is still in-depth continuous only in a small internal segment of the Arc, while detachment or break-off processes have already developed elsewhere along the Arc. At the same time, the space distribution and the waveform inversion focal mechanisms of the earthquakes occurring at shallow depth (〈70 km) do not evidence Subduction Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) fault activity at the edges of the descending slab. In particular, no trace is found of dip-slip faulting along near vertical planes parallel to the slab edges, that is no seismic evidence is available of vertical motion between the subducting segment of the plate and the adjacent portion of it. Also, the seismicity distribution and mechanisms found at crustal depths in the study region do not match properly with the expected scenario of relative motion at the lateral borders of the overriding plate. Our earthquake locations and mechanisms together with GPS information taken from the literature highlight a residual, laterally very short subducting slab showing quasi-nil velocity of trench retreat and no present-day STEP activity, still capable however of causing strong normal-faulting earthquakes in the trench area through its gravity-induced shallow deformation in a weak-coupling scenario.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 53
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-02
Description: We show that superresolution imaging in the far-field region of the sources and receivers is theoretically and practically possible if migration of resonant multiples is employed. A resonant multiple is one that bounces back and forth between two scattering points; it can also be the multiple between two smoothly varying interfaces as long as the reflection wave paths partially overlap and reflect from the same Fresnel zone. For a source with frequency f , compared to a one-way trip, N round trips in propagating between two scatterers increase the effective frequency by 2 N   f and decrease the effective wavelength by /(2 N ). Thus, multiples can, in principle, be used as high-frequency probes to estimate detailed properties of layers. Tests with both synthetic and field data validate this claim. Improved resolution by multiple imaging is not only feasible for crustal reflections, but might be applicable to mantle and core reverberations recorded by earthquake seismologists.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 54
Publication Date: 2014-11-07
Description: Fractured rocks are known to exhibit seismic anisotropy and shear wave splitting (SWS). SWS is commonly used for fractured rock characterization and has been shown to be sensitive to fluid type. The presence of partial liquid/gas saturation is also known to affect the elastic properties of rocks. The combined effect of both fractures and partial liquid/gas saturation is still unknown. Using synthetic, silica-cemented sandstones with aligned penny-shaped voids, we conducted laboratory ultrasonic experiments to investigate the effect fractures aligned at an oblique angle to wave propagation would have on SWS under partial liquid/gas saturation conditions. The result for the fractured rock shows a saturation dependence which can be explained by combining a fractured rock model and a partial saturation model. At high to full water saturation values, SWS decreases as a result of the fluid bulk modulus effect on the quasi-shear wave. This bulk modulus effect is frequency dependent as a result of wave-induced fluid flow mechanisms, which would in turn lead to frequency dependent SWS. This result suggests the possible use of SWS for discriminating between full liquid saturation and partial liquid/gas saturation.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 55
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-13
Description: The East Kunlun Fault zone, striking E–W to WNW–ESE, has been recognized as one of the largest and most active left-lateral strike-slip faults in the China continent. Presently, the Maqin-Maqu segment (MMS) is recognized as a seismic gap on the East Kunlun Fault. Since several highly populated counties are close to this region, understanding stress transfer and accumulation along this segment is important for hazard assessment along the MMS. In this study, we calculated the stress evolution along the MMS of the East Kunlun Fault zone during 1879–2008 by integrating coseismic effects, viscoelastic relaxation and tectonic loading. It is observed that the stress accumulation on the western part of the Maqin segment has been effected by the 1937 Tuosuo Lake earthquake, the stress on the eastern part of the Maqin segment. Also, the western part of the Maqu segment was relaxed by the 1947 Dari earthquake, and the stress loading on the eastern part of Maqu segment was increased by both the 1879 Wudu and 2008 Wenchuan earthquakes. It is observed that, compared to coseismic static stress changes, the post-seismic viscoelastic relaxation process has played a more important role on stress accumulation in the Maqu segment. The increased stress on the Maqin and Maqu segment is consistent with tectonic loading over 160 and 250 yr, respectively, which we expect will lead to future earthquakes and associated seismic hazard on these segments.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 56
Publication Date: 2014-11-13
Description: On 2012 May 19, an m b  = 4 earthquake shook the town of Montes Claros, Brazil in the middle of the São Francisco Craton. Because of the scarce seismicity in the area, an event like this could provide valuable information to characterize the governing seismotectonics and stress field for the region. Here, we present the results of more than 1 yr of local seismic monitoring after the main shock. We found that the seismicity originated at approximately 1-km depth in an NNW-oriented blind reverse fault, dipping to the E. The magnitude of the main shock was 4 m b , with aftershocks reaching up to 3.6 m b . Focal mechanisms from first motion polarities and waveform moment tensor inversions indicate a reverse faulting in agreement with the orientation of the aftershock locations. In addition, we derived a new 1-D local velocity model using a simultaneous inversion of hypocentres and velocity layers. The results indicate P -wave velocities of 4.5 km s –1 for the upper layer of carbonate rocks and 5.23 and 5.69 km s –1 for the lower fractured and compact crystalline basement layers, respectively. Higher Vp / Vs ratios were obtained for the upper two layers compared to the lowermost layer, possibly indicating presence of rock fracturing and percolated water. The calculated stress drop for the main event is 0.33 MPa, which is a relatively low value for an intraplate earthquake but still within the observed range. The inversion of the main shock focal mechanism and previously published focal mechanisms suggests a compressional stress regime in the central part of the São Francisco Craton, which is different from the strike-slip regime in the southern part, although both have an EW-oriented 1. On the other hand, focal mechanisms of events located to the west of the craton indicate an NW–SE oriented 1 for central Brazil. This variability highlights the importance of local sources of stresses (e.g. flexural stresses) in mid-plate South America, unlike other mid-plate areas of the world, such as central and east North America, where a more uniform stress field is observed.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 57
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-16
Description: The long and complex history of southern Africa makes it a geological nexus for understanding how crust forms, evolves and survives plate tectonic processes over billions of years. The goal of this study is to characterize the crustal thickness, composition, and Moho impedance contrasts across the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons and surrounding mobile belts, which range in age from Archean to Palaeozoic. We use data gathered from the 1997–1999 Southern Africa Seismic Experiment, the Africa Array (2006–2007) and the Global Seismographic Network (1993–2009) to generate P -wave receiver function Gaussian-weighted common conversion point stacks across the region in order to provide a continuous 3-D image of crustal variations throughout southern Africa. We observe thickened crust associated with mobile belts and the intrusion of the Bushveld Complex relative to the less-deformed cratons. The southern Kaapvaal and eastern Zimbabwe Cratons have a well-defined Moho with an average depth of ~34 km and Vp / Vs of ~1.73, indicative of felsic average crustal composition. We explain the felsic composition observed in the Kaapvaal Craton in the context of significant crustal modification related to the deposition of the Ventersdorp lavas. We find that the Bushveld Province, the site of the world's largest layered mafic intrusion, has a thick (〉40 km) crust with a Vp / Vs 〉 1.8, indicative of a mafic average crustal composition. The magnitude of Moho conversions beneath the Bushveld Province is variable, with the lowest amplitude conversion appearing between the eastern and western limbs of the Bushveld Complex, indicative of mafic underplating beneath the region. In the Limpopo Belt and western Zimbabwe Craton, we observe low amplitude Moho conversions beneath the Okavango Dyke Swarm, and attribute this to the reworking of the crust by mafic underplating and intrusion during the Jurassic rifting of Gondwanaland. The Namaqua-Natal event thickened the crust and created a gradational transition from crust to mantle as seen by low amplitude Ps arrivals from receiver functions. Evidence for the presence of a mafic lower crust beneath the Namaqua-Natal Belt is observed in high Vp / Vs values (~1.8) and a high concentration of granulite xenoliths in kimberlite intrusions. In contrast to past interpretations for craton formation that suggest sharp Moho boundaries and low Vp / Vs ratios are characteristic of undisturbed cratons, we propose that these crustal properties are more controlled by tectonic events that later modify the existing cratonic crust. We cannot rule out secular crustal formation variations in the early Earth, but we propose that the southern African cratonic crust has been too heavily modified by later tectonic events to be used in arguments for secular variation, as may be the case for other cratons as well. Thus, it is important to consider the regional geological history of cratons to ensure that secular variation is not confused with the effects of later tectonic deformation and crustal modification.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 58
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-11-19
Description: The numerical simulation of wave propagation in media with solid and fluid layers is essential for marine seismic exploration data analysis. The numerical methods for wave propagation that are applicable to this physical settings can be broadly classified as partitioned or monolithic: The partitioned methods use separate simulations in the fluid and solid regions and explicitly satisfy the interface conditions, whereas the monolithic methods use the same method in all the domain without any special treatment of the fluid-solid interface. Despite the accuracy of the partitioned methods, the monolithic methods are more common in practice because of their convenience. In this paper, we analyse the accuracy of several monolithic methods for wave propagation in the presence of a fluid-solid interface. The analysis is based on grid-dispersion criteria and numerical examples. The methods studied here include: the classical finite-difference method (FDM) based on the second-order displacement formulation of the elastic wave equation (DFDM), the staggered-grid finite difference method (SGFDM), the velocity-stress FDM with a standard grid (VSFDM) and the spectral-element method (SEM). We observe that among these, DFDM and the first-order SEM have a large amount of grid dispersion in the fluid region which renders them impractical for this application. On the other hand, SGFDM, VSFDM and SEM of order greater or equal to 2 yield accurate results for the body waves in the fluid and solid regions if a sufficient number of nodes per wavelength is used. All of the considered methods yield limited accuracy for the surface waves because the proper boundary conditions are not incorporated into the numerical scheme. Overall, we demonstrate both by analytic treatment and numerical experiments, that a first-order velocity-stress formulation can, in general, be used in dealing with fluid-solid interfaces without using staggered grids necessarily.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 59
Publication Date: 2014-12-25
Description: We examine P -wave velocity structure at the base of the mantle beneath the western Pacific, near the western edge of the Pacific Large-Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP), using high-quality seismograms provided by a large-scale mobile broad-band seismic observation in northeastern China (the NECESSArray project). Forward modelling using the reflectivity method is conducted to explain the variation of P -wave traveltimes as a function of epicentral distance near the core shadow zone. Additionally, PcP–P traveltimes are examined to enlarge the survey area. As a result, a rapid variation of P -wave velocity is detected at the base of the mantle. Regions of thin (20–50 km thick) and low velocity (–2 to –5 per cent) layers at the base of the mantle are intersected by an 80-km-thick region with a high velocity (+2 per cent). A slightly fast region exists at the northwest of the region with the thin low-velocity layer. These layers are typically separated by several hundred kilometres and would be difficult to explain by thermal effects alone. These observations suggest that very complicated thermochemical reactions occur near the edge of the Pacific LLSVP.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 60
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-08
Description: The aseismic Murray ridge (MR) is a continuation of the Owen fracture zone which marks the boundary between the Indian and Arabian plates. Due to large variation in morphology and structure within this NE–SW trending ridge in the Arabian Sea a large variation of the bathymetry from few hundred metres to about 4000 m is seen. Observed seismicity on the ridge system is predominantly strike-slip. Tsunamis generated in the Makran subduction zone (MSZ) will propagate through the MR system due to its proximity. As the tsunami speed depends on the depth of the ocean, bathymetry plays a vital role on tsunami propagation. In this paper, the effect of tsunami propagation through the MR system is carried out with the existing bathymetry and comparing the results by removing the bathymetry. To study this phenomenon the 1945 Makran tsunami and worst possible tsunamigenic earthquakes form eastern and western MSZ are considered. The directivity of tsunami propagation with the ridge system is seen to change after crossing the MR towards the southeast direction for tsunamis generated in the eastern MSZ. For tsunami generated in the western MSZ there is no change in its directivity and is almost same as without the ridge with propagation being towards the open sea. Hence the MR not only affects the amplitude of the tsunamis but also the directionality and the arrival times.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 61
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-17
Description: The most common type of waves used for probing anisotropy of rocks in laboratory is the direct P wave. Information potential of the measured P -wave velocity, however, is limited. In rocks displaying weak triclinic anisotropy, the P -wave velocity depends just on 15 linear combinations of 21 elastic parameters, called the weak-anisotropy parameters. In strong triclinic anisotropy, the P -wave velocity depends on the whole set of 21 elastic parameters, but inversion for six of them is ill-conditioned and these parameters are retrieved with a low accuracy. Therefore, in order to retrieve the complete elastic tensor accurately, velocities of S waves must also be measured and inverted. For this purpose, we developed a lab facility which allows the P - and S -wave ultrasonic sounding of spherical rock samples in 132 directions distributed regularly over the sphere. The velocities are measured using a pair of P -wave sensors with the transmitter and receiver polarized along the radial direction and using two pairs of S -wave sensors with the transmitter and receiver polarized tangentially to the spherical sample in mutually perpendicular directions. We present inversion methods of phase and ray velocities for elastic parameters describing general triclinic anisotropy. We demonstrate on synthetic tests that the inversion becomes more robust and stable if the S -wave velocities are included. This applies even to the case when the velocity of the S waves is measured in a limited number of directions and with a significantly lower accuracy than that of the P wave. Finally, we analyse velocities measured on a rock sample from the Outokumpu deep drill hole, Finland. We present complete sets of elastic parameters of the sample including the error analysis for several levels of confining pressure ranging from 0.1 to 70 MPa.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 62
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-17
Description: We successfully apply the semi-global inverse method of simulated annealing to determine the best-fitting 1-D anisotropy model for use in acoustic frequency domain waveform tomography. Our forward problem is based on a numerical solution of the frequency domain acoustic wave equation, and we minimize wavefield phase residuals through random perturbations to a 1-D vertically varying anisotropy profile. Both real and synthetic examples are presented in order to demonstrate and validate the approach. For the real data example, we processed and inverted a cross-borehole data set acquired by Vale Technology Development (Canada) Ltd. in the Eastern Deeps deposit, located in Voisey's Bay, Labrador, Canada. The inversion workflow comprises the full suite of acquisition, data processing, starting model building through traveltime tomography, simulated annealing and finally waveform tomography. Waveform tomography is a high resolution method that requires an accurate starting model. A cycle-skipping issue observed in our initial starting model was hypothesized to be due to an erroneous anisotropy model from traveltime tomography. This motivated the use of simulated annealing as a semi-global method for anisotropy estimation. We initially tested the simulated annealing approach on a synthetic data set based on the Voisey's Bay environment; these tests were successful and led to the application of the simulated annealing approach to the real data set. Similar behaviour was observed in the anisotropy models obtained through traveltime tomography in both the real and synthetic data sets, where simulated annealing produced an anisotropy model which solved the cycle-skipping issue. In the real data example, simulated annealing led to a final model that compares well with the velocities independently estimated from borehole logs. By comparing the calculated ray paths and wave paths, we attributed the failure of anisotropic traveltime tomography to the breakdown of the ray-theoretical approximation in the vicinity of strong velocity discontinuities.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 63
Publication Date: 2014-10-17
Description: Our study compares the seismic properties between the flat and normal subduction regions in central Chile, to better understand the links between the slab geometry, surface deformation and the deeper structures. In comparison with previous studies, we show the most complete 3-D regional seismic tomography images for this region, in which we use (1) a larger seismic data set compiled from several short-term seismic catalogues, (2) a denser seismic array allowing a better resolution of the subduction zone from the trench to the backarc and into the upper ~30 km of the slab and (3) a starting 1-D background velocity model specifically calculated for this region and refined over the years. We assess and discuss our tomography results using regional seismic attenuation models and estimating rock types on the basis of pressure and temperature conditions computed from thermomechanical models. Our results show significant seismic differences between the flat and normal subduction zones. As expected, the faster seismic velocities and increased seismicity within the flat slab and overriding lithosphere are generally consistent with a cooler thermal state. Our results are also consistent with dehydration of the mantle above the subducted Juan Fernandez Ridge at the eastern tip of the flat slab segment, indicating that the latter retains some fluids during subduction. However, fluids in the upper portion of the flat slab segment are not seismically detected, since we report instead fast slab seismic velocities which contradict the argument of its buoyancy being the cause of horizontal subduction. The forearc region, above the flat slab, exhibits high Vs and very low Vp / Vs ratios, uncorrelated with typical rock compositions, increased density or reduced temperature; this feature is possibly linked with the aftershock effects of the M w7.1 1997 Punitaqui earthquake, the flat slab geometry and/or seismic anisotropy. At the surface, the seismic variations correlate with the geological terranes. The Andean crust is strongly reduced in seismic velocities along the La Ramada–Aconcagua deformation belt, suggesting structural damage. Slow seismic velocities along the Andean Moho match non-eclogitized hydrated rocks, consistent with a previous delamination event or a felsic composition, which in turn supports the extent of the Chilenia terrane at these depths. We confirm previous studies that suggest that the Cuyania terrane in the backarc region is mafic and contains an eclogitized lower crust below 50-km depth. We also hypothesize major Andean basement detachment faults (or shear zones) to extend towards the plate interface and canalize slab-derived fluids into the continental crust.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 64
Publication Date: 2014-10-23
Description: We present a 3-D model of P and S velocities beneath El Hierro Island, constructed using the traveltime data of more than 13 000 local earthquakes recorded by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN, Spain) in the period from 2011 July to 2012 September. The velocity models were performed using the LOTOS code for iterative passive source tomography. The results of inversion were thoroughly verified using different resolution and robustness tests. The results reveal that the majority of the onshore area of El Hierro is associated with a high-velocity anomaly observed down to 10–12-km depth. This anomaly is interpreted as the accumulation of solid igneous rocks erupted during the last 1 Myr and intrusive magmatic bodies. Below this high-velocity pattern, we observe a low-velocity anomaly, interpreted as a batch of magma coming from the mantle located beneath El Hierro. The boundary between the low- and high-velocity anomalies is marked by a prominent seismicity cluster, thought to represent anomalous stresses due to the interaction of the batch of magma with crust material. The areas of recent eruptions, Orchilla and La Restinga, are associated with low-velocity anomalies surrounding the main high-velocity block. These eruptions took place around the island where the crust is much weaker than the onshore area and where the melted material cannot penetrate. These results put constraints on the geological model that could explain the origin of the volcanism in oceanic islands, such as in the Canaries, which is not yet clearly understood.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 65
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-23
Description: In this study, information carried by the ambient seismic field is exploited to extract impulse response functions between two seismic stations using one as a ‘virtual’ source. Interferometry by deconvolution method is used and validated by comparing the extracted ambient noise impulse response waveforms with records of moderate magnitude earthquakes (from M w 4 to 5.8) that occurred close to the virtual source station in Japan. As the information is only available at low frequencies (less than 0.25 Hz), the ambient seismic field approach is coupled to a non-stationary stochastic model to simulate time domain accelerograms up to 50 Hz. This coupling allows the predicted ground motion to have both the deterministic part at low frequencies coming from the source and the crust structure and the high-frequency random contribution from the seismic waves scattering. The resulting combined accelerograms for an M w 5.8 event show a good agreement with observed ground motions from a real earthquake.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 66
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-23
Description: The b value of the Gutenberg–Richter (GR) distribution is estimated as a function of a threshold magnitude m th and it is found to depend on m th for magnitudes larger than the completeness magnitude m c . We identify a magnitude interval [ m c , m m ] where b is a decreasing function of m th followed by a regime of increasing b for large magnitudes. This is a common feature of experimental catalogues for different geographic areas. The increase at large m th is explained in terms of an upper magnitude cut-off in experimental catalogues due to finite size effects. We develop a rigorous mathematical framework to relate the decrease of b in the intermediate regime to the functional form of the distribution of the b values. We propose two hypotheses: The first is that the spatial and temporal variability of b leads to a b distribution peaked around its average value. The second is that main shocks and aftershocks are distributed according to the GR law with different b values, leading to a bimodal distribution of b . Simulated Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequences catalogues, generated according to this hypothesis, exhibit the same magnitude distribution of experimental ones. In alternative, we cannot exclude the b dependence on m caused by magnitudes not homogeneously evaluated in a seismic catalogue. In the latter scenario our results provide the correction terms to the estimated magnitudes.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 67
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-23
Description: Recent studies have shown that many early aftershocks are missing in the regular earthquake catalogues immediately following a moderate to large earthquake. An effective way to recover those missing aftershocks is to use existing events as templates to scan through continuous waveforms to detect additional events, also known as the matched filter technique. Here, we use this technique to detect missing early aftershocks within 3 d after the 2010 M L 6.4 Jiashian earthquake in southern Taiwan. Using waveforms of 875 aftershocks listed in the Central Weather Bureau catalogue as templates, we have detected 2307 early aftershocks in the first 3 d following the main shock. The aftershock rate generally follows an Omori's type decay with a logarithmic slope p of ~0.8. In addition, aftershocks migrated along the northwestward direction with a velocity of ~6–7 km decade –1 and ~3–4 km decade –1 in the opposite direction in depth of 0–20 km. Regions with different seismic properties in the vicinity of the main shock hypocentre may affect the locations and migration patterns of the early aftershocks. We also found a spatial anticorrelation between the main shock slip and aftershock hypocentres in first half hour, although aftershocks at later times filled in regions with moderate amount of slips during the main shock.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 68
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-09-30
Description: We infer 3-D localized shear velocity structure in the lowermost 400 km of the mantle at the western edge of the Pacific large low shear velocity province (LLSVP) by applying waveform inversion to transverse component body-wave waveforms from the F-net seismic array in Japan. Our data set consists of relatively long period (12.5–200 s) broad-band seismic waveforms of Tonga-Fiji deep focus and intermediate deep earthquakes. We conduct several tests to confirm the robustness of the inversion results. We find two low-velocity zones at the bottom of the target region, with a high-velocity zone in the middle, and a low-velocity zone above the high-velocity zone and contiguous with the two deeper low-velocity zones at a depth of 200–300 km above the core-mantle boundary (CMB). This supports the idea that the Pacific LLSVP may be an aggregation of small upwelling plumes rather than a single large thermochemical pile.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 69
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-01
Description: The radially anisotropic shear velocity structure of the Earth's mantle provides a critical window on the interior dynamics of the planet, with isotropic variations that are interpreted in terms of thermal and compositional heterogeneity and anisotropy in terms of flow. While significant progress has been made in the more than 30 yr since the advent of global seismic tomography, many open questions remain regarding the dual roles of temperature and composition in shaping mantle convection, as well as interactions between different dominant scales of convective phenomena. We believe that advanced seismic imaging techniques, such as waveform inversion using accurate numerical simulations of the seismic wavefield, represent a clear path forwards towards addressing these open questions through application to whole-mantle imaging. To this end, we employ a ‘hybrid’ waveform-inversion approach, which combines the accuracy and generality of the spectral finite element method (SEM) for forward modelling of the global wavefield, with non-linear asymptotic coupling theory for efficient inverse modelling. The resulting whole-mantle model (SEMUCB-WM1) builds on the earlier successful application of these techniques for global modelling at upper mantle and transition-zone depths (≤800 km) which delivered the models SEMum and SEMum2. Indeed, SEMUCB-WM1 is the first whole-mantle model derived from fully numerical SEM-based forward modelling. Here, we detail the technical aspects of the development of our whole-mantle model, as well as provide a broad discussion of isotropic and radially anisotropic model structure. We also include an extensive discussion of model uncertainties, specifically focused on assessing our results at transition-zone and lower-mantle depths.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 70
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-10-08
Keywords: Seismology
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• 71
Unknown
Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2014-09-07
Description: In this study, we present a new method for simulating the 3-D dynamic rupture process occurring on a non-planar fault. The method is based on the curved-grid finite-difference method (CG-FDM) proposed by Zhang & Chen and Zhang et al. to simulate the propagation of seismic waves in media with arbitrary irregular surface topography. While keeping the advantages of conventional FDM, that is computational efficiency and easy implementation, the CG-FDM also is flexible in modelling the complex fault model by using general curvilinear grids, and thus is able to model the rupture dynamics of a fault with complex geometry, such as oblique dipping fault, non-planar fault, fault with step-over, fault branching, even if irregular topography exists. The accuracy and robustness of this new method have been validated by comparing with the previous results of Day et al. , and benchmarks for rupture dynamics simulations. Finally, two simulations of rupture dynamics with complex fault geometry, that is a non-planar fault and a fault rupturing a free surface with topography, are presented. A very interesting phenomenon was observed that topography can weaken the tendency for supershear transition to occur when rupture breaks out at a free surface. Undoubtedly, this new method provides an effective, at least an alternative, tool to simulate the rupture dynamics of a complex non-planar fault, and can be applied to model the rupture dynamics of a real earthquake with complex geometry.
Keywords: Seismology
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• 72