Effective relaxation time and viscosity of the earth inferred from the postseismic vertical deformations of the 1990 M S=7.0 Gonghe earthquake

The postseismic vertical deformation rates of the 1990 Gonghe M _S=7.0 earthquake appears to have decreased exponentially. Based on Okada’s coseismic surface displacement solution caused by a uniform fault slip in an elastic homogeneous half space, we derived its postseismic surface displacement by using a single-layer standard linear solid model, and further derived a simplified formula for determining the effective relaxation time and viscosity of the earth, which is independent of the dislocation parameters of the causative fault. From the postseismic vertical deformation of the 1990 Gonghe earthquake, we inferred that the effective relaxation time defined by τ=η/μ is 2.6 years, and the effective viscosity η is about 10¹⁸ Pa · s. This work was supported by Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation under the grants 92088 and 196098.     

1990年共和7.0级地震孕震过程讨论

共和７．０级地震的发生及共和盆地内古地震遗迹的发现,说明共和盆地不属于低烈度区,其地震危险性是不容忽视的,在诸多学研究的基础上,分析了共和地震的构造背景,讨论了共和地震的孕震过程,发现该次地震的孕育经历了近２０年,并且可以分为长、中、短、临４个阶段,反映了地壳介质由弹性形变、朔性形变、硬化直至破裂的过程。     

1990年共和7.0级地震的发震构造讨论

根据地质、地震及形变资料研究了１９９０年４月青海省共和ＭＳ７．０地震的发震构造．认为ＮＷＮＷＷ向的哇玉香卡拉干逆冲盲断裂是该次地震的发震构造．其地表形变以褶皱隆起为主．因此,共和地震是一次典型的“盲断裂褶皱地震”．     

Inversion of long-period body-wave data for the source process of the Gonghe, Qinghai, China earthquake

Long period body waves data recorded by the China Digital Seismograph Network (CDSN) are inverted for the seismic moment tensors of the April 26, 1990, Gonghe, QinghaiM _S=6.9 earthquake and itsM _S=5.0 after-shock occurred on May 7, 1990. In the inversion, the generalized reflection-transmission coefficient matrix method is used to generate Green’s function. From the inversion it is obtained that the rupture process of theM _S=5.0 aftershock is relatively simple, and that of the main shock is rather complex. There are at least two events during main shock rupture process with an interval about 35 seconds. The focal mechanisms of two events are roughly the same as that of the aftershock, all of them were mainly reverse dip-slipping faulting with minor left-lateral strike-slip motion. These results indicate that the Gonghe earthquake was the result of the farther extension of one NWW-SEE striking buried fault on the southern margin of Gonghe basin from shallower depth to deeper depth and from NW to SE under the action of a nearly horizontal NE direction compressive stress. Contribution No. 95A0111, Institute of Geophysics, SSB, China.     

On the analysis of self-similarity of earthquake sequence and its application in earthquake prediction

This paper has introduced the method of self-similarity analysis of time series into the analysis and study of earthquake sequence, and then researched its application in earthquake prediction. As parameter of earthquake time series, we can take the cumulated sum of the numbers of equivalent earthquakesQ=ΣN*, the numbers of equivalent earthquakeN*, maximum magnitudeM _max, average magnitudeQ=ΣN*, and the difference ΔN* between the numbersN* in two adjacent time intervals. The given method may be applied to analysis of long-period seismic sequences in different regions as well as to anlysis of seismic sequence in the aftershock region of strong earthquake. For making quantitative analysis the coefficient of self-similarity of earthquake sequence in order of timeμs was introduced. The results of self-similarity analysis were obtained for the earthquake sequences in North China, West South China, the Capital region of China, and for the East Yamashi region of Japan. They show that in period or half year to several years beforeM⩾7.0 andM⩾6.0 earthquakes occurred in these regions separately, the self-similarity coefficientμs calculated by using the above-mentioned parameters had remarkably anamalous decrease variations. The duration time ofμs anomaly depends on the earthquake magnitude and may be different from different regions. Therefore, the self-similarity coefficient in order of timeμs can be considered as a long-medium term precursory index. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,15, 455–462, 1993.     

Study on shear wave splitting in the aftershock region of the Yao＇an earthquake in 2000

After Ms=6.5 Yao＇an earthquake on January 15, 2000, a large amount of aftershock waveforms were recorded by the Near Source Digital Seismic Network （NSSN） installed by Earthquake Administration of Yunnan Province in the aftershock region. It provides profuse data to systematically analyze the features of Yao＇an earthquake. The crustal anisotropy is realized by shear wave splitting propagating in the upper crust. Based on the accurate aftershock relocations, the shear wave splitting parameters are determined with the cross-correlation method, and the results of different stations and regions are discussed in this paper. These conclusions are obtained as follows： firstly, the average fast directions of aftershock region are controlled by the regional stress field and parallel to the maximum horizontal compressive stress direction; secondly, the average fast directions of disparate stations and regions are different and vary with the structural settings and regional stress fields; finally, delay time value is affected by all sorts of factors, which is affinitive with the shear wave propagating medium, especially.     

The experimental study of acoustic emission during creep of rocks

Under normal temperature, the creep experiments with complete samples of Gabbro and Marble rocks are made under uniaxial compression. It is found that at the instantaneous creeping stage, AE activities increase with loading; at the steady creeping stage, large AE signals may appear at lower background of AE action, andm—value which shows the relationship between AE amplitude and frequency keeps stable on the low value or decreases; at the accelerate creeping stage, AE activities increase andm—value decreases quickly or decreases again after recovery. These experimental results are related to the quality of the samples. In this paper, AE activities during three stages of creeping process are connected with the seismic patterns (for exampleb—value, foreshocks). Finally, it is pointed out the possibility that the foreshock—mainshock—aftershock earthquake sequence has been formed by the mechanism of creep fracture of crustal rocks. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 104–112, 1991. This subject is sponsored by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation.     

大森-宇津定律的一种可能机制以唐山大地震为例

为了探讨大森-宇津定律的物理机制, 本文在余震区等效黏度远低于其外部, 且构造应力场在整个余震活动时间间隔内基本保持不变的假设条件下, 提出了一个开尔文黏弹性地震震源体概念模型． 该模型可用于模拟主震后断层蠕变和震源区应力调整触发的余震序列以及蠕变停止后余震终结、 介质恢复到弹性状态、 断层重新闭锁和积累下一次地震的整个过程． 有限元方法可用来计算非均匀黏弹性地震震源体模型中主震和每次余震所引起的应力场及其随时间的演化过程． 在此基础上, 采用开尔文黏弹性地震震源体概念模型和有限元方法模拟了1976年唐山M_S7.8地震余震序列． 结果表明: 经验的大森-宇津定律可以用开尔文黏弹性震源体模型来解释, 这意味着余震衰减的频度取决于蠕变的速率; 余震序列持续时间受控于震源体的黏度, 即黏度越大, 蠕变时间越长, 余震持续的时间也就越长．      

Statistical testing of the relation between burst of aftershocks and strong earthquakes

According to geological tectonics and seismic activites this paper devided North China (30°–45°N, 105°–130°E) into four areas. We analyzed the North China earthquake catalogue from 1970 to 1986 (from 1965 to 1986 for Huabei, the North China, plain region) and identified forty-two bursts of aftershock. Seven of them occurred in aftershock regions of strong earthquakes and seventeen of them in the seismic swarm regions. The relation between strong earthquakes with the remaining eighteen bursts of aftershocks has been studied and tested statistically in this paper. The result of statistical testing show that the random probabilityp of coincidence of bursts of aftershock with subsequent strong earthquakes is less than six percent. By Xu’sR scoring method the efficacy of predicting strong earthquake from bursts of aftershock is estimated greater than 39 percent. Following the method proposed in the paper we analyzed the earthquake catalogue of China from 1987 to June, 1988. The results show that there was only one burst of aftershock occurred on Jan. 6, 1988 withM=3.6 in Xiuyan of Northeast China. It implicates that a potential earthquake withM _S⩽5 might occur in one year afterwards in the region of Northeast China. Actually on Feb. 25, 1988 an earthquake withM _S=5.3 occurred in Zhangwu of Northeast China. Another example is Datong-Yanggao shock on October 18, 1989 which is a burst of aftershock. Three hours after an expected shock withM =6.1 took place in the same area. Two examples above have been tested in practical prediction and this shows that bursts of aftershocks are significant in predicting strong earthquakes. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 273–280, 1991. Part of earthquake catalogue is from Jinbiao Chen, Peiyan Chen and Quanlin Li.     

Study of dislocation model and evolution characteristics of vertical deformation field of gonghe M S=6.9 earthquake

The preliminary research results of vertical deformation dislocation model of GongheM _S =6.9 earthquake show that, the causative structure is a hidden fault with strike N60°W, dipping S47°W, which lies near the current subsidence center of Gonghe basin. The rupture length and width are 30km and 14km, the upper and lower bound depth of the fault in width direction are 3km and 17km respectively. The maximum coseismic and preseismic vertical deformation of GongheM _S =6.9 earthquake are 247mm and about 100mm. The reasons why there existed rapid postseismic uplift are also given a tentative discussion. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,15, 289–295, 1993.     

Source process of the 1990 Gonghe,China, earthquake and tectonic stress field in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) plateau

TheM _s =6.9 Gonghe, China, earthquake of April 26, 1990 is the largest earthquake to have been documented historically as well as recorded instrumentally in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) plateau. The source process of this earthquake and the tectonic stress field in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang plateau are investigated using geodetic and seismic data. The leveling data are used to invert the focal mechanism, the shape of the slipped region and the slip distribution on the fault plane. It is obtained through inversion of the leveling data that this earthquake was caused by a mainly reverse dip-slipping buried fault with strike 102°, dip 46° to SSW, rake 86° and a seismic moment of 9,4×10¹⁸ Nm. The stress drop, strain and energy released for this earthquake are estimated to be 4.9 MPa, 7.4×10^–5 and 7.0×10¹⁴ J, respectively. The slip distributes in a region slightly deep from NWW to SEE, with two nuclei, i.e., knots with highly concentrated slip, located in a shallower depth in the NWW and a deeper depth in the SEE, respectively.Broadband body waves data recorded by the China Digital Seismograph Network (CDSN) for the Gonghe earthquake are used to retrieve the source process of the earthquakes. It is found through moment-tensor inversion that theM _s =6.9 main shock is a complex rupture process dominated by shear faulting with scalar seismic moment of the best double-couple of 9.4×10¹⁸ Nm, which is identical to the seismic moment determined from leveling data. The moment rate tensor functions reveal that this earthquake consists of three consecutive events. The first event, with a scalar seismic moment of 4.7×10¹⁸ Nm, occurred between 0–12 s, and has a focal mechanism similar to that inverted from leveling data. The second event, with a smaller seismic moment of 2.1×10¹⁸ Nm, occurred between 12–31 s, and has a variable focal mechanism. The third event, with a sealar seismic moment of 2.5×10¹⁸ Nm, occurred between 31–41 s, and has a focal mechanism similar to that inverted from leveling data. The strike of the 1990 Gonghe earthquake, and the significantly reverse dip-slip with minor left-lateral strike-slip motion suggest that the pressure axis of the tectonic stress field in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang plateau is close to horizontal and oriented NNE to SSW, consistent with the relative collision motion between the Indian and Eurasian plates. The predominant thrust mechanism and the complexity in the tempo-spatial rupture process of the Gonghe earthquake, as revealed by the geodetic and seismic data, is generally consistent with the overall distribution of isoseismals, aftershock seismicity and the geometry of intersecting faults structure in the Gonghe basin of the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang plateau.Contribution No. 96 B0006 Institute of Geophysics, State Seismological Bureau, Beijing, China.     

应力降研究进展综述

本文介绍了国内外关于应力降研究及应用的一些进展。对应力降定义及计算方法进行简要介绍,对地震应力降整体特征、应力降与地震大小、应力降与构造环境、应力降与序列类型等之间的关系进行简要综述,重点讨论了应力降在震后趋势判定中的可能应用,并对应力降计算结果的不确定性进行了初步讨论。应力降表征地震错动导致的位错面上的应力变化,其定义为地震前后初始应力σ_0与终止应力σ_1之差。地震应力降数值大多为零点几兆帕至数十兆帕,以10MPa以下的居多。应力降与震级、震源深度、构造环境、震源机制、序列类型等之间的关系复杂,对此,也存在诸多不同的认识。消除震级影响之后,地震序列应力降随时间持续升高的现象,对后续强余震有一定的时间指示意义。值得注意的是,诸多因素均会影响应力降的计算结果,数值实验结果显示,拐角频率、零频极限的综合误差对应力降计算结果影响显著,二者不确定性造成的应力降计算误差几乎完全覆盖余震应力降随时间的变化。     

走滑型地震震源孕育的三维组合模式

以走滑型地震为例提出了震源孕育的三维组合模式．在以往的组合模式基础上增加了震源下部的应力调整单元．这一应力调整单元由流变介质组成,孕震时不积累应力,而是将应力转移至上部的应力积累单元;在发震时该单元以其特有的粘滞性可以止裂;震后以其变形的时间依赖性可以控制余震发生．该调整单元的作用可以由地震后断层的蠕动曲线得到部分验证．     

Numerical simulation of precursors of Gonghe M 7.0 earthquake in Qinghai Province

Based on a simplified media model of Gonghe area, the precursor characteristics of Gonghe M7.0 earthquake in 1990 are simulated in this paper by using the constitutive relationship of binary medium (solid and water). The results show that the simulated state distribution and extension variation of media are identical with the spatial and temporal distribution of reliable anomalies before Gonghe earthquake. The study also suggests that the development of the Gonghe earthquake has experienced a series of processes such as elastic deformation of large scale, early nonelastic dilatation, strain softening and elastic recovery in the neighbour region of Xining, nonelastic dilatation of high dense block near seismic source and earthquake occurrence. Therefore, it can be concluded that this earthquake development is neither a simple process for fissures developing and linking up with one another, nor a process of nonelastic volume expansion and water flowing into medium around seismic source, contrary, it is a complicated medium state changing process, and the style of such changing depends on geological structure environment of seismic source and its neighbour region. It is considered that different earthquakes are accompanied by different geological conditions, the spatial and temporal behavior of their precursors are certainly different.     

1978年5月18日海城6级地震前兆及区域地震活动特征

1978年5月18日海城6级强震发生在1975年2月4日海城7.3级大震的余震区内。和7.3级大震相比较,在6级地震前,也观测到地壳形变,重力和区域地震活动等中期异常变化。但是,临震异常现象少,没有记录到前震活动。     

据地壳介质非均匀性判断郯庐断裂带鲁苏段未来大震位置

从大尺度和小尺度两方面研究郯庐断裂带苏鲁段地壳介质非均匀性。使用地震波数据,研究了郯庐断裂带苏鲁段地壳速度结构的非均匀性,单位虚波Q_mps的非均匀性,地壳介质泊松比的非均匀性,反映地壳介质小尺度非均匀性的分层κ值和y值。计算了1668年郯城8 1/2级地震震源区长度和沿断裂带的震源区边界,根据地震构造和地震活动性确定断裂的闭锁段,地震应力的积累单元和调整单元。对比1668年郯城8 1/2级地震的地壳介质状况,将各种非均匀性参数综合分析,结果表明,各种参数指向一致,未来大震的可能区域是33°-34.5°N,118°-118.8°E的北北东向区域,震级可达8级。     

Relocation of the MS5.7 Earthquake Sequence in Songyuan, Jilin Province, 2018 and the Analysis of Its Seismogenic Structure

The 2018,Songyuan,Jilin M_S5. 7 earthquake occurred at the intersection of the FuyuZhaodong fault and the Second Songhua River fault. The moment magnitude of this earthquake is M_W5. 3,the centroid depth by the waveform fitting is 12 km,and it is a strike-slip type event. In this paper,with the seismic phase data provided by the China Earthquake Network, the double-difference location method is used to relocate the earthquake sequence,finally the relocation results of 60 earthquakes are obtained. The results show that the aftershock zone is about 4. 3km long and 3. 1km wide,which is distributed in the NE direction. The depth distribution of the seismic sequence is 9km-10 km. 1-2 days after the main shock,the aftershocks were scattered throughout the aftershock zone,and the largest aftershock occurred in the northeastern part of the aftershock zone. After 3-8 days,the aftershocks mainly occurred in the southwestern part of the aftershock zone. The profile distribution of the earthquake sequence shows that the fault plane dips to the southeast with the dip angle of about 75°. Combined with the regional tectonic setting,focal mechanism solution and intensity distribution,we conclude that the concealed fault of the Fuyu-Zhaodong fault is the seismogenic fault of the Songyuan M_S5. 7 earthquake. This paper also relocates the earthquake sequence of the previous magnitude 5. 0 earthquake in 2017. Combined with the results of the focal mechanism solution,we believe that the two earthquakes have the same seismogenic structure,and the earthquake sequence generally develops to the southwest. The historical seismic activity since 2009 shows that after the magnitude 5. 0 earthquake in 2017,the frequency and intensity of earthquakes in the earthquake zone are obviously enhanced,and attention should be paid to the development of seismic activity in the southwest direction of the earthquake zone.     

A study on the focal parameters of Shidian M =5.9 earthquake sequences in 2001

On the basis of about 300 earthquake wave forms observed in the Shidian M _S=5.9 sequences on April 12, 2001 recorded in Kunming Digital Seismic Network, the spectra of shear wave have been used to estimate the focal parameters of these earthquake sequences. The results show that within the magnitude range of 1.5–5.3, the seismic moments are 10¹⁰–10¹⁶ N·m, the corner frequencies are 0.2–0.8 Hz, radii of the focal rupture are 200–2 500 m and the stress drops are 0.1×10⁵–20×10⁵Pa. Through the statistical analyses of variation of corner frequency f _c and stress drop Δσ with time, it is discovered that the average corner frequency of the foreshock sequences is obviously lower than that of the aftershock sequences. Contrarily, the average stress drops Δσ of the foreshock sequences are clearly higher than that of the aftershocks. It is considered that these variation characteristics of average corner frequency and stress drops before and after the main shock have index significance to the precursory information before a strong earthquake. The higher stress drops for the foreshock sequences show that the higher shear stresses have been stored in the area of main shock. After the main shock, most of the stresses have been released, so the aftershock sequences show a rupture process of lower stresses. Foundation item: Scientific and Technological Key Project of Yunnan Province (2001NG46)     

High frequency fall-off of source spectra using Q -free spectra estimation

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＴｈｅｅａｒｔｈｑｕａｋｅｓｏｕｒｃｅｓｐｅｃｔｒａｓｔｕｄｉｅｓｍａｙｂｅｔｒａｃｅｄｂａｃｋｔｏｌａｔｅ１９６０ｓ（Ａｋｉ,１９６７;Ｂｒｕｎｅ,１９７０;Ｈａｎｋｓ,１９７９）．Ｆｏｒｉｔｓｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｃｅｉｎｓｔｒ...     

On temporal and spatial distribution of seismic apparent stresses in Yunnan area

Introduction In recent years the study of the digital seismology has made great progress due to the wide use of the broadband digital records. And many fine results of the focal theory have obtained. The focal theory mainly studies the physical process of the seismic fracture and production of the seismic wave, as well as its traveling process. One of the great progresses is to simulate the fracture process in the active fault. Especially a new concept of the fracture mechanics has been intro…