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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Improved Earthquake Source Parameters with 3D Wavespeed Models in California and Nevada

Seismic tomography harnesses earthquake data to explore the inaccessible structure of the Earth. Adjoint waveform tomography (AWT), a method of seismic tomography, updates the tomographic model by optimizing the fit between observed earthquake data and synthetic waveforms. The synthetic data are calculated by solving the wave equation through a given 3D model. An important requirement to calculating synthetics is the source information (location, centroid time, depth, and moment tensor). Errors in source information affect the quality of the synthetics produced, which in turn can limit how structure can be inferred in the AWT workflow. Here, to test the effect of updating source information, we used MTTime (Chiang, 2020), a time-domain full-waveform moment tensor inversion code, to calculate the moment tensors and depths of 118 earthquakes that occurred in California and Nevada over a 20-yr period. We calculated 3D Green’s functions using a 3D seismic wavespeed model of California and Nevada (Doody et al., 2023b). We show that the inverted solutions provide better waveform fits than the Global Centroid Moment Tensor catalog and increase usable, well-correlated data by up to 7%. Therefore, we argue that recalculating source parameters should be considered in AWT workflows, particularly for smaller magnitude events (⁠M w > 5.0).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Seismo-Acoustic Wave Simulation for the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake

It is well known that underground explosions or earthquakes can generate infrasound in the atmosphere. Seismoacoustic coupling between the ground motions and atmosphere is a key mechanism for infrasound generation. Epicentral infrasound which is direct response to epicentral ground motions are extensively studied for event detection and discrimination. Diffracted infrasound generated from Rayleigh waves are often observed and reported. Recent studies suggested the surface topography is also important for infrasound generation, and mountains or topographic peaks can act as effective secondary infrasound sources. In this study, we perform full 3-D seismoacoustic simulations to understand a coupled seismic and acoustic wave generation by an earthquake and energy partitioning across the solid Earth-ocean-atmosphere system. By including the effects of realistic topography, bathymetry, and earthquake focal mechanism, we provide quantitative information about seismoacoustic wavefields and secondary infrasound sources across the solid-water, solid-air, and water-air interfaces. Acoustic wave transmission across water-air interface is also investigated by using synthetic waveforms. Our study suggests that shallow seas near the coastline or over elevated seafloors can transmit significant amount of energy from acoustic waves in water and can be effective secondary infrasound sources.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Seismo-Acoustic Wave Simulation for Earthquake-Generated Infrasound

It is well known that underground explosions or earthquakes can generate infrasound in the atmosphere. Seismoacoustic coupling between the ground motions and atmosphere is a key mechanism for infrasound generation. Epicentral infrasound which is direct response to epicentral ground motions are extensively studied for event detection and discrimination. Diffracted infrasound generated from Rayleigh waves are often observed and reported. Recent studies suggested the surface topography is also important for infrasound generation, and mountains or topographic peaks can act as effective secondary infrasound sources. In this study, we perform full 3-D seismoacoustic simulations to understand a coupled seismic and acoustic wave generation by an earthquake and energy partitioning across the solid Earthocean-atmosphere system. By including the effects of realistic topography, bathymetry, and earthquake focal mechanism, we provide quantitative information about seismoacoustic wavefields and secondary infrasound sources across the solid-water, solid-air, and water-air interfaces. Acoustic wave transmission across water-air interface is also investigated by using synthetic waveforms. Our study suggests that shallow seas near the coastline or over elevated seafloors can transmit significant amount of energy from acoustic waves in water and can be effective secondary infrasound sources.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Feasibility of Incorporating a 3D Velocity Model Into Earthquake Location Around Salt Lake City, UT Using a Physics Informed Neural Network

Earthquake location algorithms typically require travel time calculation. Doing this calculation in 3D, despite advances in algorithm efficiency and computational power, can still be prohibitively expensive in terms of resources and storage. Implementation of high-resolution 3D models in routine earthquake location would be a significant step forward in most of the world. Machine learning algorithms have potential to act as substitutes for travel time calculation algorithms or stored travel time tables. We investigate EikoNet - a physics informed neural network machine learning model that estimates travel times very quickly and comes with negligible memory-overhead. Specifically, we apply EikoNet to the Wasatch Fault Community Velocity Model (WFCVM), a highly detailed and complex 3D velocity model of the Salt Lake City, UT region. While routine locations in the area and studies of the 2020 Magna, UT earthquake sequence used a 1D velocity model, a 3D model may help better our understanding the structure of the major fault in the region. Our primary goal was to test the speed, memory requirements, and accuracy of EikoNet compared to a reference eikonal solver. We find that while the EikoNet is exceedingly fast and requires little memory overhead, achieving acceptable accuracy in estimated travel times is difficult and requires extensive computational resources.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

EQSIM: Exascale Predictions of Earthquake Effects on Critical Infrastructure

The great “San Francisco” earthquake of 1906 is one of the most recognized, and sobering, demonstrations of the havoc that can be caused by the sudden and violent movement of Earth’s tectonic plates. The estimated 7.9-magnitude quake and subsequent fires decimated the major metropolis and surrounding areas: buildings turned to ruins, hundreds of thousands of people left homeless, and a death toll exceeding 3,000. Today, as evidenced by the catastrophic 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey in February 2023, these events still present a significant danger to life and economic security. To mitigate the potential devastation of future earthquakes and better prepare for these inevitable events, researchers are turning to high-performance computers to simulate the underlying geophysical processes and accurately quantify associated risks to critical infrastructure.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Shear-Wave Radiation Patterns from Explosive and Earthquake Sources in Scattering, Heterogeneous Media

Distinguishing whether a seismic event is an earthquake or an explosion is a core problem in explosion monitoring. For simplistic models, earthquakes produce a predictable S-wavefield based on their radiation pattern, while an explosion produces no S-wavefield. However, observations from nuclear tests show that explosions can produce significant S-wave energy on both horizontal components. We perform numerical experiments using SPECFEM to constrain when an S-wavefield generated from an explosion might differ from one produced by an earthquake. We generate the S-wavefield for our explosions by placing the source location within a small region consisting of large velocity heterogeneities. For the 2D cases investigated here, a crucial condition is that the size of the region of heterogeneities must be much smaller (approximately 1/12th) than the minimum wavelength of the wavefield for our simulation setups. We investigate both isotropic heterogeneities and anisotropic heterogeneities. Initial results demonstrate that the heterogeneous region lowers the P/S amplitude ratios of an explosion. The presence of strong anisotropic heterogeneities near the source can also produce an S-wavefield with similar amplitudes to the P-wavefield. Lastly, we show that S-wave polarization angles vary as a function of azimuth and distance for explosive sources in the presence of small-scale heterogeneities.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1971

Satellite Relay Telemetry of Seismic Data in Earthquake Prediction and Control

The Satellite Telemetry Earthquake Monitoring Program was started to evaluate the applicability of satellite relay telemetry in the collection of seismic data from a large number of dense seismograph clusters laid out along the major fault systems of western North America. Prototype clusters utilizing phone-line telemetry were then being installed by the National Center for Earthquake Research in 3 regions along the San Andreas fault in central California; and the experience of installing and operating the clusters and in reducing and analyzing the seismic data from them was to provide the raw materials for evaluation in the satellite relay telemetry project. The principal advantages of the satellite relay system over commercial telephone or microwave systems were: (1) it could be made less prone to massive failure during a major earthquake; (2) it could be extended readily into undeveloped regions; and (3) it could provide flexible, uniform communications over large sections of major global tectonic zones. Fundamental characteristics of a communications system to cope with the large volume of raw data collected by a short-period seismograph network are discussed.

Jackson, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A surface-wave investigation of the rupture mechanism of the Gobi-Altai (4 December 1957) earthquake

Long period records of multiple Love waves from the 1957 earthquake in Mongolia at Pasadena are analyzed and compared to synthetic seismograms, generated by the method of Kanamori. A fit in the time domain shows that the records are not consistent with the previous solution, achieved through a frequency domain analysis of directivity. The solution asks for a shorter rupture of 270 km at a velocity of 3.5 km/s. The focal parameters are constrained by updating all the reported first motion and are found to be: Strike = 103 deg, Dip = 53 deg, Slip = 32 deg. A seismic moment of 1.8 10 to the 28th power dynes-cm is obtained. These figures are also consistent with a time domain analysis of Love waves at Palisades and Strasbourg, and of Rayleigh waves at Pasadena, with a directivity study of Love waves at Pasadena, and with static deformation and isoseismal data. A discussion is given of the relation between moment, magnitude and rupture area, and a comparison is made with other events in the same region: It is concluded that this earthquake does not exhibit an intra-plate behavior, but rather compares better with inter-plate events, such as the great Assam earthquake.

Okal, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

A local earthquake coda magnitude and its relation to duration, moment M sub O, and local Richter magnitude M sub L

A relationship was found between the seismic moment, M sub O, of shallow local earthquakes and the total duration of the signal, t, in seconds, measured from the earthquakes origin time, assuming that the end of the coda is composed of backscattering surface waves due to lateral heterogenity in the shallow crust following Aki. Using the linear relationship between the logarithm of M sub O and the local Richter magnitude M sub L, a relationship between M sub L and t, was found. This relationship was used to calculate a coda magnitude M sub C which was compared to M sub L for Southern California earthquakes which occurred during the period from 1972 to 1975.

Suteau, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Finite element modeling of stress in the Nazca plate - Driving forces and plate boundary earthquakes

The state of stress within the Nazca plate due to plate driving forces and large plate boundary earthquakes has been analyzed by applying a finite element method using the wave front solution technique to models of the intraplate stress field in a single plate using a refined grid. Although only static elastic models have been explicitly calculated, certain limiting cases of an elastic plate over a viscous asthenosphere were also treated. A state of nearly east-west compression inferred from the source mechanism of thrust earthquakes in the interior of the plate requires ridge pushing forces. The net pulling force on the oceanic plate by the subducted slab has a maximum value comparable to pushing forces. The estimated horizontal deviatoric stress in intraplate regions, based on potential forces associated with the ridge, is on the order of a few hundred bars. The intraplate stress field in the region of the 1960 earthquake may change by a few tens of bars at most once the asthenosphere has relaxed, with changes on the order of one bar occurring at greater distances into the plate. The changes in the intraplate stress field are probably not noticeable unless the lithosphere is near failure.

Richardson, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Potential utilization of the NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in earthquake engineering research

Earthquake engineering research capabilities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facilities at George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Alabama, were evaluated. The results indicate that the NASA/MSFC facilities and supporting capabilities offer unique opportunities for conducting earthquake engineering research. Specific features that are particularly attractive for large scale static and dynamic testing of natural and man-made structures include the following: large physical dimensions of buildings and test bays; high loading capacity; wide range and large number of test equipment and instrumentation devices; multichannel data acquisition and processing systems; technical expertise for conducting large-scale static and dynamic testing; sophisticated techniques for systems dynamics analysis, simulation, and control; and capability for managing large-size and technologically complex programs. Potential uses of the facilities for near and long term test programs to supplement current earthquake research activities are suggested.

Scholl, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Regional analysis of earthquake occurrence and seismic energy release

The historic temporal variation in earthquake occurrence and seismic energy release on a regional basis throughtout the world were studied. The regionalization scheme employed divided the world into large areas based either on seismic and tectonic considerations (Flinn-Engdahl Scheme) or geographic (longitude and latitude) criteria. The data set is the wide earthquake catalog of the National Geophysical Solar-Terrestrial Data Center. An apparent relationship exists between the maximum energy released in a limited time within a seismic region and the average or background energy per year averaged over a long time period. In terms of average or peak energy release, the most seismic regions of the world during the 50 to 81 year period ending in 1977 were Japanese, Andean South American, and the Alaska-Aleutian Arc regions. The year to year fluctuations in regional seismic energy release are greater, by orders of magnitude, than the corresponding variations in the world-wide seismic energy release. The b values of seismic regions range from 0.7 to 1.4 where earthquake magnitude is in the range 6.0 to 7.5.

Cohen, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Strain buildup and release, earthquake prediction and selection of VBL sites for margins of the north Pacific

During the past year, the grant supported research on several aspects of crustal deformation. The relation between earthquake displacements and fault dimensions was studied in an effort to find scaling laws that relate static parameters such as slip and stress drop to the dimensions of the rupture. Several implications of the static relations for the dynamic properties of earthquakes such as rupture velocity and dynamic stress drop were proposed. A theoretical basis for earthquake related phenomena associated with slow rupture growth or propagation, such as delayed multiple events, was developed using the stress intensity factor defined in fracture mechanics and experimental evidence from studies of crack growth by stress corrosion. Finally, extensive studies by Japanese geologists have established the offset across numerous faults in Japan over the last one hundred thousand years. These observations of intraplate faulting are being used to establish the spatial variations of the average strain rate of subregions in southern Japan.

Scholz, C. H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The earthquake cycle in subduction zones

A simplified model of a subduction zone is presented, which incorporates the mechanical asymmetry induced by the subducted slab to anchor the subducting plate during post-seismic rebound and thus throw most of the coseismic stream release into the overthrust plate. The model predicts that the trench moves with respect to the deep mantle toward the subducting plate at a velocity equal to one-half of the convergence rate. A strong extensional pulse is propagated into the overthrust plate shortly after the earthquake, and although this extension changes into compression before the next earthquake in the cycle, the period of strong extension following the earthquake may be responsible for extensional tectonic features in the back-arc region.

Melosh, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A large normal-fault earthquake at the junction of the Tonga trench and the Louisville ridge

Long-period vertical-component Rayleigh waves are inverted in order to determine the source mechanism of the October 10, 1977 earthquake that occurred in the oceanic plate at the junction of the Tonga-Kermadec trench systems with the aseismic Louisville ridge. The cause was predominantly normal faulting on a plane striking roughly parallel to the trench, with a seismic moment of 1.7 x 10 to the 27th dyn cm. A focal depth of 20 km is determined by waveform modeling, but the actual rupture may have extended to 30 or 40 km. Two sources separated by 16 s comprised the event, which experienced an inferred rupture velocity of 3.5 km/sec. The interpretation that the earthquake was caused by gravitational pull due to the sinking slab implies that the Louisville ridge causes some degree of local decoupling between the plates. This event may be associated with the breakup of the Osbourn seamount. Alternatively, the earthquake may have resulted from tensional plate bending stress, as implied by its relatively shallow depth.

Eissler, H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Postseismic deformation due to subcrustal viscoelastic relaxation following dip-slip earthquakes

The deformation of the Earth following a dip-slip earthquake is calculated using a three layer rheological model and finite element techniques. The three layers are an elastic upper lithosphere, a standard linear solid lower lithosphere, and a Maxwell viscoelastic asthenosphere-a model previously analyzed in the strike-clip case (Cohen, 1981, 1982). Attention is focused on the magnitude of the postseismic subsidence and the width of the subsidence zone that can develop due to the viscoelastic response to coseismic reverse slip. Detailed analysis for a fault extending from the surface to 15 km with a 45 deg dip reveals that postseismic subsidence is sensitive to the depth to the asthenosphere but is only weakly dependent on lower lithosphere depth. The greatest subsidence occurs when the elastic lithosphere is about 30 km thick and the asthenosphere lies just below this layer (asthenosphere depth = 2 times the fault depth). The extremum in the subsidence pattern occurs at about 5 km from the surface trace of the fault and lies over the slip plane. In a typical case after a time t = 30 tau (tau = Maxwell time) following the earthquake the subsidence at this point is 60% of the coseismic uplift. Unlike the horizontal deformation following a strike slip earthquake, significant vertical deformation due to asthenosphere flow persists for many times tau and the magnitude of the vertical deformation is not necessarily enhanced by having a partially relaxing lower lithosphere.

Cohen, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Why large earthquakes do not nucleate at shallow depths

Spontaneous rupture models were examined to determine if gradients of average stress-drop and average strength relative to ambient stress account for earthquake nucleation near the base of the seismogenic layer. The frictional strength has been proved to increase with normal stress, which (across a fault) increases with depth in concert with the frictional strength. It is assumed that the large earthquakes occur at a time when the applied stress is equal to the frictional strength. A gradient has been found in frictional strength relative to the ambient stress and the stress-drop with depth. Attention is given to two cases where a circular crack appears, and radiates outward. It is shown that nucleation in the lower part of the seismogenic region will permit growth into a large earthquake, while nucleation in the lower stress-drop regime will encapsulate the crack. It is concluded that only cracks propagating in a high stress-drop regime can move easily into a relatively lower strength region.

Das, S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

An extensive region of off-ridge normal-faulting earthquakes in the southern Indian Ocean

A verified prediction of the theory of plate tectonics is that the focal mechanisms of earthquakes on the mid-ocean ridge system indicate either normal faulting on ridge segments or strike-slip faulting on transform faults. A broad region in the southern Indian Ocean which differs from typical ridge and intraplate regimes has been identified. In this region a number of large off-ridge earthquakes have occurred in the last 20 years. The mechanisms for these events, where known, all involve normal faulting. Nine of these earthquakes have been studied in detail using a formal inversion technique based on matching synthetic body waves to observed seismograms.

Bergman, E. A.↗