Shallow megathrust earthquake ruptures betrayed by their outer-trench aftershocks signature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sladen, Anthony; Trevisan, Jenny

2018-02-01

For some megathrust earthquakes, the rupture extends to the solid Earth's surface, at the ocean floor. This unexpected behaviour holds strong implications for the tsunami potential of subduction zones and for the physical conditions governing earthquakes, but such ruptures occur in underwater areas which are hard to observe, even with current instrumentation and imaging techniques. Here, we evidence that aftershocks occurring ocean-ward from the trench are conditioned by near-surface rupture of the megathrust fault. Comparison to well constrained earthquake slip models further reveals that for each event the number of aftershocks is proportional to the amount of shallow slip, a link likely related to static stress transfer. Hence, the spatial distribution of these specific aftershock sequences could provide independent constrains on the coseismic shallow slip of future events. It also offers the prospect to be able to reassess the rupture of many large subduction earthquakes back to the beginning of the instrumental era.

Surface Rupture Map of the 2002 M7.9 Denali Fault Earthquake, Alaska: Digital Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haeussler, Peter J.

2009-01-01

The November 3, 2002, Mw7.9 Denali Fault earthquake produced about 340 km of surface rupture along the Susitna Glacier Thrust Fault and the right-lateral, strike-slip Denali and Totschunda Faults. Digital photogrammetric methods were primarily used to create a 1:500-scale, three-dimensional surface rupture map, and 1:6,000-scale aerial photographs were used for three-dimensional digitization in ESRI's ArcMap GIS software, using Leica's StereoAnalyst plug in. Points were digitized 4.3 m apart, on average, for the entire surface rupture. Earthquake-induced landslides, sackungen, and unruptured Holocene fault scarps on the eastern Denali Fault were also digitized where they lay within the limits of air photo coverage. This digital three-dimensional fault-trace map is superior to traditional maps in terms of relative and absolute accuracy, completeness, and detail and is used as a basis for three-dimensional visualization. Field work complements the air photo observations in locations of dense vegetation, on bedrock, or in areas where the surface trace is weakly developed. Seventeen km of the fault trace, which broke through glacier ice, were not digitized in detail due to time constraints, and air photos missed another 10 km of fault rupture through the upper Black Rapids Glacier, so that was not mapped in detail either.

Rupture of the Pitáycachi Fault in the 1887 Mw 7.5 Sonora, Mexico earthquake (southern Basin-and-Range Province): Rupture kinematics and epicenter inferred from rupture branching patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suter, Max

2015-01-01

During the 3 May 1887 Mw 7.5 Sonora earthquake (surface rupture end-to-end length: 101.8 km), an array of three north-south striking Basin-and-Range Province faults (from north to south Pitáycachi, Teras, and Otates) slipped sequentially along the western margin of the Sierra Madre Occidental Plateau. This detailed field survey of the 1887 earthquake rupture zone along the Pitáycachi fault includes mapping the rupture scarp and measurements of surface deformation. The surface rupture has an endpoint-to-endpoint length of ≥41.0 km, dips 70°W, and is characterized by normal left-lateral extension. The maximum surface offset is 487 cm and the mean offset 260 cm. The rupture trace shows a complex pattern of second-order segmentation. However, this segmentation is not expressed in the 1887 along-rupture surface offset profile, which indicates that the secondary segments are linked at depth into a single coherent fault surface. The Pitáycachi surface rupture shows a well-developed bipolar branching pattern suggesting that the rupture originated in its central part, where the polarity of the rupture bifurcations changes. Most likely the rupture first propagated bilaterally along the Pitáycachi fault. The southern rupture front likely jumped across a step over to the Teras fault and from there across a major relay zone to the Otates fault. Branching probably resulted from the lateral propagation of the rupture after breaching the seismogenic part of the crust, given that the much shorter ruptures of the Otates and Teras segments did not develop branches.

Surface fault rupture during the Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, New Zealand, with specific comment on the Kekerengu Fault - one of the country's fastest slipping onland active faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Dissen, Russ; Little, Tim

2017-04-01

The Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake of 14 November, 2016 (NZDT) was a complex event. It involved ground-surface (or seafloor) fault rupture on at least a dozen onland or offshore faults, and subsurface rupture on a handful of additional faults. Most of the surface ruptures involved previously known (or suspected) active faults, as well as surface rupture on at least two hitherto unrecognised active faults. The southwest to northeast extent of surface fault rupture, as generalised by two straight-line segments, is approximately 180 km, though this is a minimum for the collective length of surface rupture due to multiple overlapping faults with various orientations. Surface rupture displacements on specific faults involved in the Kaikoura Earthquake span approximately two orders of magnitude. For example, maximum surface displacement on the Heaver's Creek Fault is cm- to dm-scale in size; whereas, maximum surface displacement on the nearby Kekerengu Fault is approximately 10-12 m (predominantly in a dextral sense). The Kekerengu Fault has a Late Pleistocene slip-rate rate of 20-26 mm/yr, and is possibly the second fastest slipping onland fault in New Zealand, behind the Alpine Fault. Located in the northeastern South Island of New Zealand, the Kekerengu Fault - along with the Hope Fault to the southwest and the Needles Fault offshore to the northeast - comprise the fastest slipping elements of the Pacific-Australian plate boundary in this part of the country. In January 2016 (about ten months prior to the Kaikoura earthquake) three paleo-earthquake investigation trenches were excavated across pronounced traces of the Kekerengu Fault at two locations. These were the first such trenches dug and evaluated across the fault. All three trenches displayed abundant evidence of past surface fault ruptures (three surface ruptures in the last approximately 1,200 years, four now including the 2016 rupture). An interesting aspect of the 2016 rupture is that two of the trenches received surface fault rupture, and are now dextrally offset by about 9 m, while the third trench did not have any 2016 surface rupture pass through it. In this instance, ground-surface rupture along this trace of the fault died out within tens of metres of the trench. Another salient aspect of the Kaikoura earthquake is that the determined (or estimated) recurrence intervals of the faults that ruptured the ground surface vary by an order of magnitude or more. This strongly implies that the ensemble of faults that ruptured with the Kekerengu Fault in the 2016 earthquake has not always been the same for past earthquakes. Possible reasons for this could include the state of stress at the time of a specific earthquake, the direction of rupture propagation, and whether or not rupture on one fault system cascades into rupture on another as is suspected to have happened in the Kaikoura earthquake.

Seismic Evidence of A Widely Distributed West Napa Fault Zone, Hendry Winery, Napa, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, M.; Catchings, R.; Chan, J. H.; Criley, C.

2015-12-01

Following the 24 August 2014 Mw 6.0 South Napa earthquake, surface rupture was mapped along the West Napa Fault Zone (WNFZ) for a distance of ~ 14 km and locally within zones up to ~ 2 km wide. Near the northern end of the surface rupture, however, several strands coalesced to form a narrow, ~100-m-wide zone of surface rupture. To determine the location, width, and shallow (upper few hundred meters) geometry of the fault zone, we acquired an active-source seismic survey across the northern surface rupture in February 2015. We acquired both P- and S-wave data, from which we developed reflection images and tomographic images of Vp, Vs, Vp/Vs, and Poisson's ratio of the upper 100 m. We also used small explosive charges within surface ruptures located ~600 m north of our seismic array to record fault-zone guided waves. Our data indicate that at the latitude of the Hendry Winery, the WNFZ is characterized by at least five fault traces that are spaced 60 to 200 m apart. Zones of low-Vs, low-Vp/Vs, and disrupted reflectors highlight the fault traces on the tomography and reflection images. On peak-ground-velocity (PGV) plots, the most pronounced high-amplitude guided-wave seismic energy coincides precisely with the mapped surface ruptures, and the guided waves also show discrete high PGV zones associated with unmapped fault traces east of the surface ruptures. Although the surface ruptures of the WNFZ were observed only over a 100-m-wide zone at the Hendry Winery, our data indicate that the fault zone is at least 400 m wide, which is probably a minimum width given the 400-m length of our seismic profile. Slip on the WNFZ is generally considered to be low relative to most other Bay Area faults, but we suggest that the West Napa Fault is a zone of widely distributed shear, and to fully account for the total slip on the WNFZ, slip on all traces of this wide fault zone must be considered.

Surface Ruptures and Building Damage of the 2003 Bam, Iran, Earthquake Mapped by Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometric Correlation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fielding, Eric J.; Talebian, M.; Rosen, P. A.; Nazari, H.; Jackson, J. A.; Ghorashi, M.; Walker, R.

2005-01-01

We use the interferometric correlation from Envisat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to map the details of the surface ruptures related to the 26 December 2003 earthquake that devastated Bam, Iran. The main strike-slip fault rupture south of the city of Bam has a series of four segments with left steps shown by a narrow line of low correlation in the coseismic interferogram. This also has a clear expression in the field because of the net extension across the fault. Just south of the city limits, the surface strain becomes distributed over a width of about 500 m, probably because of a thicker layer of soft sedimentary material.

Historic Surface Rupture Informing Probabilistic Fault Displacement Analysis: New Zealand Case Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villamor, P.; Litchfield, N. J.; Van Dissen, R. J.; Langridge, R.; Berryman, K. R.; Baize, S.

2016-12-01

Surface rupture associated with the 2010 Mw7.1 Darfield Earthquake (South Island, New Zealand) was extremely well documented, thanks to an immediate field mapping response and the acquisition of LiDAR data within days of the event. With respect to informing Probabilistic Fault Displacement Analysis (PFDHA) the main insights and outcomes from this rupture through Quaternary gravel are: 1) significant distributed deformation either side of the main trace (30 to 300 m wide deformation zone) and how the deformation is distributed away from the main trace; 2) a thorough analysis of uncertainty of the displacement measures obtained using the LIDAR data and repeated measurements from several scientists; and 3) the short surface rupture length for the reported magnitude, resulting from complex fault rupture with 5-6 reverse and strike-slip strands, most of which had no surface rupture. While the 2010 event is extremely well documented and will be an excellent case to add to the Surface Rupture during Earthquakes database (SURE), other NZ historical earthquakes that are not so well documented, but can provide important information for PFDHA. New Zealand has experienced about 10 historical surface fault ruptures since 1848, comprising ruptures on strike-slip, reverse and normal faults. Mw associated with these ruptures ranges between 6.3 and 8.1. From these ruptures we observed that the surface expression of deformation can be influenced by: fault maturity; the type of Quaternary sedimentary cover; fault history (e.g., influence of inversion tectonics, flexural slip); fault complexity; and primary versus secondary rupture. Other recent >Mw 6.6 earthquakes post-2010 that did not rupture the ground surface have been documented with InSAR and can inform Mw thresholds for surface fault rupture. It will be important to capture all this information and that of similar events worldwide to inform the SURE database and ultimately PFDHA.

Vortex Imprints at the Wall, But Not in the Bulk, Distinguish Ruptured from Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varble, Nicole; Meng, Hui

2015-11-01

Intracranial aneurysms affect 3% of the population. Risk stratification of aneurysms is important, as rupture often leads to death or permanent disability. Image-based CFD analyses of patient-specific aneurysms have identified low and oscillatory wall shear stress to predict rupture. These stresses are sensed biologically at the luminal wall, but the flow dynamics related to aneurysm rupture requires further understanding. We have conducted two studies: one examines vortex dynamics, and the other, high frequency flow fluctuations in patient-specific aneurysms. In the first study, based on Q-criterion vortex identification, we developed two measures to quantify regions within the aneurysm where rotational flow is dominate: the ratio of volume or surface area where Q >0 vs. the total aneurysmal volume or surface area, respectively termed volume vortex fraction (VVF) and surface vortex fraction (SVF). Statistical analysis of 204 aneurysms shows that SVF, but not VVF, distinguishes ruptured from unruptured aneurysms, suggesting that once again, the local flow patterns on the wall is directly relevant to rupture. In the second study, high-resolution CFD (high spatial and temporal resolutions and second-order discretization schemes) on 56 middle cerebral artery aneurysms shows the presence of temporal fluctuations in 8 aneurysms, but such flow instability bears no correlation with rupture. Support for this work was partially provided by NIH grant (R01 NS091075-01) and a grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.

Fine-scale delineation of the location of and relative ground shaking within the San Andreas Fault zone at San Andreas Lake, San Mateo County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.; Rymer, M.J.; Goldman, M.R.; Prentice, C.S.; Sickler, R.R.

2013-01-01

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is seismically retrofitting the water delivery system at San Andreas Lake, San Mateo County, California, where the reservoir intake system crosses the San Andreas Fault (SAF). The near-surface fault location and geometry are important considerations in the retrofit effort. Because the SAF trends through highly distorted Franciscan mélange and beneath much of the reservoir, the exact trace of the 1906 surface rupture is difficult to determine from surface mapping at San Andreas Lake. Based on surface mapping, it also is unclear if there are additional fault splays that extend northeast or southwest of the main surface rupture. To better understand the fault structure at San Andreas Lake, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired a series of seismic imaging profiles across the SAF at San Andreas Lake in 2008, 2009, and 2011, when the lake level was near historical lows and the surface traces of the SAF were exposed for the first time in decades. We used multiple seismic methods to locate the main 1906 rupture zone and fault splays within about 100 meters northeast of the main rupture zone. Our seismic observations are internally consistent, and our seismic indicators of faulting generally correlate with fault locations inferred from surface mapping. We also tested the accuracy of our seismic methods by comparing our seismically located faults with surface ruptures mapped by Schussler (1906) immediately after the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake of approximate magnitude 7.9; our seismically determined fault locations were highly accurate. Near the reservoir intake facility at San Andreas Lake, our seismic data indicate the main 1906 surface rupture zone consists of at least three near-surface fault traces. Movement on multiple fault traces can have appreciable engineering significance because, unlike movement on a single strike-slip fault trace, differential movement on multiple fault traces may exert compressive and extensional stresses on built structures within the fault zone. Such differential movement and resulting distortion of built structures appear to have occurred between fault traces at the gatewell near the southern end of San Andreas Lake during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (Schussler, 1906). In addition to the three fault traces within the main 1906 surface rupture zone, our data indicate at least one additional fault trace (or zone) about 80 meters northeast of the main 1906 surface rupture zone. Because ground shaking also can damage structures, we used fault-zone guided waves to investigate ground shaking within the fault zones relative to ground shaking outside the fault zones. Peak ground velocity (PGV) measurements from our guided-wave study indicate that ground shaking is greater at each of the surface fault traces, varying with the frequency of the seismic data and the wave type (P versus S). S-wave PGV increases by as much as 5–6 times at the fault traces relative to areas outside the fault zone, and P-wave PGV increases by as much as 3–10 times. Assuming shaking increases linearly with increasing earthquake magnitude, these data suggest strong shaking may pose a significant hazard to built structures that extend across the fault traces. Similarly complex fault structures likely underlie other strike-slip faults (such as the Hayward, Calaveras, and Silver Creek Faults) that intersect structures of the water delivery system, and these fault structures similarly should be investigated.

Effect of Sediments on Rupture Dynamics of Shallow Subduction Zone Earthquakes and Tsunami Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, S.

2011-12-01

Low-velocity fault zones have long been recognized for crustal earthquakes by using fault-zone trapped waves and geodetic observations on land. However, the most pronounced low-velocity fault zones are probably in the subduction zones where sediments on the seafloor are being continuously subducted. In this study I focus on shallow subduction zone earthquakes; these earthquakes pose a serious threat to human society in their ability in generating large tsunamis. Numerous observations indicate that these earthquakes have unusually long rupture durations, low rupture velocities, and/or small stress drops near the trench. However, the underlying physics is unclear. I will use dynamic rupture simulations with a finite-element method to investigate the dynamic stress evolution on faults induced by both sediments and free surface, and its relations with rupture velocity and slip. I will also explore the effect of off-fault yielding of sediments on the rupture characteristics and seafloor deformation. As shown in Ma and Beroza (2008), the more compliant hanging wall combined with free surface greatly increases the strength drop and slip near the trench. Sediments in the subduction zone likely have a significant role in the rupture dynamics of shallow subduction zone earthquakes and tsunami generation.

Coseismic surface displacements from optical and SAR image offset tracking, fault modeling and geomorphological analysis of the Sept. 24th, 2013 M7.7 Balochistan earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrington, Jonathan; Wang, Teng; Feng, Guangcai; Akoglu, Ahmet; Jónsson, Sigurjón; Motagh, Mahdi

2014-05-01

The M 7.7 earthquake in the Balochistan province of Pakistan on September 24th, 2013 took place along a subsidiary fault in the transition area between the Makran accretionary prism and the Chaman transform fault. This tectonics of the Indian and Arabian plate collisions with Eurasia produce primarily oblique left-lateral strike slip in this region. In this work, measurements of displacement and mapping of the rupture trace are achieved through image correlation of Landsat 8 images and SAR offset tracking of TerraSAR-X data. Horizontal displacements from both methods and derived vertical displacements are used to constrain a fault rupture model for the earthquake. Preliminary results show a surprisingly uniform slip distribution with maximum displacement near the surface. The total fault rupture length is ~210 km, with up to 9 m of left-lateral strike-slip and 3 m of reverse faulting. Additionally, mapping of the rupture trace is made use of for geomorphological observations relating to slip rates and identification of transpressional and transtensional features. Our results indicate a mostly smooth rupture trace, with the presence of two restraining steps, a releasing bend and a 3 km long sliver where the surface rupture jumped from the foot of the range-front into the alluvial fans at their base. A small block at one of the restraining steps shows intermediate displacement in both data sets. At the southern end of the rupture we observe that displacement from the earthquake cuts across a fold-and-thrust belt of the Makran accretionary prism. Preliminary results show a minimum of 12 km of repeated section of the accretionary wedge, and within the southern repeated section we find an offset of 600 m between two parallel ridges across the rupture trace. We relate these observations to conceptual models of fault segmentation and growth.

The 2016 Kaikōura earthquake: Simultaneous rupture of the subduction interface and overlying faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Teng; Wei, Shengji; Shi, Xuhua; Qiu, Qiang; Li, Linlin; Peng, Dongju; Weldon, Ray J.; Barbot, Sylvain

2018-01-01

The distribution of slip during an earthquake and how it propagates among faults in the subduction system play a major role in seismic and tsunami hazards, yet they are poorly understood because offshore observations are often lacking. Here we derive the slip distribution and rupture evolution during the 2016 Mw 7.9 Kaikōura (New Zealand) earthquake that reconcile the surface rupture, space geodetic measurements, seismological and tsunami waveform records. We use twelve fault segments, with eleven in the crust and one on the megathrust interface, to model the geodetic data and match the major features of the complex surface ruptures. Our modeling result indicates that a large portion of the moment is distributed on the subduction interface, making a significant contribution to the far field surface deformation and teleseismic body waves. The inclusion of local strong motion and teleseismic waveform data in the joint inversion reveals a unilateral rupture towards northeast with a relatively low averaged rupture speed of ∼1.5 km/s. The first 30 s of the rupture took place on the crustal faults with oblique slip motion and jumped between fault segments that have large differences in strike and dip. The peak moment release occurred at ∼65 s, corresponding to simultaneous rupture of both plate interface and the overlying splay faults with rake angle changes progressively from thrust to strike-slip. The slip on the Papatea fault produced more than 2 m of offshore uplift, making a major contribution to the tsunami at the Kaikōura station, while the northeastern end of the rupture can explain the main features at the Wellington station. Our inversions and simulations illuminate complex up-dip rupture behavior that should be taken into consideration in both seismic and tsunami hazard assessment. The extreme complex rupture behavior also brings new challenges to the earthquake dynamic simulations and understanding the physics of earthquakes.

Geologic and structural controls on rupture zone fabric: A field-based study of the 2010 Mw 7.2 El Mayor–Cucapah earthquake surface rupture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Teran, Orlando; Fletcher, John L.; Oskin, Michael; Rockwell, Thomas; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Spelz, Ronald; Akciz, Sinan; Hernandez-Flores, Ana Paula; Morelan, Alexander

2015-01-01

We systematically mapped (scales >1:500) the surface rupture of the 4 April 2010 Mw (moment magnitude) 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake through the Sierra Cucapah (Baja California, northwestern Mexico) to understand how faults with similar structural and lithologic characteristics control rupture zone fabric, which is here defined by the thickness, distribution, and internal configuration of shearing in a rupture zone. Fault zone thickness and master fault dip are strongly correlated with many parameters of rupture zone fabric. Wider fault zones produce progressively wider rupture zones and both of these parameters increase systematically with decreasing dip of master faults, which varies from 20° to 90° in our dataset. Principal scarps that accommodate more than 90% of the total coseismic slip in a given transect are only observed in fault sections with narrow rupture zones (<25 m). As rupture zone thickness increases, the number of scarps in a given transect increases, and the scarp with the greatest relative amount of coseismic slip decreases. Rupture zones in previously undeformed alluvium become wider and have more complex arrangements of secondary fractures with oblique slip compared to those with pure normal dip-slip or pure strike-slip. Field relations and lidar (light detection and ranging) difference models show that as magnitude of coseismic slip increases from 0 to 60 cm, the links between kinematically distinct fracture sets increase systematically to the point of forming a throughgoing principal scarp. Our data indicate that secondary faults and penetrative off-fault strain continue to accommodate the oblique kinematics of coseismic slip after the formation of a thoroughgoing principal scarp. Among the widest rupture zones in the Sierra Cucapah are those developed above buried low angle faults due to the transfer of slip to widely distributed steeper faults, which are mechanically more favorably oriented. The results from this study show that the measureable parameters that define rupture zone fabric allow for testing hypotheses concerning the mechanics and propagation of earthquake ruptures, as well as for siting and designing facilities to be constructed in regions near active faults.

Estimating rupture distances without a rupture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, Eric M.; Worden, Charles

2017-01-01

Most ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) require distances that are defined relative to a rupture model, such as the distance to the surface projection of the rupture (RJB) or the closest distance to the rupture plane (RRUP). There are a number of situations in which GMPEs are used where it is either necessary or advantageous to derive rupture distances from point-source distance metrics, such as hypocentral (RHYP) or epicentral (REPI) distance. For ShakeMap, it is necessary to provide an estimate of the shaking levels for events without rupture models, and before rupture models are available for events that eventually do have rupture models. In probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, it is often convenient to use point-source distances for gridded seismicity sources, particularly if a preferred orientation is unknown. This avoids the computationally cumbersome task of computing rupture-based distances for virtual rupture planes across all strikes and dips for each source. We derive average rupture distances conditioned on REPI, magnitude, and (optionally) back azimuth, for a variety of assumed seismological constraints. Additionally, we derive adjustment factors for GMPE standard deviations that reflect the added uncertainty in the ground motion estimation when point-source distances are used to estimate rupture distances.

Complex rupture during the 12 January 2010 Haiti earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayes, G.P.; Briggs, R.W.; Sladen, A.; Fielding, E.J.; Prentice, C.; Hudnut, K.; Mann, P.; Taylor, F.W.; Crone, A.J.; Gold, R.; Ito, T.; Simons, M.

2010-01-01

Initially, the devastating Mw 7.0, 12 January 2010 Haiti earthquake seemed to involve straightforward accommodation of oblique relative motion between the Caribbean and North American plates along the Enriquillog-Plantain Garden fault zone. Here, we combine seismological observations, geologic field data and space geodetic measurements to show that, instead, the rupture process may have involved slip on multiple faults. Primary surface deformation was driven by rupture on blind thrust faults with only minor, deep, lateral slip along or near the main Enriquillog-Plantain Garden fault zone; thus the event only partially relieved centuries of accumulated left-lateral strain on a small part of the plate-boundary system. Together with the predominance of shallow off-fault thrusting, the lack of surface deformation implies that remaining shallow shear strain will be released in future surface-rupturing earthquakes on the Enriquillog-Plantain Garden fault zone, as occurred in inferred Holocene and probable historic events. We suggest that the geological signature of this earthquakeg-broad warping and coastal deformation rather than surface rupture along the main fault zoneg-will not be easily recognized by standard palaeoseismic studies. We conclude that similarly complex earthquakes in tectonic environments that accommodate both translation and convergenceg-such as the San Andreas fault through the Transverse Ranges of Californiag-may be missing from the prehistoric earthquake record. ?? 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

From slow to fast rupture during laboratory earthquakes in dolostones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passelegue, F. X.; Fondriest, M.; Nicolas, A.; Aubry, J.; Schubnel, A.; Di Toro, G.

2016-12-01

Dolostones are the dominant lithology of the shallow portions of many seismically active regions (e.g., Italian Apennines). Displacement in natural fault zones cutting dolostones and exhumed from < 3-4 km depth is frequently localized on highly reflective (mirror-like) slip surfaces, coated with thin films of nano-granular fault rock. Using saw-cut dolostone samples, we conducted stick-slip experiments under upper crustal stress conditions (confining pressures and temperatures of 30, 60 and 90 MPa at 30, 65 and 100 °C, respectively). Samples were equipped with 15 piezoelectric transducers allowing the record of acoustic activity. At 30 and 65 °C, only slow ruptures (Vr < 200 m/s) were observed and the experimental faults exhibited ductile behaviour. At 65 °C, a slip strengthening behaviour was observed after the main slow rupture, leading to a succession of slow ruptures. At T = 100 °C and 30 MPa confining pressure, fault strengthening increased after each rupture, allowing, while the rupture processes remained slow (no acoustic activity), a sequence of slow stick-slip events. Instead, at the same ambient temperature but under larger confining pressures (60 and 90 MPa), we observed the transition from slow to fast rupture events (up to supershear rupture velocities), associated to clusters of acoustic activity and dynamic stress drop occurring in few tens of microseconds. In all experiments, mirror-like surfaces and nanoparticles were observed under the scanning electron microscope as a result of slow and fast ruptures. Clearly, mirror-like surfaces and nano powders are not representative of seismic slip events in cohesive dolostones. Instead, the transition from slow to fast ruptures (and generation of acoustic emissions) was related to a flash weakening processes, enhanced at 100° C, which allowed the experimental fault to weaken with slip faster than the rate at which the elastic strain was released from the surrounding medium.

Monte Carlo simulation of liquid bridge rupture: Application to lung physiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alencar, Adriano M.; Wolfe, Elie; Buldyrev, Sergey V.

2006-08-01

In the course of certain lung diseases, the surface properties and the amount of fluids coating the airways changes and liquid bridges may form in the small airways blocking the flow of air, impairing gas exchange. During inhalation, these liquid bridges may rupture due to mechanical instability and emit a discrete sound event called pulmonary crackle, which can be heard using a simple stethoscope. We hypothesize that this sound is a result of the acoustical release of energy that had been stored in the surface of liquid bridges prior to its rupture. We develop a lattice gas model capable of describing these phenomena. As a step toward modeling this process, we address a simpler but related problem, that of a liquid bridge between two planar surfaces. This problem has been analytically solved and we use this solution as a validation of the lattice gas model of the liquid bridge rupture. Specifically, we determine the surface free energy and critical stability conditions in a system containing a liquid bridge of volume Ω formed between two parallel planes, separated by a distance 2h , with a contact angle Θ using both Monte Carlo simulation of a lattice gas model and variational calculus based on minimization of the surface area with the volume and the contact angle constraints. In order to simulate systems with different contact angles, we vary the parameters between the constitutive elements of the lattice gas. We numerically and analytically determine the phase diagram of the system as a function of the dimensionless parameters hΩ-1/3 and Θ . The regions of this phase diagram correspond to the mechanical stability and thermodynamical stability of the liquid bridge. We also determine the conditions for the symmetrical versus asymmetrical rupture of the bridge. We numerically and analytically compute the release of free energy during rupture. The simulation results are in agreement with the analytical solution. Furthermore, we discuss the results in connection to the rupture of similar bridges that exist in diseased lungs.

Surface Rupture Characteristics and Rupture Mechanics of the Yushu Earthquake (Ms7.1), 14/04/2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, J.; Li, H.; Xu, Z.; Li, N.; Wu, F.; Guo, R.; Zhang, W.

2010-12-01

On April 14th 2010, a disastrous earthquake (Ms 7.1) struck Yushu County, Qinghai Province, China, killing thousands of people. This earthquake occurred as a result of sinistral strike-slip faulting on the western segment of the Xianshuihe Fault zone in eastern Tibetan Plateau. Our group conducted scientific investigation in the field on co-seismic surface rupture and active tectonics in the epicenter area immediately after the earthquake. Here, we introduce our preliminary results on the surface ruptures and rupture mechanics of the Yushu Earthquake. The surface rupture zone of Yushu earthquake, which is about 49 km-long, consists of 3 discontinuous left stepping rupture segments, which are 19 km, 22 km, and about 8 km, respectively, from west to east. Each segment consists of a series of right stepping en-echelon branch ruptures. The branch ruptures consist of interphase push-up and tension fissures or simply en-echelon tension fissures. The co-seismic displacements had been surveyed with a total station in detail on landmarks such as rivers, gullies, roads, farmlands, wire poles, and fences. The maximum offset measured is 2.3m, located near the Guoyangyansongduo Village. There are 3 offset peaks along the rupture zone corresponding to the 3 segments of the surface rupture zone. The maximum offsets in the west, central, and east segment rupture zones are 1.4m, 2.3m, and 1.6m respectively. The surface rupture zone of Yushu earthquake strikes in a 310°NW direction. The fault plane dips to the northeast and the dip angle is about 81°. The rupture zone is developed in transtension setting. Tension normal fault developed during the sinistral strike-slip process of the fault. The valley west of Yushu City and the Longbao Lake are both pull-apart basins formed during the transtension activity of the fault.

Earthquake behavior of the Enriquillo fault zone, Haiti revealed by interactive terrain visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowgill, E.; Bernardin, T. S.; Oskin, M. E.; Bowles, C. J.; Yikilmaz, M. B.; Kreylos, O.; Elliott, A. J.; Bishop, M. S.; Gold, R. D.; Morelan, A.; Bawden, G. W.; Hamann, B.; Kellogg, L. H.

2010-12-01

The Mw 7.0 January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake ended 240 years of relative quiescence following earthquakes that destroyed Port-au-Prince in 1751 and 1770. We place the 2010 rupture in the context of past earthquakes and future hazards by using remote analysis of airborne LiDAR to observe the topographic expression of active faulting and develop a new conceptual model for the earthquake behavior of the eastern Enriquillo fault zone (EFZ). In this model, the 2010 event occupies a long-lived segment boundary at a stepover within the EFZ separating fault segments that likely ruptured in 1751 and 1770, explaining both past clustering and the lack of 2010 surface rupture. Immediately following the 2010 earthquake, an airborne LiDAR point cloud containing over 2.7 billion point measurements of surface features was collected by the Rochester Inst. of Technology. To analyze these data, we capitalize on the human capacity to visually identify meaningful patterns embedded in noisy data by conducting interactive visual analysis of the entire 66.8 GB Haiti terrain data in a 4-sided, 800 ft3 immersive virtual-reality environment at the UC Davis KeckCAVES using the software tools LiDAR Viewer (to analyze point cloud data) and Crusta (for 3D surficial geologic mapping on DEM data). We discovered and measured landforms displaced by past surface-rupturing earthquakes and remotely characterized the regional fault geometry. Our analysis of the ~50 km long reach of EFZ spanning the 2010 epicenter indicates that geomorphic evidence of active faulting is clearer east of the epicenter than to the west. West of the epicenter, and in the region of the 2010 rupture, the fault is poorly defined along an embayed, low-relief range front, with little evidence of recent surface rupture. In contrast, landform offsets of 6 to 50 m along the reach of the EFZ east of the epicenter and closest to Port-au-Prince attest to repeated recent surface-rupturing earthquakes here. Specifically, we found and documented offset landforms including fluvial terrace risers near Dumay (6.3 +0.9/-1.3 m) and Chauffard/Jameau (32.2 +1.8/-3.1 m), a channel (52 +18/-13 m) ~500 m east of the Chauffard/Jameau site, and an alluvial fan near Fayette (8.6 +2.8/-2.5 m). Based on the fault-trace morphology and distribution of sites where we see 6-8 m offsets, we estimate the probable along-strike extent of past surface rupture was 40 to 60 km along this fault reach. Application of moment-rupture area relationships to these observations suggest that an earthquake similar to, or larger than the Mw 7.0 2010 event is possible along the Enriquillo fault near Port-au-Prince. We deduce that the 2010 earthquake was a relatively small event on a boundary between fault segments that ruptured in 1751 and 1770, based on new analysis of historical damage reports and the gap of well-defined fault-zone morphology where the 2010 earthquake occurred.

Crack initiation and propagation in 50.9 at. pct Ni-Ti pseudoelastic shape-memory wires in bending-rotation fatigue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawaguchi, Tak Ahiro; Kausträter, Gregor; Yawny, Alejandro; Wagner, Martin; Eggeler, Gunther

2003-12-01

The structural fatigue of pseudoelastic Ni-Ti wires (50.9 at. pct Ni) was investigated using bending-rotation fatigue (BRF) tests, where a bent and otherwise unconstrained wire was forced to rotate at different rotational speeds. The number of cycles to failure ( N f ) was measured for different bending radii and wire thicknesses (1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 mm). The wires consisted of an alloy with a 50-nm grain size, no precipitates, and some TiC inclusions. In BRF tests, the surface of the wire is subjected to tension-compression cycles, and fatigue lives can be related to the maximum tension and compression strain amplitudes ( ɛ a ) in the wire surface. The resulting ɛ a - N f curves can be subdivided into three regimes. At ɛ a > 1 pct rupture occurs early (low N f ) and the fatigue-rupture characteristics were strongly dependent on ɛ a and the rotational speed (regime 1). For 0.75 pct < ɛ a < 1 pct, fatigue lives strongly increase and are characterized by a significant statistical scatter (regime 2). For ɛ a < 0.75 pct, no fatigue rupture occurs up to cycle numbers of 106 (regime 3). Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it was shown that surface cracks formed in regions with local stress raisers (such as inclusions and/or scratches). The growth of surface cracks during fatigue loading produced striations on the rupture surface; during final rupture, ductile voids form. The microstructural details of fatigue-damage accumulation during BRF testing are described and discussed.

Rupture Complexities of Fluid Induced Microseismic Events at the Basel EGS Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folesky, Jonas; Kummerow, Jörn; Shapiro, Serge A.; Häring, Markus; Asanuma, Hiroshi

2016-04-01

Microseismic data sets of excellent quality, such as the seismicity recorded in the Basel-1 enhanced geothermal system, Switzerland, in 2006-2007, provide the opportunity to analyse induced seismic events in great detail. It is important to understand in how far seismological insights on e.g. source and rupture processes are scale dependent and how they can be transferred to fluid induced micro-seismicity. We applied the empirical Green's function (EGF) method in order to reconstruct the relative source time functions of 195 suitable microseismic events from the Basel-1 reservoir. We found 93 solutions with a clear and consistent directivity pattern. The remaining events display either no measurable directivity, are unfavourably oriented or exhibit non consistent or complex relative source time functions. In this work we focus on selected events of M ˜ 1 which show possible rupture complexities. It is demonstrated that the EGF method allows to resolve complex rupture behaviour even if it is not directly identifiable in the seismograms. We find clear evidence of rupture directivity and multi-phase rupturing in the analysed relative source time functions. The time delays between consecutive subevents lies in the order of 10ms. Amplitudes of the relative source time functions of the subevents do not always show the same azimuthal dependence, indicating dissimilarity in the rupture directivity of the subevents. Our observations support the assumption that heterogeneity on fault surfaces persists down to small scale (few tens of meters).

The Kumamoto Mw7.1 mainshock: deep initiation triggered by the shallow foreshocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Q.; Wei, S.

2017-12-01

The Kumamoto Mw7.1 earthquake and its Mw6.2 foreshock struck the central Kyushu region in mid-April, 2016. The surface ruptures are characterized with multiple fault segments and a mix of strike-slip and normal motion extended from the intersection area of Hinagu and Futagawa faults to the southwest of Mt. Aso. Despite complex surface ruptures, most of the finite fault inversions use two fault segments to approximate the fault geometry. To study the rupture process and the complex fault geometry of this earthquake, we performed a multiple point source inversion for the mainshock using the data on 93 K-net and Kik-net stations. With path calibration from the Mw6.0 foreshock, we selected the frequency ranges for the Pnl waves (0.02 0.26 Hz) and surface waves (0.02 0.12 Hz), as well as the components that can be well modeled with the 1D velocity model. Our four-point-source results reveal a unilateral rupture towards Mt. Aso and varying fault geometries. The first sub-event is a high angle ( 79°) right-lateral strike-slip event at the depth of 16 km on the north end of the Hinagu fault. Notably the two M>6 foreshocks is located by our previous studies near the north end of the Hinagu fault at the depth of 5 9 km, which may give rise to the stress concentration at depth. The following three sub-events are distributed along the surface rupture of the Futagawa fault, with focal depths within 4 10 km. Their focal mechanisms present similar right-lateral fault slips with relatively small dip angles (62 67°) and apparent normal-fault component. Thus, the mainshock rupture initiated from the relatively deep part of the Hinagu fault and propagated through the fault-bend toward NE along the relatively shallow part of the Futagawa fault until it was terminated near Mt. Aso. Based on the four-point-source solution, we conducted a finite-fault inversion and obtained a kinematic rupture model of the mainshock. We then performed the Coulomb Stress analyses on the two foreshocks and the mainshock. The results support that the stress alternation after the foreshocks may have triggered the failure on the fault plane of the Mw7.1 earthquake. Therefore, the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence is dominated by a series of large triggering events whose initiation is associated with the geometric barrier in the intersection of the Futagawa and Hinagu faults.

Structure of the 1906 near-surface rupture zone of the San Andreas Fault, San Francisco Peninsula segment, near Woodside, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosa, C.M.; Catchings, R.D.; Rymer, M.J.; Grove, Karen; Goldman, M.R.

2016-07-08

High-resolution seismic-reflection and refraction images of the 1906 surface rupture zone of the San Andreas Fault near Woodside, California reveal evidence for one or more additional near-surface (within about 3 meters [m] depth) fault strands within about 25 m of the 1906 surface rupture. The 1906 surface rupture above the groundwater table (vadose zone) has been observed in paleoseismic trenches that coincide with our seismic profile and is seismically characterized by a discrete zone of low P-wave velocities (Vp), low S-wave velocities (Vs), high Vp/Vs ratios, and high Poisson’s ratios. A second near-surface fault strand, located about 17 m to the southwest of the 1906 surface rupture, is inferred by similar seismic anomalies. Between these two near-surface fault strands and below 5 m depth, we observed a near-vertical fault strand characterized by a zone of high Vp, low Vs, high Vp/Vs ratios, and high Poisson’s ratios on refraction tomography images and near-vertical diffractions on seismic-reflection images. This prominent subsurface zone of seismic anomalies is laterally offset from the 1906 surface rupture by about 8 m and likely represents the active main (long-term) strand of the San Andreas Fault at 5 to 10 m depth. Geometries of the near-surface and subsurface (about 5 to 10 m depth) fault zone suggest that the 1906 surface rupture dips southwestward to join the main strand of the San Andreas Fault at about 5 to 10 m below the surface. The 1906 surface rupture forms a prominent groundwater barrier in the upper 3 to 5 m, but our interpreted secondary near-surface fault strand to the southwest forms a weaker barrier, suggesting that there has been less or less-recent near-surface slip on that strand. At about 6 m depth, the main strand of the San Andreas Fault consists of water-saturated blue clay (collected from a hand-augered borehole), which is similar to deeply weathered serpentinite observed within the main strand of the San Andreas Fault at nearby sites. Multiple fault strands in the area of the 1906 surface rupture may account for variations in geologic slip rates calculated from several paleoseismic sites along the Peninsula segment of the San Andreas Fault.t.

Dynamic rupture modeling of thrust faults with parallel surface traces.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peshette, P.; Lozos, J.; Yule, D.

2017-12-01

Fold and thrust belts (such as those found in the Himalaya or California Transverse Ranges) consist of many neighboring thrust faults in a variety of geometries. Active thrusts within these belts individually contribute to regional seismic hazard, but further investigation is needed regarding the possibility of multi-fault rupture in a single event. Past analyses of historic thrust surface traces suggest that rupture within a single event can jump up to 12 km. There is also observational precedent for long distance triggering between subparallel thrusts (e.g. the 1997 Harnai, Pakistan events, separated by 50 km). However, previous modeling studies find a maximum jumping rupture distance between thrust faults of merely 200 m. Here, we present a new dynamic rupture modeling parameter study that attempts to reconcile these differences and determine which geometrical and stress conditions promote jumping rupture. We use a community verified 3D finite element method to model rupture on pairs of thrust faults with parallel surface traces. We vary stress drop and fault strength to determine which conditions produce jumping rupture at different dip angles and different separations between surface traces. This parameter study may help to understand the likelihood of jumping rupture in real-world thrust systems, and may thereby improve earthquake hazard assessment.

High-resolution electrical resistivity and aeromagnetic imaging reveal the causative fault of the 2009 Mw 6.0 Karonga, Malawi earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolawole, F.; Atekwana, E. A.; Laó-Dávila, D. A.; Abdelsalam, M. G.; Chindandali, P. R.; Salima, J.; Kalindekafe, L.

2018-05-01

Seismic events of varying magnitudes have been associated with ruptures along unknown or incompletely mapped buried faults. The 2009 Mw 6.0 Karonga, Malawi earthquake caused a surface rupture length of 14-18 km along a single W-dipping fault [St. Mary Fault (SMF)] on the hanging wall of the North Basin of the Malawi Rift. Prior to this earthquake, there was no known surface expression or knowledge of the presence of this fault. Although the earthquake damage zone is characterized by surface ruptures and coseismic liquefaction-induced sand blows, the origin of the causative fault and the near-surface structure of the rupture zone are not known. We used high-resolution aeromagnetic and electrical resistivity data to elucidate the relationship between surface rupture locations and buried basement structures. We also acquired electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles along and across the surface rupture zone to image the near-surface structure of the damaged zone. We applied mathematical derivative filters to the aeromagnetic data to enhance basement structures underlying the rupture zone and surrounding areas. Although several magnetic lineaments are visible in the basement, mapped surface ruptures align with a single 37 km long, 148°-162°—striking magnetic lineament, and is interpreted as the ruptured normal fault. Inverted ERT profiles reveal three regional geoelectric layers which consist of 15 m thick layer of discontinuous zones of high and low resistivity values, underlain by a 27 m thick zone of high electrical resistivity (up to 100 Ω m) and a basal layer of lower resistivity (1.0-6.0 Ω m) extending from 42 m depth downwards (the maximum achieved depth of investigation). The geoelectric layers are truncated by a zone of electrical disturbance (electrical mélange) coinciding with areas of coseismic surface rupturing and sediment liquefaction along the ruptured. Our study shows that the 2009 Karonga earthquake was associated with the partial rupture of the buried SMF, and illuminates other potential seismogenic buried faults within the Karonga area of the North Basin. Although our electrical surveys were conducted 6 yr after the 2009 Karonga earthquake, we observe that near-surface lenses of electrically conductive sediments imaged by our ERT profiles, coincide with zones of coseismic surface rupture and liquefaction sand blows. We suggest that the presence of these preserved near-surface lenses of potentially water-saturated sand pose potential hazard in the event of a future earthquake in the area. In addition, our ERT profiles reveal structures that could represent relics of previous earthquake events along the SMF. In addition, our study demonstrates that the integration of ERT and aeromagnetic data can be very useful in illuminating seismogenic buried faults, thereby significantly improving seismic hazard analysis in tectonically active areas.

Co-seismic strike-slip surface rupture and displacement produced by the 2010 Mw 6.9 Yushu earthquake, China, and implications for Tibetan tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, A.; Rao, G.; Jia, D.; Wu, X.; Yan, B.; Ren, Z.

2010-12-01

The magnitude (Mw) 6.9 (Ms 7.1) Yushu earthquake occurred on 14 April 2010 in the Yushu area, central Tibetan Plateau, killing approximately 3000 people (including 270 missing) and causing widespread damage in the high mountain regions of the central Tibetan Plateau. The Yushu earthquake is comparable with the 1997 Mw 7.6 Manyi earthquake, the 2001 Mw 7.8 Kunlun earthquake, and the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, which all occurred in the northern and eastern Tibetan Plateau, in terms of their magnitude and seismotectonic environment, related to the eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau in response to continental collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. Although some prompt reports related to ground deformation and the focal mechanism were published in the Chinese literature soon after the Yushu earthquake, there are scarce data related to the nature of co-seismic strike-slip rupturing structures and displacement distributions because the co-seismic surface ruptures were produced mainly in remote, high mountain regions of the Tibetan Plateau (average elevation >4000 m) and roads to the epicentral area were damaged, which made it difficult to gain access to the area and to undertake fieldwork immediately after the earthquake. Field investigations reveal that the earthquake produced a 33-km-long surface rupture zone, with dominantly left-lateral strike-slip along the Yushu Fault of the pre-existing strike-slip Ganzi-Yushu Fault Zone. The co-seismic surface ruptures are characterized by discontinuous shear faults, right-stepping en echelon tensional cracks, and left-stepping mole track structures that indicate a left-lateral strike-slip shear sense for the seismic fault. Field measurements indicate co-seismic left-lateral strike-slip displacements of approximately 0.3-3.2 m (typically 1-2 m), accompanied by a minor vertical component of <0.6 m. The present results show that (i) the Yushu earthquake occurred upon the pre-existing active Ganzi-Yushu Fault Zone, which controlled the spatial distribution of co-seismic surface ruptures and displacements; (ii) the left-lateral strike-slip motion indicates that the Ganzi-Yushu Fault Zone partitions deformation into eastward extrusion and northeastward shortening of the central Tibetan Plateau to accommodate the continuing penetration of the Indian plate into the Eurasian plate. Our findings confirm that present-day strain energy related to continental deformation in the central Tibetan Plateau, generated by collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, is mainly released by strike-slip faulting along active strike-slip faults, and that the Ganzi-Yushu Fault Zone plays an important role in this crustal deformation, generating strong earthquakes that help to release the accumulated strain energy.

The susitna glacier thrust fault: Characteristics of surface ruptures on the fault that initiated the 2002 denali fault earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crone, A.J.; Personius, S.F.; Craw, P.A.; Haeussler, P.J.; Staft, L.A.

2004-01-01

The 3 November 2002 Mw 7.9 Denali fault earthquake sequence initiated on the newly discovered Susitna Glacier thrust fault and caused 48 km of surface rupture. Rupture of the Susitna Glacier fault generated scarps on ice of the Susitna and West Fork glaciers and on tundra and surficial deposits along the southern front of the central Alaska Range. Based on detailed mapping, 27 topographic profiles, and field observations, we document the characteristics and slip distribution of the 2002 ruptures and describe evidence of pre-2002 ruptures on the fault. The 2002 surface faulting produced structures that range from simple folds on a single trace to complex thrust-fault ruptures and pressure ridges on multiple, sinuous strands. The deformation zone is locally more than 1 km wide. We measured a maximum vertical displacement of 5.4 m on the south-directed main thrust. North-directed backthrusts have more than 4 m of surface offset. We measured a well-constrained near-surface fault dip of about 19?? at one site, which is considerably less than seismologically determined values of 35??-48??. Surface-rupture data yield an estimated magnitude of Mw 7.3 for the fault, which is similar to the seismological value of Mw 7.2. Comparison of field and seismological data suggest that the Susitna Glacier fault is part of a large positive flower structure associated with northwest-directed transpressive deformation on the Denali fault. Prehistoric scarps are evidence of previous rupture of the Sustina Glacier fault, but additional work is needed to determine if past failures of the Susitna Glacier fault have consistently induced rupture of the Denali fault.

Verification of SORD, and Application to the TeraShake Scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ely, G. P.; Day, S.; Minster, J.

2007-12-01

The Support Operator Rupture Dynamics (SORD) code provides a highly scalable (up to billions of nodes) computational tool for modeling spontaneous rupture on a non-planar fault surface embedded in a heterogeneous medium with surface topography. SORD successfully performs the SCEC Rupture Dynamics Code Validation Project tests, and we have undertaken further dynamic rupture tests assessing the effects of distorted hexahedral meshes on code accuracy. We generate a family of distorted meshes by simple shearing (applied both parallel and normal to the fault plane) of an initially Cartesian mesh. For shearing normal to the fault, shearing angle was varied, up to a maximum of 73-degrees. For SCEC Validation Problem 3, grid-induced errors increase with mesh-shear angle, with the logarithm of error approximately proportional to angle over the range tested. At 73-degrees, RMS misfits are about 10% for peak slip rate, and 0.5% for both rupture time and total slip, indicating that the method--which up to now we have applied mainly to near-vertical strike-slip faulting-- also is capable of handling geometries appropriate to low-angle surface-rupturing thrust earthquakes. The SORD code was used to reexamine the TeraShake 2 dynamics simulations of a M7.7 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault. Relative to the original (Olsen et al, 2007) TeraShake 2 simulations, our spontaneous rupture models find decreased peak ground velocities in the Los Angles basin, principally due to a shallower eastward connecting basin chain in the SCEC Velocity Model Version 4 (used in our simulations) compared to Version 3 (used by Olsen et al.). This is partially offset by including the effects of surface topography (which was not included in the Olsen et al. models) in the simulation, which increases PGV at some basin sites by as much as a factor of two. Some non-basin sites showed comparable decreases in PGV. These predicted topographic effects are quite large, so it is important to quantify SORD accuracy in the presence of non-planar free surface geometry. We test the case of a semi-circular canyon to an incident P wave, and find close agreement with boundary element methods, for surface amplification at wavelengths comparable to the canyon width.

Numerical study of liquid film rupture after droplet spreading on a superhydrophilic surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yisen; Lian, Yongsheng

2017-11-01

When a droplet impacts onto a solid surface, different outcomes can be observed, such as rebound, spreading and splashing. We present numerical simulation results on liquid film rupture after spreading of a droplet impact on a smooth superhydrophilic surface. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved using the variable density pressure projection method and the moment-of-fluid method is used to track the droplet interface. A superhydrophilic or superwetting surface has strong affinity to liquid and we assume the contact angle between solid and liquid is almost zero degree. The droplet spreading and film rupture process occurs in two stages: the droplet first spreads onto the surface and flattens into a thin film as it reaches the maximum diameter, then the film rim becomes unstable and the film rupture initiates from the rim toward the center gradually until the entire film breaks up into secondary droplets. The duration of the film rupture stage is much shorter than the spreading stage. The simulation result is compared with experiment and good agreement is achieved. We investigate the film thickness evolution during spreading and the effect of surface wettability on film rupture.

Rupture Dynamics along Thrust Dipping Fault: Inertia Effects due to Free Surface Wave Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilotte, J. P.; Scala, A.; Festa, G.

2017-12-01

We numerically investigate the dynamic interaction between free surface and up-dip, in-plane rupture propagation along thrust faults, under linear slip-weakening friction. With reference to shallow along-dip rupture propagation during large subduction earthquakes, we consider here low dip-angle fault configurations with fixed strength excess and depth-increasing initial stress. In this configuration, the rupture undergoes a break of symmetry with slip-induced normal stress perturbations triggered by the interaction with reflected waves from the free surface. We found that both body-waves - behind the crack front - and surface waves - at the crack front - can trigger inertial effects. When waves interact with the rupture before this latter reaches its asymptotic speed, the rupture can accelerate toward the asymptotic speed faster than in the unbounded symmetric case, as a result of these inertial effects. Moreover, wave interaction at the crack front also affects the slip rate generating large ground motion on the hanging wall. Imposing the same initial normal stress, frictional strength and stress drop while varying the static friction coefficient we found that the break of symmetry makes the rupture dynamics dependent on the absolute value of friction. The higher the friction the stronger the inertial effect both in terms of rupture acceleration and slip amount. When the contact condition allows the fault interface to open close to the free surface, the length of the opening zone is shown to depend on the propagation length, the initial normal stress and the static friction coefficient. These new results are shown to agree with analytical results of rupture propagation in bounded media, and open new perspectives for understanding the shallow rupture of large subduction earthquakes and tsunami sources.

The hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysm ruptured region with active contrast leakage during computed tomography angiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming-Lung; Wang, Yi-Chou; Liou, Tong-Miin; Lin, Chao-An

2014-10-01

Precise locations of rupture region under contrast agent leakage of five ruptured cerebral artery aneurysms during computed tomography angiography, which is to our knowledge for the first time, were successfully identified among 101 patients. These, together with numerical simulations based on the reconstructed aneurysmal models, were used to analyze hemodynamic parameters of aneurysms under different cardiac cyclic flow rates. For side wall type aneurysms, different inlet flow rates have mild influences on the shear stresses distributions. On the other hand, for branch type aneurysms, the predicted wall shear stress (WSS) correlates strongly with the increase of inlet vessel velocity. The mean and time averaged WSSes at rupture regions are found to be lower than those over the surface of the aneurysms. Also, the levels of the oscillatory shear index (OSI) are higher than the reported threshold value, supporting the assertion that high OSI correlates with rupture of the aneurysm. However, the present results also indicate that OSI level at the rupture region is relatively lower.

Spatiotemporal complexity of 2-D rupture nucleation process observed by direct monitoring during large-scale biaxial rock friction experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuyama, Eiichi; Tsuchida, Kotoyo; Kawakata, Hironori; Yamashita, Futoshi; Mizoguchi, Kazuo; Xu, Shiqing

2018-05-01

We were able to successfully capture rupture nucleation processes on a 2-D fault surface during large-scale biaxial friction experiments using metagabbro rock specimens. Several rupture nucleation patterns have been detected by a strain gauge array embedded inside the rock specimens as well as by that installed along the edge walls of the fault. In most cases, the unstable rupture started just after the rupture front touched both ends of the rock specimen (i.e., when rupture front extended to the entire width of the fault). In some cases, rupture initiated at multiple locations and the rupture fronts coalesced to generate unstable ruptures, which could only be detected from the observation inside the rock specimen. Therefore, we need to carefully examine the 2-D nucleation process of the rupture especially when analyzing the data measured only outside the rock specimen. At least the measurements should be done at both sides of the fault to identify the asymmetric rupture propagation on the fault surface, although this is not perfect yet. In the present experiment, we observed three typical types of the 2-D rupture propagation patterns, two of which were initiated at a single location either close to the fault edge or inside the fault. This initiation could be accelerated by the free surface effect at the fault edge. The third one was initiated at multiple locations and had a rupture coalescence at the middle of the fault. These geometrically complicated rupture initiation patterns are important for understanding the earthquake nucleation process in nature.

Controls on Patterns of Repeated Fault Rupture: Examples From the Denali and Bear River Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, D. P.; Hecker, S.

2013-12-01

A requirement for estimating seismic hazards is assigning magnitudes to earthquake sources. This relies on anticipating rupture length and slip along faults. Fundamental questions include whether lengths of past surface ruptures can be reasonably determined from fault zone characteristics and whether the variability in length and slip during repeated faulting can be constrained. To address these issues, we look at rupture characteristics and their possible controls from examples in very different tectonic settings: the high slip rate (≥15 mm/yr) Denali fault system, Alaska, and the recently activated Bear River normal fault, Wyoming-Utah. The 2002 rupture of the central Denali fault (CDF) is associated with two noteworthy geometric features. First, rupture initiated where the Susitna Glacier thrust fault (SG) intersects the CDF at depth, near the apex of a structurally complex restraining bend along the Denali. Paleoseismic data show that for the past 700 years the timing of large surface ruptures on the Denali fault west of the 2002 rupture has been distinct from those along the CDF. For the past ~6ka the frequency of SG to Denali ruptures has been ~1:12, indicating that this complexity of the 2002 rupture has not been common. Second, rupture propagated off of one strike-slip fault (CDF) onto another (the Totschunda fault, TF), an occurrence that seldom has been observed. LiDAR mapping of the intersection shows direct connectivity of the two faults--the CDF simply branches into both the TF and the eastern Denali fault (EDF). Differences in the timing of earthquakes during the past 700-800 years at sites surrounding this intersection, and estimates of accumulated slip from slip rates, indicate that for the 2002 rupture sufficient strain had accumulated on the TF to favor its failure. In contrast, the penultimate CDF rupture, with the same slip distribution as in 2002, appears to have stopped at or near the branch point, implying that neither the TF nor the EDF was stressed sufficiently to fail at that time. The Bear River fault zone (BRFZ) is a young normal fault along the eastern margin of basin-range extension that appears to have reactivated a ramp in the Laramide-age Darby-Hogsback thrust. The entire Cenozoic history of the BRFZ may consist of only two surface-rupturing events in the late Holocene (one at ~5 ka and the most recent at ~2.5 ka). The 40-km-long fault comprises synthetic and antithetic scarps extending across a zone up to 5 km wide. Remote sensing, including airborne LiDAR, and field studies show that, despite the complexity, the pattern of faulting was similar (in location and amount) for each of the two events and, at the south end, was strongly influenced by the east-west-trending Uinta Arch. Pre-existing structure clearly has exerted a first-order control on moment release on this immature fault. As shown by these examples, data on timing of surface ruptures, coseismic slip, slip rate, and fault geometry can provide a basis to constrain lengths of past and future earthquake ruptures, including possible alternative rupture scenarios. The difficult question for hazard analysis is whether the available data capture the full range of behavior and with what relative frequency do the alternatives occur?

Map showing surface ruptures associated with the Mammoth Lakes, California, earthquakes of May 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, M.M.; Yount, J.C.; Vaughn, P.R.; Zepeda, R.L.

1982-01-01

This map shows surface ruptures associated with the M 6 Mammoth Lakes earthquakes of May 25-27, 1980 (Sherburne, 1980). The ruptures were mapped during USGS field investigations May 28 to June 4 and July 14-19, 1980. The map also includes some of the ruptures recorded by California Division of Mines and Geology investigators May 26-31, June 26-27, and July 7-11, 1980 (Taylor and Bryant, 1980). Because most of the surface ruptures developed in either unconsolidated pumice, alluvium, or till (and many were on slopes of scarps created by earlier faulting), wind, rain and animals quickly erased many of the ruptures. In places, the minimum detectable slip was 3-10 mm. Thus the lines on the map do not record all of the ruptures that formed at the time of the earthquake. Many of the areas were we show gaps between lines on the map probably had cracks originally. 

Identification of vortex structures in a cohort of 204 intracranial aneurysms

PubMed Central

Trylesinski, Gabriel; Xiang, Jianping; Snyder, Kenneth; Meng, Hui

2017-01-01

An intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a cerebrovascular pathology that can lead to death or disability if ruptured. Abnormal wall shear stress (WSS) has been associated with IA growth and rupture, but little is known about the underlying flow physics related to rupture-prone IAs. Previous studies, based on analysis of a few aneurysms or partial views of three-dimensional vortex structures, suggest that rupture is associated with complex vortical flow inside IAs. To further elucidate the relevance of vortical flow in aneurysm pathophysiology, we studied 204 patient IAs (56 ruptured and 148 unruptured). Using objective quantities to identify three-dimensional vortex structures, we investigated the characteristics associated with aneurysm rupture and if these features correlate with previously proposed WSS and morphological characteristics indicative of IA rupture. Based on the Q-criterion definition of a vortex, we quantified the degree of the aneurysmal region occupied by vortex structures using the volume vortex fraction (vVF) and the surface vortex fraction (sVF). Computational fluid dynamics simulations showed that the sVF, but not the vVF, discriminated ruptured from unruptured aneurysms. Furthermore, we found that the near-wall vortex structures co-localized with regions of inflow jet breakdown, and significantly correlated to previously proposed haemodynamic and morphologic characteristics of ruptured IAs. PMID:28539480

Identification of vortex structures in a cohort of 204 intracranial aneurysms.

PubMed

Varble, Nicole; Trylesinski, Gabriel; Xiang, Jianping; Snyder, Kenneth; Meng, Hui

2017-05-01

An intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a cerebrovascular pathology that can lead to death or disability if ruptured. Abnormal wall shear stress (WSS) has been associated with IA growth and rupture, but little is known about the underlying flow physics related to rupture-prone IAs. Previous studies, based on analysis of a few aneurysms or partial views of three-dimensional vortex structures, suggest that rupture is associated with complex vortical flow inside IAs. To further elucidate the relevance of vortical flow in aneurysm pathophysiology, we studied 204 patient IAs (56 ruptured and 148 unruptured). Using objective quantities to identify three-dimensional vortex structures, we investigated the characteristics associated with aneurysm rupture and if these features correlate with previously proposed WSS and morphological characteristics indicative of IA rupture. Based on the Q -criterion definition of a vortex, we quantified the degree of the aneurysmal region occupied by vortex structures using the volume vortex fraction ( vVF ) and the surface vortex fraction ( sVF ). Computational fluid dynamics simulations showed that the sVF , but not the vVF , discriminated ruptured from unruptured aneurysms. Furthermore, we found that the near-wall vortex structures co-localized with regions of inflow jet breakdown, and significantly correlated to previously proposed haemodynamic and morphologic characteristics of ruptured IAs. © 2017 The Author(s).

Surface rupture and vertical deformation associated with 20 May 2016 M6 Petermann Ranges earthquake, Northern Territory, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, Ryan; Clark, Dan; King, Tamarah; Quigley, Mark

2017-04-01

Surface-rupturing earthquakes in stable continental regions (SCRs) occur infrequently, though when they occur in heavily populated regions the damage and loss of life can be severe (e.g., 2001 Bhuj earthquake). Quantifying the surface-rupture characteristics of these low-probability events is therefore important, both to improve understanding of the on- and off-fault deformation field near the rupture trace and to provide additional constraints on earthquake magnitude to rupture length and displacement, which are critical inputs for seismic hazard calculations. This investigation focuses on the 24 August 2016 M6.0 Petermann Ranges earthquake, Northern Territory, Australia. We use 0.3-0.5 m high-resolution optical Worldview satellite imagery to map the trace of the surface rupture associated with the earthquake. From our mapping, we are able to trace the rupture over a length of 20 km, trending NW, and exhibiting apparent north-side-up motion. To quantify the magnitude of vertical surface deformation, we use stereo Worldview images processed using NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline software to generate pre- and post-earthquake digital terrain models with a spatial resolution of 1.5 to 2 m. The surface scarp is apparent in much of the post-event digital terrain model. Initial efforts to difference the pre- and post-event digital terrain models yield noisy results, though we detect vertical deformation of 0.2 to 0.6 m over length scales of 100 m to 1 km from the mapped trace of the rupture. Ongoing efforts to remove ramps and perform spatial smoothing will improve our understanding of the extent and pattern of vertical deformation. Additionally, we will compare our results with InSAR and field measurements obtained following the earthquake.

Early steps of supported bilayer formation probed by single vesicle fluorescence assays.

PubMed Central

Johnson, Joseph M; Ha, Taekjip; Chu, Steve; Boxer, Steven G

2002-01-01

We have developed a single vesicle assay to study the mechanisms of supported bilayer formation. Fluorescently labeled, unilamellar vesicles (30-100 nm diameter) were first adsorbed to a quartz surface at low enough surface concentrations to visualize single vesicles. Fusion and rupture events during the bilayer formation, induced by the subsequent addition of unlabeled vesicles, were detected by measuring two-color fluorescence signals simultaneously. Lipid-conjugated dyes monitored the membrane fusion while encapsulated dyes reported on the vesicle rupture. Four dominant pathways were observed, each exhibiting characteristic two-color fluorescence signatures: 1) primary fusion, in which an unlabeled vesicle fuses with a labeled vesicle on the surface, is signified by the dequenching of the lipid-conjugated dyes followed by rupture and final merging into the bilayer; 2) simultaneous fusion and rupture, in which a labeled vesicle on the surface ruptures simultaneously upon fusion with an unlabeled vesicle; 3) no dequenching, in which loss of fluorescence signal from both dyes occur simultaneously with the final merger into the bilayer; and 4) isolated rupture (pre-ruptured vesicles), in which a labeled vesicle on the surface spontaneously undergoes content loss, a process that occurs with high efficiency in the presence of a high concentration of Texas Red-labeled lipids. Vesicles that have undergone content loss appear to be more fusogenic than intact vesicles. PMID:12496104

Inherited structures impact on co-seismic surface deformation pattern during the 2013 Balochistan, Pakistan, earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallage, Amaury; Klinger, Yann; Grandin, Raphael; Delorme, Arthur; Pierrot-Deseilligny, Marc

2016-04-01

The understanding of earthquake processes and the interaction of earthquake rupture with Earth's free surface relies on the resolution of the observations. Recent and detailed post-earthquake measurements bring new insights on shallow mechanical behavior of rupture processes as it becomes possible to measure and locate surficial deformation distribution. The 2013 Mw 7.7 Balochistan earthquake, Pakistan, offers a nice opportunity to comprehend where and why surficial deformation might differs from at-depth localized slip. This earthquake ruptured the Hoshab fault over 200 km; the motion was mainly left lateral with a small and discontinuous vertical component in the southern part of the rupture. Using images with the finest resolution currently available, we measured the surface displacement amplitude and its orientation at the ground surface (including the numerous tensile cracks). We combined these measurements with the 1:500 scale ground rupture map to focus on the behavior of the frontal rupture in the area where deformation distributes. Comparison with orientations of inherited tectonic structures, visible in older rocks formation surrounding the actual 2013 rupture, shows the control exercised by such structures on co-seismic rupture distribution. Such observation raises the question on how pre-existing tectonic structures in a medium, mapped in several seismically active places around the globe; can control the co-seismic distribution of the deformation during earthquakes.

Crack propagation in disordered materials: how to decipher fracture surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponson, L.

For a half-century, engineers know how to describe and predict the propagation of a crack in a model elastic homogeneous medium. The case of real materials is much more complex. Indeed, we do not know how to relate their lifetime or their resistance to their microstructure. To achieve such a prediction, understanding the role of the microstructural disorder on the behavior of a crack is determinant. Fracture surfaces represent a promising field of investigation to address this question. From the study of various disordered materials, we propose a statistical description of their roughness and determine to which extent their properties are dependent of the material. We show that fracture surfaces display an anisotropic scale invariant geometry characterized by two universal exponents. Glass ceramics is then studied because its microstructure can be tuned in a controlled manner. Their fracture surfaces display the same general anisotropic properties but with surprisingly low exponents independent of the detail of the ceramics microstructure. This suggests the existence of a second universality class in failure problems. Using finally theoretical tools from out-of-equilibrium statistical physics and fracture mechanics, we relate the statistical properties of fracture surfaces with the mechanisms occurring at the microscopic scale during the failure of a material. In particular, we show that the first class of fracture surfaces results from a failure involving damage processes while the second one results from a perfectly brittle failure. Propagation de fissures dans les matériaux désordonnés : comment déchiffrer les surfaces de rupture. Depuis près d'un demi-siècle, les ingénieurs savent décrire et prévoir la propagation d'une fissure dans un milieu élastique homogène modèle. Le cas des matériaux réels est beaucoup plus complexe. En effet, on ne sait pas relier leur durée de vie ou leur résistance à leur microstructure. Passage obligé avant de telles prédictions, il est nécessaire de comprendre comment le désordre structural du matériau influe sur le comportement d'une fissure. Dans cette optique, les surfaces de rupture représentent un champ d'investigation très prometteur. À travers une étude portant sur divers matériaux hétérogènes, nous caractérisons les propriétés statistiques de leur rugosité et déterminons dans quelle mesure elles sont indépendantes du matériau. Nous montrons notamment que les surfaces de rupture présentent des propriétés d'invariance d'échelle anisotropes, caractérisées par deux exposants universels. Étudiant ensuite une céramique de verre, matériau hétérogène modèle dont on peut contrôler la microstructure, on montre qu'il existe une seconde classe de surfaces de rupture caractérisée par la même structure anisotrope mais présentant des exposants plus faibles. Utilisant enfin des outils théoriques issus de la physique statistique hors équilibre combinés avec la mécanique de la rupture, nous établissons le lien entre ces propriétés et les mécanismes généraux de rupture à l'échelle microscopique. Cette étude nous permet notamment d'associer les deux classes de surfaces de rupture à un processus de fissuration mettant en jeux de l'endommagement pour l'un et à une rupture parfaitement fragile pour l'autre.

Fine structure of the landers fault zone: Segmentation and the rupture process

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, Y.-G.; Vidale, J.E.; Aki, K.; Marone, C.J.; Lee, W.H.K.

1994-01-01

Observations and modeling of 3- to 6-hertz seismic shear waves trapped within the fault zone of the 1992 Landers earthquake series allow the fine structure and continuity of the zone to be evaluated. The fault, to a depth of at least 12 kilometers, is marked by a zone 100 to 200 meters wide where shear velocity is reduced by 30 to 50 percent. This zone forms a seismic waveguide that extends along the southern 30 kilometers of the Landers rupture surface and ends at the fault bend about 18 kilometers north of the main shock epicenter. Another fault plane waveguide, disconnected from the first, exists along the northern rupture surface. These observations, in conjunction with surface slip, detailed seismicity patterns, and the progression of rupture along the fault, suggest that several simple rupture planes were involved in the Landers earthquake and that the inferred rupture front hesitated or slowed at the location where the rupture jumped from one to the next plane. Reduction in rupture velocity can tentatively be attributed to fault plane complexity, and variations in moment release can be attributed to variations in available energy.

The source parameters, surface deformation and tectonic setting of three recent earthquakes: thessalonki (Greece), tabas-e-golshan (iran) and carlisle (u.k.).

PubMed

King, G; Soufleris, C; Berberian, M

1981-03-01

Abstract- Three earthquakes have been studied. These are the Thessaloniki earthquake of 20th June 1978 (Ms = 6.4, Normal faulting), the Tabase-Golshan earthquake of 16th September 1978 (Ms = 7.7 Thrust faulting) and the Carlisle earth-quake of 26th December 1979 (Mb = 5.0, Thrust faulting). The techniques employed to determine source parameters included field studies of SUP face deformation, fault breaks, locations of locally recorded aftershocks and teleseismic studies including joint hypocentral location, first motion methods and waveform modelling. It is clear that these techniques applied together provide more information than the same methods used separately. The moment of the Thessaloniki earthquake determined teleseismically (Force moment 5.2 times 10(25) dyne cm. Geometric moment 1.72 times 10(8) m(3) ) is an order of magnitude greater than that determined using field data (surface ruptures and aftershock depths) (Force moment 4.5 times 10(24) dyne cm. Geometric moment 0.16 times 10(8) m(3) ). It is concluded that for this earthquake the surface rupture only partly reflects the processes on the main rupture plane. This view i s supported by a distribution of aftershocks and damage which extends well outside the region of ground rupture. However, the surface breaks consistently have the same slip vector direction as the fault plane solutions suggesting that they are in this respect related to to the main faulting and are not superficial slumping. Both field studies and waveform studies suggest a low stress drop which may explain the relatively little damage and loss of life as a result of the Thessaloniki earthquake. In contrast, the teleseismic moment of the Tabas-e-Golshan earthquake (Force moment 4.4 times 10(26) dyne cm. Geometric moment 1.5 times 10(9) m(3) ) is similar t o that determined from field studies (Force moment 10.2 times 10(26) dyne cm. Geometric moment 3.4 times 10(9) m(3) ) and the damage and after-shock distributions clearly relate to the surface faulting. It h a s also been observed that high aftershock activity appears beneath gaps in the surface rupture system. The Carlisle earthquake (Force moment 9 times 10(23) dyne cm. Geometric moment 3 times 10(6) m(3) ) produced no surface ruptures. However, dislocation model-ling suggests that surface deformation will be visible on a first order levelling line which passes very close t o the epicentre. A well controlled fault plane solution, the first in the British Isles, derived from an aftershock study shows north-south compression. All three studied earthquakes occurred along major faults which had been reactivated in geological times. The fault on which the Tabas-e-Golshan earthquake occurred could have been identified a s active from evidence of Quaternary motion and previous smaller earthquakes. However, there were no perceptible events in the 12 months preceeding the catastrophic earthquake. In both Thessaloniki and Carlisle, significant foreshocks did occur within 6 months prior to the main shock*

Effect of position, time in the season, and playing surface on Achilles tendon ruptures in NFL games: a 2009-10 to 2016-17 review.

PubMed

Krill, Michael K; Borchers, James R; Hoffman, Joshua T; Krill, Matthew L; Hewett, Timothy E

2017-09-01

Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures are a potentially career-altering and ending injury. Achilles tendon ruptures have a below average return-to-play rate compared to other common orthopaedic procedures for National Football League (NFL) players. The objective of this study was to monitor the incidence and injury rates (IR) of AT ruptures that occurred during the regular season in order to evaluate the influence of player position, time of injury, and playing surface on rupture rates. A thorough online review was completed to identify published injury reports and public information regarding AT ruptures sustained during regular season and post-season games in the National Football League (NFL) during the 2009-10 to 2016-17 seasons. Team schedules, player position details and stadium information was used to determine period of the season of injury and playing surface. IRs were calculated per 100 team games (TG). Injury rate ratios (IRR) were utilized to compare IRs. During eight monitored seasons, there were 44 AT ruptures in NFL games. A majority of AT ruptures were sustained in the first eight games of the regular season (n = 32, 72.7%). There was a significant rate difference for the first and second four-game segments of the regular season compared to the last two four-game segments of the regular season. Defensive players suffered a majority of AT ruptures (n = 32, 72.7%). The IR on grass was 1.00 per 100 TG compared to 1.08 per 100 TG on artificial turf (IRR: 0.93, p = .80). A significant increase in AT ruptures occurred in the first and second four game segments of the regular season compared to the last two-four game segments of the regular season. Defensive players suffered a majority of AT ruptures compared to offensive or specialist players. There was no difference between AT rupture rates and playing surface in games.

Poro-elastic Rebound Along the Landers 1992 Earthquake Surface Rupture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peltzer, G.; Rosen, P.; Rogez, F.; Hudnut, K.

1998-01-01

Maps of post-seismic surface displacement after the 1992, Landers, California earthquake, generated by interferometric processing of ERS-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images, reveal effects of various deformation processes near the 1992 surface rupture.

Interfacial thin films rupture and self-similarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Margaret H.

2011-06-01

Two superposed thin layers of fluids are prone to interfacial instabilities due to London-van der Waals forces. Evolution equations for the film thicknesses are derived using lubrication theory. Using the intrinsic scales, for a single layer, results in a system with parametric dependence of four ratios of the two layers: surface tension, Hamaker constant, viscosity, and film thickness. In contrast to the single layer case, the bilayer system has two unstable eigenmodes: squeezing and bending. For some particular parameter regimes, the system exhibits the avoided crossing behavior, where the two eigenmodes are interchanged. Based on numerical analysis, the system evolves into four different rupture states: basal layer rupture, upper layer rupture, double layer rupture, and mixed layer rupture. The ratio of Hamaker constants and the relative film thickness of the two layers control the system dynamics. Remarkably, the line of avoided crossing demarks the transition region of mode mixing and energy transfer, affecting the scaling of the dynamical regime map consequentially. Asymptotic and numerical analyses are used to examine the self-similar ruptures and to extract the power law scalings for both the basal layer rupture and the upper layer rupture. The scaling laws for the basal layer rupture are the same as those of the single layer on top of a substrate. The scaling laws for the upper layer rupture are different: the lateral length scale decreases according to (tr-t)1/3 and the film thickness decreases according to (tr-t)1/6.

Surface faulting. A preliminary view

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sharp, R.V.

1989-01-01

This description of surface faulting near Spitak, Armenia, is based on a field inspection made December 22-26, 1988. The surface rupture west of Spitak, displacement of the ground surface, pre-earthquake surface expressions of the fault, and photolineaments in landsat images are described and surface faulting is compared to aftershocks. It is concluded that the 2 meters of maximum surface displacement fits well within the range of reliably measured maximum surface offsets for historic reverse and oblique-reverse faulting events throughout the world. By contrast, the presently known length of surface rupture near Spitak, between 8 and 13 km, is shorter than any other reverse or oblique-reverse event of magnitude greater than 6.0. This may be a reason to suppose that additional surface rupture might remain unmapped.

Rupture of thin liquid films on structured surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajaev, Vladimir S.; Gatapova, Elizaveta Ya.; Kabov, Oleg A.

2011-10-01

We investigate stability and breakup of a thin liquid film on a solid surface under the action of disjoining pressure. The solid surface is structured by parallel grooves. Air is trapped in the grooves under the liquid film. Our mathematical model takes into account the effect of slip due to the presence of menisci separating the liquid film from the air inside the grooves, the deformation of these menisci due to local variations of pressure in the liquid film, and nonuniformities of the Hamaker constant which measures the strength of disjoining pressure. Both linear stability and strongly nonlinear evolution of the film are analyzed. Surface structuring results in decrease of the fastest growing instability wavelength and the rupture time. It is shown that a simplified description of film dynamics based on the standard formula for effective slip leads to significant deviations from the behavior seen in our simulations. Self-similar decay over several orders of magnitude of the film thickness near the rupture point is observed. We also show that the presence of the grooves can lead to instability in otherwise stable films if the relative groove width is above a critical value, found as a function of disjoining pressure parameters.

Spontaneous subserosal venous rupture overlying a uterine leiomyoma in a young woman.

PubMed

Jenayah, Amel Achour; Saoudi, Sarah; Sferi, Nour; Skander, Rim; Marzouk, Sofiène Ben; Cherni, Abdallah; Sfar, Ezzeddine; Chelli, Dalenda; Boudaya, Fethia

2017-01-01

Uterine leiomyomas are very common tumors found in women. Rupture of veins on the surface of uterine leiomyoma is an unusual source of hemoperitoneum. It is an extremely uncommon gynaecological cause of hemoperitoneum. It is a life threatening emergency. We report a case of massive intraperitoneal hemorrhage due to rupture of vessels on the surface of subserous leiomyoma. A differential diagnosis of rupture of leiomyoma'ssurface vessel should be considered, while dealing with a case of hemoperitoneum with pelvic mass.

Investigation of possibility of surface rupture derived from PFDHA and calculation of surface displacement based on dislocation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, N.; Kitada, N.; Irikura, K.

2013-12-01

A probability of surface rupture is important to configure the seismic source, such as area sources or fault models, for a seismic hazard evaluation. In Japan, Takemura (1998) estimated the probability based on the historical earthquake data. Kagawa et al. (2004) evaluated the probability based on a numerical simulation of surface displacements. The estimated probability indicates a sigmoid curve and increases between Mj (the local magnitude defined and calculated by Japan Meteorological Agency) =6.5 and Mj=7.0. The probability of surface rupture is also used in a probabilistic fault displacement analysis (PFDHA). The probability is determined from the collected earthquake catalog, which were classified into two categories: with surface rupture or without surface rupture. The logistic regression is performed for the classified earthquake data. Youngs et al. (2003), Ross and Moss (2011) and Petersen et al. (2011) indicate the logistic curves of the probability of surface rupture by normal, reverse and strike-slip faults, respectively. Takao et al. (2013) shows the logistic curve derived from only Japanese earthquake data. The Japanese probability curve shows the sharply increasing in narrow magnitude range by comparison with other curves. In this study, we estimated the probability of surface rupture applying the logistic analysis to the surface displacement derived from a surface displacement calculation. A source fault was defined in according to the procedure of Kagawa et al. (2004), which determined a seismic moment from a magnitude and estimated the area size of the asperity and the amount of slip. Strike slip and reverse faults were considered as source faults. We applied Wang et al. (2003) for calculations. The surface displacements with defined source faults were calculated by varying the depth of the fault. A threshold value as 5cm of surface displacement was used to evaluate whether a surface rupture reach or do not reach to the surface. We carried out the logistic regression analysis to the calculated displacements, which were classified by the above threshold. The estimated probability curve indicated the similar trend to the result of Takao et al. (2013). The probability of revere faults is larger than that of strike slip faults. On the other hand, PFDHA results show different trends. The probability of reverse faults at higher magnitude is lower than that of strike slip and normal faults. Ross and Moss (2011) suggested that the sediment and/or rock over the fault compress and not reach the displacement to the surface enough. The numerical theory applied in this study cannot deal with a complex initial situation such as topography.

Rupture dynamics along dipping thrust faults: free surface interaction and the case of Tohoku earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Festa, Gaetano; Scala, Antonio; Vilotte, Jean-Pierre

2017-04-01

To address the influence of the free surface interaction on rupture propagating along subduction zones, we numerically investigate dynamic interactions, involving coupling between normal and shear tractions, between in-plane rupture propagating along dipping thrust faults and a free surface for different structural and geometrical conditions. When the rupture occurs along reverse fault with a dip angle different from 90° the symmetry is broken as an effect of slip-induced normal stress perturbations and a larger ground motion is evidenced on the hanging wall. The ground motion is amplified by multiple reflections of waves trapped between the fault and the free surface. This effect is shown to occur when the rupture tip lies on the vertical below the intersection between the S-wave front and the surface that is when waves along the surface start to interact with the rupture front. This interaction is associated with a finite region where the rupture advances in a massive regime preventing the shrinking of the process zone and the emission of high-frequency radiation. The smaller the dip angle the larger co-seismic slip in the shallow part as an effect of the significant break of symmetry. Radiation from shallow part is still depleted in high frequencies due to the massive propagating regime and the interaction length dominating the rupture dynamics. Instantaneous shear response to normal traction perturbations may lead to unstable solutions as in the case of bimaterial rupture. A parametric study has been performed to analyse the effects of a regularised shear traction response to normal traction variations. Finally the case of Tohoku earthquake is considered and we present 2D along-dip numerical results. At first order the larger slip close to the trench can be ascribed to the break of symmetry and the interaction with free surface. When shear/normal coupling is properly regularised the signal from the trench is depleted in high frequencies whereas during deep propagation high-frequency radiations emerge associated to geometrical and structural complexities or to frictional strength asperities.

The Wasatch fault zone, utah-segmentation and history of Holocene earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Machette, M.N.; Personius, S.F.; Nelson, A.R.; Schwartz, D.P.; Lund, W.R.

1991-01-01

The Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) forms the eastern boundary of the Basin and Range province and is the longest continuous, active normal fault (343 km) in the United States. It underlies an urban corridor of 1.6 million people (80% of Utah's population) representing the largest earthquake risk in the interior of the western United States. We have used paleoseismological data to identify 10 discrete segments of the WFZ. Five are active, medial segments with Holocene slip rates of 1-2 mm a-1, recurrence intervals of 2000-4000 years and average lengths of about 50 km. Five are less active, distal segments with mostly pre-Holocene surface ruptures, late Quaternary slip rates of 6.5 have occurred since 1860. Although the time scale of the clustering is different-130 years vs 1100 years-we consider the central Nevada-eastern California Seismic Belt to be a historic analog for movement on the WFZ during the past 1500 years. We have found no evidence that surface-rupturing events occurred on the WFZ during the past 400 years, a time period which is twice the average intracluster recurrence interval and equal to the average Holocene recurrence interval. In particular, the Brigham City segment (the northernmost medial segment) has not ruptured in the past 3600 years-a period that is about three times longer than this segment's average recurrence interval during the early and middle Holocene. Although the WFZ's seismological record is one of relative quiescence, a comparison with other historic surface-rupturing earthquakes in the region suggests that earthquakes having moment magnitudes of 7.1-7.4 (or surface-wave magnitudes of 7.5-7.7)-each associated with tens of kilometers of surface rupture and several meters of normal dip slip-have occurred about every four centuries during the Holocene and should be expected in the future. ?? 1991.

Rupture of poly implant prothèse silicone breast implants: an implant retrieval study.

PubMed

Swarts, Eric; Kop, Alan M; Nilasaroya, Anastasia; Keogh, Catherine V; Cooper, Timothy

2013-04-01

Poly Implant Prothèse implants were recalled in Australia in April of 2010 following concerns of higher than expected rupture rates and the use of unauthorized industrial grade silicone as a filler material. Although subsequent investigations found that the gel filler material does not pose a threat to human health, the important question of what caused a relatively modern breast implant to have such a poor outcome compared with contemporary silicone breast implants is yet to be addressed. From a cohort of 27 patients, 19 ruptured Poly Implant Prothèse breast implants were subjected to a range of mechanical tests and microscopic/macroscopic investigations to evaluate possible changes in properties as a result of implantation. New Poly Implant Prothèse implants were used as controls. All samples, explanted and controls, complied with the requirements for shell integrity as specified in the International Organization for Standardization 14607. Compression testing revealed rupture rates similar to those reported in the literature. Shell thickness was highly variable, with most shells having regions below the minimum thickness of 0.57 mm that was specified by the manufacturer. Potential regions of stress concentration were observed on the smooth inner surfaces and outer textured surfaces. The high incidence of Poly Implant Prothèse shell rupture is most likely a result of inadequate quality control, with contributory factors being shell thickness variation and manufacturing defects on both inner and outer surfaces of the shell. No evidence of shell degradation with implantation time was determined.

Preliminary Study on Earthquake Surface Rupture Extraction from Uav Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, X.; Wang, X.; Ding, X.; Wu, X.; Dou, A.; Wang, S.

2018-04-01

Because of the advantages of low-cost, lightweight and photography under the cloud, UAVs have been widely used in the field of seismic geomorphology research in recent years. Earthquake surface rupture is a typical seismic tectonic geomorphology that reflects the dynamic and kinematic characteristics of crustal movement. The quick identification of earthquake surface rupture is of great significance for understanding the mechanism of earthquake occurrence, disasters distribution and scale. Using integrated differential UAV platform, series images were acquired with accuracy POS around the former urban area (Qushan town) of Beichuan County as the area stricken seriously by the 2008 Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake. Based on the multi-view 3D reconstruction technique, the high resolution DSM and DOM are obtained from differential UAV images. Through the shade-relief map and aspect map derived from DSM, the earthquake surface rupture is extracted and analyzed. The results show that the surface rupture can still be identified by using the UAV images although the time of earthquake elapse is longer, whose middle segment is characterized by vertical movement caused by compression deformation from fault planes.

Constant Stress Drop Fits Earthquake Surface Slip-Length Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, B. E.

2011-12-01

Slip at the surface of the Earth provides a direct window into the earthquake source. A longstanding controversy surrounds the scaling of average surface slip with rupture length, which shows the puzzling feature of continuing to increase with rupture length for lengths many times the seismogenic width. Here we show that a more careful treatment of how ruptures transition from small circular ruptures to large rectangular ruptures combined with an assumption of constant stress drop provides a new scaling law for slip versus length which (1) does an excellent job fitting the data, (2) gives an explanation for the large crossover lengthscale at which slip begins to saturate, and (3) supports constant stress drop scaling which matches that seen for small earthquakes. We additionally discuss how the new scaling can be usefully applied to seismic hazard estimates.

The Influence of TiO2 Addition on the Modulus of Rupture of Alumina-Magnesia Refractory Castables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Wenjie; Deng, Chengji; Zhu, Hongxi

2015-08-01

The addition of TiO2 to alumina-magnesia refractory castables could accelerate the in situ spinel and calcium hexa-aluminate (CA6) formation and change the phase evolution, which will have direct effect on the overall modulus of rupture values. The cold (CMOR) and hot (HMOR) modulus of rupture, thermal expansion, and elastic modulus of alumina-magnesia refractory castables with different amounts of TiO2 were measured. The correlation of CMOR, theoretical strength, fracture toughness, and the fractal dimension of the fracture surface for these compositions were investigated. HMOR data were described using the model based on Varshni approach and Adam-Gibbs theory. The influence of TiO2 addition on the modulus of rupture of alumina-magnesia refractory castables was related to microcracks derived from expansive phase formation and pore filling or viscous bridging due to the presence of liquid phase at high temperature. The contribution of the above factors to the modulus of rupture for castables varied with the temperature.

Surface and Subsurface Fault Displacements from the September 2010 Darfield (Canterbury) Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyers, B.; Furlong, K. P.; Hayes, G. P.; Herman, M. W.; Quigley, M.

2012-12-01

On September 3, 2010 a Magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck near Darfield, New Zealand. This was to be the first earthquake in an ongoing, damaging sequence near the city of Christchurch. The earthquake produced a surface rupture with measurable offsets of up to 5.3m along a 30km surface fault system. The spatial pattern of slip during this rupture has been determined by various groups using a range of approaches and several independent data sets. Surface fault rupture was measured in the field and fault slip at depth has been inferred from a seismologic finite fault model (FFM) and various geodetic observations including GPS and InSAR. Here we compare the observed segmented surface displacements with fault slip inferred from the other data. Measurements of the surface rupture show segmented faulting consistent with subsurface slip in the FFM. In the FFM, the main slip patch near the hypocenter can be directly correlated to the region of maximum surface displacement. The FFM and some evidence in the InSAR data also indicate that the Greendale fault system, the structure responsible for the bulk of the rupture, continues at depth closer towards Christchurch than is seen in surface rupture patterns. There is an additional 20km long patch with up to 3m of modeled slip seen in the eastern end of the inverted fault, offset to the south from the Greendale fault trace. This additional fault segment is consistent with a zone of aftershock activity of the main Darfield event, and with local patterns of strong motion. It thus appears that slip recorded at the surface does not describe the entire fault system. This eastward extension of the September rupture means that there is only a short segment of unruptured crust remaining along the entire fault system involved in the Canterbury earthquake sequence.

Three-Dimensional Dynamic Rupture in Brittle Solids and the Volumetric Strain Criterion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uenishi, K.; Yamachi, H.

2017-12-01

As pointed out by Uenishi (2016 AGU Fall Meeting), source dynamics of ordinary earthquakes is often studied in the framework of 3D rupture in brittle solids but our knowledge of mechanics of actual 3D rupture is limited. Typically, criteria derived from 1D frictional observations of sliding materials or post-failure behavior of solids are applied in seismic simulations, and although mode-I cracks are frequently encountered in earthquake-induced ground failures, rupture in tension is in most cases ignored. Even when it is included in analyses, the classical maximum principal tensile stress rupture criterion is repeatedly used. Our recent basic experiments of dynamic rupture of spherical or cylindrical monolithic brittle solids by applying high-voltage electric discharge impulses or impact loads have indicated generation of surprisingly simple and often flat rupture surfaces in 3D specimens even without the initial existence of planes of weakness. However, at the same time, the snapshots taken by a high-speed digital video camera have shown rather complicated histories of rupture development in these 3D solid materials, which seem to be difficult to be explained by, for example, the maximum principal stress criterion. Instead, a (tensile) volumetric strain criterion where the volumetric strain (dilatation or the first invariant of the strain tensor) is a decisive parameter for rupture seems more effective in computationally reproducing the multi-directionally propagating waves and rupture. In this study, we try to show the connection between this volumetric strain criterion and other classical rupture criteria or physical parameters employed in continuum mechanics, and indicate that the criterion has, to some degree, physical meanings. First, we mathematically illustrate that the criterion is equivalent to a criterion based on the mean normal stress, a crucial parameter in plasticity. Then, we mention the relation between the volumetric strain criterion and the failure envelope of the Mohr-Coulomb criterion that describes shear-related rupture. The critical value of the volumetric strain for rupture may be controlled by the apparent cohesion and apparent angle of internal friction of the Mohr-Coulomb criterion.

Field and LiDAR observations of the Hector Mine California 1999 surface rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sousa, F.; Akciz, S. O.; Harvey, J. C.; Hudnut, K. W.; Lynch, D. K.; Scharer, K. M.; Stock, J. M.; Witkosky, R.; Kendrick, K. J.; Wespestad, C.

2014-12-01

We report new field- and computer-based investigations of the surface rupture of the October 16, 1999 Hector Mine Earthquake. Since May 2012, in cooperation with the United States Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) at Twentynine Palms, CA, our team has been allowed ground and aerial access to the entire surface rupture. We have focused our new field-based research and imagery analysis along the ~10 kilometer-long maximum slip zone (MSZ) which roughly corresponds to the zone of >4 meter dextral horizontal offset. New data include: 1) a 1 km wide aerial LiDAR survey along the entire surface rupture (@ 10 shots/m2, May 2012, www.opentopography.org); 2) terrestrial LiDAR surveys at 5 sites within the MSZ (@ >1000 shots/m2, April 2014); 3) low altitude aerial photography and ground based photography of the entire MSZ; 4) a ground-truthed database of 87 out of the 94 imagery-based offset measurements made within the MSZ; and 5) a database of 50 new field-based offset measurements made within the MSZ by our team on the ground, 31 of which have also been made on the computer (Ladicaoz) with both the 2000 LiDAR data (@ 0.5 m DEM resolution; Chen et al, in review) and 2012 LiDAR data (@ 35 cm DEM resolution; our team). New results to date include 1) significant variability (> 2 m) in horizontal offsets measured along short distances of the surface rupture (~100 m) within segments of the surface rupture that are localized to a single fault strand; 2) strong dependence of decadal scale fault scarp preservation on local lithology (bedrock vs. alluvial fan vs. fine sediment) and geomorphology (uphill vs. downhill facing scarp); 3) newly observed offset features which were never measured during the post-event field response; 4) newly observed offset features too small to be resolved in airborne LiDAR data (< 1 m); 5) nearly 25% of LiDAR imagery-based measurements that were later ground-truthed were judged by our team to warrant removal from the database due to incorrect feature reconstruction; and 6) significant variability in both accuracy of LiDAR offset measurements (relative to field-based measurements) and reported uncertainty between workers, mostly based on differing interpretations of geomorphic complexity.

A synthetic GMPE based on deterministic simulated ground motion data obtained from dynamic rupture models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalguer, L. A.; Baumann, C.; Cauzzi, C.

2013-12-01

Empirical ground motion prediction in the very near-field and for large magnitudes is often based on extrapolation of ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) outside the range where they are well constrained by recorded data. With empirical GMPEs it is also difficult to capture source-dominated ground motion patterns, such as the effects of velocity pulses induced by subshear and supershear rupture directivity, buried and surface-rupturing, hanging-wall and foot-wall, weak shallow layers, complex geometry faults and stress drop. A way to cope at least in part with these shortcomings is to augment the calibration datasets with synthetic ground motions. To this aim, physics-based dynamic rupture models - where the physical bases involved in the fault rupture are explicitly considered - appear to be a suitable approach to produce synthetic ground motions. In this contribution, we first perform an assessment of a database of synthetic ground motions generated by a suite of dynamic rupture simulations to verify compatibility of the peak ground amplitudes with current GMPEs. The synthetic data-set is composed by 360 earthquake scenarios with moment magnitudes in the range of 5.5-7, for three mechanisms of faulting (reverse, normal and strike-slip) and for both buried faults and surface rupturing faults. Second, we parameterise the synthetic dataset through a GMPE. For this purpose, we identify the basic functional forms by analyzing the variation of the synthetic peak ground motions and spectral ordinates as a function of different explanatory variables related to the earthquake source characteristics, in order to account for some of the source effects listed above. We argue that this study provides basic guidelines for the developments of future GMPEs including data from physics-based numerical simulations.

Surface faulting along the inland Itozawa normal fault (eastern Japan) and relation to the 2011 Tohoku-oki megathrust earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferry, Matthieu; Tsutsumi, Hiroyuki; Meghraoui, Mustapha; Toda, Shinji

2013-04-01

The 11 March 2011 Mw 9 Tohoku-oki earthquake ruptured ~500 km length of the Japan Trench along the coast of eastern Japan and significantly impacted the stress regime within the crust. The resulting change in seismicity over the Japan mainland was exhibited by the 11 April 2011 Mw 6.6 Iwaki earthquake that ruptured the Itozawa and Yunodake faults. Trending NNW and NW, respectively, these 70-80° W-dipping faults bound the Iwaki basin of Neogene age and have been reactivated simultaneously both along 15-km-long sections. Here, we present initial results from a paleoseismic excavation performed across the Itozawa fault within the Tsunagi Valley at the northern third of the observed surface rupture. At the Tsunagi site, the rupture affects a rice paddy, which provides an ideally horizontal initial state to collect detailed and accurate measurements. The surface break is composed of a continuous 30-to-40-cm-wide purely extensional crack that separates the uplifted block from a gently dipping 1-to-2-m-wide strip affected by right-stepping en-echelon cracks and locally bounded by a ~0.1-m-high reverse scarplet. Total station across-fault topographic profiles indicate the pre-earthquake ground surface was vertically deformed by ~0.6 m while direct field examinations reveal that well-defined rice paddy limits have been left-laterally offset by ~0.1 m. The 12-m-long, 3.5-m-deep trench exposes the 30-to-40-cm-thick cultivated soil overlaying a 1-m-thick red to yellow silt unit, a 2-m-thick alluvial gravel unit and a basal 0.1-1-m-thick organic-rich silt unit. Deformation associated to the 2011 rupture illustrates down-dip movement along a near-vertical fault with a well-expressed bending moment at the surface and generalized warping. On the north wall, the intermediate gravel unit displays a deformation pattern similar to granular flow with only minor discrete faulting and no splay to be continuously followed from the main fault to the surface. On the south wall, warping dominates as well but with some strain localization along two major splays that exhibit 15-20 cm of vertical offset. On both walls, the basal silt unit is vertically deformed by ~0.6 m, similarly to what is observed for the 2011 rupture. Furthermore, the base of said silt unit exhibits indication for secondary faulting prior to the 2011 event and that resemble cracks observed at the present-day surface. This suggests that the Itozawa fault has already ruptured in a similar fashion in the late Pleistocene). Hence, recent activity of the Itozawa fault may be controlled entirely by large to giant earthquakes along the Japan Trench.

Explosive-driven, high speed, arcless switch

DOEpatents

Skogmo, P.J.; Tucker, T.J.

1986-05-02

An explosive-actuated, fast-acting arcless switch contains a highly conductive foil to carry high currents positioned adjacent a dielectric surface within a casing. At one side of the foil opposite the dielectric surface is an explosive which, when detonated, drives the conductive foil against the dielectric surface. A pattern of grooves in the dielectric surface ruptures the foil to establish a rupture path having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the grooves. The impedance of the ruptured foil is greater than that of the original foil to divert high current to a load. Planar and cylindrical embodiments of the switch are disclosed.

Explosive-driven, high speed, arcless switch

DOEpatents

Skogmo, Phillip J.; Tucker, Tillman J.

1987-01-01

An explosive-actuated, fast-acting arcless switch contains a highly conductive foil to carry high currents positioned adjacent a dielectric surface within a casing. At one side of the foil opposite the dielectric surface is an explosive which, when detonated, drives the conductive foil against the dielectric surface. A pattern of grooves in the dielectric surface ruptures the foil to establish a rupture path having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the grooves. The impedance of the ruptured foil is greater than that of the original foil to divert high current to a load. Planar and cylindrical embodiments of the switch are disclosed.

Strain release along ocean transform faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, L. M.

A global study of the nature of seismic rupture along oceanic transform faults (TFs) is presented, and many aspects of fault behavior and Mid-Ocean Ridge processes are discussed. A classification of TF earthquakes is developed based on their relative excitation of short period body waves to long period surface waves. Since the ways in which transform faults release their accumulated strain varies, for more than 50 earthquakes occurring on 30 TFs since 1963 form the database for a comparison of rupture processes. The variation of TF rupture processes is not related to spreading rate or TF offset. A study of seismicity of the Eltanin Fracture Zone system shows that unlike many TFs, the Eltanin FZ realizes more than 90% of its slip aseismically. This identifies a major portion of plate boundary whose motion persists undetected by seismic instruments. The global variations in rupture patterns are discussed in terms of current models of fault behavior. The versatility of the asperity model accommodates the entire range of observed patterns. Variations in physical properties within TF contact zones (asperities) are documented in the petrology and geochemistry of rocks from ophiolite sections and TFs.

The Surface Displacement Field of the November 8, 1997, Mw7.6 Manyi (Tibet) Earthquake Observed with ERS InSAR Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peltzer, G.; Crampe, F.

1998-01-01

ERS2 radar data acquired before and after the Mw7.6, Manyi (Tibet) earthquake of November 8, 1997, provide geodetic information about the surface displacement produced by the earthquake in two ways. (1) The sub-pixel geometric adjustment of the before and after images provides a two dimensional offset field with a resolution of approx, 1m in both the range (radar line of sight) and azimuth (satellite track) directions. Comparison of offsets in azimuth and range indicates that the displacement along the fault is essentially strike-slip and in a left-lateral sense. The offset map reveals a relatively smooth and straight, N78E surface rupture that exceeds 150 km in length, consistent with the EW plane of the Harvard CMT solution. The rupture follows the trace of a quaternary fault visible on satellite imagery (Tapponnier and Molnar, 1978; Wan Der Woerd, pers. comm.). (2) Interferometric processing of the SAR data provides a range displacement map with a precision of a few millimeters. The slip distribution along the rupture reconstructed from the range change map is a bell-shaped curve in the 100-km long central section of the fault with smaller, local maxima near both ends. The curve shows that the fault slip exceeds 2.2 m in range, or 6.2 in strike-slip, along a 30-km long section of the fault and remains above 1 m in range, approx. 3 m strike-slip, along most of its length. Preliminary forward modeling of the central section of the rupture, assuming a uniform slip distribution with depth, indicates that the slip occur-red essentially between 0 and the depth of 10 km, consistent with a relatively shallow event (Velasco et al., 1998).

The May 20 (MW 6.1) and 29 (MW 6.0), 2012, Emilia (Po Plain, northern Italy) earthquakes: New seismotectonic implications from subsurface geology and high-quality hypocenter location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carannante, Simona; Argnani, Andrea; Massa, Marco; D'Alema, Ezio; Lovati, Sara; Moretti, Milena; Cattaneo, Marco; Augliera, Paolo

2015-08-01

This study presents new geological and seismological data that are used to assess the seismic hazard of a sector of the Po Plain (northern Italy), a large alluvial basin hit by two strong earthquakes on May 20 (MW 6.1) and May 29 (MW 6.0), 2012. The proposed interpretation is based on high-quality relocation of 5369 earthquakes ('Emilia sequence') and a dense grid of seismic profiles and exploration wells. The analyzed seismicity was recorded by 44 seismic stations, and initially used to calibrate new one-dimensional and three-dimensional local Vp and Vs velocity models for the area. Considering these new models, the initial sparse hypocenters were then relocated in absolute mode and adjusted using the double-difference relative location algorithm. These data define a seismicity that is elongated in the W-NW to E-SE directions. The aftershocks of the May 20 mainshock appear to be distributed on a rupture surface that dips ~ 45° SSW, and the surface projection indicates an area ~ 10 km wide and 23 km long. The aftershocks of the May 29 mainshock followed a steep rupture surface that is well constrained within the investigated volume, whereby the surface projection of the blind source indicates an area ~ 6 km wide and 33 km long. Multichannel seismic profiles highlight the presence of relevant lateral variations in the structural style of the Ferrara folds that developed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. There is also evidence of a Mesozoic extensional fault system in the Ferrara arc, with faults that in places have been seismically reactivated. These geological and seismological observations suggest that the 2012 Emilia earthquakes were related to ruptures along blind fault surfaces that are not part of the Pliocene-Pleistocene structural system, but are instead related to a deeper system that is itself closely related to re-activation of a Mesozoic extensional fault system.

Three-dimensional curved grid finite-difference modelling for non-planar rupture dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhenguo; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Xiaofei

2014-11-01

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.

Rupture processes of the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake inferred from InSAR, strong motion and teleseismic datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, S.; Koketsu, K.; Aoki, Y.

2014-12-01

The September 4, 2010, Canterbury earthquake with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.1 is a crustal earthquake in the South Island, New Zealand. The February 22, 2011, Christchurch earthquake (Mw=6.3) is the biggest aftershock of the 2010 Canterbury earthquake that is located at about 50 km to the east of the mainshock. Both earthquakes occurred on previously unrecognized faults. Field observations indicate that the rupture of the 2010 Canterbury earthquake reached the surface; the surface rupture with a length of about 30 km is located about 4 km south of the epicenter. Also various data including the aftershock distribution and strong motion seismograms suggest a very complex rupture process. For these reasons it is useful to investigate the complex rupture process using multiple data with various sensitivities to the rupture process. While previously published source models are based on one or two datasets, here we infer the rupture process with three datasets, InSAR, strong-motion, and teleseismic data. We first performed point source inversions to derive the focal mechanism of the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. Based on the focal mechanism, the aftershock distribution, the surface fault traces and the SAR interferograms, we assigned several source faults. We then performed the joint inversion to determine the rupture process of the 2010 Canterbury earthquake most suitable for reproducing all the datasets. The obtained slip distribution is in good agreement with the surface fault traces. We also performed similar inversions to reveal the rupture process of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Our result indicates steep dip and large up-dip slip. This reveals the observed large vertical ground motion around the source region is due to the rupture process, rather than the local subsurface structure. To investigate the effects of the 3-D velocity structure on characteristic strong motion seismograms of the two earthquakes, we plan to perform the inversion taking 3-D velocity structure of this region into account.

Rupture Dynamics and Ground Motion from Earthquakes on Rough Faults in Heterogeneous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bydlon, S. A.; Kozdon, J. E.; Duru, K.; Dunham, E. M.

2013-12-01

Heterogeneities in the material properties of Earth's crust scatter propagating seismic waves. The effects of scattered waves are reflected in the seismic coda and depend on the amplitude of the heterogeneities, spatial arrangement, and distance from source to receiver. In the vicinity of the fault, scattered waves influence the rupture process by introducing fluctuations in the stresses driving propagating ruptures. Further variability in the rupture process is introduced by naturally occurring geometric complexity of fault surfaces, and the stress changes that accompany slip on rough surfaces. Our goal is to better understand the origin of complexity in the earthquake source process, and to quantify the relative importance of source complexity and scattering along the propagation path in causing incoherence of high frequency ground motion. Using a 2D high order finite difference rupture dynamics code, we nucleate ruptures on either flat or rough faults that obey strongly rate-weakening friction laws. These faults are embedded in domains with spatially varying material properties characterized by Von Karman autocorrelation functions and their associated power spectral density functions, with variations in wave speed of approximately 5 to 10%. Flat fault simulations demonstrate that off-fault material heterogeneity, at least with this particular form and amplitude, has only a minor influence on the rupture process (i.e., fluctuations in slip and rupture velocity). In contrast, ruptures histories on rough faults in both homogeneous and heterogeneous media include much larger short-wavelength fluctuations in slip and rupture velocity. We therefore conclude that source complexity is dominantly influenced by fault geometric complexity. To examine contributions of scattering versus fault geometry on ground motions, we compute spatially averaged root-mean-square (RMS) acceleration values as a function of fault perpendicular distance for a homogeneous medium and several heterogeneous media characterized by different statistical properties. We find that at distances less than ~6 km from the fault, RMS acceleration values from simulations with homogeneous and heterogeneous media are similar, but at greater distances the RMS values associated with heterogeneous media are larger than those associated with homogeneous media. The magnitude of this divergence increases with the amplitude of the heterogeneities. For instance, for a heterogeneous medium with a 10% standard deviation in material property values relative to mean values, RMS accelerations are ~50% larger than for a homogeneous medium at distances greater than 6 km. This finding is attributed to the scattering of coherent pulses into multiple pulses of decreased amplitude that subsequently arrive at later times. In order to understand the robustness of these results, an extension of our dynamic rupture and wave propagation code to 3D is underway.

On Critical States, Rupture States and Interlocking Strength of Granular Materials.

PubMed

Szalwinski, Chris M

2017-07-27

The Mohr-Coulomb theory of strength identifies cohesion and internal friction as the two principal contributions to the shear strength of a granular material. The contribution of cohesion in over-compacted granular materials has been challenged and replacing cohesion with interlocking has been proposed. A theory of rupture strength that includes interlocking is derived herein. The physics-chemistry concept of critical state is elaborated to accommodate granular materials, based on empirical definitions established in the fields of soil mechanics and bulk solids' flow. A surface in state space, called the critical compaction surface, separates over-compacted states from lightly compacted states. The intersection of this surface with the Mohr-Coulomb envelope forms the critical state surface for a granular material. The rupture strength of an over-compacted granular material is expressed as the sum of cohesion, internal friction and interlocking strength. Interlocking strength is the shear strength contribution due to over-compaction and vanishes at critical state. The theory allows migrations from one critical state to another. Changes in specific volume during such migrations are related to changes in mean-normal effective stress and uncoupled from changes in shearing strain. The theory is reviewed with respect to two established research programs and underlying assumptions are identified.

Crystal plastic earthquakes in dolostones: from slow to fast ruptures.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passelegue, F. X.; Aubry, J.; Nicolas, A.; Fondriest, M.; Schubnel, A.; Di Toro, G.

2017-12-01

Dolostone is the most dominant lithology of the seismogenic upper crust around the Mediterranean Sea. Understanding the internal mechanisms controlling fault friction is crucial for understanding seismicity along active faults. Displacement in such fault zones is frequently highlighted by highly reflective (mirror-like) slip surfaces, created by thin films of nanogranular fault rock. Using saw-cut dolostone samples coming from natural fault zones, we conducted stick-slip experiments under triaxial loading conditions at 30, 60 and 90 MPa confining pressure and temperature ranging from 30 to 100 degrees C. At 30 and 65 degrees C, only slow rupture was observed and the experimental fault exhibits frictional behaviour, i.e. a dependence of normal stress on peak shear stress. At 65 degrees C, a strengthening behaviour is observed after the main rupture, leading to a succession of slow rupture. At 100 degrees C, the macroscopic behaviour of the fault becomes ductile, and no dependence of pressure on the peak shear stress is observed. In addition, the increase of the confining pressure up to 60 and 90 MPa allow the transition from slow to fast rupture, highlighted by the records of acoustic activity and by dynamic stress drop occurring in a few tens of microseconds. Using strain gages located along the fault surface and acoustic transducers, we were able to measure the rupture velocities during slow and fast rupture. Slow ruptures propagated around 0.1 m/s, in agreement with natural observations. Fast ruptures propagated up to supershear velocities, i.e. faster than the shear wave speed (>3500 m/s). A complete study of the microstructures was realized before and after ruptures. Slow ruptures lead to the production of mirror-like surface driven by the production of nanograins due to dislocation processes. Fast ruptures induce the production of amorphous material along the fault surface, which may come from decarbonation and melting processes. We demonstrate that the transition from slow to fast instabilities is observed due to an increase of the fault stiffness with increasing both temperature and confining pressure. This increase in the stiffness leads to an increase of the slip velocity during the main instability, which allow flash weakening processes and fast propagation of the seismic rupture.

Surface Rupture and Slip Distribution Resulting from the 2013 M7.7 Balochistan, Pakistan Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reitman, N. G.; Gold, R. D.; Briggs, R. W.; Barnhart, W. D.; Hayes, G. P.

2014-12-01

The 24 September 2013 M7.7 earthquake in Balochistan, Pakistan, produced a ~200 km long left-lateral strike-slip surface rupture along a portion of the Hoshab fault, a moderately dipping (45-75º) structure in the Makran accretionary prism. The rupture is remarkably continuous and crosses only two (0.7 and 1.5 km wide) step-overs along its arcuate path through southern Pakistan. Displacements are dominantly strike-slip, with a minor component of reverse motion. We remotely mapped the surface rupture at 1:5,000 scale and measured displacements using high resolution (0.5 m) pre- and post-event satellite imagery. We mapped 295 laterally faulted stream channels, terrace margins, and roads to quantify near-field displacement proximal (±10 m) to the rupture trace. The maximum near-field left-lateral offset is 15±2 m (average of ~7 m). Additionally, we used pre-event imagery to digitize 254 unique landforms in the "medium-field" (~100-200 m from the rupture) and then measured their displacements compared to the post-event imagery. At this scale, maximum left-lateral offset approaches 17 m (average of ~8.5 m). The width (extent of observed surface faulting) of the rupture zone varies from ~1 m to 3.7 km. Near- and medium-field offsets show similar slip distributions that are inversely correlated with the width of the fault zone at the surface (larger offsets correspond to narrow fault zones). The medium-field offset is usually greater than the near-field offset. The along-strike surface slip distribution is highly variable, similar to the slip distributions documented for the 2002 Denali M7.9 earthquake and 2001 Kunlun M7.8 earthquake, although the Pakistan offsets are larger in magnitude. The 2013 Pakistan earthquake ranks among the largest documented continental strike-slip displacements, possibly second only to the 18+ m surface displacements attributed to the 1855 Wairarapa M~8.1 earthquake.

The Rurrand Fault, Germany: A Holocene surface rupture and new slip rate estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grützner, Christoph; Fischer, Peter; Reicherter, Klaus

2016-04-01

Very low deformation rates in continental interiors are a challenge for research on active tectonics and seismic hazard. Faults tend to have very long earthquake recurrence intervals and morphological evidence of surface faulting is often obliterated by erosion and sedimentation. The Lower Rhine Graben in Central Europe is characterized by slow active faults with individual slip rates of well less than 0.1 mm/a. As a consequence, most geodetic techniques fail to record tectonic motions and the morphological expression of the faults is subtle. Although damaging events are known from this region, e.g. the 1755/56 Düren earthquakes series, there is no account for surface rupturing events in instrumental and historical records. Owing to the short temporal coverage with respect to the fault recurrence intervals, these records probably fail to depict the maximum possible magnitudes. In this study we used morphological evidence from a 1 m airborne LiDAR survey, near surface geophysics, and paleoseismological trenching to identify surface rupturing earthquakes at the Rurrand Fault between Cologne and Aachen in W Germany. LiDAR data allowed identifying a young fault strand parallel to the already known main fault with the subtle morphological expression of recent surface faulting. In the paleoseismological trenches we found evidence for two surface rupturing earthquakes. The most recent event occurred in the Holocene, and a previous earthquake probably happened in the last 150 ka. Geophysical data allowed us to estimate a minimum slip rate of 0.03 mm/a from an offset gravel horizon. We estimate paleomagnitudes of MW5.9-6.8 based on the observed offsets in the trench (<0.5 m per event) and fault scaling relationships. Our data imply that the Rurrand Fault did not creep during the last 150 ka, but rather failed in large earthquakes. These events were much stronger than those known from historical sources. We are able to show that the Rurrand Fault did not rupture the surface during the Düren 1755/56 seismic crisis and conclude that these events likely occurred on another nearby fault system or did not rupture the surface at all. The very long recurrence interval of 25-65 ka for surface rupturing events illustrates the problems of assessing earthquake hazard in such slowly deforming regions. We emphasize that geological data must be included in seismic hazard and surface rupture hazard assessments in order to obtain a complete picture of a region's seismic potential.

Explosive-driven, high speed, arcless switch

DOEpatents

Skogmo, P.J.; Tucker, T.J.

1987-07-14

An explosive-actuated, fast-acting arcless switch contains a highly conductive foil to carry high currents positioned adjacent a dielectric surface within a casing. At one side of the foil opposite the dielectric surface is an explosive which, when detonated, drives the conductive foil against the dielectric surface. A pattern of grooves in the dielectric surface ruptures the foil to establish a rupture path having a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the grooves. The impedance of the ruptured foil is greater than that of the original foil to divert high current to a load. Planar and cylindrical embodiments of the switch are disclosed. 7 figs.

Rupture history of 2008 May 12 Mw 8.0 Wen-Chuan earthquake: Evidence of slip interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, C.; Shao, G.; Lu, Z.; Hudnut, K.; Jiu, J.; Hayes, G.; Zeng, Y.

2008-12-01

We will present the rupture process of the May 12, 2008 Mw 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake using all available data. The current model, using both teleseismic body and surface waves and interferometric LOS displacements, reveals an unprecedented complex rupture process which can not be resolved using either of the datasets individually. Rupture of this earthquake involved both the low angle Pengguan fault and the high angle Beichuan fault, which intersect each other at depth and are separated approximately 5-15 km at the surface. Rupture initiated on the Pengguan fault and triggered rupture on the Beichuan fault 10 sec later. The two faults dynamically interacted and unilaterally ruptured over 270 km with an average rupture velocity of 3.0 km/sec. The total seismic moment is 1.1x1021 Nm (Mw 8.0), roughly equally partitioned between the two faults. However, the spatiotemporal evaluations of the two faults are very different. This study will focus on the evidence for fault interactions and will analyze the corresponding uncertainties, in preparation for future dynamic studies of the same detailed nature.

Timing of late Holocene surface rupture of the Wairau Fault, Marlborough, New Zealand

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zachariasen, J.; Berryman, K.; Langridge, Rob; Prentice, C.; Rymer, M.; Stirling, M.; Villamor, P.

2006-01-01

Three trenches excavated across the central portion of the right-lateral strike-slip Wairau Fault in South Island, New Zealand, exposed a complex set of fault strands that have displaced a sequence of late Holocene alluvial and colluvial deposits. Abundant charcoal fragments provide age control for various stratigraphic horizons dating back to c. 5610 yr ago. Faulting relations from the Wadsworth trench show that the most recent surface rupture event occurred at least 1290 yr and at most 2740 yr ago. Drowned trees in landslide-dammed Lake Chalice, in combination with charcoal from the base of an unfaulted colluvial wedge at Wadsworth trench, suggest a narrower time bracket for this event of 1811-2301 cal. yr BP. The penultimate faulting event occurred between c. 2370 and 3380 yr, and possibly near 2680 ?? 60 cal. yr BP, when data from both the Wadsworth and Dillon trenches are combined. Two older events have been recognised from Dillon trench but remain poorly dated. A probable elapsed time of at least 1811 yr since the last surface rupture, and an average slip rate estimate for the Wairau Fault of 3-5 mm/yr, suggests that at least 5.4 m and up to 11.5 m of elastic shear strain has accumulated since the last rupture. This is near to or greater than the single-event displacement estimates of 5-7 m. The average recurrence interval for surface rupture of the fault determined from the trench data is 1150-1400 yr. Although the uncertainties in the timing of faulting events and variability in inter-event times remain high, the time elapsed since the last event is in the order of 1-2 times the average recurrence interval, implying that the Wairau Fault is near the end of its interseismic period. ?? The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006.

Crystal plastic earthquakes in dolostones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passelegue, Francois; Aubry, Jerome; Nicolas, Aurelien; Fondriest, Michele; Schubnel, Alexandre; Di Toro, Giulio

2017-04-01

Dolostone is the most dominant lithology of the seismogenic upper crust around the Mediterranean Sea. Understanding the internal mechanisms controlling fault friction is crucial for understanding seismicity along active faults. Displacement in such fault zones is frequently highlighted by highly reflective (mirror-like) slip surfaces, created by thin films of nanogranular fault rock. Using saw-cut dolostone samples coming from natural fault zones, we conducted friction experiments under triaxial loading conditions. To reproduce the natural conditions, experiments were conducted at 30, 60 and 90 MPa confining pressure at respectively 30, 65 and 100 degrees C. At 30 and 65 degrees C, only slow rupture was observed and the experimental fault exhibits frictional behaviour, i.e. a dependence of normal stress on peak shear stress. At 65 degrees C, a strengthening behaviour is observed after the main rupture, leading to a succession of slow rupture. At 100 degrees C, the macroscopic behaviour of the fault becomes ductile, and no dependence of pressure on the peak shear stress is observed. In addition, the increase of the confining pressure up to 60 and 90 MPa allow the transition from slow to fast rupture, highlighted by the records of acoustic activity and by dynamic stress drop occurring in a few tens of microseconds. Using strain gages located along the fault surface and acoustic transducers, we were able to measure the rupture velocities during slow and fast rupture. Slow ruptures propagated around 0.1 m/s, in agreement with natural observations. Fast ruptures propagated up the supershear velocities, i.e. faster than the shear wave speed (>3500 m/s). A complete study of the microstructures was realized before and after ruptures. Slow ruptures lead to the production of mirror-like surface driven by the production of nanograins due to dislocation processes. Fast ruptures induce the production of amorphous material along the fault surface, which may come from melting processes. We demonstrate that the transition from slow to dynamic instabilities is observed when the entire fault exhibits plastic processes, which increase the stiffness of the fault.

Analysis and selection of magnitude relations for the Working Group on Utah Earthquake Probabilities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duross, Christopher; Olig, Susan; Schwartz, David

2015-01-01

Prior to calculating time-independent and -dependent earthquake probabilities for faults in the Wasatch Front region, the Working Group on Utah Earthquake Probabilities (WGUEP) updated a seismic-source model for the region (Wong and others, 2014) and evaluated 19 historical regressions on earthquake magnitude (M). These regressions relate M to fault parameters for historical surface-faulting earthquakes, including linear fault length (e.g., surface-rupture length [SRL] or segment length), average displacement, maximum displacement, rupture area, seismic moment (Mo ), and slip rate. These regressions show that significant epistemic uncertainties complicate the determination of characteristic magnitude for fault sources in the Basin and Range Province (BRP). For example, we found that M estimates (as a function of SRL) span about 0.3–0.4 units (figure 1) owing to differences in the fault parameter used; age, quality, and size of historical earthquake databases; and fault type and region considered.

Guide to Geologic Hazards in Alaska | Alaska Division of Geological &

Science.gov Websites

content Guide to Geologic Hazards in Alaska Glossary Coastal and river hazards image Coastal and river Storm surge Tsunami Earthquake related hazards image Earthquake related hazards Earthquake Earthquake Subsidence Surface fault rupture Tsunami Uplift Glacier hazards image Glacier hazards Avalanche Debris flow

Numerical simulation of the 1976 Ms7.8 Tangshan Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhengbo; Chen, Xiaofei

2017-04-01

An Ms 7.8 earthquake happened in Tangshan in 1976, causing more than 240000 people death and almost destroying the whole city. Numerous studies indicated that the surface rupture zone extends 8 to 11 km in the south of Tangshan City. The fault system is composed with more than ten NE-trending right-lateral strike-slip left-stepping echelon faults, with a general strike direction of N30°E. However, recent scholars proposed that the surface ruptures appeared in a larger area. To simulate the rupture process closer to the real situation, the curvilinear grid finite difference method presented by Zhang et al. (2006, 2014) which can handle the free surface and the complex geometry were implemented to investigate the dynamic rupture and ground motion of Tangshan earthquake. With the data from field survey, seismic section, borehole and trenching results given by different studies, several fault geometry models were established. The intensity, the seismic waveform and the displacement resulted from the simulation of different models were compared with the observed data. The comparison of these models shows details of the rupture process of the Tangshan earthquake and implies super-shear may occur during the rupture, which is important for better understanding of this complicated rupture process and seismic hazard distributions of this earthquake.

Broadband ground-motion simulation using a hybrid approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graves, R.W.; Pitarka, A.

2010-01-01

This paper describes refinements to the hybrid broadband ground-motion simulation methodology of Graves and Pitarka (2004), which combines a deterministic approach at low frequencies (f 1 Hz). In our approach, fault rupture is represented kinematically and incorporates spatial heterogeneity in slip, rupture speed, and rise time. The prescribed slip distribution is constrained to follow an inverse wavenumber-squared fall-off and the average rupture speed is set at 80% of the local shear-wave velocity, which is then adjusted such that the rupture propagates faster in regions of high slip and slower in regions of low slip. We use a Kostrov-like slip-rate function having a rise time proportional to the square root of slip, with the average rise time across the entire fault constrained empirically. Recent observations from large surface rupturing earthquakes indicate a reduction of rupture propagation speed and lengthening of rise time in the near surface, which we model by applying a 70% reduction of the rupture speed and increasing the rise time by a factor of 2 in a zone extending from the surface to a depth of 5 km. We demonstrate the fidelity of the technique by modeling the strong-motion recordings from the Imperial Valley, Loma Prieta, Landers, and Northridge earthquakes.

Investigation of the 27 February 2010 Mw 8.8 Chilean earthquake integrating aftershock analysis, back-projection imaging and cGPS results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clévédé, E.; Satriano, C.; Bukchin, B.; Lancieri, M.; Fuenzalida, A.; Vilotte, J.; Lyon-Caen, H.; Vigny, C.; Socquet, A.; Aranda, C.; Campos, J. A.; Scientific Team of the Lia Montessus de Ballore (Cnrs-Insu, U. Chile)

2010-12-01

The Mw 8.8 earthquake in central Chile ruptured more than 400 km along the subduction bound between the Nazca and the South American plates. The aftershock distribution clearly shows that this earthquake filled a well-known seismic gap, corresponding to rupture extension of the 1835 earthquake. The triggered post-seismic activity extends farther north of the gap, partially overlapping the 1985 and the 1960 Valparaiso earthquakes. However, the analysis of continuous GPS (cGPS) recordings, and back projection imaging of teleseismic body wave energy, indicate that the rupture stopped south of Valparaiso, around -33.5 degrees of latitude. An important question is how far the rupture actually extended to the north and the potential relation between the northernmost aftershock activity and remaining asperities within the ruptured zone of the previous Valparaiso earthquakes. The extension of the rupture offshore, towards west, also deserves further investigation. The aftershock distribution and the back propagation analysis support the hypothesis that, in the northern part, the rupture may have reached the surface at the trench. In this work, we performed a CMT and depth location study for more than 10 of the immediate largest aftershocks using teleseismic surface wave analysis constrained by P-wave polarity. In parallel, a detailed analysis of aftershocks in the northern part of the rupture, between 2010-03-11 and 2010-05-13, have been performed using the data from the station of the Chilean Servicio Sismológico Nacional (SSN), and of the post-seismic network, deployed by the French CNRS-INSU, GFZ, IRIS, and Caltech. We accurately hand-picked 153 larger events, which have been located using a non-linear probabilistic code, with improved depth location. Focal mechanisms have been computed for the larger events. Those results have been integrated with the analysis of cGPS and teleseismic back projection, and the overall kinematic of the Maule earthquake is discussed as well as the extension of the rupture along strike and dip.

Low footwall accelerations and variable surface rupture behavior on the Fort Sage Mountains fault, northeast California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Briggs, Richard W.; Wesnousky, Steven G.; Brune, James N.; Purvance, Matthew D.; Mahan, Shannon

2013-01-01

The Fort Sage Mountains fault zone is a normal fault in the Walker Lane of the western Basin and Range that produced a small surface rupture (L 5.6 earthquake in 1950. We investigate the paleoseismic history of the Fort Sage fault and find evidence for two paleoearthquakes with surface displacements much larger than those observed in 1950. Rupture of the Fort Sage fault ∼5.6  ka resulted in surface displacements of at least 0.8–1.5 m, implying earthquake moment magnitudes (Mw) of 6.7–7.1. An older rupture at ∼20.5  ka displaced the ground at least 1.5 m, implying an earthquake of Mw 6.8–7.1. A field of precariously balanced rocks (PBRs) is located less than 1 km from the surface‐rupture trace of this Holocene‐active normal fault. Ground‐motion prediction equations (GMPEs) predict peak ground accelerations (PGAs) of 0.2–0.3g for the 1950 rupture and 0.3–0.5g for the ∼5.6  ka paleoearthquake one kilometer from the fault‐surface trace, yet field tests indicate that the Fort Sage PBRs will be toppled by PGAs between 0.1–0.3g. We discuss the paleoseismic history of the Fort Sage fault in the context of the nearby PBRs, GMPEs, and probabilistic seismic hazard maps for extensional regimes. If the Fort Sage PBRs are older than the mid‐Holocene rupture on the Fort Sage fault zone, this implies that current GMPEs may overestimate near‐fault footwall ground motions at this site.

"Immortal" liquid film formed by colliding bubble at oscillating solid substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawala, Jan

2016-05-01

This paper presents an experimental study of the behavior of an ascending air bubble (equivalent radius 0.74 mm) colliding with a solid substrate. The substrate is either motionless or oscillating with a precisely adjusted acceleration, slightly higher than gravity. It is shown that the stability of the liquid film formed between the striking bubble and the solid surface depends not only on the hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the solid but also on the energetic interrelations in the system. The results indicate that the rupture of the bubble and its attachment at a smooth hydrophobic solid surface are related to the viscous dissipation of energy, leading to a gradual decrease in the bubble deformation, and in consequence in the radius of the formed separating liquid film. When the film radius is small enough, the bubble ruptures and attaches to the hydrophobic solid surface. Moreover, it is shown that when the bubble deformations are forced to be constant, by applying properly adjusted oscillations of the solid substrate (energy supply conditions), bubble rupture can be prevented and a constant bubble bouncing is observed, irrespective of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the solid substrate. Under such energy supply conditions, the liquid film can be considered "immortal." The numerical calculations performed for the respective system, in which constant kinetic energy is induced, confirm that the liquid film can persist indefinitely owing to its constant radius, which is too large to reach the critical thickness for rupture during the collision time.

Inelastic off-fault response and three-dimensional dynamics of earthquake rupture on a strike-slip fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, D.J.; Ma, Shuo

2010-01-01

Large dynamic stress off the fault incurs an inelastic response and energy loss, which contributes to the fracture energy, limiting the rupture and slip velocity. Using an explicit finite element method, we model three-dimensional dynamic ruptures on a vertical strike-slip fault in a homogeneous half-space. The material is subjected to a pressure-dependent Drucker-Prager yield criterion. Initial stresses in the medium increase linearly with depth. Our simulations show that the inelastic response is confined narrowly to the fault at depth. There the inelastic strain is induced by large dynamic stresses associated with the rupture front that overcome the effect of the high confining pressure. The inelastic zone increases in size as it nears the surface. For material with low cohesion (~5 MPa) the inelastic zone broadens dramatically near the surface, forming a "flowerlike" structure. The near-surface inelastic strain occurs in both the extensional and the compressional regimes of the fault, induced by seismic waves ahead of the rupture front under a low confining pressure. When cohesion is large (~10 MPa), the inelastic strain is significantly reduced near the surface and confined mostly to depth. Cohesion, however, affects the inelastic zone at depth less significantly. The induced shear microcracks show diverse orientations near the surface, owing to the low confining pressure, but exhibit mostly horizontal slip at depth. The inferred rupture-induced anisotropy at depth has the fast wave direction along the direction of the maximum compressive stress.

Comparison of coseismic near-field and off-fault surface deformation patterns of the 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers and 1999 Mw 7.1 Hector Mine earthquakes: Implications for controls on the distribution of surface strain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milliner, C. W. D.; Dolan, J. F.; Hollingsworth, J.; Leprince, S.; Ayoub, F.

2016-10-01

Subpixel correlation of preevent and postevent air photos reveal the complete near-field, horizontal surface deformation patterns of the 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers and 1999 Mw 7.1 Hector Mine ruptures. Total surface displacement values for both earthquakes are systematically larger than "on-fault" displacements from geologic field surveys, indicating significant distributed, inelastic deformation occurred along these ruptures. Comparison of these two data sets shows that 46 ± 10% and 39 ± 22% of the total surface deformation were distributed over fault zones averaging 154 m and 121 m in width for the Landers and Hector Mine events, respectively. Spatial variations of distributed deformation along both ruptures show correlations with the type of near-surface lithology and degree of fault complexity; larger amounts of distributed shear occur where the rupture propagated through loose unconsolidated sediments and areas of more complex fault structure. These results have basic implications for geologic-geodetic rate comparisons and probabilistic seismic hazard analysis.

Rupture and Spreading Dynamics of Lipid Membranes on a Solid Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perazzo, Antonio; Shin, Sangwoo; Colosqui, Carlos; Young, Yuan-Nan; Stone, Howard A.

2017-11-01

The spreading of lipid membranes on solid surfaces is a dynamic phenomenon relevant to drug delivery, endocytosis, biofouling, and the synthesis of supported lipid bilayers. Current technological developments are limited by an incomplete understanding of the spreading and adhesion dynamics of a lipid bilayer under different physicochemical conditions. Here, we present recent experimental and theoretical results for the spreading of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), where the vesicle shell consists of a lipid bilayer. In particular, we study the effect of different background ion concentrations, osmolarity mismatches between the interior and the exterior of the vesicles, and different surface chemistries of the glass substrate. In all of the studied cases, we observe a delay time before a GUV in contact with the solid surface eventually ruptures. The rupture kinetics and subsequent spreading dynamics is controlled by the ionic screening within the thin film of liquid between the vesicle and the surface. Different rupture mechanisms, mobilities of the spreading vesicle, and degrees of substrate coverage are observed by varying the electrolyte concentration, solid surface charge, and osmolarity mismatch.

Evidence for surface rupture in 1868 on the Hayward Fault in North Oakland and major rupturing in prehistoric earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lienkaemper, James J.; Williams, Patrick L.

1999-07-01

WGCEP90 estimated the Hayward fault to have a high probability (0.45 in 30 yr) of producing a future M7 Bay Area earthquake. This was based on a generic recurrence time and an unverified segmentation model, because there were few direct observations for the southern fault and none for the northern Hayward fault. To better constrain recurrence and segmentation of the northern Hayward fault, we trenched in north Oakland. Unexpectedly, we observed evidence of surface rupture probably from the M7 1868 earthquake. This extends the limit of that surface rupture 13 km north of the segmentation boundary used in the WGCEP90 model and forces serious re-evaluation of the current two-segment paradigm. Although we found that major prehistoric ruptures have occurred here, we could not radiocarbon date them. However, the last major prehistoric event appears correlative with a recently recognized event 13 km to the north dated AD 1640-1776.

Evidence for surface rupture in 1868 on the Hayward fault in north Oakland and major rupturing in prehistoric earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lienkaemper, J.J.; Williams, P.L.

1999-01-01

WGCEP90 estimated the Hayward fault to have a high probability (0.45 in 30 yr) of producing a future M7 Bay Area earthquake. This was based on a generic recurrence time and an unverified segmentation model, because there were few direct observations for the southern fault and none for the northern Hayward fault. To better constrain recurrence and segmentation of the northern Hayward fault, we trenched in north Oakland. Unexpectedly, we observed evidence of surface rupture probably from the M7 1868 earthquake. This extends the limit of that surface rupture 13 km north of the segmentation boundary used in the WGCEP90 model and forces serious re-evaluation of the current two-segment paradigm. Although we found that major prehistoric ruptures have occurred here, we could not radiocarbon date them. However, the last major prehistoric event appears correlative with a recently recognized event 13 km to the north dated AD 1640-1776. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

Surface faulting along the inland Itozawa normal fault (eastern Japan) and relation to the 2011 Tohoku-oki megathrust earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferry, M.; Tsutsumi, H.; Meghraoui, M.; Toda, S.

2012-12-01

The 11 March 2011 Mw 9 Tohoku-oki earthquake ruptured ~500 km length of the Japan Trench along the coast of eastern Japan and significantly impacted the stress regime within the crust. The resulting change in seismicity over the Japan mainland was exhibited by the 11 April 2011 Mw 6.6 Iwaki earthquake that ruptured the Itozawa and Yunodake faults. Trending NNW and NW, respectively, these 70-80° W-dipping faults bound the Iwaki basin of Neogene age and have been reactivated simultaneously both along 15-km-long sections. Here, we present initial results from a paleoseismic excavation performed across the Itozawa fault within the Tsunagi Valley at the northern third of the observed surface rupture. At the Tsunagi site, the rupture affects a rice paddy, which provides an ideally horizontal initial state to collect detailed and accurate measurements. The surface break is composed of a continuous 30-to-40-cm-wide purely extensional crack that separates the uplifted block from a gently dipping 1-to-2-m-wide strip affected by right-stepping en-echelon cracks and locally bounded by a ~0.1-m-high reverse scarplet. Total station across-fault topographic profiles indicate the pre-earthquake ground surface was vertically deformed by ~0.6 m while direct field examinations reveal that well-defined rice paddy limits have been left-laterally offset by ~0.1 m. The 12-m-long, 3.5-m-deep trench exposes the 30-to-40-cm-thick cultivated soil overlaying a 1-m-thick red to yellow silt unit, a 2-m-thick alluvial gravel unit and a basal 0.1-1-m-thick organic-rich silt unit. Deformation associated to the 2011 rupture illustrates down-dip movement along a near-vertical fault with a well-expressed bending moment at the surface and generalized warping. On the north wall, the intermediate gravel unit displays a deformation pattern similar to granular flow with only minor discrete faulting and no splay to be continuously followed from the main fault to the surface. On the south wall, warping dominates as well but with some strain localization along two major splays that exhibit 15-20 cm of vertical offset. On both walls, the basal silt unit is vertically deformed by ~0.6 m, similarly to what is observed for the 2011 rupture. Furthermore, the base of said silt unit exhibits indication for secondary faulting prior to the 2011 event and that resemble cracks observed at the present-day surface. This suggests that the Itozawa fault has already ruptured in a similar fashion; probably in the late Pleistocene-early Holocene (radiocarbon samples are being processed). Hence, recent activity of the Itozawa fault may be controlled entirely by large to giant earthquakes along the Japan Trench.

Near-field fault slip of the 2016 Vettore Mw 6.6 earthquake (Central Italy) measured using low-cost GNSS.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Maxwell W; McCaffrey, Ken J W; Jones, Richard R; Roberts, Gerald P; Holdsworth, Robert E; Gregory, Laura C; Walters, Richard J; Wedmore, Luke; Goodall, Huw; Iezzi, Francesco

2017-07-04

The temporal evolution of slip on surface ruptures during an earthquake is important for assessing fault displacement, defining seismic hazard and for predicting ground motion. However, measurements of near-field surface displacement at high temporal resolution are elusive. We present a novel record of near-field co-seismic displacement, measured with 1-second temporal resolution during the 30 th October 2016 M w 6.6 Vettore earthquake (Central Italy), using low-cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers located in the footwall and hangingwall of the Mt. Vettore - Mt. Bove fault system, close to new surface ruptures. We observe a clear temporal and spatial link between our near-field record and InSAR, far-field GPS data, regional measurements from the Italian Strong Motion and National Seismic networks, and field measurements of surface ruptures. Comparison of these datasets illustrates that the observed surface ruptures are the propagation of slip from depth on a surface rupturing (i.e. capable) fault array, as a direct and immediate response to the 30 th October earthquake. Large near-field displacement ceased within 6-8 seconds of the origin time, implying that shaking induced gravitational processes were not the primary driving mechanism. We demonstrate that low-cost GNSS is an accurate monitoring tool when installed as custom-made, short-baseline networks.

Geologic Inheritance and Earthquake Rupture Processes: The 1905 M ≥ 8 Tsetserleg-Bulnay Strike-Slip Earthquake Sequence, Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jin-Hyuck; Klinger, Yann; Ferry, Matthieu; Ritz, Jean-François; Kurtz, Robin; Rizza, Magali; Bollinger, Laurent; Davaasambuu, Battogtokh; Tsend-Ayush, Nyambayar; Demberel, Sodnomsambuu

2018-02-01

In 1905, 14 days apart, two M 8 continental strike-slip earthquakes, the Tsetserleg and Bulnay earthquakes, occurred on the Bulnay fault system, in Mongolia. Together, they ruptured four individual faults, with a total length of 676 km. Using submetric optical satellite images "Pleiades" with ground resolution of 0.5 m, complemented by field observation, we mapped in detail the entire surface rupture associated with this earthquake sequence. Surface rupture along the main Bulnay fault is 388 km in length, striking nearly E-W. The rupture is formed by a series of fault segments that are 29 km long on average, separated by geometric discontinuities. Although there is a difference of about 2 m in the average slip between the western and eastern parts of the Bulnay rupture, along-fault slip variations are overall limited, resulting in a smooth slip distribution, except for local slip deficit at segment boundaries. We show that damage, including short branches and secondary faulting, associated with the rupture propagation, occurred significantly more often along the western part of the Bulnay rupture, while the eastern part of the rupture appears more localized and thus possibly structurally simpler. Eventually, the difference of slip between the western and eastern parts of the rupture is attributed to this difference of rupture localization, associated at first order with a lateral change in the local geology. Damage associated to rupture branching appears to be located asymmetrically along the extensional side of the strike-slip rupture and shows a strong dependence on structural geologic inheritance.

Glass rupture disk

DOEpatents

Glass, S. Jill; Nicolaysen, Scott D.; Beauchamp, Edwin K.

2002-01-01

A frangible rupture disk and mounting apparatus for use in blocking fluid flow, generally in a fluid conducting conduit such as a well casing, a well tubing string or other conduits within subterranean boreholes. The disk can also be utilized in above-surface pipes or tanks where temporary and controllable fluid blockage is required. The frangible rupture disk is made from a pre-stressed glass with controllable rupture properties wherein the strength distribution has a standard deviation less than approximately 5% from the mean strength. The frangible rupture disk has controllable operating pressures and rupture pressures.

Precursory, Nucleation and Propagation of Ruptures Along Heterogeneously Loaded, Circular Experimental Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reches, Z.; Zu, X.; Jeffers, J.

2017-12-01

We explored the evolution of dynamic rupture along a circular experimental fault composed of clear acrylic blocks. The ring-shaped fault surface has inner and outer diameters of 7.72 and 10.16 cm, respectively. An array of ten rossette strain-gauges is attached to the outer rim of one block that provide the 2D strain tensor in a plane normal to the fault. The 30 components of the gauges are monitored at 10^6 samples/second. One 3D miniature accelerometer is attached to the fault block. The initial asperities of the fault surface generated a non-uniform strain (=stress) distribution that was recorded, and indicated local deviations of ±30% from the mean stress. The mean normal stress was up to 3.5 MPa, the remotely applied velocity was up to .002 m/s, and the slip velocities during rupture were not measured. The rupture characteristics, namely propagation velocity and rupture front strain-field, were determined from strain-gauge outputs. The analysis of tens of stick-slip events revealed the following preliminary results: (1) The ruptures consistently nucleated at sites of high local strains (=stresses) that were formed by the pre-shear, normal stress loading. (2) The pre-rupture nucleation process was recognized a by temporal (< 0.1 s), local (<20 mm) reduction of the shear strain. (3) Commonly, the initiation of nucleation was associated with micro acoustic emissions, whereas the initiation of rupture was associated with intense acoustic activity. (4) Nucleation could occur quasi-simultaneously at two, highly stressed sites. (5) From the nucleation site, the ruptures propagated in two directions along the ring-shaped fault, and the collision between the two fronts led to rupture `shut-off'. (5) The strain-field of rupture fronts was well-recognized for ruptures propagating faster than 50 m/s, and the fastest fronts propagated at 1000 m/s. (7) It appears that the rupture front strain-field close to the nucleation site differs from the front strain-field far from nucleation site. (8) Post-shear examination of the fault surfaces revealed evidence of brittle wear of the acrylic including gouge formation, ploughing, and powder smearing. (9) Work in progress includes attempts to achieve faster dynamic ruptures, and the utilization of the existing monitoring system to rupture granite faults.

Effects of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes on the Aso volcanic edifice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajima, Yasuhisa; Hasenaka, Toshiaki; Torii, Masayuki

2017-05-01

Large earthquakes occurred in the central part of Kumamoto Prefecture on April 14-16, 2016, causing severe damage to the northern segment of the Hinagu faults and the eastern segment of the Futagawa faults. Earthquake surface ruptures appeared along these faults and on the Aso volcanic edifice, which in turn generated landslides. We conducted landform change analysis of the central cones of Aso volcano by using satellite and aerial photographs. First, we categorized the topographical changes as surface scarps, arc-shaped cracks, and linear cracks. Field survey indicated that landslides caused the scarps and arc-shaped cracks, whereas faulting caused the linear cracks. We discovered a surface rupture concentration zone (RCZ) formed three ruptures bands with many surface ruptures and landslides extending from the west foot to the center of the Aso volcanic edifice. The magmatic volcanic vents that formed during the past 10,000 years are located along the north margin of the RCZ. Moreover, the distribution and dip of the core of rupture concentration zone correspond with the Nakadake craters. We conclude that a strong relationship exists between the volcanic vents and fault structures in the central cones of Aso volcano.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Estimation of source processes of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes from strong motion waveforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, H.; Suzuki, W.; Aoi, S.; Sekiguchi, H.

2016-12-01

In this study, we estimated the source processes for two large events of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes (the M7.3 event at 1:25 JST on April 16, 2016 and the M6.5 event at 21:26 JST on April 14, 2016) from strong motion waveforms using multiple-time-window linear waveform inversion (Hartzell and Heaton 1983; Sekiguchi et al. 2000). Based on the observations of surface ruptures, the spatial distribution of aftershocks, and the geodetic data, a realistic curved fault model was developed for the source-process analysis of the M7.3 event. The source model obtained for the M7.3 event with a seismic moment of 5.5 × 1019 Nm (Mw 7.1) had two significant ruptures. One rupture propagated toward the northeastern shallow region at 4 s after rupture initiation, and continued with large slips to approximately 16 s. This rupture caused a large slip region with a peak slip of 3.8 m that was located 10-30 km northeast of the hypocenter and reached the caldera of Mt. Aso. The contribution of the large slip region to the seismic waveforms was large at many stations. Another rupture propagated toward the surface from the hypocenter at 2-6 s, and then propagated toward the northeast along the near surface at 6-10 s. This rupture largely contributed to the seismic waveforms at the stations south of the fault and close to the hypocenter. A comparison with the results obtained using a single fault plane model demonstrate that the use of the curved fault model led to improved waveform fit at the stations south of the fault. The extent of the large near-surface slips in this source model for the M7.3 event is roughly consistent with the extent of the observed large surface ruptures. The source model obtained for the M6.5 event with a seismic moment of 1.7 × 1018 Nm (Mw 6.1) had large slips in the region around the hypocenter and in the shallow region north-northeast of the hypocenter, both of which had a maximum slip of 0.7 m. The rupture of the M6.5 event propagated from the former region to the latter region at 1-6 s after rupture initiation, which is expected to have caused the strong ground motions due to the forward directivity effect at KMMH16 and surroundings. The occurrence of the near-surface large slips in this source model for the M6.5 event is consistent with the appearance of small surface cracks, which were observed by some residents.

Molecular dynamics simulations study of nano bubble attachment at hydrophobic surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, Jiaqi; Dang, Liem X.; Miller, Jan D.

Bubble attachment phenomena are examined using Molecular Dynamics Simulations (MDS) for the first time. The simulation involves a nitrogen nano bubble containing 906 nitrogen molecules in a water phase with 74,000 water molecules at molybdenite surfaces. During a simulation period of 1 ns, film rupture and displacement occurs. The attached nanobubble at the hydrophobic molybdenite face surface results in a contact angle of about 90º. This spontaneous attachment is due to a “water exclusion zone” at the molybdenite face surface and can be explained by a van der Waals (vdW) attractive force, as discussed in the literature. In contrast, themore » film is stable at the hydrophilic quartz (001) surface and the bubble does not attach. Contact angles determined from MD simulations are reported, and these results agree well with experimental and MDS sessile drop results. In this way, film stability and bubble attachment are described with respect to interfacial water structure for surfaces of different polarity. Interfacial water molecules at the hydrophobic molybdenite face surface have relatively weak interactions with the surface when compared to the hydrophilic quartz (001) surface, as revealed by the presence of a 3 Å “water exclusion zone” at the molybdenite/water interface. The molybdenite armchair-edge and zigzag-edge surfaces show a comparably slow process for film rupture and displacement when compared to the molybdenite face surface, which is consistent with their relatively weak hydrophobic character.« less

Ground Motion Synthetics For Spontaneous Versus Prescribed Rupture On A 45(o) Thrust Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottschämmer, E.; Olsen, K. B.

We have compared prescribed (kinematic) and spontaneous dynamic rupture propaga- tion on a 45(o) dipping thrust fault buried up to 5 km in a half-space model, as well as ground motions on the free surface for frequencies less than 1 Hz. The computa- tions are carried out using a 3D finite-difference method with rate-and-state friction on a planar, 20 km by 20 km fault. We use a slip-weakening distance of 15 cm and a slip- velocity weakening distance of 9.2 cm/s, similar to those for the dynamic study for the 1994 M6.7 Northridge earthquake by Nielsen and Olsen (2000) which generated satis- factory fits to selected strong motion data in the San Fernando Valley. The prescribed rupture propagation was designed to mimic that of the dynamic simulation at depth in order to isolate the dynamic free-surface effects. In this way, the results reflect the dy- namic (normal-stress) interaction with the free surface for various depths of burial of the fault. We find that the moment, peak slip and peak sliprate for the rupture breaking the surface are increased by up to 60%, 80%, and 10%, respectively, compared to the values for the scenario buried 5 km. The inclusion of these effects increases the peak displacements and velocities above the fault by factors up 3.4 and 2.9 including the increase in moment due to normal-stress effects at the free surface, and up to 2.1 and 2.0 when scaled to a Northridge-size event with surface rupture. Similar differences were found by Aagaard et al. (2001). Significant dynamic effects on the ground mo- tions include earlier arrival times caused by super-shear rupture velocities (break-out phases), in agreement with the dynamic finite-element simulations by Oglesby et al. (1998, 2000). The presence of shallow low-velocity layers tend to increase the rup- ture time and the sliprate. In particular, they promote earlier transitions to super-shear velocities and decrease the rupture velocity within the layers. Our results suggest that dynamic interaction with the free surface can significantly affect the ground motion for faults buried less than 1-3 km. We therefore recommend that strong ground motion for these scenarios be computed including such dynamic rupture effects.

Using a pseudo-dynamic source inversion approach to improve earthquake source imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Song, S. G.; Dalguer, L. A.; Clinton, J. F.

2014-12-01

Imaging a high-resolution spatio-temporal slip distribution of an earthquake rupture is a core research goal in seismology. In general we expect to obtain a higher quality source image by improving the observational input data (e.g. using more higher quality near-source stations). However, recent studies show that increasing the surface station density alone does not significantly improve source inversion results (Custodio et al. 2005; Zhang et al. 2014). We introduce correlation structures between the kinematic source parameters: slip, rupture velocity, and peak slip velocity (Song et al. 2009; Song and Dalguer 2013) in the non-linear source inversion. The correlation structures are physical constraints derived from rupture dynamics that effectively regularize the model space and may improve source imaging. We name this approach pseudo-dynamic source inversion. We investigate the effectiveness of this pseudo-dynamic source inversion method by inverting low frequency velocity waveforms from a synthetic dynamic rupture model of a buried vertical strike-slip event (Mw 6.5) in a homogeneous half space. In the inversion, we use a genetic algorithm in a Bayesian framework (Moneli et al. 2008), and a dynamically consistent regularized Yoffe function (Tinti, et al. 2005) was used for a single-window slip velocity function. We search for local rupture velocity directly in the inversion, and calculate the rupture time using a ray-tracing technique. We implement both auto- and cross-correlation of slip, rupture velocity, and peak slip velocity in the prior distribution. Our results suggest that kinematic source model estimates capture the major features of the target dynamic model. The estimated rupture velocity closely matches the target distribution from the dynamic rupture model, and the derived rupture time is smoother than the one we searched directly. By implementing both auto- and cross-correlation of kinematic source parameters, in comparison to traditional smoothing constraints, we are in effect regularizing the model space in a more physics-based manner without loosing resolution of the source image. Further investigation is needed to tune the related parameters of pseudo-dynamic source inversion and relative weighting between the prior and the likelihood function in the Bayesian inversion.

The Wasatch fault zone, utah—segmentation and history of Holocene earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machette, Michael N.; Personius, Stephen F.; Nelson, Alan R.; Schwartz, David P.; Lund, William R.

The Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) forms the eastern boundary of the Basin and Range province and is the longest continuous, active normal fault (343 km) in the United States. It underlies an urban corridor of 1.6 million people (80% of Utah's population) representing the largest earthquake risk in the interior of the western United States. We have used paleoseismological data to identify 10 discrete segments of the WFZ. Five are active, medial segments with Holocene slip rates of 1-2 mm a -1, recurrence intervals of 2000-4000 years and average lengths of about 50 km. Five are less active, distal segments with mostly pre-Holocene surface ruptures, late Quaternary slip rates of <0.5 mm a -1 recurrence intervals of ≥10,000 years and average lengths of about 20 km. Surface-faulting events on each of the medial segments of the WFZ formed 2-4-m-high scarps repeatedly during the Holocene; latest Pleistocene (14-15 ka) deposits commonly have scarps as much as 15-20 m in height. Segments identified from paleoseismological studies of other major late Quaternary normal faults in the northern Basin and Range province are 20-25 km long, or about half of that proposed for the medial segments of the WFZ. Paleoseismological records for the past 6000 years indicate that a major surface-rupturing earthquake has occurred along one of the medial segments about every 395 ± 60 years. However, between about 400 and 1500 years ago, the WFZ experienced six major surface-rupturing events, an average of one event every 220 years, or about twice as often as expected from the 6000-year record. This pattern of temporal clustering is similar to that of the central Nevada—eastern California Seismic Belt in the western part of the Basin and Range province, where 11 earthquakes of M > 6.5 have occurred since 1860. Although the time scale of the clustering is different—130 years vs 1100 years—we consider the central Nevada—eastern California Seismic Belt to be a historic analog for movement on the WFZ during the past 1500 years. We have found no evidence that surface-rupturing events occurred on the WFZ during the past 400 years, a time period which is twice the average intracluster recurrence interval and equal to the average Holocene recurrence interval. In particular, the Brigham City segment (the northernmost medial segment) has not ruptured in the past 3600 years—a period that is about three times longer than this segment's average recurrence interval during the early and middle Holocene. Although the WFZ's seismological record is one of relative quiescence, a comparison with other historic surface-rupturing earthquakes in the region suggests that earthquakes having moment magnitudes of 7.1-7.4 (or surface-wave magnitudes of 7.5-7.7)—each associated with tens of kilometers of surface rupture and several meters of normal dip slip—have occurred about every four centuries during the Holocene and should be expected in the future.

Identification of the functional groups on the surface of nanoparticles formed in photonucleation of aldehydes generated during forest fire events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dultsev, Fedor N.; Mik, Ivan A.; Dubtsov, Sergei N.; Dultseva, Galina G.

2014-11-01

We describe the new procedure developed to determine the functional groups on the surface of nanoparticles formed in photonucleation of furfural, one of the aldehydes generated during forest fire events. The procedure is based on the detection of nanoparticle rupture from chemically modified surface of the quartz crystal microbalance oscillating in the thickness shear mode under voltage sweep. The rupture force is determined from the voltage at which the rupture occurs. It depends on particle mass and on the affinity of the surface functional groups of the particle to the groups that are present on the modified QCM surface. It was demonstrated with the amine modification of the surface that the nanoparticles formed in furfural photonucleation contain carbonyl and carboxyl groups. The applicability of the method for the investigation of functional groups on the surface of the nanoparticles of atmospheric aerosol is demonstrated.

A support-operator method for 3-D rupture dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ely, Geoffrey P.; Day, Steven M.; Minster, Jean-Bernard

2009-06-01

We present a numerical method to simulate spontaneous shear crack propagation within a heterogeneous, 3-D, viscoelastic medium. Wave motions are computed on a logically rectangular hexahedral mesh, using the generalized finite-difference method of Support Operators (SOM). This approach enables modelling of non-planar surfaces and non-planar fault ruptures. Our implementation, the Support Operator Rupture Dynamics (SORD) code, is highly scalable, enabling large-scale, multiprocessors calculations. The fault surface is modelled by coupled double nodes, where rupture occurs as dictated by the local stress conditions and a frictional failure law. The method successfully performs test problems developed for the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC)/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) dynamic earthquake rupture code validation exercise, showing good agreement with semi-analytical boundary integral method results. We undertake further dynamic rupture tests to quantify numerical errors introduced by shear deformations to the hexahedral mesh. We generate a family of meshes distorted by simple shearing, in the along-strike direction, up to a maximum of 73°. For SCEC/USGS validation problem number 3, grid-induced errors increase with mesh shear angle, with the logarithm of error approximately proportional to angle over the range tested. At 73°, rms misfits are about 10 per cent for peak slip rate, and 0.5 per cent for both rupture time and total slip, indicating that the method (which, up to now, we have applied mainly to near-vertical strike-slip faulting) is also capable of handling geometries appropriate to low-angle surface-rupturing thrust earthquakes. Additionally, we demonstrate non-planar rupture effects, by modifying the test geometry to include, respectively, cylindrical curvature and sharp kinks.

Ball-and-socket tectonic rotation during the 2013 Mw 7.7 Balochistan earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnhart, W. D.; Hayes, G. P.; Briggs, R. W.; Gold, R. D.; Bilham, R.

2014-10-01

The September 2013 Mw 7.7 Balochistan earthquake ruptured a ∼200-km-long segment of the curved Hoshab fault in southern Pakistan with 10 ± 0.2 m of peak sinistral and ∼ 1.7 ± 0.8 m of dip slip. This rupture is unusual because the fault dips 60 ± 15° towards the focus of a small circle centered in northwest Pakistan, and, despite a 30° increase in obliquity along strike, the ratios of strike and dip slip remain relatively uniform. Surface displacements and geodetic and teleseismic source inversions quantify a bilateral rupture that propagated rapidly at shallow depths from a transtensional jog near the northern end of the rupture. Static friction prior to rupture was unusually weak (μ < 0.05), and friction may have approached zero during dynamic rupture. Here we show that the inward-dipping Hoshab fault defines the northern rim of a structural unit in southeast Makran that rotates - akin to a 2-D ball-and-socket joint - counter-clockwise in response to India's penetration into the Eurasian plate. This rotation accounts for complexity in the Chaman fault system and, in principle, reduces seismic potential near Karachi; nonetheless, these findings highlight deficiencies in strong ground motion equations and tectonic models that invoke Anderson-Byerlee faulting predictions.

Ball-and-socket tectonic rotation during the 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnhart, William D.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Briggs, Richard W.; Gold, Ryan D.; Bilham, R.

2014-01-01

The September 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan earthquake ruptured a ∼200-km-long segment of the curved Hoshab fault in southern Pakistan with 10±0.2 m of peak sinistral and ∼1.7±0.8 m of dip slip. This rupture is unusual because the fault dips 60±15° towards the focus of a small circle centered in northwest Pakistan, and, despite a 30° increase in obliquity along strike, the ratios of strike and dip slip remain relatively uniform. Surface displacements and geodetic and teleseismic source inversions quantify a bilateral rupture that propagated rapidly at shallow depths from a transtensional jog near the northern end of the rupture. Static friction prior to rupture was unusually weak (μ<0.05), and friction may have approached zero during dynamic rupture. Here we show that the inward-dipping Hoshab fault defines the northern rim of a structural unit in southeast Makran that rotates – akin to a 2-D ball-and-socket joint – counter-clockwise in response to India's penetration into the Eurasian plate. This rotation accounts for complexity in the Chaman fault system and, in principle, reduces seismic potential near Karachi; nonetheless, these findings highlight deficiencies in strong ground motion equations and tectonic models that invoke Anderson–Byerlee faulting predictions.

Correlation of Coseismic Velocity and Static Volumetric Strain Changes Induced by the 2010 Mw6.3 Jiasian Earthquake under the Southern Taiwan Orogenic Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, S. M.; Hung, S. H.

2015-12-01

Earthquake-induced temporal changes in seismic velocity of the earth's crust have been demonstrated to be monitored effectively by the time-lapse shifts of coda waves recently. Velocity drop during the coseismic rupture has been explicitly observed in proximity to the epicenters of large earthquakes with different styles of faulting. The origin of such sudden perturbation in crustal properties is closely related to the damage and/or volumetric strain change influenced by seismic slip distribution. In this study, we apply a coda wave interferometry method to investigate potential velocity change in both space and time related to the moderate-sized (Mw6.3) 2010 Jiasian earthquake, which nucleated deeply in the crust (~23 km), ruptured and terminated around the depth of 10 km along a previously unidentified blind thrust fault near the lithotectonic boundary of the southern Taiwan orogenic belt. To decipher the surface and crustal response to this relatively deep rupture, we first measure relative time-lapse changes of coda between different short-term time frames spanning one year covering the pre- and post-seismic stages by using the Moving Window Cross Spectral Method. Rather than determining temporal velocity variations based on a long-term reference stack, we conduct a Bayesian least-squares inversion to obtain the optimal estimates by minimizing the inconsistency between the relative time-lapse shifts of individual short-term stacks. The results show the statistically significant velocity reduction immediately after the mainshock, which is most pronounced at the pairs with the interstation paths traversing through the hanging-wall block of the ruptured fault. The sensitivity of surface wave coda arrivals mainly in the periods of 3-5 s to shear wave speed perturbation is confined within the depth of 10 km, where the crust mostly experienced extensional strain changes induced by the slip distribution from the finite-fault model. Compared with coseismic slip distribution from GPS data and finite-fault inversion, peak ground velocity, and static volumetric strain field following the earthquake, the velocity decrease observed in the hanging wall side of the shallow crust is most likely attributed to pervasive dilatational strain changes induced by the slip rupture on the underlying blind thrust.

Tectonic interpretation of the 13 february 2001, mw 6.6, El Salvador Earthquake: New evidences of coseismic surface rupture and paleoseismic activity.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Diaz, J. J.; Canora, C.; Villamor, P.; Capote, R.; Alvarez-Gomez, J. A.; Berryman, K.; Bejar, M.; Tsige, M.

2009-04-01

In February 2001 a major strike slip earthquake stroke the central part of El Salvador causing hundreds of people killed, thousands injured and extensive damage. After this event the scientific effort was mainly focused on the study of the enormous and catastrophic landslides triggered by this event and no evidences of surface faulting were detected. This earthquake was produced by the reactivation of the Ilopango-San Vicente segment of the El Salvador Fault Zone. Recently, a surface rupture displacement on the ground was identified. The analysis of aerial and field photographs taken few hours after the event and the mapping of the conserved ground structures shows a pure strike-slip displacement ranging from 20 to 50 cm, with secondary features indicating dextral shearing. The paleoseismic analysis made through the excavation of six trenches and Radiocarbon dating indicate a minimum slip rate of 2.0 mm/yr and a recurrence of major ruptures (Mw > 6.5) lower than 500 yr. These evidences give interesting local data to increase our understanding about the tectonic behavior and the way how active deformation develops along the northern limit of the forearc sliver related to the Centroamerican subduction area.

Late Quaternary Surface Displacement Across a Normal-Fault Structural Boundary on the Northern Lost River Fault Zone (Idaho, USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DuRoss, C. B.; Bunds, M. P.; Reitman, N. G.; Gold, R. D.; Personius, S. F.; Briggs, R. W.; Toke, N. A.; Johnson, K. L.; Lajoie, L. J.

2017-12-01

In 1983, about 36 km of the 130-km-long multisegment Lost River fault zone (LRFZ) (Idaho, USA) ruptured in the M 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake. Normal-faulting surface rupture propagated along the entire 24-km-long Thousand Springs section, then branched to the northwest along a 4-km-long fault (western section) that continues into the Willow Creek Hills, a prominent bedrock ridge that forms a structural boundary between the Thousand Springs section and Warms Springs section to the north. North of the Willow Creek Hills, the 1983 rupture continued onto the southern 8 km of the 16-km-long Warm Springs section. To improve our understanding of the Borah Peak earthquake and the role of structural boundaries in normal-fault rupture propagation, we acquired low-altitude aerial imagery of the southern 8 km of the Warm Springs section and northern 6 km of the Thousand Springs section, including the western section branch fault. Using 5-10-cm-pixel digital surface models generated from this dataset, we measured vertical surface offsets across both 1983 and prehistoric scarps. On the Warm Springs section, 1983 displacement is minor (mean of 0.3 m) compared to at least two prehistoric events having mean displacements of 1.1 m and 1.7 m inferred from displacement difference curves. Prehistoric scarps on the western section indicate rupture of this branch fault prior to 1983. Correcting for 1983 displacement, mean prehistoric displacement on the western section is 0.9 m compared to a mean of 0.7 m in 1983. Using these data and previous paleoseismic displacements, we evaluate the spatial distribution of cumulative and per-earthquake displacement. Our results suggest that at least one prehistoric rupture of the Thousand Springs section occurred with a similar length and displacement to that in 1983. Further, the 1983 spillover rupture from the Thousand Springs section to the southernmost Warm Springs section appears unique from larger displacement, prehistoric ruptures that may have spanned the majority of the Warm Springs section and possibly continued south into the Willow Creek Hills based on paleoseismic and surface-offset data. We conclude that the Willow Creek Hills structural boundary has likely moderated, but not completely impeded both prehistoric and 1983 ruptures of the northern LRFZ.

Modeling 3D Dynamic Rupture on Arbitrarily-Shaped faults by Boundary-Conforming Finite Difference Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, D.; Zhu, H.; Luo, Y.; Chen, X.

2008-12-01

We use a new finite difference method (FDM) and the slip-weakening law to model the rupture dynamics of a non-planar fault embedded in a 3-D elastic media with free surface. The new FDM, based on boundary- conforming grid, sets up the mapping equations between the curvilinear coordinate and the Cartesian coordinate and transforms irregular physical space to regular computational space; it also employs a higher- order non-staggered DRP/opt MacCormack scheme which is of low dispersion and low dissipation so that the high accuracy and stability of our rupture modeling are guaranteed. Compared with the previous methods, not only we can compute the spontaneous rupture of an arbitrarily shaped fault, but also can model the influence of the surface topography on the rupture process of earthquake. In order to verify the feasibility of this method, we compared our results and other previous results, and found out they matched perfectly. Thanks to the boundary-conforming FDM, problems such as dynamic rupture with arbitrary dip, strike and rake over an arbitrary curved plane can be handled; and supershear or subshear rupture can be simulated with different parameters such as the initial stresses and the critical slip displacement Dc. Besides, our rupture modeling is economical to be implemented owing to its high efficiency and does not suffer from displacement leakage. With the help of inversion data of rupture by field observations, this method is convenient to model rupture processes and seismograms of natural earthquakes.

Three-dimensional fault framework of the 2014 South Napa Earthquake, San Francisco Bay region, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graymer, R. W.

2014-12-01

Assignment of the South Napa earthquake to a mapped fault is difficult, as it occurred where three large, northwest-trending faults converge and may interact in the subsurface. The surface rupture did not fall on the main trace of any of these faults, but instead between the Carneros and West Napa faults and northwest along strike from the northern mapped end of the Franklin Fault. The 2014 rupture plane appears to be nearly vertical, based on focal mechanisms of the mainshock and connection of the surface trace/rupture to the relocated hypocenter (J. Hardebeck, USGS). 3D surfaces constructed from published data show that the Carneros Fault is a steeply west-dipping fault that runs just west of the near-vertical 2014 rupture plane. The Carneros Fault does not appear to have been involved in the earthquake, although relocated aftershocks suggest possible minor triggered slip. The main West Napa Fault is also steeply west-dipping and that its projection intersects the 2014 rupture plane at around the depth of the mainshock hypocenter. UAVSAR data (A. Donnellan, JPL) and relocated aftershocks suggest that the main West Napa Fault experienced triggered slip/afterslip along a length of roughly 20 km. It is possible that the 2014 rupture took place along a largely unrecognized westerly strand of the West Napa Fault. The Franklin Fault is a steeply east-dipping fault (with a steeply west-dipping subordinate trace east of Mare Island) that has documented late Quaternary offset. Given the generally aligned orientation of the 3D fault surfaces, an alternative interpretation is that the South Napa earthquake occurred on the northernmost reach of the Franklin Fault within it's 3D junction with the West Napa Fault. This interpretation is supported, but not proven, by a short but prominent linear feature in the UAVSAR data at Slaughterhouse Point west of Vallejo, along trend south-southeast of the observed coseismic surface rupture.

Evidence for and implications of self-healing pulses of slip in earthquake rupture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heaton, T.H.

1990-01-01

Dislocation time histories of models derived from waveforms of seven earthquakes are discussed. In each model, dislocation rise times (the duration of slip for a given point on the fault) are found to be short compared to the overall duration of the earthquake (??? 10%). However, in many crack-like numerical models of dynamic rupture, the slip duration at a given point is comparable to the overall duration of the rupture; i.e. slip at a given point continues until information is received that the rupture has stopped propagating. Alternative explanations for the discrepancy between the short slip durations used to model waveforms and the long slip durations inferred from dynamic crack models are: (1) the dislocation models are unable to resolve the relatively slow parts of earthquake slip and have seriously underestimated the dislocations for these earthquakes; (2) earthquakes are composed of a sequence of small-dimension (short duration) events that are separated by locked regions (barriers); (3) rupture occurs in a narrow self-healing pulse of slip that travels along the fault surface. Evidence is discussed that suggests that slip durations are indeed short and that the self-healing slip-pulse model is the most appropriate explanation. A qualitative model is presented that produces self-healing slip pulses. The key feature of the model is the assumption that friction on the fault surface is inversely related to the local slip velocity. The model has the following features: high static strength of materials (kilobar range), low static stress drops (in the range of tens of bars), and relatively low frictional stress during slip (less than several hundreds of bars). It is suggested that the reason that the average dislocation scales with fault length is because large-amplitude slip pulses are difficult to stop and hence tend to propagate large distances. This model may explain why seismicity and ambient stress are low along fault segments that have experienced large earthquakes. It also qualitatively explains why the recurrence time for large earthquakes may be irregular. ?? 1990.

Interseismic Coupling-Based Earthquake and Tsunami Scenarios for the Nankai Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranes, H.; Woodruff, J. D.; Loveless, J. P.; Hyodo, M.

2018-04-01

Theoretical modeling and investigations of recent subduction zone earthquakes show that geodetic estimates of interseismic coupling and the spatial distribution of coseismic rupture are correlated. However, the utility of contemporary coupling in guiding construction of rupture scenarios has not been evaluated on the world's most hazardous faults. Here we demonstrate methods for scaling coupling to slip to create rupture models for southwestern Japan's Nankai Trough. Results show that coupling-based models produce distributions of ground surface deformation and tsunami inundation that are similar to historical and geologic records of the largest known Nankai earthquake in CE 1707 and to an independent, quasi-dynamic rupture model. Notably, these models and records all support focused subsidence around western Shikoku that makes the region particularly vulnerable to flooding. Results imply that contemporary coupling mirrors the slip distribution of a full-margin, 1707-type rupture, and Global Positioning System measurements of surface motion are connected with the trough's physical characteristics.

Static Rupture Model of the 2010 M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah Earthquake from ALOS, ENVISAT, SPOT and GPS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fialko, Y.; Gonzalez, A.; Gonzalez-Garcia, J. J.; Barbot, S.; Leprince, S.; Sandwell, D. T.; Agnew, D. C.

2010-12-01

The April 4, 2010 "Easter Sunday" earthquake on the US-Mexico border was the largest event to strike Southern California in the last 18 years. The earthquake occurred on a northwest trending fault close to, but not coincident with the identified 1892 Laguna Salada rupture. We investigate coseismic deformation due to the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery form ENVISAT and ALOS satellites, optical imagery from SPOT-5 satellite, and continuous and campaign GPS data. The earliest campaign postseismic GPS survey was conducted within days after the earthquake, and provided the near-field cosesmic offsets. Along-track SAR interferograms and amplitude cross-correlation of optical images reveal a relatively simple continuous fault trace with maximum offsets of the order of 3 meters. This is in contrast to the results of geological mapping that portrayed a complex broad zone of distributed faulting. Also, SAR data indicate that the rupture propagated bi-laterally from the epicenter near the town of Durango both to the North-West into the Cucapah mountains and to the South-East into the Mexically valley. The inferred South-East part of the rupture was subsequently field-checked and associated with several fresh scarps, although overall the earthquake fault does not have a conspicuous surface trace South-East of the hypocenter. It is worth noting that the 2010 earthquake propagated into stress shadows of prior events - the Laguna Salada earthquake that ruptured the North-West part of the fault in 1892, and several M6+ earthquakes that ruptured the South-East part of the fault over the last century. Analysis of the coseismic displacement field at the Earth's surface (in particular, the full 3-component displacement field retrieved from SAR and optical imagery) shows a pronounced asymmetry in horizontal displacements across both nodal planes. The maximum displacements are observed in the North-Eastern and South-Western quadrants. This pattern cannot be explained by oblique slip on a quasi-planar fault. Multi-parametric inversions of the space geodetic data suggest that the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake occurred on a helix-shaped rupture, with Eastward dip in the Northern section and Westward dip in the Southern section. This interpretation is consistent with field observations of the surface rupture and aftershock data, and provides an explanation for a strong non-double-couple component suggested by the seismic moment tensor solution. The total geodetic moment of our best-fitting model is in a good agreement with the seismic moment. We will also discuss effects of the elastic structure on the inferred static rupture model, and observations of early postseismic deformation.

Self-Rupturing Hermetic Valve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Curtis E., Jr.; Sherrit, Stewart

2011-01-01

For commercial, military, and aerospace applications, low-cost, small, reliable, and lightweight gas and liquid hermetically sealed valves with post initiation on/off capability are highly desirable for pressurized systems. Applications include remote fire suppression, single-use system-pressurization systems, spacecraft propellant systems, and in situ instruments. Current pyrotechnic- activated rupture disk hermetic valves were designed for physically larger systems and are heavy and integrate poorly with portable equipment, aircraft, and small spacecraft and instrument systems. Additionally, current pyrotechnically activated systems impart high g-force shock loads to surrounding components and structures, which increase the risk of damage and can require additional mitigation. The disclosed mechanism addresses the need for producing a hermetically sealed micro-isolation valve for low and high pressure for commercial, aerospace, and spacecraft applications. High-precision electrical discharge machining (EDM) parts allow for the machining of mated parts with gaps less than a thousandth of an inch. These high-precision parts are used to support against pressure and extrusion, a thin hermetically welded diaphragm. This diaphragm ruptures from a pressure differential when the support is removed and/or when the plunger is forced against the diaphragm. With the addition of conventional seals to the plunger and a two-way actuator, a derivative of this design would allow nonhermetic use as an on/off or metering valve after the initial rupturing of the hermetic sealing disk. In addition, in a single-use hermetically sealed isolation valve, the valve can be activated without the use of potential leak-inducing valve body penetrations. One implementation of this technology is a high-pressure, high-flow-rate rupture valve that is self-rupturing, which is advantageous for high-pressure applications such as gas isolation valves. Once initiated, this technology is self-energizing and requires low force compared to current pyrotechnic-based burst disk hermetic valves. This is a novel design for producing a single-use, self-rupturing, hermetically sealed valve for isolation of pressurized gas and/or liquids. This design can also be applied for single-use disposable valves for chemical instruments. A welded foil diaphragm is fully supported by two mated surfaces that are machined to micron accuracies using EDM. To open the valve, one of the surfaces is moved relative to the other to (a) remove the support creating an unsupported diaphragm that ruptures due to over pressure, and/or (b) produce tension in the diaphragm and rupture it.

Rupture process of the M 7.9 Denali fault, Alaska, earthquake: Subevents, directivity, and scaling of high-frequency ground motions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frankel, A.

2004-01-01

Displacement waveforms and high-frequency acceleration envelopes from stations at distances of 3-300 km were inverted to determine the source process of the M 7.9 Denali fault earthquake. Fitting the initial portion of the displacement waveforms indicates that the earthquake started with an oblique thrust subevent (subevent # 1) with an east-west-striking, north-dipping nodal plane consistent with the observed surface rupture on the Susitna Glacier fault. Inversion of the remainder of the waveforms (0.02-0.5 Hz) for moment release along the Denali and Totschunda faults shows that rupture proceeded eastward on the Denali fault, with two strike-slip subevents (numbers 2 and 3) centered about 90 and 210 km east of the hypocenter. Subevent 2 was located across from the station at PS 10 (Trans-Alaska Pipeline Pump Station #10) and was very localized in space and time. Subevent 3 extended from 160 to 230 km east of the hypocenter and had the largest moment of the subevents. Based on the timing between subevent 2 and the east end of subevent 3, an average rupture velocity of 3.5 km/sec, close to the shear wave velocity at the average rupture depth, was found. However, the portion of the rupture 130-220 km east of the epicenter appears to have an effective rupture velocity of about 5.0 km/ sec, which is supershear. These two subevents correspond approximately to areas of large surface offsets observed after the earthquake. Using waveforms of the M 6.7 Nenana Mountain earthquake as empirical Green's functions, the high-frequency (1-10 Hz) envelopes of the M 7.9 earthquake were inverted to determine the location of high-frequency energy release along the faults. The initial thrust subevent produced the largest high-frequency energy release per unit fault length. The high-frequency envelopes and acceleration spectra (>0.5 Hz) of the M 7.9 earthquake can be simulated by chaining together rupture zones of the M 6.7 earthquake over distances from 30 to 180 km east of the hypocenter. However, the inversion indicates that there was relatively little high-frequency energy generated along the 60-km portion of the Totschunda fault on the east end of the rupture.

Reevaluation of 1935 M 7.0 earthquake fault, Miaoli-Taichung Area, western Taiwan: a DEM and field study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y. N.; Chen, Y.; Ota, Y.

2003-12-01

A large earthquake (M 7.0) took place in Miaoli area, western Taiwan on April 21st, 1935. Right to its south is the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake fault, indicating it is not only tectonically but seismically active. As the previous study, the study area is located in the mature zone of a tectonic collision that occurred between Philippine sea Plate and Eurasia continental Plate. The associated surface ruptures of 1935 earthquake daylighted Tungtsichiao Fault, a tear fault trending NE in the south and Chihhu Fault, a back thrust trending N-S in the north, but no ruptures occurred in between. Strike-slip component was identified by the horizontal offset observed along Tungtsichiao Fault; however, there are still disputes on the reported field evidence. Our purposes are (1) to identify the structural behaviors of these two faults, (2) to find out what the seismogenic structure is, and (3) to reconstruct the regional geology by information given by this earthquake. By DEM interpretation and field survey, we can clearly recognize a lot of the 1935 associated features. In the west of Chihhu Fault, a series of N-S higher terraces can be identified with eastward tilted surfaces and nearly 200 m relative height. Another lower terrace is also believed being created during the 1935 earthquake, showing an east-facing scarp with a height of ca. 1.5~2 m. Outcrop investigation reveals that the late-Miocene bedrock has been easterly thrusted over the Holocene conglomerates, indicating a west-dipping fault plane. The Tungtsichiao Fault cuts through a lateritic terrace at Holi, which is supposed developed in Pleistocene. The fault scarp is only discernible in the northeastern ending. Other noticeable features are the fault related antiforms that line up along the surface rupture. There is no outcrop to show the fault geometry among bedrocks. We re-interpret the northern Chihhu Fault as the back thrust generated from a main subsurface detachment, which may be the actual seismogenic fault. Due to the bend geometry normally existing between ramp and detachment, stress accumulated and earthquake happened right on it. The fault tip of this main thrust may be blind on land or break out offshore, which explains why no surface ruptures related to the main thrust were found.

Horizontal surface-slip distribution through several seismic cycles: The Eastern Bogd fault, Gobi-Altai, Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, R.; Klinger, Y.; Ferry, M.; Ritz, J.-F.

2018-06-01

The 1957, MW 8.1, Gobi-Altai earthquake, Southern Mongolia, produced a 360-km-long surface rupture along the Eastern Bogd fault. Cumulative offsets of geomorphic features suggest that the Eastern Bogd fault might produce characteristic slip over the last seismic cycles. Using orthophotographs derived from a dataset of historical aerial photographs acquired in 1958, we measured horizontal offsets along two thirds ( 170 km) of the 1957 left-lateral strike-slip surface rupture. We propose a new empirical methodology to extract the average slip for each past earthquake that could be recognized along successive fault segments, to determine the slip distribution associated with successive past earthquakes. Our results suggest that the horizontal slip distribution of the 1957 Gobi-Altai earthquake is fairly flat, with an average offset of 3.5 m ± 1.3 m. A combination of our lateral measurements with vertical displacements derived from the literature, allows us to re-assess the magnitude of the Gobi-Altai earthquake to be between MW 7.8 and MW 8.2, depending on the depth of the rupture, and related value of the shear modulus. When comparing this magnitude to magnitudes derived from seismic data, it suggests that the rupture may have extended deeper than the 15 km to 20 km usually considered for the seismogenic crust. We observe that some fault segments are more likely than others to record seismic deformation through several seismic cycles, depending on the local rupture complexity and geomorphology. Additionally, our results allow us to model the horizontal slip function for the 1957 Gobi-Altai earthquake and for three previous paleoseismic events along 70% of the studied area. Along about 50% of the fault sections where we could recognize three past earthquakes, our results suggest that the slip per event was similar for each earthquake.

Rupture parameters of the 2003 Zemmouri (Mw 6.8), Algeria, earthquake from joint inversion of interferometric synthetic aperture radar, coastal uplift, and GPS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belabbes, S.; Wicks, Charles; Cakir, Z.; Meghraoui, M.

2009-01-01

We study the surface deformation associated with the 21 May 2003 (M w = 6.8) Zemmouri (Algeria) earthquake, the strongest seismic event felt in the Algiers region since 1716. The thrust earthquake mechanism and related surface deformation revealed an average 0.50 m coastal uplift along ??55-km-long coastline. We obtain coseismic interferograms using Envisat advanced synthetic aperture radar (ASAR) (IS2) and RADARSAT standard beam (ST4) data from both the ascending and descending orbits of Envisat satellite, whereas the RADARSAT data proved useful only in the descending mode. While the two RADARSAT interferograms cover the earthquake area, Envisat data cover only the western half of the rupture zone. Although the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) coherence in the epicenter area is poor, deformation fringes are observed along the coast in different patches. In the Boumerdes area, the maximum coseismic deformation is indicated by the high gradient of fringes visible in all interferograms in agreement with field measurements (tape, differential GPS, leveling, and GPS). To constrain the earthquake rupture parameters, we model the interferograms and uplift measurements using elastic dislocations on triangular fault patches in an elastic and homogeneous half-space. We invert the coseismic slip using first, a planar surface and second, a curved fault, both constructed from triangular elements using Poly3Dinv program that uses a damped least square minimization. The best fit of InSAR, coastal uplift, and GPS data corresponds to a 65-km-long fault rupture dipping 40?? to 50?? SE, located at 8 to 13 km offshore with a change in strike west of Boumerdes from N60??-65?? to N95??-105??. The inferred rupture geometry at depth correlates well with the seismological results and may have critical implications for the seismic hazard assessment of the Algiers region. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Intermediate Temperature Stress Rupture of a Woven Hi-Nicalon, BN-Interphase, SiC Matric Composite in Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morscher, Gregory N.; Hurst, Janet; Brewer, David

1999-01-01

Woven Hi-Nicalon (TM) reinforced melt-infiltrated SiC matrix composites were tested under tensile stress-rupture conditions in air at intermediate temperatures. A comprehensive examination of the damage state and the fiber properties at failure was performed. Modal acoustic emission analysis was used to monitor damage during the experiment. Extensive microscopy of the composite fracture surfaces and the individual fiber fracture surfaces was used to determine the mechanisms leading to ultimate failure. The rupture properties of these composites were significantly worse than expected compared to the fiber properties under similar conditions. This was due to the oxidation of the BN interphase. Oxidation occurred through the matrix cracks that intersected the surface or edge of a tensile bar. These oxidation reactions resulted in minor degradation to fiber strength and strong bonding of the fibers to one another at regions of near fiber-to-fiber contact. It was found that two regimes for rupture exist for this material: a high stress regime where rupture occurs at a fast rate and a low stress regime where rupture occurs at a slower rate. For the high stress regime, the matrix damage state consisted of through thickness cracks. The average fracture strength of fibers that were pulled-out (the final fibers to break before ultimate failure) was controlled by the slow-crack growth rupture criterion in the literature for individual Hi-Nicalon (TM) fibers. For the low stress regime, the matrix damage state consisted of microcracks which grew during the rupture test. The average fracture strength of fibers that were pulled-out in this regime was the same as the average fracture strength of individual fibers pulled out in as-produced composites tested at room temperature.

Earthquake rupture process recreated from a natural fault surface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, Thomas E.; Minasian, Diane L.

2015-01-01

What exactly happens on the rupture surface as an earthquake nucleates, spreads, and stops? We cannot observe this directly, and models depend on assumptions about physical conditions and geometry at depth. We thus measure a natural fault surface and use its 3D coordinates to construct a replica at 0.1 m resolution to obviate geometry uncertainty. We can recreate stick-slip behavior on the resulting finite element model that depends solely on observed fault geometry. We clamp the fault together and apply steady state tectonic stress until seismic slip initiates and terminates. Our recreated M~1 earthquake initiates at contact points where there are steep surface gradients because infinitesimal lateral displacements reduce clamping stress most efficiently there. Unclamping enables accelerating slip to spread across the surface, but the fault soon jams up because its uneven, anisotropic shape begins to juxtapose new high-relief sticking points. These contacts would ultimately need to be sheared off or strongly deformed before another similar earthquake could occur. Our model shows that an important role is played by fault-wall geometry, though we do not include effects of varying fluid pressure or exotic rheologies on the fault surfaces. We extrapolate our results to large fault systems using observed self-similarity properties, and suggest that larger ruptures might begin and end in a similar way, though the scale of geometrical variation in fault shape that can arrest a rupture necessarily scales with magnitude. In other words, fault segmentation may be a magnitude dependent phenomenon and could vary with each subsequent rupture.

Period-dependent source rupture behavior of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake estimated by multi period-band Bayesian waveform inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, H.; Asano, K.; Iwata, T.; Aoi, S.

2014-12-01

Previous studies for the period-dependent source characteristics of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake (e.g., Koper et al., 2011; Lay et al., 2012) were based on the short and long period source models using different method. Kubo et al. (2013) obtained source models of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake using multi period-bands waveform data by a common inversion method and discussed its period-dependent source characteristics. In this study, to achieve more in detail spatiotemporal source rupture behavior of this event, we introduce a new fault surface model having finer sub-fault size and estimate the source models in multi period-bands using a Bayesian inversion method combined with a multi-time-window method. Three components of velocity waveforms at 25 stations of K-NET, KiK-net, and F-net of NIED are used in this analysis. The target period band is 10-100 s. We divide this period band into three period bands (10-25 s, 25-50 s, and 50-100 s) and estimate a kinematic source model in each period band using a Bayesian inversion method with MCMC sampling (e.g., Fukuda & Johnson, 2008; Minson et al., 2013, 2014). The parameterization of spatiotemporal slip distribution follows the multi-time-window method (Hartzell & Heaton, 1983). The Green's functions are calculated by the 3D FDM (GMS; Aoi & Fujiwara, 1999) using a 3D velocity structure model (JIVSM; Koketsu et al., 2012). The assumed fault surface model is based on the Pacific plate boundary of JIVSM and is divided into 384 subfaults of about 16 * 16 km^2. The estimated source models in multi period-bands show the following source image: (1) First deep rupture off Miyagi at 0-60 s toward down-dip mostly radiating relatively short period (10-25 s) seismic waves. (2) Shallow rupture off Miyagi at 45-90 s toward up-dip with long duration radiating long period (50-100 s) seismic wave. (3) Second deep rupture off Miyagi at 60-105 s toward down-dip radiating longer period seismic waves then that of the first deep rupture. (4) Deep rupture off Fukushima at 90-135 s. The dominant-period difference of the seismic-wave radiation between two deep ruptures off Miyagi may result from the mechanism that small-scale heterogeneities on the fault are removed by the first rupture. This difference can be also interpreted by the concept of multi-scale dynamic rupture (Ide & Aochi, 2005).

Self-healing slip pulses in dynamic rupture models due to velocity-dependent strength

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beeler, N.M.; Tullis, T.E.

1996-01-01

Seismological observations of short slip duration on faults (short rise time on seismograms) during earthquakes are not consistent with conventional crack models of dynamic rupture and fault slip. In these models, the leading edge of rupture stops only when a strong region is encountered, and slip at an interior point ceases only when waves from the stopped edge of slip propagate back to that point. In contrast, some seismological evidence suggests that the duration of slip is too short for waves to propagate from the nearest edge of the ruptured surface, perhaps even if the distance used is an asperity size instead of the entire rupture dimension. What controls slip duration, if not dimensions of the fault or of asperities? In this study, dynamic earthquake rupture and slip are represented by a propagating shear crack. For all propagating shear cracks, slip velocity is highest near the rupture front, and at a small distance behind the rupture front, the slip velocity decreases. As pointed out by Heaton (1990), if the crack obeys a negative slip-rate-dependent strength relation, the lower slip velocity behind the rupture front will lead to strengthening that further reduces the velocity, and under certain circumstances, healing of slip can occur. The boundary element method of Hamano (1974) is used in a program adapted from Andrews (1985) for numerical simulations of mode II rupture with two different velocity-dependent strength functions. For the first function, after a slip-weakening displacement, the crack follows an exponential velocity-weakening relation. The characteristic velocity V0 of the exponential determines the magnitude of the velocity-dependence at dynamic velocities. The velocity-dependence at high velocity is essentially zero when V0 is small and the resulting slip velocity distribution is similar to slip weakening. If V0 is larger, rupture propagation initially resembles slip-weakening, but spontaneous healing occurs behind the rupture front. The rise time and rupture propagation velocity depend on the choice of constitutive parameters. The second strength function is a natural log velocity-dependent form similar to constitutive laws that fit experimental rock friction data at lower velocities. Slip pulses also arise with this function. For a reasonable choice of constitutive parameters, slip pulses with this function do not propagate at speeds greater than the Raleighwave velocity. The calculated slip pulses are similar in many aspects to seismic observations of short rise time. In all cases of self-healing slip pulses, the residual stress increases with distance behind the trailing edge of the pulse so that the final stress drop is much less than the dynamic stress drop, in agreement with the model of Brune (1976) and some recent seismological observations of rupture.

Afterslip-dominated surface rupture in the M6.0 South Napa Earthquake as constrained by structure-from-motion analysis and terrestrial laser scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLong, S. B.; Pickering, A.; Scharer, K. M.; Hudnut, K. W.; Lienkaemper, J. J.

2014-12-01

Near-fault surface deformation associated with the August 24, 2014 M6.0 South Napa earthquake included both coseismic and post-seismic slip. Initial synthesis of field observations and initial measurement and modeling of afterslip from traditional survey methods indicate that coseismic slip was minimal (<10 cm) within 8 km northward from the epicenter but post-seismic slip, in places, approached 40 cm. We collected reconnaissance photographs using professional-grade SLR cameras from a helicopter within 12 hours after the earthquake, and a more systematic collection of air photos the day after the earthquake. We also collected terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) data two days (on August 26) and twenty-two days (on September 22) after the earthquake along a 0.5 km length of the main fault trace, just south of State Highway 12. This study site is 6 km north of the southern end of the 15 km long surface rupture and 5 km south of the highest measured co-seismic slip. We used structure-from-motion (SfM) methods to mosaic, orthorectify, and generate dense point clouds from the photos. SfM data corroborates survey-based ground observations of limited (~5 cm or less) coseismic slip along the fault trace between CA State Highway 12 and Withers Road, on discontinuous left-stepping en echelon ruptures. By August 26, the surface rupture became nearly continuous, and cultural features extracted from the TLS point clouds indicate horizontal slip magnitudes between 15 and 27 cm, increasing northward. By September 22, slip magnitudes had increased to between 26 and 46 cm. The lower slip magnitudes are to the south at Withers Road, and the general trend is increased slip to the north, but there is more slip variability along the fault trace in the September 15 data. From August 26 to September 15, the west side of the fault trace uplifted between 0.5 and 5 cm relative to east side. Increased relief on the surface rupture itself indicated a slight compressional component of the deformation. These results confirm that post-event air photos can be useful for rapid 3D mapping, and that the unparalleled accuracy of TLS data can be used to quantify even very subtle deformation patterns in three dimensions and document changes through time.

Complex ruptures during hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viegas, G. F.; Urbancic, T.; Bosman, K.; Baig, A. M.

2016-12-01

Complex rupture patterns were observed on several M0+ events recorded during a hydraulic stimulation of the Marcellus shale. Although M>0 events associated with hydraulic fracturing have now been commonly recorded and may cause concern in terms of public and infrastructure safety, the vast majority of these events are smaller than M3 and are not felt at the surface. We investigate the rupture characteristics of one such multi-rupture event with 3 sub-events, by examining the failure dynamics of the overall fracture itself and of each individual sub-event, and the growth of the overall fracture from rupture initiation to arrest. This analysis is only possible due to the wide frequency range of the seismic monitoring system put in place which spanned from 0.1 Hz to 1000 Hz. The monitoring system consists of: high-frequency sensor-arrays of geophones deployed downhole close to the reservoir and thus to the rupture initiation point; and low to intermediate frequency accelerometers and geophones deployed at intermediate and shallow depths, allowing for the investigation of overall rupture characteristics. We aim to gain an understanding of the role of asperities, fracture roughness, and fluids on the different aspects of the rupture processes and of the failure mechanisms (shearing versus tensile dominance of behavior) associated with these complex events. Our results show that the overall event is characterized by the failure of multiple asperities and the distance between the 3 sub-events is less than 20 m. We observe decreasing stress drop and increasing Mw over time for the successive sub-events which suggest decreasing frictional resistance due to the presence of fluids over an increasingly large rupture surface akin to increased slip over a larger and less resistant contact area such as an asperity. The overall failure shows a dominant shearing mode mechanism whereas the sub-events failures show strong tensile components. The ruptures of the 1st and 2nd sub-events are indicative of shear-compaction of an asperity and the one of the 3rd sub-event is suggestive of a rupture riding over several surface patches. Additional analysis of other complex events will improve the characterization of the rupture processes of these larger-magnitude events and allow for the assessment of conditions under which the failures occur.

Interaction of the subduction process and forearc tectonics: An example from the active N - Chilean margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Victor, P.; Sobiesiak, M.

2005-12-01

Convergent plate boundaries at continental margins belong to the tectonically most active areas on earth and are endangered by devastating earthquakes and tsunamis. The north Chilean margin is a high strain continental margin driven by fast plate convergence rate. The greatest amount of strain is accommodated along the subduction interface. Nevertheless there is extensive crustal deformation obvious by surface ruptures along reactivated segments of large fault systems and vertical surface motions reflecting the interaction between subducting and overriding plates. The historical seismicity record indicates that great earthquakes affect the Chilean Forearc with recurrence intervals of about 112+/- 21 y . The last great event in northern Chile occurred in 1995 near Antofagasta. The Mw= 8.0 event ruptured the subduction interface 180 km along strike with an average slip of about 5m in the depth interval between 10-50 km. From careful evaluation of the aftershock sequence by examining the different catagories of aftershock focal mechanisms we can define three segments of the seismogenic zone affected by the Antofagasta main shock. The non-ruptured northern segment beneath Mejillones Peninsula is seperated by a broad transition zone from the central segment which hosts the earthquakes' rupture plane. The southern fault plane boundary is identified by linear alignment of all apparent aftershock mechanisms. Along this southern boundary the strike slip mechanisms are exclusively left lateral whereas the strike slip mechanisms along the northern transition zone are right lateral. The orientations of summed moment tensors calculated from aftershock fault plane solutions on the northern segment and in the northern transition zone differ from the orientations exhibited by moment tensors on the central segment. This might indicate a rotational component in the coseismic movement of the ruptured segment relative to the non-ruptured segment. The observed segmentation of the downgoing plate correlates well with changes in the coseismic surface displacement field and coseismic rotations derived from GPS data (Allmendinger et al. in press). We can localize a transition zone at Mejillones peninsula (23,5°S) striking approximately N 80°E dominated by clockwise vertical axis rotations also marked by rotations of the summed moment tensors on the downgoing plate. The calculated strain tensor for this transition zone does not correspond with long term surface deformation, implying that coseismic as well as early postseismic effects on the subduction interface do not contribute to long term deformation of crustal fault zones. The Antofagasta earthquake took place just south of the large 1877 gap which extends from southern Peru to Mejillones Peninsula, being the surface expression of a barrier seperating the Antofagasta fault plane from the expected future fault plane. From our studies of the Antofagasta subduction zone and the surface displacement field we hope to find evidences for interface-crust-surface interactions which can be extrapolated also to the 1877 gap.

Experimental Modeling of Dynamic Shallow Dip-Slip Faulting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uenishi, K.

2010-12-01

In our earlier study (AGU 2005, SSJ 2005, JPGU 2006), using a finite difference technique, we have conducted some numerical simulations related to the source dynamics of shallow dip-slip earthquakes, and suggested the possibility of the existence of corner waves, i.e., shear waves that carry concentrated kinematic energy and generate extremely strong particle motions on the hanging wall of a nonvertical fault. In the numerical models, a dip-slip fault is located in a two-dimensional, monolithic linear elastic half space, and the fault plane dips either vertically or 45 degrees. We have investigated the seismic wave field radiated by crack-like rupture of this straight fault. If the fault rupture, initiated at depth, arrests just below or reaches the free surface, four Rayleigh-type pulses are generated: two propagating along the free surface into the opposite directions to the far field, the other two moving back along the ruptured fault surface (interface) downwards into depth. These downward interface pulses may largely control the stopping phase of the dynamic rupture, and in the case the fault plane is inclined, on the hanging wall the interface pulse and the outward-moving Rayleigh surface pulse interact with each other and the corner wave is induced. On the footwall, the ground motion is dominated simply by the weaker Rayleigh pulse propagating along the free surface because of much smaller interaction between this Rayleigh and the interface pulse. The generation of the downward interface pulses and corner wave may play a crucial role in understanding the effects of the geometrical asymmetry on the strong motion induced by shallow dip-slip faulting, but it has not been well recognized so far, partly because those waves are not expected for a fault that is located and ruptures only at depth. However, the seismological recordings of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, the 2004 Niigata-ken Chuetsu, Japan, earthquakes as well as a more recent one in Iwate-Miyagi Inland, Japan in 2008, for example, seem to support the need for careful mechanical consideration. In this contribution, utilizing two-dimensional dynamic photoelasticity in conjunction with high speed digital cinematography, we try to perform "fully controlled" laboratory experiments of dip-slip faulting and observe the propagation of interface pulses and corner waves mentioned above. A birefringent material containing a (model) dip-slip fault plane is prepared, and rupture is initiated in that material using an Nd:YAG laser system, and the evolution of time-dependent isochromatic fringe patterns (contours of maximum in-plane shear stress) associated with the dynamic process of shallow dip-slip faulting is recorded. Use of Nd:YAG laser pulses, instead of ignition of explosives, for rupture initiation may enhance the safety of laboratory fracture experiments and enable us to evaluate the energy entering the material (and hence the energy balance in the system) more precisely, possibly in a more controlled way.

Geomorphic features of surface ruptures associated with the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake in and around the downtown of Kumamoto City, and implications on triggered slip along active faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goto, Hideaki; Tsutsumi, Hiroyuki; Toda, Shinji; Kumahara, Yasuhiro

2017-02-01

The 30-km-long surface ruptures associated with the M w 7.0 ( M j 7.3) earthquake at 01:25 JST on April 16 in Kumamoto Prefecture appeared along the previously mapped 100-km-long active fault called the Futagawa-Hinagu fault zone (FHFZ). The surface ruptures appeared to have extended further west out of the main FHFZ into the Kumamoto Plain. Although InSAR analysis by Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) indicated coseismic surface deformation in and around the downtown of Kumamoto City, the surface ruptures have not been clearly mapped in the central part of the Kumamoto Plain, and whether there are other active faults other than the Futagawa fault in the Kumamoto Plain remained unclear. We produced topographical stereo images (anaglyph) from 5-m-mesh digital elevation model of GSI, which was generated from light detection and ranging data. We interpreted them and identified that several SW-sloping river terraces formed after the deposition of the pyroclastic flow deposits related to the latest large eruption of the Aso caldera (86.8-87.3 ka) are cut and deformed by several NW-trending flexure scarps down to the southwest. These 5.4-km-long scarps that cut across downtown Kumamoto were identified for the first time, and we name them as the Suizenji fault zone. Surface deformation such as continuous cracks, tilts, and monoclinal folding associated with the main shock of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake was observed in the field along the fault zone. The amount of vertical deformation ( 0.1 m) along this fault associated with the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake was quite small compared to the empirically calculated coseismic slip (0.5 m) based on the fault length. We thus suggest that the slip on this fault zone was triggered by the Kumamoto earthquake, but the fault zone has potential to generate an earthquake with larger slip that poses a high seismic risk in downtown Kumamoto area.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Morphological evolution of thin polymer film on chemically patterned substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Satya Pal

2018-05-01

In this paper work, pattern formation in ultra thin polymer film, adsorbed on chemically patterned substrates, is reported under strong confinement. The observations indicate for the strong influence of the surface attraction over evolution of spindoal waves, leading to the flattening of the film. But, the film appears to be torn apart in strip or nano fiber like structures, because of coalescences of the monomers at the free ends of the chains. The beads at the free ends of the chain are relatively more mobile. The chain diffusion towards attractive part of the chemically patterned surfaces is clearly seen. Prewetting or crystallization like phenomena seems to appear resulting into formation of strips with coexistence of molten phase drops at the top of the ruptured film. The investigation mimics spindoal dewetting because of the fact that the rupturing occurs in case of strong attractive surface. The investigation is of technical importance as it highlights the formation of nano scale strips and fibers though in a quasi equilibrium case.

Tear-Film Evaporation Rate from Simultaneous Ocular-Surface Temperature and Tear-Breakup Area.

PubMed

Dursch, Thomas J; Li, Wing; Taraz, Baseem; Lin, Meng C; Radke, Clayton J

2018-01-01

A corneal heat-transfer model is presented to quantify simultaneous measurements of fluorescein tear-breakup area (TBA) and ocular-surface temperature (OST). By accounting for disruption of the tear-film lipid layer (TFLL), we report evaporation rates through lipid-covered tear. The modified heat-transfer model provides new insights into evaporative dry eye. A quantitative analysis is presented to assess human aqueous tear evaporation rate (TER) through intact TFLLs from simultaneous in vivo measurement of time-dependent infrared OST and fluorescein TBA. We interpret simultaneous OST and TBA measurements using an extended heat-transfer model. We hypothesize that TBAs are ineffectively insulated by the TFLL and therefore exhibit higher TER than does that for a well-insulting TFLL-covered tear. As time proceeds, TBAs increase in number and size, thereby increasing the cornea area-averaged TER and decreasing OST. Tear-breakup areas were assessed from image analysis of fluorescein tear-film-breakup video recordings and are included in the heat-transfer description of OST. Model-predicted OSTs agree well with clinical experiments. Percent reductions in TER of lipid-covered tear range from 50 to 95% of that for pure water, in good agreement with literature. The physical picture of noninsulating or ruptured TFLL spots followed by enhanced evaporation from underlying cooler tear-film ruptures is consistent with the evaporative-driven mechanism for local tear rupture. A quantitative analysis is presented of in vivo TER from simultaneous clinical measurement of transient OST and TBA. The new heat-transfer model accounts for increased TER through expanding TBAs. Tear evaporation rate varies strongly across the cornea because lipid is effectively missing over tear-rupture troughs. The result is local faster evaporation compared with nonruptured, thick lipid-covered tear. Evaporative-driven tear-film ruptures deepen to a thickness where fluorescein quenching commences and local salinity rises to uncomfortable levels. Mitigation of tear-film rupture may therefore reduce dry eye-related symptoms.

The 1999 Hector Mine Earthquake, Southern California: Vector Near-Field Displacements from ERS InSAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandwell, David T.; Sichoix, Lydie; Smith, Bridget

2002-01-01

Two components of fault slip are uniquely determined from two line-of-sight (LOS) radar interferograms by assuming that the fault-normal component of displacement is zero. We use this approach with ascending and descending interferograms from the ERS satellites to estimate surface slip along the Hector Mine earthquake rupture. The LOS displacement is determined by visually counting fringes to within 1 km of the outboard ruptures. These LOS estimates and uncertainties are then transformed into strike- and dip-slip estimates and uncertainties; the transformation is singular for a N-S oriented fault and optimal for an E-W oriented fault. In contrast to our previous strike-slip estimates, which were based only on a descending interferogram, we now find good agreement with the geological measurements, except at the ends of the rupture. The ascending interferogram reveals significant west-sidedown dip-slip (approximately 1.0 m) which reduces the strike-slip estimates by 1 to 2 m, especially along the northern half of the rupture. A spike in the strike-slip displacement of 6 m is observed in central part of the rupture. This large offset is confirmed by subpixel cross correlation of features in the before and after amplitude images. In addition to strike slip and dip slip, we identify uplift and subsidence along the fault, related to the restraining and releasing bends in the fault trace, respectively. Our main conclusion is that at least two look directions are required for accurate estimates of surface slip even along a pure strike-slip fault. Models and results based only on a single look direction could have major errors. Our new estimates of strike slip and dip slip along the rupture provide a boundary condition for dislocation modeling. A simple model, which has uniform slip to a depth of 12 km, shows good agreement with the observed ascending and descending interferograms.

The Mw6.0 24 August 2014 South Napa earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brocher, Thomas M.; Baltay, Annemarie S.; Hardebeck, Jeanne L.; Pollitz, Fred F.; Murray, Jessica R.; Llenos, Andrea L.; Schwartz, David P.; Blair, James Luke; Ponti, Daniel J.; Lienkaemper, James J.; Langenheim, V.E.; Dawson, Timothy E.; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Shelly, David R.; Dreger, Douglas S.; Boatwright, John; Aagaard, Brad T.; Wald, David J.; Allen, Richard M.; Barnhart, William D.; Knudsen, Keith L.; Brooks, Benjamin A.; Scharer, Katherine M.

2015-01-01

The Mw 6.0 South Napa earthquake, which occurred at 10:20 UTC 24 August 2014 was the largest earthquake to strike the greater San Francisco Bay area since the Mw 6.9 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The rupture from this right‐lateral earthquake propagated mostly unilaterally to the north and up‐dip, directing the strongest shaking toward the city of Napa, where peak ground accelerations (PGAs) between 45%g and 61%g were recorded and modified Mercalli intensities (MMIs) of VII–VIII were reported. Tectonic surface rupture with dextral slip of up to 46 cm was observed on a 12.5 km long segment, some of which was along a previously mapped strand of the West Napa fault system, although the rupture extended to the north of the mapped Quaternary strand. Modeling of seismic and geodetic data suggests an average coseismic slip of 50 cm, with a maximum slip of about 1 m at depths of 10–11 km. We observed up to 35 cm of afterslip along the surface trace in the week following the mainshock, primarily along the southern half of the surface rupture that experienced relatively little coseismic offset. Relocation of the sparse aftershock sequence suggests en echelon southwest‐ and northeast‐dipping fault planes, reflective of the complex fault geometry in this region. The Napa basin and historic and late Holocene alluvial flood deposits in downtown Napa amplified the ground motions there. Few ground failures were mapped, reflecting the dry season (as well as a persistent drought that had lowered the groundwater table) and the short duration of strong shaking in the epicentral area.

Coseismic rupturing stopped by Aso volcano during the 2016 Mw 7.1 Kumamoto earthquake, Japan.

PubMed

Lin, A; Satsukawa, T; Wang, M; Mohammadi Asl, Z; Fueta, R; Nakajima, F

2016-11-18

Field investigations and seismic data show that the 16 April 2016 moment magnitude (M w ) 7.1 Kumamoto earthquake produced a ~40-kilometer-long surface rupture zone along the northeast-southwest-striking Hinagu-Futagawa strike-slip fault zone and newly identified faults on the western side of Aso caldera, Kyushu Island, Japan. The coseismic surface ruptures cut Aso caldera, including two volcanic cones inside it, but terminate therein. The data show that northeastward propagation of coseismic rupturing terminated in Aso caldera because of the presence of magma beneath the Aso volcanic cluster. The seismogenic faults of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake may require reassessment of the volcanic hazard in the vicinity of Aso volcano. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Influence of Evaporation on Soap Film Rupture.

PubMed

Champougny, Lorène; Miguet, Jonas; Henaff, Robin; Restagno, Frédéric; Boulogne, François; Rio, Emmanuelle

2018-03-13

Although soap films are prone to evaporate due to their large surface to volume ratio, the effect of evaporation on macroscopic film features has often been disregarded in the literature. In this work, we experimentally investigate the influence of environmental humidity on soap film stability. An original experiment allows to measure both the maximum length of a film pulled at constant velocity and its thinning dynamics in a controlled atmosphere for various values of the relative humidity [Formula: see text]. At first order, the environmental humidity seems to have almost no impact on most of the film thinning dynamics. However, we find that the film length at rupture increases continuously with [Formula: see text]. To rationalize our observations, we propose that film bursting occurs when the thinning due to evaporation becomes comparable to the thinning due to liquid drainage. This rupture criterion turns out to be in reasonable agreement with an estimation of the evaporation rate in our experiment.

Apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a conduit wall

DOEpatents

Glass, S. Jill; Nicolaysen, Scott D.; Beauchamp, Edwin K.

2003-05-13

A frangible rupture disk and mounting apparatus for use in blocking fluid flow, generally in a fluid conducting conduit such as a well casing, a well tubing string or other conduits within subterranean boreholes. The disk can also be utilized in above-surface pipes or tanks where temporary and controllable fluid blockage is required. The frangible rupture disk is made from a pre-stressed glass with controllable rupture properties wherein the strength distribution has a standard deviation less than approximately 5% from the mean strength. The frangible rupture disk has controllable operating pressures and rupture pressures.

Effects of oxygen plasma treatment on domestic aramid fiber III reinforced bismaleimide composite interfacial properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Chen; Wang, Jing; Chen, Ping; Feng, Jiayue; Cui, Jinyuan; Yang, Faze

2017-12-01

Domestic Aramid Fiber III (DAF III) was modified by oxygen plasma treatment. The fiber surface characteristics was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results showed that oxygen plasma treatment changed surface morphologies. The effects of oxygen plasma treatment on DAF III reinforced bismaleimides (BMI) composite bending and interfacial properties were investigated, respectively. The ILSS value increased from 49.3 MPa to 56.0 MPa (by 13.5%) after oxygen plasma treatment. The bending strength changed a little. Furthermore, the composite rupture mode changed from interfacial rupture to fiber or resin bulk rupture.

Finite-fault inversion of the Mw 5.9 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake (Northern Italy) using aftershocks as near-field Green's function approximations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Causse, Mathieu; Cultrera, Giovanna; Herrero, André; Courboulex, Françoise; Schiappapietra, Erika; Moreau, Ludovic

2017-04-01

On May 29, 2012 occurred a Mw 5.9 earthquake in the Emilia-Romagna region (Po Plain) on a thrust fault system. This shock, as well as hundreds of aftershocks, were recorded by 10 strong motion stations located less than 10 km away from the rupture plane, with 4 stations located within the surface rupture projection. The Po Plain is a very large EW trending syntectonic alluvial basin, delimited by the Alps and Apennines chains to the North and South. The Plio-Quaternary sedimentary sequence filling the Po Plain is characterized by an uneven thickness, ranging from several thousands of meters to a few tens of meters. This particular context results especially in a resonance basin below 1 Hz and strong surface waves, which makes it particularly difficult to model wave propagation and hence to obtain robust images of the rupture propagation. This study proposes to take advantage of the large set of recorded aftershocks, considered as point sources, to model wave propagation. Due to the heterogeneous distribution of the aftershocks on the fault plane, an interpolation technique is proposed to compute an approximation of the Green's function between each fault point and each strong motion station in the frequency range [0.2-1Hz]. We then use a Bayesian inversion technique (Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithm) to obtain images of the rupture propagation from the strong motion data. We propose to retrieve the slip distribution by inverting the final slip value at some control points, which are allowed to move on the fault plane, and by interpolating the slip value between these points. We show that the use of 5 control points to describe the slip, coupled with the hypothesis of spatially constant rupture velocity and rise-time (that is 18 free source parameters), results in a good level of fit with the data. This indicates that despite their complexity, the strong motion data can be properly modeled up to 1 Hz using a relatively simple rupture. The inversion results also reveal that the rupture propagated slowly, at a speed of about 45% of the shear wave velocity.

New investigations of the October 1999 Hector Mine Earthquake surface rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sousa, F.; Harvey, J. C.; Hudnut, K. W.; Akciz, S. O.; Stock, J. M.

2013-12-01

We report on new field and computer based investigation of the surface rupture of the October 16, 1999 Hector Mine Earthquake. In cooperation with the United States Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms (MCAGCC), our team was allowed ground and aerial access to the extent of the surface rupture for limited times during October - December 2012. As far as we know, this was the first scientific access granted to the entire surface rupture since the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, and the first scientific access of any kind to some parts of the maximum slip zone since before the event. This locale is an excellent natural laboratory for detailed study of a major earthquake surface rupture because: 1) complete circumscription within the boundaries of MCAGCC severely limit both past and future human disruption of the rupture, particularly in the mountainous maximum slip zone; 2) groundbreaking aerial LiDAR survey carried out six months after the earthquake was followed up by a higher density, wider swath LiDAR survey in May 2012, making the temporal evolution of this rupture perhaps the most completely physically documented of any major rupture; and 3) field investigation immediately following the event was followed up by computer based offset measurements using the April 2000 LiDAR dataset, providing a database of published offset measurements. Due to time constraints imposed by MCAGGC we focused our new research effort along the ~8 km long maximum slip zone of the rupture, roughly corresponding to the zone of >4 m dextral offset. Our investigation includes 1) walking this entire section of the fault and making >30 measurements of dextral slip while photo documenting the current state of the rupture; 2) creating a difference raster for the entire 8 km maximum slip zone from exactly congruent DEM's made from the 2000 and 2012 LiDAR data sets; 3) documenting the fault traces with a Trimble GeoXH high precision handheld GPS unit (+/- 10 cm); 4) carrying out field checks of a small number of computer-based offset measurements made using the 2000 LiDAR dataset; and 5) high-resolution low-altitude (<100 m AGL) photography of the maximum slip zone during a helicopter overflight. To date, important results include 1) identification of two new maximum slip locations where features are offset 7.9 m +/- 0.5 m and 6.7 m +/- 0.5 m; 2) a database of >30 offset measurements (georeferenced and photo documented) made by our team on the ground; 3) clear changes in fracture visibility in the field, with some fractures more visible, and others no longer visible, compared to the 1999-2000 studies; and 4) examples of a few field checks that both strongly agree and disagree with computer based LiDAR offset measurements.

Analytic Study of Three-Dimensional Rupture Propagation in Strike-Slip Faulting with Analogue Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Pei-Chen; Chu, Sheng-Shin; Lin, Ming-Lang

2014-05-01

Strike-slip faults are high angle (or nearly vertical) fractures where the blocks have moved along strike way (nearly horizontal). Overburden soil profiles across main faults of Strike-slip faults have revealed the palm and tulip structure characteristics. McCalpin (2005) has trace rupture propagation on overburden soil surface. In this study, we used different offset of slip sandbox model profiles to study the evolution of three-dimensional rupture propagation by strike -slip faulting. In strike-slip faults model, type of rupture propagation and width of shear zone (W) are primary affecting by depth of overburden layer (H), distances of fault slip (Sy). There are few research to trace of three-dimensional rupture behavior and propagation. Therefore, in this simplified sandbox model, investigate rupture propagation and shear zone with profiles across main faults when formation are affecting by depth of overburden layer and distances of fault slip. The investigators at the model included width of shear zone, length of rupture (L), angle of rupture (θ) and space of rupture. The surface results was follow the literature that the evolution sequence of failure envelope was R-faults, P-faults and Y-faults which are parallel to the basement fault. Comparison surface and profiles structure which were curved faces and cross each other to define 3-D rupture and width of shear zone. We found that an increase in fault slip could result in a greater width of shear zone, and proposed a W/H versus Sy/H relationship. Deformation of shear zone showed a similar trend as in the literature that the increase of fault slip resulted in the increase of W, however, the increasing trend became opposite after a peak (when Sy/H was 1) value of W was reached (small than 1.5). The results showed that the W width is limited at a constant value in 3-D models by strike-slip faulting. In conclusion, this study helps evaluate the extensions of the shear zone influenced regions for strike-slip faults.

A preliminary study on surface ground deformation near shallow foundation induced by strike-slip faulting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Pei-Syuan; Lin, Ming-Lang

2016-04-01

According to investigation of recent earthquakes, ground deformation and surface rupture are used to map the influenced range of the active fault. The zones of horizontal and vertical surface displacements and different features of surface rupture are investigated in the field, for example, the Greendale Fault 2010, MW 7.1 Canterbury earthquake. The buildings near the fault rotated and displaced vertically and horizontally due to the ground deformation. Besides, the propagation of fault trace detoured them because of the higher rigidity. Consequently, it's necessary to explore the ground deformation and mechanism of the foundation induced by strike-slip faulting for the safety issue. Based on previous study from scaled analogue model of strike-slip faulting, the ground deformation is controlled by material properties, depth of soil, and boundary condition. On the condition controlled, the model shows the features of ground deformation in the field. This study presents results from shear box experiment on small-scale soft clay models subjected to strike-slip faulting and placed shallow foundations on it in a 1-g environment. The quantifiable data including sequence of surface rupture, topography and the position of foundation are recorded with increasing faulting. From the result of the experiment, first en echelon R shears appeared. The R shears rotated to a more parallel angle to the trace and cracks pulled apart along them with increasing displacements. Then the P shears crossed the basement fault in the opposite direction appears and linked R shears. Lastly the central shear was Y shears. On the other hand, the development of wider zones of rupture, higher rising surface and larger the crack area on surface developed, with deeper depth of soil. With the depth of 1 cm and half-box displacement 1.2 cm, en echelon R shears appeared and the surface above the fault trace elevated to 1.15 mm (Dv), causing a 1.16 cm-wide zone of ground-surface rupture and deformation (W). Compared to the investigation in field, rupture of the Greendale Fault, produced a 30-km-long, 300-m-wide zone of ground-surface rupture and deformation (W), involving 5.29 m maximum horizontal , 1.45 m maximum vertical (Dv, max) and 2.59 m average net displacement. Meanwhile, en echelon R shears and cracks were recorded in some region. Besides, the 400-m depth of deep sedimentation (Ds) in the Christchurch City area. Greendale Fault showed close ratio Dv/Ds and W/Ds compared to the experimental case (in the same order), which indicated the wide zone of ground-surface rupture and deformation may be normalized with the vertical displacement (Dv). The foundation located above the basement-fault trace had obvious horizontal displacements and counter-clockwise rotation with increasing displacement. Horizontal displacements and rotation decreased with deeper depth of soil. The deeper embedded foundation caused more rotation. Besides, the soil near the foundation is confined and pressed when it rotates. Key words: strike-slip fault, shallow foundation, ground deformation

The 1959 MW 7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake revisited: morphology and mechanics from lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, K. L.; Nissen, E.; Lajoie, L. J.

2016-12-01

This study demonstrates how we can glean new information by revisiting an early instrumental earthquake with high-resolution topography and modern thinking about the mechanics of surface rupturing. The 1959 MW 7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake is among the largest and most deadly historic earthquakes within the conterminous United States outside of California, and one of the largest normal faulting earthquakes on record globally. The earthquake ruptured the subparallel Hebgen and Red Canyon faults within the slowly extending ( 3 mm/yr) Centennial Mountain Belt, and is one of the first to be field mapped in detail, modeled from global seismograms, and surveyed geodetically. Here, we augment these early studies with an investigation of the surface rupture in its current state. We use a 50 cm-resolution airborne lidar digital terrain model collected by the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) in 2014 to document the fault scarp morphology, constrain its evolution, and speculate on the mechanical rupture properties. Using a dense set of scarp profiles, we add >400 displacement measurements to the 143 published data points from early field work, allowing more rigorous quantification of along-strike slip variability and strain gradients. Evidence of off-fault deformation is sparse along most of the scarp, though damage zone width increases where the earthquake ruptured closely spaced sedimentary contacts rather than unconsolidated Quaternary deposits. In a few places, we can identify composite scarps from which we estimate the number of earthquakes that have offset Holocene surfaces. We assess the scarp's degraded state, including some sites that were surveyed in 1980 and 2009 and others that have not been revisited since the initial investigation. Where the rupture crosses unconsolidated surfaces, we compute local sediment diffusion coefficients and analyze their variability along strike. Lastly, we model subsurface fault geometry by fitting dipping planes to its surface trace, testing our best-fit fault dips against those recovered in seismic analyses; this reaffirms that both main rupture strands correspond to primary faulting rather than induced landsliding.

Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikoura earthquake (New Zealand) from optical satellite image correlation using MicMac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champenois, Johann; Klinger, Yann; Grandin, Raphaël; Satriano, Claudio; Baize, Stéphane; Delorme, Arthur; Scotti, Oona

2017-04-01

Remote sensing techniques, like optical satellite image correlation, are very efficient methods to localize and quantify surface displacements due to earthquakes. In this study, we use the french sub-pixel correlator MicMac (Multi Images Correspondances par Méthodes Automatiques de Corrélation). This free open-source software, developed by IGN, was recently adapted to process satellite images. This correlator uses regularization, and that provides good results especially in near-fault area with a high spatial resolution. We use co-seismic pair of ortho-images to measure the horizontal displacement field during the recent 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikoura earthquake. Optical satellite images from different satellites are processed (Sentinel-2A, Landsat8, etc.) to present a dense map of the surface ruptures and to analyze high density slip distribution along all major ruptures. We also provide a detail pattern of deformation along these main surface ruptures. Moreover, 2D displacement from optical correlation is compared to co-seismic measurements from GPS, static displacement from accelerometric records, geodetic marks and field investigations. Last but not least, we investigate the reconstruction of 3D displacement from combining InSAR, GPS and optic.

An insight on correlations between kinematic rupture parameters from dynamic ruptures on rough faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thingbijam, Kiran Kumar; Galis, Martin; Vyas, Jagdish; Mai, P. Martin

2017-04-01

We examine the spatial interdependence between kinematic parameters of earthquake rupture, which include slip, rise-time (total duration of slip), acceleration time (time-to-peak slip velocity), peak slip velocity, and rupture velocity. These parameters were inferred from dynamic rupture models obtained by simulating spontaneous rupture on faults with varying degree of surface-roughness. We observe that the correlations between these parameters are better described by non-linear correlations (that is, on logarithm-logarithm scale) than by linear correlations. Slip and rise-time are positively correlated while these two parameters do not correlate with acceleration time, peak slip velocity, and rupture velocity. On the other hand, peak slip velocity correlates positively with rupture velocity but negatively with acceleration time. Acceleration time correlates negatively with rupture velocity. However, the observed correlations could be due to weak heterogeneity of the slip distributions given by the dynamic models. Therefore, the observed correlations may apply only to those parts of rupture plane with weak slip heterogeneity if earthquake-rupture associate highly heterogeneous slip distributions. Our findings will help to improve pseudo-dynamic rupture generators for efficient broadband ground-motion simulations for seismic hazard studies.

Seismic rupture process of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake (Mw7.0) inferred from seismic and SAR data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Rúben; Caldeira, Bento; Borges, José; Bezzeghoud, Mourad

2013-04-01

On January 12th 2010 at 21:53, the Port-au-Prince - Haiti region was struck by an Mw7 earthquake, the second most deadly of the history. The last seismic significant events in the region occurred in November 1751 and June 1770 [1]. Geodetic and geological studies, previous to the 2010 earthquake [2] have warned to the potential of the destructive seismic events in that region and this event has confirmed those warnings. Some aspects of the source of this earthquake are nonconsensual. There is no agreement in the mechanism of rupture or correlation with the fault that should have it generated [3]. In order to better understand the complexity of this rupture, we combined several techniques and data of different nature. We used teleseismic body-wave and Synthetic Aperture Radar data (SAR) based on the following methodology: 1) analysis of the rupture process directivity [4] to determine the velocity and direction of rupture; 2) teleseismic body-wave inversion to obtain the spatiotemporal fault slip distribution and a detailed rupture model; 3) near field surface deformation modeling using the calculated seismic rupture model and compared with the measured deformation field using SAR data of sensor Advanced Land Observing Satellite - Phased Array L-band SAR (ALOS-PALSAR). The combined application of seismic and geodetic data reveals a complex rupture that spread during approximately 12s mainly from WNW to ESE with average velocity of 2,5km/s, on a north-dipping fault plane. Two main asperities are obtained: the first (and largest) occurs within the first ~ 5sec and extends for approximately 6km around the hypocenter; the second one, that happens in the remaining 6s, covers a near surface rectangular strip with about 12km long by 3km wide. The first asperity is compatible with a left lateral strike-slip motion with a small reverse component; the mechanism of second asperity is predominantly reverse. The obtained rupture process allows modeling a coseismic deformation which is in agreement with the deformation field measured by InSAR. [1] Bakun W, Flores C, Brink U, 2012 Significant Earthquakes on the Enriquillo Fault System, Hispaniola, 1500-2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard. Bul. Seis. Soc. of America, 102(1):18-30. [2] Dixon, T. et al., 1998. Relative motion between the Caribbean and North American plates and related boundary zone deformation based on a decade of GPS observations. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 15157-15182. [3] Mercier de Lépinay, B., Deschamps, A., Klingelhoefer, F., Mazabraud, Y., Delouis, B., Clouard, V., Hello Y., Crozon, J., Marcaillou, B., Graindorge, D., Vallée M., Perrot, J., Bouin, M., Saurel, J., Charvis, Philippe, C. and St-Louis, 2011. The 2010 Haiti earthquake: A complex fault pattern constrained by seismologic and tectonic observations, Geoph. Res. Let., 30, L22305 [4] Caldeira B, Bezzeghoud M, Borges JF., 2009 DIRDOP: a directivity approach to determining the seismic rupture velocity vector. J. of Seis.. 2009;14(3):565-600.

Insight into the rupture process of a rare tsunami earthquake from near-field high-rate GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macpherson, K. A.; Hill, E. M.; Elosegui, P.; Banerjee, P.; Sieh, K. E.

2011-12-01

We investigated the rupture duration and velocity of the October 25, 2010 Mentawai earthquake by examining high-rate GPS displacement data. This Mw=7.8 earthquake appears to have ruptured either an up-dip part of the Sumatran megathrust or a fore-arc splay fault, and produced tsunami run-ups on nearby islands that were out of proportion with its magnitude. It has been described as a so-called "slow tsunami earthquake", characterised by a dearth of high-frequency signal and long rupture duration in low-strength, near-surface media. The event was recorded by the Sumatran GPS Array (SuGAr), a network of high-rate (1 sec) GPS sensors located on the nearby islands of the Sumatran fore-arc. For this study, the 1 sec time series from 8 SuGAr stations were selected for analysis due to their proximity to the source and high-quality recordings of both static displacements and dynamic waveforms induced by surface waves. The stations are located at epicentral distances of between 50 and 210 km, providing a unique opportunity to observe the dynamic source processes of a tsunami earthquake from near-source, high-rate GPS. We estimated the rupture duration and velocity by simulating the rupture using the spectral finite-element method SPECFEM and comparing the synthetic time series to the observed surface waves. A slip model from a previous study, derived from the inversion of GPS static offsets and tsunami data, and the CRUST2.0 3D velocity model were used as inputs for the simulations. Rupture duration and velocity were varied for a suite of simulations in order to determine the parameters that produce the best-fitting waveforms.

Surface slip during large Owens Valley earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haddon, E. K.; Amos, C. B.; Zielke, O.; Jayko, A. S.; Bürgmann, R.

2016-06-01

The 1872 Owens Valley earthquake is the third largest known historical earthquake in California. Relatively sparse field data and a complex rupture trace, however, inhibited attempts to fully resolve the slip distribution and reconcile the total moment release. We present a new, comprehensive record of surface slip based on lidar and field investigation, documenting 162 new measurements of laterally and vertically displaced landforms for 1872 and prehistoric Owens Valley earthquakes. Our lidar analysis uses a newly developed analytical tool to measure fault slip based on cross-correlation of sublinear topographic features and to produce a uniquely shaped probability density function (PDF) for each measurement. Stacking PDFs along strike to form cumulative offset probability distribution plots (COPDs) highlights common values corresponding to single and multiple-event displacements. Lateral offsets for 1872 vary systematically from ˜1.0 to 6.0 m and average 3.3 ± 1.1 m (2σ). Vertical offsets are predominantly east-down between ˜0.1 and 2.4 m, with a mean of 0.8 ± 0.5 m. The average lateral-to-vertical ratio compiled at specific sites is ˜6:1. Summing displacements across subparallel, overlapping rupture traces implies a maximum of 7-11 m and net average of 4.4 ± 1.5 m, corresponding to a geologic Mw ˜7.5 for the 1872 event. We attribute progressively higher-offset lateral COPD peaks at 7.1 ± 2.0 m, 12.8 ± 1.5 m, and 16.6 ± 1.4 m to three earlier large surface ruptures. Evaluating cumulative displacements in context with previously dated landforms in Owens Valley suggests relatively modest rates of fault slip, averaging between ˜0.6 and 1.6 mm/yr (1σ) over the late Quaternary.

Broadband Rupture Process of the 2001 Kunlun Fault (Mw 7.8) Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antolik, M.; Abercrombie, R.; Ekstrom, G.

2003-04-01

We model the source process of the 14 November, 2001 Kunlun fault earthquake using broadband body waves from the Global Digital Seismographic Network (P, SH) and both point-source and distributed slip techniques. The point-source mechanism technique is a non-linear iterative inversion that solves for focal mechanism, moment rate function, depth, and rupture directivity. The P waves reveal a complex rupture process for the first 30 s, with smooth unilateral rupture toward the east along the Kunlun fault accounting for the remainder of the 120 s long rupture. The obtained focal mechanism for the main portion of the rupture is (strike=96o, dip=83o, rake=-8o) which is consistent with both the Harvard CMT solution and observations of the surface rupture. The seismic moment is 5.29×1020 Nm and the average rupture velocity is ˜3.5 km/s. However, the initial portion of the P waves cannot be fit at all with this mechanism. A strong pulse visible in the first 20 s can only be matched with an oblique-slip subevent (MW ˜ 6.8-7.0) involving a substantial normal faulting component, but the nodal planes of this mechanism are not well constrained. The first-motion polarities of the P waves clearly require a strike mechanism with a similar orientation as the Kunlun fault. Field observations of the surface rupture (Xu et al., SRL, 73, No. 6) reveal a small 26 km-long strike-slip rupture at the far western end (90.5o E) with a 45-km long gap and extensional step-over between this rupture and the main Kunlun fault rupture. We hypothesize that the initial fault break occurred on this segment, with release of the normal faulting energy as a continuous rupture through the extensional step, enabling transfer of the slip to the main Kunlun fault. This process is similar to that which occurred during the 2002 Denali fault (MW 7.9) earthquake sequence except that 11 days elapsed between the October 23 (M_W 6.7) foreshock and the initial break of the Denali earthquake along a thrust fault.

Source rupture process of the 2016 Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquake estimated from the kinematic waveform inversion of strong-motion data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Ao; Wang, Mingfeng; Yu, Xiangwei; Zhang, Wenbo

2018-03-01

On 2016 November 13, an Mw 7.8 earthquake occurred in the northeast of the South Island of New Zealand near Kaikoura. The earthquake caused severe damages and great impacts on local nature and society. Referring to the tectonic environment and defined active faults, the field investigation and geodetic evidence reveal that at least 12 fault sections ruptured in the earthquake, and the focal mechanism is one of the most complicated in historical earthquakes. On account of the complexity of the source rupture, we propose a multisegment fault model based on the distribution of surface ruptures and active tectonics. We derive the source rupture process of the earthquake using the kinematic waveform inversion method with the multisegment fault model from strong-motion data of 21 stations (0.05-0.35 Hz). The inversion result suggests the rupture initiates in the epicentral area near the Humps fault, and then propagates northeastward along several faults, until the offshore Needles fault. The Mw 7.8 event is a mixture of right-lateral strike and reverse slip, and the maximum slip is approximately 19 m. The synthetic waveforms reproduce the characteristics of the observed ones well. In addition, we synthesize the coseismic offsets distribution of the ruptured region from the slips of upper subfaults in the fault model, which is roughly consistent with the surface breaks observed in the field survey.

High Frequency Near-Field Ground Motion Excited by Strike-Slip Step Overs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Feng; Wen, Jian; Chen, Xiaofei

2018-03-01

We performed dynamic rupture simulations on step overs with 1-2 km step widths and present their corresponding horizontal peak ground velocity distributions in the near field within different frequency ranges. The rupture speeds on fault segments are determinant in controlling the near-field ground motion. A Mach wave impact area at the free surface, which can be inferred from the distribution of the ratio of the maximum fault-strike particle velocity to the maximum fault-normal particle velocity, is generated in the near field with sustained supershear ruptures on fault segments, and the Mach wave impact area cannot be detected with unsustained supershear ruptures alone. Sub-Rayleigh ruptures produce stronger ground motions beyond the end of fault segments. The existence of a low-velocity layer close to the free surface generates large amounts of high-frequency seismic radiation at step over discontinuities. For near-vertical step overs, normal stress perturbations on the primary fault caused by dipping structures affect the rupture speed transition, which further determines the distribution of the near-field ground motion. The presence of an extensional linking fault enhances the near-field ground motion in the extensional regime. This work helps us understand the characteristics of high-frequency seismic radiation in the vicinities of step overs and provides useful insights for interpreting the rupture speed distributions derived from the characteristics of near-field ground motion.

Ceramic Life Prediction Methodology.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

stress rupture data were collected on two materials, a sintered silicon nitride and a lithium-aluminum-silicate. The fast fracture data was presented...graphically in the form of Weibull plots of percent failed versus failure stress . The stress rupture results were presented in tabular form. Photo...micrographs were presented to illustrate the fracture surfaces of fast fracture and stress rupture failures. A program of specimen development was coaducted

The Constantine (northeast Algeria) earthquake of October 27, 1985: surface ruptures and aftershock study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bounif, A.; Haessler, H.; Meghraoui, M.

1987-10-01

An earthquake of magnitude Ms = 6.0 (CSEM, Strasbourg) occurred at Constantine (Algeria) on 27 October 1985. This seismic event is the strongest felt in the Tellian Atlas since the El Asnam seismic crisis of October 10, 1980. A team from the Centre de Recherche d'Astronomie, d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique (CRAAG, Algeria), utilising 8 portable stations, registered the activity a few days after the main shock. The aftershocks follow a N045° direction, and show the existence of three ruptured segments. Cross sections display a remarkable vertical fault plane and suggest asperities in the rupture process. Surface breaks were found affecting Quaternary deposits. The principal segment is about 3.8 km long showing “enéchelon” cracks with left-lateral displacement while the main direction of the rupture is N055°. Although the vertical motion is small, the northwestern block shows a normal component of the main surface faulting, while the left-lateral displacement is about 10 cm. The strike-slip focal mechanism solution determined from the global seismic network and field observations are in good agreement.

Droplet size effects on film drainage between droplet and substrate.

PubMed

Steinhaus, Benjamin; Spicer, Patrick T; Shen, Amy Q

2006-06-06

When a droplet approaches a solid surface, the thin liquid film between the droplet and the surface drains until an instability forms and then ruptures. In this study, we utilize microfluidics to investigate the effects of film thickness on the time to film rupture for water droplets in a flowing continuous phase of silicone oil deposited on solid poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces. The water droplets ranged in size from millimeters to micrometers, resulting in estimated values of the film thickness at rupture ranging from 600 nm down to 6 nm. The Stefan-Reynolds equation is used to model film drainage beneath both millimeter- and micrometer-scale droplets. For millimeter-scale droplets, the experimental and analytical film rupture times agree well, whereas large differences are observed for micrometer-scale droplets. We speculate that the differences in the micrometer-scale data result from the increases in the local thin film viscosity due to confinement-induced molecular structure changes in the silicone oil. A modified Stefan-Reynolds equation is used to account for the increased thin film viscosity of the micrometer-scale droplet drainage case.

Evaporation-driven instability of the precorneal tear film.

PubMed

Peng, Cheng-Chun; Cerretani, Colin; Braun, Richard J; Radke, C J

2014-04-01

Tear-film instability is widely believed to be a signature of eye health. When an interblink is prolonged, randomly distributed ruptures occur in the tear film. "Black spots" and/or "black streaks" appear in 15 to 40 s for normal individuals. For people who suffer from dry eye, tear-film breakup time (BUT) is typically less than a few seconds. To date, however, there is no satisfactory quantitative explanation for the origin of tear rupture. Recently, it was proposed that tear-film breakup is related to locally high evaporative thinning. A spatial variation in the thickness of the tear-film lipid layer (TFLL) may lead to locally elevated evaporation and subsequent tear-film breakup. We examine the local-evaporation-driven tear-film-rupture hypothesis in a one-dimensional (1-D) model for the evolution of a thin aqueous tear film overriding the cornea subject to locally elevated evaporation at its anterior surface and osmotic water influx at its posterior surface. Evaporation rate depends on mass transfer both through the coating lipid layer and through ambient air. We establish that evaporation-driven tear-film breakup can occur under normal conditions but only for higher aqueous evaporation rates. Predicted roles of environmental conditions, such as wind speed and relative humidity, on tear-film stability agree with clinical observations. More importantly, locally elevated evaporation leads to hyperosmolar spots in the tear film and, hence, vulnerability to epithelial irritation. In addition to evaporation rate, tear-film instability depends on the strength of healing flow from the neighboring region outside the breakup region, which is determined by the surface tension at the tear-film surface and by the repulsive thin-film disjoining pressure. This study provides a physically consistent and quantitative explanation for the formation of black streaks and spots in the human tear film during an interblink. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-Wavelength Rupturing Instability in Surface-Tension-Driven Benard Convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, J. B.; Hook, Stephen J. Van; Becerril, Ricardo; McCormick, W. D.; Swinney, H. L.; Schatz, Michael F.

1999-01-01

A liquid layer with a free upper surface and heated from below is subject to thermocapillary-induced convective instabilities. We use very thin liquid layers (0.01 cm) to significantly reduce buoyancy effects and simulate Marangoni convection in microgravity. We observe thermocapillary-driven convection in two qualitatively different modes, short-wavelength Benard hexagonal convection cells and a long-wavelength interfacial rupturing mode. We focus on the long-wavelength mode and present experimental observations and theoretical analyses of the long-wavelength instability. Depending on the depths and thermal conductivities of the liquid and the gas above it, the interface can rupture downwards and form a dry spot or rupture upwards and form a high spot. Linear stability theory gives good agreement to the experimental measurements of onset as long as sidewall effects are taken into account. Nonlinear theory correctly predicts the subcritical nature of the bifurcation and the selection between the dry spot and high spots.

Observation of self-excited acoustic vortices in defect-mediated dust acoustic wave turbulence.

PubMed

Tsai, Ya-Yi; I, Lin

2014-07-01

Using the self-excited dust acoustic wave as a platform, we demonstrate experimental observation of self-excited fluctuating acoustic vortex pairs with ± 1 topological charges through spontaneous waveform undulation in defect-mediated turbulence for three-dimensional traveling nonlinear longitudinal waves. The acoustic vortex pair has helical waveforms with opposite chirality around the low-density hole filament pair in xyt space (the xy plane is the plane normal to the wave propagation direction). It is generated through ruptures of sequential crest surfaces and reconnections with their trailing ruptured crest surfaces. The initial rupture is originated from the amplitude reduction induced by the formation of the kinked wave crest strip with strong stretching through the undulation instability. Increasing rupture causes the separation of the acoustic vortex pair after generation. A similar reverse process is followed for the acoustic vortex annihilating with the opposite-charged acoustic vortex from the same or another pair generation.

3D fault curvature and fractal roughness: Insights for rupture dynamics and ground motions using a Discontinous Galerkin method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, Thomas; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes

2017-04-01

Natural fault geometries are subject to a large degree of uncertainty. Their geometrical structure is not directly observable and may only be inferred from surface traces, or geophysical measurements. Most studies aiming at assessing the potential seismic hazard of natural faults rely on idealised shaped models, based on observable large-scale features. Yet, real faults are wavy at all scales, their geometric features presenting similar statistical properties from the micro to the regional scale. Dynamic rupture simulations aim to capture the observed complexity of earthquake sources and ground-motions. From a numerical point of view, incorporating rough faults in such simulations is challenging - it requires optimised codes able to run efficiently on high-performance computers and simultaneously handle complex geometries. Physics-based rupture dynamics hosted by rough faults appear to be much closer to source models inverted from observation in terms of complexity. Moreover, the simulated ground-motions present many similarities with observed ground-motions records. Thus, such simulations may foster our understanding of earthquake source processes, and help deriving more accurate seismic hazard estimates. In this presentation, the software package SeisSol (www.seissol.org), based on an ADER-Discontinuous Galerkin scheme, is used to solve the spontaneous dynamic earthquake rupture problem. The usage of tetrahedral unstructured meshes naturally allows for complicated fault geometries. However, SeisSol's high-order discretisation in time and space is not particularly suited for small-scale fault roughness. We will demonstrate modelling conditions under which SeisSol resolves rupture dynamics on rough faults accurately. The strong impact of the geometric gradient of the fault surface on the rupture process is then shown in 3D simulations. Following, the benefits of explicitly modelling fault curvature and roughness, in distinction to prescribing heterogeneous initial stress conditions on a planar fault, is demonstrated. Furthermore, we show that rupture extend, rupture front coherency and rupture speed are highly dependent on the initial amplitude of stress acting on the fault, defined by the normalized prestress factor R, the ratio of the potential stress drop over the breakdown stress drop. The effects of fault complexity are particularly pronounced for lower R. By low-pass filtering a rough fault at several cut-off wavelengths, we then try to capture rupture complexity using a simplified fault geometry. We find that equivalent source dynamics can only be obtained using a scarcely filtered fault associated with a reduced stress level. To investigate the wavelength-dependent roughness effect, the fault geometry is bandpass-filtered over several spectral ranges. We show that geometric fluctuations cause rupture velocity fluctuations of similar length scale. The impact of fault geometry is especially pronounced when the rupture front velocity is near supershear. Roughness fluctuations significantly smaller than the rupture front characteristic dimension (cohesive zone size) affect only macroscopic rupture properties, thus, posing a minimum length scale limiting the required resolution of 3D fault complexity. Lastly, the effect of fault curvature and roughness on the simulated ground-motions is assessed. Despite employing a simple linear slip weakening friction law, the simulated ground-motions compare well with estimates from ground motions prediction equations, even at relatively high frequencies.

Active Tectonics in the Central Chilean Andes: 3D Tomography Based on the Aftershock Sequence of the 28 August 2004 Shallow Crustal Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comte, D.; Farias, M.; Charrier, R.; Gonzalez, A.

2008-12-01

Most of the seismological research in the Andes has been mainly oriented to the detection and understanding of the seismicity associated with megathrust earthquakes that characterize the subduction environment that governs the Andean tectonics. However, deployments of temporary networks have allowed the detection of intense crustal seismicity beneath the Chilean forearc-arc region. The temporary seismic network deployed along the Las Leñas and Pangal river valleys (34°25'S), between January and May 2004 permitted to better constrain the abundant shallow intra-continental seismicity previously detected in that region. Although most of the seismicity is randomly distributed in the region, several microearthquakes occur along the trace of the major El Fierro fault-system. This system is well recognized between 33°30' and 35°15'S and is located at or close to the eastern contact between Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits in the Principal Cordillera and, locally, below active volcanoes, being considered to have participated in the extension and tectonic inversion of a widely extended (>600 km long) Cenozoic basin along the Principal Cordillera. Further south, at 35°S, a Mw=6.5 strike-slip shallow earthquake occurred on August 28, 2004, near of the headwater of the Teno river, close to the Planchon volcano. A 3D detailed Vp and Vs velocities determination was obtained along the 2004 earthquake aftershock area. The aftershocks are distributed along one branch of the El Fierro fault system, with a NNE-SSW direction and depths lower than 15 km. The rupture zone coincides with a sharp contrast in Vp and Vs, also in coincidence with the presence of hydrothermal fluids, gypsum diapers and the volcanic arc, suggesting rheological contrast controlling deformation. At the surface, this zone present an intense contractive deformation produced during the Neogene, which differs from what can be observed in other regions. Present day deformation related to seismicity has no deformation related at the surface, maybe because of large landsliding that could hide surface rupture. However, the presence of these mass wasting phenomena suggests that rupture propagation to the surface is more diffusive, being accommodated by a wide microfracturing and thus not showing appreciable slip. Such a kind of features has been also observed in northern Chile and near Santiago. Both situations differ from what has been commonly assumed for crustal deformation, and therefore they should be studied critically. One alternative to explain this kind of ruptures could be related to the fact that fluid and heat in this zone are larger than in other crustal fault systems. The relation between fluid, heat and seismicity along the Andes is one of the main goals of the ACT-18 PBCT project.

Evidence for two surface ruptures in the past 500 years on the San Andreas fault at Frazier Mountain, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindvall, S.C.; Rockwell, T.K.; Dawson, T.E.; Helms, J.G.; Bowman, K.W.

2002-01-01

We conducted paleoseismic studies in a closed depression along the San Andreas fault on the north flank of Frazier Mountain near Frazier Park, California. We recognized two earthquake ruptures in our trench exposure and interpreted the most recent rupture, event 1, to represent the historical 1857 earthquake. We also exposed evidence of an earlier surface rupture, event 2, along an older group of faults that did not rerupture during event 1. Radiocarbon dating of the stratigraphy above and below the earlier event constrains its probable age to between A.D. 1460 and 1600. Because we documented continuous, unfaulted stratigraphy between the earlier event horizon and the youngest event horizon in the portion of the fault zone exposed, we infer event 2 to be the penultimate event. We observed no direct evidence of an 1812 earthquake in our exposures. However, we cannot preclude the presence of this event at our site due to limited age control in the upper part of the section and the possibility of other fault strands beyond the limits of our exposures. Based on overlapping age ranges, event 2 at Frazier Mountain may correlate with event B at the Bidart fan site in the Carrizo Plain to the northwest and events V and W4 at Pallett Creek and Wrightwood, respectively, to the southeast. If the events recognized at these multiple sites resulted from the same surface rupture, then it appears that the San Andreas fault has repeatedly failed in large ruptures similar in extent to 1857.

Epidemiology of Achilles tendon ruptures: increasing incidence over a 33-year period.

PubMed

Lantto, I; Heikkinen, J; Flinkkilä, T; Ohtonen, P; Leppilahti, J

2015-02-01

We investigated the epidemiology of total Achilles tendon ruptures and complication rates after operative and nonoperative treatments over a 33-year period in Oulu, Finland. Patients with Achilles tendon ruptures from 1979 to 2011 in Oulu were identified from hospital patient records. Demographic data, treatment method, and complications were collected retrospectively from medical records. Overall and sex- and age-specific incidence rates were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The overall incidence per 100,000 person-years increased from 2.1 (95% CI 0.3-7.7) in 1979 to 21.5 (95% CI 14.6-30.6) in 2011. The incidence increased in all age groups. The mean annual increase in incidence was 2.4% (95% CI 1.3-4.7) higher for non-sports-related ruptures than for sports-related ruptures (P = 0.036). The incidence of sports-related ruptures increased during the second 11-year period whereas the incidence of non-sports-related ruptures increased steadily over the entire study period. Infection was four times more common after operative treatment compared with nonoperative treatment, re-rupture rates were similar. The incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures increased in all age groups over a 33-year period. Increases were mainly due to sports-related injuries in the second 11-year period and non-sports-related injuries in the last 11-year period. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparing the November 2002 Denali and November 2001 Kunlun earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bufe, C.G.

2004-01-01

Major strike-slip earthquakes recently occurred in Alaska on the central Denali fault (M 7.9) on 3 November 2002, and in Tibet on the central Kunlun fault (M 7.8) on 14 November 2001. Both earthquakes generated large surface waves with Ms [U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)] of 8.5 (Denali) and 8.0 (Kunlun). Each event occurred on an east-west-trending strike-slip fault situated near the northern boundary of an intense deformation zone that is characterized by lateral extrusion and rotation of crustal blocks. Each earthquake produced east-directed nearly unilateral ruptures that propagated 300 to 400 km. Maximum lateral surface offsets and maximum moment release occurred well beyond 100 km from the rupture initiation, with the events exhibiting by far the largest separations of USGS hypocenter and Harvard Moment Tensor Centroid (CMT) for strike-slip earthquakes in the 27-year CMT catalog. In each sequence, the largest aftershock was more than two orders of magnitude smaller than the mainshock. Regional moment release had been accelerating prior to the main shocks. The close proximity in space and time of the 1964 Prince William Sound and 2002 Denali earthquakes, relative to their rupture lengths and estimated return times, suggests that these events may be part of a recurrent cluster in the vicinity of a complex plate boundary.

Structure, Frictional Melting and Fault Weakening during the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake Slip: Observation from the WFSD Drilling Core Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H.; Wang, H.; Li, C.; Zhang, J.; Sun, Z.; Si, J.; Liu, D.; Chevalier, M. L.; Han, L.; Yun, K.; Zheng, Y.

2015-12-01

The 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake produced two co-seismic surface ruptures along Yingxiu-Beichuan fault (~270 km) and the Guanxian-Anxian fault (~80 km) simultaneously in the Longmen Shan thrust belt. Besides, two surface rupture zones were tracked in the southern segment of the Yingxiu-Beichuan rupture zone, one along the Yingxiu fault, the other along the Shenxigou-Longchi fault, which both converged into one rupture zone at the Bajiaomiao village, Hongkou town, where one distinct fault plane with two striation orientations was exposed. The Wenchuan earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling project (WFSD) was carried out right after the earthquake to investigate its faulting mechanisms and rupture process. Six boreholes were drilled along the rupture zones with depths ranging from 600 to 2400 m. WFSD-1 and WFSD-2 are located at the Bajiaomiao area, the southern segment of the Yingxiu-Beichuan rupture zone, while WFSD-4 and WFSD-4S are in the Nanba town area, in the northern part of the rupture zone. Detailed research showed that ~1 mm thick Principal Slip Zone (PSZ) of the Wenchuan earthquake is located at ~589 m-depth in the WFSD-1 cores. Graphite present in the PSZ indicates a low fault strength. Long-term temperature monitoring shows an extremely low fault friction coefficient during the earthquake. Recently, another possible PSZ was found in WFSD-1 cores at ~732 m-depth, with a ~2 mm thick melt layer in the fault gouge, where feldspar was melted but quartz was not, indicating that the frictional melting temperature was 1230°C < T < 1720°C. These two PSZs at depth may correspond to the two co-seismic surface rupture zones. Besides, the Wenchuan earthquake PSZ was also recognized in the WFSD-4S cores, at ~1084 m-depth. About 200-400 μm thick melt layer (fault vein, mainly feldspar), as well as melt injection veins, were observed in the slip zone, where oblique distinct striations were visible on the slip surface. Therefore, there are two PSZs in the shallow crust at the southern segment along the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault, and another one along the northern segment. Melt and graphite in the PSZs indicate that the frictional melting and thermal pressurization are the main fault mechanisms during the Wenchuan earthquake. The melt and graphite can be considered as markers of large earthquakes.

Comparing the effects of mechanical perturbation training with a compliant surface and manual perturbation training on joints kinematics after ACL-rupture.

PubMed

Nawasreh, Zakariya; Failla, Mathew; Marmon, Adam; Logerstedt, David; Snyder-Mackler, Lynn

2018-05-23

Performing physical activities on a compliant surface alters joint kinematics and increases joints stiffness. However, the effect of compliant surface on joint kinematics after ACL-rupture is yet unknown. To compare the effects of mechanical perturbation training with a compliant surface to manual perturbation training on joint kinematics after ACL-rupture. Sixteen level I/II athletes with ACL-rupture participated in this preliminary study. Eight patients received mechanical perturbation with compliant surface (Mechanical) and 8 patients received manual perturbation training (Manual). Patients completed standard gait analysis before (Pre) and after (Post) training. Significant group-by-time interactions were found for knee flexion angle at initial contact (IC) and peak knee flexion (PKF) (p<0.004), with manual group significantly increased knee flexion angle at IC and PKF (p<0.03). Main effects of group were found for hip flexion angle at IC (Manual:34.34+3.51°, Mechanical:27.68+4.08°, p = 0.011), hip rotation angle at PKE (Manual:-3.40+4.78°, Mechanical:5.43+4.78°, p < 0.0001), and knee adduction angle at PKE (Manual:-2.00+2.23°, Mechanical:0.55+2.23°, p = 0.039). Main effects of time were found for hip adduction angle at PKE (Pre:6.98+4.48°, Post:8.41+4.91°, p = 0.04), knee adduction angle at IC (Pre:-2.90+3.50°, Post:-0.62+2.58°, p = 0.03), ankle adduction angle at IC (Pre:2.16+3.54, Post:3.8+3.68, p = 0.008), and ankle flexion angle at PKF (Pre:-4.55+2.77°, Post:-2.39+3.48°, p = 0.01). Training on a compliant surface induces different effects on joint kinematics compared to manual perturbation training after ACL-rupture. Manual perturbation improved hip alignment and increased knee flexion angles, while mechanical training decreased knee flexion angles throughout the stance phase. Administering training on a compliant surface after ACL-rupture may help improving dynamic knee stability, however, long-term effects on knee health needs to be determined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-wavelength Instability in Surface-tension-driven Bénard Convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Hook, Stephen J.

1997-03-01

Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations reveal that a liquid layer heated from below and possessing a free upper surface can undergo a long-wavelength deformational instability that causes rupture of the interface.(S. J. VanHook, M. F. Schatz, W. D. McCormick, J. B. Swift, and H. L. Swinney, Phys. Rev. Lett.) 75, 4397 (1995). Depending on the depth and thermal conductivity of the liquid and the overlying gas layer, the interface can rupture downwards and form a dry spot or rupture upwards and form a high spot. This long-wavelength instability competes with the formation of Bénard hexagons for thin or viscous liquid layers, or for liquid layers in microgravity.

Infrasonic Observations of Ground Shaking along the 2010 Mw 7.2 El Mayor Rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degroot-Hedlin, C. D.; Walker, K.

2010-12-01

The Mw 7.2 El Mayor earthquake in northeast Baja California generated seismic waves that were felt for up to 90 seconds throughout southern California and northern Baja. The locations of the epicenter, aftershocks, and surface rupture suggest that the rupture was not focused at one specific location, but initiated near El Mayor, Mexico and extended northwest for roughly 120 km through the U.S. border. We analyze infrasound and seismic data recorded by three arrays and show that the surface shaking in the vicinity of the rupture also generated infrasound that was detected at least 200 km away to the north and west of the epicentral region, despite stratospheric winds from the west that only favor eastward propagation. Frequency domain beamforming of infrasound array signals recorded by an array near San Diego (MRIAR) shows a time progression of signal back azimuth that spans the entire rupture length. Ray trace modeling using 4-D atmospheric velocity models suggests that the observed infrasound signals refracted in the thermosphere. The signals have frequencies from 1 to 12 Hz, which is rather high given the level of thermospheric attenuation predicted by traditional models. A secondary infrasound wavetrain that arrived at MRIAR before the epicentral infrasound appears to have originated from an infrasonic radiator south of the array that was excited by the passing surface waves.

Long-period spectral features of the Sumatra-Andaman 2004 earthquake rupture process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clévédé, E.; Bukchin, B.; Favreau, P.; Mostinskiy, A.; Aoudia, A.; Panza, G. F.

2012-12-01

The goal of this study is to investigate the spatial variability of the seismic radiation spectral content of the Sumatra-Andaman 2004 earthquake. We determine the integral estimates of source geometry, duration and rupture propagation given by the stress glut moments of total degree 2 of different source models. These models are constructed from a single or a joint use of different observations including seismology, geodesy, altimetry and tide gauge data. The comparative analysis shows coherency among the different models and no strong contradictions are found between the integral estimates of geodetic and altimetric models, and those retrieved from very long period seismic records (up to 2000-3000 s). The comparison between these results and the integral estimates derived from observed surface wave spectra in period band from 500 to 650 s suggests that the northern part of the fault (to the north of 8°N near Nicobar Islands) did not radiate long period seismic waves, that is, period shorter than 650 s at least. This conclusion is consistent with the existing composite short and long rise time tsunami model: with short rise time of slip in the southern part of the fault and very long rise time of slip at the northern part. This complex space-time slip evolution can be reproduced by a simple dynamic model of the rupture assuming a crude phenomenological mechanical behaviour of the rupture interface at the fault scales combining an effective slip-controlled exponential weakening effect, related to possible friction and damage breakdown processes of the fault zone, and an effective linear viscous strengthening effect, related to possible interface lubrication processes. While the rupture front speed remains unperturbed with initial short slip duration, a slow creep wave propagates behind the rupture front in the case of viscous effects accounting for the long slip duration and the radiation characteristics in the northern segment.

Co-seismic ruptures of the 12 May 2008, Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan: East-west crustal shortening on oblique, parallel thrusts along the eastern edge of Tibet

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu-Zeng, J.; Zhang, Z.; Wen, L.; Tapponnier, P.; Sun, Jielun; Xing, X.; Hu, G.; Xu, Q.; Zeng, L.; Ding, L.; Ji, C.; Hudnut, K.W.; van der Woerd, J.

2009-01-01

The Ms 8.0, Wenchuan earthquake, which devastated the mountainous western rim of the Sichuan basin in central China, produced a surface rupture over 200??km-long with oblique thrust/dextral slip and maximum scarp heights of ~ 10??m. It thus ranks as one of the world's largest continental mega-thrust events in the last 150??yrs. Field investigation shows clear surface breaks along two of the main branches of the NE-trending Longmen Shan thrust fault system. The principal rupture, on the NW-dipping Beichuan fault, displays nearly equal amounts of thrust and right-lateral slip. Basin-ward of this rupture, another continuous surface break is observed for over 70??km on the parallel, more shallowly NW-dipping Pengguan fault. Slip on this latter fault was pure thrusting, with a maximum scarp height of ~ 3.5??m. This is one of the very few reported instances of crustal-scale co-seismic slip partitioning on parallel thrusts. This out-of-sequence event, with distributed surface breaks on crustal mega-thrusts, highlights regional, ~ EW-directed, present day crustal shortening oblique to the Longmen Shan margin of Tibet. The long rupture and large offsets with strong horizontal shortening that characterize the Wenchuan earthquake herald a re-evaluation of tectonic models anticipating little or no active shortening of the upper crust along this edge of the plateau, and require a re-assessment of seismic hazard along potentially under-rated active faults across the densely populated western Sichuan basin and mountains. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

Influence of Fault Surface Heterogeneity on Apparent Frictional Strength, Slip Mode and Rupture Mode: Insights from Meter-Scale Rock Friction Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, S.; Fukuyama, E.; Yamashita, F.; Mizoguchi, K.; Takizawa, S.; Kawakata, H.

2016-12-01

Influence of fault zone heterogeneity on the behavior of fault motion has been studied in many aspects, such as strain partitioning, heat generation, slip mode, rupture mode, and effective friction law. However, a multi-scale investigation of fault behavior due to heterogeneity was difficult in nature, because of the limited access to natural fault zones at the seismogenic depth and the lack of in situ high-resolution observations. To overcome these difficulties, we study the behavior of a meter-scale synthetic fault made of Indian metagabbro during laboratory direct shear experiments, utilizing high-density arrays of strain gauges mounted close to the fault. We focus on two target experiments that are loaded under the same normal stress of 6.7 MPa and loading rate of 0.01 mm/s, but with different initial surface conditions. To change the surface condition, we applied a fast loading experiment under a rate of 1 mm/s between the two target experiments. It turned out the fast loading activated many foreshocks before the mainshock and caused a roaming of the mainshock nucleation site. These features were closely related to the re-distribution of the real contact area and surface wear, which together reflected a more heterogeneous state of the surface condition. During the first target experiment before the fast loading, the synthetic fault moved in a classic stick-slip fashion and the typical rupture mode was subshear within the range of the fault length. However, during the second target experiment, the synthetic fault inherited the heterogeneous features generated from the previous fast loading, showing a macroscopic creep-like behavior that actually consisted of many small stick-slip events. The apparent frictional strength increased while the recurrence interval and the stress drop decreased, compared to the levels seen in the first target experiment. The rupture mode became more complicated; supershear phases sometimes emerged but may only exist transiently. Their occurrence or termination showed a strong correlation with the local stress field characterized by short-range coherence. These observations highlight the role of surface heterogeneity in influencing fault motion, both macroscopically and locally, and have important implications for understanding the behavior of natural faults.

Surface rupture and slip variation induced by the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake, Baja California, quantified using COSI-Corr analysis on pre- and post-earthquake LiDAR acquisitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leprince, S.; Hudnut, K. W.; Akciz, S. O.; Hinojosa-Corona, A.; Fletcher, J. M.

2011-12-01

One-hundred and three years after the publication of the Lawson report on the Great 1906 earthquake, accurate documentation of surface deformation along the entire length of an earthquake is still challenging. Analysis of pre- and post-earthquake topographic data provides an opportunity to deliver the full 3D displacement field of the ground's surface. However, direct differencing of a pre- and post-earthquake digital topography model (DEM) generally leads to biased estimation of the vertical component of the deformation. Indeed, if the earthquake also produced significant horizontal motion, or if the pre- and post-earthquake DEM acquisitions exhibit non-negligible horizontal mis-registration, then the vertical offset measured by direct differencing will be biased by the local topography gradient. To overcome this limitation, we use the COSI-Corr sub-pixel correlation algorithm to estimate the relative horizontal offset between the pre- and post- 2010 El Mayor - Cucapah earthquake high resolution LiDAR acquisitions. Compensating for the horizontal offset between the two LiDAR acquisitions allows us to estimate unbiased measurements of the vertical component of the surface fault rupture induced by the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. We will also show the limitations of the available data set, such as aircraft jitter artifacts, which impaired accurate measurements of the horizontal component of the surface deformation. This analysis shows an unprecedented view of the complete vertical slip component of the rupture induced by the Mw 7.2 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake, sampled at every 5 m, over a length of about 100 km, and with a vertical accuracy of a few centimeters. Using sampling bins as narrow as 150 m and 1.5 km long, variations in the vertical component of an oblique slip earthquake are presented, with breaks along multiple fault-strands showing opposite dip directions and diffuse boundaries. With the availability of high precision pre- and post-earthquake data, COSI-Corr has the ability to accurately document the variability of 3D surface slip along strike of an earthquake rupture. Such data can be used to investigate the causes of this variability, and improve our understanding of its influence on the pattern of ground shaking.

The 2016-2017 central Italy coseismic surface ruptures and their meaning with respect to foreseen active fault systems segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Martini, P. M.; Pucci, S.; Villani, F.; Civico, R.; Del Rio, L.; Cinti, F. R.; Pantosti, D.

2017-12-01

In 2016-2017 a series of moderate to large normal faulting earthquakes struck central Italy producing severe damage in many towns including Amatrice, Norcia and Visso and resulting in 299 casualties and >20,000 homeless. The complex seismic sequence depicts a multiple activation of the Mt. Vettore-Mt. Bove (VBFS) and the Laga Mts. fault systems, which were considered in literature as independent segments characterizing a recent seismic gap in the region comprised between two modern seismic sequences: the 1997-1998 Colfiorito and the 2009 L'Aquila. We mapped in detail the coseismic surface ruptures following three mainshocks (Mw 6.0 on 24th August, Mw 5.9 and Mw 6.5 on 26th and 30th October, 2016, respectively). Primary surface ruptures were observed and recorded for a total length of 5.2 km, ≅10 km and ≅25 km, respectively, along closely-spaced, parallel or subparallel, overlapping or step-like synthetic and antithetic fault splays of the activated fault systems, in some cases rupturing repeatedly the same location. Some coseismic ruptures were mapped also along the Norcia Fault System, paralleling the VBFS about 10 km westward. We recorded geometric and kinematic characteristics of the normal faulting ruptures with an unprecedented detail thanks to almost 11,000 oblique photographs taken from helicopter flights soon after the mainshocks, verified and integrated with field data (more than 7000 measurements). We analyze the along-strike coseismic slip and slip vectors distribution to be observed in the context of the geomorphic expression of the disrupted slopes and their depositional and erosive processes. Moreover, we constructed 1:10.000 scale geologic cross-sections based on updated maps, and we reconstructed the net offset distribution of the activated fault system to be compared with the morphologic throws and to test a cause-effect relationship between faulting and first-order landforms. We provide a reconstruction of the 2016 coseismic rupture pattern as representative of the VBFS behavior, a discussion on the fault system boundaries persistence, and on the significance of the repeated surface faulting at same location.

The 2014 Mw6.1 South Napa Earthquake: A unilateral rupture with shallow asperity and rapid afterslip

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wei, Shengji; Barbot, Sylvain; Graves, Robert; Lienkaemper, James J.; Wang, Teng; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Fu, Yuning; Helmberger, Don

2015-01-01

The Mw6.1 South Napa earthquake occurred near Napa, California on August 24, 2014 (UTC), and was the largest inland earthquake in Northern California since the 1989 Mw6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake. The first report of the earthquake from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) indicates a hypocentral depth of 11.0km with longitude and latitude of (122.3105°W, 38.217°N). Surface rupture was documented by field observations and Lidar imaging (Brooks et al. 2014; Hudnut et al. 2014; Brocher et al., 2015), with about 12 km of continuous rupture starting near the epicenter and extending to the northwest. The southern part of the rupture is relatively straight, but the strike changes by about 15° at the northern end over a 6-km segment. The peak dextral offset was observed near the Buhman residence with right-.‐lateral motion of 46 cm, near the location where the strike of fault begins to rotate clock-.‐wise (Hudnut et al., 2014). The earthquake was well recorded by the strong motion network operated by the NCEDC, the California Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). There are about 12 sites within an epicentral distance of 15km, with relatively good azimuthal coverage (Fig.1). The largest peak-ground-velocity (PGV) of nearly 100 cm/s was observed on station 1765, which is the closest station to the rupture and lies about 3 km east of the northern segment (Fig. 1). The ground deformation associated with the earthquake was also well recorded by the high-resolution COSMO-SkyMed satellite and Sentinel-1A satellite, providing independent static observations.

The 1995 November 22, Mw 7.2 Gulf of Elat earthquake cycle revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baer, Gidon; Funning, Gareth J.; Shamir, Gadi; Wright, Tim J.

2008-12-01

The 1995 November 22, Mw = 7.2 Nuweiba earthquake occurred along one of the left-stepping segments of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba). It was the largest earthquake along the DST in at least 160 yr. The main shock was preceded by earthquake swarms north and south of its NE-striking rupture since the early 1980s, and was followed by about 6 months of intense aftershock activity, concentrated mainly northwest and southeast of the main rupture. In this study we re-analyse ERS-1 and ERS-2 InSAR data for the period spanning the main shock and 5 post-seismic years. Because the entire rupture was under the Gulf water, surface observations related to the earthquake are limited to distances greater than 5 km away from the rupture zone. Coseismic interferograms were produced for the earthquake +1 week, +4 months and +6 months. Non-linear inversions were carried out for fault geometry and linear inversions were made for slip distribution using an ascending-descending 2-frame data set. The moment calculated from our best-fitting model is in agreement with the seismological moment, but trade-offs exist among several fault parameters. The present model upgrades previous InSAR models of the Nuweiba earthquake, and differs from recent teleseismic waveform inversion results mainly in terms of slip magnitude and distribution. The moment released by post-seismic deformation in the period of 6 months to 2 yr after the Nuweiba earthquake is about 15 per cent of the coseismic moment release. Our models suggest that this deformation can be represented by slip along the lower part of the coseismic rupture. Localised deformation along the Gulf shores NW of the main rupture in the first 6 months after the earthquake is correlated with surface displacements along active Gulf-parallel normal faults and possibly with shallow M > 3.9, D < 6 km aftershocks. The geodetic moment calculated by modelling this deformation is more than an order of magnitude larger than expected for a single M ~ 4 aftershock, but could be a result of a sequence of aftershocks and/or aseismic slip. The major aftershocks and the slip along Gulf-parallel normal faulting NW of the main rupture are associated with positive Coulomb stress changes induced by the main event.

The Elizabeth Lake paleoseismic site: Rupture pattern constraints for the past ~800 years for the Mojave section of the south-central San Andreas Fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bemis, Sean; Scharer, Katherine M.; Dolan, James F.; Rhodes, Ed

2016-01-01

The southern San Andreas Fault in California has hosted two historic surface-rupturing earthquakes, the ~M7 1812 Wrightwood earthquake and the ~M7.9 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake (e.g., Sieh, 1978; Jacoby et al., 1988). Numerous paleoseismic studies have established chronologies of historic and prehistoric earthquakes at sites along the full length of the 1857 rupture (e.g., Sieh, 1978; Scharer et al., 2014). These studies provide an unparalleled opportunity to examine patterns of recent ruptures; however, at least two significant spatial gaps in high-quality paleoseismic sites remain. At ~100 km long each, these gaps contribute up to 100 km of uncertainty to paleo-rupture lengths and could also permit a surface rupture from an earthquake up to ~M7.2 to go undetected [using scaling relationships of Wells and Coppersmith (1994)]. Given the known occurrence of an ~M7 earthquake on this portion of the SAF (1812), it is critical to fill these gaps in order to better constrain paleo-rupture lengths and to increase the probability of capturing the full spatial record of surface rupturing earthquakes.   In this study, we target a new site within the 100 km long stretch of the San Andreas Fault between the Frazier Mountain and Pallett Creek paleoseismic sites (Figure 1), near Elizabeth Lake, California. Prior excavations at the site during 1998-1999 encountered promising stratigraphy but these studies were hindered by shallow groundwater throughout the site. We began our current phase of investigations in 2012, targeting the northwestern end of a 40 x 350 m fault-parallel depression that defines the site (Figure 2). Subsequent investigations in 2013 and 2014 focused on the southeastern end of the depression where the fault trace is constrained between topographic highs and is proximal to an active drainage. In total, our paleoseismic investigations consist of 10 fault-perpendicular trenches that cross the depression (Figure 2) and expose a >2000 year depositional record. These trenches reveal that the thickest section of young stratigraphy occurs at the southeastern end of the site where the fault zone projects through an area of relatively continuous sediment accumulation from a northeast-flowing drainage. This portion of the site contains a 3-m-wide pop-up structure within the fault zone that separates alternating alluvial and paludal deposits south of the fault zone from a thick organic-rich loam on the north side of the fault zone. Faults, fissures, and tilted blocks provide evidence for 4 to 5 paleoearthquakes since ca. 1250 A.D. Radiocarbon dating established that the site has a significant component of detrital charcoal producing an age spread of up to 500 years. To supplement our age chronology we incorporated ages from collections of micro-scale organic fractions and post-IR infrared stimulated luminescence dating in order to better estimate true layer ages.

Variability of displacement at a point: Implications for earthquake‐size distribution and rupture hazard on faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hecker, Suzanne; Abrahamson, N.A.; Wooddell, Kathryn

2013-01-01

To investigate the nature of earthquake‐magnitude distributions on faults, we compare the interevent variability of surface displacement at a point on a fault from a composite global data set of paleoseismic observations with the variability expected from two prevailing magnitude–frequency distributions: the truncated‐exponential model and the characteristic‐earthquake model. We use forward modeling to predict the coefficient of variation (CV) for the alternative earthquake distributions, incorporating factors that would effect observations of displacement at a site. The characteristic‐earthquake model (with a characteristic‐magnitude range of ±0.25) produces CV values consistent with the data (CV∼0.5) only if the variability for a given earthquake magnitude is small. This condition implies that rupture patterns on a fault are stable, in keeping with the concept behind the model. This constraint also bears upon fault‐rupture hazard analysis, which, for lack of point‐specific information, has used global scaling relations to infer variability in average displacement for a given‐size earthquake. Exponential distributions of earthquakes (from M 5 to the maximum magnitude) give rise to CV values that are significantly larger than the empirical constraint. A version of the model truncated at M 7, however, yields values consistent with a larger CV (∼0.6) determined for small‐displacement sites. Although this result allows for a difference in the magnitude distribution of smaller surface‐rupturing earthquakes, it may reflect, in part, less stability in the displacement profile of smaller ruptures and/or the tails of larger ruptures.

Quantifying near-field and off-fault deformation patterns of the 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milliner, Christopher W. D.; Dolan, James F.; Hollingsworth, James; Leprince, Sebastien; Ayoub, Francois; Sammis, Charles G.

2015-05-01

Coseismic surface deformation in large earthquakes is typically measured using field mapping and with a range of geodetic methods (e.g., InSAR, lidar differencing, and GPS). Current methods, however, either fail to capture patterns of near-field coseismic surface deformation or lack preevent data. Consequently, the characteristics of off-fault deformation and the parameters that control it remain poorly understood. We develop a standardized method to fully measure the surface, near-field, coseismic deformation patterns at high resolution using the COSI-Corr program by correlating pairs of aerial photographs taken before and after the 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers earthquake. COSI-Corr offers the advantage of measuring displacement across the entire zone of surface deformation and over a wider aperture than that available to field geologists. For the Landers earthquake, our measured displacements are systematically larger than the field measurements, indicating the presence of off-fault deformation. We show that 46% of the total surface displacement occurred as off-fault deformation, over a mean deformation width of 154 m. The magnitude and width of off-fault deformation along the rupture is primarily controlled by the macroscopic structural complexity of the fault system, with a weak correlation with the type of near-surface materials through which the rupture propagated. Both the magnitude and width of distributed deformation are largest in stepovers, bends, and at the southern termination of the surface rupture. We find that slip along the surface rupture exhibits a consistent degree of variability at all observable length scales and that the slip distribution is self-affine fractal with dimension of 1.56.

High-resolution seismic profiling reveals faulting associated with the 1934 Ms 6.6 Hansel Valley earthquake (Utah, USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bruno, Pier Paolo G.; Duross, Christopher; Kokkalas, Sotirios

2017-01-01

The 1934 Ms 6.6 Hansel Valley, Utah, earthquake produced an 8-km-long by 3-km-wide zone of north-south−trending surface deformation in an extensional basin within the easternmost Basin and Range Province. Less than 0.5 m of purely vertical displacement was measured at the surface, although seismologic data suggest mostly strike-slip faulting at depth. Characterization of the origin and kinematics of faulting in the Hansel Valley earthquake is important to understand how complex fault ruptures accommodate regions of continental extension and transtension. Here, we address three questions: (1) How does the 1934 surface rupture compare with faults in the subsurface? (2) Are the 1934 fault scarps tectonic or secondary features? (3) Did the 1934 earthquake have components of both strike-slip and dip-slip motion? To address these questions, we acquired a 6.6-km-long, high-resolution seismic profile across Hansel Valley, including the 1934 ruptures. We observed numerous east- and west-dipping normal faults that dip 40°−70° and offset late Quaternary strata from within a few tens of meters of the surface down to a depth of ∼1 km. Spatial correspondence between the 1934 surface ruptures and subsurface faults suggests that ruptures associated with the earthquake are of tectonic origin. Our data clearly show complex basin faulting that is most consistent with transtensional tectonics. Although the kinematics of the 1934 earthquake remain underconstrained, we interpret the disagreement between surface (normal) and subsurface (strike-slip) kinematics as due to slip partitioning during fault propagation and to the effect of preexisting structural complexities. We infer that the 1934 earthquake occurred along an ∼3-km wide, off-fault damage zone characterized by distributed deformation along small-displacement faults that may be alternatively activated during different earthquake episodes.

Eastern Denali Fault surface trace map, eastern Alaska and Yukon, Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bender, Adrian M.; Haeussler, Peter J.

2017-05-04

We map the 385-kilometer (km) long surface trace of the right-lateral, strike-slip Denali Fault between the Totschunda-Denali Fault intersection in Alaska, United States and the village of Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada. In Alaska, digital elevation models based on light detection and ranging and interferometric synthetic aperture radar data enabled our fault mapping at scales of 1:2,000 and 1:10,000, respectively. Lacking such resources in Yukon, we developed new structure-from-motion digital photogrammetry products from legacy aerial photos to map the fault surface trace at a scale of 1:10,000 east of the international border. The section of the fault that we map, referred to as the Eastern Denali Fault, did not rupture during the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake (moment magnitude 7.9). Seismologic, geodetic, and geomorphic evidence, along with a paleoseismic record of past ground-rupturing earthquakes, demonstrate Holocene and contemporary activity on the fault, however. This map of the Eastern Denali Fault surface trace complements other data sets by providing an openly accessible digital interpretation of the location, length, and continuity of the fault’s surface trace based on the accompanying digital topography dataset. Additionally, the digitized fault trace may provide geometric constraints useful for modeling earthquake scenarios and related seismic hazard.

Faulting, damage, and intensity in the Canyondam earthquake of May 23, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, K.; Gold, M.B.; Boatwright, John; Sipe, J.; Quitoriano, V.; Dreger, D.; Hardebeck, Jeanne

2016-09-23

On Thursday evening, May 23, 2013 (0347 May 24 UTC), a moment magnitude (Mw) = 5.7 earthquake occurred northeast of Canyondam, California. A two-person team of U.S. Geological Survey scientists went to the area to search for surface rupture and to canvass damage in the communities around Lake Almanor. While the causative fault had not been identified at the time of the field survey, surface rupture was expected to have occurred just south of Lake Almanor, approximately 2–4 kilometers south of the epicenter. No surface rupture was discovered. Felt intensity among the communities around Lake Almanor appeared to vary significantly. Lake Almanor West (LAW), Lake Almanor Country Club (LACC), and Hamilton Branch (HB) experienced Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) ≥7, whereas other communities around the lake experienced MMI ≤6; the maximum observed intensity was MMI 8, in LAW. Damage in the high intensity areas consisted of broken and collapsed chimneys, ruptured pipes, and some damage to foundations and to structural elements within houses. Although this shaking damage is not usually expected for an Mw 5.7 earthquake, the intensities at Lake Almanor Country Club correlate with the peak ground acceleration (38 percent g) and peak ground velocity (30 centimeters per second) recorded by the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program accelerometer located at the nearby Lake Almanor Fire Station. The intensity distribution for the three hardest hit areas (LAW, LACC, and HB) appears to increase as the azimuth from epicenter to the intensity sites approaches the fault strike. The small communities of Almanor and Prattville on the southwestern shore of Lake Almanor experienced somewhat lower intensities. The town of Canyondam experienced a lower intensity as well, despite its location up-dip of the earthquake rupture. This report contains information on the earthquake itself, the search for surface rupture, and the damage we observed and compiled from other sources. 

The history of late holocene surface-faulting earthquakes on the central segments of the Wasatch fault zone, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duross, Christopher; Personius, Stephen; Olig, Susan S; Crone, Anthony J.; Hylland, Michael D.; Lund, William R; Schwartz, David P.

2017-01-01

The Wasatch fault (WFZ)—Utah’s longest and most active normal fault—forms a prominent eastern boundary to the Basin and Range Province in northern Utah. To provide paleoseismic data for a Wasatch Front regional earthquake forecast, we synthesized paleoseismic data to define the timing and displacements of late Holocene surface-faulting earthquakes on the central five segments of the WFZ. Our analysis yields revised histories of large (M ~7) surface-faulting earthquakes on the segments, as well as estimates of earthquake recurrence and vertical slip rate. We constrain the timing of four to six earthquakes on each of the central segments, which together yields a history of at least 24 surface-faulting earthquakes since ~6 ka. Using earthquake data for each segment, inter-event recurrence intervals range from about 0.6 to 2.5 kyr, and have a mean of 1.2 kyr. Mean recurrence, based on closed seismic intervals, is ~1.1–1.3 kyr per segment, and when combined with mean vertical displacements per segment of 1.7–2.6 m, yield mean vertical slip rates of 1.3–2.0 mm/yr per segment. These data refine the late Holocene behavior of the central WFZ; however, a significant source of uncertainty is whether structural complexities that define the segments of the WFZ act as hard barriers to ruptures propagating along the fault. Thus, we evaluate fault rupture models including both single-segment and multi-segment ruptures, and define 3–17-km-wide spatial uncertainties in the segment boundaries. These alternative rupture models and segment-boundary zones honor the WFZ paleoseismic data, take into account the spatial and temporal limitations of paleoseismic data, and allow for complex ruptures such as partial-segment and spillover ruptures. Our data and analyses improve our understanding of the complexities in normal-faulting earthquake behavior and provide geological inputs for regional earthquake-probability and seismic hazard assessments.

Investigating Along-Strike Variations of Source Parameters for Relocated Thrust Earthquakes Along the Sumatra-Java Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Hariri, M.; Bilek, S. L.; Deshon, H. R.; Engdahl, E. R.

2009-12-01

Some earthquakes generate anomalously large tsunami waves relative to their surface wave magnitudes (Ms). This class of events, known as tsunami earthquakes, is characterized by having a long rupture duration and low radiated energy at long periods. These earthquakes are relatively rare. There have been only 9 documented cases, including 2 in the Java subduction zone (1994 Mw=7.8 and the 2006 Mw=7.7). Several models have been proposed to explain the unexpectedly large tsunami, such as displacement along high-angle splay faults, landslide-induced tsunami due to coseismic shaking, or large seismic slip within low rigidity sediments or weaker material along the shallowest part of the subduction zone. Slow slip has also been suggested along portions of the 2004 Mw=9.2 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake zone. In this study we compute the source parameters of 90 relocated shallow thrust events (Mw 5.1-7.8) along the Sumatra-Java subduction zone including the two Java tsunami earthquakes. Events are relocated using a modification to the Engdahl, van der Hilst and Buland (EHB) earthquake relocation method that incorporates an automated frequency-dependent phase detector. This allows for the use of increased numbers of phase arrival times, especially depth phases, and improves hypocentral locations. Source time functions, rupture duration and depth estimates are determined using multi-station deconvolution of broadband teleseismic P and SH waves. We seek to correlate any along-strike variation in rupture characteristics with tectonic features and rupture characteristics of the previous slow earthquakes along this margin to gain a better understanding of the conditions resulting in slow ruptures. Preliminary results from the analysis of these events show that in addition to depth-dependent variations there are also along-strike variations in rupture duration. We find that along the Java segment, the longer duration event locates in a highly coupled region corresponding to the location of a proposed subducting seamount. This correlation is less clear along the southern Sumatran segment. One longer duration event is located within the high slip area of the Mw=8.4 2007 rupture, while another is located in the weakly coupled region of the 1935 Mw=7.7 rupture area.

Coseismic Contortion and Coupled Nocturnal Ionospheric Perturbations During 2016 Kaikoura, Mw 7.8 New Zealand Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagiya, Mala S.; Sunil, P. S.; Sunil, A. S.; Ramesh, D. S.

2018-02-01

The oblique-thrust Kaikoura earthquake of Mw 7.8 that struck New Zealand on 13 November 2016 at 11:02:56 UTC (local time at 00:02:56 a.m. on 14 November 2016) was one of the most geometrically and tectonically complex earthquakes recorded onshore in modern seismology. The event ruptured in the region of multisegmented faults and propagated unilaterally northeastward for more than 170 km from the epicenter. The GPS derived coseismic surface displacements reveal a larger widespread horizontal and vertical coseismic surface offsets of 6 m and 2 m, respectively, with two distinct tectonic thrust zones. We study the characteristics of coseismic ionospheric perturbations based on tectonic and nontectonic forcing mechanisms and demonstrate that these perturbations are linked to two distinct surface thrust zones with rotating horizontal reinforcement trending the rupture, rather than merely to the displacements oriented along the rupture propagation direction.

Is internal friction friction?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savage, J.C.; Byerlee, J.D.; Lockner, D.A.

1996-01-01

Mogi [1974] proposed a simple model of the incipient rupture surface to explain the Coulomb failure criterion. We show here that this model can plausibly be extended to explain the Mohr failure criterion. In Mogi's model the incipient rupture surface immediately before fracture consists of areas across which material integrity is maintained (intact areas) and areas across which it is not (cracks). The strength of the incipient rupture surface is made up of the inherent strength of the intact areas plus the frictional resistance to sliding offered by the cracked areas. Although the coefficient of internal friction (slope of the strength versus normal stress curve) depends upon both the frictional and inherent strengths, the phenomenon of internal friction can be identified with the frictional part. The curvature of the Mohr failure envelope is interpreted as a consequence of differences in damage (cracking) accumulated in prefailure loading at different confining pressures.

EMG monitoring during functional non-surgical therapy of Achilles tendon rupture.

PubMed

Hüfner, Tobias; Wohifarth, Kai; Fink, Matthias; Thermann, H; Rollnik, Jens D

2002-07-01

After surgical therapy of Achilles tendon rupture, neuromuscular changes may persist, even one year after surgery. We were interested whether these changes are also evident following a non-surgical functional therapy (Variostabil therapy boot/Adidas). Twenty-one patients with complete Achilles tendon rupture were enrolled in the study (mean age 38.5 years, range 24 to 60; 18 men, three women) and followed-up clinically and with surface EMG of the gastrocnemius muscles after four, eight, 12 weeks, and one year after rupture. EMG differences between the affected and non-affected side could only be observed at baseline and after four weeks following Achilles tendon rupture. The results from our study show that EMG changes are not found following non-surgical functional therapy.

Potentially induced earthquakes in Oklahoma, USA: links between wastewater injection and the 2011 Mw 5.7 earthquake sequence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keranen, Katie M.; Savage, Heather M.; Abers, Geoffrey A.; Cochran, Elizabeth S.

2013-01-01

Significant earthquakes are increasingly occurring within the continental interior of the United States, including five of moment magnitude (Mw) ≥ 5.0 in 2011 alone. Concurrently, the volume of fluid injected into the subsurface related to the production of unconventional resources continues to rise. Here we identify the largest earthquake potentially related to injection, an Mw 5.7 earthquake in November 2011 in Oklahoma. The earthquake was felt in at least 17 states and caused damage in the epicentral region. It occurred in a sequence, with 2 earthquakes of Mw 5.0 and a prolific sequence of aftershocks. We use the aftershocks to illuminate the faults that ruptured in the sequence, and show that the tip of the initial rupture plane is within ~200 m of active injection wells and within ~1 km of the surface; 30% of early aftershocks occur within the sedimentary section. Subsurface data indicate that fluid was injected into effectively sealed compartments, and we interpret that a net fluid volume increase after 18 yr of injection lowered effective stress on reservoir-bounding faults. Significantly, this case indicates that decades-long lags between the commencement of fluid injection and the onset of induced earthquakes are possible, and modifies our common criteria for fluid-induced events. The progressive rupture of three fault planes in this sequence suggests that stress changes from the initial rupture triggered the successive earthquakes, including one larger than the first.

The 2011 Mw 7.1 Van (Eastern Turkey) earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliot, John R.; Copley, Alex C.; Holley, R.; Scharer, Katherine M.; Parsons, Barry

2013-01-01

We use interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), body wave seismology, satellite imagery, and field observations to constrain the fault parameters of the Mw 7.1 2011 Van (Eastern Turkey) reverse-slip earthquake, in the Turkish-Iranian plateau. Distributed slip models from elastic dislocation modeling of the InSAR surface displacements from ENVISAT and COSMO-SkyMed interferograms indicate up to 9 m of reverse and oblique slip on a pair of en echelon NW 40 °–54 ° dipping fault planes which have surface extensions projecting to just 10 km north of the city of Van. The slip remained buried and is relatively deep, with a centroid depth of 14 km, and the rupture reaching only within 8–9 km of the surface, consistent with the lack of significant ground rupture. The up-dip extension of this modeled WSW striking fault plane coincides with field observations of weak ground deformation seen on the western of the two fault segments and has a dip consistent with that seen at the surface in fault gouge exposed in Quaternary sediments. No significant coseismic slip is found in the upper 8 km of the crust above the main slip patches, except for a small region on the eastern segment potentially resulting from the Mw 5.9 aftershock on the same day. We perform extensive resolution tests on the data to confirm the robustness of the observed slip deficit in the shallow crust. We resolve a steep gradient in displacement at the point where the planes of the two fault segments ends are inferred to abut at depth, possibly exerting some structural control on rupture extent.

Slip Model of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha (Nepal) Earthquake from Inversions of ALOS-2 and GPS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, K.; Fialko, Y. A.

2015-12-01

We use surface deformation measurements including Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data acquired by the ALOS-2 mission of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Global Positioning System (GPS) data to invert for the fault geometry and coseismic slip distribution of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal. Assuming that the ruptured fault connects to the surface trace of the of Main Frontal Thrust fault (MFT) between 84.34E and 86.19E, the best-fitting model suggests a dip angle of 7 degrees. The moment calculated from the slip model is 6.17*1020 Nm, corresponding to the moment magnitude of 7.79. The rupture of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake was dominated by thrust motion that was primarily concentrated in a 150-km long zone 50 to 100 km northward from the surface trace of the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), with maximum slip of ~6 m at a depth of ~ 8 km. Data thus indicate that the 2015 Gorkha earthquake ruptured a deep part of the seismogenic zone, in contrast to the 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake, which had ruptured a shallow part of the adjacent fault segment to the East.

Dependence of near field co-seismic ionospheric perturbations on surface deformations: A case study based on the April, 25 2015 Gorkha Nepal earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunil, A. S.; Bagiya, Mala S.; Catherine, Joshi; Rolland, Lucie; Sharma, Nitin; Sunil, P. S.; Ramesh, D. S.

2017-03-01

Ionospheric response to the recent 25 April 2015 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake is studied in terms of Global Positioning System-Total Electron Content (GPS-TEC) from the viewpoints of source directivity, rupture propagation and associated surface deformations, over and near the fault plane. The azimuthal directivity of co-seismic ionospheric perturbations (CIP) amplitudes from near field exhibit excellent correlation with east-southeast propagation of earthquake rupture and associated surface deformations. In addition, the amplitude of CIP is observed to be very small in the opposite direction of the rupture movement. Conceptual explanations on the poleward directivity of CIP exist in literature, we show the observational evidences of additional equator ward directivity, interpreted in terms of rupture propagation direction. We also discuss the coupling between earthquake induced acoustic waves and local geomagnetic field and its effects on near field CIP amplitudes. We suggest that variability of near field CIP over and near the fault plane are the manifestations of the geomagnetic field-wave coupling in addition to crustal deformations that observed through GPS measurements and corroborated by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data sets.

Dynamic rupture modeling with laboratory-derived constitutive relations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Okubo, P.G.

1989-01-01

A laboratory-derived state variable friction constitutive relation is used in the numerical simulation of the dynamic growth of an in-plane or mode II shear crack. According to this formulation, originally presented by J.H. Dieterich, frictional resistance varies with the logarithm of the slip rate and with the logarithm of the frictional state variable as identified by A.L. Ruina. Under conditions of steady sliding, the state variable is proportional to (slip rate)-1. Following suddenly introduced increases in slip rate, the rate and state dependencies combine to produce behavior which resembles slip weakening. When rupture nucleation is artificially forced at fixed rupture velocity, rupture models calculated with the state variable friction in a uniformly distributed initial stress field closely resemble earlier rupture models calculated with a slip weakening fault constitutive relation. Model calculations suggest that dynamic rupture following a state variable friction relation is similar to that following a simpler fault slip weakening law. However, when modeling the full cycle of fault motions, rate-dependent frictional responses included in the state variable formulation are important at low slip rates associated with rupture nucleation. -from Author

Mw7.7 2013 Balochistan Earthquake. Slip-Distribution and Deformation Field in Oblique Tectonic Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klinger, Y.; Vallage, A.; Grandin, R.; Delorme, A.; Rosu, A. M.; Pierro-Deseilligny, M.

2014-12-01

The Mw7.7 2013 Balochistan earthquake ruptured 200 km of the Hoshab fault, the southern end of the Chaman fault. Azimuth of the fault changes by more than 30° along rupture, from a well-oriented strike-slip fault to a more thrust prone direction. We use the MicMac optical image software to correlate pairs of Landsat images taken before and after the earthquake to access to the horizontal displacement field associated with the earthquake. We combine the horizontal displacement with radar image correlation in range and radar interferometry to derive the co-seismic slip on the fault. The combination of these different datasets actually provides the 3D displacement field. We note that although the earthquake was mainly strike-slip all along the rupture length, some vertical motion patches exist, which locations seem to be controlled by kilometric-scale variations of the fault geometry. 5 pairs of SPOT images were also correlated to derive a 2.5m pixel-size horizontal displacement field, providing unique opportunity to look at deformation in the near field and to obtain high-resolution strike-slip and normal slip-distributions. We note a significant difference, especially in the normal component, between the slip localized at depth on the fault plane and the slip localized closer to the surface, with more apparent slip at the surface. A high-resolution map of ground rupture allows us to locate the distribution of the deformation over the whole rupture length. The rupture map also highlights multiple fault geometric complexities where we could quantify details of the slip distribution. At the rupture length-scale, the local azimuth variations between segments have a large impact on the expression of the localized slip at the surface. The combination of those datasets gives an overview of the large distribution of the deformation in the near field, corresponding to the co-seismic damage zone.

Nonlinear interaction of strong S-waves with the rupture front in the shallow subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sleep, N. H.

2017-12-01

Shallow deformation in moderate to large earthquakes is sometimes distributed rather than being concentrated on a single fault plane. Strong high-frequency S-waves interact with the rupture front to produce this effect. For strike-slip faults, the rupture propagation velocity is a fraction of the S-wave velocity. The rupture propagation vector refracts essentially vertically in the low (S-wave) velocity shallow subsurface. So does the propagation direction of S-waves. The shallow rupture front is essentially mode 3 near the surface. Strong S-waves arrive before the rupture front. They continue to arrive for several seconds in a large event. There are simple scaling relationships. The dynamic Coulomb stress ratio of horizontal stress on horizontal planes from S-waves is the normalized acceleration in g's. For fractured rock and gravel, frictional failure occurs when the normalized acceleration exceeds the effective coefficient of friction. Acceleration tends to saturate at that level as the anelastic strain rate increases rapidly with stress. For muddy materials, failure begins at a low normalized acceleration but increases slowly with dynamic stress. Dynamic accelerations sometimes exceed 1 g. In both cases, the rupture tip finds the shallow subsurface already in nonlinear failure down to a few to tens of meters depth. The material does not distinguish between S-wave and rupture tip stresses. Both stresses add to the stress invariant and hence to the anelastic strain rate tensor. Surface anelastic strain from fault slip is thus distributed laterally over a distance scaling to the depth of nonlinearity from S-waves. The environs of the fault anelastically accommodate the fault slip at depth. This process differs from blind faults where the shallow coseismic strain is mostly elastic and interseismic anelastic processes accommodate the long-term shallow deformation.

Paleoearthquakes at Frazier Mountain, California delimit extent and frequency of past San Andreas Fault ruptures along 1857 trace

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scharer, Katherine M.; Weldon, Ray; Streig, Ashley; Fumal, Thomas

2014-01-01

Large earthquakes are infrequent along a single fault, and therefore historic, well-characterized earthquakes exert a strong influence on fault behavior models. This is true of the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake (estimated M7.7–7.9) on the southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF), but an outstanding question is whether the 330 km long rupture was typical. New paleoseismic data for six to seven ground-rupturing earthquakes on the Big Bend of the SSAF restrict the pattern of possible ruptures on the 1857 stretch of the fault. In conjunction with existing sites, we show that over the last ~650 years, at least 75% of the surface ruptures are shorter than the 1857 earthquake, with estimated rupture lengths of 100 to <300 km. These results suggest that the 1857 rupture was unusual, perhaps leading to the long open interval, and that a return to pre-1857 behavior would increase the rate of M7.3–M7.7 earthquakes.

Physics of Earthquake Disaster: From Crustal Rupture to Building Collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uenishi, Koji

2018-05-01

Earthquakes of relatively greater magnitude may cause serious, sometimes unexpected failures of natural and human-made structures, either on the surface, underground, or even at sea. In this review, by treating several examples of extraordinary earthquake-related failures that range from the collapse of every second building in a commune to the initiation of spontaneous crustal rupture at depth, we consider the physical background behind the apparently abnormal earthquake disaster. Simple but rigorous dynamic analyses reveal that such seemingly unusual failures actually occurred for obvious reasons, which may remain unrecognized in part because in conventional seismic analyses only kinematic aspects of the effects of lower-frequency seismic waves below 1 Hz are normally considered. Instead of kinematics, some dynamic approach that takes into account the influence of higher-frequency components of waves over 1 Hz will be needed to anticipate and explain such extraordinary phenomena and mitigate the impact of earthquake disaster in the future.

New insights into Kilauea's volcano dynamics brought by large-scale relative relocation of microearthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Got, J.-L.; Okubo, P.

2003-01-01

We investigated the microseismicity recorded in an active volcano to infer information concerning the volcano structure and long-term dynamics, by using relative relocations and focal mechanisms of microearthquakes. There were 32,000 earthquakes of the Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes recorded by more than eight stations of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seismic network between 1988 and 1999. We studied 17,000 of these events and relocated more than 70%, with an accuracy ranging from 10 to 500 m. About 75% of these relocated events are located in the vicinity of subhorizontal decollement planes, at a depth of 8-11 km. However, the striking features revealed by these relocation results are steep southeast dipping fault planes working as reverse faults, clearly located below the decollement plane and which intersect it. If this decollement plane coincides with the pre-Mauna Loa seafloor, as hypothesized by numerous authors, such reverse faults rupture the pre-Mauna Loa oceanic crust. The weight of the volcano and pressure in the magma storage system are possible causes of these ruptures, fully compatible with the local stress tensor computed by Gillard et al. [1996]. Reverse faults are suspected of producing scarps revealed by kilometer-long horizontal slip-perpendicular lineations along the decollement surface and therefore large-scale roughness, asperities, and normal stress variations. These are capable of generating stick-slip, large-magnitude earthquakes, the spatial microseismic pattern observed in the south flank of Kilauea volcano, and Hilina-type instabilities. Rupture intersecting the decollement surface, causing its large-scale roughness, may be an important parameter controlling the growth of Hawaiian volcanoes.

Slip History of the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake Constrained by Joint Inverting Seismic, Geodetic, and Geological Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, G.; Ji, C.; Lu, Z.; Hudnut, K. W.; Liu, J.; Zhang, W.

2009-12-01

We study the kinematic rupture process of the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake using all geophysical and geological datasets that we are able to access, including the waveforms of teleseismic long period surface waves, broadband body waves and local strong motions, GPS vectors, interferometic radar (INSAR) images, and geological surface offsets. The relocated aftershock locations have also been included to constrain the potential fault geometry. These datasets have very different sensitivities to not only the slip on the fault but also the “a priori” information of the source inversions, such as the local velocity structure and the details of irregular fault surface. Effects have then been made to reconcile these datasets by reasonably perturbing the velocity structure and fault geometry, which are both poorly constrained. We have used two 1D velocity models, one for the Tibet plateau and the other for Sichuan basin, to calculate the static and dynamic earth responses; and developed a complex fault system including two irregular fault planes for Beichuan and Pengguan faults, respectively. The long wavelength errors of the INSAR LOS displacements have also been considered and been corrected simultaneously during the joint inversions. Our preferred model not only explains the geodetic and tele-seismic data very well, but also reasonably matches most strong motion waveforms. According to this result, the Wenchuan earthquake has an unprecedented complex rupture process. It initiated southwest of the town of Yingxiu at a depth of about 12 km, where the low-angle Pengguan fault and the high-angle Beichuan fault intersect. The rupture initiated on the low angle Pengguan fault and then later triggered the rupture on the high angle Beichuan fault. It then unilaterally ruptured northeastward for 270 km, mainly on the Beichuan fault. The entire rupture duration is over 95 seconds with an average rupture velocity of 3.0 km/s. Except for the region near the hypocenter and the region near the northeast end of the rupture, the majority of slip occurred at depths less than 12 km. The total seismic moment released by this earthquake was 1.02 x 1021 Nm, with ~36% on the Pengguan fault. Our analysis also indicates that the aftershock zone along the extension of the Xiaoyudong fault is consistent with the theory of static stress triggering due to the co-seismic rupture.

Holocene surface-faulting earthquakes at the Spring Lake and North Creek Sites on the Wasatch Fault Zone: Evidence for complex rupture of the Nephi Segment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duross, Christopher; Hylland, Michael D.; Hiscock, Adam; Personius, Stephen; Briggs, Richard; Gold, Ryan D.; Beukelman, Gregg; McDonald, Geg N; Erickson, Ben; McKean, Adam; Angster, Steve; King, Roselyn; Crone, Anthony J.; Mahan, Shannon

2017-01-01

The Nephi segment of the Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) comprises two fault strands, the northern and southern strands, which have evidence of recurrent late Holocene surface-faulting earthquakes. We excavated paleoseismic trenches across these strands to refine and expand their Holocene earthquake chronologies; improve estimates of earthquake recurrence, displacement, and fault slip rate; and assess whether the strands rupture separately or synchronously in large earthquakes. Paleoseismic data from the Spring Lake site expand the Holocene record of earthquakes on the northern strand: at least five to seven earthquakes ruptured the Spring Lake site at 0.9 ± 0.2 ka (2σ), 2.9 ± 0.7 ka, 4.0 ± 0.5 ka, 4.8 ± 0.8 ka, 5.7 ± 0.8 ka, 6.6 ± 0.7 ka, and 13.1 ± 4.0 ka, yielding a Holocene mean recurrence of ~1.2–1.5 kyr and vertical slip rate of ~0.5–0.8 mm/yr. Paleoseismic data from the North Creek site help refine the Holocene earthquake chronology for the southern strand: at least five earthquakes ruptured the North Creek site at 0.2 ± 0.1 ka (2σ), 1.2 ± 0.1 ka, 2.6 ± 0.9 ka, 4.0 ± 0.1 ka, and 4.7 ± 0.7 ka, yielding a mean recurrence of 1.1–1.3 kyr and vertical slip rate of ~1.9–2.0 mm/yr. We compare these Spring Lake and North Creek data with previous paleoseismic data for the Nephi segment and report late Holocene mean recurrence intervals of ~1.0–1.2 kyr for the northern strand and ~1.1–1.3 kyr for the southern strand. The northern and southern strands have similar late Holocene earthquake histories, which allow for models of both independent and synchronous rupture. However, considering the earthquake timing probabilities and per-event vertical displacements, we have the greatest confidence in the simultaneous rupture of the strands, including rupture of one strand with spillover rupture to the other. Ultimately, our results improve the surface-faulting earthquake history of the Nephi segment and enhance our understanding of how structural barriers influence normal-fault rupture.

Induced seismicity provides insight into why earthquake ruptures stop.

PubMed

Galis, Martin; Ampuero, Jean Paul; Mai, P Martin; Cappa, Frédéric

2017-12-01

Injection-induced earthquakes pose a serious seismic hazard but also offer an opportunity to gain insight into earthquake physics. Currently used models relating the maximum magnitude of injection-induced earthquakes to injection parameters do not incorporate rupture physics. We develop theoretical estimates, validated by simulations, of the size of ruptures induced by localized pore-pressure perturbations and propagating on prestressed faults. Our model accounts for ruptures growing beyond the perturbed area and distinguishes self-arrested from runaway ruptures. We develop a theoretical scaling relation between the largest magnitude of self-arrested earthquakes and the injected volume and find it consistent with observed maximum magnitudes of injection-induced earthquakes over a broad range of injected volumes, suggesting that, although runaway ruptures are possible, most injection-induced events so far have been self-arrested ruptures.

Holocene surface ruptures of the Rurrand Fault, Germany—insights from palaeoseismology, remote sensing and shallow geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grützner, Christoph; Fischer, Peter; Reicherter, Klaus

2016-03-01

The Lower Rhine Embayment in Central Europe hosts a rift system that has very low deformation rates. The faults in this area have slip rates of less than 0.1 mm yr-1, which does not allow to investigate ongoing tectonic deformation with geodetic techniques, unless they cover very long time spans. Instrumental seismicity does only cover a small fraction of the very long earthquake recurrence intervals of several thousands of years. Palaeoseismological studies are needed to constrain slip rates and the earthquake history of such faults. Destructive earthquakes are rare in the study area, but did occur in historic times. In 1755/1756, a series of strong earthquakes caused significant destruction in the city of Düren (Germany) and the surrounding areas. In this study we document palaeoseismological data from the nearby Rurrand Fault. In contrast to earlier studies on the same fault, we found evidence for a surface rupturing earthquake in the Holocene, and we identified at least one more surface rupturing event. Our study shows that the Rurrand Fault currently accommodates deformation in earthquakes rather than by creeping. The coseismic offsets were determined to be between less than 0.5 m per event. We assign maximum possible magnitudes of Mw 5.9-6.8 for the Rurrand Fault and a slip rate of at least 0.02-0.03 mm yr-1 for the last ˜130-50 kyr. The surface ruptures did not occur at the main fault trace that has a clear morphological expression due to older tectonic motions, but on a younger fault strand in the hanging wall of the main fault. Terrain analyses based on 1 m resolution airborne LiDAR data have been used to image the subtle morphological expression of this young fault zone. Georadar and electric resistivity tomography were applied to image the fault zone at depth and to test if these shallow geophysical methods can be used to identify and trace the fault zone. Georadar failed to produce reliable results, but geoelectrics were successfully applied and allowed us to retrieve slip rate estimates. Our results indicate that the Düren 1755/1756 earthquakes did not produce surface ruptures at the Rurrand Fault, either because they did not rupture the surface at all, or because they occurred at another, neighbouring fault.

Geodetic Insights into the Earthquake Cycle in a Fold and Thrust Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingleby, T. F.; Wright, T. J.; Butterworth, V.; Weiss, J. R.; Elliott, J.

2017-12-01

Geodetic measurements are often sparse in time (e.g. individual interferograms) and/or space (e.g. GNSS stations), adversely affecting our ability to capture the spatiotemporal detail required to study the earthquake cycle in complex tectonic systems such as subaerial fold and thrust belts. In an effort to overcome these limitations we combine 3 generations of SAR satellite data (ERS 1/2, Envisat & Sentinel-1a/b) to obtain a 25 year, high-resolution surface displacement time series over the frontal portion of an active fold and thrust belt near Quetta, Pakistan where a Mw 7.1 earthquake doublet occurred in 1997. With these data we capture a significant portion of the seismic cycle including the interseismic, coseismic and postseismic phases. Each satellite time series has been referenced to the first ERS-1 SAR epoch by fitting a ground deformation model to the data. This allows us to separate deformation associated with each phase and to examine their relative roles in accommodating strain and creating topography, and to explore the relationship between the earthquake cycle and critical taper wedge mechanics. Modeling of the coseismic deformation suggests a long, thin rupture with rupture length 7 times greater than rupture width. Rupture was confined to a 20-30 degree north-northeast dipping reverse fault or ramp at depth, which may be connecting two weak decollements at approximately 8 km and 13 km depth. Alternatively, intersections between the coseismic fault plane and pre-existing steeper splay faults underlying folds may have played a significant role in inhibiting rupture, as evidenced by intersection points bordering the rupture. These fault intersections effectively partition the fault system down-dip and enable long, thin ruptures. Postseismic deformation is manifest as uplift across short-wavelength folds at the thrust front, with displacement rates decreasing with time since the earthquake. Broader patterns of postseismic uplift are also observed surrounding the coseismic rupture in both the down- and up-dip directions. We examine how coseismic stress changes may be driving the postseismic deformation by jointly inverting the InSAR-derived displacements for the rupture and fault friction parameters using a rate-strengthening friction model.

The Surface faulting produced by the 30 October 2016 Mw 6.5 Central Italy earthquake: the Open EMERGEO Working Group experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pantosti, Daniela

2017-04-01

The October 30, 2016 (06:40 UTC) Mw 6.5 earthquake occurred about 28 km NW of Amatrice village as the result of upper crust normal faulting on a nearly 30 km-long, NW-SE oriented, SW dipping fault system in the Central Apennines. This earthquake is the strongest Italian seismic event since the 1980 Mw 6.9 Irpinia earthquake. The Mw 6.5 event was the largest shock of a seismic sequence, which began on August 24 with a Mw 6.0 earthquake and also included a Mw 5.9 earthquake on October 26, about 9 and 35 km NW of Amatrice village, respectively. Field surveys of coseismic geological effects at the surface started within hours of the mainshock and were carried out by several national and international teams of earth scientists (about 120 people) from different research institutions and universities coordinated by the EMERGEO Working Group of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. This collaborative effort was focused on the detailed recognition and mapping of: 1) the total extent of the October 30 coseismic surface ruptures, 2) their geometric and kinematic characteristics, 3) the coseismic displacement distribution along the activated fault system, including subsidiary and antithetic ruptures. The huge amount of collected data (more than 8000 observation points of several types of coseismic effects at the surface) were stored, managed and shared using a specifically designed spreadsheet to populate a georeferenced database. More comprehensive mapping of the details and extent of surface rupture was facilitated by Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry surveys by means of several helicopter flights. An almost continuous alignment of ruptures about 30 km long, N150/160 striking, mainly SW side down was observed along the already known active Mt. Vettore - Mt. Bove fault system. The mapped ruptures occasionally overlapped those of the August 24 Mw 6.0 and October 26 Mw 5.9 shocks. The coincidence between the observed surface ruptures and the trace of active normal faults mapped in the available geological literature is noteworthy. The field data collected suggest a complex coseismic surface faulting pattern along closely-spaced, parallel or subparallel, overlapping or step-like synthetic and antithetic fault splays. The cumulative surface faulting length has been estimated in about 40 km. The maximum vertical offset is significant, locally exceeding 2 meters along the Mt. Vettore Fault, measured both along bedrock fault planes and free-faces affecting unconsolidated deposits. This enormous collaborative experience has a twofold relevance, on the one side allowed to document in high detail the earthquake ruptures before Winter would destroy them, on the other represent the first large European experience for coseismic effects survey that we should use a leading case to establish a coseismic effects European team to get ready to respond to future seismic crises at the European level.

Historic surface slip along the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lienkaemper, J.J.; Prescott, W.H.

1989-01-01

The Parkfield Earthquake Prediction Experiment is focusing close attention on the 44-km-long section of the San Andreas fault that last ruptured seismically in 1966 (Ms 6.0). The 20-km-long central segment of the 1966 Parkfield rupture, extending from the mainshock epicenter at Middle Mountain southeastward to Gold Hill, forms a 1- to 2-km salient northeastward away from the dominant N40??W strike. Following the 1966 earthquake afterslip, aseismic slip has been nearly constant. Moderate Parkfield earthquakes have recurred on average every 21 years since 1857, when a great earthquake (M ~ 8) ruptured at least as far north as the southern Parkfield segment. Many measurements of slip have been made near Parkfield since 1966. Nevertheless, much of the history of surface slip remained uncertain, especially the total amount associated with the 1966 event. In 1985 we measured accumulated slip on the four oldest cultural features offset by the fault along the 1966 Parkfield rupture segment. -from Authors

Surface rupture of the 1933 M 7.5 Diexi earthquake in eastern Tibet: implications for seismogenic tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Junjie; Xu, Xiwei; Zhang, Shimin; Yeats, Robert S.; Chen, Jiawei; Zhu, Ailan; Liu, Shao

2018-03-01

The 1933 M 7.5 Diexi earthquake is another catastrophic event with the loss of over 10 000 lives in eastern Tibet comparable to the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. Because of its unknown surface rupture, the seismogenic tectonics of the 1933 earthquake remains controversial. We collected unpublished reports, literatures and old photos associated with the 1933 earthquake and conducted field investigations based on high-resolution Google Earth imagery. Combined with palaeoseismological analysis, radiocarbon dating and relocated earthquakes, our results demonstrate that the source of the 1933 earthquake is the northwest-trending Songpinggou fault. This quake produced a > 30 km long normal-faulting surface rupture with the coseismic offset of 0.9-1.7 m. Its moment magnitude (Mw) is ˜6.8. The Songpinggou fault undergoes an average vertical slip rate of ˜0.25 mm yr-1 and has a recurrence interval of ˜6700 yr of large earthquakes. The normal-faulting surface rupture of this quake is probably the reactivation of the Mesozoic Jiaochang tectonic belt in gravitational adjustment of eastern Tibet. Besides the major boundary faults, minor structures within continental blocks may take a role in strain partitioning of eastern Tibet and have the potential of producing large earthquake. This study contributes to a full understanding of seismotectonics of large earthquakes and strain partitioning in eastern Tibet.

XPS analysis of Al/EPDM bondlines from IUS SRM-1 polar bosses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemminger, Carol S.; Marquez, Nicholas

1993-03-01

A temperature-stress rupture method using partial immersion in liquid nitrogen was developed for the aluminum/EPDM rubber insulation bondline of the IUS SRM-1 polar bosses in order to investigate a corrosion problem. Subsequent XPS analysis of the ruptured bondline followed changes in the locus of failure as corrosion progressed. Samples from the forward polar bosses had a predominantly noncorroded appearance on the ruptured surfaces. The locus of failure was predominantly through the primer layer, which is distinguished by a high concentration of chlorinated hydrocarbon. The aft polar boss segments analyzed were characterized by the presence of corrosion over the entire mid-section of the ruptured aluminum to insulation bondline. The predominant corrosion product detected was aluminum oxide/hydroxide. The corroded bondline sections had significantly higher concentrations of aluminum oxide/hydroxide than the noncorroded areas, and lower concentrations of primer material. The temperature-stress rupture appeared to progress most readily through areas of thickened aluminum oxide/hydroxide infiltrated into the primer layer. In general there was a very good correlation between the calculated Cl:Al atomic % ratio, and the visual characterization of the extent of corrosion. The Cl:Al ratio, which represents the primer to corrosion product ratio at the locus of failure, varied from 0.4 to 47. With only a few exceptions, surfaces with a predominantly noncorroded appearance had Cl:Al ratios greater than 2, and surfaces with a heavily corroded appearance had Cl:Al ratios less than 1.

Uplift and subsidence associated with the great Aceh-Andaman earthquake of 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meltzner, A.J.; Sieh, K.; Abrams, M.; Agnew, D.C.; Hudnut, K.W.; Avouac, J.-P.; Natawidjaja, D.H.

2006-01-01

Rupture of the Sunda megathrust on 26 December 2004 produced broad regions of uplift and subsidence. We define the pivot line separating these regions as a first step in defining the lateral extent and the downdip limit of rupture during that great Mw ??? 9.2 earthquake. In the region of the Andaman and Nicobar islands we rely exclusively on the interpretation of satellite imagery and a tidal model. At the southern limit of the great rupture we rely principally on field measurements of emerged coral microatolls. Uplift extends from the middle of Simeulue Island, Sumatra, at ??? 2.5??N, to Preparis Island, Myanmar (Burma), at ??? 14.9??N. Thus the rupture is ??? 1600 km long. The distance from the pivot line to the trench varies appreciably. The northern and western Andaman Islands rose, whereas the southern and eastern portion of the islands subsided. The Nicobar Islands and the west coast of Aceh province, Sumatra, subsided. Tilt at the southern end of the rupture is steep; the distance from 1.5 m of uplift to the pivot line is just 60 km. Our method of using satellite imagery to recognize changes in elevation relative to sea surface height and of using a tidal model to place quantitative bounds on coseismic uplift or subsidence is a novel approach that can be adapted to other forms of remote sensing and can be applied to other subduction zones in tropical regions. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

Dynamic rupture models of earthquakes on the Bartlett Springs Fault, Northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lozos, Julian C.; Harris, Ruth A.; Murray, Jessica R.; Lienkaemper, James J.

2015-01-01

The Bartlett Springs Fault (BSF), the easternmost branch of the northern San Andreas Fault system, creeps along much of its length. Geodetic data for the BSF are sparse, and surface creep rates are generally poorly constrained. The two existing geodetic slip rate inversions resolve at least one locked patch within the creeping zones. We use the 3-D finite element code FaultMod to conduct dynamic rupture models based on both geodetic inversions, in order to determine the ability of rupture to propagate into the creeping regions, as well as to assess possible magnitudes for BSF ruptures. For both sets of models, we find that the distribution of aseismic creep limits the extent of coseismic rupture, due to the contrast in frictional properties between the locked and creeping regions.

Establishment of borehole observation system and high resolution seismic studies in the western part of the main Marmara Fault in the frame of MARSite Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozel, A.; Yalcinkaya, E.; Guralp, C. M.; Tunc, S.; Meral Ozel, N.

2013-12-01

The main objective of this study is to install a multi-parameter borehole system and surface array as close to the main Marmara Fault (MMF) in the western Marmara Sea as possible, and measure continuously the evolution of the state of the fault zone surrounding the MMF and to detect any anomaly or change which may occur before earthquakes by making use of the data from the arrays already running in the eastern part of the Marmara Sea. The multi-parameter borehole system will be composed of very wide dynamic range and stable borehole (VBB) broad band seismic sensor, and incorporate 3-D strain meter, tilt meter, and temperature and local hydrostatic pressure measuring devices. The borehole seismic station will use the latest update technologies and design ideas to record 'Earth tides' signals to the smallest magnitude -3 events. Bringing face to face the seismograms of microearthquakes recorded by borehole and surface instruments portrays quite different contents. The shorter recording duration and nearly flat frequency spectrum up to the Nyquist frequencies of borehole records are faced with longer recording duration and rapid decay of spectral amplitudes at higher frequencies of a surface seismogram. The main causative of the observed differences are near surface geology effects that mask most of the source related information the seismograms include, and that give rise to scattering, generating longer duration seismograms. In view of these circumstances, studies on microearthquakes employing surface seismograms may bring on misleading results. Particularly, the works on earthquake physics and nucleation process of earthquakes requires elaborate analysis of tiny events. It is obvious from the studies on the nucleation process of the 1999 earthquake that tens of minutes before the major rupture initiate noteworthy microearthquake activity happened. The starting point of the 1999 rupture was a site of swarm activity noticed a few decades prior the main shock. Nowadays, analogous case is probable in western Marmara Sea region, prone to a major event in near future where the seismic activity is prevailing along the impending rupture zone. Deploying a borehole system eastern end of the Ganos fault zone may yield invaluable data to closely inspect and monitor the last stages of the preparation stage of major rupture. Keywords: Borehole seismometer; Ganos fault; microearthquakes; western Marmara

Numerical comparisons of ground motion predictions with kinematic rupture modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Y. O.; Zurek, B.; Liu, F.; deMartin, B.; Lacasse, M. D.

2017-12-01

Recent advances in large-scale wave simulators allow for the computation of seismograms at unprecedented levels of detail and for areas sufficiently large to be relevant to small regional studies. In some instances, detailed information of the mechanical properties of the subsurface has been obtained from seismic exploration surveys, well data, and core analysis. Using kinematic rupture modeling, this information can be used with a wave propagation simulator to predict the ground motion that would result from an assumed fault rupture. The purpose of this work is to explore the limits of wave propagation simulators for modeling ground motion in different settings, and in particular, to explore the numerical accuracy of different methods in the presence of features that are challenging to simulate such as topography, low-velocity surface layers, and shallow sources. In the main part of this work, we use a variety of synthetic three-dimensional models and compare the relative costs and benefits of different numerical discretization methods in computing the seismograms of realistic-size models. The finite-difference method, the discontinuous-Galerkin method, and the spectral-element method are compared for a range of synthetic models having different levels of complexity such as topography, large subsurface features, low-velocity surface layers, and the location and characteristics of fault ruptures represented as an array of seismic sources. While some previous studies have already demonstrated that unstructured-mesh methods can sometimes tackle complex problems (Moczo et al.), we investigate the trade-off between unstructured-mesh methods and regular-grid methods for a broad range of models and source configurations. Finally, for comparison, our direct simulation results are briefly contrasted with those predicted by a few phenomenological ground-motion prediction equations, and a workflow for accurately predicting ground motion is proposed.

Induced seismicity provides insight into why earthquake ruptures stop

PubMed Central

Galis, Martin; Ampuero, Jean Paul; Mai, P. Martin; Cappa, Frédéric

2017-01-01

Injection-induced earthquakes pose a serious seismic hazard but also offer an opportunity to gain insight into earthquake physics. Currently used models relating the maximum magnitude of injection-induced earthquakes to injection parameters do not incorporate rupture physics. We develop theoretical estimates, validated by simulations, of the size of ruptures induced by localized pore-pressure perturbations and propagating on prestressed faults. Our model accounts for ruptures growing beyond the perturbed area and distinguishes self-arrested from runaway ruptures. We develop a theoretical scaling relation between the largest magnitude of self-arrested earthquakes and the injected volume and find it consistent with observed maximum magnitudes of injection-induced earthquakes over a broad range of injected volumes, suggesting that, although runaway ruptures are possible, most injection-induced events so far have been self-arrested ruptures. PMID:29291250

Aftershocks of the june 20, 1978, Greece earthquake: A multimode faulting sequence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carver, D.; Bollinger, G.A.

1981-01-01

A 10-station portable seismograph network was deployed in northern Greece to study aftershocks of the magnitude (mb) 6.4 earthquake of June 20, 1978. The main shock occurred (in a graben) about 25 km northeast of the city of Thessaloniki and caused an east-west zone of surface rupturing 14 km long that splayed to 7 km wide at the west end. The hypocenters for 116 aftershocks in the magnitude range from 2.5 to 4.5 were determined. The epicenters for these events cover an area 30 km (east-west) by 18 km (north-south), and focal depths ranges from 4 to 12 km. Most of the aftershocks in the east half of the aftershock zone are north of the surface rupture and north of the graben. Those in the west half are located within the boundaries of the graben. Composite focalmechanism solutions for selected aftershocks indicate reactivation of geologically mapped normal faults in the area. Also, strike-slip and dip-slip faults that splay off the western end of the zone of surface ruptures may have been activated. The epicenters for four large (M ??? 4.8) foreshocks and the main shock were relocated using the method of joint epicenter determination. Collectively, those five epicenters form an arcuate pattern convex southward, that is north of and 5 km distant from the surface rupturing. The 5-km separation, along with a focal depth of 8 km (average aftershock depth) or 16 km (NEIS main-shock depth), implies that the fault plane dips northward 58?? or 73??, respectively. A preferred nodal-plane dip of 36?? was determined by B.C. Papazachos and his colleagues in 1979 from a focal-mechanism solution for the main shock. If this dip is valid for the causal fault and that fault projects to the zone of surface rupturing, a decrease of dip with depth is required. ?? 1981.

[Near infrared spectrum analysis and meaning of the soil in 512 earthquake surface rupture zone in Pingtong, Sichuan].

PubMed

Yi, Ze-bang; Cao, Jian-jin; Luo, Song-ying; Wang, Zheng-yang; Liao, Yi-peng

2014-08-01

Through modern near infrared spectrum, the authors analyzed the yellow soil from the rupture zone located in Ping- tong town,Pingwu, Sichuan province. By rapid identification of the characteristic of peak absorption of mineral particles, the result shows that the soil samples mainly composed of calcite, dolomite, muscovite, sericite, illite, smectite; talc, tremolite, actinolite, chlorite, etc. And the mineral compositions of the soil is basically the same with the yellow soil in Sichuan region. By analyzing and comparing it was revealed that part of mineral compositions of the soil are in accordance with the characteristics of the rock mineral compositions below the rupture zone, indicating that part of the minerals of the soil's evolution is closely related to the rock compositions in this area; and the compositions of the clay mineral in the rupture zone is similar to the Ma Lan loess in the north of China, so it is presumed that the clay minerals in these two kinds of soil have the same genetic type. The characteristic of the mineral composition of the soil is in accordance with evolution characteristics of the rocks which is bellow the rupture zone, also it was demonstrated that the results of soil minerals near-infrared analysis can effectively analyze the mineral particles in the soil and indicate the pedogenic environment. Therefore, the result shows the feasibility of adopting modern near-infrared spectrum for rapid analysis of mineral particles of the soil and research of geology. Meanwhile, the results can be the foundation of this region's soil mineral analysis, and also provide new ideas and methods for the future research of soil minerals and the earthquake rupture zone.

Arc segmentation and seismicity in the Solomon Islands arc, SW Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ming-Chu; Frohlich, Cliff; Taylor, Frederick W.; Burr, George; van Ufford, Andrew Quarles

2011-07-01

This paper evaluates neotectonic segmentation in the Solomon Islands forearc, and considers how it relates to regional tectonic evolution and the extent of ruptures of large megathrust earthquakes. We first consider regional geomorphology and Quaternary vertical displacements, especially uplifted coral reef terraces. Then we consider geographic seismicity patterns, aftershock areas and vertical displacements for large earthquakes, focal mechanisms, and along-arc variations in seismic moment release to evaluate the relationship between neotectonically defined segments and seismicity. Notably, one major limitation of using seismicity to evaluate arc segmentation is the matter of accurately defining earthquake rupture zones. For example, shoreline uplifts associated with the 1 April 2007 M w 8.1 Western Solomons earthquake indicate that the along-arc extent of rupture was about 50 km smaller than the aftershock area. Thus if we had relied on aftershocks alone to identify the 2007 rupture zone, as we do for most historical earthquakes, we would have missed the rupture's relationship to a major morphologic feature. In many cases, the imprecision of defining rupture zones without surface deformation data may be largely responsible for the poor mismatches to neotectonic boundaries. However, when a precise paleoseismic vertical deformation history is absent, aftershocks are often the best available tool for inferring rupture geometries. Altogether we identify 16 segments in the Solomon Islands. These comprise three major tectonic regimes or supersegments that correspond respectively to the forearc areas of Guadalcanal-Makira, the New Georgia island group, and Bougainville Islands. Subduction of the young and relatively shallow and buoyant Woodlark Basin and spreading system distinguishes the central New Georgia supersegment from the two neighboring supersegments. The physiographic expression of the San Cristobal trench is largely absent, but bathymetric mapping of the surface trace of the interplate thrust zone defines it adequately. The New Georgia supersegment has smaller arc segments, and more islands due to general late Quaternary forearc uplift very close to the trench where vertical displacement rates tend to be faster; prior to the 2007 earthquake it had much lower rates of seismic activity than the neighboring supersegments. Generally the mean along-arc lateral extent of Solomon arc segments is about 75 km, somewhat smaller than the segments reported in some other island arcs such as Japan (~ 100-260 km), but larger than those of the Tonga (30-80 km) and Central New Hebrides arcs (30-110 km). These differences may be real but it may occur simply because the coral-friendly tropical environment of the South Pacific arcs, numerous emerged forearc islands, and high seismicity rates provide an unusually favorable situation for observing variations in vertical tectonic activity and thus for identifying segment boundaries. Over the past century seismic slip in the Solomons, as indicated by seismic moment release, has corresponded to about half the plate convergence rate; however, there are notable variations along the arc. Even with the 2007 earthquake, the long-term moment release rate in the New Georgia supersegment is relatively low, and this may indicate that large earthquakes are imminent.

[Spontaneous splenic rupture as a complication of symptom-free infections mononucleosis].

PubMed

Szokó, Márta; Matolcsy, András; Kovács, Gábor; Simon, Gábor

2007-07-22

Splenic rupture is a rare complication of infectious mononucleosis. Although it occurs only in 0.1%-0.5% of cases, splenic rupture remains the most common fatal complication of the disease. Mononucleosis related spontaneous rupture of the spleen without any other characteristic symptoms of the disease is extremely unusual, and threatens with fatal outcome due to its rare and unexpected occurrence. The authors report the case of a 16-year-old boy who needed splenectomy following a spontaneous rupture of the spleen. Serological tests proved an acute Epstein-Barr virus infection in the background but without any signs or symptoms of infectious mononucleosis. The diagnosis and treatment of this infection related to spleen ruptures are also discussed.

No difference between mechanical perturbation training with compliant surface and manual perturbation training on knee functional performance after ACL rupture.

PubMed

Nawasreh, Zakariya; Logerstedt, David; Failla, Mathew; Snyder-Mackler, Lynn

2017-10-27

Manual perturbation training improves dynamic knee stability and functional performance after anterior cruciate ligament rupture (ACL-rupture). However, it is limited to static standing position and does not allow time-specific perturbations at different phase of functional activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether administering mechanical perturbation training including compliant surface provides effects similar to manual perturbation training on knee functional measures after an acute ACL-rupture. Sixteen level I/II athletes with ACL-ruptures participated in this preliminary study. Eight patients received mechanical (Mechanical) and eight subjects received manual perturbation training (Manual). All patients completed a functional testing (isometric quadriceps strength, single-legged hop tests) and patient-reported measures (Knee Outcome Survey-Activities of Daily Living Scale (KOS-ADLS), Global Rating Score (GRS), International Knee Documentation Committee 2000 (IKDC 2000) at pre- and post-training. 2 × 2 ANOVA was used for data analysis. No significant group-by-time interactions were found for all measures (p > 0.18). Main effects of time were found for single hop (Pre-testing: 85.14% ± 21.07; Post-testing: 92.49% ± 17.55), triple hop (Pre-testing: 84.64% ± 14.17; Post-testing: 96.64% ± 11.14), KOS-ADLS (Pre-testing: 81.13% ± 11.12; Post-testing: 88.63% ± 12.63), GRS (Pre-testing: 68.63% ± 15.73; Post-testing: 78.81% ± 13.85), and IKDC 2000 (Pre-testing: 66.66% ± 9.85; Post-testing: 76.05% ± 14.62) (p < 0.032). Administering mechanical perturbation training using compliant surfaces induce effects similar to manual perturbation training on knee functional performance after acute ACL-rupture. The clinical significance is both modes of training improve patients' functional-performance and limb-to-limb movement symmetry, and enhancing the patients' self-reported of knee functional measures after ACL rupture. Mechanical perturbation that provides a compliant surface might be utilized as part of the ACL rehabilitation training. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture Military Medicine Radiology Corner, 2006 Radiology Corner Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture Contributors: CPT Michael...treatment of a 56-year-old man with complete rupture of the distal biceps tendon . The mechanism of injury, symptoms, and findings at physical...be used in pre-operative planning. Introduction Rupture of the distal biceps tendon is a relatively uncommon injury, but delayed diagnosis may

Persistent rupture terminations at a restraining bend from slip rates on the eastern Altyn Tagh fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, A. J.; Oskin, M. E.; Liu-zeng, J.; Shao, Y.-X.

2018-05-01

Restraining double-bends along strike-slip faults inhibit or permit throughgoing ruptures depending on bend angle, length, and prior rupture history. Modeling predicts that for mature strike-slip faults in a regional stress regime characterized by simple shear, a restraining bend of >18° and >4 km length impedes propagating rupture. Indeed, natural evidence shows that the most recent rupture(s) of the Xorkoli section (90°-93°E) of the eastern Altyn Tagh fault (ATF) ended at large restraining bends. However, when multiple seismic cycles are considered in numerical dynamic rupture modeling, heterogeneous residual stresses enable some ruptures to propagate further, modulating whether the bends persistently serve as barriers. These models remain to be tested using observations of the cumulative effects of multiple earthquake ruptures. Here we investigate whether a large restraining double-bend on the ATF serves consistently as a barrier to rupture by measuring long-term slip rates around the terminus of its most recent surface rupture at the Aksay bend. Our results show a W-E decline in slip as the SATF enters the bend, as would be predicted from repeated rupture terminations there. Prior work demonstrated no Holocene slip on the central, most misoriented portion of the bend, while 19-79 m offsets suggest that multiple ruptures have occurred on the west side of the bend during the Holocene. Thus we conclude the gradient in the SATF's slip rate results from the repeated termination of earthquake ruptures there. However, a finite slip rate east of the bend represents the transmission of some slip, suggesting that a small fraction of ruptures may fully traverse or jump the double-bend. This agreement between natural observations of slip accumulation and multi-cycle models of fault rupture enables us to translate observed slip rates into insight about the dynamic rupture process of individual earthquakes as they encounter geometric complexities along faults.

Surface slip during large Owens Valley earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haddon, E.K.; Amos, C.B.; Zielke, O.; Jayko, Angela S.; Burgmann, R.

2016-01-01

The 1872 Owens Valley earthquake is the third largest known historical earthquake in California. Relatively sparse field data and a complex rupture trace, however, inhibited attempts to fully resolve the slip distribution and reconcile the total moment release. We present a new, comprehensive record of surface slip based on lidar and field investigation, documenting 162 new measurements of laterally and vertically displaced landforms for 1872 and prehistoric Owens Valley earthquakes. Our lidar analysis uses a newly developed analytical tool to measure fault slip based on cross-correlation of sublinear topographic features and to produce a uniquely shaped probability density function (PDF) for each measurement. Stacking PDFs along strike to form cumulative offset probability distribution plots (COPDs) highlights common values corresponding to single and multiple-event displacements. Lateral offsets for 1872 vary systematically from ∼1.0 to 6.0 m and average 3.3 ± 1.1 m (2σ). Vertical offsets are predominantly east-down between ∼0.1 and 2.4 m, with a mean of 0.8 ± 0.5 m. The average lateral-to-vertical ratio compiled at specific sites is ∼6:1. Summing displacements across subparallel, overlapping rupture traces implies a maximum of 7–11 m and net average of 4.4 ± 1.5 m, corresponding to a geologic Mw ∼7.5 for the 1872 event. We attribute progressively higher-offset lateral COPD peaks at 7.1 ± 2.0 m, 12.8 ± 1.5 m, and 16.6 ± 1.4 m to three earlier large surface ruptures. Evaluating cumulative displacements in context with previously dated landforms in Owens Valley suggests relatively modest rates of fault slip, averaging between ∼0.6 and 1.6 mm/yr (1σ) over the late Quaternary.

A method and example of seismically imaging near‐surface fault zones in geologically complex areas using Vp, Vs, and their ratios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, Rufus D.; Rymer, Michael J.; Goldman, Mark R.; Sickler, Robert R.; Criley, Coyn J.

2014-01-01

The determination of near‐surface (vadose zone and slightly below) fault locations and geometries is important because assessment of ground rupture, strong shaking, geologic slip rates, and rupture histories occurs at shallow depths. However, seismic imaging of fault zones at shallow depths can be difficult due to near‐surface complexities, such as weathering, groundwater saturation, massive (nonlayered) rocks, and vertically layered strata. Combined P‐ and S‐wave seismic‐refraction tomography data can overcome many of the near‐surface, fault‐zone seismic‐imaging problems because of differences in the responses of elastic (bulk and shear) moduli of P and S waves to shallow‐depth, fault‐zone properties. We show that high‐resolution refraction tomography images of P‐ to S‐wave velocity ratios (VP/VS) can reliably identify near‐surface faults. We demonstrate this method using tomography images of the San Andreas fault (SAF) surface‐rupture zone associated with the 18 April 1906 ∼M 7.9 San Francisco earthquake on the San Francisco peninsula in California. There, the SAF cuts through Franciscan mélange, which consists of an incoherent assemblage of greywacke, chert, greenstone, and serpentinite. A near‐vertical zone (∼75° northeast dip) of high P‐wave velocities (up to 3000  m/s), low S‐wave velocities (∼150–600  m/s), high VP/VS ratios (4–8.8), and high Poisson’s ratios (0.44–0.49) characterizes the main surface‐rupture zone to a depth of about 20 m and is consistent with nearby trench observations. We suggest that the combined VP/VSimaging approach can reliably identify most near‐surface fault zones in locations where many other seismic methods cannot be applied.

Influence of morphology and hemodynamic factors on rupture of multiple intracranial aneurysms: matched-pairs of ruptured-unruptured aneurysms located unilaterally on the anterior circulation.

PubMed

Zhang, Ying; Yang, Xinjian; Wang, Yang; Liu, Jian; Li, Chuanhui; Jing, Linkai; Wang, Shengzhang; Li, Haiyun

2014-12-31

The authors evaluated the impact of morphological and hemodynamic factors on the rupture of matched-pairs of ruptured-unruptured intracranial aneurysms on one patient's ipsilateral anterior circulation with 3D reconstruction model and computational fluid dynamic method simulation. 20 patients with intracranial aneurysms pairs on the same-side of anterior circulation but with different rupture status were retrospectively collected. Each pair was divided into ruptured-unruptured group. Patient-specific models based on their 3D-DSA images were constructed and analyzed. The relative locations, morphologic and hemodynamic factors of these two groups were compared. There was no significant difference in the relative bleeding location. The morphological factors analysis found that the ruptured aneurysms more often had irregular shape and had significantly higher maximum height and aspect ratio. The hemodynamic factors analysis found lower minimum wall shear stress (WSSmin) and more low-wall shear stress-area (LSA) in the ruptured aneurysms than that of the unruptured ones. The ruptured aneurysms more often had WSSmin on the dome. Intracranial aneurysms pairs with different rupture status on unilateral side of anterior circulation may be a good disease model to investigate possible characteristics linked to rupture independent of patient characteristics. Irregular shape, larger size, higher aspect ratio, lower WSSmin and more LSA may indicate a higher risk for their rupture.

Pulsed strain release on the Altyn Tagh fault, northwest China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gold, Ryan D.; Cowgill, Eric; Arrowsmith, J. Ramón; Friedrich, Anke M.

2017-01-01

Earthquake recurrence models assume that major surface-rupturing earthquakes are followed by periods of reduced rupture probability as stress rebuilds. Although purely periodic, time- or slip-predictable rupture models are known to be oversimplifications, a paucity of long records of fault slip clouds understanding of fault behavior and earthquake recurrence over multiple ruptures. Here, we report a 16 kyr history of fault slip—including a pulse of accelerated slip from 6.4 to 6.0 ka—determined using a Monte Carlo analysis of well-dated offset landforms along the central Altyn Tagh strike-slip fault (ATF) in northwest China. This pulse punctuates a median rate of 8.1+1.2/−0.9 mm/a and likely resulted from either a flurry of temporally clustered ∼Mw 7.5 ground-rupturing earthquakes or a single large >Mw 8.2 earthquake. The clustered earthquake scenario implies rapid re-rupture of a fault reach >195 km long and indicates decoupled rates of elastic strain energy accumulation versus dissipation, conceptualized as a crustal stress battery. If the pulse reflects a single event, slip-magnitude scaling implies that it ruptured much of the ATF with slip similar to, or exceeding, the largest documented historical ruptures. Both scenarios indicate fault rupture behavior that deviates from classic time- or slip-predictable models.

Wasatch fault zone, Utah - segmentation and history of Holocene earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Machette, Michael N.; Personius, Stephen F.; Nelson, Alan R.; Schwartz, David P.; Lund, William R.

1991-01-01

The Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) forms the eastern boundary of the Basin and Range province and is the longest continuous, active normal fault (343 km) in the United States. It underlies an urban corridor of 1.6 million people (80% of Utah's population) representing the largest earthquake risk in the interior of the western United States. The authors have used paleoseismological data to identify 10 discrete segments of the WFZ. Five are active, medial segments with Holocene slip rates of 1-2 mm a-1, recurrence intervals of 2000-4000 years and average lengths of about 50 km. Five are less active, distal segments with mostly pre-Holocene surface ruptures, late Quaternary slip rates of <0.5 mm a-1, recurrence intervals of ???10,000 years and average lengths of about 20 km. Surface-faulting events on each of the medial segments of the WFZ formed 2-4-m-high scarps repeatedly during the Holocene. Paleoseismological records for the past 6000 years indicate that a major surface-rupturing earthquake has occurred along one of the medial segments about every 395 ?? 60 years. However, between about 400 and 1500 years ago, the WFZ experienced six major surface-rupturing events, an average of one event every 220 years, or about twice as often as expected from the 6000-year record. Evidence has been found that surface-rupturing events occurred on the WFZ during the past 400 years, a time period which is twice the average intracluster recurrence interval and equal to the average Holocene recurrence interval.

Slip model of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha (Nepal) earthquake from inversions of ALOS-2 and GPS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kang; Fialko, Yuri

2015-09-01

We use surface deformation measurements including Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar data acquired by the ALOS-2 mission of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and Global Positioning System (GPS) data to invert for the fault geometry and coseismic slip distribution of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal. Assuming that the ruptured fault connects to the surface trace of the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT) fault between 84.34°E and 86.19°E, the best fitting model suggests a dip angle of 7°. The moment calculated from the slip model is 6.08 × 1020 Nm, corresponding to the moment magnitude of 7.79. The rupture of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake was dominated by thrust motion that was primarily concentrated in a 150 km long zone 50 to 100 km northward from the surface trace of the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), with maximum slip of ˜ 5.8 m at a depth of ˜8 km. Data thus indicate that the 2015 Gorkha earthquake ruptured a deep part of the seismogenic zone, in contrast to the 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake, which had ruptured a shallow part of the adjacent fault segment to the east.

Life-threatening hemothorax due to azygos vein rupture after chest compression during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PubMed

Yang, Euiseok; Jeong, WonJoon; Lee, JunWan; Kim, SeungWhan

2014-11-01

Hemothorax is not an uncommon cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR)–related complication. But hemothorax related to azygos vein injury (AVI) is a rare condition following blunt chest trauma, with no report of CPR-related AVI in the literature. We present a case of azygosve in rupture in a middle-aged woman after repeated chest compression during 1 hour of CPR. She eventually presented with massive hemothorax due to azygos vein rupture diagnosed by computed tomography (CT). When faced with a patient with massive hemothorax after chest compression, azygos vein rupture should be considered as a complication.

Buried shallow fault slip from the South Napa earthquake revealed by near-field geodesy

PubMed Central

Brooks, Benjamin A.; Minson, Sarah E.; Glennie, Craig L.; Nevitt, Johanna M.; Dawson, Tim; Rubin, Ron; Ericksen, Todd L.; Lockner, David; Hudnut, Kenneth; Langenheim, Victoria; Lutz, Andrew; Mareschal, Maxime; Murray, Jessica; Schwartz, David; Zaccone, Dana

2017-01-01

Earthquake-related fault slip in the upper hundreds of meters of Earth’s surface has remained largely unstudied because of challenges measuring deformation in the near field of a fault rupture. We analyze centimeter-scale accuracy mobile laser scanning (MLS) data of deformed vine rows within ±300 m of the principal surface expression of the M (magnitude) 6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake. Rather than assuming surface displacement equivalence to fault slip, we invert the near-field data with a model that allows for, but does not require, the fault to be buried below the surface. The inversion maps the position on a preexisting fault plane of a slip front that terminates ~3 to 25 m below the surface coseismically and within a few hours postseismically. The lack of surface-breaching fault slip is verified by two trenches. We estimate near-surface slip ranging from ~0.5 to 1.25 m. Surface displacement can underestimate fault slip by as much as 30%. This implies that similar biases could be present in short-term geologic slip rates used in seismic hazard analyses. Along strike and downdip, we find deficits in slip: The along-strike deficit is erased after ~1 month by afterslip. We find no evidence of off-fault deformation and conclude that the downdip shallow slip deficit for this event is likely an artifact. As near-field geodetic data rapidly proliferate and will become commonplace, we suggest that analyses of near-surface fault rupture should also use more sophisticated mechanical models and subsurface geomechanical tests. PMID:28782026

Buried shallow fault slip from the South Napa earthquake revealed by near-field geodesy.

PubMed

Brooks, Benjamin A; Minson, Sarah E; Glennie, Craig L; Nevitt, Johanna M; Dawson, Tim; Rubin, Ron; Ericksen, Todd L; Lockner, David; Hudnut, Kenneth; Langenheim, Victoria; Lutz, Andrew; Mareschal, Maxime; Murray, Jessica; Schwartz, David; Zaccone, Dana

2017-07-01

Earthquake-related fault slip in the upper hundreds of meters of Earth's surface has remained largely unstudied because of challenges measuring deformation in the near field of a fault rupture. We analyze centimeter-scale accuracy mobile laser scanning (MLS) data of deformed vine rows within ±300 m of the principal surface expression of the M (magnitude) 6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake. Rather than assuming surface displacement equivalence to fault slip, we invert the near-field data with a model that allows for, but does not require, the fault to be buried below the surface. The inversion maps the position on a preexisting fault plane of a slip front that terminates ~3 to 25 m below the surface coseismically and within a few hours postseismically. The lack of surface-breaching fault slip is verified by two trenches. We estimate near-surface slip ranging from ~0.5 to 1.25 m. Surface displacement can underestimate fault slip by as much as 30%. This implies that similar biases could be present in short-term geologic slip rates used in seismic hazard analyses. Along strike and downdip, we find deficits in slip: The along-strike deficit is erased after ~1 month by afterslip. We find no evidence of off-fault deformation and conclude that the downdip shallow slip deficit for this event is likely an artifact. As near-field geodetic data rapidly proliferate and will become commonplace, we suggest that analyses of near-surface fault rupture should also use more sophisticated mechanical models and subsurface geomechanical tests.

Buried shallow fault slip from the South Napa earthquake revealed by near-field geodesy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, Benjamin A.; Minson, Sarah E.; Glennie, Craig L.; Nevitt, Johanna; Dawson, Timothy E.; Rubin, Ron S.; Ericksen, Todd; Lockner, David A.; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Langenheim, Victoria; Lutz, Andrew; Murray, Jessica R.; Schwartz, David P.; Zaccone, Dana

2017-01-01

Earthquake-related fault slip in the upper hundreds of meters of Earth’s surface has remained largely unstudied because of challenges measuring deformation in the near field of a fault rupture. We analyze centimeter-scale accuracy mobile laser scanning (MLS) data of deformed vine rows within ±300 m of the principal surface expression of the M (magnitude) 6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake. Rather than assuming surface displacement equivalence to fault slip, we invert the near-field data with a model that allows for, but does not require, the fault to be buried below the surface. The inversion maps the position on a preexisting fault plane of a slip front that terminates ~3 to 25 m below the surface coseismically and within a few hours postseismically. The lack of surface-breaching fault slip is verified by two trenches. We estimate near-surface slip ranging from ~0.5 to 1.25 m. Surface displacement can underestimate fault slip by as much as 30%. This implies that similar biases could be present in short-term geologic slip rates used in seismic hazard analyses. Along strike and downdip, we find deficits in slip: The along-strike deficit is erased after ~1 month by afterslip. We find no evidence of off-fault deformation and conclude that the downdip shallow slip deficit for this event is likely an artifact. As near-field geodetic data rapidly proliferate and will become commonplace, we suggest that analyses of near-surface fault rupture should also use more sophisticated mechanical models and subsurface geomechanical tests.

Plasmodium falciparum antigens synthesized by schizonts and stabilized at the merozoite surface by antibodies when schizonts mature in the presence of growth inhibitory immune serum.

PubMed

Lyon, J A; Haynes, J D; Diggs, C L; Chulay, J D; Pratt-Rossiter, J M

1986-03-15

Some immune sera that inhibit erythrocyte invasion by merozoites also agglutinate the merozoites as they emerge from rupturing schizonts. These immune clusters of merozoites (ICM) possess a surface coat that is cross-linked by antibody and is thicker than the surface coat associated with normal merozoites (NM) obtained from cultures containing preimmune serum. Analysis of metabolically labeled ICM and NM performed by using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that washed ICM possessed immune complexes containing antigens representative of schizonts and merozoites. Characteristics of the immune complexes included: a) they were not soluble in pH 8 Triton X-100, b) they were soluble at an acid pH, and c) after pH neutralization they were precipitated by using staphylococcal protein A. Merozoite antigens having Mr of 83, 73, and 45 kDa were associated with immune complexes in ICM. The 83 and 73 kDa antigens were recovered in considerably larger quantities from ICM than from NM. Schizont antigens having Mr of 230, 173 (triplet), 152 (doublet), and 31 kDa were associated with immune complexes in ICM, and a 195 kDa antigen(s) from schizonts and merozoites was also present in the immune complexes. In addition, other antigens of Mr 113, 101, 65, and 51 kDa may have been immune complexed. These 15 antigens accounted for less than 30% of the schizont and merozoite antigens recognized by the immune serum. Immune complexes probably formed between antibodies and a) surface antigens of schizont-infected erythrocytes exposed to antibody before schizont rupture, b) surface antigens of merozoites and schizonts exposed during schizont rupture, and c) soluble antigens normally released during schizont rupture. The antibody components of the immune complexes may have prevented rapid degradation or shedding of some antigens from the merozoite surface. Allowing schizonts to rupture in the presence of inhibitory antibodies (to form ICM) is a useful approach to identifying exposed targets of protective immunity against malaria.

Modeling crustal deformation and rupture processes related to upwelling of deep CO2-rich fluids during the 1965-1967 Matsushiro Earthquake Swarm in Japan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cappa, F.; Rutqvist, J.; Yamamoto, K.

2009-05-15

In Matsushiro, central Japan, a series of more than 700,000 earthquakes occurred over a 2-year period (1965-1967) associated with a strike-slip faulting sequence. This swarm of earthquakes resulted in ground surface deformations, cracking of the topsoil, and enhanced spring-outflows with changes in chemical compositions as well as carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) degassing. Previous investigations of the Matsushiro earthquake swarm have suggested that migration of underground water and/or magma may have had a strong influence on the swarm activity. In this study, employing coupled multiphase flow and geomechanical modelling, we show that observed crustal deformations and seismicity can have been drivenmore » by upwelling of deep CO{sub 2}-rich fluids around the intersection of two fault zones - the regional East Nagano earthquake fault and the conjugate Matsushiro fault. We show that the observed spatial evolution of seismicity along the two faults and magnitudes surface uplift, are convincingly explained by a few MPa of pressurization from the upwelling fluid within the critically stressed crust - a crust under a strike-slip stress regime near the frictional strength limit. Our analysis indicates that the most important cause for triggering of seismicity during the Matsushiro swarm was the fluid pressurization with the associated reduction in effective stress and strength in fault segments that were initially near critically stressed for shear failure. Moreover, our analysis indicates that a two order of magnitude permeability enhancement in ruptured fault segments may be necessary to match the observed time evolution of surface uplift. We conclude that our hydromechanical modelling study of the Matsushiro earthquake swarm shows a clear connection between earthquake rupture, deformation, stress, and permeability changes, as well as large-scale fluid flow related to degassing of CO{sub 2} in the shallow seismogenic crust. Thus, our study provides further evidence of the important role of deep fluid sources in earthquake fault dynamics and surface deformations.« less

The multi-parameter borehole system and high resolution seismic studies in the western part of the main Marmara Fault in the frame of MARSITE Project.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozel, Oguz; Guralp, Cansun; Tunc, Suleyman; Yalcinkaya, Esref

2016-04-01

The main objective of this study is to install a multi-parameter borehole system and surface array as close to the main Marmara Fault (MMF) in the western Marmara Sea as possible, and measure continuously the evolution of the state of the fault zone surrounding the MMF and to detect any anomaly or change, which may occur before earthquakes by making use of the data from the arrays already running in the eastern part of the Marmara Sea. The multi-parameter borehole system is composed of very wide dynamic range and stable borehole (VBB) broad band seismic sensor, and incorporate strain meter, tilt meter, and temperature and local hydrostatic pressure measuring devices. The borehole seismic station uses the latest update technologies and design ideas to record "Earth tides" signals to the smallest magnitude -3 events. Additionally, a surface microearthquake observation array, consisting of 8-10 seismometers around the borehole is established to obtain continuous high resolution locations of micro-seismicity and to better understand the existing seismically active structures and their roles in local tectonic settings.Bringing face to face the seismograms of microearthquakes recorded by borehole and surface instruments portrays quite different contents. The shorter recording duration and nearly flat frequency spectrum up to the Nyquist frequencies of borehole records are faced with longer recording duration and rapid decay of spectral amplitudes at higher frequencies of a surface seismogram. The main causative of the observed differences are near surface geology effects that mask most of the source related information the seismograms include, and that give rise to scattering, generating longer duration seismograms. In view of these circumstances, studies on microearthquakes employing surface seismograms may bring on misleading results. Particularly, the works on earthquake physics and nucleation process of earthquakes requires elaborate analysis of tiny events. It is obvious from the studies on the nucleation process of the 1999 earthquake that tens of minutes before the major rupture initiate noteworthy microearthquake activity happened. The starting point of the 1999 rupture was a site of swarm activity noticed a few decades prior the main shock. Nowadays, analogous case is probable in western Marmara Sea region, prone to a major event in near future where the seismic activity is prevailing along the impending rupture zone. Deploying a borehole system eastern end of the Ganos fault zone may yield invaluable data to closely inspect and monitor the last stages of the preparation stage of major rupture.

Earthquake geology and paleoseismology of major strands of the San Andreas fault system: Chapter 38

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rockwell, Thomas; Scharer, Katherine M.; Dawson, Timothy E.

2016-01-01

The San Andreas fault system in California is one of the best-studied faults in the world, both in terms of the long-term geologic history and paleoseismic study of past surface ruptures. In this paper, we focus on the Quaternary to historic data that have been collected from the major strands of the San Andreas fault system, both on the San Andreas Fault itself, and the major subparallel strands that comprise the plate boundary, including the Calaveras-Hayward- Rogers Creek-Maacama fault zone and the Concord-Green Valley-Bartlett Springs fault zone in northern California, and the San Jacinto and Elsinore faults in southern California. The majority of the relative motion between the Pacific and North American lithospheric plates is accommodated by these faults, with the San Andreas slipping at about 34 mm/yr in central California, decreasing to about 20 mm/yr in northern California north of its juncture with the Calaveras and Concord faults. The Calaveras-Hayward-Rogers Creek-Maacama fault zone exhibits a slip rate of 10-15 mm/yr, whereas the rate along the Concord-Green Valley-Bartlett Springs fault zone is lower at about 5 mm/yr. In southern California, the San Andreas exhibits a slip rate of about 35 mm/yr along the Mojave section, decreasing to as low as 10-15 mm/yr along its juncture with the San Jacinto fault, and about 20 mm/yr in the Coachella Valley. The San Jacinto and Elsinore fault zones exhibit rates of about 15 and 5 mm/yr, respectively. The average recurrence interval for surface-rupturing earthquakes along individual elements of the San Andreas fault system range from 100-500 years and is consistent with slip rate at those sites: higher slip rates produce more frequent or larger earthquakes. There is also evidence of short-term variations in strain release (slip rate) along various fault sections, as expressed as “flurries” or clusters of earthquakes as well as periods of relatively fewer surface ruptures in these relatively short records. This is reflected by non-periodic coefficients of variation in earthquake recurrence of 0.4 to 0.7 for the various paleoseismic sites.

Large earthquakes and creeping faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, Ruth A.

2017-01-01

Faults are ubiquitous throughout the Earth's crust. The majority are silent for decades to centuries, until they suddenly rupture and produce earthquakes. With a focus on shallow continental active-tectonic regions, this paper reviews a subset of faults that have a different behavior. These unusual faults slowly creep for long periods of time and produce many small earthquakes. The presence of fault creep and the related microseismicity helps illuminate faults that might not otherwise be located in fine detail, but there is also the question of how creeping faults contribute to seismic hazard. It appears that well-recorded creeping fault earthquakes of up to magnitude 6.6 that have occurred in shallow continental regions produce similar fault-surface rupture areas and similar peak ground shaking as their locked fault counterparts of the same earthquake magnitude. The behavior of much larger earthquakes on shallow creeping continental faults is less well known, because there is a dearth of comprehensive observations. Computational simulations provide an opportunity to fill the gaps in our understanding, particularly of the dynamic processes that occur during large earthquake rupture and arrest.

The Emilia 2012 seismic sequence: hints on incipient basement-involved deformation in the foreland of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argnani, Andrea; Carannante, Simona; Massa, Marco; D'Alema, Ezio; Lovati, Sara

2015-04-01

The deformation front of the Northern Apennines is buried under the sediments of the Po Plain and was formed mainly during the Pliocene. The remarkably arcuate shape of the thrust front contrasts with the linear northwestern trend of the pede-Apennines, where recent deformation is documented by both geological and geodetic evidence. This study presents new geological and seismological data that are used to assess the structural style of the Ferrara Arc, a sector of the Northern Apennine front that was hit by two strong earthquakes on May 20 (MW 6.1) and May 29 (MW 6.0), 2012. The proposed interpretation is based on a dense grid of commercial seismic profiles and exploration wells, and high-quality relocation of ~5,300 earthquakes (the Emilia sequence). The seismicity was used to calibrate new one-dimensional and three-dimensional local Vp and Vs velocity models for the area. On the basis of these new models, the initial sparse hypocenters were then relocated in absolute mode and adjusted using the double-difference relative location algorithm. Seismicity distribution is elongated in the W-NW to E-SE directions, reaching a depth of 10-12 km. The aftershocks of the May 20 mainshock appear to be distributed on a rupture surface that dips ~45° SSW, and the surface projection indicates an area ~10 km wide and 23 km long. The aftershocks of the May 29 second mainshock followed a steep rupture surface that is well constrained within the investigated volume, whereby the surface projection of the blind source indicates an area ~6 km wide and 33 km long. The analysed multichannel seismic profiles highlight the presence of relevant lateral variations in the structural style of the Ferrara folds that developed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, and also show the occurrence of a Mesozoic extensional fault system in the Ferrara arc, which in places has been seismically reactivated. These geological and seismological observations suggest that the 2012 Emilia earthquakes were related to ruptures along blind fault surfaces that are not part of the Pliocene-Pleistocene structural system, but are instead related to a deeper system that is itself closely related to re-activation of a Mesozoic extensional fault system. The implication is that the Emilia 2012 seismic sequence was related to activation of a new deformation system that has developed since the late Pleistocene and that affects the deeper structural levels within the Adriatic crust. This interpretation has major relevance for the seismotectonic characterization of the Po Plain, because the location and extent of the Ferrara folds, that were formed during the Pliocene-Pleistocene, cannot simply be used to estimate the seismogenic potential of the Ferrara Arc region.

Interactive terrain visualization enables virtual field work during rapid scientific response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cowgill, Eric; Bernardin, Tony S.; Oskin, Michael E.; Bowles, Christopher; Yikilmaz, M. Burak; Kreylos, Oliver; Elliott, Austin J.; Bishop, Scott; Gold, Ryan D.; Morelan, Alexander; Bawden, Gerald W.; Hamann, Bernd; Kellogg, Louise

2012-01-01

The moment magnitude (Mw) 7.0 12 January 2010 Haiti earthquake is the first major earthquake for which a large-footprint LiDAR (light detection and ranging) survey was acquired within several weeks of the event. Here, we describe the use of virtual reality data visualization to analyze massive amounts (67 GB on disk) of multiresolution terrain data during the rapid scientific response to a major natural disaster. In particular, we describe a method for conducting virtual field work using both desktop computers and a 4-sided, 22 m3 CAVE immersive virtual reality environment, along with KeckCAVES (Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences) software tools LiDAR Viewer, to analyze LiDAR point-cloud data, and Crusta, for 2.5 dimensional surficial geologic mapping on a bare-earth digital elevation model. This system enabled virtual field work that yielded remote observations of the topographic expression of active faulting within an ∼75-km-long section of the eastern Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault spanning the 2010 epicenter. Virtual field observations indicated that the geomorphic evidence of active faulting and ancient surface rupture varies along strike. Landform offsets of 6–50 m along the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault east of the 2010 epicenter and closest to Port-au-Prince attest to repeated recent surface-rupturing earthquakes there. In the west, the fault trace is well defined by displaced landforms, but it is not as clear as in the east. The 2010 epicenter is within a transition zone between these sections that extends from Grand Goâve in the west to Fayette in the east. Within this transition, between L'Acul (lat 72°40′W) and the Rouillone River (lat 72°35′W), the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault is undefined along an embayed low-relief range front, with little evidence of recent surface rupture. Based on the geometry of the eastern and western faults that show evidence of recent surface rupture, we propose that the 2010 event occurred within a stepover that appears to have served as a long-lived boundary between rupture segments, explaining the lack of 2010 surface rupture. This study demonstrates how virtual reality–based data visualization has the potential to transform rapid scientific response by enabling virtual field studies and real-time interactive analysis of massive terrain data sets.

Comparison of the November 2002 Denali and November 2001 Kunlun Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bufe, C. G.

2002-12-01

Major earthquakes occurred in Tibet on the central Kunlun fault (M 7.8) on November 14, 2001 (Lin and others, 2002) and in Alaska on the central Denali fault (M 7.9) on November 3, 2002. Both earthquakes generated large surface waves (Kunlun Ms 8.0 (USGS) and Denali Ms 8.5). Each event occurred on east-west-trending strike-slip faults and exhibited nearly unilateral rupture propagating several hundred kilometers from west to east. Surface rupture length estimates were about 400 km for Kunlun, 300 km for Denali. Maximum surface faulting and moment release were observed far to the east of the points of rupture initiation. Harvard moment centroids were located east of USGS epicenters by 182 km (Kunlun) and by 126 km (Denali). Maximum surface faulting was observed near 240 km (Kunlun, 16 m left lateral) and near 175 km (Denali, 9 m right lateral) east of the USGS epicenters. Significant thrust components were observed in the initiation of the Denali event (ERI analysis and mapped thrust) and in the termination of the Kunlun rupture, as evidenced by thrust mechanisms of the largest aftershocks which occurred near the eastern part of the Kunlun rupture. In each sequence the largest aftershock was about 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the mainshock. Moment release along the ruptured segments was examined for the 25-year periods preceding the main shocks. The Denali zone shows precursory accelerating moment release with the dominant events occurring on October 22, 1996 (M 5.8) and October 23, 2002 (M 6.7). The Kunlun zone shows nearly constant moment release over time with the last significant event before the main shock occurring on November 26, 2000 (M 5.4). Moment release data are consistent with previous observations of annual periodicity preceding major earthquakes, possibly due to the evolution of a critical state with seasonal and tidal triggering (Varnes and Bufe, 2001). Annual periodicity is also evident for the larger events in the greater San Francisco Bay region over several decades preceding the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (M 7.8). Both the Kunlun and the Denali mainshocks occurred at new moon.

Surface faulting along the Superstition Hills fault zone and nearby faults associated with the earthquakes of 24 November 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sharp, R.V.

1989-01-01

The M6.2 Elmore Desert Ranch earthquake of 24 November 1987 was associated spatially and probably temporally with left-lateral surface rupture on many northeast-trending faults in and near the Superstition Hills in western Imperial Valley. Three curving discontinuous principal zones of rupture among these breaks extended northeastward from near the Superstition Hills fault zone as far as 9km; the maximum observed surface slip, 12.5cm, was on the northern of the three, the Elmore Ranch fault, at a point near the epicenter. Twelve hours after the Elmore Ranch earthquake, the M6.6 Superstition Hills earthquake occurred near the northwest end of the right-lateral Superstition Hills fault zone. We measured displacements over 339 days at as many as 296 sites along the Superstition Hills fault zone, and repeated measurements at 49 sites provided sufficient data to fit with a simple power law. The overall distributions of right-lateral displacement at 1 day and the estimated final slip are nearly symmetrical about the midpoint of the surface rupture. The average estimated final right-lateral slip for the Superstition Hills fault zone is ~54cm. The average left-lateral slip for the conjugate faults trending northeastward is ~23cm. The southernmost ruptured member of the Superstition Hills fault zone, newly named the Wienert fault, extends the known length of the zone by about 4km. -from Authors

Gender, smoking, body size, and aneurysm geometry influence the biomechanical rupture risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms as estimated by finite element analysis.

PubMed

Lindquist Liljeqvist, Moritz; Hultgren, Rebecka; Siika, Antti; Gasser, T Christian; Roy, Joy

2017-04-01

Finite element analysis (FEA) has been suggested to be superior to maximal diameter measurements in predicting rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Our objective was to investigate to what extent previously described rupture risk factors were associated with FEA-estimated rupture risk. One hundred forty-six patients with an asymptomatic AAA of a 40- to 60-mm diameter were retrospectively identified and consecutively included. The patients' computed tomography angiograms were analyzed by FEA without (neutral) and with (specific) input of patient-specific mean arterial pressure (MAP), gender, family history, and age. The maximal wall stress/wall strength ratio was described as a rupture risk equivalent diameter (RRED), which translated this ratio into an average aneurysm diameter of corresponding rupture risk. In multivariate linear regression, RRED neutral increased with female gender (3.7 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-7.3) and correlated with patient height (0.27 mm/cm; 95% CI, 0.11-0.43) and body surface area (BSA, 16 mm/m 2 ; 95% CI, 8.3-24) and inversely with body mass index (BMI, -0.40 mm/kg m -2 ; 95% CI, -0.75 to -0.054) in a wall stress-dependent manner. Wall stress-adjusted RRED neutral was raised if the patient was currently smoking (1.1 mm; 95% CI, 0.21-1.9). Age, MAP, family history, and patient weight were unrelated to RRED neutral . In specific FEA, RRED specific increased with female gender, MAP, family history positive for AAA, height, and BSA, whereas it was inversely related to BMI. All results were independent of aneurysm diameter. Peak wall stress and RRED correlated with aneurysm diameter and lumen volume. Female gender, current smoking, increased patient height and BSA, and low BMI were found to increase the mechanical rupture risk of AAAs. Previously described rupture risk factors may in part be explained by patient characteristic-dependent variations in aneurysm biomechanics. Copyright © 2016 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Joint Inversion of 1-Hz GPS Data and Strong Motion Records for the Rupture Process of the 2008 Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku Earthquake: Objectively Determining Relative Weighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; Kato, T.; Wang, Y.

2015-12-01

The spatiotemporal fault slip history of the 2008 Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake, Japan, is obtained by the joint inversion of 1-Hz GPS waveforms and near-field strong motion records. 1-Hz GPS data from GEONET is processed by GAMIT/GLOBK and then a low-pass filter of 0.05 Hz is applied. The ground surface strong motion records from stations of K-NET and Kik-Net are band-pass filtered for the range of 0.05 ~ 0.3 Hz and integrated once to obtain velocity. The joint inversion exploits a broader frequency band for near-field ground motions, which provides excellent constraints for both the detailed slip history and slip distribution. A fully Bayesian inversion method is performed to simultaneously and objectively determine the rupture model, the unknown relative weighting of multiple data sets and the unknown smoothing hyperparameters. The preferred rupture model is stable for different choices of velocity structure model and station distribution, with maximum slip of ~ 8.0 m and seismic moment of 2.9 × 1019 Nm (Mw 6.9). By comparison with the single inversion of strong motion records, the cumulative slip distribution of joint inversion shows sparser slip distribution with two slip asperities. One common slip asperity extends from the hypocenter southeastward to the ground surface of breakage; another slip asperity, which is unique for joint inversion contributed by 1-Hz GPS waveforms, appears in the deep part of fault where very few aftershocks are occurring. The differential moment rate function of joint and single inversions obviously indicates that rich high frequency waves are radiated in the first three seconds but few low frequency waves.

Long-term dynamics of hawaiian volcanoes inferred by large-scale relative relocations of earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Got, J.-L.; Okubo, P.

2003-04-01

We investigated the microseismicity recorded in an active volcano to infer information concerning the volcano structure and long-term dynamics, by using relative relocations and focal mechanisms of microearthquakes. 32000 earthquakes of Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes were recorded by more than 8 stations of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seismic network between 1988 and 1999. We studied 17000 of these events and relocated more than 70% with an accuracy ranging from 10 to 500 meters. About 75% of these relocated events are located in the vicinity of subhorizontal decollement planes, at 8 to 11 km depth. However, the striking features revealed by these relocation results are steep south-east dipping fault planes working as reverse faults, clearly located below the decollement plane and which intersect it. If this decollement plane coincides with the pre-Mauna Loa seafloor, as hypothesized by numerous authors, such reverse faults rupture the pre-Mauna Loa oceanic crust. The weight of the volcano and pressure in the magma storage system are possible causes of these ruptures, fully compatible with the local stress tensor computed by Gillard et al. (1996). Reverse faults are suspected of producing scarps revealed by km-long horizontal slip-perpendicular lineations along the decollement surface, and therefore large-scale roughness, asperities and normal stress variations. These are capable of generating stick-slip, large magnitude earthquakes, the spatial microseismic pattern observed in the south flank of Kilauea volcano, and Hilina-type instabilities. Ruptures intersecting the decollement surface, causing its large-scale roughness, may be an important parameter controlling the growth of Hawaiian volcanoes. Are there more or less rough decollement planes existing near the base of other volcanoes, such as Piton de la Fournaise or Etna, and able to explain part of their deformation and seismicity ?

Vacuum-Induction, Vacuum-Arc, and Air-Induction Melting of a Complex Heat-Resistant Alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, R. F.; Rowe, John P.; Freeman, J. W.

1959-01-01

The relative hot-workability and creep-rupture properties at 1600 F of a complex 55Ni-20Cr-15Co-4Mo-3Ti-3Al alloy were evaluated for vacuum-induction, vacuum-arc, and air-induction melting. A limited study of the role of oxygen and nitrogen and the structural effects in the alloy associated with the melting process was carried out. The results showed that the level of boron and/or zirconium was far more influential on properties than the melting method. Vacuum melting did reduce corner cracking and improve surface during hot-rolling. It also resulted in more uniform properties within heats. The creep-rupture properties were slightly superior in vacuum heats at low boron plus zirconium or in heats with zirconium. There was little advantage at high boron levels and air heats were superior at high levels of boron plus zirconium. Vacuum heats also had fewer oxide and carbonitride inclusions although this was a function of the opportunity for separation of the inclusions from high oxygen plus nitrogen heats. The removal of phosphorous by vacuum melting was not found to be related to properties. Oxygen plus nitrogen appeared to increase ductility in creep-rupture tests suggesting that vacuum melting removes unidentified elements detrimental to ductility. Oxides and carbonitrides in themselves did not initiate microcracks. Carbonitrides in the grain boundaries of air heats did initiate microcracks. The role of microcracking from this source and as a function of oxygen and nitrogen content was not clear. Oxygen and nitrogen did intensify corner cracking during hot-rolling but were not responsible for poor surface which resulted from rolling heats melted in air.

Quaternary Tectonic Tilting Governed by Rupture Segments Controls Surface Morphology and Drainage Evolution along the South-Central Coast of Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Echtler, H. P.; Bookhagen, B.; Melnick, D.; Strecker, M.

2004-12-01

The Chilean coast represents one of the most active convergent margins in the Pacific rim, where major earthquakes (M>8) have repeatedly ruptured the surface, involving vertical offsets of several meters. Deformation along this coast takes place in large-scale, semi-independent seismotectonic segments with partially overlapping transient boundaries. They are possibly related to reactivated inherited crustal anisotropies; internal seismogenic deformation may be accommodated by structures that have developed during accretionary wedge evolution. Seismotectonic segmentation and the identification of large-scale rupture zones, however, are based on limited seismologic und geodetic observations over short timespans. In order to better define the long-term behavior and deformation rates of these segments and to survey the tectonic impact on the landscape on various temporal and spatial scales, we investigated the south-central coast of Chile (37-38S). There, two highly active, competing seismotectonic compartments influence the coastal and fluvial morphology. A rigorous analysis of the geomorphic features is a key for an assessment of the tectonic evolution during the Quaternary and beyond. We studied the N-S oriented Santa María Island (SMI), 20 km off the coast and only ~70km off the trench, in the transition between the two major Valdivia (46-37S) and Concepción (38-35S) rupture segments. The SMI has been tectonically deformed throughout the Quaternary and comprises two tilt domains with two topographic highs in the north and south that are being tilted eastward. The low-lying and flat eastern part of the island is characterized by a set of emergent Holocene strandlines related to coseismic uplift. We measured detailed surface morphology of these strandlines and E-W traversing ephemeral stream channels with a laser-total station and used these data to calibrate and validate high-resolution, digital imagery. In addition, crucial geomorphic markers were dated by the radiocarbon and optical stimulation methods to better constrain deformation rates. In response to the ongoing deformation, formerly W flowing streams constituting small drainages (< 0.25km2) were inverted and formed closed basins. In contrast, larger streams were reversed or were able to maintain their channels, but formed distinct knickpoints along their longitudinal profiles. In order to reconstruct the Holocene tectonic tilting axis, we connected drainage boundaries of reversed channels and deformation-related knickpoints along more mature rivers. Interestingly, topography clearly indicates that the direction of Pleistocene tectonic tilting was different than that of recent conditions. The Holocene inversion of stream flow associated with continuous uplift may be related to the progressive migration of the tectonic tilting axis in the course of active folding (Melnick et al., this session). The classification of knickpoints and the overall tectonic development also the mainland coast on the Arauco peninsula, during the Quaternary clearly document the surface signature of tectonic segmentation and its spatial evolution through time. The migration of the tilting axes is discussed in relation with active basal accretion and active shortening in the South-Central Chilean forearc.

Separated rupture and retraction of a bi-layer free film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Peter; Feng, Jie; Griffiths, Ian

2017-11-01

We investigate the dynamics of a rising air bubble in an aqueous phase coated with a layer of oil. Recent experiments have shown that bubble rupture at the compound air/oil/aqueous interface can effectively disperse submicrometre oil droplets into the aqueous phase, suggesting a possible mechanism for clean-up of oil spillages on the surface of the ocean. Using a theoretical model we consider the stability of the long liquid free film formed as the bubble reaches the free surface, composed of two immiscible layers of differing viscosities, where each layer experiences a van der Waals force between its interfaces. For an excess of surfactant on one gas-liquid interface we show that the instability manifests as distinct rupture events, with the oil layer rupturing first and retracting over the in-tact water layer beneath, consistent with the experimental observations. We use our model to examine the dynamics of oil retraction, showing that it follows a power-law for short times, and examine the influence of retraction on the stability of the water layer.

Role of infrasound pressure waves in atherosclerotic plaque rupture: a theoretical approach.

PubMed

Tsatsaris, Athanasios; Koukounaris, Efstathios; Motsakos, Theodoros; Perrea, Despina

2007-01-01

To investigate the role of infrasound aortic pressure waves (IPW) in atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Atherosclerotic plaques have been simulated partly, in two dimensions, as being short or long Conical Intersections (CIS), that is to say elliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic surfaces. Consequently, the course and reflection of the generated aortic pressure wave (infrasound domain-less than 20Hz) has been examined around the simulated plaques. The incidence of IPW on plaque surface results both in reflection and "refraction" of the wave. The IPW course within tissue, seems to be enhanced by high Cu-level presence at these areas according to recent evidence (US2003000388213). The "refracted", derived wave travels through plaque tissue and is eventually accumulated to the foci of the respective CIS-plaque geometry. The foci location within or underneath atheroma declares zones where infrasound energy is mostly absorbed. This process, among other mechanisms may contribute to plaque rupture through the development of local hemorrhage and inflammation in foci areas. In future, detection of foci areas and repair (i.e. via Laser Healing Microtechnique) may attenuate atherosclerotic plaque rupture behavior.

Morphological and Hemodynamic Discriminators for Rupture Status in Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms

PubMed Central

Karmonik, Christof; Fang, Yibin; Xu, Jinyu; Yu, Ying; Cao, Wei; Liu, Jianmin; Huang, Qinghai

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose The conflicting findings of previous morphological and hemodynamic studies on intracranial aneurysm rupture may be caused by the relatively small sample sizes and the variation in location of the patient-specific aneurysm models. We aimed to determine the discriminators for aneurysm rupture status by focusing on only posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms. Materials and Methods In 129 PCoA aneurysms (85 ruptured, 44 unruptured), clinical, morphological and hemodynamic characteristics were compared between the ruptured and unruptured cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the discriminators for rupture status of PCoA aneurysms. Results While univariate analyses showed that the size of aneurysm dome, aspect ratio (AR), size ratio (SR), dome-to-neck ratio (DN), inflow angle (IA), normalized wall shear stress (NWSS) and percentage of low wall shear stress area (LSA) were significantly associated with PCoA aneurysm rupture status. With multivariate analyses, significance was only retained for higher IA (OR = 1.539, p < 0.001) and LSA (OR = 1.393, p = 0.041). Conclusions Hemodynamics and morphology were related to rupture status of intracranial aneurysms. Higher IA and LSA were identified as discriminators for rupture status of PCoA aneurysms. PMID:26910518

Morphological and Hemodynamic Discriminators for Rupture Status in Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms.

PubMed

Lv, Nan; Wang, Chi; Karmonik, Christof; Fang, Yibin; Xu, Jinyu; Yu, Ying; Cao, Wei; Liu, Jianmin; Huang, Qinghai

2016-01-01

The conflicting findings of previous morphological and hemodynamic studies on intracranial aneurysm rupture may be caused by the relatively small sample sizes and the variation in location of the patient-specific aneurysm models. We aimed to determine the discriminators for aneurysm rupture status by focusing on only posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms. In 129 PCoA aneurysms (85 ruptured, 44 unruptured), clinical, morphological and hemodynamic characteristics were compared between the ruptured and unruptured cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the discriminators for rupture status of PCoA aneurysms. While univariate analyses showed that the size of aneurysm dome, aspect ratio (AR), size ratio (SR), dome-to-neck ratio (DN), inflow angle (IA), normalized wall shear stress (NWSS) and percentage of low wall shear stress area (LSA) were significantly associated with PCoA aneurysm rupture status. With multivariate analyses, significance was only retained for higher IA (OR = 1.539, p < 0.001) and LSA (OR = 1.393, p = 0.041). Hemodynamics and morphology were related to rupture status of intracranial aneurysms. Higher IA and LSA were identified as discriminators for rupture status of PCoA aneurysms.

Engineering a nanostructured "super surface" with superhydrophobic and superkilling properties.

PubMed

Hasan, Jafar; Raj, Shammy; Yadav, Lavendra; Chatterjee, Kaushik

2015-05-12

We present a nanostructured "super surface" fabricated using a simple recipe based on deep reactive ion etching of a silicon wafer. The topography of the surface is inspired by the surface topographical features of dragonfly wings. The super surface is comprised of nanopillars 4 μm in height and 220 nm in diameter with random inter-pillar spacing. The surface exhibited superhydrophobicity with a static water contact angle of 154.0° and contact angle hysteresis of 8.3°. Bacterial studies revealed the bactericidal property of the surface against both gram negative ( Escherichia coli ) and gram positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) strains through mechanical rupture of the cells by the sharp nanopillars. The cell viability on these nanostructured surfaces was nearly six-fold lower than on the unmodified silicon wafer. The nanostructured surface also killed mammalian cells (mouse osteoblasts) through mechanical rupture of the cell membrane. Thus, such nanostructured super surfaces could find applications for designing self-cleaning and anti-bacterial surfaces in diverse applications such as microfluidics, surgical instruments, pipelines and food packaging.

Dynamics of delayed triggering in multi-segmented foreshock sequence: Evidence from the 2016 Kumamoto, Japan, earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, H.; Ando, R.; Aoki, Y.

2017-12-01

The 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence hit the SW Japan, from April 14th to 16th and its sequence includes two M6-class foreshocks and the main shock (Mw 7.0). Importantly, the detailed surface displacement caused solely by the two foreshocks could be captured by a SAR observation isolated from the mainshock deformation. The foreshocks ruptured the previously mapped Hinagu fault and their hypocentral locations and the aftershock distribution indicates the involvement of two different subparallel faults. Therefore we assumed that the 1st and the 2nd foreshocks respectively ruptured each of the subparallel faults (faults A and B). One of the interesting points of this earthquake is that the two major foreshocks had a temporal gap of 2.5 hours even though the fault A and B are quite close by each other. This suggests that the stress perturbation due to the 1st foreshock is not large enough to trigger the 2nd one right away but that it's large enough to bring about the following earthquake after a delay time.We aim to reproduce the foreshock sequence such as rupture jumping over the subparallel faults by using dynamic rupture simulations. We employed a spatiotemporal-boundary integral equation method accelerated by the Fast Domain Partitioning Method (Ando, 2016, GJI) since this method allows us to construct a complex fault geometry in 3D media. Our model has two faults and a free ground surface. We conducted rupture simulation with various sets of parameters to identify the optimal condition describing the observation.Our simulation results are roughly categorized into 3 cases with regard to the criticality for the rupture jumping. The case 1 (supercritical case) shows the fault A and B ruptured consecutively without any temporal gap. In the case 2 (nearly critical), the rupture on the fault B started with a temporal gap after the fault A finished rupturing, which is what we expected as a reproduction. In the case 3 (subcritical), only the fault A ruptured and its rupture did not transfer to the fault B. We succeed in reproducing rupture jumping over two faults with a temporal gap due to the nucleation by taking account of a velocity strengthening (direct) effect. With a detailed analysis of the case 2, we can constrain ranges of parameters strictly, and this gives us deeper insights into the physics underlying the delayed foreshock activity.

Slip history and dynamic implications of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ji, C.; Helmberger, D.V.; Wald, D.J.; Ma, K.-F.

2003-01-01

We investigate the rupture process of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake using extensive near-source observations, including three-component velocity waveforms at 36 strong motion stations and 119 GPS measurements. A three-plane fault geometry derived from our previous inversion using only static data [Ji et al., 2001] is applied. The slip amplitude, rake angle, rupture initiation time, and risetime function are inverted simultaneously with a recently developed finite fault inverse method that combines a wavelet transform approach with a simulated annealing algorithm [Ji et al., 2002b]. The inversion results are validated by the forward prediction of an independent data set, the teleseismic P and SH ground velocities, with notable agreement. The results show that the total seismic moment release of this earthquake is 2.7 ?? 1020 N m and that most of the slip occured in a triangular-shaped asperity involving two fault segments, which is consistent with our previous static inversion. The rupture front propagates with an average rupture velocity of ???2.0 km s-1, and the average slip duration (risetime) is 7.2 s. Several interesting observations related to the temporal evolution of the Chi-Chi earthquake are also investigated, including (1) the strong effect of the sinuous fault plane of the Chelungpu fault on spatial and temporal variations in slip history, (2) the intersection of fault 1 and fault 2 not being a strong impediment to the rupture propagation, and (3 the observation that the peak slip velocity near the surface is, in general, higher than on the deeper portion of the fault plane, as predicted by dynamic modeling.

Overestimation of the earthquake hazard along the Himalaya: constraints in bracketing of medieval earthquakes from paleoseismic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arora, Shreya; Malik, Javed N.

2017-12-01

The Himalaya is one of the most seismically active regions of the world. The occurrence of several large magnitude earthquakes viz. 1905 Kangra earthquake (Mw 7.8), 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake (Mw 8.2), 1950 Assam earthquake (Mw 8.4), 2005 Kashmir (Mw 7.6), and 2015 Gorkha (Mw 7.8) are the testimony to ongoing tectonic activity. In the last few decades, tremendous efforts have been made along the Himalayan arc to understand the patterns of earthquake occurrences, size, extent, and return periods. Some of the large magnitude earthquakes produced surface rupture, while some remained blind. Furthermore, due to the incompleteness of the earthquake catalogue, a very few events can be correlated with medieval earthquakes. Based on the existing paleoseismic data certainly, there exists a complexity to precisely determine the extent of surface rupture of these earthquakes and also for those events, which occurred during historic times. In this paper, we have compiled the paleo-seismological data and recalibrated the radiocarbon ages from the trenches excavated by previous workers along the entire Himalaya and compared earthquake scenario with the past. Our studies suggest that there were multiple earthquake events with overlapping surface ruptures in small patches with an average rupture length of 300 km limiting Mw 7.8-8.0 for the Himalayan arc, rather than two or three giant earthquakes rupturing the whole front. It has been identified that the large magnitude Himalayan earthquakes, such as 1905 Kangra, 1934 Bihar-Nepal, and 1950 Assam, that have occurred within a time frame of 45 years. Now, if these events are dated, there is a high possibility that within the range of ±50 years, they may be considered as the remnant of one giant earthquake rupturing the entire Himalayan arc. Therefore, leading to an overestimation of seismic hazard scenario in Himalaya.

Mineralogical compositions of fault rocks from surface ruptures of Wenchuan earthquake and implication of mineral transformation during the seismic cycle along Yingxiu-Beichuan fault, Sichuan Province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Jiaxiang; Zhou, Yongsheng; He, Changrong; Ma, Shengli

2018-06-01

There are two co-seismic bedrock surface ruptures from the Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake in the northern and central parts of the Beichuan-Yingxiu fault, Sichuan Province, southwest China. In this study, we report on the macrostructure of the fault rocks and results from X-ray powder diffraction analysis of minerals from rocks in the fault zone. The most recent fault gouge (the gouge produced by the most recent co-seismic fault movement) in all the studied outcrops is dark or grayish-black, totally unconsolidated and ultrafine-grained. Older fault gouges in the same outcrops are grayish or yellowish and weakly consolidated. X-ray powder diffraction analysis results show that mineral assemblages in both the old fault gouge and the new fault gouge are more complicated than the mineral assemblages in the bedrock as the fault gouge is rich in clay minerals. The fault gouge inherited its major rock-forming minerals from the parent rocks, but the clay minerals in the fault gouge were generated in the fault zone and are therefore authigenic and synkinematic. In profiles across the fault, clay mineral abundances increase as one traverses from the bedrock to the breccia to the old gouge and from the old gouge to the new gouge. Quartz and illite are found in all collected gouge samples. The dominant clay minerals in the new fault gouge are illite and smectite along the northern part of the surface rupture and illite/smectite mixed-layer clay in the middle part of the rupture. Illite/smectite mixed-layer clay found in the middle part of the rupture indicates that fault slip was accompanied by K-rich fluid circulation. The existence of siderite, anhydrite, and barite in the northern part of the rupture suggests that fault slip at this locality was accompanied by acidic fluids containing ions of Fe, Ca, and Ba.

Character and Significance of Surface Rupture Near the Intersection of the Denali and Totschunda Faults, M7.9 Denali Fault Earthquake, Alaska, November 3, 2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, W. K.; Sherrod, B. L.; Dawson, T. E.

2002-12-01

Preliminary observations suggest that right-lateral strike-slip on the Denali fault is transferred to the Totschunda fault via an extensional bend in the Little Tok River valley. Most of the surface rupture during the Denali fault earthquake was along an east- to east-southeast striking, gently curved segment of the Denali fault. However, in the Little Tok River valley, rupture transferred to the southeast-striking Totschunda fault and continued to the southeast for another 75 km. West of the Little Tok River valley, 5-7 m of right-lateral slip and up to 2 m of vertical offset occurred on the main strand of the Denali fault, but no apparent displacement occurred on the Denali fault east of the valley. Rupture west of the intersection also occurred on multiple discontinuous strands parallel to and south of the main strand of the Denali fault. In the Little Tok River valley, the northern part of the Totschunda fault system consists of multiple discontinuous southeast-striking strands that are connected locally by south-striking stepover faults. Faults of the northern Totschunda system display 0-2.5 m of right-lateral slip and 0-2.75 m of vertical offset, with the largest vertical offset on a dominantly extensional stepover fault. The strands of the Totschunda system converge southeastward to a single strand that had up to 2 m of slip. Complex and discontinuous faulting may reflect in part the immaturity of the northern Totschunda system, which is known to be younger and have much less total slip than the Denali. The Totschunda fault forms an extensional bend relative to the dominantly right-lateral Denali fault to the west. The fault geometry and displacements at the intersection suggest that slip on the Denali fault during the earthquake was accommodated largely by extension in the northern Totschunda fault system, allowing a significant decrease in strike-slip relative to the Denali fault. Strands to the southwest in the area of the bend may represent shortcut faults that have reduced the curvature at the intersection of the two fault systems.

Effect of Specimen Thickness on the Creep Response of a Ni-Based Single Crystal Superalloy (PREPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

unlimited 3.1.2. Fractography Figure 5: SEM images of a 3.18mm thick sheet specimen tested at 760◦C/758MPa. (a) The region near the fracture surface... fractography using secondary electron imaging (SE) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). No surface oxidation was observed at this temperature. The...ruptured after 210 hours. 3.2.3. Fractography The SEM image of the reconstructed creep ruptured specimen with thickness h = 3.18mm is shown in Fig. 18a

Geodetically inferred coseismic and postseismic slip due to the M 5.4 31 October 2007 Alum Rock earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murray-Moraleda, J. R.; Simpson, R.W.

2009-01-01

On 31 October 2007 the M 5.4 Alum Rock earthquake occurred near the junction between the Hayward and Calaveras faults in the San Francisco Bay Area, producing coseismic and postseismic displacements recorded by 10 continuously operating Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments. The cumulative postseismic displacements over the four months following the earthquake are linearly related to the cumulative number of aftershocks and are comparable in magnitude to the coseis mic displacements. The postseismic signal suggests that, in addition to afterslip at seismogenic depths, localized right-lateral/reverse slip occurred on dipping shallow fault surfaces southwest of the Calaveras. The spatial distribution of slip inferred by inverting the GPS data is compatible with a model in which moderate Calaveras fault earthquakes rupture locked patches surrounded by areas of creep, afterslip, and microseismicity (Oppenheimer et al., 1990). If this model and existing Calaveras fault slip rate estimates are correct, a slip deficit remains on the 2007 Alum Rock rupture patch that may be made up by aseismic slip or slip in larger earthquakes. Recent studies (e.g., Manaker et al., 2005) suggest that at depth the Hayward and central Calaveras faults connect via a simple continuous surface illuminated by the Mission Seismic Trend (MST), implying that a damaging earthquake rupture could involve both faults (Graymer et al., 2008). If this geometry is correct, the combined coseismic and postseismic slip we infer for the 2007 Alum Rock event predicts static Coulomb stress increases of ???0:6 bar on the MST surface and on the northern Calaveras fault ???5 km northwest of the Alum Rock hypocenter.

Dynamic Rupture and Energy Partition in Models of Earthquake Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Z.; Needleman, A.; Ben-Zion, Y.

2006-12-01

We study properties of dynamic rupture and the partition of energy between radiation and dissipative mechanisms using 2D finite element calculations. The goal is to improve the understanding of these processes on faults at different evolutionary stages associated with different levels of geometrical complexity and possible presence of contrasting elastic properties across the fault. The initial calculations employ homogeneous media and a planar internal interface governed by a general rate- and state-dependent friction law that accounts for the gradual response of shear stress to abrupt changes of normal stress. Ruptures are initiated by gradually increasing the shear traction in a limited nucleation zone near the origin. By changing the rate dependency of the friction law and the size of the nucleation zone, we obtain four rupture modes: (i) supershear crack-like rupture; (ii) subshear crack-like rupture; (iii) subshear single pulse; and (iv) supershear train of pulses. Increasing the initial shear stress produces a transition from a subshear crack to a supershear crack, while increasing the rate dependency of the friction produces self-healing and the transition from a crack-like to a pulse mode of rupture. Properties of the nucleation process can strongly affect the rupture mode. In the cases examined, the total release of strain energy (over the same propagation distance) decreases following the order: supershear crack, subshear crack, train of pulses and single pulse. The ratio of the radiated kinetic energy to the energy dissipated in friction is about 5% for the supershear crack case and about 2% for the other three cases. Future work will involve similar calculations accounting for the generation of plastic strain in the bulk, the material contrast across the fault, and the addition of cohesive surfaces in the bulk to allow for the generation of new surfaces. The study may provide fundamental information on rupture processes in geologically-relevant circumstances and improve the understanding of physical limits on extreme ground motion. The results may be used to check assumptions made in observational works and may help to guide new observational research.

Scaling Relations of Earthquakes on Inland Active Mega-Fault Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murotani, S.; Matsushima, S.; Azuma, T.; Irikura, K.; Kitagawa, S.

2010-12-01

Since 2005, The Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion (HERP) has been publishing 'National Seismic Hazard Maps for Japan' to provide useful information for disaster prevention countermeasures for the country and local public agencies, as well as promote public awareness of disaster prevention of earthquakes. In the course of making the year 2009 version of the map, which is the commemorate of the tenth anniversary of the settlement of the Comprehensive Basic Policy, the methods to evaluate magnitude of earthquakes, to predict strong ground motion, and to construct underground structure were investigated in the Earthquake Research Committee and its subcommittees. In order to predict the magnitude of earthquakes occurring on mega-fault systems, we examined the scaling relations for mega-fault systems using 11 earthquakes of which source processes were analyzed by waveform inversion and of which surface information was investigated. As a result, we found that the data fit in between the scaling relations of seismic moment and rupture area by Somerville et al. (1999) and Irikura and Miyake (2001). We also found that maximum displacement of surface rupture is two to three times larger than the average slip on the seismic fault and surface fault length is equal to length of the source fault. Furthermore, compiled data of the source fault shows that displacement saturates at 10m when fault length(L) is beyond 100km, L>100km. By assuming the fault width (W) to be 18km in average of inland earthquakes in Japan, and the displacement saturate at 10m for length of more than 100 km, we derived a new scaling relation between source area and seismic moment, S[km^2] = 1.0 x 10^-17 M0 [Nm] for mega-fault systems that seismic moment (M0) exceeds 1.8×10^20 Nm.

Surface faulting and paleoseismic history of the 1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake area, west-central Nevada, and implications for modern tectonics of the Walker Lane

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, J.W.; DePolo, C.M.; Ramelli, A.R.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A. M.; Meyer, C.E.

1999-01-01

The 1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake (Ms 7.2) was one of the largest historical events in the Walker Lane region of western Nevada, and it produced a complicated strike-slip rupture pattern on multiple Quaternary faults distributed through three valleys. Primary, right-lateral surface ruptures occurred on north-striking faults in Monte Cristo Valley; small-scale lateral and normal offsets occurred in Stewart Valley; and secondary, normal faulting occurred on north-northeast-striking faults in the Gabbs Valley epicentral region. A reexamination of the surface ruptures provides new displacement and fault-zone data: maximum cumulative offset is estimated to be 2.7 m, and newly recognized faults extend the maximum width and end-to-end length of the rupture zone to 17 and 75 km, respectively. A detailed Quaternary allostratigraphic chronology based on regional alluvialgeomorphic relationships, tephrochronology, and radiocarbon dating provides a framework for interpreting the paleoseismic history of the fault zone. A late Wisconsinan alluvial-fan and piedmont unit containing a 32-36 ka tephra layer is a key stratigraphic datum for paleoseismic measurements. Exploratory trenching and radiocarbon dating of tectonic stratigraphy provide the first estimates for timing of late Quaternary faulting along the Cedar Mountain fault zone. Three trenches display evidence for six faulting events, including that in 1932, during the past 32-36 ka. Radiocarbon dating of organic soils interstratified with tectonically ponded silts establishes best-fit ages of the pre-1932 events at 4, 5,12,15, and 18 ka, each with ??2 ka uncertainties. On the basis of an estimated cumulative net slip of 6-12 m for the six faulting events, minimum and maximum late Quaternary slip rates are 0.2 and 0.7 mm/yr, respectively, and the preferred rate is 0.4-0.5 mm/yr. The average recurrence (interseismic) interval is 3600 yr. The relatively uniform thickness of the ponded deposits suggests that similar-size, characteristic rupture events may characterize late Quaternary slip on the zone. A comparison of event timing with the average late Quaternary recurrence interval indicates that slip has been largely regular (periodic) rather than temporally clustered. To account for the spatial separation of the primary surface faulting in Monte Cristo Valley from the epicenter and for a factor-of-two-to-three disparity between the instrumentally and geologically determined seismic moments associated with the earthquake, we hypothesize two alternative tectonic models containing undetected subevents. Either model would adequately account for the observed faulting on the basis of wrench-fault kinematics that may be associated with the Walker Lane. The 1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake is considered an important modern analogue for seismotectonic modeling and estimating seismic hazard in the Walker Lane region. In contrast to most other historical events in the Basin and Range province, the 1932 event did not occur along a major range-bounding fault, and no single, throughgoing basement structure can account for the observed rupture pattern. The 1932 faulting supports the concept that major earthquakes in the Basin and Range province can exhibit complicated distributive rupture patterns and that slip rate may not be a reliable criterion for modeling seismic hazard.

Mapping of the surface rupture induced by the M 7.3 Kumamoto Earthquake along the Eastern segment of Futagawa fault using image correlation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekhtari, N.; Glennie, C. L.; Fielding, E. J.; Liang, C.

2016-12-01

Near field surface deformation is vital to understanding the shallow fault physics of earthquakes but near-field deformation measurements are often sparse or not reliable. In this study, we use the Co-seismic Image Correlation (COSI-Corr) technique to map the near-field surface deformation caused by the M 7.3 April 16, 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, Kyushu, Japan. The surface rupture around the Eastern segment of Futagawa fault is mapped using a pair of panchromatic 1.5 meter resolution SPOT 7 images. These images were acquired on January 16 and April 29, 2016 (3 months before and 13 days after the earthquake respectively) with close to nadir (less than 1.5 degree off nadir) viewing angle. The two images are ortho-rectified using SRTM Digital Elevation Model and further co-registered using tie points far away from the rupture field. Then the COSI-Corr technique is utilized to produce an estimated surface displacement map, and a horizontal displacement vector field is calculated which supplies a seamless estimate of near field displacement measurements along the Eastern segment of the Futagawa fault. The COSI-Corr estimated displacements are then compared to other existing displacement observations from InSAR, GPS and field observations.

Near-Fault Strong Ground Motions during the 2016 Kumamoto, Japan, Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwata, T.; Asano, K.

2016-12-01

The 2016 Kumamoto mainshock (Mw7.0) produced a surface ruptured fault of about 20km long with maximum 2m offset, and identified as a surface ruptured event. Two strong motion records were observed near the surface ruptured fault at Mashiki town hall and Nishihara village hall. We investigated characteristics of those strong ground motions. As the acceleration records consisted of the baseline errors caused by nonzero initial acceleration and tilting of the accelerograph, we carefully removed the baseline errors (c.f. Chiu, 2001, Boore and Bommer, 2005) so as to obtain velocity and displacements. The observed permanent displacements were about 1.2m in horizontal direction and about 0.7m sinking in vertical direction at Mashiki town hall, and about 1.7m and 1.8m, respectively, at Nishihara village hall. Those permanent displacements almost coincide to results by GNSS and InSAR analysis (e.g., GSI, 2016). It takes about only 3 s to reach the permanent displacement. Somerville (2003) pointed out that ground motions from earthquakes producing large surface ruptures appeared to have systematically weaker ground motions than ground motions from earthquakes whose rupture were confined to the subsurface using the Ground Motion Prediction Equation (GMPE) for response spectra (Abrahamson and Silva, 1997). We calculated the response spectra of those records, compared them to the GMPE with the same manner and found two records were systematically larger than the expected from the GMPE in the period range of 0.3 s to 5 s. We need to re-consider the working hypothesis that the near-fault ground motions are weaker and to separate the near-fault and site effects on ground motions. Strong motions in the longer period range would be mainly caused by the near-fault (near-field term) effect.We used the acceleration data of the Kumamoto seismic intensity information network, provided by JMA.

Earthquake mechanism and predictability shown by a laboratory fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, C.-Y.

1994-01-01

Slip events generated in a laboratory fault model consisting of a circulinear chain of eight spring-connected blocks of approximately equal weight elastically driven to slide on a frictional surface are studied. It is found that most of the input strain energy is released by a relatively few large events, which are approximately time predictable. A large event tends to roughen stress distribution along the fault, whereas the subsequent smaller events tend to smooth the stress distribution and prepare a condition of simultaneous criticality for the occurrence of the next large event. The frequency-size distribution resembles the Gutenberg-Richter relation for earthquakes, except for a falloff for the largest events due to the finite energy-storage capacity of the fault system. Slip distributions, in different events are commonly dissimilar. Stress drop, slip velocity, and rupture velocity all tend to increase with event size. Rupture-initiation locations are usually not close to the maximum-slip locations. ?? 1994 Birkha??user Verlag.

First paleoseismic evidence for great surface-rupturing earthquakes in the Bhutan Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Roux-Mallouf, Romain; Ferry, Matthieu; Ritz, Jean-François; Berthet, Théo.; Cattin, Rodolphe; Drukpa, Dowchu

2016-10-01

The seismic behavior of the Himalayan arc between central Nepal and Arunachal Pradesh remains poorly understood due to the lack of observations concerning the timing and size of past major and great earthquakes in Bhutan. We present here the first paleoseismic study along the Himalayan topographic front conducted at two sites in southern central Bhutan. Paleoseismological excavations and related OxCal modeling reveal that Bhutan experienced at least two great earthquakes in the last millennium: one between the seventeenth and eighteenth century and one during medieval times, producing a total cumulative vertical offset greater than 10 m. Along with previous studies that reported similar medieval events in Central Nepal, Sikkim, and Assam, our investigations support the occurrence of either (i) a series of great earthquakes between A.D. 1025 and A.D. 1520 or (ii) a single giant earthquake between A.D. 1090 and A.D. 1145. In the latter case, the surface rupture may have reached a total length of 800 km and could be associated with an earthquake of magnitude Mw = 8.7-9.1.

Impact of Aneurysm Projection on Intraoperative Complications During Surgical Clipping of Ruptured Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms.

PubMed

Fukuda, Hitoshi; Hayashi, Kosuke; Yoshino, Kumiko; Koyama, Takashi; Lo, Benjamin; Kurosaki, Yoshitaka; Yamagata, Sen

2016-03-01

Surgical clipping of ruptured posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms is a well-established procedure to date. However, preoperative factors associated with procedure-related risk require further elucidation. To investigate the impact of the direction of aneurysm projection on the incidence of procedure-related complications during surgical clipping of ruptured PCoA aneurysms. A total of 65 patients with ruptured PCoA aneurysms who underwent surgical clipping were retrospectively analyzed from a single-center, prospective, observational cohort database in this study. The aneurysms were categorized into lateral and posterior projection groups, depending on direction of the dome. Characteristics and operative findings of each projection group were identified. We also evaluated any correlation of aneurysm projection with the incidence of procedure-related complications. Patients with ruptured PCoA aneurysms with posterior projection more likely presented with good-admission-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (P = .01, χ test) and were less to also have intracerebral hematoma (P = .01). These aneurysms were found to be associated with higher incidence of intraoperative rupture (P = .02), complex clipping with fenestrated clips (P = .02), and dense adherence to PCoA or its perforators (P = .04) by univariate analysis. Aneurysms with posterior projection were also correlated with procedure-related complications, including postoperative cerebral infarction or hematoma formation (odds ratio, 5.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-31.1; P = .04) by multivariable analysis. Ruptured PCoA aneurysms with posterior projection carried a higher risk of procedure-related complications of surgical clipping than those with lateral projection.

Capturing Postseismic Processes of the 2016 Mw 7.1 Kumamoto Earthquake, Japan, Using Dense, Continuous GPS and Short-repeat Time ALOS-2 InSAR Data: Implications for the Shallow Slip Deficit Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milliner, C. W. D.; Burgmann, R.; Wang, T.; Inbal, A.; Bekaert, D. P.; Liang, C.; Fielding, E. J.

2017-12-01

Separating the contribution of shallow coseismic slip from rapidly decaying, postseismic afterslip in surface rupturing events has been difficult to resolve due to the typically sparse configuration of GPS networks and long-repeat time of InSAR acquisitions. Whether shallow fault motion along surface ruptures is a result of coseismic slip, or largely a product of rapid afterslip occurring within the first minutes to days, has significant implications for our understanding of the mechanics and frictional behavior of faulting in the shallow crust. To test this behavior in the case of a major surface rupturing event, we attempt to quantify the co- and postseismic slip of the 2016 Mw 7.1 Kumamoto earthquake sequence using a dense and continuous GPS network ( 10 km spacing), with short-repeat time, ALOS-2 InSAR data. Using the Network Inversion Filter method, we jointly invert the GPS and InSAR data to obtain a time history of afterslip in the first minutes to months following the mainshock. From our initial results, we find no clear evidence of significant shallow afterslip (i.e., no observable slip > 30 cm at depths of < 3 km, a minimum resolvable value), that could account for the 1 m of coseismic deficit of shallow slip inferred from our static finite-fault inversion. Our results show, aside from significant volumetric changes related to poroelastic processes, the majority of shallow fault slip was largely complete after rupture cessation. We also attempt to improve our coseismic slip model by implementing a method that inverts changes in seismicity rates for coseismic slip, helping constrain parts of the model space at depth where geodetic data loses resolving power. The use of geodetic data with the ability to resolve near-field, coseismic deformation and rapidly decaying postseismic processes will aid in our understanding of the frictional properties of shallow faulting, giving more reliable predictions for ground motion simulations and seismic hazard assessments.

Chapter E. The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989 - Geologic Setting and Crustal Structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wells, Ray E.

2004-01-01

Although some scientists considered the Ms=7.1 Loma Prieta, Calif., earthquake of 1989 to be an anticipated event, some aspects of the earthquake were surprising. It occurred 17 km beneath the Santa Cruz Mountains along a left-stepping restraining bend in the San Andreas fault system. Rupture on the southwest-dipping fault plane consisted of subequal amounts of right-lateral and reverse motion but did not reach the surface. In the area of maximum uplift, severe shaking and numerous ground cracks occurred along Summit Road and Skyland Ridge, several kilometers south of the main trace of the San Andreas fault. The relatively deep focus of the earthquake, the distribution of ground failure, the absence of throughgoing surface rupture on the San Andreas fault, and the large component of uplift raised several questions about the relation of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake to the San Andreas fault: Did the earthquake actually occur on the San Andreas fault? Where exactly is the San Andreas fault in the heavily forested Santa Cruz Mountains, and how does the fault relate to ground ruptures that occurred there in 1989 and 1906? What is the geometry of the San Andreas fault system at depth, and how does it relate to the major crustal blocks identified by geologic mapping? Subsequent geophysical and geologic investigations of crustal structure in the Loma Prieta region have addressed these and other questions about the relation of the earthquake to geologic structures observed in the southern Santa Cruz Mountains. The diverse papers in this chapter cover several topics: geologic mapping of the region, potential- field and electromagnetic modeling of crustal structure, and the velocity structure of the crust and mantle in and below the source region for the earthquake. Although these papers were mostly completed between 1992 and 1997, they provide critical documentation of the crustal structure of the Loma Prieta region. Together, they present a remarkably coherent, three-dimensional picture of the earthquake source region--a geologically complex volume of crust with a long history of both right-lateral faulting and fault-normal compression, thrusting, and uplift.

Formation of a cavitation cluster in the vicinity of a quasi-empty rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bol'shakova, E. S.; Kedrinskiy, V. K.

2017-09-01

The presentation deals with one of the experimental and numerical models of a quasi-empty rupture in the magma melt. This rupture is formed in the liquid layer of a distilled cavitating fluid under shock loading within the framework of the problem formulation with a small electromagnetic hydrodynamic shock tube. It is demonstrated that the rupture is shaped as a spherical segment, which retains its topology during the entire process of its evolution and collapsing. The dynamic behavior of the quasi-empty rupture is analyzed, and the growth of cavitating nuclei in the form of the boundary layer near the entire rupture interface is found. It is shown that rupture implosion is accompanied by the transformation of the bubble boundary layer to a cavitating cluster, which takes the form of a ring-shaped vortex floating upward to the free surface of the liquid layer. A p-κ mathematical model is formulated, and calculations are performed to investigate the implosion of a quasi-empty spherical cavity in the cavitating liquid, generation of a shock wave by this cavity, and dynamics of the bubble density growth in the cavitating cluster by five orders of magnitude.

Influence of Melt Superheating Treatment on Solidification Characteristics and Rupture Life of a Third-Generation Ni-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Haijun; Wang, Haifeng; Zhang, Jun; Guo, Min; Liu, Lin; Fu, Hengzhi

2018-05-01

The influence of melt superheating treatment on the melt properties, solidification characteristics, and rupture life of a third-generation Ni-based single-crystal superalloy was investigated to reveal the critical temperature range of melt structure evolution and its effect on rupture life. The results showed that the viscosity of superalloy decreased but the surface tension increased with increasing superheating temperature. Two characteristic temperature points where the melt viscosity and undercooling degree suddenly change were determined to be 1600 °C and 1700 °C, respectively. Similarly, the stability of the solidification interface firstly improved and then weakened with increasing superheating temperature. The dendrite arms were well refined and the segregation was reduced at 1700 °C. In addition, the rupture life obtained at 1100 °C and 137 MPa increased by approximately 30 pct, approaching the rupture life of the corresponding superalloy containing 2 pct Ru, with increasing superheating temperature from 1500 °C to 1700 °C. When the melt was further heated to 1800 °C, the rupture life decreased. The evolutions of solidification characteristics and rupture life with increasing melt superheating temperature were attributed to changes in the melt structure.

Paleoseismic evidence of the CE 1505 (?) and CE 1803 earthquakes from the foothill zone of the Kumaon Himalaya along the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT), India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, Javed N.; Naik, Sambit P.; Sahoo, Santiswarup; Okumura, Koji; Mohanty, Asmita

2017-09-01

The importance of understanding earthquake sources in India and Nepal was underscored by the disastrous 2015 earthquakes of 25 April Gorkha (Mw 7.8) and 12 May Kodari (Mw 7.3, aftershock) in Nepal. The Kumaon-Garhwal segment experienced strong earthquakes in CE 1505 and CE 1803, probably along the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT). Of these, the CE 1505 was the greatest earthquake reported from the region in historical chronicles. However, no surface ruptures related to either of 1505 or 1803 have been identified from the Kumaon-Garhwal segment, and an ambiguity remained about their ruptures dispite recent reports of CE 1505 surface rupture in Western Nepal. We used high-resolution satellite (CARTOSAT-1) data for mapping active fault traces and carried out paleoseismic studies to identify paleo-earthquakes along the HFT. A trench excavated across the Kaladungi Fault (KF), a branching fault of HFT, revealed evidence of at least three earthquakes. Event I (the oldest) occurred between BCE 467 and CE 570; Event II occurred between CE 1294-1587. We infer that the Event II was the most likely historically-reported, great Himalayan earthquake of CE 1505. Event III occurred between CE 1750-1932, and may represent the large magnitude CE 1803 (7.5 > Mw < 8.0) earthquake. Our findings not only help in understanding the frontal fault dynamics, but also may aid seismic hazard evaluation in India and Nepal.

QCM operating in threshold mode as a gas sensor.

PubMed

Dultsev, Fedor N; Kolosovsky, Eugeny A

2009-10-20

Application of the threshold mode allowed us to use the quartz resonator (quartz crystal microbalance, QCM) as a highly sensitive gas sensor measuring the forces of the rupture of adsorbed gas components from the resonator surface oscillating with increasing amplitude. This procedure allows one to analyze different gas components using the same surface modification, just varying the rupture threshold by varying the amplitude of shear oscillations. The sensitivity of the threshold measurements is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than for the gravimetric procedure. It is demonstrated that the QCM operating as an active element can be used as a gas sensor. This procedure seems to be promising in investigating the reactivity of the surface or the interactions of gaseous components with the surface containing various functional groups, thus contributing to the surface chemistry.

Width of the Surface Rupture Zone for Thrust Earthquakes and Implications for Earthquake Fault Zoning: Chi-Chi 1999 and Wenchuan 2008 Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boncio, P.; Caldarella, M.

2016-12-01

We analyze the zones of coseismic surface faulting along thrust faults, whit the aim of defining the most appropriate criteria for zoning the Surface Fault Rupture Hazard (SFRH) along thrust faults. Normal and strike-slip faults were deeply studied in the past, while thrust faults were not studied with comparable attention. We analyze the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan (Mw 7.6) and 2008 Wenchuan, China (Mw 7.9) earthquakes. Several different types of coseismic fault scarps characterize the two earthquakes, depending on the topography, fault geometry and near-surface materials. For both the earthquakes, we collected from the literature, or measured in GIS-georeferenced published maps, data about the Width of the coseismic Rupture Zone (WRZ). The frequency distribution of WRZ compared to the trace of the main fault shows that the surface ruptures occur mainly on and near the main fault. Ruptures located away from the main fault occur mainly in the hanging wall. Where structural complexities are present (e.g., sharp bends, step-overs), WRZ is wider then for simple fault traces. We also fitted the distribution of the WRZ dataset with probability density functions, in order to define a criterion to remove outliers (e.g., by selecting 90% or 95% probability) and define the zone where the probability of SFRH is the highest. This might help in sizing the zones of SFRH during seismic microzonation (SM) mapping. In order to shape zones of SFRH, a very detailed earthquake geologic study of the fault is necessary. In the absence of such a very detailed study, during basic (First level) SM mapping, a width of 350-400 m seems to be recommended (95% of probability). If the fault is carefully mapped (higher level SM), one must consider that the highest SFRH is concentrated in a narrow zone, 50 m-wide, that should be considered as a "fault-avoidance (or setback) zone". These fault zones should be asymmetric. The ratio of footwall to hanging wall (FW:HW) calculated here ranges from 1:5 to 1:3.

Geometry, slip distribution, and kinematics of surface rupture on the Sakarya fault segment during the 17 August 1999 İzmit, Turkey, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langridge, R.M.; Stenner, Heidi D.; Fumal, T.E.; Christofferson, S.A.; Rockwell, T.K.; Hartleb, R.D.; Bachhuber, J.; Barka, A.A.

2002-01-01

The Mw 7.4 17 August 1999 İzmit earthquake ruptured five major fault segments of the dextral North Anatolian Fault Zone. The 26-km-long, N86°W-trending Sakarya fault segment (SFS) extends from the Sapanca releasing step-over in the west to near the town of Akyazi in the east. The SFS emerges from Lake Sapanca as two distinct fault traces that rejoin to traverse the Adapazari Plain to Akyazi. Offsets were measured across 88 cultural and natural features that cross the fault, such as roads, cornfield rows, rows of trees, walls, rails, field margins, ditches, vehicle ruts, a dike, and ground cracks. The maximum displacement observed for the İzmit earthquake (∼5.1 m) was encountered on this segment. Dextral displacement for the SFS rises from less than 1 m at Lake Sapanca to greater than 5 m near Arifiye, only 3 km away. Average slip decreases uniformly to the east from Arifiye until the fault steps left from Sagir to Kazanci to the N75°W, 6-km-long Akyazi strand, where slip drops to less than 1 m. The Akyazi strand passes eastward into the Akyazi Bend, which consists of a high-angle bend (18°-29°) between the Sakarya and Karadere fault segments, a 6-km gap in surface rupture, and high aftershock energy release. Complex structural geometries exist between the İzmit, Düzce, and 1967 Mudurnu fault segments that have arrested surface ruptures on timescales ranging from 30 sec to 88 days to 32 yr. The largest of these step-overs may have acted as a rupture segmentation boundary in previous earthquake cycles.

The surface rupture and slip distribution of the 17 August 1999 Izmit earthquake (M 7.4), North Anatolian fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barka, A.; Akyuz, H.S.; Altunel, E.; Sunal, G.; Cakir, Z.; Dikbas, A.; Yerli, B.; Armijo, R.; Meyer, B.; De Chabalier, J. B.; Rockwell, Thomas; Dolan, J.R.; Hartleb, R.; Dawson, Tim; Christofferson, S.; Tucker, A.; Fumal, T.; Langridge, Rob; Stenner, H.; Lettis, William; Bachhuber, J.; Page, W.

2002-01-01

The 17 August 1999 İzmit earthquake occurred on the northern strand of the North Anatolian fault zone. The earthquake is associated with a 145-km-long surface rupture that extends from southwest of Düzce in the east to west of Hersek delta in the west. Detailed mapping of the surface rupture shows that it consists of five segments separated by releasing step-overs; herein named the Hersek, Karamürsel-Gölcük, İzmit-Sapanca Lake, Sapanca-Akyazi, and Karadere segments from west to east, respectively. The Hersek segment, which cuts the tip of a large delta plain in the western end of the rupture zone, has an orientation of N80°. The N70°-80°E-trending Karamürsel-Gölcük segment extends along the linear southern coasts of the İzmit Gulf between Karamürsel and Gölcük and produced the 470-cm maximum displacement in Gölcük. The northwest-southeast-striking Gölcük normal fault between the Karamürsel-Gölcük and İzmit-Sapanca segments has 2.3-m maximum vertical displacement. The maximum dextral offset along the İzmit-Sapanca Lake segment was measured to be about 3.5 m, and its trend varies between N80°E and east-west. The Sapanca-Akyazi segment trends N75°-85°W and expresses a maximum displacement of 5.2 m. The Karadere segment trends N65°E and produced up to 1.5-m maximum displacement. The Karadere and Sapanca-Akyazi segments form fan-shape or splaying ruptures near their eastern ends where the displacement also diminished.

Modeling Earthquake Rupture and Corresponding Tsunamis Along a Segment of the Alaskan-Aleutian Megathrust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, K. J.; Geist, E. L.; Oglesby, D. D.; Kyriakopoulos, C.

2016-12-01

Motivated by the 2011 Mw 9 Tohoku-Oki event, we explore the effects of realistic fault dynamics on slip, free surface deformation, and the resulting tsunami generation and local propagation from a hypothetical Mw 9 megathrust earthquake along the Alaskan-Aleutian (A-A) Megathrust. We demonstrate three scenarios: a spatially-homogenous prestress and frictional parameter model and two models with rate-strengthening-like friction (e.g., Dieterich, 1992). We use a dynamic finite element code to model 3-D ruptures, using time-weakening friction (Andrews, 2004) as a proxy for rate-strengthening friction, along a portion of the A-A subduction zone. Given geometric, material, and plate-coupling data along the A-A megathrust assembled from the Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) team (e.g., Bruns et al., 1987; Hayes et al., 2012; Johnson et al., 2004; Santini et al., 2003; Wells at al., 2003), we are able to dynamically model rupture. Adding frictional-strengthening to a region of the fault reduces both average slip and free surface displacement above the strengthening zone, with the magnitude of the reductions depending on the strengthening zone location. Corresponding tsunami models, which use a finite difference method to solve the long-wave equations (e.g., Liu et al., 1995; Satake, 2002; Shuto, 1991), match sea floor displacement, in time, to the free surface displacement from the rupture models. Tsunami models show changes in local peak amplitudes and beaming patterns for each slip distribution. Given these results, other heterogeneous parameterizations, with respect to prestress and friction, still need to be examined. Additionally, a more realistic fault geometry will likely affect the rupture dynamics. Thus, future work will incorporate stochastic stress and friction distributions as well as a more complex fault geometry based on Slab 1.0 (Hayes et al., 2012).

Toward tsunami early warning system in Indonesia by using rapid rupture durations estimation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Madlazim

2012-06-20

Indonesia has Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (Ina-TEWS) since 2008. The Ina-TEWS has used automatic processing on hypocenter; Mwp, Mw (mB) and Mj. If earthquake occurred in Ocean, depth < 70 km and magnitude > 7, then Ina-TEWS announce early warning that the earthquake can generate tsunami. However, the announcement of the Ina-TEWS is still not accuracy. Purposes of this research are to estimate earthquake rupture duration of large Indonesia earthquakes that occurred in Indian Ocean, Java, Timor sea, Banda sea, Arafura sea and Pasific ocean. We analyzed at least 330 vertical seismogram recorded by IRIS-DMC network using a directmore » procedure for rapid assessment of earthquake tsunami potential using simple measures on P-wave vertical seismograms on the velocity records, and the likelihood that the high-frequency, apparent rupture duration, T{sub dur}. T{sub dur} can be related to the critical parameters rupture length (L), depth (z), and shear modulus ({mu}) while T{sub dur} may be related to wide (W), slip (D), z or {mu}. Our analysis shows that the rupture duration has a stronger influence to generate tsunami than Mw and depth. The rupture duration gives more information on tsunami impact, Mo/{mu}, depth and size than Mw and other currently used discriminants. We show more information which known from the rupture durations. The longer rupture duration, the shallower source of the earthquake. For rupture duration greater than 50 s, the depth less than 50 km, Mw greater than 7, the longer rupture length, because T{sub dur} is proportional L and greater Mo/{mu}. Because Mo/{mu} is proportional L. So, with rupture duration information can be known information of the four parameters. We also suggest that tsunami potential is not directly related to the faulting type of source and for events that have rupture duration greater than 50 s, the earthquakes generated tsunami. With available real-time seismogram data, rapid calculation, rupture duration discriminant can be completed within 4-5 min after an earthquake occurs and thus can aid in effective, accuracy and reliable tsunami early warning for Indonesia region.« less

Movement of fine particles on an air bubble surface studied using high-speed video microscopy.

PubMed

Nguyen, Anh V; Evans, Geoffrey M

2004-05-01

A CCD high-speed video microscopy system operating at 1000 frames per second was used to obtain direct quantitative measurements of the trajectories of fine glass spheres on the surface of air bubbles. The glass spheres were rendered hydrophobic by a methylation process. Rupture of the intervening water film between a hydrophobic particle and an air bubble with the consequent formation of a three-phase contact was observed. The bubble-particle sliding attachment interaction is not satisfactorily described by the available theories. Surface forces had little effect on the particle sliding with a water film, which ruptured probably due to the submicrometer-sized gas bubbles existing at the hydrophobic particle-water interface.

Faulting, Seismicity and Stress Interaction in the Salton Sea Region of Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilb, D. L.; Brothers, D. S.; Lin, G.; Kent, G.; Newman, R. L.; Driscoll, N.

2009-12-01

The Salton Sea region in southern California provides an ideal location to study the relationship between transcurrent and extensional motion in the northern Gulf of California margin, allowing us to investigate the spatial and temporal interaction of faults in the area and better understand their kinematics. In this region, the San Andreas Fault (SAF) and Imperial Fault present two major transform faults separated by the Salton Sea transtensional domain. Earthquakes over magnitude 4 in this area almost always have associated aftershock sequences. Recent seismic reflection surveys in the Salton Sea reveal that the majority of faults under the southern Salton Sea trend ~N15°E, appear normal-dominant and have very minimal associated microseismicity. These normal faults rupture every 100-300 years in large earthquakes and most of the nearby microseismicity locates east of the mapped surface traces. For example, there is profuse microseismicity in the Brawley Seismic Zone (BSZ), which is coincident with the southern terminus of the SAF as it extends offshore into the Salton Sea. Earthquakes in the BSZ are dominantly swarm-like, occurring along short (<5 km) ~N45°E oriented sinistral and N35°W oriented dextral fault planes. This mapped seismicity makes a rung-and-ladder pattern. In an effort to reconcile differences between processes at the surface and those at seismogenic depths we integrate near surface fault kinematics, geometry and paleoseismic history with seismic data. We identify linear and planer trends in these data (20 near surface faults, >20,000 relocated earthquakes and >2,000 earthquake focal mechanisms) and when appropriate estimate the fault strike and dip using principal component analysis. With our more detailed image of the fault structure we assess how static stress changes imparted by magnitude ~6.0 ruptures along N15E oriented normal faults beneath the Salton Sea can modulate the stress field in the BSZ and along the SAF. These tests include exploring sensitivity of the results to parameter uncertainties. In general, we find rupture of the normal faults produces a butterfly pattern of static stress changes on the SAF with decreases along the southernmost portion below latitude 33.3±0.1 and increases on segments above these latitudes. Additionally, simulated ruptures on the normal faults predict optimally oriented sinistral faults that align with the “rungs” in the BSZ and optimally oriented dextral faults that are parallel to the SAF. Given these observations and results, we favor the scenario that normal faults beneath the Salton Sea accommodate most of the strain budget, rupturing as magnitude ~6.0-6.6 events every 100 years or so, and the consequent stress field generated within the relatively weak crust shapes the orientation of the short faults in the BSZ.

Rare normal faulting earthquake induced by subduction megaquake: example from 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishiyama, T.; Sugito, N.; Echigo, T.; Sato, H.; Suzuki, T.

2012-04-01

A month after March 11 gigantic M9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake, M7.0 intraplate earthquake occurred at a depth of 5 km on April 11 beneath coastal area of near Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture. Focal mechanism of the mainshock indicates that this earthquake is a normal faulting event. Based on field reconnaissance and LIDAR mapping by Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, we recognized coseismic surface ruptures, presumably associated with the main shock. Coseismic surface ruptures extend NNW for about 11 km in a right-stepping en echelon manner. Geomorphic expressions of these ruptures commonly include WWS-facing normal fault scarps and/or drape fold scarp with open cracks on their crests, on the hanging wall sides of steeply west-dipping normal fault planes subparallel to Cretaceous metamorphic rocks. Highest topographic scarp height is about 2.3 m. In this study we introduce preliminary results of a trenching survey across the coseismic surface ruptures at Shionohira site, to resolve timing of paleoseismic events along the Shionohira fault. Trench excavations were carried out at two sites (Ichinokura and Shionohira sites) in Iwaki, Fukushima. At Shionohira site a 2-m-deep trench was excavated across the coseismic fault scarp emerged on the alluvial plain on the eastern flank of the Abukuma Mountains. On the trench walls we observed pairs of steeply dipping normal faults that deform Neogene to Paleogene conglomerates and unconformably overlying, late Quaternary to Holocene fluvial units. Sense of fault slip observed on the trench walls (large dip-slip with small sinistral component) is consistent with that estimated from coseismic surface ruptures. Fault throw estimated from separation of piercing points on lower Unit I and vertical structural relief on folded upper Unit I is consistent with topographic height of the coseismic fault scarp at the trench site. In contrast, vertical separation of Unit II, unconformably overlain by Unit I, is measured as about 1.5 m, twice as large as coseismic vertical component of slip, indicative of penultimate seismic event prior to the 2011 earthquake. Abrupt thickening of overlying Unit I may also suggest preexisting topographic relief prior to its deposition. Radiocarbon dating of charred materials included in event horizons and tephrostratigraphy at two sites indicate that penultimate event prior to the 2011 event might occurred at about 40 ka. This normal fault earthquake is in contrast to compressional or neutral stress regimes in Tohoku region before the 2011 megaquake and rarity of the normal faulting earthquake inferred from these paleoseismic studies may reflect its mechanical relation to the gigantic megathrust earthquakes, such as unusual, enhanced extensional stress on the hangingwall block induced by mainshock and/or postseismic creep after the M~9 earthquake.

Teleseismic body waves from dynamically rupturing shallow thrust faults: Are they opaque for surface-reflected phases?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, D.E.; Aagaard, Brad T.; Heaton, T.H.

2005-01-01

We investigate whether a shallow-dipping thrust fault is prone to waveslip interactions via surface-reflected waves affecting the dynamic slip. If so, can these interactions create faults that are opaque to radiated energy? Furthermore, in this case of a shallow-dipping thrust fault, can incorrectly assuming a transparent fault while using dislocation theory lead to underestimates of seismic moment? Slip time histories are generated in three-dimensional dynamic rupture simulations while allowing for varying degrees of wave-slip interaction controlled by fault-friction models. Based on the slip time histories, P and SH seismograms are calculated for stations at teleseismic distances. The overburdening pressure caused by gravity eliminates mode I opening except at the tip of the fault near the surface; hence, mode I opening has no effect on the teleseismic signal. Normalizing by a Haskell-like traditional kinematic rupture, we find teleseismic peak-to-peak displacement amplitudes are approximately 1.0 for both P and SH waves, except for the unrealistic case of zero sliding friction. Zero sliding friction has peak-to-peak amplitudes of 1.6 for P and 2.0 for SH waves; the fault slip oscillates about its equilibrium value, resulting in a large nonzero (0.08 Hz) spectral peak not seen in other ruptures. These results indicate wave-slip interactions associated with surface-reflected phases in real earthquakes should have little to no effect on teleseismic motions. Thus, Haskell-like kinematic dislocation theory (transparent fault conditions) can be safety used to simulate teleseismic waveforms in the Earth.

Parameterization experiments performed via synthetic mass movements prototypes generated by 3D slope stability simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colangelo, Antonio C.

2010-05-01

The central purpose of this work is to perform a reverse procedure in the mass movement conventional parameterization approach. The idea is to generate a number of synthetic mass movements by means of the "slope stability simulator" (Colangelo, 2007), and compeer their morphological and physical properties with "real" conditions of effective mass movements. This device is an integrated part of "relief unity emulator" (rue), that permits generate synthetic mass movements in a synthetic slope environment. The "rue" was build upon fundamental geomorphological concepts. These devices operate with an integrated set of mechanical, geomorphic and hydrological models. The "slope stability simulator" device (sss) permits to perform a detailed slope stability analysis in a theoretical three dimensional space, by means of evaluation the spatial behavior of critical depths, gradients and saturation levels in the "potential rupture surfaces" inferred along a set of slope profiles, that compounds a synthetic slope unity. It's a meta-stable 4-dimensional object generated by means of "rue", that represents a sequence evolution of a generator profile applied here, was adapted the infinite slope model for slope. Any slope profiles were sliced by means of finite element solution like in Bishop method. For the synthetic slope systems generated, we assume that the potential rupture surface occurs at soil-regolith or soil-rock boundary in slope material. Sixteen variables were included in the "rue-sss" device that operates in an integrated manner. For each cell, the factor of safety was calculated considering the value of shear strength (cohesion and friction) of material, soil-regolith boundary depth, soil moisture level content, potential rupture surface gradient, slope surface gradient, top of subsurface flow gradient, apparent soil bulk density and vegetation surcharge. The slope soil was considered as cohesive material. The 16 variables incorporated in the models were analyzed for each cell in synthetic slope systems performed by relief unity emulator. The central methodological strategy is to locate the potential rupture surfaces (prs), main material discontinuities, like soil-regolith or regolith-rock transitions. Inner these "prs", we would to outline the effective potential rupture surfaces (eprs). This surface is a sub-set of the "prs" that presents safety factor less than unity (f<1), the sub-region in the "prs" equal or deeper than critical depths. When the effective potential rupture surface acquires significant extension with respect the thickness of critical depth and retaining walls, the "slope stability simulator" generates a synthetic mass movement. The overlay material will slide until that a new equilibrium be attained at residual shear strength. These devices generate graphic 3D cinematic sequences of experiments in synthetic slope systems and numerical results about physical and morphological data about scars and deposits. Thus, we have a detailed geotechnical, morphological, topographic and morphometric description of these mass movements prototypes, for deal with effective mass movements found in the real environments.

Penile fracture: a rare case of simultaneous rupture of the one corpus cavernosum and complete urethral rupture.

PubMed

Nale, Djordje; Bojanić, Nebojša; Nikić, Predrag

2015-01-01

Penile fracture is a traumatic rupture of tunica albuginea and the tumescent corpora cavernosa due to the nonphysiological bending of the penile shaft, presenting with or without rupture of corpus pongiosum and urethra. The incidence of concomitant injury of the urethra is 0-38%. Complete urethral rupture is rare, but it is almost always associated with bilateral corporeal injury. We presented a patient with complete urethral rupture, and rupture of the right cavernous body. According to the available literature, this case is extremely rare. Fracture of the penis is relatively uncommon and is considered a urologic emergency. Prompt surgical explo- ration and repair can preserve erectile and voiding function.

How Does a Liquid Wet a Solid? Hydrodynamics of Dynamic Contact Angles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rame, Enrique

2001-01-01

A contact line is defined at the intersection of a solid surface with the interface between two immiscible fluids. When one fluid displaces another immiscible fluid along a solid surface, the process is called dynamic wetting and a "moving" contact line (one whose position relative to the solid changes in time) often appears. The physics of dynamic wetting controls such natural and industrial processes as spraying of paints and insecticides, dishwashing, film formation and rupture in the eye and in the alveoli, application of coatings, printing, drying and imbibition of fibrous materials, oil recovery from porous rocks, and microfluidics.

Rupture process of a multiple main shock sequence: analysis of teleseismic, local and field observations of the Tennant Creek, Australia, earthquakes of January 22, 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choy, G.L.; Bowman, J.R.

1990-01-01

On January 22, 1988, three large intraplate earthquakes (with MS 6.3, 6.4 and 6.7) occurred within a 12-hour period near Tennant Creek, Australia. Broadband displacement and velocity records of body waves from teleseismically recorded data are analyzed to determine source mechanisms, depths, and complexity of rupture of each of the three main shocks. Hypocenters of an additional 150 foreshocks and aftershocks constrained by local arrival time data and field observations of surface rupture are used to complement the source characteristics of the main shocks. The interpretation of the combined data sets suggests that the overall rupture process involved unusually complicated stress release. Rupture characteristics suggest that substantial slow slip occurred on each of the three fault interfaces that was not accompanied by major energy release. Variation of focal depth and the strong increase of moment and radiated energy with each main shock imply that lateral variations of strength were more important than vertical gradients of shear stress in controlling the progression of rupture. -from Authors

The 1985 central chile earthquake: a repeat of previous great earthquakes in the region?

PubMed

Comte, D; Eisenberg, A; Lorca, E; Pardo, M; Ponce, L; Saragoni, R; Singh, S K; Suárez, G

1986-07-25

A great earthquake (surface-wave magnitude, 7.8) occurred along the coast of central Chile on 3 March 1985, causing heavy damage to coastal towns. Intense foreshock activity near the epicenter of the main shock occurred for 11 days before the earthquake. The aftershocks of the 1985 earthquake define a rupture area of 170 by 110 square kilometers. The earthquake was forecast on the basis of the nearly constant repeat time (83 +/- 9 years) of great earthquakes in this region. An analysis of previous earthquakes suggests that the rupture lengths of great shocks in the region vary by a factor of about 3. The nearly constant repeat time and variable rupture lengths cannot be reconciled with time- or slip-predictable models of earthquake recurrence. The great earthquakes in the region seem to involve a variable rupture mode and yet, for unknown reasons, remain periodic. Historical data suggest that the region south of the 1985 rupture zone should now be considered a gap of high seismic potential that may rupture in a great earthquake in the next few tens of years.

Active faulting in the central Betic Cordillera (Spain): Palaeoseismological constraint of the surface-rupturing history of the Baza Fault (Central Betic Cordillera, Iberian Peninsula)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro, J.; Martin-Rojas, I.; Medina-Cascales, I.; García-Tortosa, F. J.; Alfaro, P.; Insua-Arévalo, J. M.

2018-06-01

This paper on the Baza Fault provides the first palaeoseismic data from trenches in the central sector of the Betic Cordillera (S Spain), one of the most tectonically active areas of the Iberian Peninsula. With the palaeoseismological data we constructed time-stratigraphic OxCal models that yield probability density functions (PDFs) of individual palaeoseismic event timing. We analysed PDF overlap to quantitatively correlate the walls and site events into a single earthquake chronology. We assembled a surface-rupturing history of the Baza Fault for the last ca. 45,000 years. We postulated six alternative surface rupturing histories including 8-9 fault-wide earthquakes. We calculated fault-wide earthquake recurrence intervals using Monte Carlo. This analysis yielded a 4750-5150 yr recurrence interval. Finally, compared our results with the results from empirical relationships. Our results will provide a basis for future analyses of more of other active normal faults in this region. Moreover, our results will be essential for improving earthquake-probability assessments in Spain, where palaeoseismic data are scarce.

Features of the rupture of free hanging liquid film under the action of a thermal load

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovcharova, Alla S.

2011-10-01

We consider a deformation and a rupture of a thin liquid film which is hanging between two solid flat walls under the action of concentrated thermal load action. A two-dimensional model is applied to describe the motion of thin layers of viscous non-isothermal liquid under micro-gravity conditions. For flow simulation, two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are used. A computational analysis of the influence of thermal loads on the deformation and the rupture behavior of the thin freely hanging film is carried out. It is shown that the rupture of the thin film with generation of a droplet can occur under the thermal beam of specific width acting on the free surface of the film. The results of the model problem solutions are presented.

Scale-Dependent Friction and Damage Interface law: implications for effective earthquake rupture dynamics and radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Festa, Gaetano; Vilotte, Jean-Pierre; Raous, Michel; Henninger, Carole

2010-05-01

Propagation and radiation of an earthquake rupture is commonly considered as a friction dominated process on fault surfaces. Friction laws, such as the slip weakening and the rate-and-state laws are widely used in the modeling of the earthquake rupture process. These laws prescribe the traction evolution versus slip, slip rate and potentially other internal variables. They introduce a finite cohesive length scale over which the fracture energy is released. However faults are finite-width interfaces with complex internal structures, characterized by highly damaged zones embedding a very thin principal slip interface where most of the dynamic slip localizes. Even though the rupture process is generally investigated at wavelengths larger than the fault zone thickness, which should justify a formulation based upon surface energy, a consistent homogeneization, a very challenging problem, is still missing. Such homogeneization is however be required to derive the consistent form of an effective interface law, as well as the appropriate physical variables and length scales, to correctly describe the coarse-grained dissipation resulting from surface and volumetric contributions at the scale of the fault zone. In this study, we investigate a scale-dependent law, introduced by Raous et al. (1999) in the context of adhesive material interfaces, that takes into account the transition between a damage dominated and a friction dominated state. Such a phase-field formalism describes this transition through an order parameter. We first compare this law to standard slip weakening friction law in terms of the rupture nucleation. The problem is analyzed through the representation of the solution of the quasi-static elastic problem onto the Chebyshev polynomial basis, generalizing the Uenishi-Rice solution. The nucleation solutions, at the onset of instability, are then introduced as initial conditions for the study of the dynamic rupture propagation, in the case of in-plane rupture, using high-order Spectral Element Methods and non-smooth contact mechanics. In particular, we investigate the implications of this new interface law in terms of the rupture propagation and arrest. Special attention is focused on radiation and supershear transition. Comparison with the classical slip weakening friction law is provided. Finally, first results toward a dynamic consistent homogeneization of damaged fault zones will be discussed. Raous, M., Cangémi, L. and Cocou, M. (1999). A consistent model coupling adhesion, friction and unilateral contact', Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 177, pp.383-399.

Role of intramural platelet thrombus in the pathogenesis of wall rupture and intra-ventricular thrombosis following acute myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Du, Xiao-Jun; Shan, Leonard; Gao, Xiao-Ming; Kiriazis, Helen; Liu, Yang; Lobo, Abhirup; Head, Geoffrey A; Dart, Anthony M

2011-02-01

Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) and rupture are important mechanical complications following myocardial infarction (MI) and are believed to be due to unrelated mechanisms. We studied whether, in fact, wall rupture and LVT are closely related in their pathogenesis with intramural platelet thrombus (IMT) playing a pivotal role. Male 129sv and C57Bl/6 mice underwent operation to induce MI, and autopsy was performed to confirm rupture deaths. Haemodynamic features of rupture events were monitored by telemetry in conscious mice. Detailed histological examination was conducted with special attention to the presence of IMT in relation to rupture location and LVT formation. IMT was detected in infarcted hearts of 129sv (82%) and C57Bl/6 (39%) mice with rupture in the form of a narrow streak spanning the wall or an occupying mass dissecting the infarcted myofibers apart. IMT often contained dense inflammatory cells and blood clot, indicating a dynamic process of thrombus formation and destruction. Notably, IMT was found extending into the cavity to form LVT. Haemodynamic monitoring by telemetry revealed that rupture occurred either as a single event or recurrent episodes. Importantly, the anti-platelet drug clopidogrel, but not aspirin, reduced the prevalence of rupture (10% vs. 45%) and IMT, and suppressed the degree of inflammation. Thus, IMT is a key pathological element in the infarcted heart closely associated with the complications of rupture and LVT. IMT could be either triggered by a wall tear or act as initiator of rupture. IMT may propagate towards the ventricular chamber to trigger LVT.

Expectable Earthquakes and their ground motions in the Van Norman Reservoirs Area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wesson, R.L.; Page, R.A.; Boore, D.M.; Yerkes, R.F.

1974-01-01

The upper and lower Van Norman dams, in northwesternmost San Fernando Valley about 20 mi (32 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, were severely damaged during the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. An investigation of the geologic-seismologic setting of the Van Norman area indicates that an earthquake of at least M 7.7 may be expected in the Van Norman area. The expectable transitory effects in the Van Norman area of such an earthquake are as follows: peak horizontal acceleration of at least 1.15 g, peak velocity of displacement of 4.43 ft/sec (135 cm/sec), peak displacement of 2.3 ft (70 cm), and duration of shaking at accelerations greater than 0.05 g, 40 sec. A great earthquake (M 8+) on the San Andreas fault, 25 mi distant, also is expectable. Transitory effects in the Van Norman area from such an earthquake are estimated as follows: peak horizontal acceleration of 0.5 g, peak velocity of 1.97 ft/sec (60 cm/sec), displacement of 1.31 ft (40 cm), and duration of shaking at accelerations greater than 0.05 g, 80 sec. The permanent effects of the expectable local earthquake could include simultaneous fault movement at the lower damsite, the upper damsite, and the site proposed for a replacement dam halfway between the upper and lower dams. The maximum differential displacements due to such movements are estimated at 16.4 ft (5 m) at the lower damsite and about 9.6 ft (2.93 m) at the upper and proposed damsites. The 1971 San Fernando earthquake (M 6?) was accompanied by the most intense ground motions ever recorded instrumentally for a natural earthquake. At the lower Van Norman dam, horizontal accelerations exceeded 0.6 g, and shaking greater than 0.25 g lasted for about 13 see; at Pacoima dam, 6 mi (10 km) northeast of the lower dam, high-frequency peak horizontal accelerations of 1.25 g were recorded in two directions, and shaking greater than 0.25 g lasted for about 7 sec. Permanent effects of the earthquake include slope failures in the embankments of the upper and lower Van Norman dams, rupturing of the ground surface by faulting along parts of the zone of old faults that extends easterly through the reservoir area and across the northern part of the valley, folding or arching of the ground surface, and differential horizontal displacement of the terrane north and south of the fault zone. Although a zone of old faults extends through the reservoir area, the 1971 surface ruptures apparently did not; however, arching and horizontal displacements caused small relative displacements of the abutment areas of each of the three damsites. The 1971 arching coincided with preexisting topographic highs, and the surface ruptures coincided with eroded fault scarps and a buried ground-water impediment formed by pre-1971 faulting in young valley fill. This coincidence with evidence of past deformation indicates that the 1971 deformations were the result of a continuing geologic process that is expected to produce similar deformations during future events. The 1971 San Fernando earthquake probably was not the largest that has occurred in this area during the last approximately 200 years, as indicated by a buried fault like scarp about 200 years old that is higher than, and aligned with, 1971 fault scarps. In addition, the San Fernando zone of 1971 ruptures is part of a regional tectonic system that includes the San Andreas and associated faults; one of these, the White Wolf fault north of the San Andreas, is symmetrical in structural attitude with the San Fernando zone and ruptured the ground surface during the 1952 Kern County earthquake (M 7.7). Other large earthquakes associated with surface rupturing on faults of this system include the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake (M 8+) and possibly the 1852 Big Pine earthquake. Several other historic earthquakes in this general area are not known to be associated with surface ruptures, but were large enough to cause damage in the northern San Fernando Valley. The Van Norman rese

Geologic environment of the Van Norman Reservoirs area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yerkes, R.F.; Bonilla, M.G.; Youd, T.L.; Sims, J.D.

1974-01-01

The upper and lower Van Norman dams, in northwesternmost San Fernando Valley about 20 mi (32 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, were severely damaged during the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. An investigation of the geologic-seismologic setting of the Van Norman area indicates that an earthquake of at least M 7.7 may be expected in the Van Norman area. The expectable transitory effects in the Van Norman area of such an earthquake are as follows: peak horizontal acceleration of at least 1.15 g, peak velocity of displacement of 4.43 ft/sec (135 cm/sec), peak displacement of 2.3 ft (70 cm), and duration of shaking at accelerations greater than 0.05 g, 40 sec. A great earthquake (M 8+) on the San Andreas fault, 25 mi distant, also is expectable. Transitory effects in the Van Norman area from such an earthquake are estimated as follows: peak horizontal acceleration of 0.5 g, peak velocity of 1.97 ft/sec (60 cm/sec), displacement of 1.31 ft (40 cm), and duration of shaking at accelerations greater than 0.05 g, 80 sec. The permanent effects of the expectable local earthquake could include simultaneous fault movement at the lower damsite, the upper damsite, and the site proposed for a replacement dam halfway between the upper and lower dams. The maximum differential displacements due to such movements are estimated at 16.4 ft (5 m) at the lower damsite and about 9.6 ft (2.93 m) at the upper and proposed damsites. The 1971 San Fernando earthquake (M 6?) was accompanied by the most intense ground motions ever recorded instrumentally for a natural earthquake. At the lower Van Norman dam, horizontal accelerations exceeded 0.6 g, and shaking greater than 0.25 g lasted for about 13 see; at Pacoima dam, 6 mi (10 km) northeast of the lower dam, high-frequency peak horizontal accelerations of 1.25 g were recorded in two directions, and shaking greater than 0.25 g lasted for about 7 sec. Permanent effects of the earthquake include slope failures in the embankments of the upper and lower Van Norman dams, rupturing of the ground surface by faulting along parts of the zone of old faults that extends easterly through the reservoir area and across the northern part of the valley, folding or arching of the ground surface, and differential horizontal displacement of the terrane north and south of the fault zone. Although a zone of old faults extends through the reservoir area, the 1971 surface ruptures apparently did not; however, arching and horizontal displacements caused small relative displacements of the abutment areas of each of the three damsites. The 1971 arching coincided with preexisting topographic highs, and the surface ruptures coincided with eroded fault scarps and a buried ground-water impediment formed by pre-1971 faulting in young valley fill. This coincidence with evidence of past deformation indicates that the 1971 deformations were the result of a continuing geologic process that is expected to produce similar deformations during future events. The 1971 San Fernando earthquake probably was not the largest that has occurred in this area during the last approximately 200 years, as indicated by a buried fault like scarp about 200 years old that is higher than, and aligned with, 1971 fault scarps. In addition, the San Fernando zone of 1971 ruptures is part of a regional tectonic system that includes the San Andreas and associated faults; one of these, the White Wolf fault north of the San Andreas, is symmetrical in structural attitude with the San Fernando zone and ruptured the ground surface during the 1952 Kern County earthquake (M 7.7). Other large earthquakes associated with surface rupturing on faults of this system include the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake (M 8+) and possibly the 1852 Big Pine earthquake. Several other historic earthquakes in this general area are not known to be associated with surface ruptures, but were large enough to cause damage in the northern San Fernando Valley. The Van Norman rese

The Non-Regularity of Earthquake Recurrence in California: Lessons From Long Paleoseismic Records in Simple vs Complex Fault Regions (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rockwell, T. K.

2010-12-01

A long paleoseismic record at Hog Lake on the central San Jacinto fault (SJF) in southern California documents evidence for 18 surface ruptures in the past 3.8-4 ka. This yields a long-term recurrence interval of about 210 years, consistent with its slip rate of ~16 mm/yr and field observations of 3-4 m of displacement per event. However, during the past 3800 years, the fault has switched from a quasi-periodic mode of earthquake production, during which the recurrence interval is similar to the long-term average, to clustered behavior with the inter-event periods as short as a few decades. There are also some periods as long as 450 years during which there were no surface ruptures, and these periods are commonly followed by one to several closely-timed ruptures. The coefficient of variation (CV) for the timing of these earthquakes is about 0.6 for the past 4000 years (17 intervals). Similar behavior has been observed on the San Andreas Fault (SAF) south of the Transverse Ranges where clusters of earthquakes have been followed by periods of lower seismic production, and the CV is as high as 0.7 for some portions of the fault. In contrast, the central North Anatolian Fault (NAF) in Turkey, which ruptured in 1944, appears to have produced ruptures with similar displacement at fairly regular intervals for the past 1600 years. With a CV of 0.16 for timing, and close to 0.1 for displacement, the 1944 rupture segment near Gerede appears to have been both periodic and characteristic. The SJF and SAF are part of a broad plate boundary system with multiple parallel strands with significant slip rates. Additional faults lay to the east (Eastern California shear zone) and west (faults of the LA basin and southern California Borderland), which makes the southern SAF system a complex and broad plate boundary zone. In comparison, the 1944 rupture section of the NAF is simple, straight and highly localized, which contrasts with the complex system of parallel faults in southern California. These observations suggest that the complexity of the southern California fault network is partly responsible for the apparent increase in “noise” and non-periodic behavior, perhaps resulting from stress transfer to adjacent faults after a large earthquake on one fault. The simplicity of the central NAF may account for its relatively simple behavior. If correct, the study of simple plate boundary faults may provide new insights into the constitutive elements of fault zones, and may aid in identifying those components that are critical for better forecasting future seismicity in complex systems.

CyberShake: A Physics-Based Seismic Hazard Model for Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, Robert; Jordan, Thomas H.; Callaghan, Scott; Deelman, Ewa; Field, Edward; Juve, Gideon; Kesselman, Carl; Maechling, Philip; Mehta, Gaurang; Milner, Kevin; Okaya, David; Small, Patrick; Vahi, Karan

2011-03-01

CyberShake, as part of the Southern California Earthquake Center's (SCEC) Community Modeling Environment, is developing a methodology that explicitly incorporates deterministic source and wave propagation effects within seismic hazard calculations through the use of physics-based 3D ground motion simulations. To calculate a waveform-based seismic hazard estimate for a site of interest, we begin with Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, Version 2.0 (UCERF2.0) and identify all ruptures within 200 km of the site of interest. We convert the UCERF2.0 rupture definition into multiple rupture variations with differing hypocenter locations and slip distributions, resulting in about 415,000 rupture variations per site. Strain Green Tensors are calculated for the site of interest using the SCEC Community Velocity Model, Version 4 (CVM4), and then, using reciprocity, we calculate synthetic seismograms for each rupture variation. Peak intensity measures are then extracted from these synthetics and combined with the original rupture probabilities to produce probabilistic seismic hazard curves for the site. Being explicitly site-based, CyberShake directly samples the ground motion variability at that site over many earthquake cycles (i.e., rupture scenarios) and alleviates the need for the ergodic assumption that is implicitly included in traditional empirically based calculations. Thus far, we have simulated ruptures at over 200 sites in the Los Angeles region for ground shaking periods of 2 s and longer, providing the basis for the first generation CyberShake hazard maps. Our results indicate that the combination of rupture directivity and basin response effects can lead to an increase in the hazard level for some sites, relative to that given by a conventional Ground Motion Prediction Equation (GMPE). Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, we find that the physics-based hazard results are much more sensitive to the assumed magnitude-area relations and magnitude uncertainty estimates used in the definition of the ruptures than is found in the traditional GMPE approach. This reinforces the need for continued development of a better understanding of earthquake source characterization and the constitutive relations that govern the earthquake rupture process.

CyberShake: A Physics-Based Seismic Hazard Model for Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graves, R.; Jordan, T.H.; Callaghan, S.; Deelman, E.; Field, E.; Juve, G.; Kesselman, C.; Maechling, P.; Mehta, G.; Milner, K.; Okaya, D.; Small, P.; Vahi, K.

2011-01-01

CyberShake, as part of the Southern California Earthquake Center's (SCEC) Community Modeling Environment, is developing a methodology that explicitly incorporates deterministic source and wave propagation effects within seismic hazard calculations through the use of physics-based 3D ground motion simulations. To calculate a waveform-based seismic hazard estimate for a site of interest, we begin with Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, Version 2.0 (UCERF2.0) and identify all ruptures within 200 km of the site of interest. We convert the UCERF2.0 rupture definition into multiple rupture variations with differing hypocenter locations and slip distributions, resulting in about 415,000 rupture variations per site. Strain Green Tensors are calculated for the site of interest using the SCEC Community Velocity Model, Version 4 (CVM4), and then, using reciprocity, we calculate synthetic seismograms for each rupture variation. Peak intensity measures are then extracted from these synthetics and combined with the original rupture probabilities to produce probabilistic seismic hazard curves for the site. Being explicitly site-based, CyberShake directly samples the ground motion variability at that site over many earthquake cycles (i. e., rupture scenarios) and alleviates the need for the ergodic assumption that is implicitly included in traditional empirically based calculations. Thus far, we have simulated ruptures at over 200 sites in the Los Angeles region for ground shaking periods of 2 s and longer, providing the basis for the first generation CyberShake hazard maps. Our results indicate that the combination of rupture directivity and basin response effects can lead to an increase in the hazard level for some sites, relative to that given by a conventional Ground Motion Prediction Equation (GMPE). Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, we find that the physics-based hazard results are much more sensitive to the assumed magnitude-area relations and magnitude uncertainty estimates used in the definition of the ruptures than is found in the traditional GMPE approach. This reinforces the need for continued development of a better understanding of earthquake source characterization and the constitutive relations that govern the earthquake rupture process. ?? 2010 Springer Basel AG.

Dynamic earthquake rupture simulation on nonplanar faults embedded in 3D geometrically complex, heterogeneous Earth models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duru, K.; Dunham, E. M.; Bydlon, S. A.; Radhakrishnan, H.

2014-12-01

Dynamic propagation of shear ruptures on a frictional interface is a useful idealization of a natural earthquake.The conditions relating slip rate and fault shear strength are often expressed as nonlinear friction laws.The corresponding initial boundary value problems are both numerically and computationally challenging.In addition, seismic waves generated by earthquake ruptures must be propagated, far away from fault zones, to seismic stations and remote areas.Therefore, reliable and efficient numerical simulations require both provably stable and high order accurate numerical methods.We present a numerical method for:a) enforcing nonlinear friction laws, in a consistent and provably stable manner, suitable for efficient explicit time integration;b) dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures along rough faults; c) accurate propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media with free surface topography.We solve the first order form of the 3D elastic wave equation on a boundary-conforming curvilinear mesh, in terms of particle velocities and stresses that are collocated in space and time, using summation-by-parts finite differences in space. The finite difference stencils are 6th order accurate in the interior and 3rd order accurate close to the boundaries. Boundary and interface conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. By deriving semi-discrete energy estimates analogous to the continuous energy estimates we prove numerical stability. Time stepping is performed with a 4th order accurate explicit low storage Runge-Kutta scheme. We have performed extensive numerical experiments using a slip-weakening friction law on non-planar faults, including recent SCEC benchmark problems. We also show simulations on fractal faults revealing the complexity of rupture dynamics on rough faults. We are presently extending our method to rate-and-state friction laws and off-fault plasticity.

Improving back projection imaging with a novel physics-based aftershock calibration approach: A case study of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Lingsen; Zhang, Ailin; Yagi, Yuji

2016-01-01

The 2015 Mw 7.8 Nepal-Gorkha earthquake with casualties of over 9000 people was the most devastating disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake. Its rupture process was imaged by teleseismic back projections (BP) of seismograms recorded by three, large regional networks in Australia, North America, and Europe. The source images of all three arrays reveal a unilateral eastward rupture; however, the propagation directions and speeds differ significantly between the arrays. To understand the spatial uncertainties of the BP analyses, we analyze four moderate size aftershocks recorded by all three arrays exactly as had been conducted for the main shock. The apparent source locations inferred from BPs are systematically biased from the catalog locations, as a result of a slowness error caused by three-dimensional Earth structures. We introduce a physics-based slowness correction that successfully mitigates the source location discrepancies among the arrays. Our calibrated BPs are found to be mutually consistent and reveal a unilateral rupture propagating eastward at a speed of 2.7 km/s, localized in a relatively narrow and deep swath along the downdip edge of the locked Himalayan thrust zone. We find that the 2015 Gorkha earthquake was a localized rupture that failed to break the entire Himalayan décollement to the surface, which can be regarded as an intermediate event during the interseismic period of larger Himalayan ruptures that break the whole seismogenic zone width. Thus, our physics-based slowness correction is an important technical improvement of BP, mitigating spatial uncertainties and improving the robustness of single and multiarray studies.

Dynamic analysis of an inflatable dam subjected to a flood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowery, K.; Liapis, S.

A dynamic simulation of the response of an inflatable dam subjected to a flood is carried out to determine the survivability envelope of the dam where it can operate without rupture, or overflow. The free-surface flow problem is solved in two dimensions using a fully nonlinear mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation. The dam is modeled as an elastic shell inflated with air and simply supported from two points. The finite element method is employed to determine the dynamic response of the structure using ABAQUS with a shell element. The problem is solved in the time domain which allows the prediction of a number of transient phenomena such as the generation of upstream advancing waves, the dynamic structural response and structural failure. Failure takes place when the dam either ruptures or overflows. Stresses in the dam material were monitored to determine when rupture occurs. An iterative study was performed to find the serviceability envelope of the dam in terms of the internal pressure and the flood Froude number for two flood depths. It was found that existing inflatable dams are quite effective in suppressing floods for a relatively wide range of flood velocities.

Revisiting the 1872 Owens Valley, California, Earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hough, S.E.; Hutton, K.

2008-01-01

The 26 March 1872 Owens Valley earthquake is among the largest historical earthquakes in California. The felt area and maximum fault displacements have long been regarded as comparable to, if not greater than, those of the great San Andreas fault earthquakes of 1857 and 1906, but mapped surface ruptures of the latter two events were 2-3 times longer than that inferred for the 1872 rupture. The preferred magnitude estimate of the Owens Valley earthquake has thus been 7.4, based largely on the geological evidence. Reinterpreting macroseismic accounts of the Owens Valley earthquake, we infer generally lower intensity values than those estimated in earlier studies. Nonetheless, as recognized in the early twentieth century, the effects of this earthquake were still generally more dramatic at regional distances than the macroseismic effects from the 1906 earthquake, with light damage to masonry buildings at (nearest-fault) distances as large as 400 km. Macroseismic observations thus suggest a magnitude greater than that of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which appears to be at odds with geological observations. However, while the mapped rupture length of the Owens Valley earthquake is relatively low, the average slip was high. The surface rupture was also complex and extended over multiple fault segments. It was first mapped in detail over a century after the earthquake occurred, and recent evidence suggests it might have been longer than earlier studies indicated. Our preferred magnitude estimate is Mw 7.8-7.9, values that we show are consistent with the geological observations. The results of our study suggest that either the Owens Valley earthquake was larger than the 1906 San Francisco earthquake or that, by virtue of source properties and/or propagation effects, it produced systematically higher ground motions at regional distances. The latter possibility implies that some large earthquakes in California will generate significantly larger ground motions than San Andreas fault events of comparable magnitude.

Snap, Crackle, Pop: Dilational fault breccias record seismic slip below the brittle-plastic transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melosh, Ben L.; Rowe, Christie D.; Smit, Louis; Groenewald, Conrad; Lambert, Christopher W.; Macey, Paul

2014-10-01

Off-fault dynamic tensile cracks form behind an earthquake rupture front with distinct orientation and spacing. These cracks explode the wall rock and create breccias, which we hypothesize will preserve a unique fingerprint of dynamic rupture. Identification of these characteristic breccias may enable a new tool for identifying paleoseismic slip surfaces in the rock record. Using previous experimental and theoretical predictions, we develop a field-based model of dynamic dilational breccia formation. Experimental studies find that secondary tensile fracture networks comprise closely spaced fractures at angles of 70-90° from a slip surface, as well as fractures that branch at angles of ∼ 30 ° from a primary mode I fracture. The Pofadder Shear Zone, in Namibia and South Africa, preserves breccias formed in the brittle-ductile transition zone displaying fracture patterns consistent with those described above. Fracture spacing is approximately two orders of magnitude less than predicted by quasi-static models. Breccias are clast-supported, monomict and can display an abrupt transition from fracture network crackle breccia to mosaic breccia textures. Brecciation occurs by the intersection of off-fault dynamic fractures and wall rock fabric; this is in contrast to previous models of fluid pressure gradient-driven failure ;implosion breccias;. This mechanism tends to form many similar sized clasts with particle size distributions that may not display self-similarity; where self-similarity is observed the distributions have relatively low D-values of 1.47 ± 0.37, similar to other studies of dynamic processes. We measure slip distances at dilational breccia stepovers, estimating earthquake magnitudes between Mw 2.8-5.8 and associated rupture lengths of 0.023-3.3 km. The small calculated rupture dimensions, in combination with our geologic observations, suggest that some earthquakes nucleated within the quartz-plastic transitional zone and potentially record deep seismic slip.

Temporal evolution of surface rupture deduced from coseismic multi-mode secondary fractures: Insights from the October 8, 2005 (Mw 7.6) Kashmir earthquake, NW Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayab, Mohammad; Khan, Muhammad Asif

2010-10-01

Detailed rupture-fracture analyses of some of the well-studied earthquakes have revealed that the geometrical arrangement of secondary faults and fractures can be used as a geological tool to understand the temporal evolution of slip produced during the mainshock. The October 8, 2005 Mw 7.6 Kashmir earthquake, NW Himalaya, surface rupture provides an opportunity to study a complex network of secondary fractures developed on the hanging wall of the fault scarp. The main fault scarp is clearly thrust-type, rupture length is ~ 75 ± 5 km and the overall trend of the rupture is NW-SE. We present the results of our detailed structural mapping of secondary faults and fractures at 1:100 scale, on the hanging wall of the southern end of the rupture in the vicinity of the Sar Pain. Secondary ruptures can be broadly classified as two main types, 1) normal faults and, (2) right-lateral strike-slip 'Riedel' fractures. The secondary normal faults are NW-SE striking, with a maximum 3.3 meter vertical displacement and 2.5 meter horizontal displacement. Estimated total horizontal extension across the secondary normal faults is 3.1-3.5%. We propose that the bending-moment and coseismic stress relaxation can explain the formation of secondary normal faults on the hanging wall of the thrust fault. The strike-slip 'Riedel' fractures form distinct sets of tension (T) and shear fractures (R', R, Y) with right-lateral displacement. Field observations revealed that the 'Riedel' fractures (T) cut the secondary normal faults. In addition, there is kinematic incompatibility and magnitude mismatch between the secondary normal faults and strike-slip 'Riedel' fractures. The cross-cutting relationship, geometric and magnitude incoherence implies a temporal evolution of slip from dip- to strike-slip during the mainshock faulting. The interpretation is consistent with the thrust fault plane solution with minor right-lateral strike-slip component.

Dynamic rupture models of subduction zone earthquakes with off-fault plasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollherr, S.; van Zelst, I.; Gabriel, A. A.; van Dinther, Y.; Madden, E. H.; Ulrich, T.

2017-12-01

Modeling tsunami-genesis based on purely elastic seafloor displacement typically underpredicts tsunami sizes. Dynamic rupture simulations allow to analyse whether plastic energy dissipation is a missing rheological component by capturing the complex interplay of the rupture front, emitted seismic waves and the free surface in the accretionary prism. Strike-slip models with off-fault plasticity suggest decreasing rupture speed and extensive plastic yielding mainly at shallow depths. For simplified subduction geometries inelastic deformation on the verge of Coulomb failure may enhance vertical displacement, which in turn favors the generation of large tsunamis (Ma, 2012). However, constraining appropriate initial conditions in terms of fault geometry, initial fault stress and strength remains challenging. Here, we present dynamic rupture models of subduction zones constrained by long-term seismo-thermo-mechanical modeling (STM) without any a priori assumption of regions of failure. The STM model provides self-consistent slab geometries, as well as stress and strength initial conditions which evolve in response to tectonic stresses, temperature, gravity, plasticity and pressure (van Dinther et al. 2013). Coseismic slip and coupled seismic wave propagation is modelled using the software package SeisSol (www.seissol.org), suited for complex fault zone structures and topography/bathymetry. SeisSol allows for local time-stepping, which drastically reduces the time-to-solution (Uphoff et al., 2017). This is particularly important in large-scale scenarios resolving small-scale features, such as the shallow angle between the megathrust fault and the free surface. Our dynamic rupture model uses a Drucker-Prager plastic yield criterion and accounts for thermal pressurization around the fault mimicking the effect of pore pressure changes due to frictional heating. We first analyze the influence of this rheology on rupture dynamics and tsunamigenic properties, i.e. seafloor displacement, in 2D. Finally, we use the same rheology in a large-scale 3D scenario of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake to shed light to the source process that caused the subsequent devastating tsunami.

3D Dynamic Rupture Simulations along Dipping Faults, with a focus on the Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Withers, K.; Moschetti, M. P.

2017-12-01

We study dynamic rupture and ground motion from dip-slip faults in regions that have high-seismic hazard, such as the Wasatch fault zone, Utah. Previous numerical simulations have modeled deterministic ground motion along segments of this fault in the heavily populated regions near Salt Lake City but were restricted to low frequencies ( 1 Hz). We seek to better understand the rupture process and assess broadband ground motions and variability from the Wasatch Fault Zone by extending deterministic ground motion prediction to higher frequencies (up to 5 Hz). We perform simulations along a dipping normal fault (40 x 20 km along strike and width, respectively) with characteristics derived from geologic observations to generate a suite of ruptures > Mw 6.5. This approach utilizes dynamic simulations (fully physics-based models, where the initial stress drop and friction law are imposed) using a summation by parts (SBP) method. The simulations include rough-fault topography following a self-similar fractal distribution (over length scales from 100 m to the size of the fault) in addition to off-fault plasticity. Energy losses from heat and other mechanisms, modeled as anelastic attenuation, are also included, as well as free-surface topography, which can significantly affect ground motion patterns. We compare the effect of material structure and both rate and state and slip-weakening friction laws have on rupture propagation. The simulations show reduced slip and moment release in the near surface with the inclusion of plasticity, better agreeing with observations of shallow slip deficit. Long-wavelength fault geometry imparts a non-uniform stress distribution along both dip and strike, influencing the preferred rupture direction and hypocenter location, potentially important for seismic hazard estimation.

High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation around the tubing

PubMed Central

Siu, Jun Yang; Liu, Chenhui

2017-01-01

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been emerging as an effective and noninvasive modality in cancer treatment with very promising clinical results. However, a small vessel in the focal region could be ruptured, which is an important concern for the safety of HIFU ablation. In this study, lesion formation in the polyacrylamide gel phantom embedded with different tubing (inner diameters of 0.76 mm and 3 mm) at varied flow speeds (17–339 cm/s) by HIFU ablation was photographically recorded. Produced lesions have decreased length (~30%) but slightly increased width (~6%) in comparison to that without the embedded tubing. Meanwhile, bubble activities during the exposures were measured by passive cavitation detection (PCD) at the varied pulse repetition frequency (PRF, 10–30 Hz) and duty cycle (DC, 10%-20%) of the HIFU bursts. High DC and low flow speed were found to produce stronger bubble cavitation whereas no significant influence of the PRF. In addition, high-speed photography illustrated that the rupture of tubing was produced consistently after the first HIFU burst within 20 ms and then multiple bubbles would penetrate into the intraluminal space of tubing through the rupture site by the acoustic radiation force. Alignment of HIFU focus to the anterior surface, middle, and posterior surface of tubing led to different characteristics of vessel rupture and bubble introduction. In summary, HIFU-induced vessel rupture is possible as shown in this phantom study; produced lesion sizes and shapes are dependent on the focus alignment to the tubing, flow speed, and tubing properties; and bubble cavitation and the formation liquid jet may be one of the major mechanisms of tubing rupture as shown in the high-speed photography. PMID:29161293

High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation around the tubing.

PubMed

Siu, Jun Yang; Liu, Chenhui; Zhou, Yufeng

2017-01-01

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been emerging as an effective and noninvasive modality in cancer treatment with very promising clinical results. However, a small vessel in the focal region could be ruptured, which is an important concern for the safety of HIFU ablation. In this study, lesion formation in the polyacrylamide gel phantom embedded with different tubing (inner diameters of 0.76 mm and 3 mm) at varied flow speeds (17-339 cm/s) by HIFU ablation was photographically recorded. Produced lesions have decreased length (~30%) but slightly increased width (~6%) in comparison to that without the embedded tubing. Meanwhile, bubble activities during the exposures were measured by passive cavitation detection (PCD) at the varied pulse repetition frequency (PRF, 10-30 Hz) and duty cycle (DC, 10%-20%) of the HIFU bursts. High DC and low flow speed were found to produce stronger bubble cavitation whereas no significant influence of the PRF. In addition, high-speed photography illustrated that the rupture of tubing was produced consistently after the first HIFU burst within 20 ms and then multiple bubbles would penetrate into the intraluminal space of tubing through the rupture site by the acoustic radiation force. Alignment of HIFU focus to the anterior surface, middle, and posterior surface of tubing led to different characteristics of vessel rupture and bubble introduction. In summary, HIFU-induced vessel rupture is possible as shown in this phantom study; produced lesion sizes and shapes are dependent on the focus alignment to the tubing, flow speed, and tubing properties; and bubble cavitation and the formation liquid jet may be one of the major mechanisms of tubing rupture as shown in the high-speed photography.

Paleoearthquakes and Eolian-dominated fault sedimentation along the Hubbell Spring fault zone near Albuquerque, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Personius, S.F.; Mahan, S.A.

2003-01-01

The Hubbell Spring fault zone forms the modern eastern margin of the Rio Grande rift in the Albuquerque basin of north-central New Mexico. Knowledge of its seismic potential is important because the fault zone transects Kirtland Air Force Base/Sandia National Laboratories and underlies the southern Albuquerque metropolitan area. No earthquakes larger than ML 5.5 have been reported in the last 150 years in this region, so we excavated the first trench across this fault zone to determine its late Quaternary paleoseismic history. Our trench excavations revealed a complex, 16-m-wide fault zone overlain by four tapered blankets of mixed eolian sand and minor colluvium that we infer were deposited after four large-magnitude, surface-rupturing earthquakes. Although the first (oldest) rupture event is undated, we used luminescence (thermoluminescence and infrared-stimulated luminescence) ages to determine that the subsequent three rupture events occurred about 56 ?? 6, 29 ?? 3, and 12 ?? 1 ka. These ages yield recurrence intervals of 27 and 17 k.y. between events and an elapsed time of 12 k.y. since the latest surface-rupturing paleoearthquake. Slip rates are not well constrained, but our preferred average slip rate since rupture event 2 (post-56 ka) is 0.05 mm/yr, and interval slip rates between the last three events are 0.06 and 0.09 mm/yr, respectively. Vertical displacements of 1-2 m per event and probable rupture lengths of 34-43 km indicate probable paleoearthquake magnitudes (Ms or Mw) of 6.8-7.1. Future earthquakes of this size likely would cause strong ground motions in the Albuquerque metropolitan area.

Mechanics of Multifault Earthquake Ruptures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fletcher, J. M.; Oskin, M. E.; Teran, O.

2015-12-01

The 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake of magnitude Mw 7.2 produced the most complex rupture ever documented on the Pacific-North American plate margin, and the network of high- and low-angle faults activated in the event record systematic changes in kinematics with fault orientation. Individual faults have a broad and continuous spectrum of slip sense ranging from endmember dextral strike slip to normal slip, and even faults with thrust sense of dip slip were commonly observed in the aftershock sequence. Patterns of coseismic slip are consistent with three-dimensional constrictional strain and show that integrated transtensional shearing can be accommodated in a single earthquake. Stress inversions of coseismic surface rupture and aftershock focal mechanisms define two coaxial, but permuted stress states. The maximum (σ1) and intermediate (σ2) principal stresses are close in magnitude, but flip orientations due to topography- and density-controlled gradients in lithostatic load along the length of the rupture. Although most large earthquakes throughout the world activate slip on multiple faults, the mechanical conditions of their genesis remain poorly understood. Our work attempts to answer several key questions. 1) Why do complex fault systems exist? They must do something that simple, optimally-oriented fault systems cannot because the two types of faults are commonly located in close proximity. 2) How are faults with diverse orientations and slip senses prepared throughout the interseismic period to fail spontaneously together in a single earthquake? 3) Can a single stress state produce multi-fault failure? 4) Are variations in pore pressure, friction and cohesion required to produce simultaneous rupture? 5) How is the fabric of surface rupture affected by variations in orientation, kinematics, total geologic slip and fault zone architecture?

The deep Peru 2015 doublet earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz, S.; Tavera, H.; Poli, P.; Herrera, C.; Flores, C.; Rivera, E.; Madariaga, R.

2017-11-01

On 24 November 2015 two events of magnitude Mw 7.5 and Mw 7.6 occurred at 600 km depth under the Peru-Brazil boundary. These two events were separated in time by 300 s. Deep event doublets occur often under South America. The characteristics that control these events and the dynamic interaction between them are an unresolved problem. We used teleseismic and regional data, situated above the doublet, to perform source inversion in order to characterize their ruptures. The overall resemblance between these two events suggests that they share similar rupture process. They are not identical but occur on the same fault surface dipping westward. Using a P-wave stripping and stretching method we determine rupture speed of 2.25 km/s. From regional body wave inversion we find that stress drop is similar for both events, they differ by a factor of two. The similarity in geometry, rupture velocity, stress drop and radiated energy, suggests that these two events looked like simple elliptical ruptures that propagated like classical sub-shear brittle cracks.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Adenovirus Membrane Rupture and Endosomal Escape

PubMed Central

Maier, Oana; Marvin, Shauna A.; Wodrich, Harald; Campbell, Edward M.

2012-01-01

A key step in adenovirus cell entry is viral penetration of cellular membranes to gain access to the cytoplasm and deliver the genome to the nucleus. Yet little is known about this important event in the adenoviral life cycle. Using the cytosolic protein galectin-3 (gal3) as a marker of membrane rupture with both live- and fixed-cell imaging, we demonstrate that in the majority of instances, exposure of pVI and recruitment of gal3 to ruptured membranes occur early at or near the cell surface and occur minimally in EEA-1-positive (EEA-1+) early endosomes or LAMP-1+ late endosomes/lysosomes. Live-cell imaging of Ad5 egress from gal3+ endosomes occurs most frequently from perinuclear locations. While the Ad5 capsid is observed escaping from gal3+ endosomes, pVI appears to remain associated with the gal3+ ruptured endosomes. Thus, Ad5 membrane rupture and endosomal escape appear to be both spatially and temporally distinct events. PMID:22855481

The 2016-2017 Central Italy Seismic Sequence: Source Complexity Inferred from Rupture Models.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scognamiglio, L.; Tinti, E.; Casarotti, E.; Pucci, S.; Villani, F.; Cocco, M.; Magnoni, F.; Michelini, A.

2017-12-01

The Apennines have been struck by several seismic sequences in recent years, showing evidence of the activation of multiple segments of normal fault systems in a variable and, relatively short, time span, as in the case of the 1980 Irpinia earthquake (three shocks in 40 s), the 1997 Umbria-Marche sequence (four main shocks in 18 days) and the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake having three segments activated within a few weeks. The 2016-2017 central Apennines seismic sequence begin on August 24th with a MW 6.0 earthquake, which strike the region between Amatrice and Accumoli causing 299 fatalities. This earthquake ruptures a nearly 20 km long normal fault and shows a quite heterogeneous slip distribution. On October 26th, another main shock (MW 5.9) occurs near Visso extending the activated seismogenic area toward the NW. It is a double event rupturing contiguous patches on the fault segment of the normal fault system. Four days after the second main shock, on October 30th, a third earthquake (MW 6.5) occurs near Norcia, roughly midway between Accumoli and Visso. In this work we have inverted strong motion waveforms and GPS data to retrieve the source model of the MW 6.5 event with the aim of interpreting the rupture process in the framework of this complex sequence of moderate magnitude earthquakes. We noted that some preliminary attempts to model the slip distribution of the October 30th main shock using a single fault plane oriented along the Apennines did not provide convincing fits to the observed waveforms. In addition, the deformation pattern inferred from satellite observations suggested the activation of a multi-fault structure, that is coherent to the complexity and the extension of the geological surface deformation. We investigated the role of multi-fault ruptures and we found that this event revealed an extraordinary complexity of the rupture geometry and evolution: the coseismic rupture propagated almost simultaneously on a normal fault and on a blind fault, possibly inherited from compressional tectonics. These earthquakes raise serious concerns on our understanding of fault segmentation and seismicity evolution during sequences of normal faulting earthquakes. Finally, the retrieved rupture history has important implications on seismic hazard assessment and on the maximum expected magnitude in a given tectonic area.

Paleoseismic evidence for dynamic surface rupturing in an intraplate setting (Lower Rhine Embayment, central Europe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuebler, S.; Friedrich, A. M.; Strecker, M. R.

2011-12-01

One of the most enigmatic problems in intraplate earthquake geology is the spatio-temporal recurrence pattern of large earthquakes. Intraplate regions such as the New Madrid seismic zone or the central European rift system are subject to considerable seismic hazards, because fault activity is highly disparate in space and time and our knowledge about the recurrence of large earthquakes is still rudimentary. The current debate in central Europe ranges from slip dominated by repeated large coseismic events to slip dominated by aseismic creep. Here, field evidence in support of the former is sparse, and hence, some authors concluded that many faults move by slow aseismic creep rather than by ground rupturing earthquakes. We report new results from a paleoseismic study carried out in the Lower Rhine Embayment across a subsidiary normal fault in the area of Germany's largest historical earthquake (1756 AD, ML 6.2±0.2) that clearly revealed field evidence of dynamic surface faulting. At the trench site, the fault is covered by <5 m-thick Holocene fluvial gravel and flood deposits overlaying Devonian shale. We mapped a surface offset of ~1 m and a ~10 m wide zone of localized deformation expressed by abundant fractures with aligned and broken clasts extending vertically throughout the entire gravel. Mapping of 237 fractured clasts and the long-axis orientation of ~10.000 clasts defines a deformation zone coinciding with the surface offset and two offset markers within the gravel layers. We interpret these features as the result of coseismic deformation at the near-surface end of the rupture. We rule out alternative processes which may lead to fracturing of pebbles such as freeze-thaw weathering or sediment loading effects, since both the gravel fabric and fracture planes coincide well with the fault orientation. We preclude slow deformation due to aseismic creep as governing process to cause rupturing of pebbles this close to the surface, as this would require an overburden stress of several hundreds of meters according to modelling results (e. g. Eidelmann, 1992, Geology). With a significantly smaller overburden, as in this study, a high differential acceleration force, such as a shock wave produced by an earthquake rupture or a seismic wave would be needed to overcome the pebble's shear resistance. Preliminary radiocarbon data bracket the youngest event horizon to Latest Holocene age. In conclusion, we identified coseismic deformation at the trench site, because special conditions produced a number of features not usually observed in other fault exposures. The thin sedimentary cover (<5 m) above basement rocks and the high groundwater table, which may reduce the shear strength of the pebbles, may have played an important role in producing this deformation pattern. Our results imply that large surface rupturing earthquakes in low-strain intraplate regions may be more common than previously thought.

Direct measurement of the breakdown slip from near-fault strong motion data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Atienza, V. M.; Olsen, K. B.; Dalguer, L. A.

2007-12-01

Obtaining reliable estimates of the frictional behaviour on earthquake faults is a fundamental task, particularly the breakdown slip Dc, which has an important role on rupture propagation through the earthquake energy budget. Several studies have attempted to estimate Dc indirectly from kinematical analysis of fault ruptures (e.g., Ide and Takeo, JGR, 1997). However, such estimates are complicated because of both the limited band-width of the observed seismograms used to image the rupture process and the rapid decay of high frequencies with distance from the fault. Mikumo et al. (BSSA, 2003) proposed a method to estimate Dc on the fault plane as the slip at the time of the peak sliprate function (Dc'). Fukuyama and Mikumo (GRL, 2007) proposed to extend this method beyond the fault plane, by estimating Dc as twice the rake-parallel particle displacement at the time of the peak particle velocity. The factor of two arises from an equal amount of opposite displacement on either side of the fault. They concluded that such method allows reliable Dc' estimates with negligible dependence on the perpendicular distance from the fault, and used it to obtain Dc' estimates for the 2000 M6.6 Tottori (0.3 m) and the 2002 M7.9 Denali (2.5 m) earthquakes. The study by Fukuyama and Mikumo was based on simple two-dimensional Green's functions in a homogeneous full space for an anti-plane kinematic crack, and suffers from three fundamental omissions: 1) the free surface and heterogeneous structure, 2) the finiteness of the rupture surface and 3) the dynamic rupture complexity of real 3D earthquakes. Here, we re-examine the methodology proposed by Fukuyama and Mikumo by means of a more realistic approach. We use spontaneous rupture propagation simulated by a recently developed and highly accurate approach, namely the staggered-grid split-node (SGSN) method in a fourth-order staggered- grid finite difference method (Dalguer and Day, JGR, 2007). We assume a vertical strike-slip fault governed by both linear and non-linear slip-weakening friction laws. Our results show that both the free surface and the stopping phases strongly affect Dc estimates. The particle motion recorded by surface instruments is amplified roughly by a factor of two due to the presence of the free surface. As a consequence, the method by Fukuyama and Mikumo over-estimates Dc when applied to strong motion data recorded on the earth's surface. Moreover, contrary to the results by Fukuyama and Mikumo, we observe a strong distance-dependence of the Dc estimates perpendicular to the fault. This variation includes a minimum near the fault, increasing up to about 140% of the target Dc value at a distance 2-3 km from the fault. At further distances from the fault the Dc estimate decreases to about 60% of the target value 10 km away. This distance dependence of the Dc estimate is presumably caused mainly by stopping phases propagating from the fault boundaries. Simulations in heterogeneous media including a low-velocity layer, intrinsic attenuation (Q) and stochastic initial stress conditions allow us to asses the reliability and uncertainty involved in the method proposed by Fukuyama and Mikumo. Dc estimates under these realistic conditions are important but remain below a factor of two in most of the cases we have analyzed. In summary, the accuracy of the method is strongly affected by the presence of the free surface, finite fault extent, and likely by complexity in the velocity structure and rupture propagation.

In Vitro Spoilation of Silicone-Hydrogel Soft Contact Lenses in a Model-Blink Cell.

PubMed

Peng, Cheng-Chun; Fajardo, Neil P; Razunguzwa, Trust; Radke, Clayton J

2015-07-01

We developed an in vitro model-blink cell that reproduces the mechanism of in vivo fouling of soft contact lenses. In the model-blink cell, model tear lipid directly contacts the lens surface after forced aqueous rupture, mirroring the pre-lens tear-film breakup during interblink. Soft contact lenses are attached to a Teflon holder and immersed in artificial tear solution with protein, salts, and mucins. Artificial tear-lipid solution is spread over the air/tear interface as a duplex lipid layer. The aqueous tear film is periodically ruptured and reformed by withdrawing and reinjecting tear solution into the cell, mimicking the blink-rupture process. Fouled deposits appear on the lenses after cycling, and their compositions and spatial distributions are subsequently analyzed by optical microscopy, laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and two-photon fluorescence confocal scanning laser microscopy. Discrete deposit (white) spots with an average size of 20 to 300 μm are observed on the studied lenses, confirming what is seen in vivo and validating the in vitro model-blink cell. Targeted lipids (cholesterol) and proteins (albumin from bovine serum) are identified in the discrete surface deposits. Both lipid and protein occur simultaneously in the surface deposits and overlap with the white spots observed by optical microscopy. Additionally, lipid and protein penetrate into the bulk of tested silicone-hydrogel lenses, likely attributed to the bicontinuous microstructure of oleophilic silicone and hydrophilic polymer phases of the lens. In vitro spoilation of soft contact lenses is successfully achieved by the model-blink cell confirming the tear rupture/deposition mechanism of lens fouling. The model-blink cell provides a reliable laboratory tool for screening new antifouling lens materials, surface coatings, and care solutions.

Surface rupture and slip distribution of the Denali and Totschunda faults in the 3 November 2002 M 7.9 earthquake, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haeussler, Peter J.; Schwartz, David P.; Dawson, Timothy E.; Stenner, Heidi D.; Lienkaemper, James J.; Sherrod, Brian; Cinti, Francesca R.; Montone, Paola; Craw, Patricia; Crone, Anthony J.; Personius, Stephen F.

2004-01-01

The 3 November 2002 Denali fault, Alaska, earthquake resulted in 341 km of surface rupture on the Susitna Glacier, Denali, and Totschunda faults. The rupture proceeded from west to east and began with a 48-km-long break on the previously unknown Susitna Glacier thrust fault. Slip on this thrust averaged about 4 m (Crone et al., 2004). Next came the principal surface break, along 226 km of the Denali fault, with average right-lateral offsets of 4.5–5.1 m and a maximum offset of 8.8 m near its eastern end. The Denali fault trace is commonly left stepping and north side up. About 99 km of the fault ruptured through glacier ice, where the trace orientation was commonly influenced by local ice fabric. Finally, slip transferred southeastward onto the Totschunda fault and continued for another 66 km where dextral offsets average 1.6–1.8 m. The transition from the Denali fault to the Totschunda fault occurs over a complex 25-km-long transfer zone of right-slip and normal fault traces. Three methods of calculating average surface slip all yield a moment magnitude of Mw 7.8, in very good agreement with the seismologically determined magnitude of M 7.9. A comparison of strong-motion inversions for moment release with our slip distribution shows they have a similar pattern. The locations of the two largest pulses of moment release correlate with the locations of increasing steps in the average values of observed slip. This suggests that slip-distribution data can be used to infer moment release along other active fault traces.

A Retrospective Analysis of Ruptured Breast Implants

PubMed Central

Baek, Woo Yeol; Lew, Dae Hyun

2014-01-01

Background Rupture is an important complication of breast implants. Before cohesive gel silicone implants, rupture rates of both saline and silicone breast implants were over 10%. Through an analysis of ruptured implants, we can determine the various factors related to ruptured implants. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 72 implants that were removed for implant rupture between 2005 and 2014 at a single institution. The following data were collected: type of implants (saline or silicone), duration of implantation, type of implant shell, degree of capsular contracture, associated symptoms, cause of rupture, diagnostic tools, and management. Results Forty-five Saline implants and 27 silicone implants were used. Rupture was diagnosed at a mean of 5.6 and 12 years after insertion of saline and silicone implants, respectively. There was no association between shell type and risk of rupture. Spontaneous was the most common reason for the rupture. Rupture management was implant change (39 case), microfat graft (2 case), removal only (14 case), and follow-up loss (17 case). Conclusions Saline implants have a shorter average duration of rupture, but diagnosis is easier and safer, leading to fewer complications. Previous-generation silicone implants required frequent follow-up observation, and it is recommended that they be changed to a cohesive gel implant before hidden rupture occurs. PMID:25396188

Fault segmentation: New concepts from the Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duross, Christopher; Personius, Stephen F.; Crone, Anthony J.; Olig, Susan S.; Hylland, Michael D.; Lund, William R.; Schwartz, David P.

2016-01-01

The question of whether structural segment boundaries along multisegment normal faults such as the Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) act as persistent barriers to rupture is critical to seismic hazard analyses. We synthesized late Holocene paleoseismic data from 20 trench sites along the central WFZ to evaluate earthquake rupture length and fault segmentation. For the youngest (<3 ka) and best-constrained earthquakes, differences in earthquake timing across prominent primary segment boundaries, especially for the most recent earthquakes on the north-central WFZ, are consistent with segment-controlled ruptures. However, broadly constrained earthquake times, dissimilar event times along the segments, the presence of smaller-scale (subsegment) boundaries, and areas of complex faulting permit partial-segment and multisegment (e.g., spillover) ruptures that are shorter (~20–40 km) or longer (~60–100 km) than the primary segment lengths (35–59 km). We report a segmented WFZ model that includes 24 earthquakes since ~7 ka and yields mean estimates of recurrence (1.1–1.3 kyr) and vertical slip rate (1.3–2.0 mm/yr) for the segments. However, additional rupture scenarios that include segment boundary spatial uncertainties, floating earthquakes, and multisegment ruptures are necessary to fully address epistemic uncertainties in rupture length. We compare the central WFZ to paleoseismic and historical surface ruptures in the Basin and Range Province and central Italian Apennines and conclude that displacement profiles have limited value for assessing the persistence of segment boundaries but can aid in interpreting prehistoric spillover ruptures. Our comparison also suggests that the probabilities of shorter and longer ruptures on the WFZ need to be investigated.

Macroscopic Source Properties from Dynamic Rupture Styles in Plastic Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabriel, A.; Ampuero, J. P.; Dalguer, L. A.; Mai, P. M.

2011-12-01

High stress concentrations at earthquake rupture fronts may generate an inelastic off-fault response at the rupture tip, leading to increased energy absorption in the damage zone. Furthermore, the induced asymmetric plastic strain field in in-plane rupture modes may produce bimaterial interfaces that can increase radiation efficiency and reduce frictional dissipation. Off-fault inelasticity thus plays an important role for realistic predictions of near-fault ground motion. Guided by our previous studies in the 2D elastic case, we perform rupture dynamics simulations including rate-and-state friction and off-fault plasticity to investigate the effects on the rupture properties. We quantitatively analyze macroscopic source properties for different rupture styles, ranging from cracks to pulses and subshear to supershear ruptures, and their transitional mechanisms. The energy dissipation due to off-fault inelasticity modifies the conditions to obtain each rupture style and alters macroscopic source properties. We examine apparent fracture energy, rupture and healing front speed, peak slip and peak slip velocity, dynamic stress drop and size of the process and plastic zones, slip and plastic seismic moment, and their connection to ground motion. This presentation focuses on the effects of rupture style and off-fault plasticity on the resulting ground motion patterns, especially on characteristic slip velocity function signatures and resulting seismic moments. We aim at developing scaling rules for equivalent elastic models, as function of background stress and frictional parameters, that may lead to improved "pseudo-dynamic" source parameterizations for ground-motion calculation. Moreover, our simulations provide quantitative relations between off-fault energy dissipation and macroscopic source properties. These relations might provide a self-consistent theoretical framework for the study of the earthquake energy balance based on observable earthquake source parameters.

Imaging the M7.9 Denali Fault Earthquake 2002 rupture at the Delta River using LiDAR, RADAR, and SASW Surface Wave Geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kayen, R.; Barnhardt, W.; Carkin, B.; Collins, B. D.; Grossman, E. E.; Minasian, D.; Thompson, E.

2004-12-01

The Mw 7.9 Denali fault earthquake of 3 November 2002 resulted in approximately 5.5 meters of right-lateral offset and sub-meter (0.6m average) up-to-the north vertical displacement of alluvial deposits of the Delta River. We characterize the surface rupture and shallow fault structure of the Denali fault zone at the Delta River in order to better understand these most recent displacements and to estimate the total vertical offset of alluvium above glacially scoured bedrock. To analyze deformations along the fault-trace, we performed tripod-mounted ground-based LiDAR surveys, and Spectral analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) and Ground Penetrating RADAR (GPR) geophysical investigations. These studies were performed between the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) corridor on the terrace deposits of the eastern flanks of the Delta River valley and the steeply sloping bedrock surface on the western side of the river. To produce digital terrain models (DTM) of the surface break we used a Riegl Z210i Laser-scanner to image eight independent LiDAR scans, and ISite3D modeling software to merge these scans into three DTM surfaces. We find that using a rotating scanning-laser allows us to produce ultra-high resolution quantitative DTMs for geomorphic analysis that can be used to resolve features and detect topographic changes on a fine-scale (0.9-2.5cm). Local geo-referencing control points are established using fixed auto reflectors. The near subsurface alluvium was imaged using reflection-based (GPR). A suite of parallel and orthogonal GPR reflection lines were measured to develop block models of the surface rupture at two locations. Radar imagery clearly delineates a plane of chaotic reflectors across the rupture zone. To characterize the depth of alluvium over bedrock on either side of the fault, we used the spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) approach to invert the near-surface shear wave velocity profile. An Alyeska Co. Catepillar D9N track-mounted dozer was used as a high-energy random-wave source for the SASW test. This source allowed us to profile to depths in excess of 200 meters on either side of the fault. We found the combination of LiDAR and GPR allows us to analyze the surface and near-surface characteristics of a complex oblique rupture across the braid bars of the Delta River. SASW-based shear wave velocity profiles on either side of the fault indicate total up-to-the north uplift on the Denali fault of between 60-90 meters since Pleistocene (?) deglaciation. This investigation is the product of a collaborative research and development agreement between the Alyeska Pipeline Services Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Cohesive zone length of metagabbro at supershear rupture velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuyama, Eiichi; Xu, Shiqing; Yamashita, Futoshi; Mizoguchi, Kazuo

2016-10-01

We investigated the shear strain field ahead of a supershear rupture. The strain array data along the sliding fault surfaces were obtained during the large-scale biaxial friction experiments at the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience. These friction experiments were done using a pair of meter-scale metagabbro rock specimens whose simulated fault area was 1.5 m × 0.1 m. A 2.6-MPa normal stress was applied with loading velocity of 0.1 mm/s. Near-fault strain was measured by 32 two-component semiconductor strain gauges installed at an interval of 50 mm and 10 mm off the fault and recorded at an interval of 1 MHz. Many stick-slip events were observed in the experiments. We chose ten unilateral rupture events that propagated with supershear rupture velocity without preceding foreshocks. Focusing on the rupture front, stress concentration was observed and sharp stress drop occurred immediately inside the ruptured area. The temporal variation of strain array data is converted to the spatial variation of strain assuming a constant rupture velocity. We picked up the peak strain and zero-crossing strain locations to measure the cohesive zone length. By compiling the stick-slip event data, the cohesive zone length is about 50 mm although it scattered among the events. We could not see any systematic variation at the location but some dependence on the rupture velocity. The cohesive zone length decreases as the rupture velocity increases, especially larger than √{2} times the shear wave velocity. This feature is consistent with the theoretical prediction.

Geological structures control on earthquake ruptures: The Mw7.7, 2013, Balochistan earthquake, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallage, A.; Klinger, Y.; Lacassin, R.; Delorme, A.; Pierrot-Deseilligny, M.

2016-10-01

The 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan earthquake, Pakistan, ruptured the Hoshab fault. Left-lateral motion dominated the deformation pattern, although significant vertical motion is found along the southern part of the rupture. Correlation of high-resolution (2.5 m) optical satellite images provided horizontal displacement along the entire rupture. In parallel, we mapped the ground rupture geometry at 1:500 scale. We show that the azimuth of the ground rupture distributes mainly between two directions, N216° and N259°. The direction N216° matches the direction of preexisting geologic structures resulting from penetrative deformation caused by the nearby Makran subduction. Hence, during a significant part of its rupture, the 2013 Balochistan rupture kept switching between a long-term fault front and secondary branches, in which existence and direction are related to the compressional context. It shows unambiguous direct interactions between different preexisting geologic structures, regional stress, and dynamic-rupture stress, which controlled earthquake propagation path.

Permeability Variations Associated With Fault Reactivation in a Claystone Formation Investigated by Field Experiments and Numerical Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeanne, Pierre; Guglielmi, Yves; Rutqvist, Jonny; Nussbaum, Christophe; Birkholzer, Jens

2018-02-01

We studied the relation between rupture and changes in permeability within a fault zone intersecting the Opalinus Clay formation at 300 m depth in the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory (Switzerland). A series of water injection experiments were performed in a borehole straddle interval set within the damage zone of the main fault. A three-component displacement sensor allowed an estimation of the displacement of a minor fault plane reactivated during a succession of step rate pressure tests. The experiment reveals that the fault hydromechanical (HM) behavior is different from one test to the other with varying pressure levels needed to trigger rupture and different slip behavior under similar pressure conditions. Numerical simulations were performed to better understand the reason for such different behavior and to investigate the relation between rupture nucleation, permeability change, pressure diffusion, and rupture propagation. Our main findings are as follows: (i) a rate frictional law and a rate-and-state permeability law can reproduce the first test, but it appears that the rate constitutive parameters must be pressure dependent to reproduce the complex HM behavior observed during the successive injection tests; (ii) almost similar ruptures can create or destroy the fluid diffusion pathways; (iii) a too high or too low diffusivity created by the main rupture prevents secondary rupture events from occurring whereas "intermediate" diffusivity favors the nucleation of a secondary rupture associated with the fluid diffusion. However, because rupture may in certain cases destroy permeability, this succession of ruptures may not necessarily create a continuous hydraulic pathway.

Effect of off-fault low-velocity elastic inclusions on supershear rupture dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiao; Elbanna, A. E.

2015-10-01

Heterogeneous velocity structures are expected to affect fault rupture dynamics. To quantitatively evaluate some of these effects, we examine a model of dynamic rupture on a frictional fault embedded in an elastic full space, governed by plane strain elasticity, with a pair of off-fault inclusions that have a lower rigidity than the background medium. We solve the elastodynamic problem using the Finite Element software Pylith. The fault operates under linear slip-weakening friction law. We initiate the rupture by artificially overstressing a localized region near the left edge of the fault. We primarily consider embedded soft inclusions with 20 per cent reduction in both the pressure wave and shear wave speeds. The embedded inclusions are placed at different distances from the fault surface and have different sizes. We show that the existence of a soft inclusion may significantly shorten the transition length to supershear propagation through the Burridge-Andrews mechanism. We also observe that supershear rupture is generated at pre-stress values that are lower than what is theoretically predicted for a homogeneous medium. We discuss the implications of our results for dynamic rupture propagation in complex velocity structures as well as supershear propagation on understressed faults.

Acoustic investigation of the aperture dynamics of an elastic membrane closing an overpressurized cylindrical cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez, Claudia; Vidal, Valérie; Melo, Francisco

2015-08-01

We report an experimental study of the acoustic signal produced by the rupture of an elastic membrane that initially closes a cylindrical overpressurized cavity. This configuration has been recently used as an experimental model system for the investigation of the acoustic emission from the bursting of elongated gas bubbles rising in a conduit. Here, we investigate the effect of the membrane rupture dynamics on the acoustic signal produced by the pressure release by changing the initial tension of the membrane. The initial overpressure in the cavity is fixed at a value such that the system remains in the linear acoustic regime. For large initial membrane deformation, the rupture time τ rup is small compared to the wave propagation time in the cavity and the pressure wave inside the conduit can be fully captured by the linear theory. For low membrane tension, a hole is pierced in the membrane but its rupture does not occur. For intermediate deformation, finally, the rupture progresses in two steps: first the membrane opens slowly; then, after reaching a critical size, the rupture accelerates. A transversal wave is excited along the membrane surface. The characteristic signature of each opening dynamics on the acoustic emission is described.

Characterize kinematic rupture history of large earthquakes with Multiple Haskell sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Z.; Zhan, Z.

2017-12-01

Earthquakes are often regarded as continuous rupture along a single fault, but the occurrence of complex large events involving multiple faults and dynamic triggering challenges this view. Such rupture complexities cause difficulties in existing finite fault inversion algorithms, because they rely on specific parameterizations and regularizations to obtain physically meaningful solutions. Furthermore, it is difficult to assess reliability and uncertainty of obtained rupture models. Here we develop a Multi-Haskell Source (MHS) method to estimate rupture process of large earthquakes as a series of sub-events of varying location, timing and directivity. Each sub-event is characterized by a Haskell rupture model with uniform dislocation and constant unilateral rupture velocity. This flexible yet simple source parameterization allows us to constrain first-order rupture complexity of large earthquakes robustly. Additionally, relatively few parameters in the inverse problem yields improved uncertainty analysis based on Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling in a Bayesian framework. Synthetic tests and application of MHS method on real earthquakes show that our method can capture major features of large earthquake rupture process, and provide information for more detailed rupture history analysis.

Bimodal collagen fibril diameter distributions direct age-related variations in tendon resilience and resistance to rupture

PubMed Central

Holmes, D. F.; Lu, Y.; Purslow, P. P.; Kadler, K. E.; Bechet, D.; Wess, T. J.

2012-01-01

Scaling relationships have been formulated to investigate the influence of collagen fibril diameter (D) on age-related variations in the strain energy density of tendon. Transmission electron microscopy was used to quantify D in tail tendon from 1.7- to 35.3-mo-old (C57BL/6) male mice. Frequency histograms of D for all age groups were modeled as two normally distributed subpopulations with smaller (DD1) and larger (DD2) mean Ds, respectively. Both DD1 and DD2 increase from 1.6 to 4.0 mo but decrease thereafter. From tensile tests to rupture, two strain energy densities were calculated: 1) uE [from initial loading until the yield stress (σY)], which contributes primarily to tendon resilience, and 2) uF [from σY through the maximum stress (σU) until rupture], which relates primarily to resistance of the tendons to rupture. As measured by the normalized strain energy densities uE/σY and uF/σU, both the resilience and resistance to rupture increase with increasing age and peak at 23.0 and 4.0 mo, respectively, before decreasing thereafter. Multiple regression analysis reveals that increases in uE/σY (resilience energy) are associated with decreases in DD1 and increases in DD2, whereas uF/σU (rupture energy) is associated with increases in DD1 alone. These findings support a model where age-related variations in tendon resilience and resistance to rupture can be directed by subtle changes in the bimodal distribution of Ds. PMID:22837169

Earthquake cycle modeling of multi-segmented faults: dynamic rupture and ground motion simulation of the 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers earthquake.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petukhin, A.; Galvez, P.; Somerville, P.; Ampuero, J. P.

2017-12-01

We perform earthquake cycle simulations to study the characteristics of source scaling relations and strong ground motions and in multi-segmented fault ruptures. For earthquake cycle modeling, a quasi-dynamic solver (QDYN, Luo et al, 2016) is used to nucleate events and the fully dynamic solver (SPECFEM3D, Galvez et al., 2014, 2016) is used to simulate earthquake ruptures. The Mw 7.3 Landers earthquake has been chosen as a target earthquake to validate our methodology. The SCEC fault geometry for the three-segmented Landers rupture is included and extended at both ends to a total length of 200 km. We followed the 2-D spatial correlated Dc distributions based on Hillers et. al. (2007) that associates Dc distribution with different degrees of fault maturity. The fault maturity is related to the variability of Dc on a microscopic scale. Large variations of Dc represents immature faults and lower variations of Dc represents mature faults. Moreover we impose a taper (a-b) at the fault edges and limit the fault depth to 15 km. Using these settings, earthquake cycle simulations are performed to nucleate seismic events on different sections of the fault, and dynamic rupture modeling is used to propagate the ruptures. The fault segmentation brings complexity into the rupture process. For instance, the change of strike between fault segments enhances strong variations of stress. In fact, Oglesby and Mai (2012) show the normal stress varies from positive (clamping) to negative (unclamping) between fault segments, which leads to favorable or unfavorable conditions for rupture growth. To replicate these complexities and the effect of fault segmentation in the rupture process, we perform earthquake cycles with dynamic rupture modeling and generate events similar to the Mw 7.3 Landers earthquake. We extract the asperities of these events and analyze the scaling relations between rupture area, average slip and combined area of asperities versus moment magnitude. Finally, the simulated ground motions will be validated by comparison of simulated response spectra with recorded response spectra and with response spectra from ground motion prediction models. This research is sponsored by the Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Etiology and pathophysiology of tendon ruptures in sports.

PubMed

Kannus, P; Natri, A

1997-04-01

Of all spontaneous tendon ruptures, complete Achilles tendon tears are most closely associated with sports activities (1-3). Schönbauer (3) reported that 75% of all ruptures of the Achilles tendon are related to sports. In Plecko & Passl (2) the number was 60%. In our material of 430 cases, the number of sports-related Achilles ruptures was very similar (62%), while only 2% of ruptures of other tendons were sports-related (P < 0.001) (1). Also, the majority of Achilles reruptures occurred in sports. The ruptures occurred most often in soccer (34%), track and field (16%) and basketball (14%). The distribution of Achilles ruptures according to different sports varies considerably from country to country, according to the national sport traditions. For example, in northern and middle Europe, soccer, tennis, track and field, indoor ball games, downhill skiing, and gymnastics are the most common; and in North America, football, basketball, baseball, tennis and downhill skiing dominate the statistics (1, 2, 4). In sports, some Achilles ruptures are not spontaneous or degeneration-induced but may occur as a consequence of the remarkably high forces that are involved in the performance (2). Ruptures in the high jump or triple jump are good examples. In such cases, failure in the neuromuscular protective mechanisms due to fatigue or disturbed co-ordination can frequently be found. The spontaneous complete rupture of the supraspinatus tendon of the rotator cuff does not occur very frequently in sports. Those sports that include high-energy throwing movements, such as American and Finnish baseball, American football, rugby and discuss and javelin throwing, may, however, produce this injury. Partial tears and inflammations of the rotator cuff complex are much more frequent in throwing sports. The complete rupture of the proximal long head of the biceps brachii tendon is rare among competitive and recreational athletes. In our material, under 2% of these ruptures were associated with sports activities (5). The rupture (avulsion) of the distal tendon of the biceps muscle is rare. In sports, gymnastics, body building and weight lifting have been said to be able to produce this injury (6). In general, complete ruptures of the quadriceps tendon and the patellar tendon occur most often in older individuals. In our study, the mean age of these patients was 65 years (5). However, these injuries do also occur in younger age groups, especially in athletes. In athletes, the rupture most frequently occurs in high-power sports events, such as high jump, basketball and weight lifting, at the age of 15-30 years. A chronic-patellar apicitis (jumper's knee) may predispose rupture of the tendon (7). As is the case with the rotator cuff complex, overuse inflammation and partial tears of the quadriceps and patellar tendons are one of the most characteristic athletic injuries. Complete spontaneous ruptures of other tendons in sports are rare, although the literature does provide case studies from almost every tendon the human body possesses (8-18).

Structure of the San Andreas Fault Zone in the Salton Trough Region of Southern California: A Comparison with San Andreas Fault Structure in the Loma Prieta Area of Central California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuis, G. S.; Catchings, R.; Scheirer, D. S.; Goldman, M.; Zhang, E.; Bauer, K.

2016-12-01

The San Andreas fault (SAF) in the northern Salton Trough, or Coachella Valley, in southern California, appears non-vertical and non-planar. In cross section, it consists of a steeply dipping segment (75 deg dip NE) from the surface to 6- to 9-km depth, and a moderately dipping segment below 6- to 9-km depth (50-55 deg dip NE). It also appears to branch upward into a flower-like structure beginning below about 10-km depth. Images of the SAF zone in the Coachella Valley have been obtained from analysis of steep reflections, earthquakes, modeling of potential-field data, and P-wave tomography. Review of seismological and geodetic research on the 1989 M 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake, in central California (e.g., U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1550), shows several features of SAF zone structure similar to those seen in the northern Salton Trough. Aftershocks in the Loma Prieta epicentral area form two chief clusters, a tabular zone extending from 18- to 9-km depth and a complex cluster above 5-km depth. The deeper cluster has been interpreted to surround the chief rupture plane, which dips 65-70 deg SW. When double-difference earthquake locations are plotted, the shallower cluster contains tabular subclusters that appear to connect the main rupture with the surface traces of the Sargent and Berrocal faults. In addition, a diffuse cluster may surround a steep to vertical fault connecting the main rupture to the surface trace of the SAF. These interpreted fault connections from the main rupture to surface fault traces appear to define a flower-like structure, not unlike that seen above the moderately dipping segment of the SAF in the Coachella Valley. But importantly, the SAF, interpreted here to include the main rupture plane, appears segmented, as in the Coachella Valley, with a moderately dipping segment below 9-km depth and a steep to vertical segment above that depth. We hope to clarify fault-zone structure in the Loma Prieta area by reanalyzing active-source data collected after the earthquake for steep reflections.

Insights into the relationship between surface and subsurface activity from mechanical modeling of the 1992 Landers M7.3 earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madden, E. H.; Pollard, D. D.

2009-12-01

Multi-fault, strike-slip earthquakes have proved difficult to incorporate into seismic hazard analyses due to the difficulty of determining the probability of these ruptures, despite collection of extensive data associated with such events. Modeling the mechanical behavior of these complex ruptures contributes to a better understanding of their occurrence by elucidating the relationship between surface and subsurface earthquake activity along transform faults. This insight is especially important for hazard mitigation, as multi-fault systems can produce earthquakes larger than those associated with any one fault involved. We present a linear elastic, quasi-static model of the southern portion of the 28 June 1992 Landers earthquake built in the boundary element software program Poly3D. This event did not rupture the extent of any one previously mapped fault, but trended 80km N and NW across segments of five sub-parallel, N-S and NW-SE striking faults. At M7.3, the earthquake was larger than the potential earthquakes associated with the individual faults that ruptured. The model extends from the Johnson Valley Fault, across the Landers-Kickapoo Fault, to the Homestead Valley Fault, using data associated with a six-week time period following the mainshock. It honors the complex surface deformation associated with this earthquake, which was well exposed in the desert environment and mapped extensively in the field and from aerial photos in the days immediately following the earthquake. Thus, the model incorporates the non-linearity and segmentation of the main rupture traces, the irregularity of fault slip distributions, and the associated secondary structures such as strike-slip splays and thrust faults. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images of the Landers event provided the first satellite images of ground deformation caused by a single seismic event and provide constraints on off-fault surface displacement in this six-week period. Insight is gained by comparing the density, magnitudes and focal plane orientations of relocated aftershocks for this time frame with the magnitude and orientation of planes of maximum Coulomb shear stress around the fault planes at depth.

Neotectonics and paleoseismology of the Limón and pedro miguel faults in Panamá: earthquake hazard to the Panamá canal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rockwell, Thomas; Gath, Edon; Gonzalez, Tania; Madden, Chris; Verdugo, Danielle; Lippincott, Caitlin; Dawson, Tim; Owen, Lewis A.; Fuchs, Markus; Cadena, Ana; Williams, Pat; Weldon, Elise; Franceschi, Pastora

2010-01-01

We present new geologic, tectonic geomorphic, and geochronologic data on the slip rate, timing, and size of past surface ruptures for the right-lateral Lim??n and Pedro Miguel faults in central Panam??. These faults are part of a system of conjugate faults that accommodate the internal deformation of Panam?? resulting from the ongoing collision of Central and South America. There have been at least three surface ruptures on the Lim??n fault in the past 950-1400 years, with the most recent during the past 365 years. Displacement in this young event is at least 1.2 m (based on trenching) and may be 1.6-2 m (based on small channel offsets). Awell-preserved 4.2 m offset suggests that the penultimate event also sustained significant displacement. The Holocene slip rate has averaged about 6 mm=yr, based on a 30-m offset terrace riser incised into a 5-ka abandoned channel. The Pedro Miguel fault has sustained three surface ruptures in the past 1600 years, the most recent being the 2 May 1621 earthquake that partially destroyed Panam?? Viejo. At least 2.1 m of slip occurred in this event near the Canal, with geomorphic offsets suggesting 2.5-3 m. The historic Camino de Cruces is offset 2.8 m, indicating multimeter displacement over at least 20 km of fault length. Channel offsets of 100-400 m, together with a climate-induced incision model, suggest a Late Quaternary slip rate of about 5 mm=yr, which is consistent with the paleoseismic results. Comparison of the timing of surface ruptures between the Lim??n and Pedro Miguel faults suggests that large earthquakes may rupture both faults with 2-3 m of displacement for over 40 km, such as is likely in earthquakes in the M 7 range. Altogether, our observations indicate that the Lim??n and Pedro Miguel faults represent a significant seismic hazard to central Panam?? and, specifically, to the Canal and Panam?? City.

Constraints on the rupture process of the 17 August 1999 Izmit earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouin, M.-P.; Clévédé, E.; Bukchin, B.; Mostinski, A.; Patau, G.

2003-04-01

Kinematic and static models of the 17 August 1999 Izmit earthquake published in the literature are quite different from one to each other. In order to extract the characteristic features of this event, we determine the integral estimates of the geometry, source duration and rupture propagation of this event. Those estimates are given by the stress glut moments of total degree 2 inverting long period surface wave (LPSW) amplitude spectra (Bukchin, 1995). We draw comparisons with the integral estimates deduced from kinematic models obtained by inversion of strong motion data set and/or teleseismic body wave (Bouchon et al, 2002; Delouis et al., 2000; Yagi and Kukuchi, 2000; Sekiguchi and Iwata, 2002). While the equivalent rupture zone and the eastward directivity are consistent among all models, the LPSW solution displays a strong unilateral character of the rupture associated with a short rupture duration that is not compatible with the solutions deduced from the published models. Using a simple equivalent kinematic model, we reproduce the integral estimates of the rupture process by adjusting a few free parameters controlling the western and eastern parts of the rupture. We show that the LPSW solution strongly suggest that: - There was significant moment released on the eastern segment of the activated fault system during the Izmit earthquake; - The rupture velocity decreases on this segment. We will discuss how these results allow to enlighten the scattering of source process published for this earthquake.

MEMS squeezer for the measurement of single cell rupture force, stiffness change, and hysteresis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barazani, B.; Warnat, S.; Fine, A.; Hubbard, T.

2017-02-01

A MEMS squeezer able to compress single living cells underwater until rupture was designed and tested. The relatively large motion range of the device in aqueous media (~2.5 µm) allows provoking cell disruption while measuring cell mechanical properties before and after membrane rupture. An AC driven electrothermal micro actuator with mechanical amplification pressed single cells against a reference back spring. Deformations of the cell and the reference spring were measured with nanoscale resolution using optical Fourier transform techniques. The motion of the reference spring divided by the cell deformation provides the cell stiffness relative to the reference spring constant. An abrupt change in the cell stiffness and the appearance of cracks indicated the cell wall rupture force was reached. A total of 22 baker’s yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were squeezed with the micro device. The average force necessary to rupture the cell membrane was 0.47  ±  0.1 µN. Before rupture the cells had an average stiffness of 9.3  ±  3.1 N m-1 the post-rupture stiffness dropped to 0.94  ±  0.57 N m-1. Cell hysteresis was also measured: cells squeezed and released before reaching the rupture force showed residual deformations below 100 nm, while cells squeezed past the rupture force and then released showed residual deformations between 490 and 990 nm.

The anodic surface film and hydrogen evolution on Mg

DOE PAGES

Song, Guang -Ling; Unocic, Kinga A.

2015-06-04

This paper clarifies that the inner and outer layers of the anodic film consist of a nano/micro-porous MgO+Mg(OH) 2 mixture. The film becomes thicker and more porous with increasing potential. It can rupture when potential is too positive in a non-corrosive Mg(OH) 2 solution. Hydrogen evolution becomes more intensive as polarization potential increases, particularly when the potential at the film-covered Mg surface is close to or more positive than the hydrogen equilibrium potential, suggesting that an “anodic hydrogen evolution” (AHE) reaction occurs on the substrate Mg in film pores, and the significantly intensified AHE causes film rupture at high potential.

New Field Observations About 19 August 1966 Varto earthquake, Eastern Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurboga, S.

2013-12-01

Some destructive earthquakes in the past and even in the recent have several mysteries. For example, magnitude, epicenter location, faulting type and source fault of an earthquake have not been detected yet. One of these mysteries events is 19 August 1966 Varto earthquake in Turkey. 19 August 1966 Varto earthquake (Ms = 6.8) was an extra ordinary event at the 40 km east of junction between NAFS and EAFS which are two seismogenic system and active structures shaping the tectonics of Turkey. This earthquake sourced from Varto fault zone which are approximately 4 km width and 43 km length. It consists of faults which have parallel to sub-parallel, closely-spaced, north and south-dipping up to 85°-88° dip amount. Although this event has 6.8 (Ms) magnitude that is big enough to create a surface rupture, there was no clear surface deformation had been detected. This creates the controversial issue about the source fault and the mechanism of the earthquake. According to Wallace (1968) the type of faulting is right-lateral. On the other hand, McKenzie (1972) proposed right-lateral movement with thrust component by using the focal mechanism solution. The recent work done by Sançar et al. (2011) claimed that type of faulting is pure right-lateral strike-slip and there is no any surface rupture during the earthquake. Furthermore, they suggested that Varto segment in the Varto Fault Zone was most probably not broken in 1966 earthquake. This study is purely focused on the field geology and trenching survey for the investigation of 1966 Varto earthquake. Four fault segments have been mapped along the Varto fault zone: Varto, Sazlica, Leylekdağ and Çayçati segments. Because of the thick volcanic cover on the area around Varto, surface rupture has only been detected by trenching survey. Two trenching survey have been applied along the Yayikli and Ağaçalti faults in the Varto fault zone. Consequently, detailed geological work in the field and trenching survey indicate that a) source of 1966 earthquake is Varto segment in Varto Fault Zone, b) many of the surface deformations observed just after the earthquake is lateral-spreading and small landslides, c) surface rupture was created with 10 cm displacement at the surface with thrust component. Because of the volcanic cover and activation of many faults, ground surface rupture could not be seen clearly which has been expected after 6.8 magnitude earthquake, d) faulting type is right-lateral component with thrust component. Keywords: 1966 Varto earthquake, paleoseismology, right-lateral fault with thrust component.

Rupturing Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles to Form Micron-sized Supported Cell Plasma Membranes with Native Transmembrane Proteins.

PubMed

Chiang, Po-Chieh; Tanady, Kevin; Huang, Ling-Ting; Chao, Ling

2017-11-09

Being able to directly obtain micron-sized cell blebs, giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs), with native membrane proteins and deposit them on a planar support to form supported plasma membranes could allow the membrane proteins to be studied by various surface analytical tools in native-like bilayer environments. However, GPMVs do not easily rupture on conventional supports because of their high protein and cholesterol contents. Here, we demonstrate the possibility of using compression generated by the air-water interface to efficiently rupture GPMVs to form micron-sized supported membranes with native plasma membrane proteins. We demonstrated that not only lipid but also a native transmembrane protein in HeLa cells, Aquaporin 3 (AQP3), is mobile in the supported membrane platform. This convenient method for generating micron-sized supported membrane patches with mobile native transmembrane proteins could not only facilitate the study of membrane proteins by surface analytical tools, but could also enable us to use native membrane proteins for bio-sensing applications.

Strain Measurement during Stress Rupture of Composite Over-Wrapped Pressure Vessel with Fiber Bragg Gratings Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Curtis E.; Grant, Joseph; Russell, Sam; Arnett, Shawn

2008-01-01

Fiber optic Bragg gratings were used to measure strain fields during Stress Rupture (SSM) test of Kevlar Composite Over-Wrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV). The sensors were embedded under the over-wrapped attached to the liner released from the Kevlar and attached to the Kevlar released from the liner. Additional sensors (foil gages and fiber bragg gratings) were surface mounted on the COPY liner.

Rupture of vertical soap films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rio, Emmanuelle

2014-11-01

Soap films are ephemeral and fragile objects. They tend to thin under gravity, which gives rise to the fascinating variations of colors at their interfaces but leads systematically to rupture. Even a child can create, manipulate and admire soap films and bubbles. Nevertheless, the reason why it suddenly bursts remains a mystery although the soap chosen to stabilize the film as well as the humidity of the air seem very important. One difficulty to study the rupture of vertical soap films is to control the initial solution. To avoid this problem we choose to study the rupture during the generation of the film at a controlled velocity. We have built an experiment, in which we measure the maximum length of the film together with its lifetime. The generation of the film is due to the presence of a gradient of surface concentration of surfactants at the liquid/air interface. This leads to a Marangoni force directed toward the top of the film. The film is expected to burst only when its weight is not balanced anymore by this force. We will show that this leads to the surprising result that the thicker films have shorter lifetimes than the thinner ones. It is thus the ability of the interface to sustain a surface concentration gradient of surfactants which controls its stability.

The role of large strike-slip faults in a convergent continental setting - first results from the Dzhungarian Fault in Eastern Kazakhstan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grützner, Christoph; Campbell, Grace; Elliott, Austin; Walker, Richard; Abdrakhmatov, Kanatbek

2016-04-01

The Tien Shan and the Dzhungarian Ala-tau mountain ranges in Eastern Kazakhstan and China take up a significant portion of the total convergence between India and Eurasia, despite the fact that they are more than 1000 km away from the actual plate boundary. Shortening is accommodated by large thrust faults that strike more or less perpendicular to the convergence vector, and by a set of conjugate strike-slip faults. Some of these strike-slip faults are major features of several hundred kilometres length and have produced great historical earthquakes. In most cases, little is known about their slip-rates and earthquake history, and thus, about their role in the regional tectonic setting. This study deals with the NW-SE trending Dzhungarian Fault, a more than 350 km-long, right-lateral strike slip feature. It borders the Dzhungarian Ala-tau range and forms one edge of the so-called Dzhungarian Gate. The fault curves from a ~305° strike at its NW tip in Kazakhstan to a ~328° strike in China. No historical ruptures are known from the Kazakh part of the fault. A possible rupture in 1944 in the Chinese part remains discussed. We used remote sensing, Structure-from-Motion (SfM), differential GPS, field mapping, and Quaternary dating of offset geological markers in order to map the fault-related morphology and to measure the slip rate of the fault at several locations along strike. We also aimed to find out the age of the last surface rupturing earthquake and to determine earthquake recurrence intervals and magnitudes. We were further interested in the relation between horizontal and vertical motion along the fault and possible fault segmentation. Here we present first results from our 2015 survey. High-resolution digital elevation models of offset river terraces allowed us to determine the slip vector of the most recent earthquake. Preliminary dating results from abandoned fluvial terraces allow us to speculate on a late Holocene surface rupturing event. Morphological data indicate that more than one fault strand was activated in the Holocene. Folded river terraces testify to the amplitude of long-term deformation associated with the Dzhungarian Fault, but no dating results are available yet.

Effect of thermal pressurization on dynamic rupture propagation under depth-dependent stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urata, Y.; Kuge, K.; Kase, Y.

2009-12-01

Fluid and pore pressure evolution can affect dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures owing to thermal pressurization (e.g., Mase and Smith, 1985). We investigate dynamic rupture propagation with thermal pressurization on a fault subjected to depth-dependent stress, on the basis of 3-D numerical simulations for spontaneous dynamic ruptures. We put a vertical strike-slip rectangular fault in a semi-infinite, homogenous, and elastic medium. The length and width of the fault are 8 and 3 km, respectively. We assume a depth-dependent stress estimated by Yamashita et al. (2004). The numerical algorithm is based on the finite-difference method by Kase and Kuge (2001). A rupture is initiated by increasing shear stress in a small patch at the bottom of the fault, and then proceeds spontaneously, governed by a slip-weakening law with the Coulomb failure criteria. Coefficients of friction and Dc are homogeneous on the fault. On a fault with thermal pressurization, we allow effective normal stress to vary with pore pressure change due to frictional heating by the formulation of Bizzarri and Cocco (2006). When thermal pressurization does not work, tractions drop in the same way everywhere and rupture velocity is subshear except near the free surface. Due to thermal pressurization, dynamic friction on the fault decreases and is heterogeneous not only vertically but horizontally, slip increases, and rupture velocity along the strike direction becomes supershear. As a result, plural peaks of final slip appear, as observed in the case of undrained dip-slip fault by Urata et al. (2008). We found in this study that the early stage of rupture growth under the depth-dependent stress is affected by the location of an initial crack. When a rupture is initiated at the center of the fault without thermal pressurization, the rupture cannot propagate and terminates. Thermal pressurization can help such a powerless rupture to keep propagating.

Possible Interactions between the 2012 Mw 7.8 Haida Gwaii Subduction Earthquake and the Transform Queen Charlotte Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobbs, T. E.; Cassidy, J. F.; Dosso, S. E.

2014-12-01

This paper examines the effect of the October 2012 Mw 7.8 Haida Gwaii earthquake on aftershock nodal planes and the neighboring Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) through Coulomb modeling and directivity analysis. The Haida Gwaii earthquake was the largest thrust event recorded in this region and ruptured an area of ~150 by 40 km on a gently NE-dipping fault off the west coast of Moresby Island, British Columbia. It is particularly interesting as it is located just to the west of the QCF, the predominantly right-lateral strike-slip fault separating the Pacific and North American plates. The QCF was the site of the largest recorded earthquake in Canada: the 1949 Ms 8.1 strike-slip earthquake whose rupture extended as far south as this 2012 event and roughly as far north as an Mw7.5 strike slip event at Craig, Alaska, which occurred just two months later in January 2013. The 75 km long portion of the QCF south of the 1949 rupture has not had a large (M ≥ 7) earthquake in over 116 years, representing a significant seismic gap. Coulomb stress transfer analysis is performed using finite fault models which incorporate seismic and geodetic data. Static stress changes are projected onto aftershock nodal planes and the QCF, including an inferred southern seismic gap. We find up to 86% of aftershocks are consistent with triggering, and as high as 96% for normal faulting events. The QCF experiences static stress changes greater than the empirically-determined threshold for triggering, with positive stress changes predicted for roughly half of the seismic gap region. Added stress from the mainshock and a lack of post-mainshock events make this seismic gap a likely location for future earthquakes. Empirical Green's function and directivity analyses are also performed to constrain rupture kinematics of the mainshock using systematic azimuthal variations in relative source time functions. Results indicate rupture progressed mainly to the northwest within 15o of the direction of the 2013 Craig epicenter, with at least two sources of significant moment release. These results explain observed surface wave amplification at Alaskan seismic stations and support the idea that strong surface wave shaking may be linked to the possible delayed triggering of the Mw 7.5 Craig event, through an unknown intermediate mechanism that accounts for the two-month hiatus.

Investigation of Stainless Steel Corrosion in Ultrahigh-Purity Water and Steam Systems by Surface Analytical Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Xia; Iacocca, Ronald G.; Bustard, Bethany L.; Kemp, Craig A. J.

2010-02-01

Stainless steel pipes with different degrees of rouging and a Teflon®-coated rupture disc with severe corrosion were thoroughly investigated by combining multiple surface analytical techniques. The surface roughness and iron oxide layer thickness increase with increasing rouge severity, and the chromium oxide layer coexists with the iron oxide layer in samples with various degrees of rouging. Unlike the rouging observed for stainless steel pipes, the fast degradation of the rupture disc was caused by a crevice corrosion environment created by perforations in the protective Teflon coating. This failure analysis clearly shows the highly corrosive nature of ultrapure water used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, and demonstrates some of the unexpected corrosion mechanisms that can be encountered in these environments.

Ruptured congenital aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva into the right ventricle: with special reference to pathoanatomic and hemodynamic characteristics in symptomless cases.

PubMed

Chen, J J; Lien, W P; Chang, F Z; Lee, Y S; Hung, C R; Chu, S S; Wu, T L

1980-02-01

Clinical features of 19 cases with congenital aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva rupturing into the right ventricular outflow region (Type 1) were analysed in relation to their pathoanatomic lesions and hemodynamic alterations. Sixteen cases were operated with one surgical death. All were catheterized together with ascending aortographic study. Rupture of the aneurysm in many cases was silent or symptomless and progressive heart failure was not quite common. Symptomatology of the patients did not seem to be related entirely to status of the pathoanatomical lesions or hemodynamic alterations. Time of the rupture, and inherent right ventricular characteristics, tolerating volume overload rather well, might be, in part, responsible for its better prognosis in some cases. However, all patients with ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva should be treated surgically. Bacterial endocarditis is a serious complication leading to death.

Imaging Complex Fault Slip of the 2016 MeiNong and Kumamoto Earthquakes with Sentinel-1 InSAR and Other Geodetic and Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fielding, E. J.; Huang, M. H.; Liang, C.; Yue, H.; Agram, P. S.; Simons, M.; Fattahi, H.; Tung, H.; Hu, J. C.; Huang, C.

2016-12-01

We map complex fault ruptures of the February 2016 MeiNong earthquake in Taiwan and the April 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence in Japan by analysis of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1A (S1A) satellite operated by the European Space Agency and the Advanced Land Observation Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) satellite operated by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Our analysis shows that the MeiNong main rupture at lower crustal depth triggered slip on another fault at upper crustal depth and shallow slip on several faults in the upper few km. The Kumamoto earthquake sequence ruptured two major fault systems over two days and triggered shallow slip on a large number of shallow faults. We combine less precise analysis of large scale displacements from the SAR images of the two satellites by pixel offset tracking or sub-pixel correlation, including the along-track component of surface motion, with the more precise SAR interferometry (InSAR) measurements in the radar line-of-sight direction to estimate all three components of the surface displacement for the events. Data was processed with customized workflows based on modules in the InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE). Joint inversion of S1A and ALOS-2 InSAR, GPS, and strong motion seismograms for the Mw6.4 MeiNong earthquake shows that the main thrust rupture with N61°W strike and 15° dip at 15-20 km depth explains nearly all of the seismic waveforms but leaves a substantial uplift residual in the InSAR and GPS offsets estimated 4 hours after the earthquake. We model this residual with slip on a N8°E-trending thrust fault dipping 30° at depths between 5-10 km. This fault strike is parallel to surface faults and we interpret it as fault slip within a mid-crustal duplex that was triggered by the main rupture within 4 hours of the mainshock. In addition, InSAR shows sharp discontinuities at many locations that are likely due to shallow triggered slip, but the timing of these is uncertain. The Kumamoto earthquake sequence in Japan started with Mw 6.2 and 6.0 earthquakes on 14 April (UTC) followed on 15 April by the Mw 7.0 mainshock. JAXA acquired one ALOS-2 scene between the foreshocks and mainshock that enables some separation of the surface deformation. InSAR shows M6 foreshocks were deeper, while M7 mainshock ruptured surface in many places.

Structural context of the 2015 pair of Nepal earthquakes (Mw 7.8 and Mw 7.3): an analysis based on slip distribution, aftershock growth, and static stress changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parameswaran, Revathy M.; Rajendran, Kusala

2017-04-01

The Great Himalayan earthquakes are believed to originate on the Main Himalayan Thrust, and their ruptures lead to deformation along the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). The rupture of the April 25, 2015 (Mw 7.8), earthquake was east-directed, with no part relayed to the MFT. The aftershock distribution, coseismic elevation change of 1 m inferred from the InSAR image, and the spatial correspondence of the subtle surface deformations with PT2, a previously mapped out-of-sequence thrust, lead us to explore the role of structural heterogeneities in constraining the rupture progression. We used teleseismic moment inversion of P- and SH-waves, and Coulomb static stress changes to map the slip distribution, and growth of aftershock area, to understand their relation to the thrust systems. Most of the aftershocks were sourced outside the stress shadows (slip >1.65 m) of the April 25 earthquake. The May 12 (Mw 7.3) earthquake that sourced on a contiguous patch coincides with regions of increased stress change and therefore is the first known post-instrumentation example of a late, distant, and large triggered aftershock associated with any large earthquake in the Nepal Himalaya. The present study relates the slip, aftershock productivity, and triggering of unbroken stress barriers, to potential out-of-sequence thrusts, and suggests the role of stress transfer in generating large/great earthquakes.

New insights into the mechanisms of water-stress-induced cavitation in conifers.

PubMed

Cochard, Hervé; Hölttä, Teemu; Herbette, Stéphane; Delzon, Sylvain; Mencuccini, Maurizio

2009-10-01

Cavitation resistance is a key parameter to understand tree drought tolerance but little is known about the mechanisms of air entry into xylem conduits. For conifers three mechanisms have been proposed: (1) a rupture of pit margo microfibrils, (2) a displacement of the pit torus from its normal sealing position over the pit aperture, and (3) a rupture of an air-water menisci in a pore of the pit margo. In this article, we report experimental results on three coniferous species suggesting additional mechanisms. First, when xylem segments were injected with a fluid at a pressure sufficient to aspirate pit tori and well above the pressure for cavitation induction we failed to detect the increase in sample conductance that should have been caused by torus displacement from blocking the pit aperture or by membrane rupture. Second, by injecting xylem samples with different surfactant solutions, we found a linear relation between sample vulnerability to cavitation and fluid surface tension. This suggests that cavitation in conifers could also be provoked by the capillary failure of an air-water meniscus in coherence with the prediction of Young-Laplace's equation. Within the bordered pit membrane, the exact position of this capillary seeding is unknown. The possible Achilles' heel could be the seal between tori and pit walls or holes in the torus. The mechanism of water-stress-induced cavitation in conifers could then be relatively similar to the one currently proposed for angiosperms.

Magnitude and Surface Rupture Length of Prehistoric Upper Crustal Earthquakes in the Puget Lowland, Washington State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrod, B. L.; Styron, R. H.

2016-12-01

Paleoseismic studies documented prehistoric earthquakes after the last glaciation ended 15 ka on 13 upper-crustal fault zones in the Cascadia fore arc. These fault zones are a consequence of north-directed fore arc block migration manifesting as a series of bedrock uplifts and intervening structural basins in the southern Salish Sea lowland between Vancouver, B.C. to the north and Olympia, WA to the south, and bounded on the east and west by the Cascade Mountains and Olympic Mountains, respectively. Our dataset uses published information and includes 27 earthquakes tabulated from observations of postglacial deformation at 63 sites. Stratigraphic offsets along faults consist of two types of measurements: 1) vertical separation of strata along faults observed in fault scarp excavations, and 2) estimates from coastal uplift and subsidence. We used probabilistic methods to estimate past rupture magnitudes and surface rupture length (SRL), applying empirical observations from modern earthquakes and point measurements from paleoseismic sites (Biasi and Weldon, 2006). Estimates of paleoearthquake magnitude ranged between M 6.5 and M 7.5. SRL estimates varied between 20 and 90 km. Paleoearthquakes on the Seattle fault zone and Saddle Mountain West fault about 1100 years ago were outliers in our analysis. Large offsets observed for these two earthquakes implies a M 7.8 and 200 km SRL, given the average observed ratio of slip/SRL in modern earthquakes. The actual mapped traces of these faults are less than 200km, implying these earthquakes had an unusually high static stress drop or, in the case of the Seattle fault, splay faults may have accentuated uplift in the hanging wall. Refined calculations incorporating fault area may change these magnitude and SRL estimates. Biasi, G.P., and Weldon, R.J., 2006, Estimating Surface Rupture Length and Magnitude of Paleoearthquakes from Point Measurements of Rupture Displacement: B. Seismol. Soc. Am., 96, 1612-1623.

LiDAR and field observations of slip distribution for the most recent surface ruptures along the central San Jacinto fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

J.B. Salisbury,; T.K. Rockwell,; T.J. Middleton,; Hudnut, Kenneth W.

2012-01-01

We measured offsets on tectonically displaced geomorphic features along 80 km of the Clark strand of the San Jacinto fault (SJF) to estimate slip‐per‐event for the past several surface ruptures. We identify 168 offset features from which we make over 490 measurements using B4 light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imagery and field observations. Our results suggest that LiDAR technology is an exemplary supplement to traditional field methods in slip‐per‐event studies. Displacement estimates indicate that the most recent surface‐rupturing event (MRE) produced an average of 2.5–2.9 m of right‐lateral slip with maximum slip of nearly 4 m at Anza, a Mw 7.2–7.5 earthquake. Average multiple‐event offsets for the same 80 kms are ∼5.5  m, with maximum values of 3 m at Anza for the penultimate event. Cumulative displacements of 9–10 m through Anza suggest the third event was also similar in size. Paleoseismic work at Hog Lake dates the most recent surface rupture event at ca. 1790. A poorly located, large earthquake occurred in southern California on 22 November 1800; we relocate this event to the Clark fault based on the MRE at Hog Lake. We also recognize the occurrence of a younger rupture along ∼15–20  km of the fault in Blackburn Canyon with ∼1.25  m of average displacement. We attribute these offsets to the 21 April 1918 Mw 6.9 event. These data argue that much or all of the Clark fault, and possibly also the Casa Loma fault, fail together in large earthquakes, but that shorter sections may fail in smaller events.

Stress triggering of the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake by transient deformation following the 1992 Landers earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollitz, F.F.; Sacks, I.S.

2002-01-01

The M 7.3 June 28, 1992 Landers and M 7.1 October 16, 1999 Hector Mine earthquakes, California, both right lateral strike-slip events on NNW-trending subvertical faults, occurred in close proximity in space and time in a region where recurrence times for surface-rupturing earthquakes are thousands of years. This suggests a causal role for the Landers earthquake in triggering the Hector Mine earthquake. Previous modeling of the static stress change associated with the Landers earthquake shows that the area of peak Hector Mine slip lies where the Coulomb failure stress promoting right-lateral strike-slip failure was high, but the nucleation point of the Hector Mine rupture was neutrally to weakly promoted, depending on the assumed coefficient of friction. Possible explanations that could account for the 7-year delay between the two ruptures include background tectonic stressing, dissipation of fluid pressure gradients, rate- and state-dependent friction effects, and post-Landers viscoelastic relaxation of the lower crust and upper mantle. By employing a viscoelastic model calibrated by geodetic data collected during the time period between the Landers and Hector Mine events, we calculate that postseismic relaxation produced a transient increase in Coulomb failure stress of about 0.7 bars on the impending Hector Mine rupture surface. The increase is greatest over the broad surface that includes the 1999 nucleation point and the site of peak slip further north. Since stress changes of magnitude greater than or equal to 0.1 bar are associated with documented causal fault interactions elsewhere, viscoelastic relaxation likely contributed to the triggering of the Hector Mine earthquake. This interpretation relies on the assumption that the faults occupying the central Mojave Desert (i.e., both the Landers and Hector Mine rupturing faults) were critically stressed just prior to the Landers earthquake.

The Bear River Fault Zone, Wyoming and Utah: Complex Ruptures on a Young Normal Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, D. P.; Hecker, S.; Haproff, P.; Beukelman, G.; Erickson, B.

2012-12-01

The Bear River fault zone (BRFZ), a set of normal fault scarps located in the Rocky Mountains at the eastern margin of Basin and Range extension, is a rare example of a nascent surface-rupturing fault. Paleoseismic investigations (West, 1994; this study) indicate that the entire neotectonic history of the BRFZ may consist of two large surface-faulting events in the late Holocene. We have estimated a maximum per-event vertical displacement of 6-6.5 m at the south end of the fault where it abuts the north flank of the east-west-trending Uinta Mountains. However, large hanging-wall depressions resulting from back rotation, which front scarps that locally exceed 15 m in height, are prevalent along the main trace, obscuring the net displacement and its along-strike distribution. The modest length (~35 km) of the BRFZ indicates ruptures with a large displacement-to-length ratio, which implies earthquakes with a high static stress drop. The BRFZ is one of several immature (low cumulative displacement) normal faults in the Rocky Mountain region that appear to produce high-stress drop earthquakes. West (1992) interpreted the BRFZ as an extensionally reactivated ramp of the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary Hogsback thrust. LiDAR data on the southern section of the fault and Google Earth imagery show that these young ruptures are more extensive than currently mapped, with newly identified large (>10m) antithetic scarps and footwall graben. The scarps of the BRFZ extend across a 2.5-5.0 km-wide zone, making this the widest and most complex Holocene surface rupture in the Intermountain West. The broad distribution of Late Holocene scarps is consistent with reactivation of shallow bedrock structures but the overall geometry of the BRFZ at depth and its extent into the seismogenic zone are uncertain.

Drop interaction with solid boundaries in liquid/liquid systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordoloi, Ankur Deep

The present experimental work was motivated primarily by the CO 2 sequestration process. In a possible scenario during this process, gravity driven CO2 bubbles coalesce at an interface near the rock surface. In another scenario, trapped CO2 fluid may escape from a porous matrix overcoming interfacial force inside a pore. Based on these potential scenarios, the current research was divided into two broad experimental studies. In the first part, coalescence at a quiescent interface of two analogous fluids (silicone oil and water/glycerin mixture) was investigated for water/glycerin drops with Bond number (Bo) ~7 and Ohnesorge number ~ 0.01 using high-speed imaging and time-resolved tomographic PIV. Two perturbation cases with a solid particle wetted in oil and water/glycerin placed adjacent to the coalescing drop were considered. The results were compared with coalescence of a single drop and that of a drop neighBored by a second drop of equivalent size. Each perturbing object caused an initial tilting of the drop, influencing its rupture location, subsequent film retraction and eventual collapse behavior. Once tilted, drops typically ruptured near their lowest vertical position which was located either toward or away from the perturbing object depending on the case. The trends in local retraction speed of the ruptured film and the overall dynamics of the collapsing drops were discussed in detail. In the second part, the motion of gravity driven drops (B o~0.8-11) through a confining orifice d/D<1) was studied using high speed imaging and planar PIV. Drops of water/glycerin, surrounded by silicone oil, fall toward and encounter the orifice plate after reaching terminal speed. The effects of surface wettability were investigated for Both round-edged and sharp-edged orifices. For the round-edged case, a thin film of surrounding oil prevented the drop fluid from contacting the orifice surface, such that the flow outcomes of the drops were independent of surface wettability. For d/D<0.8, the Boundary between drop capture and release depended on a modified Bond number relating drop gravitational time scale to orifice surface tension time scale. For the sharp-edged case, contact was initiated at the orifice edge immediately upon impact, such that surface wettability influenced the drop outcome.

Rupture threshold characterization of polymer-shelled ultrasound contrast agents subjected to static overpressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chitnis, Parag V.; Lee, Paul; Mamou, Jonathan; Allen, John S.; Böhmer, Marcel; Ketterling, Jeffrey A.

2011-04-01

Polymer-shelled micro-bubbles are employed as ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) and vesicles for targeted drug delivery. UCA-based delivery of the therapeutic payload relies on ultrasound-induced shell rupture. The fragility of two polymer-shelled UCAs manufactured by Point Biomedical or Philips Research was investigated by characterizing their response to static overpressure. The nominal diameters of Point and Philips UCAs were 3 μm and 2 μm, respectively. The UCAs were subjected to static overpressure in a glycerol-filled test chamber with a microscope-reticule lid. UCAs were reconstituted in 0.1 mL of water and added over the glycerol surface in contact with the reticule. A video-microscope imaged UCAs as glycerol was injected (5 mL/h) to vary the pressure from 2 to 180 kPa over 1 h. Neither UCA population responded to overpressure until the rupture threshold was exceeded, which resulted in abrupt destruction. The rupture data for both UCAs indicated three subclasses that exhibited different rupture behavior, although their mean diameters were not statistically different. The rupture pressures provided a measure of UCA fragility; the Philips UCAs were more resilient than Point UCAs. Results were compared to theoretical models of spherical shells under compression. Observed variations in rupture pressures are attributed to shell imperfections. These results may provide means to optimize polymeric UCAs for drug delivery and elucidate associated mechanisms.

Sonographic findings of ruptured epidermal inclusion cysts in superficial soft tissue: emphasis on shapes, pericystic changes, and pericystic vascularity.

PubMed

Jin, Wook; Ryu, Kyung Nam; Kim, Gou Young; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Lee, Jae Hoon; Park, Ji Seon

2008-02-01

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the sonographic findings of ruptured epidermal inclusion cysts in superficial soft tissue, with an emphasis on shapes, pericystic changes, and pericystic vascularity. The cases of 61 patients with surgically confirmed epidermal inclusion cysts were reviewed, and 13 patients were found to have ruptured cysts. The Ethics Committees of our institutions did not require patient approval or informed patient consent for this retrospective study. We evaluated the shapes, sizes, locations, pericystic changes, and pericystic vascularity for the 13 cases. The shapes of the ruptured epidermal inclusion cysts were classified into 3 types: with lobulations (type I, 2 cases), with protrusions (type II, 8 cases), and with abscess pocket formations (type III, 3 cases). The mean long diameter of the cysts was 3 cm. Common sites of ruptured epidermal inclusion cysts were the plantar surface of the metatarsophalangeal joint (4 cases) and buttocks (3 cases). Pericystic changes were noted in all of the type II and III cysts. Increased vascularity on color Doppler sonography was prominent in 3 type II cysts and 3 type III cysts. Deep abscess formation was noted in the epidermal inclusion cysts, especially for the type III cysts. A ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst visualized by sonography had variable shapes; the sonographic findings can be useful for obtaining a correct diagnosis of a ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst.

Great paleoearthquakes of the central Himalaya and their implications for seismotectonic models and seismic hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yule, D.; Lave, J.; Kumar, S.; Wesnousky, S.

2007-12-01

A growing body of paleoseismic data collected from more than ten sites in Nepal and India has documented large coseismic displacements at the thrust front (Main Frontal thrust (MFT)). Three great earthquakes have been identified: in ~A.D. 1410 centered north of Delhi, in A.D. 1505 centered in far-western Nepal, and in ~A.D. 1100 centered in eastern Nepal. It is noteworthy that wherever exposures of the MFT have been studied estimates of surface slip are consistently large; with a range of 9-26 m. Historic accounts of the 1505 earthquake describe strong shaking across a 600-km-long stretch of the central Himalaya. A magnitude for this event is estimated to be >Mw 8.5 based on the maximum extent of felt strong shaking, the 100 km width of the locked portion of the basal detachment, and an average slip of 10-15 m. Though no historic accounts exist for the ~1410 and ~1100 earthquakes, the similarity between their surface expression and the 1505 rupture suggests that these events may have been equally large. These surface-rupturing earthquakes are distinctly different from a host of blind thrust events (Mw 7.5-8.4) that dominate the historic record since A.D. 1505. Both blind and emergent earthquakes are presumed to rupture the basal detachment and release interseismic strain that accumulates near the base of the High Himalaya and carry it to the thrust front where Holocene shortening occurs at rates of 15-22 mm/yr. Whereas the surface-rupturing earthquakes clearly deform the thrust front, survey data from the region affected by the 1906 Dehra Dun earthquake suggest that blind events contribute negligible, if any, deformation to the frontal structures. The factors controlling whether or not surface rupture occurs on the MFT remain unconstrained, but the current data seem to suggest that >Mw 8.5 surface-rutpuring earthquakes are the primary contributors to the shortening observed at the thrust front. It is sobering to consider that the 'Big One' has not struck the Himalaya in over 500 years and that Mw 7.5-8.4 earthquakes are the 'moderate' earthquakes'. Further study to constrain the lateral extent and recurrence of the great paleoearthquakes of the central Himalaya is critical to answer important questions about the Himalaya earthquake cycle and the seismic hazard facing the rapidly urbanizing population of the region.

Active faults system and related potential seismic events near Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlupp, Antoine; Ferry, Matthieu; Munkhuu, Ulziibat; Sodnomsambuu, Demberel; Al-Ashkar, Abeer

2013-04-01

The region of Ulaanbaatar lies several hundred kilometers from large known active faults that produced magnitude 6 to 8+ earthquakes during the last century. Beside the Hustai fault, which displays a clear morphological expression, no active fault was previously described less than 100 km from the city. In addition, no large historical (i.e. more recent than the 16th c.) earthquakes are known in this region. However, since 2005 a very dense seismic activity has developed over the Emeelt Township area, a mere 10 km from Ulaanbaatar. The activity is characterized by numerous low magnitude events (M<2.8), which are distributed linearly along several tens of kilometers where no active fault has been identified. This raises several questions: Is this seismicity associated to a -yet- unknown active fault? If so, are there other unknown active faults near Ulaanbaatar? Hence, we deployed a multi-disciplinary approach including morpho-tectonic, near-surface geophysical and paleoseismological investigations. We describe four large active faults west and south of Ulaanbaatar, three of them are newly discovered (Emeelt, Sharai, Avdar), one was previously known (Hustai) but without precise study on its seismic potential. The Emeelt seismicity can be mapped over 35 km along N150 and corresponds in the field to a smoothed, but clear, active fault morphology that can be mapped along a 10-km-long section. The fault dips at ~30° NE (GPR and surface morphology observations) and uplifts the eastern block. The age of the last surface rupture observed in trenches is about 10 ka (preliminary OSL dating). Considering a rupture length of 35 km, a full segment rupture would be comparable to the 1967 Mogod earthquake with a magnitude as large as Mw 7. It has to be considered today as a possible scenario for the seismic risk of Ulaanbaatar. The 90-km-long Hustai Range Fault System, oriented WSW-ENE and located about 10 km west of Ulaanbaatar, displays continuous microseismicity with five light to moderate (M 4 - 5.4) earthquakes over the last 40 years. The last surface-rupturing earthquake occurred about 1000 years ago (OSL dating). Alluvial fans affected by the fault suggest the rate of deformation (left lateral with normal component) along the main segment ranges from 0.3 to 0.4 mm/year for the last 120 000 years. Hence, the average recurrence interval for a full-segment M 7-7.5 is likely in the order of 10 ky. However, if the Hustai fault also releases strain during partial ruptures along its strongly segmented trace, a Mw 6.5 event may be expected anytime. However, only the main central fault segment has been investigated in terms of paleoseismicity. The Sharai and Avdar faults, oriented NNE-SSW, were mapped along ~50-km-long sections. Each of these faults was the site of earthquakes of magnitude 6 and more in the past as suggested by morphology and trench observations. Full-segment-ruptures could produce events as large as M 7.2. The precise relationship and interactions between these faults as well as associated earthquakes have to be clarified by collecting more data. They are the key of the seismic hazard and risk of Ulaanbaatar.

Integrated Multidisciplinary Fault Observation System in the western part of the main Marmara Fault in the frame of an EU-FP7 project, titled as MARSITE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozel, Oguz; Guralp, Cansun; Tunc, Suleyman; Yalcinkaya, Esref; Meral Ozel, Nurcan

2015-04-01

The main objective of this study is to install a multi-parameter borehole system and surface array consisting of eight broadband sensors as close to the main Marmara Fault (MMF) in the western Marmara Sea as possible, and measure continuously the evolution of the state of the fault zone surrounding the MMF and to detect any anomaly or change which may occur before earthquakes by making use of the data from these arrays. The multi-parameter borehole system is composed of very wide dynamic range and stable borehole (VBB) broad band seismic sensor, and incorporate 3-D strain meter, tilt meter, and temperature and local hydrostatic pressure measuring devices. All these sensors are installed in 146m-deep borehole. All the sensor outputs are digitized; total of 11*24 bit-channels and 6*20 bit-channels. Real-time data transmission to the main server of the Marsite Project at Kandilli Observatory in Istanbul is accomplished. The multi-parameter borehole seismic station uses the latest update technologies and design ideas to record "Earth tides" signals to the smallest magnitude -3 events, as the innovative part of the Marsite Project. Bringing face to face the seismograms of microearthquakes recorded by borehole and surface instruments portrays quite different contents. The shorter recording duration and nearly flat frequency spectrum up to the Nyquist frequencies of borehole records are faced with longer recording duration and rapid decay of spectral amplitudes at higher frequencies of a surface seismogram. The main causative of the observed differences are near surface geology effects that mask most of the source related information the seismograms include, and that give rise to scattering, generating longer duration seismograms. In view of these circumstances, studies on microearthquakes employing surface seismograms may bring on misleading results. Particularly, the works on earthquake physics and nucleation process of earthquakes requires elaborate analysis of tiny events. It is obvious from the studies on the nucleation process of the 1999 earthquake that tens of minutes before the major rupture initiate noteworthy microearthquake activity happened. The starting point of the 1999 rupture was a site of swarm activity noticed a few decades prior the main shock. Nowadays, analogous case is probable in western Marmara Sea region, prone to a major event in near future where the seismic activity is prevailing along the impending rupture zone. Having deployed a borehole system at the eastern end of the Ganos fault zone will yield invaluable data to closely inspect and monitor the last stages of the preparation stage of major rupture.

Specifying initial stress for dynamic heterogeneous earthquake source models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, D.J.; Barall, M.

2011-01-01

Dynamic rupture calculations using heterogeneous stress drop that is random and self-similar with a power-law spatial spectrum have great promise of producing realistic ground-motion predictions. We present procedures to specify initial stress for random events with a target rupture length and target magnitude. The stress function is modified in the depth dimension to account for the brittle-ductile transition at the base of the seismogenic zone. Self-similar fluctuations in stress drop are tied in this work to the long-wavelength stress variation that determines rupture length. Heterogeneous stress is related to friction levels in order to relate the model to physical concepts. In a variant of the model, there are high-stress asperities with low background stress. This procedure has a number of advantages: (1) rupture stops naturally, not at artificial barriers; (2) the amplitude of short-wavelength fluctuations of stress drop is not arbitrary: the spectrum is fixed to the long-wavelength fluctuation that determines rupture length; and (3) large stress drop can be confined to asperities occupying a small fraction of the total rupture area, producing slip distributions with enhanced peaks.

Rupture directivity of moderate earthquakes in northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seekins, Linda C.; Boatwright, John

2010-01-01

We invert peak ground velocity and acceleration (PGV and PGA) to estimate rupture direction and rupture velocity for 47 moderate earthquakes (3.5≥M≥5.4) in northern California. We correct sets of PGAs and PGVs recorded at stations less than 55–125 km, depending on source depth, for site amplification and source–receiver distance, then fit the residual peak motions to the unilateral directivity function of Ben-Menahem (1961). We independently invert PGA and PGV. The rupture direction can be determined using as few as seven peak motions if the station distribution is sufficient. The rupture velocity is unstable, however, if there are no takeoff angles within 30° of the rupture direction. Rupture velocities are generally subsonic (0.5β–0.9β); for stability, we limit the rupture velocity at v=0.92β, the Rayleigh wave speed. For 73 of 94 inversions, the rupture direction clearly identifies one of the nodal planes as the fault plane. The 35 strike-slip earthquakes have rupture directions that range from nearly horizontal (6 events) to directly updip (5 events); the other 24 rupture partly along strike and partly updip. Two strike-slip earthquakes rupture updip in one inversion and downdip in the other. All but 1 of the 11 thrust earthquakes rupture predominantly updip. We compare the rupture directions for 10 M≥4.0 earthquakes to the relative location of the mainshock and the first two weeks of aftershocks. Spatial distributions of 8 of 10 aftershock sequences agree well with the rupture directivity calculated for the mainshock.

Creep, creep-rupture tests of Al-surface-alloyed T91 steel in liquid lead bismuth at 500 and 550 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisenburger, A.; Jianu, A.; An, W.; Fetzer, R.; Del Giacco, Mattia; Heinzel, A.; Müller, G.; Markov, V. G.; Kasthanov, A. D.

2012-12-01

Surface layers made of FeCrAl alloys on T91 steel have shown their capability as corrosion protection barriers in lead bismuth. Pulsed electron beam treatment improves the density and more over the adherence of such layers. After the treatment of previously deposited coatings a surface graded material is achieved with a metallic bonded interface. Creep-rupture tests of T91 in lead-alloy at 550 °C reveal significant reduced creep strength of non-modified T91 test specimens. Oxide scales protecting the steels from attacks of the liquid metal will crack at a certain strain leading to a direct contact between the steel and the liquid metal. The negative influence of the lead-alloy on the creep behavior of non-modified T91 is stress dependent, but below a threshold stress value of 120 MPa at 550 °C this influence becomes almost negligible. At 500 °C and stress values of 200 MPa and 220 MPa the creep rates are comparable between them and significantly lower than creep rates at 180 MPa of original T91 in air at 550 °C. No signs of LBE influence are detected. The surface modified specimens tested at high stress levels instead had creep-rupture times similar to T91 (original state) tested in air. The thin oxide layers formed on the surface modified steel samples are less susceptible to crack formation and therefore to lead-alloy enhanced creep.

New constraints on the rupture process of the 1999 August 17 Izmit earthquake deduced from estimates of stress glut rate moments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clévédé, E.; Bouin, M.-P.; Bukchin, B.; Mostinskiy, A.; Patau, G.

2004-12-01

This paper illustrates the use of integral estimates given by the stress glut rate moments of total degree 2 for constraining the rupture scenario of a large earthquake in the particular case of the 1999 Izmit mainshock. We determine the integral estimates of the geometry, source duration and rupture propagation given by the stress glut rate moments of total degree 2 by inverting long-period surface wave (LPSW) amplitude spectra. Kinematic and static models of the Izmit earthquake published in the literature are quite different from one another. In order to extract the characteristic features of this event, we calculate the same integral estimates directly from those models and compare them with those deduced from our inversion. While the equivalent rupture zone and the eastward directivity are consistent among all models, the LPSW solution displays a strong unilateral character of the rupture associated with a short rupture duration that is not compatible with the solutions deduced from the published models. With the aim of understand this discrepancy, we use simple equivalent kinematic models to reproduce the integral estimates of the considered rupture processes (including ours) by adjusting a few free parameters controlling the western and eastern parts of the rupture. We show that the joint analysis of the LPSW solution and source tomographies allows us to elucidate the scattering of source processes published for this earthquake and to discriminate between the models. Our results strongly suggest that (1) there was significant moment released on the eastern segment of the activated fault system during the Izmit earthquake; (2) the apparent rupture velocity decreases on this segment.

A Benchmarking setup for Coupled Earthquake Cycle - Dynamic Rupture - Tsunami Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrens, Joern; Bader, Michael; van Dinther, Ylona; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes; Madden, Elizabeth H.; Ulrich, Thomas; Uphoff, Carsten; Vater, Stefan; Wollherr, Stephanie; van Zelst, Iris

2017-04-01

We developed a simulation framework for coupled physics-based earthquake rupture generation with tsunami propagation and inundation on a simplified subduction zone system for the project "Advanced Simulation of Coupled Earthquake and Tsunami Events" (ASCETE, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation). Here, we present a benchmarking setup that can be used for complex rupture models. The workflow begins with a 2D seismo-thermo-mechanical earthquake cycle model representing long term deformation along a planar, shallowly dipping subduction zone interface. Slip instabilities that approximate earthquakes arise spontaneously along the subduction zone interface in this model. The absolute stress field and material properties for a single slip event are used as initial conditions for a dynamic earthquake rupture model.The rupture simulation is performed with SeisSol, which uses an ADER discontinuous Galerkin discretization scheme with an unstructured tetrahedral mesh. The seafloor displacements resulting from this rupture are transferred to the tsunami model with a simple coastal run-up profile. An adaptive mesh discretizing the shallow water equations with a Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) scheme subsequently allows for an accurate and efficient representation of the tsunami evolution and inundation at the coast. This workflow allows for evaluation of how the rupture behavior affects the hydrodynamic wave propagation and coastal inundation. We present coupled results for differing earthquake scenarios. Examples include megathrust only ruptures versus ruptures with splay fault branching off the megathrust near the surface. Coupling to the tsunami simulation component is performed either dynamically (time dependent) or statically, resulting in differing tsunami wave and inundation behavior. The simplified topographical setup allows for systematic parameter studies and reproducible physical studies.

Dynamics of a pre-lens tear film after a blink: Model, evolution, and rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usha, R.; Anjalaiah, Sanyasiraju, Y. V. S. S.

2013-11-01

A mathematical model is developed to investigate the dynamics and rupture of a pre-lens tear film on a contact lens. The contact lens is modeled as a saturated porous medium of constant, finite thickness and is described by the Darcy-Brinkman equations with stress-jump condition at the interface. The model incorporates the influence of capillarity, gravitational drainage, contact lens properties such as the permeability, the porosity, and the thickness of the contact lens on the evolution and rupture of a pre-lens tear film, when the eyelid has opened after a blink. Two models are derived for the evolution of a pre-lens tear film thickness using lubrication theory and are solved numerically; the first uses shear-free surface condition and the second, the tangentially immobile free surface condition. The results reveal that life span of a pre-lens tear film is longer on a thinner contact lens for all values of permeability and porosity parameter considered. An increase in permeability of contact lens, porosity or stress-jump parameter increases the rate of thinning of the film and advances the rupture time. The viscous-viscous interaction between the porous contact lens and the pre-lens tear film increases the resistance offered by the frictional forces to the rate of thinning of pre-lens tear film. This slows down the thinning process and hence delays the rupture of the film as compared to that predicted by the models of Nong and Anderson [SIAM. J. Appl. Math. 70, 2771-2795 (2010)] derived in the framework of Darcy model.

Relation between energy radiation ratio and rupture speed in numerically simulated earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noda, H.; Lapusta, N.; Kanamori, H.

2011-12-01

One of the prominent questions in seismology is energy partitioning during an earthquake. Venkataraman and Kanamori [2004] discussed radiation ratio η_R, the ratio of radiated energy E_R to partial strain energy change ΔW_0 which is the total released strain energy minus the energy that would have been dissipated if a fault had slipped at the final stress. They found positive correlation between η_R and rupture speed in large earthquakes, and compared these data with theoretical estimates from simplified models. The relation between η_R and rupture speed is of great interest since both quantities can be estimated independently although there are large uncertainties. We conduct numerical simulations of dynamic ruptures and study the obtained energy partitioning (and η_R) and averaged rupture speeds V_r. So far, we have considered problems based on TPV103 from the SCEC/USGS Spontaneous Rupture Code Verification Project [Harris et al., 2009, http://scecdata.usc.edu/cvws/], which is a 3-D problem with the possibility of remarkable rate weakening at coseismic slip rates caused by flash heating of microscopic asperities [Rice, 1999]. We study the effect of background shear stress level τ_b and the manner in which rupture is arrested, either in rate-strengthening or unbreakable areas of the fault. Note that rupture speed at each fault point is defined when the rupture is still in progress, while η_R is defined after all dynamic processes such as propagation of a rupture front, healing fronts, and seismic waves have been completed. Those complexities may cause a difference from the theoretical estimates based on simple models, an issue we explore in this study. Overall, our simulations produce the relation between η_R and V_r broadly consistent with the study of Venkataraman and Kanamori (2004) for natural earthquakes and the corresponding theoretical estimates. The model by Mott [1948] agrees best with the cases studied so far, although it is not rigorously correct [Freund, 1990]. For example, a case which is similar to TPV103 except in the nucleation procedure yields a pulse-like rupture with a spatially averaged rupture speed V_r = 0.59 c_s and η_R = 0.32, while the theoretical estimates [Fossum and Freund, 1975 for mode II and Kostrov, 1966; Ehselby, 1969 for mode III] predict η_R of about 0.5 for this rupture speed. This difference is not significant compared with the large observational error. As τ_b increases, V_r increases monotonically, while η_R exhibits more complex behavior: it increases with τ_b for pulse-like ruptures, decreases by about 0.1 at the transition to crack-like ruptures, and then increases again. Frictional dissipation is significant when a rupture front reaches a rate-strengthening region. If the barrier is changed to an unbreakable region, η_R decreases and V_r/c_s increases at most by 0.3 and 0.1, respectively. Although sharper arrest of rupture causes larger E_R per seismic moment due to the stopping phases, ΔW_0 per seismic moment increases more remarkably due to large wavenumber components in final slip distribution.

Systematic observations of the slip pulse properties of large earthquake ruptures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melgar, Diego; Hayes, Gavin

2017-01-01

In earthquake dynamics there are two end member models of rupture: propagating cracks and self-healing pulses. These arise due to different properties of faults and have implications for seismic hazard; rupture mode controls near-field strong ground motions. Past studies favor the pulse-like mode of rupture; however, due to a variety of limitations, it has proven difficult to systematically establish their kinematic properties. Here we synthesize observations from a database of >150 rupture models of earthquakes spanning M7–M9 processed in a uniform manner and show the magnitude scaling properties of these slip pulses indicates self-similarity. Further, we find that large and very large events are statistically distinguishable relatively early (at ~15 s) in the rupture process. This suggests that with dense regional geophysical networks strong ground motions from a large rupture can be identified before their onset across the source region.

Seismogenic width controls aspect ratios of earthquake ruptures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Huihui; Yang, Hongfeng

2017-03-01

We investigate the effect of seismogenic width on aspect ratios of earthquake ruptures by using numerical simulations of strike-slip faulting and an energy balance criterion near rupture tips. If the seismogenic width is smaller than a critical value, then ruptures cannot break the entire fault, regardless of the size of the nucleation zone. The seismic moments of these self-arresting ruptures increase with the nucleation size, forming nucleation-related events. The aspect ratios increase with the seismogenic width but are smaller than 8. In contrast, ruptures become breakaway and tend to have high aspect ratios (>8) if the seismogenic width is sufficiently large. But the critical nucleation size is larger than the theoretical estimate for an unbounded fault. The eventual seismic moments of breakaway ruptures do not depend on the nucleation size. Our results suggest that estimating final earthquake magnitude from the nucleation phase may only be plausible on faults with small seismogenic width.

Aortic regurgitation due to fibrous strand rupture in the fenestrated left coronary cusp of the tricuspid aortic valve.

PubMed

Irisawa, Yusuke; Itatani, Keiichi; Kitamura, Tadashi; Hanayama, Naoji; Oka, Norihiko; Tomoyasu, Takahiro; Inoue, Nobuyuki; Hayashi, Hidenori; Inoue, Takamichi; Miyaji, Kagami

2014-01-01

Fenestration-related massive aortic regurgitation is rare. The underlying mechanism is reported to be rupture of the fenestrated fibrous strand, and most ruptured cords have been reported in the bicuspid valve or in the right coronary cusp of the tricuspid aortic valve. We encountered a rare case of acute aortic regurgitation due to fibrous strand rupture in the fenestrated left coronary cusp. Preoperative echocardiography detected left coronary cusp prolapse, and operative findings revealed rupture of a fibrous strand in the left coronary cusp. For cases such as this, preoperative echocardiography would be useful for appropriate diagnosis.

Rapid Measurement of Tectonic Deformation Using Structure-from-Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickering, A.; DeLong, S.; Lienkaemper, J. J.; Hecker, S.; Prentice, C. S.; Schwartz, D. P.; Sickler, R. R.

2016-12-01

Rapid collection and distribution of accurate surface slip data after earthquakes can support emergency response, help coordinate scientific response, and constrain coseismic slip that can be rapidly overprinted by postseismic slip, or eliminated as evidence of surface deformation is repaired or obscured. Analysis of earthquake deformation can be achieved quickly, repeatedly and inexpensively with the use of Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. Traditional methods of measuring surface slip (e.g. manual measurement with tape measures) have proven inconsistent and irreproducible, and sophisticated methods such as laser scanning require specialized equipment and longer field time. Here we present a simple, cost-effective workflow for rapid, three-dimensional imaging and measurement of features affected by earthquake rupture. As part of a response drill performed by the USGS and collaborators on May 11, 2016, geologists documented offset cultural features along the creeping Hayward Fault in northern California, in simulation of a surface-rupturing earthquake. We present several photo collections from smart phones, tablets, and DSLR cameras from a number of locations along the fault collected by users with a range of experience. Using professionally calibrated photogrammetric scale bars we automatically and accurately scale our 3D models to 1 mm accuracy for precise measurement in three dimensions. We then generate scaled 3D point clouds and extract offsets from manual measurement and multiple linear regression for comparison with collected terrestrial scanner data. These results further establish dense photo collection and SfM processing as an important, low-cost, rapid means of quantifying surface deformation in the critical hours after a surface-rupturing earthquake and emphasize that researchers with minimal training can rapidly collect three-dimensional data that can be used to analyze and archive the surface effects of damaging earthquakes.

Fracture surfaces of granular pastes.

PubMed

Mohamed Abdelhaye, Y O; Chaouche, M; Van Damme, H

2013-11-01

Granular pastes are dense dispersions of non-colloidal grains in a simple or a complex fluid. Typical examples are the coating, gluing or sealing mortars used in building applications. We study the cohesive rupture of thick mortar layers in a simple pulling test where the paste is initially confined between two flat surfaces. After hardening, the morphology of the fracture surfaces was investigated, using either the box counting method to analyze fracture profiles perpendicular to the mean fracture plane, or the slit-island method to analyze the islands obtained by cutting the fracture surfaces at different heights, parallel to the mean fracture plane. The fracture surfaces were shown to exhibit scaling properties over several decades. However, contrary to what has been observed in the brittle or ductile fracture of solid materials, the islands were shown to be mass fractals. This was related to the extensive plastic flow involved in the fracture process.

What can friction tell us about shallow megathrust slip behavior?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikari, M.; Kopf, A.; Hirose, T.

2012-12-01

In subduction zones, the updip propagation of great earthquake ruptures on plate boundary megathrusts is currently one of the most important questions in earth science, primarily because rupture that approaches the surface causes seafloor displacement, resulting in enormous tsunamis. Moreover, the extent of updip rupture propagation is a key factor in defining the magnitude of the earthquake itself. Within the depth limits of the seismogenic zone, velocity-weakening frictional behavior is essential for the nucleation of large-magnitude earthquake rupture. Results of friction experiments at low slip velocities (~10-6-10-4 m/s) have suggested that velocity-weakening tends to occur in frictionally strong materials (typically non-clay), which may act as asperities on fault surfaces. However, the role of frictional strength and velocity dependence in controlling the extent of rupture propagation beyond the updip limit of the seismogenic zone is still unclear. Low to high-velocity friction experiments have provided insights into fault strength evolution over slip velocities spanning ~10 orders of magnitude, from plate convergence rates to coseismic slip rates. Results using primarily non-clay materials typically exhibit high friction at low velocities that progressively weakens at higher velocities (velocity-weakening), becoming nearly frictionless at coseismic slip rates [Di Toro et al., 2011]. However, the shallow near-trench regions of subduction zones are typically rich in clay minerals which are weak (friction coefficient ≤ ~0.4) and velocity-strengthening at slip rates < 10-3 m/s. A compilation of friction experiments using samples from the Nankai Trough region offshore Japan obtained by scientific ocean drilling shows that this material exhibits such behavior at low to intermediate slip velocities. However, after reaching peak values at ~10-2 m/s, these materials also exhibit a precipitous drop in friction toward near-zero values at coseismic slip rates. This suggests that all geologic materials, regardless of composition, are extremely weak when coseismic slip rates are enforced. Therefore, the likelihood of near-trench rupture propagation in subduction zones depends critically on whether slip can reach velocities ≥ ~10-2 m/s, where dynamic weakening becomes dominant. This depends on whether the propagating earthquake rupture can overcome the overall strength of the fault gouge and/or velocity-strengthening behavior at low to intermediate slip rates. We discuss here the possibility of near-trench earthquake rupture at Nankai and other subduction zones on the basis of laboratory friction measurements.

Radiated energy and the rupture process of the Denali fault earthquake sequence of 2002 from broadband teleseismic body waves

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choy, G.L.; Boatwright, J.

2004-01-01

Displacement, velocity, and velocity-squared records of P and SH body waves recorded at teleseismic distances are analyzed to determine the rupture characteristics of the Denali fault, Alaska, earthquake of 3 November 2002 (MW 7.9, Me 8.1). Three episodes of rupture can be identified from broadband (???0.1-5.0 Hz) waveforms. The Denali fault earthquake started as a MW 7.3 thrust event. Subsequent right-lateral strike-slip rupture events with centroid depths of 9 km occurred about 22 and 49 sec later. The teleseismic P waves are dominated by energy at intermediate frequencies (0.1-1 Hz) radiated by the thrust event, while the SH waves are dominated by energy at lower frequencies (0.05-0.2 Hz) radiated by the strike-slip events. The strike-slip events exhibit strong directivity in the teleseismic SH waves. Correcting the recorded P-wave acceleration spectra for the effect of the free surface yields an estimate of 2.8 ?? 1015 N m for the energy radiated by the thrust event. Correcting the recorded SH-wave acceleration spectra similarly yields an estimate of 3.3 ?? 10 16 N m for the energy radiated by the two strike-slip events. The average rupture velocity for the strike-slip rupture process is 1.1??-1.2??. The strike-slip events were located 90 and 188 km east of the epicenter. The rupture length over which significant or resolvable energy is radiated is, thus, far shorter than the 340-km fault length over which surface displacements were observed. However, the seismic moment released by these three events, 4 ?? 1020 N m, was approximately half the seismic moment determined from very low-frequency analyses of the earthquake. The difference in seismic moment can be reasonably attributed to slip on fault segments that did not radiate significant or coherent seismic energy. These results suggest that very large and great strike-slip earthquakes can generate stress pulses that rapidly produce substantial slip with negligible stress drop and little discernible radiated energy on fault segments distant from the initial point of nucleation. The existence of this energy-deficient rupture mode has important implications for the evaluation of the seismic hazard of very large strike-slip earthquakes.

Global surface displacement data for assessing variability of displacement at a point on a fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hecker, Suzanne; Sickler, Robert; Feigelson, Leah; Abrahamson, Norman; Hassett, Will; Rosa, Carla; Sanquini, Ann

2014-01-01

This report presents a global dataset of site-specific surface-displacement data on faults. We have compiled estimates of successive displacements attributed to individual earthquakes, mainly paleoearthquakes, at sites where two or more events have been documented, as a basis for analyzing inter-event variability in surface displacement on continental faults. An earlier version of this composite dataset was used in a recent study relating the variability of surface displacement at a point to the magnitude-frequency distribution of earthquakes on faults, and to hazard from fault rupture (Hecker and others, 2013). The purpose of this follow-on report is to provide potential data users with an updated comprehensive dataset, largely complete through 2010 for studies in English-language publications, as well as in some unpublished reports and abstract volumes.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okal, E. A.

1975-01-01

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.

Dynamic rupture modeling of the M7.2 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake: Comparison with a geodetic model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kyriakopoulos, Christos; Oglesby, David D.; Funning, Gareth J.; Ryan, Kenneth

2017-01-01

The 2010 Mw 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake is the largest event recorded in the broader Southern California-Baja California region in the last 18 years. Here we try to analyze primary features of this type of event by using dynamic rupture simulations based on a multifault interface and later compare our results with space geodetic models. Our results show that starting from homogeneous prestress conditions, slip heterogeneity can be achieved as a result of variable dip angle along strike and the modulation imposed by step over segments. We also considered effects from a topographic free surface and find that although this does not produce significant first-order effects for this earthquake, even a low topographic dome such as the Cucapah range can affect the rupture front pattern and fault slip rate. Finally, we inverted available interferometric synthetic aperture radar data, using the same geometry as the dynamic rupture model, and retrieved the space geodetic slip distribution that serves to constrain the dynamic rupture models. The one to one comparison of the final fault slip pattern generated with dynamic rupture models and the space geodetic inversion show good agreement. Our results lead us to the following conclusion: in a possible multifault rupture scenario, and if we have first-order geometry constraints, dynamic rupture models can be very efficient in predicting large-scale slip heterogeneities that are important for the correct assessment of seismic hazard and the magnitude of future events. Our work contributes to understanding the complex nature of multifault systems.

Analysis of 30 breast implant rupture cases.

PubMed

Tark, Kwan Chul; Jeong, Hii Sun; Roh, Tae Suk; Choi, Jong Woo

2005-01-01

Breast implants used for augmentation mammoplasty or breast reconstruction could rupture from various causes such as trauma or spontaneous failure. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships between the causes of implant rupture and the degree of capsular contracture, and then to evaluate the relative efficacies of specific signs on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) known to be beneficial for diagnosing the rupture. A retrospective review identified patients with prosthetic implant rupture or impending rupture treated by the senior author. The 30 cases of implant rupture available for review were classified into two groups: intracapsular and extracapsular ruptures. The 30 cases of breast implant ruptures were analyzed with respect to the clinical symptoms and signs, the causes of rupture, the degree of capsular contracture, and therapeutic plans. Among the 30 cases, 14 patients who had undergone MRI during the diagnostic period were analyzed with respect to the relationships between MRI readings and operative findings. Spontaneous rupture of membranes was most common (80%), followed by failure because of trauma (7%) and valve or implant base (4%). The symptoms during implant rupture were contour deformity, palpated mass-like lesions, pain, and focal inflammation. According to the analysis of specific MRI signs, the sensitivity and specificity of the linguine sign were 87% and 100%, respectively, for intracapsular rupture. For extracapsular rupture, the sensitivity and specificity of the linguine sign were, respectively, 67% and 75%. The sensitivity and specificity of the rat-tail sign and tear drop sign were 14% and 50%, respectively. Breast implant rupture was correlated with the degree of capsular contracture in our study. Among the various specific MRI signs used in diagnosing the rupture, the linguine sign was reliable and had a high sensitivity and specificity, especially in cases of intracapsular rupture. On the other hand, the rat-tail and tear drop signs were nonspecific signs for diagnosing the rupture of breast implant.

New Data on Quaternary Surface Offset and Slip Rates of the Oquirrh Fault (Utah, USA) from DSMs made with Structure-from-Motion Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunds, M. P.; Andreini, J.; Larsen, K.; Fletcher, A.; Arnold, M.; Toke, N. A.

2016-12-01

We generated two high-resolution digital surface models (DSMs) using imagery collected with inexpensive quadcopters and processed with structure-from-motion software to measure offsets of pluvial Lake Bonneville shorelines along the Oquirrh Fault in Utah, USA. The Oquirrh Fault is a west-dipping normal fault that bounds the populous Tooele Valley and is likely contiguous with the East Great Salt Lake Fault to the north and Southern Oquirrh and Topliff Hill Faults to the south, forming a fault system >200 km long, the second longest in Utah. However, knowledge of the fault's parameters is based primarily on one trenching study on the northern section of the fault (Olig et al., 1996). The two DSMs were made using a 24 Mpixel Sony A5100 and 12 Mpixel GoPro camera, have 5 and 10 cm pixels, and span 3.9 km of the fault's trace at the boundary between its central and southern sections. Vertical RMS error of the DSMs relative to bare-ground checkpoints is 5.8 and 9.5 cm for the Sony and GoPro-derived DSMs, respectively. Shoreline features interpreted to have formed < 14,000, 18,000-23,000, and > 23,000 ybp (Godsey et al., 2011; Oviatt, 2015) are offset 2.8-3.0, 5.6-6.7, and 8.1-9.3 m, respectively. From these offsets we infer three surface-rupturing earthquakes with displacements of 2.8-3.0, 2.6-3.8, and 1.3-3.8 m, and estimate the slip rate to be 0.24 - 0.37 mm/yr. These results are consistent with those of the prior study to the north, suggesting co-rupturing of the northern, central and northernmost part of the southern section of the fault. In addition, the inferred large single event displacements suggest even longer surface ruptures. We have used the same methods to construct 5 cm pixel DSMs up to 4.4 km2 in area to support several additional paleoseismological, paleotsunami, and neotectonic investigations, which highlights the many benefits to geoscience research of the capacity to quickly produce accurate, high resolution DSMs from inexpensive equipment.

Quaternary Slip History for the Agua Blanca Fault, northern Baja California, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, P. O.; Behr, W. M.; Rockwell, T. K.; Fletcher, J. M.

2017-12-01

The Agua Blanca Fault (ABF) is the primary structure accommodating San Andreas-related right-lateral slip across the Peninsular Ranges of northern Baja California. Activity on this fault influences offshore faults that parallel the Pacific coast from Ensenada to Los Angeles and is a potential threat to communities in northern Mexico and southern California. We present a detailed Quaternary slip history for the ABF, including new quantitative constraints on geologic slip rates, slip-per-event, the timing of most recent earthquake, and the earthquake recurrence interval. Cosmogenic 10Be exposure dating of clasts from offset fluvial geomorphic surfaces at 2 sites located along the western, and most active, section of the ABF yield preliminary slip rate estimates of 2-4 mm/yr and 3 mm/yr since 20 ka and 2 ka, respectively. Fault zone geomorphology preserved at the younger site provides evidence for right-lateral surface displacements measuring 2.5 m in the past two ruptures. Luminescence dating of an offset alluvial fan at a third site is in progress, but is expected to yield a slip rate relevant to the past 10 kyr. Adjacent to this third site, we excavated 2 paleoseismic trenches across a sag pond formed by a right step in the fault. Preliminary radiocarbon dates indicate that the 4 surface ruptures identified in the trenches occurred in the past 6 kyr, although additional dating should clarify earthquake timing and the mid-Holocene to present earthquake recurrence interval, as well as the likely date of the most recent earthquake. Our new slip rate estimates are somewhat lower than, but comparable within error to, previous geologic estimates based on soil morphology and geodetic estimates from GPS, but the new record of surface ruptures exposed in the trenches is the most complete and comprehensively dated earthquake history yet determined for this fault. Together with new and existing mapping of tectonically generated geomorphology along the ABF, our constraints show that contrary to some theories of fault interaction and activity for this section of the San Andreas system, the Agua Blanca Fault has been active over the late Holocene, and should be considered as a potential source of seismic hazard.

The 2013 Mw 6.2 Khaki-Shonbe (Iran) Earthquake: Seismic Shortening of the Zagros Sedimentary Cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, J. R.; Bergman, E.; Copley, A.; Ghods, A.; Nissen, E.; Oveisi, B.; Walters, R. J.

2014-12-01

The 2013 Mw 6.2 Khaki-Shonbe earthquake occurred in the Simply Folded Belt of the Zagros Mountains, Iran. This is the largest earthquake in the Zagros since the November 1990 Mw 6.4 Furg (Hormozgan) thrust faulting event, and therefore the largest in the period for which dense InSAR ground displacements are available. It is also the biggest seismic event to have occurred in the Simply Folded Belt since the March 1977 Mw 6.7 Khurgu earthquake. This earthquake therefore potentially provides valuable insights into a range of controversies: (1) the preponderance of earthquake faulting in the crystalline basement versus the sedimentary cover and the potential importance of lithology in controlling and limiting seismic rupture; (2) the nature of surface folding and whether or not there is a one-to-one relationship between buried reverse faults and surface anticlines; and (3) the presence or absence of large pulses of aseismic slip triggered by mainshock rupture. We combine seismological solutions and aftershock relocations with satellite interferometric ground displacements and observations from the field to determine the geometry of faulting and its relationship with the structure, stratigraphy and tectonics of the Central Zagros. The earthquake rupture involved reverse slip on two along-strike southwest dipping fault segments, the rupture initiating at the northern and bottom end of the larger north-west segment. These faults verge away from the foreland and towards the high range interior, contrary to the fault geometries depicted in many structural cross-sections of the Zagros. The slip measured on the reverse segments occurred over two mutually exclusive depth ranges, 10-5 km and 4-2 km, resulting in long (16 km), narrow (7 km) rupture segments. Conversely, aftershocks are found to cluster in the depth range 8-16 km, beneath the main rupture segment. This indicates only significant reverse slip and coseismic shortening in the sedimentary cover, with the slip distribution likely to be lithologically controlled in depth by the Hormuz salt at the base of the sedimentary cover, and the Kazhdumi Formation mudrocks at upper-levels (5 km), and aftershocks constrained largely beneath the main coseismic rupture planes.

Superquakes and Supercycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfinger, C.; Ikeda, Y.; Yeats, R. S.

2011-12-01

The recent Mw=9 superquake off Tohoku Japan, and the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman superquake have humbled many in earthquake research. Neither region was thought capable of earthquakes of magnitudes exceeding Mw~8.4 based on historical records and theories based on short instrumental records. In NE Japan, horizontal shortening is ~5-7 mm/yr. based on faulting and regional uplift data. On the Pacific coast, high rates of subsidence from tide gauges, and geodetic observations revealed E-W contraction at several tens of mm/yr. Only a fraction (< 10%) of plate convergence is inelastic. The elastic rate is ~ an order of magnitude greater than the geologic rate, and is comparable to convergence at the Trench. These data strongly suggested that the strain must be released periodically in earthquakes stronger than those in the historical record (Ikeda, 2003). The Jogan tsunami of 869 is a likely equivalent to the 2011 earthquake, and had two predecessors at ~ 1000 year intervals (Minoura et al., 2001; Shishikura et al., 2007). A related example is the Haiyuan fault, China, the source of an earthquake in 1920 with a rupture length of 237 km. Paleoseismic trenching divided the 1920 rupture into three segments and dated surface-rupturing earthquakes in the past 6000 yrs. Some earthquakes ruptured one segment, some ruptured two, but only one (6100-6200 yrs BP) ruptured all three segments and was a likely duplicate of 1920 (Ran et al. 1997). Prior to trenching, there was a tendency to regard the 1920 earthquake as the characteristic earthquake, when the majority of the paleoseismic examples were much smaller. The two largest events had much greater net slip (5.6 and 7.0 m respectively for ~6150 BP and AD 1920) than the intervening events which averaged 1.5-2 m. In Cascadia, a 10ka paleoseismic record includes evidence of segmented ruptures, clustering, and several outsized events. Goldfinger et al. (2011) compared the mass of correlated turbidite deposits along strike, and found strong correlation between disparate sites. They conclude the earthquake magnitude and turbidite mass are related for many of the Cascadia events. The two outsized events, dated at ~ 5960 and 8810 yrs. BP, consistently have two to five times the average turbidite mass for Holocene events at many sites. To examine long term cycling of kinetic energy, we scale turbidite mass (energy release) to balance plate convergence (energy gain) to generate a 10ka energy time series for Cascadia. A robust pattern is observed, and includes long term increases and declines in stored "energy state" which we term "supercycles". If Cascadia is representative, this suggests that recurrence models may be neither time nor slip predictable and cannot be based on short instrumental records.

SURFACE RUPTURE OF THE NORMAL SEISMIC FAULTS AND SLOPE FAILURES APPEARED IN APRIL 11th, 2011 FUKUSHIMA-PREFECTURE HAMADOORI EARTHQUAKE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazmi, Zaheer Abbas; Konagai, Kazuo; Kyokawa, Hiroyuki; Tetik, Cigdem

On April 11th, 2011, Iwaki region of Fukushima prefecture was jolted by Fukushima-Prefecture Hamadoori Earthquake. Surface ruptures were observed along causative Idosawa and Yunotake normal faults. In addition to numerous small slope failures, a coherent landslide and building structures of Tabito Junior High School, bisected by Idosawa Fault, were found along the causative faults. A precise digital elevation model of the coherent landslide was obtained through the ground and air-born LiDAR surveys. The measurements of perimeters of the gymnasium building and the swimming pool of Tabito Junior High School have shown that ground undergoes a slow and steady/continual deformation.

Co-seismic and cumulative slip along the Kokoxili Mw 7.9 earthquake rupture (Kunlun Fault, northeastern Tibet)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Woerd, J.; Klinger, Y.; Xu, X.; Ledortz, K.; Tapponnier, P.; Li, H.; King, G.; Ma, W.; Chen, W.

2009-04-01

Co-seismic slip values along a strike-slip rupture are found to be very irregular with variations up to one order of magnitude. Data usually scattered and sparse, are more dense and continuous with slip functions derived from InSAR or image correlations. Whether the fast variations in slip along strike reveals long-lived structures of the fault plane at depth, only incomplete slip at the surface or inelastic accommodation of slip remains debated. In addition, how these slip disparities are accommodated with time is unclear. The surface breaks of the Kokoxili Mw 7.9 event sytematically follow the geomorphic trace of the fault, which bears evidence for cumulative displacements. In the epicentral area, the rupture steps along the highest ice-capped summit of the region, the Buka Daban Feng. Evidence for normal fault breaks, left-lateral ruptures and steep triangular facets indicate that the Buka Daban Feng, a 40 km-long range reaching about 6800 m a.s.l. formed as a result of continuous oblique left-normal faulting. Normal faulting is attested by hanging glaciers, a steep southeastern flank and hot springs along coseismic and cumulative surface ruptures. Left-lateral movement along the main oblique normal fault has displaced the distal frontal moraines of almost all glacial valleys. West of the Buka Daban Feng, the western most ruptured strand is continuous between Kushiwan and Tayang lakes (about 60 km long) with coseismic left-lateral offsets reaching 4-5 m. To the east, at one site, the rupture splays into 4 main, N90°E-striking strands across a 1200x300m pull-apart. Three strands show right-stepping scarps with maximum throws of 1 m. The northern strand shows 3 m of purely normal throw. On NS profiles, the coseismic subsidence of the pull-apart floor was about 2 m, 1/10th of its 20 m depth, consistent with the repetition of 10 comparable earthquakes. East of the pull-apart 5 +/- 0.2 m sinistral slip are measured on the single stranded rupture. A similar coseismic sinistral slip value (4.8 +/- 0.4 m), with a thrust throw of 0.75 m, is found across two lake shorelines (1 and 2.3 meters above lake level), about 1.5 km farther east. At one river channel site, 15 km farther east, we measured a larger coseismic sinistral offset. The lowest terrace riser, between the active river bed and the lowest terrace is offset by about 10 m. Two older terrace risers show cumulative offsets twice as large (about 20 m). The largest cumulative offset measured reaches 50 m. Thirty kilometers yet farther east, near a glacial outlet at the foot of the Yuxi Shan, 4 distinct rills are offset by 3.5 m along the main surface break while smaller offsets (1-1.5 m) characterize a secondary break 250 m southwards. We have investigated in more detail the co-seismic and paleo-seismic slip near the central part of the rupture, where a set of about 10 inset terraces is used to infer the slip history of the fault. The particularly low co-seismic slip value at the site, about 2.4 +/- 0.6 m, lower than the value derived from Spot image correlation or from Insar, follows a maximum slip value of about 8 m only a few kilometres to the west. Site interpretation from field data, total station measurements and high resolution Ikonos images allow to reconstruct the different riser offsets across the damaged rupture zone. 10Be cosmogenic nuclide exposure ages of cobbles from the surface of the terraces allow to constrain the age the terraces and to infer an average slip-rate of 10-15 mm/yr in good agreement with previous results along the fault. When a characteristic slip model is considered, and depending of the measurement method or location of coseismic slip, the recurrence time for events comparable to the Mw 7.9 Kokoxili event may vary from 200 to 800 years.

Younger patients are at increased risk for graft rupture and contralateral injury after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PubMed

Webster, Kate E; Feller, Julian A; Leigh, Warren B; Richmond, Anneka K

2014-03-01

Graft rupture of the same knee or injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the contralateral knee is a devastating outcome after ACL reconstruction surgery. While a number of factors have been identified as potentially increasing the risk of subsequent ACL injury, the literature is far from definitive. To determine the rates of graft rupture and contralateral ACL injury in a large cohort and to investigate patient characteristics that may be associated with these. Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. A consecutive cohort of 750 patients who had undergone primary ACL reconstruction surgery with a minimum 3-year follow-up were questioned about the incidence of ACL graft rupture, contralateral ACL injury, family history of ACL injury, and current activity level. Patient databases provided details for age, sex, original injury mechanism, meniscus or articular surface injury, and graft diameter. Responses were received from 561 patients (75%) at a mean ± SD follow-up time of 4.8 ± 1.1 years. Anterior cruciate ligament graft ruptures occurred in 25 patients (4.5%), and contralateral ACL injuries occurred in 42 patients (7.5%). The highest incidence of further ACL injury occurred in patients younger than 20 years at the time of surgery. In this group, 29% sustained a subsequent ACL injury to either knee. The odds for sustaining an ACL graft rupture or contralateral injury increased 6- and 3-fold, respectively, for patients younger than 20 years. Returning to cutting/pivoting sports increased the odds of graft rupture by a factor of 3.9 and contralateral rupture by a factor of 5. A positive family history doubled the odds for both graft rupture and contralateral ACL injury. Patients younger than 20 years who undergo ACL reconstruction are at significantly increased risk for both graft rupture and contralateral ACL injury. Whether age per se is a risk factor or age represents a proxy for other factors remains to be determined.

How does damage affect rupture propagation across a fault stepover?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooke, M. L.; Savage, H. M.

2011-12-01

We investigate the potential for fault damage to influence earthquake rupture at fault step-overs using a mechanical numerical model that explicitly includes the generation of cracks around faults. We compare the off-fault fracture patterns and slip profiles generated along faults with a variety of frictional slip-weakening distances and step-over geometry. Models with greater damage facilitate the transfer of slip to the second fault. Increasing separation and decreasing the overlap distance reduces the transfer of slip across the step over. This is consistent with observations of rupture stopping at step-over separation greater than 4 km (Wesnousky, 2006). In cases of slip transfer, rupture is often passed to the second fault before the damage zone cracks of the first fault reach the second fault. This implies that stresses from the damage fracture tips are transmitted elastically to the second fault to trigger the onset of slip along the second fault. Consequently, the growth of damage facilitates transfer of rupture from one fault to another across the step-over. In addition, the rupture propagates along the damage-producing fault faster than along the rougher fault that does not produce damage. While this result seems counter to our understanding that damage slows rupture propagation, which is documented in our models with pre-existing damage, these model results are suggesting an additional process. The slip along the newly created damage may unclamp portions of the fault ahead of the rupture and promote faster rupture. We simulate the M7.1 Hector Mine Earthquake and compare the generated fracture patterns to maps of surface damage. Because along with the detailed damage pattern, we also know the stress drop during the earthquake, we may begin to constrain parameters like the slip-weakening distance along portions of the faults that ruptured in the Hector Mine earthquake.

Asymptotic decay and non-rupture of viscous sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontelos, Marco A.; Kitavtsev, Georgy; Taranets, Roman M.

2018-06-01

For a nonlinear system of coupled PDEs, that describes evolution of a viscous thin liquid sheet and takes account of surface tension at the free surface, we show exponential (H^1, L^2) asymptotic decay to the flat profile of its solutions considered with general initial data. Additionally, by transforming the system to Lagrangian coordinates we show that the minimal thickness of the sheet stays positive for all times. This result proves the conjecture formally accepted in the physical literature (cf. Eggers and Fontelos in Singularities: formation, structure, and propagation. Cambridge Texts in Applied Mathematics, Cambridge, 2015), that a viscous sheet cannot rupture in finite time in the absence of external forcing. Moreover, in the absence of surface tension we find a special class of initial data for which the Lagrangian solution exhibits L^2-exponential decay to the flat profile.

From the seismic cycle to long-term deformation: linking seismic coupling and Quaternary coastal geomorphology along the Andean megathrust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saillard, M.; Audin, L.; Rousset, B.; Avouac, J. P.; Chlieh, M.; Hall, S. R.; Husson, L.; Farber, D.

2017-12-01

Measurement of interseismic strain along subduction zones reveals the location of both locked asperities, which might rupture during megathrust earthquakes, and creeping zones, which tend to arrest such seismic ruptures. The heterogeneous pattern of interseismic coupling presumably relates to spatial variations of frictional properties along the subduction interface and may also show up in the fore-arc morphology. To investigate this hypothesis, we compiled information on the extent of earthquake ruptures for the last 500 yrs and uplift rates derived from dated marine terraces along the South American coastline from central Peru to southern Chile. We additionally calculated a new interseismic coupling model for that same area based on a compilation of GPS data. We show that the coastline geometry, characterized by the distance between the coast and the trench; the latitudinal variations of long-term uplift rates; and the spatial pattern of interseismic coupling are correlated. Zones of faster and long-term permanent coastal uplift, evidenced by uplifted marine terraces, coincide with peninsulas and also with areas of creep on the megathrust where slip is mostly aseismic and tend to arrest seismic ruptures. This correlation suggests that these areas prevent elastic strain buildup and inhibit lateral seismic rupture propagation. Correlation between the location of these regions across and along strike of convergence and the long-term morphology of the subduction margin suggests that the barrier effect might be due to rheology, namely rate-strengthening friction, although geometric effects might also play a secondary role. Higher shear stress along creeping segments of the megathrust than along segments dominated by recurring large earthquakes would favor more rapid viscoplastic (permanent) deformation of the fore arc and thus uplift. Marine terrace sequences attest to frictional properties along the megathrust persisting for million-year time scales. Peninsulas are the surface expression of large subduction earthquakes segment boundaries and show evidence for their stability over multiple seismic cycles. We conclude spatial variations of frictional properties along the megathrust dictate the tectono-geomorphological evolution of the coastal zone and the extent of seismic ruptures along strike.

Interactions between strike-slip earthquakes and the subduction interface near the Mendocino Triple Junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Jianhua; McGuire, Jeffrey J.

2018-01-01

The interactions between the North American, Pacific, and Gorda plates at the Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) create one of the most seismically active regions in North America. The earthquakes rupture all three plate boundaries but also include considerable intraplate seismicity reflecting the strong internal deformation of the Gorda plate. Understanding the stress levels that drive these ruptures and estimating the locking state of the subduction interface are especially important topics for regional earthquake hazard assessment. However owing to the lack of offshore seismic and geodetic instruments, the rupture process of only a few large earthquakes near the MTJ have been studied in detail and the locking state of the subduction interface is not well constrained. In this paper, first, we use the second moments inversion method to study the rupture process of the January 28, 2015 Mw 5.7 earthquake on the Mendocino transform fault that was unusually well recorded by both onshore and offshore strong motion instruments. We estimate the rupture dimension to be approximately 6 km by 3 km corresponding to a stress drop of ∼4 MPa for a crack model. Next we investigate the frictional state of the subduction interface by simulating the afterslip that would be expected there as a result of the stress changes from the 2015 earthquake and a 2010 Mw 6.5 intraplate earthquake within the subducted Gorda plate. We simulate afterslip scenarios for a range of depths of the downdip end of the locked zone defined as the transition to velocity strengthening friction and calculate the corresponding surface deformation expected at onshore GPS monuments. We can rule out a very shallow downdip limit owing to the lack of a detectable signal at onshore GPS stations following the 2010 earthquake. Our simulations indicate that the locking depth on the slab surface is at least 14 km, which suggests that the next M8 earthquake rupture will likely reach the coastline and strong shaking should be expected there.

Full Aftershock Sequence of the M w 6.9 2003 Boumerdes Earthquake, Algeria: Space-Time Distribution, Local Tomography and Seismotectonic Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kherroubi, Abdelaziz; Yelles-Chaouche, Abdelkrim; Koulakov, Ivan; Déverchère, Jacques; Beldjoudi, Hamoud; Haned, Abderrahmane; Semmane, Fethi; Aidi, Chafik

2017-07-01

We present a detailed analysis of the aftershocks of the May 21, 2003 Boumerdes earthquake ( M w = 6.9) recorded by 35 seismological stations and 2 OBS deployed in the epicentral area. This network recorded the aftershock activity for about 1 year and resulted in locating about 2500 events. The five main aftershocks (4.7 < M <5.8) display thrust faulting consistent with the main shock, except for the second event (M5.8, 29/05/2003) which depicts a strike-slip focal solution at the western tip of the rupture zone. Most aftershocks are clustered near the main rupture plane, in the footwall or at the westernmost tip of the 2003 Boumerdes rupture area. Many aftershocks last over the whole seismic crisis ahead (north) of the main rupture zone, forming a diffuse, low-angle surface within the footwall where the coseismic static stress change is predicted to increase. At the SW tip of the rupture, short-lived clusters locate at intersections of faults near the contact between the inner (Kabylia) and outer (Tell) zones. The tomographic inversion depicts high-velocity P- and S-wave anomalies coinciding with Miocene magmatic intrusive bodies in the upper crust, partially hidden by surrounding basins. The area of the main shock is associated with a large low-velocity body subdivided into sub-domains, including Neogene basins on land and offshore. Our results support a rupture model strongly controlled by geological inhomogeneities and extending as ramp-flat-ramp systems upward, favoring heterogeneous slip and segmentation in the fault plane with strong afterslip toward the surface. The diffuse aftershock activity in the footwall evidences an inherited discontinuity at mid-crustal depth that we interpret as the contact of Kabylian and African (Tethyan) continental crusts that were stacked during the Upper Miocene collision.

Late Holocene paleoseismology of Shuyak Island, Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska - surface deformation and plate segmentation within the 1964 Alaska M 9.2 earthquake rupture zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brader, Martin; Shennan, Ian; Barlow, Natasha; Davies, Frank; Longley, Chris; Tunstall, Neil

2017-04-01

Recent paleoseismological studies question whether segment boundaries identified for 20th and 21st century great, >M 8, earthquakes persist through multiple earthquake cycles, or whether smaller segments with different boundaries rupture and cause significant hazards. The smaller segments may include some that are currently slipping rather than locked. The 1964 Alaska M 9.2 earthquake was the largest of five earthquakes of >M 7.9 between 1938 and 1965 along the Aleutian chain and coast of southcentral Alaska that helped define models of rupture segments along the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust. The 1964 M 9.2 earthquake ruptured ˜950 km of the megathrust, involving two main asperities focussed on Kodiak Island and Prince William Sound and crossed the Kenai segment, which is currently creeping. Paleoseismic studies of coastal sediments currently provide a long record of previous large earthquakes for the Prince William Sound segment, with widespread evidence of seven great earthquakes in the last 4000 years and more restricted evidence for three earlier ones. Shorter and more fragmentary records from the Kenai Peninsula, Yakataga and Kodiak Archipelago raise the hypothesis of different patterns of surface deformation during past great earthquakes. We present new evidence from coastal wetlands on Shuyak Island, towards the hypothesised north-eastern boundary of the Kodiak segment, to illustrate different detection limits of paleoseismic indicators and how these influence the identification of segment boundaries in late Holocene earthquakes. We compare predictions of co-seismic uplift and subsidence derived from geophysical models of earthquakes with different rupture modes. The spatial patterns of agreement and misfit between model predictions and quantitative reconstructions of co-seismic submergence and emergence suggest that no earthquake within the last 4000 years had the same rupture pattern as the 1964 M 9.2 earthquake.

Strong Ground Motion Analysis and Afterslip Modeling of Earthquakes near Mendocino Triple Junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, J.; McGuire, J. J.

2017-12-01

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) is one of the most seismically active regions in North America in response to the ongoing motions between North America, Pacific and Gorda plates. Earthquakes near the MTJ come from multiple types of faults due to the interaction boundaries between the three plates and the strong internal deformation within them. Understanding the stress levels that drive the earthquake rupture on the various types of faults and estimating the locking state of the subduction interface are especially important for earthquake hazard assessment. However due to lack of direct offshore seismic and geodetic records, only a few earthquakes' rupture processes have been well studied and the locking state of the subducted slab is not well constrained. In this study we first use the second moment inversion method to study the rupture process of the January 28, 2015 Mw 5.7 strike slip earthquake on Mendocino transform fault using strong ground motion records from Cascadia Initiative community experiment as well as onshore seismic networks. We estimate the rupture dimension to be of 6 km by 3 km and a stress drop of 7 MPa on the transform fault. Next we investigate the frictional locking state on the subduction interface through afterslip simulation based on coseismic rupture models of this 2015 earthquake and a Mw 6.5 intraplate eathquake inside Gorda plate whose slip distribution is inverted using onshore geodetic network in previous study. Different depths for velocity strengthening frictional properties to start at the downdip of the locked zone are used to simulate afterslip scenarios and predict the corresponding surface deformation (GPS) movements onshore. Our simulations indicate that locking depth on the slab surface is at least 14 km, which confirms that the next M8 earthquake rupture will likely reach the coastline and strong shaking should be expected near the coast.

Coseismic fault slip associated with the 1992 M(sub w) 6.1 Joshua Tree, California, earthquake: Implications for the Joshua Tree-Landers earthquake sequence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Richard A.; Reilinger, Robert E.; Rodi, William; Li, Yingping; Toksoz, M. Nafi; Hudnut, Ken

1995-01-01

Coseismic surface deformation associated with the M(sub w) 6.1, April 23, 1992, Joshua Tree earthquake is well represented by estimates of geodetic monument displacements at 20 locations independently derived from Global Positioning System and trilateration measurements. The rms signal to noise ratio for these inferred displacements is 1.8 with near-fault displacement estimates exceeding 40 mm. In order to determine the long-wavelength distribution of slip over the plane of rupture, a Tikhonov regularization operator is applied to these estimates which minimizes stress variability subject to purely right-lateral slip and zero surface slip constraints. The resulting slip distribution yields a geodetic moment estimate of 1.7 x 10(exp 18) N m with corresponding maximum slip around 0.8 m and compares well with independent and complementary information including seismic moment and source time function estimates and main shock and aftershock locations. From empirical Green's functions analyses, a rupture duration of 5 s is obtained which implies a rupture radius of 6-8 km. Most of the inferred slip lies to the north of the hypocenter, consistent with northward rupture propagation. Stress drop estimates are in the range of 2-4 MPa. In addition, predicted Coulomb stress increases correlate remarkably well with the distribution of aftershock hypocenters; most of the aftershocks occur in areas for which the mainshock rupture produced stress increases larger than about 0.1 MPa. In contrast, predicted stress changes are near zero at the hypocenter of the M(sub w) 7.3, June 28, 1992, Landers earthquake which nucleated about 20 km beyond the northernmost edge of the Joshua Tree rupture. Based on aftershock migrations and the predicted static stress field, we speculate that redistribution of Joshua Tree-induced stress perturbations played a role in the spatio-temporal development of the earth sequence culminating in the Landers event.

Coupling of Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and ALOS-2 to assess coseismic deformation and earthquake-induced landslides following 26 June, 2016 earthquake in Kyrgyzstan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vajedian, Sanaz; Motagh, Mahdi; Wetzel, Hans-Ulrich; Teshebaeva, Kanayim

2017-04-01

The active deformation in Kyrgyzstan results from the collision between Indian and Asia tectonic plates at a rate of 29 ± 1 mm/yr. This collision is accommodated by deformation on prominent faults, which can be ruptured coseismically and trigger other hazards like landslides. Many earthquake and earthquake-induced landslides in Kyrgyzstan occur in mountainous areas, where limited accessibility makes ground-based measurements for the assessment of their impact a challenging task. In this context, remote sensing measurements are extraordinary useful as they improve our knowledge about coseismic rupture process and provide information on other types of hazards that are triggered during and/or after the earthquakes. This investigation aims to use L-band ALOS/PALSAR, C-band Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 data to evaluate fault slip model and coseismic-induced landslides related to 26 June 2016 Sary-Tash earthquake, southwest Kyrgyzstan. First we implement three methods to measure coseismic surface motion using radar data including Interferometric SAR (InSAR) analysis, SAR tracking technique and multiple aperture InSAR (MAI), followed by using Genetic Algorithm (GA) to invert the final displacement field to infer combination of orientation, location and slip on rectangular uniform slip fault plane. Slip distribution analysis is done by applying Tikhonov regularization to solve the constrained least-square method with Laplacian smoothing approach. The estimated coseismic slip model suggests a nearly W-E thrusting fault ruptured during the earthquake event in which the main rupture occurred at a depth between 11 and 14 km. Second, the local phase shifts related to landslides are inferred by detailed analysis pre-seismic, coseismic and postseismic C-band and L-band interferograms and the results are compared with the interpretations derived from Sentinel-2 data acquired before and after the earthquake.

Evaluating the Possibility of a joint San Andreas-Imperial Fault Rupture in the Salton Trough Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyriakopoulos, C.; Oglesby, D. D.; Meltzner, A. J.; Rockwell, T. K.

2016-12-01

A geodynamic investigation of possible earthquakes in a given region requires both field data and numerical simulations. In particular, the investigation of past earthquakes is also a fundamental part of understanding the earthquake potential of the Salton Trough region. Geological records from paleoseismic trenches inform us of past ruptures (length, magnitude, timing), while dynamic rupture models allow us to evaluate numerically the mechanics of such earthquakes. The two most recent events (Mw 6.4 1940 and Mw 6.9 1979) on the Imperial fault (IF) both ruptured up to the northern end of the mapped fault, giving the impression that rupture doesn't propagate further north. This result is supported by small displacements, 20 cm, measured at the Dogwood site near the end of the mapped rupture in each event. However, 3D paleoseismic data from the same site corresponding to the most recent pre-1940 event (1710 CE) and 5th (1635 CE) and 6th events back revealed up to 1.5 m of slip in those events. Since we expect the surface displacement to decrease toward the termination of a rupture, we postulate that in these earlier cases the rupture propagated further north than in 1940 or 1979. Furthermore, paleoseismic data from the Coachella site (Philibosian et al., 2011) on the San Andreas fault (SAF) indicates slip events ca. 1710 CE and 1588-1662 CE. In other words, the timing of two large paleoseismic displacements on the IF cannot be distinguished from the timing of the two most recent events on the southern SAF, leaving a question: is it possible to have through-going rupture in the Salton Trough? We investigate this question through 3D dynamic finite element rupture modeling. In our work, we considered two scenarios: rupture initiated on the IF propagating northward, and rupture initiated on the SAF propagating southward. Initial results show that, in the first case, rupture propagates north of the mapped northern terminus of the IF only under certain pre-stress conditions, such as values of the seismic parameter S = 0.45 to 2.0, and tends to stop for S = 2.5. If rupture initiates in the north on the SAF, we find that it is easier for it to propagate across the entire stepover region. The results have implications for potential earthquakes in the region, with the possibility of a preferred direction of rupture propagation through the stepover.

3D geometry of a plate boundary fault related to the 2016 Off-Mie earthquake in the Nankai subduction zone, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuji, Takeshi; Minato, Shohei; Kamei, Rie; Tsuru, Tetsuro; Kimura, Gaku

2017-11-01

We used recent seismic data and advanced techniques to investigate 3D fault geometry over the transition from the partially coupled to the fully coupled plate interface inboard of the Nankai Trough off the Kii Peninsula, Japan. We found that a gently dipping plate boundary décollement with a thick underthrust layer extends beneath the entire Kumano forearc basin. The 1 April 2016 Off-Mie earthquake (Mw6.0) and its aftershocks occurred, where the plate boundary décollement steps down close to the oceanic crust surface. This location also lies beneath the trenchward edge of an older accretionary prism (∼14 Ma) developed along the coast of the Kii peninsula. The strike of the 2016 rupture plane was similar to that of a formerly active splay fault system in the accretionary prism. Thus, the fault planes of the 2016 earthquake and its aftershocks were influenced by the geometry of the plate interface as well as splay faulting. The 2016 earthquake occurred within the rupture area of large interplate earthquakes such as the 1944 Tonankai earthquake (Mw8.1), although the 2016 rupture area was much smaller than that of the 1944 event. Whereas the hypocenter of the 2016 earthquake was around the underplating sequence beneath the younger accretionary prism (∼6 Ma), the 1944 great earthquake hypocenter was close to oceanic crust surface beneath the older accretionary prism. The variation of fault geometry and lithology may influence the degree of coupling along the plate interface, and such coupling variation could hinder slip propagation toward the deeper plate interface in the 2016 event.

Paleoseismic investigations in the Santa Cruz mountains, California: Implications for recurrence of large-magnitude earthquakes on the San Andreas fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwartz, D.P.; Pantosti, D.; Okumura, K.; Powers, T.J.; Hamilton, J.C.

1998-01-01

Trenching, microgeomorphic mapping, and tree ring analysis provide information on timing of paleoearthquakes and behavior of the San Andreas fault in the Santa Cruz mountains. At the Grizzly Flat site alluvial units dated at 1640-1659 A.D., 1679-1894 A.D., 1668-1893 A.D., and the present ground surface are displaced by a single event. This was the 1906 surface rupture. Combined trench dates and tree ring analysis suggest that the penultimate event occurred in the mid-1600s, possibly in an interval as narrow as 1632-1659 A.D. There is no direct evidence in the trenches for the 1838 or 1865 earthquakes, which have been proposed as occurring on this part of the fault zone. In a minimum time of about 340 years only one large surface faulting event (1906) occurred at Grizzly Flat, in contrast to previous recurrence estimates of 95-110 years for the Santa Cruz mountains segment. Comparison with dates of the penultimate San Andreas earthquake at sites north of San Francisco suggests that the San Andreas fault between Point Arena and the Santa Cruz mountains may have failed either as a sequence of closely timed earthquakes on adjacent segments or as a single long rupture similar in length to the 1906 rupture around the mid-1600s. The 1906 coseismic geodetic slip and the late Holocene geologic slip rate on the San Francisco peninsula and southward are about 50-70% and 70% of their values north of San Francisco, respectively. The slip gradient along the 1906 rupture section of the San Andreas reflects partitioning of plate boundary slip onto the San Gregorio, Sargent, and other faults south of the Golden Gate. If a mid-1600s event ruptured the same section of the fault that failed in 1906, it supports the concept that long strike-slip faults can contain master rupture segments that repeat in both length and slip distribution. Recognition of a persistent slip rate gradient along the northern San Andreas fault and the concept of a master segment remove the requirement that lower slip sections of large events such as 1906 must fill in on a periodic basis with smaller and more frequent earthquakes.

The 2006-2007 Kuril Islands great earthquake sequence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lay, T.; Kanamori, H.; Ammon, C.J.; Hutko, Alexander R.; Furlong, K.; Rivera, L.

2009-01-01

The southwestern half of a ???500 km long seismic gap in the central Kuril Island arc subduction zone experienced two great earthquakes with extensive preshock and aftershock sequences in late 2006 to early 2007. The nature of seismic coupling in the gap had been uncertain due to the limited historical record of prior large events and the presence of distinctive upper plate, trench and outer rise structures relative to adjacent regions along the arc that have experienced repeated great interplate earthquakes in the last few centuries. The intraplate region seaward of the seismic gap had several shallow compressional events during the preceding decades (notably an MS 7.2 event on 16 March 1963), leading to speculation that the interplate fault was seismically coupled. This issue was partly resolved by failure of the shallow portion of the interplate megathrust in an MW = 8.3 thrust event on 15 November 2006. This event ruptured ???250 km along the seismic gap, just northeast of the great 1963 Kuril Island (Mw = 8.5) earthquake rupture zone. Within minutes of the thrust event, intense earthquake activity commenced beneath the outer wall of the trench seaward of the interplate rupture, with the larger events having normal-faulting mechanisms. An unusual double band of interplate and intraplate aftershocks developed. On 13 January 2007, an MW = 8.1 extensional earthquake ruptured within the Pacific plate beneath the seaward edge of the Kuril trench. This event is the third largest normal-faulting earthquake seaward of a subduction zone on record, and its rupture zone extended to at least 33 km depth and paralleled most of the length of the 2006 rupture. The 13 January 2007 event produced stronger shaking in Japan than the larger thrust event, as a consequence of higher short-period energy radiation from the source. The great event aftershock sequences were dominated by the expected faulting geometries; thrust faulting for the 2006 rupture zone, and normal faulting for the 2007 rupture zone. A large intraplate compressional event occurred on 15 January 2009 (Mw = 7.4) near 45 km depth, below the rupture zone of the 2007 event and in the vicinity of the 16 March 1963 compressional event. The fault geometry, rupture process and slip distributions of the two great events are estimated using very broadband teleseismic body and surface wave observations. The occurrence of the thrust event in the shallowest portion of the interplate fault in a region with a paucity of large thrust events at greater depths suggests that the event removed most of the slip deficit on this portion of the interplate fault. This great earthquake doublet demonstrates the heightened seismic hazard posed by induced intraplate faulting following large interplate thrust events. Future seismic failure of the remainder of the seismic gap appears viable, with the northeastern region that has also experienced compressional activity seaward of the megathrust warranting particular attention. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Dynamic fault rupture model of the 2008 Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake, Japan; Role of rupture velocity changes on extreme ground motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulido Hernandez, N. E.; Dalguer Gudiel, L. A.; Aoi, S.

2009-12-01

The Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake, a reverse earthquake occurred in the southern Iwate prefecture Japan (2008/6/14), produced the largest peak ground acceleration recorded to date (4g) (Aoi et al. 2008), at the West Ichinoseki (IWTH25), KiK-net strong motion station of NIED. This station which is equipped with surface and borehole accelerometers (GL-260), also recorded very high peak accelerations up to 1g at the borehole level, despite being located in a rock site. From comparison of spectrograms of the observed surface and borehole records at IWTH25, Pulido et. al (2008) identified two high frequency (HF) ground motion events located at 4.5s and 6.3s originating at the source, which likely derived in the extreme observed accelerations of 3.9g and 3.5g at IWTH25. In order to understand the generation mechanism of these HF events we performed a dynamic fault rupture model of the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake by using the Support Operator Rupture Dynamics (SORD) code, (Ely et al., 2009). SORD solves the elastodynamic equation using a generalized finite difference method that can utilize meshes of arbitrary structure and is capable of handling geometries appropriate to thrust earthquakes. Our spontaneous dynamic rupture model of the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake is governed by the simple slip weakening friction law. The dynamic parameters, stress drop, strength excess and critical slip weakening distance are estimated following the procedure described in Pulido and Dalguer (2009) [PD09]. These parameters develop earthquake rupture consistent with the final slip obtained by kinematic source inversion of near source strong ground motion recordings. The dislocation model of this earthquake is characterized by a patch of large slip located ~7 km south of the hypocenter (Suzuki et al. 2009). Our results for the calculation of stress drop follow a similar pattern. Using the rupture times obtained from the dynamic model of the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake we estimated the rupture velocity as well as rupture velocity changes distribution across the fault plane based on the procedure proposed by PD09. Our results show that rupture velocity has strong variations concentrated in small patches within large slip areas (asperities). Using this dynamic model we performed the strong motion simulation at the IWTH25 borehole. We obtained that this model is able to reproduce the two HF events observed in the strong motion data. Our preliminary results suggest that the extreme acceleration pulses were induced by two strong rupture velocity acceleration events at the rupture front. References Aoi, S., T. Kunugi, and H. Fujiwara, 2008, Science, 322, 727-730. Ely, G. P., S. M. Day, and J.-B. Minster (2009), Geophys. J. Int., 177(3), 1140-1150. Pulido, N., S. Aoi, and W. Suzuki (2008), AGU Fall meeting, S33C-02. Pulido, N., and L.A. Dalguer, (2009). Estimation of the high-frequency radiation of the 2000 Tottori (Japan) earthquake based on a dynamic model of fault rupture: Application to the strong ground motion simulation, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 99(4), 2305-2322. Suzuki, W., S. Aoi, and H. Sekiguchi, (2009), Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. (Accepted).

Pediatric appendicitis rupture rate: a national indicator of disparities in healthcare access.

PubMed

Jablonski, Kathleen A; Guagliardo, Mark F

2005-05-04

BACKGROUND: The U.S. National Healthcare Disparities Report is a recent effort to measure and monitor racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. The Report is a work in progress and includes few indicators specific to children. An indicator worthy of consideration is racial/ethnic differences in the rate of bad outcomes for pediatric acute appendicitis. Bad outcomes for this condition are indicative of poor access to healthcare, which is amenable to social and healthcare policy changes. METHODS: We analyzed the KID Inpatient Database, a nationally representative sample of pediatric hospitalization, to compare rates of appendicitis rupture between white, African American, Hispanic and Asian children. We ran weighted logistic regression models to obtain national estimates of relative odds of rupture rate for the four groups, adjusted for developmental, biological, socioeconomic, health services and hospital factors that might influence disease outcome. RESULTS: Rupture was a much more burdensome outcome than timely surgery and rupture avoidance. Rupture cases had 97% higher hospital charges and 175% longer hospital stays than non-rupture cases on average. These burdens disproportionately affected minority children, who had 24% - 38% higher odds of appendicitis rupture than white children, adjusting for age and gender. These differences were reduced, but remained significant after adjusting for other factors. CONCLUSION: The racial/ethnic disparities in pediatric appendicitis outcome are large and are preventable with timely diagnosis and surgery for all children. Furthermore, estimating this disparity using the KID survey is a relatively straightforward process. Therefore pediatric appendicitis rupture rate is a good candidate for inclusion in the National Healthcare Disparities Report. As with most other health and healthcare disparities, efforts to reduce disparities in income, wealth and access to care will most likely improve the odds of favorable outcome for this condition as well.

Systematic Observations of the Slip-pulse Properties of Large Earthquake Ruptures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melgar, D.; Hayes, G. P.

2017-12-01

In earthquake dynamics there are two end member models of rupture: propagating cracks and self-healing pulses. These arise due to different properties of ruptures and have implications for seismic hazard; rupture mode controls near-field strong ground motions. Past studies favor the pulse-like mode of rupture, however, due to a variety of limitations, it has proven difficult to systematically establish their kinematic properties. Here we synthesize observations from a database of >150 rupture models of earthquakes spanning M7-M9 processed in a uniform manner and show the magnitude scaling properties (rise time, pulse width, and peak slip rate) of these slip pulses indicates self-similarity. Self similarity suggests a weak form of rupture determinism, where early on in the source process broader, higher amplitude slip pulses will distinguish between events of icnreasing magnitude. Indeed, we find by analyzing the moment rate functions that large and very large events are statistically distinguishable relatively early (at 15 seconds) in the rupture process. This suggests that with dense regional geophysical networks strong ground motions from a large rupture can be identified before their onset across the source region.

Tsunamigenic earthquake simulations using experimentally derived friction laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, S.; Di Toro, G.; Romano, F.; Scala, A.; Lorito, S.; Spagnuolo, E.; Aretusini, S.; Festa, G.; Piatanesi, A.; Nielsen, S.

2018-03-01

Seismological, tsunami and geodetic observations have shown that subduction zones are complex systems where the properties of earthquake rupture vary with depth as a result of different pre-stress and frictional conditions. A wealth of earthquakes of different sizes and different source features (e.g. rupture duration) can be generated in subduction zones, including tsunami earthquakes, some of which can produce extreme tsunamigenic events. Here, we offer a geological perspective principally accounting for depth-dependent frictional conditions, while adopting a simplified distribution of on-fault tectonic pre-stress. We combine a lithology-controlled, depth-dependent experimental friction law with 2D elastodynamic rupture simulations for a Tohoku-like subduction zone cross-section. Subduction zone fault rocks are dominantly incohesive and clay-rich near the surface, transitioning to cohesive and more crystalline at depth. By randomly shifting along fault dip the location of the high shear stress regions ("asperities"), moderate to great thrust earthquakes and tsunami earthquakes are produced that are quite consistent with seismological, geodetic, and tsunami observations. As an effect of depth-dependent friction in our model, slip is confined to the high stress asperity at depth; near the surface rupture is impeded by the rock-clay transition constraining slip to the clay-rich layer. However, when the high stress asperity is located in the clay-to-crystalline rock transition, great thrust earthquakes can be generated similar to the Mw 9 Tohoku (2011) earthquake.

Examination of the influence of coatings on thin superalloy sections. Volume 2: Detailed procedures and data. [corrosion resistance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, M.

1974-01-01

The effects of an aluminide coating, Codep B-1, and of section thickness were investigated on two cast nickel base superalloys, Rene 80 and Rene 120. Cast section thicknesses ranged from 0.038 cm to 0.15 cm. Simulated engine exposures for 1000 hours at 899C or 982C in a jet fuel burner rig with cyclic air cooling were studied, as were the effects of surface machining before coating and re-machining and re-coating after exposures. The properties evaluated included tensile at room temperature., 871C and 982C, stress rupture at 760C, 871C, 982C and 1093C, high cycle mechanical fatigue at room temperature., and thermal fatigue with a 1093C peak temperature. Thin sections had tensile strengths similar to standard size bars up to 871C and lower strengths at 982C and above, with equivalent elongation, and stress rupture life was lower for thin sections at all test conditions. The aluminide coating lowered tensile and rupture strengths up to 871C, with greater effects on thinner specimens. Elevated temperature exposure lowered tensile and rupture strengths of thinner specimens at the lower test temperatures. Surface machining had little effect on properties, but re-machining after exposure reduced thickness and increased metallurgical changes enough to lower properties at most test conditions.

The distribution of modified mercalli intensity in the 18 April 1906 San Francisco earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boatwright, J.; Bundock, H.

2008-01-01

We analyze Boatwright and Bundock's (2005) modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) map for the 18 April 1906 San Francisco earthquake, reviewing their interpretation of the MMI scale and testing their correlation of 1906 cemetery damage with MMI intensity. We consider in detail four areas of the intensity map where Boatwright and Bundock (2005) added significantly to the intensity descriptions compiled by Lawson (1908). We show that the distribution of off-fault damage in Sonoma County suggests that the rupture velocity approached the P-wave velocity along Tomales Bay. In contrast, the falloff of intensity with distance from the fault appears approximately constant throughout Mendocino County. The intensity in Humboldt County appears somewhat higher than the intensity in Mendocino County, suggesting that the rupture process at the northern end of the rupture was relatively energetic and that there was directivity consistent with a subsonic rupture velocity on the section of the fault south of Shelter Cove. Finally, we show that the intensity sites added in Santa Cruz County change the intensity distribution so that it decreases gradually along the southeastern section of rupture from Corralitos to San Juan Bautista and implies that the stress release on this section of rupture was relatively low.

Driver's side curtain air bag-related globe rupture.

PubMed

Porter, Ashley J; Hayes, Rylan; Lee, Lawrence; O'Hagan, Stephen

2018-06-04

A 35-year-old man presented after a high-speed motor vehicle accident and the driver's side curtain air bag causing blunt force trauma rupturing his right globe. The tangential force of the air bag resulted in an unusual arcuate horseshoe-shaped rupture through the lateral rectus insertion, causing avulsion of the muscle and tearing the sclera, with the apices of the tear extending anteriorly towards the limbus. Repair of the globe rupture was undertaken, and secondary vitrectomy revealed that the scleral tear had not involved the retina abutting the ora serrata. Silicone oil tamponade was used to fill the globe and the postoperative best corrected vision was 6/9. This is the first reported case of a ruptured globe caused by a side curtain air bag, resulting in a uniquely shaped arcuate scleral wound combined with lateral rectus avulsion, not associated with rhegmatogenous retinal damage, and is the first air bag-related globe rupture with scleral involvement to report a final best-corrected visual acuity better than 6/60. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Discrimination of tsunamigenic earthquakes by ionospheric sounding using GNSS observations of total electron content from the Sumatran GPS Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manta, F.; Feng, L.; Occhipinti, G.; Taisne, B.; Hill, E.

2017-12-01

Tsunami earthquakes generate tsunamis larger than expected for their seismic magnitude. They rupture the shallow megathrust, which is usually at significant distance from land-based monitoring networks. This distance presents a challenge in accurately estimating the magnitude and source extent of tsunami earthquakes. Whether these parameters can be estimated reliably is critical to the success of tsunami early warning systems. In this work, we investigate the potential role of using GNSS-observed ionospheric total electron content (TEC) to discriminate tsunami earthquakes, by introducing for the first time the TEC Intensity Index (TECII) for rapidly identify tsunamigenic earthquakes. We examine two Mw 7.8 megathrust events along the Sumatran subduction zone with data from the Sumatran GPS Array (SuGAr). Both events triggered a tsunami alert that was canceled later. The Banyaks event (April 6th, 2010) did not generate a tsunami and caused only minor earthquake-related damage to infrastructure. On the contrary, the Mentawai event (October 25th, 2010) produced a large tsunami with run-up heights of >16 m along the southwestern coasts of the Pagai Islands. The tsunami claimed more than 400 lives. The primary difference between the two events was the depth of rupture: the Mentawai event ruptured a very shallow (<6 km) portion of the Sunda megathrust, while the Banyaks event ruptured a deeper portion (20-30 km). While we identify only a minor ionospheric signature of the Banyaks event (TECII = 1.05), we identify a strong characteristic acoustic-gravity wave only 8 minutes after the Mentawai earthquake (TECII = 1.14) and a characteristic signature of a tsunami 40 minutes after the event. These two signals reveal the large surface displacement at the rupture, and the consequent destructive tsunami. This comparative study of two earthquakes with the same magnitude at different depths highlights the potential role of ionospheric monitoring by GNSS to tsunami early warning systems

Dynamic earthquake rupture simulations on nonplanar faults embedded in 3D geometrically complex, heterogeneous elastic solids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duru, Kenneth, E-mail: kduru@stanford.edu; Dunham, Eric M.; Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Dynamic propagation of shear ruptures on a frictional interface in an elastic solid is a useful idealization of natural earthquakes. The conditions relating discontinuities in particle velocities across fault zones and tractions acting on the fault are often expressed as nonlinear friction laws. The corresponding initial boundary value problems are both numerically and computationally challenging. In addition, seismic waves generated by earthquake ruptures must be propagated for many wavelengths away from the fault. Therefore, reliable and efficient numerical simulations require both provably stable and high order accurate numerical methods. We present a high order accurate finite difference method for: a)more » enforcing nonlinear friction laws, in a consistent and provably stable manner, suitable for efficient explicit time integration; b) dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures along nonplanar faults; and c) accurate propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media with free surface topography. We solve the first order form of the 3D elastic wave equation on a boundary-conforming curvilinear mesh, in terms of particle velocities and stresses that are collocated in space and time, using summation-by-parts (SBP) finite difference operators in space. Boundary and interface conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. By deriving semi-discrete energy estimates analogous to the continuous energy estimates we prove numerical stability. The finite difference stencils used in this paper are sixth order accurate in the interior and third order accurate close to the boundaries. However, the method is applicable to any spatial operator with a diagonal norm satisfying the SBP property. Time stepping is performed with a 4th order accurate explicit low storage Runge–Kutta scheme, thus yielding a globally fourth order accurate method in both space and time. We show numerical simulations on band limited self-similar fractal faults revealing the complexity of rupture dynamics on rough faults.« less

Dynamic earthquake rupture simulations on nonplanar faults embedded in 3D geometrically complex, heterogeneous elastic solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duru, Kenneth; Dunham, Eric M.

2016-01-01

Dynamic propagation of shear ruptures on a frictional interface in an elastic solid is a useful idealization of natural earthquakes. The conditions relating discontinuities in particle velocities across fault zones and tractions acting on the fault are often expressed as nonlinear friction laws. The corresponding initial boundary value problems are both numerically and computationally challenging. In addition, seismic waves generated by earthquake ruptures must be propagated for many wavelengths away from the fault. Therefore, reliable and efficient numerical simulations require both provably stable and high order accurate numerical methods. We present a high order accurate finite difference method for: a) enforcing nonlinear friction laws, in a consistent and provably stable manner, suitable for efficient explicit time integration; b) dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures along nonplanar faults; and c) accurate propagation of seismic waves in heterogeneous media with free surface topography. We solve the first order form of the 3D elastic wave equation on a boundary-conforming curvilinear mesh, in terms of particle velocities and stresses that are collocated in space and time, using summation-by-parts (SBP) finite difference operators in space. Boundary and interface conditions are imposed weakly using penalties. By deriving semi-discrete energy estimates analogous to the continuous energy estimates we prove numerical stability. The finite difference stencils used in this paper are sixth order accurate in the interior and third order accurate close to the boundaries. However, the method is applicable to any spatial operator with a diagonal norm satisfying the SBP property. Time stepping is performed with a 4th order accurate explicit low storage Runge-Kutta scheme, thus yielding a globally fourth order accurate method in both space and time. We show numerical simulations on band limited self-similar fractal faults revealing the complexity of rupture dynamics on rough faults.

Influence of atmospheric pressure on infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture.

PubMed

Robert, Nicolas; Frank, Michael; Avenin, Laure; Hemery, Francois; Becquemin, Jean Pierre

2014-04-01

Meteorologic conditions have a significant impact on the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Previous studies have shown that abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture (AAAR) may be associated with atmospheric pressure, with conflicting results. Therefore, we aimed to further investigate the nature of the correlation between atmospheric pressure variations and AAAR. Hospital admissions related to AAAR between 2005-2009 were assessed in 19 districts of metropolitan France and correlated with geographically and date-matched mean atmospheric pressures. In parallel and from 2005-2009, all fatal AAARs as reported by death certificates were assessed nationwide and correlated to local atmospheric pressures at the time of aortic rupture. Four hundred ninety-four hospital admissions related to AAAR and 6,358 deaths nationwide by AAAR were identified between 2005-2009. Both in-hospital ruptures and aneurysm-related mortality had seasonal variations, with peak/trough incidences in January and June, respectively. Atmospheric pressure peaks occurred during winter. Univariate analysis revealed a significant association (P < 0.001) of high mean atmospheric pressure values and AAAR. After multivariate analysis, mean maximum 1-month prerupture atmospheric pressure had a persistent correlation with both in-hospital relative risk (1.05 [95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.06]; P < 0.0001) and aneurysm rupture-related mortality relative risk (1.02 [95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.03]; P < 0.0001). The annual incidence of AAAR is nonhomogeneous with a peak incidence in winter, and is independently associated with mean maximum 1-month prerupture atmospheric pressure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rupture Process During the Mw 8.1 2017 Chiapas Mexico Earthquake: Shallow Intraplate Normal Faulting by Slab Bending

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okuwaki, R.; Yagi, Y.

2017-12-01

A seismic source model for the Mw 8.1 2017 Chiapas, Mexico, earthquake was constructed by kinematic waveform inversion using globally observed teleseismic waveforms, suggesting that the earthquake was a normal-faulting event on a steeply dipping plane, with the major slip concentrated around a relatively shallow depth of 28 km. The modeled rupture evolution showed unilateral, downdip propagation northwestward from the hypocenter, and the downdip width of the main rupture was restricted to less than 30 km below the slab interface, suggesting that the downdip extensional stresses due to the slab bending were the primary cause of the earthquake. The rupture front abruptly decelerated at the northwestern end of the main rupture where it intersected the subducting Tehuantepec Fracture Zone, suggesting that the fracture zone may have inhibited further rupture propagation.

Rupture preparation process controlled by surface roughness on meter-scale laboratory fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, Futoshi; Fukuyama, Eiichi; Xu, Shiqing; Mizoguchi, Kazuo; Kawakata, Hironori; Takizawa, Shigeru

2018-05-01

We investigate the effect of fault surface roughness on rupture preparation characteristics using meter-scale metagabbro specimens. We repeatedly conducted the experiments with the same pair of rock specimens to make the fault surface rough. We obtained three experimental results under the same experimental conditions (6.7 MPa of normal stress and 0.01 mm/s of loading rate) but at different roughness conditions (smooth, moderately roughened, and heavily roughened). During each experiment, we observed many stick-slip events preceded by precursory slow slip. We investigated when and where slow slip initiated by using the strain gauge data processed by the Kalman filter algorithm. The observed rupture preparation processes on the smooth fault (i.e. the first experiment among the three) showed high repeatability of the spatiotemporal distributions of slow slip initiation. Local stress measurements revealed that slow slip initiated around the region where the ratio of shear to normal stress (τ/σ) was the highest as expected from finite element method (FEM) modeling. However, the exact location of slow slip initiation was where τ/σ became locally minimum, probably due to the frictional heterogeneity. In the experiment on the moderately roughened fault, some irregular events were observed, though the basic characteristics of other regular events were similar to those on the smooth fault. Local stress data revealed that the spatiotemporal characteristics of slow slip initiation and the resulting τ/σ drop for irregular events were different from those for regular ones even under similar stress conditions. On the heavily roughened fault, the location of slow slip initiation was not consistent with τ/σ anymore because of the highly heterogeneous static friction on the fault, which also decreased the repeatability of spatiotemporal distributions of slow slip initiation. These results suggest that fault surface roughness strongly controls the rupture preparation process, and generally increases its complexity with the degree of roughness.

Source process of the MW7.8 2016 Kaikoura earthquake in New Zealand and the characteristics of the near-fault strong ground motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, L.; Zang, Y.; Zhou, L.; Han, Y.

2017-12-01

The MW7.8 New Zealand earthquake of 2016 occurred near the Kaikoura area in the South Island, New Zealand with the epicenter of 173.13°E and 42.78°S. The MW7.8 Kaikoura earthquake occurred on the transform boundary faults between the Pacific plate and the Australian plate and with the thrust focal mechanism solution. The Kaikoura earthquake is a complex event because the significant difference, especially between the magnitude, seismic moment, radiated energy and the casualties. Only two people were killed, and twenty people injured and no more than twenty buildings are destroyed during this earthquake, the damage level is not so severe in consideration about the huge magnitude. We analyzed the rupture process according to the source parameters, it can be confirmed that the radiated energy and the apparent stress of the Kaikoura earthquake are small and minor. The results indicate a frictional overshoot behavior in the dynamic source process of Kaikoura earthquake, which is actually with sufficient rupture and more affluent moderate aftershocks. It is also found that the observed horizontal Peak Ground Acceleration of the strong ground motion is generally small comparing with the Next Generation Attenuation relationship. We further studied the characteristics of the observed horizontal PGAs at the 6 near fault stations, which are located in the area less than 10 km to the main fault. The relatively high level strong ground motion from the 6 stations may be produced by the higher slip around the asperity area rather than the initial rupture position on the main plane. Actually, the huge surface displacement at the northern of the rupture fault plane indicated why aftershocks are concentrated in the north. And there are more damage in Wellington than in Christchurch, even which is near the south of the epicenter. In conclusion, the less damage level of Kaikoura earthquake in New Zealand may probably because of the smaller strong ground motion and the rare population in the near fault area, with the most severe surface destruction. This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41404045).

Rare presentation of ruptured syphilitic aortic aneurysm with pseudoaneurysm.

PubMed

de Almeida Feitosa, Israel Nilton; Dantas Leite Figueiredo, Magda; de Sousa Belem, Lucia; Evelin Soares Filho, Antônio Wilon

2015-11-01

We report the interesting case of a rare form of presentation of rupture of the ascending aorta with formation of a pseudoaneurysm, diagnosed following the development of a large mass on the surface of the chest over a period of about eight months. Serological tests were positive for syphilis. Echocardiography and computed tomography angiography were essential to confirm the diagnosis and therapeutic management. Cardiovascular syphilis is a rare entity since the discovery of penicillin. Rupture of an aortic aneurysm with formation of a pseudoaneurysm is a potentially fatal complication. The postoperative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged from hospital within days of surgery. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Strong nonlinear rupture theory of thin free liquid films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi-Chuan, Hwang; Jun-Liang, Chen; Li-Fu, Shen; Cheng-I, Weng

1996-02-01

A simplified governing equation with high-order effects is formulated after a procedure of evaluating the order of magnitude. Furthermore, the nonlinear evolution equations are derived by the Kármán-Polhausen integral method with a specified velocity profile. Particularly, the effects of surface tension, van der Waals potential, inertia and high-order viscous dissipation are taken into consideration in these equation. The numerical results reveal that the rupture time of free film is much shorter than that of a film on a flat plate. It is shown that because of a more complete high-order viscous dissipation effect discussed in the present study, the rupture process of present model is slower than is predicted by the high-order long wave theory.

An unified numerical simulation of seismic ground motion, ocean acoustics, coseismic deformations and tsunamis of 2011 Tohoku earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, T.; Furumura, T.; Noguchi, S.; Takemura, S.; Iwai, K.; Lee, S.; Sakai, S.; Shinohara, M.

2011-12-01

The fault rupture of the 2011 Tohoku (Mw9.0) earthquake spread approximately 550 km by 260 km with a long source rupture duration of ~200 s. For such large earthquake with a complicated source rupture process the radiation of seismic wave from the source rupture and initiation of tsunami due to the coseismic deformation is considered to be very complicated. In order to understand such a complicated process of seismic wave, coseismic deformation and tsunami, we proposed a unified approach for total modeling of earthquake induced phenomena in a single numerical scheme based on a finite-difference method simulation (Maeda and Furumura, 2011). This simulation model solves the equation of motion of based on the linear elastic theory with equilibrium between quasi-static pressure and gravity in the water column. The height of tsunami is obtained from this simulation as a vertical displacement of ocean surface. In order to simulate seismic waves, ocean acoustics, coseismic deformations, and tsunami from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, we assembled a high-resolution 3D heterogeneous subsurface structural model of northern Japan. The area of simulation is 1200 km x 800 km and 120 km in depth, which have been discretized with grid interval of 1 km in horizontal directions and 0.25 km in vertical direction, respectively. We adopt a source-rupture model proposed by Lee et al. (2011) which is obtained by the joint inversion of teleseismic, near-field strong motion, and coseismic deformation. For conducting such a large-scale simulation, we fully parallelized our simulation code based on a domain-partitioning procedure which achieved a good speed-up by parallel computing up to 8192 core processors with parallel efficiency of 99.839%. The simulation result demonstrates clearly the process in which the seismic wave radiates from the complicated source rupture over the fault plane and propagating in heterogeneous structure of northern Japan. Then, generation of tsunami from coseismic ground deformation at sea floor due to the earthquake and propagation is also well demonstrated . The simulation also demonstrates that a very large slip up to 40 m at shallow plate boundary near the trench pushes up sea floor with source rupture propagation, and the highly elevated sea surface gradually start propagation as tsunamis due to the gravity. The result of simulation of vertical-component displacement waveform matches the ocean-bottom pressure gauge record which is installed just above the source fault area (Maeda et al., 2011) very consistently. Strong reverberation of the ocean-acoustic waves between sea surface and sea bottom particularly near the Japan Trench for long time after the source rupture ends is confirmed in the present simulation. Accordingly, long wavetrains of high-frequency ocean acoustic waves is developed and overlap to later tsunami waveforms as we found in the observations.

On- and off-fault coseismic surface deformation associated with the September 2013 M7.7 Balochistan, Pakistan earthquake measured from mapping and automated pixel correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, R. D.; Reitman, N. G.; Briggs, R. W.; Barnhart, W. D.; Hayes, G. P.

2014-12-01

The 24 September 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan, Pakistan earthquake ruptured a ~200 km-long stretch of the Hoshab fault in southern Pakistan. We remotely measured the coseismic surface deformation field using high-resolution (0.5 m) pre- and post-event satellite imagery. We measured ~300 near-field (0-10 m from fault) laterally offset piercing points (streams, terrace risers, roads, etc.) and find peak left-lateral offsets of ~12-15 m. We characterized the far-field (0-10 km from fault) displacement field using manual (~250 measurements) and automated image cross-correlation methods (e.g., pixel tracking) and find peak displacement values of ~16 m, which commonly exceed the on-fault displacement magnitudes. Our preliminary observations suggest the following: (1) coseismic surface displacement typically increases with distance away from the surface trace of the fault (e.g., highest displacement values in the far field), (2) for certain locations along the fault rupture, as little as 50% of the coseismic displacement field occurred in the near-field; and (3) the magnitudes of individual displacements are inversely correlated to the width of the surface rupture zone (e.g., largest displacements where the fault zone is narrowest). This analysis highlights the importance of identifying field study sites spanning fault sections with narrow deformation zones in order to capture the entire deformation field. For regions of distributed deformation, these results would predict that geologic slip rate studies underestimate a fault's complete slip rate.

Earthquake geology of the Bulnay Fault (Mongolia)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rizza, Magali; Ritz, Jean-Franciois; Prentice, Carol S.; Vassallo, Ricardo; Braucher, Regis; Larroque, Christophe; Arzhannikova, A.; Arzhanikov, S.; Mahan, Shannon; Massault, M.; Michelot, J-L.; Todbileg, M.

2015-01-01

The Bulnay earthquake of July 23, 1905 (Mw 8.3-8.5), in north-central Mongolia, is one of the world's largest recorded intracontinental earthquakes and one of four great earthquakes that occurred in the region during the 20th century. The 375-km-long surface rupture of the left-lateral, strike-slip, N095°E trending Bulnay Fault associated with this earthquake is remarkable for its pronounced expression across the landscape and for the size of features produced by previous earthquakes. Our field observations suggest that in many areas the width and geometry of the rupture zone is the result of repeated earthquakes; however, in those areas where it is possible to determine that the geomorphic features are the result of the 1905 surface rupture alone, the size of the features produced by this single earthquake are singular in comparison to most other historical strike-slip surface ruptures worldwide. Along the 80 km stretch, between 97.18°E and 98.33°E, the fault zone is characterized by several meters width and the mean left-lateral 1905 offset is 8.9 ± 0.6 m with two measured cumulative offsets that are twice the 1905 slip. These observations suggest that the displacement produced during the penultimate event was similar to the 1905 slip. Morphotectonic analyses carried out at three sites along the eastern part of the Bulnay fault, allow us to estimate a mean horizontal slip rate of 3.1 ± 1.7 mm/yr over the Late Pleistocene-Holocene period. In parallel, paleoseismological investigations show evidence for two earthquakes prior to the 1905 event with recurrence intervals of ~2700-4000 years.

Dynamic effects in friction and adhesion through cooperative rupture and formation of supramolecular bonds.

PubMed

Blass, Johanna; Albrecht, Marcel; Bozna, Bianca L; Wenz, Gerhard; Bennewitz, Roland

2015-05-07

We introduce a molecular toolkit for studying the dynamics in friction and adhesion from the single molecule level to effects of multivalency. As experimental model system we use supramolecular bonds established by the inclusion of ditopic adamantane connector molecules into two surface-bound cyclodextrin molecules, attached to a tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) and to a flat silicon surface. The rupture force of a single bond does not depend on the pulling rate, indicating that the fast complexation kinetics of adamantane and cyclodextrin are probed in thermal equilibrium. In contrast, the pull-off force for a group of supramolecular bonds depends on the unloading rate revealing a non-equilibrium situation, an effect discussed as the combined action of multivalency and cantilever inertia effects. Friction forces exhibit a stick-slip characteristic which is explained by the cooperative rupture of groups of host-guest bonds and their rebinding. No dependence of friction on the sliding velocity has been observed in the accessible range of velocities due to fast rebinding and the negligible delay of cantilever response in AFM lateral force measurements.

Multi-Step Fibrinogen Binding to the Integrin αIIbβ3 Detected Using Force Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Litvinov, Rustem I.; Bennett, Joel S.; Weisel, John W.; Shuman, Henry

2005-01-01

The regulated ability of integrin αIIbβ3 to bind fibrinogen plays a crucial role in platelet aggregation and hemostasis. We have developed a model system based on laser tweezers, enabling us to measure specific rupture forces needed to separate single receptor-ligand complexes. First of all, we performed a thorough and statistically representative analysis of nonspecific protein-protein binding versus specific αIIbβ3-fibrinogen interactions in combination with experimental evidence for single-molecule measurements. The rupture force distribution of purified αIIbβ3 and fibrinogen, covalently attached to underlying surfaces, ranged from ∼20 to 150 pN. This distribution could be fit with a sum of an exponential curve for weak to moderate (20–60 pN) forces, and a Gaussian curve for strong (>60 pN) rupture forces that peaked at 80–90 pN. The interactions corresponding to these rupture force regimes differed in their susceptibility to αIIbβ3 antagonists or Mn2+, an αIIbβ3 activator. Varying the surface density of fibrinogen changed the total binding probability linearly >3.5-fold but did not affect the shape of the rupture force distribution, indicating that the measurements represent single-molecule binding. The yield strength of αIIbβ3-fibrinogen interactions was independent of the loading rate (160–16,000 pN/s), whereas their binding probability markedly correlated with the duration of contact. The aggregate of data provides evidence for complex multi-step binding/unbinding pathways of αIIbβ3 and fibrinogen revealed at the single-molecule level. PMID:16040750

The mechanical implications of deep fluids in the rupture process of giant landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cappa, Frédéric; Guglielmi, Yves; Viseur, Sophie; Garambois, Stéphane

2015-04-01

Fluids are known to be a triggering and driving factor for landslides. Hydromechanical coupling has been proposed as possible explanation for landslide dynamics, including both slow, aseismic slip, as well as fast, seismic rupture. The widely accepted understanding is that rainfall, snowmelt and the seasonality of the groundwater recharge increases fluid pressures, which in turn reduces effective stress, and thus alters the strength of rocks and rupture surfaces, promoting sliding. So far, most interpretations focused on the effects of rainfall infiltration into landslides, and did not investigate in detail the role of groundwater table variations below the landslides on the rupture processes. However, such considerations are important, since observations of well-documented giant landslides showed that the moving volume extends hundreds of meters above the slope aquifer. Furthermore, although motions correlate well with seasonal infiltrations, no significant pore pressure increase has ever been measured within the landslide body, particularly in high-permeability rocky landslides. Indeed, motions occur in the near surface of the unsaturated slope, which is in general highly permeable (which allows high infiltration rates), perched, highly discontinuous, size-limited, and experiences low magnitude pore pressure build-up that is not high enough to significantly vary the effective stresses in the slope. Triggering of local instabilities by such perched low-pressurized zones may be possible only at the critical stress level of the rock, but do not explain the slow increase in the permanent background seasonal accelerations and decelerations that affect the entire landslide. Thus, clarifying the role of fluids, especially the effects of groundwater table variations within the deep aquifer on the unsaturated slope slow rupture is important for improved understanding of weak forcing mechanisms on landslides and risk assessment. The study of strain partitioning in two giant rocky landslides in France (La Clapière and Séchilienne, estimated volume of about 60 million cubic meters) provides a unique insight into the sensitivity of landslide motions to the changes in deep fluid pressures and surface frictional properties. Here we show with hydromechanical modeling that a significant part of the observed landslide motions and associated seismicity may be caused by poroelastic strain below the landslide, induced by groundwater table variations. In the unstable volume near the surface, calculated strain and rupture may be controlled by stress transfer and friction weakening above the phreatic zone and reproduce well high-motion zone characteristics measured by geodesy and seismology. The key model parameters are friction weakening and the position of groundwater level, which is sufficiently constrained by field data and seismic imaging to support the physical validity of the model. These results are of importance for the understanding of surface strain evolution under weak forcing and they demonstrated that the seasonal variation of deep fluids below the landslide is a major increasing factor of instability.

Investigating microearthquake finite source attributes with IRIS Community Wavefield Demonstration Experiment in Oklahoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Wenyuan; McGuire, Jeffrey J.

2018-05-01

An earthquake rupture process can be kinematically described by rupture velocity, duration and spatial extent. These key kinematic source parameters provide important constraints on earthquake physics and rupture dynamics. In particular, core questions in earthquake science can be addressed once these properties of small earthquakes are well resolved. However, these parameters of small earthquakes are poorly understood, often limited by available datasets and methodologies. The IRIS Community Wavefield Experiment in Oklahoma deployed ˜350 three component nodal stations within 40 km2 for a month, offering an unprecedented opportunity to test new methodologies for resolving small earthquake finite source properties in high resolution. In this study, we demonstrate the power of the nodal dataset to resolve the variations in the seismic wavefield over the focal sphere due to the finite source attributes of a M2 earthquake within the array. The dense coverage allows us to tightly constrain rupture area using the second moment method even for such a small earthquake. The M2 earthquake was a strike-slip event and unilaterally propagated towards the surface at 90 per cent local S- wave speed (2.93 km s-1). The earthquake lasted ˜0.019 s and ruptured Lc ˜70 m by Wc ˜45 m. With the resolved rupture area, the stress-drop of the earthquake is estimated as 7.3 MPa for Mw 2.3. We demonstrate that the maximum and minimum bounds on rupture area are within a factor of two, much lower than typical stress drop uncertainty, despite a suboptimal station distribution. The rupture properties suggest that there is little difference between the M2 Oklahoma earthquake and typical large earthquakes. The new three component nodal systems have great potential for improving the resolution of studies of earthquake source properties.

Rupture history of the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan, China, earthquake: Evaluation of separate and joint inversions of geodetic, teleseismic, and strong-motion data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartzell, Stephen; Mendoza, Carlos; Ramírez-Guzmán, Leonardo; Zeng, Yuesha; Mooney, Walter

2013-01-01

An extensive data set of teleseismic and strong-motion waveforms and geodetic offsets is used to study the rupture history of the 2008 Wenchuan, China, earthquake. A linear multiple-time-window approach is used to parameterize the rupture. Because of the complexity of the Wenchuan faulting, three separate planes are used to represent the rupturing surfaces. This earthquake clearly demonstrates the strengths and limitations of geodetic, teleseismic, and strong-motion data sets. Geodetic data (static offsets) are valuable for determining the distribution of shallower slip but are insensitive to deeper faulting and reveal nothing about the timing of slip. Teleseismic data in the distance range 30°–90° generally involve no modeling difficulties because of simple ray paths and can distinguish shallow from deep slip. Teleseismic data, however, cannot distinguish between different slip scenarios when multiple fault planes are involved because steep takeoff angles lead to ambiguity in timing. Local strong-motion data, on the other hand, are ideal for determining the direction of rupture from directivity but can easily be over modeled with inaccurate Green’s functions, leading to misinterpretation of the slip distribution. We show that all three data sets are required to give an accurate description of the Wenchuan rupture. The moment is estimated to be approximately 1.0 × 1021 N · m with the slip characterized by multiple large patches with slips up to 10 m. Rupture initiates on the southern end of the Pengguan fault and proceeds unilaterally to the northeast. Upon reaching the cross-cutting Xiaoyudong fault, rupture of the adjacent Beichuan fault starts at this juncture and proceeds bilaterally to the northeast and southwest.

Earthquake rupture dynamics in poorly lithified sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Paola, N.; Bullock, R. J.; Holdsworth, R.; Marco, S.; Nielsen, S. B.

2017-12-01

Several recent large earthquakes have generated anomalously large slip patches when propagating through fluid-saturated, clay-rich sediments near the surface. Friction experiments at seismic slip rates show that such sediments are extremely weak and deform with very little energy dissipation, which facilitates rupture propagation. Although dynamic weakening may explain the ease of rupture propagation through such sediments, it cannot account for the peculiar slow rupture velocity and low radiation efficiency exhibited by some large, shallow ruptures. Here, we integrate field and experimental datasets to describe on- and off-fault deformation in natural syn-depositional seismogenic faults (< 35 ka) in shallow, clay-rich, poorly lithified sediments from the Dead Sea Fault system, Israel. The data are then used to estimate the energy dissipated by on- and off-fault damage during earthquake rupture through shallow, clay-rich sediments. Our mechanical and field data show localised principal slip zones (PSZs) that deform by particulate flow, with little energy dissipated by brittle fracturing with cataclasis. Conversely, we show that coseismic brittle and ductile deformation in the damage zones outwith the PSZ, which cannot be replicated in small-scale laboratory experiments, is a significant energy sink, contributing to an energy dissipation that is one order of magnitude greater than that estimated from laboratory experiments alone. In particular, a greater proportion of dissipated energy would result in lower radiation efficiency, due to a reduced proportion of radiated energy, plus slower rupture velocity and more energy radiation in the low frequency range than might be anticipated from laboratory experiments alone. This result is in better agreement with seismological estimates of fracture energy, implying that off-fault damage can account for the geophysical characteristics of earthquake ruptures as they pass through clay-rich sediments in the shallow crust.

Measurement of Conformational Changes Accompanying Desensitization in an Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armstrong,N.; Jasti, J.; Beich-Frandsen, M.

2006-01-01

The canonical conformational states occupied by most ligand-gated ion channels, and many cell-surface receptors, are the resting, activated, and desensitized states. While the resting and activated states of multiple receptors are well characterized, elaboration of the structural properties of the desensitized state, a state that is by definition inactive, has proven difficult. Here we use electrical, chemical, and crystallographic experiments on the AMPA-sensitive GluR2 receptor, defining the conformational rearrangements of the agonist binding cores that occur upon desensitization of this ligand-gated ion channel. These studies demonstrate that desensitization involves the rupture of an extensive interface between domain 1 of 2-foldmore » related glutamate-binding core subunits, compensating for the ca. 21{sup o} of domain closure induced by glutamate binding. The rupture of the domain 1 interface allows the ion channel to close and thereby provides a simple explanation to the long-standing question of how agonist binding is decoupled from ion channel gating upon receptor desensitization.« less

Deformation and rupture of the oceanic crust may control growth of Hawaiian volcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Got, J.-L.; Monteiller, V.; Monteux, J.; Hassani, R.; Okubo, P.

2008-01-01

Hawaiian volcanoes are formed by the eruption of large quantities of basaltic magma related to hot-spot activity below the Pacific Plate. Despite the apparent simplicity of the parent process - emission of magma onto the oceanic crust - the resulting edifices display some topographic complexity. Certain features, such as rift zones and large flank slides, are common to all Hawaiian volcanoes, indicating similarities in their genesis; however, the underlying mechanism controlling this process remains unknown. Here we use seismological investigations and finite-element mechanical modelling to show that the load exerted by large Hawaiian volcanoes can be sufficient to rupture the oceanic crust. This intense deformation, combined with the accelerated subsidence of the oceanic crust and the weakness of the volcanic edifice/oceanic crust interface, may control the surface morphology of Hawaiian volcanoes, especially the existence of their giant flank instabilities. Further studies are needed to determine whether such processes occur in other active intraplate volcanoes. ??2008 Nature Publishing Group.

Deformation and rupture of the oceanic crust may control growth of Hawaiian volcanoes.

PubMed

Got, Jean-Luc; Monteiller, Vadim; Monteux, Julien; Hassani, Riad; Okubo, Paul

2008-01-24

Hawaiian volcanoes are formed by the eruption of large quantities of basaltic magma related to hot-spot activity below the Pacific Plate. Despite the apparent simplicity of the parent process--emission of magma onto the oceanic crust--the resulting edifices display some topographic complexity. Certain features, such as rift zones and large flank slides, are common to all Hawaiian volcanoes, indicating similarities in their genesis; however, the underlying mechanism controlling this process remains unknown. Here we use seismological investigations and finite-element mechanical modelling to show that the load exerted by large Hawaiian volcanoes can be sufficient to rupture the oceanic crust. This intense deformation, combined with the accelerated subsidence of the oceanic crust and the weakness of the volcanic edifice/oceanic crust interface, may control the surface morphology of Hawaiian volcanoes, especially the existence of their giant flank instabilities. Further studies are needed to determine whether such processes occur in other active intraplate volcanoes.

Late Pleistocene - Holocene ruptures of the Lima Reservoir fault, SW Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasio, David J.; Majerowicz, Christina N.; Pazzaglia, Frank J.; Regalla, Christine A.

2010-12-01

Active tectonics within the northern Basin and Range province provide a natural laboratory for the study of normal fault growth, linkage, and interaction. Here, we present new geologic mapping and morphologic fault-scarp modeling within the Centennial Valley, Montana to characterize Pleistocene - Holocene ruptures of the young and active Lima Reservoir fault. Geologic relationships and rupture ages indicate Middle Pleistocene activity on the Henry Gulch (>50 ka and 23-10 ka), Trail Creek (>43 ka and ˜13 ka), and reservoir (˜23 ka) segments. Offset Quaternary deposits also record Holocene rupture of the reservoir segment (˜8 ka), but unfaulted modern streams show that no segments of the Lima Reservoir fault have experienced a large earthquake in at least several millennia. The clustered pattern of rupture ages on the Lima Reservoir fault segments suggests a seismogenic linkage though segment length and spacing make a physical connection at depth unlikely. Trail Creek and reservoir segment slip rates were non-steady and appear to be increasing. The fault helps accommodate differential horizontal surface velocity measured by GPS geodesy across the boundary between the northern Basin and Range province and the Snake River Plain.

Rapid Response Products of The ARIA Project for the M6.0 August 24, 2014 South Napa Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, S. H.; Owen, S. E.; Hua, H.; Milillo, P.; Fielding, E. J.; Hudnut, K. W.; Dawson, T. E.; Mccrink, T. P.; Jo, M. J.; Barnhart, W. D.; Manipon, G. J. M.; Agram, P. S.; Moore, A. W.; Jung, H. S.; Webb, F.; Milillo, G.; Rosinski, A.

2014-12-01

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck southern Napa county northeast of San Francisco, California, on Aug. 24, 2014, causing significant damage in the city of Napa and nearby areas. One day after the earthquake, the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team produced and released observations of coseismic ground displacement measured with continuous GPS stations of the Plate Boundary Observatory (operated by UNAVCO for the National Science Foundation) and the Bay Area Rapid Deformation network (operated by Berkeley Seismological Laboratory). Three days after the earthquake (Aug. 27), the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) satellite acquired their first post-event data. On the same day, the ARIA team, in collaboration with ASI and University of Basilicata, produced and released a coseismic interferogram that revealed ground deformation and surface rupture. The depiction of the surface rupture - discontinuities of color fringes in the CSK interferogram - helped guide field geologists from the US Geological Survey and the California Geological Survey (CGS) to features that may have otherwise gone undetected. Small-scale cracks were found on a runway of the Napa County Airport, as well as bridge damage and damaged roads. ARIA's response to this event highlighted the importance of timeliness for mapping surface deformation features. ARIA's rapid response products were shared through Southern California Earthquake Center's response website and the California Earthquake Clearinghouse. A damage proxy map derived from InSAR coherence of CSK data was produced and distributed on Aug. 27. Field crews from the CGS identified true and false positives, including mobile home damage, newly planted grape vines, and a cripple wall failure of a house. Finite fault slip models constrained from CSK interferograms and continuous GPS observations reveal a north-propagating rupture with well-resolved slip from 0-10.5 km depth. We also measured along-track coseismic displacements of about -30 to 30 cm, along the main surface rupture, using multiple aperture interferometry and SAR pixel offset calculation. We also processed the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A data on Sep. 3 and compared the result with the CSK interferogram, finding a general agreement between the two observations of surface deformation.

Geotechnical Reconnaissance of the 3 November 2002, Mw 7.9, Denali- Earthquake, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kayen, R.; Sitar, N.; Carver, G.; Collins, B.; Moss, R.

2002-12-01

Following the Mw 7.9 earthquake on the Denali and Totschunda faults on 3 November 2002, we conducted a reconnaissance of the region to investigate geotechnical and surface rupture features of the event. The focus of our investigation was to characterize the spatial extent and amplitude of ground failures and fault displacements, and assess damage to structures. As a first step, our team flew along the Denali fault from the Black Rapids Glacier, west of the Richardson Highway, to the Glenn Highway (Tok Cut-off). We also conducted a brief air reconnaissance of the southern part of the Totschunda fault northwest of the Nabesna River, and brief ground surveys where the fault intersected the highways and the TAPS pipeline. The most noteworthy aerial observations were that geotechnical and structural damages appeared to be focused towards the eastern end of the Denali- fault rupture area. For example, liquefaction features in the bars of the Tanana River, north of the fault-break, are sparsely located from Fairbanks to Delta, but are pervasive throughout the eastern area of the break to Northway Junction, the eastern limit of our survey. Likewise, for the four glacier-proximal rivers draining toward the north, little or no liquefaction was observed on the western Delta and Johnson Rivers whereas, the eastern Johnson and Tok Rivers and, especially, the Nabesna River had observable-to-abundant fissures and sand vents. Another curious aspect of the apparent differences in strong motion along and across the fault was the abundance of landslide and rock avalanche features on the south side of the fault and a dearth of these features on the northern side. Ice on frozen lakes and ponds were shattered within about 30-40 km of the fault along the western part of the surface rupture and to the east became more widespread. In the Northway region ice on most lakes was broken at distances of more than 100 km. The surface rupture was very linear, continuous, and confined to a relatively narrow zone composed over much of its length by closely spaced en-echelin breaks. Few significant branches or splays were observed. The apparent slip on the Denali Fault was also observed to increase to the east from Black Rapids Glacier toward the Mentasta Village area. , On the Totschunda fault, the rupture decreased in slip before dying out approximately 5 kilometers northwest of the Nabesna River. Where the fault crossed the trans-Alaska pipeline, dislocation occurred along a series of en echelon fissures. One of these en echelon breaks intersected the end of one of the Teflon surfaced skids (sleepers) that supports the pipe in the fault zone, displacing it about a meter but not damaging the pipe. Strong shaking and movement of the pipe resulted in damage to 8 horizontal support members, and 9 anchored supports near the fault crossing. These affects were not critical to the integrity of the pipeline, which performed well during the event. This reconnaissance was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Large-Scale Biaxial Friction Experiments with an Assistance of the NIED Shaking Table

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuyama, E.; Mizoguchi, K.; Yamashita, F.; Togo, T.; Kawakata, H.; Yoshimitsu, N.; Shimamoto, T.; Mikoshiba, T.; Sato, M.; Minowa, C.

2012-12-01

We constructed a large-scale biaxial friction apparatus using a large shaking table working at NIED (table dimension is 15m x 15m). The actuator of the shaking table becomes the engine of the constant speed loading. We used a 1.5m long rock sample overlaid on a 2m one. Their height and width are both 0.5m. Therefore, the slip area is 1.5m x 0.5m. The 2m long sample moves with the shaking table and the 1.5m sample is fixed to the basement of the shaking table. Thus, the shaking table displacement controls the dislocation between two rock samples. The shaking table can generate 0.4m displacement with a velocity ranging between 0.0125mm/s and 1m/s. We used Indian gabbro for the rock sample of the present experiments. Original flatness of the sliding surface was formed less than 0.024mm undulation using a large-scale plane grinder. Surface roughness evolved as subsequent experiments were done. Wear material was generated during each experiment, whose grain size becomes bigger as the experiments proceed. This might suggest a damage evolution on the sliding surface. In some experiments we did not remove the gouge material before sliding to examine the effect of gouge layer. Normal stress can be applied up to 1.3MPa. The stiffness of this apparatus was measured experimentally and was of the order of 0.1GN/m. We first measured the coefficient of friction at low sliding velocity (0.1~1mm/s) where the steady state was achieved after the slip of ~5mm. The coefficient of friction was about 0.75 under the normal stress between 0.13 and 1.3MPa. This is consistent with those estimated by previous works using smaller rock samples. We observed that the coefficient of friction decreased gradually with increasing slip velocity, but simultaneously the friction curves at the higher velocities are characterized by stick-slip vibration. Our main aim of the experiments is to understand the rupture propagation from slow nucleation to fast unstable rupture during the loading of two contact surfaces. We recorded many unstable slip events that nucleated inside the sliding surface but did not reach the edge of the sliding surface until the termination of slip. These slip events simulate full rupture process during earthquake, including nucleation, propagation and termination of the rupture. We monitored these rupture progress using the strain change propagation measured by 16 semiconductor strain gauges recorded at a sampling rate of 1MHz. In addition, high frequency waves emitted from AE events was continuously observed by 8 piezo-electronic transducers (PZTs) at a sampling rate of 20MHz. These sensors were attached at the edge of the slipping area. The AE event started to occur where the slip was nucleated and the slip area started to expand. Unfortunately, we could not locate all AE events during the unstable rupture, because of the overprints of signals from multiple events in the PZT records. We also monitored the amplitudes of transmitted waves across the sliding surface. The amplitudes decreased just after the stick slip and recovered gradually, suggesting that the transmitted wave amplitudes might reflect the slipped area on the interface.

Intracranial dermoid cyst rupture-related brain ischemia: Case report and hemodynamic study.

PubMed

Jin, Hang; Guo, Zhen-Ni; Luo, Yun; Zhao, Ren; Sun, Ming-Shuo; Yang, Yi

2017-01-01

Spontaneous rupture of intracranial dermoid cyst is a rare but serious clinical event that can result in cerebral ischemia. Cerebral vasospasm and vasculitis are considered as potential mechanisms of dermoid cyst rupture-related cerebral ischemia. However, the hemodynamic mechanisms between cerebral ischemia and dermoid cyst rupture are not well known. A 55-year-old, right-handed man was admitted to our hospital with sudden receptive aphasia and right-sided hypoalgesia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a ruptured dermoid cyst and watershed infarcts in the left hemisphere. Then brain magnetic resonance angiography disclosed mild stenosis in the left middle cerebral artery (MCA), and further high-resolution MRI demonstrated it was caused by an unstable atherosclerosis plaque. Transcranial Doppler of the patient showed a decreasing tendency of peak systolic velocity (PSV) of the left MCA at different time points after the stroke (from 290cm/s at day 6 to 120cm/s at day 30), indicating a transient vasospasm. However, the time course of dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) seemed different from the PSV. The patient's dCA reached its lowest point at day 8 and was restored at day 10. The time course of dCA indicated a "called procedure" of a cerebrovascular regulating function to deal with the stimulation in subarachnoid space. A dermoid cyst rupture-related cerebral infarction was diagnosed in this patient. Aspirin (100 mg/d) and atorvastatin (20 mg/d) were given to the patient. A neurosurgical operation was strongly recommended to minimize the risk of further injury of the ruptured dermoid cyst; however, the patient refused the recommended treatment. The neurological deficit of the patient was significantly improved on 30 days follow-up. We found that the spread of cyst contents through the subarachnoid and/or ventricular system can induce a vasospasm. Then, dCA was "called" to deal with the stimulation in the subarachnoid space. Compromised dCA seems to be one of the compensatory of cerebral vasospasm after a dermoid cyst rupture.

Complex multifault rupture during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake, New Zealand.

PubMed

Hamling, Ian J; Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún; Clark, Kate; Elliott, John; Liang, Cunren; Fielding, Eric; Litchfield, Nicola; Villamor, Pilar; Wallace, Laura; Wright, Tim J; D'Anastasio, Elisabetta; Bannister, Stephen; Burbidge, David; Denys, Paul; Gentle, Paula; Howarth, Jamie; Mueller, Christof; Palmer, Neville; Pearson, Chris; Power, William; Barnes, Philip; Barrell, David J A; Van Dissen, Russ; Langridge, Robert; Little, Tim; Nicol, Andrew; Pettinga, Jarg; Rowland, Julie; Stirling, Mark

2017-04-14

On 14 November 2016, northeastern South Island of New Zealand was struck by a major moment magnitude ( M w ) 7.8 earthquake. Field observations, in conjunction with interferometric synthetic aperture radar, Global Positioning System, and seismology data, reveal this to be one of the most complex earthquakes ever recorded. The rupture propagated northward for more than 170 kilometers along both mapped and unmapped faults before continuing offshore at the island's northeastern extent. Geodetic and field observations reveal surface ruptures along at least 12 major faults, including possible slip along the southern Hikurangi subduction interface; extensive uplift along much of the coastline; and widespread anelastic deformation, including the ~8-meter uplift of a fault-bounded block. This complex earthquake defies many conventional assumptions about the degree to which earthquake ruptures are controlled by fault segmentation and should motivate reevaluation of these issues in seismic hazard models. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Geotechnical reconnaissance of the 2002 Denali fault, Alaska, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kayen, R.; Thompson, E.; Minasian, D.; Moss, R.E.S.; Collins, B.D.; Sitar, N.; Dreger, D.; Carver, G.

2004-01-01

The 2002 M7.9 Denali fault earthquake resulted in 340 km of ruptures along three separate faults, causing widespread liquefaction in the fluvial deposits of the alpine valleys of the Alaska Range and eastern lowlands of the Tanana River. Areas affected by liquefaction are largely confined to Holocene alluvial deposits, man-made embankments, and backfills. Liquefaction damage, sparse surrounding the fault rupture in the western region, was abundant and severe on the eastern rivers: the Robertson, Slana, Tok, Chisana, Nabesna and Tanana Rivers. Synthetic seismograms from a kinematic source model suggest that the eastern region of the rupture zone had elevated strong-motion levels due to rupture directivity, supporting observations of elevated geotechnical damage. We use augered soil samples and shear-wave velocity profiles made with a portable apparatus for the spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) to characterize soil properties and stiffness at liquefaction sites and three trans-Alaska pipeline pump station accelerometer locations. ?? 2004, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

Rebleeding from clipped aneurysm after 35 years: Report of 2 cases

PubMed Central

Ishida, Atsushi; Matsuo, Seigo; Asakuno, Keizoh; Nemoto, Akio; Niimura, Kaku; Yoshimoto, Haruko; Shiramizu, Hideki; Yuzawa, Miki

2015-01-01

Background: A successfully applied clip for a ruptured aneurysm keeps the aneurysm's neck closed, preventing rerupture throughout the patient's life. Unfortunately, rebleeding from a clipped aneurysm does occur, but the likelihood declines with time. Since relatively old people suffer from subarachnoid hemorrhage, they die from diseases other than rebleeding, such as cancer. Therefore, rebleeding from a clipped aneurysm after two decades is quite rare. Case Description: Here, we report 2 cases of rerupture after an extremely long time since the initial clipping. In both cases, the old clip was removed, and the regrown gourd-shaped aneurysm was successfully obliterated. The clips in both cases were submitted to their manufacturers and inspected thoroughly. They were found to be second-generation, stainless steel clips, and were almost intact, even keeping their closing forces. In both cases, the clip existed on the surface of the newly made dome, and the previous dome completely disappeared. Conclusions: We experienced 2 cases of rebleeding from the clipped aneurysm after 35 years. In one of the cases, the clip was a Yasargil second generation stainless steel clip that retained its mechanical properties and surface elemental composition in vivo for a long time. These cases should be informative as they show extremely long-term course of a clip applied for a ruptured aneurysm. PMID:26322244

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aagaard, B T; Graves, R W; Rodgers, A

We simulate long-period (T > 1.0-2.0 s) and broadband (T > 0.1 s) ground motions for 39 scenarios earthquakes (Mw 6.7-7.2) involving the Hayward, Calaveras, and Rodgers Creek faults. For rupture on the Hayward fault we consider the effects of creep on coseismic slip using two different approaches, both of which reduce the ground motions compared with neglecting the influence of creep. Nevertheless, the scenario earthquakes generate strong shaking throughout the San Francisco Bay area with about 50% of the urban area experiencing MMI VII or greater for the magnitude 7.0 scenario events. Long-period simulations of the 2007 Mw 4.18more » Oakland and 2007 Mw 4.5 Alum Rock earthquakes show that the USGS Bay Area Velocity Model version 08.3.0 permits simulation of the amplitude and duration of shaking throughout the San Francisco Bay area, with the greatest accuracy in the Santa Clara Valley (San Jose area). The ground motions exhibit a strong sensitivity to the rupture length (or magnitude), hypocenter (or rupture directivity), and slip distribution. The ground motions display a much weaker sensitivity to the rise time and rupture speed. Peak velocities, peak accelerations, and spectral accelerations from the synthetic broadband ground motions are, on average, slightly higher than the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) ground-motion prediction equations. We attribute at least some of this difference to the relatively narrow width of the Hayward fault ruptures. The simulations suggest that the Spudich and Chiou (2008) directivity corrections to the NGA relations could be improved by including a dependence on the rupture speed and increasing the areal extent of rupture directivity with period. The simulations also indicate that the NGA relations may under-predict amplification in shallow sedimentary basins.« less

High-resolution lidar topography of the Puget Lowland, Washington - A bonanza for earth science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haugerud, R.A.; Harding, D.J.; Johnson, S.Y.; Harless, J.L.; Weaver, C.S.; Sherrod, B.L.

2003-01-01

More than 10,000 km2 of high-resolution, public-domain topography acquired by the Puget Sound Lidar Consortium is revolutionizing investigations of active faulting, continental glaciation, landslides, and surficial processes in the seismically active Puget Lowland. The Lowland-the population and economic center of the Pacific Northwest-presents special problems for hazards investigations, with its young glacial topography, dense forest cover, and urbanization. Lidar mapping during leaf-off conditions has led to a detailed digital model of the landscape beneath the forest canopy. The surface thus revealed contains a rich and diverse record of previously unknown surface-rupturing faults, deep-seated landslides, uplifted Holocene and Pleistocene beaches, and subglacial and periglacial features. More than half a dozen suspected postglacial fault scarps have been identified to date. Five scarps that have been trenched show evidence of large, Holocene, surface-rupturing earthquakes.

Dynamic rupture modeling of the transition from thrust to strike-slip motion in the 2002 Denali fault earthquake, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aagaard, Brad T.; Anderson, G.; Hudnut, K.W.

2004-01-01

We use three-dimensional dynamic (spontaneous) rupture models to investigate the nearly simultaneous ruptures of the Susitna Glacier thrust fault and the Denali strike-slip fault. With the 1957 Mw 8.3 Gobi-Altay, Mongolia, earthquake as the only other well-documented case of significant, nearly simultaneous rupture of both thrust and strike-slip faults, this feature of the 2002 Denali fault earthquake provides a unique opportunity to investigate the mechanisms responsible for development of these large, complex events. We find that the geometry of the faults and the orientation of the regional stress field caused slip on the Susitna Glacier fault to load the Denali fault. Several different stress orientations with oblique right-lateral motion on the Susitna Glacier fault replicate the triggering of rupture on the Denali fault about 10 sec after the rupture nucleates on the Susitna Glacier fault. However, generating slip directions compatible with measured surface offsets and kinematic source inversions requires perturbing the stress orientation from that determined with focal mechanisms of regional events. Adjusting the vertical component of the principal stress tensor for the regional stress field so that it is more consistent with a mixture of strike-slip and reverse faulting significantly improves the fit of the slip-rake angles to the data. Rotating the maximum horizontal compressive stress direction westward appears to improve the fit even further.

Transpressional Rupture Cascade of the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wenbin; Feng, Guangcai; Meng, Lingsen; Zhang, Ailin; Ampuero, Jean Paul; Bürgmann, Roland; Fang, Lihua

2018-03-01

Large earthquakes often do not occur on a simple planar fault but involve rupture of multiple geometrically complex faults. The 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, New Zealand, involved the rupture of at least 21 faults, propagating from southwest to northeast for about 180 km. Here we combine space geodesy and seismology techniques to study subsurface fault geometry, slip distribution, and the kinematics of the rupture. Our finite-fault slip model indicates that the fault motion changes from predominantly right-lateral slip near the epicenter to transpressional slip in the northeast with a maximum coseismic surface displacement of about 10 m near the intersection between the Kekerengu and Papatea faults. Teleseismic back projection imaging shows that rupture speed was overall slow (1.4 km/s) but faster on individual fault segments (approximately 2 km/s) and that the conjugate, oblique-reverse, north striking faults released the largest high-frequency energy. We show that the linking Conway-Charwell faults aided in propagation of rupture across the step over from the Humps fault zone to the Hope fault. Fault slip cascaded along the Jordan Thrust, Kekerengu, and Needles faults, causing stress perturbations that activated two major conjugate faults, the Hundalee and Papatea faults. Our results shed important light on the study of earthquakes and seismic hazard evaluation in geometrically complex fault systems.

Great earthquakes of variable magnitude at the Cascadia subduction zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, A.R.; Kelsey, H.M.; Witter, R.C.

2006-01-01

Comparison of histories of great earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis at eight coastal sites suggests plate-boundary ruptures of varying length, implying great earthquakes of variable magnitude at the Cascadia subduction zone. Inference of rupture length relies on degree of overlap on radiocarbon age ranges for earthquakes and tsunamis, and relative amounts of coseismic subsidence and heights of tsunamis. Written records of a tsunami in Japan provide the most conclusive evidence for rupture of much of the plate boundary during the earthquake of 26 January 1700. Cascadia stratigraphic evidence dating from about 1600??cal yr B.P., similar to that for the 1700 earthquake, implies a similarly long rupture with substantial subsidence and a high tsunami. Correlations are consistent with other long ruptures about 1350??cal yr B.P., 2500??cal yr B.P., 3400??cal yr B.P., 3800??cal yr B.P., 4400??cal yr B.P., and 4900??cal yr B.P. A rupture about 700-1100??cal yr B.P. was limited to the northern and central parts of the subduction zone, and a northern rupture about 2900??cal yr B.P. may have been similarly limited. Times of probable short ruptures in southern Cascadia include about 1100??cal yr B.P., 1700??cal yr B.P., 3200??cal yr B.P., 4200??cal yr B.P., 4600??cal yr B.P., and 4700??cal yr B.P. Rupture patterns suggest that the plate boundary in northern Cascadia usually breaks in long ruptures during the greatest earthquakes. Ruptures in southernmost Cascadia vary in length and recurrence intervals more than ruptures in northern Cascadia.

An asymptomatic ruptured hepatic hydatid cyst case presenting with subdiaphragmatic gas in a traumatic patient.

PubMed

Eren, Suat; Yildirgan, Ilhan; Kantarci, A Mecit

2005-12-01

Hydatid disease presents as hydatid cysts primarily in the liver and lungs. Although hepatic hydatid cysts (HHCs) may be asymptomatic for many years, they may be symptomatic due to expansion, rupture, and pyogenic infection. Rupture of the HHC into the biliary tract is one of the most serious complications and is frequently related to overenlargement of the cyst or major trauma. Patients with this disease usually have jaundice or fever. We report an asymptomatic HHC ruptured after minor trauma. While the ruptured cyst was presented as the subdiaphragmatic gas on the chest radiography, it was detected as a large cyst with multiple daughter cysts on ultrasound, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Chorioretinal neovascular membranes complicating contusional eye injuries with indirect choroidal ruptures.

PubMed Central

Wood, C M; Richardson, J

1990-01-01

Chorioretinal neovascular membranes are a recognised but rare cause of late visual loss in eyes suffering contusional injuries. A series of eight cases is presented all with indirect choroidal ruptures involving the perifoveal region. Two main patterns of 'at risk' rupture were noted: a temporally situated rupture passing almost directly through the fovea, and a rupture which curves inferior or superior to the optic disc stopping just short of the fovea. In six of eight cases there was only a partial thickness rupture of the choroid. These neovascular membranes may present at any time after the original injury, either early (within six months of the injury), which could be related to persistence of the normal reparative neovascular response, or late (at least one year after the injury), which are more likely to have resulted from a secondary breakdown of the outer blood-retina barrier. Images PMID:1690025

Incidence of plantar fascia ruptures following corticosteroid injection.

PubMed

Kim, Chul; Cashdollar, Michael R; Mendicino, Robert W; Catanzariti, Alan R; Fuge, LaDonna

2010-12-01

Plantar fasciitis is commonly treated with corticosteroid injections to decrease pain and inflammation. Therapeutic benefits often vary in terms of efficacy and duration. Rupture of the plantar fascia has been reported as a possible complication following corticosteroid injection. A retrospective chart review of 120 patients who received corticosteroid injection for plantar fasciitis was performed at the authors' institution to determine the incidence of plantar fascia rupture. The plantar fascia rupture was diagnosed clinically and confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. Various factors were analyzed, including the number of injections, interval between injections, body mass index (BMI), and activity level. Four patients (2.4%) consequently experienced plantar fascia rupture following an average of 2.67 injections. The average BMI of these patients was 38.6 kg/m². The authors conclude that corticosteroid injection therapy appears to be a safe and effective form of nonoperative treatment with minimal complications and a relatively low incident of plantar fascia rupture.

Stress drop inferred from dynamic rupture simulations consistent with Moment-Rupture area empirical scaling models: Effects of week shallow zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalguer, L. A.; Miyake, H.; Irikura, K.; Wu, H., Sr.

2016-12-01

Empirical scaling models of seismic moment and rupture area provide constraints to parameterize source parameters, such as stress drop, for numerical simulations of ground motion. There are several scaling models published in the literature. The effect of the finite width seismogenic zone and the free-surface have been attributed to cause the breaking of the well know self-similar scaling (e.g. Dalguer et al, 2008) given origin to the so called L and W models for large faults. These models imply the existence of three-stage scaling relationship between seismic moment and rupture area (e.g. Irikura and Miyake, 2011). In this paper we extend the work done by Dalguer et al 2008, in which these authors calibrated fault models that match the observations showing that the average stress drop is independent of earthquake size for buried earthquakes, but scale dependent for surface-rupturing earthquakes. Here we have developed additional sets of dynamic rupture models for vertical strike slip faults to evaluate the effect of the weak shallow layer (WSL) zone for the calibration of stress drop. Rupture in the WSL zone is expected to operate with enhanced energy absorption mechanism. The set of dynamic models consists of fault models with width 20km and fault length L=20km, 40km, 60km, 80km, 100km, 120km, 200km, 300km and 400km and average stress drop values of 2.0MPa, 2.5MPa, 3.0MPa, 3.5MPa, 5.0MPa and 7.5MPa. For models that break the free-surface, the WSL zone is modeled assuming a 2km width with stress drop 0.0MPa or -2.0 MPa. Our results show that depending on the characterization of the WSL zone, the average stress drop at the seismogenic zone that fit the empirical models changes. If WSL zone is not considered, that is, stress drop at SL zone is the same as the seismogenic zone, average stress drop is about 20% smaller than models with WSL zone. By introducing more energy absorption at the SL zone, that could be the case of large mature faults, the average stress drop in the seismogenic zone increases. Suggesting that large earthquakes need higher stress drop to break the fault than buried and moderate earthquakes. Therefore, the value of the average stress drop for large events that break the free-source depend on the definition of the WSL. Suggesting that the WSL plays an important role on the prediction of final slip and fault displacement.

Co- and post-seismic shallow fault physics from near-field geodesy, seismic tomography, and mechanical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevitt, J.; Brooks, B. A.; Catchings, R.; Goldman, M.; Criley, C.; Chan, J. H.; Glennie, C. L.; Ericksen, T. L.; Madugo, C. M.

2017-12-01

The physics governing near-surface fault slip and deformation are largely unknown, introducing significant uncertainty into seismic hazard models. Here we combine near-field measurements of surface deformation from the 2014 M6.0 South Napa earthquake with high-resolution seismic imaging and finite element models to investigate the effects of rupture speed, elastic heterogeneities, and plasticity on shallow faulting. We focus on two sites that experienced either predominantly co-seismic or post-seismic slip. We measured surface deformation with mobile laser scanning of deformed vine rows within 300 m of the fault at 1 week and 1 month after the event. Shear strain profiles for the co- and post-seismic sites are similar, with maxima of 0.012 and 0.013 and values exceeding 0.002 occurring within 26 m- and 18 m-wide zones, respectively. That the rupture remained buried at the two sites and produced similar deformation fields suggests that permanent deformation due to dynamic stresses did not differ significantly from the quasi-static case, which might be expected if the rupture decelerated as it approached the surface. Active-source seismic surveys, 120 m in length with 1 m geophone/shot spacing, reveal shallow compliant zones of reduced shear modulus. For the co- and post-seismic sites, the tomographic anomaly (Vp/Vs > 5) at 20 m depth has a width of 80 m and 50 m, respectively, much wider than the observed surface displacement fields. We investigate this discrepancy with a suite of finite element models in which a planar fault is buried 5 m below the surface. The model continuum is defined by either homogeneous or heterogeneous elastic properties, with or without Drucker-Prager plastic yielding, with properties derived from lab testing of similar near-surface materials. We find that plastic yielding can greatly narrow the surface displacement zone, but that the width of this zone is largely insensitive to changes in the elastic structure (i.e., the presence of a compliant zone).

Nintendo Wii related Achilles tendon rupture: first reported case and literature review of motion sensing video game injuries.

PubMed

Singh, Rohit; Manoharan, Gopikanthan; Moores, Thomas Steven; Patel, Amit

2014-05-14

Achilles tendon ruptures tend to occur more commonly in healthy men between the ages of 30 and 50 years who have had no previous injury or problem reported in the affected leg. The injury is usually due to sudden forced plantar flexion of the foot, unexpected dorsiflexion of the foot and violent dorsiflexion of a plantar flexed foot, all of which occur during high impact activities. We present the first reported case of interactive activity with Nintendo Wii games that have resulted in Achilles tendon rupture in a 46-year-old man. There have been no previous reports of Achilles tendon rupture with Nintendo Wii usage; it is a relatively uncommon mode of injury and is rare in terms of epidemiology of motion sensing video game injuries. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Nintendo Wii related Achilles tendon rupture: first reported case and literature review of motion sensing video game injuries

PubMed Central

Singh, Rohit; Manoharan, Gopikanthan; Moores, Thomas Steven; Patel, Amit

2014-01-01

Achilles tendon ruptures tend to occur more commonly in healthy men between the ages of 30 and 50 years who have had no previous injury or problem reported in the affected leg. The injury is usually due to sudden forced plantar flexion of the foot, unexpected dorsiflexion of the foot and violent dorsiflexion of a plantar flexed foot, all of which occur during high impact activities. We present the first reported case of interactive activity with Nintendo Wii games that have resulted in Achilles tendon rupture in a 46-year-old man. There have been no previous reports of Achilles tendon rupture with Nintendo Wii usage; it is a relatively uncommon mode of injury and is rare in terms of epidemiology of motion sensing video game injuries. PMID:24827648

Adjoint analysis of the source and path sensitivities of basin-guided waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Steven M.; Roten, Daniel; Olsen, Kim B.

2012-05-01

Simulations of earthquake rupture on the southern San Andreas Fault (SAF) reveal large amplifications in the San Gabriel and Los Angeles Basins (SGB and LAB) apparently associated with long-range path effects. Geometrically similar excitation patterns can be recognized repeatedly in different SAF simulations (e.g. Love wave-like energy with predominant period around 4 s, channelled southwestwardly from the SGB into LAB), yet the amplitudes with which these distinctive wavefield patterns are excited change, depending upon source details (slip distribution, direction and velocity of rupture). We describe a method for rapid calculation of the sensitivity of such predicted wavefield features to perturbations of the source kinematics, using a time-reversed (adjoint) wavefield simulation. The calculations are analogous to those done in adjoint tomography, and the same time-reversed calculation also yields path-sensitivity kernels that give further insight into the excitation mechanism. For rupture on the southernmost 300 km of SAF, LAB excitation is greatest for slip concentrated between the northern Coachella Valley and the transverse ranges, propagating to the NE and with rupture velocities between 3250 and 3500 m s-1 along that fault segment; that is, within or slightly above the velocity range (between Rayleigh and S velocities) that is energetically precluded in the limit of a sharp rupture front, highlighting the potential value of imposing physical constraints (such as from spontaneous rupture models) on source parametrizations. LAB excitation is weak for rupture to the SW and for ruptures in either direction located north of the transverse transverse ranges, whereas Ventura Basin (VTB) is preferentially excited by NE ruptures situated north of the transverse ranges. Path kernels show that LAB excitation is mediated by surface waves deflected by the velocity contrast along the southern margin of the transverse ranges, having most of their energy in basement rock until they impinge on the eastern edge of SGB, through which they are then funnelled into LAB. VTB amplification is enhanced by a similar waveguide effect.

Using Paleoseismic Trenching and LiDAR Analysis to Evaluate Rupture Propagation Through Segment Boundaries of the Central Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, S. E. K.; DuRoss, C. B.; Reitman, N. G.; Devore, J. R.; Hiscock, A.; Gold, R. D.; Briggs, R. W.; Personius, S. F.

2014-12-01

Paleoseismic data near fault segment boundaries constrain the extent of past surface ruptures and the persistence of rupture termination at segment boundaries. Paleoseismic evidence for large (M≥7.0) earthquakes on the central Holocene-active fault segments of the 350-km-long Wasatch fault zone (WFZ) generally supports single-segment ruptures but also permits multi-segment rupture scenarios. The extent and frequency of ruptures that span segment boundaries remains poorly known, adding uncertainty to seismic hazard models for this populated region of Utah. To address these uncertainties we conducted four paleoseismic investigations near the Salt Lake City-Provo and Provo-Nephi segment boundaries of the WFZ. We examined an exposure of the WFZ at Maple Canyon (Woodland Hills, UT) and excavated the Flat Canyon trench (Salem, UT), 7 and 11 km, respectively, from the southern tip of the Provo segment. We document evidence for at least five earthquakes at Maple Canyon and four to seven earthquakes that post-date mid-Holocene fan deposits at Flat Canyon. These earthquake chronologies will be compared to seven earthquakes observed in previous trenches on the northern Nephi segment to assess rupture correlation across the Provo-Nephi segment boundary. To assess rupture correlation across the Salt Lake City-Provo segment boundary we excavated the Alpine trench (Alpine, UT), 1 km from the northern tip of the Provo segment, and the Corner Canyon trench (Draper, UT) 1 km from the southern tip of the Salt Lake City segment. We document evidence for six earthquakes at both sites. Ongoing geochronologic analysis (14C, optically stimulated luminescence) will constrain earthquake chronologies and help identify through-going ruptures across these segment boundaries. Analysis of new high-resolution (0.5m) airborne LiDAR along the entire WFZ will quantify latest Quaternary displacements and slip rates and document spatial and temporal slip patterns near fault segment boundaries.

New insights on multiple seismic uplift on the Main Frontal Thrust near the Ratu river, Eastern Nepal using high-resolution topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakas, Cagil; Tapponnier, Paul; Nath Sapkota, Soma; Coudurier Curveur, Aurelie; Ildefonso, Sorvigenaleon; Gao, Mingxing; Bollinger, Laurent; Klinger, Yann

2016-04-01

The number of localities along the Main Frontal Thrust, between 85°49' to 86°27' E, where new data corroborates the surface emergence of the great M ≈ 8.4, 1934 Bihar-Nepal and 1255 AD earthquakes has increased over the past years. Here we show new high-resolution, quantitative evidences of surface rupture and co-seismic uplift near the Ratu river area. We present a refined map of uplifted terrace surfaces and abandoned paleo-channels truncated by the MFT, obtained by the combination of newly acquired high resolution Digital Elevation Models from Total station, Terrestrial Lidar Scanner (TLS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and kinematic GPS surveys. In the Ratu valley, using these new high-resolution topographic datasets, we identify six and possibly seven distinct terrace levels uplifted parallel to the riverbed, lying unconformably on top of folded Siwaliks. Several sets of measurements may be taken to imply broadly characteristic increments of throw during sequences of at least six to seven events of riverbed abandonment related to co-seismic uplifts. Newly collected detrital charcoals from several pits and from a rejuvenated paleoseismological wall will help assess more precisely uplift and shortening rates over the length of segments of the MFT east and west of Bardibas. A regional comparison of comparable long-term paleoseismological data at other sites along the 1934 rupture length is in progress.

Modeling of fault reactivation and induced seismicity during hydraulic fracturing of shale-gas reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rutqvist, Jonny; Rinaldi, Antonio P.; Cappa, Frédéric

2013-07-01

We have conducted numerical simulation studies to assess the potential for injection-induced fault reactivation and notable seismic events associated with shale-gas hydraulic fracturing operations. The modeling is generally tuned towards conditions usually encountered in the Marcellus shale play in the Northeastern US at an approximate depth of 1500 m (~;;4,500 feet). Our modeling simulations indicate that when faults are present, micro-seismic events are possible, the magnitude of which is somewhat larger than the one associated with micro-seismic events originating from regular hydraulic fracturing because of the larger surface area that is available for rupture. The results of our simulations indicatedmore » fault rupture lengths of about 10 to 20 m, which, in rare cases can extend to over 100 m, depending on the fault permeability, the in situ stress field, and the fault strength properties. In addition to a single event rupture length of 10 to 20 m, repeated events and aseismic slip amounted to a total rupture length of 50 m, along with a shear offset displacement of less than 0.01 m. This indicates that the possibility of hydraulically induced fractures at great depth (thousands of meters) causing activation of faults and creation of a new flow path that can reach shallow groundwater resources (or even the surface) is remote. The expected low permeability of faults in producible shale is clearly a limiting factor for the possible rupture length and seismic magnitude. In fact, for a fault that is initially nearly-impermeable, the only possibility of larger fault slip event would be opening by hydraulic fracturing; this would allow pressure to penetrate the matrix along the fault and to reduce the frictional strength over a sufficiently large fault surface patch. However, our simulation results show that if the fault is initially impermeable, hydraulic fracturing along the fault results in numerous small micro-seismic events along with the propagation, effectively preventing larger events from occurring. Nevertheless, care should be taken with continuous monitoring of induced seismicity during the entire injection process to detect any runaway fracturing along faults.« less

3D Ground-Motion Simulations for Magnitude 9 Earthquakes on the Cascadia Megathrust: Sedimentary Basin Amplification, Rupture Directivity, and Ground-Motion Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frankel, A. D.; Wirth, E. A.; Marafi, N.; Vidale, J. E.; Stephenson, W. J.

2017-12-01

We have produced broadband (0-10 Hz) synthetic seismograms for Mw 9 earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone by combining synthetics from 3D finite-difference simulations at low frequencies (≤ 1 Hz) and stochastic synthetics at high frequencies (≥ 1 Hz). These synthetic ground motions are being used to evaluate building response, liquefaction, and landslides, as part of the M9 Project of the University of Washington, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey. The kinematic rupture model is composed of high stress drop sub-events with Mw 8, similar to those observed in the Mw 9.0 Tohoku, Japan and Mw 8.8 Maule, Chile earthquakes, superimposed on large background slip with lower slip velocities. The 3D velocity model is based on active and passive-source seismic tomography studies, seismic refraction and reflection surveys, and geologic constraints. The Seattle basin portion of the model has been validated by simulating ground motions from local earthquakes. We have completed 50 3D simulations of Mw 9 earthquakes using a variety of hypocenters, slip distributions, sub-event locations, down-dip limits of rupture, and other parameters. For sites not in deep sedimentary basins, the response spectra of the synthetics for 0.1-6.0 s are similar, on average, to the values from the BC Hydro ground motion prediction equations (GMPE). For periods of 7-10 s, the synthetic response spectra exceed these GMPE, partially due to the shallow dip of the plate interface. We find large amplification factors of 2-5 for response spectra at periods of 1-10 s for locations in the Seattle and Tacoma basins, relative to sites outside the basins. This amplification depends on the direction of incoming waves and rupture directivity. The basin amplification is caused by surface waves generated at basin edges from incoming S-waves, as well as amplification and focusing of S-waves and surface waves by the 3D basin structure. The inter-event standard deviation of response spectral amplitudes from the synthetics is larger for sites nearer the coast, because of their higher sensitivity to the sub-event locations and rupture directivity. The total standard deviations of spectral accelerations from 30 simulations for periods greater than 2 s are similar to those determined in the BC Hydro GMPE from strong-motion recordings in subduction zones.

Complex rupture mechanism and topography control symmetry of mass-wasting pattern, 2010 Haiti earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorum, Tolga; van Westen, Cees J.; Korup, Oliver; van der Meijde, Mark; Fan, Xuanmei; van der Meer, Freek D.

2013-02-01

The 12 January 2010 Mw 7.0 Haiti earthquake occurred in a complex deformation zone at the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates. Combined geodetic, geological and seismological data posited that surface deformation was driven by rupture on the Léogâne blind thrust fault, while part of the rupture occurred as deep lateral slip on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault (EPGF). The earthquake triggered > 4490 landslides, mainly shallow, disrupted rock falls, debris-soil falls and slides, and a few lateral spreads, over an area of ~ 2150 km2. The regional distribution of these slope failures defies those of most similar earthquake-triggered landslide episodes reported previously. Most of the coseismic landslides did not proliferate in the hanging wall of the main rupture, but clustered instead at the junction of the blind Léogâne and EPGF ruptures, where topographic relief and hillslope steepness are above average. Also, low-relief areas subjected to high coseismic uplift were prone to lesser hanging wall slope instability than previous studies would suggest. We argue that a combined effect of complex rupture dynamics and topography primarily control this previously rarely documented landslide pattern. Compared to recent thrust fault-earthquakes of similar magnitudes elsewhere, we conclude that lower static stress drop, mean fault displacement, and blind ruptures of the 2010 Haiti earthquake resulted in fewer, smaller, and more symmetrically distributed landslides than previous studies would suggest. Our findings caution against overly relying on across-the-board models of slope stability response to seismic ground shaking.

Heterogeneity of direct aftershock productivity of the main shock rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yicun; Zhuang, Jiancang; Hirata, Naoshi; Zhou, Shiyong

2017-07-01

The epidemic type aftershock sequence (ETAS) model is widely used to describe and analyze the clustering behavior of seismicity. Instead of regarding large earthquakes as point sources, the finite-source ETAS model treats them as ruptures that extend in space. Each earthquake rupture consists of many patches, and each patch triggers its own aftershocks isotropically. We design an iterative algorithm to invert the unobserved fault geometry based on the stochastic reconstruction method. This model is applied to analyze the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) catalog during 1964-2014. We take six great earthquakes with magnitudes >7.5 after 1980 as finite sources and reconstruct the aftershock productivity patterns on each rupture surface. Comparing results from the point-source ETAS model, we find the following: (1) the finite-source model improves the data fitting; (2) direct aftershock productivity is heterogeneous on the rupture plane; (3) the triggering abilities of M5.4+ events are enhanced; (4) the background rate is higher in the off-fault region and lower in the on-fault region for the Tohoku earthquake, while high probabilities of direct aftershocks distribute all over the source region in the modified model; (5) the triggering abilities of five main shocks become 2-6 times higher after taking the rupture geometries into consideration; and (6) the trends of the cumulative background rate are similar in both models, indicating the same levels of detection ability for seismicity anomalies. Moreover, correlations between aftershock productivity and slip distributions imply that aftershocks within rupture faults are adjustments to coseismic stress changes due to slip heterogeneity.

Investigating the deformation of upper crustal faults at the N-Chilean convergent plate boundary at different scales using high-resolution topography datasets and creepmeter measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewiak, O.; Victor, P.; Ziegenhagen, T.; Oncken, O.

2012-04-01

The Chilean convergent plate boundary is one of the tectonically most active regions on earth and prone to large megathrust earthquakes as e. g. the 2010 Mw 8.8 Maule earthquake which ruptured a mature seismic gap in south-central Chile. In northern Chile historical data suggests the existence of a seismic gap between Arica and Mejillones Peninsula (MP), which has not ruptured since 1877. Further south, the 1995 Mw 8.0 Antofagasta earthquake ruptured the subduction interface between MP and Taltal. In this study we investigate the deformation at four active upper plate faults (dip-slip and strike-slip) located above the coupling zone of the subduction interface. The target faults (Mejillones Fault - MF, Salar del Carmen Fault - SCF, Cerro Fortuna Fault - CFF, Chomache Fault - CF) are situated in forearc segments, which are in different stages of the megathrust seismic cycle. The main question of this study is how strain is accumulated in the overriding plate, what is the response of the target faults to the megathrust seismic cycle and what are the mechanisms / processes involved. The hyper arid conditions of the Atacama desert and the extremely low erosion rates enable us to investigate geomorphic markers, e .g. fault scarps and knickpoints, which serve as a record for upper crustal deformation and fault activity about ten thousands years into the past. Fault scarp data has been acquired with Differential-GPS by measuring high-resolution topographic profiles perpendicular to the fault scarps and along incised gullies. The topographic data show clear variations between the target faults which possibly result from their position within the forearc. The surveyed faults, e. g. the SCF, exhibit clear along strike variations in the morphology of surface ruptures attributed to seismic events and can be subdivided into individual segments. The data allows us to distinguish single, composite and multiple fault scarps and thus to detect differences in fault growth initiated either by seismic rupture or fault creep. Additional information on the number of seismic events responsible for the cumulative displacement can be derived from the mapping of knickpoints. By reconstructing the stress field responsible for the formation of identified seismic surface ruptures we can determine stress conditions for failure of upper crustal faults. Comparing these paleo stress conditions with the recent forearc stresses (interseismic / coseismic) we can derive information about a possible activation of upper crustal faults during the megathrust seismic cycle. In addition to the morphotectonic surveys we explore the recent deformation of the target faults by analyzing time series of displacements recorded with micron precision by an array of creepmeters at the target faults for over three years. Total displacement is composed of steady state creep, creep events and sudden displacement events (SDEs) related to seismic rupture. The percentage of SDEs accounts for >50 % (SCF) to 90 % (CFF) of the cumulative displacement. This result very well reflects the field observation that a considerable amount of the total displacement has been accumulated during multiple seismic events.

Quantitative analysis of seismic fault zone waves in the rupture zone of the 1992 Landers, California, earthquake: Evidence for a shallow trapping structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peng, Z.; Ben-Zion, Y.; Michael, A.J.; Zhu, L.

2003-01-01

We analyse quantitatively a waveform data set of 238 earthquakes recorded by a dense seismic array across and along the rupture zone of the 1992 Landers earthquake. A grid-search method with station delay corrections is used to locate events that do not have catalogue locations. The quality of fault zone trapped waves generated by each event is determined from the ratios of seismic energy in time windows corresponding to trapped waves and direct S waves at stations close to and off the fault zone. Approximately 70 per cent of the events with S-P times of less than 2 s, including many clearly off the fault, produce considerable trapped wave energy. This distribution is in marked contrast with previous claims that trapped waves are generated only by sources close to or inside the Landers rupture zone. The time difference between the S arrival and trapped waves group does not grow systematically with increasing hypocentral distance and depth. The dispersion measured from the trapped waves is weak. These results imply that the seismic trapping structure at the Landers rupture zone is shallow and does not extend continuously along-strike by more than a few kilometres. Synthetic waveform modelling indicates that the fault zone waveguide has depth of approximately 2-4 km, a width of approximately 200 m, an S-wave velocity reduction relative to the host rock of approximately 30-40 per cent and an S-wave attenuation coefficient of approximately 20-30. The fault zone waveguide north of the array appears to be shallower and weaker than that south of the array. The waveform modelling also indicates that the seismic trapping structure below the array is centred approximately 100 m east of the surface break.

Shallow seismicity patterns in the northwestern section of the Mexico Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, Elizabeth R.; Brudzinski, Michael R.

2015-11-01

This study characterizes subduction related seismicity with local deployments along the northwestern section of the Mexico Subduction Zone where 4 portions of the plate interface have ruptured in 1973, 1985, 1995, and 2003. It has been proposed that the subducted boundary between the Cocos and Rivera plates occurs beneath this region, as indicated by inland volcanic activity, a gap in tectonic tremor, and the Manzanillo Trough and Colima Graben, which are depressions thought to be associated with the splitting of the two plates after subduction. Data from 50 broadband stations that comprised the MARS seismic array, deployed from January 2006 to June 2007, were processed with the software program Antelope and its generalized source location algorithm, genloc, to detect and locate earthquakes within the network. Slab surface depth contours from the resulting catalog indicate a change in subduction trajectory between the Rivera and Cocos plates. The earthquake locations are spatially anti-correlated with tectonic tremor, supporting the idea that they represent different types of fault slip. Hypocentral patterns also reveal areas of more intense seismic activity (clusters) that appear to be associated with the 2003 and 1973 megathrust rupture regions. Seismicity concentrated inland of the 2003 rupture is consistent with slip on a shallowly dipping trajectory for the Rivera plate interface as opposed to crustal faulting in the overriding North American plate. A prominent cluster of seismicity within the suspected 1973 rupture zone appears to be a commonly active portion of the megathrust as it has been active during three previous deployments. We support these interpretations by determining focal mechanisms and detailed relocations of the largest events within the 1973 and inland 2003 clusters, which indicate primarily thrust mechanisms near the plate interface.

Anomalous Seismic Radiation in the Shallow Subduction Zone Explained by Extensive Poroplastic Deformation in the Overriding Wedge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirakawa, E. T.; Ma, S.

2012-12-01

The deficiency of high-frequency seismic radiation from shallow subduction zone earthquakes was first recognized in tsunami earthquakes (Kanamori, 1972), which produce larger tsunamis than expected from short-period (20 s) surface wave excitation. Shallow subduction zone earthquakes were also observed to have unusually low energy-to-moment ratios compared to regular subduction zone earthquakes (e.g., Newman and Okal, 1998; Venkataraman and Kanamori, 2004; Lay et al., 2012). What causes this anomalous radiation and how it relates to large tsunami generation has remained unclear. Here we show that these anomalous observations can be due to extensive poroplastic deformation in the overriding wedge, which provides a unifying interpretation. Ma (2012) showed that the pore pressure increase in the wedge due to up-dip rupture propagation significantly weakens the wedge, leading to widespread Coulomb failure in the wedge. Widespread failure gives rise to slow rupture velocity and large seafloor uplift (landward from the trench) in the case of a shallow fault dip. Here we extend this work and demonstrate that the large seafloor uplift due to the poroplastic deformation significantly dilates the fault behind the rupture front, which reduces the normal stress on the fault and increases the stress drop, slip, and rupture duration. The spectral amplitudes of the moment-rate time function is significantly less at high frequencies than those from elastic simulations. Large tsunami generation and deficiency of high-frequency radiation are thus two consistent manifestations of the same mechanism (poroplastic deformation). Although extensive poroplastic deformation in the wedge represents a significant portion of total seismic moment release, the plastic deformation is shown to act as a large energy sink, leaving less energy to be radiated and leading to low energy-to-moment ratios as observed for shallow subduction zone earthquakes.

Stress-Displacement Relations and Terrain-Vehicle Mechanics: A Critical Discussion

DTIC Science & Technology

1968-12-01

a definitl.! coherent r nttcrn of rupture surfaces if the geometrica l and load conditions are n t a !ta cG !1y .he flow process itself. The...4 (as shown for one example at <he bo tom of the fiaurc). After application of the appropriate correction factor to account for the diftcrent tan...Sela’s theory is correct . Jtouahly 50 per r.ent of the experimental M I RW curves arc beyond these limits, wlllcla IIIIDituiBcieat to reject SoJa’s

Fracture Characteristics of Structural Steels and Weldments

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-11-01

CARACTERISTICS 0F.$ýTRUCTURAL TEL/ - "AD E NTSA .INAL 1 A7 sk S. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(&) Y.2G. im 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS -017...36, T- 1,and HY-Y130 Steel and AX. Il 30 15 I Tensile F~racture Surface of A-36 Steel, 12x 31 16 Dimple Rupture in A-6Sel 0X 31 17 Plastic ...sites and the relative plasticity of thle The objective of this study was to use a scanning metal. If many fracture icleation sites initiate mticro

Afterslip behavior following the M6.0, 2014 South Napa earthquake with implications for afterslip forecasting on other seismogenic faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lienkaemper, James J.; DeLong, Stephen B.; Domrose, Carolyn J; Rosa, Carla M.

2016-01-01

The M6.0, 24 Aug. 2014 South Napa, California, earthquake exhibited unusually large slip for a California strike-slip event of its size with a maximum coseismic surface slip of 40-50 cm in the north section of the 15 km-long rupture. Although only minor (<10 cm) surface slip occurred coseismically in the southern 9-km section of the rupture, there was considerable postseismic slip, so that the maximum total slip one year after the event approached 40-50 cm, about equal to the coseismic maximum in the north. We measured the accumulation of postseismic surface slip on four, ~100-m-long alignment arrays for one year following the event. Because prolonged afterslip can delay reconstruction of fault-damaged buildings and infrastructure, we analyzed its gradual decay to estimate when significant afterslip would likely end. This forecasting of Napa afterslip suggests how we might approach the scientific and engineering challenges of afterslip from a much larger M~7 earthquake anticipated on the nearby, urban Hayward Fault. However, we expect its afterslip to last much longer than one year.The M6.0, 24 Aug. 2014 South Napa, California, earthquake exhibited unusually large slip for a California strike-slip event of its size with a maximum coseismic surface slip of 40-50 cm in the north section of the 15 km-long rupture. Although only minor (<10 cm) surface slip occurred coseismically in the southern 9-km section of the rupture, there was considerable postseismic slip, so that the maximum total slip one year after the event approached 40-50 cm, about equal to the coseismic maximum in the north. We measured the accumulation of postseismic surface slip on four, ~100-m-long alignment arrays for one year following the event. Because prolonged afterslip can delay reconstruction of fault-damaged buildings and infrastructure, we analyzed its gradual decay to estimate when significant afterslip would likely end. This forecasting of Napa afterslip suggests how we might approach the scientific and engineering challenges of afterslip from a much larger M~7 earthquake anticipated on the nearby, urban Hayward Fault. However, we expect its afterslip to last much longer than one year.

The Application of Stress-Relaxation Test to Life Assessment of T911/T22 Weld Metal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Tieshan; Zhao, Jie; Cheng, Congqian; Li, Huifang

2016-03-01

A dissimilar weld metal was obtained through submerged arc welding of a T911 steel to a T22 steel, and its creep property was explored by stress-relaxation test assisted by some conventional creep tests. The creep rate information of the stress-relaxation test was compared to the minimum and the average creep rates of the conventional creep test. Log-log graph showed that the creep rate of the stress-relaxation test was in a linear relationship with the minimum creep rate of the conventional creep test. Thus, the creep rate of stress-relaxation test could be used in the Monkman-Grant relation to calculate the rupture life. The creep rate of the stress-relaxation test was similar to the average creep rate, and thereby the rupture life could be evaluated by a method of "time to rupture strain." The results also showed that rupture life which was assessed by the Monkman-Grant relation was more accurate than that obtained through the method of "time to rupture strain."

Investigation of UF/sub 6/ behavior in a fire

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, W.R.

Reactions between UF/sub 6/ and combustible gases and the potential for UF/sub 6/-filled cylinders to rupture when exposed to fire are addressed. Although the absence of kinetic data prevents specific identification and quantification of the chemical species formed, potential reaction products resulting from the release of UF/sub 6/ into a fire include UF/sub 4/, UO/sub 2/F/sub 2/, HF, C, CF/sub 4/,COF/sub 2/, and short chain, fluorinated or partially fluorinated hydrocarbons. Such a release adds energy to a fire relative to normal combustion reactions. Time intervals to an assumed point of rupture for UF/sub 6/-filled cylinders exposed to fire are estimatedmore » conservatively. Several related studies are also summarized, including a test series in which small UF/sub 6/-filled cylinders were immersed in fire resulting in valve failures and explosive ruptures. It is concluded that all sizes of UF/sub 6/ cylinders currently in use may rupture within 30 minutes when totally immersed in a fire. For cylinders adjacent to fires, rupture of the larger cylinders appears much less likely.« less

The temporal distribution of seismic radiation during deep earthquake rupture

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houston, H.; Vidale, J.E.

1994-01-01

The time history of energy release during earthquakes illuminates the process of failure, which remains enigmatic for events deeper than about 100 kilometers. Stacks of teleseismic records from regional arrays for 122 intermediate (depths of 100 to 350 kilometers) and deep (depths of 350 to 700 kilometers) earthquakes show that the temporal pattern of short-period seismic radiation has a systematic variation with depth. On average, for intermediate depth events more radiation is released toward the beginning of the rupture than near the end, whereas for deep events radiation is released symmetrically over the duration of the event, with an abrupt beginning and end of rupture. These findings suggest a variation in the style of rupture related to decreasing fault heterogeneity with depth.The time history of energy release during earthquakes illuminates the process of failure, which remains enigmatic for events deeper than about 100 kilometers. Stacks of teleseismic records from regional arrays for 122 intermediate (depths of 100 to 350 kilometers) and deep (depths of 350 to 700 kilometers) earthquakes show that the temporal pattern of short-period seismic radiation has a systematic variation with depth. On average, for intermediate depth events more radiation is released toward the beginning of the rupture than near the end, whereas for deep events radiation is released symmetrically over the duration of the event, with an abrupt beginning and end of rupture. These findings suggest a variation in the style of rupture related to decreasing fault heterogeneity with depth.

Head-on collision of drops: A numerical investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nobari, M. R.; Jan, Y.-J.; Tryggvason, G.

1993-01-01

The head-on collision of equal sized drops is studied by full numerical simulations. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved for fluid motion both inside and outside the drops using a front tracking/finite difference technique. The drops are accelerated toward each other by a body force that is turned off before the drops collide. When the drops collide, the fluid between them is pushed outward leaving a thin later bounded by the drop surface. This layer gets progressively thinner as the drops continue to deform and in several of the calculations this double layer is artificially removed once it is thin enough, thus modeling rupture. If no rupture takes place, the drops always rebound, but if the film is ruptured the drops may coalesce permanently or coalesce temporarily and then split again.

Liquid salt environment stress-rupture testing

DOEpatents

Ren, Weiju; Holcomb, David E.; Muralidharan, Govindarajan; Wilson, Dane F.

2016-03-22

Disclosed herein are systems, devices and methods for stress-rupture testing selected materials within a high-temperature liquid salt environment. Exemplary testing systems include a load train for holding a test specimen within a heated inert gas vessel. A thermal break included in the load train can thermally insulate a load cell positioned along the load train within the inert gas vessel. The test specimen can include a cylindrical gage portion having an internal void filled with a molten salt during stress-rupture testing. The gage portion can have an inner surface area to volume ratio of greater than 20 to maximize the corrosive effect of the molten salt on the specimen material during testing. Also disclosed are methods of making a salt ingot for placement within the test specimen.

Spontaneous Rupture of Umbilical Hernia in Pregnancy: A Case Report

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Adamu; Stephen, Garba; Ukwenya, Yahaya

2011-01-01

A 28 year old woman presented with a spontaneous rupture of an umbilical hernia in her seventh month of pregnancy. She had four previous unsupervised normal deliveries. There was no history of trauma or application of herbal medicine on the hernia. The hernia sac ruptured at the inferior surface where it was attached to the ulcerated and damaged overlying skin. There was a gangrenous eviscerated small bowel. The patient was resuscitated and the gangrenous small bowel was resected and end to end anastomosis done. The hernia sac was excised and the 12 cm defect repaired. Six weeks later, she had spontaneous vaginal delivery of a live baby. We advocate that large umbilical hernias should be routinely repaired when seen in women of child bearing age. PMID:22043438

Paleoseismic Trenching on 1939 Erzincan and 1942 Niksar-Erbaa Earthquake Surface Ruptures, the North Anatolian Fault (Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akyuz, H. S.; Karabacak, V.; Zabci, C.; Sancar, T.; Altunel, E.; Gursoy, H.; Tatar, O.

2009-04-01

Two devastating earthquakes occurred between Erzincan (39.75N, 39.49E) and Erbaa, Tokat (40.70N, 36.58E) just three years one after another in 1939 and 1942. While 1939 Erzincan earthquake (M=7.8) ruptured nearly 360 km, 1942 Erbaa-Niksar earthquake (M=7.1) has a length of 50 km surface rupture. Totally, more than 35000 citizens lost their lives after these events. Although Turkey has one of the richest historical earthquake records, there is no clear evidence of the spatial distribution of paleoevents within these two earthquake segments of the North Anatolian Fault. 17 August 1668 Anatolian earthquake is one of the known previous earthquakes that may have occurred on the same segments with a probable rupture length of more than 400 km. It is still under debate in different catalogues, if it was ruptured in multiple events or a single one. We achieved paleoseismic trench studies to have a better understanding on the recurrence of large earthquakes on these two faults in the framework of T.C. DPT. Project no. 2006K120220. We excavated a total of 8 trenches in 7 different sites. While three of them are along the 1942 Erbaa-Niksar Earthquake rupture, others are located on the 1939 Erzincan one. Alanici and Direkli trenches were excavated on the 1942 rupture. Direkli trench site is located at the west of Niksar, Tokat (40.62N, 36.85E) on the fluvial terrace deposits of the Kelkit River. Only one paleoevent could be determined from the structural relationships of the trench wall stratigraphy. By radiocarbon dating of charcoal sample from above the event horizon indicates that this earthquake should have occurred before 480-412 BC. The second trench, Alanici, on the same segment was located between Erbaa and Niksar (40.65N, 36.78E) at the western boundary of a sag-pond. While signs of two (possible three) earthquakes were identified on the trench wall, the prior event to 1942 Earthquake is dated to be before 5th century AD. We interpreted this to have possibility of missing intermediate events or dating of reworked samples. To resolve this problem, another trenching (Gunese trench; 40.67N, 36.68E) was done close to western end of 1942 Earthquake rupture. Three events were logged on the trench wall, which was exposed by excavating a linear depression. Penultimate event horizon contains many of small ceramic pieces, which may mark a large hazard. Umurca trench excavated on the 1939 Erzincan earthquake surface rupture. From three (possible 4) paleoevents of Umurca Trench (40.32N, 37.57E), penultimate event, UMURCA-2, was determined to be after 1625- 1644 AD) and UMURCA-3 to be after 1409-1455 AD with radiocarbon dating. In addition to that, some preliminary dating results of Resadiye-2 trench (40.38N, 37.34E) give a panultimate event, RES-2, to be before 1423-1522 AD and a prior one RES-3 to be after 894-1045 AD. Radiocarbon dating of samples from the project's last year trenches and some more from the previous ones are still underway. There will be a clearer picture in terms of understanding recurrence character of the North Anatolian Fault along these segments after having of all dating results.

Progressive failure on the North Anatolian fault since 1939 by earthquake stress triggering

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stein, R.S.; Barka, A.A.; Dieterich, J.H.

1997-01-01

10 M ??? 6.7 earthquakes ruptured 1000 km of the North Anatolian fault (Turkey) during 1939-1992, providing an unsurpassed opportunity to study how one large shock sets up the next. We use the mapped surface slip and fault geometry to infer the transfer of stress throughout the sequence. Calculations of the change in Coulomb failure stress reveal that nine out of 10 ruptures were brought closer to failure by the preceding shocks, typically by 1-10 bar, equivalent to 3-30 years of secular stressing. We translate the calculated stress changes into earthquake probability gains using an earthquake-nucleation constitutive relation, which includes both permanent and transient effects of the sudden stress changes. The transient effects of the stress changes dominate during the mean 10 yr period between triggering and subsequent rupturing shocks in the Anatolia sequence. The stress changes result in an average three-fold gain in the net earthquake probability during the decade after each event. Stress is calculated to be high today at several isolated sites along the fault. During the next 30 years, we estimate a 15 per cent probability of a M ??? 6.7 earthquake east of the major eastern centre of Ercinzan, and a 12 per cent probability for a large event south of the major western port city of Izmit. Such stress-based probability calculations may thus be useful to assess and update earthquake hazards elsewhere.

Visual and anatomic outcomes of golf ball-related ocular injuries.

PubMed

Park, S J; Park, K H; Heo, J W; Woo, S J

2014-03-01

To investigate the characteristics and prognoses of golf ball-related ocular injuries (GROIs) using standardized terminology, classification, and scoring systems. Twenty-two GROI patients were assessed using the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology, Ocular Trauma Classification Group (OTCG) classification, and Ocular Trauma Score. Globe preservation and final visual acuity (FVA) were assessed according to the injury severity categorical designation. Fourteen patients were injured on golf courses and eight on driving ranges. Nine patients (40.9%) had open-globe injuries (five ruptures (22.7%), four penetrating injuries (18.2%)). All rupture cases required enucleation, whereas penetrating injury cases did not (the FVA ranged from 20/100 to no light perception). In open-globe injuries, wearing glasses protected against rupture (P=0.008). Thirteen patients sustained closed-globe injuries that were accompanied by lens subluxation (38.5%), choroidal rupture (30.8%), macular commotio retinae (38.5%), and traumatic optic neuropathy (7.7%). Twelve (54.5%) patients had orbital wall fractures. The mean number of related surgeries required was 1.5±1.7 across all patients. Eyes with GROIs had devastating FVA and globe preservation status, especially those with open-globe injuries. Observing golf rules and improving driving-range facilities are essential for preventing GROIs. Protective eyewear may reduce ocular damage from GROIs, especially globe rupture.

Visual and anatomic outcomes of golf ball-related ocular injuries

PubMed Central

Park, S J; Park, K H; Heo, J W; Woo, S J

2014-01-01

Aims To investigate the characteristics and prognoses of golf ball-related ocular injuries (GROIs) using standardized terminology, classification, and scoring systems. Methods Twenty-two GROI patients were assessed using the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology, Ocular Trauma Classification Group (OTCG) classification, and Ocular Trauma Score. Globe preservation and final visual acuity (FVA) were assessed according to the injury severity categorical designation. Results Fourteen patients were injured on golf courses and eight on driving ranges. Nine patients (40.9%) had open-globe injuries (five ruptures (22.7%), four penetrating injuries (18.2%)). All rupture cases required enucleation, whereas penetrating injury cases did not (the FVA ranged from 20/100 to no light perception). In open-globe injuries, wearing glasses protected against rupture (P=0.008). Thirteen patients sustained closed-globe injuries that were accompanied by lens subluxation (38.5%), choroidal rupture (30.8%), macular commotio retinae (38.5%), and traumatic optic neuropathy (7.7%). Twelve (54.5%) patients had orbital wall fractures. The mean number of related surgeries required was 1.5±1.7 across all patients. Conclusion Eyes with GROIs had devastating FVA and globe preservation status, especially those with open-globe injuries. Observing golf rules and improving driving-range facilities are essential for preventing GROIs. Protective eyewear may reduce ocular damage from GROIs, especially globe rupture. PMID:24384962

Timing of large earthquakes since A.D. 800 on the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas fault zone at Thousand Palms Oasis, near Palm Springs, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fumal, T.E.; Rymer, M.J.; Seitz, G.G.

2002-01-01

Paleoseismic investigations across the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas fault at Thousand Palms Oasis indicate that four and probably five surface-rupturing earthquakes occurred during the past 1200 years. Calendar age estimates for these earthquakes are based on a chronological model that incorporates radio-carbon dates from 18 in situ burn layers and stratigraphic ordering constraints. These five earthquakes occurred in about A.D. 825 (770-890) (mean, 95% range), A.D. 982 (840-1150), A.D. 1231 (1170-1290), A.D. 1502 (1450-1555), and after a date in the range of A.D. 1520-1680. The most recent surface-rupturing earthquake at Thousand Palms is likely the same as the A.D. 1676 ?? 35 event at Indio reported by Sieh and Williams (1990). Each of the past five earthquakes recorded on the San Andreas fault in the Coachella Valley strongly overlaps in time with an event at the Wrightwood paleoseismic site, about 120 km northwest of Thousand Palms Oasis. Correlation of events between these two sites suggests that at least the southernmost 200 km of the San Andreas fault zone may have ruptured in each earthquake. The average repeat time for surface-rupturing earthquakes on the San Andreas fault in the Coachella Valley is 215 ?? 25 years, whereas the elapsed time since the most recent event is 326 ?? 35 years. This suggests the southernmost San Andreas fault zone likely is very near failure. The Thousand Palms Oasis site is underlain by a series of six channels cut and filled since about A.D. 800 that cross the fault at high angles. A channel margin about 900 years old is offset right laterally 2.0 ?? 0.5 m, indicating a slip rate of 4 ?? 2 mm/yr. This slip rate is low relative to geodetic and other geologic slip rate estimates (26 ?? 2 mm/yr and about 23-35 mm/yr, respectively) on the southernmost San Andreas fault zone, possibly because (1) the site is located in a small step-over in the fault trace and so the rate is not be representative of the Mission Creek fault, (2) slip is partitioned northward from the San Andreas fault and into the eastern California shear zone, and/or (3) slip is partitioned onto the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault zone.

Need for lung resection in patients with intact or ruptured hydatid cysts.

PubMed

Vasquez, J C; Montesinos, E; Peralta, J; Rojas, L; DeLaRosa, J; Leon, J J

2009-08-01

Lung hydatid cyst caused by Echinococcus granulosus is endemic in many areas of the world. We aimed to compare the outcome of surgical treatment in intact and ruptured (infected or noninfected) cysts. We reviewed the medical records of 115 patients with lung hydatid disease who were surgically treated between 2001 and 2005 in a tertiary hospital in Lima, Peru. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on cyst characteristics: intact cysts (n = 41), ruptured noninfected cysts (n = 47) and ruptured infected cysts (n = 27). If a patient had more than one type of cyst, the most severe form of disease was recorded. Data related to symptoms, morbidity and mortality were recorded and compared. We also calculated direct patient costs. Mean age of patients was 23.6 +/- 15.1 years old. Ruptured cysts were present in 64 % of patients and giant cysts (> 10 cm diameter) were present in 26 % of patients. Hemoptysis was present in 47.0 % of patients and was more frequent in patients with ruptured infected cysts. Lung resection was performed in 58 % of patients. The most common postoperative complication was infection of the operative wound (6.08 %). Perioperative mortality was zero. Patients with ruptured cysts had a longer hospitalization time and higher total cost (12.28 +/- 0.92 days, US$ 890.34 +/- 303.35) than patients with intact cysts (10.17 +/- 0.79 days, US$ 724.81 +/- 14.38). Surgical treatment of lung hydatid disease is safe, with a good outcome and a low mortality rate. The lung resection rate was higher than most published series and reflects the relatively high proportion of patients with giant and ruptured infected cysts.

The Extrapolation of Families of Curves by Recurrence Relations, with Application to Creep-Rupture Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendelson, A.; Manson, S. S.

1960-01-01

A method using finite-difference recurrence relations is presented for direct extrapolation of families of curves. The method is illustrated by applications to creep-rupture data for several materials and it is shown that good results can be obtained without the necessity for any of the usual parameter concepts.

The Maule, 2010, earthquake - geophysical and kinematic observations of the South American margin prior to the earthquake (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oncken, O.; Haberland, C. A.; Moreno, M.; Melnick, D.; Tilmann, F.; Tipteq Research Groups

2010-12-01

Accumulation of deformation at convergent plate margins is recently identified to be highly discontinuous and transient in nature: silent slip events, non-volcanic tremors, afterslip, fault coupling and complex response patterns of the upper plate during a single event as well as across several seismic cycles have all been observed in various settings and combinations. Segments of convergent plate margins with high recurrence rates and at different stages of the rupture cycle like the Chilean margin offer an exceptional opportunity to study these features and their interaction resolving behaviour during the seismic cycle and over repeated cycles. A past (TIPTEQ) and several active international initiatives (Integrated Plate Boundary Observatory Chile; IPOC-network.org) address these goals with research groups from IPG Paris, Seismological Survey of Chile, Free University Berlin, Potsdam University, Hamburg University, IFM-GEOMAR Kiel, GFZ Potsdam, and Caltech (USA) employing an integrated plate boundary observatory and associated projects. Results from these studies allow us to define the preseismic state - with respect to the Maule eartghquake - of the margin system at the south Central Chilean convergent margin. Here, two major seismic events have occurred in adjoining segments (Valdivia 1960, Mw = 9.5; Maule 2010, Mw = 8.8) yielding observations from critical time windows of the seismic cycle in the same region. Seismic imaging and seismological data have allowed us to relocate major rupture hypocentres and to locate the geometry and properties of the seismogenic zone. The reflection seismic data exhibit well defined changes of reflectivity and Vp/Vs ratio along the plate interface that can be correlated with different parts of the coupling zone and its hanging wall as well as with changes during the seismic cycle. Observations suggest an important role of the hydraulic system, and of lateral variation of locking degree on subsequent rupture and aftershock distribution as evidenced by the recent Maule earthquake. Moreover, the latter coseismic rupture pattern was foreseeable from its pre-seismic locking pattern as derived by inversion of GPS observations during the previous decade. Neogene surface deformation at the Chilean coast related to these locking properties has been complex exhibiting tectonically uplifting areas along the coast driven by interseismically active reverse faulting. In addition, we observe coseismically subsiding domains along other parts of the coast - mostly above fully locked patches. Finally, we note that the characteristic peninsulas along the South American margin constitute stable rupture boundaries and appear to have done so for a protracted time as evidenced by their long-term uplift history since at least the Late Pliocene. This suggests barriers to rupture being related to anomalous properties of the plate interface affecting the mode of strain accumulation and plate interface rupture - like e.g. velocity strengthening in contrast to the weakening property of most of the remaining domains.

Paleoseismic history and slip rate along the Sapanca-Akyazı segment of the 1999 İzmit earthquake rupture (Mw = 7.4) of the North Anatolian Fault (Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikbaş, Aynur; Akyüz, H. Serdar; Meghraoui, Mustapha; Ferry, Matthieu; Altunel, Erhan; Zabcı, Cengiz; Langridge, Robert; Yalçıner, Cahit Çağlar

2018-07-01

The Sapanca-Akyazı segment (SAS) is located on western part of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) of Turkey. It was ruptured together with four other segments during the 17th August 1999 İzmit earthquake (Mw = 7.4) which caused 145-km-long surface rupture in the east Marmara region. We conducted geomorphological investigations and 2D-3D paleoseismic trenching at 3 different sites near the Sakarya River along the SAS to obtain new data for the timing of past earthquakes and slip rate of this section of the NAF. Detailed investigations using Ground Penetrating Radar on the western bank of the Sakarya River reveal 18.5 ± 0.5 m of right-lateral cumulative offset of an alluvial terrace dated as 850 ± 11 years BP using Optically Stimulated Luminescence. The analysis of trench data from the three different sites of the SAS indicates the occurrence of four surface rupturing past earthquakes including the 1999 İzmit earthquake. According to the radiocarbon dating, these paleo-earthquakes can be correlated with the 1719 CE, 1567 CE, and 1037 CE historical earthquakes and suggest an average recurrence period between 273 and 322 years. The total dextral offset, the age of trench units and the terrace deposits together suggest a 22 ± 3 mm/yr slip rate for this portion of the NAF.

Coherence of Mach fronts during heterogeneous supershear earthquake rupture propagation: Simulations and comparison with observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bizzarri, A.; Dunham, Eric M.; Spudich, P.

2010-01-01

We study how heterogeneous rupture propagation affects the coherence of shear and Rayleigh Mach wavefronts radiated by supershear earthquakes. We address this question using numerical simulations of ruptures on a planar, vertical strike-slip fault embedded in a three-dimensional, homogeneous, linear elastic half-space. Ruptures propagate spontaneously in accordance with a linear slip-weakening friction law through both homogeneous and heterogeneous initial shear stress fields. In the 3-D homogeneous case, rupture fronts are curved owing to interactions with the free surface and the finite fault width; however, this curvature does not greatly diminish the coherence of Mach fronts relative to cases in which the rupture front is constrained to be straight, as studied by Dunham and Bhat (2008a). Introducing heterogeneity in the initial shear stress distribution causes ruptures to propagate at speeds that locally fluctuate above and below the shear wave speed. Calculations of the Fourier amplitude spectra (FAS) of ground velocity time histories corroborate the kinematic results of Bizzarri and Spudich (2008a): (1) The ground motion of a supershear rupture is richer in high frequency with respect to a subshear one. (2) When a Mach pulse is present, its high frequency content overwhelms that arising from stress heterogeneity. Present numerical experiments indicate that a Mach pulse causes approximately an ω−1.7 high frequency falloff in the FAS of ground displacement. Moreover, within the context of the employed representation of heterogeneities and over the range of parameter space that is accessible with current computational resources, our simulations suggest that while heterogeneities reduce peak ground velocity and diminish the coherence of the Mach fronts, ground motion at stations experiencing Mach pulses should be richer in high frequencies compared to stations without Mach pulses. In contrast to the foregoing theoretical results, we find no average elevation of 5%-damped absolute response spectral accelerations (SA) in the period band 0.05–0.4 s observed at stations that presumably experienced Mach pulses during the 1979 Imperial Valley, 1999 Kocaeli, and 2002 Denali Fault earthquakes compared to SA observed at non-Mach pulse stations in the same earthquakes. A 20% amplification of short period SA is seen only at a few of the Imperial Valley stations closest to the fault. This lack of elevated SA suggests that either Mach pulses in real earthquakes are even more incoherent that in our simulations or that Mach pulses are vulnerable to attenuation through nonlinear soil response. In any case, this result might imply that current engineering models of high frequency earthquake ground motions do not need to be modified by more than 20% close to the fault to account for Mach pulses, provided that the existing data are adequately representative of ground motions from supershear earthquakes.

The persistence of directivity in small earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boatwright, J.

2007-01-01

We derive a simple inversion of peak ground acceleration (PGA) or peak ground velocity (PGV) for rupture direction and rupture velocity and then test this inversion on the peak motions obtained from seven 3.5 ??? M ??? 4.1 earthquakes that occurred in two clusters in November 2002 and February 2003 near San Ramon, California. These clusters were located on two orthogonal strike-slip faults so that the events share the same approximate focal mechanism but not the same fault plane. Three earthquakes exhibit strong directivity, but the other four earthquakes exhibit relatively weak directivity. We use the residual PGAs and PGVs from the other six events to determine station corrections for each earthquake. The inferred rupture directions unambiguously identify the fault plane for the three earthquakes with strong directivity and for three of the four earthquakes with weak directivity. The events with strong directivity have fast rupture velocities (0.63????? v ??? 0.87??); the events with weak directivity either rupture more slowly (0.17????? v ???0.35??) or bilaterally. The simple unilateral inversion cannot distinguish between slow and bilateral ruptures: adding a bilateral rupture component degrades the fit of the rupture directions to the fault planes. By comparing PGAs from the events with strong and weak directivity, we show how an up-dip rupture in small events can distort the attenuation of peak ground motion with distance. When we compare the rupture directions of the earthquakes to the location of aftershocks in the two clusters, we find than almost all the aftershocks of the three earthquakes with strong directivity occur within 70?? of the direction of rupture.

Interactive Mechanisms of Sliding-Surface Bearings.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

lower, upper) bearing surface V Three-dimensional gradient operator ix Two-dimensional surface gradient operator ( ),. Pertaining to the bearing surface...thermal gradients . The tilt-pad feature required the pad inclination to be determined by the condition of moment equilibrium about the pivot point. This...into the computation of pressure and shear in a fluid film. Incipience Point of Film Rupture On page 93 of Appendix A, pressure gradient and pressure of

On- and off-fault deformation associated with the September 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan earthquake: implications for geologic slip rate measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gold, Ryan D.; Reitman, Nadine G.; Briggs, Richard; Barnhart, William; Hayes, Gavin; Wilson, Earl M.

2015-01-01

The 24 September 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan, Pakistan earthquake ruptured a ~ 200 km-long stretch of the Hoshab fault in southern Pakistan and produced the second-largest lateral surface displacement observed for a continental strike-slip earthquake. We remotely measured surface deformation associated with this event using high-resolution (0.5 m) pre- and post-event satellite optical imagery. We document left lateral, near-field, on-fault offsets (10 m from fault) using 309 laterally offset piercing points, such as streams, terrace risers, and roads. Peak near-field displacement is 13.6 + 2.5/− 3.4 m. We characterize off-fault deformation by measuring medium- (< 350 m from fault) and far-field (> 350 m from fault) displacement using manual (259 measurements) and automated image cross-correlation methods, respectively. Off-fault peak lateral displacement values are ~ 15 m and exceed on-fault displacement magnitudes for ~ 85% of the rupture length. Our observations suggest that for this rupture, coseismic surface displacement typically increases with distance away from the surface trace of the fault; however, nearly 100% of total surface displacement occurs within a few hundred meters of the primary fault trace. Furthermore, off-fault displacement accounts for, on average, 28% of the total displacement but exhibits a highly heterogeneous along-strike pattern. The best agreement between near-field and far-field displacements generally corresponds to the narrowest fault zone widths. Our analysis demonstrates significant and heterogeneous mismatches between on- and off-fault coseismic deformation, and we conclude that this phenomenon should be considered in hazard models based on geologically determined on-fault slip rates.

Seismogeodesy of the 2014 Mw6.1 Napa earthquake, California: Rapid response and modeling of fast rupture on a dipping strike-slip fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melgar, Diego; Geng, Jianghui; Crowell, Brendan W.; Haase, Jennifer S.; Bock, Yehuda; Hammond, William C.; Allen, Richard M.

2015-07-01

Real-time high-rate geodetic data have been shown to be useful for rapid earthquake response systems during medium to large events. The 2014 Mw6.1 Napa, California earthquake is important because it provides an opportunity to study an event at the lower threshold of what can be detected with GPS. We show the results of GPS-only earthquake source products such as peak ground displacement magnitude scaling, centroid moment tensor (CMT) solution, and static slip inversion. We also highlight the retrospective real-time combination of GPS and strong motion data to produce seismogeodetic waveforms that have higher precision and longer period information than GPS-only or seismic-only measurements of ground motion. We show their utility for rapid kinematic slip inversion and conclude that it would have been possible, with current real-time infrastructure, to determine the basic features of the earthquake source. We supplement the analysis with strong motion data collected close to the source to obtain an improved postevent image of the source process. The model reveals unilateral fast propagation of slip to the north of the hypocenter with a delayed onset of shallow slip. The source model suggests that the multiple strands of observed surface rupture are controlled by the shallow soft sediments of Napa Valley and do not necessarily represent the intersection of the main faulting surface and the free surface. We conclude that the main dislocation plane is westward dipping and should intersect the surface to the east, either where the easternmost strand of surface rupture is observed or at the location where the West Napa fault has been mapped in the past.

Seismic constraints and coulomb stress changes of a blind thrust fault system, 1: Coalinga and Kettleman hills, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lin, Jian; Stein, Ross S.

2006-01-01

This report reviews the seismicity and surface ruptures associated with the 1982-1985 earthquake sequence in the Coalinga region in California, and the role of Coulomb stress in triggering the mainshock sequence and aftershocks. The 1982-1985 New Idria, Coalinga, and Kettleman Hills earthquakes struck on a series of west-dipping, en echelon blind thrust faults. Each earthquake was accompanied by uplift of a Quaternary anticline atop the fault, and each was accompanied by a vigorous aftershock sequence. Aftershocks were widely dispersed, and are seen above and below the thrust fault, as well as along the up-dip and down-dip projection of the main thrust fault. For the Coalinga and Kettleman Hills earthquakes, high-angle reverse faults in the core of the anticlines are evident in seismic reflection profiles, and many of these faults are associated with small aftershocks. The shallowest aftershocks extended to within 3-4 km of the ground surface. There is no compelling evidence for aftershocks associated with flexural slip faulting. No secondary surface rupture was found on any of the anticlines. In contrast, the 1983 Nu?ez rupture struck on a high-angle reverse fault 10 km west of the Coalinga epicenter, and over a 40-80-day period, up to 1 m of oblique surface slip occurred. The slip on this Holocene fault likely extended from the ground surface to a depth of 8-10 km. We argue that both the Nu?ez and Kettleman earthquakes were triggered by stresses imparted by the Coalinga mainshock, which was the largest of the four events in the sequence.

On- and off-fault deformation associated with the September 2013 Mw 7.7 Balochistan earthquake: Implications for geologic slip rate measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, Ryan D.; Reitman, Nadine G.; Briggs, Richard W.; Barnhart, William D.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Wilson, Earl

2015-10-01

The 24 September 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan, Pakistan earthquake ruptured a ~ 200 km-long stretch of the Hoshab fault in southern Pakistan and produced the second-largest lateral surface displacement observed for a continental strike-slip earthquake. We remotely measured surface deformation associated with this event using high-resolution (0.5 m) pre- and post-event satellite optical imagery. We document left lateral, near-field, on-fault offsets (10 m from fault) using 309 laterally offset piercing points, such as streams, terrace risers, and roads. Peak near-field displacement is 13.6 + 2.5/- 3.4 m. We characterize off-fault deformation by measuring medium- (< 350 m from fault) and far-field (> 350 m from fault) displacement using manual (259 measurements) and automated image cross-correlation methods, respectively. Off-fault peak lateral displacement values are ~ 15 m and exceed on-fault displacement magnitudes for ~ 85% of the rupture length. Our observations suggest that for this rupture, coseismic surface displacement typically increases with distance away from the surface trace of the fault; however, nearly 100% of total surface displacement occurs within a few hundred meters of the primary fault trace. Furthermore, off-fault displacement accounts for, on average, 28% of the total displacement but exhibits a highly heterogeneous along-strike pattern. The best agreement between near-field and far-field displacements generally corresponds to the narrowest fault zone widths. Our analysis demonstrates significant and heterogeneous mismatches between on- and off-fault coseismic deformation, and we conclude that this phenomenon should be considered in hazard models based on geologically determined on-fault slip rates.

3-D kinematics analysis of surface ruptures on an active creeping fault at Chihshang, Eastern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Angelier, J.; Chen, H.; Chu, H.; Hu, J.

2003-12-01

The Chihshang fault is one of the most active segments of the Longitudinal Valley Fault, the plate suture between the converging Philippine and Eurasian plates. A destructive earthquake of M 7.1 with substantial surface scarps resulted from rupturing of the Chihshang fault in 1951. From that on, no big earthquake greater than M 5.5 occurred in this area. Instead, the Chihshang fault reveals a creeping behavior at a rapid rate of about 20 mm/yr at least during the past 20 years. The surface breaks of the creeping Chihshang fault can be observed at the several places. A typical feature is reverse-fault-like fractures on the retaining wall. We deployed small geodetic networks across the fault zone at five sites. Each network comprises of 5 to 15 benchmarks. Trilateration measurements including angles and distances as well as leveling among the benchmarks have been carried out on an annual basis or twice a year since 1998. Compared to previous other measurements which have shown the first order creep rate for the entire fault zone, the present geodetic data provides the detailed information of the surface movements across the fault zone which usually composed of more than one fault strands and folds structures. According to our data from the local geodetic networks, we are able to reconstruct the 3-D kinematics of surface deformation across the Chihshang fault zone. Multiple fault strands are common along the Chihshang fault. Oblique shortening occurred at all sites and was characterized by a combination of thrusts, backthrust and surface warps. Strike-slip motion can also be distinguished on some fault strands. It is worth to note that the cultural feature, such as concrete basement of strong resistance, sometimes acted as deflection of surface ruptures. It should be taken into consideration for mitigation against seismic hazards.

Pneumothorax in pregnancy secondary to ruptured pulmonary hydatid cyst.

PubMed

Ahmed, Iftikhar; Hajjar, Waseem; Alakeed, Ahmed Nageeb; Rahal, Salah; Alhariri, Zohair; Alnassar, Sami

2012-03-01

Hydatid disease in pregnancy is a rare condition. Ruptured pulmonary hydatid cyst with pneumothorax during pregnancy is potentially serious for both the patient and the fetus. Diagnosis, treatment, and the mode of delivery of the infant all present complex problems related to this event. We describe here a case of pneumothorax occurring during pregnancy secondary to ruptured pulmonary hydatid cyst with a good outcome for both the mother and the fetus.

On the Prediction of Ground Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavallee, D.; Schmedes, J.; Archuleta, R. J.

2012-12-01

Using a slip-weakening dynamic model of rupture, we generated earthquake scenarios that provided the spatio-temporal evolution of the slip on the fault and the radiated field at the free surface. We observed scenarios where the rupture propagates at a supershear speed on some parts of the fault while remaining subshear for other parts of the fault. For some scenarios with nearly identical initial conditions, the rupture speed was always subshear. For both types of scenarios (mixture of supershear and subshear speeds and only subshear), we compute the peak ground accelerations (PGA) regularly distributed over the Earth's surface. We then calculate the probability density functions (PDF) of the PGA. For both types of scenarios, the PDF curves are asymmetrically shaped and asymptotically attenuated according to power law. This behavior of the PDF is similar to that observed for the PDF curves of PGA recorded during earthquakes. The main difference between scenarios with a supershear rupture speed and scenarios with only subshear rupture speed is the range of PGA values. Based on these results, we investigate three issues fundamental for the prediction of ground motion. It is important to recognize that recorded ground motions during an earthquake sample a small fraction of the radiation field. It is not obvious that such sampling will capture the largest ground motion generated during an earthquake, nor that the number of stations is large enough to properly infer the statistical properties associated with the radiation field. To quantify the effect of under (or low) sampling of the radiation field, we design three experiments. For a scenario where the rupture speed is only subshear, we construct multiple sets of observations. Each set is comprised of 100 randomly selected PGA values from all of the PGA's calculated at the Earth's surface. In the first experiment, we evaluate how the distributions of PGA in the sets compare with the distribution of all the PGA. For this experiment, we used different statistical tests (e.g. chi-square). This experiment quantifies the likelihood that a random set of PGA can be used to infer the statistical properties of all the PGA. In the second experiment, we fit the PDF of the PGA of every set with probability laws used in the literature to describe the PDF of recorded PGA: the lognormal law, the generalized maximum extreme value law, and the Levy law. For each set, the probability laws are then used to compute the probability to observe a PGA value that will cause "moderate to heavy" potential damage according to Instrumental Intensity scale developed by USGS. For each probability law, we compare predictions based on the set with the prediction estimated from all the PGA. This experiment quantifies the reliability and uncertainty in predicting an outcome due to under sampling the radiation field. The third experiment consists in using the sets discussed above and repeats the two investigations discussed above but this time comparing with a scenario where the rupture has a supershear speed over part of the fault. The objective here is to assess additional uncertainty in predicting PGA and damage resulting from ruptures that have supershear speeds.

Steady-state propagation speed of rupture fronts along one-dimensional frictional interfaces.

PubMed

Amundsen, David Skålid; Trømborg, Jørgen Kjoshagen; Thøgersen, Kjetil; Katzav, Eytan; Malthe-Sørenssen, Anders; Scheibert, Julien

2015-09-01

The rupture of dry frictional interfaces occurs through the propagation of fronts breaking the contacts at the interface. Recent experiments have shown that the velocities of these rupture fronts range from quasistatic velocities proportional to the external loading rate to velocities larger than the shear wave speed. The way system parameters influence front speed is still poorly understood. Here we study steady-state rupture propagation in a one-dimensional (1D) spring-block model of an extended frictional interface for various friction laws. With the classical Amontons-Coulomb friction law, we derive a closed-form expression for the steady-state rupture velocity as a function of the interfacial shear stress just prior to rupture. We then consider an additional shear stiffness of the interface and show that the softer the interface, the slower the rupture fronts. We provide an approximate closed form expression for this effect. We finally show that adding a bulk viscosity on the relative motion of blocks accelerates steady-state rupture fronts and we give an approximate expression for this effect. We demonstrate that the 1D results are qualitatively valid in 2D. Our results provide insights into the qualitative role of various key parameters of a frictional interface on its rupture dynamics. They will be useful to better understand the many systems in which spring-block models have proved adequate, from friction to granular matter and earthquake dynamics.

Composite Stress Rupture NDE Research and Development Project (Kevlar[R] and Carbon)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saulsberry, Regor

2010-01-01

The objective was to develop and demonstrate nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques capable of assessing stress rupture related strength degradation for carbon composite pressure vessels, either in a structural health monitoring (SHM) or periodic inspection mode.

A penalty-based nodal discontinuous Galerkin method for spontaneous rupture dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, R.; De Hoop, M. V.; Kumar, K.

2017-12-01

Numerical simulation of the dynamic rupture processes with slip is critical to understand the earthquake source process and the generation of ground motions. However, it can be challenging due to the nonlinear friction laws interacting with seismicity, coupled with the discontinuous boundary conditions across the rupture plane. In practice, the inhomogeneities in topography, fault geometry, elastic parameters and permiability add extra complexity. We develop a nodal discontinuous Galerkin method to simulate seismic wave phenomenon with slipping boundary conditions, including the fluid-solid boundaries and ruptures. By introducing a novel penalty flux, we avoid solving Riemann problems on interfaces, which makes our method capable for general anisotropic and poro-elastic materials. Based on unstructured tetrahedral meshes in 3D, the code can capture various geometries in geological model, and use polynomial expansion to achieve high-order accuracy. We consider the rate and state friction law, in the spontaneous rupture dynamics, as part of a nonlinear transmitting boundary condition, which is weakly enforced across the fault surface as numerical flux. An iterative coupling scheme is developed based on implicit time stepping, containing a constrained optimization process that accounts for the nonlinear part. To validate the method, we proof the convergence of the coupled system with error estimates. We test our algorithm on a well-established numerical example (TPV102) of the SCEC/USGS Spontaneous Rupture Code Verification Project, and benchmark with the simulation of PyLith and SPECFEM3D with agreeable results.

Breast augmentation and reconstructive surgery: MR imaging of implant rupture and malignancy.

PubMed

Herborn, Christoph U; Marincek, Borut; Erfmann, Daniel; Meuli-Simmen, Claudia; Wedler, Volker; Bode-Lesniewska, Beate; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A

2002-09-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in detecting prosthesis integrity and malignancy after breast augmentation and reconstruction. Forty-one implants in 25 patients were analyzed by MRI before surgical removal. Imaging results were compared with ex vivo findings. Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast was performed on a 1.5-T system using a dedicated surface breast coil. Axial and sagittal T2-weighted fast spin-echo as well as dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted gradient-recalled-echo sequences were acquired. The linguine sign indicating collapse of the silicone shell or siliconomas indicating free silicone proved implant rupture, whereas early focal contrast enhancement of a lesion was suspicious for malignancy. The sensitivity for detection of implant rupture was 86.7% with a specificity of 88.5%. The positive and negative predictive values were 81.3 and 92.0%, respectively. The linguine sign as a predictor of intracapsular implant rupture had a sensitivity of 80% with a specificity of 96.2%. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed two lesions with suspicious contrast enhancement (one carcinoma, one extra-abdominal fibromatosis). Magnetic resonance imaging is a reliable and reproducible technique for diagnosing both implant rupture and malignant lesions in women after breast augmentation and reconstruction.

Causal mechanisms of seismo-EM phenomena during the 1965-1967 Matsushiro earthquake swarm.

PubMed

Enomoto, Yuji; Yamabe, Tsuneaki; Okumura, Nobuo

2017-03-21

The 1965-1967 Matsushiro earthquake swarm in central Japan exhibited two unique characteristics. The first was a hydro-mechanical crust rupture resulting from degassing, volume expansion of CO 2 /water, and a crack opening within the critically stressed crust under a strike-slip stress. The other was, despite the lower total seismic energy, the occurrence of complexed seismo-electromagnetic (seismo-EM) phenomena of the geomagnetic intensity increase, unusual earthquake lights (EQLs) and atmospheric electric field (AEF) variations. Although the basic rupture process of this swarm of earthquakes is reasonably understood in terms of hydro-mechanical crust rupture, the associated seismo-EM processes remain largely unexplained. Here, we describe a series of seismo-EM mechanisms involved in the hydro-mechanical rupture process, as observed by coupling the electric interaction of rock rupture with CO 2 gas and the dielectric-barrier discharge of the modelled fields in laboratory experiments. We found that CO 2 gases passing through the newly created fracture surface of the rock were electrified to generate pressure-impressed current/electric dipoles, which could induce a magnetic field following Biot-Savart's law, decrease the atmospheric electric field and generate dielectric-barrier discharge lightning affected by the coupling effect between the seismic and meteorological activities.

Causal mechanisms of seismo-EM phenomena during the 1965–1967 Matsushiro earthquake swarm

PubMed Central

Enomoto, Yuji; Yamabe, Tsuneaki; Okumura, Nobuo

2017-01-01

The 1965–1967 Matsushiro earthquake swarm in central Japan exhibited two unique characteristics. The first was a hydro-mechanical crust rupture resulting from degassing, volume expansion of CO2/water, and a crack opening within the critically stressed crust under a strike-slip stress. The other was, despite the lower total seismic energy, the occurrence of complexed seismo-electromagnetic (seismo-EM) phenomena of the geomagnetic intensity increase, unusual earthquake lights (EQLs) and atmospheric electric field (AEF) variations. Although the basic rupture process of this swarm of earthquakes is reasonably understood in terms of hydro-mechanical crust rupture, the associated seismo-EM processes remain largely unexplained. Here, we describe a series of seismo-EM mechanisms involved in the hydro-mechanical rupture process, as observed by coupling the electric interaction of rock rupture with CO2 gas and the dielectric-barrier discharge of the modelled fields in laboratory experiments. We found that CO2 gases passing through the newly created fracture surface of the rock were electrified to generate pressure-impressed current/electric dipoles, which could induce a magnetic field following Biot-Savart’s law, decrease the atmospheric electric field and generate dielectric-barrier discharge lightning affected by the coupling effect between the seismic and meteorological activities. PMID:28322263

Laboratory experiment of seismic cycles using compliant viscoelastic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, T.

2016-12-01

It is well known that surface asperities at fault interfaces play an essential role in stick-slip friction. There have been many laboratory experiments conducted using rocks and some analogue materials to understand the effects of asperities and the underlying mechanisms. Among such materials, soft polymer gels have great advantages of slowing down propagating rupture front speed as well as shear wave speed: it facilitates observation of the dynamic rupture behavior. However, most experiments were done with bimaterial interfaces (combination of soft and hard materials) and there are few experiments with an identical (gel on gel) setup. Furthermore, there have been also few studies mentioning the link between local asperity contact and macroscopic dynamic rupture behavior. In this talk, we report our experimental studies on stick-slip friction between gels having controlled artificial asperities. We show that, depending on number density and configuration randomness of the asperities, the rupture behavior greatly changes: when the asperities are located periodically with optimum number densities, fast rupture propagation occurs, while slow and heterogeneous slip behavior is observed for samples having randomly located asperities. We discuss the importance of low frequency (large wavelength) excitation of the normal displacement contributing to weakening the fault interface. We also discuss the observed regular to slow slip transition with a simple model.

Causal mechanisms of seismo-EM phenomena during the 1965-1967 Matsushiro earthquake swarm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enomoto, Yuji; Yamabe, Tsuneaki; Okumura, Nobuo

2017-03-01

The 1965-1967 Matsushiro earthquake swarm in central Japan exhibited two unique characteristics. The first was a hydro-mechanical crust rupture resulting from degassing, volume expansion of CO2/water, and a crack opening within the critically stressed crust under a strike-slip stress. The other was, despite the lower total seismic energy, the occurrence of complexed seismo-electromagnetic (seismo-EM) phenomena of the geomagnetic intensity increase, unusual earthquake lights (EQLs) and atmospheric electric field (AEF) variations. Although the basic rupture process of this swarm of earthquakes is reasonably understood in terms of hydro-mechanical crust rupture, the associated seismo-EM processes remain largely unexplained. Here, we describe a series of seismo-EM mechanisms involved in the hydro-mechanical rupture process, as observed by coupling the electric interaction of rock rupture with CO2 gas and the dielectric-barrier discharge of the modelled fields in laboratory experiments. We found that CO2 gases passing through the newly created fracture surface of the rock were electrified to generate pressure-impressed current/electric dipoles, which could induce a magnetic field following Biot-Savart’s law, decrease the atmospheric electric field and generate dielectric-barrier discharge lightning affected by the coupling effect between the seismic and meteorological activities.

A novel strategy to translate the biomechanical rupture risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms to their equivalent diameter risk: method and retrospective validation.

PubMed

Gasser, T C; Nchimi, A; Swedenborg, J; Roy, J; Sakalihasan, N; Böckler, D; Hyhlik-Dürr, A

2014-03-01

To translate the individual abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patient's biomechanical rupture risk profile to risk-equivalent diameters, and to retrospectively test their predictability in ruptured and non-ruptured aneurysms. Biomechanical parameters of ruptured and non-ruptured AAAs were retrospectively evaluated in a multicenter study. General patient data and high resolution computer tomography angiography (CTA) images from 203 non-ruptured and 40 ruptured aneurysmal infrarenal aortas. Three-dimensional AAA geometries were semi-automatically derived from CTA images. Finite element (FE) models were used to predict peak wall stress (PWS) and peak wall rupture index (PWRI) according to the individual anatomy, gender, blood pressure, intra-luminal thrombus (ILT) morphology, and relative aneurysm expansion. Average PWS diameter and PWRI diameter responses were evaluated, which allowed for the PWS equivalent and PWRI equivalent diameters for any individual aneurysm to be defined. PWS increased linearly and PWRI exponentially with respect to maximum AAA diameter. A size-adjusted analysis showed that PWS equivalent and PWRI equivalent diameters were increased by 7.5 mm (p = .013) and 14.0 mm (p < .001) in ruptured cases when compared to non-ruptured controls, respectively. In non-ruptured cases the PWRI equivalent diameters were increased by 13.2 mm (p < .001) in females when compared with males. Biomechanical parameters like PWS and PWRI allow for a highly individualized analysis by integrating factors that influence the risk of AAA rupture like geometry (degree of asymmetry, ILT morphology, etc.) and patient characteristics (gender, family history, blood pressure, etc.). PWRI and the reported annual risk of rupture increase similarly with the diameter. PWRI equivalent diameter expresses the PWRI through the diameter of the average AAA that has the same PWRI, i.e. is at the same biomechanical risk of rupture. Consequently, PWRI equivalent diameter facilitates a straightforward interpretation of biomechanical analysis and connects to diameter-based guidelines for AAA repair indication. PWRI equivalent diameter reflects an additional diagnostic parameter that may provide more accurate clinical data for AAA repair indication. Copyright © 2013 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Kinematic Model of Slow Slip Constrained by Tremor-Derived Slip Histories in Cascadia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, D. A.; Houston, H.

2016-12-01

We explore new ways to constrain the kinematic slip distributions for large slow slip events using constraints from tremor. Our goal is to prescribe one or more slip pulses that propagate across the fault and scale appropriately to satisfy the observations. Recent work (Houston, 2015) inferred a crude representative stress time history at an average point using the tidal stress history, the static stress drop, and the timing of the evolution of tidal sensitivity of tremor over several days of slip. To convert a stress time history into a slip time history, we use simulations to explore the stressing history of a small locked patch due to an approaching rupture front. We assume that the locked patch releases strain through a series of tremor bursts whose activity rate is related to the stressing history. To test whether the functional form of a slip pulse is reasonable, we assume a hypothetical slip time history (Ohnaka pulse) timed with the occurrence of tremor to create a rupture front that propagates along the fault. The duration of the rupture front for a fault patch is constrained by the observed tremor catalog for the 2010 ETS event. The slip amplitude is scaled appropriately to match the observed surface displacements from GPS. Through a forward simulation, we evaluate the ability of the tremor-derived slip history to accurately predict the pattern of surface displacements observed by GPS. We find that the temporal progression of surface displacements are well modeled by a 2-4 day slip pulse, suggesting that some of the longer duration of slip typically found in time-dependent GPS inversions is biased by the temporal smoothing. However, at some locations on the fault, the tremor lingers beyond the passage of the slip pulse. A small percentage (5-10%) of the tremor appears to be activated ahead of the approaching slip pulse, and tremor asperities experience a driving stress on the order of 10 kPa/day. Tremor amplitude, rather than just tremor counts, is needed to better refine the pattern of slip across the fault.

75 FR 26681 - Airworthiness Directives; Turbomeca S.A. Arriel 2B and 2B1 Turboshaft Engines

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-12

... displacement of the HP blade relative to the disk in case of blade lock rupture or opening, therefore... repetitive borescope inspection of the engine for rearward displacement of the high-pressure turbine (HP... axial displacement of the HP blade relative to the disk in case of blade lock rupture or opening...

75 FR 59065 - Airworthiness Directives; Turboméca S.A. Arriel 2B and 2B1 Turboshaft Engines

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... displacement of the HP blade relative to the disk in case of blade lock rupture or opening, therefore... limit axial displacement of the HP blade relative to the disk in case of blade lock rupture or opening... and the HP blade platform. Introduction of these dampers has demonstrated to limit axial displacement...