Location

2014/12/20 04:07:05 43.587 11.245 9.3 3.5 Italy

Arrival Times (from USGS)

Arrival time list

Felt Map

USGS Felt map for this earthquake

USGS Felt reports page for

Focal Mechanism

 SLU Moment Tensor Solution
 ENS  2014/12/20 04:07:05:0  43.59   11.24   9.3 3.5 Italy
 
 Stations used:
   GU.MAIM IV.BDI IV.CAFI IV.CASP IV.CRE IV.CSNT IV.FNVD 
   IV.MA9 IV.MGAB IV.MTCE IV.PARC IV.RMP IV.SACS MN.AQU MN.VLC 
 
 Filtering commands used:
   cut o DIST/3.3 -20 o DIST/3.3 +60
   rtr
   taper w 0.1
   hp c 0.02 n 3 
   lp c 0.10 n 3 
 
 Best Fitting Double Couple
  Mo = 3.39e+21 dyne-cm
  Mw = 3.62 
  Z  = 9 km
  Plane   Strike  Dip  Rake
   NP1      243    80   -165
   NP2      150    75   -10
  Principal Axes:
   Axis    Value   Plunge  Azimuth
    T   3.39e+21      4      16
    N   0.00e+00     72     274
    P  -3.39e+21     18     107

 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm)
    Component   Value
       Mxx     2.86e+21
       Mxy     1.74e+21
       Mxz     4.93e+20
       Myy    -2.57e+21
       Myz    -8.73e+20
       Mzz    -2.94e+20
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                     ########### T                   
                 -##############   ####              
              ----########################           
             -----#########################          
           --------##########################        
          ---------###########################       
         -----------#####################------      
        -------------###############------------     
        -------------###########----------------     
       ---------------######---------------------    
       ----------------#-------------------------    
       --------------###-------------------------    
       -----------#######------------------   ---    
        -------###########----------------- P --     
        -----###############---------------   --     
         --##################------------------      
          ####################----------------       
           #####################-------------        
             ####################----------          
              #####################-------           
                 #####################-              
                     ##############                  
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
 Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor:
      R          T          P
 -2.94e+20   4.93e+20   8.73e+20 
  4.93e+20   2.86e+21  -1.74e+21 
  8.73e+20  -1.74e+21  -2.57e+21 


Details of the solution is found at

http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.IT/20141220040705/index.html
        

Preferred Solution

The preferred solution from an analysis of the surface-wave spectral amplitude radiation pattern, waveform inversion and first motion observations is

      STK = 150
      DIP = 75
     RAKE = -10
       MW = 3.62
       HS = 9.0

The NDK file is 20141220040705.ndk The waveform inversion is preferred.

Moment Tensor Comparison

The following compares this source inversion to others
SLU
 SLU Moment Tensor Solution
 ENS  2014/12/20 04:07:05:0  43.59   11.24   9.3 3.5 Italy
 
 Stations used:
   GU.MAIM IV.BDI IV.CAFI IV.CASP IV.CRE IV.CSNT IV.FNVD 
   IV.MA9 IV.MGAB IV.MTCE IV.PARC IV.RMP IV.SACS MN.AQU MN.VLC 
 
 Filtering commands used:
   cut o DIST/3.3 -20 o DIST/3.3 +60
   rtr
   taper w 0.1
   hp c 0.02 n 3 
   lp c 0.10 n 3 
 
 Best Fitting Double Couple
  Mo = 3.39e+21 dyne-cm
  Mw = 3.62 
  Z  = 9 km
  Plane   Strike  Dip  Rake
   NP1      243    80   -165
   NP2      150    75   -10
  Principal Axes:
   Axis    Value   Plunge  Azimuth
    T   3.39e+21      4      16
    N   0.00e+00     72     274
    P  -3.39e+21     18     107

 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm)
    Component   Value
       Mxx     2.86e+21
       Mxy     1.74e+21
       Mxz     4.93e+20
       Myy    -2.57e+21
       Myz    -8.73e+20
       Mzz    -2.94e+20
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                     ########### T                   
                 -##############   ####              
              ----########################           
             -----#########################          
           --------##########################        
          ---------###########################       
         -----------#####################------      
        -------------###############------------     
        -------------###########----------------     
       ---------------######---------------------    
       ----------------#-------------------------    
       --------------###-------------------------    
       -----------#######------------------   ---    
        -------###########----------------- P --     
        -----###############---------------   --     
         --##################------------------      
          ####################----------------       
           #####################-------------        
             ####################----------          
              #####################-------           
                 #####################-              
                     ##############                  
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
 Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor:
      R          T          P
 -2.94e+20   4.93e+20   8.73e+20 
  4.93e+20   2.86e+21  -1.74e+21 
  8.73e+20  -1.74e+21  -2.57e+21 


Details of the solution is found at

http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.IT/20141220040705/index.html
	

Waveform Inversion

The focal mechanism was determined using broadband seismic waveforms. The location of the event and the and stations used for the waveform inversion are shown in the next figure.
Location of broadband stations used for waveform inversion

The program wvfgrd96 was used with good traces observed at short distance to determine the focal mechanism, depth and seismic moment. This technique requires a high quality signal and well determined velocity model for the Green functions. To the extent that these are the quality data, this type of mechanism should be preferred over the radiation pattern technique which requires the separate step of defining the pressure and tension quadrants and the correct strike.

The observed and predicted traces are filtered using the following gsac commands:

cut o DIST/3.3 -20 o DIST/3.3 +60
rtr
taper w 0.1
hp c 0.02 n 3 
lp c 0.10 n 3 
The results of this grid search from 0.5 to 19 km depth are as follow:

           DEPTH  STK   DIP  RAKE   MW    FIT
WVFGRD96    1.0   145    60   -15   3.34 0.4907
WVFGRD96    2.0   145    60   -15   3.41 0.5616
WVFGRD96    3.0   150    65     0   3.44 0.6081
WVFGRD96    4.0   150    70    -5   3.48 0.6573
WVFGRD96    5.0   150    70    -5   3.53 0.6947
WVFGRD96    6.0   145    65   -30   3.60 0.7191
WVFGRD96    7.0   145    65   -30   3.62 0.7325
WVFGRD96    8.0   150    75   -10   3.60 0.7368
WVFGRD96    9.0   150    75   -10   3.62 0.7384
WVFGRD96   10.0   150    75   -10   3.63 0.7339
WVFGRD96   11.0   150    75    -5   3.64 0.7244
WVFGRD96   12.0   150    75    -5   3.66 0.7129
WVFGRD96   13.0   150    75    -5   3.67 0.6990
WVFGRD96   14.0   150    75    -5   3.68 0.6821
WVFGRD96   15.0   150    70    -5   3.70 0.6624
WVFGRD96   16.0   150    70     0   3.70 0.6424
WVFGRD96   17.0   150    70     0   3.71 0.6228
WVFGRD96   18.0   150    70     0   3.72 0.6031
WVFGRD96   19.0   150    70     0   3.72 0.5843
WVFGRD96   20.0   150    70     0   3.73 0.5670
WVFGRD96   21.0   150    70     0   3.73 0.5509
WVFGRD96   22.0   150    70     0   3.74 0.5372
WVFGRD96   23.0   150    70     0   3.74 0.5246
WVFGRD96   24.0   250    40    25   3.84 0.5225
WVFGRD96   25.0   250    40    25   3.85 0.5277
WVFGRD96   26.0   250    40    25   3.85 0.5319
WVFGRD96   27.0   250    40    25   3.86 0.5368
WVFGRD96   28.0   250    40    25   3.87 0.5403
WVFGRD96   29.0   250    45    30   3.88 0.5426

The best solution is

WVFGRD96    9.0   150    75   -10   3.62 0.7384

The mechanism correspond to the best fit is
Figure 1. Waveform inversion focal mechanism

The best fit as a function of depth is given in the following figure:

Figure 2. Depth sensitivity for waveform mechanism

The comparison of the observed and predicted waveforms is given in the next figure. The red traces are the observed and the blue are the predicted. Each observed-predicted component is plotted to the same scale and peak amplitudes are indicated by the numbers to the left of each trace. A pair of numbers is given in black at the right of each predicted traces. The upper number it the time shift required for maximum correlation between the observed and predicted traces. This time shift is required because the synthetics are not computed at exactly the same distance as the observed and because the velocity model used in the predictions may not be perfect. A positive time shift indicates that the prediction is too fast and should be delayed to match the observed trace (shift to the right in this figure). A negative value indicates that the prediction is too slow. The lower number gives the percentage of variance reduction to characterize the individual goodness of fit (100% indicates a perfect fit).

The bandpass filter used in the processing and for the display was

cut o DIST/3.3 -20 o DIST/3.3 +60
rtr
taper w 0.1
hp c 0.02 n 3 
lp c 0.10 n 3 
Figure 3. Waveform comparison for selected depth. Red: observed; Blue - predicted. The time shift with respect to the model prediction is indicated. The percent of fit is also indicated.
Focal mechanism sensitivity at the preferred depth. The red color indicates a very good fit to thewavefroms. Each solution is plotted as a vector at a given value of strike and dip with the angle of the vector representing the rake angle, measured, with respect to the upward vertical (N) in the figure.

A check on the assumed source location is possible by looking at the time shifts between the observed and predicted traces. The time shifts for waveform matching arise for several reasons:

Assuming only a mislocation, the time shifts are fit to a functional form:

 Time_shift = A + B cos Azimuth + C Sin Azimuth

The time shifts for this inversion lead to the next figure:

The derived shift in origin time and epicentral coordinates are given at the bottom of the figure.

Discussion

Velocity Model

The nnCIA used for the waveform synthetic seismograms and for the surface wave eigenfunctions and dispersion is as follows:

MODEL.01
C.It. A. Di Luzio et al Earth Plan Lettrs 280 (2009) 1-12 Fig 5. 7-8 MODEL/SURF3
ISOTROPIC
KGS
FLAT EARTH
1-D
CONSTANT VELOCITY
LINE08
LINE09
LINE10
LINE11
      H(KM)   VP(KM/S)   VS(KM/S) RHO(GM/CC)         QP         QS       ETAP       ETAS      FREFP      FREFS
     1.5000     3.7497     2.1436     2.2753  0.500E-02  0.100E-01   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     3.0000     4.9399     2.8210     2.4858  0.500E-02  0.100E-01   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     3.0000     6.0129     3.4336     2.7058  0.500E-02  0.100E-01   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     7.0000     5.5516     3.1475     2.6093  0.167E-02  0.333E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
    15.0000     5.8805     3.3583     2.6770  0.167E-02  0.333E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     6.0000     7.1059     4.0081     3.0002  0.167E-02  0.333E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     8.0000     7.1000     3.9864     3.0120  0.167E-02  0.333E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     0.0000     7.9000     4.4036     3.2760  0.167E-02  0.333E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    

Quality Control

Here we tabulate the reasons for not using certain digital data sets

The following stations did not have a valid response files:

DATE=Sat Dec 20 15:01:17 CST 2014

Last Changed 2014/12/20