Location

2009/05/01 01:33:58 36.8510 -104.7840 5.0 3.50 New Mexico

Arrival Times (from USGS)

Arrival time list

Felt Map

USGS Felt map for this earthquake

USGS Felt reports main page

Focal Mechanism

 USGS/SLU Moment Tensor Solution
 ENS  2009/05/01 01:33:58:0  36.85 -104.78   5.0 3.5 New Mexico
 
 Stations used:
   IU.ANMO TA.Q25A TA.R25A TA.S25A TA.T21A TA.T22A TA.T23A 
   TA.T24A TA.T25A TA.U21A TA.U24A TA.U25A TA.U26A TA.V24A 
   TA.V25A TA.W23A TA.W24A TA.X23A TA.X24A TA.X25A TA.X26A 
 
 Filtering commands used:
   hp c 0.02 n 3
   lp c 0.10 n 3
   br c 0.12 0.25 n 4 p 2
 
 Best Fitting Double Couple
  Mo = 6.24e+20 dyne-cm
  Mw = 3.13 
  Z  = 8 km
  Plane   Strike  Dip  Rake
   NP1      185    85    20
   NP2       93    70   175
  Principal Axes:
   Axis    Value   Plunge  Azimuth
    T   6.24e+20     18      51
    N   0.00e+00     69     198
    P  -6.24e+20     10     317

 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm)
    Component   Value
       Mxx    -1.02e+20
       Mxy     5.78e+20
       Mxz     3.26e+19
       Myy     6.46e+19
       Myz     2.14e+20
       Mzz     3.70e+19
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                     --------######                  
                 ------------##########              
                 ------------#############           
             - P -----------###############          
           ---   -----------############   ##        
          ------------------############ T ###       
         -------------------############   ####      
        -------------------#####################     
        -------------------#####################     
       --------------------######################    
       #-------------------######################    
       ###-----------------######################    
       ########-----------####################---    
        ###############---############----------     
        ##################----------------------     
         #################---------------------      
          ################--------------------       
           ###############-------------------        
             #############-----------------          
              ############----------------           
                 #########-------------              
                     #####---------                  
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
 Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor:
      R          T          P
  3.70e+19   3.26e+19  -2.14e+20 
  3.26e+19  -1.02e+20  -5.78e+20 
 -2.14e+20  -5.78e+20   6.46e+19 


Details of the solution is found at

http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.NA/20090501013358/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 = 185
      DIP = 85
     RAKE = 20
       MW = 3.13
       HS = 8.0

The waveform inversion is preferred.

Moment Tensor Comparison

The following compares this source inversion to others
SLU
 USGS/SLU Moment Tensor Solution
 ENS  2009/05/01 01:33:58:0  36.85 -104.78   5.0 3.5 New Mexico
 
 Stations used:
   IU.ANMO TA.Q25A TA.R25A TA.S25A TA.T21A TA.T22A TA.T23A 
   TA.T24A TA.T25A TA.U21A TA.U24A TA.U25A TA.U26A TA.V24A 
   TA.V25A TA.W23A TA.W24A TA.X23A TA.X24A TA.X25A TA.X26A 
 
 Filtering commands used:
   hp c 0.02 n 3
   lp c 0.10 n 3
   br c 0.12 0.25 n 4 p 2
 
 Best Fitting Double Couple
  Mo = 6.24e+20 dyne-cm
  Mw = 3.13 
  Z  = 8 km
  Plane   Strike  Dip  Rake
   NP1      185    85    20
   NP2       93    70   175
  Principal Axes:
   Axis    Value   Plunge  Azimuth
    T   6.24e+20     18      51
    N   0.00e+00     69     198
    P  -6.24e+20     10     317

 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm)
    Component   Value
       Mxx    -1.02e+20
       Mxy     5.78e+20
       Mxz     3.26e+19
       Myy     6.46e+19
       Myz     2.14e+20
       Mzz     3.70e+19
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                     --------######                  
                 ------------##########              
                 ------------#############           
             - P -----------###############          
           ---   -----------############   ##        
          ------------------############ T ###       
         -------------------############   ####      
        -------------------#####################     
        -------------------#####################     
       --------------------######################    
       #-------------------######################    
       ###-----------------######################    
       ########-----------####################---    
        ###############---############----------     
        ##################----------------------     
         #################---------------------      
          ################--------------------       
           ###############-------------------        
             #############-----------------          
              ############----------------           
                 #########-------------              
                     #####---------                  
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
 Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor:
      R          T          P
  3.70e+19   3.26e+19  -2.14e+20 
  3.26e+19  -1.02e+20  -5.78e+20 
 -2.14e+20  -5.78e+20   6.46e+19 


Details of the solution is found at

http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.NA/20090501013358/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:

hp c 0.02 n 3
lp c 0.10 n 3
br c 0.12 0.25 n 4 p 2
The results of this grid search from 0.5 to 19 km depth are as follow:

           DEPTH  STK   DIP  RAKE   MW    FIT
WVFGRD96    0.5   180    80    -5   2.70 0.2291
WVFGRD96    1.0   180    85     0   2.75 0.2649
WVFGRD96    2.0   185    85     0   2.91 0.4318
WVFGRD96    3.0   185    80     0   2.98 0.4905
WVFGRD96    4.0   185    80     0   3.02 0.5261
WVFGRD96    5.0   185    75     0   3.05 0.5492
WVFGRD96    6.0   185    85    20   3.08 0.5629
WVFGRD96    7.0   185    85    15   3.10 0.5704
WVFGRD96    8.0   185    85    20   3.13 0.5740
WVFGRD96    9.0   185    85    20   3.14 0.5716
WVFGRD96   10.0   185    85    20   3.16 0.5665
WVFGRD96   11.0   185    85    20   3.17 0.5604
WVFGRD96   12.0   185    85    20   3.18 0.5536
WVFGRD96   13.0   185    85    20   3.19 0.5467
WVFGRD96   14.0   185    85    20   3.19 0.5398
WVFGRD96   15.0   185    85    15   3.20 0.5343
WVFGRD96   16.0   185    65   -15   3.22 0.5340
WVFGRD96   17.0   185    65   -20   3.23 0.5314
WVFGRD96   18.0   185    65   -15   3.24 0.5298
WVFGRD96   19.0   185    65   -15   3.25 0.5282
WVFGRD96   20.0   185    65   -15   3.26 0.5270
WVFGRD96   21.0   185    65   -15   3.27 0.5259
WVFGRD96   22.0   185    65   -15   3.28 0.5250
WVFGRD96   23.0   185    65   -15   3.29 0.5244
WVFGRD96   24.0   185    65   -10   3.30 0.5231
WVFGRD96   25.0   185    70    -5   3.30 0.5218
WVFGRD96   26.0   185    70    -5   3.31 0.5201
WVFGRD96   27.0   185    70    -5   3.32 0.5174
WVFGRD96   28.0   185    70    -5   3.33 0.5140
WVFGRD96   29.0   185    70    -5   3.33 0.5095

The best solution is

WVFGRD96    8.0   185    85    20   3.13 0.5740

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 componnet is plotted to the same scale and peak amplitudes are indicated by the numbers to the left of each trace. The number in black at the rightr of each predicted traces 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 bandpass filter used in the processing and for the display was

hp c 0.02 n 3
lp c 0.10 n 3
br c 0.12 0.25 n 4 p 2
Figure 3. Waveform comparison for selected depth
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.

Discussion

The Future

Should the national backbone of the USGS Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) be implemented with an interstation separation of 300 km, it is very likely that an earthquake such as this would have been recorded at distances on the order of 100-200 km. This means that the closest station would have information on source depth and mechanism that was lacking here.

Acknowledgements

Dr. Harley Benz, USGS, provided the USGS USNSN digital data. The digital data used in this study were provided by Natural Resources Canada through their AUTODRM site http://www.seismo.nrcan.gc.ca/nwfa/autodrm/autodrm_req_e.php, and IRIS using their BUD interface.

Thanks also to the many seismic network operators whose dedication make this effort possible: University of Alaska, University of Washington, Oregon State University, University of Utah, Montana Bureas of Mines, UC Berkely, Caltech, UC San Diego, Saint L ouis University, Universityof Memphis, Lamont Doehrty Earth Observatory, Boston College, the Iris stations and the Transportable Array of EarthScope.

Velocity Model

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

MODEL.01
Model after     8 iterations
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
     1.9000     3.4065     2.0089     2.2150  0.302E-02  0.679E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     6.1000     5.5445     3.2953     2.6089  0.349E-02  0.784E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
    13.0000     6.2708     3.7396     2.7812  0.212E-02  0.476E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
    19.0000     6.4075     3.7680     2.8223  0.111E-02  0.249E-02   0.00       0.00       1.00       1.00    
     0.0000     7.9000     4.6200     3.2760  0.164E-10  0.370E-10   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=Fri May 1 09:59:39 CDT 2009

Last Changed 2009/05/01