Location

Location ANSS

The ANSS event ID is ak016b4al6xd and the event page is at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ak016b4al6xd/executive.

2016/08/29 04:25:53 63.027 -151.554 10.5 3.7 Alaska

Focal Mechanism

 USGS/SLU Moment Tensor Solution
 ENS  2016/08/29 04:25:53:0  63.03 -151.55  10.5 3.7 Alaska
 
 Stations used:
   AK.BPAW AK.BWN AK.CAST AK.CCB AK.CUT AK.DHY AK.DOT AK.FID 
   AK.GHO AK.GLI AK.HDA AK.HIN AK.KLU AK.KNK AK.KTH AK.MCK 
   AK.MDM AK.MLY AK.NEA2 AK.PAX AK.PPD AK.PPLA AK.PWL AK.RC01 
   AK.RIDG AK.RND AK.SAW AK.SCM AK.SCRK AK.SKN AK.TRF AK.WRH 
   AT.MENT AT.PMR AT.SVW2 AT.TTA AV.ILSW IM.IL31 IU.COLA 
   TA.H21K TA.H23K TA.H24K TA.I21K TA.J20K TA.J25K TA.K20K 
   TA.L19K TA.M19K TA.M20K TA.M22K TA.M24K TA.N18K TA.N19K 
   TA.N25K TA.O19K TA.P19K TA.TCOL 
 
 Filtering commands used:
   cut o DIST/3.3 -30 o DIST/3.3 +70
   rtr
   taper w 0.1
   hp c 0.03 n 3 
   lp c 0.10 n 3 
 
 Best Fitting Double Couple
  Mo = 4.03e+21 dyne-cm
  Mw = 3.67 
  Z  = 15 km
  Plane   Strike  Dip  Rake
   NP1      185    60    45
   NP2       68    52   141
  Principal Axes:
   Axis    Value   Plunge  Azimuth
    T   4.03e+21     52      41
    N   0.00e+00     38     212
    P  -4.03e+21      5     305

 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm)
    Component   Value
       Mxx    -4.47e+20
       Mxy     2.64e+21
       Mxz     1.29e+21
       Myy    -2.02e+21
       Myz     1.54e+21
       Mzz     2.47e+21
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                     -------#######                  
                 ----------############              
              -----------#################           
             -----------###################          
           P ----------######################        
             ----------#######################       
         -------------##########   ############      
        -------------########### T ############-     
        -------------###########   ###########--     
       --------------#########################---    
       -------------########################-----    
       -------------#######################------    
       -------------#####################--------    
        ------------###################---------     
        ------------################------------     
         #-----------############--------------      
          ####-------######-------------------       
           ##########------------------------        
             #########---------------------          
              #########-------------------           
                 #######---------------              
                     ####----------                  
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
 Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor:
      R          T          P
  2.47e+21   1.29e+21  -1.54e+21 
  1.29e+21  -4.47e+20  -2.64e+21 
 -1.54e+21  -2.64e+21  -2.02e+21 


Details of the solution is found at

http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.NA/20160829042553/index.html
        

Preferred Solution

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

      STK = 185
      DIP = 60
     RAKE = 45
       MW = 3.67
       HS = 15.0

The NDK file is 20160829042553.ndk The waveform inversion is preferred.

Magnitudes

Given the availability of digital waveforms for determination of the moment tensor, this section documents the added processing leading to mLg, if appropriate to the region, and ML by application of the respective IASPEI formulae. As a research study, the linear distance term of the IASPEI formula for ML is adjusted to remove a linear distance trend in residuals to give a regionally defined ML. The defined ML uses horizontal component recordings, but the same procedure is applied to the vertical components since there may be some interest in vertical component ground motions. Residual plots versus distance may indicate interesting features of ground motion scaling in some distance ranges. A residual plot of the regionalized magnitude is given as a function of distance and azimuth, since data sets may transcend different wave propagation provinces.

ML Magnitude


Left: ML computed using the IASPEI formula for Horizontal components. Center: ML residuals computed using a modified IASPEI formula that accounts for path specific attenuation; the values used for the trimmed mean are indicated. The ML relation used for each figure is given at the bottom of each plot. Right: Residuals from new relation as a function of distance and azimuth.


Left: ML computed using the IASPEI formula for Vertical components (research). Center: ML residuals computed using a modified IASPEI formula that accounts for path specific attenuation; the values used for the trimmed mean are indicated. The ML relation used for each figure is given at the bottom of each plot. Right: Residuals from new relation as a function of distance and azimuth.

Context

The left panel of the next figure presents the focal mechanism for this earthquake (red) in the context of other nearby events (blue) in the SLU Moment Tensor Catalog. The right panel shows the inferred direction of maximum compressive stress and the type of faulting (green is strike-slip, red is normal, blue is thrust; oblique is shown by a combination of colors). Thus context plot is useful for assessing the appropriateness of the moment tensor of this event.

Waveform Inversion using wvfgrd96

The focal mechanism was determined using broadband seismic waveforms. The location of the event (star) and the stations used for (red) 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's 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 -30 o DIST/3.3 +70
rtr
taper w 0.1
hp c 0.03 n 3 
lp c 0.10 n 3 
The results of this grid search are as follow:

           DEPTH  STK   DIP  RAKE   MW    FIT
WVFGRD96    1.0   350    90     0   3.14 0.2730
WVFGRD96    2.0   300    45   -90   3.34 0.3251
WVFGRD96    3.0   165    70   -35   3.35 0.3159
WVFGRD96    4.0   170    85   -45   3.38 0.3162
WVFGRD96    5.0   180    35    10   3.40 0.3611
WVFGRD96    6.0   180    40    15   3.43 0.4051
WVFGRD96    7.0   180    45    20   3.45 0.4421
WVFGRD96    8.0   185    40    20   3.52 0.4642
WVFGRD96    9.0   185    45    30   3.55 0.4943
WVFGRD96   10.0   185    65    50   3.58 0.5303
WVFGRD96   11.0   190    60    50   3.61 0.5613
WVFGRD96   12.0   190    60    50   3.63 0.5846
WVFGRD96   13.0   185    60    45   3.64 0.6002
WVFGRD96   14.0   185    60    45   3.66 0.6098
WVFGRD96   15.0   185    60    45   3.67 0.6134
WVFGRD96   16.0   185    60    45   3.69 0.6118
WVFGRD96   17.0   185    60    45   3.70 0.6055
WVFGRD96   18.0   185    60    40   3.71 0.5964
WVFGRD96   19.0   185    60    40   3.72 0.5841
WVFGRD96   20.0   185    60    40   3.73 0.5695
WVFGRD96   21.0   190    55    40   3.74 0.5526
WVFGRD96   22.0   190    55    40   3.75 0.5349
WVFGRD96   23.0   190    55    40   3.76 0.5160
WVFGRD96   24.0   185    55    40   3.76 0.4960
WVFGRD96   25.0   185    55    40   3.77 0.4761
WVFGRD96   26.0   185    55    40   3.77 0.4557
WVFGRD96   27.0   185    65    50   3.77 0.4391
WVFGRD96   28.0   185    60    50   3.78 0.4230
WVFGRD96   29.0   185    60    55   3.78 0.4079

The best solution is

WVFGRD96   15.0   185    60    45   3.67 0.6134

The mechanism corresponding 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, the velocity model used in the predictions may not be perfect and the epicentral parameters may be be off. 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 -30 o DIST/3.3 +70
rtr
taper w 0.1
hp c 0.03 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. The time scale is relative to the first trace sample.

Focal mechanism sensitivity at the preferred depth. The red color indicates a very good fit to the waveforms. 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.

Velocity Model

The WUS.model used for the waveform synthetic seismograms and for the surface wave eigenfunctions and dispersion is as follows (The format is in the model96 format of Computer Programs in Seismology).

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    
Last Changed Fri Apr 26 08:35:11 PM CDT 2024