Location

Location ANSS

The ANSS event ID is ak019g1hfjfl and the event page is at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ak019g1hfjfl/executive.

2019/12/15 18:26:20 68.557 -147.905 17.7 3.3 Alaska

Focal Mechanism

USGS/SLU Moment Tensor Solution ENS 2019/12/15 18:26:20:0 68.56 -147.90 17.7 3.3 Alaska Stations used: AK.COLD TA.C23K TA.C26K TA.C27K TA.D23K TA.E19K TA.E22K TA.E25K TA.E27K TA.E29M TA.F24K TA.F25K TA.F26K TA.G21K TA.G23K TA.G24K TA.G26K TA.H27K TA.POKR TA.TOLK Filtering commands used: cut o DIST/3.3 -40 o DIST/3.3 +50 rtr taper w 0.1 hp c 0.03 n 3 lp c 0.08 n 3 Best Fitting Double Couple Mo = 2.09e+21 dyne-cm Mw = 3.48 Z = 13 km Plane Strike Dip Rake NP1 50 70 35 NP2 307 57 156 Principal Axes: Axis Value Plunge Azimuth T 2.09e+21 39 272 N 0.00e+00 50 76 P -2.09e+21 8 176 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm) Component Value Mxx -2.04e+21 Mxy 1.00e+20 Mxz 3.27e+20 Myy 1.27e+21 Myz -1.04e+21 Mzz 7.70e+20 -------------- ---------------------- ---------------------------- ------------------------------ ###########----------------------# #################----------------### #####################------------##### #########################--------####### ###########################----######### ####### ####################-########### ####### T ###################---########## ####### ##################-----######### ##########################---------####### ######################-------------##### ####################---------------##### ################-------------------### ############----------------------## #######--------------------------- ------------------------------ ---------------------------- ----------- -------- ------- P ---- Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor: R T P 7.70e+20 3.27e+20 1.04e+21 3.27e+20 -2.04e+21 -1.00e+20 1.04e+21 -1.00e+20 1.27e+21 Details of the solution is found at http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.NA/20191215182620/index.html

Preferred Solution

      STK = 50
      DIP = 70
     RAKE = 35
       MW = 3.48
       HS = 13.0

The NDK file is 20191215182620.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 M_L by application of the respective IASPEI formulae. As a research study, the linear distance term of the IASPEI formula for M_L is adjusted to remove a linear distance trend in residuals to give a regionally defined M_L. The defined M_L 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.

mLg Magnitude

Left: mLg computed using the IASPEI formula. Center: mLg residuals versus epicentral distance ; the values used for the trimmed mean magnitude estimate are indicated. Right: residuals as a function of distance and azimuth.

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

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 -40 o DIST/3.3 +50
rtr
taper w 0.1
hp c 0.03 n 3 
lp c 0.08 n 3 

           DEPTH  STK   DIP  RAKE   MW    FIT
WVFGRD96    1.0    45    85     0   3.02 0.1879
WVFGRD96    2.0    45    80     0   3.13 0.2360
WVFGRD96    3.0    45    75    20   3.18 0.2519
WVFGRD96    4.0    45    50     0   3.26 0.2670
WVFGRD96    5.0   210    70   -50   3.33 0.2793
WVFGRD96    6.0    40    45   -15   3.34 0.2900
WVFGRD96    7.0    40    50   -15   3.35 0.2981
WVFGRD96    8.0   215    75   -45   3.40 0.3051
WVFGRD96    9.0   215    75   -45   3.42 0.3090
WVFGRD96   10.0   215    75   -45   3.44 0.3113
WVFGRD96   11.0    50    75    40   3.45 0.3144
WVFGRD96   12.0    50    70    35   3.46 0.3171
WVFGRD96   13.0    50    70    35   3.48 0.3180
WVFGRD96   14.0    50    70    35   3.49 0.3172
WVFGRD96   15.0    50    75    35   3.51 0.3157
WVFGRD96   16.0    50    75    35   3.52 0.3134
WVFGRD96   17.0    50    75    35   3.53 0.3103
WVFGRD96   18.0    45    85    35   3.54 0.3071
WVFGRD96   19.0    45    85    35   3.55 0.3038
WVFGRD96   20.0    45    85    35   3.56 0.3004
WVFGRD96   21.0    45    90    40   3.58 0.2971
WVFGRD96   22.0   225    90   -40   3.59 0.2935
WVFGRD96   23.0   225    90   -40   3.60 0.2892
WVFGRD96   24.0   225    90   -40   3.61 0.2851
WVFGRD96   25.0   225    90   -40   3.62 0.2806
WVFGRD96   26.0   225    90   -40   3.63 0.2751
WVFGRD96   27.0    45    90    40   3.63 0.2692
WVFGRD96   28.0    50    85    40   3.65 0.2633
WVFGRD96   29.0    50    90    35   3.65 0.2577

The best solution is

WVFGRD96   13.0    50    70    35   3.48 0.3180

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 -40 o DIST/3.3 +50
rtr
taper w 0.1
hp c 0.03 n 3 
lp c 0.08 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:

• The origin time and epicentral distance are incorrect
• The velocity model used for the inversion is incorrect
• The velocity model used to define the P-arrival time is not the same as the velocity model used for the waveform inversion (assuming that the initial trace alignment is based on the P arrival time)

 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