Location

Location ANSS

The ANSS event ID is ak019g2w296x and the event page is at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ak019g2w296x/executive.

2019/12/16 03:30:27 61.411 -150.439 62.0 4.1 Alaska

Focal Mechanism

 USGS/SLU Moment Tensor Solution
 ENS  2019/12/16 03:30:27:0  61.41 -150.44  62.0 4.1 Alaska
 
 Stations used:
   AK.GHO AK.KNK AK.L22K AK.PPLA AK.RC01 AK.SAW AK.SKN AK.SLK 
   AK.SSN AT.PMR AV.STLK TA.M22K TA.O22K 
 
 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 0.10 n 3 
 
 Best Fitting Double Couple
  Mo = 3.09e+22 dyne-cm
  Mw = 4.26 
  Z  = 70 km
  Plane   Strike  Dip  Rake
   NP1      173    84   -125
   NP2       75    35   -10
  Principal Axes:
   Axis    Value   Plunge  Azimuth
    T   3.09e+22     31     291
    N   0.00e+00     34     177
    P  -3.09e+22     41      51

 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm)
    Component   Value
       Mxx    -4.02e+21
       Mxy    -1.64e+22
       Mxz    -4.68e+21
       Myy     9.07e+21
       Myz    -2.46e+22
       Mzz    -5.04e+21
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                     ####----------                  
                 ########--------------              
              ###########-----------------           
             ############------------------          
           ###############-------------------        
          ################----------   -------       
         #################---------- P --------      
        #####   ##########----------   ---------     
        ##### T ##########----------------------     
       ######   ##########----------------------#    
       ###################---------------------##    
       ####################-------------------###    
       ####################------------------####    
        ###################-----------------####     
        -##################----------------#####     
         -##################-------------######      
          ---###############----------########       
           -----############-------##########        
             ----------####--##############          
              ---------------#############           
                 -------------#########              
                     ---------#####                  
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
 Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor:
      R          T          P
 -5.04e+21  -4.68e+21   2.46e+22 
 -4.68e+21  -4.02e+21   1.64e+22 
  2.46e+22   1.64e+22   9.07e+21 


Details of the solution is found at

http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.NA/20191216033027/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 = 75
      DIP = 35
     RAKE = -10
       MW = 4.26
       HS = 70.0

The NDK file is 20191216033027.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 -40 o DIST/3.3 +50
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    2.0   275    40   -90   3.59 0.2738
WVFGRD96    4.0   310    40   -35   3.61 0.3324
WVFGRD96    6.0   315    50   -25   3.64 0.3704
WVFGRD96    8.0   285    30   -85   3.83 0.3943
WVFGRD96   10.0   345    25   -40   3.87 0.3938
WVFGRD96   12.0   355    30   -35   3.90 0.3794
WVFGRD96   14.0   335    60    25   3.81 0.3690
WVFGRD96   16.0    65    70    35   3.86 0.3781
WVFGRD96   18.0    65    70    35   3.89 0.3891
WVFGRD96   20.0    75    40    25   3.96 0.4122
WVFGRD96   22.0    65    50    -5   3.93 0.4425
WVFGRD96   24.0    65    50    -5   3.95 0.4783
WVFGRD96   26.0    65    50    -5   3.97 0.5039
WVFGRD96   28.0    60    55   -15   3.97 0.5258
WVFGRD96   30.0    60    50   -15   4.00 0.5404
WVFGRD96   32.0    60    50   -15   4.00 0.5468
WVFGRD96   34.0    60    50   -15   4.01 0.5483
WVFGRD96   36.0    75    40    15   4.06 0.5490
WVFGRD96   38.0    75    45    15   4.07 0.5658
WVFGRD96   40.0    75    30    10   4.18 0.5752
WVFGRD96   42.0    75    30     5   4.20 0.5841
WVFGRD96   44.0    75    30     5   4.21 0.5929
WVFGRD96   46.0    75    35     5   4.20 0.5992
WVFGRD96   48.0    75    30     0   4.23 0.6103
WVFGRD96   50.0    75    30     0   4.24 0.6180
WVFGRD96   52.0    70    30   -10   4.24 0.6276
WVFGRD96   54.0    70    30   -10   4.25 0.6354
WVFGRD96   56.0    70    30   -15   4.25 0.6421
WVFGRD96   58.0    70    30   -15   4.26 0.6471
WVFGRD96   60.0    70    30   -15   4.26 0.6512
WVFGRD96   62.0    70    30   -15   4.26 0.6531
WVFGRD96   64.0    70    30   -15   4.27 0.6559
WVFGRD96   66.0    70    30   -15   4.27 0.6559
WVFGRD96   68.0    70    30   -15   4.27 0.6560
WVFGRD96   70.0    75    35   -10   4.26 0.6579
WVFGRD96   72.0    70    35   -15   4.27 0.6575
WVFGRD96   74.0    70    35   -15   4.27 0.6544
WVFGRD96   76.0    75    35   -15   4.27 0.6542
WVFGRD96   78.0    75    35   -15   4.28 0.6532
WVFGRD96   80.0    75    35   -15   4.28 0.6511
WVFGRD96   82.0    70    35   -20   4.28 0.6482
WVFGRD96   84.0    70    35   -20   4.28 0.6461
WVFGRD96   86.0    70    35   -20   4.29 0.6421
WVFGRD96   88.0    70    35   -20   4.29 0.6411
WVFGRD96   90.0    70    35   -20   4.29 0.6369
WVFGRD96   92.0    70    35   -20   4.30 0.6339
WVFGRD96   94.0    75    40   -15   4.29 0.6299
WVFGRD96   96.0    75    40   -15   4.30 0.6269
WVFGRD96   98.0    75    40   -15   4.30 0.6231
WVFGRD96  100.0    75    40   -20   4.31 0.6194
WVFGRD96  102.0    75    40   -20   4.31 0.6162
WVFGRD96  104.0    75    40   -20   4.31 0.6117
WVFGRD96  106.0    75    40   -20   4.31 0.6083
WVFGRD96  108.0    75    40   -20   4.32 0.6044

The best solution is

WVFGRD96   70.0    75    35   -10   4.26 0.6579

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 0.10 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 Thu Apr 25 05:59:20 PM CDT 2024