Location

Location ANSS

The ANSS event ID is ak0222t1tzlu and the event page is at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ak0222t1tzlu/executive.

2022/03/02 10:16:26 60.965 -147.288 18.3 3.8 Alaska

Focal Mechanism

USGS/SLU Moment Tensor Solution ENS 2022/03/02 10:16:26:0 60.97 -147.29 18.3 3.8 Alaska Stations used: AK.BMR AK.BPAW AK.BRLK AK.CAST AK.CNP AK.CUT AK.DHY AK.DIV AK.EYAK AK.GHO AK.GLB AK.GLI AK.HIN AK.KLU AK.KNK AK.KTH AK.L22K AK.L26K AK.M20K AK.M27K AK.MCK AK.O19K AK.P23K AK.PAX AK.RAG AK.RC01 AK.RIDG AK.RND AK.SAW AK.SCM AK.SCRK AK.SKN AK.SLK AK.SSN AK.SWD AK.TGL AK.VRDI AT.MENT AT.PMR AV.STLK 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 br c 0.12 0.25 n 4 p 2 Best Fitting Double Couple Mo = 5.69e+21 dyne-cm Mw = 3.77 Z = 29 km Plane Strike Dip Rake NP1 210 50 -60 NP2 348 48 -121 Principal Axes: Axis Value Plunge Azimuth T 5.69e+21 1 279 N 0.00e+00 23 10 P -5.69e+21 67 187 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm) Component Value Mxx -6.74e+20 Mxy -1.01e+21 Mxz 2.01e+21 Myy 5.53e+21 Myz 1.73e+20 Mzz -4.85e+21 #####--------- ############------#### ################-########### ##############------########## ##############---------########### #############------------########### #############--------------########### ############-----------------########### ##########-------------------########## T #########--------------------########### ########---------------------########### ##########----------------------########## #########---------- ----------########## ########---------- P ----------######### ########---------- ----------######### ######-----------------------######### #####-----------------------######## #####----------------------####### ###---------------------###### ###-------------------###### ------------------#### ------------## Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor: R T P -4.85e+21 2.01e+21 -1.73e+20 2.01e+21 -6.74e+20 1.01e+21 -1.73e+20 1.01e+21 5.53e+21 Details of the solution is found at http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.NA/20220302101626/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 = 210
      DIP = 50
     RAKE = -60
       MW = 3.77
       HS = 29.0

The NDK file is 20220302101626.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.

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 
br c 0.12 0.25 n 4 p 2

The results of this grid search are as follow:

           DEPTH  STK   DIP  RAKE   MW    FIT
WVFGRD96    1.0    20    45    95   3.20 0.2901
WVFGRD96    2.0    15    45    95   3.39 0.4596
WVFGRD96    3.0   180    45    70   3.43 0.4007
WVFGRD96    4.0    40    75   -45   3.43 0.3743
WVFGRD96    5.0   245    75    45   3.46 0.4155
WVFGRD96    6.0   245    75    45   3.48 0.4473
WVFGRD96    7.0   240    70    40   3.48 0.4695
WVFGRD96    8.0   240    75    50   3.52 0.4757
WVFGRD96    9.0   240    70    45   3.54 0.4942
WVFGRD96   10.0   240    70    45   3.55 0.5117
WVFGRD96   11.0   240    70    45   3.56 0.5260
WVFGRD96   12.0   240    70    45   3.57 0.5381
WVFGRD96   13.0   240    70    45   3.58 0.5478
WVFGRD96   14.0   235    75    45   3.58 0.5555
WVFGRD96   15.0   235    75    45   3.60 0.5629
WVFGRD96   16.0   235    75    45   3.61 0.5688
WVFGRD96   17.0    40    70   -45   3.60 0.5772
WVFGRD96   18.0    40    70   -45   3.62 0.5871
WVFGRD96   19.0    40    70   -45   3.63 0.5966
WVFGRD96   20.0   215    50   -50   3.68 0.6114
WVFGRD96   21.0   210    50   -55   3.69 0.6274
WVFGRD96   22.0   215    50   -55   3.70 0.6445
WVFGRD96   23.0   210    50   -60   3.71 0.6594
WVFGRD96   24.0   210    50   -60   3.72 0.6719
WVFGRD96   25.0   210    50   -60   3.73 0.6820
WVFGRD96   26.0   210    50   -60   3.74 0.6895
WVFGRD96   27.0   210    50   -60   3.75 0.6951
WVFGRD96   28.0   210    50   -60   3.76 0.6991
WVFGRD96   29.0   210    50   -60   3.77 0.7012
WVFGRD96   30.0   210    50   -60   3.78 0.7009
WVFGRD96   31.0   210    50   -60   3.78 0.6981
WVFGRD96   32.0   210    50   -60   3.79 0.6923
WVFGRD96   33.0   210    50   -60   3.80 0.6834
WVFGRD96   34.0   205    50   -65   3.80 0.6715
WVFGRD96   35.0   205    50   -65   3.81 0.6576
WVFGRD96   36.0   205    50   -65   3.82 0.6426
WVFGRD96   37.0   205    50   -65   3.82 0.6262
WVFGRD96   38.0   200    50   -70   3.83 0.6100
WVFGRD96   39.0   200    50   -70   3.85 0.5988

The best solution is

WVFGRD96   29.0   210    50   -60   3.77 0.7012

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 
br c 0.12 0.25 n 4 p 2

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)

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 Wed Apr 24 09:50:31 PM CDT 2024