Location

Location ANSS

The ANSS event ID is aka2026susmgb and the event page is at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/aka2026susmgb/executive.

2026/09/22 14:20:48 67.384 -157.220 26.0 3.6 Alaska

Focal Mechanism

USGS/SLU Moment Tensor Solution ENS 2026/09/22 14:20:48.0 67.38 -157.22 26.0 3.6 Alaska Stations used: AK.E18K AK.F15K AK.F21K AK.G19K AK.GCSA AK.H22K AK.H23K AK.I21K AK.J19K AK.J20K AK.MLY AK.RDOG AK.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 = 1.82e+21 dyne-cm Mw = 3.44 Z = 15 km Plane Strike Dip Rake NP1 250 81 -150 NP2 155 60 -10 Principal Axes: Axis Value Plunge Azimuth T 1.82e+21 14 19 N 0.00e+00 59 264 P -1.82e+21 27 117 Moment Tensor: (dyne-cm) Component Value Mxx 1.24e+21 Mxy 1.10e+21 Mxz 7.45e+20 Myy -9.64e+20 Myz -5.22e+20 Mzz -2.74e+20 ########### --############# T #### ----############## ####### -----######################### -------########################### --------############################ ---------############################# ----------#########################----- ----------#################------------- ------------##########-------------------- ------------#####------------------------- ------------------------------------------ ---------#####---------------------------- ----##########------------------ ----- -##############----------------- P ----- ###############---------------- ---- ###############--------------------- ################------------------ ################-------------- #################----------- #################----- ############## Global CMT Convention Moment Tensor: R T P -2.74e+20 7.45e+20 5.22e+20 7.45e+20 1.24e+21 -1.10e+21 5.22e+20 -1.10e+21 -9.64e+20 Details of the solution is found at http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_mt/MECH.NA/20260922142048/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 = 155
      DIP = 60
     RAKE = -10
       MW = 3.44
       HS = 15.0

The NDK file is 20260922142048.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.

Map showing station locations used for computing the ML's. No distinction is made whether the vertical (Z) or horizontal (H) components were used.

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 0.08 n 3

The results of this grid search are as follow:

           DEPTH  STK   DIP  RAKE   MW    FIT
WVFGRD96    1.0   325    75   -20   3.06 0.3256
WVFGRD96    2.0   145    70   -20   3.17 0.3908
WVFGRD96    3.0   150    85     0   3.18 0.4049
WVFGRD96    4.0   150    70     0   3.23 0.4003
WVFGRD96    5.0   150    60    -5   3.25 0.4149
WVFGRD96    6.0   150    60   -10   3.27 0.4418
WVFGRD96    7.0   150    60   -10   3.29 0.4688
WVFGRD96    8.0   150    55   -15   3.34 0.4951
WVFGRD96    9.0   150    55   -15   3.36 0.5163
WVFGRD96   10.0   150    60   -15   3.38 0.5336
WVFGRD96   11.0   150    60   -15   3.40 0.5461
WVFGRD96   12.0   150    60   -15   3.41 0.5538
WVFGRD96   13.0   150    60   -15   3.42 0.5583
WVFGRD96   14.0   155    60   -10   3.43 0.5600
WVFGRD96   15.0   155    60   -10   3.44 0.5602
WVFGRD96   16.0   155    65   -15   3.45 0.5576
WVFGRD96   17.0   155    65   -15   3.46 0.5533
WVFGRD96   18.0   155    65   -15   3.47 0.5472
WVFGRD96   19.0   155    65   -15   3.48 0.5396
WVFGRD96   20.0   155    65   -20   3.49 0.5314
WVFGRD96   21.0   155    65   -20   3.50 0.5220
WVFGRD96   22.0   155    65   -25   3.51 0.5126
WVFGRD96   23.0   155    65   -25   3.51 0.5031
WVFGRD96   24.0   155    65   -25   3.52 0.4935
WVFGRD96   25.0   155    65   -30   3.53 0.4839
WVFGRD96   26.0   155    65   -30   3.53 0.4750
WVFGRD96   27.0   155    65   -30   3.54 0.4651
WVFGRD96   28.0   155    70   -35   3.54 0.4560
WVFGRD96   29.0   155    65   -35   3.55 0.4469

The best solution is

WVFGRD96   15.0   155    60   -10   3.44 0.5602

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)

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 Tue Sep 22 09:22:38 MDT 2026