Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging
Abstract To explore where earthquakes tend to recur, we statistically investigated repeating earthquake catalogs and background seismicity from different regions (Parkfield, Hayward, Calaveras, and Chihshang Faults). We show that the location of repeating earthquakes can be mapped using the spatial...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073335 |
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| author | Masashi Kawamura Kate Huihsuan Chen |
| author_facet | Masashi Kawamura Kate Huihsuan Chen |
| author_sort | Masashi Kawamura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract To explore where earthquakes tend to recur, we statistically investigated repeating earthquake catalogs and background seismicity from different regions (Parkfield, Hayward, Calaveras, and Chihshang Faults). We show that the location of repeating earthquakes can be mapped using the spatial distribution of the seismic a and b values obtained from the background seismicity. Molchan's error diagram statistically confirmed that repeating earthquakes occur within areas with high a values (2.8–3.8) and high b values (0.9–1.1) on both strike‐slip and thrust fault segments. However, no significant association held true for fault segments with more complicated geometry or for wider areas with a complex fault network. The productivity of small earthquakes responsible for high a and b values may thus be the most important factor controlling the location of repeating earthquakes. We inferred that the location of high creep rate in planar/listric fault structures might be indicated by a values of ~3 and b values of ~1. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-60a11fdacadf476fa4cf60a4085c038d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-60a11fdacadf476fa4cf60a4085c038d2025-08-20T03:49:46ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072017-07-0144136675668210.1002/2017GL073335Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imagingMasashi Kawamura0Kate Huihsuan Chen1Department of Earth Sciences National Taiwan Normal University Taipei TaiwanDepartment of Earth Sciences National Taiwan Normal University Taipei TaiwanAbstract To explore where earthquakes tend to recur, we statistically investigated repeating earthquake catalogs and background seismicity from different regions (Parkfield, Hayward, Calaveras, and Chihshang Faults). We show that the location of repeating earthquakes can be mapped using the spatial distribution of the seismic a and b values obtained from the background seismicity. Molchan's error diagram statistically confirmed that repeating earthquakes occur within areas with high a values (2.8–3.8) and high b values (0.9–1.1) on both strike‐slip and thrust fault segments. However, no significant association held true for fault segments with more complicated geometry or for wider areas with a complex fault network. The productivity of small earthquakes responsible for high a and b values may thus be the most important factor controlling the location of repeating earthquakes. We inferred that the location of high creep rate in planar/listric fault structures might be indicated by a values of ~3 and b values of ~1.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073335repeating earthquakesfrequency‐magnitude distributionfault creepseismicity |
| spellingShingle | Masashi Kawamura Kate Huihsuan Chen Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging Geophysical Research Letters repeating earthquakes frequency‐magnitude distribution fault creep seismicity |
| title | Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging |
| title_full | Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging |
| title_fullStr | Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging |
| title_short | Influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging |
| title_sort | influences on the location of repeating earthquakes determined from a and b value imaging |
| topic | repeating earthquakes frequency‐magnitude distribution fault creep seismicity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073335 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT masashikawamura influencesonthelocationofrepeatingearthquakesdeterminedfromaandbvalueimaging AT katehuihsuanchen influencesonthelocationofrepeatingearthquakesdeterminedfromaandbvalueimaging |