HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (9) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McGuire, J. J. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Estimating Finite Source Properties of Small Earthquake Ruptures

Department of Geology and Geophysics
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543

Manuscript received 12 May 2003.

Many of the most fundamental questions in earthquake science are currently limited by a lack of knowledge about small earthquake ruptures. Small earthquakes are difficult to study owing to the poor constraints placed on many of the interesting physical parameters by bandlimited, far-field, seismic data. Traditionally, dynamic models, such as an expanding circular crack, have been utilized to bridge the gap between the easily measurable quantities for small earthquakes and more interesting physical parameters such as stress drop and rupture velocity. Here I present a method for estimating the basic finite source properties of a rupture that is independent of any a priori model and utilizes the description of a finite source, the second moments, that far-field waves are inherently sensitive to. Application to two magnitude 5 events in southern California demonstrates the ability of an empirical Green's function approach to estimating the second moments to resolve the fault-plane ambiguity, rupture length, and overall directivity. Additional results are presented for two example M 2.7 events from the creeping section of the San Andreas fault to examine the likely lower bound on event size that can be studied with surface seismometers. The creeping section earthquakes have very similar rupture areas but would be improperly interpreted as significantly different using the traditional methodology. One of these events presents a relatively clear interpretation of the velocity of rupture front propagation, which is about 0.8 of the Rayleigh speed, suggesting little difference in rupture velocity between it and typical large earthquakes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Zahradnik, F. Gallovic, E. Sokos, A. Serpetsidaki, and A. Tselentis Quick Fault-Plane Identification by a Geometrical Method: Application to the MW 6.2 Leonidio Earthquake, 6 January 2008, Greece Seismological Research Letters, September 1, 2008; 79(5): 653 - 662. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B.-Y. Liao and H.-C. Huang Rupture Process of the 2002 Mw 7.9 Denali Earthquake, Alaska, Using a Newly Devised Hybrid Blind Deconvolution Method Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2008; 98(1): 162 - 179. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Boatwright The Persistence of Directivity in Small Earthquakes Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 2007; 97(6): 1850 - 1861. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Chen, T. H. Jordan, and L. Zhao Finite-Moment Tensor of the 3 September 2002 Yorba Linda Earthquake Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 2005; 95(3): 1170 - 1180. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. J. Mellors, H. Magistrale, P. Earle, and A. Cogbill Comparison of Four Moderate-Size Earthquakes in Southern California Using Seismology and InSAR Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 2004; 94(6): 2004 - 2014. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]