Possible triggering of strong earthquakes in a seismic sequence due to Coulomb stress changes generated by the occurrence of previous strong shocks

PDF
Published: Jan 1, 2001
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/bgsg.17260
Keywords:
seismic sequences static stress changes triggering
E. E. PAPADIMITRIOU
Department of Geophysics, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
V. G. KARAKOSTAS
Department of Geophysics, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
A. B. BABA
Department of Geophysics, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Abstract

Coulomb stress changes (ACFF)were calculated assuming that earthquakes can be modelled as static dislocations in an elastic half-space, and taking into account the coseismic slip in strong earthquakes. The stress change calculations were performed for strike, dip, and rake appropriate to the strong events considered. We evaluate if these chosen earthquakes brought a given strong subsequent event closer to, or farther from, failure. It was found that each of the subsequent strong events occurred in regions of increased calculated Coulomb stress before their occurrence. Moreover, the majority of smaller aftershocks also were located in areas of positive ACFF. This indicates the probable triggering of the latter events, the foci of which are situated at nearby faults or fault segments.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Seismology
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
BAKER, C, HATZFELD, D., LYON-CAEN, H., PAPADIMITRIOU, E. & RIGO, A. 1997. Earthquake mechanisms of the Adriatic Sea and western Greece. Geophys. J. Int. 131, 559-594.
COCCO, M., NOSTRO, C. & EKSTRÖM, G. 2000. Static stress changes and fault interaction during the 1997 Umbria-Marche earthquake sequence. J. Seismology 4, 501-516.
DENG, J. & SYKES, L. R., 1997a. Evolution of the stress field in southern California and triggering of moderatesize earthquakes: A 200-year perspective. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 9859-9886.
DENG, J. & SYKES, L. R., 1997b. Stress evolution in southern California and triggering of moderate-, small-, and micro-size earthquakes. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 24,411-24,435.
ERIKSON, L., 1986. User's manual for DIS3D: A three-dimensional dislocation program with applications to faulting in the Earth. Masters Thesis, Stanford Univ., Stanford, Calif., 167 pp.
HARRIS, R. Α., 1998. Introduction to special session: Stress triggers, stress shadows, and implications for seismic hazard. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 24347-24358.
HARRIS, R. A. & SIMPSON, R. W., 1993. In the shadow of 1857: An evaluation of the static stress changes generated by the M8 Ft. Tejon, California, earthquake. Eos Trans. AGU, 74(43), Fall Meet. Suppl., 427.
HARRIS, R. A. & SIMPSON, R. W., 1996. In the shadow of 1857: The effect of the great Ft. Tejon earthquake on subsequent earthquakes in southern California. Geophys. Res. Lett. 23, 229-232.
HATZFELD, D., KARAKOSTAS, V., ZIAZIA, M., SELVAGGI, G, LEBORGNE, S., BERGE, C, GUIGUET, R., PAUL, Α., VOIDOMATIS, PH., DIAGOURTAS, D., KASSARAS, I., KOUTSIKOS, I., MAKROPOULOS, K., AZZARA, R., DI BONA, M., BACCHECHI, S., BERNARD, P. & PAPAIOANNOU, CH., 1997. The Kozani - Grevena (Greece) earthquake of May 13, 1995, revisited from a detailed seismological study. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 87, 463-473.
JAUMÉ, S. C. & SYKES, L. R., 1992. Change in the state of stress on the southern San Andreas Fault resulting from the California earthquake sequence of April to June 1992. Science 258, 1325-1328.
KING, G. C. P., STEIN, R. S. & LIN, J., 1994. Static stress changes and the triggering of earthquakes. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 84, 935-953.
NALBANT, S. S., HUBERT, A. & KING, G. C. P. 1998. Stress coupling between earthquakes in northwestern Turkey and the north Aegean Sea. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 24469-24486.
OKADA, Y, 1992. Internal deformation due to shear and tensile faults in a half-space. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 82, 1018-1040.
PAPADIMITRIOU, E. E. 1993. Focal mechanism along the convex side of the Hellenic Arc and its tectonic significance. Boll. Geofis. Teor. Appi. 35, 401-426.
PAPADIMITRIOU, E. E., KARAKOSTAS, V. G & PAPAZACHOS, C. B. 2001. Rupture zones in the area of the 17.08.99 Ézmit (NW Turkey) large earthquake (Mw7.4) and stress changes caused by its generation, J. Seismology 5, 269-276, 2001.
PAPAZACHOS, B. C. 1989. Measures of earthquake size in Greece and surrounding areas. Proc. 1st Scient. Cong., Geophys. Soc. Greece, Athens, April 19-21, 1989, 438-447.
PAPAZACHOS, B. C, PANAGIOTOPOULOS, D. G., TSAPANOS, T. M., MOUNTRAKIS, D. M. & DIMOPOULOS, G. CH., 1983. A study of the 1980 summer seismic sequence in the Magnesia region of central Greece. Geophys. J. R. astron. Soc. 75, 155-168.
PAPAZACHOS, B. C, KIRATZI, Α. Α., VOIDOMATIS, PH. S. & PAPAIOANNOU, CH. Α., 1984. A study ofthe December 1981 - January 1982 seismic activity in northern Aegean Sea. Boll. Geofis. Teor. Appi. 26, 101- 113.
PAPAZACHOS, B. C, KARAKOSTAS, B. G., KIRATZI, Α. Α., PAPADIMITRIOU, E. E. & PAPAZACHOS, C. B. 1998. A model for the 1995 Kozani-Grevena seismic sequence. J. Geodynamics 26, 217-231.
REASENBERG, P. A. & SIMPSON, R. W. 1992. Response of regional seismicity to the static stress change produced by the Lorna Prieta earthquake. Science 255, 1687-1690.
SCHOLZ, C. 1990. The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 439pp.
SCORDILIS, E. M., KARAKAISIS, G F., KARAKOSTAS, B. G, PANAGIOTOPOULOS, D. G, COMNINAKIS, P. E. & PAPAZACHOS, Β. C. 1985. Evidence for transform faulting in the Ionian Sea. The Cephalonia island earthquake sequence of 1983. Pure Appi. Geophys. 123, 388-397.
SOUFLERIS, CH. & STEWART, G., 1981. A source study of the Thessaloniki (Ν. Greece) 1978 earthquake sequence. Geophys. J. R. astron. Soc. 67, 343-358.
STEIN, R., BARKA, A. & DIETERICH, J. 1997. Progressive failure on the North Anatolian fault since 1939 by earthquake stress triggering. Geophys. J. Int. 128, 593-604.
STEKETEE, J. A. 1958. On Voltera's dislocations in a semi-infinite elastic medium. Can. J. Phys. 36, 192-205.
TAYMAZ, T, JACKSON, J. & McKENZIE, D., 1991. Active tectonics of the north and central Aegean Sea. Geophys. J. Int. 106, 433-490.
WESSEL, P. & SMITH, W. Η. F., 1995. New version of the Generic Mapping Tools released. EOS, Trans. Am. Geophys. U. 76, 329.
Most read articles by the same author(s)