The Source Parameters, Surface Deformation and Tectonic Setting of Three Recent Earthquakes

Three earthquakes have been studied. These are the Thessaloniki earthquake of 20th June 1978 (Ms = 6.4, Normal faulting), the Tabase‐Golshan earthquake of 16th September 1978 (Ms = 7.7 Thrust faulting) and the Carlisle earth‐quake of 26th December 1979 (Mb = 5.0, Thrust faulting). The techniques employed to determine source parameters included field studies of SUP face deformation, fault breaks, locations of locally recorded aftershocks and teleseismic studies including joint hypocentral location, first motion methods and waveform modelling. It is clear that these techniques applied together provide more information than the same methods used separately. The moment of the Thessaloniki earthquake determined teleseismically (Force moment 5.2 times 10 25 dyne cm. Geometric moment 1.72 times 10 8 m 3 ) is an order of magnitude greater than that determined using field data (surface ruptures and aftershock depths) (Force moment 4.5 times 10 24 dyne cm. Geometric moment 0.16 times 10 8 m 3 ). It is concluded that for this earthquake the surface rupture only partly reflects the processes on the main rupture plane. This view i s supported by a distribution of aftershocks and damage which extends well outside the region of ground rupture. However, the surface breaks consistently have the same slip vector direction as the fault plane solutions suggesting that they are in this respect related to to the main faulting and are not superficial slumping. Both field studies and waveform studies suggest a low stress drop which may explain the relatively little damage and loss of life as a result of the Thessaloniki earthquake. In contrast, the teleseismic moment of the Tabas‐e‐Golshan earthquake (Force moment 4.4 times 10 26 dyne cm. Geometric moment 1.5 times 10 9 m 3 ) is similar t o that determined from field studies (Force moment 10.2 times 10 26 dyne cm. Geometric moment 3.4 times 10 9 m 3 ) and the damage and after‐shock distributions clearly relate to the surface faulting. It h a s also been observed that high aftershock activity appears beneath gaps in the surface rupture system. The Carlisle earthquake (Force moment 9 times 10 23 dyne cm. Geometric moment 3 times 10 6 m 3 ) produced no surface ruptures. However, dislocation model‐ling suggests that surface deformation will be visible on a first order levelling line which passes very close t o the epicentre. A well controlled fault plane solution, the first in the British Isles, derived from an aftershock study shows north‐south compression. All three studied earthquakes occurred along major faults which had been reactivated in geological times. The fault on which the Tabas‐e‐Golshan earthquake occurred could have been identified a s active from evidence of Quaternary motion and previous smaller earthquakes. However, there were no perceptible events in the 12 months preceeding the catastrophic earthquake. In both Thessaloniki and Carlisle, significant foreshocks did occur within 6 months prior to the main shock

Aftershock · Fault (geology · Fault plane · Foreshock · Geodesy · Geometry · Geomorphology · Interplate earthquake · Moment magnitude scale · Seismic moment · Seismology · Slip (aerodynamics · Slumping · Tectonics · Thrust · Thrust fault · earthquake and tectonic studies · Earthquake Detection and Analysis · Engineering · High-pressure geophysics and materials · Geology

• Tabas-e-golshan (Iran) Catastrophic Earthquake of 16 September 1978; A Preliminary Field Report

  Open Access•Manuel Berberian•Disasters•1978

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