Study of the Temporal Variations of Seismicity Pattern in the Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt Using Schreider Algorithm

Document Type : Articles

Authors

1 Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran

2 Department of Statistics, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran

3 International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology,Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Seismicity pattern studies are one of the effective tools in the interpretation of variation in seismic sequence. The study of variations of seismicity parameters as a function of time indicatesthat the temporal distribution of events is not uniform, and these parameters can give quantitative information about the seismic patterns of different regions. In this research, to investigate temporal variations of seismicity pattern in the Zagros fold and thrust belt, the Schreider algorithm is applied. This algorithm that introduced by Schreider (1990) to detect seismic quiescence has been used in different parts of the world. For this purpose, four earthquakes with Mw≥6 that have recently been occurredin Zagros have been studied. At first, a complete catalogue from the period of 2000 to 2017 within a circular area has been selected. Then, the catalogues are homogenized to ML and the Minimum magnitude of completeness are computed (Mc=3.4). To perform Schreider algorithm, the time between consecutive earthquakes (T′) should be calculated. The smoothness procedure is used to evaluate a convolution function of T′. The smoothness of this function is done by Gaussian function. In the R radius, smoothness parameter (s) has controlled the extent of surrounding earthquakes to detect smooth values. The kthseismic event is related with the temporal convolution T(k) that decrease and increase indicate seismic activity or low seismic activity, respectively. The numbers of earthquakes that are located in the nearest distance to main shock determine the l parameter. The value of l is determined when the function f(n,s) is approximately zero. Therefore, the function T(k) depends on the s and l parameters. To investigatetemporal variations of seismicity, in addition to the temporal convolution (T(k)) plot the magnitude-time, number-time and space-time plots have drawn. The results show that before the 2006 Silakhor and 2014 Mormori earthquakes, both of which occurred in the north part of Zagros, the precursory doughnut pattern is seen. Several years before the 2013 Dashti and 2005 Qeshm earthquakes, both of which occurred in the south part of Zagros, the seismic quiescence is seen for which ended with the sudden occurrence of these earthquakes. The result of sensitivity analysis showed that smoothing parameters of Schreider algorithm have a significant influence on the algorithm outcomes, and these parameters should be selected with more accuracy. The results of this papershow that Schreider algorithm can demonstrate precursory seismic quiescence before the occurrence of large earthquakes due to the intelligent usage of t parameter.

Keywords

References

  1. Mirabedini, M.S. and Agh-Atabai, M. (2015) Investigation of precursory property of fractal dimensions before the Baladeh-Kojour earthquake Central Alborz. Geosciences (Tectonic), 24(94), 127-132 (in Persian).
  2. Abbott, E.R. and Brudzinski, M.R. (2015) Shallow seismicity patterns in the northwestern section of the Mexico Subduction Zone. J. South American Earth Sci. 63, 279-292.
  3. Florido, E., Martinez-Álvarez, F., Morales-Esteban, A., Reyes, J., and Aznarte-Mellado, J.L. (2015) Detecting precursory patterns to enhance earthquake prediction in Chile. Comput. & Geosci., 76, 112-120.
  4. Agh-Atabai, M. and Mirabedini, M.S. (2014) Temporal variations of seismicity parameters in the central Alborz, Iran. Acta Geophys., 62(3), 486-504.
  5. Hashemi, S.N. (2013) Seismicity characterization of Iran: A multivariate statistical approach. Math. Geosci., 45, 705-725. DOI 10.1007/s11004-013-9463-4.
  6. Schreider, S.Yu. (1990) Formal definition of premonitory seismic quiescence. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 61, 113-127.
  7. Muñoz-Diosdado, A., Rudolf-Navarro, A.H., Angulo-Brown, F., and Barrera-Ferrer, A.G. (2015) Patterns of significant seismic quiescence on the Mexican Pacific coast. Phys. Chem. Earth, 85-86, 119-130. doi: 10.1016/j.pce.2015.03.009.
  8. Tatar, M., Hatzfeld, D., Martinod, J., Walpersdorf, A., Ghafory-Ashtiany, M., and Ch´ery, J. (2002) The present-day deformation of the central Zagros from GPS measurements. Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(19), doi: 10.1029/2002GL015159.
  9. Vernant, P., Nilforoushan, F., Chery, J., Bayer, R., Djamour, Y., Masson, F., Nankali, H., Ritz, J.F., Sedighi, M., and Tavakoli, F. (2004) Deciphering oblique shortening of central Alborz in Iran using geodetic data. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 223(1-2), 177-185, DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2004.04.017.
  10. Walpersdorf, A., Hatzfeld, D., Nankali, H., Tavakoli, F., Nilforoushan, F., Tatar, M., Vernant, P., Ch´ery, J., and Masson, F. (2006) Difference in the GPS deformation pattern of North and Central Zagros (Iran). Geophys. J. Int., 167, 1077-1088.
  11. Berberian, M. (1995) Master "blind" thrust faults hidden under the Zagros folds: active basement tectonics and surface morphotectonics. Tectonophysics, 241, 193-224.
  12. Talebian, M. and Jackson, J. (2004) A reappraisal of earthquake focal mechanisms and active shortening in the Zagros mountains of Iran. Geophys. J. Int., 156, 506-526.
  13. Engdahl, E.R., Jackson, J.A., Myers, S.C., Bergman, E.A., and Priestley, K. (2006) Relocation and assessment of seismicity in the Iran region. Geophys. J. Int., 167, 761-778.
  14. Hatzfeld, D., Authemayou, C., van der Beek, P., Bellier, O., Lave, J., Oveisi, B., Tatar, M., Tavakoli, F., Walpersdorf, A., and Yamini-Fard, F. (2010) The kinematics of the Zagros Mountains (Iran). Geological Soci. London, Special Publications 330, 19-42. doi:10.1144/SP330.3.
  15. CMT (2017) Centroid Moment Tensor. http://www.globalcmt.org/.
  16. IIEES (2017) International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology. www.iiees.ac.ir.
  17. Rezapour, M. (2009) Analysis of the causative fault during Silakhor earthquake, March 31, 2006 in Lorestan province. Iranian J. Geophys. 3(1), 75-89 (in Persian).
  18. Nissen, E., Tatar, M., Jackson, J.A., and Allen, M.B. (2011) New views on earthquake faulting in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt of Iran. Geophys. J. Int., 186, 928-944.
  19. Talebian, M. and Jackson, J. (2002) Offset on the main recent fault of NW Iran and implications for the late Cenozoic tectonics of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. Geophys. J. Int., 150, 422-439.
  20. Motaghi, M. Bahroudi, A. Haghshenas Haghighi, M. Samsonov, S. Fielding, E. and Wetze, H-U. (2015) The 18 August 2014 Mw 6.2 Mormori, Iran, earthquake: A thin-skinned faulting in the Zagros mountain inferred from InSAR measurements. Seismological Research Letters, 86(3), 1-8, doi: 10.1785/0220140222.
  21. Hessami, K., Nilforoushan, F., and Talbot, C.J. (2006) Active deformation within the Zagros Mountains deduced from GPS measurements. J. Geological Soci. London, 163, 143-148. Printed in Great Britain.
  22. Bahroudi, A. and Talbot, C.J. (2003) The configuration of the basement beneath the Zagros Basin. J. Petroleum Geology, 26(3), 257-282.
  23. Mohammadi, H. and Bayrak, Y. (2015) The Mw 6.3 Shonbeh (Bushehr) mainshock, and its aftershock sequence: Tectonic implications and seismicity triggering. Eastern Anatolian J. Science I, Issue II, 43-56.
  24. Ansaripour, M. and Rezapour, M. (2014) Aftershock investigation of Kaki-Bushehr earthquake. The 16th Conference of Geophysics, Iran, 335-342 (in Persian).
  25. Nissen, E., Ghorashi, M., Jackson, J., Parsons, P., and Talebian, M. (2007) The 2005 Qeshm Island earthquake (Iran) – a link between buried reverse faulting and surface folding in the Zagros Simply Folded Belt? Geophys. J. Int., 171, 326-338. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03514.x.
  26. Gardner, J.K. and Knopoff, L. (1974) Is the sequence of earthquakes in southern california, with aftershocks removed, poissonian? Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 64, 1363-1367.
  27. Reasenberg, P. (1985) Second-order moment of central California seismicity. Earthquake Notes, 57(21).
  28. Uhrhammer, P. (1986) Characteristics of northern and southern California seismicity. Earthquake Notes, 57(21).
  29. Keilis-Borok, V.I. and Kossobokov, V.G. (1986) Time of increased probability for the great earthquakes of the world. Computational Seismology, 19, 48-58.
  30. Mousavi-Bafrouei, S.H., Mirzaei, N., and Shabani, E. (2014) A declustered earthquake catalog for the Iranian Plateau. Ann. Geophys., 57(6), S0653. doi:10.4401/ag-6395.
  31. Gutenberg, B. and Richter, C.F. (1954) Earthquake magnitude, intensity, energy and acceleration. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 46(1), 105-146.
  32. Wiemer, S. and Wyss, M. (2000) Minimum magnitude of completeness in earthquake catalogs: examples from Alaska, the western United States, and Japan. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 90(4), 859-869.
  33. Wiemer, S. (2001) A software package to analyze seismicity: ZMAP. Seis. Res. Lett., 72, 373-382.
  34. Esfandiari, M. and Maheshwari, B.L. (2000) Sensitivity of furrow irrigation model to input parameters. Agriculture Engineering J., 9(3-4), 117-128.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 26 April 2017
  • Revise Date: 24 February 2021
  • Accept Date: 26 December 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics