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Fault plane orientations of microearthquakes at Mt. Etna from theinversion of P-wave rise times
Author(s)
Language
English
Obiettivo Specifico
3.1. Fisica dei terremoti
Status
Published
JCR Journal
JCR Journal
Peer review journal
Yes
Title of the book
Issue/vol(year)
/189(2010)
Publisher
Elsevier
Pages (printed)
247-256
Issued date
2010
Last version
http://hdl.handle.net/2122/5274
Keywords
Abstract
A crucial point in the analysis of tectonic earthquakes occurring in a volcanic area is the inference of the
orientation of the structures along which the ruptures occur. These structures represent zones of weakness
which could favor the migration of melt toward the surface and the assessment of their geometry is a
fundamental step toward efficient evaluation of volcanic risk. We analyzed a high-quality dataset of 171 lowmagnitude,
tectonic earthquakes that occurred at Mt. Etna during the 2002–2003 eruption. We applied a
recently developed technique aimed at inferring the source parameters (source size, dip and strike fault) and
the intrinsic quality factor Qp of P waves from the inversion of rise times. The technique is based on
numerically calibrated relationships among the rise time of first P waves and the source parameters for a
circular crack rupturing at a constant velocity. For the most of the events the directivity source effect did not
allow us to constrain the fault plane orientation. For a subset of 45 events with well constrained focal
mechanisms we were able to constrain the “true” fault plane orientation. The level of resolution of the fault
planes was assessed through a non linear analysis based on the random deviates technique. The significance
of the retrieved fault plane solutions and the fit of the assumed source model to data were assessed through
a χ-square test. Most of the retrieved fault plane solutions agree with the geometrical trend of known
surface faults. The inferred source parameters and Qp are in agreement with the results of previous studies
orientation of the structures along which the ruptures occur. These structures represent zones of weakness
which could favor the migration of melt toward the surface and the assessment of their geometry is a
fundamental step toward efficient evaluation of volcanic risk. We analyzed a high-quality dataset of 171 lowmagnitude,
tectonic earthquakes that occurred at Mt. Etna during the 2002–2003 eruption. We applied a
recently developed technique aimed at inferring the source parameters (source size, dip and strike fault) and
the intrinsic quality factor Qp of P waves from the inversion of rise times. The technique is based on
numerically calibrated relationships among the rise time of first P waves and the source parameters for a
circular crack rupturing at a constant velocity. For the most of the events the directivity source effect did not
allow us to constrain the fault plane orientation. For a subset of 45 events with well constrained focal
mechanisms we were able to constrain the “true” fault plane orientation. The level of resolution of the fault
planes was assessed through a non linear analysis based on the random deviates technique. The significance
of the retrieved fault plane solutions and the fit of the assumed source model to data were assessed through
a χ-square test. Most of the retrieved fault plane solutions agree with the geometrical trend of known
surface faults. The inferred source parameters and Qp are in agreement with the results of previous studies
References
Azzaro, R., 1999. Earthquake surface faulting at Mt. Etna volcano (Sicily) and implications
for active tectonics. J. Geodyn. 28, 193–213. doi:10.1016/S0264-3707(98)00037-4.
Barberi, G., Cocina, O., Patanè, D., 2006. Fast deformation processes at Mt. Etna related to
dike injection leading to the 2001 and 2002–2003 flank eruptions. EGU Conference,
Vienna, Austria, April 2006.
Barberi, G., Cocina, O., Maiolino, V., Musumeci, C., Privitera, E., 2004. Insight into Mt. Etna
(Italy) kinematics during 2002–2003 eruption as inferred by seismic stress and
strain tensors inversion. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L2164. doi:10.1029/2004GL020918.
Boatwright, J., 1984. The effect of rupture complexity in estimate of source size. J. Geophys.
Res. 89, 1132–1146.
Bonaccorso, A., Ferrucci, F., Patanè, D., Villari, L., 1996. Fast deformation processes and
eruptive activity at Mt. Etna (Italy). J. Geophys. Res. 101 (B8), 17467–17480.
Cocina, O., Neri, G., Privitera, E., Spampinato, S., 1997. Stress tensor computations in the
Mount Etna area (Southern Italy) and tectonic implications. J. Geodyn. 23 (2),
109–127.
Cramér, H., 1946. In: Morse, M., Tucker, W. (Eds.), Mathematical Methods of Statistics,
Princeton Mathematical Series. Princeton University Press, Princeton, USA.
D'Amico, S., Maiolino, V., 2005. Local magnitude estimate at Mt. Etna. Ann. Geophys. 48,
215–229.
Deichmann, N., 1997. Far field pulse shapes from circular sources with variable rupture
velocities. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 87, 1288–1296.
de Lorenzo, S., Zollo, A., 2003. Size and geometry of microearthquake seismic ruptures
from P and S Pulse Width Data. Geophys. J. Int. 155, 422–442.
de Lorenzo, S., Di Grazia, G., Giampiccolo, E., Gresta, S., Langer, H., Tusa, G., Ursino, A.,
2004. Source and Qp parameters from pulse width inversion of microearthquake
data in southeastern Sicily, Italy. J. Geophys. Res. 109, B07308. doi:10.1029/
2003JB002577.
de Lorenzo, S., Filippucci, M., Giampiccolo, E., Patanè, D., 2006. Intrinsic Qp at Mt. Etna
from the inversion of rise times of 2002 microearthquake sequence. Ann. Geophys.
49, 1215–1234.
Evans, J.R., Eberhart-Phillips, D., Thurber, C.H., 1994. Users's manual for SIMULPS12 for
imaging Vp and Vp/Vs:a derivative of the Thurber tomographic inversion SIMUL3
for local earthquakes and explosions. US Geol. Survey, Open File Report, pp. 94–431.
Filippucci,M., de Lorenzo, S., Boschi, E., 2006. Fault plane orientations ofsmall earthquakes
of the 1997 Umbria-Marche (Italy) seismic sequence from P-wave polarities and rise
times. Geophys. J. Int. 166 (1), 322–338. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02998.x.
Giampiccolo, E., D'Amico, S., Patanè, D., Gresta, S., 2007. Attenuation and source
parameters of shallow microearthquakes at Mt. Etna volcano (Italy). Bull. Seism.
Soc. Am. 97 (1B), 184–197.
Gresta, S., Peruzza, L., Slejko, D., Di Stefano, G., 1998. Inferences on the main volcanotectonic
structures at Mt. Etna (Sicily) from a probabilistic seismological approach.
J. Seismol. 2, 105–116.
Keilis-Borok, V.I., 1959. On estimation of the displacement in an earthquake source
dimensions. Ann. Geofis. XII, 205–214.
Lanzafame, G., Neri, M., Rust, D., 1996. A preliminary structural evaluation of recent
tectonic activity on the eastern flank of Mount Etna, Sicily, West London Pap.
Environ. Stud. 3, 73–90.
Mori, J., 1996. Rupture directivity and slip distribution of theM4.3 foreshock to the 1992
Joshua Tree earthquake, Southern California. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 86, 805–810.
Musumeci, C., Cocina, O., De Gori, P., Patanè, D., 2004. Seismological evidences of stress
induced by dike injection during the 2001 Mt. Etna eruption. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31,
L07617. doi:10.1029/2003GL019367.
Patanè, D., Privitera, E., 2001. Seismicity related to 1989 and 1991–93 Mt. Etna (Italy)
eruptions: kinematic constraints by fault solution analysis. J. Volcanol. Geotherm.
Res. 109, 77–98.
Patanè, D., Barberi, G., Cocina, O., De Gori, P., Chiarabba, C., 2006. Time-resolved seismic
tomography detects magma intrusions at Mount Etna. Science 313, 821–823.
Patanè, D., Giampiccolo, E., 2004. Faulting processes and earthquake source parameters
at mount etna: state of the art and perspectives. In: Bonaccorso, A., Calvari, S.,
Coltelli, M., Del Negro, C., Falsaperla, S. (Eds.), Etna Volcano Laboratory. Geophysical
monograph series. AGU, pp. 167–189.
Press, W.H., Flannery, B.P., Teukolsky, S.A., Vetterling, W.T., 1989. Numerical Recipes,
The Art of Scientific Computing (Fortran Version). Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, USA.
Rasà, R., Ferrucci, F., Gresta, S., Patanè, D., 1995. Etna: sistema di alimentazione
profondo, assetto geostatico locale e bimodalità di funzionamento del vulcano. In:
Ferrucci, F., Innocenti, F. (Eds.), Progetto Etna 1993–1995: Pubblicazione Speciale
GNV, pp. 145–150.
Reasenberg, P., Oppheneimer, D.H., 1985. FPFIT, FPPLOT and FPPAGE: FORTRAN
computer program for calculating and displaying earthquake fault-plane solutions.
US Geological Survey Report, pp. 85–739.
Sato, T., Hirasawa, T., 1973. Body wave spectra from propagating shear cracks. J. Phys.
Earth 21, 415–432.
Tanguy, J.C., Condomines, C., Kieffer, G., 1997. Evolution of the Mount Etna magma:
constraints on the present feeding system and eruptive mechanisms. J. Volcanol.
Geotherm. Res. 75, 221–250.
Vasco, D.W., Johnson, L.R., 1998. Whole earth structure estimated from seismic arrival
times. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 2633–2672.
Warren, L.M., Shearer, P.M., 2006. Systematic determination of earthquake rupture
directivity and fault planes from analysis of long-period P-wave spectra. Geophys. J.
Int. 164, 46–62.
Zollo, A., de Lorenzo, S., 2001. Source parameters and three-dimensional attenuation
structure from the inversion of microearthquake pulse width data: method and
synthetic tests. J. Geophys. Res. 106, 16,287–16,306.
for active tectonics. J. Geodyn. 28, 193–213. doi:10.1016/S0264-3707(98)00037-4.
Barberi, G., Cocina, O., Patanè, D., 2006. Fast deformation processes at Mt. Etna related to
dike injection leading to the 2001 and 2002–2003 flank eruptions. EGU Conference,
Vienna, Austria, April 2006.
Barberi, G., Cocina, O., Maiolino, V., Musumeci, C., Privitera, E., 2004. Insight into Mt. Etna
(Italy) kinematics during 2002–2003 eruption as inferred by seismic stress and
strain tensors inversion. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L2164. doi:10.1029/2004GL020918.
Boatwright, J., 1984. The effect of rupture complexity in estimate of source size. J. Geophys.
Res. 89, 1132–1146.
Bonaccorso, A., Ferrucci, F., Patanè, D., Villari, L., 1996. Fast deformation processes and
eruptive activity at Mt. Etna (Italy). J. Geophys. Res. 101 (B8), 17467–17480.
Cocina, O., Neri, G., Privitera, E., Spampinato, S., 1997. Stress tensor computations in the
Mount Etna area (Southern Italy) and tectonic implications. J. Geodyn. 23 (2),
109–127.
Cramér, H., 1946. In: Morse, M., Tucker, W. (Eds.), Mathematical Methods of Statistics,
Princeton Mathematical Series. Princeton University Press, Princeton, USA.
D'Amico, S., Maiolino, V., 2005. Local magnitude estimate at Mt. Etna. Ann. Geophys. 48,
215–229.
Deichmann, N., 1997. Far field pulse shapes from circular sources with variable rupture
velocities. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 87, 1288–1296.
de Lorenzo, S., Zollo, A., 2003. Size and geometry of microearthquake seismic ruptures
from P and S Pulse Width Data. Geophys. J. Int. 155, 422–442.
de Lorenzo, S., Di Grazia, G., Giampiccolo, E., Gresta, S., Langer, H., Tusa, G., Ursino, A.,
2004. Source and Qp parameters from pulse width inversion of microearthquake
data in southeastern Sicily, Italy. J. Geophys. Res. 109, B07308. doi:10.1029/
2003JB002577.
de Lorenzo, S., Filippucci, M., Giampiccolo, E., Patanè, D., 2006. Intrinsic Qp at Mt. Etna
from the inversion of rise times of 2002 microearthquake sequence. Ann. Geophys.
49, 1215–1234.
Evans, J.R., Eberhart-Phillips, D., Thurber, C.H., 1994. Users's manual for SIMULPS12 for
imaging Vp and Vp/Vs:a derivative of the Thurber tomographic inversion SIMUL3
for local earthquakes and explosions. US Geol. Survey, Open File Report, pp. 94–431.
Filippucci,M., de Lorenzo, S., Boschi, E., 2006. Fault plane orientations ofsmall earthquakes
of the 1997 Umbria-Marche (Italy) seismic sequence from P-wave polarities and rise
times. Geophys. J. Int. 166 (1), 322–338. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02998.x.
Giampiccolo, E., D'Amico, S., Patanè, D., Gresta, S., 2007. Attenuation and source
parameters of shallow microearthquakes at Mt. Etna volcano (Italy). Bull. Seism.
Soc. Am. 97 (1B), 184–197.
Gresta, S., Peruzza, L., Slejko, D., Di Stefano, G., 1998. Inferences on the main volcanotectonic
structures at Mt. Etna (Sicily) from a probabilistic seismological approach.
J. Seismol. 2, 105–116.
Keilis-Borok, V.I., 1959. On estimation of the displacement in an earthquake source
dimensions. Ann. Geofis. XII, 205–214.
Lanzafame, G., Neri, M., Rust, D., 1996. A preliminary structural evaluation of recent
tectonic activity on the eastern flank of Mount Etna, Sicily, West London Pap.
Environ. Stud. 3, 73–90.
Mori, J., 1996. Rupture directivity and slip distribution of theM4.3 foreshock to the 1992
Joshua Tree earthquake, Southern California. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 86, 805–810.
Musumeci, C., Cocina, O., De Gori, P., Patanè, D., 2004. Seismological evidences of stress
induced by dike injection during the 2001 Mt. Etna eruption. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31,
L07617. doi:10.1029/2003GL019367.
Patanè, D., Privitera, E., 2001. Seismicity related to 1989 and 1991–93 Mt. Etna (Italy)
eruptions: kinematic constraints by fault solution analysis. J. Volcanol. Geotherm.
Res. 109, 77–98.
Patanè, D., Barberi, G., Cocina, O., De Gori, P., Chiarabba, C., 2006. Time-resolved seismic
tomography detects magma intrusions at Mount Etna. Science 313, 821–823.
Patanè, D., Giampiccolo, E., 2004. Faulting processes and earthquake source parameters
at mount etna: state of the art and perspectives. In: Bonaccorso, A., Calvari, S.,
Coltelli, M., Del Negro, C., Falsaperla, S. (Eds.), Etna Volcano Laboratory. Geophysical
monograph series. AGU, pp. 167–189.
Press, W.H., Flannery, B.P., Teukolsky, S.A., Vetterling, W.T., 1989. Numerical Recipes,
The Art of Scientific Computing (Fortran Version). Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, USA.
Rasà, R., Ferrucci, F., Gresta, S., Patanè, D., 1995. Etna: sistema di alimentazione
profondo, assetto geostatico locale e bimodalità di funzionamento del vulcano. In:
Ferrucci, F., Innocenti, F. (Eds.), Progetto Etna 1993–1995: Pubblicazione Speciale
GNV, pp. 145–150.
Reasenberg, P., Oppheneimer, D.H., 1985. FPFIT, FPPLOT and FPPAGE: FORTRAN
computer program for calculating and displaying earthquake fault-plane solutions.
US Geological Survey Report, pp. 85–739.
Sato, T., Hirasawa, T., 1973. Body wave spectra from propagating shear cracks. J. Phys.
Earth 21, 415–432.
Tanguy, J.C., Condomines, C., Kieffer, G., 1997. Evolution of the Mount Etna magma:
constraints on the present feeding system and eruptive mechanisms. J. Volcanol.
Geotherm. Res. 75, 221–250.
Vasco, D.W., Johnson, L.R., 1998. Whole earth structure estimated from seismic arrival
times. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 2633–2672.
Warren, L.M., Shearer, P.M., 2006. Systematic determination of earthquake rupture
directivity and fault planes from analysis of long-period P-wave spectra. Geophys. J.
Int. 164, 46–62.
Zollo, A., de Lorenzo, S., 2001. Source parameters and three-dimensional attenuation
structure from the inversion of microearthquake pulse width data: method and
synthetic tests. J. Geophys. Res. 106, 16,287–16,306.
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