Triggering of Aftershocks by Free Oscillations
Abstract
Periodicities observed in aftershock sequences may result from earthquake triggering by free oscillations of the Earth produced by the main shock. Using an algorithm we developed to compute spectra of inter-event times, we examine inter-event intervals of teleseismically recorded aftershock sequences from large (M>7.5) main shocks that occurred during 1980-2001. Observed periodicities may result from triggering at intervals that are multiples of normal mode periods. We have focussed our analysis of inter-event times on identification of triggering by free oscillations at periods in the range 6-60 minutes. In this paper we describe our most commonly observed aftershock inter-event times and the free oscillation modes most likely to be the triggers. Because of their separation, the longer period modes are easiest to identify in the aftershock data (0S2 at 53.9 minutes, 0S3 at 35.6 minutes, 0S4 at 25.8 minutes, and 0T2 at 43.9 minutes). Evidence of triggering by 0S2 and 0T2 was also found in the aftershocks of the 1989 Loma Prieta, CA (M 7) earthquake (Kamal and Mansinha, 1996). Because of the plethora of higher modes, shorter inter-event periods are more difficult to identify with a particular mode. Preliminary analysis of the 2001 Bhuj, India (M 7.7) earthquake sequence tentatively identifies a contribution to triggering of the first four large aftershocks by multiples of 0S12 (8.37 minutes).
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AGUFM.S22A0635B
- Keywords:
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- 7209 Earthquake dynamics and mechanics;
- 7230 Seismicity and seismotectonics;
- 7255 Surface waves and free oscillations