Moment

tensors
Reading: Fowler p111-140

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Fault planes

Stress builds
deforming the rock

Rock ruptures and

slides releasing stress

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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 First motion
The first motion direction observed at many stations around an earthquake
can tell us the type of fault and orientation of the fault planes.

Explosive source
What does the waveform look like?

time time

time time

time time
depth

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

San Andrea Fault

Consider a strike-slip earthquake
on the San Andreas Fault:
What does the waveform look like?
map view

time time

time

time

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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Fault plane solutions
First motion
The first motion direction observed at many stations around an earthquake
can tell us the type of fault and orientation of the fault planes.

Consider a strike-slip earthquake

on the San Andreas Fault:

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Landers earthquake
28 June, 1992

magnitude 7.3

strike-slip fault

rupture 85 km long

InSAR image

Radar interferogram of land
surface before and after Landers

Shows surface motion in
direction of satellite viewing
angle

One fringe represents a change
in distance of one wavelength
(28 mm)

Massonnett et al 1993
EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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Landers earthquake

InSAR image

One fringe represents a change
in distance of one wavelength 20 fringes
(28 mm)  NW corner moved 56 cm

Massonnett et al 1993
EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Landers earthquake

Massonnett et al 1993
EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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 Landers earthquake

What would surface

deformation look like?

And the slip on the fault

mag 7.3  3-6 m slip

Massonnett et al 1993
EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Fault plane solutions

First motion within a sphere
Surface
view

In spherical Earth we plot

the lower hemisphere

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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Fault plane solutions
Indicate fault type
and stress regime

Normal
e.g. Mid-Ocean
Ridges

Thrust or reverse
e.g. Subduction

Transform or
strike-slip
e.g. San Andreas

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Fault plane solutions

Mid-ocean ridges

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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Fault plane solutions
Subduction zones

ridge

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Fault plane solutions

Transform

subduction ridge

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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Fault plane solutions
California

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Forces double couple

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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 Forces

double couple compensated linear isotropic

vector dipole
EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Moment tensor inversion

Long Valley Earthquake double-couple solution

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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Moment tensor inversion
Long Valley Earthquake full solution

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Moment tensor inversion

JUNCTION explosion Nevada test site

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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Volcanic earthquakes
Bardarbunga earthquakes

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

Volcanic earthquakes
Bardarbunga earthquakes

Nettles and Ekstrm, 1998

EPS 122: Lecture 12 Moment tensors

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