The Sept, 24, 2013, Mw7.

7
Balochistan Earthquake
J.P. Avouac, F. Ayoub, S. Wei, J.P. Ampuero, L. Meng, S. Leprince,
R. Jolivet, Z. Duputel and D. Helmberger

California Institute of Technology

Seismotectonic Context

Mww moment tensor

T
Landsat-8 images:
- USGS website
- Pre-earthquake images
September, 10, 2013
(14 day before)
- Post-earthquake
images September, 26,
2013 (2 days after)
Image Processing (COSI-Corr)

(Leprince et al, 2007)

Measured Surface Displacement Field
- Window size : 64x64 pixels (960x960 m)
- Step (GSD of displacement maps): 16 pixels
(240 m)
- 1-s uncertainly: 30 cm

- Amplitude of NS component
- Horizontal displacement vector field
Strike-parallel

Strike-perpendicular
 The rupture falls on the
Hosbah fault along the
front of the Kech Band

(Lawrence, Kahn,Dejong, Farah and Yeats, 1981)

Rupture kinematics from backprojection of
Teleseismic waveforms

- Data: Japanese Hi-net seismic

network
- Multitaper-MUSIC array
processing technique (Meng et
al, 2011)
- Frequency band: 0.5-2Hz
- HF source duration: 50s
 Rupture kinematics from backprojection of
Teleseismic waveforms

Backprojection of teleseismic waveforms (Hi-NET), 0.5-2Hz

 Finite Source Model
Forward modeling: (assumes a pulse-like source)
n m
u (t )   D jk [cos( jk )Y jk1 (v jk , t )  sin( jk )Y jk2 (v jk , t )]S jk (t )
j 1 k 1

Y jk1 : Green ' s Functions along strike

Y jk2 : Green ' s Functions along dip

 jk : Rake
S jk (t ) : Source time function
NB: Green’s functions are calculated with a crustal
layered structure in the source region, then use ray
theory to propagate to the receiver

Inversion:
A simulated annealing algorithm is used to simultaneously invert for
the slip, rise time and rupture velocity

(Ji, C., D. J. Wald and D. V. Helmberger, 2002a.b, BSSA)

Finite Source Model
Rupture depth <12km, No shallow slip deficit

(Fialko et al, 2005)

Comparison with interseismic strain

PANG

PANG- BEDI
BEDI

GPS velocities relative to India

(Szeliga et al, JGR, 2012)
 Long Term Tectonics

Strike slip motion along the Hosbah fault potentially enhanced

by eastward extrusion of easternmost outer Makran prism
 Effect on the Makran megathrust and Chaman
Fault system

1945 1765

Coulomb Stress Change on Makran Megathrust Coulomb Stress Change on NS strike-slip faults
 Conclusion
• Rupture initiated at the southern tip of the Chaman Fault
and propagated along the Hosbah fault within the Makran
accretionnary prism
• Large strike-slip motion (6m on average, along 200km long
fault trace, 0-12km depth) on pre-existing thrust fault
• Strike-slip enhanced due to eastward squeezing of Makran
prims
• No shallow slip deficit
Effect of shallow dip angle?
• Large rupture velocity on
misoriented fault
• Rupture failed to propagate along Segmentation due
the Chaman fault (despite most to shallow creep?
aftershocks there).
Seismotectonic Context

Mww moment tensor

(Szeliga et al, JGR, 2012)

(Szeliga et al, JGR, 2012)
(Szeliga et al, JGR, 2012)