Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Seismic energy radiated by earthquakes in the Basin and Range Province of Sonora, Mexico, near the rupture of the 1887 Mw 7.5 earthquake

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Seismology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We estimated the seismic energy radiated by 47 earthquakes located near the faults that rupture during the 3 May 1887 Mw 7.5 Sonora earthquake in the Mexican Basin and Range Province. We retrieve source parameters from seismograms recorded by the local network RESNES (Red Sismica del Noreste de Sonora) that operated from 2003 to 2011, using a spectral inversion technique. We calculated the seismic energy by integrating the square velocity source spectrum of the earthquakes analyzed. We found that events with high-scaled seismic energy (Es/Mo) are located at the southern end of the fault that rupture in 1887, between the stepovers of the fault segments Teras and Otates. It is likely that tectonic stress accumulated in that zone after the fault ruptured. We estimate an average log(Es/Mo) = − 5.76 and found that most earthquakes analyzed have low apparent stress, varying between 0.5 × 10−3 and 1.85 MPa, with an average value of 0.0521 MPa. The apparent stress is heterogeneous not showing a clear correlation with seismic moment or focal depth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abercrombie RE (1995) Earthquake source scaling relationships from −1 to 5 ML using seismograms recorded at 2.5-km depth. J Geophys Res 100:24,015–24,036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aki K (1966) Generation and propagation of G waves from the Niigata earthquake of June 16, 1964, estimation of earthquake moment, release energy and strass-strain drop from G wave spectrum. Bull Earthq Res Inst Tokyo Univ 44:73–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Allmann BP, Shearer PM (2009) Global variations of stress drop for moderate to large earthquakes. J Geophys Res 114:B01310. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JB05821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JG, Hough SE (1984) A model for the shape of the Fourier amplitude spectrum of acceleration at high frequencies. Bull Seismol Soc Am 74:1969–1993

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews DD (1986) Objective determination of source parameters and similarity of earthquakes of different size. In: Dag S, Boatwright J, Scholz CH (eds) Earthquake source mechanics, American Geophysical Union Monograph, vol 37, pp 259–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Baltray A, Prieto G, Beroza GC (2010) Radiated seismic energy from coda measurements and no scaling in apparent stress with seismic moment. J Geophys Res 115:B08314. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JB006736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Zion Y, Ampuero J (2009) Seismic radiation from regions sustaining material damage. Geophys J Int 178:1351–1356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boatwright J, Choy G (1986) Teleseismic estimates of the energy radiated by shallow earthquakes. J Geophys Res 91:2095–2112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brune JN (1970) Tectonic stress and the spectra of seismic shear waves from earthquakes. J Geophys Res 75:4997–5009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brune JN (1976) The physics of earthquake strong motion. In: Lomnitz C, Rosenblueth E (eds) Seismic Risk and Engineering Decisions. Elsevier, New York, pp 141–177

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bull WB, Pearthree PA (1988) Frequency and size of quaternary surface rupture of the Pitáycachi fault, northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Bull Seismol Soc Am 78:956–978

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro RR (2015) Seismicity in the Basin and Range Province of Sonora, México, between 2003 and 2011, near the rupture of the 3 May 1887 Mw 7.5 earthquake. Geofis Int 54:83–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro RR, Ben-Zion Y (2013) Potential signatures of damage-related radiation from aftershocks of the 4 April 2010 (Mw 7.2) El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake, Baja California, México. Bull Seismol Soc Am 103:1130–1140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro RR, Anderson JG, Singh SK (1990) Site response, attenuation and source spectra of S waves along the Guerrero, México, subduction zone. Bull Seismol Soc Am 80:1481–1503

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro RR, Condori C, Romero O, Jacques C, Suter M (2008) Seismic attenuation in northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Bull Seismol Soc Am 98:722–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro RR, Huerta CI, Romero O, Jaques C, Hurtado A, Fernández AI (2009) Body-wave attenuation near the rupture of the 1887 Sonora, México, earthquake (MW 7.5). Geofis Int 48:297–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro RR, Shearer PM, Astiz L, Suter M, Jaques-Ayala C, Vernon F (2010) The long-lasting aftershock series of the 3 May 1887 MW 7.5 Sonora earthquake in the Mexican Basin and Range Province. Bull Seismol Soc Am 100:1153–1164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro RR, Mendoza A, Perez-Vertti A (2018) Radiated seismic energy of earthquakes in the south-central region of the Gulf of California, Mexico. Geophys J Int 214:990–1003. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggy178 EISSN 1365-246X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen T, Lapusta N (2009) Scaling of small repeating earthquakes explained by interaction of seismic and aseismic slip in a rate and state fault model. J Geophys Res 114:B01311. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JB005749

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choy GL, Boatwright JL (1995) Global patterns of radiated seismic energy and apparent stress. J Geophys Res 100:18,205–18,228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • dePolo CM, Clark DG, Slemmons DB, Ramelli AR (1991) Historical surface faulting in the Basin-and-Range province, western North America–implications for fault segmentation. J Struct Geol 13:123–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Bona M, Rovelli A (1988) Effects of the bandwidth limitations on stress drops estimated from integrals of the ground motion. Bull Seismol Soc Am 78:1818–1825

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernández AI, Castro RR, Huerta CI (2010) The spectral decay parameter Kappa in northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Bull Seismol Soc Am 100:196–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haskell NA (1964) Total energy and energy spectral density of elastic wave radiation from propagating faults. Bull Seismol Soc Am 54:1811–1841

    Google Scholar 

  • Ide S, Beroza G (2001) Does apparent stress vary with earthquake size. Geophys Res Lett 28:3349–3352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanamori H, Hauksson E, Hutton LK, Jones LM (1993) Determination of earthquake energy release and ML using TERRA scope. Bull Seismol Soc Am 83:330–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayeda K, Walter WR (1996) Moment, energy, stress drop, and source spectra of western United States earthquakes from regional coda envelopes. Jour Geophys Res 101:11195–11208

  • Morasca P, Mayeda K, Malagnini L, Walter WR (2005) Coda-derived source spectra, moment magnitudes and energy-moment scaling in the western Alps. Geophys J Int 160:263–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oth A (2013) On the characteristics of earthquake stress release variations in Japan. Earth Planet Sci Lett 377-378:132–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oth A, Bindi D, Parolai S, Di Giacomo D (2010) Earthquake scaling characteristics and the scale-(in)dependence of seismic energy-to-moment ratio: insights from KiK-net data in Japan. Geophys Res Lett 37:L19304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Campos X, Beroza GC (2001) An apparent mechanism dependence of radiated seismic energy. J Geophys Res 106:11,127–11,136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prejean SG, Ellworth WL (2001) Observations of earthquake source parameters at 2 km depth in the Long Valley caldera, eastern California. Bull Seismol Soc Am 91:165–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shearer PM, Prieto GA, Hauksson E (2006) Comprehensive analysis of earthquake source spectra in southern California. J Geophys Res 111:B06303. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JB003979

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh SK, Ordaz M (1994) Seismic energy release in Mexican subduction zone earthquakes. Bull Seismol Soc Am 84:1533–1550

    Google Scholar 

  • Suter M (2006) Contemporary studies of the 3 May 1887 MW 7.5 Sonora, Mexico (Basin and Range province) earthquake. Seismol Res Lett 77:134–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suter M (2008a) Structual configuration of the Otates fault (southern Basin and Range Province) and its rupture in the 3 May 1887 MW 7.5 Sonora, Mexico, earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc Am 98:2879–2893

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suter M (2008b) Structural configuration of the Teras fault (southern Basin and Range Province) and its rupture in the 3 May 1887 MW 7.5 Sonora, Mexico earthquake. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas 25:179–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Suter M, Contreras J (2002) Active tectonics of northeastern Sonora, Mexico (Southern Basin and Range Province) and the 3 May 1887 Mw 7.4 earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc Am 92:581–589

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai VC, Hirth G (2020) Elastic impact consequences for high-frequency earthquake ground motion. Geophys Res Lett 47:e2019GL086302. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valerio E, Tizzani P, Carminati E, Daglioni C (2017) Longer aftershocks duration in extensional tectonic settings. Sci Rep 7:16403. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14550-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villalobos-Escobar GP (2013) Estudios de atenuación del movimiento del terreno generada por diferentes ambientes tectónicos, Earth Sciences Doctoral Thesis, CICESE (in Spanish)

  • Villalobos-Escobar GP, Castro RR (2014) S-wave attenuation in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, near the faults that ruptured during the earthquake of 3 May 1887 Mw 7.5. SpringerPlus 3:747. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-3-747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villalobos-Escobar GP, Castro RR (2015a) Erratum to: S-wave attenuation in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, near the faults that ruptured during the earthquake of 3 May 1887 Mw 7.5. SpringerPlus 4:116. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-015-0877-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villalobos-Escobar GP, Castro RR (2015b) Estimation of local magnitude in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, using empirical relations based on recorded duration. Seismol Res Lett 86:870–875. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220140027

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu FT (1966) Lower limit of the total energy of earthquakes and partitioning of energy among seismic waves, PhD thesis, California Institute of Technology

  • Wyss M (1970) Stress estimates for South American shallow and deep earthquakes. J Geophys Res 75:1529–1544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ye L, Lay T, Kanamori H, Rivera L (2016) Rupture characteristics of major and great (Mw>7.0) megathrust earthquakes from 1900 to 2015: 1. Source parameter scaling relationships. J Geophys Res 121. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JB012426

  • Yeats RS, Sieh K, Allen CR (1997) The geology of earthquakes. Oxford University Press, Oxford 568 p

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Antonio Mendoza Camberos and Arturo Pérez Vertti provided technical support. We thank the editor, Dr. García Fernández, and the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.

Funding

This research was funded by the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), grant CB2017-2018-A1-S-37179.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raúl R. Castro.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Article Highlights

• Events with the higher scaled seismic energy (Es/Mo) are located at the southern end of the 1887 fault rupture, between the stepovers of the Teras and Otates fault segments.

• The estimates of ES/Mo are consistent with the elastic impact model (Tsai and Hirth, 2020) that predicts that earthquakes of different sizes can have the same high-frequency spectral shape when they generate in fault zones having similar elastic properties.

• We estimate an average log(Es/Mo) = − 5.76 and found that most earthquakes analyzed have low apparent stress.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Castro, R.R., Villalobos-Escobar, G.P. Seismic energy radiated by earthquakes in the Basin and Range Province of Sonora, Mexico, near the rupture of the 1887 Mw 7.5 earthquake. J Seismol 25, 73–83 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-020-09953-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-020-09953-0

Keywords

Navigation