Historical seismograms for unravelling a mysterious earthquake: The 1907 Sumatra Earthquake

History of instrumental seismology is short. Seismograms are available only for a little more than 100 years; high-quality seismograms are available only for the last 50 years and the seismological database is very limited in time. To extend the database, seismograms of old events are of vital importance. Many unusual earthquakes are known to have occurred, but their seismological characteristics are poorly known. The 1907 Sumatra earthquake is one of them (1907 January 4, M= 7.6). Gutenberg and Richter located this event in the outer-rise area of the Sunda arc. This earthquake is known to be anomalous because of its extensive tsunami, which is disproportionate of its magnitude. The tsunami affected the coastal areas over 950 km along the Sumatran coast. We investigated this earthquake using the historical seismograms we could collect from several seismological observatories. We examined the P-wave arrival times listed in the Strassburg Bulletin (1912) and other station bulletins. The scatter of the Observed−Computed traveltime residuals ranges from –30 to 30 s, too large to locate the event accurately. The uncertainty of the epicentre estimated from an S-P grid-search relocation study is at least 1° (~110 km). We interpreted the Omori seismograms from Osaka, Mizusawa and Tokyo, and the Wiechert seismograms from Göttingen and Uppsala by comparing them with the seismograms simulated from modern broad-band seismograms of the 2002, 2008 and two 2010 Sumatra earthquakes which occurred near the 1907 earthquake. From the amplitude of Rayleigh waves recorded on the Omori seismograms we conclude that the magnitude of the 1907 earthquake at about 30 to 40 s is about 7.8 (i.e. 7.5 to 8.0). The SH waveforms recorded on the Göttingen and Uppsala seismograms suggest that the 1907 earthquake is a thrust earthquake at a shallow depth around 30 km. The most likely scenario is that the 1907 earthquake initiated on the subduction interface, and slowly ruptured up-dip into the shallow sediments and caused the extensive tsunami. Although their quantity and quality are limited, historical seismograms provide key quantitative information about old events that cannot be obtained otherwise. This underscores the importance of preserving historical seismograms

Numerical Study of Photo-Induced Dynamics in Double-Exchange Model

Photo-induced spin and charge dynamics in double-exchange model are numerically studied. The Lanczos method and the density-matrix renormalization-group method are applied to one-dimensional finite-size clusters. By photon irradiation in a charge ordered (CO) insulator associated with antiferromagnetic (AFM) correlation, both the CO and AFM correlations collapse rapidly, and appearances of new peaks inside of an insulating gap are observed in the optical spectra and the one-particle excitation spectra. Time evolutions of the spin correlation and the in-gap state are correlated with each other, and are governed by the transfer integral of conduction electrons. Results are interpreted by the charge kink/anti-kink picture and their effective motions which depend on the localized spin correlation. Pump-photon density dependence of spin and charge dynamics are also studied. Roles of spin degree of freedom are remarkable in a case of weak photon density. Implications of the numerical results for the pump-probe experiments in perovskite manganites are discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figure

Modeling near-field tsunami observations to improve finite-fault slip models for the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake

The massive tsunami generated by the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake (M_w 9.0) was widely recorded by GPS buoys, wave gauges, and ocean bottom pressure sensors around the source. Numerous inversions for finite-fault slip time histories have been performed using seismic and/or geodetic observations, yielding generally consistent patterns of large co-seismic slip offshore near the hypocenter and/or up-dip near the trench, where estimated peak slip is ~60 m. Modeling the tsunami generation and near-field wave processes using two detailed rupture models obtained from either teleseismic P waves or high-rate GPS recordings in Japan allows evaluation of how well the finite-fault models account for the regional tsunami data. By determining sensitivity of the tsunami calculations to rupture model features, we determine model modifications that improve the fit to the diverse tsunami data while retaining the fit to the seismic and geodetic observations

Real-time testing of the on-site warning algorithm in southern California and its performance during the July 29 2008 M_w5.4 Chino Hills earthquake

The real-time performance of the τ_c -P_d on-site early warning algorithm currently is being tested within the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN). Since January 2007, the algorithm has detected 58 local earthquakes in southern California and Baja with moment magnitudes of 3.0 ≤ M_w ≤ 5.4. Combined with newly derived station corrections the algorithm allowed for rapid determination of moment magnitudes and Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) with uncertainties of ±0.5 and ±0.7 units, respectively. The majority of reporting delays ranged from 9 to 16 s. The largest event, the July 29 2008 M_w5.4 Chino Hills earthquake, triggered a total of 60 CISN stations in epicentral distances of up to 250 km. Magnitude predictions at these stations ranged from M_w4.4 to M_w6.5 with a median of M_w5.6. The closest station would have provided up to 6 s warning at Los Angeles City Hall, located 50 km to the west-northwest of Chino Hills

Photoinduced magnetic bound state in itinerant correlated electron system with spin-state degree of freedom

Photo-excited state in correlated electron system with spin-state degree of freedom is studied. We start from the two-orbital extended Hubbard model where energy difference between the two orbitals is introduced. Photo-excited metastable state is examined based on the effective model Hamiltonian derived by the two-orbital Hubbard model. Spin-state change is induced by photo-irradiation in the low-spin band insulator near the phase boundary. High-spin state is stabilized by creating a ferromagnetic bound state with photo-doped hole carriers. An optical absorption occurs between the bonding and antibonding orbitals inside of the bound state. Time-evolution for photo-excited states is simulated in the time-dependent mean-field scheme. Pair-annihilations of the photo-doped electron and hole generate the high-spin state in a low-spin band insulator. We propose that this process is directly observed by the time-resolved photoemission experiments.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figure

Depth estimates of large earthquakes on the Island of Hawaii since 1940

Although hypocenters of earthquakes on the island of Hawaii are now routinely assigned to within 5 km, depth was a poorly determined parameter until the early 1960's. However, the 1950–1960 period was very active both in volcanic eruptions and large earthquakes. Source depths for the 12 largest Hawaiian earthquakes (magnitude 6 or greater) since 1940 are estimated from the ratios of body and surface wave amplitudes recorded at Pasadena, California. Excitation functions for Rayleigh waves are calculated as a function of source depth for the two dominant periods in the Pasadena records, 8s and 20s. Theoretical body wave amplitudes are determined from synthetic seismograms. Calculated ratios are very sensitive to source depth; for example, amplitudes of 8-s Rayleigh waves diminish by a factor of 300 between depths of 10 km and 50 km. This is a much larger effect than the fault geometry, which we estimate to be a factor of 4 between representative focal mechanisms. Estimated depths for post-1960 earthquakes agree fairly well with the instrumental depths. In general, large earthquakes near the volcanic flanks and fault systems are shallow (≤20 km). Two earthquakes of magnitude 6 occurred under the volcanoes Mauna Loa (in 1950) and Kilauea (in 1951); they preceded major eruptions by 3 days and 14 months, respectively, and had the largest depth estimates at 40–55 km and 35–50 km. MS values assigned from global amplitudes are compared with those assigned from Pasadena amplitudes alone, for 70 events in 1973–1974 with 5.1≤ M_S ≤ 6.0. The global values are only slightly larger (0.05 magnitude units) than the Pasadena values, indicating that Pasadena amplitudes are on the average representative of the event magnitude

A single-force model for the 1975 Kalapana, Hawaii, Earthquake

A single force mechanism is investigated as the source of long-period seismic radiation from the 1975 Kalapana, Hawaii, earthquake (M_S = 7.1). The observed Love wave radiation pattern determined from the spectra of World-Wide Standard Seismograph Network and High Gain Long Period records at 100 s is two-lobed with azimuth, consistent with a near-horizontal single force acting opposite (strike ∼330°) to the observed displacement direction of the earthquake; this pattern is inconsistent with the expected double-couple pattern. Assuming a form of the force time history of a one-cycle sinusoid, the total duration of the event estimated from Rayleigh waves at two International Deployment of Accelerometers stations is approximately 180 s. The peak amplitude f_o of the time function is 1 × 10^(15) N from amplitudes of Love and Rayleigh waves. The interpretation is that the bulk of the seismic radiation was produced by large-scale slumping of a large area of the south flank of Kilauea volcano. The single force is a crude representation of the effect on the earth of the motion of a partially decoupled large slide mass. Using the mass estimated from the tsunami generation area (∼ 10^(15)–10^(16) kg), the peak acceleration of the slide block (0.1–1 m s^(−2)) inferred from the seismic force is comparable with the acceleration due to gravity on a gently inclined plane. The slump model for the Kalapana earthquake is also more qualitatively consistent with the large horizontal deformation (8 m on land) and tsunami associated with the earthquake, which are difficult to explain with the conventional double-couple source model. The single-force source has been used previously to model the long-period seismic waves from the landslide accompanying the eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano, and may explain other anomalous seismic events as being due to massive slumping of sediments or unconsolidated material and not to elastic dislocation

Reply [to “Comment on ‘A single-force model for the 1975 Kalapana, Hawaii, earthquake’ by Holly K. Eissler and Hiroo Kanamori”]

We showed that the long-period seismic radiation from the November 29, 1975, Kalapana Hawaii earthquake, which involved seaward displacement of the south flank of Kilauea volcano, was best explained by invoking a near-horizontal single force as the kinematic source of the earthquake [Eissler and Kanamori, 1987]. In particular, the azimuthal dependence of 100-s Love surface waves is difficult to explain by a conventional double-couple source. The unusual Love wave pattern was noted by Ando [1979] but not explained until our suggestion of the single-force source model

Orbital effects in manganites

In this paper I give a short review of some properties of the colossal magnetoresistance manganites, connected with the orbital degrees of freedom. Ions Mn{3+}, present in most of these compounds, have double orbital degeneracy and are strong Jahn-Teller ions, causing structural distortions and orbital ordering. Mechanisms leading to such ordering are shortly discussed, and the role of orbital degrees of freedom in different parts of the phase diagram of manganites is described. Special attention is paid to the properties of low-doped systems (doping 0.1 - 0.25), to overdoped systems (x > 0.5), and to the possibility of a novel type of orbital ordering in optimally doped ferromagnetic metallic manganites.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures, to be published in J. Mod. Phys.

The 25 October 2010 Mentawai tsunami earthquake (M_w 7.8) and the tsunami hazard presented by shallow megathrust ruptures

The 25 October 2010 Mentawai, Indonesia earthquake (M_w 7.8) ruptured the shallow portion of the subduction zone seaward of the Mentawai islands, off-shore of Sumatra, generating 3 to 9 m tsunami run-up along southwestern coasts of the Pagai Islands that took at least 431 lives. Analyses of teleseismic P, SH and Rayleigh waves for finite-fault source rupture characteristics indicate ∼90 s rupture duration with a low rupture velocity of ∼1.5 km/s on the 10° dipping megathrust, with total slip of 2–4 m over an ∼100 km long source region. The seismic moment-scaled energy release is 1.4 × 10^(−6), lower than 2.4 × 10^(−6) found for the 17 July 2006 Java tsunami earthquake (M_w 7.8). The Mentawai event ruptured up-dip of the slip region of the 12 September 2007 Kepulauan earthquake (M_w 7.9), and together with the 4 January 1907 (M 7.6) tsunami earthquake located seaward of Simeulue Island to the northwest along the arc, demonstrates the significant tsunami generation potential for shallow megathrust ruptures in regions up-dip of great underthrusting events in Indonesia and elsewhere