Long-period mechanism of the 8 November 1980 Eureka, California, earthquake

Abstract

The seismic moment and source orientation of the 8 November 1980 Eureka, California, earthquake (M_s = 7.2) are determined using long-period surface and body wave data obtained from the SRO, ASRO, and IDA networks. The favorable azimuthal distribution of the recording stations allows a well-constrained mechanism to be determined by a simultaneous moment tensor inversion of the Love and Rayleigh wave observations. The shallow depth of the event precludes determination of the full moment tensor, but constraining M_zx = M_zy = 0 and using a point source at 16-km depth gives a major double couple for period T = 256 sec with scalar moment M₀ = 1.1 · 10²⁷ dyne-cm and a left-lateral vertical strike-slip orientation trending N48.2°E. The choice of fault planes is made on the basis of the aftershock distribution. This solution is insensitive to the depth of the point source for depths less than 33 km. Using the moment tensor solution as a starting model, the Rayleigh and Love wave amplitude data alone are inverted in order to fine-tune the solution. This results in a slightly larger scalar moment of 1.28 · 10²⁷ dyne-cm, but insignificant (27 dyne-cm, and a similar strike-slip fault orientation. The long-period P and SH waves recorded at SRO and ASRO stations are utilized to determine the seismic moment for 15- to 30-sec periods. A deconvolution algorithm developed by Kikuchi and Kanamori (1982) is used to determine the time function for the first 180 sec of the P and SH signals. The SH data are more stable and indicate a complex bilateral rupture with at least four subevents. The dominant first subevent has a moment of 6.4 · 10²⁶ dyne-cm. Summing the moment of this and the next three subevents, all of which occur in the first 80 sec of rupture, yields a moment of 1.3 · 10²⁷ dyne-cm. Thus, when the multiple source character of the body waves is taken into account, the seismic moment for the Eureka event throughout the period range 15 to 500 sec is 1.3 ± 0.2 · 10²⁷ dyne-cm.