Source Parameters Of Earthquakes In The Mexican Subduction Zone

Earthquakes and tsunamis are devastating geohazards with significant societal impacts. Most recent occurrences have shown that their impact on the stability of nations–societies and the world geopolitics is immense, potentially triggering a tipping point for a major downturn in the global economy. This Special Publication presents the most current information on the causes and effects of some of the modern and historical earthquake–tsunami events, and effective practices of risk assessment–disaster management, implemented by various governments, international organizations and intergovernmental agencies. Findings reported here show that the magnitude of human casualties and property loss resulting from earthquakes–tsunamis are highly variable around the globe, and that increased community, national and global resilience is significant to empower societal preparedness for such geohazards. It is clear that all stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, governments, media and world organizations must work together to disseminate accurate, objective and timely information on geohazards, and to develop effective legislation for risk reduction and realistic hazard mitigation–management measures in our globally connected world of today.

Reprint from Pure and Applied Geophysics (PAGEOPH), Volume 142 (1994), No. 1

This is the first of two volumes devoted to earthquakes and multi-hazards around the Pacific Rim. The circum-Pacific seismic belt is home to roughly 80% of the world’s largest earthquakes, making it the ideal location for investigating earthquakes and related hazards such as tsunamis and landslides. Gathering 16 papers that cover a range of topics related to multi-hazards, the book is divided into three sections: earthquake physics, earthquake simulation and data assimilation, and multi-hazard assessment and earthquake forecasting models. The first section includes papers on laboratory-derived rheological parameters as well as seismic studies in the Gulf of California and China. In turn, the second section includes papers on improvements in earthquake simulators as well as the statistical methods used to evaluate their performance, automated methods for determining fault slip using near-field interferometric data, variabilities in earthquake stress drops in California, and the use of social media data to supplement physical sensor data when estimating local earthquake intensity. The final section includes a paper on probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment, several papers on time-dependent seismic hazard analysis around the Pacific Rim, and a paper on induced and triggered seismicity at the Geysers geothermal field in California. Rapid advances are being made in our understanding of multi-hazards, as well as the range of tools used to investigate them. This volume provides a representative cross-section of how state-of-the-art knowledge and tools are currently being applied to multi-hazards around the Pacific Rim. The material here should be of interest to scientists involved in all areas of multi-hazards, particularly seismic and tsunami hazards. In addition, it offers a valuable resource for students in the geosciences, covering a broad spectrum of topics related to hazard research.

Gathering research from physics, mechanical engineering, and statistics in a single resource for the first time, this text presents the background to the model, its theoretical basis, and applications ranging from materials science to earth science. The authors start by explaining why disorder is important for fracture and then go on to introduce the fiber bundle model, backed by various different applications. Appendices present the necessary mathematical, computational and statistical background required. The structure of the book allows the reader to skip some material that is too specialized, making this topic accessible to the engineering, mechanics and materials science communities, in addition to providing further reading for graduate students in statistical physics.

Large-scale earthquake hazards pose major threats to modern society, generating casualties, disrupting socioeconomic activities, and causing enormous economic loss across the world. Events, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, highlighted the vulnerability of urban cities to catastrophic earthquakes. Accurate assessment of earthquake-related hazards (both primary and secondary) is essential to mitigate and control disaster risk exposure effectively. To date, various approaches and tools have been developed in different disciplines. However, they are fragmented over a number of research disciplines and underlying assumptions are often inconsistent. Our society and infrastructure are subjected to multiple types of cascading earthquake hazards; therefore, integrated hazard assessment and risk management strategy is needed for mitigating potential consequences due to multi-hazards. Moreover, uncertainty modeling and its impact on hazard prediction and anticipated consequences are essential parts of probabilistic earthquake hazard and risk assessment. The Research Topic is focused upon modeling and impact assessment of cascading earthquake hazards, including mainshock ground shaking, aftershock, tsunami, liquefaction, and landslide.

The study of earthquakes combines science, technology and expertise in infrastructure and engineering in an effort to minimize human and material losses when their occurrence is inevitable. This book is devoted to various aspects of earthquake research and analysis, from theoretical advances to practical applications. Different sections are dedicated to ground motion studies and seismic site characterization, with regard to mitigation of the risk from earthquake and ensuring the safety of the buildings under earthquake loading. The ultimate goal of the book is to encourage discussions and future research to improve hazard assessments, dissemination of earthquake engineering data and, ultimately, the seismic provisions of building codes.