Quick Search:    advanced search

GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by HAVSKOV, J. Articles by RODRIGUEZ, M. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Playa Azul, Michoacan, Mexico, earthquake of 25 October 1981 (M_s = 7.3)

INSTITUTO DE INGENIERÍA UNAM, C.U., MEXICO 04510, DF MEXICO
INSTITUTO DE GEOFÍSICA UNAM, C.U., MEXICO 04510, DF MEXICO

Abstract

The Playa Azul earthquake broke the central part of the Michoacan gap along the Mexican subduction zone. The aftershock area estimated from field data for a 6-day period beginning 19 hr after the main shock is 40 km x 20 km. Preliminary focal mechanism of the main shock is consistent with a shallow-dipping thrust fault. Although there is some evidence of seismic quiescence for yr followed by a foreshock about 3 months before the main shock and an above average microseismic activity in the western part of the epicentral region during the last months or more, the data is not sufficient quality to assert this conclusion. The Michoacan gap was previously assigned category 3 (Singh et al., 1981) based on the classification of McCann et al. (1979). The seismic potential of the unbroken segments of this gap (45 km to NW and 35 km to the SE of the Playa Azul aftershock area) remains uncertain. Corresponding to a rupture length of 40 km, each segment could generate an earthquake of similar magnitude to the Playa Azul earthquake. Unfortunately, the recurrence period of large earthquakes in the region is not known and great/major earthquakes cannot be ruled out.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Santoyo, S. K. Singh, T. Mikumo, and M. Ordaz Space-Time Clustering of Large Thrust Earthquakes along the Mexican Subduction Zone: An Evidence of Source Stress Interaction Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 2005; 95(5): 1856 - 1864. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Quintanar, J. Yamamoto, and Z. Jimenez Source mechanism of two 1994 intermediate-depth-focus earthquakes in Guerrero, Mexico Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1999; 89(4): 1004 - 1018. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. Mikumo, T. Miyatake, and M. A. Santoyo Dynamic rupture of asperities and stress change during a sequence of large interplate earthquakes in the Mexican subduction zone Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 1998; 88(3): 686 - 702. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. ZHANG and T. LAY Effects of centroid location on determination of earthquake mechanisms using long-period surface waves Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1990; 80(5): 1205 - 1231. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. P. NISHENKO and S. K. SINGH Conditional probabilities for the recurrence of large and great interplate earthquakes along the Mexican subduction zone Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1987; 77(6): 2095 - 2114. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. ASTIZ, H. KANAMORI, and H. EISSLER Source characteristics of earthquakes in the Michoacan seismic gap in Mexico Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1987; 77(4): 1326 - 1346. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. G. Anderson, J. G. ANDERSON, P. BODIN, J. N. BRUNE, J. PRINCE, S. K. SINGH, R. QUAAS, and M. ONATE Strong Ground Motion from the Michoacan, Mexico, Earthquake Science, September 5, 1986; 233(4768): 1043 - 1049. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. K. SINGH, L. PONCE, and S. P. NISHENKO The great Jalisco, Mexico, earthquakes of 1932: Subduction of the Rivera plate Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1985; 75(5): 1301 - 1313. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. K. SINGH, T. DOMINGUEZ, R. CAsTRO, and M. RODRIGUEZ P waveform of large, shallow earthquakes along the Mexican subduction zone Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1984; 74(6): 2135 - 2156. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. K. SINGH, M. RODRIGUEZ, and J. M. ESPINDOLA A catalog of shallow earthquakes of Mexico from 1900 to 1981 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1984; 74(1): 267 - 279. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. K. SINGH, M. RODRIGUEZ, and L. ESTEVA Statistics of small earthquakes and frequency of occurrence of large earthquakes along the Mexican subduction zone Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1983; 73(6A): 1779 - 1796. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. CRUZ and M. WYSS Large earthquakes, mean sea level, and tsunamis along the Pacific Coast of Mexico and Central America Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1983; 73(2): 553 - 570. [Abstract] [PDF]