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 Ólafsson, S. Articles by Einarsson, P. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Estimation of source parameters and Q from acceleration recorded in the Vatnafjöll earthquake in south Iceland

Engineering Research Institute University of Iceland, Hjaro{caron}arhagi 2-6, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
Science Institute University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland

Abstract

The earthquake in Vatnafjöll, 25 May 1987 (M = 5.8), was the largest earthquake in south Iceland since 1912 (M = 7), and it was one of the first earthquakes recorded on a local network of strong-motion acceleration recorders. In this study, the strong-motion records are used to obtain an estimate of the source parameters and the attenuation of high-frequency waves. The source parameters are obtained by fitting the data by a dislocation source model combined with an exponential model for the attenuation. The root-mean-squared acceleration is also estimated and compared to predicted values using the source parameters. The source parameters estimated here (M₀ = 8.2 x 10²⁴ dyn-cm, r = 4.6 km, = 38 bars, u = 36 cm, T_d = 3 sec) and estimated moment magnitude (M_w = 5.9) agree well with values obtained previously from teleseismic waves and strain-meter data. Estimates of path-averaged crustal shear-wave quality factors give results in the range Q = 128 to 425, and k = 0.05 sec for the spectral decay parameter, confirming recent measurements of higher crustal Q for this region than in earlier studies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Halldorsson and H. Avery Converting Strong-motion Networks to Arrays via Common Triggering Seismological Research Letters, July 1, 2009; 80(4): 572 - 578. [Full Text] [PDF]