Information message about the earthquake in the central part of Kuril Ridge on March 3, 2008.

     The earthquake with М=6.8 has occurred on March 3, 2008 at 9:31 GMT (12:31 Moscow time) in the central part of Kuril Ridge.
     Parameters of the earthquake have been determined in the Alert Service (AS) of Information Processing Center (IPC) of Geophysical Survey of RAS in Obninsk with station data obtained from digital and analog seismic stations of Russia, countries of CIS and from abroad. Alert message on this earthquake has been delivered in 15 min after registration to the Ministry of Emergency of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM).
     Preliminary processing has been done with data from 33 stations, accurate processing - with data 48 stations.
     Fig. 1 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Petropavlovsk (∆ 7.4º), Seimchan (∆ 16.4º), Yakutsk (∆ 20.5º), Hailar (∆ 22.4º), Bilibino (∆ 22.6º), Tiksi (∆ 27.6º). Fig. 2 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Kurchatov (∆ 47.5º), Borovoe (∆ 48.6º), Ala Archa (∆ 53.9º), Arti (∆ 55.2º), Lovozero (∆ 56.9º), Obninsk (∆ 65.5º).

Figure 1
 

Figure 2
 
     IPC GS RAS also has obtained information with parameters of this event from some seismological centers, these data are given in table 1:
Table 1
NN Time in origin h-min-s (GMT) Lat degr. Lon degr. Depth km N s/st Ms/ N mb/ N I0 calc GAP Center
1 09-31-04.6 46.57 153.12  33  48  6.8/206.4/277.5-893 IPC GS RAS (Accurate)
2 09-31-04.6 46.57 153.23  33  33  6.8/146.5/207.5-893 IPC GS RAS (Preliminary)
3 09-31-02.7 46.57 153.1  10  94  6.4Mw   54 CSEM
4 09-31-04.4 46.5 153.09  20  210  6.7Mw 6.1/212  NEIC (Preliminary)
5 09-31-06.5 46.57 153.04  35  62  6.4Mw 6.0/56 79 NEIC (Accurate)
  • IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences
  • CSEM - European - Mediterranean seismological center
  • NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service
  • Epicenter
         Epicenter of this earthquake (shown with blue arrow on fig. 3) was located in the ocean at 88 km from Simushir Island, at 433 km to the east-north-east from Kurilsk town and at 508 km to the south-south-west from Severo-Kurilsk town.

    Figure 3
    Aftershock
         Within the day after the main shock GS RAS has registered both aftershocks of this earthquake (NN682, 687, 684, 705, 703, 707) and separate earthquakes in other regions of Kuril Islands (NN683, 688, 704), where the extended seismic activity was also observed. The earthquake N688 was felt in Malokurilsk settlement with intensity 3, in Yuzhno Sakhalinsk settlement with intensity 2. The earthquake N704 was felt in Yuzhno Sakhalinsk settlement with intensity 2-3.
    N Date   &   Time (GMT)
    yy-mm-dd hh:mm:sec
    Lat
    degr.
    Lon
    degr.
    Depth
    km
    N
    station
    Ms/ N mb/ N Io
    calc.
    Region
    200806822008-03-03 10:09:36.046.31153.233320-5.3/ 114-4.5 Kuril Islands
    200806832008-03-03 10:25:37.047.68151.739012-4.5/ 6-Kuril Islands
    200806872008-03-03 10:38:44.046.62152.971008-4.0/ 4-Kuril Islands
    200806842008-03-03 11:22:38.046.31153.176018-5.4/ 123.5-4 Kuril Islands
    200806882008-03-03 14:35:41.044.19147.198015-4.8/ 53Kuril Islands
    200807042008-03-03 20:57:48.043.61146.058014-4.1/ 33Kuril Islands
    200807052008-03-04 00:55:30.046.59152.83339-4.1/ 4-Kuril Islands
    200807032008-03-04 01:34:41.046.55152.996017-5.1/ 102.5-3 Kuril Islands
    200807072008-03-04 08:24:19.046.76152.93314-4.8/ 83-3.5 Kuril Islands
    Historical records
         This earthquake has occurred on March 3 at 09:31 very close to the zone of the strongest earthquake which happened on November 15, 2006 with МS=8.2. Epicenters of the local earthquakes are shown on fig.4. with turquoise color for the period since 01.01.2008 in accordance with Alert Survey of GS RAS information. The earthquakes with М=4.5-5 happen almost around the whole Kuril Islands Bow, including the origin zone of the earthquake which occurred on November 15. Proximity to the epicenter of this earthquake gives the confidence to specify the reported here event as continued aftershock process. The main shock (fig.4) of the earthquake on March 3, 2008 is shown with black star on the turquoise color round as the background, all epicenter of 2008 are shown with turquoise color rounds, their diameters correspond to their magnitudes. The main shock on November 15 2006 also is shown with black star contour with yellow color round in the background. In accordance wirh Alert Service GS RAS aftershock activity of the earthquake on November 15 is shown with yellow color. The main shock on January 13, 2007 is shown with white star with red color background and it’s aftershocks are shown with red rounds in accordance with their magnitudes. Thus, it is continued the process of seismic "gap" filling started in November 2006 for the Central Part of Kuril Bow, which was determined earlier with data of long term seismic forecast (Dr. Fedotov S.A.).

    Figure 4
    Focal mechanism and seismic moment of the earthquake
         Focal mechanism solutions of the earthquake 03.03.2008 were calculated in IPC GS RSA with arrivals of Р-waves at 44 stations located in the interval of epicentral distances of 7-92 degrees (34 signs "+" and 10 signs "-"), as well as obtained in NEIC and Harvard Center, USA with CMT method, they presented in table 2 and shown on fig. 5-7. Both solutions are close. This earthquake has happened under prevailing action of compression oriented to the south-east. One nodal plane is flat, the other is steeply falling. The motion along the flat plane is characterized by the thrust and along the steeply falling plane by uplift. The value of seismic moment Мо obtained by IPC GS RAS from Р-wave spectra at three stations: "Obninsk"-delta 65 degrees, "Arti" - delta 55 degrees, "Kislovodsk" - delta 71 degrees, made Мо=1.3* 10** 19 n*m. The value of moment magnitude calculated from Kanamori formula made Mw = 6.7. These values obtained by NEIC are Мо=1.1* 10** 19 n*m and Mw = 6.6; and obtained by HRVD are Мо=7.63* 10** 18 n*m, Mw = 6.5.
    Table 2
    Axes of main strengths Nodal planes Center
    T P N NP1 NP2
    Pl Azm Pl Azm Pl Azm Stk Dp Slip Stk Dp Slip
    5130238113 520717185427 8495IPC GS RAS
    6130528132 3412311710140 7387NEIC
    6928820128 7362302510633 6683HARVARD
  • IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences
  • NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service
  • HARVARD - Harvard Geophysical Center (USA)

  • Figure 5

    Figure 6

    Figure 7


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