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Earthquake source‐parameter estimation using regional waveforms: Implications for tsunami alerting in the Caribbean
Author(s) -
Mendoza C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2005gl024435
Subject(s) - moment tensor , seismology , geology , magnitude (astronomy) , waveform , inversion (geology) , source model , tsunami earthquake , azimuth , geodesy , warning system , moment magnitude scale , broadband , physics , computer science , telecommunications , oceanography , radar , geometry , mathematics , astronomy , scaling , tectonics , deformation (meteorology) , computational physics
Three‐component seismic waveforms recorded at the single broadband station SJG have been examined for four M W ≥ 6 Caribbean earthquakes using a regional moment‐tensor (RMT) inversion procedure that uses a general crustal velocity model to generate synthetic Green's functions at a fixed depth. Comparisons of the computed source parameters with solutions reported by international agencies indicate that the RMT procedure provides a rapid estimate of the earthquake magnitude using a single station. Focal mechanisms are not as well resolved and may require a more complete azimuthal coverage. The inversion procedure thus provides a timely estimate of the earthquake magnitude that would be useful for tsunami alerting. Warning intervals for the Caribbean region would vary from about 12 minutes for a tsunami generated at a distance of 200 km to more than 60 minutes for a tsunami originating at a distance of 800 km from the recording site.