Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rupture process of the Lorca (southeast Spain) 11 May 2011 (M w  = 5.1) earthquake

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Seismology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

On 11 May 2011, a M w  = 5.1 earthquake shook the town of Lorca (SE Spain) causing a disproportionately large damage for its magnitude. In order to contribute to knowledge of the behavior of the active faults present in the region and define the parameters which control their motion, we made a detailed study of the rupture process of this earthquake from inversion of body waves at regional and teleseismic distances. Ground motion displacements obtained in this way are in agreement with near-field strong motion data and GPS observations recorded in Lorca. We have obtained a partly bilateral rupture propagating to WSW (238°, 54°, 59°) with 27 cm of maximum slip and shallow focus (4 km). The fault plane orientation corresponds to that of the Cejo de los Enamorados Fault located NE of the Lorca town and parallel to the Alhama de Murcia Fault. The distribution of slip on the fault plane can explain the lack of any observed surface rupture as we found that the rupture started at 4-km depth along a plane dipping at 54°, with motion propagating upward to stop at 1.5 km below the surface. The strong motion and GPS data recorded near the epicenter are in agreement with the maximum slip on the fault. Directivity effects and the extreme shallowness of the rupture could explain the considerable damage that the earthquake caused in the town of Lorca.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alguacil de la Blanca G, Vidal Sánchez F, Stich D, Mancilla Pérez F, López Comino JA, Morales Soto J, Navarro Bernal M (2012) Parámetros de la fuente y del movimiento del suelo del terremoto de Lorca de 2011. Fís Tierra 24:41–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Benito B, Capote R, Murphy P, Gaspar-Escribano JM, Martinez-Diaz JJ, Tsige M, Stich D, García-Mayordomo J, García Rodríguez MJ, Jiménez ME, Insua-Arévalo JM, Canora C, Álvarez-Gómez JA (2007) An overview of the damaging and low magnitude M w 4.8 La Paca earthquake on 29 January 2005: context, seismotectonics, and seismic risk implications for southeast Spain. Bull Seismol Soc Am 97:671–690. doi:10.1785/0120050150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bock Y, Melgar D, Crowell BW (2011) Real-time strong-motion broadband displacements from collocated GPS and accelerometers bull. Seism Soc Am 101:2904–2925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buforn E, Martínez Solares JM (eds.) (2012). El terremoto de Lorca de 11 de Mayo de 2011. Física de la Tierra 24. http://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/FITE

  • Buforn E, Sanz de Galdeano C (2001) Focal mechanism of Mula (Murcia, Spain) earthquake of February 2, 1999. J Seismol 5:277–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buforn E, Benito B, Sanz de Galdeano C, Del Fresno C, Muñoz D, Rodriguez I (2005) Study of the damaging earthquake of 1911, 1999 and 2002 in the Murcia (Spain) region: seismotectonic and seismic risk implications. Bull Seismol Soc Am 95:549–567. doi:10.1785/0120040041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buforn E, Cesca S, Goded T, del Fresno C, Muñoz D (2006) The Bullas (Murcia, SE Spain) earthquake, 29 January 2005. J Seismol 10:65–72. doi:10.1007/s10950-006-2536-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buforn E, Pro C, Cesca S, Sanz de Galdeano C, Udias A (2012) Proceso de ruptura del sismo de Lorca de 11 mayo 2011. Fís Tierra 24:71–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderoni G, Rovelliand A, Singh SK (2013) Stress drop and source scaling of the 2009 April L’Aquila earthquakes. Geophys J Int 192:260–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cesca S, Buforn E, Dahm T (2006) Amplitude spectra moment tensor inversion of shallow earthquakes in Spain. Geophys J Int 166:839–885. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03073.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cesca S, Heimann S, Stammler K, Dahm T (2010) Automated procedure for point and kinematic source inversion at regional distances. J Geophys Res 115:B06304. doi:10.1029/2009JB006450

    Google Scholar 

  • Cesca S, Rohr A, Dahm T (2013) Discrimination of induced seismicity by full moment tensor inversion and decomposition. J Seismol 17:147–163. doi:10.1007/s10950-012-9305-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Larouzière FD, Bolze J, Bordet P, Hernandez J, Montenat C, Ott d’Estevou P (1988) The Betic segment of the lithosperic Trans-Alboran shear zone during the Late Miocene. Tectonophysics 152:41–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emore G, Haase J, Choi K, Larson KM, Yamagiwa A (2007) Recovering seismic displacements through combined use of 1-Hz GPS and strong-motion accelerometers. Bull Seismol Soc Am 97:357–378. doi:10.1785/0120060153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrido L (2012) Terremoto de Jacarilla de 10 de Septiembre de 1919 y su serie de réplicas. Trabajo Académicamente Dirigido. Universidad Complutense de Madrid

  • González PJ, Tiampo KF, Palano M, Cannavó F, Fernández J (2012) The 2011 Lorca earthquake slip distribution controlled by groundwater crustal unloading. Nat Geosci 5:821–825. doi:10.1038/ngeo1610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harding TP (1985) Seismic characteristics and identification of negative flower structures, positive flower structures and positive structural inversion. Am Assoc Pet Geol Bull 69(4):582–600

    Google Scholar 

  • Heimann S (2011) A robust method to estimate kinematic earthquake source parameters. PhD Thesis. Univ. Hamburgo, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • IGME (2011) Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Informe geológico preliminar del terremoto de Lorca del 11 de mayo del año 2011, 5.1 Mw. http://www.igme.es

  • Kennett BLN, Engdahl ER, Buland R (1995) Constraints on the velocity structure in the Earth from travel times. Geophys J Int 122:108–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kikuchi A, Kanamori H (1991) Inversion of complex waves III. Bull Seismol Soc Am 81:2335–2350

    Google Scholar 

  • López Comino J, Mancilla F, Morales J, Stich D (2012) Rupture directivity of the 2011, Mw 5.2 Lorca earthquake (Spain). Geophys Res Lett 39:L03301. doi:10.1029/2011GL050498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez Díaz JJ (1998) Neotectónica y Tectónica Activa del sector centro-occidental de la región de Murcia y sur de Almería. 2 tomos. Thesis Univ. Complutense Madrid., 466 p

  • Martínez-Díaz JJ, Bejar-Pizarro M, Álvarez-Gómez JA, Mancilla F, Stich D, Herrera G, Morales J (2012a) Tectonic and seismic implications of an intersegment rupture. The damaging May 11th 2011 Mw 5.2 Lorca, Spain, earthquake. Tectonophysics 546–547:28–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Díaz JJ, Álvarez-Gómez JA, Garcia-Mayordomo J, Insua-Arevalo JM, Martin-Gonzalez F, Rodriguez-Peces MJ (2012b) Interpretación tectónica de la fuente del terremoto de Lorca de 2011 (MW 5,2) y sus efectos superficiales. Bol Geol Min 123(4):441–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Solares JM, Cantavella JV, Cabañas L, Valero JF (2012) El terremoto de Lorca de 11 de mayo de 2011 y la sismicidad de la región. Fís Tierra 24:17–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendoza L, Kehm A, Koppert A, Martín J, Gárate J, Becker M (2012) Un caso de estudio para la sismología GPS: el terremoto de Lorca. Fís Tierra 24:71–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezcua J, Herraiz M, Buforn E (1984) Study of the 6 June 1977 Lorca (Spain) earthquake and its aftershock sequence. Bull Seismol Soc Am 74:167–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz D, Udías A (1991) Three large historical earthquakes in southern Spain. In: J. Mezcua and A. Udías (eds.) Seismicity, Seismotectonics and Seismic Risk of the Ibero-Maghrebian Region. Monografía n° 8. InstitutoGeográficoNacional.175–182

  • Muñoz D, Udías A, Moreno E (1984) Reevaluación de los datos del terremoto de 1829 (Torrevieja). In: Asociación Española de Ingeniería Sísmica (ed.), Sismicidad Histórica de la Península Ibérica, Madrid: 38–41

  • Rodríguez Pascua MA, Pérez López R, Cirujano C (eds.) (2012) El terremoto de Lorca de 11 de Mayo de 2011/The Lorca earthquake of 11 May 2011. Boletín Geológico y Minero 123, No. 4

  • Rueda J, Mezcua J, García R (2012) Directividad de la fuente sísmica en el terremoto de Lorca del 11 mayo 2011. Fís Tierra 24:83–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanz de Galdeano C, García-Mondéjar J, Ferrairó JM (2012) Evolución tectónica del sector de Lorca desde el Mioceno superior al Cuaternario. Fís Tierra 24:193–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Somerville P, Pitarka A (2006) Differences in earthquake source and ground motion characteristics between surface and buried crustal earthquakes. Bull Earthq Res Inst, Univ Tokyo 81:259–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Trifunac MD, Todorovska MI (2001) A note on the usuable dynamic range of accelerographs recording translation. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 21:275–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by Project ALERT-ES (CGL2010-19803-C03-01), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), Spain. We are especially grateful to L Mendoza who provided the GPS data, to Instituto Geográfico Nacional which provided part of data at regional distances, and to Dr. RA Chatwin who revised the English text.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Física, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain

    C. Pro

  2. Departmento de Geofísica y Meteorología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain

    E. Buforn & A. Udías

  3. IGEO, UCM-CSIC, Madrid, Spain

    E. Buforn

  4. Section 2.1/GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany

    S. Cesca

  5. Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

    S. Cesca

  6. Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC—Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

    C. Sanz de Galdeano

Authors
  1. C. Pro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Buforn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Cesca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. Sanz de Galdeano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. Udías
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Pro.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pro, C., Buforn, E., Cesca, S. et al. Rupture process of the Lorca (southeast Spain) 11 May 2011 (M w  = 5.1) earthquake. J Seismol 18, 481–495 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-014-9421-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-014-9421-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation