Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Source parameters of four strong earthquakes in Bulgaria and Portugal at the beginning of the 20th century

Journal of Seismology volume 6, pages 99–123 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Using original seismograph records and bulletin data we re-determined theorigin time, location, seismic moment (M0) and magnitudes(MS and Mw) for four earthquakes in the beginning of the20th century. These are two strong earthquakes April 4, 1904 nearKrupnik, Bulgaria (Mw = 6.8, MS = 7.2 respectively), the April 231909 earthquake near Benavente, Portugal (MS = 6.3), and the June14, 1913 earthquake near Gorna Orjahovitza, Bulgaria (MS = 6.3).Twenty-nine traces from original records have been analysed, a largenumber of original station bulletins have been consulted and a consistentmethodology for analysing these early 20th century instrumentalinformation is presented.In spite of a thorough effort in re-assembling and quality control of theoriginal data, large inaccuracies remain in the improved instrumentalepicentre locations and origin times. The seismic moment estimates weobtained (2.3 1018 ≤ M0 ≤ 3.9 1019Nm) are the first ever determined for these events. The magnitudeestimates (6.3 ≤ MS ≤ 7.2 and 6.2 ≤ Mw≤ 7.0) are robust and systematically lower than most of previousestimates for all earthquakes (Gutenberg and Richter, 1954; Christoskovand Grigorova, 1968; Karnik, 1969). For the largest Krupnik event ourestimates agree with those of Abe and Noguchi (1983b) and Pacheco andSykes (1992). The studied earthquakes all occur in moderately seismicactive regions, therefore our results may have significant consequences forhazard estimates in those regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

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

References

  • Abe, K., 1981, Magnitudes of large shallow earthquakes from 1904 to 1980, Phys. Earth. Planet. Int. 27, 72–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abe K., 1988, Magnitudes and origin times fromMilne seismograph data: Earthquakes in China and California, 1898–1912, In: Lee, W.H.K., Meijers, H. and Shimazaki, K. (eds.), Historical Seismograms and Earthquakes of the World, Academic Press, pp. 37–50.

  • Abe, K. and Noguchi, S., 1983a, Determination of magnitude for large shallow earthquakes, 1898–1917, Phys. Earth Planet. Int. 32, 45–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abe, K. and Noguchi, S., 1983b, Revision of magnitudes of large shallow earthquakes, 1897–1912, Phys. Earth Planet. Int. 33, 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batllo, J., Susagna, T. and Roca, A., 1997, A processing system for old records of regional earthquakes: analysis of the 19 November 1923 earthquake in the Pyrenees, Cahiers du Centre Européen de Géoynamique et de Séismologie 13, 159–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batllo, J. and Bormann, P., 2000, A catalogue of old Spanish seismographs, Seismol. Res. Lett. 71, 570–582.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolt, B.A. and Herraiz, M., 1983, Simplified estimation of seismic moment from seismograms, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 73, 735–748.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonchev, E., Bune, V.I., Christoskov, L., Karagjuleva, J., Kostadinov, V., Reisner, G.J., Rizhikova, S., Shebalin, N.V., Sholpo, V.N. and Sokerova, D., 1982, A method for compilation of seismic zoning prognostic maps for the territory of Bulgaria, Geol. Balkanica 12(2), 3–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boore, D.M. and Boatwright, J., 1984, Average body-wave radiation coefficients, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 74, 1615–1621.

    Google Scholar 

  • British Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Seismological Committee, Seismic Activity 1899–1912.

  • Brune, J.N., 1970, Tectonic stress and the spectra of seismic shear waves from earthquakes, J. Geophys. Res. 75, 4997–5009.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brune, J.N., 1971, Correction, J. Geophys. Res. 76, 5002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catalogue macroseismique pour les forts treblements de terre ressenties en Bulgarie 1901–1955 (1960), Manuscript prepared by the Centre of the Seismological Service in Sofia, 6 pp.

  • Christoskov, L. and Grigorova, E., 1968, Energetic and space-time characteristics of the destructive earthquakes in Bulgaria after 1900, Bulletin de l'Institute de Geophysique 12, 79–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. and Byerly, P., 1969, The early history of seismometry (to 1900), Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 59, 183–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekström, G. and Dziewonski, A.M., 1988, Evidence of bias in estimations of earthquake size, Nature 332, 319–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrari, G., 1992, Two hundred years of seismic instrumentation in Italy 1730–1940, ING-SGA, Bologna, 156 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrari, G., 1997, Cultural and scientific value of seismology's heritage in Europe: why and how to preserve, Cahiers du Centre Européen de Géodynamique et de Séismologie 13, 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, H.A., 1960, Earthquake catalogue of the Portuguese territories in Europe for the period 1901–1955 for all seisms with, Manuscript, Servico Meteorologico Nacional, Co. G 11/986, 5 pp.

  • Geller, R.J. and Kanamori, H., 1977, Magnitudes of great shallow earthquakes from 1904 to 1952, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 67, 587–598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giardini, D., di Donato, M. and Boschi, E., 1997. Calibration of magnitude scales for earthquakes of the Mediterranean, J. Seismology 1, 161–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grabrovec, D. and Allegretti, I., 1994, On the digitizing of historical seismograms, Geofizika 11, 27–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutenberg, B. and Richter, C.F., 1954, Seismicity of the Earth and Associated Phenomena, Princeton University Press, 310 pp.

  • Hanks, T. and Kanamori, H., 1979, A moment magnitude scale, J. Geophys. Res. 84, 2348–2350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanks, T.C. and Wyss, M., 1972. The use of body-wave spectra in the determination of seismic-source parameters, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 62, 561–589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herak, M., Allegretti, I. and Duda, S.J., 1997. Calibration of Vincentini seismographs and magnitude determination for the 1906 San Francisco earthquake on the basis of Zagreb seismogram, Cahiers du Centre Europeen de Geoynamique et de Seismologie 13, 177–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herak, M., Allegretti, I., Herak, D. and Duda, S.J., 1998. Numerical modeling of the observed Wiechert Seismograph Magnification, Pure Applied Geophysics 152, 539–550.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karnik, V., 1969, Seismicity of the European area, vol 1, D. Reidel Publishing Co., Dordrecht, Holland, 364 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keilis-Borok, V.I., 1960, Investigation of the mechanism of earthquakes, Sov. Res. Geophys. (English trans.) 4, 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kennett, B.L.N. and Engdahl, E.R., 1991, Travel times for global earthquake location and phase association, Geophys. J. Int. 105, 429–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirov, K., Grigorova, E. and Ilev, N., 1960, Beitrag zur Untersuchen der Seismizität Bulgariens, Izv. Na Geofiz. Inst., v. I, pp. 137–183.

  • Lienert, B.R., Berg, E. and Frazer, L.N., 1986, HYPOCENTER: An earthquake location method using centered, scaled, and adaptively least squares. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 76, 771–783.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lienert, B.R. and Havskov, J., 1995, A computer program for locating earthquakes both locally and globally, Seismol. Res. Lett. 66(5), 26–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Madariaga, R., 1976, Dynamics of an expanding circular fault, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 60, 639–666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, A.J., 1984, Riesgo sismico en la peninsula Iberica. Tesis de Doctorado, IGN, Madrid, 235 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezcua, J. and Udias, A. (eds.), 1991, Seismicity, Seismotectonics and Seismic Risk of the Ibero-Maghrebian Region, IGN, Madrid, 390 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moskvina, A.G., 1987, Spectral response of the earth crust to seismic vibrations, Izv. Ac. Sc. USSR, Physics of the Earth, No. 1., 25–45 (in Russian).

  • Munuera, J.M, 1963, Datos basicos para un estudio de sismicidad en la area de la peninsula Iberica (Seismic Data), Memorias del Instituto Geografico y Catastral 32, Madrid, 93 pp.

  • Pacheco, J.F. and Sykes, L., 1992, Seismic moment catalog of large shallow earthquakes, 1900–1989, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 82, 1306–1349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Publications du Bureau Central de Associato Internationale de Seismologie, Serie B, Catalogues, Strassbourg, 1909.

  • Rishikova, S. and Ranguelov, B., 1998, A set of makroseismic maps (Kresna zone), Report Bulgarian Academy Sciences, Geophysical Institute. Progress Report ASPELEA project.

  • Samardjieva, E., Payo, G. and Lopez, C., 1997, Old regional seismograms at the Toledo observatory. Their study by computer techniques, Cahiers du Centre Europeen de Geoynamique et de Seismologie 13, 159–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shebalin, N.V., 1966, Catalogue of earthquakes in Macedonia, Manuscript.

  • Snieder, R. and van Eck, T., 1997. Earthquake prediction: a political problem? Geol. Rundsch. 86, 446–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Eck, T. and Stoyanov, T., 1997, Seismotectonics and seismic hazard modelling for Southern Bulgaria, Tectonophysics 262, 77–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vila, J., Correig, A.M. and Marti, J., 1995, Attenuation and source parameters at Deception Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica), Pageoph 144, 229–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wadati, K., 1933, On the travel time of earthquake waves. Part II, Geophys. Mag. 7, 101–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wald, D.J., Kanamori, H., Helmberger, D.V. and Heaton, T.H., 1993, Source study of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 83, 981–1019.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyss, M. and Brune, J.N., 1968, Seismic moment, stress and source dimensions for earthquakes in the California-Nevada region, J. Geophys. Res. 73, 4681–4694.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5B7

    S. Dineva

  2. Dept. Matematica Aplicada I, UPC, Av. Diagonal 647, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Batllo

  3. Dept. Geodinamica i Geofisica, UB, c. Marti Franques s/n, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Batllo

  4. Geophysical Institute Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St. block 3, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    D. Mihaylov

  5. Seismology Division, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 201, 3730, AE De Bilt, The Netherlands

    T. van Eck

Authors
  1. S. Dineva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Batllo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Mihaylov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T. van Eck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dineva, S., Batllo, J., Mihaylov, D. et al. Source parameters of four strong earthquakes in Bulgaria and Portugal at the beginning of the 20th century. Journal of Seismology 6, 99–123 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014249814998

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014249814998

search

Navigation