Abstract
The determination of earthquake source parameters is of fundamental importance in seismological research. Moment tensor analysis involves fitting theoretical waveforms to observed broadband waveforms and inverting for the moment tensor elements, and allows for the calculation of focal mechanism (strike, dip, and rake), seismic moment (M0), moment magnitude (Mw) which is calculated directly from M0, and centroid depth of an earthquake. A comprehensive catalogue of moment tensor solutions is of great importance in seismic hazard analysis and tectonic studies. For example, seismic hazard estimates typically use Mw in earthquake forecasts and risk analysis, and moment release rates along plate boundaries are important in calculating predicted plate motions in tectonic studies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Abercrombie RE, Bannister S, Ristau J, Doser D (2017) Variability of earthquake stress drop in a subduction setting, the Hikurangi margin, New Zealand. Geophys J Int 208:306–320. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggw393
Aki K, Richards PG (1980) Quantitative seismology. W.H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, p 932
Anderson H, Webb T (1994) New Zealand seismicity: patterns revealed by the upgraded national seismograph network. NZ J Geol Geophys 37:477–493
Beavan J, Samsonov S, Denys P, Sutherland R, Palmer N, Denham M (2010) Oblique slip on the Puysegur subduction interface in the 2009 July Mw 7.8 Dusky Sound earthquake from GPS and InSAR observations: implications for the tectonics of southwestern New Zealand. Geophys J Int 183:1265–1286. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2010.04798.x
Beavan J, Motagh M, Fielding E, Donnelly N, Collett D (2012) Fault slip models of the 2010–2011 Canterbury, New Zealand, earthquakes from geodetic data, and observations of post-seismic ground deformation. NZ J Geol Geophys 55:207–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2012.697472
Bent AL (2015) Regional centroid moment tensor solutions for eastern Canadian earthquakes: 2014. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 7834, 35 p. https://doi.org/10.4095/296795
Berryman KR, Cochran UA, Clark KJ, Biasi GP, Langridge RM, Villamor P (2012) Major earthquakes occur regularly on an isolated plate boundary. Science 336:1690–1693. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1218959
Braunmiller J, Nábĕlek J (2002) Seismotectonics of the explorer region. J Geophys Res 107:ETG1-1–ETG1-25. https://doi.org/10.1029/2001jb000220
Braunmiller J, Kradolfer U, Baer M, Giardini D (2002) Regional moment tensor determination in the European-Mediterranean area—initial results. Tectonophysics 356:5–22
Clark KJ, Hayward BW, Cochran UA, Wallace LM, Power WL, Sabaa AT (2015) Evidence for past subduction earthquakes at a plate boundary with widespread upper plate faulting: southern Hikurangi margin, New Zealand. Bull Seismol Soc Am 105:1661–1690. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120140291
Clinton JF, Hauksson E, Solanki K (2006) An evaluation of the SCSN moment tensor solutions: robustness of the Mw magnitude scale, style of faulting, and automation of the method. Bull Seismol Soc Am 96:1689–1705. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120050241
Cochran UA, Clark KJ, Howarth JD, Biasi GP, Langridge RM, Villamor P, Berryman KR, Vandergoes MJ (2017) A plate boundary record from a wetland adjacent to the Alpine Fault in New Zealand refines hazard estimates. Earth Planet Sci Lett 464:175–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.02.026
Cooper AF, Norris RJ (1990) Estimates for the timing of the last coseismic displacement on the Alpine Fault, northern Fiordland, New Zealand. NZ J Geol Geophys 33:303–307
Dreger D, Helmberger DV (1993) Determination of source parameters at regional distances with single station or sparse network data. J Geophys Res 98:8107–8125
Dreger DS (2003) TDMT_INV: time domain seismic moment tensor INVersion. In: Lee WK (ed) International Handbook of earthquake and engineering seismology, vol 81B. Academic Press, Boston, p 1627
Duputel Z, Rivera L (2017) Long-period analysis of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. Phys Earth Planet Inter 265:62–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2017.02.004
Dziewonski AM, Chou T-A, Woodhouse JH (1981) Determination of earthquake source parameters from waveform data for studies of global and regional seismicity. J Geophys Res 86:2825–2852
Ellis SM, Williams CA, Ristau J, Reyners ME, Eberhart-Phillips D, Wallace LM (2016) Calculating regional stresses for northern Canterbury: the effect of the 2010 Darfield earthquake. NZ J Geol Geophys 59:202–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2015.1123740
Frohlich C, Apperson KD (1992) Earthquake focal mechanisms, moment tensors, and the consistency of seismic activity near plate boundaries. Tectonics 11:279–296
Fry B, Bannister SC, Beavan RJ, Bland L, Bradley BA, Cox SC, Cousins WJ, Gale NH, Hancox GT, Holden C, Jongens R, Power WL, Prasetya G, Reyners ME, Ristau J, Robinson R, Samsonov S, Wilson KJ, The GeoNet team (2010) The Mw 7.6 Dusky Sound earthquake of 2009: preliminary report. Bull NZ Soc Earthq Eng 43:24–40
Gerstenberger MC, Fry B, Abercrombie R, Doser D, Ristau J (2012) On the relation of stresses to aftershock decay. p 365. In: SSA 2012 annual meeting announcement Albany, California: Seismological Society of America. Seismol Res Lett 83
Gledhill K, Ristau J, Reyners M, Fry B, Holden C (2011) The Darfield (Canterbury, New Zealand) Mw 7.1 earthquake of September 2010: a preliminary seismological report. Seismol Res Lett 82:378–386. https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.82.3.378
Hamling IJ, D’Anastasio E, Wallace LM, Ellis SM, Motagh M, Samsonov S, Palmer NG, Hreinsdottir S (2014) Crustal deformation and stress transfer during a propagating earthquake sequence: the 2013 Cook Strait sequence, central New Zealand. J Geophys Res 119:6080–6092. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011084
Hamling IJ, Hreinsdóttir S, Clark K, Elliot J, Liang C, Fielding E, Litchfield N, Villamor P, Wallace L, Wright TJ, D’Anastasio E, Bannister S, Burbridge D, Denys P, Gentle P, Howarth J, Mueller C, Palmer N, Pearson C, Power W, Barnes P, Barrell DJA, Van Dissen R, Langridge R, Little T, Nicol A, Pettinga J, Rowland J, Stirling M (2017) Complex multifault rupture during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, New Zealand. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aam7194
Herman MW, Furlong KP (2016) Revisiting the Canterbury earthquake sequence after the 14 February 2016 Mw 5.7 event. Geophys Res Lett 43:7503–7510. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069528
Holden C, Beavan J (2012) Kinematic source studies of the ongoing (2010–2011) sequence of recent large earthquakes in Canterbury. Paper 061 (8 p). In: Implementing lessons learnt: 2012 Conference, 13–15 April, Christchurch, New Zealand. New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, Christchurch
Holden C, Bannister SC, Beavan RJ, Cousins WJ, Field BJ, McCaffrey R, Reyners ME, Ristau J, Samsonov S, Wallace LM (2008) The Mw 6.6 Gisborne earthquake of 2007: preliminary records and general source characterisation. Bull NZ Soc Earthq Eng 41:266–277
Holden C, Kaiser A, Van Dissen R, Jury R (2013) Sources, ground motion and structural response characteristics in Wellington of the 2013 Cook Strait earthquakes. Bull NZ Soc Earthq Eng 46:188–195
Holt RA, Savage MK, Townend J, Syracuse EM, Thurber CH (2013) Crustal stress and fault strength in the Canterbury Plains, New Zealand. Earth and Planet Sci Lett 383:173–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.09.041
Horspool NA, Chadwick MP, Ristau J, Salichon J, Gerstenberger MC (2015) ShakeMapNZ: informing post-event decision making. Paper no. O-40. In: New dimensions in earthquake resilience: 2015 New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering technical conference and AGM, 10–12 Apr 2015, Energy Events Centre, Rotorua. New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering
Jost ML, Herrmann R (1989) A student’s guide to and review of moment tensors. Seismol Res Lett 60:37–57
Kaiser A, Holden C, Beavan J, Beetham D, Benites R, Celentano A, Collet D, Cousins J, Cubrinovski M, Dellow G, Denys P, Fielding E, Fry B, Gerstenberger M, Langridge R, Massey C, Motagh M, Pondard N, McVerry G, Ristau J, Stirling M, Thomas J, Uma SR, Zhao J (2012) The Mw 6.2 Christchurch earthquake of February 2011: preliminary report. NZ J Geol Geophys 55:67–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2011.641182
Kaiser A, Balfour N, Fry B, Holden C, Litchfield N, Gerstenberger M, D’Anastasio E, Horspool N, McVerry G, Ristau J, Bannister S, Christophersen A, Clark K, Power W, Rhoades D, Massey C, Hamling I, Wallace L, Mountjoy J, Kaneko Y, Benites R, Van Houtte C, Dellow S, Wotherspoon L, Elwood K, Gledhill K (2017) The Kaikoura (New Zealand) earthquake: preliminary seismological report. Seismol Res Lett 88. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220170018
Kao H, Jian P-R, Ma K-F, Huang B-S, Liu C-C (1998) Moment-tensor inversion for offshore earthquakes east of Taiwan and their implications to regional collision. Geophys Res Lett 25:3619–3622
Kao H, Shan S-J, Bent A, Woodgold C, Rogers G, Cassidy JF, Ristau J (2012) Regional centroid-moment-tensor analysis for earthquakes in Canada and adjacent regions: an update. Seismol Res Lett 83:505–515. https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.83.3.505
Kubo A, Fukuyama E, Kawai H, Nonomura K (2002) NIED seismic moment tensor catalogue for regional earthquakes around Japan: quality test and application. Tectonophysics 356:23–48
Langridge R, Van Dissen R, Rhoades D, Villamor P, Little T, Litchfield N, Clark K, Clark D (2011) Five thousand years of surface ruptures on the Wellington fault, New Zealand: implications for recurrence and fault segmentation. Bull Seismol Soc Am 101:2088–2107. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120100340
Little TA, Van Dissen R, Rieser U, Smith EGC, Langridge RM (2010) Coseismic strike slip at a point during the last four earthquakes on the Wellington fault near Wellington, New Zealand. J Geophys Res 115:B05403. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JB006589
Loubet A, Kaneko Y, Tape C (2016) Validation of 3D velocity and attenuation models in the North Island of New Zealand with full-wavefield simulations. Abstract S41A-2739. In: AGU fall meeting, San Francisco, 12–16 Dec 2016: 2016 fall meeting program. American Geophysical Union, USA
Matcham I, Savage MK, Taber JJ, Reyners ME (2006) Earthquake source mechanism analysis for events between 1992 and 1997 using sparse New Zealand broadband data. NZ J Geol Geophys 49:75–89
Pasyanos ME, Dreger DS, Romanowicz B (1996) Towards real-time determination of regional moment tensors. Bull Seismol Soc Am 86:1255–1269
Petersen T, Ristau J, Beavan J, Denys P, Denham M, Field B, Francois-Holden C, McCaffrey R, Palmer N, Reyners M, Samsonov S, The GeoNet team (2009) The Mw 6.7 George Sound earthquake of October 15, 2007: response and preliminary results. Bull NZ Soc Earthq Eng 42:129–141
Petersen T, Gledhill K, Chadwick M, Gale N, Ristau J (2011) The New Zealand seismograph network. Seismol Res Lett 82:9–20. https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.82.1.9
Reyners M (1989) New Zealand seismicity 1964–87: an interpretation. NZ J Geol Geophys 32:307–315
Reyners M, McGinty P, Cox S, Turnbull I, O’Neill T, Gledhill K, Hancox G, Beavan J, Matheson D, McVerry G, Cousins J, Zhao J, Cowen H, Caldwell G, Bennie S, The GeoNet team (2003) The Mw 7.2 Fiordland earthquake of August 21, 2003: background and preliminary results. Bull NZ Soc Earthq Eng 36:233–248
Reyners M, Bannister S (2007) Earthquakes triggered by slow slip at the plate interface in the Hikurangi subduction zone, New Zealand. Geophys Res Lett 34:L14305. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL030511
Ristau J (2008) Implementation of routine regional moment tensor analysis in New Zealand. Seismol Res Lett 79:400–415. https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.79.3.400
Ristau J (2009) Comparison of magnitude estimates for New Zealand earthquakes: moment magnitude, local magnitude, and teleseismic body-wave magnitude. Bull Seismol Soc Am 99:1841–1852. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120080237
Ristau J (2011) Focal mechanism analysis of Christchurch Boxing Day aftershocks. GNS Science Consultancy Report 2011/43, 7 p
Ristau J (2013) Update of regional moment tensor analysis for earthquakes in New Zealand and adjacent offshore regions. Bull Seismol Soc Am 103:2520–2533. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120120339
Ristau J (2017) Source characteristics of the 2016 Kaikoura and Te Araroa, New Zealand, earthquake sequences from regional moment tensor analysis. Seismol Res Lett 87:654. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220170035
Ristau J, Rogers GC, Cassidy JF (2007) Stress in western Canada from regional moment tensor analysis. Can J Earth Sci 44:127–148. https://doi.org/10.1139/E06-057
Ristau J, Holden C, Kaiser A, Williams C, Bannister S, Fry B (2013) The Pegasus Bay aftershock sequence of the Mw 7.1 Darfield (Canterbury), New Zealand earthquake. Geophys J Int 195:444–459. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggt222
Ristau J, Harte D, Salichon J (2016) A revised local magnitude (ML) scale for New Zealand earthquakes. Bull Seismol Soc Am 106:398–407. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120150293
Robinson R (1986) Seismicity, structure and tectonics of the Wellington region, New Zealand. Geophys J R Astron Soc 87:379–409
Rodgers DW, Little TA (2006) World’s largest coseismic strike-slip offset: the 1855 rupture of the Wairarapa fault, New Zealand, and implications for displacement/length scaling of continental earthquakes. J Geophys Res 111(B12408). https://doi.org/10.1029/2005jb004065
Ruppert NA, Hansen RA (2010) Temporal and spatial variations of local magnitudes in Alaska and Aleutians and comparison with body-wave and moment magnitudes. Bull Seismol Soc Am 100:1174–1183. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120090172
Scognamiglio L, Tinti E, Michelini A (2009) Real-time determination of seismic moment tensor for the Italian region. Bull Seismol Soc Am 99:2223–2242. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120080104
Seeback H, Nicol A, Villamor P, Ristau J, Pettinga J (2014) Structure and kinematics of the Taupo rift, New Zealand. Tectonics 33:1178–1199. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014TC003569
Sipkin SA (1986) Estimation of earthquake source parameters by the inversion of waveform data: global seismicity. Bull Seismol Soc Am 76:1515–1541
Stirling M, McVerry G, Gerstenberger M, Litchfield N, Van Dissen R, Berryman K, Barnes P, Wallace L, Villamor P, Langridge R, Lamarche G, Nodder S, Reyners M, Bradley B, Rhoades D, Smith W, Nicol A, Pettinga J, Clark K, Jacobs K (2012) National seismic hazard model for New Zealand: 2010 update. Bull Seismol Soc Am 102:1514–1542. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120110170
Townend J, Sherburn S, Arnold R, Boese C, Woods L (2012) Three-dimensional variations in present-day tectonic stress along the Australia-Pacific plate boundary in New Zealand. Earth Planet Sci Lett 353–354:47–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.08.003
Van Dissen RJ, Berryman KR (1996) Surface rupture earthquakes over the last ~1000 years in the Wellington region, New Zealand, and implications for ground shaking hazard. J Geophys Res 101(B3), 5999–6019
Wallace LM, Cochran UA, Power WL, Clark KJ (2014) Earthquake and tsunami potential of the Hikurangi subduction thrust, New Zealand: insights from paleoseismology, GPS, and tsunami modelling. Oceanography 27:104–117. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.46
Wessel P, Smith WHF (1998) New, improved version of generic mapping tools released, EOS, Transactions. Am Geophys Union 79:579
Whidden KM, Pankow KL (2012) A catalog of regional moment tensors in Utah from 1998 to 2011. Seismol Res Lett 83:775–783. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220120046
Acknowledgements
Caroline Holden and Yoshihiro Kaneko provided many valuable comments which helped improve this article. Many of the figures were created using Generic Mapping Tools (GMT; Wessel and Smith 1998). Regional moment tensor solutions were computed using the mtpackagev1.1 package developed by Doug Dreger of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, and Green’s functions were computed using the FKRPROG software developed by Chandan Saikia of URS.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ristau, J. (2018). Overview of Moment Tensor Analysis in New Zealand. In: D'Amico, S. (eds) Moment Tensor Solutions. Springer Natural Hazards. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77359-9_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77359-9_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77358-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77359-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)