Abstract
Body waveform modeling is used to determine the source processes of three large earthquakes (magnitude 6.8, 6.4, 6.3) occurring between February 9 and 15, 1956 along the San Miguel fault in northern Baja California, Mexico. Results of the modeling suggest that the mainshock on February 9 was responsible for the 20 km of surface faulting observed during the sequence. Although previous researchers have suggested a complex rupture history for the mainshock, uncertainty estimates of source-time function shape indicate single or double source models fit the observed waveforms equally well. The February 15 aftershock, however, appears to have consisted of two events. Locations and focal mechanisms obtained for the three events suggest that the rupture process may have been controlled by cross faults to the main trace of the San Miguel fault. The good correlation between source parameter information and the surficial geology/geometry of the San Miguel fault zone demonstrates the usefulness of waveform modeling studies in unravelling the complexities of historic multi-event earthquake sequences.
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Doser, D.I. Faulting processes of the 1956 San Miguel, Baja California, earthquake sequence. PAGEOPH 139, 3–16 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876824
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876824