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Detection of earthquake clusters on the basis of waveform similarity: An application in the monferrato region (Piedmont, Italy)

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Abstract

In August 2000 and July 2001 two seismic sequences, characterized by mainshocks with Ml (local magnitude) respectively 5.1 and 4.8, occurred in the Monferrato region (Italy). The regional seismic network of North-western Italy (RSNI) recorded more than 250 foreshocks and aftershocks. The routine locations, obtained from the Hypoellipse code, show a seismic activity concentrated in a circular area, of a radius of about 15 km, located near Acqui Terme, and randomly distributed in depth. Location errors, due to an uneven azimuthal station distribution of the regional seismic network, prevent recognition of the geometry of the active zone. Waveform analysis revealed the presence of several multiplets. In order to discriminate and successively relocate them, an automatic cross-correlation procedure was applied. Normalized cross-correlation matrixes, for the RSNI stations which recorded almost 90% of considered events, on the basis of a signal to noise ratio analysis, were computed using only S wave time windows. The use of a relocation procedure, based on the double-difference method which incorporates ordinary absolute travel-time measurements and/or cross-correlation differential travel-times, allowed us to overcome the constraints of the uneven distribution of stations giving a quite different frame of seismicity. The improved locations showed that the seismic activity is mainly arranged along a NE-SW oriented volume, at a depth range of 8–20 km, involving the basement crystalline units. This orientation is confirmed by the analysis of the focal mechanisms: most focal solutions show a strike slip component with one of the nodal planes consistent with the main orientation of the seismic events.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, sezione Milano, via Bassini 15, 20133, Milano, Italy

    M. Massa

  2. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, sezione CNT Roma, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143, Roma, Italy

    E. Eva

  3. Dipartimento per lo Studio del Territorio e delle sue Risorse, Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 5, 16132, Genova, Italy

    D. Spallarossa & C. Eva

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  1. M. Massa
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  2. E. Eva
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  3. D. Spallarossa
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  4. C. Eva
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Correspondence to M. Massa.

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Massa, M., Eva, E., Spallarossa, D. et al. Detection of earthquake clusters on the basis of waveform similarity: An application in the monferrato region (Piedmont, Italy). J Seismol 10, 1–22 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-006-2840-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-006-2840-4

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