New earthquake and paleoseismology papers in SRL, J Struc Geol

The latest issue of the Seismological Research Letters (SRL) has at least three papers dealing with topics interesting for paleoseismologists.

Hinzen et al. studied the rotation of objects (e.g., monuments) during the L’Aquila earthquake of 2009. They scanned the rotated objects with a high-res laser scanner, built discrete-element-models from the data and simulated the shaking necessary to cause the deformation. The results help to better estimate earthquake parameters from earthquake archaeological effects (EAEs).

Storchak et al. wrote a paper on the public release of the Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue from 1900 to 2009. This catalogue is an absolute essential data source for any seismicity study.

Susan Hough and her colleagues showed that in 1817 a tsunamigenic earthquake happend off the US East Coast, causing anomal tides in the Delaware River near Philadelphia. They conclude on a magnitude of around M7-7.5 and express their concern about a underestimated seismic source.

In the Journal of Structural Geology, Barth et al. present paleoseismic data from the Alpine Fault, New Zealand – 270 kyr strike-slip and uplift rates. This sums up to impressive 8 km of right lateral offset and a slip rate of almost 30 mm/yr of the Alpine fault. That’s pretty  fast!

Have fun reading!

References

• Barth, N.C., Kulhanek, D.K. Beu, A.G., Murray-Wallace, C.V., Hayward, B.W., Mildenhall, D.C. and Lee, D.E. 2013. New c. 270 kyr strike-slip and uplift rates for the southern Alpine Fault and implications for the New Zealand plate boundary. Journal of Structural Geology, doi: 10.1016/j.jsg.2013.08.009.
• Hinzen, K.G., Cucci, L., and Tertulliani, A. 2013. Rotation of Objects during the 2009 L’Aquila Earthquake Analyzed with 3D Laser Scans and Discrete‐Element Models. Seismological Research Letters, 84, 745-751, doi:10.1785/022013001.
• Hough, S.E., Munsey, J., Ward, S.N. 2013. Reverberations on the Watery Element: A Significant, Tsunamigenic Historical Earthquake Offshore the Carolina Coast. Seismological Research Letters, 84, 891-898, doi:10.1785/0220120152.
• Storchak, D.A., Di Giacomo, D., Bondár, I., Engdahl, E.R., Harris, J., Lee, W.H.K., Villaseñor, A., and Bormann, P. 2013. Public Release of the ISC–GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009). Seismological Research Letters, 84, 810-815, doi:10.1785/0220130034.

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