Information message about the earthquake near the Eastern coast of Kamchatka peninsula on March 15, 2003. |
| On March 15, 2003 significant earthquake has happened near the Eastern coast of Kamchatka peninsula. It happened at 22 hours Moscow time (7pm.GMT) with magnitude 6.0 and was registered with intensity 2-3 MSK in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city. This earthquake has been accompanied with series of numerous aftershocks within the fist two days. Current info about seismic situation in this region can be found on WEB site of Kamchatka Experimental-Methodical seismological party of Geophisical Service of RAS at http://www.emsd.iks.ru |
| Parameters of the earthquake
have been determined in the Alert Service (AS) of Information
Processing Center (IPC) of Geophysical Survey of RAS in Obninsk with station data
obtained from digital and analog seismic stations of Russia, countries of CIS
and from abroad. Alert message on this earthquake has been delivered in 38 min after
registration to the Ministry of Emergency of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM). |
| Preliminary processing has been done with data from 19 stations, accurate processing - with data 36 stations. |
| Figure 1 presents fragments of vertical component (BHZ) recording at digital stations, which were obtained by IPC in a near to real time mode: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (delta 1.12 degres), Magadan (delta 8.9 degres), South-Sahalinsk (delta 12.5 degres), Bilibino (delta 16 degres), Yakutsk (delta 19 degres), Tiksi (delta 24 degres), Talaya (delta 34 degres).
Figure 2 presents records of vertical component (BHZ) at digital stations: Borovoe (delta 51 degres), Lovozero (delta 53 degres), Arti (delta 54 degres), Pulkovo (delta 61 degres), Obninsk (delta 63 degres), Kislovodsk (delta 70 degres), Garni (delta 72 degres).
|
Figure 1
| 
Figure 2
|
|
| IPC GS RAS also has obtained information with parameters of this event from some seismological centers, these data are given in table 1: |
| Table 1 |
| NN |
Time in origin h-min-s (GMT) |
Lat degr. |
Lon degr. |
Depth km |
N s/st |
Ms/ N |
mb/ N |
I0 calc |
GAP |
Center | | 1 |
19-41-27.40 |
52 |
160 |
33 |
19 |
5.9/10 | 5.50/6 | 6.5 | 196 | IPC GS RAS (preliminary) | | 2 |
19-41-28.90 |
52 |
160 |
33 |
36 |
6.00/19 | 5.50/12 | 6.5-7 | 140 | IPC GS RAS (accurate) | | 3 |
19-41-40.40 |
54 |
160 |
33 |
89 |
| 5.6 | | 339 | CSEM | | 4 |
19-41-28.63 |
52 |
160 |
33 |
|
5.8/90 | 5.4/60 | | | NEIC | | 5 |
19-41-25.0 |
52 |
160 |
5 |
|
6.4 | | | | DRIPC | |
| IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences |
| CSEM - European - Mediterranean seismological center |
| NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service |
| DRIPC - Regional Informational Processing Center of Dagestan Experimental-Methodical Seismological Department Geophysical Survey Russian Academy of Sciences |
| Aftershock |
| Within the period of March 15 - 18 , 2003 Alert Survey of Geophysical Service of RAS has registered 20 aftershocks with magnitudes 3-5.5. Table 1.1 presents the list of aftershocks with magnitudes mb >=4.7. In the period of March 15-16 Kamchatka regional center promptly has obtained parameters of 146 differing in intensity aftershocks (with energy classes of 6 and more), 32 of them with К more than 10. Detailed info about aftershock process can be found on WEB site of
Kamchatka Experimental-Methodical seismological party of Geophisical Service of RAS at http://www.emsd.iks.ru/. |
| N |
Date & Time (GMT)
yy-mm-dd hh:mm:sec |
Lat
degr. |
Lon
degr. |
Depth
km |
N
station |
Ms/ N |
mb/ N |
Io
calc. |
Region |
| 20030401 | 2003-03-18 05:37:33.0 | 52.49 | 160.03 | 70 | 19 | 4.9/ 13 | 5.5/ 10 | 4 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030400 | 2003-03-18 01:56:49.0 | 52.2 | 161.12 | 33 | 15 | 4.2/ 1 | 4.5/ 5 | 3.5-4 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030397 | 2003-03-17 21:49:23.0 | 52.64 | 159.92 | 70 | 14 | 4.5/ 8 | 4.9/ 8 | 3-3.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030392 | 2003-03-17 18:37:30.0 | 52.38 | 160.03 | 60 | 21 | 5.1/ 9 | 5.4/ 7 | 4-4.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030389 | 2003-03-17 12:34:27.0 | 52.2 | 159.98 | 70 | 16 | 4.0/ 7 | 4.7/ 8 | 2.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030387 | 2003-03-17 08:49:03.0 | 52.41 | 159.99 | 70 | 22 | 4.6/ 9 | 4.8/ 8 | 3-3.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030386 | 2003-03-17 08:32:47.0 | 52.5 | 159.93 | 70 | 19 | 4.4/ 7 | 4.9/ 8 | 3-3.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030385 | 2003-03-17 00:48:04.0 | 51.85 | 160.64 | 70 | 6 | 3.2/ 5 | 3.9/ 4 | - | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030384 | 2003-03-16 18:00:40.0 | 53.09 | 159.27 | 70 | 7 | - | 3.9/ 3 | - | Near east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030383 | 2003-03-16 15:48:19.0 | 52.42 | 160.46 | 33 | 6 | 3.2/ 3 | 3.6/ 3 | 2-2.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030380 | 2003-03-16 13:04:57.0 | 52.41 | 160.34 | 33 | 20 | 3.9/ 9 | 4.5/ 9 | 3.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030379 | 2003-03-16 10:32:33.0 | 52.23 | 160.45 | 33 | 23 | 4.3/ 10 | 4.6/ 10 | 4-4.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030375 | 2003-03-16 08:42:44.0 | 52.29 | 160.41 | 33 | 23 | 4.5/ 10 | 4.7/ 10 | 4-4.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030371 | 2003-03-16 04:49:52.0 | 51.92 | 160.77 | 33 | 12 | 3.8/ 5 | 4.6/ 4 | 3-3.5 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030370 | 2003-03-16 03:56:28.0 | 51.65 | 160.09 | 33 | 7 | 3.4/ 4 | 3.9/ 4 | 2.5-3 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030369 | 2003-03-16 02:40:18.0 | 51.62 | 160.3 | 33 | 6 | 3.4/ 4 | 3.6/ 3 | 2.5-3 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030366 | 2003-03-15 22:56:19.0 | 52.29 | 160.46 | 33 | 10 | - | 4.7/ 4 | 2.5-3 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030365 | 2003-03-15 22:17:45.0 | 52.13 | 160.11 | 33 | 8 | - | 4.1/ 4 | - | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030364 | 2003-03-15 20:17:48.0 | 52.24 | 160.24 | 33 | 14 | - | 4.0/ 3 | - | Off east coast of Kamchatka | | 20030363 | 2003-03-15 20:08:02.0 | 52.29 | 160.88 | 33 | 15 | - | 4.7/ 4 | 2.5-3 | Off east coast of Kamchatka | |
| Macroseismic manifestations |
| Earthquake of March 15 has been located in Pacific Ocean at 120 km to the East-South-East from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city. This earthquake has
been felt in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city with intensity 2-3 MSK. Aftershock on March 18 at 05:37 (UTC) has been felt in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city with intensity of 3 MSK. |
| Historical records |
| Information about seismic history of Kamchatka peninsula located at WEB site of Kamchatka Experimental-Methodical seismological party of Geophysical Service of RAS in the section Seismicity at - http://www.emsd.iks.ru/ having the following subsections:
Statistics of Kamchatka seismicity
This table presents dispersion of Kamchatka earthquakes by energy for the whole period of surveillance along with annual number of earthquakes with different
energies. Periods of observations corresponding to them are also given;
Strongest Kamchatka earthquakes since 1962
The list and map of spatial locations of the strongest Kamchatka earthquakes are given for the period of detailed seismological observations;
Most famous historical earthquakes of Kamchatka and their consequences
This table presents info about the most famous earthquakes of Kamchatka from ancient times till now. Data about victims, destructive effects and accompanying natural phenomena (tsunami and others) are given too;
General seismic zoning
Maps of seismic zoning of Kamchatka are given here along with necessary explanations;
|
| Focal mechanism and seismic moment of the earthquake |
| Focal mechanism of the earthquake 15.03.2003 has been calculated in IPC GS RAS from first motion of Р-wave at 63 stations, which are located in the interval of epicentral distances of 1.1-89 degrees at rather non uniform dispersion along the azimuths (the 1-st square contains symbols of - 7 stations, the 2-nd square without them, the 3-d - for 6 stations, other symbols of stations are in the 4-th square. In general, seismic stations have registered compression of wave (56 symbols "+", 7 symbols "-"). Parameters obtained by IPC GS RAS, as well as focal mechanism parameters determined from TMC method in National Earthquakes Information Center (NEIC), USA and in Harvard Center (USA), are given in table 2 and shown on figures 3-5.
As it is seen, many common features are available in solutions obtained by different authors. The motion in origin place was determined by prevailing compression strains with South-Eastern direction. One of nodal planes NP2 has steep falling (dp=68,79, 84), with North-Eastern direction and type of motion - reverse.
The other nodal plane - NP1 is flat (dp=11, 22), type of motion - thrust, in IPC solution NP1 has near to latitudinal spread, in NEIC and Harvard solution - North-Eastern.
Average value of seismic moment Мо obtained in IPC GS RAS from Р-wave spectra at seismic station Obninsk (delta=62.9o) made MO =3.2*10*18 n*m; average moment magnitude is Mw =6.3.
The values of seismic moment Мо determined in NEIC and HARVARD made 1.1* 10** 18 n*m and 1.2* 10** 18 n*m respectively, the value of moment magnitude made Mw=6.0 from data of these two centers.
As it is seen, the values of Мо and Мw determined in IPC GS RAS are close to those determined in NEIC and HARVARD. |
| Table 2 |
| Axes of main strengths |
Nodal planes |
Center |
| T |
P |
N |
NP1 |
NP2 |
| Pl |
Azm |
Pl |
Azm |
Pl |
Azm |
Stk |
Dp |
Slip |
Stk |
Dp |
Slip |
| 50 | 297 | 38 | 136 |
9 | 39 | 274 | 11 | 146 | 38 |
84 | 81 | IPC GS RAS | | 56 | 308 | 34 | 122 |
3 | 214 | 201 | 11 | 77 | 34 |
79 | 93 | NEIC | | 67 | 310 | 23 | 137 |
3 | 46 | 232 | 22 | 97 | 45 |
68 | 87 | HARVARD | |
| IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences |
| NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service |
| HARVARD - Harvard Geophysical Center (USA) |
|
