USING EARLY INSTRUMENTAL DATA TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE PARAMETERS OF THE STRONGEST HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED IN WEST ROMANIA (1900 – 1980) | Oros E., Constantinescu E., Paulescu D., Popa M., Plăcintă A.O. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 991-998 | |
Authors:
Oros E., Constantinescu E., Paulescu D., Popa M., Plăcintă A.O.
Abstract:
We present a study of the strongest historical earthquakes (Mw > 5.0) occurred in West Romania between 1900 and 1980 to review and homogenize the Romanian Earthquakes and Focal Mechanisms Catalogues on instrumental data basis. New hypocenters relocation, moment magnitudes, Mw and focal mechanisms solutions are obtained on historical instrumental data basis (seismograms, bulletins, catalogues). The vectorized seismograms were analysed to pick up the arrival times of the body and surface waves after careful identification of the phases as a function of the velocity model, first P wave polarity, amplitudes and corresponding periods. We located the hypocenters of 15 events by a grid search algorithm often using S-P differences instead of absolute times. The magnitude was estimated from displacement spectra by the scalar seismic moment method. The focal mechanisms for 9 events were obtained by polarities and sometimes by full-wave inversions depending on the data quality. The solutions based on polarities data are high quality being constrained through the comparative analysis of the observed and computed waveforms. On average, the P axes are NE oriented (N67OE) like the regional trend of the horizontal component of the stress field and the general orientation of the nodal planes.
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ATTENUATION OF MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY FOR CRUSTAL ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKES: CALIBRATING THE BAKUN-WENTWORTH'S METHOD | Oros E., Plăcintă A.O., Popa M., Rogozea M., Paulescu D. | PROC. OF THE 5TH WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM -WMESS 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | | - |
Authors:
Oros E., Plăcintă A.O., Popa M., Rogozea M., Paulescu D.
Abstract:
The purpose of the present study is to elaborate a new model of the macroseismic intensity attenuation using all observed intensities data for the crustal earthquakes in Romania and then, based on this relationship, to calibrate the Bakun-Wentworth method, one of the modern methods most used to estimate the parameters of the historical earthquakes (localization, moment magnitude-Mw). The study is based on 14 calibrating earthquakes (4.5 < Mw < 5.7, 811 IDPs, II < Ii < VIIIO EMS) and 7 validation earthquakes (3.5 < Mw < 5.4, 215 IDPs, II
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THE PROBABILITY OF TSUNAMI OCCURRENCE GENERATED BY THE ISTANBUL SEISMIC SOURCE | Partheniu R., Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Ioane D., Moldovan I.A. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 61-62 | - |
Authors:
Partheniu R., Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Ioane D., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
Previous studies have shown that the Black Sea was subject to tsunami waves generation in the past (Altinok, 1999), with a total of twenty-two events generated. According to recent studies of Diaconescu et al. (2008), the Black Sea is divided in nine seismic sources. A more recent approach structures the area in ten different seismic sources, given by Moldovan et al. (2016, 2017). This study focuses mostly on the Istanbul seismic source, which triggered in the past high magnitude earthquakes followed by tsunami waves. The most recent event generated in the Black Sea was on 15 th of October 2016, with a magnitude Mw = 5.1, at a depth of 10 km, with the following location: Latitude 42.19° N, Longitude 30.68° E. The focal mechanism determined through the moment tensor inversion (U.S. Geological Survey-USGS) indicates a reverse faulting type. For this event, few tsunami modeling scenarios were run. When using the exact parameters of the earthquake (Mw = 5.3), the simulations show no results. More simulations were computed, increasing the magnitude with steps of 0.2, from 7.0 up to 7.8. The modeling was accomplished using the Tsunami Analysis Tool (TAT), software provided by the Joint Research Center (JRC) from Ispra, Italy. The results of these tsunami simulations show low wave heights for a magnitude of 7.2, of maximum 0.42 m in Eregli (Turkey), 0.36 m in Zonguldak Eregli (Turkey), and 0.32 m in Kilimli (Turkey). For a magnitude of 7.6, the maximum wave heights are higher, considered to be moderate, of 1.59 m in Zonguldak Eregli (Turkey), 1.21 m in Eregli (Turkey). Moreover, there are three locations from the Romanian shoreline affected, as follows: 0.83 m in Mangalia, 0.5 m in Techirghiol and 0.39 m in Constanţa. In order to obtain a correlation of these simulations to real events of high magnitude, we will compare them with two past earthquakes from the Istanbul seismic area, generated on 12 th of November 1999 (Mw = 7.2) and 17 th of August 1999 (Mw = 7.6). Due to their location inland, the results for these two earthquakes display very low wave heights, of maximum 0.18 m. These events were also modeled using the same software, same methodology, considering as location an offshore position of the earthquakes, assumed as being generated on similar faults. The results were compared to the modeling output of the 2016 earthquake from October. For a better evaluation of the tsunami waves possibility of occurrence in the Istanbul seismic area, more information regarding the parameters of high magnitude earthquakes, their location and focal mechanism type, are necessary.
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EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREAS IN ROMANIA | Radulian M., Dinescu R., Popa M. | ANNALS OF THE ACADEMY OF ROMANIAN SCIENTISTS, SERIES ON PHYSICAL SCIENCES | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 4, 107-164 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Dinescu R., Popa M.
Abstract:
The paper brings together all existing data related to seismic monitoring in order to characterize the earthquake-prone areas in Romania. A review of previous works on this subject is also carried out. The impetuous development of the Romanian seismic network in the recent years as number and quality of instruments makes it possible today to identify with a high degree of confidence the geometrical configuration of seismicity patterns able to generate strong earthquakes. At the same time, we are now able to separate the tectonic active zones from those contaminated by human activity and to define with higher accuracy the earthquake-prone areas. By increasing the range of magnitude completeness and by assessing specific variations in time and space of seismicity, the paper brings a significant contribution to improve our ability to evaluate seismic hazard in Romania.
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PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF DATA RECORDED ON INSTRUMENTED BUILDINGS FROM BUCHAREST AREA DURING THE 28TH OCTOBER 2018 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE | Țigănescu A., Bălan S. F., Toma-Dănilă D., Apostol B. F. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 897-904 | |
Authors:
Țigănescu A., Bălan S. F., Toma-Dănilă D., Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to analyze the data recorded on instrumented structures in Bucharest and adjacent free-field seismic stations during the last moderate earthquake that occurred on 28th of October 2018 in the Vrancea seismic zone. The earthquake had a 5.5 moment-magnitude, a depth of 147.8 km, and it was felt on a large area of Romania, generating very little damage in Bucharest. In the last five years, the National Institute for Earth Physics has deployed permanent instrumentation (accelerometers) at key stories of five buildings in Bucharest metropolitan area that recorded the seismic motion of the mentioned earthquake. Three of the buildings have been equipped with seismic isolators and dampers and the performance of this earthquake-protection system was assessed based on earthquake data. The data recorded by four free-field seismic stations located in Bucharest were used as reference motion. In order to assess the amplification or reduction of the seismic waves when propagating in the structure, acceleration and velocity data were analyzed, both in time domain and in frequency domain, for selected frequency ranges. The paper presents also the acquisition setup, the dataflow and the data-processing methods. This study highlights the amplification / reduction of the seismic signal recorded at the ground level by the building structure. In the framework of previous studies on data recorded on buildings located in Bucharest, this study adds new valuable information and contribute to a better understanding of seismic response of buildings.
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EVALUATION OF THE SOLAR RADIATION IN A SEISMIC ZONE | Toader V.-E., Biagi P. F., Moldovan I. A., Mărmureanu A., Mihai A. | PROC. IOP CONFERENCE SERIES EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 362 | - |
Authors:
Toader V.-E., Biagi P. F., Moldovan I. A., Mărmureanu A., Mihai A.
Abstract:
The solar radiation affects the life on Earth and it is important in meteorology, climatology, solar energy, agriculture, hydrology and seismology, too. The Sun warms the earth which reflects a part of the energy. An effect of tectonic stress increases the ground temperature that is radiated into the atmosphere. We study the possibility to use the variation of reflected energy in correlation with seismicity, radon concentration, CO2 emission, ULF radio waves, telluric currents, air ionization, temperature in borehole and acoustic noise. In this case, the solar radiation is a precursor factor. This research is important to study the effects of climate change. Analyzing the solar energy budget we find information about the atmosphere: aerosols, ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and pollution. Our multidisciplinary network (AeroSolSys) monitors Vrancea, a Romanian area characterized by deep earthquakes. For this study, we use two stations, Plostina and Vrancioaia, where we have a net radiometer and a pyranometer. The first sensor includes two pyranometers (up and low) and two pyrgeometers (up and low), a Pt-100 and a Thermistor. The spectral range covers both the Solar Radiation, 0.3 to 3 micrometers, and the Far Infrared Radiation, 4.5 to 42 micrometers. In this case, we measure and determine the temperature of sensor necessary for pyrgeometers, pyranometer short-wave radiation up and low EyU - EyL, pyrgeometers long-wave radiation up and low EgU - EgL, Albedo, net solar radiation NSR, net far infrared radiation NFIR, net total radiation NTR, sky temperature SkyT and, land surface temperature LST. In Vrancioaia, we have a pyranometer with range 0.3 – 2.8 micrometers and maxim 1600 W/m2. Two video cameras monitor the sky and the measurements are correlated with meteorological equipment installed in each location. We use information about solar activity from NOAA satellites and Copernicus CAMS. The humidity of ground is important in energy budget and it is estimated from meteorological data and telluric currents. The interval of analysis is 3 hours, between 2016.01.01 – 2018.05.31. It is difficult to notice the effect of tectonic stress since the daily and seasonal variations of solar radiation are high but global warming is obvious. Solar radiation monitoring helps us to understand other phenomena like radon emission or air ionization.
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FORECAST EARTHQUAKES USING ACOUSTIC EMISSION | Toader V.E., Moldovan I.A., Mihai A | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 803-813 | - |
Authors:
Toader V.E., Moldovan I.A., Mihai A
Abstract:
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GEOSPATIAL AND FIELD SURVEY DATA FOR EARTHQUAKES MULTI-PRECURSORS DETECTION | Zoran M., Savastru R., Savastru D., Mateciuc D. | PROC. SPIE 11156, EARTH RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING/GIS APPLICATIONS X | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 111560O | |
Authors:
Zoran M., Savastru R., Savastru D., Mateciuc D.
Abstract:
This paper investigates earthquake precursors which can be detected from geospatial time series data in synergy with ground monitoring data. Have been analyzed air and land surface temperature anomalies, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) variations as well as anomalies recorded by outgoing long-wave radiation and latent heat flux from TIR (Thermal InfraRed) from MODIS Terra/Aqua, NOAA AVHRR, Landsat TM/ETM/OLI and Sentinel 1/ 2 data. Also have been located ground surface deformations detected through Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) radar satellite (Sentinel 1) and high quality in-situ GPS monitoring data as well as in-situ monitoring of radon in air near the ground for some moderate earthquakes recorded during 2012 – 2016 period in Vrancea active region in Romania. As Vrancea zone in Carpathians has a significant regional tectonic activity in Romania and Europe, the joint analysis of satellite and field geophysical information is revealing new insights in seismic hazard assessment.
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SEISMO-TECTONIC ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN FAULTS FROM APUSENI MOUNTAINS | Diaconescu M., Ghiță C., Oros E. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 931-939 | |
Authors:
Diaconescu M., Ghiță C., Oros E.
Abstract:
The Apuseni Mountains are located in the western part of Romania and are limited to the west by the contact with Pannonian Depression and to the east by the Transylvanian Basin. Basically To the south Apuseni Mountains are bounded by the South Transylvanian Fault and in the northern part by the North Transylvanian Fault. Apuseni Mountains represents an isolated massif inside Carpathian arch, consisting of complex folds and thrust belts formed in Cretaceous period as results of interactions between multiples micropletes separated by Tethys ocean branches. The orogenic system of the Apuseni Mountains can be divided in two parts, in fact two main pre-Neogen structural units: The North Apuseni, composed of an early proterozocic Variscan basement belonging to the Inner Dacides as part of the Tisa geodynamic block and South Apuseni as the as aprt of Dacia Block (his northern part) which include a ophiolitic sequence of the Carpathians. The tectonic regime of the Apuseni Mountains consist of two type, such as: a compressive one, according to the tectonic structures, with SH max predominat oriented NW to SE, and in the marginal area is a predominat extensive tectonic regime. For the Mures Corridor (South Transylvanian Fault) the tectonic regime is strike slip type.
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ANALYSIS OF SEISMIC SEQUENCES IN CARANSEBES-MEHADIA BASIN BETWEEN 2014 AND 2016 | Dinescu R., Munteanu I., Placinta A., Dinu C., Oros E., Popa M., Radulian M. | SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM VOLUME GEOSCIENCE 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | | - |
Authors:
Dinescu R., Munteanu I., Placinta A., Dinu C., Oros E., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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USING THE ETAS MODEL FOR EARTHQUAKE CATALOG DECLUSTERING OF VRANCEA SEISMOGENIC CRUSTAL AREA | Ghita C., Diaconescu M., Craiu A. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 999-1006 | |
Authors:
Ghita C., Diaconescu M., Craiu A.
Abstract:
The purpose of this work consists in analyses of declustering catalogue and seismic sequence recorded in Vrancea crustal area . The moderate-size earthquake with local magnitude 5,7 which occurred on November 22, 2014 in Vrancea region, at 41 km depth, is the largest crustal event instrumentally recorded at the bending of the Eastern Carpathians. The crust seismicity in front of the Carpathian Arc spreads to the East, in a strip delimited by the Peceneaga-Camena fault, to the North and East, and to the South is lost to the Intramoesica fault. The crust seismicity does not exceed the magnitude of 5.6 (Mw) and it seems to have no relation to the seismic activity of the subduction lithosphere. Seismic activity is characterized by spatial and temporal clustering in the Ramnicu Sarat sub-zones through seismic sequences and swarms in the Vrancioaia area. Using the first version of the software SEDA v.1 [1] we determined the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) ETAS model on an Vrancea area. The algorithm implemented in SEDAv1.0 is an innovative method based on Simulated Annealing. The Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequences (ETAS) model is the most popular stochastic model used to describe earthquake occurrence, to forecast earthquakes and to detect fluid/magma signals or induced seismicity.
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APPLICATIONS OF SPACE GEODESY METHODS IN ROMANIA | Mateciuc, N.D., Bălă A. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 733-740 | |
Authors:
Mateciuc, N.D., Bălă A.
Abstract:
The studies for Recent Crustal Movements by the aid of space geodesy techniques are integrated into the researches on the Earth?s crust dynamics, as a reflection of the complex geodynamic phenomena that occur in the crust and in the subcrustal lithosphere. In addition to the fundamental nature, the research in this field presents a practical characteristic, competing alongside geology and geophysics to the shaping of new energy sources or solid mineral substances, to the determination of the soil stability degree in inhabited areas or in those in which large industrial targets and utilities are intended to be placed in. The knowledge of movements affecting the Earth?s upper crust, movements that precede, accompany or follow the eathquakes, is also a topical issue. The paper presents some of the most important research projects developed in Romania, which were based on the measurement data obtained exclusively by space geodesy methods. There are presented some of the most significant results achieved in the framework of each research project together with the limitations imposed by the used acquisition technology. In chronological order are mentioned first GPS measurements in Romania, started in 1994, in a network centered on the Dealul Piscului observer, followed by Romania's involvement in a regional geodynamic project, CERGOP and finally a major international project, CRC461, also continued after 2003 with the continuous help of the University of Delft (Nederlands), a project that led to the development of an extended network of GPS permanent stations in Romania, all in operating status and whose results are a valuable support for the geodynamic studies. There are made brief references to the first application of the Finite Element Method in a GPS subnet from the Vrancea extended network together with some of the most important obtained results.The strong earthquakes with their catastrophic consequences, which have taken place in recent years on a global scale, similar to that of 4 March 1977 in Romania, have fully demonstrated the need for the knowledge of these types of crust movements in order to contribute, together with other methods, to solve the very complex problem of the earthquake forecasting.
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ANOMALOUS GEOMAGNETIC VARIATION SSSOCIATED WITH THE VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES (MW=5.5) ON 28 OCTOBER 2018 | Mihai A, Moldovan I.A., Toader. V. E. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 749-757 | - |
Authors:
Mihai A, Moldovan I.A., Toader. V. E.
Abstract:
In this study, the anomalous geomagnetic variation related to the moderate Vrancea earthquake (Mw=5.5) on 28 October 2018 was shown. This anomaly and their associated seismicity were analyzed and compared with a similar anomaly which occurred on October 2016-May 2017. To better distinguish the seismotectonic anomalies from external geomagnetic variations (geomagnetic storms), the datasets recorded at Muntele Rosu (MLR) located inside seismogenic zone were compared with datasets recorded at Surlari (SUA) located at 100km away to the seismogenic area. Also, the geomagnetic data were correlated with the daily geomagnetic indices taken from NOAA/Space Prediction Center. During these two anomalies, were plotted graphs with daily and cumulative energy release for every earthquake bigger than Mw>3, occurring inside the anomalies. The anomaly which accompanied the moderate earthquake from October 28 th , 2018 is visible only on By component (EW component) of the local geomagnetic field and this anomaly is looking similar to the anomaly which occurred during October 2016-May 2017. Both of them shows a step-type change in By component and the total decrease measured on By component is around 100 nT. The computed seismic energy during the late geomagnetic anomaly showed low seismic activity in both magnitude and number. The unequal distribution of seismic energy during these two anomalies is explained by the depth occurrence of main shocks. During the anomaly occurred between October 2016 and May 2017, the seismic activity was greater and was concentrated in 90-100 km depth interval. Otherwise, during the recent anomaly, the seismic activity was lower and concentrated in 130-150 km depth interval. In the study of the relationship between geomagnetic anomalies and the occurrence of intermediate earthquakes is mandatory to take under consideration the depth interval where the earthquakes are concentrated. The mechanical response of intermediate depth structure could variate with the depth because the rheological properties of rocks are closely related to the changes in the pressure-temperature domain.
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GEOMAGNETIC FIELD BEHAVIOUR AT MUNTELE ROSU (ROMANIA) AND ANOMALY INTERPRETATION | Mihai A., Moldovan I. A., Toader V., Partheniu R., Petrescu L. | IOP CONFERENCE SERIES: EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 221 | |
Authors:
Mihai A., Moldovan I. A., Toader V., Partheniu R., Petrescu L.
Abstract:
In this study were used geomagnetic data recorded during last 5 years, from 2013 till present. The records were corrected for missing and wrong data induced by malfunction of the data acquisition system. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the magnetic field behaviour in relation with space weather, meteorological phenomenon including annual/diurnal temperature variation, local and regional seismic activity. The paper is focusing on geomagnetic anomalies detected on the recorded field at one magnetometer located near Vrancea seismogenic zone prior to Mw>4.5 crustal and intermediate depth earthquakes. During these 5 years of investigations one crustal earthquake and three subcrustal earthquakes with a moment magnitude Mw between 5.0 and 6.0, occurred in the Vrancea zone. All three intermediate depth events were accompanied by significant anomalies on Y axis (EW component) of local geomagnetic field measured at MLR observatory. The MLR magnetometer was outside the preparation zone of the crustal earthquake, located at 100km distance from the epicenter, so no anomaly was observed. In order to highlight the anomalies recorded at Muntele Rosu (MLR) seismological observatory, these data were compared with data from Surlari (SUA) observatory, located about 150 Km South-East outside the Vrancea seismogenic zone. Similarly, earthquakes with Mw between 4.5 and 5 are accompanied by same type but smaller amplitude anomalies, were the drop on Y axis was less than 10 nT instead of 20-30 nT as those occurred prior to earthquakes with Mw>5.0. The latter ones are harder to observe during the summer time when these anomalies are hidden by large diurnal variations. The anomaly duration extends from days to sometimes months, without correlation with the earthquake magnitude. To better distinguish the local/regional anomalies from global geomagnetic behaviour, both MLR and SUA datasets were also corelated with the geomagnetic indices from NOAA/Space Prediction Center. The presence of geomagnetic storms creates a specific type of anomalies that sometimes might hide the ones related to earthquakes. The geomagnetic measurements were also compared with temperature values recorded at MLR station both for avoiding wrong interpretation of instrument response related to temperature variations, and to highlight possible correlations of magnetic field behaviour with ambient temperature. The three medium sized intermediate earthquakes that have occurred in the studied time interval provided a good opportunity to investigate the link between the presence of anomalies on geomagnetic records at Muntele Rosu observatory and seismicity in Vrancea zone.
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MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY ESTIMATION FROM INSTRUMENTAL GROUND MOTION RECORDINGS IN THE CASE OF SMALL AND MODERATE VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Moldovan I.A., Constantin A. P., Ardeleanu L., Ionescu C., Grecu B., Manea L. M., Toma-Dănilă D., Toader V.E., Partheniu R., Manea E. F., Tiganescu A., Placinta A. O. | PROC. OF THE 5TH WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM -WMESS 2019, IOP CONF. SERIES: EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 362 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | | |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Constantin A. P., Ardeleanu L., Ionescu C., Grecu B., Manea L. M., Toma-Dănilă D., Toader V.E., Partheniu R., Manea E. F., Tiganescu A., Placinta A. O.
Abstract:
Romania is one of the most seismic-prone countries in Europe due to the periodically occurrence of strong intermediate-depth earthquakes in Vrancea seismogenic zone. The Vrancea area is located beneath the South-Eastern Carpathian Arc bend, at the contact between the East - European plate and the Intra-Alpine and Moesian sub-plates. An intense seismic activity is recorded in the mantle, within a narrow, almost vertical descending volume between 60 and 180 km depth. Earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 5.0 (Mw) and macroseismic effects exceeding V MSK degrees on extended populated area occur in Vrancea seismic zone, with a return period of around 2 years. Besides the extended scientific studies, the near real time estimation of the macroseismic intensity recently became mandatory for the insurance companies to cover some of the losses and damages that earthquakes might cause to houses, belongings, and other buildings. The first approach to obtain intensity values was to develop an online environment for collecting people feedback regarding the effects of earthquakes and for the automatic approximation of the intensity. The automatic intensity estimation code from the online feedback proposed by [1], [2] and adopted by [3] for the Romanian earthquakes was improved and used for this study. Additionally, there were used prediction equations to obtain intensity values from the epicentral intensity, and epicentral and hypocentral distances. Besides the estimation of macroseismic intensities from online people feedback and from attenuation relations, equations for conversion of peak ground acceleration in macroseismic intensity were also required for a rapid evaluation of ground motion effects. In order to avoid the increase of the prediction uncertainties, the data must be selected in such a way that they represent the parameters’ rank for which the prediction will be accomplished and the selected data must be representative for the investigated regions and seismic source. In this paper were developed conversion methods from PGA to macroseismic intensity for moderate intermediate depths earthquakes with 4.5
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MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY ATTENUATION LAWS FOR LARGE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE EARTHQUAKES | Moldovan I.A., Constantin A. P., Manea E. F., Partheniu R., Constantinescu E. G. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 19, 749-757 | |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Constantin A. P., Manea E. F., Partheniu R., Constantinescu E. G.
Abstract:
The macroseismic intensity attenuation and its variation as a function of the epicentral or hypocentral distance is one of the issues in the seismic hazard assessment and of shake map generation. This output is especially required by emergency situation inspectorates or by the insurance companies. The macroseismic intensity investigations are carried out in Romania after all earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 4.0. Starting with 2014 the classical method for macroseismic information collection was doubled by the online method, consisting in online questionnaires and rapid feedback based on pictograms. In the current study the ground-motion prediction equations were computed in terms of macroseismic intensity for Romania, using the large Mw>6.5 intermediate depth Vrancea earthquakes and were tested on the recent moderate events to certify their validity at lower ranges of magnitudes. The mathematical relation proposed by von Koveslighety in 1906 was used for analysing the attenuation of seismic intensity with distance in terms of the difference between the maximum observed intensity, referred here as epicentral intensity Io and site intensity I, for 24 different azimuths. The macroseismic catalogue used in the present study comprises 7461 intensity data points (IDP) for 5 large Vrancea (Romania) intermediate depth earthquakes (10th November 1940. 4th March 1977, 30th August 1986, 30th and 31st May 1990), 471 IDP?s for the moderate 27th October 2004 earthquake and 3048 IDP?s for nine intermediate depth moderate earthquakes (4.1
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INTEGRATING ROMANIAN GNSS PERMANENT NETWORKS FOR GEOSCIENCE PURPOSES | Muntean A., Năstase E., Manea L. | GEOLINKS 2019 MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 53-61 | |
Authors:
Muntean A., Năstase E., Manea L.
Abstract:
Romania is covered by more than one hundred GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) permanent stations, that have been set up over the last seven years, maintained by different agencies and having different technical architectures and scientific objectives. Many of these stations provide support for geo-referencing applications such as surveying, the network being developed by National Agency for Cadaster and Land Registration (ANCPI) and by a private company, TopGeocart. Two networks are developed with scientific purposes: one developed by the National Institute for Earth Physics - NIEP and the other one developed by the National Institute for Research and Development on Marine Geology and Geo-ecology – GeoEcoMar. Several limiting factors were identified in terms of utilization: no site uniqueness, no file redundancy, no quality control or hardwire web service. Our goal is to collect all those GNSS data in order to standardize, perform quality control and harmonize for creating the metadata.
We present and discuss step by step all the implementation levels of standard tools necessary for generating, validating and disseminating pre-defined GNSS metadata, tools for the generation and dissemination of metadata. All those will allow the end-users, and in particular, geoscientists, to freely access the geodetic data, derived solutions, and associated metadata using a transparent and standardized process. Finally, we detail the technologies and software that were used and developed to build this e-infrastructure, the system output data and the conclusions derived in terms of data volume, security and usefulness.
The involvement in EPOS – IP project as a member of GNSS Data and Products Working Group helps us evolve in the same direction, test and implement GLASS software package for the dissemination of GNSS data & dedicated processing outcomes, time-series, velocities, and strain-rates - to be created using state-of-the-art methodologies for a better understanding and completion of the tectonic puzzle pieces of Solid Earth processes in this challenging structure of Southeastern Europe.
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ATTENUATION RELATIONSHIPS OF THE SEISMIC WAVES GENERATED BY THE MODERATE SUBCRUSTAL VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES IN THE DAM SITES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Placintă A.O., Popescu E., Moldovan I.A., Radulian M., Mihai A. | 19TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SURVEYING GEOLOGY AND MINING ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT, SGEM 2019 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2019 | 137-144 | - |
Authors:
Placintă A.O., Popescu E., Moldovan I.A., Radulian M., Mihai A.
Abstract:
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IMAGING DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF A TECTONIC TREMOR SEQUENCE IN SOUTHWESTERN JAPAN USING AN AUTOMATIC STATISTICAL DETECTION AND LOCATION METHOD | Poiata N., J.P., Vilotte P., Bernard C., Satriano C., Obara K. | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 213. 2193-2213 | |
Authors:
Poiata N., J.P., Vilotte P., Bernard C., Satriano C., Obara K.
Abstract:
In this study, we demonstrate the capability of an automatic network-based detection and location method to extract and analyse different components of tectonic tremor activity by analysing a 9-day energetic tectonic tremor sequence occurring at the downdip extension of the subducting slab in southwestern Japan. The applied method exploits the coherency of multiscale, frequency-selective characteristics of non-stationary signals recorded across the seismic network. Use of different characteristic functions, in the signal processing step of the method, allows to extract and locate the sources of short-duration impulsive signal transients associated with low-frequency earthquakes and of longer-duration energy transients during the tectonic tremor sequence. Frequency-dependent characteristic functions, based on higher-order statistics’ properties of the seismic signals, are used for the detection and location of low-frequency earthquakes. This allows extracting a more complete (∼6.5 times more events) and time-resolved catalogue of low-frequency earthquakes than the routine catalogue provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency. As such, this catalogue allows resolving the space–time evolution of the low-frequency earthquakes activity in great detail, unravelling spatial and temporal clustering, modulation in response to tide, and different scales of space–time migration patterns. In the second part of the study, the detection and source location of longer-duration signal energy transients within the tectonic tremor sequence is performed using characteristic functions built from smoothed frequency-dependent energy envelopes. This leads to a catalogue of longer-duration energy sources during the tectonic tremor sequence, characterized by their durations and 3-D spatial likelihood maps of the energy-release source regions. The summary 3-D likelihood map for the 9-day tectonic tremor sequence, built from this catalogue, exhibits an along-strike spatial segmentation of the long-duration energy-release regions, matching the large-scale clustering features evidenced from the low-frequency earthquake's activity analysis. Further examination of the two catalogues showed that the extracted short-duration low-frequency earthquakes activity coincides in space, within about 10–15 km distance, with the longer-duration energy sources during the tectonic tremor sequence. This observation provides a potential constraint on the size of the longer-duration energy-radiating source region in relation with the clustering of low-frequency earthquakes activity during the analysed tectonic tremor sequence.
We show that advanced statistical network-based methods offer new capabilities for automatic high-resolution detection, location and monitoring of different scale-components of tectonic tremor activity, enriching existing slow earthquakes catalogues. Systematic application of such methods to large continuous data sets will allow imaging the slow transient seismic energy-release activity at higher resolution, and therefore, provide new insights into the underlying multiscale mechanisms of slow earthquakes generation.
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CROSS-CORRELATION TECHNIQUE USED TO DISCRIMINATE THE QUARRIES BLASTS RECORDED IN DOBROGEA (ROMANIA) DURING 2012-2016 TIME INTERVAL | Dinescu R., Rogozea M., Popa M., Chircea A. | 18TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2018 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 18, 213-238 | |
Authors:
Dinescu R., Rogozea M., Popa M., Chircea A.
Abstract:
The most important products of the seismological network are complete and reliable earthquake catalogs. Detecting earthquakes over an extended scale, from smallest magnitudes to large events is a critical issue in many studies, such as earthquake statistics, source seismology and seismic hazard.
During the last years, the seismic network of Romanian has developed by increasing the number of stations and station coverage. Despite the significant improvement, the coverage is still not uniform all over the Romanian territory due to some natural limits (geographical borders, topography, etc.). Because of this, the monitoring and localization of local seismic events with low-magnitude using routine detection and localization methods is sometimes difficult and may lead to considerable magnitude or location errors. Recorded data affected by errors and quarry blasts recorded as seismic events (earthquakes) in the Romanian earthquake catalogue (ROMPLUS) will distort the seismicity pattern characterizing a specific region.
The goal of this study is to increase the capability to detect and localize low-magnitude seismic events in the south-eastern part of Romania (Dobrogea region) by applying the cross-correlation method for 2012 – 2016-time interval. To this aim, we selected six templates for events recorded both during working hours and during night. The waveform similarity analysis was performed on signals recorded on the vertical component of the seismic station Targusor (TIRR), a high-quality station operating in the study region. The waveforms recorded for template events are cross-correlated with successive windows from the continuous waveform recording along the entire time interval selected for our analysis. Window length and filtering parameters are properly adjusted in order to detect similarities among the waveforms of different events in connection with each template event. Finally, the detected events are investigated in order to discriminate tectonic events from man-made events following specific criteria: working hours, working days, monthly distribution, magnitude and depth of the event correlation with specific templates. The catalogue resulted from this work is analysed compThe most important products of the seismological network are complete and reliable earthquake catalogs. Detecting earthquakes over an extended scale, from smallest magnitudes to large events is a critical issue in many studies, such as earthquake statistics, source seismology and seismic hazard.
During the last years, the seismic network of Romanian has developed by increasing the number of stations and station coverage. Despite the significant improvement, the coverage is still not uniform all over the Romanian territory due to some natural limits (geographical borders, topography, etc.). Because of this, the monitoring and localization of local seismic events with low-magnitude using routine detection and localization methods is sometimes difficult and may lead to considerable magnitude or location errors. Recorded data affected by errors and quarry blasts recorded as seismic events (earthquakes) in the Romanian earthquake catalogue (ROMPLUS) will distort the seismicity pattern characterizing a specific region.
The goal of this study is to increase the capability to detect and localize low-magnitude seismic events in the south-eastern part of Romania (Dobrogea region) by applying the cross-correlation method for 2012 – 2016-time interval. To this aim, we selected six templates for events recorded both during working hours and during night. The waveform similarity analysis was performed on signals recorded on the vertical component of the seismic station Targusor (TIRR), a high-quality station operating in the study region. The waveforms recorded for template events are cross-correlated with successive windows from the continuous waveform recording along the entire time interval selected for our analysis. Window length and filtering parameters are properly adjusted in order to detect similarities among the waveforms of different events in connection with each template event. Finally, the detected events are investigated in order to discriminate tectonic events from man-made events following specific criteria: working hours, working days, monthly distribution, magnitude and depth of the event correlation with specific templates. The catalogue resulted from this work is analysed comparatively with the existing routine catalogue for Dobrogea.
aratively with the existing routine catalogue for Dobrogea.
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HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES: NEW INTENSITY DATA POINTS USING COMPLEMENTARY DATA FROM CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES | Mărmureanu G., Vacareanu R., Cioflan C.O., Ionescu C., Toma-Dănilă D. | SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING, SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARD | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 103-116 | |
Authors:
Mărmureanu G., Vacareanu R., Cioflan C.O., Ionescu C., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismogenic zone denotes a peculiar source of seismic hazard which represents a major concern in Europe, especially to Romania and neighbouring regions from Bulgaria, Serbia and Republic of Moldova. The strong seismic events that can occur in this area can generate the most destructive effects in Romania and may affect high-risk manmade structures such as nuclear power plants, chemical plants, large dams and pipelines located within a wide area including the Northern zone from the Republic of Bulgaria and the SW of the Moldavia Republic. A major part of the information for determining the design basis earthquakes consists of a complete set of historical earthquake data. Therefore, it is necessary that the available historical records to be collected, extending as far back in time as possible. Most of these historical records will be of descriptive nature, including such information as the number of houses damaged or destroyed, the behaviour of population etc. But from such information a measure of the intensity scale value of each earthquake in modern macroseismic intensity scale values may be determined. During the past project “Bridging the gap between seismology and earthquake engineering: from the seismicity of Romania towards a refined implementation of seismic action EN1998-1 in earthquake resistant design of buildings (BIGSEES)”, the authors developed the macroseismic intensity map of Romania by using newly compiled information about the damages experienced by 115 churches and monasteries after 10 strong earthquakes (Mw > 6.9) occurred in Vrancea zone starting with XVth century.
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GEOMAGNETIC FIELD BEHAVIOUR AT MUNTELE ROSU (ROMANIA) AND ANOMALY INTERPRETATION | Mihai A., Moldovan I-A., Toader V.E., Petrescu L, Partheniu R. | WMESS 2018 CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 221, 012055 | |
Authors:
Mihai A., Moldovan I-A., Toader V.E., Petrescu L, Partheniu R.
Abstract:
In this study were used geomagnetic data recorded during last 5 years, from 2013 till present. The records were corrected for missing and wrong data induced by malfunction of the data acquisition system. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the magnetic field behaviour in relation with space weather, meteorological phenomenon including annual/diurnal temperature variation, local and regional seismic activity. The paper is focusing on geomagnetic anomalies detected on the recorded field at one magnetometer located near Vrancea seismogenic zone prior to Mw>4.5 crustal and intermediate depth earthquakes. During these 5 years of investigations one crustal earthquake and three subcrustal earthquakes with a moment magnitude Mw between 5.0 and 6.0, occurred in the Vrancea zone. All three intermediate depth events were accompanied by significant anomalies on Y axis (EW component) of local geomagnetic field measured at MLR observatory. The MLR magnetometer was outside the preparation zone of the crustal earthquake, located at 100km distance from the epicenter, so no anomaly was observed. In order to highlight the anomalies recorded at Muntele Rosu (MLR) seismological observatory, these data were compared with data from Surlari (SUA) observatory, located about 150 Km South-East outside the Vrancea seismogenic zone. Similarly, earthquakes with Mw between 4.5 and 5 are accompanied by same type but smaller amplitude anomalies, were the drop on Y axis was less than 10 nT instead of 20-30 nT as those occurred prior to earthquakes with Mw>5.0. The latter ones are harder to observe during the summer time when these anomalies are hidden by large diurnal variations. The anomaly duration extends from days to sometimes months, without correlation with the earthquake magnitude. To better distinguish the local/regional anomalies from global geomagnetic behaviour, both MLR and SUA datasets were also corelated with the geomagnetic indices from NOAA/Space Prediction Center. The presence of geomagnetic storms creates a specific type of anomalies that sometimes might hide the ones related to earthquakes. The geomagnetic measurements were also compared with temperature values recorded at MLR station both for avoiding wrong interpretation of instrument response related to temperature variations, and to highlight possible correlations of magnetic field behaviour with ambient temperature. The three medium sized intermediate earthquakes that have occurred in the studied time interval provided a good opportunity to investigate the link between the presence of anomalies on geomagnetic records at Muntele Rosu observatory and seismicity in Vrancea zone.
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SEISMIC INTENSITY ESTIMATION USING MACROSEISMIC QUESTIONNAIRES AND INSTRUMENTAL DATA - CASE STUDY BâRLAD, VASLUI COUNTY | Moldovan I. A., Grecu B., Constantin A.P., Anghel A., Manea E.F., Manea L., Partheniu R. | SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING, SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARD | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 71-85 | |
Authors:
Moldovan I. A., Grecu B., Constantin A.P., Anghel A., Manea E.F., Manea L., Partheniu R.
Abstract:
In the last decade, many efforts were done to predict the macroseismic intensity in case of felt Vrancea earthquakes and additionally an online environment was developed for the automatic approximation of the intensity from peoples’ feedback. Besides the extended scientific studies, the near real-time estimation of the macroseismic intensity recently became mandatory for the insurance companies to cover some of the losses and damages that earthquakes might cause to houses, belongings, and other structures. Due to the insurance companies’ requests, the macroseismic questionnaires method was doubled by the seismic intensity determination using instrumental data, as recommended in the Romanian Seismic Intensity Scale Standard (STAS 3684-71). In the present study, the procedure is shown, for the last earthquakes with ML larger than 5.0, occurred in Vrancea zone, and felt on the extra-Carpathian area. We have selected the case study in Barlad, Vaslui county, because there have been recorded the largest accelerations (122 cm/s2) and have been reported the largest MSK intensities (VI) from Romania during the Mw 5.5 September 24, 2016 earthquake. The results obtained using the two approaches (macroseismic and instrumental data) have been compared and some differences have been found.
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RAPID SEISMIC INTENSITY ASSESSMENT IN ROMANIA USING INTERNET MACROSEISMOLOGY | Moldovan I.A., Manea L., Constantin A.P., Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D. | 18TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2018 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 18, 931-938 | |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Manea L., Constantin A.P., Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Romania is one of the most seismic-prone countries in Europe due to the periodically occurrence of strong intermediate-depth earthquakes in Vrancea seismogenic zone. In the last decades, many efforts were done to gather macroseismic intensities in case of felt Vrancea earthquakes and additionally an online environment was developed for the automatic approximation of the intensity from people feedback. Besides the extended scientific studies, the near real time estimation of the macroseismic intensity recently became mandatory for the insurance companies to cover some of the losses and damage that earthquakes might cause to houses, belongings, and other buildings. The procedure proposed in this paper for rapid macroseismic estimation and loss assessment for the recent intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes with MW>4.5 is using the online macroseismic questionnaires, and the automatic intensity estimation code recently improved. Besides the automatic estimation, we have also used the classical approach to assess the intensity data points and also the available equations for conversion of peak ground acceleration in macroseismic intensity (including de Romanian Macroseismic Intensity Standard).
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SEISMICITY AND SEISMO-TECTONIC PECULIARITES IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF PANNONIAN BASIN: BANLOC-VOITEG SEISMOGENIC STRUCTURE (ROMANIA). | Oros E., Moldovan I. A., Popa M., Diaconescu M., Ghiță C. | 18TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2018 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 18, 971-980 | |
Authors:
Oros E., Moldovan I. A., Popa M., Diaconescu M., Ghiță C.
Abstract:
The paper presents a detailed analysis of the seismic activity recorded in the Banloc-Voiteg seismogenic structure (Romania) located on the southeastern border of the Pannonian Depression which is characterized by pre-Alpine and Alpine structures belonging to Tisa-Dacia Microplate and, particularly by the tectonic contact between two main geodynamic blocks. The seismic activity has a clear tendency to group on active neotectonic structures and displays different space and time patterns. Until now we have documented two major sequences (Imax=VIII EMS degree) in the study structure: October - November 1915 and July-December 1991. The 1991 sequence lasted several years, the seismic stations operated by NIEP recording thousands of aftershocks within several months. Some aftershocks had important macroseismic effects (e.g. 19.07.1991, Io=VII EMS). We refined hypocentral parameters for theis sequence using JHD relocation method. The new epicentres are well distributed in space and time defining two groups (phases) correlated with the faults systems in the study area. The focal mechanisms computed for the strongest events point out two orthogonal faults systems that were reactivated during the sequence, one oriented NE - SW (Banloc - Buzias Fault System) and the other one approximately E - W (Ittebej - Gataia Fault System) The seismic activity appears to migrate from South (Banloc phase, Mw=5.6, 12.07.1991) toward North (Voiteg phase, Mw=5.5, 02.12.1991) and further along Banloc - Buzias fault system.
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ON THE DETERMINATION OF FAULT PLANE SOLUTIONS OF WEAK CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES OF VRANCEA REGION (ROMANIA) | Ardeleanu L. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 53, 717-730 | |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
An inversion scheme using only few good quality high-frequency local waveforms was previously applied to estimate the source mechanism for a pilot set of crustal earthquakes with local magnitudes less than 4, from the bend of the South-eastern Carpathians. Taking advantage of the improved velocity and attenuation models recently determined for the study region, we reevaluate the focal mechanism of a couple of low-magnitude events (local magnitude ≥ 3), and assess the uncertainty of the fault plane solutions. The results evidence the increased reliability of the retrieved mechanisms and emphasize the capability of the approach to provide satisfactorily constrained fault plane solutions for the weak-to-moderate earthquakes in the study region.
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SEISMIC WAVE ATTENUATION IN THE VRANCEA REGION. PART II. CRUSTAL Q-MODELS | Ardeleanu L. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 63 | |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
. We investigate the shear wave attenuation in the crust beneath the area from the bending of the Eastern Carpathians by using a procedure based on highfrequency waveform modelling. We determine 1-D local models of the quality factor of the medium Q, adequate for simulating the ground motion (waveforms with maximum frequency 5 Hz) generated by seismic sources of Vrancea region at locations within the extra-Carpathian zone. The results of the study reveal distinct
attenuative properties among the structural units lying in the study region; considerably higher attenuation is evidenced beneath the Focşani Basin and the Vrancea region orogen.
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IMPROVED CRUSTAL STRUCTURE MODELS IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA: A STEP FORWARD TO ASSESSMENT OF THE SEISMIC RISK IN AN EARTHQUAKE ENDANGERED COUNTRY | Bala A., Tătaru D., Grecu B. | ADVANCES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION (RECENTADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE FROM THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN AND SURROUNDING REGIONS, VOL I AND II) | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2018 | 1891-1893 | |
Authors:
Bala A., Tătaru D., Grecu B.
Abstract:
Tectonic of Romania includes both pre-alpine platforms and Alpine orogenic structures. The pre-alpine platforms are: Eastern European Platform, with its western margin in Romania—Moldavian platform; Scythian platform; Moesian platform.
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THE CAUSE OF HIGH INTENSITY OF SEISMICITY IN UKRAINE | Chalyi O., Diaconescu M., Gurova I., Lisovyi Y., Pigylevsky P., Shcherbina S., Shevtsov A., Shumlianska L. | VISNIK OF TARAS SHEVCHENKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF KYIV-GEOLOGY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 38-45 | |
Authors:
Chalyi O., Diaconescu M., Gurova I., Lisovyi Y., Pigylevsky P., Shcherbina S., Shevtsov A., Shumlianska L.
Abstract:
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PRACTICAL INSIGHTS ON SEISMIC RISK EVALUATION FROM SITE-STRUCTURE DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR PERSPECTIVE FOR BUCHAREST URBAN AREA | Cioflan C.O., Radulian M., Ionescu C. Bălan S.F., Apostol B.F. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 63, 811 | |
Authors:
Cioflan C.O., Radulian M., Ionescu C. Bălan S.F., Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
The paper's goal is to discuss some aspects regarding the influence of the dominant periods of the soil layers and fundamental periods of the built structure, starting from earthquakes records and using already known data about the oscillation period of the subsoil. We will focus our analysis on Bucharest Metropolis foundation soils, where buildings are placed in an area exposed to high seismic hazard. The regions of the south-east and south of Romania are affected mainly by the Vrancea strong earthquakes, generated at the South-Eastern Carpathians Arc bend at intermediate depth.
In the XXth century four major earthquakes (Mw > 7) were reported. The methods used for computing the oscillation period of the soil are reviewed. By knowing the dominant periods over the Bucharest area, we can appreciate if a building is suitable or not for a specific site. In the authors’ opinion, it is safer to pick the right structure to be build up in a given area than to force a non-resonance design in that place. Consequently, some seismic risk considerations from soil-foundation-structure interaction perspective will be presented. This will have to be a very effective way of getting the right answers when trying to build a special construction on a site.
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CALIBRATION AND VALIDATION OF MEEP METHOD FOR LOCATION AND MAGNITUDE ESTIMATION OF HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES FROM INTRACARPATHIAN REGION OF ROMANIA. | Oros E., Plăcintă A. O., Popa M. | WMESS 2018 CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 221, 012057 | |
Authors:
Oros E., Plăcintă A. O., Popa M.
Abstract:
Intra-Carpathian Region of Romania experienced strong earthquakes as it is mentioned in the national and international databases, e.g. November 26, 1829 (Ms = 6.4), October 10, 1834 (Ms = 6.3), January 26, 1916 (Ms = 6.4), July 12, 1991 (Mw = 5.7). The paper focuses on calibration and validation of MEEP method (Macroseismic Estimation of Earthquake Parameters, Musson & Jimenez, 2008) to provide a homogeneous and repeatable procedure for processing intensity data points (IDPs) which may supply the location and magnitude Mw of historical earthquakes occurred in the Intra-Carpathian Region of Romania and surroundings. The MEEP method is based on 1) grid-search technique for locating the epicentres and 2) the felt area approach to estimate the magnitude. It has the advantage to be used for small and moderate events. We used two high-quality datasets of earthquakes of the 20th century for which macroseismic data points (IDPs), instrumental moment magnitude (Mw) and instrumental epicentral coordinates are available, one for calibration and the other one for validation of the method. The main parameters used through MEEP algorithm were calibrated at regional scale using high-quality instrumental data: 1) crustal attenuation Q3 = 435 (Q at f = 3 Hz, which is understood to be the limit of the human perception of seismic waves), 2) Kövesligethy's inelastic attenuation (∝ = 0.0065), 3) isoseismic spacing coefficient (k = 3.1) and 4) C = 2015, a constant generally related to tectonic regime. The MEEP method was successfully tested for events occurred within extra-Carpathian regions and the Pannonian Basin.
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THE SOURCE MECHANISM OF THE SEISMIC EVENTS DURING THE SEQUENCE OF THE MODERATE-SIZE CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE OF NOVEMBER 22, 2014 OF VRANCEA REGION (ROMANIA) | Craiu A., Ghiță C., Craiu M., Diaconescu M., Mihai M., Ardeleanu L. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 61 | |
Authors:
Craiu A., Ghiță C., Craiu M., Diaconescu M., Mihai M., Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
The moderate-size earthquake (local magnitude 5.7) which occurred on November 22, 2014 in Vrancea region (Romania), is the largest crustal event instrumentally recorded.
Its aftershock sequence lasted around 70 days, 222 earthquakes with local magnitude ≥ 0.1 being located using the records collected by the Romanian seismic network.
The seismic sequence occurred mainly in the lower crust (depths greater than 25 km), and the epicenter distribution – along a NNE-SSW direction followed the orientation of the Vrancea crustal earthquakes alignment.
The sequence, occurred in the Focsani Basin (part of the Moesian Platform) and is related to the normal fault system associated to the major Peceneaga - Camena fault, which separates the Moesian Platform from the North Dobrogea promontory.
The spatio-temporal distribution of the seismic activity, as well as the seismic energy released during the seismic sequence are analysed in detail, and the focal mechanisms of the largest events – 34 shocks with ML ≥ 1.8 – are determined using reliable P-wave polarities and amplitude ratios.
Taking into consideration that the moderate-size shock of November 22, 2014 is the strongest instrumentally recorded crustal earthquake in the region, its focal mechanism provides highly relevant seismological information on the deformation field in front of the Carpathian bend. The obtained fault plane solution indicates normal faulting with a dominant dip-slip component; both nodal planes being oriented NW-SE.
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ANALYSIS OF SEISMIC NOISE IN THE ROMANIAN-BULGARIAN CROSS-BORDER REGION | Grecu B., Neagoe C., Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Borleanu F. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 22, 1275-1292 | |
Authors:
Grecu B., Neagoe C., Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Borleanu F.
Abstract:
We present the first detailed investigation of the background seismic noise recorded in the Romanian-Bulgarian cross-border region over 3 years (2012–2015). We used the power spectral densities probability density functions (PSD PDFs) to study the noise variations in the period domain (0.025–1 s) as well as in the secondary microseism band (2–10 s). Strong diurnal variations and an increase of the noise levels during working days were observed at high frequencies at all stations, thus confirming the anthropic origin of the noise at low periods. The noise variations observed at longer periods (> 1 s) are relatively small among the stations and are related to season changes. The dominant feature in the noise spectra between 2 and 10 s is the double-frequency peak (DFP) whose amplitude increases and changes during winter. For a specific interval, from 25th to 27th of January 2014, when a storm was reported in the Black Sea area, the maximum of the DFP shifted from larger periods (~ 5.5 s) at stations far from the Black Sea towards smaller periods (~ 1.8 s) at stations located on the coastline. The polarization analysis showed that the short period double-frequency microseisms originating from the Black Sea dominate during the winter month. Finally, we showed that site conditions vary due to noise variations related to weather conditions in the Black Sea or to changes in anthropogenic noise sources.
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CHARACTERIZATION OF SITE CONDITIONS FOR SELECTED SEISMIC STATIONS IN EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Grecu B., Zaharia B., Diaconescu M., Bala A., Nastase E., Constantinescu E., Tătaru D. | ACTA GEOPHYSICA | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 66, 153-165 | |
Authors:
Grecu B., Zaharia B., Diaconescu M., Bala A., Nastase E., Constantinescu E., Tătaru D.
Abstract:
Strong motion data are essential for seismic hazard assessment. To correctly understand and use this kind of data is necessary to have a good knowledge of local site conditions. Romania has one of the largest strong motion networks in Europe with 134 real-time stations. In this work, we aim to do a comprehensive site characterization for eight of these stations located in the eastern part of Romania. We make use of a various seismological dataset and we perform ambient noise and earthquake-based investigations to estimate the background noise level, the resonance frequencies and amplification of each site. We also derive the Vs30 parameter from the surface shear-wave velocity profiles obtained through the inversion of the Rayleigh waves recorded in active seismic measurements. Our analyses indicate similar results for seven stations: high noise levels for frequencies larger than 1 Hz, well defined fundamental resonance at low frequencies (0.15–0.29 Hz), moderate amplification levels (up to 4 units) for frequencies between 0.15 and 5–7 Hz and same soil class (type C) according to the estimated Vs30 and Eurocode 8. In contrast, the eighth station for which the soil class is evaluated of type B exhibits a very good noise level for a wide range of frequencies (0.01–20 Hz), a broader fundamental resonance at high frequencies (~ 8 Hz) and a flat amplification curve between 0.1 and 3–4 Hz.
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CONSIDERATION OF THE EFFECTS OF AIR TEMPERATURE ON STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING THROUGH TRAFFIC LIGHT-BASED DECISION-MAKING TOOLS | Guéguen P., Țigănescu A. | SHOCK AND VIBRATION | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 9258675 | |
Authors:
Guéguen P., Țigănescu A.
Abstract:
The real-time analysis of a structure’s integrity associated with a process to estimate damage levels improves the safety of people and assets and reduces the economic losses associated with interrupted production or operation of the structure. The appearance of damage in a building changes its dynamic response (frequency, damping, and/or modal shape), and one of the most effective methods for the continuous assessment of integrity is based on the use of ambient vibrations. However, although resonance frequency can be used as an indicator of change, misinterpretation is possible since frequency is affected not only by the occurrence of damage but also by certain operating conditions and particularly certain atmospheric conditions. In this study, after analyzing the correlation of resonance frequency values with temperature for one building, we use the data mining method called “association rule learning” (ARL) to predict future frequencies according to temperature measurements. We then propose an anomaly interpretation strategy using the “traffic light” method.
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THE EUROPEAN INFRASOUND BULLETIN | Pilger C., Ceranna L., Ross J.O., Vergoz, J., Le Pichon A., Brachet N., Blanc E., Kero J., Liszka L., Gibbons S., Kvaerna T., Näsholm S. P., Smets P., Evers L., Marchetti E., Ripepe M., Sindelarova T., Lastovicka L., Ghica D., Ionescu C., Ben Horin Y., Mialle P. | PURE AND APPLY GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 175, 3619-3638 | |
Authors:
Pilger C., Ceranna L., Ross J.O., Vergoz, J., Le Pichon A., Brachet N., Blanc E., Kero J., Liszka L., Gibbons S., Kvaerna T., Näsholm S. P., Smets P., Evers L., Marchetti E., Ripepe M., Sindelarova T., Lastovicka L., Ghica D., Ionescu C., Ben Horin Y., Mialle P.
Abstract:
The European Infrasound Bulletin highlights infrasound activity produced mostly by anthropogenic sources, recorded all over Europe and collected in the course of the ARISE and ARISE2 projects (Atmospheric dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe). Data includes high-frequency (> 0.7 Hz) infrasound detections at 24 European infrasound arrays from nine different national institutions complemented with infrasound stations of the International Monitoring System for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Data were acquired during 16 years of operation (from 2000 to 2015) and processed to identify and locate ∼ 48,000 infrasound events within Europe. The source locations of these events were derived by combining at least two corresponding station detections per event. Comparisons with ground-truth sources, e.g., Scandinavian mining activity, are provided as well as comparisons with the CTBT Late Event Bulletin (LEB). Relocation is performed using ray-tracing methods to estimate celerity and back-azimuth corrections for source location based on meteorological wind and temperature values for each event derived from European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) data. This study focuses on the analysis of repeating, man-made infrasound events (e.g., mining blasts and supersonic flights) and on the seasonal, weekly and diurnal variation of the infrasonic activity of sources in Europe. Drawing comparisons to previous studies shows that improvements in terms of detection, association and location are made within this study due to increasing the station density and thus the number of events and determined source regions. This improves the capability of the infrasound station network in Europe to more comprehensively estimate the activity of anthropogenic infrasound sources in Europe.
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ACTIVE TECTONIC DEFORMATION AND ASSOCIATED EARTHQUAKES. A CASE STUDY: SOUTH CARPATHIANS BEND ZONE | Popa, M., Munteanu I., Borleanu F., Oros E., Radulian M., Dinu C. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 53, 395–413 | |
Authors:
Popa, M., Munteanu I., Borleanu F., Oros E., Radulian M., Dinu C.
Abstract:
Active tectonic deformation is continuously shaping the landscape in the Alpine Orogenic system. Earthquakes are clear proves of neotectonic deformation process. In the Romanian Carpathians the most active deformation is recorded in the South Eastern Carpathian Bend Zone. Nevertheless, seismicity associated to latest orogenic stage of active deformation is not limited to this area. Other seismic regions, like the South West Carpathians Bend Zone, were identified. Recently, several earthquake sequences were recorded in the Caransebes-Mehadia (CMB) and Hateg basins (HB). These sedimentary basins developed over the South Carpathians, Getic/Supra Getic and Danubian basement napes, their evolution being related with the N-ward tectonic transport of the Carpathian Orogen, in the current position, during the Paleogene-Quaternary times. The aim of the present study is to perform a thorough analysis of the earthquakes recorded in these two basins in correlation with the observed geological structure to better understand and constrain the neotectonic processes affecting the SW Carpathians Bend Zone. The focal mechanisms determined for HB show a predominant strike-slip faulting component with the principal axes oriented approximately NW–SE (compression) and NE–SW (extension), a reorientation from the N-S one described for the Pliocene–Pleistocene phase. The focal mechanisms in CMB imply N–S extension with normal or strike-slip faulting. We argue that the present day tectonic processes are not restricted to the SE Carpathians Bend zone, as previously inferred. Instead they affect a much larger area of the Carpathian Orogen, like the SW Carpathians Bend zone.
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EARTHQUAKE MECHANISM IN THE VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL SOURCE AND IN THE ADJACENT CRUSTAL SEISMOGENIC ZONES OF THE SOUTH-EASTERN ROMANIA | Popescu E., Radulian M., Bala A., Toma-Dănilă D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 70(704) | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M., Bala A., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Earthquake mechanism information is fundamental to determine the stress field and to define seismogenic zones. At the same time, it is a basic input to compute seismic hazard by deterministic approach. The present paper extends the catalogue of the fault plane solutions for the earthquakes in Romania, previously completed until 1997, for 1998-2012 time interval. The catalogue is limited geographically to the Carpathians Orogeny and extra-Carpathians area located in the southeastern part of Romania because similar investigations cover the rest of the country. The catalogue comprises 259 intermediate-depth seismic events and 90 crustal seismic events, recorded in the considered time interval with acceptably constrained fault plane solutions. We use specific graphical tools in order to emphasize statistically representative features of the stress field as coming out from our results. The fault plane solutions of the Vrancea earthquakes generated in a confined sinking plate in the mantle reflect the dominant geodynamic process in the study region. The typical features revealed by all the previous studies on the subcrustal seismic activity (predominant dip-slip, reverse faulting, characterizing both the weak and strong earthquakes) are reproduced as well by our investigation. As concerns the earthquake activity in the crust, a few new refined aspects are highlighted in the present work: (1) a deficit of the strike-slip component over the entire Carpathians foredeep area, (2) different stress field pattern in the Făgăraş-Câmpulung zone as compared with the Moesian Platform and Pre-Dobrogean and Bârlad Depressions, (3) a larger range for the dip angle of the nodal planes in the Vrancea subcrustal source, ~ 40 0-70 0 against ~ 70 0 , as commonly considered.
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MULTI-TECHNIQUE REGISTRATION OF ROMANIAN SUPERBOLIDE | Popova O., Rybnov Y., Kharlamov V., Ghica D., Borovicka J. | METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 53. 6233 | - |
Authors:
Popova O., Rybnov Y., Kharlamov V., Ghica D., Borovicka J.
Abstract:
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EARTHQUAKE MECHANISM AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SEISMOGENIC ZONES IN SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Radulian M., Bala A., Popescu E., Toma-Dănila D. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 61 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Bala A., Popescu E., Toma-Dănila D.
Abstract:
Earthquake mechanism information is fundamental to determine the stress field and to define seismogenic zones. At the same time, it is a basic input to compute seismic hazard by deterministic approach. The present paper extends the catalogue of the fault plane solutions for the earthquakes in Romania, previously completed until 1997, for 1998 – 2012 time interval. The catalogue is limited geographically to the Carpathians Orogeny and extra-Carpathians area located in the south-eastern part of Romania because similar investigations cover the rest of the country. The catalogue comprises 259 intermediate-depth seismic events and 90 crustal seismic events, recorded in the considered time interval with acceptably constrained fault plane solutions. We use specific graphical tools in order to emphasize statistically representative features of the stress field as coming out from our results. The fault plane solutions of the Vrancea earthquakes generated in a confined sinking plate in the mantle reflect the dominant geodynamic process in the study region. The typical features revealed by all the previous studies on the subcrustal seismic activity (predominant dip-slip, reverse faulting, characterizing both the weak and strong earthquakes) are reproduced as well by our investigation. As concerns the earthquake activity in the crust, a few new refined aspects are highlighted in the present work: (1) a deficit of the strike-slip component over the entire Carpathians foredeep area, (2) different stress field pattern in the Făgăraş – Câmpulung zone as compared with the Moesian Platform and Pre-Dobrogean and Bârlad Depressions, (3) a larger range for the dip angle of the nodal planes in the Vrancea subcrustal source, ~ 400 -700 against ~ 700, as commonly considered.
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THE SEISMOGENIC SOURCES FROM THE WEST AND SOUTH-WEST OF ROMANIA | Oros E., Popa M., Diaconescu M | SEISMIC HAZARD AND RISK ASSESSMENT, SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARD | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 53-69 | |
Authors:
Oros E., Popa M., Diaconescu M
Abstract:
The study region is the most important seismic region of Romania when we refer to the crustal seismicity as a source of seismic hazard. So far there have been recorded 91 seismic events that produced significant effect in buildings (Io ≥ 6 EMS), some of them resulting in severe damage and even casualties (Io ≥ 7 EMS). In this paper we modelled the seismogenic sources in the region using a new seismotectonic model constructed on new earthquakes and focal mechanisms catalogues basis. This model was elaborated starting from the relationship between geology and historical and instrumental seismicity and then it was better constrained by geophysical, neotectonic, geodetic data and particularly by active stress field features. The stress tensor parameters and the stress regime have been determined by formal inversion of the focal mechanisms solutions. Our study provides evidence of at least seven different deformation domains with different tectonic regimes as a realistic support for assessing the seismogenic potential of the geological structures. Each seismogenic source is characterized by completeness magnitude (Mcomp), maximum probable magnitude (Mmax) and magnitude—recurrence parameters. The probabilistic hazard maps produced in terms of PGA using the new seismic sources highlights the importance of their configuration on the hazard parameter values and their spatial distribution.
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A GIS FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING THE IMPLICATIONS OF URBAN ROAD NETWORK FAILURE DUE TO EARTHQUAKES: BUCHAREST (ROMANIA) CASE STUDY | Toma-Danila D. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 93, 97-111 | |
Authors:
Toma-Danila D.
Abstract:
Through this paper we propose and test a GIS framework that addresses the issue of seismic risk due to urban road network failure. The approach relies on full GIS integration, on Monte Carlo simulations for generating potentially disrupted network configurations, considering also the damage probability due to direct earthquake implications, and on traffic considerations (both in typical and post-earthquake situations). The damage probability can be obtained using fragility functions for critical structures like bridges and tunnels or by determining empirically the possibility of affected buildings to generate debris leading to road obstruction. Multiple performance indicators such as travel time and distance under various conditions are combined, in order to quantify the risks inflicted by dysfunctionalities in the emergency intervention process. The framework considers at the same time temporal and spatial dimensions, being able to cope with traffic dynamics or reconfigurable network configurations. The ArcGIS Network Analyst Module is used for model integration, and full city scale analysis is performed in order to test the capabilities. Bucharest (capital of Romania) is selected for the case study; this 2 million inhabitant city is one of the most endangered in Europe, due to earthquakes that occur in the Vrancea Area, at intermediate depth, with moment magnitudes > 7, but also due to the vulnerable building stock. Beside this, it is one of Europe’s top cities when it comes to traffic congestion. The results of the study provide initial insights on the deficiencies of the city’s road network and connectivity limitations, showing the high impact of road obstructions and traffic congestion on intervention times, for ambulances and firefighters, in case of an earthquake.
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INVESTIGATION OF ATMOSPHERIC ANOMALIES RECORDED FOR MODERATE OR STRONG EARTHQUAKES BY GEOSPATIAL AND FIELD DATA | Zoran M.A., Savastru R.S., Savastru D.M., Mateciuc D.N. | EARTH RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING/GIS APPLICATIONS IX | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 10790 | |
Authors:
Zoran M.A., Savastru R.S., Savastru D.M., Mateciuc D.N.
Abstract:
Earthquake science has entered a new era with the development of space-based technologies to measure surface geophysical parameters and deformation at the boundaries of tectonic plates and large faults. Satellite time-series data, coupled with ground based observations where available, can enable scientists to survey pre-earthquake signals in the areas of strong tectonic activity. Cumulative stress energy in seismic active regions under operating tectonic force manifests various earthquakes’ precursors. Space-time anomalies of Earth’s emitted radiation (thermal infrared in spectral range measured from satellite months to weeks before the occurrence of earthquakes, radon in underground water and soil, etc.), and electromagnetic anomalies are considered as pre-seismic signals. This paper presents observations made using time series MODIS Terra/Aqua and NOAA-AVHRR satellite data for derived multi-parameters land surface temperature (LST), outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR), net surface latent heat flux (LHF), mean air temperature (AT), Relative Humidity (RH), and reanalysis data sets for some moderate or strong seismic events recorded in Vrancea region in Romania, which is one of the most active intracontinental seismic areas in Europe. Starting with almost one week prior to a moderate or strong earthquake a transient thermal infrared rise in LST of several Celsius degrees (oC) and the increased OLR values higher than the normal have been recorded around epicentral areas, function of the magnitude and focal depth, which disappeared after the main shock. These observations support seismic LSAIC (Lithosphere – Surfacesphere – Atmosphere -Ionosphere Coupling) Model.
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THE INTENSITY ASSESSMENT OF THE APRIL 25, 2009, VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKEFROM MACROSEISMIC DATA | Constantin A.P., Partheniu R., Moldovan I.A., Pantea A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 70, 703, | - |
Authors:
Constantin A.P., Partheniu R., Moldovan I.A., Pantea A.
Abstract:
On April 25, 2009, at 20:18:48 (local hour) the Romanian territory was shaken by a moderate size earthquake centred beneath the bending area of the southeastern Carpathians, in the Vrancea seismogenic region (Romania). In the present paper we present intensity map, macroseismic intensities, and community observations of effects for the M-W = 5.4 Vrancea subcrustal earthquake of 25 April, 2009. For many locations, for the estimation of the macroseismic intensities besides questionnaires other type of sources such as press reports, internet were used. The highest intensity assigned for this Vrancea earthquake was VI MSK, estimated for eleven locations, situated in the north-eastern part of Vrancea seismogenic zone, which include parts from Vrancea, Bacau, and Galati counties. At the lowest intensities, the 2009 earthquake was felt to a distance of 500 km from the epicenter, in Rep. of Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Serbia. A non-uniform distribution of intensity resulted for locations on different directions from the epicenter. A scatter of as much as one-two intensity units were observed for places situated very close. The comparison of the intensity areas for the October 27, 2004 and April 25, 2009 moderate subcrustal earthquakes of the Vrancea seismogenic zone was performed.
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BROADBAND GROUND MOTION SIMULATION OF THE 2004 AND 1977 VRANCEA, ROMANIA, EARTHQUAKES USING EMPIRICAL GREEN'S FUNCTION METHOD | Poiată N., Miyake H. | BEST PRACTICES IN PHYSICS-BASED FAULT RUPTURE MODELS FOR SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2018 | 179-195 | |
Authors:
Poiată N., Miyake H.
Abstract:
We estimated the parameters of strong motion generation areas and simulated broadband ground motions for the moderate October 27, 2004 (M-w 5.8) and damaging March 4, 1977 (M-w 7.4) Vrancea (Romania) intermediate-depth subduction earthquakes using the empirical Green's function method. The method allows the simulation of ground motions in a broadband frequency range by summing up the subevent records, corresponding to small magnitude events in the near-source areas, which are assumed to follow the source-scaling relationship and the omega-square source spectral model. We first estimated the strong motion generation area that reproduces near-source ground motions in a broadband frequency range of 0.3-10 Hz for the 2004 earthquake, by fitting the synthetic acceleration, velocity, and displacement waveforms to the observed data. The source properties of the obtained strong motion generation area are in agreement with the predictions made using an empirical source scaling relationship for crustal earthquakes, implying a stress drop of approximately 10 MPa for the 2004 earthquake. We then modeled the strong motion generation area for the 1977 damaging earthquake using the 2004 earthquake as an empirical Green's function and constructing a source model based on its estimated source parameters. To simulate the unique record at Bucharest, capital city of Romania, the rupture was assumed to have propagated from the northeast bottom of the strong motion generation area having a stress drop of 50 MPa. Broadband ground motion simulations were further compared in terms of the modified Mercalli intensity values, calculated from the peak ground accelerations and peak ground velocities of synthetic waveforms, with the observed Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik intensity values. Our estimates of the source properties for the 2004 and 1977 Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes support the size-dependent stress drop.
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MECHANISMS FOR GENERATION OF NEAR-FAULT GROUND MOTION PULSES FOR DIP-SLIP FAULTING | Poiată N., Miyake H., Koketsu K. | BEST PRACTICES IN PHYSICS-BASED FAULT RUPTURE MODELS FOR SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2018 | 197-212 | |
Authors:
Poiată N., Miyake H., Koketsu K.
Abstract:
We analyzed the seismological aspects of the near-fault ground motion pulses and studied the main characteristics of the rupture configuration that contribute to the pulse generation for dip-slip faulting events by performing forward simulations in broadband and low-frequency ranges for different rupture scenarios of the 2009 L'Aquila, Italy (M-w 6.3) earthquake. The rupture scenarios were based on the broadband source model determined by Poiata et al. (Geophys J Int 191:224-242, 2012). Our analyses demonstrated that ground motion pulses affect spectral characteristics of the observed ground motions at longer periods, generating significantly larger seismic demands on the structures than ordinary records. The results of the rupture scenario simulations revealed the rupture directivity effect, the radial rupture propagation toward the site, and the focusing effect as the main mechanisms of the near-fault ground motion pulse generation. The predominance of one of these mechanisms depends on the location of the site relative to the causative fault plane. The analysis also provides the main candidate mechanisms for the worst-case rupture scenarios of pulse generation for the city of L'Aquila and, more generally, the hanging-wall sites located above the area of large slip (strong motion generation area).
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THE NEAR REAL-TIME SYSTEM FOR ESTIMATING THE SEISMIC DAMAGE IN ROMANIA (SEISDARO) | Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C., Ionescu C., Țigănescu A. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 16ECEE | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | | - |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C., Ionescu C., Țigănescu A.
Abstract:
Romania is one of Europe's countries with the greatest seismic hazard, mainly due to major earthquakes originating in the subcrustal Vrancea Source. A future major earthquake could be a shock, therefore it is vital to estimate in actual context the size and distribution of losses, based on scenarios (leading to seismic mitigation), but also in real-time (with impact on effective emergency response). Since 2011, the National Institute for Earth Physics engaged in this effort and created SeisDaRo-a system dedicated to the estimation of seismic damage in Romania, in terms of building damage and fatalities. In 2016, a 3 rd version, described in this paper, was released, providing significant upgrades: a custom ShakeMap module for computing faster and more representative to Vrancea Source intensities and accelerations, and a module representing an adaptation to Romania of the USGS's PAGER methodology. The other version's module relying on the SELENA software is also included, using the Improved Displacement Coefficient Method for estimating building failure probability and HAZUS method for fatality estimation. As building and population database, SeisDaRo now uses newer data from the 2011 National Census. The system is functional in real-time, collecting input now also from the NIEP's Early Warning System; therefore, SeisDaRo 3 can generate a range for fatality estimates within 35 seconds after the alarm is issued. All modules provide results in less than 6 minutes. In order to test the system, we used 5 relevant Vrancea earthquake scenarios (with magnitudes from 6.4 to 7.7). Results show that although estimations using the two different modules do not match exactly (SELENA apparently slightly overestimates), representative insights regarding the potential damage scale of Vrancea earthquakes can be extracted.
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ESTIMATING THE IMPACT OF STRONG EARTHQUAKES ON THE ROMANIAN ROAD NETWORK SYSTEM | Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C., Manea E.F. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 16ECEE | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | | - |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C., Manea E.F.
Abstract:
In the context of an ever-increasing exposure, the estimation of direct and indirect earthquake impact is vital to building resilient societies. As recent events showed, road networks are an essential support for rapid intervention and long-term recovery, but they can also be severely affected by seismic and seismically-triggered events, leading to additional risks. In order to aid in mitigation efforts, we investigate the potential impact of strong earthquakes on the Romanian national road network. The methodology implies combining in GIS multiple layers regarding road network characteristics, seismic hazard, landslide susceptibility and road damage index obtained based on previous earthquake experiences, in order to generate a relative estimation of the most critical road segments. This estimation contributes to the determination of potentially affected/isolated areas and to an assessment of the number of road kilometers with failure capacity. Although the data used is limited (vector road network data is obtained from OpenStreetMap since official GIS data is non-existent, no considerations for road structures like bridges could be made), the analysis reveals general aspects with contribution in revealing general damage patterns and indicating areas to be analyzes more in detail. The framework can easily be adapted to other study areas. Results reveal the influence of intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes, which have the potential of generating a vast amount of damage over a wide-extent area.
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CATALOGUE OF EARTHQUAKE MECHANISM AND CORRELATION WITH THE MOST ACTIVE SEISMOGENIC ZONES IN SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Bălă A., Radulian M., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D. | SEISMIC HAZARD AND RISK ASSESSMENT, SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS, SPRINGER | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 23-37 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Radulian M., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Earthquake mechanism and fault plane solution information is fundamental to determine the stress field and to define seismogenic and active tectonic zones. At the same time, it is a basic input to compute seismic hazard by deterministic approach. The purpose of this paper is to update the catalogue of the fault plane solutions for Romanian earthquakes for the time interval 1998–2012. The catalogue is limited geographically to the Carpathians Orogeny and extra-Carpathians area located in the south—eastern part of Romania. The catalogue comprises 259 intermediate-depth seismic events and 90 crustal seismic events, covering the study time interval. All the existing information is considered and revised. The fault plane solutions of the Vrancea earthquakes generated in a confined sinking plate in the mantle reflect the dominant geodynamic process in the study region. The typical features revealed by all the previous studies on the subcrustal seismic activity (predominant dip-slip, reverse faulting, characterizing both the weak and strong earthquakes) are reproduced as well by our investigation. As concerns the earthquake activity in the crust, a few new refined aspects are highlighted in the present work: (1) a deficit of the strike-slip component over the entire Carpathians foredeep area, (2) different stress field pattern in the Făgăraş—Câmpulung zone as compared with the Moesian Platform and Pre-Dobrogean and Bârlad Depressions, (3) a larger range for the dip angle of the nodal planes in the Vrancea subcrustal source, ~400–700 against ~700, as commonly considered.
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SEISMIC MONITORING OF STRUCTURES SUBJECTED TO MEDIUM INTENSITY EARTHQUAKES | Bălan S.F., Țigănescu A., Apostol B.F | 18TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2018 | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 955-962 | |
Authors:
Bălan S.F., Țigănescu A., Apostol B.F
Abstract:
The paper presents accelerations, response spectra and spectral ratio for two tower-type buildings, one in Southern part of Bucharest, T1, at 160 km from the epicenter zone, and other, T2, near the epicenter zone, Vrancea. These seismic characteristics are all from recorded earthquakes triggered in the above mentioned area. 3 triaxial seismic accelerometers were used on 3 levels at each building. The accelerations recorded on the analyzed structures were a result of Vrancea medium magnitude earthquakes between 2014-2017 years, with magnitudes Mw ranging from 3.8 to 5.6, and focal depths between about 40 km to 148 km. An analysis of structural response was made concerning each building, T1 on 12 seismic events and T2 on 6 ones, and with 4 common seismic events for both structures. Maximum accelerations at three buildings levels and acceleration response spectra at the basement of buildings are calculated for two strongest earthquakes, and spectral ratio (top/base) for three, respectively two strongest seisms. The recorded data and subsequent analysis will contribute to a better understanding of the structures responses, even subjected to medium magnitude seismic events, and to the mitigation of seismic risk for densely populated areas.
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ABNORMAL ANIMAL BEHAVIOR PRIOR TO THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) MAJOR SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Constantin A.P., Moldovan I. A., Partheniu R. | SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING, SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARD | BDI | ARTICLE | 2018 | 131-143 | |
Authors:
Constantin A.P., Moldovan I. A., Partheniu R.
Abstract:
The goal of this paper is to present some observations about the abnormal animal behavior prior to and during some Romanian subcrustal earthquakes. The major Vrancea earthquakes of 4 March 1977 (MW = 7.4, Imax = IX–X MSK), 30 August 1986 (MW = 7.1, I0 = VIII–IX MSK) and 30 May 1990 (MW = 6.9, I0 = VIII MSK), were preceded by extensive occurrences of anomalous animal behavior. These data were collected immediately after the earthquakes from the affected areas. Some species of animals became excited, nervous and panicked before and during the earthquakes, such as: dogs (barking, howling and running in panic), cats, birds (hens, geese, turkey hens, ducks, pigeons, parrots), cattle, pigs, mice and rats (came into the houses and have lost their fear), horses, fishes, snakes etc. These strange manifestations of the animals were observed on the entire territory of the country, especially in the extra-Carpathian area. This unusual behavior was noticed within a few seconds to days before the seismic events, but for the most of cases the time of occurrence was within two hours prior to the quakes. We hope that one day the abnormal animal behavior will be documented enough in order to be used as a reliable seismic precursor for the intermediate depth earthquakes.
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RESEARCH BASED TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS FOR SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION IN ROMANIA | Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Grecu B., Năstase E. | 18TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2018 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2018 | 18 | - |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Grecu B., Năstase E.
Abstract:
Research institutions and academia play an important role in developing new methods for disaster management and advancing the state-of-the art in risk reduction. In the case of natural disaster studies, fundamental research and theoretical approaches can be directed toward the development of new tools and technologies with direct applicability in the management of emergency situations and in risk mitigation. What needs to be considered by all those actors who can contribute to strengthening the response capacity and raising the level of information of decision-makers, intervention units and society is precisely the adjustment of the tools developed for the purpose in which they will be used.
The information required by decision makers covers a wide range of spatial and temporal scales and more important, needs to be timely delivered, continuously updated, easily accessible and understandable. This becomes a challenge in itself, considering that the information will come at the end of the processing flow and at different stages of scientific analysis and interpretation.
In this paper, we underline the best practices implemented in Romania, a country with a high seismic risk, through a scientific investigation focused on the results of seismic monitoring hazard assessment and active collaboration among institutions involved in natural hazards risk management. Going from GIS mapping tools to early warning system and then to dedicated communication, training and education facilities, the support instruments are discussed in terms of advantages and limitations. We also address the importance of communication among scientists, disaster managers and community planners as well as public outreach to assure that everybody knows what tools are available and what issues can be addressed.
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MOBEE: A SCIENCE CAMPAIGN TO URGE EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS IN QUAKE-PRONE COUNTRIES | Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase E. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 121-128 | |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase E.
Abstract:
Over the last few years, science has advanced unprecedentedly in explaining phenomena and facts with a high impact on society: earthquakes for example. On the other hand, new technologies are transforming the way (seismological) information is collected and transmitted to public and other various stakeholders categories. From interactive multimedia content to immersive experiences, difficult concepts become easier to be transmitted and understood by a wide variety of audience, starting with children, a most important part of tomorrow?s society. But what if the aiming is far more than captivating young people or promoting science and scientific results? How can we, scientists, deliver information in such a way that awareness and mitigation comes immediately after or even together with learning and understanding? For a quake-prone country, earthquakes have to be a major and continuous concern, but depending on the recurrence period of damaging events, effective measures for mitigation might not be disregarded but considered as top priority. Romania is a good example, with an average of 2-3 earthquakes with magnitude greater than 7 per century. Although the seismic hazard was recently reevaluated and ranked one in the top of hazards with the greatest impact on population and economy, and also giving that questionnaires indicated that people are most afraid of earthquakes, the preparedness actions are very slow in Romania. One of the reasons lie in the fact that people forgot what an earthquake can do (as they also did prior to the 1940 and 1977 events). That is why special tools are necessary to address the needs for education and awareness in a technologically oriented society. In a world where information delivered through social media travels much faster than seismic waves, scientists need to adapt and be more present as an authoritative and relevant source of information. In this context, a partnership that brings together the unique expertise of geoscientists, visual designers and digital content developers was established, in order to develop and deliver a modern and innovative product: a Mobile Earthquake Exhibition (MOBEE). MOBEE aims to mobilize wide public as well as media and decision makers to increase earthquake preparedness by delivering and wisely spreading earthquake information and scientific explanations related to this natural hazard. The exposition makes use of new digital technologies (mobile apps, mapping tools or touch screen devices) but also explores the interplay between science and art, or more precisely how visual art can help better explain and transmit science concepts and generate new research and visual communication tools about seismic safety.
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OPTIMIZATION OF EARTHQUAKE DETECTION AND LOCATION IN AREAS WITH LOW AND COMPLEX SEISMICITY | Tătaru D., Poiată N., Grecu B. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | - |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Poiată N., Grecu B.
Abstract:
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A STUDY ON DETERMINATION OF CUMULATIVE ABSOLUTE VELOCITY (CAV) THRESHOLD LEVELS FOR THE VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Alcik H., Mărmureanu A., Toader V.E., Ionescu C, Zulfikar C. | ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT JOURNAL | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 16, 1, 141-147 | |
Authors:
Alcik H., Mărmureanu A., Toader V.E., Ionescu C, Zulfikar C.
Abstract:
Natural disasters from earthquakes can cause considerable damage, with potentially severe effects to urban environment. The last strong Vrancea earthquake was on March 4, 1977 (Mw=7.4, depth=95km); tens of thousands of buildings damaged, many people injured and dead. Strong earthquakes in the Vrancea zone occur between 60-200 km depth within an almost vertical column.
Bucharest Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system detects earthquakes with a seismic network in the epicentral Vrancea region and issues a warning in Bucharest providing 20-25s warning time. In this study, we have investigated the relationships of the bracketed cumulative absolute velocity window (BCAV-W) approach versus epicentral distance and magnitude for Vrancea region. Firstly, a set of time histories contains 11 earthquakes, 111 strong ground motion records for intermediate depth
earthquakes with different magnitudes (4.0≤Mw≤6.0) and epicentral distances (0-200 km) are analyzed to determine relations between the window size (W) and BCAV-W ratio. The BCAV-W computed for different windows time size 2s, 4s, 8s, 12s, 16s, 32s, 64s, 128s and 256s have the ratios 24%, 40%, 61%, 74%, 84%, 97%, 97%, 100% and 100% to the total BCAV respectively.
The results show that there is no significant benefit to choose a window size more than 16s. Subsequently, rational threshold levels related to Mw=5.4+ earthquakes are determined as 0.28 m/s and 0.34 m/s related to 12-second and 16-second windows, respectively. The goal of the paper is to enhance EEW capability to decrease the effects of Vrancea earthquakes on urban and built environment.
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ELASTIC DISPLACEMENT IN A HALF-SPACE UNDER THE ACTION OF A TENSOR FORCE. GENERAL SOLUTION FOR THE HALF-SPACE WITH POINT FORCES | Apostol B. F. | JOURNAL OF ELASTICITY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 126, 2, 231-244 | |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
The elastic displacement in an isotropic elastic half-space with free surface is calculated for a point tensor force which may arise from the seismic moment of seismic sources concentrated at an inner point of the half-space. The starting point of the calculation is the decomposition of the displacement by means of the Helmholtz potentials and a simplified version of the Grodskii-Neuber-Papkovitch procedure. The calculations are carried out by using generalized Poisson equations and in-plane Fourier transforms, which are convenient for treating boundary conditions. As a general result we compute the displacement in the isotropic elastic half-space with free surface caused by point forces with arbitrary structure and orientation, localized either beneath the surface (generalized Mindlin problem) or on the surface (generalized Boussinesq-Cerruti problems). The inverse Fourier transforms are carried out by means of Sommerfeld-type integrals. For forces buried in the half-space explicit results are given for the surface displacement, which may exhibit finite values at the origin, or at distances on the surface of the order of the depth of the source. The problem presented here may be viewed as an addition to the well-known static problems of elastic equilibrium of a half-space under the action of concentrated loads. The application of the method to similar problems and another approach to the starting point of the general solution are discussed.
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A RESONANT COUPLING OF A LOCALIZED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR TO AN ELASTIC MEDIUM | Apostol B. F. | ISI | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 69, 4 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
The motion a point harmonic oscillator coupled to a homogeneous elastic medium and localized either on the medium’s surface or embedded in the medium is analzyed. Two new elements are introduced, one regarding the reaction of the oscillator upon the medium and another concerning a coupling function. The present analysis is meant to be relevant for the effects a seismic motion may have upon a localized structure, either natural or man-built. It is shown that the reaction of the oscillator modifies its inertia, which in turn leads to a change in the oscillator’s eigenfrequency; this change is controlled by the coupling function. The present treatment opens the way of introducing new, more realistic features in analyzing the effect of the seismic motion upon localized structures, in particular the non-linear features of the coupling of the structure with its local site’s motion.
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SPECTRAL INVESTIGATION OF INFRASONIC SIGNALS RECORDED ON THE ROMANIAN BLACK SEA COAST | Moldovan I.A., Toader V.E., Moldovan A.S., Ghica D., Constantin A.P. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Toader V.E., Moldovan A.S., Ghica D., Constantin A.P.
Abstract:
he atmospheric sound waves with frequencies lower than 20Hz are named infrasound waves. Among the multitude of infrasonic signals that have been recorded and detected during time, some of them have been associated with different natural or anthropogenic sources and the source of many other remaining hidden and unknown. At the beginning of year 2013, a permanent infrasound monitoring system composed by a MB AZEL2007 microbarometer, the digitizer and the transmitting equipment, was installed by NIEP, at Mangalia, Romania, on the Black Sea coast line (at 50m from the water front) to test the infrasonic method in correlation with local, regional, and global sources producing acoustic waves with frequencies lower than 20Hz. Five years of recordings show at lower frequencies (less than 2Hz) a predictable behavior of infrasonic activity on the seashore, suggesting the presence of highly coherent infrasound waves in atmosphere. At higher frequencies (2Hz-8Hz) there appeared a type of waves that was never recorded before by our infrasonic sensors in other locations far away from the sea shore. The interesting aspect on the spectrogram resides in well defined, visible superior harmonics of the dominant signal, which develops between 2 and 8Hz. These harmonics are clear and create the specific spider legs aspect present in spectrograms. The precise source of these high amplitude signals at higher frequencies is under investigation and a couple of suppositions have been made. One of them refers to the composition of atmosphere that might be possible to act as a band pass filter which selects certain preferred frequencies from the background infrasonic noise induced by water's surface. The propagation parameters of this filter may be altered by aerosols concentration, humidity, temperature and, perhaps, by other factors. The corroboration of the infrasound recordings and spectrograms with local meteorological data show a good correlation between the spectrogram and the daily variation of the humidity parameter.
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ELASTICWAVES INSIDE AND ON THE SURFACE OF A HALF-SPACE | Apostol B. F. | QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF MECHANICS AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 70, 3, 289-308 | |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
The notions of ‘elementary’ seismic sources and ‘elementary’ earthquakes are introduced, as being associated with ‘elementary’ tensorial point forces with a -like time dependence (where
is the Dirac delta function). The tensorial character of these forces, known in Seismology as the dipole (or double-couple) representation, is given by the tensor of the seismic moment. A regular seismic source and a regular earthquake can be represented as a superposition of elementary sources and, respectively, elementary earthquakes, governed by a space-time structure factor of the seismic focal region. All these are new concepts. Elementary seismic sources are considered here for a homogeneous isotropic elastic half-space bounded by a free plane surface, the sources being located at an inner point in the half-space. A transient regime of generation and propagation of seismic waves is identified, as distinct from the stationary regime of elastic vibrations. This is another new concept. It is shown that elementary seismic sources produce (double-shock) spherical-shell waves (in the wave region), which are the well-known P and S waves associated with the feeble tremor in the recorded seismograms. Their mathematical expression, derived here from the tensorial force, differs from known, particular cases. These waves are called here collectively ‘primary’ waves. It is shown that the primary waves interact with the surface of the half-space, where they give rise to ‘secondary’ wave sources, placed on the surface. The secondary waves generated by the secondary sources (which may be called ‘surface seismic radiation’) are estimated here in a simplified model. It is shown that the secondary waves have a delay time in comparison with the primary waves and give rise to a main shock and a long seismic tail, in qualitative agreement with the seismic records. The secondary wave introduced here is a new concept; the main shock and its long tail derived here are elements of novelty. Similarly, the secondary waves generated by an internal discontinuity in the elastic properties of the half-space (an interface parallel with the free surface) are also estimated; it is shown that the discontinuity reduces appreciably the singular main shock on the free surface of the homogeneous half-space.
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REALISTIC FEATURES IN ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF THE SEISMIC MOTION UPON LOCALIZED STRUCTURES CONSIDERING BASE ISOLATION INFLUENCE ON THEIR DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR | Apostol B.F., Bălan S.F., Ionescu C. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM WMESS 2017 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 95, 3, 32017 | |
Authors:
Apostol B.F., Bălan S.F., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The effects of the earthquakes on buildings and the concept of seismic base isolation are investigated by using the model of the vibrating bar embedded at one end. The normal modes and the eigenfrequencies of the bar are highlighted and the amplification of the response due to the excitation of the normal modes (eigenmodes) is computed. The effect is much enhanced at resonance, for oscillating shocks which contain eigenfrequencies of the bar. Also, the response of two linearly joined bars with one end embedded is calculated. It is shown that for very different elastic properties the eigenfrequencies are due mainly to the "softer" bar. The effect of the base isolation in seismic structural engineering is assessed by formulating the model of coupled harmonic oscillators, as a simplified model for the structure building-foundation viewed as two coupled vibrating bars. The coupling decreases the lower eigenfrequencies of the structure and increases the higher ones. Similar amplification factors are derived for coupled oscillators at resonance with an oscillating shock.
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SEISMIC WAVE ATTENUATION IN THE VRANCEA REGION. PART I. THE APPROACH FOR 1-D Q-MODEL ESTIMATION | Ardeleanu L. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 62, 7-8, 815 | |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
An approach based on high-frequency waveform modeling is proposed to estimate 1-D (depth-dependent) models of the quality factor of the medium Q in the area located at the bending of the Eastern Carpathians. The algorithm is a non-linear inversion in which the normalised amplitude spectra of local records of low-tomoderate magnitude earthquakes are compared with the synthetic signal spectra, generated for point sources with the same location and mechanism as the recorded
events. The best fitting Q-models are determined by minimizing the sum of squares of logarithmic residuals between theoretical and observed spectra. Several tests investigating the effect of the uncertainty of earthquake mechanism and hypocenter location on the resolution of the retrieved attenuation structures are presented.
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VULNERABILITY TO EARTHQUAKE HAZARD: BUCHAREST CASE STUDY, ROMANIA | Armaș I.¸ Toma-Dănilă D., Ionescu R., Gavriș A. | INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK SCIENCE | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 8, 182-195 | |
Authors:
Armaș I.¸ Toma-Dănilă D., Ionescu R., Gavriș A.
Abstract:
Recent seismic events show that urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to seismic damage, which leads to unprecedented levels of risk. Cities are complex systems and as such their analysis requires a good understanding of the interactions between space and the socioeconomic variables characteristic of the inhabitants of urban space. There is a clear need to develop and test detailed models that describe the behavior of these interactions under seismic impact. This article develops an overall vulnerability index to seismic hazard based on a spatial approach applied to Bucharest, Romania, the most earthquake-prone capital in the European Union. The methodology relies on: (1) spatial post-processed socioeconomic data from the 2011 Romanian census through multicriteria analysis; and (2) analytical methods (the Improved Displacement Coefficient Method and custom-defined vulnerability functions) for estimating damage patterns, incorporated in a GIS environment. We computed vulnerability indices for the 128 census tracts of the city. Model sensitivity assessment tested the robustness of spatially identified patterns of building vulnerability in the face of uncertainty in model inputs. The results show that useful seismic vulnerability indices can be obtained through interdisciplinary approaches that enhance less detailed datasets, which leads lead to better targeted mitigation efforts.
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BRIEF OVERVIEW OF USING NONLINEAR SEISMOLOGY IN ANALYSIS OF THE SOIL DEPOSITS EFFECTS ON STRUCTURE LOCATION | Bălan S. F., Apostol B. F., Ionescu C. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM WMESS 2017 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 95, 3 | |
Authors:
Bălan S. F., Apostol B. F., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The purpose of the paper is to show the great influence of nonlinear seismology in the analysis of the soil deposit response. Some elements about nonlinear seismology, the complexity of the seismic phenomenon are presented, and how we perceive seismic input for constructions at the surface of the earth. Further is presented the nonlinear behaviour of soil deposits during strong earthquakes as it results from resonant column tests (in laboratory) and from the spectral amplification factors (in situ records). The resonance phenomenon between natural period of a structure and soil deposit during strong earthquakes is analysed. All these studies have in common nonlinear behaviour of the soil deposit during strong earthquakes, in fact, the site where a new construction is built or an old one is rehabilitated and needs an optional assessment for mitigation seismic risk. All these studies stand up in supporting nonlinear seismology, the seismology of the XXI-st century.
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ASSESSING OF THE CRUSTAL MODELS AND ACTIVE FAULTS SYSTEMS IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA WITH APPLICATIONS IN SEISMIC HAZARD | Bălă A., Răileanu V. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 69, 1 | - |
Authors:
Bălă A., Răileanu V.
Abstract:
Seismicity in western part of Romania is the result of tectonic evolution, which created a fragmented structure at the crystalline basement level, with blocks that have suffered differential movements due to general tectonic stress in the area, and due to secondary factors such as erosion or lateral variations in density. Some of the faults formed during development of the units under survey were reactivated later in recent periods of stress and became seismogenic faults. The present paper is an analysis of tectonics and seismicity in the western part of Romania (Pannonian depression and Transylvanian Basin, and the Apuseni Mountains Orogen). Several maps interpreted by different Romanian authors on local tectonics are presented and a final map with active faults in the region of study is constructed.
The first part is a summary of the stress field in the Earth crust and tectonic evolution of the Carpathian area with particular reference to the units analyzed. Each unit is analyzed based on published sources, finally emphasizing the peculiarities of each area and tectonic fault lines known in particular. In a later chapter is a summary of information on the behavior of the stress field of study areas and seismicity zone, the range of magnitude and hypocenter depths registered with mention of the most significant events occurring over time and relative to areas where they were concentrated.
In the last chapter fault systems in the study region are presented, their peculiarities as they appear in the available studies projected on the local tectonic structure for each of the areas under examination. Results are reported using the tectonic map of Romania, on which epicenters of earthquakes in the catalog ROMPLUS (NIEP Catalog) by the end of 2010 are projected.
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CRUSTAL MODELS ASSESSMENT IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA EMPLOYING ACTIVE SEISMIC AND SEISMOLOGIC METHODS | Bălă A., Toma-Dănilă D., Tătaru D., Grecu B. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM WMESS 2017 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 95, 3, 32026 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Toma-Dănilă D., Tătaru D., Grecu B.
Abstract:
In the years 1999 - 2000, two regional seismic refraction lines were performed in close cooperation with German partners from the University of Karlsruhe. One of these lines is Vrancea 2001, with 420 km in length, almost half of them recorded in Transylvanian Basin. The structure of the crust along the seismic line revealed a very complicated crustal structure beginning with Eastern Carpathians and continuing in the Transylvanian Basin until Medias. As a result of the development of the National Seismic Network in the last ten years, more than 100 permanent broadband stations are now continuously operating in Romania. Complementary to this national dataset, maintained and developed in the National Institute for Earth Physics, new data emerged from the temporary seismologic networks established during the joint projects with European partners in the last decades. The data gathered so far is valuable both for seismology purposes and crustal structure studies, especially for the western part of the country, where this kind of data were sparse until now. Between 2009 and 2011, a new reference model for the Earth's crust and mantle of the European Plate was defined through the NERIES project from existing data and models. The database gathered from different kind of measurements in Transylvanian Basin and eastern Pannonian Basin were included in this NERIES model and an improved and upgraded model of the Earth crust emerged for western part of Romania. Although the dataset has its origins in several periods over the last 50 years, the results are homogeneous and they improve and strengthen our image about the depth of the principal boundaries in the crust. In the last chapter two maps regarding these boundaries are constructed, one for mid-crustal boundary and one for Moho. They were build considering all the punctual information available from different sources in active seismic and seismology which are introduced in the general maps from the NERIES project for Romania. The depths maps in the study region are presented with all their regional peculiarities as they appear, projected on the local tectonic structure for the area under examination.
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SEISMIC SCATTERING AND ABSORPTION MAPPING FROM INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES REVEALS COMPLEX TECTONIC INTERACTIONS ACTING IN THE VRANCEA REGION AND SURROUNDINGS (ROMANIA) | Borleanu F., De Siena L., Thomas C., Popa M., Radulian M. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 706-707, 129-142 | |
Authors:
Borleanu F., De Siena L., Thomas C., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The Vrancea region, located at the southeastern edge of the Carpathians arc bend, is a region of intense seismicity, whose major earthquakes produce hazard in southeastern Europe. Despite the consequent focus of the geophysical and geological community on providing accurate structural and dynamical models of Vrancea, these are still subject to numerous controversies and debates. In the present study, we use intermediate-depth seismicity recorded by the broadband stations of the Romanian Seismic Network between 2009 and 2011 to measure S-wave peak delay times and late-time coda quality factors. After mapping these two quantities in space, a cluster analysis provides a quantitative structural interpretation of the region in terms of different attenuation mechanisms affecting the seismic wave field, i.e. seismic scattering and seismic absorption. The results show that scattering is higher west and northwest of Vrancea, while absorption dominates in the Focsani Basin, located in the forearc region. In general, we obtain higher absorption in stable regions, with patterns emphasized at high-frequency affected by the presence of hydrocarbons and natural gas reservoirs in the upper crustal layers. Regions characterized by active seismicity and structural heterogeneity show higher scattering, spatially correlated with the highest velocity contrasts and the lowest density. The high-frequency scattering/absorption contrasts obtained using the cluster analysis depict a southwest-to-northeast lithospheric contrast, following the epicentral trend of Vrancea earthquakes, and characteristic of either lithospheric subduction or delamination. Low-frequency cluster analysis results, sampling deeper Earth layers, mark a unique high-absorption trend perpendicular to the epicentral trend, feasibly linked to Neogene volcanism, and induced by the back-arc mantle upwelling. Its most recent expression is Ciomadul volcano, located at the northwestern limit of the absorption trend.
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AVOIDANCE STRATEGY FOR SOIL-STRUCTURE RESONANCE BY CONSIDERING NONLINEAR BEHAVIOR OF THE SITE MATERIALS | Bratoșin D., Apostol B. F., Bălan S. F. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 62, 5-6 | - |
Authors:
Bratoșin D., Apostol B. F., Bălan S. F.
Abstract:
An appropriate estimation of the site-structure resonance period involves the nonlinear dependence of the site natural period on strain or loading level. The site materials are assumed in this paper to be nonlinear viscoelastic materials, modeled by a nonlinear Kelvin-Voigt model. By using resonant column tests we can quantify the nonlinear dependence of the site natural period in the normalized form Tn=Tn(∙) , such that the nonlinear site natural function acquires the form: Tg(∙)=T0⋅Tn(∙), with
T0 being the fundamental period from seismic recordings. The method consists in laboratory experiments on soils samples for a site with sufficient seismic records. In order to mitigate seismic risk, the structures fundamental period must be outside the range of the computed nonlinear values.
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2013 SEISMIC SWARM RECORDED IN GALATI AREA, ROMANIA- FOCAL MECHANISM SOLUTIONS | Craiu A., Craiu M., Diaconescu M., Mărmureanu A. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOFISICA | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 52, 1, 53-67 | |
Authors:
Craiu A., Craiu M., Diaconescu M., Mărmureanu A.
Abstract:
An unusual seismic swarm started on September 23, 2013, close to Galati city, in Izvoarele region (Romania), and lasted until November 12, 2013. 406 earthquakes were recorded during several phases of seismic activity. The strongest events—a magnitude 3.9 earthquake, occurred on September 29, and two ML 3.8 shocks, occurred on October 3 and 4, respectively, were accompanied by specific seismicity bursts. The seismogenic region of the swarm is situated between two main crustal faults, which builds up the primary fault system, oriented SE–NW: New Trotus Fault (at the limit between North Dobrogea and Scythian Platform) to the North and east, and Peceneaga Camena fault (which separates North Dobrogea block from the Moesian Platform) to the South. The epicentral zone belongs to a complex tectonic area, in which a secondary fault system—lying NE–SW, perpendicular to the primary system—is also present. The focal mechanisms show normal faulting, with an important strike-slip component, one of the nodal planes being oriented roughly in a NE–SW direction. The objective of this study is to investigate the seismic swarm recorded in a new seismic area of Romania, near the town Galati in Izvoarele region. We show detailed hypocentral location, focal mechanisms and the correlation between seismicity and tectonic structures.
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PERCEPTION AND PREPAREDNESS OF THE TSUNAMI RISK WITHIN THE BLACK SEA (ROMANIA) COMMUNITIES | Constantin A.P., Moldovan I.A., Lavigne F., Grancher D., Partheniu R. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | |
Authors:
Constantin A.P., Moldovan I.A., Lavigne F., Grancher D., Partheniu R.
Abstract:
Tsunami is one of the major natural hazards presenting significant flood risk for coastal communities and therefore, increasing the society resilience to this phenomena in exposed areas is very important for minimizing damage and possible destructive effects on the environment in these areas. In the frame of the EC Programme-FP7 ASTARTE project (Assessment, STrategy And Risk reduction for Tsunamis in Europe), we conducted a questionnaire survey among people living, working, or visiting Eforie Nord site. The tsunami questionnaire has been translated in Romanian language, the questions referring to: interviewee's relation to Eforie Nord site, information about interviewed people, tsunami hazard knowledge/risk perception, evacuation issue, awareness of the existing warning system, information, and communication. The results obtained after the survey confirm that coastal communities from Romania are not resilient to tsunami hazard. Our respondents have mentioned from natural and anthropic types of hazards, the tsunami as third rank in Eforie Nord test site, coming after earthquakes and storms. Whatever the respondent?s status (i.e. local population, or tourists), earthquakes and sea withdrawal are cited as tsunami warning signs by 62% and 60% of the respondents, respectively. Regarding the perception of a future tsunami event in Eforie Nord, 36.3% of the respondents think that the place could be affected by a tsunami and the tsunami wave could reach more than 2-5 meters (heights cited by approx. 14% of respondents) or even more than 5-10 meters (values cited by 15% of interviewed people).
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A TALE OF TWO OROGENS: CRUSTAL PROCESSES IN THE PROTEROZOIC TRANS-HUDSON AND GRENVILLE OROGENS, EASTERN CANADA | Darbyshire F., Bastow I. D., Petrescu L., Gilligan A., Thompson D. A. | TECTONICS | | ARTICLE | 2017 | 36, 8, 1633-1659 | |
Authors:
Darbyshire F., Bastow I. D., Petrescu L., Gilligan A., Thompson D. A.
Abstract:
The Precambrian core of North America was assembled in the Proterozoic by a series of collisions between Archean cratons. Among the orogenic belts, two stand out due to their significant spatial extent. The Paleoproterozoic Trans-Hudson Orogen (THO) and Mesoproterozoic Grenville Orogen extend for thousands of kilometers along strike and hundreds of kilometers across strike. Both have been compared to the present-day Himalayan-Karakoram-Tibetan Orogen (HKTO). Over the last 20–30 years, active and passive source seismic studies have contributed a wealth of information about the present-day crustal structure and composition of the two orogens in Canada. The Proterozoic orogenic crust is generally thicker than that of neighboring Archean terranes, with a more variable Moho character, ranging from relatively sharp to highly diffuse. Both orogens have a prominent high-velocity lower crustal layer, consistent with long-term preservation of a partially eclogitized root at the base of the crust and similar to that inferred beneath the western HKTO. Crustal structure in the northern THO strongly resembles the lower crustal structure of the HKTO, suggesting that Moho depths may have reached 60–70 km when the orogen was active. A prominent midcrustal discontinuity beneath the central Grenville Province and changes in the patterns of seismic anisotropy in the THO crust beneath Hudson Bay provide geophysical evidence that lower crustal flow likely played a role in the evolution of both orogens, similar to that inferred beneath the present-day HKTO. The seismic evidence from Canada supports the notion of tectonic uniformitarianism, at least as far back as the Paleoproterozoic.
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FAST MOMENT MAGNITUDE DETERMINATION FROM P-WAVE TRAINS FOR BUCHAREST RAPID EARLY WARNING SYSTEM (BREWS) | Lizurek G., Mărmureanu A., Wiszniowski J. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 174, 3, 1489-1502 | |
Authors:
Lizurek G., Mărmureanu A., Wiszniowski J.
Abstract:
Bucharest, with a population of approximately 2 million people, has suffered damage from earthquakes in the Vrancea seismic zone, which is located about 170 km from Bucharest, at a depth of 80–200 km. Consequently, an earthquake early warning system (Bucharest Rapid earthquake Early Warning System or BREWS) was constructed to provide some warning about impending shaking from large earthquakes in the Vrancea zone. In order to provide quick estimates of magnitude, seismic moment was first determined from P-waves and then a moment magnitude was determined from the moment. However, this magnitude may not be consistent with previous estimates of magnitude from the Romanian Seismic Network. This paper introduces the algorithm using P-wave spectral levels and compares them with catalog estimates. The testing procedure used waveforms from about 90 events with catalog magnitudes from 3.5 to 5.4. Corrections to the P-wave determined magnitudes according to dominant intermediate depth events mechanism were tested for November 22, 2014, M5.6 and October 17, M6 events. The corrections worked well, but unveiled overestimation of the average magnitude result of about 0.2 magnitude unit in the case of shallow depth event (H < 60 km). The P-wave spectral approach allows for the relatively fast estimates of magnitude for use in BREWS. The average correction taking into account the most common focal mechanism for radiation pattern coefficient may lead to overestimation of the magnitude for shallow events of about 0.2 magnitude unit. However, in case of events of intermediate depth of M6 the resulting M w is underestimated at about 0.1–0.2. We conclude that our P-wave spectral approach is sufficiently robust for the needs of BREWS for both shallow and intermediate depth events.
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ANALYSIS OF THE SEISMIC WAVEFIELD IN THE MOESIAN PLATFORM (BUCHAREST AREA) FOR HAZARD ASSESSMENT PURPOSES | Manea E. F., Michel C., Hobiger M., Fah D., Cioflan C. O., Radulian M. | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 210, 3, 1609-1622 | |
Authors:
Manea E. F., Michel C., Hobiger M., Fah D., Cioflan C. O., Radulian M.
Abstract:
During large earthquakes generated at intermediate depth in the Vrancea seismic zone, the ground motion recorded in Bucharest (Romania) is characterized by predominant long periods with strong amplification. Time–frequency analysis highlights the generation of low frequency surface waves (<1 Hz) for sufficiently strong and superficial events. This phenomenon has been explained by the influence of both source mechanism (radiation pattern, directivity effects) and mechanical properties of the local geological structure (geological layering and geometry). The main goal of our study is to better characterize and understand the seismic wavefield produced by earthquakes in the area of Bucharest, taking into account its location in the centre of the Moesian Platform, a large sedimentary basin (450 km long, 300 km wide and up to 20 km deep). To this aim, we identify the contribution of different seismic surface waves, such as the ones produced at the edges of this large sedimentary basin or multipath interference waves (Airy phases of Love and Rayleigh waves), on ground motion. The data from a 35 km diameter array (URS experiment) were used. The array was installed by the National Institute for Earth Physics in cooperation with the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology and operated during 10 months in 2003 and 2004 in the urban area of Bucharest and adjacent zones. The earthquake wavefield recorded by the URS array was analysed using the MUSIQUE technique. This technique analyses the three-component signals of all sensors of a seismic array together. The analysis includes 19 earthquakes with epicentral distances from 100 to 1560 km and with various backazimuths with enough energy at low frequencies (0.1–1 Hz), within the resolution range of the array. For all events, the largest portion of energy is arriving from the source direction and the wavefield is dominated by Love waves. The results of the array analyses clearly indicate a significant scattering corresponding to 2-D or 3-D effects of the Moesian Platform. The azimuthal distribution shows that the scattering comes primarily from the southern and northern edges of the basin. The Airy phase of Love waves was clearly identified as the main contributor in the range of the fundamental frequency of resonance of the basin (0.15–0.25 Hz), with directionality along the backazimuth and its opposite direction. Moreover, two further distinct frequency bands around 0.4 and 0.7 Hz with higher amplitudes were identified. Their complex nature is a combination of the higher modes of Rayleigh waves, Airy phases of Love waves and SH waves. Love and Rayleigh wave dispersion curves were successfully retrieved by combining the information of all events and show a good match with the ones obtained using ambient vibrations. Additionally, the first higher mode of Rayleigh waves could be retrieved using data from earthquakes. Also, the prograde and retrograde Rayleigh wave ellipticity was computed.
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SPECTRAL RESPONSE FEATURES USED IN LAST IAEA STRESS TEST TO NPP CERNAVODA (ROMANIA) BY CONSIDERING STRONG NONLINEAR BEHAVIOR OF SITE SOILS | Mărmureanu Gh., Manea E. F., Cioflan C.O., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C., Toma-Dănilă D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 62, 9-10, 822 | - |
Authors:
Mărmureanu Gh., Manea E. F., Cioflan C.O., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Devastating – and, in some sense, unforeseen – earthquakes in Nepal, Japan, New Zealand, Haiti, Sumatra and elsewhere have triggered in last time a heated debate about the legitimacy and limitations of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA). This method is a pure numerical creation, as it was developed from mathematical statistics and not based on earthquake physics. An important source of errors came from one of its key component: the Ground Motion Prediction
Equation (GMPE), which describes a relationship between a ground motion parameter (PGA etc.), magnitude M, distance R., without taking into account the nonlinear behavior of site soils during strong earthquakes. In order to capture these effects, the spectral amplification factors (SAF) were computed for the last recorded Vrancea intermediate-depth events showing a decrease with the increase of earthquake magnitude of earthquakes and these values are far of those given by R.G.1.60 of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission and IAEA Vienna. These SAF were used by NIEP, as alternative analysis, for NPP Cernavoda (Romania) in the last “2011 STRESS TEST” asked by IAEA Vienna after Japan's strong earthquake (Mw = 9.0).
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PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN THE BLACK SEA AREA | Moldovan I.A., Diaconescu M., Partheniu R., Constantin A.P., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 62, 5-6. 809 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Diaconescu M., Partheniu R., Constantin A.P., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
The paper has as its final goal the probabilistic assessment of seismic hazard in the Black Sea area as input for the tsunami hazard evaluation. Maximum and most expected magnitudes and their recurrence periods have been computed for all defined seismogenic sources from the marine area, and hazard curves have been plotted.
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INVESTIGATION OF PRE-EARTHQUAKE IONOSPHERIC ANOMALIES USING VLF/LF INFREP EUROPEAN AND GNSS GLOBAL NETWORKS | Oikonomou C., Haralambous H., Moldovan I. A., Greculeasa R. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 62, 7-8, ARTICLE NO. 816 | - |
Authors:
Oikonomou C., Haralambous H., Moldovan I. A., Greculeasa R.
Abstract:
Ionospheric TEC (Total Electron Content) variations and Low Frequency (LF) signal amplitude data prior to three large earthquakes (M ≥ 6) in Greece was analyzed using observations from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the European INFREP (International Network for Frontier Research on Earthquake Precursors) networks respectively, aiming to detect potential ionospheric
anomalies related to these events and describe their characteristics. For this, spectral analysis on TEC data and terminator time method on LF data were applied. It was found that TEC perturbations appeared few days (1–7) up to a few hours before the events lasting around 2–3 hours, with periods 20 and 3–5 minutes which could be associated with the impending earthquakes. In addition, in all three events, the sunrise terminator times were delayed approximately 20–40 min a few days prior and during the earthquake day.
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CALIBRATION OF CRUSTAL HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES FROM INTRA-CARPATHIAN REGION OF ROMANIA | Oros E., Popa M., Rogozea M. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM WMESS 2017 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 95, 3, 32004 | |
Authors:
Oros E., Popa M., Rogozea M.
Abstract:
The main task of the presented study is to elaborate a set of relations of mutual conversion macroseismic intensity - magnitude, necessary for the calibration of the historical crustal earthquakes produced in the Intra - Carpathian region of Romania, as a prerequisite for homogenization of the parametric catalogue of Romanian earthquakes. To achieve the goal, we selected a set of earthquakes for which we have quality macroseismic data and the Mw moment magnitude obtained instrumentally. These seismic events were used to determine the relations between the Mw and the peak/epicentral intensity, the isoseist surface area for I=3, I=4 and I=5: Mw = f (Imax / Io), Mw = f (Imax / Io, h), Mw = f (A3, A4; A5). We investigated several variants of such relationships and combinations, taking into account that the macroseismic data necessary for the re-evaluation of historical earthquakes in the investigated region are available in several forms. Thus, a number of investigations provided various information resulted after revising initial historical data: 1) Intensity data point (IDP) assimilated or not with the epicentre intensity after analysis of the correlation level with recent seismicity data and / or active tectonics / seismotectonics, 2) Sets of intensities obtained in several localities (IDPs) with variable values having maxims that can be considered equal to epicentral intensity (Io), 3) Sets of intensities obtained in several localities (IDPs) but without obvious maximum values, assimilable with the epicentral intensity, 4) maps with isoseismals, 5) Information on the areas in which the investigated earthquake was felt or the area of perceptiveness (e.g. I = 3 EMS during the day and I = 4 EMS at night) or the surfaces corresponding to a certain degree of well-defined intensity. The obtained relationships were validated using a set of earthquakes with instrumental source parameters (localization, depth, Mw). These relationships lead to redundant results meaningful in the process of estimating the quality and credibility of the primary data used (e.g. IDPs, isoseismals) and in the correct determination of Mw.
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SEISMIC ANISOTROPY OF PRECAMBRIAN LITHOSPHERE: INSIGHTS FROM RAYLEIGH WAVE TOMOGRAPHY OF THE EASTERN SUPERIOR CRATON | Petrescu L., Darbyshire F., Bastow I., Totten E., Gilligan A. | JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH: SOLID EARTH | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 122, 5, 3754-3775 | |
Authors:
Petrescu L., Darbyshire F., Bastow I., Totten E., Gilligan A.
Abstract:
The thick, seismically fast lithospheric keels underlying continental cores (cratons) are thought to have formed in the Precambrian and resisted subsequent tectonic destruction. A consensus is emerging from a variety of disciplines that keels are vertically stratified, but the processes that led to their development remain uncertain. Eastern Canada is a natural laboratory to study Precambrian lithospheric formation and evolution. It comprises the largest Archean craton in the world, the Superior Craton, surrounded by multiple Proterozoic orogenic belts. To investigate its lithospheric structure, we construct a frequency-dependent anisotropic seismic model of the region using Rayleigh waves from teleseismic earthquakes recorded at broadband seismic stations across eastern Canada. The joint interpretation of phase velocity heterogeneity and azimuthal anisotropy patterns reveals a seismically fast and anisotropically complex Superior Craton. The upper lithosphere records fossilized Archean tectonic deformation: anisotropic patterns align with the orientation of the main tectonic boundaries at periods ≤110 s. This implies that cratonic blocks were strong enough to sustain plate-scale deformation during collision at 2.5 Ga. Cratonic lithosphere with fossil anisotropy partially extends beneath adjacent Proterozoic belts. At periods sensitive to the lower lithosphere, we detect fast, more homogenous, and weakly anisotropic material, documenting postassembly lithospheric growth, possibly in a slow or stagnant convection regime. A heterogeneous, anisotropic transitional zone may also be present at the base of the keel. The detection of multiple lithospheric fabrics at different periods with distinct tectonic origins supports growing evidence that cratonization processes may be episodic and are not exclusively an Archean phenomenon.
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SOURCE PARAMETERS OF THE EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE THAT OCCURRED CLOSE TO THE BURAR ARRAY (ROMANIA) BETWEEN 24 JUNE AND 1 JULY 2011 | Popescu E., Plăcintă A. O., Radulian M., Borleanu F., Diaconescu M., Popa M. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 60, 2 | |
Authors:
Popescu E., Plăcintă A. O., Radulian M., Borleanu F., Diaconescu M., Popa M.
Abstract:
The seismic activity recorded in the Eastern Carpathians is poor and scarce (a few hundreds of small-to-moderate earthquakes in the Romanian catalogue over the last century). The installation in 2002 of the high-performance Bucovina (BURAR) array in the Eastern Carpathians area contributed to a significant growth of the capacity to monitor local seismicity. As a consequence, the earthquake sequence occurred between 24 June and 1 July 2011 close to the BURAR array is the best seismic data set ever recorded for this area. The location of the events using all the available data provided by the real-time seismic network of the National Institute for Earth Physics shows a NE-SW alignment along the western edge of Avrămeşti - Suceava fault. This fault is crossing the Carpathian Foredeep underthrusting the foreland units to the orogeny area. The distribution of the first P-wave polarities is fitting the geometry of this fault, indicating predominant strike-slip faulting, with right-lateral movement. The compression axis oriented E-W is in agreement with the stress field characterizing the region. We applied spectral ratios and empirical Green’s function methods to estimate the source parameters (corner frequency, seismic moment, source duration, rise time) for the events with moment magnitudes higher than 2.5 recorded within this sequence. The results show a simple fracture model for the main shock of 24 June 2011 and a constant stress drop scaling. Source parameter scaling relationships fit well the results obtained for other regions along the South-Eastern Carpathians and those which are typical for intra-continental areas.
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REPEATED EARTHQUAKES IN THE VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL SOURCE AND SOURCE SCALING | Popescu E., Plăcintă A. O., Borleanu F., Radulian M. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM WMESS 2017 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 95, 32005 | |
Authors:
Popescu E., Plăcintă A. O., Borleanu F., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismic nest, located at the South-Eastern Carpathians Arc bend, in Romania, is a well-confined cluster of seismicity at an intermediate depth (60 – 180 km). During the last 100 years, four major shocks were recorded in the lithosphere body descending almost vertically beneath the Vrancea region: 10 November 1940 (Mw 7.7, depth 150 km), 4 March 1977 (Mw 7.4, depth 94 km), 30 August 1986 (Mw 7.1, depth 131 km) and a double shock on 30 and 31 May 1990 (Mw 6.9, depth 91 km and Mw 6.4, depth 87 km, respectively). The probability of repeated earthquakes in the Vrancea seismogenic volume is relatively large taking into account the high density of foci. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate source parameters and clustering properties for the repetitive earthquakes (located close each other) recorded in the Vrancea seismogenic subcrustal region. To this aim, we selected a set of earthquakes as templates for different co-located groups of events covering the entire depth range of active seismicity. For the identified clusters of repetitive earthquakes, we applied spectral ratios technique and empirical Green's function deconvolution, in order to constrain as much as possible source parameters. Seismicity patterns of repeated earthquakes in space, time and size are investigated in order to detect potential interconnections with larger events. Specific scaling properties are analyzed as well. The present analysis represents a first attempt to provide a strategy for detecting and monitoring possible interconnections between different nodes of seismic activity and their role in modeling tectonic processes responsible for generating the major earthquakes in the Vrancea subcrustal seismogenic source.
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QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE CONTROL FOR AN INTEGRATED GNSS STUDY OVER NW GALATI SEISMOGENIC AREA | Năstase E.I., Muntean A., Ionescu C., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 327-334 | |
Authors:
Năstase E.I., Muntean A., Ionescu C., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C
Abstract:
A decade of improvements and new development of tools for observation statistics, standard point positioning, clock-jumps and cycle-slip detection and other interruptions over all constellations, frequencies and signals, satellite elevations and azimuths, elevation-specific histograms, satellite ascending/descending times for horizon and user elevation cut-off, pseudo-range multipath and noise, carrier-phase signal-to-noise ratio, data gaps and small data pieces and other useful lists and statistics allow us to analyze in detail the GNSS data collected for one of the main research subjects resulted from the September 2013 unique seismic swarm event that occurred in Romania. Open-source software such as: G-Nut/Anubis (Geodetic Observatory Pecn?), RTKLIB, gLAB (European Space Agency) and commercial software like: Leica Spider QC, Leica Geo Office are used for quality control over all available data of the Ph.D. thesis called ?An integrated GNSS and seismotectonic study of the NW Galati seismogenic area?. The main purpose of the paper is currently the quantity and quality monitoring of all available GNSS data achieved in 4 years of continuous monitoring along with the solutions obtained from the 4 GPS measuring campaigns (2013-2016), i.e. signals, frequencies and satellite constellations.
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EMPIRICAL GREEN'S FUNCTION DECONVOLUTION APPLIED FOR VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES OCCURED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS | Radulian M., Popescu E., Plăcintă A. O. | ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT JOURNAL | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 16, 2605-2614 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popescu E., Plăcintă A. O.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismogenic area, located in the South-Eastern Carpathians in Romania, is generating extreme destructive subcrustal earthquakes in Europe. The largest events generated in the last ten years in the Vrancea subcrustal domain occurred on May 14, 2005 (01:53, 45.64o N, 26.53o E, h=149 km, Mw = 5.5), April 25, 2009 (17:18, 45.68oN, 26.62o E, h=110 km, Mw = 5.4) and October 6, 2013 (01:37, 45.67oN, 26.58oE, h=135 km, Mw = 5.2). The purpose of the present paper is to determine the seismic source parameters of these events using the Empirical Green’s function deconvolution and spectral ratios techniques. To this aim, we selected a set of empirical Green’s functions in association with the three main events, as co-located events with similar focal mechanisms. The large number of high-quality waveforms recorded for the main shock-EGF pairs provides a good database to constrain source parameters, even though the events are relatively small and are recorded practically in the far field. The seismic moment - source radius scaling and stress drop values range, match well the results as previously obtained on larger data sets.
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SEISMOLABORATORIES – AN OPEN DOORS AND DIRECT LINKS FROM RESEARCH TO EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION | Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Grecu B. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 10TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION – ICERI 2017 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 8811 | |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Grecu B.
Abstract:
More and more steps have been made by research to fulfill society needs. Among different science domains geoscience education community experience an increase in interest of getting more and more engaged in children formal and informal didactic roadmap. Not few are the spaces dedicated for undergoing didactic activities inside research institutes. Create through a research and outreach project (www.roeduseis.ro), the Seismolaboratory created inside the Romanian National Institute for Earth Physics serve the purpose of disseminating information about earth and earthquakes contextualized and adapted for pupils, students and also teachers. Laboratory space can be used both as a physical and virtual space for delivering a lesson.
Starting with 2014 many children, all ages, had the opportunity to visualize as well as experiment thinks that help them understand why earthquake occurs, what are seismic waves and how travel through the layer of the Earth, what “magic tricks” researchers use to precisely locate and measure the strength of such a natural phenomenon.
Firstly design as an outreach initiative, slowly the initiative was regarded and received by schools as a form of informal education for science. Theoretical facts presented side by side with hands-on-experiment, interactive games and support materials shift from informing about earthquakes to learning about geoscience. A natural follow up was to develop materials (books, brochures, information and activity sheets) to be also used in school classes. A collection of educational materials entitled“ Earthquakes and their effects” was trying to bring in one place, in a mix of theoretical introductory chapters followed by exercises and proposed experiments, the interdisciplinary characteristic of the subject (earthquakes). After being tested in couple of high school classes the educational materials had being proper “translated” in a an interdisciplinary school choice optional for secondary and high schools (physics-geography-ICT) and applied further in 10 more classes, mainly secondary and high school level.
Even if the triggering initiative ended, the impact go far beyond the lifetime of the project and is among the initiatives that bring closer research to school environment by exposing students to science-related topics and progressively advanced science education.
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MONITORING OF RADON AND AIR IONIZATION IN A SEISMIC AREA | Toader V. E., Moldovan I. A., Marmureanu A., Dutta P. K., Partheniu R., Nastase E. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 3, 69 | - |
Authors:
Toader V. E., Moldovan I. A., Marmureanu A., Dutta P. K., Partheniu R., Nastase E.
Abstract:
Our multidisciplinary network (AeroSolSys) located in Vrancea (Curvature Carpathian Mountains) includes radon concentration monitoring in five stations. We focus on lithosphere and near surface low atmosphere phenomena using real-time information about seismicity, + / – ions, clouds, solar radiation, temperature (air, ground), humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, telluric currents, variations of the local magnetic field, infrasound, variations of the atmospheric electrostatic field, variations in the earth crust with inclinometers, electromagnetic activity, CO2 concentration, ULF radio wave propagation, seismoacoustic emission, animal behavior. The main purpose is to inform the authorities about risk situation and update hazard scenarios. The radon concentration monitoring is continuously with 1 hour or 3 hours sample rate in locations near to faults in an active seismic zone characterized by intermediate depth earthquakes. Trigger algorithms include standard deviation, mean and derivative methods. We correlate radon concentration measurements with humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure from the same equipment. In few stations we have meteorological information, too. Sometime the radon concentration has very high variations (maxim 4 535 Bq/m from 106 Bq/m) in short time (1–2 days) without being accompanied by an important earthquake. Generally the cause is the high humidity that could be generated by tectonic stress. Correlation with seismicity needs information from minimum 6 month in our case. For 10 605 hours, 618 earthquakes with maxim magnitude 4.9 R, we have got radon average 38 Bq/m and exposure 408 111 Bqh/m in one station. In two cases we have correlation between seismicity and radon concentration. In other one we recorded high variation because the location was in an area with multiple faults and a river. Radon can be a seismic precursor but only in a multidisciplinary network. A pair of ions counters (positive and negative) work together in few stations. The anomalies for short or long period of time should be correlated with local environment factors (e.g. humidity)
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INSIGHTS INTO THE POSSIBLE SEISMIC DAMAGE OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA, AT NEIGHBORHOOD RESOLUTION | Toma-Dănilă D., Armaș I. | BULLETIN OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 3, 15, 1161-1184 | |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Armaș I.
Abstract:
Seismic loss estimation analysis for large cities is a very demanding yet necessary task; the modelling of such complex systems requires first of all insightful input data at good resolution, referring to local effects, buildings and socio-economic aspects. Also, the implementation of less empirical estimation methods is needed. Until recently, these requirements could not be fulfilled for Bucharest, the capital city in the European Union which is most at risk due to earthquakes. Based on 2011 and 2002 census data, standardized according to the framework of the Near-real time System for Estimating the Seismic Damage in Romania (SeisDaRo) through a unique approach, and on relevant hazard scenarios, we estimate for the first time the building damage at census tract scale. The methodology applied relies on 48 vulnerability curves for buildings, on the Improved Displacement Coefficient Analytical Method included in the SELENA software for computing damage probabilities and on deterministic seismic hazard scenarios, including the maximum possible earthquake. By using overlay analysis with satellite imagery and a new methodology integrated in GIS we show how results can be enhanced, reflecting more localized characteristics. Best practices for seismic risk mapping are also expressed. The results are promising and contribute to mitigation efforts in Bucharest.
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ENHANCING EARTHQUAKE SHAKEMAPS FOR ROMANIA, BY USING AZIMUTHAL ANALYSIS AND CROWD-SOURCED INTENSITY DATA | Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C.O. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM WMESS 2017 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 119-126 | |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C.O.
Abstract:
ShakeMaps are one of the most applicative products of seismological research and monitoring, becoming available minutes after earthquakes. They are maps depicting the ground shaking produced by an earthquake and the estimated intensity distribution, being extremely useful for authorities, population, private sector and researchers too. However, the outcome of the result ? consisting of easy to read maps representing the potential area affected, often hides the fact that many compromise decisions and uncertainties are included in the methodology. Such decisions are related for example to the way real-data is handled (some values can be modified more or less, in order to match ground-motion prediction equations - GMPE, at rock or soil level) or the way GMPEs or interpolation methods are selected. In Romania, the ShakeMap system developed by USGS is implemented, but due to the characteristics of the Vrancea Intermediate-Depth Source (which is the most active and hazardous in the country), there is an apparent mismatch with the typical algorithm developed mainly for crustal earthquakes. That is why we chose to replicate the ShakeMap methodology partially, turn it into an open-source Matlab code and test new refinement procedures that can be of use in other cases of custom needed implementation. Among the new features that we describe in this paper and for which we present results in comparison are: i) the integration of new GMPE?s for Vrancea earthquakes; ii) a new azimuthal dependent procedure for proper GMPE selection considering real recordings; iii) a dynamic module for integrating crowd-sourced intensity data filtered adequately and iv) new types of GIS map representations. In Romania, the seismic network operated by NIEP consists of more than 140 real-time seismic stations; in the new ShakeMap development, we include new rules for discriminating between reliable and erroneously reported values of macroseismic intensities.
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CRUSTAL STRUCTURE IN THE WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA FROM LOCAL SEISMIC TOMOGRAPHY | Zaharia B., Grecu B., Popa M., Oros E., Radulian M. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORLD MULTIDISCIPLINARY EARTH SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM WMESS 2017 | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 95, 3, 32019 | |
Authors:
Zaharia B., Grecu B., Popa M., Oros E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The inner part of the Carpathians in Romania belongs to the Carpathians-Pannonian system bordered by the Eastern Carpathians to the north and east, Southern Carpathians to the south and Pannonian Basin to the west. It is a complex tectonic region with differential folding mechanisms, post-collisional kinematics, rheology and thermal properties, including within its area the Apuseni Mountains and the Transylvanian Basin. The purpose of this study is to map the 3-D structure of the crust over this region on the basis of local earthquake data. Input data were recorded during the South Carpathian Project (2009–2011), a successful collaboration between the Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics of the University of Leeds and the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP), Romania. A temporary array of 32 broadband seismic stations (10 CMG-40T, 8 CMG-3T and 14 CMG-6TD) was installed across the western part of Romania (spaced at 40 to 50 km intervals) during the project. In addition, 25 stations deployed in the eastern Hungary and Serbia was considered. P- and S-wave arrivals are identified for all the selected events (minimum 7 phases per event with reasonable signal/noise ratio). All the events are first relocated using Joint Hypocentre Determination (JHD) technique. Then the well-located events were inverted to determine the crustal structure using LOTOS algorithm. The lateral variations of the crustal properties as resulted from the tomography image are interpreted in correlation with the station corrections estimated by JHD algorithm and with the post-collisional evolution of the Carpathians-Pannonian system.
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SURFACE DEFORMATION ANALYSIS OVER VRANCEA SEISMOGENIC AREA THROUGH RADAR AND GPS GEOSPATIAL DATA | Zoran M.A., Savastru R.S., Savastru D.M., Șerban F.S., Teleagă D.M., Mateciuc D.N. | SPIE - THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR OPTICAL ENGINEERING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 10428 | |
Authors:
Zoran M.A., Savastru R.S., Savastru D.M., Șerban F.S., Teleagă D.M., Mateciuc D.N.
Abstract:
Time series analysis of GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) data are important tools for Earth's surface deformation assessment, which can result from a wide range of geological phenomena like as earthquakes, landslides or ground water level changes. The aim of this paper was to identify several types of earthquake precursors that might be observed from geospatial data in Vrancea seismogenic region in Romania. Continuous GPS Romanian network stations and few field campaigns data recorded between 2005-2012 years revealed a displacement of about 5 or 6 millimeters per year in horizontal direction relative motion, and a few millimeters per year in vertical direction. In order to assess possible deformations due to earthquakes and respectively for possible slow deformations, have been used also time series Sentinel 1 satellite data available for Vrancea zone during October 2014 till October 2016 to generate two types of interferograms (short-term and medium- term). During investigated period were not recorded medium or strong earthquakes, so interferograms over test area revealed small displacements on vertical direction (subsidence or uplifts) of 5-10 millimeters per year. Based on GPS continuous network data and satellite Sentinel 1 results, different possible tectonic scenarios were developed. The localization of horizontal and vertical motions, fault slip, and surface deformation of the continental blocks provides new information, in support of different geodynamic models for Vrancea tectonic active region in Romania and Europe.
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THE INTENSITY ASSESSMENT OF THE APRIL 25, 2009, VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE FROM MACROSEISMIC DATA | Constantin A. P., Partheniu R., Moldovan I. A., Pantea A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 70, 703 | - |
Authors:
Constantin A. P., Partheniu R., Moldovan I. A., Pantea A.
Abstract:
On April 25, 2009, at 20:18:48 (local hour) the Romanian territory was shaken by a moderate size earthquake centred beneath the bending area of the southeastern Carpathians, in the Vrancea seismogenic region (Romania). In the present paper we present an intensity map, macroseismic intensities, and community observations of effects for the MW = 5.4 Vrancea subcrustal earthquake of 25 April, 2009. For many locations, for the estimation of the macroseismic intensities besides
questionnaires other type of sources such as press reports, internet were used. The highest intensity assigned for this Vrancea earthquake was VI MSK, estimated for eleven locations, situated in the north-eastern part of Vrancea seismogenic zone, which include parts from Vrancea, Bacau, and Galati counties. At the lowest intensities, the 2009 earthquake was felt to a distance of 500 km from the epicenter, in Rep. of Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Serbia. A non-uniform distribution of intensity resulted in locations in different directions from the epicenter. A scatter of as much as one to two intensity units were observed for places situated very close. The comparison of the intensity areas for the October 27, 2004, and April 25, 2009- moderate subcrustal earthquakes of the Vrancea seismogenic zone was performed.
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BROADBAND GROUND MOTION SIMULATION OF THE 2004 AND 1977 VRANCEA, ROMANIA, EARTHQUAKES USING EMPIRICAL GREEN'S FUNCTION METHOD | Poiată N., Miyake H. | BEST PRACTICES IN PHYSICS-BASED FAULT RUPTURE MODELS FOR SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 174, 3503–3519 | |
Authors:
Poiată N., Miyake H.
Abstract:
We estimated the parameters of strong motion generation areas and simulated broadband ground motions for the moderate October 27, 2004 (M w 5.8) and damaging March 4, 1977 (M w 7.4) Vrancea (Romania) intermediate-depth subduction earthquakes using the empirical Green’s function method. The method allows the simulation of ground motions in a broadband frequency range by summing up the subevent records, corresponding to small magnitude events in the near-source areas, which are assumed to follow the source-scaling relationship and the omega-square source spectral model. We first estimated the strong motion generation area that reproduces near-source ground motions in a broadband frequency range of 0.3–10 Hz for the 2004 earthquake, by fitting the synthetic acceleration, velocity, and displacement waveforms to the observed data. The source properties of the obtained strong motion generation area are in agreement with the predictions made using an empirical source scaling relationship for crustal earthquakes, implying a stress drop of approximately 10 MPa for the 2004 earthquake. We then modeled the strong motion generation area for the 1977 damaging earthquake using the 2004 earthquake as an empirical Green’s function and constructing a source model based on its estimated source parameters. To simulate the unique record at Bucharest, capital city of Romania, the rupture was assumed to have propagated from the northeast bottom of the strong motion generation area having a stress drop of 50 MPa. Broadband ground motion simulations were further compared in terms of the modified Mercalli intensity values, calculated from the peak ground accelerations and peak ground velocities of synthetic waveforms, with the observed Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik intensity values. Our estimates of the source properties for the 2004 and 1977 Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes support the size-dependent stress drop.
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MECHANISMS FOR GENERATION OF NEAR-FAULT GROUND MOTION PULSES FOR DIP-SLIP FAULTING | Poiată N., Miyake H., Koketsu K. | BEST PRACTICES IN PHYSICS-BASED FAULT RUPTURE MODELS FOR SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 197-212 | |
Authors:
Poiată N., Miyake H., Koketsu K.
Abstract:
We analyzed the seismological aspects of the near-fault ground motion pulses and studied the main characteristics of the rupture configuration that contribute to the pulse generation for dip-slip faulting events by performing forward simulations in broadband and low-frequency ranges for different rupture scenarios of the 2009 L’Aquila, Italy (M w 6.3) earthquake. The rupture scenarios were based on the broadband source model determined by Poiata et al. (Geophys J Int 191:224–242, 2012). Our analyses demonstrated that ground motion pulses affect spectral characteristics of the observed ground motions at longer periods, generating significantly larger seismic demands on the structures than ordinary records. The results of the rupture scenario simulations revealed the rupture directivity effect, the radial rupture propagation toward the site, and the focusing effect as the main mechanisms of the near-fault ground motion pulse generation. The predominance of one of these mechanisms depends on the location of the site relative to the causative fault plane. The analysis also provides the main candidate mechanisms for the worst-case rupture scenarios of pulse generation for the city of L’Aquila and, more generally, the hanging-wall sites located above the area of large slip (strong motion generation area).
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CRUSTAL MODELS AND ACTIVE FAULT SYSTEMS IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Bălă A. | 4TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | - |
Authors:
Bălă A.
Abstract:
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EARTHQUAKE MECHANISM AND CORRELATION WITH SEISMOGENIC ZONES IN SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Bălă A., Radulian M., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 63-70 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Radulian M., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
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PERCEPTION AND PREPAREDNESS OF THE TSUNAMI RISK WITHIN THE BLACK SEA (ROMANIA) COMMUNITIES | Constantin A. P., Moldovan I. A., Lavigne F., Grancher D., Partheniu R. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 311-318 | - |
Authors:
Constantin A. P., Moldovan I. A., Lavigne F., Grancher D., Partheniu R.
Abstract:
Tsunami is one of the major natural hazards presenting significant flood risk for coastal communities and therefore, increasing the society resilience to this phenomena in exposed areas is very important for minimizing damage and possible destructive effects on the environment in these areas. In the frame of the EC Programme-FP7 ASTARTE project (Assessment, Strategy And Risk reduction for Tsunamis in Europe), we conducted a questionnaire survey among people living, working, or visiting Eforie Nord site. The tsunami questionnaire has been translated in Romanian language, the questions referring to: interviewee's relation to Eforie Nord site, information about interviewed people, tsunami hazard knowledge/risk perception, evacuation issue, awareness of the existing warning system, information, and communication. The results obtained after the survey confirm that coastal communities from Romania are not resilient to tsunami hazard. Our respondents have mentioned from natural and anthropic types of hazards, the tsunami as third rank in Eforie Nord test site, coming after earthquakes and storms. Whatever the respondents status (i.e. local population, or tourists), earthquakes and sea withdrawal are cited as tsunami warning signs by 62% and 60% of the respondents, respectively. Regarding the perception of a future tsunami event in Eforie Nord, 36.3% of the respondents think that the place could be affected by a tsunami and the tsunami wave could reach more than 2-5 meters (heights cited by approx. 14% of respondents) or even more than 5-10 meters (values cited by 15% of interviewed people).
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ABNORMAL ANIMAL BEHAVIOR PRIOR TO THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) MAJOR SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Constantin A.P., Moldovan I.A., Partheniu R. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 107-114 | |
Authors:
Constantin A.P., Moldovan I.A., Partheniu R.
Abstract:
The goal of this paper is to present some observations about the abnormal animal behavior prior to and during some Romanian subcrustal earthquakes. The major Vrancea earthquakes of 4 March 1977 (MW = 7.4, Imax = IX–X MSK), 30 August 1986 (MW = 7.1, I0 = VIII–IX MSK) and 30 May 1990 (MW = 6.9, I0 = VIII MSK), were preceded by extensive occurrences of anomalous animal behavior. These data were collected immediately after the earthquakes from the affected areas. Some species of animals became excited, nervous and panicked before and during the earthquakes, such as: dogs (barking, howling and running in panic), cats, birds (hens, geese, turkey hens, ducks, pigeons, parrots), cattle, pigs, mice and rats (came into the houses and have lost their fear), horses, fishes, snakes etc. These strange manifestations of the animals were observed on the entire territory of the country, especially in the extra-Carpathian area. This unusual behavior was noticed within a few seconds to days before the seismic events, but for the most of cases the time of occurrence was within two hours prior to the quakes. We hope that one day the abnormal animal behavior will be documented enough in order to be used as a reliable seismic precursor for the intermediate depth earthquakes.
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SEISMIC INTENSITY ESTIMATION USING MACROSEISMIC QUESTIONNAIRES AND INSTRUMENTAL DATA - CASE STUDY BâRLAD, VASLUI COUNTY | Moldovan I.A., Grecu B, Constantin A.P., Anghel A., Manea E.F, Manea L., Partheniu R. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 71-78 | |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Grecu B, Constantin A.P., Anghel A., Manea E.F, Manea L., Partheniu R.
Abstract:
In the last decade, many efforts were done to predict the macroseismic intensity in case of felt Vrancea earthquakes and additionally an online environment was developed for the automatic approximation of the intensity from peoples’ feedback. Besides the extended scientific studies, the near real-time estimation of the macroseismic intensity recently became mandatory for the insurance companies to cover some of the losses and damages that earthquakes might cause to houses, belongings, and other structures. Due to the insurance companies’ requests, the macroseismic questionnaires method was doubled by the seismic intensity determination using instrumental data, as recommended in the Romanian Seismic Intensity Scale Standard (STAS 3684-71). In the present study, the procedure is shown, for the last earthquakes with ML larger than 5.0, occurred in Vrancea zone, and felt on the extra-Carpathian area. We have selected the case study in Barlad, Vaslui county, because there have been recorded the largest accelerations (122 cm/s2) and have been reported the largest MSK intensities (VI) from Romania during the Mw 5.5 September 24, 2016 earthquake. The results obtained using the two approaches (macroseismic and instrumental data) have been compared and some differences have been found.
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SPECTRAL INVESTIGATION OF INFRASONIC SIGNALS RECORDED ON THE ROMANIAN BLACK SEA COAST | Moldovan I. A., Toader V. E., Moldovan A. S., Ghica D., Constantin A.P. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 405-412 | |
Authors:
Moldovan I. A., Toader V. E., Moldovan A. S., Ghica D., Constantin A.P.
Abstract:
The atmospheric sound waves with frequencies lower than 20Hz are named infrasound waves. Among the multitude of infrasonic signals that have been recorded and detected during time, some of them have been associated with different natural or anthropogenic sources and the source of many other remaining hidden and unknown. At the beginning of year 2013, a permanent infrasound monitoring system composed by a MB AZEL2007 microbarometer, the digitizer and the transmitting equipment, was installed by NIEP, at Mangalia, Romania, on the Black Sea coast line (at 50m from the water front) to test the infrasonic method in correlation with local, regional, and global sources producing acoustic waves with frequencies lower than 20Hz. Five years of recordings show at lower frequencies (less than 2Hz) a predictable behavior of infrasonic activity on the seashore, suggesting the presence of highly coherent infrasound waves in atmosphere. At higher frequencies (2Hz-8Hz) there appeared a type of waves that was never recorded before by our infrasonic sensors in other locations far away from the sea shore. The interesting aspect on the spectrogram resides in well defined, visible superior harmonics of the dominant signal, which develops between 2 and 8Hz. These harmonics are clear and create the specific spider legs aspect present in spectrograms. The precise source of these high amplitude signals at higher frequencies is under investigation and a couple of suppositions have been made. One of them refers to the composition of atmosphere that might be possible to act as a band pass filter which selects certain preferred frequencies from the background infrasonic noise induced by water's surface. The propagation parameters of this filter may be altered by aerosols concentration, humidity, temperature and, perhaps, by other factors. The corroboration of the infrasound recordings and spectrograms with local meteorological data show a good correlation between the spectrogram and the daily variation of the humidity parameter.
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SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT FOR LARGE ROMANIAN DAMS ON BISTRITA AND SIRET RIVERS AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES | Moldovan, I.A., Toma-Dănilă D., Constantin A.P., Plăcintă A.O., Popescu E., Ghiță C., Diaconescu M., Moldoveanu T., Paerele C.M. | STUDIA AMBIENTUM | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | - |
Authors:
Moldovan, I.A., Toma-Dănilă D., Constantin A.P., Plăcintă A.O., Popescu E., Ghiță C., Diaconescu M., Moldoveanu T., Paerele C.M.
Abstract:
The most important specific requirements towards dams’ safety is the seismic risk assessment. This objective will be accomplished by rating the dams into seismic risk classes using the theory of Bureau and Ballentine, 2002, and Bureau (2003), taking into account the maximum expected peak ground motions at dams’ site, the structure's vulnerability and the downstream risk characteristics. The maximum expected values for ground motions at dams’ site have been obtained using probabilistic seismic hazard assessment approaches (PSHA) for dams situated on Bistrita and Siret Rivers and their tributaries. The structural vulnerability was obtained from dams’ characteristics (age, high, water volume) and the downstream risk was assessed taking into account human, economical, touristic, historic and cultural heritage from the areas that might be flooded in the case of a dam failure. The results of the work consist of local and regional seismic information, specific characteristics and locations of dams, seismic hazard values and risk classes, for all sites. The studies realized in this paper have as final goal to provide in the near future the local emergency services with warnings of a potential dam failure and ensuing flood as a result of a large earthquake occurrence, allowing further public training for evacuation.
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THE RATING OF LARGE ROMANIAN DAMS INTO SEISMIC RISK CLASSES | Moldovan I. A., Constantin A. P., Plăcintă A. O., Toma-Dănilă D., Ghiță C., Moldoveanu T., Paerele C. M. | “RESILIENT SOCIETY MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ECONOMIC, LAW, POLICY, ENGINEERING, AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES FIELDS”, BOOK SERIES: ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN ACTION, EDITORS AND COORDINATORS: A. OZUNU, I. A. NISTOR, D. C. PETRESCU, P. BURNY, R. M. PETRESCU - MAG LES PRESSES AGRONOMIQUES DE GEMBLOUX, BELGIUM | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I. A., Constantin A. P., Plăcintă A. O., Toma-Dănilă D., Ghiță C., Moldoveanu T., Paerele C. M.
Abstract:
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THE PROBABILITY OF TSUNAMIS OCCURRENCE GENERATED BY THE ISTANBUL SEISMIC AREA | Partheniu R., Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Ioane D., Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, EDITURA ACADEMIEI ROMANE, BUCURESTI. | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 61-62, 31-43 | - |
Authors:
Partheniu R., Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Ioane D., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
Previous studies have shown that the Black Sea was subject to tsunami wave generation in the past (Altinok, 1999), with a total of twenty-two events generated. According to recent studies by Diaconescu et al. (2008), the Black Sea is divided into nine seismic sources. A more recent approach structures the area in ten different seismic sources, given by Moldovan et al. (2016, 2017). This study focuses mostly on the Istanbul seismic source, which triggered in the past high magnitude earthquakes followed by tsunami waves. The most recent event generated in the Black Sea was on 15th of October 2016, with a magnitude Mw =5.1, at a depth of 10 km, with the following location: Latitude 42.19° N, Longitude 30.68° E. The focal mechanism determined through the moment tensor inversion (U.S. Geological Survey – USGS) indicates a reverse faulting type. For this event, a few tsunami modeling scenarios were run. When using the exact parameters of the earthquake (Mw = 5.3), the simulations show no results. More simulations were computed, increasing the magnitude with steps of 0.2, from 7.0 up to 7.8. The modeling was accomplished using the Tsunami Analysis Tool (TAT), software provided by the Joint Research Center (JRC) from Ispra, Italy. The results of these tsunami simulations show low wave heights for a magnitude of 7.2, a of maximum 0.42 min Eregli (Turkey), 0.36 m in Zonguldak Eregli (Turkey), and 0.32 m in Kilimli (Turkey). For a magnitude of 7.6, the maximum wave heights are higher, considered to be moderate, of 1.59 m in Zonguldak Eregli(Turkey), and 1.21 m in Eregli (Turkey). Moreover, there are three locations from the Romanian shoreline affected, as follows: 0.83 m in Mangalia, 0.5 m in Techirghiol, and 0.39 m in Constanţa.
In order to obtain a correlation of these simulations to real events of high magnitude, we will compare them with two past earthquakes from the Istanbul seismic area, generated on the 12th of November 1999 (Mw = 7.2) and 17th of August 1999 (Mw = 7.6). Due to their location inland, the results for these two earthquakes display very low wave heights, a of maximum 0.18 m. These events were also modeled using the same software, same methodology, considering as location an offshore position of the earthquakes, assumed as being generated on similar faults. The results were compared to the modeling output of the 2016 earthquake from October. For a better evaluation of the tsunami waves possibility of occurrence in the Istanbul seismic area, more information regarding the parameters of high-magnitude earthquakes, their location and focal mechanism type, are necessary.
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COMPARISON BETWEEN TSUNAMI MODELING AND MEASUREMENTS FOR THE MEXICO M 8.1 EARTHQUAKE ON 8THOF SEPTEMBER 2017 | Partheniu R., Constantin A.P., Moldovan I. A., Ioane D., Grecu B. | GEOSCIENCE 2017, FACULTATEA DE GEOLOGIE şI GEOFIZICă | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | - |
Authors:
Partheniu R., Constantin A.P., Moldovan I. A., Ioane D., Grecu B.
Abstract:
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TESTING THE MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY ATTENUATION LAWS FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES, PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY | Rogozea M., Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Manea E.F., Manea L.M., Neagoe C. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 129-134 | |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Manea E.F., Manea L.M., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismic region, located at the bending area of the South–Eastern Carpathians in Romania, is the most active zone of seismicity in Europe, producing earthquakes at intermediate depths (60–200 km). The major events (magnitude above 7) are generated at intermediate depth and produce specific patterns of damage over extended areas. In this study we test the macroseismic intensity attenuation laws, using the intensity data point (IDPs) for 8 intermediate depth earthquakes that occurred in Vrancea (between 1738 and 2000). The macroseismic attenuation laws used for testing were Moldovan (Metode si modele statistice in seismologie. Editura Morosan, Bucuresti, pag 236, 2007), Sorensen et al. (Soil Dyn Earthq Eng, 2010), Vacareanu et al. (Macroseismic intensity prediction earthquake for Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic source. Hazards, Nat, 2015). The main purpose of the testing is to determine the best attenuation law that will be used to estimate the expected macroseismic intensity at different sites, and to further use them in the assessment of the seismic hazard and risk of the country and to design the real time shake maps. In conclusion, we have decided that Moldovan (Metode si modele statistice in seismologie. Editura Morosan, Bucuresti, pag 236, 2007) is the best intensity attenuation law for earthquakes located around 90 km depth (the events from March 4, 1977 and May 30, 1990), Sørensen et al. (Soil Dyn Earthq Eng, 2010) law is the best for modelling the macroseismic field due to earthquakes from the lower segment, located around 130 km depth (events from November 10, 1940 and August 30, 1986). For epicentral distances larger than 300 km, Vacareanu et al. (Macroseismic intensity prediction earthquake for Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic source. Hazards, Nat, 2015) law fits best the intensity distribution.
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IMPROVED CRUSTAL STRUCTURE MODELS IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA A STEP FORWARD TO ASSESSMENT OF THE SEISMIC RISK IN AN EARTHQUAKE ENDANGERED COUNTRY | Bălă A., Tătaru D., Grecu B., | RECENT ADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE FROM THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN AND SURROUNDING REGIONS, ADVANCES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Tătaru D., Grecu B.,
Abstract:
Tectonic of Romania includes both pre-alpine platforms and Alpine orogenic structures. The pre-alpine platforms are: Eastern European Platform, with its western margin in Romania—Moldavian platform; Scythian platform; Moesian platform.
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SEISMICITY ANALYSIS USING EARTHQUAKES ENERGY | Toader V.E., Moldovan I.A., Ionescu C., Mărmureanu A. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 143-150 | - |
Authors:
Toader V.E., Moldovan I.A., Ionescu C., Mărmureanu A.
Abstract:
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GIS IN SEISMOLOGY: CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EVALUATION OF SEISMIC HAZARD AND RISK | Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C.O., Armaș I. | GEOPATTERNS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 2, 43388 | - |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Cioflan C.O., Armaș I.
Abstract:
In this paper we highlight the capabilities and advantages of GIS, through an explicit analysis of its contribution within different studies of seismic hazard and risk assessment. These studies are related to Romania – one of Europe’s countries with the highest seismic risk, mainly due to intermediate-depth earthquakes originating in the Vrancea Zone.
We provide examples of how GIS contributes and enhances the evaluation of seismic hazard, the development of vulnerability spatial datasets, multicriteria analysis, real-time estimation of seismic risk, assessment of road network failure susceptibility and implications, mapping or others. The role of free data and contribution capabilities are discussed. In recent projects such as Bigsees and Ro-Risk, GIS was one of the elements that lead to innovation, and we aim to present the experience and results. Another important aspect is referred to: the importance of GIS to a research dissemination with great impact.
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THE SEISMOGENIC SOURCES FROM THE WEST AND SOUTH_WEST OF ROMANIA. | Oros E., Popa M., Diaconescu M. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 121-128 | |
Authors:
Oros E., Popa M., Diaconescu M.
Abstract:
The study region is the most important seismic region of Romania whenwe refer to the crustal seismicity as a source of seismic hazard. So far there havebeen recorded 91 seismic events that produced signi
fi
cant effect in buildings(Io
>
6 EMS), some of them resulting in severe damage and even casualties(Io
>
7 EMS). In this paper we modelled the seismogenic sources in the regionusing a new seismotectonic model constructed on new earthquakes and focalmechanisms catalogues basis. This model was elaborated starting from the rela-tionship between geology and historical and instrumental seismicity and then it wasbetter constrained by geophysical, neotectonic, geodetic data and particularly byactive stress
fi
eld features. The stress tensor parameters and the stress regime havebeen determined by formal inversion of the focal mechanisms solutions. Our studyprovides evidence of at least seven different deformation domains with different tectonic regimes as a realistic support for assessing the seismogenic potential of thegeological structures. Each seismogenic source is characterized by completenessmagnitude (Mcomp), maximum probable magnitude (Mmax) and magnitude
—
recurrence parameters. The probabilistic hazard maps produced in terms of PGAusing the new seismic sources highlights the importance of their con
fi
guration onthe hazard parameter values and their spatial distribution
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SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT THROUGH THE LENSES OF A CIVIL ENGINEER: THE NEED OF STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING | Țigănescu A. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 437-444 | - |
Authors:
Țigănescu A.
Abstract:
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COMBINED SOLUTIONS FOR AN INTEGRATED GNSS STUDY OVER NW GALATI SEISMOGENIC AREA ISSUED FROM GPS CONTINUOUSAND CAMPAIGN MEASUREMENTS | Năstase E., Muntean A., Ionescu C., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C. | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND THE 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, CONSPRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | - |
Authors:
Năstase E., Muntean A., Ionescu C., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C.
Abstract:
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LIMITS AND APPLICABILITY IN SEISMIC BASE ISOLATION OF THE STRUCTURES IN ROMANIA | Apostol B.F., Bălan S.F., Bratoșin D. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | |
Authors:
Apostol B.F., Bălan S.F., Bratoșin D.
Abstract:
The technique named "base isolation", resorts to place at the bottom of buildings special components, leading to long fundamental periods that would avoid resonance tendency of buildings with its site in the case of strong earthquakes. The nonlinear characteristics of the isolator layer change the linear period-shift estimation and can lead either to dangerous shortening shift in case of hardening nonlinearity or to unnecessary shift enlargement in case of softening nonlinearity. By neglecting this period-shift dispersion of the base isolation technology ? the drawing out of structure from dangerous resonant zone - can be compromised. The vulnerability of a structure to strong earthquakes can be appreciated by comparing its fundamental period with the fundamental period of soil deposit. Under high stresses the rocks became nonlinear dependent of their dynamic characteristics. Oscillating systems with non-linear behavior (as a consequence of materials) have multiple resonances. This behavior imposes a new assessment for period-shift due to nonlinearity. The dispersion of the natural periods with respect to the loading is an important factor. In the same time, the period-shift from a fixed-base to an isolated base of the same structure depends on the nonlinear characteristics of the isolator and site layers. By neglecting the nonlinear aspects, a base-isolated structure may be brought in resonant conditions even if the structural and isolated layer natural periods are different.
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PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE SITE NATURAL PERIOD EVALUATION IN NONLINEAR REGIME | Apostol B.F., Bălan S.F., Bratoșin D. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 319-326 | |
Authors:
Apostol B.F., Bălan S.F., Bratoșin D.
Abstract:
Maximum damage due to strong earthquakes occurs at the resonance between the natural periods of the structure and its site, given by the coincidence (or just close to) of the two periods, in which case the dynamic amplifications can damage, even destroy, the structure. From the recordings of (strong) Vrancea earthquakes one can see a dependence of the site natural periods and peak ground accelerations (PGA) on magnitude. For safe avoidance of the resonance it is necessary to define for each site a natural period value range corresponding to strong earthquakes. In the range of MGR=7- 7.5, which are considered as destructive magnitudes, with assigned PGA values of approximately ~0.1 to 0.3g and dangerous natural period range between 1.22 up to ~1.65s for INCERC site, the recommendation is to avoid buildings with these resonance characteristics. But for a large majority of sites only seismic recording of low and moderate events are available. The evaluation of the fundamental period for strong earthquakes using only seismic data implies an extrapolation procedure with inherent large errors. The resonant column determination by interpolation of the nonlinear variations in normalized form together with the determination of the normalization value T0 from seismic recording can lead to a better approximation of the natural periods for large PGA values. The paper shows ways of obtaining the site nonlinear natural period from in situ measurements, T0, and from resonant column data, Tn(PGA). With the help of normalized natural period functions Tn = Tn(PGA) we can predict natural period values of sites for strong earthquakes, starting from small and moderate seismic events, which gives us a good possibility in mitigation of seismic risk for future buildings.
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GEOTECTONIC SETTING OF SOME SEISMOLOGICAL OBSERVATORIES FROM THE EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Constantinescu E. G., Diaconescu D., Grecu B. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 247-254 | |
Authors:
Constantinescu E. G., Diaconescu D., Grecu B.
Abstract:
This paper presents a basic description of the geological and tectonic setting of the areas of placement of four seismological observatories located in the eastern part of Romania. The four seismological observatories are MLR ? Red Mountain Seismologic Observatory, NEHR ? Nehoiu Mountain Seismological Observatory, ODBI ? Odobesti Seismological Observatory and VRI ? Vrancioaia Seismological Observatory. This observatories were chose because of their importance and proximity to the seismic active Vrancea region. Many geologic studies, of this areas, were carried out through time, resulting in a vast literature, studies, several geologic sections and maps. This descriptions were compiled from the geologic and tectonic maps, geologic sections, studies and literature, mentioned above, for every location of the observatories. For each one, of the sites, a geotectonic map was drawn, showing the main geologic formations and tectonic features. This geotectonic information was synthetized to add a better view to the lithological and tectonic history of each of the sites. Through this paper, we hope to provide clearer information and understanding of the geology and tectonics in which the mentioned observatories are set.
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CATALOG OF FOCAL MECHANISMS FOR VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES (2005-2017) | Craiu A., Craiu M., Mihai M., Diaconescu M., Ghiță C. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 49-56 | |
Authors:
Craiu A., Craiu M., Mihai M., Diaconescu M., Ghiță C.
Abstract:
Catalog of focal mechanisms for Vrancea (Romania) intermediate depth earthquakes (2005-2017)
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NEAR REAL TIME FOCAL MECHANISMS DETERMINATION FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EVENTS | Craiu A., Dăneț A., Mihai M., Craiu M., Mărmureanu A. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 277-284 | |
Authors:
Craiu A., Dăneț A., Mihai M., Craiu M., Mărmureanu A.
Abstract:
One of the main objectives in real-time assessment of seismic hazard is the development of algorithms for rapid estimation of the seismic source parameters (fault planes solutions). The objective of this work is to test and implement new methodologies in the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) for near real time estimation of fault planes solutions taking the advantage of the spatial density of the Seismic Network in seismically active zones ( 120 seismic stations used in real time) and the full range of tools used. To determine fault planes solutions was implemented the FPL code (code that generates parameters: strike, dip, rake, etc.) in ANTELOPE 5.6, software developed by Kinemetrics This code (FPL) uses the classic criteria to determine the focal mechanisms, namely P wave polarities, systematic tests of all possible fault plane solutions, so will validate only those solutions who met the required criteria. Another cod- Psmeca -is a code developed in GMT, which reads data values from files and generates PostScript code that will plot a focal mechanism on a map. These programs were implemented in the routine analysis ANTELOPE 5.6 software. Estimating the near-real-time fault planes solutions using dedicated programs, a few minutes after the event occurrence is done by generating locations of the seismic events with magnitude ML?4 for seismic events occurred at intermediate depths (H?60 km).
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VRANCEA SEISMIC ZONE AS AN UNSTABLE TRIPLE JUNCTION: NEW EVIDENCE FROM OBSERVATIONS AND NUMERICAL MODELLING | Besuțiu L., Manea V.C., Pomeran M. | 9TH CONGRES OF THE BALKAN GEOPHYSICAL SOCIETY | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | - |
Authors:
Besuțiu L., Manea V.C., Pomeran M.
Abstract:
To avoid shortcomings of the current models attempting to explain genesis of the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes the alternative model of an unstable triple junction (VTJ) had been previously proposed mainly based on a speculative approach.
The paper deals with results of the latest research, including high-resolution seismic tomography obtained through the joint inversion of seismic and gravity data, and numerical modelling of the mantle convection that brings new evidence to support VTJ as a valid alternative for Vrancea intermediate-depth seismicity geodynamic setting.
Of a special interest proved to be the advanced numerical modelling run on a High Performance Computing Cluster own by Solid Earth Dynamics Department in the Institute of Geodynamics of the Romanian Academy that has demonstrated how a stable triple lithospheric contact may transform into an unstable triple junction under the influence of a thermal anomaly even in the absence of differences between the plates velocities.
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REAL TIME PERFORMANCE OF THE MW ESTIMATION FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES RECORDED BY THE ACCELEROMETERS OF THE NATIONAL SEISMIC NETWORK IN 2016 | Craiu M., Gallo A., Costa G., Dăneț A., Craiu A. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 335-342 | |
Authors:
Craiu M., Gallo A., Costa G., Dăneț A., Craiu A.
Abstract:
The seismicity of Romania is significantly affected by earthquakes produced by the Vrancea seismic source with intermediate depth events (3 shocks/century with magnitude Mw greater than 7.0). The seismic activity on the Romanian territory consists of both shallow and intermediate-depth earthquakes. The crustal seismicity is moderate and more scattered in comparison with the intermediate-depth one. The recent upgrade of the seismic network in Romania with high dynamic range accelerometers ( 114 real time seismic stations equipped with episensors) allows recording of moderate to large magnitude earthquakes at very close epicentral distances (less than 10-20 km). Strong motion data of high quality are also of help in increasing the effective preparation against seismic disasters, and the response during seismic emergencies. The consequent increased ability of a community to quickly recover from the damages of an earthquake thus contributes to lower the seismic risk, usually measured in term of casualties and economic losses. During 2016 in this seismic area were recorded two moderate events with 5.7 magnitude in September respectively December. The purpose of this work consists mainly in the estimation of moment magnitude Mw using the strong motion network of the NIEP. A stable and automatic method was developed by Gallo et al.,2014, has been implemented in the real time data acquisition and processing system (ANTELOPE) to estimate in real time the seismic moment, the moment magnitude and the corner frequency of events recorded by accelerometers, using Andrews (1986) method applied to S waves. The main goals are the independent estimation of seismic moment and the common characterization for all events recorded by the strong motion network.
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SEISMICITY OF STREI-HATEG BASIN | Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Oros E., Craiu A., Constantinescu E.G. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 371-380 | |
Authors:
Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Oros E., Craiu A., Constantinescu E.G.
Abstract:
The paper highlights the seismicity of the Strei-Hateg depressionary system. This system is situated in the western part of the Southern Carpathians, and consists of two intermountain, post orogenic basins, Hateg basin and Strei basin. These two basins are separated by a threshold. The seismicity is characterized by moderate magnitude with a maximum magnitude of 4 (Mw) (8 September 2013) and by the presences of the seismic sequences. In the area are known two seismic sequences, one in 2011 of 14 earthquakes of 2 to 3.3 magnitude, main shock of 3.3 (Mw) and one in 2013 of 30 earthquakes with magnitude of 2 to 4 (Mw), main shock of 4 (Mw). The hypocentral depths are in 5 to 13 km depth interval with two exceptions, one earthquake with 19.6 km hypocentral depth (2013/09/08) and the other with 23.8 km hypocentral depth (2013/09/11). The sequence of March 2011 is a seismic swarm, with three shocks of 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 (Mw) and the other shocks between an interval of 1.9?2.4 (Mw). The sequence of September 2013 has an earthquake of magnitude 4.0(Mw) considered as a main shock. It was preceded by 9 foreshocks and followed by 25 aftershocks. The focal mechanisms of the earthquakes indicate a strike slip predominant movement with slight normal or inverse components.
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ANALYSIS OF THE FAULT PLANE SOLUTIONS USING P WAVES POLARITIES AND AMPLITUDE RATIOS FOR THE SEISMIC SEQUENCE OF NOVEMBER 22, 2014 RECORDED IN VRANCEA AREA | Ghiță C., Craiu A., Craiu M.G., Diaconescu M., Mărmureanu A. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 19-26 | |
Authors:
Ghiță C., Craiu A., Craiu M.G., Diaconescu M., Mărmureanu A.
Abstract:
The moderate-size earthquake with local magnitude 5,7 which occurred on November 22, 2014 in Vrancea region, at 41 km depth, is the largest crustal event instrumentally recorded at the bending of the Eastern Carpathians. Using the method developed by [2] termed the Hash method, (incorporated in Seisan software) we obtain the focal mechanisms for earthquakes that occurred in Vrancea region associated with the seismic sequence of November 22, 2014. We have examined the main shock and 29 aftershocks that occurred after 22 November 2014. P-wave arrivals and polarities are manually identified on the vertical component of each station. Polarities are marked as impulsive or emergent and the pick is given a quality rating (0- 4). We then use the S/P amplitude ratios computed from three?component seismograms, to determine mechanisms- Hash [2]. We had also investigate the spatial variation in focal mechanism type (e.g. strike-slip, normal, or thrust) and inferred fault strike. Most of the mechanisms are normal faulting, with the nodal planes oriented SE - NW, in agreement with the tectonic characteristics of the zone.This crustal seismicity is related to the normal fault system associated to Peceneaga - Camena major fault, which separates the Focsani Basin, part of the Moesian Platform, from the North Dobrogea promontory.
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NEW SEISMIC NOISE MODEL FOR ROMANIA | Grecu B., Neagoe C., Partheniu R., Năstase E., Zaharia B. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Neagoe C., Partheniu R., Năstase E., Zaharia B.
Abstract:
In this paper, we analyze almost ten years of continuous recordings (November 2007? April 2017) from 114 stations of the Romanian Seismic Network using the power spectral densities and their corresponding probability density functions (PSD PDF). For each vertical station component, we compute the statistical mode for noise levels from the PSD PDFs. The noise mode represents the highest probability noise level for a given station. We then construct the PSD PDF mode low-noise model for Romania (RONM) from the minimum of all the noise modes at each period. The RONM is shown to be very close to the Peterson?s (1993) new low noise model. The diurnal and seasonal variations of the RONM are also shown. Finally, we compare our mode noise model with those obtained in similar way in different parts of the world: Greece, New Zealand and United States. We consider the RONM as a more realistic reference model for future installations of seismic stations in Romania and for assessing the performance of the existing ones.
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ROMANIAN SEISMIC NETWORK: FROM EARTHQUAKES MONITORING TO ITS ROLE IN DECISION MAKING | Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D., Tătaru D., Ionescu C., Dăneț A. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D., Tătaru D., Ionescu C., Dăneț A.
Abstract:
Earthquakes represent a real threat in Romania. They can cause important damages, loss of lives, socio-economic as well as cultural losses. The National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) is the only governmental organization responsible for monitoring the seismic activity on Romania?s territory. NIEP provides different kind of information minutes to hours after the occurrence of a significant earthquake in Romania: near realtime information (location, depth and magnitude), ground shaking parameters and maps with the intensity of the shaking, post-event parameters, reports and macroseismic intensities. To issue such information, NIEP has been developing since 1980 one of the largest seismic networks in Europe, the Romanian Seismic Network (RSN). At present, RSN consists of 115 seismic stations equipped with velocity and accelerometer sensors and two seismic arrays. The increase of the density of the stations within RSN in the last decade led to a significant increase of the number of seismic events detected and located in Romania. RSN also provides valuable information for emergency managers in case of earthquake disaster, as it can provide rapid initial estimates and updated estimates of the location and extend of damage.
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SURFACE MOTIONS IN ROMANIA DERIVED FROM 15 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS GNSS MEASUREMENTS | Muntean A., Ambrosius B.A.C, Mocanu V., Năstase E.I., Ionescu C. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | |
Authors:
Muntean A., Ambrosius B.A.C, Mocanu V., Năstase E.I., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
In this paper we present the results of an analysis of 15 years of continuous GNSS/GPS measurements in Romania. The purpose of this work is threefold: monitoring of crustal changes occurring in the Romanian territory in correlation with tectonic processes in South-East Europe (Africa-Europe plate interaction), observation of crustal movements in order to establish the surface-to-depth relationship of deep earthquakes in the area of the Eastern Carpathians bend zone (Vrancea region) and improving the accuracy of the coordinates of the national seismic network stations. The development of the Romanian GNSS/GPS (Global Navigation Satellite System/Global Positioning System) network started in 2001 when the first permanent station was installed at Lacauti in the Vrancea seismogenic area. Since then the network has grown to 27 stations covering the entire Romanian territory and is still expanding. In our analysis we also include 18 GNSS stations of the GeoPontica network, developed and maintained by the National Research and Development Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology, with the purpose to monitor geodynamic processes in the Western Black Sea coastal area. It consists of 13 stations in Romania and 5 in Bulgaria. In this paper we provide a comprehensive description of the GPS networks, reflecting the actual capabilities, justifying implementation choices and presenting the results. The GPS data were processed in daily batches with the ?precise point positioning? (PPP) strategy using the GIPSY-OASIS software. From the resulting position timeseries the horizontal and vertical motion vectors were calculated relative to a stable Eurasian reference frame. The results of our study show that internally the Romanian territory appears to be quite stable, but the whole country trends to move slightly southward relative to Eurasia at velocity rates of about 2.5 ? 3.0 mm/yr, especially the southern part. We speculate that this is a far-field effect of slab roll-back due to the subduction of the African plate under the Eurasian plate at the Aegean trench, way to the south. Until now, we did not observe any long-term signals due to the deep Vrancea earthquakes because the effects on surface motion are probably small, but we will do more detailed studies of some recent (2016) Mw 5.3 seismic events in the Vrancea area.
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FOCAL MECHANISM AND SOURCE DIRECTIVITY FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES | Neagoe C., Grecu B., Radulian M. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | | |
Authors:
Neagoe C., Grecu B., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The focal mechanism and rupture directivity for intermediate-depth earthquakes occurred in the Vrancea source (Romania) are determined using FMNEAR algorithm [1]. The method is based on the waveform inversion of near-source seismic waveforms and on a linear finite source model. When the FMNEAR algorithm is started the first parameters that are determined are the moment magnitude (Mw), the double couple focal mechanism (strike, dip, rake) and the distribution of seismic moment along strike. This provides a first order estimate of rupture length and directivity. The depth of the source is also explored. A band-pass filter is automatically applied for each individual component of the recorded waveform (N, E, Z). The inversion is made in successive steps combining grid searches for (strike, dip, rake) parameters and simulation to determine rupture onset times and the shape of the local source time functions. Also a confidence index is defined. The method was tested on seismic events with magnitude higher than Mw = 3.5 recorded by the Romanian seismic network (broadband stations and accelerometers). Tests were made on events recorded by a large number of welldistributed stations and also for less favorable cases to evaluate the capability of the algorithm to constrain focal mechanism and source time function. In its present configuration, FMNEAR method is implemented in near real-time.
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IMPROVING REAL-TIME DETECTION AND LOCATION OF LOCAL SEISMIC EVENTS IN ROMANIA | Neagoe C., Grecu B., Manea L. M. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17 | - |
Authors:
Neagoe C., Grecu B., Manea L. M.
Abstract:
National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) has started the development of its own realtime seismic network since 2002. The network is designed to monitor the seismic activity on Romania territory, which is dominated by intermediate earthquake from the Vrancea area. In present the network consist of 115 seismic stations and two seismic array. The seismic stations are equipped with Quanterra Q330 or Basalt digitizers, broad-band seismometers (STS2, CMG40T, CMG 3ESP, CMG3T, PBB-200s) or shortperiod sensors (MARK L4C, MARK L22, RANGER). Most of the velocity sensors are collocated with Episensors Kinemetrics acceleration sensors. The processing software used by the National Data Center are Antelope and Seiscomp3. The program used for the automatic real-time locations in this study is Seiscomp3. Seedlink which is a part of Seiscomp3 is used for data acquisition in real time and also for data exchange. The automated software was tuned to obtain the most accurate location for the earthquakes and avoiding any false events. Different parameters were tested (like: STA/LTA, filters applied to the waveforms) on a data set of earthquakes representative for the local seismicity. Now Seiscomp3 is running in real time and detected over 300 seismic events. NIEP has developed a web application that uses the data stored in the database to display earthquake information, like location, magnitude and depth in real time. Another use for the data collected is to create and maintain contact lists to which datacenter sends notifications (email), based on the parameter of the earthquake. NIEP plans is to develop the means to cross-check the data generated between the different analysis systems. (e.g. comparing data generated by Antelope with data generated by Seiscomp).
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STRESS FIELD, SEISMICITY AND SEISMOTECTONIC FEATURES IN THE APUSENI MTS AREA | Oros E., Constantinescu E.G., Diaconescu M., Popa M. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 421-428 | |
Authors:
Oros E., Constantinescu E.G., Diaconescu M., Popa M.
Abstract:
The active stress pattern in the Apuseni Mts area is investigated and studied in relation to the local seismicity and geology. Our analysis is based on several high quality and resolution data bases obtained recently in the context of national and international projects and which refers to digital seismograms recorded by dense networks, parametric earthquakes catalogues and catalogues of focal mechanisms. The reduced stress tensor has been obtained by formal inversion of 89 focal mechanisms solutions. The maximum horizontal stress SHmax directions and tectonic regime change at local scale displaying a very heterogeneous stress field and claiming a major influence of local sources of stress. SHmax has systematic reorientations from NE-SW on the western border of the region to E-W in the South, NW-SE in the North and roughly N-S at the tectonic contact between orogenic structures with Transylvanian Depression. The stress and tectonic regimes show clear variations from a pure strike-slip in the structures of Pannonian Depression to extensions all over in the Apuseni Mountains, except the South Transylvanian Fault System area where an extensional strike-slip regime has been computed. The study area is characterized by a very low level of seismicity with a few scattered epicenters in the region or distributed in small clusters mainly on the borders where large neotectonic structures develop (grabens, faults). The study was completed with geodetic data and a seismotectonic model that brings new informations for understanding the seismic hazard and geodynamical processes in the study region.
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MACROSEISMIC EFFECTS OF 26 NOVEMBER 1829, 1 MAY 1893, 17 AUGUST 1893 AND 31 AUGUST 1894 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Rogozea M., Ghiță C., Radulian M., Glavcheva R., Toma-Dănilă D. | 17TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCES SGEM 2017 | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2017 | 17, 197-204 | |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Ghiță C., Radulian M., Glavcheva R., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
The Vrancea zone is an area of concentrated seismicity at intermediate depths (60-200 km) beneath the bending area of the South-Eastern Carpathians in Romania. The purpose of the paper is first to find historic data related to the four selected Vrancea earthquakes occurred on 26 November 1829 (Mw 7.3), 1 May 1893 (Mw 6.2), 17 August 1893 (Mw 7.1) and 31 August 1894 (Mw 7.1). Next, to gather all available historic information about those events, analyze it, assess/or convert the intensity using the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK-64) scale. Further, to compile corresponding macroseismic maps for these earthquakes applying an optimized interpolation method (Kriging). The macroseismic effects distribution has been compared to the distribution of intensity in cases of instrumentally registered strong 20th century Vrancea events of 1940 (Mw 7.7), 1977 (Mw 7.4) and 1986 (Mw 7.1) in order to highlight possible correlation between the main earthquake parameters ? magnitude, source depth and macroseismic intensity
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ELASTIC WAVES INSIDE AND ON THE SURFACE OF A HALF-SPACE | Apostol B.F. | THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF MECHANICS AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS | BDI | ARTICLE | 2017 | 70, 289-308 | |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
The notions of ‘elementary’ seismic sources and ‘elementary’ earthquakes are introduced, as being associated with ‘elementary’ tensorial point forces with a
-like time dependence (where
is the Dirac delta function). The tensorial character of these forces, known in Seismology as the dipole (or double-couple) representation, is given by the tensor of the seismic moment. A regular seismic source and a regular earthquake can be represented as a superposition of elementary sources and, respectively, elementary earthquakes, governed by a space-time structure factor of the seismic focal region. All these are new concepts. Elementary seismic sources are considered here for a homogeneous isotropic elastic half-space bounded by a free plane surface, the sources being located at an inner point in the half-space. A transient regime of generation and propagation of seismic waves is identified, as distinct from the stationary regime of elastic vibrations. This is another new concept. It is shown that elementary seismic sources produce (double-shock) spherical-shell waves (in the wave region), which are the well-known
and
waves associated with the feeble tremor in the recorded seismograms. Their mathematical expression, derived here from the tensorial force, differs from known, particular cases. These waves are called here collectively ‘primary’ waves. It is shown that the primary waves interact with the surface of the half-space, where they give rise to ‘secondary’ wave sources, placed on the surface. The secondary waves generated by the secondary sources (which may be called ‘surface seismic radiation’) are estimated here in a simplified model. It is shown that the secondary waves have a delay time in comparison with the primary waves and give rise to a main shock and a long seismic tail, in qualitative agreement with the seismic records. The secondary wave introduced here is a new concept; the main shock and its long tail derived here are elements of novelty. Similarly, the secondary waves generated by an internal discontinuity in the elastic properties of the half-space (an interface parallel with the free surface) are also estimated; it is shown that the discontinuity reduces appreciably the singular main shock on the free surface of the homogeneous half-space.
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DETECTION OF EVENTS IN A MULTIDISCIPLINARY NETWORK MONITORING VRANCEA AREA | Toader V.E., Moldovan I.A., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 61, 1437-1449 | - |
Authors:
Toader V.E., Moldovan I.A., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
This paper describes the modalities of detection of events in a multidisciplinary network that monitor seismicity, telluric field, magnetic field, electric-electrostatic field, radio ULF waves, air ionization, radon concentration, solar radiation, infrasound, light and acoustic phenomena, meteorological parameters, air-earth temperatures, satellite data with application in seismic Vrancea area (bending zone of Carpathians mountains). The most part of data analysis is automatically done into a distributed structure. Methods used are general but the measured parameters have to be adapted to particularities of monitoring area. Vrancea is a complex zone characterized by intermediate depth earthquakes concentrated and distributed on several levels deep. Data acquisition is followed by their analysis (detection, effects evaluation) and automatic transmission of alerts to beneficiaries specialized in emergency situations (Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, organizations involved in managing special events). Network monitoring allows tracking of climate change and it sends information in real time.
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE SEISMIC RISK EVALUATION OF TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS IN ROMANIA | Toma-Dănilă D., Armaș I., Cioflan C.O. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 481-496 | |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Armaș I., Cioflan C.O.
Abstract:
The assessment of seismic risk for transportation networks is a difficult task, due to its complexity, hard to get detailed data, lack of methods with low uncertainties and difficulty of defining inter-relations. Through this paper we identify viable ways of analysing the seismic risk of transportation networks in Romania, considering the availability and characteristics of specific data, the possibilities of adapting external knowledge and recently developed methodologies. Until now there was no coherent and complex approach in Romania for this task, referring to the bigger picture. Therefore, we propose an integrative framework that incorporates GIS capabilities (like the ones provided by the ArcGIS Network Analyst Toolbox) and test it for Bucharest. This framework can provide answer to important questions, like “which are the critical segments of networks” or “what could the implications of connectivity loss be?” in case of an earthquake. The approach relies on using fragility functions for critical structures like bridges and tunnels, on empirical formulas for estimating damage level, traffic flow characteristics or connectivity analysis. Results are depicted through multiple performance indicators.
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STUDY OF LOCAL SEISMIC EVENTS IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA USING DATA FROM SCP EXPERIMENT | Zaharia B., Grecu B., Tătaru D., Oros E. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MININGI | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 623-630 | |
Authors:
Zaharia B., Grecu B., Tătaru D., Oros E.
Abstract:
We propose to investigate the local seismic events in the western part of Romania using data from the SCP experiment, a joint project between University of Leeds, UK and National Institute for Earth Physics, Romania (South Carpathian Project – SCP), using 33 broadband seismic stations autonomously that operated in the western part of the country and continuously recorded data for two years (2009-2011). The seismicity in this area is characterized by shallow activity of moderate magnitude (magnitude below 6) earthquakes with frequent multiple sequences. Tectonically, the region is divided into blocks and basins bordered by intra-crustal faults. The major structural features developed in the region are: the Pannonian Basin with a thin subsiding lithosphere (cca 60 km) and four Dacidic units (Inner Dacides (ID), Transilvanides (T), Middle Dacides (MD), Marginal Dacides (MaD) and Outer Dacides (OD)) with a thicker lithosphere (100 - 140 km), uplifted by recent orogeny. These structures outcrop in the mountain chains and extend westward under the sedimentary cover of the Pannonian Depression. The newest (Neotectonic) tectogeneses were extensional (syn-rift phase) and compressional (basin inversion) resulting in brittle structures: grabens and horsts, separated by NW-SE oriented faults, affecting both the basement and the sedimentary cover. Two Neogene NW-SE oriented major grabens developed at the basement level of the Pannonian Basin: Sannicolau Mare in the West and Caransebes in the East. These structures are extended in the mountains as small depressions, controlled by Neogene normal faults, with the basement lowered down to over 7 km (at Hungary - Romania border). We applied the Wadati method to estimate the Vp/Vs ratio and used it to retrieve a P-wave velocity model for the investigated region. For a better constraint of local seismic events locations, we used the derived P-wave velocity model to relocate all the events using Joint Hypocentral Determination (JHD) method.
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OVERVIEW OF PART I | Aldea A., Radulian M. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3-17 | |
Authors:
Aldea A., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The seismic activity in Romania is dominated by the earthquakes generated at intermediate depths (60÷180 km) in the Vrancea region, located at the bend of the South-Eastern Carpathians. The seismicity concentrates in a narrow high-velocity lithospheric volume embedded in the upper mantle. The rate of seismic moment per volume, ~ 0.8 x 1019 Nm/yr, is comparable to southern California (Wenzel et al., 1998). The event produced on 10th November 1940 (Mw = 7.7) was the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Romania, was felt in several other countries ( Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, Yugoslavia, etc.) and produced victims and damage on a wide area beyond Romania’s borders. The large magnitude, the huge macroseismic field (with seismic intensities reaching X), the relatively large number of victims, altogether rank the Vrancea 1940 earthquake as one of the major European seismic events.
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"HAND ON ACTIVITY" BUILDING YOUR OWN SEISMOMETER IN CLASSROOM | Zaharia B., Șerbu F., Tătaru D., Grecu B., Năstase E. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MININGI | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 1085-1092 | |
Authors:
Zaharia B., Șerbu F., Tătaru D., Grecu B., Năstase E.
Abstract:
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ELASTIC EQUILIBRIUM OF THE HALF-SPACE REVISITED. MINDLIN AND BOUSSINESQ PROBLEMS | Apostol B.F. | JOURNAL OF ELASTICITY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 125, 139-148 | |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
The displacement caused in an isotropic elastic half-space by a point force localized on or beneath its surface is calculated here by a new method. These classical problems are known as Boussinesq and, respectively, Mindlin problems. The motivation for the present work resides in the fact that the original solutions involve some particular procedures, required by the complexity of the boundary conditions, which may limit their general application. The solutions presented here are obtained by including in a generalized Poisson equation the values of the function and its derivatives on the boundary, and by using in-plane Fourier transforms. This method is general and can be extended to other, similar problems.
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ELASTIC WAVES WQUATION WITH LOCALIZATED SOURCES IN ISOTROPIC HALF-SPACE | Apostol B.F. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 68, 1360-1381 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
The representation of a localized faulting seismic source is reformulated, without resorting to the mechanical torque interpretation of the seismic moment
tensor. A volume seismic source is introduced by means of the pressure exerted in a small spherical cavity. The elastic waves equation with localized (point) sources is discussed in an isotropic half space bounded by a plane surface, including the boundary conditions. The near-field approximation is used to get the solution of a quasistatic deformation, and the transient regime of far-field propagating elastic waves is discussed for the (time-pulse) seismic sources introduced here. The far-field approximation (waves region) is also presented.
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THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STATIONS OF THE ROMANIAN SEISMIC NETWORK IN MONITORING THE LOCAL SEISMIC ACTIVITY. PART II. NORMAL DEPTH EVENTS | Ardeleanu L., Neagoe C. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 68, 832-852 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
A primary objective of the national seismic network operated by the National Institute for Earth Physics of Bucharest is the monitoring of the seismic
activity on the territory of Romania. As a result of a considerable effort carried out during the past years, mainly since 2008, the network consists at present of 118 permanent digital stations – 99 stations with real time data transmission and 19 offline stations – distributed over the whole territory of the country. The goal of this study is to evaluate the contribution of the on-line network stations to the monitoring of the local normal depth seismicity. During the period January 1, 2008 – June 30, 2013, 5933 events with depth < 60 km and local magnitude ML ≥ 1.2 – earthquakes and quarry blasts – have been localized within the Romanian borders, or in their immediate vicinity, using the data of the national network. To estimate the effectivity of the individual stations we take into consideration the fraction of events localized using the station records (compared to the total number of events of the catalogue, which occurred during the time of station operation), and the location of the station site with respect to the shallow depth seismic sources. The analysis provides a measure of the overall network performance regarding the monitoring of the local seismic activity, and allows us to quantify the value of the individual stations for the localization of the seismic events on the territory of Romania; this information is crucial for decisions regarding the effectiveness increasing and future development of the national network.
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THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STATIONS OF THE ROMANIAN SEISMIC NETWORK IN MONITORING THE LOCAL SEISMIC ACTIVITY. PART I. VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL SEISMICITY | Ardeleanu L., Neagoe C. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 68, 393-415 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
The seismic survey of the territory of Romania is mainly performed by the national seismic network operated by the National Institute for Earth Physics of
Bucharest. After successive developments and upgrades, the network consists at present of 121 permanent stations equipped with high quality digital instruments – 102 real time and 19 off-line stations – which cover the whole territory of the country. The goal of this study is to evaluate the individual contribution of the real time seismic stations to the monitoring of the intermediate depth seismicity of the Vrancea region, the seismogenic zone which controls the seismic hazard at regional scale. During the period January 1, 2008 – June 1, 2013, 1468 subcrustal earthquakes (depth
≥ 60 km) with local magnitude ML ≥ 1.3 were localized at the bend of the Eastern Carpathians, using the records of the national network. The performance of each station is estimated by taking into consideration the fraction of events that are localized using the station records, compared to the total number of events of the catalogue, which occurred during the time of station operation. The location of the site and the recovery rate of reliable data are essential elements in the evaluation of the individual station effectiveness.
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IDENTIFYING SEISMIC VULNERABILITY HOTSPOTS IN BUCHAREST | Armaș I., Ionescu R., Gavris A., Toma-Dănilă D. | APPLIED GEOGRAPHY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 77, 49-63 | |
Authors:
Armaș I., Ionescu R., Gavris A., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Measuring seismic vulnerability is a complex and valuable endeavor. It allows us to focus resources where they are critically needed. In this research a variety of data was used to identify the most vulnerable areas in Bucharest in case of an earthquake. Socio-economic data from censuses in 2002 and 2011 were used to generate an overall spatial vulnerability index, while other variables such as earthquake scenarios and distance to resilience-enhancing points in space (e.g., parks, fire stations, etc.) helped to fine-tune the analysis and offered a comprehensive picture of where vulnerability hotspots can be found in an urban environment. The top three most vulnerable hotspots are analyzed and two underlying reasons for their vulnerability are proposed and discussed in more detail: education and connectedness. We applied uncertainty and sensitivity analyses to assess the stability of the results for the vulnerability hotspots. The general outcome of the research is an increase in the overall socio-economic vulnerability in the city in spite of the upward economic trend in the period of time under analysis. Some key challenges about the origins of vulnerability are raised.
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CRUSTAL MODELS IN MOESIAN PLATFORM, ROMANIA, BASED ON SEISMIC AND SEISMOLOGIC DATA | Bălă A., Tătaru D., Grecu B., Răileanu V. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 435-442 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Tătaru D., Grecu B., Răileanu V.
Abstract:
Moesian Platform is an old massif in the SE Europe bordered to the north and west by the South Carpathians, to the south by the Balkans, to the east by the Black Sea and to the NE by the North Dobrogean Orogen and Scythian Platform. In the Romanian sector, placed north of the Danube river topography of platform shows elevations of 100 - 200 m. Basement of the platform is divided by the Intramoesian Fault in two tectonic sectors, which are different both in age and in composition: the Wallachian sector to the west and the Dobrogean sector to the east. The Dobrogean sector of the patform is prolonged to the east until the Black Sea in the Central and Southern Dobrogea units. Two fault systems cross the platform: one major system is parallel to the Carpathians and accommodates the sinking of platform under Carpathian Orogen; the other fault system is relatively transverse to the first, separating a succession of fault blocks. Sedimentary cover has a variable thickness from a few hundred meters to 10 km or more in Focsani basin. The top of basement was mapped in the last decade using seismic and well data. The crust is thinner in the south and thicker in the north of the platform down to 40-45 km. Crustal investigation of the platform was accomplished in several stages, using in general active seismic investigations. Several large angle seismic crustal lines were recorded and interpreted in the 1970’ years in the E and W part of the Moesian Platform. After 1990 some near-vertical reflection seismic profiles were recorded in the process of oil and gas exploration. Two large angle regional refraction lines (Vrancea’99 and Vrancea2001), having 240 km and 400 km respectively in length, crossed a large part of the platform. New studies on crustal structure are based on the receiver functions method and surface wave inversion applied to the earthquake data. Data are provided by the broad band seismic stations. A preliminary interpretation of the Ps phases indicates depths of 35 km for Vrincioaia station, 33 km for Targusor (TIRR). Comparing the RF and refraction results is observed a slight underestimation of Moho in VRI (-3 km) using receiver function method. The new crustal data lead to review the old crustal models allow the geophysicist researchers to propose a new improved one. The new model comprises a more detailed topography of the surfaces of Moho and top of lower crust across of platform. The new crustal model provides as well a distribution of the mean P-wave velocities within the upper and lower crystalline crust in the whole platform. The new model displays mean P-wave velocities of 5.9-6.4 km/s in upper crystalline crust and 6.6-7.0 km/s in lower crust. The depth of Moho is variable from 30 km in S to 45 km in NE
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CRUSTAL STRUCTURE MODELS IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA USING CROSS CORRELATION OF SEISMIC NOISE AND RECEIVER FUNCTIONS | Bălă A., Tătaru D., Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 443-450 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Tătaru D., Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
As a result of the continuous development in the last ten years of the network of the permanent broadband stations in Romania, valuable data for seismicity and crustal structure studies is now available, especially for the western part. Complementary to this national dataset, maintained and developed in the National Institute for Earth Physics, new data emerged from temporary networks established during the joint projects with European partners in the last decades.
Such a joint project between University of Leeds, UK and National Institute for Earth Physics, Romania (South Carpathian Project - SCP), deployed 33 broadband seismic stations autonomously operated in an area covering the western part of the country and which continuously provided data for two years (2009-2011). This project offered a good opportunity to study the crustal structure of western part of Romania.
The receiver function technique and a joint inversion method of receiver function and Rayleigh wave dispersion are employed in order to derive the 2D seismic velocity models for several seismic station locations. The results show a thin crust for stations located in the eastern part of Pannonian Basin (28-30 km). The stations within the Southern Carpathians are characterized by crustal depths of about 31-36 km. In the Apuseni Mountains the Moho discontinuity is replace by a transition zone extended between 31 to 33 km depth. Models of the variation of the seismic velocity in depth are developed along 3 lines crossing the western part of Romania. On the first 2 lines the Moho limit is placed and it coincide generally with the isoline of seismic transverse velocity of about 3.75 km/s.
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THE STRONG ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKES OF 10.11.1940 AND 4.03.1977. LESSONS LEARNED AND FORGOTTEN? | Bălă A., Toma-Dănilă D. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 19-35 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Bucharest is among the European capitals most vulnerable to earthquakes. Although located at a relatively large epicentral distance (about 140–160 km) from Vrancea area, Bucharest has suffered much destruction and loss of life during great Vrancea earthquakes. In the last century, November 10th, 1940 earthquake (Mw = 7.7) caused the completely collapse of Carlton building located in the central city area, killing over 300 people, and many other high buildings were affected in capital city as in other cities closer to the epicenter. More than 1000 people were killed in a matter of minutes in all Romania during the earthquake, while city of Panciu was destroyed in 90–95 % proportion. This was the moment when the first alarm signal regarding the introducing of mandatory regulations in the seismic design of buildings came out. However, the recommendations made by the specialists were largely ignored by the authorities of the time, so that the next major earthquake of March 4, 1977 (Mw = 7.4) caused the biggest recorded disaster in the history of Bucharest The earthquake of 1977 caused only in Bucharest the collapse of 32 buildings, 8–12 floors high, while about 150 old buildings, with 4–6 floors were badly damaged. Most of the collapsed buildings were built between the 1920 and 1940, they did not benefit of the anti-seismic design. In the case of Bucharest the buildings have been previously damaged in the 1940 earthquake and during the bombardments in the World War II. Over 1500 people died and about 7500 were wounded, most of them in Bucharest City. The total cost of the damage amounted to more than 2 billion dollars, two thirds being related to the capital city only. The aim of the paper is to present aspects related to the consequences of the Vrancea 1940 and 1977 earthquakes, highlighting the differences between the two catastrophic events and their consequences. Therefore everything learned from the past should not be forgotten in order to insure that the next catastrophic event will find a better prepared society.
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BUILDING SAFETY THROUGH SATELLITE MONITORING | Bălan S.F., Poncos V., Teleagă D., Toma S.A., Apostol B.F. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 403-409 | |
Authors:
Bălan S.F., Poncos V., Teleagă D., Toma S.A., Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
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THE VIRTUAL SEISMOLOGIST IN SEISCOMP3: A NEW IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING ALGORITHMS | Behr Y., Clinton J., Cauzzi C., Hauksson E., Jonsdottir K., Craiu M.G., Pinar A., Salichon J., Sokos E. | SEISMOLOGICAL RESEARCH LETTERS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 87, 363-373 | |
Authors:
Behr Y., Clinton J., Cauzzi C., Hauksson E., Jonsdottir K., Craiu M.G., Pinar A., Salichon J., Sokos E.
Abstract:
The feasibility of earthquake early warning (EEW) is now widely recognized. However, EEW systems that are in operation or under evaluation worldwide have significant variations and are usually operated independently of routine earthquake monitoring. We introduce a software that allows testing and evaluation of a well‐known EEW algorithm directly within a widely used earthquake monitoring software platform. In the long term, we envision this approach can lead to (1) an easier transition from prototype to production type EEW implementations, (2) a natural and seamless evolution from very fast EEW source parameter estimates with typically large uncertainties to more delayed but more precise estimates using more traditional analysis methods, and (3) the capability of seismic networks to evaluate the readiness of their network for EEW, and to implement EEW, without having to invest in and maintain separate, independent software systems.
Using the Virtual Seismologist (VS), a popular EEW algorithm that has been tested in real time in California since 2008, we demonstrate how our approach can be realized within the widely used monitoring platform SeisComP3. Because this software suite is already in production at many seismic networks worldwide, we have been able to test the new VS implementation across a wide variety of tectonic settings and network infrastructures. Using mainly real‐time performance, we analyze over 3200 events with magnitudes between 2.0 and 6.8 and show that, for shallow crustal seismicity, 68% of the first VS magnitude estimates are within ±0.5 magnitude units of the final reported magnitude. We further demonstrate the very significant effect of data communication strategies on final alert times. Using a Monte Carlo simulation approach, we then model the best possible alert times for optimally configured EEW systems and show that, for events within the dense parts of each of the seven test networks, effective warnings could be issued for magnitudes as small as M 5.0.
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D'ALEMBERT 'S PRINCIPLE, THEME OF SCIENTIFIC DEBATE IN ROMANIAN UNIVERSITY AND ACADEMIC SOCIETY IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY | Alexandrescu M., Bălan F.S. | STUDII ȘI COMUNICĂRI/DIS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 9, 23-40 | - |
Authors:
Alexandrescu M., Bălan F.S.
Abstract:
The paper aims to present the first scientific events organized by the Romanian Academy that marked the academic interests in our country to explain the Principle of d’Alembert. The protagonists of this approach (D. Pompei (years 1914–1943) and Șt. Hepites in 1914) were related to the presentation of d’ Alembert`s basic ideas expressed in his „Traité de Dynamique” published in 1743 in which the author does not explicitly for mulate the famous principle that would bear his name and did not use the notion of „force of inertia”. In these circumstances the explanation of the Principles of d’Alembert bearing a strong didactical character has not engaged a debate of ideas, as only target was the primary form of d’Alembert’s contribution to the reformulation of the fundamental law of classical mechanics that Newton had formulated a century before. Through its Mathematics Section, Academy of Sciences organ ized a symposium on December 15th 1945 in the Mechanics Laboratory of the University of Bucharest. Two communications were presented „Forces of inertia in the light of the principles of dynamics” and „The phenomenon of inertia”, first by D.Germani, and the second by C. Budeanu. V.Vâlcovici, at the end, as the ini tiator, organizer and host of the event was pleased to declare an identity of views of the two outstanding relevant previous speakers, expressed in different ways, and richly illustrated through examples from various technical fields, interpreted competently and with power of persuasion. The paper presents in detail all these scientific approaches in theoretical mechanics, in the early twentieth century.
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USE OF VARIOUS DISCRIMINATION TECHNIQUES TO SEPARATE SMALL MAGNITUDE EVENTS OCCURRED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF ROMANIA | Borleanu F., Grecu B., Popa M., Radulian M. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 135-150 | |
Authors:
Borleanu F., Grecu B., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
During the last decade Romanian Seismic Network has been significantly improved. A total number of 114 3-C seismic stations and the 2 seismic arrays ensure a good coverage of seismically active regions. As a consequence, the detection threshold decreased allowing location with higher accuracy of low magnitude (ML ~1.0) seismic events. This led to a contamination of Romanian earthquakes catalog with artificial events occurred in different regions. The goal of the present study is to apply various discrimination methods like: spectral and amplitude ratio techniques, complexity factor evaluation and a multi-parameter discriminant on a data set characterized by lower magnitudes events recorded between 2011 and 2015. The selected data consists of small events occurred in the northern part of Romania in the neighborhood of Bucovina array (BURAR). The analysis was carried out on the waveforms recorded with a high signal to noise ratio using the vertical short period array components. Our results revealed that despite of some overlapping, these techniques show a good capacity to discriminate artificial by natural events for the study region.
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OVERVIEW OF PART IV: SEISMIC EVALUATION AND REHABILITATION. SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT | Cioflan C.O., Iancovici M. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 395-398 | |
Authors:
Cioflan C.O., Iancovici M.
Abstract:
This chapter includes papers that deal with the seismic evaluation and rehabilitation of existing buildings in Romania and neighboring countries- e.g. Republic of Moldova, using both fundamental and cutting-edge approaches.
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SEISMIC LOSS ESTIMATES FOR SCENARIOS OF THE 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE | Cioflan C.O., Toma-Dănilă D., Manea E.F. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 425-439 | |
Authors:
Cioflan C.O., Toma-Dănilă D., Manea E.F.
Abstract:
One of the strongest earthquake in Romania was the Vrancea earthquake on 10 November 1940, with moment magnitude 7.7 and depth of 150 km. This event caused significant losses over a wide territory, up to Iasi and Craiova cities. The number of casualties in Romania was around 593 dead and 1271 injured and 65,000 homes were destroyed. A major questions nowadays is: “What could the consequences of a similar earthquake be?”. Through this paper we try to provide insights, by relying on the newly implemented System for Estimating the Seismic Damage in Romania (SeisDaRo), operated by National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP). This system uses the Improved-Displacement Capacity Analytical Method implemented in the SELENA Software for expressing building loss probabilities. The building database (at city or commune level) is classified into 48 types (depending on construction material, height and age), each with a specific capacity and fragility curve. For this paper we also compute casualty estimates. In the absence of real seismic recordings from the 1940 earthquake we obtained hazard parameters through different ground motion prediction equations (developed by Sokolov, Marmureanu or Vacareanu) specific for the Vrancea intermediate-depth source. Also we test the possibility of using data converted from intensity to acceleration. The damage estimates are represented on relevant maps. Our results show that an earthquake like the one on 1940 could lead to significant damage in our times.
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STATE-OF-THE ART AND FUTURE OF EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING IN THE EUROPEAN REGION | Clinton J., Zollo A., Mărmureanu A., Zulfikar C., Parolai S. | BULLETIN OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 14, 2441-2458 | |
Authors:
Clinton J., Zollo A., Mărmureanu A., Zulfikar C., Parolai S.
Abstract:
European researchers and seismic networks are active in developing new approaches to earthquake early warning (EEW), implementing and operating test EEW systems, and in some cases, offering operational EEW to end users. We present the key recent developments in EEW research in Europe, describe the networks and regions where EEW is currently in testing or development, and highlight the two systems in Turkey and Romania that currently provide operational systems to a limited set of end users.
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MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY INVESTIGATION OF THE NOVEMBER 2014, M=5.7, VRANCEA (ROMANIA) CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE | Constantin A.P., Moldovan I.A., Craiu A., Radulian M., Ionescu C. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 59, S0542 | |
Authors:
Constantin A.P., Moldovan I.A., Craiu A., Radulian M., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
On November 22, 2014 at 21:14:17 local hour (19:14:17 GMT) a ML=5.7 crustal earthquake occurred in the area of Marasesti city of Vrancea county (Romania) - the epicenter was located at north latitude 45.87° and east longitude 27.16°, with a focal depth of 39 km. This earthquake is the main shock of a sequence that started with this and lasted until the end of January. During the sequence, characterized by the absence of foreshocks, a number of 75 earthquakes were recorded in 72 hours, the largest of which occurred in the same day with the main shock, at 22:30 (ML= 3.1). The crustal seismicity of Vrancea seismogenic region is characterized by moderate earthquakes with magnitudes that have not exceeded MW 5.9, this value being assigned to an earthquake that occurred in historical times on March 1, 1894 (Romplus catalogue). Immediately after the 2014 earthquake occurrence, the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) sent macroseismic questionnaires in all affected areas, in order to define the macroseismic field of ground shaking. According to macroseismic questionnaires survey, the intensity of epicentral area reached VI MSK, and the seismic event was felt in all the extra-Carpathian area. This earthquake caused general panic and minor to moderate damage to the buildings in the epicentral area and the northeast part of country. The main purpose of this paper is to present the macroseismic map of the earthquake based on the MSK-64 intensity scale.
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MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY DISTRIBUTION OF SOME RECENT ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKES | Constantin A.P., Partheniu R., Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 61, 1120-1132 | - |
Authors:
Constantin A.P., Partheniu R., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
Between years 2001 and 2004 a number of earthquakes with magnitudes which ranged from 3.9 to 5.0 occurred in the most seismically active areas of the Romanian territory. A macroseismic analysis of the effects produced on the Romanian territory has been conducted for these earthquakes, by using macroseismic questionnaires.
Some of the observed intensities were significantly higher than those we could have expected after the earthquakes with such magnitudes. Effects have been evaluated from macroseismic observations giving maximum intensities estimated as VI–VII and VII in the MSK scale, respectively. Given the small to moderate size of earthquakes, many of the observed damages to buildings are due to their bad state, age, and poorly built without antiseismic protection, and hence particularly vulnerable.
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THE SEISMIC SEQUENCE OF THE MODERATE-SIZE CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE OF NOVEMBER 22, 2014 OF VRANCEA REGION: FOCAL MECHANISM SOLUTIONS | Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Mărmureanu A., Ardeleanu L. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 687-694 | |
Authors:
Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Mărmureanu A., Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
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ANALYSIS OF THE SEISMIC ACTIVITY IN THE VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH SOURCE REGION DURING THE PERIOD 2010-2015 | Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 189-203 | |
Authors:
Craiu A., Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The goal of this study is to analyze the seismic activity of the Vrancea intermediate depth source zone during the period 2010–2015, time interval when the data provided by the National Seismic Network reached high quantitative and qualitative levels. The Vrancea undercrustal source (60–200 km depth) is located in a small focal volume at the Carpathian Bend, and it dominates the seismicity of Romania. The data set consists of 1603 earthquakes with local magnitudes 1.8 ≤ ML ≤ 5.5, recorded between January 2010 and October 2015. The events were localized using ANTELOPE software for data acquisition and processing. The reliable P-wave polarities were used to estimate the focal mechanism of 80 earthquakes with ML ≥ 3.8.
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LOCAL MAGNITUDE SCALE M-L EVALUATION FOR THE MAIN CRUSTAL SEISMIC ZONES OF ROMANIA | Craiu M.G., Craiu A., Mărmureanu A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 68, 863-878 | - |
Authors:
Craiu M.G., Craiu A., Mărmureanu A.
Abstract:
The seismic activity on the Romanian territory consists of both crustal and intermediate-depth earthquakes. The crustal seismicity is moderate and more scattered compared to the intermediate-depth one. In this paper we study the problem of homogeneous determination of local magnitude for earthquakes from the main seismic zones of Romania (Vrancea, Fagaras Mountains, Banat, Transylvania, Dobrogea and Romanian Plain). A waveforms database of digitally recorded data is used to derive new magnitude relations for different seismic areas of Romania. WoodAnderson amplitudes are computed from the available data and the maximum peak-to-peak amplitudes are measured on the horizontal components of the broad-band sensors to define the local magnitude scale. The duration magnitude (MD) is used as reference to calibrate the new magnitude scale based on amplitudes. The new coefficients are estimated through a multiple regression method. Our tests show that the new magnitude scale significantly improves the earthquake size evaluation and stability compared to the solution computed by present-day procedures at the National Institute for Earth Physics.
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FAST MOMENT MAGNITUDE FOR LOCAL EVENTS USING STRONG MOTION DATA | Craiu M.G., Gallo A., Costa G., Mărmureanu A., Craiu A. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 491-498 | |
Authors:
Craiu M.G., Gallo A., Costa G., Mărmureanu A., Craiu A.
Abstract:
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CAN RED WOOD ANTS PREDICT EARTHQUAKES? | Apostol A., Moldoveanu T., Sarlea A., Toader V.E. | JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCE | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 2, 1-10 | - |
Authors:
Apostol A., Moldoveanu T., Sarlea A., Toader V.E.
Abstract:
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THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEISMICITY FROM THE NORTH-WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Diaconescu M., Craiu A., Toma-Dănilă D., Craiu M.G. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 655-662 | |
Authors:
Diaconescu M., Craiu A., Toma-Dănilă D., Craiu M.G.
Abstract:
The study area is located at the contact between the Apuseni Mountains (Western Carpathians) with Pannonian Depression-to the west and with Transylvanian Depression - to the east. The eastern limit is marked by the Eastern Carpathians. The current tectonic activity is manifested by an uplift of the Carpathian Orogeny in relation to neighboring units, particularly the Pannonian Depression. The main seismological active areas are on the edge of the Pannonian Basin and in contact with the basement of Apuseni Mountains and Eastern Carpathians. Historical data suggests two potential earthquake magnitudes Mw >6, one of magnitude 6.2 (Mw) and one with magnitude 6 (Mw). Generally, the characteristics earthquakes of the area have magnitude Mw≤5.6. We expect that the horizontal components of the movement (generated by the uplift of the Carpathians) to produce a compressive stress, as shown by focal mechanism solutions.
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THE SEISMOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE CONTACT BETWEEN MOESIAN PLATFORM AND INTERSECTION OF SOUTHERN CARPATHIANS WITH EASTERN CARPATHIANS | Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Craiu A. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 695-702 | |
Authors:
Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Craiu A.
Abstract:
In the present paper, we highlighted the two active seismogenetic zones, one of them to the north–east of Campulung city, and the other one along Ialomita River (west from Sinaia). Schematically we can say that the Southern Carpathians, between the Dambovita and Olt Valleys, are represented by the Supragetic Nappe, which has been over thrust on the Getic nappe during Middle Cretaceous. The Moesian Platform represents a Precambrian block involved in the Epihercynian European Platforms and is composed by three different segments, bounded by the Intramoesian and Calimanesti-Tg. Jiu crustal faults, the Dobrudjean, the Valachian and Danubian domains respectively. The Eastern Carpathians represent the central part of the Outer Carpathians belt and stretch from North to the junction with the Southern Carpathians along Intramoesian Fault. In the studied areal we covered all these units mentioned above and the main faults which mark the areal are Intramoesian Fault(IF) and Calimanesti-Tirgu Jiu fault, also there are a number of the medium to high angle reverse faults, thrust faults and strike slip to transpressional fault zones having a NW-SE direction. More of the earthquakes are located around six major seismogentic areas, such as: Campulung city, Sinaia city, Ialomita River, Targului Valley, Arges Valley and a W to E seismological line in Fagaras mountains.
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IDENTIFICATION OF BLASTING SOURCES IN THE DOBROGEA SEISMOGENIC REGION, ROMANIA USING SEISMO-ACOUSTIC SIGNALS | Ghica D.V., Grecu B., Popa M., Radulian M. | PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY ON THE EARTH | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 95, 125-134 | |
Authors:
Ghica D.V., Grecu B., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
In order to discriminate between quarry blasts and earthquakes observed in the Dobrogea seismogenic region, a seismo-acoustic analysis was performed on 520 events listed in the updated Romanian seismic catalogue from January 2011 to December 2012. During this time interval, 104 seismo-acoustic events observed from a distance between 110 and 230 km and backazimuth interval of 110–160° from the IPLOR infrasound array were identified as explosions by associating with infrasonic signals. WinPMCC software for interactive analysis was applied to detect and characterize infrasonic signals in terms of backazimuth, speed and frequency content. The measured and expected values of both backazimuths and arrival times for the study events were compared in order to identify the sources of infrasound. Two predominant directions for seismo-acoustic sources’ aligning were observed, corresponding to the northern and central parts of Dobrogea, and these directions are further considered as references in the process of discriminating explosions from earthquakes. A predominance of high-frequency detections (above 1 Hz) is also observed in the infrasound data. The strong influence of seasonally dependent stratospheric winds on the IPLOR detection capability limits the efficiency of the discrimination procedure, as proposed by this study.
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ANALYSIS OF BROADBAND SEISMIC NOISE FROM TEMPORARY STATIONS IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT, BUCHAREST, ROMANIA | Grecu B., Borleanu F., Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Neagoe C. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 395-402 | |
Authors:
Grecu B., Borleanu F., Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
The characteristics of the background seismic noise recorded at a temporary seismic network have been analyzed using power spectral density estimates and their corresponding probability density functions (PDFs). The network was installed in Bucharest area for 10 months, between November 2003 and August 2004, and consisted of 32 seismic stations equipped with broadband velocity sensors. We investigated the noise level variations as a function of time of day and season. At high frequencies (> 1 Hz), seismic noise shows important diurnal variations for most of the stations, while in the microseismic domain (0.05 – 0.5 Hz) the noise level increases during the colder months of the year. A new approach to compute the horizontal to vertical (H/V) ratios and identify the resonant frequencies was introduced too. The H/V ratios determined from the median of the PDF show similar results, in terms of resonant frequencies, with those obtained when using noise data to compute the spectral ratios. Two resonant peaks, one with larger amplitude and one with smaller amplitude, were identified in the frequency bands 0.13 – 0.3 Hz and 0.5 – 0.9 Hz, respectively.
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THE ENGINEERING STRONG-MOTION DATABASE: A PLATFORM TO ACCESS PAN-EUROPEAN ACCELEROMETRIC DATA | Luzi L., Puglia R., Russo E., D'Amico M., Felicetta C., Pacor F., Lanzano G., Ceken U., Clinton J., Costa G., Duni L., Farzanegan E., Gueguen P., Ionescu C., Kalogeras I., Ozener H., Pesaresi D., Sleeman R., Strollo A., Zare M. | SEISMOLOGICAL RESEARCH LETTERS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 87, 987-997 | |
Authors:
Luzi L., Puglia R., Russo E., D'Amico M., Felicetta C., Pacor F., Lanzano G., Ceken U., Clinton J., Costa G., Duni L., Farzanegan E., Gueguen P., Ionescu C., Kalogeras I., Ozener H., Pesaresi D., Sleeman R., Strollo A., Zare M.
Abstract:
This article describes the Engineering Strong‐Motion Database (ESM), developed in the framework of the European project Network of European Research Infrastructures for Earthquake Risk Assessment and Mitigation (NERA, see Data and Resources). ESM is specifically designed to provide end users only with quality‐checked, uniformly processed strong‐motion data and relevant parameters and has done so since 1969 in the Euro‐Mediterranean region. The database was designed for a large variety of stakeholders (expert seismologists, earthquake engineers, students, and professionals) with a user‐friendly and straightforward web interface.
Users can access earthquake and station information and download waveforms of events with magnitude≥4.0 (unprocessed and processed acceleration, velocity, and displacement, and acceleration and displacement response spectra at 5% damping). Specific tools are also available to users to process strong‐motion data and select ground‐motion suites for code‐based seismic structural analyses.
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IMPROVING THE SHEAR WAVE VELOCITY STRUCTURE BENEATH BUCHAREST (ROMANIA) USING AMBIENT VIBRATIONS | Manea E.F., Michel C., Poggi V., Fah D., Radulian M., Bălan F.S. | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 207, 848-861 | |
Authors:
Manea E.F., Michel C., Poggi V., Fah D., Radulian M., Bălan F.S.
Abstract:
Large earthquakes from the intermediate-depth Vrancea seismic zone are known to produce in Bucharest ground motion characterized by predominant long periods. This phenomenon has been interpreted as the combined effect of both seismic source properties and site response of the large sedimentary basin. The thickness of the unconsolidated Quaternary deposits beneath the city is more than 200 m, the total depth of sediments is more than 1000 m. Complex basin geometry and the low seismic wave velocities of the sediments are primarily responsible for the large amplification and long duration experienced during earthquakes. For a better understanding of the geological structure under Bucharest, a number of investigations using non-invasive methods have been carried out. With the goal to analyse and extract the polarization and dispersion characteristics of the surface waves, ambient vibrations and low-magnitude earthquakes have been investigated using single station and array techniques. Love and Rayleigh dispersion curves (including higher modes), Rayleigh waves ellipticity and SH-wave fundamental frequency of resonance (f0SH) have been inverted simultaneously to estimate the shear wave velocity structure under Bucharest down to a depth of about 8 km. Information from existing borehole logs was used as prior to reduce the non-uniqueness of the inversion and to constrain the shallow part of the velocity model (<300 m). In this study, we use data from a 35-km diameter array (the URS experiment) installed by the National Institute for Earth Physics and by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology during 10 months in the period 2003–2004. The array consisted of 32 three-component seismological stations, deployed in the urban area of Bucharest and adjacent zones. The large size of the array and the broad-band nature of the available sensors gave us the possibility to characterize the surface wave dispersion at very low frequencies (0.05–1 Hz) using frequency–wavenumber techniques. This is essential to explore and resolve the deeper portions of the basin. The horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (H/V) curves provide important additional information about the structure and are here characterized by two major peaks. The first is attributed to the fundamental frequency of the basin, while the second can be interpreted as a mixture of the second higher mode of Rayleigh waves and other types of waves such as SH waves. This hypothesis has been verified by comparing the H/V curves with the SH-wave transfer function from the retrieved velocity structure. We could also approximate the SH transfer function with H/V ratios of earthquake recordings, providing additional verification of the robustness of the proposed velocity model. The Cretaceous bedrock depth was then inverted at each URS station from the fundamental frequency of resonance and using this model. A 3-D geophysical model for Bucharest has been constructed based on the integration of the inverted velocity profiles and the available geological information using a geographic information system.
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MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF NOVEMBER 10, 1940 STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE IN SEISMOLOGICAL AND PHYSICS OF EARTHQUAKE TERMS | Mărmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Mărmureanu A., Manea E.F. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 73-83 | |
Authors:
Mărmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Mărmureanu A., Manea E.F.
Abstract:
Vrancea earthquake on November 10th, 1940 (MW = 7.7; MGR = 7.5; h = 150 km; E = 1.122 × 1023 ergs, Imax = IX½) represents the first large earthquake in the last century and was preceded by other earthquakes as: October 22, 1940 (MW = 6.5) and November 8, 1940 (MW = 5.9). If recorded, it would be given the opportunity to get basic data for seismic hazard assessment and useful conclusions for seismic design of structures to strong earthquakes. Unfortunately, no seismic ground motion was recorded and, as a consequence, no improvements of the Romanian design building code were made after this earthquake. The earthquake of November 10, 1940 confirms the existence of deep earthquakes in Vrancea area, deeper than Moho discontinuity in the lower lithosphere, and this theory was developed for the first time by H. Jeffreys in 1935. Focşani city and several municipalities (Coteşti, Panciu etc.) were almost destroyed and the houses not taller than one floor, were completely damaged. More than 45 churches and monasteries were damages, destroyed or demolished. New data regarding damages at monasteries have been synthesized and analyzed, the resulting intensities are completing the known macroseismic field and data may be used to construct the isoseismic map of the maximum possible Vrancea earthquake.
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CAN WE STILL USE CLASSIC SEISMIC HAZARD ANALYSIS FOR STRONG AND DEEP VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES? | Mărmureanu G., Mărmureanu A., Manea E.F., Toma-Dănilă D., Vlad M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 61, 728-738 | - |
Authors:
Mărmureanu G., Mărmureanu A., Manea E.F., Toma-Dănilă D., Vlad M.
Abstract:
Seismic hazard is quantified by three parameters: level of severity, and spatial and temporal measurements. Thus, the purpose of a seismic hazard assessment is to determine these three parameters from instrumental, historical and geological observations. The characterization of earthquake ground motion for engineering applications generally involves the use of empirical models referred to as groundmotion prediction equations (GMPEs). In classic seismic hazard analysis, this GMPE describes a relationship between a ground motion parameter Y (PGA, PGV, MMI) in site, earthquake magnitude M, source-site distance R, and uncertainty or residual δ. Nothing on epicenter ground acceleration (PGA), velocity (PGV), MMI intensity. Selection of a ground motion for engineering design and other considerations requires a clear understanding of seismic hazard among stakeholders, seismologists and engineers in particular. The authors are coming with data in connection to strong and deep Vrancea earthquakes, the large uncertainties of peak ground accelerations (PGA) recorded in epicenter and far of epicenter in extra-Carpathian area after last three strong earthquakes (August 30,1986; MW = 7.1; h = 131.4 km; May 30,1990; MW = = 6.9; h = 90.9 km; May 31,1990; MW = 6.4; h = 86.9 km). There are many PGA records in Romanian and Republic of Moldavia seismic stations. Many of them are larger than in epicenter Vrâncioaia seismic station. Consequently, classic seismic hazard analysis is not applicable at all to strong and deep Vrancea earthquakes.
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INPUT PARAMETERS FOR THE PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN THE EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA AND BLACK SEA AREA | Moldovan I.A., Diaconescu M., Popescu E., Radulian M., Toma-Dănilă D., Constantin A.P., Plăcintă A.O. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 61, 1412-1425 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Diaconescu M., Popescu E., Radulian M., Toma-Dănilă D., Constantin A.P., Plăcintă A.O.
Abstract:
In this study we have used the most reliable and homogeneous seismic datasets at
the European scale, covering historical and modern instrumental seismicity until
present days for the Eastern part of Romania and the Black Sea Area for computing
the statistical parameters of seimogenic sources and assessing the probabilistic hazard
in the South Eastern part of Romania
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QUANTITATIVE POPULATION LOSS ASSESSMENT: SEISMIC SCENARIOS FOR BUCHAREST USING 2002 CENSUS DATA | Armaș I., Toma-Dănilă D., Ionescu R., Gavriș A. | FORUM GEOGRAFIC | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 4(1), 30 - 40 | |
Authors:
Armaș I., Toma-Dănilă D., Ionescu R., Gavriș A.
Abstract:
In this research, we calculate the probability and scale of population losses that may occur due to earthquake hazard in Bucharest. Losses are quantified in direct relation to the social vulnerability of people who are exposed to an earthquake event. Social vulnerability is based on index construction, using spatial decision rules to assess weights in a criteria tree using the SMCE-module of Ilwis software. To estimate building vulnerability, we used the Improved Displacement Coefficient analytical method in the SELENA software. For the earthquake loss estimation, we used the percentage of severely damageable residential buildings in each census unit (CU). The population loss estimation for the selected earthquake scenarios was obtained by multiplying the complex social vulnerability index with the estimated ratio of severely damageable buildings, for three selected earthquake scenarios and using the population numbers in each census unit. The maps represent the maximum affected population values, per census unit, in percentages. We provide useful estimates of the scale and severity of injuries, and link these with current levels of medical preparedness. In all scenarios, the CUs forming the Rahova neighbourhood revealed high loss values, due to significant problems in terms of the built environment and social vulnerability.
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A GPS STUDY OF LAND SUBSIDENCE IN THE PETROSANI (ROMANIA) COAL MINING AREA | Muntean A., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 80, 797-810 | |
Authors:
Muntean A., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C.
Abstract:
The Petrosani basin is a large and important coal mining zone in the South Carpathians area of Romania. In recent times, most mines have been closed, but an extensive and dense network of galleries still exists. Most of the abandoned ones were not filled in with mine tailings. There is strong concern and evidence that the old galleries are collapsing and/or filling up with water, leading to significant surface deformation and potential hazards, especially for the local communities. We present an analysis of GPS data from nineteen (19) campaign sites spanning the period 2007–2012. Our results are quite consistent and show significant horizontal and vertical surface motions. The horizontal velocities range from 0 to 260 mm/year (mainly in WSW direction), while the vertical velocities range from +39 (uplift) to −263 (subsidence) mm/year. The largest motions appear to be associated with the central (oldest) sector of the mining area. The pattern of vertical motions suggests that the peripheral area is affected by slight uplift in response to the subsidence of the central sector.
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A REGIONAL GPS NETWORK FOR MONITORING THE CARPATHIAN-DANUBIAN-PONTIC SPACE DEFORMATIONS AND THE IMPACT OF LOCAL EARTHQUAKES | Năstase E., Muntean A., Ionescu C., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | | |
Authors:
Năstase E., Muntean A., Ionescu C., Mocanu V., Ambrosius B.A.C.
Abstract:
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STUDY OF NW GALATI SISMOGENIC AREA, 3 GPS CAMPAIGNS FROM 2013-2015, PRELIMINARY RESULTS | Năstase E., Muntean A., Toma-Dănilă D., Mocanu V., Ionescu C. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 32, 631-638 | |
Authors:
Năstase E., Muntean A., Toma-Dănilă D., Mocanu V., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
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INVESTIGATION OF IONOSPHERIC PRECURSORS OF EARTHQUAKES IN ROMANIA USING THE ROMANIAN GNSS/GPS NETWORK | Năstase E., Oikonomou C., Toma-Dănilă D., Haralambous H., Muntean A., Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 61, 1426-1436 | - |
Authors:
Năstase E., Oikonomou C., Toma-Dănilă D., Haralambous H., Muntean A., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
We examine the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere interaction with respect to earthquake events using Total Electron Content (TEC) data deriving from the
Romanian permanent GPS network by applying three different techniques: a) estimation of TEC deviations from the mean state, b) Cross-Correlation Analysis
and c) Spectral Analysis. The analysis concerns four seismic events that took place in Romania with magnitude ranging from 5.2 to 6.0. The aim is to identify and study possible ionospheric precursory phenomena linked to these seismic events.
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EARTHQUAKE MONITORING AT DIFFERENT SCALES IN ROMANIA | Neagoe C., Grecu B., Manea L.M. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 459-466 | |
Authors:
Neagoe C., Grecu B., Manea L.M.
Abstract:
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DIGITIZED DATABASE OF OLD SEISMOGRAMS RECORDER IN ROMANIA | Daniel Paulescu, Maria Rogozea, Mihaela Popa, Mircea Radulian | ACTA GEOPHYSICA | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 64, 963-977 | |
Authors:
Daniel Paulescu, Maria Rogozea, Mihaela Popa, Mircea Radulian
Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to describe a managing system for a unique Romanian database of historical seismograms and complementary documentation (metadata) and its dissemination and analysis procedure. For this study, 5188 historical seismograms recorded between 1903 and 1957 by the Romanian seismological observatories (Bucharest-Filaret, Focşani, Bacău, Vrincioaia, Câmpulung-Muscel, Iaşi) were used. In order to reconsider the historical instrumental data, the analog seismograms are converted to digital images and digital waveforms (digitization/ vectorialisation). First, we applied a careful scanning procedure of the seismograms and related material (seismic bulletins, station books, etc.). In a next step, the high resolution scanned seismograms will be processed to obtain the digital/numeric waveforms. We used a Colortrac Smartlf Cx40 scanner which provides images in TIFF or JPG format. For digitization the algorithm Teseo2 developed by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Rome (Italy), within the framework of the SISMOS Project, will be used.
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AN UPDATED PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT FOR ROMANIA AND COMPARISON WITH THE APPROACH AND OUTCOMES OF THE SHARE PROJECT | Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Douglas J., Radulian M., Cioflan C., Bărbat A. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 173, 1881-1905 | |
Authors:
Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Douglas J., Radulian M., Cioflan C., Bărbat A.
Abstract:
The probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Romania is revisited within the framework of the BIGSEES national research project (http://infp.infp.ro/bigsees/default.htm) financed by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research in the period 2012–2016. The scope of this project is to provide a refined description of the seismic action for Romanian sites according to the requirements of Eurocode 8. To this aim, the seismicity of all the sources influencing the Romanian territory is updated based on new data acquired in recent years. The ground-motion models used in the analysis, as well as their corresponding weights, are selected based on the results from several recent papers also published within the framework of the BIGSEES project. The seismic hazard analysis for Romania performed in this study are based on the traditional Cornell-McGuire approach. Finally, the results are discussed and compared with the values obtained in the recently completed SHARE research project. The BIGSEES and SHARE results are not directly comparable since the considered soil conditions are different—actual soil classes for BIGSEES and rock for SHARE. Nevertheless, the analyses of the seismic hazard results for 200 sites in Romania reveal considerable differences between the seismic hazard levels obtained in the present study and the SHARE results and point out the need for further analyses and thorough discussions related to the two seismic hazard models, especially in the light of a possible future harmonized hazard map for Europe.
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ANALYSIS OF SOURCE PROPERTIES FOR THE EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCES IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN CARPATHIANS (ROMANIA) | Plăcintă A.O., Popescu E., Borleanu F., Radulian M., Popa M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 68, 1240-1258 | - |
Authors:
Plăcintă A.O., Popescu E., Borleanu F., Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
The crustal seismicity in Romania is concentrated in front of the Carpathians Arc bend (Vrancea region) and at the contact between the extra-Carpathian platform regions and Carpathians orogen. The region investigated in this paper is characterizing the contact of the western side of the South Carpathians with the Tisza-Dacia region. In this area, the large amount of transcurrent deformation that took place during the right-lateral movement of the South Carpathians in respect to the stable Moesian unit let to the creation of intra-mountainous pull-apart basins able to accommodate this movement. For two such basins, Ha?eg and Caransebe?-Mehadia, recent good quality seismic data have recorded during three earthquake sequences: (1) a sequence of 14 events occurred on 24?31 March 2011 in the Ha?eg Depression (maximum magnitude of Mw = 3.3), (2) a sequence of 35 events occurred on 8?11 September 2013 in the Ha?eg Depression (maximum magnitude of Mw = 4.0) and (3) a sequence of 60 events occurred in the Caransebe?-Mehadia Depression on 31 October?15 December 2014 (main shock magnitude of Mw = 4.1). We apply empirical Green?s functions deconvolution and spectral ratios techniques to determine the source parameters. Despite the relative small size of the events, high-quality waveforms for pairs of co-located events are available in different measuring sites. The new results, together with previous determinations, provide a useful database to investigate the source scaling properties in correlation with seismotectonics modeling of the study region. Finally, source characteristics (location, seismic moment, source dimension, stress drop, focal mechanism, clustering) are discussed in connection with the seismotectonics features at the scale of the entire Carpathians and adjacent extra-Carpathians contact areas.
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THE 2013 EARTHQUAKE SWARM IN THE GALATI AREA: FIRST RESULTS FOR A SEISMOTECTONIC INTERPRETATION | Popa M., Oros E., Dinu C., Radulian M., Borleanu F., Rogozea M., Munteanu I., Neagoe C. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 253-265 | |
Authors:
Popa M., Oros E., Dinu C., Radulian M., Borleanu F., Rogozea M., Munteanu I., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
An earthquake swarm of 940 events with ML magnitude between 0.1 and 4.0 and the depth no more than 25 km occurred during three months in the South-Eastern Carpathians foredeep, in an area of around 200 km2, at 27 km north-east of the Galati city. JHD relocation highlights a rupture area steeply dipping down to 15 km depth along a NE-SW alignment. Although the area is known as seismically active, it was for the first time that such a massive sequence was recorded. Specific seismicity alignments and stress field patterns are emphasized and interpreted in terms of geotectonical features of the region. The analysis of the stress associated with the seismic swarm shows a predominant EW compression and NS extension which is compatible with the regional stress regime in the Carpathians foredeep area. The rather small b-slope value of the frequency-magnitude distribution (0.743) for the swarm events in contrast with the value characterizing the regional seismicity (1.890) suggests a significant increase in the local stress accumulation on relatively larger tectonic structures and is in favor of a major tectonic component of the mechanism responsible for generating the swarm.
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OVERVIEW OF PART II: SEISMICITY OF ROMANIA. SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT; LOCAL SOIL CONDITIONS EFFECTS | Popa M., Pavel F. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 131-134 | |
Authors:
Popa M., Pavel F.
Abstract:
The papers contained in Part II of this volume are devoted to three main subjects, namely: seismicity of Romania, seismic hazard assessment and the evaluation of local soil conditions. A total of 11 papers authored by researchers from several institutions in Romania, as well as from Bulgaria and which cover all the three above-mentioned subjects were accepted for publication and are contained in this chapter. Some very brief abstracts of these papers are given below.
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SEISMICITY OF THE SOUTHERN APUSENI MOUNTAINS | Diaconescu M., Oros E., Craiu A. | GEOSCIENCE | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | | - |
Authors:
Diaconescu M., Oros E., Craiu A.
Abstract:
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SCALING PROPERTIES FOR THE VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES: AN OVERVIEW | Popescu E., Radulian M., Plăcintă A.O. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 235-252 | |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M., Plăcintă A.O.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismic nest is a distinctive case of unusually clustered seismicity at intermediate depths. The source scaling properties are essential elements to understand and model the tectonic processes responsible for generating earthquakes in such a confined lithospheric volume. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the scaling laws for Vrancea earthquakes on the basis of well-defined source parameters. Spectral ratios technique and empirical Green’s function deconvolution are applied to retrieve source parameters. Previous results are combined with new determinations resulting in an enlarged database (298 events), spanning a magnitude interval from Mw ~ 2.4 to Mw ~ 7.7 (1940 major event). The results show for the most of moderate-magnitude earthquakes a relatively simple source time function and source spectrum, compatible with a circular source model with homogeneous rupture process. The scaling of seismic moment with source radius and stress drop appears to be self-similar over the entire magnitude range of the considered data set (3.0 ≤ Mw ≤ 7.7) and matches well the theoretical scaling for source models generally adopted in source studies. Particular high stress drop values, for moderate and large events, indicate fast and efficient rupture processes at different scales, possibly explained by fast running shear melting processes.
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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THREE MAJOR EARTHQUAKES OCCURED AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY IN THE VRANCEA SEISMIC REGION (ROMANIA) | Rogozea M., Glavcheva R., Radulian M. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 1, 103-110 | |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Glavcheva R., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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SPACE-TIME VARIATION OF FREQUENCY-MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTION IN THE VRANCEA SEISMIC REGION DURING 2000-2016 TIME INTERVAL | Rogozea M., Radulian M. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 1, 563-570 | |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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COMPARISON OF THREE MAJOR HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES WITH THREE RECENT EARTHQUAKES | Rogozea M., Radulian M., Popa M., Paulescu D., Oros E., Neagoe C. | 1940 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE. ISSUES, INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT, BOOK SERIES: SPRINGER NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 267-283 | |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Radulian M., Popa M., Paulescu D., Oros E., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
The macroseismic effects of three major events recorded in historical time (1738, 1802, 1838) are re-evaluated and compared with three major events recorded in the 20th century in the Vrancea subcrustal source (1940, 1977, 1986). The purpose of the paper is to detect characteristic resemblances and differences in the macroseismic distributions among the study earthquakes. They provide important clues in assessing focal depth interval and specific directivity effects of the sources produced in historical times. Certainly, extension of such information to historical earthquakes will contribute essentially to improve the reliability of seismic hazard evaluation.
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DETECTING ACCIDENTAL CHEMICAL EXPLOSIONS USING THE SEISMO-ACOUSTIC NETWORK OF PLOSTINA, ROMANIA | Stancu I., Ghica D., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 68(2), 853-862 | - |
Authors:
Stancu I., Ghica D., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The Infrasound Ploştina Array (IPLOR) is part of a seismo-acoustic array with 2.5 km aperture, designed and installed in 2009 in the epicentral Vrancea seismogenic area, at the Carpathian Arc bend in Romania. The array belongs to the National Institute for Earth Physics and includes four infrasound stations and seven seismic stations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the ability of Ploştina infrasound array to detect and discriminate accidental chemical explosions located at regional distances. Two recent chemical explosions produced in Cyprus (2011) and in South-eastern Bulgaria (2012) are investigated. The multi-channel correlation algorithm is applied for the identification and characterization of the infrasound signals generated by the two explosive events, as concerns back azimuth, propagation velocity and frequency content. By applying this approach, we prove the efficiency of Ploştina array in identifying and characterizing infrasound signals caused by accidental chemical explosions.
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GEOPHYSICAL OPEN DATA AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS | Tătaru D., Năstase E., Toma-Dănilă D. | ICERI2016: 9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, BOOK SERIES: ICERI PROCEEDINGS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 4585 | |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Năstase E., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
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CHARACTERIZATION OF SEISMIC SOURCES USING LARGE SEISMIC DATASETS-GALATI PILOT AREA | Tătaru D., Poiată N., Grecu B., Radulian M., Popa M. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MININGI | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 411-418 | |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Poiată N., Grecu B., Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
Analysis and characterization of seismicity and its changes is a powerful way to detect, monitor and discriminate between the different types of seismic energy radiations. Modern seismic networks can be today seen as arrays, or antennas, of increasing density and spatial coverage, recording continuous high-quality signals, and making it possible to explore time and frequency scales at which seismic processes were essentially unknown. Seismic activity in Romania covers a wide range of tectonic environments from intermediate depth seismicity in the Vrancea area to the shallow crustal sources, such as those of Dobrogea and Banat. Moreover, Romania is a site of various mining and oil exploitation campaigns. A significant part of seismicity is associated to such
industrial contexts as: quarries (Dobrogea, Campulung, Rosia Poieni), dams (Bicaz, Vidraru), mining (Petrosani), or oil exploitations. These kinds of seismic activity have an increasing impact on society. The aim of this study is to present developments towards an integrated framework for detection, location and characterization of seismic sources associated to natural (tectonic) and anthropogenic environments in Romania. We discuss a detection and location methodology based upon most novel developments in the field of seismic source observation that can be applied to a large range of observations, from regular tectonic earthquakes to the micro-seismicity and seismic swarm observations. The performance of the method is tested on a pilot case of the 2013
seismic crises near the city of Galati and the potential fmiher developments and applications are discussed in the light of a more general context.
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SEISMIC MITIGATION THROUGH EDUCATION: THE MOBEE (MOBILE EARTHQUAKE EXHIBITION) EXPERIENCE | Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase E. | 16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE, SGEM 2016: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | 3, 985-992 | - |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase E.
Abstract:
In order to remain essential cultural and educational institutions, exhibitions and museums need to adapt to the times we live in and to the pace of technology and human interests. Through this paper, we present our own experience and research in developing a state-of-the art earthquake-related exhibition that meets the demands of our times and efficiently addresses a large and diverse target audience. The MOBEE (MOBile Earthquake Exhibition) Project tackles a very problematic topic in regard to the present and future of Romania: the key role of education, in the perspective of a future major earthquake. The project is the only initiative of this kind in Romania, a country where the lessons of previous destructive earthquakes (of 1940 and 1977) seem to be neglected. One of the main goals of the exhibition is to provide a reliable, attractive and- up-to-date source of information regarding earthquakes, leading to mitigation by education. The initiative translates modern approaches into science, arts and computer science into end-products with a direct impact in forming (awakening) and developing the interest for earth science. We provide an insight on how and why new technologies and concepts like large-scale 3D printed maps and models, digital animations and app development, hands-on experiments, or flexible content were put to use. We hope that
by sharing our experience we can help and stimulate other similar initiatives and propagate the mobile exhibition concept, as a form of reaching the nowadays audiences (besides the online environment, which we also cover).
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EMPOWERING STEM CAREERS AWARNESS THROUGH SEISMOLOGY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS | Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase E., Zaharia B., Grecu B. | ICERI2016: 9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, BOOK SERIES: ICERI PROCEEDINGS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | | |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase E., Zaharia B., Grecu B.
Abstract:
Seismology is a multidisciplinary research domain known as a blend of theoretical and applied research in Earth science and physics, dealing mainly with the fundamental study of earthquakes, seismic waves but also prospecting and recovery of natural resources. Seismology also made possible to look into the deep inaccessible interior of the Earth at depths of up to thousands of kilometers and to extract information about the earthquake parameters and wave propagation and use it to evaluate seismic hazard and risk to buildings, power plants and other infrastructure. And not known by many, seismology was and is used to monitor clandestine nuclear explosions and thus brings a contribution to maintain peace on earth. All the mentions above make seismology a perfect topic to communicate the very essence of science, raise the enthusiasm and excitement of students for scientific discoveries and show the importance of understanding the complexity of our planet - all this knowledge contributing to the building of a more resilient society. Even if, at a first glance, all behind seismology seems to be a quite complicated research, in fact, many fundamental theories and facts can be comprehended from the very first educational grades. That is why, looking backwards, seismology also provides opportunities to teach many science, math and technology concepts and
skills to learners of all ages. Unfortunately, as studies have shown, geoscience topics get less and less within the science curriculum, only briefly into geography courses. A change can come from seismology projects that aim to influence the future development of the science curriculum by proving
the use of earthquakes and seismology in learning school physics, math and geography. Such a pilot project - entitled Romanian Educational Seismic Network (ROEDUSEIS) has been under implementation for 5 years in more than ten Romanian high schools. Beyond the common objectives and advantages that such a project brought to participating schools (seismometer in the classroom, real time seismic data viewing and processing), we succeeded to propose an interdisciplinary school choice discipline (related to physics, geography & ICT), that is taught in five 11th grade classes,
having seismology as a centralizing theme. It comprises lessons on force, friction, wave propagation, and engineering design as well as plate tectonics and driving forces. The role of technology in accessing, processing and using information is underlined through the use of dedicated educational software for detecting, locating and analyzing explosions and earthquakes. For all the other schools we embedded the lessons in existing schools topics rather than creating a new module. In fact, seismology offers unique opportunities to enrich science and physics curriculum and finding creative teachers that are able to deliver innovative lessons, thus improving the chances that students become more interested in science even as a future career path. And thus is a natural transition to another clearly state objective of a seismology education project: to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career guidance for students, to help them make informed post16 subject choices.
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SEISMOLOGICAL IN ROMANIAN SCHOOLS: EDUCATION, OUTREACH, MONITORING AND RESEARCH | Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Grecu B., Țibu S., Brișan N., Georgescu E.S. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2016 | 68, 1589-1602 | - |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Zaharia B., Grecu B., Țibu S., Brișan N., Georgescu E.S.
Abstract:
The Romanian Educational Seismic Network project is an educational initiative which launches a challenge for the Romanian educational system: how to use seismology in classrooms for raising awareness on earthquake risk as well as a tool for influencing the development of science curriculum. The project is piloted in nine schools. Educational materials were developed comprising theoretical aspects, activities and experiments related to earthquakes and their effects. First Romanian educational seismic network was built and workshops for teachers were organized with the purpose of showing how Earth Science topics can be taught in classrooms based on the concept “learning by doing”.
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DESPRE CUTREMURE SI EFECTELE LOR. RESURSE PRACTICE PENTRU INOVARE IN EDUCATIE. O EXPERIENTA DE SUCCES: ROEDUSEIS | Tătaru D., Bican-Brisan N., Zaharia B., Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D., Țibu S. | CD PRESS | BDI | PROCEEDING | 2016 | | - |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Bican-Brisan N., Zaharia B., Grecu B., Toma-Dănilă D., Țibu S.
Abstract:
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GETTING THE MOST WITH THE FEWEST WORDS - WAYS TO SIMPLIFY THE CONTENT OF EXHIBITIONS, BUT INCREASE THE IMPACT | Toma-Dănilă D., Tătaru D. | ICERI2015: 8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 2199 | - |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Tătaru D.
Abstract:
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MITIGATION OF SEISMIC RISK CONSIDERING SOIL-STRUCTURE INTERACTION ANALYSIS FOR BUCHAREST METROPOLIS | Bălan F.S., Apostol B.F. | SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 903-910 | - |
Authors:
Bălan F.S., Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
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TOTAL AND PARTIAL CLOUDINESS DISTRIBUTION IN EASTERN ROMANIA | Bostan D.C., Manea E.F., Ștefan S. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 67, 1117-1127 | - |
Authors:
Bostan D.C., Manea E.F., Ștefan S.
Abstract:
Within this paper the cloudiness spatial and seasonal distribution is analyzed for the eastern part of Romania (Moldavia Region) for a five years period (2006 2010). Hourly data (total and partial cloudiness) from 14 surface observation stations have been used to build a small data base. In order to increase the cloudiness accuracy, an algorithm to derive the partial cloudiness has been applied. This data base allowed us to generate an improved climatology of total and partial cloudiness for Moldavia Region. As an application, the built data base has been used to validate the cloudiness simulated by the mesoscale numerical weather prediction model ALARO. The model results were compared to observation for one year. The obtained statistics have been used to tune the free parameter of the model cloudiness parameterization scheme.
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VARIABILITY OF STRONG GROUND MOTION IN BUCHAREST AREA DUE TO VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Bălă A., Grecu B., Arion C., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 1075-1082 | - |
Authors:
Bălă A., Grecu B., Arion C., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Different studies focused on the Vrancea subcrustal source of earthquakes pointed out the strong lateral inhomogeneous distribution of the seismic radiation. This implies characteristic macroseismic distributions, extremely elongated along NE-SW direction, and sharply restraint toward NW and SE. Many authors ascribed this particular radiation pattern to the predominant focal mechanism noticed for the major Vrancea shocks [1]. However, a few papers showed that the lateral variation in the subcrustal region seems to be more important (e.g., [2];[3]). We plan in this paper to asses the importance of the source and path of the Vrancea earthquakes on the ground motion parameters in the area of Bucharest. The fault plane solutions of most Vrancea earthquakes indicate a nearly pure thrust mechanism with the B-axis striking NE, which is typical for the strongest events. However there are some earthquakes that do not follow this pattern. We analyze the influence of focal mechanism radiation and source frequency content on the ground motion parameters in Bucharest area. The role of the focal mechanism of the earthquakes and of the depth at which the earthquakes occur determine the path on which seismic waves are propagating to the surface. A significant role is played by the variation of the lithosphere structure between the depth of earthquakes (60-160 km) and the surface, for the seismic motion recorded in the Bucharest area. The analysis of a recent set of intermediate depth earthquakes with Mw > 4.5, for which the focal mechanism have been computed, show the significant role played by the variation of these parameters in respect to the seismic motion recorded in the Bucharest area. These parameters might be in some cases as important as the site effects in establishing the local seismic hazard for the Bucharest City.
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VARIABILITY OF LOCAL PM10 MASS CONCENTRATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH BLOCKING AIR CIRCULATION | Ștefan S., Roman I. | METEOROLOGY AND ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 127, 333-343 | |
Authors:
Ștefan S., Roman I.
Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to analyze the temporal variability of Particulate Matter mass concentrations in connection with air circulation, for eight rural sites situated in the Central and Eastern parts of Europe. The stations from Poland, Hungary and Romania are rural stations without sources of pollutants. The analysis covers four winters, between December 2004 and February 2008. The pollution episodes were selected to explain air circulation influence. The results show that the causes of pollution were local, due to high mean sea level pressure and the blocking, as air circulation on large scale, was dominant in the cases of enhanced pollution in the selected area.
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HIGH SEISMICITY SEQUENCE IN THE IZVOARELE AREA (GALATI COUNTY) - ROMANIA | Ioane D., Șerban A., Diaconescu M., Chițea F., Caragea I. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 1043-1050 | - |
Authors:
Ioane D., Șerban A., Diaconescu M., Chițea F., Caragea I.
Abstract:
A sudden seismological unrest started on mid-September 2013 in the Izvoarele village area, earthquakes and subterranean noises occurring almost continuously for a month. The seismological monitoring provided more than 370 seismic events, with magnitude ranging between 0.3 and 4.0 and depth ranging from 0.3 km to more than 30 km. Considering the historical seismicity, studied during the end of the XIXth century and the first half of the XXth century by means of seismic intensity, the Izvoarele-Galati area represents the southern end of a N-S high seismicity sector developed between Barlad and Galati. Based on these observations regarding epicentral areas and destructive effects, several NW-SE to N-S trending lines of "seismic sensitivity" were interpreted at that time.
The study of the 2013 seismic sequence showed that most earthquakes provided magnitudes between 0.3 and 1.5, ca 10% having higher magnitudes (16 more than 2.5, 11 more than 3.0 and 8 more than 3.5). The relationship between Magnitude and Depth for the recorded seismic events displays a scattered distribution of the 2013 seismic events with low magnitude values (0.3 to 2.0), most of them included in the 0.1-10.0 km depth interval. Higher magnitude earthquakes (2.0 to 4.0) were generated in a smaller range of depth values (3.0 to 7.0). The relationship between Magnitude and Time illustrates three main stages of high seismicity for the studied 2013 seismological event: September 25-27, September 30 to October 7 and October 12-15, with exceptionally dense seismic activity during October 2-5.
Considering the spatial development of the active seismic zone, two parallel lines trending NE-SW in the area were observed when plotting the earthquakes epicentres with magnitude higher than 3.0. Active segments of a regional NE-SW trending fault system were interpreted this way.
The seismic events that occurred at depths higher than 10 km illustrated several distinct episodes during the intense seismological activity: September 23 and 28-29; October 4-5, 15 and 20-21.
A quite close spatial association was found between the 2013 high seismicity area and an oil exploitation facility, the extracting works dating here from the second half of the XXth century. The oil reservoirs are shallow, located between 0.5 and 0.7 km depth, the sandy deposits being sealed by faults or compact crystalline rocks. Induced seismicity might be expected as brine is being injected during time to replace the extracted oil.
A characteristic of this geological structure, that might be important in understanding the unusual seismicity and subterranean noises, is represented by the thin marl beds separating the sandy beds, which collapse in case of a sudden pressure decrease and determine the flooding of the oil reservoir.
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VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM: FIRST TESTS TO ADD LOCATION CAPABILITIES | Mărmureanu A., Craiu G., Craiu A., Rădulescu S, Neagoe C., Ionescu C. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 50,121–130 | |
Authors:
Mărmureanu A., Craiu G., Craiu A., Rădulescu S, Neagoe C., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
Providing warning notification several seconds before dangerous earthquake waves arrive at a target site reduces the property damages and human casualties. Most earthquake early warning systems (EEWS) developed are either regional (“network based”) or on-site (“stand alone”) systems. The recent upgrade of the seismic network in Romania with high dynamic range accelerometers allows recording of moderate to large magnitude earthquakes at very close epicentral distances (less than 10–20 km). This allows an increase of the warning lead-time (the time difference between the alert notification time and the arrival time of potentially destructive waves at a given target). The seismicity of Romania is significantly affected by earthquakes produced by the Vrancea seismic source with intermediate depth events (three shocks/century with magnitude Mw greater than 7.0). In this paper we present the performance of the seismic network in rapidly locate events occurring in the Vrancea area. Since rapid location of earthquakes is the first step in issuing early warning notifications, by reducing the time of the first valid location will lead to an increase the lead-time interval. Also rapid location of events will allow a future upgrade of EEWS to cover the entire Romanian territory.
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INVESTIGATION ON DIRECTIONAL EFFECTS OF VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Radulian M., Cioflan C.O. | EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING VIBRATION | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 14, 399-410 | |
Authors:
Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Radulian M., Cioflan C.O.
Abstract:
This paper evaluates possible directional effects from strong ground motions recorded during the last four significant subcrustal earthquakes produced in the Vrancea seismic zone (Romania) in August 1986 (M (W) = 7.1), May 1990 (M (W) = 6.9 and 6.4) and October 2004 (M (W) = 6.0). Several measures of the horizontal component of the ground motion given in the literature (Boore et al., 2006; Boore, 2010) are computed and are related to the geometric mean of the as-recorded horizontal components. ANOVA method is applied in order to quantify the influence of the earthquake magnitude and of the soil class on some strong ground motion parameters (e.g. Arias intensity, PGV/PGA, or mean period T (M)). The study of the directional effects is performed using the distribution of I (JMA) and of the rotation angle corresponding to a measure of the horizontal component of the ground motion (RotD100) and the results reveal a visible directional pattern for I (JMA), while in the case of RotD100 the directional patterns are less visible.
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FORE-ARC AND BACK-ARC GROUND MOTION PREDICTION MODEL FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH SEISMIC SOURCE | Văcăreanu R., Radulian M., Iancovici M., Pavel F., Neagu C. | JOURNAL OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 19, 535-562 | |
Authors:
Văcăreanu R., Radulian M., Iancovici M., Pavel F., Neagu C.
Abstract:
A next generation ground motion model for the prediction of spectral accelerations both in the fore-arc and back-arc regions of the Carpathians Mountains is developed in this research for the Vrancea intermediate depth seismic source in Romania. This ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) is an updated version of the model given in Vacareanu et al. [2014] and is applicable in both the fore-arc and the back-arc regions. The strong ground motion database from which the prediction model is derived consists of over 700 triaxial accelerograms from Vrancea subcrustal seismic events, as well as from other intermediate-depth earthquakes produced in other seismically active regions in the world. The applicability of this ground motion prediction model in both the fore-arc and the back-arc region is tested using the analysis of residuals. Moreover, the appropriateness of this GMPE for soil classes B and C defined in EN 1998-1, as well as for average soil conditions is investigated. All results suggest that this model is an improvement of the previous versions of ground motion prediction equations for Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic source and its use in both the fore-arc and the back-arc regions make it a reliable candidate for more accurate seismic hazard studies of Romania.
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A LF RADIO ANOMALY OBSERVED BEFORE THE MW=6.5 EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED IN CRETE ON OCTOBER 12, 2013 | Maggipinto T., Biagi P.F., Colella R., Schiavulli L., Ligonzo T., Ermini A., Martinelli G., Moldovan I.A., Silva H., Contadakis M., Skeberis C., Zaharis Z., Scordilis E., Katzis K., Buyuksarac A. and D’Amico S. | PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 85-86, 98-105 | |
Authors:
Maggipinto T., Biagi P.F., Colella R., Schiavulli L., Ligonzo T., Ermini A., Martinelli G., Moldovan I.A., Silva H., Contadakis M., Skeberis C., Zaharis Z., Scordilis E., Katzis K., Buyuksarac A. and D’Amico S.
Abstract:
On October 12, 2013, an earthquake with Mw = 6.5 occurred in the southern Hellenic Arc, approximately 20 km off the west coast of Crete. The main shock, the focal depth of which is on the order of 40 km, was followed by aftershocks felt in the nearby cities and villages, although the aftershock sequence was poor. The epicentre was located at approximately 60 km from a radio receiver in Crete (CRE), which belongs to the European VLF/LF Radio Network. Several days before the earthquake, a clear disturbance occurred in one of the ten radio signals that the CRE receiver sampled. The disturbance, which can be considered an anomaly, appeared in the 216 kHz radio signal radiated by the Radio Monte Carlo (MCO) transmitter. The radio path MCO-CRE crossed directly over the epicentre area of the aforementioned earthquake. In this work, we present a detailed analysis of the MCO signal anomaly using spectral tools. We also investigate the behaviour of other radio signals sampled by the CRE receiver and consider other possible causes of disturbances on the MCO radio signal. We conclude that the disturbance in the MCO radio signal is a convincingly possible precursor of the earthquake in Crete. Emission of electromagnetic waves with a frequency band that includes 216 kHz from the focal zone of the earthquake can provide a satisfactory explanation of the radio anomaly.
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ASPECTS REGARDING THE USE OF THE INFREP NETWORK FOR IDENTIFYING POSSIBLE SEISMIC PRECURSORS | Dolea P., Cristea O., Dascal P.V., Moldovan I.A., Biagi P.F. | PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 85-86, 34-43 | |
Authors:
Dolea P., Cristea O., Dascal P.V., Moldovan I.A., Biagi P.F.
Abstract:
In the last decades, one of the main research directions in identifying seismic precursors involved monitoring VLF (Very Low Frequency) and LF (Low Frequency) radio waves and analysing their propagation characteristics. Essentially this method consists of monitoring different available VLF and LF transmitters from long distance reception points. The received signal has two major components: the ground wave and the sky wave, where the sky wave propagates by reflection on the lower layers of the ionosphere. It is assumed that before and during major earthquakes, unusual changes may occur in the lower layers of the ionosphere, such as the modification of the charged particles number density and the altitude of the reflection zone. Therefore, these unusual changes in the ionosphere may generate unusual variations in the received signal level...
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AN UPDATED PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT FOR ROMANIA AND COMPARISON WITH THE APPROACH AND OUTCOMES OF THE SHARE PROJECT | Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Douglas J., Radulian M., Cioflan C.O., Barbat A. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 173, 1881-1905 | - |
Authors:
Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Douglas J., Radulian M., Cioflan C.O., Barbat A.
Abstract:
The probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Romania is revisited within the framework of the BIGSEES national research project (http://infp.infp.ro/bigsees/default.htm) financed by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research in the period 2012–2016. The scope of this project is to provide a refined description of the seismic action for Romanian sites according to the requirements of Eurocode 8. To this aim, the seismicity of all the sources influencing the Romanian territory is updated based on new data acquired in recent years. The ground-motion models used in the analysis, as well as their corresponding weights, are selected based on the results from several recent papers also published within the framework of the BIGSEES project. The seismic hazard analysis for Romania performed in this study are based on the traditional Cornell-McGuire approach. Finally, the results are discussed and compared with the values obtained in the recently completed SHARE research project. The BIGSEES and SHARE results are not directly comparable since the considered soil conditions are different—actual soil classes for BIGSEES and rock for SHARE. Nevertheless, the analyses of the seismic hazard results for 200 sites in Romania reveal considerable differences between the seismic hazard levels obtained in the present study and the SHARE results and point out the need for further analyses and thorough discussions related to the two seismic hazard models, especially in the light of a possible future harmonized hazard map for Europe.
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IMPROVED SEISMIC RISK ESTIMATION FOR BUCHAREST, BASED ON MULTIPLE HAZARD SCENARIOS AND ANALYTICAL METHODS | Toma-Dănilă D., Zulfikar C., Manea E.F., Cioflan C.O. | SOIL DYNAMICS AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 73,1-16 | |
Authors:
Toma-Dănilă D., Zulfikar C., Manea E.F., Cioflan C.O.
Abstract:
Bucharest, capital of Romania, is one of the most exposed big cities in Europe to seismic damage, due to the intermediate-depth earthquakes in the Vrancea region, to the vulnerable building stock and local soil conditions.
This paper tries to answer very important questions related to the seismic risk at city scale that were not yet adequately answered. First, we analyze and highlight the bottlenecks of previous risk-related studies. Based on new researches in the hazard of Bucharest (recent microzonation map and groundmotion prediction equations, reprocessed real recorded data) and in vulnerability assessment (analytical methods, earthquake loss estimation software like SELENA and ELER, the recently implemented Near Real-Time System for Estimating the Seismic Damage in Romania) we provide an improved estimation of the number of buildings and population that could be affected, for different earthquake scenarios. A new method for enhancing the spatial resolution of the building stock data is used successfully. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROMANIAN VLD/LF MONITORING SYSTEM AS PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR FRONTIER RESEARCH ON EARTHQUAKE PRECURSORS (INFREP) | Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Biagi P.F., Toma-Dănilă D., Moldovan A.S., Dolea P., Toader V.E., Maggipinto T. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 60, 1203-1217 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Biagi P.F., Toma-Dănilă D., Moldovan A.S., Dolea P., Toader V.E., Maggipinto T.
Abstract:
The Romanian VLF / LF monitoring system consists in a radio receiver and the infrastructure that is necessary to record and transmit the collected data, and is part of the international initiative INFREP and was put into operation in December 2009 on the Black-Sea shore (Dobruja Seismologic Observatory - Dob-RO). Since then the system was developed by replacing the vertical antenna with a magnetic loop-type one, by installing a vertical electric field monitor and a weather station, and by designing special software for the transfer, storage and initial processing of data using the LabView software platform.
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VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM: FIRST TESTS TO ADD LOCATION CAPABILITIES | Bălă A., Grecu B., Arion C., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 50, 121-130 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Grecu B., Arion C., Popescu E., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Providing warning notification several seconds before dangerous earthquake waves arrive at a target site reduces the property damages and human casualties. Most earthquake early warning systems (EEWS) developed are either regional ("network based") or on-site ("stand alone") systems. The recent upgrade of the seismic network in Romania with high dynamic range accelerometers allows recording of moderate to large magnitude earthquakes at very close epicentral distances (less than 10-20 km). This allows an increase of the warning lead-time (the time difference between the alert notification time and the arrival time of potentially destructive waves at a given target). The seismicity of Romania is significantly affected by earthquakes produced by the Vrancea seismic source with intermediate depth events (three shocks/century with magnitude Mw greater than 7.0). In this paper we present the performance of the seismic network in rapidly locate events occurring in the Vrancea area. Since rapid location of earthquakes is the first step in issuing early warning notifications, by reducing the time of the first valid location will lead to an increase the lead-time interval. Also rapid location of events will allow a future upgrade of EEWS to cover the entire Romanian territory.
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CRUSTAL SEISMICITY AND ACTIVE FAULT SYSTEMS IN WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA | Bălă A., Răileanu V., C. Dinu, M. Diaconescu | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 67(3), 1176-1191 | |
Authors:
Bălă A., Răileanu V., C. Dinu, M. Diaconescu
Abstract:
The most significant seismicity in Romania is located in a relatively small area-the Vrancea seismogenic zone, where 2-3 intermediate depth strong earthquakes (Mw>7.0) occur in a century. Although the crustal seismicity is dispersed in several zones of country, only in a few areas the observed magnitudes exceeded Mw=6.0. Nevertheless some crustal earthquakes that occurred in the past have resulted in damages and even casualties. These facts imposed the taking into account of crustal seismicity in the seismic hazard mapping. Crustal seismicity in Romania is distributed within some belts located along of Carpathians and the Pannonian depression having a more significant concentration in the Vrancea crustal area and in the front of Eastern Carpathians bend, in the Fagaras Mountain area, in the Danubian area, Banat, Crisana, Maramures and North Dobrogea regions. A summary of the crustal seismic activity beneath the western part of Romanian is presented pointing out the most significant events known from both historical and instrumental records. The observed crustal seismicity did not exceed Mw= 5.6 excepting the Fagaras area where the strongest events reached up to Mw=6.5. For each crustal seismogenic zone the main fault systems which can account for the local seismicity are presented. This study presents a correlation of seismicity data with the local tectonics. Special attention is focused on the Transylvanian Basin and on the Pannonian sector where a correlation of seismicity with deep structure is better documented.
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FOCAL MECHANISM ANALYSIS FOR THE SEISMIC SWARM RECORDED IN GALATI AREA (ROMANIA) BETWEEN SEPTEMBER –NOVEMBER 2013 | Craiu A., Mărmureanu A., Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Ionescu C. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 863-870 | |
Authors:
Craiu A., Mărmureanu A., Diaconescu M., Craiu M.G., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
In this paper we present the results obtained during the study of swarm of earthquake close to the Galati city. In the last period the National Seismic Network was continuously upgraded, which allows presently to easily detect earthquakes with very low magnitudes in every seismic region of Romania. The seismogenic region of the swarm is situated between two main crustal faults, oriented SE-NW: Sf. Gheorghe fault (located in North Dobrogea, in the Scythian Platform) to the North, and Peceneaga Camena fault (which separates North Dobrogea block from the Moesian Platform) to the South. The epicentral zone belongs to a complex tectonic area, in which a secondary fault system – lying NE-SW, perpendicular to the dominant system – is present too. The seismic swarm started on September 23, 2013, close to Galati city, in Izvoarele region (Romania), and lasted until November 12, 2013. 406 earthquakes were recorded during several phases of seismic activity. The strongest events – a magnitude 3.9 earthquake, occurred on September 29, and two ML 3.8 shocks, which occurred on October 3 and October 4, respectively, were accompanied by specific seismicity bursts. The spatial distribution of the epicenters, which are aligned in NE-SW direction, indicates that the seismic swarm was generated by the second fault system. The focal mechanisms show normal slip, with one of the nodal planes oriented roughly in NE-SW direction. The results are discussed and interpreted in relation with the regional seismotectonics, our study aiming to emphasize new elements and implications for seismic hazard evaluation in the Galati area. Key word: seismic swarm, focal mechanism
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SEISMIC ACTIVITY AND FOCAL MECHANISMS ANALYSIS FOR DIFFERENT SEISMIC ZONES OF ROMANIA (2010-2014) | Craiu A., Craiu M.G., Diaconescu M., Mărmureanu A. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 947-956 | - |
Authors:
Craiu A., Craiu M.G., Diaconescu M., Mărmureanu A.
Abstract:
The systematic studies of the focal mechanism solutions furnish fundamental data about some of the main factors that control the seismic phenomenon, e.g. stress field peculiarities and the types of faulting, the geometry of the faults and provide critical information for global, regional and local tectonic studies, as well as for many types of seismological investigations.
In the last few years were recorded some significant earthquakes in the Vrancea subcrustal domain and in other seismic regions at crustal depths. The National Seismic Network was continuously updated in the last years and now the recordings of these events contribute to a complete database and are very important to seismology and seismic hazard assessment studies. The substantial increase in the seismic recordings and the azimuthal gap leads to a more precise knowledge of focal mechanism, structure and source parameters.
The seismicity of Romania is distributed in several epicentral zones: Vrancea, Fagaras-Campulung, Banat, Crisana, Maramures, and Dobrogea.
The main goal of this paper is to study seismicity evolution and the focal mechanism analysis of recent earthquakes occurred in Romania (in last five years) and their correlation with the average stress field.
We have determined fault plane solutions and analyzed the seismic activity recorded on the Romania territory in connection with seismogenic zones. At the same time, our results are integrated and interpreted in connection with the stress field characteristics, deduced from the available fault plane solutions on different depth intervals.
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REAL TIME EARTHQUAKE LOCATION PERFORMANCE OF ROMNIAN SEISMIC NETWORK (RONET) FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES, AS THE FIRST STEP IN EEWS | Craiu M.G., Mărmureanu A., Craiu A., Ionescu C. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 925-932 | |
Authors:
Craiu M.G., Mărmureanu A., Craiu A., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
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SEISMICITY OF THE OLT VALLEY (ROMANIA) AND SURROUNDING AREA | Diaconescu M., Craiu A., Toma-Dănilă D. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 991-998 | |
Authors:
Diaconescu M., Craiu A., Toma-Dănilă D.
Abstract:
Earthquakes from the Fagaras seismic zone originate in the Southern Carpathians area and they have foci located East and West of the OLT Valley. In this area the largest earthquake occurred after the Vrancea area on 26.01.1916, with an intensity estimated to have exceeded level 7 in the epicenter (Mw= 6.4), which was followed by numerous aftershocks extended about 6 months. On the same day as the main earthquake of 6.4 (Mw) also produced other three quakes one of 5.2 (Mw), one of 5 (Mw), and one of 4.4 (M-W). The series of earthquakes in 1916 appears to be due not to an outbreak not only, but tectonic movements along a line on the alignment Băbuieşti-Confluence-Piscu Negru. Other seismic lines are: Călimăneşti-
Coteşti-Horezu and Arefu-Ismailia-Govora where I <5 degrees.The earthquakes from the 1916 seismic sequence have shifted from North-West to South-East. Earthquakes have occurred in the south have North West direction on deep fractures following hercinic ages, and the Northeast directions of the Alpine age. The fault plane solutions of some more recent earthquakes showed a shear mechanism through compression and are associated with the deep faults oriented W-E or N-S, faults associated with the thrust of the Supragetic domain over the Getic domain. Note that the total of 474 events recorded between 1550 and 2014, 13 earthquakes were generated before 1900 and have the largest magnitudes (5 of them have the magnitude 6.2
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HIGH SEISMICITY SEQUENCE IN THE IZVOARELE AREA (GALATI COUNTY)-ROMANIA | Ioane D., Șerban A., Diaconescu M., Chițea F., Caragea I. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | BOOK 1 VOL. 3, 1043-1050 | |
Authors:
Ioane D., Șerban A., Diaconescu M., Chițea F., Caragea I.
Abstract:
A sudden seismological unrest started on mid-September 2013 in the Izvoarele village area, earthquakes and subterranean noises occurring almost continuously for a month. The seismological monitoring provided more than 370 seismic events, with magnitude ranging between 0.3 and 4.0 and depth ranging from 0.3 km to more than 30 km. Considering the historical seismicity, studied during the end of the XIX th century and the first half of the XX th century by means of seismic intensity, the Izvoarele–Galati area represents the southern end of a N-S high seismicity sector developed between Barlad and Galati. Based on these observations regarding epicentral areas and destructive effects, several NW-SE to N-S trending lines of " seismic sensitivity " were interpreted at that time. The study of the 2013 seismic sequence showed that most earthquakes provided magnitudes between 0.3 and 1.5, ca 10% having higher magnitudes (16 more than 2.5, 11 more than 3.0 and 8 more than 3.5). The relationship between Magnitude and Depth for the recorded seismic events displays a scattered distribution of the 2013 seismic events with low magnitude values (0.3 to 2.0), most of them included in the 0.1–10.0 km depth interval. Higher magnitude earthquakes (2.0 to 4.0) were generated in a smaller range of depth values (3.0 to 7.0). The relationship between Magnitude and Time illustrates three main stages of high seismicity for the studied 2013 seismological event: September 25-27, September 30 to October 7 and October 12-15, with exceptionally dense seismic activity during October 2-5. Considering the spatial development of the active seismic zone, two parallel lines trending NE-SW in the area were observed when plotting the earthquakes epicentres
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REAL TIME PERFORMANCE OF THE VRANCEA EARLY WARNING SYSTEM | Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C., Craiu M.G., Craiu A., Tolea A. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 933-938 | |
Authors:
Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C., Craiu M.G., Craiu A., Tolea A.
Abstract:
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NEW SCIENCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE BRINGS SEISMOLOGY INTO THE CLASSROOM AND MUSEUMS | Tătaru D., Grecu B., Zaharia B., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 3, 973-980 | - |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Grecu B., Zaharia B., Toma-Dănilă D., Năstase
Abstract:
The Carpathian seismic belt (Vrancea Area), located in Romania, is one of the most active tectonic regions in Europe. In the last few decades, the country has experienced several major earthquakes which have claimed thousands of lives and caused significant economical damage (Vrancea, 1940; 1977; 1986). Even so, little is currently done for the general public in order to mitigate the possible effects of a future major earthquake. As intermediate depth earthquakes affect a vast area (up to 400 km from the epicenter), there is a continuous need in raising awareness by sharing information and knowledge in a broader area and to a larger audience. To have a proper framework for engaging new communities and build partnerships, with benefit for all parties involved, a series of pilot projects have been initiated by National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) researchers. Here we will focus on just two of them, named by their acronym: ROEDUSEIS and MOBEE. Improving public awareness and education of population is an essential part of mitigating the natural risks. Starting this effort at the level of schools and opening the doors for the wide public to take part, will certainly be a way to increase the chances of success. Our view is that the research institutes should have a leading role in providing useful data regarding the earthquakes, thus helping the better understanding of this natural phenomenon, and thus bringing its contribution to build a more resilient society.
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NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE SEISMICITY AND CRUST STRUCTURE OF WESTERN ROMANIA USING DIFFERENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES | Tătaru D., Grecu B., Zaharia B., Oros E., Bălă A. | 15TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2015 | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 911-918 | |
Authors:
Tătaru D., Grecu B., Zaharia B., Oros E., Bălă A.
Abstract:
As a result of the deployment of the permanent Romanian broadband stations in the last 10 years, valuable data for seismicity and crustal structure studies in Romania has become available. Complementary to this dataset, during a joint project between University of Leeds, UK and National Institute for Earth Physics, Romania (South Carpathian Project – SCP), 33 broadband seismic stations autonomously operated in the western part of the country and continuously provided data for two years (2009-2011). This project offered a good opportunity to study the seismicity and structure of western Romania. First, we study the spatial distribution of epicenters and temporal distribution of origin times of the events occurred between July 2009 and June 2011 and we show that many of the seismic events grouped into clusters are of artificial origin. We also investigate the background seismic noise at stations deployed during SCP experiment and notable diurnal and seasonal variations have been observed at most of the stations. Finally, we used the receiver function technique and a joint inversion technique of receiver function and Rayleigh wave dispersion to derive velocity models for each seismic station location. The results show a thin crust for stations located inside the Pannonian basin (28-30 km). The stations within the Southern and Central Carpathian Orogen are characterized by crustal depths of ~35 km. For two station located in the Apuseni Mountains the Moho discontinuity is replace by a transition zone extended between 36 to 40 km depth.
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LOWERMOST MANTLE VELOCITY ESTIMATIONS BENEATH THE CENTRAL NORTH ATLANTIC AREA FROM PDIF OBSERVED AT BALKAN, EAST MEDITERRANEAN, AND AMERICAN STATIONS | Ivan M., Ghica D.V., Gosar A., Hatzidimitriou P., Hofstetter R., Polat G., Wang R.J. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 172, 283-293 | |
Authors:
Ivan M., Ghica D.V., Gosar A., Hatzidimitriou P., Hofstetter R., Polat G., Wang R.J.
Abstract:
Lowermost mantle velocity in the area 15A degrees S-70A degrees N latitude/60A degrees W-5A degrees W longitude is estimated using two groups of observations, complementary to each other. There are 894 Pdif observations at stations in the Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean areas from 15 major earthquakes in Central and South America. Another 218 Pdif observations are associated with four earthquakes in Greece/Turkey and one event in Africa, recorded by American stations. A Pdif slowness tomographic approach of the structures immediately above the core-to-mantle boundary (CMB) is used, incorporating corrections for ellipticity, station elevation and velocity perturbations along the ray path. A low-velocity zone above CMB with a large geographical extent, approximately in the area (35-65A degrees N) x (40-20A degrees W), appears to have the velocity perturbations exceeding the value actually assumed by some global models. Most likely, it is extended beneath western Africa. A high-velocity area is observed west of the low-velocity zone. The results suggest that both Cape Verde and Azorean islands are located near transition areas from low-to-high velocity values in the lowermost mantle.
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HOW LONG TIME WILL WE GO WITH LINEAR SEISMOLOGY? | Mărmureanu G., Mărmureanu A., Cioflan C.O. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 60, 613-625 | - |
Authors:
Mărmureanu G., Mărmureanu A., Cioflan C.O.
Abstract:
The nonlinear seismology is the rule, The linear seismology is the exception. Paraphrasing Tullio Levi-Civita The leading question is: how many cities, villages, metropolitan areas etc. in seismic regions are constructed on rock sites? Most of them are located on alluvial deposits/ sediments, on Quaternary layers or in river valleys. In last book written by Peter M. Shearer, Professor of Geophysics at University of California, we can find, in total, only 12 rows about non-linear seismology(page 176).Among others are the following conclusions:(i)-Strong ground accelerations from large earthquakes can produce a non-linear response in shallow soils; (ii)-When a non-linear site response is present, then the shaking from large earthquakes cannot be predicted by simple scaling of records from small earthquakes; (iii)-This is an active area of research in strong motion and engineering seismology. On the other hand, Aki wrote: Nonlinear amplification at sediments sites appears to be more pervasive than seismologists used to think…Any attempt at seismic zonation must take into account the local site condition and this nonlinear amplification(Aki, A., Local Site Effects on Weak and Strong Ground Motion, Tectonophysics,218,93-111,1993). The difficulty to seismologists in demonstrating the nonlinear site effects has been due to the effect being overshadowed by the overall patterns of shock generation and propagation. In other words, the seismological detection of the nonlinear site effects requires a simultaneous understanding and separating of the effects of earthquake source, propagation path and local geological site conditions. To see the actual influence of nonlinearity of the whole system (seismic source-path propagation-local geological structure) the authors used to study the response spectra because they are the last in this chain and, of course, that they are the ones who are taken into account in seismic design of all structures Stress-strain relationships for soils are usually nonlinear, soil stiffness decreases and internal damping increases with increasing shear strain during of strong earthquakes. There is a strong nonlinear dependence of the spectral amplification factors(SAF) on earthquake magnitude for all seismic stations on Romanian territory on extra-Carpathian area (Iasi, Bacau, Focsani, Bucharest etc.). Median values of SAF for last strong Vrancea earthquakes are decreasing from 4.16(May 31,1990;Mw=6.4),to 3.63 (May 30,1990;Mw=6.9) and to 3.26 (August 30, 1986; Mw=7.1) .The novelty and the complexity degree comes from the fact that for first time, the final decision for NPP Cernavoda site was also based on local strong nonlinear spectral amplifications for strong earthquakes and used in last "STRESS TEST" asked by IAEA Vienna in 2011. The present analysis indicates that the effect of nonlinearity could be very important and if the analysis is made for peak accelerations, it is 48.87% and for stronger earthquakes it will be bigger. The authors are coming with new recorded data which will open up a new challenge for seismologists studying nonlinear site effects in 2-D and 3-D irregular geological structures, leading them to a fascinating research subject in earth physics(Aki,1993, p.108,idem),in nonlinear seismology and,finally, in a real evaluation of earthquake risk and loss estimates.
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROMANIAN VLD/LF MONITORING SYSTEM AS PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR FRONTIER RESEARCH ON EARTHQUAKE PRECURSORS (INFREP) | Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Biagi P.F., Toma-Dănilă D., Moldovan A.S., Dolea P., Toader V.E., Maggipinto T. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 60(7), 1203-1217 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Biagi P.F., Toma-Dănilă D., Moldovan A.S., Dolea P., Toader V.E., Maggipinto T.
Abstract:
The Romanian VLF / LF monitoring system consists of a radio receiver and the infrastructure that is necessary to record and transmit the collected data, and is part of the international initiative INFREP and was put into operation in December 2009 on the Black-Sea shore (Dobruja Seismologic Observatory – Dob-RO). Since then the system was developed by replacing the vertical antenna with a magnetic loop-type one, by installing a vertical electric field monitor and a weather station, and by designing special software for the transfer, storage, and initial processing of data using the LabView software platform.
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INVESTIGATION OF IONOSPHERIC PRECURSORS OF EARTHQUAKES IN ROMANIA USING THE ROMANIAN GNSS/GPS NETWORK | Oikonomou C., Toma-Dănilă D., Haralambous H., Muntean A., Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 60, 1426-1436 | - |
Authors:
Oikonomou C., Toma-Dănilă D., Haralambous H., Muntean A., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
We examine the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere interaction with respect to earthquake events using Total Electron Content (TEC) data deriving from the Romanian permanent GPS network by applying three different techniques: a) estimation of TEC deviations from the mean state, b) Cross-Correlation Analysis and c) Spectral Analysis. The analysis concerns four seismic events that took place in Romania with magnitude ranging from 5.2 to 6.0. The aim is to identify and study possible ionospheric precursory phenomena linked to these seismic events.
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COMPLEX MONITORING AND ALERT SYSTEM FOR SEISMOTECTONIC PHENOMENA | Toader, V.E., Moldovan I.A., Ionescu C. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 60, 1225-1233 | - |
Authors:
Toader, V.E., Moldovan I.A., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The paper describes a complex multidisciplinary monitoring system designed for Vrancea seismic area (bending area of Carpathians Mountains). This includes hardware (stations with sensors, acquisition and communication equipment) and software for data processing in real time. The result of this work is the growth of an alert service through: perfecting risk evaluation, seismic and climate forecast, informing the decision factors regarding the impact minimization of natural disasters and the education of the population. The information from database will help the scientists to develop the system and to improve their knowledge for other applications. A monitoring network involves a multidisciplinary activity that highlights the interdependence of environmental factors (air, earth) and their balance under normal conditions. Weather or seismic events represent the point of maximum imbalance. Electromagnetic, infrasound, seismoacoustic at high frequencies, air ionization and solar radiation monitoring, in correlation with global and local environmental factors (including seismic zones), is a new approach for atmospheric study in our area. Figure 1 describes a global structure of system. Data are acquired from ground (National Institute for Earth Physics - NIEP seismic stations) and satellites.
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CRUSTAL SEISMICITY AND ACTIVE FAULT SYSTEMS IN ROMANIA | Bălă A., Răileanu V., Dinu C., Diaconescu M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 67, 1176-1191 | - |
Authors:
Bălă A., Răileanu V., Dinu C., Diaconescu M.
Abstract:
The most significant seismicity in Romania is located in a relatively small area - the Vrancea seismogenic zone, where 2-3 intermediate depth strong earthquakes (Mw > 7.0) occur in a century. Although the crustal seismicity is dispersed in several zones of country, only in a few areas the observed magnitudes exceeded Mw = 6.0. Nevertheless some crustal earthquakes that occurred in the past have resulted in damages and even casualties. These facts imposed the taking into account of crustal seismicity in the seismic hazard mapping. Crustal seismicity in Romania is distributed within some belts located along of Carpathians and the Pannonian depression having a more significant concentration in the Vrancea crustal area and in the front of Eastern Carpathians bend, in the Fagaras Mountain area, in the Danubian area, Banat, Crisana, Maramures and North Dobrogea regions. A summary on the crustal seismic activity beneath the Romanian is presented pointing out the most significant events known from both historical and instrumental records. The observed crustal seismicity did not exceed M-w = 5.6 excepting the Fagaras area where the strongest events reached up to M-w = 6.5. For each crustal seismogenic zone the main fault systems which can account for the local seismicity are presented. This study presents a correlation of seismicity data with the local tectonics. A special attention is focused on foreland of the Carpathian orogen and on the Pannonian sector where a correlation of seismicity with deep structure is better documented.
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IDENTIFICATION OF NEAR QUARRY BLASTS USING PLOSTINA INFRASOUND ARRAY - CASE STUDY FOR DOBROGEA (SOUTH-EAST ROMANIA) | Stancu I., Ghica D., Radulian M., Ionescu C. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 67(3), 1192-1205 | - |
Authors:
Stancu I., Ghica D., Radulian M., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The Infrasound Plostina Array (IPLOR) is an acoustic array of 2.5 km aperture designed and installed in 2009 in the epicentral Vrancea seismogenic area, at the Carpathian Arc bend in Romania. The Network belongs to the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) and includes 4 infrasound stations and 7 seismic stations. The goal of the present study is to analyze the capacity of the infrasound array of Plostina (Romania) to detect and discriminate quarry blasts from local earthquakes. More than 50% of the shallow seismicity annually recorded in Romania is coming from industrial blasts. Plostina network description and signal processing procedures are discussed in Section 2, Data and Methods. The results of this study are presented in Section 3, and the final discussions conclusions in the end.
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OBSERVING INFRASONORE SOURCES GENERATED BY VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS USING SEISMO-ACOUSTIC NETWORK OF PLOşTINA, ROMâNIA | Stancu I., Ghica D., Radulian M. | U.P.B. SCIENCE BULLETIN, SERIES A | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 77(2), 203-212 | - |
Authors:
Stancu I., Ghica D., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Volcanic eruptions represent excellent calibration sources for the IMS infrasound network. The location is precisely known, and the energy released during explosive eruptions may be large enough to generate infrasound waves propagated thousands of kilometers. The purpose of this study is to analyze the network capacity of infrasound from Plostina (Romania) to detect volcanic eruptions. The description of the Plostina network and signal processing procedures are discussed in Section 2, data and methods. The results and discussion of this study are presented in Section 3 and the conclusions at the end.
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VRANCEA SEISMICITY ANALYSIS BASED ON CUMULATIVE SEISMIC ENERGY | Toader V. E., Popescu I., Moldovan I. A., Ionescu C. | U.P.B. SCIENCE BULLETIN, SERIES A | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 77(2), 297-308 | - |
Authors:
Toader V. E., Popescu I., Moldovan I. A., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
Vrancea's seismicity (Curvature Carpathian mountains) recorded in 2013 an energy discontinuity preceded by the highest seismic inactivity according to the Romanian National Institute for Earth Physics. The energy is calculated based on the local magnitude (Richter), and is cumulative. Vrancea is the most important seismic region from Eastern Europe through its intermediate depth earthquakes. Energy variations can be linearly approximated due to the constant rate of earthquake occurrences. This allows to forecast the magnitude using the inverse energy-magnitude relationship. Periods longer than 5-8 days without earthquakes are followed by a more intense seismic activity. This paper analyses the evolution of seismicity in several Romanian regions that have similar energy deviations. The analysis was performed using a software tool developed by the authors of this paper. Energy discontinuity can be precursors to earthquakes greater than 7R. The analysis used information from NIEP and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) database.
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BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN NONLINEAR SEISMOLOGY AS REALITY AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | Mărmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C., Manea E.F. | PERSPECTIVES ON EUROPEAN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY, VOL. 2, BOOK SERIES: GEOTECHNICAL GEOLOGICAL AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2015 | 39, 409 - 428 | |
Authors:
Mărmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Mărmureanu A., Ionescu C., Manea E.F.
Abstract:
In seismic hazard evaluation and risk mitigation, there are many random and epistemic uncertainties. On the another hand, the researches in this area as part of knowledge are with rest, that is, the results are with interpretable questions with open answers. The knowledge cannot be exhausted by results. The authors developed in last time the concept of “Nonlinear Seismology – The Seismology of the XXI Century” (Marmureanu et al. Nonlinear seismology-the seismology of XXI century. In: Modern seismology perspectives, vol 105. Springer, New York, pp 49–70, 2005).
The leading question is: how many cities, villages, metropolitan areas, etc., in seismic regions are constructed on rock? Most of them are located on soil deposits. A soil is of basic type sand or gravel (termed coarse soils), silt or clay (termed fine soils), etc. Strong ground accelerations from large earthquakes can produce a nonlinear response in shallow soils. This can be studied by comparing surface and borehole seismic records for earthquakes of different sizes. When a nonlinear site response is present, then the shaking from large earthquakes cannot be predicted by simple scaling of records from small earthquakes (Shearer, Introduction to seismology, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2009). Nonlinear amplification at sediments sites appears to be more pervasive than seismologists used to think…Any attempt at seismic zonation must take into account the local site condition and this nonlinear amplification (Aki, Tectonophysics 218:93–111, 1993).
The difficulty for seismologists is to demonstrate the nonlinear site effects, these being overshadowed by the overall patterns of shock generation and propagation. In other words, the seismological detection of the nonlinear site effects requires a simultaneous understanding/knowledge of earthquake source, propagation path, and local geological site conditions. To see the actual influence of nonlinearity of the whole system (seismic source-path propagation-local geological structure), the authors used to study the free field response spectra which are the last in this chain and are taken into account in seismic design of all structures. Soils from the local geological structure at the recording site exhibit a strong nonlinear behavior under cyclic loading conditions and although they have many common mechanical properties, the use of different models to describe their seismic behavior is required.
The studies made by the authors in this chapter show that using real spectral amplification factors (SAF), amplifications showing local effects, have values which differ totally from those of crustal earthquakes. The spectral amplifications highlight strong nonlinear response of soil composed of fractured limestone, limestone with clay, marl, sands, clay, etc., and these amplifications are strongly dependent of earthquake magnitude and nature of soils from site. Finally, these amplifiers are compared to those from Regulatory Guide 1.60 of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission (Design response spectra for seismic design of nuclear power plants. Regulatory Guide 1.60. Rev. 1, Washington, D.C., 1973) which can be used only for crustal earthquakes and not for deep and strong Vrancea earthquakes from Romania. The study of the nonlinear behavior of soils during strong earthquakes may clarify uncertainties in ground motion prediction equations used by probabilistic and classical deterministic seismic hazard analysis.
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THE LF RADIO ANOMALY OBSERVED BEFORE THE M-W=6.5 EARTHQUAKE IN CRETE ON OCTOBER 12, 2013 | Maggipinto T., Biagi P.F., Colella R., Schiavulli L., Ligonzo T., Ermini A., Martinelli G., Moldovan I.A., Silva H., Contadakis M., Skeberis C., Zaharis Z., Scordilis E., Katzis K., Buyuksarac A., D’Amico S. | PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH | ISI | ARTICLE | 2015 | 85-86, 98-105 | |
Authors:
Maggipinto T., Biagi P.F., Colella R., Schiavulli L., Ligonzo T., Ermini A., Martinelli G., Moldovan I.A., Silva H., Contadakis M., Skeberis C., Zaharis Z., Scordilis E., Katzis K., Buyuksarac A., D’Amico S.
Abstract:
On October 12, 2013, an earthquake with M-w = 6.5 occurred in the southern Hellenic Arc, approximately 20 km off the west coast of Crete. The main shock, the focal depth of which is on the order of 40 km, was followed by aftershocks felt in the nearby cities and villages, although the aftershock sequence was poor. The epicentre was located at approximately 60 km from a radio receiver in Crete (CRE), which belongs to the European VLF/LF Radio Network. Several days before the earthquake, a clear disturbance occurred in one of the ten radio signals that the CRE receiver sampled. The disturbance, which can be considered an anomaly, appeared in the 216 kHz radio signal radiated by the Radio Monte Carlo (MCO) transmitter. The radio path MCO-CRE crossed directly over the epicenter area of the aforementioned earthquake. In this work, we present a detailed analysis of the MCO signal anomaly using spectral tools. We also investigate the behavior of other radio signals sampled by the CRE receiver and consider other possible causes of disturbances on the MCO radio signal. We conclude that the disturbance in the MCO radio signal is a convincingly possible precursor of the earthquake in Crete. Emission of electromagnetic waves with a frequency band that includes 216 kHz from the focal zone of the earthquake can provide a satisfactory explanation of the radio anomaly.
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ROMANIAN-BULGARIAN RAPID EARLY WARNING SYSTEM (REXS) DEVELOPED FOR STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Ionescu C., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G., Solakov D., Simeonova S., Dimitrova L. | 5TH JUBILEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CARTOGRAPHY AND GIS | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2014 | 1-2, 527-533 | - |
Authors:
Ionescu C., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G., Solakov D., Simeonova S., Dimitrova L.
Abstract:
Providing earthquake warning notifications several seconds before dangerous earthquake waves arrive at a target site significantly reduces the property damages and the number of lives lost. Most earthquake early warning systems (EEWS) developed so far are either regional ("network-based) or "on-site" (stand-alone) systems. The recent upgrade of the seismic networks in Romania and Bulgaria with high dynamic range accelerometers allows recording of moderate-to-large magnitude earthquakes at very close epicentral distances (less than 10-20 km). This allows an increase of the early warning lead-time (the time difference between the alert notification time and the arrival time of potentially destructive waves at a given target).
The Romania-Bulgaria border region is significantly affected by earthquakes occurred in both territories: on the one hand, produced by the Vrancea seismic source, with intermediate-depth events (3 shocks/century with magnitude greater than 7), and on the other hand, crustal seismicity recorded in the northern part of Bulgaria (Shabla, Dulovo, Gorna Orjahovitza).
In this paper we present the rapid early warning system (REWS) for earthquakes that may affect the border areas of Romania and Bulgaria together with the software tools developed that are now used by emergency situations units in both Romania and Bulgaria.
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THE EFFECT OF SURFACE INHOMOGENEITIES ON THE PROPAGATION OF ELASTIC WAVES | Apostol B.F. | JOURNAL OF ELASTICITY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 114, 85-99 | |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
We investigate the effect of the surface inhomogeneities (defects) on the propagation of the elastic waves in a semi-infinite isotropic solid body (half-space). A perturbation-theoretical scheme is devised for small surface defects (in comparison with the relevant elastic disturbances propagating in the body), and the elastic waves equations are solved in the first-order approximation. It is shown that surface defects generate both scattered waves localized (and propagating only) on the surface (two-dimensional waves) and scattered waves reflected back in the body. Directional effects, wave slowness and attenuation by diffusive scattering, or possible resonance effects are discussed.
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ANALYSIS OF SOIL FACTOR S USING STRONG GOUND MOTIONS FROM VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL SEISMIC SOURCE | Văcăreanu R., Mărmureanu G., Pavel F., Neagu C., Cioflan C.O., Aldea A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 66, 893-906 | - |
Authors:
Văcăreanu R., Mărmureanu G., Pavel F., Neagu C., Cioflan C.O., Aldea A.
Abstract:
A strong-ground motion database of more than 400 records from 9 intermediate-depth earthquakes with moment magnitudes M-w >5.0 was assembled and compiled for the BIGSEES national research project. These strong ground motions are used to compute the values of the soil amplification factor which is a key parameter in the definition of the elastic response spectrum defined in Eurocode 8 (EN 1998-1). The strong ground motions are divided both in accordance with the soil category of the recording stations and with the control period To as well. The study of the acceleration response spectra as a function of magnitude, soil class and control period allows for the quantification of the amplification factors. Finally, the results obtained are compared with the design values from Eurocode 8 (EN 1998-1). This study comes at a time when Romania is harmonizing the national codes with the European design codes.
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SPECTRAL CHARACTERISTICS OF STRONG GROUND MOTIONS FROM INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH VRANCEA SEISMIC SOURCE | Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Ionescu C., Iancovici M., Sercaianu M. | BULLETIN OF THE SEISMOLOGICAL SICIETY OF AMERICA | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 104, 2842-2850 | |
Authors:
Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Ionescu C., Iancovici M., Sercaianu M.
Abstract:
This study focuses on the investigation of spectral characteristics of ground motions recorded from intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes using Newmark-Hall-type response spectrum. The database consists of more than 700 horizontal components recorded during 10 Vrancea earthquakes. In the first step of the analysis, the component-to-component variability is assessed and the corresponding influence of various parameters (earthquake magnitude, peak ground acceleration, soil class, position of the seismic station, or instrument type) is evaluated. Subsequently, the correlation between the spectral acceleration and the values of the peak ground motion parameters (acceleration, velocity, and displacement) is investigated. The analyses reveal an important influence of the magnitude and a significant influence of the soil class (in the case of large magnitude earthquakes) on the results. These findings are validated through the use of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. The computed response amplification factors for the Newmark-Hall type spectrum are similar with those from other studies in the literature. Finally, a check of three control periods such as T-B, T-E, and T-F of the Newmark-Hall-type spectrum yields results somewhat different from the ones given in the Romanian seismic design code P100-1 or in Eurocode 8.
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INVESTIGATION OF THE VARIABILITY OF STRONG GROUND MOTIONS FROM VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Ionescu C., Iancovici M., Sercaianu M. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 74, 1707-1728 | |
Authors:
Pavel F., Văcăreanu R., Ionescu C., Iancovici M., Sercaianu M.
Abstract:
A systematic investigation of the applicability of several ground motion prediction models for Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic source is conducted in this research. Two ground motion prediction models recommended by previous evaluations (Vacareanu et al. in Bull Earthq Eng 11(6): 1867-1884, 2013a; Pavel et al. in Earthq Struct 6(1): 1-18, 2014), as well as two new state-of-the-art ground motion prediction equations (Vacareanu et al. in J Earthq Eng, 2013b; Earthq Struct 6(2): 141-161, 2014) are tested using an increased strong ground motion database consisting of 150 recordings from Vrancea subcrustal earthquakes. The evaluation is performed by using several goodness-of-fit parameters from the literature. Moreover, the applicability of the single-station sigma method is also investigated by using the same strong ground motion database recorded in 30 seismic stations from southern and eastern Romania. The influence of the soil conditions on the numerical results obtained in this study is investigated and discussed using the results provided by the analysis of variance method. The impact of the single-station standard deviation on the levels of seismic hazard is also assessed in this study, and the results show, in the analyzed cases, significant reductions in the hazard levels.
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ACTIVE FAULT SYSTEMS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR URBAN PLANNING IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA | Ioane D., Diaconescu M., Chitea F., Garbacea G. | EARTHQUAKE HAZARD IMPACT AND URBAN PLANNING | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 15-43 | |
Authors:
Ioane D., Diaconescu M., Chitea F., Garbacea G.
Abstract:
In urban planning activities, besides a detailed seismic zonation, knowledge of the areal distribution of active faults, and particularly of faults crossing the city in heavily built districts, may be valuable in numerous cases. This chapter aims to identify active faults or fractures in Bucharest, a large city developed over thick layers of Quaternary unconsolidated sediments. To achieve this goal, the research is based on an integrated analysis of all existing relevant data coming from geology, geomorphology, geophysics and seismology. Another purpose is to understand the role of faults in the spatial variability of seismic damaging effects on buildings in view of a better future urban planning. The N-S fault system seems to be involved in neotectonics, affecting the geomorphology between Bucharest and Ploiesti cities. It could represent an active transcrustal fault, the deepest seismic event recorded within Bucharest at subcrustal depth being located on its southern prolongation. Within Bucharest the presence of faults affecting Pleistocene sediments was previously illustrated using borehole data, shallower vertical displacements of Quaternary formations along faults being interpreted in this study. The existing seismic reflection data recorded within Bucharest was used to interpret shallow faults considered as active or capable faults crossing Quaternary sedimentary deposits.
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SPATIAL MULTI-CRITERIA RISK ASSESSMENT OF EARTHQUAKES FROM BUCHAREST, ROMANIA | Armas I., Radulian M. | EARTHQUAKE HAZARD IMPACT AND URBAN PLANNING | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 127-149 | |
Authors:
Armas I., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The current paper is a piece of exploratory research, having as its purpose the evaluation of seismic risk spatial patterns for Bucharest, the capital of Romania. In this paper, risk (expressed in terms of risk indices) is calculated as a combination of hazard and vulnerability information, based on the semi-quantitative technique of multi-criteria spatial analysis. The scale of analysis was considered at the level of the census units (2002). The hazard component consists of the probability of occurrence of two scenarios: (1) an occurred earthquake that is a typical hazard case for the Vrancea region (event of 30 August 1986, M-w = 7.1) and (2) a computed seismic hazard for the largest magnitude earthquake expected to be generated in Vrancea (M-w = 7.7). In both cases, the seismic hazard is expressed in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) values. The total vulnerability index is obtained using four groups of indicators: natural environment, physical, social and economical indicators. The overall vulnerability to seismic hazard is assessed by comparing total vulnerability with the compound capacity factor. The resulting risk indices are relative, expressed by numerical values, ranging between 0 and 1, that do not have a direct meaning of expected losses. The spatial pattern of risk shows a significant increase in the case of the maximum expected event as compared with the 1986 earthquake case, particularly in the central part of the city. As a general conclusion, only the strongest earthquakes are really dangerous for Bucharest.
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SOURCE PARAMETERS OF THE DECEMBER 2011-JANUARY 2012 EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE IN SOUTHERN CARPATHIANS, ROMANIA | Radulian M., Popescu E., Borleanu F., Diaconescu M. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 623, 23-38 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popescu E., Borleanu F., Diaconescu M.
Abstract:
The seismicity at the contact between the Getic Depression and the South Carpathians is part of the overall seismicity characterizing the contact of the Moesian Platform and the South Carpathians orogen. The December 2011-January 2012 earthquake sequence that occurred close to Tg-Jiu city provides the best data set for the seismic activity in the region. The seismic source parameters are estimated for 15 events of the sequence using the empirical Green's function and spectral ratio techniques. We selected 3 main events and 12 associated collocated small events as empirical Green's functions to calculate the spectral ratios and determine the relative source time functions. Estimates of the source duration and corner frequency imply stress drop values in the range of 6-112 MPa. Relative small radius of the source and high stress drops suggest an intraplate type behaviour. The scaling relationships investigated comply well with similar relationships in other regions in the world and in other seismogenic areas in the South Carpathians region.
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QUANTITATIVE MODELLING OF SEISMIC SITE AMPLIFICATION IN AN EARTHQUAKE-ENDANGERED CAPITAL CITY: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA | Bala A. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 72, 1429-1445 | |
Authors:
Bala A.
Abstract:
Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, with more than 2 million inhabitants, is considered as a natural disaster hotspot by a recent global study of the World Bank and the Columbia University (Dilley M et al. Natural disaster hotspots: a global risk analysis. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank and Columbia University, Washington, DC in 2005). Therefore, it is classified as the second metropolis in Europe, after Istanbul, subjected to important losses in the case of a destructive Vrancea earthquake with moment magnitude greater than seven. Four major earthquakes with moment magnitudes between 6.9 and 7.7 hit Bucharest in the last 68 years. The most recent destructive earthquake on March 4, 1977, with a moment magnitude of 7.4, caused about 1,500 casualties in the capital alone. All disastrous intermediate-depth earthquakes are generated within a small epicentral area-the Vrancea seismogenic region-about 150 km northeast of Bucharest. Thick unconsolidated sedimentary layers below Bucharest amplify the arriving seismic waves causing severe destruction. Ten 50-m-deep boreholes are drilled in the metropolitan area of Bucharest in order to obtain a unique, homogeneous dataset of seismic, soil-mechanic and elasto-dynamic parameters. Cores for dynamic tests were extracted, and vertical seismic profiles were performed to obtain an updated site amplification model related to earthquakes waves. The boreholes are placed near former or existing seismic station sites to allow a direct comparison and calibration of the borehole data with previous seismological measurements. A database containing geological characteristics for each sedimentary layer, geotechnical parameters measured on rock samples, P- and S wave velocity and density for each sedimentary layer is set up, as a result of previous papers with this subject. Direct data obtained by the geophysical methods in the new boreholes drilled in Bucharest City, as well as from laboratory measurements, are used as input data in the program SHAKE2000. Results are obtained in the form of spectral acceleration response, and peak acceleration in depth is computed for every site in which in situ measurements were performed. The acceleration response spectra correspond to the shear-wave amplifications due to the models of sedimentary layers down to (a) 50 m depth; (b) 70 m depth; and (c) 100 m depth. A comparison of the acceleration response spectra obtained by modelling at surface with a real signal recorded at surface is obtained in three sites, as test sites for the three depths considered, in order to calibrate the results obtained by equivalent linear method of the seismic site response.
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REEVALUATION OF THE MACROSEISMIC EFFECTS OF THE 23 JANUARY 1838 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE | Rogozea M., Marmureanu G., Radulian M., Toma D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2014 | 66, 520-538 | - |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Marmureanu G., Radulian M., Toma D.
Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to analyze the great event that occurred on January 23, 1838 (magnitude A(w) = 7.5 in the Romanian catalogue). Valuable information has been collected from original or compiled historical sources, such as chronicles and manuscripts on that time, and related books and reports. The historical data are critically analyzed and, on the basis of our investigation, we showed the degree of significance of the earthquake parameters, as resulted from the effect distribution. The pattern of the intensity data points as reevaluated for this historical earthquake is compared with the pattern of instrumentally recorded major earthquake of March 4, 1977, the two events assumed to be similar as hypocenter location, source parameters and rupture propagation.
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LIQUEFACTION PROBABILITY IN BUCHAREST AND INFLUENCING FACTORS | Bala A., Hannich D., Ehret D., Huber G. | 14TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2014 - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GEOLOGY, EXPLORATION AND MINING | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2014 | 2, 573-580 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Hannich D., Ehret D., Huber G.
Abstract:
Bucharest, the capital of Romania with about 2.5 million inhabitants, is frequently struck by intense, damaging earthquakes (in recent years in 1940, 1977, 1986 and 1990). In 1995 a Collaborative Research Center 461 (CRC-461) entitled: "Strong Earthquakes - a Challenge of Geosciences and Civil Engineering" was established in July 1996 and ended in December 2007. It was funded by the German Research Foundation and supported by the State of Baden-Wurttenmberg, as well as the University of Karlsruhe (TH), actually Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The CRC aimed strategic research in the field of strong earthquakes with regional focus on the Vrancea seismic events in Romania. Between 1995-2007 several research works were done in Romania, with the support of several Romanian research institutes and the University of Bucharest. One of the research questions was, if liquefaction can occur during strong earthquakes within the shallow sandy layers in Bucharest. As known, strong earthquakes can cause, under certain geologic conditions, liquefaction and therewith ground failure as sand boils, lateral spreading, or differentiated subsidence. Thus in 2005 a research work begun to analyze the liquefaction risk for Bucharest. For this purpose, at 10 representative sites in Bucharest, Seismic Cone Penetration Tests (SCPTu) were executed. An area-wide evaluation of the liquefaction probability in Bucharest was established. The "factor of safety" (Fs) against liquefaction and the "probability of liquefaction" (PL) were computed from the obtained test-data. For the first time, maps of the "liquefaction potential index" (Li) and of the "liquefaction severity index" (Ls) for Bucharest were outlined. These maps show how severe liquefaction phenomena can occur during strong Vrancea earthquakes in Bucharest.
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TRANSPORT NETWORK VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY, BASED ON THE COST-DISTANCE METHOD AND GIS INTEGRATION | Toma-Dănila D. | INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT: GEO-INFORMATION FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 199-213 | |
Authors:
Toma-Dănila D.
Abstract:
Considering the various effects of natural disasters, and the need for a fast intervention and recovery time, before facing the associated problems it is needed to mitigate the risks. A basic and initial step is to assess the vulnerability in high risk areas. The importance of a transport network is major, whether it is a road, railway (for access) or pipe (for resources) network. Various methods were described for analyzing their behavior to disastrous events (like earthquakes, landslides, flooding). The methodology proposed in this study integrates all related input data within a GIS software, adding by so the spatial dimension, and adapt the cost-distance method to obtain fictive costs that translate into vulnerability states for each point of a network. Also, the hot-points that can determine detour costs are taken into consideration, by means of random "What if?'' scenarios that are generated by an automation model. The fact that the cost-distance method requires origins to which the costs will refer it is important, because the vulnerability values will also be related to how hard it is for an emergency intervention team to reach a certain segment of the network. Because of the various degrees of freedom in the methodology, different methods can be also added to the actual core, in order to serve the purpose, whether it is emergency route analysis, road planning or loss estimation assessment. In order to test and exemplify the methodology and the results, a road network seismic vulnerability assessment example is presented, for a Romanian County right on top of the Vrancea Seismic Area. Specific details are given about the possibilities to implement the methodology.
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THE BIO-LOCATION METHOD USED FOR STRESS FORECASTING IN VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SEISMIC ZONE | Moldovan I.A., Apostol B.F., Moldovan A., Ionescu C., Placinta A.O. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | | 2013 | 65(1), 271-284 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Apostol B.F., Moldovan A., Ionescu C., Placinta A.O.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismically active region of Romania, situated far-from active plate boundaries, can be characterized by small-large intermediate-depth earthquakes and small-moderate normal ones. The intermediate-depth earthquakes are destructive when larger than magnitude Mw 7.2. A bio-location methodology has been used trying to map crustal faults in Vrancea Depression and to indicate stress variations before and after intermediate-depth earthquakes. Bio-location data obtained across two perpendicular faults at Plostina, Vrancea, indicated a possible stress transfer from faults situated at intermediate-depth of 70-150 km, to faults situated in the Earth's crust at 0-40 km, before and after intermediate-depth earthquakes larger than local magnitude 3.0.
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ROMANIAN EDUCATIONAL SEISMIC NETWORK: EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR INCREASING AWARNESS OF SEISMIC RISK | Zaharia B., Tataru D., Grecu B., Ionescu C., Tibu S., Bica-Brisan N., Georgescu E.S. | 13TH INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC GEOCONFERENCE SGEM 2013 - GEOCONFERENCE ON ECOLOGY, ECONOMICS, EDUCATION AND LEGISLATION | ISI | PROCEEDING | 2013 | 513-520 | - |
Authors:
Zaharia B., Tataru D., Grecu B., Ionescu C., Tibu S., Bica-Brisan N., Georgescu E.S.
Abstract:
The seismic risk in Romania is one of the highest in Europe, and thus understanding the earthquake phenomena and their effects at the earth surface represents an important step toward the education of population in earthquake affected regions of the country and aims to raise the awareness about the earthquake risk and possible mitigation actions. In this direction, the introduction of the seismological education in schools was welcomed with great interest.
The Romanian Educational Seismic Network is a national project with many educational, scientific and social goals and represents an innovative program in Romania. The main educational objectives are referring to: training students and teachers in the analysis and interpretation of seismological data, preparing educational materials, designing and testing didactic activities. The scientific objective is to introduce in schools the use of scientific instruments like seismographs (SEP Seismometer) and experimental methods (seismic data analysis) that are usually restricted to research laboratories. The main product is to create an earthquake database which will be used by students and teachers for educational purposes. Regarding the social objectives, the project represents an effective instrument for informing and raising seismic risk awareness.
The network consist of nine seismic stations with SEP seismometers installed in high-schools from the most important seismic areas (Vrancea, Banat, Fagaras, Dobrogea), vulnerable cities (Bucharest, Iasi) or high populated places (Cluj, Sibiu, Timisoara, Zalau).
The educational materials consist of a collection entitled "Earthquakes and their effects", which includes educational materials for all pre-university education classes taking the form of two books (except preschool level), one for teachers and one for students. They are governed by the concept "learning by doing". Applying this concept the students will develop scientific aptitudes (measurements, direct observations, theory formulation and verification, database study) and they will be attracted to domain as Geology, Geography, Physics, Mathematics, Informatics, etc. Teaching modules include laboratory exercises like earthquake location and magnitude estimation using waveforms recorded by their school seismometers, and valuables information on how the earthquake affects the surrounding environment and buildings.
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CRUSTAL STRUCTURE OF THE CARPATHIAN-PANNONIAN REGION FROM AMBIENT NOISE TOMOGRAPHY | Ren Y., Grecu B., Stuart G., Houseman G., Hegedus E. | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 195(2), 1351-1369 | |
Authors:
Ren Y., Grecu B., Stuart G., Houseman G., Hegedus E.
Abstract:
We use ambient noise tomography to investigate the crust and uppermost mantle structure beneath the Carpathian-Pannonian region of Central Europe. Over 7500 Rayleigh wave empirical Green's functions are derived from interstation cross-correlations of vertical component ambient seismic noise recordings (2005-2011) using a temporary network of 54 stations deployed during the South Carpathian Project (2009-2011), 56 temporary stations deployed in the Carpathian Basins Project (2005-2007) and 100 permanent and regional broad-band stations. Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion curves (4-40 s) are determined using the multiple-filter analysis technique. Group velocity maps are computed on a grid of 0.2 degrees x 0.2 degrees from a non-linear 2-D tomographic inversion using the subspace method. We then inverted the group velocity maps for the 3-D shear wave velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the region. Our shear wave velocity model provides a uniquely complete and relatively high-resolution view of the crustal structure in the Carpathian-Pannonian region, which in general is validated by comparison with previous studies using other methods to probe the crustal structure. At shallow depths (< 10 km) we find relatively high velocities below where basement is exposed (e.g. Bohemian Massif, Eastern Alps, most of Carpathians, Apuseni Mountains and Trans-Danubian Ranges) whereas sedimentary areas (e.g. Vienna, Pannonian, Transylvanian and Focsani Basins) are associated with low velocities of well defined depth extent. The mid to lower crust (16-34 km) below the Mid-Hungarian Line is associated with a broad NE-SW trending relatively fast anomaly, flanked to the NW by an elongated low-velocity region beneath the Trans-Danubian Ranges. In the lowermost crust and uppermost mantle (between 30 and 40 km), relatively low velocities are observed beneath the Bohemian Massif and Eastern Alps but the most striking features are the broad low velocity regions beneath the Apuseni Mountains and most of the Carpathian chain, which likely is explained by relatively thick crust. Finally, most of the Pannonian and Vienna Basin regions at depths > 30 km are relatively fast, presumably related to shallowing of the Moho consequent on the extensional history of the Pannonian region.
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SHEAR-WAVE SPLITTING WITHIN THE SOUTHEASTERN CARPATHIAN ARC, TRANSYLVANIAN BASIN, ROMANIA | Stanciu A.C., Russo R.M., Mocanu V.I., Munteanu L. | JOURNAL OF GEODYNAMICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 70, 61-69 | |
Authors:
Stanciu A.C., Russo R.M., Mocanu V.I., Munteanu L.
Abstract:
We present new splitting measurements for SKS and SKKS phases recorded at four broadband seismic stations located within the Carpathian Arc, in the eastern part of the Transylvanian Basin. We made 75 measurements, of which 58 are nulls and 17 show clear splitting. We used two methods to estimate splitting parameters, phi (the fast polarization direction) and delta t (the delay time between fast and slow split shear waves): minimization of energy on the horizontal component corresponding to the minimum eigenvalue of the polarization matrix, and simultaneous linearization of split waves from a suite of earthquakes recorded at a given station. We consistently observed no splitting at station IACB, in the northern part of the study area, for a range of well-recorded earthquakes at different backazimuths; we consider the station splitting to be null. Null splitting here is consistent with several possible tectonic scenarios, including downwelling of asthenospheric material as a result of the sinking Vrancea body, asthenospheric upwelling beneath Ciomadul volcano, or lack of anisotropic fabric development in the large Ciomadul magma chamber beneath the station. Fast polarized shear waves trend NW-SE at CHDM, in the Transylvanian Basin, and at PMAR, which lies at the boundary between the Transylvanian Basin and the E-W-striking Southern Carpathians; these fast directions are consistent with a regional trend in splitting phi azimuths over much of the Eastern Carpathians, the East European and Moesian Platforms, and the northwestern Transylvanian Basin away from the Vrancea Bend Zone. The regional NW-SE splitting trend parallels the NW-to-SE temporal migration of Neogene volcanism along the Eastern Carpathians, and is likely due to a combination of southeastward rollback of the Vrancea high velocity body and simultaneous southwestwards absolute plate motion of the thick leading edge of the East European Platform (Tornquist-Teisseyre Suture Zone), which together constrain regional mantle flow. Fast shear wave polarization, phi, at station COMD, at the juncture between the Vrancea Bend Zone and the Transylvanian Basin, trends NE-SW, consistent with splitting at stations VOIR and MLR in the Southern Carpathians. Splitting at these stations reflects perturbed mantle flow in the vicinity of the Vrancea body, which entails an abrupt change from NE-SW at VOIR to NNW-SSE at PMAR, consistent with redirection of mantle flow along the northwestern side of the Vrancea body. Delay times at the three stations with clear splitting vary from 0.96 to 2.73 s, indicating either the presence of an anisotropic layer ranging between 100 km thick beneath CHDM and 300 km beneath PMAR, or an unusually strong anisotropic fabric beneath the latter. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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ANOMALOUS HIGH AMPLITUDE RATIOS OF P5KP/PKPAB AND P4KP/P(S)CP OBSERVED GLOBALLY AROUND 1 HZ | Ivan M., Wang R.J. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 17(2), 453-464 | |
Authors:
Ivan M., Wang R.J.
Abstract:
Amplitude ratio of 30 short-period conspicuous P5KP and PKPab phases from five intermediate depth or deep events in Fiji-Tonga recorded at European stations around 150A degrees distance shows a mean value two to three times the ratio of the synthetic amplitudes obtained by the normal-mode theory (and ak135 model) or by full-wave theory (and PREM). There is a large variance in the results, also observed in five amplitude ratios from one event in Argentina observed at temporary stations in China around 156A degrees. Global recordings of three major deep earthquakes in Fiji, Bonin, and Western Brazil observed at ASAR, WRA, and ZRNK arrays, at 59 North America stations and at six South Pole stations displayed conspicuous P4KP and PcP (or ScP) phases. The amplitude ratio values of P4KP vs P(S)cP are sometimes almost one order of magnitude larger than the corresponding values of the synthetics. In both cases, arrival times and slowness values (corrected for ellipticity and station elevation) at the distances up to 23A degrees beyond the A cutoff point predicted by ray theory match both the synthetics, suggesting the observations are the AB branch of PmKP (m = 4, 5) around 1 Hz. In disagreement to ray theory, no reliable BC branch is observed neither on the recordings nor on the normal-mode synthetics. The high amplitude ratio values cannot be explained by realistic perturbations of the velocity or attenuation values of the global models in the proximity of the core-to-mantle boundary (CMB). We speculate that the focusing effects and/or strong scattering most likely associated to some anomalous velocity areas of the lowermost mantle are responsible for that. The results suggest limitations of the previous evaluations of the short-period attenuation in the outer core from PmKP amplitudes (m a parts per thousand yenaEuro parts per thousand 3), irrespective of the fact that they are obtained by using ray theory, normal-mode or full-wave synthetics. Attempts to use PmKP arrival times in order to refine velocity structure in the proximity of CMB should be also regarded with care if the propagation times have been computed with ray theory.
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AR-40/AR-39 CHRONOLOGY AND PALEOMAGNETISM OF QUATERNARY BASALTIC LAVAS FROM THE PERSANI MOUNTAINS (EAST CARPATHIANS) | Panaiotu C.G., Jicha B.R., Singer B.S., Tugui A., Seghedi I., Panaiotu A.G., Necula C. | PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 221, 1-14 | |
Authors:
Panaiotu C.G., Jicha B.R., Singer B.S., Tugui A., Seghedi I., Panaiotu A.G., Necula C.
Abstract:
Quaternary volcanism in the Persani Mountains forms an Na-alkali basaltic province inside the bend area of the Carpathians in the southeastern part of Europe. Previous K-Ar ages and paleomagnetic data reveal several transitional virtual geomagnetic poles, which were tentatively associated with the Cobb Mountain subchron and a Brunhes chron excursion. We report a new paleomagnetic and rock-magnetic study coupled with Ar-40/Ar-39 geochronology to better constrain the age of geomagnetic reversals or excursions that might be recorded and the timing of volcanism. Of the paleomagnetic directions obtained from sampled lava flows 4 are reversed polarity, 19 are normal polarity and 16 have transitional polarity. Ar-40/Ar-39 plateau ages determined from incremental heating experiments on groundmass indicate that two of the reversely magnetized lavas erupted at 1142 +/- 41 and 800 +/- 25 ka, four of the normally magnetized lavas erupted at 1060 +/- 10, 1062 +/- 24, 684 +/- 21, and 683 +/- 28 ka, and two transitionally magnetized lavas formed at 1221 +/- 11 and 799 +/- 21 ka. Both the new Ar-40/Ar-39 ages and the paleomagnetic data suggest at least five episodes of volcanic activity with the most active periods during the Jaramillo and Brunhes chrons. This results shows that the last phases of alkalic and calc-alkaline magmatism in the South-East Carpathians were contemporaneous. The age of the older transitionally magnetized lava flow is within error of recent unspiked K-Ar and astrochronologic ages for the reversal that defines the onset of the Cobb Mountain normal polarity subchron. The age of the younger transitional lava is similar to that of an excursion that preceded the Matuyama-Brunhes polarity reversal and which has come to be known as the Matuyama-Brunhes precursor. Omitting the excursion data, the dispersion of the virtual geomagnetic poles (around 19 degrees) is larger than the expected value around 45 degrees N from the global compilation, but closer to the value obtained only from the Time Averaged geomagnetic Field Initiative studies. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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INTEGRATED TRANSNATIONAL MACROSEISMIC DATA SET FOR THE STRONGEST EARTHQUAKES OF VRANCEA (ROMANIA) | Kronrod T., Radulian M., Panza G., Popa M., Paskaleva I., Radovanovich S., Gribovszki K., Sandu I., Pekevski V. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 590, 1-23 | |
Authors:
Kronrod T., Radulian M., Panza G., Popa M., Paskaleva I., Radovanovich S., Gribovszki K., Sandu I., Pekevski V.
Abstract:
A unique macroseismic data set for the strongest earthquakes occurring since 1940 in the Vrancea region is constructed by a thorough review of all available sources. Inconsistencies and errors in the reported data and in their use are also analysed. The final data set, which is free from inconsistencies, including those at the political borders, contains 9822 observations for the strong intermediate-depth earthquakes: 1940, M-w = 7.7; 1977, M-w = 7.4; 1986, M-w = 7.1; 1990, May 30, M-w = 6.9; 1990, May 31, M-w = 6.4; and 2004, M-w = 6.0. This data set is available electronically as Supplementary data to the present paper.
From the discrete macroseismic data, the continuous macroseismic field is generated using the methodology developed by Molchan et al. (2002). The procedure, along with the unconventional (smoothing method) modified polynomial filtering (MPF), uses the diffuse boundary (DB) method, which visualises the uncertainty in the isoseismal boundaries. The comparison of DBs with previous isoseismal maps supplies a good evaluation criterion of the reliability of earlier published maps. The produced isoseismals can be used not only for the formal comparison of the observed and theoretical isoseismals but also for the retrieval of source properties and the assessment of local responses (Molchan et al., 2011). (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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ESSENTIAL TOOLS TO MITIGATE VRANCEA STRONG EARTHQUAKES EFFECTS ON MOLDAVIAN URBAN ENVIRONMENT | Mărmureanu G., Mărmureanu A., Cioflan C.O., Ionescu C. | ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT JOURNAL | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 12, 65-78 | |
Authors:
Mărmureanu G., Mărmureanu A., Cioflan C.O., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
In a world of uncertainty, the only constant is change and rapid change produces a multitude of diverse facts. Risk is an integral part of life. While no country in the world is entirely safe, the lack of capacity to limit the impact of hazards remains a major burden for all countries and while the world has witnessed an exponential increase in human and material losses due to natural disasters, there is a need to reverse trends in vulnerability to earthquakes. Available data prove that natural disasters from earthquakes can cause considerable damages, with potentially severe effects to urban environment. Earthquakes cascade as chaotic chain reactions through the natural and built environments; therefore, seismic hazard and risk are time-dependent quantities. On the other hand, environmental degradation increases the intensity of natural disasters, and is often the factor that transforms natural hazards, into a disaster. In World, earthquakes are responsible for 15% of total number of events, and 30% of the total damages (Freeman, 2000). Last strong Vrancea earthquake on March 4, 1977 (Mw=7.4, h=95 km): 1578 dead and 11,321 injured, 36 ruined/destroyed blocks in Bucharest, 32,900 houses collapsed or severely damaged; 35,000 families homeless, tens of thousands (64,000) of buildings damaged from Iasi and Bacau to Craiova, many other damages and destructions in the industry and economy; the downtown of Bacau was completely damaged etc. The goal of the paper is to enhance our capability to decrease the effects of strong and deep Vrancea earthquakes on urban and built environment, especially in Moldavian area. The practical goal is to enable new geo-technologies for reducing risk and improving community resilience. Specific fundamental and applied researches were developed last years by National Institute for Earth Physics sustained by national legislation and regulations as well as European Programs: FP-7, Cross-Border etc. The priority of protecting the environment is emphasized. This knowledge can be very fruitfully used by civil engineers in the design of new seismic resistant constructions and in the reinforcement of the existing built environment, and, therefore, supply a particularly powerful tool for the prevention aspects of Civil Defense.
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ANALYSIS TWO EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCES OCCURED IN 2012 IN THE TIMIșOARA AREA, ROMANIA | Oros E. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 59(7-8). 970-986 | - |
Authors:
Oros E.
Abstract:
We analyze the seismic activity recorded between January and March 2012 near the city of Timisoara. We identified two earthquake sequences during this time interval: one started on 07.01.2012 at a few kilometers SW of the city (N = 3 events, Depic = 1-7 km, Mwmin = 2.1, Mwmax = 3.1, hmin = 7.1 +/- 1.6 kin, hmax = 9.8 +/- 1.0 km), the other with the main event on 09.01.2012 located at 30 km East of the city (N = 20 events, Mwmin = 0.4, Mwmax = 3.4, hmin = 2 +/- 2.6 km, hmax = 14.5 +/- 1.7 km). Epicentral zones of these sequences have elongated shapes and develop along a major fault system of the region, particularly at its intersection with other deeply fractured structures. The depth distribution displays three small groups of earthquakes at 2-5 km, 5-11 km and 11-16 km, respectively. Focal mechanism solutions estimated for the main events of the sequence show possible causative faults EW to ENE-WSW oriented, consistent with seismicity, geology, local stress field and seismotectonics.
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MODELLING OF SEISMIC SITE AMPLIFICATION BASED ON IN SITU GEOPHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA | Bala A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 65(2), 495-511 | - |
Authors:
Bala A.
Abstract:
Ten 50 m deep boreholes are drilled in the metropolitan area of Bucharest in order to obtain a unique, homogeneous dataset of seismic, soil-mechanic and elasto-dynamic parameters. Cores for dynamic tests were extracted and vertical seismic profiles were performed to obtain an updated site amplification model related to earthquakes waves. The boreholes are placed near former or existing seismic station sites to allow a direct comparison and calibration of the borehole data with previous seismological measurements. A database containing geological characteristics for each sedimentary layer, geotechnical parameters measured on rock samples, P- and S-wave velocity, density for each sedimentary layer is set up.
Results obtained by the down-hole method in the new boreholes drilled in Bucharest City as well as from laboratory measurements are used as input data in the program SHAKE2000. Spectral acceleration response and peak acceleration in depth are computed for every site in which in situ measurements were performed. The acceleration response spectra correspond to the shear-wave amplifications due to the models of sedimentary layers down to: a) 50 m depth; b) 70 m depth; c) 100 m depth. A comparison with a real signal recorded at surface is made in order to calibrate the models used in the equivalent-liniar evaluation of the seismic site response.
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MACROSEISMIC FIELD OF THE OCTOBER 27, 2004 VRANCEA (ROMANIA) MODERATE SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE | Constantin A.P., Pantea A. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 17(4), 1149-1156 | |
Authors:
Constantin A.P., Pantea A.
Abstract:
On October 27, 2004, a moderate size earthquake occurred in the Vrancea seismogenic region (Romania). The Vrancea seismic zone is an area of concentrated seismicity at intermediate depths beneath the bending area of the southeastern Carpathians. The 2004 M (w) = 6 Vrancea subcrustal earthquake is the largest seismic event recorded in Romania since the 1990 earthquakes. With a maximum macroseismic intensity of VII Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK-64) scale, the seismic event was felt to a distance of 600 km from the epicentre. This earthquake caused no serious damage and human injuries. The main purpose of this paper is to present the macroseismic map of the earthquake based on the MSK-64 intensity scale. After the evaluation of the macroseismic effects of this earthquake, an intensity dataset has been obtained for 475 sites in the Romanian territory. Also, the maximum horizontal accelerations recorded in the area by the K2 network are compared to the intensity values.
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SURFACE WAVES IN AN ISOTROPIC SEMI-INFINITE BODY | Apostol B.F. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 65(4), 1204-1213 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
We examine the elastic waves excited on the plane surface of an isotropic body (half-space) by an oscillatory force which decreases exponentially with the distance from the surface. We define the "H/V"-ratio as the ratio of the intensity of the waves with polarization parallel to the surface (horizontal waves) to the intensity of the waves with polarization perpendicular to the surface (vertical waves). It is shown that this ratio may exhibit a maximum value or a resonance. Under reasonable assumptions, the resonance frequency may be close to the frequency of the in-plane transverse (shear) waves. It may serve to determine the Poison ratio, or to characterize the sub-surface structure of the body. The resonance is particularly apparent for a vertical force.
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RE-EVALUATION OF THE MACROSEISMIC EFFECTS PRODUCED BY THE MARCH 4, 1977, STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE IN ROMANIAN TERRITORY | Pantea A., Constantin A.P. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 56(R0104) | |
Authors:
Pantea A., Constantin A.P.
Abstract:
In this paper, the macroseismic effects of the subcrustal earthquake in Vrancea (Romania) that occurred on March 4, 1977, have been re-evaluated. This was the second strongest seismic event that occurred in this area during the twentieth century, following the event that happened on November 10, 1940. It is thus of importance for our understanding of the seismicity of the Vrancea zone. The earthquake was felt over a large area, which included the territories of the neighboring states, and it produced major damage. Due to its effects, macroseismic studies were developed by Romanian researchers soon after its occurrence, with foreign scientists also involved, such as Medvedev, the founder of the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK) seismic intensity scale. The original macroseismic questionnaires were re-examined, to take into account the recommendations for intensity assessments according to the MSK-64 macroseismic scale used in Romania. After the re-evaluation of the macroseismic field of this earthquake, the intensity dataset was obtained for 1,620 sites in Romanian territory. The re-evaluation was necessary as it has confirmed that the previous macroseismic map was underestimated. On this new map, only the intensity data points are plotted, without tracing the isoseismals.
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SCATTERING OF LONGITUDINAL WAVES (SOUND) BY DEFECTS IN FLUIDS. ROUGH SURFACE | Apostol B.F. | CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 11(8), 1036-1044 | |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
The classical theory of scattering of longitudinal waves (sound) by small inhomogeneities (scatterers) in an ideal fluid is generalized to a distribution of scatterers and such as to include the effect of the inhomogeneities on the elastic properties of the fluid. The results are obtained by a new method of solving the wave equation with spatial restrictions (caused by the presence of the scatterers), which can also be applied to other types of inhomogeneities (like surface roughness, for instance). A coherent forward scattering is identified for a uniform distribution of scatterers (practically equivalent with a mean-field approach), which is due to the fact that our treatment does not include multiple scattering. The reflected wave is obtained for a half-space (semi-infinite fluid) of uniformly distributed scatterers, as well as the field diffracted by a perfect lattice of scatterers. The same method is applied to a (inhomogeneous) rough surface of a semi-infinite ideal fluid. A perturbation-theoretical scheme is devised, with the roughness function as a perturbation parameter, for computing the waves scattered by the surface roughness. The waves scattered by the rough surface are both waves localized (and propagating only) on the surface (two-dimensional waves) and waves reflected back in the fluid. They exhibit directional effects, slowness, attenuation or resonance phenomena, depending on the spatial characteristics of the roughness function. The reflection coefficients and the energy carried on by these waves are calculated both for fixed and free surfaces. In some cases, the surface roughness may generate waves confined to the surface (damped, rough-surface waves).
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THE SHARE EUROPEAN EARTHQUAKE CATALOGUE (SHEEC) 1000-1899 | M. Stucchi, A. Rovida, A. A. Gomez Capera, P. Alexandre, T. Camelbeeck, M. B. Demircioglu, P. Gasperini, V. Kouskouna, R. M. W. Musson, M. Radulian, K. Sesetyan, S. Vilanova, D. Baumont, H. Bungum, D. Fäh, W. Lenhardt, K. Makropoulos, J. M. Martinez Solares, O. Scotti, M. Živčić, P. Albini, J. Batllo, C. Papaioannou, R. Tatevossian, M. Locati, C. Meletti, D. Viganò & D. Giardini | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | ARTICLE | 2013 | 17(2), 523-544 | |
Authors:
M. Stucchi, A. Rovida, A. A. Gomez Capera, P. Alexandre, T. Camelbeeck, M. B. Demircioglu, P. Gasperini, V. Kouskouna, R. M. W. Musson, M. Radulian, K. Sesetyan, S. Vilanova, D. Baumont, H. Bungum, D. Fäh, W. Lenhardt, K. Makropoulos, J. M. Martinez Solares, O. Scotti, M. Živčić, P. Albini, J. Batllo, C. Papaioannou, R. Tatevossian, M. Locati, C. Meletti, D. Viganò & D. Giardini
Abstract:
In the frame of the European Commission project "Seismic Hazard Harmonization in Europe" (SHARE), aiming at harmonizing seismic hazard at a European scale, the compilation of a homogeneous, European parametric earthquake catalogue was planned. The goal was to be achieved by considering the most updated historical dataset and assessing homogenous magnitudes, with support from several institutions. This paper describes the SHARE European Earthquake Catalogue (SHEEC), which covers the time window 1000-1899. It strongly relies on the experience of the European Commission project "Network of Research Infrastructures for European Seismology" (NERIES), a module of which was dedicated to create the European "Archive of Historical Earthquake Data" (AHEAD) and to establish methodologies to homogenously derive earthquake parameters from macroseismic data. AHEAD has supplied the final earthquake list, obtained after sorting duplications out and eliminating many fake events; in addition, it supplied the most updated historical dataset. Macroseismic data points (MDPs) provided by AHEAD have been processed with updated, repeatable procedures, regionally calibrated against a set of recent, instrumental earthquakes, to obtain earthquake parameters. From the same data, a set of epicentral intensity-to-magnitude relations has been derived, with the aim of providing another set of homogeneous Mw estimates. Then, a strategy focussed on maximizing the homogeneity of the final epicentral location and Mw, has been adopted. Special care has been devoted also to supply location and Mw uncertainty. The paper focuses on the procedure adopted for the compilation of SHEEC and briefly comments on the achieved results.
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EARTHQUAKE RISK CLASSES FOR DAMS SITUATED IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN PART OF ROMANIA (DANUBE, OLT, JIU AND LOTRU RIVERS) | Moldovan I.A.,Constantin A.P,Popescu E.,Placinta A.O. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 64(2), 591–608 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A.,Constantin A.P,Popescu E.,Placinta A.O.
Abstract:
The main goal of this paper is rating the dams from the South-Western part ofRomania (Danube, Olt, Jiu and Lotru rivers) into seismic risk classes. Dam owners andregulators must ensure that dams are safely operated and present no risk to the public in caseof an earthquake. While most old or new dams in recognized seismic regions have beenevaluated and analyzed for seismic loads, dams located in areas of moderate or infrequentseismicity have been given less systematic attention. In such cases, owners of many dams orofficials in charge of dam safety programs may consider comparative assessment of theseismic risk associated with their dams and establish priorities, as needed. Risk classes can beused to establish the necessity of detailed assessment of seismic safety of the dams and toestablish the priorities of these evaluations.The methodology which is used in this paper offers an easy way to evaluate the mostvulnerable hydrotechnical facilities among the multitude of dams in the Western part ofRomania that are affected by crustal-depth earthquakes from Banat and Danubian regions andby Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes. The risk is expressed as a product between hazardand vulnerability. In particular, seismic risk in the case of hydrotechnical arrangements iscomputed as a product between seismic hazard (corresponding to the location of the respectivehydrotechnical arrangement) and the seismic vulnerability of the respective arrangement.Various risk factors and weighting points can be used to approximately quantify the Total RiskFactor (TRF) of any dam. The TRF depends on the dam type, age, size, the downstream riskpotential, and the dam vulnerability, which depends on the seismic hazard of the site. The damstructure influence is represented by the sum of capacity, height, and age risk factors. Thedownstream hazard factor is based on population and property at risk. The vulnerability ratingis a function of the site-dependent seismic hazard and observed performance of similar dams,as defined by a predicted damage factor.This procedure can be used to quickly asses S the potentially most vulnerable facilities in alarge dam inventory. The risk classification based on the TRF, provides guidance to damsafety officials to select appropriate evaluation procedure and to assign priorities for seismicsafety evaluation of the most critical dams.Key words: seismic hazard, risk classes, dams.
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THE CORRELATION OF GEOMAGNETIC ANOMALIES RECORDED AT MUNTELE ROSU SEISMIC OBSERVATORY (ROMANIA) WITH EARTHQUAKES | Moldovan I.A.,Placinta A.O.,Constantin A.P.,Moldovan A.S.,Ionescu C. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 55(1) | |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A.,Placinta A.O.,Constantin A.P.,Moldovan A.S.,Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The study presents a statistical cross-correlation between geomagneticanomalies, earthquake occurrence and solar magnetic storms. The workingdata are from: (i) geomagnetic field records from Muntele Rosu (MLR)Observatory, and from Surlari (SUA) and/or Tihany (THY)INTERMAGNET Observatories; (ii) seismic data for the Vrancea sourcezone; and (iii) daily geomagnetic indices from the NOAA/Space WeatherPrediction Center. All of the geomagnetic datasets were recorded from 1996to the present, at MLR, SUA or THY, and they were automaticallycorrected using a LabVIEW program developed especially for this purpose,highlighting the missing or bad data. Missing data blocks were completedwith the last good measured value. After correction of the data, there werea number of issues seen regarding previous interpretations of thegeomagnetic anomalies. Some geomagnetic anomalies identified asprecursory signals were found to be induced either by increased solaractivity or by malfunction of the data acquisition system, which producedinconsistent data, with numerous gaps. The MLR geomagnetic data arecompared with the data recorded at SUA/THY and correlated withseismicity and solar activity. These 15 years of investigations cover morethan a complete solar cycle, during which time the solar-terrestrialperturbations have fluctuated from very low to very high values, providingthe ideal medium to investigate the correlations between the geomagneticfield perturbations, the earthquakes and the solar activity. The largestintermediate depth earthquake produced in this interval had a momentmagnitude Mw 6.0 (2004) and provided the opportunity to investigatepossible connections between local geomagnetic field behavior and localintermediate seismicity.
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SEISMIC NOISE CHARACTERISTICS AT THE ROMANIAN BROADBAND SEISMIC NETWORK | Grecu B.,Neagoe C.,Tataru D. | JOURNAL OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 16, 644–661 | |
Authors:
Grecu B.,Neagoe C.,Tataru D.
Abstract:
The noise level of the Romanian broadband stations operating since 2006 has been studied in orderto identify the variations in background seismic noise as a function of time of day, season, and particularconditions at the stations. Power spectral densities and their corresponding probability densityfunctions are used in this paper to characterize the background seismic noise. At high frequencies(> 1 Hz), seismic noise seems to have cultural origin, since significant variations (up to 55 dB)between daytime and nighttime noise levels are observed at almost all of the stations. However,this variability appears not to influence the detection capabilities of the Romanian Seismic Networkin case of intermediate-depth earthquakes and earthquakes with magnitude over 3.0. For smallermagnitude events (Mw < 3), we showed that the number of stations detecting an event decreasesduring daytime. We studied the seasonal variation of the seismic noise for primary and secondarymicroseisms (with emphasize for the latter) and we demonstrated that the noise levels are higher inwinter than in summer. We also observed a shift of the double-frequency peak from lower periods insummer to longer periods in winter. The polarization analysis indicated that the main sources of secondarymicroseisms for stations close to the Black Sea are coming from the Black Sea, while for theothers the main sources are found in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Finally, the analysisof the probability density functions for stations located in different geologic conditions has pointedout that the noise level is higher for stations sited on softer formations than those sited on hard rocks.
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PEAK GROUND ACCELERATION, VELOCITY AND DISPLACEMENT FROM MODERATE MAGNITUDE UNDERCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES OF VRANCEA REGION | Ardeleanu L.,Grecu B.,Raileanu V. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 64(2), 555–570 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.,Grecu B.,Raileanu V.
Abstract:
he goal of the study is to analyze the distributions of peak groundacceleration, velocity and displacement from 18 moderate size undercrustal earthquakes(Mw 4.0-5.0), which occurred in the Vrancea region during the period 2008–2010. Thepatterns of the investigated ground motion parameters keep the general featuresobserved for the strong Vrancea earthquakes – a rapid decrease of the ground shakingin SE-NW direction, and a prominent asymmetry of the isolines. The variability noticedamong the individual distributions appears as a result of the combined effects of thehypocenter location within the seismogenic zone (focal depth and epicenter position)and diversity of the focal mechanisms.
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ANOMALOUS HIGH AMPLITUDE RATIOS OF P5KP/PKPAB AND P4KP/P(S)CP OBSERVED GLOBALLY AROUND 1 HZ | Ivan M., Wang R. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 17, 453–464 | |
Authors:
Ivan M., Wang R.
Abstract:
Amplitude ratio of 30 short-period conspicuousP5KP and PKPab phases from five intermediatedepth or deep events in Fiji-Tonga recorded at Europeanstations around 150° distance shows a meanvalue two to three times the ratio of the syntheticamplitudes obtained by the normal-mode theory (andak135 model) or by full-wave theory (and PREM).There is a large variance in the results, also observedin five amplitude ratios from one event in Argentinaobserved at temporary stations in China around 156°.Global recordings of three major deep earthquakes inFiji, Bonin, and Western Brazil observed at ASAR,WRA, and ZRNK arrays, at 59 North America stationsand at six South Pole stations displayed conspicuousP4KP and PcP (or ScP) phases. The amplitude ratiovalues of P4KP vs P(S)cP are sometimes almost oneorder of magnitude larger than the corresponding valuesof the synthetics. In both cases, arrival times andslowness values (corrected for ellipticity and stationelevation) at the distances up to 23° beyond the Acutoff point predicted by ray theory match both thesynthetics, suggesting the observations are the ABbranch of PmKP (m04, 5) around 1 Hz. In disagreementto ray theory, no reliable BC branch is observedneither on the recordings nor on the normal-modesynthetics. The high amplitude ratio values cannot beexplained by realistic perturbations of the velocity orattenuation values of the global models in the proximityof the core-to-mantle boundary (CMB). We speculatethat the focusing effects and/or strong scatteringmost likely associated to some anomalous velocityareas of the lowermost mantle are responsible for that.The results suggest limitations of the previous evaluationsof the short-period attenuation in the outer corefrom PmKP amplitudes (m≥3), irrespective of the factthat they are obtained by using ray theory, normalmodeor full-wave synthetics. Attempts to use PmKParrival times in order to refine velocity structure in theproximity of CMB should be also regarded with care ifthe propagation times have been computed with raytheory.
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REAL-TIME EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND GIS ANALYSIS OF TWO VULNERABLE COUNTIESIN THE VRANCEA SEISMIC AREA, ROMANIA | Toma-Danila D. | ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 11(12), 2265-2274 | |
Authors:
Toma-Danila D.
Abstract:
In the last years, thanks to the implementation of the ShakeMap software in real-time at the National Institute for Earth Physics(NIEP) and within the DACEA Project, a system that computes damage and loss estimates in (near) real-time for the Romanian-Bulgarian border region was installed at NIEP, producing data and maps for 7 Romanian Counties and 9 Bulgarian Districts.This paper presents both the integration mode and the results obtained by adding new counties into the implemented system, and also presents best ways for a GIS representation of the estimated damage. Of great interest is that the new counties – Vrancea and Bacau, are right on top of the active seismic area of Vrancea, compared to the previous analyzed counties that are more than 100km away from the epicentral area.There are many practical sides of the paper: based on past events it is illustrated how the damage might look like nowadays in avery exposed area and what are the risks to be dealt with, raising questions about new mitigating actions. Also, the certain accuracy of the loss assessment is validated, so that the new counties can be included in the real-time damage estimation system at NIEP.
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THE INFREP EUROPEAN VLF/LF RADIO MONITORING NETWORK – PRESENT STATUS AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE ROMANIAN MONITORING SYSTEM | Moldovan I.A., Moldovan A., Biagi P.F., Placinta A.O. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 64,(1), 263–274 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Moldovan A., Biagi P.F., Placinta A.O.
Abstract:
The paper presents the Romanian VLF / LF monitoring system consisting in a radioreceiver – made by Elettronika S.R.L. (Italy) and provided by the Bari University – and theinfrastructure that is necessary to record and transmit the collected data. This system is a part of theinternational initiative INFREP. Through this initiative, originated in Italy, VLF / LF radio receiversare deployed in different locations in Europe. Each one is monitoring up to ten different transmissionsof radio stations across the continent. Information on electromagnetic fields’ intensities created bytransmitters at each receiving site and gathered from this network are indicating the quality of thepropagation along the paths between the receivers and transmitters. Studying the ionosphereinfluences on the electromagnetic waves’ propagation along a certain path is a method to put intoevidence possible modifications of ionosphere lower structure and composition as earthquakes’ precursor.The VLF / LF receiver installed in Romania was put into operation in February 2009 and hasproved its utility in the case of Abruzzo earthquake that occurred on 6th of April 2009 (Mw = 6.3).Since then, the receiver was relocated from Bucharest to the Black-Sea shore (Dobrogea SeismologicObservatory). Changing the receiving site produced unsatisfactory monitoring data, characterized bylarge fluctuations of the received signals’ intensities. Trying to understand this behavior has led to theconclusion that the electric component of the electromagnetic field was possibly influenced by thelocal atmospheric conditions (as aerosols’ concentrations could be). Starting from this observation wehave run some tests which have indicated that a loop-type antenna is more appropriate than a verticalantenna, especially for highly electric-field polluted environments. Very good results were obtainedwith this new configuration, even in the site located at the Black-Sea shore. Future improvements ofthe receiver analog front-end are still possible in order to get better monitoring data by rejecting theoff-band noise induced by the aerial high-voltage lines that are surrounding the site, so that for us toaccomplish the best achievable surveillance in VLF / LF bands, related to seismo-electromagneticphenomena.
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LOCATION PERFORMANCE AND DETECTION MAGNITUDE THRESHOLD OF THE ROMANIAN NATIONAL SEISMIC NETWORK | D'Alessandro A., Danet A., Grecu B. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 169, 2149–2164 | |
Authors:
D'Alessandro A., Danet A., Grecu B.
Abstract:
Romania is an earthquake-prone area with a few-destructive earthquakes per century. The National Institute for Earth Physics carries out the seismic survey of Romania through the Romanian National Seismic Network (RNSN) consisting of 65 real-time seismic stations. Daily reports and monthly bulletins are delivered after routinely analyzing and processing the recorded data. In the present paper we applied the Seismic Network Evaluation through Simulation method for the RNSN configuration as it was in August 2011 to estimate the background noise level, assess the appropriateness of the velocity model adopted in routine location procedure, evaluate the hypocenter location uncertainty and determine the detection magnitude threshold. Areas of greater(southern Romania) and lower (Carpathians and Apuseni Mountains)background noise within the RNSN are identified by mapping the average power of noise in 1–12 Hz frequency range. The statistical study of the P and S phases residual times allow us to assess the appropriateness of the velocity model used in routine location. Both P- and S-wave velocity models can be optimized to improve the quality of the hypocenter location. As shown by our analysis, the RNSN is able to detect and locate earthquakes with ML magnitude above 2.5 anywhere on the Romanian territory, except the border areas, such as the Crisana–Maramures seismic source zone. Merging data from both sides of the border significantly improves the quality of hypocenter location in these areas.
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A CRUSTAL MODEL FOR THE EASTERN ALPS REGION AND A NEW MOHO MAP IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE | Molinari I., Raileanu V., Morelli A. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 169, 1575–1588 | |
Authors:
Molinari I., Raileanu V., Morelli A.
Abstract:
In the last two decades, south-central Europe and the Eastern Alps have been widely explored by many seismic refraction experiments (e.g., CELEBRATION 2000, ALP 2002, SUDETES 2003). Although quite detailed images are available along linear profiles, a comprehensive, three-dimensional crustal
model of the region is still missing. This limitation makes this region a weak spot in continental-wide comprehensive representations of crustal structure. To improve on this situation, we select and collect 37 published active-source seismic lines in this region. After geo-referencing each line, we sample them along vertical profiles—every 50 km or less along the line—and derive P-wave velocities in a stack of homogeneous layers (separated by discontinuities: depth of crystalline basement, top of lower crust, and Moho). We finally merge the information using geostatistical methods, and infer S-wave velocity and density using empirical scaling relations. We present here the resulting crustal model for a region encompassing the Eastern Alps, Dinarides, Pannonian basin, Western Carpathians and Bohemian Massif, covering the region within 4551N and 1122E with a resolution of 0:2 0:2:
We are also able to extend and update the map of Moho depth in a wider region within 3551N and 1245E; gathering Moho values from the collected seismic lines, other published dataset and
using the European plate reference EPcrust as a background. All the digitized profiles and the resulting model are available online.
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GEOHAZARDS ASSESSMENT AND MAPPING OF SOME BALKAN COUNTRIES | Muco B., Alexiev G., Aliaj S., Elezi Z., Grecu B., Mandrescu N., Milutinovic Z., Radulian M., Ranguelov B., Shkupi D. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | | |
Authors:
Muco B., Alexiev G., Aliaj S., Elezi Z., Grecu B., Mandrescu N., Milutinovic Z., Radulian M., Ranguelov B., Shkupi D.
Abstract:
The assessment of geological hazard is a topic with significant interest for the Balkans. During the last decade of twentieth century, most of the countries in the region have embarked on the road of a hasty transitory period from totalitarian regimes to democracy. Development of free market economy has given rise to uncontrolled movement of people, fast construction of housing and facilities and unproportioned accumulation of population around and in big cities. Besides Greece, an old member of European Union, and two newcomers in the organization, Romania and Bulgaria, the other countries are all hoping to enter the Union as faster as they can. Many different candidate or fullfledged member country programs of European Community offer a lot of joint and crossborder projects for constructing road infrastructure and facilities. As development accelerates in the Balkans and given the intensive geohazard elements that this territory exhibits, it becomes increasingly important to understand, study, and map these elements for being aware of the damage to the total environment these hazards might cause. The geohazard map and assessment of some Balkan countries has been carried out through two scientific meetings in Ohrid, Macedonia, and Tirana, Albania during 2007. The map is compiled in the Albanian Geological Survey, Tirana, Albania in the scale 1:1,000,000. As a base map, we used the topographic map produced by VGI, formerly Yugoslavia mapping authorities.
As a seismic layer in our map, we used the values of peak ground acceleration obtained from Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program. Two catalogs were constructed: The first one that contains the crustal earthquakes (hypocentral depth within first 70 km) and the second one that contains intermediate earthquakes (hypocentral depth below 70 km).
This work is largely based on previous studies and investigations by earth scientists and specialists of each country comprised in this territory. In this respect, the map we constructed should be considered as a preliminary composite geohazard map with the possibility to be enriched and added with other new elements and data in the future.
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SOURCE ANALYSIS FOR EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE OCCURRED IN VRANCEA (ROMANIA) REGION ON 6 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2008 | Popescu E., Borleanu F., Rogozea M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 64, 2, 571-590 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Borleanu F., Rogozea M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The goal of the paper is to investigate the most recent earthquake sequence (6–30 September 2008) generated in a characteristic seismicity cluster located in the crust, in the north-eastern part of the Vrancea intermediate-depth epicentral area (close to the Vrancioaia seismic station). Seismic source properties are determined using multiple approaches: empirical Green’s functions (EGF) deconvolution, spectral ratios technique and acceleration spectra analysis. For EGF and spectral ratios application, we associated to the main event (MD = 4.4) eight co-located aftershocks (2.0 ≤ MD ≤ 3.6),
selected according to the requirements for empirical Green’s functions. The source parameters (seismic moment, corner frequency, rise time, source duration) are estimated as mean values for all the available pairs. In parallel, source parameters are retrieved from the analysis of the accelerometer spectra. The resulted source time functions are similar from one station to the other, suggesting negligible source directivity effects for the study events. The shape of the deconvolved source time
function for the main shock of 6 September 2008 indicates a homogeneous rupture process in the focus with rupture duration of 0.24s. The multiple technique approach allows us to test the stability of the obtained parameters.
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CRUSTAL MODELS IN ROMANIA – I. MOESIAN PLATFORM | Raileanu V., Tataru D., Grecu B. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 64, 2, 539-554 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Tataru D., Grecu B.
Abstract:
A set of crustal data collected in the last decades across the Moesian platform are processed in order to derive a crustal model. The new crustal model comprises maps with depths to the top of the lower crust and Moho and thicknesses of the crystalline upper and lower crust. Some ranges of mean P-wave velocity in the upper and lower crust are assigned for the eastern and western sectors of the platform.
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WAVELET ANALYSIS OF THE LF RADIO SIGNALS COLLECTED BY THE EUROPEAN VLF/LF NETWORK FROM JULY 2009 UNTIL APRIL 2011 | Righetti F., Biagi P.F., Maggipinto T., Schiavulli L., Ligonzo T., Ermini A., Moldovan I.A., Moldovan A.S., Buyuksarac A., Silva H.G., Bezzeghoud M., Contadakis M. E., Arabelos D.N., Xenos T.D. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 55, 1, 171-180 | |
Authors:
Righetti F., Biagi P.F., Maggipinto T., Schiavulli L., Ligonzo T., Ermini A., Moldovan I.A., Moldovan A.S., Buyuksarac A., Silva H.G., Bezzeghoud M., Contadakis M. E., Arabelos D.N., Xenos T.D.
Abstract:
In 2008, a radio receiver that works in very low frequency (VLF; 20-60 kHz) and LF (150-300 kHz) bands was developed by an Italian factory. The receiver can monitor 10 frequencies distributed in these bands, with the measurement for each of them of the electric field intensity. Since 2009, to date, six of these radio receivers have been installed throughout Europe to establish a ‘European VLF/LF Network’. At present, two of these are into operation in Italy, and the remaining four are located in Greece, Turkey, Portugal, and Romania. For the present study, the LF radio data collected over about two years were analysed. At first, the day-time data and the night-time data were separated for each radio signal. Taking into account that the LF signals are characterized by ground-wave and sky-wave
propagation modes, the day-time data are related to the ground wave and the night-time data to the sky wave. In this framework, the effects of solar activity and storm activity were defined in the different trends. Then, the earthquakes with M ≥5.0 that occurred over the same period were selected,
as those located in a 300-km radius around each receiver/transmitter and within the 5th Fresnel zone related to each transmitter-receiver path. Where possible, the wavelet analysis was applied on the time series of the radio signal intensity, and some anomalies related to previous earthquakes were
revealed. Except for some doubt in one case, success appears to have been obtained in all of the cases related to the 300 km circles for the ground waves and the sky waves. For the Fresnel cases, success in two cases and one failure were seen in analysing the sky waves. The failure occurred in August/September, and might be related to the disturbed conditions of the ionosphere in summer
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REEVALUATION OF THE MACROSEIMIC EFFECTS OF THE 23 JANUARY 1838 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE | Rogozea M., Marmureanu Gh., Radulian M., Toma D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 66, 2, 520-538 | - |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Marmureanu Gh., Radulian M., Toma D.
Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to analyze the great event that occurred on January 23, 1838 (magnitude Mw = 7.5 in the Romanian catalogue). Valuable information has been collected from original or compiled historical sources, such as chronicles and manuscripts on that time, and related books and reports. The historical data are critically analyzed and, on the basis of our investigation, we showed the degree of significance of the earthquake parameters, as resulted from the effect distribution. The pattern of the intensity data points as reevaluated for this historical earthquake is compared with the pattern of instrumentally recorded major earthquake of March 4, 1977, the two events assumed to be similar as hypocenter location, source parameters and rupture propagation.
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DETERMINISTIC EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE AND LOSS ASSESSMENT FOR THE CITY OF BUCHAREST, ROMANIA | Lang D.,Sergio Molina-Palacios S.,Lindholm C.,Balan S.F. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 16, 67–88 | |
Authors:
Lang D.,Sergio Molina-Palacios S.,Lindholm C.,Balan S.F.
Abstract:
On March 4, 1977, an earthquake with amoment magnitude Mw 7.4 at a hypocentral depth of94 km hit the Vrancea region (Romania). In Bucharestalone, the earthquake caused severe damage to 33,000buildings while 1,424 people were killed. Under theumbrella of the SAFER project, the city of Bucharest,being one of the larger European cities at risk, waschosen as a test bed for the estimation of damage andconnected losses in case of a future large magnitudeearthquake in the Vrancea area. For the conduct ofthese purely deterministic damage and loss computations,the open-source software SELENA is applied.In order to represent a large event in the Vrancearegion, a set of deterministic scenarios were definedby combining ranges of focal parameters, i.e.,magnitude, focal depth, and epicentral location.Ground motion values are computed by considerationof different ground motion prediction equations thatare believed to represent earthquake attenuationeffects in the region. Variations in damage and lossestimates are investigated through considering differentsets of building vulnerability curves (provided byHAZUS-MH and various European authors) tocharacterize the damaging behavior of prevalentbuilding typologies in the city of Bucharest.
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LARGE AND MODERATE HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES OF 15TH AND 16TH CENTURIES IN ROMANIA RECONSIDERED - (SUBMITTED) | Rogozea M., Radulian M., Marmureanu Gh., Mandrescu N., Paulescu D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 65, 2, 545-562 | - |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Radulian M., Marmureanu Gh., Mandrescu N., Paulescu D.
Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to find historically-based arguments to validate or rectify the earthquake parameters as existing now in the catalogues. Systematic search for the original information collected from annals of time, reviews, notes on old religious writings, newspapers, etc. was carried out. In parallel, all the information available in the catalogues of earthquakes in the Carpathian region was considered. The historical data are critically analyzed and, on the basis of our investigation. Also, we
tried to compensate for the uneven geographical distribution: clearly more systematic and rich documentation comes from Brasov (Transylvania) area as compared with other provinces, such as Wallachia and Moldova. Basically, only the events mentioned in at least two independent documentary sources were included in the revised catalogue. A significant fraction of the total catalogued events was proved to be improperly parameterized in the previous catalogues.
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THE SHARE EUROPEAN EARTHQUAKE CATALOGUE (SHEEC) 1000-1899 | Stucchi M., Rovida A., Gomez C.A.A., Alexandre P., Camelbeeck T., Demircioglu M.B., Kouskouna V., Gasperini P., Musson R.M.W., Radulian M., Sesetyan K., Vilanova S., Baumont D., Faeh D., Lenhardt W., Martinez S.J.M., Scotti O., Zivcic M., Albini P., Batllo J., Papaioannou C | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY VOLUME | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 17, 523–544 | |
Authors:
Stucchi M., Rovida A., Gomez C.A.A., Alexandre P., Camelbeeck T., Demircioglu M.B., Kouskouna V., Gasperini P., Musson R.M.W., Radulian M., Sesetyan K., Vilanova S., Baumont D., Faeh D., Lenhardt W., Martinez S.J.M., Scotti O., Zivcic M., Albini P., Batllo J., Papaioannou C
Abstract:
In the frame of the European Commission project “Seismic Hazard Harmonization in Europe” (SHARE), aiming at harmonizing seismic hazard at a European scale, the compilation of a homogeneous, European parametric earthquake catalogue was planned. The goal was to be achieved by considering the most updated historical dataset and assessing homogenous magnitudes, with support from several institutions. This paper describes the SHARE European Earthquake Catalogue (SHEEC), which covers the time window 1000–1899. It strongly relies on the experience of the European Commission project “Network of Research Infrastructures for European Seismology” (NERIES), a module of which was dedicated to create the European “Archive of Historical Earthquake Data” (AHEAD) and to establish methodologies to homogenously derive earthquake parameters from macroseismic data. AHEAD has supplied the final earthquake list, obtained after sorting duplications out and eliminating many fake events; in addition, it supplied the most updated historical dataset. Macroseismic data points (MDPs) provided by AHEAD have been processed with updated, repeatable procedures, regionally calibrated against a set of recent, instrumental earthquakes, to obtain earthquake parameters. From the same data, a set of epicentral intensity-to-magnitude relations has been derived, with the aim of providing another set of homogeneous Mw estimates. Then, a strategy focussed on maximizing the homogeneity of the final epicentral location and Mw, has been adopted. Special care has been devoted also to supply location and Mw uncertainty. The paper focuses on the procedure adopted for the compilation of SHEEC and briefly comments on the achieved results.
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NEW LOCAL MAGNITUDE CALIBRATION FOR VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES | Craiu M., Craiu A., Ionescu C., Popa M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 64, 4, 1097-1108 | - |
Authors:
Craiu M., Craiu A., Ionescu C., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to revise the local magnitude formula for the intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes. The new magnitude scale is based on the local magnitude scale defined by [9] and revised by [3]. The coefficients in the magnitude relation is determined through multiple regression method using as reference the duration magnitude scale previously used in routine magnitude estimation for the earthquakes that occurred on the Romania territory. The amplitude (A) was measured on the horizontal components of broadband seismograms filtered to reproduce synthetically Wood-Anderson seismograms (in millimeters).
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SEISMICITATEA, SEISMOTECTONICA SI HAZARDUL SEISMIC DIN ZONA TIMISOARA | Oros E. | AGIR | BDI | ARTICLE | 2012 | 3, 16-19 | - |
Authors:
Oros E.
Abstract:
Zona Timişoara este situată în centrul Regiunii Seismice Banat, cea mai importantă regiune seismică a României, dacă ne raportăm la hazardul seismic controlat de cutremure crustale (adâncimea focarelor mai mică de cca 30 km). Istoria seismică a zonei este marcată de seisme cu magnitudini maxime
Mw = 5.6, care au provocat daune materiale semnificative fondului construit, atât în municipiul Timişoara cât şi în localităţile învecinate. Seismicitatea zonei este caracterizată prin grupări ale epicentrelor în arii bine definite, corelate cu un complex sistem de falii crustale rectivate într-un regim tectonic transtensiv. Seismele produse în perioada Ianuarie-Februrie 2012 confirmă caracterul seismic activ al sistemului de falii geologice dezvoltat în apropierea oraşului Timişoara şi importanta acestuia pentru evaluarea şi reducerea hazardului şi riscului seismic al oraşului Timişoara şi al localitaţilor invecinate acestuia. Pentru perioade de recurenţă specifice codurilor antiseismice national (P-100/2006) şi european (Eurocode EC8) hazardul seismic al zonei seismogene Timişoara este definit de intensitatea I = 7.0 EMS şi respectiv I = 7.5 EMS.
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CRUSTAL MODELS IN ROMâNIA – II. MOLDAVIAN PLATFORM AND ADJACENT AREAS | Raileanu V., Tataru D., Grecu B., Bala A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 57, 9-10, 1438–1454 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Tataru D., Grecu B., Bala A.
Abstract:
A new crustal model for the central and north-eastern parts of Romania is relying on the largest database available at this moment. In comparison with previous crustal models, the new model takes into account all known data: old and new seismic refraction data, deep seismic reflection data, and seismology data recorded by the broadband stations belonging to the Romanian seismic network for monitoring earthquakes. The new crustal model reveals the topography of the Moho and the top of the lower crust discontinuities as well as the areal distribution of the mean P-wave seismic velocities
across the Moldavian and Scythian platforms and partially for the Eastern Carpathians. The new configuration of the Moho topography map brings some details to the central study area.
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UPPER MANTLE STRUCTURES BENEATH THE CARPATHIAN–PANNONIAN REGION: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GEODYNAMICS OF CONTINENTAL COLLISION | Ren Y., Stuart G.W., Houseman G.A., Dando B., Ionescu C., Hegedus E., Radovanovic S., Shen Y., South Carpathian Project Working Group | EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 349-350, 139-152 | |
Authors:
Ren Y., Stuart G.W., Houseman G.A., Dando B., Ionescu C., Hegedus E., Radovanovic S., Shen Y., South Carpathian Project Working Group
Abstract:
The Carpathian–Pannonian system of Eastern and Central Europe represents a unique opportunity to
study the interaction between surface tectonic processes involving convergence, extension, and
convective overturn in the upper mantle. Here, we present high-resolution images of the upper mantle structure beneath the region from P-wave finite-frequency teleseismic tomography to help constrain such geodynamical interactions. We have selected earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5.5 in the distance range 301–951, which occurred between 2006 and 2011. The data were recorded on 54 temporary stations deployed by the South Carpathian Project (2009–2011), 56 temporary stations deployed by the Carpathian Basins Project (2005–2007), and 131 national network broadband stations.
The P-wave relative arrival times are measured in two frequency bands (0.5–2.0 Hz and 0.1–0.5 Hz)
and are inverted for Vp perturbation maps in the upper mantle. Our images show a sub-vertical slab of fast material beneath the eastern Alps which extends eastward across the Pannonian basin at depths below 300 km. The fast material extends down into the mantle transition zone (MTZ), where it
spreads out beneath the entire basin. Above 300 km, the upper mantle below the Pannonian basin is
dominated by relatively slow velocities, the largest of which extends down to 200 km. We suggest
that cold mantle lithospheric downwelling occurred below the Pannonian Basin before detaching in the mid-Miocene. In the Vrancea Zone of SE Romania, intermediate-depth (75–180 km) seismicity occurs at the NE end of an upper mantle high-velocity structure that extends SW under the Moesian Platform, oblique to the southern edge of the South Carpathians. At greater depths (180–400 km), a sub-circular high-velocity anomaly is found directly beneath the seismicity. This sub-vertical high-velocity body is bounded by slow anomalies to the NW and SE, which extend down to the top of the MTZ. No clear evidence of a residual slab is observed above the MTZ beneath the Eastern Carpathians. These observations suggest that intermediate-depth seismicity in Vrancea Zone is unlikely to be due to slab tearing, but rather could be explained by either gravitational instability or delamination of mantle lithosphere.
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SCATTERING OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES FROM A ROUGH SURFACE | Apostol B. F. | JOURNAL OF MODERN OPTICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 59, 18, 1607–1616 | |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
The electromagnetic field scattered by a rough surface of a semi-infinite body is computed up to the second order of a perturbation scheme with the surface roughness as a perturbation parameter. The calculations are basedon the equation of motion of the polarization within the Lorentz–Drude (plasma) model of polarizable,non-magnetic, homogeneous matter. The surface roughness contributes both to the main (specularly) reflectedand refracted fields and diffuse scattering, or gives rise to secondary (second-order) diffraction peaks for a regular grating. The calculations are performed both for the s- and p-waves. Two-dimensional modes, resonant at certain frequencies, are identified, confined to, and propagating only on the surface, as a consequence of the surface roughness.
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MONITORING OF RADON ANOMALIES IN SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA FOR EARTHQUAKE SURVEILLANCE | Zoran M., Savastru R., Savastru D., Chitaru C., Baschir L., Tautan M. | JOURNAL RADIOANAL NUCL CHEM | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 293, 769-781 | |
Authors:
Zoran M., Savastru R., Savastru D., Chitaru C., Baschir L., Tautan M.
Abstract:
South-Eastern part of Romania has a highestpotential seismic risk in Europe due to the earthquakeproneVrancea zone placed at conjunction of four tectonicblocks in the South-Eastern part of Carpathian Arc. Thispaper is an attempt to analyze the development of radonpre-earthquake anomaly in relation with moderate seismicevents in Vrancea area through permanent monitoring withsolid state nuclear track detectors CR-39 detectors. Radonin air above the ground was measured during 1 year period(November 2010–October 2011) in four selected test sites:Vrancioaia (VRI) and Plostina (PLOR) located in Vranceazone, and Muntele Rosu-Cheia and Bucharest. Duringsampling period recorded earthquakes that occurred mostlyin Vrancea epicentral region were minor-moderate ofmoment magnitudes in range of 2:0 Mw 4:9. Theaverage radon concentration in air above the ground measuredwith CR-39 detectors and 10 days period recordedsimultaneously at all test sites, registered the followingvalues: (1) in Vrancea area (similar in VRI and PLOR) was1094.58 150.3 Bq/m3; (2) at Muntele Rosu-Cheia seismicstation measured in a mountain tunnel laboratory was3695.91 ± 440 Bq/m3; (3) at Bucharest station was380.53 69.17 Bq/m3, and 10 days CRn fluctuations in therange of (88 40 to 912 130 Bq/m3). Clear radonanomalies, mostly at VRI and PLOR in Vrancea epicentralarea as well as at Muntele Rosu-Cheia have been measuredbefore seven minor earthquakes which were recorded in therange of moment magnitude 4 Mw 4:9 in Vrancea area.Temporal variation of radon in air near the ground havebeen examined in relation with meteorological parameterslike as air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure andwind velocity. Permanent monitoring of radon concentrationanomalies in seismic area Vrancea is an importantissue as surveillance tool in the field of earthquake hazardfor Romania.Keywords Radon concentrations SSNTD CR-39 Vrancea seismic zone Romania
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NEW SEISMIC AND TOMOGRAPHY DATA IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE HARGHITA MOUNTAINS (ROMANIA, SOUTH-EASTERN CARPATHIANS): CONNECTION WITH RECENT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY | Popa M.,Radulian M.,Szakacs A.,Seghedi I.,Zaharia B. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 169, 1557–1573 | |
Authors:
Popa M.,Radulian M.,Szakacs A.,Seghedi I.,Zaharia B.
Abstract:
The southern part of the southeastern Carpathiansrepresents the site of the most recent volcanic eruptions of theentire Carpathian-Pannonian region. The products of these eruptionsrange from 42 to 10 Ka radiocarbon ages in the SouthHarghita Mountains (high K calc-alkaline rocks with adakite-likefeatures), and at 1.2–0.6 Ma K–Ar ages in the Pers¸ani Mountains(alkali basalts). They were emplaced in a post-collisional regime.Ciomadul volcano is located at the southernmost part of the NW–SE oriented Ca˘limani-Gurghiu-Harghita range crossing the innerpart of the southeastern Carpathians and in the rough proximity ofthe Vrancea seismic zone (at ca. 60 km toward NW). Its magmageneration is attributed to geodynamic events closely related to theseismogenic area. A number of particular geophysical and geochemicalfeatures located in the study region, including (1) theabrupt attenuation of the seismic waves originating from theVrancea intermediate-depth foci, (2) the most intense heat-flowanomaly in Romania, (3) the most prominent 3He/4He anomalymeasured in natural ‘‘postvolcanic’’ gas emanations, are all in favorof the hypothesis of a still existing hot local magma chamber. Dataacquired during recent seismic monitoring of the Vrancea zone andits neighborhoods suggest an enhancement of the local seismicitybeneath the southern edge of the South Harghita Mts., both atcrustal and subcrustal levels. At the same time, recent tomographyimages obtained using local earthquake data correlate well with thepresence of a vertically extended low-velocity zone coming fromthe upper mantle to the assumed magmatic chambers located in thecrust. The present data, supporting the presence of an active crustalmagma chamber beneath Ciomadul, allow us to consider that futurevolcanic activity at this volcano cannot be discarded.
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PALAEOMAGNETISM OF THE SOUTH HARGHITA VOLCANIC ROCKS OF THE EAST CARPATHIANS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TECTONIC ROTATIONS AND PALEOSECULAR VARIATION IN THE PAST 5MA | Panaiotu C.G.,Visan M.,Tugui A.,Seghedi I.,Panaiotu A.G. | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 189(1), 369-382 | |
Authors:
Panaiotu C.G.,Visan M.,Tugui A.,Seghedi I.,Panaiotu A.G.
Abstract:
Lavas of Pliocene-Quaternary age were sampled in the South Harghita Mountains which formthe southern end of the Calimani-Gurghiu-Harghita volcanic chain of the East Carpathians. Theanalyses of 68 volcanic sites in the South Harghita Mountains provided 62 sites with wellconstraineddirectional data (n> 5 and k > 50) and ages ranging from 0.5 to 4. 3 Ma. The age andpolarity for the 62 sites (38 normal and 24 reversed) are consistent with the GeomagneticReversal Time Scale and support the model of the south migration of the volcanism. Thedistribution of the VGPs is Fisherian and the mean pole position, both from all contributing sitesand from the 53 sites older than 2 Ma, includes the spin axis. This result is consistent with theabsence of important vertical axis rotations after the emplacement of the volcanic rocks inagreement with tectonic models for the Pliocene-Quaternary evolution of the bending area of theEast Carpathians. Virtual geomagnetic pole dispersions are consistently high compared withglobal values obtained between 40°N – 55°N, but closer to the values obtained only from theTime Averaged geomagnetic Field Initiative studies for the same latitudinal band. Our data arecompatible with the prediction of the statistical paleosecular variation model TK03. Theinclination anomaly is less than 1° in accord with the Total Average Field global data. Thesepaleomagnetic data from the South Harghita volcanic rocks are the first data from the southeasternEurope which can be considered in the databases for time averaged field and paleosecularvariation from lavas analyses in the last 5 Ma.
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GEODYNAMICS AND INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH SEISMICITY IN VRANCEA (THE SOUTH-EASTERN CARPATHIANS): CURRENT STATE-OF-THE ART | Ismail-Zadeh A.,Matenco L.,Radulian M.,Cloetingh S.,Panza G. F. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2012 | 530-531, 50–79 | |
Authors:
Ismail-Zadeh A.,Matenco L.,Radulian M.,Cloetingh S.,Panza G. F.
Abstract:
The Vrancea region of the south-eastern Carpathians is a remarkable site of intra-continental intermediatedepthseismicity. A large set of geological, geophysical, and geodetic observations has been accumulated forthe last few decades and utilised to improve our knowledge of the shallow and deep structures beneath Vrancea,the crustal and mantle dynamics, and the linkage between deep and surface processes in the region. In thisarticle we review geology and tectonics of the Vrancea region including post-collisional to recent deformations,syn- to post-collisional magmatism, and orogenic exhumation along the East and South Carpathians.The regional seismicity is analysed, and the recent seismic studies including reflection, refraction, body andsurface wave tomography are reviewed. We discuss new geodetic measurements of horizontal and verticalmovements in the region, geoelectric studies, density/gravity and thermal modelling. Qualitative and quantitative(including retrospective) geodynamic models developed for Vrancea are analysed. The knowledge of regionaltectonics, geodynamics, seismicity, lithospheric deformation, and stress regime in the Vranceaearthquake-prone region assists in an assessment of strong ground motion, seismic hazard and risk. The earthquakesimulation, seismic hazard, and earthquake forecasting models have also been reviewed providing alink between deep geodynamic processes and their manifestation on the surface. Finally we discuss unresolvedproblems in Vrancea in order to improve our understanding of the regional evolution, present tectonics,mantle dynamics, intermediate-depth seismicity, and surface manifestations of the lithosphere dynamicsand to enhance our ability to forecast strong earthquakes in the Vrancea region. The problems to be solved include:(i) the origin of the high-velocity body revealed by seismic tomography studies (oceanic versus continental);(ii) the lithospheric scale mechanism driving the Miocene subsidence of the Transylvania basin;(iii) sub-crustal structure between 40 and 70 km; (iv) contemporary regional horizontal and vertical movements;and (v) a comprehensive seismic hazard assessment in the region.
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SLOWNESS AND AZIMUTH DETERMINATION FOR BUCOVINA ARRAY (BURAR) APPLYING MULTIPLE SIGNAL TECHNIQUES | Borleanu F., Popa M., Radulian M., Schweitzer J. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 15, 431–442 | |
Authors:
Borleanu F., Popa M., Radulian M., Schweitzer J.
Abstract:
The BURAR seismic array, located in Northern Romania (Bucovina region), is designed to monitor events located in an area poorly covered by other existing seismic stations. In order to use the BURAR array for single-station locations, it is crucial to calibrate the azimuth and slowness parameters, which are currently used in array techniques to locate earthquakes, blasts or nuclear explosions. The goal of this study is to apply “f–k” and plane wave fit techniques in order to constrain the slowness and azimuth parameters at BURAR for teleseismic, regional and local events. The analysis was carried out using P and S waves recorded for events occurred between 2004 and 2008 within a radius of 50◦ around BURAR. The azimuth values obtained applying both methods strongly deviated from the theoretical values for regions like Central Turkey, Bulgaria, Dodecanese Islands and other parts of Greece, while the ray parameter deviations with respect to a 1-D IASP91 reference model are less significant. For the local events, the anomalies are smaller, except the particular case of Vrancea intermediatedepth earthquakes for which strong azimuth deviations (33.5◦), both positive and negative, are observed. We investigate how these systematic deviations in azimuth are explained by the structure lateral heterogeneities which characterize the study region.
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GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL MODEL OF THE QUATERNARY LAYERS BASED ON IN SITU MEASUREMENTS IN BUCHAREST | Balan S. F., Apostol B. F. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 63(1), 240–249 | - |
Authors:
Balan S. F., Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
A method for local effects estimation is employed here consisting in combining laboratory and in situ test performance, which implies the nonlinear modeling of geodynamical parameters of the soils. The two material functions, dynamic modulus function and damping function are computed here for materials which characterize the selected seismic areas. To accomplish this aim we use geodynamical profiles containing wave velocity measurements and resonant columns tests are performed. The differences between physical variables and natural conditions that influenced the initial values of the dynamic functions and the shape of the nonlinear variation curves are taking into account.
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PARTICULARITATILE DEPLASARILOR TRIDIMENSIONALE IN ZONA SEISMICA VRANCEA DIN DATE SATELITARE GPS | Mateciuc D. | MONITORUL DE PETROL SI GAZE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 37-42 | - |
Authors:
Mateciuc D.
Abstract:
The author presents some observations on horizontal and vertical displacements recorded in a geodetic network located on Vrancea seismic zone. The fundamental differences between the displacement field from the northern part of the network in comparison with the southern part are pointed out.
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UNELE ASPECTE PRIVIND SEISMICITATEA ZONEI VRANCEA SI PARTICULARITATILE MECANISMELOR FOCALE ALE CUTREMURELOR ASOCIATE | Mateciuc D., Malita Z. | MONITORUL DE PETROL SI GAZE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 56-59 | - |
Authors:
Mateciuc D., Malita Z.
Abstract:
he authors make a brief overview of the main features related to Vrancea zone seismicity and the earthquakes focal mechanism that can occur in the most important seismic region of Romania.
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ESTIMATION OF SITE EFFECTS IN THE EASTERN PART OF ROMANIA ON THE BASIS OF H/V RATIOS OF S AND CODA WAVES GENERATED BY VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES | Grecu B., Raileanu V., Bala A., Tataru D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 56(3–4), 563–577 | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Raileanu V., Bala A., Tataru D.
Abstract:
The purpose of our study is to investigate the ground motion characteristics in 15 sites located in the Eastern part of Romania by applying the H/V spectral ratio method to the data (S and coda waves) recorded during the CALIXTO’99 tomography experiment. The results show no significant differences as regarding the resonant frequencies of the spectral ratios computed for the two types of waves, while the level of the amplification for S-wave is slightly higher than for coda waves. Only for two sites, located on thick Quaternary deposits, the amplification obtained from S-wave is larger by a factor of 2 than the amplification obtained from coda waves at low frequencies. In the studied locations the ground motion amplification varies by a factor of 2 to nearly 6 over the frequency range of 0.5 to 10-12 Hz
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DETECTION CAPABILITIES OF THE BURAR SEISMIC ARRAY-CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MONITORING OF REGIONAL AND DISTANT SEISMICITY | Ghica D. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 15, 487–506 | |
Authors:
Ghica D.
Abstract:
Data recorded with the Bucovina Romanian Seismic Array (BURAR) seismic array between January 2005 and December 2008 were analyzed to verify the monitoring capabilities of regional and distant seismicity. For this time interval, nearly 35,000 events detected by BURAR and identified in seismic bulletins (Preliminary Determination of Epicenters and Romanian Earthquake Catalogue) were investigated using parameters as backazimuth, epicentral distance and magnitude. A remarkably detection capability is emphasized for teleseismic observations ( > 20◦). BURAR onsets could be associated to almost 60% of all events in the teleseismic distance, with a magnitude detection threshold of 4.5 (mb). When no threshold magnitude is applied, the full detection capability of BURAR is in the same order as the performance of GERES array, which is one of the most sensitive stations in Central Europe. For regional events, detection capability decreases to about 16% of all events within regional distance range. The site conditions (crustal structure and high frequency cultural noise) as well as array dimension, affect the signal coherency and reduce the array detection capability for regional events. For both teleseismic and regional distances, a monthly variation of BURAR detection capabilities has been found; the number of events detected during the summer time is diminished by the specific seasonal human activity and atmospheric conditions (thunderstorms). To prove the good detection capability of the BURAR for teleseismic distances, a comparison with the observations of the Romanian Real Time Network in terms of magnitude and epicentral distance was carried out. The higher signal detection capability of BURAR is due to the array techniques applied in data processing, which enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. The monitoring performed by the BURAR seismic array provides a good azimuthal coverage of the regional and distant seismicity, in a large range of epicentral distances.
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MODELING GEODYNAMICAL PARAMETERS FOR SEISMIC LOCAL EFFECTS ESTIMATION. EXAMPLE FOR GALAţI AND TECUCI SEISMIC AREAS | Bala A., Hannich D., Ritter J.R.R., Ciugudean T.V. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 63(1), 250–274 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Hannich D., Ritter J.R.R., Ciugudean T.V.
Abstract:
he local surface geology, the soil behaviour as well as the local hydrogeological factors have a well-known influence upon the characteristics of the earthquake ground motion and the corresponding site effects. The geological and hydrogeological setting in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, as well as relative short recurrence intervals of strong intermediate-depth earthquakes in the Vrancea area, make necessary to study the geological cause of observed seismic site effects. In the case of Bucharest, the source geometry of the intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes remains almost the same in respect to the city area, the hypocentral distances being in the range of 160–220 km, while the epicentral distances for Bucharest are in the range of 100–130 km. Compared to these distances the spatial extend of Bucharest – of about 20 km is small. Influences due to source directivity and travel path effects can be assumed to be constant over the entire city area. In the latest moderate earthquakes recorded peak ground accelerations varied over the city area by a factor of up to 4. The high ground motions recorded across Bucharest during strong earthquakes in the past result from sitespecific amplification within the city, obviously due to lateral variation of local soil and hydrogeologic near-surface conditions. To study this correlation it was necessary to know the geotechnical and dynamic properties of the involved geological layers.
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IOANE – INFRASOUND MONITORING NETWORK: FIRST DATA, FIRST RESULTS | Moldovan I. A., Moldovan A. S., Ionescu C. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 56(1–2), 279–288 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I. A., Moldovan A. S., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The paper presents the infrasound monitoring network installed at Plostina site, its characteristics and observations regarding its detection capability. Plostina is located at 45.8512 N latitude and 26.6499 E longitude in the Vrancea (Romania) epicentral zone, is characterized by a low infrasound noise background (due to the fact that is located far from cultural sources of acoustic perturbations) and is one of the most modern monitoring sites under the administration of the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP). Starting with July 2006, NIEP, AZEL – Designing Group S.R.L. and Bucharest University (BU) joined in a research consortium who’s project – Complex Multidisciplinary Research System On Precursory Phenomena Associated With Strong Intermediate Vrancea Earthquakes, In Conformity With The Latest International Approaches – MEMFIS – was financed by the Romanian Ministry of Research and Education, through the Program Excellency Research and had as a final purpose a new and modern geophysical monitoring network, that uses specific instruments providing information on acoustic (both earth's seismic and atmosphere's infrasonic activities), electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields to find the correlations between monitored fields and the preparatory stage of strong intermediate earthquakes in Vrancea zone. Different connections between the activity of the acoustic field and other geophysical fields are presented, as well.
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CONTRIBUTII LA CUNOASTEREA CAMPULUI DE DEFORMARI CRUSTALE DIN ROMANIA | Mateciuc D. | TEHNOPRESS | | BOOK | 2011 | 165 | - |
Authors:
Mateciuc D.
Abstract:
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INTENSITY SEISMIC HAZARD MAP OF ROMANIA BY PROBABILISTIC AND (NEO)DETERMINISTIC APPROACHES, LINEAR AND NONLINEAR ANALYSES | Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Marmureanu A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 63,(1), 226–239 | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Marmureanu A.
Abstract:
The last zonation seismic map has areas where seismic intensities are underevaluated (e.g. Dobrogea, Banat etc.), and other areas are over-evaluated. The fundamental unacceptable point of view is that this design code is in peak ground accelerations which generates a lot of drawbacks to civil structural designers and to insurance companies which are paying all damages and causalities in function of earthquake intensity. The mapping is carried out using probabilistic approach and a complex hybrid waveform modeling method which combines the modal summation technique with finite-difference one to describe the seismic waves propagation through an inelastic space from source to free field surface. The result is a new seismic map in intensities by using probabilistic and deterministic approaches, linear and nonlinear seismology and developing the concept of control earthquake to obtain the banana shape of the attenuations curves of the macroseismic intensity along the directions defined by azimuths.
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RELIABILITY OF SOURCE PARAMETERS OF LOW MAGNITUDE CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES OF VRANCEA RETRIEVED BY HIGH FREQUENCY WAVEFORM INVERSION | Ardeleanu L. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 56, 827-841 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
The source parameters of low magnitude shallow earthquakes occurred in the Vrancea region and surroundings were previously estimated using an inversion procedure for high frequency local waveforms. Anticipating a gross approximation of the complex structure from the study area by the 1-D crustal models used in the forward modeling, the paper aims to assess the reliability of the resolved focal mechanism and source time function by stability tests which investigate the effect of hypocenter mislocation, mismodeling of the crust, frequency content of the inverted waveforms, and internal damping of the inversion algorithm on the retrieved solution. The analysis reveals that the over-simplification of the medium structure generates large uncertainties of the inverted source parameters, consequently not all the parameters may be accepted as sufficiently accurate. The most vulnerable is the source time function. The individual moment tensor components exhibit also poor resolution. By contrast, the double couple part of the moment tensor is determined fairly well, so that it allows correlations of the tension and pressure axes with the stress field in the area
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VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES: HISTORICAL SOURCES AND MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY ASSESSMENT | Constantin A. P., Pantea A., Stoica R. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 56(5-86), 813–826 | - |
Authors:
Constantin A. P., Pantea A., Stoica R.
Abstract:
The aim of the present paper is that of bringing in additional information regarding the macroseismic effects of the historical earthquakes that occurred on the Romanian territory with the purpose of improving the macroseismic maps. It is known the fact that in time, the Romanian territory has been shaken by strong earthquakes, most of them being centered within Vrancea Zone, which is situated at the bending zone of the South-Eastern Carpathians. As results from the contemporaries’ notes, such major earthquakes occurred also during the 19th century, on the 26th of October 1802 and the 23rd of January 1838, causing numerous victims and major material damages. Additional information that refer to the macroseismic effects produced by the above mentioned earthquakes, have been recently discovered due to the investigation of old books fund which exists in some monasteries and museums. The results of the investigation were concretized in discovering 37 historical records that allowed us to make a correct interpretation of the destroying impact of these earthquakes over the society and the environment. New elements regarding the research of these earthquakes were obtained after reevaluating the information from certain areas (especially from the epicentral zone), concerning the environmental effects. In this paper, the information referring to these earthquakes, identified as a result of investigating historical sources, are interpreted and evaluated with the purpose of assigning some seismic intensities for elaborating the macroseismic maps.
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GEOMETRICAL CONSTRAINTS FOR THE CONFIGURATION OF THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH SEISMICITY NEST | Carbunar O. F., Radulian M. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 15, 579–598 | |
Authors:
Carbunar O. F., Radulian M.
Abstract:
For a seismogenic area like Vrancea (Romania) with well-defined geometrical features of the seismicity production in space and time, the numerical simulation of the earthquake generation process (e.g. cellular automaton) looks highly attractive. The delimitation, as accurately as possible, of the geometrical features of the seismically active system in the Vrancea subcrustal zone is essential to constrain the simulation modeling. As a first approximation, the seismicity pattern is close to a fault plane NE–SW oriented, extended roughly vertically between 60 and 170 km depth. A characteristic median plane is defined by minimizing the distance of hypocenters. The average distance of the hypocenters to the median plane is around 5 km. However, a more detailed investigation of the geometrical configuration of seismicity indicates a fragmentation of the active body located in the upper mantle in two segments.The seismicity pattern is well approximated by a planar distribution in each segment. In the transition zone, between the upper and lower segment, the hypocenter distribution is more dispersed and shows a disruption among the two planar segments, measured by about 9 km apart laterally one relative to the other. The two segments hosted the major Vrancea events recorded in the last two centuries (for which we have available location of acceptable accuracy). The narrow transition zone at about 100 km depth is interpreted as a weaker segment, possibly caused by a dehydration process or by an infiltration of asthenosphere material from the back side of the South-Eastern Carpathian arc system. It is still debatable if fragmentation in two seismically active segments reflects the existence of two neighbouring separate blocks (upper, continental and lower, oceanic block) or a consequence of a breaking process separating a continental block into two parts. The segmentation of the descending lithosphere and the edge effects are apparently stationary, at least for the time interval since 1985 to the present, for which the earthquake catalogue is reliable (homogeneous).
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SOURCE PARAMETERS FOR THE EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE OCCURRED IN THE RAMNICU SARAT AREA (ROMANIA) IN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2007 | Popescu E., Neagoe C., Rogozea M., Moldovan I. A., Borleanu F., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 56(2), 265–278 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Neagoe C., Rogozea M., Moldovan I. A., Borleanu F., Radulian M.
Abstract:
We applied relative deconvolution methods (spectral ratios and empirical Green’s function) to estimate the source parameters for the earthquake sequence recorded in the Ramnicu Sarat area between 29 November and 3 December 2007. Basically, these methods are suitable for seismic sequences since they allow the retrieve of the source parameters by using data from pairs of earthquakes located close each other and recorded by common stations. Our analysis reveals distinct features compatible with previous investigations, such as the alignment of the aftershocks parallel to the Carpathians Arc bend in the Vrancea region (NE-SW). The focal mechanism shows a rupture plane in the same direction as well. The location of the main shock relative to the aftershocks indicates a unilateral rupture, from SW toward NE. The alignment of the aftershocks in the sequence of 2007 (N30oE) is approaching the alignments observed in the sequences of 1991 (N24oE) and 1997 (N37oE). The values of the source parameters are typical for the earthquakes in the Vrancea foredeep area.
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REEVALUATED MACROSEISMIC MAP OF VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 10 | Pantea A., Constantin A.P. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 56(1-2), 578-589 | - |
Authors:
Pantea A., Constantin A.P.
Abstract:
In order to set the basis of some rigorous standards and norms of antiseismic design, capable of assuring maximum security to buildings, in accordance with the idea of promoting and developing a national system, compatible with the European standardizing systems, we initiated a very large research activity especially of reevaluating and harmonizing of the macroseismic maps of the significant earthquakes occurred on the Romanian territory [9], [10], [11]. In this paper there have been reevaluated the macroseismic effects of the strongest vrancean earthquake occurred at 10th of November 1940. The reevaluating operation of the macroseismic data consisted in the reinterpretation of over 4500 macroseismic questionnaires, as well as the critical and serious research of the expertise reports, monographies, photos, scientific papers published both inside and outside the country regarding the severity of the macroseismic effects that were noticed “in situ” in the damaged areas. Taking into consideration the geological and tectonic complexity, as well as the distribution of the seismic active areas on the Romanian territory and in the transborder areas that influence the seismicity, we considered that it is necessary, for a better graphic representation of the distribution of the macroseismic field generated by the earthquake from the 10th of November 1940, to give up to the classical method of elaborating the isoseismal maps based on the smoothing operation of the excessively agitated isoseists.
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ROMANIAN COMPLEX DATA CENTER FOR DENSE SEISMIC NETWORK | Neagoe C., Manea L.M., Ionescu C. | ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 54(1), 9-16 | |
Authors:
Neagoe C., Manea L.M., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
In 2002, the National Institute for Earth Physics started the development of its own real-time digital seismic network. This now consists of 86 seismic stations, of which 32 are broad-band sensors, 52 stations are equipped with short-period sensors, and two seismic arrays, all of which transmit data in real time to the National Data Center (NDC) and the Eforie Nord (EFOR) seismic observatory. EFOR is the back-up for the NDC, and it is also a monitoring center for Black Sea tsunamis. The seismic stations are equipped with Quanterra Q330 and K2 digitizers, broad-band seismometers (STS2, CMG40T, CMG 3ESP, CMG3T) and Episensor Kinemetrics acceleration sensors (±2g). SeedLink is a part of Seiscomp2.5 and Antelope, which are the software packages used for data acquisition in real time and data exchange. Communication from the digital seismic stations to the NDC in Bucharest and EFOR is assured by five providers (GPRS, VPN, satellite, radio and internet). AntelopeTM 4.11 is used for acquisition and data processing at these two data centers for the reception and processing of the data, which runs on two workstations: one for real-time processing and the other for offline processing. A Seiscomp 3 server works as the back-up for the Antelope 4.11. This acquisition and analysis systems for the seismic data produce information about the local and global parameters of earthquakes. In addition, Antelope is used for manual processing (e.g. association events, creation of a database, sending seismic bulletins, and calculation of magnitude and peak ground acceleration and velocity), generation of ShakeMap products, and interactions with global data centers. The NDC has developed tools to make all of this information easily available across the internet, and also to lay the grounds for a more modular and flexible development environment. This will enable centralizing of the data from software such as Antelope, which is using a dedicated database system (Datascope; a database system based on text files), to the more general-purpose database, MySQL. This acts like a hub between the different acquisition and analysis systems used at the NDC, while also providing better connectivity at no expense to security. Mirroring certain data to MySQL also allows the NDC to easily share information with the public, via the new application that is being developed, and also to mix in data collected from the public (e.g. information about the damage after an earthquake, which can be used to produce macroseismic intensity indices that are then stored in the database and also made available via the web application). For internal use, there is also a web application that uses the data stored in the database to display earthquake information, like location, magnitude and depth, in semi real time, thus aiding the personnel on duty. Another use for the data collected is to create and maintain contact lists to which the datacenter sends notifications (SMS and email), based on the parameters of an earthquake. For the future development, one of the NDC plans is to develop the means to cross-check the data generated between the different acquisition and analysis systems (e.g. comparing data generated by Antelope with data generated by Seiscomp).
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ADVANCED REAL-TIME ACQUISITION SYSTEM OF THE VRANCEA EARLY WARNING SYSTEM | Marmureanu A., Ionescu C., Cioflan C.O. | SOIL DYNAMICS AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 31, 163–169 | |
Authors:
Marmureanu A., Ionescu C., Cioflan C.O.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismogenic zone in Romania represents a peculiar source of seismic hazard, which is amajor concern in Europe, especially to neighboring regions of Bulgaria, Serbia and Republic of Moldavia. Earthquakes in the Carpathian–Pannonian region are confined to the crust, except the Vrancea zone, where earthquakes with focal depth down to 200 kmoccur. One of the citiesmost affected by earthquakes in Europe is Bucharest. Situated at 140–170 km distance from Vrancea epicenter zone, Bucharest encountered many damages due to high energy Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes; the March 4, 1977 event (Mw¼7.2) produced the collapse of 36 buildings with 8–12 levels, while more than 150 old buildings were seriously damaged. A dedicated set of applications and a method to rapidly estimate magnitude in 4–5 s from detection of P wave in the epicenter were developed. They were tested on all recorded data. The magnitude error for 77.9% of total considered events is in the interval [ 0.3, +0.3] magnitude units. This is acceptable taking into account that the magnitude is computed from only 3 stations in a 5 s time interval (1 s delay is caused by data packing). The ability to rapidly estimate the earthquake magnitude combined with powerful real-time software, as parts of an early warning system, allows us to send earthquake warning to Bucharest in real time, in about 5 s after detection in the epicenter. This allows 20–27 s warning time to automatically issue preventive actions at the warned facility.
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CRUSTAL THICKNESS IN VRANCEA AREA, ROMANIA FROM S TO P CONVERTED WAVES | Ivan M. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 15, 317-328 | |
Authors:
Ivan M.
Abstract:
Crustal thickness (CT) in Vrancea region (Romania) and adjacent area is investigated using 1294 S to P converted waves from the Moho discontinuity. A total of 269 local earthquakes in the depth range 99.8 to 171.1 km and recorded by 76 permanent and 46 temporary stations of the Romanian Seismological Network are used. Time difference between the converted wave and the direct P phase is corrected to a first order for epicentral distance and for the errors in focal depth, being finally inverted to CT. Greatest values for the Moho depth are observed for stations located in the Carpathians molasse foredeep and smaller values are observed in the Southern part of the Moesian Platform, for stations in the eastern part of Moldavian (East-European) Platform and in Dobrogea area, close to the Black Sea shoreline. In Vrancea epicentral area, an important CT variation is observed, from 42 km at MLR and 41.8 km at SIR, stations placed in the southwestern part of the epicentral area, to 30.9 km at VRI, located above north-eastern part of the seismogenic volume. Stations CVO and OZU, placed in Transylvanian Basin in the proximity of the epicentral area, have CT values of 32.1 and 24.1 km, respectively. The results seem to support that a mantle delamination process is responsible for Vrancea intermediate depth seismicity.
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HIGH FREQUENCY PKKPBC AROUND 2.5 HZ RECORDED GLOBALLY | Ivan M., Cormier V. F. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 168, 1759–1768 | |
Authors:
Ivan M., Cormier V. F.
Abstract:
Anomalous high frequency PKKPBC signals (displaying a large amount of energy around 2.5 Hz), recorded globally for deep and intermediate depth earthquakes, are compared to PKKPAB signals. The attenuation difference t AB t BC is evaluated from spectral amplitudes in the range 96–111 , being approximately twice the results provided by full-wave theory and PREM (with no low Ql zone in the lowermost mantle and a nearly infinite QK in the outer core). Most ray paths for such recordings are piercing the D00 region in the proximity of regions where ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZ) have been previously reported beneath the North Atlantic Ocean, the Southwest Pacific and the southwestern part of South America. If BC amplitudes around 2.5 Hz and at low frequencies (0.5–1.5 Hz) are comparable, the observed attenuation difference (in the frequency range 0.2–2.5 Hz) is small (around 0.25 s) and close to the PREM value. The particle motion of the high-frequency PKKPBC at 2.5 Hz is quite similar to that of the raw recording, suggesting a deep source. An explanation for this might be scattering of the BC branch in some very restricted areas of the lowermost mantle. Alternately, the presence of a thin layer with high attenuation in the D00 region would most likely be associated with either the ultra-low velocity zone (ULVZ) or light sediments on the underside of the core-mantle boundary (CMB). Correlated to other methods to investigate the lowermost mantle, the high-frequency PKKPBC can be used to map lateral variations of attenuation above the CMB, possibly associated with the boundary of the superplumes, especially when PKKPAB is observed.
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INVESTIGATION OF THE NOISE CROSS-CORRELATIONS AT THREE ROMANIAN BROADBAND SEISMIC STATIONS | Grecu B., Tataru D., Raileanu V., Neagoe C. | THE 6TH CONGRESS OF THE BALKAN GEOPHYSICAL SOCIETY | | PROCEEDINGS | 2011 | P28 | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Tataru D., Raileanu V., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
It has been recently shown that correlations of seismic noise can carry deterministic information about the crust and upper mantle structure along the profile between two seismic stations. We studied the characteristics of the noise cross correlations between 3 Romanian broadband stations. We performed 23 hours-long cross correlations for the period of 5 years, and stacked them for every month of the year. We studied the seasonal variations of the noise cross correlation functions (NCFs) and we demonstrated that the amplitude of the NCFs is higher in winter than in summer. We applied the multiple filter technique (MFT - Dziewonski et al., 1969) to extract the group velocities of the surface wave fundamental-mode of the NCFs. Finally, we showed that, in case of similar travel paths, the dispersion curve of the Rayleigh wave generated by a crustal event and the dispersion curve of the NCF are comparable.
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THE QUANTITATIVE EVIDENCE OF THE SOIL NONLINEAR BEHAVIOR DURING OF STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES IN REAL / NONLINEAR SEISMOLOGY | Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 63(3), 839–851 | - |
Authors:
Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
Nonlinear effects in ground motion during large earthquakes have long been a controversial issue between seismologists and geotechnical engineers. Laboratory tests made by using resonant columns consistently show the reduction in shear modulus (G) and increase in damping ratio (D) with increasing shear strain (γ), i.e., G = G(γ), respectively, D = D(γ), therefore nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive laws are required.Aki [1] wrote: „Nonlinear amplification at sediments sites appears to be more pervasive than seismologists used to think…Any attempt at seismic zonation must take into account the local site condition and this nonlinear amplification”. In other words, the seismological detection of the nonlinear site effects requires a simultaneous understanding of the effects of earthquake source, propagation path and local geological site conditions. The difficulty for seismologists in demonstrating the nonlinear site effects has been due to the effect being overshadowed by the overall patterns of shock generation and propagation. The authors, in order to make evidence of nonlinear effects, introduced the spectral amplification factor (SAF) as ratio between maximum spectral absolute acceleration (Sa), relative velocity (Sv), relative displacement (Sd) and peak values of acceleration (amax), velocity (vmax) and displacement (dmax), respectively, from processed strong motion record. The evidence for nonlinearity at least for thick Romanian Plain Quaternary sediments is a systematic decrease in the variability of peak ground acceleration with the increasing earthquake magnitude.
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THE FOCAL MECHANISM OF LOW MAGNITUDE SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES OF VRANCEA RETRIEVED BY HIGH FREQUENCY WAVEFORM INVERSION | Ardeleanu L., Raileanu V. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2011 | 63(2), 503–519 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Raileanu V.
Abstract:
The goal of this work is to test the capability of high frequency local waveform inversion to retrieve the source of low magnitude intermediate depth earthquakes of Vrancea region. Following a similar procedure to that previously developed to analyze the weak shallow events from the Eastern Carpathians bending zone, we obtain a fairly robust estimate of the orientation of the double couple component of the seismic moment tensor. The resolution of the resolved fault plane solution allows correlations with the stress field in the area; this opens perspectives to using the small subcrustal earthquakes, frequently recorded, to obtain detailed information on the process taking place in the Vrancea focal region.
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NEW SEISMIC HAZARD MAP OF ROMANIA BY PROBABILISTIC AND DETERMINISTIC APPROACHES, LINEAR AND NONLINEAR ANALISYSES | Marmureanu G., Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A. | 14TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING, OHRID | | PROCEEDINGS | 2010 | | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismogenic zone in Romania denotes a peculiar source of seismic hazard, which represents a major concern in Eastern Europe, especially in neighboring regions from Bulgaria, Serbia, Republic of Moldova etc. The last seismic zonation map of Romania has areas where seismic intensities are under-evaluated (e.g. Dobrogea, Banat) and for other areas are over-evaluated. In this study the mapping of seismic hazard is carried out by a probabilistic approach starting from the strong motion records of the August 30, 1986 event (Mw=7.1) used here as etalon earthquake. A complex neo-deterministic approach based on computation of synthetic seismograms have been applied to evaluate the hazard related with the superficial seismic sources and for a strong earthquake scenario of the November 10, 1940 Vrancea event with Mw=7.5. The results of both probabilistic and deterministic analyses are combined in a new seismic zonation map presented here in terms of macroseismic intensities
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TESTING A NEW INSTALLED VLF/LF RADIO RECEIVER FOR SEISMIC PRECURSORS’ MONITORING IN ROMANIA | Gheorghita M., Suciu E., Moldovan A. S., Moldovan I. A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 55(7–8), 830–840 | - |
Authors:
Gheorghita M., Suciu E., Moldovan A. S., Moldovan I. A.
Abstract:
The paper presents the testing results of a new VLF/LF receiver for seismic precursors’ monitoring in Romania that is used, starting with March 2009, in the first phase of the Integrated System for the Forecast of Earthquakes in the European area. The system aims to capitalize and integrate numerous research results related to the statistical provisioning of seismic events and is consisting of a network of measuring stations, interconnected and organized through a distributed information system, which can allow consistently the availability of data acquired continuously. The acquired data refer to the amplitude of signals received in Romania and transmitted by high-power VLF and LF transmitters located in Europe. The paper shows why anomalous changes of the received signal level occur as an effect of modification of the characteristics of the ionosphere above the epicenter of an earthquake which is in its preparatory stage, if this is located inside the 5th Fresnel zone of the propagation path. Changes of the ionosphere’s altitude and composition, recorded as electromagnetic propagation anomalies, could be regarded as seismic precursors. This is accomplished with the help of ground-based network of receivers and appropriately located transmitters. The main contribution of the paper is that experimental data containing recordings of VLF/LF electromagnetic field monitoring in Romania are presented for the first time. Moreover, these data are consistent with data recorded in other countries. Key words: VLF/LF antenna, VLF/LF receiver, seismic precursors, electromagnetic anomalies.
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MANTLE EARTHQUAKES IN THE ABSENCE OF SUBDUCTION? CONTINENTAL DELAMINATION IN THE ROMANIAN CARPATHIANS | Fillerup M. A., Knapp J. H., Knapp C. C., Raileanu V. | LITHOSPHERE | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 2(5), 333–340 | |
Authors:
Fillerup M. A., Knapp J. H., Knapp C. C., Raileanu V.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismogenic zone of Romania is a steeply NW-dipping volume (30 × 70 × 200 km) of intermediate-depth seismicity in the upper mantle beneath the bend zone of the Eastern Carpathians. It is widely held that the source of this seismicity is the remnant of a Miocene-age subduction zone. However, recent deep seismic-refl ection data collected over the Eastern Carpathian bend zone image an orogen lacking (1) a crustal root and (2) dipping crustal-scale fabrics routinely imaged in modern and ancient subduction zones. Here, we use these data to evaluate the lithospheric structure of the Eastern Carpathians as it relates to the Vrancea seismogenic zone. Crustal architecture obtained from these data indicate the 140-km-wide orogen is only supported by ~33-km-thick crust, while the adjacent Transylvanian and Focsani basins have ~37- (possibly up to ~46 km) and 42-km-thick crust, respectively. Because the Vrancea seismogenic zone is located beneath the east side of the thin orogenic crust, we infer that the lower orogenic crust was removed through continental delamination and is now represented by the mantle seismicity observed in the Vrancea seismogenic zone. These data and their interpretation suggest an alternate means of generating mantle seismicity in the absence of subduction processes.
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MACROSEIS: A TOOL FOR REAL-TIME COLLECTING AND QUERYING MACROSEISMIC DATA IN ROMANIA | Ionescu C., Dragoicea M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 55(7–8), 852–861 | - |
Authors:
Ionescu C., Dragoicea M.
Abstract:
Earthquakes that are unambiguously sensed by humans or even destructive are often happening natural phenomena in Romania. The MACROSEIS application is an automated tool for collecting information from volunteers that felt the effects of an earthquake. Based on this interactive system, data can be collected and macroseismic maps can be obtained. The MACROSEIS application collects reports from volunteers that were sent via Internet shortly after an event is produced. Electronic reports are sent to the National Institute for Earth Physics. This information is further transformed in CII Community Internet Intensity Maps by means of a modified version of the Dengler and Dewey algorithm.
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ELASTIC WAVES IN A SEMI-INFINITE BODY | Apostol B. F. | PHYSICS LETTERS A | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 374(15-16), 1601–1607 | |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
A new method is introduced for studying the propagation of elastic waves in isotropic bodies, based on the Kirchhoff potentials borrowed from electromagnetism. By means of this method we identify and characterize the elastic waves generated in a semi-infinite (half-space) body by the action of an external force localized on, or beneath, the body surface. The method implies coupled integral equations for the wave amplitudes, which we solve for both cases mentioned above. For a force localized on the body surface we identify two transverse waves, corresponding to the two polarizations (normal and parallel to the propagation plane). The longitudinal waves appear as eigenmodes. The waves produced by a force localized beneath the surface are stationary waves along the normal to the surface. We compute the surface displacement in both cases and the force exerted on the surface by a force localized beneath. All these quantities exhibit a characteristic decrease with the distance on the body surface and an oscillatory behaviour. We discuss briefly some possibilities of extending the present method to include the effect of the inhomogeneities on the waves propagation.
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THE EFFECT OF THE INHOMOGENEITIES ON THE PROPAGATION OF THE ELASTIC WAVES IN ISOTROPIC BODIES | Apostol B. F. | MECHANICS RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 37, 458–462 | |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
A new method is introduced for estimating the effects of the inhomogeneities on the propagation of the elastic waves in isotropic bodies. The method is based on the Kirchhoff electromagnetic potentials. It is applied here for estimating the effect of a static density inhomogeneity, either extended or localized, on the elastic waves propagating in an infinite, or a semi-infinite (half-space) body. For a semi-infinite body the method leads to coupled integral equations, which are solved. It is shown that such a density inhomogeneity may renormalize the waves velocity, or may even produce dispersive waves, depending on the geometry of the body and the spatial extension of the inhomogeneity. The method can be extended to other types of geometries or inhomogeneities, as, for instance, those occurring in the elastic constants.
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ELASTIC WAVES PRODUCED BY LOCALIZED FORCES IN A SEMI-INFINITE BODY | Apostol B. F. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 62(2), 275–297 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
The propagation of elastic waves in isotropic bodies is investigated by a new method, based on the electromagnetic Kirchhoff potentials. This method is applied herein to elastic waves produced in a semi-8 infinite (half-space) isotropic body by the action of an external force localized beneath, or on the body surface. The method leads to coupled integral equations for the wave amplitudes, which are solved for the both cases. The waves produced by a force localized beneath the surface are stationary waves along the normal to the surface. For a force localized on the body surface two transverse waves are identified, corresponding to the two polarizations (normal and parallel to the propagation plane). Another longitudinal wave appears as an eigen-mode. The surface displacement and the force exerted on the surface are computed in both cases. All these quantities exhibit a characteristic decrease with the distance on the body surface and an oscillatory behaviour. A brief discussion is included regarding some possibilities of extending the present method to treating the effect of the inhomogeneities on the waves propagation.
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SENSITIVITY STUDY OF FORECASTED AFTERSHOCK SEISMICITY BASED ON COULOMB STRESS CALCULATION AND RATE- AND STATE-DEPENDENT FRICTIONAL RESPONSE | Cocco M., Hainzl S., Catalli F., Enescu B., Lombardi A.M., Woessner J. | JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH ATMOSPHERES | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 115, B05307 | |
Authors:
Cocco M., Hainzl S., Catalli F., Enescu B., Lombardi A.M., Woessner J.
Abstract:
We use the Dieterich (1994) physics‐based approach to simulate the spatiotemporal evolution of seismicity caused by stress changes applied to an infinite population of nucleating patches modeled through a rate‐ and state‐dependent friction law. According to this model, seismicity rate changes depend on the amplitude of stress perturbation, the physical constitutive properties of faults (represented by the parameter As), the stressing rate, and the background seismicity rate of the study area. In order to apply this model in a predictive manner, we need to understand the impact of physical model parameters and the correlations between them. First, we discuss different definitions of the reference seismicity rate and show their impact on the computed rate of earthquake production for the 1992 Landers earthquake sequence as a case study. Furthermore, we demonstrate that all model parameters are strongly correlated for physical and statistical reasons. We discuss this correlation, emphasizing that the estimations of the background seismicity rate, stressing rate, and As are strongly correlated to reproduce the observed aftershock productivity. Our analytically derived relation demonstrates the impact of these model parameters on the Omori‐like aftershock decay: the c value and the productivity of the Omori law, implying a p value smaller than or equal to 1. Finally, we discuss an optimal strategy to constrain model parameters for near‐real‐time forecasts.
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DELAMINATION OR SLAB DETACHMENT BENEATH VRANCEA? NEW ARGUMENTS FROM LOCAL EARTHQUAKE TOMOGRAPHY | Koulakov, I., Zaharia B., Enescu B., Radulian M., Popa M., Parolai S., Zschau J. | GEOCHEMISTRY, GEOPHYSICS, GEOSYSTEMS | BDI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 11(3) | |
Authors:
Koulakov, I., Zaharia B., Enescu B., Radulian M., Popa M., Parolai S., Zschau J.
Abstract:
Vrancea, located at the southeastern Carpathians Arc bend, is one of the areas in the Alpine-Himalayan belt that features strong earthquakes occurring at intermediate depths (60–200 km). In this study we investigated the crustal and lithospheric structure beneath the Vrancea seismic area using a local earthquake tomography approach. We used an updated and revised catalog, spanning from 1982 to 2006 that uses data from both permanent and temporary networks in the target area. Simultaneous tomographic inversion for the Vp and Vs anomalies and the Vp/Vs ratio and source locations was done using the LOTOS code. The reliability and robustness of the results were rigorously checked using various tests (e.g., by studying the role of different parameters on the results of the inversion, performing the inversion using random data subsets, and synthetic modeling). The tomography results clearly indicate the presence of a high-velocity material beneath Vrancea at a depth interval of about 60–200 km that coincides with the distribution of intermediate-depth seismicity. This result agrees generally with previous tomographic studies. We compare two scenarios leading to this structure: (1) subduction and slab detachment and (2) ‘‘drop forming’’ or delamination. The latter mechanism presumes that the thickening of the crust due to continent-continent collision causes transformation of the mafic lower crust into denser eclogite. This material accumulates until it reaches a critical mass, at which point it forms a large drop that begins to fall down. We propose that the high-velocity anomaly we observe in our tomogram might represent the descending eclogitic lower crust material enveloped by the entrained lithosphere. It is possible that a similar delamination process can be observed in other parts of the Alpine-Himalayan belt, such as in the Pamir Hindu-Kush area.
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VRANCEA SLAB EARTHQUAKES TRIGGERED BY STATIC STRESS TRANSFER | Ganas A., Grecu B., Batsi E., Radulian M. | NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 10, 2565–2577 | |
Authors:
Ganas A., Grecu B., Batsi E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
he purpose of this paper is to study the interaction of the Vrancea seismic activity (Romania) in space as result of Coulomb, static stress transfer duringM =7+ events. In this area, three large events occurred in 1977, 1986 and 1990 at mid-lower, lithospheric depths and with similar focal mechanisms. Assuming elastic rheology for the deforming rocks it is suggested that frictional sliding on pre-existing fault produced the 1986 M =7.1 event (depth 131 km), that was possibly triggered by the 1977 M = 7.4 event (depth 94 km). We calculated a static stress transfer of 0.52–0.78 bar to the hypocentre of the 1986 event. On the contrary, the occurrence of the 1990 event is uncertain: it is located inside the relaxed (shadow) zone of the combined 1977 and 1986 static stress field considering an azimuth for maximum compression of N307 E. It follows that, the 1990 earthquake most likely represents an unbroken patch (asperity) of the 1977 rupture plane that failed due to loading. However, if a different compression azimuth is assumed (N323 E) then the 1990 event was also possibly triggered by static stress transfer of the 1977 and 1986 events (combined). Our modeling is a first-order approximation of the kind of earthquake interaction we might expect at intermediate lithospheric depths (80–90 to 130–140 km). It is also suggested that static stress transfer may explain the clustering of Vrancea earthquakes in space by the rupturing of two (possibly three) NW-dipping major zones of weakness (faults) which accommodate the extension (vertical elongation) of the slab.
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DECREASE OF VLF TRANSMITTER SIGNAL AND CHORUS-WHISTLER WAVES BEFORE L’AQUILA EARTHQUAKE OCCURRENCE | Boudjada M. Y., Schwingenschuh K., Doeller R., Rohznoi A., Parrot M., Biagi P. F., Galopeau P.H.M., Solovieva M., Molchanov O., Biernat H.K., Stangl G., Lammer H., Moldovan I. A., Voller W., Ampferer M. | NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 10, 1487–1494 | |
Authors:
Boudjada M. Y., Schwingenschuh K., Doeller R., Rohznoi A., Parrot M., Biagi P. F., Galopeau P.H.M., Solovieva M., Molchanov O., Biernat H.K., Stangl G., Lammer H., Moldovan I. A., Voller W., Ampferer M.
Abstract:
We investigate the VLF emissions observed by the Instrument Champ Electrique (ICE) experiment onboard the DEMETER micro-satellite. We analyze intensity level variation 10 days before and after the occurrence of l’Aquila earthquake (EQ). We found a clear decrease of the VLF received signal related to ionospheric whistler mode (mainly Chorus emission) and to signal transmitted by the DFY VLF station in Germany, few days (more than one week) before the earthquake. The VLF power spectral density decreases of more than two orders of magnitude until the EQ, and it recovers to normal levels just after the EQ occurrence. The geomagnetic activity is principally weak four days before EQ and increases again one day before l’Aquila seismic event. Our results are discussed in the frame of short- and longterms earthquakes prediction focusing on the crucial role of the magnetic field of the Earth.
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SCALING PROPERTIES OF THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SEISMIC SOURCE AT INTERMEDIATE DEPTHS | Popescu E., Borleanu F., Placinta A. O., Neagoe C., Radulian M. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 54, 3–17 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Borleanu F., Placinta A. O., Neagoe C., Radulian M.
Abstract:
For the present study we selected 126 earthquakes of moderate magnitudes (3.2 ≤ MD ≤ 6.2) occurred in the time interval 1997–2005 in the Vrancea seismic region at intermediate depths (62 ≤ h ≤ 166 km). Two relative deconvolution techniques (spectral ratios and empirical Green’s function) are applied to retrieve the source parameters. To this purpose, the data set was divided into pairs of main and empirical Green’s function events. We could select 28 main events and 98 empirical Green’s functions. Six main events are generated in the upper segment of the subducting lithosphere (60 ≤ h < 110 km) and twenty two in the lower one (h ≥ 110 km). In all cases, the signal/noise ratio as recorded by the Romanian seismic stations is acceptable for our purpose. Once the seismic source parameters (seismic moment, source dimension, stress drop) are estimated, we investigate the scaling properties for the Vrancea subcrustal source. A slight deviation from a homogeneous rupture process and significant variations on depth and on magnitude of the stress drop and source size are emphasized. They can be tentatively explained by a more efficient seismic energy release in the deeper segment of the subducting lithosphere and by the role played by fluids at intermediate depth.
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POSSIBLE DEEP LITHOSPHERIC ROOTS BENEATH SOUTH-EASTERN CARPATHIANS BACK-ARC REGION | Neagoe C., Popa M., Diaconescu M., Radulian M. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 45(3), 340–355 | |
Authors:
Neagoe C., Popa M., Diaconescu M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismic region represents a unique case of well-defined and intense intermediate-depth earthquake activity as a consequence of specific geodynamic processes at the continental contact between East-European, Moesian and Intra-Alpine plates. Apart the subcrustal earthquakes generated in the Vrancea slab, the analysis of seismicity puts into evidence two other clusters of subcrustal earthquakes (h > 50 km) toward the back-arc side of the SE Carpathians bend, one to the west (Sinaia), the other to the north-west (Bra¸sov Depression) relative to the Vrancea seismic source. The hypocenters lay down between 50 to 105 km in Sinaia and between 50 and 136 km in Bra¸sov Depression. The rate of seismic energy release is much lower (Mw ≤ 3.7 in Sinaia and Mw ≤ 3.1 in Bra¸sov Depression) than for Vrancea activity. The seismicity pattern in the SE Carpathians back-arc region upper mantle correlates well with the high-velocity structures depicted by seismic tomography investigations suggesting possible remnant deep lithospheric roots apart from the narrow well-defined slab generating Vrancea major earthquakes. The results outline significant lateral heterogeneities in the mantle and provide new data for incorporating seismological, geotectonic and volcanological data in a unified modeling of the complex processes taking place in the study region.
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REAL-TIME STRONG MOTION NETWORK IN BUCHAREST AREA FOR ENGINEERING PURPOSES | Neagoe C., Ionescu C., Grecu B. | 14TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | | PROCEEDINGS | 2010 | | - |
Authors:
Neagoe C., Ionescu C., Grecu B.
Abstract:
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MEMFIS - MULTIPLE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD AND INFRASOUND MONITORING NETWORK | Moldovan I. A., Moldovan A.S., Ionescu C., Panaiotu C.G. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 55(7–8), 841–851 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I. A., Moldovan A.S., Ionescu C., Panaiotu C.G.
Abstract:
The paper presents a complex geophysical monitoring and recording system, deployed in Romania, at Plostina observatory (4 sites: PLO1, PLO2, PLO3 and PLO4) and at Surlari site (SULR – Bucharest University). Plostina is located at 45.8512 N latitude and 26.6499 E longitude in the Vrancea (Romania) epicentral zone and is one of the most modern monitoring sites under the administration of the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP), Romania. Surlari is located at 44.6798 N latitude and 26.2543 E longitude, outside of the Vrancea epicentral zone, being under the administration of the Bucharest University (BU) and NIEP. Starting with July 2006, NIEP, AZEL – Designing Group S.R.L. and BU joined in a research consortium who’s project – “Complex Multidisciplinary Research System On Precursory Phenomena Associated With Strong Intermediate Vrancea Earthquakes, In Conformity With The Latest International Approaches – MEMFIS” – was financed by the Romanian Ministry of Research and Education, through the Programme “Excellency Research” and had as a final purpose a new and modern geophysical monitoring network, that uses specific instruments providing information on acoustic (both earth’s seismic and atmosphere’s infrasonic activities), electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. The main goal is to find the correlations between monitored fields and the preparatory stage of strong intermediate earthquakes in Vrancea zone. Key words: Earthquake forecast, electromagnetic and infrasonic monitoring, seismic precursors.
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THE EFFECT OF THE INHOMOGENEITIES ON THE PROPAGATION OF THE ELASTIC WAVES IN ISOTROPIC BODIES | Apostol B. F. | MECHANICS RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2010 | 37(5), 458–462 | |
Authors:
Apostol B. F.
Abstract:
A new method is introduced for estimating the effects of the inhomogeneities on the propagation of the elastic waves in isotropic bodies. The method is based on the Kirchhoff electromagnetic potentials. It is applied here for estimating the effect of a static density inhomogeneity, either extended or localized, on the elastic waves propagating in an infinite, or a semi-infinite (half-space) body. For a semi-infinite body the method leads to coupled integral equations, which are solved. It is shown that such a density inhomogeneity may renormalize the waves velocity, or may even produce dispersive waves, depending on the geometry of the body and the spatial extension of the inhomogeneity. The method can be extended to other types of geometries or inhomogeneities, as, for instance, those occurring in the elastic constants.
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INCADRAREA IN CLASE DE RISC SEISMIC A BARAJELOR SITUATE IN PLATFORMA MOESICA | Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Popescu E., Placinta A.O., Moldoveanu T. | A 4-A CONFERINţă NAţIONALă DE INGINERIE SEISMICă ED. CONSPRESS | | PROCEEDINGS | 2009 | 1, 123-132 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Constantin A.P., Popescu E., Placinta A.O., Moldoveanu T.
Abstract:
Principalele rezultate ale acestei lucrări constau în evaluarea hazardului seismic datorat atât cutremurelor intermediare vrâncene, cât și cutremurelor crustale și în încadrarea în clase de risc seismic a tuturor barajelor din vestul Platformei Moesice. Rezultatele cercetărilor realizate în cadrul acestei lucrări și analiza datelor, dau autorităților și specialiștilor în construcții hidrotehnice informații privind modul în care barajeșe pot fi afectate în timpul producerii unui cutremur major, cu taote implicațiile referitoare la măsurile de protecție a populației și a bunurilor materiale. Scopul principal al lucrării devine astfel deplasarea de la acțiunile post-cutremur, care prevalează în prezent si care sunt deosebit de costisitoare, la acțiunile de prevenire, menite să creeze o bază științifică pentru luarea unor măsuri eficiente de reducere a pierderilor umane și materiale la cutremure.
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NONLINEARITY IN SEISMIC SITE EFFECTS EVALUATION | Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 54(9-10), 951-963 | - |
Authors:
Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
The seismic hazard of Romania has been the object of several studies based on probabilistic or deterministic methods (I). Details of the resulted hazard maps are still a controversial issue that leads to an innovative approach: a combined analysis of the available records and macroseismic information completed with numerical simulations since the strong motion records are rather scarce. The main purpose of this paper is to add new features regarding site effects evaluation and its role in seismic hazard analyses at regional and/or local scale. This study is focusing on nonlinear aspects of seismic ground motion and presents new results related to site effects induced by strong Vrancea intermediate events.
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ON DOMINANT SITE PERIOD EVALUATION | Bratosin D., Balan F. S., Cioflan C. O | A 4-A CONFERINţă NAţIONALă DE INGINERIE SEISMICă | | PROCEEDINGS | 2009 | 1, 67-76 | - |
Authors:
Bratosin D., Balan F. S., Cioflan C. O
Abstract:
By numerical simulation using a nonlinear Kelvin-Voigt model, this paper propose a modeling method for resonant peaks dispersion provoked by nonlinear properties of the site materials. This method leads to a better approximation of the nonlinear dependence of dominant site periods, dependence with an important impact about site-structure resonance avoidance.
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STUDIES ON PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME ROMANIAN SITES | Balan S. F., Radulescu F. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 54(7–8), 721–732 | - |
Authors:
Balan S. F., Radulescu F.
Abstract:
This paper intends to present physical characteristics of some sites scattered throughout Romanian territory. Field measurement tests (seismic and geotechnical) were performed on these sites. The following parameters were determined: seismic waves velocities (VP, VS), dynamic moduli values (longitudinal, Ed and shear, Gd), Poisson coefficient (d), apparent density (a), lithology and layer thickness. Laboratory tests on resonant columns (Drnevich) were performed on samples from almost the same sites. The shear modulus (Gd), shear velocity (VS) and apparent density (a) were determined for these samples (with known lithology and depths). Results from field and laboratory tests are analyzed, compared and discussed.
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DETAILED SEISMICITY ANALYSIS IN THE VRANCEA AREA AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SEISMIC CYCLE EVOLUTION | Rogozea M., Popa M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 61(3), 740–747 | - |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Seismicity of the Vrancea region shows characteristic clustering features in space, time and energy that are clearly related to specific physical processes in the subcrustal domain. For the study of the frequency-magnitude distribution and seismic cycle behaviour we use Romanian routine catalogue for a 100-year time interval (6589 events) as well as the historical catalogue and information. In the last 100 years, several seismic cycles can be identified in the Vrancea subcrustal domain. Earth cycle is characterized by a shock larger than 6.5 and a relative lack of earthquakes at intermediate magnitudes (around 6), which suggests a percolation-type process for the major shocks. A sort of balance for the seismic energy release between an upper active segment located around 90 km depth and a lower active segment located around 140 km depth seems to control the evolution of the successive cycles (at least for the last 100 years). We investigate the implications of the specific seismicity parameters in the two segments related to background and aftershock earthquake activities on the earthquake process evolution.
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ROMANIAN SEISMOLOGY – HISTORICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND HUMAN LANDMARKS | Radulescu F. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 52–53, 101–121 | - |
Authors:
Radulescu F.
Abstract:
Séismologie roumaine – repères historiques, scientifiques et humains. L’auteur a essayé de reconstituer l’évolution de la séismologie roumaine depuis le début (fin du XIXe siècle) jusqu’à nos jours. On présente les contributions des personnalités de marque dans le domaine: Ştefan Hepites, Mathei M. Drăghiceanu, Gheorghe Demetrescu, Ion Atanasiu, Gheorghe Petrescu, Liviu Constantinescu, Ion Cornea, Cornelius Radu et d’autres. On mentionne des éléments liés au developpement des appareils utilisés, les résultats des études des tremblements de terre, de la séismicité dans la croûte et dans le manteau supérieur sur le territoire roumain, ainsi que les résultats des études de microzonation et de séismologie.
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RAPID MAGNITUDE DETERMINATION FOR VRANCEA EARLY WARNING SYSTEM | Marmureanu A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 54(9-10), 965-971 | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu A.
Abstract:
Due to the huge amount of recorded data, an automatic procedure was developed and used to test different methods to rapidly evaluate earthquake magnitude from the first seconds of the P wave. In order to test all the algorithms involved in detection and rapid earthquake magnitude estimation, several tests were performed, in order to avoid false alarms. A special detection algorithm was developed, that is based on the classical STA/LTA algorithm and tuned for early warning purpose. A method to rapidly estimate magnitude in 4 seconds from detection of P wave in the epicenter is proposed. The method was tested on al recorded data, and the magnitude error determination is acceptable taking into account that it is computed from only 3 stations in a very short time interval.
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THE GEOMAGNETIC METHOD ON PRECURSORY PHENOMENA ASSOCIATED WITH 2004 SIGNIFICANT INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH VRANCEA SEISMIC ACTIVITY | Moldovan I. A., Moldovan A. S., Panaiotu C. G., Placinta A. O., Marmureanu G. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 54(1–2), 249–261 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I. A., Moldovan A. S., Panaiotu C. G., Placinta A. O., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
The paper tries an association between an unexplained, slow evolving and significant amplitude geomagnetic anomaly and the Vrancea (Romania) October 2004 intermediate-depth earthquake of moderate-to-high magnitude (Mw=6.0) followed by few weaker earthquakes (Mw<3). The fact that previous studies of Vrancea seismogenic zone indicate that observable precursory anomalies in the geomagnetic impedance might precede intermediate Vrancea earthquakes of moment magnitudes Mw≥4.0 encouraged us to continue the researches in this direction and to improve both the research and the monitoring system. Key words: geomagnetic precursory anomaly, intermediate earthquakes.
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AFTERSHOCK MODELING BASED ON UNCERTAIN STRESS CALCULATIONS | Hainzl S., Enescu B., Cocco M., Woessner J., Catalli F., Wang R., Roth F. | JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 114, B05309 | |
Authors:
Hainzl S., Enescu B., Cocco M., Woessner J., Catalli F., Wang R., Roth F.
Abstract:
We discuss the impact of uncertainties in computed coseismic stress perturbations on the seismicity rate changes forecasted through a rate- and state-dependent frictional model. We aim to understand how the variability of Coulomb stress changes affects the correlation between predicted and observed changes in the rate of earthquake production. We use the aftershock activity following the 1992 M7.3 Landers (California) earthquake as a case study. To accomplish these tasks, we first analyze the variability of stress changes resulting from the use of different published slip distributions. We find that the standard deviation of the uncertainty is of the same size as the absolute stress change and that their ratio, the coefficient of variation (CV), is approximately constant in space. This uncertainty has a strong impact on the forecasted aftershock activity if a rate-and-state frictional model is considered. We use the early aftershocks to invert for friction parameters and the coefficient of variation by means of the maximum likelihood method. We show that, when the uncertainties are properly taken into account, the inversion yields stable results, which fit the spatiotemporal aftershock sequence. The analysis of the 1992 Landers sequence demonstrates that accounting for realistic uncertainties in stress changes strongly improves the correlation between modeled and observed seismicity rate changes. For this sequence, we measure a friction parameter Asn 0.017 MPa and a coefficient of stress variation CV = 0.95.
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REVISED CRUSTAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE SOUTHEASTERN CARPATHIAN FORELAND FROM ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SEISMIC DATA | Enciu D. M., Knapp C. C., Knapp J. H. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 28, TC4013 | |
Authors:
Enciu D. M., Knapp C. C., Knapp J. H.
Abstract:
Integration of active and passive source seismic data is employed in order to study the nature of the relationships between crustal seismicity and geologic structures in the southeastern (SE) Carpathian foreland of Romania and the possible connection with the Vrancea Seismogenic Zone (VSZ) of intermediatedepth seismicity, one of the most active earthquakeprone areas in Europe. Crustal epicenters and focal mechanisms are correlated with four deep industry seismic profiles, the reprocessed Danube and Carpathian Integrated Action on Process in the Lithosphere and Neotectonics (DACIA PLAN) profile and the Deep Reflection Acquisition Constraining Unusual Lithospheric Activity II and III (DRACULA) profiles in order to understand the link between neotectonic foreland deformation and Vrancea mantle seismicity. Projection of crustal foreland hypocenters onto deep seismic profiles identifies several active crustal faults in the SE Carpathian foreland and suggests a mechanical coupling between the mantle located VSZ and the overlying foreland crust. The coupled associated deformation appears to take place on the Trotus Fault, the Sinaia Fault, and the newly detected Ialomita Fault. Seismic reflection imaging reveals the absence of west dipping reflectors in the crystalline crust and a slightly east dipping to horizontal Moho in the proximity of the Vrancea area. These findings argue against previously purported mechanisms to generate mantle seismicity in the VSZ including oceanic lithosphere subduction in place and oceanic slab break off, furthermore suggesting that the Vrancea seismogenic body is undetached from the overlying crust in the foreland.
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SOURCE EFFECTS VS. SITE EFFECTS OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES RECORDED IN THE BUCHAREST CITY, ROMANIA | Bala A., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popescu E. | A 4-A CONFERINţă NAţIONALă DE INGINERIE SEISMICă ED. CONSPRESS | | PROCEEDINGS | 2009 | 41-45 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popescu E.
Abstract:
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DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTARY ROCKS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON SEISMIC SITE EFFECTS. CASE STUDY IN BUCHAREST CITY, ROMANIA | Bala A., Grecu B., Ciugudean V., Raileanu V. | SOIL DYNAMICS AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 29(1) 144–154 | |
Authors:
Bala A., Grecu B., Ciugudean V., Raileanu V.
Abstract:
Bucharest is one of the cities most affected by earthquakes in Europe. Situated at 150–170 km distance from Vrancea epicentral zone, Bucharest had suffered many damages due to high energy Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes. For example, the 4 March 1977 event produced the collapse of 32 buildings with 8–12 levels, while more than 150 old buildings with 6–9 levels were seriously damaged. The studies done after this earthquake had shown the importance of the surface geological structure upon ground motion parameters. New seismic measurements are performed in Bucharest area aiming at defining better elastic and dynamic properties of the shallow sedimentary rocks. Down-hole seismic measurements were performed in a number of 10 cased boreholes drilled in the Bucharest City area. Processing and interpretation of the data lead to the conclusion that shallow sedimentary rocks can be considered weak in the area, down to 150–200 m depth. Seismic wave velocity values and bulk density values presented in the paper associated with local geology are useful primary data in the seismic microzonation of Bucharest City. They are used as 1D models to derive transfer functions and response spectra for the stack of sedimentary rocks in several parts of Bucharest area, leading to a better knowledge of the local site amplification and associated frequency spectra. In a recent study the H/V spectral ratio using Nakamura’s method was applied on the seismic noise measurements in 22 sites in Bucharest City in order to derive the fundamental period associated with these sites. The values confirm the previous results, showing a dominant resonance in the period range of 1.25–1.75 s. The fundamental periods obtained with Nakamura’s method are in good agreement with those computed on the basis of geological and geotechnical data in boreholes, which show an increase of the fundamental period in the Bucharest area from south to north, in the same direction as the increase of the thickness of the Quaternary deposits above the Fratesti layer which is considered the bedrock in the area.
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A NEW APPLICATION OF BENIOFF GRAPHS AND WIENER PREDICTIVE FILTER TO FORECAST VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES | Enescu D | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 54(1–2), 231–238 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D
Abstract:
The application of the first method indicates that the next Vrancea earthquake (MW ≈ 6.7) will occur in the time period 2010–2011(?), or in the case 2012–2013(?), while according to the second method the major event would occur in the period 2018–2019. For this purpose, I use two alternative approaches based on the Benioff graphs and on the theory of Wiener filters, respectively.
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DETERMINATION OF THE LITHOSPHERIC STRUCTURE FROM CARPATHIANS ARC BEND USING LOCAL DATA | Zaharia B., Enescu B., Radulian M., Popa M., Koulakov I., Parolai S. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 61(4), 748–764 | - |
Authors:
Zaharia B., Enescu B., Radulian M., Popa M., Koulakov I., Parolai S.
Abstract:
The main goal of this study is to investigate the lithospheric structure beneath Vrancea seismic area using local earthquakes. Vrancea area, located at the South-Eastern Carpathians Arc bend, is characterized by strong earthquakes generated at intermediate depths (60–170 km) in a complex geotectonic system. The tomography image resulted from teleseismic data (Martin et al., 2005; 2006) reveals a high-velocity body extended significantly beyond the seismic active zone in depth (going down to 400 km depth or even more), as well as laterally. An updated and revised catalog of 927 well-located events occurred between 1982 and 2006 in Vrancea and around was considered in the present study. The application of the tomography inversion for local events (Koulakov et al., 2007) allowed a notable increase of the resolution of the previous tomography image. The high-velocity body is strongly reduced in extension and practically mimics the distribution of hypocenters.
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SEISMICITY PATTERNS IN VRANCEA REGION AS REVEALED BY REVISED HISTORICAL AND INSTRUMENTAL CATALOGUES | Popa M., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Paulescu D | „SEISMICITY PATTERNS IN THE EURO-MED REGION” | | WORKSHOP | 2009 | 28, 147-152 | - |
Authors:
Popa M., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Paulescu D
Abstract:
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SITE EFFECTS INVESTIGATION IN THE CITY OF TIMISOARA USING SPECTRAL RATIO METHODS | Oros E. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 61(2), 347–358 | - |
Authors:
Oros E.
Abstract:
The investigation of the site-effects using spectral ratio methods in the city of Timisoara is presented. A non-reference-site technique, often called Nakamura’s method is used to determine the resonance frequencies, fr, of the uppermost sedimentary layers. The method was applied on i) seismic noise time-series (HVSRN); ii) earthquakes waveforms recorded by Timisoara Seismic Station (TIM). The resonance frequencies and H/V ratios amplitudes were mapped for a firstorder evaluation of site response and to emphasize lateral variations of the seismic ground motion as a microzonation main step. These frequencies were also correlated with the local geology, the observed macroseismic intensities in the city and with the theoretical fundamental frequencies of the buildings.
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NEW DATA ABOUT HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED ON THE ROMANIAN TERRITORY | Constantin A. P., Pantea A., Stoica R., Amarandei C., Stefan S. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 54(1–2), 239–248 | - |
Authors:
Constantin A. P., Pantea A., Stoica R., Amarandei C., Stefan S.
Abstract:
The goal of the present paper is to enrich qualitatively and quantitatively the existing database about historical earthquakes occurred on the Romanian territory and in the adjacent areas by revaluating and completing it with new information obtained after some complex research activities. In this respect there were studied the old book funds existing in Bucharest, especially those from the religious and cultural institutions – monasteries, libraries, archives and museums, starting with the documents existing under the custody of the Romanian Patriarchy. For the beginning there were researched three thousand books appeared between 1683–1902 where there were found information about some earthquakes occurred between 1802 and 1913. By this research, there is achieved the extension in the past of the database regarding the seismicity of the Romania’s territory, by emphasizing seismic events that, according to some seismicity schemes, can repeat in the future, thus, being taken into account the major contribution of the historical seismicity to the seismic hazard assessment.
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PRELIMINARY ROCK MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF QUATERNARY BASALTS FROM THE PERşANI MOUNTAINS (ROMANIA) | Tugui A., Necula C., Panaiotu C. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 61(3), 730–739 | - |
Authors:
Tugui A., Necula C., Panaiotu C.
Abstract:
Thermomagnetic curves, low field magnetic susceptibility variation, hysteresis parameters, FORC (first order reversal curves) diagrams were measured for representative samples from the main eruption phases in Perşani Mountains. We found that magnetic mineralogy is dominated by the titanomagnetite series with grain size compatible with SD-MD mixture.
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SEISMOTECTONICS OF VRANCEA (ROMANIA) ZONE: THE CASE OF CRUSTAL SEISMICITY IN THE FOREDEEP AREA | Tugui A., Craiu M., Rogozea M., Popa M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 61(2), 325–334 | - |
Authors:
Tugui A., Craiu M., Rogozea M., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Vrancea seismic zone is located in Romania at the South-Easter Carpathians bend, where at least three major tectonic units are in contact: East Europen Plate, Intra-Alpine Plate and Moesian Plate. The seismicity of the Vrancea zone consist of both crustal and intermediate-depth earthquakes. The crustal events are moderate (Mw ≤ 5.5) and generally occur in clusters in space (the subzones Râmnicu Sărat and Vrâncioaia, situated in the Vrancea epicentral area and adjacent to it) and in time (main shocks accompanied by aftershocks and sometimes by foreshocks or swarms). Seismic activity in Râmnicu Sărat zone consist of shallow earthquakes with moderate magnitudes Ms ≤ 5.2 (Radu, 1979), wich frequently occur in clusters. The hypocenters are generally situated at focal depths between 15 and 30 km within the foredeep region lying in front of the major bending of the Carpatian Arc. The sequence of 29 November–03 December, 2007 consist of 37 events with 1.8 ≤ MD ≤ 3.9. The earthquakes hypocenters are grouped in a parallel direction with the Carpathian Bend, and the fault plane solution (of the main shock) is reverse. The seismic sequence from Râmnicu Sărat, 2007 was compared with the previous sequences knowing the regional seismotectonics.
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NEW AND UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCAL HAZARD SEISMIC SOURCES IN THE BANAT SEISMIC REGION | Oros E., Oros V. | A 4-A CONFERINţă NAţIONALă DE INGINERIE SEISMICă | | PROCEEDINGS | 2009 | 1, 133-139 | - |
Authors:
Oros E., Oros V.
Abstract:
Local seismic hazard sources for the western and south-western territory of Romania (usually called as Banat Seismic Region, BSR) are localized and characterized using new data and information about the local seismicity and seismotectonics. Using the most recent and comprehensive Parametric Earthquake (over 8000 entries, 0.4
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TOWARD A DENSE REAL-TIME SEISMIC NETWORK IN ROMANIA | Neagoe C., Ionescu C. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2009 | 61(2), 359–366 | - |
Authors:
Neagoe C., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
tarting with 2002 the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) has developed its real-time digital seismic network. This network consists of 39 broad band and short period stations and two seismic arrays. SeedLink and AntelopeTM program packages are used for real-time (RT) data acquisition and exchange. The present network is going to be expanded in the near future. Thus, in 2008 NIEP will install 40 additional broad band stations in Romanian territory and 40 strong motions stations in Bucharest, so that at the end of the year NIEP will have 119 digital broad-band seismic stations and short period in real time. The communication from digital seismic stations to the National Data Center in Bucharest is achieved by 5 providers (GPRS, VPN, satellite communication, radio lease line and internet), which assure the back-up communication lines. The power energy for all the seismic stations and the communication systems is supplied by batteries which offer 24 hours of autonomy. The processing centre runs BRTT’s AntelopeTM 4.9 data acquisition and processing software on two workstations for real-time processing and post processing. The Antelope Real-Time System is also providing automatic event detection, arrival picking, event location and magnitude calculation. It provides graphical display and reporting within near-real-time after a local or regional event occurred. The Romanian Seismic Network is permanently exchanging real–time waveform data with IRIS, ORFEUS and different European countries through internet. In Romania, the magnitude and location of an earthquake are now available within a few minutes after the earthquake occurred. One of the greatest challenges in the near future is to provide shaking intensity maps and other ground motion parameters, within 5 minutes post-event, on the Internet and GIS-based format in order to improve emergency response, public information, preparedness and hazard mitigation.
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IN SITU BOREHOLE MEASUREMENTS IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE SEISMIC SITE EFFECTS | Bala A., Arion C., Neagu C., Balan S.F. | A 4-A CONFERINţă NAţIONALă DE INGINERIE SEISMICă ED. CONSPRESS | | PROCEEDINGS | 2009 | 1, 31-40 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Arion C., Neagu C., Balan S.F.
Abstract:
Recent Within the NATO Science for Peace Project 981882 “Site-effect analyses for the earthquake-endangered metropolis Bucharest, Romania” we obtain a unique, homogeneous dataset of seismic, soil-mechanic and elasto-dynamic parameters. Ten 50 m deep boreholes are drilled in the metropolitan area of Bucharest in order to obtain cores for dynamic tests and vertical seismic profiles for an updated microzonation map related to earthquake wave amplification. The boreholes are placed near former or existing seismic station sites to allow a direct comparison and calibration of the bore-hole data with actual seismological measurements. A database is assembled which contains P- and S-wave velocity, density, geotechnical parameters measured at rock samples and geological characteris-tics for each sedimentary layer. All the VS-30 computed values belong to type C of soil after this clas-sification (Romanian Code for the seismic design for buildings - P100-1/2006). Approximately 250 samples were gathered from the 10 drill sites. These samples were mostly not disturbed (samples as they were recovered from the tube of the drilling rig) and partly disturbed (those which had no proper consistency). Results obtained by the down-hole method in the 10 boreholes drilled in Bucharest City as well as from laboratory measurements will be used as input data in the program SHAKE2000.
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ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKES ANALYSIS USING BURAR SEISMIC ARRAY | Borleanu F., Rogozea M., Ghica D., Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(1), 145–155 | - |
Authors:
Borleanu F., Rogozea M., Ghica D., Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Bucovina seismic array (BURAR) is a medium-aperture array, installed in 2002 in the northern part of Romania (47.6148q N latitude, 25.2168q E longitude, 1,150 m altitude), as a result of the cooperation between the Air Force Technical Applications Center, USA and the National Institute for Earth Physics, Romania. The array consists of ten elements, located in boreholes and distributed over a 5 u 5 km2 area; nine with short-period vertical sensors and one with broadband three-component sensor. Since the new station began operating the earthquake survey of Romania’s territory it has been significantly improved. Data recorded by BURAR during the 01.01.2005 – 12.31.2005 time interval are first processed and analyzed, in order to establish the array detection capability of the local earthquakes, occurred in different Romanian seismic zones. Then a spectral ratios technique is applied in order to determine the calibration relationships for magnitude, using only the information gathered by the BURAR station. The spectral ratios are computed relatively to a
reference event, considered representative for each seismic zone. This method has the advantage of eliminating the path effects. The new calibration procedure is tested for the case of Vrancea intermediatedepth earthquakes and proved to be very efficient in constraining the size of these earthquakes.
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EVIDENCE OF STRONG LATERAL INHOMOGENEOUS STRUCTURE BENEATH SE CARPATHIANS AND SPECIFIC MANTLE FLOW PATTERNS | Borleanu F., Popa M., Radulian M., Panaiotu C. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 43(2–3), 119–130 | |
Authors:
Borleanu F., Popa M., Radulian M., Panaiotu C.
Abstract:
The Vrancea region, in the South-Eastern Carpathians (Romania), represents a unique case among the seismic areas in the world taking into account the extreme concentration and persistence of seismicity and tectonic stress field. Our goal is to show that the particular shape of attenuation and shear wave splitting properties can be interpreted in the light of the decoupling and slab retreat processes, which hypothetically induce a specific configuration of the upper mantle flow. Delamination and break-off processes combined with retrograde motion of the slab imply lateral asymmetry in flow geometry and geotectonic properties. Particularly relevant is the strike-parallel flow localized in front of the downgoing slab, in contrast with the steeply dip flow along the slab in the back side. The local upper mantle flows around the descending seismic active body explains the contrast of the seismic wave attenuation in the back-arc region against fore-arc region and the strong anisotropy anomaly observed in the South-East Carpathians (time delays of 1.5–2 s). Outside the epicentral area, the coherent pattern of the shear wave splitting follows the trends of the deformation field as outlined by the GPS measurements, in favour of a strong coupling between the surface and mantle processes.
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AZIMUTH AND SLOWNESS CORRECTIONS AT BURAR ARRAY ESTIMATED FROM REGIONAL EVENTS OCCURRED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA | Borleanu F., Popa M., Grecu B., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(4), 1137–1149 | - |
Authors:
Borleanu F., Popa M., Grecu B., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Array processing techniques can characterize the details of arriving seismic waves front for different wave phases. We applied one of these techniques, f-k analysis, to estimate azimuth and slowness systematic deviations specific for Bucovina array (BURAR) and to detect significant lateral variations in the lithosphere structure. BURAR array is a high-quality monitoring system consisting of 10 elements located in the Northern part of Romania, in South-Eastern Carpathians. Data recorded by BURAR during 2004– 2007 time interval are collected from earthquakes located at regional distance and sufficiently large (magnitude greater than 4) to have an acceptable high signal/noise ratio. The distribution of the earthquakes shows strong inhomogeneous azimuth coverage: the majority of the earthquakes occurred in the Southern part relative to BURAR. Significant and systematic deviations in azimuth and slowness are emphasized. For comparison the same technique was applied in case of other two arrays, one located in Ukraine (AKASG) and the other one in Turkey (BRTR). The azimuth and slowness deviations are essential for estimating station corrections in order to improve the location quality. At the same time, they indicate the existence of significant lateral inhomogeneities in the lithosphere which can be interpreted in terms of the particular seismotectonics of the region crossed by seismic rays. Key words: seismic array, azimuth correction, slowness correction, f-k analysis.
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SCALING AND UNIVERSAL POWER LAWS IN TIME SERIES OF SEISMIC EVENTS | Apostol B. F., Cune L. C., Apostol M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 53(3–4), 593–600 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B. F., Cune L. C., Apostol M.
Abstract:
It is shown that functions obeying a scale-invariance property can be conveniently represented as linear superpositions of power laws. Seismicity characteristics of earthquake distributions and focal mechanisms are employed to suggest such a power law for the temporal distribution of nearest-neighbours pairs of earthquakes in the limit of short times. Arguments are given for a universal function introduced recently for such pair distribution (A. Corral, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 108501 (2004)) and an application is made for Vrancea earthquakes. PACS: 89.75.Da; 91.30.Dk; 64.60.Ht; 05.65.+b Key words: scaling, power laws, time series of earthquakes, pair distribution.
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SEISMICITATEA CRUSTALă şI CâMPURILE DE FALII ASOCIATE DIN ROMâNIA | Raileanu V., Dinu C., Radulian M., Popescu E., Diaconescu V.,.Bala A., Ardeleanu L., Popa M. | MENER 2008 | | SESIUNE STIINTIFICA | 2008 | | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Dinu C., Radulian M., Popescu E., Diaconescu V.,.Bala A., Ardeleanu L., Popa M.
Abstract:
Lucrarea trateaza corelarea seismicitatii crustale cu câmpurile de falii din România. Dupa o scurta prezentare a cadrului tectonic românesc se face o sinteza a seismicitatii crustale si a distributia ei pe diferite arii tectonice, cu evidentierea celor mai semnificative cutremure, cunoscute din date instrumentale sau de arhiva. In final se face o corelare a distributiei epicentrelor crustale cu sistemele de falii cunoscute. Cuvinte cheie: Seismicitate crustala, blocuri crustale, falii active, mecanisme focale.
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PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN ROMANIA: APPLICATION FOR CRUSTAL SEISMIC ACTIVE ZONES | Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Constantin A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 53(3–4), 575–591 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Constantin A.
Abstract:
The paper is adverted to a complex activity of research concerning the settlement of the crustal seismic hazard in Romania for risk studies. The seismic risk assessments are very important to specialized organizations, as these studies reveal (physically meaning) the neuralgic points of certain sites that contain constructions, representing real centers of potential disasters when stroked by natural catastrophes and having large socio-economical impact. To forestall such catastrophes, two categories of measures are necessary: (i) achievement of studies regarding the seismicity and evolution of the seismicity within the area, in order to detect abnormalities related to temporal evolution of the systems, abnormalities that can be considered as forerunners of major earthquakes; (ii) hazard and seismic risk assessment for strategic sites and the dissemination of the information in the decision media. The analysis that we propose implies: (1) geometrical definition of all seismic sources affecting Romania, (2) estimation of the maximum possible magnitude, (3) estimation of the frequency magnitude relationship, (4) estimation of the attenuation law and, finally, (5) computing PSH.
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GROUND-MOTION PREDICTION EQUATIONS FOR THE INTERMEDIATE DEPTH VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKE | Sokolov V., Bonjer K.-P., Wenzel F., Grecu B., Radulian M. | BULLETIN OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 6, 367–388 | |
Authors:
Sokolov V., Bonjer K.-P., Wenzel F., Grecu B., Radulian M.
Abstract:
We present the regional ground-motion prediction equations for peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), pseudo-spectral acceleration (PSA), and seismic intensity (MSK scale) for the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes (SE-Carpathians) and territory of Romania. The prediction equations were constructed using the stochastic technique on the basis of the regional Fourier amplitude spectrum (FAS) source scaling and attenuation models and the generalised site amplification functions. Values of considered ground motion parameters are given as the functions of earthquake magnitude, depth and epicentral distance. The developed ground-motion models were tested and calibrated using the available data from the large Vrancea earthquakes. We suggest to use the presented equations for the rapid estimation of seismic effect after strong earthquakes (Shakemap generation) and seismic hazard assessment, both deterministic and probabilistic approaches.
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NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARTH PHYSICS (NIEP) PROGRESSES IN SEISMIC MONITORING, FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE | Grigore A., Grigore A. Jr. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(3), 917–928 | |
Authors:
Grigore A., Grigore A. Jr.
Abstract:
Seismic monitoring in Romania has more than 100 years of tradition. In spite of the World wars and critical periods, these activities progressed and have a good future. Presently a complex and high dynamic range real time seismic network ensures the seismic monitoring in Romania. A huge seismic database became a strong support for research and investigation in seismic field of activity. This insures a constant seismic data exchange with the global seismic monitoring systems. International collaboration is established with important scientific entities around of the world. There is a planning for a future upgrade of the National Seismic Network with more broadband seismic stations. Infrasound research project, as complementary activity for Romanian seismic monitoring, will start also. Key words: seismic monitoring, Romania, array, infrasound.
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RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NEO-DETERMINISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN THE CEI REGION | Panza G.F., Kouteva M., Vaccari F., Peresan A., Cioflan C.O., Romanelli F., Paskaleva I., Radulian M., Gribovzki K., Herak M., Zaichenco A., Marmureanu G., Varga P., Zivcic M. | INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SEISMIC HAZARD AND RISK REDUCTION IN COUNTRIES INFLUENCED BY VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | | PROCEEDINGS | 2008 | | - |
Authors:
Panza G.F., Kouteva M., Vaccari F., Peresan A., Cioflan C.O., Romanelli F., Paskaleva I., Radulian M., Gribovzki K., Herak M., Zaichenco A., Marmureanu G., Varga P., Zivcic M.
Abstract:
A review of the recent achievements of the innovative neo-deterministic approach for seismic hazard assessment through realistic earthquake scenarios has been performed. The procedure provides strong ground motion parameters for the purpose of earthquake engineering, based on the deterministic seismic wave propagation modelling at different scales - regional, national and metropolitan. The main advantage of this neo-deterministic procedure is the simultaneous treatment of the contribution of the earthquake source and seismic wave propagation media to the strong motion at the target site/region, as required by basic physical principles. The neo-deterministic seismic microzonation procedure has been successfully applied to numerous metropolitan areas all over the world in the framework of several international projects. In this study some examples focused on CEI region concerning both regional seismic hazard assessment and seismic microzonation of the selected metropolitan areas are shown.
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NEW APPROACH ON SEISMIC HAZARD ISOSEISMAL MAP FOR ROMANIA | Marmureanu G., Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(4), 1123–1135 | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Cioflan C. O., Marmureanu A.
Abstract:
he seismicity of Romania comes from the energy that is released by crustal earthquakes, which have a depth not more than 40 km, and by the intermediate earthquakes coming from Vrancea region (unique case in Europe) with a depth between 60 and 200 km. The authors developed the concept of “control earthquake”and equations to obtain the banana shape of the attenuations curves of the macroseimic intensity I (along the directions defined by azimuth Az), in the case of an Vrancea earthquake at a depth 80 < x < 160 km. There were used deterministic and probabilistic approaches, linear and nonlinear ones. The final map is in MMI intensity (isoseismal map) for maximum possible Vrancea earthquake with Richter magnitude, MGR = 7.5. This will avoid any drawbacks to civil structural designers and to insurance companies which are paying all damages and life loses in function of earthquake intensity.
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GROUND MOTION PATTERNS OF INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES: THE OCTOBER 27, 2004 EVENT, IN “HARMONIZATION OF SEISMIC HAZARD IN VRANCEA ZONE” | Bonjer K.P., Ionescu C., Sokolov V., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popa M., Popescu E. | NATO SCIENCE FOR PEACE AND SECURITY SERIES C: ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY | BOOK SERIES | ARTICLE | 2008 | 47-62 | |
Authors:
Bonjer K.P., Ionescu C., Sokolov V., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popa M., Popescu E.
Abstract:
Weak and strong intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes occur in a small zone beneath the SE-Carpathians. Despite the small seismogenic dimension, the seismic moment release is unusually high. During the last century, four major earthquakes occurred in this source zone, which is confined to an area of only 20x60 km2. the focal depths range from 60 to 170 km, but some few events were found in depths to about 220 km. in this paper we analyze the October 27, 2004 Mw=5.8 event and the aftershock pattern in the context of the background seismicity. We furthermore present ground motion maps for the mainshock using the recordings of the accelerometer networks installed in Romania, and the macroseismic intensities as observed by the internet community and provided by the United States Geological Survey. The combination of these instrumental and internet based observations enabled the construction of ground motion maps, covering the whole territory of Romania and the bordering countries. The geographical pattern of the peak ground acceleration as well as the seismic intensity of the moderate size October 2004 earthquake show the well known Northeast-Southwest trending of the maximum values, as displayed by the big events of 1940, 1977, 1986 and 1990. The growing community of internet users will provide denser and area-wider, even transfrontier, information on the effects of future strong Vrancea earthquakes than instrumental observations alone can do.
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PHYSICAL AND DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTARY LAYERS IN AND AROUND BUCHAREST CITY | Bala A., Zihan I., Ciugudean V., Raileanu V., Grecu B | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(2), 389–401 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Zihan I., Ciugudean V., Raileanu V., Grecu B
Abstract:
New seismic measurements are performed in Bucharest area with the purpose of defining better physical and dynamic properties of the shallow sedimentary rocks. Downhole seismic measurements were performed in 10 cased boreholes drilled in the Bucharest Metropolitan area. Processing and interpretation of the data lead to the conclusion that shallow sedimentary rocks can be considered weak in the area, down to 150–200 m depth. Seismic wave velocity values and bulk density values presented in the paper associated with local geology are useful primary data in the seismic microzonation of Bucharest City. They are used as 1D models to derive transfer functions and response spectra for the stack of sedimentary rocks in several parts of Bucharest area, leading to a better knowledge of the local site amplification and associated frequency spectra. This paper was presented in the symposium “Thirty Years from Romania Earthquake of March 4, 1977”, 1–3 March 2007, Bucharest, Romania.
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SEISMOLOGICAL DATABASE FOR BANAT SEISMIC REGION (ROMANIA) – PART 2: THE CATALOGUE OF THE FOCAL MECHANISM SOLUTIONS | Oros E., Popa M., Popescu E., Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 53(7–8), 965–977 | - |
Authors:
Oros E., Popa M., Popescu E., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
A high quality Catalogue of Focal Mechanism Solutions of the earthquakes occurred in the Banat Seismic Region (Romania) (CFMSBSR) is presented. It comprises focal mechanism solutions (FMS) for 140 events, spanning 47 years (1959–2006). CFMSB includes three kinds of the FMS: i) collected FMS with their original parameters, ii) compiled FMS with modified parameters, iii) new FMS. Key words: earthquakes, faults, focal mechanism solutions, Banat Seismic Region.
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SEISMOLOGICAL DATABASE FOR BANAT SEISMIC REGION OF ROMANIA - PART 1: THE PARAMETRIC EARTHQUAKE CATALOGUE | Oros E., Popa M., Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 53, 955-964 | - |
Authors:
Oros E., Popa M., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
The most comprehensive Seismological Database for Banat Seismic Region has been achieved. This paper refers to the essential characteristics of the first
component of this database, namely the Parametric Earthquakes Catalogue for the Banat Seismic Region (PECBSR). PECBSR comprises 7783 crustal earthquakes (3 ≤ h ≤ 25 km) with 0.4 ≤ Mi ≥ 5.6 (Mi is ML, MD, MS, MW, Mm and/or mb from compiled sources) occurred in the Banat region and its surroundings between 1443 and 2006. Different magnitude scales were converted into moment magnitude scale, Mw. The completeness of PECBSR strongly depends on the time.
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PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN ROMANIA: APPLICATION FOR CRUSTAL SEISMIC ACTIVE ZONES | Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Constantin A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 53(3–4), 575–591 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Constantin A.
Abstract:
The paper is adverted to a complex activity of research concerning the settlement of the crustal seismic hazard in Romania for risk studies. The seismic risk assessments are very important to specialized organizations, as these studies reveal (physically meaning) the neuralgic points of certain sites that contain constructions, representing real centers of potential disasters when stroked by natural catastrophes and having large socio-economical impact. To forestall such catastrophes, two categories of measures are necessary: (i) achievement of studies regarding the seismicity and evolution of the seismicity within the area, in order to detect abnormalities related to temporal evolution of the systems, abnormalities that can be considered as forerunners of major earthquakes; (ii) hazard and seismic risk assessment for strategic sites and the dissemination of the information in the decision media. The analysis that we propose implies: (1) geometrical definition of all seismic sources affecting Romania, (2) estimation of the maximum possible magnitude, (3) estimation of the frequency magnitude relationship, (4) estimation of the attenuation law and, finally, (5) computing PSH. Key words: crustal seismicity, seismic hazard, probabilistic approach.
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SKS SPLITTING OBSERVED AT ROMANIAN BROAD-BAND SEISMIC NETWORK | Ivan M., Popa M., Ghica D. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 462(1-4), 89-98 | |
Authors:
Ivan M., Popa M., Ghica D.
Abstract:
Shear-wave splitting results are presented for the broad-band stations of the Romanian seismic network. For stations BUC1 and CRAR (located in Moesian Platform), IAS (in East-European Platform), TIRR and CVD (in Central Dobrudja–Black Sea microplate), TIM and DRGR (in Dacia-Tisza plate, including Apuseni Mts.), BURAR, BZS and GZR (in, or very close to the Carpathian Arc), the fast directions (φ) are around 135°. The mean delay values (δt) of the slow wave are slightly greater for the stations placed in platform areas (δt ~ 1.5 s) than for the stations situated in the (proximity) of Carpathians (δt ~ 1.2 s). For the MLR station located in the South-Western part of Vrancea area, at the Carpathian Bend, the fast direction is 48°, similar to VOIR station (located in Southern Carpathians, 70 km West of MLR). At VRI and PLOR, located in the North-Eastern part of Vrancea, the fast axis is oriented approximately on North–South direction, with a possible dependence of the splitting parameters with back azimuth. At least for some stations, the splitting results are not consistent with vertical coherent lithospheric anisotropy.
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RELOCATION OF LARGE INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES IN THE VRANCEA REGION, ROMANIA, SINCE 1934 AND A SEISMIC GAP | Hurukawa N., Popa M., Radulian M. | EARTH PLANETS SPACE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60, 565–572 | |
Authors:
Hurukawa N., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
We relocated M 6 or larger intermediate-depth earthquakes in Vrancea, Romania that have occurred since 1934. To determine their absolute hypocenters accurately, we combined them with recent (from January 1996 to November 2003) smaller earthquakes recorded by the Romanian local network and then relocated all of them simultaneously using a modified joint hypocenter determination method. Using the data on recent small earthquakes we first obtained an estimate of the dimensions of the active seismic region of intermediate-depth earthquakes: length, 85 km; along a NE-SW direction; width, 20 km; depth 60-160 km. We then determined that the 1940 (M 7.7), 1977 (M 7.5) and 1990 (M 6.9) major earthquakes were located near the NE edge of the seismic region, while the 1986 (M 7.2) was located inside the seismic region. The focal depths of the 1940, 1977, 1986 and 1990 major earthquakes were calculated to be 124, 98, 135 and 84 km, respectively and their source areas to range from 60 to 140 km in depth. The only unbroken area is at a depth of 140-160 km, which we current consider to be a seismic gap. Based on the regularity of past large earthquakes, we propose that the next M 7 intermediate-depth earthquake can be expected to occur in Vrancea at a depth interval of 140-160 km sometime early in this century.
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APPLICATION OF THE WIENER PREDICTIVE FILTER AND THE BENIOFF GRAPHS TO FORECAST VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES | Enescu D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 53(3–4), 567–574 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
In this article I continue the forecasting study of Vrancea earthquakes based on the extrapolation in time of the square root of the seismic energy Es. For this purpose, I use two alternative approaches based on the theory of Wieners filters and Benioff graphs, respectively. The application of the first method indicates that the next major Vrancea earthquake (MGR t 6.5(6.7)) will occur in the time period 2016–2020, while according to the second method the major event would occur earlier, in the time period 2011–2015.
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NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARTH PHYSICS (NIEP) PROGRESSES IN SEISMIC MONITORING, FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE | Grigore A., Grigore A. Jr. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(3), 917–928 | - |
Authors:
Grigore A., Grigore A. Jr.
Abstract:
Seismic monitoring in Romania has more than 100 years of tradition. In spite of the World wars and critical periods, these activities progressed and have a good future. Presently a complex and high dynamic range real time seismic network ensures the seismic monitoring in Romania. A huge seismic database became a strong support for research and investigation in seismic field of activity. This insures a constant seismic data exchange with the global seismic monitoring systems. International collaboration is established with important scientific entities around of the world. There is a planning for a future upgrade of the National Seismic Network with more broadband seismic stations. Infrasound research project, as complementary activity for Romanian seismic monitoring, will start also. Key words: seismic monitoring, Romania, array, infrasound.
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APPLICATION OF THE WIENER PREDICTIVE FILTER AND THE BENIOFF GRAPHS TO FORECAST VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES | Enescu D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 53(3–4), 567–574 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
In this article I continue the forecasting study of Vrancea earthquakes based on the extrapolation in time of the square root of the seismic energy Es. For this purpose, I use two alternative approaches based on the theory of Wieners filters and Benioff graphs, respectively. The application of the first method indicates that the next major Vrancea earthquake (MGR t 6.5(6.7)) will occur in the time period 2016–2020, while according to the second method the major event would occur earlier, in the time period 2011–2015.
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ESTIMAREA COMPORTAMENTULUI STRUCTURII GEOLOGICE LOCALE IN CAZ DE SEISM MAJOR | Diaconescu M., Cioflan C.O., Dumitru I., Cristea P. | MENER 2008 | | SESIUNE STIINTIFICA | 2008 | 498-506 | - |
Authors:
Diaconescu M., Cioflan C.O., Dumitru I., Cristea P.
Abstract:
În general, studiul unei zone seismogene implica cel putin doua aspecte majore: evaluarea caracteristicilor intrinseci ale acesteia (distributia spatiala a focarelor, magnitudinea maxima, repetabilitatea fenomenului seismic,etc) si distributia areala a efectelor. Dezvoltarea sociala si economica a dus la cresterea riscului seismic în regiunile din exteriorul Arcului Carpatic mai ales prin cresterea densitatii populatiei si prin marirea vulnerabilitatii ambientului construit. În aceste conditii completarea cunostintelor macroseismice se poate face numai prin simularea sintetica a miscarilor seismice asteptate sa se produca în amplasamente de mare vulnerabilitate mai ales ca înregistrarile de cutremure puternice sunt înca putine. Folosind totalitatea informatiilor despre sursele seismice trecute si posibile, despre mediul/structurile geologice prin care se propaga undele seismice de la surse pâna la suprafata libera se pot genera istorii in timp ale deplasarilor seismice(implicit viteze si acceleratii) pentru un punct sau pentru o arie cu vulnerabilitate deosebita. Inregistrarile cutremurelor puternice sunt folosite pentru verificarea/validarea sau calibrarea modelelor numerice folosite în simulare. Cuvinte cheie: model seismotectonic, modelarea comportarii dinamice, magnitudine, hipocentru.
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CONTINUOUS DISTRIBUTION OF ELASTIC PARAMETERS OF THE SHALLOW QUATERNARY LAYERS ALONG THE 3C SEISMIC PROFILE EAST BUCHAREST | Bala A., Cristea P., Raileanu V., Nitica C. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(1), 111–129 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Cristea P., Raileanu V., Nitica C.
Abstract:
Processing techniques were applied to seismic data acquired by reflection methods. The seismic methods are efficient research methods for civil engineering and environmental geology, which invite to develop specific methodologies. Therefore, soft-programs for processing data collected with refraction seismic techniques (based on head and transmitted waves) and by transmission tomography for velocity were made. The visual programming medium Borland Delphi was utilized to create the program MEDCONT, whose abilities, by menus and dialog windows, are both commanded and controlled. The accuracy and the adaptability of the program to field cases are validated by data resulted from forward models and also collected by applications on field objectives.
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ESTIMATION OF THE LOCAL RESPONSE IN BUCHAREST USING NAKAMURA METHOD FOR BUCHAREST AREA | Zaharia B., Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B., Tataru D | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 60(1), 131–144 | - |
Authors:
Zaharia B., Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B., Tataru D
Abstract:
Bucharest is one of the most affected cities by earthquakes in Europe. Situated at 150–170 km distance from the Vrancea epicentral zone, Bucharest has suffered many damages due to high energy Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes. For example, the 4 March 1977 event produced the collapse of 32 buildings with 8–12 levels, while more than 150 old buildings with 6–9 levels were seriously damaged. The studies done after this earthquake showed the importance of the surface geological structure upon ground motion parameters. Bonjer et al. (1999) used for estimation of the local response the seismic noise recorded at 16 stations in Bucharest. The results showed that the H/V spectral ratios obtained for the 16 sites are dominated by a clear resonance peak between 1 and 2 seconds and their amplitudes remain constant around the value of 2. Our purpose is to extend the Bonjer et al. (1999) study using new data acquired in 2002 on 20 sites in Bucharest. The measurements were done with a K2 digital station equipped with a velocity sensor having the natural period of 5 seconds. For computation of the spectral ratios using Nakamura’s method (1989) the JSESAME software developed within the European project SESAME (http://sesame-fp5.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr) was used. The obtained ratios confirm the previous results, showing a dominant resonance in the period range of 1–2 seconds. The average period of these maxima is 1.47
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INVERSION OF 27.10.2004 VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUKE USING TELESEISMIC WAVEFORMS DATA | Tugui A., Craiu M. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 43(2–3), 175–181 | |
Authors:
Tugui A., Craiu M.
Abstract:
Several source parameters (depth, scalar moment, rupture velocity, focal mechanism) are determined for the moderate-size October 27, 2004 (MW = 5.8) Vrancea (Romania) intermediate-depth earthquake by inversion of teleseismic waveforms. The Vrancea area, located in the South-Eastern part of the Carpathian Arc, is affected by the occurrence of frequent and strong intermediate-depth earthquakes. The most recent moderate shock occurred on October 27, 2004 (MW = 5.8). In this paper we have analysed the earthquake using global data from far away stations. We used 7 P-waves and 6 S-waves readings from IRIS-GEOSCOPE networks. These stations are situated far away at epicentral distances ranging between 30◦ and 90◦. For the waveforms inversion we applied Neighbourhood Algorithm (Sambridge 1999a, 1999b). Rupture parameters determination was based on Slip Patch Method (Vall´ee and Bouchon 2004) and the used program was Kimberklite (CEA/DASE, Franch). The application of the inversion technique to teleseismic let to a fault plane solution and source parameters close to those obtained by CMT solution from global data and the solution retrieved from local data.
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RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF NDSHA IN CEI REGION | Panza G. F., Kouteva M., Vaccari F., Peresan A., Cioflan C. O., Romanelli F. | INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR EARTH PHYSICS | | PROCEEDINGS | 2008 | | - |
Authors:
Panza G. F., Kouteva M., Vaccari F., Peresan A., Cioflan C. O., Romanelli F.
Abstract:
A review of the recent achievements of the innovative neo-deterministic approach for seismic hazard assessment through realistic earthquake scenarios has been performed. The procedure provides strong ground motion parameters for the purpose of earthquake engineering, based on the deterministic seismic wave propagation modelling at different scales - regional, national and metropolitan. The main advantage of this neo-deterministic procedure is the simultaneous treatment of the contribution of the earthquake source and seismic wave propagation media to the strong motion at the target site/region, as required by basic physical principles. The neo-deterministic seismic microzonation procedure has been successfully applied to numerous metropolitan areas all over the world in the framework of several international projects. In this study some examples focused on CEI region concerning both regional seismic hazard assessment and seismic microzonation of the selected metropolitan areas are shown.
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REVIEW OF HISTORICAL SEISMICITY IN THE WESTERN AND SOUTH-WESTERN TERRITORY OF ROMANIA (BANAT SEISMIC REGION) | Oros E. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 43(2–3), 153–161 | |
Authors:
Oros E.
Abstract:
The seismicity of the western and southwestern territory of Romania, called in this paper Banat Seismic Region (BSR) is analyzed for the historical period using a new regional Parameter Earthquakes Catalogue (Oros et al. 2007). The catalogue comprises a number of 709 earthquakes occurred between 1443 and 1970, the 269 of which being new recorded events. The magnitudes/intensities (epicentral or maximum observed) range between 2.2 and 5.7 (Mm, Ms, mb, MLH or MW) and 3.0–8 EMS, respectively. Some of the major events re-evaluated on instrumental basis (historical seismograms collected by the author as partner into the EuroSeismos project) show larger values of magnitudes than the previous ones. The space distribution of the epicenters displays an obvious clustering trend well correlated with the tectonics and geology (faults and fault systems, structures). The time distribution displays an apparent migration of the seismic activity between different sources zones, e.g. before 1900 the activity concentrates within the northwestern and southeastern areas of BSR and after 1900 the activity groups mainly in the central part of the region.
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PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD IN TERMS OF INTENSITIES FOR BULGARIA AND ROMANIA – UPDATED HAZARD MAPS | Leydecker G., Busche H., Bonjer K.-P., Schmitt T., Kaiser D., Simeonova S., Solakov D., Ardeleanu L. | NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 8, 1431–1439 | |
Authors:
Leydecker G., Busche H., Bonjer K.-P., Schmitt T., Kaiser D., Simeonova S., Solakov D., Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
ince 2007 Bulgaria and Romania are members of the European Union. All member states have to introduce the European earthquake building code EUROCODE 8 (EC 8) in the coming years. Therefore, new seismic hazard maps have to be calculated according to the recommendations in EC 8. Here the authors present a novel approach to compute such hazard maps. We prefer to use the macroseismic intensity as hazard parameter because of two reasons: – The irregular azimuthal attenuation pattern of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes can be advantageously taken into account by using detailed macroseismic maps. – The intensity is directly related to the degree of damage and is the original information in the historical earthquake catalogues. The main base of our probabilistic analysis is the earthquake catalogue for SE-Europe (Shebalin et al., 1998) in combination with national and regional catalogues. Fore- and aftershocks were removed. Seismic source zones inside an area of about 200 km around Romania and Bulgaria were defined based on seismicity, neotectonics and geological development. For each seismic source the intensity-frequency relation was calculated and a maximum possible earthquake as well as a seismogenic depth was estimated. An appropriate attenuation law was assumed. To cope with the irregular isoseismals of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes, a factor was included in the macroseismic attenuation law. Using detailed macroseismic maps of three strong intermediate depth earthquakes, was calculated for each observation. Strong local variations of are avoided by averaging within grid cells of 0.5 degree in longitude and 0.25 degree in latitude. The contributions of all seismic sources, the crustal normal depth source zones and the Vrancea intermediate depth zone, were summed up and the annual probability of exceedance was calculated. The contribution of the Vrancea intermediate depth zone to each grid point was computed with the corresponding representative of this point; a seismogenic depth of 120 km has been assumed. Each final seismic hazard map is a combination of two maps, the one for normal depth source zones and the one for the Vrancea intermediate depth zone. This is illustrated for a recurrence period of 475 years. Additional hazard maps were calculated for different recurrence periods.
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ROMANIAN SEISMIC NETWORK DEVELOPMENT | Ionescu C., Neagoe C. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2008 | 43, 145-152 | |
Authors:
Ionescu C., Neagoe C.
Abstract:
The Romanian Seismic Network consisting of 8 short-period stations (S13), 60 Altus – K2 and Q330 seismic stations, is primarily designed to survey the Vrancea seismic region (strong and moderate Vrancea earthquakes). Since July 2002, a new seismic monitoring system, Bucovina Seismic Array (BURAR) has been operating. BURAR consists of 12 seismic stations distributed on a 5 km × 5 km area. 9 stations are equipped with short-period (SP) vertical sensors (GS-21 res) and one station is equipped with broad-band (BB) three component sensor (KS 54000). Broad-band sensors GMG40T (1000V/cm/s) were installed at 5 of the short-period stations, at the beginning of 2008. Recently, NIEP has developed its real-time digital seismic network. This network consists of 21 broad band stations and one seismic array. In the next year NIEP will install additional broad band stations in the central part of Romanian territory and other 40 strong motions stations in Bucharest. At the National Data Centre (NDC) runs BRTT’s AntelopeTM 4.9 data acquisition and processing software on two HP workstations for real-time and post processing. The Antelope Real-Time System is also providing automatic event detection, arrival picking, event location and magnitude calculation. The Romanian Seismic Network is already linked with IRIS and ORFEUS organizations and other European countries via Internet and is contributing in near real time with waveform data from 5 broadband stations. The seismotectonic characteristics of the Vrancea region offer the opportunity to create and develop a rapid seismic warning system. This system allows warning in an approximately 25 seconds time window for Bucharest.
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STUDIUL PROPRIETăţILOR DE ATENUARE A UNDELOR SEISMICE îN LITOSFERă PENTRU ESTIMAREA HAZARDULUI SEISMIC PE TERITORIUL ROMâNIEI | Ardeleanu L., Tumanian M. | MENER 2008 | | SESIUNE STIINTIFICA | 2008 | 507-516 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Tumanian M.
Abstract:
Riscul seismic ridicat la care este expusa o mare parte a teritoriului României se datoreaza sursei de cutremure majore din zona de curbura a Carpatilor Orientali. Hartile detaliate cu intensitati macroseismice ale evenimentelor majore produse în a doua jumatate a secolului XX pun în evidenta o puternica asimetrie a izoseistelor (cu o scadere rapida a intensitatilor observate pe directia SE-NV), ce nu poate fi explicata satisfacator numai prin mecanismul de rupere. Aceasta trasatura apare ca o caracteristica a tuturor celor 4 cutremure puternice cu magnitudine în jur de 7, în ciuda diferentelor de adâncime si mecanism focal (directie de propagare a ruperii, caracter multisoc, etc.). Având în vedere cantitatea mare de informatii seismologice, geologice si geofizice acumulate în ultimii ani, ne propunem investigarea atenuarii inelastice a undelor seismice în crusta si mantaua superioara prin estimarea de modele locale pentru factorul de calitate al mediului Q. Abordarea se bazeaza pe inversia neliniara a trenurilor de unde generate de cutremure locale de magnitudine mica; algoritmul utilizat este original. Intrucât atenuarea undelor seismice este determinata de proprietatile elastice ale mediului de propagare, proprietati puternic dependente de compozitia si temperatura rocilor constitutive s-a realizat o rafinare a distributiei câmpului de temperaturi în crusta si manta si o evaluare a comportamentului reologic al rocilor componente, pentru integrarea rezultatelor obtinute din modelarea termica cu modelele pentru factorul de calitate Q relevate prin studiul undelor seismice
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SEISMICITATEA CRUSTALă şI CâMPURILE DE FALII ASOCIATE DIN ROMâNIA | Raileanu V., Dinu C., Radulian M., Popescu E., Diaconescu V.,.Bala A., Ardeleanu L., Popa M. | MENER 2008 | | SESIUNE STIINTIFICA | 2008 | 375-382 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Dinu C., Radulian M., Popescu E., Diaconescu V.,.Bala A., Ardeleanu L., Popa M.
Abstract:
Lucrarea trateaza corelarea seismicitatii crustale cu câmpurile de falii din România. Dupa o scurta prezentare a cadrului tectonic românesc se face o sinteza a seismicitatii crustale si a distributia ei pe diferite arii tectonice, cu evidentierea celor mai semnificative cutremure, cunoscute din date instrumentale sau de arhiva. In final se face o corelare a distributiei epicentrelor crustale cu sistemele de falii cunoscute. Cuvinte cheie: Seismicitate crustala, blocuri crustale, falii active, mecanisme focale.
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SEISMICITY CHARACTERISTICS IN THE PARTICULAR CASE OF VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES | Rogozea M., Enescu B., Bazacliu O., Popa M., Radulian M. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 156-160 | - |
Authors:
Rogozea M., Enescu B., Bazacliu O., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The variation of the seismic activity in space and time, frequency-magnitude distribution, deformation accumulation curve (Benioff’s curve) are analyzed. The study area, situated between 60 and 180 km depth, is divided in two active segments, one centered around 90 km depth, other centered around 140 km depth. The evolution of seismic activity shows alternative accelerating and decelerating deformation release in the upper segment and lower segment, respectively. The different seismicity behavior in the two segments of the seismic active volume and the apparent interconnection between them can be speculated to predict the most probable future particular seismic hazard pattern. We identify the characteristics of the preparation process of the strong subcrustal events originating in Vrancea region and analyze how they can be incorporated in a time-dependent seismic hazard assessment.
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CRUSTAL SEISMICITY AND DEEP STRUCTURE IN THE SE CARPATHIANS AND ITS FORELAND | Raileanu V., Bala A., Dinu C., Radulian M., Popescu E., Diaconescu V., Mateciuc D., Popa M. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 86-89 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Bala A., Dinu C., Radulian M., Popescu E., Diaconescu V., Mateciuc D., Popa M.
Abstract:
Besides the intermediate depth earthquakes (Mw>7.0), in the SE Carpathians and its foreland a crustal seismicity (Mw<=5.6) is as well present. A correlation of the crustal hypocenter distribution with the deep structure displayed by the deep seismic lines is done. Some deep crustal faults extended down to the upper mantle are found out both in the SE Carpathians and its foreland. They are correlated with the seismic cross-sections of the Vrancea 99 and Vrancea 2001 lines. The faults are overlapped on the inflection zones of the interfaces between the crustal layers.
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ATTENUATION RELATIONS FOR THE SEISMIC GROUND MOTION INDUCED BY VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES | Popescu E., Cioflan C.O., Radulian M., Placinta A.O., Moldovan I.A. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 152-156 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Cioflan C.O., Radulian M., Placinta A.O., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
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SOURCE OF VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES: PARAMETER VARIABILITY TEST USING A SMALL-APERTURE ARRAY | Popescu E., Radulian M., Popa M., Placinta A.O., Grecu B. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 51, 15–34, | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M., Popa M., Placinta A.O., Grecu B.
Abstract:
La source des tremblements de terre de profondeur moyenne de Vrancea (Roumanie): le test du paramètre variabilité en utilisant un réseau à petite aperture. Le réseau sismique de Bucovine (BURAR) est un réseau à petite aperture installé en 2002 en coopération avec les États-Unis dans la partie septentrionale de la Roumanie, dans les Carpates Orientales, à une distance d’environ 250 km nord de l’aire épicentrale de Vrancea. Le réseau est formé de 10 stations (neuf instruments de courte période et un de large bande) distribuées sur une aire de 5 × 5 km2. L’intention est d’analyser la capabilité de BURAR de contraindre les paramètres de la source des tremblements de terre de profondeur moyenne de Vrancea comme une station de type stand alone. Dans ce but, on a appliqué les techniques de déconvolution relative, comme les techniques des rapports spectraux (SR) et de la fonction empirique de Green (EGF), sur un nombre de données de 36 séismes de profondeur moyenne de Vrancea (3.4 ≤ MW ≤ 6.0) produits entre 2002 et 2005 et deux événements récents, en plus, qui sont les meilleurs enregistrements jamais faits sur le territoire roumain: le 27 septembre 2004 (45.70oN, 26.45oE, h = 166 km, Mw = 4.7) et le 27 octobre 2004 (45.84oN, 26.63oE, h = 105 km, Mw = 6.0). On démontre, de même, l’exactité des paramètres résultés par ces techniques, en utilisant la possibilité de comparer les enregistrements de plusieurs stations du réseau BURAR. Finalement, pour les tremblements de terre de Vrancea, les relations de calibrage et de calage, en utilisant les enregistrements de la station BURAR, sont déterminantes. Les relations de calage, évaluées sur les paramètres de source résultés, mettent en évidence un comportement lié au comportement typique pour d’autres aires de source à une dépendence significative de la chute de contrainte du moment sismique (le modèle de la source variable de la chute de contrainte). Bien que BURAR soit situé assez loin de l’aire épicentrale de Vrancea et le chemin particulier entre le focus de profondeur moyenne et le site montre de puissantes inhomogénités latérales, l’étude met en évidence que les enregistrements de ce réseau constituent des instruments fiables et utiles pour contraindre efficacement la source des paramètres et les propriétés de calage de la source. Key words: seismic array, Vrancea earthquakes, spectral ratios, empirical Green’s function method.
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VRANCEA SEISMIC SOURCE CALIBRATION USING A SMALL-APERTURE ARRAY | Popescu E., Radulian M., Popa M., Placinta A.O., Ghica D., Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 59(1), 147–164 | |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M., Popa M., Placinta A.O., Ghica D., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
small-aperture seismic array (BURAR) was installed in 2002 in the northern part of the Romanian territory, in the Eastern Carpathians (Bucovina area). Since then, the array has been in operation under a joint cooperation programme between Romania and USA. The array consists of 10 stations installed in boreholes (nine short period instruments and one broadband instrument) with enough high sensitivity to properly detect earthquakes generated in Vrancea subcrustal domain (at about 250 km epicentral distance) with magnitude Mw above 3. Our main purpose is to investigate and calibrate the source parameters of the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes using specific array techniques and data provided by BURAR as a stand alone station. Thirty six earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.4 and 6.0 were selected, including the recent events of September 27, 2004 (45.70oN, 26.45oE, h = 166 km, Mw = 4.7), October 27, 2004 (45.84oN, 26.63oE, h = 105 km, Mw = 6.0) and May 14, 2005 (45.66oN, 26.52oE, h = 146 km, Mw = 5.1), which are the best ever recorded earthquakes on the Romanian territory. Empirical Green’s function deconvolution and spectral ratio methods are applied for pairs of collocated events with similar focal mechanism. Stability tests are performed for the retrieved source time function using the array elements. Empirical scaling and calibration relationships are also determined. The scaling relationships assessed on the basis of the resulted source parameters reveal a behaviour close to the typical behaviour for other source areas with a significant dependence of the stress drop on the seismic moment (non-constant stress drop source model). Our study shows the capability of the BURAR array to determine the source parameters of the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes as a stand alone station and demonstrates that the recordings of this array provides reliable and useful tools to efficiently constrain the source parameters and consequently source scaling properties.
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SYSTEM FOR MITIGATION OF SEISMIC VULNERABILITY OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES | Ionescu C., Marmureanu A., Grigore A., Popa M., Moldovan I.A. | THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE AND RISK MITIGATION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 119-128 | - |
Authors:
Ionescu C., Marmureanu A., Grigore A., Popa M., Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
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PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT FOR ROMANIA CONSIDERING INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH (VRANCEA) AND SHALLOW (CRUSTAL) SEISMICITY | Sokolov V., Wenzel F., Mohindra R., Grecu B., Radulian M. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 132-147 | - |
Authors:
Sokolov V., Wenzel F., Mohindra R., Grecu B., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The earthquake risk on Romania is one of the highest in Europe, and seismic hazard for almost half of the territory of Romania is determined by the Vrancea seismic region, which is situated beneath the southern Carpathian Arc. The region is characterized by a high rate of occurrence of large earthquakes in a narrow focal volume at depth from 70 km to 160 km. Besides the Vrancea area, several zones of shallow seismicity located within and outside territory of Romania are considered as seismically dangerous. We present results of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, which implemented “logic tree” approach based on recent information on earthquake ground motion characteristics and which considers both intermediate-depth and crustal seismicity. Seismic hazard in terms of macroseismic intensities, peak ground acceleration, and response spectra was evaluated for various return eriods. For the Vrancea area, the region-dependent attenuation relationships were used (Sokolov et al., 2007). These attenuation relationships are based on Fourier Amplitude Spectrum (FAS) source scaling and attenuation models, and generalized site amplification functions. For the crustal events, due to lacking of strong motion data, the attenuation relationships developed for Europe by Ambraseys et al. (1996) are used.
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EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING FOR BUCHAREST AND ISTANBUL | Bose M., Wenzel F., Erdik M., Marmureanu G. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 148-152 | - |
Authors:
Bose M., Wenzel F., Erdik M., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
Earthquake early warning (EEW) systems have to comply with two requirements: they have to be fast and, at the same time, highly reliable. We have developed two methods for EEW in Bucharest, Romania, and Istanbul, Turkey, that fulfill these needs. The first method uses ground motion observations at a single sensor in the epicentral Vrancea zone, SE-Carpathians, to estimate the level of ground shaking Bucharest will experience in the case of a stronf Vrancea earthquake.
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URBAN SEISMOLOGY RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF BUCHAREST CITY | Balan St.F., Cioflan C. O., Apostol B., Tataru D., Ritter J. R. R. | THE SYMPOSIUM "THIRTY YEARS FROM THE ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4, 1977" | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | | - |
Authors:
Balan St.F., Cioflan C. O., Apostol B., Tataru D., Ritter J. R. R.
Abstract:
The aim of this work is to evaluate the natural period of oscillation T0 for soils in Bucharest city area. We considered the ratio H/V of the horizontal to the vertical component of the Fourier spectrum for the seismic events recorded at 34 locations during the period October 2003 to August 2004. The applied method gives reliable data regarding the fundamental frequencies for soil deposits and the results of this experiment allows us to improve the known distribution of T0 – regularly calculated with the approximate formula T=4h/vs. This data will be further used in a complex activity for seismic microzonation of the Romanian capital city.
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PHYSICAL AND DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTARY LAYERS IN AND AROUND BUCHAREST CITY | Bala A., Zihan I., Ciugudean V., Raileanu V., Grecu B. | THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 359-366 | |
Authors:
Bala A., Zihan I., Ciugudean V., Raileanu V., Grecu B.
Abstract:
New seismic measurements are performed in Bucharest area with the purpose of defining better physical and dynamic properties of the shallow sedimentary rocks. Down-hole seismic measurements were performed in a number of 10 cased boreholes drilled in the Bucharest Metropolitan area. Processing and interpretation of the data lead to the conclusion that shallow sedimentary rocks can be considered weak in the area, down to 150 - 200 m depth. Seismic wave velocity values and bulk density values presented in the paper associated with local geology are useful primary data in the seismic microzonation of Bucharest City. They are used as 1D models to derive transfer functions and response spectra for the stack of sedimentary rocks in several parts of Bucharest area, leading to a better knowledge of the local site amplification and associated frequency spectra.
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PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD MAPS IN TERMS OF INTENSITIES FOR ROMANIA AND BULGARIA | Ardeleanu L.A., Leydecker G., Schmitt T., Bonjer K.-P., Busche H., Kaiser D., Simenova S.D., Solakov D.E. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 128-132 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.A., Leydecker G., Schmitt T., Bonjer K.-P., Busche H., Kaiser D., Simenova S.D., Solakov D.E.
Abstract:
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DEEP SEISMIC SOUNDING ACROSS THE VRANCEA REGION | Raileanu V., Hauser F., Bala A., Fielitz W., Prodehl C., Dinu C., Landes M. | RAILEANU V., HAUSER F., BALA A., FIELITZ W., PRODEHL C., DINU C., LANDES M. | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 80-85 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Hauser F., Bala A., Fielitz W., Prodehl C., Dinu C., Landes M.
Abstract:
The major seismic refraction lines have been recorded across the Vrancea region: VRANCEA'99, in the N-S direction from Bacau to south of Bucharest and VRANCEA'2001, in the E-W direction from the Black Sea neat Tulcea to Aiud in Transilvania.
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SEISMIC SITE EFFECTS BASED ON IN SITU BOREHOLE MEASUREMENTS IN BUCHAREST | Bala A., S.F. Balan , J.R.R. Ritter, D. Hannich, G. Huber, J. Rohn | THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE AND RISK MITIGATION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 190 – 204 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., S.F. Balan , J.R.R. Ritter, D. Hannich, G. Huber, J. Rohn
Abstract:
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LOCAL SEISMIC EFFECTS IN SITES LOCATED IN THE SOUTH AND CENTRAL PART OF TRANSYLVANIA BASED ON SPECTRAL RATIOS | Raileanu V., Bala A., Grecu B. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 59(1), 165–178 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Bala A., Grecu B.
Abstract:
An assessment of the spectral ratios H/V of seismic records in 18 sites from south Covasna to Aiud in the Transylvania province were achieved based on the data provided by the Vrancea 2001 seismic experiment. A global analysis of the spectral ratio curves shows a transition from 1-3 well outlined peaks with high amplifications (>1.5-2 units) to poorly differentiated peaks and low amplifications on the frequency scale.
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SOURCE PARAMETERS OF INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES FROM EMPIRICAL GREEN’S FUNCTIONS MODELING | Oth A., Wenzel F., Radulian M. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 438(1-4), 33-56 | |
Authors:
Oth A., Wenzel F., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Several source parameters (source dimensions, slip, particle velocity, static and dynamic stress drop) are determined for the moderate-size October 27th, 2004 (MW=5.8), and the large August 30th, 1986 (MW=7.1) and March 4th, 1977 (MW=7.4) Vrancea (Romania) intermediate-depth earthquakes. For this purpose, the empirical Green’s functions method of Irikura (1983, 1986, 1999) is used to generate synthetic time series from recordings of smaller events (with 4 £ MW £ 5) in order to estimate several parameters characterizing the so-called strong motion generation area, which is defined as an extended area with homogeneous slip and rise time and, for crustal earthquakes, corresponds to an asperity of about 100 bar stress release (Miyake et al., 2003). The parameters are obtained by acceleration envelope and displacement waveform inversion for the 2004 and 1986 events and MSK intensity pattern inversion for the 1977 event using a genetic algorithm. The strong motion recordings of the analyzed Vrancea earthquakes as well as the MSK intensity pattern of the 1977 earthquake can be well reproduced using relatively small strong motion generation areas, which corresponds to small asperities with high stress drops (300 – 1200 bar) and high particle velocities (3 – 5 m/s). These results imply a very efficient high-frequency radiation, which has to be taken into account for strong ground motion prediction, and indicate that the intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes are inherently different from crustal events.
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MOLDAVIAN DAM'S RATING IN SEISMIC RISK CLASSESS - A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH | Moldavian dam's rating in seismic risk classess - A probabilistic approach | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 383-388 | - |
Authors:
Moldavian dam's rating in seismic risk classess - A probabilistic approach
Abstract:
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LOCAL GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE BUILDING BEHAVIOR DURING THE LARGE VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES. CASE STUDY: BUCHAREST URBAN AREA | Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G., B. Grecu | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 273-277 | - |
Authors:
Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G., B. Grecu
Abstract:
The main purpose of the study is ti analyze the infșuence of the local natural conditions upon the soil response in Bucharest, in case of large (M>7) Vrancea subcrustal earthquake.
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SEISMIC CRUSTAL STRUCTURE BETWEEN THE TRANSYLVANIAN BASIN AND THE BLACK SEA, ROMANIA | Hauser F., Raileanu V., Fielitz W., Dinu C., Landes M., Bala A., Prodehl C. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 430(1-4), 1–25 | |
Authors:
Hauser F., Raileanu V., Fielitz W., Dinu C., Landes M., Bala A., Prodehl C.
Abstract:
In order to study the lithospheric structure in Romania a 450 kmlongWNW–ESE trending seismic refraction projectwas carried out in August/September 2001. It runs from the Transylvanian Basin across the East Carpathian Orogen and the Vrancea seismic region to the foreland areas with the very deep Neogene Focsani Basin and the NorthDobrogea Orogen on the Black Sea. A total of ten shots with charge sizes 300–1500 kg were recorded by over 700 geophones. The data quality of the experiment was variable, depending primarily on charge size but also on local geological conditions. The data interpretation indicates a multi-layered structure with variable thicknesses and velocities. The sedimentary stack comprises up to 7 layers with seismic velocities of 2.0–5.9 km/s. It reaches a maximum thickness of about 22 km within the Focsani Basin area. The sedimentary succession is composed of (1) the Carpathian nappe pile, (2) the postcollisional Neogene Transylvanian Basin, which covers the local Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Tarnava Basin, (3) the Neogene Focsani Basin in the foredeep area, which covers autochthonous Mesozoic and Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks as well as a probably Permo- Triassic graben structure of the Moesian Platform, and (4) the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic rocks of the North Dobrogea Orogen. The underlying crystalline crust shows considerable thickness variations in total as well as in its individual subdivisions, which correlatewell with the Tisza-Dacia, Moesian and North Dobrogea crustal blocks. The lateral velocity structure of these blocks along the seismic line remains constant with about 6.0 km/s along the basement top and 7.0 km/s above the Moho. The Tisza-Dacia block is about 33 to 37 km thick and shows low velocity zones in its uppermost 15 km, which are presumably due to basement thrusts imbricated with sedimentary successions related to the Carpathian Orogen. The crystalline crust of Moesia does not exceed 25 km and is covered by up to 22 km of sedimentary rocks. The North Dobrogea crust reaches a thickness of about 44 km and is probably composed of thick Eastern European crust overthrusted by a thin 1–2 km thick wedge of the North Dobrogea Orogen. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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H/V SPECTRAL RATIOS TECHNIQUE APPLICATION IN THE CITY OF BUCHAREST: CAN WE GET RID OF SOURCE EFFECT? | Grecu B., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Panza G.F. | JOURNAL OF SEISMOLOGY AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | BDI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 9(1-2), 1-14 | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The main issue of this paper is to show that contrary to many examples of monitored strong earthquakes in different urban areas, the intensity and spectral characteristics of the strong ground motion induced in Bucharest area, by Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes, is controlled by the coupled source-site properties rather than by the local site conditions alone. Our results have important implications on the strategy to follow when assessing the seismic microzoning for Bucharest city: we recommend the application of deterministic approaches rather than empirical techniques, like H/V spectral ratios. However, when applied to noise data, the H/V spectral technique succeeds to reproduce the predominant frequency response characteristic for the sedimentary cover beneath the city and the relatively uniform distribution of this structure over the city area. The same technique is clearly inadequate when small earthquakes are considered and our results strongly disagree with any strategy of extrapolation from small and moderate earthquakes to strong earthquakes for microzoning purposes.
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AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING AT BURAR SEISMIC STATION | Ghica D., Schweitzer J. | THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE AND RISK MITIGATION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 164-169 | - |
Authors:
Ghica D., Schweitzer J.
Abstract:
BURAR seismic data are continuously recorded and transmitted in real-time to the Romanian National Data Centre (RO_NDC), where they are automatically processed using a program developed at NORSAR for detecting and association signals from regional array data, and applied for BURAR characteristics.
Automatic estimates from detection (slowness vector and onset time) were verified with events listed in PDE bulletins (worldwide seismicity) and in Romanian Earthquake Catalogue (local and regional events).
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EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING FOR BUCHAREST, ROMANIA: NOVEL AND REVISED SCALING RELATIONS | Bose M., Ionescu C., Wenzel F. | GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 34, L07302 | |
Authors:
Bose M., Ionescu C., Wenzel F.
Abstract:
The accumulation of strong earthquakes with resembling source mechanisms in the Romanian Vrancea zone, SE Carpathians, allows for designing a simple, cheep and robust earthquake early warning (EEW) system for Bucharest with leading times of about 25 s. A previously established scaling relation for EEW predicts in the range from 1–2 s a ten times higher ground motion amplitude in Bucharest than the maximum P-wave acceleration measured in the epicentral area. Using additional weak and strong motion data, we find that ground shaking in Bucharest is generally overestimated by this relation by a factor of two. However, the predicted amplitudes are within the 95% confidence interval of our revised relation. Additional predictive laws for EEW are determined for different ground motion parameters. The application of our scaling relations to the October 27, 2004 Vrancea earthquake (Mw = 6.0) supports the feasibility of the approach for EEW in Romania.
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RESULTS FROM THE URBAN SEISMOLOGY (URS) PROJECT IN BUCHAREST | Balan S.F., J. Bartlakowski, T. Diehl, T. Forbinger, J. Groos, B. Jaskolla, J. Rhon, J.R.R. Ritter, O. Sebe, H. Sudhaus, F. Wenzel, J. Ziehm J. | THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE AND RISK MITIGATION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 277-283 | - |
Authors:
Balan S.F., J. Bartlakowski, T. Diehl, T. Forbinger, J. Groos, B. Jaskolla, J. Rhon, J.R.R. Ritter, O. Sebe, H. Sudhaus, F. Wenzel, J. Ziehm J.
Abstract:
Bucharest. the capital of Romania with about 2,5 million inhabitants, is frequently struck by intense damaging earthquake (1940, 1977, 1986 & 1990). Within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre 461 (CRC 461) ”Strong Earthquakes” - a Challenge for Geoscience and Civil Engineering” and the ”Romanian Group for Strong Earthquakes” seismic wavefields were recorded continuously in Bucharest with broadband instruments for 9 month.
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H/V SPECTRAL RATIOS TECHNIQUE - APPLICATION FOR BUCHAREST AREA | Zaharia B., Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B., Paulescu D. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 284-288 | - |
Authors:
Zaharia B., Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B., Paulescu D.
Abstract:
Bucharest is one of the most affected cities by earthquakes in Europe. Situated at 130-150 km distance from Vrancea epicentral zone, Bucharest has suffered many damages due to high energy Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes. For example, the 4 March 1977 even produces the collapse of 32 buildings with 8-12 levels, while more than 150 old buildings with 6-9 levels were seriously damaged. The studies done after the earthquake had shown the importance of the surface geological structure upon ground motion parameters.
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SEISMIC FORECAST USING GEOSTATISTICS | Grecu V., Mateciuc D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 59(3), 867-911 | - |
Authors:
Grecu V., Mateciuc D.
Abstract:
The main idea of this research branch consists in the special way of constructing a new type of mathematical function as being a correlation between a computed statistical quantity and another physical quantity. This type of function called “position function” was taken over by the authors of this study in the field of seismology with the hope of solving – at least partially – the difficult problem of seismic forecast [1], [4]. The geostatistic method of analysis focuses on the process of energy accumulation in a given seismic area, completing this analysis by a so-called “loading function”. This function – in fact a temporal function – describes the process of energy accumulation during a seismic cycle from a given seismic area. It was possible to discover a law of evolution of the seismic cycles that was materialized in a so-called “characteristic function”. This special function will help us to forecast the magnitude and the occurrence moment of the largest earthquake in the analysed area. Since 2000, the authors have been evolving to a new stage of testing: real – time analysis, in order to verify the quality of the method. There were five large earthquakes forecasts.
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THE OCTOBER 27TH, 2004 VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKE | Radulian M., Bonjer K.-P., Popescu E., Popa M., Ionescu C., Grecu B. | ORFEUS NEWSLETTER | | | 2007 | 1(7) | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Bonjer K.-P., Popescu E., Popa M., Ionescu C., Grecu B.
Abstract:
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SEISMICITY PATTERNS IN SE CARPATHIANS AT CRUSTAL AND SUBCRUSTAL DOMAINS: TECTONIC AND GEODYNAMIC IMPLICATIONS | Radulian M., Bonjer K.-P., Popa M., Popescu E. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 93-102 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Bonjer K.-P., Popa M., Popescu E.
Abstract:
A significant cluster of earthquakes is generated at the sharp bend of the South-Eastern Carpathians, in the Vrancea zone. The seismic activity is strongly increasing with depth, with an unusual concentration of seismic energy release at intermediate depths (60 – 180 km). The process responsible for such a peculiar seismicity is still not completely understood. The seismic activity is significantly lower and more dispersed in the crust; however, notable clustering effects are present in response to the geodynamical evolution of the system. The development of the accelerometer network in the framework of the project “Strong Earthquakes: A Challenge for Geosciences and Civil Engineering” of the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, allowed the outlining of high-resolution images of specific alignments of seismicity in the crust (in front of Vrancea region) and in the upper mantle (in the subducted lithosphere). Refined joint locations are carried out for the most recent earthquakes, produced after 1995. The predominant NE-SW trending of the hypocenters is interpreted in terms of the specific forces assumed to act in the region, the active fault system developed in front of the Vrancea region, fault plane solutions and tomography image. Key words: seismicity pattern, SE Carpathians, Vrancea earthquakes, geodynamics
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GEOLOGICAL, GEOPHYSICAL AND SEISMOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR LOCAL RESPONSE EVALUATION IN BUCHAREST URBAN AREA | Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G. | SOIL DYNAMICS AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 27(4), 367-393 | |
Authors:
Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
Vrancea major intermediate-depth earthquakes produced extreme damage in Bucharest city, located at about 165 km epicenter distance. Our purpose is to investigate the influence of local geological conditions upon the seismic motion in Bucharest in case of large (M>7) Vrancea earthquakes. Two input data sets are used: (a) geological, geotechnical and geophysical information, including in situ measurements, and (b) acceleration recordings of Vrancea earthquakes. Local response evaluation based on first dataset is confirmed by the spectral analysis of the earthquake records. Two main features are outlined: non-stationarity of ground motion dynamic amplification from one event to other and inadequacy of limiting the investigation depth to uppermost 30 m to evaluate ground dynamic characteristics. Consequently (1) we cannot extrapolate the ground motion response determined for moderate and small earthquakes to anticipate the effects of the large Vrancea shocks and (2) the local response is controlled by the entire package of Quaternary deposits which are significantly deeper than 30 m depth beneath Bucharest Area.
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LARGE VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES AND SEISMIC MICROZONATION OF BUCHAREST URBAN AREA | Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G., B. Grecu | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 52(1–2), 171–188 | - |
Authors:
Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G., B. Grecu
Abstract:
Le grand séisme qui a eu lieu dans la région de Vrancea, le 4 Mars 1977, a produit l’écroulement de 32 haut bâtiments dans la parte centrale de Bucarest et une autre dizaine de haut bâtiments ont été gravement avariés. On a généralement supposé que la cause principale de cette destruction a été la proximité de la période d’oscillation du bâtiment vis-à-vis de la période fondamentale de résonance spécifique pour les conditions géologique au-dessous de la ville. Le but principal de cette étude est l’analyse de l’influence des conditions locales sur la réponse de sol dans Bucarest, pendant les grands tremblements de terre de Vrancea (M > 7) de profondeur intermédiaire. Pour accomplir ce but nous avons utilisé deux sets de dates: (1) dates géologiques, géotechniques et géophysiques, comprenant les mesurages in situ des ondes transversales, et (2) les enregistrements d’accélération des séismes du Vrancea de profondeur intermédiaire, produit entre 1977 et 2004. Les résultats de notre étude concernant l’évaluation de la réponse locale, en utilisant les contrastes d’impédance et facteurs d’amplification, mettent en évidence deux caractéristiques majeurs de haut signifiance pour l’ingénieurs: (1) le discordance pour le cas de la ville de Bucarest de la procédure standard qui limite la profondeur d’investigation à 30 m pour établir les caractéristiques dynamiques du sol; la réponse locale pendant les grands tremblements de terre de Vrancea est contrôlée par les dépôts sédimentaires Quaternaires entières qui sont significativement plus grosses que 30 m au-dessous Bucarest; (2) la difficulté de définir des zones avec des réponses différentes. Ainsi, pour la zone urbaine de Bucarest et pour les tremblements de terre de Vrancea de profondeur intermédiaire on peut parler plutôt des effets régionales que ‘locales’.
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H/V SPECTRAL ANALYSIS IN BUCHAREST AREA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR MICROZONATION PURPOSES | Grecu B., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Panza G.F. | THE SYMPOSIUM "THIRTY YEARS FROM THE ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4, 1977" | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The purpose of our paper is to show that the dramatic effects of the Vrancea earthquakes reported in the case of Bucharest area, at about 140 km epicentral distance, are explained by the coupled source-site properties rather than by the local site conditions alone. When applied to noise data, the H/V spectral technique succeeds to reproduce the predominant frequency response characteristic for the local sedimentary cover and the relatively uniform distribution of it over the city area. However, the same technique should be carefully interpreted when small earthquakes are considered and our results strongly disagree with any strategy of extrapolation from small and moderate earthquakes to strong earthquakes for microzoning purposes in Bucharest urban area. Application of alternative approaches, based on basic physical properties, like the advanced deterministic microzonation is essential for the particular case considered in this study.
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17 AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR DEEP VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES | Ionescu C., Bose M., Wenzel F., Marmureanu A., Grigore A., Marmureanu G. | EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS | BOOK SERIES | CHAPTER | 2007 | 59(1), 121–145 | - |
Authors:
Ionescu C., Bose M., Wenzel F., Marmureanu A., Grigore A., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
Nowadays natural disasters phenomena as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis or earthquakes, are still difficult to prevent. Based on signaling of the phenomenon appearance in the destructive area, important human losses and material damages are avoided. For that reason, WARNING
turns into a key objective, both in theoretical and practical research. For the earthquakes, warning intervals are nevertheless very short – seconds to maximum one minute (Mexico City case). Even if the time window is reduced, automated decision measures are possible in case of a well organized system like important facilities. In Romania, the major seismic risk zone is located in Vrancea region. The earthquakes occurring in this area are the main sources for the seismic hazard on Romanian territory. Seismotectonic characteristics of the Vrancea region offers the opportunity to create and develop a rapid seismic warning system. This system is simple, reasonably low-priced, robust and allows warning in an approximately 25 seconds time window for Bucharest. Warning signal obtained is sent to the responsible factors and specific users in order to control automated blocking of the installations and to carry out the required protection actions.
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A PROCEDURE FOR ASSESSING SEISMIC HAZARD GENERATED BY VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND ITS APPLICATION. III. A METHOD FOR DEVELOPING ISOSEISMAL AND ISOACCELERATION MAPS | Enescu D., Enescu B.D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2007 | 59(1), 121–145 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Enescu B.D.
Abstract:
Abstract. A method for developing isoseismal and isoacceleration maps assumedly valid for future strong earthquakes (MGR > 6.7) is described as constituting the third stage of a procedure for assessing the seismic hazard generated by Vrancea earthquakes. The method relies on the results of the former two stages (Enescu et al. [1-2], and on further elements that are presented in this paper. Moreover, it is based on instrument recording data. Major earthquakes taking place in Vrancea (November 10, 1940 - MGR = 7.4, March 4, 1977 - MGR = 7.2 and the strongest possible) were examined as a way to test the method. The method is also applied for an earthquake of magnitude MGR = 6.7. Given the successful results of the tests, the method can by used for predicting isoseismal and isoacceleration maps for future Vrancea earthquakes of various magnitudes MGR ≥ 6.7.
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GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY TESTS FOR THE MICROZONATION OF BUCHAREST | Balan S.F., Bala A., Ritter J.R.R., Hannich D., Huber G., Rohn J. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 244-248 | - |
Authors:
Balan S.F., Bala A., Ritter J.R.R., Hannich D., Huber G., Rohn J.
Abstract:
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METHODS TO ASSESS THE SITE EFFECTS BASED ON IN SITU MEASUREMENTS IN BUCHAREST CITY | Bala A., B. Grecu, D. Hannich, D. Ehret, V. Raileanu | THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE AND RISK MITIGATION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 248 – 252 | |
Authors:
Bala A., B. Grecu, D. Hannich, D. Ehret, V. Raileanu
Abstract:
In seismic microzonation we want to display the variation in seismic response of the subsurface and subsequently determine where the soil is being amplified to a level that may damage existing buildings or other structures. Frequently peak ground acceleration (PGA) is used to determine the maximum horizontal forces that can be expected. The method is not always adequate, because PGA often corresponds to high frequencies, which are out of range of the natural frequencies of most structures. The largest amplification of the soil will occur at the lowest natural frequency or its fundamental frequency, which corresponds to the characteristic site period. In situ measurements of shear wave velocity in the soil and the soil thickness, provide a direct measure of the characteristic site period. Extensively seismic noise measurements provides a more accessible method and computed H/V spectral ratios can also provide a good indication on the fundamental frequency of the site. Average shear wave velocity in the first 30 m depth (VS-30 ) as defined in EUROCODE 8 and Romanian Code P100-1 is a useful indicator in seismic microzonation, showing zones with low values of average seismic velocities in Bucharest.
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WAVEFORM INVERSION OF THE 27TH OCTOBER 2004 EARTHQUAKE | Tugui A., Craiu M. | CRC-461 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND RISK MITIGATION, MATRIX ROM | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 174-181 | |
Authors:
Tugui A., Craiu M.
Abstract:
The Vrancea area, located in the South-Estern part of the Carpathian Arc, is affected by the occurrence of frequent and strong intermediate-depth earthquakes. The most recent moderate shock occurred on 27.10.2004 (M W =5.8). In this paper we have analysed the earthquake using global data from far away stations. For the waveforms inversion we applied Neighborhood Algoritm (Sambridge, 1999). Rupture parameters determination was based on Slip Patch Method (Valleé and Bouchon, 2004) and the used program was Kimberklite (CEA/DASE, Franta).
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STRUCTURE INHOMOGENEITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION AND ITS INFLUENCE UPON AZIMUTH AND SLOWNESS CORRECTIONS AT BURAR (ROMANIA) SEISMIC ARRAY | Borleanu F., M. Popa, B. Grecu, M. Radulian, D. Paulescu | THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE AND RISK MITIGATION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2007 | 170-173 | - |
Authors:
Borleanu F., M. Popa, B. Grecu, M. Radulian, D. Paulescu
Abstract:
The goal of this study is to estimate azimuth and slowness corrections for BURAR array in order to improve BURAR capability to locate events at regional distance. The f-k technique (Capon, 1969) was applied to obtain observed values for slowness and azimuth. They were compared with the theoretical values computed for a standard 1-D model (ak 135 model, Kennett et al. 1995). Differences in azimuth and slowness between observed and theoretical values range up to 30 degrees and up to 7s/deg, respectively. The anomalies are systematic as measured on different azimuth domains relative to BURAR location, such as SE domain (Middle East), S domain (Balkan Peninsula) and SW domain (Mediterranean region). They are attributed to important lateral variations in the lithosphere structure of the Mediterranean region, primarily controlled by the major contact between East European Craton and Carpatho-Pannonian region.
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POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOME GEOMAGNETIC ANOMALIES AND VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SIGNIFICANT EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED IN THE YEAR 2005 | Enescu D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 51(9–10), 1011–1014 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
The association between geoelectromagnetic anomalies and Vrancea earthquakes of moment magnitudes 3.7 ≤ MW ≤ 5 was first proved by Enescu et al. in the papers [1, 2]. This finding was extended by Enescu [3] to a broader magnitude range 3.7 ≤ MW ≤ 6.3. The study made in [3] proves that observable precursory anomalies in the geomagnetic impedance have preceded all Vrancea earthquakes of moment magnitudes MW ≥ 4.0 occurred in 2004 year. A similar study is made in the present paper for data recorded in 2005 year (Fig. 1). This study confirmes the main result obtained in the papers [1–3], namely that the great majority of Vrancea earthquakes of magnitudes higher than 4 are associated with precursory anomalies in the geomagnetic impedance. It also seems that neither the precursor time nor the amplitude of the precursory magnetic anomaly can be linked reliably with the magnitude of the anticipated earthquake.
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ON STRESS STATE EVOLUTION IN THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SEISMIC REGION | Enescu D., Enescu B.D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 51(9–10), 1015–1019 | |
Authors:
Enescu D., Enescu B.D.
Abstract:
About a decade ago, we estimated (D. Enescu and B. D. Enescu [4]) that the next strong earthquake in Vrancea region was not going to happen until the end of 2005. The time has come for us to be more specific and say when after 2005 it can be expected to occur. Our researches originally [4] led to two hypotheses. In this paper we form by means of Benioff graphs a first hypothesis with respect to the maxim possible magnitude that Vrancea earthquakes can attain during the periods 2006– 2010 and 2011–2015.
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A BAYESIAN THEORY FOR SEISMIC FORESHOCKS AND AFTERSHOCKS | Apostol B.F. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 58(2), 211–219 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
Statistical distributions in time, magnitude and energy are derived for seismic foreshocks and aftershocks accompanying a main seismic shock, as based on the Bayesian theory of probabilities and on a model introduced recently for the accumulation of energy in a seismic focus. Omori’s law is obtained as a self-replication of a generating distribution, the self-consistency of the process requiring an exponential law for this generating distribution. The two distributions are interrelated by Euler’s transform, which provides also a generalized form of Omori’s law. The regime of the accompanying seismic events is characterized as fully as possible, including the time dependence of the magnitude and the rate of released energy
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HAZARD MODELS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF ROMANIA FOR DAM’S RATING IN SEISMIC RISK CLASSES | Moldovan I.A., Popescu E. | FIRST EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY | | PROCEEDINGS | 2006 | | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Popescu E.
Abstract:
Main goal of this paper is rating all dams from central part of Romania into seismic risk classes. Risk classes can be used to establish the necessity of detailed assessment of seismic safety of the dams and to establish the priorities of these evaluations. Methodology that is used in this paper offers an easy way to evaluate the most vulnerable hydrotechnical facilities among the multitude of the central-Romanian dams, that are affected by intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes and local crustal earthquakes from Fagaras, Campulung, Sinaia and Transylvanian Depression. The risk is expressed as a product between hazard and vulnerability. In particular, seismic risk in the case of hydrotechnical arrangements is computed as a product between seismic hazard (corresponding to the location of the respective hydrotechnical arrangement) and the seismic vulnerability of the respective arrangement. Various risk factors and weighting points can be used to approximately quantify the Total Risk Factor (TRF) of any dam [Bureau and Ballentine, 2002]. The TRF depends on the dam type, age, size, the downstream risk potential, and the dam vulnerability, which depends on the seismic hazard of the site. The dam structure influence is represented by the sum of capacity, height, and age risk factors. The downstream hazard factor is based on population and property at risk. The vulnerability rating is a function of the sitedependent seismic hazard and observed performance of similar dams, as defined by a predicted damage factor.
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TIME-SPACE AND SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES FOR FăGăRAş SEISMOGENIC REGION (ROMANIA) | Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Enescu B.D., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 51, 453-469 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Enescu B.D., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) in dense-populated geographical regions and subsequently the design of the strategic objectives are primary based on the knowledge of the seismicity parameters of the seismogenic sources which can generate ground motion amplitudes above the minimum level considered risky at the specific site. The PSHA deals with a Poissonian earthquakes distribution in space and time. This assumption implies the necessity of a catalog containing only independent events. For Romanian territory, besides the major impact of the Vrancea seismic region, characterized by strong intermediate-depth earthquakes, another important seismic source of crustal earthquakes is the Fagaras region, located in the Southern Carpathians, which should be taken into consideration when assessing the seismic hazard. The seismic regime of the region shows significant clustering effects related to earthquake generation together with quarry blasts generation. In order to study the time, space and size clustering of the seismicity, first we propose a method to discriminate the quarry blasts in the existing catalog. Second, we focused our analysis on the earthquake sequence generated near the Sinaia town in 1993, consisting of foreshock and aftershock sequences associated to a main shock of magnitude MW = 5.1. Fractal properties are investigated in the time, space and size distributions and their correlation. A few noticeable tendencies are outlined and discussed. Keywords: seismicity patterns, earthquake sequence, Făgăraş seismic region, quarry blasts discrimination, fractal dimension.
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LARGE VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES AND SITE EFFECTS EVALUATION IN BUCHAREST URBAN AREA | Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G. | FIRST EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY | | PROCEEDINGS | 2006 | | - |
Authors:
Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
The major earthquake that occurred in Vrancea region in March 4, 1977 (Mw=7.4) produced the collapse of 32 high-tall buildings in the central part of the Bucharest city, and other several tens of tall buildings were hard damaged. It was generally assumed that the main cause of this damage was the proximity of the building period of oscillation to the fundamental period of resonance specific for the geological conditions beneath the city. The main purpose of our study is to analyze the influence of the local natural conditions upon the soil response in Bucharest, in case of large (M>7) subcrustal Vrancea earthquakes. To this purpose, we use geological, geotechnical and geophysical information, including in situ measurements of shear wave velocities. The results of our study concerning site response evaluation, using the impedance contrasts and amplification factors, outline two main new aspects of high significance for earthquake engineering practice: (1) inadequacy for the Bucharest city case of the standard procedure that limits the investigation depth in order to set soil dynamic characteristics to uppermost 30m; the local response during the large Vrancea earthquake is controlled by the entire package of Quaternary cohesionless deposits which are significantly thicker than 30m beneath Bucharest and (2) the difficulty to delineate zones with different local amplifications; thus, for Bucharest urban area and strong subcrustal Vrancea earthquakes one can refer rather to regional effects than “local effects”.
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PARAMETRII FIZICI SI ELASTICI AI UNOR ROCI SEDIMENTARE DIN ROMANIA | Balan S.F.,Radulescu F. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | BDI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 44, 63–75 | - |
Authors:
Balan S.F.,Radulescu F.
Abstract:
Studiile de amplasament, în vederea construirii unor obiective industriale (centrale nucleare, baraje etc.) şi civile importante furnizează informaţii cantitative asupra parametrilor fizici şi elastici ai rocilor de fundare, date necesare proiectării antiseismice a construcţiilor respective. Aceste studii implică măsurători seismice in situ, precum şi determinări de laborator pe probe de roci recoltate din foraje săpate în ariile investigate. Ambele genuri de măsurători vizează determinarea vitezelor undelor elastice (longitudinale şi transversale) prin complexul de roci din subsolul construcţiei, a greutăţii volumetrice a acestora şi a parametrilor fizici care intervin în calculul principalelor constante elastice (modulul de elasticitate Young, modulul de forfecare şi coeficientul Poisson). Asemenea studii (de teren şi laborator) s-au efectuat în cadrul institutului nostru şi au vizat amplasamente de centrale nucleare, baraje, precum şi zonele unor clădiri civile deja executate (Galaţi, Bucureşti). Din volumul considerabil de date obţinute cu ocazia acestor lucrări, autorii au selectat rezultatele obţinute în cinci asemenea amplasamente din Moldova, Transilvania şi din zona seismic activă Timişoara. Valorile parametrilor elastici determinaţi sunt comparate cu valorile obţinute în alte zone, constituite din tipuri de roci asemănătoare.
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STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF EARTHQUAKES AND RELATED NON-LINEAR FEATURES IN SEISMIC WAVES | Apostol B.F. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 58(2), 195–210 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
A few basic facts in the science of the earthquakes are briefly reviewed. An accumulation, or growth, model is put forward for the focal mechanisms and the critical focal zone of the earthquakes, which relates the earthquake average recurrence time to the released seismic energy. The temporal statistical distribution for average recurrence time is introduced for earthquakes, and, on this basis, the Omori-type distribution in energy is derived, as well as the distribution in magnitude, by making use of the semi-empirical Gutenberg-Richter law relating seismic energy to earthquake magnitude. On geometric grounds, the accumulation model suggests the value r = 1/3 for the Omori parameter in the power-law of energy distribution, which leads to β = 1,17 for the coefficient in the Gutenberg-Richter recurrence law, in fair agreement with the statistical analysis of the empirical data. Making use of this value, the empirical Bath’s law is discussed for the average magnitude of the aftershocks (which is 1.2 less than the magnitude of the main seismic shock), by assuming that the aftershocks are relaxation events of the seismic zone. The time distribution of the earthquakes with a fixed average recurrence time is also derived, the earthquake occurrence prediction is discusssed by means of the average recurrence time and the seismicity rate, and application of this discussion to the seismic region Vrancea, Romania, is outlined. Finally, a special effect of non-linear behaviour of the seismic waves is discussed, by describing an exact solution derived recently for the elastic waves equation with cubic anharmonicities, its relevance, and its connection to the approximate quasi-plane waves picture. The properties of the seismic activity accompanying a main seismic shock, both like foreshocks and aftershocks, are relegated to forthcoming publications.
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SEISMIC WAVE ATTENUATION FOR VRANCEA EVENTS REVISITED | Radulian M., Panza G.F., Popa M., Grecu B. | JOURNAL OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 10, 411-427 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Panza G.F., Popa M., Grecu B.
Abstract:
New aspects of the frequency-dependent attenuation of the seismic waves travelling from Vrancea subcrustal sources toward NW (Transylvanian Basin) and SE (Romanian Plain) are evidenced by the recent experimental data made available by the CALIXTO'99 tomography experiment. The observations validate the previous theoretical computations performed for the assessment, by means of a deterministic approach, of the seismic hazard in Romania. They reveal an essential aspect of the seismic ground motion attenuation that has important implications on the probabilistic assessment of seismic hazard from Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes. The attenuation toward NW is shown to be a much stronger frequency-dependent effect than the attenuation toward SE and the seismic hazard computed by the deterministic approach fits satisfactorily well the observed ground motion distribution in the low-frequency band (<1Hz). The apparent contradiction with the historically-based intensity maps arises mainly from a systematic difference in the eigenperiods (type and size) of the buildings in the intra- and extra-Carpathians regions, thus the existing macroseismic data, based on buildings of small dimensions, i.e. with high eigenfrequency (5–10 Hz), can hardly be representative of the real hazard for new and large dimension, tall buildings, with eigenfrequency above 1 Hz.
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SEISMIC GROUND MOTION VARIABILITY OVER THE BUCHAREST CITY AREA | Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Grecu B. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 41, 361-368 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Grecu B.
Abstract:
The purpose of this work is to investigate how the local soil conditions in the Bucharest area control the ground motion characteristics using all the available acceleration data for large and moderate size Vrancea earthquakes. The proposed comparative analysis shows no systematic variations from one site to the other in agreement with the relatively uniform subsurface structure beneath the city. The main conclusion of this study is that for the particular case of Bucharest and Vrancea earthquakes, basically the microzonation is emphasizing no areas with significant variation in the amplification factor. At the same time, the source radiation is clearly controlling the seismic response depending on the magnitude. Thus, for the largest shocks (Mw ≯ 7), the seismic response in the range of 1-2 s period is exceptionally enhanced leading to the disastrous damage noticed for the high-tall buildings in the city.
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TIME, SPACE AND SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES FOR SEISMOGENIC REGION (ROMANIA) | Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 51(3–4), 479–494 | |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) in dense-populated geographical regions and subsequently the design of the strategic objectives are primary based on the knowledge of the seismicity parameters of the seismogenic sources which can generate ground motion amplitudes above the minimum level considered risky at the specific site. The PSHA deals with a Poissonian earthquakes distribution in space and time. This assumption implies the necessity of a catalog containing only independent events. For Romanian territory, besides the major impact of the Vrancea seismic region, characterized by strong intermediate-depth earthquakes, another important seismic source of crustal earthquakes is the Făgăraş region, located in the Southern Carpathians, which should be taken into consideration when assessing the seismic hazard. The seismic regime of the region shows significant clustering effects related to earthquake generation together with quarry blasts generation. In order to study the time, space and size clustering of the seismicity, first we propose a method to discriminate the quarry blasts in the existing catalog. Second, we focused our analysis on the earthquake sequence generated near the Sinaia town in 1993, consisting of foreshock and aftershock sequences associated to a main shock of magnitude MW = 5.1. Fractal properties are investigated in the time, space and size distributions and their correlation. A few noticeable tendencies are outlined and discussed. Key words: seismicity patterns, earthquake sequence, Făgăraş seismic region, quarry blasts discrimination, fractal dimension.
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HIGH-RESOLUTION TELESEISMIC BODY WAVE TOMOGRAPHY BENEATH SE-ROMANIA – II. IMAGING OF A SLAB DETACHMENT SCENARIO | Martin M., Wenzel F. , CALIXTO working group | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 164, 579–595 | |
Authors:
Martin M., Wenzel F. , CALIXTO working group
Abstract:
Non-linear teleseismic bodywave tomography with data of the 1999 CALIXTO field experiment (Carpathian Arc Lithosphere X-Tomography) in Romania provides high-resolution imaging of the upper-mantle structure. In this paper,we present the relative P-wave velocity distribution of the lithosphere/asthenosphere system. Smearing from strong crustal velocity anomalies into the upper mantle is successfully suppressed by traveltime corrections with an a priori 3-D regional crustal velocity model (see Martin et al. 2005, herein referenced as paper 1). Our high-resolution image shows a high-velocity body beneath Vrancea and the Moesian platformwith a NE–SW orientation between 70 and 200 km depth. Beneath 200 km a change in the orientation from NE–SW to N–S can be observed. The body reaches a maximum depth of about 350–370 km. The velocity perturbation is maximal between 110 and 150 km depth (5.2– 5.8 per cent) and almost constant for depths beneath 200 km (3.2–3.8 per cent). As most authors of previous studies agree on Miocene subduction along the arc followed by soft continental collision we interpret the high-velocity body as the subducted, yet not fully detached slab. The NE-part of the slab appears to be mechanically coupled to the Moesian lithosphere and hosts the intermediate depth seismicity. In contrast the aseismic SW-part is interpreted as decoupled from the overlying lithosphere and torn off from the underlying lithospheric material beneath 200 km depth. Low velocity anomalies NW of the slab above 110 km depth are interpreted as a shallow asthenospheric upwelling. Further low-velocity anomalies are in agreement with a lithosphereasthenosphere boundary at 110–150 km depth below the Moesian platform and deeper than 200 km under the East European platform (EEP). The tomographic images support models proposing slab rollback during subduction/collision, followed by slab steepening and lithospheric delamination. The different degrees of mechanical coupling of the slab to the overlying lithosphere allow to understand the loci of seismicity as volumes of stress concentration. Independent on the specifics of data interpretation our high-resolution image is a novel contribution to understand the process of ongoing lithospheric detachment associated with strong intermediate-depth seismicity in SE-Romania
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EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR DEEP STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Ionescu C., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G. | FIRST EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND SEISMOLOGY | | PROCEEDINGS | 2006 | | - |
Authors:
Ionescu C., Marmureanu A., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismogenic zone in Romania with deep earthquakes denotes a peculiar source of seismic hazard, which represents a major concern in Europe. The strong seismic events originating from Vrancea can generate the most destructive effects experienced in Romania, and may seriously affect high risk man-made structures such as nuclear power plants (Cernavodă-Romania, Kozloduj-Bulgaria), chemical plants, large dams, and pipelines located within a wide area from Central Europe to Moscow. Main courses for specific actions to mitigate the seismic risks given by strong deep Vrancea earthquakes should be considered as key for development actions and one of them is Early Warning System (EWS) for industrial facilities and other installations of national interest. Early warning system developed at National Institute for Earth Physics from Bucharest, Romania is a device for shutting down of the dangerous industrial processes before strong earthquakes arrives and is the first European information system for real-time early detection and warning of the seismic waves in case of strong earthquakes.Despite their short warning time(25-32 seconds for Vrancea, seismogenic area) earthquake early warning system is a useful tool in risk mitigation provided; its design is robust and uses the regional tectonics. EWS automatically triggers: gas distribution nets (on 1977 earthquake MGR =7.4, there were 380 people burnt), stopping critical operations in airports, nuclear power plants, refineries, stopping trains and elevators in a safe position, alerting of hospital surgery rooms and starting of emergency generators etc. Integration of early warning system into a real-time information system turns out to be crucial in disaster management. EWS is more than an IT technological system to detect, monitor and submit warnings and it should be viewed as part of an European real-time information system that provide rapid information, about an earthquake impeding hazard, to the public and disaster relief organizations before (early warning) and after a strong earthquake (shake maps). This EWS is one of the 20 „Nominees for 2006 European IST Grand Prize” .On March 16,2006,the European Commission has selected it as Winner of the European Information Society Technology(IST) for 2006.
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VRANCEA RAPID EARLY WARNING SYSTEM (REWS) FOR BUCHAREST AND INDUSTRIAL OBJECTIVES-NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR EARTHQUAKE MONITORING | Ionescu C., Marmureanu A. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 41(3-4), 849-359 | |
Authors:
Ionescu C., Marmureanu A.
Abstract:
Nowadays natural disasters phenomena as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis or earthquakes, are still difficult to prevent. BaSed on signaling of the phenomenon imminent appearance in the destructive area, important limitations in human losses and material damages will be carried out. For that reason, \VARNING turned into a key objective, both in theoretical and practical research. For the earthquakes, warning intervals are nevertheless very short -seconds to maximum one minute (Mexico City case). Even if the time window is reduced, automated decision measures are possible to establish in case of an well organized system, mainly for; protection of dangerous chemical units and oil installations; shutdown valves of the natural gas pipelines to prevent fire hazard; protection of nuclear power plants and other high-risk nuclear objectives; electrical insulating of the power distribution network systems; alerting of emergency services, alerting of civil protection, and particularly of civil population; protection of railway transportation systems etc. In Romania, the major seismic risk wne is located in Vrancea region. The earthquakes occurring in this area are the main sources of the seismic hazard on the Romania territory. Seismotectonic characteristics of the Vrancea region offered the opportunity to create and develop a rapid seismic warning system. This system is simple, reasonably low-priced and robust and allows warning in an approximately 25 seconds time window for Bucharest. Warning signal obtained will be issued at the responsible factors and specific users in order to control automated blocking of the installations and to carry out the required protection actions.
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A MODEL OF SEISMIC FOCUS AND RELATED STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF EARTHQUAKES | Apostol B.F. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2006 | 58(4), 583–600 | - |
Authors:
Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
A growth model for accumulating seismic energy in a localized seismic focus is described, which introduces a fractional parameter r on geometrical grounds. The model is employed for deriving a power-type law for the statistical distribution in energy, where the parameter r contributes to the exponent, as well as corresponding time and magnitude distributions for earthquakes. The magnitude distribution is applied to Vrancea earthquakes, in order to assess relevant statistical parameters for this seismic region. The accompanying seismic activity of foreshocks and aftershocks is also discussed in connection with this approach, the associated Omori distributions are derived, and the time dependence of the magnitudes and the rate of released energy are given. It is shown that Omori’s distribution arises from a self-replication process of a generating distribution, the two distributions being inter-related by Euler’s transform. The self-consistency of the process generating the accompanying seismic events requires an exponential law for the generating distribution. A generalization of Omori’s law is also included.
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ATTENUATION IN SOUTHEASTERN CARPATHIANS AREA: RESULT OF UPPER MANTLE INHOMOGENEITY | Popa M., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popescu E., Placinta A.O. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 410, 235-249 | |
Authors:
Popa M., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popescu E., Placinta A.O.
Abstract:
The systematic analysis of seismograms recorded on the Romanian territory using Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes shows a strong asymmetric pattern relative to the epicentral area: on one side, in the Transylvanian Basin and the Eastern Carpathians (approximately along the inner volcanic chain), the amplitudes are reduced by a factor of 20 on average and the high frequencies are attenuated, in contrast with the other side, in the foreland platform. This pattern is explained by a significant attenuation increase caused by a strong lateral variation of the structure in the upper mantle, immediately towards NW of the Vrancea seismic active volume. This region corresponds to the most recent volcanic activity in the Persami Mountains and with the low-velocity body adjacent toward NW to the high-velocity body subducted beneath Vrancea area as indicated by seismic tomography and heat flow results. The CALIXTO'99 tomography experiment, deployed for 6 months in 1999, provides the largest number of observations for Vrancea earthquakes ever recorded on the Romanian territory. We select data from 8 earthquakes generated in this time interval in the Vrancea nest, which were recorded with signal/noise ratio greater than 5 by at least 25 stations. All of them are small- to moderate-magnitude events (3.6 <= M-w <= 4.2). The attenuation is much more important in the high-frequency range (> 1 Hz), than at low frequencies. Since the large Vrancea earthquakes can radiate significant energy in the low-frequency range (< 1 Hz), our results show that the seismic hazard level is much more uniform all over the Romanian territory in the low-frequency range than in the high-frequency range. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF SITE EFFECTS IN ROMANIA BY MEANS OF H/V SPECTRAL RATIOS | Grecu B.,Radulian M.,Popa M.,Bonjer K.,Bala A.,Raileanu V. | JOURNAL OF THE BALKAN GEOPHYSICAL SOCIETY | | JOURNAL | 2005 | 5, 679–684 | |
Authors:
Grecu B.,Radulian M.,Popa M.,Bonjer K.,Bala A.,Raileanu V.
Abstract:
A seismic hazard map proposed as part of a new building code for Romania is presented here on basis of the recommendations in EUROCODE 8. Seismic source zones within an area of about 200 km around Romania were constructed considering seismicity, neotectonics and geological development. The probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in terms of intensities is performed following Cornell (1968) with the program EQRISK (see Mc Guire, 1976), modified by us for use of intensities. To cope with the irregular isoseismals of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes a factor is introduced to the attenuation law (K¨ovesligethy, 1907). Using detailed macroseismic maps of three earthquakes is calculated by fitting the attenuation law to observed intensities, i.e. to local ground conditions. Strong local variation of is avoided by a gridding of 0.5 in longitude and 0.25 in latitude. The contribution of the Vrancea intermediate depth zone to the seismic hazard at each grid point is computed with the corresponding representative . A seismogenic depth of 120 km is assumed. The final seismic hazard is the combination of both contributions, of zones with crustal earthquakes and of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes zone. Calculations are done for a recurrence period of 95, 475 and 10 000 years. All maps show the dominating effects of the intermediate depth earthquakes in the Vrancea zone, also for the capital Bucharest.
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TRANS-EUROPEAN SUTURE ZONE OVER THE ROMANIAN TERRITORY IN THE LIGHT OF NEW SATELLITE DATA | Atanasiu L.,Mandea M.,Zugravescu D.,Roharik M. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 49, 49–61 | - |
Authors:
Atanasiu L.,Mandea M.,Zugravescu D.,Roharik M.
Abstract:
La zone de suture trans-européenne sur le territoire de la Roumanie révélée par les nouvelles données satellitaires. Les actuelles missions satellitaires dédiées à la mesure des champs magnétiques et de la pesanteur de la Terre représentent une opportunité unique pour mieux comprendre ces champs potentiels, à l’échelle globale et régionale. En outre, ces nouvelles mesures de haute résolution et haute précision permettent l’étude des différentes structures géologiques et tectoniques. Parmi celles-ci, ici on étudie la Zone de Suture Trans-Européenne (Trans-European Suture Zone – TESZ).
Ce travail a comme objectif principal de mettre en évidence la signature géophysique d’un segment important de cette structure, connu sous le nom de Zone de TornquistTeisseyre (Tornquist-Teisseyre Zone – TTZ), à travers des données magnétiques et gravimétriques satellitaires.
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SOURCE PARAMETERS OF WEAK CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES OF THE VRANCEA REGION FROM SHORT-PERIOD WAVEFORM INVERSION | Ardeleanu L., Radulian M., Sileny J., Panza G.F. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 162, 495-513 | |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Radulian M., Sileny J., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
High-frequency records of nine low magnitude shallow earthquakes of the Vrancea (Romania) seismic region are inverted for the seismic moment tensor (MT). An approach is suggested regarding how to obtain at least a rough estimate of the MT when the information on the structure of the crust is poor. Here simple 1-D layered models are used in the Green’s function synthesis despite the fact that the structure of the region is undoubtedly very complex. Different 1-D models were used for different source-station paths to approximate lateral variations. Record of a station located on a ray path which crosses a structure differing substantially from a 1-D model may however bias the retrieved MT essentially. Therefore, we did not collectively process all records, but subsets of stations separately. We check the consistency of the MTs resulting from these individual “bootstrap” solutions, and reject those which differ substantially, assuming that this is due to the oversimplification of the forward modeling. Thereafter, the averaged moment tensor yielded by the consistent subsets is accepted. Moreover, the distribution of the T, N and P axes from the moment tensors used for averaging provides a rough estimate of their reliability.
Following this simplistic procedure, we found seven acceptably constrained solutions among nine events processed. Their P axes are compared with the general trend of the stress in the area: three comply with it, the others should be attributed to the complex stress field active in the region.
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CRUSTAL PROPERTIES FROM S-WAVE AND GRAVITY DATA ALONG A SEISMIC REFRACTION PROFILE IN ROMANIA | Raileanu V., Bala A., Hauser F., Prodehl C., Fielitz W. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 410, 251–272 | |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Bala A., Hauser F., Prodehl C., Fielitz W.
Abstract:
RANCEA’99 is a seismic refraction line that was carried out in 1999 to investigate the deep structure and physical properties of the upper lithosphere of the southeastern Carpathians and its foreland. It runs from the city of Bacau to the Danube River, traversing the Vrancea epicentral area of strong intermediate-depth seismicity and the city of Bucharest. Interpretation of P-wave arrivals led to a velocity model that displays a multi-layered crust with velocities increasing with depth. The range of P wave velocities in the sedimentary cover increases from N to S and a structuring of the autochthonous basement of the Moesian Platform is observed. The crystalline crust displays thickness variations, but at the same time the lateral velocity structure along the seismic line remains almost constant. An intra-crustal boundary separates an upper crust from the lower crust. Within the upper mantle a low velocity zone is detected at a depth of about 55-km. The interpretation of observable S-waves resulted in a velocity model that shows the same multi-layered crust, with Svelocities increasing similarly with depth as the P-waves. The corresponding Poisson’s ratio is highly variable throughout the crust and ranges from 0.20–0.35 for the sedimentary cover to 0.22–0.25 for the crystalline crust. The interpretation of the Vp, Vs and Poisson’s ratio in petrological terms suggests a large variety of rocks from sand and clay to sandstone, limestone and dolomite within the sedimentary cover. Within the crystalline crust the most probably rock types are granite, granodiorite, granite–gneiss and/or felsic amphibolite–gneiss in the upper part and gneiss and /or amphibolite in the lower part. Based on the 2-D seismic velocity model, a density model is developed. Density values are assigned to each layer in agreement with the P-wave velocity model and with values accepted for the geological units in the area. After several iterations a good fit between the computed and observed Bouguer anomalies was obtained along the seismic line.
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PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD MAP FOR ROMANIA AS A BASIS FOR A NEW BUILDING CODE | Ardeleanu L., G. Leydecker, K.-P. Bonjer, H. Busche, D. Kaiser , T. Schmitt | NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 5, 679–684 | |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., G. Leydecker, K.-P. Bonjer, H. Busche, D. Kaiser , T. Schmitt
Abstract:
A seismic hazard map proposed as part of a new building code for Romania is presented here on basis of the recommendations in EUROCODE 8. Seismic source zones within an area of about 200 km around Romania were constructed considering seismicity, neotectonics and geological development. The probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in terms of intensities is performed following Cornell (1968) with the program EQRISK (see Mc Guire, 1976), modified by us for use of intensities. To cope with the irregular isoseismals of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes a factor is introduced to the attenuation law (K¨ovesligethy, 1907). Using detailed macroseismic maps of three earthquakes is calculated by fitting the attenuation law to observed intensities, i.e. to local ground conditions. Strong local variation of is avoided by a gridding of 0.5 in longitude and 0.25 in latitude. The contribution of the Vrancea intermediate depth zone to the seismic hazard at each grid point is computed with the corresponding representative. A seismogenic depth of 120 km is assumed. The final seismic hazard is the combination of both contributions, of zones with crustal earthquakes and of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes zone. Calculations are done for a recurrence period of 95, 475 and 10 000 years. All maps show the dominating effects of the intermediate depth earthquakes in the Vrancea zone, also for the capital Bucharest.
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TIME EVOLUTION OF SEISMIC ACTIVITY PARAMETERS RELATED TO THE OCCURRENCE OF THE STRONG EARTHQUAKES OF VRANCEA REGION (IN ROMANIA) | Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | BDI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 43, 41–51 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O.
Abstract:
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SEISMIC ATTENUATION IN THE CARPATHIAN BEND ZONE AND SURROUNDINGS | Russo R.M., Mocanu V., Radulian M., Popa M., Bonjer K.-P. | EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 237, 695–709 | |
Authors:
Russo R.M., Mocanu V., Radulian M., Popa M., Bonjer K.-P.
Abstract:
We use measurements of crustal and upper mantle seismic attenuation in the southeastern Carpathian Arc and surroundings to test mantle responses to Tethys closure in this region. Active seismicity at the Carpathians' Vrancea bend zone can delimit lithosphere and asthenosphere distributions through attenuation observations at overlying seismic stations. We measure frequency-independent attenuation via an iterative spectral ratio method which compares P and S spectra for evolving time windows of both arrivals, yielding 400 individual estimates of apparent differential QS and one composite measurement based on a normalized sum of the spectral ratios determined for the individual Q estimates. The procedure allows exclusion of subtle multipathed phases with attenuation different from that of the direct arrivals and yields a robust estimate of the measurement uncertainty. Measurements are retained for interpretation if the mean of the 400 individual Q estimates and the composite spectra Q estimate fall within the standard deviation of the 400 measurements. Results for 65 earthquakes recorded at the German–Romanian K2 accelerometer network during 1999 fall into clear groups: attenuation is low (high QS) at stations east and north of the Vrancea zone on the East European platform, the Scythian Platform, and in the eastern portion of the Moesian Platform. Inconsistent results at stations west of the Intramoesian fault, including those in and around Bucharest, probably reflect strong site effects at several locales. Attenuation at stations above and near the Vrancea zone, and at stations in the Transylvanian Basin, is high (low QS), most likely due to the presence of hot, shallow asthenosphere in these areas. The technique we developed may ultimately yield a strong test of slab detachment and continental lithosphere delamination hypotheses put forth to explain the unusual seismicity and volcanism of the Carpathian arc.
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THE USE OF P AND S WAVE PULSES TO IDENTIFY SEISMIC WAVE ATTENUATION IN SOUTHEASTERN CARPATHIANS AREA | Popa M.,Popescu E.,Placinta A.,Radulian M.,Grecu B.,Panza G. | JOURNAL OF THE BALKAN GEOPHYSICAL SOCIETY | BDI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 8, 307-310 | - |
Authors:
Popa M.,Popescu E.,Placinta A.,Radulian M.,Grecu B.,Panza G.
Abstract:
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OBSERVATION OF PRESENT-DAY TECTONIC MOTIONS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CARPATHIANS:RESULTS OF THE ISES/CRC-461 GPS MEASUREMENTS | Hoeven A.G.A.,Mocanu V.,Spakman W.,Nutto M.,Nuckelt A.,Matenco L.,Munteanu L.,Marcu C.,Ambrosius B. | EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 239, 177–184 | |
Authors:
Hoeven A.G.A.,Mocanu V.,Spakman W.,Nutto M.,Nuckelt A.,Matenco L.,Munteanu L.,Marcu C.,Ambrosius B.
Abstract:
Results are presented from GPS measurements performed in the Southeastern Carpathians between 1997 and 2004. Data from 25 stations observed during 13 campaigns were analyzed by the Department of Earth Observation and Space Systems (DEOS) of Delft University of Technology. The repeatabilities of the solutions are on the order of 1–4 mm for the horizontal, and 4–8 mm for the vertical component. The resulting velocity estimates have an uncertainty of b1 mm/yr and b3 mm/yr, respectively. The region southeast of the Carpathian bend zone shows a horizontal movement towards SSE of ~2.5 mm/yr, while the Transylvanian Basin shows very small motions with respect to Eurasia. The vertical velocity field indicates the existence of uplift and subsidence domains in the SE Carpathians, in good agreement with Pliocene–Quaternary orogen and basin studies. Another 29 GPS stations installed in the last 3 yr will generate a denser velocity field in the coming years for this region.
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MULTIFRACTAL AND CHAOTIC ANALYSIS OF VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES - INVESTIGATION OF THE TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF EVENTS | Enescu B., Ito K., Radulian M., Popescu E., Bazacliu O. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 162, 249-275 | |
Authors:
Enescu B., Ito K., Radulian M., Popescu E., Bazacliu O.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismic region contains an isolated cluster of events beneath the Carpathian Arc Bend in Romania, dipping to about 200 km depth. Seismic activity mainly occurs at intermediate depths (h > 60 km). The main goal of the paper is to perform an in-depth, complex analysis of the occurrence times of these intermediate-depth events. We also try to show the versatility of the methods used to characterize different aspects of the seismicity evolution and to offer a user-friendly software toolbox to do most of the related computations. The earthquake catalog used in this study spans from 1974 to 2002 and includes only the intermediate-depth events. In the first part of the paper, we analyze the multifractal characteristics of the temporal distribution of earthquakes. The study reveals two distinct scaling regimes. At small scales we found a clear nonhomogeneous, multifractal pattern, while at large scales the temporal distribution of events shows a monofractal, and close to Poissonian (random), behavior. The multifractal behavior at small scales (minutes-hours) is shown to be clearly an effect of the “short” aftershock sequences that occurred after some major Vrancea earthquakes. In the second part of the paper we analyze whether our temporal series shows a persistent (or anti-persistent) long-term behavior, by using the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) method. The results suggest that the analyzed temporal series of Vrancea earthquakes is a non-correlated process. In part three of the paper we seek to determine whether the dynamics of our earthquake system (described by the occurrence time of Vrancea earthquakes) is deterministically chaotic, deriving from a rather simple evolution law, or whether it is stochastic and is generated by a system that possesses many degrees of freedom. The results suggest that our signal is stochastic (probably does not possess an attractor). The limited time-span of the catalog and the analysis performed in this paper cannot rule out the emergence of an interesting, quasi-deterministic and low-dimensional structure in the case of major Vrancea earthquakes.
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IMPROVING DEPTH RESOLUTION OF TELESEISMIC TOMOGRAPHY BY SIMULTANEOUS INVERSION OF TELESEISMIC AND GLOBAL P-WAVE TRAVELTIME DATA—APPLICATION TO THE VRANCEA REGION IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE | Weidle C., Widiyantoro S. , CALIXTO Working Group | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 162, 811–823 | |
Authors:
Weidle C., Widiyantoro S. , CALIXTO Working Group
Abstract:
Over the years, teleseismic tomography has developed to be a sophisticated method to study the Earth's upper mantle on a regional scale. Using data from tomographic experiments with temporary station networks, one faces some inherent problems, which include limited resolution at depth and artefacts due to a plane-wave approximation at the bottom of the model volume. Simultaneous inversion of dense regionally recorded teleseismic and global P-wave travel time data provides an opportunity to overcome these specific problems. The calculation of the entire ray path using a 3-D ray tracing algorithm and a non-linear iterative inversion scheme allow to localize heterogeneities in the Earth's mantle and to improve resolution at depth. Application of a variable parametrization scheme provides not only a regional high-resolution model but additionally allows to include a priori constrained structures such as a crustal model derived from independent studies. We investigated the effect of different inversion strategies for a priori constrained model parameters and found that, for upper-mantle studies, one must allow further perturbation of the known velocity structure during inversion to avoid artefacts down to the mantle transition zone.
We apply this approach to the Romanian Vrancea region in Southeastern Europe. The results show a near-vertical, narrow high-velocity body underneath that region extending down to 280 km depth, approximately outlining the narrowly spaced seismogenic volume and a deeper, differently oriented positive anomaly coupled to the shallower segment at the latter's southwestern edge. At north, northwest and west of the Vrancea region, we find an extended region of decreased seismic P-wave velocity down to 200 km depth, being interpreted as a shallow lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary and asthenospheric mantle flow due to lateral migration of the high-velocity body. From synthetic reconstruction tests, we found that inversion of the combined data set of regionally recorded teleseismic and global travel time data enhances resolution up to depths greater than could be resolved by the teleseismic data alone.
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HARD ROCK SPECTRAL MODELS FOR INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH VRANCEA, ROMANIA, EARTHQUAKES | Sokolov V., Bonjer K.-P., Oncescu M., Rizescu M. | BULLETIN OF THE SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 95(5), 1749–176 | |
Authors:
Sokolov V., Bonjer K.-P., Oncescu M., Rizescu M.
Abstract:
The frequency-dependent amplification for rock sites, as well as apparent source spectra, were studied using an earthquake ground-motion database collected in Romania. Almost all events occurred in the Vrancea focal zone (Southeast Carpathians), which is characterized by a high rate of occurrence of large earthquakes in a narrow focal volume. The seismic activity ranges within an almost vertical stripe in depths between 60 and 170 km. The database used includes several hundred records from more than 100 small magnitude (MW 3.5–5.3) earthquakes that occurred in 1996–2004 and six acceleration records obtained during four large (MW 7.2, 6.9, 6.3, and 6.0) earthquakes. The characteristics of amplification were evaluated using the well-known technique of horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) Fourier spectral ratio of the S-wave phase (Lermo and Chavez-Garcia, 1993). The apparent source spectra were obtained from horizontal components using site (H/V), propagation path (geometric spreading and anelastic attenuation), and near-surface attenuation (kappa-factor) corrections. Seismic radiation (within the frequency range from 0.2–0.3 to 15–20 Hz) during the earthquakes of various magnitudes in the Vrancea zone may be described by an omega-square single-corner-frequency spectral model (x2 Brune spectrum). The stress parameter Dr, which controls high-frequency spectral amplitudes, increases with magnitude from 20–30 bars for MW 3.5 up to 200–250 bars for MW 4.8–5.3, and up to 1000 bars for the case of large (MW 6.0–6.5) events. Empirical amplification (H/V) for rock sites, showing stability for particular locations, reveal high variability from station to station, which together with variations of values of kappa, reflects influence of local geologic and geomorphologic factors.
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ISOLINE MAPS OF GROUND MOTION ACCELERATION CAUSED BY THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKE OF MAY 30, 1990 (MGR = 6.7): COMPARISON WITH THE MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY MAP | Enescu B.D., Enescu D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 57(1), 141–150 | |
Authors:
Enescu B.D., Enescu D.
Abstract:
A study contributing to the groundwork for tracing the seismic hazard maps of the Romanian territory and neighboring areas is presented. Maximum ground movement accelerations recorded at 41 seismic stations have made it possible to work out an isoacceleration map. Estimates based on a synthetic isoacceleration calculating method have made it possible to obtain a fairly complete isoline system. A number of conclusions are drawn of high significance and use for the final tracing of seismic hazard maps.
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LOCAL SEISMIC EFFECTS AS RESULTED FROM A SEISMIC EXPERIMENT IN ROMANIA | Raileanu V.,Bala A.,Grecu B. | JOURNAL OF THE BALKAN GEOPHYSICAL SOCIETY | | JOURNAL | 2005 | 8, 703-706 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V.,Bala A.,Grecu B.
Abstract:
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HIGH-RESOLUTION TELESEISMIC BODY-WAVE TOMOGRAPHY BENEATH SE ROMANIA – I. IMPLICATIONS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL VERSUS ONE-DIMENSIONAL CRUSTAL CORRECTION STRATEGIES WITH A NEW CRUSTAL VELOCITY MODEL | Martin M., Ritter J.R.R. , CALIXTO working group | GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 162(2), 448–460 | |
Authors:
Martin M., Ritter J.R.R. , CALIXTO working group
Abstract:
The CALIXTO (Carpathian Arc Lithosphere X-Tomography) experiment offers a dense, high-quality data set to study the lithospheric/asthenospheric system underneath SE Romania, an earthquake-prone region in SE Europe. To increase the image resolution of structures in the uppermost mantle, the application of crustal traveltime corrections by a priori information before the teleseismic traveltime inversion has become a well-accepted procedure. For such a correction we present a regional 3-D crustal seismic velocity model that serves as the basis for a high-resolution teleseismic tomography (forthcoming paper by Martin et al.). Our 3-D crustal model is based on recent research in the region. We collect new results from two long-range seismic refraction lines, 3-D refraction tomography and teleseismic Ps conversions. Adding previously published models of the sediment distribution, Conrad and Moho depths, as well as crustal seismic P-wave velocities, we compile a 3-D crustal model for SE Romania. This 3-D model does not contain shallow small-scale heterogeneities (<10 km), but it reflects the large-scale structures such as variations in sediment thickness, average seismic velocities and 3-D Moho depth. It is well suited for the correction of teleseismic traveltime residuals, a prerequisite for a high-resolution teleseismic tomography study: for example, traveltime delays of up to 1.3 s are caused by the almost 20-km thick layer of sediments in the Focsani Basin. Such delays are comparable to or larger in size than the expected upper mantle traveltime residuals.
We study the significance of 3-D crustal traveltime corrections relative to 1-D station corrections and show that the complex basin structures in SE Romania require a 3-D approach to reduce the smearing of crustal anomalies into the mantle. By modelling synthetic mantle structures with a slab, as it is expected for SE Romania, we also investigate how to adapt the inversion strategy, if crustal corrections are applied. Significant improvements are found by including the already corrected crustal layers in the inversion procedure, thereby enabling the inversion algorithm to project still remaining uncertainties in the less-resolved upper crustal layers. However, the fixing of the upper layers during the inversion due to the a priori knowledge of the crustal velocity anomalies clearly leads to smearing of uncorrected anomalies that are possibly located close to the crust—mantle boundary.
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ATTENUATION OF THE PEAK GROUND MOTION FOR THE SPECIAL CASE OF VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES AND SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT AT NPP CERNAVODA | Marmureanu G., Androne M., Radulian M., Popescu E., Cioflan C.O., Placinta A.O., Moldovan I.S., Serban V.O. | THE 2ND INT. CONF. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SAFE DEVELOPMENT OF LIFELINE SYSTEMS | | PROCEEDINGS | 2005 | 128-133 | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Androne M., Radulian M., Popescu E., Cioflan C.O., Placinta A.O., Moldovan I.S., Serban V.O.
Abstract:
Attenuation specific from Vrancea intermediate-depth focus towards SE is revised at length in order to re-evaluate the seismic hazard at the NPP Cernavodă. To this aim, we took into consideration all the strong motion data available for the region and test a large range of relationship types. Since the instrumental data are limited as magnitude and depth intervals, the extrapolation based on the attenuation laws deduced from these data to the great magnitude is very unstable and must be carefully considered. the extrapolation outside the characteristic domain of the available database leads to large deviations, especially at large magnitudes and for the relations which contains the depth as independent parameter.
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CRUSTAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE ORIGIN OF MANTLE SEISMICITY IN THE VRANCEA ZONE, ROMANIA: THE CASE FOR ACTIVE CONTINENTAL LITHOSPHERIC DELAMINATION | Knapp J.H., Knapp C.C., Raileanu V., Matenco L., Mocanu V., Dinu C. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 410, 311-323 | |
Authors:
Knapp J.H., Knapp C.C., Raileanu V., Matenco L., Mocanu V., Dinu C.
Abstract:
The Vrancea zone of Romania constitutes one of the most active seismic zones in Europe, where intermediate-depth (70–200 km) earthquakes of magnitude in excess of Mw=7.0 occur with relative frequency in a geographically restricted area within the 1108 bend region of the southeastern Carpathian orogen. Geologically, the Vrancea zone is characterized by (a) a laterally restricted, steeply NW-dipping seismogenic volume (30 70 200 km), situated beneath (b) thickened continental crust within the highly arcuate bend region of the Carpathian orocline, and (c) miscorrelation of hypocenters with the position of known or inferred suture zones in the Carpathian orogenic system. Geologic data from petroleum exploration in the Eastern Carpathians, published palinspastic reconstructions, and reprocessing of industry seismic data from the Carpathian foreland indicate that (1) crust of continental affinity extends significantly westward beneath the external thrust nappes (Sub-Carpathian, Marginal Folds, and Tarcau) of the Eastern Carpathians, (2) Cretaceous to Miocene strata of continental affinity can be reconstructed westward to a position now occupied by the Transylvanian basin, and (3) geologic structure in the Carpathian foreland (including the Moho) is sub-horizontal directly to the east and above the Vrancea seismogenic zone. Taken together, these geologic relationships imply that the Vrancea zone occupies a region overlain by continental crust and upper mantle, and does not appear to originate from a subducted oceanic slab along the length of the Carpathian orogen. Accordingly, the Vrancea zone appears to potentially be an important place to establish evidence for active lithospheric delamination.
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CATALOGUE OF THE FOCAL MECHANISM OF THE EARTHQUAKES RECORDED IN ROMANIA | Bala A.,Radulian M.,Popescu E.,Benetatos C. | NATO ADVANCED RESEARCH WORKSHOP | | PROCEEDINGS | 2005 | 92-95 | - |
Authors:
Bala A.,Radulian M.,Popescu E.,Benetatos C.
Abstract:
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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOCAL MECHANISM OF THE EARTHQUAKES IN ROMANIA | Bala A.,Radulian M.,Popescu E.,Benetatos C. | JOURNAL OF THE BALKAN GEOPHYSICAL SOCIETY | | JOURNAL | 2005 | 8, 699-702 | - |
Authors:
Bala A.,Radulian M.,Popescu E.,Benetatos C.
Abstract:
The Carpathian Orogen is of Alpine age, composed of many Mesozoic and Cenozoic terranes. Back-arc volcanism, and back-arc extension in the Pannonian area, accompanied the Neogene subduction. A bent paleosubduction zone was recognized in the Eastern Carpathians, along which the original oceanic basement of flysch and the Subcarpathians nappes were consumed. The tectonic plate evolution of the whole Carpathian Arc and Pannonian back-arc Basin indicates that at least three tectonic units have been in contact the East European Plate, the Moesian plate and the Intra-Alpine plate. Some new studies proposed an unstable triple junction model in the area in the Vrancea area (Besutiu, 2001). Only aA small portion of this zone is still seismically active, in the Vrancea area, in the crust and in the intermediate depth domains as well, where the prominent beand toward West of the SE Carpathian Arc lies above a nest of strong recent earthquakes (1940, Mw = 7.7; 1977, Mw = 7.5; 1986, Mw = 7.2; 1990, Mw = 6.9 ) situated between 60 and 200 km depth. This is the only place in the entire Carpathians where folding and thrusting occurred during Pleistocene in the outermost zones between two deep faults in the Moesian Platform. Recent moderate crustal seismic activity (between 10 - 50 km depth and Mmax = 5.5), which together with intermediate depth seismicity, produce high seismic risk in a densely populated area.
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PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTARY ROCKS IN THE EASTERN BUCHAREST AREA | Bala A., Raileanu V., Mandrescu N., Zihan I., Dananu E. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 57(1), 151–163 | |
Authors:
Bala A., Raileanu V., Mandrescu N., Zihan I., Dananu E.
Abstract:
New seismic measurements are performed in the eastern Bucharest area with the purpose of defining better the physical properties of the shallow sedimentary rocks. A high resolution seismic profile, 600 m in length, was carried out in the area, as well as down-hole seismic measurements in two boreholes drilled at the ends of the profile. Computing and interpretation of the data lead to the conclusion that shallow sedimentary rocks can be considered weak and very weak in the area, down to 70 m depth. Seismic wave velocity values and bulk density values presented in the paper associated with local geology are useful primary data in the seismic microzonation of Bucharest City. This work was performed in the frame of the CERES Contract no. 34/11.11.2002, funded by the Ministry of Education and Research, Bucharest, Romania. Key words: seismic profile, down-hole seismic measurements, seismic microzonation.
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A CRUSTAL STRUCTURE MODEL FROM THE NORTH DOBROGEA THROUGH THE VRANCEA REGION TO THE WESTERN TRANSYLVANIA | Raileanu V.,Hauser F.,Fielitz W.,Dinu C.,Bala A.,Landes M.,Prodehl C. | JOURNAL OF THE BALKAN GEOPHYSICAL SOCIETY | | JOURNAL | 2005 | 9, 299-302 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V.,Hauser F.,Fielitz W.,Dinu C.,Bala A.,Landes M.,Prodehl C.
Abstract:
Vrancea region is one of the highest risk seismic area from SE Europe. Two large earthquakes occurred in the last century resulting in many casualties within densely populated areas. To increase the knowledge of the causes which generate this seismicity, geoscience research programs received a high priority during the last decades. In the 1970’s two seismic refraction lines recorded from Galati to Oradea (Geotraverse XI) and Galati-Calarasi (Geotraverse II) gave the first data on the deep structure within the Vrancea region and surroundings (Fig. 1). The most extensive study program for the Vrancea region started after 1996 as the University of Karslruhe, Germany, within a consortium of research institutes and universities from Romania and some western European countries as well United States developed several projects focusing on different aspects connected to the Vrancea seismicity. One of these projects targeted the lithosphere structure of the region. Between 1999 and 2001 two seismic refraction lines, running from about NNE to SSW (VRANCEA99) and ESE-WNW (VRANCEA2001), and a seismic tomography experiment were performed. A summary of the results of the VRANCEA2001 seismic refraction line will be presented below. The VRANCEA2001 seismic line is extended over 700 km length from near the Black Sea to Oradea town and about 60 km beyond the Romanian/Hungarian’s border in the West. The seismic line crosses form east to west the North Dobrogea Orogen, Moesian Platform, Focsani Basin, Eastern Carpathian Orogen, Transylvanian Basin, Apuseni Mountains and a short segment of the Pannonian Basin. We will comment only on the results for about 450 km long segment from the eastern end of line to Aiud town in the west.
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AN ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL SEISMIC EFFECTS IN SITES LOCATED FROM THE NORTH OF DOBROGEA TO THE EASTERN CARPATHIANS BEND | Raileanu V., Bala A., Grecu B. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 57(2), 267–279 | |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Bala A., Grecu B.
Abstract:
An analysis of the spectral ratios derived from seismic records in eleven sites located from east of Tulcea to the Vrancea seismic region shows two distinct cases: (1) a major peak with high amplitudes (1.7–2.5 units) within the range of frequencies from 1 to 5 Hz (0.2–1 s period) for the Dunavãþul de Jos, Mãcin, Mãxineni and partly for Cataloi sites; here one or a few shallow thin layers (tens of meters thickness) comprising soft rocks overlie a very thick layer of hard rocks; (2) a peak area within the 0.1–2.5 Hz (0.4–10 s) window with amplitudes of 1.2–1.4 units for the Brãila, Gulianca, Mihãlceni, Bogza, Bordeºti, Dumitreºti and Vintileasca sites where a thick pile of sediments (hundreds of meter thick) comprising soft and hard rocks generates those low resonance frequencies.
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GROUND MOTION PATTERNS TYPICAL FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES:SOURCE VS. PROPAGATION EFFECTS | Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B. | NATO ADVANCED RESEARCH WORKSHOP | | PROCEEDINGS | 2005 | | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B.
Abstract:
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THE SEISMIC SEQUENCE OF 21-22 FEBRUARY 1983 OF RâMNICU SăRAT: FOCAL MECHANISM RETRIEVED BY GENETIC ALGORITHM | Ardeleanu L., Cioflan C. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2005 | 50(5–6), 607–614 | |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Cioflan C.
Abstract:
An inversion scheme for local waveforms which uses a genetic algorithm with memory is applied to retrieve the focal mechanism of a set of low magnitude earthquakes belonging to a seismic sequence occurred in the Râmnicu Sãrat seismic area. The solutions obtained correlate better with the observed P-wave polarities, as compared with the solutions determined previously by an inversion algorithm based on a combination of the Monte Carlo and Simplex methods.
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INCADRAREA BARAJELOR DIN CENTRUL ROMANIEI IN CLASE DE RISC SEISMIC. PARTEA I. DEFINIREA FACTORILOR DE RISC | Moldovan I., Anghel M. | SESIUNEA ŞTIINȚIFICĂ MENER 2004 | | VOLUM SPECIAL | 2004 | B34-B39 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I., Anghel M.
Abstract:
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SUPERFICIAL AMPLIFICATION EFFECTS INDUCED BY SH WAVES IN NONLINEAR ELASTIC LAYERED HALF-SPACE | Misicu M., Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Apostol B.F. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 48, 21–30 | |
Authors:
Misicu M., Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
In order to determine the seismic effects in superficial layers of the earth taking into account their nonlinear constitutive behavior, specific wave equations for longitudinal and transversal propagations are deduced. Following approximations schemes previously enounced by the first author, which furnish effective solutions corresponding to a layered half-space as well as correlations between surface effects (displacements and stresses) and the dislocational mechanism of sources located in ground layer, in the present paper the amplification effect for a layered half-space with nonlinear behavior of the surface layer is analyzed. The results are in good agreement with observational data and consist in specific new effects: the existence of very well defined directivity curves and of almost punctual regions with focusing effects, their dependence on focal mechanism, deep rocks structure and wave superposition, the importance of constitutive laws, the nonlinearity of soft surface soils and of multiple wave overlapped simultaneously with increasing fundamental frequency. These facts are pointing out the correlation between nonlinearity and directivity and are encouraging the efforts for a new approach in viscous-plastic and
fissional rocks behavior.
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SEISMIC ZONING CHARACTERIZATION FOR THE SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN SOUTH-EASTERN ROMANIA TERRITORY | Marmureanu G., Popescu E., Popa M., Moldovan A.I., Placinta A.O., Radulian M. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 39(2-3), 259-274 | |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Popescu E., Popa M., Moldovan A.I., Placinta A.O., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The seismic hazard assessment in dense-populated areas and the strategic objectives design are based on the study of seismicity of the seismogenic sources (which can have an effect at the site above a specified minimum level that is considered risky) and the attenuation between focus and site. The purpose of this paper is to provide a complete set of information required for a probabilistic assessment of the seismic hazard in the southeast Romania relative to the following seismic sources: Vrancea zone (in the crust and intermediate-depth domains), Predobrogean depression zone, Intramoesian zone and Shabla-Dulovo (Bulgaria) zone. As an example, the obtained input parameters are used to evaluate the seismic hazard distribution due to the crustal earthquakes applying the McGuire’s procedure (1976). These preliminary results are in good agreement with the previous research based on deterministic approach (Radulian et al. 2000).
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CRUSTAL SEISMICITY ADJACENT TO VRANCEA AREA: THE MARCH 8,2000 EARTHQUAKE | Ivan M.,Popa M. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | BDI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 42, 27-37 | - |
Authors:
Ivan M.,Popa M.
Abstract:
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EVALUAREA POSIBILITATILOR DE PREDICTIE DE TERMEN SCURT A CUTREMURELOR DIN VRANCEA FOLOSIND INREGISTRARILE ELECTROMAGNETICE | Enescu D., Moldovan I.A., Enescu B. | SESIUNEA ŞTIINȚIFICĂ MENER 2004 | | VOLUM SPECIAL | 2004 | B47-B52 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Moldovan I.A., Enescu B.
Abstract:
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A PROCEDURE FOR ASSESSING SEISMIC HAZARD GENERATED BY VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND ITS APPLICATION. II. ATENUATION CURVES | Enescu D., Marmureanu A., Enescu B.D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 56 (1), 147-159, | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Marmureanu A., Enescu B.D.
Abstract:
In this paper we continue the elaboration of an estimation method of the seismic hazard, a method based on a research made by the authors in a previous paper. The goal is to build the attenuation curves and to prepare the results obtained for the "etalon (reference)" earthquake for other major earthquakes in Vrancea.
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O METODA PENTRU TRANSF.BIUNIVOCA A INTENSITATILOR MACROSEISMICE | Pantea A., Constantin A. | SESIUNEA ŞTIINȚIFICĂ MENER 2004 | | VOLUM SPECIAL | 2004 | | - |
Authors:
Pantea A., Constantin A.
Abstract:
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CN EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION ALGORITHM AND THE MONITORING OF THE FUTURE STRONG VRANCEA EVENTS | Moldoveanu C.L., Novikova O.V., Panza G.F., Radulian M. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 48, 31–36 | |
Authors:
Moldoveanu C.L., Novikova O.V., Panza G.F., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The preparation process of the strong subcrustal events originating in the Vrancea region, Romania, is monitored using an intermediate-term medium-range earthquake prediction method – the CN algorithm (Keilis-Borok, Rotwain, 1990). We present the results of the monitoring of the preparation of future strong earthquakes for the time interval from January 1, 1994, to January 1, 2003 using the updated catalogue of the Romanian local network. The data base considered for the CN monitoring of the preparation of the future strong earthquakes in Vrancea covers the period from 1966.3.1 to 2003.1.1 and the geographical rectangle 44.80–48.40N, 25.00–28.00E. The algorithm correctly identifies, by retrospective prediction, the TIPs for all the three strong earthquakes (Mo = 6.4) that occurred in Vrancea during this period. The cumulated duration of the TIPs represents 26.5% of the total interval of time considered (1966.3.1–2003.1.1). The monitoring of current seismicity using the algorithm CN is carried out since 1994. No strong earthquakes occurred from 1994.1.1 to 2003.1.1 but the CN declared an extended false alarm from 1999.5.1 to 2000.11.1. There is no alarm currently declared in the region (on January 1, 2003), as can be seen from the TIPs diagram shown in Figure 1.
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ESTIMATION OF SITE EFFECTS IN TERMS OF A NEW MICROZONATION MAP OF BUCHAREST | Moldoveanu C.L., Cioflan C., Panza G.F., Radulian M., Marmureanu Gh. | UNESCO AND INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY | | JOURNAL | 2004 | | - |
Authors:
Moldoveanu C.L., Cioflan C., Panza G.F., Radulian M., Marmureanu Gh.
Abstract:
Bucharest city represents the largest urban center (about 2 million inhabitants and 230 km2 constructed area) located in the Balcanic area periodically subjected to strong subcrustal seismicity conditions originating in the Vrancea region (60-200 km depth), Romania. The statistics indicate a recurrence interval of 25 years for Mw≥7.0 Vrancea events and a significant earthquake hazard for the city location with a 50% chance for an event of Mw>7.6
every 50 years. The strongest Vrancea events of the last century occurred in 1908 (Mw=7.1), 1940 (Mw=7.7), 1977 (Mw=7.4) and 1986 (Mw=7.1) and inflicted heavy damage and casualties in Bucharest. Under these circumstances, the ground motion evaluation for the city area represents an essential step toward the mitigation of the local seismic risk. This paper presents new insights coming from direct instrumental observation and interpretation of the
local effects as well as realistic numerical modeling that update and improve the input data necessary for a detailed microzoning map of the Romanian capital. Our results show that the synthetic local hazard distribution we obtain with the deterministic approach supplies a realistic estimation of the seismic input, highly sensitive not only to the local conditions, but also to the source and the path structure parameters. The complex hybrid method we use
offers the chance to merge the different specific accumulated information in reasonably well constrained scenarios for a level C realistic microzonation of Bucharest area to be used to mitigate the effects of future strong events originating in the Vrancea region.
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SITE CONDITIONS AND PREDOMINANT PERIOD OF SEISMIC MOTION IN THE BUCHAREST URBAN AREA | Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 48, 37–48 | - |
Authors:
Mandrescu N., Radulian M., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
Reconsideration of previous information and results allows us to investigate how near- surface geological units of Bucharest area play a role in determining ground motion response in period bands that are of engineering significance. The superficial deposits within the study area are entirely Quaternary. Lithological information has been compiled from geological, geotechnical and hydrogeological boreholes. The predominant periods of oscillation of the subsurface layers over Bucharest territory have calculated values between 0.9 and 1.9 s, increasing from south to north, in correlation with the constant increasing of the thickness of the Quaternary cohesionless deposits. They are accurately matching the results obtained by seismological studies using seismograms of Vrancea moderate- magnitude earthquakes, recorded at the Bucharest seismic station.
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INCADRAREA BARAJELOR DIN CENTRUL ROMANIEI IN CLASE DE RISC SEISMIC. PARTEA II. | Moldovan I., Anghel M., Bazacliu O., Moldoveanu T. | SESIUNEA ŞTIINȚIFICĂ MENER 2004 | | VOLUM SPECIAL | 2004 | B40-B46 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I., Anghel M., Bazacliu O., Moldoveanu T.
Abstract:
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THE LOCAL SOIL RESPONSE IN DETERMINISTIC ANALYSIS. BUCHAREST EXEMPLIFICATION | Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Balan S.F., Apostol B. F., Mandrescu N. | SESIUNEA ŞTIINȚIFICĂ MENER 2004 | | VOLUM SPECIAL | 2004 | B15-B21 | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Balan S.F., Apostol B. F., Mandrescu N.
Abstract:
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3-D UPPER-CRUSTAL TOMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE ACROSS THE VRANCEA SEISMIC ZONE, ROMANIA | Landes M., Fielitz W., Hauser F., Popa M., CALIXTO Group | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 382, 85–102 | |
Authors:
Landes M., Fielitz W., Hauser F., Popa M., CALIXTO Group
Abstract:
The VRANCEA99 and VRANCEA2001 seismic refraction experiments are part of a multidisciplinary project to study the Eastern Carpathians in Romania. The objectives of these studies are intended to disclose a more detailed picture of the crustal and upper mantle structures above the seismically active Vrancea region. In this paper we provide additional constraints for the upper crustal structures of the area. The 1999 campaign consisted of a 320-km-long N –S profile and a 70-km-long E –W profile. The intersecting 2001 profile extended in E –W direction from the Hungarian border to the lack Sea. In order to enhance the model resolution, first arrival data from local crustal earthquakes were also included. This configuration allowed for the first time to derive a 3-D velocity model for the upper crust of the Romanian Carpathian Orogen, within a 115 235 km wide region, centred over the Vrancea seismic zone. The 3-D model reveals lateral velocity variations, which were not visible on the in-line interpretations. It allows us to distinguish between foreland platform areas, foreland basins and the Carpathian Orogen. Clear velocity differences between the foreland basins south and southeast of the Eastern Carpathians and the Focsani Basin further north indicate different pre-Miocene sedimentary compositions and geological evolutions of these foreland platforms. The involved Moesian and Scythian platforms are separated by the Trotus Fault system, which is observed as a velocity discontinuity. An upper crustal high-velocity zone, above the northern Vrancea seismic zone, could also be identified. This high-velocity zone is explained by a Middle Pliocene to Pleistocene E –W oriented out-of-sequence thrust of the crystalline basement, below the decollement of the flysch nappes.
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A NEW SEISMIC STATION IN ROMANIA: BUCOVINA SEISMIC ARRAY | Grigore A., Grecu B., Rizescu M., Ionescu C., Ghica D., Popa M. | REV. ROUM. GÉOPHYSIQUE | BDI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 48, 69–72 | |
Authors:
Grigore A., Grecu B., Rizescu M., Ionescu C., Ghica D., Popa M.
Abstract:
Recently, a new seismic monitoring station, the Bucovina Seismic Array, has been established in the northern part of Romania, in a joint effort of the Air Force Technical Applications Center, USA, and the National Institute for Earth Physics, Romania. The array consists of 10 seismic sensors (9 short-period and one broad band) located in boreholes and distributed on a 5 × 5 km area. Starting July 24, 2002, the new seismic monitoring system became fully operational by continuous recording and transmitting data in real-time to the National Data Center of Romania, in Bucharest and to the National Data Center of USA, in Florida. Bucovina Seismic Array, added to the present Seismic Network, will provide much better seismic monitoring coverage of Romania's territory, on-scale recording for weak-to-strong events, and will contribute to advanced seismological studies on seismic hazard and risk, local effects and microzonation, seismic source physics, Earth structure.
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BURAR: DETECTION AND SIGNAL PROCESSING CAPABILITIES | Ghica D., Radulian M., Popa M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 56, 777-800 | - |
Authors:
Ghica D., Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
Since July 2002, a new seismic monitoring station, the Bucovina Seismic Array (BURAR), has been installed in the northern part of Romania, in a joint effort of the Air Force Technical Applications Center, USA, and the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP), Romania. The array consists of 10 seismic sensors (9 short-period and one broad band) located in boreholes and distributed in a 5 x 5 km2 area. At present, the seismic data are continuously recorded by BURAR and transmitted in real-time to the Romanian National Data Centre (ROMNDC), in Bucharest and to the National Data Center of USA, in Florida. The statistical analysis for the seismic information gathered at ROMNDC by the BURAR in the August 2002 - December 2003 time interval points out a much better efficiency of the BURAR system in detecting teleseismic events and local events occurred in the N-NE part of Romanian territory, in comparison with the actual Romanian Telemetered Network. Furthermore, the BURAR monitoring system has proven to be an important source of reliable data for NIEP efforts in issuing the seismic bulletins. Signal processing capability of the system provides useful information in order to improve the location of the local seismic events, using the array beamforming procedure. This method increases significantly the signal-to-noise ratio by summing up the coherent signals from the array components. In this way, possible source nucleation phases can be detected. At the same time, using the slowness and back azimuth estimations by f-k analysis, locations for the seismic events can be established based only on the information recorded by the BURAR array, acting like a single seismic station recording system
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DETERMINISTIC APPROACH FOR THE SEISMIC MICROZONATION OF BUCHAREST | Cioflan C., Apostol B.F., Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F., Marmureanu G. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 161, 1–16 | |
Authors:
Cioflan C., Apostol B.F., Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
The mapping of the seismic ground motion in Bucharest, due to the strong Vrancea earthquakes is carried out using a complex hybrid waveform modeling method which combines the modal summation technique, valid for laterally homogeneous anelastic media, with finite-differences technique, and optimizes the advantages of both methods. For recent earthquakes, it is possible to validate the modeling by comparing the synthetic seismograms with the records. We consider for our computations the frequency range from 0.05 to 1.0 Hz and control the synthetic signals against the accelerograms of the Magurele station, low-pass filtered with a cut-off frequency of 1.0 Hz of the 3 last major strong (Mw > 6) Vrancea earthquakes. Using the hybrid method with a double-couple-seismic source approximation, scaled for the source dimensions and relatively simple regional (bedrock) and local structure models, we succeeded in reproducing the recorded ground motion in Bucharest at a satisfactory level for seismic engineering. Extending the modeling to the entire territory of the Bucharest area, we construct a new seismic microzonation map, where five different zones are identified by their characteristic response spectra
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SEISMIC HAZARD OF ROMANIA DUE TO VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES: HOW ASYMMETRIC IS THE STRONG GROUND MOTION DISTRIBUTION | Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B., Popescu E., Panza G.F. | ACTA GEODAETICA ET GEOPHYSICA HUNGARICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 39, 309-314 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M., Grecu B., Popescu E., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
We present a short review of the most recent results coming from the numerical modeling of seismic hazard and interpretation of the new observations provided by the recently installed seismic stations in Romania. There are still controversial questions related to the asymmetric distribution of the ground motion radiated by the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes and which is the main factor responsible for this particular distribution: seismic source, structural model, site effects or vulnerability. Our main goal is to provide a solution to this key problem, with direct implications upon the seismic hazard assessment. NE-SW elongation of the isoseismals and the maximum values in the Romanian Plain are well explained by the source radiation pattern and the average structural model. The attenuation toward NW is shown to be a frequency-dependent effect, much more important in the high frequency range (> 1 Hz). We conclude that the present seismic hazard of Romania, computed by the deterministic approach, fits well, as a first approximation, the ground motion distribution for the low-frequency band, and the apparent contradiction with the historically-based intensity maps arises mainly from a systematic difference in the vulnerability of the buildings in the intra- and extra-Carpathians regions.
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FAULT PLANE SOLUTIONS AS INDICATORS OF SPECIFIC STRESS FIELD CHARACTERISTICS IN VRANCEA AND ADJACENT SEISMOGENIC ZONES | Radulian M., Bala A., Popescu E. | THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EARTHQUAKE LOSS ESTIMATION AND RISK REDUCTION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2004 | 1, 151-160 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Bala A., Popescu E.
Abstract:
On the basis of an earthquake catalog covering the time interval from 1929 to 1997 and comprising fault plane solutions, we analyze the distribution of the seismic activity on the Romanian territory in connection with the seismogenic zones, previously defined, and available geological and tectonic information. At the same time, the stress field characteristics, deduced from the available fault plane solutions, are investigated for different depth intervals. Predominant clusterings of the principal deformation axes and rupture plane orientation are observed in the Vrancea subcrustal domain in contrast with the earthquakes in the crust, which indicate no clear trending in the stress field.
The relatively large number of data provides important and reliable information to define from seismological point of view the limits of the tectonic plates.
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SOURCE PARAMETERS OF VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES AS REVEALED BY SCALING PROPERTIES OF THE ACCELERATION SPECTRA | Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Grecu B., Rizescu M., Placinta O.A. | THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EARTHQUAKE LOSS ESTIMATION AND RISK REDUCTION | | PROCEEDINGS | 2004 | 1, 185-200 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Grecu B., Rizescu M., Placinta O.A.
Abstract:
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MICROZONATION OF BUCHAREST: STATE OF THE ART | Moldoveanu C.L., Radulian M., Marmureanu G., Panza G.F. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2004 | 161, 1125–1147 | |
Authors:
Moldoveanu C.L., Radulian M., Marmureanu G., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The 1940 (M w =7.7) and 1977 (M w =7.4) Vrancea earthquakes (Romania) inflicted heavy damage and casualties in Bucharest and the statistics indicate a recurrence interval of 25 years for M w ≥ 7.0 events. Under these circumstances, the seismic microzonation represents important information for detailed urban planning that establishes an appropriate level of preparedness to the earthquake threat. This paper reviews the main studies concerning the seismicity of the Vrancea region, the site conditions of the city, the characterization of the building stock, and the codes of practice that regulate the antiseismic design. The first-order microzonation of Bucharest was performed starting from the existing database of structural and geotechnical parameters. New insights originating from direct instrumental observation and interpretation of the local effects as well as realistic numerical modeling that update and improve the input data necessary for a detailed microzoning map of the city are also discussed.
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INPUT PARAMETERS FOR THE SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN SOUTHWESTERN ROMANIAN TERRITORY | Marmureanu G., Popescu E.C., Moldovan I.A., Oros E., Radulian M. | 2004 ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, BUCHAREST | | PROCEEDINGS | 2004 | 36 | |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Popescu E.C., Moldovan I.A., Oros E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The seismic hazard assessment in dense populated areas and the strategic objectives design are based on the study of seismicity of the seismic sources (which can have an effect at the site above a specified minimum level that is considered risky) and the attenuation between focus and site. The purpose of this paper is to provide a complete set of information required for a probabilistic assessment of the seismic hazard in the southwestern Romania relative to the following seismic sources: Banat zone (BA), Danubian zone (DA), and northeastern Serbia zone (IBAR) all of them in the crust domain. Extremely vulnerable objectives are present in the southwestern part of Romania and in the northeastern part of Serbia, including the city of Timisoara and the 'Portile de Fier' dam. The analysis that we propose implies: (1) geometrical definition of the seismic sources; (2) estimation of the maximum possible magnitude; (3) estimation of the frequency magnitude relationship; (4) estimation of the attenuation law. As an example, the obtained input parameters are used to evaluate the seismic hazard distribution due to the crustal earthquakes applying the McGuire' procedure (1976). These preliminary results are in good agreement with the previous research based on deterministic approach (Radulian et al., 2000). Available also from http://fpce4.fizica.unibuc.ro
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ROMANIAN CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCES: SOURCE SCALING AND CLUSTERING PECULIARITIES | Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M., Placinta A. O. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | BDI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 41, 63-80 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M., Placinta A. O.
Abstract:
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EFFICIENCY OF THE SPECTRAL RATIO METHOD TO CONSTRAIN THE SOURCE SCALING PROPERTIES OF THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 55(1), 149-169 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Vrancea z one is the most im portant seismic region of Romania. There is clear evidence of significant inhomogeneities along the slab, which suggests a depth dependence of the source scaling properties. The seismicity distribution on depth reveals the e xistence of two characteristic segments, located in the upper part and the lower part of the slab respectively. In order to test if the difference is detectable in the source scaling properties we apply the spectral ratio method to constrain source parameters. A set of digital broadband body-wave recordings for 28 Vrancea earthquakes with magnitudes in the range 3.1≤MD ≤6.2, occurred between 1997-2000 in the depth range 70≤h≤158 km considered. The data is obtained with the K2-seismometers of Vrâncioaia (VRI) and Tescani (TES) stations belonging to the digital accelerometer network and with the broadband seismometer of Muntele Rosu station (MLR), belonging to the GEOPHONE network. The source parameters correspond to the best nonlinear least-squares fit of the observed and computed spectral ratios of P-wave Fourier amplitude spectra, assuming an omega-squared source model. Once the source parameters are determined, different scaling among the parameters are investigated for upper and lower segments of the subducted lithophere. The scaling of the c orner frequency with the seismic moment i s roughly independent on depth and suggests a slight deviation from a constant stress-drop source model (which is characterized by a -3 slope in the log-log axes). The dependence of the seismic moment with magnitude shows a significant increase in the deeper part of the slab (h > 120 km), which possibly indicates a different stress regime as compared with the upper segment (h < 120 km). The stress drop is increasing with the earthquake size for the entire depth domain, in agreement with a heterogeneous source model.
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INPUT PARAMETERS FOR THE SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN SOUTHEASTERN ROMANIA TERRITORY | Marmureanu G., Popescu E., Popa M., Moldovan A.I., Radulian M. | THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SAFE DEVELOPMENT OF LIFELINE SYSTEMS | | PROCEEDINGS | 2003 | | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Popescu E., Popa M., Moldovan A.I., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The seismic hazard assessment in dense populated areas and the strategic objectives design are based on the study of seismicity of the seismic sources (which can have an effect at the site above a specified minimum level that is considered risky) and the attenuation between focus and site. The purpose of this paper is to provide a complete set of information required for a probabilistic assessment of the seismic hazard in the southwestern Romania relative to the following seismic sources: Vrancea zone (in the crust and intermediate-depth domains), Predobrogean depression zone, Intramoesian zone and Shabla (Bulgaria) zone. As an example, the obtained input parameters are used to evaluate the seismic hazard distribution due to the crustal earthquakes applying the McGuire' procedure (1976). These preliminary results are in good agreement with the previous research based on deterministic approach (Radulian et al., 2000).
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EVALUATION OF THE FOURIER INTEGRAL. SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF SEISMIC EVENTS | Chitaru C., Enescu D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 55(1), 140-143 | - |
Authors:
Chitaru C., Enescu D.
Abstract:
Spectral analysis of seismical events represent a methode for greats earthquakes prediction. Seismical signal is not a sinusoidal signal; for this, it’s necessary to find a methode for best aproximation of real signal with a sinusoidal signal. The broad-band station “Quanterra” allow the data acces in numeral and/or graphical forms. With numeral form we can make very easy a computer program (MSOFFICE-EXCEL) for spectral analysis. Key words: prediction, spectrum, Quanterra
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AN OPTICAL TILTMETER | Chitaru C., Enescu D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 55(1), 144-148 | - |
Authors:
Chitaru C., Enescu D.
Abstract:
One of the most efficient methods of great earthquakes prediction is the one based on measurements of the earth surface inclination. The efficiency of this forerunner consists in the direct connection between inclination and focal mechanisms occurring previously the main shock. Tectonic plates subduction produces rocks deformation which generates very small inclinations of the earth surface.
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EARTHQUAKES DISTRIBUTION AND THEIR FOCAL MECHANISM IN CORRELATION WITH THE ACTIVE TECTONIC ZONES OF ROMANIA | Bala A., Radulian M., Popescu E. | JOURNAL OF GEODYNAMICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 36(1), 129–145 | |
Authors:
Bala A., Radulian M., Popescu E.
Abstract:
On the basis of an earthquake catalogue covering the time interval from 1929 to 1997 and comprising fault plane solutions, we analyze the distribution of the seismic activity on the Romanian territory in connection with the seismogenic zones, previously defined, and available geological and tectonic information. At the same time, the stress field characteristics, deduced from the available fault plane solutions, are investigated for different depth intervals. Predominant clusterings of the principal deformation axes and rupture plane orientation are observed in the Vrancea subcrustal domain in contrast with the earthquakes in the crust, which show no clear trendingin the stress field. A number of 526 events occurred in the period 1929–1997 and havingthe magnitude 1.5
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SEISMIC SOURCE PROPERTIES: INDICATIONS OF LITHOSPHERE IRREGULAR STRUCTURE ON DEPTH BENEATH THE VRANCEA REGION | Popescu E., Grecu B., Popa M., Rizescu M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 55(3), 303- 321 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Grecu B., Popa M., Rizescu M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The previous research focused on seismic regime properties in the Vrancea region (seismicity, tomography, seismic source scaling) revealed significant variation along the subducting slab. It has been assumed that this irregularity should be in connection with multiple parameter and multi-scale fields, and should reflect differences in the physical, geochemical and tectonic processes at different scale lengths. The recent development of the seismic network on the Romanian territory through the installation of digital accelerometers within the Collaborative Research Centre 461 Programme [5] and the tomography experiment CALIXTO’99 [24] has provided a substantial new amount of high-quality data in addition to the routine data coming from the Romanian seismic network (18 short-period, one-component instruments), dedicated firstly to seismicity monitoring. The main purpose of the present study is to incorporate this new data in the analysis of the depth dependence of the seismic source scaling in the Vrancea subducting slab. Spectral analysis and spectral ratios methods are applied for a set of 100 earthquakes with magnitudes 2.9
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ASYMMETRIC DISTRIBUTION OF SEISMIC MOTION ACROSS THE SOUTH-EASTERN CARPATHIANS (ROMANIA) AND ITS IMPLICATIONS | Popa M., Grecu B., Popescu E., Placinta A., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 55(3), 521-534 | - |
Authors:
Popa M., Grecu B., Popescu E., Placinta A., Radulian M.
Abstract:
One of the most striking features of the seismic motion distribution radiated by the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes is a strong lateral variation when passing from the fore-arc region to the back-arc region. The analysis of the seismograms recorded during the CALIXTO'99 tomography experiment for small- and moderate-magnitude earthquakes shows that the amplitudes are severally diminished by a factor of 10 to 100 in the back-side part (Transylvanian Basin) relatively to the fore-site part (Romanian Plain). At the same time the predominant frequency are shifted toward lower values for the stations located in the back-side area. Such effects could be explained in principle by source radiation pattern, attenuation and local site response. Since systematic lateral variations are obtained regardless of the fault geometry, we reject the hypothesis of the source effect. From another point of view, the information available regarding the structure of the uppermost crust allows no systematic difference between the 'fore-arc' and 'back-arc' areas. Consequently, we concluded that the difference observed in the frequency content and amplitude level comes from the deeper part of the structure and reflects a high inhomogeneous structure of the seismic attenuation, with high Q values in the colder seimogenic (subducting) slab and low Q values in the mantle wedge. This interpretation is consistent with the in tomography image and the heat-flow measurements. Similar patterns are reported in other regions of the world (e.g., Japan, Tonga-Fiji, Vanuatu, North America, Brazil) characterized by typical active subduction systems. We assume that the presence of a hot asthenospheric body just behind the Carpatian arc could explain the highly anomalous ground motion attenuation toward the Transylvanian Basin, as revealed by macroseismic and instrumental data.
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ATTENUATION OF VRANCEA EVENTS REVISITED | Radulian M.,Panza G.F.,Popa M.,Grecu B | INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY | | PREPRINT | 2003 | | - |
Authors:
Radulian M.,Panza G.F.,Popa M.,Grecu B
Abstract:
New aspects of the frequency-dependent attenuation of the seismic waves traveling from Vrancea subcrustal sources toward NW (Transylvanian Basin) and SE (Romanian Plain) are evidenced by the recent experimental data made available by the CALIXTO'99 tomography experiment. The observations validate the previous theoretical computations performed for the assessment, by means of a deterministic approach, of the seismic hazard in Romania. They reveal an essential aspect of the seismic ground motion attenuation, that has important implications on the probabilistic assessment of seismic hazard from Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes. The attenuation toward NW is shown to be a much stronger frequency-dependent effect than the attenuation toward SE and the seismic hazard computed by the deterministic approach fits satisfactorily well the observed ground motion distribution in the low-frequency band (< 1 Hz). The apparent contradiction with the historically-based intensity maps arises mainly from a systematic difference in the vulnerability (buildings eigenperiod) of the buildings in the intra- and extra-Carpathians regions.
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SEISMIC HAZARD OF ROMANIA DUE TO VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES: HOW ASYMMETRIC IS THE STRONG GROUND MOTION DISTRIBUTION | Radulian M. | THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SAFE DEVELOPMENT OF LIFELINE SYSTEMS | | PROCEEDINGS | 2003 | | - |
Authors:
Radulian M.
Abstract:
We present a short review of the most recent results coming from the numerical modeling of seismic hazard and interpretation of the new observations provided by the recently installed seismic stations in Romania. There are still controversial questions related to the asymmetric distribution of the ground motion radiated by the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes and which is the main factor responsible for this particular distribution: seismic source, structural model, site effects or vulnerability. Our main goal is to provide a solution to this key problem, with direct implications upon the seismic hazard assessment. NE-SW elongation of the isoseismals and the maximum values in the Romanian Plain are well explained by the source radiation pattern and the average structural model. The attenuation toward NW is shown to be a frequency-dependent effect, much more important in the high frequency range (> 1 Hz). We conclude that the present seismic hazard of Romania, computed by the deterministic approach, fits well, as a first approximation, the ground motion distribution for the low-frequency band, and the apparent contradiction with the historically-based intensity maps arises mainly from a systematic difference in the vulnerability of the buildings in the intra- and extra-Carpathians regions.
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SEISMIC GROUND MOTION CHARACTERISTICS IN THE BUCHAREST AREA: SEDIMENTARY COVER VERSUS SEISMIC SOURCE CONTROL | Grecu B., Popa M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2003 | 55(3), 322- 331 | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
It is crucial for the engineering-geological purposes to explore and properly understand the role of the shallow sedimentary cover on the seismic motion characteristics in Bucharest area in parallel with the Vrancea seismic source influence. The information of the thickness of the sedimentary cover was collected from borehole sites located within Bucharest area. The noise measurements and all the available accelerograms recorded in the city area for moderate-size and strong Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes are analyzed in correspondence with the sedimentary cover topography. The resonant period of oscillation, deduced from the sediment thickness and average shear-wave velocity, roughly correlates with the peaks in the H/V spectral ratios of ambient noise and earthquakes. On the other hand, the source seems to primarily control the style of motion. Thus, the moderate-size earthquakes cannot excite the resonant oscillation associated with the sedimentary cover (1-2 s). As our work shows, this is really important only for the largest shocks (Mw > 7). The analysis of the entire instrumental data set recorded up to now in Bucharest urban area and its neighborhood suggests a rather weak variability of the peak motion values and spectral amplitudes over the study area, in agreement with the relatively small variability of the local shallow structure. Key words: microzonation, sedimentary cover, Vrancea earthquakes, spectral ratios method, Bucharest
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STUDY OF THE SPECTRAL RATIOS DERIVED FROM SEISMIC REFRACTION DATA FOR EVALUATION OF THE LOCAL SEISMIC EFFECTS IN SIX SITES BETWEEN SOUTH OF MIZIL-WEST OF GIURGIU | Raileanu V. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47(9-10), 919-931 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V.
Abstract:
An analysis of spectral ratios derived from seismic records along the seismic refraction line Vrancea 99 is performed for six sites located south of Mizil. Records generated by four big shots (300 - 900 Kg charge) are analyzed in each size and 24 curves of spectral ratios are obtained. A first sight shows that the spectral ratios depend not only on the local geological and physical conditions but also on epicentral distance from source to the site as well as the magnitude of the released energy by the seismic source. Nevertheless it is noticed that the frequency windows with the high spectral ratios are about the same regardless of the position and magnitude of the source which suggests the influence of the local conditions. Generally, the sites from the north of Bucharest city, namely Parepa Rusani, Gradistea and Pantelimon show low spectral ratios while the southern sites, Singureni, Stanesti and Gaujani present higher spectral ratios in the frequency window from 0.1 - 10 Hz. The northern group of sites presents a diminution of the spectral ratios from about 2 Hz (0.5 s) to 7 - 8 Hz ( 0.14 - 0.12 s). The southern group has the peaks of spectral ratios within a better individualized frequency window, 3-6 Hz (0.33 - 0.16 s). A secondary peak is around 12 - 13 Hz (∼ 0.08 s). Such quite high resonance frequencies are generated by the shallow layers with thicknesses from a few tens meters (0.08 s corresponds to 32 m thickness) to one - two hundred meters (0.16/0.33/0.5 s → 60, 120, 190 m thickness).
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REALISTIC MODELING OF THE SEISMIC HAZARD DUE TO THE SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES BENEATH ROMANIAN CARPATHIANS | Radulian M., F. Vaccari, N. Mandrescu, C.L. Moldoveanu, G.F. Panza | IGCP 430 WORKSHOP II | WORKSHOP | ARTICLE | 2002 | 50-51 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., F. Vaccari, N. Mandrescu, C.L. Moldoveanu, G.F. Panza
Abstract:
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SEISMICITY OF ROMANIA: FRACTAL PROPERTIES OF EARTHQUAKE SPACE, TIME AND ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH SEGMENTATION OF SUBDUCTED LITHOSPHERE AND VRANCEA SEISMIC SOURCE | Popescu E., Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O., Popa M., Radulian M., Rizescu M. | ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SESSION, CERES PROGRAMME, INSTITUTE OF ATOMIC PHYSICS | | ARTICLE | 2002 | 239-240 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O., Popa M., Radulian M., Rizescu M.
Abstract:
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MORPHOLOGY OF THE CONTINENTAL COLLISION ZONE IN ROMANIA AS REVEALED BY TOMOGRAPHIC AND SLAB-RELATED PHASES | Popa M., Radulian M., Bonjer K.-J., Grecu B. , CALIXTO Research Group | IGCP 430 WORKSHOP II | WORKSHOP | ARTICLE | 2002 | 47-48 | - |
Authors:
Popa M., Radulian M., Bonjer K.-J., Grecu B. , CALIXTO Research Group
Abstract:
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INVESTIGATION OF THE CRUSTAL AND DEEP STRUCTURE IN VRANCEA SEISMIC ZONE | Popa M., Ivan M., Radulian M., Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Dumitru I., Grecu B., Ardeleanu L., Rizescu M., Ionescu C. | ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SESSION, CERES PROGRAMME, INSTITUTE OF ATOMIC PHYSICS | | ARTICLE | 2002 | 235-236 | - |
Authors:
Popa M., Ivan M., Radulian M., Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Dumitru I., Grecu B., Ardeleanu L., Rizescu M., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The Vrancea zone, located at the sharp bend of the Southeast Carpathians, is characterized by an unusually narrow volume of intense seismicity (four shocks with magnitude greater than 7 occurred during the past century) in the depth range of 60 km to 220 km, resulting in significant seismic risk of the densely populated Bucharest area. The oceanic lithosphere slab beneath Vrancea area moved into an almost vertical position when convergence of plates come to a halt and suction force of the subducting plate vanished. In addition, since subduction occurred in an arcuate geometry, the slab is likely to be segmented as suggested by hypocenter distribution. Wortel and Spakman pioneered the idea of slab detachment, based on tomographic images of the upper mantle beneath the Mediterranean. The detachment hypothesis appears to be compatible with the magmatic evolution and the metamorphic patterns in Vrancea collisional orogenic region. Uniform high-precision hypocentre locations of the whole data set are very important in a seismically active area like Vrancea, where the seismic database is a prerequisite for tectonic interpretation and seismic hazard assessment. Well-constrained earthquake data are also extremely useful for studies focused on high-resolution imaging of the complex continental subduction process in Vrancea. To obtain a better image of the structure beneath Vrancea zone it is necessary to have a good velocity model, a well constrained topography model and detailed geological information. To compute a good velocity model we need a data base containing a large number of local, regional and teleseismic well-located events. The recent international tomographic experiment CALIXTO (Carpathian Arc Lithosphere X-Tomography) carried out in 1999, was designed to determine a 3D snapshot of the geodynamic evolution of the Carpathian arc beneath SE-Romania, and in particular, the ongoing slab break-off in the upper mantle beneath Vrancea region. A network consisting of 120 seismic stations (both short-period and broadband instruments) has been temporary deployed. In parallel with the CALIXTO network, events were recorded by Romanian telemetered network (17 vertical-component S-13 seismometers) and three-component digital accelerometers network (30 stations). In the first part of the project we built up a data base for regional (A <300) and teleseismic (A > 300) events. To this purpose we used 340 regional records from 1993-July 2001 and 603 teleseismic waveforms recorded between 1992 and July 2001. Only events with minimum 6 well-recorded P phases were selected. The event locations obtained with the HYPOPLUS program were compared with the location of the International Seismological Centre (ISC-International Seismological Centre, England and USGS-United States Geological Survey, United States of America). In the second part of the project we determined an optimum 1D velocity model that allows consistent and accurate hypocenter locations and that serves as initial reference model for 3D tomography. The minimum 1D model denotes the solution to the coupled hypocenter-velocity model problem and was determined by a trial-and-error process, with internal non-linear (iterative) inversion procedure, using a set of 280 well-locatable earthquakes produced on the Romanian territory. The average velocity model parameters were obtained by minimizing the standard deviations of the travel time residuals. The minimum 1D model leads to a minimum average rms value for the whole data set of earthquakes and reflects more closely the a priori structural information, e.g., by controlled source studies. The test of the minimum 1D velocity model performance shows a significant improvement against the error assessment by routine earthquake location procedures. The station residuals obtained using the new velocity model, correlate regionally and with surface geology. They outline the existence of strong lateral inhomogeneities over the study area. The 3D gravity and geodetic modeling is important in revealing the subducting slab geometry. In a first stage we carried out the topography modeling of the Vrancea area and the distribution of the Bouguer anomaly values. The results outline a minimum anomaly value of large wave lengths in the bending zone of Carpathians. In the second stage, the topography modeling of basement, Conrad and Moho discontinuities is performed. For all this cases, the results show a strong and well constrained sinking beneath the Vrancea area.
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REALISTIC MODELING OF SEISMIC INPUT FOR MEGACITIES AND LARGE URBAN AREAS (UNESCO/IUGS/IGCP PROJECT 414) | Panza G. F., Cioflan C.O., Marmureanu G., Apostol B.F., Radulian M. ,et al. | EPISODES | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 25(3), 160-184 | |
Authors:
Panza G. F., Cioflan C.O., Marmureanu G., Apostol B.F., Radulian M. ,et al.
Abstract:
The project addressed the problem of pre-disaster orientation: hazard prediction, risk assessment, and hazard mapping, in connection with seismic activity and man-induced vibrations. The definition of realistic seismic input has been obtained from the computation of a wide set of time histories and spectral information, corresponding to possible seismotectonic scenarios for different source and structural models. The innovative modeling technique, that constitutes the common tool to the entire project, takes into account source, propagation and local site effects. This is done using first principles of physics about wave generation and propagation in complex media, and does not require to resort to convolutive approaches, that have been proven to be quite unreliable, mainly when dealing with complex geological structures, the most interesting from the practical point of view. In fact, several techniques that have been proposed to empirically estimate the site effects using observations convolved with theoretically computed signals corresponding to simplified models, supply reliable information about the site response to non-interfering seismic phases. They are not adequate in most of the real cases, when the seismic sequel is formed by several interfering waves. The availability of realistic numerical simulations enables us to reliably estimate the amplification effects even in complex geological structures, exploiting the available geotechnical, lithological, geophysical parameters, topography of the medium, tectonic, historical, palaeoseismological data, and seismotectonic models. The realistic modeling of the ground motion is a very important base of knowledge for the preparation of groundshaking scenarios that represent a valid and economic tool for the seismic microzonation. This knowledge can be very fruitfully used by civil engineers in the design of new seismoresistant constructions and in the reinforcement of the existing built environment, and, therefore, supply a particularly powerful tool for the prevention aspects of Civil Defense. We present a selection of the main results obtained for the cities of Algiers, Beijing, Bucharest, Cairo, Debrecen, Delhi, Naples, Rome, Russe, Santiago de Cuba, Sofia, Thessaloniki and Zagreb.
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EARTHQUAKE MONITORING BY THE SEISMIC NETWORK OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARTH PHYSICS | Grecu B., Ghica D., Popa M., Rizescu M., Ionescu C. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 2002 | 46, 47-57 | - |
Authors:
Grecu B., Ghica D., Popa M., Rizescu M., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
For over 20 years, the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) has operated a real-time seismic network consisting of 18 short-period stations, 14 of them located in the Eastern and Southern Carpathians and telemetered to Bucharest, 4 stations sited in the southwestern part of Romania and telemetered to a regional recording center. NIEP also operates a free-field strong motion network consisting of 39 high-quality digital stations installed jointly with the Collaborative Research Center 461 ‘Strong Earthquakes’ of Karlsruhe University and 21 analog accelerometers for recording the strong and moderate Vrancea earthquakes. One of its stations (Cheia-Muntele Rosu) became in 1994 part of the GEOFON network, and has been recently upgraded by technical support from the Government of Japan and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) for participating to the CTBTO international monitoring system. Since 2002, a new seismic monitoring station, the Bucovina Seismic Array (BURAR), has been established in the northern part of Romania, in a joint effort of the Air Force Technical Applications Center, USA, and the NIEP.
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NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR EARTH PHYSICS, BUCHAREST: 25 YEARS OF ACTIVITY | Rizescu M., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popa M. | CSEM/EMSC | | ARTICLE | 2002 | | - |
Authors:
Rizescu M., Radulian M., Grecu B., Popa M.
Abstract:
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO REAL-TIME SEISMOLOGY IN ROMANIA | Rizescu M., Ionescu C., Popa M., Ghica D. | | | | 2002 | 354-361 | - |
Authors:
Rizescu M., Ionescu C., Popa M., Ghica D.
Abstract:
Since over 20 years, the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) operates a real-time seismic network consisting of 19 short-period stations, 15 of them located in the Eastern and Southern Carpathians and telemetered to Bucharest, 4 stations sited in the southwestern part of the Romania and telemetered to a regional recording center. The first subnetwork is primarily designed to survey Vrancea seismic region, located at the Carpathian Arc Bend and characterized by important intermediate depth seismic activity, with 3-4 destroying earthquake per century significantly affecting extended areas in Europe, as well as by moderate crustal seismic activity. The second subnetwork is dedicated to the survey of the Banat region, characterized by crustal seismic activity. Both data centers (Bucharest and Timișoara) use an automated and networked seismological system for the on-line digital acquisition and processing of the seismic data, providing real-time earthquake information.
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A QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NONLINEAR SEISMIC SOIL RESPONSE | Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Balan F.S., Apostol B.F., Marmureanu A. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GEOPHYSIQUE | | ARTICLE | 2002 | 46, 59-72, | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Cioflan C.O., Balan F.S., Apostol B.F., Marmureanu A.
Abstract:
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BAZA DE DATE SEISMICE PENTRU CUTREMURELE DIN ROMâNIA | Ghica D., Rizescu M., Borcia I.S., Grecu B., Bazacliu O., Popescu E., Popa M. | “SESIUNEA ŞTIINţIFICă MENER 2002” | VOLUM SPECIAL | ARTICLE | 2002 | 235-240 | - |
Authors:
Ghica D., Rizescu M., Borcia I.S., Grecu B., Bazacliu O., Popescu E., Popa M.
Abstract:
A new earthquake database for Romania is being constructed, comprising complete earthquake information and being up-to-date, user-friendly and rapidly accessible. One main component of the database consists from the catalog of earthquakes occurred in Romanian since 984 up to present, containing information related to locations and other source parameters and links to waveforms of important earthquake. the other very important component is the strong motion database, developed for strong intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquake where instrumental data (free filed and in-building) were recorded.
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DETERMINISTIC MODELING MICROZONATION OF BUCHAREST: CASE STUDY FOR AUGUST 30, 1986 AND MAY 30, 1990 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Cioflan C.O., Apostol B.F., Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F., Marmureanu G. | INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS | | ARTICLE | 2002 | | - |
Authors:
Cioflan C.O., Apostol B.F., Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F., Marmureanu G.
Abstract:
The mapping of the seismic ground motion in Bucharest, due to the strong Vrancea earthquake is carried out using a complex hybrid waveform modeling method which combines the modal summation technique, valid for laterally homogenous anelastic media, with finite-differences technique and optimizes the advantages of both methods. For recent earthquakes, it is possible to validate the modeling by comparing the synthetic seismograms with the records.
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CATALOG OF FAULT PLANE SOLUTIONS FOR THE EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED ON THE ROMANIAN TERRITORY | Radulian M., Popescu E., Bala A., Utale A. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47, 663-685 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popescu E., Bala A., Utale A.
Abstract:
Fault plane solution information is fundamental to determine the stress field and to define seismogenic zones for a given territory. At the same time, it is a basic input to compute seismic hazard by deterministic approach [10]. The purpose of this paper is to present the most comprehensive catalogue of Romanian earthquakes for which fault plane solutions are available at the moment. The catalogue comprises 526 seismic events covering the time interval 1929- 1997. All the existing information is considered and revised. The output summarizes all this information and when several fault plane solutions are available, only one single solution is selected in the catalogue.
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RESOLUTION OF SOURCE PARAMETERS OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES, RETRIEVED BY WAVEFORM INVERSION | Ardeleanu L. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47(5-6), 693-697 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
A first attempt is made to estimate the reliability of the focal mechanism and source time function of low magnitude Vrancea earthquakes. retrieved by waveform inversion of short period records, by using an error analysis which provides us with the confidence ellipses of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the seismic moment tensor and the error bars of the source time function.
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EARTHQUAKES DISTRIBUTION AND THEIR FOCAL MECHANISM IN SEISMOGENIC ZONES OF ROMANIA | Radulian M., Bala A., Popescu E. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47(9-10), 945-963 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Bala A., Popescu E.
Abstract:
On the basis of an earthquake catalog covering the time interval from 1929 to 1997 and comprising fault plane solutions, we analyze the distribution of the seismic activity on the Romanian territory in connection with the seismogenic zones, previously defined, and available geological and tectonic information. At the same time, the stress field characteristics, deduced from the available fault plane solutions, are investigated for different depth intervals.
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MODELLING OF MACROSEISMIC FIELD PRODUCED BY ROMANIAN CRUSTAL SEISMIC SOURCES | Moldovan I.A., Pantea A., Constantin A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47,965-972 | - |
Authors:
Moldovan I.A., Pantea A., Constantin A.
Abstract:
The present paper is a study of macroseismic intensity distribution using the isoseismic maps for 29 crustal earthquakes with epicentral maximum intensity in the range IV to X degrees (Modified Mercalli scale), that occurred in Romania. The attenuation was analyzed as a function of maximum intensity, distance and azimuth, by means of the logarithmic attenuation formula that fits best the observed data. A set of macroseismic laws, established for the main seismic regions with crustal foci on the Romanian territory was used in the process of isoseismal modeling. The goal of the modeling is to determine the expected macroseismic intensities at different important sites from Romania and to further use them in the assessment of the seismic hazards of the country.
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SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE FREQUENCY-MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTION AND DECAY RATE OF AFTERSHOCK ACTIVITY OF THE 2000 TOTTORI EARTHQUAKE | Enescu B.D., Ito K. | EARTH PLANETS AND SPACE | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 54, 847–859 | - |
Authors:
Enescu B.D., Ito K.
Abstract:
The b-value of the frequency-magnitude distribution and the parameters in the modified Omori law, describing the decay rate of aftershock activity, are investigated for more than 4000 aftershocks identified in the first four months after the Western Tottori earthquake (October 6, 2000). We used the JMA data catalog, containing aftershocks with magnitude larger than or equal to 2.0. The studied area is first divided into three areas: one region (A) corresponding to the main aftershock area and other two (B and C) corresponding to seismic activity probably triggered by the stress change caused by the main shock. For region A, the magnitude of completeness (Mc) decreases with time, from the largest value of 3.2 in the first two hours of the sequence, to 2.0, about four days after the main shock. Taking the threshold magnitude as 3.2, we estimated the b-value for the whole region A to be about 1.3 and p-value around 1. However, highly significant variations in both b and p values are found when analyzing their spatial distribution in region A. The seismic activity in the regions B and C started about 2.5 days after the main shock. The b-value for region B (Mc = 2) is 1.05. The decay rate of earthquake activity in Region B is well modeled by the modified Omori law and the p-value is found to be relatively low (0.83). The number of events in region C is too small for a meaningful study. The physical interpretation of the spatial variation of the parameters is not straightforward. However, the variation of b-value can be related to the stress distribution after the main shock, as well as the history of previous ruptures. Thus, the relatively low stress in the regions that have already experienced rupture is probably responsible for the larger value of b found in these areas. Regions with relatively low b-value, on the other hand, are probably regions under higher applied shear stress after the main shock. Alternatively, one can hypothesize that the areas that experienced slip are more fractured, favoring higher b-values. The larger p-values correlate well with the regions that experienced larger slip during the main shock, while small p-values are found generally in regions that have not ruptured recently. The variation of p-value can be related with the frictional heating produced during rupture. The crustal structure may explain some local features of b and p value spatial distribution. In order to verify our hypothesis we also analyzed the seismic activity that occurred before the Tottori earthquake, starting in 1978, using the data of DPRI, Kyoto University. It seems that the previous seismic activity associated with some moderate events in 1989, 1990 and 1997 had an influence on the following seismicity in the area—in particular on the spatial distribution of b and p values observed for the aftershocks of the Tottori earthquake. The aftershocks of the 1997 M5.5 earthquake have a larger p-value than previous aftershock sequences, while the b-value has a clear increase following the M5.5 event.
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SOURCE AND PATH PARAMETERS DETERMINATION ON THE BASIS OF DATA FROM THE DIGITAL ACCELEROMETER AND CALIXTO NETWORKS IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE SEISMIC HAZARD | Radulian M., Anghel M., Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O., Grecu B., Popa M., Popescu E., Rizescu M. | ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SESSION, CERES PROGRAMME, INSTITUTE OF ATOMIC PHYSICS | | ARTICLE | 2002 | 229-230 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Anghel M., Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O., Grecu B., Popa M., Popescu E., Rizescu M.
Abstract:
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SEISMICITY OF ROMANIA: FRACTAL PROPERTIES OF EARTHQUAKE SPACE, TIME AND ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH SEGMENTATION OF SUBDUCTED LITHOSPHERE AND VRANCEA SEISMIC SOURCE | Popescu E., Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O., Popa M., Radulian M., Rizescu M. | ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SESSION, CERES PROGRAMME, INSTITUTE OF ATOMIC PHYSICS | | ARTICLE | 2002 | 239-240 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Ardeleanu L., Bazacliu O., Popa M., Radulian M., Rizescu M.
Abstract:
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NONLINEAR MODELLING OF FREQUENCY-MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTION FOR VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES” | Marmureanu A., Cioflan C.O., Apostol B.F. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47(7-8), 821-831 | - |
Authors:
Marmureanu A., Cioflan C.O., Apostol B.F.
Abstract:
Given a set of observations like frequency magnitude distributions for Vrancea earthquakes, one often wants to condense and summarize the data by fitting them to a 'model' that depends on adjustable parameters. We consider fitting when the model depends nonlinearly on the set of M unknown parameters ak, k = 1, 2, ..., M. With nonlinear dependences, the minimization process proceeds iteratively. Finally, a procedure is developed that improves the trial solution and the Levenberg-Marquandt method works very well in practice to find the frequency-magnitude distribution for Vrancea strong earthquakes.
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SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE CRUST ALONG THE SEISMIC REFRACTION PROFILE VRANCEA’ 99 | Bala A., Raileanu V., Popa M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47(9-10), 933-944 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Raileanu V., Popa M.
Abstract:
The seismic refraction project VRANCEA'99 is a contribution to the German-Romanian Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 461: 'Strong Earthquakes - A Challenge for Geosciences and Civil Engineering' which was launched by the University of Karlsruhe, Germany in collaboration with various research institutes in Romania. Preparations started already in 1998, but the actual field work was carried out in May 1999. The seismic project VRANCEA'99 was jointly organized by Geophysical Institute of Karlsruhe University, Geoforschungszentrum (GFZ) Potsdam, Germany and National Institute for Earth Physics from Bucharest, Romania. Seismic and Seismological data recorded on this profile are used to compute a reliable continuous distribution of seismic velocity (P wave) with depth. The crustal 2D velocity model obtained on this profile is introduced as input in a density modeling and geologic and tectonic implications of the obtained density model are discussed.
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EARTHQUAKES DISTRIBUTION AND THEIR FOCAL MECHANISM IN AND AROUND VRANCEA SEISMOGENIC ZONE | Bala A., Radulian M., Popa M., Popescu E. | ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC SESSION, CERES PROGRAMME, INSTITUTE OF ATOMIC PHYSICS | | ARTICLE | 2002 | 241-242 | - |
Authors:
Bala A., Radulian M., Popa M., Popescu E.
Abstract:
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SPACE AND TIME PATTERNS OF THE SEISMICITY OF THE VRANCEA REGION, ROMANIA | Ardeleanu L. | REV. ROUM. GEOPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 2002 | 46, 39-46 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
The paper aims to evidence characteristic space and time patterns of the earthquake occurrence in the Vrancea region. The normal and intermediate depth sequences of low magnitude events are investigated by a method which is based on the analysis of point patterns in two-dimensional space; the time series of subcrustal moderate-size and strong earthquakes are studied using a parameterization derived from the Weibull distribution. The results show a significant clustering tendency of the seismic activity in the crustal seismogenic area, while the intermediate depth low- and moderate-magnitude seismicity is modeled by the completely random pattern; the sequences of strong 'subcrustal earthquakes indicate a quasi periodical occurrence of the major events.
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INVERSION OF SHORT PERIOD RECORDS OF LOCAL SEISMIC EVENTS-A TOOL FOR THE STUDY OF SOURCE PARAMETERS OF SMALL VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Ardeleanu L. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47(7-8), 833-848 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
The short period records of a low magnitude crustal earthquake from Vrancea seismic area are inverted for the seismic moment tensor. Although the structure of the region is quite complex, simple I-D layered models are used in the Green's function synthesis. Azimuthal dependence was simulated by specifying different I-D structures for different stations. The waveform inversion was performed by processing the available records grouped into data sets, corresponding to individual subsets of 4 stations. The most uncertain inverted parameter is the source time function; the mechanism is more confident, especially the orientation of its deviatoric part; the most robust source parameter is the scalar moment. An averaging algorithm is tested to constrain better the time history and to obtain representative estimates of the source parameters of the seismic event under study.
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CAPABILITY OF THE TEMPORARY SEISMIC NETWORK, INSTALLED DURING THE CALIXTO’99 TOMOGRAPHIC EXPERIMENT, TO DETECT LOCAL VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES - A PRELIMINARY STUDY | Ardeleanu L., CALIXTO Working Group | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2002 | 47(5-6), 687-692 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., CALIXTO Working Group
Abstract:
Based on a preliminary set of local earthquakes, which occurred in the Vrancea region during the tomographic experiment CALIXTO'99, the paper performs an analysis of the efficiency of the temporary seismic network in increasing the localization reliability of the Vrancea events, by supplementing the data provided by the permanent networks.
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SOME CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE DEPTHS AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES WITHIN THE MOESIAN PLATFORM AND ITS NORTHERN NEIGHBORHOOD | Raileanu V., Bala A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 46(7-8), 475-484 | |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Bala A.
Abstract:
12 crustal rheological models were built in areas with crustal seismicity from Muntenia and Oltenia. Half of the models show a rheological layering for Oltenia and eastern part of Muntenia. Other 6 models display an uncommon pattern that consists in only one thin low viscosity zone in the upper crust. A comparison between hypocenters depth range of the crustal earthquakes in the studied areas and depth intervals of the transition zones from brittle to ductile behaviour under stress showed some overlappings for Oltenia sites where there is a rheological layering and to a less extent for Muntenia. This suggests that for areas where there is a rheological layering it is possible to predict the depth interval in which an earthquake might occur.
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RECENT RESEARCH ON THE VRANCEA SEISMOGENIC ZONE | Radulian M., Popa M., Popescu E., Rizescu M., Grecu B. | 2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SEISMIC ENGINEERING | | PROCEEDINGS | 2001 | 11-22 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M., Popescu E., Rizescu M., Grecu B.
Abstract:
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SOURCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEISMIC SEQUENCES IN THE EASTERN CARPATHIANS FOREDEEP REGION (ROMANIA) | Popescu E., Radulian M. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 338, 325-337 | |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The source parameters and scaling properties for two seismic areas (Vrâncioaia and Râmnicu Sărat) of the Carpathians Mountains foredeep, adjacent to the Vrancea seismic region, are analyzed by standard time and frequency domain methods and empirical Green's function deconvolution. The study area is characterized by distinct shallow seismicity clusters with small and moderate-size earthquakes (M<5). The digital short-period and broad-band waveforms recorded by the Romanian seismic network are considered. The analysis of the retrieved source parameters possibly outlines a heterogeneous faulting process. A significant difference in the stress drop value is emphasized between Vrâncioaia and Râmnicu Sărat earthquakes, which is assumed to be ascribed to differences in the local seismotectonics and reology. Our paper shows the efficiency of the empirical Green's function deconvolution in eliminating the instrument, path and site effects for the earthquake sequences in the Râmnicu Sărat region. The apparent source time function is generally well constrained, as demonstrated by our tests using in parallel both, appropriate Green's functions of different sizes, and instruments with different frequency bandwidth.
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RâMNICU SăRAT (ROMANIA) SEISMIC SEQUENCE OF DECEMBER 6-8, 1997: SOURCE TIME FUNCTION AND SCALING RELATIONS OF THE EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS | Popescu E., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 46,(7-8) 515-530 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
The source parameters and scaling properties for the Râmnicu Sărat seismic area of the Carpathians foredeep, adjacent to the Vrancea seismic region, are analyzed by standard time and frequency domain methods and empirical Green's function deconvolution. the studied zone is characterized by distinct shallow seismicity clusters with small and moderate-size earthquake (M<5.6). The digital short-period and broad-band waveforms recorded by the Romanian seismic network are considered. The analysis of the retrieve source parameters outlines a heterogeneous faulting process. Our paper shows the efficiency of the empirical Green's function deconvolution in eliminating the instrument, path and side effects for the earthquake sequences in the Râmnicu Sărat region. The apparent source time function is generally well constrained, as demonstrated by our tests using in parallel both, appropriate Green's functions of different sizes, and instruments with different frequency bandwidths.
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TIME CLUSTERING PROPERTIES OF THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 53(3-8), 507-518 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Clustering properties of the time series of Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes are analyzed using several statistical tests. A catalog of 5449 events (M≥1.5) spanning the time interval January 1974-April 2001 is considered. At the scale of the whole subducting slab the time occurrence series behaves like a pure random process. When the analysis was focused on the two active seismogenic segments delimited in the subducting lithosphere, one around 90 km (where the major shocks of March 1977 and May 1990 were generated), the other around 130 km depth (where the major shock of August 1986 was generated), we found discernible clustering effects. Our results are in favor of the presence of different earthquake mechanisms in the two seismic active segments, complementing earlier results on the Vrancea subcrustal earthquake regime.
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DEPTH-DEPENDENT SCALING RELATIONS OF THE SOURCE PARAMETERS FOR THE VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Popa M., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 46(7-8), 499-513 | |
Authors:
Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Vrancea seismic region shows a particular geometry with an unusual narrow focal volume, located in an almost vertical subducted body. There is clear evidence of significant inhomogeneities along the slab, which suggests a depth dependence of the source scaling properties. The main purpose of the present study is to outline the variation of the scaling relation of the source parameters versus depth. To determine the scaling relations we use the source parameters retrieved by the empirical Green's function deconvolution technique for 40 earthquakes (4.0 < ML < 5.5) located all along the Vrancea subducted slab (60 < h < 160 km). The analysis of the scaling properties versus depth reveals the existence of two characteristic segments, one located in the upper part of the slab (around 90 km depth), and the other located in the lower part of the slab (around 140 km depth). The difference between the two seismic regimes is caused most probably by differences in the physical mechanisms of the earthquake generation process. The stress drop increase in the bottom part of the slab is correlated with a significant decrease of the slope of the frequency-magnitude distribution in this region. Some particular features observed for the earthquakes located around 100 km depth could be tentatively explained by the presence of a dehydration process at this depth.
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LOCAL SOURCE TOMOGRAPHY USING BODY WAVES TO DEDUCE A MINIMUM 1D VELOCITY MODEL FOR VRANCEA (ROMANIA) ZONE | Popa M., Kissling E., Radulian M., Bonjer K.-P., Enescu D., Dragan S. , CALIXTO Research Group | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 53(3-8), 519-536 | |
Authors:
Popa M., Kissling E., Radulian M., Bonjer K.-P., Enescu D., Dragan S. , CALIXTO Research Group
Abstract:
The study is focused on high-precision earthquake location and local earthquake tomography in Romania using data from the Romanian permanent station network, the recently installed K2 network and the temporary CALIXTO'99 (Carpathian Arc LIthosphere X-TOmography) network deployed in 1999, the last two in cooperation with the Collaborative Research Center 461 “Strong Earthquakes – A Challenge for Geosciences and Civil Engineering” of the University of Karlsruhe. In order to determine a minimum 1D lithosphere model, we solve the coupled hypocentrevelocity structure model by an inversion procedure (program VELEST) developed at the Institute of Geophysics ETH-Zurich. Since the problem is inherently non-linear, we apply a trial-and-error algorithm. The minimum 1D model is obtained by minimizing the standard deviations of the travel time residuals of P waves. It represents the optimum 1D model of the lithosphere beneath Vrancea region. Since the structure here shows significant lateral variations, the inversion procedure provides also the station corrections to account for these 3D effects. The resulted station corrections correlate remarkably with the local and regional crustal units. Strong lateral contrasts are pointed out in the eastern part of the Moesian platform, at the contact with the North Dobrogea orogen, and at the border with Bulgaria. The model performance is tested against routine earthquake location procedures. Absolute mislocation errors using the minimum 1D model are estimated using controlled source data provided by the VRANCEA’99 refraction experiment.
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VRANCEA99 - THE CRUSTAL STRUCTURE BENEATH THE SOUTHEASTERN CARPATHIANS AND THE MOESIAN PLATFORM FROM A REFRACTION SEISMIC PROFILE IN ROMANIA | Hauser F., Raileanu V., Fielitz W., Bala A., Prodehl C., Polonic G., Schulze A. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 340, 233–256 | |
Authors:
Hauser F., Raileanu V., Fielitz W., Bala A., Prodehl C., Polonic G., Schulze A.
Abstract:
The VRANCEA99 seismic refraction experiment is part of an international and multidisciplinary project to study the intermediate depth earthquakes of the Eastern Carpathians in Romania. As part of the seismic experiment, a 300-km-long refraction profile was recorded between the cities of Bacau and Bucharest, traversing the Vrancea epicentral region in NNE–SSW direction.The results deduced using forward and inverse ray trace modelling indicate a multi-layered crust. The sedimentary succession comprises two to four seismic layers of variable thickness and with velocities ranging from 2.0 to 5.8 km/s. The seismic basement coincides with a velocity step up to 5.9 km/s. Velocities in the upper crystalline crust are 5.9–6.2 km/s. An intra-crustal discontinuity at 18–31 km divides the crust into an upper and a lower layer. Velocities within the lower crust are 6.7–7.0 km/s. Strong wide-angle PmP reflections indicate the existence of a first-order Moho at a depth of 30 km near the southern end of the line and 41 km near the centre. Constraints on upper mantle seismic velocities (7.9 km/s) are provided by Pn arrival times from two shot points only. Within the upper mantle a low velocity zone is interpreted. Travel times of a PLP reflection define the bottom of this low velocity layer at a depth of 55 km. The velocity beneath this interface must be at least 8.5 km/s.Geologic interpretation of the seismic data suggests that the Neogene tectonic convergence of the Eastern Carpathians resulted in thin-skinned shortening of the sedimentary cover and in thick-skinned shortening in the crystalline crust. On the autochthonous cover of the Moesian platform several blocks can be recognised which are characterised by different lithological compositions. This could indicate a pre-structuring of the platform at Mesozoic and/or Palaeozoic times with a probable active involvement of the Intramoesian and the Capidava–Ovidiu faults. Especially the Intramoesian fault is clearly recognisable on the refraction line. No clear indications of the important Trotus fault in the north of the profile could be found. In the central part of the seismic line a thinned lower crust and the low velocity zone in the uppermost mantle point to the possibility of crustal delamination and partial melting in the upper mantle.
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VRANCEA SOURCE INFLUENCE ON LOCAL SEISMIC RESPONSE IN BUCHAREST | Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 158, 2407-2429 | |
Authors:
Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The mapping of the seismic ground motion in Bucharest, due to the strong Vrancea earthquakes, is carried out using a complex hybrid waveform modeling method that allows easy parametric tests. Starting from the actually available strong motion database, we can make realistic predictions for the possible ground motion. The basic information necessary for the modeling consists of: (a) The representative mechanisms for the strong subcrustal events, (b) the average regional structural model, and (c) the local structure for Bucharest. Two scenario earthquakes are considered and the source influence on the local response is analyzed in order to define generally valid ground motion parameters, to be used in the seismic hazard estimations. The source has its own (detectable) contribution on the ground motion and its effects on the local response in Bucharest are quite stable on the transversal component (T), while the radial (R) and vertical (V) components are sensitive to the scenario earthquake. Although the strongest local effects affect the T component, both observed and synthetic, a complete determination of the seismic input for the built environment requires the knowledge of all three components of motion (R, V, T). The damage observed in Bucharest for the March 4, 1977 Vrancea event, the strongest earthquake to strike the city in modern times, is in agreement with the synthetic signals and local response.
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LOCAL SEISMIC EFFECTS IN FIVE SITES SOUTH OF BACAU, ROMANIA, USING SPECTRAL RATIO DERIVED FROM CRUSTAL SEISMIC REFRACTION DATA | Raileanu V. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 46(9-10), 617-627 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V.
Abstract:
By using the seismic records for the study of the crust south of Bacău, Romania a spectral ratio analysis is performed for five sites placed on the terraces of s few local rivers. For each site different time windows (20-100 s) of the seismic records provided by four shots are analyzed and finally as much as 8 spectral ratio curves are achieved. It is remarked a similarity among the spectral ratio curves for the same site and different time windows and shots. The spectral rates where the most peaks exceed 1.5 units is comprised between 2.1 and 7.5 Hz (0.13-0.48 s). Some peaks for the same site but different shots and tome windows are randomly occurring beyond 8 Hz. Under 1 Hz no prominent peak is noticed. The spectral domain 2.1-7.5 Hz is corresponding to the resonant frequencies of the sites. Particularly each site has a resonant spectral range where the spectral ratios exceed at least 1.5 units. Those relatively high resonant frequencies seems to be generated by some thin sediments (10-60 m thick) belonging to the alluviums around the rivers where sites are located.
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SOME PREMONITORY PHENOMENA OF THE 1995 HYOGO-KEN NAMBU COBE EARTHQUAKE: SEISMICITY, B-VALUE AND FRACTAL DIMENSION | Enescu B.D., Ito K. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2001 | 338, 297-314 | |
Authors:
Enescu B.D., Ito K.
Abstract:
This paper presents a detailed and complex analyses of the spatio-temporal evolution of seismic activity between 1976 and 1998, in a broad area surrounding the epicentre of the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake as well as in the source area. Various precursory changes in seismicity, such as quiescence followed by increased seismic activity, b-value and fractal dimension (correlation dimension, D2) anomalies appear approximately two years before the occurrence of the major event. An increased level of background seismicity is clearly observed after the occurrence of the Kobe earthquake, particularly in the northeast extension of the source area. All these ‘anomalous’ changes in seismic activity before and after the occurrence of the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake appear in a relatively large region surrounding the epicentre of the main shock as well as in the source area.
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COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LOCATIONS PRODUCED BY PIDC AND ROM_NDC FOR SEISMIC EVENTS IN ROMANIA | Popa M., Oancea V., Rizescu M., Bazacliu O., Popescu E. | IMS LOCATION CALIBRATION | WORKSHOP | ARTICLE | 2000 | | - |
Authors:
Popa M., Oancea V., Rizescu M., Bazacliu O., Popescu E.
Abstract:
Romania has actively participating in the activities supporting the implementation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) verification regime. This participation consisted in operating the Romanian National Data Centre (ROM_NDC), the seismological station Cheia-Muntele Roșu as auxiliary seismic data based in the national seismic bulletin to the Prototype International Data Centre (PIDC).
The present paper contains a comparison between ROM-NDC locations for seismic events on the Romanian territory (and its immediate neighborhood) and the PIDC revised event bulletins, for the period 1995-1999. ROM_NDC submitted 1074 origins to the PIDC as supplementary data, based initially on automatic location for local seismic events, that were regularly updated with analyst revised solutions. ROM_NDC bulletins are obtained using the data recorded at 17 seismic stations in the Romanian national network and the location program HYPOPLUS based on Geiger method. During the same time interval, the PIDC revised event bulletins contain 62 seismic events that were located in Romania using the available IMS stations.
A detailed analysis of epicenter and depth estimations in the two bulletins for the common set of events is performed, and the possible causes of the observed differences are discussed.
This study offers a measure of the detection and location capability of the IMS network for seismic events in the Carpathians region of Central Europe. with the goal of contributing to the regional calibration program of IMS.
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PREFACE, IN “SEISMIC HAZARD OF THE CIRCUM-PANNONIAN REGION” | Panza G., Radulian M., Trifu C.I. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2000 | 157, 1-4 | - |
Authors:
Panza G., Radulian M., Trifu C.I.
Abstract:
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THE DEPENDENCE OF Q WITH SEISMIC INDUCED STRAINS AND FREQUENCIES FOR SURFACE LAYERS FROM RESONANT COLUMNS | Marmureanu G., Bratosin D., Cioflan C.O. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2000 | 157, 269-279 | |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Bratosin D., Cioflan C.O.
Abstract:
The gross effect of internal friction is summarized by the dimensionless quantity Q, defined in various ways. If a volume of soil is cycled in stress at a frequency ω, physically, the Q factor is equal to the ratio of energy dissipated per cycle to the total energy Q-1 = δE/(2πE). The authors used Hardin and Drnevich resonant columns to determine the damping capacity of cylindrical specimens from surface soil layers during torsional and longitudinal vibrations. The energy dissipated by the system is a measure of the damping capacity of the soil. The damping will be defined by the shear damping ratio for the soil D, analogous to the critical viscous damping ratio for a single degree of freedom c/c0. Values of damping determined in these resonant columns will correspond to the area of the hysteresis loop stress strain relation divided by 4π times the elastic strain energy stored in the specimen at maximum strain. Consequently, we can express D in the form of quality factor Q, that is Q=1/(2D), where Q is defined in terms of the fractional loss of energy per cycle of oscillation and D is a nonlinear function ω and γ. The nonlinear dependence of Q with seismic induced strains and frequencies for large deformations has an important influence on the propagation of the seismic waves in the hazard and microzonation studies.
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ATTENUATION RELATIONSHIPS USING MACROSEISMIC INTENSITY CURVES. PART I. CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES FROM FAGARAS AND ADJACENT ZONES | Pantea A.and Moldovan I.A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2000 | 45, 615-631 | - |
Authors:
Pantea A.and Moldovan I.A.
Abstract:
An important step for the correct assessment of seismic hazard is the interpretation of the macroseismic effects distribution from a given seismic zone, as well as the good evaluation of seismic intensity attenuation laws.
The evaluation of macroseismic intensity attenuation laws for Făgăraș and adjacent zones was imposed by the necessity of seismic hazard assessment in this high seismic potential zone (the largest event occurred in this zone: MGR=6.4; Io=IX), but with low seismcity.
The present paper is a study of macroseismic intensity attenuation laws, using 3 crustal earthquakes (MGR>4.0) that occurred in the Făgăraș (Romania) seismic zone, for which only the isoseismal maps were available. The attenuation was analyzed as a function of distance and azimuth (E, W, N, S, NE, SW, NW, and SE), using nine attenuation laws.
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THE ROMANIAN VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE OF APRIL 6TH 2000: RELOCATION AND FAULT PLANE SOLUTION | Ivan M., Wiejacz P., Popa M., Radulian M. | REV. ROUM. GÉOPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 2000 | 157, 269-279 | - |
Authors:
Ivan M., Wiejacz P., Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Le séisme de Vrancea du 6 avril 2000: rélocation et solution du plan de faille. On présente les caracteristiques principales du séisme de Vrancea du 6 Avril 2000 (temps d’origine, localization, magnitude, solution du plan de faille), obtenues en utilisant des enregistrements aux stations locales, regionals et globales.
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FRACTAL PROPERTIES OF TIME, SPACE AND SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE SINAIA EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE OF MAY-JUNE, 1993 | Popescu E., Radulian M., Popa M. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 2000 | 38, 29-39 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
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CLUSTERING PROPERTIES OF THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) INTERMEDIATE DEPTH SEISMICITY | Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Radulian M., Ardeleanu M. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 2000 | 38, 41-51 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Bazacliu O., Radulian M., Ardeleanu M.
Abstract:
A series of previous studies focused on the multiple aspects related to the dynamics of the seismic regime in Vrancea (Romania) revealing interesting particularities of this intriguing and still far from being understood seismic source (Trifu, Radulian, 1989, 1991, 1994; Radulian, Trifu, 1991; Radulian, Popa, 1994; Bazacliu, Radulian, 1999). This paper is an extension of such approaches aiming at a comprehensive analysis of the Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic activity in time, space and energy domains, based on an updated catalog of the last 26 years (1974-2000). All the identified 5311 events are located using only the depth coordinate and the moment-magnitude calibrated using the procedure proposed by Trifu and Radulian (1994). For the most recent 393 earthquakes (May 1998-June 2000) a complete location is performed.
The completeness test indicates a threshold magnitude of ML = 3.0 for the entire data set and entire the depth domain. The magnitude threshold is lower for the data starting with October 1980 (when a new seismic network was installed in Romania) and for the upper part of the subducting slab. Four major earthquakes (ML> 6) occurred within the considered time interval: 4 March 1977 (h = 93 km, Mw = 7.5), 30 August 1986 (h = 131 km, Mw = 7.1), 30 May 1990 (h = 90 km, u; = 6.9), 31 May 1990 (h =87 km, Mw = 6.4).
The results are interpreted in terms of the discrete source model (Trifu, Radulian, 1991, 1994) and of the existence of self-similar distributions of inhomogeneities at every observation scale in both structure and stress field, characteristic for the Vrancea focal volume.
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DETAILED LOOK AT FINAL STAGE OF PLATE BREAK-OFF. TOMOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION TO SNAPSHOT THIS PROCESS AT THE CARPATHIAN BENDING ZONE | Mocanu V., Wenzel F., Achauer U., Kissling E., Mussachio G., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN GEOPHYSICS | | JOURNAL | 2000 | 7, 264-267 | - |
Authors:
Mocanu V., Wenzel F., Achauer U., Kissling E., Mussachio G., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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CHARACTERIZATION SEISMIC ZONES OF ROMANIAN | Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Popescu E., Utale A., Panza G. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2000 | 157(1), 57-77 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Popescu E., Utale A., Panza G.
Abstract:
Although the time and magnitude range covered by available seismological data is limited, several significant regional trends are outlined in the seismogenic zones of Romania. Vrancea region, which is by far the most seismically active area, has a persistent rate of occurrence of intermediate-depth earthquakes, clustered in a very confined focal volume, and a clear compressive stress regime. The deformation field, as deduced from the available fault plane solutions, is drastically reduced in the crust, where the maximum magnitude is below 6.5 (except Shabla zone, in Bulgaria). The system of major faults developed in a NWSE direction in the Carpathians foredeep area is certainly linked to the subduction process in Vrancea, although they seem not to play a significantly active role, as could be expected for an active subduction process. The existing data indicate an extensional deformation regime over the foredeep area and Southern Carpathians, while a predominant compressive regime is outlined at the contact between the eastern margin of the Pannonian Depression and Carpathians orogen, in agreement with the bending tendency of the maximum horizontal compression orientation of the crustal stress field from NESW, in western and central Europe, to EW, in the intra-Carpathian region (Grnthal and Strohmeyer, 1992).
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DETERMINISTIC HAZARD COMPUTATION FOR VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Radulian M., Vaccari F., Mandrescu N., Panza G. F., Moldoveanu C. L. | 3RD EU-JAPAN WORKSHOP ON SEISMIC RISK | | PROCEEDINGS | 2000 | 61-67 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Vaccari F., Mandrescu N., Panza G. F., Moldoveanu C. L.
Abstract:
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SEISMIC HAZARD OF ROMANIA: DETERMINISTIC APPROACH | Radulian M., Vaccari F., Mandrescu N., Panza G. F., Moldoveanu C. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 2000 | 157(1-2), 221-247 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Vaccari F., Mandrescu N., Panza G. F., Moldoveanu C.
Abstract:
The seismic hazard of Romania is estimated in terms of peak-ground motion values—displacement, velocity, design ground acceleration (DGA)—computing complete synthetic seismograms, which are considered to be representative of the different seismogenic and structural zones of the country. The deterministic method addresses issues largely neglected in probabilistic hazard analysis, e.g., how crustal properties affect attenuation, since the ground motion parameters are not derived from overly simplified attenuation “functions,” but rather from synthetic time histories. The synthesis of the hazard is divided into two parts, one that of shallow-focus earthquakes, and the other, that of intermediate-focus events of the Vrancea region. The previous hazard maps of Romania completely ignore the seismic activity in the southeastern part of the country (due to the seismic source of Shabla zone). For the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes, which control the seismic hazard level over most of the territory, the comparison of the numerical results with the historically-based intensity map show significant differences. They could be due to possible structural or source properties not captured by our modeling, or to differences in the distribution of damageable buildings over the territory (meaning that future earthquakes can be more spectacularly damaging in regions other than those regions experiencing damage in the past). Since the deterministic modeling is highly sensitive to the source and path effects, it can be used to improve the seismological parameters of the historical events.
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THE SEISMIC-REFRACTION PROJECT VRANCEA-99 | Prodehl C., Raileanu V., Hauser F., Bala A., Rumpel H.-M., Schulze A. | EUROPROBE NEWS, EUROPROBE PANCARDI PROJECT | | JOURNAL | 2000 | 13, 15-18 | - |
Authors:
Prodehl C., Raileanu V., Hauser F., Bala A., Rumpel H.-M., Schulze A.
Abstract:
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TEST OF THE EMPIRICAL GREEN’S FUNCTION DECONVOLUTION ON VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES | Popa M., Radulian M. | STUDIA GEOPHYSICA ET GEODAETICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 2000 | 44(3), 403-429 | |
Authors:
Popa M., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Vrancea is one of the few singular seismic regions of the world where intermediate-depth earthquakes are permanently generated (around 10 events/month with M L> 3) within an extremely confined focal volume. This particularity and the relatively large number of short-period waveforms recorded by the Romanian local network provides us the opportunity to test the performance of the empirical Green's function technique in retrieving the source time function and source directivity of the Vrancea earthquakes. Three earthquakes that occurred on March 11, 1983 (M L= 5.4), April 12, 1983 (M L= 5.1) and August 7, 1984 (M L= 5.1) in the lower part of the subducting lithosphere (h ≍ 150 km) were analyzed. A set of 28 adjacent events (3.0 < M L< 4.4) which occurred between 1981 and 1997 were selected as corresponding empirical Green's functions. To test the confidence of the retrieved source time function, we compare the deconvolved pulses using Green's functions of different sizes and recorded simultaneously by short-period and broad-band instruments. Our tests show that the durations of the source time function is well-constrained and is not affected by the limited frequency range of the short-period instruments, or by the relative difference in the focal mechanism between the main event and Green's event. The apparent duration of the source time function outlines source directivity effects, and when these effects are sufficiently strong, they can identify the real fault plane. Relatively short source duration and correspondingly high stress drop values are in agreement with other previous results emphasizing a specific seismic regime in the lower part of the Vrancea subducting lithosphere.
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SOURCE PARAMETERS OF THE WEAK EARTHQUAKES IN THE VRANCEA FOREDEEP AREA | Ardeleanu L., Radulian M., Sileny J., Panza G.F. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE G&EACUTE;OPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 2000 | 44, 57-69 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Radulian M., Sileny J., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
Paramètres des sources des faibles tremblements de terre dans l’avant-fosse de la region de Vrancea. L’inversion des formes d’onde de courte période este appliquée pour determiner le mécanisme focal et la function source, pour un échantillon de séismes faibles, produits dans l’avant-fosse carpatique. Les seismogrammes synthétique sont calculé par la summation des modes d’oscillation des ondes Rayleigh, dans l’approximation de source punctuelle, pour des structures anélastique à stratificatiojn horizontale. Les données utilisées sont les semogrammes enregistrés par le reseau sismique roumain (enregistrements de vitesse de haute fréquence, digitaux, composante verticale). Les mécanisme focaux retrouvés par l’inversion sont robustes: malgré la modulation très simple de la structure, des solutions du plan de faille précises sont determinées en utilisant seulement cinq enregistrements de bonne qualité. Les fonctions source sont plus instabiles, main elles sont bien contraintes dans les situations où au moins sept enregistrements sont utilisables.
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MAGNITUDE CALIBRATION FOR VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SUBCRUSTAL EARTHQUAKES USING CODA WAVES | Bazacliu O., Oancea V., Popescu E. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 19, 179–187 | |
Authors:
Bazacliu O., Oancea V., Popescu E.
Abstract:
The coda wave amplitude is used to calibrate the moment–magnitude scale of the Vrancea (Romania) intermediate depth earthquakes. The proportionality between seismic moment and coda wave amplitude is supposed to infer a relation connecting the magnitude, the coda amplitude and the corresponding time in coda (measured from the origin time). The data set consists of waveforms recorded by the Romanian telemetered network at several seismic stations, such as Muntele Roşu (MLR), Vrâncioaia (VRI), Carcaliu (CFR) and Topalu (TLB). Our results are in good agreement with the moment–magnitude scale for Vrancea subcrustal events. The independence of the two approaches allows for the verification of the local magnitude scale for the Vrancea subcrustal earthquakes. Average relations among coda amplitude, magnitude ML and coda duration are obtained for the above-mentioned stations.
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A CORRELATION BETWEEN FOCAL DEPTH INTERVALS AND CRUSTAL RHEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN BANAT AND CRISANA ZONES, | Raileanu V., Bala A. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE G&EACUTE;OPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 1999 | 43, 31-43 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Bala A.
Abstract:
Correlation entre les intervalles de profondeur focale et les paramètres rhéologiques dans les zones du Banat et de Crisana. L'article présente les résultats d'une étude sur la corrélation entre la profondeur focale des séismes crustaux de 9 zones sismogènes du Banat et de Crisana, et les paramètres rhéologiques crustaux. Les modèles rhéologiques montrent une alternance de couches rigides et de viscosité réduite. Les deux premiers maximums de résistance au cisaillement sont situés au niveau médian de la croûte supérieure et en haut de la croûte inférieure. Ils sont suivis par des zones de viscosité réduite au niveau de la croûte médiane et à la base de la croûte inférieure. Le troisième maximum se trouve en haut du manteau supérieur. L'analyse de la distribution des hypocentres en profondeur pour 33 séismes crustaux locaux montre une concentration de la majorité des hypocentres de 5 à 10 km intervalle qui se superpose sur l'intervalle de résistance maximum au cisaillement du niveau médian de la croûte supérieure.
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DECADE 1991-2000: SEISMIC MOTIONS AT GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SCALES | Radulian M., Popa M., Rizescu M., Ionescu C. | SYMPOSIUM &LDQUO;BUCHAREST, MARCH 1977 - MARCH 1999&RDQUO; | | PROCEEDINGS | 1999 | | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M., Rizescu M., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
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SEISMIC ACTIVITY AND STRESS FIELD IN ROMANIA | Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Popescu E., Utale A., Panza G.F. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 44(9-10), 1051-1069 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Mandrescu N., Popescu E., Utale A., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The seismic zones of Romania are identified on the basis of active tectonics and seismicity. The revised earthquake catalogues and fault plane solutions for the Romanian shallow earthquakes are analyzed for this purpose. Of special interest are the areas at the contact between the shallow and the intermediate-depth seismicity, the last one located at the bend of the Carpathians arc (Vrancea region). The average stress field model for the Romanian territory is outlines using the fault plane solutions that reflects the regional trends associated to the seismic zones. A well-defined compressional regime, with convergence on a NW-SE directions, is associated to the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes. On the contrary, all along Carpathian foredeep the stress field is extensional. The transition from compression at subcrustal depths to extension in the crust takes place within a relatively small area, laying southeastward from the epicentral zones of the Vrancea subcrustal earthquakes. Dominant compression on E-W direction is observed at the contact between the Pannonian depression and the Carpathian orogen.
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MACROSEISMIC FIELD OF THE ROMANIAN INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES | Mandrescu N., Radulian M. | ADVANCES IN NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS RESEARCH, VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | BOOK SERIES | ARTICLE | 1999 | 11, 163-174 | |
Authors:
Mandrescu N., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Romania is a country of moderate seismicity, with 2–3 major earthquakes (M w > 7) per century. These events occur at subcrustal depths (60 < h < 200 km), in a confined epicentral area (approximately 3,000 km2), located at the Eastern Carpathian Arc bend, in the Vrancea Mountains. There are only few seismic regions in the world with comparable focus isolation and persistence (e.g., Hindu Kush in Afganistan and Bucaramanga in Columbia). The large Vrancea earthquakes severely affect not only the Romanian territory, but also extended areas in the neighboring countries.
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POSSIBLE CAUSE-EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES AND SOME GLOBAL GEOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA | Enescu D., Enescu B.D. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 19, 233–245 | |
Authors:
Enescu D., Enescu B.D.
Abstract:
The possibility that the Earth's tides are a triggering factor of Vrancea subcrustal earthquakes is investigated in the first part of this paper. A possible correlation between Vrancea subcrustal earthquakes and geomagnetic jerks is demonstrated in the second part. The last part of the paper presents a number of results concerning a possible relationship between the regularities of strong Vrancea subcrustal seismicity and the Chandler nutation parameters. An attempt is made to integrate all of these phenomena in a more general framework that takes into account physical processes in the Earth mantle and core. A long-term prediction of the next strong Vrancea earthquake is finally attempted.
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THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKE OF MAY 31, 1990 (MGR = 6.1). ISOACCELERATION MAPS OF GROUND MOVEMENT AND MACROSEISMIC MAPS | Enescu B.D. , Enescu D. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 44(5-6), 645-653 | - |
Authors:
Enescu B.D. , Enescu D.
Abstract:
A study contributing to the groundwork for tracing the seismic hazard maps of the Romanian territory and neighboring areas are presented. Maximum ground movement accelerations recorded at 29 seismic stations (Table1) made possible to work out an isoacceleration map in two different various (Fig. 3 and 4). Estimates based on a synthetic isoaccelatarion calculating method made possible to obtain a fairly complete isoline system. Data in Fig. 3 and 4 agree with the focal mechanism solution in Fig. 2, but at least partly disagree with macroseismic data in Fig. 1, revealing the highly subjective nature of the latter (Fig. 1). Relation (1) made possible to convert the isoacceleration map in Fig. 4 into a map of seismic intensities (Fig. 5), which substantially differs from the one in Fig. 1. All this led to a number of conclusions of high significance and use for the final tracing of seismic hazard maps.
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SEISMICITY VARIATIONS IN DEPTH AND TIME IN THE VRANCEA (ROMANIA) SUBCRUSTAL REGION | Bazacliu O., Radulian M. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 19, 165-177 | |
Authors:
Bazacliu O., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Seismicity patterns that characterize the seismic regime of the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes are investigated using an earthquake catalogue extending from 1974 to 1998. The analysis is made separately on two characteristic segments of the subducted plate (active zones) which hosted the major earthquakes of 4 March 1977, 30 August 1986 and 30 May 1990. Precursory anomalies preceding the occurrence of the major shock of 1986 (Mw = 7.3) in the lower part of the subducted slab are outlined when analyzing the time variation of the parameter (defined as the ratio of small to moderate events in a given active zone and a given time interval) and of the fractal dimension of the earthquake space distribution. Nothing similar is noticed in the upper part of the Vrancea slab. The analyzed time interval covering 25 years shows that, in contrast to previous studies, the statistical fluctuations of the parameter, computed for a time window of 5 months, appear to be too large to be considered as precursory anomalies. Significant differences among characteristic depth segments are also outlined in the frequency–magnitude distribution and are possibly related to differences in the physical mechanism of the earthquake generation process.
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SEISMIC MICROZONING OF BUCHAREST (ROMANIA): A CRITICAL REVIEW | Mândrescu N., Radulian M. | ADVANCES IN NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS RESEARCH, VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | BOOK SERIES | ARTICLE | 1999 | 11, 109-121 | |
Authors:
Mândrescu N., Radulian M.
Abstract:
Bucharest suffered on repeated occasions strong damages as a result of the Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes, located in a confined isolated focal volume beneath the Eastern Carpathians Arc bend. The particular seismic energy radiation and the seismic cycle in Vrancea focus, characterized by 2–3 major shocks (M w > 7.0) per century, lead to a high level of the seismic risk in Bucharest.
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MODELLING, FOR MICROZONATION PURPOSES, OF THE SEISMIC GROUND MOTION IN BUCHAREST, DUE TO THE VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE OF MAY 30, 1990 | Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F. | ADVANCES IN NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS RESEARCH, VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | BOOK SERIES | ARTICLE | 1999 | 11, 85-97 | |
Authors:
Moldoveanu C.L., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The Vrancea seismoactive region, characterized by intermediate-depth earthquakes, is the quake source that has to be taken into account for microzonation purposes of Bucharest that could suffer serious damage also because of the severe local site effects. The strong seismic events originating in Vrancea have caused the most destructive damage experienced on the Romanian territory and may seriously affect vulnerable high risk constructions (such as nuclear power plants, chemical plants, large dams, pipelines etc.) located on a wide area, from Central Europe to Moscow.
Realistic numerical simulation, describing the propagation of the seismic wavefield generated by a given quake in a complex geological structure, is a powerful tool, that may be efficiently used to estimate the ground motion for microzonation of the whole Bucharest area.
The realistic modelling of ground motion is carried out by means of a sophisticated hybrid technique that combines modal summation (Panza, 1985; Vaccari et al, 1989; Florsch et al., 1991; Panza, 1993; Romanelli et al., 1996) and finite difference (Fäh 1991; Fäh and Panza, 1994; Fäh et al., 1994). The input data necessary for computations are the laterally variable anelastic structural model and the focal mechanism of the seismic source.
The medium is modelled with a regional layered structure (bedrock structure), containing the seismic source and assumed to be representative of the path from the source to Bucharest, and a local structure, that is a NE20°SW oriented cross section, describing the local structure of Bucharest, along the studied path. The seismic source is described by a double-couple, buried in a layered medium, and corresponds to the focal mechanism of the May 30, 1990 Vrancea earthquake. The upper frequency limit considered in the computations is 1.0 Hz, and this allows us the modelling of seismic input appropriate for ten storeys and higher buildings.
The simulated signals are satisfactorily compared with the available instrumental records from Magurele station (44.347°N, 26.030°E), and stability tests are performed with respect to the variation of focal mechanism, regional and local structure.
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THE ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKE CATALOGUE BETWEEN 984 – 1997 | Oncescu M.C., Marza V.I., Rizescu M., Popa M. | ADVANCES IN NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS RESEARCH, VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | BOOK SERIES | ARTICLE | 1999 | 11, 43-47 | |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Marza V.I., Rizescu M., Popa M.
Abstract:
Earthquake catalogues are the primary input data for seismic hazard computations. An earthquake catalogue should be up-to-date, complete, homogeneous and accessible. There are several earthquake catalogues for the Romanian earthquakes published until now (e.g. Purcaru, 1979; Radu, 1979; Constantinescu and Marza, 1980; Radu, 1991; Trifu and Radulian, 1991), but none of them fulfil all above-mentioned criteria.
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WEAK AND STRONG GROUND MOTION OF INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES FROM THE VRANCEA REGION | Oncescu M.C., Bonjer K.P., Rizescu M. | ADVANCES IN NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS RESEARCH, VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | BOOK SERIES | ARTICLE | 1999 | 27-42 | |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Bonjer K.P., Rizescu M.
Abstract:
On March 4, 1977, at 19:21 UT, a destructive earthquake with Mw= 7.4 hit the Vrancea region in the Eastern Carpathians. The 100 km deep event was felt at distances greater than 2000 km and produced extensive damage in the epicentral area as well in Bucharest. Ambraseys (1977) and Hartzell (1979) were the firsts to note the particular shape of the (single) strong motion record available, recorded by a Japanese SMAC accelerograph: a low frequency pulse-like signal with a peak value close to 210 cm/s2 at the INC site in Bucharest (see Figures 1 and 2). The complex character of the rupture and the focal mechanisms of the individual events have been widely studied by Müller et al. (1978), Fuchs et al. (1979), Räkers and Müller (1982) and Iosif et al. (1983).
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25 SECONDS FOR BUCHAREST | Wenzel F., Oncescu M.C., Baur M., Fiedrich F., Ionescu C. | EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION | | ARTICLE | 1999 | 471-477 | |
Authors:
Wenzel F., Oncescu M.C., Baur M., Fiedrich F., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The Romanian capital Bucharest faces a significant earthquake hazard with a 50% chance for an event greater than 7.6 moment magnitude within 50 years. The last devastating earthquake hit in 1977 when 35 high-rise buildings were destroyed and 1500 fatalities were counted. An Early Warning System (EWS) based on the traveltime differences between the primary P-wave and the destructive S-wave allows a warning time of about 25 s. Peculiarities of the Romanian intermediate depth seismicity such as the stationary epicenters and the stability of radiation patterns, and a line-of-sight connection between the epicentral area and the capital allow to design a simple and robust EWS. Simplicity and robustness of the system are sought in order to reduce the risk of false alarms, which is crucial for making the system cost-beneficial.
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AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR BUCHAREST | Wenzel F., Oncescu M.C., Baur M., Fiedrich F., Ionescu C. | SEISMOLOGICAL RESEARCH LETTERS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 70(2), 161-169 | |
Authors:
Wenzel F., Oncescu M.C., Baur M., Fiedrich F., Ionescu C.
Abstract:
The discussion of early warning systems (EWS) for natural disasters has intensified toward the end of the IDNDR. The value of EWS for hazards with long warning times such as tsunamis, volcanic activities, and tornadoes is undisputed. There is an obvious lack of regional warning capacity for tsunamis, and by far not all volcanoes threatening urban centers are properly monitored. In the case of earthquakes, warning times are fairly small, ranging from seconds to a maximum of about one minute for Mexico City. However, even this small time window can provide opportunities to trigger measures automatically, such as the shutdown of comparers, the rerouting of electrical power. The shutdown of disk drives, the shutdown of high-precision facilities, the shutdown of
airport operations, the shutdown of manufacturing facilities, the stoppage of trains, the shutdown of high-energy facilities, the shutdown of gas distribution, the alerting of hospital operating rooms, the opening of fire station doors, the starring of emergency generators, the stoppage of elevators in safe
positions, the shut-off of oil pipelines, the issuing of audio alarms, the shutdown of refineries, the shutdown of nuclear power plants, the shut-off of water pipelines, and the change to a safe state in nuclear facilities (Harben, 1991).
In this paper we discuss the seismological boundary conditions of an EWS for the Romanian capital of Bucharest. The earthquakes threatening the capital are intermediate depth events with magnitudes close to Mw=8.0 at an almost fixed epicentral distance of about 150 km. The travel-rime difference between the destructive 5 wave arriving in Bucharest and the epicentral P wave is always greater than 25 seconds, which represents the maximum possible warning rime. Moreover, source mechanisms are extremely stable for larger and smaller events so that a projection of the level of ground motion to be expected in Bucharest can be based on the amplitude of the epicentral P wave rather than on the cumbersome determination of magnitude and depth. This feature allows the design of a simple, robust, and fast EWS. Wirt 25 seconds, a system with a warning rime second only to the Seismic Alarm System for Mexico City could be established.
In the following we define the general features of an EWS for Bucharest and quote a few examples of systems available or under construction. The bulk of the paper is dedicated to the characterization of Romanian seismicity and its implication for an EWS. The stability of the warning rime and scaling relations required to predict the expected level of ground motion in Bucharest are evaluated. From this discussion the key design components of an EWS are proposed. Rough considerations on the cost-benefit relation conclude the paper.
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THE SEISMIC EARTH RESPONSE BY CONSIDERING NONLINEAR BEHAVIOR OF THE SOILS TO STRONG VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Marmureanu G., Moldoveanu C.L., Cioflan C.O., Apostol B. | ADVANCES IN NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS RESEARCH, VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | BOOK SERIES | ARTICLE | 1999 | 11 | |
Authors:
Marmureanu G., Moldoveanu C.L., Cioflan C.O., Apostol B.
Abstract:
The nonlinear effects in the ground motion during strong earthquakes are a controversial issue between seismologists and geotechnical engineers. The soil effect, is one of filtering the seismic motion, increasing the amplitude in some frequency ranges and decreasing it in others. The transverse body S waves induced by strong earthquakes, with possible shear strains γ≅10−3 (as it is the case of March 4, 1997, Vrancea event, Ms=7.2) have the most distructive effect. The nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of the superficial soil deposits for such large deformations has an important influence on the propagation of the seismic waves in the hazard and microzonation studies.
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SEISMIC-ELECTROMAGNETIC PRECURSORS OF ROMANIA’S VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES. ROMANIAN | Enescu B.D., Enescu D., Constantin A.P. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 44(7-8), 853-854 | - |
Authors:
Enescu B.D., Enescu D., Constantin A.P.
Abstract:
The diagrams in Fig. 1-16 were plotted from electromagnetic data that were recorded at Muntele Roșu Observatory during December 1996 to January 1997, and December 1997 to September 1998. The times when Vrancea earthquakes of magnitudes M ≥ 3.9 occurred within these periods are marked on the diagrams.The parameters of the earthquakes are given in a table which also includes information on the magnetic and electric anomalies (perturbations) preceding these earthquakes.
The magnetic data (Fig. 1-10) prove that Vrancea earthquakes are preceded by magnetic perturbations that may be regarded as their short-term precursors. Perturbations, which could likewise be seen as short-term precursors of Vrancea earthquakes, are also noticed in the electric records, shown in Fig. 11-13b, 15 and 16. Still, a number of electric data, namely those in Fig. 13c-14b, do cast a doubt on their forerunning nature.
Some suggestions are made in the end of the paper on how electromagnetic research should go ahead to be of use for Vrancea earthquake prediction.
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THE USE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC DATA FOR SHORT-TERM PREDICTION OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Enescu B. D., Enescu D., Constantin A. P. | EARTH, PLANETS AND SPACE | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 51, 1099-1117 | |
Authors:
Enescu B. D., Enescu D., Constantin A. P.
Abstract:
Diagrams from electromagnetic data that were recorded at Muntele Roşu Observatory during the periods from December 1996 to January 1997, and December 1997 to September 1998 were plotted. The times when Vrancea earthquakes of magnitudes M ≥ 3.9 occurred within these periods are marked on the diagrams.
The magnetic data prove that Vrancea earthquakes are preceded by magnetic perturbations that may be regarded as their short-term precursors. Some of these perturbations may also be regarded either as geomagnetic storms or as instrument effects.
Perturbations, which could likewise be seen as short-term precursors of Vrancea earthquakes, are also noticed in the electric records. Still, a number of electric data do cast a doubt on their forerunning nature.
Some suggestions are made in the end of the paper on how electromagnetic research should go ahead to be of use for Vrancea earthquake prediction.
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STATISTICAL MODELS OF THE SEISMICITY OF THE VRANCEA REGION, ROMANIA | Ardeleanu L. | NATURAL HAZARDS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1999 | 19, 151–164 | |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
A parameterization derived from the Weibull distribution is used to model the seismic activity of the Vrancea region. The analysis of 498 crustal earthquakes with local magnitudes greater than 2.0, and 1377 subcrustal events with local magnitudes greater than 2.5 emphasizes that the shallow sequences show a strong clustering tendency, while the intermediate depth mainshock sequences are modeled by a completely random pattern in space and time. These results are not influenced by the magnitude threshold and the width of the time window. The difference between the seismicity patterns in the crust and in the subcrustal zone correlates with the difference between the stress field within these two regions. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1999
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INPUT FOR SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT USING VRANCEA SEISMIC SOURCE REGION | Ivan (Moldovan) I.A., Enescu B.D., Pantea A. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1998 | 43(7-8), 619-636 | - |
Authors:
Ivan (Moldovan) I.A., Enescu B.D., Pantea A.
Abstract:
e use an extended and combined data base including historical and modern, qualitative and quantitative data, i.e., more than 25 events during the period 1790 - 1990 with epicentral/maximum intensities ranging from X to V degree (MSK scale), the variation interval of isoseismal curves ranging from IXth to IIIrd degree. The data set was analysed using both the sum phasor techniques of Ridelek and Sacks (1984) for different magnitudes and depth intervals and the Stepp's method. For the assessment of seismic hazard we need a pattern of seismic source regions including an estimation for the maximum expected magnitude and the return period for the studied regions. Another necessary step in seismic hazard assessment is to develop attenuation relationships specific to a seismogenic zone, particularly to sub-crustal earthquakes of Vrancea region. The conceptual frame involves the use of appropriate decay models and consideration of the randomness in the attenuation, taking into account the azimuthal variation of the isoseist shapes.
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EXPERIMENTAL USE OF MAGNETOTELLURIC METHOD FOR VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION | Enescu B.D., Constantin A.P., Enescu D. | ROMANIAN REPORTS IN PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1998 | 50, 305-310 | - |
Authors:
Enescu B.D., Constantin A.P., Enescu D.
Abstract:
Specific elements concerning the first application in Romania of e new method for detecting Vrancea earthquake precursors as a tool for earthquake prediction are presented. The main sources and aspects of earthquake precursor generation, particularly electromagnetic, seismo-electric, and seismo-magnetic signals are examined. The prerequisites for using the method in the particular case of Vrancea seismogenic region are described and principle diagram of an electromagnetic observatory is given.
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SOURCE COMPLEXITY OF THE CRUSTAL EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE IN THE EASTERN CARPATHIANS FOREDEEP AREA | Popescu E., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1998 | 43, 837-850 | - |
Authors:
Popescu E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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21-22 FEBRUARY 1983 SEISMIC SEQUENCE OF RâMNICU SARAT: FOCAL MECHANISM AND SOURCE TIME FUNCTION INFERRED FROM SHORT PERIOD WAVEFORM INVERSION | Ardeleanu L., Radulian M. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GéOPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 1997 | 42, 27-38 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Radulian M.
Abstract:
L'inversion des sismogrammes de haute fréquence est appliquée pour déterminer Ie moment sismique tenseur de cinq seismes faibles (2,9 ≤ ML ≤ 3,6) appartenant à la sequence sismique du 21-22 fevrier 1983 de Râmnicu Sărat. Les sismogrammes synthétiques sont calculés par la sommation des modes d'oscillation des ondes Rayleigh, dans I'approximation de source ponctuelle, pour des structures anélastiques à stratification horizontale. Les données utilisées sont les formes d'onde digitales enregistrées par le reseau sismique roumain. Malgré la modelisation très simple de la structure, les paramètres à la source retrouves par I'inversion, sont robustes. Les mécanismes au foyer et les fonctions-source sont bien contraints, même dans les situations où seulement cinq enregistrements (de bonne qualité) sont utilisables.
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POLARIZATIA UNDELOR SEISMICE INREGISTRATE PE UN PROFIL DIN DOBROGEA DE NORD | Victor Raileanu, Doru Mateciuc, Alexandru Pompilian | STUDII ŞI CERCETĂRI DE GEOFIZICĂ | | JOURNAL | 1997 | 35, 29-48 | - |
Authors:
Victor Raileanu, Doru Mateciuc, Alexandru Pompilian
Abstract:
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GEODYNAMIC PROCESSES AND THE SEISMICITY IN BANAT (ROMANIA) | Polonic G., Malita Z. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE GéOPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 1997 | 41, 67-78 | - |
Authors:
Polonic G., Malita Z.
Abstract:
L’article se propose d’expliquer les processus géodynamiques et la sismicité normale (Ms≤5.3; h=26 km), par la corrélation de la sismicité avec la structure du soubassement cristallin, la tructure néotectonique et, finalement, avec la structure proponde au niveau de 10 km, qui présente le plan hypocentral pour la majorité des séismes croûteaux.
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CORRELATION BETWEEN CRUSTAL AND SUBCRUSTAL SEISMIC ACTIVITIES OF VRANCEA (ROMANIA) REGION | Bazacliu O., Popescu E., Radulian M. | THE 3RD WORKSHOP “STATISTICAL MODELS AND METHODS IN SEISMOLOGY” | | PROCEEDINGS | 1997 | 1-11 | - |
Authors:
Bazacliu O., Popescu E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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SOME PARAMETERS AND SCALING RELATIONS FOR SINAIA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES SEQUENCE OF MAY - JUNE, 1993 | Enescu D., Popescu E., Radulian M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | | JOURNAL | 1996 | 41, 321-330 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Popescu E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
A particular - sequence of crustal earthquakes (h < 10 Km, M_L ≤ 5.1) occurred in the south-western extremity of the Eastern Carpathian Arc Bend (Sinaia region) starting with May 4, 1993. The main shock (M_L = 5.1) appeared on May 23 after a significant foreshock activity, extended on a 20-day time interval. The location of the events delineates an epicentral area of about 380km~2, elongated on a NW-SE direction, in agreement with the fault plane solution of the main shock and the seismotectonics of the region. The digital recordings of the Romanian telemetered network are analyzed in order to estimate the source parameters and the scaling relations between them. An empirical deconvolution technic and the spectral ratio method are used to this purpose. The scaling of the stress drop reveals continuous-increase with the earthquake size. The results emphasize the role of the hierarchical structure of the inhomogeneities in the source region in describing the earthquake generation process.
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SEISMIC DATA OF THE CARPATHIAN FOREDEEP BASEMENT (ROMANIA) | Diaconescu C., Raileanu V., Diaconescu M., Radulescu F., Pompilian A., Biter M. | BASEMENT TECTONICS | | JOURNAL | 1996 | 11, 125 - 140 | |
Authors:
Diaconescu C., Raileanu V., Diaconescu M., Radulescu F., Pompilian A., Biter M.
Abstract:
The Carpathian foredeep is a molasse-bearing depression that formed in front of the folded eastern and southern Carpathians in the Late Miocene. Deep seismic reflection/ refraction profiles as well as gravity and thermal studies carried out in the foredeep area of the southern and eastern Carpathians provide information on the crustal structure of the study region. The variability in the reflectivity pattern and crustal thickness shown by the different sectors of the Carpathian foredeep are due to differences in the structure and lithology as well differences in crustal age (Klemperer, 1987; Wever et al., 1987).
In western part of the southern Carpathian foredeep reflectivity increases with depth and Moho is deliniated by strong reflections at 9–11.5 s two-way travel time (TWT) (30 – 33 km depth). The eastern side of the southern Carpathian foredeep shows a decreasing reflectivity with depth, the crustal base being interpreted at 12–13 s TWT (40–45 km depth) (Raileanu et al., 1994).
The eastern Carpathian foredeep is characterized by an almost transparent upper crust and a layered lower crust down to 13 s TWT (40–45 km depth). The greatest thickness of foredeep rocks is in the eastern Carpathian arc bend (Focsani depression), where Neogene rocks are 8 to 10 km thick.
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RHEOLOGY OF THE CRUST FOR R&ACIRC;MNICU S&ACIRC;RAT AREA | Raileanu V. | REV. ROUM. GÉOPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 1996 | 40, 33-44 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V.
Abstract:
La region de Râmnicu Sărat est une zone sismogénique où se sont produites quelques sequences des tremblement dans la croute terrestre pendant les derniers vingt ans. Ces tremblements sont localisé dans deux zones de resistance maximum qui se trouvent en correlation avec deux intervalles de profondeur sismogénique.
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SHEAR WAVE POLARIZATION OF LOW MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKES FROM THE VRANCEA REGION | Raileanu V., Enescu D. Rizescu M. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE G&EACUTE;OPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 1996 | 40, 45-56 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Enescu D. Rizescu M.
Abstract:
Une analyse de polarization des ondes sismique transversales produites par les séismes intermédiaires de la region de Vrancea montre une direction de la polarization NE-SO, contraire à la direction principale du stress SE-NO. Cette polarization es tune consequence de la anisotropie croûtale induite par les plans de microfissures parallèle plan avec le principal des structures, le long desquelles la plate-forme descend sous l’Orogène Carpathique, sur une direction NE-SO.
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SIZE DETERMINATION OF WEAK VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES, IN SEISMICITY OF THE CARPATHO - BALCAN REGION | Radulian M., Ardeleanu L., Campus P., Sileny J., Panza G.F. | SEISMICITY OF THE CARPATHO - BALCAN REGION | | JOURNAL | 1996 | 57-68 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Ardeleanu L., Campus P., Sileny J., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The inversion of the high-frequency seismograms allowed us to retrieve the source size of two weak Vrancea earthquakes, one occurred in the lithospheric part of the mantle. The source is described by the full moment tensor, allowing for both deviatoric and volumetric components.
The few P wave polarities available are not sufficient for the determination of a reliable source mechanism by using standard methods, while the used inversion allows us to retrieve source mechanisms and sizes that are stable with respect to different boundary conditions and in good agreement with the observed polarities.
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SCALING OF THE SOURCE PARAMETERS FOR THE VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH EARTHQUAKES | Radulian M., Popa M. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1996 | 261, 67-81 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
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WAVEFORM INVERSION OF WEAK VRANCEA (ROMANIA) EARTHQUAKES | Radulian M., Ardeleanu L., Campus P., Sileny J., Panza G.F. | STUDIA GEOPHYSICA ET GEODAETICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 1996 | 40, 367-380 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Ardeleanu L., Campus P., Sileny J., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The inversion of high-frequency seismograms is performed to retrieve source mechanisms, hypocentral depths and source time functions of two weak Vrancea earthquakes (ML=3.3), one that occurred in the crust, the other in the lithospheric part of the mantle. The digital waveforms recorded by the local Romanian network are used. Synthetic seismograms are computed by the modal summation method, using the point source approximation, for horizontally layered anelastic media. For each source-to-station path a different structural model is adopted which represents the best 1-D approximation of the medium in this azimuth. Thus, lateral inhomogeneities are taken into account in a simplified way. The source is described by the full moment tensor, allowing both deviatoric and volumetric components to be resolved.Although the structural models are simplified for the range of epicentral distances (15<<<170 km) considered, we find that the fit between the synthetic and observed seismograms is satisfactory for frequencies less than a few Hz. The few P-wave polarities available are not sufficient to determine a reliable source mechanism by standard methods, while the waveform inversion allows us to retrieve source mechanisms that are stable with respect to different boundary conditions and in good agreement with the observed polarities. The source time function is the less stable inverted parameter, being the most influenced by the simplification of the structural models.
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STUDY OF RECENT CRUSTAL MOVEMENTS IN ROMANIA: A REVIEW | Radulescu F., Mocanu V., Nacu V., Diaconescu C. | JOURNAL OF GEODYNAMICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1996 | 22(112), 33-50 | |
Authors:
Radulescu F., Mocanu V., Nacu V., Diaconescu C.
Abstract:
An historical overview of geomorphological, geological and geodetical surveys carried out in Romania is presented. These studies have provided information concerning the recent crustal movements on the Romanian territory. Special attention was paid to the geodetical surveys carried out in “specific study areas” during the last 25 years in order to verify some geodynamic hypotheses. In this way, the uplift tendency of the Carpathian orogen has to be emphasized. There is a clear separation between the northern part of Eastern Carpathians where the highest vertical velocities are pointed out (+ 5 mm/y) and the rest of the mountain chain, characterized by a moderate upheaval (+ 2 mm/y). The bending zone of the Carpathian foredeep is affected by a relatively strong subsidence (− 2 mm/y). The Carpathian foreland units appear as a relatively stabilized area. The Transylvanian basin occurs as an almost stable zone. The Romanian sector of the Pannonian basin is characterized by continuous subsidence movements, the intensity increasing from east to west. The western part of the Moesian Platform is relatively stable. Unlike it, the eastern sector with a large surface extension occurs as an important subsidence area, the sinking movements being more intense to the east, near the Black Sea coast.
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SAPS - AN AUTOMATED AND NETWORKED SEISMOLOGICAL ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING SYSTEM | Oncescu M. C., Rizescu M., Bonjer K. P. | COMPUTERS & GEOSRIENCES | ISI | JOURNAL | 1996 | 22(I), 89-97 | |
Authors:
Oncescu M. C., Rizescu M., Bonjer K. P.
Abstract:
A PC-based digital data acquisition and processing system was developed and implemented on two PCs linked by a peer-to-peer LAN. Sixteen channels are sampled with a rate of 200 Hz. The acquisition is performed continuously in sequenced files on one PC using the IASPEI-released XRTP software. The length of the elementary files is adjustable; we used 90 sec in this application. The second PC runs a program to organize automatically the following processing steps: (i) moving the raw data from the first to the second PC; (ii) filtering the data for running a 'Rex Allen'-like picker for P waves on each elementary file; (iii) concatenating three consecutive elementary files if the detection criteria are fulfilled; (v) decoding a fast time code (Lennartz-style); (v) discriminating between local and teleseismic events; (vi) plane-wave method location and mb determination for teleseisms; (vii) picking S waves, determining coda duration and locating local events; (viii) conversion of PC-SUDS into GSE format and 'feeding' a Data Request Manager with phases, locations and waveforms; (ix) sending phases and location, via e-mail, minutes after detection, and a 'health status' every hour, to the system manager; (x) plotting the raw data, the picks and printing the location results; and (xi) archiving data and results locally and on a remote workstation. The system has been running since April 1994 with data from the telemetered network of the Upper Rhinegraben. Being modular, the system can be extended and upgraded easily. Loss of data is avoided by using large hard disks as temporary data buffers and file mirroring on different hard disk drives.
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MONITORING OF THE PREPARATION OF STRONG INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH EARTHQUAKES IN VRANCEA, ROMANIA, USING THE CN ALGORITHM | Novikova O.V., Vorobieva I.A., Enescu D., Radulian M., Kuznetzov I., Panza G.F. | THE SYMPOSIUM "SEISMICITY OF THE CARPATHO-BALCAN REGION", ATHENS, GREECE | | PROCEEDINGS | 1996 | 6, 223-227 | - |
Authors:
Novikova O.V., Vorobieva I.A., Enescu D., Radulian M., Kuznetzov I., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The preparation of strong, intermediate-depth earthquake in the Vrancea region is monitored with the application of the CN algorithm to a newly compiled earthquake catalogue, for the period from 1930 to 1994. The catalogue has been obtained be merging Romanian and U.S.S.R. data. Four out of the five strong earthquakes, with magnitude above 6.4, are preceded by a Time of Increased Probability of the occurrence of an earthquake (TIP alarm). The total TIP alarm occupies 21.7% of the time interval under consideration, i.e. about 2.5 years for each strong earthquake.
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SOURCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SINAIA (ROMANIA) SEQUENCE OF MAY-JUNE 1993 | Enescu D., Popescu E., Radulian M. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1996 | 261(1-3), 39-49 | |
Authors:
Enescu D., Popescu E., Radulian M.
Abstract:
A particular sequence of crustal earthquakes (h < 10 km, ML < 5.1) occurred in the southwestern extremity of the Eastern Carpathian arc bend (Sinaia region) starting on May 4, 1993. The main shock (ML 5.1) occurred on May 23 after significant 20-day foreshock activity. The first locations delineate an epicentral area of approximately 225 km2, elongated in a NW-SE direction, which agrees with the fault plane solution for the main shock. The digital recordings of the Romanian telemetered network are analyzed in order to estimate source parameters and to investigate scaling relations. An empirical deconvolution technique and the spectral ratio method are used for this purpose. The main results, such as (1) the departure from a M13o scaling of the source radius as a function of the seismic moment, (2) the scaling of the peak velocity parameter as a function of local magnitude and (3) the scaling of the dynamic stress drop with earthquake size, are interpreted in terms of an inhomogeneous source model.
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FOCAL MECHANISM OF EARTHQUAKES OF RAMNICU SARAT (ROMANIA) SEQUENCE OF 21-22 FEBRUARY 1983 INFERED FROM WAVEFORM INVERSION | Ardeleanu L., Radulian M., Kravanja S., Dufumier H., Panza G.F. | SEISMOLOGY IN EUROPE, XXV GENERAL ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 9-14, 1996, REYKJAVIK, ICELAND | | PROCEEDINGS | 1996 | 300-305 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Radulian M., Kravanja S., Dufumier H., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The inversion of high-frequency seismograms is performed to retrieve the source mechanism of three week earthquake (3.3 ≤ ML ≤ 3.6) belonging to the seismic sequence of Râmnicu Sărat (România) of 21-22 February 1983. Synthetic seismograms are computed by the modal summation method, using the point source approximation, for horizontally layered anelastic media. The digital waveform recorded by the Romanian local network are used. The retrieved fault plane solutions and focal depth are in good agreement with previous determinations based on the observed polarities and arrivals of first motion.
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PREDICTION OF STRONG EARTHQUAKES IN VRANCEA, ROMANIA, USING CN ALGORITHM | Novikova O.V., Vorobieva I.A., Enescu D., Radulian M., Kuznetzov I., Panza G.F. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1995 | 145(2), 277-296 | |
Authors:
Novikova O.V., Vorobieva I.A., Enescu D., Radulian M., Kuznetzov I., Panza G.F.
Abstract:
The application of the CN algorithm to a new earthquake catalogue, for the period from 1932 to 1993, obtained by merging Romanian and U.S.S.R. data, allows us to monitor, on the intermediate time scale. the preparation of strong, intermediate-depth earthquakes in the Vrancea region. Four of the five strong earthquakes with magnitudes above 6.4 are predicted. The total duration of the Time of Increased Probability (TIP) of the occurrence of an earthquake (TIP) occupies 21.7% of the time interval under consideration, i.e., about 2.5 years for each strong earthquake.
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THE UPDATED VRANCEA SEISMOACTIVE REGION CATALOG | Moldoveanu C.L., Novikova O.V., Vorobieva I.A., Popa M. | INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS | | REPORT | 1995 | 1-68 | - |
Authors:
Moldoveanu C.L., Novikova O.V., Vorobieva I.A., Popa M.
Abstract:
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TOROIDAL QUADRUPOLE TRANSITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COLLECTIVE ROTATIONAL-VIBRATIONAL MOTIONS OF NUCLEUS | Misicu S. | JOURNAL OF PHYSICS G: NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1995 | 21(5), 669-678 | |
Authors:
Misicu S.
Abstract:
In the framework of the collective model the longitudinal, transverse and toroidal multipoles corresponding to the excitations of low-lying levels in the ground-state band of several even-even nuclei are computed by inelastic electron scattering (4). In connection with these transitions a new quantity, which accounts for the deviations from the Sieges theorem, is introduced in the framework of the Riemann rotational model with non-vanishing vorticity.
Inelastic differential cross sections calculated at backscattering angles show the dominance of toroidal form factors over a broad range of momentum transfer.
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ANALYSIS OF THE SPACE, TIME AND ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Radulian M., Popa M. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1995 | 40(1), 113-122 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
Statistical analysis of fractal properties of space, time and energy distributions of Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes is performed on a homogeneous and complete data set. All events with magnitudes ML>2.5 which occurred from 1974 to 1992 are considered. The 19-year time interval includes the major earthquakes of March 4, 1977, August 26, 1986 and May 30, 1990. The subducted plate, lying between 60 km and 180 km depth, is divided into four active zones with characteristic seismic activities. The correlations between the parameters defining the seismic activities in these zones are studied. The predictive properties of the parameters related to the stress distribution on the fault are analysed. The significant anomalies in time and size distributions of earthquakes are emphasized. The correlations between spatial distribution (fractal dimension), the frequency-magnitude distribution (b slope value) and the high-frequency energy radiated by the source (fall off of the displacement spectra) are studied both at the scale of the whole seismogenic volume and the scale of a specific active zone. The results of this study for the Vrancea earthquakes bring evidence in favour of the seismic source model with hierarchical inhomogeneities (Frankel, 1991).
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THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAPPING OF THE EARTH'S LITHOSPHERE AND ASTENOSPHERE: PROJECT COVERAGE OF THE EARTH, DESIGN OF STRUCTURAL DATABASE, METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION, SUCCESIVE IMPROVEMENTS AND EVOLUTION OF RESULTS, AND TIMETABLE AND FORM FOR DISTRIBUTION OF RESULTS | Schwab F., Mehlman R., Frez J., Acosta Chang J., Carlos J., Radulian M., Ardeleanu L. | INTERNATIONAL LITHOSPHERE PROGRAM TASK GROUP II-4 | | PROCEEDINGS | 1994 | 1-9 | - |
Authors:
Schwab F., Mehlman R., Frez J., Acosta Chang J., Carlos J., Radulian M., Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
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A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE HETEROGENITY OF THE GENERATION OF THE EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCES IN THE VRANCEA CRUST | Radulian M., Popescu E., Bazacliu O. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1994 | 39(3-4), 343-351 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popescu E., Bazacliu O.
Abstract:
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SCALING OF THE PARAMETERS OF THE VRANCEA SUBCRUSTAL SEISMIC SOURCE | Radulian M., Popa M. | XXIV GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE EUROPEAN SEISMOLOGICAL COMMISSION | | PROCEEDINGS | 1994 | 846-848 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
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ANALYSIS OF THE SPACE, TIME AND ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Radulian M., Popa M. | THE SECOND WORKSHOP OF STATISTICAL MODELS AND METHODS IN SEISMOLOGY | | PROCEEDINGS | 1994 | 145-157 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
Statistical analysis of fractal properties of space, time and energy distributions of Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes is performed on a homogeneous and complete data set. All events with magnitudes ML>2.5 which occurred from 1974 to 1992 are considered. The 19-year time interval includes the major earthquakes of March 4, 1977, August 26, 1986 and May 30, 1990. The subducted plate, lying between 60 km and 180 km depth, is divided into four active zones with characteristic seismic activities. The correlations between the parameters defining the seismic activities in these zones are studied. The predictive properties of the parameters related to the stress distribution on the fault are analysed. The significant anomalies in time and size distributions of earthquakes are emphasized. The correlations between spatial distribution (fractal dimension), the frequency-magnitude distribution (b slope value) and the high-frequency energy radiated by the source (fall off of the displacement spectra) are studied both at the scale of the whole seismogenic volume and the scale of a specific active zone. The results of this study for the Vrancea earthquakes bring evidence in favour of the seismic source model with hierarchical inhomogeneities (Frankel, 1991).
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CRUSTAL MICROEARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE IN THE VICINITY OF THE VRANCIOAIA STATION (ROMANIA), | Popescu E.,Radulian M.,Bazacliu O. | XXIV GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE EUROPEAN SEISMOLOGICAL COMMISSION, ATHENS, GREECE | | PROCEEDINGS | 1994 | | - |
Authors:
Popescu E.,Radulian M.,Bazacliu O.
Abstract:
The seismic zone around Vrâncioaia station is characterized by a continuous seismic activity consisting mainly of small crustal earthquakes with magnitude M≤4.0. They are occurring both as isolated events or grouped in swarms of tens or hundreds events.
The present study is an attempt to use the digital data in order to determine the characteristics of the seismic source in this specific region. The computed source parameters for seismic events with magnitudes in the range 0.6≤MD≤2.4 are in a good agreement with the values estimated for microearthquakes in other crustal zones.
A systematic monitoring of this seismic activity, including the estimation of the source parameters, could provide significant information related to the Vrancea region microseismotectonics.
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CONVERSION PROGRAM PACKAGE FOR SEISMOLOGICAL DIGITAL DATA FORMATS ON PC'S | Oncescu M.C., Rizescu M. | COMPUTERS & GEOSCIENCES | ISI | JOURNAL | 1994 | 20(2), 193-196 | |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Rizescu M.
Abstract:
A package of 17 conversion and 6 utility programs for seismological digital data handling on PCs was implemented. One category of conversion programs can adapt user data from many commercially available acquisition software (on PCs or not) to many also commercially available processing software, such as IASPEI-software, SEIS89, SWS, or PITSA; the other category of these programs can convert between different formats used by well-known processing and analysis programs. A core-format for this program package was selected and the utility programs can perform the following tasks preserving the core-format: automatic detection of a missing component, reordering of components, extracting given channels, resampling and filtering, and merging more files into a single file.
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CRUSTAL SEISMIC REFLECTION PROFILING IN ROMANIA ON URZICENI - MIZIL LINE | Raileanu V., Talos D., Varodin V., Stiopol D. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1993 | 223, 401-409 | |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Talos D., Varodin V., Stiopol D.
Abstract:
This work presents the interpretation of a deep seismic reflection profile recorded in the northern extremity of the Moesian Platform. The seismic time section and the reflectivity histogram show the presence of two distinct zones: good reflectivity in the upper part for the sedimentary overburden, and a continuous decrease of reflectivity with depth for the deeper part (crystalline zone). A correlation between the reflectivity of the crust, the age of the platform and heat flow was also established. The decrease in the crustal reflectivity (mainly for the lower crust) could be due to both a temperature decrease and higher viscosity, favouring a brittle behaviour. The presence of these factors could explain the lack of continuity of the reflections. A crustal model based on the seismic time section is also presented and shows a thickening of the crust from south to north.
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RELATIVE METHODS TO SET OUT THE SEISMIC SOURCE PARAMETERS | Radulian M., Popa M. | REVUE ROUMAINE DE G&EACUTE;OPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 1993 | 37, 29-40 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Popa M.
Abstract:
Deux méthodes relatives d’étude de la source sismique, la déconvolution avec la function Green empirique et les rapports spectrals, sont appliquées sur une série de tremblements de terre situé dans la partie inférieure (h ~=150 km) de la lithosphère subductante de la region Vrancea. Ces méthodes permettent l’élimination efficace des effets dûs à la propagation et une image plus objective de la source par rapport aux méthodes absolues. L`analyse des forms d`onde digitales enregistrées par le réseau sismique roumain relève la simplicité de la source pour le domaine de magnitude considéré, 3.3 ≤ ML, ≤ 4.6, et à la fois la tendance de la source d`avoir une dimension constante pour les événements avec magnitude plus que ML ~ 4.0. Ces résultats ne sont pas apparents dans les données d’observation.
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STATISTICAL MODELLING OF THE INTERMEDIATE DEPTH SEISMICITY OF VRANCEA, ROMANIA | Ardeleanu L., Smalbergher V. | XXIII GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE EUROPEAN SEISMOLOGICAL COMMISSION, PRAGUE | | PROCEEDINGS | 1992 | 131-134 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Smalbergher V.
Abstract:
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CRUSTAL REFLECTION SEISMIC PROFILING ON A SHORT LINE FROM NE AREA OF PANNONIAN DEPRESSION | Raileanu V., Stiopol D., Birsan M., Mateciuc D. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | | | 1992 | 30, 29-39 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Stiopol D., Birsan M., Mateciuc D.
Abstract:
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SEISMIC HAZARD ESTIMATION IN THE CENTRAL PART OF ROMANIA | Jianu D., Radulian M. | THE XXIIND ESC GEN.ASS., BARCELONA | | PROCEEDINGS | 1992 | 579-584 | - |
Authors:
Jianu D., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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THE RELEASE OF THE SEISMIC ENERGY RELATED TO THE OCCURRENCE OF THE VRANCEA STRONG EARTHQUAKES | Ardeleanu L. | ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS | | JOURNAL | 1992 | 37, 921-928 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
Two major events occurred during the last six years, within two distinct depth ranges of the Vrancea (Romania ) intermediate depth focal zone: the August 30, 1986 earthquake (Ms = 7.0; h = 138 km) and the May 30, 1990 earthquake (Ms = 7.0: h = 90 km). Based on a homogeneous and complete data set, with very accurate depth locations of the events which occurred in the period October 1980 - December 1990, the present paper analyses the temporal variation as well as the depth dependence of the seismic energy released.
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A DEPTH-MAGNITUDE CATALOGUE OF VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE DEPTH MICROEARTHQUAKES (1974-1991) | Trifu C.I., Radulian M. | REV. ROUM. GÉOPHYSIQUE | ISI | JOURNAL | 1991 | 35, 31-45 | - |
Authors:
Trifu C.I., Radulian M.
Abstract:
On propose un catalogue des micro-tremblements de terre de profondeur intermédiaire (h>60 km) pour la region de Vrancea, qui contient 3870 événements pendant 1974-1991 (Ml≥1.5). La profondeur et la magnitude sont calculé d’après des relations calibrées avec les localisations en group et le moment sismique. L’hemogénèité du catalogue est assurée pour l`entire domaine de la profondeur.
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FREQUENCY - MAGNITUDE DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES IN VRANCEA: RELEVANCE FOR A DISCRETE MODEL | Trifu C.I., Radulian M. | JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH | ISI | JOURNAL | 1991 | 96(B3), 4301-4311 | |
Authors:
Trifu C.I., Radulian M.
Abstract:
A high-resolution analysis of a homogeneous and complete data set of intermediate depth microearthquakes (h > 60 km), extending over an interval of 9.3 years emphasizes a significant deviation at low magnitudes (ML < 4) in a linear frequency-magnitude distribution. It appears as a distinct change in the slope of the cumulative distribution and as a seismicity deficit followed by a relative enhancement in the corresponding noncumulative curve. This is in agreement with the presence of two characteristic mechanisms and allows the identification of both the magnitude threshold of asperity-like earthquakes and the transition zone (ML = 3.3 - 3.9) from crack-like earthquakes (background seismicity) to asperity-like events. These features are better pointed out on well individualized active zones. The background seismicity shows a tremendeous decrease in its b slope, from 1.03 to 0.57, during a 6-year interval before the occurrence of a major earthquake in 1986 ( Mw = 7.3), followed by a fast recovery to 1.03 in 2 years after this event. Such a behavior could be correlated to the continuous growth of the shear stress-free surface on the fault, as in a percolation process, followed by its sudden diminution due to the locking of the fault. The above results provide relevance for the discrete character of faulting and enable a coherent modeling of the earthquake generation process from microearthquake to major event scale lengths.
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NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF EARTHQUAKE GENERATION PROCESS | Radulian M., Trifu C.I., Carbunar F.O. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1991 | 136(4), 499-514 | |
Authors:
Radulian M., Trifu C.I., Carbunar F.O.
Abstract:
A numerical algorithm is proposed for the simulation of the earthquake process during a seismic cycle. The algorithm is based on a heterogeneous discrete model of the fault plane and assumes there are two kinds of seismicity: background crack-like earthquakes and asperity-like events. An active zone of the fault contains an asperity distribution with a characteristic elementary area. The background seismicity randomly develops shear stress-free surfaces which tend to surround the asperities as in a 2D percolation process. The model parameters are taken from observations on the Vrancea (Romania) intermediate depth seismic region. The results emphasize the significant role of the geometry in the mechanism of the seismic failure. The algorithm predicts the nonlinear behavior in the frequency-magnitude distribution, the decrease of the b-slope associated with the asperity-like events, the magnitude range of major earthquakes, and their recurrence times.
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ESTIMATION OF THE CODA QUALITY FACTOR FOR THE ROMANIAN TERRITORY | Oancea V., Bazacliu O., Mihalache G. | PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1991 | 67(1-2), 87—94 | |
Authors:
Oancea V., Bazacliu O., Mihalache G.
Abstract:
The coda Q is estimated for crustal and intermediate-depth earthquakes that occurred in different seismic regions in Romania during 1981–1988. The ‘ƒpvs.t ’ method is used for the computation of the frequency-dependent quality factor. The data used are short-period S-13 and DD-1 recordings of local earthquakes, obtained at the seismic stations of the national network. A crustal coda Q map is presented and compared with the heat-flow distribution for Romania. For crustal events, Q ranges between 40 and 450 at 1 Hz, and shows two distinct types of power of frequency dependence: 0.1–0.2 and 0.7–0.9. For intermediate-depth earthquakes, Q = 700–800 at 1 Hz and the power of frequency dependence is 0.1–0.2.
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WOULD IT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO PREDICT THE AUGUST 30, 1986 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE? | Radulian M., Trifu C.I. | BULLETIN OF THE SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA | | JOURNAL | 1990 | | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Trifu C.I.
Abstract:
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CONTRIBUTION TO THE MODELING OF THE SEISMIC ACTIVITY OF THE VRANCEA REGION | Ardeleanu L., Smalbergher V. | XII GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | PROCEEDINGS | 1990 | 417-421 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Smalbergher V.
Abstract:
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AMPLITUDE DOMAIN ANALYSIS FOR THE 30 AUGUST 1986 VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE EARTHQUAKE | Ardeleanu L., Oancea V. | NATURAL HAZARDS | | JOURNAL | 1990 | 3, 305-314 | - |
Authors:
Ardeleanu L., Oancea V.
Abstract:
The amplitude domain analysis applied to the major Vrancea (Romania) earthquake of 30 August 1986 leads to the determination of some parameters characterizing the amplitude and the time duration of the signal.
Digital three-component acceleration data, obtained at 10 Romanian seismic stations with epicentral distances between 40 and 200 km, are used. The results are compared with those obtained by Schenk for strong Californian earthquakes.
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ASPERITY DISTRIBUTION AND PERCOLATION AS FUNDAMENTALS OF EARTHQUAKE CYCLE | Trifu C.I., Radulian M. | PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1989 | 58(4), 277-288 | |
Authors:
Trifu C.I., Radulian M.
Abstract:
A seismic cycle model is proposed, based on the existence of an asperity space-strength distribution along the fault plane and the applicability of the percolation theory to earthquakes, as suggested by Vrancea seismotectonic data. Two seismic regions, somewhat decoupled, are emphasized in the lower lithosphere, roughly between 80 and 110 km and between 120 and 170 km depth, and an asperity magnitude quasi-independent dimension of 0.3–0.4 km is determined for small to moderate earthquakes. Accordingly, two concepts are introduced: (1) the active zone—a distinct fault region able to generate a major earthquake by percolation, and characterized by a specific background seismicity, total area, and maximum possible magnitude; (2) the asperity cell—an elementary local stress inhomogeneity of an active zone, generating weak to moderate events.
Percolation requires the presence of a critical stress-free surface (44% of the active zone area). The model explains the non-linearity of the frequency-magnitude relationship, and enables the estimation of the major earthquake magnitude domain in each zone. The computed maximum possible magnitudes are Mw = 7.6 and Mw = 7.8, respectively. In agreement with historical data, a complex form of the recurrence period of earthquakes in the major magnitude domain is determined, ranging from about 40 to 100 years, irrespective of the seismic zone. It follows that the seismic activity per unit area is invariant in both zones. This result is considered to be a consequence of an intrinsic material property: the scale invariance of the fragmentation process in the lithospheric material. Different aspects related to the discrete structure of the active zone and the fractal dimension of faulting are also discussed from the point of view of this model.
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SPACE AND TIME SEISMICITY PATTERN IN THE VRANCEA REGION | Radu C., Ardeleanu L. | XXI GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE EUROPEAN SEISMOLOGICAL COMMISSION, SOFIA, BULGARIA | | PROCEEDINGS | 1989 | 44-49 | - |
Authors:
Radu C., Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
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ANALYSIS OF TEMPORAL VARIATION OF D-RATIO, B-COEFFICIENT, AND EDT -AVERAGE ENERGY, AS PRECURSORS OF VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE EARTHQUAKES | Radu C., Ardeleanu L. | XXI GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE EUROPEAN SEISMOLOGICAL COMMISSION (ESC), SOFIA, BULGARIA | | PROCEEDINGS | 1989 | 508-514 | - |
Authors:
Radu C., Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
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THE STATE OF STRESS UNDER THE MERIDIONAL CARPATHIANS | Oncescu M.C., Ardeleanu L., Popescu E. | XXI GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF ESC, SOFIA, BULGARIA | | PROCEEDINGS | 1989 | 278-283 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Ardeleanu L., Popescu E.
Abstract:
The Meridional Carpathians form the highest elevations in the Eastern Carpathians and can be roughly defined geographically between 45 - 46 N and 22 - 26 E. They are bounded eastward by the Vrancea Mountains, where the Eastern Carpathians form a pronounced arc, bending from a W-E direction to a SE-NW direction.
The tectonics of the Carpathian Arc is not very well understood, especially that one of the Meridional Carpathians. Two micro-plates are considered to be in contact in this region: the Inter-Alpine Sub-Plate and the Moesian Platform (see Figure 1); nevertheless, it is surprising that-this contact that generated the high elevations is now characterized by a very low seismic activity. It is the scope of this study to analyze the state of stress under the Meridional Carpathians on the base of the few earthquakes that occurred in this region in the last years.
This study is divided in two parts: first, the determination of the regional stress tensor starting from the slip vectors given by fault plane solutions, and second; the determination of source parameters of some digitally recorded events.
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DETERMINATION OF SOURCE TIME FUNCTION AND SEISMIC MOMENT FOR INTERMEDIATE DEPTH VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Oncescu M.C., Ardeleanu L. | GERLANDS BEITR. GEOPHYSIK | | JOURNAL | 1989 | 98, 1 . S. 53-59 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Ardeleanu L.
Abstract:
The discrimination between strong and weak stopping phases and the estimation of the seismic moment for 93 Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes were performed by a simple modelling of the first three half-cycles of short-period P-pulses recorded at a large aperture local network. An asymmetric time function (strong stopping phase) models the wave forms better than a symmetric one. The seismic moments obtained from time domain modelling correlate well with
those obtained by the spectral method.
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THE TULCEA EARTHQUAKE OF NOVEMBER 13, 1981 | Oncescu M.C., Bazacliu O., Popescu E. | REV. ROUM. GÉOPHYSIQUE | | JOURNAL | 1989 | 33, 23-28 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Bazacliu O., Popescu E.
Abstract:
Le choque principal et six postchoque ont été relocalisés en utilisant la technique JHD. La solution de plan de faille du choque principal a été redéterminée avec les angles d’émergence calculés par “ray tracing” dans unestructure stratifiée. La comparaison des plans nodaux avec la position des épicentres permet l’identification du plan de rupture qui est vertical avec une orientation NE-SO et comporte un glissement dextre.
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APPLICATIONS OF SEISMIC METHODS IN THE ENGINEERING GEOPHYSICS | Raileanu V., Raducanu M., Radulescu F. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1987 | 25, 59-69 | - |
Authors:
Raileanu V., Raducanu M., Radulescu F.
Abstract:
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SCALING RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE NEAR - FIELD P-SV GROUND MOTION | Radulian M., Trifu C.I. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1987 | 125, 19-40 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M., Trifu C.I.
Abstract:
A set of monoial scaling relations to parametrize several measures of strong motion (peak velocity, peak starting-phase acceleration, peak stopping acceleration) is proposed. Dynamic solutions are obtained for a 2-D (P-SV) stress-drop model of faulting, and ground motion from these calculations is used to calibrate the scaling relations. Geometrical spreading, radiation patterns, low frequency near-field radiation, and free surface response are analysed, and introduced as corrections. The calculational finite difference method is sound within its frequency range of validity, which is found to be about 0 to 5–6 Hz for the chosen grid steps. A strong difference is obtained between theP andSV motion scalings, mainly with the source rupture velocity. Also noted are significant differences between the starting and stopping accelerations due to different frequency content and the influence of low frequency near-field radiation. To test the estimated scaling relationships, some synthetic predictions of the kinematic parameters are made, with quite good agreement when compared with dynamic computations (errors within 30%). The results emphasize some features of the near-fieldP-SV radiation and allow a kinematic prediction for a simple and smooth source model, but show the limited reliability of such predictions, arising from the problem's complexity.
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ON THE STRESS TENSOR IN VRANCEA REGION | Oncescu M.C. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1987 | 62, 62-65 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C.
Abstract:
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LITHOSPHERE STRUCTURE IN ROMANIA ON THE BASIS OF SEISMIC DATA | Enescu D. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1987 | 25, 20-27 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
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THE GRAVITY TIDE AND VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES IN THE INTERVAL APRIL 1, 1977-APRIL 1, 1986 | Zugravescu D., Enescu D., Fatulescu I., Dorobantu R. | STUDII șI CERCETăRI DE GEOFIZICă | | JOURNAL | 1987 | 25, 8-11 | - |
Authors:
Zugravescu D., Enescu D., Fatulescu I., Dorobantu R.
Abstract:
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PRELIMINARIES TO CHARACTERIZING THE VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 30, 1986 | Constantinescu L., Marza V.I. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1987 | 25, 12-19 | - |
Authors:
Constantinescu L., Marza V.I.
Abstract:
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SCALING LAWS OF THE NEAR-FIELD SH GROUND MOTION | Trifu C.I., Radulian M. | ACTA GEOPHYSICA POLONICA | | JOURNAL | 1986 | 3, 185-199 | - |
Authors:
Trifu C.I., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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THE NEW MAP OF RECENT VERTICAL CRUSTAL MOVEMENTS IN ROMANIA – SCALE 11000.000 | Popescu M.N., Dragoescu I. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1986 | 30, 3-10 | - |
Authors:
Popescu M.N., Dragoescu I.
Abstract:
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ON THE SEISMOTECTONIC RELATIONS IN THE MOLDAVIAN PLATFORM AND ADJACENT UNITS | Polonic G. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1986 | 30, 11-17 | - |
Authors:
Polonic G.
Abstract:
La séismotectonique de la Plate-forme Moldave et des unites environnantes. L’étude met en evidence des caractérisques de la plateforme: l’existence dún faible plissement du secteur marginal occidental, généré par le raccourcissement du socle, ainsi que l’existence dún système de failles transversales qui dividend l’édifice orogène-plate-forme de la region. On présente la séismotectonique de la Platforme Moldave et des unités environnantes. Basés sut les éléments structurels et les solutions du mécanisme focal des séismes on décrit les mouvements des failles actives.
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SOME SOURCE AND MEDIUM PROPERTIES OF THE VRANCEA SEISMIC REGION, ROMANIA | Oncescu M.C. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1986 | 126, 245-258 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C.
Abstract:
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THE SEISMIC VRANCEA DOUBLET FROM AUGUST 1, 1985 | Oncescu M.C., Apolozan L. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1986 | 24, 12-16 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Apolozan L.
Abstract:
În ziua de 1 august 1985 au avut loc în zona Vrancea două cutremure de adâncime intermediară separate temporal prin numai câteva ore. Întrucât magnitudinile celor două evenimente componente (numite în continuare A și B) au valori comparabile, evenimentul A nu poate fi considerat preșocul lui B, iar B nu poate fi comnsiderat replica lui A. În aceste condiții, ansamblul celor două evenimente se obișnuiește să fie denumit dublet seismic. Asemenea dublete seismice au mai avut loc în zona Vrancea, după cum rezultă din Catalogul elaborat de Radu (1979), totuși având în vedere valorile magnitudinilor, un dublet cu M~4 s-a produs în 1967.
Având în dispoziție numai date analogue, studiul de față se rezumă la localizarea hipocentrelor, determinarea soluțiilor de plan de falie și la prezentarea a două posibile procese de rupere în focare.
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SOME CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE MECHANISM OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND EARTH TIDES | Zugravescu D., Enescu D., Delion D., Fatulescu I. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1985 | 29, 3-8 | - |
Authors:
Zugravescu D., Enescu D., Delion D., Fatulescu I.
Abstract:
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PREDICTED NEAR-FIELD GROUND MOTION FOR DYNAMIC STRESS-DROP MODELS | Trifu C.I. , Radulian M. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | | JOURNAL | 1985 | 123, 173–198 | |
Authors:
Trifu C.I. , Radulian M.
Abstract:
We propose a finite difference method, using a hexagonal grid, to compute displacements (stresses, velocities, accelerations) in the near-field of a 2-D in-plane stress-drop crack, in both whole space (constant stress-drop) and half-space (depth-dependent stress-drop). To exercise the method, the stress field distribution is evaluated for both fundamental 2-D shear cracks, anti-plane. In order to test the method's reliability, the results are compared with some analytical and numerical solutions available in the literature ( Kostrov, 1964; Virieux and Madariaga, 1982). For the in-plane source, the results emphasize that the method can resolve the stress concentration due to the rupture front from the stress peak associated with the shear wave propagating in front of the crack. Synthetic motions are computed on the fault, but also in an infinite medium and at the free surface. The rather complex waveforms generated in the near-field, even by simple sources, emphasize the contribution of all wave terms (near, intermediate and far-field) to the motion. The presence of near-field and the numerical procedure explain the significant low frequency content of the computed seismograms. The set of treated problems proves the method is stable and accurate.
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PHASE CHANGE - A POSSIBLE PROCESS INVOLVED IN PREPARING THE OCCURRENCE OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Enescu D. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1985 | 29, 19-21 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
En utilisant le moment cumulatif M0 pour les tremblements de terre intermédiaires de la région de Vrancea, produits entre les années 1780 et 1979, l'auteur teste l'hypothèse du changement de la phase comme un processus impliqué dans la préparation de la production de ces tremblements.
En admettant cette hypothèse, les tremblements de terre intermédiaires de Vrancea, dont le mécanisme est représenté par le couple double, se produisent en réponse aux changements de stress déviations induits par les décroissements de volume associés avec la fonte du fragment lithosphérique océanique qui a subit une subduction en cette région.
On obtient à l'aide des relations (2) et (4) que le changement moyen de volume qui a lieu dans une année, opù la vitesse moyenne de fonte du fragment lithosphérique dans la région de Vrancea est vd 0,1 – 0,2 km/année.
L'évaluation de la vitesse de soupoussée pour cette région, en utilisant la relation (6) donne vsub 2,5 – 5,0 cm/année. Tout au plus les premières valeurs sont acceptables, c'est-à-dire vd 0,1 km/année, et vsub 2,5 cm/année.
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SYNTHETIC NEAR-FIELD GROUND MOTION FOR AN ANTIPLANE STRESS-DROP MODEL | Trifu C.I., Radulian M. | PURE AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1985 | 123, 173-198 | - |
Authors:
Trifu C.I., Radulian M.
Abstract:
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CONTRIBUTIONS OF REFLECTION SEISMICS ON THE CRUSTAL STRUCTURE: STREHAIA-TG. CăRBUNEşTI AREA (IN ROMANIAN) | Radulescu F., Raileanu V., Cornea I. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1984 | 22, 11-17 | - |
Authors:
Radulescu F., Raileanu V., Cornea I.
Abstract:
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THREE-DIMENSIONAL P-WAVE VELOCITY IMAGE UNDER THE CARPATHIAN | Oncescu M.C., Burlacu V., Anghel M., Smalbergher V. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1984 | 106, 305-319 | |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Burlacu V., Anghel M., Smalbergher V.
Abstract:
Aa inversion of P-wave travel time residuals from selected earthquake in the distance range 30°-98° to two seismic station networks was used to model P-wave velocity anomalies down to 250 km depth. In the first inversion experiment a region between 43.5°- 47.5°N and 21°-29°E was modelled, using 35 seismic stations, while in the second one a region between 44°-47°N and 25°-29°E was modelled, using 19 seismic stations. The 4-layer block model of the first inversion offers 19% reduction in residual variance, while the 5-layer black model of the second one offers 26% reduction, the rest being explained by noise and smaller scale heterogeneities. The obtained velocity anomalies correlate remarkably well with the gravity anomalies and with the tectonic model for the Vrancea region of Fuchs et al. (1979).
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THE EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE OF RAMNICU SARAT, ROMANIA, OF FEBRUARY 21-22, 1983 | Oncescu M.C., Apolozan L. | ACTA GEOPHYSICA POLONICA | | JOURNAL | 1984 | 32, 231-238 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C., Apolozan L.
Abstract:
The earthquake sequence from Râmnicu Sărat, România, 21-22February 1983, is analyzed with regard to the spatial distribution of events, individual fault plane solutions and source parameters. Special attention is paid to the determination of real rupture plane using the criterium of similar directions of the motion vector and of relative position of the sources.
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CORRELATION PALEO-RECENT TECTONICS AT THE EASTERN CARPATHIANS ARC BEND | Lazarescu V., Popescu M. N. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1984 | 28, 3-18 | - |
Authors:
Lazarescu V., Popescu M. N.
Abstract:
Corrélations entre mouvements tectonique anciens et récents à la Courbure des Carpates Orientales. La plus importante région sismique de la Roumanie peut être considérée l'aire épicentrale Vrancea, située à travers la Courbure des Carpates Orientales (CCO). L'apparition des tremblements des terre y est unanimement attribuée à un processus de subduction, dont le caractère est encore en discussion s'il est relict, en liaison avec une dalle détachée, ou la subduction est directement transmise par la continuation de la collision continent – continent avec un soupoussement du Vorland par rapport à l'arc Carpatique.
Pour vérifier cette dernière hypothèse on a envisagé des mesurements géodésiques de haute précision, pour étudier les mouvements récents de l'écorce terrestre, aussi bien horizontales que verticales, en face de la zone Vrancea.
Le présent travail se propose d'établir des critères géologiques structuraux, en espèce les décrochements et les déformations sigmoïdales de certains plis ou chevauchements, afin d'apporter une contribution à la solution du problème mentionné ci-dessus.
Les résultats obtenus et qui ont été analysés dans le travail in extenso conduisent vers la conclusion qu'il y a une résultante générale des mouvements de décrochement en direction NO, dans les formations du Flysch Cretacé – Paléogene et de la Molasse forte de l'Ouest vers CCO. Si les décrochements mesurés avaient reflété seulement des déformations de la couverture sédimentaire, alors la résultante totale aurait été dirigée vers le SE dans le même sens que le charriage. Mais, la direction NO du vecteur résultant des décrochements suggère que le mouvement du socle est dirigé lui aussi vers NO. On peut donc supposer que la tendance du décrochement ne reflète pas seulement une déformation de couverture mais aussi un déplacement réel actuel vers le NO du soubassement dans l'infrastructure de la zone Vrancea.
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UNELE CARACTERISTICI DE MANIFESTARE A CUTREMURELOR DIN VRANCEA | Enescu D. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1984 | 22, 3-10 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
A comparative analysis between isoseismal line general shape and nodal plane orientation of local mechanism solutions for all Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes, having both macroseismic maps and fault plane solutions is made.
On the basis of this analysis and by means of synthetic isoseismal line computations one infers that focal mechanism is the main determining factor of isoseismal line general shape for Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes.
The accelerograms recorded during the strong earthquake of March 4, 1977 and the synthetic accelerograms which were calculated for several Romanian sites allowed to establish a relation (expressed by the curve in figure 3) between maximum horizontal ground movement acceleration and macroseismic intensity.
This relation and macroseismic data concerning the two large Vrancea earthquakes of this century (November 10, 1940; M = 7,4 and March 4, 1977, M = 7,2) and the crustal earthquakes were used to draw out the maximum horizontal acceleration maps in figures 4 and 5.
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VALORI NORMALE ALE ELEMENTELOR GEOMAGNETICE H, Z SI F IN ROMANIA LA EPOCA 1980 | Demetrescu C., Nestianu T. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1984 | 22, 35-41 | - |
Authors:
Demetrescu C., Nestianu T.
Abstract:
The normal field of the horizontal, vertical and total components of the geomagnetic field for the epoch 1980,0 is presented, based on measurements taken at 21 base stations in 1979 and 1980. The smoothed secular variation between 1967,5 and 1980,0 is also given and the secular variation correction to be applied to the normal field is discussed.
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ON THE THERMAL STRUCTURE OF THE LITHOSPHERE IN ROMANIA | Demetrescu C., Andreescu M., Ene M. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1984 | 28, 33-39 | - |
Authors:
Demetrescu C., Andreescu M., Ene M.
Abstract:
Sur la structure thermique de la lithosphère en Roumanie. L’étude met en evidence la structure thermique sur un profil qui traverse la Roumanie entre la Dépression Pannonienne et Dobrogea. Cette structure est caractérisée par des notables différences latérales entre les unites tectoniques. La profondeur estimée de la limite lithosphere-asthénosphère a des valeurs comprises entre 50-60 et 160-180 km sut le profil.
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A TENTATIVE APPROACH TO POSSIBLY EXPLAINING THE OCCURRENCE OF THE VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES | Constantinescu L., Enescu D. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1984 | 28, 19-32 | - |
Authors:
Constantinescu L., Enescu D.
Abstract:
Tentative d'aborder une explication possible de la production des tremblements de terre de Vrancea. Sur la base d'informations intégrés concernant les tremblements de terre de Vrancea, on a essayé d'imaginer un modèle pour expliquer le mécanisme physique responsable de leur production. La tentative est faite dans le cadre des conceptions actuelles de la tectonique des plaques, adaptées aux conditions particulières de la collision continent/continent entre les plaques africaine et euroasiatique.
On considère que, précédée par la subduction de la lithosphère océanique, à flottabilité réduite, correspondant à l'océan qui existait dans le passé géologique entre les deux continents – et dont la Mer Noire est l'un des restes –, la collision proprement dite a imposé à un segment de cette lithosphère de se séparer de la lithosphère continentale, plus flottable (donc restée à la surface), pour constituer un corps isolé plongeant presque verticalement dans l'asthénosphère. Les conditions qui y régnant peuvent déterminer la lubrification, par fusion partielle, des failles produites à l'intérieur de ce corps avant sa séparation (lors de la flexion de la plaque océanique dont il provient, au commencement de la subduction), failles ayant subi ultérieurement des changements d'orientation non seulement au cours de la phase initiale de la subduction mais aussi pendant la séparation et l'immersion, dans l'asthénosphère, du segment isolé. Des deux systèmes de failles qui se produisent, les unes d'orientation vers NO et les auteurs vers le SE, dans le cas considéré, les premières arrivent – grâce au «stress» supplémentaire compatible avec leur orientation – plus rapidement aux conditions qui rendent possible la lubrification. De cette manière, le glissement d'une de leurs parois par rapport à l'autre a lieu plus tôt que pour les autres, donnant naissance à un séisme qui présente des caractéristiques en accord avec les solutions de plan de faille auxquelles conduisent les observations, pour la majorité des ces séismes.
En dépit de son caractère hypothétique et manquant du support des relations quantitatives entre ses éléments, d'une part, et entre ceux-ci et la réalité, d'une autre, le modèle se recommande comme un moyen d'organiser les connaissances actuelles sur la séismogenèse de la région de Vrancea et d'élaborer un cadre adéquat pour les informations à venir dans ce domaine.
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ANALYSIS OF CODA WAVES FOR LOCAL EARTHQUKES (IN ROMANIAN) | Radu C., Bazacliu O., Oancea V. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1983 | 21, 31-38 | - |
Authors:
Radu C., Bazacliu O., Oancea V.
Abstract:
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BOROGRAF CU TRADUCTOR CAPACITIV (BTC) | Zugravescu D., Dorobantu R., Bonatz M., Puscasu N. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1983 | 21, 81-85 | - |
Authors:
Zugravescu D., Dorobantu R., Bonatz M., Puscasu N.
Abstract:
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FOCAL MECHANISM OF MARCH 4, 1977 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE INFERRED FROM SIMULTANEOUS INVERSION OF RAYLEIGH AND LOVE WAVES | Oncescu M.C.and Trifu C.I. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1983 | 27, 17-21 | - |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C.and Trifu C.I.
Abstract:
Le mécanisme au foyer et le moment sismique du séisme du 4 mars 1977 (Vrancea, Roumanie) ont été déterminés à partir des ondes de surface de longue période (90 – 225 s). Une inversion simultanée des quatre paramètres , , et M0 a été effectuée en minimisant la norme des différences entre les amplitudes crête à crête des sismogrammes observés (et égalisés) et synthétiques pour les ondes de rayleigh et de Love. Les sismogrammes synthétiques ont été calculés par la superposition des modes propres d'oscillation d'une Terre à symétrie sphérique, auto-gravitante et sans rotation.
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NEW DATA REGARDING THE PERIODICITY OF VRANCEA EARTHQUAKES AND ATTEMPTS TO GIVE A TECTONOPHYSICAL EXPLANATION OF THIS PERIODICITY | Enescu D. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1983 | 21, 24-30 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
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LES ZONES DE RIGIDITE SEISMIQUE DES FORMATIONS GEOLOGIQUES DE ROUMANIE ET LES AIRES D'INTENSITE SEISMIQUE DES TREMBBLMENTS DE TERRE DU 10.11, 1940 ET DU 4.03.1977 | Ciocardel R, Popescu M. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1983 | 27,11-16 | - |
Authors:
Ciocardel R, Popescu M.
Abstract:
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VELOCITY STRUCTURE OF THE VRANCEA REGION, ROMANIA | Oncescu M.C. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1982 | 90, 117-122 | |
Authors:
Oncescu M.C.
Abstract:
A set of 26 earthquakes recorded by a newly installed telemetered network was used for a simultaneous inversion of hypocenters and velocities. The travel-times and their partial derivatives were computed for flat-lying layers of constant velocity gradients. After a velocity model was found and the 26 foci relocated, three different velocity models for three different zones covered by the network were successfully inverted (with the foci kept fixed). The procedure was applied for first arriving P-waves and also tried for S-wave arrivals. Two low-velocity zones were put into evidence.
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THE ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4, 1977; DAMAGE DISTRIBUTION | Mandrescu N. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1982 | 26, 37–44 | - |
Authors:
Mandrescu N.
Abstract:
On présente la recherches realisées au Centre de Physique du Globe et Seismologie en vue d’évaluer le comportement des bâtiments pendants le séisme du 4 mars 1977. Le caractère non uniforme de la distribution des dégâts sur le territoire de la Roumanie, signale aussi à l’occasion d’autres séisme, met en evidemce l’importance de la géologie locale sur la réaction des immeubles à la charge exercée par les séismes. On conclut qu’il faut augmenter les recherches de microzonage pour établir les mesures en vue de réduire le risque seismiqie.
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FOURIER SPECTRA OF SEISMIC WAVES GENERATED BY VRANCEA FOCI, (IN ROMANIAN) | Iosif S., Iosif T. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1982 | 20, 39–42 | - |
Authors:
Iosif S., Iosif T.
Abstract:
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SEISMOLOGICAL DATA ON THE DEEP STRUCTURE OF VRANCEA REGION | Enescu D., Cornea I., Radulescu F., Raileanu V., Pompilian A. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1982 | 26, 11-17 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Cornea I., Radulescu F., Raileanu V., Pompilian A.
Abstract:
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A SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE FUNCTIONAL PARAMETERS OF DISPLACEMENT CAPACITIVE - TRANSDUCER | Dorobantu R., Zugravescu D., Bonatz M., Puscasu N. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1982 | 26, 45-62 | - |
Authors:
Dorobantu R., Zugravescu D., Bonatz M., Puscasu N.
Abstract:
Le banc d'essai pour la mesure des paramètres fonctionnels des traducteurs capacitifs, réalisé dans le cadre du laboratoire de Géodynamique, assure la production de déplacements contrôlée au point de vue de la forme et de l'amplitude. Il permet d'établir la position initiale relative des armatures du traducteur capacitif de déplacements et possède une haute résolution du réglage à distance de la position zéro.
Le banc est pourvu d'un système mécanique différentiel télécommandé, lequel permet d'établir la position initiale des armatures du traducteur capacitif. Ce système a une résolution suffisante (±50 nm) pour introduire dans l'échelle de l'appareil enregistreur le signal fourni par le traducteur. Le réglage précis de la position zéro est réalisé au moyen d'un système électronique télécommandé ayant une résolution de l'ordre de 0,1 nm. Le système pour la mesure des paramètres fonctionnels du traducteur capacitif permet, dans des conditions de thermo-isolement contrôlé, de déterminer la sensibilité, la fidélité, la linéarité, la résolution, l'amortissement et le décalage temporel de la réponse du traducteur capacitif, ainsi que l'évolution de sa stabilité dans le temps.
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A 21-A ADUNARE GENERALA A ASOCIATIEI INTERNATIONALE DE SEISMOLOGIE SI FIZICA PAMANTULUI (IASPEI) | Cornea I. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1982 | 20, 89-92 | - |
Authors:
Cornea I.
Abstract:
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THERMAL STRUCTURE OF THE CRUST AND UPPER MANTLE OF ROMANIA | Demetrescu C. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1982 | 90, 123-135 | |
Authors:
Demetrescu C.
Abstract:
A synthesis of the heat-flow data for Romania enabled a study of the thermal regime of the crust and upper mantle to be made. This showed lateral thermal differences between various tectonic units. The thermal structure of the crust and upper mantle appears to be mainly the result of mantle convection and plate interaction in the studied area.
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THE TILS OF THE EARTH'S CRUST AT PADES-GORJ AND CRACIUNESTI - DEVA OBSERVATORIES | Zugravescu D, Delion A., Fatulescu I, Dorobantu R. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 25, 3-16 | - |
Authors:
Zugravescu D, Delion A., Fatulescu I, Dorobantu R.
Abstract:
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SEISMIC RISK DETERMINATION FOR VRANCEA INTERMEDIATE EARTHQUAKES | Radulian M. | THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE ANALYSIS OF SEISMICITY AND ON SEISMIC HAZARD, LIBLICE | | PROCEEDINGS | 1981 | 545-552 | - |
Authors:
Radulian M.
Abstract:
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CRUSTAL SEISMIC STUDIES IN ROMANIA | Radulescu F. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 25, 57-74 | - |
Authors:
Radulescu F.
Abstract:
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HARTA MACROSEISMICA A CUTREMURULUI VRANCEAN DIN 4 MARTIE 1977 | Radu C., Karnik V., Polonic G., Prochazkova D., Schenkova Z. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 19(1), 25-29 | - |
Authors:
Radu C., Karnik V., Polonic G., Prochazkova D., Schenkova Z.
Abstract:
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THE ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4, 1977; ASPECTS OF SOIL BEHAVIOUR | Mandrescu N. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 25, 35-57 | - |
Authors:
Mandrescu N.
Abstract:
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ENERGIA SEISMICA ELIBERATA DE FOCARELE CUTREMURELOR TECTONICE. PARTICULARIZARI SI APLICATII LA CUTREMURELE DIN VRANCEA | Enescu D., Smalbergher V. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 19, 13-24 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Smalbergher V.
Abstract:
Taking into account the equations of the displacement field determined by Kostov (1964, a; 1964, b; 1970) for the seismic source represented by the double couple propagating with velocity v < VS on a faulting surface of eliptic shape, in the first part of the paper relations (13) – (16) are deduced expressing the energy released by this source in the form of longitudinal and transverse waves.
The second part particularizes relations (13) – (16) for the case of Vrancea intermediate earthquakes. This is made by taking into consideration the parameters expressed by (17) and solving the integrals (5) and (9) – (12). Thus, formulae (25) – (28) are obtained. The ratio of the energies in S and P waves (relation (29)) and the average ratio of the amplitudes in P and S waves (relation (30)) are calculated. One ascertains that theoretical values expressed by (29) and (30) are confirmed by observations data of Vrancea intermediate earthquakes.
The object of the third part is the comparison of the results obtained in this paper with those deduced by Enescu (1961, 1963) taking into consideration Vvedenskaya's model (1956, 1959). Though the two models (Kostrov and Vvedenskaya) are different and Vvedenskaya's model has some deficiencies, the results concerning the seismic energy Es = EP + ES released by the two sources are practically identical. The explanation is given in the paper.
The fourth part contains the results of formula (28) applied to the estimation of seismic energy released by seven Vrancea intermediate earthquakes. Obtained results are in good agreement with those deduced by formula (39) (Table).
The main conclusions of the paper are synthetized in its final part.
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ASUPRA REGIMULUI GEOTERMIC AL DEPRESIUNII TRANSILVANIEI | Demetrescu C., Ene M., Andreescu M. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 19, 61-72 | - |
Authors:
Demetrescu C., Ene M., Andreescu M.
Abstract:
The paper presents the distribution of subsurface temperatures, geothermal gradient, thermal conductivity of rocks, and heat flow in the central and eastern Transylvanian Depression. On a background of slow lateral variation (5 mW • m/10 km), the heat flow shows a maximum value of 45 mW • m in the central area and a broad minimum of 29 – mWm in the south-eastern quadrant. Toward the neighbouring Neogene volcanic zone, the flow approaches 60 mWm.
The correlation heat flow – crustal structure is discussed on a NNW – SSE profile concluding that the upper 10–12 km of the crust are responsible for the lateral variations of the heat flow, and the upper mantle processes for the low heat flow values.
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THE ROMANIAN TELEMETERED SEISMIC NETWORK | Cornea I., Voiculescu D., Oncescu M.C. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 19, 3-11 | - |
Authors:
Cornea I., Voiculescu D., Oncescu M.C.
Abstract:
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PENDUL DE ZERO CU COMANDA ELECTRONICA | Zugravescu D., Dorobantu R. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1981 | 19, 85-102 | - |
Authors:
Zugravescu D., Dorobantu R.
Abstract:
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GEOMETRICAL AND PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF THE VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE FOCI | Enescu D. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1980 | 25, 17-34 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
Dans ce travail sont présentés les résultats de la détermination des paramètres géométriques et physiques du foyer pour sept tremblements de terre intermédiaires de la région de Vrancea, caractérisés par des magnitudes 5,3 < M < 7,4 (tableaux 1 – 4).
Les déterminations ont été faites à l'aide de deux méthodes: la méthode de la fréquence prédominante, améliorée par l'auteur, et la méthode de la fréquence de coin (corner frequency) et de l'amplitude spectrale.
Les résultats obtenus se réfèrent aux 20 paramètres géométriques et physiques des foyers séismiques étudiés (tableaux 2 – 4).
L'interprétation des résultats et les conclusions contenues dans la dernière partie de ce travail contribuent à la connaissance de la géométrie des foyers étudiés et des processus physiques qui ont eu lieu dans ces foyers.
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INCLINARILE PROVOCATE CRUSTEI TERESTRE DE VARIATIILE CAMPULUI BARIC LA PADES-GORJ SI CRACIUNESTI - DEVA | Zugravescu D, Delion A., Fatulescu I, Dorobantu R. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1980 | 19, 3-10 | - |
Authors:
Zugravescu D, Delion A., Fatulescu I, Dorobantu R.
Abstract:
Uninterrupted Earth tide recordings performed at the underground stations Pades-Gorj and Craciunesti-Deva using DZ-type horizontal pendulums indicate a different local behaviour of the crust titlts, caused by the time variations of the baric field.
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FOCAL MECHANISM OF THE VRANCEA STRONG EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4, 1977 | Enescu D. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1980 | 24(1), 3-18 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
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CORELATIA DINTRE MOMENTUL DECLANSARII CUTREMURELOR CU FOCARUL IN VRANCEA SI MAREELE TERESTRE | Zugravescu D., Fatulescu I., Dorobantu R., Macarie C. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1979 | 17, 161-165 | - |
Authors:
Zugravescu D., Fatulescu I., Dorobantu R., Macarie C.
Abstract:
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MACROSEISMIC FIELD OF THE MARCH 4, 1977 VRANCEA EARTHQUAKE | Radu C., G. Polonic, I. Apopei | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1979 | 53, 185-186 | |
Authors:
Radu C., G. Polonic, I. Apopei
Abstract:
The macroseismic field of the Vrancea earthquake of March 4, 1977, characterized by the following parameters : H = 19h 21m 56s, ø = 45.8°N, γ = 26.8° E, h = 95 Km, M = 7.2, I = VIIIMSK has been analyzed. The following problems were studied : area and shape of the isoseismals of intensity III–VIII ; elongation of the isoseismal ellipses and decrease of intensity with distance. The results confirm our previous studies (Radu and Apopei, 1978) of strong intermediate earthquakes, but render evidence for some peculiarities in the seismic intensity attenuation as well.
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THE VRANCEA, ROMANIA, EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4, 1977 — A QUITE SUCCESSFUL PREDICTION | Purcaru G. | PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1979 | 18, 274-287 | |
Authors:
Purcaru G.
Abstract:
The available data on the destructive intermediate earthquakes (M ~ 6~) in the Vrancea, Romania, region have been examined with the aim of revealing some time - magnitude regularities. The basic idea is that the total sequence (n1100—1973 yr.), which appears as random, could be decomposed in some regular source-components which, by extrapolation, are superimposed to predict the future total sequence. The common nature of faulting (reverse dip-slip) and inferred regularities in the time - magnitude pattern of destructive Romanian earthquakes - (a) three active (seismic) time-bands alternating with quiet periods, the existence of(b) “quasi cycles” and of (c) “super cycles” - led to the following predictions: (1) the occurrence of a shock with M 6~-7in 1980 ±13 years; and (2) later earthquakes are predicted in 2005, in 2030-2040 (M “6*-7), and one with nearly maximum magnitude (M 7~-7~) in 2070-2090.
In every century, about 40 years represent a time interval of high seismic danger for Romania and, according to the proposed long-term time-magnitude model, three destructive earthquakes are to occur in (and/or near) the evidenced seismic periods P 1, P2 and P3.
It is shown that, taking into account the actual difficulties involved in the earthquake prediction, the Vrancea destructive earthquake of March 4, 1977 (M = 7.1) was quite successfully predicted.
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THE ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4, 1977. II. AFTERSHOCKS AND MIGRATION OF SEISMIC ACTIVITY | Fuchs K., Bonjer K.P., Bock G., Fucks K., Cornea I., Radu C., Enescu D., Jianu D., Nourescu A., Merkler G., Moldoveanu T., Tudorache G. | TECTONOPHYSICS | ISI | JOURNAL | 1979 | 53, 225-247 | |
Authors:
Fuchs K., Bonjer K.P., Bock G., Fucks K., Cornea I., Radu C., Enescu D., Jianu D., Nourescu A., Merkler G., Moldoveanu T., Tudorache G.
Abstract:
The seismic activity following the March 4, 1977 earthquake in Romania was observed by fixed and supplementary mobile seismic stations. Epicenter and hypocenter determinations in March and April provided new information on the structure of the seismic zone of Vrancea, with intermediate foci at depths between 70 and 130 km, a seismic gap between 40 and 70 km, and shallow crustal foci. Seismic activity migrated into the southwestern foredeep, into the Carpathian mountains and towards Bucharest at different velocities of km/minute, km/hour, and km/day, respectively. The viscosity of the asthenosphere under the Carpathian arc is estimated from this migration to be lo17 to 1018 Poise, a value encountered only at island arcs. A new model for the mechanism of continent - continent collision at the Eastern Carpathians is proposed, which tries to explain the isolated occurrence of the intermediate seismic zone in Vrancea,at the edge of a paleoseismic zone beneath the Eastern Carpathian mountains.
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DETERMINATION OF GEOMETRIC AND DYNAMIC FOCAL PARAMETERS FOR SOME STRONG INTERMEDIATE EARTHQUAKES IN THE VRANCEA REGION | Enescu D., Crisan E., Plavita R. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1979 | 23, 39-49 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Crisan E., Plavita R.
Abstract:
Ce travail presente les parametres geometriques et dynamiques determines pour quelques foyers de tremblements de terre intermediaires de la region de Vrancea. Les methodes utilisees ont ete eleborees par Enescu (1976 a) et par Enescu, Georgescu (1976). Les resultats obtenus ont permis de deduire quelques relations entre ces parametres et la magnitude M.
Ces resultats on conduit a des conclusions qui contribuent a la connaissance des processus physique qui ont lieu dans les foyers intermediaires de Vrancea.
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DATE PRIVIND SEISMICITATEA SI SEISMOTECTONICA PARTII DE EST A PLATFORMEI MOESICE | Cornea I., Polonic G. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1979 | 17, 167-176 | - |
Authors:
Cornea I., Polonic G.
Abstract:
Activitatea seismica cunoscuta in partea de est a Platformei Moesice a suferit, dupa seismul din 4 martie 1977, o deosebita intensificare. Studiul acestei activitati, cu seisme ce isi au focarul in scoarta terestra, a permis corelarea cu particularitatile structurale regionale. Lucrarea de fata isi propune sa prezinte relatiile dintre distributia spatiala a activitatii seismice si activitatea tectonica, in vederea determinarii modelelor acestor procese ce au loc in platforma.
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A NEW PHYSICAL MODEL FOR THE EARTHQUAKE-TRIGGERING EFFECT OF SOLAR ACTIVITY AND APPLICATION TO THE VRANCEA ZONE | Anghel M. | ST. CERC. GEOL. GEOFIZ. GEOGR., GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1979 | 23, 51 - 57 | - |
Authors:
Anghel M.
Abstract:
On considère l'effect de double couche produit par la surface de discontinuité d'entre les plaques lithosphériques dans les zones de subduction, effet qui fait que la zone de contact se comporte comme un condensateur chargé péridiquement par les courants telluriques induits par la variation de l'activité solaire.
L'énergie du champ électrique produit par la force électromotrice d'induction s'ajoute à celle tectonique et détermine l'atteinte du seuil de rupture avant le moment où le tremblement de terre s'aurait produit dans l'absence du champ électrtique.
La corrélation des tremblements de la région de Vrancea à M 6 des 500 dernières années ayant des cycles de onze ans a permis de constater que jamais ne se sont produits plus de trois tremblements à M 6 par cycle (Nu < 3); on a de même remarqué une diminution du rythme de libértation de l'énergie tectonique à partir du cycle solaire 15 (1912). Une quasi-périodicité avec une période de 4 cycles solaires est évidente: pentand le premier cycle de onze années se produit une libération maximale d'énergie, tandis qu'au cours du 3e et de 4e cycle n'a lieu aucun tremblement à M 6.
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THE ROMANIAN EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 4 1977. RUPTURE PROCESS INFERRED FROM FAULT-PLANE SOLUTION AND MULTIPLE-EVENT ANALYSIS | Muller G., Bonjer K.P., Stockl H., Enescu D. | JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICS | | JOURNAL | 1978 | 44, 203-218 | - |
Authors:
Muller G., Bonjer K.P., Stockl H., Enescu D.
Abstract:
Abstract. The Romanian earthquake of March 4, 1977, was a multiple event, consisting of a foreshock and at least 3 main shocks. A fault-plane solution is given for the first main shock. It is of thrust type and similar to the solution for the earthquake of November 10, 1940. The locations of the main shocks
relative to the foreshock are determined by the master-event technique. Rupture propagated mainly towards SW. The third main shock, which was the strongest shock of the earthquake, occurred 19s after and at a horizontal distance of 62 km from the foreshock. This agrees well with the reported distribution of intensities and damages and with the aftershock distribution. P-wave polarities for the third main shock are opposite to those for the first and second main shock. This can be explained by (1) strong bending of the rupture surface, (2) reversal of the motions on the rupture plane due to a strongly inhomogeneous tectonic stress field, or (3) abrupt termination of rupture producing strong stopping signals. The third explanation appears most plausible. The rupture plane dips about NW with a dip angle of 70°, and the apparent average rupture velocity is close to the S-wave velocity.
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DETERMINAREA MAGNITUDINII CUTREMURELOR ADANCI DIN VRANCEA SI STATIILE SEISMOGRAFICE ROMANESTI | Enescu D., Jianu D. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | | JOURNAL | 1963 | 2, 277-293 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D., Jianu D.
Abstract:
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O METODA DE DETERMINARE A ENERGIEI CUTREMURELOR DE PAMANT SI APLICAREA EI LA CUTREMURELE DIN VRANCEA | Enescu D. | STUDII SI CERCETARI DE GEOFIZICA | ISI | JOURNAL | 1963 | 2, 277-298 | - |
Authors:
Enescu D.
Abstract:
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