GEOS 322

Spring 2009

Lab 6: Earthquake Focal Mechanisms (35 points)

Group Exercise
1. Drawing Nodal Planes (8 pts)
The outline map below labeled Figure 4.60a shows the positions of two earthquakes
recorded on the Mid-Atlantic ridge system. Lower hemispheres of focal spheres of
earthquakes 1 and 2 are also shown in Figures 4.60b and 4.60c.
a. Draw the nodal planes on Figures 4.60b and 4.60c. Remember that the nodal planes
must be perpendicular to each other. You can't do this very accurately but you can
draw the nodal planes with sufficient care to indicate that the nodal planes are
perpendicular to each other and do divide the focal sphere into four sectors of equal
size.
b. Identify the fault types that generated earthquakes 1 and 2.

c. Using the Figure 4.60a, determine which nodal plane is most likely to be the fault
plane in each case. Briefly explain how you came to your conclusions.

d. From the tectonic setting, what are the depth ranges you would expect for
earthquakes 1 and 2?

GEOS 322

Spring 2009

GEOS 322

Spring 2009

Individual Activities
In this section you will examine the October 1999 southern California Hector Mine
earthquake. The maps and description below will give you some idea of where the
earthquake took place and shows the pattern of aftershocks.

The picture above shows the spatial relation of the Hector Mine earthquake to the major
faults in California. It is close to the Garlock fault (labeled) and the San Andreas fault
system (to the southwest).
This excerpt from the Southern California Earthquake Data Center
(http://www.data.scec.org/chrono_index/hectoreq.html) describes the quake:
"At 2:46:44 am on the morning of Saturday, October 16, 1999, most of southern
California, as well as parts of Arizona and Nevada, shook and rattled in the seismic
wake of the largest earthquake to strike the area since the M 7.3 Landers earthquake of
June 28, 1992. Originally measured at magnitude 7.0, this earthquake was centered in
a remote part of the Mojave Desert
The Hector Mine earthquake was preceded by a small cluster of foreshocks that
begin about 20 hours before the onset of the mainshock. The largest of these
foreshocks was a magnitude 3.8 tremor that occurred at 7:41 pm PDT on October 15.
These foreshocks were in the same location as a cluster of aftershocks triggered by the
1992 Landers earthquake.
When the mainshock struck, just before 2:47 am PDT, the rupture was somewhat
slow in starting. But within about 10 seconds it was over, having ruptured in both
directions (bilaterally) from the epicenter: north along the Lavic Lake fault for about 15
kilometers, and south along the Lavic Lake fault and the central Bullion fault for another
26 kilometers."

GEOS 322

Spring 2009

Below is a zoomed image of the fault location with topography, faults, nearby cities,
aftershocks, and other significant seismicity.

From http://www.data.scec.org/chrono_index/hectoreq.html: Hector quakes as yellow

solid circles; Lavic Lake fault, surface rupture shown in red. 1992 Landers quakes as
black circles; 1992 surface rupture shown in orange. TriNet stations as green triangles;
(red epicenters 10/26/99) Egill Hauksson, Caltech.
4

GEOS 322

Spring 2009

1. Developing a fault plane solution data set from seismic records (8 pts)
The table below lists the following quantities for a particular earthquake: (1) code of
seismic station; (2) epicentral distance (, in degrees of arc) of that station from the
earthquake; (3) azimuth (Az) from earthquake to station; and (4) the sense of the first Pwave first motion (compression [C] or dilatation [D]) observed at that station. Follow the
instructions in a-b to develop a data set from which you will plot a focal
mechanism.
Station
NEW
GW01
GW02
GW03
HKT
GW05
GW04
FFC
GW08
GW10
DWPF
COLA
PAYG
SJG
GW06
GW09
NNA
GW07
YAK
ESK
KONO
GW11

()
14
18
18
18
18
19
19
23
25
25
30
36
43
47
55
55
59
67
70
74
76
87

i ()

Az ()
358
65
147
160
99
250
336
22
62
240
92
338
140
97
232
254
134
160
333
33
25
224

First Motion
D
C
D
C
C
D
D

D
C
D

a. The table below lists the "take-off" angle i for various values of epicentral angle .
Use that table to determine i for the P-wave ray which travels from the earthquake to
each of the stations in the list above and enter the values into the appropriate column.

GEOS 322
()

i ()

13

47

15

45

17

43

18

39

21

35

23

32

25

30

27

29

29

29

31

29

33

28

35

28

37

27

41

26

45

25

49

24

51

23

55

22

59

22

63

21

67

20

71

19

75

18

79

17

83

16

87

15

91

14

95

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Spring 2009

b. On an attached page, seismic recordings of this earthquake are given for several
stations. Pen motions in the upward direction on the record indicate compressional
motions while pen motions in the downward direction indicate dilatational motions.
Examine these records and determine for each station whether the first P-wave
motion is compressional or dilatational. Mark each recording with a "C" or "D" and an
arrow pointing to the wave pulse you used to make the determination. Then use
these observations to complete the "First Motion" column in the table above.

GEOS 322

Spring 2009

2. Plotting and interpreting the focal mechanism (19 pts)

a. Use the data from the table you filled in above to plot the Cs and Ds on tracing paper placed
over your stereonet. Use separate symbols for compression and dilatation and make a key
for this on your plot. Be sure and trace the outer circle of the stereonet and mark N, S, E,
and W along this circle. Also, remember that the take-off angle is measured FROM THE
VERTICAL. That is, it is the angle from the center of the stereonet. It is NOT a dip angle.
b. Fit two great circles through the distribution of first motions so that the quadrants of
compressional and dilatational first P-wave motions are separated by these planes. These
two planes must be perpendicular to each other. Ask for help if you're not sure how to do
this. Also, all your data within each quadrant should describe the same motion, either
compression or dilatation, not both. These planes represent the "nodal planes" for the
earthquake radiation pattern meaning that they are planes along which there is little or no Pwave generation.
c. From your "focal-plane solution" determined in a and b above, determine the type of faulting
responsible for this earthquake. Was it normal, thrust, or strike-slip?

d. Draw on your stereonet the sense(s) of motion which could account for this focal-plane
solution.
e. From the information given about the Hector Mine Earthquake, determine which of the nodal
planes is the fault plane. Justify your answer. Is the slip right-lateral or left-lateral?

f. Given your answer to e, make a simple interpretation of the Hector Mine fault in the greater
context of California tectonics (i.e. a transform-faulted plate margin). You might want to
address the following in your answer: is the Hector Mine fault a part of the San Andreas fault
zone, or is it a part of a different fault system?

GEOS 322

Spring 2009

GEOS 322

Spring 2009