S <sub>Hmax</sub> orientation in the Alpine region from observations of stress-induced anisotropy of nonlinear elasticity

Autor(en)
Yongki Andita Aiman, Andrew Delorey, Yang Lu, Götz Bokelmann
Abstrakt

The orientation of S

Hmax is commonly estimated from in situ borehole breakouts and earthquake focal mechanisms. Borehole measurements are expensive, and therefore sparse, and earthquake measurements can only be made in regions with many well-characterized earthquakes. Here, we derive the stress-field orientation using stress-induced anisotropy in nonlinear elasticity. In this method, we measure the strain derivative of velocity as a function of azimuth. We use a natural pump-probe (NPP) approach which consists of measuring elastic wave speed using empirical Green’s functions (probe) at different points of the earth tidal strain cycle (pump). The approach is validated using a larger data set in the Northern Alpine Foreland region where the orientation of maximum horizontal compressive stress is known from borehole breakouts and drilling-induced fractures. The technique resolves NNW-SSW to N-S directed S

Hmax which is in good agreement with conventional methods and the recent crustal stress model. We confirm that the NPP method can be applied to dense large-scale seismic arrays. The technique is then applied to the Southern Alps to understand the contemporary stress pattern associated with the ongoing deformation due to counterclockwise rotation of the Adriatic plate with respect to the European plate. Our results explain why the two major faults in Northeastern Italy, the Giudicarie Fault and the Periadriatic Line (Pustertal–Gailtal Fault) are currently inactive, while the currently acting stress field allows faults in Slovenia to deform actively. We have demonstrated that the pump-probe method has the potential to fill in the measurement gap left by conventional approaches, both in terms of regional coverage and in depth.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Meteorologie und Geophysik
Externe Organisation(en)
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Journal
Geophysical Journal International
Band
235
Seiten
2137-2148
Anzahl der Seiten
12
ISSN
0956-540X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad353
Publikationsdatum
12-2023
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
105122 Seismik
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Geochemistry and Petrology, Geophysics
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/4c37da3c-de4d-4ed0-9863-b8b446188e3a