TITLE:
Source Characteristics of the 2012 Ahar-Varzaghan Earthquake
AUTHORS:
Maryam Aminipanah, Manouchehr Ghorashi, Mohsen Pourkermani, Abdolmajid Asadi, Katayoun Behzadafshar
KEYWORDS:
Ahar-Varzaghan Earthquake, Source Time Function, Source Mechanism, Source Parameters
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
28,
2016
ABSTRACT: The August 11, 2012 Mw 6.4
earthquakes in northwestern Iran occurred as a result of oblique strike-slip
faulting in the shallow crust of the Eurasia plate, approximately 300 kilometer
east of the plate boundary between the Eurasia and Arabia plates. The
seismotectonics of this region is controlled by the collision of the Arabia and
Eurasia plates; at the latitude of the earthquakes, the Arabia plate moves
almost due north with respect to the Eurasia plate at a rate of approximately
26 millimeter per year. Over the past forty years, seven earthquakes of Mw 6
or greater have occurred within 300 kilometer of today’s events. The nearest
was a Mw 6.1 earthquake in February of 1997, approximately 100
kilometer to the east, which caused 1100 fatalities. The studied area encourage
the authors to determine the focal mechanism, source time function and sub
events’ features which can guide us to reliable judges.