SCEC Award Number 12060 View PDF
Proposal Category Individual Proposal (Integration and Theory)
Proposal Title Continuing Studies of Tremor in Central and Southern California
Investigator(s)
Name Organization
Zhigang Peng Georgia Institute of Technology
Other Participants Chastity Aiken (GT), Kevin Chao (GT), one REU summer intern.
SCEC Priorities 5a, 1c, 5d SCEC Groups Seismology, FARM
Report Due Date 03/15/2013 Date Report Submitted N/A
Project Abstract
 A systematic analysis of deep tectonic tremor in California not only provides important new information on the fault mechanics on the deep extension of the crustal faults but also may shed new light on the predictability of large earthquakes. Our past year’s effort mainly focused on the following two directions: (1) continuing study of triggered tremor in central and southern California; (2) comparisons between triggered earthquakes and tremor in California.
Intellectual Merit Our proposal is directly relevant to several research priorities listed in the SCEC4 Fundamental Problems of Earthquake Physics: (1c) Regional searches for seismic tremor at depth in Southern California to observe if (some) deformation occurs by slip on discrete structures; and (5) Causes and effects of transient deformations: slow slip events and tectonic tremor. It also directly addresses one of the top priorities of the disciplinary activities in Seismology to “…explore the distribution and source characteristics of tremor in California and to explore the conditions necessary for the generation of seismically observable tremor.” as well as the priorities of FARM to “develop observations of slow-slip events and non-volcanic tremor in southern California…”. Finally, our proposal also ties with one of the proposed Special Fault Study Areas (SFSA – Parkfield) led by Professor Cliff Thurber at University of Wisconsin Madison.
Broader Impacts This project provided partial support for the GT graduate student Kevin Chao, who finished his Ph.D. in May 2012, and is now working as a postdoc fellow in ERI, University of Tokyo. The remaining funding is used to support research scientist, who is currently examining tremor in the Simi Valley and the San Gabriel fault. It also provide partial support for a summer intern Gregory Armstrong (Georgia State undergraduate student) in summer 2012. Gregory has conducted a systematic search of triggered tremor in Cuba [Peng et al., 2013] and southern Chile. He also presented his work at the 2012 SCEC annual meeting [Armstrong et al., 2012]. Unfortunately, he did not continue this work since fall 2013. We will hire three new SCEC interns to continue to study tremor in California and elsewhere around the world. These SCEC interns will be trained to conduct scientific research in the frontier of seismology. Such effects are valuable in attracting talented undergraduate students into the pipeline and preparing them for future challenges in the field of seismology.
Exemplary Figure Figure 2