A Specialized Type of Seismic Research

摘要

The aim of the research project was to investigate the relation of the mechanisms of natural seismic foci to the prevailing tectonic stress field in an area. After the determination of this relation, a criterion for distinguishing natural seismic shocks from explosions was to be established. The stages of the investigations were the following: (1) The possible theoretical relationships between focal mechanisms and tectonic stresses were analyzed (2) The data of focal mechanisms ('fault plane solutions') available in the literature were collected and tabulated in a uniform fashion (3) The best statistical means for averaging the various parameters of fault plane solutions of earthquakes were developed (4) The statistical connection between focal mechanisms and the tectonic stress field was established (5) A criterion for distinguishing seismic from artificial shocks was proposed.