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EARTHQUAKE ›› 2011, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (1): 12-19.

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Determination Method of Local Earthquake Source Depth Using the Traveltime Difference of Pn and sPn

WANG Deng-wei   

  1. Seismological Bureau of Sichuan Earthquake Center, Sichuan Xichang 615022, China
  • Received:2009-12-30 Revised:2010-05-05 Online:2011-01-31 Published:2021-09-08

Abstract: In this paper, we derived the relationship between the travel time difference of sPn and Pn and the local earthquake focal depth. In these equations, the travel time difference of sPn and Pn is not related to the epicentral distance, only only depended on the regional crustal model and the focal depth. According to equation, we provided a simple and accurate method to determine local earthquake focal depth by using the travel time difference between phase sPn and Pn. This method has been used to determine the focal depths of two earthquakes of MS6.1 and MS5.6 occurred at the junction of Panzhihua and Huili, Sichuan on Aug.30 and 31, 2008. The results have been compared with those from other sources such as China Earthquake Network Center, showing that our results are accurate and reliable.

Key words: Focal depth, Travel time difference of sPn and Pn, critical epicentral distance

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