Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey points

Monitoring the evolution of foreshocks can be a valuable way to analyze the nucleation process. Foreshocks accompanying moderate mainshocks have been recorded in the west of Yunnan Province, China. We obtain the earthquake catalog and source parameters of the 2016 Yunlong foreshocks, and discuss the...

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Main Authors: Gaohua Zhu, Hongfeng Yang, Yingying Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-08-01
Series:Earthquake Science
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674451925000217
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author Gaohua Zhu
Hongfeng Yang
Yingying Zhang
author_facet Gaohua Zhu
Hongfeng Yang
Yingying Zhang
author_sort Gaohua Zhu
collection DOAJ
description Monitoring the evolution of foreshocks can be a valuable way to analyze the nucleation process. Foreshocks accompanying moderate mainshocks have been recorded in the west of Yunnan Province, China. We obtain the earthquake catalog and source parameters of the 2016 Yunlong foreshocks, and discuss the implications for the nucleation processes of the earthquake in western Yunnan, China. By using the matched filter detection, we identify 343 foreshocks with a magnitude of −0.8−4.5, starting with a magnitude 1.0 foreshock approximately 3 months before the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong mainshock. The spatial distribution of foreshocks doesn’t show localization or directional migration towards the mainshock. Coulomb stress analysis suggests a positive stress perturbation at the mainshock nucleate area. These observations indicate a cascade-triggering mechanism of the 2016 Yunlong earthquakes. We further collect published catalogs of 2021 Yangbi and 2017 Yangbi foreshocks in the adjacent area, and analyze the temporal changes in b values. The temporal changes in b values reveal precursory drops before the mainshocks.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1867-8777
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publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
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spelling doaj-art-4e7533aa759c4743a193305fe38f663d2025-08-20T03:32:01ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Earthquake Science1867-87772025-08-0138436337410.1016/j.eqs.2025.03.003Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey pointsGaohua Zhu0Hongfeng Yang1Yingying Zhang2Key Laboratory of Ocean Observation and Forecasting, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Geology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, ChinaDepartment of Earth and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong 999077, China; Corresponding author.China Earthquake Networks Center, Beijing 100045, ChinaMonitoring the evolution of foreshocks can be a valuable way to analyze the nucleation process. Foreshocks accompanying moderate mainshocks have been recorded in the west of Yunnan Province, China. We obtain the earthquake catalog and source parameters of the 2016 Yunlong foreshocks, and discuss the implications for the nucleation processes of the earthquake in western Yunnan, China. By using the matched filter detection, we identify 343 foreshocks with a magnitude of −0.8−4.5, starting with a magnitude 1.0 foreshock approximately 3 months before the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong mainshock. The spatial distribution of foreshocks doesn’t show localization or directional migration towards the mainshock. Coulomb stress analysis suggests a positive stress perturbation at the mainshock nucleate area. These observations indicate a cascade-triggering mechanism of the 2016 Yunlong earthquakes. We further collect published catalogs of 2021 Yangbi and 2017 Yangbi foreshocks in the adjacent area, and analyze the temporal changes in b values. The temporal changes in b values reveal precursory drops before the mainshocks.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674451925000217foreshocksYunlong mainshockearthquake detection and location
spellingShingle Gaohua Zhu
Hongfeng Yang
Yingying Zhang
Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey points
Earthquake Science
foreshocks
Yunlong mainshock
earthquake detection and location
title Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey points
title_full Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey points
title_fullStr Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey points
title_full_unstemmed Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey points
title_short Foreshocks of the 2016 MS5.1 Yunlong earthquake in Western Yunnan, China, and implications for earthquake nucleationKey points
title_sort foreshocks of the 2016 ms5 1 yunlong earthquake in western yunnan china and implications for earthquake nucleationkey points
topic foreshocks
Yunlong mainshock
earthquake detection and location
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674451925000217
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AT hongfengyang foreshocksofthe2016ms51yunlongearthquakeinwesternyunnanchinaandimplicationsforearthquakenucleationkeypoints
AT yingyingzhang foreshocksofthe2016ms51yunlongearthquakeinwesternyunnanchinaandimplicationsforearthquakenucleationkeypoints