An instantaneous measure of the moment magnitude (M w) of an ongoing earthquake is estimated from the moment rate function (MRF) determined in real-time from available seismic data using waveform inversion. Integration of the MRF gives the moment function from which an instantaneous M w is derived. By repeating the inversion procedure at regular intervals while seismic data are coming in we can monitor the evolution of seismic moment and M w with time. The final size and duration of a strong earthquake can be obtained within 12 to 15 minutes after the origin time. We show examples of M w monitoring for three large earthquakes at regional distances. The estimated M w is only weakly sensitive to changes in the assumed source parameters. Depending on the availability of seismic stations close to the epicenter, a rapid estimation of the M w as a prerequisite for the assessment of earthquake damage potential appears to be feasible.Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.
CITATION STYLE
Lee, J., Friederich, W., & Meier, T. (2012). Real time monitoring of moment magnitude by waveform inversion. Geophysical Research Letters, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL050210
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