Systematic analysis of shearwave splitting in the aftershock zone of the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake: shallow crustal anisotropy and lack of precursory variations

Abstract We analyze shear-wave splitting (SWS) in a high-quality waveform data set recorded at surface and downhole (0.2 km) seismometers in a region around the 20 September 1999 Mw 7.6 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake sequence. The data set was generated by events in a 5-year period before, during, and after the mainshock. The purpose is to investigate the depth extent of the crustal anisotropy and its possible temporal evolution in relation to the occurrence of large earthquakes. Results from downhole records show a stable polarization direction of the fast shear wave that matches well the local Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity field. A slightly different polarization direction of the fast shear wave is obtained from surface data. This suggests a possible anisotropy change between the top 0.2 km structure and the deeper section of the crust. Measured time delays below the downhole station have an average value of 0.16 sec without systematic changes for sources from about 8 km to 20 km in depth. Estimates of time delays in the top 0.2 km of the crust based on shear waves reflected from the free surface give a constant 0.04 sec. A likely depth distribution inferred from these two types of measurements and an S-velocit