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The 12 September 2016 Gyeongju earthquakes: 1. Observation and remaining questions

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Abstract

Two earthquakes (M L 5.1 and 5.8) ruptured branches of the Yangsan Fault System in Gyeongju, S. Korea on September 12, 2016. After the M L 5.8 earthquake, aftershock earthquakes continued to occur, including two notable earthquakes (M L 4.3 and 4.5) on September 12 and 19, 2016. This paper details the early reports of the Yangsan Fault System in the Gyeongsang Basin from various geological and geophysical/seismological perspectives. Based on a review and an initial seismological analysis of the results of the three earthquakes (M L 5.1, 5.8, and 4.5), we present and discuss the following topics: (1) the tectonic setting and the geophysical/seismic structure of the Yangsan Fault System, (2) historical seismicity and inferred seismic hazard from historical (literature) data, and (3) source mechanisms of the three earthquakes. In the end, we highlight some of the outstanding issues with regard to earthquakes and future research topics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    YoungHee Kim, Junkee Rhie & Sang-Jun Lee

  2. Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea

    Tae-Seob Kang & Minook Kim

  3. Department of Geological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea

    Kwang-Hee Kim

Authors
  1. YoungHee Kim
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  2. Junkee Rhie
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  3. Tae-Seob Kang
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  4. Kwang-Hee Kim
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  5. Minook Kim
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  6. Sang-Jun Lee
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Correspondence to Tae-Seob Kang.

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Kim, Y., Rhie, J., Kang, TS. et al. The 12 September 2016 Gyeongju earthquakes: 1. Observation and remaining questions. Geosci J 20, 747–752 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-016-0033-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-016-0033-x

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