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Recent studies in the earthquake magnitude‐frequency relation (b‐value) found that the b‐value can decrease with time before large earthquakes in the source area. Such a decrease even coincided with a burst of foreshocks immediately before the earthquakes implying a preslip migrating toward the nucleation zone. We systematically survey the b‐value variations in space and time in the source area of 17 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than ML 6.0 in Taiwan. We relocated the earthquakes released by the Central Weather Administration of Taiwan since 2012 as timing can provide a sufficiently low completeness magnitude (MC) of 1.5. We carefully determine the spatiotemporal search criteria on seismicity in the source area of all targeted earthquakes. We surveyed the temporal b‐value systematically using moving time windows with a given number of earthquake events with the magnitudes greater than MC. We found the b‐value decreased clearly for 2 days before the 2018 ML 6.3 Hualien earthquake, coinciding with a burst of ML 5.8 earthquake and its aftershocks nearby as foreshocks. The foreshocks migrated updip toward the hypocenter of the 2018 ML 6.3 Hualien earthquake and revealed a second decrease in the b‐value 10 hours before it occurred. The b‐value precursor primarily comes from a rapid reduction of small earthquakes in the foreshocks and agrees with recent key findings of preslip. However, there is no strong correlation between the b‐value precursor and coseismic slip. Apart from this, the b‐values did not change significantly in most cases of earthquakes in Taiwan before and after they occurred. Plain Language Summary: Direct evidence for the precursor of a large earthquake is rare and difficult to be quantified accurately. Earthquake magnitude‐frequency relation (b‐value) is a classic observation implying stress accumulation on a seismogenic fault. Scientists found that the b‐value can decrease within a few days before an impending large earthquake in the source area. Taiwan is one of the regions undergoing frequent M ≥ 6.0 earthquakes and can map the b‐value in high resolution based on the relocated earthquakes. This study systematically surveyed the b‐value in the source area of seventeen ML ≥ 6.0 earthquakes in Taiwan, probing into b‐value precursor in the 8‐year time series. We found that the b‐value had a robust decrease 2 days before the 2018 ML 6.3 Hualien earthquake, coinciding with the initiation of foreshocks nearby and at a downdip of the hypocenter of the 2018 ML 6.3 Hualien earthquake. The foreshocks showed clear evidence of precursor as they migrated updip toward the hypocenter with a second decrease in the b‐value 10 hours before the earthquake occurred. We found no evidence of a b‐value precursor in most of the targeted earthquakes that agrees with the knowledge of precursor as happening episodically and unexpectedly. Key Points: We found a b‐value precursor that coincides with foreshocks for 2 days before the 2018 ML 6.3 Hualien earthquake in the source areaThe b‐value precursor correlates with foreshock distribution in the source area and is likely uncorrelated to the high coseismic slipThere is no significant change in the b‐value before M ≥ 6.0 earthquakes in Taiwan in a majority of the cases that we analyzed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies suggested that transient and long‐term stress changes caused by Earth's surface processes (e.g., extreme weather events, annual variations on groundwater storages) can affect earthquake activities in the subsurface. However, these studies may be limited by the completeness of standard earthquake catalogs, especially during or right after extreme weather events. Here we apply the template matching method to build a more complete earthquake catalog in Taiwan spanning seven months before and 12 months after 2009 typhoon Morakot, which brought the highest rainfall in southern Taiwan in the past 60 years and triggered numerous landslides. We then use the enhanced catalog to investigate possible influences of typhoon‐driven Earth's surface processes (atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and erosion) on local seismicity. We find that the seismicity rate of a 40‐day earthquake sequence in northeastern Taiwan was reduced significantly right after the passage of typhoon Morakot's eye center. In the typhoon‐triggered landslide zone in southern Taiwan, we find a slight increase in background seismicity rate in the next year after Morakot, matching the results of a recent study. However, we do not observe a clear change in the Gutenberg‐Richter b‐value in this zone, which is different from the recent study. Station outages during and right after Morakot prevents us from better understanding short‐term precipitation effect on local seismicity. Overall, except for a reduction in seismicity rate near the typhoon's low‐pressure eye center in northeastern Taiwan, we do not observe other clear seismicity changes that can be attributed to surface changes induced by typhoon Morakot. Plain Language Summary: It is important to study cascading nature hazards (typhoons/hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, etc.) because of their threats to human life and property. 2009 typhoon Morakot is the deadliest typhoon in Taiwan, which brought the highest rainfall in the past 60 years and led to numerous landslides. To investigate the possible influences of Morakot on subsurface earthquake activities, we build a more complete earthquake catalog for Taiwan spanning seven months before and 12 months after 2009 typhoon Morakot. This enhanced earthquake catalog includes many small earthquakes that cannot be felt by local residents in their ordinary life and were not in the standard earthquake catalog. In northeastern Taiwan, our results show that a 40‐day earthquake sequence was apparently shut down right after the passage of typhoon Morakot. If this observation is not a pure coincidence, it may suggest that the low‐pressure system of typhoon Morakot was capable of modulating the subsurface seismicity behavior. In southern Taiwan, the heavy‐rainfall and landslide region, we do not observe clear seismicity changes that can be attributed to surface changes induced by typhoon Morakot. Key Points: We use a template matching method to rebuild an earthquake catalog for Taiwan 7 months before and 12 months after 2009 typhoon MorakotThe seismicity rate of a 40‐day earthquake sequence in northeastern Taiwan was reduced significantly after the passage of MorakotThe seismicity rate increased slightly but without clear b‐value change after Morakot in typhoon‐driven landslide zone in southern Taiwan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient noise interferometry is a powerful technique to continuously measuring crustal seismic velocity changes (dv/v) and studying crustal behaviors over time. However, the interpretation of such dv/v variations is not straightforward since multiple causes including internal (tectonic/magmatic) processes of the crust and external (environmental) factors could both affect dv/v simultaneously. To differentiate the interplay between the internal and external processes in dv/v variations is an essential step toward accurate crustal monitoring. In this study, we apply the single‐station cross‐component (SC) method to 15 selected stations from the Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology (BATS) to investigate the temporal evolution of crustal seismic velocities across Taiwan. We process the continuous BATS seismic recording from 1998 to 2019, construct the daily SC correlation functions, and compute dv/v values by the stretching technique in a frequency band of 0.1–0.9 Hz. We observe both strong annual dv/v variations and co‐seismic velocity drops associated with regional moderate‐to‐large earthquakes. Systematic spectral and time‐series analyses with the weather data suggest that the rainfall‐induced pore‐pressure change plays a predominant role in driving the dv/v seasonality, reflecting a diffusion process from meteoric water into shallow crust. The effects of other factors are relatively local and secondary. We also demonstrate how understanding and correcting rainfall effects could critically improve the resolution and accuracy of internal crustal damage related to earthquakes. Plain Language Summary: The measured wave speeds from small ground motions such as ocean, wind, traffic, etc help us to understand changes in subterranean regions. The causes of the medium changes are multifold such as the fault zone damage by earthquakes (internal) or groundwater rise by rainfall (external). To discriminate the causes it is important to use weak ground motions for monitoring internal medium changes. For this purpose, we collect and study 20 years of ground motion data from 15 seismic stations distributed across Taiwan. We measure the propagation wave speed of weak ground motions and find earthquake‐related changes and strong seasonal changes at most stations. By analyzing and comparing wave speed changes with weather data (e.g., rainfall, temperature, air pressure, and wind speed), we find that rainfall varying groundwater level and the subterranean pore pressure best fit the seasonal wave speed changes in both space and time. After removing this rainfall‐related signals, we can estimate more precisely the extent of earthquake‐related underground damages that may not be obvious or completely masked by the strong seasonal changes. Key Points: We observe both coseismic dv/v drops and strong seasonal dv/v variations through a 20‐year systematic analysis in TaiwanThe rainfall‐induced pore pressure change is likely the primary control of the seasonal dv/v variations in the crustEvaluating the environmental influences on dv/v allows us to isolate crustal damage related to earthquakes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rheology of the crust and mantle and the interaction of viscoelastic flow with seismic/aseismic slip on faults control the state of stress in the lithosphere over multiple seismic cycles. The rheological behavior of rocks is well constrained in a laboratory setting, but the in situ properties of the lithosphere and its lateral variations remain poorly known. Here, we access the lower‐crustal rheology in Southern California by exploiting 8 years of geodetic postseismic deformation following the 2010 El Mayor‐Cucapah earthquake. The data illuminate viscoelastic flow in the lower crust with lateral variations of effective viscosity correlated with the geological province. We show that a Burgers assembly with dashpots following a nonlinear constitutive law can approximate the temporal evolution of stress and strain rate, indicating the activation of nonlinear transient creep before steady‐state dislocation creep. The transient and background viscosities in the lower crust of the Salton Trough are on the order of ~1018 and ~1019 Pa s, respectively, about an order of magnitude lower than those in the surrounding regions. We highlight the importance of transient creep, nonlinear flow laws, and lateral variations of rheological properties to capture the entire history of postseismic relaxation following the El Mayor‐Cucapah earthquake. Key Points: Coupled viscoelastic flow and afterslip explain the 8 years of postseismic deformation following the El Mayor‐Cucapah earthquakeThe effective viscosity in the lower crust is heterogeneous over space and timeThe mechanical response of the lower crust includes nonlinear transient creep transitioning to steady‐state dislocation creep [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rupture directivity of earthquakes could amplify ground shaking and cause serious earthquake hazards. Its timely information is therefore of great importance for early shaking alerts and emergency responses. To this end, we test the feasibility of using near‐field (<25 km) ground motion data from a dense low‐cost seismic network in Taiwan to constrain directivity information and provide warning for far‐field areas. The method is simple and robust, based on the real‐time shaking map interpolation and directional attenuation regression analysis. Applications to 16 moderate‐ to large‐magnitude earthquakes in Taiwan and California show that the directivity can be stably obtained within 17 s and agrees well with previous studies when available. An indicator of the strength of directivity amplification is also defined and reveals a prevalence of strong directivity effect for ML ≥ 6.0 earthquakes in Taiwan. Such near‐real‐time directivity information can therefore be useful in earthquake early warning systems for providing more accurate ground shaking alerts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It has been reported that earthquake b‐values decrease linearly with the differential stresses in the continental crust and subduction zones. Here we report a regression‐derived relation between earthquake b‐values and crustal stresses using the Anderson fault parameter (Aϕ) in a young orogenic belt of Taiwan. This regression relation is well established by using a large and complete earthquake catalog for Taiwan. The data set consists of b‐values and Aϕ values derived from relocated earthquakes and focal mechanisms, respectively. Our results show that b‐values decrease linearly with the Aϕ values at crustal depths with a high correlation coefficient of −0.9. Thus, b‐values could be used as stress indicators for orogenic belts. However, the state of stress is relatively well correlated with the surface geological setting with respect to earthquake b‐values in Taiwan. Temporal variations in the b‐value could constitute one of the main reasons for the spatial heterogeneity of b‐values. We therefore suggest that b‐values could be highly sensitive to temporal stress variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alishan area of Taiwan spans the transition from the platform with full thickness of the Eurasian continental margin in the north to the thinning crust of its slope in the south. This part of the foreland thrust and fold belt includes important along-strike changes in structure, stratigraphy, and seismic velocities. In this paper we present the results of new geological mapping from which we build geological cross sections both across and along the regional structural trend. Fault contour, stratigraphic cutoff, and branch line maps provide 3-D consistency between the cross sections. Minimum shortening is estimated to be ~15 km with displacement overall to the northwest. A P wave velocity model helps constrain the structure at depth by providing insight into the possible rock units that are present there. P wave velocities of ≥ 5.2 km/s point toward the presence of basement rocks in the shallow subsurface throughout much of the southeastern part of the area, forming a basement culmination. The changes in strike of thrusts and fold axial traces, the changing elevation of thrusts and stratigraphic contacts, and the growing importance of Middle Miocene sediments that take place from north to south are interpreted to be associated with a roughly northeast striking lateral structure coincident with the northern flank of this basement culmination. These transverse structures appear to be associated with the inversion of Eocene- and Miocene-age extensional faults along what was the shelf-slope transition in the Early Oligocene, uplifting the margin sediments and their higher P wave velocity basement during Pliocene-Pleistocene thrusting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow slow slip events accompanied by seismicity has been increasingly reported in subduction zones during the last decade; however, the relationship between shallow slip events and seismicity is unclear. We report episodic slow slip events and seismicity at the southernmost Ryukyu Trench. The inversion results from GPS‐derived cumulative displacements indicate that the slow slip events occur offshore in northeastern Taiwan on the shallow subduction interface, where high seismic VP/VS ratios applies. Seismicity is observed above the subduction interface for locations of significant variations in the VP/VS ratio and does not follow the migration of peak slip along the subduction interface. We calculated the temporal evolution between the seismicity and the propagation of slow slip events and determined that seismicity is not primarily driven by slip propagation. The spatiotemporal relationship, coupled with the VP/VS ratio, suggests that high‐pressure fluid activity may be crucial to episodes of slow slip events and seismicity. Plain Language Summary: Slow slip events are a member of the slow‐earthquake family observed by geodetic measurements in global subduction zones in the past 15 years. Shallow slow slip events are considered to be important for the megathrust earthquake cycle of the shallowest locked zone. Recently, shallow slow slip events accompanied by different seismic behaviors has been increasingly reported. This paper reports episodic, shallow slow slip events accompanied by overlying plate seismicity at the southernmost Ryukyu Trench and analyzes their relationship. We discover that the spatiotemporal relationship between the propagation of slow slip and seismicity is weak, which infers that they may not have a causal relationship. We suggest that the initiation of shallow slow slip events and subsequent seismicity was probably caused by high‐pressure fluid activity. The interpretation may reveal the cause of many shallow slow slip events as a broad phenomenon. Key Points: Relationship between shallow slow slip events and seismicity is reported at the southernmost Ryukyu Trench for the first timeSpatiotemporal seismicity does not adequately correlate with propagation of slow slip but is dominated by mainshock‐aftershock sequencesHigh‐pressure fluid activity likely has a key role in the initiation of episodic slow slip events and subsequent seismicity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]