Determining the parameters of earthquake sources in south america from macroseismic intensity data (ceresis database)

Abstract

In the past decades many different procedures have been made to handle the historical data for the determination of the earthquake source parameters. This has been only possible dealing with historical data interpreted and compiled as Intensity Data Points (IDP). One of the most interesting tools is the Boxer algorithm, a parameterisation method that computes the parameters of the earthquake source in terms of latitude and longitude of the epicentre, magnitude of the event, length, width and azimuth of the box, which represent the surface projection of the sismogenic source. Applying the Boxer algorithm we have used intensity data points available from the CERESIS database (earthquakes with I0 ≥ 8MM) to obtain a preliminary idea of the possible sources of some historical earthquakes of the South-American region. At a first approach to the South-American historical seismicity we generally can affirm that our results agree fairly well with seismological data and geological background as reported in literature.