IC/96/93
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizationand
International Atomic Energy Agency
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS
STRESS IN THE DESCENDING RELIC SLABBENEATH VRANCEA, ROMANIA
A.T. Ismail-ZadehInternational Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
andInternational Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory
and Mathematical Geophysics, RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation,
G.F. PanzaInternational Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
andDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita degli Studi di Trieste,
Trieste, Italy
and
B.M. NaimarkInternational Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory
and Mathematical Geophysics, RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation,
MIRAMARE - TRIESTE
June 1996
ABSTRACT
We examine the effects of viscous flow, phase transition, and dehydration on the
stress field of the relic slab to explain the intermediate-depth seismic activity in the
Vrancea region. The finite-element model of the slab gravitationally sinking in the
asthenosphere predicts (1) the downward extension in the slab, as observed from
the stress axes of the earthquakes, and (2) the maximum magnitudes of stress to
occur in the depth range from 70 km to 160 km. The model is in good agreement
with the regional geological evolution. The depth distribution of the logarithm of
the annual seismic energy release has a shape only roughly similar to that of the
depth distribution of the stress magnitude in the slab, and the nonuniform time-
space distribution of the strong events in Vrancea cannot be explained solely by
viscous stress release. The study of the seismic moments of the intermediate-depth
earthquakes observed in the region indicates that a realistic mechanism lor triggering
these events in the Vrancea slab can be the dehydration of rocks, which makes fluid-
assisted faulting possible, rather than the shear stress caused by the basalt-eclogite
phase transformation in the oceanic slab.
INTRODUCTION
The Carpathians are bounded on the north and north-east by the Eastern Euro-
pean Platform, on the east and south by the Moesian Platform, on the west by the
Transylvanian and Pannonian basins. From the inspection of the earthquake epicen-
ters (Fig.l) and of the focal depths (Fig.2) in the area, a seismogenic body can be
revealed in the form of a parallelepiped with length of about 100 km, width of about
40 km, extending to a depth of about 160 km. Beyond this depth the seismicity ends
suddenly. This region, located at the Carpathians bend, is known as Vrancea.
As early as 1949, Gutenberg and Richter drew attention to the remarkable source
of shocks with foci in the depth range from 100 km to 150 km in Vrancea. According
to the historical catalogue [Novikova et al., 1995], the strongest intermediate-depth
shocks occur three or four times per century. In this century, strong events in the
depth range from 70 to 170 km occurred in 1940 with magnitude Ms=7.2 [Fuchs et
al., 1979], in 1977 Mw=7.5, in 1986 Mw=7.2, and in 1990 M^=6.9 (The Harvard
University Centroid-Moment Tensor Catalog).
McKenzie [1970, 1972] suggests that strong events in Vrancea occur in a vertical
relic slab subducting within the mantle and now overlain by the continental crust.
He believed that the origin of this slab is the rapid southeast motion of the plate
containing the Carpathians and the surrounding regions, relative to the Black Sea
plate. The Vrancea region is also considered [Fuchs et al., 1979] as a place where an
oceanic slab detached from the continental crust is sinking gravitationally.
Oncescu [1984] and Onccscu et al. [1984] propose a double subduction tectonic
model for Vrancea on the basis of the interpretation of a 3-D seismic tomographic
image. In their opinion, the decoupling of the sinking slab could be caused by the NW
push of the Black Sea plate. Using a large set of fault-plate solutions for intermediate-
depth shocks, Oncescu and Trifu [1987] show that the compressional axes are almost
horizontal and directed SE-NW, and that the tensional axes are nearly vertical, sug-
gesting that the slip is caused by the gravitational force.
According to these models, a cold, hence denser and more rigid than the surround-
ing mantle, relic slab beneath the Vrancea region sinks due to gravity. The hydrostatic
buoyancy forces help the slab to subduct, but viscous and frictional forces act as a re-
sistance to its descent. At intermediate depth these forces produce an internal stress
with one principal axis directed downward. Earthquakes occur in response to this
stress. These forces are not the only source of stress that leads to seismic activity in
Vrancea; in the process of slab descent the seismogenic stress can be caused by miner-
alogical phase changes and dehydration of rocks, which possibly leads to fluid-assisted
faulting.
The purposes of this paper are: (l) to study a simple numerical model of the
descending slab, in an attempt to explain the observed distribution of earthquakes;
(2) to examine the influence of the basalt-eclogite phase transition within the slab
on the stress in the surrounding rocks; and (3) to discuss a possible role of the
dehydration of rocks on the stress release within the descending slab in Vrancea.
VISCOUS STRESS IN THE DESCENDING SLAB
Introduction to the model
Numerical models of subducting slabs have been intensively studied by Vassiliou
et al. [1984] and Vassiliou and Hager [1988] to explain the global depth variation of
Benioff zones of seismicity. Here, to study the stress distribution and mantle flows
beneath the Vrancea region, we construct a model of the evolution of a relic oceanic
slab overlaid by the continental crust.
We assume that, keeping all the other parameters fixed, the number of earth-
quakes occurring in Vrancea at intermediate depths is related to the level of viscous
stress in the slab. We consider a simple model for the relic slab evolution and calculate
the stress therein assuming (1) that the Earth's mantle behaves as a viscous fluid at
the geological time scale, and (2) that the regional tectonic processes are associated
with mantle flows, regulated by Newtonian rheology.
The geometry and boundary conditions for the two-dimensional numerical model
used in the analysis are shown in Fig.3. A viscous incompressible fluid with variable
density and viscosity fills the model square (0 < x < L, ~H < z < k) divided into
four subdomains: atmosphere above z = 0, crust, subducting slab, and mantle. These
subdomains are bounded by material boundaries where density p and viscosity q a,re
discontinuous, while they are constant within each subdomain. The slab is modeled
as being denser than the surrounding mantle, and therefore tends to sink under its
own weight.
To test the stability of our results to variations of the density contrast, we consider
the value of 0.7 x 102 kg m~3, based on thermal models of the slab [Schubert et al.,
1975] and used in numerical modelling of subducting slab by Vassiliou et al. [1984],
and the value 0.4 x 102 kg m~3, suggested by the modelling of the long wavelength
component of Bouguer anomalies in correspondence of the lithospheric roots in the
Alps and in the Apennines [Werner and Kissling, 1985; Mueller and Panza, 1986;
Marson et al., 1995]. We also consider several values of the viscosity contrast between
the slab and the mantle: 0.4, 0.9, and 4.9 x 1021 Pa s, keeping the density contrast
equal to 0.4 X 102 kg m~3.
We solve Stokes' equation, which takes the following form in terms of the stream
function ij)
dp= py dxdxdz dxdz \dz2 dx2J \dz2 dx2 J dx
where g is the acceleration due to gravity. We assume impenetrability and free-flip
boundary conditions:
ij) = d24>jdx2 = 0 at x = 0 and x = L
if, = d2'<pjdz'i = 0 at z = -H and z = h.
The time-dependence of p and rj is described by the transfer equation
dA _ d$ dA di> dAdt dx dz dz dx
where A stands for p or 7]. The positions of the material boundaries, as functions of
time, are governed by the following set of two differential equations
dx/dt = d$ldz, dzjdt = -
where the points (x, z) are on the initial boundaries at £ = 0. The initial distributions
(t = 0) of p and r] and the positions of the material boundaries are known.
To solve the problem, that is, to compute the dependence of p, 7], material bound-
aries, velocity and stress on time, we employ an Eulerian finite element technique
described in detail by Ismail-Zadeh et ah [1994], Naimark and Ismail-Zadeh [1995],
and Naimark et al. [1996], We divide the model square into rectangular elements:
49 x 47 in the x and z directions. We use dimensionless variables, whereas in present-
ing the results for stress and velocity we scale them as follows: the time scale i*, the
velocity scale v*, and the stress scale a* are taken respectively as i* = r)*/[p*g(H + /*)],
v* = p*g(H+h)2/i]% and a* = p*g(H + h) where ii* = 1020 Pa s is a typical value of
mantle viscosity [Peltier, 1984] and p*=3.3 x 103 is a typical value of mantle density
[e.g., Turcotte and Schubert, 1982],
Numerical results
The parameter values used in the numerical modelling are listed in Table 1. We
choose 45° for the dip of the slab, at t = 0, as suggested by the distribution of
6
earthquake hypocenters in Vrancea (Fig.2); slight changes (±15°) in the initial slab's
dip yield results similar to those we describe here. The stress magnitude a is defined
as
= 10.5(^ + ^ + 2^ , ) ]^ = , 4J)xdzj \dz2 dx2 J
where T;J (i, j = x, z) are the components of the deviatoric stress.
The evolution of the slab that sinks under its own weight in the absence of external
forces is shown in Fig.4. for a density contrast 0.7 x 102 kg m~3 and a viscosity contrast
9 x 1O20 Pa s. The same computations made with a density contrast 0.4 x 102 kg m~3
show a nearly identical pattern. The numerical results show that variations of the
viscosity contrast lead to changes in the stress distribution and in the velocity of the
descending slab. If the viscosity contrast between the slab and the surrounding mantle
is as small as 0.4 x 1021 Pa s, then the stress in the slab is not large enough to give
rise to seismic activity in the region. A very high viscosity contrast (4.9 x 1021 Pa s)
causes a slow descent of the slab (about 0.3 cm yr"1) while the stress is now sufficiently
large to give rise to seismic activity. Our computations show that a viscosity contrast
of 9 x 1021 Pa s is more suitable for the Vrancea region, because in this case the
velocity of slab descent is about 1 cm yr"1, which agrees with the regional geological
observations [Bleahu et ah, 1973]. The subducting slab induces two mantle flows (Fig.
4 a-c). The flow on the left moves in clockwise direction, contributing to the evolution
of the Transylvanian basin and the folded arc. The other rotates counterclockwise,
and possibly affects the development of the Moldavian platform. Fig.4 d-f show the
axes of compression of the deviatoric stress. The axes of tension are perpendicular
to the axes of compression, and the magnitudes of tension and of compression are
the same. The maximum viscous stress is reached within the slab, and the axes of
compression are close to the horizontal direction, in agreement with the observed
focal mechanisms [Oncescu and Trifu, 1987].
The depth distribution of the average stress magnitude in the slab for two density
contrasts considered is represented in Fig.5. The two computed curves show that the
stress peaks in the depth range from about 70 km to 150 km. These curves have a
shape only roughly similar to that of the curve of log E versus depth, where E is
the annual seismic energy release (Fig.6). A close inspection of the curves in Fig.5
and Fig.6 shows that the maximum viscous stress is reached at a depth of about
90 km, whereas the maximum number of shocks is observed at a depth about 140
km. It is natural to assume that a higher level of stress causes an increased seismic
energy release per unit time, hence we have to consider other faulting processes at
intermediate depths.
INTERMEDIATE-DEPTH FAULTING PROCESSES
Strong earthquakes in Vrancea occur within a lithospheric slab sinking in the
asthenosphere. It is less obvious that the nonuniform time-space distribution of the
strong events in Vrancea might be explained solely by viscous stress release. High-
pressure faulting processes at intermediate depths in the Vrancea slab can also be
activated by the stress produced by heterogeneities in volume change, due to phase
transitions, and by the dehydration of rocks, which possibly leads to fluid-assisted
faulting.
Phase transition, seismic moment, and volume change
Slab metamorphism plays a crucial role in faulting processes at high pressures.
Many authors have considered the intermediate-depth earthquakes as the result of
phase changes from basalt to eclogite in the slab [e.g., Wiens et ah, 1993; Kirby
and Hacker, 1991; Cointe and Suarez, 1994]. There are two main effects of these
exothermic phase transitions (with a small positive Clapeyron slope): deflections of
the phase boundary from its normal position and release of latent heat. As for the
latter, it slightly changes the temperature of the surrounding material (Karato and
Sobolev, personal communication, 1995) and hence the buoyancy forces. Deflection of
the phase boundary depends upon the lateral temperature difference occurring in the
relatively cold slab that sinks into the hot mantle. The effects of the phase transition
in the slab have two implications for the stress state: (1) the denser phase acts as an
additional, load that pulls down the slab and causes an increase of the viscous stress;
(2) strongly exothermic polymorphic transformations in minerals under shear stress
tend to exhibit an unusual form of high-pressure failure [Kirby, 1995].
Experimental studies of Hacker et al. [1993] reveal that phase changes are very
sluggish under dry conditions, unless temperatures exceed 800-900° C are reached,
while wet rocks are readily transformed even at a temperature of about 600° C.
Hence Kirby [1995] infers that eclogite-forming reactions within a cold slab may be
delayed to the depth range from 70 km to 150 km, where dehydration occurs [Wilson,
1989]. As a region within a rock mass undergoes transformation to a denser phase,
contraction occurs in the direction of the maximum compressive stress, and within the
neighboring rocks la,rge deviatoric stresses are generated that lead to seismic failure.
To estimate the effect on the seismic activity in Vrancea, due to the volume change
associated with the basalt-eelogite phase transition, we employ the relation suggested
by McGarr [1977]
A ^n _ ™ pi - PQ
n=l fa
where MQ, is the seismic moment for the rath event caused by the volume change, p
is the shear modulus, / is the length of the slab along strike, T is the thickness of the
oceanic crust, vs is the velocity of descent of the slab, p0 is the density of rocks prior to
the phase transition, and p\ is the density of transformed rocks. Given fi = 6.5 x 1010
Pa [Turcotte and Schubert, 1982], / = 10s m, T = 104 m (the thickness of the typical
oceanic crust), vs = 10~2 in yr - 1 (the typical subduction rate), pa = 2.92 x 103 kg
m~3 (the typical density of wet basalts), pi = 3.5 x 103 kg m~3 (the typical density
of dry eclogites), we obtain the annual cumulative seismic moment of about 1017 N
m yr"1.
To estimate an observed seismic moment rate (OSMR) for events in Vrancea in the
depth range from 60 km to 170 km, we used the Harvard University Centroid-Moment
Tensor Catalog (a computer file, 1977-1995). This catalog contains events with M>5,
and sometimes with lower magnitude; the eight strongest shocks are listed in Table 2.
OSMR is found to be about 1.6 X 1019 N M yr"1 for the region. We consider a time
period of 19 years that includes almost all the strongest earthquakes that occurred in
the region for the last century. In the evaluation of OSMR, the time period considered
should be long enough to provide a representative sample of strong earthquakes in the
region. So, if a time interval is too short and does not include the strongest shocks,
it can result in an underestimate of OSMR and conversely one can overestimate the
moment rate, if the time window encloses an unusual sequence of strong events.
If we extend the time window to 1900, in the estimation of the annual OSMR,
we have to include the 1940 earthquake, with Ms=7.2 and hypocentral depth of more
than 100 km. It may be reasonable to assume for this event a moment equal to the
one of the 1977 event, and therefore, for this century, we get an OMSR of at least
5 X 1018 N m yr~1. this value can be representative of a longer period of time since
the strong earthquakes that occurred since 1600 seem to follow a regular pattern
[Novikovaet al., 1995].
Thus the cumulative annual seismic moment associated with the phase transition
is lower than that obtained from observations, and the pure phase-transition model
10
cannot explain the intermediate-depth seismicity in Vrancea.
Dehydration-induced faulting
Despite the fact that rocks in the subducting slabs are much more rigid than
the surrounding material, the frictional processes imposed by pressure prevent brittle
failure. At pressures above 3 GPa (about 100 km of depth) and even at a temperature
of 20° C brittle failure of rocks is impossible in absence of fluids [Green and Houston,
1995]. Raleigh and Paterson [1965] show on the basis of experimental investigations
that serpentinites (serpentinized peridotites) become brittle as a result of dehydration
at high pressures for which unhydrous rocks are plastically deformed.
It is well known from fracture mechanics that microcracks in a rock are generated
during brittle failure due to a tensile process. A fluid released by dehydration fills
the cracks and the pore fluid contributes together with the stress to the opening
of microcracks by filling them. As macroscopic stress continues to rise, the tensile
strength is exceeded, and finally, in some local region the rock becomes fractured so
that it loses its ability to support the compressive load, with the resulting formation
of a small fault within this region. The fault is bounded by a zone with a high density
of tensile microcracks. This zone filled by fluid thus becomes the principal seat of the
pore pressure generation that is necessary for fault growth.
Consequently, if a source of volatiles is available, there is a possibility for the
production of high-pressure faulting in the slab beneath Vrancea. Obviously, H2O is
carried down with the sediments covering the uppermost part of the slab, and the
hydrated oceanic crust contains about 2% of H2O at 3.0 GPa and 700° C. Moreover,
results of recent experimental studies [Ulmer and Trommsdorff, 1995] show that the
subduction of serpentinites containing about 13% of H2O may transport large quan-
tities of water to depths of the order of 150-200 km. Thus, the dehydration-induced
11
faulting in the depth range from 70 to 170 km can contribute to the increase of the
stress and consequently to the intermediate-depth seismicity observed in Vrancea.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
The Vrancea seismoactive region as well as the intracontinental regions of Burma,
Pamir-Hindu Kush, Central Apennines and Spain, are quite different from any other
subduction zone. Their distinguishing features are intermediate-depth events in pa-
leosubducted slabs. Studying the K2O/SiO2 ratio for the magmatic rocks. Boccaletti
et al. [1973] and Bleahu et al. [1973] suggest that the slab in Vrancea was subducted
during the Neogene time and reached depths of about 160 km where it partially
melted and generated calc-alkaline magmas, that erupted behind the Carpathian
folded arc, building up the magmatic arc. They also believe that the persisting sub-
duction caused an active stretching of the Transylvanian basin with the eruption of
the basaltic magma in the Quaternary. The finite-element model of a descending relic
slab allows us to explain the geological evolution and the seismic activity in Vrancea;
it is in agreement with the regional stress observed in the area: the axes of com-
pression and tension are close to the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively
[Oncescu and Trifu, 1987]. The model explains, even if roughly, the intermediate-
depth seismicity in the region if the seismic energy release depends exponentially on
stress.
The seismic moment rate due to the volume change, associated with the effect of
the basalt-eclogite phase transition in the descending slab, is much lower than that
obtained from the events which occurred in Vrancea in the depth range from 60 km
to 170 km. From this it follows that the basalt-eclogite phase transformation in the
descending slab is likely to have no fundamental effects on the production of stress
at intermediate depths in Vrancea. Alternatively, the generation of a pore fluid by
12
dehydration of hydrous minerals in the slab may give rise to dehydration-induced
faulting.
Thus, the viscous flows, due to the sinking of the relic slab together with the
dehydration-indxiced faulting can be considered as a plausible triggering mechanism
explaining the intermediate-depth seismicity in Vrancea.
Acknowledgments. The Harvard University Seismic Centroid-Moment Tensor
Catalog was kindly provided via Internet by the group of A. Dziewonski. We are
very grateful to V. Keilis-Borok, T. Kronrod, G. Molchan, R. Nicolich, A. Prozorov,
and I. Vorobieva for useful discussions of this research. We are also thankful to
R. Nicolich and L. Cernobori for the computing facilities at DINMA, University of
Trieste, and to I. Vorobieva for the preparation of some figures. The research was par-
tially carried out during the stay of A.T.I, at the University of Trieste. This work has
been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant # EAR 94-23818),
by NATO (Linkage grant # ENVIRLG 931206), and by the Russian Foundation for
Basic Research (grant # 95-05-14083).
13
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17
TABLE 1. Nomenclature
Notation Meaning Value
g acceleration due to gravity, m s~2 9.8
h height over the surface, km 33
hc initial thickness of the crust, km 40
hs initial thickness of the slab, km 30
H -\-h vertical size of the model, km 333
I length of the slab along strike, m 10s
L horizontal size of the model, km 350
MQ seismic moment for the nth event, N m yr"1
t time
t* time scale, yr 300
T thickness of the oceanic crust, in 104
v* velocity scale, in yr"1 1.1 x 103
vs velocity of slab subdnction, m yr"1 10~2
x horizontal coordinate of the model grid system
z vertical coordinate of the model grid system
rf typical value of viscosity, Pa s 1O20
7]aiT viscosity over the surface. Pa s 101D
fjc viscosity of the crust, Pa s 1023
r/m viscosity of the mantle , P a s 1O20
r]s viscosity of the slab, Pa s 1021
\i shear modulus, N m~2 6.5 X 1010
18
p* typical value of density, kg m~3 3.3 x 103
paiT density over the surface, kg m~3 0
pc density of the crust, kg m~3 2.9 X 103
p m density of the mantle, kg m~3 3.3 X 103
ps density of the slab, kg m~3 3.37 X 103 and 3.34 x 103
p0 density of rocks prior to the phase change, kg m~3 2.92 x 103
pi density of transformed rocks, kg m~3 3.5 X 103
a stress magnitude
CT* stress scale, Pa 1.1 x 101D
T{j deviatoric stress components
if) stream function
TABLE 2. Subcatalog of the strongest intermediate-depth earthquakes in Vrancea
beginning with 1977 event
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Date
m/ d/ y
3/04/77
10/02/78
5/31/79
9/11/79
8/01/85
8/30/86
5/30/90
5/31/90
Time
h: m: s
19:21:54
20:28:53
07:20:06
15:36:54
14:35:03
21:28:36
10:40:06
00:17:48
Latitude
°N
45.77
45.72
45.54
45.56
45.74
45.54
45.86
45.79
Longitude
°E
26.76
26.47
26.32
26.29
26.50
26.29
26.67
26.75
Depth
km
84
154
114
143
103
133
74
87
Mo
N m yr"1
1.99 x 1O20
4.75 x 1016
7.26 x 1016
6.23 x 1016
7.96 x 1016
7.91 x 1019
3.01 x 1019
3.23 x 1018
19
FIGURES
Fig. 1. Epicenters of 1461 Romanian earthquakes from January 3, 1900 to March 31,
1995. Several catalogs have been combined to prepare Figs.l, 2, and 6 [Constantinescu and
Marza, 1980; Kondorskaya, 1964-1992; Trifu and Radulian, 1.991; Moldoveanu et al., 1995;
USGS-NEIS catalog; Harward University CMT catalog]
Fig. 2. Hypocenters of the same Romanian earthquakes (epicenters presented in Fig.l)
projected on the vertical plane along the W-E direction. Heavy squares stand for groups of
hypocenters located close together.
Fig. 3. Geometry of the model with the boundary conditions used in the calculations.
The z axis is directed upward (z = 0 corresponds to the earth's surface) and the x axis is
directed from left to right
Fig. 4. Flow fields (a-c) and deviatoric compression axes (d-f) for the evolution of
the slab subject only to gravitational forces: (a,d) t=16 Ma BP, (b,e) t=10 Ma BP, (c,f)
present-day. The maximum values of velocity and stress magnitude are represented at the
top of the figures
Fig. 5. Depth distribution of the average stress magnitude in the slab for density
contrasts 0.4 x 102 kg m~3 (1) and 0.7 x 102 kg m~3 (2)
Fig, 6. Logarithmic depth distribution of the annual seismic energy release E (mea-
sured in lCTr J) in Vrancea from 1962 to 1996. Events are grouped in 5 km intervals
20
45N 45N
44N25E 26E Z7E 28E
44N
MAGNITUDESUmax
0 km <= DEPTH60 km <= DEPTH
0.0 -•
< 60< 999
4.9
kmkm
5.0 - 5.9
•190D.
6.0 -D
1. 1-1999
•
6.9
.12.31
7.0
a7.9
Fig. 121
w
Q<DQ
2000
• I • I C I « B •% D
• • •* • • D• • • D i
DC -TI. , D •
Length, km 160
. M<4; n 4<M<5; D 5<M<6; D 6<M<7; D M>7
Fig. 222
(IICl-
wCD
•4—•
CO
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
-
- /\j
- /Jy-rS-y,-''
-
/ V 2
I* \
; ' 1
i
V
\
I
-
-
-
\ \ —*
1 :-200 -150 -100
Depth, km-50 0
Fig.5
30