Estimation of errors in determination of main parameters of earthquake hypocenter, recorded by the national seismic network of Vietnam

Abstract

In this paper the authors present thc error estimation in determining main parameters of earthquake hypocenter based on solving the system of linear equations, expressing the relationship between earthquake coordinates and the coordinates of the seismic stations. The results of the error estimation in determining the epicenter coordinates and the focus depth of the earthquakes recorded by the system of 30 seismic stations in Vietnam are prescnted, interpreted and compared with the results of the previous studies. The results show that the operation ofthe seismic network of Vietnam is not really optimal, particularly when determining the epicenter coordirates and the focus depth of the earthquakes in the East Vietnam Sea region. The national seismic network of Vietnam allows determination of the epicenter coordinatcs ard the focal depth of earthquakes for most of the Vietnam territory with the errors Δh≤20 km, Δҩ≤4 km, Δҩ≤5 km . The errors of the determination of the epicenter coordinates and the focal depth of the earthquakes are increasing to the south and south-west areas of the territory of Vietnam and reach the maximum in these areas. Particularly, errors of the detemination of the epicenter coordinates (Δҩ, Δλ ) and the focal depth (Δh) of earthquakes increase very rapidly toward the East Sea of Vietnam and reach the maximum in the region between the longitudes of 116-1180E. The Vietnam seismic network allows determining the epicenter coordinates and the focal depth of earthquakes in the Northern Vietnam with the smaller erros than in Central and Southem Vietnam, and this fact proves that the distribution of seismic network in the Northern Vietnam is more optimal than the station networks in the Central and Southem Vietnam. Therefore, in order to improve the effectiveness of the Vietnam seismic network, more seismic stations need to be added to the Central and Southern Vietnam.