Borehole Strain Observations Based on a State-Space Model and ApNe Analysis Associated With the 2013 Lushan Earthquake

YRY-4 borehole strainmeters have been installed in Sichuan Province, China, since 2008, aimed at monitoring the crustal activities associated with earthquakes. In this study, data from six YRY-4 strainmeters at the southwestern endpoint of the Longmenshan fault zone were analysed, to study the relationship of tectonic strain changes with the 2013 Lushan earthquake. We developed a state-space model to remove the strain response due to air pressure, solid tides and the changes in the water level to preferentially isolate non-tectonic disturbances. Strain responses to each influencing factor were estimated using the environmental coefficients computed in the state-space model by an adaptive Kalman filter with measurement noise. The results were consistent with the expected response of the strainmeter systems. The corrected strain considered to originate from underground tectonics provides new insights into the changes in the pre-earthquake strain. Approximate negentropy (ApNe) and
${b}$
value were introduced to quantify the probability distribution of the corrected borehole strain and compared with the local seismic activities. The nearest station and two further stations, almost simultaneously recorded short-term ApNe anomalies six to four months before the earthquake. The anomalous region also had a correspondingly low
${b}$
value. Moreover, the anomaly acceleration rates of each station were dependent on the epicentral distances. Further comparison with the strain of random periods illustrated the significance of the extracted anomalies. Our results indicate that the corrected strain may contain seismogenic information and reflect the accelerated strain accumulation of focal areas before the earthquake.