Rapid Moment Tensors (source mechanisms)
Distributed via E-mail

There are three groups who routinely produce moment tensors (source mechanisms)  shortly after large earthquakes which occur anywhere in the world. These moment tensors are then distributed via e-mail. The three groups are the NEIC, Harvard University, and the Earthquake Research Institute in Tokyo. I include below an example from each. To subscribe or learn more about each of these services, here are the e-mail addresses:

NEIC: sedas@gldfs.cr.usgs.gov

Harvard University: eq@geophysics.harvard.edu

ERI: staff@center-sun.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Note that there are other groups who routinely produce moment tensors after earthquakes, but most of these groups focus on specific geographic regions. The WWW site:

http://www.geophys.washington.edu/seismosurfing.html

is a good starting point for locating various groups which provide electronic publication of earthquake information.

Here is a typical mailing from Harvard --

  From eq@seismology.harvard.edu Wed Nov 22 09:21:48 1995
  Date: Wed, 22 Nov 95 09:56:55 EST
  From: eq@seismology.harvard.edu (Seismoware)
  To: cmtcustomers@seismology.harvard.edu
  Subject: quick CMT 
  Content-Length: 1305
  
  Here is the solution for the recent 
  event:
  
  Nov 22, 1995; EGYPT ; Mw = 7.2
  
  Misha Salganik
  
  CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR SOLUTION
  HARVARD EVENT-FILE NAME M112295X
  DATA USED: GSN 
  MANTLE WAVES:    37S, 95C, T=135
  CENTROID LOCATION:
  ORIGIN TIME        4:15:23.7 0.2
  LAT 29.02N 0.01;LON  34.76E 0.01
  DEP  15.0 FIX;HALF-DURATION  9.5
  MOMENT TENSOR; SCALE 10**26 D-CM
    MRR=-1.08 0.04; MTT=-2.87 0.04
    MFF= 3.95 0.04; MRT= 4.57 0.42
    MRF=-3.68 0.49; MTF=-3.96 0.03
   PRINCIPAL AXES:
   1.(T) VAL=  8.73;PLG=29;AZM= 59
   2.(N)      -2.03;    40;    301
   3.(P)      -6.71;    36;    173
  BEST DOUBLE COUPLE:M0=7.7*10**26
   NP1:STRIKE=203;DIP=40;SLIP=  -6
   NP2:       298;    86;     -130
  
              -----------           
          ----------#########       
        ---------##############     
      ---------##################   
     --------###############   ###  
    ####----################ T #### 
    #######-################   #### 
   #######------####################
   ######-----------################
   ######--------------#############
   ######-----------------##########
    #####--------------------###### 
    #####-----------------------### 
     ####----------   ------------  
      ####--------- P -----------   
        ###--------   ---------     
          ##-----------------       
              -----------           
  
  
  
  ----- End Included Message -----
  
 

Here is a typical mailing from ERI--

  From staff@center-sun.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp Wed Nov 22 01:59:55 1995
  Date: Wed, 22 Nov 95 17:36:43 JST
  From: staff@center-sun.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp (staff)
  To: auto-serve@center-sun.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp
  Subject: ERI AUTOCMT 11/22 EGYPT (ms 7.2)
  Content-Length: 2641
  
   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
  * Following is a CMT solution automatically determined using a method very    *
  * similar to that developed by the Harvard group.                             *
  * The solution is not checked by anyone at ERI and when the variance          *
  * reduction is below 10% or the station coverage is bad, it is often          *
  * unreliable.                                                                 *
  *                                                                             *
  * If you have any question or complaint, please contact to                    *
  *       hitosi@eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp                                              *
  *                                              Hitoshi Kawakatsu              *
  *                                              Earthquake Research Institute  *
   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
  ------------------------- ERI automatic CMT inversion -------------------------
   EGYPT (ms 7.2)                                                                
  1995-11-22 04:15:11.5 (QED)                   Mo=4.10**26(dyne-cm)  Mw=7.0     
  lat: 28.50 lon:  34.70 dep:  10.0 (QED)                                        
  Data: bodywave [10,12,20,22mHz]                      ------------              
  coverage: 0-   60-  120- 180- 240- 300-          --------------######          
  z-comp:     0    3    1    2    1    2        ----------------##########       
  r-comp:     0    3    1    2    1    2      -----------------############      
  t-comp:     0    3    1    2    1    2     -----------------############# T    
  Variance Reduction 22.3% of 27 records    ####-------------##############      
  CMT solution: unit in 1e+26 (dyne-cm)    #############----###################  
  lat: 28.54 lon:  34.68 dep:  33.2 (CMT)  ################---#################  
  Mrr: -0.77 +- 0.11   Mrt:  0.54 +- 0.15  ################---------###########  
  Mtt: -2.20 +- 0.12   Mrf:  0.15 +- 0.20  ###############---------------######  
  Mff:  2.97 +- 0.19   Mtf: -3.12 +- 0.23   #############--------------------#   
  T-axis Val=  4.44 Plg=  1.1 Azm =  64.7    ############--------------------    
  N-axis Val= -0.67 Plg= 79.5 Azm = 328.8     ##########--------------------     
  P-axis Val= -3.77 Plg= 10.4 Azm = 154.9       ########----------   -----       
  Best Double Couple: Mo=4.10**26  Mw=7.0          ####----------- P --          
  nodal planes (strike/dip/slip):                      -----------               
   199.4/ 81.9/ -6.6   290.3/ 83.4/-171.8  Fit is GOOD (22% of 27 records)       
  
  
  
  ----- End Included Message -----
  
  

Here is a typical mailing from NEIC--

  From zirbes@gldfs.cr.usgs.gov Wed Nov 22 16:34:09 1995
  Date: Wed, 22 Nov 95 16:05:45 MST
  From: zirbes@gldfs.cr.usgs.gov (Madeleine Zirbes)
  To: zirbes@gldfs.cr.usgs.gov
  Subject: 22NOV95 EGYPT
  Content-Length: 1392
  
   95/11/22 04:15:11.54
   EGYPT                           
   Epicenter:  28.544   34.746
   mb 6.2     MS 7.2
  
   MOMENT TENSOR SOLUTION
   Depth  20         No. of sta: 33
   Moment Tensor;   Scale 10**19 Nm
     Mrr= 0.47       Mtt=-1.06
     Mff= 0.58       Mrt= 1.38
     Mrf=-0.59       Mtf=-2.53
    Principal axes:
     T  Val=  3.08  Plg=27  Azm= 50
     N        0.00      59      261
     P       -3.08      13      147
  
   Best Double Couple:Mo=3.1*10**19
                      Mw=7.0
    NP1:Strike=192 Dip=61 Slip=  10
    NP2:        96     81       151
                                        
                                        
                 -------                
            ----------#######           
          ----------###########         
        -----------##############       
      ------------##########   ####     
     ------------########### T #####    
     -----------############   #####    
    ------------#####################   
    -----------######################   
    ######-----######################   
    ###########-------###############   
    ###########----------------------   
     ##########---------------------    
     ##########---------------------    
      #########--------------------     
        #######------------   ---       
          ######----------- P -         
            ####-----------             
                 -------