DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5599617
title: Malawi Seismogenic Source Database

description: First release of the Malawi Seismogenic Source Database. This release is linked to the associated manuscript, which has been submitted to Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Science. The Malawi Seismogenic Source Database (MSSD) is a geospatial database that documents the geometry, slip rate and seismogenic properties (ie earthquake magnitude and frequency) of active faults in Malawi. Each geospatial feature represents a potential earthquake rupture of 'source' and is classified based on its geometry into one of three types: section fault multi-fault Source types are mutually exclusice, and so if incorporated into a PSHA, they should be assigned relative weightings. The MSSD is the first seismogenic source database in central and northern Malawi, and represents an update of the South Malawi Seismogenic Source Database (SMSSD; Williams et al., 2021) because it incorporates new active fault traces (Kolawole et al., 2021; Williams et al., submitted - MAFD), new geodetic data (Wedmore et al., 2021) and a statistical treatment of uncertainty, within a logic tree approach. Prior to publication please cite this database using the following two references: Williams, J. N., Wedmore, L. N .J., Fagereng, Å., Werner, M. J., Biggs, J., Mdala, H., Kolawole, F., Shillington, D. J., Dulanya, Z., Mphepo, F., Chindandali, P., Wright, L. J. M.., Scholz, C. A. Geological and geodetic constraints on the seismic hazard of Malawi's active faults: the Malawi Seismogenic Source Database (MSSD). <em>Manuscript submitted to Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences</em> Williams, Jack N., Wedmore, Luke N. J., Fagereng, Åke, Werner, Maximilian J., Biggs, Juliet, Mdala, Hassan, Kolawole, Folarin, Shillington, Donna J., Dulanya, Zuze, Mphepo, Felix, Chindandali, Patrick R. N., Wright, Lachlan J. M., & Scholz, Christopher A. (2021). Malawi Seismogenic Source Database (v1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5599617 Database Design and File Formats The MSSD is a geospatial database that consists of two separate components: A 3D geometrical model of fault seismogenic sources in Malawi The mapped trace of each source in a GIS vector format, with associated source attributes (Data Table). Each fault is associated with a source in the 3D geometrical model that is listed in a comma-separated-values (csv) file. The sections, faults and multi-faults that make up the individual seismogenic sources are described in separate geospatial files that describe the map-view geometry and metadata that control each sources earthquake magnitude and frequency for seismic hazard purposes. The sections, faults and multi-faults in this database are provided in a variety of GIS vector file formats. GeoJSON is the version of record, and any changes should be made in this version before they are converted to other file formats using the script in the repository that uses the GDAL tool ogr2ogr (the script is adapted from https://github.com/cossatot/central_am_carib_faults/blob/master/convert.sh - we thank Richard Styron for making this publicly available). The other versions available are ESRI ShapeFile, KML, GMT, and GeoPackage. List and brief description of the fault geometry, slip rate estimates and earthquake source attributes in the GIS vector format files that make up the MSSD. Attribuge Type Description Notes MSSD_ID integer Unique numerical reference ID for each seismic source ID 00-300 is section rupture<br> ID 300-500 is fault rupture<br> ID 600-700 is a multi-fault rupture name string Assigned based on previous mapping or local geographic feature.<br> <br> For sections and faults, the name of the fault (flt_name) and larger multi-fault (mflt_name) system they are hosted on are given respectively. basin string Basin that source is located within. Used in slip rate calculations class string intrarift or border fault length (L<sub>s</sub>) real number straight-line distance in km between fault tips; sum of L<sub>sec</sub> for segmented faults; sum of L<sub>fault</sub> for multi-faults measured in km to 1 decimal place. Must be greater than 5 km (except for linking sections). area integer Calculated from L<sub>s</sub> multiplied by Eq. 1 or based on fault truncation. measured in km<sup>2</sup> strike integer Azimuth of straigth line between the fault tips.<br> azimuth is &lt;180° Used as input for slip rate estimates in Eq. 2 dip integer When no previous measurements are available, a best estimate of 53° is assigned, and no uncertainty is explored for dip in the source geometry. However, in the slip rate calculations, this is randomly varied between 45° and 65°.<br> <br> No dip is assigned for multi-fault sources, as different participating faults may have different dips. dip_dir string Dip direction: compass quadrant that the fault dips in. slip_type string Source kinematics (e.g. normal, thrust etc). All sources in the MSSD are assumed to be normal faults. slip_rate real number Mean value from repeating Eq. 2 in Monte Carlo simulations (see manuscript for details). In mm yr<sup>-1</sup>. All sources in the MSSD are assumed to be normal so is equivalent to dip-slip rate.<br> <br> Reported to two significant figures. s_rate_err real number Slip rate error: 1σ error from Monte Carlo slip rate simlations. mag_lower real number Lower magnitude estimate.<br> <br> Calculated from Leonard (2010) scaling relationship (Eq. 4) for L<sub>s</sub> or A<sub>s</sub>, and using lower estimates of C<sub>1</sub> and C<sub>2</sub> constants in Leonard (2010). Reported to one decimal place. mag_med real number Mean magnitude estimate.<br> <br> Calculated from Leonard (2010) scaling relationship (Eq. 4) for L<sub>s</sub> or A<sub>s</sub>, and using mean estimates of C<sub>1</sub> and C<sub>2</sub> constants in Leonard (2010). Reported to one decimal place. mag_upper real number Upper magnitude estimate.<br> <br> Calculated from Leonard (2010) scaling relationship (Eq. 4) for L<sub>s</sub> or A<sub>s</sub>, and using upper estimates of C<sub>1</sub> and C<sub>2</sub> constants in Leonard (2010). Reported to one decimal place. ri_lower real number Lower recurrence interval estimate.<br> <br> Calculated as 1σ below the mean of the Monte Carlo simulations (assuming a log normal distribution). Reported to two significant figures. ri_med real number Mean recurrence interval.<br> <br> Mean value from log of recurrence interval Monte Carlo simulations. Reported to two significant figures. ri_upper real number Upper recurrence interval estimate.<br> <br> Calculated as 1σ above the mean of the Monte Carlo simulations (assuming a log normal distribution). Reported to two significant figures. MAFD_id list List of integers of ID of equivalent structures in the Malawi Active Fault Database Multi-fault sources have multiple ID's. Version Control This version is intended to be "Live" and as such we encourage edits of the GeoJSON file and the submission of pull requests. Please contact Jack Williams jack.williams@otago.ac.nz Luke Wedmore luke.wedmore@bristol.ac.uk or Hassan Mdala mdalahassan@yahoo.com for information, other requests or if you find any errors within the database. It is the intention that future versions of this database will include fault slip rates that have been determined from direct geological methods (e.g. offset stratigraphy that has been dated) rather than the systems based approach that is currently used. References Kolawole, F., Firkins, M. C., Al Wahaibi, T. S., Atekwana, E. A., & Soreghan, M. J. (2021a). Rift Interaction Zones and the Stages of Rift Linkage in Active Segmented Continental Rift Systems. <em>Basin Research</em>. https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12592 Leonard, M. (2010). Earthquake fault scaling: Self-consistent relating of rupture length, width, average displacement, and moment release. <em>Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America</em>, 100(5A), 1971-1988. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120090189 Wedmore, L. N. J., Biggs, J., Floyd, M., Fagereng, Å., Mdala, H., Chindandali, P. R. N., et al. (2021). Geodetic constraints on cratonic microplates and broad strain during rifting of thick Southern Africa lithosphere. <em>Geophysical Research Letters</em>. 48(17), e2021GL093785. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093785 Williams, J. N., Mdala, H., Fagereng, Å., Wedmore, L. N. J., Biggs, J., Dulany, Z., et al. (2021). A systems-based approach to parameterise seismic hazard in regions with little historical or instrumental seismicity: Active fault and seismogenic source databases for southern Malawi. Solid Earth, 12(1), 187–217. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-187-2021