The global CMT project 2004–2010: Centroid-moment tensors for 13,017 earthquakes

Earthquake moment tensors reflecting seven years of global seismic activity (2004–2010) are presented. The results are the product of the global centroid-moment-tensor (GCMT) project, which maintains and extends a catalog of global seismic moment tensors beginning with earthquakes in 1976. Starting with earthquakes in 2004, the GCMT analysis takes advantage of advances in the mapping of propagation characteristics of intermediate-period surface waves, and includes these waves in the moment-tensor inversions. This modification of the CMT algorithm makes possible the globally uniform determination of moment tensors for earthquakes as small as MW = 5.0. For the period 2004–2010, 13,017 new centroid-moment tensors are reported.

► Presents moment-tensor solutions for 13,017 earthquakes. ► Describes improvements in the CMT analysis. ► Provides exhaustive description of CMT procedures. ► Discusses the scalar moment of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake. ► Analyzes the completeness of the Global CMT catalog.