Regional W‐Phase Source Inversion for Moderate to Large Earthquakes in China and Neighboring Areas

Earthquake source characterization has been significantly speeded up in the last decade with the development of rapid inversion techniques in seismology. Among these techniques, the W‐phase source inversion method quickly provides point source parameters of large earthquakes using very long period seismic waves recorded at teleseismic distances. Although the W‐phase method was initially developed to work at global scale (within 20 to 30 min after the origin time), faster results can be obtained when seismological data are available at regional distances (i.e., Δ ≤ 12°). In this study, we assess the use and reliability of regional W‐phase source estimates in China and neighboring areas. Our implementation uses broadband records from the Chinese network supplemented by global seismological stations installed in the region. Using this data set and minor modifications to the W‐phase algorithm, we show that reliable solutions can be retrieved automatically within 4 to 7 min after the earthquake origin time. Moreover, the method yields stable results down to Mw = 5.0 events, which is well below the size of earthquakes that are rapidly characterized using W‐phase inversions at teleseismic distances. Key Points We implement the W‐phase algorithm at regional scale to conduct real‐time rapid source inversions in China and nearby area With minor modifications to the W‐phase algorithm, reliable source parameters are obtained within 4 to 7 min after origin time Regional W‐phase inversion can provide accurate results not only for large earthquakes but also for small events down to Mw = 5.0