Global CMT catalog

Global centroid-moment-tensor (CMT) catalog

Options with the CMT data. Originally the Harvard CMT catalog.

The CMT method gives two focal planes, one of which is the fault plane and other the auxiliary plane. The first motions used for the CMT method do not allow a determination of which plane is which, but study of the regional geology sometimes allows that discrimination. These are FP1 and FP2, and each has a dip and strike.

Field Name	Type	Length	Explanation	Example
EVENT_ID	string	16		M122604A
MONTH	integer	2		12
DAY	integer	2		26
YEAR	integer	2		2004
TIME	string	10	UTC	58:50.0
LAT	float	8	Decimal degrees	3.3
LONG	float	8	Decimal degrees	95.78
DEPTH	float	8	km	10
MB	float	8	Body wave magnitude mb (~Richter magnitude)	8.9
MS	float	8	Surface wave magnitude MS (~Richter magnitude)	8.9
MECH	string	2	Fault type (N= normal, T=thrust, S=strike slip, blank for oblique slip). Assigned by MICRODEM for color coding on maps and cross sections.
REGION	string	30	Description of the location	OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN
FP1_STRIKE	integer	2	Strike in degrees of the first focal plane	329
FP1_DIP	integer	2	Dip (from the horizontal) of the first focal plane, The dip direction is 90 degrees clockwise from the strike direction.	8
FP2_STRIKE	integer	2	Strike of the first focal plane	129
FP2_DIP	integer	2	Dip (from the horizontal) of the second focal plane, The dip direction is 90 degrees clockwise from the strike direction.	83
PLUNGE_1	integer	2	Moment tensor, first eigenvector	52
STRIKE_1	integer	2		36
PLUNGE_2	integer	2	Moment tensor, second eigenvector	3
STRIKE_2	integer	2		130
PLUNGE_3	integer	2	Moment tensor, third eigenvector	38
STRIKE_3	integer	2		222

Data file will be cmt_fault_cent_MMM_YYYY.dbf, named for the last month with data:

It will download automatically if you try to open it. MICRODEM will periodically update as the Global (formerly Harvard) CMT releases new data.
Create data file if you want the latest files
- Download NDK files from Global CMT project. They usually are posted several months after the earthquakes.
- Create DBF file, from Import menu on Data Manipulation form. No checking is done about adding multiple records if that data is already in the database. You will asked if you want to overwrite or append to the existing file.
- File x:\mapdata\database\fault_cent.dbf will be created.

Citing the data

Ekström, G., Nettles, M. & Dziewoński, A. The global CMT project 2004–2010: centroid-moment tensors for 13,017 earthquakes. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 200, 1–9 (2012).

Last revision 4/3/2019