Focal Depths of Moderate and Large Size Earthquakes in Iran

Accurate focal depth estimates are essential for the correct interpretation of seismicity data in terms of regional tectonics and earthquake hazard assessment. Published global earthquake catalogues are a common source of focal depth information, but how accurate are they? We compare estimates of focal depths from the Harvard CMT catalogue and the Engdahl et al [8] relocations of the ISC catalogue with those determined by teleseismic waveform inversion methods, and find that the catalogues can be in error by up to 60km.