Crustal strain rates of southeastern Tibetan Plateau derived from GPS measurements and implications to lithospheric deformation of the Shan-Thai terrane

The link between the crustal deformation and mantle kinematics in the Tibetan Plateau has been well known thanks to dense GPS measurements and the relatively detailed anisotropy structure of the lithospheric mantle.However, whether the crust deforms coherently with the upper mantle in the Shan-Thai terrane(also known as the Shan-Thai block) remains unclear.In this study, we investigate the deformation patterns through strain rate tensors in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau derived from the latest GPS measurements and find that in the Shan-Thai terrane the upper crust may be coupled with the lower crust and the upper mantle.The GPS-derived strain rate tensors are in agreement with the slipping patterns and rates of major strike-slip faults in the region.The most prominent shear zone, whose shear strain rates are larger than 100×10^(–9) a^(–1), is about 1000-km-long in the west, trending northward along Sagaing fault to the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis in the north, with maximum rate of compressive strain up to –240×10^(–9) a^(–1).A secondary shear zone along the Anninghe-Xiaojiang Fault in the east shows segmented shear zones near several conjunctions.While the strain rate along RRF is relatively low due to the low slip rate and low seismicity there, in Lijiang and Tengchong several local shear zones are present under an extensional dominated stress regime that is related to normal faulting earthquakes and volcanism, respectively.Furthermore, by comparing GPS-derived strain rate tensors with earthquake focal mechanisms, we find that 75.8%(100 out of 132) of the earthquake T-axes are consistent with the GPS-derived strain rates.Moreover, we find that the Fast Velocity Direction(FVDs) at three depths beneath the Shan-Thai terrane are consistent with extensional strain rate with gradually increasing angular differences, which are likely resulting from the basal shear forces induced by asthenospheric flow associated with the oblique subduction of the India plate beneath the Shan-Thai terrane.Therefore, in this region the upper crust deformation may be coherent with that of the lower crust and the lithospheric mantle.

Deformation of the Haiyuan-Liupanshan fault zone inferred from the denser GPS observations

The Haiyuan-Liupanshan fault, an active tec- tonic feature at the Tibetan Plateau＇s northeastern bound- ary, was ruptured by two M8 earthquakes （1920 and 1927） bracketing an unbroken section （the Tianzhu seismic gap）. A high seismic hazard is expected along the gap. To monitor deformation characteristics and do a seismic risk assessment, we made measurements at two newly built campaign-mode Global Positioning System （GPS） stations and 13 pre-existing stations in 2013 and 2014. Adding existing data from 1999 to 2014, we derived a new velocity field. Based on the horizontal velocity, we used three block models to invert the deformation of four crustal blocks. The results suggest non-uniform deformation in the interior of the Lanzhou block, the Ordos block and the Alaxan block, but uniform deformation in the Qilian block. Fault slip rates derived from block models show a decreasing trend from west to east, （2.0-3.2 mm/a on the Haiyuan fault to 0.9-1.5 mm/a on the Liupanshan fault）. The Haiyuan fault evidences sinistral striking-slip movement, while the Liupanshan fault is primarily thrusting due to transformation of the displacement between the strike-slip and crustal shortening. The locking depth of each seg- ment along the Haiyuan fault obtained by fitting the fault parallel velocities varies drastically from west to east （21.8-7.1 km）. The moment accumulation rate, calculated using the slip rate and locking depth, is positively corre- lated with the locking depth. Given the paucity of large seismic events during the previous millennium, the Tuo- laishan segment and the Maomaoshan segment have higher likelihood of nucleation for a future event.

Influence of 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on earthquake occurrence trend of active faults in Sichuan-Yunnan region

The Wenchuan earthquake coseismic deformation field is inferred from the coseismic dislocation data based on a 3-D geometric model of the active faults in Sichuan-Yunnan region. Then the potential dislocation displacement is inverted from the deformation field in the 3-D geometric model. While the faults＇ slip velocities are inverted from GPS and leveling data, which can be used as the long-term slip vector. After the potential dislocation displacements are projected to long-term slip direction, we have got the influence of Wenchuan earthquake on active faults in Sichuan-Yunnan region. The results show that the northwestern segment of Longmenshan fault, the southern segments of Xianshuihe fault, Anninghe fault, Zemuhe fault, northern and southern segments of Daliangshan fault, Mabian fault got earthquake risks advanced of 305, 19, 12, 9.1 and 18, 51 years respectively in the eastern part of Sichuan and Yunnan. The Lijiang-Xiaojinhe fault, Nujiang fault, Longling-Lancang fault, Nantinghe fault and Zhongdian fault also got earthquake risks advanced in the western part of Sichuan-Yunnan region. Whereas the northwestern segment of Xianshuihe fault and Xiaojiang fault got earthquake risks reduced after the Wenchuan earthquake.

Characteristics of regional crustal deformation before 2016 Menyuan Ms6.4 earthquake

On January 21, 2016, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of Ms6.4 happened at Menyuan, Qinghai Province of China. In almost the same place, there was another strong earthquake happened in 1986, with similar magnitude and focal mechanism. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of regional crustal deformation before the 2016 Menyuan Ms6.4 earth- quake by using the data from 10 continuous Global Positioning System （GPS） stations and 74 campaign-mode GPS stations within 200 km of this event： （a） Based on the velocity field from over ten years GPS observations, a regional strain rate field is calculated. The results indicate that the crustal strain rate and seismic moment accumulation rate of the Qilian- Haiyuan active fault, which is the seismogenic tectonics of the event, are significantly higher than the surrounding regions. In a 20 km~ 20 km area around the seismogenic region, the maximum and minimum principal strain rates are 21.5 nanostrain/a （NW-SE extension） and -46.6 nanostrain/a （NE-SW compression）, respectively, and the seismic moment accumulation rates is 17.4 Nm/a. The direction of principal compression is consistent with the focal mechanism of this event. （b） Based on the position time series of the continuous GPS stations for a time-span of about 6 years before the event, we calculate the strain time series. The results show that the dilatation of the seismogenic region is continuously reduced with a ＂non-linear＂ trend since 2010, which means the seismogenic region has been in a state of compression. However, about 2-3 months before the event, both the dilatation and maximum shear strain show significant inverse trends. These abnormal changes of crustal deformation may reflect the non-linear adjustment of the stress-strain accumulation of the seismogenic region, when the accumulation is approaching the critical value of rupture.

Earthquake fault framework and seismotectonics of the Songpan-Garze region since 1900

Based on 4 781 observed faults （〉2 km length） from a 1：200 000 scale digital geologic map and 5 220 recorded seismic events since the year 1900, 993 earthquake faults are identified within the triangular Songpan-Garze study region. The study area is delineated by the nearly EW-trending East Kunlun fault zone to the north, the NW-trending Xianshuihe fault to the south and the NE-trending Longmenshan thrust belt to the east. Seismicity changes along these earthquake faults, spanning four 10-year intervals since 1970, show that following a strong earthquake swarm, which occurred in the Huya area in the mid-1970s, seismic activity increased from north to south, and migrated eastward along each major strike-slip fault zone. GPS observation data before 2008 indicate a displacement rate across the Xianshuihe fault zone to the south of -6.5- 8.6 mm/a, whereas across the East Kunlun fault zone to the north it was -1.8- 2.2 mm/a. The May 12, 2008 Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, which occurred in the southeast corner of the study region, was the result of stable, high-speed left-lateral displacement along the Xianshuihe fault zone, and a sharp eastward bend of the fault trend in response to the presence of crystalline rocks in the Kangding area. Therefore, the 110-year established seismotectonic framework of the Songpan-Garze region can be defined by a network of various earthquake faults and the structural relations of the local earthquake activities.

Seismogenic structure of the 2016 Ms6.4 Menyuan earthquake and its effect on the Tianzhu seismic gap

On January 21, 2016, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of Ms6.4 occurred at Menyuan, Qinghai Province of China. In almost the same region, there was another strong earthquake happened in 1986, with similar magnitude and focal mechanism. Based on comprehensive analysis of regional active faults, focal mechanism solutions, precise locations of aftershocks, as well as GPS crustal deformation, we inferred that the Lenglongiing active fault dips NE rather than SW as suggested by previous studies. Considering the facts that the 2016 and i986 Ms6.4 Menyuan earthquakes are closely located with similar focal mechanisms, both of the quakes are on the north side of the Lenglongling Fault and adjacent to the fault, and the fault is dipping NE direction, we suggest that the fault should be the seismogenic structure of the two events. The Lenglongling Fault, as the western segment of the well-known Tianzhu seismic gap in the Qilian-Haiyuan active fault system, is in a relatively active state with frequent earthquakes in recent years, implying a high level of strain accumulation and a high potential of major event. It is also possible that the Lengiongiing Fault and its adjacent fault, the Jinqianghe Fault in the Tianzhu seismic gap, are rupturing simultaneously in the future.