Geometry and tectonic deformation of the seismogenic structure for the 8 August 2017 M_S 7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquake sequence,northern Sichuan, China

To reveal the geometry of the seismogenic structure of the Aug. 8, 2017 M_S 7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquake in northern Sichuan,data from the regional seismic network from the time of the main event to Oct. 31, 2017 were used to relocate the earthquake sequence by the tomoDD program, and the focal mechanism solutions and centroid depths of the M_L ≥ 3.5 events in the sequence were determined using the CAP waveform inversion method. Further, the segmental tectonic deformation characteristics of the seismogenic faults were analyzed preliminarily by using strain rosettes and areal strains(As). The results indicate:(1) The relocated M_S 7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquake sequence displays a narrow ～ 38 km long NNW-SSE-trending zone between the NW-striking Tazang Fault and the nearly NSstriking Minjiang Fault, two branches of the East Kunlun Fault Zone. The spatial distribution of the sequence is narrow and deep for the southern segment, and relatively wide and shallow for the northern segment. The initial rupture depth of the mainshock is 12.5 km, the dominant depth range of the aftershock sequence is between 0 and 10 km with an average depth of 6.7 km. The mainshock epicenter is located in the middle of the aftershock region, showing a bilateral rupture behavior. The centroid depths of 32 M_L ≥ 3.5 events range from 3 to 12 km with a mean of about 7.3 km, consistent with the predominant focal depth of the whole sequence.(2) The geometric structure of the seismogenic fault on the southern section of the aftershock area(south of the mainshock) is relatively simple, with overall strike of ～150° and dip angle ～75°, but the dip angle and dip-orientation exhibit some variation along the segment. The seismogenic structure on the northern segment is more complicated; several faults, including the Minjiang Fault, may be responsible for the aftershock activities. The overall strike of this section is ～159° and dip angle is ～59°, illustrating a certain clockwise rotation and a smaller dip angle than the southern segment. The differences between the two segments demonstrate variation of the geometric structure along the seismogenic faults.(3) The focal mechanism solutions of 32 M_L ≥ 3.5 events in the earthquake sequence have obvious segmental characteristics. Strike-slip earthquakes are dominant on the southern segment, while 50% of events on the northern segment are thrusting and oblique thrusting earthquakes, revealing significant differences in the kinematic features of the seismogenic faults between the two segments.(4) The strain rosettes for the mainshock and the entire sequence of 31 M_L ≥ 3.5 aftershocks correspond to strike-slip type with NWW-SEE compressional white lobes and NNE-SSW extensional black lobes of nearly similar size. The strain rosette and As value of the entire sequence of 22 M_L ≥ 3.5 events on the southern segment are the same as those of the M_S 7.0 mainshock,indicating that the tectonic deformation here is strike-slip. However, the strain rosette of the entire sequence of 10 M_L ≥ 3.5 events on the northern segment show prominent white compressional lobes and small black extensional lobes, and the related As value is up to 0.52,indicating that the tectonic deformation of this segment is oblique thrusting with a certain strike-slip component. Differences between the two segments all reveal distinctly obvious segmental characteristics of the tectonic deformation of the seismogenic faults for the Jiuzhaigou earthquake sequence.

Spatio-temporal variation of the stress field in the Wenchuan aftershock region

Focal mechanism solutions and centroid depths of 312 M≥4 aftershocks from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake sequence have been derived by CAP （Cut and Paste） method from broadband waveform data with relatively high signal-to-noise ratio （SNR）. Following this, we have analyzed the distribution of focal depths and the stress tensors, as well as the types of focal mechanisms. The major results are： （1） different cross-sections show that the depth ranges of the aftershocks at the southern and northern ends of the aftershock area along the Longmenshan fault zone are wider than those on the central segment, where rare M≥4 aftershocks occurred at depths shallower than 10 kin. The main faults trend to the NW on the southern and central segments, and for the northern segment, no dominant trend direction has been determined; （2） stress tensor distribution demonstrates that the majority of the aftershock areas on the cross-section along the major axis are mainly under compressive stress perpendicular to the profile; however, for the areas near Lixian, Beichuan, Qingchuan and the shallow parts of its northern segment, large principal stress components are parallel to the major axis profile direction. On the cross-sections perpendicular to the major axis, the three areas above can be divided into two parts： one with dominantly compressional stress near the major faults of the Longmenshan fault zone on the SE side, and the other with NE-direction push along the fault zone on the NW side; （3） the stress tensor distribution in map view is very similar to those on the vertical cross-sections. In map view, the orientation of the principal compressional stress axis $1 on the central segment of the aftershock area presents an SE-trending arc shape; （4） the stress tensor slices at different depths show that the orientation of S1 axis mainly changes on the central segment and at the northern end, indicating that the two segments have different seismogenic structures at different depths; （5） with the exception of the northern end of the aftershock region, the orientation of the $1 axis changes little during the early and late stages, illustrating the seismogenic structures are relatively stable; （6） preliminary analyses for the seismogenic structures at the northern end indicated that deeper strike-slip quakes occurred on the ENE-striking branch at first, and then the NNE-striking branch faults at the northern end were activated and generated a series of relatively shallow strike-slip earthquakes due to subsequent stress-triggering; （7） the aftershock triggering mechanism that occurred near Lixian is different between the shallow and deep depths, and between the early and late stages, indicating that the main faults and the branch faults responsible for aftershocks are at different depths. Consequently, the relaxation effect of the main shock particularIy impacts the branch faults.

Complex dynamics of repeating and river-blocking landslides in Jiangda during 2018

Two large landslides successively blocked the Jinsha River at the same location in Jiangda Village on October 10 and November 3,2018,respectively.The dynamic processes and possible interactions of the two landslides need to be studied to better understand the physical processes involved,and to provide information on future disaster mitigation.We investigated their force histories and sliding directions by inverting regional broadband seismograms.The scale of the October landslide was approximately three times that of the November event.The October event revealed a particularly strong deceleration force,which may have been caused by a collision between the sliding mass and ground surface.In contrast,the November event had a relatively weaker deceleration force,indicating that it may have been gradually stopped by the landslide dam formed during the October landslide.The sliding directions of the two landslides differed significantly in terms of both horizontal and vertical directions,indicating a change in their sliding surfaces.We conclude that unconsolidated materials at the top of the October landslide continued sliding along a curved slope during the November event.From our seismic models of dynamic processes,both the October landslide and local background may have affected and even changed a subsequent landslide’s mechanism.