Upper crustal velocity and seismogenic environment of the M7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquake region in Sichuan, China

On August 8,2017,a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred in Jiuzhaigou County,Sichuan Province,China.The deep seismogenic environment and potential seismic risk in the eastern margin of Tibetan Plateau have once again attracted the close attention of seismologists and scholars at home and abroad.The post-earthquake scientific investigation could not identify noticeable surface rupture zones in the affected area;the complex tectonic background and the reason(s)for the frequent seismicity in the Jiuzhaigou earthquake region are unclear.In order to reveal the characteristics of the deep medium and the seismogenic environment of the M7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquake region,and to interpret the tectonic background and genesis of the seismicity comprehensively,in this paper,we have reviewed all available observation data recorded by the regional digital seismic networks and large-scale,dense mobile seismic array(China Array)for the northern section of the North-South Seismic Belt around Jiuzhaigou earthquake region.Using double-difference seismic tomography method to invert the three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure characteristics of the upper crust around the Jiuzhaigou earthquake region,we have analyzed and discussed such scientific questions as the relationship between the velocity structure characteristics and seismicity in the Jiuzhaigou earthquake region,its deep tectonic environment,and the ongoing seismic risk in this region.We report that:the P-wave velocity structure of the upper crust around the Jiuzhaigoug earthquake region exhibits obvious lateral inhomogeneity;the distribution characteristics of the shallow P-wave velocity structure are closely related to surface geological structure and formation lithology;the M7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquake sequence is closely related to the velocity structure of the upper crust;the mainshock of the M7.0 earthquake occurred in the upper crust;the inhomogeneous variation of the velocity structure of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake area and its surrounding medium appears to be the deep structural factor controlling the spatial distribution of the mainshock and its sequence.The 3D P-wave velocity structure also suggests that the crustal low-velocity layer of northeastern SGB(Songpan-GarzêBlock)stretches into MSM(Minshan Mountain),and migrates to the northeast,but the tendency to emerge as a shallow layer is impeded by the high-velocity zone of Nanping Nappe tectonics and the Bikou Block.Our results reveal an uneven distribution of high-and low-velocity structures around the Tazang segment of the East Kunlun fault zone.Given that the rupture caused by the Jiuzhaigou earthquake has enhanced the stress fields at both ends of the seismogenic fault,it is very important to stay vigilant to possible seismic hazards in the large seismic gap at the Maqu-Maqên segment of the East Kunlun fault zone.

Crustal velocity, density structure, and seismogenic environment in the southern segment of the North- South Seismic Belt, China

The southern segment of the North-South Seismic Belt in China is a critical region for earthquake preparedness and risk reduction efforts.However,limited by the low density of seismic stations and the use of single-parameter physical structural models,the deep tectonic features and seismogenic environment in this area remain controversial.Thus,a comprehensive analysis based on high-resolution crustal structures and multiple physical parameters is required.In this study,we applied the ambient noise tomography method to obtain the three-dimensional(3D)crustal S-wave velocity structure using continuous waveform data from 112 permanent stations and 350 densely distributed temporary stations in the southern segment of the North-South Seismic Belt.Then,we obtained the high-resolution 3D density structure through wavenumber-domain 3D gravity imaging constrained by the velocity structure.The low-velocity and low-density anomalies in the upper crust of the study area were mainly distributed in the Sichuan Basin and around Dali and Simao,while the high-velocity and high-density anomalies were primarily distributed in the Panxi region,corresponding to the surface geological features.Two prominent low-velocity and low-density anomalies were observed in the middle and lower crust:one to the west of the Songpan-Garzêblock and Sichuan-Yunnan diamond-shaped block,and the other near the Anninghe-Xiaojiang fault.Combined with the spatial distribution of seismic events in the study area,we found that previous earthquakes predominantly occurred in the transition zones between high and low anomaly regions and in the low-velocity and low-density zones in the upper crust.In contrast,moderate-to-strong earthquakes mainly occurred within the transition zones between high and low anomaly regions and close to the high-velocity and high-density regions,often with low-velocity and low-density layers below their hypocenters.Fluids play a critical role in the seismogenic process by reducing fault strength and destabilizing the stress state,which may be a triggering factor for earthquakes in the study area.Additionally,the upwelling of molten materials from the mantle may lead to energy accumulation and stress conce-ntration,providing an important seismogenic background for moderate-to-strong earthquakes in this area.

Seismogenic environment and mechanism of the Yangbi M_(S)6.4 earthquake in Yunnan,China

The Yangbi M_(S)6.4 earthquake occurred on May 21,2021 in western Yunnan,China,where moderate earthquakes strike frequently.It exhibited a typical“foreshock-mainshock-aftershock”sequence and did not occur on a pre-existing active fault.The seismogenic environment and mechanism of this earthquake have aroused considerable research attention.In this study,we obtain the three-dimensional v_(P),v_(S)and v_(P)/v_(S)images using the v_(P)/v_(S)consistency-constrained double-difference tomography method,which improves the accuracy of v_(P)/v_(S)models.We focus on characteristics of v_(P)/v_(S)images in areas with a lateral resolution of 0.1°,and reveal the seismogenic environment of the Yangbi M_(S)6.4 earthquake.The conclusions are as follows:(1)Low velocity and high-v_(P)/v_(S)anomalies are revealed at different depths around the northern segment of the Red River fault.v_(S)and v_(P)/v_(S)images along the Weixi-Qiaohou-Weishan fault and the buried faults on its west show obviously segmented feature.(2)The source region of the Yangbi M_(S)6.4 earthquake is located in a low-v_(P)/v_(S)zone implying high medium strength.High-v_(P)/v_(S)anomalies in its NW direction indicate cracks development and the existence of fluids or partial melts,which are unfavorable for stress accumulation and triggering large earthquakes.Such conditions have also prevented the earthquake sequence from extending northwestward.(3)With the southeastward extrusion of materials from the Tibetan Plateau,fluid migration was blocked by the low-v_(P)/v_(S)body in the source region.The high-v_(P)/v_(S)anomaly beneath the source region may implies that the fluids or partial melts in the middle and lower crust gradually weakened medium strength at the bottom of the seismogenic layer,and preparing the largest foreshock in the transition zone of high to low v_(P)/v_(S).Meanwhile,tectonic stress incessantly accumulated in the brittle upper crust,eventually led to the M_(S)6.4 earthquake occurrence.

Deep electrical structures of Qinzhou-Fangcheng Junction Zone in Guangxi and seismogenic environment of the 1936 Lingshan M6^(3/4)earthquake

The tectonic position of the southwest section of the Qinzhou Bay-Hangzhou Bay Tectonic Junction Zone(QHTJZ)can be determined by examining the Qinzhou-Fangcheng Junction Zone(QFJZ)in Guangxi.This zone is significant because it was the location of the largest earthquake ever recorded in the inland region of South China,specifically the 1936 Lingshan M6^(3/4)earthquake in Guangxi.Therefore,this region serves as an optimal location for researching the origins of intraplate earthquakes in South China.This study presents a display of a broadband magnetotelluric(MT)prospecting profile that traverses the Guangxi QFJZ and the Lingshan earthquake zone,extending from the northwest(NW)to the southeast(SE).A resistivity structure model was generated using three-dimensional(3D)inversion technology along the profile.The main faults in QFJZ were analyzed in terms of their deep extension forms and tectonic attributes.This analysis was performed by integrating the results obtained from geology,gravity,wave velocity ratio,Global Position System(GPS),and geothermal flow.The results showed that(1)the Dongzhong-Xiaodong fault(DXf),the eastern Fangcheng-Lingshan fault(FLf2),and the eastern Hepu-Beiliu fault(HBf2)were all trans-crustal deep faults,and crust-mantle ductile shear zones developed in the deep part.Two electrical boundary zones,DXf and HBf2,were identified.DXf inclined towards the northwest,while HBf2 inclined towards the southeast.The FangchengLingshan fault(FLf)exhibits a tectonic style resembling a“flower”shape in the upper crust.In the deeper section,it is characterized by an electrical boundary zone that gradually slopes towards the southeast direction.(2)The Hunan-Guangxi Passive Continental Margin(HGPCM)on the NW side of DXf had a stratified resistivity structure and relatively stable Bouguer gravity anomalies,which conformed to the quasi-craton tectonic attribute of the local failure at the southeastern margin of the Yangtze Block(YB).The southeastern side of this block is marked by the presence of the QFJZ and Yunkai Magmatic Arc(YKMA).These areas exhibit varying Bouguer gravity anomalies,indicating a combination of high and low resistivity in their electrical structures.This suggests that this zone has undergone multiple stages of structural evolution and transformation.The giant high-resistivity body under the Qinzhou-Fangcheng Remnant Ocean Basin(QFROB)might be the trace left by the extinction of the South China Ocean and the collision orogeny between YB and the Cathaysian Block(CB).The presence of sublow-resistivity layers in the middle-lower crust between the Liuwandashan Magmatic Arc(LMA)and YKMA indicates that this particular zone is being influenced from a distance by magmatic activities originating from the Leiqiong mantle.(3)The focal area of the 1936 Lingshan earthquake was located in the brittle high-resistivity body with a low strain rate.Under the coupling action of NWW-SEE regional tectonic stress and deep thermodynamic force,the brittle high-resistivity body in the upper crust became the main body for accumulating the tectonic stress.The Lingshan earthquake occurred due to the dextral strike-slip fracture instability of FLf2,a rock layer with slightly lower strength in the sub-high-resistivity zone.This instability was triggered when the accumulated stress reached the ultimate rock strength.The unveiling of the seismogenic model of the Lingshan earthquake,as presented in this study,holds significant scientific importance in comprehending the factors contributing to intraplate earthquakes in the South China region.

The mechanism of deep material transport and seismogenic environment of the Xiaojiang fault system revealed by 3-D magnetotelluric study

The Xiaojiang fault system(XJFS), located to the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau, has a complicated tectonic history and is an ideal location to study the Tibetan Plateau in terms of its deep material transport mechanism and the effects of past tectonic events. In this study, broadband and long-period magnetotelluric data were collected above this fault system and inverted to build a 3-D resistivity model of the lithosphere. As shown in the model, at upper-middle crustal depths, three high-resistivity anomalies separate the strike-slip faults located in the study area, which may be the remnants of the Emeishan large igneous province that was destroyed and modified by Cenozoic crustal activity. The lower crust is characterized by significant lowresistivity anomalies that extend downward to the upper mantle. The low-resistivity anomalies in the upper crust may be caused by brines or/and conductive minerals(e.g., graphite and sulfides), and the possible reason for the low-resistivity anomalies that were imaged in the lower crust and upper mantle may be the presence of hydrogen in nominally anhydrous minerals and partial melts. According to the seismic activity distribution and resistivity structure, we propose dividing the seismic activity of the study area into three categories: tectonic earthquakes, earthquakes with no active faults on the surface, and other scattered earthquakes with no general features. Seismic activities are controlled by tectonic activities, fluid transportation, and the adjustment of the Earth's stress field. It is believed that there is a mutually reinforcing relationship between seismic activity and deep fluids. Fluids could lower the frictional force in faults, promote movement, and thus induce earthquakes;on the other hand,seismic activities and the long-term strike-slip movements of faults could generate heat and increase the connectivity of fluids,which decreases the strength of the crust and facilitates the flow of fluids. Based on the resistivity model, it is demonstrated that the present tectonic activity in the XJFS is complicated and characterized by rigid block extrusion along strike-slip faults in the upper crust, ductile deformation with channel flow in the lower crust, and the upwelling of mantle materials. In combination with previous studies, our results indicate that the weak crustal materials from the Tibetan Plateau are blocked by(1) the lithosphere modified by the Emeishan plume and(2) the South China block when flowing through the Sichuan-Yunnan block. Therefore,these weak materials turn to the southwest direction along the XJFS, then pass through the Red River fault and enter the Indochina block.

High-resolution velocity structure and seismogenic potential of strong earthquakes in the Bamei-Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone

On September 5,2022,a strong MS6.8 earthquake struck the Luding area in the Kangding-Moxi segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone,which is the northern boundary of the Sichuan-Yunnan rhombic block,causing considerable casualties.The Bamei-Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone,which is located only tens of kilometers away from the Luding earthquake,has hosted frequent moderate to strong earthquakes in history and is a dangerous earthquake-prone zone.Therefore,it is critical to investigate the regional seismogenic environment for strong earthquakes and to evaluate the impact of the Luding earthquake in this area.For this purpose,we deployed a dense seismic array comprising over 200 short-period nodes in this region from July to August,2022 and acquired seismic ambient noise for over 30 days.Using the collected data,we conducted surface wave tomography and obtained a high-resolution 3-D shear wave velocity model for the regional shallow crust down to 8 km in depth.The key findings include:(1)the Bamei-Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone exhibits widespread stripped lowvelocity anomalies,suggesting shear movements at a relatively high temperature of the Xianshuihe fault zone;the Zheduoshan granitic pluton situated between the Zheduotang and southern Selaha faults shows a distinct low-velocity anomaly,which may be attributed to the localized high-temperature anomaly resulted by a deep magmatic heat source and the recent rapid uplift of the Zheduoshan area;(2)a ten-kilometer-wide high velocity body found below 4 km in depth near the Zhonggu area in the Bamei segment coincides with the seismic gap of moderate to strong earthquakes in this region,suggesting that the high velocity body may act as a seismic barrier;(3)the heterogeneity of the velocity structure along the Bamei-Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone corresponds to the regional changes in temperature,which reveals the reason for the spatially varying seismogenic potential in this segment;especially,the Selaha and Zheduotang faults which are located along the boundaries between the high and low velocity anomalies may possess considerable seismogenic potential;(4)the Coulomb failure stress calculations indicate that the Luding earthquake has imposed nontrivial stress loading in the Bamei-Kangding segment,and may shorten the earthquake recurrence intervals of the southern Selaha fault,the Zheduotang fault,and the Xuemenkan segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone.Thus,the Luding earthquake may potentially pose threats to the Sichuan-Xizang railway passing through this region.

Crustal and upper mantle structure and deep tectonic genesis of large earthquakes in North China

From the 1960 s to 1970 s, North China has been hit by a series of large earthquakes. During the past half century,geophysicists have carried out numerous surveys of the crustal and upper mantle structure, and associated studies in North China.They have made significant progress on several key issues in the geosciences, such as the crustal and upper mantle structure and the seismogenic environment of strong earthquakes. Deep seismic profiling results indicate a complex tectonic setting in the strong earthquake areas of North China, where a listric normal fault and a low-angle detachment in the upper crust coexist with a high-angle deep fault passing through the lower crust to the Moho beneath the hypocenter. Seismic tomography images reveal that most of the large earthquakes occurred in the transition between the high-and low-velocity zones, and the Tangshan earthquake area is characterized by a low-velocity anomaly in the middle-lower crust. Comprehensive analysis of geophysical data identified that the deep seismogenic environment in the North China extensional tectonic region is generally characterized by a low-velocity anomalous belt beneath the hypocenter, inconsistency of the deep and shallow structures in the crust, a steep crustalal-scale fault,relative lower velocities in the uppermost mantle, and local Moho uplift, etc. This indicates that the lithospheric structure of North China has strong heterogeneities. Geologically, the North China region had been a stable craton named the North China Craton or in brief the NCC, containing crustal rocks as old as ～3.8 Ga. The present-day strong seismic activity and the lower velocity of the lower crust in the NCC are much different from typical stable cratons around the world. These findings provide significant evidence for the destruction of the NCC. Although deep seismic profiling and seismic tomography have greatly enhanced knowledge about the deep-seated structure and seismogenic environment, some fundamental issues still remain and require further work.

Activity of the Lenglongling fault system and seismotectonics of the 2016 MS6.4 Menyuan earthquake

The MS6.4 Menyuan earthquake occurred on the northern side of the Lenglongling fault(LLLF) in the mid-western of the Qilian-Haiyuan fault zone on January 21, 2016. The earthquake epicenter was distant from the Minle-Damaying and Huangcheng-Shuangta faults, eastern of the Northern Qilian Shan fault zone. A near northwest-striking rupture plane intersects the two faults at a certain angle. The focal mechanism solution shows that this was a thrust-type earthquake, slightly different from the strike-slip movement with a thrust component of the LLLF. Field geological mapping, tectonic geomorphology analysis, trench excavation and 14 C dating reveal that(1) the LLLF has been obviously active since the Holocene, and may behave with characteristic slip behavior and produce M_W7.3–7.5 earthquakes;(2) the LLLF appears as a flower structure in terms of structure style, and dips NNE at a steep angle; and(3) the most recent earthquake event occurred after 1815–1065 a BP. An associated fault, the Northern Lenglongling fault(NLLLF), is located at the northwestern end of the LLLF. Consequently, the NLLLF was continually subject to tectonic pushing effects from the left-lateral shear at the end of the LLLF, and, accordingly, it bent and rotated outward tectonically.Subsequently, the fault deviated from the dominant rupture azimuth and activity weakened. In the late Quaternary, it behaved as a thrust fault with no obvious deformation at the surface. This is indicated by the arc shape, with a micro-protrusion northeastward,and no geologic or geomorphic signs of surface rupturing since the late Quaternary. However, such faults could still rupture at depth, producing moderate-strong earthquakes. The geometric and kinematic properties of the NLLLF are in good agreement with the occurrence and kinematic properties of nodal plane 2, and with the distribution characteristics of the aftershocks and seismic intensity. Therefore, the NLLLF is a more suitable seismogenic structure for the MS 6.4 Menyuan earthquake. In addition, the thrust movement of the NLLLF accommodates subsequent movement of the LLLF. During the historical evolution of the NLLLF,the LLLF and the NLLLF have affected the local topography through tectonic uplift.