Stress triggering effect on the 2022 Honghe M_(S)5.0 earthquake with historical strong earthquakes

The 2022 Honghe M_(S)5.0 seismic event is intriguing due to its occurrence in the south of the Red River Fault,an area historically lacking seismic activities greater than M_(S)5.0.To elucidate the seismogenic mechanism and scrutinize stress-triggered interactions,we calculated co-seismic and post-seismic Coulomb stress alterations induced by nine historical seismic events(M≥6.0).The analysis reveals that these substantial seismic events provoked co-seismic stress augmentations of 1.409 bar and postseismic stress increments of 0.159 bar.Noteworthy seismic events,such as the 1833 Songming,1877Shiping,1913 Eshan,and 1970 Tonghai earthquakes,catalyzed the occurrence of the Honghe earthquake.Areas of heightened future seismic risk include the southern region of the Red River Fault and the eastern segments of the Shiping-Jianshui and Qujiang faults.Additionally,we assessed the correlation between the spatial distribution of aftershocks and the Coulomb stress shift triggered by the mainshock,taking into account the influence of calculation parameter settings.

Seismic response of a mid-story isolated structure considering SSI in mountainous areas under long-period earthquakes

At present,there is not much research on mid-story isolated structures in mountainous areas.In this study,a model of a mid-story isolated structure considering soil-structure interaction(SSI)in mountainous areas is established along with a model that does not consider SSI.Eight long-period earthquake waves and two ordinary earthquake waves are selected as inputs for the dynamic time history analysis of the structure.The results show that the seismic response of a mid-story isolated structure considering SSI in mountainous areas can be amplified when compared with a structure that does not consider SSI.The structure response under long-period earthquakes is larger than that of ordinary earthquakes.The structure response under far-field harmonic-like earthquakes is larger than that of near-fault pulse-type earthquakes.The structure response under near-fault pulse-type earthquakes is larger than that of far-field non-harmonic earthquakes.When subjected to long-period earthquakes,the displacement of the isolated bearings exceeded the limit value,which led to instability and overturning of the structure.The structure with dampers in the isolated story could adequately control the nonlinear response of the structure,effectively reduce the displacement of the isolated bearings,and provide a convenient,efficient and economic method not only for new construction but also to retrofit existing structures.

An envelope-based machine learning workflow for locating earthquakes in the southern Sichuan Basin

The development of machine learning technology enables more robust real-time earthquake monitoring through automated implementations. However, the application of machine learning to earthquake location problems faces challenges in regions with limited available training data. To address the issues of sparse event distribution and inaccurate ground truth in historical seismic datasets, we expand the training dataset by using a large number of synthetic envelopes that closely resemble real data and build an earthquake location model named ENVloc. We propose an envelope-based machine learning workflow for simultaneously determining earthquake location and origin time. The method eliminates the need for phase picking and avoids the accumulation of location errors resulting from inaccurate picking results. In practical application, ENVloc is applied to several data intercepted at different starting points. We take the starting point of the time window corresponding to the highest prediction probability value as the origin time and save the predicted result as the earthquake location. We apply ENVloc to observed data acquired in the southern Sichuan Basin, China, between September 2018 and March 2019. The results show that the average difference with the catalog in latitude, longitude, depth, and origin time is 0.02°,0.02°, 2 km, and 1.25 s, respectively. These suggest that our envelope-based method provides an efficient and robust way to locate earthquakes without phase picking, and can be used in earthquake monitoring in near-real time.

Coseismic deformation and fault slip distribution of the 2023 M_(W)7.8 and M_(W)7.6 earthquakes in Türkiye

On February 6,2023,a devastating earthquake with a moment magnitude of M_(W)7.8 struck the town of Pazarcik in south-central Türkiye,followed by another powerful earthquake with a moment magnitude of M_(W)7.6 that struck the nearby city of Elbistan 9 h later.To study the characteristics of surface deformation caused by this event and the influence of fault rupture,this study calculated the static coseismic deformation of 56 stations and dynamic displacement waveforms of 15 stations using data from the Turkish national fixed global navigation satellite system(GNSS)network.A maximum static coseismic displacement of 0.38 m for the M_(W)7.8 Kahramanmaras earthquake was observed at station ANTE,36 km from the epicenter,and a maximum dynamic coseismic displacement of 4.4 m for the M_(W)7.6 Elbistan earthquake was observed at station EKZ1,5 km from the epicenter.The rupture-slip distributions of the two earthquakes were inverted using GNSS coseismic deformation as a constraint.The results showed that the Kahramanmaras earthquake rupture segment was distinct and exposed on the ground,resulting in significant rupture slip along the Amanos and Pazarcik fault segments of the East Anatolian Fault.The maximum slip in the Pazarcik fault segment was 10.7 m,and rupture occurred at depths of 0–15 km.In the Cardak fault region,the Elbistan earthquake caused significant ruptures at depths of 0–12 km,with the largest amount of slip reaching 11.6 m.The Coulomb stress change caused by the Kahramanmaras earthquake rupture along the Cardak fault segment was approximately 2 bars,and the area of increased Coulomb stress corresponded to the subsequent rupture region of the M_(W)7.6 earthquake.Thus,it is likely that the M_(W)7.8 earthquake triggered or promoted the M_(W)7.6 earthquake.Based on the cumulative stress impact of the M_(W)7.8 and M_(W)7.6 events,the southwestern segment of the East Anatolian Fault,specifically the Amanos fault segment,experienced a Coulomb rupture stress change exceeding 2 bars,warranting further attention to assess its future seismic hazard risk.

Variations of shear-wave splitting parameters in the source region of the 2023 Türkiye doublet earthquakes

In this study,the shear-wave splitting parameters of local seismic events from the source regions of the 2023 Türkiye MW7.7 and MW7.6 doublet earthquakes(event 1 and event 2,respectively)were measured from June 1,2022,to April 25,2023,and their spatiotemporal characteristics were analyzed.The results revealed clear spatial and temporal differences.Spatially,the dominant fast-wave polarization direction at each station shows a strong correlation with the direction of the maximum horizontal principal compressive stress,as characterized by focal mechanism solutions of seismic events(MW≥3.5)near the station.The dominant fast-wave polarization direction and the regional stress field also showed a strong correlation with the intermovement of the Arabian Plate,African Plate,and Anatolian Block.Along the Nurdagi-Pazarcik fault zone,the seismic fault of event 1,stations closer to the middle of the fault where the mainshock occurred exhibited notably greater delay times than stations located towards the ends of the fault and far from the mainshock.In addition,the stations located to the east of the Nurdagi-Pazarcik fault and to the north of the Sürgüfault also exhibited large delay times.The spatial distribution of shear-wave splitting parameters obtained from each station indicates that the upper-crust anisotropy in the source area is mainly controlled by the regional stress field,which is closely related to the state of the block motion.During the seismogenic process of the MW7.7 earthquake,more stress accumulated in the middle of the Nurdagi-Pazarcik fault than at either end of the fault.Under the influence of the MW7.7 and MW7.6 events,the stress that accumulated during the seismogenic process of the earthquake doublet may have migrated towards some areas outside the aftershock intensive area after the earthquakes,and the crustal stress and its adjustment range near the outer stations increased significantly.With the exception of two stations with few effective events,all stations showed a consistent change in shear-wave splitting parameters over time.In particular,each station showed a decreasing trend in delay times after the doublet earthquakes,reflecting the obvious intensification of crustal stress adjustment in the seismogenic zone after the doublet earthquakes.With the occurrence of the earthquake doublet and a large number of aftershocks,the stress accumulated during the seismogenic process of the doublet earthquakes is gradually released,and then the adjustment range of crustal stress is also gradually reduced.

2022年6月10日四川马尔康M_(S)6.0震群序列时空演化特征

2022年6月10日马尔康M_(S)6.0震群序列发生在松岗断裂与龙日坝断裂交会处,呈震群型活动特征。本文以四川地震台网目录为基础,对马尔康地震序列的参数特征开展研究,取该序列三次M_(S)5.0地震之后各一个小时,作为Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ共计三个阶段,进行对比分析。由于较大地震后短时间内目录遗漏的余震较多,为增大研究所需的地震样本量,首先采用模板匹配法进行微小地震识别,以补充完备目录,并利用识别的地震目录及台网目录分别计算马尔康M_(S)6.0地震序列的b值、p值等参数。计算结果显示,相比于第Ⅱ和Ⅲ阶段,第Ⅰ阶段具有显著的低b值(0.59),随着时间的推移,序列b值逐渐上升,后两个阶段分别为0.84和0.86。第Ⅰ阶段低b值的结果反映了此阶段孕震区应力水平较高。另外,第Ⅰ阶段序列的p值为0.76,明显低于后两个阶段的1.81和1.64,反映出第Ⅰ阶段序列频次衰减速度较慢,应力释放不充分,而后两个阶段刚好相反,表明不同阶段序列的时间演化特征存在差异。综合分析认为,M_(S)5.8地震是M_(S)6.0地震的前震。序列西支与东支的参数计算结果呈现不一样的特征,可能与M_(S)5.8前震序列发生在西支有关。

2022年四川马尔康6.0级震群序列震源机制特征分析

采用近震全波形矩张量方法反演了2022年四川马尔康6.0级震群序列22次地震的震源机制解,结果显示:这22次地震全部为走滑型,断层面走向呈NNW和NE两个优势方向,断层面倾角近似直立,滑动角分布在0°和180°附近,P轴优势方位为NWW-SEE向,倾伏角接近水平,表明此次地震事件主要受区域NWW-SEE向水平挤压应力场控制。3次5级以上地震震源机制均与序列其他地震的总体震源机制差异较小,说明序列震源机制较为一致。结合精定位结果综合分析认为:马尔康震群属于多断层面触发性震群,3次5级以上地震是不同断裂的破裂事件,其中5.8级和6.0级地震发震断层面走向为NNW,为左旋走滑破裂事件;5.2级地震发震断层面走向为NE,为右旋走滑破裂事件,3个发震断层均以走滑错动为主,断层面近似直立。

马尔康6.0级震群地震藏族民居震害调查与分析

为掌握马尔康6.0级震群地震中藏族民居的震害情况,对地震灾区进行广泛的调查,总结藏族民居的建筑特点与结构特点,分析石木结构、木结构和生土结构的主要震害特征和破坏原因,并对不同结构类型的建筑震害数量和地质灾害隐患点数量进行统计和分析。研究结果表明:此次地震中,石木结构震害较严重,主要破坏特征为整体倒塌、局部倒塌、墙体破坏、梁柱破坏和屋盖破坏。木结构震害较轻,主要破坏特征为围护墙倒塌、开裂以及屋面溜瓦。由于距离震中较远,生土结构的震害最轻,主要破坏特征为墙体开裂。石木结构和木结构倒塌破坏占比分别为0.9%和0.0%,严重损坏占比分别为19.0%和17.2%。木结构多为非结构构件损坏,抗震能力强于石木结构。同时,地震诱发山体落石、山体滑坡,导致建筑被掩埋、道路中断、水利和通讯设施受损,地质灾害隐患点数量为663处。针对不同藏族民居的震害特征和破坏统计,建议在保留藏族民居建筑特色的前提下,发展受力机理清晰的结构体系,加强藏族民居的抗震措施,并重视该地区的震群型地震效应。根据次生灾害的破坏情况和统计,建议灾后重建中,藏族民居应合理选址,加强地质灾害的监测和预警,并完善防治次生灾害设施。

2022年芦山M_(S)6.1、马尔康M_(S)6.0和泸定M_(S)6.8地震前跨断层形变异常特征与震后变化

基于四川地区多年积累的跨断层短基线、短水准数据,通过原始观测曲线分析、断层近场三维活动及区域预测效能指标定量计算,全面分析2022年芦山M_(S)6.1、马尔康M_(S)6.0和泸定M_(S)6.8三次地震前震中周边断层异常活动及震后变化。结果显示,3次M_(S)6.0以上地震前跨断层短期异常增多,主要表现特征为显著突跳和巨幅异常。3次中强地震分别发生于巴颜喀拉块体的内部、边界断裂带及其相邻的川滇菱形块体东边界,是应力传递、构造活动与块体运动共同作用的结果,因此出现异常的场地时空重叠度较高,无法进行严格区分和剥离。此外,泸定M_(S)6.8地震前观测到粘滑失稳前的预滑现象,震后1个月跨断层形变开始出现调整恢复变化。

Seismicity and seismogenic mechanism of the M_S 6.0 Luxian earthquake on September 16, 2021

Based on the seismic data recorded by the China Earthquake Networks Center(CENC) in the Luxian area from January 2009 to October 2021,the 3D V_P,V_S, V_P/V_S structures and seismic locations of the area are obtained by joint inversion using the V_P/V_S model consistency-constrained double-difference tomography method(tomoDDMC).The earthquakes in the study area are mainly concentrated at a depth of 2-6 km,and the focal depth is generally shallow.The Ms 6.0 Luxian earthquake occurred at the transition zone of high-and low-velocity anomalies and the aftershock sequence was distributed along the edge of the low-V_P zone.A small number of foreshocks occurred on the west side of the M_S 6.0 Luxian earthquake,while most of the aftershocks were distributed on the east side of the M_S 6.0 Luxian earthquake.The aftershock sequence consisted of three seismic bands with different trends,and the overall distribution was in a NWW direction,which was inconsistent with the spatial distribution of the main active faults nearby.In addition,the spatiotemporal distribution of earthquakes and the variation of b-values are closely related to the industrial water injection activities in the study area,reflecting the activation of pre-existing hidden faults under certain tectonic and stress environments leading to seismic activities in the area.

Moment magnitudes of two large Turkish earthquakes on February 6,2023 from long-period coda

Two large earthquakes(an earthquake doublet)occurred in south-central Turkey on February 6,2023,causing massive damages and casualties.The magnitudes and the relative sizes of the two mainshocks are essential information for scientific research and public awareness.There are obvious discrepancies among the results that have been reported so far,which may be revised and updated later.Here we applied a novel and reliable long-period coda moment magnitude method to the two large earthquakes.The moment magnitudes(with one standard error)are 7.95±0.013 and 7.86±0.012,respectively,which are larger than all the previous reports.The first mainshock,which matches the largest recorded earthquakes in the Turkish history,is slightly larger than the second one by 0.11±0.035 in magnitude or by 0.04 to 0.18 at 95%confidence level.

Ionospheric precursors of strong earthquakes observed using six GNSS stations data during continuous five years(2011-2015)

This study reports the morphological characteristics of anomalous variations in Global Navigation Satellite System Total Electron Content(GNSS-TEC) prior to the strong local earthquakes(EQ) that occurred during the period of 2011-2015.We have analyzed 20 earthquakes of magnitude M> 5.6.A statistical technique is implemented on the data of six GNSS stations located in Tashkent,Kitab,and Maidanak in Uzbekistan,and Islamabad,Multan,Quetta in Pakistan.The results show continuous anomalous variations in TEC during 24 h befo re the occupancy of local earthquakes.It is shown that the precursors before the occurrence of strong earthquakes,in particular of magnitude 5.7,7.7,7.5,7.8 and 7.3 are detected near Eastern Uzbekistan(26 May 2013),Southwestern Pakistan(24 September 2013),Hindukush region of Afghanistan(26 October 2015),and Central Nepal(25 April 2015) and(12 May 2015),respectively.The ionospheric anomalies appearing before the strong earthquakes at six GNSS stations are registered in 14cases(70%) out of 20 selected EQs.It is depicted that anomalies referred to as ionospheric precursors appeared about 1-7 days prior to the occurrence of strong earthquakes.

2023年甘肃积石山M_(W)6.0地震震源特征与灾害机理

2023年12月18日发生的甘肃积石山M_(S)6.2(M_(W)6.0)地震是一次导致较大伤亡的小规模逆冲型强震(M≥6)事件.我们在破裂过程快速反演后,开展了地震矩张量和破裂过程联合反演,比较分析了此次地震的发震断层参数;在此基础上,测定了地震的辐射能,确定了较宽频带范围内的震源特征,据此讨论了与震源过程相关的灾害机理.结果显示,本次地震断层东倾的可能性更大,主要破裂区域位于积石山县与大河家镇之间,空间上与烈度分布显示的极震区位置较为一致.地震的上盘效应,破裂朝西北及浅处扩展的多普勒效应,以及容易在浅土层中放大的高频地震波辐射,可能是此次地震震害严重的主要震源因素.

Rapid source inversions of the 2023 SE Türkiye earthquakes with teleseismic and strong-motion data

We conducted rapid inversions of rupture process for the 2023 earthquake doublet occurred in SE Türkiye,the first with a magnitude of M_(W)7.8 and the second with a magnitude of M_(W)7.6,using teleseismic and strong-motion data.The teleseismic rupture models of the both events were obtained approximately 88 and 55 minutes after their occurrences,respectively.The rupture models indicated that the first event was an asymmetric bilateral event with ruptures mainly propagating to the northeast,while the second one was a unilateral event with ruptures propagating to the west.This information could be useful in locating the meizoseismal areas.Compared with teleseismic models,the strong-motion models showed relatively higher resolution.A noticeable difference was found for the M_(W)7.6 earthquake,for which the strong-motion models shows a bilateral event,rather than a unilateral event,but the dominant rupture direction is still westward.Nevertheless,all strong-motion models are consistent with the teleseismic models in terms of magnitudes,durations,and dominant rupture directions.This suggests that both teleseismic and strong-motion data can be used for fast determination of major source characteristics.In contrast,the strong-motion data would be preferable in future emergency responses since they are recorded earlier and have a better resolution ability on the source ruptures.

Lacustrine sedimentary responses to earthquakes—soft-sediment deformation structures since late Pleistocene:A review of current understanding

The traces left by earthquakes in lacustrine sediments are studied to determine the occurrence of ancient earthquakes by identifying seismically induced soft-sediment deformation structures(SSDS).Dating can help reconstruct the relative frequency of earthquakes.Identifying seismically induced seismites,which carry abundant seismic information from numerous SSDS,is both critical and challenging.Studying the deformation mechanism of SSDS and learning about the common criteria of seismically induced SSDS improve the identification of earthquake triggers.With better research into SSDS,seismic events can be effectively captured,and temporal constraints can be carried out by 14C dating and optically stimulated luminescence(OSL)dating to identify and date the occurrence of ancient earthquakes.The present contribution primarily addresses the meaning and mechanism of SSDS and their relationship with earthquake magnitude as well as the common criteria of the SSDS induced by earthquakes.

Spatio-temporal variations of shallow seismic velocity changes in Salton Sea Geothermal Field,California in response to large regional earthquakes and long-term geothermal activities

We measure spatio-temporal variations of seismic velocity changes in Salton Sea Geothermal Field,California based on cross correlations of daily seismic traces recorded by a borehole seismic network from December 2007 to January 2014.We find clear co-seismic velocity reductions during the 2010 M 7.2 El Mayor–Cucapah,Mexico earthquake at~100 km further south,followed by long-term recoveries.The co-seismic reductions are larger with longer post-seismic recoveries in higher frequency bands,indicating that material damage and healing process mostly occurred in the shallow depth.In addition,the co-seismic velocity reductions are larger for ray paths outside the active fluid injection/extraction regions.The ray paths inside injection/extraction regions are associated with smaller co-seismic reductions,but subtle long-term velocity increases.We also build 3D transient water flow models based on monthly injection/extraction rates,and find correlations between several water flow parameters and co-seismic velocity reductions.We interpret the relative lack of co-seismic velocity changes within the geothermal region as unclogging of fracture network due to persistent fluid flows of geothermal production.The long-term velocity increase is likely associated with the ground water depletion and subsidence due to net production.

The MW5.5 earthquake on August 6,2023,in Pingyuan,Shandong,China:A rupture on a buried fault

On August 6,2023,a magnitude MW5.5 earthquake struck Pingyuan County,Dezhou City,Shandong Province,China.This event was significant as no large earthquakes had been recorded in the region for over a century,and no active fault had been previously identified.This study collects 1309 P-wave arrival times and 866 S-wave arrival times from 74 seismic stations less than 200 km to the epicenter to constrain the spatial distribution of the mainshock and its 125 early aftershocks by the double difference earthquake relocation method,and selects 864 P-waveforms from 288 stations located within 800 km of the epicenter to constrain the focal mechanism solution of the mainshock through centroid moment tensor inversion.The relocation and the inversion indicate,the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake was caused by a rupture on a buried fault,likely an extensive segment of the Gaotang fault.This buried fault exhibited a dip of approximately 75°to the northwest,with a strike of 222°,similar to the Gaotang fault.The rupture initiated at the depth of 18.6 km and propagated upward and northeastward.However,the ground surface was not broken.The total duration of the rupture was~6.0 s,releasing the scalar moment of 2.5895×1017 N·m,equivalent to MW5.54.The moment rate reached the maximum only 1.4 seconds after the rupture initiation,and the 90%scalar moment was released in the first 4.6 s.In the first 1.4 seconds of the rupture process,the rupture velocity was estimated to be 2.6 km/s,slower than the local S-wave velocity.As the rupture neared its end,the rupture velocity decreased significantly.This study provides valuable insights into the seismic characteristics of the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake,shedding light on the previously unidentified buried fault responsible for the seismic activity in the region.Understanding the behavior of such faults is crucial for assessing seismic hazards and enhancing earthquake preparedness in the future.

A review of tidal triggering of global earthquakes

Earthquake prediction remains a challenging and difficult task for scientists all over the world.The tidal triggering of earthquakes is being proven by an increasing number of investigations,most of which have shown that earthquakes are positively correlated with tides,and thus,tides provide a potential tool for earthquake prediction,especially for imminent earthquakes.In this study,publications concerning the tidal triggering of earthquakes were compiled and analyzed with regard to global earthquakes,which were classified into three main types:tectonic,volcanic,and slow earthquakes.The results reveal a high correlation between tectonic earthquakes and tides(mainly for semidiurnal and diurnal tides;14-day tides) before and after the occurrence of significant earthquakes.For volcanic earthquakes,observations of volcanoes on the seafloor and land indicate that volcanic earthquakes in near-shore volcanic areas and mid-ocean ridges have a strong correlation with tidal forces,mostly those with semidiurnal and diurnal periods.For slow earthquakes,the periodicity of the tremor duration is highly correlated with semidiurnal and diurnal tides.In conclusion,the tidal triggering of these three types of earthquakes makes a positive contribution to earthquake preparation and understanding the triggering mechanism,and thus,the prediction of these types of earthquakes should be investigated.However,there are still several inadequacies on this topic that need to be resolved to gain a definitiveanswer regarding the tidal triggering of all earthquakes.The main inadequacies are discussed in this paper from our point of view.

Performance of RC buildings after Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes: lessons toward performance based design

Two simultaneous earthquakes occurred in the Kahramanmaraş-Pazarcık and Kahramanmaraş-Elbistan districts of Turkey on February 6,2023,and with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6,respectively.These events caused the highest estimated loss recorded in Turkey within the last century from natural disasters.The key reason for the extensive loss was the proximity of eleven cities to the earthquake epicenters.Middle East Technical University teams investigated the building sites in Gaziantep,Kahramanmaras,Hatay,Adiyaman and Adana.The ground motion recordings revealed that in certain locations of Gaziantep,Kahramanmaraşand Hatay,the ground motion levels exceeded the maximum credible earthquake level defined for a return period of 2,475 years in the Turkish Earthquake Code.Residential building performance was investigated with respect to the construction year,which is a good indicator of compliance with modern seismic codes and inspection procedures.About 97%of the collapsed buildings were constructed prior to 2000,whereas over 5,000 buildings,which were built after 2000,collapsed or required urgent demolition.Most of the buildings with minor or greater structural damage sustained heavy infill wall damage rendering occupancy impossible.Aside from damage in older construction with significant structural deficiencies,the damage in some of the more recent and better constructed buildings was observed to be surprisingly poor.This can be attributed to the level of ground motion,significant ductility demands,poor material and workmanship and damage to non-structural elements.With the estimated total loss of above 100 billion dollars and over 50,000 casualties,the current seismic design criterion based on ductility and acceptance of structural damage should be re-evaluated to ensure a more resilient urban environment in high seismic regions.

Large Active Faults and the Wharton Basin Intraplate Earthquakes in the Eastern Indian Ocean

In recent years,great earthquakes occurred within the Wharton Basin in the eastern Indian Ocean,and they have been associa-ted with active faulting on the ancient oceanic crust.Large seismogenic faults were thought to be the fault reactivation on the ancient oceanic crust,but these phenomena are still unclear and require examination.This study used high-quality multibeam bathymetry and multichannel seismic data collected over the northern Ninetyeast Ridge to investigate detailed fault geometry,structure,and activity.We recognized 12 large linear active faults by integrating bathymetry maps and multichannel seismic reflection profiles.Our results showed that these faults have high angles,and they all displaced the basement and propagated to the seafloor with distinct fault scarps.They trended NWW-SEE with a spacing of 10–40km and were parallel to each other and the nearby subfault of the 2012 great intraplate earthquake,suggesting similar stress fields.These faults are also in agreement with the orientations of magnetic isochrons,implying their formation by seafloor spreading.Furthermore,regarding the strike-slip focal mechanism of 2012 earthquakes,we proposed that these faults were created early by a normal spreading process and then evolved into a strike-slip pattern since the ancient oceanic crust ap-proached the subduction zones.