Three-Dimensional Density Distribution and Seismic Activity along the Guxiang–Tongmai Segment of the Jiali Fault,Tibet

The Guxiang-Tongmai segment of the Jiali fault is situated northeast of the Namche Barwa Syntaxis in northeastern Tibet.It is one of the most active strike-slip faults near the syntaxis and plays a pivotal role in the examination of seismic activity within the eastern Himalayan Syntaxis.New study in the research region has yielded a 1:200000 gravity dataset covering an area 1500 km^(2).Using wavelet transform multiscale decomposition,scratch analysis techniques,and 3D gravity inversion methods,gravity anomalies,fault distributions,and density structures were determined across various scales.Through the integration of our new gravity data with other geophysical and geological information,our findings demonstrate substantial variations in the overall crustal density within the region,with the fault distribution closely linked to these density fluctuations.Disparities in stratigraphic density are important causes of variations in the capacity of geological formations to endure regional tectonic stress.Earthquakes are predominantly concentrated within the density transition zone and are primarily situated in regions of elevated density.The hanging wall stress within the Guxiang-Tongmai segment of the Jiali fault exhibits a notable concentration,marked by pronounced anisotropy,and is positioned within the density differential zone,which is prone to earthquakes.

Discovering Crustal Deformation Bands by Processing Regional Gravity Field

Objectives： This article presents a new computational procedure to discover scratches buried in the earth＇s crust. We also validate this new interdisciplinary analysis method with regional gravity data located in a well-known Dabie orogenic zone for test. Methods： Based on the scratch analysis method evolved with mathematical morphology of surfaces, we present a procedure that extracts information of the crustal scratches from regional gravity data. Because the crustal scratches are positively and highly correlated to crustal deformation bands, it can be used for delineation of the crustal deformation belts. The scratches can be quantitatively characterized by calculation of the ridge coefficient function, whose high value traces delineate the deformation bands hidden in the regional gravity field. In addition, because the degree of crustal deformation is an important indicator of tectonic unit divisions, so the crust can be further divided according to the degree of crustal deformation into some tectonic units by using the ridge coefficient data, providing an objective base map for earth scientists to build tectonic models with quantitative evidence. Results： After the ridge coefficients are calculated, we can further enhance the boundary of high ridge-coefficient blocks, resulting in the so-called ridge-edge coefficient function. The high-value ridge-edge coefficients are well correlated with the edge faults of tectonic units underlay, providing accurate positioning of the base map for compilation of regional tectonic maps. In order to validate this new interdisciplinary analysis method, we select the Dabie orogenic zone as a pilot area for test, where rock outcrops are well exposed on the surface and detailed geological and geophysical surveys have been carried out. Tests show that the deformation bands and the tectonic units, which are conformed by tectonic scientists based on surface observations, are clearly displayed on the ridge and ridge-edge coefficient images obtained in this article. Moreover, these computer-generated images provide more accurate locations and geometric details. Conclusions： This work demonstrates that application of modern mathematical tools can promote the quantitative degree in research of modern geosciences, helping to open a door to develop a new branch of mathematical tectonics.