The structural analysis based on the explanation of seismic profiles indicates that a lot of thrust faults and strike-slip faults of Late Cenozoic occur in western Hexi Corridor and its nearby regions. They can be di...The structural analysis based on the explanation of seismic profiles indicates that a lot of thrust faults and strike-slip faults of Late Cenozoic occur in western Hexi Corridor and its nearby regions. They can be divided into two types. One is thrust faults dipping southwards and extending NWwards, which was mainly correlated with the thrusting of northern Qilianshan and located at the NE margin of Qilianshan and the southwestern Hexi Corridor, the other is thrust faults and strike-slip faults that were related to the strike-slipping of Altun fault and located mainly at the regions of Hongliuxia, Kuantaishan, and Helishan that are close to the Altun fault. All these faults, which were related to the remote effects of collision between the two continents of India and Tibet during the Late Eocene and later, started to develop since the Late Tertiary and presented the features of violent thrust or strike-slip movement in Quaternary. Many of them are still active up to now and thus belong to the active faults that are the potential inducement of earthquakes in the Hexi Corridor. Moreover, a lot of intense structural deformation and many morphology phenomena such as tectonic terrace and river offset were formed under the control of these faults in Quaternary.展开更多
The relationship between work and energy increment of a thrust fault system with quasi-static deformation can be decomposed into two parts: volume strain energy and deviation stress energy. The relationship between w...The relationship between work and energy increment of a thrust fault system with quasi-static deformation can be decomposed into two parts: volume strain energy and deviation stress energy. The relationship between work and energy increment of the deviation stress of a simplified thrust fault system is analyzed based on the catastrophe theory. The research indicates that the characteristics displayed by the fold catastrophe model can appropriately describe the condition of earthquake generation, the evolvement process of main shock of thrust fault earthquake, and some important aftershock proper- ties. The bigger the surrounding press of surrounding rock is, the bigger the maximum principal stress is, the smaller the incidences of the potential thrust fault surface are, and the smaller the ratio between the tangential stiffness of surrounding rock and the slope is, which is at the inflexion point on the softened zone of the fault shearing strength curve. Thus, when earthquake occurrs, the larger the elastic energy releasing amount of sur- rounding rock is, the bigger the earthquake magnitude is, the larger the half distance of fault dislocation is, and the larger the displacement amplitude of end face of surrounding rock is. Fracturing and expanding the fault rock body and releasing the volume strain energy of surrounding rock during the earthquake can enhance the foregoing effects to- gether.展开更多
On May 12,2008,an Mw7.9 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan County,Sichuan Province,China.Movement of Yingxiu–Beichuan Fault in the Longmenshan Fault Zone was considered to be the main cause of the earthquake.Earthquakes...On May 12,2008,an Mw7.9 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan County,Sichuan Province,China.Movement of Yingxiu–Beichuan Fault in the Longmenshan Fault Zone was considered to be the main cause of the earthquake.Earthquakes are closely related to fault activities.Therefore,studying the strain distribution and evolution process around active fault zones is important to the understanding of seismic activities.In this study,we conduct laboratory experiments with uniaxial compression applied to marble sheets with intentionally fabricated cracks.The speckle patterns of the rock samples under different loading conditions are recorded in real time by a digital camera.To calculate the deformation fields of the deliberately cracked marble sheets during different stages of the loading processes,the recorded images are processed by the digital image correlation method.The distribution and variation of the displacement and strain are further analyzed in order to understand the strain localization of and observed damage in the experimental fracture zones.Finally,we compare these laboratory results with the GPS-observed coseismic displacements during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake,to assess the consistency between our laboratory observations and the field observations of the earthquake,but also to suggest how laboratory results can improve thinking about how earthquake patterns do and do not reflect fault patterns.展开更多
Segmentation of the thrust fault zone is a basic problem for earthquake hazard evaluation. The Yingjing-Mabian-Yanjin thrust fault zone is an important seismic belt NW-trending in the southeast margin of the Qinghai-X...Segmentation of the thrust fault zone is a basic problem for earthquake hazard evaluation. The Yingjing-Mabian-Yanjin thrust fault zone is an important seismic belt NW-trending in the southeast margin of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) plateau. The longitudinal faults in the thrust zone are mainly of the thrust slipping type. The late Quaternary motion modes and displacement rates are quite different from north to south. Investigation on valleys across the fault shows that the transverse faults are mainly of dextral strike-slipping type with a bit dip displacement. Based on their connections with the longitudinal faults, three types of transverse faults are generalized, namely: the separate fault, the transform fault and the tear fault, and their functions in the segmentation of the thrust fault zone are compared. As the result, the Yingjing-Mabian-Yanjin thrust fault zone is divided into three segments, and earthquakes occurring in these three segments are compared. The tri-section of the Yingjing-Mabian-Yanjin thrust fault zone identified by transverse fault types reflects, on the one hand, the differences in slip rate, earthquake magnitude and pace from each segment, and the coherence of earthquake rupturing pace on the other hand. It demonstrates that the transverse faults control the segmentation to a certain degree, and each type of the transverse faults plays a different role.展开更多
The surface deformation field induced by a listric thrust fault with a thick, overburden soil layer is studied in this paper by the finite element method (FEM). The results show: (a) The maximum slip induced by t...The surface deformation field induced by a listric thrust fault with a thick, overburden soil layer is studied in this paper by the finite element method (FEM). The results show: (a) The maximum slip induced by the buried fault is not located at upper tip of the fault, but below it. (b) The vertical displacement changes remarkably near the fault, forming a fault scarp. With the increase of the soil layer thickness, the height of the scarp is decreased for the same earthquake magnitude. (c) The strong strain zone on the surface is localized near the projection of the fault tip on the ground surface. The horizontal strains in the zone are in tension above the hanging wall and in compression above the foot wall, and the vertical strains in the zone are vice versa, which is favorable for tensile- shear, compression-shear fissures above hanging wall and foot wall, respectively.展开更多
The Aegean area of the western Anatolian region of Turkey,controlled by the low-angle detachment normal fault system,forms an extensional province,the West Anatolian Extensional Province(WAEP).The tectonic deformation...The Aegean area of the western Anatolian region of Turkey,controlled by the low-angle detachment normal fault system,forms an extensional province,the West Anatolian Extensional Province(WAEP).The tectonic deformation which occurred in the Miocene Period,including the Plio–Quaternary Period has created different structures in both the basement rocks and intra-basin deposits of the crust.One of these structures,high-angle normal faults,controls the supradetachment Soke-Kusadasi Basin(SKB).Within this basin,there are folds with different axes and thrust faults with a north-northwestnortheast(N,NW,NE)trend.These folds and thrust faults in the SKB deformed the sedimentary structures of intra-basin deposits.The folds and thrust faults,which caused the rotation of beddings and imbrications in the SKB,are mainly associated with the tectonic process of the low angle detachment normal fault,which affected the SKB and the Aegean part of western Anatolia.In the SKB,during the process of extensional deformation associated with primary low angle detachment normal faulting,the ramp-flat and inversion geometry observed in the basement rocks and basin deposits of the crust caused folds and thrust faults in only intra-basin deposits.In the WAEP,it is determined for the first time that the folds and thrust faults causing limited shortening deformed the Plio–Quaternary sediments.展开更多
Based on the published focal mechanisms we have built the fault model of the main shocks of the 1976 Songpan earthquake sequence and calculated the coseismic Coulomb stress changes in the region. The results show that...Based on the published focal mechanisms we have built the fault model of the main shocks of the 1976 Songpan earthquake sequence and calculated the coseismic Coulomb stress changes in the region. The results show that most of the aftershocks had occurred in the region where the Coulomb stresses had been increased, indicating a triggering relationship between the main shocks and the aftershocks. We also show that the first main shock (Ms = 7.2), which is a left-lateral slip event, had increased the Coulomb stresses by 5×105 Pa at the second main shock (a thrust event with Ms = 6.7). Therefore, we conclude that the first main shock had triggered the second main shock. The third main shock is also a left-lateral event, however, the triggering relationship between the third main shock and the previous two events is less obvious. General model calculations show that there is a good triggering relation- ship between adjacent left-lateral slip fault and thrust fault, but triggering between parallel slip faults is rather weak.展开更多
The front of a thrust-detachment fault may have various styles such as decoupling, fold, forethrust and backthrust ones because of differences in magnitude, direction and time of the forces exerted on the fault and th...The front of a thrust-detachment fault may have various styles such as decoupling, fold, forethrust and backthrust ones because of differences in magnitude, direction and time of the forces exerted on the fault and the inhomogeneity of rock mechanical properties. They have different characteristics and are usually associated with gravity structure, inverse structure and diapir structure. These structures exist together in the same thrust-detachment fault and can influence, compensate for and convert into each other. They provide important grounds not only for the study of the dynamic state, propagation mode, evolutionary process and formation mechanism but also for the analysis of the petroleum generation, migration, accumulation and preservation and arrangement of drill holes in foreland basins.展开更多
Objective The uplift process and uplift mechanism of the Tibetan Plateau has been a research focus among geologists in recent years. This work put emphasis on the Cenozoic exhumation histories of the blocks bounded by...Objective The uplift process and uplift mechanism of the Tibetan Plateau has been a research focus among geologists in recent years. This work put emphasis on the Cenozoic exhumation histories of the blocks bounded by the major faults at the central segment of the Longmenshan thrust belt, and the vertical faulting history, including the starting time and the total vertical displacement, of the major faults. Then we quantitatively established a complete active process for the central segment of the Longmenshan thrust belt, combining with the previous geophysical data in the deep and geologcial data. This study is critical for deeply and completely understanding the Cenozoic uplift history of the Longmenshan, and also provides thermochronology constraints to the different models for the uplift of the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.展开更多
Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The ...Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The east-west dextral-slip Gangdise fault system merges eastward into the northeast-trending, southeast-dipping Nyainqentanglha thrust system that swings eastward farther north into the dextral-slip North Damxung shear zone and Jiali faults. These faults were took shape by the Early Miocene, and the large Nyainqentanglha granitic batholith formed along the thrust system in 18.3-11.0 Ma as the western block drove under the eastern one. The dextral-slip movement ended at -11 Ma and the batholith rose, as marked by gravitational shearing at 8.6-8.3 Ma, and a new fault system developed. Northwest-trending dextral-slip faults formed to the northwest of the raisen batholith, whereas the northeast-trending South Damxung thrust faults with some sinistral-slip formed to the southeast. The latter are replaced farther to the east by the west-northwest-trending Lhtinzhub thrust faults with dextral-slip. This relatively local uplift that left adjacent Eocene and Miocene deposits preserved was followed by a regional uplift and the initiation of a system of generally north-south grabens in the Late Miocene at -6.5 Ma. The regional uplift of the southern Tibetan Plateau thus appears to have occurred between 8.3 Ma and 6.5 Ma. The Gulu, DamxungYangbajain and Angan graben systems that pass east of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains are locally controlled by the earlier northeast-trending faults. These grabens dominate the subsequent tectonic movement and are still very active as northwest-trending dextral-slip faults northwest of the mountains. The Miocene is a time of great tectonic change that ushered in the modern tectonic regime.展开更多
Little attention had been paid to the intracontinental strike-slip faults of the Tibetan Plateau. Since the discovery of the Longriba fault using re-measured GPS data in 2003, an increasing amount of attention has bee...Little attention had been paid to the intracontinental strike-slip faults of the Tibetan Plateau. Since the discovery of the Longriba fault using re-measured GPS data in 2003, an increasing amount of attention has been paid to this neglected fault. The local relief and transverse swath profile show that the Longriba fault is the boundary line that separates the high and flat tomography of the Tibet plateau from the high and precipitous tomography of Orogen. In addition, GPS data shows that the Longriba fault is the boundary line where the migratory direction of the Bayan Har block changed from eastward to southeastward. The GPS data shows that the Longriba fault is the boundary fault of the sub-blocks of the eastern Bayan Har block. We built three-dimensional models containing the Longriba fault and the middle segment of the Longmenshan fault, across the Bayan Har block and the Sichuan Basin. A nonlinear finite element method was used to simulate the fault behavior and the block deformation of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. The results show that the low resistivity and low velocity layer acts as a detachment layer, which causes the overlying blocks to move southeastward. The detachment layer also controls the vertical and horizontal deformation of the rigid Bayan Har block and leads to accumulation strain on the edge of the layer where the Longmenshan thrust is located. After a sufficient amount of strain has been accumulated on the Longmenshan fault, a large earthquake occurs, such as the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The strike slip activity of the Longriba fault, which is above the low resistivity and low velocity layer, partitions the lateral displacements of the Bayan Har block and adjusts the direction of motion of the Bayan Har block, from the eastward moving Ahba sub-block in the west to southeastward moving Longmenshan sub-block in the east. Four models with different depths to the Longriba fault were constructed: (1) a shallow fault with a depth of only 4 km, (2) a deeper fault that is half as deep as the Longmenshan fault, (3) a deep fault that is 2 km shallower than the low resistivity and low velocity layer, and (4) a fault that is as deep as the low resistivity and low velocity layer. The activity and influence of the Longriba fault with different development stage under this tectonic system were shown: in one Earthquake recurrence period, the rupture region of the fault increases with the depth of the fault, and the lateral slip partition by the fault also changes with the fault depth. It suggests that the Longriba fault is a newly generated fault that developed after the quick uplift in Late Cenozoic along this tectonic setting and gradually extended from the northwest to southeast. The calculations provide the characteristic of block deformation and fault behaviors of intra-continental strike-slip fault and major boundary thrust faults in the eastern margin of the Tibet plateau. Although the low resistivity and low velocity layer controls the deformation of the Bayan Hat block and the uplift of the Longmenshan thrust, the partition of the Longriba fault has an important influence on the intra-plate deformation and modern geomorphic evolution.展开更多
The tectono-stratigraphic sequences of the Kuqa foreland fold-thrust belt in the northern Tarim basin, northwest China, can be divided into the Mesozoic sub-salt sequence, the Paleocene-Eocene salt sequence and the Ol...The tectono-stratigraphic sequences of the Kuqa foreland fold-thrust belt in the northern Tarim basin, northwest China, can be divided into the Mesozoic sub-salt sequence, the Paleocene-Eocene salt sequence and the Oligocene-Quaternary supra-salt sequence. The salt sequence is composed mainly of light grey halite, gypsum, marl and brown elastics. A variety of salt-related structures have developed in the Kuqa foreland fold belt, in which the most fascinating structures are salt nappe complex. Based on field observation, seismic interpretation and drilling data, a large-scale salt nappe complex has been identified. It trends approximately east-west for over 200 km and occurs along the west Qiulitag Mountains. Its thrusting displacement is over 30 km. The salt nappe complex appears as an arcuate zone projecting southwestwards along the leading edge of the Kuqa foreland fold belt. The major thrust fault is developed along the Paleocene-Eocene salt beds. The allochthonous nappes comprise large north-dipping faulting monoclines which are made up of Paleocene-Pliocene sediments. Geological analysis and cross-section restoration revealed that the salt nappes were mainly formed at the late Himalayan stage (c.a. 1.64 Ma BP) and have been active until the present day. Because of inhomogeneous thrusting, a great difference may exist in thrust displacement, thrust occurrence, superimposition of allochthonous and autochthonous sequences and the development of the salt-related structures, which indicates the segmentation along the salt nappes. Regional compression, gravitational gliding and spreading controlled the formation and evolution of the salt nappe complex in the Kuqa foreland fold belt.展开更多
文摘The structural analysis based on the explanation of seismic profiles indicates that a lot of thrust faults and strike-slip faults of Late Cenozoic occur in western Hexi Corridor and its nearby regions. They can be divided into two types. One is thrust faults dipping southwards and extending NWwards, which was mainly correlated with the thrusting of northern Qilianshan and located at the NE margin of Qilianshan and the southwestern Hexi Corridor, the other is thrust faults and strike-slip faults that were related to the strike-slipping of Altun fault and located mainly at the regions of Hongliuxia, Kuantaishan, and Helishan that are close to the Altun fault. All these faults, which were related to the remote effects of collision between the two continents of India and Tibet during the Late Eocene and later, started to develop since the Late Tertiary and presented the features of violent thrust or strike-slip movement in Quaternary. Many of them are still active up to now and thus belong to the active faults that are the potential inducement of earthquakes in the Hexi Corridor. Moreover, a lot of intense structural deformation and many morphology phenomena such as tectonic terrace and river offset were formed under the control of these faults in Quaternary.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 5067059)
文摘The relationship between work and energy increment of a thrust fault system with quasi-static deformation can be decomposed into two parts: volume strain energy and deviation stress energy. The relationship between work and energy increment of the deviation stress of a simplified thrust fault system is analyzed based on the catastrophe theory. The research indicates that the characteristics displayed by the fold catastrophe model can appropriately describe the condition of earthquake generation, the evolvement process of main shock of thrust fault earthquake, and some important aftershock proper- ties. The bigger the surrounding press of surrounding rock is, the bigger the maximum principal stress is, the smaller the incidences of the potential thrust fault surface are, and the smaller the ratio between the tangential stiffness of surrounding rock and the slope is, which is at the inflexion point on the softened zone of the fault shearing strength curve. Thus, when earthquake occurrs, the larger the elastic energy releasing amount of sur- rounding rock is, the bigger the earthquake magnitude is, the larger the half distance of fault dislocation is, and the larger the displacement amplitude of end face of surrounding rock is. Fracturing and expanding the fault rock body and releasing the volume strain energy of surrounding rock during the earthquake can enhance the foregoing effects to- gether.
文摘On May 12,2008,an Mw7.9 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan County,Sichuan Province,China.Movement of Yingxiu–Beichuan Fault in the Longmenshan Fault Zone was considered to be the main cause of the earthquake.Earthquakes are closely related to fault activities.Therefore,studying the strain distribution and evolution process around active fault zones is important to the understanding of seismic activities.In this study,we conduct laboratory experiments with uniaxial compression applied to marble sheets with intentionally fabricated cracks.The speckle patterns of the rock samples under different loading conditions are recorded in real time by a digital camera.To calculate the deformation fields of the deliberately cracked marble sheets during different stages of the loading processes,the recorded images are processed by the digital image correlation method.The distribution and variation of the displacement and strain are further analyzed in order to understand the strain localization of and observed damage in the experimental fracture zones.Finally,we compare these laboratory results with the GPS-observed coseismic displacements during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake,to assess the consistency between our laboratory observations and the field observations of the earthquake,but also to suggest how laboratory results can improve thinking about how earthquake patterns do and do not reflect fault patterns.
基金The research was sponsored bythe keyresearch project entitled"Seismic Safety Evaluation and Structural Earthquake Resistance"under the 10th Five-Year Program of the ChinaEarthquake Administration the Joint Earthquake Science Foundation of China (0101302) Contribution number :2005A001 ,the Institute of Crustal Dynamics ,CEA.
文摘Segmentation of the thrust fault zone is a basic problem for earthquake hazard evaluation. The Yingjing-Mabian-Yanjin thrust fault zone is an important seismic belt NW-trending in the southeast margin of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) plateau. The longitudinal faults in the thrust zone are mainly of the thrust slipping type. The late Quaternary motion modes and displacement rates are quite different from north to south. Investigation on valleys across the fault shows that the transverse faults are mainly of dextral strike-slipping type with a bit dip displacement. Based on their connections with the longitudinal faults, three types of transverse faults are generalized, namely: the separate fault, the transform fault and the tear fault, and their functions in the segmentation of the thrust fault zone are compared. As the result, the Yingjing-Mabian-Yanjin thrust fault zone is divided into three segments, and earthquakes occurring in these three segments are compared. The tri-section of the Yingjing-Mabian-Yanjin thrust fault zone identified by transverse fault types reflects, on the one hand, the differences in slip rate, earthquake magnitude and pace from each segment, and the coherence of earthquake rupturing pace on the other hand. It demonstrates that the transverse faults control the segmentation to a certain degree, and each type of the transverse faults plays a different role.
文摘The surface deformation field induced by a listric thrust fault with a thick, overburden soil layer is studied in this paper by the finite element method (FEM). The results show: (a) The maximum slip induced by the buried fault is not located at upper tip of the fault, but below it. (b) The vertical displacement changes remarkably near the fault, forming a fault scarp. With the increase of the soil layer thickness, the height of the scarp is decreased for the same earthquake magnitude. (c) The strong strain zone on the surface is localized near the projection of the fault tip on the ground surface. The horizontal strains in the zone are in tension above the hanging wall and in compression above the foot wall, and the vertical strains in the zone are vice versa, which is favorable for tensile- shear, compression-shear fissures above hanging wall and foot wall, respectively.
文摘The Aegean area of the western Anatolian region of Turkey,controlled by the low-angle detachment normal fault system,forms an extensional province,the West Anatolian Extensional Province(WAEP).The tectonic deformation which occurred in the Miocene Period,including the Plio–Quaternary Period has created different structures in both the basement rocks and intra-basin deposits of the crust.One of these structures,high-angle normal faults,controls the supradetachment Soke-Kusadasi Basin(SKB).Within this basin,there are folds with different axes and thrust faults with a north-northwestnortheast(N,NW,NE)trend.These folds and thrust faults in the SKB deformed the sedimentary structures of intra-basin deposits.The folds and thrust faults,which caused the rotation of beddings and imbrications in the SKB,are mainly associated with the tectonic process of the low angle detachment normal fault,which affected the SKB and the Aegean part of western Anatolia.In the SKB,during the process of extensional deformation associated with primary low angle detachment normal faulting,the ramp-flat and inversion geometry observed in the basement rocks and basin deposits of the crust caused folds and thrust faults in only intra-basin deposits.In the WAEP,it is determined for the first time that the folds and thrust faults causing limited shortening deformed the Plio–Quaternary sediments.
文摘Based on the published focal mechanisms we have built the fault model of the main shocks of the 1976 Songpan earthquake sequence and calculated the coseismic Coulomb stress changes in the region. The results show that most of the aftershocks had occurred in the region where the Coulomb stresses had been increased, indicating a triggering relationship between the main shocks and the aftershocks. We also show that the first main shock (Ms = 7.2), which is a left-lateral slip event, had increased the Coulomb stresses by 5×105 Pa at the second main shock (a thrust event with Ms = 6.7). Therefore, we conclude that the first main shock had triggered the second main shock. The third main shock is also a left-lateral event, however, the triggering relationship between the third main shock and the previous two events is less obvious. General model calculations show that there is a good triggering relation- ship between adjacent left-lateral slip fault and thrust fault, but triggering between parallel slip faults is rather weak.
文摘The front of a thrust-detachment fault may have various styles such as decoupling, fold, forethrust and backthrust ones because of differences in magnitude, direction and time of the forces exerted on the fault and the inhomogeneity of rock mechanical properties. They have different characteristics and are usually associated with gravity structure, inverse structure and diapir structure. These structures exist together in the same thrust-detachment fault and can influence, compensate for and convert into each other. They provide important grounds not only for the study of the dynamic state, propagation mode, evolutionary process and formation mechanism but also for the analysis of the petroleum generation, migration, accumulation and preservation and arrangement of drill holes in foreland basins.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant No.41302159)
文摘Objective The uplift process and uplift mechanism of the Tibetan Plateau has been a research focus among geologists in recent years. This work put emphasis on the Cenozoic exhumation histories of the blocks bounded by the major faults at the central segment of the Longmenshan thrust belt, and the vertical faulting history, including the starting time and the total vertical displacement, of the major faults. Then we quantitatively established a complete active process for the central segment of the Longmenshan thrust belt, combining with the previous geophysical data in the deep and geologcial data. This study is critical for deeply and completely understanding the Cenozoic uplift history of the Longmenshan, and also provides thermochronology constraints to the different models for the uplift of the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.
文摘Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The east-west dextral-slip Gangdise fault system merges eastward into the northeast-trending, southeast-dipping Nyainqentanglha thrust system that swings eastward farther north into the dextral-slip North Damxung shear zone and Jiali faults. These faults were took shape by the Early Miocene, and the large Nyainqentanglha granitic batholith formed along the thrust system in 18.3-11.0 Ma as the western block drove under the eastern one. The dextral-slip movement ended at -11 Ma and the batholith rose, as marked by gravitational shearing at 8.6-8.3 Ma, and a new fault system developed. Northwest-trending dextral-slip faults formed to the northwest of the raisen batholith, whereas the northeast-trending South Damxung thrust faults with some sinistral-slip formed to the southeast. The latter are replaced farther to the east by the west-northwest-trending Lhtinzhub thrust faults with dextral-slip. This relatively local uplift that left adjacent Eocene and Miocene deposits preserved was followed by a regional uplift and the initiation of a system of generally north-south grabens in the Late Miocene at -6.5 Ma. The regional uplift of the southern Tibetan Plateau thus appears to have occurred between 8.3 Ma and 6.5 Ma. The Gulu, DamxungYangbajain and Angan graben systems that pass east of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains are locally controlled by the earlier northeast-trending faults. These grabens dominate the subsequent tectonic movement and are still very active as northwest-trending dextral-slip faults northwest of the mountains. The Miocene is a time of great tectonic change that ushered in the modern tectonic regime.
基金the project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41004037 and 41202235)
文摘Little attention had been paid to the intracontinental strike-slip faults of the Tibetan Plateau. Since the discovery of the Longriba fault using re-measured GPS data in 2003, an increasing amount of attention has been paid to this neglected fault. The local relief and transverse swath profile show that the Longriba fault is the boundary line that separates the high and flat tomography of the Tibet plateau from the high and precipitous tomography of Orogen. In addition, GPS data shows that the Longriba fault is the boundary line where the migratory direction of the Bayan Har block changed from eastward to southeastward. The GPS data shows that the Longriba fault is the boundary fault of the sub-blocks of the eastern Bayan Har block. We built three-dimensional models containing the Longriba fault and the middle segment of the Longmenshan fault, across the Bayan Har block and the Sichuan Basin. A nonlinear finite element method was used to simulate the fault behavior and the block deformation of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. The results show that the low resistivity and low velocity layer acts as a detachment layer, which causes the overlying blocks to move southeastward. The detachment layer also controls the vertical and horizontal deformation of the rigid Bayan Har block and leads to accumulation strain on the edge of the layer where the Longmenshan thrust is located. After a sufficient amount of strain has been accumulated on the Longmenshan fault, a large earthquake occurs, such as the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The strike slip activity of the Longriba fault, which is above the low resistivity and low velocity layer, partitions the lateral displacements of the Bayan Har block and adjusts the direction of motion of the Bayan Har block, from the eastward moving Ahba sub-block in the west to southeastward moving Longmenshan sub-block in the east. Four models with different depths to the Longriba fault were constructed: (1) a shallow fault with a depth of only 4 km, (2) a deeper fault that is half as deep as the Longmenshan fault, (3) a deep fault that is 2 km shallower than the low resistivity and low velocity layer, and (4) a fault that is as deep as the low resistivity and low velocity layer. The activity and influence of the Longriba fault with different development stage under this tectonic system were shown: in one Earthquake recurrence period, the rupture region of the fault increases with the depth of the fault, and the lateral slip partition by the fault also changes with the fault depth. It suggests that the Longriba fault is a newly generated fault that developed after the quick uplift in Late Cenozoic along this tectonic setting and gradually extended from the northwest to southeast. The calculations provide the characteristic of block deformation and fault behaviors of intra-continental strike-slip fault and major boundary thrust faults in the eastern margin of the Tibet plateau. Although the low resistivity and low velocity layer controls the deformation of the Bayan Hat block and the uplift of the Longmenshan thrust, the partition of the Longriba fault has an important influence on the intra-plate deformation and modern geomorphic evolution.
基金This research received financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant 40172076)the National Major Fundamental Research and Development Project(grant G1999043305)the National Key Project of the Ninth Five—Year Plan(grant 99—1111)
文摘The tectono-stratigraphic sequences of the Kuqa foreland fold-thrust belt in the northern Tarim basin, northwest China, can be divided into the Mesozoic sub-salt sequence, the Paleocene-Eocene salt sequence and the Oligocene-Quaternary supra-salt sequence. The salt sequence is composed mainly of light grey halite, gypsum, marl and brown elastics. A variety of salt-related structures have developed in the Kuqa foreland fold belt, in which the most fascinating structures are salt nappe complex. Based on field observation, seismic interpretation and drilling data, a large-scale salt nappe complex has been identified. It trends approximately east-west for over 200 km and occurs along the west Qiulitag Mountains. Its thrusting displacement is over 30 km. The salt nappe complex appears as an arcuate zone projecting southwestwards along the leading edge of the Kuqa foreland fold belt. The major thrust fault is developed along the Paleocene-Eocene salt beds. The allochthonous nappes comprise large north-dipping faulting monoclines which are made up of Paleocene-Pliocene sediments. Geological analysis and cross-section restoration revealed that the salt nappes were mainly formed at the late Himalayan stage (c.a. 1.64 Ma BP) and have been active until the present day. Because of inhomogeneous thrusting, a great difference may exist in thrust displacement, thrust occurrence, superimposition of allochthonous and autochthonous sequences and the development of the salt-related structures, which indicates the segmentation along the salt nappes. Regional compression, gravitational gliding and spreading controlled the formation and evolution of the salt nappe complex in the Kuqa foreland fold belt.