A quantitative research for present-time crustal motion in Fujian Province, China and its marginal sea── Synthetical analysis of GPS measurement, fault deformation survey, leveling and focal mechanism solution

Based on the Chinese mainland GPS network (1994~1996), Fujian GPS network (1995~1997), cross fault deformation network (1982-1998), precise leveling network (1973~1980) and focal mechanism solutions of the recent several tens years, we synthetically and quantitatively studied the present-time crustal motion of the southeast coast of Chinese mainland-Fujian and its marginal sea. We find that this area with its mainland together moves toward SE with a rather constant velocity of 11 .2±3.0 mm/a. At the same time, there is a motion from the Quanzhou bay pointing to hinterland, with a major orientation of NW, extending toward two sides, and with an average velocity of 3.0±2.6 mm/a. The faults orienting NE show compressing motions, and the ones orienting NW show extending motions. The present-time strain field derived from crustal deformation is consistent with seismic stress field derived from the focal mechanism solutions and the tectonic stress field derived from geology data. The principal stress of compression orients NW (NWW) - SE (SEE). Demarcated by the NW orienting faults of the Quanzhou bay and Jinjiang-Yongan, the crustal motions show regional characteristics f the southwest of Fujian and the boundary of Fujian and Guangdong are areas of rising, the northeast of Fujian are areas of sinking. The horizontal strain rate and the fault motion of the former are both greater than the later. The side-transferring motion of Hymalaya collision zone and the compression of the west pacific subduction zone affect the motion of the research area. The amount of motion affected by the former is larger than the later, but the former is homogeneous and the later is not, which indicates that the events of strong earthquakes in this region relate more directly with western pacific subduction zone.

Crustal Motion Characteristics in the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau and Adjacent Regions after the Wenchuan Earthquake

The Wenchuan earthquake has altered the crustal motion characteristics in the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions.Using discontinuous GPS survey data for 2008–2012, the velocity field for the Eurasia reference framework has been obtained, and the general trend of contemporary crustal motion after the occurrence of the Wenchuan earthquake has been studied.In addition, using the velocity field, the block movement velocity has been estimated by least-squares fitting.Furthermore, the properties and displacement rates of main faults have been obtained from the differences in velocity vectors of the blocks on both sides of the faults.The results reveal that there are no obvious changes in the general characteristics of crustal motion in this area after the Wenchuan earthquake.The earthquake mainly changed the rate of the movement of the Chuan-Qing block and caused variation in the movement direction of the South China block.The effect of the earthquake on faults is mainly reflected in variations in fault displacement velocity; there is no fundamental change in the properties of fault activity.The displacement rates of the Xianshuihe fault decreased by 3–4 mm/a, the Longmenshan fault increased by 9–10 mm/a, and the northern segment of the Anninghe fault increased by approximately 9 mm/a.Furthermore, the displacement rates of the Minjiang, Xueshan, Huya, Longquanshan, and Xinjin faults increased by 2–3 mm/a.This implies that the effects of the Wenchuan earthquake on crustal movement can mainly be observed in the Chuan-Qing, South China, and N-Chuan-Dian blocks and their internal faults, as well as the Xianshuihe and Longmenshan faults and the northern section of the Anninghe fault.The reason for this is that the Wenchuan earthquake disturbed the kinematic and dynamic balance in the region.

Sinian hydrocarbon accumulation conditions and exploration potential at the northwest margin of the Yangtze region, China

Based on outcrop, drilling, logging and seismic data, the reservoir forming conditions, reservoir forming model and exploration potential of the ultra-deep Sinian Dengying Formation at the northwest margin of Yangtze craton region were examined.(1) This area is in craton rifting stage from Sinian to Early Cambrian, characterized by syn-sedimentary faults and rapid subsidence, significant sedimentary differences, and development of Dengying Formation platform margins on both sides of the rift.(2) The Sinian–Cambrian in this area has two sets of high-quality source rocks, Doushantuo Formation and Maidiping-Qiongzhusi Formation;of which, the latter has a thickness of 150–600 m and hydrocarbon generation intensity of(100-200)×10;m;/km;.(3) The mounds and shoals in the platform margin of Sinian Dengying Formation controlled by faults are thick and distributed in rows and zones;they are reformed by contemporaneous–quasi-contemporaneous and supergene karstification jointly, forming pore-type reservoirs with a thickness of 200-400 m.(4) The two sets of source rocks enter oil generation windows from Permian to Early Triassic, and the oil migrates a short distance to the lithologic traps of mounds and shoals to form a huge scale paleo-oil reservoir group;from Late Triassic to Jurassic, the oil in the paleo-oil reservoirs is cracked into gas, laying the foundation of present natural gas reservoirs.(5) The mound-shoal body at the platform margin of Dengying Formation and the two sets of high-quality source rocks combine into several types of favorable source-reservoir combinations, which, with the advantage of near-source and high-efficiency reservoir formation, and can form large lithologic gas reservoirs. The Mianyang-Jiange area is a potential large gas field with trillion cubic meters of reserves. According to seismic prediction, the Laoguanmiao structure in this area has the Deng-2 Member mound-shoal reservoir of about 1300 km^(2), making it a ultra-deep target worthy of exploration in the near future.