Co-seismic Faults and Geological Hazards and Incidence of Active Fault of Wenchuan Ms 8.0 Earthquake,Sichuan,China

There are two co-seismic faults which developed when the Wenchuan earthquake happened. One occurred along the active fault zone in the central Longmen Mts. and the other in the front of Longmen Mts. The length of which is more than 270 kin and about 80 km respectively. The co-seismic fault shows a reverse flexure belt with strike of N45°-60°E in the ground, which caused uplift at its northwest side and subsidence at the southeast. The fault face dips to the northwest with a dip angle ranging from 50° to 60°. The vertical offset of the co-seismic fault ranges 2.5-3.0 m along the Yingxiu- Beichuan co-seismic fault, and 1.5-1.1 m along the Doujiangyan-Hanwang fault. Movement of the coseismic fault presents obvious segmented features along the active fault zone in central Longmen Mts. For instance, in the section from Yingxiu to Leigu town, thrust without evident slip occurred; while from Beichuan to Qingchuan, thrust and dextral strike-slip take place. Main movement along the front Longmen Mts. shows thrust without slip and segmented features. The area of earthquake intensity more than IX degree and the distribution of secondary geological hazards occurred along the hanging wall of co-seismic faults, and were consistent with the area of aftershock, and its width is less than 40km from co-seismic faults in the hanging wall. The secondary geological hazards, collapses, landslides, debris flows et al., concentrated in the hanging wall of co-seismic fault within 0-20 km from co-seismic fault.

Co-seismic fault geometry and slip distribution of the 26 December 2004, giant Sumatra–Andaman earthquake constrained by GPS, coral reef, and remote sensing data

We analyze co-seismic displacement field of the 26 December 2004, giant Sumatra–Andaman earthquake derived from Global Position System observations,geological vertical measurement of coral head, and pivot line observed through remote sensing. Using the co-seismic displacement field and AK135 spherical layered Earth model, we invert co-seismic slip distribution along the seismic fault. We also search the best fault geometry model to fit the observed data. Assuming that the dip angle linearly increases in downward direction, the postfit residual variation of the inversed geometry model with dip angles linearly changing along fault strike are plotted. The geometry model with local minimum misfits is the one with dip angle linearly increasing along strike from 4.3oin top southernmost patch to 4.5oin top northernmost path and dip angle linearly increased. By using the fault shape and geodetic co-seismic data, we estimate the slip distribution on the curved fault. Our result shows that the earthquake ruptured ＊200-km width down to a depth of about 60 km.0.5–12.5 m of thrust slip is resolved with the largest slip centered around the central section of the rupture zone78N–108N in latitude. The estimated seismic moment is8.2 9 1022 N m, which is larger than estimation from the centroid moment magnitude（4.0 9 1022 N m）, and smaller than estimation from normal-mode oscillation data modeling（1.0 9 1023 N m）.

Field survey and analysis on near-fault severely damaged high-speed railway bridge in 2022 M6.9 Menyuan earthquake

The 2022 M6.9 Menyuan earthquake caused severe damage to a high-speed railway bridge,which was designed for high-speed trains running at speeds of above 250 km/h and is located right next to the fault.Bridges of this type have been widely used for rapidly constructing the high-speed railway network,but few bridges have been tested by near-fault devastating earthquakes.The potential severe impact of the earthquake on the high-speed railway is not only the safety of the infrastructure,trains and passengers,but also economic loss due to interrupted railway use.Therefore,a field survey was carried out immediately after the earthquake to collect time-sensitive data.The damage to the bridge was carefully investigated,and quantitative analyses were conducted to better understand the mechanism of the bridge failure.It was found that seismic action perpendicular to the bridge’s longitudinal direction caused severe damage to the girders and rails,while none of the piers showed obvious deformation or cracking.The maximum values of transverse displacement,out-of-plane rotation and twisting angle of girders reached 212.6 cm,3.1 degrees and 19.9 degrees,respectively,causing severe damage to the bearing supports and anti-seismic retaining blocks.These observations provide a basis for improving the seismic design of high-speed railway bridges located in near-fault areas.

The 2023 M_(w)6.8 Adassil Earthquake(Chichaoua,Morocco)on a steep reverse fault in the deep crust and its geodynamic implications

The Mw 6.8 Adassil earthquake that occurred in the High Atlas on September 8,2023,was a catastrophic event that provided a rare opportunity to study the mechanics of deep crustal seismicity.This research aimed to decipher the rupture characteristics of the Adassil earthquake by analyzing teleseismic waveform data in conjunction with interferometric synthetic aperture radar(InSAR)observations from both ascending and descending orbits.Our analysis revealed a reverse fault mechanism with a centroid depth of approximately 28 km,exceeding the typical range for crustal earthquakes.This result suggests the presence of cooler temperatures in the lower crust,which facilitates the accumulation of tectonic stress.The earthquake exhibited a steep reverse mechanism,dipping at 70°,accompanied by minor strike-slip motion.Within the geotectonic framework of the High Atlas,known for its volcanic legacy and resulting thermal irregularities,we investigated the potential contributions of these factors to the initiation of the Adassil earthquake.Deep seismicity within the lower crust,away from plate boundaries,calls for extensive research to elucidate its implications for regional seismic hazard assessment.Our findings highlight the critical importance of studying and preparing for significant seismic events in similar geological settings,which would provide valuable insights into regional seismic hazard assessments and geodynamic paradigms.

Preliminary report of coseismic surface rupture(part)of Türkiye's M_(W)7.8 earthquake by remote sensing interpretation

Both M_(W) 7.8 and M_(W) 7.5 earthquakes occurred in southeastern Türkiye on February 6,2023,resulting in numerous buildings collapsing and serious casualties.Understanding the distribution of coseismic surface ruptures and secondary disasters surrounding the epicentral area is important for post-earthquake emergency and disaster assessments.High-resolution Maxar and GF-2 satellite data were used after the events to extract the location of the rupture surrounding the first epicentral area.The results show that the length of the interpreted surface rupture zone(part of)is approximately 75 km,with a coseismic sinistral dislocation of 2-3 m near the epicenter;however,this reduced to zero at the tip of the southwest section of the East Anatolia Fault Zone.Moreover,dense soil liquefaction pits were triggered along the rupture trace.These events are in the western region of the Eurasian Seismic Belt and result from the subduction and collision of the Arabian and African Plates toward the Eurasian Plate.The western region of the Chinese mainland and its adjacent areas are in the eastern section of the Eurasian Seismic Belt,where seismic activity is controlled by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian Plates.Both China and Türkiye have independent tectonic histories.

Dextral-Slip Thrust Faulting and Seismic Events of the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake,Longmenshan Mountains,Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Dextral-slip thrust movement of the Songpan-Garze terrain over the Sichuan block caused the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008 and offset the Central Longmenshan Fault （CLF） along a distance of -250 km. Displacement along the CLF changes from Yingxiu to Qingchuan. The total oblique slip of up to 7.6 m in Yingxiu near the epicenter of the earthquake, decreases northeastward to 5.3 m, 6.6 m, 4.4 m, 2.5 m and 1.1 m in Hongkou, Beichuan, Pingtong, Nanba and Qingchuan, respectively. This offset apparently occurred during a sequence of four reported seismic events, EQ1-EQ4, which were identified by seismic inversion of the source mechanism. These events occurred in rapid succession as the fault break propagated northeastward during the earthquake. Variations in the plunge of slickensides along the CLF appear to match these events. The Mw 7.5 EQ1 event occurred during the first 0-10 s along the Yingxiu-Hongkou section of the CLF and is characterized by 1.7 m vertical slip and vertical slickensides. The Mw 8.0 EQ2 event, which occurred during the next 10-42 s along the Yingxiu-Yanziyan section of the CLF, is marked by major dextralslip with minor thrust and slickensides plunging 25°-35° southwestward. The Mw 7.5 EQ3 event occurred during the following 42-60 s and resulted in dextral-slip and slickensides plunging 10° southwestward in Beichuan and plunging 73° southwestward in Hongkou. The Mw 7.7 EQ4 event, which occurred during the final 60-95 s along the Beichuan-Qingchuan section of the CLF, is characterized by nearly equal values of dextral and vertical slips with slickensides plunging 45°-50° southwestward. These seismic events match and evidently controlled the concentrations of landslide dams caused by the Wenchuan earthquake in Longmenshan Mountains.

Reduction of structural response to near fault earthquakes by seismic isolation columns and variable friction dampers

This paper focuses on the investigation of a hybrid seismic isolation system with passive variable friction dampers for protection of structures against near fault earthquakes. The seismic isolation can be implemented by replacing the conventional columns fixed to the foundations by seismic isolating ones. These columns allow horizontal displacement between the superstructure and the foundations and decouple the building from the damaging earthquake motion. As a result, the forces in the structural elements decrease and damage that may be caused to the building by the earthquake significantly decreases. However, this positive effect is achieved on account of displacements occurring in the isolating columns. These displacements become very large when the structure is subjected to a strong earthquake. In this case, impact may occur between the parts of the isolating column yielding their damage or collapse. In order to limit the displacements in the isolating columns, it is proposed to add variable friction dampers. A method for selecting the dampers＇ properties is proposed. It is carried out using an artificial ground motion record and optimal active control algorithm. Numerical simulation of a sevenstory structure shows that the proposed method allows efficient reduction in structural response and limits the displacements at the seismic isolating columns.

Wenchuan earthquake fault and seismic disaster

Major cases of the Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake are obtained through field investigations of the epicenter and high-intensity areas, and the relationships among earthquake faults, ground motion and earthquake disasters near fault zones are analyzed. Both strong deformation and ground rupture lead to significant damages of the buildings, indicating that it is necessary to keep safe distance away from active faults and to take other necessary measures. There are two reasons for that the buildings near the surface rupture zones have withstood in the strong earthquake, other than their seismic resistance capacities, with the first being the site condition, and the second the reduced effective stress and low rupture velocity. The forms of structural damages are complex in the fault areas, with shear failure and tensile and compressive damages. Those structures in urban areas that have used qualified materials and followed the building codes performed well in the earthquake. Survey results also indicate that structures of flexible materials may show better seismic performance.

Late-Quaternary Slip Rate and Seismic Activity of the Xianshuihe Fault Zone in Southwest China

The Xianshuihe fault zone is a seismo-genetic fault zone of left-lateral slip in Southwest China. Since 1725, a total of 59 Ms ≥ 5.0 earthquakes have occurred along this fault zone, including 18 Ms 6.0–6.9 and eight Ms ≥ 7.0 earthquakes. The seismic risk of the Xianshuihe fault zone is a large and realistic threat to the western Sichuan economic corridor. Based on previous studies, we carried out field geological survey and remote sensing interpretation in the fault zone. In addition, geophysical surveys, trenching and age-dating were conducted in the key parts to better understand the geometry, spatial distribution and activity of the fault zone. We infer to divide the fault zone into two parts： the northwest part and the southeast part, with total eight segments. Their Late Quaternary slip rates vary in a range of 11.5 mm/a –（3±1） mm/a. The seismic activities of the Xianshuihe fault zone are frequent and strong, periodical, and reoccurred. Combining the spatial and temporal distribution of the historical earthquakes, the seismic hazard of the Xianshuihe fault zone has been predicted by using the relationship between magnitude and frequency of earthquakes caused by different fault segments. The prediction results show that the segment between Daofu and Qianning has a possibility of Ms ≥ 7.0 earthquakes, while the segment between Shimian and Luding is likely to have earthquakes of about Ms 7.0. It is suggested to establish a GPS or In SAR-based real-time monitoring network of surface displacement to cover the Xianshuihe fault zone, and an early warning system of earthquakes and post seismic geohazards to cover the major residential areas.

Offshore Fault Geometrics in the Pearl River Estuary,Southeastern China:Evidence from Seismic Reflection Data

The Pearl River Estuary(PRE) is located at the onshore-offshore transition zone between South China and South China Sea Basin, and it is of great significant value in discussing tectonic relationships between South China block and South China Sea block and seismic activities along the offshore active faults in PRE. However, the researches on geometric characteristics of offshore faults in this area are extremely lacking. To investigate the offshore fault distribution and their geometric features in the PRE in greater detail, we acquired thirteen seismic reflection profiles in 2015. Combining the analysis of the seismic reflection and free-air gravity anomaly data, this paper revealed the location, continuity, and geometry of the littoral fault zone and other offshore faults in PRE. The littoral fault zone is composed of the major Dangan Islands fault and several parallel, high-angle, normal faults, which mainly trend northeast to northeast-to-east and dip to the southeast with large displacements. The fault zone is divided into three different segments by the northwest-trending faults. Moreover, the basement depth around Dangan Islands is very shallow, while it suddenly increases along the islands westward and southward. These has resulted in the islands and neighboring areas becoming the places where the stress accumulates easily. The seismogenic pattern of this area is closely related to the comprehensive effect of intersecting faults together with the low velocity layer.

Fault zone structures of northern and southern portions of the main central fault generated by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake using fault zone trapped waves

The rupture process of the May 12, 2008 Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake was very complex. To study the rupture zones generated by this earthquake, four dense temporary seismic arrays across the two surface breaking traces of the main-shock were deployed in July and recorded a great amount of aftershocks. This paper focuses on the data interpretation of two arrays across the central main fault, the northern array line 1 and southern array line 3. The fault zone trapped waves recorded by the two arrays were used to study the structure of the central main fault and the difference between the northern and southern portions. The results show that the widths of the rupture zone are about 170-200 m and 200-230 m for northern and southern portions respectively. And the corresponding dip angles are 80° and 70°. The seismic velocity inside the fracture zone is about one half of the host rock. By comparison, the northern portion of the rupture zone is slightly narrower and steeper than the southern portion. Besides these differences, one more interesting and important difference is the positions of the rupture zone with respect to surface breaking traces. At the northern portion, the rupture zone is centered at the surface breaking trace, while at the southern portion it is not but is shifted to the northwest. This difference reflects the difference of rupture behaviors between two portions of the central main fault. The width of the rupture zone is smaller than that of MS.1 Kunlun earthquake though these two earthquakes have almost the same magnitudes. Multiple ruptures may be one factor to cause the narrower rupture zone.

Three-dimensional crustal movement and the activities of earthquakes,volcanoes and faults in Hainan Island,China

Hainan Island is a seismic active region, where Qiongshan M7.5 earthquake occurred in 1605 and several seismic belts appeared in recent years, especially the NS trending seismic belt （NSB） located in the northeast part of the island. Here is also a magmatic active region. The lava from about 100 volcanoes covered more than 4000 km^2. The latest eruptions occurred on Ma＇anling-Lei Huling volcanoes within 10,000 years. The neotectonic movement has been determined by geological method in the island and its adjacent areas. In the paper, the present-day 3D crustal movement is obtained by using Global Positioning System （GPS） data observed from 2009 to 2014 and leveling observations measured in 1970s and 1990s respectively. The results show the horizontal movement is mainly along SEE direction relative to the Eurasian Plate. The velocities are between 4.01 and 6.70 mm/a. The tension rate near the NSB is less than I mm/a. The vertical movement shows the island uplifts as a whole with respect to the reference benchmark Xiuyinggang. The average uplifting rate is 2.4 mm/a. The rates are 2-3 mm/a in the northwest and 3-5mm/a in the northwest. It shows the deformation pattern of the southwest island is upward relative to the northeast, which is different from the result inferred from the coastal change and GPS. Haikou and its adjacent region present a subsidence in a long time. The southern part of the middle segment of the Wangwu-Wenjiao fault uplifts relative to the northern. Meanwhile, the western part uplifts relative to the eastern NSB. The vertical crustal motion and the two normal faults nearly correspond to the terrain. The NSB is located along the Puqiangang-Dazhibo fault, which is assessed as a segmented fault with a dip of 80°-90° and party exposed. The 3D deformations and other studies reveal the present activities of earthquakes, volcanoes and the faults. The small earthquakes will still occur in the NS belt and the volcanoes are not active now.

The slip rate and strong earthquake recurrence interval on the Qianning-Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone

The geometry of the Qianning-Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone is quite complex, and it is composed of four secondary-faults, i.e., the Yalahe fault, Selaha-Kangding fault, Zeduotang fault and Moxi fault. On this segment, three strong earthquakes with M(7.0 occurred in 1725, 1786 and 1955, respectively. Based on a study of fault landform and geochronology (14C and Thermoluminesense), this paper documents the average horizontal slip rates during the late-Quaternary on all the secondary-faults of the Qianning-Kangding segment as follows: Yalahe fault: (2.0(0.2) mm/a; Selaha-Kangding fault: (5.5(0.6) mm/a; Zeduotang fault: (3.6(0.3) mm/a; Moxi fault: (9.9(0.6) mm/a. The results from the investigation of surface ruptures of historical earthquakes, coseismic-slip and paleo-earthquakes show that the strong-earthquake recurrence intervals are thousands of years on the Yalahe fault, and 230 to 350 years on the Selaha-Kangding and Zeduotang faults. In the next one hundred years, the recurrence of a strong-earthquake on these faults appears impossible. However, the strong-earthquake recurrence interval on the Moxi fault is about 300 years. Up to now, it has been 214 years since the last earthquake (magnitude 7) occurred in 1786, therefore, this fault is now approaching the condition favorable for the next strong earthquake recurrence.

Fault-zone trapped waves at Muyu in Wenchuan earthquake region

Trapped waves in the Qingchuan fault zone were observed at Muyu near the northeastern end of the fractured zone of the Wenchuan Ms8. 0 earthquake. The results indicate a fault-zone width of about 200 m and a great difference in physical property of the crust on different sides of the fault. The inferred location of crustal changes is consistent with land-form boundary on the surface

Applications of seismic moment tensor inversion in fast response to earthquakes

Using the technique of seismic moment tensor inversion, the source mechanisms of 10 earthquakes with Ms5.2that occurred in China from November 1996 to January 1998 were determined rapidly. The determined resultswere sent as 'Bulletins of Source Mechanism Parameters of Earthquakes' to the Seismic Regime Guards' Office,China Seismological Bureau, and the relevant provincial seismological bureaus. These bulletins have played rolein the fast response to large earthquakes.

Effect of near-fault earthquake on bridges:lessons learned from Chi-Chi earthquake

The objective of this paper is to describe the lessons learned and actions that have been taken related to the seismic design of bridge structures after the Chi-Chi,Taiwan earthquake.Much variable near-fault ground motion data was collected from the rupture of Chelungpu fault during the Chi-Chi earthquake,allowing the seismic response of bridge structures subjected to these near-fault ground motions to be carefully examined.To study the near-fault ground motion effect on bridge seismic design codes,a two-level seismic design of bridge structures was developed and implemented.This design code reflects the near-fault factors in the seismic design forces.Finally,a risk assessment methodology,based on bridge vulnerability,is also developed to assist in decisions for reducing seismic risk due to failure of bridges.

The stress field variation caused by faulting and the prediction for seismic risk

The stress field caused by faulting has an effect on the stability of the neighboring faults, and the study on the fault interaction has a close relation with the prediction of seismic risk. Stress field caused by the rectangle fault in the semi-infinite elastic medium is calculated on the basis of the elastic dislocation theory. The result shows that most of the successive large earthquakes, in the southwestern part of China and North China, occurred in the increasing area of shear stress S(xy) and the decreasing area of normal stress S(yy) The increasing of earthquake occurrence probability has a function relation with the increasing of stress. Earthquake triggering is resulted from the increasing of shear stress and the decreasing of normal stress. An activation coefficient A, of the earthquake is defined to express the change of seismic activity. The concrete risk region can be obtained through space scanning of At value. Finally, the fault interaction in a large scope is discussed in this paper.

Spatial-temporal characterization of the San Andreas Fault by fault-zone trapped waves at seismic experiment site,Parkfield,California

In this article,we review our previous research for spatial and temporal characterizations of the San Andreas Fault(SAF)at Parkfield,using the fault-zone trapped wave(FZTW)since the middle 1980s.Parkfield,California has been taken as a scientific seismic experimental site in the USA since the 1970s,and the SAF is the target fault to investigate earthquake physics and forecasting.More than ten types of field experiments(including seismic,geophysical,geochemical,geodetic and so on)have been carried out at this experimental site since then.In the fall of 2003,a pair of scientific wells were drilled at the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth(SAFOD)site;the main-hole(MH)passed a~200-m-wide low-velocity zone(LVZ)with highly fractured rocks of the SAF at a depth of~3.2 km below the wellhead on the ground level(Hickman et al.,2005;Zoback,2007;Lockner et al.,2011).Borehole seismographs were installed in the SAFOD MH in 2004,which were located within the LVZ of the fault at~3-km depth to probe the internal structure and physical properties of the SAF.On September 282004,a M6 earthquake occurred~15 km southeast of the town of Parkfield.The data recorded in the field experiments before and after the 2004 M6 earthquake provided a unique opportunity to monitor the co-mainshock damage and post-seismic heal of the SAF associated with this strong earthquake.This retrospective review of the results from a sequence of our previous experiments at the Parkfield SAF,California,will be valuable for other researchers who are carrying out seismic experiments at the active faults to develop the community seismic wave velocity models,the fault models and the earthquake forecasting models in global seismogenic regions.

Co-seismic displacements of 2011 Japan Mw9.0 earthquake recorded by far-field GPS stations

Co-seismic displacements of the 2011 Mw9.0 Japan earthquake recorded by GPS stations in China and surrounding areas showed a movement toward the epicenter. The horizontal displacements were up to 1 - 3 cm in northeastern China, 3 -8 mm in the North China, and 2 cm in the Korean peninsula. The vertical movements in China were small uplifts.

Seismogenic Structure around the Epicenter of the May 12,2008 Wenchuan Earthquake from Micro-seismic Tomography

A three-dimensional local-scale P-velocity model down to 25 km depth around the main shock epicenter region was constructed using 83821 event-to-receiver seismic rays from 5856 aftershocks recorded by a newly deployed temporary seismic network. Checkerboard tests show that our tomographic model has lateral and vertical resolution of -2 km. The high-resolution P-velocity model revealed interesting structures in the seismogenic layer： （1） The Guanxian-Anxian fault, Yingxiu-Beichuan fault and Wenchuan-Maoxian fault of the Longmen Shan fault zone are well delineated by sharp upper crustal velocity changes; （2） The Pengguan massif has generally higher velocity than its surrounding areas, and may extend down to at least -10 km from the surface; （3） A sharp lateral velocity variation beneath the Wenchuan-Maoxian fault may indicate that the Pengguan massif＇s western boundary and/or the Wenchuan-Maoxian fault is vertical, and the hypocenter of the Wenchuan earthquake possibly located at the conjunction point of the NW dipping Yingxiu-Beichuan and Guanxian-Anxian faults, and vertical Wenchuan-Maoxian fault; （4） Vicinity along the Yingxiu- Beichuan fault is characterized by very low velocity and low seismicity at shallow depths, possibly due to high content of porosity and fractures; （5） Two blocks of low-velocity anomaly are respectively imaged in the hanging wall and foot wall of the Guanxian-Anxian fault with a -7 km offset with -5 km vertical component.