Intelligent identification method and application of seismic faults based on a balanced classification network

This study combined fault identification with a deep learning algorithm and applied a convolutional neural network(CNN)design based on an improved balanced crossentropy(BCE)loss function to address the low accuracy in the intelligent identification of seismic faults and the slow training speed of convolutional neural networks caused by unbalanced training sample sets.The network structure and optimal hyperparameters were determined by extracting feature maps layer by layer and by analyzing the results of seismic feature extraction.The BCE loss function was used to add the parameter which is the ratio of nonfaults to the total sample sets,thereby changing the loss function to find the reference of the minimum weight parameter and adjusting the ratio of fault to nonfault data.The method overcame the unbalanced number of sample sets and improved the iteration speed.After a brief training,the accuracy could reach more than 95%,and gradient descent was evident.The proposed method was applied to fault identification in an oilfield area.The trained model can predict faults clearly,and the prediction results are basically consistent with an actual case,verifying the effectiveness and adaptability of the method.

Recent Crustal Stress Field and Dislocation Along Seismic Faults in the East China Region

A statistic analysis of the characteristics of recent tectonic stress fields in the East China region was performed using 143 sets of data of single focal mechanical solutions of moderate and small earthquakes and 17 sets of data of composite focal mechanism solutions. The result shows that at present the East China region is controlled by an ENE-（ about 80°） oriented principal compressive and NNW-（about 350°） oriented principal tensile stress field. The effect mode of the principal stress is mainly horizontal and sub-horizontal. In a background of basic consistency of the direction and effect mode of stress field, the existence of different seismotectonic zones may be related to the distribution of major active faults in the relevant areas. It indicates the effect and control of the existing structures on the seismic dislocation. Analysis of focal mechanism solution data of recent moderate and small earthquakes and directions of long axes of isoseismal contours of historic moderate and strong earthquakes and recent felt earthquakes indicates that seismic rupture and dislocation in East China region occurred mainly along the faults in NE and NW directions, and sometimes in NNE, ENE, WNW or near-WE directions. Movement along the seismic faults is mainly strike-slip or nearstrike-slip, with a less oblique slip component. Regional difference in dislocation modes exist along the seismic faults. The historical moderate and strong earthquakes in East China produced mainly NE-trending ruptures and dislocations, while the recent earthquakes produced NW-SE ruptures and dislocations in the land region and NE and NW ones in the sea areas.

Implications for fault reactivation and seismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing

Evaluating the physical mechanisms that link hydraulic fracturing(HF) operations to induced earthquakes and the anticipated form of the resulting events is significant in informing subsurface fluid injection operations. Current understanding supports the overriding role of the effective stress magnitude in triggering earthquakes, while the impact of change rate of effective stress has not been systematically addressed. In this work, a modified critical stiffness was brought up to investigate the likelihood, impact,and mitigation of induced seismicity during and after hydraulic fracturing by developing a poroelastic model based on rate-and-state fraction law and linear stability analysis. In the new criterion, the change rate of effective stress was considered a key variable to explore the evolution of this criterion and hence the likelihood of instability slip of fault. A coupled fluid flow-deformation model was used to represent the entire hydraulic fracturing process in COMSOL Multiphysics. The possibility of triggering an earthquake throughout the entire hydraulic fracturing process, from fracturing to cessation, was investigated considering different fault locations, orientations, and positions along the fault. The competition between the effects of the magnitude and change rate of effective stress was notable at each fracturing stage. The effective stress magnitude is a significant controlling factor during fracturing events, with the change rate dominating when fracturing is suddenly started or stopped. Instability dominates when the magnitude of the effective stress increases(constant injection at each fracturing stage) and the change rate of effective stress decreases(the injection process is suddenly stopped). Fracturing with a high injection rate, a fault adjacent to the hydraulic fracturing location and the position of the junction between the reservoir and fault are important to reduce the Coulomb failure stress(CFS) and enhance the critical stiffness as the significant disturbance of stresses at these positions in the coupled process. Therefore,notable attention should be given to the injection rate during fracturing, fault position, and position along faults as important considerations to help reduce the potential for induced seismicity. Our model was verified and confirmed using the case of the Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China, in which the reported microseismic data were correlated with high critical stiffness values. This work supplies new thoughts of the seismic risk associated with HF engineering.

Seismic active faults in the northwestern Beijing by seismic tomography

Using the arrival times of 197 earthquakes well recorded by the Beijing Seismic Network and the China-Germany cooperative Yanqing Digital Seismic Array in the period from October of 2001 to December of 2005, we accurately relocate these earthquakes by the joint-inversion program for hypocentral position and 3-D velocity structure The distribution of hypocenters shows that there are two major seismic active belts in the northwestern Beijing. The first belt stretches from Qinghe, Wenquan to the NW direction and the second extends from Nankou, Changping to the ENE direction.

Review of Artificial Intelligence for Oil and Gas Exploration: Convolutional Neural Network Approaches and the U-Net 3D Model

Deep learning, especially through convolutional neural networks (CNN) such as the U-Net 3D model, has revolutionized fault identification from seismic data, representing a significant leap over traditional methods. Our review traces the evolution of CNN, emphasizing the adaptation and capabilities of the U-Net 3D model in automating seismic fault delineation with unprecedented accuracy. We find: 1) The transition from basic neural networks to sophisticated CNN has enabled remarkable advancements in image recognition, which are directly applicable to analyzing seismic data. The U-Net 3D model, with its innovative architecture, exemplifies this progress by providing a method for detailed and accurate fault detection with reduced manual interpretation bias. 2) The U-Net 3D model has demonstrated its superiority over traditional fault identification methods in several key areas: it has enhanced interpretation accuracy, increased operational efficiency, and reduced the subjectivity of manual methods. 3) Despite these achievements, challenges such as the need for effective data preprocessing, acquisition of high-quality annotated datasets, and achieving model generalization across different geological conditions remain. Future research should therefore focus on developing more complex network architectures and innovative training strategies to refine fault identification performance further. Our findings confirm the transformative potential of deep learning, particularly CNN like the U-Net 3D model, in geosciences, advocating for its broader integration to revolutionize geological exploration and seismic analysis.

Study of fault configuration related mysteries through multi seismic attribute analysis technique in Zamzama gas field area,southern Indus Basin,Pakistan

Seismic attribute analysis approach has been applied for the interpretation and identification of fault geometry of Zamzama Gas Field. Zamzama gas field area, which lies in the vicinity of Kirthar fold and thrust belt, Southern Indus Basin of Pakistan. The Zamzama fault and its related structure have been predicted by applying the Average Energy Attribute, Instantaneous Frequency Attribute, relative Acoustic Impedance Attribute and Chaotic Reflection Attribute on the seismic line GHPK98 A.34. The results have been confirmed by applying the spectral decomposition attribute on the same seismic line that reveal the geometric configuration of Zamzama structure. The fault is reverse and started from 0 s and ended at the depth of 2.5 s on the vertical seismic section. Hanging wall moves up along the fault plane under the action of eastward oriented stress, which formed a large northesouth oriented and eastward verging thrusted anticline.

Simulation by Dislocation Model and Anomaly Property Determination of Huge Leveling Deformation at Linfen Seismic Station

In this study,under the assumption that the two huge leveling deformation anomalies at Linfen seismic station were caused by the Luoyunshan fault( Tumen-Yuli section)movement, we computed the vertical deformation field distribution based on the rectangular fault dislocation model and measured the ground deformation field of the study area using D-InS AR technology. The results are as follows:( 1) Theoretically,the ground vertical deformation field caused by fault movement could be within the elliptical deformation area with the long axis parallel to the fault strike. The largest deformation region is located in the center of the area in the hanging wall of the fault,and the deformation gradually decreases to zero toward the periphery; the impact range induced by the two deformations is respectively as follows: The long axes are about 18 km and26km,the short axes are about 12 km and 17 km and the obvious deformation amplitude is about 1- 3mm and 4- 14 mm.( 2) The measured deformation field by D-InS AR shows that there is no continuous deformation area consistent with the fault strike,and only the presence of land subsidence possibly caused by groundwater excessive exploitation,with the deformation amplitude about 10- 12 mm and 1- 5mm.( 3) The measured deformation field is not consistent with the theoretical result on deformation area and amplitude,which indicates that the fault movement is not the main cause of Linfen huge leveling deformation,but may rather be because of local deformation of the soil layers in the hanging wall of the fault.( 4) By combining the fault dislocation model simulation with the D-InS AR technology measurement,we can determine effectively the nature of the anomalyof the huge cross-fault leveling deformation,thus provide scientific basis for verification of significant leveling anomalies.

The Coulomb Stress Change Associated with the Taiwan Straits M_S 7.3 Earthquake on September 16,1994 and the Risk Prediction of Its Surrounding Faults

Using the focal mechanism solutions and slip distribution model data of the Taiwan Straits MS7.3 earthquake on September 16, 1994, we calculate the static Coulomb stress changes stemming from the earthquake. Based on the distribution of aftershocks and stress field, as well as the location of historical earthquakes, we analyze the Coulomb stress change triggered by the Taiwan Straits MS7.3 earthquake. The result shows that the static Coulomb stress change obtained by forward modeling based on the slip distribution model is quite consistent with the location of aftershocks in the areas far away from the epicenter. Ninety percent of aftershocks occurred in the stress increased areas. The Coulomb stress change is not entirely consistent with the distribution of aftershocks near the epicenter. It is found that Coulomb stress change can better reflect the aftershock distribution far away from the epicenter, while such corresponding relationship becomes quite complex near the epicenter. Through the calculation of the Coulomb stress change, we find that the stress increases in the southwest part of the Min-Yue (Fujian-Guangdong) coastal fault zone, which enhances the seismic activity. Therefore, it is deemed that the sea area between Nanpeng Island and Dongshan Island, where the Min-Yue coastal fault zone intersects with the NW-trending Shanghang-Dongshan fault, has a high seismic risk.

Preliminary Study on Seismic Anisotropy in the Crust in the Northeast of Hainan

With SAM shear-wave splitting analysis,shear-wave splitting parameters at two stations of the digital seismic network in the northeast of Hainan are obtained based on the data from the Hainan Digital Seismic Network from 2000 to 2013. The results show that the predominant polarization direction of fast share-wave represents the direction of in-situ maximum principal compressive stress. The predominant polarizations of Qixingling( QXL) seismic station are in the NEE direction,which is different from the direction of principal compressive stress of the Hainan area,but same as the strikes of faults in the NE direction,which means that the local tectonics and stress fields are complicated. The predominant polarization of Qingshanling( QSL) seismic station is in the NNE-NS direction,which indicates the tectonic significance of the strikes of NNE-trending faults.At the same time,the study confirms that the predominant polarizations of the stations located on active faults or at the junctions of several active faults are parallel to the strikes of faults which control the earthquakes used in this analysis, and the predominant polarizations are scattered,which indicates the complicated background of fault structures and stress distribution.

The Kangding earthquake swarm of November, 2014

There was an earthquake swarm of two major events of MS6.3 and MS5.8 on the Xianshuihe fault in November, 2014. The two major earthquakes are both strike-slip events with aftershock zone along NW direction.We have analyzed the characteristics of this earthquake sequence. The b value and the h value show the significant variations in different periods before and after the MS5.8earthquake. Based on the data of historical earthquakes, we also illustrated the moderate-strong seismic activity on the Xianshuihe fault. The Kangding earthquake swarm manifests the seismic activity on Xianshuihe fault may be in the late seismic active period. The occurrence of the Kangding earthquake may be an adjustment of the strong earthquakes on the Xianshuihe fault. The Coulomb failure stress changes caused by the historical earthquakes were also given in this article. The results indicate that the earthquake swarm was encouraged by the historical earthquakes since1893, especially by the MS7.5 Kangding earthquake in1955. The Coulomb failure stress changes also shows the subsequent MS5.8 earthquake was triggered by the MS6.3earthquake.

Source rupture process of the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal Mw7.9 earthquake and its tectonic implications

On 25 April, 2015, an Mw7.9 earthquake occurred in Nepal, which caused great economic loss and casualties. However, almost no surface ruptures were observed. Therefore, in order to interpret the phenomenon, we study the rupture process of the earthquake to seek answers. Inversion of teleseismic body-wave data is applied to estimate the rupture process of the 2015 Nepal earthquake. To obtain stable solutions, smoothing and non-negative constraints are introduced. 48 teleseismic stations with good coverage are chosen. Finite fault model is established with length and width of 195 km and 150 km, and we set the initial seismic source parameters referring to CMT solutions. Inversion results indicate that the focal mechanism of this earthquake is a thrust fault type, and the strike, dip and rake angle are in accordance with CMT results. The seismic moment is 0.9195 ×10^（21）Nm（Mw7.9）, and source duration is about 70s. The rupture nucleated near the hypocenter and then propagated along the dip direction to the southeast, and the maximum slip amounts to 5.2 m. Uncertainties on the amount of slip retrieved by different inversion methods still exist, the overall characteristics are inconsistent. The lack of shallow slip during the 2015 Gorkha earthquake implies future seismic hazard and this region should be paid more attention to.

Stress spatial evolution law and rockburst danger induced by coal mining in fault zone

In order to explore the influence of coal mining disturbance on the rockburst occurring in fault zone, this research constructed a mechanical model for the evolution of fault stress, and analyzed the influence of the ratio of horizontal stress to vertical stress on the stability of fault, and the spatial distribution of the stress in fault zone as well as its evolution rule. Furthermore, the rockburst danger at different spatial areas of fault zone was predicated. Results show that: when both sides of the working face are mined out, the fault zone in the working face presents greater horizontal and vertical stresses at its boundaries but exhibits smaller stresses in its middle section; however, the ratio of horizontal stress to vertical stress is found to be greater at middle section and smaller at boundaries. As the working face advances towards the fault, the horizontal and vertical stresses of the fault firstly increases and then decreases; conversely,the ratio of horizontal stress to vertical stress keeps decreasing all the time. Therefore, if the fault zones are closer to the goaf and the coal wall, the stress ratio will be smaller, and the fault slip will be more prone to occur, therefore rockburst danger will be greater. This research results provide guidance for the rockburst prevention and hazard control of the coal mining in fault zone.

A SCR method for uncertainty estimation in geodesy non-linear error propagation: Comparisons and applications

We review three derivative-free methods developed for uncertainty estimation of non-linear error propagation, namely, MC(Monte Carlo), SUT(scaled unscented transformation), and SI(sterling interpolation). In order to avoid preset parameters like as these three methods need, we introduce a new method to uncertainty estimation for the first time, namely, SCR(spherical cubature rule), which is no need for setting parameters. By theoretical derivation, we prove that the precision of uncertainty obtained by SCR can reach second-order. We conduct four synthetic experiments, for the first two experiments, the results obtained by SCR are consistent with the other three methods with optimal setting parameters, but SCR is easier to operate than other three methods, which verifies the superiority of SCR in calculating the uncertainty. For the third experiment, real-time calculation is required, so the MC is hardly feasible. For the forth experiment, the SCR is applied to the inversion of seismic fault parameter which is a common problem in geophysics, and we study the sensitivity of surface displacements to fault parameters with errors. Our results show that the uncertainty of the surface displacements is the magnitude of ±10 mm when the fault length contains a variance of 0.01 km^(2).

Comparative study on degassing activities along the north fault zone of Western Qinling

Through the comparative studies of degassing activities between the eastern and the western segments, between two pull-apart regions, and between the major fault and branch fault along the north fault zone of Western Qinling (NFZWQ) in 1996 and 1997, the characteristics of degassing activities along NFZWQ were discussed in the paper.With the comparative studies of faulting and seismic activities, this paper points out the role of the degassing activity (CO2, N2, O2 and CO2/O2) in predicting and determining seismicity and faulting activity.

Some Problems Concerning Geologic Structure with Double Layers in Urban Underground Lifeline Engineering

Underground lifeline engineering (ULE for short) in modern city demands the appreciation of an active fault in buried bedrock . Generally speaking , a large number of urban geological textures of a basement may all be simplified into a dual geological texture model , i. e., the upper part of the basement consists of loose covering layer and the lower part consists of bedrock . The study of an active fault should include three parts of contents , i . e ., to determine the lower time limit of activity of the fault , and the time limit must be recognized by both of designing engineers and geologists ; on the basis of the studies of repetition periods of earthquake occurrence to deter mine whether the fault moves or not during the allowed time of efficacy of buildings and constructions ; for the sake of engineering practice , the active rate of the fault must be given . The fault with different active mechanism has different effects on the ULE . The authors studied the effect of lateral non-uniform overburden site on the ULE by means of the supersonic earthquake modelling . Owing to the lateral non - uniformity of the covering sediments , there occurs an obvious jump of amplitude of the seismic wave propagation near the contact surface between two different sedi ments . In addition , from the modelling experiment curves it may be seen that the different focus mechanisms and different medium characters may also exert an effect in different degrees .

Investigation on the Site of the 2003 South Bomi (Tibet) M_S5.7 Earthquake

An earthquake with magnitude of 5.7 took place on Aug. 18, 2003 in the Nyingchi Region, Tibet. The macroseismic epicenter was located in the unpopniated high mountain area, 13 km south of Zhamo town, Bond County. The seismic intensity in the meizoseismal region was Ⅶ degree. The Ⅶ and Ⅵ areas were 2000 km^2 and 11000 km^2 , respectively. This seismic event is related to the movements of the Lhari fault trending in the NW direction and the ZhamoManiweng fault trending in the NE direction. As a result of this earthquakes, the buildings in the areas were badly damaged.

Seismic Hazard Analysis of China's Mainland Based on a New Seismicity Model

Based on the seismic source model in the Fifth Generation Seismic Ground Motion Parameters Zonation Map of China(FGSGMPZMC),a new seismic fault model,the new zonation of seismic risk areas(SRAs),and the estimation of seismicity rates for 2021-2030,this study constructed a new time-dependent seismic source model of China’s mainland,and used the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis method to calculate seismic hazard by selecting the ground motion models(GMMs)suitable for seismic sources in China.It also provided the probabilities of China’s mainland being affected by earthquakes of modified Mercalli intensity(MMI)Ⅵ,Ⅶ,Ⅷ,Ⅸ,and≥Ⅹin 2021-2030.The spatial pattern of seismic hazards presented in this article is similar to the pattern of the FGSGMPZMC,but shows more details.The seismic hazards in this study are higher than those in the FGSGMPZMC in the SRAs and fault zones that can produce large earthquakes.This indicates that the seismic source model construction in this study is scientific and reasonable.There are certain similarities between the results in this study and those of Rong et al.(2020)and Feng et al.(2020),but also disparities for specific sites due to differences in seismic source models,seismicity parameters,and GMMs.The results of seismic hazard may serve as parameter input for future seismic risk assessments.The hazard results can also be used as a basis for the formulation of earthquake prevention and mitigation policies for China’s mainland.

Late Quaternary Activity of the Central-North Segment of the Taihang Mountains Piedmont Fault Zone

The location and late Quaternary activity of the Central-North Segment of the Taihang Mountains Piedmont fault zone have been studied by shallow seismic survey and combined drill exploration.Our results show that the Baoding-Shijiazhuang fault and the Xushui fault were active in the late Pleistocene,but the south Xushui fault has been inactive since the late Pleistocene.The maximum magnitude of potential earthquake of the faults is 6.0.

Review of analytical methods for stress and deformation analysis of buried water pipes considering pipe-soil interaction

Buried water pipelines are vulnerable to fail or break due to excessive loading or ground displacements.Accurate evaluation of pipe performance and serviceability relies on the proper understanding of pipe-soil interactions(PSI).Analytical methods are important approaches to studying PSI.However,a systematic and thorough literature review to analyze the existing research trends,technological achievements and future research opportunities is not available.This work investigates analytical methods that analyze the stress and deformation of pipes in terms of cross-sectional,transverse and longitudinal PSI problems.First,scientometric analysis is performed to acquire relevant research works from online databases and analyze the existing data of influential authors,productive research sources and frequent key word occurrence in the fields of interest.Second,a qualitative discussion is performed in the three categories of PSI:(1)cross-sectional,including ovalization and circumferential behaviours;(2)transverse,including seismic fault crossing,weak soil zones,ground settlement and pipe uplift;and(3)longitudinal.Third,six research opportunities are discussed,including the role of friction in cross-sectional deformation,combined effects of bending and compression,choice of soil reaction models and calibration of key parameters,effect of pipe flaws,soil spatial variability and behaviours of curved pipes.This study helps beginners familiarize themselves with PSI analytical methods and provides experienced researchers with ideas for future research directions.

Seismites in the Dasheng Group： New evidence of strong tectonic and earthquake activities of the Tanlu Fault Zone

More than 80 layers of seismites were recognized from the Early Cretaceous Dasheng Group in the Mazhan and Tancheng graben basins in the Tanlu Fault Zone, eastern China. The responsible seismic events took place about 110–100 Ma in the Early Cretaceous. The fault zone was affected at the time by strong tectonics, due to tension-related stretching and scattered squeezing by strike-slip faults. These tectonic activities induced a series of strong earthquakes with Richter magnitudes(M) of 5–8.5. The earthquakes affected saturated or semi-consolidated flood and lake sediments, and produced intra-layer deformations by several processes, including liquefaction, thixotropy, drop, faulting, cracking, filling and folding, which resulted in the formation of various soft-sediment deformation structures, such as dikes and veins of liquefied sand, liquefied breccias, liquefied homogeneous layers, load structures, flame structures, ball-and-pillow structures, boudinage, diapirs, fissure infillings, a giant conglomerate wedge, and syn-sedimentary faults. The seismites are new evidence of tectonic and seismic activities in the Tanlu Fault Zone during the Early Cretaceous; the series of strong seismic events that can be deduced from them must be considered as a response to the destruction of the North China Craton.