Step-over of strike-slip faults and overpressure fluid favor occurrence of foreshocks:Insights from the 1975 Haicheng fore-main-aftershock sequence,China

This study analyzed and summarized in detail the spatial and temporal distributions of earthquakes,tidal responses,focal mechanisms,and stress field characteristics for the M 7.3 Haicheng earthquake sequence in February 1975.The foreshocks are related to the main fault and the conjugate faults surrounding the extension step-over in the middle.The initiation timing of the foreshock clusters and the original time of the mainshock were clearly modulated by the Earth's tidal force and coincided with the peak of dilational volumetric tidal strain.As a plausible and testable hypothesis,we proposed a fluid-driven foreshock model,by which all observed seismicity features can be more reasonably interpreted with respect to the results of existing models.Together with some other known examples,the widely existing step-over along strike-slip faults and associated conjugate faults,especially for extensional ones in the presence of deep fluids,favor the occurrence of short-term foreshocks.Although clustered seismicity with characteristics similar to those of the studied case is not a sufficient and necessary condition for large earthquakes to occur under similar tectonic conditions,it undoubtedly has a warning significance for the criticality of the main fault.Subsequent testing would require quantification of true/false positives/negatives.

Formation and evolution of the strike-slip faults in the central Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on 3D seismic and drilling data, the timing, evolution and genetic mechanism of deep strike-slip faults in the central Sichuan Basin are thoroughly examined by using the U-Pb dating of fault-filled carbonate cement and seismic-geological analysis. The strike-slip fault system was initially formed in the Late Sinian, basically finalized in the Early Cambrian with dextral transtensional structure, was overlaid with at least one stage of transpressional deformation before the Permian, then was reversed into a sinistral weak transtensional structure in the Late Permian. Only a few of these faults were selectively activated in the Indosinian and later periods. The strike-slip fault system was affected by the preexisting structures such as Nanhuanian rifting normal faults and NW-striking deep basement faults. It is an oblique accommodated intracratonic transfer fault system developed from the Late Sinian to Early Cambrian to adjust the uneven extension of the Anyue trough from north to south and matches the Anyue trough in evolution time and intensity. In the later stage, multiple inversion tectonics and selective activation occurred under different tectonic backgrounds.

Control of strike-slip faults on Sinian carbonate reservoirs in Anyue gas field, Sichuan Basin, SW China

The largest Precambrian gas field (Anyue gas field) in China has been discovered in the central Sichuan Basin. However, the deep ancient Ediacaran (Sinian) dolomite presents a substantial challenge due to their tightness and heterogeneity, rather than assumed large-area stratified reservoirs controlled by mound-shoal microfacies. This complicates the characterization of “sweet spot” reservoirs crucial for efficient gas exploitation. By analyzing compiled geological, geophysical and production data, this study investigates the impact of strike-slip fault on the development and distribution of high-quality “sweet spot” (fractured-vuggy) reservoirs in the Ediacaran dolomite of the Anyue gas field. The dolomite matrix reservoir exhibits low porosity (less than 4%) and low permeability (less than 0.5×10^(-3) μm^(2)). Contrarily, fractures and their dissolution processes along strike-slip fault zone significantly enhance matrix permeability by more than one order of magnitude and matrix porosity by more than one time. Widespread “sweet spot” fracture-vuggy reservoirs are found along the strike-slip fault zone, formed at the end of the Ediacaran. These fractured reservoirs are controlled by the coupling mechanisms of sedimentary microfacies, fracturing and karstification. Karstification prevails at the platform margin, while both fracturing and karstification control high-quality reservoirs in the intraplatform, resulting in reservoir diversity in terms of scale, assemblage and type. The architecture of the strike-slip fault zone governed the differential distribution of fracture zones and the fault-controlled “sweet spot” reservoirs, leading to wide fractured-vuggy reservoirs across the strike-slip fault zone. In conclusion, the intracratonic weak strike-slip fault can play a crucial role in improving tight carbonate reservoir, and the strike-slip fault-related “sweet spot” reservoir emerges as a unique and promising target for the efficient development of deep hydrocarbon resources. Tailored development strategies need to be implemented for these reservoirs, considering the diverse and differential impacts exerted by strike-slip faults on the reservoirs.

Neotectonics of the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau: New Geological Evidence for the Change from Early Pleistocene Transpression to Late Pleistocene-Holocene Strike-slip Faulting

We present in this paper some new evidence for the change during the Quaternary in kinematics of faults cutting the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. It shows that significant shortening deformation occurred during the Early Pleistocene, evidenced by eastward thrusting of Mesozoic carbonates on the Pliocene lacustrine deposits along the Minjiang upstream fault zone and by development of the transpressional ridges of basement rocks along the Anninghe river valley. The Middle Pleistocene seems to be a relaxant stage with local development of the intra-mountain basins particularly prominent along the Minjiang Upstream and along the southern segment of the Anninghe River Valley. This relaxation may have been duo to a local collapse of the thickened crust attained during the late Neogene to early Pleistocene across this marginal zone. Fault kinematics has been changed since the late Pleistocene, and was predominated by reverse sinistral strike-slip along the Minshan Uplift, reverse dextral strike-slip on the Longmenshan fault zone and pure sinistral strike-slip on the Anninghe fault. This change in fault kinematics during the Quaternary allows a better understanding of the mechanism by which the marginal ranges of the plateau has been built through episodic activities.

A New Growth Model of Fault Attributes in a Strike-Slip Fault System in the Tarim Basin

Fault attributes generally display a consistent power–law-scaling relationship.Based on new 3 D seismic data,however,we found some exceptional fault attribute relationships of lengths(L)–throw(T)(vertical component of displacement),overlap zone length(Lo)–width(Wo)from a strike-slip fault system of the Ordovician carbonates in the Tarim Basin.The L–T relationship shows two linear segments with breakup at^40 km in fault length.This presents an exceptional throw increase in the second stage,which is attributed to a localization of vertical displacement and deformation in overlapping zones other than the different fault scales in a mature fault zone.The Lo–Wo relationship in the overlapping zones shows multiply stepped-shape patterns,suggesting multiple fault differential growth and periodic increase in fault size.Therefore,we propose a new alternative growth model of fault attributes in strike-slip fault zones,in which the overlapping zones accumulated localized displacement and deformation in the intracratonic strike-slip fault zone.

On the faults of western Hexi Corridor and its nearby regions, northwestern China: Thrust faults and strike-slip faults of Late Cenozoic

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.

Late Paleozoic Element Migration and Accumulation under Intracontinental Sinistral Strike-slip Faulting in the West Junggar Orogenic Belt, NW China

The migration,accumulation and dispersion of elements caused by tectonic dynamics have always been a focus of attention,and become the basis of tectono-geochemistry.However,the effects of faulting,especially strike-slip faulting,on the adjustment of geochemical element distribution,are still not clear.In this paper,we select the West Junggar Orogenic Belt(WJOB),NW China,as a case study to test the migration behavior of elements under tectonic dynamics.The WJOB is dominated by NE-trending large-scale sinistral strike-slip faults such as the Darabut Fault,the Mayile Fault,and the Baerluke Fault,which formed during the intracontinental adjustment under N-S compression during ocean-continental conversion in the Late Paleozoic.Geochemical maps of 13 elements,Al,W,Sn,Mo,Cu,Pb,Zn,As,Sb,Hg,Fe,Ni,and Au,are analyzed for the effects of faulting and folding on element distribution at the regional scale.The results show that the element distribution in the WJOB is controlled mainly by two mechanisms during tectonic deformation:first is the material transporting mechanism,where the movement of geological units is consistent with the direction of tectonic movement;second is the diffusion mechanism,especially by tectonic pressure dissolution driven by tectonic dynamics,where the migration of elements is approximately perpendicular or opposite to the direction of tectonic movement.We conclude that the adjustment of element distributions has been determined by the combined actions of transporting and diffusion mechanisms,and that the diffusion mechanism plays an important role in the formation of geochemical Au blocks in the WJOB.

Origin and growth mechanisms of strike-slip faults in the central Tarim cratonic basin, NW China

Through fault structure analysis and chronology study, we discuss the origin and growth mechanisms of strike-slip faults in the Tarim Basin.(1) Multiple stages strike-slip faults with inherited growth were developed in the central Tarim cratonic basin. The faults initiation time is constrained at the end of Middle Ordovician of about 460 Ma according to U-Pb dating of the fault cements and seismic interpretation.(2) The formation of the strike-slip faults was controlled by the near N-S direction stress field caused by far-field compression of the closing of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.(3) The faults localization and characteristics were influenced by the pre-existing structures of the NE trending weakening zones in the basement and lithofacies change from south to north.(4) Following the fault initiation under the Andersonian mechanism, the strike-slip fault growth was dominantly fault linkage, associated with fault tip propagation and interaction of non-Andersonian mechanisms.(5) Sequential slip accommodated deformation in the conjugate strike-slip fault interaction zones, strong localization of the main displacement and deformation occurred in the overlap zones in the northern Tarim, while the fault tips, particularly of narrow-deep grabens, and strike-slip segments in thrust zones accumulated more deformation and strain in the Central uplift. In conclusion, non-Andersonian mechanisms, dominantly fault linkage and interaction, resulted in the small displacement but long intraplate strike-slip fault development in the central Tarim Basin. The regional and localized field stress, and pre-existing structures and lithofacies difference had strong impacts on the diversity of the strike-slip faults in the Tarim cratonic basin.

Strike-Slip Faults and Their Control on Differential Hydrocarbon Enrichment in Carbonate Karst Reservoirs: A Case Study of Yingshan Formation on Northern Slope of Tazhong Uplift, Tarim Basin

Objective Oil and gas are abundant in the Ordovician Yingshan Formation carbonate karst reservoirs on the northern slope of Tazhong uplift in the Tarim Basin, and have extremely complicated oil-gas-water distribution, however. The difference in burial depth of the reservoirs between east and west sides is up to 1000 m. Water-bearing formations exist between oil- and gas-bearing formations vertically and water-producing wells are drilled between oil- and gas-producing wells. Macroscopically, oil and gas occur at low positions, while water occurs at high positiona on the northern slope of Tazhong uplift. The mechanism of differential hydrocarbon enrichment in heterogeneous reservoirs is by far not clarified, which has affected the efficient exploration and development of oil and gas fields in this area.

Decadal Seismicity before Great Earthquakes—Strike-Slip Faults and Plate Interiors: Major Asperities and Low-Coupling Zones

Decadal forerunning seismic activity is examined for very large, shallow earthquakes along strike-slip and intraplate faults of the world. It includes forerunning shocks of magnitude Mw ≥ 5.0 for 21 mainshocks of Mw 7.5 to 8.6 from 1989 to 2020. Much forerunning activity occurred at what are interpreted to be smaller asperities along the peripheries of the rupture zones of great mainshocks at transform faults and subduction zones. Several great asperities as ascertained from forerunning activity agree with the areas of high seismic slip as determined by others using geodetic, mapping of surface faulting, and finite-source seismic modeling. The zones of high slip in many great earthquakes were nearly quiescent beforehand and are identified as the sites of great asperities. Asperities are strong, well-coupled portions of plate interfaces. Different patterns of forerunning activity on time scales of up to 45 years are attributed to the sizes and spacing of asperities (or lack of). This permits at least some great asperities along transform faults to be mapped decades before they rupture in great shocks. Rupture zones of many great mainshocks along transform faults are bordered either along strike, at depth or regionally by zones of lower plate coupling including either fault creep forerunning activity, aftershocks and/or slow-slip events. Forerunning activity to transforms in continental areas is more widespread spatially than that adjacent to oceanic transforms. The parts of the San Andreas fault themselves that ruptured in great California earthquakes during 1812, 1857 and 1906 have been very quiet since 1920;moderate to large shocks have been concentrated on their peripheries. The intraplate shocks studied, however, exhibited few if any forerunning events, which is attributed to the short period of time studied compared to their repeat times. The detection of forerunning and precursory activities for various time scales should be sought on the peripheries of great asperities and not just along the major faults themselves. This paper compliments that on decadal forerunning activity to great and giant earthquakes along subduction zones.

Vertical Differential Structural Deformation of the Main Strike-slip Fault Zones in the Shunbei Area,Central Tarim Basin:Structural Characteristics,Deformation Mechanisms,and Hydrocarbon Accumulation Significance

Vertical differential structural deformation(VDSD),one of the most significant structural characteristics of strike-slip fault zones(SSFZs)in the Shunbei area,is crucial for understanding deformation in the SSFZ and its hydrocarbon accumulation significance.Based on drilling data and high-precision 3-D seismic data,we analyzed the geometric and kinematic characteristics of the SSFZs in the Shunbei area.Coupled with the stratification of the rock mechanism,the structural deformations of these SSFZs in different formations were differentiated and divided into four deformation layers.According to comprehensive structural interpretations and comparisons,three integrated 3-D structural models could describe the VDSD of these SSFZs.The time-space coupling of the material basis(rock mechanism stratification),changing dynamic conditions(e.g.,changing stress-strain states),and special deformation mechanism of the en echelon normal fault array uniformly controlled the formation of the VDSD in the SSFZs of the Shunbei area.The VDSD of the SSFZs in this area controlled the entire hydrocarbon accumulation process.Multi-stage structural superimposing deformation influenced the hydrocarbon migration,accumulation,distribution,preservation,and secondary adjustments.

The Ophiolitic Mélanges in Strike-slip Fault Zones in West Junggar,Xinjiang,NW China

The West Junggar region of western China,located in the far eastern end of the Kazakhstan orocline,occupies the junction of the Siberia,Tarim and Kazakhstan blocks,which is crucial for palinspastic reconstruction of the CAOB.The principal rock assemblages in West Junggar include Paleozoic ophiolitic mélanges and a thick,undeformed Upper Devonian–Lower Carboniferous sedimentary succession as the boundary of the mélanges,both of which are intruded by sub-circular Upper Carboniferous granitoid plutons and intermediate-basic-mafic dykes.On the basis of the sedimentary structures like cross bedding and convolute bedding and the geochronology data,the Upper Devonian–Lower Carboniferous sedimentary successions were identified as the Tailegula,Baogutu,and Xibeikulasi formations from the bottom up,which is an apparent shallowing-upwards ocean basin fill succession,from radiolarian cherts through 2000 meters of flysch to a more neritic Baogutu Formation to a fluvial Xibeikulasi Formation.At the bottom of the Tailegula Formation there is a peperite-bearing unit:a succession of extrusive mafic rock,mainly basaltic lava,with interbeds or blocks of sedimentary rocks including carbonate,radiolarian chert,calcareous siltstone and minor fine-grained tuffaceous sandstone.Peperites in the Tailegula are thickest and best developed as the type section.Four types of peperites were identified based on of the volcanic clast shapes and sediment-matrix properties in Tailegula:(1)arbonatesediment-hosted fluidal peperites,(2)sandstone-hosted fluidal peperites,(3)tuff-hosted mixed fluidal and blocky peperites and(4)carbonate-sediment-hosted blocky peperites.Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of a tuff lens enclosed by lava showed that the peperites formed in the Late Devonian(ca.364 Ma).The widespread peperitebearing succession in the Tailegula Formation is of variablethickness at different sites in West Junggar,such as the Tailegula,Baijiantan,Kalaxiuka,Saertuohai,Dagun,west of the Akebastaw granite and Shinaizha areas.The peperite-bearing unit is generally undeformed in contrast to the highly deformed slices of ophiolite,and is continuously distributed as a stratigraphic section regionally on either side of the Darbut and Baijiantan ophiolitic belts.It can be taken as a mark layer to demonstrate the existence of a shallow remnant ocean basin from the end of Devonian in West Junggar,which is an important component of oceanic crust in the remnant ocean basin.Peperite,underlying Devonian or earlier oceanic crust developed in the spreading process of the ocean basin,and overlying Carboniferous remnant ocean basin-fill succession constitute the complete evolution sequence of the remnant ocean basin.The Darbut and Baijiantan ophiolitic belts should not be interpreted as significant plate boundaries and represent the underlying ocean crust uplifted along tectonic lineaments within a continuous shallow remnant ocean basin.The Baijiantan and Darbut ophiolites are both steep fault zones(>70°)of serpentinite mélange,in contact on either side with regionally distributed and undeformed Upper Devonian–Lower Carboniferous ocean-floor peperitic basalts and overlying sedimentary successions.Ultramafic rocks is serpentinized and foliated to form the matrix of mélange.Some small blocks of peridotite are mylonitic and strongly foliated.Blocks of gabbro generally underwent prehnitization,epidotization and chloritization and many are metasomatized to rodingite.Pods of medium to fine grained amphibolites are encased in serpentinite and display relict gabbroic textures and amphibolite-facies assemblages.The Baijiantan ophiolitic mélange also includes amphibolite brecciasconsistingofcentimeter-sizedmylonitic amphibolite clasts embedded within a serpentinite matrix.Basalt lavas cropping out in the Baijiantan ophiolitic mélange are of two types:type 1 and type 2 lavas.The type1 lavas occur within the fault zones as small blocks withinthe matrix of ultramafic rocks,tectonically juxtaposed against other rocks.The type 2 basalt lava came from the peperite-bearing unit.Besides the ultramafic rocks,gabbros,and basalt lavas,the other supracrustal rocks in the ophiolitic mélange include sandstone,chert,tuff,and very rare limestone.Sandstones predominate and most of them are tuffaceous;their characteristics are consistent with the sandstones from surrounding Lower Carboniferous sedimentary formations.Sandstone blocks within the mélanges also have detrital zircon age distributions(300-400 Ma)and characteristics similar to surrounding Carboniferous sediments.The rock assemblages in the mélanges indicate the ophiolitic mélanges consist of locally derived rocks,in contrast to conventional ophiolitic mélanges.The ophiolitic mélanges show classic structural features of strike-slip shearing regimes,including subhorizontal slickenside lineations(<20°),consistent steeply dipping foliation(>75°)in the matrix,and elongated shapes of blocks aligned parallel to the shear zone.Consistent shear-sense indicators including slip-fiber lineations,Riedel shears,asymmetric blocks,shear band cleavages and veins indicate a horizontal sinistral sense of movement.The occurrence of the amphibolite and ultramafic mylonite in the mélanges probably record early,deep-seated strike slip,indicating that the fault zones extended downward through the oceanic crust.The amphibolite-facies metamorphism then was superimposed by brittle deformation at a shallow level to form fault breccias during the mélange formation.So the ophiolitic mélanges originated from crustal-scale sinistral strike-slip fault zones,not as major plate boundaries or subduction-suture zones.The youngest units of the mélanges are the deformed blocks of Lower Carboniferous basin-fill sedimentary rocks,indicating that the ultimate formation of the mélanges was after deposition of the Lower Carboniferous strata(detrital zircon age modes:320-330 Ma),but before the age of the intruding granite and the dike cutting the mélanges(~310 Ma).Based on above discussions and taking into consideration of the previous studies,a tectonic evolution scenario is proposed for the Devonian to Carboniferous in the West Junggar region.In the middle Devonian or earlier(>390Ma),a paleo-ocean basin existed,stretching across North Xinjiang from Darbut-Baijiantan area in West Junggar to the Kalamaili area in East Junggar.This basin was most likelyaback-arcbasinrelatedtothe Boshchekule–Chengiz–Yemaquan arc.Subduction ended in thepaleo-oceanbasinrepresentedbythe Hongguleleng-Kujibai-Armantai ophiolite belt by late Devonian(375-360 Ma),leading to slab break-off and upwelling of asthenosphere under the remnant ocean basin,which induced The OIB-like basalts in West Junggar.The oceanic basin started to receive sufficient sediment deposition into which OIB-like basalts flows could bulldoze to form the regional distributed peperites(~360 Ma).A little later,in the early Carboniferous(~340 Ma),continent-continent collision took place between the Junggar block and the Yemaquan arc,and Kalamaili ophiolite obduction occurred in the eastern part of Junggar block.The remnant ocean basin was preserved in the western part of the Junggar Block.Accompanying the relative motion between Junggar block and ocean basin in West Junggar during collision,a series of NW trending sinistral strike-slip faults were triggered and activated parallel to the western boundary of the Junggar block.During the late stage of the Early Carboniferous(~320 Ma),the remnant ocean basin was almost filled with sediments.The collision between the Yili and Junggar blocks at the beginning of the late Carboniferous reactivated the strike-slip faults,which disrupted the oceanic crust and basin-fill successions and caused diapirs of serpentinite to form the Baijiantan and Darbut ophiolitic mélanges.The emplacement of Upper Carboniferous(~310 Ma)stitching A-type granitoid plutons indicates the evolutionary history of the remnant ocean basin and strike-slip fault zone ophiolitic mélanges terminated by that time.

Instability Analysis of Strike-Slip Fault Based on Cusp Catastrophe Model

The distribution of many active faults in western China is an important reasonfor the frequent earthquakes. With the rapid development of the western region, manymajor projects have been built there and the existence of active faults is bound to have aninfluence on the safety of the engineering structure. Therefore, it is of great significanceto study the mechanism of fault slip instability for evaluating the geological stability ofthe region and for the site selection of major projects. In this paper, cusp catastrophetheory is used to establish a cusp catastrophe model with general softened form ofstrike-slip faults on the basis of strike-slip faults. In this model, the influence of thesoftening property of fault zone on fault instability is considered. Based on this model,the conditions of slip instability of strike-slip faults are derived and further the half-slipdistance, far-field displacement and energy release equation of sliding-slip fault arerevealed. The influences of the system stiffness ratio and the softening property of thefault zone on the half-wave displacement, the far-field displacement and the energyrelease are shown. Which lays a good foundation for further research on activefault-induced earthquake mechanism.

Yitong Graben:a Typical Petroliferous Strike-Slip Fault Depression of China

Although Yitong graben appears in a rift basin region of Eastern China , it is really not a rift basin but a strike-slip depression . Its features are as follows : (1 ) graben is controlled by both east and west boundary fauns without any relationship with Mono discontinuity figure ; (2 ) there is no alkalic or calc-alkalic igneous rocks in the layer of early and middle period of graben development ; (3 )west boundary fault is a typical strike-slip fault with some what of arc along the strike , and the fault depression locates in the concave of the arc . East boundary fault is a syndepostional normal fault with translational motion ; (4 ) graben has a long and narrow shape with four sags and three bulges alternating each other ; (5 ) the cross section of graben is asymmetric , high in the east and low in the west ; (6 )the lithofacies changes are quite fast in the cross section . Unconfonnities exist in some area of graben ; (7 )the angle between fault 2 and west boundary fault is a acute angle directing the opposite trend of the west side motion of boundary fault ; (8 )the extensional rate of graben is about 12% , less than the rate in Huabei (19%) and Liaohe (20 %)rift basin.

The Dihedral Angle and Intersection Processes of a Conjugate Strike-Slip Fault System in the Tarim Basin, NW China

Recent studies, focused on dihedral angles and intersection processes, have increased understandings of conjugate fault mechanisms. We present new 3-D seismic data and microstructural core analysis in a case study of a large conjugate strike-slip fault system from the intracratonic Tarim Basin, NW China. Within our study area, ＂X＂ type NE and NW trending faults occur within Cambrian- Ordovician carbonates. The dihedral angles of these conjugate faults have narrow ranges, 19~ to 62~ in the Cambrian and 26~ to 51~ in the Ordovician, and their modes are 42~ and 44~ respectively. These data are significantly different from the ~60~ predicted by the Coulomb fracture criterion. It is concluded that： （1） The dihedral angles of the conjugate faults were not controlled by confining pressure, which was low and associated with shallow burial; （2） As dihedral angles were not controlled by pressure they can be used to determine the shortening direction during faulting; （3） Sequential slip may have played an important role in forming conjugate fault intersections; （4） The conjugate fault system of the Tarim basin initiated as rhombic joints; these subsequently developed into sequentially active ＂X＂ type conjugate faults; followed by preferential development of the NW-trending faults; then reactivation of the NE trending faults. This intact rhombic conjugate fault system presents new insights into mechanisms of dihedral angle development, with particular relevance to intracratonic basins.

Decomposition and Evolution of Intracontinental Strike-Slip Faults in Eastern Tibetan Plateau

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.

Dating of the Karakorum Strike-slip Fault

This paper mainly discusses the timing of the Karakorum strike-slip fault, and gives a brief introduction of its structures, offset, and deformational style. This fault strikes NNW-SSE. Asymmetrical folds, stretching lineation, S-C fabrics, feldspar and quartz s?-porphyroclasts, domino structure, shear cleavages and faults in the fault zone are products of tectonic movements. They all indicate a dextral slip sense of faulting. Mylonitic bands are widely developed along this fault. Phengite appears, indicating rather high deformational pressure. Geochronological data indicate that the Karakorum strike-slip faulting occurred from 6.88±0.36 to 8.75±0.25 Ma. The cumulative displacement from Muztag Ata to Muji is about 135 km.

Strain analysis of buried steel pipelines across strike-slip faults

Existing analytical methods of buried steel pipelines subjected to active strike-slip faults depended on a number of simplifications.To study the failure mechanism more accurately,a refined strain analytical methodology was proposed,taking the nonlinear characteristics of soil-pipeline interaction and pipe steel into account.Based on the elastic-beam and beam-on-elastic-foundation theories,the position of pipe potential destruction and the strain and deformation distributions along the pipeline were derived.Compared with existing analytical methods and three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis,the maximum axial total strains of pipe from the analytical methodology presented are in good agreement with the finite element results at small and intermediate fault movements and become gradually more conservative at large fault displacements.The position of pipe potential failure and the deformation distribution along the pipeline are fairly consistent with the finite element results.

Superimposed characteristics and genetic mechanism of strike-slip faults in the Bohai Sea, China

Based on the 3 D seismic structure interpretation of Bohai Sea, combined with physical modeling of structure, structural style analysis and apatite fission track simulation, the structural characteristics and genetic mechanism of the Cenozoic strike-slip faults in Bohai Sea were investigated. The results show that Tanlu strike-slip fault experienced three stages of strike-slip activities in the Cenozoic,and the transition from left-lateral strike to right-lateral strike-slip was completed at the end of the fourth member of the Shahejie Formation. The strike-slip faults in the Bohai Sea have the characteristics of multi-stage and multi-strength stress superposition. According to the superimposed forms of different strengths, different properties and different ratios, they can be divided into three major genetic types,extension and strike-slip superimposition, extension and extrusion superimposition, extrusion and strike-slip superimposition, and fifteen typical structure patterns. Affected by multiple changes in the direction and rate of subduction of the Cenozoic Pacific plate, the difference between the Cenozoic extension and the strike-slip in the Bohai Sea area leads to the diversity of the fault system and the zoning of the depression structure. According to superimposition features of faults, the Bohai Sea area can be divided into the Liaoxi S-type weak strike-slip zone, Liaodong braided strong strike-slip zone, Boxi conjugated medium strike-slip zone, Bodong brush structure medium strike-slip zone and Bonan parallel strong strike-slip zone. These zones differ in oil and gas accumulation features.

TECTONIC-GEOMORPHIC FEATURES OF THE STRIKE-SLIP FAULT ZONE IN EASTERN HUNAN AND WESTERN JIANGXI

Eastern Hunan-western Jiangxi, the main distribution domain of the Luoxiao MountainRange, is one of the key districts of the Circum-Pacific tectonically active belt in China, in whichNNE-trending en echelon strike-slip faulting since Cenozoic time has obviously controlled thefundamental framework of the modern land forms. Based on the study of tectonic evolution and ac-tive strike-slip faults, this paper discusses the forms, types and combinations of the modern tec-tonic land forms in this region.