The neotectonic deformation and earthquake activity in Zhuanglang river active fault zone of Lanzhou

Lanzhou Institute of Seismology, China Seismological Bureau, Lanzhou 730000, China 2) Institute of Geology, China Seismological Bureau, Beijing 100029, China

Active Feature of the Ganzi-Yushu Fault Zone in the Late Quaternary

Based on regional geological mapping results and interpretation of satellites images and areophotos in combination with detailed field study,this paper gives the spatial distribution of recent surface activity of the Ganzi-Yushu fault zone(GYF).According to faulted landform as well as deformation and displacement of young deposit layers,the slip rates of GYF since the late Quaternary are briefly studied,combined with the results of geological chronology(14C and Thermoluminescene dating).The result shows that the average slip rates of GYF is differentiate along different segments:Ganzi segment:horizontal rate is 3.4±0.3 mm/a,vertical rate is 2.2±0.1 mm/a;Manigange segment:horizontal rate is 7.0±0.7 mm/a;Denke segment:horizontal rate is 7.2±1.2 mm/a;Dangjiang segment:horizontal rate is 7.3±0.6 mm/a.

Discussion of the Horizontal Intensity of Late Quaternary Fault Activity Along the Tianjingshan Fault Zone in Different Time Intervals and Fault Segments

By computing and classifying the data of gully offset obtained from field surveys along the Tianjingshan fault zone and estimating the ages of three types of gullies,the strike-slip rates along the fault zone are discussed in different time intervals and fault segments.The results suggest that the intensity of activity along the fault zone is not strong,but the differences between different time intervals and fault segments since the late Pleistocene have been obvious.The average rates range from 0.23 mm/a to 1.62 mm/a.The largest average rate is 1.40 mm/a,which occurred in the early and middle of late Pleistocene along the western segment of the fault zone.Since the late stage of the late Pleistocene,the center of faulting activity of the fault zone has shifted to the middle segment,and the average slip rates range have changed from 1.30 mm/a to 1.63 mm/a.

Fractal research of fault gouge

The process and result of fractal research of natural fault gouge collected from the active fault zone at northern edge of Western Qinling Mt. by using optical and electronic microscope technics were introduced in this paper. The fractal dimension of this fault gouge is D =2.594±0.122 (2 D plane D =1.594±0.122), and its upper limit of fractal dimension occurs at grain size at 9.6～19.2 mm. The study result shows that this gouge is fractal, and its characteristic displacement parameter of stick slip friction can be determined by upper limit of fractal dimension. The feature of protolith which affect fractality and the significance of gouge fractal to seismic fault changes are also disscussed in the paper.

Tectonic Stress State Changes Before and After the Wenchuan M_s 8.0 Earthquake in the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Crustal tectonic activities are essentially the consequences of the accumulation and release of in situ stress. Therefore, studying the stress state near active faults is important for understanding crustal dynamics and earthquake occurrences. In this paper, using in situ stress measurement results obtained by hydraulic fracturing in the vicinity of the Longmenshan fault zone before and after the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake and finite element modeling, the variation of stress state before and after the Wenchuan M. 8.0 earthquake is investigated. The results show that the shear stress, which is proportional to the difference between principal stresses, increases with depth and distance from the active fault in the calm period or after the earthquakes, and tends to approach to the regional stress level outside the zone influenced by the fault. This distribution appears to gradually reverse with time and the change of fault properties such as frictional strength. With an increase in friction coefficient, low stress areas are reduced and areas with increased stress accumulation are more obvious near the fault. In sections of the fault with high frictional strengths, in situ stress clearly increases in the fault. Stress accumulates more rapidly in the fault zone relative to the surrounding areas, eventually leading to a stress field that peaks at the fault zone. Such a reversal in the stress field between the fault zone and surrounding areas in the magnitude of the stress field is a potential indicator for the occurrence of strong earthquakes.

Nature and timing of a prehistoric giant landslide on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Studying the characteristics of a prehistoric giant landslide and ascertaining its relationship with palaeo-seismic events could provide useful information on the role of regional tectonic activities in hillslope evolution.Here,a giant palaeoseismic landslide(GPSL),namely,the Luanshibao(LSB)landslide,located on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,was investigated to ascertain its characteristics and occurrence age.The relationship between occurrence age and palaeoseismic episodes was also discussed by using 14 C dating on the adjacent active faults,including the regional Yidun-Litang-Dewu(YD-LT-DW)fault zone,which crossed the LSB landslide.The dating of multiple samples acquired from palaeo-seismic trenches revealed that at least 5 palaeo-seismic episodes had occurred in the vicinity of the LSB landslide over the last 5000 years.The occurrence age of the LSB landslide(3635±387 a BP)coincides with palaeo-seismic episode I,and the LSB landslide is convincingly inferred to have been triggered during episode I,which reached a seismic intensity(Chinese scale)of at least degree VII near the LSB landslide during failure.The timing of a second reactivation phase coincides with palaeo-seismic episode IV,which occurred at 2100-2200 a BP.The study could provide reference for studying the regional palaeoseismic activities and palaeo landslide evolution near the Litang area.

Study on in-situ stress measurement around coastal marginal land in Fujian

The in-situ hydraulic fracturing stress measurements have been carried out around the coastal marginal land in Fu- jian Province. And the characteristics of magnitude, direction and distribution of tectonic stress have been obtained. Based on the observed stress data, the characteristics and activities of fault zones are analyzed and studied in the paper according to the Coulomb friction criteria. 1 The maximum horizontal principal compressive stress is in the NW-WNW direction from the north to the south along the coastline verge, which is parallel to the strike of the NW-trending fault zone, consistent with the direction of principal compressive stress obtained from geological structure and across-fault deformation data, and different from that reflected by focal mechanism solution by about 20°. 2 The horizontal principal stress increases with depth, the relation among three stresses is SH>Sv>Sh or SH≈Sv>Sh, and the stress state is liable to normal fault and strike-slip fault activities. 3 According to Coulomb friction criteria and taking the friction strength μ as 0.6~1.0 for analysis, the stress state reaching or exceeding the threshold for normal-fault frictional sliding near the fault implies that the current tectonic activity in the measuring area is mainly normal faulting. 4 The force source of current tectonic stress field comes mainly from the westward and northwestward horizontal extrusions from the Pacific and Philippine Plates respectively to the Eurasian Plate.

GIS-Based Analysis of Relative Tectonic Activity along the Kazerun Fault Zone, Zagros Mountains, Iran: Insights from Data Mining of Geomorphic Data

This paper tests a data mining method for evaluation of the ＂IRTA＂（Index of Relative Tectonic Activity） to investigate the impact of active tectonics on geomorphic processes and landscape development. Based upon K-means clustering of six basin-related geomorphic indices（the hypsometric integral, basin asymmetric factor, drainage density, basin shape ratio, mean axial slope of the channel and topographic roughness） that represent the relative strength of active tectonic deformation on topography and morphology, the relative tectonic activity along the Kazerun Fault Zone in the Zagros Mountains of Iran may be classified into low, moderate and high relative tectonic activity zones. The results allow the identification of the clusters of similarly deformed areas related to relative tectonic activity. The utilization of geomorphic parameters as well as IRTA with comparison to the field observations exhibit change in relative tectonic activities mostly corresponding to the change in mechanism of the prominent fault zones in the study area.