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.

Effects of fault movement and material properties on deformation and stress fields of Tibetan Plateau

We compare the factors which affect the movement of Tibetan Plateau by building three types of finite element models： an elastic materials （M-EC）, a continuous model composed by non-linear materials （M-PC）, and an elastic model with discontinuous fault movements （M-ET）. Both in M-ET and M-EC, the materials in Qiangtang and Lhasa block are elastic, and in M-ET, discontinuous movement of faults is considered for evaluating the effects of strike-slip faults. In model M-PC Druker-Prager plastic materials are used in Qiangtang and Lhasa block. Comparisons of the numerical simulation and the GPS observations show following characteristics： （1） Under present tectonic environment, short-term deformation of Tibetan Plateau can be simulated well by elastic models; （2） Discontinuous fault activities increase the lateral extrusion of the eastern part of Tibetan Plateau, reduce the stress field level in Qiangtang, Tarim and Qaidam blocks and strengthen the E-W extensional force in the east and the west parts of Qiangtang block; （3） Properties of plastic materials reduce the total stress field and the E-W extensional force, thus, the normal fault earthquakes in southern Tibet is mainly owed to the effect of active fault movement. Based on the numerical simulations we speculate that faults movement may play a more important role on the kinematic pattern of Tibetan Plateau than bulk properties.

Determination of the direction and magnitude of recent tectonic stress in the Xianshuihe fault zone using fault slip data

In this article,a method to determine the complete stress tensor by use of fault slip data in combination with experimental parameters of rock mechanics is elucidated;the direction and magnitude of recent tectonic stress in the Xianshuihe fault zone are determined by this method from a great deal of active fault striae data observed in the fault zone and the envelope of rock fracture determined experimentally for rock samples collected from the fault zone;and the applicability of the method and reliability of calculation results are discussed.

Piezomagnetic In-situ Stress Monitoring and its Application in the Longmenshan Fault Zone

The relative change of in-situ stress is an inevitable outcome of differential movement among the crust plates. Conversely, changes of in-situ stress can also lead to deformation and instability of crustal rock mass, trigger activity of faults, and induce earthquakes. Hence, monitoring real-time change of in-situ stress is of great significance. Piezomagnetic in-situ stress monitoring has good and longtime applications in large engineering constructions and geoscience study fields in China. In this paper, the new piezomagnetic in-situ stress monitoring system is introduced and it not only has overall improvements in measuring cell＇s structure and property, stressing and orienting way, but also enhances integration and intelligence of control and data transmission system, in general, which greatly promotes installing efficiency of measuring probe and quality of monitoring data. This paper also discusses the responses of new piezomagnetic system in large earthquake events of in-situ stress monitoring station at Qiaoqi of Baoxing and Wenxian of Gansu. The monitoring data reflect adjustments and changes of tectonic stress field at the southwestern segment of and the northern area near the Longmenshan fault zone, which shows that the new system has a good performance and application prospect in the geoscience field. Data of the Qiaoqi stress-monitoring station manifest that the Lushan Earthquake did not release stress of the southwestern segment of the Longmenshan fault zone adequately and there still probably exists seismic risk in this region in the future. Combined with absolute in-situ stress measurement, carrying out long-term in-situ stress monitoring in typical tectonic position of important regions is of great importance for researchers to assess and study regional crust stability.

Finite-element 3D modeling of stress patterns around a dipping fault

Stresses in a block around a dipping fracture simulating a damage zone of a fault are reconstructed by finite-element modeling. A fracture corresponding to a fault of different lengths, with its plane dipping at different angles, is assumed to follow a lithological interface and to experience either compression or shear. The stress associated with the destruction shows an asymmetrical pattern with different distances from the highest stress sites to the fault plane in the hanging and foot walls. As the dip angle decreases,the high-stress zone becomes wider in the hanging wall but its width changes negligibly in the foot wall.The length of the simulated fault and the deformation type affect only the magnitude of maximum stress,which remains asymmetrical relative to the fault plane. The Lh/Lfratio, where Lhand Lfare the widths of high-stress zones in the hanging and foot walls of the fault, respectively, is inversely proportional to the fault plane dip. The arithmetic mean of this ratio over different fault lengths in fractures subject to compression changes from 0.29 at a dip of 80°to 1.67 at 30°. In the case of shift displacement, ratios are increasing to 1.2 and 2.94, respectively.Usually they consider vertical fault planes and symmetry in a damage zone of faults. Following that assumption may cause errors in reconstructions of stress and fault patterns in areas of complex structural setting. According geological data, we know the structures are different and asymmetric in hanging and foot walls of fault. Thus, it is important to quantify zones of that asymmetry. The modeling results have to be taken into account in studies of natural faults, especially for practical applications in seismic risk mapping, engineering geology, hydrogeology, and tectonics.

DDM regression analysis of the in-situ stress field in a non-linear fault zone

A multivariable regression analysis of the in-situ stress field, which considers the non-linear deformation behavior of faults in practical projects, is presented based on a newly developed three-dimensional displacement discontinuity method （DDM） program. The Bar- ton-Bandis model and the Kulhaway model are adopted as the normal and the tangential deformation model of faults, respectively, where the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion is satisfied. In practical projects, the values of the mechanical parameters of rock and faults are restricted in a bounded range for in-situ test, and the optimal mechanical parameters are obtained from this range by a loop. Comparing with the traditional finite element method （FEM）, the DDM regression results are more accurate.

Stacking fault energy,yield stress anomaly, and twinnability of Ni_3Al:A first principles study

Using first principles calculations combined with the quasiharmonic approach, we study the effects of temperature on the elastic constants, generalized stacking fault energies, and generalized planar fault energies of Ni3Al. The antiphase boundary energies, complex stacking fault energies, superlattice intrinsic stacking fault energies, and twinning energies decrease slightly with temperature. Temperature dependent anomalous yield stress of Ni3Al is predicted by the energybased criterion based on elastic anisotropy and antiphase boundary energies. It is found that p increases with temperature and this can give a more accurate description of the anomalous yield stress in Ni3Al. Furthermore, the predicted twinnablity of Ni3Al is also decreasing with temperature.

Active Faulting Pattern,Present-day Tectonic Stress Field and Block Kinematics in the East Tibetan Plateau

This paper examines major active faults and the present-day tectonic stress field in the East Tibetan Plateau by integrating available data from published literature and proposes a block kinematics model of the region. It shows that the East Tibetan Plateau is dominated by strike-slip and reverse faulting stress regimes and that the maximum horizontal stress is roughly consistent with the contemporary velocity field, except for the west Qinling range where it parallels the striking of the major strike-slip faults. Active tectonics in the East Tibetan Plateau is characterized by three faulting systems. The left-slip Kunlun-Qinling faulting system combines the east Kunlun fault zone, sinistral oblique reverse faults along the Minshan range and two major NEE-striking faults cutting the west Qinling range, which accommodates eastward motion, at 10--14 mm/a, of the Chuan-Qing block. The left-slip Xianshuihe faulting system accommodated clockwise rotation of the Chuan-Dian block. The Longmenshan thrust faulting system forms the eastern margin of the East Tibetan Plateau and has been propagated to the SW of the Sichuan basin. Crustal shortening across the Longmenshan range seems low （2-4 mm/a） and absorbed only a small part of the eastward motion of the Chuan-Qing block. Most of this eastward motion has been transmitted to South China, which is moving SEE-ward at 7-9 mm/a. It is suggested from geophysical data interpretation that the crust and lithosphere of the East Tibetan Plateau is considerably thickened and theologically layered. The upper crust seems to be decoupled from the lower crust through a decollement zone at a depth of 15-20 kin, which involved the Longmenshan fault belt and propagated eastward to the SW of the Sichuan basin. The Wenchuan earthquake was just formed at the bifurcated point of this decollement system. A rheological boundary should exist beneath the Longmenshan fault belt where the lower crust of the East Tibetan Plateau and the lithospheric mantle of the Yangze block are juxtaposed.

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.

The seismicity and tectonic stress field characteristics of the Longmenshan fault zone before the Wenchuan M_S8.0 earthquake

The seismicity of Longrnenshan fault zone and its vicinities before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake is studied. Based on the digital seismic waveform data observed from regional seismic networks and mobile stations, the focal mechanism solutions are determined. Our analysis results show that the seismicities of Longmenshan fault zone before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake were in stable state. No obvious phenomena of seismic activity intensifying appeared. According to focal mechanism solutions of some small earthquakes before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the direction of principal compressive stress P-axis is WNW-ESE. The two hypocenter fault planes are NE-striking and NW-striking. The plane of NE direction is among N50°-70°E, the dip angles of fault planes are 60°-70° and it is very steep. The faultings of most earthquakes are dominantly characterized by dip-slip reverse and small part of faultings present strike-slip. The azimuths of principal compressive stress, the strikes of source fault planes and the dislocation types calculated from some small earthquakes before the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake are in accordance with that of the main shock. The average stress field of micro-rupture along the Longmenshan fault zone before the great earthquake is also consistent with that calculated from main shock. Zipingpu dam is located in the east side 20 km from the initial rupture area of the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The activity increment of small earthquakes in the Zipingpu dam is in the period of water discharging. The source parameter results of the small earthquakes which occurred near the initial rupture area of the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake indicate that the focal depths are 5 to 14 km and the source parameters are identical with that of earthquake.

Modifications in the Stress Field of a Long Inclined Fault Caused by the Welded-Contact Boundary Conditions across the Interface between Two Elastic Half-Spaces

In welded-contact boundary conditions, some stress components are not required to be continuous across the boundary between two elastic half-spaces. The purpose of this note is to study the modifications in the stress field of a long inclined strike-slip, dip-slip or tensile fault caused by the welded-contact boundary conditions across the interface between two elastic half-spaces. The Poisson’s ratios of the two half-spaces do not appear in the stress field of a strike-slip fault. In the case of a dip-slip fault, the Poisson’s ratio of the half-space in which the fault lies, has a significant influence on the stress field across the interface. However, for a tensile fault, the modification in the stress field is significantly affected by the Poisson’s ratios of both the half-spaces.

Fault slip and modern tectonic stress field in and around Kunming basin

Kunming basin is a Cenozoic faulted basin under the control of mainly SN-trending active faults. In and around the basin, there are a total of eight major active faults. Seismo-geological survey and fault slip observation show that the SN- and NE-trending active faults are mostly sinistral strike-slip faults, while the NW-trending faults are mostly dextral strike-slip faults. Using stress tensor inversion method with 706 active fault striation data at 22 measurement sites, we determined tectonic stress field of the study area. The result shows that modern tectonic stress field in and around Kunming basin is characterized by NNW-SSE compression, ENE-WSW extension, and strike-slip stress regimes. The maximum principal compressional stress （σ1） is oriented 335o;o, with an average dip angle of 21°; the minimum （σ3） is oriented 44o;3o, with an average dip angle of 14°, and the intermediate （σ2） has a high, or nearly vertical, dip angle. The inversion result from fault slip data is consistent with the result from focal mechanism solutions.

THEORETICAL STUDY ON ALEKSANDROWSKI′S METHOD OF THE GRAPHICAL DETERMINATION OF PRINCIPAL STRESS DIRECTIONS FROM THE FAULT SLIP DATA SETS

A graphical method for determining the principal stress distribution of a triaxial stress state from a fault slipstate was proposed by Aleksandrowski in 1985,based on Arthaud′s concept of plane movement,Alek-sandrowski′s method,however,is only valid for the cases in which the values of the stress ratios(C)are consid-ered 1o be ,10,2,1.1 and 1.Whether the method is applicable for general cases of all values of C has not yetbeen confirmed.In this paper.Aleksandrowskis′ method is tested using a numerical derivation from spatialgeometric analysis,and it is revealed that this method is correct for all values of stress ratios other than C=,10,2,1.1,and 1,i.c-【C【.

Effect of Poisson’s ratio on stress state in the Wenchuan M_S8.0 earthquake fault

The Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake occurred on the Longmenshan fault which inclines at a dip angle exceeding 60 degrees. Since most thrust earthquakes occur on faults with dip angles of about 30 degrees, it is enigmatic why the Wenchuan earthquake occurred on such a steep fault. In this study we use a simple finite element model to investigate how the stress state in the fault changes with the variation of Poisson＇s ratio. The results show that, with the Poisson＇s ratio in the fault increasing, the magnitudes of the principal stresses increase and the maximum Shear stress decrease, and, especially, the angle between the maximum principal stress and the fault plane decreases, which will enhance the driving force to overcome the frictional resistance on the fault. The increase of Poisson＇s ratio in the fault may be an important factor to affect the occurrence of the fault earthquakes with large angles between maximum principal stress and fault plane.

Evolution of 3D tectonic stress field and fault movement in North China

Based on data of fault movement surveying, we simulate the evolution process of three dimensional stress field in North China by three dimensional finite element method. Evolutional patterns in one-year time scale from 1986 to 1997 have been illustrated and the evolution characteristics of stress field have been analyzed. In comparison with the seismic activity among that time interval in North China, we have primarily discussed the relationship between the evolution of stress field and seismic activity.

Intraplate Strike-Slip Reactivation of the Sinnyeong Fault in the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin, Korea, Due to the Concentration of Later Compressional Stress

This study focuses on the geometry and kinematics of the Sinnyeong Fault which is the most conspicuous fault among the WNW-trending Gaeum Fault System in the Gyeongsang Basin,SE Korea. The fault is traced for over ca.70 kmand has a consistent WNW-trending strike with a nearly vertical dip. It has an asymmetric fault damage zone of several meters to several tens of meters in width and a several meter-thick fault core. Its main movement is interpreted as sinistral-reverse oblique-slip or sinistral strike-slip under NE-SW compressional stress regime, although it could have experienced other faultings with different senses before/after this movement. Cylindrical folds, having the NW-trending fold axes of low angle plunge, are only observed along the southern damage zone of the fault with a continuous narrow width of several tens of meters. It is thus interpreted that the formation of the folds and sinistral movement of the fault were almost contemporaneously generated due to the concentration of the regional NE-SW compressional stress along pre-existing WNW-trending faults or densely populated fracture zone in a relatively stable intraplate region.

川滇主要断裂带应力应变积累速率的三维有限元模拟:初步结果

川滇地区构造活动强烈,活动断裂众多,强震活动频繁.了解主要活动断裂的应力应变积累速率对于评估该区的长期地震危险性具有重要参考作用.本文新建立川滇地区及其主要活动断裂的三维黏弹性有限元模型,其中考虑了该区的岩石圈结构分层以及介质在水平和深度方向的不均匀性;采用1996—2018年的平均GPS水平速度场约束模型的侧边界,同时考虑川滇地块深部介质的拖曳力过程,模拟计算了构造加载作用下模型的动力学响应——区域变形特征和断裂的应力积累速率.模拟的位移场能很好拟合GPS观测的速度场,模拟的水平主应力方向在川滇块体和华南块体西缘与地震震源主应力方向相符,反映所建模型与模拟结果有较好的可信度.尝试将模拟的应力积累速率与基于GPS/GNSS观测的应变速率相结合,计算能反映区域地壳应变积累程度的弹性应变能密度分布;讨论了主要断裂带的背景应力、弹性应变能密度和库仑应力积累速率与M≥6.0地震发生的关系.结果显示除了模型边界附近的应力奇异地带外,川滇其余地区1996年以来M≥6.0地震大多数发生在模拟应力积累速率高或次高的断裂带(段),以及弹性应变能密度积累速率中偏高的断裂带(段).在模拟的背景应力速率高而且库仑应力增长快的龙门山断裂带南段和鲜水河断裂带最南段,分别在本文写作和定稿阶段发生2022年6月1日四川芦山M6.1地震和2022年9月5日四川泸定M6.8地震.认为研究区具有类似高或者次高的模拟应力和弹性应变能密度积累速率、但至今无强震发生和记录的断裂带(段),潜在的地震危险性需要关注.

Preliminary Results of In-situ Stress Measurements along the Longmenshan Fault Zone after the Wenchuan M_s 8.0 Earthquake

Four months after the Wenchuan Ms 8 earthquake in western Sichuan, China, in situ stress measurements were carried out along the Longmenshan fault zone with the purpose of obtaining stress parameters for earthquake hazard assessment. In-situ stresses were measured in three new boreholes by using overcoring with the piezomagnetic stress gauges for shallow depths and hydraulic fracturing for lower depths. The maximum horizontal stress in shallow depths （-20 m） is about 4.3 MPa, oriented N19°E, in the epicenter area at Yingxiu Town, about 9.7 MPa, oriented N51°W, at Baoxing County in the southwestern Longmenshan range, and about 2.6 MPa, oriented N39°E, near Kangding in the southernmost zone of the Longmenshan range. Hydraulic fracturing at borehole depths from 100 to 400 m shows a tendency towards increasing stress with depth. A comparison with the results measured before the Wenchuan earthquake along the Longmenshan zone and in the Tibetan Plateau demonstrates that the stress level remains relatively high in the southwestern segment of the Longmenshan range, and is still moderate in the epicenter zone. These results provide a key appraisal for future assessment of earthquake hazards of the Longmenshan fault zone and the aftershock occurrences of the Wenchuan earthquake.

Reexamining the Seismological Implications of the Present-day Stress State of the Yingxiu-Beichuan Fault after the Wenchuan Earthquake

The present-day stress state of the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault after the Wenchuan earthquake was re-estimated using measured in-situ stress data obtained after the Wenchuan earthquake. The results reveal that the gradient coefficients of principal stresses versus depth decrease from south to north along the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault, revealing that the stress level decreases from south to north. The consistency between the present-day stress levels and surface ruptures generated during the earthquake indicates that the accumulated tectonic stress beneath the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault before the Wenchuan earthquake was relieved in form of surface ruptures. This resulted in the stress remaining high in the southern section of the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault but relatively low in the northern section. Abnormal high pore pressure conditions and an extremely low frictional coefficient play important role in the interpretation of the stress field adjustment and seismic events observed after the Wenchuan earthquake along this fault, according to the estimation results using the Coulomb frictional-failure theory incorporating frictional coefficients ranging from 0.4 to 1.0. To accurately estimate the seismological hazard of the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault by analyzing fault instability using the Coulomb frictional-failure theory, much attention should be focused on the pore pressure conditions and the evolution state of the frictional coefficient under the present-day stress state.

Characteristics of the seismic source stress field in the joint region of Xianshuihe, Longmenshan and An(ninghe faults

Twenty-two earthquakes (ML=2.2-3.7) in the joint region of Xianshuihe, Longmenshan and An'ninghe faults are studied in this paper. The source mechanism solutions of these events are obtained using P-wave first motion method, and the characteristics of the source stress field and rupture in the joint region are summarized preliminarily with some results of other researchers. Being strongly extruded by the approximately horizontal regional stress with the direction from north-west to south-east and the effect of the complex tectonics in the region, the source stress field has complex and variable characteristics. The earthquakes mainly show normal or strike-slip faults in Yajiang, North-triangle and west of Chengdu-block areas, indicating that the vertical forces have been playing an important role in the source stress fields, while the earthquakes mainly show reverse or strike-slip faults in Baoxing-Tianquan area, with the horizontal components of the principal pressure stress axes identical to the south-west direction to which the shallow mass is moving. We think that the manifold combinations of earthquake faults are the micro-mechanism based upon which the large regional shallow crust mass has been moving continually.