Inversion of Stress Fields in the Middle Section of the Xiaojiang Fault and Its Adjacent Area

With waveform data of 613 earthquakes with ML ≥ 2. 5 in the middle section of the Xiaojiang fault and its adjacent area which occurred during January,1998 to September 2007,focal mechanisms were calculated by the direct wave amplitude ratio of S /P in the vertical component and their characteristics were analyzed. According to regional tectonic features of the middle section of the Xiaojiang fault and its adjacent area,the study region was partitioned into two zones with the Xiaojiang fault as the boundary,e. g. zone A and zone B (including the Xiaojiang fault). In order to research the faults stress in detail,the Xiaojiang fault zone was picked out for independent analysis. The study region was also partitioned into 1°× 1° cells with a 0. 5° step. The stress fields of zone A,B and the fault zone were inverted with the FMSI method (Gephart,1990). The results show that first, the faults are mainly of strike-slip in the middle section and its adjacent area,amounting to 81. 28%,69. 23% and 72. 97% in the A,B and fault zones,respectively. Secondly,the stress inversion also indicates that the directions of maximum principal stress σ1 in the A, B,and fault zones are approximately NNW,NWW and NWW,the stress action is mainly horizontal,and strike-slip faulting is dominant in the study area. On the other hand,the direction of the principal stress field in the central Yunnan block changed from NNW to NWW,however,in the region between the Yuanmou and Pudu River faults,the azimuth of the main compressive stress shows that the north-south slip is obvious. While the direction of the main compressive stress of the Xiaojiang fault zone is nearly NW; in the east of the Xiaojiang fault,the direction of principal compressive stress is NW to NNW in the eastern Yunnan block.

Focal Mechanism Solutions and Stress Field Inversion of Moderately Strong Earthquakes in the Northern Tianshan Area

Using the focal mechanism solutions of 24 moderately strong earthquakes in the northern Tianshan area,we carried out system cluster and stress field inversion analysis.The result indicates that,the focal mechanism solutions of moderately strong earthquakes are mainly dip-slip reverse faulting in the northern Tianshan area.The principal rupture planes of earthquakes are NW-oriented.It is basically consistent with the strike of earthquake structure in its adjacent area.The direction of the principal compression stress P axis is nearly NS,and its inclination angle is small;while the inclination angle of the principal extensional stress T axis is large.It shows that the regional stress field is mainly controlled by the near-NS horizontal compressive stress.The direction of the maximum principal stress shows a gradation process of NNE-NS-NW from east to west.

Moment tensor inversion for focal mechanism of the Beibuwan earthquakes

Two earthquakes of Ms=6.0 and Ms=6. 1 consecutively occurred on December 31, 1994 and January 10, 1995 in Beibuwan region, China. By using the generalized reflection-transmission coefficient matrix and the discrete slowness integration method in the calculation of Green's functions, we obtained the focal mechanisms of these earthquakes using long-period waveforms of regional body waves recorded by the China Digital Seismograph Network (CDSN) by means of moment tensor inversion method in frequency domain. The results inverted indicate that the focal mechanisms of these two earthquakes were similar to each other. Their principal compressional stresses are in NW-SE direction and principal tensional stresses are in NE-SW direction. It turns out that the occurrence of the two earthquakes was controlled by the same tectonic environment related to the collision of the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plates. On the other hand, the results imply that the stress field in the seismogenic region has a significant change after the Ms=6.0 earthquake. It may be proposed that the occurrence of the Ms=6. 1 earthquake could be related to the stress field adjustment caused by the Ms=6.0 earthquake.

Deformation structure and exhumation process of the Laojunshan gneiss dome in southeastern Yunnan of China

Middle-lower crust and mantle rocks are generally widely exposed in metamorphic core complex or gneiss dome,which is an ideal place to study the exhumation process related to regional extension and rheology.The Laojunshan metamorphic complex in southeastern Yunnan is located in a special tectonic position surrounded by the Cathaysia,Yangtze and Indochina blocks.It is composed of different metamorphic-deformation rocks and granitic intrusions.There also are many economic deposits(e.g.,tin and tungsten)that are spatially and genetically associated with the formation and exhumation of the Laojunshan gneiss dome.Based on detailed analysis of macro-and microscopic structure,stress field distribution and deformation condition,the tectonic units of the Laojunshan metamorphic complex show obvious characteristics of doming,as well as of typical structural units of metamorphic core complex.It has strongly deformed metamorphic gneiss core(footwall),detachment fault system and sedimentary cover(hanging wall)with lightly metamorphism and deformation.The footwall of gneiss dome presents a strongly ductile deformation domain,accompanied by different ages of granitic intrusions.The distribution of developed foliation and lineation within granitic gneisses are arc-shaped and radial,respectively,with a nearly N-S trending from the footwall to the hanging wall.Mylonitization of deformed rocks gradually weakens and transits to orthogneiss as it moves away from the detachment fault toward the footwall.The low angle detachment fault between the footwall and the hanging wall shows an arc-like shape feature.Mylonite fabrics are preserved in the deformed rocks of the detachment fault,which are mainly composed of chloritized schist,fault breccia,cataclasite and fault gouge.A large number of normal faults are developed in detachment faults and hanging wall,and their stress fields radiate in an arc around the footwall.Zircon U-Pb ages of amphibolite and granitic gneiss from the footwall range from 445 to 420 Ma,indicating the timing of Caledonian magmatic emplacement and the main formation period of the Laojunshan gneiss dome.U-Pb ages of the zircon metamorphic rims are 241-230 Ma,representing the timing of high temperature metamorphism and shortened deformation of the Indosinian collision.In this period,the Laojunshan gneiss dome experienced the tectonic compression in association with high temperature metamorphism-deformation,which was superimposed by detachment and extensional exhumation in association with intense hydrothermal interaction and mineralization in the late stage.