Characterization and spatial analysis of coseismic landslides triggered by the Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake in the Xianshuihe fault zone, Southwest China

On September 5, 2022, a magnitude Ms 6.8 earthquake occurred along the Moxi fault in the southern part of the Xianshuihe fault zone located in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,resulting in severe damage and substantial economic loss. In this study, we established a coseismic landslide database triggered by Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake, which includes 4794 landslides with a total area of 46.79 km^(2). The coseismic landslides primarily consisted of medium and small-sized landslides, characterized by shallow surface sliding. Some exhibited characteristics of high-position initiation resulted in the obstruction or partial obstruction of rivers, leading to the formation of dammed lakes. Our research found that the coseismic landslides were predominantly observed on slopes ranging from 30° to 50°, occurring at between 1000 m and 2500 m, with slope aspects varying from 90° to 180°. Landslides were also highly developed in granitic bodies that had experienced structural fracturing and strong-tomoderate weathering. Coseismic landslides concentrated within a 6 km range on both sides of the Xianshuihe and Daduhe fault zones. The area and number of coseismic landslides exhibited a negative correlation with the distance to fault lines, road networks, and river systems, as they were influenced by fault activity, road excavation, and river erosion. The coseismic landslides were mainly distributed in the southeastern region of the epicenter, exhibiting relatively concentrated patterns within the IX-degree zones such as Moxi Town, Wandong River basin, Detuo Town to Wanggangping Township. Our research findings provide important data on the coseismic landslides triggered by the Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake and reveal the spatial distribution patterns of these landslides. These findings can serve as important references for risk mitigation, reconstruction planning, and regional earthquake disaster research in the earthquake-affected area.

The MW5.5 earthquake on August 6,2023,in Pingyuan,Shandong,China:A rupture on a buried fault

On August 6,2023,a magnitude MW5.5 earthquake struck Pingyuan County,Dezhou City,Shandong Province,China.This event was significant as no large earthquakes had been recorded in the region for over a century,and no active fault had been previously identified.This study collects 1309 P-wave arrival times and 866 S-wave arrival times from 74 seismic stations less than 200 km to the epicenter to constrain the spatial distribution of the mainshock and its 125 early aftershocks by the double difference earthquake relocation method,and selects 864 P-waveforms from 288 stations located within 800 km of the epicenter to constrain the focal mechanism solution of the mainshock through centroid moment tensor inversion.The relocation and the inversion indicate,the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake was caused by a rupture on a buried fault,likely an extensive segment of the Gaotang fault.This buried fault exhibited a dip of approximately 75°to the northwest,with a strike of 222°,similar to the Gaotang fault.The rupture initiated at the depth of 18.6 km and propagated upward and northeastward.However,the ground surface was not broken.The total duration of the rupture was~6.0 s,releasing the scalar moment of 2.5895×1017 N·m,equivalent to MW5.54.The moment rate reached the maximum only 1.4 seconds after the rupture initiation,and the 90%scalar moment was released in the first 4.6 s.In the first 1.4 seconds of the rupture process,the rupture velocity was estimated to be 2.6 km/s,slower than the local S-wave velocity.As the rupture neared its end,the rupture velocity decreased significantly.This study provides valuable insights into the seismic characteristics of the Pingyuan MW5.5 earthquake,shedding light on the previously unidentified buried fault responsible for the seismic activity in the region.Understanding the behavior of such faults is crucial for assessing seismic hazards and enhancing earthquake preparedness in the future.

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.

Analysis of faulting destruction and water supply pipeline damage from the first mainshock of the February 6,2023 Türkiye earthquake doublet

In 2023,two consecutive earthquakes exceeding a magnitude of 7 occurred in Türkiye,causing severe casualties and economic losses.The damage to critical urban infrastructure and building structures,including highways,railroads,and water supply pipelines,was particularly severe in areas where these structures intersected the seismogenic fault.Critical infrastructure projects that traverse active faults are susceptible to the influence of fault movement,pulse velocity,and ground motions.In this study,we used a unique approach to analyze the acceleration records obtained from the seismic station array(9 strong ground motion stations)located along the East Anatolian Fault(the seismogenic fault of the MW7.8 mainshock of the 2023 Türkiye earthquake doublet).The acceleration records were filtered and integrated to obtain the velocity and displacement time histories.We used the results of an on-site investigation,jointly conducted by China Earthquake Administration and Türkiye’s AFAD,to analyze the distribution of PGA,PGV,and PGD recorded by the strong motion array of the East Anatolian Fault.We found that the maximum horizontal PGA in this earthquake was 3.0 g,and the maximum co-seismic surface displacement caused by the East Anatolian Fault rupture was 6.50 m.As the fault rupture propagated southwest,the velocity pulse caused by the directional effect of the rupture increased gradually,with the maximum PGA reaching 162.3 cm/s.We also discussed the seismic safety of critical infrastructure projects traversing active faults,using two case studies of water supply pipelines in Türkiye that were damaged by earthquakes.We used a three-dimensional finite element model of the PE(polyethylene)water pipeline at the Islahiye State Hospital and fault displacement observations obtained through on-site investigation to analyze pipeline failure mechanisms.We further investigated the effect of the fault-crossing angle on seismic safety of a pipeline,based on our analysis and the failure performance of the large-diameter Thames Water pipeline during the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake.The seismic method of buried pipelines crossing the fault was summarized.

Deep-large faults controlling on the distribution of the venting gas hydrate system in the middle of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Many locations with concentrated hydrates at vents have confirmed the presence of abundant thermogenic gas in the middle of the Qiongdongnan Basin(QDNB).However,the impact of deep structures on gasbearing fluids migration and gas hydrates distribution in tectonically inactive regions is still unclear.In this study,the authors apply high-resolution 3D seismic and logging while drilling(LWD)data from the middle of the QDNB to investigate the influence of deep-large faults on gas chimneys and preferred gasescape pipes.The findings reveal the following:(1)Two significant deep-large faults,F1 and F2,developed on the edge of the Songnan Low Uplift,control the dominant migration of thermogenic hydrocarbons and determine the initial locations of gas chimneys.(2)The formation of gas chimneys is likely related to fault activation and reactivation.Gas chimney 1 is primarily arises from convergent fluid migration resulting from the intersection of the two faults,while the gas chimney 2 benefits from a steeper fault plane and shorter migration distance of fault F2.(3)Most gas-escape pipes are situated near the apex of the two faults.Their reactivations facilitate free gas flow into the GHSZ and contribute to the formation of fracture‐filling hydrates.

A Cascading Fault Path Prediction Method for Integrated Energy Distribution Networks Based on the Improved OPA Model under Typhoon Disasters

In recent times,the impact of typhoon disasters on integrated energy active distribution networks(IEADNs)has received increasing attention,particularly,in terms of effective cascading fault path prediction and enhanced fault recovery performance.In this study,we propose a modified ORNL-PSerc-Alaska(OPA)model based on optimal power flow(OPF)calculation to forecast IEADN cascading fault paths.We first established the topology and operational model of the IEADNs,and the typical fault scenario was chosen according to the component fault probability and information entropy.The modified OPA model consisted of two layers:An upper-layer model to determine the cascading fault location and a lower-layer model to calculate the OPF by using Yalmip and CPLEX and provide the data to update the upper-layer model.The approach was validated via the modified IEEE 33-node distribution system and two real IEADNs.Simulation results showed that the fault trend forecasted by the novel OPA model corresponded well with the development and movement of the typhoon above the IEADN.The proposed model also increased the load recovery rate by>24%compared to the traditional OPA model.

New model of linkage evolution for the transtensional fault systems in the Nanpu Sag of Bohai Bay Basin:Insight from seismic interpretation and analogue modelling

The evolution of faults within the same stress field is frequently influenced by numerous factors,involving the reactivation of pre-existing structures,stress transmission through ductile detachment layers,and the growth,interaction,as well as linkage of new fault segments.This study analyses a complex multi-phase oblique extension fault system in the Nanpu Sag(NPS)of the Bohai Bay Basin(BBB),China.High-resolution three-dimensional(3D)seismic data and analogue modelling indicate that the oblique extensional reactivation of pre-existing structures governs the sequential arrangement of fault segments in the caprock,and they dip synthetically to the reactivated fault at depth.During the NW-SE extension in the Eocene,the predominant movement of the pre-existing fault is strike-slip.Subsequently,during the N-S extension since the Oligocene,inclined at 20.to the pre-existing fault,forming splay fault segments and ultimately creating large en-echelon arcuate faults linked by relay ramps.Using fault throw-distance(T-D)and laser scanning,we reconstructed the fault evolution model of oblique extension reactivation in the presence of a ductile detachment basement.Our study illustrates that the arcuate faults can be categorized into linear master fault segments controlled by pre-existing structures,bending splay faults in the termination zone,and normal fault segments responding to the regional stress field.The interaction between faults occurs among normal faults and strike-slip faults,and the kinematic unification of the two fault systems is accomplished in the intersection zone.As the faults continue to evolve,the new fault segments tend to relinquish the control of pre-existing structures and concentrate more on the development of planar and continuous major faults.The ductile detachment layer significantly contributes to the uniform distribution of strain,resulting in narrow shear zones and discontinuous normal faults in its absence.

Experimental investigation on the origin of carbonaceous materials in the fault zone of the Wenchuan earthquake

Carbonaceous materials in seismic fault zones may considerably influence seismic fault slip;however,the formation mechanism of carbonaceous materials remains unclear.In this study,we proposed a novel hypothesis for the formation of carbonaceous materials in fault gouge.Thus,we conducted a CO_(2) hydrogenation experiment in a high-temperature reactor at a co-seismic temperature,with fault gouge formed during the Wenchuan earthquake as the catalyst.Our experimental results demonstrate that carbonaceous materials in fault zones are formed on the fault gouge during the chemical reaction process,suggesting that the carbonaceous materials are possibly generated from the catalytic hydrogenation of CO_(2),followed by thermal cracking of its products.The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for understanding fault behavior and earthquake physics.

Geometry and 3D seismic characterisation of post-rift normal faults in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea

Based on high-resolution 3D seismic data acquired in the Pearl(Zhujiang)River Mouth Basin of the northern South China Sea,this study investigated the geometry,spatial extension,and throw distribution of the post-rift normal fault through detailed seismic interpretation and fault modeling.A total of 289 post-rift normal faults were identified in the study area and can be classified into four types:(1)isolated normal faults above the carbonate platform;(2)isolated normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform;(3)conjugate normal faults,and(4)connecting normal faults.Throw distribution analysis on the fault planes show that the vertical throw profiles of most normal fault exhibit flat-topped profiles.Isolated normal faults above the carbonate platform exhibit roughly concentric ellipses with maximum throw zones in the central section whereas the normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform miss the lowermost section due to the chaotic seismic reflections in the interior of the carbonate platform.The vertical throws of conjugate normal faults anomalously decrease toward their intersection region on the fault plane whereas the connecting normal faults present two maximum throw zones in the central section of the fault plane.According to the symmetric elliptical distribution model of fault throw,an estimation was made indicating that normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform extended downward between-1308 s and-1780 s(two-way travel time)in depth and may not penetrate the entire Liuhua carbonate platform.Moreover,it is observed that the distribution of karst caves on the top of the carbonate platform disaccord with those of hydrocarbon reservoirs and the post-rift normal faults cutting through the carbonate platform in the study area.We propose that these karst caves formed most probably by corrosive fluids derived from magmatic activities during the Dongsha event,rather than pore waters or hydrocarbons.

Arc Grounding Fault Identification Using Integrated Characteristics in the Power Grid

Arc grounding faults occur frequently in the power grid with small resistance grounding neutral points.The existing arc fault identification technology only uses the fault line signal characteristics to set the identification index,which leads to detection failure when the arc zero-off characteristic is short.To solve this problem,this paper presents an arc fault identification method by utilizing integrated signal characteristics of both the fault line and sound lines.Firstly,the waveform characteristics of the fault line and sound lines under an arc grounding fault are studied.After that,the convex hull,gradient product,and correlation coefficient index are used as the basic characteristic parameters to establish fault identification criteria.Then,the logistic regression algorithm is employed to deal with the reference samples,establish the machine discrimination model,and realize the discrimination of fault types.Finally,simulation test results and experimental results verify the accuracy of the proposed method.The comparison analysis shows that the proposed method has higher recognition accuracy,especially when the arc dissipation power is smaller than 2×10^(3) W,the zero-off period is not obvious.In conclusion,the proposed method expands the arc fault identification theory.

Decadal Forecasts of Large Earthquakes along the Northern San Andreas Fault System, California: Increased Activity on Regional Creeping Faults Prior to Major and Great Events

The three largest earthquakes in northern California since 1849 were preceded by increased decadal activity for moderate-size shocks along surrounding nearby faults. Increased seismicity, double-difference precise locations of earthquakes since 1968, geodetic data and fault offsets for the 1906 great shock are used to re-examine the timing and locations of possible future large earthquakes. The physical mechanisms of regional faults like the Calaveras, Hayward and Sargent, which exhibit creep, differ from those of the northern San Andreas, which is currently locked and is not creeping. Much decadal forerunning activity occurred on creeping faults. Moderate-size earthquakes along those faults became more frequent as stresses in the region increased in the latter part of the cycle of stress restoration for major and great earthquakes along the San Andreas. They may be useful for decadal forecasts. Yearly to decadal forecasts, however, are based on only a few major to great events. Activity along closer faults like that in the two years prior to the 1989 Loma Prieta shock needs to be examined for possible yearly forerunning changes to large plate boundary earthquakes. Geodetic observations are needed to focus on identifying creeping faults close to the San Andreas. The distribution of moderate-size earthquakes increased significantly since 1990 along the Hayward fault but not adjacent to the San Andreas fault to the south of San Francisco compared to what took place in the decades prior to the three major historic earthquakes in the region. It is now clear from a re-examination of the 1989 mainshock that the increased level of moderate-size shocks in the one to two preceding decades occurred on nearby East Bay faults. Double-difference locations of small earthquakes provide structural information about faults in the region, especially their depths. The northern San Andreas fault is divided into several strongly coupled segments based on differences in seismicity.

Interseismic slip distribution and locking characteristics of the mid-southern segment of the Tanlu fault zone

We employ the block negative dislocation model to invert the distribution of fault coupling and slip rate deficit on the different segments of the Tanlu(Tancheng-Lujiang) fault zone, according to the GPS horizontal velocity field from 1991 to 2007(the first phase) and 2013 to 2018(the second phase). By comparing the deformation characteristics results, we discuss the relationship between the deformation characteristics with the M earthquake in Japan. The results showed that the fault coupling rate of the northern section of Tancheng in the second phase reduced compared with that in the first phase. However, the results of the two phases showed that the northern section of Juxian still has a high coupling rate, a deep blocking depth, and a dextral compressive deficit, which is the enrapture section of the 1668 Tancheng earthquake. At the same time, the area strain results show that the strain rate of the central and eastern regions of the second phase is obviously enhanced compared with that of the first phase. The occurrence of the great earthquake in Japan has played a specific role in alleviating the strain accumulation in the middle and south sections of the Tanlu fault zone. The results of the maximum shear strain show that the shear strain in the middle section of the Tanlu fault zone in the second phase is weaker than that in the first phase, and the maximum shear strain in the southern section is stronger than that in the first phase. The fault coupling coefficient of the south Sihong to Jiashan section is high, and it is also the unruptured section of historical earthquakes. At the same time, small earthquakes in this area are not active and accumulate stress easily, so the future earthquake risk deserves attention.

Gravity-Driven Listric Growth Fault and Sedimentation in the Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul Coastal Plain, Brazil

High frequency, high resolution GPR surveys are successfully applied to investigate near-surface stratification architecture of sedimentary units in coastal plains and to define their depositional conditions. However, low frequency GPR surveys to investigate fault-related depositional systems at greater depths are scarce. This survey was designed investigate a > 100 km long linear escarpment that controls the northwest margin of the Lagoa do Peixe, an important lagoon in Rio Grande do Sul Coastal Plain (RGSCP, Brazil). The traditional approach points that RGSCP was developed by juxtaposition of four lagoons/barrier systems as consequence of sea level changes;no deformational structure is admitted to exist before. The low frequency GPR (50 MHz, RTA antenna) and geological surveys carried out in the RGSCP showed the existence of a large, gravity-driven listric growth fault controlling the Lagoa do Peixe escarpment and hangingwall sedimentation. The radargrams in four subareas along the Lagoa do Peixe Growth Fault could be interpreted following the seismic expression of rift-related depositional systems. The radargrams enabled to distinguish three main lagoonal deposition radarfacies. The lower lagoonal radarfacies is a convex upward unit, thicker close to growth fault;the radarfacies geometry indicates that fault displacement rate surpasses the sedimentation rate, and its upper stratum is aged ~3500 l4C years BP. The second lagoonal radarfacies is a triangular wedge restricted to the lagoon depocenter, whose geometry indicates that fault displacement and the sedimentation rates kept pace. The upper lagoonal radarfacies is being deposited since 1060 ± 70 l4C years BP, under sedimentation rate higher than fault displacement rate. The results indicate that low frequency GPR surveys can help in investigating fault-related depositional systems in coastal zones. They also point to a new approach in dealing with RGSCP stratigraphy.

The accessible seismological dataset of a high-density 2D seismic array along Anninghe fault

The scientific goal of the Anninghe seismic array is to investigate the detailed geometry of the Anninghe fault and the velocity structure of the fault zone.This 2D seismic array is composed of 161 stations forming sub-rectangular geometry along the Anninghe fault,which covers 50 km and 150 km in the fault normal and strike directions,respectively,with~5 km intervals.The data were collected between June 2020 and June 2021,with some level of temporal gaps.Two types of instruments,i.e.QS-05A and SmartSolo,are used in this array.Data quality and examples of seismograms are provided in this paper.After the data protection period ends(expected in June 2024),researchers can request a dataset from the National Earthquake Science Data Center.

A novel multi-resolution network for the open-circuit faults diagnosis of automatic ramming drive system

The open-circuit fault is one of the most common faults of the automatic ramming drive system(ARDS),and it can be categorized into the open-phase faults of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor(PMSM)and the open-circuit faults of Voltage Source Inverter(VSI). The stator current serves as a common indicator for detecting open-circuit faults. Due to the identical changes of the stator current between the open-phase faults in the PMSM and failures of double switches within the same leg of the VSI, this paper utilizes the zero-sequence voltage component as an additional diagnostic criterion to differentiate them.Considering the variable conditions and substantial noise of the ARDS, a novel Multi-resolution Network(Mr Net) is proposed, which can extract multi-resolution perceptual information and enhance robustness to the noise. Meanwhile, a feature weighted layer is introduced to allocate higher weights to characteristics situated near the feature frequency. Both simulation and experiment results validate that the proposed fault diagnosis method can diagnose 25 types of open-circuit faults and achieve more than98.28% diagnostic accuracy. In addition, the experiment results also demonstrate that Mr Net has the capability of diagnosing the fault types accurately under the interference of noise signals(Laplace noise and Gaussian noise).

Present-day movement characteristics of the Qinghai Nanshan fault and its surrounding area from GPS observation

The Qinghai Nanshan fault is a larger fault in the Northeastern Xizang Plateau.In previous studies,its movement characteristics are mainly investigated with geological and seismic observations,and the tectonic transformation role of the fault on its east is not yet clear.This study uses data fusion to obtain denser GPS observations near the Qinghai Nanshan fault.Based on tectonic characteristics,we establish a block model to investigate the fault slip rate,locking degree,and slip deficit.The results show that the Qinghai Nanshan fault slip rate is characterized by sinistral and convergent movement.Both the sinistral and convergent rates display a decreasing trend from west to east.The locking degree and slip deficit are higher in the western segment(with an average of about 0.74 and 1.1 mm/a)and lower in the eastern segment.Then,we construct a strain rate field using GPS observations to analyze the regional strain characteristics.The results indicate that along the fault,the western segment shows a larger shear strain rate and negative dilation rate.Regional earthquake records show that the frequency of earthquakes is lower near the fault.The joint results suggest that the western segment may have a higher earthquake risk.In addition,the insignificant fault slip rate in the eastern segment may indicate that it does not participate in the tectonic transformation among the Riyueshan,Lajishan,and West Qinling faults.

Fault characteristics and their control on oil and gas accumulation in the southwestern Ordos Basin

3D seismic data recently acquired from the Ordos Basin shows three sets of regularly distributed fault systems,which overrides previous understanding that no faults were developed in this basin.Seismic interpretation suggests that the faults in the southwestern Ordos Basin have three basic characteristics,namely extreme micro-scale,distinct vertical stratification,and regularity of planar distribution.These NS-,NW-,and NE-trending fault systems developed in the Meso-Neoproterozoic e Lower Ordovician strata.Of these,the NS-trending fault system mainly consists of consequent and antithetic faults which show clear syndepositional deformation.The fault systems in the Carboniferous e Middle-Lower Triassic strata are not clear on seismic reflection profiles.The NW-and NE-trending fault systems are developed in the Upper Triassic e Middle Jurassic strata.Of these,the NW-trending fault system appears as a negative flower structure in sectional view and in an en echelon pattern in plan-view;they show transtensional deformation.A NE-trending fault system that developed in the Lower Cretaceous e Cenozoic strata shows a Y-shaped structural style and tension-shear properties.A comprehensive analysis of the regional stress fields at different geologic times is essential to determine the development,distribution direction,and intensity of the activity of fault systems in the Ordos Basin.Current exploration suggests three aspects in which the faults within the Ordos Basin are crucial to oil and gas accumulation.Firstly,these faults serve as vertical barriers that cause the formation of two sets of relatively independent petroleum systems in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata respectively;this is the basis for the‘upper oil and lower gas’distribution pattern.Secondly,the vertical communication of these faults is favorable for oil and gas migration,thus contributing to the typical characteristics of multiple oil and gas fields within the basin,i.e.oil and gas reservoirs with multiple superimposed strata.Finally,these faults and their associated fractures improve the permeability of Mesozoic tight reservoirs,providing favorable conditions for oil enrichment in areas around the fault systems.

Dynamic response of mountain tunnel,bridge,and embankment along the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor to active fault based on model tests

The Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor is prone to numerous active faults and frequent strong earthquakes.While extensive studies have individually explored the effect of active faults and strong earthquakes on different engineering structures,their combined effect remains unclear.This research employed multiple physical model tests to investigate the dynamic response of various engineering structures,including tunnels,bridges,and embankments,under the simultaneous influence of cumulative earthquakes and stick-slip misalignment of an active fault.The prototype selected for this study was the Kanding No.2 tunnel,which crosses the Yunongxi fault zone within the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor.The results demonstrated that the tunnel,bridge,and embankment exhibited amplification in response to the input seismic wave,with the amplification effect gradually decreasing as the input peak ground acceleration(PGA)increased.The PGAs of different engineering structures were weakened by the fault rupture zone.Nevertheless,the misalignment of the active fault may decrease the overall stiffness of the engineering structure,leading to more severe damage,with a small contribution from seismic vibration.Additionally,the seismic vibration effect might be enlarged with the height of the engineering structure,and the tunnel is supposed to have a smaller PGA and lower dynamic earth pressure compared to bridges and embankments in strong earthquake zones crossing active faults.The findings contribute valuable insights for evaluating the dynamic response of various engineering structures crossing an active fault and provide an experimental reference for secure engineering design in the challenging conditions of the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor.

Microearthquake reveals the lithospheric structure at midocean ridges and oceanic transform faults

Mid-ocean ridge and oceanic transforms are among the most prominent features on the seafloor surface and are crucial for understanding seafloor spreading and plate tectonic dynamics,but the deep structure of the oceanic lithosphere remains poorly understood.The large number of microearthquakes occurring along ridges and transforms provide valuable information for gaining an indepth view of the underlying detailed seismic structures,contributing to understanding geodynamic processes within the oceanic lithosphere.Previous studies have indicated that the maximum depth of microseismicity is controlled by the 600-℃isotherm.However,this perspective is being challenged due to increasing observations of deep earthquakes that far exceed this suggested isotherm along mid-ocean ridges and oceanic transform faults.Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain these deep events,and we suggest that local geodynamic processes(e.g.,magma supply,mylonite shear zone,longlived faults,hydrothermal vents,etc.)likely play a more important role than previously thought.

Material Composition of the Newly Discovered Zongzhuo Formation Sedimentary Mélange in the Dingri Area,Southern Tibet,and its Constraints on the Basin Controlling Dingri-Gamba Fault

The study of sedimentary mélanges holds pivotal importance in understanding orogenic processes and unveiling geodynamic mechanisms.In this study,we present findings on zircon U-Pb isotopes and whole-rock elemental data concerning the recently uncovered Zongzhuo Formation sedimentary mélanges within the Dingri area.Field observations reveal the predominant composition of the Zongzhuo Formation,characterized by a matrix of sandstone-mudstone mixed with sand-conglomerates within native blocks exhibiting soft sediment deformation.Moreover,exotic blocks originating from littoral-neritic seas display evidence of landslide deformation.Our study identifies the depositional environment of the Zongzhuo Formation in Dingri as a slope turbidite fan,with its provenance traced back to the passive continental margin.Notably,this contrasts with the Zongzhuo Formation found in the Jiangzi-Langkazi area.Based on existing data,we conclude that the Zongzhuo Formation in the Dingri area was influenced by the Dingri-Gamba fault and emerged within a fault basin of the passive continental margin due to Neo-Tethys oceanic subduction during the Late Cretaceous period.Its provenance can be attributed to the littoral-neritic sea of the northern Tethys Himalaya region.This study holds significant implications for understanding the tectonic evolution of Tethys Himalaya and for reevaluating the activity of the Dingri-Gamba fault,as it controls the active deposition of the Zongzhuo Formation.