Study regarding typical liquefaction damage during the 2021 Maduo M_(s)7.4 earthquake in China

The most important method of understanding liquefaction-induced engineering failures comes from the investigation and analysis of earthquake damage.In May 2021,the Maduo M_(s)7.4 earthquake occurred on the Tibetan Plateau of China.The most representative engineering disaster caused by this earthquake was bridge damage on liquefied sites.In this study,the mutual relationships between the anti-liquefaction pre-design situation,the ground motion intensity,the site liquefaction severity,and the bridge damage state for this earthquake were systematically analyzed for typical bridge damage on the liquefied sites.Using field survey data and the current Chinese industry code,simulations of the liquefaction scenarios at typical bridge sites were performed for the pre-design seismic ground motion before the earthquake and the seismic ground motion during the earthquake.By combining these results with post-earthquake investigation results,the reason for the serious bridge damage resulting from this earthquake is revealed,and the necessary conditions for avoiding serious seismic damage to bridges built in liquefiable sites is presented.

Modeling co-seismic thermal infrared brightness anomalies in petroliferous basins surrounding the North and East of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Co-seismic gas leakage usually occurs on the edge of seismic faults in petroliferous basins,and it may have an impact on the local environment,such as the greenhouse effect,which can cause thermal infrared brightness anomalies.Using wavelet transform and power spectrum estimation methods,we processed brightness temperature data from the Chinese geostationary meteorological satellite FY-C/E.We report similarities between the co-seismic thermal infrared brightness(CTIB)anomalies before,during and after earthquakes that occurred at the edges of the Sichuan,Tarim,Qaidam,and Junggar basins surrounding the North and East of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in western China.Additionally,in each petroliferous basin,the area of a single CTIB anomaly accounted for 50%to 100%of the basin area,and the spatial distribution similarities in the CTIB anomalies existed before,during and after these earthquakes.To better interpret the similarities,we developed a basin warming effect model based on geological structures and topography.The model suggests that in a petroliferous basin with a subsurface gas reservoir,gas leakage could strengthen with the increasing stress before,during,and even after an earthquake.The accumulation of these gases,such as the greenhouse gases CH4 and CO2,results in the CTIB anomalies.In addition,we conclude that the CTIB anomalies are strengthened by the high mountains(altitude^5000 m)around the basins and the basins’independent climatic conditions.This work provides a new perspective from which to understand the CTIB anomalies in petroliferous basins surrounding the North and East of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.

A Preliminary Study on the Phenomenon of Microseismic Fluctuations before Impending Strong Earthquake

Based on repeated comparison studies of broadband digital seismic records before the Wenchuan MS8. 0,Yushu MS7. 1 and Qingchuan MS5. 4 earthquakes,the possible microseismic fluctuations before impending earthquakes were preliminarily identified. In order to verify and test this phenomenon,a real-time tracking technical system was established by using continuous waveform records of more than 200 wide-band digital seismic stations in regional networks such as Gansu,Qinghai,Sichuan,Yunnan and Tibet.Through real-time tracking and dynamic monitoring of 24 earthquakes with M≥5. 0 occurring in the Qinghai-Tibetan block during the period of 2012-2014 and the observations of stations in some non-seismic areas,the reproducibility and objectivity of the impending earthquake phenomenon were verified. The main characteristics of the microseismic fluctuation phenomena immediately preceding the strong earthquakes are as follows:(1)the spectrum range is wider,the dominant frequency is 11-16 Hz,and the spectrum shape is more regular;(2)it appears 6-24 days before the earthquake,averaging about 15 days;(3)it is possible to be recorded by the stations within the epicenter distance of 50 km,and the stations with the epicenter distance of more than 50 km generally cannot record it;(4)this phenomenon is directional,i. e. the direction in which the activity degree,N-value,varies significantly may be related to the location of the seismic source,the seismogenic fault and the distribution of aftershocks of the strong earthquake. The preliminary study shows that the impending-earthquakes microseismic phenomena may be related to the pre-activity,micro-vibration and micro-rupture in the source region in the imminent stage,or the microactivity and micro-rupture associated with the active tectonics.

Aftershock sequence relocation of the 2021 M_(S)7.4 Maduo Earthquake, Qinghai, China

The 2021 Qinghai Maduo M_(S)7.4 earthquake was one of the strongest earthquakes that occurred in the Bayan Har block of the Tibetan Plateau during the past 30 years,which spatially filled in the gap of strong earthquake in the eastern section of the northern block boundary.In this study,the aftershock sequence within 8 days after the mainshock was relocated by double difference algorithm.The results show that the total length of the aftershock zone is approximately 170 km;the mainshock epicenter is located in the center of the aftershock zone,indicating a bilateral rupture.The aftershocks are mainly distributed along NWW direction with an overall strike of 285°.The focal depth profiles indicate that the seismogenic fault is nearly vertical and dips to southwest or northeast in different sections,indicating a complex geometry.There is an aftershock gap located to the southeast of the mainshock epicenter with a scale of approximately 20 km.At the eastern end of the aftershock zone,horsetaillike branch faults show the terminal effect of a large strike-slip fault.There is a NW-trending aftershock zone on the north side of the western section,which may be a branch fault triggered by the mainshock.The location of the aftershock sequence is close to the eastern section of the Kunlun Mountain Pass-Jiangcuo(KMPJ)fault.The sequence overlaps well with surface trace of the KMPJ fault.We speculate that the KMPJ fault is the main seismogenic fault of the M_(S)7.4 Maduo earthquake.