断层脆塑性转化带的强度与变形机制及其流体和应变速率的影响

野外、实验和地震数据表明:浅部地壳的变形以脆性破裂为主,深部地壳的变形以晶体塑性流动为主.在这种认识的基础上,提出了地壳变形的2种机制模型,即发生脆性变形的上部地壳强度基于Byerlee摩擦定律以及发生塑性变形的下部地壳强度基于幂次蠕变定律.而位于其间的脆塑性转化带的深度与浅源地震深度的下限具有很好的一致性.然而,二元结构的流变模型局限性在于其力学模型过于简单,往往过高估计了脆塑性转化带的强度.问题的根源在于对脆塑性转化带的变形机制的研究已有很多,但没有定量的力学方程来描述脆塑性转化带强度;而且以往对断层脆塑性转化带的研究主要集中在温度引起的脆塑性转化方面,对因应变速率和流体对脆塑性转化的影响方面的研究也比较薄弱.对断层带内矿物变形机制研究表明,某些断层带脆塑性转化发生在相同深度(温度和压力)内,发生脆塑性转化的原因是应变速率的变化,而这种变化被认为与地震周期的同震、震后-间震期蠕变有关,这种变化得到了主震-余震深度分布变化的证实.对断层流体特征分析表明,断层带内可能存在高压流体,这种高压流体会随断裂带的破裂及愈合而周期性变化,在地震孕育及循环中起着关键性作用.高压流体的形成(裂隙愈合)有多种机理,其中,压溶是断层带裂隙愈合的主导机制之一.研究在水作用下的压溶,可以对传统的摩擦-流变二元地壳强度结构及其断层强度进行补充与修正.通过以上分析,认为有必要通过野外变形样品和高温高压实验,深入研究应变速率及流体压力对断层脆塑性转化的影响,同时,通过实验建立压溶蠕变的方程,近似地估计脆塑性转化带的强度.     

鲜水河断裂带炉霍段的震后滑动与形变

1973年2月在鲜水河断裂带炉霍段发生了M7.6地震破裂.自那以来,先后在炉霍县虾拉沱布设了若干横跨该地震断层(1973年破裂带)的地壳形变观测系统,包括断层近场的短基线、短水准、蠕变仪、人工构筑物等,以及断层近-远场的GPS观测站.利用这些观测系统的长期观测资料,本文分析了鲜水河断裂带炉霍段的震后滑动/变形及其时、空变化特征,并建立起解释这些特征的动力学模式.研究表明:(1)1973年地震后的头5年,地震断层在虾拉沱场地表现为开放性质,近场的断层震后滑动以无震左旋蠕滑为主,速率达到10.27 mm/a,且伴有微量的拉张性蠕动作用;1979年以来,左旋蠕滑速率由5.3 mm/a逐渐减小到2.27 mm/a,减小的过程呈对数函数型,反映此阶段断层面已逐渐重新耦合、正朝闭锁的方向发展,并伴有部分应变积累.(2)1999年以来,地震断层两侧远场的相对左旋位移/变形速率为10 mm/a,远大于同时期断层近场(跨距40~144 m)的左旋蠕滑速率0.66~2.52 mm/a;远-近场位移/形变速率的显著变化发生在地震断层两侧各宽约30 km的范围,显示出这是与大地震应力应变积累-释放相关的断裂带宽度.(3)结合动力学背景与深部构造信息,本文对这里断层的震后位移/变形及其时、空变化的机理进行初步解释,要点是:震后约5年之后,由于逐渐增大的断层滑动/摩擦阻抗,上地壳脆性层中的断层面由震后初期的开放性质逐渐转向重新耦合、并朝闭锁的方向发展,但其两侧地块深部持续的延性相对运动拖拽着浅部脆性层发生相应的弹性位移/变形.(4)可估计再经历15~25年,研究断裂段将完全"闭锁",即进入积累下一次大地震应力应变的震间闭锁阶段.     

Coupling of tectonic loading and earthquake fault slips at subduction zones

Because of the viscoelastic behaviour of the earth, accumulation of elastic strain energy by tectonic loading and release of such energy by earthquake fault slips at subduction zones may take place on different spatial scales. If the lithospheric plate is acted upon by distant tectonic forces, strain accumulation must occur in a broad region. However, an earthquake releases strain only in a region comparable to the size of the rupture area. A two-dimensional finite-element model of a subduction zone with viscoelastic rheology has been used to investigate the coupling of tectonic loading and earthquake fault slips. A fault lock-and-unlock technique is employed so that the amount of fault slip in an earthquake is not prescribed, but determined by the accumulated stress. The amount of earthquake fault slip as a fraction of the total relative plate motion depends on the relative sizes of the earthquake rupture area and the region of tectonic strain accumulation, as well as the rheology of the rock material. The larger the region of strain accumulation is compared to the earthquake rupture, the smaller is the earthquake fault slip. The reason for the limited earthquake fault slip is that the elastic shear stress in the asthenosphere induced by the earthquake resists the elastic rebound of the overlying plate. Since rapid permanent plate shortening is not observed at subduction zones, there must be either strain release over a large region or strain accumulation over a small region over earthquake cycles. The former can be achieved only by significant aseismic fault slip between large subduction earthquakes. The most likely mechanism for the latter is the accumulation of elastic strain around isolated locked asperities of the fault, which requires significant aseismic fault slip between asperities.     

Interaction between shallow and subcrustal dislocations on a normal fault

We propose a model which may explain seismic sequences which are often observed in seismogenic regions, as for example in the Apenninic chain (Italy). In particular, we consider a normal fault and earthquakes taking place at different depths: a first shock in a shallower layer and a second in a deeper one. The normal fault is embedded in a viscoelastic half-space. As a consequence of the rheology, there are two different brittle layers, a shallower and a deeper one, where earthquakes can nucleate. Between these two layers, the rheological behavior is ductile. The thicknesses of the layers depend on the geothermal profile that is calculated taking into account the profile of the thermal and rheological parameters with depth. The fault plane, crossing layers with different rheological behavior, is heterogeneous in respect to the slip style: seismic in the brittle layers, aseismic in the ductile layer. Dislocations in the shallower layer are assumed to produce aseismic slip in the area of the fault belonging to the ductile layer. The stress concentrated, by the seismic and aseismic dislocations, on the fault plane section in the deeper brittle layer is evaluated. It is compared with the tectonic stress rate in order to calculate how much earlier the second earthquake would occur compared to if just the bare tectonic sstress was acting. It results that such an advance is comparable with typical recurrence times of earthquakes and so a mechanism of interaction between different seismic sources, mediated by aseismic slip, can be supposed. The strains and displacements at the Earth’s surface due to seismic and aseismic slip are calculated. They are large enough to be detected by present geodetic techniques.     

A preliminary model for 3-D rheological structure of the lithosphere in North China

3-D rheological structure is mainly the spatial distribution of lithospheric strength or viscos-ity, its strength and viscosity are indispensable parameters in quantitative study of the lithosphere deformation. Plate tectonics theory initially divided the…     

Thermally induced brittle deformation in oceanic lithosphere and the spacing of fracture zones

Brittle deformation of oceanic lithosphere due to thermal stress is explored with a numerical model, with an emphasis on the spacing of fracture zones. Brittle deformation is represented by localized plastic strain within a material having an elasto-visco-plastic rheology with strain softening. We show that crustal thickness, creep strength, and the rule governing plastic flow control the formation of cracks. The spacing of primary crack decreases with crustal thickness as long as it is smaller than a threshold value. Creep strength shifts the threshold such that crust with strong creep strength develops primary cracks regardless of crustal thicknesses, while only a thin crust can have primary cracks if its creep strength is low. For a thin crust, the spacing of primary cracks is inversely proportional to the creep strength, suggesting that creep strength might independently contribute to the degree of brittle deformation. Through finite versus zero dilatation in plastic strain, associated and non-associated flow rule results in nearly vertical and V-shaped cracks, respectively. Changes in the tectonic environment of a ridge system can be reflected in variation in crustal thickness, and thus related to brittle deformation. The fracture zone-free Reykjanes ridge is known to have a uniformly thick crust. The Australian-Antarctic Discordance has multiple fracture zones and thin crust. These syntheses are consistent with enhanced brittle deformation of oceanic lithosphere when the crust is thin and vice versa.     

Grain size and chemical controls on the ductile properties of mostly frictional faults at low-temperature hydrothermal conditions

A conceptually simple process which establishes a steady grain size distribution is envisioned to control the ductile creep properties of fault zones that mainly slip by frictional processes. Fracture during earthquakes and aseismic frictional creep tend to reduce grain size. However, sufficiently small grains tend to dissolve so that larger grains grow at their expense, a process called Ostwald ripening. A dynamic stedy state is reached where grain size reduction by fracture is balanced by grain growth from Ostwald ripening. The ductile creep mechanism within fault zones in hard rock is probably pressure solution where the rate is limited by diffusion along load-bearing grain-grain contacts. The diffusion paths that limit Ostwald repening are to a considerable extent the same as those for pressure solution. Active Ostwald ripening thus implies conditions suitable for ductile creep. An analytic theory allows estimation of the steady-state mean grain size and the viscosity for creep implied by this dynamic steady state from material properties and from the width, shear traction, and long-term slip velocity of the fault zone. Numerical models were formulated to compute the steady state grain size distribution. The results indicate that ductile creep, as suggested in the companion paper, is a plausible mechanism for transiently increasing fluid pressure within mostly sealed fault zones so that frictional failure occurs at relatively low shear tractions, 10 MPa. The relevant material properties are too poorly known, however, for the steady state theory (or its extension to a fault that slips in infrequent large earthquakes) to have much predictive value without additional laboratory experiments and studies of exhumed faults.     

Distribution of postseismic slip on the Calaveras fault,California, following the 1984 M6.2 Morgan Hill earthquake

Repeating earthquakes (REs) are sequences of events that have virtually identical waveforms and are interpreted to represent fault asperities driven to failure by loading from aseismic creep on the surrounding fault surface at depth. To investigate the postseismic deformation after the 1984 M6.2 Morgan Hill earthquake, we identify RE sequences occurring on the central Calaveras fault between 1984 and 2005 using a combination of cross-correlation and spectral coherence techniques. Both the accelerated slip transients due to the earthquake as well as the return to interseismic background creep rates can be imaged from our dataset. A comparison between the regions of the fault that ruptured coseismically and the locations of the REs show that REs preferentially occur in areas adjacent to the coseismic rupture. Using calculated RE-derived subsurface slip distributions at 6 months and 18 months after the mainshock, we predict surface electronic distance meter (EDM) line length changes between stations near the Morgan Hill rupture area. The RE-derived slip model underpredicts a subset of the observed line-length changes. Inclusion of transient aseismic slip below the seismogenic zone is needed to better match the measured surface deformation.     

Accumulation of elastic strains in the upper crust on the locked transform faults and the tectonomagnetic effect

Plate tectonics only allows small deformations in the lithospheric plates. The laboratory experiments with the rock specimens show that the creep is transient when the creep strain is at most 1%. Hence, if we assume that the creep strain in the lithospheric plates is below this threshold, the creep is transient. The present paper addresses the role of the elastic, brittle (pseudo-plastic), and creep rheology of the lithosphere during the accumulation of elastic shear strains on the locked faults in the Earth’s crust, i.e., during the process of preparation of the earthquakes. The effective viscosity characterizing the transient creep is lower than that under the steady-state creep and it depends on the characteristic time of a given process. The characteristic duration of the stress and strain accumulation process in the vicinity of the locked faults is a few dozen years. On these time intervals, the thin upper crustal layer behaves as brittle; the underlying layer behaves as elastic (it is just this layer which accommodates stress accumulation leading to the earthquake), whereas the transient creep is predominant in the lower crust and mantle lithosphere. Transient creep entails nonlinear time dependence of the strains arising in the vicinity of the locked fault in the elastic crust. The perturbations in the magnetic field induced by these strains can be treated as the magnetic precursor of the earthquake.     

鲜水河断裂带南段深部电性结构特征研究

通过对新都桥一小金剖面的大地电磁测深及重磁实测资料研究,结合区域地质资料,对鲜水河断裂带南段及邻区深部构造、壳内高导层、电性结构与历史地震的关系进行了研究.结果表明:(1)鲜水河断裂带深浅表现出不同特征,浅部是以地壳脆性-剪切带为主的断裂系统,深部是以走滑型-壳幔韧性剪切带为主的断裂系统,断裂呈花状形态,深部到达上地幔;(2)在丹巴构造带及鲜水河断裂带的中下地壳,广泛发育壳内高导层,其分布具有不均匀性,且与断裂带构造活动有关;(3)在鲜水河断裂带的走滑剪切作用下,上地壳物质发生原地重熔产生花岗岩浆是折多山花岗岩形成的主要机制;(4)鲜水河断裂带地震发生机理与塑性软弱层密切相关,受塑性软弱层拖拽作用,应力区集中在高阻体脆性介质内部靠近断层一侧,使得岩石破碎而发生地震.     

DEFORMATION MECHANISM OF GRANITIC ROCKS IN BRITTLE-PLASTIC TRANSITION ZONE

Field studies and seismic data show that semi-brittle flow of fault rocks probably is the dominant deformation mechanism at the base of the seismogenic zone at the so-called frictional-plastic transition. As the bottom of seismogenic fault, the dynamic characteristics of the frictional-plastic transition zone and plastic zone are very important for the seismogenic fault during seismic cycles. Granite is the major composition of the crust in the brittle-plastic transition zone. Compared to calcite, quartz, plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine, the rheologic data of K-feldspar is scarce. Previous deformation studies of granite performed on a quartz-plagioclase aggregate revealed that the deformation strength of granite was similar with quartz. In the brittle-plastic transition zone, the deformation characteristics of granite are very complex, temperature of brittle-plastic transition of quartz is much lower than that of feldspar under both natural deformation condition and lab deformation condition. In the mylonite deformed under the middle crust deformation condition, quartz grains are elongated or fine-grained via dislocation creep, dynamic recrystallization and superplastic flow, plagioclase grains are fine-grained by bugling recrystallization, K-feldspar are fine-grained by micro-fractures. Recently, both field and experimental studies presented that the strength of K-feldspar is much higher than that of quartz and plagioclase. The same deformation mechanism of K-feldspar and plagioclase occurred under different temperature and pressure conditions, these conditions of K-feldspar are higher than plagioclase. The strength of granite is similar to feldspar while it contains a high content of K-feldspar. High shear strain experiment studies reveal that granite is deformed by local ductile shear zones in the brittle-plastic transition zone. In the ductile shear zone, K-feldspar is brittle fractured, plagioclase are bugling and sub-grain rotation re-crystallized, and quartz grains are plastic elongated. These local shear zones are altered to local slip-zones with strain increasing. Abundances of K-feldspar, plagioclase and mica are higher in the slip-zones than that in other portions of the samples (K-feldspar is the highest), and abundance of quartz is decreased. Amorphous material is easily formed by shear strain acting on brittle fine-grained K-feldspar and re-crystallized mica and plagioclase. Ductile shear zone is the major deformation mechanism of fault zones in the brittle-plastic transition zone. There is a model of a fault failed by bearing constant shear strain in the transition zone:local shear zones are formed along the fractured K-feldspar grains; plagioclase and quartz are fine-grained by recrystallization, K-feldspar is crushed into fine grains, these small grains and mica grains partially change to amorphous material, local slip-zones are generated by these small grains and the amorphous materials; then, the fault should be failed via two ways, 1)the local slip-zones contact to a throughout slip-zone in the center of the fault zone, the fault is failed along this slip-zone, and 2)the local slip-zones lead to bigger mineral grains that are in contact with each other, stress is concentrated between these big grains, the fault is failed by these big grains that are fractured. Thus, the real deformation character of the granite can't be revealed by studies performing on a quartz-plagioclase aggregate. This paper reports the different deformation characters between K-feldspar, plagioclase and quartz under the same pressure and temperature condition based on previous studies. Then, we discuss a mode of instability of a fault zone in the brittle-plastic transition zone. It is still unclear that how many contents of weak mineral phase(or strong mineral phase)will control the strength of a three-mineral-phase granite. Rheological character of K-feldspar is very important for study of the deformation characteristic of the granitic rocks.     

花岗岩非稳态流变实验

脆塑性转化带对于研究岩石圈变形、断层强度和变形机制以及强震的孕育和发生具有重要意义。文中采用汶川地震震源区彭灌杂岩中具有代表性的细粒花岗岩样品,在固体压力介质三轴实验系统上开展了高温高压非稳态流变实验研究。实验设计模拟了汶川地震区地壳10~30km深度的实际温度和压力,温度为190~490℃,压力为250~750MPa,应变速率为5×10^-4s^-1,利用扫描电镜对实验样品进行微观结构观察。实验力学数据、微观结构及变形机制分析表明,在相当于地壳浅部10~15km深处的低温低压条件下,表现为应变强化,样品具有脆性破裂-半脆性流动的变形特征;在相当于地壳15~20km的深度条件下,随着应变量增加,应力趋于稳态,样品具有脆塑性转化特征;在相当于地壳20~30km的深度条件下,样品具有塑性流动特征。当样品处于半脆性域时发生非稳态流变,主要变形机制为碎裂作用,同时激活了动态重结晶作用、位错蠕变等塑性变形机制。样品强度随着深度不断增大,在深度为15~20km时达到极大值,深度为20~30km时强度逐渐减小。因此,花岗岩的强度随深度的变化规律与微观结构及变形机制均表明,在实验温度和压力条件下,花岗岩具有非稳态流变特征,在15~20km深处,龙门山断裂带处于脆塑性转化带,花岗岩强度达到最大值,该深度与汶川地震的成核深度一致,显示出彭灌杂岩的强度和变形对汶川地震的孕育和发生具有控制作用。     

川西地区小震重新定位及其活动构造意义

使用双差地震定位法对川西地区1992～2002年的13367个小震进行重新定位， 初步分析了地震活动性与地表活动构造的关系及其揭示的构造信息. 重新定位后，地震活动沿活动断裂成线（带）状分布现象非常突出，呈现出与地表活动构造的密切关系：结构简单的单一走滑断层具有上宽下陡的花状结构特征，拉分盆地与逆断裂具有线性而发散的分布式结构特征，逆断裂之下还存在缺震层. 此外，沿活动断裂带地震活动还具有空间分段性，揭示出局部地段存在着隐伏活动断裂和可圈定为地震危险区的地震空区. 震源深度分布显示，川西高原在15～20km的深度范围内普遍存在厚度约5km的缺震层，以高温高压实验结果为基础，通过计算川西地区地壳强度表明，大约14～19km的深度范围花岗岩处于塑性流变状态，说明缺震层的出现具有地壳物质塑性变形基础.     

龙门山构造带及汶川震源区的S波速度结构

利用四川地震台网的观测资料和体波地震层析成像方法反演了龙门山地区的S波速度结构,据此分析了龙门山断裂带的地壳结构和汶川震源区的深部构造特征.反演结果表明,地震破裂与龙门山断裂及其两侧的地壳结构差异存在明显的对应关系,汶川以北的龙门山上地壳具备较高的强度且明显抬升,灌县至江油是龙门山西侧应力积累的主要地区,汶川8.0级地震位于其南部边缘;四川盆地的刚性地壳向西俯冲于龙门山之下,其凸出部与造山带古老基底在汶川附近发生碰撞是汶川成为8.0级地震破裂起始点的主要原因.汶川以南的龙门山地区地壳上层具有较大的韧性,岩石强度相对减弱,与龙门山北部相比不易于应力积累和产生破裂,因而汶川以南的龙门山断裂缺少余震活动.龙门山地区地壳厚度明显增加,其原因与中下地壳具备较大的柔韧性有关.由于青藏东部向东挤出时受到四川盆地刚性岩石层的阻挡,龙门山中下地壳的塑性变形和垂向物质的增加导致地壳厚度加大和莫霍面下沉,以此方式吸收了龙门山地区的大部分地壳缩短量,地表则强烈褶皱抬升形成数千米的龙门山脉.     

Lithospheric necking: a dynamic model for rift morphology

Rifting is examined in terms of the growth of a necking instability in a lithosphere consisting of a strong plastic or viscous surface layer of uniform strength overlying a weaker viscous substrate in which strength is either uniform or decreases exponentially with depth. As the lithosphere extends, deformation localizes about a small imposed initial perturbation in the strong layer thickness. For a narrow perturbation, the resulting surface topography consists of a central depression and uplifted flanks; the layer thins beneath the central depression. The width of the rift zone is related to the dominant wavelength of the necking instability, which in turn is controlled by the layer thickness and the mechanical properties of the lithosphere. For an initial thickness perturbation with a width less than the dominant wavelength, deformation concentrates into a zone comparable to the dominant wavelength. If the initial perturbation is wider than the dominant wavelength, then the width of the zone of deformation is controlled by the width of the initial perturbation; deformation concentrates in the region of enhanced thinning and develops periodically at the dominant wavelength. A surface layer with limiting plastic (stress exponent n = ∞) behavior produces a rift-like structure with a width typical of continental rifts for a strong layer thickness consistent with various estimates of the maximum depth of brittle deformation in the continental lithosphere. The width of the rift is essentially independent of the layer/substrate strength ratio. For a power law viscous surface layer (n = 3), the dominant wavelength varies with layer/substrate strength ratio to the one-third power and is always larger than for a plastic surface layer of the same thickness. The great widths of rift zones on Venus may be explained by unstable extension of a strong viscous surface layer.     

Retardations in fault creep rates before local moderate earthquakes along the San Andreas fault system,central California

Records of shallow aseismic slip (fault creep) obtained along parts of the San Andreas and Calaveras faults in central California demonstrate that significant changes in creep rates often have been associated with local moderate earthquakes. An immediate postearthquake increase followed by gradual, long-term decay back to a previous background rate is generally the most obvious earthquake effect on fault creep. This phenomenon, identified as aseismic afterslip, usually is characterized by above-average creep rates for several months to a few years. In several cases, minor step-like movements, called coseismic slip events, have occurred at or near the times of mainshocks. One extreme case of coseismic slip, recorded at Cienega Winery on the San Andreas fault 17.5 km southeast of San Juan Bautista, consisted of 11 mm of sudden displacement coincident with earthquakes ofM _L =5.3 andM _L =5.2 that occurred 2.5 minutes apart on 9 April 1961. At least one of these shocks originated on the main fault beneath the winery. Creep activity subsequently stopped at the winery for 19 months, then gradually returned to a nearly steady rate slightly below the previous long-term average.The phenomena mentioned above can be explained in terms of simple models consisting of relatively weak material along shallow reaches of the fault responding to changes in load imposed by sudden slip within the underlying seismogenic zone. In addition to coseismic slip and afterslip phenomena, however, pre-earthquakeretardations in creep rates also have been observed. Onsets of significant, persistent decreases in creep rates have occurred at several sites 12 months or more before the times of moderate earthquakes. A 44-month retardation before the 1979M _L =5.9 Coyote Lake earthquake on the Calaveras fault was recorded at the Shore Road creepmeter site 10 km northwest of Hollister. Creep retardation on the San Andreas fault near San Juan Bautista has been evident in records from one creepmeter site for the past 5 years. Retardations with durations of 21 and 19 months also occurred at Shore Road before the 1974 and 1984 earthquakes ofM _L =5.2 andM _L =6.2, respectively.Although creep retardation remains poorly understood, several possible explanations have been discussed previously. (1) Certain onsets of apparent creep retardation may be explained as abrupt terminations of afterslip generated from previous moderate-mainshock sequences. (2) Retardations may be related to significant decreases in the rate of seismic and/or aseismic slip occurring within or beneath the underlying seismogenic zone. Such decreases may be caused by changes in local conditions related to growth of asperities, strain hardening, or dilatancy, or perhaps by passage of stress-waves or other fluctuations in driving stresses. (3) Finally, creep rates may be lowered (or increased) by stresses imposed on the fault by seismic or aseismic slip on neighboring faults. In addition to causing creep-rate increases or retardations, such fault interactions occasionally may trigger earthquakes.Regardless of the actual mechanisms involved and the current lack of understanding of creep retardation, it appears that shallow fault creep is sensitive to local and regional effects that promote or accompany intermediate-term preparation stages leading to moderate earthquakes. A strategy for more complete monitoring of fault creep, wherever it is known to occur, therefore should be assigned a higher priority in our continuing efforts to test various hypotheses concerning the mechanical relations between seismic and aseismic slip.     

东秦岭造山带的流变学及动力学分析

通过地质、地球物理和地球化学资料分析,建立了东秦岭地学断面带地壳二维深度-强度剖面,揭示了该造山带的地壳结构和流变学分层性．脆性的上地壳南薄北厚;中、下地壳包括莫霍面呈现水平流变状态,南端蠕变特征更明显;上地幔流变强度较大其地壳类型是栾川以南为H型地壳,构成中、新生代造山带的核部,具有伸展构造和走滑构造的特征,栾川以北为C型地壳,中、新生代的大陆汇聚带．东秦岭地学断面带整体上看为C-H型地壳,反映了后造山期陆内造山的构造特征．地壳物质为长英质-石英闪长质壳内软层具有低速、高热、强网状反射和低强度蠕变的地球物理特征,是后造山期经过调整的水平流变层.     

Characteristics of fault rocks and paleo-earthquake source along the Koktokay-Ertai fault zone,Xinjiang,China

ＣｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｉｓｔｉｃｓｏｆｆａｕｌｔｒｏｃｋｓａｎｄｐａｌｅｏｅａｒｔｈｑｕａｋｅｓｏｕｒｃｅａｌｏｎｇｔｈｅＫｏｋｔｏｋａｙＥｒｔａｉｆａｕｌｔｚｏｎｅ，Ｘｉｎｊｉａｎｇ，ＣｈｉｎａＬＡＮＢＩＮＳＨＩ１）（史兰斌）ＣＨＵＡＮＹＯＮ...     

Instability model for recurring large and great earthquakes in southern California

The locked section of the San Andreas fault in southern California has experienced a number of large and great earthquakes in the past, and thus is expected to have more in the future. To estimate the location, time, and slip of the next few earthquakes, an earthquake instability model is formulated. The model is similar to one recently developed for moderate earthquakes on the San Andreas fault near Parkfield, California. In both models, unstable faulting (the earthquake analog) is caused by failure of all or part of a patch of brittle, strain-softening fault zone. In the present model the patch extends downward from the ground surface to about 12 km depth, and extends 500 km along strike from Parkfield to the Salton Sea. The variation of patch strength along strike is adjusted by trial until the computed sequence of instabilities matches the sequence of large and great earthquakes sincea.d. 1080 reported by Sieh and others. The last earthquake was theM=8.3 Ft. Tejon event in 1857. The resulting strength variation has five contiguous sections of alternately low and high strength. From north to south, the approximate locations of the sections are: (1) Parkfield to Bitterwater Valley, (2) Bitterwater Valley to Lake Hughes, (3) Lake Hughes to San Bernardino, (4) San Bernardino to Palm Springs, and (5) Palm Springs to the Salton Sea. Sections 1, 3, and 5 have strengths between 53 and 88 bars; sections 2 and 4 have strengths between 164 and 193 bars. Patch section ends and unstable rupture ends usually coincide, although one or more adjacent patch sections may fail unstably at once. The model predicts that the next sections of the fault to slip unstably will be 1, 3, and 5; the order and dates depend on the assumed length of an earthquake rupture in about 1700.     

Role of the brittle–ductile transition on fault activation

We model a fault cross-cutting the brittle upper crust and the ductile lower crust. In the brittle layer the fault is assumed to have stick–slip behaviour, whereas the lower ductile crust is inferred to deform in a steady-state shear. Therefore, the brittle–ductile transition (BDT) separates two layers with different strain rates and structural styles. This contrasting behaviour determines a stress gradient at the BDT that is eventually dissipated during the earthquake. During the interseismic period, along a normal fault it should form a dilated hinge at and above the BDT. Conversely, an over-compressed volume should rather develop above a thrust plane at the BDT. On a normal fault the earthquake is associated with the coseismic closure of the dilated fractures generated in the stretched hangingwall during the interseismic period. In addition to the shear stress overcoming the friction of the fault, the brittle fault moves when the weight of the hangingwall exceeds the strength of the dilated band above the BDT. On a thrust fault, the seismic event is instead associated with the sudden dilation of the previously over-compressed volume in the hangingwall above the BDT, a mechanism requiring much more energy because it acts against gravity. In both cases, the deeper the BDT, the larger the involved volume, and the bigger the related magnitude.We tested two scenarios with two examples from L’Aquila 2009 (Italy) and Chi-Chi 1999 (Taiwan) events. GPS data, energy dissipation and strain rate analysis support these contrasting evolutions. Our model also predicts, consistently with data, that the interseismic strain rate is lower along the fault segment more prone to seismic activation.