Terraces and Tectonic Uplifts at Yandantu and Changcaogou on the Northern Margin Fault of Altun

The formation of strath and strath terrace is closely related to tectonic uplift in the drainage basin. Based on the investigation of straths at Yandantu and Changcaogou on the eastern segment of the northern margin fault of Altun, and in combination with the paleoclimatic data,the tectonic uplift since late Epipleistocene as revealed by stream terraces at the two places is discussed. At Yandantu, three levels of stream terraces( T1, T2 and T3 )have developed since 16ka BP, where T1, T3 and T2 are fill terraces and the buried major straths are exposed. The ages of three treads are dated to be about 16.1ka BP, 12 .Ska BP and 6.2ka BP, respectively. The three terraces reflect three tectonic uplift events, while the ages of the treads represent the occurrence time of these events. The stream is still beveling the bedrock and widening the channel at present, and the modern strath is being generated. The uplift rate is 4.8～4.5mm/a since 16.1 ka BP in this area. From 12.8ka B .P to 6.2ka BP, The uplift rate was 6.4mm/a.The uplift rate is 3. lmm/a since 6.2ka BP.At Changcaogou, four levels Of stream terraces(T1, T2, T3 and T1)have developed since 7ka BP. All of them are fill terraces. There are buried straths under the deposits. The buried major strath is exposed on T3 and T2 and the minor strath on T1‘and T1. The ages of treads of the three terraces (T3, T2 and T1’) are 7 ka BP, 3 ka BP and 2.5 ka BP, respectively. The four terraces reflect two uplift events induced by tectonic activities. One occurred in about 7 ka BP, and the other in 3ka BP. The uplift rate is 5.gmm/a since 7.0 ka BP at Changcaogou.From 7ka BP to 3ka BP, the uplift rate was 7.0mm/a, and since 3ka BP till now, the uplift rate is 4.7 mm/a.     

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of gas hydrate-bearing sediment from Hydrate Ridge,Cascadia Margin

Serious interest has been directed toward natural gas hydrate as a potential energy resource; factor in global climate change, and submarine geohazard since naturally occurring gas-hydrate deposits were found in the 1960s. Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia convergent mar- gin, is characterized by abundant methane hydrates at and below the seafloor, active venting of fluids and gases, chemosynthetic communities, and some of the highest methane oxidation rates ever found in the ma-rine environment. All of…     

Active Features of the Hangingwall on the Listric Normal Fault Along the Southeastern Margin of Weihe Basin

Based on field observations and mechanic analysis,the authors think that synthetic faults,antithetic faults,and hangingwall cross-faults are formed on the piedmont alluvial-pluvial plain under the action of hangingwall blocks sliding downward and rotating along concave fault planes of the listric normal fault on the southeastern margin of Weihe Basin.The characteristics of different movements and expressions on the surface of these structures may be taken as the main marks for listric normal fault segmentation.     

Organotin levels in Nazaré canyon (west Iberian Margin, NE Atlantic) and adjacent coastal area

Organotin compounds (OTs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment and high concentrations (μg g(-1) range) in sediments from different coastal areas around the world have been reported. However, few reports have described the OTs contamination status in the offshore and deep sea environment. This work investigated organotin levels in Nazaré canyon for the first time. Levels of monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT), tributyltin (TBT), diphenyltin (DPT), triphenyltin (TPT), dioctyltin (DOT) and trioctyltin (TOT) were quantified in sediment samples from the upper flanks of the canyon and from the adjacent coastal area. TBT levels detected in the canyon flanks are about two to three orders of magnitude lower than those found in the coastal area. Nevertheless, when quantifiable, TBT levels in the canyon samples were higher than the Environmental Assessment Criteria set for TBT in sediments by the OSPAR Commission indicating that at those locations negative ecological impacts are likely to occur.     

Imaging the Seismic Crustal Structure of the Western Mexican Margin between 19°N and 21°N

Three thousand kilometres of multichannel (MCS) and wide-angle seismic profiles, gravity and magnetic, multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data were recorded in the offshore area of the west coast of Mexico and the Gulf of California during the spring 1996 (CORTES survey). The seismic images obtained off Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in the Jalisco subduction zone extend from the oceanic domain up to the continental shelf, and significantly improve the knowledge of the internal crustal structure of the subduction zone between the Rivera and North American (NA) Plates. Analyzing the crustal images, we differentiate: (1) An oceanic domain with an important variation in sediment thickness ranging from 2.5 to 1 km southwards; (2) an accretionary prism comprised of highly deformed sediments, extending for a maximum width of 15 km; (3) a deformed forearc basin domain which is 25 km wide in the northern section, and is not seen towards the south where the continental slope connects directly with the accretionary prism and trench, thus suggesting a different deformational process; and (4) a continental domain consisting of a continental slope and a mid slope terrace, with a bottom simulating reflector (BSR) identified in the first second of the MCS profiles. The existence of a developed accretionary prism suggests a subduction–accretion type tectonic regime. Detailed analysis of the seismic reflection data in the oceanic domain reveals high amplitude reflections at around 6 s [two way travel time (twtt)] that clearly define the subduction plane. At 2 s (twtt) depth we identify a strong reflection which we interpret as the Moho discontinuity. We have measured a mean dip angle of 7° ± 1° at the subduction zone where the Rivera Plate begins to subduct, with the dip angle gently increasing towards the south. The oceanic crust has a mean crustal thickness of 6.0–6.5 km. We also find evidence indicating that the Rivera Plate possibly subducts at very low angles beneath the Tres Marias Islands.     

Model for Paleoearthquake Recurrence Along Baying Segment of the North Margin Fault of Fanshan Basin in Hebei Province

Based on the measurement of faulted geomorphic surfaces,large trench logging and systematic chronostratigraphic sampling,we suggest that the total slip amount along the Baying segment of the north margin fault of Fanshan Basin since 90 ka B.P.is 34 m.Nine paleoseismic events occurred in the last 75 ka.Among them,the four events A,B,C,and D revealed by the large trench were dated at 28 ka,14 ka,7.5 ka,and 656 B.P.,respectiv eJy.The model for paleoearthquake recurrence along the segment may have two stages; in the stage from 90 ka to 14 ka B.P.,the "time-predictable model" is suitable,while in the stage from 14 ka B.P.to now,the "displacement-attenuation model" applies.     

Passive Seismic Experiment “13 BB Star” in the Margin of the East European Craton,Northern Poland

The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is investigated recently very effectively, mostly using seismic methods because of their deep penetration and relatively good resolution. The nature of LAB is still debated, particularly under “cold” Precambrian shields and platforms. Passive experiment “13 BB star” is dedicated to study deep structure of the Earth’s interior in the marginal zone of the East European craton in northern Poland. The seismic network consists of 13 broadband stations on the area of ca. 120 km in diameter. The network is located in the area of well-known sedimentary cover and crustal structure. Good records obtained till now, and expected during next 1-year long recording campaign, should yield images of detailed structure of the LAB, ?410”, “?520”, and ?660” km discontinuities, as well as mantle-core boundary and inner core.     

Modeling the Dynamic Gravity Variations of Northeastern Margin of Qinghai-Xizang （Tibet） Plateau by Using Bicubic Spline Interpolation Function

INTRODUCTIONThe study of earthquakeforecast based on gravity measurement has been carried out for almost30yearsin China,and remarkable progress has been made(Jia Minyu,et al.,2000;Zhu Yiqing,etal.,2001).However,constrained byobservationtechniques and moni…     

The Present Space-Time Motion and Deformation Features of the Northeastern Margin of the Qinghai-Xizang（Tibet） Block and Its Adjacent Area

On the basis of Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA), and considering the moderate intrusion of specific block boundaries to different extents, the first-order block motion model is established for the northeastern margin of Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet) block and the kinematical model for depicting deformation of small regions as well by using GPS observations of three periods (1991, 1999 and 2001). By simulating, we obtained the motion features of the firstorder blocks between the large WWN faults on the sides of the studied region, the distribution features of the principal strain rate field and the inhomogeneous motion features with spacetime of the faults in the northern boundary of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) block.     

Study on the Anomaly of Small Earthquake Activity Before Moderate-strong Earthquake in the Northeast Margin of the Qinghai- Xizang （Tibet） Block

26 earthquakes with MS ≥5. 0 have been recorded in the northeast margin of the Qinghai- Xizang (Tibet) block since 1980,22 of which were relatively independent of other moderate- strong earthquakes. Research on the increase of small earthquake activity before the 22 moderate-strong earthquakes has indicated that small earthquake activity was enhanced before 17 of the moderate-strong earthquakes. Though the increased seismicity is a common phenomenon in the northeast margin of the Qinghai-Xizang ( Tibet ) block,we have difficulty in predicting the moderate-strong earthquakes by this phenomenon. In order to predict the moderate-strong earthquakes through the increased seismicity of small earthquakes,this paper attempts to propose a new method, which calculates small earthquake frequency through the change of distribution pattern of small earthquakes, based on the characteristics of small earthquake activity in the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) block,and then make primary applications. The result shows that we are able to obtain obvious anomalies in the frequency of small earthquakes before moderate strong earthquakes through the new method,with little spatial range effect on the amplitude of this small earthquake frequency anomaly. We can obtain mid to short-term anomaly indices for moderate-strong earthquakes in the northeast margin of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) block.     

Faulting Processes of Historic (1917–1962) M = 6.0 Earthquakes Along the North-central Caribbean Margin

—The plate boundary along the north-central Caribbean margin is geologically complex. Our understanding of this complexity is hampered by the fact that plate motions are relatively slow (1 to 2 cm/yr), so that recent seismicity often does not provide a complete picture of tectonic deformation. Studies of the faulting processes of instrumentally recorded earthquakes occurring prior to 1962 thus provide important information regarding the nature and rate of seismic deformation within the region, and are essential for a comprehensive assessment of seismic hazard. We have conducted body waveform modeling studies of eight earthquakes which occurred along the north-central Caribbean plate margin, extending from southeastern Cuba to the Swan Island fracture zone (75 to 83°W). None of these earthquakes has been previously studied and several occurred in regions where no recent (post-1962) seismicity has been recorded. The plate margin in the western portion of our study area is characterized by a transform fault-spreading center system. In the central and eastern portions of our study area the plate margin is a complex, diffuse region of deformation that couples transform motion in the Cayman trough to subduction along the Lesser Antilles arc. Our results show that the western portion of the study area has only experienced large strike-slip earthquakes. Off southeastern Cuba two earthquakes appear to have occurred on high angle, northward dipping, reverse faults with south to southeastward directed slip vectors. An earthquake in northern Jamaica in 1957 shows pure strike-slip faulting, most likely along an east-west trending fault. Finally, an unusual sequence of events located in the Pedro Bank region ~70 km southwest of Jamaica has a mainshock with a reverse-oblique mechanism, suggesting continuity of the plate interface stress field well south of the northern Caribbean margin.