Preventing and limiting exposure to geo-hazards: Some lessons from two mountain villages destroyed by the Wenchuan earthquake

This paper examines the experiences of two mountain communities- Yinchanggou and Donghekou in the Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008, where Yinchanggou’s tourism economy and natural park system was destroyed and Donghekou was buried by a landslide. We conducted research surveys on both the communities, interviewing survivors and local officials, and observed the destruction/reconstruction, geological, and living conditions. We suggest that protracted educational processes be put into place so that mountain communities possess a knowledge base to consider long-term disaster prevention when building the economy in the fragile and geo-hazardous conditions of the Longmenshan. The Donghekou Earthquake Ruins Park is an exemplar of turning disaster into sustainable, safe development for small mountain villages.     

Crustal Uplift in the Longmen Shan Mountains Revealed by Isostatic Gravity Anomalies along the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau

This study examines the relationship between high positive isostatic gravity anomalies (IGA), steep topography and lower crustal extrusion at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. IGA data has revealed uplift and extrusion of lower crustal flow in the Longmen Shan Mountains (the LMS). Firstly, The high positive IGA zone corresponds to the LMS orogenic belt. It is shown that abrupt changes in IGA correspond to zones of abrupt change of topography, crustal thickness and rock density along the LMS. Secondly, on the basis of the Airy isostasy theory, simulations and inversions of the positive IGA were conducted using three-dimensional bodies. The results indicated that the LMS lacks a mountain root, and that the top surface of the lower crust has been elevated by 11 km, leading to positive IGA, tectonic load and density load. Thirdly, according to Watts’s flexural isostasy model, elastic deflection occurs, suggesting that the limited (i.e. narrow) tectonic and density load driven by lower crustal flow in the LMS have led to asymmetric flexural subsidence in the foreland basin and lifting of the forebulge. Finally, based on the correspondence between zones of extremely high positive IGA and the presence of the Precambrian Pengguan-Baoxing complexes in the LMS, the first appearance of erosion gravels from the complexes in the Dayi Conglomerate layer of the Chengdu Basin suggest that positive IGA and lower crustal flow in the LMS took place at 3.6 Ma or slightly earlier.     

Transforming the City: People, Property and Identity in Millennial Auckland

Developing on the ‘global’ and ‘postmodern’ cities literatures, this paper sets out a research agenda for exploring the nature of urban transformation in contemporary Auckland. Focusing on the recursive relationship between global and local processes, we examine emerging socio-demographic and cultural processes at work in the city. Our research agenda addresses three themes: emerging ethnoscapes, the creation and reproduction of residential landscapes, and the examination of consumption sites and practices.     

Tectonic mechanism of the Suining (Ms5.0) earthquake, center of Sichuan Basin, China

On Jan.31 of 2010,the Suining earthquake occurred at Suining City whch is located the center of Sichuan Basin.It is unusual for the strong earthquake to occur at the center of Sichuan Basin with a stable geotectonic environment and a low-level historical seismicity.The macro-epicenter of the earthquake is located at Moxi town of Suining city,Sichuan province,China.The earthquake intensity of the epicenter area is degree VII,and the long axis of the isoseismal line trends in NE orientation.The Suining earthquake caused the collapse or destruction of 460 family houses.The earthquake focal mechanism solution and records of the near-field seismographic stations showed the earthquake occurred at the reverse fault at a depth 34 km.Based on the waveform and focal mechanism,we consider the Suning earthquake is triggered by the reverse fault and not by the gravitational collapse or man-made explosive sources.Basing on seismic refraction profile and borehole,we consider that the earthquake is triggered by the backthrust fault of Moxi anticline rooted in detachments at a depth 3-4 km.Furthermore,we infer that tectonic mechanism of the Suining(Ms5.0) Earthquake is driven by the horizontal crustal shortening and stress adjustment on a shallow detachment after the Wenchuan(Ms 8.0) earthquake.     

Mechanism of post-seismic floods after the Wenchuan earthquake in the upper Minjiang River,China

By analyzing the multi-year runoff and rainfall data at 15 hydrological stations from 1980 to 2007, as well as monthly runoff data from 1964 to 1984 at the Zipingpu hydrologic station, the relationship between precipitation and runoff has been established and the trend was explored. Based on the catastrophic floods of August 13 and August 18, 2010, characteristics and control factors on the post-seismic floods are summarized. Firstly, the Wenchuan earthquake and rupture zone provides the background for post-seismic floods to develop in the upper Minjiang River, which follows a post-seismic disaster-chain pattern: earthquake collapse to landslide debris flows to floods. Secondly, heavy rainfall controlled by the orographically-enhanced precipitation after the Wenchuan earthquake is the trigger factor for the development of devastating post-seismic floods. Thirdly, the post-seismic floods contain high sediment discharge, cause abrupt and severe damages, and have a large of volume and higher frequency.