RESEARCH ON NEOGENE-QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHIC STRUCTURE AND SHALLOW TECTONIC FEATURES IN THE NORTH SECTION OF DAXING FAULT ZONE BASED ON SHALLOW SEISMIC REFLECTION PROFILING

The Daxing Fault is an important buried fault in the Beijing sub-plain, which is also the boundary fault of the structural unit between Langgu sub-sag and Daxing sub-uplift. So far, there is a lack of data on the shallow tectonic features of the Daxing Fault, especially for the key structural part of its northern section where it joins with the Xiadian Fault. In this paper, the fine stratigraphic classifications and shallow tectonic features of the northern section in the main Daxing Fault are explored by using three NW-trending shallow seismic reflection profiles. These profiles pass through the Daxing earthquake(M6¾)area in 1057AD and the northern section of the main Daxing Fault. The results show that seven strong reflection layers(T₀₁—T₀₃, T_Q and T₁₁—T₁₃)are recognized in the strata of Neogene and Quaternary beneath the investigated area. The largest depth of strong reflection layer(T₁₃)is about 550~850ms, which is interpreted as an important surface of unconformity between Neogene and Paleogene or basement rock. The remaining reflection layers, such as T₀₁ and T_Q, are interpreted as internal interfaces in Neogene to Quaternary strata. There are different rupture surfaces and slip as well as obviously different structural features of the Daxing Fault revealed in three shallow seismic reflection profiles. The two profiles(2-7 and 2-8)show obvious rupture surfaces, which are the expression of Daxing Fault in shallow strata. Along the profile(2-6), which is located at the end of the Daxing fault structure, a triangle deformation zone or bending fracture can be identified, implying that the Daxing Fault is manifested as bending deformation instead of rupture surfaces at its end section. This unique structural feature can be explained by a shearing motion at the end of extensional normal fault. Therefore, the Daxing Fault exhibits obviously different tectonic features of deformation or displacement at different structural locations. The attitude and displacement of the fault at the shallow part are also different to some extent. From the southwest section to the northeast section of the fault, the dip angle gradually becomes gentler(80°~60°), the upper breakpoint becomes deeper(160~600m), and the fault displacement in Neogene to Quaternary strata decreases(80~0m). Three shallow seismic reflection profiles also reveal that the Daxing Fault is a normal fault during Neogene to early Quaternary, and the deformation or displacement caused by the activity of the fault reaches the reflection layer T₀₂. This depth is equivalent to the sedimentary strata of late Early-Pleistocene. Therefore, the geometry and morphology of the Daxing Fault also reveal that the early normal fault activity has continued into the Early Pleistocene, but the evidence of activity is not obvious since the late Pleistocene. The earthquakes occurring along the Daxing Fault, such as Daxing earthquake(M6¾)in 1057AD, may not have much relation with this extensional normal fault, but with another new strike-slip fault. A series of focal mechanism solutions of modern earthquakes reveal that the seismic activity is closely related to the strike-slip fault. The Daxing Fault extends also downwards into the lower crust, and may be cut by the steeply dipping new Xiadian Fault on deep seismic reflection profile. The northern section of the Daxing Fault strikes NNE, with a length of about 23km, arranged in a right step pattern with the Xiadian Fault. Transrotational basins have been developed in the junction between the northern Daxing Fault and the southern Xiadian Fault. Such combined tectonic features of the Daxing Fault and Xiadian Fault evolute independently under the extensional structure background and control the development of the Langgu sub-sag and Dachang sub-sag, respectively.