基于GPS应变与震源机制解应力反演喜马拉雅构造带现今地壳形变特征

喜马拉雅构造带及其临近区域是印度板块与欧亚大陆板块挤压碰撞的前缘地带.本文利用GPS实测速度场与震源机制解数据分别计算了研究区域现今地壳岩石圈表面的GPS应变场及岩石圈内部的主应力分布,研究了印度板块持续挤压作用下板块边界带地壳岩石圈现今地壳形变的空间分布特征.结果显示,南北向的剧烈挤压变形与东西向的拉伸变形是现今青藏高原南缘地壳岩石圈的主要变形特征.其中南北向的地壳挤压变形主要集中在主前缘冲断带与雅鲁藏布江缝合带之间.东西方向上,南北走向的亚东—谷露断裂是区域地壳东西向伸展变形的重要分界断裂.75°E是研究区域地壳形变的另一条显著不连续边界,其西侧地壳主压应变强度低、方向弥散且最大主压应力方向一致性较差,而东侧地壳主压应变方向与主压应力方向以及地壳水平运动速度场方向均具有较好的一致性.布格重力异常的小波多尺度辨析结果显示该分界带与循喜马拉雅西构造结楔入欧亚大陆的印度板块密切相关.     

Tectonic and Kinematic Regime along the Northern Caribbean Plate Boundary: New Insights from Broad-band Modeling of the May 25, 1992, Ms = 6.9 Cabo Cruz, Cuba, Earthquake

—On May 25th, 1992, an M _s = 6.9 earthquake occurred off the southwestern tip of Cuba, along the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates. This earthquake was the largest to strike southern Cuba since 1917 and the largest ever recorded in that region by global seismic networks. It is therefore a key element for our understanding of the tectonic and kinematic regime along the northern Caribbean plate boundary. In order to test the previously proposed source parameters of the Cabo Cruz earthquake and to better constrain its focal mechanism, we derived a new set of source parameters from unfiltered broad-band teleseismic records. We used a hybrid ray tracing method that allows us to take into account propagation effects of seismic waves in a realistic crustal model around the source. Our solution is consistent with the long-period focal mechanism solution of Virieux et al. (1992). Our solution also models the higher frequency crustal and water layer phases. The primarily strike-slip focal mechanism has a small thrust component. Its shows an east-west trending nodal plane dipping 55° to the north that we interpret as the rupture plane since it corresponds to the geometry of the major active fault in that area. The displacement on this plane is a left-lateral strike-slip combined with a small amount of southward thrust. The result is in good agreement with the active tectonic structures observed along the Oriente fault south of Cuba. The small thrust component demonstrates that, contrary to prior belief, the transpressive regime extends along this whole segment of the Caribbean/North American plate boundary. Together with historical seismicity, it suggests that most of the stress accumulated by the Caribbean/North American plate motion is released seismically along the southern Cuban margin during relatively few but large earthquakes.     

Interpretation of Low Seismicity in the Eastern Anatolian Collisional Zone Using Geophysical (Seismicity and Aeromagnetic) and Geological Data

The eastern Anatolia is a continental collisional zone between the Arabia-Eurasia plates and is currently being accompanied by the westward escape of the Anatolian crustal block to the west-southwest along two major strike-slip fault zones, the NATF and the EATF. Although these major fault zones have experienced historical earthquakes with moderate to high magnitude, notably there is a low seismicity zone on the active EATF between the Bitlis and Pötürge massifs. The low seismicity zone is characterized by thinner crustal structure relative to its environs, the shallow Curie Point Depth (SCPD, ca 12–14 km in between 39–40°E and 38.5–39°N in the easternmost part of the Anatolian plate) and moderate to high b values (more than 0.7). We consider that the shallow CPD and moderate to high b values in the low seismicity zone characterized by thinner crustal area are closely related with the higher thermal structure of the crust, which most probably resulted from crust-hot asthenospheric mantle interactions.     

Dynamics of the mid-ocean ridge plate boundary: Recent observations and theory

The global mid-ocean ridge system is one of the most active plate boundaries on the earth and understanding the dynamic processes at this plate boundary is one of the most important problems in geodynamics. In this paper I present recent results of several aspects of mid-ocean ridge studies concerning the dynamics of oceanic lithosphere at these diverging plate boundaries. I show that the observed rift valley to no-rift valley transition (globally due to the increase of spreading rate or locally due to the crustal thickness variations and/or thermal anomalies) can be explained by the strong temperature dependence of the power law rheology of the oceanic lithosphere, and most importantly, by the difference in the rheological behavior of the oceanic crust from the underlying mantle. The effect of this weaker lower crust on ridge dynamics is mainly influenced by spreading rate and crustal thickness variations. The accumulated strain pattern from a recently developed lens model, based on recent seismic observations, was proposed as an appealing mechanism for the observed gabbro layering sequence in the Oman Ophiolite. It is now known that the mid-ocean ridges at all spreading rates are offset into individual spreading segments by both transform and nontransform discontinuities. The tectonics of ridge segmentation are also spreading-rate dependent: the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge is characterized by distinct bulls-eye shaped gravity lows, suggesting large along-axis variations in melt production and crustal thickness, whereas the fast-spreading East-Pacific Rise is associated with much smaller along-axis variations. These spreading-rate dependent changes have been attributed to a fundamental differences in ridge segmentation mechanisms and mantle upwelling at mid-ocean ridges: the mantle upwelling may be intrinsically plume-like (3-D) beneath a slow-spreading ridge but more sheet-like (2-D) beneath a fast-spreading ridge.     

Structure of the crust and uppermost mantle from broadband seismic array in the western Dabie Mountains,east central China

A broadband seismic array of 7 stations was set up in the western Dabie Mountains (31°20′-31°50′N, 114°30′-115°E). Teleseismic events from May 2001 to November 2001 were collected and analyzed by radial receiver function to determine the S-wave velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle. The crustal thickness is 32-38 km beneath the array. The crust-mantle boundary appears as a gently north-dipping velocity discontinuity, but turns to be a velocity gradient beneath a station near the Qiliping shea...     

The mechanical state of the lithosphere in the Altiplano-Puna segment of the Andes

Information about topography, the shape of the geoid, seismicity, Neogene deformation and volcanism in the region of Altiplano-Puna of western South America is used to analyse the state of stress across the convergent plate margin in terms of the effects of topography and simple models of its compensation. An average elevation near 4 km is consistent with compensation by a yet unresolved combination of crustal root and hot uppermost mantle producing a geoid high of 22–27 meters, average horizontal compressive stress (in excess of a reference sea level lithostatic value) of 390 bars in a 150 km thick lithosphere, and an average shear stress of 170 bars along a 30° dipping interplate boundary. The basis for these estimates is evidence for a neutral to extensional stress regime within the high plateau contrasted with a compressional regime on the eastern slopes and along the interplate boundary itself. Comparison with other plateaus in a convergent plate tectonic setting suggests an evolutionary sequence from compressional to extensional tectonics as elevation of the plateau increases.     

Ground deformation effects from the ~M6 earthquakes (2014–2015) on Cephalonia–Ithaca Islands (Western Greece) deduced by GPS observations

The implications of the earthquakes that took place in the central Ionian Islands in 2014 (Cephalonia, M _w6.1, M _w5.9) and 2015 (Lefkas, M _w6.4) are described based on repeat measurements of the local GPS networks in Cephalonia and Ithaca, and the available continuous GPS stations in the broader area. The Lefkas earthquake occurred on a branch of the Cephalonia Transform Fault, affecting Cephalonia with SE displacements gradually decreasing from north (~100 mm) to south (~10 mm). This earthquake revealed a near N–S dislocation boundary separating Paliki Peninsula in western Cephalonia from the rest of the island, as well as another NW–SE trending fault that separates kinematically the northern and southern parts of Paliki. Strain field calculations during the interseismic period (2014–2015) indicate compression between Ithaca and Cephalonia, while extension appears during the following co-seismic period (2015–2016) including the 2015 Lefkas earthquake. Additional tectonically active zones with differential kinematic characteristics were also identified locally.     

Seismicity variations in the Makran region of Pakistan and Iran: Relation to great earthquakes

Teleseismic activity in the Makran region of southeastern Iran and southwestern Pakistan prior to the great earthquake (M_s=8) of 1945 can be characterized in terms of two stages. First, during the period 30 (or more) to 10 years prior to the main event, the frequency of occurrence of moderate to large earthquakes was relatively high in the region between the impending rupture zone and the volcanic arc to the northwest. These events probably occurred near the down-dip limit of seismic activity within the subducted slab. Second, activity was concentrated along the coast during the ten years immediately preceding the great earthquake and most of this activity was confined to the vicinity of the epicenter of the 1945 earthquake. These patterns are similar in some respects to those observed prior to some large earthquakes in other parts of the world.Three observations concerning the pre-1945 seismicity suggest it was associated with the preparation for rupture of the zone that eventually broke during the great earthquake in 1945: (1) The activity before 1945 is located either within the 1945 rupture zone or between this zone and the volcanic arc to the northwest; (2) No activity of similar magnitude and occurrence rate is observed elsewhere along the Makran plate boundary; and (3) The region that was active prior to 1945 has been relatively quiet since the decline in aftershock activity associated with the 1945 shock. The current quiescence may be related to the release of stress during the 1945 earthquake.Recent seismicity in the region west of that affected prior to 1945 suggests that this western region may be the site of the next large earthquake. Events along the coast are grouped at both ends of a seismically quiet zone, producing a distribution similar to the donut pattern identified by Mogi. In addition, one moderate-magnitude earthquake occurred within the subducted slab to the northwest of the donut pattern along the coast. This moderate-magnitude earthquake, the first to occur in the region immediately west of the 1945 rupture zone since the advent of instrumental recording, may be analogous to the activity of stage one associated with the 1945 earthquake. While by no means providing conclusive evidence of an impending earthquake, the characteristic patterns identified in the recent seismicity indicate that this region should be closely monitored in the future.Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory Contribution Number 2853.     

Deformable backstop as seaward end of coseismic slip in the Nankai Trough seismogenic zone

Wide-angle seismic surveys performed in the last decade have clarified the 3-D crustal structure along the Nankai Trough. The geometry and velocity structure of the southwestern Japan subduction zone are now well constrained. Comparing these observations with the rupture distribution of historic great thrust earthquakes, it appears that the coseismic rupture occurred along plate boundaries deeper than the wedge/backstop boundary (the boundary between the Neogene-Quaternary accretionary wedge and the crust forming the backstop). From the view of spatial relationship, both rupture distributions of the last two large events and the crust forming the backstop are considerably retreated from the trough axis in the west and east off the Kii Peninsula. In both areas, seamount or ridge subduction is apparent in seismic results, geomorphological data and geomagnetic data. The landward indentation of the deformable backstop, which corresponds to the crustal block of old accreted sediments, may be formed by seamount subduction according to published results of sandbox modeling. In particular, the subducted seamount may be a structural factor affecting the recession of the crustal block forming the backstop.     

Simulation of Seismicity in the Block-structure Model of Italy and its Surroundings

The numerical block-model of the lithosphere dynamics is used to simulate seismicity in Italy and its surroundings, based on the available structural and geodynamics information. The purpose of the study is to understand which are the tectonic processes that control the main features of the observed seismicity and the kinematics of the region. The influence of the rheology of the fault systems is studied as well. The model we use differs from other modeling approaches in that it simulates earthquakes and hence it possibly relates to seismicity and geodynamics. The model provides an effective capability to include the set of documented constraints supplied by widely available earthquake catalogs. This is done by means of the comparison of the GR relation, of the focal mechanisms and of the space distribution for observed and computed seismicity. The region is modeled as a system of perfectly rigid blocks, separated by infinitely thin fault planes, in viscoelastic interaction between themselves and with the underlying medium. The movement of the boundary blocks and of the underlying medium determines the motion of the blocks. The synthetic seismicity obtained with the defined block-model is similar to the observed one for the most seismically active areas. A linear frequency-magnitude (FM) relation (Gutenberg-Richter law) is obtained for synthetic earthquakes; the slope (b-value) of the FM plot appears larger for the synthetic seismicity than for the observed one. Nevertheless, the b-value is essentially larger in northern and central Italy than that in southern Italy, both in the model and in the observations. The analysis of the source mechanisms of the synthetic earthquakes shows a good agreement with the observations. In the model normal faulting is typical for the Apennines, the eastern edge of Sicily and the Calabrian arc, while reverse faulting takes place at the northwestern boundary of the Adriatic Sea, in the southern Alps and along the eastern edge of the Adria, along the Dinarides. The model correctly reproduces the extension zone along the Apennines and the contraction zone along the northwestern boundary of the Adriatic Sea; the counter-clockwise rotation of the Adria is mimed. The resulting movements of the blocks are in overall agreement with GPS (Global Positioning System) observations. The results of the modeling experiments suggest that the main features of dynamics and seismicity in the central Mediterranean region cannot be satisfactorily explained as a consequence of Africa and Eurasia convergence only; the passive subduction in the Calabrian arc and the different rheology of faults are essential as well.     

Crustal deformation due to Alaska–Yakutat collision

The region of Alaska and adjacent northwest Canada is tectonically active and is subjected to multiple tectonic processes including plate subduction and terrane accretion. These tectonic processes and the forces originating thereof are responsible for high seismicity in the region and deformation of the crust. In the present-day tectonic setting, the Yakutat terrane is obliquely colliding with Alaska along the Aleutian Trench. Also, flat subduction due to under thrusting of a thickened crust, probably of oceanic affinity, is contributing to the tectonic evolution of this region in a basal traction collision style. This study uses the 2D, planform, thin-viscous-sheet model to investigate the effect of the Yakutat terrane colliding with Alaska and adjacent northwest Canada. Along with the obliquity and velocity of convergence, the lateral strength heterogeneities in the crust are considered in this investigation. The results of the numerical model are constrained with the observed topography and stress orientation in Alaska. It is shown that the Alaska–Yakutat collision is producing asymmetric deformation of the crust with respect to the normal to the collision boundary and that lateral strength heterogeneities contribute significantly to the deformation of the crust. Also, the influence of this collision can be observed up to a distance of 700 km inland from the collision boundary.     

An Evaluation of Coulomb Stress Changes from Earthquake Productivity Variations in the Western Gulf of Corinth,Greece

Spatial and temporal evolution of the stress field in the seismically active and well-monitored area of the western Gulf of Corinth, Greece, is investigated. The highly accurate and vast regional catalogues were used for inverting seismicity rate changes into stress variation using a rate/state-dependent friction model. After explicitly determining the physical quantities incorporated in the model (characteristic relaxation time, fault constitutive parameters, and reference seismicity rates), we looked for stress changes across space and over time and their possible association with earthquake clustering and fault interactions. We focused our attention on the Efpalio doublet of January 2010 (M = 5.5 and M = 5.4), with a high aftershock productivity, and attempted to reproduce and interpret stress changes prior to and after the initiation of this seismicity burst. The spatial distribution of stress changes was evaluated after smoothing the seismological data by means of a probability density function (PDF). The inverted stress calculations were compared with the calculations derived from an independent approach (elastic dislocation model) and this comparison was quantified. The results of the two methods are in good agreement (up to 80 %) in the far field, with the inversion technique providing more robust results in the near field, where they are more sensitive to the uncertainties of coseismic slip distribution. It is worth mentioning that the stress inversion model proved to be a very sensitive stress meter, able to detect even small stress changes correlated with spatio–temporal earthquake clustering. Data analysis was attempted from 1975 onwards to simulate the stress changes associated with stronger earthquakes over a longer time span. This approach revealed that only M > 5.5 events induce considerable stress variations, although in some cases there was no evidence for such stress changes even after an M > 5.5 earthquake.     

日本内陆地震活动的迁移与扩散

本文研究了日本内陆及其外围海域发生大地震后的地震活动迁移现象。在所研究的6个震例中,一个共同的特点是,地震活动的迁移总是沿着地壳内的活动地质构造带发生。有时可以根据地震活动的迁移来进一步确定活动构造带的存在。把板块边缘地区的地震活动类比为沿着力学偶合平面迁移和扩散,我们可以认为,岛上的活动构造带对应着地壳块体的力学相互作用边界。地震迁移的形式可能不只一种。在我们所研究的震例中发现了以下特征:地震迁移速度约为几km/年;大地震震源区之间存在着地震空区;在每一条地震带上有一定的地震活动周期。地震迁移的一种可能机制是:由于地壳块体的相对运动,在其边界上的凹凸不平区造成了构造应力集中,这些凹凸不平区相继地发生破裂,形成了地震迁移。     

青藏高原东缘地壳运动与深部过程的研究

由于青藏高原东部地区记录了高原约50 Ma演化历史中物质东流的构造史,因此受到地学界的广泛重视. 现代大地测量与地质研究结果给出了该区现代地壳运动的图像,为地球动力学数值模拟提供了重要的边界约束条件. 利用重力异常计算的高原及邻区地幔对流应力场与地表地壳运动格局的明显差异表征了高原东部地壳与地幔物质的运动解耦. 基于随深度变化地壳蠕变率的动力学模拟结果显示,高原东部地壳增厚与高原内部存在很大差异,高原东部地壳增厚主要表现为下地壳的增厚,并且地幔形变过程与地表变化也不一致,同样显示出地壳、地幔运动的解耦. 研究表明,下地壳低强度分布可能是导致这种解耦的重要原因,而了解高原东部地壳及上地幔物理力学性质对我们认识高原物质东流至关重要.     

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.     

Aftershock Sequences Modeled with 3-D Stress Heterogeneity and Rate-State Seismicity Equations: Implications for Crustal Stress Estimation

In this paper, we present a model for studying aftershock sequences that integrates Coulomb static stress change analysis, seismicity equations based on rate-state friction nucleation of earthquakes, slip of geometrically complex faults, and fractal-like, spatially heterogeneous models of crustal stress. In addition to modeling instantaneous aftershock seismicity rate patterns with initial clustering on the Coulomb stress increase areas and an approximately 1/t diffusion back to the pre-mainshock background seismicity, the simulations capture previously unmodeled effects. These include production of a significant number of aftershocks in the traditional Coulomb stress shadow zones and temporal changes in aftershock focal mechanism statistics. The occurrence of aftershock stress shadow zones arises from two sources. The first source is spatially heterogeneous initial crustal stress, and the second is slip on geometrically rough faults, which produces localized positive Coulomb stress changes within the traditional stress shadow zones. Temporal changes in simulated aftershock focal mechanisms result in inferred stress rotations that greatly exceed the true stress rotations due to the main shock, even for a moderately strong crust (mean stress 50 MPa) when stress is spatially heterogeneous. This arises from biased sampling of the crustal stress by the synthetic aftershocks due to the non-linear dependence of seismicity rates on stress changes. The model indicates that one cannot use focal mechanism inversion rotations to conclusively demonstrate low crustal strength (≤10 MPa); therefore, studies of crustal strength following a stress perturbation may significantly underestimate the mean crustal stress state for regions with spatially heterogeneous stress.     

据地壳介质非均匀性判断郯庐断裂带鲁苏段未来大震位置

从大尺度和小尺度两方面研究郯庐断裂带苏鲁段地壳介质非均匀性。使用地震波数据,研究了郯庐断裂带苏鲁段地壳速度结构的非均匀性,单位虚波Q_mps的非均匀性,地壳介质泊松比的非均匀性,反映地壳介质小尺度非均匀性的分层κ值和y值。计算了1668年郯城8 1/2级地震震源区长度和沿断裂带的震源区边界,根据地震构造和地震活动性确定断裂的闭锁段,地震应力的积累单元和调整单元。对比1668年郯城8 1/2级地震的地壳介质状况,将各种非均匀性参数综合分析,结果表明,各种参数指向一致,未来大震的可能区域是33°-34.5°N,118°-118.8°E的北北东向区域,震级可达8级。     

青藏高原东缘地壳运动与深部过程的研究

由于青藏高原东部地区记录了高原约50 Ma演化历史中物质东流的构造史,因此受到地学界的广泛重视. 现代大地测量与地质研究结果给出了该区现代地壳运动的图像,为地球动力学数值模拟提供了重要的边界约束条件. 利用重力异常计算的高原及邻区地幔对流应力场与地表地壳运动格局的明显差异表征了高原东部地壳与地幔物质的运动解耦. 基于随深度变化地壳蠕变率的动力学模拟结果显示,高原东部地壳增厚与高原内部存在很大差异,高原东部地壳增厚主要表现为下地壳的增厚,并且地幔形变过程与地表变化也不一致,同样显示出地壳、地幔运动的解耦. 研究表明,下地壳低强度分布可能是导致这种解耦的重要原因,而了解高原东部地壳及上地幔物理力学性质对我们认识高原物质东流至关重要.     

基于GPS的江苏南部现今地壳形变特征分析

基于2007-2009年江苏南部GPS资料,借助多面函数法及位移-应变模型求取了研究区的速度场及应变特征参数,结合地质构造背景及地震活动性对该区地壳形变特征进行分析.研究结果表明：（1）江苏南部现今地壳整体朝南东向运动,临海地区与内陆地区速度差异较大,量值在5～10 mm/a;（2）研究区域呈现面应变正负交替出现的规律,在泰州、南通、嘉定出现面膨胀、剪切应变高值区,未来发生中强地震的可能性较大;（3）江苏南部地区地壳运动受太平洋板块、菲律宾海板块和欧亚板块的共同作用,构造机理复杂.