Trenching exposures of the surface rupture of 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake,China: Implications for coseismic deformation and paleoseismology along the Central Longmen Shan thrust fault

The May 12, 2008, Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake was induced by failure of two of the major faults of the Longmen Shan thrust fault zone along the eastern margin of Tibet Plateau. Our study focused on trenches across the Yingxiu–Bichuan fault, the central fault in the Longmen Shan belt that has a coseismic surface break of more than 200 km long. Trenching excavation across the 2008 earthquake rupture on three representative sites reveals the styles and amounts of the deformation and paleoseismicity along the Longmen Shan fault. Styles of coseismic deformation along the 2008 earthquake rupture at these three sites represent three models of deformation along a thrust fault. Two of the three trench exposures reveal one pre-2008 earthquake event, which is coincident with the pre-existing scarps. Based on the observation of exposed stratigraphy and structures in the trenches and the geomorphic expressions on ground surface, we interpret the 2008 earthquake as a characteristic earthquake along this fault. The interval of reoccurrence of large earthquake events on the Central Longmen Shan fault (the Yingxiu–Beichuan fault) can be inferred to be about 11,000 years according to ¹⁴C and OSL dating. The amounts of the vertical displacement and shortening across the surface rupture during the 2008 earthquake are determined to be 1.0–2.8 m and 0.15–1.32 m, respectively. The shortening rate and uplift rate are then estimated to be 0.09–0.12 mm/yr and 0.18–0.2 mm/yr, respectively. It is indicated that the deformation is absorbed mainly not by shortening, but by uplift along the rupture during the 2008 earthquake.     

A paleo-seismological study of the Dauki fault at Jaflong,Sylhet, Bangladesh: Historical seismic events and an attempted rupture segmentation model

A paleo-seismological study was conducted at Jaflong, Sylhet, Bangladesh, which is on the eastern part of the Dauki fault. The geomorphology around Jaflong is divided into the Shillong Plateau, the foothills, the lower terraces, and the alluvial plain from north to south. Because the foothills and lower terraces are considered to be uplifted tectonically, an active fault is inferred to the south of the lower terraces. This fault, which branches from the Dauki fault as a foreland migration, is known as the Jaflong fault in this paper. The trench investigation was conducted at the southern edge of the lower terrace. The angular unconformity accompanied by folding, which is thought to be the top of the growth strata, was identified in the trench. An asymmetric anticline with a steep southern limb and gentle northern limb is inferred from the back-tilted lower terrace and the folding of the gravel layer parallel to the lower terrace surface. The timing of the seismic event which formed the folding and unconformity is dated to between AD 840 and 920.The trench investigation at Gabrakhari, on the western part of the Dauki fault, revealed that the Dauki fault ruptured in AD 1548 (Morino et al., 2011). Because the 1897 great Indian earthquake (M ⩾ 8.0; Yeats et al., 1997) was caused by the rupture of the Dauki fault (Oldham, 1899), it is clear that the Dauki fault has ruptured three times in the past one thousand years. The timing of these seismic events coincides with that of the paleo-liquefactions confirmed on the Shillong Plateau. It is essential for the paleo-seismological study of the Dauki fault to determine the surface ruptures of the 1897 earthquake. The Dauki fault might be divided into four rupture segments, the western, central, eastern, and easternmost segments. The eastern and western segments ruptured in AD 840–920 and in 1548, respectively. The 1897 earthquake might have been caused by the rupture of the central segment.     

Paleoseismic investigation along Nalagarh Thrust: Evidence of Late Pleistocene earthquake in Pinjaur Dun,Northwestern sub-Himalaya

The present article is the first time reporting of a paleoearthquake that occurred during Late Pleistocene time along the Nalagarh Thrust (NT) in the Pinjaur Dun in northwestern sub-Himalaya. Using CORONA satellite photographs, multi-spectral IRS satellite data, and aerial photographs, a prominent active fault has been identified at Nalagarh in Pinjaur Dun. This fault in the alluvial fan is located very close to the NT which borders the topographic front of the Tertiary rocks against Quaternary deposits. A trench excavation survey was carried out at Nalagarh for detailed paleoseismic studies across this thrust fault. Displacing all the lithologic units of the fan sequence, the fault plane has an average dip of 30° due ENE and a vertical displacement of 1.6 m and slip of ～2.5 m along the fault. The lithological units, consisting of alternating sand and gravel, show back tilting and asymmetrical tight folding. Based on Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) ages, the oldest litho-unit in the trench is 85.83 ± 7.2 ka and the youngest is 67.05 ± 8.4 ka. The OSL age of the sample collected from the easterly exposure of the fault shows an age of 20 ka. The faulting and associated induced deformation features suggest occurrence of a Late Pleistocene large magnitude earthquake along NT in the Nalagarh region of the Pinjaur Dun following the deposition of the Quaternary sedimentary units. The Late Pleistocene fault substantiates the seismic potential of Pinjaur Dun and calls for more exhaustive study of paleoearthquakes in this fast developing industrial belt and highly populous mountainous region.     

Estimation of the rupture velocity and fault length of the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake using a dense broadband seismic array in Taiwan

The rupture process of the disastrous Sumatra–Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004 was analyzed by array processes for teleseismic P-waves recorded by a dense broadband seismic array in Taiwan with epicentral distances of close to 31°. The azimuthal variation from the BATS array center to both ends of the rupture fault is approximately 21°, which is larger than that reported previously for seismic arrays used to image the rupture process of this earthquake, thereby providing a high spatial resolution in studying the source rupture behavior. Two array-processing methods were used to analyze teleseismic P-wave trains. Both analyses were based on data recorded by a broadband network, covering a region of 200 × 400 km, with the aim of evaluating the rupture behavior of the earthquake. Consistent results from both analyses indicate that the earthquake had a rupture duration exceeding 500 s, with major asperities encountered at 80, 260, and 330 s after the initiation of rupturing. We traced the ruptured fault for more than 1200 km from the point of initial rupture. The average rupture velocity was approximately 3.0 km/s and the major northward rupture propagation began at 80 s after the initiation of rupturing.     

Paleoseismic records of large earthquakes on the cross-basin fault in the Ganyanchi pull-apart basin,Haiyuan fault,northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Field observations and analog models show that cross-basin faults play a key role in the evolution of pull-apart basins and dominate the distribution of earthquake rupture in basin areas. We studied the long-term history of large earthquakes on a cross-basin fault to reveal its behavior in response to propagating earthquake rupture and gain insight into the evolution of the pull-apart basin. A number of pull-apart basins have developed along the Haiyuan fault in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, the largest being the Ganyanchi pull-apart basin. The surface rupture associated with the 1920 M 8.5 earthquake shows that a cross-basin fault developed in the basin and that the basin is now going through the late stage of its evolution. We excavated two trenches and drilled four cores across the cross-basin fault in the basin and found abundant evidence of paleoseismic events. Seven events were identified and ¹⁴C-dated. The two youngest events are associated with the historical records of 1092 AD and 1920 AD, respectively. The paleoseismic sequence shows the recurrence of earthquakes characterized by earthquake clusters alternating with a single event. Comparing these with previous paleoseismic results, all the major earthquake events seem to be associated with cascade events that ruptured multi-fault segments, suggesting that only an earthquake of this scale (likely M > 8) can produce obvious surface rupture along the cross-basin fault. We propose that the fault has a long tectonic history, with a series of cascade rupture events that could play an important part in the evolution of the pull-apart basin.     

U-series dating of co-seismic gypsum and submarine paleoseismology of active faults in Northern Chile (23°S)

The convergence of the Nazca and South American plates along the subduction margin of the central Andes results in large subduction earthquakes and tectonic activity along major fault systems. Despite its relevance, the paleoseismic record of this region is scarce, hampering our understanding about the relationship between the Andes building and earthquake occurrence. In this study, we used the U-series disequilibrium method to obtain absolute ages of paleoearthquake events associated with normal displacements along the active Mejillones and Salar del Carmen faults in the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The ²³⁰Th–²³⁴U disequilibrium ages in co-seismic gypsum salts sampled along the fault traces together with marine evidences indicate that earthquakes occurred at ca. 29.7 ± 1.7 ka, 11 ± 4 ka and 2.4 ± 0.8 ka. When coupled with paleoseismic marine and radiocarbon (¹⁴C) records in the nearby Mejillones Bay evidencing large dislocations along the Mejillones Fault, the geochronological dataset presented here is consistent with the notion that gypsum salts formed during large earthquakes as a result of co-seismic dilatancy pumping of saline waters along the major faults. Based on maximum observed cumulative vertical offsets in the studied faults, this phenomena could have occurred episodically at a rate in the order of 1:40 to 1:50 with respect to the very large subduction earthquakes during the latest Pleistocene–Holocene period. The results presented here reveal that the U-series disequilibrium method can be successfully applied to date the gypsum salts deposited along faults during seismic events, and therefore directly constrain the age of large paleoearthquakes in hyperarid and seismically active zones.     

Source characteristics of the Yutian earthquake in 2008 from inversion of the co-seismic deformation field mapped by InSAR

On 21 March 2008, an Ms7.3 earthquake occurred at Yutian County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which is in the same year as 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. These two earthquakes both took place in the Bayar Har block, while Yutian earthquake is located in the west edge and Wenchuan earthquake is in the east. The research on source characteristics of Yutian earthquake can serve to better understand Wenchuan earthquake mechanism. We attempt to reveal the features of the causative fault of Yutian shock and its co-seismic deformation field by a sensitivity-based iterative fitting (SBIF) method. Our work is based on analysis and interpretation to high-resolution satellite (Quickbird) images as well as D-InSAR data from the satellite Envisat ASAR, in conjunction with the analysis of seismicity, focal mechanism solutions and active tectonics in this region. The result shows that the 22 km long, nearly NS trending surface rupture zone by this event lies on a range-front alluvial platform in the Qira County. It is characterized by distinct linear traces and a simple structure with 1–3 m-wide individual seams and maximum 6.5 m width of a collapse fracture. Along the rupture zone are seen many secondary fractures and fault-bounded blocks by collapse, exhibiting remarkable extension. The co-seismic deformation affected a big range 100 km × 40 km. D-InSAR analysis indicates that the interferometric deformation field is dominated by extensional faulting with a small strike-slip component. Along the causative fault, the western wall fell down and the eastern wall, that is the active unit, rose up, both with westerly vergence. The maximum subsidence displacement is ～2.6 m in the LOS, and the maximum uplift is 1.2 m. The maximum relative vertical dislocation reaches 4.1 m, which is 10 km distant from the starting rupture point to south. The 42 km-long seismogenic fault in the subsurface extends in NS direction as an arc, and it dipping angle changes from 70° near the surface to 52° at depth ～10 km. The slip on the fault plane is concentrated in the depth range 0–8 km, forming a belt of length 30 km along strike on the fault plane. There are three areas of concentrating slip, in which the largest slip is 10.5 m located at the area 10 km distant from the initial point of the rupture.     

汶川8级大地震同震破裂的特殊性及构造意义——多条平行断裂同时活动的反序型逆冲地震事件

汶川地震是有仪器记录以来发生的世界上最大的板内逆冲型地震之一。野外调查表明,沿北东走向的龙门山断裂带上,至少有两条逆冲断裂同时参与汶川地震的同震破裂过程,即北川断裂和安县灌县断裂（彭灌断裂）。倾向北西的高角度北川逆冲断裂上的地表破裂长度大于200 km,可能达225 km。运动方式在南部表现为以北西盘抬升的逆冲为主,往北东转为逆冲右旋走滑,走滑分量与垂向陡坎高度相当,陡坎高度最大值约为11 m。在彭灌断裂上,地表破裂表现为北西盘抬升的近纯逆冲性质的破裂,破裂长度达70 km,陡坎最高达3~3.5 m。汶川地震是世界上第一次明确记录到多条平行断裂参与同震破裂的逆冲型地震,而且因发震断层是龙门山断裂带内部的高角度逆冲断裂,而非断裂带前锋的低角度逆冲断裂,所以汶川地震属于反序型逆冲断裂活动。这与1999年我国台湾7.5级集集地震和2005年克什米尔7.6级地震类似,说明反序型逆冲地震具有普遍性。汶川地震这一震级大、破裂长的逆冲地震事件是对目前流行的青藏高原下地壳流动的变形假说提出的严峻挑战,同时也表明加强青藏高原东缘南北地震带上其他滑动速率较低但同样具有发生大地震可能性的活动断裂的滑动速率和古地震定量研究的紧迫性,因为这一地区人口密度与东部相当,但发生强震的频率更高。     

Geologic hazards associated with seismogenic faulting in southern Siberia and Mongolia: forms and location patterns

The forms and location patterns of geologic hazards induced by earthquakes in southern Siberia, Mongolia, and northern Kazakhstan in1950 through 2008 have been investigated statistically, using a database of coseismic effects created as a GIS MapInfo application, with a handy input box for large data arrays. The database includes 689 cases of macroseismic effects from M_S = 4.1–8.1 events at 398 sites. Statistical analysis of the data has revealed regional relationships between the magnitude of an earthquake and the maximum distance of its environmental effects (soil liquefaction and subsidence, secondary surface rupturing, and slope instability) to the epicenter and to the causative fault. Thus estimated limit distances to the fault for the M_S = 8.1 largest event are 40 km for soil subsidence (sinkholes), 80 km for surface rupture, 100 km for slope instability (landslides etc.), and 130 km for soil liquefaction. These distances are 3.5–5.6 times as short as those to the epicenter, which are 150, 450, 350, and 450 km, respectively. Analysis of geohazard locations relative to nearest faults in southern East Siberia shows the distances to be within 2 km for sinkholes (60% within 1.5 km), 4.5 km for landslides (90% within 1.5 km), 8 km for liquefaction (69% within 1 km), and 35.5 km for surface rupture (86% within 2 km). The frequency of hazardous effects decreases exponentially away from both seismogenic and nearest faults. Cases of soil liquefaction and subsidence are analyzed in more detail in relation to rupture patterns. Equations have been suggested to relate the maximum sizes of secondary structures (sinkholes, dikes, etc.) with the earthquake magnitude and shaking intensity at the site. As a result, a predictive model has been created for locations of geohazard associated with reactivation of seismogenic faults, assuming an arbitrary fault pattern. The obtained results make basis for modeling the distribution of geohazards for the purposes of prediction and estimation of earthquake parameters from secondary deformation.     

Surface deformation related to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake,and mountain building of the Longmen Shan,eastern Tibetan Plateau

The 12 May 2008 M_s 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, China, was one of largest continental thrusting events worldwide. Based on interpretations of post-earthquake high-resolution remote sensing images and field surveys, we investigated the geometry, geomorphology, and kinematics of co-seismic surface ruptures, as well as seismic and geologic hazards along the Longmen Shan fold-and-thrust belt. Our results indicate that the Wenchuan earthquake occurred along the NE–SW-trending Yingxiu–Beichuan and Guanxian–Anxian faults in the Longmen Shan fold-and-thrust belt. The main surface rupture zones along the Yingxiu–Beichuan and Guanxian–Anxian fault zones are approximately 235 and 72 km in length, respectively. These sub-parallel ruptures may merge at depth. The Yingxiu–Donghekou surface rupture zone can be divided into four segments separated by discontinuities that appear as step-overs or bends in map view. Surface deformation is characterized by oblique reverse faulting with a maximum vertical displacement of approximately 10 m in areas around Beichuan County. Earthquake-related disasters (e.g., landslides) are linearly distributed along the surface rupture zones and associated river valleys.The Wenchuan earthquake provides new insights into the nature of mountain building within the Longmen Shan, eastern Tibetan Plateau. The total crustal shortening accommodated by this great earthquake was as much as 8.5 m, with a maximum vertical uplift of approximately 10 m. The present results suggest that ongoing mountain building of the Longmen Shan is driven mainly by crustal shortening and uplift related to repeated large seismic events such as the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Furthermore, rapid erosion within the Longmen Shan fold-and-thrust belt occurs along deep valleys and rupture zones following the occurrence of large-scale landslides triggered by earthquakes. Consequently, we suggest that crustal shortening related to repeated great seismic events, together with isostatic rebound induced by rapid erosion-related unloading, is a key component of the geodynamics that drive ongoing mountain building on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.     

鲜水河断裂带色拉哈段中谷村一带的最新地表破裂讨论

鲜水河断裂带色拉哈段是2014年康定M_S6.3地震的发震断裂段,其最新一次地表破裂事件(1725年康定7级地震)的离逝时间较长,是最可能发生7级以上地表破裂型大震的危险地段之一。获得色拉哈段最新地震地表破裂的展布范围对确定断裂带的地震活动历史、评估断裂带的未来地震危险性以及防震减灾具有重要意义。然而,迄今色拉哈段最新地表破裂的北西端位置仍存有较大争议。对此,在以往资料认为没有同震地表破裂的中谷村一带开挖了探槽组,获得了这一带的破裂历史,其最新一次事件(E6)的限定年代为A.D.746±51之后。综合探槽剖面证据和附近的断错地貌特征以及历史地震资料,探槽揭露的最新事件E6可能对应1725年康定7级地震,色拉哈段的地表破裂北西端至少已延伸到中谷村一带。     

Source complexity of the 4 March 2010 Jiashian,Taiwan, Earthquake determined by joint inversion of teleseismic and near field data

The Jiashian earthquake (M_L 6.4) occurred on 4 March 2010. It was the largest inland event in southern Taiwan of 2010. The mainshock location was unexpected since it occurred in an area with relatively low background seismicity. In addition, reports of earthquake focal mechanisms do not fit with any known active fault geometry. In order to understand the origin of this earthquake, especially its rupture process, we perform a joint source inversion by using teleseismic body wave, GPS coseismic displacements and near field ground motion data. In this study, we considered a northwest–southeast trending fault with a northeast dip retrieved from GPS coseismic data and aftershocks distribution. To analyze the detailed slip distribution in space and time, we used near field 3D Green’s functions provided by spectral-element method and a full time–space inversion technique. We find a complex rupture process with several slip patches distributed inside two main asperities. The slip map reveals a mean slip of 12.9 cm for a maximum slip of 27.3 cm leading to a M_w 6.47 for this event. The rupture initiates in the deepest portion of the fault at 20 km depth, and propagated upward up to 2 km depth to form the two asperities. The source time function of this event revealed two pulses corresponding to the two asperities, for a total duration time of about 16 s. Most aftershocks occurred near the upper boundary of the deepest asperity while no aftershocks are located close to the shallowest one. We infer that the locations of these slip patches are related to the surrounding fault systems that may have restricted the rupture propagation during the earthquake.     

Influence of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (Mw 7.9) on the occurrence probability of future earthquakes on neighboring faults

The Longquan–Shan fault and the Huya fault are two major neighboring faults of the Longmen–Shan fault zone where the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (M_w 7.9) occurred. To study the influence of the Wenchuan event on these two active faults, we calculate changes of Coulomb stress on the Longquan–Shan fault and the Huya fault caused by the Wenchuan mainshock. Our results indicate that the Coulomb stress in the northern section (Zone A) of the Longquan–Shan fault is increased by 0.07–0.10 bars, that in the middle section (Zone B) by 0.04–0.11 bars, and that in the southern section (Zone C) shows almost no change. For the Huya fault, the Coulomb stress is decreased by 0.01–0.03 bars in the northern section (Zone A), 0.10–0.35 bars in the middle section (Zone B), and nearly 0.5 bars in the southern section (Zone C). The epicenter distribution of small earthquakes (M_L ⩾ 1.5) on the Longquan–Shan fault and the Huya fault after the Wenchuan earthquake is consistent with the distribution of the Coulomb stress change. This implies that the Wenchuan earthquake may have triggered small events on the Longquan–Shan fault, but inhibited those on the Huya fault. We then use the rate/state friction law to calculate the occurrence probability of future earthquakes in the study region for the next decade. They include the distribution of b-values, magnitude of completeness (M_c), the background seismicity rate, a value of Aσ_n and the duration for the transient effect (t_a) in the study region. We also estimate the earthquake occurrence probabilities on the neighboring faults after the Wenchuan earthquake. Our results show that, the occurrence probability of future earthquakes in the Longquan–Shan has a slight increase, being 7% for M ⩾ 5.0 shocks during the next decade, but the earthquake probability in the Huya region is reduced obviously, being 5–20%, 7–26% and 3–9% for M ⩾ 5.0 shocks during the next decade in sections A, B and C of the Huya fault, respectively.     

龙首山南麓新发现的地震地表破裂带——兼论1954年山丹MS7?地震发震构造

基于详细的遥感解译和野外调查,发现龙首山南缘断裂发育有较新的地震地表破裂遗迹,包括断层坎、地震鼓包、河道的系统位错等断层地貌标志,破裂带总长度超过20 km,沿断裂走向其垂向位移介于0.35～4 m,水平位移介于0.3～1.9 m,龙首山南缘断裂主体表现为逆冲性质,仅在西端表现为局部左旋走滑的性质。通过剖面和探槽揭示,龙首山南麓地区全新世以来发生多次断层活动,最新的一次在约3.96 ka以来。经过与区域内的强震记录比对,认为此次新发现的地震地表破裂带可能是1954年山丹M_S 7地震所致。1954年山丹M_S 7地震在浅表沿两条断裂同时发生了地表破裂,表现为正花状构造的变形样式。这种同震位移分配现象以往多发现于走滑型地震中,此次在逆冲型地震中发现。龙首山南缘断裂地表破裂带的发现为揭示1954年山丹地震的震源过程和破裂样式提供了新的证据和思路。     

Paleoearthquakes in the Uimon basin (Gorny Altai)

Paleoseismological studies confirm that the Uimon basin is thrust by its northern mountain border along the active South Terekta fault. The latest motion along the fault in the 7-8th centuries AD induced an earthquake with a magnitude of M_w= 7.4-7.7 and a shaking intensity of I = 9-11 on the MSK-64 scale. The same fault generated another event (M > 7, I = 9-10), possibly, about 16 kyr ago, which triggered gravity sliding. The rockslide dammed the Uimon valley and produced a lake, where lacustrine deposition began about 14 ± 1 kyr ago, and a later M > 7 (I = 9-10) earthquake at ~ 6 ka caused the dam collapse and the lake drainage. Traces of much older earthquakes that occurred within the Uimon basin are detectable from secondary deformation structures (seismites) in soft sediments deposited during the drainage of a Late Pleistocene ice-dammed lake between 100 and 90 ka and in ~ 77 ka alluvium. The magnitude and intensity of these paleoearthquakes were at least M > 5.0-5.5 and I > 6-7.     

3D modeling of earthquake cycles of the Xianshuihe fault,southwestern China

We perform 3D modeling of earthquake generation of the Xianshuihe fault, southwestern China, which is a highly active strike-slip fault with a length of about 350 km, in order to understand earthquake cycles and segmentations for a long-term forecasting and earthquake nucleation process for a short-term forecasting. Historical earthquake data over the last 300 years indicates repeated periods of seismic activity, and migration of large earthquake along the fault during active seismic periods. To develop the 3D model of earthquake cycles along the Xianshuihe fault, we use a rate- and state-dependent friction law. After analyzing the result, we find that the earthquakes occur in the reoccurrence intervals of 400–500 years. Simulation result of slip velocity distribution along the fault at the depth of 10 km during 2694 years along the Xianshuihe fault indicates that since the third earthquake cycle, the fault has been divided into 3 parts. Some earthquake ruptures terminate at the bending part of the fault line, which may means the shape of the fault line controls how earthquake ruptures. The change of slip velocity and displacement at 10 km depth is more tremendous than the change of the shallow and deep part of the fault and the largest slip velocity occurs at the depth of 10 km which is the exact depth of the seismic zone where fast rupture occurs.     

Observation of surface displacements from GPS analyses before and after the Jiashian earthquake (M = 6.4) in Taiwan

A blind thrust fault with a unique strike, which is orthogonal to the strike of most tectonic structures in Taiwan, triggered the Jiashian earthquake on March 4, 2010 (M = 6.4; 22.96°N, 120.70°E). This study utilizes 100 global positioning system stations to examine changes of surface displacements during the Jiashian earthquake. We mitigate effects of short-term noise and long-term plate movements from surface displacement data using a frequency dependent filter via the Hilbert–Huang transform and compute the horizontal azimuth (i.e. GPS-azimuth) using residual data at the NS component relative to residual data at the EW component. Analytical results show that orientations of horizontal azimuths were aligned and orthogonal to the strike of the blind thrust fault. Meanwhile, inverse orientations are observed before and after the earthquake that agrees well with the seismic rebound theory. As stress disturbed on strata a few days before the earthquake, an impeded region can be clearly identified by disordered orientations of horizontal azimuths for anticipating the mainshock. These results provide an additional view to explore stress disturbance associated with earthquakes and offer more information to examine diverse models of tectonic evolution in this region.     

2008年汶川地震同震滑移特征、最大滑移量及构造意义

2008年汶川地震（M_s8.0）形成了迄今为止空间上分布最为复杂、长度最大的逆冲型同震地表破裂带。沿约275km长的地表破裂带的同震滑移及其最大滑移量的确定,对认识和理解汶川地震地表破裂过程及其变形机制具有重要意义。我们沿地表破裂带进行了详细的滑移特征考察及其同震位移测量,发现沿映秀-北川破裂带分布南北两个滑移峰值区段,南段以深溪沟-虹口破裂段为中心,以逆冲为主伴随右旋走滑运动为特征,最大垂直位移量为6.0～6.7m,北段以北川破裂段为中心,以右旋走滑为主伴随逆冲运动为特征,最大垂直位移量为11～12m,南北两滑移峰值区段所代表的两次地表破裂事件与地震波数据反演结果一致。通过对北川段破裂带的精细地形剖面测量,以及地震前后对比,在北川县曲山镇沙坝村一组获得该破裂段的最大右旋水平位移为12～15m,最大垂直位移为11～12m,这是目前世界上一次地震产生的最大同震垂直位移,最大斜向滑移量为14～17m,为整个汶川地震地表破裂最大滑移量,是汶川地震的宏观震中。北川破裂段高角度的地震断裂、逆冲断裂面的倒转作用以及具最大滑移量的强烈变形作用是北川县城遭受到最强的地表破坏和地质灾害的主要原因。具有走滑量和逆冲量近一致（走滑水平位移/逆冲垂直位移比值为1）的斜向逆冲作用可能是山脉快速隆升的重要机制。     

ESR dating of the Wangsan fault,South Korea

The Wangsan fault is exposed at Kyeongju, Korea. The andesite is unconformably covered by Quaternary alternating conglomerate and sandstone deposits. The unconformity is cut by the thrust fault which displaces a hanging wall block of about 30 m. Exposed at the surface of this fault is a light gray and brown fault gouge, about 40–120 cm thick. In order to test the consistency of ESR ages from a single fault gouge zone, we collected six gouge samples systematically along and across the Wangsan fault. We found that six samples collected from the same gouge zone show consistent ESR date estimates (average 550 ka). Because fault rock is rare along faults in unconsolidated sediments due to low confining stress near the surface, we consider that this fault gouge has been moved up with the hanging wall block along the fault. The estimated average uplift rate of the hanging wall block is about 0.04 cm/year based on the age of the displaced Quaternary deposits (vertical separation; about 20 m) dated by OSL dating methods. The depth of the fault gouge at the time of reactivation, which was estimated from uplift rate and the ESR ages, is about 220 m. Therefore, we conclude that the results of ESR age estimates represent the time of reactivation of the fault gouge at a depth of 220 m in the past during fault movement, because later movements which occurred during uplift near the surface may not have zeroed ESR signals significantly for ESR dating of fault movements.