Cenozoic deformation history of the Tancheng–Lujiang Fault Zone, north China, and dynamic implications

Abstract Based on a field analysis of slip vectors from Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks and coupled with rift basin analysis in north China, the Cenozoic deformation history of the Tancheng–Lujiang (Tan–Lu) Fault Zone can be divided into three main phases: early Tertiary normal faulting and northwest–southeast extension; Miocene normal faulting and northeast–southwest to north‐northeast–south‐southwest extension; and Quaternary dextral strike–slip faulting and east‐northeast transpression. The early Tertiary extension, which was responsible for rift basin formation in north China, originated from back‐roll mantle convection induced by westward subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Asia continent. The Miocene extension occurred possibly in association with the process of the Japan Sea opening. The Quaternary dextral slip was mainly localized along the middle part of the Tan–Lu Fault Zone and resulted from the far‐field effect of the late‐stage India–Eurasia convergence.     

郯庐断裂带安徽明光段紫阳山探槽及其意义

郯庐断裂带安徽省内段落属于该断裂带的南段,断裂构造复杂,总体上断层活动性要弱于断裂带的山东、江苏段。近年来笔者多次在苏皖交界地区开展野外地质地貌调查,发现淮河南北两侧的地形地貌存在较大差异。本研究以淮河以南的郯庐断裂带东支断裂明光段为探查重点,在明光紫阳山北侧跨断层开挖地质探槽。探槽(Tc1)显示断层表现为逆冲、张裂等活动形式,且断层向上延伸错动晚第四纪地层;结合年代样品测试结果,表明该段断层晚第四纪以来有较强的活动,最新活动时代可达晚更新世-全新世早期;探槽揭露的断层表现出多种活动形式,显示了明光段断层活动的多期次性和区域构造应力场的复杂性。     

郯庐断裂带江苏段东地堑边界断层第四纪活动性

郯庐断裂带东地堑边界断层在断裂带演化过程和现今构造格局中都是重要断层,对该边界断层的第四纪活动性研究有助于了解郯庐断裂带的演化历史和地震活动性,而有关该边界断层第四纪活动性研究较少且至今尚无定论。本文通过浅层地震勘探和钻孔联合剖面相结合的方法,针对郯庐断裂带江苏段东地堑两边界断层开展系统的断层第四纪活动性研究,结果显示,昌邑-大店断裂(F_1)第四纪以来未见构造运动证据,白芬子-浮来山断裂(F_2)在第四纪早期曾发生有关活动,晚更新世以来未见活动迹象。     

Protolith ages and deformation mechanism of metamorphic rocks in the Zhangbaling uplift segment of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone

Protolith ages and Indosinian deformation mechanism of metamorphic rocks in the Zhangbaling uplift segment of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone are important, unsolved problems. Our LA-ICP-MS zircon dating work indicates that protolith ages of the greenschist-facies Zhangbaling Group are 754–753 Ma, and those of the amphibolite-facies Feidong Complex are 800–745 Ma. These rocks belong to the earliest cover of the Yangtze Plate. Their ages and metamorphic features suggest that the rocks did not come from the Dabie Orogen. The Indosinian structures in the Zhangbaling Group and lower Sinian strata formed in a flatlying ductile detachment zone with a shear sense of top-to-the-SSW whereas those in the underlying Feidong Complex are characterized by ENE-WSW inclined folds developed under a ductile regime. It is suggested therefore that the sinistral Tan-Lu Fault Zone of the Indosinian period is buried under the Hefei Basin west of the Zhangbaling uplift segment and the uplift segment is a displaced block neighboring the fault zone. Detachment deformation between the upper rigid and lower ductile crust during displacement of the Zhangbaling uplift segment resulted in the formation of the flat-lying ductile detachment zone and its underlying drag fold zone of a ductile regime. The protolith ages and deformation mechanism in the Zhangbaling uplift segment further prove sinistral origination of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone during the continent-continent collision of the North China and Yangtze plates and support the indentation model for the two-plate collision that considers the Tan-Lu Fault Zone as an oblique convergence boundary.     

Late Holocene slip rate and average recurrence interval of great earthquakes on the Shangzhi segment of the Yilan‐Yitong Fault Zone,northeastern China: Constraints from paleo‐earthquakes and historical written records

The Yilan‐Yitong Fault Zone (YYFZ) is considered to be the key branch of the Tancheng‐Lujiang Fault Zone (TLFZ) in northeastern China. Although the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic deformation of the YYFZ has been studied intensively over the past century, few estimates of slip rate and recurrence interval of large earthquakes in the late Quaternary, which are the two most important parameters for understanding the potential seismic hazard of this crucial structure, were obtained. Based on integrated interpretations of high resolution satellite images and detailed geologic and geomorphic mapping, linear landforms were identified, including fault scarps and troughs, along the Shangzhi segment of the YYFZ, which exceeds 25 km in length. Synthesized results of trench excavations and differential GPS measurements of terrace surfaces indicate that two events (E1, E2) occurred along the Shangzhi segment during the late Holocene, which resulted in 3.2 ±0.1 m of total vertical co‐seismic displacement with clear features of thrust motion. ¹⁴C dating of samples suggests that event E1 occurred between 440 ±30 years BP and 180 ±30 years BP and that event E2 occurred between 4 090 ±30 years BP and 3 880 ±30 years BP, which indicates that the minimum vertical slip rate of the Shangzhi segment of the YYFZ has been approximately 0.8 ±0.03 mm/year during the late Holocene. Constraints from paleo events and the slip rate suggest that the average recurrence interval of major earthquakes on the YYFZ is 3 800 ±200 years. Historical documents in Korea show that event E1 possibly corresponds to the earthquake that occurred in AD 1810 (the Qing Dynasty in Chinese history) in the Ningguta area, which had surface‐wave magnitude (Ms) of 6.8–7.5. Studies of kinematics show that the right‐lateral strike‐slip with a reverse component has been dominant along the YYFZ during the late Holocene.     

谷露盆地西缘断裂晚第四纪活动初步研究

该文通过遥感解译及实际地质调查,将谷露盆地西缘断裂自南向北分为6段: 年波—顶莫多段、 顶莫多—巴仁多段、 巴仁多—得木来段、 得木来东侧—过龙孔玛段、 过龙孔玛—烟它段、 烟它—凶欧错北段。从地质和地貌现象上证明,谷露盆地西缘断裂既有正断的垂直运动,也有右旋的水平运动。由位错量显示,无论是垂直运动还是水平运动,都是多次活动的结果。     

Holocene slip rate and paleoearthquake records of the Salt Lake segment of the Northern Zhongtiaoshan Fault,Shanxi Province

The Northern Zhongtiaoshan Fault is a major deep fault at the southern margin of the Yuncheng Basin. There have been few studies on the fault, and the historical earthquakes are few and weak. However, the intensity of activity on the fault should never be underestimated. Through interpretations of aerial images, topography measurements and excavation of trenches, this paper studied the fault distribution, the surface deformation and the activity of the normal fault south of Salt Lake near the city of Yuncheng. By tracing faults in the three trenches, it was found that there had been at least three large paleoseismic events, at 1–3.5, 3.6–4.4 and 7.4–8.8 ka BP. Employing 14 C dating, we determined the same gravel layers in the uplifted side and downthrown side. Making differential Global Positioning System measurements of the vertical difference and topographic profile, we obtained the mean slip rate of the Northern Zhongtiaoshan Fault since 24.7 ka BP(0.75±0.05 mm/a). Using the results of relevant studies, we calculated the possible vertical fault displacement of one earthquake(2.35 m) and obtained the recurrence interval of characteristic earthquakes as 2940–3360 a after dividing the displacement by the mean slip rate.     

Paleostress orientation from 3-D orientation distribution of microcracks in quartz from the Cretaceous granodiorite core samples drilled through the Nojima Fault, south-west Japan

Abstract The orientations of both healed extension microcracks and microcracks in quartz grains sealed mostly by carbonate minerals were measured from Cretaceous granodiorite core samples drilled along the Nojima Fault, southwest Japan. The preferred orientations of both healed and sealed microcracks consist of approximately three orthogonal sets, (components) A, B and C, in which A strikes NS–NW-SE and dips vertically, B strikes EW–NE-SW and dips vertically, and C is subhorizontal. Both the healed and sealed microcracks were possibly formed by hydraulic fracturing, and the successive release of tensile stress due to pore fluid overpressure in the principal stress directions could have caused this microcracking in mutually orthogonal directions. The quartz grains are also very moderately plastically deformed, which is indicated by the occurrence of kink bands and undulose extinction. The association of healed microcracks and kink bands in the quartz suggests that these microstructures formed under subgreenschist facies conditions (≈300°C) during hydrothermal activity that could have occurred immediately after the emplacement of granodiorite during the Late Cretaceous period. Based on both the preferred orientation of microcracks, and c-axis fabrics of kinked and unkinked grains (so called kink method), it is inferred that the σ₁-and σ₃-axis were oriented horizontally in NS–NW-SE and EW–NE-SW directions, respectively. The inferred paleostress field does not conform to the east–west-trending compression during the Quaternary period, but to the activation of EW–NE-SW-trending, left–lateral strike–slip faults during the Late Cretaceous period in southwest Japan.     

Evidence of multistage late Quaternary strong earthquakes on typical segments of Longmenshan Active Fault Zone in Sichuan,China

Investigation of offset landforms and trench excavation are important means to acquire the evidence of multistage activities of active faults. Here we present the result of fault trough investigation in Beichuan County and the Pingtong Town of Pingwu County along the Longmenshan Central Fault Belt, as well as the result from trench excavation at the platform foreslope in Hanwang Town of Mianzhu County on the Longmenshan Front Range Fault Belt. These results show that at least three fault activity events, in...     

郯庐断裂带合肥—宿迁段及邻区大地电磁三维成像

本文利用覆盖郯庐断裂带合肥—宿迁段及邻区的大地电磁阵列数据, 应用大地电磁三维反演技术和印模重构方法, 获得了测区可靠的三维电阻率模型.该电性模型中, 郯庐断裂带东西两侧在浅部均有高阻分布, 在深部电性结构显著不同, 具有西低东高的特征, 而郯庐断裂带则是两侧高低阻明显分界带; 在南北方向, 电性结构也存在较大不均匀性, 嘉山地区呈现低阻特征, 是断裂带上的电性分界点, 郯庐断裂带在此处由北部的四条主断裂变成南部的两条.结合研究区地质、大地测量和地震学等资料, 综合分析结果表明: 郯庐断裂带作为苏鲁造山带和张八岭隆起高阻体陡立的西边界, 切割深度超过莫霍面.嘉山地区相对低阻分割了张八岭高阻条带与苏鲁高阻体, 阻碍了断层上应力的传递, 造成了嘉山北、南两侧断裂带构造变形强、弱的变化, 从电性结构上证实了郯庐断裂带具有分段性的特征; 苏鲁高阻体南端向西偏转穿过郯庐断裂带, 阻碍断层滑动, 致使泗洪—嘉山段存在应力积累和断层闭锁的地震孕育环境, 其地震危险性值得关注.

     

Earthquake Triggering along the Xianshuihe Fault Zone of Western Sichuan,China

Western Sichuan is among the most seismically active regions in southwestern China and is characterized by frequent strong (M 6.5) earthquakes, mainly along the Xianshuihe fault zone. Historical and instrumental seismicity show a temporal pattern of active periods separated by inactive ones, while in space a remarkable epicenter migration has been observed. During the last active period starting in 1893, the sinistral strike–slip Xianshuihe fault of 350 km total length, was entirely broken with the epicenters of successive strong earthquakes migrating along its strike. This pattern is investigated by resolving changes of Coulomb failure function (CFF) since 1893 and hence the evolution of the stress field in the area during the last 110 years. Coulomb stress changes were calculated assuming that earthquakes can be modeled as static dislocations in an elastic halfspace, and taking into account both the coseismic slip in strong (M 6.5) earthquakes and the slow tectonic stress buildup associated with major fault segments. The stress change calculations were performed for faults of strike, dip, and rake appropriate to the strong events. We evaluate whether these stress changes brought a given strong earthquake closer to, or sent it farther from, failure. It was found that all strong earthquakes, and moreover, the majority of smaller events for which reliable fault plane solutions are available, have occurred on stress–enhanced fault segments providing a convincing case in which Coulomb stress modeling gives insight into the temporal and spatial manifestation of seismic activity. We extend the stress calculations to the year 2025 and provide an assessment for future seismic hazard by identifying the fault segments that are possible sites of future strong earthquakes.     

声波探测技术在山东近海活断层探测中的应用

利用声波探测技术在山东近海开展活断层探测表明,声波探测对海底最新沉积单元分层、地层变形和断裂活动均具有很高的分辨率,是适用于该海域活断层探测的理想探测技术。     

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Early Cretaceous high-K calc-alkaline volcanic rocks in the Laiyang Basin of the Sulu Belt, eastern China

Abstract Early Cretaceous high‐K calc‐alkaline volcanism occurring in the Laiyang Basin north of the Sulu high‐pressure to ultrahigh‐pressure (HP‐UHP) Metamorphic Belt, eastern China, comprises a wide spectrum of rock types, ranging from trachybasalts to trachydacites. The basaltic–andesitic rocks erupted at 107–105 Ma, spanning an SiO₂ range of 50.1–59.6% and an MgO range of 2.6–7.2%, and are characterized by large ion lithophile element (LILE; e.g. Ba and K) and light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment, high field strength element (HFSE) depletion and highly radiogenic Sr but non‐radiogenic Nd isotopic compositions (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr(i) = 0.70750–0.70931; ?_Nd(t) = ?17.9 ? ?15.6). The geochemical similarities between these rocks and the earlier Sulu Belt lamprophyres suggest that both types of mafic rocks were derived from similar mantle sources with LILE and LREE enrichment. Thus, the Wulian–Qingdao–Yantai Fault that separates the two terranes at the surface should not be considered as a lithospheric boundary between the North China and Yangtze blocks. The felsic lavas erupted at 93–91 Ma, spanning an SiO₂ range of 61.6–67.0% and an MgO range of 1.1–2.6%, and show a trace element geochemistry similar to the basaltic rocks, but with higher radiogenic Sr and even lower Nd isotopic compositions (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr(i) = 0.70957–0.71109; ?_Nd(t) = ?19.1 ? ?17.5), similar to I‐type granitoids in the Sulu Belt. A crustal origin was proposed to explain their compositions (which are comparable to those of experimental slab melts), the >10 Ma eruption interval and the compositional gaps in some elements (e.g. P, Ti and Sr) between them and the older basaltic–andesitic rocks. These melts were derived from predominant metaigneous protoliths containing mafic accumulative counterparts of the basaltic–andesitic and/or lamprophyric magmas. The extensive extrusion of Early Cretaceous high‐K calc‐alkaline rocks in the Laiyang Basin favored an extensional regime in response to the progressive attenuation of the thickened lithosphere and orogenic collapse, as reflected in the development of the basin from a foreland basin (before the end of the Jurassic period) to a fault basin (since the Early Cretaceous period).     

Sedimentary records of the late Early Cretaceous compressional setting in the South China block: A case study of the Xingning Basin,Guangdong Province

Recently, some scholars have proposed that the South China Block (SCB) was controlled by a compressive tectonic regime in the middle–late Early Cretaceous, challenging the belief that the SCB was under an extensional setting during the Cretaceous. The Early Cretaceous tectonic setting constraint in the SCB can offer vital insight to clarify the Mesozoic subduction history of the Paleo-Pacific. Therefore, to determine the SCB tectonic regime during the Early Cretaceous, this study investigated sedimentary rocks from the Lower Cretaceous Heshui Formation in the Xingning Basin, a foreland basin located in the southeastern SCB. Provenance analysis was performed using sandstone modal analysis, sandstone geochemical characteristics, and detrital zircon geochronology. Based on the results, we discussed basin sediment sources and the SCB tectonic regime during the Early Cretaceous. The results showed that the maximum Heshui Formation depositional age was 103 Ma ± 1.6 Ma in the Early Cretaceous Albian. Detrital framework modes and geochemical characteristics of sandstone indicated that Heshui Formation's source rocks were granites and sedimentary rocks. The detrital zircon U–Pb ages could be classified into two major and four subordinate age populations. The Wuyi Terrane to the north and southeast coastal regions to the east were the primary potential Heshui Formation source areas. However, the lower and upper sandstones are different in the peak ages, ~437 and ~146 to 104 Ma, respectively, indicating that the major source area shifted from the Wuyi Terrane to the southeastern coastal regions during the late Early Cretaceous. The sandstone modal analysis results indicated that the source area comprised mainly collisional–orogenic material. The SCB was under a compressive tectonic regime during the late Early Cretaceous and this compression action continued until at least 103 Ma ± 1.6 Ma.     

SHRIMP U–Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Early Cretaceous Nakdong Formation,South East Korea: Timing of initiation of the Gyeongsang Basin and its provenance

To constrain the depositional age of the lowermost Nakdong Formation in the Early Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin, SHRIMP U–Pb age determination was carried out on zircon separates. The U–Pb compositions of detrital zircons from the Nakdong Formation yield a wide range of ages from the Archean to the Cretaceous but show a marked contrast in age distribution according to the geographical locations within the basin. The provenance of the southern Nakdong Formation is dominantly the surrounding Yeongnam Massif, which is composed of Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks and Triassic to Jurassic plutonic rocks, whereas the central to northern Nakdong Formation records significant sediment derivation from the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, which is distributed to the northwest, in addition to the contribution from the Yeongnam Massif. It is suggested that the maximum depositional age of the Nakdong Formation is ca 127 Ma, based on its youngest detrital zircon age population. The onset of its deposition at 127 Ma coincided with the tectonic inversion in East Asia from a compressional to an extensional geodynamic setting, probably due to the contemporaneous change in the drift direction of the Izanagi Plate and its subsequent oblique subduction.