Historical 1942 Ecuador and 1942 Peru subduction earthquakes and earthquake cycles along Colombia-Ecuador and Peru subduction segments

Two large shallow earthquakes occurred in 1942 along the South American subduction zone inclose proximity to subducting oceanic ridges: The 14 May event occurred near the subducting Carnegie ridge off the coast of Ecuador, and the 24 August event occurred off the coast of southwestern Peru near the southern flank of the subducting Nazca ridge. Source parameters for these for these two historic events have been determined using long-periodP waveforms,P-wave first motions, intensities and local tsunami data.We have analyzed theP waves for these two earthquakes to constrain the focal mechanism, depth, source complexity and seismic moment. Modeling of theP waveform for both events yields a range of acceptable focal mechanisms and depths, all of which are consistent with underthrusting of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate. The source time function for the 1942 Ecuador event has one simple pulse of moment release with a duration of 22 suconds, suggesting that most of the moment release occurred near the epicenter. The seismic moment determined from theP waves is 6–8×10²⁰N·m, corresponding ot a moment magnitude of 7.8–7.9. The reported location of the maximum intensities (IX) for this event is south of the main shock epicenter. The relocated aftershcks are in an area that is approximately 200 km by 90 km (elongated parallel to the trench) with the majority of aftershocks north of the epicenter. In contrast, the 1942 Peru event has a much longer duration and higher degree of complexity than the Ecuador earthquake, suggesting a heterogeneous rupture. Seismic moment is released in three distinct pulses over approximately 74 seconds; the largest moment release occurs 32 seconds after rupture initiation. the seismic moment as determined from theP waves for the 1942 Peru event is 10–25×10²⁰N·m, corresponding to a moment magnitude of 7.9–8.2. Aftershock locations reported by the ISS occur over a broad area surrounding the main shock. The reported locations of the maximum intensities (IX) are concentrated south of the epicenter, suggesting that at least part of the rupture was to the south.We have also examined great historic earthquakes along the Colombia-Ecuador and Peru segments of the South American subduction zone. We find that the size and rupture length of the underthrusting earthquakes vary between successive earthquake cycles. This suggests that the segmentation of the plate boundary as defined by earthquakes this century is not constant.     

Segmentation of the Nazca and South American plates along the Ecuador subduction zone from wide angle seismic profiles

We describe the deep structure of the south Colombian–northern Ecuador convergent margin using travel time inversion of wide-angle seismic data recently collected offshore. The margin appears segmented into three contrasting zones. In the North Zone, affected by four great subduction earthquakes during the 20th century, normal oceanic crust subducts beneath the oceanic Cretaceous substratum of the margin underlined by seismic velocities as high as 6.0–6.5 km/s. In the Central Zone the subducting oceanic crust is over-thickened beneath the Carnegie Ridge. A steeper slope and a well-developed, high velocity, Cretaceous oceanic basement characterizes the margin wedge. This area coincides with a gap in significant subduction earthquake activity. In the South Zone, the subducting oceanic crust is normal. The fore-arc is characterized by large sedimentary basins suggesting significant subsidence. Velocities in the margin wedge are significantly lower and denote a different nature or a higher degree of fracturing.

Even if the distance between the three profiles exceeds 150 km, the structural segmentation obtained along the Ecuadorian margin correlates well with the distribution of seismic activity and the neotectonic zonation.     

Paleoearthquake rupture behavior and recurrence of great earthquakes along the Haiyuan fault,northwestern China

Paleoseismological studies have shown that indi-vidual past large-magnitude earthquakes can be recog-nized in the geological record and the timing betweenevents can be measured through Quaternary datingtechniques[1—6]. Thus, through paleoseismological st-udies, it is possible to determine age of each prehis-toric event so that recurrence intervals of large earth-quakes may be evaluated which provides a means toexpand the limited view of earthquakes offered by thehistorical and instrumental re…     

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.     

Bending deformations of plates in the model of strong subduction earthquakes

The model of elastic rebound of thin plates is considered to account for GPS-inferred surface deformation of plates during subduction earthquakes on the example of the M9 earthquake that occurred in Japan in 2011. Due to the fact that the oceanic plate moves together with a great mass of the convective mantle, it dips into the mantle at constant velocity all the time, both during the earthquakes and in the periods between them, although its coupling with the continental plate changes. The edge of the continental plate behaves as an elastic plate that permanently bends under the action of the friction force on contact with the diving oceanic plate. The bent plate unbends after the earthquake. This leads to its thrusting over the subducting oceanic plate. As a result, the island plate moves towards the ocean, its island part sinks, and the oceanic plate uplifts leading to a tsunami. The coordinates and magnitudes of the rise and subsidence correspond to the universal relations in the elastic plate model. The breaking of coupling of the continental plate with the submarine mountains and a basaltic plateau of the dipping plate is considered as a possible explanation of the anomalous properties of the strongest earthquakes. The main earthquake can be produced by partial destruction of a plateau or a large mountain. After this, the locked plates become free along a great area in an avalanche-like manner, and the friction of rest gives place to sliding friction.     

Paleotectonic structures and their influence on recent seismo-tectonics in the south Kuril subduction zone

Abstract Bathymetric data from south of Hokkaido obtained during a cruise of R/V Hakuho-Maru are summarized, and their correlation with earthquake occurrence is discussed. There are structural lineations on the seaward slope of the Kuril Trench, oblique to the Kuril Trench axis and parallel to the magnetic lineations in the Pacific plate. The structural lineations comprise horst-grabens generated by normal faulting. This suggests that Cretaceous tectonic structures originating at the spreading centre affect present seismotectonics around the trench axis. The structural-magnetic relation is compared to the case of the Japan Trench. North-east of the surveyed area, there are two major fracture zones (Nosappu Fracture Zone and Iturup Fracture Zone) that divide the oceanic plate into three segments. If the fracture zones (FZ) and the zone of paleo-mechanical weakness, represented by magnetic lineations, can control the direction of normal faults at a trench, the extent of the resulting topographic roughness on the seaward slope of the trench would be different across an FZ because of the differences in ages. By studying recent large earthquakes occurring in the south Kuril region, it is shown that several main-aftershock distributions for large earthquakes in this region are bounded by the Nosappu FZ and the Iturup FZ. Two models (Barrier model and Rebound model) are presented to interpret earthquake occurrence near the south Kuril Islands. The Barrier model explains seismic boundaries seen in several examples for earthquake occurrence in the south Kuril regions. The fracture zone forming the boundary of two segments with different magnetic lineations is also the boundary of two different normal fault systems on their ocean bottom, and the difference in sea-bottom roughness between two normal fault systems should affect the seismic coupling at a plate interface. Due to the difference of seismic coupling, earthquake occurrence is controlled by an FZ and then the FZ acts as a seismic boundary (Barrier model). Existing normal faults created by plate bending of subducting oceanic plate should rebound after its subduction (Rebound model). This rebound of normal faults may cause intraplate earthquakes with a high-angle reverse-fault mechanism such as the 1994 Shikotan Earthquake. The energy released by an intraplate earthquake generated by normal-fault rebounding is not directly related to that of interplate earthquakes such as low-angle thrust earthquakes. It is a reason why large earthquakes occurred in the same region during a relatively short period.     

A large normal-fault earthquake at the junction of the Tonga trench and the Louisville ridge

The source mechanism of a large (M_s ? 7.2) earthquake that occurred in the oceanic plate at the junction of the Tonga—Kermadec trench systems with the aseismic Louisville ridge is found by inverting long-period vertical-component Rayleigh waves recorded by the IDA network. The solution is an almost-pure normal fault, on a plane striking roughly parallel to the trench axis, with seismic moment of 1.7 × 10²⁷ dyn cm, and thus is among the ten largest documented shallow normal-fault earthquakes. A point-source depth of 20 km for the event is resolved by modeling teleseismic body waves; the actual rupture may have extended deeper, to 30 or 40 km. The earthquake was a multiple event, consisting of two sources separated by 16 s. A rupture velocity of 3.5 km s^?1 is inferred. The earthquake can be interpreted as tensional failure in the shallow portion of the downgoing plate caused by the gravitational pull of the slab. The Louisville ridge may be creating a local degree of decoupling of the oceanic plate from the overriding plate, and/or a zone of extension within the slab, which could enhance the effect of the gravitational forces in the shallower part of the downgoing plate. In particular, the earthquake could be associated with the break-up of the leading seamount of the ridge, which is currently right at the trench. Alternatively, the earthquake may have been caused by stresses associated with the bending of the plate prior to subduction.     

Rupture process of large earthquakes in the northern Mexico subduction zone

The Cocos plate subducts beneath North America at the Mexico trench. The northernmost segment of this trench, between the Orozco and Rivera fracture zones, has ruptured in a sequence of five large earthquakes from 1973 to 1985; the Jan. 30, 1973 Colima event (M _s 7.5) at the northern end of the segment near Rivera fracture zone; the Mar. 14, 1979 Petatlan event (M _s 7.6) at the southern end of the segment on the Orozco fracture zone; the Oct. 25, 1981 Playa Azul event (M _s 7.3) in the middle of the Michoacan gap; the Sept. 19, 1985 Michoacan mainshock (M _s 8.1); and the Sept. 21, 1985 Michoacan aftershock (M _s 7.6) that reruptured part of the Petatlan zone. Body wave inversion for the rupture process of these earthquakes finds the best: earthquake depth; focal mechanism; overall source time function; and seismic moment, for each earthquake. In addition, we have determined spatial concentrations of seismic moment release for the Colima earthquake, and the Michoacan mainshock and aftershock. These spatial concentrations of slip are interpreted as asperities; and the resultant asperity distribution for Mexico is compared to other subduction zones. The body wave inversion technique also determines theMoment Tensor Rate Functions; but there is no evidence for statistically significant changes in the moment tensor during rupture for any of the five earthquakes. An appendix describes theMoment Tensor Rate Functions methodology in detail.The systematic bias between global and regional determinations of epicentral locations in Mexico must be resolved to enable plotting of asperities with aftershocks and geographic features. We have spatially shifted all of our results to regional determinations of epicenters. The best point source depths for the five earthquakes are all above 30 km, consistent with the idea that the down-dip edge of the seismogenic plate interface in Mexico is shallow compared to other subduction zones. Consideration of uncertainties in the focal mechanisms allows us to state that all five earthquakes occurred on fault planes with the same strike (N65°W to N70°W) and dip (15±3°), except for the smaller Playa Azul event at the down-dip edge which has a steeper dip angle of 20 to 25°. However, the Petatlan earthquake does prefer a fault plane that is rotated to a more east-west orientation—one explanation may be that this earthquake is located near the crest of the subducting Orozco fracture zone. The slip vectors of all five earthquakes are similar and generally consistent with the NUVEL-predicted Cocos-North America convergence direction of N33°E for this segment. The most important deviation is the more northerly slip direction for the Petatlan earthquake. Also, the slip vectors from the Harvard CMT solutions for large and small events in this segment prefer an overall convergence direction of about N20°E to N25°E.All five earthquakes share a common feature in the rupture process: each earthquake has a small initial precursory arrival followed by a large pulse of moment release with a distinct onset. The delay time varies from 4 s for the Playa Azul event to 8 s for the Colima event. While there is some evidence of spatial concentration of moment release for each event, our overall asperity distribution for the northern Mexico segment consists of one clear asperity, in the epicentral region of the 1973 Colima earthquake, and then a scattering of diffuse and overlapping regions of high moment release for the remainder of the segment. This character is directly displayed in the overlapping of rupture zones between the 1979 Petatlan event and the 1985 Michoacan aftershock. This character of the asperity distribution is in contrast to the widely spaced distinct asperities in the northern Japan-Kuriles Islands subduction zone, but is somewhat similar to the asperity distributions found in the central Peru and Santa Cruz Islands subduction zones. Subduction of the Orozco fracture zone may strongly affect the seismogenic character as the overlapping rupture zones are located on the crest of the subducted fracture zone. There is also a distinct change in the physiography of the upper plate that coincides with the subducting fracture zone, and the Guerrero seismic gap to the south of the Petatlan earthquake is in the wake of the Orozco fracture zone. At the northern end, the Rivera fracture zone in the subducting plate and the Colima graben in the upper plate coincide with the northernmost extent of the Colima rupture zone.     

Influence of fluids and magma on earthquakes: seismological evidence

In this paper, we present seismological evidence for the influence of fluids and magma on the generation of large earthquakes in the crust and the subducting oceanic slabs under the Japan Islands. The relationship between seismic tomography and large crustal earthquakes (M=5.7-8.0) in Japan during a period of 116 years from 1885 to 2000 is investigated and it is found that most of the large crustal earthquakes occurred in or around the areas of low seismic velocity. The low-velocity zones represent weak sections of the seismogenic crust. The crustal weakening is closely related to the subduction process in this region. Along the volcanic front and in back-arc areas, the crustal weakening is caused by active volcanoes and arc magma resulting from the convective circulation process in the mantle wedge and dehydration reactions in the subducting slab. In the forearc region of southwest Japan, fluids are suggested in the 1995 Kobe earthquake source zone, which have contributed to the rupture nucleation. The fluids originate from the dehydration of the subducting Philippine Sea slab. The recent 2001 Geiyo earthquake (M=6.8) occurred at 50 km depth within the subducting Philippine Sea slab, and it was also related to the slab dehydration process. A detailed 3D velocity structure is determined for the northeast Japan forearc region using data from 598 earthquakes that occurred under the Pacific Ocean with hypocenters well located with SP depth phases. The results show that strong lateral heterogeneities exist along the slab boundary, which represent asperities and results of slab dehydration and affect the degree and extent of the interplate seismic coupling. These results indicate that large earthquakes do not strike anywhere, but only anomalous areas which can be detected with geophysical methods. The generation of a large earthquake is not a pure mechanical process, but is closely related to physical and chemical properties of materials in the crust and upper mantle, such as magma, fluids, etc.     

Stress transfer and nonlinear stress accumulation at subduction-type plate boundaries — Application to the Aleutians

A study of stress accumulation in seismic gaps and of stress transfer along linear plate boundaries is presented. Time-dependent reloading of plate boundaries following seismic ruptures is modeled by a modified Elsasser model of a coupled lithosphere/asthenosphere plate system. This model is applied to study a series of large earthquakes in the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska peninsula in 1938–1965. It is found that the Rat Island earthquake and the 1948 earthquake in the central Aleutians are likely to have been triggered by adjacent ruptures, in the sense that their occurrence would have come at a later time had their neighboring segments not been ruptured. Stresses in the Unalaska Gap and the Shumagin gap are at a relatively high level and these segments of the plate boundary may be expected to rupture in the near future. In general, in the ten years (about 16% of the earthquake cycle for the Aleutians) following an earthquake, the stress recovery in the rupture zone is highly nonlinear, resulting in a much more rapid stress accumulation than the linear case. Even at a later stage of an earthquake cycle, adjacent ruptures can cause an acceleration of loading rate in addition to the coseismic stress jump. A good example is the influence of the 1964 Alaska earthquake on the 1938 rupture zone. A general conclusion of this work is that long term earthquake prediction models must take into account the nonlinear stress accumulation behavior in seismic gaps. Also, we have shown the interaction of adjacent plate boundary segments, which suggests that some large earthquakes may have been triggered by nearby ruptures.     

The Juan Fernandez microplate north of the Pacific-Nazca-Antarctic plate junction at 35°S

Results of the R/V “Thomas Washington” Pascua 3 expedition provide evidence for the existence of the Juan Fernandez microplate just north of the junction between the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and the Chile fracture zone. Prior to Pascua 3, the microplate in the region had been hypothesized from the pattern of seismicity. The eastern and western boundaries of the Juan Fernandez microplate are well defined and represent north-south trending spreading centers characterized by very slow and very fast rates of accretion respectively. In agreement with the rates, the eastern boundary is represented by a rift valley and the western boundary by an EPR-type axial ridge. The northern boundary of the Juan Fernandez microplate is a 100°-trending wide fracture zone complex which may have resulted from northward transform fault migration. The fracture zone fails to meet the zone of accretion at the Pacific-Nazca-Juan Fernandez triple junction. In this area the zone of accretion displays a double ridge with a large overlap. The southern boundary of the Juan Fernandez microplate is still poorly constrained. The plate geometry derived from SEABEAM differs from that derived by Anderson-Fontana et al. (1986) [14] from a plate motion inversion scheme using primarily earthquake first-motion solutions together with limited bathymetric and magnetic data.     

Why did Arabia separate from Africa? Insights from 3-D laboratory experiments

We have performed 3-D scaled lithospheric experiments to investigate the role of the gravitational force exerted by a subducting slab on the deformation of the subducting plate itself. Experiments have been constructed using a dense silicone putty plate, to simulate a thin viscous lithosphere, floating in the middle of a large box filled with glucose syrup, simulating the upper mantle. We examine three different plate configurations: (i) subduction of a uniform oceanic plate, (ii) subduction of an oceanic-continental plate system and, (iii) subduction of a more complex oceanic-continental system simulating the asymmetric Africa-Eurasia system. Each model has been performed with and without the presence of a circular weak zone inside the subducting plate to test the near-surface weakening effect of a plume activity. Our results show that a subducting plate can deform in its interior only if the force distribution varies laterally along the subduction zone, i.e. by the asymmetrical entrance of continental material along the trench. In particular, extensional deformation of the plate occurs when a portion of the subduction zone is locked by the collisional process. The results of this study can be used to analyze the formation of the Arabian plate. We found that intraplate stresses, similar to those that generated the Africa-Arabia break-up, can be related to the Neogene evolution of the northern convergent margin of the African plate, where a lateral change from collision (Mediterranean and Bitlis) to active subduction (Makran) has been described. Second, intraplate stress and strain localization are favored by the presence of a weakness zone, such as the one generated by the Afar plume, producing a pattern of extensional deformation belts resembling the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden rift system.     

Morphology of the Wadati-Benioff zone,andesitic volcanism,and active fracture zones in Central America

Summary The morphology of the Wadati-Benioff zone in the region of Central America, based on the distribution of 1377 earthquake foci, verified the existence of an intermediate aseismic gap and its relation to active andesitic volcanism, and the non-uniformity of subduction due to the hampering effect of the main structural features of the subducting Cocos plate. Four deep seismically active fracture zones, genetically connected with the process of subduction, and three fracture zones manifesting the possible boundary between the Americas and Caribbean plates were identified in the continental wedge.     

智利三联点南部扩张洋脊俯冲区域岩石层热结构的数值模拟

智利三联点(CTJ)位于纳兹卡板块、南极洲板块与南美板块的交界处,由南极洲—纳兹卡板块之间的智利洋脊俯冲到智利海沟而形成.巴塔哥尼亚板片窗的发展是智利洋脊长期扩张俯冲的结果之一.随着纳兹卡板块的不断东向俯冲,纳兹卡板块范围逐渐变小,CTJ同时向北移动.本文采用数值模拟方法,建立了关于洋脊海沟碰撞的简单二维模型,来研究智利三联点南部扩张洋脊俯冲区域岩石层的热结构.模拟结果表明,洋脊的位置、板块相对汇聚速度及上覆大陆板块的存在均对俯冲区域海洋板块的温度结构有着很大影响,并且大陆板块下方海洋板块温度变化最大的位置距洋脊的水平距离与洋脊到板片窗范围的水平距离两者之间具有较好的一致性.同时,当存在两两板块间的相对汇聚时,洋脊右侧大陆板块下表面的温度升高,俯冲带内海洋板块温度接近于地幔温度.纳兹卡板块以7.8 cm·a~(-1)的速度急速俯冲于南美板块之下的过程中,同时伴随着智利洋脊的持续扩张俯冲,在智利三联点南部,南美板块之下纳兹卡板块的温度因而可以更快地达到地幔软流层的约1300℃温度,并最终消亡于地幔之中.     

3-D velocity structure beneath the crust and upper mantle of Aegean Sea region

The region of the Aegean Sea and the surrounding areas in the Eastern Mediterranean lies on the boundary zone between the Eurasian and the African plates. It is a zone of widespread extensive deformation and, therefore, reveals a high level of seismicity.Three-dimensional velocity structure, beneath the crust and upper mantle of the region between 33.0°N–43.0°N and 18.0°E–30.6°E, is determined.The data used are arrival times ofP-waves from 166 earthquakes, recorded at 62 seismological stations. In total, 3973 residual data are inverted.The resultant structure reveals a remarkable contrast of velocity. In the top crustal layer, low velocities are dominant in Western Turkey and on the Greek mainland, while a high velocity zone is dominant in the Ionian Sea and in the southern Aegean Sea.In the upper mantle, high velocity zones dominate along the Hellenic arc, corresponding to the subducting African plate and in the northern part of the region, corresponding to the subducting African plate and in the northern part of the region, corresponding to the margin of Eurasian plate.A low velocity zone is dominant in the Aegean Sea region, where large-scale extension and volcanic activity are predominant, associated with the subduction of the African plate.     

Seismic Subduction of the Nazca Ridge as Shown by the 1996–97 Peru Earthquakes

—By rupturing more than half of the shallow subduction interface of the Nazca Ridge, the great November 12, 1996 Peruvian earthquake contradicts the hypothesis that oceanic ridges subduct aseismically. The mainshock’s rupture has a length of about 200 km and has an average slip of about 1.4 m. Its moment is 1.5 × 10²⁸ dyne-cm and the corresponding M _w is 8.0. The mainshock registered three major episodes of moment release as shown by a finite fault inversion of teleseismically recorded broadband body waves. About 55% of the mainshock’s total moment release occurred south of the Nazca Ridge, and the remaining moment release occurred at the southern half of the subduction interface of the Nazca Ridge. The rupture south of the Nazca Ridge was elongated parallel to the ridge axis and extended from a shallow depth to about 65 km depth. Because the axis of the Nazca Ridge is at a high angle to the plate convergence direction, the subducting Nazca Ridge has a large southwards component of motion, 5 cm/yr parallel to the coast. The 900–1200 m relief of the southwards sweeping Nazca Ridge is interpreted to act as a "rigid indenter," causing the greatest coupling south of the ridge’s leading edge and leading to the large observed slip. The mainshock and aftershock hypocenters were relocated using a new procedure that simultaneously inverts local and teleseismic data. Most aftershocks were within the outline of the Nazca Ridge. A three-month delayed aftershock cluster occurred at the northern part of the subducting Nazca Ridge. Aftershocks were notably lacking at the zone of greatest moment release, to the south of the Nazca Ridge. However, a lone foreshock at the southern end of this zone, some 140 km downstrike of the mainshock’s epicenter, implies that conditions existed for rupture into that zone. The 1996 earthquake ruptured much of the inferred source zone of the M _w 7.9–8.2 earthquake of 1942, although the latter was a slightly larger earthquake. The rupture zone of the 1996 earthquake is immediately north of the seismic gap left by the great earthquakes (M _w ～8.8–9.1) of 1868 and 1877. The M _w 8.0 Antofagasta earthquake of 1995 occurred at the southern end of this great seismic gap. The M _w 8.2 deep-focus Bolivian earthquake of 1994 occurred directly downdip of the 1868 portion of that gap. The recent occurrence of three significant earthquakes on the periphery of the great seismic gap of the 1868 and 1877 events, among other factors, may signal an increased seismic potential for that zone.     

欧亚东边缘的双向板块汇聚及其对大陆的影响

自3 Ma至现今,在欧亚东缘太平洋、菲律宾海板块以较大速率朝NWW方向运动,并沿海沟向欧亚大陆俯冲;同时欧亚板块以较小速率朝SEE方向移动,构成双方向的板块汇聚格局.沿日本岛弧东侧,海洋板片以较小的倾角插入欧亚大陆下面,在浅部产生的挤压变形扩展到日本海东边缘.琉球岛弧的中、北部,菲律宾海俯冲板片的倾角较大,其西南段由NE向转变为EW向,正经历活动的海沟后退与弧后扩张.台湾是3种板块汇聚的交点:欧亚沿马尼拉海沟向东俯冲,吕宋弧与台湾碰撞,使台湾岛陆壳东西向缩短与隆升,形成年轻的造山带,菲律宾海板块沿琉球海沟的西南段向北俯冲到欧亚下面.位于南海与菲律宾海之间的菲律宾群岛是宽的变形过渡带,两侧被欧亚向东、菲律宾海向西俯冲夹击,中间是大型左旋走滑断层.总体上,现今时期的太平洋、菲律宾海板块的西向俯冲运动所产生的变形主要分布在俯冲板片内部及岛弧,未扩散到弧后地区,可能这种俯冲运动产生的水平应力较小,不能阻挡欧亚大陆的向东移动,对大陆内部的现今构造没有明显的影响.     

汕头－吕宋岛岩石圈速度结构与震源构造──台湾浅滩7．3级地震构造之一

汕头－吕宋岛岩石圈速度结构剖面，划分出华南陆缘古生代陆壳、陆架区晚古生代－中生代陆壳、陆坡带中生代－早第三纪过渡壳、新生代南海海盆洋壳及吕宋岛中生代－新生代岛弧陆壳与东吕宋海槽洋壳等地壳构造组分，并确定了上述地壳构造之间的边界断裂构造及其性质。结合地震震源分布及机制，初步确定了华南陆架盆岭构造带北、南两侧地震构造的控震构造与发震构造性质及其震源力学特征；１）指出１９９４年９月１６日台湾浅滩７．３级地震属于板缘壳幔地震及造成一千公里有感范围的原因；２）马尼拉海沟的海底地堑构造与南海海盆岩石圈地幔上隆是马尼拉海沟俯冲带震源显示正断层性质的原因，且为被动的或转换俯冲带；３）东吕宋海槽仍属于菲律宾海俯冲带性质；吕宋岛东西两侧俯冲带岩石圈板片震源深度的准三层分布，可能表明俯冲带岩石圈板片存在相应的低速滑移层。     

马尼拉俯冲带缺失中深源地震成因初探

马尼拉俯冲带是整个南海地震活动多发区,地震成因与南海的形成和构造演化关系密切.对马尼拉俯冲带地震数据和层析成像结果进行了深入分析.结果表明:马尼拉俯冲带的地震活动主要为密集的浅源地震,缺失中深源地震.进一步分析揭示:①脱水和榴辉岩的形成在南海洋壳到达软流圈前就基本停止.马尼拉俯冲带南部在较浅的深度就转变为塑性变形,并停...     

Some consequences of the subduction of young slabs

The negative buoyancy force exerted by a subducting oceanic slab depends on its descent velocity, and strongly on its age. For lithosphere close to thermal equilibrium, this force dominates by a large margin the resisting forces arising from friction on the plate boundary and compositional buoyancy. This may result in oceanward migration of the trench, with associated back-arc spreading. However, the strong age dependence of this force, and of the ridge push mean that a horizontal compressive stress is required to continue subduction if changing plate geometry should bring young lithosphere to the trench. Estimates can be made of the slab age, as a function of descent velocity, at which the driving forces are no longer sufficient to overcome a given resisting force. The transition corresponding to a resisting force of 8 × 10¹² N/m divides regions displaying back-arc extensional tectonics from those displaying compressional tectonics. This is in good agreement with other estimates of the forces resisting slab motion. It is suggested that an increase in the width of — or the shear stress on — the plate boundary, associated with the subduction of lithosphere to the buoyant side of this transition, can result in a compressional stress on the overriding plate which is great enough to account for cordilleran tectonics.The proposed reduction in the one of driving forces of plate motion is still consistent with observations, being compensated by the greaterrelative importance of the push from the ridges.