川滇地块的震源机制解特征及其地球动力学解释

美国哈佛大学1977——2004年的矩心矩张量结果显示, 我国川西北次级地块、 滇中次级地块的西部及滇中次级地块的东部的应力场特征有明显的差别. 应用滑动矢量拟合法, 反演了这三个区域的应力场特征: 川西北次级地块以近南北向的水平主张应力轴和西倾的主压应力轴为特征; 滇中次级地块的西部以倾向北东东的主张应力轴以及近南北的水平中等主应力轴为特征; 滇中次级地块的东部以南西西——北东东向的水平主张应力轴以及北北西——南南东向的水平主压应力轴为特征. 有限元模拟结果清楚地显示出, 川滇地块在阿萨姆楔附近受到来自印度板块的强烈挤压, 随着远离阿萨姆楔, 这种挤压应力逐渐衰减; 同时, 该地区的主张应力方向明显地形成了围绕阿萨姆楔的环线. 其中, 内部物质性质均匀、 地表和底部边界自由、 侧部边界采用GPS观测约束的弹性有限元模拟显示, 在川西北次级地块, 模拟结果与震源机制解结果相一致; 在滇中次级地块, 模拟结果所显示的图象与震源机制解观测结果有差别, 不仅没有显示出与大面积的东部地区的震源机制解相一致的特征, 反而显示出与该地区西部震源机制解相一致的特征. 通过调节地块内部物质的弹性常数, 可以实现在滇中次级地块东部部分地区出现与震源机制      

川滇地块的震源力学机制、运动速率和活动方式

用 4 4 2次中强地震的震源机制解分析了川滇次级地块应力场的优势方向。使用 771次 3级左右地震的滑动角λ参数统计确定震源断层的错动方式 ,并用中强地震P波初动解的N轴仰角的统计分布结果得到的震源断层错动或滑动型式去佐证。拟合中强地震的矩张量速率式 ,计算了川滇次级地块各地震构造区的年均滑动速率 ,并进行比较。根据 1980— 2 0 0 1年川青地块、雅江地块和滇中地块边界断裂带跨断层短水准、短基线定期复测结果 ,分析了水平和垂向年均形变速率。川滇地块间的运动是不均匀的。川青地块的运动方向为SEE。雅江地块压应力场优势方向为SSE ,相对川青地块的运动速率更大。滇中地块承袭雅江地块的运动方向 ,略偏东。密支那滇西地块压应力场有 2组优势方向 ,存在向NE方向的推挤和SSE方向的逃逸 ,活动速率大     

由震源机制解资料研究川滇地区构造应力场

利用1978 ～2009年川滇地区的124个地震震源机制解资料,采用对震源机制参数统计的方法,详细分析了地震断层类型和川滇地区的现代构造应力场特征.结果表明,云南地区(21°～28°N,97°～108.8°E)主要受近N-S向的水平挤压力影响,区域应力场背景以水平作用力为主;四川地区(28°～34.5°N,97°～108.8°E)由于平均P,T轴的仰角接近水平,构造应力场接近水平,主要受近E-W向挤压力作用,断层面较陡,受水平剪切力作用.川滇地区走滑型地震较多,主要分布于云南地区,四川地区内发生的地震类型较为分散且每种类型都有.     

滇中地区震源机制一致性参数时空分布与强震活动

利用云南数字地震台网记录到的地震直达波Pg、Sg振幅资料,采用层状介质中点源位错模型的广义透射系数的快速算法,计算理论地震图的Pg、Sg最大振幅比值,将其与观测值拟合,反演得到1999年至2009年11月14日滇中地区206个中小地震的震源机制解,计算震源机制解应力主轴与相应的区域构造应力场主轴之间的一致性参数,分析震源机制一致性参数时空分布与强震活动的关系.分析表明,强震发生前3年至数月,强震震源区附近出现多个震源释放应力场与区域应力场一致或接近的中小地震,强震就发生在中小震震源机制一致性参数低值分布区内或其边缘附近.     

川滇地区7级大震前中强震震源机制变化

分析了 70年代以来 ,川滇地区发生的 8次 7级大震前 5年内 ,发生在大震孕震区和震源区内的中强震震源机制解时空分布。结果表明 ,最早中强震发生在大震震源区或其附近 ,其发震应力场与区域构造应力场一致 ,与大多数大震发震应力场一致或接近。大多数中强震震源破裂特征与大震明显不同。之后有多次中强震发生在距大震震源区较远的大震孕震区内其他地方 ,它们的发震应力场往往经历了与区域构造应力场和大震应力场一致与不一致的多次交替变化。大震前最后 1个中强震也发生在距大震震源区较近的地方 ,其发震应力场与大震发震应力场明显不一致 ,偏转了 30°～ 5 0° ,或更多 ,大多数也与区域构造应力场不一致 ,有的中强震发震断裂破裂特征与大震不一致。大震前中强震震源机制的变化 ,反映了大震孕育过程的不同阶段 ,区域构造应力场的时空调整变化和增强过程 ,以及由此引发的构造断裂异常活动 ,揭示出与大震发生有关的应力场和震源破裂特征信息     

利用P波初动和短周期P，S波振幅测定川滇地区地震震源机制解和应力场y

20世纪 80年代以来 ,一些地震工作者提出了用地震波形记录测定小地震震源机制解的方法 .Kisslinger(1 980 )以及 Julian和 Foulger(1 996 )提出利用短周期 P,S波振幅比确定震源机制解的方法 ;Schwartz(1 995 )提出利用初动资料和对速度结构变化不灵敏地震包络振幅的测定方法 .但是 ,频率高于几赫的地震波振幅 ,对地震波传播途径上的速度和 Q值结构的三维变化是相当敏感的 .上述方法得到的结果仍可能受速度和 Q值结构不均匀性的明显影响 . Horiuchi等 1提出一种方法 ,如震源集中在一个小区域 ,可以假设这些地震的震源到某个地震台站的路…     

山西地区震源机制一致性参数时空特征分析

利用山西数字地震台网记录到的中小地震波形资料,采用层状介质中点源位错模型的广义透射系数的快速算法和理论地震图拟合直达波最大振幅比来求取小震震源机制解的方法,计算了2001年—2012年山西地区281个中小地震震源机制解,根据优势分布得到山西地区现今平均构造应力场分布,计算震源机制解应力主轴与相应的区域构造应力场主轴之间的震源机制一致性参数,分析一致性参数时空分布与中等地震活动的关系。结果显示,2001年以来山西5次ML≥5.0地震前均有震源机制趋于一致性现象,震中分布在一致性参数低值附近或高低值过渡区域。     

川滇地区b值空间分布特征及其与震源类型关系的初步探讨

本文利用川滇地区1980—2013年震级M2.2—5.9的12924条地震资料,对该地区进行了精细b值计算;利用川滇地区321个M≥4.7的中强地震震源机制解资料,结合b值的空间分布特征,划分震源区,并探讨了不同类型震源区b值的变化规律。研究结果显示:川滇地区b值分布存在较大差异,川滇菱形块体的东边界和西南边界的低b值范围较大,菱形块体内部高b值区域相对集中,研究区内其余地区的b值分布较为零散;结合我国现行的地震区带划分方案,b值分布没有表现出带内的一致性;结合地震的震源机制,倾滑断层型的地震表现出逆断型震源区地震的b值低于正断型震源区内同类型地震的b值。这将为b值统计单元的划分提供有益的参考。     

RESEARCH ON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOCAL MECHANISM SOLUTIONS CONSISTENCY OF RUSHAN EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE,SHANDONG PROVINCE

Many small earthquakes occurred intensively and continuously and formed an earthquake sequence after the M_L3.8 earthquake happened at Rushan County, Shandong Province on October 1, 2013. Up to March, 2017, more than 13 000 events have been recorded, with 3 429 locatable shocks, of which 31 events with M_L ≥ 3.0. This sequence is rarely seen in East China for its extraordinary long duration and the extremely high frequency of aftershocks. To track the developing tendency of the earthquake sequence accurately, 20 temporary seismometers were arranged to monitor the sequence activities around the epicenter of the sequence since May 6, 2014. Firstly, this paper adopts double difference method to relocate the 1 418 earthquakes of M_L ≥ 1.0 recorded by temporary seismometers in the Rushan earthquake sequence (May 7, 2014 to December 31, 2016), the result shows that the Rushan earthquake sequence mainly extends along NWW-SEE and forms a rectangular activity belt of about 4km long and 3km wide. In addition, the seismogenic fault of Rushan earthquake sequence stretches along NWW-SEE with nearly vertical strike-slip movement and a small amount of thrust component. Then we apply the P-wave initial motion and CAP to invert the focal mechanism of earthquakes with M_L ≥ 1.5 in the study area. The earthquakes can be divided into several categories, including 3 normal fault earthquakes (0.9%), 3 normal-slip earthquakes (0.9%), 229 strike-slip earthquakes (65.8%), 18 thrust fault earthquakes (5.2%), 37 thrust-slip earthquakes (10.6%)and 58 undefined (16.6%). Most earthquakes had a strike-slip mechanism in Rushan (65.8%), which is one of the intrinsic characteristics of the stress field. According to the focal mechanism solutions, we further utilized the LSIB method (Linear stress inversion bootstrap)to invert the stress tensor of Rushan area. The result shows that the azimuth and plunge of three principal stress (σ₁, σ₂, σ₃) axes are 25°, 10°; 286°, 45°; 125°, 43°, respectively. Based on the stress field inversion results, we calculated the focal mechanism solutions consistency parameter (θ)and the angle (θ₁)between σ₁ and P axis. The trend lines of θ and θ₁ were relatively stable with small fluctuation near the average line over time. Furthermore, the earthquake sequence can be divided into three stages based on θ and θ₁ values. The first stage is before September 16, 2014, and the variation of the θ and θ₁ values is relatively smooth with short period. All focal mechanism solutions of the three M_L ≥ 3.0 earthquakes exhibited consistence. The second stage started from September 16, 2014 to July 1, 2015, the fluctuation range of θ and θ₁ values is larger than that of the first stage with a relative longer period. The last stage is after July 1, 2015, values of θ and θ₁ gradually changed to a periodic change, three out of the four M_L ≥ 3.0 earthquakes (strike-slip type)displayed a good consistency. Spatially, earthquakes occurred mainly in green, yellow-red regions, and the focal mechanism parameters consistency θ was dominant near the green region (around the average value), which presents a steady state, and the spatial locations are concordant with the distribution of θ value. Moreover, all of M_L ≥ 3.0 earthquakes are located in the transitional region from the mean value to lower value area or region below the mean value area, which also indicates the centralized stress field of the region.     

中国及邻区震源机制解的分区特征

利用《中国大陆地壳应力环境基础数据库》收录的中国及邻区2660个地震震源机制解资料(数据截止到2003年底),在分析中国及邻区震源机制解及其分布特征的基础上,重点分析探讨了中国境内6级以上地震的震源机制解的分区特征:东北-华北应力区震源机制解水平最大主应力的优势分布方位为近EW向和NEE向,震源机制解类型相对较为单一,以走滑型为主。华南应力区水平最大主应力的优势分布方位为NW-SE向,震源机制解类型主要是逆断型和走滑型。新疆应力区水平最大主应力的优势分布方位为近SN向,类型也主要是逆断型和走滑型。在青藏高原南部应力区,震源机制解水平最大主应力方位的分布相对比较集中,优势方位为近SN向,类型基本上只有走滑型和正断型2类。而在青藏高原北部及北东边缘应力区,水平最大主应力方位变化较大,震源机制解类型以走滑型为主,同时还有一定数量的正断型和逆断型震源机制解     

由多个地震震源机制解求川滇地区平均应力场方向

基于震源断层面解的空间取向和断层滑动方向,写出相应力轴张量在地理坐标系中的表达式,进而给出计算平均力轴张量及主值的方法,即通过求解相应的本征方程得到. 对使用多个震源机制解的T,B,P轴参数计算平均应力场的方法,以用滑动方向拟合法反演富蕴、唐山地区平均应力场数据进行验证,二者结果一致. 选择具有地震构造意义的地块或地震带内大量地震的震源机制解研究区域平均应力场. 根据川滇13个地震带（区）的256次中强地震的震源机制解,给出了各带（区）应力张量的定量分析结果. 该方法算法简便,使由大量地震震源机制解资料分析构造应力场的方法走向定量化.      

Types of focal mechanism solutions and parameter consistency of the sub-blocks in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces

Based on P- and S-wave amplitudes and some clear initial P-wave motion data, we calculated focal mechanism solutions of 928 M≥2.5 earthquakes （1994-2005） in four sub-blocks of Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, namely Sichuan-Qinghai, Yajiang, Central Sichuan and Central Yunnan blocks. Combining these calculation results with those of the focal mechanism solutions of moderately strong earthquakes, we analyzed the stress field characteristics and dislocation types of seismogenic faults that are distributed in the four sub-blocks. The orientation of principal compressive stress for each block is： EW in Sichuan-Qinghai, ESE or SE in Yajiang, Central Sichuan and Central Yunnan blocks. Based on a great deal of focal mechanism data, we designed a program and calculated the directions of the principal stress tensors, σ1, σ2 and σ3, for the four blocks. Meanwhile, we estimated the difference （also referred to as consistency parameter θ^- ） between the force axis direction of focal mechanism solution and the direction of the mean stress tensor of each block. Then we further analyzed the variation of θ^- versus time and the dislocation types of seismogenic faults. Through determination of focal mechanism solutions for each block, we present information on the variation in θ^- value and dislocation types of seismogenic faults.     

震源机制解分类与川滇及邻近地区最新变形特征

以位错理论为依据探讨了地震分类的理论基础,利用美国哈佛大学1977—2008年的震源机制解资料,采用地震三角形分类法,研究了中国川滇及邻近地区震源机制解124例,从地壳脆性变形的角度分析了川滇次级块体的变形形式。结果表明:整体上川滇及邻区的走滑断层、逆冲断层和正断层具有明显的分区性特征,受青藏高原SE方向的挤压,沿着鲜水河断裂带、安宁河断裂带、则木河断裂带和小江断裂带产生了大的剪切位移和变形带;同时,受缅甸弧挤压和四川盆地的阻挡,在缅甸弧前端和龙门山断裂带等地形成了强烈的挤压区,在云南大部分区域形成了扇形剪切应力变形区;而沿鲜水河断裂带、安宁河断裂带、则木河断裂带和小江断裂带所产生的大的剪切位移和变形直接作用在红河断裂带上,造成红河断裂带呈右旋向SE方向错动,引起其后延金沙江断裂至丽江-小金河断裂之间形成大的应力拉张区,构成了现今川滇及邻区地壳变形的最新格局     

STUDY ON THE SEISMOGENIC FAULT AND DYNAMICS PARAME-TERS OF THE 2014 MS6.6 JINGGU EARTHQUAKE IN YUNNAN

On October 17, 2014, a M_S6.6 earthquake occurred in Jinggu, Yunnan. The epicenter was located in the western branch of Wuliang Mountain, the northwest extension line of Puwen Fault. There are 2 faults in the surrounding area, one is a sinistral strike-slip and the other is the dextral. Two faults have mutual intersection with conjugate joints property to form a checkerboard faulting structure. The structure of the area of the focal region is complex. The present-day tectonic movement is strong, and the aftershock distribution indicates the faulting surface trending NNW. There is no obvious surface rupture related to the known fault in the epicenter, and there is a certain distance from the surface of the Puwen fault zone. Regional seismic activity is strong. In 1941, there were two over magnitude 7.0 earthquakes in the south of the epicenter of Jinggu County and Mengzhe Town. In 1988, two mainshock-aftershock type earthquakes occurred in Canglan-Gengma Counties, the principal stress axes of the whole seismic area is in the direction of NNE. Geological method can be adopted to clarify the distribution of surficial fracture caused by active faults, and high-precision seismic positioning and spatial distribution characteristics of seismic sequences can contribute to understand deep seismogenic faults and geometric features. Thus, we can better analyze the three-dimensional spatial distribution characteristics of seismotectonics and the deep and shallow tectonic relationship. The focal mechanism reveals the property and faulting process to a certain extent, which can help us understand not only the active property of faults, but also the important basis for deep tectonic stress and seismogenic mechanism. In order to study the fault characteristic of the Jinggu earthquake, the stress field characteristics of the source area and the geometric parameters of the fault plane, this paper firstly uses the 15 days aftershock data of the Jingsuo M_S6.6 earthquake, to precisely locate the main shock and aftershock sequences using double-difference location method. The results show that the aftershock sequences have clustering characteristics along the NW direction, with a depth mainly of 5~15km. Based on the precise location, calculations are made to the focal mechanisms of a total of 46 earthquakes including the main shock and aftershocks with M_L ≥ 3.0 of the Jinggu earthquake. The double-couple(DC)component of the focal mechanism of the main shock shows that nodal plane Ⅰ:The strike is 239°, the dip 81°, and the rake -22°; nodal plane Ⅱ, the strike is 333°, the dip 68°, and the rake -170.31°. According to focal mechanism solutions, there are 42 earthquakes with a focal mechanism of strike-slip type, accounting for 91.3%. According to the distribution of the aftershock sequence, it can be inferred that the nodal plane Ⅱ is the seismogenic fault. The obtained focal mechanism is used to invert the stress field in the source region. The distribution of horizontal maximum principal stress orienation is concentrated. The main features of the regional tectonic stress field are under the NNE-SSW compression(P axis)and the NW-SE extension(T axis)and are also affected by NNW direction stress fields in the central region of Yunnan, which indicates that Jinggu earthquake fault, like Gengma earthquake, is a new NW-trending fault which is under domination of large-scale tectonic stress and effected by local tectonic stress environment. In order to define more accurately the occurrence of the fault plane of the Jinggu earthquake, with the precise location results and the stress field in the source region, the global optimal solution of the fault plane parameters and its error are obtained by using both global searching simulated annealing algorithm and local searching Gauss-Newton method. Since the parameters of the fault plane fitting process use the stress parameters obtained by the focal mechanism inversion, the data obtained by the fault plane fitting is more representative of the rupture plane, that is, the strike 332.75°, the dip 89.53°, and the rake -167.12°. The buried depth of the rupture plane is 2.746km, indicating that the source fault has not cut through the surface. Based on the stress field characteristics and the inversion results of the fault plane, it is preliminarily believed that the seismogenic structure of the Jinggu earthquake is a newly generated nearly vertical right-lateral strike-slip fault with normal component. The rupture plane length is about 17.2km, which does not extend to the Puwen fault zone. Jinggu earthquake occurred in Simao-Puer seismic region in the south of Sichuan-Yunnan plate. Its focal mechanism solution is similar to that of the three sub-events of the Gengma earthquake in November 1988. The seismogenic structure of both of them is NW-trending and the principal stress is NE-SW. The rupture plane of the Jinggu main shock(NW direction)is significantly different from the known near NS direction Lancang Fault and the near NE direction Jinggu Fault in the study area. It is preliminarily inferred that the seismogenic structure of this earthquake has a neogenetic feature.     

FOCAL MECHANISM SOLUTIONS AND STRESS FIELD OF THE 2019 CHANGNING,SICHUAN MAINSHOCK AND ITS MODERATE-STRONG AFTERSHOCKS(MS≥4.0)

A M_S6.0 earthquake with shallow focal depth of 16km struck Changning County, Yibin City, Sichuan Province at 22:55: 43(Beijing Time)on 17 June 2019. Although the magnitude of the earthquake is moderate, it caused heavy casualties and property losses to Changning County and its surrounding areas. In the following week, a series of aftershocks with M_S≥4.0 occurred in the epicentral area successively. In order to better understand and analyze the seismotectonic structure and generation mechanism of these earthquakes, in this paper, absolute earthquake location by HYPOINVERSE 2000 method is conducted to relocate the main shock of M_S6.0 in Changning using the seismic phase observation data provided by Sichuan Earthquake Administration, and focal mechanism solutions for Changning M_S6.0 main shock and M_S≥4.0 aftershocks are inferred using the gCAP method with the local and regional broadband station waveforms recorded by the regional seismic networks of Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Chongqing Municipality, and Guizhou Province. The absolute relocation results show that the epicenter of the main shock is located at 28.35°N, 104.88°E, and it occurred at an unusual shallow depth about only 6.98km, which could be one of the most significant reasons for the heavier damage in the Changning and adjoining areas. The focal plane solution of the Changning M_S6.0 earthquake indicates that the main shock occurred at a thrust fault with a left-lateral strike-slip component. The full moment tensor solution provided by gCAP shows that it contains a certain percentage of non-double couple components. After the occurrence of the main shock, a series of medium and strong aftershocks with M_S≥4.0 occurred continuously along the northwestern direction, the fault plane solutions for those aftershocks show mostly strike-slip and thrust fault-type. It is found that the mode of focal mechanism has an obvious characteristic of segmentation in space, which reflects the complexity of the dislocation process of the seismogenic fault. It also shows that the Changning earthquake sequences occurred in the shallow part of the upper crust. Combining with the results from the seismic sounding profile in Changning anticline, which is the main structure in the focal area, this study finds that the existence of several steep secondary faults in the core of Changning anticline is an important reason for the diversity of focal mechanism of aftershock sequences. The characteristics of regional stress field is estimated using the STRESSINVERSE method by the information of focal mechanism solutions from our study, and the results show that the Changning area is subject to a NEE oriented maximum principal stress field with a very shallow dipping and near-vertical minimum principal stress, which is not associated with the results derived from other stress indicators. Compared with the direction of the maximum principal compressive stress axis in the whole region, the direction of the stress field in the focal area rotates from the NWW direction to the NEE direction. The Changning M_S6.0 earthquake locates in the area with complex geological structure, where there are a large number of small staggered fault zones with unstable geological structure. Combining with the direction of aftershocks distribution in Changning area, we infer that the Changning M_S6.0 earthquake is generated by rupturing of the pre-existing fault in the Changning anticline under the action of the overall large stress field, and the seismogenic fault is a high dip-angle thrust fault with left-lateral strike-slip component, trending NW.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF FOCAL MECHANISMS AND STRESS FIELD IN THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF SICHUAN-YUNNAN BLOCK AND ITS ADJACENT AREA

This study is devoted to a systematic analysis of the stress state of the eastern boundary area of Sichuan-Yunnan block based on focal mechanisms of 319 earthquakes with magnitudes between M3.0 and M6.9, occurring from January 2009 to May 2018. We firstly determined the mechanism solutions of 234 earthquakes by the CAP method, using the broadband waveforms recorded by Chinese regional permanent networks, and collected 85 centroid moment tensor solutions from the GCMT. Then we investigated the regional stress regime through a damp linear inversion. Our results show that:1)the focal mechanisms of moderate earthquakes are regionally specific with three principal types of focal mechanisms:the strike-slip faulting type, the thrust faulting type and the normal faulting type. The strike-slip faulting type is significant in the eastern boundary area of Sichuan-Yunnan block along the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang Fault, the Daliangshan Fault, and the Zhaotong-Lianfeng Fault. The thrust faulting type and the combined thrust/strike-slip faulting type are significant along the Mabian-Yanjin Fault, Ebian-Yanfeng Fault and the eastern section of Lianfeng Fault; 2)The most robust feature of the regional stress regime is that, the azimuth of principal compressive stress axis rotates clockwise from NWW to NW along the eastern boundary of Sichuan-Yunnan Block, and the clockwise rotation angle is about 50 degrees. Meanwhile, the angels between the principal compressive axis and the trend of eastern boundary of Sichuan-Yunnan Block remain unchanged, which implies a stable coefficient of fault friction in the eastern boundary fault zone of Sichuan-Yunnan Block. The movement of the upper crust in the southeastern Tibetan plateau is a relatively rigid clockwise rotation. On the whole, the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang Fault is a small arc on the earth, and its Euler pole axis is at(21°N, 88°E). The Daliangshan Fault is surrounded by the Anninghe-Zemuhe Fault, which formed a closed diamond shape. When the Sichuan-Yunnan block rotates clockwise, the Daliangshan Fault locates in the outer of the arc, while the Anninghe-Zemuhe Fault is in the inward of the arc, and from the mechanical point of view, left-lateral sliding movement is more likely to occur on the Daliangshan Fault. Our results can be the evidence for the study on the "cut-off" function of the Daliangshan Fault based on the stress field background; 3)The regional stress regime of the eastern boundary faults zone of the Sichuan-Yunnan Block is the same as the south section of the Dalianshan Fault, and the focal mechanism results also reveal that the Dalianshan Fault is keeping left-lateral strike-slip. There may be the same tectonic stress field that controls the earthquake activities in the southern section of Daliangshan Fault and Zhaotong-Lianfeng Fault. The regional stress regime of Zhaodong-Lianfeng Fault is also the same with the Sichuan-Yunnan Block, which implies that the control effect of the SE movement of the Sichuan-Yunnan block may extend to Weining.     

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION OF FOCAL MECHANISM SOLUTIONS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE EARTHQUAKES TO FAULT STABILITY ANALYSIS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN TIBETAN PLATEAU

Analysis of stress state of faults is helpful to understand crustal mechanical properties and seismicity. In the paper, we invert the horizontal crustal stress field in the southeastern Tibetan plateau using focal mechanism solutions of small and medium-size earthquakes, and apply them to estimate the stability of regional major faults. Firstly, we collect focal mechanism solutions of small and medium-sized earthquakes in the southeastern Tibetan plateau. The dataset includes more than 1 000 focal mechanism solutions in the past twenty years. Magnitudes of these earthquakes vary from M3.0 to M6.0. Most of the focal mechanism solutions were determined using waveform inversion technique. Although most of focal mechanism solutions in the southeastern Tibetan plateau are strike-slip faulting, their spatial pattern is different in sub-regions. Normal faulting earthquakes mainly occurred in the western Sichuan region, reverse faulting earthquakes mainly occurred in the boundary zone between the Tibetan plateau and the South China craton, and strike-slip faulting earthquakes mainly occurred in the central and southern Yunnan region. Next, we settle on a mesh with grid spacing of 0.5° in longitude and latitude in the region and invert the horizontal crustal stress field at each grid point. Spatial variation of the maximum principal stress axis in the southeastern Tibetan plateau shows a clockwise rotation around the eastern Himalaya syntax. The azimuth of maximum compressional stress axis is about 88.1° in the western Sichuan region, about 124.6° in the South China craton, and about 21.6° in the western and southern Yunnan region. The azimuth of regional maximum compressional stress is nearly parallel to the direction of terrain elevation gradient, and that of the minimum compressional stress is nearly parallel to the tangential direction of the topographic elevation contours. The spatial pattern reflects the control role of gravity spreading of the Tibetan plateau on the regional horizontal stress field. Finally, we analyzed regional fault stability based on these collected focal mechanism solutions. The fault instability parameter (I) is defined based on the Mohr-Coulomb criterion and indicates the degree of fault approximating to rupture. The instability parameters on fourteen major faults in the southeastern Tibetan plateau were calculated. Our results show that the stability of the Lianfeng-Zhaotong Fault is the lowest before 2014 in the region, which indicates the fault zone is close to rupture at that time. Our results provide a new useful tool to assess regional seismic potential using dense focal mechanism solutions.