Nonplanar Faults: Mechanics of Slip and Off-fault Damage

Stress interactions and sliding characteristics of faults with random fractal waviness in a purely elastic medium differ both qualitatively and quantitatively from those of faults with planar surfaces. With nonplanar fault models, solutions for slip diverge as resolution of the fractal features increases, and the scaling of fault slip with fault rupture dimension becomes nonlinear. We show that the nonlinear scaling of slip and divergence of solutions arise because stresses from geometric interactions at irregularities along nonplanar faults grow with increasing slip and produce backstresses that progressively impede slip. However, in real materials with finite strength, yielding will halt the growth of the interaction stresses, which will profoundly affect slip of nonplanar faults. We infer that in the brittle seismogenic portion of the Earth’s crust, off-fault yielding occurs on pervasive secondary faults. Predicted rates of stress relaxation with distance from major faults with random fractal roughness follow a power-law relationship that is consistent with reported clustering of background seismicity up to 15 kilometers from faults.     

Slow Crack Propagation and Slip Correlations

— The propagation of an interfacial crack through a weak plane of a transparent Plexiglas block is studied experimentally. The toughness is controlled artificially by a sand blasting procedure, and fluctuates locally in space like uncorrelated random noise. The block is fractured in mode I at low speed (10^?7?10^?4 m/s). The crack front is observed optically with a microscope and a high resolution digital camera. During the propagation, the front is pinned by micro-regions of high toughness and becomes rough. Roughness of the crack front is analyzed in terms of self-affinity. The in-plane roughness exponent is shown to be 0.63±0.05. Experimental results are compared to a numerical model. The model reproduces the self-affine behavior of the crack front, i.e., long-range correlations of the roughness. Analogies between mode I and mode III are presented in order to discuss implications of the experimental results for creeping faults. Accordingly, correlations of the slip pattern are shown to exist over scales substantially larger than the asperity sizes.     

Paleoseismic study of the Kamishiro Fault on the northern segment of the Itoigawa–Shizuoka Tectonic Line,Japan

The M_w 6.2 (Mj 6.8) Nagano (Japan) earthquake of 22 November 2014 produced a 9.3-km long surface rupture zone with a thrust-dominated displacement of up to 1.5 m, which duplicated the pre-existing Kamishiro Fault along the Itoigawa–Shizuoka Tectonic Line (ISTL), the plate-boundary between the Eurasian and North American plates, northern Nagano Prefecture, central Japan. To characterize the activity of the seismogenic fault zone, we conducted a paleoseismic study of the Kamishiro Fault. Field investigations and trench excavations revealed that seven morphogenic paleohistorical earthquakes (E2–E8) prior to the 2014 M_w 6.2 Nagano earthquake (E1) have occurred on the Kamishiro Fault during the last ca. 6000 years. Three of these events (E2–E4) are well constrained and correspond to historical earthquakes occurring in the last ca. 1200 years. This suggests an average recurrence interval of ca. 300–400 years on the seismogenic fault of the 2014 Kamishiro earthquake in the past 1200 years. The most recent event prior to the 2014 earthquakes (E1) is E2 and the penultimate and antepenultimate faulting events are E3 and E4, respectively. The penultimate faulting event (E3) occurred during the period of AD 1800–1400 and is associated with the 1791 M_w 6.8 earthquake. The antepenultimate faulting event (E4) is inferred to have occurred during the period of ca. AD 1000–700, likely corresponding to the AD 841 M_w 6.5 earthquake. The oldest faulting event (E8) in the study area is thought to have occurred during the period of ca. 5600–6000 years. The throw rate during the early Holocene is estimated to be 1.2–3.3 mm/a (average, 2.2 mm/a) with an average amount of characteristic offset of 0.7–1.1 m produced by individual event. When compared with active intraplate faults on Honshu Island, Japan, these slip rates and recurrence interval estimated for morphogenic earthquakes on the Kamishiro Fault along the ISTL appear high and short, respectively. This indicates that present activity on this fault is closely related to seismic faulting along the plate boundary between the Eurasian and North American plates.     

基于GPS、水准和强震动观测资料联合反演2013年芦山7.0级地震同震滑动分布

为了更好理解2013年四川芦山M_S7.0级地震的发生过程及其与发震构造和地表多种观测资料的动力学关联,本文综合重新定位的余震分布与地质、地球物理信息构建3D发震构造模型,采用水平层状介质模型,并以震区GPS、水准、强震动等同震位移/形变观测资料为约束,联合反演了芦山主震的同震滑动分布.其中,断层解译结果表明震源区包含5条相关断层F1-F5,通过对所有可能的断层组合模型进行反演分析,显示采用F1+F3+F4+F5的组合模型反演效果相对最好,是最可能的发震断层模型.反演得到的芦山主震矩震级为M_W6.5,其中同震滑动主要分布在NW倾的主断层F1的断坡周围,最大值为0.86 m,滑动角92.88°,纯逆冲型;F1上方反倾的次级断层F3上最大滑动量为0.37 m,滑动角119.92°,表现出以逆冲为主兼右滑的斜向反冲作用;而沿另一条反倾的次级断层F4的最大滑动量为0.40 m,滑动角97.98°,几乎为纯逆冲作用.此外,震区还存在一个NW缓倾深度为5~8 km的浅部滑脱面F5,它分隔了浅部沉积盖层与深部变质基底,限制了其下方F1、F3及F4等断层的同震破裂继续向更浅部扩展.主震时深部F1和F3断层夹持的冲起构造发生了上冲运动,除了使浅层和地表产生响应运动及变形外,还引起冲起构造顶面即F5底面的NE段和SW段分别产生了NE和SWW向调节滑动,最大值0.25 m.总之,基于文中构建的F1+F3+F4+F5的发震断层模型,反演结果能很好拟合地表多种观测资料,还能解释地表GPS观测的同震"左旋"运动与地震学观测的震源断层逆冲运动的"不协调性".     

The Lemnos 8 January 2013 (M w = 5.7) earthquake: fault slip,aftershock properties and static stress transfer modeling in the north Aegean Sea

We investigate mainshock slip distribution and aftershock activity of the 8 January 2013 M _w?=?5.7 Lemnos earthquake, north Aegean Sea. We analyse the seismic waveforms to better understand the spatio-temporal characteristics of earthquake rupture within the seismogenic layer of the crust. Peak slip values range from 50 to 64 cm and mean slip values range from 10 to 12 cm. The slip patches of the event extend over an area of dimensions 16?×?16 km². We also relocate aftershock catalog locations to image seismic fault dimensions and test earthquake transfer models. The relocated events allowed us to identify the active faults in this area of the north Aegean Sea by locating two, NE–SW linear patterns of aftershocks. The aftershock distribution of the mainshock event clearly reveals a NE–SW striking fault about 40 km offshore Lemnos Island that extends from 2 km up to a depth of 14 km. After the mainshock most of the seismic activity migrated to the east and to the north of the hypocenter due to (a) rupture directivity towards the NE and (b) Coulomb stress transfer. A stress inversion analysis based on 14 focal mechanisms of aftershocks showed that the maximum horizontal stress is compressional at N84°E. The static stress transfer analysis for all post-1943 major events in the North Aegean shows no evidence for triggering of the 2013 event. We suggest that the 2013 event occurred due to tectonic loading of the North Aegean crust.     

2014年新疆于田MS7.3地震同震位移及位错反演研究

利用于田震中300 km范围内的1个GPS连续站和12个GPS流动站数据,解算得到了2014年新疆于田M_S7.3地震地表同震位移,并反演了发震断层滑动分布,探讨此次地震对周边断裂的影响.地表同震位移结果显示,GPS观测到的同震位移范围在平行发震断裂带的北东-南西向约210 km,垂直发震断裂带的北西-南东方向约为120 km,同震位移量大于10 mm的测站位于震中距约120 km以内;同震位移特征整体表现为北东-南西方向的左旋走滑和北西-南东方向的拉张特征,其中在北东-南西方向,I069测站位移最大,约为32.1 mm,在北西-南东方向,XJYT测站位移最大,约为28.1 mm;位错反演结果表明,最大滑动位于北纬36.05°,东经82.60°,位于深部约16.6 km,最大错动量为2.75 m,反演震级为M_W7.0,同震错动呈椭圆形分布,以左旋走滑为主并具有正倾滑分量,两者最大比值约为2.5：1,同震错动延伸至地表,并向北东方向延伸,总破裂长度约50 km,地表最大错动约1.0 m;同震水平位移场模拟结果显示贡嘎错断裂、康西瓦断裂和普鲁断裂等不同位置主应变特征具有差异性,这种差异特征是否影响断裂带以及周围区域的应力构造特征,值得关注.     

Simulation of the Influence of Rate- and State-dependent Friction on the Macroscopic Behavior of Complex Fault Zones with the Lattice Solid Model

-- In order to understand the earthquake nucleation process, we need to understand the effective frictional behavior of faults with complex geometry and fault gouge zones. One important aspect of this is the interaction between the friction law governing the behavior of the fault on the microscopic level and the resulting macroscopic behavior of the fault zone. Numerical simulations offer a possibility to investigate the behavior of faults on many different scales and thus provide a means to gain insight into fault zone dynamics on scales which are not accessible to laboratory experiments. Numerical experiments have been performed to investigate the influence of the geometric configuration of faults with a rate- and state-dependent friction at the particle contacts on the effective frictional behavior of these faults. The numerical experiments are designed to be similar to laboratory experiments by Dieterich and Kilgore (1994) in which a slide-hold-slide cycle was performed between two blocks of material and the resulting peak friction was plotted vs. holding time. Simulations with a flat fault without a fault gouge have been performed to verify the implementation. These have shown close agreement with comparable laboratory experiments. The simulations performed with a fault containing fault gouge have demonstrated a strong dependence of the critical slip distance D_c on the roughness of the fault surfaces and are in qualitative agreement with laboratory experiments.     

利用考虑地形起伏的反演方法获取2017年伊拉克MW7.3地震的断层参数及滑动分布

2017年11月13日伊拉克北部地区苏莱曼尼亚省发生了M_W7.3地震, 造成了重大的人员和经济损失。 本文利用升降轨的Sentinel-1和降轨的ALOS-2卫星的SAR数据, 通过差分干涉测量技术获取了该地震的同震形变场, 联合DInSAR和MAI技术, 采用抗差最小二乘法求解该地震的同震三维形变场。 基于改进的考虑地形起伏的均匀位错模型反演确定了发震断层的断层参数, 最后基于非均匀位错模型得到了发震断层的分布式滑动分布模型。 结果显示: ALOS-2卫星降轨轨道观测到的伊拉克地震引起的LOS向地表形变最大为55.8 cm抬升和47.9 cm下沉; Sentinel-1卫星观测到的伊拉克地震引起的LOS向地表形变为: 升轨轨道最大为87.9 cm抬升和17.1 cm下沉; 降轨轨道最大为55.6 cm抬升和38 cm下沉; 相对于前人的研究成果, 本文利用改进的考虑地形起伏的反演方法得到的发震断层几何参数表明发震断层为NNW走向, 倾向角为352°, 同震破裂以逆冲为主, 同时兼有一定的左旋走滑分量。 基于均匀位错模型反演得到的断层滑动分布结果表明, 同震破裂未延伸至地表, 主要滑动量集中在12~18 km, 最大滑动量位于15 km深度, 达到4.3m, 反演得到的矩震级为M_W7.35, 与UGSG、 GCMT等机构给出的结果一致。     

Frictional Properties and Microstructure of Calcite-Rich Fault Gouges Sheared at Sub-Seismic Sliding Velocities

We report an experimental and microstructural study of the frictional properties of simulated fault gouges prepared from natural limestone (96 % CaCO₃) and pure calcite. Our experiments consisted of direct shear tests performed, under dry and wet conditions, at an effective normal stress of 50 MPa, at 18–150 °C and sliding velocities of 0.1–10 μm/s. Wet experiments used a pore water pressure of 10 MPa. Wet gouges typically showed a lower steady-state frictional strength (μ = 0.6) than dry gouges (μ = 0.7–0.8), particularly in the case of the pure calcite samples. All runs showed a transition from stable velocity strengthening to (potentially) unstable velocity weakening slip above 80–100 °C. All recovered samples showed patchy, mirror-like surfaces marking boundary shear planes. Optical study of sections cut normal to the shear plane and parallel to the shear direction showed both boundary and inclined shear bands, characterized by extreme grain comminution and a crystallographic preferred orientation. Cross-sections of boundary shears, cut normal to the shear direction using focused ion beam—SEM, from pure calcite gouges sheared at 18 and 150 °C, revealed dense arrays of rounded, ~0.3 μm-sized particles in the shear band core. Transmission electron microscopy showed that these particles consist of 5–20 nm sized calcite nanocrystals. All samples showed evidence for cataclasis and crystal plasticity. Comparing our results with previous models for gouge friction, we suggest that frictional behaviour was controlled by competition between crystal plastic and granular flow processes active in the shear bands, with water facilitating pressure solution, subcritical cracking and intergranular lubrication. Our data have important implications for the depth of the seismogenic zone in tectonically active limestone terrains. Contrary to recent claims, our data also demonstrate that nanocrystalline mirror-like slip surfaces in calcite(-rich) faults are not necessarily indicative of seismic slip rates.     

长江三峡狮子口地区断层最新活动年龄及工程评价

经野外调查和验证,长江三峡狮子口地区的NNW向遥感线性形迹是地形、岩性和小型断层的反映。对区内断层带样品进行的同位素年龄测定,判定出青林口断层在距今49×r04a曾有轻微活动,其余的四条断层第四纪(240×104a)以来无活动。地貌、地质和微震(M<3)分布表明,这些断层现代是不活动的,非控震构造,对三峡水库、大坝工程稳定性无影响     

Evolution of Wear and Friction Along Experimental Faults

We investigate the evolution of wear and friction along experimental faults composed of solid rock blocks. This evolution is analyzed through shear experiments along five rock types, and the experiments were conducted in a rotary apparatus at slip velocities of 0.002–0.97 m/s, slip distances from a few millimeters to tens of meters, and normal stress of 0.25–6.9 MPa. The wear and friction measurements and fault surface observations revealed three evolution phases: A) An initial stage (slip distances <50 mm) of wear by failure of isolated asperities associated with roughening of the fault surface; B) a running-in stage of slip distances of 1–3 m with intense wear-rate, failure of many asperities, and simultaneous reduction of the friction coefficient and wear-rate; and C) a steady-state stage that initiates when the fault surface is covered by a gouge layer, and during which both wear-rate and friction coefficient maintain quasi-constant, low levels. While these evolution stages are clearly recognizable for experimental faults made from bare rock blocks, our analysis suggests that natural faults “bypass” the first two stages and slip at gouge-controlled steady-state conditions.     

Similarities between strike-slip faults at different scales and a simple age determining method for active faults

Abstract Several differently scaled strike‐slip faults were examined. The faults shared many geometric features, such as secondary fractures and linkage structures (damage zones). Differences in fault style were not related to specific scale ranges. However, it was recognized that differences in style may occur in different tectonic settings (e.g. dilational/contractional relays or wall/linkage/tip zones), different locations along the master fault or different fault evolution stages. Fractal dimensions were compared for two faults (Gozo and San Andreas), which supports the idea of self‐similarity. Fractal dimensions for traces of faults and fractures of damage zones were higher (D ～1.35) than for the main fault traces (D ～1.005) because of increased complexity due to secondary faults and fractures. Based on the statistical analysis of another fault evolution study, single event movements in earthquake faults typically have a maximum earthquake slip : rupture length ratio of approximately 10^?4, although this has only been established for large earthquake faults because of limited data. Most geological faults have a much higher maximum cumulative displacement : fault length ratio; that is, approximately 10^?2 to 10^?1 (e.g. Gozo, ～10^?2; San Andreas, ～10^?1). The final cumulative displacement on a fault is produced by accumulation of slip along ruptures. Hence, using the available information from earthquake faults, such as earthquake slip, recurrence interval, maximum cumulative displacement and fault length, the approximate age of active faults can be estimated. The lower limit of estimated active fault age is expressed with maximum cumulative displacement, earthquake slip and recurrence interval as T ? (d_max /u) · I(M).     

2013年7月22日甘肃岷县-漳县M_S6.6地震震源破裂过程

2013年7月22日,在甘肃岷县漳县交界处发生MS6.6地震,地震震中位置靠近临潭—宕昌断裂.本文通过构建有限断层模型,利用国家强震动台网中心提供的12条强地面运动三分量资料,通过波形反演方法来研究这次地震的震源破裂过程.结果显示这次地震是发生在甘东南地区岷县—宕昌断裂带东段附近的一次MW6.1级逆冲兼具左旋走滑破裂事件,最大滑动量约为80cm.发震断层走向及滑动性质与岷县—宕昌断裂吻合,推断本次地震与东昆仑断裂向北的扩展和推挤密切相关,是岷县—宕昌断裂进一步活动的结果.     

Incremental growth of normal faults: Insights from a laser-equipped analog experiment

We conducted a laser-equipped analog experiment aimed at quasi-continuously monitoring the growth of a dense population of normal faults in homogeneous conditions. To further understand the way geological faults progressively gain in slip and length as they accumulate more strain, we measured with great precision the incremental slip and length changes that the analog faults sustain as they grow. These measurements show that the analog faults share common features with the natural ones. In particular, during their growth, the faults develop and maintain cumulative slip profiles that are generally triangular and asymmetric. The growth takes place through two distinct phases: an initial, short period of rapid lateral lengthening, followed by a longer phase of slip accumulation with little or no lengthening. The incremental slip is found to be highly variable in both space (along the faults) and time, resulting in variable slip rates. In particular, ‘short- and long-term’ slip rates are markedly different. We also find that slip measurements at local points on fault traces do not contain clear information on the slip increment repeat mode. Finally, while the fault growth process is highly heterogeneous when considered at the scale of a few slip events, it appears homogeneous and self-similar at longer time scales which integrate many slip increments. This is likely to be the result of a feedback between stress heterogeneities and slip development. The long-term scale homogeneity also implies that the long-term faulting process is primarily insensitive to the short-term heterogeneities that are rapidly smoothed or redistributed. We propose a new conceptual scenario of fault growth that integrates the above observations and we suggest that faults grow in a bimodal way as a result of a self-driven and self-sustaining process.     

Structural Properties and Deformation Patterns of Evolving Strike-slip Faults: Numerical Simulations Incorporating Damage Rheology

We present results on evolving geometrical and material properties of large strike-slip fault zones and associated deformation fields, using 3-D numerical simulations in a rheologically-layered model with a seismogenic upper crust governed by a continuum brittle damage framework over a viscoelastic substrate. The damage healing parameters we employ are constrained using results of test models and geophysical observations of healing along active faults. The model simulations exhibit several results that are likely to have general applicability. The fault zones form initially as complex segmented structures and evolve overall with continuing deformation toward contiguous, simpler structures. Along relatively-straight mature segments, the models produce flower structures with depth consisting of a broad damage zone in the top few kilometers of the crust and highly localized damage at depth. The flower structures form during an early evolutionary stage of the fault system (before a total offset of about 0.05 to 0.1 km has accumulated), and persist as continued deformation localizes further along narrow slip zones. The tectonic strain at seismogenic depths is concentrated along the highly damaged cores of the main fault zones, although at shallow depths a small portion of the strain is accommodated over a broader region. This broader domain corresponds to shallow damage (or compliant) zones which have been identified in several seismic and geodetic studies of active faults. The models produce releasing stepovers between fault zone segments that are locations of ongoing interseismic deformation. Material within the fault stepovers remains damaged during the entire earthquake cycle (with significantly reduced rigidity and shear-wave velocity) to depths of 10 to 15 km. These persistent damage zones should be detectable by geophysical imaging studies and could have important implications for earthquake dynamics and seismic hazard.     

Structural and material records of paleoearthquakes in terrigenous rocks: Analysis and interpretation

The results of an instrumental and analytical investigation of the products of mineral and textural transformations in the tectonic slickensides and fault gouge in the near-surface terrigenous sedimentary rocks (clays, arkose sandstones, shungites) which have undergone localized deformations in fault zones of presumably seismogenic origin are presented. Based on this, several peculiarities in the behavior of a dynamic slip in the upper transition horizon from aseismic to seismogenic mode of faulting in the Earth’s crust are elucidated. The changes in the mineral phase compositions of the fault facies against the protolith composition are estimated; the parameters of the temperature regime and thermal energy balance of deformational metamorphic reactions are determined. The probable causes of instability in the faults, the mechanisms of the loss of strength, the weakening and strengthening during seismogenic dynamic slip are considered. The role of tribochemical phenomena in the course of a rock’s transformation into a fault gouge and the related energy effects are discussed. An inventory of the possible energy costs on the processes of transforming material in dynamic slip zones is compiled.     

2010年玉树MS7.1地震同震破裂、余震分布特征及其与构造的关系

针对2010年4月14日玉树发生M_S7.1地震,本文利用InSAR数据给出同震视线向位移确定出的发震断层空间展布,并以该同震位移为约束反演得到主震和最大余震的同震位错分布.结果表明,主震同震位错发生在东玉树断裂,最大余震同震位错发生在西玉树断裂东端;基于位错分布计算了同震库仑应力变化与西部余震集中区地震活动之间的关系,结果反映玉树主震后最为活跃的余震活动可能受控于近东西向的次级断层(走向约为85°),而非玉树主干断裂;玉树断裂带整体呈现为左旋走滑运动,但其具体断层运动形式表现出主干断裂典型走滑运动、走滑断裂间的拉张和逆冲性质的次级运动、次级断裂与主干断裂相互作用下更为复杂的多方向次级断层活动等等不同变形特征,而主震同震破裂与余震空间分布均与这些不同断层变形方式有着密切关系.     

A detailed analysis of microseismicity in Samos and Kusadasi (Eastern Aegean Sea) areas

A detailed investigation of microseismicity and fault plane solutions are used to determine the current tectonic activity of the prominent zone of seismicity near Samos Island and Kusadasi Bay. The activation of fault populations in this complex strike-slip and normal faulting system was investigated by using several thousand accurate earthquake locations obtained by applying a double-difference location method and waveform cross-correlation, appropriate for areas with relatively small seismogenic structures. The fault plane solutions, determined by both moment tensor waveform inversions and P-wave first motion polarities, reveal a clear NS trending extension direction, for strike slip, oblique normal and normal faults. The geometry of each segment is quite simple and indicates planar dislocations gently dipping with an average dip of 40–45°, maintaining a constant dip through the entire seismogenic layer, down to 15 km depth.     

利用InSAR获取2020年新疆于田Mw6.3地震同震形变场与断层滑动分布反演

本文基于InSAR技术,利用欧空局Sentinel-1A/B升降轨SAR数据,提取了2020年6月26日新疆于田Mw6.3地震的同震形变场.利用升、降轨同震形变场约束,分别采用MPSO算法和Bayesian方法反演此次地震发震断层均匀滑动的几何参数,并进行对比.然后采用SDM方法获得发震断层非均匀滑动分布,并分析了同震...