Significant resistivity changes in the fault zone associated with the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, west-central Taiwan

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the possible influence of an earthquake on the resistivity distribution in a fault zone. We collected resistivity image profiles across a proposed fault trace prior to the 7.3 magnitude 1999 shallow earthquake in the Chi-Chi area of Taiwan. Significant positive resistivity anomalies were observed in the hanging wall after the earthquake. However, there were negligible resistivity changes in the footwall. From an examination of geoelectric phenomena and surface rupture in the fault zone, it is believed that geoelectric anomalies are associated with abrupt displacement along the active Chelungpu fault. This result indicates a potential for resistivity methods to provide a basis for the monitoring of an active fault.     

Electrical structures of the source area of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake: Spatial correlation between crustal conductors and aftershocks

Wide-band magnetotelluric (MT) data were collected on an east–west profile, approximately perpendicular to the local strike of the Chelungpu thrust, through the hypocentral area of the Chi-Chi earthquake for imaging the seismogenic structure. MT data were then inverted for two-dimensional resistivity models plus best-fitting static shift parameters using a nonlinear conjugate gradient algorithm that minimizes the sum of the normalized data misfits and the smoothness of the model. As shown in the inverted 2D resistivity models presented in this paper, an electrical conductor beside the hypocenter of the Chi-Chi earthquake indicates that deep-crustal fluids may participate in the rupture process of the Chi-Chi earthquake. A striking spatial correlation between the crustal conductor and occurrence of aftershocks beneath the Chelungpu fault suggests a postseismic pore pressure adjustment ongoing after the mainshock. Additionally, the hypocenter exhibits an electrical resistive zone, consistent very well with a predicted compact zone from a crustal deformation and transient fluid flow modeling.     

Imaging the ramp–décollement geometry of the Chelungpu fault using coseismic GPS displacements from the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake

We use coseismic GPS data from the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake to estimate the subsurface shape of the Chelungpu fault that ruptured during the earthquake. Studies prior to the earthquake suggest a ramp–décollement geometry for the Chelungpu fault, yet many finite source inversions using GPS and seismic data assume slip occurred on the down-dip extension of the Chelungpu ramp, rather than on a sub-horizontal décollement. We test whether slip occurred on the décollement or the down-dip extension of the ramp using well-established methods of inverting GPS data for geometry and slip on faults represented as elastic dislocations. We find that a significant portion of the coseismic slip did indeed occur on a sub-horizontal décollement located at 8 km depth. The slip on the décollement contributes 21% of the total modeled moment release. We estimate the fault geometry assuming several different models for the distribution of elastic properties in the earth: homogeneous, layered, and layered with lateral material contrast across the fault. It is shown, however, that heterogeneity has little influence on our estimated fault geometry. We also investigate several competing interpretations of deformation within the E/W trending rupture zone at the northern end of the 1999 ground ruptures. We demonstrate that the GPS data require a 22- to 35-km-long lateral ramp at the northern end, contradicting other investigations that propose deformation is concentrated within 10 km of the Chelungpu fault. Lastly, we propose a simple tectonic model for the development of the lateral ramp.     

Fluid infiltration associated with seismic faulting: Examining chemical and mineralogical compositions of fault rocks from the active Chelungpu fault

In order to understand the fault zone architecture and mechanisms that caused the Chi-Chi earthquake, the Chelungpu drilling project was conducted during April 2000 through a collaborative project between Japan and Taiwan. In this study, chemical and mineralogical variations within the overall Chelungpu fault zone, including variations between less damaged host rocks, damaged zones, and fault cores caused by the Chi-Chi earthquake were examined. Slopes of TiO₂ immobile isocons were consistently > 1 for analyses comparing host rocks with rocks from damaged zones or with gouges from fault cores, indicating that volume loss occurred in damaged zones and the fault cores. These results strongly imply that pervasive fluid infiltration occurred within the fault zone. Volume loss within the damaged zone and fault core is interpreted to result from a two-stage process involving: (i) coseismic mechanical wearing and/or dissolution in the fault core, and (ii) fluid infiltration within the fault zone during postseismic and interseismic periods along cracks caused by seismic failure. Semi-quantitative XRD analysis indicates that the kaolinite content consistently increases from the less damaged host rocks to the damaged zone and gouges in each fault core. Mineralogic changes indicate that pervasive acidic fluid infiltration occurred within the fault zones and reacted with the feldspars or muscovite to form kaolinite. Enrichment of kaolinite and illite found in the fault zones of southern drilling site could play some role on the slipping behavior of the southern part of the Chelungpu fault. Greater volume loss in the fault core may have resulted from moderate permeability, combined with the very fine grain nature of pulverized material in the fault core, which enhanced chemical reactions including transformation of feldspars and muscovite to clay minerals. The study results indicate that pervasive fluid infiltration occurred and changed the mineralogical and chemical architecture of fault zones caused by the cyclic earthquakes.     

Tomographic image of crustal structures across the Chelungpu fault: Is the seismogenic layer structure- or depth-dependent?

In 1999, a large earthquake (M_w = 7.6) occurred along the Chelungpu fault in the fold-and-thrust belt of western Taiwan. To shed more light on the subsurface structures and the seismogenic layers, three-dimensional velocity structures were inverted by using the travel times of both P- and S-waves from 2391 aftershocks recorded by the Central Weather Bureau during the 15 months that followed. From tomography, a typical image of the large-scale thrusting structures in the upper crust across the Chelungpu fault was obtained. In general, high velocities beneath the Western Foothills and Central Ranges are separated from low velocities beneath the Coastal Plain by an east-dipping boundary that is roughly consistent with the Chelungpu fault on the surface. The contrast in velocity on either side of the Chelungpu fault is indicative of about a 7- to 9-km vertical offset in the upper crust. The relocated hypocenter for the Chi-Chi earthquake shifts by 2.2 km toward the northwest, and its focal depth decreases by 0.7 km. A plot of focal depths versus rock velocities where the aftershocks occurred shows earthquakes are more inclined to occur in rock with a velocity of around 5.6 km/s. This strongly suggests the seismogenic layer in the fold-and-thrust belt of Taiwan is more structure-dependent than depth-dependent.     

Characterization of slip zone associated with the 1999 Taiwan Chi-Chi earthquake: X-ray CT image analyses and microstructural observations of the Taiwan Chelungpu fault

To characterize the fault-related rocks within the Chelungpu fault, we performed X-ray computed tomography (CT) image analyses and microstructural observations of Hole B core samples from the Taiwan Chelungpu-fault Drilling Project. We identified the slip zone associated with the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, within the black gouge zone in the shallowest major fault zone, by comparison with previous reports. The slip zone was characterized by low CT number, cataclastic (or ultracataclastic) texture, and high possibility to have experienced a mechanically fluidized state. Taking these characteristics and previous reports of frictional heating in the slip zone into consideration, we suggested that thermal pressurization was the most likely dynamic weakening mechanism during the earthquake.     

Co-seismic displacements, folding and shortening structures along the Chelungpu surface rupture zone occurred during the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquake

A nearly 100-km-long surface rupture zone, called Chelungpu surface rupture zone, occurred mostly along the pre-existing Chelungpu fault on the northwestern side of Taiwan, accompanying the 1999 Chi-Chi Ms 7.6 earthquake. The Chelungpu surface rupture zone can be divided into four segments based on the characteristics of co-seismic displacements, geometry of the surface ruptures and geological structures. These segments generally show a right-step en echelon form and strike NE–SW to N–S, and dip to the east with angles ranging from 50 to 85°. The co-seismic flexural-slip folding structures commonly occurred in or near the surface rupture zone from a few meters to a few hundreds of meters in width, which have an orientation in fold axes parallel or oblique to the surface rupture zone. The displacements measured in the southern three segments are approximately 1.0–3.0 m horizontally and 2.0–4.0 m vertically. The largest displacements were measured in the northern segment, 11.1 m horizontally and 7.5 m vertically, respectively. The amount of co-seismic horizontal shortening caused by flexural-slip folding and reverse faulting in the surface rupture zone is generally less than 3 m. It is evident that the co-seismic displacements of the surface rupture zone are a quantitative surface indicator of the faulting process in the earthquake source fault. The relations between the geometry and geomorphology of the surface rupture zone, dips of the co-seismic faulting planes and the striations on the main fault planes generated during the co-seismic displacement, show that the Chelungpu surface rupture zone is a reverse fault zone with a large left-lateral component.     

Detailed surface co-seismic displacement of the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in western Taiwan and implication of fault geometry in the shallow subsurface

The northern segment of the Chelungpu Fault shows an unusually large co-seismic displacement from the event of the Mw 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake in western Taiwan. Part of the northern segment near the Fengyuan City provides an excellent opportunity for characterizing active thrust-related structures due to a dense geodetic-benchmark network. We reproduced co-seismic deformation patterns of a small segment of this Chelungpu Fault using 924 geodetic benchmarks. According to the estimated displacement vectors, we identified secondary deformations, such as local rigid-block rotation and significant shortening within the hanging wall. The data set also allows us to determine accurately a 3D model of the thrust fault geometry in the shallow subsurface by assuming simple relations between the fault slip, and the horizontal and vertical displacements at the surface. The predicted thrust geometry is in good agreement with borehole data derived from two drilling sites close to the study area. The successful prediction supports our assumptions of rigid displacement and control of displacement in the hanging wall by the fault geometry being useful first approximations.     

Footwall geometry and the rheology of thrust sheets

The inter-relationships between the exact footwall geometry and the rheology of thrust sheets are investigated. Deviations in the thrust fault surface from an ideal plane will induce a local heterogeneous deformation. The resulting deformation processes depend upon the rate of thrust sheet displacement, the geometry of the feature causing heterogeneous flow, the deformation conditions and the lithologies involved. Two classes of features are particularly important in causing heterogeneous deformation in thrust sheets. The first features are small perturbations on bedding planes which may be inherited sedimentary structures or produced during layer-parallel shortening; the second class of features are ramps, where the thrust sheet climbs up the stratigraphic section. Displacement over these features causes repeated, cyclic straining in the hanging-wall during movement. The strain rates associated with deformation at perturbations, ramps of different geometries and different displacement rates are estimated and used to discuss the influence of footwall geometry on the structural evolution of a thrust sheet. Particular attention is given to the range of fault rocks and deformation microstructures preserved after movement over a footwall with a complex geometry. Perturbations are suggested to be important in the localization of ramps, either because they create ‘sticking points’ near the fault tip during propagation or because they induce eventual failure in the hanging-wall after the movement over a number of these features raises the accumulated damage to a critical level. Analysis of the influence of the exact geometry of ramps on deformation processes during displacement leads to two important conclusions. Firstly, the exact geometry of ramps (i.e. the maximum dip angle and the straining distance from a flat to this maximum angle) may be used to estimate a maximum displacement rate of the thrust sheet. Secondly, the listric geometry of ramps may be an equilibrium shape adjusted to the displacement rate and the rheology of the hanging-wall. Adjustments towards the final geometry may involve the generation of shortcuts on either hanging- or footwall which reduce the imposed deformation rate in the hanging-wall during displacement.     

穿越黏滑断层分段接头隧道模型试验研究

数次大地震震害调查表明,隧道穿越断层处是受地震破坏较为严重的区域。为此,基于地震动能量的传播与释放特征,建立了一种穿越断层隧道结构抗减震的设计理念,并提出了一种穿越断层隧道节段接头形式。以跨断层龙溪隧道为依托,采用振动台模型试验研究了单一错动方式与断层错动-震动综合加载方式下带有接头的衬砌结构响应。研究结果证明：强震作用下,地震波对穿越断层隧道的影响是不可忽略的,断层错动-震动综合加载方式是合理的;新型接头能够自身适应性变形协调减轻隧道结构震害,节段间接头的设置改变了隧道的变形形态,提高隧道整体抗震能力;同时减小了衬砌的环向破坏,消弱了节段间地震力的传递,实现了衬砌震害的局部化。由于接头的设置,上盘隧道结构震害集中在距断层1.8倍洞径的范围内,下盘处隧道衬砌震害集中在距断层1.2倍洞径范围内;上盘的衬砌震害主要是由错动-震动联合作用造成的,而下盘衬砌震害主要受地震动的影响。     

Destructive near-fault strong ground motion from the 2016 Kumamoto prefecture,Japan, M7.3 earthquake

The sequence of the 2016 Kumamoto, Japan, earthquake, which included an initial M6.5 foreshock on April 14, followed by a larger M7.3 mainshock on April 16, and subsequently occurred high aftershock activity, caused significant damage in Kumamoto and neighboring regions. The near-field strong motion record by strong motion network (K-NET and KiK-net) and the intensity meter network demonstrated clearly the characteristics of the strong ground motion developed by the shallow (H = 12 km), inland earthquake comprising short-time duration (<15–20 s) but large (>1G) ground accelerations. The velocity response spectra of the near-fault motion at Mashiki and Nishihara showed large levels (>300–550 cm/s) in the short-period range (T = 1–2 s), several times larger than that of the near-field record of the destructive 1995 Kobe earthquake (M7.3) and that of the 2004 Mid-Niigata earthquake (M6.8). This period corresponds to the collapse vulnerability of Japanese wooden-frame houses, and is the major cause of severe damage during the Kumamoto earthquake. The response spectra also showed extremely large levels (>240–340 cm/s) in the long-period (T > 3 s) band, which is potentially disastrous for high-rise buildings, large oil storage tanks, etc. to have longer resonant period. Such long-period motion was, for the most parts, developed by the static displacement of the fault movement rather than by the seismic waves radiating from the source fault. Thus, the extreme near-fault long-period motion was hazardous only close to the fault but it attenuated very rapidly away from the fault.     

The Rila-Pastra Normal Fault and multi-stage extensional unroofing in the Rila Mountains (SW Bulgaria)

The Rhodope Metamorphic Province represents the core of an Alpine orogen affected by strong syn- and postorogenic extension. We report evidence for multiple phases of extensional unroofing from the western border of the Rila Mountains in the lower Rila valley, SW Bulgaria. The most prominent structure is the Rila-Pastra Normal Fault (RPNF), a major extensional fault and shear zone of Eocene to Early Oligocene age. The fault zone includes, from base to top, mylonites, ultramylonites and cataclasites, indicating deformation under progressively decreasing temperature, from amphibolite-facies to low-temperature brittle deformation. It strikes E–W with a top-to-the-N-to NW-directed sense of shear. Basement rocks in the hanging wall and footwall both display amphibolite-facies conditions. The foliation of the hanging-wall gneisses, however, is discordantly cut by the fault, while the foliation of the footwall gneisses is seen to curve into parallelism with the fault when approaching it. Two ductile splays of the RPNF occur in the footwall, which are subparallel to the foliation of the surrounding gneisses and merge laterally into the mylonites of the main fault zone. The concordance between the foliation in the footwall and the RPNF suggests that deformation and cooling in the footwall occurred simultaneously with extensional shearing, while the hanging-wall gneisses had already been exhumed previously. The RPNF is associated with thick deposits of an Early Oligocene, syntectonic breccia on top of its hanging wall. Integrating our results with previous studies, we distinguish the following stages of extensional faulting: (1) Late Cretaceous NW–SE extension (Gabrov Dol Detachment), exhumation of the present day hanging wall of the RPNF; (2) Eocene to Early Oligocene NW–SE to N–S extension (RPNF); (3) Miocene to Pliocene E–W extension (Western Border Fault), formation of the Djerman Graben; (4) Holocene to recent N–S to NW–SE extension (Stob Fault), reactivating the SW part of the Western Border Fault.     

地震作用下地裂缝场地地震动参数试验研究

为研究地裂缝场地地表动力响应规律,以西安f4地裂缝场地为工程背景,采用剪切型模型箱,进行振动台模型试验。分析了地裂缝场地在地震作用下的破坏特征和动力响应,得到了地表地震动参数变化规律。试验结果表明：地震作用下,地裂缝场地的主裂缝在地表开裂、扩展,并在裂缝区产生与其45°相交的次生裂缝,次生裂缝的数量随着地震强度增大而增多;地表地震动参数峰值均表现出上、下盘效应,均在上盘裂缝处最大,逐渐向两侧递减;随着输入地震强度增大,地表加速度及Arias强度放大系数逐渐减小;上盘加速度变化频率较快,且上、下盘两侧加速度峰值存在相位差,但两侧位移及速度时程波形基本一致。该研究成果可为跨地裂缝结构抗震设计提供重要参考。     

Comparison of near-fault and far-fault ground motion effects on geometrically nonlinear earthquake behavior of suspension bridges

This paper presents a comparison of near-fault and far-fault ground motion effects on geometrically nonlinear earthquake behavior of suspension bridges. Bo?azi?i (The First Bosporus) and Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Second Bosporus) suspension bridges built in Istanbul, Turkey, are selected as numerical examples. Both bridges have almost the same span. While Bo?azi?i Suspension Bridge has inclined hangers, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Suspension Bridge has vertical hangers. Geometric nonlinearity including P-delta effects from self-weight of the bridges is taken into account in the determination of the dynamic behavior of the suspension bridges for near-fault and far-fault ground motions. Near-fault and far-fault strong ground motion records, which have approximately identical peak ground accelerations, of 1999 Chi-Chi, 1999 Kocaeli, and 1979 Imperial Valley earthquakes are selected for the analyses. Displacements and internal forces of the bridges are determined using the finite element method including geometric nonlinearity. The displacements and internal forces obtained from the dynamic analyses of suspension bridges subjected to each fault effect are compared with each other. It is clearly seen that near-fault ground motions are more effective than far-fault ground motion on the displacements and internal forces such as bending moment, shear force and axial forces of the suspension bridges.     

Selection of emergency shelter sites for seismic disasters in mountainous regions: Lessons from the 2008 Wenchuan Ms 8.0 Earthquake,China

In this paper, we use the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake as a background event for analyzing and applying the principles of site selection of emergency shelters for a disastrous earthquake. Based on field investigations and analyses of remote sensing imagery, we identified the distribution of active faults and the locations of co-seismic surface rupture zones—areas in which buildings are at risk of intensive damage. It is important that emergency shelters are located outside of such vulnerable areas. One of the lessons learned from the Wenchuan Earthquake is that high fatality rates occur in areas without life-saving shelters. The principles that underlie the selection of emergency shelter sites are as follows: (1) keep far away from active fault zones, with the distance depending on the characteristics of the fault, including the nature of hangingwall and footwall structures; (2) disaster-mitigation strategies should be developed as a multi-dimensional system for the management of natural hazards, human activities, and urban expansion, involving keeping away from vulnerable slopes and establishing an early-warning system; (3) the accessibility of mountainous regions must be considered, including establishing small emergency shelters that house large numbers of people and covering regions with an uneven distribution of villages; and (4) government and law-making agencies in China must establish new earthquake design codes for buildings, emphasizing the importance of public facilities (including schools, collective welfare institutions, and medical facilities) as emergency shelters during disastrous earthquakes. The site-selection process requires an interdisciplinary approach involving seismologists, engineers, environmental and social scientists, emergency management personnel, and government officials. The parameters upon which the above principles are based can be qualitatively determined, thereby providing a valuable initial database for further quantitative analysis. The preliminary results and knowledge gained in the present paper can be used as a decision-making tool to support the government in earthquake-recovery and reconstruction programs. We also discuss practical examples of site evaluation in regions that suffered heavy damage during the Wenchuan Earthquake.     

Impacts of September 21, 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake on the characteristics of gully-type debris flows in central Taiwan

Debris flows are more frequent in central Taiwan, because of its mountainous geography. For example, many debris flows were induced by Typhoon Herb in 1996. The Chi-Chi earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3, which took place in 1999 in central Taiwan, induced many landslides in this region. Some landslides turned into debris flows when Typhoon Toraji struck Taiwan in 2001. This study investigates the characteristics of the gullies where debris flows have occurred for a comparison. Aerial photos of these regions dated in 1997 (before the earthquake) and 2001 (after the earthquake) are used to identify the occurrence of gully-type debris flows. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is applied to acquire hydrological and geomorphic characteristics: stream gradient, stream length, catchment gradient, catchment area, form factor, and geology unit of these gullies. These characteristics in different study regions are presented in a statistical approach. The study of how strong ground motion affects the debris flows occurrence is conducted. The characteristics of the debris flow gullies triggered by typhoons before and after the Chi-Chi earthquake are quantitatively compared. The analysis results show that a significant transformation in the characteristics was induced by the Chi-Chi earthquake. In general, the transformation points out a lower hydrological and geomorphic threshold to trigger debris flows after the Chi-Chi earthquake. The susceptibility of rock units to strong ground motion is also examined. The analysis of debris flow density and accumulated rainfall in regions of different ground motion also reveal that the rainfall threshold decreases after the Chi-Chi earthquake.     

考虑场地和震源机制的近断层地震动衰减特性的研究

在收集了世界范围内自由场地的近断层地震记录基础上 ,综合考虑台站场地和震源构造机制的差别 ,应用统计分析方法对近断层地震动的峰值加速度、峰值比、特征比值及特定周期处的反应谱的衰减关系进行了研究 ,并和集集地震得到的结果进行了比较 ,发现场地和震源机制的共同作用对近断层地震动的影响是很显著的 ,为抗震设计规范的研究提供了参考     

Structure and flow properties of syn-rift border faults: The interplay between fault damage and fault-related chemical alteration (Dombjerg Fault,Wollaston Forland,NE Greenland)

Structurally controlled, syn-rift, clastic depocentres are of economic interest as hydrocarbon reservoirs; understanding the structure of their bounding faults is of great relevance, e.g. in the assessment of fault-controlled hydrocarbon retention potential. Here we investigate the structure of the Dombjerg Fault Zone (Wollaston Forland, NE Greenland), a syn-rift border fault that juxtaposes syn-rift deep-water hanging-wall clastics against a footwall of crystalline basement. A series of discrete fault strands characterize the central fault zone, where discrete slip surfaces, fault rock assemblages and extreme fracturing are common. A chemical alteration zone (CAZ) of fault-related calcite cementation envelops the fault and places strong controls on the style of deformation, particularly in the hanging-wall. The hanging-wall damage zone includes faults, joints, veins and, outside the CAZ, disaggregation deformation bands. Footwall deformation includes faults, joints and veins. Our observations suggest that the CAZ formed during early-stage fault slip and imparted a mechanical control on later fault-related deformation. This study thus gives new insights to the structure of an exposed basin-bounding fault and highlights a spatiotemporal interplay between fault damage and chemical alteration, the latter of which is often underreported in fault studies. To better elucidate the structure, evolution and flow properties of faults (outcrop or subsurface), both fault damage and fault-related chemical alteration must be considered.