Contemporary tectonics in the Tien Shan region

New fault plane solutions of recent earthquakes, along with previously published fault plane solutions, field geologic data, and faults interpreted from LANDSAT imagery indicate thrust faulting in the Tien Shan region. For most of the fault plane solutions compressive stress axes are nearly horizontal and trending approximately north-south, perpendicular to the trend of the Tien Shan fold belts. Contemporary tectonics of the Tien Shan region can be interpreted as resulting from convergence of the Indian and Eurasian plates.     

天山构造带及邻区地壳各向异性

天山构造带位于中国大陆西北部,是典型的岩石圈陆内缩短造山带.本文利用新疆区域数字地震台网2009年1月至2014年12月的近场小地震波形资料,采用剪切波分裂分析对天山构造带及邻区的地壳各向异性特征进行研究,获得了研究区域内39个台站的快剪切波偏振方向和慢剪切波时间延迟.剪切波分裂参数的空间特征显示,研究区上地壳各向异性具有分区性,各向异性特征与局部构造、地壳介质变形和应力分布有关.天山构造带的快剪切波偏振呈现出两个优势方向的特点,第一优势方向大致平行于台站附近断裂和天山构造带的走向,与断裂构造和应力的综合影响有关,另一个优势方向反映了主压应力的直接作用.北天山山前断裂带东段的断裂弯折部位和南天山局部地区的剪切波分裂参数与东、西两侧不同,与准噶尔盆地、塔里木盆地的南北向挤压作用密切相关.快剪切波偏振优势方向的剧烈变化揭示,在准噶尔盆地和塔里木盆地双向挤压隆起的过程中,天山构造带产生了强烈的局部不均匀变形.塔里木盆地西侧快剪切波偏振具有两个优势方向,一个为NNE方向,与帕米尔高原受到印度-欧亚板块碰撞产生的北向挤压作用有关,另一个为NW方向,指出了塔里木盆地区域主压应力方向.准噶尔盆地北部也存在NE和NW两个快波偏振优势方向,主要与断裂的影响有关.天山构造带区域内的慢剪切波时间延迟总体上低于塔里木盆地西侧和准噶尔盆地北部,同时慢剪切波时间延迟的结果也进一步证实了天山构造带的局部强烈变形.

     

Structural and seismic indications of the elements of recent and present-day stress fields in several epicentral regions of western Tien Shan

This study presents the results of stress field reconstruction for the epicentral zones of large-magnitude earthquakes in some folded-mountain regions of western Tien Shan. Field studies, including geostructural and tectonophysical interpretations, performed for the Talas-Suusamyr, Chatkal-Kurama, Turkestan-Zarafshan, Gissar and Nurata-Kyzylkum regions allow the reconstruction of some regional components of the tectonic stress field. The nearly E-W orientations of the lower-order compressional axes are identified in the Chatkal-Kurama and Turkestan-Zarafshan mountain areas. Detailed structural-dynamical diagrams of several epicentral zones and reconstructions of focal mechanisms of some strong earthquakes are derived from the geostructural data. The coincidence of the present-day stress field manifested in the earthquake sources and the recent stress field derived from the geostructural determinations is revealed. The focal mechanisms of the strong earthquakes in the folded-mountain regions of western Tien Shan relate to the thrust/strike-slip faulting and breakup of large tectonic blocks.     

The pattern of the paleo- and present-day stresses of Northern Tien Shan

The study of neotectonic stresses of the North Tien Shan is carried out within the northern slopes of the Kyrgyz Ridge bordering the Chyua submontane depression. The purpose of the study was to reconstruct the neotectonic stresses from the geological indicators and to compare the obtained results with the data on the present-day stress state of this region. The work is based on the analysis of the field in situ data acquired in the expeditions in 2009 and 2011. For the first time for the Northern Tien Shan region, the general (averaged) neotectonic stresses, which are distinct between the uplifts and depressions, are reconstructed. The deformation of the positive topographic features at the recent tectonic stage takes place in the conditions of thrust faulting with the meriodional horizontal compression axis and subvertical tension axis, while deformation of the negative landforms is dominated by normal faulting with the vertical compression axis and northnortheast trending subhorizontal tension axis. Based on the field data, separate sites with different types of local stress tensors, which are determined by the Lode-Nadai parameter, are revealed. The neotectonic geodynamical regime within the depressions and uplifts and the variations in the type of the stress tensor agree with the characteristics of the present-day stress state reconstructed from seismological data.     

中天山地区的Pn波速度结构与各向异性

利用宽频带流动地震台阵GHENGIS和吉尔吉斯地震台网KNET记录的地震波走时数据,反演了中天山地区的Pn波速度结构和各向异性.结果表明,中天山上地幔顶部平均速度偏低,具有构造活动地区的特点和明显的横向非均匀性;中天山南部地幔上涌区的Pn波速度非常低,表明存在较高的热流活动.Pn波速度的变化与地震分布有着密切的对应关系：地震大都发生在中天山北部Pn波高速区上方,而南部的Pn波低速区上方几乎没有地震.这一现象说明地幔上涌引起高温极大地降低了岩石层地幔的强度,并以热传导的方式进入地壳使其失去地震破裂强度而发生韧性变形.中天山北部和南部的各向异性也存在一定的差异,南部各向异性的快波方向为近南北方向,与SKS波的各向异性特征基本一致,反映了地幔物质的迁移方向;北部各向异性的快波方向呈向南凸出的旋转趋势,估计与哈萨克地台南缘楚河盆地地壳块体向天山挤入造成应力场的改变和岩石层变形有关.     

中天山及邻区S波分裂研究及其动力学意义

本文利用天山及其邻区布设的37个宽频带地震台站记录到的远震波形数据,分别采用最小能量法和旋转相关法对SKS和SKKS波震相进行了偏振分析,计算出了台站下方介质的S波分裂参数：快波的偏振方向（φ）和慢波延迟时间（δt）.本文研究结果表明：中天山内部大多数台站的各向异性快波方向呈NEE-SWW向,与天山走向平行,慢波时间延迟为0.4～1.7 s,这是塔里木、哈萨克斯坦的南北双向俯冲及其导致的天山地区岩石圈地幔南北向缩短变形的直接反映.本文研究发现中天山北部部分台站下方地震各向异性快波方向与慢波延时随方位角呈现规律性的变化,可能暗示该区上地幔各向异性不能仅用单层水平各向异性这一简单模式来解释.75°E以西的天山地区台站下方S波快波方向和延时具有强烈的横向变化,可能与研究区下方存在的小规模对流有关.中天山不同地段地震台站下方各向异性明显不同,进一步证实了天山地区构造变形的复杂性.     

Density Structure,Isostatic Balance and Tectonic Models of the Central Tien Shan

A new combined satellite-terrestrial model of the gravity field is used together with seismic data for construction of a density model of the lithosphere of the Central Tien Shan and for estimation of its isostatic balance. The Tien Shan is one of the most active intraplate orogens in the world, located about 1,500 km north of the convergence between Indian and Eurasian plate, and surrounded by stable Kazakh platform to the north and the Tarim block to the south. Although this area was extensively studied during recent decades, several principal problems, related to its structure and tectonics, remain unsolved up to now: (1) various geodynamic scenarios have been discussed so far to explain tectonic evolution, such as direct “crustal shortening,” intracontinental subduction and some others, but no definite evidence for any of them has been found. (2) Still, it is not clear why Tien Shan grows so far from the plate boundary at the Himalayan collision zone. Gravity modeling can provide valuable constraints to resolve these questions. The results of this study show that: (1) there exists a very strong deflection of the Tien Shan lithosphere from isostatic equilibrium. At the same time, the patterns of the isostatic anomalies are very different in the Western and Central Tien Shan. The latter one is characterized by much stronger variations. The best fit of the modeling results is found for the model according to which the Tarim plate partially underthrusts the Central Tien Shan; (2) negative density anomalies in the upper mantle under the central block possibly relate to magmatic underplating during the initial stage of the tectonic evolution. Therefore, the weak lithosphere could be the factor that initiates mountain building far away from the collision zone. Alternatively, this might be a gap after detachment of the eclogised lower crust and lithospheric lid, which is filled with the hot asthenospheric material.     

Crust and mantle of the Tien Shan from data of the receiver function tomography

A 3-D velocity model of the Tien Shan crust and upper mantle is constructed through the inversion of the receiver functions of P and S waves together with teleseismic traveltime anomalies at nearly 40 local seismic stations. It is found that in the vast central region, where no strong earthquakes have been known over the past century, the S wave velocity at depths of 10–35 km is lower than in adjacent regions by up to 10%. These data are evidence for mechanical weakness of the crust preventing the accumulation of elastic energy. Apparently, the lower velocity and the weakness of the crust are due to the presence of water. The weakness of the crust is one of the possible reasons for the strain localization responsible for the formation of the present Tien Shan but can also be due in part to the young orogenesis. The crustal thickness is largest (about 60 km) in the Tarim-Tien Shan junction zone. The crust-mantle boundary in this region descends by a jump as a result of an increase in the lower crust thickness. This is probably due to the underthrusting of the Tien Shan by the Tarim lithosphere. This causes the mechanically weak lower crust of the Tarim to delaminate and accumulate in nearly the same way as an accretionary prism during the subduction of oceanic lithosphere. In the upper mantle, the analysis has revealed a low velocity anomaly, apparently related to basaltic outflows of the Upper Cretaceous-Early Paleogene. The Cenozoic Bachu uplift in the northern Tarim depression is also associated with the low velocity anomaly. The Naryn depression is characterized by a high velocity in the upper mantle and can be interpreted as a fragment of an ancient platform.     

Titanomagnetites and ilmenites from the Early Cenozoic basalts and limburgites of the Northern Tien Shan

Based on X-ray spectrometry and thermomagnetic analysis, the chemical composition is studied and the Curie points are determined for the Early Cenozoic basalts and limburgites of the Northern Tien Shan. The microprobe analysis used in combination with the thermomagnetic analysis unambiguously identified a series of homogeneous primarily magmatic titanomagnetites in the studied samples against the broad variety of grains of titanomagnetite that underwent single-phase heterophase oxidation, which are often undetectable by a microprobe alone. The titanium content or TiO₂/FeO ratio in titanomagnetites and, correspondingly, the Curie points reflect the depth of the most recent equilibrium state of the magma, i.e., the depth of the magma sources. According to the dependence of the content of primarily magmatic titanomagnetite on the source depth, the latest equilibrium state of the magmatic melt of the Northern Tien Shan occurred at a depth of 40 ± 5 km. The obtained results agree with the reduction in the seismic velocities by a few percent below the Moho revealed by seismic tomography.     

Stress drop in the sources of intermediate-magnitude earthquakes in northern Tien Shan

The paper is devoted to estimating the dynamical parameters of 14 earthquakes with intermediate magnitudes (energy class 11 to 14), which occurred in the Northern Tien Shan. For obtaining the estimates of these parameters, including the stress drop, which could be then applied in crustal stress reconstruction by the technique suggested by Yu.L. Rebetsky (Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences), we have improved the algorithms and programs for calculating the spectra of the seismograms. The updated products allow for the site responses and spectral transformations during the propagation of seismic waves through the medium (the effect of finite Q-factor). By applying the new approach to the analysis of seismograms recorded by the seismic KNET network, we calculated the radii of the sources (Brune radius), scalar seismic moment, and stress drop (release) for the studied 14 earthquakes. The analysis revealed a scatter in the source radii and stress drop even among the earthquakes that have almost identical energy classes. The stress drop by different earthquakes ranges from one to 75 bar. We have also determined the focal mechanisms and stress regime of the Earth’s crust. It is worth noting that during the considered period, strong seismic events with energy class above 14 were absent within the segment covered by the KNET stations.     

Results of detecting thermal neutrons at Tien Shan high altitude station

The unit for detecting thermal neutrons, which makes it possible to study variations in cosmic rays of the interplanetary and geophysical origin, has been created at the high altitude cosmic ray station (3340 m above sea level) near the Earth’s crust fault. It has been established that variations in thermal neutrons are of the same nature as high-energy variations registered with a neutron supermonitor in the absence of seismic activity. The flux of thermal neutrons from the Earth’s crust during seismic activity in December 2006 has been registered for the first time. The flux value is higher than the background level by 5–6%. The method for detecting the flux of thermal neutrons from the Earth’s crust with the simultaneous registration of high-energy neutrons has been proposed.     

Seismotectonic of Southern Apennines from recent passive seismic experiments

We used data of local earthquakes collected during two recent passive seismic experiments carried out in southern Italy in order to study the seismotectonic setting of the Lucanian Apennine and the surrounding areas. Based on continuous recordings of the temporary stations we extracted over 15,600 waveforms, which were hand-picked along with those recorded by the permanent stations of the Italian national seismic network obtaining a dense, high-quality dataset of P- and S-arrival times. We examined the seismicity occurring in the period 2001–2008 by relocating 566 out of 1047 recorded events with magnitudes M_L ≥ 1.5 and computing 162 fault-plane solutions. Earthquakes were relocated using a minimum one-dimensional velocity model previously obtained for the region and a V_p/V_s ratio of 1.83. Background seismicity is concentrated within the upper crust (between 5 and 20 km of depth) and it is mostly clustered along the Lucanian Apennine chain axis. A significant feature extracted from this study relates to the two E–W trending clusters located in the Potentino and in the Abriola–Pietrapertosa sector (central Lucania region). Hypocentral depths in both clusters are slightly deeper than those observed beneath the Lucanian Apennine. We suggest that these two seismic features are representative of the transition from the inner portion of the chain to the external margin characterized by dextral strike-slip kinematics. In the easternmost part of the study area, below the Bradano foredeep and the Apulia foreland, seismicity is generally deeper and more scattered. The sparse seismicity localized in the Sibari Plain, in the offshore area along the northeastern Calabrian coast and in the Taranto Gulf is also investigated thanks to the new recordings. This seismicity shows hypocenters between 12 and 20 km of depth below the Sibari Plain and is deeper (foci between 10 and 35 km of depth) in the offshore area of the Taranto Gulf. 102 well-constrained fault-plane solutions, showing predominantly normal and strike-slip character with tensional axes (T-axes) generally NE oriented, were selected for the stress tensor analysis. We investigated stress field orientation inverting focal mechanism belonging to the Lucanian Apennine and the Pollino Range, both areas characterized by a more concentrated background seismicity.     

Palinspastic restorations for the south Tien Shan mountains and Tajik depression based on paleomagnetic data

In terms of plate tectonic concepts, horizontal movement are responsible for the formation of fold belts, and modern structures are interpreted by the position of the belt relative to the zones of plate collision. Paleomagnetic data allow the reconstruction of the former positions of these zones relative to a geographic grid, their pre-deformation patterns being important to the solution of problems in fold belt tectonics (Van der Voo et al., 1980; Khramov et al., 1982).Fold structures within the south-western spurs of the Tien Shan Mountains and the intermontane basins separating them were the first to be studied (Rzhevsky, 1966). Paleomagnetic studies aimed at understanding the tectonic setting of the region have been undertaken during the ensuing years and also cover adjacent areas of Central Asia (Khramov et al., 1982).In this paper an attempt is made to summarize some paleomagnetic results, produced palinspastic reconstructions of the region and produce a framework to help understand the formation of one of the crucial parts of the Alpine-Himalayan belt.     

Directional secular variation of the geomagnetic field in Late Devonian volcanics of the Northern Tien Shan

We have paleomagnetically studied sixty andesite-basalt lava flows of the Late Devonian (Frasnian) in the Northern Tien Shan. Stepwise thermal demagnetization revealed a high-temperature dualpolarity magnetization in most of the samples. The primary origin of this component was established by the positive reversal and conglomerate tests. We found a clear difference in angular dispersion of this component between the lower and upper portions of the section. In the former, the dispersion is close to the predictions of various models of geomagnetic secular variation, while the scatter in the top part of the sequence is smaller by a factor of four. We conclude that this distinction is most likely due to the geomagnetic field behavior and hypothesize that the magnitude of secular variation could vary severalfold over time intervals of 10⁵−10⁶ years. This is in sharp contrast with other models of secular variation, where this magnitude has been assumed to be rather time-independent (for a given latitude). We discuss probable implications and alternative interpretations of the observed data.     

Paleoseismological investigations in the pleistoseismal zone of the 1885 Belovodskoe earthquake,North Tien Shan

The results of paleoseismological investigations to find the epicentral area of the Belovodskoe earthquake are presented. New data on prehistoric earthquakes have been obtained resulting from a seismic deformation study using trenching. It is found that seismic dislocations during the reactivation of the fault by the 1885 earthquake did not extend east of the Sokuluk River. In addition, the age and kinematic features of a paleoearthquake located in the area between the Sokuluk and Alamedin rivers are specified. This earthquake occurred in the interval of 887–1533 cal BC and was no less than 7.1 in magnitude. The minimal estimated earthquake source length is 32 km and the reverse-fault amplitude is 3.8 m.     

Radon monitoring in the Northern Tien Shan with application to the process of tectonic earthquake nucleation

Preliminary results of space-time radon monitoring in the Northern Tien Shan are presented. The study area was chosen on the basis of the known seismic events. A basic model of the observed effects is determined. The radon exhalation is shown to depend nonlinearly on variations in the stress state of the medium and the recording mode of the radon field. A geodynamic model of earthquake nucleation is presented and the expected effects in the radon field are examined. Results of measuring radon field variations before earthquakes are presented. It is shown that noticeable and characteristic changes in the radon field are observed, respectively, 90–100 and 3–5 days before a seismic event. Constraints are gained on the response of the radon field within a sedimentary rock mass to the passage of waves generated by distant earthquakes. The data presented in the paper show that radon monitoring can be successfully used for studying the process of earthquake nucleation. The model of tectonic earthquake nucleation proposed in the paper uses data of multidisciplinary geophysical monitoring (including radon monitoring) to obtain a deterministic indicator of earthquake nucleation.     

天山及邻区Vening Meinesz均衡重力异常特征及其动力学意义

本文基于Vening Meinesz区域均衡模型,通过试验不同参数计算Vening Meinesz均衡补偿深度,将其与CRUST1.0模型给出的莫霍面深度进行拟合,得到适应于天山及邻区的平均补偿深度、"地区性指标"以及区域补偿半径.结合地球重力场模型EIGEN-6C4与地形数据,利用球冠体积分方法进行地形效应、沉积层效应计算和均衡校正,得到了研究区的Vening Meinesz均衡重力异常.结果显示天山及邻区的均衡重力异常幅值在-110~120 mGal之间,表明了天山及周边盆地岩石圈所处于的均衡状态,同时揭示了研究区的壳幔密度分布特征.天山、塔里木盆地、准噶尔盆地等块体的地壳垂向形变可能部分地由均衡调整引起,且均衡调整趋势与地面形变测量结果相契合.通过对均衡重力异常成因的解释,从地壳均衡角度分析了该地区复杂的构造背景及其新生代以来的演化历程.     

Geoelectric section of the Central Tien Shan: Analysis of magnetotelluric and magnetovariational responses along the Naryn geotraverse

During the past two decades, at the Research station (Bishkek) more than a hundred magnetotelluric and magnetovariational soundings were carried out on the Naryn geotraverse that intersects the Tien Shan region from Lake Balkhash to the Tarim Basin along the 76° E meridian. Integration and complex interpretation of the data of these soundings with improved resolution and reliability of the geoelectric model of the Central Tien Shan section became an urgent challenge. Our paper presents a complex of methods for processing and invariant analysis of the electromagnetic data developed for the solution of this problem. Its application allowed us to validate the choice of the 2D interpretation model for the Naryn Line and to form the adequate ensemble of the data to be inverted. The developed approaches will also be useful in similar studies in the other mountain regions.     

Crustal structure beneath Tien Shan orogenic belt and its adjacent regions from multi-scale seismic data

As one of the world's most active intracontinental mountain belts, Tien Shan has posed questions for researchers regarding the formation of different tectonic units and active shallow seismicity. Here, we used a huge data set comprising of 7094 earthquakes from local, regional and teleseismic seismic stations. We used waveform modeling and multi-scale double-difference earthquake relocation technique to better constrain the source parameters of the earthquakes. The new set of events provided us with better initial earthquake locations for further tomographic investigation. We found that reverse-faulting earthquakes dominate the whole study area while the fault plane solutions for earthquakes beneath the northwestern Tarim Basin and the Main Pamir Thrust are diverse. There is a low-velocity anomaly beneath Bashkaingdy at depth of 80 km, and high-velocity anomalies beneath central Tien Shan at shallower depths. These observations are the keys to understand the mechanism of Tien Shan's formation because of Tarim Basin northward and Kazakh Shield's southward subduction in the south and north respectively. Velocities beneath western Tien Shan are relatively high. We thus infer that the Western Tien Shan is relatively less deformed than the eastern Tien Shan primarily due to a relatively brittle mantle.