Crustal movement and deformation in Taiwan and its coastal area

Introduction Both Taiwan Island and Chinese mainland belong to Eurasian plate in geological structure. And the nearest distance between Taiwan Island and Fujian Province, which is located on the opposite coast, is only 130 km. Although there are high-precision GPS networks in both Taiwan and Fujian Province, joint GPS measurement cannot be made directly because of the inconvenient contact due to the strait between them. However, the GPS networks arranged on b…     

Present-day deformation along the El Pilar Fault in eastern Venezuela: Evidence of creep along a major transform boundary

The right-lateral strike-slip El Pilar Fault is one of the major structures that accommodate the relative displacement between the Caribbean and South-America Plates. This fault, which trends East–West along the northeastern Venezuela margin, is a seismogenic source, and shows numerous evidence for active tectonics, including deformation of the Quaternary sediments filling the Cariaco Gulf. Because the main El Pilar Fault strand belongs to a set of strike-slip faults and thrusts between the stable Guyana shield (South) and the Caribbean oceanic floor (North), a GPS network was designed and installed to measure the relative motion of the El Pilar Fault and other faults. The results obtained from the comparison of 2003 and 2005 surveys indicate: (i) a lack of significant displacement (especially shortening) in the Serrania del Interior (Neogene cordillera overthrusted above the Guyana craton), (ii) an eastward displacement (relative to fixed south America plate) up to 22 mm/year of benchmarks located north of the El Pilar Fault.     

黄海的地壳速度结构与中朝-扬子块体拼合边界

利用中国、韩国和ISC台站的地震走时数据反演了黄海地区的地壳P波速度结构,对比重力异常和断裂体系、Pn波速度及其各向异性,分析了不同地球物理异常的相互关系以及黄海东部和西部的结构差异,为厘定黄海东部断裂暨中朝—扬子块体的拼合边界提供了新的信息.反演结果表明,北黄海和南黄海西部具有沉积盆地的地壳结构特征,P波速度明显偏低且深度较大,说明盆地内部沉积层较厚、沉降幅度较大,以北黄海、南黄海海州湾和苏北—南黄盆地最为突出.南黄海中部、胶东半岛、辽东半岛和朝鲜半岛显示出构造隆起区的地壳速度特征,其中南黄海中部的高速异常具有北东方向的伸展痕迹,与胶东地区的区域构造走向趋于一致,但是与朝鲜半岛的高速异常并不相连,其间存在明显的分界.据此推测南黄海与朝鲜半岛之间可能存在一个近南北方向的深断裂——黄海东部断裂,至于该断裂是否可以作为中朝—扬子块体在海区的拼合边界,尚需获取黄海东部及朝鲜半岛更详细的相关资料提供依据.     

川滇菱形块体东边界库仑应力演化及强震发生概率估算

本研究基于分层黏弹介质模型,考虑强震或大地震同震位错、震后黏滞松弛及主断层段震间构造应力加载三方面效应,给出1480年以来,川滇菱形块体东边界鲜水河断裂带、安宁河断裂带、则木河断裂带和小江断裂带共20个断层段由三方面效应引起的累积库仑应力变化随时间的演化,分析强震间相互作用和强震发生的应力累积背景,定性分析各断层段的地震危险性.同时,分别采用现今台网地震目录和川滇菱形块体东边界各断层段强震复发间隔两种资料,定量计算2030年各断层段的强震发生概率;并基于摩擦本构理论,将周边强震引起的库仑应力变化量作为应力扰动,修正强震发生概率的计算结果.各断层段累积库仑应力演化的结果表明,鲜水河断裂带中部八美段、色拉哈段及南部磨西段、安宁河断裂带冕宁-西昌段、小江断裂带北部巧家-东川段和南部建水段的累积库仑应力显著增加.修正的强震发生概率计算结果显示,鲜水河断裂带中部八美-色拉哈-康定一带、安宁河断裂带冕宁-西昌段、小江断裂带南部华宁-建水一带强震发生概率较高,地震危险性值得关注.本研究基于库仑应力演化计算定性分析强震危险性的同时,基于摩擦本构律理论,结合地震引起的应力扰动和强震发生背景,定量计算修正的强震发生概率,为川滇菱形块体东边界强震危险地点及中长期发震紧迫程度判定提供方法和依据.

     

Crustal thickness variations in the Zagros continental collision zone (Iran) from joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion

Variations in crustal thickness in the Zagros determined by joint inversion of P wave receiver functions (RFs) and Rayleigh wave group and phase velocity dispersion. The time domain iterative deconvolution procedure was employed to compute RFs from teleseismic recordings at seven broadband stations of INSN network. Rayleigh wave phase velocity dispersion curves were estimated employing two-station method. Fundamental mode Rayleigh wave group velocities for each station is taken from a regional scale surface wave tomographic imaging. The main variations in crustal thickness that we observe are between stations located in the Zagros fold and thrust belt with those located in the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone (SSZ) and Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic assemblage (UDMA). Our results indicate that the average crustal thickness beneath the Zagros Mountain Range varies from ～46 km in Western and Central Zagros beneath SHGR and GHIR up to ～50 km beneath BNDS located in easternmost of the Zagros. Toward NE, we observe an increase in Moho depth where it reaches ～58 km beneath SNGE located in the SSZ. Average crustal thickness also varies beneath the UDMA from ～50 km in western parts below ASAO to ～58 in central parts below NASN. The observed variation along the SSZ and UDMA may be associated to ongoing slab steepening or break off in the NW Zagros, comparing under thrusting of the Arabian plate beneath Central Zagros. The results show that in Central Iran, the crustal thickness decrease again to ～47 km below KRBR. There is not a significant crustal thickness difference along the Zagros fold and thrust belt. We found the same crystalline crust of ～34 km thick beneath the different parts of the Zagros fold and thrust belt. The similarity of crustal structure suggests that the crust of the Zagros fold and thrust belt was uniform before subsidence and deposition of the sediments. Our results confirm that the shortening of the western and eastern parts of the Zagros basement is small and has only started recently.     

Active folding along a rift-flank: The Catania region case history (SE Sicily)

In this paper a new kinematic and dynamic model on the Recent and active contractional deformation of the Catania region, eastern Sicily, is discussed. The study area represents one of the most seismically active region of the Mediterranean, located at the intersection between the front of the Sicily collision belt and the seismogenic Siculo-Calabrian Rift-Zone. The analysed contractional tectonics form an active triangle zone that originated from the tectonic inversion of a Lower-Middle Pleistocene extensional basin, which was located at the northern edge of the African foreland. The triangle zone consists of two antithetic ENE–WSW oriented thrust-ramps that show evidence of motion during the Holocene and bound a folded belt that involves alluvial deposits as young as 40 ka. These contractional structures represent the final product of the positive tectonic inversion of extensional features located, in the Hyblean Plateau in SE Sicily, along the flank of the active rift zone. The Late Quaternary motions along the inverted structures was accommodated to the west by a major N–S oriented left-lateral fault zone, which separates the active contractional domains from the adjacent sectors of the African margin. As a whole, the Late Quaternary contractional tectonics of SE Sicily have been related to a NW-verging crustal stacking, related to a Mantle intrusion beneath the Hyblean Plateau that developed as effect of the rift-flank deformation. The crustal lineaments, which compose the new kinematic model, represents potentially active seismogenic sources that might be considered in the frame of the seismotectonic picture of the Catania region.     

A closer look at regime shifts based on coastal observations along the eastern boundary of the North Pacific

At least six regime shifts have been reported in the North Pacific since 1920. They occurred in 1925, 1939, 1946, 1976–1977, 1989 and 1999. The major change in 1976–1977 corresponds to a regime shift that is now widely accepted as a canonical event since it had a significant impact on virtually all climatic and ecosystem indicators. We seek to determine if daily sea surface temperature (SST) from Pacific Grove, in central California, and Scripps Pier, in southern California, and coastal observations from several other locations along the west coast of North America can be used to detect and resolve these events. Cumulative sums (CUSUMs) were initially calculated to enhance the detection process. The CUSUM trajectories during the 1976–1977 event at Pacific Grove and Scripps Pier were distinctive, highly correlated, and in phase. The turning point patterns from this event were then used to search for other events that have been reported since 1920. Turning point patterns very similar to the 1976–1977 event were detected in 1946 and 1989. The events in 1925 and 1939 were generally similar, but the CUSUM patterns for the event in 1999 departed significantly from the other events. Further examination of the 1976 and 1989 events revealed inflection points in the CUSUMs near the beginning and end of each transition that correspond to critical values or extrema in the original data. The inflection points and/or critical values provide an improved basis for determining the duration of these events.     

Crustal structure of the eastern Mediterranean inferred from Rayleigh wave dispersion

Rayleigh wave group velocity data from paths crossing the Levantine Sea are presented. We have derived a suite of models for the crustal structure of the Levantine Sea for extreme values of data errors and of the data corrections which were applied in order to account for lateral heterogeneity.We conclude that models with a crustal thickness less than 30 km are not consistent with the data. Our preferred models are characterized by a crustal thickness of 35–40 km. These results and the presence of an extremely thick sedimentary sequence point to a passive continental margin type of structure underlying the Levantine Sea. Additional data from the path Sicily-Jerusalem suggest that this type of structure is representative of the whole of the eastern Mediterranean (Levantine Sea and Ionian Sea).     

Crustal structure along the coast of California from Rayleigh waves

The dispersion curve of Rayleigh waves is obtained for the path San Fernando Valley-Berkeley, using the single-station surface wave method. The crustal model obtained from dispersion data is in excellent agreement with seismic refraction results. Dispersion data enable the rejection of one of the models previously proposed on the basis of refraction data.     

"川滇菱块"东侧边界带的宏-微观异常的形成与构造关系探讨

2001年11月14日昆仑山口西8．1级地震后,2002年“川滇菱块”东侧边界带的安宁河一则木河断裂带、小江断裂带以及大凉山断裂等4级地震异常活跃,宏微观异常大量出现,显示川滇菱形块体东侧边界带的活动性明显增强。本文就“川滇菱块”东侧边界带出现宏一微观异常的现象,形成过程和形成机理进行了分析。同时,与历史震例对比分析认为：宏观异常的项目、集中程度与构造有关,宏观异常与微观异常一样,不仅仅包含短临和临震信息,同样也包含中期和短期信息,甚至可能还包含构造运动所产生的无震信息。因此,研究宏一微观异常出现的时间、地点和相互关系对判断未来强震有一定参考意义。     

Channel sediment variability along a river: A case study of the Siret River (Romania)

The Siret River has the largest drainage basin (42 274 km²) in Romania. It gathers all the rivers from the eastern part of the Eastern Carpathians, a fact that causes marked asymmetry of the basin. This study is principally concerned with changes in the form of the longitudinal profile and the grain size variability introduced by the Carpathian tributaries. Channel sediment analyses considered the petrography, granulometry, and morphometry of the pebbles, relating these to the river bed and floodplain geometry and to some properties of the drainage basin. The following conclusions arise. The Siret River undergoes an intense regrading of its longitudinal profile, with marked aggradation between transects 24 and 26 (see Figures 1 and 2). This reflects selective accumulation of coarse material due to the massive contribution of the Carpathian tributaries. This phenomenon has been continuous throughout the Holocene, resulting in the gravel sheet formation of the Pericarpathian piedmont.     

台湾—吕宋会聚带的地壳运动特征及其动力学机制

南海东部的台湾-吕宋会聚带是南海四个边界中构造背景最为复杂、构造活动最为活跃.本文收集该区的GPS速度场资料,通过对速度场进行样条插值获得了该区连续的速度场、主应变率场、最大剪应变率场等结果.研究发现,该区的地壳运动受西北侧华南陆缘基底隆起和西南侧巴拉望岛阻挡、台湾北部24°N俯冲极转换、琉球海沟弧后扩张,以及菲律宾大断裂高速走滑等关键构造因素的影响,可分为(1)受华南地块运动影响区;(2)台湾岛上俯冲极转换部位至宜兰盆地之间受弧后扩张影响区;(3)俯冲极转换部位以南受菲律宾海板块俯冲和北港隆起阻挡影响区;(4)吕宋岛菲律宾大断裂以东受菲律宾海板块运动影响区;(5)大断裂以西受菲律宾海板块运动和巴拉望阻挡影响区;(6)巴拉望受巽他块体运动影响区6个地壳运动与变形区.     

华南大陆东部地壳物质组成的地震学研究

中生代晚期华南大陆东部发生了大规模的火成岩活动,对地壳物质组成属性有显著影响,地壳中SiO2的平均含量是判别其属性的重要参数.基于华南大陆东部布设的宽频带地震台阵和固定台站数据,利用噪声成像获取高分辨率的面波频散,联合利用接收函数反演地壳的S波速度结构.由地壳的平均波速比和速度信息,通过与岩石物理实验数据对比,估测了华...     

Crustal structure beneath the eastern part of the Coast Ranges (Diablo Range) of central California from explosion seismic and near earthquake data

Seismic refraction and near earthquake data of the U.S. Geological Survey for central California have been compiled into record sections along profiles and interpreted in terms of crustal structure. The profiles are located northeast of the San Andreas fault of central California and run parallel to the general structures. For the explosion seismic line through the centre of the Diablo Range, an uppermost layer (Franciscan formation) with P velocities of 3.6–5.0 km s^?1 decreases in thickness towards the northwest. The lower boundaries of layers with constant velocities of 5.75 and 6.8 km s^?1 are found at almost constant depths of 12 and 21 km, respectively. Between 21 and 26 km depth a well-defined low-velocity zone appears whose velocity is estimated as ～ 5.3 km s^?1 with the aid of a hedgehog inversion and the calculation of amplitudes. This zone is underlain by a layer 3–5 km thick with a velocity of 7.6 km s^?1. The upper-mantle velocity beneath the Moho at 29–30 km depth is 8.2 km s^?1. The near earthquake profiles, located ～ 20 km southwest and parallel to the explosion seismic line, follow more or less the Hayward and Calaveras fault systems. The velocity-depth distribution derived for the earthquake data is very similar to that found beneath the Diablo Range. However, the low-velocity zone at 21–26 km depth does not seem to exist everywhere along the line. The Moho is not disturbed beneath the Calaveras, Hayward and Silver Creek faults; it rises slightly from the Diablo Range towards the southwest.     

Static stress changes as a triggering mechanism of a shallow earthquake: case study of the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquake

The role of static stress changes in triggering an earthquake has long been debated in the fields of geophysics and fault mechanics. Valuable data sets for the study of static triggering were provided within the 1-year period following the devastating 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquake (M_W=7.6), during which more than 20,000 aftershocks occurred. In this study, stress waves generated by the Chi-Chi earthquake were calculated using a source rupture model in conjunction with a layered elastic model. Static (permanent) stress changes were extracted from the long-period offsets in the stressgrams. Correlations between the calculated stress changes and seismicity were analyzed at different depths and over varying time intervals to ascertain the impact effects of stress changes on triggering aftershocks. Correlations between prior seismicity rates and static stress changes imposed by the Chi-Chi event were low, while correlations between late seismicity rates and static stress changes were much higher. This indicates that static stress changes did affect the occurrence of the Chi-Chi aftershock sequence. The percentage of early aftershocks at shallow depths (0-10 km) in static stress-enhanced areas within 2 weeks of the main shock was high but decreased considerably at greater depths (>10 km) and over longer time periods. It is concluded that static stress changes at depths of 0-10 km played a major role in triggering crustal aftershocks, especially those that occurred within 2 weeks of the main shock. In the deeper crust, static stress changes may have been modified by viscous flow, and at later times, perturbed by earlier, larger aftershocks. Although the correlations between seismicity rate changes and static stress changes are imperfect, a region that was anti-triggered is detected when these two results are compared. Static stress changes are presumably not the only aftershock triggering mechanism, but they definitively play a major role in triggering shallow aftershocks.     

Discussion on Characteristics of Crustal Deformation along the Zhangjiakou-Bohai Sea Seismotectonic Zone

INTRODUCTIONThe Zhangjiakou-Penglai fault zone has drawnextensive attentionfromseismologists and geologistssince it was determinedinthe1980’s(Zheng Binghua,et al.,1981).Ma Xingyuan,et al.(1989)consideredit asthe north boundaryof North China sub-block.Int…     

Crustal structure of eastern Cuba,derived by constrained 3D gravity inversion

A three-dimensional crustal model for Eastern Cuba, obtained through a process of gravity data inversion is presented. The study area cover a rectangular area of 64 600 km². The initial model for the inversion was constrained by surface geology, seismic and drilling data. The inversion algorithm uses gravity data to estimate 3-D topographies from the main geological units. The model provides quantitative information on the depths and thicknesses of the geological formations. The resulting model provides new information about the regional composition of the crust. Alien sequences are observed with different compositions and origin over the basement of Bahamas carbonate platform. Most of the maximum gravity anomalies are associated with presence of dense shallow ophiolite sheets. The most remarkable detail is the gravity “southwest” maximum, related to the presence of denser oceanic crust generated in the Cayman spreading center.