Deformation at the Easternmost Altyn Tagh Fault: Constraints on the Growth of the Northern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

How the Altyn Tagh fault(ATF) extends eastwards is one of the key questions in the study of the growth of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. Detailed fieldwork at the easternmost part of the ATF shows that the ATF extends eastward and bypasses the Kuantan Mountain; it does not stop at the Kuantan Mountain, but connects with the northern Heishan fault in the east. The ATF does not enter the Alxa Block but extends eastward along the southern Alxa Block to the Jintanan Mountain. The Heishan fault is not a thrust fault but a sinistral strike-slip fault with a component of thrusting and is a part of the ATF. Further to the east, the Heishan fault may connect with the Jintananshan fault. A typical strike-slip duplex develops in the easternmost part of the ATF. The cut and deformed Quaternary sediments and displaced present gullies along the easternmost ATF indicate that it is an active fault. The local highest Mountain(i.e., the Kuantan Mountain) in the region forms in a restraining bend of the ATF due to the thrusting and uplifting. The northward growth of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and the active deformation in South Mongolia are realized by sinistral strike-slipping on a series of NE–SW-trending faults and thrusting in restraining bends along the strike-slip faults with the northeastward motion of blocks between these faults.     

Earthquake Triggering along the Xianshuihe Fault Zone of Western Sichuan,China

Western Sichuan is among the most seismically active regions in southwestern China and is characterized by frequent strong (M 6.5) earthquakes, mainly along the Xianshuihe fault zone. Historical and instrumental seismicity show a temporal pattern of active periods separated by inactive ones, while in space a remarkable epicenter migration has been observed. During the last active period starting in 1893, the sinistral strike–slip Xianshuihe fault of 350 km total length, was entirely broken with the epicenters of successive strong earthquakes migrating along its strike. This pattern is investigated by resolving changes of Coulomb failure function (CFF) since 1893 and hence the evolution of the stress field in the area during the last 110 years. Coulomb stress changes were calculated assuming that earthquakes can be modeled as static dislocations in an elastic halfspace, and taking into account both the coseismic slip in strong (M 6.5) earthquakes and the slow tectonic stress buildup associated with major fault segments. The stress change calculations were performed for faults of strike, dip, and rake appropriate to the strong events. We evaluate whether these stress changes brought a given strong earthquake closer to, or sent it farther from, failure. It was found that all strong earthquakes, and moreover, the majority of smaller events for which reliable fault plane solutions are available, have occurred on stress–enhanced fault segments providing a convincing case in which Coulomb stress modeling gives insight into the temporal and spatial manifestation of seismic activity. We extend the stress calculations to the year 2025 and provide an assessment for future seismic hazard by identifying the fault segments that are possible sites of future strong earthquakes.     

塔西北柯坪剪切挤压构造

塔里木西北的柯坪地区存在着再变形的逆冲岩席。研究表明塔里木盆地西北边界断层－阿合奇断层为一巨型左行走滑断层。它在新生代的总走滑量达３０４ｋｍ,具有与塔里木盆地东南边界阿尔金断层相同量级的走滑量。阿合奇断层与阿尔金断层造成了阿合奇－西昆仑－西南塔里木－阿尔金断层剪切挤压构造系统。     

红河-哀牢山断裂带——喜山期陆内大型左行走滑剪切带

红河-哀牢山断裂带,由两条主要的糜棱岩带及其所夹的变质岩块体组成,是一条左行走滑韧性剪切带。带内糜棱岩叶理产状多为较陡,拉伸线理近水平。大量的S-C构造、旋转眼球体、多米诺牌式构造和布丁构造,以及断裂带两侧的构造线牵引形态都指示左行剪切。剪切带应变机制复杂,剪切应变值变化较大,估算走滑位移量在200km以上。据地质和同位素年龄资料,推断走滑剪切运动发生在喜山期。     

对玲珑—焦家矿集区几个关键地质问题的认识

玲珑—焦家矿集区受伸展-走滑联合构造应力场控制,其矿体倾向与倾角以及侧伏向与侧伏角皆受上述构造动力学条件制约;成矿构造系列类型为伸展-走滑复合型,并可分为四个亚系列;脆性域成矿过程可分解为雏形断裂与宏观断裂两个阶段,而雏形断裂阶段成矿在矿集区十分普遍。讨论了矿集区几种关键构造的型式与性质,并对成矿远景做了初步评估。     

中国新疆天山博阿断裂晚第四纪右旋走滑运动特征

利用遥感资料 ,通过野外实地考察并结合气候地貌事件的分析 ,对斜切北天山、长逾70 0km的博阿断裂 (博罗科努 -阿齐克库都克断裂 )的右旋走滑运动进行了定量研究。该断裂分为西部NW向断裂和东部NWW向断裂。西部NW向断裂长近 2 5 0km ,向西北延伸进入哈萨克斯坦 ,右旋走滑速率可达 5mm/a ;由 4～ 5个断裂段组成 ,其上发育 3～ 4条古地震或历史地震形变带 ,显示具有发生 7.5级地震的能力。东部NWW向断裂右旋走滑速率 1～ 1.4mm/a ;其上发现小规模古地震形变带 ,显示具备发生 7级左右地震的能力。该断裂与山前的逆冲推覆构造之间构成典型的挤压区应变分配形式 ,即在斜向挤压作用下 ,变形分配为山前的逆冲推覆构造和山内的走滑断裂     

Occurrence of springs in massifs of crystalline rocks,northern Portugal

An inventory of artesian springs emerging from fractures (fracture springs) was conducted in the Pinh?o River Basin and Morais Massif, northern Portugal, comprising an area of approximately 650 km². Over 1,500 springs were identified and associated with geological domains and fracture sets. Using cross-tabulation analysis, spring distributions by fracture sets were compared among geological environments, and the deviations related to differences in rock structure and, presumably, to differences in deformational histories. The relation between spring frequencies and rock structures was further investigated by spectral determination, the model introduced in this study. Input data are the spring frequencies and fracture lengths in each geological domain, in addition to the angles between fracture strikes and present-day stress-field orientation (θ). The model's output includes the so-called intrinsic densities, a parameter indexing spring occurrence to factors such as fracture type and associated deformational regime and age. The highest densities (12.2 springs/km of lineament) were associated with young shear fractures produced by brittle deformation, and the lowest (0.1) with old tensional and ductile fractures. Spectral determination also relates each orientation class to a dominant structural parameter: where spring occurrence is controlled by θ, the class is parallel to the present-day stress-field orientation; where the control is attributed to the length of fractures, the spring occurrence follows the strike of large-scale normal faults crossing the region. Electronic Publication     

Biophysical impacts of climate change on bird populations and migration in Lithuania

This paper presents data obtained from studies of the dependence of different migratory processes - spring arrival, migratory take-off, spring and autumn en route migration–upon climate change in Lithuania. The article confirms the impact of global climate warming on different breeding bird species and populations, changes in their ranges and population state, and their staging and wintering areas. The list of bird species which are shifting their ranges north-eastward or eastward in the Baltic region under the influence of global warming is presented. It was established that the impact of global climate change upon birds of terrestrial and wetland complexes is more evident than upon waterfowl. Attention is focussed on the practical importance of the global climate change impact on environmental protection and different branches of the economy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Along‐strike structural linkage and interaction in an active thrust fault system: A case study from the western Sichuan foreland basin,China

Along‐strike structural linkage and interaction between faults is common in various compressional settings worldwide. Understanding the kinematic history of fault interaction processes can provide important constraints on the geometry and evolution of the lateral growth of segmented faults in the fold‐and‐thrust belts, which are important to seismic hazard assessment and hydrocarbon trap development. In this study, we study lateral structural geometry (fault displacement and horizon shortening) of thrust fault linkages and interactions along the Qiongxi anticline in the western Sichuan foreland basin, China, using a high‐resolution 3D seismic reflection dataset. Seismic interpretation suggests that the Qiongxi anticline can be related to three west‐dipping, hard‐linked thrust fault segments that sole onto a regional shallow detachment. Results reveal that the lateral linkage of fault segments limited their development, affecting the along‐strike fault displacement distributions. A deficit between shortening and displacement is observed to increase in linkage zones where complex structural processes occur, such as fault surface bifurcation and secondary faulting, demonstrating the effect of fault linkage process on structural deformation within a thrust array. The distribution of the geometrical characteristics shows that thrust fault development in the area can be described by both the isolated fault model and the coherent fault model. Our measurements show that new fault surfaces bifurcate from the main thrust ramp, which influences both strain distribution in the relay zone and along‐strike fault slip distribution. This work fully describes the geometric and kinematic characteristics of lateral thrust fault linkage, and may provide insights into seismic interpretation strategies in other complex fault transfer zones.