Main active faults and seismic activity along the Yangtze River Economic Belt: Based on remote sensing geological survey

The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) spans three terrain steps in China and features diverse topography that is characterized by significant differences in geological structure and present-day crustal deformation. Active faults and seismic activity are important geological factors for the planning and development of the YREB. In this paper, the spatial distribution and activity of 165 active faults that exist along the YREB have been compiled from previous findings, using both remote-sensing data and geological survey results. The crustal stability of seven particularly noteworthy typical active fault zones and their potential effects on the crustal stability of the urban agglomerations are analyzed. The main active fault zones in the western YREB, together with the neighboring regional active faults, make up an arc fault block region comprising primarily of Sichuan-Yunnan and a “Sichuan-Yunnan arc rotational-shear active tectonic system” strong deformation region that features rotation, shear and extensional deformation. The active faults in the central-eastern YREB, with seven NE-NNE and seven NW-NWW active faults (the “7-longitudinal, 7-horizontal” pattern), macroscopically make up a “chessboard tectonic system” medium-weak deformation region in the geomechanical tectonic system. They are also the main geological constraints for the crustal stability of the YREB.     

淮南顾北矿F104断层两侧岩溶水化学形成机制及导隔水性评价

利用断层两盘岩溶水化学特征判断其导隔水性对于我国华北型煤田水害防治具有十分重要的实践意义。以顾北矿F₁₀₄断层两侧太原组岩溶地下水为研究对象,在分析断层两盘水文地质条件基础上,采用Piper三线图、离子组合比和主成分法,分析了主要组分来源及水-岩作用差异性,并采用PHREEQC软件对岩溶地下水进行反向水化学模拟。结果表明:南北区岩溶水均存在方解石和白云石的溶解和沉淀现象,南区阳离子交换吸附和脱硫酸作用程度强于北区,而北区黄铁矿氧化和岩盐溶解作用较南区明显,南北两区水化学环境及水-岩作用存在显著差异,进而推断F₁₀₄断层具有较好的阻水性,且影响了其两侧的氧化-还原环境及温度差异,控制着地下水径流方向和水-岩作用程度。      

断层附近地应力扰动带宽度及其影响因素

在建立正断层模型的基础上,利用三维有限元数值模拟方法研究了断层附近地层中的地应力变化规律。其结果表明,由于断层活动,在断层附近普遍发育应力扰动带;在应力扰动带范围内,地应力方向和大小发生明显的变化,断层中部附近应力值普遍较低,而断层端部的应力值通常异常增大。应力扰动带的分布范围主要受断层规模的控制,与断裂带的岩石力学性质、断层走向、断层面形态和边界应力条件等因素也密切相关。随断层长度和断距逐步增大,应力扰动带的宽度相应增加。断裂带的岩石越破碎,其岩石弹性模量越低,断层对地应力的影响宽度越大。断层走向与区域最大水平主应力方向越接近垂直、断距与断层长度的比值越大,区域内的差应力越大,则扰动带宽度与断层规模的比值也越大。选择渤海湾盆地BZ-X油田进行验证,在建立油田实际三维地质模型基础上,根据边界应力条件,利用三维有限元方法对沙河街组二段的地应力分布进行了数值模拟计算。根据断层周围的地应力变化,确定了应力扰动带的分布范围,断层附近应力扰动带宽度的分布规律与正断层模型分析结果相一致。      

喜马拉雅地区与天山地区地壳强地震的孕震因素探讨

利用哈佛大学GCMT数据中心和前人积累的历史地震资料(1962~2016年M W>4.0地震)以及Crust2.0地壳结构统计分析了喜马拉雅地区、天山地区的地壳区域构造与地震活动间的相关性。此外,利用GFZ地学研究中心提供的静态卫星重力模型GGM03S/EGM2008和地形模型Topo计算了2个地区的各类重力异常场,同时还模拟了不同地壳弹性参数下的重力异常场,结果表明喜马拉雅地区重力异常场在水平、垂直方向的梯度特征远大于天山地区的异常特征,且喜马拉雅地区的有效弹性板厚度Te(6~15km)小于天山地区的有效弹性板厚度Te(20~30km)。最后,利用喜马拉雅地区与天山地区的GPS震间三维形变场约束了断层运动模型,结果显示两者主前缘断裂的断层闭锁深度及应力积累状态存在较大的差异。因此认为,造成青藏高原及邻区的边界地壳区域地震活动性差异的动力学因素,与地壳有效弹性板厚度、孕震断层参数及区域应力积累状态等密切相关。     

Structural architecture of Neoproterozoic rifting depression groups in the Tarim Basin and their formation dynamics

The Tarim Basin is the largest, oil-bearing, superimposed basin in the northwest of China. The evolution and tectonic properties of the initial Tarim Basin have been hotly disputed and remain enigmatic. The Neoproterozoic basin is covered by a vast desert and a huge-thickness of sedimentary strata, has experienced multiple tectonic movements, had a low signal to noise ratios(SNRs) of deep seismic reflection data, all of which have posed critical obstacles to research. We analysed four field outcrops, 18 wells distributed throughout the basin, 27 reprocessed seismic reflection profiles with higher SNRs across the basin and many ancillary local 2D and 3D profiles and aeromagnetic data. We found about 20 normal fault-controlled rifting depressions of the Cryogenian and Ediacaran scattered throughout the basin, which developed on the Precambrian metamorphic and crystalline basement. The structural framework is clearly different from that of the overlying Phanerozoic. The rifting depressions consist of mainly half grabens, symmetrical troughs and horst-grabens. From the northeast to southwest of the basin,they are divided into three rifting depression groups with the WNW, ENE, and NW-trends that are mainly controlled by normal faults. The maximum thicknesses of the strata are up to 4100 m. From the Cryogenian to Ediacaran, most of the main inherited faults to active and eventually ceased at the end of the Ediacaran or Early Cambrian, while subsidence centres appeared and migrated eastward along the faults. They revealed that the different parts of the Tarim continental block were in NNE-SSWoriented and NNW-SSE-oriented extensional paleo-stress fields(relative to the present) during the Neoproterozoic, and were accompanied by clockwise shearing. According to the analysis of the activities of syn-sedimentary faults, filling sediments,magmatic events, and coordination with aeromagnetic anomalies, the tectonic properties of the fault depressions are different and are primarily continental rifts or intra-continental fault-controlled basins. The rifting phases mainly occurred from 0.8–0.61 Ga.The formation of the rifting depression was associated with the initial opening of the South Altun-West Kunlun Ocean and the South Tianshan Ocean, which were located at the northern and southern margins of the Tarim Block, respectively, in response to the break-up of the Supercontinent Rodinia and the initial opening of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.     

APPLYING 3D INVERSION OF SINGLE-PROFILE MAGNETOTELLURIC DATA TO IDENTIFY THE SHADE AND YUNONGXI FAULTS

Many synthetic model studies suggested that the best way to obtain good 3D interpretation results is to distribute the MT sites at a 2D grid array with regular site spacing over the target area. However, MT 3D inversion was very difficult about 10 years ago. A lot of MT data were collected along one profile and then interpreted with 2D inversion. How to apply the state-of-the-art 3D inversion technique to interpret the accumulated mass MT profiles data is an important topic. Some studies on 3D inversion of measured MT profile data suggested that 2D inversions usually had higher resolution for the subsurface than 3D inversions. Meanwhile, they often made their interpretation based on 2D inversion results, and 3D inversion results were only used to evaluate whether the overall resistivity structures were correct. Some researchers thought that 3D inversions could not resolute the local structure well, while 2D inversion results could agree with the surface geologic features much well and interpret the geologic structures easily. But in the present paper, we find that the result of 3D inversion is better than that of 2D inversion in identifying the location of the two local faults, the Shade Fault(SDF)and the Yunongxi Fault(YNXF), and the deep structures. In this paper, we first studied the electrical structure of SDF and YNXF based on a measured magnetotelluric(MT) profile data. Besides, from the point of identifying active faults, we compared the capacity of identifying deep existing faults between 2D inversion models and 3D models with different inversion parameters. The results show that both 2D and 3D inversion of the single-profile data could obtain reasonable and reliable electrical structures on a regional scale. Combining 2D and 3D models, and according to our present data, we find that both SDF and YNXF probably have cut completely the high resistivity layer in the upper crust and extended to the high conductivity layer in the middle crust. In terms of the deep geometry of the faults, at the profile's location, the SDF dips nearly vertically or dips southeast with high dip angle, and the YNXF dips southeast at depth. In addition, according to the results from our measured MT profile, we find that the 3D inversion of single-profile MT data has the capacity of identifying the location and deep geometry of local faults under present computing ability. Finally, this research suggests that appropriate cell size and reasonable smoothing parameters are important factors for the 3D inversion of single-profile MT data, more specifically, too coarse meshes or too large smoothing parameters on horizontal direction of 3D inversion may result in low resolution of 3D inversions that cannot identify the structure of faults. While, for vertical mesh size and data error thresholds, they have limited effect on identifying shallow tectonics as long as their changes are within a reasonable range. 3D inversion results also indicate that, to some extent, adding tippers to the 3D inversion of a MT profile can improve the model's constraint on the deep geometry of the outcropped faults.     

New style of honeycomb structures revealed on 3D seismic data indicate widespread diagenesis offshore Great South Basin,New Zealand

In the Great South Basin, within the Eocene section, at time-depths around 700–900 ms two way time below the seafloor, unusual features are observed on 3D seismic data closely associated with polygonal faults. The features, referred to as honeycomb structures (HS), cover an area of ∼600 km², are packed circular, oval, to polygonal depressions 150–400 m across in plan view and several to 10 + m in amplitude. Polygonal faults rapidly die out at the Marshall Paraconformity, which is overlain by the Oligocene Penrod Formation. Hence the polygonal faults are inferred to have formed prior to the Marshall Paraconformity, and they cross-cut HS features. Consequently the top of the HS probably formed at burial depths of around 375–500 m, which is their decompacted depth below the paraconformity. The interval containing HS is about 125 m vertical thick. There are several possible origins for the HS. The most probable is related to bulk contraction of the sediment volume accompanied by fluid expulsion, which suggests a diagenetic origin, in particular the opal-A/CT transition. There are actually two polygonal fault systems (PFS) present in the area. The Southern Tier 1 PFS lies laterally to the HS and overlaps with it. The Northern PFS (Tier 2) lies above the HS, appears to be independent of the HS, and formed in the upper 200–300 m of the sediment column. The Tier 1 PFS probably formed by shear failure related to the same diagenetic effects that caused the HS.     

琼东南盆地北礁地区梅山组丘形反射特征

目前琼东南盆地北礁凹陷中中新统梅山组顶部丘形反射引起广泛关注,但对其成因有不同认识。本文通过高精度二维、三维地震、钻井资料,研究丘形反射的特征。研究表明北礁地区梅山组顶部发育近东西向展布的长条形丘体,丘间为水道,丘内为中-弱振幅的地震反射,与西南部强振幅水道砂岩形成鲜明的对比,波阻抗反演揭示丘内为低波阻抗,属泥岩范畴。梅山组塑性丘内地层发生重力扩展,在其上覆的脆性地层（强振幅砂岩和弱振幅泥岩）发育多边形断层,反推出梅山组形成于深水环境,丘为泥丘,沉积环境分析也认为北礁凹陷中中新世为半深海沉积,梅山组的丘-谷分别对应上覆地层的谷-丘,认为是底流剥蚀/沉积成因。本文的研究对南海北部丘形反射的认识有重要意义,并可降低油气探勘风险。     

德干断裂系的特征、活动性与地震危险性评价

乌东德水电站场址附近走向NNE的德干断裂系主要由裸佐断裂、马店断裂、鹿鹤断裂等组成,全长约120 km。该断裂系向北收敛,向南呈“帚状”撒开成多条分支近平行排列,展布宽约6 km。断层构造岩均为脆性变形所产生的碎裂岩系,断裂带内各种次级组构表明,该断裂系在新构造时期存在多次构造活动,且活动强度由强逐渐变弱。断裂最新活动年代在中更新世,运动方式为粘滑兼有稳滑。地震危险性分析认为,倮佐断裂的最大地震震级为6.0级,马店断裂、鹿鹤断裂等在5～5.5级之间。     

海南东北部地区地壳地震各向异性特征初步研究

基于海南省地震台网2000~2013年的区域地震波形数据,用剪切波分裂系统分析方法(SAM)获得了海南琼东北部地区"九五"数字台网中2个台站的剪切波分裂参数。结果表明,快剪切波偏振优势方向代表了原地最大主压应力方向。七星岭台NE方向的快剪切波偏振优势方向与区域水平主压应力场方向不一致,与NE走向的断裂一致,体现了局部构造和局部应力场的复杂性;青山岭NNE向的快剪切波偏振优势方向揭示了NNE走向断裂的构造意义。同时,本研究证实,位于活动断裂上或几条活动断裂交汇部位的台站的快剪切波偏振优势方向与对所选用的小地震起控制作用的活动断裂走向一致,而快剪切波偏振优势方向较为离散则反映了该区域复杂的断裂构造和应力分布特征。