Propagation history of the Osaka-wan blind thrust,Japan, from trishear modeling

Mapping the nucleation and 3D fault tip growth of the active Osaka-wan blind thrust provides an opportunity to asses how reactivated thrusts build slip from preexisting faults and the threat they pose as sources of large earthquakes. Analysis of folded growth strata, based on 2D trishear inverse modeling allows a range of best-fit models of the evolution of slip and propagation of the fault to be defined. The depth of the fault tip at 1200 ka varies between ∼1.5–4.5 km, suggesting the fault grew upward from high in the crust, and that it is reactivated. From its onset at ∼1500 ka, the fault grew rapidly along strike in ∼300 ky, and upwards with a P/S ratio of 2.5–3.0, but variable fault slip in space and time. Shallower depths of the fault tip at initiation and thinner basin fill correlates with slower propagation with time, contradicting models that argue for sediments as inhibitors of fault growth. Results also suggest the displacement profile of the currently active thrust is offset from its predecessor, assuming shallower depths to the original fault correlate with greater displacement in its prior history. These results suggest reactivated faults may accrue slip differently than newly developed ones, based on the history of upward fault propagation.     

Explaining the physical origin of Båth's law

Båth's law is one of the three well-known scaling laws for earthquakes. It states that the difference in magnitudes of the mainshock and its largest aftershock is approximately constant, independent of the magnitude of the mainshock. Despite the progress in understanding the nature of Båth's law, the question of whether this law has a physical basis, or is simply a consequence of basic statistical features of aftershock sequences, has remained controversial. In this article we show that Båth's law can be derived within the Cosserat continuum theory from equations describing fault interaction. Our equations can describe both (1) the interacting mainshocks and aftershocks, and (2) the interacting foreshocks and mainshocks. We also derive (1) spatial extension of Båth's law to the normalized distance between the locations of the interacting mainshocks and aftershocks (or foreshocks and mainshocks), and (2) temporal extension of Båth's law to the difference between the time of the interacting mainshocks and aftershocks (or foreshocks and mainshocks).     

Structural evidence for superposition of transtension on transpression in the Zagros collision zone: Main Recent Fault,Piranshahr area,NW Iran

The Main Recent Fault of the Zagros Orogen is an active major dextral strike-slip fault along the Zagros collision zone, generated by oblique continent–continent collision of the Arabian plate with Iranian micro-continent. Two different fault styles are observed along the Piranshahr fault segment of the Main Recent Fault in NW Iran. The first style is a SW-dipping oblique reverse fault with dextral strike-slip displacement and the second style consists of cross-cutting NE-dipping, oblique normal fault dipping to the NE with the same dextral strike-slip displacement. A fault propagation anticline is generated SW of the oblique reverse fault. An active pull-apart basin has been produced to the NE of the Piranshahr oblique normal fault and is associated with other sub-parallel NE-dipping normal faults cutting the reverse oblique fault. Another cross-cutting set of NE–SW trending normal faults are also exist in the pull-apart area. We conclude that the NE verging major dextral oblique reverse fault initiated as a SW verging thrust system due to dextral transpression tectonic of the Zagros collision zone and later it has been overprinted by the NE-dipping oblique normal fault producing dextral strike-slip displacement reflecting progressive change of transpression into transtension in the collision zone. The active Piranshahr pull-apart basin has been generated due to a releasing damage zone along the NW segment of the Main Recent Fault in this area at an overlap of Piranshahr oblique normal fault segment of the Main Recent Fault and the Serow fault, the continuation of the Main Recent Fault to the N.     

Folding of a detachment and fault – Modified detachment folding along a lateral ramp,southwestern Montana,USA

The inversion of the Middle Proterozoic Belt sedimentary basin during Late Cretaceous thrusting in Montana produced a large eastwardly-convex salient, the southern boundary of which is a 200 km-long oblique to lateral ramp subtended by a detachment between the Belt rocks and Archean basement. A 10 km-long lateral ramp segment exposes the upper levels of the detachment where hanging wall Belt rocks have moved out over the Paleozoic and Mesozoic section. The hanging wall structure consists of a train of high amplitude, faulted, asymmetrical detachment folds. Initial west-east shortening produced layer parallel shortening fabrics and dominantly strike slip faulting followed by symmetrical detachment folding. “Lock-up” of movement on the detachment surface produced regional simple shear and caused the detachment folds to become asymmetrical and faulted. Folding of the detachment surface after lock-up modified the easternmost detachment folds further into a southeast-verging, overturned fold pair with a ramp-related fault along the base of the stretched mutual limb.     

准噶尔盆地腹部陆梁油田侏罗系-白垩系成藏模拟研究

为明确陆梁油田储集层排驱压力对油气成藏及分布的影响作用,基于油田地质条件及成藏模式,设计实验模型,运用成藏物理模拟方法,模拟断层输导下的油气成藏过程,观察现象、 分析结果,揭示了陆梁油田不同储盖组合成藏性能受排驱压力控制,即在注入一定压力下,与断层对接储集层排驱压力较小的储盖组合优先成藏,且含油饱和度较高;与断层对接排驱压力较大的储盖组合成藏较晚难度较大,含油饱和度较低。未与断层对接的储集层,无论其排驱压力大小,均难以成藏。物理模拟实验再现了陆梁油田侏罗系-白垩系成藏过程。     

Rock Damage Structure of the South Longmen-Shan Fault in the 2008 M8 Wenchuan Earthquake Viewed with Fault-Zone Trapped Waves and Scientific Drilling

This article is to review results from scientific drilling and fault-zone trapped waves(FZTWs) at the south Longman-Shan fault(LSF) zone that ruptured in the 2008 May 12 M8 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, China. Immediately after the mainshock, two Wenchuan Fault Scientific Drilling(WFSD) boreholes were drilled at WFSD-1 and WFSD-2 sites approximately 400 m and 1 km west of the surface rupture along the Yinxiu-Beichuan fault(YBF), the middle fault strand of the south LSF zone. Two boreholes met the principal slip of Wenchuan earthquake along the YBF at depths of 589-m and 1230-m, respectively. The slip is accompanied with a 100-200-m-wide zone consisting of fault gouge, breccia, cataclasite and fractures. Close to WFSD-1 site, the nearly-vertical slip of ~4.3-m with a 190-m wide zone of highly fractured rocks restricted to the hanging wall of the YBF was found at the ground surface after the Wenchuan earthquake. A dense linear seismic array was deployed across the surface rupture at this venue to record FZTWs generated by aftershocks. Observations and 3-D finite-difference simulations of FZTWs recorded at this cross-fault array and network stations close to the YBF show a distinct low-velocity zone composed by severely damaged rocks along the south LSF at seismogenic depths. The zone is several hundred meters wide along the principal slip, within which seismic velocities are reduced by ~30–55% from wall-rock velocities and with the maximum velocity reduction in the ~200-m-wide rupture core zone at shallow depth. The FZTW-inferred geometry and physical properties of the south LSF rupture zone at shallow depth are in general consistent with the results from petrological and structural analyses of cores and well log at WFSD boreholes. We interpret this remarkable low-velocity zone as being a break-down zone during dynamic rupture in the 2008 M8 earthquake. We examined the FZTWS generated by similar earthquakes before and after the 2008 mainshock and observed that seismic velocities within fault core zone was reduced by ~10% due to severe damage of fault rocks during the M8 mainshock. Scientific drilling and locations of aftershocks generating prominent FZTWs also indicate rupture bifurcation along the YBF and the Anxian-Guangxian fault(AGF), two strands of the south LSF at shallow depth. A combination of seismic, petrologic and geologic study at the south LSF leads to further understand the relationship between the fault-zone structure and rupture dynamics, and the amplification of ground shaking strength along the low-velocity fault zone due to its waveguide effect.     

云南金平长安金矿断裂控矿作用浅析

长安金矿矿体呈似层状、透镜状产于NE陡倾F6断层破碎带的东亚带砂泥质构造岩中,成矿期发生近EW向断裂的构造叠加,成矿之后又遭受到近EW向小断裂的破坏.F6断层破碎带西亚带具导矿作用,东亚带起到容矿的作用,成矿期叠加的EW向断裂（F7、F8、F9等）兼具导矿和容矿作用,侵入于F6断裂带中的细晶正长岩、煌斑岩、辉绿岩等岩浆活动所带来的成矿流体促使矿质富集,形成工业矿体,成矿期后近EW向断裂（F10-1、F10-2）和NNW、NE向小断裂（f）为破矿构造.据此把长安金矿断裂构造演化和成矿初步分为主控矿断裂成矿、叠加断裂成矿和后期断裂破矿三个演化阶段.     

瞬变电磁法在查明断层陷落柱含导水性中的应用--以山西长治李村煤矿首采Ⅰ区为例

煤系地层中断层、陷落柱等构造不仅破坏了煤层的完整性,减少了可采储量,而且影响了煤矿的生产安全,给煤矿开采带来了严重的危害。在煤矿开采初期查明勘探区内断层、陷落柱等构造的空间分布及其含导水性对指导煤矿安全生产具有重要的意义。在充分收集李村煤矿首采Ⅰ区地质、水文及物探资料的基础上,利用瞬变电磁技术对区内断层、陷落柱等构造的含导水性进行勘查,取得了良好的效果,给煤矿的开采设计施工提供了参考依据,并有效的预防了煤矿开采过程中安全事故的发生。     

Rifting Attractor Structures in the Baikal Rift System: Location and Effects

The current geodynamics and tectonophysics of the Baikal rift system (BRS) as recorded in lithospheric stress and strain are discussed in the context of self organization of nonlinear dissipative dynamic systems and nonlinear media. The regional strain field inferred from instrumental seismic moment and fault radius data for almost 70,000 M_LH ⩾ 2.0 events of 1968 through 1994 shows a complex pattern with zones of high strain anisotropy in the central part and both flanks of the rift system (the South Baikal, Hovsgöl, and Muya rift basins, respectively). The three zones of local strain anisotropy highs coincide with domains of predominantly vertical stress where earthquakes of different magnitudes are mostly of normal slip geometry. Pulse-like reversals of principal stresses in the high-strain domains appear to be nonlinear responses of the system to subcrustal processes. In this respect, the BRS lithosphere is interpreted in terms of the self organization theory as a geological dissipative system. Correspondingly, the domains of high strain anisotropy and stress change, called rifting attractor structures (RAS), are the driving forces of its evolution. The location and nonlinear dynamics of the rifting attractors have controlled lithospheric stress and strain of the rift system over the period of observations, and the same scenario may have been valid also in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic rifting history. The suggested model of a positive-feedback (fire-like) evolution of nonlinear dynamical systems with rifting attractors opens a new perspective on the current geodynamics and tectonophysics of the Baikal rift system.     

K–Ar illite dating to constrain multiple events in shallow crustal rocks: Implications for the Late Phanerozoic evolution of NE Asia

A recently developed illite-age-analysis (IAA) approach was applied to determine the multiple events for the Chugaryeong fault belt, Korea. Each event was determined by a combined approach of the optimized illite-polytype quantification and the K–Ar age-dating of clay fractions separated from the fault clays. The Late Cretaceous to Paleogene events (76.5 ± 0.8, 69.1 ± 0.6, 59.3 ± 0.7, and 48.2 ± 0.7 Ma) were recognized by calculating the authigenic 1M/1M_d illite ages on the IAA plots of the fault clays. The Early Cretaceous ages (121.7–124.7 and 112.4 ± 1.5 Ma) were also obtained from the convergent intercepts of 100% 2M₁ illite on the IAA plots. The absence of the 2M₁ illites in the host-rock indicates that the Early Cretaceous ages represent the timings of high-T hydrothermal events of >280 °C. The 2M₁ illites in the fault clays should be pre-formed by a fluid-rock interaction under a relatively high-T subsurface condition, and be mechanically reworked into the near surface along the fault by post-tectonic events. This is the first report determining the absolute age constraints of multi-activated tectonic events from a fault. These geochronological determinations of the multiple events recorded in the Chugaryeong fault belt are crucial to establish the tectonic evolution of the Korean Peninsula since the Late Cretaceous.