The possible changes of tectonic stress fields in North China in 16–17th centuries

The ancient tectonic stress field in North China during 16–17th centuries were recovered by studying seismogenic faults of four great earthquakes. Three of them are dip slip events, the direction of the maximum principal stress is vertical, and that of the minimum principal stress is in the NW—SE direction and nearly horizontal tensile stress. Another earthquake is a complicated one which includes thrust and dip-slip activities. The above-stated character is quite different from that of present stress field, it is inferred that the stress field has significantly changed since 16th century, the main stress axis revolved an angle of 90 degrees nearly. The mantle upheaval in the faulted basins in North China during 16–17th centuries may cause the tensile stress field and a series of great earthquakes. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,14, 144–148, 1992.