THREE-DIMENSIONAL DEFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE XIANSHUIHE FAULT ZONE

In order to analyze 3-dimensional movement and deformation characteristics and seismic risk of the Xianshuihe fault zone, we inverted for dynamic fault locking and slip deficit rate of the fault using the GPS horizontal velocity field of 1999-2007 and 2013-2017 in Sichuan-Yunnan region, and calculated annual vertical change rate to analyze the vertical deformation characteristics of the fault using the cross-fault leveling data during 1980-2017 locating on the Xianshuihe fault. The GPS inversion results indicate that in 1999-2007, the southeastern segment of the fault is tightly locked, the middle segment is less locked, and the northwestern segment is basically in creeping state. In 2013-2017, the southeastern segment of the fault is obviously weekly locked, in which only a patch between Daofu-Bamei is locked, and the northwestern segment is still mostly in creeping state, in which only a patch at southeastern Luhuo is slightly locked from surface to 10km depth. The cross-fault leveling data show that annual vertical change rate of the Zhuwo, Gelou, Xuxu and Goupu sites on the northwestern segment is larger, which means vertical movement is relatively active, and annual vertical change rate of the Longdengba, Laoqianning, and Zheduotang sites on the southeastern segment is small, which means the fault is locked, and the vertical movement changes little before and after the Wenchuan earthquake. Combining with the 3-dimensional movement and deformation, seismic activity and Coulomb stress on the Xianshuihe Fault, we consider the seismic risk of the southeastern segment is larger, and the Wenchuan earthquake reduced the far-field sinistral movement and the fault slip deficit rate, which may reduce the stress and strain accumulation rate and relieve the seismic risk of the southeastern segment.