Surface Deformation and the Fault Responsible for the 2003 Bam, Iran, Earthquake

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 113-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Hessami ◽  
Hadi Tabassi ◽  
Koji Okumura ◽  
Mohammad R. Abbassi ◽  
Takashi Azuma
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Sar Interferometry ◽  
Alluvial Deposits ◽  
Bam Earthquake ◽  
Focal Mechanism Solutions ◽  
Surface Ruptures ◽  
Fault Trace ◽  
Fresh Surface

The Bam fault zone is a major active fault zone in southeastern Iran. Geomorphic evidence indicates that it has been responsible for repeated faulting events since the late Pleistocene. The 26 December 2003 Bam earthquake was associated with a 14 km fresh surface rupture trending north-south along the preexisting Bam fault zone. However, an en echelon rupture pattern trending N 15° E developed in the surface of alluvial deposits 5 km west of the Bam fault, in an area where no fault trace is visible in the geomorphology. The slip along the surface ruptures ranged between 0.5 and 20 cm. Rather than being a direct manifestation of the earthquake fault that does not surface, the fresh surface ruptures associated with the Bam earthquake are secondary structures such as synthetic (Reidel) shears and mole tracks, which indicate right-lateral motion along the Bam fault zone. This is compatible with both the focal mechanism solutions of the earthquake and fault displacements during the late Pleistocene. Fresh surface structures indicate areas of dispersed strain not recognized on SAR interferometry.

Displacement and stress field along part of the Cobequid Fault, Nova Scotia

1969 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1095-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard H. Eisbacher
Keyword(s):  
Stress Field ◽  
Fault Zone ◽  
Maximum Compressive Stress ◽  
Clastic Rocks ◽  
The North ◽  
Total Displacement ◽  
Displacement Vectors ◽  
Lateral Displacements ◽  
Fault Trace ◽  
Southern Flank

The east-trending Cobequid Fault separates pre-Carboniferous rocks of the Cobequid Mountains to the north from Carboniferous clastic rocks along the southern flank of the mountains. A detailed study of the fault zone revealed tie predominance of right-lateral displacements. The orientation of the stress field that existed during deformation along the fault trace was determined by the study of systematic fractures in pebbles within Carboniferous conglomerate. Maximum compressive stress was aligned in a NW–SE direction, being compatible with the orientation of the displacement vectors in the fault zone. Transcurrent movement along the Cobequid Fault occurred in late Pennsylvanian time and involved both Carboniferous and pre-Carboniferous rocks; total displacement is unknown.

scholarly journals Seismic Activity of the Manisa Fault Zone in Western Turkey Constrained by Cosmogenic 36Cl Dating

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 451
Author(s):  
Nasim Mozafari ◽  
Çağlar Özkaymak ◽  
Dmitry Tikhomirov ◽  
Susan Ivy-Ochs ◽  
Vasily Alfimov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Vertical Displacement ◽  
Historical Records ◽  
Western Turkey ◽  
Slip Rates ◽  
Vertical Displacements ◽  
Surface Ruptures ◽  
Fault Scarps ◽  
Calculated Average

This study reports on the cosmogenic 36Cl dating of two normal fault scarps in western Turkey, that of the Manastır and Mugırtepe faults, beyond existing historical records. These faults are elements of the western Manisa Fault Zone (MFZ) in the seismically active Gediz Graben. Our modeling revealed that the Manastır fault underwent at least two surface ruptures at 3.5 ± 0.9 ka and 2.0 ± 0.5 ka, with vertical displacements of 3.3 ± 0.5 m and 3.6 ± 0.5 m, respectively. An event at 6.5 ± 1.6 ka with a vertical displacement of 2.7 ± 0.4 m was reconstructed on the Mugırtepe fault. We attribute these earthquakes to the recurring MFZ ruptures, when also the investigated faults slipped. We calculated average slip rates of 1.9 and 0.3 mm yr−1 for the Manastır and Mugırtepe faults, respectively.

scholarly journals Plio-Quaternary history of the Turkish coastal zone of the Enez-Evros Delta: NE Aegean Sea

2001 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. ALPAR
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Aegean Sea ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Shelf Area ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Seismic Profiles ◽  
Alluvial Deposits ◽  
History Of ◽  
Quaternary History

The Enez-Evros Delta, NE Aegean Sea, is located in one the most important wetlands in the world with its sandy offshore islands, abandoned channel mouths, sand-dunes, shoals, marshlands, saline lagoons and saltpans. It comprises very well developed sedimentary units and a prodelta lying on an older submarine delta. The present day elevations of the middle-late Pleistocene marine terraces indicate a regional tectonic uplift in the area. Due to lack of geophysical and bore hole data and partly due to its strategic position, the structural and stratigraphic features of the submarine extension of the delta are not known in detail. In this paper, Plio-Quaternary history of this delta and its submarine part on the Turkish shelf was explored by using high-resolution shallow reflection seismic profiles. The delta is formed by the alluvial deposits of the Enez-Evros River and shaped by their interaction with the sea. It takes place in front of a large and protected ancient bay which was filled rapidly over millennia. The sediments in the plateau off the river are principally pro-deltaic with muddy areas near the river mouths changing to muddy sand further out. The sea-level changes in Plio-Quaternary were characterised by three different seismic stratigraphic units on the folded Miocene limestone basement. In the late Pleistocene, the shelf area over an Upper Miocene basement was flooded during the Riss-Würm interglacial period, exposed in the Würm glacial stage, and flooded once again during the Holocene transgression.

scholarly journals CONTEMPORARY GEODYNAMICS OF THE GAROMAI ACTIVE FAULT (SAKHALIN ISLAND)

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 561-567
Author(s):  
N. F. Vasilenko ◽  
A. S. Prytkov
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Active Fault ◽  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Fault Zones ◽  
Sakhalin Island ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Relative Deformation ◽  
Survey Period ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Deformation Processes

In the northern Sakhalin Island, the tectonic activity of the fault zones is a potential threat to the industrial infrastructure of the petroleum fields. Recently, the background seismicity has increased at the Hokkaido‐Sakhalin fault that consists of several segments, including the Garomai active fault. In the studies of the regional deformation processes, it is important not only to analyze the seismic activity, but also to quantitatively assess the dynamics of deformation accumulation in the fault zones. In order to study the contemporary geodynamics of the Garomai fault, a local GPS/GLONASS network has been established in the area wherein trunk oil and gas pipelines are installed across the fault zone. Based on the annual periodic measurements taken in 2006–2016, we study the features of surface deformation and calculate the rates of displacements caused by the tectonic activity in the fault zone. During the survey period, no significant displacement of the fault wings was revealed. In the immediate vicinity of the fault zone, multidirectional horizontal displacements occur at a rate up to 1.6 mm/yr, and uplifting of the ground surface takes place at a rate of 3.4 mm/yr. This pattern of displacements is a reflection of local deformation processes in the fault zone. At the western wing of the fault, a maximum deformation rate amounts to 1110–6 per year. The fault is a boundary mark of a transition from lower deformation rates at the eastern wing to higher ones at the west wing. In contrast to the general regional compression setting that is typical of the northern Sakhalin Island, extension is currently dominant in the Garomai fault zone. The estimated rates of relative deformation in the vicinity of the Garomai fault give grounds to classify it as ‘hazardous’.

Frequency and size of quaternary surface ruptures of the pitaycachi fault, northeastern Sonora, Mexico

1988 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 956-978
Author(s):  
William B. Bull ◽  
Philip A. Pearthree
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Surface Rupture ◽  
Maximum Slope ◽  
Degradation Rates ◽  
Mountain Front ◽  
Surface Ruptures ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Fault Scarps ◽  
Prior Event

Abstract Movements along the Pitaycachi fault since the Miocene juxtaposed different alluvial units and created 2- to 45-m-high fault scarps downslope from a pedimented mountain front prior to 1887. In 1887, a major earthquake formed a 75-km-long, 12- to 4-m-high scarp along the trace of prehistoric surface ruptures. Diverse evidence from many study sites indicates that about 200,000 yr elapsed between the prior (youngest Pleistocene) event and the 1887 surface rupture. Cumulative displacements of Pliocene(?) to mid-Pleistocene alluvial fans and stream terraces decrease with decreasing age. The trace of the prior rupture was largely buried by sheets of late Pleistocene and Holocene piedmont alluvium. Late Pleistocene soils are offset about the same amount as the height of the 1887 scarp. Valleys that are as much as 40 m deep and 0.5 to 0.9 km wide have been eroded since the prior event; they contain multiple late Pleistocene and Holocene stream terraces that were not faulted until 1887. Pre-1887 alluvial fault scarps were degraded to 2° to 9° slopes before the 1887 event, even in resistant materials such as clay-rich soil horizons with unweathered rhyolite cobbles and calcrete. Scarp height-maximum slope regressions and diffusion-equation analyses for reconstructed pre-1887 scarp profiles indicate that the prior event occurred more than 100,000 yr ago. Acceleration of scarp degradation rates during the Holocene, and/or relatively resistant materials exposed in the scarps, would increase the age estimates to 200,000 yr or more. Very long recurrence intervals are the characteristic style of movement on the Pitaycachi fault. At one site, six ages of diverse valley fills were inset into pedimented granodiorite upslope from the fault between the prior and 1887 events. Only 3 m of relief remained before the 1887 rupture increased the scarp height from 3 to 6 m. Some hillslopes have triangular talus facets of carbonatecemented colluvium that resulted from infrequent fault movements and intervening periods of erosion. Smooth hillsides of resistant volcanic rocks between the facets show that virtually all of the prior surface-rupture event scarps had been removed by prolonged slope degradation.

Dense 3D electrical resistivity tomography to understand complex deep landslide structures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Gance ◽  
Orlando Leite ◽  
Myriam Lajaunie ◽  
Kusnahadi Susanto ◽  
Catherine Truffert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Resistivity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Electrical Resistivity Tomography ◽  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Reference Model ◽  
Slope Instability ◽  
Complex Objects ◽  
Alluvial Deposits ◽  
Resistivity Tomography ◽  
The Village

<p>Large scale slope instabilities are complex objects controlled by multiple parameters. The underground and superficial structure of the slope plays a major role as it often controls water circulations, potentially causing weathering and damaging processes, and permits the local storage of water masses, causing temporary overload. In addition, the structure of the subsurface often delineates rock-volumes with variable mechanical properties, whose spatial distribution greatly influences the behavior of the slope. This work illustrates how Dense 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography can provide relevant constraints on these parameters.</p><p>The village of Viella, in France (Hautes-Pyrénées), is affected by strong slope movement since 2018, when a massive rockslide above the village modified the stress conditions of the entire slope and, potentially, the hydrogeological context. As a consequence, some houses and infrastructures are progressively damaged, leading to heavy measures (houses evacuation). This complex, deep-seated (> 80 m), slope instability covers an area of ca. 650 000 m², is primarily composed of altered shists, colluviums, and non-consolidated alluvial deposits, forming several kinematic units with surface velocities in the range [0.5 – 5] mm.month<sup>-1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>A 3D dense electrical resistivity tomography was realized using the FullWaver system, to characterize the structure and the forcing factors of this unstable slope. 55 V-FullWavers receivers (3 -electrodes, 2 channels sensors) were quasi-evenly distributed over a surface area of 400 x 500 m² with an interval of 90 m, apart from the village area, where no electrode could be grounded. Each V-FullWaver recorded signals through two orthogonal dipoles of 25 m length. Current injections were realized with a high-power transmitter (6 kW, 16 A, 3000 V). 235 injection dipoles were used. The system injected current between a fixed remote electrode (more than 1 km away from the site to increase the investigation depth) and a local mobile electrode, moved all over the investigated area in between the V-Fullwaver receivers, with an interval of approximately 40 m, except in the village area.</p><p> </p><p>The resulting 3D resistivity model presents a high spatial variability until 100 to 150 m depth approximately, that highly relates to the complex strain dynamics of the slope and the hydrogeological observations. It highlights the relation between the most active kinematic compartments and the large-scale structure of the slope.</p><p>It provides a first understanding of the role of local compacted rocks in the buildup of surface deformation but also on the localization of heterogeneities (fissures, scarps) which may relate to water circulation paths.</p><p>. This 3D image of the slope is the first structural reference model for future hydrogeological and geomechanical studies aiming at deducing the possible evolution of the slope.</p>

A study of microseismicity in Northern Baja California, Mexico

1976 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1921-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy L. Johnson ◽  
Juan Madrid ◽  
Theodore Koczynski
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Normal Faults ◽  
East Side ◽  
Composite Focal Mechanism ◽  
Agua Blanca Fault ◽  
Eastern Edge ◽  
Low Activity

abstract Five microearthquake instruments were operated for 2 months in 1974 in a small mobile array deployed at various sites near the Agua Blanca and San Miguel faults. An 80-km-long dection of the San Miguel fault zone is presently active seismically, producing the vast majority of recorded earthquakes. Very low activity was recorded on the Agua Blanca fault. Events were also located near normal faults forming the eastern edge of the Sierra Juarez suggesting that these faults are active. Hypocenters on the San Miguel fault range in depth from 0 to 20 km although two-thirds are in the upper 10 km. A composite focal mechanism showing a mixture of right-lateral and dip slip, east side up, is similar to a solution obtained for the 1956 San Miguel earthquake which proved consistent with observed surface deformation.

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