Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo, China, Earthquake Inferred from InSAR Measurements and Relocated Aftershocks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kefeng He ◽  
Yangmao Wen ◽  
Caijun Xu ◽  
Yingwen Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Fault Geometry ◽  
Eurasian Plate ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
Unique Event ◽  
Central Eastern ◽  
Shallow Crust

Abstract A nearly 70 yr hiatus of major seismic activity in the central eastern Bayan Har block (BKB) ended on 22 May 2021, when a multislip-peak sinistral strike-slip earthquake struck western Maduo County, Qinghai. This earthquake, which ruptured the nearly 170 km long Kunlun Pass–Jiangcuo fault, is a rather unique event and offers a rare opportunity to probe the mechanical properties of the intraplate lithosphere of the central eastern BKB. Here, we inferred the fault geometry associated with the Maduo earthquake using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), and relocated aftershocks and inverted the slip distribution through InSAR radar phases and range offsets. Our analysis revealed that the geometry of the fault varies along the strike: the southeastern end of the fault dips steeply to the northeast, whereas the northwestern end dips southwestward. Using the combined datasets to constrain a coseismic slip, we found that the 2021 Maduo event was dominated by sinistral strike-slip movement, with a slight normal-slip component at a shallow depth, rupturing the steep-dipping fault for nearly 170 km in length. Five asperities were detected along the fault strike in the shallow crust (0–12 km) with a peak slip of ∼4.2 m corresponding mostly to simple structures, namely, continuous and straight rupture segments, suggesting that the rupture propagated across geometrical barriers in a multiasperity way. Based on an analysis of the strain field and the focal mechanisms of both the 2021 Maduo earthquake and historical earthquakes that have occurred in the BKB, we propose that the fault zones within the BKB can also generate large earthquakes and have the ability to accommodate the ongoing eastward and northeastward penetration of the Indian plate into the Eurasian plate.

scholarly journals THE 2014 MW 6.9 NORTH AEGEAN TROUGH (NAT) EARTHQUAKE: SEISMOLOGICAL AND GEODETIC EVIDENCE

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 1583
Author(s):  
V. Saltogianni ◽  
M. Gianniou ◽  
T. Taymaz ◽  
S. Yolsal-Çevikbilen ◽  
S. Stiros
Keyword(s):  
Broad Band ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Fault Geometry ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
The North ◽  
Finite Fault Inversion ◽  
Seismological Data ◽  
Finite Fault ◽  
Slip History ◽  
North Aegean

A strong earthquake (Mw 6.9) on 24 May 2014 ruptured the North Aegean Trough (NAT) in Greece, west of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ). In order to provide unbiased constrains of the rupture process and fault geometry of the earthquake, seismological and geodetic data were analyzed independently. First, based on teleseismic long-period P- and SH- waveforms a point-source solution yielded dominantly right-lateral strike-slip faulting mechanism. Furthermore, finite fault inversion of broad-band data revealed the slip history of the earthquake. Second, GPS slip vectors derived from 11 permanent GPS stations uniformly distributed around the meizoseismal area of the earthquake indicated significant horizontal coseismic slip. Inversion of GPS-derived displacements on the basis of Okada model and using the new TOPological INVersion (TOPINV) algorithm permitted to model a vertical strike slip fault, consistent with that derived from seismological data. Obtained results are consistent with the NAT structure and constrain well the fault geometry and the dynamics of the 2014 earthquake. The latter seems to fill a gap in seismicity along the NAT in the last 50 years, but seems not to have a direct relationship with the sequence of recent faulting farther east, along the NAFZ.

scholarly journals Probabilistic Earthquake Scenarios in Bangladesh Based on Magnitude and Depth Parameters

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 2082-2088
Keyword(s):  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
United States Geological Survey ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
Eurasian Plate ◽  
Historical Evidence ◽  
Earthquake Scenarios ◽  
Prime Concern ◽  
Tectonic Settings ◽  
Populated Region

Geographical and tectonic settings of Bangladesh make it susceptible to seismic hazard. Besides, historical evidence says that numerous earthquakes with very large magnitude occur in this region. Currently, the Indian plate is gradually moving in the northeast and subduce beneath the Eurasian Plate. So, geologist suspects that a terrible earthquake with greater than eight (>8) magnitude is inevitable in this highly populated region. Therefore, assessing the integrated vulnerability of earthquake in this region is a prime concern for most of the geologists. In this paper, we performed a rigorous assessment of the earthquake’s vulnerabilities by analysing the historical earthquakes from the last 118 years (1901-2018) that occurred in Bangladesh and the surrounding regions (20.65° N to 28.00° N latitude and 87.00° E to 93.75° E longitude). Moreover, we also perform probability-based distribution analysis to show the intrinsic relationship among various parameters, especially earthquake magnitude and depth. Here, the necessary data are collected from the USGS (United States Geological Survey).

Finite Slip Models of the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence Constrained by Space Geodetic Data and Aftershock Locations

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 1660-1679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeyu Jin ◽  
Yuri Fialko
Keyword(s):  
Stress Transfer ◽  
Nucleation Site ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Earthquake Sequence ◽  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Depth Interval ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
Moderate Amount ◽  
Coulomb Stress Changes ◽  
Stress Changes

ABSTRACT The July 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence involved two large events—the M 6.4 foreshock and the M 7.1 mainshock that ruptured a system of intersecting strike-slip faults. We present analysis of space geodetic observations including Synthetic Aperture Radar and Global Navigation Satellite System data, geological field mapping, and seismicity to constrain the subsurface rupture geometry and slip distribution. The data render a complex pattern of faulting with a number of subparallel as well as cross-cutting fault strands that exhibit variations in both strike and dip angles, including a “flower structure” formed by shallow splay faults. Slip inversions are performed using both homogeneous and layered elastic half-space models informed by the local seismic tomography data. The inferred slip distribution suggests a moderate amount of the shallow coseismic slip deficit. The peak moment release occurred in the depth interval of 3–4 km, consistent with results from previous studies of major strike-slip earthquakes, and the depth distribution of seismicity in California. We use the derived slip models to investigate stress transfer and possible triggering relationships between the M 7.1 mainshock and the M 6.4 foreshock, as well as other moderate events that occurred in the vicinity of the M 7.1 hypocenter. Triggering is discouraged for the average strike of the M 7.1 rupture (320°) but encouraged for the initial orientation of the mainshock rupture suggested by the first-motion data (340°). This lends support to a scenario according to which the earthquake rupture nucleated on a small fault that was more optimally oriented with respect to the regional stress and subsequently propagated along the less-favorably oriented pre-existing faults, possibly facilitated by dynamic weakening. The nucleation site of the mainshock experienced positive dynamic Coulomb stress changes that are much larger than the static stress changes, yet the former failed to initiate rupture.

scholarly journals Fault Geometry and Mechanism of the Mw 5.7 Nakchu Earthquake in Tibet Inferred from InSAR Observations and Stress Measurements

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 5142
Author(s):  
Yujiang Li ◽  
Yongsheng Li ◽  
Xingping Hu ◽  
Haoqing Liu
Keyword(s):  
Focal Mechanism ◽  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Tectonic Stress ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Coseismic Deformation ◽  
Normal Faulting ◽  
Eurasian Plate ◽  
Seismogenic Fault ◽  
Stress Measurements ◽  
Focal Mechanism Solutions

Different types of focal mechanism solutions for the 19 March 2021 Mw 5.7 Nakchu earthquake, Tibet, limit our understanding of this earthquake’s seismogenic mechanism and geodynamic process. In this study, the coseismic deformation field was determined and the geometric parameters of the seismogenic fault were inverted via Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) processing of Sentinel-1 data. The inversion results show that the focal mechanism solutions of the Nakchu earthquake are 237°/69°/−70° (strike/dip/rake), indicating that the seismogenic fault is a NEE-trending, NW-dipping fault dominated by the normal faulting with minor sinistral strike-slip components. The regional tectonic stress field derived from the in-situ stress measurements shows that the orientation of maximum principal compressive stress around the epicenter of the Nakchu earthquake is NNE, subparallel to the fault strike, which controlled the dominant normal faulting. The occurrence of seven M ≥ 7.0 historical earthquakes since the M 7.0 Shenza earthquake in 1934 caused a stress increase of 1.16 × 105 Pa at the hypocenter, which significantly advanced the occurrence of the Nakchu earthquake. Based on a comprehensive analysis of stress fields and focal mechanisms of the Nakchu earthquake, we propose that the dominated normal faulting occurs to accommodate the NE-trending compression of the Indian Plate to the Eurasian Plate and the strong historical earthquakes hastened the process. These results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the geometry and mechanics of the seismogenic fault that produced the Nakchu earthquake.

scholarly journals Surface Rupture Kinematics and Coseismic Slip Distribution during the 2019 Mw7.1 Ridgecrest, California Earthquake Sequence Revealed by SAR and Optical Images

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 3883
Author(s):  
Chenglong Li ◽  
Guohong Zhang ◽  
Xinjian Shan ◽  
Dezheng Zhao ◽  
Yanchuan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strike Slip ◽  
Earthquake Sequence ◽  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Seismogenic Fault ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
Surface Rupture ◽  
Lateral Strike Slip ◽  
Optical Images ◽  
Rupture Kinematics

The 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence ruptured along a complex fault system and triggered seismic and aseismic slips on intersecting faults. To characterize the surface rupture kinematics and fault slip distribution, we used optical images and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) observations to reconstruct the displacement caused by the earthquake sequence. We further calculated curl and divergence from the north-south and east-west components, to effectively identify the surface rupture traces. The results show that the major seismogenic fault had a length of ~55 km and strike of 320° and consisted of five secondary faults. On the basis of the determined multiple-fault geometries, we inverted the coseismic slip distributions by InSAR measurements, which indicates that the Mw7.1 mainshock was dominated by the right-lateral strike-slip (maximum strike-slip of ~5.8 m at the depth of ~7.5 km), with a small dip-slip component (peaking at ~1.8 m) on an east-dipping fault. The Mw6.4 foreshock was dominated by the left-lateral strike-slip on a north-dipping fault. These earthquakes triggered obvious aseismic creep along the Garlock fault (117.3° W–117.5° W). These results are consistent with the rupture process of the earthquake sequence, which featured a complicated cascading rupture rather than a single continuous rupture front propagating along multiple faults.

Inferred fault geometry and slip distribution of the 2010 Jiashian, Taiwan, earthquake is consistent with a thick-skinned deformation model

2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 78-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo-En Ching ◽  
Kaj M. Johnson ◽  
Ruey-Juin Rau ◽  
Ray Y. Chuang ◽  
Long-Chen Kuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Deformation Model ◽  
Fault Geometry ◽  
Taiwan Earthquake

scholarly journals Coseismic fault-slip distribution of the 2019 Ridgecrest Mw6.4 and Mw7.1 earthquakes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Gao ◽  
HuRong Duan ◽  
YongZhi Zhang ◽  
JiaYing Chen ◽  
HeTing Jian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strike Slip ◽  
Fault Slip ◽  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Synthetic Aperture ◽  
Seismic Events ◽  
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar ◽  
The Past ◽  
Dextral Strike Slip Fault ◽  
Fault Slip Distribution ◽  
Dextral Strike Slip

AbstractThe 2019 Ridgecrest, California seismic sequence, including an Mw6.4 foreshock and Mw7.1 mainshock, represent the largest regional seismic events within the past 20 years. To obtain accurate coseismic fault-slip distribution, we used precise positioning data of small earthquakes from January 2019 to October 2020 to determine the dip parameters of the eight fault geometry, and used the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data processed by Xu et al. (Seismol Res Lett 91(4):1979–1985, 2020) at UCSD to constrain inversion of the fault-slip distribution of both earthquakes. The results showed that all faults were sinistral strike-slips with minor dip-slip components, exception for dextral strike-slip fault F2. Fault-slip mainly occurred at depths of 0–12 km, with a maximum slip of 3.0 m. The F1 fault contained two slip peaks located at 2 km of fault S4 and 6 km of fault S5 depth, the latter being located directly above the Mw7.1hypocenter. Two slip peaks with maximum slip of 1.5 m located 8 and 20 km from the SW endpoint of the F2 fault were also identified, and the latter corresponds to the Mw6.4 earthquake. We also analyzed the influence of different inversion parameters on the fault slip distribution, and found that the slip momentum smoothing condition was more suitable for the inversion of the earthquakes slip distribution than the stress-drop smoothing condition.

scholarly journals The nucleation of the Izmit and Düzce earthquakes: Some mechanical logic on where and how ruptures began

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Bouchon ◽  
Hayrullah Karabulut ◽  
Mustafa Aktar ◽  
Serdar Özalaybey ◽  
Jean Schmittbuhl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strike Slip ◽  
Seismic Events ◽  
Fault Geometry ◽  
Brittle Transition ◽  
The North ◽  
Impending Rupture ◽  
Natural Tendency ◽  
Ductile To Brittle Transition ◽  
Mechanical Logic ◽  
Rupture Speed

Summary In spite of growing evidence that many earthquakes are preceded by increased seismic activity, the nature of this activity is still poorly understood. Is it the result of a mostly random process related to the natural tendency of seismic events to cluster in time and space, in which case there is little hope to ever predict earthquakes? Or is it the sign that a physical process that will lead to the impending rupture has begun, in which case we should attempt to identify this process. With this aim we take a further look at the nucleation of two of the best recorded and documented strike-slip earthquakes to date, the 1999 Izmit and Düzce earthquakes which ruptured the North Anatolian Fault over ∼200 km. We show the existence of a remarkable mechanical logic linking together nucleation characteristics, stress loading, fault geometry and rupture speed. In both earthquakes the observations point to slow aseismic slip occurring near the ductile-to-brittle transition zone as the motor of their nucleation.

Complex Slip Distribution of the 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo, China, Earthquake: An Event Occurring on the Slowly Slipping Fault

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rumeng Guo ◽  
Hongfeng Yang ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Yong Zheng ◽  
Lupeng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Slip Rate ◽  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Seismic Gap ◽  
Seismogenic Fault ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
Slip Rates ◽  
Kunlun Mountain ◽  
Coulomb Failure ◽  
Main Fault ◽  
Large Earthquakes

Abstract The 21 May 2021 Maduo earthquake occurred on the Kunlun Mountain Pass–Jiangcuo fault (KMPJF), a seismogenic fault with no documented large earthquakes. To probe its kinematics, we first estimate the slip rates of the KMPJF and Tuosuo Lake segment (TLS, ∼75 km north of the KMPJF) of the East Kunlun fault (EKLF) based on the secular Global Positioning System (GPS) data using the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. Our model reveals that the slip rates of the KMPJF and TLS are 1.7 ± 0.8 and 7.1 ± 0.3 mm/yr, respectively. Then, we invert high-resolution GPS and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar observations to decipher the fault geometry and detailed coseismic slip distribution associated with the Maduo earthquake. The geometry of the KMPFJ significantly varies along strike, composed of five fault subsegments. The most slip is accommodated by two steeply dipping fault segments, with the patch of large sinistral slip concentrated in the shallow depth on a simple straight structure. The released seismic moment is ∼1.5×1020  N·m, equivalent to an Mw 7.39 event, with a peak slip of ∼9.3 m. Combining the average coseismic slip and slip rate of the main fault, an earthquake recurrence period of ∼1250−400+1120  yr is estimated. The Maduo earthquake reminds us to reevaluate the potential of seismic gaps where slip rates are low. Based on our calculated Coulomb failure stress, the Maduo earthquake imposes positive stress on the Maqin–Maqu segment of the EKLF, a long-recognized seismic gap, implying that it may accelerate the occurrence of the next major event in this region.

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