scholarly journals From tomographic images to fault heterogeneities

1994 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Chiarabba ◽  
A. Amato
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Sedimentary Cover ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Fault Zones ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Upper Crust ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
South Central ◽  
Velocity Anomalies ◽  
Lateral Heterogeneities

Local Earthquake Tomography (LET) is a useful tool for imaging lateral heterogeneities in the upper crust. The pattern of P- and S-wave velocity anomalies, in relation to the seismicity distribution along active fault zones. can shed light on the existence of discrete seismogenic patches. Recent tomographic studies in well monitored seismic areas have shown that the regions with large seismic moment release generally correspond to high velocity zones (HVZ's). In this paper, we discuss the relationship between the seismogenic behavior of faults and the velocity structure of fault zones as inferred from seismic tomography. First, we review some recent tomographic studies in active strike-slip faults. We show examples from different segments of the San Andreas fault system (Parkfield, Loma Prieta), where detailed studies have been carried out in recent years. We also show two applications of LET to thrust faults (Coalinga, Friuli). Then, we focus on the Irpinia normal fault zone (South-Central Italy), where a Ms = 6.9 earthquake occurred in 1980 and many thousands of attershock travel time data are available. We find that earthquake hypocenters concentrate in HVZ's, whereas low velocity zones (LVZ’ s) appear to be relatively aseismic. The main HVZ's along which the mainshock rupture bas propagated may correspond to velocity weakening fault regions, whereas the LVZ's are probably related to weak materials undergoing stable slip (velocity strengthening). A correlation exists between this HVZ and the area with larger coseismic slip along the fault, according to both surface evidence (a fault scarp as high as 1 m) and strong ground motion waveform modeling. Smaller wave-length, low-velocity anomalies detected along the fault may be the expression of velocity strengthening sections, where aseismic slip occurs. According to our results, the rupture at the nucleation depth (~ 10-12 km) is continuous for the whole fault lenoth (~ 30 km), whereas at shallow depth, different fault segments are activated due to lateral heterogeneities in the sedimentary cover. This finding confirms that the rupture process is controlled by lithologic and structural discontinuities in the upper crust, and emphasizes the contribution that LET can make to the study of fault mechanics.

Structure beneath Queen Charlotte Sound from seismic-refraction and gravity interpretations

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1509-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianson Yuan ◽  
G. D. Spence ◽  
R. D. Hyndman
Keyword(s):  
Crustal Structure ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Sedimentary Basin ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Velocity Variation ◽  
Moho Depth ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Upper Crust ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Data Set

A combined multichannel seismic reflection and refraction survey was carried out in July 1988 to study the Tertiary sedimentary basin architecture and formation and to define the crustal structure and associated plate interactions in the Queen Charlotte Islands region. Simultaneously with the collection of the multichannel reflection data, refractions and wide-angle reflections from the airgun array shots were recorded on single-channel seismographs distributed on land around Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. For this paper a subset of the resulting data set was chosen to study the crustal structure in Queen Charlotte Sound and the nearby subduction zone.Two-dimensional ray tracing and synthetic seismogram modelling produced a velocity structure model in Queen Charlotte Sound. On a margin-parallel line, Moho depth was modelled at 27 km off southern Moresby Island but only 23 km north of Vancouver Island. Excluding the approximately 5 km of the Tertiary sediments, the crust in the latter area is only about 18 km thick, suggesting substantial crustal thinning in Queen Charlotte Sound. Such thinning of the crust supports an extensional mechanism for the origin of the sedimentary basin. Deep crustal layers with velocities of more than 7 km/s were interpreted in the southern portion of Queen Charlotte Sound and beneath the continental margin. They could represent high-velocity material emplaced in the crust from earlier subduction episodes or mafic intrusion associated with the Tertiary volcanics.Seismic velocities of both sediment and upper crust layers are lower in the southern part of Queen Charlotte Sound than in the region near Moresby Island. Well velocity logs indicate a similar velocity variation. Gravity modelling along the survey line parallel to the margin provides additional constraints on the structure. The data require lower densities in the sediment and upper crust of southern Queen Charlotte Sound. The low-velocity, low-density sediments in the south correspond to high-porosity marine sediments found in wells in that region and contrast with lower porosity nonmarine sediments in wells farther north.

An image of the Columbia Plateau from inversion of high‐resolution seismic data

Geophysics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 1278-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Lutter ◽  
Rufus D. Catchings ◽  
Craig M. Jarchow
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Interface Velocity ◽  
Seismic Profile ◽  
Fault Zones ◽  
Reliable Estimate ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Depth Of Penetration ◽  
Image Blurring

We use a method of traveltime inversion of high‐resolution seismic data to provide the first reliable images of internal details of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), the subsurface basalt/sediment interface, and the deeper sediment/basement interface. Velocity structure within the basalts, delineated on the order of 1 km horizontally and 0.2 km vertically, is constrained to within ±0.1 km/s for most of the seismic profile. Over 5000 observed traveltimes fit our model with an rms error of 0.018 s. The maximum depth of penetration of the basalt diving waves (truncated by underlying low‐velocity sediments) provides a reliable estimate of the depth to the base of the basalt, which agrees with well‐log measurements to within 0.05 km (165 ft). We use image blurring, calculated from the resolution matrix, to estimate the aspect ratio of imaged velocity anomaly widths to true widths for velocity features within the basalt. From our calculations of image blurring, we interpret low velocity zones (LVZ) within the basalts at Boylston Mountain and the Whiskey Dick anticline to have widths of 4.5 and 3 km, respectively, within the upper 1.5 km of the model. At greater depth, the widths of these imaged LVZs thin to approximately 2 km or less. We interpret these linear, subparallel, low‐velocity zones imaged adjacent to anticlines of the Yakima Fold Belt to be brecciated fault zones. These fault zones dip to the south at angles between 15 to 45 degrees.

A deep resistivity Full Waver survey unravels the 3D structure of the Castelluccio basin in relation to the source of the 2016 Mw 6.5 Norcia earthquake (central Italy)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Sapia ◽  
Fabio Villani ◽  
Federico Fischanger ◽  
Matteo Lupi ◽  
Paola Baccheschi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Sedimentary Cover ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Fault System ◽  
High Resistivity ◽  
Low Resistivity ◽  
Regularized Inversion

<p>The Castelluccio basin in the central Apennines (Italy) is a ~20-km<sup>2</sup>-wide intramontane Quaternary depression located in the hangingwall of the NW-trending and SW-dipping Vettore-Bove normal fault system (VBFS). This system is responsible for the 2016-2017 seismic sequence, culminated with the 30 October 2016 Mw 6.5 Norcia earthquake that caused widespread surface faulting affecting also the northern part of the Castelluccio basin. Available borehole and geophysical data are not enough to constrain the basin structure, infill architecture and their relations with the long-term activity of the VBFS. Therefore, we carried out an extensive 3D survey using the innovative Fullwaver (FW) technology, conceived to perform deep electrical resistivity tomography (DERT). We aimed at: a) mapping the geometry of the pre-Quaternary limestone basement and the basin infill thickness down to a depth of ~1 km; b) mapping the subsurface structure of known faults and their extent underneath the alluvial cover; c) mapping possible blind faults splays.</p><p>The 3D survey covered a 23 km<sup>2 </sup>area and it was designed with the aim to map the region as regularly as possible, taking into account the rugged topography and logistic issues. We used a series of independent 2-channels receivers connected each to three grounded steel electrodes, 200 m spaced, to record the electrical field generated by a five kilowatt current regulated Time Domain Induced Polarization transmitter. Data were modelled with ViewLab software via a regularized inversion with smoothness constraints to cope with the expected subsurface strong resistivity changes, and to obtain a robust 3D resistivity model.</p><p>The FW technology allowed us to constrain the geometry of the basin. The infill material is imaged as a wide, N-trending moderately resistive (< 300 Ωm) to conductive  (< 100 Ωm) region, likely made of silty sands and gravels, deepening down to 500 m b.g.l. in the southern sector, suggesting the occurrence of two main depocenters. All over the basin, we identify paired high-resistivity (> 500-1000 Ωm) and low-resistivity (< 400 Ωm) belts related to the limestone basement and to the basin infill, respectively. They display NNE and NNW dominant trends. We interpret the sharp boundaries of NNE-trending belts as related to early extensional faults promoting the basin inception. The NNW-trending belts suggest the occurrence of faults that locally cross-cut the previous ones, and that we interpret as splays of the VBFS buried under the basin sedimentary cover. The recognition of different systems of extensional faults is coherent with results of high-resolution seismic profiling carried out recently in the basin. A high-resolution 2D transect with 15 m-spaced electrodes across the 2016 surface ruptures shows details of the active VBFS splay down to 300 m depth. Moreover, in the eastern sector of the survey area, low-resistivity round-shaped anomalies in the Mesozoic substratum hints for deep Miocene compressional structures. Therefore, our DERT imaging suggests a complex tectonics in the subsurface of the Norcia earthquake fault. In particular, the currently active NNW-trending faults seem to overprint a pre-existing structural framework, promoting fault segmentation at different spatial scales</p>

2D crust-upper mantle velocity structure along a seismic section in Nanling, South China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia-ji xi ◽  
Guo-ming jiang ◽  
Gui-bin zhang ◽  
Xiao-long he
Keyword(s):  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Ore Deposits ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Seismic Section ◽  
Late Mesozoic ◽  
Velocity Anomaly ◽  
Metallogenic Belt ◽  
Velocity Anomalies ◽  
Mantle Velocity

<p>    There exists an important polymetallic ore belt in Nanling of the southeastern China. Previous studies suggest that the mineralization of Nanling is probably related to the bottom intrusion of magmatic rocks in the late Mesozoic. In this study, a natural seismic section was installed by using 81 portable stations with an interval of 5 km from July 2017 to August 2019, which runs across the Nanling belt in the south of Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. As a result, we have picked up 3,818 relative residual data from 215 teleseismic events with magnitude greater than 5.5. And we have applied the teleseismic full-waveform tomography and the teleseismic travel-time tomography to study the crust and the mantle velocity structure beneath the Nanling metallogenic belt, respectively. Our preliminary results show that: (1) a clear low-velocity anomaly exists in the crust beneath the Zhenghe-Dapu fault and its east side, which might be related to the rich ore deposits in Nanling; (2) some high-velocity anomalies in the uppermost mantle beneath the Wuyi metallogenic belt may be relevant to the igneous rock cooling and the lithospheric thickening; (3) there are obvious low-velocity anomalies at the upper mantle beneath the Wuyi and Nanling metallogenic belts, which are speculated to be hot materials from asthenosphere upwelling into the bottom of the lithosphere. Our results provide a new insight for investigating the deep structures and deep dynamic processes of Nanling tectonic belt.</p>

Upper crustal structure of NW Iran revealed by regional 3-D Pg velocity tomography

2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (2) ◽  
pp. 1093-1108
Author(s):  
Mehdi Maheri-Peyrov ◽  
Abdolreza Ghods ◽  
Stefanie Donner ◽  
Maryam Akbarzadeh-Aghdam ◽  
Farhad Sobouti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Historical Earthquakes ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Central Iran ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Upper Crust ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Nw Iran ◽  
Velocity Region

SUMMARY We present the result of a 3-D Pg tomography in NW Iran to better understand the relationship between seismicity and velocity structure within the young continental collision system. In this regard, we have collected 559 07 Pg traveltime readings from 3963 well located earthquakes recorded by 353 seismic stations including 121 stations from four new temporary seismic networks. The most prominent feature of our Pg velocity model is a high correlation between the location of majority of large magnitude events and the location of low velocity regions within the seismogenic layer. The large instrumental and historical earthquakes with some limited exceptions tends to happen close to the borders of the low velocity regions. The Lorestan arc of Zagros has the thickest (∼20 km) low velocity region and Central Iran has the thinnest (less than 10 km) low velocity region where little seismicity is observed. Despite the relative increase of thickness of low velocity region in the uppermost part of the upper crust of Alborz, the average Pg velocity of the upper crust increases from Central Iran towards Alborz and reaches to its climax in the northern hills of Alborz, where the catastrophic Rudbar-Tarom 1990 event happened. The Pg velocity map shows presence of a low angle basement ramp in the Lorestan arc at the depth range of ∼10–20 km. The large low angle thrust Ezgele-Sarpolzahab 2017 earthquake and medium size high angle thrust events happened at the base and updip part of the velocity ramp, respectively. The calculated Pg velocity map shows low velocity regions at depths deeper than 11 and 20 km beneath the Sahand and Sabalan volcanoes, respectively.

Crustal and upper mantle Structure Beneath the Ordos Block by Multi-scale seismic tomography

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biao Guo ◽  
Jiuhui Chen ◽  
Xiaoshu Li ◽  
Shuncheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Ordos Block ◽  
P Wave Velocity ◽  
North Part ◽  
Velocity Anomalies ◽  
P Wave Velocity Structure

<p>The Ordos Block located in the center of China mainland, which is one of the oldest and most stable cratons in Asia. It is contiguous to the Yinshan Block, the North China Craton, Alex Block, Yangze Block, and Northeast Tibet. Numerous geologic and geophysical studies engaged in the mechanics of the Ordos Block deformation and evolution, but the detail structure and deformation style of the Ordos Block remains uncertain due to poor geophysical data coverage. During 2013 and 2018, China Earthquake Administration developed XMLY Seismic Array in Ordos Block and adjacent area, which operated more than 1000 broadband seismic stations with an average station spacing of 35km. Using the P-wave Travel time data recorded by the array and multi-scale seismic traveltime tomography technique, we obtained a high-resolution P-wave velocity structure beneath Ordos Block. The seismic tomography algorithm employs sparsity constrains on the wavelet representation velocity model via the L1-norm regularization. This algorithm can efficiently deal with the uneven-sampled volume, and give multi-scale images of the model. Our preliminary results can be summarized as follows: 1, the crustal and upper mantle P-wave velocity structure is strongly inhomogeneous and consistent with the surface geological setting; 2, significant low-velocity anomalies exist beneath the northwestern margin of Ordos Block, which suggested that there exist upper mantle upwelling; 3, There have obvious boundary between Alex and Ordos Block along 104ºE at upper mantle;  4, Along 38ºN tectonic line, there exist different structure between south part and north part of Ordos upper mantle, the south part of Ordos show high-velocity feature and the upper mantle show low-velocity anomalies in north part of Ordos Block. This feature can be interpreted that the two parts of the Ordos Block undergone different Tectonic evolution processes.</p>

scholarly journals The Role of Faults in Groundwater Circulation before and after Seismic Events: Insights from Tracers, Water Isotopes and Geochemistry

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1499
Author(s):  
Davide Fronzi ◽  
Francesco Mirabella ◽  
Carlo Cardellini ◽  
Stefano Caliro ◽  
Stefano Palpacelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Tracer Tests ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Tectonic Structures ◽  
Fault Systems ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
Before And After

The interaction between fluids and tectonic structures such as fault systems is a much-discussed issue. Many scientific works are aimed at understanding what the role of fault systems in the displacement of deep fluids is, by investigating the interaction between the upper mantle, the lower crustal portion and the upraising of gasses carried by liquids. Many other scientific works try to explore the interaction between the recharge processes, i.e., precipitation, and the fault zones, aiming to recognize the function of the abovementioned structures and their capability to direct groundwater flow towards preferential drainage areas. Understanding the role of faults in the recharge processes of punctual and linear springs, meant as gaining streams, is a key point in hydrogeology, as it is known that faults can act either as flow barriers or as preferential flow paths. In this work an investigation of a fault system located in the Nera River catchment (Italy), based on geo-structural investigations, tracer tests, geochemical and isotopic recharge modelling, allows to identify the role of the normal fault system before and after the 2016–2017 central Italy seismic sequence (Mmax = 6.5). The outcome was achieved by an integrated approach consisting of a structural geology field work, combined with GIS-based analysis, and of a hydrogeological investigation based on artificial tracer tests and geochemical and isotopic analyses.

scholarly journals Studying the Depth Structure of the Kyrgyz Tien Shan by Using the Seismic Tomography and Magnetotelluric Sounding Methods

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Irina Medved ◽  
Elena Bataleva ◽  
Michael Buslov
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Tomography ◽  
High Velocity ◽  
Fault Zones ◽  
Magnetotelluric Sounding ◽  
Tien Shan ◽  
High Resistivity ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Low Resistivity ◽  
Velocity Models ◽  
Fluid Saturation

This paper presents new results of detailed seismic tomography (ST) on the deep structure beneath the Middle Tien Shan to a depth of 60 km. For a better understanding of the detected heterogeneities, the obtained velocity models were compared with the results of magnetotelluric sounding (MTS) along the Kekemeren and Naryn profiles, running parallel to the 74 and 76 meridians, respectively. We found that in the study region the velocity characteristics and geoelectric properties correlate with each other. The high-velocity high-resistivity anomalies correspond to the parts of the Tarim and Kazakhstan-Junggar plates submerged under the Tien Shan. We revealed that the structure of the Middle Tien Shan crust is conditioned by the presence of the Central Tien Shan microcontinent. It manifests itself as two anomalies lying one below the other: the lower low-velocity low-resistivity anomaly, and the upper high-velocity high-resistivity anomaly. The fault zones, limiting the Central Tien Shan microcontinent, appear as low-velocity low-resistivity anomalies. The obtained features indicate the fluid saturation of the fault zones. According to the revealed features of the Central Tien Shan geological structure, it is assumed that the lower-crustal low-velocity layer can play a significant role in the delamination of the mantle part of the submerged plates.

scholarly journals Exploring the shallow structure of the San Ramón thrust fault in Santiago, Chile (~33.5° S), using active seismic and electric methods

Solid Earth ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 837-849 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Díaz ◽  
A. Maksymowicz ◽  
G. Vargas ◽  
E. Vera ◽  
E. Contreras-Reyes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Anisotropy ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Sedimentary Cover ◽  
Hanging Wall ◽  
Thrust Fault ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Surface Rupture ◽  
Thrust Tectonics ◽  
Rock Substratum ◽  
Fault Scarps

Abstract. The crustal-scale west-vergent San Ramón thrust fault system, which lies at the foot of the main Andean Cordillera in central Chile, is a geologically active structure with manifestations of late Quaternary complex surface rupture on fault segments along the eastern border of the city of Santiago. From the comparison of geophysical and geological observations, we assessed the subsurface structural pattern that affects the sedimentary cover and rock-substratum topography across fault scarps, which is critical for evaluating structural models and associated seismic hazard along the related faults. We performed seismic profiles with an average length of 250 m, using an array of 24 geophones (Geode), with 25 shots per profile, to produce high-resolution seismic tomography to aid in interpreting impedance changes associated with the deformed sedimentary cover. The recorded travel-time refractions and reflections were jointly inverted by using a 2-D tomographic approach, which resulted in variations across the scarp axis in both the velocities and the reflections that are interpreted as the sedimentary cover-rock substratum topography. Seismic anisotropy observed from tomographic profiles is consistent with sediment deformation triggered by west-vergent thrust tectonics along the fault. Electrical soundings crossing two fault scarps were used to construct subsurface resistivity tomographic profiles, which reveal systematic differences between lower resistivity values in the hanging wall with respect to the footwall of the geological structure, and clearly show well-defined east-dipping resistivity boundaries. These boundaries can be interpreted in terms of structurally driven fluid content change between the hanging wall and the footwall of the San Ramón fault. The overall results are consistent with a west-vergent thrust structure dipping ~55° E in the subsurface beneath the piedmont sediments, with local complexities likely associated with variations in fault surface rupture propagation, fault splays and fault segment transfer zones.

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