Insights on fault reactivation during the 2019, Mw4.9 Le Teil earthquake in southeastern France, from a joint 3D geology and InSAR study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léo Marconato ◽  
Philippe-Hervé Leloup ◽  
Cécile Lasserre ◽  
Séverine Caritg ◽  
Romain Jolivet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Surface Displacement ◽  
Fault Reactivation ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Shallow Depth ◽  
Slip Distribution ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Geological Model ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
3D Geological Model

<div> <div> <div> <p>The 2019, M<sub>w</sub>4.9 Le Teil earthquake occurred in southeastern France, causing important damage in a slow deforming region. Field based, remote sensing and seismological studies following the event revealed its very shallow depth, a rupture length of ~5 km with surface rupture evidences and a thrusting mechanism. We further investigate this earthquake by combining geological field mapping and 3D geology, InSAR time series analysis and coseismic slip inversion.</p> <p>From structural, stratigraphic and geological data collected around the epicenter, we first produce a 3D geological model over a 70 km<sup>2</sup> and 3 km deep zone surrounding the 2019 rupture, using the GeoModeller software. This model includes the geometry of the main faults and geological layers, and especially a geometry for La Rouvière Fault, an Oligocene normal fault likely reactivated during the earthquake.</p> <p>We also generate a time series of the surface displacement by InSAR, based on Sentinel-1 data ranging from early January 2019 to late January 2020, using the NSBAS processing chain. The spatio-temporal patterns of the surface displacement for this limited time span show neither clear pre-seismic signal nor significant postseismic slip. We extract from the InSAR time series the coseismic displacement pattern, and in particular the along-strike slip distribution that shows spatial variations. The maximum relative displacement along the Line-Of-Sight is up to ~16 cm and is located in the southwestern part of the rupture.</p> <p>We then invert for the slip distribution on the fault from the InSAR coseismic surface displacement field. We use a non-negative least square approach based on the CSI software and the fault surface trace defined in the 3D geological model, exploring the range of plausible fault dip values. Best-fitting dips range between 55° and 60°. Such values are slightly lower than those measured on La Rouvière Fault planes in the field. Our model confirms the reactivation of La Rouvière fault, with reverse slip at very shallow depth and two main slip patches reaching 30 cm and 24 cm of slip at 400-500m depth. We finally discuss how the 3D fault geometry and geological configuration could have impacted the slip distribution and propagation during the earthquake.</p> <p>This study is a step to better quantify strain accumulation and assess the seismic hazard associated with other similar faults along the Cévennes fault system, in a densely populated area hosting several nuclear plants.</p> </div> </div> </div>

scholarly journals The November 11 2019 Le Teil, France M5 earthquake: a triggered event in nuclear country

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Paul Ampuero ◽  
Jérémy Billant ◽  
Florent Brenguier ◽  
Olivier Cavalié ◽  
Francoise Courboulex ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Drop ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Shallow Depth ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
Surface Rupture ◽  
Radar Images ◽  
Optical Images ◽  
Reverse Faulting ◽  
Induced Stresses

<p>An earthquake of magnitude 5 (Mw 4.9) occurred near the town of Le Teil, France on November 11 2019, causing damage locally and concern due to its proximity to nuclear facilities. Despite its moderate magnitude, this earthquake offers unique opportunities to advance basic and applied research on earthquakes in general, including our understanding of the largest and most destructive earthquakes and induced seismicity. We present here an overview of the source characteristics of this event and, based on analysis of InSAR and seismological observations and optical images, we discuss its potential relation to human activity. We also discuss the emerging unique research opportunities.</p><p>The Le Teil earthquake occurred in a low seismicity region, a moderate hazard zone that has nevertheless experienced damaging earthquakes in the past. Its hypocentral depth is particularly shallow, less than 1.5 km. Radar images delineate the surface rupture and constrain well the coseismic slip distribution. The surface rupture corresponds to the previously mapped La Rouvière fault, an ancient normal fault reactivated as reverse-faulting by the Le Teil earthquake. Slip is predominantly confined in the top ~1 km and extends along ~4.5 km along-strike with two main slip asperities and stress drop of a few MPa. A large cement quarry sits on top of the deep edge of the rupture area, ~1 km above the fault. Based on optical images we estimate the distribution of mass extracted from the nearby quarry since 1947. We then compute the induced Coulomb stresses on the fault: they are favorable for reverse faulting and reach about 150 kPa, within the range of stresses that have been previously reported to trigger earthquakes, but substantially smaller than the coseismic stress drop. Analysis of the mainshock and quarry blast signals on the nearest stations (8.5 to 45 km distance) places the mainshock epicenter within the area of influence of the quarry-induced stresses. </p><p>These analyses so far indicate that the Le Teil event is likely a triggered earthquake: its initiation was favored by the quarry-induced stresses, but the bulk of its rupture propagation was enabled by naturally pre-existing stresses. We also report on directivity analyses based on various data subsets, which remain to be reconciled, possibly pointing to a non-trivial rupture path.</p><p>The characteristics of the Le Teil earthquake bear on important questions: how can earthquakes nucleate at such shallow depth? what confines slip at such shallow depth? do structural features control the patchy distribution of slip? how do elongated ruptures stop? It also offers a unique opportunity to study directly, by drilling at seismogenic depth, the three key spots of an earthquake: its hypocenter, its large slip area and its arrest area. The high aspect ratio of the rupture, comparable to that of the largest earthquakes, opens a window into the physics of very large earthquakes. Continued research would also address implications for seismic hazard in low-seismicity areas, including the safety of nearby nuclear power plants, especially by monitoring the unbroken sections of the fault system.</p>

scholarly journals Influence of inherited structural domains and their particular strain distributions on the Roer Valley graben evolution from inversion to extension

Solid Earth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-361
Author(s):  
Jef Deckers ◽  
Bernd Rombaut ◽  
Koen Van Noten ◽  
Kris Vanneste
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Strain Distribution ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Fault Reactivation ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Geological Model ◽  
Structural Domains ◽  
Fault Systems ◽  
Roer Valley Graben ◽  
Border Fault

Abstract. The influence of strain distribution inheritance within fault systems on repeated fault reactivation is far less understood than the process of repeated fault reactivation itself. By evaluating cross sections through a new 3D geological model, we demonstrate contrasts in strain distribution between different fault segments of the same fault system during its reverse reactivation and subsequent normal reactivation. The study object is the Roer Valley graben (RVG), a middle Mesozoic rift basin in western Europe that is bounded by large border fault systems. These border fault systems were reversely reactivated under Late Cretaceous compression (inversion) and reactivated as normal faults under Cenozoic extension. A careful evaluation of the new geological model of the western RVG border fault system – the Feldbiss fault system (FFS) – reveals the presence of two structural domains in the FFS with distinctly different strain distributions during both Late Cretaceous compression and Cenozoic extension. A southern domain is characterized by narrow (<3 km) localized faulting, while the northern is characterized by wide (>10 km) distributed faulting. The total normal and reverse throws in the two domains of the FFS were estimated to be similar during both tectonic phases. This shows that each domain accommodated a similar amount of compressional and extensional deformation but persistently distributed it differently. The faults in both structural domains of the FFS strike NW–SE, but the change in geometry between them takes place across the oblique WNW–ESE striking Grote Brogel fault. Also in other parts of the Roer Valley graben, WNW–ESE-striking faults are associated with major geometrical changes (left-stepping patterns) in its border fault system. At the contact between both structural domains, a major NNE–SSW-striking latest Carboniferous strike-slip fault is present, referred to as the Gruitrode Lineament. Across another latest Carboniferous strike-slip fault zone (Donderslag Lineament) nearby, changes in the geometry of Mesozoic fault populations were also noted. These observations demonstrate that Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic inherited changes in fault geometries as well as strain distributions were likely caused by the presence of pre-existing lineaments in the basement.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation of Mining-Induced Stress Evolution and Fault Slip Behavior in Deep Mining

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Jiao ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
Jiong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Rock Burst ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Elastic Strain Energy ◽  
Fault Reactivation ◽  
Reverse Fault ◽  
Geological Model ◽  
Stress Evolution ◽  
3D Geological Model

The ground pressure distributes significant variation in underground mining near fault. Fault reactivation is an important factor to induce the rock burst. Therefore, characterizing geological settings in mining areas by the geological information can improve the accuracy of simulation. To investigate the characteristic of mining stress evolution and reactivation of the F16 reverse fault during the retreat Mining-Induced s in Yima coalfield, a three-dimensional digital elevation model based on GIS platform was applied. The 3D geological model includes three working faces, and F16 fault was constructed by AutoCAD software. Then, the 3D geological model was imported into the FLAC3D code to simulate the potential of mining-induced fault reactivation. The simulation results illustrate that the footwall of F16 fault is a high stress concentration area. Affected by F16 fault and the huge thick gravel rock in the roof, the coal seam near the fault accumulates a large amount of elastic strain energy, which increases the potential of rock burst hazards in the process of mining.

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.

GPS-DERIVED SECULAR VELOCITY FIELD AROUND SANGIHE ISLAND AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE MOLUCCA SEA SEISMICITY

GEOMATIKA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Leni Sophia Heliani ◽  
Cecep Pratama ◽  
Parseno Parseno ◽  
Nurrohmat Widjajanti ◽  
Dwi Lestari
Keyword(s):  
Surface Displacement ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Least Square ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gps Data ◽  
West Side ◽  
Active Deformation ◽  
Secular Motion ◽  
Small Change ◽  
Linear Least Square

<p><em>Sangihe-Moluccas region is the most active seismicity in Indonesia. Between 2015 to 2018 there is four M6 class earthquake occurred close to the Sangihe-Moluccas region. These seismic active regions representing active deformation which is recorded on installed GPS for both campaign and continuous station. However, the origin of those frequent earthquakes has not been well understood especially related to GPS-derived secular motion. Therefore, we intend to estimate the secular motion inside and around Sangihe island. On the other hand, we also evaluate the effect of seismicity on GPS sites. Since our GPS data were conducted on yearly basis, we used an empirical global model of surface displacement due to coseismic activity. We calculate the offset that may be contained in the GPS site during its period</em><em>. </em><em>We remove the offset and estimate again the secular motion using linear least square. Hence, in comparison with the secular motion without considering the seismicity, we observe small change but systematically shifting the motion. We concluded the seismicity in the Molucca sea from 2015 to 2018 systematically change the secular motion around Sangihe Island at the sub-mm level. Finally, we obtained the secular motion toward each other between the east and west side within 1 to 5.5 cm/year displacement. </em></p>

scholarly journals Constructing Adaptive Deformation Models for Estimating DEM Error in SBAS-InSAR Based on Hypothesis Testing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2006
Author(s):  
Jun Hu ◽  
Qiaoqiao Ge ◽  
Jihong Liu ◽  
Wenyan Yang ◽  
Zhigui Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Hypothesis Testing ◽  
Surface Deformation ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Deformation Model ◽  
Phase Time ◽  
Testing Theory ◽  
Sbas Insar ◽  
Deformation Models

The Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique has been widely used to obtain the ground surface deformation of geohazards (e.g., mining subsidence and landslides). As one of the inherent errors in the interferometric phase, the digital elevation model (DEM) error is usually estimated with the help of an a priori deformation model. However, it is difficult to determine an a priori deformation model that can fit the deformation time series well, leading to possible bias in the estimation of DEM error and the deformation time series. In this paper, we propose a method that can construct an adaptive deformation model, based on a set of predefined functions and the hypothesis testing theory in the framework of the small baseline subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) method. Since it is difficult to fit the deformation time series over a long time span by using only one function, the phase time series is first divided into several groups with overlapping regions. In each group, the hypothesis testing theory is employed to adaptively select the optimal deformation model from the predefined functions. The parameters of adaptive deformation models and the DEM error can be modeled with the phase time series and solved by a least square method. Simulations and real data experiments in the Pingchuan mining area, Gaunsu Province, China, demonstrate that, compared to the state-of-the-art deformation modeling strategy (e.g., the linear deformation model and the function group deformation model), the proposed method can significantly improve the accuracy of DEM error estimation and can benefit the estimation of deformation time series.

scholarly journals Adjoint-based direct data assimilation of GNSS time series for optimizing frictional parameters and predicting postseismic deformation following the 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masayuki Kano ◽  
Shin’ichi Miyazaki ◽  
Yoichi Ishikawa ◽  
Kazuro Hirahara
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Temporal Evolution ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Postseismic Deformation ◽  
Coseismic Slip ◽  
Megathrust Earthquakes ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Gnss Time Series

Abstract Postseismic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) time series followed by megathrust earthquakes can be interpreted as a result of afterslip on the plate interface, especially in its early phase. Afterslip is a stress release process accumulated by adjacent coseismic slip and can be considered a recovery process for future events during earthquake cycles. Spatio-temporal evolution of afterslip often triggers subsequent earthquakes through stress perturbation. Therefore, it is important to quantitatively capture the spatio-temporal evolution of afterslip and related postseismic crustal deformation and to predict their future evolution with a physics-based simulation. We developed an adjoint data assimilation method, which directly assimilates GNSS time series into a physics-based model to optimize the frictional parameters that control the slip behavior on the fault. The developed method was validated with synthetic data. Through the optimization of frictional parameters, the spatial distributions of afterslip could roughly (but not in detail) be reproduced if the observation noise was included. The optimization of frictional parameters reproduced not only the postseismic displacements used for the assimilation, but also improved the prediction skill of the following time series. Then, we applied the developed method to the observed GNSS time series for the first 15 days following the 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake. The frictional parameters in the afterslip regions were optimized to A–B ~ O(10 kPa), A ~ O(100 kPa), and L ~ O(10 mm). A large afterslip is inferred on the shallower side of the coseismic slip area. The optimized frictional parameters quantitatively predicted the postseismic GNSS time series for the following 15 days. These characteristics can also be detected if the simulation variables can be simultaneously optimized. The developed data assimilation method, which can be directly applied to GNSS time series following megathrust earthquakes, is an effective quantitative evaluation method for assessing risks of subsequent earthquakes and for monitoring the recovery process of megathrust earthquakes.

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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