Crustal rheology control on earthquake activity across the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau: Insights from numerical modelling

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

Volumn 100, Issue , 2015, Pages 20-30

  Liu, Chang ^a,b,c   Zhu, Bo Jing ^d   Yang, Xiao Lin ^e   Shi, Yao Lin ^c  

^a HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY   (China)

^b ECOLE NORMALE SUPÉRIEURE   (France)

^c INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS   (China)

^d DURHAM UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^e Earthquake Administration of Shaanxi Province   (China)

Author keywords

Crustal rheology; Eastern tibetan plateau; Longmen shan fault; Lushan earthquake; Stress concentration; Wenchuan earthquake

Indexed keywords

ACCUMULATION RATE; CRUSTAL STRUCTURE; FAULT ZONE; LOWER CRUST; LUSHAN EARTHQUAKE 2013; NUMERICAL MODEL; RHEOLOGY; SEISMOLOGY; SICHUAN EARTHQUAKE 2008; STRESS ANALYSIS; UPPER CRUST;

CHINA; LONGMENSHAN FAULT ZONE; QINGHAI-XIZANG PLATEAU; SICHUAN; SICHUAN BASIN;

EID: 84921654528     PISSN: 13679120     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2015.01.001     Document Type: Article

References (85)

1. Bai D., Unsworth M.J., Meju M.A., Ma X., Teng J., Kong X., Sun Y., Sun J., Wang L., Jiang C., Zhao C., Xiao P., Liu M. Crustal deformation of the eastern Tibetan plateau revealed by magnetotelluric imaging. Nat. Geosci. 2010, 3:358-362.
2. Bai Z., Tian X., Tian Y. Upper mantle P-wave tomography across the Longmenshan fault belt. J. Asian Earth Sci. 2011, 40:873-882. 10.1016/j.jseaes.2010.04.036.
3. Barka A. The 17 August 1999 Izmit earthquake. Science 1999, 285:1858-1859.
4. Beaumont C., Jamieson R.A., Nguyen M.H., Lee B. Himalayan tectonics explained by extrusion of a low-viscosity crustal channel coupled to focussed surface denudation. Nature 2001, 414:738-742.
5. Beaumont C., Jamieson R.A., Nguyen M.H., Medvedev S. Crustal channel flows: 1. numerical models with applications to the tectonics of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. J. Geophys. Res. 2004, 109:B06406. 10.1029/2003JB002809.
6. Bendick R., Flesch L. Reconciling lithospheric deformation and lower crustal flow beneath central Tibet. Geology 2007, 35(10):895-898.
7. Bird P. Lateral extrusion of lower crust from under high topography in the isostatic limit. J. Geophys. Res. 1991, 96:10275-10286.
8. Burchfiel B.C., Chen Z., Liu Y., Royden L. Tectonics of the Longmen Shan and adjacent regions, Central China. Int. Geol. Rev. 1995, 37:661-735.
9. Burchfiel, B.C., Royden, L.H., van der Hilst, R.D., Hager, B.H., Chen, Z., King, R.W., Li, C., Lu, J., Yao, H., Kirby, E., 2008. A geological and geophysical context for the Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008, Sichuan, People's Republic of China. GSA Today 18. <>. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/GSATG18A.1.
10. Byerlee L. Friction of rocks. Pure Appl. Geophys. 1978, 161:615-626.
11. Chen W., Hsu L. Historic seismicity near the source zone of the great 2008 Wenchuan earthquake: Implications for seismic hazards. Tectonophysics 2013, 584:114-118.
12. Chen Y., Zhang Z., Sun C., Badal J. Crustal anisotropy from Moho converted Ps wave splitting analysis and geodynamic implications beneath the eastern margin of Tibet and surrounding regions. Gondwana Res. 2012, 10.1016/j.gr.2012.04.003.
13. Chen L., Gerya T., Zhang Z.J., Zhu G.Z., Duretz T., Jacoby W. Numerical modeling of eastern Tibetan-type margin: influences of surface processes, lithospheric structure and crustal rheology. Gondwana Res. 2013, 24(3):1091-1107.
14. Chen M., Huang H., Yao H., van der Hilst R., Niu F. Low wave speed zones in the crust beneath SE Tibet revealed by ambient noise adjoint tomography. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2013, 41:334-340.
15. Chen Y.T., Yang Z.Y., Zhang Y., Liu C. From 2008 Wenchuan earthquake to 2013 Lushan earthquake. Sci. Sin. Terrae 2013, 43:1064-1072.
16. Christensen N.I., Mooney W.D. Seismic velocity structure and composition of the continental crust: a global view. J. Geophys. Res. 1995, 100:9761-9788.
17. Clark M.K., Bush J.M., Royden L.H. Dynamic topography produced by lower crustal flow against rheological strength heterogeneities bordering the Tibetan Plateau. Geophys. J. Int. 2005, 162:575-590.
18. Ge S., Liu M., Lu N., Godt N., Luo G. Did the Zipingpu Reservoir trigger the Wenchuan earthquake?. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2009, 36:L20315. 10.1029/2009GL040349.
19. Godard V., Cattin R., Lavé J. Erosional control on the dynamics of low-convergence rate continental plateau margins. Geophys. J. Int. 2009, 179(2):763-777.
20. Hao J.L., Ji C., Wang W.M., Yao Z.X. Rupture history of the 2013 Mw 6.6 Lushan earthquake constrained with local strong motion and teleseismic body and surface waves. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2013, 40:1-6. 10.1002/2013 GL056876.
21. Hilley G.E., Burgmann R., Zhang P.Z., Molnar P. Bayesian inference of plastosphere viscosities near the Kunlun Fault, northern Tibet. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2005, 32. 10.1029/2004GL021658.
22. Huang J.L., Zhao D.P., Zheng S.H. Lithospheric structure and it's relationship to seismic and volcanic activity in southwest China. J. Geophys. Res. 2002, 107(B10):1-14.
23. Huang M.H., Bürgmann R., Freed A.M. Probing the lithospheric rheology across the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2014, 396:88-96.
24. Hubbard J., Shaw J.H. Uplift of the Longmen Shan and Tibetan plateau, and the 2008 Wenchuan (M=7.9) earthquake. Nature 2009, 458:194-197.
25. Lei J., Zhao D. Structural heterogeneity of the Longmenshan fault zone and the mechanism of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (Ms 8.0). Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 2009, 10:Q10010.
26. Lei J., Li Y., Xie F., Teng J., Zhang G., Sun C., Zha X. Pn anisotropic tomography and dynamics under eastern Tibetan plateau. J. Geophys. Res. 2014, 119(3):2174-2198.
27. Lev E., Long M.D., van der Hilst R.D. Seismic anisotropy from shear-wave splitting in Eastern Tibet reveals changes in lithospheric deformation. Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 2006, 251:293-304.
28. Li C., van der Hilst R.D., Toksoz M.N. Constraining spatial variations in P-wave velocity in the upper mantle beneath SE Asia. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 2006, 154:180-195.
29. Li C., van der Hilst R.D., Engdahl E.R., Burdick S. A new global model for P-wave speed variations in Earth's mantle. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 2008, 10.1029/2007GC001806.
30. Li Q., Liu M., Zhang H. A 3-D viscoelastoplastic model for simulating long-term slip on non-planar faults. Geophys. J. Int. 2009, 176:293-306. 10.1007/s11434-008-0588-7.
31. Li Z., Tian B., Liu S., Yang J. Asperity of the 2013 Lushan earthquake in the eastern margin of Tibetan Plateau from seismic tomography and aftershock relocation. Geophys. J. Int. 2013, 195(3):2016-2022.
32. Li Y., Jia D., Wang M., Shaw J., He J., Lin A., Xiong L., Rao G. Structural geometry of the source region for the 2013 Mw 6.6 Lushan earthquake: Implication for earthquake hazard assessment along the Longmen Shan. Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 2014, 390:275-286.
33. Liu M. Extensional collapse of mountain belts: Insights from geodynamic modelling. Recent Res. Devel. Geophys. 2000, 3:107-124.
34. Liu M., Yang Y. Extensional collapse of the Tibetan Plateau: results from three dimensional finite element modeling. J. Geophys. Res. 2003, 108. 10.1029/2002JB002248.
35. Liu M., Wang H., Li Q. Inception of the Eastern California Shear Zone and evolution of the San Adreas Fault plate boundary zone: from kinematics to geodynamics. J. Geophys. Res. 2010, 115:B07401.
36. Liu M., Stein S., Wang H. 2000 years of migrating earthquakes in North China: how earthquakes in midcontinents differ from those at plate boundaries. Lithosphere 2011, 3(2):128-132.
37. Liu C., Zhu B.J., Shi Y.L. Stress accumulation on Longmenshan fault and recurrence interval of Wenchuan earthquake based on visco-elasticity. Acta Geol. Sin. 2012, 86(1):157-169.
38. Liu Q.Y., van der Hilst D.R., Li Y., Yao H.J., Chen J.H., Guo B., Qi S.H., Wang J., Huang H., Li S.C. Eastward expansion of the Tibetan Plateau by crustal flow and strain partitioning across faults. Nat. Geosci. 2014, 7:361-365. 10.1038/NGEO2130.
39. Liu C., Zhu B.J., Yang X.L. How does crustal shortening contribute to the uplift of the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau?. J. Asian Earth Sci. 2015, 98:18-25.
40. Luo G., Liu M. Why subduction causes mountain building in the Andes, but not in the Cascadia?. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2009, 36:L08301.
41. Luo G., Liu M. Stress evolution and fault interactions in eastern Tibet: implications for the 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. Tectonophysics 2010, 10.1016/j.tecto.2009.12.019.
42. Luo G., Liu M. Multi-timescale mechanical coupling between the San Jacinto Fault and the San Andreas Fault, southern California. Lithosphere 2012, 10.1130/L1180.1131.
43. Lv J., Wang X., Su J., Pan L., Li Z., Yin L., Zeng X., Deng H. Hypocentral location and source mechanism of the Ms7.0 Lushan earthquake sequence. Chin. J. Geophys. 2013, 56(5):1753-1763.
44. McCloskey J., Nalbant S., Steacy S. Indonesian earthquake: earthquake risk from co-seismic stress. Nature 2005, 434:291.
45. Nalbant S., McCloskey J. Stress evolution before and after the 2008 Wenchuan, China earthquake. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2011, 307:222-232.
46. Parsons T., Ji C., Kirby E. Stress changes from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and increased hazard in the Sichuan basin. Nature 2008, 454(7203):509-510.
47. Pei S., Chen Y., Gao Xing, Su J. High-resolution seismic velocity structure and azimuthal anisotropy around the 2010 Ms=7.1 Yushu earthquake, Qinghai, China from 2D tomography. Tectonophysics 2013, 584:144-151.
48. Pei S., Zhang H., Su J., Cui Z. Ductile Gap between the Wenchuan and Lushan Earthquakes revealed from the Two-dimensional Pg seismic tomography. Sci. Rep. 2014, 4:6489. 10.1038/srep06489.
49. Robert A., Pubellier M., de Sigoyer J., Lahfid A., Cattin R., Findling N., Zhu J.S. Structural and thermal characters of the Longmen Shan (Sichuan, China). Tectonophysics 2010, 491(1):165-173. 10.1016/j.tecto.2010.03.018.
50. Royden L.H., Burchfiel B.C., King W.R., Chen Z., Shen F. Surface deformation and lower crustal flow in eastern Tibet. Science 1997, 276(5313):788-790.
51. Royden L.H., Burchfiel B.C., van der Hilst R.D. The geological evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. Science 2008, 321(5892):1054-1058.
52. Shan B., Xiong X., Zheng Y., Jin B., Liu C., Xie Z. Stress changes on major faults caused by 2013 Lushan earthquake and its relationship with 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Sci. China Earth Sci. 2013, 56(7):1169-1176.
53. Shen Z.K., Lü J.N., Wang M., Burgmann R. Contemporary crustal deformation around the southeast borderland of the Tibetan Plateau. J. Geophys. Res. 2005, 110(B11409).
54. Shen Z.K., Sun J., Zhang P., Wan Y., Wang M., Bürgmann R. Slip maxima at fault junctions and rupturing of barriers during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Nat. Geosci. 2009, 2(10):718-724.
55. Shi Y.L., Cao J.L. Effective viscosity of China continental lithosphere. Earth Sci. Front. 2008, 15(3):83-95.
56. Stone R. An unpredictably violent fault. Science 2008, 320(5883):1578-1580.
57. Tang R., Wen D., Huang Z., W X., Lin W., Chen G., Wu G. The quaternary activity characteristics of several major active faults in the Songpan-Longmenshan region. Earthquake Sci. China 1991, 7(3):64-71.
58. Tapponnier P., Zhiqin X., Roger F., Meyer B., Arnaud N., Wittlinger G., Yang J.S. Oblique stepwise rise and growth of the Tibet Plateau. Science 2001, 294(5547):1671-1677.
59. Teng J.W., Bai D.H., Yang H., Yan Y.F., Zhang H.S., Zhang Y.Q., Ruan X.M. The mechanism and dynamics of the generation and occurrence for Wenchuan Mw7.9 earthquake. Chin. J. Geophys. 2008, 51(5):1385-1402.
60. Tian X., Liu Z., Si S., Zhang Z. The crustal thickness of NE Tibet and its implication for crustal shortening. Tectonophysics 2014, 634:198-207.
61. Toda S., Lin J., Meghraoui M., Stein R. 12 May 2008 M=7.9 Wenchuan, China, earthquake calculated to increase failure stress and seismicity rate on three major fault systems. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2008, 35(L17305):2008G. 10.1029/L034903.
62. Wang Y. Heat flow pattern and lateral variations of lithosphere strength in China mainland: constraints on active deformation. Phys. Earth Planet. Interior 2001, 126:121-146.
63. Wang C.Y., Chan W., Mooney W. Three-dimensional velocity structure of crust and upper mantle in southwestern China and its tectonic implications. J. Geophys. Res. 2003, 108(B9):2442. 10.1029/2002JB001973.
64. Wang Y., Cao J., Zhu J. Seismic velocity structure and composition of the continental crust of eastern China. Acta Geol. Sinica 2004, 78:291-297.
65. Wang Y.X., Mooney W.D., Han G.H., Xu C.Y., Jiang M. The crustal P-wave velocity structure from Altyn Tagh to Longmen mountains along the Taiwan-Altay geoscience transection. Chin. J. Geophys. 2005, 48(1):98-105.
66. Wang C.Y., Han W.B., Wu J.P., Lou H., Chan W.W. Crustal structure beneath the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and its tectonic implications. J. Geophys. Res. 2007, 112:B07307. 10.1029/2005JB003873.
67. Wang C.Y., Han W.B., Wu J.P., Lou H., Chan W.W. Crustal structure beneaththe eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and its tectonic implications. J. Geophys. Res. 2007, 112:B07307.
68. Wang C.Y., Flesch L.M., Silver P.G., Chang L.J. Evidence for mechanically coupled lithosphere in central Asia and resulting implications. Geology 2008, 36(5):363-366.
69. Wang Z., Fukao Y., Pei S. Structural control of rupturing of the Mw7. 9 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, China. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2009, 279(1):131-138.
70. Wang Z., Wang J., Chen Z., Liu Y., Huang R., Pei S., Zhang Q., Tang W. Seismic imaging, crustal stress and GPS data analyses: Implications for the generation of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake (M7.9), China. Gondwana Res. 2011, 19:202-212.
71. Wang C.H., Song C.K., Guo Q.L., Zhang Y.S., Ding J.M. Stress build-up in the shallow crust before the Lushan Earthquake based on the in-situ stress measurements. Chin. J. Geophys. 2014, 57(1):102-114.
72. Wang Z., Huang R., Pei S. Crustal deformation along the Longmen-Shan fault zone and its implications for seismogenesis. Tectonophysics 2014, 610:128-137.
73. Wei W.B., Unsworth M., Jones A.G., Tan H.D., Nelson D., Chen L., Shi S., Solon K., Bedrosian P., Jin S., Deng M., Ledo J., Kay D., Roberts B. Detection of widespread fluids in the Tibetan crust by magnetotelluric studies. Science 2001, 292:716-719.
74. Wei W., Zhao D., Xu J. P-wave anisotropic tomography in Southeast Tibet: New insight into the lower crustal flow and seismotectonics. Phys. Earth Planet. Interior 2013, 222:47-57.
75. Xu L., Rondenay S., van der Hilst R. Structure of the crust beneath the southeastern Tibetan Plateau from teleseismic receiver functions. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 2007, 165:176-193.
76. Xu C., Wang J., Li Z. Applying the Coulomb failure function with an optimally oriented plane to the 2008Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake triggering. Tectonophysics 2010, 491:119-126.
77. Xu M., Zhu C.Q., Rao S., Hu S.B. Difference of thermal structure between eastern edge of Tibet Plateau and western Sichuan Basin. Chin. J. Geol. 2011, 46:203-212.
78. Yang Y., Liu M. Cenozoic deformation of the Tarim Basin and its implications for collisional mountain building in the Tibetan plateau and the Tian Shan. Tectonics 2002, 21. 10.1029/2001TC001300.
79. Yuan Y.S., Ma Y.S., Hu S.B., Guo T.L., Fu X.Y. Present-day geothermal characteristics in South China. Chin. J. Geophys. 2006, 49:1118-1126.
80. Zhang Z., Wang Y., Chen Y., Houseman G.A., Tian X., Wang E., Teng J. Crustal structure across Longmenshan fault belt from passive source seismic profiling. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2009, 36:L17310. 10.1029/2009GL039580.
81. Zhang Z., Yuan X., Chen Y., Tian X., Kind R., Li X., Teng J. Seismic signature of the collision between the East Tibetan escape flow and the Sichuan Basin. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2010, 292:254-264.
82. Zhang X., Zha X., Dai Z. Stress change induced by 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. J. Asian Earth Sci. 2015, 98:98-104.
83. Zhao G., Unsworth M.J., Zhan Y., Wang L., Chen X., Jones A.G. Crustal structure and rheology of the Longmenshan and Wenchuan Mw 7.9 earthquake epicentral area from magnetotelluric data. Geology 2012, 40(12):1139-1142.
84. Zhao B., Gao Y., Huang Z., Zhao X., Li D. Double difference relocation, focal mechanism and stress inversion of Lushan MS 7.0 earthquake sequence. Chin. J. Geophys. 2013, 56(10):3385-3395.
85. Zhu S.B., Zhang P.Z. FEM simulation of interseismic and coseismic deformation associated with the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. Tectonophysics 2012, 584:64-80.