Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Newly-generated Daliangshan fault zone — Shortcutting on the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system

  • Published:
Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Daliangshan fault zone is the eastern branch in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. It has been neglected for a long time, partly because of no destructive earthquake records along this fault zone. On the other hand, it is located on the remote and inaccessible plateau. So far it was excluded as part of the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Based on the interpretation of aerophotographs and field investigations, we document this fault zone in detail, and give an estimation of strike-slip rate about 3 mm/a in Late Quaternary together with age dating data. The results suggest that the Daliangshan fault zone is a newly-generated fault zone resulted from shortcutting in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system because of the clockwise rotation of the Southeastern Tibetan Crustal Block, which is bounded by the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Moreover, the shortcutting may make the Daliangshan fault zone replace the Anninghe and Zemuhe fault zones gradually, and finally, the later two fault zones will probably die out with the continuous clockwise rotation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Reference

  1. Zhu A L, Xu X W, Zhou R S, et al. Relocation of small earthquakes in west Sichuan, China and its active tectonic implication. Chinese J Geophys (in Chinese with English abstract), 2005, 48(3): 629–636

    Google Scholar 

  2. Molnar P, Tapponnier P. Cenozoic tectonics of Asia: Effects of a continental collision. Science, 1975, 189: 419–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Tapponnier P, Molnar P. Active faulting and tectonics in China. J Geophys Res, 1977, 82(20): 2905–2930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Li P. Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang Fault Zone (in Chinese). Beijing: Seismological Press, 1993. 1–266

    Google Scholar 

  5. He J K, Lu S J. Lower friction of the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system and its effect on active deformation around the south-eastern Tibetan margin. Terra Nova, 2007, 19: 204–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Shen X H, Chen Z W, Xu R D, et al. Deformation characteristics and displacement amount of the Liangshan active fault zone in late Cenozoic era. Seismol Geol (in Chinese with English abstract), 2000, 22(3): 232–238

    Google Scholar 

  7. Song F M, Li R C, Xu X W, et al. Preliminary results of the investigation of paleo-earthquake along the Daliangshan fault zone, Sichuan Province, China. Seismol Geol (in Chinese with English abstract), 2002, 24(1): 27–34

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zhou R J, Li X G, Huang Z Z, et al. Average slip rate of Daliangs mountain fault zone in Sichuan in late Quaternary period. Seismol Geol (in Chinese with English abstract), 2003, 26(2): 191–196

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wang E C, Burchfil B C, Royden L H, et al. Late Cenozoic Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang, Red River, and Dali fault systems of Southwestern Sichuan and Central Yunnan, China. GSA, Special Paper 327, 1998. 1–108

  10. Fu B H, Awata Y, Du J G, et al. Late Quaternary systematic stream offsets caused by repeated large seismic events along the Kunlun fault, northern Tibet. Geomorphology, 2005, 71: 278–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang K Q. A study on chronology and luminescence dating research on paleoearthquake events at several faults (zones) at the northern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Dissertation for Doctoral Degree. Beijing: Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  12. Tang R C, Han W B. Active Faults and Earthquakes in Sichuan Province (in Chinese). Beijing: Seismological Press, 1993. 1–368

    Google Scholar 

  13. Shen Z K, Lu J, Wang M, et al. Contemporary crustal deformation around the southeast borderland of the Tibetan Plateau. J Geophys Res, 2005, 110, B11409, doi:10.1029/2004JB003421

  14. Scholz C H. The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 110–126

    Google Scholar 

  15. Huangfu G. Relationship between the offset and the friction feature of slip, the geometric characteristics of gauge along a fault zone. Dissertation for Mater Degree. Beijing: Institute of Geology, State Seismological Bureau, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  16. Wesnousky S G. Seismological and structural evolution of strike-slip faults. Nature, 335: 340–343

  17. Chen G H. Structural transformation and strain partitioning along the northeast boundary belt of the Sichuan-Yunnan block. Dissertation for Doctoral Degree. Beijing: Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration. 2007

    Google Scholar 

  18. Seismological Bureau of Sichuan Province. Xianshuihe Fault Zone (in Chinese). Chengdu: Sichuan Science and Technology Publishing House, 1989. 1–130

    Google Scholar 

  19. He H L, Yasutaka I. Faulting on the Anninghe fault zone, Southwest China in Late Quaternary and its movement model. Acta Seismol Sin, 2007, 20(5): 571–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. He H L, Oguchi T. Late Quaternary activity of the Zemuhe and Xiaojiang faults in southwest China from geomorphological mapping. Geomorphology, 2008, 96, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2007.07.009

  21. Song F M, Wang Y P, Yu W X, et al. Xiaojiang Fault Zone (in Chinese). Beijing: Seismological Press, 1998. 1–237

    Google Scholar 

  22. Shen J, Wang Y P, Song F M. Characteristics of the active Xiaojiang fault zone in Yunnan, China: A slip boundary for the southeastward escaping Sichuan-Yunnan Block of the Tibetan Plateau. J Asian Earth Sci, 2003, 21(10): 1085–1096

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Clark M K, Schoenbohm L M, Royden L H, et al. Surface uplift, tectonics, and erosion of eastern Tibet from large & hyphen: Scale drainage patterns. Tectonics, 2004, 23, TC1006, doi: 10.1029/2002TC001402

  24. Tang R C, Huang Z Z, Wen D H, et al. Discussion on the segment and seismic activity of Anninghe fault. J Seismol Res (in Chinese with English abstract), 1989, 12(4): 337–347

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ren J W, Li P. Earthquake landform and paleo-earthquake of the northern Zemuhe fault. Seismol Geol (in Chinese with English abstract), 1989, 11(1): 27–34

    Google Scholar 

  26. He H L, Song F M, Li C Y. Topographic survey of micro faulted landforms and estimation of lateral slip rates on the Zemuhe Fault, Southwest China. Seismol Geol (in Chinese with English abstract), 1999, 21(4): 361–369

    Google Scholar 

  27. Gan W J, Zhang P Z, Shen Z K, et al. Present-day crustal motion within the Tibetan Plateau inferred from GPS measurements. J Geophys Res, 2007, 112, B08416, doi:10.1029/2005JB004120

  28. Wang Q, Zhang P Z, Freymuller J T, et al. Present-day crustal deformation in China constrained by Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements. Science, 2001, 294: 574–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Tapponnier P, Peltzer G, Le Dain A Y, et al. Propagating extrusion tectonics in Asia: New insights from simple experiments with plasticine. Geology, 1982, 10: 611–616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. England P, Houseman G A. Finite strain calculations of continental deformation, 2, Comparison with the India-Asia collision. J Geophys Res, 1986, 91: 3664–3667

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Royden L H, Burchfiel B C, King R W, et al. Surface deformation and lower crustal flow in eastern Tibet. Science, 1997, 276: 788–790

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Schoenbohm L M, Burchfiel B C, Chen Z L. Propagation of surface uplift, lower crustal flow, and Cenozoic tectonics of the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Geology, 2006, 34: 813–816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhang P Z, Shen Z K, Wang M, et al. Continuous deformation of the Tibetan Plateau from GPS data. Geology, 2004, 32(9): 809–812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Zhang P Z, Gan W J, Shen Z K, et al. A coupling model of rigid-block movement and continuous deformation: Patterns of the present-day deformation of China’s continent and its vicinity. Acta Geol Sin (in Chinese with English abstract), 2005, 79(6): 748–756

    Google Scholar 

  35. Wu G, Xiao X, Li T, et al. Lithospheric structure and evolution of Tibetan Plateau: The Yadong-Golmud geoscience transect. Tectonophysics, 1993, 219: 213–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Xu Z Q, Hou L W, Wang Z X, et al. Orogenic Processes of the Songpan-Garze Orogenic Belt of China (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1992. 1–190

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, 100029, China

    HongLin He, Jie Chen & ChangYun Chen

  2. Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Yasutaka Ikeda, Masayoshi Tajikara, Tomoo Echigo & Shinsuke Okada

  3. Earthquake Administration of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610041, China

    YuLin He

  4. Hosei University, Tokyo, 194-0298, Japan

    Masayoshi Togo

Authors
  1. HongLin He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yasutaka Ikeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. YuLin He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Masayoshi Togo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jie Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. ChangYun Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Masayoshi Tajikara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Tomoo Echigo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Shinsuke Okada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to HongLin He.

Additional information

Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2004CB418401), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40472109), Joint Earthquake Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 105066), and Japan Grant-in Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Grant No. 18500776)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

He, H., Ikeda, Y., He, Y. et al. Newly-generated Daliangshan fault zone — Shortcutting on the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 51, 1248–1258 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-008-0094-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-008-0094-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation