Paleoseismology of the Xianshuihe Fault, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China

[405552] Weldon本研究旨在确定与中国四川省鲜水河断层相关的历史和近期地表破裂的大小、范围和时间。1990年9月在成都举行的一次会议上，美国和中国科学家的初步工作报告以及随后的文献表明，有可能记录与近期破裂有关的滑动的年龄、分布和大小，以检验断层行为的假设。中国科学家描述的海沟，以及1990年9月短暂访问的海沟，在许多地区保存了多次破裂的优秀地貌证据，包含了很好的微地层证据，说明了事件的时间和规模。这项研究将为极其有限的大型走滑断裂数据集增加新的数据，使我们能够更好地了解大型断层上的“特征”断裂究竟是怎样的。这种断层行为的经验观察对于预测工作和理解破裂过程的潜在物理是至关重要的。这项研究是美国-中华人民共和国地震研究议定书和国家减少地震危害计划的组成部分。＊＊＊

9405552 Weldon This research is to determine the size, extent, and timing of historic and recent surface ruptures associated with the Xianshuihe Fault in Sichuan Province, China. Preliminary work by U.S. and Chinese scientists reported at a conference in Chengdu, September 1990, and in the subsequent literature, indicate that it would be possible to document the ages, distribution, and magnitude of slip associated with recent ruptures to test the hypotheses of fault behavior. Excellent geomorphic evidence for multiple ruptures is preserved in many areas, and trenches described by Chinese scientists, and one briefly visited during September 1990, contain good microstratigraphic evidence for the timing and size of events. This study will add to the extremely limited data set for large strike-slip ruptures so that we can better understand how "characteristic" ruptures on large faults really are. Such empirical observations of fault behavior are critical for prediction efforts and for understanding the underlying physics of rupture processes. This research is a component of the U.S.-P.R.C Protocol on Earthquake Studies and the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program. ***