A rheological model of post-seismic deformation for the 2001 Kunlun, China earthquake, Mw 7.8
The Mw7.8 Kunlun earthquake of 14 November, 2001, in the northern Tibetan Plateau of China, was the largest event inthe Chinese continental area in the latest 50 years. In this paper, layered visco-elastic models are calculated using the PSGRN/PSCMP code, and the results are fi tted to the observed...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2007 |
| País: | México |
| Institución: | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Repositorio: | Redalyc-UNAM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:redalyc.org:56846301 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=56846301 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Ciencias de la Tierra Post rheology viscosity Kunlun earthquake seismic deformation |
| Sumario: | The Mw7.8 Kunlun earthquake of 14 November, 2001, in the northern Tibetan Plateau of China, was the largest event inthe Chinese continental area in the latest 50 years. In this paper, layered visco-elastic models are calculated using the PSGRN/PSCMP code, and the results are fi tted to the observed post-seismic deformation. We show that a model of a surface anelasticlayer of 10km thickness over an elastic lower crust cannot explain the observed amplitude of deformation. A relaxation modelfeaturing 30km of elastic upper crust over 40km of a ductile lower crust will account for the main features of exponentialattenuation of post-seismic deformation. Combination of the two models, however, provides an even better fi t including the factthat the deformation rate was higher in the fi rst few weeks and slower thereafter. The viscous layer in the lower crust providesgood control of the post-seismic deformation, including the long term decay of deformation over a period of months. The upperanelastic layer may contribute to the observed high deformation rate in the initial few weeks after the main earthquake. Theresults suggest that rheological differences may exist between the materials on either side of the Kunlun fault. |
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