Abstract: On March 3, 2017, an earthquake swarm of M_L 4.5 occurred near Dazhushan Island in Miaodao archipelago, Shandong Province, as of December 31, 2017, 2 453 aftershocks were recorded, including 46 earthquakes of M_L3 and above and 4 earthquakes of M_L4 and above. It is the most active and frequent earthquake swarm activity in Miaodao Islands area in the regional network records. On September 2, 2017, another earthquake swarm of M_L3.0 occurred near Beichangshan Island, about 15km away from the south of Dazhushan Island. More than 300 earthquakes were recorded, including one earthquake of M_L3 or above. According to the seismic data, two earthquake swarms were also recorded near Daheishan Island and Tuoji Island in Miaodao archipelago from February to March 1976. It is believed that these two swarms may be the “precursory earthquake swarms” of Tangshan strong earthquake with M=7.8 in 1976. The differences in spatial location, energy release and focal depth between the two swarm events are very similar to those in 2017. Therefore, in this paper, the three-dimensional velocity structure of P-wave in Miaodao archipelago area and the results of seismic precise relocation are obtained by using the double-difference tomography method, and the deep structural environment factors of the preparation of the earthquake swarms and the differences in the characteristics of the earthquake swarms are analyzed in combination with the fault activity and medium characteristics.
The velocity structure provides important information related to earthquake location and focal medium, and provides important basis for understanding the background of earthquake preparation and the mechanism of earthquake occurrence. Based on the observation report data of Shandong and Liaoning seismic networks, this paper selects 4 766 seismic events recorded clearly from January 2008 to December 2017 in Miaodao archipelago and nearby areas, and excludes the data with the difference of P-wave and S-wave travel time and time distance curve larger than 5s. After the difference grouping of earthquake events, 4 555 events recorded by 65 stations are finally selected for double-difference tomography inversion, and there are 26 430 P-wave absolute arrival data, 513 299 difference arrival data, 26 356 S-wave absolute arrival data and 508 482 difference arrival data. Limited by geographical conditions, the ray density is dense in the south and sparse in the north. After repeated test and selection of inversion parameters and model recovery test, high-resolution P-wave three-dimensional velocity structure image and high-precision earthquake positioning results are obtained in Miaodao archipelago, Shandong Province, and the following conclusions are obtained:
(1)The results of seismic precise relocation show that the convergence of seismic distribution near Miaodao islands is good, the NW direction zonal distribution of earthquake swarm activity is obvious, and the focal depth is mainly concentrated in the middle and upper crust. The characteristics of swarm activity show group occurrence in a short period of time, and there are obvious differences in the form of expression: the swarm near Tuoji Island has deep focal point, high frequency, large release energy, and wide distribution of focal area; the swarm activity characteristics near Daheishan Island and Beichangshan Island are just the opposite.
(2)The horizontal velocity structure shows that the lateral heterogeneity of velocity structure exists in every depth layer, which reflects the unbalanced uplift of crystalline basement and the zone filling of igneous rock. The velocity structure of the shallow crust is in good agreement with the known geological structure; the middle and shallow layers clearly reveal the basement uplifting area and the subsidence zone on both sides of Miaodao Islands; the velocity structure of the middle and lower layers is obviously affected by the deep faults and magmatic activities, and near the Dazhushan Island-Weihai North Fault, it shows obvious low-velocity characteristics, while the northern sea area of Jiaodong Peninsula is characterized by independent high-velocty abnormal blocks.
(3)The velocity structure profile shows that there is a certain correlation between the activities of faults and earthquake swarm and the velocity structure of P wave. There is an obvious low velocity region in the middle and upper crust in the profile passing through the Dazhushan Island earthquake swarm, and the earthquake swarm is nearly vertical and layered scattered in the relatively high velocity medium between the upper and lower low velocity bodies or near the velocity conversion zone, which is consistent with the characteristics of the Dazhushan Island-Weihai North Fault. The profile across the Beichangshan Island earthquake swarm reveals that there are small high-speed bodies in the middle and upper layers of the crust, and the earthquake swarm occurs at the edge of the high-velocity body.
(4)Earthquake swarm often occurs in places with dense fracture distribution, relatively weak medium and low strength. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of earthquake swarm and the three-dimensional velocity structure of P-wave in Miaodao archipelago area, it is considered that the two significant earthquake swarm activities in 1976 and 2017 are the energy release caused by the inhomogeneity of local medium and the low stress friction of regional fault during the process of regional background stress enhancement(adjustment).

Key words: Miaodao Archipelago, Double-difference tomography, three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure, precise earthquake relocation

摘要： 2017年3月3日、 9月2日山东庙岛群岛地区发生2次显著震群, 短时间内记录到2 000余次地震, 其中M_L4.0以上地震4次, 是1970年以来该区域最强的地震事件。 文中揭示了庙岛群岛地区地壳的深部速度结构特征, 探讨了震群发生的孕震环境。 利用2008年以来庙岛群岛及附近地区的地震观测资料, 采用双差层析成像方法反演获得了庙岛群岛地区的P波三维速度结构及地震精定位结果。 水平速度结构显示, 庙岛群岛地区地壳的中上层P波速度结构横向不均匀性明显, 胶东半岛北部海陆交会地区5km和16km深度层的介质速度高于北侧海槽水道区域, 同时研究区10km和13km深度层的速度整体偏高, 结构较稳定。 速度结构剖面显示, 大竹山岛震群发生在倾角较陡的2个低速体的夹层间, 北长山岛震群则发生在小体积高速体边缘。 结合研究区断层活动、 区域应力累积水平及地震活动特征, 分析认为这2次震群活动主要是在区域应力增强(调整)的背景下, 局部介质的不均匀性和区域断层的低应力摩擦引发的能量释放。

关键词: 庙岛群岛, 双差层析成像, P波三维速度结构, 地震精定位