Abstract:

The 2022 M_S6.0 Maerkang earthquake swarm in Sichuan Province is the first rare strong swarm activity with high frequency, concentrated spatial and temporal distribution, strong explosive and strong magnitude in Maerkang area in the eastern segment of Bayan Har block in China seismic network records. It is also another significantly strong earthquake event in Bayan Har block after the M_S7.4 Maduo earthquake on May 22, 2021. The M_S6.0 Maerkang earthquake on June 10, 2022 not only broke the 33-year record without M_S≥6.0 earthquakes within 100km of the epicenter, but also broke the historical record without M_S≥6.0 earthquakes within 50km of the epicenter. The earthquake swarm is mainly located in the nearly “T” shaped conjugate fault structure area composed of the NW strike Maerkang fault and NE strike Longriba fault in the Bayan Har block. This area is a relatively rare region for moderate and strong earthquakes in the history. Therefore, it is of great significance to analyze and discuss the possible seismogenic faults of the Maerkang strong earthquake sequence for the study of seismogenic structures and the risk of strong earthquakes in the weak seismic region of Bayan Har block.

The earthquake swarm was relocated by double-difference method, and focal mechanisms and centriod depths of M_S≥3.6 earthquakes were calculated by using gCAP inversion method. Then the relationship between the stress system in the Malkang area and these earthquake focal mechanisms was analyzed, and fault plane was fitted by using relocation results. Maerkang earthquake swarm is mainly distributed along NW direction, and the initial rupture depth is 9.8km on average. Depth profiles show that earthquakes are mainly concentrated at depth between 0km to 15km. The most earthquakes of early-stage occurred in 48 hours. The mid-stage and late-stage earthquakes are located less than 15km in depth and move to the northwest of the epicenters. Initial rupture depth of the largest M_S6.0 earthquake is 12.5km, which is almost at the bottom of the dense area. The focal mechanism of M_S6.0 earthquake is 150° in strike, 79° in dip, and 7° in rake on nodal plane Ⅰ, and 59° in strike, 83° in dip, and 169° in rake on nodal plane Ⅱ, with the centroid depth of 9km. Other focal mechanisms of M_S≥3.6 earthquake are strike-slip types. Dips of nodal plane of focal mechanism range from 71° to 86°, and there exist different dip directions for one strike of every nodal plane. All azimuths of P axis are in NWW direction, and the plunges are nearly horizontal. The focal mechanisms of M_S≥3.6 earthquakes show that the tectonic environment is very favorable for NE or NW strike faults to generate the strike-slip movement. Centriod depths range from 5 to 9km, which are lower than the average depth of 9.8km of relocation, indicating that these earthquakes mainly ruptured from deep to shallow. The relative shear stress of the NW nodal plane are significantly greater than that of the NE nodal plane, and the normal stress of the NW nodal plane was smaller than that of the NE nodal plane, indicating more possibility of strike-slip dislocation on the NW nodal plane. The fault plane fitting results reveal that there are obviously two nearly parallel and nearly NW strike earthquake belts in the epicenter area. Fitted fault plane parameters of the belt in the north branch show the strike 333°, the dip 88°, the slide -22°, and the belt in the south branch show the strike 331°, dip 88°, and slide -23°. It is indicated that the fault properties of these two earthquake belts are basically the same, revealing that most of earthquake activities of the swarm may be controlled by at least two parallel structures near the Maerkang fault with the NW strike, dip 88° and left-lateral strike-slip. Combined with the existing regional geological structure, it is inferred that the Maerkang earthquake swarm may be induced by the NW and NE strike conjugate faults, and the NW strike faults control most of the earthquake activities.

Key words: Maerkang earthquake swarm, Earthquake relocation, Focal mechanism, Sliding property, Seismic fault

摘要：

2022年四川马尔康强震群是中国有地震台网记录以来, 巴颜喀拉块体东部马尔康地区首次出现的地震频度高、 时空分布集中、 爆发性较强且震级强度大的罕见强震群活动。文中通过双差定位方法对该震群序列进行了重定位, 利用gCAP方法测定了M_S≥3.6地震的震源机制及矩心深度, 然后根据震源机制结果分析了马尔康地区应力体系与这些地震震源机制的关系, 最后根据重定位结果进行了断层面拟合。结果显示, 马尔康震群序列震中区域主要沿NW向优势分布, 整个震群序列的平均初始破裂深度为9.8km, 深度剖面反映地震相对密集的区域主要介于0~15km深度之间, 震群中震级最大的 M_S6.0 地震的初始破裂深度为12.5km, 几乎位于震群序列密集区的底端。其震源机制节面I的走向为150°, 倾角为79°, 滑动角为7°; 节面Ⅱ的走向为59°, 倾角为83°, 滑动角为169°; 矩心深度为9km。其余M_S≥3.6地震的震源机制均为走滑型, 震源机制节面的倾角为71°~86°, 且相同走向的各个节面的倾向也有所不同, 其矩心深度为5~9km, P轴方位为NWW向, 且倾伏角近水平。M_S≥3.6地震震源机制NW向节面的相对剪应力均显著大于NE向节面, 且NW向节面的正应力均小于NE向节面, 表明这些地震更容易在NW向的节面上产生走滑错动。拟合后的断层面参数揭示震群中大部分地震活动可能受到马尔康断裂附近至少2条近NW走向的平行伴生断层控制, 倾角约为88°, 且具有左旋运动性质。结合已有的区域地质构造推测, 马尔康震群可能为NW向和NE向共轭断层发震, 其中NW向断层控制了大多数地震活动。

关键词: 马尔康震群, 重定位, 震源机制, 滑动特性, 发震断层