Coulomb stress change on active faults is critical for seismic hazard analysis and has been widely used at home and abroad. The Sichuan-Yunnan region is one of the most tectonically and seismically active regions in Mainland China, considering some highly-populated cities and the historical earthquake records in this region, stress evolution and seismic hazard on these active faults capture much attention.
    From the physical principal, the occurrence of earthquakes will not only cause stress drop and strain energy release on the seismogenic faults, but also transfer stress to the surrounding faults, hence alter the shear and normal stress on the surrounding faults that may delay, hasten or even trigger subsequent earthquakes. Previously, most studies focus on the coseismic Coulomb stress change according to the elastic dislocation model. However, the gradually plentiful observation data attest to the importance of postseismic viscoelastic relaxation effect during the analysis of seismic interactions, stress evolution along faults and the cumulative effect on the longer time scale of the surrounding fault zone. In this paper, in order to assess the seismic hazard in Sichuan-Yunnan region, based on the elastic dislocation theory and the stratified viscoelastic model, we employ the PSGRN/PSCMP program to calculate the cumulative Coulomb stress change on the main boundary faults and in inner blocks in this region, by combining the influence of coseismic dislocations of the M≥7.0 historical strong earthquakes since the Yongsheng M7.8 earthquake in 1515 in Sichuan-Yunnan region and M≥8.0 events in the neighboring area, and the postseismic viscoelastic relaxation effect of the lower crust and upper mantle.
    The results show that the Coulomb stress change increases significantly in the south section of the Xianshuihe Fault, the Anninghe Fault, the northern section of the Xiaojiang Fault, the southern section of the Longmen Shan Fault, the intersection of the Chuxiong-Jianshui Fault and the Xiaojiang Fault, and the Shawan section of the Litang Fault, in which the cumulative Coulomb stress change exceeds 0.1MPa. The assuming different friction coefficient has little effect on the stress change, as for the strike-slip dominated faults, the shear stress change is much larger than the normal stress change, and the shear stress change is the main factor controlling the Coulomb stress change on the fault plane. Meanwhile, we compare the Coulomb stress change in the 10km and 15km depths, and find that for most faults, the results are slightly different. Additionally, based on the existing focal mechanism solutions, we add the focal mechanism solutions of the 5 675 small-medium earthquakes(2.5≤M≤4.9)in Sichuan-Yunnan region from January 2009 to July 2019, and invert the directions of the three principal stresses and the stress shape factor in 0.1°×0.1° grid points; by combining the grid search method, we compare the inverted stress tensors with that from the actual seismic data, and further obtain the optimal stress tensors. Then, we project the stress tensors on the two inverted nodal planes separately, and select the maximum Coulomb stress change to represent the stress change at the node. The results show that the cumulative Coulomb stress change increase in the triple-junction of Sichuan-Yunnan-Tibet region is also significant, and the stress change exceeds 0.1MPa.
    Comprehensive analysis of the Coulomb stress change, seismic gaps and seismicity parameters suggest that more attention should be paid to the Anninghe Fault, the northern section of the Xiaojiang Fault, the south section of the Xianshuihe Fault, the southern section of the Longmen Shan Fault and the triple-junction of the Sichuan-Yunnan-Tibet region. These results provide a basis for future seismic hazard analysis in the Sichuan-Yunnan region.

More than 80 percent of strong earthquakes(M≥7.0)occur in active-tectonic block boundaries in mainland China, and 95 percent of strong earthquake disasters also occur in these boundaries. In recent years, all strong earthquakes(M≥7.0)happened in active-tectonic block boundaries. For instance, 8 strong earthquakes(M≥7.0)occurred on the eastern, western, southern and northern boundaries of the Bayan Har block since 1997. In order to carry out the earthquake prediction research better, especially for the long-term earthquake prediction, the active-tectonic block boundaries have gradually become the key research objects of seismo-geology, geophysics, geodesy and other disciplines. This paper reviews the research results related to seismic activities in mainland China, as well as the main existing recognitions and problems as follows: 1)Most studies on seismic activities in active-tectonic block boundaries still remain at the statistical analysis level at present. However, the analysis of their working foundations or actual working conditions can help investigate deeply the seismic activities in the active-tectonic block boundaries; 2)Seismic strain release rates are determined by tectonic movement rates in active-tectonic block boundaries. Analysis of relations between seismic strain release rates and tectonic movement rates in mainland China shows that the tectonic movement rates in active-tectonic block boundaries of the eastern region are relatively slow, and the seismic strain release rates are with the smaller values too; the tectonic movement rates in active-tectonic block boundaries of the western region reveal higher values, and their seismic strain rates are larger than that of the eastern region. Earthquake recurrence periods of all 26 active-tectonic block boundaries are presented, and the reciprocals of recurrence periods represent high and low frequency of seismic activities. The research results point out that the tectonic movement rates and the reciprocals of recurrence periods for most faults in active-tectonic block boundaries exhibit linear relations. But due to the complexities of fault systems in active tectonic block boundaries, several faults obviously deviate from the linear relationship, and the relations between average earthquake recurrence periods and tectonic movement rates show larger uncertainties. The major reason is attributed to the differences existing in the results of the current earthquake recurrence studies. Furthermore, faults in active-tectonic boundaries exhibit complexities in many aspects, including different movement rates among various segments of the same fault and a certain active-tectonic block boundary contains some parallel faults with the same earthquake magnitude level. Consequently, complexities of these fault systems need to be further explored; 3)seismic activity processes in active-tectonic block boundaries present obvious regional characteristics. Active-tectonic block boundaries of the eastern mainland China except the western edge of Ordos block possess clustering features which indicate that due to the relatively low rate of crustal deformation in these areas, a long-time span is needed for fault stress-strain accumulation to show earthquake cluster activities. In addition, active-tectonic block boundaries in specific areas with low fault stress-strain accumulation rates also show seismic clustering properties, such as the clustering characteristics of strong seismic activities in Longmenshan fault zone, where a series of strong earthquakes have occurred successively, including the 2008 M8.0 Wenchuan, the 2013 M7.0 Lushan and the 2017 M7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquakes. The north central regions of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, regarded as the second-grade active-tectonic block boundaries, are the concentration areas of large-scale strike-slip faults in mainland China, and most of seismicity sequences show quasi-period features. Besides, most regions around the first-grade active-tectonic block boundary of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau display Poisson seismic processes. On one hand, it is still necessary to investigate the physical mechanisms and dynamics of regional structures, on the other hand, most of the active-tectonic block boundaries can be considered as fault systems. However, seismic activities involved in fault systems have the characteristic of in situ recurrence of strong earthquakes in main fault segments, the possibilities of cascading rupturing for adjacent fault segments, and space-time evolution characteristics of strong earthquakes in fault systems. 4)The dynamic environment of strong earthquakes in mainland China is characterized by “layering vertically and blocking horizontally”. With the progresses in the studies of geophysics, geochemistry, geodesy, seismology and geology, the physical models of different time/space scales have guiding significance for the interpretations of preparation and occurrence of continental strong earthquakes under the active-tectonic block frame. However, since the movement and deformation of the active-tectonic blocks contain not only the rigid motion and the horizontal differences of physical properties of crust-mantle medium are universal, there is still need for improving the understanding of the dynamic processes of continental strong earthquakes. So it is necessary to conduct in-depth studies on the physical mechanism of strong earthquake preparation process under the framework of active-tectonic block theory and establish various foundation models which are similar to seismic source physical models in California of the United States, and then provide technological scientific support for earthquake prevention and disaster mitigation. Through all kinds of studies of the physical mechanisms for space-time evolution of continental strong earthquakes, it can not only promote the transition of the study of seismic activities from statistics to physics, but also persistently push the development of active-tectonic block theory.

According to the Region-Time-Length (RTL) algorithm,the analysis of seismicity changes prior to the 2014 Yunnan Jinggu M_S6.6 earthquake was conducted by using the earthquake catalogues about 6 and 15 years before this earthquake,respectively.When the studied period was nearly 6 years,an enhancement of seismic activity was detected around the epicenter since the beginning of 2013.The anomalies mainly distributed in the region of 22.5°~24.5°N and 99°~102°E.The range and degree of anomalies changed from small to large,and then to small chronologically.As the surface integral in respect to RTL,the physical parameter I_RTL,which could reflect the regional seismicity level,began to increase since August 2013,and then reduced after reaching the peak point.The time length from the peak point of I_RTL curve to the earthquake occurrence was 9 months.When the analyzed catalogue was nearly 15 years,the 2007 Ninger M_S6.4 occurred in the studied region.Seismicity quiescence was detected prior to the Ninger M_S6.4.Before the Jinggu M_S6.6,seismicity quiescence was detected firstly,and then enhanced activity was observed 1 year prior to the earthquake occurrence.The anomalies mainly distributed in the region of 22.5°~24.5°N and 99°~102°E.The time length from the peak point of I_RTL curve to the earthquake occurrence was 7 months.The above study showed that even the earthquakes location was near and the magnitude was close to each other,a big difference in seismic activity before the earthquakes may exist.Before the Jinggu M_S6.6,there was some difference in seismicity changes according to different beginning time of catalogues,but the distribution of anomalies and the time length from the peak point of I_RTL to the earthquake occurrence were uniform.So there was an important significance for exploring the relationship between the distribution of anomalies and the earthquake location,and the relationship between the time of the peak point of I_RTL and the earthquake occurrence time.

Based on strong earthquake catalogue,this paper discussed the activity characteristics of time series of strong earthquakes in the world,western China mainland and its peripheral "big triangle" seismic region,as well as Chinese continent. According to the analysis of the periodic features of global seismicity of M≥8 strong events,we find that the global seismicity alternates between phases of decade scale of relatively strong and weak activities,and there are significant differences existing in the activity states of global great earthquakes before and after the 1960s. In addition,statistical analysis with Fisher method has revealed that the "big triangular seismic region" has experienced the process of M8 earthquake activity with a duration over a hundred years since 1800(quiescence stage-the transition stage before active-concentrated active stage-adjustment stage after concentrated activity-quiescence stage); further analysis shows the seismicity of the world and the "big triangular seismic region" possibly has a period of a hundred-year scale,and has a certain degree of the quasi-synchronization. The shallow earthquake activity of M_S≥7.0 in China continent is obviously controlled by the seismicity in the big triangular seismic region and by the larger spatial scaled global seismicity. In terms of the time series of these earthquakes,the seismicity shows a decadal or century-scale activity patterns. In the former 50 years of the last century,in the relatively active state of global M8.5 great earthquakes,the seismicity in the western part of China mainland and its adjacent "large triangular seismic region" was also active synchronously; however,the quasi-periodic feature of seismicity alternating between quiet and active periods of M≥7 earthquakes in China continent was not obvious. While in the latter 50 years of the last century,in the background of M8.5 seismic quiescence in global and M7 seismic quiescence in the big triangular seismic region,the characteristics of seismic quiescence and active alternating of M≥7 earthquakes in the mainland of China was obvious,the seismicity showed a better quasi-periodic feature of activity and quiescence alternatively in decade scale. Consequently,not only the temporal sequence of strong earthquakes present an activity feature of a ten-year period and nearly a century period in different time levels,but also the regional strong seismic activity in the China continent obviously is controlled by the strong seismicity of "big triangular seismic region",even by the global strong seismicity in larger spatial scale. This paper mainly uses the statistical methods to describe the characteristics of time series of strong earthquake activity in different regions,and analysis is focused on the temporal and spatial distribution of seismic activity,while,to gain an insight into the tectonic origin and geodynamic implication for these phenomena requires further in-depth study.