Crustal Apparent Density Variations in the Middle Segment of the North Tianshan Mountains and Their Tectonic Significance
Source abstract
Abstract
In this study, we collected mobile gravity observations in the middle segment of the North Tianshan Mountains from August 2016 to July 2022 and carried out classical adjustment calculations under the constraint of the absolute gravity datum to obtain the spatiotemporal variation pattern of the local gravity field. We used equivalent source inversion to obtain the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of crustal apparent density. We also extracted the coseismic deformation field from SAR data, using the 2016 Hutubi earthquake as an example, and constructed a model of the seismogenic fault. The gravity monitoring network in the study area performed well in resolving the earthquake source parameters. Both the time-varying gravity field and equivalent apparent density variation pattern show prominent zoning characteristics with a smoothly evolving spatial distribution over time. The variation trends of the gravity field and equivalent apparent density are in line with the orientation of tectonic structures, and their anomalous signals can be detected before and after an earthquake. The constructed seismogenic structure of the 2016 Hutubi earthquake indicates a typical thrust earthquake, probably occurring on a north-dipping blind fault beneath a region with intense crustal deformation. The subsurface tectonic system reflected by this earthquake can be informatively extended to the entire middle segment of the North Tianshan Mountains by subsurface configuration. Our findings can serve as a reference for analyzing the source characteristics of the time-varying gravity field and interpreting anomalous pre-seismic signals, and aid in understanding earthquake preparation zones and the mode of crustal tectonic movements.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: earthquake and tectonic studies · Geological and Geochemical Analysis · Geological and Geophysical Studies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
College of Civil Engineering, Architecture Xinjiang University; Urumqi 830047, China
Earthquake Agency of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi 830011, China
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Urumqi Institute of Central Asia Earthquake, Urumqi 830011, China
Funding
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Key R&D Project · Spark Program of Earthquake Science and Technology · Natural Science Foundation of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Intelligence Introduction Project of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs · The Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition Program · Science and Technology Innovation Team Program of Xinjiang Seismological Bureau
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