Xibin Tan

Landslide hazard mapping using GIS and weight of evidence model in Qingshui River watershed of 2008 Wenchuan earthquake struck region

Tens of thousands of landslides were triggered by May 12, 2008 earthquake over a broad area. The main purpose of this article is to apply and verify earthquake-triggered landslide hazard analysis techniques by using weight of evidence modeling in Qingshui (清水) River watershed, Deyang (德阳) City, Sichuan (四川) Province, China. Two thousand three hundred and twenty-one landslides were interpreted in the study area from aerial photographs and multi-source remote sensing imageries post-earthquake, verified by field surveys. The landslide inventory in the study area was established. A spatial database, including landslides and associated controlling parameters that may have influence on the occurrence of landslides, was constructed from topographic maps, geological maps, and enhanced thematic mapper (ETM+) remote sensing imageries. The factors that influence landslide occurrence, such as slope angle, aspect, curvature, elevation, flow accumulation, distance from drainages, and distance from roads were calculated from the topographic maps. Lithology, distance from seismogenic fault, distance from all faults, and distance from stratigraphic boundaries were derived from the geological maps. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was extracted from ETM+ images. Seismic intensity zoning was collected from Wenchuan (汶川) Ms8.0 Earthquake Intensity Distribution Map published by the China Earthquake Administration. Landslide hazard indices were calculated using the weight of evidence model, and landslide hazard maps were calculated from using different controlling parameters cases. The hazard map was compared with known landslide locations and verified. The success accuracy percentage of using all 13 controlling parameters was 71.82%. The resulting landslide hazard map showed five classes of landslide hazard, i.e., very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. The validation results showed satisfactory agreement between the hazard map and the existing landslides distribution data. The landslide hazard map can be used to identify and delineate unstable hazard-prone areas. It can also help planners to choose favorable locations for development schemes, such as infrastructural, buildings, road constructions, and environmental protection.

Constraints on Cenozoic tectonics in the southwestern Longmen Shan from low-temperature thermochronology

The Longmen Shan, located at the boundary between the Tibetan Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, has received considerable attention following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. However, the tectonic history of the southwestern segment of the range has remained poorly constrained. We present zircon fission-track, zircon (U-Th)/He, and apatite (U-Th)/He data from the Baoxing region in the southwestern Longmen Shan that provide the first constraints on the cooling and exhumation history of the region. All of the measured ages are Cenozoic, and the data suggest that exhumation of the Baoxing region was ongoing by ca. 15 Ma. Zircon (U-Th)/He ages from several samples appear to be affected by radiation damage, suggesting that damage may be a concern even in samples with Cenozoic cooling ages. Samples were collected from two bodies of Precambrian crystalline rocks separated by the Wulong fault, and for all three thermochronometers, ages west of the Wulong fault are systematically younger than ages to the east, indicating that the fault has accommodated differential exhumation since 8–10 Ma. The regions east and west of the Wulong fault have experienced 7–13 km and at least 7–10 km of exhumation, respectively. The magnitude of exhumation in the southwestern Longmen Shan is similar to that reported in the central Longmen Shan, indicating consistency along strike. The thermochronology data also suggest that the Erwangmiao fault in the southwestern Longmen Shan is analogous to the Beichuan fault in the central Longmen Shan, and therefore may represent a source of seismic hazard.

Ejection landslide at northern terminus of beichuan rupture triggered by the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake

On 12 May 2008, the Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake triggered wide- spread damaging landslides in many parts of the Longmen Shan area. Among these landslides, the Donghekou ejection landslide is quite special. It is located at the north- east end of the Beichuan rupture, and it has caused a great loss of life at the villages of Donghekou, Qinchuan, and Sichuan Provinces. Because of its special location, this ejection landslide differs from landslides caused by gravity or rainstorms only; the sliding surface is not uniformly continuous. Instead, two sections can be distin- guished: an upper section with a step sliding surface and a lower section more gently dipping. The landslide started with material ejection caused by large local seismic acceleration, throwing rocks into the air with a parabolic trajectory before they fell back to the ground. In this paper, we analyze geologic and geomorphologic conditions that favored the occurrence of this landslide, and we introduce a simple tectonic- geomorphology model to explain the mechanism that led to the ejection landslide. We find that the location of the landslide zone, along with the domino-like ground tension cracks observed on both sides of the Beichuan rupture, is controlled by the propagation of the rupture. Our result also suggests that, in addition to local seismic shaking intensity, horizontal acceleration, and geomorphologic and geologic condi- tions, the vertical acceleration and the style of faulting could also play an important role in the occurrence of earthquake-triggered landslides.

Optimized volume models of earthquake-triggered landslides

In this study, we proposed three optimized models for calculating the total volume of landslides triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan, China Mw 7.9 earthquake. First, we calculated the volume of each deposit of 1,415 landslides triggered by the quake based on pre- and post-quake DEMs in 20 m resolution. The samples were used to fit the conventional landslide “volume-area” power law relationship and the 3 optimized models we proposed, respectively. Two data fitting methods, i.e. log-transformed-based linear and original data-based nonlinear least square, were employed to the 4 models. Results show that original data-based nonlinear least square combining with an optimized model considering length, width, height, lithology, slope, peak ground acceleration, and slope aspect shows the best performance. This model was subsequently applied to the database of landslides triggered by the quake except for two largest ones with known volumes. It indicates that the total volume of the 196,007 landslides is about 1.2 × 1010 m3 in deposit materials and 1 × 1010 m3 in source areas, respectively. The result from the relationship of quake magnitude and entire landslide volume related to individual earthquake is much less than that from this study, which reminds us the necessity to update the power-law relationship.

The reactive element effect of ceria particle dispersion on alumina growth: A model based on microstructural observations.

The oxidation kinetics of alumina-forming metals can be affected by adding a small amount of a reactive (normally rare earth) element oxide (RExOy) and the segregation of the reactive element (RE) ions to the growing alumina grain boundaries (GBs) has been considered as a responsible reason. However, this interpretation remains a controversial issue as to how RE ions are produced by RExOy which is thermodynamically and chemically stable in metals. The question is answered by a model that is based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation of a CeO2-dispersed nickel aluminide oxidized in air at 1100 °C. The CeO2 dispersion is incorporated into the alumina scale by the inward growth of inner α-Al2O3, where it partially dissolves producing tetravalent Ce cations which then transform to trivalent cations by trapping electrons. The trivalent cations segregate to the α-Al2O3 GBs and diffuse outward along first the GBs and later the twin boundaries (TBs) in the outer γ-Al2O3 layer, being precipitated as Ce2O3 particles near surface.

Coseismic and blind fault of the 2015 Pishan Mw 6.5 earthquake: Implications for the sedimentary‐tectonic framework of the western Kunlun Mountains, northern Tibetan Plateau

On 3 July 2015, the Mw 6.5 Pishan earthquake occurred in the western Kunlun Mountains front, at the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. To reveal the sedimentary-tectonic framework of the seismically active structure, three high-resolution seismic reflection profiles and well drilling data were collected for seismic interpretation. The western Kunlun Mountains and Tarim Basin have two gypseous detachments and one basement detachment that control the tectonic framework and structural deformation. The upper gypseous detachment (D1) is in the lower Paleocene, and the middle gypseous detachment (D2) is in the Middle to Lower Cambrian. A Neogene shallow thrust system is developing above D1 and includes the Zepu fault (F2) and Mazar Tagh fault (F3). A deep thrust system is developing between D1 and D2 and forms a large-scale structural wedge beneath the western Kunlun Mountains front. The Pishan Mw 6.5 earthquake was triggered on a frontal blind fault of this deep thrust system. The lower detachment is in the Proterozoic basement (D3), which extends into the Tarim Basin and develops another deep thrust (F4) beneath the F3 belt. D1, D2, D3, and the Tiekelike fault (F1) merge together at depth. Crustal shortening of the western Kunlun Mountains front continues for approximately 54 km. Two tectonic evolutionary stages have occurred since the Miocene according to sedimentary unconformity, axial analysis, and fault interpretation. The results of this study indicate a regime of episodic growth of the western Kunlun Mountains and Tarim Basin during the Cenozoic.

Geodetic imaging of potential seismogenic asperities on the Xianshuihe-Anninghe-Zemuhe fault system, southwest China, with a new 3-D viscoelastic interseismic coupling model

We use GPS and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements to image the spatial variation of interseismic coupling on the Xianshuihe-Anninghe-Zemuhe (XAZ) fault system. A new 3-D viscoelastic interseismic deformation model is developed to infer the rotation and strain rates of blocks, postseismic viscoelastic relaxation, and interseismic slip deficit on the fault surface discretized with triangular dislocation patches. The inversions of synthetic data show that the optimal weight ratio and smoothing factor are both 1. The successive joint inversions of geodetic data with different viscosities reveal six potential fully coupled asperities on the XAZ fault system. Among them, the potential asperity between Shimian and Mianning, which does not exist in the case of 1019 Pa s, is confirmed by the published microearthquake depth profile. Besides, there is another potential partially coupled asperity between Daofu and Kangding with a length scale up to 140 km. All these asperity sizes are larger than the minimum resolvable wavelength. The minimum and maximum slip deficit rates near the Moxi town are 7.0 and 12.7 mm/yr, respectively. Different viscosities have little influence on the roughness of the slip deficit rate distribution and the fitting residuals, which probably suggests that our observations cannot provide a good constraint on the viscosity of the middle lower crust. The calculation of seismic moment accumulation on each segment indicates that the Songlinkou-Selaha (S4), Shimian-Mianning (S7), and Mianning-Xichang (S8) segments are very close to the rupture of characteristic earthquakes. However, the confidence level is confined by sparse near-fault observations.

Active tectonics evaluation from geomorphic indices for the central and the southern Longmenshan range on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, China

We applied the geomorphic indices (hypsometry and stream length gradient) to evaluate the differential uplift of the central and southern Longmenshan, a mountain range characterized by rapid erosion, strong tectonic uplift and devastating seismic hazards. The results of the geomorphic analysis indicate that the Beichuan-Yingxiu fault and the Shuangshi-Dachuan fault act as major tectonic boundaries separating areas experiencing rapid uplift from slow uplift. The results of the geomorphic analysis also suggest that the Beichuan-Yingxiu fault is the most active fault with largest relative uplift rates compared to the rest of the faults in the Longmenshan fault system. We compared reflected relative uplift rates based on the hypsometry and stream length gradient indices with geological/geodetic absolute rates. Along-strike and across-strike variations in the hypsometry and stream length gradient correlate with the spatial patterns derived from the Apatite Fission Track (AFT) exhumation rates, the leveling-derived uplift rate, and co-seismic vertical displacements during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. These data defined multiple fault relationships in a complex thrust zone and provided geomorphic evidence to evaluate the potential seismic hazards of the southern Longmenshan range.

Age and anatomy of the Gongga Shan batholith, eastern Tibetan Plateau, and its relationship to the active Xianshui-he fault

The Gongga Shan batholith of eastern Tibet, previously documented as a ca. 32–12.8 Ma granite pluton, shows some of the youngest U-Pb granite crystallization ages recorded from the Tibetan Plateau, with major implications for the tectonothermal history of the region. Field observations indicate that the batholith is composite; some localities show at least seven crosscutting phases of granitoids that range in composition from diorite to leucocratic monzogranite. In this study we present U-Pb ages of zircon and allanite dated by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry on seven samples, to further investigate the chronology of the batholith. The age data constrain two striking tectonic-plutonic events: a complex Triassic–Jurassic (ca. 215–159 Ma) record of biotite-hornblende granodiorite, K-feldspar megacrystic granite and leucogranitic plutonism, and a Miocene (ca. 14–5 Ma) record of monzonite-leucogranite emplacement. The former age range is attributed to widespread Indosinian tectonism, related to Paleo-Tethyan subduction zone magmatism along the western Yangtze block of south China. The younger component may be related to localized partial melting (muscovite dehydration) of thickened Triassic flysch-type sediments in the Songpan-Ganze terrane, and are among the youngest crustal melt granites exposed on the Tibetan Plateau. Zircon and allanite ages reflect multiple crustal remelting events; the youngest, ca. 5 Ma, resulted in dissolution and crystallization of zircons and growth and/or resetting of allanites. The young garnet, muscovite, and biotite leucogranites occur mainly in the central part of the batholith and adjacent to the eastern margin of the batholith at Kangding, where they are cut by the left-lateral Xianshui-he fault. The Xianshui-he fault is the most seismically active strike-slip fault in Tibet and is thought to record the eastward extrusion of the central part of the Tibetan Plateau. The fault obliquely cuts all granites of the Gongga Shan massif and has a major transpressional component in the Kangding-Moxi region. The course of the Xianshui Jiang river is offset by ∼62 km along the Xianshui-he fault and in the Kangding area granites as young as ca. 5 Ma are cut by the fault. Our new geochronological data show that only a part of the Gongga Shan granite batholith is composed of young (Miocene) melt, and we surmise that as most of eastern Tibet is composed of Precambrian–Triassic Indosinian rocks, there is no geological evidence to support regional Cenozoic internal thickening or metamorphism and no evidence for eastward-directed lower crustal flow away from Tibet. We suggest that underthrusting of Indian lower crust north as far as the Xianshui-he fault resulted in Cenozoic uplift of the eastern plateau.

Cenozoic exhumation of the Danba antiform, eastern Tibet: Evidence from low-temperature thermochronology

The Danba antiform (DA) exposes the highest grade metamorphic rocks in eastern Tibet. The metamorphic grades characterizing the DA evolve from sillimanite-migmatite grade to greenschist grade over a relatively short distance of ∼20 km from core to limb. This metamorphic event indicates an important Mesozoic to Cenozoic doming and exhumation history. However, the Cenozoic history of the antiform is poorly constrained due to a lack of data. Consequently, we used fission track dating on zircon and apatite from 22 samples collected throughout the DA. The zircon fission track (ZFT) data show a transition from Cenozoic non-reset (202 Ma), to partially reset (53–37 Ma), to totally reset (24–8 Ma) ages from the periphery to the core of the DA. The oldest totally reset ZFT ages are ca. 25 Ma and likely indicate the onset of Cenozoic folding of the DA. Compared to the apatite fission track (AFT) ages of ca. 10 Ma in the peripheral region, the youngest AFT ages are younger than 3 Ma in the core of the DA, suggesting that folding could be ongoing. Based on these multithermochronometer data, the cooling rate increases from ∼8 °C/m.y. on the periphery to ∼12–56 °C/m.y. in the core of the DA since ca. 12 Ma. The DA shares a similar cooling history with the Longmen Shan (LMS) fault belt, implying that the detachment fault of the LMS may extend to the DA, resulting in linked uplift histories. The differential exhumation among the samples in the core of the DA and the surrounding area indicates that both upper crustal deformation and crustal channel flow may have developed simultaneously (mainly since ca. 12 Ma) in the DA.