| Abstract: | Longmenshan fault zone is a famous orogenic belt and seismic zone in the southeastern Tibetan plateau of China. The Wenchuan MS8.0 earthquake on May 12, 2008 and the Ya'an MS7.0 earthquake on April 20, 2013 occurred in the central-southern part of Longmenshan fault zone. Because of its complex geological structures, frequent earthquakes and special geographical locations, it has attracted the attention of many scholars around the world. Satellite gravity field has advantages in studying gravity field and gravity anomaly changes before and after earthquake. It covers wide range, can be updated regularly, without difficulty in terms of geographical restrictions, and is not affected by environmental factors such as weather, terrain and traffic. Therefore, the use of high-precision Earth satellite gravity field data inversion and interpretation of seismic phenomena has become a hot topic in earth science research. In order to understand satellite gravity field characteristics of the Longmenshan earthquake zone in the southeastern Tibetan plateau and its seismogenic mechanism of earthquake disasters, the satellite gravity data was used to present the terrain information of the study area. Then, by solving the regional gravity anomaly of the Moho surface, the crustal thickness of the study area was inverted, and the GPS velocity field data was used to detect the crustal deformation rate and direction of the study area. Combining the tectonic setting of the Longmenshan fault zone and the existing deep seismic sounding results of the previous researchers, the dynamic characteristics of the gravity time-varying field after the earthquake in the Longmenshan earthquake zone was analyzed and the mechanism of the earthquake was explored. The results show that the eastward flow of deep materials in the eastern Tibetan plateau is strongly blocked at the Longmenshan fault zone. The continuous collision and extrusion process result in a "deep drop zone" in the Moho surface, and the long-term stress effect is conducive to the formation of thrust-nappe and strike-slip structures. The Longmenshan earthquake zone was in the large-scale gradient zone of gravity change before the earthquake, the deep plastic fluid material transport velocity differed greatly, the fluid pressure was enhanced, and the rock mechanical strength in the seismic source region was weakened, which contributed to the intrusion of crustal fluid and the upwelling of the asthenosphere. As a result, the continuous accumulation of material and energy eventually led to continuous stress imbalance in the deep part and shear rupture of the deep weak structure, causing the occurrence of the thrust-nappe and strike-slip earthquake. |
