Late Quaternary systematic stream offsets caused by repeated large seismic events along the Kunlun fault, northern Tibet |
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| Authors: | Bihong Fu Yasuo Awata Jianguo Du Wengui He |
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| Institution: | aActive Fault Research Center, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan;bInstitute of Earthquake Science, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100036, PR China;cLanzhou Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Lanzhou 730000, PR China |
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| Abstract: | The Kunlun fault is one of the largest strike-slip faults in northern Tibet, China. In this paper, we focus upon the Kusai Lake–Kunlun Pass segment of the fault to understand the geomorphic development of offset streams caused by repeated large seismic events, based on tectono-geomorphic analysis of high-resolution satellite remote sensing images combined with field studies. The results indicate that systematic left-lateral stream offsets appear at various scales across the fault zone: Lateral offsets of small gullies caused by the 2001 Mw 7.8 Kunlun earthquake vary typically from 3 m to 6 m, meanwhile streams with cumulative offsets of 10 m, 25–30 m, 50–70 m, 250–300 m and 750–1400 m have resulted from repeated large seismic events during the late Quaternary. An average slip rate of 10 ± 1 mm/year has been estimated from the lateral stream offsets and 14C ages of alluvial fan surfaces incised by the streams. A three-dimensional model showing tectono-geomorphic features along a left-lateral strike-slip fault is also presented. The Kusai Lake–Kunlun Pass segment provides an opportunity to understand the relationship between geomorphic features produced by individual large seismic events and long-term geomorphic development caused by repeated large seismic events along a major strike-slip fault. |
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| Keywords: | Lateral offsets Streams Large seismic events Strike-slip faulting Northern Tibet |
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