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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth

 

Keywords

  • InSAR
  • Yushu earthquake
  • earthquake source parameters
  • geodetic inversion
  • seismic hazard

Index Terms

  • Geodesy and Gravity: Tectonic deformation (6924)
  • Geodesy and Gravity: Satellite geodesy: results (6929, 7215, 7230, 7240)
  • Natural Hazards: Remote sensing and disasters (1243, 1640, 1855, 3360, 8485)
  • Radio Science: Interferometry (1207, 1209, 1242)
  • Seismology: Earthquake source observations (1240)
Abstract
Cited By (0)
 

Abstract

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 116, B10302, 16 PP., 2011
doi:10.1029/2011JB008358

The 2010 MW 6.8 Yushu (Qinghai, China) earthquake: Constraints provided by InSAR and body wave seismology

Key Points
  • Determine the fault geometry and sequence of ruptures of the Yushu earthquake
  • Investigate the differences in surface rupture lengths from different data sets
  • Suggest a potential seismic hazard on the continuation of the fault beyond Yushu

Zhenhong Li

COMET+, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

John R. Elliott

COMET+, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, UK

Wanpeng Feng

COMET+, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, China

James A. Jackson

COMET+, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Bullard Laboratories, Cambridge, UK

Barry E. Parsons

COMET+, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, UK

Richard J. Walters

COMET+, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, UK

By combining observations from satellite radar, body wave seismology and optical imagery, we have determined the fault segmentation and sequence of ruptures for the 2010 Mw 6.8 Yushu (China) earthquake. We have mapped the fault trace using displacements from SAR image matching, interferometric phase and coherence, and 2.5 m SPOT-5 satellite images. Modeling the event as an elastic dislocation with three segments fitted to the fault trace suggests that the southeast and northwest segments are near vertical, with the central segment dipping 70° to the southwest; slip occurs mainly in the upper 10 km, with a maximum slip of 1.5 m at a depth of 4 km on the southeastern segment. The maximum slip in the top 1 km (i.e., near surface) is up to 1.2 m, and inferred locations of significant surface rupture are consistent with displacements from SAR image matching and field observations. The radar interferograms show rupture over a distance of almost 80 km, much larger than initial seismological and field estimates of the length of the fault. Part of this difference can be attributed to slip on the northwestern segment of the fault being due to an Mw 6.1 aftershock two hours after the main event. The remaining difference can be explained by a non-uniform slip distribution with much of the moment release occurring at depths of less than 10 km. The rupture on the central and southeastern segments of the fault in the main shock propagated at a speed of 2.5 km/s southeastward toward the town of Yushu located at the end of this segment, accounting for the considerable building damage. Strain accumulation since the last earthquake on the fault segment beyond Yushu is equivalent to an Mw 6.5 earthquake.

Received 9 March 2011; accepted 7 July 2011; published 4 October 2011.

Citation: Li, Z., J. R. Elliott, W. Feng, J. A. Jackson, B. E. Parsons, and R. J. Walters (2011), The 2010 MW 6.8 Yushu (Qinghai, China) earthquake: Constraints provided by InSAR and body wave seismology, J. Geophys. Res., 116, B10302, doi:10.1029/2011JB008358.

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