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The bending mechanism of Anping ground fissure in the Hebei Plain, North China

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Abstract

The Anping fissure is one typical and particular ground fissure in the North China Plain. This study was carried out in Anping area with geological means, such as surveying, mapping, trenching and drilling. The geological structure and disasters were analyzed by both qualitative and quantitative methods. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Anping ground fissure is the local manifestation of regional tectonic stress field and is basically folding directional, hidden and intermittent. (2) Under the control of Shen-rao fault, Anping ground fissure was exposed and expanded by water-related human activities, and then was cracked by small- and medium-sized earthquakes. (3) The forming process followed the bending-cracking rules. The uplifting force from deep in the earth bent the entire overlying strata. The tangential stress below the ground surface counterbalanced the horizontal stress of soils, even breaking through their tensile strength and inducing cracks. The fissure was periodic and wavery, because the cracking force was proportional to the uplifting force but inversely proportional to the stratigraphic depth.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funds from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41302249, 41430643 and 41202196), the Special Program for the Public Research of Ministry of Land and Resources of China (Grant No. 201411096), the Postdoctoral fund of Jiangsu Province of China (Grant No. 1402063C), the National Basic Research Program of China (973) (Grant No. 2013CB227900) and the laboratory of China University of Mining and Technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Jishan Xu

  2. North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, 450045, China

    Lingchao Meng

  3. Shandong Geological and Mineral Resources Engineering Investigation Institute, Jinan, 250014, China

    Haibo An

  4. China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd, Xi’an, 710043, China

    Liyang Wang

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  1. Jishan Xu
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  2. Lingchao Meng
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  4. Liyang Wang
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Correspondence to Jishan Xu.

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Xu, J., Meng, L., An, H. et al. The bending mechanism of Anping ground fissure in the Hebei Plain, North China. Environ Earth Sci 74, 6859–6870 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4670-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4670-6

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