Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Late-Quaternary strong earthquakes on the seismogenic fault of the 1976 M s7.8 Tangshan earthquake, Hebei, as revealed by drilling and trenching

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Composite borehole profiling combined with trenching is an effective way to acquire evidence of past ruptures of buried active faults. In this study, three composite borehole profiles and a large-scale trench excavation were carried out across the surface rupture zone of the 1976 M s7.8 Tangshan earthquake. The following three major conclusions have been reached. (1) The surface rupture zone of the 1976 earthquake extends more than 47 km long to the south of Tangshan city, passing to the west of Sunjialou, to Daodi town in Fengnan County, to Xihe in Fengnan County. (2) The surface rupture zone is divided into south and north branches. The north branch has mainly right-lateral strike-slip motion, and the vertical displacement of the surface is up on the west and down on the east. On the other hand, the vertical displacement of the south branch is up on the east and down on the west, accompanied by some right-lateral slip. Such a faulting style cannot be explained by the movement of a single normal or reverse fault, but is consistent with the vertical displacement field induced by the right-lateral strike-slip of the fault belt. The drilling and trenching data from this study verify that such activity continued through the Late Quaternary on the Tangshan Fault. (3) The fault planes exhumed by trenching and the dislocations of strata revealed by the boreholes indicate that multiple faulting events occurred on the Tangshan Fault in the Late Quaternary. The timing of three ruptures prior to the 1976 earthquake was 7.61–8.13, >14.57, and 24.21–26.57 ka BP. Counting the earthquake of 1976, the recurrence interval of the four strong events is about 6.7 to 10.8 ka. On one of the three borehole profiles, the Niumaku profile, nine faulting events were detected since 75.18 ka BP with an average interval of 8.4 ka. In addition, this paper also discusses the difference between the Late Quaternary sedimentary environments to the north and south of Tangshan city based on stratum dating.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Li S B. The map of seismicity of China (in Chinese). Acta Geophys Sin, 1957, 6: 127–158

    Google Scholar 

  2. Guo S M, Li Z Y, Cheng S P, et al. Discussion on the regional structure background and the seismogenic model of the Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). Sci Geol Sin, 1977, 12: 3–19

    Google Scholar 

  3. Wang J M, Zheng W J, Chen G S, et al. A study on the principal surface fracture belt and the cause of occurrence of the Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). J Seismol Res, 1981, 4: 437–450

    Google Scholar 

  4. Yang L H. Seismic intensity and damage (in Chinese). In: Editorial Group of “the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake”, SSB. The 1976 Tangshan Earthquake. Beijing: Seismological Press, 1982. 1–32

    Google Scholar 

  5. Du C T, Meng X L, Chen S X. Ground fissures of the Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). In: Liu H X, ed. Disaster of Great Earthquake (1). Beijing: Seismological Press, 1985. 174–189

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chen Y T, Lin B H, Wang X H, et al. A dislocation model of the Tangshan earthquake of 1976 from the inversion of geodetic data (in Chinese). Acta Geophys Sin, 1979, 22: 3–19

    Google Scholar 

  7. Butler R, Stewart G S, Kanamori H. The July 27, 1976 Tangshan, China Earthquake-A complex sequence of intraplate events. Bull Seismol Soc Amer, 1979, (69/1): 207–220

  8. Li Q Z, Zhang Z L, Jin Y M, et al. Focal mechanisms of Tangshan earthquakes (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 1980, 2: 61–69

    Google Scholar 

  9. Zhang Z L, Li Q Z, Gu J C, et al. The fracture processes of the Tangshan earthquake and its mechanical analysis (in Chinese). Acta Seismol Sin, 1980, 2: 3–21

    Google Scholar 

  10. Huang L R. An analysis of the horizontal displacement field of Tangshan earthquake with generalized inverse method and a comparison with the classic method (in Chinese). Crustal Deform Earthquake, 1981, 1: 3–13

    Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang Z S, Xie J M, Xu F Z, et al. Vertical deformational associated with the 1976 Tangshan M=7.8 earthquake (in Chinese). Acta Geophys Sin, 1981, 24: 58–67

    Google Scholar 

  12. Xie J M. Some features of crustal elastic rebound of the Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). J Seismol Res, 1984, 7: 28–37

    Google Scholar 

  13. Shao X Z, Zhang J R, Zhang S Y, et al. Investigation of deep struc tures in Tangshan earthquake area (in Chinese). Acta Geophys Sin, 1986, 29: 30–43

    Google Scholar 

  14. LI X G. Tectonic features of the plain area of the southern side of Mt. Yanshan and their relations with the Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). In: Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Scienses, Institute of Geology, State Seismological Bureau, eds. Formation and Development of the North China Fault Block Region. Beijing: Science Press, 1980. 261–273

    Google Scholar 

  15. Geophysical Exploration Team, State Seismological Bureau. Laoting-Zhangjiakou deep seismic sounding profile (in Chinese). Earthquake, 1977, 2: 13–14

    Google Scholar 

  16. Zeng R S, Lu H X, Ding Z F. Seismic refraction and reflection profilings across Tangshan epicentral region and their implication to seismogenic processes (in Chinese). Acta Geophys Sin, 1988, 31: 383–398

    Google Scholar 

  17. Liu G D. Research on focus structures and dynamical process of Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). In: Institute of Geology, State Seismological Bureau, ed. Research on Modern Geodynamics and Its Application. Beijing: Seismological Press, 1994. 70–83

    Google Scholar 

  18. Wang T M, Li J P. The recurrence intervals of the strong earthquake in Tangshan (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 1984, 6: 79–85

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ma J, Zhang B T, Yuan S R. Tangshan earthquake and the earthquake risk area (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 1980, 2: 45–56

    Google Scholar 

  20. Qiang Z J, Zhang L R. Tangshan earthquake and Quaternary active faults. In: Committee on Seismogeology (in Chinese). The Seismological Society of China, ed. The Active Faults in China. Beijing: Seismological Press, 1982. 67–71

    Google Scholar 

  21. Gui K C, Geng S C. Worthwhile considering the seismo-structure of the Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). Earthquake Res Chin, 1987, 3(Suppl.): 79–84

    Google Scholar 

  22. Li J H, Hao S J, Hu Y T, et al. A study on activity of the seismogenic fault for the Tangshan earthquake of 1976 (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 1998, 20: 28–

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hao S J, You H C. A detailed detection of the Tangshan active fault using shallow seismic survey (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2001, 23: 93–97

    Google Scholar 

  24. You H C, Xu X W, Wu J P, et al. Study on the relationship between shallow and deep structures in the 1976 Tangshan earthquake area (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2002, 24: 104–115

    Google Scholar 

  25. Qiu Z H, Ma J, Liu G X. Discovery of the great fault of the Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2005, 27: 669–677

    Google Scholar 

  26. Jiang W L. Discussion on seismogenic fault of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2006, 28: 312–318

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wu C. Investigation of earthquake disaster (in Chinese). In: Liu H X, ed. Disaster of Great Tangshan Earthquake (1). Beijing: Seismological Press, 1985. 203–209

    Google Scholar 

  28. Liu G D, Guo S M, Liu C Q. Background of Seismology and Geology (in Chinese). In: Editorial Group of “the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake”, SSB. The 1976 Tanghan Earthquake. Beijing: Seismological Press, 1982. 71–130

    Google Scholar 

  29. Deng Q D, Wen X Z. A review on the research of active tectonics-History, progress and suggestions (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2008, 30: 1–30

    Google Scholar 

  30. Xu X W, Ji F J, Yu G H, et al. Reconstruction of paleoearthquake sequence using stratigraphic records from drill logs: A study at the Xiadian fault, Beijing (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2000, 22: 9–19

    Google Scholar 

  31. Jiang W L. Paleoearthquake analysis of the Xiadian fault since Late Period of Pleistocene Epoch from Pangezhuang boring in Beijing Plain (in Chinese). In: Department of Science and Technology, CEA, ed. Research on Active Fault (8). Beijing: Seismological Press, 2001. 140–148

    Google Scholar 

  32. Zhang S M, Wang D D, Liu X D, et al. Using borehole core analysis to reveal Late Quaternary paleoearthquakes along the Nankou-Sunhe Fault, Beijing. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2008, 51: 1154–1168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Yang X P, Zhang R Z, Zhang L F, et al. Some problems worth considering in the geological explanation of shallow seismic prospecting data (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2007, 29: 282–293

    Google Scholar 

  34. Lei Q Y, Chai C Z, Meng G K, et al. Composite drilling section exploration of Yinchuan buried fault (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2008, 30: 250–263

    Google Scholar 

  35. Matsuda T. Reading of paleoearthquake from stratum (in Japanese). Earth, 2000, 28(Suppl.): 10–15

    Google Scholar 

  36. Zhu Z C, Song H L. Structural Geology. Beijing: Publishing House of the University of Geological Science of China, 1990. 181–182

    Google Scholar 

  37. Chen W H, Ni M Y. Quaternary Geology of Hebei Provice (in Chinese). Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1987. 1–186

    Google Scholar 

  38. Xie X S, Zhao J Q, Jiang W L, et al. Study on Holocene Paleoearthquake in Xizhang trench on the Jiaochen fault zone, Shanxi Province (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2007, 29: 744–755

    Google Scholar 

  39. Lin C Y, Chen X D, Shi L B. Microstructural and micro-sedimentologic analyses of the trench across the Jiaocheng fault, Xizhangcun village, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2007, 29: 294–310

    Google Scholar 

  40. Jiang W L, Hou Z H, Xie X S. Research on paleoearthquakes in Jiuxian trenches across Nankou-Sunhe fault zone in Changping County of Beijing plain. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2002, 45: 160–173

    Google Scholar 

  41. Jiang W L, Hou Z H, Xiao Z M, et al. Study on Paleoearthquakes of Qixinzhuang trench at the Xiadian fault, Beijing plain (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 2000, 22: 413–422

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Crustal Dynamics, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, 100085, China

    Hui Guo, WaLi Jiang & XinSheng Xie

Authors
  1. Hui Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. WaLi Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. XinSheng Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to WaLi Jiang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guo, H., Jiang, W. & Xie, X. Late-Quaternary strong earthquakes on the seismogenic fault of the 1976 M s7.8 Tangshan earthquake, Hebei, as revealed by drilling and trenching. Sci. China Earth Sci. 54, 1696–1715 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-011-4218-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-011-4218-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation