Abstract
The method of sliding direction fitting is used to determine stress districts, taking the shear stress directions and ratios of shear stress to stress on fault planes given by focal mechanism solutions as the criteria to select focal mechanism solutions of one region and sorting out the earthquakes controlled by different tectonic stress fields, and then determining the stress districts from epicenter distribution of earthquakes. We call this method as step by step convergence method. By inversion analyzing of 297 focal mechanism solutions, we consider that Southwest China and its adjacent area can be divided into 5 stress districts, and we worked out directions of the three principal stresses and values of shape factor φ in 5 stress districts.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angelier J. 1979. Determination of the mean principal direction of stresses for a given fault population. Tectonophysics, 56: 17–26
Brace W F, Kohlstedt D L. 1980. Limits on lithospheric stress imposed by laboratory experiments. J Geophys Res, 85: 6248–6252
Byerlee J D. 1978. Friction of rock. Pure Appl Geophys, 116: 615–626
Cheng E L. 1981. Characteristics of recent tectonic stress field and recent tectonic movement in Sichuan and its adjacent area. Acta Seismologica Sinica, 3(3): 231–241 (in Chinese)
Kan R J, Zhang S C, Yan F T, et al. 1977. Present tectonic stress field and its relation to the characteristics of recent tectonic activity in southwestern China. Acta Geophysica Sinica, 20(2): 96–108 (in Chinese)
Muller B, Wehrle V, Zeyen H, et al. 1997. Short-scale variations of tectonic regimes in the western European stress province north of the Alps and Pyrenees. Tectonophysics, 275: 199–220
Xie F R. 1994. The method of determination of the principal direction of stress from fault slip data. Research on Active Fault, 3: 191–201 (in Chinese)
Xie F R, Zhu J Z, Liang H Q, et al. 1993. Basic characteristics of recent tectonic stress field in southwest China. Acta Seismologica Sinica, 6(4): 843–855
Xu Z H 1985. The mean stress field in Tangshan aftershock area determined by fitting fault slip vector. Acta Seismologica Sinica, 7(4): 349–361 (in Chinese)
Xu Z H, Ge S M. 1984. Stress field in the Fuyun, Xinjiang earthquake fracture zone determined by fitting fault slip vector data. Acta Seismologica Sinica, 6(4): 395–404 (in Chinese)
Xu Z H, Wang S Y, Huang Y R, et al. 1987. Directions of mean stress axes in southwestern China deduced from microearthquake data. Acta Geophysica Sinica, 30(5): 476–486 (in Chinese)
Yamakawa N. 1971: Stress field in focal regions. J Phys Earth, 19: 347–353
Zhang C, Cao X L, Qu K X, et al. 1990. Focal Mechanism Solutions in China Area. Beijing: Academic Press, 34–183 (in Chinese)
Zoback M L. 1992. Stress field constraints on intraplate seismicity in eastern North America. J Geophys Res, 97: 11761–11782
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Contribution No. 1999A0005, Institute of Crustal Dynamics, China Seismological Bureau.
This subject is supported by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation (97-07-424) and SSTCC Climb Project 95-S-05.
About this article
Cite this article
Cui, XF., Xie, FR. Preliminary research to determine stress districts from focal mechanism solutions in Southwest China and its adjacent area. Acta Seimol. Sin. 12, 562–572 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11589-999-0056-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11589-999-0056-8