This document provides an overview of seismotectonics and its importance in understanding earthquake hazards. It defines seismotectonics as the relationship between earthquakes, active tectonics and faults in a region. Seismotectonic maps and zonation are used to identify active faults and determine zones of similar seismic potential. Together with information on regional tectonics, historical seismicity, and stress fields, seismotectonics allows scientists to assess earthquake hazards by identifying capable faults. The document outlines these concepts and techniques and provides examples of seismotectonic analysis in Pakistan.
2. 2
Aim
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
To understand:
basic concepts of seismotectonics
Seismotectonics zonation
the role of seismotectonics in earthquake
hazard analysis
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Outline
Introduction
Concept of plate tectonics
Seismicity and plate boundaries
Seismotectonic maps
Seismotectonic Zonation
Seismotectonic zones of Pakistan
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Introduction
Seismic waves provides the information about active, present
day existing processes in the subsurface.
Analysis (qualitative & quantitative) of earthquake faulting
characteristics such as
• Fault orientation,
• Sense of slip,
• Net cumulative displacement along the fault plane
played the major role in evolution of the theory of plate tectonic.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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What is Seismotectonics?
The spatial distribution of earthquake may be
used to determine the location of plate boundaries,
faults, direction of relative motion between the plates,.
The rate of earthquake occurrence in some
particular area, and the cumulative displacement of
earthquake occurrence can be bused to infer the
relative velocity between the plates.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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What is Seismotectonics?
The study of the relationship between the
earthquakes, active tectonics and individual faults of a
region.
OR
The study of active faulting, and its relationship to
plate motion and lithospheric properties.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Significance
To understand which faults (seismic source) are responsible for seismic activity
in an area by analyzing a combination of
regional tectonics
recent instrumentally recorded events
accounts of historical earthquakes
geophysical data
This information can then be used to quantify the seismic hazard of an area.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Concept of Plate Tectonics (1)
Earthquakes are closely related to tectonic activities, therefore, it is
necessary to understand basic concept of plate tectonics.
Mobile lithosphere concept
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Concept of Plate Tectonics (2)
Lithosphere: Highly viscous region, movement involve shearing
motion at the boundaries and produced shear-faulting
earthquakes.
Asthenosphere: relatively less viscous
Mesosphere: relatively viscous
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Seismicity and plate boundaries (3)
Release of strain energy by seismic events is restricted to inhomogeneous stress
regions. i.e., plate boundaries
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
Plates
A. Pacific
B. North
America
C. Cocos
D. Nazca
E. South
America
F. Caribbean
G. Antarctic
H. Indian
I. Philippine
J. African
K. Eurasian
L. Arabian
Boundaries
1. Aleutian SZ
2. San Andreas Fault
3. Central American
SZ
4. Antilles Sz
5. South American SZ
6. Scotia SZ
7. East Pacific Rise
8. Tonga-Kermadec
SZ
9. New Hebrides SZ
10. Mariana SZ
11. Japan SZ
12. Indonesian SZ
13. Hindu Kush
14. Mid Atlantic Rise
A
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J
I
H
G
F
ED
C
B
L
1
9
8
7
6
5
4
1432
13
12
11
10
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Seismicity and plate boundaries (4)
Seismotectonic zones are concentrated near to the plate boundaries.
Divergent boundaries: Two plates are moving apart and new lithosphere is
produced (or old lithosphere is thinned). E.g., midoceanic ridges, continental rifts
Convergent boundaries: Litjosphere is thickened or consumed by sinking into
the mantle. E.g., subduction zones, alpine belts
Transcurrent boundaries: plates move past one another without either
convergence or divergence. E.g., transform faults, strike-slip faults
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Seismicity and plate boundaries (5)
Divergent and transcurrent plate boundaries are
characterized by shallow seismicity (focal depth < 30 km).
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Seismotectonic Maps
Show:
geology (structure)
geomorphology
water features
faults (orientation, geometry, fault plane etc.)
lineaments
shear zone
past earthquake events
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Main elements of map
Seismicity: A careful study and compilation of data will be devoted to the
historical and instrumental seismicity. Regional and local maps may include
earthquake magnitude as low as M 1 but the final seismotectonic map will have to
consider magnitudes large than M 4.
Active tectonics and faulting:
Plate movement sketch (with kinematic indicators).
Plate sketch map with principal stress direction.
Explanatory notes (including a more comprehensive description of the
oceanic.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Seismotectonic Zonation
A seismotectonic zone is considered to be a geographic region of some
geological, geophysical and seismological similarity with a uniform earthquake
potential.
In a particular seismotectonic zone, the seismicity (earthquakes etc.) is
assumed uniform & homogeneous throughout the zone.
Seismotectonics zonation provides the basis for Seismic Hazard Assessment
(SHA) of any area.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Preparation of seismotectonic zones
Regional tectonics
Integrated data sets
Geomorphology
Earthquake records
Scale
Limitations
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Regional tectonics
An understanding of the regional tectonics of an area is
likely to be derived from
published geological maps
research publications on the geological structure and
seismic reflection data (2D, 3D)
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Geomorphology
Seismically active faults and related fault generated folds have a direct
effect on the geomorphology of a region.
This may allow the direct identification of active structures not
previously known.
In some cases such observations can be used quantitatively to constrain
the repeat period of major earthquakes.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Integrated data sets
Seismotectonic zonation of an area requires the integration of a large number
of disparate datasets:
1. Satellite images (remote sensing)
2. Digital elevation models
3. Geodic maps (conventional geodesy, GPS data)
4. Earthquake/ seismicity data
Instrumentally recorded events
Historical records
Field investigations
5. Geophysical data (gravity, magnetic, seismic profiles and tomography).
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Earthquake: Instrumental records
Sufficient information has been available from seismometers to allow the
location,
depth and
magnitude
of earthquakes to be calculated.
In terms of identifying the fault responsible for an earthquake where
there is no clear surface trace, recording the locations of aftershocks
generally gives a strong indication of the strike of the fault.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Earthquake: Historical records
To understand the long-term seismicity of an area, information from
earthquakes before the era of instrumental recording are required.
Careful assessment of historical data in terms of their reliability is
mandatory.
In most cases, all that can be derived is an estimate of the location and
magnitude of the event. However, such data is needed to fill the gaps in the
instrumental record, particularly in areas with either relatively low seismicity or
where the repeat periods for major earthquakes is more than a hundred years.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Earthquake: Field investigations
Information on the timing and magnitude of seismic events that occurred
before instrumental recording can be obtained from excavations across faults
that are thought to be seismically active and by studying recent sedimentary
sequences for evidence of seismically active faults.
Seismically active faults and related fault generated folds have a direct effect
on the geomorphology of a region. This may allow the direct identification of
active structures not previously known. In some cases such observations can be
used quantitatively to constrain the repeat period of major earthquakes.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
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Seismotectonic zones of Pakistan
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
1. Kohistan-Kashmir
2. Northern Baluchistan
3. Quetta-Sibi
4. Southern Baluchistan
5. Northern Afghanistan-
Tajikistan
6. Hindu Kush
7. NW Afghanistan-
Tajikistan Border Region
8. Eastern Afghanistan
9. Makran Coast
10. Runn of Kuchch
11. Sindh-Punjab
12. Pamir-Kunlun
13. Indian Kashmir
14. Upper Punjab-NWFP
15. Chitral
16. Koh e Sulaiman
17. South West Iran
18. Western Baluchistan
Based on seismicity, geology, source mechanism and the stress direction of the region,
Pakistan is divided into 19 (18) seismotectonic zones.
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Seismicity map of the NW Himalayan Fold-and-Thrust Belt for pre-
instrumental (pre-1904) and instrumental (post-1904-2006) earthquakes.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
Plates
A. Pacific
B. North
America
C. Cocos
D. Nazca
E. South
America
F. Caribbean
G. Antarctic
H. Indian
I. Philippine
J. African
K. Eurasian
L. Arabian
Boundaries
1. Aleutian SZ
2. San Andreas Fault
3. Central American
SZ
4. Antilles Sz
5. South American SZ
6. Scotia SZ
7. East Pacific Rise
8. Tonga-Kermadec
SZ
9. New Hebrides SZ
10. Mariana SZ
11. Japan SZ
12. Indonesian SZ
13. Hindu Kush
14. Mid Atlantic Rise
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Seismotectonic zonation map of the NW Himalayan Fold-and-Thrust Belt for
the period 1904-2006.
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid
Plates
A. Pacific
B. North
America
C. Cocos
D. Nazca
E. South
America
F. Caribbean
G. Antarctic
H. Indian
I. Philippine
J. African
K. Eurasian
L. Arabian
Boundaries
1. Aleutian SZ
2. San Andreas Fault
3. Central American
SZ
4. Antilles Sz
5. South American SZ
6. Scotia SZ
7. East Pacific Rise
8. Tonga-Kermadec
SZ
9. New Hebrides SZ
10. Mariana SZ
11. Japan SZ
12. Indonesian SZ
13. Hindu Kush
14. Mid Atlantic Rise
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Seismic Hazard Analysis
In order to understand the seismic hazard of an area it is necessary not only to
know where potentially active faults are, but also the orientation of the stress
field. This is normally derived from a combination of earthquake data, borehole
breakout analysis, direct stress measurement and the analysis of geologically
young fault networks. The World Stress Map Project provides a useful online
compilation of such data
GEOL 541 Dr. Perveiz Khalid