Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Seismological Society of America
Résumé : With the assistance of the ASTER team (M. Arnold, G. Aumaître, D. Bourlès, and K. Keddadouche)
International audience
The Bulnay earthquake of 23 July 1905 (Mw 8.3–8.5), in north‐central Mongolia, is one of the world’s largest recorded intracontinental earthquakes and one of four great earthquakes that occurred in the region during the twentieth century. The 375 km long surface rupture of the left‐lateral, strike‐slip, N095°E‐trending Bulnay fault associated with this earthquake is remarkable for its pronounced expression across the landscape and for the size of features produced by previous earthquakes. Our field observations suggest that in many areas the width and geometry of the rupture zone is the result of repeated earthquakes; however, in those areas where it is possible to determine that the geomorphic features are the result of the 1905 surface rupture alone, the size of the features produced by this single earthquake are singular in comparison to most other historical strike‐slip surface ruptures worldwide. Along the 80 km stretch, between 97.18° E and 98.33° E, the fault zone is characterized by several meters width and the mean left‐lateral 1905 offset is 8.9±0.6  m with two measured cumulative offsets that are twice the 1905 slip. These observations suggest that the displacement produced during the penultimate event was similar to the 1905 slip. Morphotectonic analyses carried out at three sites along the eastern part of the Bulnay fault allow us to estimate a mean horizontal slip rate of 3.1±1.7  mm/yr over the Late Pleistocene–Holocene period. In parallel, paleoseismological investigations show evidence for two earthquakes prior to the 1905 event, with recurrence intervals of ∼2700–4000  yrs.
ISSN: 0037-1106

hal-01179837
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01179837
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01179837v2/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01179837/file/rizza2015.pdf
DOI : 10.1785/0120140119

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
We carried out morphotectonic studies along the left-lateral strike-slip Bogd Fault, the principal structure involved in the Gobi-Altay earthquake of 1957 December 4 (published magnitudes range from 7.8 to 8.3). The Bogd Fault is 260 km long and can be subdivided into five main geometric segments, based on variation in strike direction. West to East these segments are, respectively: the West Ih Bogd (WIB), The North Ih Bogd (NIB), the West Ih Bogd (WIB), the West Baga Bogd (WBB) and the East Baga Bogd (EBB) segments. Morphological analysis of offset streams, ridges and alluvial fans-particularly well preserved in the arid environment of the Gobi region-allows evaluation of late Quaternary slip rates along the different faults segments. In this paper, we measure slip rates over the past 200 ka at four sites distributed across the three western segments of the Bogd Fault. Our results show that the left-lateral slip rate is similar to 1 mm yr(-1) along the WIB and EIB segments and similar to 0.5 mm yr(-1) along the NIB segment. These variations are consistent with the restraining bend geometry of the Bogd Fault.;Our study also provides additional estimates of the horizontal offset associated with the 1957 earthquake along the western part of the Bogd rupture, complementing previously published studies. We show that the mean horizontal offset associated with the 1957 earthquake decreases progressively from 5.2 m in the west to 2.0 m in the east, reflecting the progressive change of kinematic style from pure left-lateral strike-slip faulting to left-lateral-reverse faulting. Along the three western segments, we measure cumulative displacements that are multiples of the 1957 coseismic offset, which may be consistent with a characteristic slip. Moreover, using these data, we re-estimate the moment magnitude of the Gobi-Altay earthquake at M-w 7.78-7.95.;Combining our slip rate estimates and the slip distribution per event we also determined a mean recurrence interval of similar to 2500-5200 yr for past earthquakes along the different segments of the western Bogd Fault. This suggests that the three western segments of the Bogd Fault and the Gurvan Bulag thrust fault (a reverse fault bounding the southern side of the Ih Bogd range that ruptured during the 1957 earthquake) have similar average recurrence times, and therefore may have ruptured together in previous earthquakes as they did in 1957. These results suggest that the western part of the Bogd Fault system, including the Gurvan Bulag thrust fault, usually behaves in a 'characteristic earthquake' mode.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-00639467
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00639467
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00639467v2/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00639467/file/rizzaGJI2011.pdf
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2011.05075.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
This study analyzes the active tectonics within the northwestern and southeastern extensions of the Pambak-Sevan-Syunik fault (PSSF), a major right-lateral strike-slip fault cutting through Armenia. Quantifying the deformations in terms of geometry, kinematics, slip rates and earthquake activity, using cosmogenic 3He, OSL/IRSL and radiocarbon dating techniques, reveal different behaviors between the two regions. Within the northwestern extension, in the region of Amasia, the PSSF bends to the west and splits into two main WNW–ESE trending reverse faults defining a compressional pop-up structure. We estimate an uplift rate and a shortening rate of 0.5 ± 0.1 mm/y and 1.4 ± 0.6 mm/y, respectively. This suggests that most of the ∼2 mm/y right lateral movement of the PSSF seems to be absorbed within the Amasia pop-structure. Within the southeastern extension, the PSSF shows signs of dying out within the Tsghuk Volcano region at the southernmost tip of the Syunik graben. There, the tectonic activity is characterized by a very slow NS trending normal faulting associated with a slight right-lateral movement. Slip rates analyses (i.e. vertical slip rate, EW stretching rate at 90° to the fault, and right-lateral slip rate of ∼0.2 mm/y, ∼0.1 mm/y and ∼0.05 mm/y, respectively) lead to the conclusion that the right lateral movement observed further north along the PSSF is mainly transferred within other active faults further west within the Karabagh (Hagari fault or other structures further northwestwards). Comparing our slip rates with those estimated from GPS data suggests that most of the deformation is localized and seismic, at least within the Tsghuk region. The geometrical and kinematic pattern observed within the two terminations of the PSSF suggests that the fault and its surrounding crustal blocks are presently rotating anticlockwise, as also observed within the GPS velocity field. This is consistent with the recent kinematic models proposed for the Caucasus-Kura-South Caspian region and brings a new insight into the present geodynamics of Armenia.
ISSN: 1040-6182

hal-01307342
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01307342
DOI : 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.05.021

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
Iran is an active continental domain accommodating the convergence between the Arabia and Eurasia plates. In northwestern Iran, deformation between the Central Iranian block and the Caucasus domain is mainly accommodated by right lateral strike-slip on the Tabriz fault. Cities and villages, including the city of Tabriz, have been destroyed by several strong historical earthquakes (M similar to 7). In this study, we compare the slip-rates estimated from geodetic measurements (radar interferometry and UPS) with those determined by dating a geomorphological offset of an alluvial fan along the Tabriz fault. The GPS measurements along two profiles normal to the Tabriz fault suggest a slip-rate of 7.3 +/- 1.3 mm yr(-1). The persistent scatterer radar interferometry analysis of Envisat satellite archives from 2003 to 2010 shows a velocity gradient (6 +/- 3 mm yr(-1)) across the Tabriz fault in agreement with GPS results. Moreover, it reveals that most of the area located south of the Tabriz fault is affected by subsidence, and that some sections of the fault probably act as barriers to fluid migration which may have an impact on its mechanical behaviour. West of Tabriz morphotectonic investigations on an alluvial fan surface show a right-lateral cumulative offset of 320 +/- 40 m Luminescence analyses of the coarse matrix alluvial fan deposits provide an age of 46 +/- 3 ka. This yields a slip-rate comprised between 6.5 and 7.3 mm yr(-1) along this segment. These results suggest that the Late Quaternary slip-rate is in agreement with the present-day slip-rate estimated by geodetic measurements, showing no slip-rate changes during the past 45 000 yr. Short-term variations within the 45 000 yr related to temporal earthquake clustering over few seismic cycles cannot be ruled out, but if they exist, they do not affect the geodetic and the geomorphological estimates. This study is in agreement with previous ones suggesting that long-term slip-rates (i.e. averaged over several tens of seismic cycles) are consistent with geodetic estimated slip-rates (i.e. extrapolated from few years of interseismic observations), and suggests that perturbations of fault slip-rates are related to variations over few seismic cycles.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-00844695
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00844695
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00844695v2/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00844695/file/rizza2013.pdf
DOI : 10.1093/gji/ggt041

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : In this paper, we present optically and infrared stimulated luminescence (OSL and IRSL) ages for four samples from alluvial fan surfaces in the Astaneh Valley. This valley is located in the north-east part of the Alborz range in Iran. Our morphologic interpretations recognize at least three generations of fans in the study area, all of which have been displaced along the left-lateral strike-slip Astaneh fault. Because of the dry, loose, and sometimes complex juxtaposition of the target sediments, we collected the samples in total darkness beneath dark plastic layers placed atop the pit openings. Luminescence ages of the fans are similar to 55 ka, similar to 32 ka and similar to 16 ka. These ages are concurrent with periods of loess deposition and wet climatic conditions previously recorded in the Arabia-Iranian region. They allow estimation of a horizontal slip rate of similar to 2 mm/yr along the Astaneh fault, which is consistent with additional slip rates determined for the Holocene period along faults further west of the Astaneh fault.
ISSN: 1871-1014

hal-00617777
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00617777
DOI : 10.1016/j.quageo.2011.03.001