Morphogenic uncertainties of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake: Generating or reducing?

Abstract

Landscape evolution in active orogen region is inevitably affected by landslides associated with strong earthquakes, rain or storm. However, quantitative studies of the orogenic or eroded volumes are rarely demonstrated. The 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake triggered serious landsliding, consequently, a large amount of landslide material. However, the landslide volume is estimated mainly on the landslides areas interpreted in their semi-automated landslide mapping algorithm. However, the total volume of landslides triggered by the Wenchuan Earthquake amounts to 5–10 times bigger than the expected upper bound according to the empirical correlation between “total landslide volume” and “moment magnitude”. Here we show that the total landslide volume estimation has large uncertainties to be used to determine whether the Wenchuan Earthquake generates or reduces relief. Thus, the widely held view that large dip-slip and oblique-slip earthquakes build mountainous topography may still be applicable to the Wenchuan Earthquake in Longmen Shan area. To challenge this view, simple landslide volume and co-seismic uplift comparison is not enough, i.e., more data are needed.

Keywords

Wenchuan Earthquake / landslide / mass wasting / topographic generation

References

[1] Avouac J P. Watts A B. Dynamic Processes in Extensional and Compressional Settings-Mountain Building: From Earthquakes to Geological Deformation. Crustal and Lithosphere Dynamics (Treatise on Geophysics), 2008 Amsterdam: Elsevier, 377-439.

[2] Burbank D W, Anderson R S. Tectonic Geomorphology, 2011, 2nd Edition Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 1-468.

[3] Burchfiel B C, Chen Z, Liu Y, . Tectonics of the Longmen Shan and Adjacent Regions, Central China. International Geology Review, 1995, 37: 661-735.

[4] Burchfiel B C, Royden L H, van der Hilst R D, . A Geological and Geophysical Context for the Wenchuan Earthquake of 12 May 2008, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China. GSA Today, 2008, 18: 4-11.

[5] Chen H, Wan J. The Effect of Orientation and Shape Distribution of Gravel on Slope Angles in the Central Taiwan. Engineering Geology, 2004, 72: 19-31.

[6] Chen S F, Wilson C J L. Emplacement of the Longmen Shan Thrust-Nappe Belt along the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Structural Geology, 1996, 18(4): 413-430.

[7] Chen Z, Burchfiel B C, Liu Y, . Global Positioning System Measurements from Eastern Tibet and Their Implications for India/Eurasia Intercontinental Deformation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2000, 105(B7): 16215-16227.

[8] Chigira M, Wu X, Inokuchi T, . Landslides Induced by the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, Sichuan, China. Geomorphology, 2010, 118: 225-238.

[9] Dai F, Xu C, Yao X, . Spatial Distribution of Landslides Triggered by the 2008 M _s 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake, China. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2011, 40: 883-895.

[10] de Michele M, Raucoules D, de Sigoyer J, . Three-Dimensional Surface Displacement of the 2008 May 12 Sichuan Earthquake (China) Derived from Synthetic Aperture Radar: Evidence for Rupture on a Blind Thrust. Geophysical Journal International, 2010, 183: 1097-1103.

[11] Densmore A L, Ellis M A, Li Y, . Active Tectonics of the Beichuan and Pengguan Faults at the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Tectonics, 2007, 26 TC4005

[12] Densmore A L, Parker P N, Roser N J, . Reply to “Isostasy Can’t Be Ignored”. Nature Geoscience, 2012, 5: 83-84.

[13] Gan W J, Zhang P, Shen Z, . Present-Day Crustal Motion within the Tibetan Plateau Inferred from GPS Measurements. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2007, 112 B08416.

[14] Godard V, Lave J, Carcaillet J, . Spatial Distribution of Denudation in Eastern Tibet and Regressive Erosion of Plateau Margins. Tectonophysics, 2010, 491: 253-274.

[15] Guzzetti F, Ardizzone F, Cardinali M, . Distribution of Landslides in the Upper Tiber River Basin, Central Italy. Geomorphology, 2008, 96: 105-122.

[16] Guzzetti F, Ardizzone F, Cardinali M, . Landslide Volumes and Landslide Mobilization Rates in Umbria, Central Italy. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2009, 279: 222-229.

[17] Harp E, Jibson R. Landslides Triggered by the 1994 Northridge, California, Earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 1996, 86: 319-332.

[18] Hovius N, Meunier P, Lin C, . Prolonged Seismically Induced Erosion and the Mass Balance of a Large Earthquake. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2011

[19] Imaizumi F, Sidle R C. Linkage of Sediment Supply and Transport Processes in Miyagawa Dam Catchment, Japan. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2007, 112 17

[20] Keefer D K. The Importance of Earthquake-Induced Landslides to Long-Term Slope Erosion and Slope-Failure Hazards in Seismically Active Regions. Geomorphology, 1994, 10: 265-284.

[21] Khazai B, Sitar N. Evaluation of Factors Controlling Earthquake-Induced Landslides Caused by Chi-Chi Earthquake and Comparison with the Northridge and Loma Prieta Events. Engineering Geology, 2003, 71: 79-95.

[22] King R W, Shen F, Burchfiel B C, . Geodetic Measurements of Crustal Motion in Southwest China. Geology, 1997, 25: 179-182.

[23] Liu-Zeng J, Zhang Z, Wen L, . Coseismic Ruptures of the 12 May 2008, Ms 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake, Sichuan: East-West Crustal Shortening on Oblique, Parallel Thrusts along the Eastern Edge of Tibet. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2009, 286: 355-370.

[24] Lin C, Shieh C, Yuan B, . Impact of Chi-Chi Earthquake on the Occurrence of Landslides and Debris Flows: Example from the Chenyulan River Watershed, Nantou, Taiwan. Engineering Geology, 2003, 71: 49-61.

[25] Lin A M, Ren Z K, Jia D, . Evidence for a Tang-Song Dynasty Great Earthquake along the Longmen Shan Thrust Belt prior to the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake, China. Journal of Seismology, 2010, 14: 615-628.

[26] Lin A M, Ren Z K, Jia D, . Co-Seismic Thrusting Rupture and Slip Distribution Produced by the 2008 M _w 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake, China. Tectonophysics, 2009, 471: 203-215.

[27] Lin A M, Rao G, Yan B. Field Evidence of Rupture of the Qingchuan Fault during the 2008 M _w 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake, Northeastern Segment of the Longmen Shan Thrust Belt. Tectonophysics, 2012, 522/523: 243-252.

[28] Lin J W. Taiwan’ Chi-Chi Earthquake Precursor Detection Using Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis to Multi-Channel Total Electron Content Records. Journal of Earth Science, 2013, 24(2): 244-253.

[29] Malamud B D, Turcotte D L, Guzzetti F, . Landslides, Earthquakes and Erosion. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2004, 229: 45-59.

[30] Mackey B H, Roering J J. Sediment Yield, Spatial Characteristics, and the Long-Term Evolution of Active Earth Flows Determined from Airborne LiDAR and Historical Aerial Photographs, Eel River, California. GSA Bulletin, 2011, 123(7–8): 1560-1576.

[31] Meng Q, Hu J, Wang E, . Late Cenozoic Denudation by Large-Magnitude Landslides in the Eastern Edge of Tibetan Plateau. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2006, 243: 252-267.

[32] Molnar P. Isostasy can’t be Ignored. Nature Geoscience, 2012, 5 83

[33] Molnar P, England P. Late Cenozoic Uplift of Mountain Ranges and Global Climate Change: Chicken or Egg?. Nature, 1995, 346: 29-34.

[34] Ouimet W B. Landslides Associated with the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake: Implications for the Erosion and Tectonic Evolution of the Longmen Shan. Tectonophysics, 2010, 491: 244-252.

[35] Parker P N, Densmore A L, Roser N J, . Mass Wasting Triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake is Greater than Orogenic Growth. Nature Geoscience, 2011, 4: 449-452.

[36] Ran Y, Chen L, Chen J, . Paleoseismic Evidence and Repeat Time of Large Earthquakes at Three Sites along the Longmenshan Fault Zone. Tectonophysics, 2010, 491: 141-153.

[37] Ren Z K, Lin A M. Co-Seismic Landslides Induced by the 2008 Wenchuan Magnitude 8.0 Earthquake, as Revealed by ALOS PRISM and AVNIR2 Imagery Data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 2010, 31: 3479-3493.

[38] Tang C, Zhu J, Qi X, . Landslides Induced by the Wenchuan Earthquake and the Subsequent Strong Rainfall Event: A Case Study in the Beichuan Area of China. Engineering Geology, 2011, 122: 22-33.

[39] Xu Q, Pei X, Huang R. Large-Scale Landslides Induced by the Wenchuan Earthquake, 2009 Beijing: Science Press, 1-473.

[40] Xu X W, Wen X Z, Yu G H, . Coseismic Reverse and Oblique-Slip Surface Faulting Generated by the 2008 M _w 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake, China. Geology, 2009, 37: 515-518.

[41] Yin J, Chen J, Xu X, . The Characteristics of the Landslides Triggered by the Wenchuan M _s 8.0 Earthquake from Anxian to Beichuan. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2010, 37: 452-459.

[42] Zhang P, Shen Z, Wang M, . Continuous Deformation of the Tibetan Plateau from Global Positioning System Data. Geology, 2004, 32: 809-812.

[43] Zhang P, Wen X, Shen Z, . Oblique, High-Angle, Listric-Reverse Faulting and Associated Development of Strain: The Wenchuan Earthquake of May 12, 2008, Sichuan, China. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 2010, 38: 353-382.

[44] Zhou R, Li Y, Densmore A L, . Active Tectonics of the Longmen Shan Region of the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Acta Geologica Sinica, 2007, 81: 593-604.