Microtremor investigation and geological verification of the eastern segment, north margin active fault of Hami Basin, Xinjiang, China

Abstract

The eastern section of the Northern Margin Fault of the Hami Basin is located in the easternmost part of the active tectonic belt of the Tianshan Mountains, and is an important active fault in the region. Since major projects need to consider avoiding or adopting anti-fracture measures, it is necessary to determine the exact location of the fracture, three-dimensional (3D) orientation, and other anti-fracture-related parameters. To obtain the accurate location and 3D geometric parameters of the rupture, we carried out a systematic study in three typical sites based on remote sensing interpretation and geomorphological survey, and the comprehensive use of microdynamic detection and trench verification. The results show that the fracture section is spreading in east-west direction, with a total length of about 35 km, and is dominated by retrograde movement, which is geomorphologically manifested as a fault steep canyon on the pre-hill flood fan, with the height of steep canyon up to 11-13 m. The microdynamic profiles reveal the deep production of the fracture, with the width of the fracture zone ranging from 60 to 100 m, and the dipping angle ranging from 60° to 70°; and the trench validation reveals that the dipping angle of the faults is slowing down to 35°-45° at the surface, showing a “deep and steep” pattern, and the “deep and steep dipping angle” is also shown. The geometrical structure of the fault is characterized as “deep, steep, and shallow.” As an emerging geophysical detection method, the micro-motion detection technique used in the study showed good recognition ability in complex terrain and thick cover conditions, improving the detection accuracy of fracture location. The results of the study not only enrich the understanding of the active features of the Northern Margin Fault of the Hami Basin, but also provide the fault resistance parameters for the evaluation of regional seismic hazard and the selection of sites for major projects, and expand the scope of application of the micro-motion detection method in the study of active faults, providing an important reference for the regional tectonic evolution and seismic resistance of the project.

Keywords

Eastern segment of the Northern Margin Fault of the Hami Basin / Microdynamic detection / Groove / Geometric structure

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank Senior Engineers Xiaodong He, Yanling Liu, Junqi Duan, Jun Ma, and other professionals from PowerChina Northwest Engineering Corporation Limited for providing geological and geophysical data as well as their assistance and guidance during fieldwork. Meanwhile, we also express our gratitude to Associate Professor Zhitao Gao, Qian Zhao (engineer), and Xuefeng Zhao (student) from the Institute of Disaster Prevention and Beijing Disaster Prevention Science and Technology Co., Ltd. for their contributions to the implementation of relevant projects.

Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42172253) and received substantial support from the “Specialized Survey on Fault Distribution and Activity at the Northern Margin of the Hami Basin” project, which was jointly undertaken by China Power Engineering Consulting Group Northwest Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd. and Beijing Disaster Prevention Science and Technology Corporation Limited.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Author contributions

Conceptualization: Jun Shen, Guanghong Ju

Formal analysis: Jun Shen

Funding acquisition: Jun Shen

Investigation: Jun Shen, Xu Song, Guanghong Ju

Methodology: Jun Shen, Guanghong Ju

Project administration: Guanghong Ju

Validation: Jun Shen, Guanghong Ju

Visualization: Xu Song

Writing-original draft: Xu Song

Writing-review & editing: Jun Shen

Availability of data

Data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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