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EARTHQUAKE ›› 2009, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (4): 63-71.

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On the State of Strong Earthquake Activity in Mainland China after the Wenchuan 8.0 earthquake

MA Hong-sheng1, SHAO Zhi-gang1, ZHOU Long-quan2, JIANG Chang-sheng3   

  1. 1. Institute of Earthquake Science, CEA , Beijing 10036, China;
    2. China Earthquake Networks Center, CEA, Beijing 100045, China;
    3. Institute of Geophysics, CEA, Beijing 100081, China
  • Received:2009-04-08 Revised:2009-06-08 Online:2009-10-31 Published:2021-10-15

Abstract: From different space and time scales, this article preliminarily discussed the impact of the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan 8.0 earthquake and analyzed the state of strong earthquake activity in mainland China after this earthquake. The result suggests that seismicity of M8 earthquakes in the triangular region, bounded by the Pamir-Baikal tectonic belt, Alpine tectonic belt and North-South seismic belt of mainland China west of longitude 107°E, has a temporal clustering feature. That is, the M8 earthquake occurrence process in this region could be divided into four stages as calm, active or transition from calm to active, and adjustment after active. The November 14, 2001 Kunlunshan 8.1 earthquake and May 12, 2008 Wenchuan 8.0 earthquake may mean that the M8 earthquakes activity at the present in the triangular region is just transiting from calm to active. Besides, the activity of M7 earthquakes in mainland China are obviously controlled by the activity of M8 earthquakes in the triangular region. There is no distinctly calm or active stage of M7 earthquakes in mainland China when M8 earthquakes in the triangular region occurred frequently from 1900 to 1955. On the contrary, the periodicity of M7 events in mainland China is clear when the M8 events in triangular was calm from 1956 to 2000, and during this process, the calm, transitional, active stages of M7 earthquakes seemed to be quite orderly. Based on the seismic activity analysis of these two regions, the M7 earthquake activity in mainland China may also be entering a new process, the temporal stage of which can hardly be divided, just similar to the strong earthquake activity from 1900 to 1955.

Key words: M8.0 earthquake, The triangular region, Mainland China, Strong earthquake activity

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