○E The 2013 Lushan Earthquake in Tests Hazard Assessments by Mian Liu, Gang Luo, and Hui Wang

Online Material: Earthquake hazard map; figures showing geo- fault, and a number of other faults including the thrust systems dynamic and elastic block models; and table of M s >6 earth- within the basin. Similar results were derived from quakes used in the study. different calculations. Luo and Liu (2010) found up to 0.3 MPa stress increase on the southern INTRODUCTION and 0.01–0.05 MPa increase on the Xianshuihe and Kunlun faults, consistent with the results of Parsons et al. (2008). Toda Following the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake that et al. (2008) results showed a stress increase of 0.02–0.05 MPa ruptured the central–northern segments of the Longmenshan on the Xianshuihe and the Longmenshan fault just south of the fault in Sichuan, China, many studies assessed its impact on Wenchuan rupture zone. Hence, stress changes due to the Wen- other major faults in this region (e.g., Parsons et al., 2008; Toda chuan earthquake provided useful information for assessing et al., 2008). On 20 April 2013, the M w 6.6 Lushan earthquake earthquake hazard in its aftermath. In particular, all models pre- ruptured the southern segment of the Longmenshan fault, dicted a stress increase in the southern Longmenshan fault seg- allowing these assessments to be tested. ment that ruptured in the 2013 Lushan earthquake. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (M w 7.9) came as a sur- However, stress results alone could not have identified prise, because the Longmenshan fault zone, which separates the southern Longmenshan fault as the next fault to rupture after growing Tibetan Plateau from the rigid Sichuan basin (Fig. 1), the Wenchuan earthquake. Stress increase was predicted in slips slowly (less than 3mm=yr; Shen et al., 2009); with only moderate seismicity (Burchfiel et al., 2008; Wang et al., 2010). The earthquake-hazard map by the Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program shows the entire Longmenshan fault zone as being relatively safe, as shown in Ⓔ Figure S1 (available in the electronic supplement to this paper). The same cannot be said for the M w 6.6 Lushan earth- quake, which occurred in the morning of 20 April 2013, killing ∼200 people and injuring ∼12; 000. After the Wenchuan earthquake, the Longmenshan fault zone and the neighboring faults have been intensively studied in an attempt to assess earthquake hazard in this region. Are these assessments useful in forecasting the Lushan earthquake? STRESS CHANGE

Most of the assessments were based on the change in the Coulomb failure stress on regional faults by the Wenchuan earthquake. The Coulomb failure stress (ΔσCFS) is given by: ΔσCFS ˆ Δτ ‡ μeΔσn, in which Δτ is the change in shear ▴ Figure 1. Topography (color contours), faults (lines), and seis- stress on the fault plane in the direction of fault slip, μe is the micity (dots) of eastern Tibetan Plateau and Sichuan basin. Gray effective frictional coefficient, and Δσn is the change in normal dots, historic events; red dots, instrumentally recorded events; stress. Increased shear stress and decreased normal stress (un- beach ball, fault plane solution and aftershock sequence of the clamping) tends to move the fault plane toward failure, and 2008 Wenchuan earthquake are in light blue; those for the 2013 vice versa. Parsons et al. (2008) showed that the Wenchuan Lushan earthquake are in dark blue. Epicenters are from the China earthquake increased the Coulomb stress on the southern Earthquake Data Center (http://data.earthquake.cn/data,lastac- branches of the Longmenshan fault system, the Xianshuihe cessed April 2013). Inset map shows the location of the map region.

40 Seismological Research Letters Volume 85, Number 1 January/February 2014 doi: 10.1785/0220130117 ▴ Figure 2. Coseismic Coulomb stress changes due to (a) the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, (b) 2013 Lushan earthquake. (c) and (d) The regional Coulomb stress change (on optimal planes) and the fault segments, respectively, due to both co- and postseismic stress transfer associated with the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes and large previous earthquakes in the region (see Ⓔ Table S1 in the supplement). White and gray lines show the ruptured fault segments. Note the different color scales for the panels, which are capped at different stress changes for visual presentation. LMSF, Longmenshan fault; HYF, Haiyuan fault; KLF, Kunlun fault; MJF, Minjiang fault; XSHF, Xianshuihe fault; ANHF, Anninghe fault. numerous other faults, especially the Xianshuihe fault (Toda have lowered the failure stress on the Xianshuihe fault by as et al., 2008), which was already assigned the highest risk in much as 0.5 MPa, easily overshadowing the stress increase (less the hazard map (see Ⓔ Fig. S1 in supplement). A better fore- than 0.05 MPa) by the Wenchuan earthquake. cast would be made by including previous large earthquakes in the stress analysis. Although the Xianshuihe fault slips much BALANCE OF SEISMIC MOMENT faster than other faults in the region, it had a sequence of M 6–7.6 earthquakes in the past century (Wen et al., Another approach used to assess hazard was based on balancing 2008). Luo and Liu (2010) showed that these events could seismic moments on the faults (Wang et al., 2010). Seismic

Seismological Research Letters Volume 85, Number 1 January/February 2014 41 ▴ Figure 3. Estimated moment balance on fault segments (numbers, in 1019 N·m= year) and the corresponding moment magnitude (num- ber in brackets). Line thickness is proportional to the scalar moment. Segments are divided based on previous rupture history and geo- logical variations. (a) Moment balance before the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. On the Xianshuihe fault (XSHF) and Anninghe fault (ANHF), high rates of moment accumulation are relieved by frequent large earthquakes, leaving relatively low moment deficit. The Longmenshan fault (LMSF), in contrast, had accumulated sufficient moment for the Wenchuan earthquake, for which the epicenter is shown by the star. (b) Predicted moment balance 50 years after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The southern Longmenshan fault shows the largest moment deficit. The box shows the rupture zone of the Wenchuan earthquake. (c) Predicted moment balance 50 years after the 2013 Lushan earthquake. The segments of the southern Longmenshan fault on both sides of the Lushan rupture zone (box) could each produce an M 7 earthquake. activity is a process of energy accumulation and release. The elevating stress on both sides of the rupture zone. However, rates of accumulation of strain energy, which can be measured it reduced stress on the southernmost end of the Longmenshan by the scalar moment (the product of fault-plane area, rigidity, fault (Fig. 2b). Both earthquakes also increased stress on the and displacement) on fault segments, may be predicted from Xianshuihe fault and decreased stress on the Anninghe fault, the fault slip rates and locking depths. Comparing the accumu- but the effects of the Lushan earthquake are about an order of lated moment on a fault plane over a period with the seismic magnitude smaller than those of the Wenchuan earthquake. moment released during the same period, one may estimate the On the other hand, the stress changes on the Xianshuihe fault amount of moment (moment deficit) available for future caused by both the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes are earthquakes (Meade and Hager, 2005). Using this approach, much smaller than those due to previous earthquakes on this Wang et al. (2010) found that “The largest moment deficit fault (Fig. 3c). In this case we calculated the coseismic and post- will be on the southwestern segment of the Longmenshan seismic stress changes due to ruptures of six segments of the fault. If all the moment is released by a rupture of the whole Xianshuihe fault from 1893 to 1973. The geometry of the segment, it could produce an earthquake as large as M w 7.7 in faults used in the model are simplified and will affect the re- the next 50 years.” It seems that nature was in a hurry. sulted stress, but the general patterns of the predicted Coulomb stress changes are not altered by detailed variations of fault HAZARD ASSESSMENTS BASED ON BOTH geometry (Luo and Liu, 2010). STRESS AND MOMENT CHANGES To balance seismic moments on these faults (Fig. 3), we first used the Global Positioning System (GPS) site velocities Clearly, neither Coulomb stress changes nor moment balanc- (Gan et al., 2007) with an elastic block model to derive the slip ing can tell where and when an earthquake will occur. None- rates and optimal locking depths on the simplified fault systems theless, combining both pieces of information provides a better in this region (see Ⓔ Fig. S3, in supplement), then used the slip hazard assessment than using either of them alone. The stress rates and locking depths to calculate the rates of moment ac- change tells which fault has moved toward failure, and the mo- cumulation on the faults (Wang et al., 2010). The Xianshuihe ment deficit gives an estimate of the maximum size of the po- fault, with its high slip rates (10–20 mm=yr), has the highest tential earthquake. Following this strategy, we recalculated the rate of moment accumulation in the region, but has also had Coulomb stress changes using a geodynamic model for the re- frequent large earthquakes (Wen et al., 2008). Hence, the mo- gion (Luo and Liu, 2010; see Ⓔ Fig. S2, in the supplement). ment deficit on the Xianshuihe fault is relatively low (Fig. 3a). Figure 2a,b shows the coseismic Coulomb stress changes due to In contrast, the Longmenshan fault zone, which has been ac- the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes, respectively. The cumulating moment slowly but without having M >7:0 events Wenchuan earthquake increased the Coulomb stress on the in the past millennium or longer (Densmore et al., 2007; Shen southern segment of the Longmenshan fault by 0.03– et al., 2009), had accumulated enough moment by 2008 for the 0.3 MPa. The Lushan earthquake ruptured a fault segment Wenchuan earthquake (Fig. 3a). After the Wenchuan earth- about 20 km long along the southern Longmenshan fault, quake, the southern Longmenshan fault became the one with

42 Seismological Research Letters Volume 85, Number 1 January/February 2014 the highest moment deficit in the region (Fig. 3b). The Lushan Plateau inferred from GPS measurements, J. Geophys. Res.: Solid Earth Planets 112, earthquake released ∼1:0 × 1019 N·m (U.S. Geological Sur- no. B08416, doi: 10.1029/2005JB004120. 1=3 Luo, G., and M. Liu (2010). Stress evolution and fault interactions before vey), or about of the estimated moment deficit on the and after the 2008 Great Wenchuan earthquake, Tectonophysics southern Longmenshan fault. On either side of the Lushan 491, 127–140, doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2009.12.019. rupture zone, the stored moment could produce an M ∼ 7 Meade, B. J., and B. H. Hager (2005). Spatial localization of moment earthquake (Fig. 3c). The ∼60 km long segment of the Long- deficits in southern California, J. Geophys. Res. 110, B04402, menshan fault northeast of the Lushan rupture zone, which doi: 10.1029/2004JB003331. ∼1:0MPa Parsons, T., C. Ji, and E. Kirby (2008). Stress changes from the 2008 had the highest stress increase ( ) by both the Wenchuan earthquake and increased hazard in the Sichuan basin, Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes (Fig. 2), is most likely Nature 454, 509–510. to produce the next big earthquake in this region. Shen, Z.-K., J. Sun, P. Zhang, Y. Wan, M. Wang, R. Bürgmann, Y. Zeng, W. Gan, H. Liao, and Q. Wang (2009). Slip maxima at fault junc- SUMMARY tions and rupturing of barriers during the 2008 Wenchuan earth- quake, Nat. Geosci. 2, 718–724. Toda, S., J. Lin, M. Meghraoui, and R. S. Stein (2008). 12 May 2008 The 2013 Lushan earthquake illustrates once again the diffi- M ˆ 7:9 Wenchuan, China, earthquake calculated to increase fail- culties of earthquake prediction; it occurred without warning, ure stress and seismicity rate on three major fault systems, Geophys. whereas the entire Longmenshan fault zone has been under Res. Lett. 35, L17305, doi: 10.1029/2008GL034903. intensive study following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Wang, H., M. Liu, X. Shen, and J. Liu (2010). Balance of seismic moment in the Songpan-Ganze region, eastern Tibet: Implications for the Nonetheless, we find that studies of stress changes and seis- 2008 Great Wenchuan earthquake, Tectonophysics 491, 154–164, mic-moment releases in the aftermath of the Wenchuan earth- doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2009.09.022. quake are useful for earthquake-hazard assessment. When used Wen, X., S. Ma, X. Xu, and Y. He (2008). Historical pattern and together and with historic events included in the analysis, stress behavior of earthquake ruptures along the eastern boundary of Phys. changes and moment deficits could provide useful insights for the Sichuan-Yunnan faulted-block, southwestern China, Earth Planet. In. 168, 16–36. hazard mitigation and planning.

1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Mian Liu Department of Geological Sciences University of Missouri We thank Huajian Yao, the guest editor, and Seth Stein for ’ Columbia, Missouri 65211 U.S.A. helpful comments. M. L. s research is supported by NSF/OISE [email protected] grant 0730154 and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. H. W. acknowledges “Scientific Investigation of April 20, 2013 M 7.0 Gang Luo2 Lushan, Sichuan Earthquake” from China Earthquake Admin- Bureau of Economic Geology istration (CEA) and National Natural Science Foundation Jackson School of Geosciences of China (Grants Number 41104058 and 41104057). University of Texas at Austin G. L. acknowledges support from the Opening Fund of State Austin, Texas 78713 U.S.A. Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenviron- ment Protection ( University of Technology; Hui Wang SKLGP2012K030). Key Laboratory of Earthquake Prediction REFERENCES Institute of Earthquake Science China Earthquake Administration Burchfiel, B. C., L. H. Royden, R. D. van der Hilst, B. H. Hager, Z. Chen, Beijing 100036, China R. W. King, C. Li, J. Lv, H. Yao, and E. Kirby (2008). A geological and geophysical context for the Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China, GSA Today 18, no. 7, 1 Also at The Key Laboratory of Computational Geodynamics, Chinese – 4 11, doi: 10.1130/GSATG18A.1. Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Densmore, A. L., M. A. Ellis, Y. Li, R. Zhou, G. S. Hancock, and N. 2 Also at State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenviron- Richardson (2007). Active tectonics of the Beichuan and Pengguan ment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan faults at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, Tectonics 26, 610059, China. TC4005, doi: 10.1029/2006TC001987. Gan, W., P. Zhang, Z. K. Shen, Z. Niu, M. Wang, Y. Wan, D. Zhou, and J. Cheng (2007). Present-day crustal motion within the Tibetan

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