Juxtaposition of Shallow Reservoir-Triggered Seismicity and Deep Tectonic Locking in the Qiaojia-Dongchuan Seismic Gap
Identifying the critical state of mature seismic gaps is challenging, especially when anthropogenic stress perturbations, such as reservoir impoundment, superimpose on tectonic loading. Here, utilizing a high-resolution dense array catalog from the Qiaojia-Dongchuan seismic gap (hosting the second-largest hydropower station in the world), we reveal a distinct vertical decoupling mechanism. The shallow activities exhibit high b-values (1.0), indicative of fluid-driven reservoir-triggered seismicity. Conversely, deep seismicity (20 km) outlines a 'locked asperity' characterized by low b-values (less than 0.8) and high Coulomb stress accumulation rate. We further identify a complex dipping s...
| Authors | Yuxin Zhou, Huai Zhang, S. Mostafa Mousavi et al. |
|---|---|
| Primary category | physics.geo-ph |
| Published | 21 July 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 21 July 2026 |
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