Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 Data
On 18 December 2023, a M<sub>w</sub> 6.2 earthquake occurred in close proximity to Jishishan County, located on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The event struck the structural intersection of the Haiyuan fault, Lajishan fault, and West Qinling fault, providing empiric...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Kaifeng Ma Yang Liu Qingfeng Hu Jiuyuan Yang Limei Wang |
| author_facet | Kaifeng Ma Yang Liu Qingfeng Hu Jiuyuan Yang Limei Wang |
| author_sort | Kaifeng Ma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | On 18 December 2023, a M<sub>w</sub> 6.2 earthquake occurred in close proximity to Jishishan County, located on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The event struck the structural intersection of the Haiyuan fault, Lajishan fault, and West Qinling fault, providing empirical evidence for investigating the crustal compression mechanisms associated with the northeastward expansion of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. In this study, we successfully acquired a high-resolution coseismic deformation field of the earthquake by employing interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology. This was accomplished through the analysis of image data obtained from both the ascending and descending orbits of the Sentinel-1A satellite, as well as from the ascending orbit of the ALOS-2 satellite. Our findings indicate that the coseismic deformation is predominantly localized around the Lajishan fault zone, without leading to the development of a surface rupture zone. The maximum deformations recorded from the Sentinel-1A ascending and descending datasets are 7.5 cm and 7.7 cm, respectively, while the maximum deformation observed from the ALOS-2 ascending data reaches 10 cm. Geodetic inversion confirms that the seismogenic structure is a northeast-dipping thrust fault. The geometric parameters indicate a strike of 313° and a dip angle of 50°. The slip distribution model reveals that the rupture depth predominantly ranges between 5.7 and 15 km, with a maximum displacement of 0.47 m occurring at a depth of 9.6 km. By integrating the coseismic slip distribution and aftershock relocation, this study comprehensively elucidates the stress coupling mechanism between the mainshock and its subsequent aftershock sequence. Quantitative analysis indicates that aftershocks are primarily located within the stress enhancement zone, with an increase in stress ranging from 0.12 to 0.30 bar. It is crucial to highlight that the structural units, including the western segment of the northern margin fault of West Qinling, the eastern segment of the Daotanghe fault, the eastern segment of the Linxia fault, and both the northern and southern segment of Lajishan fault, exhibit characteristics indicative of continuous stress loading. This observation suggests a potential risk for fractures in these areas. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-538dde9eb7ed40fa88970d6f71477a2f2025-08-20T03:28:59ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-07-011713231010.3390/rs17132310Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 DataKaifeng Ma0Yang Liu1Qingfeng Hu2Jiuyuan Yang3Limei Wang4College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaSchool of Surveying and Urban Spatial Information, Henan University of Urban Construction, Pingdingshan 467000, ChinaOn 18 December 2023, a M<sub>w</sub> 6.2 earthquake occurred in close proximity to Jishishan County, located on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The event struck the structural intersection of the Haiyuan fault, Lajishan fault, and West Qinling fault, providing empirical evidence for investigating the crustal compression mechanisms associated with the northeastward expansion of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. In this study, we successfully acquired a high-resolution coseismic deformation field of the earthquake by employing interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology. This was accomplished through the analysis of image data obtained from both the ascending and descending orbits of the Sentinel-1A satellite, as well as from the ascending orbit of the ALOS-2 satellite. Our findings indicate that the coseismic deformation is predominantly localized around the Lajishan fault zone, without leading to the development of a surface rupture zone. The maximum deformations recorded from the Sentinel-1A ascending and descending datasets are 7.5 cm and 7.7 cm, respectively, while the maximum deformation observed from the ALOS-2 ascending data reaches 10 cm. Geodetic inversion confirms that the seismogenic structure is a northeast-dipping thrust fault. The geometric parameters indicate a strike of 313° and a dip angle of 50°. The slip distribution model reveals that the rupture depth predominantly ranges between 5.7 and 15 km, with a maximum displacement of 0.47 m occurring at a depth of 9.6 km. By integrating the coseismic slip distribution and aftershock relocation, this study comprehensively elucidates the stress coupling mechanism between the mainshock and its subsequent aftershock sequence. Quantitative analysis indicates that aftershocks are primarily located within the stress enhancement zone, with an increase in stress ranging from 0.12 to 0.30 bar. It is crucial to highlight that the structural units, including the western segment of the northern margin fault of West Qinling, the eastern segment of the Daotanghe fault, the eastern segment of the Linxia fault, and both the northern and southern segment of Lajishan fault, exhibit characteristics indicative of continuous stress loading. This observation suggests a potential risk for fractures in these areas.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/13/2310Jishishan earthquakeInSARcoseismic slip distributionLajishan fault zoneCoulomb stress change |
| spellingShingle | Kaifeng Ma Yang Liu Qingfeng Hu Jiuyuan Yang Limei Wang Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 Data Remote Sensing Jishishan earthquake InSAR coseismic slip distribution Lajishan fault zone Coulomb stress change |
| title | Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 Data |
| title_full | Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 Data |
| title_fullStr | Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 Data |
| title_short | Fault Geometry and Slip Distribution of the 2023 Jishishan Earthquake Based on Sentinel-1A and ALOS-2 Data |
| title_sort | fault geometry and slip distribution of the 2023 jishishan earthquake based on sentinel 1a and alos 2 data |
| topic | Jishishan earthquake InSAR coseismic slip distribution Lajishan fault zone Coulomb stress change |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/13/2310 |
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