Wang, H and Wright, TJ orcid.org/0000-0001-8338-5935 (2012) Satellite geodetic imaging reveals internal deformation of western Tibet. Geophysical Research Letters, 39 (7). L07303. ISSN 0094-8276
Abstract
It is often assumed that the majority of the interseismic strain accumulates around the major mapped geological block boundaries. However, numerous recent earthquakes in the continents have occurred on faults that were previously unidentified. Existing deformation data from Tibet are insufficiently dense to map the distribution of interseismic strain. Here we combine 265 interferograms formed from 166 radar images with GPS data to constrain a high-resolution velocity field covering ∼200,000 km 2 of western Tibet. We confirm that the slip rate of the Karakoram Fault is low (<6 mm/yr), but show that areas of focused strain do not coincide with the major fault structures. Some of this strain is due to postseismic relaxation after a M w 6.8 earthquake that occurred in 1996 on a structure that is difficult to identify in satellite imagery. Models of seismic hazard that rely on imperfect knowledge of the boundaries of crustal blocks can therefore underestimate hazard from unknown faults. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2012, Wiley-Blackwell. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Block boundaries; Crustal block; Fault structure; GPS data; High resolution; Interferograms; Internal deformation; Karakoram fault; Radar image; Seismic hazards; Slip rates; Velocity field |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Inst of Geophysics and Tectonics (IGT) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 02 Aug 2013 12:07 |
Last Modified: | 13 Jan 2021 12:35 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012GL051222 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1029/2012GL051222 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:76076 |