Abstract: This paper gives a brief account of the significance of urban active fault exploration and presents a general review of active fault exploration around the world. Earthquakes provoked by active faults directly beneath the metropolises can cause serious disasters to the cities. If urban active faults are precisely determined and effective precautions are taken, losses at the time of earthquake occurrence can be greatly reduced. We elaborate on various kinds of possible geophysical methods for seismic active fault exploration and their main features. We also discuss the scope of application of related geophysical methods and the major problems that they can solve in the different periods of active fault exploration, such as regional survey or preliminary investigation, detailed exploration or precise location, and the identification of seismogenic structures.

Key words: geophysical prospecting method, urban areas, seismic active fault

摘要： 简要地介绍了开展大城市地震活断层探测的意义及世界各国开展活断层探测的基本情况.城市及邻近地区地震活断层引起的直下型地震,将会给大城市造成巨大的地震灾害.准确地探测出大城市的活断层分布,采取有效措施,可大大降低地震时的损失.文中重点介绍了开展地震活断层探测的地球物理方法的类型和主要特点,在区域探查与初步鉴定阶段、详细探测与精确定位阶段、孕震构造探测阶段可能涉及到的各种地球物理探测方法、适用范围及所能解决的主要问题.

关键词: 地球物理探测方法, 大城市, 地震活断层