SEISMOLOGY AND GEOLOGY ›› 2023, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (3): 710-734.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-4967.2023.03.007

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GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL GAS IN ACTIVE FAULT ZONE AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE ADJUSTMENT OF REGIONAL STRESS FIELD IN THE SOUTHERN AREA OF LIAONING PROVINCE

WANG Xi-long1)(), LUO Yin-hua2),*(), JIN Xiu-ying3), YANG Meng-yao4), KONG Xiang-rui1)   

  1. 1) Liaoning Earthquake Agency, Shenyang 110034, China
    2) Liaoning Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources Co., Ltd., Shenyang 110032, China
    3) Marine Ecological Monitoring Center Co., Ltd of Liaoning Geology and Mineral Resources Group, Shenyang 110032, China
    4) Huize Mining Technology Consulting Company of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110035, China
  • Received:2022-12-26 Revised:2023-02-15 Online:2023-06-20 Published:2023-07-18

辽南地区断裂带的断层土壤气地球化学特征及其对区域应力调整的指示

王喜龙1)(), 罗银花2),*(), 金秀英3), 杨梦尧4), 孔祥瑞1)   

  1. 1) 辽宁省地震局, 沈阳 110034
    2) 辽宁省地质矿产研究院有限责任公司, 沈阳 110032
    3) 辽宁省地矿集团海洋生态监测中心有限责任公司, 沈阳 110032
    4) 辽宁省汇泽矿业技术咨询有限公司, 沈阳 110035
  • 通讯作者: * 罗银花, 女, 1983年生, 工程师, 主要从事地质调查与矿产地质等方面的研究, E-mail: laura83@163.com
  • 作者简介:

    王喜龙, 男, 1988年生, 2014年于中国地质大学(北京)获岩石学、 矿物学、 矿床学专业硕士学位, 高级工程师, 目前主要研究方向为构造地球化学, E-mail:

  • 基金资助:
    中国地震局地震科技星火计划项目(XH23009YA); 中国地震局地震科技星火计划项目(XH19007Y); 震情跟踪课题(2022010301); 震情跟踪课题(2023010301)

Abstract:

As an important geochemical observation method, the measurement of gas concentration in fault soil is an important geochemical method to reveal fault properties, fault activities and the adjustment of regional stress field.

Historical moderate-strong earthquake activity is frequent in the southern Liaoning Province, especially in Jinzhou Fault and Haicheng Fault, where many mid-strong earthquakes occurred. So, carrying out continuous observation of soil gas concentration in different sections of Jinzhou Fault and Haicheng Fault in the southern Liaoning Province can provide an important means for analyzing fault activity status and regional stress field adjustment and the characteristics of seismicity.
In this study, we laid out 4 cross-fault measurement lines of soil gas in Jiuzhai-Gaizhoubei section and Gaizhoubei-Anshannan section of Jinzhou Fault and 2 measurement lines on the Haicheng Fault. Based on the results of cross-fault soil gas Rn, CO2 and H2 concentrations measured 7 times from 2018 to 2022 at totally 6 profiles across the Jinzhou and Haicheng faults, and combined with the research results of geological structure, seismic activity, abnormal development of hydrogen in Panjin NO.1 well, GPS observation, b-value variation in the study area and cross-fault leveling in Jinzhou Fault, the paper discusses the concentration intensity and distribution characteristics of fault soil gases of the study area, and the results are as follows:
(1)The concentrations and distribution patterns of soil gas Rn, CO2 and H2 vary greatly in different faults. The concentration of Rn varies from 2.45kBq·m-3 to 140.73kBq·m-3, while that of CO2 is between 0.19%-9.55%, and H2 are from 0.48ppm to 1 527ppm.
In most cases, the distribution of soil gas concentrations on each profile is of single-peak shape and the soil gas concentrations are higher at the outcrops or hanging wall of the fault. The main reason causing this phenomenon is the difference of the fault properties in different sections and the geological features.
(2)The soil gas Rn, CO2 and H2 for the same profile with different periods has a similar consistent variation. The soil gas Rn has a high correlation with CO2, which means that the soil gas Rn is affected by carrier gas of CO2 when migrating and redistributing to the ground along the structural crack of the fault.
(3)The spatial patterns for the mean concentrations of soil gas Rn, CO2 and H2 in the northern area are higher than those in the southern region within the study area, which could be attributed to the characteristics of geologic structure, underground medium structure and vertical crustal deformation, as well as the geological condition of each site.
(4)The temporal variation for the mean concentration values of soil gas Rn, CO2 and H2 of each site has a similar consistent trend, and its dynamic changes show two stages: The mean concentrations of soil gas Rn, CO2 and H2 have a gradual increase trend from May, 2018 to May, 2020, but with a downward recovery trend from October, 2020 to 2022. Combined with seismic activity, abnormal development of hydrogen in Panjin NO.1 well, GPS observation, b-value variation in the study area, cross-fault leveling in Jinzhou Fault and other analysis results, we found that this temporal variation of geochemical characteristics in the study area might be mainly controlled by the properties of fault activity, seismic activity and adjustment of regional stress field. When the fault is under the action of continuous tensile stress, the increase of seismic activity and regional stress field could promote the release of fault soil gas, which might be the reason causing the concentration abnormalities of soil gas.
In a word, it is of great scientific significance to carry out the continuous observation of soil gas on the main active faults in the southern area of Liaoning Province. This research proved that the tectonic geochemical observation with frequent multiple phases not only can provide geochemical data for analyzing the characteristics of gas released on the fault zone in the southern area of Liaoning Province, but also can reflect tectonic activity status and the changes of the regional stress field effectively, which means it might be a good tool for earthquake prediction and monitoring of fault movement.

Key words: fault soil gas, geochemical characteristics, seismic activity, regional stress field, southern area of Liaoning Province

摘要:

辽南地区历史中强地震活动频繁, 尤其是金州断裂与海城河断裂, 近代曾发生多次中强地震。对辽南地区金州断裂不同区段与海城河断裂开展多期次构造地球化学土壤气浓度观测, 可为查明断层活动状态、 区域应力调整与分析地震活动规律及特征起到至关重要的作用。文中对辽南地区2条活动断裂的6条剖面进行了多期跨断层土壤气Rn、 CO2与H2浓度观测。测量结果表明, 同一剖面、 不同期次断层土壤气的浓度变化趋势基本一致, 但断层不同区段的土壤气浓度变化存在一定差异, 分析认为不同区段的断层性质及地质地貌等特征是造成这种差异性的主要原因之一。各剖面土壤气浓度的时空变化特征显示, 金州断裂与海城河断裂土壤气浓度空间变化特征在一定范围内主要受地质构造、 地下介质结构与地壳垂直速率变化等因素控制, 土壤气浓度的时间变化特征主要与断裂活动性质、 地震活动及区域应力调整作用有关。研究结果表明, 多期次构造地球化学观测方法可有效反映断层活动状态, 对区域应力调整具有良好的指示意义, 是进行监视断层活动与地震监测预测的一种有效手段。

关键词: 断层土壤气, 地球化学特征, 地震活动, 区域应力场, 辽南地区