Due to seismic and tectonic activities, a large number of underground gases are released into the atmosphere from the fault zones through the Earth’s degassing, leading to atmospheric composition variations, such as methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO). The Longmenshan Fault (LMSF), Xianshuihe Fault (XSHF), and Anninghe Fault (ANHF) characterized by high slip rates, extensively developed fissures, active seismicity, and intense degassing, are important active faults in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The Kangding area situated at the intersection of these faults with stress concentration, provides a favorable conduit for gas emissions, making it an ideal seismic experimental site for studying fault degassing associated with seismic activities. In this chapter, satellite hyperspectral data were used to characterize the spatial and temporal variations in CH4 and CO in the Kangding area before and after strong earthquakes. The findings indicated that the variations in CH4 and CO in the Kangding area were closely related to seismic and tectonic activities, evidently from their spatial alignment with tectonic distributions and their responsive patterns to seismic events over time, thereby reflecting changes in tectonic stress. This research contributes to the development of a new method for monitoring seismic activities using geochemical methods with high temporal frequency and large spatial scale.

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Gas Emissions Associated with Strong Earthquakes in the Intersection Area of Longmenshan, Xianshuihe and Anninghe Faults, Southwestern China

  • Yueju Cui,
  • Ying Li,
  • Jianan Huang,
  • Wan Zheng

摘要

Due to seismic and tectonic activities, a large number of underground gases are released into the atmosphere from the fault zones through the Earth’s degassing, leading to atmospheric composition variations, such as methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO). The Longmenshan Fault (LMSF), Xianshuihe Fault (XSHF), and Anninghe Fault (ANHF) characterized by high slip rates, extensively developed fissures, active seismicity, and intense degassing, are important active faults in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The Kangding area situated at the intersection of these faults with stress concentration, provides a favorable conduit for gas emissions, making it an ideal seismic experimental site for studying fault degassing associated with seismic activities. In this chapter, satellite hyperspectral data were used to characterize the spatial and temporal variations in CH4 and CO in the Kangding area before and after strong earthquakes. The findings indicated that the variations in CH4 and CO in the Kangding area were closely related to seismic and tectonic activities, evidently from their spatial alignment with tectonic distributions and their responsive patterns to seismic events over time, thereby reflecting changes in tectonic stress. This research contributes to the development of a new method for monitoring seismic activities using geochemical methods with high temporal frequency and large spatial scale.