Seismicity Migration and the Upper Crustal Structure in the Xinfengjiang Reservoir

Abstract

After the impoundment of the Xinfengjiang Reservoir (XFJR) in Guangdong, China, numerous earthquakes occurred in the area, including a magnitude 6.1 event in 1962. Analysis of historical earthquakes indicates that M ≥ 4 earthquakes began occurring in the northwestern XFJR in 2012, and seismicity has gradually migrated from the southeastern to the northwestern reservoir (NWR). However, the mechanisms governing the migration of seismicity and the current upper-crustal structure beneath the reservoir area remain unclear. In our study, we conducted tomographic imaging by combining waveform data from short-period and permanent stations to construct a 3D velocity model. Our high-resolution velocity models revealed a horizontal fractured zone at ∼5 km depth that extends from the southeastern to northwestern XFJR, and a steep fault that extends to about 9 km depth. These two fractured zones may interact with each other, allowing for fluid infiltration and contributing to earthquake triggering via pore pressure diffusion in the XFJR areas. Furthermore, the calculation of Coulomb stress changes indicated that microearthquakes in the southeastern XFJR may contribute to the seismicity in the NWR. However, the influences of M ≥ 4 earthquakes in the northwestern XFJR on subsequent M ≥ 4 earthquakes in the southeastern XFJR vary differently. Our results provide crucial insights for understanding the migration of microearthquakes in the XFJR area.