The 2008 Nura Mw6.7 earthquake： A shallow rupture on the Main Pamir Thrust revealed by GPS and InSAR

• Published in: Geodesy and Geodynamics Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 91 - 100
• Main Authors: Qiao, Xuejun, Wang, Qi, Yang, Shaomin, Li, Jie, Zou, Rong, Ding, Kaihua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.03.2015; KeAi Communications Co., Ltd
• Subjects: Coseismic deformation; Global positioning system (GPS); GPS测量; InSAR; Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR); Interseismic deformation; Main Pamir Thrust; Nura earthquake; Shallow rupture; Southern Tianshan; 合成孔径雷达干涉测量; 地震测量; 帕米尔; 推力; 断裂; 显示; Coseismic deformation; Interseismic deformation; Main Pamir Thrust; Global positioning system (GPS); Southern Tianshan; Nura earthquake; Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR); Shallow rupture
• ISSN: 1674-9847
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geog.2015.01.005

The 2008 Nura Mw6.7 earthquake occurred in front of the Trans-Alai Range, central Asia. We present Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar （InSAR） measurements of its coseismic ground deformation that are available for a major earthquake in the region. Analysis of the InSAR data shows that the earthquake ruptured a secondary fault of the Main Pamir Thrust for about 20 kin. The fault plane striking N46~E and dipping 48~SE is dominated by thrust slip up to 3 m, most of which is confined to the uppermost 2-5 km of the crust, similar to the nearby 1974 MwT.0 Markansu earthquake. The elastic model of interseismic deformation constrained by GPS measurements suggests that the two earthquakes may have resulted from the failures of two high-angle reverse faults that are about 10 km apart and rooted in a locked dScollement at depths of 5-6 kin. The elastic strain is built up by a freely creeping decollement at about 16 mm/a.