GNSS deformation characteristics of North China in the past two decades

Abstract Based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) velocity in North China from 1999 to 2018, the deformation parameters, such as the strain rate, the velocity profiles, and the fault slip rates, are analyzed. The principal conclusions are as follows: 1) the GNSS results during 1999–2007 can effectively reflect the deformation characteristics of North China, and the strain rate shows SEE tensile feature in the Shanxi seismic zone with a maximum value of 0.7 × 10−8/yr. Meanwhile, the deformation is characterized by left-lateral features in the Yinshan seismic zone and Zhangjiakou-Bohai seismic zone with a maximum shear strain rate of 0.7 × 10−8/yr. 2) In the period of 1999–2007, the GNSS velocity profiles show that the deformation is mainly distributed in a range of 100-km width crossing the Yinshan seismic zone and the middle section of the Zhangjiakou-Bohai seismic zone, and 50-km width crossing the Zhangjiakou-Bohai seismic zone near the Bohai Bay. 3) The deformation response to the 2011 Japan Mw9.0 earthquake shows a significant difference between the middle and east sections of the Zhangjiakou-Bohai seismic zone, and the deformation loading rate decreased from 3.3 mm/yr in 1999–2007 to 2.6 mm/yr and 0.9 mm/yr in the 2013–2018 period for above two sections respectively. Furthermore, the fault slip rates inverted from GNSS measurements show a similar dynamic adjustment process, reflecting the weak impact of the Japan Mw9.0 earthquake on the deformation around the central section of the Zhangjiakou-Bohai seismic zone. 4) From the results of GNSS strain rate, velocity profile and fault slip rate, we suggest that the potential of the strong earthquake should be high in the Yinshan seismic zone and the middle section of the Zhangjiakou-Bohai fault zone.