Kinematic Decoupling of Conjugate Faults in the Beijing Plain: Insights From 3D Seismic Reflection Data at the Intersection of the Huangzhuang‐Gaoliying and Nankou‐Sunhe Faults

作者：Fubing He, Yubin Cui, Mengmeng Cao, Shuai Zhao, Kai Wang, Wenzhi Niu, Xiaoyong Liu, Sheng‐Li Cao, Zhiguang Zhou · 发表于：Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1029/2025jb031946 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：earthquake and tectonic studies、Geological and Geophysical Studies、Geological and Geochemical Analysis

Abstract Understanding the architecture and kinematics of intersecting fault systems concealed beneath megacities is crucial for seismic hazard assessment and the mitigation of associated geohazard. Here, We present high‐resolution 3D seismic reflection data that provide the first direct evidence for kinematic supersession between two major conjugate faults beneath the Beijing Plain in the North China Craton (NCC). This analysis reveals a fundamental tectonic reorganization around the Middle Pleistocene boundary (∼0.78 Ma), where a regional stress field shift from NE‐SW extension to ∼E‐W compression transferred strain accommodation from the Huangzhuang‐Gaoliying Fault (HGF) to the more favorably oriented Nankou‐Sunhe Fault (NSF). This shift initiated left‐lateral transtensional motion on the NSF, which now demonstrably truncates the HGF, establishing it as the primary contemporary seismic source—a conclusion supported by a displaced paleochannel and a distinct growth fold. This kinematic transfer resolves the long‐standing paradox of major ground fissures overlying the now seismically quiescent HGF. We propose a multi‐scale “bookshelf faulting” model, wherein aseismic tensional reactivation of the HGF—driven by shear on the master NSF—is dramatically amplified by anthropogenic land subsidence. This work provides a detailed model for strain partitioning and fault system evolution in an intraplate setting, offering essential constraints for seismic hazard models in Beijing and ...