A New Velocity Field from a Dense GPS Array in the Southernmost Longitudinal Valley, Southeastern Taiwan

Abstract

In the southernmost Longitudinal Valley (LV), Taiwan, we analyzed a dense GPS array composed of 10 continuous stations and 86 campaign-mode stations. By removing the effects of the four major earthquakes (one regional and three local) occurred during the 1992 - 2010 observation period, we derived a new horizontal velocity field in this area, which then allows better locating the surface traces of the major active faults, including the Longitudinal Valley Fault (LVF) system and the Central Range Fault, and characterizing the slip behaviors along the faults. Note that LVF reveals two sub-parallel strands in the study area: the Luyeh Fault to the west and the Lichi Fault to the east. Based on the results of strain analyses, including dilatation and shear strain, and projected vectors of station velocities across the major faults, we came to the following geological interpretations. During the inter-seismic periods, the surface deformation of the southernmost LV is mainly accommodated by the faulting on the two branches of the LVF; there is very little surface deformation on the Central Range Fault. The Luyeh River appears to act as a boundary to divide the LVF to behave differently to its northern and southern sides. The Lichi Fault reveals a change of slip kinematics from an oblique shearing/thrusting in the north to a nearly pure shearing with minor extension to the south. Regarding the slip behavior of the Luyeh Fault, it exhibits a creeping behavior in the north and a partially near-surface-locked faulting behavior in the south. We interpret that the two strands of the LVF merge together in the northern Taitung alluvial plain and turns to E-W trend toward the offshore area.