About this Research Topic
A large number of recent, strong earthquakes (e.g., 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan, 2014 Mw 6.6 Lushan, 2017 Mw 6.5 Jiuzaigou, 2019 Mw 5.8 Changning, and 2022 Mw 6.6 Luding earthquakes) have occurred around the Sichuan Basin in central China, and resulted in serious damage and casualties. In this regard, the identification and characterization of active structures is critical for seismic hazard assessment. The growth of surrounding orogens with complex evolution histories have profound impacts on the thermal evolution, subsidence, and sedimentary processes of the Sichuan Basin, where fertile oil and gas resources have been found at multiple levels within the upper several kilometers of sediments. Thus, the knowledge of the lithosphere architecture, tectonic processes, and landscape evolution has vital implications for exploration of associated energy resources and environmental changes.
We seek to address the effects of fault segmentation and its interactions on seismic behaviors, especially in structurally-complex regions, which is one of the most serious challenges in seismic hazard assessment. The search for conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources requires us to better understand the control of sedimentary sequences on 3D source rock distributions and types, and contributions from long-term structural evolution at various scales. Newly available ground-surface deformation observations, geochronological constraints on mountain building and thermal history modeling, progresses in petrological analysis techniques, advancements of high-resolution landscape evolution models, and increasing quantity and quality of subsurface data from oil and gas exploration provide new opportunities to achieve these goals. To address the issues mentioned above, integrated studies of the co-evolution of the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding ranges, and enhanced exchanges between scientists from diversified communities are needed.
We welcome almost all article types suitable for the Structural Geology and Tectonics section at Frontiers in Earth Science. We especially encourage contributions on the following themes regarding the Sichuan Basin and surrounding areas that include, but are not limited to:
• Characterization of tectonic evolution at various spatial and temporal scales
• Landscape evolution in response to neotectonics
• Thermal history, subsidence, and fill models of sedimentary basins
• Analog and numerical modeling of coupling mechanisms between basins and orogens
• Seismic hazards related to interacting structures
• Theories, technologies, and prospects of exploring oil and gas resources
We seek to address the effects of fault segmentation and its interactions on seismic behaviors, especially in structurally-complex regions, which is one of the most serious challenges in seismic hazard assessment. The search for conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources requires us to better understand the control of sedimentary sequences on 3D source rock distributions and types, and contributions from long-term structural evolution at various scales. Newly available ground-surface deformation observations, geochronological constraints on mountain building and thermal history modeling, progresses in petrological analysis techniques, advancements of high-resolution landscape evolution models, and increasing quantity and quality of subsurface data from oil and gas exploration provide new opportunities to achieve these goals. To address the issues mentioned above, integrated studies of the co-evolution of the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding ranges, and enhanced exchanges between scientists from diversified communities are needed.
We welcome almost all article types suitable for the Structural Geology and Tectonics section at Frontiers in Earth Science. We especially encourage contributions on the following themes regarding the Sichuan Basin and surrounding areas that include, but are not limited to:
• Characterization of tectonic evolution at various spatial and temporal scales
• Landscape evolution in response to neotectonics
• Thermal history, subsidence, and fill models of sedimentary basins
• Analog and numerical modeling of coupling mechanisms between basins and orogens
• Seismic hazards related to interacting structures
• Theories, technologies, and prospects of exploring oil and gas resources
Keywords: basin architecture, tectonics and deformation landscape evolution, oil and gas resources, earthquake hazards
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
