Intersection between tectonic faults and magmatic systems promotes swarms with large-magnitude earthquakes around the Tengchong volcanic field, southeastern Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Volcanic regions commonly host swarms comprising small to moderate-sized earthquakes while tectonic faults host mostly mainshock-aftershock sequences that can include very large earthquakes. In the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, large tectonic faults formed by the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates intersect with the intraplate Tengchong volcanic field, and the seismic behavior of such an environment remains unclear. Here, we built a deep-learning-based high-precision earthquake catalog for the Tengchong volcanic field and found that (1) ∼59% of the seismicity occurred as swarms but on faults aligned with the regional tectonic stress field; (2) all swarms contained fluid-diffusion-like migration fronts, with some occurring where high CO2 emissions have been detected; and (3) a year-long swarm, including two ML 5.2 earthquakes within two months, revealed complex fluid-fault interaction. Combined with the historical occurrences of M >6 earthquake swarms around the Tengchong volcanic field, our observations suggest potential increased likelihood of swarms with large-magnitude earthquakes where large tectonic faults and magmatic systems intersect.