Imaging of upper breakpoints of buried active faults through microtremor survey technology

Abstract Detecting buried active faults presents the challenge of precisely locating the upper breakpoint, the shallowest point in the Quaternary system where faults occur. Microtremor survey technology, unaffected by urban electromagnetic interference, offers an eco-friendly and efficient method for investigating buried faults and stratigraphic structures in urban areas. This research uses microtremor survey technology to identify the upper breakpoint of the buried Nankou-Sunhe Fault in Changping, Beijing. For data collection, 17 microtremor survey points were deployed across the northern section of the Nankou-Sunhe fault, employing a three-point nested circular array with a point spacing of approximately 200 m to form a profile spanning approximately 320 m. For data analysis, the spatial autocorrelation method was utilized. Each measurement point was divided into 9 sets of radii, ranging from a minimum of approximately 4 m to a maximum of 28 m. The correlation coefficients for each set were calculated, and the dispersion curve for each measurement point was generated by fitting the average coefficients with the Bessel function of the first kind of order zero. The apparent S-wave velocity was determined directly from the dispersion curve using empirical formulas and interpolated to generate the contour cross-section map. Integrating the section and inverted S-wave velocity data can significantly enhance interpretation accuracy, and based on these data, the spatial development characteristics and upper breakpoint locations of the Nankou-Sunhe fault zone were analyzed, and the strata shallower than 100 m were deduced. The results align well with known geological data, such as luminescence dating and 14 C dating from boreholes at nearby locations. Graphical Abstract