Characteristics and mechanisms for origin of earth fissures in Fenwei basin, China

The most serious earth fissure disasters in China occur in the Fenwei basin. Since the late 1950s, earth fissure disasters have widely occurred in the Weihe, Yuncheng, Linfen, Taiyuan, and Datong sub-basins in the Fenwei basin, and such disaster has increased progressively in recent years. The current paper summarizes the characteristics of earth fissures in the Fenwei basin. Earth fissures usually occur in an extensional faulted basin, along an active fault zone, and within an area of land subsidence. Earth fissures often have a similar trend, with many branches that intermittently appear along their strike. The main and secondary earth fissures at a shallow depth form rupture belts of different widths, but they merge into a single shear belt and stay connected with the underlying active fault. The throw of two blocks increases with depth along a sedimentary fault. Earth fissures usually show the characteristic of three-dimensional movement. Vertical dislocation is the primary aspect of earth fissure movement. The horizontal tension is smaller and the horizontal twist is the smallest, which is consistent with the movement pattern of underlying active faults. Earth fissures have exhibited activity three or four times since the late Pleistocene. In the past half-century, earth fissures formed during four or five periods of peak activity were influenced strongly by groundwater fluctuation. Our research also indicates that cluster formation of earth fissures is polygenetic and results from a combination of tectonic and human activities. Earth fissures are driven by deep tectonic motions beneath the basin and are controlled by the local tectonic stress of the local fault zones. One of the most important factors contributing to earth fissure formation is groundwater overexploitation. This paper provides a scientific basis for proposed administrative means, mitigation measures and engineering solutions in the field of engineering geology. •The paper summarized earth fissures commonly occur in a belt along active fault and are accompanied with subsidence.•The characteristics of earth fissures were summarized by trenching, drilling, geophysical method, surveying and mapping.•The paper proposes a new mechanism for earth fissure formation.