Three Envisat images from ESA were used to derive the pre - and co-seismic deformation interfereograms caused by the Damxung Ms6. 6 earthquake of Oct. 6,2008 ,by using InSAR. The result shows no significant crustal motion more than 4 months before the earthquake, but a maximum co-seismic displacement of about 0.3 m in an epicentral area of 20 km × 20 km. The deformation field was symmetrically distributed about a NS axis, where the west side subsided and the east side uplifted. We used a linear elastic dislocation model in half space and a nonlinear constraint optimized algorithm to estimate the slip distribution along the fault. The results indicates that the epicenter is located at 90. 374°E ,29. 745°N with a moment magnitude of Mw6. 35. The earthquake is dominated by normal faulting with a maximum slip of 3 m on a 12 km × 11 km fault plane striking S189°W,dipping 60° to NW at a depth of 9.5 km,and is located at a sub-fault of the southeastern Piedmont of the Nyainqentanglha mountains. The relatively shallow depth of earthquake is related to relatively high heat flow in the area.
Xuejun Qiao Shanjun Ren Zhaosheng Nie Yu Zhou Qiang Shen Shaomin Yang
