美国地质勘探局地球物理学家杰西卡·特纳称，此次芦山地震是在南北走向的龙门山断裂带上发生东西反向运动造成的，是2008年的汶川地震引发的多次余震之一。但也有专家认为这是一次独立地震。中国地震台网中心主任潘怀文说，昨天发生的7级地震属于逆冲型地震，尽管破裂特征与汶川地震非常相似，但它不是汶川地震的余震。
The United States Geological Survey geophysicist Jessica Turner said, the Lushan earthquake in the Longmen mountain fault zone occurred on the North-South thing reverse movement caused, is one of the aftershocks triggered the Wenchuan earthquake of 2008. But also the expert thinks this is an independent earthquake. The China Earthquake Networks Center Director Pan Huaiwen said, yesterday's 7 magnitude earthquake belongs to thrust earthquakes, although the fracture characteristics and the Wenchuan earthquake is very similar, but it is not the aftershocks of the Wenchuan earthquake.
周本刚表示，芦山地震和汶川地震有两大相同之处，一是二者都发生在北东向展布的龙门山断裂带上，二是二者均为逆冲型地震。但二者又有所区别，从位置上看，芦山地震发生在龙门山断裂带南段，汶川地震发生在龙门山断裂带中段;从震级和烈度看，二者差别较大;从地表破裂程度看，预计芦山地震的地表破裂带长度和位移远低于汶川地震。
Zhou Bengang said, Lushan earthquake and Wenchuan earthquake two similarities, the first is the two occurred in the North East Longmen mountain fracture belt, two is the two are thrust earthquakes. But the two and the difference, from the point of view, the Lushan earthquake occurred in the Longmen mountain fault belt, Wenchuan earthquake occurred in the Longmen Mountain Fault Zone in the middle; the magnitude and intensity, two degree difference; from the perspective of surface rupture zone, expected length and displacement is far lower than the Wenchuan earthquake surface rupture of the Lushan earthquake.
肖和平认为，雅安地震与汶川地震有一定的相关性，两次地震同属于构造活动引起的地震，小金弧形地质构造带是联结它们的地质构造，汶川地震发生后，破坏了小金弧形地质带的应力平衡状态，是造成此次地震的一个重要原因。
Xiao Heping thinks, Ya'an earthquake and Wenchuan earthquake has certain relevance, belong to the same tectonic activity caused by the two earthquake, the little golden arc tectonic belt is the combination of geological structure of them, after the Wenchuan earthquake, destroyed the little golden ribbon belt stress equilibrium state, is an important cause of the earthquake the.